0:14

hey everyone john heilemann here welcome to hell and high

0:16

water my podcast with a retail about politics

0:18

and culture on the edge of armageddon with the

0:20

gulf cartel reserve presided used

0:22

behind the sound of we take clan end the producer

0:25

of our job theme music

0:27

this week the podcast we're

0:29

celebrating a big time milestone

0:32

in the life of this show it's the one

0:35

hundredth episode of our

0:37

of our a mark the occasion

0:39

we have with us a very special just a

0:41

guy i have been wanting to on the show

0:43

since before we even launched

0:46

in september twenty twenty a guide

0:48

back who one of the inspirations

0:50

for the show when that wild

0:52

and crazy gens the tasmanian

0:54

devil wind soon i first started developing

0:57

it in the spring of that year

0:59

year from the store greece i wanted to make a show that was

1:01

intimately tied to the pandemic but would

1:03

still make sense after the pandemic with

1:05

more than the pandemic and yes we

1:08

were naive li optimistic to assume that there would

1:10

be a time after the pandemics

1:12

but that's all of the story a

1:14

way we rejected for that reason

1:17

concepts and titles for

1:19

the including truly one

1:21

of my great brain farts and the world

1:24

or a spirit or when i was gonna buy gas corona

1:26

com like about him another

1:28

been a , we went to say without i

1:30

wonder which was you know kind of reflect the premise

1:32

that the pandemic was only one of many

1:34

harrowing developments from

1:36

you know the shocking regularity a police violence

1:39

against unarmed black people to the routine

1:41

mass shootings was across the country

1:43

to that relentless rapacious nurse of high

1:45

tech global capitalism in the structural inequities

1:48

in our economy to the increasingly

1:50

obvious fragility of america's democratic

1:52

institutions to get out just fucking

1:55

donald trump full stop all

1:57

that kind of combine to create

2:00

sort of distinct end is nigh

2:02

apocalypse now all over again vibe

2:05

that had taken hold in this country over

2:07

the past years and we're grayson i wanted

2:09

to do along with the original helena water

2:11

team was to make a series of

2:13

long form conversations with a bunch of influential

2:15

people in politics and business attack and food

2:17

and sports and entertainment the people yeah

2:19

we thought of as being at the center of the culture

2:22

about you're coping with all

2:24

this this kind of my asthma of

2:27

turmoil and and

2:30

rising above it or pivoting away from

2:32

it or pushing off against it and how we can all

2:34

maybe figure out a way to join hands and pull through

2:37

it together some weird reason

2:39

would try explain more wednesday on the bike as people

2:41

would say yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah sure i get

2:43

i get it totally i get it but i do

2:45

like example

2:48

i got kind of a guest the

2:50

you'd want you'd want on this cockamamie

2:53

i just the other minds and we would inevitably

2:55

invariably automatically say

2:58

in unison the nice i will

3:00

i took us a hundred episodes to make

3:02

that reality happen used by we

3:04

here just in time for a mega

3:07

mondo centenary that

3:09

are now leah derek it denies

3:11

jones who before the pandemic

3:13

was both a dear friend of mine and easily one of the

3:15

world's best working dj is a guy

3:17

who you'd in the booth behind a in a bag

3:20

of turntables underneath a

3:22

custom worth worth fedora usually

3:25

at high and private parties and york

3:27

or l a at blue chip corporate a bad sat

3:29

the superbowl or the m b a finals at dave

3:31

chappelle legendary joint weekends

3:34

and yellow springs ohio or chicago or new

3:36

orleans or at present about a second

3:38

inaugural ball or one of infamous

3:40

and famous farewell party that him a shelter

3:43

with their final days and white house but then

3:45

when the pandemic head d nice did

3:47

something unusual that turned out to be transformative

3:51

certainly for him and for a lot of people rather

3:53

than crawling up at a ball of depression isolation

3:55

and despair or rather

3:58

after growing up in a ball the

4:00

price in isolation despair you see the

4:02

moment as a car creative

4:04

and communal opportunity and

4:06

watch the series of sometimes daily nightly

4:08

dj sets on instagram live and

4:11

christendom club quarantine which

4:13

quickly turned into a socially distance

4:16

to but raving raging

4:18

electrifying global phenomenon routinely

4:21

attracting virtual crowds of more than one hundred

4:23

thousand simultaneous viewers putting everybody

4:26

from rian on oprah iron

4:28

tyson to us mark zuckerberg and marion

4:32

all which is to say that devices club

4:34

quarantine sets were among the few bright spots in

4:36

dark and dismal early days of kobe more than

4:38

that they were tangible proof that amid all

4:41

of the suffering in fear and panic and pain

4:43

of the coven nineteen pandemic it was possible

4:46

artist to create uplifting work and experiences

4:48

that didn't simply look past the distressing

4:51

realities the moment but incorporate them

4:53

in a positive way now that's sad

4:55

a lot of people suspected that the part

4:58

of the denies has started was just a fad

5:00

that once a quarantine came to an end so

5:02

would club quarantine naturally and

5:05

the spread of ne saying as

5:07

derek recalled in our conversation for how how

5:09

water it did not escape his attention heard

5:12

it and it also sort

5:14

of given was actually happened his career

5:16

and club quarantine more than years after

5:18

the lockdowns i did the whole thing is taught

5:20

him a valuable and empowering

5:23

i remember reading a comment that someone

5:26

left or my gp easy to set up

5:28

your device is good right now but no

5:31

i would say when the wall reopens and

5:34

, know that always stuck with me like man with

5:36

were reopens than i would you care about

5:38

the that i'm doing

5:40

when it has be reopened even

5:43

became parasite you

5:45

know selling now have a bold

5:47

in like two nights ago sewed up front

5:49

of the how the what i learn from it is

5:51

is that when you things that matter the people

5:54

it will live it will live lounge you

5:56

know lounge at any one situation

5:59

the be easier say that derek denies

6:01

jones my friends is overstating the case

6:03

but he's not although he's still regularly

6:05

spins on i july club quarantine

6:08

has blossomed into something and

6:10

more said in person touring

6:12

show a concert tour basically

6:14

that has put d in front of jam

6:16

packed crowds from comes to costs including as he said

6:19

just last week of sold out gig at carnegie hall

6:21

with a giant orchestra behind and all

6:23

these kind of old school hip hop heads who are

6:26

up there representing the culture is transformed

6:28

him from simply the best

6:30

dj on the planet to the best and also

6:32

the best known as recipe that pretty much

6:34

every award for black excellence under the sun

6:37

presenter at the emmys performer at the oscars worldwide

6:39

impresario of booty shaking

6:41

ambassador of dance floor culture and all around beloved

6:44

and beloved minister of

6:46

musical joy so having said

6:48

all that i guess it's time here as we celebrate

6:50

our hundredth fail to kick back and take a listen

6:52

to denies and i discuss his improbable and

6:54

inspiring career from his teenage

6:56

years as a key member of the seminal golden

6:59

age of hip hop collective boogie down productions

7:01

his role in producing the landmark single destruction

7:04

for late eighties stop the violence movement his

7:06

brief but star crossed solo career his

7:08

decade long stint the musical wilderness

7:10

his self reinvention in the new millennium

7:13

as an elite dj and his

7:15

emergence as one of the few genuine

7:18

supernovas launched by the age

7:20

of cove it all which is to the

7:22

perfect guest our

7:25

one hundredth exploration

7:27

of the fiery furnace and the watery deep

7:29

of the future president without

7:32

our

7:40

you know what's so interesting to me about this derek

7:43

is that in this moment

7:46

where so many people feeling isolated

7:48

and you say yourself say yourself at home

7:50

feeling a little removed a little isolated

7:53

and then what really happened was you

7:55

said how can i be useful how

7:57

can do thing that how can

7:59

i

7:59

what i know what i love what i do

8:02

an offer that to somebody else

8:04

sorta with me wanting the life right

8:06

need to was a people days you know they

8:09

when all once you become a similar

8:11

signing just things that are hundred and

8:13

sixty five thousand people

8:15

yeah i think you helps

8:18

a lot of people not only

8:20

feel better but it was

8:22

the most hopeful healing

8:24

experience i think going

8:27

on as a collective virtual

8:29

community in

8:32

the united states

8:33

for anybody who doesn't recognize the voice that was

8:36

the queen oprah winfrey i'm

8:38

ah show that she was making for apple

8:40

tv plus back in march

8:43

of twenty twenty march twenty fifth

8:45

twice way to be precise not long after

8:47

cove started and she was talking with

8:49

my friend and the guest on

8:52

our today derek d

8:54

nice jones he's here

8:56

and i couldn't be more delighted him and

8:59

how you doing man and so good in

9:01

that they just made me emotional

9:03

creator that love right love

9:05

right because it's just like

9:09

the pandemic is such a weird

9:11

thing now you know why i

9:13

don't really big you're able to raise or head around it to

9:15

fill your dream in a lot of ways like that that

9:17

tag i mean it's still with us obviously people so getting

9:20

cove it but that period right then

9:22

those first few months when things really shut down and

9:24

people were like ira i can't we my house what

9:26

the fuck like that the

9:29

kit brewed leader was real like when

9:31

when sixth and seventh avenue were shut like

9:33

empty here like vanilla sky empty a new

9:35

york city and you're out the away

9:38

the side will i do some weird thing on instagram

9:41

and and it blows up in this way that no

9:43

one could imagine was sorrier talk about i remember

9:45

things to talk about here and conchords

9:47

he started and and here's you then you're that you can do

9:49

with oprah for target about it i mean

9:51

it's a surreal to that be not

9:54

, was it was surreal

9:56

it was so crazy about it was something that

9:58

was something i i want

9:59

the just be able to tell my story

10:02

you know in that way and the world

10:04

stabbed in in a became more than

10:06

sorry about music in about people in community

10:09

and i'm guess definitely surreal

10:12

here's the cool thing about this right

10:14

this is the hundredth episode of this

10:16

podcast hundreds of is under how it how water and

10:18

i will you that when we first started thinking about making

10:20

it which is like in the spring of twenty twenty and

10:23

make the woman i've tyco created the pike

10:25

as grace wednesday and we're like we're

10:28

want to make to make that's not a pandemic podcast

10:30

because we know the pinnacle and some day but is

10:32

kind of about the world

10:34

falling apart we spilled everything

10:36

feels like is kind of on the edge apocalypse how's

10:39

everybody coping with that especially people in

10:41

public life and how are they try to

10:43

figure out how to get through and it was

10:46

like on people with a will give us an example of an

10:48

episode we would go for the

10:50

nation's like the likely here's

10:52

a guy what what he's doing he's like the

10:54

middle of this guy damage is making

10:56

this thing that's totally to the most

10:58

apocalyptic moment imaginable and he's

11:00

making art and beauty community out of it sees

11:04

miss moment and adapting

11:06

this very vivid

11:08

you know dramatic anti of

11:10

beautiful way everyone within get

11:12

with parkinson's about people go oh i see that's

11:15

the kind of person you want to books out it's taken me a year

11:17

this isn't because one upset because i won

11:20

by , the south south

11:22

happy to be here it's fun and it is

11:24

it the said that you said you're trying to create

11:26

a podcast with live long

11:29

after that a pandemic is important right

11:31

so right i remember reading the reading

11:34

that some some i'm left on you

