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Trenches 2 Trophies Podcast
Trenches 2 Trophies is a relatable, insightful podcast that blends humor and real-life lessons, aimed at helping urban youth find their path from struggle to success. Hosted by 3 young black men from St. Louis are who have now relocated to Houston, we dive into personal growth, leadership, and navigating life’s toughest challenges.
Trenches 2 Trophies Podcast
Winning Against the Odds in a World of Gatekeepers
We dive into the complex relationship between hard work and opportunity, exploring Anthony Mackie's controversial comments about Hollywood's selective promotion of talent, and debating whether LeBron James crossed a line by confronting Stephen A. Smith over criticism of his son.
• Discussing how Houston culture has influenced our speech patterns and behaviors since relocating
• Examining Anthony Mackie's claim that success in entertainment comes from being "handpicked" rather than purely earning it
• Debating whether Bronny James truly earned his Lakers spot or benefited from nepotism
• Analyzing LeBron's father-son dynamics and whether he's protecting or hindering Bronny's growth
• Exploring the balance between preparing children for adulthood while still allowing them to enjoy childhood
• Reflecting on our own career journeys and whether we were "chosen" or earned our positions through hard work
• Considering how information sources have evolved across generations
Think about your own success journey. Was it earned through grinding, or did someone open a door for you? Maybe it was both.
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What's good, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Trends to Trophies podcast. I'm your host, ant, and I'm here with my boys, unique Artistry and Monte Corleone.
Speaker 2:You know what it is? Girl, aye, aye. So we got.
Speaker 1:We got something spicy on the day. You know what I'm saying. We're gonna talk a little bit about Anthony Mackie I know y'all done seen a couple of interviews with his comments and then, of course, we're gonna talk about that LeBron and that good old Stephen A.
Speaker 2:On your ass, bron.
Speaker 3:On his mom. Let me ask this real quick.
Speaker 1:It's random.
Speaker 3:Start us off, bro. He's too goofy. What's something that the Houston coaches have kind of rubbed off on you?
Speaker 1:since you've been down here. That's a good question.
Speaker 2:Food because I'm getting big.
Speaker 1:I mean food is definitely a big one, bro. Dang um. What do cats in houston do that I didn't start doing, because I'm not a real hookah head like that, because they're driving crazy I definitely be swerving, bro.
Speaker 2:I be cutting people off and all type of stuff, bro, but it ain't intentional intentional.
Speaker 1:Well, I got some boots and a cowboy hat, so I guess that's probably what that is. That shit ain't never been in my closet. What's crazy.
Speaker 3:I don't have a prayer yet, but I'm not opposed to it. I just haven't got around to it yet.
Speaker 2:My pops let me borrow his when he was down here, when he left his stuff down here the hat or the boots, the boots down here. When he left his stuff down here, um, the hat or the boots, the boots, and they were like some 900 boots and I wore them to work.
Speaker 1:One time I was gonna say because I uh, I got mine some steve madden's, I ain't go for a cowboy, I got some.
Speaker 3:Yeah, my boots is like they, some little zip up steve steve madden what's some of the uh lingo, or something that you you noticed or that you might use yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I feel like I was doing that beforehand, but I don't know it wasn't it.
Speaker 2:I was too, but it wasn't as natural but give us a difference.
Speaker 3:Say you say the way you say it, then say the way they said.
Speaker 2:So I used to be like yeah. So now it's like yeah, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:You got a little swing on it I would say I don't feel like my accent is thick, Like my E's and my R's, like how? I used to, that used to be thick, it's going to be like me.
Speaker 3:I ain't gonna lie some lingo I like. It's a little phrase they say what for shit show for shit show.
Speaker 1:I ain't gonna lie. Yeah, I definitely be saying that I'm gonna shut up. I'm like for shit show.
Speaker 3:I ain't gonna lie. I like that. I ain't gonna lie that's some cool lingo for shit show.
Speaker 1:I'll rock with that. Kesson, you got a little swag, though that was something Like I came down here. You know, when you move to a new city, you kind of scope what's going on. He be like okay, he care, he care, cool, he care cool, they aight. Man give them. They props Boy, this dude, nah, nah, I said they aight, I ain't said nothing.
Speaker 1:Nah, nah, you know what you know what's one Cause I was watching Sauce Walker interview the other day and I be saying it and I didn't realize I be saying it. Like I be saying it the ooey you got you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they rubbed that for you. The ooey, nah I'm. They ain't gonna be in my lingo. I can't get on that one. That mug is Shout out to him, though. I can't shout out to him On that.
Speaker 1:I definitely hit that mug A few times, but alright, so did y'all get a chance To check out the Anthony Mackie interview.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bruh, like he was wild. He was wild. When you watch the full interview you kind of see what's up.
Speaker 3:What you mean, wild or no? What was he wildin'?
Speaker 1:about. I mean bruh was, was bro was saying some interesting things, but definitely like even just how he was treating his sons, kind of how he like, how he was, like I'm a man's man like yeah it's just an interesting stance. You know what I'm saying? He's just a funny dude raising them to be men.
Speaker 3:Yeah, what you? What you? What are you saying? There's something wrong the way he said it or the monster behind? The mindset all right, we can get it, we can dive into yeah.
Speaker 1:I definitely want to dive into it, but I ain't gonna lie, so I kind of wanted to touch on something a little lighter before we get that far. Did y'all catch what he said about 8 Mile?
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, that shit had me rolling. He was like wait.
Speaker 1:He talking about me yeah.
Speaker 2:But I rock with it.
Speaker 3:It showed you how much he you know what I'm saying put into his artistry, yeah.
Speaker 1:And that's what I rock with bro. I was like dang. I couldn't believe it. Though when he said it, I was like hey, he said damn, my friends are really married.
