The Recessing Podcast with Yours Truly. Jeezy is a production of Black Effect and Our Heart Radio. This is Jeezy, Grammy nominated Urban philosopher, philanthropists and entrepreneur, and this is my show, The Recessing Podcast. For years, I used my music to highlight the struggles and issues facing this country the economy, politics, protests, mental health and more. And now strong voices are more important than ever before. On this show, I will speak the powerful people from all walks of life to have real conversations about change, perseverance, and hope. In each episode will feature a sample of a song from my new album, The Recession Too. So, without further ado, let's begin The Recessing Podcast. Let's get it. Today's conversation is gonna be a little different. My guest for this episode is Philadelphia's own and friend, Freeway. He made a name for himself by being part of Rock Familiar and recorded records with artists like Jay Z and Bennie Siegal, but outside the studio free of speaking out as he's an advocate for healthcare and the survivor of kidney failure. He went through four years of pain during his diolysis treatments. Before he found the donor, and a few weeks ago he tragically lost his son. You know, they say, they say, God test the ones he loved you, he must love me because I've been I've been getting hit with a lot of tests, bro. But I'm just trying to, you know, keep my head up and stay positive overcoming grief, just like the way Freeway has was the key part of one of my latest songs entitled The Glory. I know sometimes we got to smile up. Here's my conversation with Freeway on the Recession podcast. Put that on one of the brown we could got a move to stick to the left, to the like it's about that time, ladies and gentlemen, this is Freeway, and Freeway is a part of the iconic rock alt familiar movement. Yes, sir, you know he got some of the best verses in Wrap and I love that man. But today this is a different approach, bro. Men. The last time you know, I saw you you was in my basement in my studio and that was all kicking in one night. I think it was a gang of us down there was listening to Meek's album Yeah or something like that. Yeah, it was last time we got up. It was after that slid though. It was a good night man, A good time rocking with you. Yeah. Well I wish I wish you to put a verse on that record, though, But it's all good. You said you should have pulled it back up. Yeah, you know, it's happen. Everybody's feeling good. Yeah for sure. Yeah. So so house Philly, Like, what's what's what's going on in Philly right now? With everything going on in the pandemic. I know you're close to the streets and you know you're close to the people. I mean, how do you feel like it's changed? It's rough and Philly right now? You know, people people, people were dropping like flies. Like I just was watching the news and um, a chick just came back from she was on vacation in Atlanta. She just came back from vacation and she was like visiting at somebody downt North Philly and she got murdered. You know, people be getting murdered every day and feeling like young kids. It's crazy. It's wild. Are you right now? Do you do you do? You do you pair with what's going on in the world or just that that's just Philadelphia for you. I mean, it's Philadelphia for you, but it definitely got a lot to do with with what's going on in the world, with the climate of the world, you know, with the with the pandemic, and then you know all the all the police brutality going on, you know, you know, the cops, cops killing people, you know, those things. Those things definitely sparked it back up. It's a guy that had mental issues, was like two weeks ago in Philly and his people had called the cops that come diffuse the situation, and you know, the cops wind up shooting him and killing him right in front of his mom, right and everybody had it on camping. So of course I saw that on the news. Of course, they start tearing the city back up. They started looting in you know, people got a board, their businesses back up, and you know, they was right back to it when that happened. It's wild in the streets right now. Yeah, I saw that on them. I saw that on the news, and I saw somewhere else and it was crazy because you could see the whole clip. I mean, you could see his mother screaming from the stop. You can see you know, the officers, you know, you know, taking their stance and then you see it when it's happened. And the crazy thing is like, you know, I know you're being from Philly, like I'm being from Atlanta. Like it's different types of cities, and Philly is to me, it's like one of those cities where like you know, has his own heartbeat. Like it's the people, all the people and Philly weathers um. Just the Muslim nation, um, you know, just the beliefs and how they go about it is you know when you're in Philly like, yeah, for sure, for sure, it's definitely a vibe and Philly and you know, uh, we have a large I'm Muslim myself and we have a large Islamic community. So you know, whoever the majority is, uh, you know, basically tends to have effect on the people. You know. That's why if you come to Philly, you might see a brother with a big bear. He might not even be Muslim, but he just that's what he's see and that's what you're around. So you know, that's you know, that's the that's the influence on the culture and Philly. Yeah, that's there. That makes sense. It makes sense, man, I mean, you know, it's it's crazy to see bro, just everything you know going on in the world. And like I said, I you know, I popped in Philly when everything was all good and um, you know, you know it was Philadelphia and I'm just sitting back and I'm like, you know, I haven't been in a while because of the pandemic, and I just only imagine. UM. I I want to talk to you specifically because you know, we we do what we do, and we love what we do, and you know we never think about UM when we're doing you know, music, U things that we do in life to advance that you know, healthcare or your health could be UM, something that can change everything about you know, who you are and what you're doing. And I just want to talk to you today because you know, even when I heard the news that you was