11:36

know or not or my gp

11:38

is in said i'm worthy nice is

11:40

good right now but no i would say

11:43

when well reopens when and

11:46

you know that always stuck with me like man with

11:48

were reopens than i would you the mixer about

11:50

this thing that i'm doing it

11:52

when it when it has to be reopened it became

11:55

even bigger right is right

11:57

know selling know selling would in

12:00

like two nights ago sewed up comedy

12:02

how like right then in

12:04

a what i learn from it is is that when you

12:06

do things that matter to people it

12:09

, live it will live lounge you know

12:11

long after anyone situation and

12:14

i am extremely say you know but what

12:16

i'm doing right now what why think about

12:18

that you know like you tube as you can he also you're

12:20

you're also new york's this

12:22

week he just did this all that sort i shall carnegie

12:24

hall i think about all the stuff know i've known

12:26

you for ten years so now it's i guess you

12:29

know it's it's like i just think about how for you

12:31

lose just what to transform and experiences on

12:33

was for you smell like this week during

12:35

your your cardio shouts were doing

12:37

one hundred episodes were not my on of a smaller

12:40

scale much less importance but like it's

12:42

to club so called cut cut right

12:44

does that know that name's does mean stay

12:46

with you forever you know our thrive

12:48

as a little tried to change it outside

12:50

the car seats you it's absence

12:53

well listen no one data that club

12:55

quality as certain in the i

12:57

tried everything broke the ,

12:59

friends and know right now have quarantine

13:01

as what everyone knows about right

13:04

it's i get so iconic at point so again

13:06

i it is i i still iconic as make it's like

13:08

the only the only

13:10

positive thing that came out came little that of that pandemic

13:12

is there anything else to say that to say i mean

13:14

a lot people like spending a little more time with their families

13:17

even though was enforce the it was a period where people okay

13:19

it's nice i get spokesman by family are to travel so

13:21

much but mostly it was all and

13:24

this is like the one artifact that lives on

13:26

and as you say it's getting bigger and bigger it's like you're

13:28

doing this things you never imagined you he played

13:31

carnegie hall know i never as i

13:33

have stepped foot in kentucky all and zero

13:36

i went to do a walkthrough in was

13:38

like wow at are the latin john

13:40

and i started tearing up in

13:42

i was so emotional just been a new record

13:44

in i live in los angeles now for like the last three to

13:46

have years but i'm truly a new york at

13:48

lovable than routes or dad

13:51

you know what can and should i don't you but

13:53

i remember what and fast of india went

13:55

to school and seventy seven stream and

13:58

you know sometimes i would you know what i'm

14:00

proud to get home you know live in

14:02

harlem and i would come down

14:05

this way in this area once they are now

14:07

in like that as carnegie you

14:09

, just imagine like like

14:11

one of those artists that they sat on the side

14:13

done on the posters and

14:16

men you know to to have

14:18

become one of those people medicis displeasure

14:20

days i can it's it's such

14:23

a beautiful story that was our built

14:25

on loud and by the community music while

14:27

lessig right image it's free be used as a know to

14:29

talk about your past a little bit here but like

14:32

you know born born the book it out bronx

14:34

i believe rights you know has been born

14:36

in harlem reward and harlem's raised

14:39

in the brawn born in harlem raise the bar you libs

14:41

of the course of your early light you lived in ever

14:43

have in right you it on every it for

14:45

of the i've i've was either side

14:48

note know where my not

14:50

they have to move back to the you're just moving

14:52

in or out start out as a lot

14:54

of out of years

14:57

i read your years i could you

14:59

to be an honorary member of the shot juggle

15:01

i'm if you want but like that's a crazy like

15:04

you're in our ears artist who had a lot successor

15:06

a long period time here and like

15:08

i'm of i saw i read a couple or die introduce

15:10

you to this week is basically saying he never been

15:13

and it wasn't until j played

15:15

there that you have you thought was possible

15:17

for like the a black

15:19

the artist from the hip hop world to get

15:22

to carnegie hall as those that's

15:24

, the asylum or surgery last night

15:27

and he knows gave me gave hug

15:29

besides oh congratulations you

15:32

nice a big thing you know because as know

15:34

as a that as a that you imagine

15:36

yourself on those stages especially

15:38

comes in i was a part of your problem with still

15:40

kind of in it's infancy you know at

15:42

that guns and errands or products were

15:45

that you know it's hard to get insurance to put on big

15:47

shows and to be invited

15:49

by these venues now to place

15:52

is moving same thing with i were both

15:54

like they asked me to play is not

15:56

affect our former model for rubber

15:59

mats the me to do club quarantine

16:01

live at the hollywood bowl and

16:04

you know i know what we have specials yeah

16:07

i mean what work i mean

16:08

so so you know in the last year to

16:10

have my friends you know we are a big

16:13

deal dj one of the great d j's

16:15

playing you know playing for the the obamas

16:17

you're like a a top tier of people

16:19

who people think of it's like the vestiges the country's

16:22

before you moved away and the pandemic

16:24

started rights yeah but in the last year and

16:26

a half

16:27

if one naacp image award

16:29

that easy hip hop award for is

16:31

yet the air b the bt a light award

16:33

the webby awards regards to the or the ascap

16:35

voice with the culture awards the apollo theater percy

16:38

sutton awards the national urban league president's

16:40

words all that's happened since the pandemic

16:42

on the basis of cq right yes

16:45

that's right so okay so

16:47

i want to i want to use a setback now just

16:49

think about your life in

16:52

january , twenty twenty

16:54

before the kid democrat democrat was

16:56

your head at in terms in your

16:59

career was like how for

17:01

you'd com were you when

17:03

did you the life you're living and

17:05

what you thought your future looks your then

17:09

so's , interesting than i

17:12

remember pretty on a plane oh

17:14

sit on a plane lasted about the on

17:17

a are talking about this from whitney houston

17:19

out on about with that with the hologram and

17:22

i was at night with was under to my

17:24

dc like that

17:26

so it's like just me but rights

17:28

take me into a different clubs all over take

17:30

player said like know that it added

17:34

i was tired i was that really tired

17:36

of the traveling you know that at

17:38

that time to that year i've flown

17:40

over like two thousand thousand

17:42

miles year tired i was on a plane every

17:44

day or night i thought

17:47

when it's when he was going to beat a year that i

17:49

retire ,

17:51

just not was bad beat house or

17:53

spoke to the president of lab

17:55

neeson eminem i'd never

17:57

work with the before then like athena

18:00

actually i did wonder within they

18:02

had me open up a jill scott and

18:04

in philly and i and i told him

18:06

was like hey i , want to

18:08

i don't want to play clubs anymore i just want to be someone's

18:11

opened in that i want to go on tour

18:13

just make twenty twenty like my last year i

18:15

was tired like i you know single

18:18

living in l you know living in l a

18:21

a i was just ready to like make the move into

18:23

becoming the music supervisor and film and film

18:26

that's why i moved to l a bad worrying about

18:28

sunshine is about finding

18:31

is to know

18:33

get into film you know music supervision

18:35

and eventually music producing movies and

18:37

, yeah in and who

18:40

who would've known three months later that that

18:43

whole idea of rec retire and for

18:45

gosh yes wow and

18:47

you know i always wonder why you moved telling me i was you

18:49

to you you moved out of the

18:52

fuck are you doing for you're well how could

18:54

you leave new york city like move back to my hometown

18:56

so okay so that's right you per weight

18:58

you that's what's so crazy about the how

19:01

do not move to crazy a there is do club

19:03

quarantine there's none of

19:05

this it was created

19:07

on the busyness of me being at home

19:09

alone like was born team and allowed

19:12

by myself no family

19:14

nothing so that made me feel that way everyone

19:16

else did you know had i moved

19:19

to new york there i would have been with my

19:21

family right to york kids

19:23

delaware wouldn't you know there have been many

19:25

many distractions so i i

19:27

feel like the universe put me there for a reason and

19:30

how and like you know when i make a pricey

19:32

this question she said she there's a longer version that clip

19:34

obviously people can watch it she's like you

19:36

know

19:37

people like us you know oprah

19:39

not like i put keepers of the of robots you would

19:41

be let's say we travel a tiny and

19:44

she says year she's like you're on

19:46

road all the time you feel like when if you practice

19:48

stop your like rolex i really wish i'd

19:50

have trouble so much as you your like fuck i'm

19:52

like i'm feel anxious and nervous

19:55

about liked about your i do anything can't sit still

19:57

so it's like a particular kind of thing to be

19:59

walk

19:59

the up for arcana

20:01

compliments and and our metabolisms

20:04

right words like now we're can find this

20:06

not be kitchen in force you

20:09

know it will you're locked in a fucking cel right

20:11

how bad was

20:13

i mean how how down were you at

20:15

that be flight before you watch the thing really tiger

20:18

, miserable or what what

20:21

now i was i was pretty damn about you

20:23

know about advil as in that in

20:26

it woke up that morning i went

20:28

lives and i started to

20:30

i sit around in my room like i room a i

20:33

don't i was angry with myself because

20:35

i am i felt like i'd

20:38

give him my lead music and i started making

20:40

music when i was fifteen in a back in

20:42

eighty six and i'd give him i like

20:44

to music and sequestration

20:48

know every relationship because

20:50

i resisted lead with music nothing was

20:52

more important to me than the music

20:55

and than world stopped and

20:57

i was benefits you

20:59

know i was with my family you

21:01

know my my relationship was over

21:04

years be silo and as i was low

21:06

you know in was not sit

21:08

and so i angry a of

21:10

was around in my room that on

21:13

i got up and i've written to my

21:15

my kitchen over my wrapped up

21:17

started instagram for the first time instagram

21:20

love rather for first first but i've

21:22

never done and i

21:24

started with those time and

21:26

i remember seeing of the clipper recently

21:28

from that first dates and you clipper see

21:30

what my eyes are red says

21:34

as christ my eyes

21:38

were stopping and i'm here added

21:40

have a piece of out on a vase added added

21:42

buffers my home i had no food businesses

21:46

because i was always traveling right

21:48

there is also stressed so

21:50

was like it a little bit of aca desperation see start

21:52

this thing and it's not even called

21:54

concurrency the time it's like home schooled and

21:56

you're like don't really do not really pj

21:58

your colleagues as you

21:59

experimenting like lot of people were with these

22:02

platforms that point right and

22:04

, it's like of in a few days

22:07

wealth a fight five

22:09

days in five want to put all play this okay fighters

22:11

it's that oprah clip was from march twenty fifth the

22:13

twenty twenty remember guys march

22:16

missouri really depends on the country just shut

22:18

down within the prelim two weeks previous rights

22:20

that oprah clippers march twenty fifth on

22:23

march twenty first twenties when five

22:25

days into your experiments

22:29

the said when of on

22:31

a people was play this got this is a little super

22:33

type of a nine hours

22:35

on a part is lenny

22:37

, any aleppo of masks

22:40

oh my gosh halle berry of benefits season

22:43

beer

22:50

welcome back ludacris oh my gosh michelle

22:53

obama is it here michelle

22:55

[unk]