Speaker 2:It made you like Eminem that much more.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying. It gave you more respect. It made you.
Speaker 1:And it's comedy when you think about it, because it was a funny punchline. So the fact that he brought that into the movie and dude reaction was legit.
Speaker 2:It was legit he was shaking like damn Because I had to think back. Bro, I'm at work crying bro.
Speaker 1:He was shaking the mic like he was like it's real life, bro, that whole interview had me weak though bro, dude is a clown. Yeah, did y'all catch old boy? Uh, what's what's homie name, bro? Light-skinned dude with it with the locks on the uh pippy podcast, oh uh I always forget his damn name channing crowder.
Speaker 3:Yeah, channing crowder, shout.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Channing Crowder Shout out.
Speaker 3:Shout out to Channing Crowder, my bad Freaky dude, my fault.
Speaker 1:He definitely a freaky diggy dude, but did y'all catch him? Call him out? He said man, I ain't like how you play Tupac.
Speaker 3:Yeah, straight up, I ain't because, nobody. He said, the moms and the sisters loved it.
Speaker 1:I ain't going to lie and that's the best comeback you can have because, as far as like, if they feel like you captured the essence of who he was, at least at that time.
Speaker 3:And he said you played Tupac three different times.
Speaker 1:You played him three different times, which I respect. Again, you got to respect it because even when dude was talking about how he convinced certain directors and stuff to give him more movie time like how Papa Doc's character wasn't supposed to have that many scenes when you think back. You're like that's crazy, because I feel like he was supposed to be in it that much. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:It's kind of crazy. With that being said, that's why I had a little issue with him saying that people get handpicked because he contradicted himself. Yeah, like how, you, how you saying that you kind of got a handpick when you put the work in. You earned your spot, bro, you just said you put in more than a thousand hours training, but you are you saying that you, you ain't, you ain't?
Speaker 3:He still had to be, selected.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's what his he did, but by him doing all those things it made him better and prepared. His mindset was different than everybody else's. I give him that. But yeah, you got handpicked, bro, because you put that work in Like that's how I look at it.
Speaker 3:I would say that to the people like Lil' M what you mean that boy hand-picked? He ain't put no work in what you say. 50, yeah, he told him. He told him to, but then today he was giving him the shot to off the rip, off the rip because of who his daddy was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so I mean yeah it varies.
Speaker 2:It's gonna be, it's gone, it's gonna vary, okay. But but you also have to look at this. Yeah, he's handpicked, he looked just like his daddy and it's a, it's a show about his daddy, so it makes sense. You know, I'm saying I wouldn't. I wouldn't have went nowhere else either. I would have.
Speaker 1:So you feel like he was the most qualified off the rip. So it wasn't. It wasn't necessary, it wasn't even.
Speaker 2:It wasn't even the most qualified. It's probably the first person that he asked you see what I'm saying, and just him, being him trying to portray his father, he probably like hell. Yeah, let me, you know what I'm saying. Let me give it a shot yeah, you know, I guess.
Speaker 1:I guess that's fair because there's probably other situations, like other biopics and stuff, where people were asked and they was like nah, you get an actor to do that or whatever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but even if, even even when you think about, uh, basketball players yes, it's certain basketball basketball players, bro, that I feel like got handpicked, like Bronny, like he got handpicked. That was totally unfair to the whole NBA, absolutely. But I mean, yeah, you know, in certain situations, yes, yeah. However, I feel like there's a lot of talented people that get these roles and jobs and stuff like that because they earned it, they put their time, so you don't feel like Bronny earned his slot. No.
Speaker 3:How come?
Speaker 2:I seen him put the work in, but he just not.
Speaker 3:He had an unfortunate injury, life-threatening injury.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And then he battled back. He was a 55th pick, ain't like he was a lottery pick. And then they said some teams were going to select him earlier, but they didn't do it just out of respect for LeBron.
Speaker 2:That's the problem, dog, but that's the thing they would have gone to select him earlier, so he would have been selected. Hey, I just don't think so. I saw the shows that they were um having with them little kids. I was watching them with my wife and it was. It was players that were way better than him, bro, like you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:So to me it's like all right, bro, like I understand, he the 55th, you said 55th yeah I understand that but the thing is also I'm gonna just say this it's so you that drive when they could it wasn't it?
Speaker 2:well, I can give you that, I can give you that.
Speaker 3:So that that drive wasn't that good. I ain't gonna say he, you know, I'm saying he wouldn't get drafted, he ain't gonna put in the work, he probably gonna be good, but the drive wasn't deep.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah all right, but this, this is, uh, this is. I guess this is where I want to make my point, then, because I can accept that argument. But for him to get on the Lakers with his dad you know where he's like that main person where he going to get his kids some time Like that's unfair.
Speaker 3:There's nepotism at its finest.
Speaker 2:Yeah, had some time like that's unfair because nepotism at its finest. Yeah, because there was probably better players that probably should have deserved that spot on the lakers, not brownie. He probably should have went to another team and he probably would have ended up going to the d league or something, because he, you know, he ain't going with it because it happens in real life all the time that's the nba bruh.
Speaker 3:It's not a lot, it's not right, it's not a lot of slots for this job. Yeah, my son's only dream is to get to the league and I'm in a position to make that happen?
Speaker 2:hey, but see, nah, for me that was ego.
Speaker 3:He wanted to play with his son before he retired yeah, that's, that's ego bro like come on bro like that's totally unfair to people that should have deserved that spot, and this is where I get it, as far as I can battle back with Bronny's mindset. He said he just wanted to get his name called. He didn't say I wanted to play with my pops. Yeah, lebron did. I can give him that man, lebron wanted to play with his pops.
