And heads up as we get into it. Today's episode does contain graphic descriptions and explicit language. As such, it may not be appropriate for all audiences.

And heads up as we get into it. Today's episode does contain graphic descriptions and explicit language. As such, it may not be appropriate for all audiences.

From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or learn this stuff they don't want you to know. A production of iHeartRadio.

From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or learn this stuff they don't want you to know. A production of iHeartRadio.

Hello, welcome back to the show. My name is Matt, my name is Nolh.

Hello, welcome back to the show. My name is Matt, my name is Nolh.

They called me Ben. We're joined as always with our super producer Paul Michig. Control decands. Most importantly, you are here and that makes this the stuff they don't want you to know. Folks, longtime fellow conspiracy realists, you have heard us talk about the war on drugs, the controversy surrounding the US justice system, and honestly, heck, hundreds, if not thousands, of US related conspiracies. Today we are diving into this and much much more with a very special guest, the legendary comedian, the author, the man, the myth legend, and now podcaster, Michael call Youer. Thanks so much for coming on the show. Michael, Woo woo woo, Thank you for inviting me.

They called me Ben. We're joined as always with our super producer Paul Michig. Control decands. Most importantly, you are here and that makes this the stuff they don't want you to know. Folks, longtime fellow conspiracy realists, you have heard us talk about the war on drugs, the controversy surrounding the US justice system, and honestly, heck, hundreds, if not thousands, of US related conspiracies. Today we are diving into this and much much more with a very special guest, the legendary comedian, the author, the man, the myth legend, and now podcaster, Michael call Youer. Thanks so much for coming on the show. Michael, Woo woo woo, Thank you for inviting me.

Thank you. We got it. Immediately.

Thank you. We got it. Immediately.

Michael, We've been watching so much of your appearances of just your your life's work, sir. It exists on the internet. It is incredible to just go through the years, the years and years that you have been performing on stage and off stage. It is an honor. No, it's not that you're old, sir. It's that you know what you're doing and you've been doing it for a long time.

Michael, We've been watching so much of your appearances of just your your life's work, sir. It exists on the internet. It is incredible to just go through the years, the years and years that you have been performing on stage and off stage. It is an honor. No, it's not that you're old, sir. It's that you know what you're doing and you've been doing it for a long time.

So we just prolific. That's thank you. I keep telling people on the shows that people keep calling me legend, but it's not because I've done anything particularly. It's just called outlived all the mother motherfuckers.

So we just prolific. That's thank you. I keep telling people on the shows that people keep calling me legend, but it's not because I've done anything particularly. It's just called outlived all the mother motherfuckers.

So so okay, let's for anyone who who somehow doesn't know Michael. You are a Chicago native. You you became known as the King of Venice speech for a brutal schedule. Could you tell us a little bit about five shows a day?

So so okay, let's for anyone who who somehow doesn't know Michael. You are a Chicago native. You you became known as the King of Venice speech for a brutal schedule. Could you tell us a little bit about five shows a day?

You know, that's my legacy is Venice Beach. I love Venice Beach. Venice Beach defined me as a man and as a human being because I spent nine years on comedy that from eighty six to ninety five, I did five one hour shows every Saturday and Sunday without fail. No matter what time of year it was, and people showed up sometime they didn't, but we did them shows. And I did like six figures a year for nine years weekends only telling jokes. And everything else came from it as well. But you know, it all started for me in Chicago because I was a comedian in little clubs and stuff, and my friends taught me to doing street performance and I did it on State Street and I made some really good money and I became for I knew it, like the best street performer in eighty five in Chicago, just telling jokes and stuff. But then winter came, and wouldn't I trying to hit no damn joke on State Street in December? So I packed up everything that would fit my nineteen sixty seven Buikelet's saber. I sold everything else and I drove out to California. I didn't even know about Venice Beach, but I knew California had a lot of beaches, and I thought that it was hot here all year round. Not okay, it was cold and shit. In fact, it was February and I had gone up to San Francisco to do Fisherman's Wharf. There were seals in the water, that's how cold it was, seals. But I was out this street before me because that's all I knew, and I saw all I had and everything I owned was in the car. So I was staying on that boardwalk and tell jokes. And about a month in I passed out on the boardwalk and I got up and drove himself to the hospital and they said, you called stomach flew out there. Brother, you need to go somewhere where it's warmer. And by then my wife told me, you gotta come this place called Venice Beach, you know. And the rest is history. Man. I loved Venice Beach. I still love it, and we're going back out this summer and shooting one hour was special on the spot where I started, so it's gonna be pretty amazing.

You know, that's my legacy is Venice Beach. I love Venice Beach. Venice Beach defined me as a man and as a human being because I spent nine years on comedy that from eighty six to ninety five, I did five one hour shows every Saturday and Sunday without fail. No matter what time of year it was, and people showed up sometime they didn't, but we did them shows. And I did like six figures a year for nine years weekends only telling jokes. And everything else came from it as well. But you know, it all started for me in Chicago because I was a comedian in little clubs and stuff, and my friends taught me to doing street performance and I did it on State Street and I made some really good money and I became for I knew it, like the best street performer in eighty five in Chicago, just telling jokes and stuff. But then winter came, and wouldn't I trying to hit no damn joke on State Street in December? So I packed up everything that would fit my nineteen sixty seven Buikelet's saber. I sold everything else and I drove out to California. I didn't even know about Venice Beach, but I knew California had a lot of beaches, and I thought that it was hot here all year round. Not okay, it was cold and shit. In fact, it was February and I had gone up to San Francisco to do Fisherman's Wharf. There were seals in the water, that's how cold it was, seals. But I was out this street before me because that's all I knew, and I saw all I had and everything I owned was in the car. So I was staying on that boardwalk and tell jokes. And about a month in I passed out on the boardwalk and I got up and drove himself to the hospital and they said, you called stomach flew out there. Brother, you need to go somewhere where it's warmer. And by then my wife told me, you gotta come this place called Venice Beach, you know. And the rest is history. Man. I loved Venice Beach. I still love it, and we're going back out this summer and shooting one hour was special on the spot where I started, so it's gonna be pretty amazing.

We were all just out there in that neck of the woods and we were staying in what was the Manhattan Beach, which I think Ben pointed out, feels a little Stepford wives. It's a little He's got a little bit of less of that kind of psychedelic, cool hippie energy that Vennis Beach has, But there is something electric about Vennis Beach where you have, like, you know, the the dancers, kind of bee boys and stuff.

We were all just out there in that neck of the woods and we were staying in what was the Manhattan Beach, which I think Ben pointed out, feels a little Stepford wives. It's a little He's got a little bit of less of that kind of psychedelic, cool hippie energy that Vennis Beach has, But there is something electric about Vennis Beach where you have, like, you know, the the dancers, kind of bee boys and stuff.

And that's now I can't imagine what it was like then. What was it like then? Yes, well, you know I call it DNN now the eternal Circus. I mean, it's always something going on. When I was out there, there was Robert Gruenberg. He's the chainsaw juggler. This guy would throw a running chainsaw in the air and catch it with an apple and with a raw egg and without breaking it. And while he's throwing them in the air, he's biting the apple and eating the apple. And he was doing that on the beef, I mean. And he made good money too. He had left and went and got himself a dealershit, a used car dealership. But the irs was watching him on Venice Beach and they guestimated how much money he made and took him to court. He had spend forty thousand dollars to keep from going to jail, you know, because they were coming out looking at your money and going one dollar, four dollars, seven dollars, eight dollars. You know.