23:03

yeah

23:05

we have

23:08

i am i say

23:10

says it is real justice

23:13

in here

23:26

you think this is now

23:30

, in here here

23:32

chris hundred

23:37

people in here was with us

23:39

right now this is absolutely insane

23:42

that to the you burst through the hundred thousand

23:44

number for first time instagram live

23:46

in ever see thing like that and

23:48

if i read this right you got michelle obama

23:51

joe biden bernie sanders mark zuckerberg

23:53

along with of these are the like minded rabbits i like out starts

23:55

collect with the bill just like id cards highbury forget

23:58

about them pretty quick once you get michelle obama

23:59

the airport you know every out by tyson are

24:02

ya know more more more than anybody a

24:04

lot of my favorite live in these i think did is

24:06

it but obama as and here it's like the

24:08

always just like but such as normally do these

24:10

the most important person the room but of michelle room

24:12

she more important rights so how

24:14

much is that i mean your your headset like was

24:16

exploding that day like it was exploding write

24:19

a , totally mad at the book or was

24:21

so it it

24:23

as i was i was i was excited

24:25

about this i was i but i had

24:27

imagined as who's gonna sound odd but the result

24:30

out of it saddens me try to

24:32

distract people from the fact that the song

24:34

that ending but i was playing

24:37

and i trying to remember the

24:39

her favorite song about moment which was

24:41

decent salad and and beyond sea salts

24:43

signs but i couldn't remember what

24:45

it was a lot and excited but

24:47

i'm outside of take the outside and

24:50

i did so and saw the dot before

24:52

the sun was over about it i was fun

24:54

though i mean i'll never forget that day i'll

24:56

know that out what's interesting about

24:58

know that entails a was i

25:01

ask me responses allowed the people

25:03

you know a guy allowed because i've become

25:06

easy for the past

25:08

every saturday assists in as as

25:10

i past i get this thing is really

25:14

good you know any such as a happening

25:16

but as as you on the phone and

25:18

how system as i type it on teammates

25:21

i'll just as long as we

25:23

are you not teammates it but one of them for name

25:25

is either that's a promise

25:28

that are you know i'll put it out and

25:30

then it started calling everyone else

25:32

i knew that opposes that

25:34

a manager and i knew job that his knew

25:36

manager and not as manager as i to people

25:38

when and you know we

25:41

had never seen anything like and we'd never

25:43

really use media in this

25:45

way and i knew

25:47

that the night of for i like thousand

25:49

people which actually represented by

25:52

a brief moment probably that over million

25:54

people that friday's because

25:56

it you know instagram the moment you

25:58

answer your phone your ticket in of those

26:00

numbers are consistently rousing people

26:03

in and out of the assad the end of the said you could

26:05

see how

26:07

, people in there and on that

26:09

day when when we reach over a hundred

26:11

thousand people you know consecutively android

26:14

that really represented like three most people

26:17

people that's that's a lot of people you know so

26:19

our as far as many they many the

26:22

nice slap in the cia right to to

26:24

teach people to spite of to adopted

26:27

you you know a couple are

26:29

back then that i that i remember even to

26:31

this day of which ones you

26:33

didn't start doing this as like a business

26:35

that was like hey here's a when like

26:37

makes of dollars when i took took him to

26:40

buff my brand or whatever but you

26:42

know the reality is that

26:45

like i is i got got

26:47

this courted iraq

26:51

this got this i got the should uphold the my club what

26:53

were many club quarantine shirts this

26:55

is like a probable april twenty twenty okay

26:57

the summer concert ssssss

27:00

april best one right so i got this the

27:02

got the shirts and you know this were i'm not

27:04

i'm and you criticizing i'm the same it's

27:06

quickly became clear that was

27:08

a good can transform your life and

27:11

least two short term maybe in the long term

27:13

and there was and there was a business in this right there

27:15

was a way to be able to help the world like a time

27:17

when the economy was shut down like you able

27:20

to be like hey okay i'm

27:22

i'm put a smile on people's faces i'm

27:24

helping people to get through a tough time and

27:26

i'm able to build something out of the human of entrepreneur

27:29

as much a musician your whole life and i

27:31

looked at and i was man go d

27:33

like a guy was finding a way you

27:36

know when almost went every else is like fuck i may never work

27:38

again here's a guy who's might find a way

27:40

to do good by do you do well by doing get what's

27:43

, about that job you

27:46

know the first the i went live i received

27:48

an offer from somewhat

27:50

of a business to add add

27:53

that saturday in the back in the in

27:56

and you know how to do it

27:59

but that was nice and they move

28:01

a mistake of sending me a t shirt as well

28:03

when they wanted me to wear a t-shirt and

28:06

, didn't want to sacrifice my integrity nor

28:08

i want anything to look like i

28:10

was trying to capitalize on on on

28:13

this pandemic what was going on right

28:15

after after that that i'm

28:18

i'm model of the twenty first or

28:21

did he did and he's like hey

28:23

come up with rock in there as there pro i

28:26

can't i can't do that i was like for the first

28:28

time of my career i felt like this was

28:30

something that was specifically for

28:33

me you know as an artist another dj

28:35

and dj for everyone else's events as

28:37

long as about what they wanted me to do what they wanted me

28:39

to play this was the first time that i

28:42

felt that i can just truly be myself

28:44

number was top of me on my shoulders no one was

28:46

making rycroft i guess it's be me and

28:49

i'm when me blew up and i

28:51

started offers and when i tell you the job

28:53

there were millions and millions it you

28:55

know i would everyone made an offer or

28:57

so i'd have to do this for

28:59

have month for free like

29:02

because i i didn't a new people and adults

29:04

space i was reading the comments and i

29:06

didn't want to be and guy that was a hey

29:08

like now selling something to you and

29:11

you know a lot of the clients walked away

29:13

some people some people were like oh

29:15

we're we're going to route a week we'll wait and we want

29:18

to do it with you you know i have like an apple

29:20

commercial and forward and like

29:22

all of that stuff happen like

29:25

after a month of like a doing quick

29:27

quarantine online for free and i still

29:29

do for three like i don't put [unk] fascia i

29:31

don't like any of their yeah yeah yeah but

29:34

the moment that of started selling t-shirts the

29:36

funny thing is it was a t

29:38

selling that was given to me by will smith

29:41

club quarantine it was that was based on his belly

29:43

or athletics and it was club quality

29:46

denies club going to you and

29:48

when i was on was and during and interview

29:51

fans were like paying we want to we want and want

29:53

to buy that and i ended up doing the situation

29:55

was with wheels company and we donated the money

29:58

in and nice when nice knew like

29:59

this is wrong in upper managers

30:02

like i said i'll i've just first in line to get one

30:04

of these i was like man like man i

30:07

right we're as a quick break and be great

30:09

back with more derek see

30:11

nice just risk

30:21

hello fellow

30:23

ball these i know you're out there

30:26

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30:28

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30:30

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32:29

welcome back to

32:32

hello her work i want want back

32:34

just because i had the t shirt yes i'm go through my

32:36

door sick it was thinking about the past and i'm thinking

32:38

about history of think about like who's this

32:40

guy that guy in the hat that guy

32:43

the iconic the man the

32:45

whole thing that's the image of you now right

32:48

yeah , and that is not you

32:50

know the way that the receded the city or the business

32:52

for a long time you know you've got a complicated

32:54

interesting career d and i want go

32:56

back like all the way back to a really different

32:58

time to the mid nineteen eighties the beginning

33:01

of it all for you which begins your

33:03

career not as a dj but as a career in

33:05

the berry berry early days of the golden

33:07

of hop it all started with

33:09

boogie that productions you were

33:12

one of three members of this

33:14

collective that was among the group

33:16

cities the face of hip hop kicked off a golden

33:18

age and you've got to partners you've older

33:20

guys who were seminal figures

33:22

seminal the birth of hip hop one of them

33:25

dj scholar och and the main

33:27

main the group the leader of the group controversial

33:30

figure later at the time brilliant

33:32