Speaker 2:I just felt like he didn't Sorry to cut you off. No, you good, good, but I just felt like I just I saw him in those Videos, in those like Camps and stuff.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And yeah, bruh, he put the time in For sure, but it was just. I just feel like he was better players, bruh, like yeah, but but see, I can't. I'm battling myself With that one Because, yeah, he deserved To be in the nba, yeah it is how he, how he got in, how he got there. Bro, like it don't sit right with you yeah, like like mackie say it's hand-picked, but that's that's. That's the one situation that I can say that that happened hand-picked. I don't know no other situation, mr mackie, but I think.
Speaker 1:I think that's the thing you gotta think about, though it's so many situations, because, okay, so there's another conversation that we're having that we're not having right gatekeepers. You know what I'm saying. So I think about that, because what he's saying in another, in another way, is that there's people don't matter, don't care what you bring to the table you the middleman favorites. You know what I'm saying the middleman essentially, yeah, the gatekeeper would be like a middleman in a situation. However, I don't know how that works like I wouldn't know who the gatekeeper is.
Speaker 1:The gatekeeper could be at the top.
Speaker 3:Technically, he could be the dungeon boss you know what I'm saying and, just like, success is given right, that's, but that's what I'm saying. It's kind of so you need a gatekeeper aka a middleman or you agree monte said what now? You speak in another language, mom look in like even, even in the world of acting. Okay, you need a middleman, would you agree, montay?
Speaker 2:yes like.
Speaker 3:So that's why I'm saying I think if we talked about this before, it's going to be relative to the situation. You know I'm saying right, when you need a middleman, you need a gatekeeper, and you don't. It's more rewarding when you do it yourself. You know I'm saying and you get get to the thing yourself. But even in the acting you maybe, maybe you could. You know I'm saying touch on this and but like, even in the acting world, like you always need some type of middleman yeah, bro, connections is everything.
Speaker 1:Because people got to realize in media there's so many other pockets. It's not just that somebody got a script. They all of a sudden get a bunch of actors and then we start doing shit. You know, I'm saying you got a light, you got stage, you got you got scripting, you got casting. You got so many different pockets of people who got to do their motherfucking job, to make a project work, and so there's a lot of collaboration that needs to happen.
Speaker 1:So sometimes you the top dog, sometimes you the middle man, depends on the project. You know, I'm saying depends on what's happening with that situation. But he even stated that, right, so we was talking about um. He gave a weird analogy so I wanted to bring that up, but he was talking about these little white boys who get on and have like a five-year run and then they disappear. You know, then they they a farmer somewhere. You know what I mean. Like they don't. They didn't really ever have the passion for acting in the first place. Somebody saw that they were talented, wanted them for this project. They got famous, did a couple other projects, but that wasn't where they got used but that's what usually happens, right, because people want a specific nature.
Speaker 1:You gotta think about, bro, if you've been studying and working your whole life or something, you ain't no pushover. You're gonna have standards, you're gonna have a way. You want shit done, you know what I mean it's gonna be a different vibe if you go get some green person who ain't even been in the acting world before any type of situation, it's not just acting. You're gonna be easier to manipulate them. So you know what I mean and you can pay them less that's funny, you said it.
Speaker 3:Right, that's funny, you said it because then, how many you think about it? How many movies or shows you've seen a scene where somebody says have you ever thought about being a model? How you ever thought about getting an actor. Yes, yes, bro and then they end up doing it, and then it'd be something, it'd be a horrible experience for them, and now they hate it.
Speaker 1:Now they in a dark place that's a lot of creeps, bro, and not to mention not even just that, but, like he said, creeps he not lying, bro, like somebody somebody asked me that when I had my first job at walmart, he was like you ever thought about modeling?
Speaker 2:I was like, nah, not for real. He was like bro, you can model. He's like, you know what I'm saying. I was like all right, you know what I'm saying. Like I walk with him or whatever. He was like lift your shirt up. I said what, man, you don't get away from me.
Speaker 3:What Walmart is this?
Speaker 1:What Walmart is this?
Speaker 2:Hey, take a wild guess West Florissant. You got it right.
Speaker 3:Shout out to the hood. Bro, that's no way.
Speaker 1:Yes, sir, but that's real situations like people get invited. Y'all remember that episode of smart guy when they do he was. He brought him back to the crib. He was like you could be in commercials. He had them doing like a little surfing game or something I think I remember that yeah nasty. That'd be the thing, bro. Go and hit up arcades like you. 53. Why are you here? Right by yourself, right? You know? I mean like that's it's strange, but it happens in all kinds of fields.
Speaker 3:I was gonna say you by yourself, you ain't got no grandkids with you no like, no, no you say that. No, imagine when we had, uh, your daughter's birthday, and it being an older guy just in there bro by herself.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, nah, nah. I asked myself why are you here bro?
Speaker 1:but that's the thing, because because you there but think about, in a lot of people's situations, bro, it's a, it's a baby mama or somebody, or it's a mom by herself doing the party, and so you know, I mean like be sticky situation yeah, it's a different, it's just different.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's sticky but just uh, to bring it back around, bro you gotta, you gotta think people, people mean you know I mean like it ain't, it ain't even, just like look, because I want you to pay attention to like it's not just creeps.
Speaker 1:People, bro. People give constructive feedback and then people give destructive feedback. And then people give destructive feedback. Yeah, and that shout out to uh raising cane. And uh, uncle marvin said that the other day. Uh, you know what I'm saying, so, um, I didn't watch it.
Speaker 3:You just messed up the whole episode, so I appreciate that just because of that phrase, just the whole line bro.
Speaker 2:Hey guess what happened in it.