diagnosed with Kenney failure. When I first heard the news, I'm like, wow, like I know, free, full of life, fully energy. You know, he get his thing off, you know, he he got he got it in them and they're just like you know, even growing up, you know, listening to you guys music, you know, you just think that you know I would have took it, like you know, you was invincible. Because of what I've seen. I felt like that. I felt like I was invincible. I felt like happened to me. And you know, being an artist, like we've been studd two three in the morning, ordering cheeseburgers, eating whatever we wanted. Ain't running around after the shows. You got at the club two or three in the morning, you got a appetiteers, you just burned it down, so you're going to whatever's open, like you know, and those things. After years and years of living like that affected my body of September two and fifteen dollars diagnosed with n stage renal failure. I was on dialysis for four years from September fifteen, two dollars fifteen to February fifth, two thousand nineteen, where you know, received my gift of life. I received the Oregan transplant, which was a blessing to me because even when I was out there with y'all, I was on dialysis at the time. That's why you know, you noticed I had to break out early. That's why I had to break at the next The next morning, I had to do dialysis, and I even, like I said, I had my cameraman in there and he shot a little video when we was in there and he showed that. The next morning, I had to go to dialysis. You know. That was Ali at the time. And dialysis for the people that don't know, explain that. Yeah, it's the process that it does what your kidneys does. It cleans the fluids and the toxins out of your body. So they will hook me to a machine and they stick two needles in my arm. When it's called the venus and one it's called arterial. That's why even though I got a transplant, I still got this in my arm. I didn't get it removed yet, but I'm going to get removed. And with these two places they access the blood. They stick the venus and arterial, two needles in my arm. One needle drains the blood out, put it in the machine and it cleans the blood, and then the other needle puts the blood back into my body, you know. So it's basically filtering my blood and doing doing a job that my kidney does. And it takes four hours a day. So I was doing that four hours a day, three times a week, no matter where I was at in the world. You know, I had to do it. So when that happens is it's somebody that travels with you to do it, or you just know how to do it with the machine yourself. There's a few different ways you could do dialysis. The way that I did it um it's called hemo dialysis. That's when they hook you to the machine and they stick you with the two needles. And the reason why I chose that is because you actually go to the dialysis clinic and they did nurses do it for you. You know what I'm saying That I felt though that was easier for me, it was more safe, it was less risk of infection, you know, because it's uh, it's other forms of dialysis that you could do at home, and you know you have to do it in the sterile clean room and you know, it's it's it's it's certain rules that you gotta follow, but you're doing it on your own. So I felt as door if I did it with you know that, with the actual dialysis care people, it would be better for me, you know what I'm saying. And it worked off for me. I didn't get any infections throughout the whole time. It was good. The only the only thing is when I traveled, I have to go to different dialysis units. So when I was in Atlanta, I knew I was gonna be doing a couple of days on that tour. So before I left, my dialysis units set up dialysis for me in every city that I went to, you know, because it's dialysis units everywhere all over the world. So they lined it up like part of our itinerary, you know what I'm saying. So you know how tender years ago, a certain time in the morning be on point, you know what I'm saying. So it was it was just life life adjustment. But you know, I made it work, and by the grace of God, I received the kidney. Yeah, yeah, I was gonna I was gonna ask you about that. So go back a little bit because I just want to understand because I had my my thing too. I was, you know, drinking crystal and eating and two I was too early, bro, I was there early, and I was two hundred and sixty pounds. And I saw myself on TV one day and I was just like, damn, I gotta figure this ship out. And I just started researching them on how to um you know, how to how to eat better. You know, I wasn't drinking water um at all I was champagne and whatever I can get, and I was just eating crazy crazy, I was whatever. And now I'm a pestletarian. But it took a lot, and I lost sixty houns of my own just boy researching and um and and and learning how to eat better and learn how to get my water and take up and and it did a lot for me, even mentally, you know, you know, spiritually, just you know, health wise, it's just I feel better. I feel you know, younger, and I felt older then you know, I get up tired the whole thing. So my question is, um hot, like when you was when you was eating and you was doing your your thing, Like did you feel because you're basically saying this came from not eating right and taking care of your body, just like how you said you you know, I was too thirty at one point. It's like how you said you was grogging and tired. I felt thought that you know, I knew that, I knew that I need to lose weight, and you know, I wasn't taking the proper steps to do it, you know what I'm saying. And uh, prevention, you know what I mean. I could avoid it being on dialysis. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and diabetes. So I had warnings high blood pressure is a risk factor for kidney, for your diabetes as a risk factor for kidney failure, and just being African American as a risk factor for kid As soon as we're born, were born with a risk factor. You know what I'm saying. So why is that? Do you know? I mean, it's I'm not exactly sure. It has something to do with our genetics, you know what I'm saying. So you know, uh, as soon as we're born, we have a risk factor. So you know I did. I didn't. I didn't take He like when I first was diagnosed with high blood pressure and diabetes, I was chilling like you know, um bean's got diabetes too. You know what I'm saying. So when I first got HI, when I first got diagnosed with diabetes and blood pressure, I was doing it like I was eating right. I wasn't doing I was supposed to do. I remember pulling up on Mac we had a show and he was like eating a cheese steak. I'm like, yo, dog, what you're doing? We got we got diabetes. You can't eat no cheese steak like free. I'm eating the cheese steak and I'm like, you're tripping. Like seven eight months later, seven eight months later, I was splitting the cheese steak with him then on rape back. You know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying. So it's all about making the proper choices. You know. Prevention is all about putting the right things in your body, you know, making sure you're watching your food and take you you're drinking the right fluids. You said, I'm on the alkaline water, you know. I mean, you gotta you gotta put the right things in your body in the most important thing is keeping up with your routine physicals, at least getting getting your blood work done at least once a year, because your blood work is the only thing I can tell you what was really going on in your what I'm saying, it's like your old it's like your old change. Yeah, for sure, if you ain't know. And it's crazy because even for me, like it was one point in my career, like I was drinking, smoking, hanging, like getting rest and it was all there. Bro Yeah, it was a lot. And one day and I was just like damn, like I just really felt myself, you know, being being weaker and having problems that I shouldn't have health wise. Um, like, would you when you when you learn how to eat better? Was it like something that when you went to the doctor they told you, hey, look you need to change up your whole dietthsearch, like, they tell you what you gotta do, then you then it's up to you to do it. You know, it's your life, it's your body. You know what I'm saying. The doctor ball They're gonna give you the manual, but it's up to you to follow it, you know what I'm saying. And so you know, I switched to an alkaline diet for a minute, you know, uh that we're good for me for a few months. You know. Then I just you know, started eating lean meats and just watching my intake and watching what I put into my body. And you know, when we used to be on tour back in the day, running around with Jay and Dame, they used to be like, you'll remember waking up Jay and them used to be in the gym early in the morning working out, and like we used to order food and stuff. They're like, I'm telling you all eating them cheeseburgers, y'all better? Like Jay was eating like crab kicks and think wings and healthy things and we're just eating whatever. You know, we were Superman and ain't nothing gonna happen, And you know, slowly but surely it affected me. Yeah, as soon as I started changing to eat my dad. You gotta imagine, I got a whole two bus full of Jeeves from my neighborhood and all the time about man, you eating that booze food to stay alive. Man, what I'm saying, I'm trying to I'm trying to be out here to spend some of this paper with something like that dialysis. My auntie she actually has to do the same thing. And I didn't understand it until my mother explained it to me. And is it Is it painful? It can be painful. It's it's draining, like like one day you might feel like you could do things afterwards, one day you might just want to go to bed, like it's just draining, like it's all of your body is blood is getting drained out of your body and begin and put back in. The most painful part is the needles. Like every time I had to put the needles on. It's something called lighted cane It's like a numbing cream that I had to put on my arm before before I put the needles in. So you put that on like twenty minutes before you go to dialysis. So I remember one day, I was like, I had a show, so I'm like, came straight off the rule and I had to go straight the dialysis and the numbing cream was at my house. I'm like, I'm cool, ain't worried about that numbing cream. Man. I went in that JOm and they stuck me with them needles without that numbing cramped. Oh my god. Jon Jones like the whole time. It's just like if you they fifteen gaye needles, they'd be like this big, you know what I'm saying. So like that that was that's the most painful part. And then you know, being on dialysis, they drained the fluids and the toxins out of your body, so sometimes they might dream too much fluid and then you'll be cramping. Like that was like the most worst part for me. I would like catch cramps and both of my legs and then they cramped up, then get back cramp up, and you're like a big cramp and you can't do nothing. It's just very painful. And you said the first the first indicator was was was diabetes. A risk factor is high blood pressure, diabetes and then African American. Those the three the three major risk factors. Three obviously because you're all three of them. So so you when when you was diagnosed with diabetes, and I hear the diabetes a lot. Um. I know Boosey has diabetes, and I see him from time to time, Um, you know, posting things trying to get needles and and and and get his insulin. Yeah, did you had to go through that process of taking insulin and doing the whole thing? And how did you know when you was diagnosed with diabetes like you when gott to check up it? Yeah? Yeah, shout out the dame because you know he been, um, he had diabetes for a long time, so you know I would see him. He will always show us like, yeah, I got diabetes and nothing to be ashamed of. So when I was diagnosed with diabetes, being as though you know one of my mentors, somebody I looked up to, had diabetes, I wasn't ashamed of it. You know what I'm saying. Uh, I just did what I had to do. Fortunately, I was on insulin for like six seven months. You know, I just started working out, I started eating right, so they took me off the insulin, and I was just taking pills for diabetes. But once I got on dialysis, I lost a lot of weight. So I haven't been taking medicine for diabetes since then. You know, I