voice the voice in the world in got

33:34

him chris parker terrorists one better known

33:36

to the world as and this song

33:38

as the song that kind of introduced

33:41

bdp to the world to the first single

33:43

off the first album which was

33:45

called criminal mind and was the album's name and

33:47

song was called south bronx

33:50

and i think this is fair to say the first

33:52

time anybody ever heard your

33:54

voice on record was by

33:56

that

34:16

the word rica

34:29

many

34:31

people call me with

34:41

a plate

34:51

that

34:56

my

35:01

that , was pursuing a was the first record

35:03

record you did it was the group's everybody

35:05

and the breach wars are right on i as

35:07

a second shot fired of the or same as

35:10

i stay the same a slight in a in the old

35:12

old age of history of of hip hop of

35:15

man that

35:17

group i know it's complicated for you for of

35:19

reasons but like if it saves like rate

35:22

as early as talk

35:24

about where you came from and how you you your way into

35:26

it in other similarly as brown

35:29

rice in a blast raised in about new yet

35:31

to stadium secret wouldn't trust

35:33

avenue natural madness stadium

35:36

secret ecstatic big yankee fan on

35:39

i'm you know my cousin worked

35:41

at it uses security that and i'm insulted

35:44

in the it which arrest lived and

35:46

dj style erupts deserved

35:49

was like practised one his day

35:51

job was he was was like worker the men's

35:53

shelter and on my

35:55

cousin as i used in a letter

35:58

like

36:00

can corned beef and rising

36:03

, and get to that as me to bring in

36:05

lutz lutz the time of his brother

36:07

no longer than women are much money

36:10

so i so from from

36:12

was moved to the east side

36:14

of up at the prostitute and food

36:17

he introduced me to that is like a i

36:19

want you to meet you lotus and of

36:21

and scott look at me i'm site you

36:24

look at you should be on our group that was

36:26

never rappers he just said you he like recipient

36:30

of on that day he took me to rub

36:32

there was a to called doctor james brown

36:35

he walked over to sneak stores walked

36:38

and like these dvd blu

36:41

b b c sir philip supplement was useless

36:43

road have been the de sac area are

36:45

now a massage out you about

36:48

the group and and of absorb a total

36:51

surprise the story of a total the story

36:53

so submitted of did

36:55

you thought you said he

36:57

says you while you watch three miles

36:59

with food to feed your future is

37:02

pretty deep med whatever roka monsieur

37:05

without monsieur walk you're not here and like you know

37:07

i could walk be you know me right you know

37:09

you know the i could you two hours ago

37:12

yeah productions attacks in some other world

37:14

order to to we approached address a movie to be

37:16

made it's like it's a it's just such great stories because

37:18

i even allow people to what hip hop now don't remember

37:21

in a people like because of some the

37:23

stuff that's happened it's like people but still

37:25

remember public enemy and they saw remember run dmc

37:27

but lights but he approaches maybe

37:30

might like maybe by my favorite my

37:32

favorite

37:33

group for a few years like those

37:36

couple of albums i wore about

37:38

man want out and as

37:41

, people agenda remember

37:43

this this who are for the some

37:45

analysts tell rock gets

37:48

killed that song was killed that scargill

37:50

big skills and eighty six eighty seven right

37:52

is seven and a he's really the

37:54

first actually about casualties

37:57

someone who's actually gets who's who's known for

37:59

me i'm as idea

37:59

the not hosted the gotta be somebody actually

38:02

at a group who gets shot it goes down

38:04

he , a your part of that right

38:06

it's was trying to help you out that's

38:09

what led to him getting shot aaron lee and some kind

38:11

of beef beef there was no

38:13

be stressed the crazy part you know

38:15

that what happened in that incident that

38:18

you know people in know neighborhood you

38:20

, you start didn't same

38:23

and you still live in the hood still become

38:25

a target and i

38:27

was livid down the street and you

38:30

know a group of street rolled up me

38:32

in when , used me as both

38:34

new chapters grow and as a

38:36

sixteen years old lights you know and

38:39

me like sixteen to there is no i

38:41

wasn't even most intimate with

38:43

anyone like that united mean agent and

38:45

i'm and you know they provide

38:47

the guns and one girl i'm me with the done

38:49

it they ran out and

38:51

start on the first person that i call

38:54

to talk about the incident was got you

38:56

notes on what happened and you say okay i'm

38:58

come over the on what

39:00

you know we that was that something is

39:03

happening you know mean

39:05

i will not that kind of energy that week

39:07

is was really a mean mission right

39:09

not to murder what

39:12

ended up happening was it

39:14

guy whom his

39:16

name was door dash

39:18

used to be a murder guard a bouncer

39:20

rather was the club we used to hang

39:23

out it either way and course and

39:25

vows far as one person

39:28

wrote him as a part of our true but he was armed

39:30

personnel had a car here is not yet

39:32

a jeep cherokee scrap came

39:35

over with your mean you know we're

39:37

we're just kind of car that i was you know

39:39

that it is a scrawny the my service

39:42

in the because the missouri of

39:44

, doubt instead of asking somebody kids in

39:46

a neighbourhood like girls you know and

39:49

allowed us to kids or something to on it

39:51

and darling says start a big town

39:53

and to cheer up and sand

39:55

and so that peaceful mission ended up looking

39:57

like we're looking trouble but

39:59

the we'll

40:01

look into trouble we just try to make sure that

40:04

nothing has ever happened to the settlement

40:06

it a conversation since

40:08

and an assertion that us nuts that's us

40:10

gonna end up losing different cultures was was

40:12

so and sorts and was a heavy burden to carry

40:15

know because knew that that peeves he

40:18

was someone that really cared for social

40:20

worker he was right his men out

40:22

there is a man he was among your liberties man

40:24

of peace and and someone who loves you

40:26

and and and so it becomes you there's

40:29

a lot because out of that right against our oc

40:31

someone who

40:32

you know i saw some old clip are you talking about how

40:34

you know you'll never be as long as you're in the business

40:36

you'll remind people who's gonna rock was because he was

40:39

many ways like arkansas and is

40:42

that killing i'm you're involved

40:44

in it is it elevates you within group in some ways you become

40:46

the dj for for bucket abductions because

40:48

scott is no in group and

40:51

this is for i get you because runs right into

40:53

the thing i'm interested in i always have the intersection

40:55

culture and politics it's one

40:58

of a couple of things the other being

41:00

a stabbing incident the nassau

41:02

coliseum the next that you guys

41:05

would u s public enemy replaying that starts

41:07

to stop the violence movement and

41:10

that movement creates a song

41:13

that that is you know it was super important

41:15

your career suit you and and i think while

41:18

ret of a certain period of hip hop that

41:20

a lot of people saw it back on in some ways fondly

41:23

awake when social consciousness was big part

41:25

of what it was about know a place called self destruction

41:28

it's a things have terrorists one was

41:30

like reacting is you guys were all reacting

41:32

to what you just seen and losing scott and in the

41:34

stabbing at nasa's causing their lot out of control

41:36

shit happening hop shows in the time

41:39

and this cutting comes out with

41:41

up my got a ray of the most famous

41:43

people in new york chicago hip hopper on is like a supergroup

41:45

performance and you produce to your first

41:48

the your produced

41:49

an eye on that

42:44

chris again care is one that's a start

42:46

but this this thing is god you know the i about

42:48

a max of topic in a real side of times you have malcolm x

42:50

started the show got your mc lyte cool

42:53

modi ah the public enemy guys

42:55

have a chicken flavor both on it's ah

42:57

daddy fresh horses on that on that thing i

42:59

have a d every ounce steps

43:02

as sonic guys right and

43:04

, b and the cats and the producer producer

43:07

nineteen year old at that point night he may

43:09

be nosy eighteen years old years

43:12

what does that what what it what does that song means you

43:15

and what it means what career or

43:17

i'm in i've worked on songs in

43:19

the past you know a gonna be v i was i just

43:21

never get credit for it so that

43:23

was the first time receiving credit

43:25

on on sept in on that produced but

43:28

it meant the world to me know be to buy rutted i

43:31

remember the as it and i remember being in nassau coliseum

43:33

but i also remember the but side of light

43:37

on the hip hop and as about a dozen sides

43:39

was a young kid and no one it known that

43:41

i i was already broken or beats

43:44