Speaker 1:No, no but for real, bro, destructive criticism, and it made me think, and I was like bro, because somebody will say something to you that technically is correct, but the way they deliver it tear you down. You know, I'm saying we go back to uh, shout out to rest in peace, kevin samuels. But same situation when you're delivering the message right, sometimes you may be saying the right thing, but the way you deliver it is messed up. So when you was talking about people like going out for trials, maybe this they first audition, they didn't tour into them. You're fat, you're not the right shape. Sorry, we're looking for someone taller. Sorry, we're looking for someone prettier. Yeah, sorry, like, like legit bro, like you'd be like you just don't do it like dang like it.
Speaker 1:It just everybody ain't built for that. That's all I'm going to say, because you may have talent, but you got to have thick skin too.
Speaker 3:How many times have you felt?
Speaker 1:that A couple times, bro, you got to understand. Especially for those listeners who don't know I'm not a very tall guy.
Speaker 3:I'm talking about just in the world of acting and roles. That's what I'm saying. So, okay, go ahead.
Speaker 1:Like when, as a smaller guy and I'm not like super muscular or nothing like that you go into like an audition or you go into a meeting and you be like dang this cat tall, like well, he look like a model already. You know what I mean. You kind of compare yourself and that can psych you out. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Not to mention if somebody give you some negative feedback, or even it could just be constructive. But if you already in your head about it and then somebody be like, hey, no, I'm sorry, we're looking for someone different for this road, you're like, why did I even come here?
Speaker 3:right, kill your confidence.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean and I ain't gonna say necessarily kills your confidence, but it take your wind out of yourselves, like when you like, think about when you get ready to run a race. Right, you mount up, mount up on the line. You got a position that you know you solid, you finna, push off and be able to get some momentum. But think about if your foot slip off that block right before you get off that mud bro.
Speaker 3:It takes all the wind out your sail, bro. And then now you got to reset.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like it's just a different energy, your confidence there, you feel like you can do what you need to do, but you're like dang, now I gotta catch up. So it's a different, it's a different mode, that's all. But I don't know, I feel like when you, when you, when you take his comments and you look at it kind of like as a blanket statement. It's true again, it's true in a lot of situations, but the way he said it kind of made it seem like those who do work hard won't get paid for, like it won't pay off for them, right? But unfortunately, in a lot of situations that does happen.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean like somebody may work 20 years for something, then boom, like it never happens, like go to college all day you know, 30 years old and never get that job. Never get that job. They start doing something completely different.
Speaker 3:That's why you said you need to diversify your repertoire.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:Because if you just stuck in one niche, yeah, your opportunity is going to be slim.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying Because you didn't diversify your arsenal. You know what I'm saying to be able to do different things, to be able to go get those different roles. It's like we said before. You know what I'm saying Y and rose. It's like we said before. You know I'm saying y'all gotta expand your hustle. You know I'm saying one thing don't work, y'all just stagnant. You can't be just stagnant and just quit. That's why I just gotta pivot. Where am I?
Speaker 2:that's why I went the uh, the computer science route, because it could take you in so many different lanes you know what I'm saying Like cybersecurity and building computers and games and shit like that, like you can do all type of stuff like that with computer science. So that's kind of why I chose that you can go so many different lanes. That makes sense, though it's like a highway in Houston.
Speaker 1:That was a good one. But I feel like that's some good advice because a lot of people who grew up in poverty they end up having the benefit of working like multiple jobs, right, so you end up learning that you good at certain things yeah, right, am I good at cleaning up? Am I good at counting money? Am I you know what I'm saying? Am I good at using my body to move things? You know, I mean whatever. And then you start building on those skills. Kind of early on I was thinking about that, uh, me, and my wife was talking about that kind of like our how we grew up and she didn't really start working till college, like she didn't really get a job till a little later, and like I'm like man, I've been working south 15, like you know. I mean like when I think about it, so my, I've been building those skills for a long time and I've been I had started in customer service so I think now I'm like oh, nigga, I'm really good at talking.
Speaker 1:Oh, I wonder why, like, you know what I mean like I've been doing that thing for 20 years. You know what I'm saying that's funny.
Speaker 3:You said that real quick cause I wanted, I guess, to bring that up you just said like she didn't start working until you said college yeah, like, so like that time thinking about that age yeah and then we've talked about when we was talking about our daughters and them working and being out the house, so it's not crazy to have that mindset that I said as far as them staying longer in the household, because if the situation's fine you know what I'm saying they taking care of and they doing the right thing, yeah, they not gonna probably wait for a little minute.
Speaker 1:I think it's a level of independence, because everybody matures differently. You see it now, like some people are probably wait for a little, a little minute I think it's a level of independence because every everybody matures differently. You see it now, like some people are mature super early, like they want to have their own business 10 year olds with their own businesses because they have a just a level of independence. And then there's 30 year old women who still live at home, don't plan on moving out of their parents house. You know what I mean? That's just they don't have that level of independence. They cool being dependent on somebody else. So it's just like I think it's how you develop them too, because a lot of that is your childhood. If you don't ever establish a level of independence, you won't ever know what that's like you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:So, and that's that's a good thing about us being from where we from I think I said this before too, because we do we used to do multiple things in one role, but when we came here, one of those things simplified, yeah, bruh. Yeah, like we did one of those things that we used to do like 13 different things for that role. Now we do one of them. Oh yeah, it's lit. That's why we get promoted. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I literally talk about that at work, bro. People like it's not even that I say, it's other people who come from like out of state and come here. They have that same mindset. They be like when I'm here as this role, I did all the x, y and z, now I only do this. They were like and I'm kind of bored, I'll be weak. Bro. It's hilarious because I understand exactly where they coming from, because it's I ain't gonna say it's easier to succeed here, but you have a lot more opportunities because you don't have to be a jack of all trades like you do back home. Yeah, like you gotta be a diamond in the rough back home to be able to like get certain opportunities here them us is plentiful. You know what I mean, so it's just different.