got it under control right now, by the grace of God. You know. So type two diabetes can be controlled if you do the right things, put the right things in your body, you know what I'm saying. But you could fill it like like one of the the uh, the signs of diabetes and kidney failure is you're neat and a lot, like if you find yourself having to go to the bathroom every five minutes. I remember, I couldn't even rob in New York from Philly without having to go to the bathroom, Like I have to stop at the rest stop, like, and I just was like always thirsty, and I just always felt like I had to go to the bathroom. I knew something wasn't right, And then I went to the doctors. My blood pressure was high, you know, and they kept me in the hospital for for like a week, and then they got everything under control, and I came home and you know, I had to start taking medicine. And at the time, I didn't even have health insurance. You know, we we don't get no health insurance in hip hop. Like we got it. It's up bast to go out and get it. So you know, I'm paying seven eight hundred dollars a month just for my medicine. And you know, I had like cocket, Yeah, I had it, and I was like, man about fortunately I had it, you know what I mean. I wasn't even thinking about getting insurance. But once I finally got insurance, my medicine was probably like sixty seventy dollars a month, you know what I'm saying. So that's why it's very important that we have healthcare, and you know what I'm saying, because it's a big Unfortunately I was in a situation where I can afford it, but there's so many people that's in that same situation that can afford it, you know. Yeah, yeah, I mean that's I mean, that's crazy because just like you know, when when you're getting money and you you you know, you're really just thinking about keeping it moving. You ain't even you know, considering it because you're not even slowing down to take care of yourself to make sure that you're good so that you can keep being that machine. Like it's like because your body is the only vehicle you got to get you to where you're going. And when you're in that world like you know, us is like you just you know, you're getting the bread, so you figure, Okay, if I can pay for it, I'll be good. Like did you ever think and then if you fast forward to now, because I want to go back and forth, like fast forward to now, like do you know how much money you probably spend out of pocket on your healthcare versus I probably did that. I probably did that for like two years, seven eight hundred dollars a month for like two years. So you do the man, you know, and that's just you know, just just the regular medicine, not to mention the doctor's business that I had to pay for out of pocket because I didn't have a chance, you know what I'm saying. I just was rocking out because I had it, you know, and even even like now, like so so you have the insurance, you still have to go get you know, checked up, and you know everything you do so for sure, Like with everything is going on in the world, when you think of like you know, healthcare and and and what's the stake with the government and how they're going back and forth, how does that affect you? Because you know, they talk about taking healthcare way, they're making health care this and making health care of that. And you got people like yourself that this is something that you're gonna have to deal with for pretty much, you know, a lifetime. Yeah, that's one of the reasons. That's one of the reasons why I've been vocal about it because it's very, very important. Like I told you, you gotta you gotta see the doctor at least once a year to get your routine and physicals and get your blood work done. If you don't have health care, you ain't doing that. Like people in the hood not doing that. Like I remember back in the day, you could take man your man medical card, Like if something happened to you'd be like, yo, let me brought your medical card and you could go to the free clinic and get checked out. But it's not going down like that right now. You need your own health insurance, you know, and it's very important. And the people in the inner cities. They don't go to the doctors. They don't they don't have health insurance. If they don't have health insurance, they don't go to the doctors. I remember I was down the way down north, like in the kindsertant area. That's like where all the all the dope and everything is that because it's in beach uh. One of my man, one of my homies, still be out there and we was shopping it up. It's like when COVID first hit. He was like, yo, bro, I was watching and I was watching the news and all the statistics. Nobody got COVID down here, like the whole Kinderton. Ain't nobody got COVID down here. And I'm like, that's because ain't nobody down there going to the doctors to get a test and get your you know what I'm saying, Because don't nobody down there got no health insurance. So you got a whole neighborhood where nobody is registering because nobody got health insurance, and everybody probably got COVID, and they leave that neighborhood and run around to the rest of the city and spread it all over the place. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, it's crazy being in Philly and you know, and a lot of people don't have health insurance. And I'm quite sure and your journey and things you've been going through. Have you ran any to any youngsters like that they have that they face the same um situation, you know, kidney problems, no insurance, UM, no healthcare. Have you have you ran across any like youngsters, people that you might know personally? Definitely? You know when I, um, when I came out with my story, Bro, you'd be surprised. It's it's quite people right around you right now that that might have kidney failure and won't even tell you, you know, because people being embarrassed, like you know what I'm saying, Like people you know, especially in the business that way, and no one wants to look weak, you know, everywhere everybody wants a little wrong. It's people that that's in the music business that like you're free, you know, I'm doing like, I appreciate you coming out with your story. I'm dealing with the same thing that you're