And that's now I can't imagine what it was like then. What was it like then? Yes, well, you know I call it DNN now the eternal Circus. I mean, it's always something going on. When I was out there, there was Robert Gruenberg. He's the chainsaw juggler. This guy would throw a running chainsaw in the air and catch it with an apple and with a raw egg and without breaking it. And while he's throwing them in the air, he's biting the apple and eating the apple. And he was doing that on the beef, I mean. And he made good money too. He had left and went and got himself a dealershit, a used car dealership. But the irs was watching him on Venice Beach and they guestimated how much money he made and took him to court. He had spend forty thousand dollars to keep from going to jail, you know, because they were coming out looking at your money and going one dollar, four dollars, seven dollars, eight dollars. You know.

Let's get into that. Let's get into it. So as you know this stuff, they want you to know. Ass we like to leave no question unasked. We applied critical thinking to things that have sometimes dismissed this conspiracies. And one thing people always talk about in the world of conspiracies around this time of year, around April in the US is Uncle Sam and the irs faster.

Let's get into that. Let's get into it. So as you know this stuff, they want you to know. Ass we like to leave no question unasked. We applied critical thinking to things that have sometimes dismissed this conspiracies. And one thing people always talk about in the world of conspiracies around this time of year, around April in the US is Uncle Sam and the irs faster.

Oh my god, Well he got me bent over a barrel right now. I tell you, I just brought new I just brought new money people on the team just to get me out of some of my tax trouble because I ain't trying to do the Wesley Snipes thing. You know, I don't do well in jail jailing. I'm too cute for jail, you know what I'm saying. I'm not to do somebody's wife, right, Okay, So we might take them a minute, but they're gonna catch up to you.

Oh my god, Well he got me bent over a barrel right now. I tell you, I just brought new I just brought new money people on the team just to get me out of some of my tax trouble because I ain't trying to do the Wesley Snipes thing. You know, I don't do well in jail jailing. I'm too cute for jail, you know what I'm saying. I'm not to do somebody's wife, right, Okay, So we might take them a minute, but they're gonna catch up to you.

You know.

You know.

It's gonna be like a Wesley Snipe's case in point or whatever. And especially if you're a high profile.

It's gonna be like a Wesley Snipe's case in point or whatever. And especially if you're a high profile.

But we're talking about people that normally we'd consider as being super under the radar, like street performers, and you're talking about somebody planted in the crowd making notes about income coming from street performance.

But we're talking about people that normally we'd consider as being super under the radar, like street performers, and you're talking about somebody planted in the crowd making notes about income coming from street performance.

Is that a rumor, Michael, or was that true? Do you think watching.

Is that a rumor, Michael, or was that true? Do you think watching.

No, that's true. That's what they would do. They would come out and they would have guys sit in the audience like they just enjoying the show. But they sit there and watch and see how many people throw money in the hat, and they see if it's five of teams whatever, and then they guessed the me how much they think you got, and then they charge you based on that. Of course, we ain't got no receipts. We street performers. We got what they put in the bag, you know, like Uncle Sam need a couple more dollars, fuck out.

No, that's true. That's what they would do. They would come out and they would have guys sit in the audience like they just enjoying the show. But they sit there and watch and see how many people throw money in the hat, and they see if it's five of teams whatever, and then they guessed the me how much they think you got, and then they charge you based on that. Of course, we ain't got no receipts. We street performers. We got what they put in the bag, you know, like Uncle Sam need a couple more dollars, fuck out.

He That's the thing. No, this is great, this is the thing. It's it's actually kind of rare for us to hear about a real conspiracy that's totally on familiar. And I don't know about the guys, but I had never heard this one.

He That's the thing. No, this is great, this is the thing. It's it's actually kind of rare for us to hear about a real conspiracy that's totally on familiar. And I don't know about the guys, but I had never heard this one.

But it makes perfect sense. They do a lot of volume in that.

But it makes perfect sense. They do a lot of volume in that.

I mean people they're just constant crowds and they have a system and they're working it to get every dollar out. It's a hustle and it's a thing to behold when people are doing it right, you know what I mean.

I mean people they're just constant crowds and they have a system and they're working it to get every dollar out. It's a hustle and it's a thing to behold when people are doing it right, you know what I mean.

I've got a sou I don't know if you heard this one we were able to confirm this thought. This was a rumor growing up. But the IRS apparently doesn't care if you commit crimes. It's not their department if you're out selling drugs. In theory, they just want to know how much money you made and they want to be cut.

I've got a sou I don't know if you heard this one we were able to confirm this thought. This was a rumor growing up. But the IRS apparently doesn't care if you commit crimes. It's not their department if you're out selling drugs. In theory, they just want to know how much money you made and they want to be cut.

Yeah, they want their part. I mean, it's the same thing with now we have marijuana that you could purchase everywhere, cause the government finally figured out how to tax it, you know. So it's not about right or wrong, it's like how much is in it for me with my part? I under say, I want to win my part, you know, and they owe me. But my mama said, you know, a dollar nine a dollar when they catch you, you know, So we do the bith we can.

Yeah, they want their part. I mean, it's the same thing with now we have marijuana that you could purchase everywhere, cause the government finally figured out how to tax it, you know. So it's not about right or wrong, it's like how much is in it for me with my part? I under say, I want to win my part, you know, and they owe me. But my mama said, you know, a dollar nine a dollar when they catch you, you know, So we do the bith we can.

And isn't that interesting with with what you're talking about about marijuana prohibition, like the into what you said, Ben, the IRS they're not there to p prosecute crimes and they're technically kind of an apolitical organization in theory, But whether or not they could tax marijuana was a political issue, not one that they controlled necessarily, but it had to be kind of legalized and regulated on a state by state level, and that's not where the IRS comes in. They come in to figure out how to collect the money once they you know, once it's made legal. So that's super interesting. And like for a time there were places where, you know, in California, if you go to a dispensary, they'd give you your change back in cash because the banks wouldn't mess with them.

And isn't that interesting with with what you're talking about about marijuana prohibition, like the into what you said, Ben, the IRS they're not there to p prosecute crimes and they're technically kind of an apolitical organization in theory, But whether or not they could tax marijuana was a political issue, not one that they controlled necessarily, but it had to be kind of legalized and regulated on a state by state level, and that's not where the IRS comes in. They come in to figure out how to collect the money once they you know, once it's made legal. So that's super interesting. And like for a time there were places where, you know, in California, if you go to a dispensary, they'd give you your change back in cash because the banks wouldn't mess with them.

Yet. Oh, let me see that IRS will go in and take your money too, you know. I mean, if you leave your money in the bank, you you at risk. You know. I had I had one check, I did wages whatever. I did a movie with ice Cube called The Long Shots with Kiki Palmer was in it as well. She was fourteen years old and just absolutely brilliant. And we did that and I had to check. I had to check out things well before aready seven hundred dollars and I wanted the offer to get the check. That check was one dollar and fought and nand cent and Uncle Sam had left me a note. I was like, why can't be right?

Yet. Oh, let me see that IRS will go in and take your money too, you know. I mean, if you leave your money in the bank, you you at risk. You know. I had I had one check, I did wages whatever. I did a movie with ice Cube called The Long Shots with Kiki Palmer was in it as well. She was fourteen years old and just absolutely brilliant. And we did that and I had to check. I had to check out things well before aready seven hundred dollars and I wanted the offer to get the check. That check was one dollar and fought and nand cent and Uncle Sam had left me a note. I was like, why can't be right?

They said, politely worded notes.

They said, politely worded notes.