Speaker 3:Monte, I wanted, I wanted you to speak on why you feel like on that interview, anthony Mackie's mindset of masculinity was off.
Speaker 2:It's not necessarily masculinity, it was the. It was the. I'm raising my sons to be men. And the specific comment was like if somebody come in the house like you, the man of the house, you supposed to take care of your mom? No, he not. He is, he's a kid bro. He's not supposed to know how to protect his mom. His mom supposed to know how to protect him. You see what I'm saying? Like that doesn't make sense to me. If somebody come in my house, I expect my wife to go grab that and go handle it. I don't expect my son to do that. My son is young.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's crazy to me. You know what I'm saying, just that it was nothing else. But I don't agree with raising them to be men. Young men, raise them to be men, and that is 15 to 17. When they young, let them be kids. Man, let them kids be kids, because we are the people who had childhoods and stuff like this. So let we want. I would prefer my kids have a childhood and not me trying to raise them too early. You know what I'm saying. Like being too responsible.
Speaker 2:You know the only responsibilities that you should have is pretty much taking out the trash or doing some, taking the dishes out the dishwasher or something like that, like cutting the grass, you know like it shouldn't be nothing, that that you gotta remember to stay on top of, or or like some type of manly thing that you you're trying to teach them because that's something you gotta get, because Because they mind ain't even ready for that yet. You know what I'm saying. So you're teaching them to be men, but really they ain't ready to be men.
Speaker 3:I'm not a I guess on the same page, but you don't know, because I was raised like that my father, when he would leave, he would say are you the man in the house? Protect, you know, protect the house. So with me they gave me a sense of duty and responsibility and it made me learn how to be aware, because now I start watching my father closely and what he did around the house, so then I can be able to emulate it. So that's where I probably I think he was going at it with it. I think I could agree, I guess, with the making sure you put that responsibility and this whole Harley on that kid. You know what I'm saying, but I do believe at 14, 15, they need to be getting the tools to be able to do that.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm saying though.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying, like 14, 15, 17 and I think with context.
Speaker 3:I think that's what he was saying, because he had he had several sons, I think he was saying the oldest you know, what I'm saying, and then once you get the oldest in line.
Speaker 2:He gets the rest.
Speaker 3:He teaches the other ones. Some of these parents are, you know, putting their responsibility on their kids. Yeah, and they feel that pressure.
Speaker 2:You know, I'm saying and I think people will agree with that and be more on that. That's that's kind of what I'm saying, because he's a big influence, don't you know? Like, don't tell people that man.
Speaker 1:You know I'm saying because the way and I get what you're saying because the way it came off, we got to be mindful. In this day and age too, with this climate, it it can sound like abuse. You know what I mean, because he didn't specifically say what happened, but he did say stuff like he know, like if dad get mad, you, you know what I'm saying and that could. That could allude to many different things. We don't live in his house. You know what I'm saying. So we just.
Speaker 2:I think that was I say it from experience, because I didn't live with my dad, I lived with my mom, so I was the dude who actually had to protect the crib. Yeah, you had that pressure on you, like I was bro, I'm talking about hearing arguments, jumping out the shower, butt-nicking on boyfriends.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:All type of stuff. You feel me Like I fought her boyfriend on my 21st birthday, bro, because he put his hands on her. So I really her boyfriend on my 21st birthday, bro, because he put his hands on him. So I really was that. I was protecting the crib and I don't me having to do that.
Speaker 3:I grew up early you feel like you're around your childhood a little bit yeah, bro, like because I I shouldn't have had to do that.
Speaker 2:You know, I'm saying like I shouldn't have had to step in that way, but I ain't I ain't blaming my mom.
Speaker 1:You know, I'm saying like I ain't blaming nobody, but my pop should have been there, I think and I think that was the note because he was an active father he can kind of balance the scales a little bit. You know, I'm saying he ain't gonna put them in position to have to do that and have that pressure all the time right.
Speaker 1:But they should definitely have the wherewithal to know like, hey, if something do crack off and I'm not here, yeah, you don't go hide like you need to be able to defend if some crack. You know what I mean. But I also get that as a as a kid. That needs to be a last option. That don't necessarily need to be something that they like when I need to bust in the house like oh, what you doing, like you know.
Speaker 2:Like I said, though, he should be teaching them the tools early, though you, you know, and that's one, but that's one part that he did not mention. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. He needed to. He needed to say that as well.
Speaker 1:Like those specific words you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:It's like hey, I need my son to defend and I'm giving him the tools, I'm providing the tools for him to do that. It's like hey, like it's the message that you send it. You know, what I'm saying. It wasn't the messenger.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying, which is wild to say, because if you think about like his experience and has he been in the game 20 plus years- yeah.
Speaker 1:And he still hasn't been putting those like necessarily top level conversations. So he's like I've played Captain America. I've played in some of the most notable movies like quotable movies at this point, in some of the most notable movies like quotable movies. At this point, however, I'm still not in those conversations. But there's a, a white man, who could come into the game. You know, I'm saying, be in two movies and then all of a sudden, oh he, academy award winner. You know, I mean global, like what but?
Speaker 2:but he made a good point. He said they have runs, that's also true, he said they have run, they come in and just not sustained for a long period of time yeah, of excellence like denzel, absolutely, yep, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:And they able angela bassett too, who it took her forever to get in the war bro she been getting roles for eons now, not to say she old like that, but you know, I mean for a long
Speaker 2:time. But she has man you, bro, like he said she should have got that for, uh, the tina turner role. Like are you crazy, bro? Like that was what what's love got to do with it man, that was produced like a black movie, but I promise I had the same. I heard somebody say this before, but I had the same thing. I thought she was tina turner for real bro. I straight thought that was her so good you thought it was her, tina turner.