dealing with. But don't say nothing to nobody. Don't tell nobody like and they you know, struggling to keeping the parents up. You know what I'm saying, and you know, that's probably even making it worse for them because you know, going through that on top of stress and you know, an anxiety, it could just make the situation way worse, you know. But it's people in the business that that that's going through what what I'm going through. You you see, you see our og scar face, you know, just just with kidney fre chopped it up with him a couple of times. Yeah, what was that conversation? Like, well, basically, you know, he just basically, you know, wanted to know what I knew, you know, and I basically was like breaking down to him, you know, everything that I went through, you know, and just letting them know I'm here for him if you ever want to talk, you know, uh and use any of my resources that I have, you know, just basically you know, being a brother to him, because I know how it felt when I was diagnosed with kidney fure. Bro. Like when I first walked into the dialysis room. Bro imagine this, you jeezy, and you're walking into a dialysis room is probably like twenty patients in there, and you first walk in there and you see the machine. You gotta sit there for four hours I'm like, wow, this is my life now, Like coming from just being on the big stage to that, like it was like whoa. It's like the reality check, Like you're like God is in control, You're not in control. I don't care how much money you got. I don't care how many business you got, Like, I don't care how much do you got? God is in control. That was like a reality check, bro. And then being in dialysis it's like a family, like you know what I'm saying, because you're with them through three times a week, you know what I'm saying. And one day I was in dialysis and somebody died right next to me. But it happened to be a day that wasn't my day, Like you know what I'm saying. It was it was the same situation where I had a show and I had to come like the next day, so I was on a shift that I don't normally be on, you know what I'm saying. So the person passed away like right next to me, and it was crazy for me just because that's my real Like this could be me too, Like you know what I'm saying, because we're going to do the same thing. But I didn't have a relationship with them because it wasn't my normal day. Like it was my normal day and it was somebody that I kicked it with every day. We talked about sports and everything like that done would have hurt, bro, Like you know what I'm saying, It's like losing one of the homies, you know. And it's just like the streets, like we know, like if somebody gets shot and you're in the same you're doing the same thing they're doing. You are in the streets taking the same rivers they're taking and they get killed, you like, then this could be me Like this is we're doing the same thing. So that's that's how it was with me, Bro, you know what I'm saying. And y'all get that that bond because you'll have something in coming you experience it together like that that the average person wouldn't understand the nice that you might be sick of the morning you wake up and you might be too weak to do what you gotta do, and you got a thousand things and you got you know, things on your plate, you got responsibilities, you got people to take care of that depend on you, and it's just like your physical is not there, Like how did how did it affect you? Like, um like personally? Like because because you know, I'm a fan of Freeway, Like I watched you guys, grind, I watched you know, the whole movement, Like how did it affect you? Um like mentally? Like just you know what what you what you came from and then you're walking into this life. Didn't make you stronger mentally as a fighter, because I know your fighter even feel you gotta do that? Like how did it? How did how did it affect you mentally? Well? Um, I'm Muslim, bro, like you know what I mean. And for those that don't know about the slime, like you know is slim is It's just a beautiful It's just a beautiful religion. Like it's like there's no blind following. Everything makes sense, man, And I believe in the law. Like when I found when the doctor called me, I was in the house. I was in the house, you know, with my peoples. And when the doctor called me, it was like, you need to get to the emergency room right now, like you're creating levels is off. Your your uh, your kidney functions is off. I didn't even tell her. I just went straight to that. I was like the doctor called me, I got gonna see the doctor. I didn't tell her what it was about or are serious it was, and I just went straight to the managin and I prayed and I asked God to help me deal with whatever the situation is. I believe that he was going to do that, and I wanted the doctors. I was diagnosed with with kidney failure. They cut my chest open, they put a perman calf and in the the next day I started doing dialysis and I accepted it. I'm like, God ain't gonna put nothing on me that I can't handle, and I just started moving forward with it, and you know, uh. I felt like it was important for me to let people know what I was going through because I had three risk factors for kidney failure and I still didn't think it could happen to me. My cousin Shan did. She died because she had kidney issues. I got her uncle Chucky that had a transplant. Now he's back on dialysis. And I have all these examples in my life. I felt like it was very important for me to let people know and spread the awareness because there's so many people that's in the same position and might not even want to go to the doctors, you know what I'm saying, because they're fearful, you know. So I felt like, hey, look, people know that I keep it a being at all times with my music, and you know just the type of person that I am. And if you know me, then you know I stand on that. So if I'm out here telling y'all that this happened to me because of these choices that I made, and it could happen to you too, hopefully somebody listening. So I heard some news recently, man, and I really wanted to reach out to you. Actually looked through my phone. I was like, man, I gotta find Freeze number, and