What it was just said that we are taking this portion of your check because of bag taxes. And just like that, a portion they left dollars all if they left me enough to get a Snickers. Now that's the Snickers. That's not the one that you have in the theater. No, that's the the fun size it.

What it was just said that we are taking this portion of your check because of bag taxes. And just like that, a portion they left dollars all if they left me enough to get a Snickers. Now that's the Snickers. That's not the one that you have in the theater. No, that's the the fun size it.

What do you call it fun size when there's less of it? Whatever?

What do you call it fun size when there's less of it? Whatever?

Problem? This is cute, it's cute.

Problem? This is cute, it's cute.

Fine, whatever do you mind if we stay on movies for just one moment. There's so much to talk about here with you, Michael, but I just I want to throw something at you and see what your reaction is. Okay, this is this is the first time I ever saw you. Okay, Okay, when you when you said this, Williams com sink pac Ram set Mos ninety two h taspect.

Fine, whatever do you mind if we stay on movies for just one moment. There's so much to talk about here with you, Michael, but I just I want to throw something at you and see what your reaction is. Okay, this is this is the first time I ever saw you. Okay, Okay, when you when you said this, Williams com sink pac Ram set Mos ninety two h taspect.

That's hot shot part dude hot Let me tell you wait, when we get to the fence and it's a pence, you could step over. But it's lot damn it, it's a lot on panicking. Get a hold of yourself. Man, you know what I mean. That movie was a main Let me tell you I bought my first home with that. I did twenty six weeks shooting that film, and it is one of the gifts of Venice Beach. I got so much work from being on Venice Beach because Venice Beach is the second largest attraction in California, second only to Disneyland. So everybody comes to Venice, they take their people down to Venice Beach. If somebody come in California, we got to take you to Venice Beach. So I got for talent though too. Internally, LA people, I'm sure going there looking for the next big thing exactly. That's shopping for talent out there. Look, I brought a girl on my morning show. I have a morning show, guys that I do five days a week. It's called the Michael Caya Morning Show on YouTube. So I was out there this past Sunday and this little white girl. I didn't even see her. I just heard Fleetwood Mac the album for Fleetwood Mac, and I was like, that is Soka? Who's playing that? I turn it's this little white girl and hold up. This little white girl was singing so pure I brought and put on my morning show Monday. She blew the roof off the sucker. I said, when you singing these covers, do you have original? She said, I'm about to drop my original album. She came back on Wednesday blew the roof off the soucker with originals. So she'll be on my show, well coming up, because I'm about to celebrate our six hundred show. She's gonna be on that one too. Venice Beach is the eternal circus. You got artists out there. It used to be a time you can get a slice of pizza for a dollar, probably cost two dollars. Now you know, you got girls walking around and bikini's barely clad. It's all kinds of objects and things. You come back. You go out there with twenty dollars and have a good afternoon as long as you don't have to pay for parking. It's amazing, you know. And then after Drum Beach that stuff and the Sundowners where a whole bunch of people stick around from six thirty to about seven and watch the sun literally go down and behind the ocean, you know. So it's a lot of wonderful stuff going on. When I get out there, they weren't making money, so I was teaching a lot of them how to get their money. Because they had the guy who would walk on glass. Uber Uber. This guy would break fresh glass, a pile of glass. He'd jump off a chair into the glass with no shoes on it. Then he did he pooched the glass back up, so it's a mountain of glass. He laid on it with no shirt. A lady was standing on his chest. A man was standless thighs and he smoked a cigret. Then he get up, wouldn't have a scratch on him. The boy was making like forty dollars a day. I said, no, no, no, no no, they whoa, you ain't doing this right. We're gonna have to work on that part because you got to get your money. Plus, one of his big things he was doing is he wouldn't collect his money till after his last piece. You can't do that. You can't do your last bit until you get the money. Your last bid has to be the hook. You know. You gotta tell them. I get some who I'm about to kill y'all with this, but I got to get my money first, okay, to play, you know, and then you get your cash, then you do the last bit. So I was showing them out there how to get money. I have a money grabber. I know we're not visual, but y'all can see this. We can money grab I can take this grab and reach out and get.

That's hot shot part dude hot Let me tell you wait, when we get to the fence and it's a pence, you could step over. But it's lot damn it, it's a lot on panicking. Get a hold of yourself. Man, you know what I mean. That movie was a main Let me tell you I bought my first home with that. I did twenty six weeks shooting that film, and it is one of the gifts of Venice Beach. I got so much work from being on Venice Beach because Venice Beach is the second largest attraction in California, second only to Disneyland. So everybody comes to Venice, they take their people down to Venice Beach. If somebody come in California, we got to take you to Venice Beach. So I got for talent though too. Internally, LA people, I'm sure going there looking for the next big thing exactly. That's shopping for talent out there. Look, I brought a girl on my morning show. I have a morning show, guys that I do five days a week. It's called the Michael Caya Morning Show on YouTube. So I was out there this past Sunday and this little white girl. I didn't even see her. I just heard Fleetwood Mac the album for Fleetwood Mac, and I was like, that is Soka? Who's playing that? I turn it's this little white girl and hold up. This little white girl was singing so pure I brought and put on my morning show Monday. She blew the roof off the sucker. I said, when you singing these covers, do you have original? She said, I'm about to drop my original album. She came back on Wednesday blew the roof off the soucker with originals. So she'll be on my show, well coming up, because I'm about to celebrate our six hundred show. She's gonna be on that one too. Venice Beach is the eternal circus. You got artists out there. It used to be a time you can get a slice of pizza for a dollar, probably cost two dollars. Now you know, you got girls walking around and bikini's barely clad. It's all kinds of objects and things. You come back. You go out there with twenty dollars and have a good afternoon as long as you don't have to pay for parking. It's amazing, you know. And then after Drum Beach that stuff and the Sundowners where a whole bunch of people stick around from six thirty to about seven and watch the sun literally go down and behind the ocean, you know. So it's a lot of wonderful stuff going on. When I get out there, they weren't making money, so I was teaching a lot of them how to get their money. Because they had the guy who would walk on glass. Uber Uber. This guy would break fresh glass, a pile of glass. He'd jump off a chair into the glass with no shoes on it. Then he did he pooched the glass back up, so it's a mountain of glass. He laid on it with no shirt. A lady was standing on his chest. A man was standless thighs and he smoked a cigret. Then he get up, wouldn't have a scratch on him. The boy was making like forty dollars a day. I said, no, no, no, no no, they whoa, you ain't doing this right. We're gonna have to work on that part because you got to get your money. Plus, one of his big things he was doing is he wouldn't collect his money till after his last piece. You can't do that. You can't do your last bit until you get the money. Your last bid has to be the hook. You know. You gotta tell them. I get some who I'm about to kill y'all with this, but I got to get my money first, okay, to play, you know, and then you get your cash, then you do the last bit. So I was showing them out there how to get money. I have a money grabber. I know we're not visual, but y'all can see this. We can money grab I can take this grab and reach out and get.

Your you know, at home picture like a he man or like a like a transformers, these things.

Your you know, at home picture like a he man or like a like a transformers, these things.

The reach for stuff up on the cabinet and stuff like that. I was grab yours is the one that the kids used. That's not even like the real one, you know what I mean. That's the one that's that's amazing.

The reach for stuff up on the cabinet and stuff like that. I was grab yours is the one that the kids used. That's not even like the real one, you know what I mean. That's the one that's that's amazing.

These also this is odd by the way, for anybody who happens to be by the Venice boardwalk. You can find Michael's shoe and handprints there as well as an impression I believe of that money.