Speaker 2:I heard making movies, but that's how you know it's a good role, because that's how I felt about j-lo and selena like I was like that wasn't yeah, that's nigga, nigga who?
Speaker 1:Hey, that's Selena, bro, Like that's the same chick. You know what I mean? I mean, at least that's how I felt as a kid, Like I ain't seen it in a long time but when it was out, that's how I felt.
Speaker 3:I never watched it, brother.
Speaker 1:Really Well. I also had three sisters in the house my boy. I probably seen a lot of things that other yeah, so unfortunate. Yeah, you know. Niggas on the couch with a jukebox and I just had to, you know.
Speaker 2:You know, I haven't seen it Endure you know, either it's the five heartbeats or you said you haven't. Yep, either the five heartbeats or something else. I could have sworn.
Speaker 3:She threw it on one time, or the temptations. Like if I seen it, it was by accident, whoa, you know, I'm saying and I didn't just sit there and watch the whole movie, so I've never just sat there and watched the movie. So one of them temptations. This is the thing.
Speaker 1:I ain't gonna put that on him because that's not one of the movies that we saw but I will say that you, it's different cultures, because the temptations is a biopic that's telling a story. Five heartbeats is not real. Like them. Okay, they based, they took like stories from a bunch of different groups and threw them into one movie.
Speaker 2:What's the other one that y'all talking about? What you mean? It's one that everybody be talking about, because I ain't seen none of them.
Speaker 3:A new edition show. Oh yeah, I seen that you got Fight or Temptations the old.
Speaker 1:Beyonce movie you talking about like biopics.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like the group Type of thing, cause it was the, it was the five heartbeats and the temptations, and somebody was like I was like, yeah, I mean you talking about like On the part of the movie Nah. Somebody said that Cause I said I ain't seen it. I mean absolutely.
Speaker 1:Cause as a black, look cause. I be like hey, we finna watch this old movie. She be like I don't want to watch it. It's like 30 years old I'm like you need to watch this. You need this for the culture.
Speaker 2:Hey, what's y'all all-time favorite movie though the Wood nigga.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he said that he did. Yeah, that's my favorite movie for a long time.
Speaker 1:Hey yo Mark, dance fever hun. I ain't gonna lie, I like.
Speaker 3:Don't Be a Menace to Society.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Menace to Society. Code Boys in the Hood code.
Speaker 2:For me A Bronx Tale. A Bronx Tale.
Speaker 1:Yep Legit Romantic ass. Nigga Bro, that story was dope.
Speaker 2:That story was dope man, I mean it definitely was dope you know what I'm saying, but it definitely was like ghetto.
Speaker 1:Romeo and Juliet. That's what it was. It was like a ghetto Romeo and Juliet. That's what it was. It was like a ghetto Romeo and Juliet type shit.
Speaker 2:Bruh it was. See, I didn't even look at it like that. I looked at it because bruh was like he was down, but he was just like I ain't rolling with y'all, bruh, today you know what I'm saying and straight skip death. And then same day, the person you look up to get wet in front of your face, man, what all? Because of a what a black woman. Always, bro, you did. Oh, it's always over a woman period.
Speaker 1:Yeah, true, no, a black woman, I'm just saying yeah, an african-american man an african-american, because that was uh same same, uh same actress who played uh keisha and billy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was a very good movie, yeah she was cold but all right.
Speaker 1:So y'all touched on it, right, and I let's go ahead and get back on it, because we've definitely talked about anthony mackie, I think. Do y'all have any final thoughts on that? Like?
Speaker 2:anything. Anthony mackie man I mean definitely accomplished.
Speaker 1:Black man doing a lot of great things and he's an active father. Shout out to you know, every aspect of what he's doing hey, I it's.
Speaker 2:It's really shout out to him because he said in the in the beginning I don't give a fuck what y'all think.
Speaker 1:I mean you could tell, like if you, even when you peep, because I've watched like with him and the avengers, but he don't he just be saying stuff. He a real dude.
Speaker 2:I feel like he'll be one of us. He's just like one of us. If somebody was to be like hey, we finna pay y'all all this money to do this, All right, cool, we ain't finna be like oh yeah, we got bread. We ain't finna do all that we got bread like we ain't finna do all that.
Speaker 1:We're gonna be humble we're gonna act like how we you know, how we always act well, see, and I think that's got a lot to do with, like, how you come up to and what would drive you in the game. So I had I ain't watched the whole thing, but brandon t jackson was talking about the other day and what what you were saying was he didn't go plastic, like even though he'd been in hollywood. You know, I'm saying this whole time he didn't do what they call go plastic, where you become a mannequin you know, I'm saying he's kind of floating around.
Speaker 1:So definitely shout out to him. But I want to get back on this lebron and steven, a stuff man, because, because I did, I want to hit it from multiple angles, like I want to hit it from the dad angle, I want to hit it from, like, if y'all was in their shoes, like what would you do? Type of situation. But I also want to talk about from brownie's perspective, bro, because y'all touched on it lightly like dude just wanted to get drafted, so that's a lot of pressure that's coming along where he just wanted to play, you know I mean.
Speaker 1:So I definitely want to talk about all of those things, but y'all can jump in wherever you want. I'm sure y'all just want to talk about. Actually, let's start off with the father. Let's start off with the father aspect. When it come to Stephen A's comments, did y'all feel like he was wrong for coming at LeBron About how he Like the fatherhood aspect? Did you find anything wrong with those comments at all?
Speaker 3:So I think. I think what it is. Stephen A, it was the platform. He did it. You know what I'm saying On his platform when he said what he said.