for for to arrest certain a real again

43:46

and arrest in meetings again woman

43:48

amy i'm in who he

43:50

soared to jive records you know

43:52

she was one hundred percent but behind me

43:55

producer regular i remember a let down

43:57

the bags that's me duet in n

44:00

right now he says should do

44:02

it he has that he has a track already and

44:05

i think that that was important not just for me

44:07

but i'm just for every young kids

44:09

out , he noted i'd be eating

44:11

his own the producer record that went gold and

44:13

a record that that that

44:16

real meaning behind it you know except

44:18

the stretch and but unfortunately they want

44:20

to start thousand was going on in the

44:22

world to a was such a

44:24

great that you're like to see that disunity

44:26

and fifty the you don't disappear community

44:29

come together and people

44:32

and it's is also people free i began

44:34

to i know you forgotten all the proceeds from

44:36

of whites proceeds national urban league which just

44:38

the other day gave you other president's award with so

44:40

it's like man time as so flat circle right

44:43

everything i've had of what goes around comes

44:45

had

44:46

actually what i want to think so there was a book

44:48

also right there was a soft of i was worried about

44:50

would that nelson made

44:52

and and and i saw this clip and it has

44:54

nelson george pretty much as know nelson

44:57

george was a journalist and rob

44:59

author and his story and

45:01

in some ways of very instrumental figure

45:03

in the early hip hop movement in new york city whose now

45:05

gone on and had huge success in hollywood as

45:07

a producer in a writer this is from

45:09

a movie but the making of

45:11

the stop the violence song

45:14

a little like forty minute many

45:16

video documentary in which nelson

45:19

is kind of the primary narrator

45:21

of it and here he comes summing up the

45:23

importance of self destruction

45:25

and the stop the balance movement in what the song

45:27

med at the moment and y

45:29

one day we would all look back on it as

45:32

an important historical

45:34

artifact the south of our record

45:37

it is really

45:39

i think we'll put on a history if you're looking at the a

45:42

i read would represent the york

45:44

and how they

45:46

rap

45:47

the north of a new york and tally of of streetlight

45:50

culture

45:51

they don't have a in new york in the late

45:53

eighties early nineties they have another partner

45:55

the country

45:56

then the chemistry here

45:59

there about

46:01

and so we have a lot more consciousness the

46:03

whole malcolm x movement

46:04

i prefer apple's interested

46:07

the only positive thing that understanding

46:09

and appreciation islam

46:12

the part of the continuity of religion in the

46:14

crushers that only religion

46:16

the different

46:18

that going to black culture are

46:21

you can see that reflected a self destruction

46:23

heavy right i mean i ,

46:25

it's true everything he just said you do

46:27

think it's a golden age of your a politically

46:30

conscious guy right we could talk about that you're at a

46:32

been activists you ben and bought him in been

46:34

presented campaigns and an owl the rest

46:37

utah think about a golden age or hip

46:39

hop was both coming into it's own and had

46:41

all this kind of political consciousness

46:44

consciousness and miss it it

46:48

know even when you go back to back

46:51

yeah grub as the grub in

46:54

the series far away in out the messes

46:57

chromosomally mouth like those

46:59

rights as i will meet in a white lines

47:01

it from the it all taxes

47:03

voltage on that was a about

47:05

hip hop i used to be kind of of the see

47:07

amount of as like the inner city or

47:10

something that happened people something about it do

47:13

i miss that yes i do but also

47:16

up our prefer to see more of a balance

47:18

in light and were part because even better

47:20

so a project is you still for

47:22

every one of the last lucky

47:25

if you had run dmc will

47:27

was more power you had ll cool j's

47:29

in a little more thirty reckons that

47:31

is about women than records i in

47:34

all the live right now there's no one

47:36

really are ill talking about what's

47:38

going on the world or on the

47:40

the with those

47:42

it isn't but

47:44

then he was important out those records

47:47

you know goes into the have a self destruction

47:50

you know just listen and destruction what necessarily

47:53

like listening to the

47:55

sand itself is

47:57

to would love me well

48:00

my life has always been about of of

48:02

being of service to people you

48:04

, i i almost forgot that i

48:06

produce of destruction that i was like an eighteen

48:08

year old kid and like lifted it

48:11

it know and in a in how

48:14

we react to a situation

48:16

back then reminds me of quality

48:19

of reacting race a situation

48:22

about doing what's necessary you

48:24

know and i hope i hope with my missus

48:26

all said and done you know when they

48:28

tell my story that people will remember

48:30

that if it was always being of service

48:33

yeah well i'm like i'm said i think there's a lot

48:35

of threads then run that run between

48:37

them i don't want to don't let people think

48:39

that is already did you know she produced

48:42

that song but there's also like there's nice

48:44

also wrapped on that song and it's it's the thing

48:46

that catapults you know into catapults a

48:48

into a solo career or so i

48:50

wanna play both these things [unk] papers the denies bursts

48:52

often self destruction

49:26

what you are bad man knows

49:28

, i was about that you were a

49:30

word that you're that worried about you are here for

49:32

battle of did you think at that

49:34

point like like i know you go

49:37

up or i'll give you a comedy

49:39

nice of a second but you know we think and i'm

49:42

gonna like this i'm gonna i'm gonna do i'm going to be as

49:44

i'm gonna be of honor be at a be now

49:47

my hip i'm an i'm gonna be a singer rapper

49:49

that's gonna bombers the on the might not as easy

49:51

as supplementary front front center was your

49:53

fault that moment no no and never

49:56

it's a step is acceptable the assists

49:58

and it the you

50:00

know like now when i step on stage i'm

50:03

, very comfortable as a dj and

50:05

and and then it was that

50:07

was really outside to produce records on

50:09

the funny thing about and i

50:12

didn't even plan on being that song you

50:14

know what's going to present thousands

50:16

of said you should use it may

50:18

adverse because you represent the

50:20

younger people give everyone on

50:22

a sounds pretty much all didn't you know services

50:26

such seven seventy years deny

50:28

it or sir represent

50:30

it like a young kid i was eighteen

50:36

schools and zone coverage nice oh

50:38

and hello dot just wait and sec now you mention

50:40

com to nice mention feel like which probably planned

50:43

it's not some and which cherish

50:45

in and door and are still people have

50:48

to wait for curio window into particular moment

50:50

him up history comedy the song

50:52

that was your biggest single comedy samba

50:54

did pretty well song that captures

50:57

certain time flavor of hip hop at that moment let's

50:59

play dirt denies jones

51:02

and his calling cards on comedy

51:04

nice

51:05

the

51:56

you had this very very solo

51:58

career i just enjoy listening the

52:00

comedy nice east i go for about the difference are

52:02

socially conscious when political i have

52:04

up at that time in those guys are more side that's a song a spy

52:06

basically you know but but rebuild or are wordplay

52:09

and and like an old school his elbow typical

52:11

like on the mike brown braggadocio right

52:13

yes yes edits pretty pretty well

52:16

to pre well was that was pretty hot there for a

52:18

moment

52:19

then

52:21

solo career kind of got you rail

52:23

you begin this period that goes on for

52:25

like a decade i would say what you would

52:27

as you and i discussed in the past was i understand

52:29

it was new talk about at some length or between

52:32

ourselves have appeared in the wilderness right

52:34

where you're not really

52:36

the other the thing got derailed in some pretty significant

52:39

you're trying to figure out what to do like space

52:41

we out of music business within a decade right

52:43

yeah the to madrid it was the world

52:46

in , i don't have any any

52:49

no regrets about it because out because that's

52:51

part of the journey that i've been on you know

52:53

i will i would still be at the

52:55

touch have still been like an oath to go out

52:57

shopping demos right now like as to animate

53:00

to will make ready

53:02

people are having the resin necessary

53:04

bet that music as seven digits you

53:06

know digits life as

53:09

a solo artist did make news

53:11

emails two hundred and fifty thousand these

53:14

are in the states it was about

53:16

the business at of business know like you

53:19

know as would say and

53:21

they just didn't records in overpaid

53:24

seems you know the

53:26

didier was beginning the snow there was

53:28