These also this is odd by the way, for anybody who happens to be by the Venice boardwalk. You can find Michael's shoe and handprints there as well as an impression I believe of that money.

That money grab her. You had to commemorate what idea when I was out there, because we made it. And see here's what I was telling you earlier too. I got a lot of work from there. I got hot shots due from there. I got Martin. I became a regular on Martin from there because everybody comes to Venice, and then they were coming, I'd have the biggest crowd, so they worked their way in. And then they say, here's a guy with two to four hundred people standing still in the sun for an hour and then happy to pay. But are are people taking advantage of folks like that? In Hollywood? You think of so much kind of crooked.

That money grab her. You had to commemorate what idea when I was out there, because we made it. And see here's what I was telling you earlier too. I got a lot of work from there. I got hot shots due from there. I got Martin. I became a regular on Martin from there because everybody comes to Venice, and then they were coming, I'd have the biggest crowd, so they worked their way in. And then they say, here's a guy with two to four hundred people standing still in the sun for an hour and then happy to pay. But are are people taking advantage of folks like that? In Hollywood? You think of so much kind of crooked.

You know, I'm gonna make you a star, I'm gonna pay you more than you're making on the boardwalk, but probably underpaying the hell out of you, and also then maybe signing you to an exclusive contract and like kind of owning someone's life, you know, is that Did you see any of that kind of stuff?

You know, I'm gonna make you a star, I'm gonna pay you more than you're making on the boardwalk, but probably underpaying the hell out of you, and also then maybe signing you to an exclusive contract and like kind of owning someone's life, you know, is that Did you see any of that kind of stuff?

Yeah, people doing that all the time. You know. Talent is always in danger of the people who want to exploit them, you know, so there's always folks out there like, but you need to be on your game, you know what I'm saying. I mean, a trick ain't a trick if you know the trick. But if you don't know the trick, then the trick's on you. You know. I was at one network that ran me out of there, and I couldn't figure out how I got out of there. How I thought I was doing so good? And my brother told me the story. He said, every evening, as the sun went down, there was this little village and a prince would come out to the edge of the river and walk across the river, and all the people would hide in the bushes and watch the prince walk across this river. Every evening. No one had the courage to approach him, and finally a little child. You know, children, they always they don't care. They'll just say some shit. A child just stepped out from behind the bush and says, tell me, sir, please tell me what is the secret of walking across the river? And he says, the secret, my child, is you got to know what the rocks are. Come on, I didn't know what were you know what I'm saying. If you weren't being on top of it, that's all. But yeah, people will exploit you. So you have to watch for that. If you're an artist, you have to watch for that. I've always done all my own stuff. Now I'm building a but I usually book myself, you know. I manage myself, you know. And when I say God is my manager, that means I only got to pay ten percent and he answers every call. You know. So so sometimes doing it yourself is the way that works. But the go to furthest in this industry, using these people to help you, just in the higher eche lines. Because about success. It's about access. That's what success about in this time. It's access. Who you know? You know? Everything's about communications and relationships. Who do you know and how do you talk to the people you know? Will determine your altitude, how high you rise? You know, so you but the snakes are always in the grass. There's always the people there with a card and a gimmick. All over La. Everybody got a card and a gimmick, you know.

Yeah, people doing that all the time. You know. Talent is always in danger of the people who want to exploit them, you know, so there's always folks out there like, but you need to be on your game, you know what I'm saying. I mean, a trick ain't a trick if you know the trick. But if you don't know the trick, then the trick's on you. You know. I was at one network that ran me out of there, and I couldn't figure out how I got out of there. How I thought I was doing so good? And my brother told me the story. He said, every evening, as the sun went down, there was this little village and a prince would come out to the edge of the river and walk across the river, and all the people would hide in the bushes and watch the prince walk across this river. Every evening. No one had the courage to approach him, and finally a little child. You know, children, they always they don't care. They'll just say some shit. A child just stepped out from behind the bush and says, tell me, sir, please tell me what is the secret of walking across the river? And he says, the secret, my child, is you got to know what the rocks are. Come on, I didn't know what were you know what I'm saying. If you weren't being on top of it, that's all. But yeah, people will exploit you. So you have to watch for that. If you're an artist, you have to watch for that. I've always done all my own stuff. Now I'm building a but I usually book myself, you know. I manage myself, you know. And when I say God is my manager, that means I only got to pay ten percent and he answers every call. You know. So so sometimes doing it yourself is the way that works. But the go to furthest in this industry, using these people to help you, just in the higher eche lines. Because about success. It's about access. That's what success about in this time. It's access. Who you know? You know? Everything's about communications and relationships. Who do you know and how do you talk to the people you know? Will determine your altitude, how high you rise? You know, so you but the snakes are always in the grass. There's always the people there with a card and a gimmick. All over La. Everybody got a card and a gimmick, you know.

Oh yeah, yeah, Oh. I can't remember the last time I visited LA without someone trying to sell me a screenplay, you know. And maybe maybe they're good, But I respect the hustle because you're reminding me of that, oh, that excellent quote. It's very, very old. It's like thousands years old. If you want to travel fast, go alone. If you want to travel far, go together, you know. So what you're saying about having a team makes it makes a lot of sense. And one thing we really wanted to pick your brain about today is the inside, the inner workings, getting under the hood of the world of entertainment, because you have, in addition to acting and honing your skills in this, in the world of entertainment at large, you have been in the trenches. You've seen the stuff backstage that the audience never sees or understands. So do you have any I guess you would call them conspiracies or theories in the world of entertainment and in the in the backstage, because I know stuff probably gets wild, Like, what is something more people need to know about stand up comedy for instance?

Oh yeah, yeah, Oh. I can't remember the last time I visited LA without someone trying to sell me a screenplay, you know. And maybe maybe they're good, But I respect the hustle because you're reminding me of that, oh, that excellent quote. It's very, very old. It's like thousands years old. If you want to travel fast, go alone. If you want to travel far, go together, you know. So what you're saying about having a team makes it makes a lot of sense. And one thing we really wanted to pick your brain about today is the inside, the inner workings, getting under the hood of the world of entertainment, because you have, in addition to acting and honing your skills in this, in the world of entertainment at large, you have been in the trenches. You've seen the stuff backstage that the audience never sees or understands. So do you have any I guess you would call them conspiracies or theories in the world of entertainment and in the in the backstage, because I know stuff probably gets wild, Like, what is something more people need to know about stand up comedy for instance?

Well, I mean, I think if you want to talk about what's going on in the back room, you know, you just have to be careful because this so many clicks seeing Hollywood, everything is clique. Everybody in they group. You got to be in they group, or if you're not in their circle. It's so funny, it's so funny. I had a girlfriend and I want to introduce her to a friend of man, and she said, well, you can't just bring people in our circle. They got to be invited. And I was thinking about the job that she does for a living, and I was like, bitch, you gotta circle. Ain't nobody trying to get your fucking girl. Anybody trying to get in your circle. I was trying to introduce you to my friend, you know what I'm saying. So, but it's clique out here. It's like if you not in their group, certain people only work with that certain group of people. They ain't messing with nobody else. Now, some of that is conventional wisdom. You know, if you're really trying to get your act together. You really want to circle yourself with four to five of your best or closest friends and associates and keep everybody outside of that. That way, there's no damage to the team or the company because you know you could trust that handful of people. The danger comes in when you start bringing in strangers, the people you don't know who have different agendas and different ideas and to throw things off. So there is a sense of having a small group. But here in Hollywood, there's the thing about you have to be in people's per their their circle, their group. They have to give you their benediction, so so you know if they say okay, then then you could work. And I mean, I've mean, I can't tell you how many times people have blocked me. I've been blocked tons of time from people who I thought were my friends. Some of the people are people that I brought up in this town and won't give me the tame a day, but they'll respect me. The same people that won't work with me. If I walk in the room, they'll come across the room and shake my hand. Hey brother, how you doing. But those same people won't book me. Just think about this, how many how many tours have you seen me on all you stop black comics? And I can stand told to told with any comic in America, white or black, and I could do an hour faulty, shouty easy with continuous laugh or not. I tell a joke that I walk around talking shit for eight minutes. Then I tell a joke I'm talking about bam bam bam our faulty easy without even thinking about it. And you don't never see me on these tools or all these top comments. You see the same ones going out all the time, but you don't see me. I've been doing this not thirty seven years. I'm thinking about sticking.