Speaker 3:Like, just like you said Stevie NA has said before LeBron had ways to get in touch with him. You know what I'm saying. So it should be vice versa. If you got something to say, you can't be going on your show and saying, as a father, I implore you stop. Nah, you pull up on me, or you. You know what I'm saying. Um, go through the channels to get in contact with me right don't go on your platform.
Speaker 3:You know I'm saying to do that now, like lebron for him putting up on steven a. Um, I can't say I wouldn't, I wouldn't have done that. You know what I'm saying. I can't say I wouldn't have done that. You know what I'm saying. I can't say I wouldn't have done that If I was a thinking man I wouldn't have done that, in that you know what I'm saying. Situation, but with the context of what happened. They were saying that Bronny saw Stephen A during a game or something and then his body language like shut down, they doing a game or something and then his body language like shut down.
Speaker 3:So seeing your son shut down because you see him looking at another man and you know the situation I'm gonna be pissed too you know, I'm saying looking at my son so that's why he went to him that when he did during a game in the third quarter at a timeout so mellow said um, he gotta let brownie be a man like he.
Speaker 1:He let him into this game, and part of this game is learning how to deal with all of that energy and everything. So you can't be out here trying to save him, right? You, you, you let him in the game, like that's like. That's like you letting your son go to the military and then be a mad because he getting shot at you. Let him go, bro. That's part of the process. That was part of the point that I was trying to make.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like you, you brought him in to be under your wing, but that's, that's just not fair, bro. Like yeah, because you you trying to be a daddy as well, absolutely on the court running down the court with him son, when I get down here, throw me the ball right. You know, ball Pass the ball Right. You know, we did that, lob last night and you just throw it up just like that. I got it Like dog, come on. Y'all making plans at the crib. Dog, come on, dog.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's the thing, though I get the instinct because you want to react as a parent, but also bro 20. You know, want to react right as a parent, but also bro 20, like you know. I mean like he a little older than the 16 year old. He ain't come straight out of high school like you did and in the league trying to deal with all this. He's had a little bit of time this season. You know what I mean, so you got to let him toughen up. He been under your wing all this whole time like we.
Speaker 2:My thing is, it's like brian bro, we know you got power bro in the NBA. It's cool bro. Like just yeah, yeah, you ain't had to do that one though, bro.
Speaker 1:I think, bro, at the same time.
Speaker 3:I want to give my son a job bro.
Speaker 1:If you got the power why not Well?
Speaker 3:make him sweep the floor.
Speaker 2:Nah, and have him go, because he, not he Bronny is not LeBron, so LeBron should have been like all right, even though he in all these camps, let me put him through college, let me get him in the NCAA. You know what I'm saying. But he was probably thinking, hey, we finna get you on a team, we finna. You know what I'm saying. But the long-term goal, that probably would've Made him better bro.
Speaker 1:I think it's also Confidence, bro, cause you gotta think Bron probably see him At the crib Letting loose. Kept throwing it Behind his back, dribbling off of stuff.
Speaker 2:Throwing it off the wall.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Doing all kinds of crazy stuff.
Speaker 1:And then Exactly, but that's the problem.
Speaker 3:They saying this, though they say he's been balling in the G League though, so you got to watch the other side of it. You know what I'm saying. He putting in the work.
Speaker 1:But that's my argument. I think that it's the level of competition.
Speaker 2:See, I fell off my basketball.
Speaker 3:Bro. They say that boy is G League GOAT right now. I'm not surprised by that.
Speaker 2:My point is he went to G League. I'm not surprised by that. My point is he went to G League. That's what.
Speaker 1:I was saying he was supposed to, though Mello was over there too, wasn't he?
Speaker 3:In the beginning he was supposed to. He was a 50-50 pick, bruh what?
Speaker 2:expectation was he supposed to have? Now I'm mad at Bron what Yo son should have had. A spot Solidified it is though For 10 years.
Speaker 3:Well, I think Ain't nobody contract 10 years. That's soccer, yeah. That's football yeah.
Speaker 1:Football. I get what you're saying but, Nah, that's just bullshit, man.
Speaker 3:I get the perspective though, because it's a fair perspective, but I just ran it real quick because I want to throw this out, because we've been harping on that for a little minute.
Speaker 1:I mean we definitely been Chopping everybody.
Speaker 3:Like when y'all Hear about Information and you Through your ears, you know what I'm saying, not through your phone and like that you hear about it. Where do you go To seek that information? Where do you think to go first?
Speaker 1:Depends on the level of information, but I'm gonna go to google first to see what pops up. So it's not necessarily that I trust google, but I want to see what sources already have this type of information up and then I'm gonna start sourcing those things it's crazy how, like even with that, though, like at our age, I think our age group we're gonna say that google, google.
Speaker 2:You know, I'm saying the end, the uh group after us social media okay, I was just talking about the group before us the news tv the news yeah, absolutely the group before them newspapers so well it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you right, it's probably the news. However, for me I'm calling somebody. It depends on what it is. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, like word of mouth type of thing you need to verify, yeah. If it's somebody that I heard something from, depending on what it is shoes, clothes, death in the family or something like that. I'm probably going call somebody that that probably know you know I'm saying, and then they probably gonna find out and come back to me where I can verify it. You know, it depends all right.
Speaker 3:So yeah, you want us information to see what's going on. That boy big trump, where y'all going that's different.
Speaker 1:I mean that's different.
Speaker 2:I can see it and read it. You know like.
Speaker 1:Definitely I mean, but I think, like to your point, it's so many different forms. Yeah, cause, like bruh, sometimes On YouTube they got a whole news Like little section. You can go and get All the updates On what's going on Politically right now, so it's like it depend on what you frequent.
Speaker 3:So many different avenues.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah bro, like they got it everywhere.
Speaker 2:But If you not getting Information, man Like you slacking.