beginning like you know music was changing

53:30

the sound of it there was no run

53:32

that was it outdoor concert music right

53:34

dad i was to sound that was

53:36

a was us anymore but

53:39

i'm they just didn't believe

53:41

you not amazon they plate of any was crew an

53:44

accident get off the company and you know back

53:46

then if you didn't have a sound out then in

53:49

two years your dreams and

53:51

and i added i was that became

53:54

depressed and

53:56

i've had the family out of depressing

53:58

that i had i've united of them and

54:00

i had forgot to take him a kid and

54:02

, yeah and after nearly

54:05

nearly years i ended i

54:08

some in love with since media

54:11

one that there was a social media them but like new

54:13

media was it cold and

54:15

i said to do i said sites and

54:17

i'm you know as just as a producer

54:20

you know the first project that i ended up and

54:23

getting that a ended as website with

54:25

wraparound records and

54:28

without our pets website the program is working

54:30

on it and i used the sit at

54:32

working rustam program and in some

54:34

a cigar box taught

54:36

, how program in the not be too

54:39

box or like a to web developer

54:41

and the meet associate that

54:44

are begging for a was the any

54:48

negatives don't some advice with mesfin

54:50

was with me in to

54:52

free to begin you couldn't stay

54:55

away from the beach and

54:57

in the and right the notion of by but big boss

54:59

amount music without irresistible for you got sucked

55:01

into dejiang right it like you're

55:03

like hey i'm gonna be can be curse a dj houses

55:05

are like i can't stay away from the music say

55:08

the deja vu insisting you know to

55:10

tip invited me to a paddy it

55:12

was one of his birthday parties and

55:14

i wasn't a tip though me all in

55:16

a rise out in up to that the time

55:18

like bizarre my

55:21

well career in i didn't have any

55:23

money in all right so i wasn't on any

55:25

was party to buy drinks anything you know

55:27

and at unsuited me right

55:29

his presence of the so sad

55:31

that i've been to like that the world

55:33

any and like literally like

55:35

a point where we accept a sad a

55:38

query what what years his retirement and roughly

55:40

so was a problem two thousand

55:42

and two is just before i started

55:44

teaching and i walked into his party

55:47

and i couldn't believe the music that he's plan

55:49

to suffer season and like mark

55:51

ronson was tan into his

55:54

believe but you to been a party and night

55:56

played like blondie from

55:58

the east like what i was

56:00

young kids listening to it i are people that were

56:03

my age and i was blown away by suited

56:05

set in mexico and i

56:07

ended up throwing at parties saturdays

56:10

at set aside a dj at

56:12

, that played every day the

56:15

way that that that the way that they did an

56:17

hour i was like you never understood do myself

56:19

and said a bad record since the renowned

56:22

parties and nice about ten in

56:24

there so you look at them

56:26

to people to get over the sara

56:29

or out of the bomb or something like that is the smugglers

56:36

or i were going to take one more quickly and will

56:38

be right that with the nice here on

56:53

and we're back with the nice here on the hundred

56:55

episode of how high water and d now

56:57

wanna like compress a lot of history here

57:00

from your decision to become a dj

57:02

two years rapid ascent in

57:05

that world to becoming one of the elite guys

57:08

in the game will talk about little more all

57:10

the you eventually did for barack obama

57:12

both it the second inaugural and then later on

57:14

the back part of his time in the white house

57:17

but because i associate you so much it with

57:19

being one of kind of house djs for

57:21

barack obama you came to when

57:23

i was listening to this

57:25

podcast that rick rubin in malcolm

57:27

gladwell do called broken record and

57:30

they had quests love on telling a story

57:32

that made me think about you because

57:35

it takes place around the same

57:37

time at the end it was sixteen when i know that you

57:39

played an important you get the white house see

57:41

plays a gig at the white house and unlike

57:44

you he's like mad scientist his

57:46

it out the said anything about how

57:49

this is going to be the most important said he ever

57:51

plays and he's gonna make everyone the way

57:53

has go crazy it's like january twenty seventeen

57:55

above is about to big party he's

57:57

like i'm gonna play the perfect dj

58:00

that and every was go love it and instead

58:03

it totally false flag nobody

58:05

dixit and nobody's moving to the point robot

58:07

as to come and tell him to like start place and different

58:09

music as is not really working in the steve

58:11

hi recovers he play some stuff at

58:14

the end he leaves really of

58:16

your the story he leaves it to stay where he likes

58:18

soccer man that was mostly my big and

58:21

i fucked up completely obama

58:23

chases him down in the hallway to

58:26

say hey like what's up you seem like you're down

58:28

and he says yeah down i like i think i really fucked this whole

58:30

thing up i have a chance to great sets i didn't

58:33

and this is what happens this is as rest of the story

58:35

of what our conversation those about charles

58:38

the dylan roof situation but the mask

58:41

that he knew that thirty seconds

58:43

after the shooting happened but

58:45

he was gonna have to speak

58:47

that funeral so he says he has

58:49

the speeds of his life like ready to go

58:51

he's been working on it perfect

58:53

and he goes down

58:55

is alkaline and

58:58

the new three minutes and to that speech

59:00

it wasn't gonna work and he said

59:02

some disarming bears so soon amazing

59:04

grace

59:05

then he starts the going amazing grace and everything

59:07

turned around he says you know what i did

59:10

these as served people

59:11

serve the

59:13

saw that some reason i figured

59:15

i can fix this i took a moment a

59:17

breeze

59:18

like the myself and has sort of the be

59:21

the and would you did tonight

59:22

you saw the song was a little off and

59:25

user beep there's attorney's use

59:27

of the right thing had the time or was

59:30

you sir

59:31

the should be proud of

59:33

the usual better

59:35

no i don't

59:39

the that a certain obama story like you serve

59:41

the people that said said

59:43

you relate to that at all that there's like eyes incredible

59:45

mana pressure be there i know you don't do

59:47

sets right you don't have like applied set when

59:50

you walk and are adults is that a

59:52

because quests the as he said

59:54

that story with me like maybe

59:56

a few weeks after it happened and what

59:58

he said to me we ransom are

1:00:03

there any , the story

1:00:05

he said said said know you

1:00:07

had to go and so crazy in the white

1:00:09

house because that for a week before

1:00:12

he does he said did the second to last he

1:00:15

did the last prejudice is referred to that sounds

1:00:17

right side man you hadn't yet

1:00:20

so hadn't about it needle

1:00:22

or can even after be get my set

1:00:24

right you know the way but i wanted to because

1:00:27

of what you did and he just about

1:00:29

provides i don't have set men but

1:00:31

really regret work with

1:00:33

the humor like now just to just be rhianna

1:00:35

be free to use musicians when a dj

1:00:38

that said so but before that

1:00:40

i would just go in and look at people

1:00:42

and and you could solve and body

1:00:44

language or you know as

1:00:48

and tabs that dancing us systems

1:00:51

which is sad like

1:00:58

did you live music and you're

1:01:00

in cook across let's sit and

1:01:03

know i learn to be a baton mixer because

1:01:06

of cross what i remember being a problem with

1:01:09

and even when even was drafted remedies

1:01:11

are now and remedies just met him and

1:01:13

he was mixing bubbles those posing

1:01:15

with no thought with teen spirit

1:01:18

when spirit was are based on was sunday good

1:01:20

idea to do you know l a he

1:01:22

was drop in its rounds you know the first time

1:01:24

that time realized as i suppose i

1:01:27

was these are some baselines of

1:01:29

the of red themselves for seems

1:01:31

designed from the traps it

1:01:34

seems model perspective and largest arabic

1:01:36

decent you know and hitting didn't

1:01:38

have another to though man by though v found

1:01:40

about affection me i'm out on

1:01:43

the freedom by spring robert

1:01:45

like if it feels good about him it's easy with

1:01:47

but midland going to do with is no

1:01:52

right or you before it wasn't just that one

1:01:54

party at the white house for you i mean you'd played

1:01:56

i've been bama inaugural

1:01:58

back and twenty thirty

1:01:59

right the second inaugural you

1:02:02

play lot obama gets i remember you know you

1:02:04

played us i got gonna party that i threw in

1:02:06

the fall between sixteen between

1:02:08

sixteen your go to the white house you when played like a few

1:02:10

days after that yes i believe

1:02:12

you played above his party of martha's vineyard a sixtieth

1:02:15