Well, I mean, I think if you want to talk about what's going on in the back room, you know, you just have to be careful because this so many clicks seeing Hollywood, everything is clique. Everybody in they group. You got to be in they group, or if you're not in their circle. It's so funny, it's so funny. I had a girlfriend and I want to introduce her to a friend of man, and she said, well, you can't just bring people in our circle. They got to be invited. And I was thinking about the job that she does for a living, and I was like, bitch, you gotta circle. Ain't nobody trying to get your fucking girl. Anybody trying to get in your circle. I was trying to introduce you to my friend, you know what I'm saying. So, but it's clique out here. It's like if you not in their group, certain people only work with that certain group of people. They ain't messing with nobody else. Now, some of that is conventional wisdom. You know, if you're really trying to get your act together. You really want to circle yourself with four to five of your best or closest friends and associates and keep everybody outside of that. That way, there's no damage to the team or the company because you know you could trust that handful of people. The danger comes in when you start bringing in strangers, the people you don't know who have different agendas and different ideas and to throw things off. So there is a sense of having a small group. But here in Hollywood, there's the thing about you have to be in people's per their their circle, their group. They have to give you their benediction, so so you know if they say okay, then then you could work. And I mean, I've mean, I can't tell you how many times people have blocked me. I've been blocked tons of time from people who I thought were my friends. Some of the people are people that I brought up in this town and won't give me the tame a day, but they'll respect me. The same people that won't work with me. If I walk in the room, they'll come across the room and shake my hand. Hey brother, how you doing. But those same people won't book me. Just think about this, how many how many tours have you seen me on all you stop black comics? And I can stand told to told with any comic in America, white or black, and I could do an hour faulty, shouty easy with continuous laugh or not. I tell a joke that I walk around talking shit for eight minutes. Then I tell a joke I'm talking about bam bam bam our faulty easy without even thinking about it. And you don't never see me on these tools or all these top comments. You see the same ones going out all the time, but you don't see me. I've been doing this not thirty seven years. I'm thinking about sticking.

With that because you speak out of school? Is that because people think that you're you know, I don't know. There's what what is it about? I don't you either rub them the wrong way. I don't have an idea.

With that because you speak out of school? Is that because people think that you're you know, I don't know. There's what what is it about? I don't you either rub them the wrong way. I don't have an idea.

And that's the worst part of it is their cowardice. The people who don't work with you will never tell you why. They don't say nothing to you about it. Just all of a sudden, you know you ain't getting that call. All of a sudden, you know you ain't getting called in on that. Some people, some things people call me in for and I don't even go because I know which team that is, and they're not going to hire me. If I come in, tell mclothes off, set myself on fire, you know. So so so you just you have to know who you're working with and who's not. That's why I'm all down for self reliance. Do your own thing. That's what street performance was. So wasn't to me. I ain't gotta kiss nobody's ass to walk on Venice Beach and tell a joke. You know. I couldn't even get in the clubs until I did Vennis Beach. I was when I first came here in eighty six. Laugh Factory was the only one let me come in. Laugh Factories about the size of my dining room. In eighty six they didn't even own the upstairs yet, they just had the main level. And in eighty six I was there, they let me come in on a Thursday and do five minutes for free. That was it. Comedy store wouldn't let me in an improblem, none of them. So I went to Venice Beach and I was holding the biggest crowds of Venice Beach and one day Bud Friedman who created the im Prov and owned all the m problem and rest his heart rest is soul. We only lost him about three months ago. I love, love, love, love love that man. Bud Freeman and his wife Alex saw me out there and they said, I'd like you to become part of our family. I mean it just then did just invite me to come and tell a Joe. He made me part of the Improv family. So all of a sudden, I was doing that show on A and E called evenings at the Improv. I did like eleven of those. I was all the Improv clubs because someone saw me who had a way to give me access, and they allowed me to have that.

And that's the worst part of it is their cowardice. The people who don't work with you will never tell you why. They don't say nothing to you about it. Just all of a sudden, you know you ain't getting that call. All of a sudden, you know you ain't getting called in on that. Some people, some things people call me in for and I don't even go because I know which team that is, and they're not going to hire me. If I come in, tell mclothes off, set myself on fire, you know. So so so you just you have to know who you're working with and who's not. That's why I'm all down for self reliance. Do your own thing. That's what street performance was. So wasn't to me. I ain't gotta kiss nobody's ass to walk on Venice Beach and tell a joke. You know. I couldn't even get in the clubs until I did Vennis Beach. I was when I first came here in eighty six. Laugh Factory was the only one let me come in. Laugh Factories about the size of my dining room. In eighty six they didn't even own the upstairs yet, they just had the main level. And in eighty six I was there, they let me come in on a Thursday and do five minutes for free. That was it. Comedy store wouldn't let me in an improblem, none of them. So I went to Venice Beach and I was holding the biggest crowds of Venice Beach and one day Bud Friedman who created the im Prov and owned all the m problem and rest his heart rest is soul. We only lost him about three months ago. I love, love, love, love love that man. Bud Freeman and his wife Alex saw me out there and they said, I'd like you to become part of our family. I mean it just then did just invite me to come and tell a Joe. He made me part of the Improv family. So all of a sudden, I was doing that show on A and E called evenings at the Improv. I did like eleven of those. I was all the Improv clubs because someone saw me who had a way to give me access, and they allowed me to have that.

You know, all right, hold up a second, let's take a quick break and here a work from our sponsor, and then'll be back with more from Michael.

You know, all right, hold up a second, let's take a quick break and here a work from our sponsor, and then'll be back with more from Michael.

We're back.

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Let's get into it.

Let's get into it.

It's interesting with podcasting and YouTube, which is obviously a place you found success in now too. That's kind of like the street performing of the Internet in some ways. It's sort of democratized by people that kind of form around you, and it's unconnected to any clicks. Obviously, there are podcast networks and YouTube networks and all that, but at the end of the day, the impetus is on you to do your thing and then see what happens. And I'm interested if you see that parallel and how that's worked out for you.

It's interesting with podcasting and YouTube, which is obviously a place you found success in now too. That's kind of like the street performing of the Internet in some ways. It's sort of democratized by people that kind of form around you, and it's unconnected to any clicks. Obviously, there are podcast networks and YouTube networks and all that, but at the end of the day, the impetus is on you to do your thing and then see what happens. And I'm interested if you see that parallel and how that's worked out for you.