I just really was just you know, I took a minute to breathe because I'm like, wow, and um, I understand that you lost your son, yeah, man, recently and and and me having a son, I can only imagine what it's like, you know, losing the child, and especially coming out of a situation where you're already dealing with so many complications and now this comes like and I really wanted to reach out to you and seeing you, you know, as many blessings as I can't in brother, and it's just like, you know, how are you holding up? Man? Like I told you you know about Islam and about God like you know, without that, Bro, I don't know without Like I don't know, bro, Like without that, I don't know what I where I would be at right now. But you know, my faith and God and my understanding and God really really got me through like this for me, bro, Like September, my daughter, my daughter, she's sitting right here. My daughter was diagnosed with cancer. My daughter fighting cancer right now. Bro. We just went to the doctor's the other day, like she's getting ready to start started treatment, praying like a number week to try to shrink the tumors that she had in her body. Like you know what I'm saying. So we were dealing with that in September and then for my son and die like in October. You know, they say they say God test the ones he loved you, He must love me, because I've been been getting hit with a lot of tests, bro. But I'm just trying to, you know, keep my head up and stay positive. Right. You're strong, brother, Like you you're strong, You're strong, You got that Philadelphia hard in you. What what would your relationship like with him? Like what what was your relationship like with with your son. I love my son. He loved me, He lived with me, he lived he lived between me and his grandma's name. He wrapped his right name with snow hat. That's what's up, you know. Of course he loves you like you know, you know, I had him around everybody, you know. Uh, you know he had his own struggles, you know, just like a teenagers coming up. He was twenty. You know what I'm saying. You had a little little little issues that he went through herself. You know. You know, I was just trying to be there for him as much as I can. You know, that's my son. I love him, you know, I want one of the best for him. And you know it's it's tough dealing with the fact that he passed man, you know, but just trying my best. Bro. You know, my son is twenty. He's in the age record too. Like I mean, I can't like as a father to lose the town. And I know you go to allive, um, but what do you tell yourself mentally, like is there anything that you wish you could have done different? You know, just in the time that I mean of course, bro, of course, like like I think about that every day, Like it's like anything can trigger it. Like he liked music, Like I'm like, man, maybe I should have had him with me more, But I was. I was taking the stands with him that he was definitely talented and I definitely wanted him to do music if he wanted to, but I wanted him to have all the other qualities before he was in the music business, because you know, if you don't got you here on straight of music business, there's no way that you could be successful. Like you know, people, you know what I mean, You're already you know, had a chip on the shoulder because he was my son, you know what i mean. So you're already getting having his way wherever he goes. You know what I'm saying, to spoil to a certain point just from being freeway son, you know what I'm saying. But I wanted him to have the right morals and you know, how to handle certain situations. And that's what I was trying to instill in him more than anything, more than the music and order, you know what I'm saying. So it's a lot of it's a lot of things that every day, I like Max could have did this. I could have did that. But you know, I can't beat myself up. And you know what's what's decreed by God was decreed by the law. We can't argue with like you know what I'm saying, I would be a hypocrite, you know about if I'm sitting here like, oh, I could have did this, I could have did death. Because we all have our stories. Like in Islam they say the pen has been lifted and the ink has been dried. Like God knows how I'm gonna die. You know, it's how You're gonna die. It's already written. So you know it was my son time man, you know. And of course, like I just opened up a letter earlier to day that uh, somebody that he was working with route me and it had me in tears. Just opened up a letter from the gift of life today. I just went to the middle box before I did this, two letters to life. And how how like as far as the gift of life, like my son, he saved four lives he was an organ doing he say, four lives. Two people got his kidneys, one person got his lungs, and one person got his liver. And it's a blessing, you know, Uh, just for the come full circle because someone's son saved my life. Someone's son was in the same position, and you know, they were generous enough for him to be an Oregon down and that's how I received my kidney, you know. So that's why the gift of life life is so important. And like you know what I'm saying. They sent me the letter and I started reading it and it was telling me like, yeah, it was a sixty five year old man, your son got his got his kidney. And I couldn't read the whole I coudn't read the whole letter. I was like, I'm gonna read it later because I know I had to do this and I got stuff other stuff I got to do. After that. I was like, I'm gonna read it later when I could sit down and like, you know, really have time to myself and read it, because they probably tore me up. Like you know what I'm saying, Like it's anything can trigger it, bro Like he was right in here with me, Like you know what I'm saying, walking around, like I still got footage in him when the camera's walking going to the figerator, and like you know what I'm saying, Like it's it's rough, bro, like you know what I'm saying, And that's you know, that's my boy, Like you know what I mean, that's a little free like right, And it's crazy because it is black man. You know, we talked to not show emotion. Yeah, it's one of those things, man. But it's crazy because you know, he saved four people. You know, he's saved people and and and and that's a purpose in his own What was he into? Like what did he like? What? What he I know he loved music for sure, He like everything we like like music. You know, he loved his slam. That's that's that's the beautiful thing that And that's another thing that makes me feel content the fact that he's Muslim like and he knew who God was. He prayed Like I ain't gonna stare and say he prayed all the time, but he prayed and he knew who God was, like you know what I'm saying. So and being able to give him an Islamic burial or Jennaza that that was very pointing to me too. But like you know, he loved Philly, loved music, he loved its slam, He loved the streets like you know, he looked up to everything that I did. He wanted to be just like me. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, a little free, a little free. And it's and those are some hard, hard shoes to follow. So it's just like, you know, even with my son, it's just like a lot of pressure trying to um walking your footsteps because you know, you you you created such a great legacy. Yeah, I mean, it's just like and and I would encourage in condolescence and it's just like, you know, dealing with all these things that you got going on, as far as your daughter, yourself and as far as that, we're right back to the rumble like we was at the doctor up was it Monday? We're right back rumbling, like making sure that she pulled through this. Like you know what I'm saying, That's why, that's why faith is important. Like imagine if I ain't had no faith, shout out tomorrow, bro skin or too you know skin O from stay Properly. He lost his son the same week. I was at his son, Jonnaza on Wednesday, and that's the same day my my son died. I went to a son Jonaza. We prayed over his son. My son was still in the hospital. We went to the that day a five four pm. My son was pronounced dead and that like, you know, he it's rough for both of us, man, Like you know what I'm saying, Like he lost his son in a car accident and his son and his son's girlfriend passed away. They both died in the accident, you know, And you know it's rough, man, you know, but you know, at least we got each other. You know, we got a similar experience that that that we got with each other. That that's that's special to me. And speaking of speaking of like you know, experiences and people going through the same things, I've seen. You had a picture with Biden, you know, and I, um, yeah, I started like dealing with politics a little bit when I when I first got sick, you know what I'm saying. That's when Hilly Clinton was running for office, just basically off healthcare and just making sure that people have the health care that they need. Because we just was talking about how important health care is, you know. So uh, being as though I've been working with them, buying team has had reached out to me and they wanted me to uh come to his uh his rally and Philly and that was like the day after my son died or whatever. And you know, I went and I felt as though it was important for me to go and meet him and chop it up with him. And you know, us being me and you being in the music business and being from the hood, we even came across every type of person. Like I know, it's probably hard to get something past you because you from the hood and you've been all over over the world. Like I remember, I was in Chicago, and I was in the suburbs of Chicago, and these bulls are trying to jam me at the show. I'm like, man, I wake up at FOB in the morning and pray like you're gonna have to, like y'all, like y'all gonna have to try harder than that. Like I've seen it coming them all away, like I didn't. This big is in my hood, like y'all all every day that I got a void, like I'd have seen it all. So basically what I'm saying is like being in the business and being around the world with good judges of character, you could tell when somebody since Sarah and somebody else since Sarah, and when I met Joe Biden, like he was sincere with his grievances to me and for my son because he's been through it with his son. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, and what and when we talked, I could I could feel the sincerity and him And even when they reached out to me and they told me he was interested in me and me because of the situation with my son and what I've been through and all that. You know, I felt it and it was sincere. You know, That's why I voted for him, and that's why I posted the picture of me and him. You know, everybody got something to say under the post, like with the slave master and all that, but they don't even know what's going on, Like they're so blind and they don't even understanding me and this man have a real connection. We both lost our child. Like this is a serious, serious connection that anybody to go through this, and anybody that's watching this to lost their child is gonna feel what I'm saying. Like, you know what I'm saying, it's bigger than It's bigger than in the politics is you guys collecting his father's and also you you just even seeing the conversation of the healthcare and the importance it man Like, So you talk about the kidney transplant, and I remember when I heard it, um somewhere, What was that process, Like you knew you had to get a kidney, your life depended on it. What was that waiting process like, and what was the moment like when you actually got the call to say we got your kidney. The way in process is it's it's tough, bro, Like you know what I mean, some people wait ten twelve years, Like I remember it was doing it was doing a rally for me. I think Meek was still booked and he had a rally, so UM car services can't pick me up to take me to the rally speak at the Raleigh, and I'm sitting in the car right before I'm getting ready to go. Uh. I think Mike had just came on. I think he was home at the time and he was doing a rally and I went down there to support and speak at the same time. And I was sitting in a car waiting go on stage. And I at the first call like, Yo, we might have a kidney for you. So I'm like automatically like that John just put me like oh wow, like this might really happen for me and that that wind up not