birthday a couple of weeks back so what's happened

1:02:17

like

1:02:18

it could be i mean your political person's i

1:02:20

said before and you gotten the

1:02:22

heart of but you've managed to twin diffuse your

1:02:25

dj career as it taking off with

1:02:27

being you know very deeply intimately involved

1:02:29

in you know obviously the most important black politician the history

1:02:31

of the country but also just in democratic politics

1:02:34

in general these are to be signifiers

1:02:36

of the way that you kind of we've things

1:02:38

together and make it all work what's

1:02:41

, about that is the obama

1:02:43

administration or or

1:02:46

for america was was the private thing

1:02:48

that they had a when he was running for very

1:02:50

for very are my

1:02:53

reasons for getting more involved in politics in

1:02:56

terms of like having a voice that all started

1:02:58

with that you know it started with them as

1:03:00

during the show as a cargo and someone

1:03:03

that work for them said we'd

1:03:05

like for you to come over to to come

1:03:07

office and to see if there's

1:03:09

any way you can be involved that

1:03:11

what we're doing and in

1:03:13

what there and are you know

1:03:16

you know i i remember walking around the office

1:03:19

and like the it was like this one big

1:03:21

office and everyone was in cubicles and

1:03:23

we got to this area whereas like the vetting area

1:03:26

and i was like man i guess i hear from them soon they're

1:03:28

like what do you mean you've you've already been but we

1:03:30

already did i due diligence been wouldn't be

1:03:32

in this office in my

1:03:35

reason for getting be was because i said

1:03:37

seen by that you know like i felt

1:03:39

that they understand who i wasn't

1:03:42

what i was doing in terms of deja and

1:03:44

and try to keep people inspired terms

1:03:46

they just they thought that you know

1:03:49

they can help me atlas at at voice and

1:03:51

i'm and and i've been a fan of assets

1:03:53

you and and i and i get involved fan of

1:03:55

democratic in politics

1:03:57

you know actually i don't i'm

1:04:02

doing , right thing and and try to make sure that

1:04:04

that my voice is heard heard

1:04:07

was your best i was your best obama story for playing

1:04:09

out for play any of these events of all those veggie

1:04:11

played for once in a story to tell without

1:04:13

tell our with get

1:04:15

were with get you drunk my man i'm an entire system

1:04:18

that the thing about the thing about the

1:04:21

you know president from is is

1:04:25

president is so cool but

1:04:27

when it comes to music is almost idea

1:04:30

is innocent person who remembered idea problems

1:04:32

is very intimate on

1:04:34

on on or island i'm not as you an

1:04:37

is more like forty people are

1:04:40

slanted fault it's more site a

1:04:43

that was solitaire as

1:04:45

i have taught handy rains it didn't

1:04:47

work out at any time that the rowdies

1:04:50

wasn't some this as time that caso

1:04:52

for or anything it's not

1:04:54

too is now now right man this guy is

1:04:56

this is awesome because it's awesome know

1:04:58

he you know and

1:05:01

but the fact that you know what that from was this

1:05:03

movie last as a my pants everybody

1:05:05

black know that sounds

1:05:09

yeah and you know

1:05:11

what you tell these stories your about obama and and

1:05:13

i gotta say now it's like your world famous

1:05:15

and your worldwide the guy with nine julian instagram

1:05:18

followers and everybody on planet earth knows

1:05:20

you but because you are who you are now

1:05:22

i particularly cherish some of our shared

1:05:24

history together and i gotta say

1:05:27

i tell the story occasionally people because it

1:05:29

was actually pretty meaningful thing for me i

1:05:31

through this party back at the end and twenty sixteen

1:05:33

that you came in plate is and a little

1:05:36

while later i remember i got a text

1:05:38

message for you and you had played

1:05:40

one of these gigs at the white and

1:05:42

in this text you wrote to

1:05:44

me the party that i'd thrown

1:05:47

that you play that had changed

1:05:49

your life like what i

1:05:51

was like what do you mean my party change your life you

1:05:53

started talking about like how it changed in

1:05:55

some small way some small way your the way

1:05:57

you thought about djing and

1:06:00

that you couldn't couldn't play in certain settings and you're like

1:06:02

telling a story about the white house in this like october

1:06:04

november to a sixteenth and years i mentioned as because

1:06:07

i said nothing about kidding

1:06:09

the wrote this thing to be raised that if you're a year

1:06:11

old white guy that knows everywhere to paid in full

1:06:14

bows the moment i realized that my generation of hip

1:06:16

hop is like classic rock yeah i like

1:06:18

and i understood what you meant i was like oh

1:06:20

okay like yeah i mean i'm sure on million

1:06:23

things change your life all the times one of my trying to

1:06:25

take special president but it was meaningful

1:06:27

to me because i thought like oh that's cool

1:06:29

that that was the thing that opens and open the door

1:06:31

for you every day died and and

1:06:33

antibiotics routes i was

1:06:35

as dense as not to at that moment on

1:06:38

earth problems before that i

1:06:41

, go in and out pro level forty two

1:06:43

like i would look at both both cool

1:06:45

this is a robin stream while on

1:06:47

he instantly play what i thought that

1:06:49

was the or listen to this even

1:06:51

though i'm a lover boy to do

1:06:54

you know you seen you

1:06:56

what are your plans and you came

1:06:59

over and in and you ask

1:07:01

you specifically you a tribe

1:07:03

called quest and

1:07:06

i looked scenario you like what

1:07:08

, fuck seven like

1:07:11

that entire obviously fuck in

1:07:14

our votes holy sit lie

1:07:16

behind it are wrong a new in that i

1:07:18

had it rough and this is what how many years ago

1:07:20

says as toy sixteen hours twenty six idea

1:07:22

and i added are wrong as they are

1:07:24

doing like you gotta be free this is the

1:07:27

one of gotta in that grub would set up

1:07:30

less this is classic rock to you know

1:07:32

in an initiative upset

1:07:34

classic it also plan ta the

1:07:36

way has thrown , second around

1:07:39

randall quest was probably like

1:07:42

you know plan using role playing with the fans

1:07:44

in like ceiling and going into role brown

1:07:47

me i wrote in the treat

1:07:49

this like a lot of smokers

1:07:52

in the summer

1:07:55

slam first within the within smooth eventful

1:07:58

i won't go out to still those oh

1:08:00

a family or other is partly because

1:08:03

of the moment with you that everyone

1:08:05

that says you old enough would some the c

1:08:07

news for my others over person

1:08:09

wants to hear the news they

1:08:12

grew up with but they also want to be cool

1:08:14

enough to know what the new track record is t

1:08:16

shirt is only like that as

1:08:18

as might just be free and don't judge

1:08:20

anyone framework used to be

1:08:22

played the way buffalo

1:08:24

love it you give out of people something

1:08:27

to do in the spouse vows and the so cool

1:08:29

with the other records you can you tease began to

1:08:31

people about this open for dancers

1:08:33

artist or you know run his phone

1:08:36

records you know and it's is just

1:08:38

opened you can burn the world together so

1:08:41

surprising , know go

1:08:43

about the that up yes yes yes

1:08:45

no apologies your

1:08:47

party set the tone for what it is

1:08:50

and will be team needs to to

1:08:52

seen to seen some

1:08:55

of play one love , is

1:08:57

important i think it's

1:08:59

great man because like i gotta say i wouldn't i

1:09:01

was i could go there by like that

1:09:03

which told us or the white house you're like the

1:09:06

scenario that keeps because you like eyedrops scenario

1:09:08

and scenario could feel the run the for the

1:09:10

east room moving it was like

1:09:13

that was like that kind of my confirmation oh yes

1:09:15

this is like the right path and when i would watch you

1:09:17

on cq finally be characterized

1:09:20

the ball like what this blood like she's just going

1:09:22

from from song to from generation to generation

1:09:25

and genres genres not confined in any way

1:09:27

i know you're to be eighty said princes you're like

1:09:29

maybe or most beloved artist rights but

1:09:31

later but , you'll your

1:09:33

every word and you play your point across

1:09:36

but you've there's forty decade forty years

1:09:38

for at the music you play

1:09:40

in every possible of every possible genre

1:09:43

in a given thing i don't know what i'm in a hero and yeah you

1:09:45

do some things that are like dominance the a place

1:09:47

a baby make music tonight let's get others wb

1:09:49

smell green amateur that but mostly

1:09:52

they're not seem set it's like what

1:09:54

is happening what is moment etti the pandemic

1:09:57

in particular would everyone was like the like

1:09:59

i don't have any feelings are have emotions

1:10:02

unlock this fucking room you'd still

1:10:04

fight a vibe that was different on tuesday that was