To see that parallel. And people have been telling me for years, Michael, you'd be so good on podcasts, You'll be on pot and I never knew how to do it. And now I'm able to do it, and I'm having the time in my life doing it. I'm having great conversations with people. But once again, was also about to access. It was because i Heeart believed in me and gave me this opportunity. Then I'm able to do this podcast. I would never on my own just said Okay, I'm just gonna set this up in my house, do a podcast, put it where if I want to know, I wanted to be with some of the top folks that I'm going to podcasts. I mean, all I want to do is beat Bill Burr. If I could just, you know, just like Remelion, I would love to have him on my show. But and he knows me. He knows me too because I called him. Some other people that had me come in for a podcast for their company. I came in to meet them and they weren't interested, and I was like, okay, fane, but at least I got a chance to come say hello to them. But when I went in, I called Joe Rogan. I said, Joe, what I do when I go in this interview? He said, Man, just go in and be you. And at the end of the day, he said, you don't need nobody else anyway. You could do it on your own. And I thought, that's cool, and that's a great idea. Boy, I'm a lazy at Lamma Bean and I wasn't about to do it on my own. And plus I'm one seven projects already, So I'm like, how do I figure out how the podcast? How do I do it right? How do I compete? All those thoughts? But I have like like two of the greatest attorneys in the world, and Ricky Anderson is the one who put the deal together for me, and he has several clients as well, and he was shopping for me. Man, you know, the other people came to me. Who's got a somebody's got a free radio, some radio. But they had offered me to come over there, but they don't offer no money. Well, shit. If I ain't gonna make no money. I could make no money at my damn house. Why I gotta com to not make money, you know? And So the thing is, I think being self sufficient is important and entertainment you should do stuff that you could pay yourself. See, I'm on stage every night saying can you tell that I love what I do? Now, keep in mind, I'm an addict. Okay, I'm a crackhead. So I did crack for twenty three years, and as of this March first, I have twelve years of pure sobriety. So I've been here doing comedy, film and everything fucked up. You hear me. I was rimped, but nobody knew it. I never went to work, no shit like that. I never did that. But during that rain of being high, I did so many shows and so many films and nobody even knew it. But my system knew it. The universe knew it. So I wasn't able to travel at the speed of light like I could of if I stayed clear eyed and focused and stayed on my work. I started with the Steve Harveys of them, I started with Cedric Entertainer DL Hughley. Them cats used to look up to me. All them guys are rich enough to pee cream and me. I'm still a day player. But that's okay. I'm happy with it because I own myself. You know what I'm saying. I own Michael mother bunkaya. All this is, man, I don't owe nobody nothing. I don't do no harm to nobody on purpose. All I do is perform. But I'm performing everywhere. I'm killing the game, you know, and the thing she is I ain't beholding to nobody. I don't have to go to none of those cats and say, man, I made it because of you. Yeah, because y'all ain't brought me. I brought me and keep on bringing me, you know. And that's why I want to send that message to other people, because there's a lot of people who turn around and walk away. They don't get enough assistance. You know, if somebody don't help them, you know, you don't need Look, everything you need to do, whatever you want to do on this planet is encoded within you. You already have all the answers. It's just a matter of you having the courage to go inside to find that thing and then work towards it a little bit every day. Always talk about a system called a fifteen minute of a day system. If you're willing to spend fifteen minutes a day on something you really want and within three to six months you'll have it fifteen minutes a day. And I'm just talking about Monday and Friday. Monday to Friday, you could take Saturday and Sunday, oh, twenty four hours in a day if you spend fifteen. If you weigh nine hundred pounds and you want to be a ballerina, do fifteen minutes a day, fifteen minutes a day and that on that topic, you may be spent fifteen minutes looking at plus size women dance. You may spend fifteen minutes at a bar and your a house trying to do a dance bar. You may be doing the five steps, practicing them and talking about it and talking about it. Because see, the universe wants to know you commit to anything. It opens doors that you didn't even were there. So what happens not everybody you talk to you tell them I'm gonna be a ballerino. I'm gonna be a ballerina. Fifteen minutes a day you working on it. You might spend fifteen minutes a day just watching other ballerinas. But I guarantee you, by that third month you would have done so many things towards it and generated so much energy. Your phone gonna ring, You're gonna pick the phone up. Hey, hey, Charlotte, we're putting together a concert with plus sized women and we heard did you are trying to get in the game. You'll be like, holy shit, how did that happen to me? It happened to you because it happened for you, and it happened for you because you worked towards it fifteen minutes towards it every day. I swear you're coming through you. Yeah, yeah, you're conduit for it.

To see that parallel. And people have been telling me for years, Michael, you'd be so good on podcasts, You'll be on pot and I never knew how to do it. And now I'm able to do it, and I'm having the time in my life doing it. I'm having great conversations with people. But once again, was also about to access. It was because i Heeart believed in me and gave me this opportunity. Then I'm able to do this podcast. I would never on my own just said Okay, I'm just gonna set this up in my house, do a podcast, put it where if I want to know, I wanted to be with some of the top folks that I'm going to podcasts. I mean, all I want to do is beat Bill Burr. If I could just, you know, just like Remelion, I would love to have him on my show. But and he knows me. He knows me too because I called him. Some other people that had me come in for a podcast for their company. I came in to meet them and they weren't interested, and I was like, okay, fane, but at least I got a chance to come say hello to them. But when I went in, I called Joe Rogan. I said, Joe, what I do when I go in this interview? He said, Man, just go in and be you. And at the end of the day, he said, you don't need nobody else anyway. You could do it on your own. And I thought, that's cool, and that's a great idea. Boy, I'm a lazy at Lamma Bean and I wasn't about to do it on my own. And plus I'm one seven projects already, So I'm like, how do I figure out how the podcast? How do I do it right? How do I compete? All those thoughts? But I have like like two of the greatest attorneys in the world, and Ricky Anderson is the one who put the deal together for me, and he has several clients as well, and he was shopping for me. Man, you know, the other people came to me. Who's got a somebody's got a free radio, some radio. But they had offered me to come over there, but they don't offer no money. Well, shit. If I ain't gonna make no money. I could make no money at my damn house. Why I gotta com to not make money, you know? And So the thing is, I think being self sufficient is important and entertainment you should do stuff that you could pay yourself. See, I'm on stage every night saying can you tell that I love what I do? Now, keep in mind, I'm an addict. Okay, I'm a crackhead. So I did crack for twenty three years, and as of this March first, I have twelve years of pure sobriety. So I've been here doing comedy, film and everything fucked up. You hear me. I was rimped, but nobody knew it. I never went to work, no shit like that. I never did that. But during that rain of being high, I did so many shows and so many films and nobody even knew it. But my system knew it. The universe knew it. So I wasn't able to travel at the speed of light like I could of if I stayed clear eyed and focused and stayed on my work. I started with the Steve Harveys of them, I started with Cedric Entertainer DL Hughley. Them cats used to look up to me. All them guys are rich enough to pee cream and me. I'm still a day player. But that's okay. I'm happy with it because I own myself. You know what I'm saying. I own Michael mother bunkaya. All this is, man, I don't owe nobody nothing. I don't do no harm to nobody on purpose. All I do is perform. But I'm performing everywhere. I'm killing the game, you know, and the thing she is I ain't beholding to nobody. I don't have to go to none of those cats and say, man, I made it because of you. Yeah, because y'all ain't brought me. I brought me and keep on bringing me, you know. And that's why I want to send that message to other people, because there's a lot of people who turn around and walk away. They don't get enough assistance. You know, if somebody don't help them, you know, you don't need Look, everything you need to do, whatever you want to do on this planet is encoded within you. You already have all the answers. It's just a matter of you having the courage to go inside to find that thing and then work towards it a little bit every day. Always talk about a system called a fifteen minute of a day system. If you're willing to spend fifteen minutes a day on something you really want and within three to six months you'll have it fifteen minutes a day. And I'm just talking about Monday and Friday. Monday to Friday, you could take Saturday and Sunday, oh, twenty four hours in a day if you spend fifteen. If you weigh nine hundred pounds and you want to be a ballerina, do fifteen minutes a day, fifteen minutes a day and that on that topic, you may be spent fifteen minutes looking at plus size women dance. You may spend fifteen minutes at a bar and your a house trying to do a dance bar. You may be doing the five steps, practicing them and talking about it and talking about it. Because see, the universe wants to know you commit to anything. It opens doors that you didn't even were there. So what happens not everybody you talk to you tell them I'm gonna be a ballerino. I'm gonna be a ballerina. Fifteen minutes a day you working on it. You might spend fifteen minutes a day just watching other ballerinas. But I guarantee you, by that third month you would have done so many things towards it and generated so much energy. Your phone gonna ring, You're gonna pick the phone up. Hey, hey, Charlotte, we're putting together a concert with plus sized women and we heard did you are trying to get in the game. You'll be like, holy shit, how did that happen to me? It happened to you because it happened for you, and it happened for you because you worked towards it fifteen minutes towards it every day. I swear you're coming through you. Yeah, yeah, you're conduit for it.