working out, but it gave me hope, like Okay, they're starting to call now. So what I did was shout out to the great people at Johns hopkins Man. That's where I got my kidney transplanting that and when I was there, I felt I felt like I was the only patient, like they really they really treated me amazing. What I did was they had a research study where they were giving people kidneys were hepatitis C and they was carrying to hepatitis see as a as a medicine called Maverick and you take one pillet day for eight weeks and it cures the hepatitis C. This was back in nineteen that the process was so new that insurance didn't even cover it, Like you know what I'm saying. So, of course it's a risk, was taking the kidney that got hepatitis see because you never know where the person whatever whatever else the person is doing when you when you uh when you registered and get a kidney, they have risk high risk kidneys. It might have been somebody that was doing drugs and everything. Of course, they cleared the Oregon and as far as they they're concerned, the Oregan as clean, but you never know, like something might pop up, so you gotta sign off on it. Of course it's a risk. So I agreed to do it. I signed up for for the program, and probably like the next two weeks they called me like it was a Sunday and it was like, all right, we got the kidney for you. They was like, Monday, just go to dialysis like you're normally doing. Didn't come to Baltimore, And you know, I went down there. I went to dialysis and I was telling them like this might be my last day in here, like it was very emotional for me, bro like you know what I'm saying. And then, uh, I want to Baltimore. You know. I checked in the hospital. They did a couple of little tests and everything, and they had to wait for the kidney to get there. They had to fly it there. So I winded up getting a transplant like the next morning, probably like five six in the morning. There was a six hour process. You know. Uh. They gave me the U the US and there put me to sleep. I was sleep. I woke up. I had a new kidney, you know, changed my life. Man. It was a blessing. Man. You know, so many people died, that died, trying to get to that point, get to that point that that prayer, that prayer that you put up when you first heard about it, that it worked. Yeah. Sure, What was that feeling like when you woke up out the surgery, You went home, you wanted to sleep. You woke up the next day and you realized that you got a new kidney. Well, actually you have to once you get a transplant, you gotta stay in the hospital for a couple of days. I was, and I got I got out early because everything was working because I'm younger, you know, and you know, everything was going in the right direction. So I think I got out. I went there Monday, then I got out Saturday. You know, it was a process whether you know, just had to just make sure I was straight before they let me go home. Make sure I had to understanding of the medicines that I had to take, because I had to take a lot of medicine. They're coming there with a They're coming there with a book bag of medicine specialists to break down for you, like, Okay, you got to take these these these at this time this time, I'm like, wow, that was like one of my major fears like about about getting the transplanet like Darren to take all this medicine for the rest of my life. But I don't take as much medicine as I as I took when I first got the kidney. And it's not a big deal. Like you know, I set my alarms. I take medicine eight in the morning, eight at night. I just put it into my reggae route team, you know, and it's just helping me stay alive. And it's a blessing. When you were saying all that medicine, I'm like, thank God for insurance now, yeah, you know, imagine what that would have been like with no insurance trying to pull that off. Yeah, I probably would like it. I need the whole something. And I'm glad you you made it through. Man, I'm glad you know you got that call, you know, because we love you brother, like we you know. I rock with you the long way for sure. Bro. Anything that I can ever do to help, bro, Like anything that I can ever do to bring um awareness to so good. Bro. You know I'm here. Do you have a foundation yourself? Yeah, I have a foundation. It's called Freedom Thinkers, Inc. That's my foundation, and I started Freedom Thinkers Academy. I have a website. It's called Freedom Thinkers Academy dot com and its music's health and his culture. You see, if they got to had on Freedom Thinkers Freedom Thinkers Academy and on a website you know, of course, Um, you know, I share a lot of my music and pictures and stuff. But I also have work workshops like dort yourself workshops and interacted workshops for artists that you know, want to reach their full potential in the music business, you know, like I do. I do one on one zoom calls like how we're doing right now, and I do like the whole class room calls on there too, and I'm um, I'm working with a teacher, you know. Her name is Katherine Smith. She's a she's a doctor and the professor. And we're getting ready to add some STEM classes to the website too, you know what I'm saying for people you know that I want to get into the workforce and might not have went to college, and you know, and we're getting really ask some health programs as well on there. You know, just overall just trying to help the people, you know, music hall. I gotta put the people first. For sure. I appreciate your time and your energy, my guy. Um, you know I'll be praying for you on this in man always. You know you know I'm a phone call away. And tell baby girl I'm gonna shore for her too. And what's Jesus how you're doing, Mama? How you can't hear you because I got the hearphones already, And I just want to commend you and being a great father and a strong black man. And I think you're just stopping by the Recession Podcast anytime, anytime, anytime you need me, I'm on deck. And next time with me and meeting the studio press play again to somebody do so. I love you, brother show. Thanks for listening to The Recessing Podcast by Jeez, a production of Black Effect and Our Heart Radio. For more podcasts, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.