1:10:06

on wednesday in it was like oh that your kind of creating

1:10:08

these pipes are people who are locked inside

1:10:11

that they were like i don't really have i'm

1:10:13

not leaving my normal life so i don't have moods anymore

1:10:15

as you like no no they're still moves out

1:10:17

here i can make feel them and we can

1:10:19

participate in them i like this looked a

1:10:21

magic to this that you're like giving

1:10:24

, people like interior

1:10:26

life that they're closed off from because

1:10:28

the world is world that was

1:10:30

like i thought like the thing that was magical about

1:10:33

about according to a specialist like refer

1:10:35

months yes yes in it was really

1:10:37

been swords and eleven of a sudden i

1:10:39

was trying to do it was

1:10:41

i to be our be a my living room

1:10:44

and all of and sudden closure

1:10:47

this between clove i so

1:10:49

clove bulletin but all

1:10:51

it up as those are just so

1:10:53

i as soon as i am not a dj overplayed

1:10:55

a so that my dad's a lot of to

1:10:58

phone and just start flown it and

1:11:00

i would read the talented people rotated

1:11:02

in the lower he said oh my son's ever had this so

1:11:05

that made me want to explore music

1:11:07

in my pocket music dead in other

1:11:09

words you know classic rock

1:11:11

or or or yeah music in

1:11:13

our limited not sound like a long night

1:11:16

of right a music man like his

1:11:18

sons that i love you know like it

1:11:21

you drop in the eighty's wrote in osborne

1:11:23

the seventies pretty much up in in the

1:11:25

boonies grew much time as use it

1:11:27

, it's you love run dmc

1:11:30

and you wanted to see that video during

1:11:32

that time mtv didn't have the on t v

1:11:35

time soviet to see that on go

1:11:37

sit in front of to television and

1:11:41

because i used to sit yeah

1:11:43

as i love you know

1:11:46

all about you know they have music and

1:11:48

you know the police and in

1:11:51

weird yankovic you know little

1:11:53

song right at what level that stuff so

1:11:56

when yankovic you that and i had

1:11:58

a chance to too soon so bad you

1:12:01

know and i would limit is a desert the pretty

1:12:03

famous diesel the ,

1:12:05

a show an of it you know

1:12:07

syndicated show called the breakfast club dj

1:12:10

nd staff and are an empty

1:12:12

called me one day lives in the early days of

1:12:14

the times image he said

1:12:16

man i appreciate you appreciate for

1:12:19

the first time and much are we were added to with

1:12:21

her cents an hour never

1:12:23

forget that an elephant debt that

1:12:25

there's that man was listening to me

1:12:28

or the other end of this the other

1:12:30

and listen this me

1:12:39

the is initially the family bad

1:12:41

and as well as spoon the ,

1:12:43

that i do with them and not so

1:12:45

much music is utter utter

1:12:47

i say i you know

1:12:49

wii wii we haven't talked about hats

1:12:52

and and we could talk about hats for a long time you were

1:12:54

like sasha play you have you made the the the

1:12:56

shop how about that fashion statement

1:12:58

of this deck other generations magazine about

1:13:00

that we've we have not talked about your photography

1:13:03

i'm here you party was like you're brilliant

1:13:05

photographer we could spend all day talking about that's all

1:13:07

we could talk about your your now investing in high tech

1:13:09

startups are tight like you are like a man

1:13:12

for all seasons like a renaissance man

1:13:14

you thought your to retiring two years ago and now

1:13:16

you're like doing all this shit so here's my question

1:13:19

as a way to add you've now play the oscars

1:13:22

you played

1:13:23

the

1:13:24

the babs you been the grammys you play the

1:13:26

superbowl you played in our dog

1:13:28

a be rather files that can play somewhere opposite

1:13:30

like this every year you when i

1:13:32

target the whole you play the hollywood bowl

1:13:34

you know

1:13:35

like i just stupid like i feel like i've or

1:13:37

the local tv announcer what's next for device

1:13:39

but what else is there like for

1:13:42

you that you think of like here's

1:13:44

not like what's next for the nice by like

1:13:47

what's left to do man like what

1:13:49

else is there out there are

1:13:51

you close to being seeded again than thinking

1:13:53

like a for want to retire to she retired basically

1:13:56

like i'm sick of a i want to like shallow doubts

1:13:58

now there's new vistas

1:13:59

so are you

1:14:01

i used to like me i got another decade of

1:14:03

the psychologist shit i gotta do now are

1:14:05

you car like this was great

1:14:08

like i'd be like say this i might want to

1:14:10

like take my put up against some point one

1:14:14

listening to you mention all of

1:14:16

those things man made me emotionally

1:14:18

beaches i i wanted to retire

1:14:20

in in i ended up like cobbles

1:14:23

enemies and you know dijon

1:14:25

oscars and by the musical

1:14:27

rock auto love of music on the so

1:14:30

that know that doesn't happen you know you

1:14:33

sir i think like me being tired was

1:14:35

murdered who are more tired

1:14:38

of by the fate of like try

1:14:40

to be recognized as light

1:14:43

as , dj that it played speak

1:14:45

runes and not having a real opportunity

1:14:47

to do so which is why i ended up for

1:14:49

like mean the lights proud of it's a disaster

1:14:52

that they have disturbed they were respectful of the

1:14:54

news that among create now

1:14:56

that i am as treat amount

1:14:58

that one

1:15:05

possible man it really is what makes me

1:15:07

happy you know that's the one thing that

1:15:10

i learned to and a pandemic is

1:15:12

bad one this is all said and done

1:15:14

manassas over i run a know that

1:15:16

i would the life where i was really happy

1:15:19

with what i did and i

1:15:21

target man i'm i'm happy bro

1:15:23

such as you're right there's

1:15:25

, there's nothing that i haven't

1:15:27

done that you that that i wanna do

1:15:29

that even even are just

1:15:32

the thought to discontinue and is to submit

1:15:34

music and music for

1:15:36

the smile on people's faces you know the

1:15:38

so crazy to that the other day the

1:15:40

day day cloudy i was

1:15:42

walking or you knows gonna tip of my she's

1:15:45

been with my friend or on i

1:15:47

was gonna pick her up and as walking down

1:15:50

broadway i was on sixty seven street

1:15:52

broadly crossing the street so

1:15:55

as i'm crossing the street this woman

1:15:57

and another woman and older white woman ran

1:15:59

up to he was like oh my day it's

1:16:01

you and , stopped in

1:16:03

a tournament i didn't have my hat on

1:16:06

and figured out you know be an incognito

1:16:08

that a had you know know that suicide

1:16:11

my does i was excited you our

1:16:13

last night and her husband came over he said

1:16:15

we drawn from pittsburgh pittsburgh

1:16:18

come from home ah mahmood

1:16:20

to to see to and

1:16:22

i started tearing up too bad be

1:16:24

know the music that i

1:16:26

played matter to a played year

1:16:29

old always the whose

1:16:31

rights eight been you

1:16:33

don't see punch drunk been to hear the news

1:16:36

and it's about community for me you know and a

1:16:38

necessity that i don't take rowdy so as

1:16:41

long as the community such me and and

1:16:43

mostly can be played and

1:16:45

like by them and i love

1:16:48

wow man i do know

1:16:50

either way but it doesn't ah

1:16:52

name is my view if you're one of the six

1:16:54

people i'm leonard wasn't what i got an

1:16:56

ad ad at director one of his eyes he lives

1:16:59

young like get check that out our there's almost no

1:17:01

no it was his by just was do and already by

1:17:03

i love you man it's great to see you i gotta say

1:17:05

like you never it's was were simply trying

1:17:07

to plan who's one hundredth episode gonna be with

1:17:09

and the fact that you like i episode oh the

1:17:12

writers in town some heavy inspiration

1:17:14

for the show so like a meta would be

1:17:16

kind of could get him on here that be pretty good and

1:17:18

i'm really grateful i feel blessed that time sync

1:17:21

up like this and it's awesome to see you saw

1:17:23

, the see men and in i know i

1:17:25

have so much love and and

1:17:28

what you do you adult i'm

1:17:30

glad set

1:17:34

out there is a soap opera i appreciated

1:17:36

they drive me on the song and congratulations

1:17:38

on the hundred episodes

1:17:41

oh and i waters i guess from the recount they skated

1:17:44

zurich be nice jones for being

1:17:46

with us for our hundredth episode if

1:17:48

you liked this hundredth episode please

1:17:50

subscribe to haunt i water for the next hundred episodes

1:17:52

ensure as register with on whatever app

1:17:54

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of the podcast universe i

1:17:59

am years an executive editor the recount

1:18:01

john heilemann grace why seat is a co

1:18:03

creator how our match you capitalists

1:18:06

is our video editor meghan bernie

1:18:08

is our producer saddam wonky

1:18:11

and zoya sirloin are

1:18:13

researchers and the one and own

1:18:15

ways the truth away

1:18:18

the , the g or

1:18:20

sizes as education