We've all seen seen elements of that. I just wanted to asked really quickly about the addiction side of things. I mean, was that something that you felt like, I mean, I know that may have happened before. It seems maybe that was all kind of coinciding. But was that something that you used to be able to just be on all ways, go go go or were they separate? And then how are you able to get rid of that? How are you able to like, you know, replace that energy that you were spending on that which you know, it makes you feel like you have energy, but it's actually sapping you have energy. So how did you kind of, you know, reconcile that that was kind of.

We've all seen seen elements of that. I just wanted to asked really quickly about the addiction side of things. I mean, was that something that you felt like, I mean, I know that may have happened before. It seems maybe that was all kind of coinciding. But was that something that you used to be able to just be on all ways, go go go or were they separate? And then how are you able to get rid of that? How are you able to like, you know, replace that energy that you were spending on that which you know, it makes you feel like you have energy, but it's actually sapping you have energy. So how did you kind of, you know, reconcile that that was kind of.

The start of all of it when you said it's actually sapping energy. You actually think you're getting something, you think you're going somewhere, and it's really draining you. You know. I'm doing a one man play in one hundred Cities called Michael Cawley's Mama. If you like your Mama, you're gonna love his play. And the play is an hour and a half place and I play seventeen characters. So I played my mother, and my father, and my four big brothers and me at four ages. The alcohol is crack heads and church ladies did run my community. And I get to tell that story about the addiction. But I get into addiction. I got into drugs called it was just fun. But I've always been responsible when it comes to work. So I never went to work high. I never would never go on the stage high. I wouldn't do nothing. I respect what it is I do, but like to say about to say earlier, I tell people on stage, if our job, our job is to train the universe to pay us to do what we love to do. See, because if you're just doing what you love to do, I swear the Bible says that your gift will make a way for you. So if you just doing what you love to do with all your heart and all your passion, all the elements you need for to succeed will come to your door. It will walk up to you. You won't even have to go look for it. So in doing this play I talk about all of it. The addiction for me is I was just party man. I used to do freebase before they even knew of a thing called crack. I used to sell freebase in Chicago. Did that made me want to taste cocaine? I liked it. I liked it a lot. But then I wasn't really messing with it till I got to the Venice. Now I get to Venice and all so many people on Venice were getting high. I started trying to get high, and I enjoyed it. You know, I had a lot of money and I didn't owe nobody nothing. It was Robin Williams who said, cocaine it's God's way of saying, you making too much goddamn money. You know, and so I have all this money. I leave in the beach with a sack of money. I ain't owe nobody nothing. And one day I said, I wonder if I take this rock and I drop it on this hot piece of glass. What happened? Okay? And then twenty three years later, my AS's trying to dig my way out the whole. Now parts of me say that maybe that's why I'm penalized. Maybe some of the people who don't work with me have having in the back of their man well he's crackhead, or he was a crackhead, or maybe during my crackhead days, people may have found me arrogant. I probably said things that I shouldn't have said the way I said them, or whatever. I don't know. I know one thing in my life. I've never never deliberately gone out of my way to hurt anybody, to step on nobody. I won't step on you to get the job. I don't want the job so bad that I'm to fuck you over so I can get an extra five dollars. I'm just not going to do that. I've just been living my life the way I want to live it, unfolding unto my greater self, and I don't always get it right. She is. Sometime I fuck it.

The start of all of it when you said it's actually sapping energy. You actually think you're getting something, you think you're going somewhere, and it's really draining you. You know. I'm doing a one man play in one hundred Cities called Michael Cawley's Mama. If you like your Mama, you're gonna love his play. And the play is an hour and a half place and I play seventeen characters. So I played my mother, and my father, and my four big brothers and me at four ages. The alcohol is crack heads and church ladies did run my community. And I get to tell that story about the addiction. But I get into addiction. I got into drugs called it was just fun. But I've always been responsible when it comes to work. So I never went to work high. I never would never go on the stage high. I wouldn't do nothing. I respect what it is I do, but like to say about to say earlier, I tell people on stage, if our job, our job is to train the universe to pay us to do what we love to do. See, because if you're just doing what you love to do, I swear the Bible says that your gift will make a way for you. So if you just doing what you love to do with all your heart and all your passion, all the elements you need for to succeed will come to your door. It will walk up to you. You won't even have to go look for it. So in doing this play I talk about all of it. The addiction for me is I was just party man. I used to do freebase before they even knew of a thing called crack. I used to sell freebase in Chicago. Did that made me want to taste cocaine? I liked it. I liked it a lot. But then I wasn't really messing with it till I got to the Venice. Now I get to Venice and all so many people on Venice were getting high. I started trying to get high, and I enjoyed it. You know, I had a lot of money and I didn't owe nobody nothing. It was Robin Williams who said, cocaine it's God's way of saying, you making too much goddamn money. You know, and so I have all this money. I leave in the beach with a sack of money. I ain't owe nobody nothing. And one day I said, I wonder if I take this rock and I drop it on this hot piece of glass. What happened? Okay? And then twenty three years later, my AS's trying to dig my way out the whole. Now parts of me say that maybe that's why I'm penalized. Maybe some of the people who don't work with me have having in the back of their man well he's crackhead, or he was a crackhead, or maybe during my crackhead days, people may have found me arrogant. I probably said things that I shouldn't have said the way I said them, or whatever. I don't know. I know one thing in my life. I've never never deliberately gone out of my way to hurt anybody, to step on nobody. I won't step on you to get the job. I don't want the job so bad that I'm to fuck you over so I can get an extra five dollars. I'm just not going to do that. I've just been living my life the way I want to live it, unfolding unto my greater self, and I don't always get it right. She is. Sometime I fuck it.

Up, but I would love I want to talk about one of those. I want to talk about one of those times. I saw it. Not long ago, I don't know, it was years. I think at this point, you were in Philadelphia, you were in a park, a public.

Up, but I would love I want to talk about one of those. I want to talk about one of those times. I saw it. Not long ago, I don't know, it was years. I think at this point, you were in Philadelphia, you were in a park, a public.

You go.

You go.

First of all, let me say the name Cigar Williams. Matter fact, let me say that Cigar Williams can can kiss my ass. Let me just say that he's my great friend in Philadelphia. His name is Cigar Williams. He takes me to buy me a cigar of smoke, and she knew some shit was up because he didn't get one for him. And we take the cigar. We like the ciga. We go back into the park U Writtenhouse Square in Philadelphia, which is the rich park. All the rich white people leave it, you know, black people even in that park. He might see one every nine and then, but it's always six or eight police patrolling a damn park, okay, because they got money like that. So I'm sending this smoking a cigar with my partner, and we see a cop harassing this young brother who has uh he's autistic, and he was handling a guy paper saying he's autistic, and the guy's writing him a ticket. So I'm staying with cigarette. William we laughing at the police. You know, he's a bicycle cop, you know what I'm saying. And this way he get all his power. He's sitting there right now home an innocent person a ticket. Well, he saw us laughing at him and made a bee line over to me. He said, you can't smoke in his park, and I said, cool, I can put it out or I could walk it out the park. He said, you put it out and give me your ID. So he takes my ID. Right, So while he's got my ID, he's taking twenty minutes to run my ID. You know, doesn't take no damn twenty minutes run ID. That means you running a man's background. He's trying to see if I got warrants in some way he can do more to me. Not backup. Then showed up another double meat eating fat ass cop. Did better have a pistol because he ain't gonna never catch nobody. He's better throw a stick at you. He can't catch it, so now his mutton Jeff both toiling over riding a ticket for me smoking. So I held my phone up and filmed the whole thing on FaceTime live, and I dogged him. I talked about him like a dog. I said, oh man, he just loved check. The requisition order went in for the pistols, but they won't come in till Thursday. You know what I mean. I'm just and the thing that made people love it because one point seven million people saw that. The thing that made people love it is I showed him how to deal with the police when they came to a black man wrong, but how to do it in a way that's respectful enough that he don't have to beat you up and shoot you an ass and taste you. You know. But some of us forget when the police show up that they're in charge. We forget that shit. Fuck you pull me over for naw. Okay, now you're gonna have to do the Ridney King dance. Okay, you can't do that. What you need to do is calm the fuck now when the police come, as long as I'm talking calmly, I'm not going off. I'm not reaching for sudden suddenly. They can't do shit to me, but talk to me, and I talked about him. I talked about his ass so bad. Oh lord. Now, once I got through and he gave me my ticket. Wait, and while I'm talking to him and he's writing his ticket, a white guy walks through, brazenly smoking a cigarette. By now, it's thirty people standing around watching this. So I pointed at him when I say, officer, look at the white guy smoking. He said, I'm too busy to look up, and he just kept writing. Right. So, because I left, and I didn't do what a lot of a lot of black people do a lot of black people. We get mad and we go talk about you motherfuckers behind your back. Yeah, we smoke a fat one man, I'm mother fuckers. Shit did that? No, I'm not doing it that well. I'm doing the white white folk with white folks report shit. They report that everybody do some shit.

First of all, let me say the name Cigar Williams. Matter fact, let me say that Cigar Williams can can kiss my ass. Let me just say that he's my great friend in Philadelphia. His name is Cigar Williams. He takes me to buy me a cigar of smoke, and she knew some shit was up because he didn't get one for him. And we take the cigar. We like the ciga. We go back into the park U Writtenhouse Square in Philadelphia, which is the rich park. All the rich white people leave it, you know, black people even in that park. He might see one every nine and then, but it's always six or eight police patrolling a damn park, okay, because they got money like that. So I'm sending this smoking a cigar with my partner, and we see a cop harassing this young brother who has uh he's autistic, and he was handling a guy paper saying he's autistic, and the guy's writing him a ticket. So I'm staying with cigarette. William we laughing at the police. You know, he's a bicycle cop, you know what I'm saying. And this way he get all his power. He's sitting there right now home an innocent person a ticket. Well, he saw us laughing at him and made a bee line over to me. He said, you can't smoke in his park, and I said, cool, I can put it out or I could walk it out the park. He said, you put it out and give me your ID. So he takes my ID. Right, So while he's got my ID, he's taking twenty minutes to run my ID. You know, doesn't take no damn twenty minutes run ID. That means you running a man's background. He's trying to see if I got warrants in some way he can do more to me. Not backup. Then showed up another double meat eating fat ass cop. Did better have a pistol because he ain't gonna never catch nobody. He's better throw a stick at you. He can't catch it, so now his mutton Jeff both toiling over riding a ticket for me smoking. So I held my phone up and filmed the whole thing on FaceTime live, and I dogged him. I talked about him like a dog. I said, oh man, he just loved check. The requisition order went in for the pistols, but they won't come in till Thursday. You know what I mean. I'm just and the thing that made people love it because one point seven million people saw that. The thing that made people love it is I showed him how to deal with the police when they came to a black man wrong, but how to do it in a way that's respectful enough that he don't have to beat you up and shoot you an ass and taste you. You know. But some of us forget when the police show up that they're in charge. We forget that shit. Fuck you pull me over for naw. Okay, now you're gonna have to do the Ridney King dance. Okay, you can't do that. What you need to do is calm the fuck now when the police come, as long as I'm talking calmly, I'm not going off. I'm not reaching for sudden suddenly. They can't do shit to me, but talk to me, and I talked about him. I talked about his ass so bad. Oh lord. Now, once I got through and he gave me my ticket. Wait, and while I'm talking to him and he's writing his ticket, a white guy walks through, brazenly smoking a cigarette. By now, it's thirty people standing around watching this. So I pointed at him when I say, officer, look at the white guy smoking. He said, I'm too busy to look up, and he just kept writing. Right. So, because I left, and I didn't do what a lot of a lot of black people do a lot of black people. We get mad and we go talk about you motherfuckers behind your back. Yeah, we smoke a fat one man, I'm mother fuckers. Shit did that? No, I'm not doing it that well. I'm doing the white white folk with white folks report shit. They report that everybody do some shit.

Talk.

Talk.

A little white lady, she the fuck happened. She's calling everybody in the community. She's gonna talk to the alderman, the mayor, the chief police. That's what I did. I went directly to the police station. I went right to the police station. I filed to report against that cops. I called the chief of police. We said, let us, the chief police, iad eternal affairs. We wrote everybody, and on top of one point seven million people, being on top wrote me a ticket for one hundred dollars. You can't even see the sign in the park. We pointed out, you got to go fan the sand that says no smoking. One hundred dollars. They threw that ticket away and apology as brother. That's what happened. And that's the power of entertainment. I know, I ain't afraid when I talk to you. It's just another presentation. You know what I'm saying. But that's why I keep saying that if you're out here as an artist, try to be self sufficient because you don't want to be a slave to nobody. You don't want to be a slave to a record label, to a producer, to anybody you want to be. You want to own yourself, you know. And that's what I do. Is so when you ask the question, why is there so many folks to how many all those top guys I haven't worked with, Well, I say, once again, everybody work with everybody. They all know each other, they drink together, they hang out together. So if one of them won't work with me, the other one won't. And I'm not saying that I'm on a black list, but I think it's a black black list out there that my name is pretty high on. You know what I'm saying, because it's all kind of folks of my hue who are doing all kinds of things and won't even ain't never brought me in. I can't audition for it or nothing. But look, be clear, I'm mentioning this because we're discussing it. I ain't complained about it because I don't give a damn. I tell you right now, but fuck you ain't got the higher my ass because God gave me Venice Beach. I know I can always go to the beach and makes some motherfucking month. I ain't gotta kiss nobody's ass to ever get I'm not just anyway. I can tell Joe anyway, you know.