Speaker 1:It's out there, but what I like Is what he said, cause it's different avenues. So even with, let's say, you wanted To get some Information out to the masses, depending on your Target audience, now you know when you should Probably go first.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but why? Has it got to be it's crazy now Because it's got to be A strategic thought. Yeah, it used to just be here, put it out. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:It's saturated, it's too.
Speaker 1:Nah, that's the right word. The market is saturated bro.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm saying, social media is the New source For news, though.
Speaker 1:But even so, I think that that's saturated, it's got to go into social media, but is it valid news? I think that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:That's the thing it's not valid yeah, but that's what people are running to. Yeah, you know I'm saying out the rear also yes, because it's making them stupid.
Speaker 1:I'm I don't disagree but look at tiktok, bro. Look at. Look at how many things people learn from just scrolling on that app. People learn like, don't get me wrong, some of it is dumb because they making play-doh cookies and stupid shit like that, but like did you see, the girl who said she, she was like hey y'all.
Speaker 2:So I'm mad because my baby daddy gonna tell me my baby daddy gonna tell me that uh, that he ain't gonna pay my light bill and that's my husband's responsibility. I got emoji eyes. I was like what?
Speaker 3:As soon as I heard that I just turned it off. These people make me sleepy bro.
Speaker 1:Like immediately. When I hear something like that, I shut down.
Speaker 3:The mindset that pissed me off is the husband though.
Speaker 3:Why Is you okay with her doing that and asking for help from another man? That's like this. Like all right, let me say this, because this is when I'm going to say this, because this is something I guess I've thought about several different times. You know what I'm saying. So I pay child support. You know what I'm saying. So I pay child support. You know what I'm saying. I have my kids, but if I'm with a woman and she has kids and that guy's paying child support, I really don't feel comfortable you know what I'm saying With me being with this woman and her. You know what I'm saying kids around my household and he pays child support.
Speaker 1:You feel like he paying bills in your house type of.
Speaker 3:Thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can understand that Like if y'all was staying together.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, like he with them. Yeah, we won.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying, because some dudes be cool, kicking their feet up. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely not. That's crazy.
Speaker 3:No, but it's common bro. In our mindset it's crazy, but it's very common bro. It's actually very common, Like my wife gave the card to our son.
Speaker 2:But that's what I'm saying, no, it ain't like that.
Speaker 3:Dudes is cashing out after you know what I'm saying? Bd.
Speaker 2:Man, y'all need to be judo chopped in the neck bro.
Speaker 1:Bro, you got to understand. It's cats out here begging for money, bro, and then they look like, say a dude like me.
Speaker 3:Say a dude like me that is paying child support. You know what I'm saying. And I'm grimy Like and I get with a woman you know what I'm saying and that guy isn't paying child support.
Speaker 2:And I'm like bro man, you should put the dude on child support so we can get some money like that's wild bro niggas is disgusting, that is wild.
Speaker 1:He's sick.
Speaker 2:It's like bro, because I'm like no cash, like that, I've seen bro I've sat there and you've been around this type of I've watched a dude beg a female for money.
Speaker 1:Had bread but was on the phone like begging her for money. Like hey, you think on the phone, like begging her for money. Like hey, you think I'ma be able to come through and get that.
Speaker 2:You think you got enough for me To go through the room and picked up a girl later too, nah, bro.
Speaker 1:I ain't gonna lie bro.
Speaker 2:That's shysty bro. That's different I'm talking about. I'm talking about Begging a chick for money. Nah, nah, that's crazy to me.
Speaker 1:Like cats be lowering themselves, Like y'all ain't.
Speaker 3:Like you disgust me, bro. Like you watching them, like nigga, you disgust me. You asking for this woman, for this money, bro, yeah, nah.
Speaker 2:And begging.
Speaker 3:That's the thing you begging on.
Speaker 1:Begging. Nah, like I understand being down, bad and like having a situation. Yeah, that's recurrent, that's your personality, that's your character. Yeah, bro.
Speaker 2:Nah, now, okay, now what if she just been willingly just giving it to you and you ain't asking for it?
Speaker 3:Nah, bro, is that?
Speaker 2:okay.
Speaker 1:I'm going to get tricked off and see it's an uncomfortable situation, because I think for me it depends on how it go Right, because are we tricking off on each other?
Speaker 2:I'm paying for stuff, you paying for stuff? I actually like you, or are you one of them girls who just doing a lot? You know what I mean? No, so it was one of them. All right, it was one of them, like real clingy so she just paid for everything type of thing you know what I'm saying, but she always, always wanted to be around.
Speaker 1:I can't do that. I bet that in I could, bro in the okay, that extra clingy stuff, bruh Back in the day Broke Not. Having no job. I see the benefits of it, but that's why I was dumb. I was walking and she'd have everything.
Speaker 3:You know I'm like that, bro, cause you remember the situation when I was getting fluid out Like I ain't feel comfortable.
Speaker 2:It's weird, bro. I'm talking about back in the day, bro, in St Louis. No, I'm talking about, but mine was like A little more recent. I know I'm saying this was back in the day, like when, when bruh was hurting. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah yeah, and, like I said, I get the mindset Cause, like I was telling bruh the other day, I was like when I think the couple of girlfriends I had All had cars, like I ain't had no car or nothing Like they used to come get me. I don't want no scrub Scrub was the guy, but I kept a job Hanging on the passenger side hey glad, glad they wasn't listening To that song.
Speaker 2:Like bro Cause they show it's like hey, hey bro, I was. I used to be walking girls.
Speaker 1:This nigga, we're getting all the girls In the passenger side I would say back then though yeah, passenger side, I was cold at that cold at the passenger side. It's so funny too, bro, because when I look back on old pictures stuff, I definitely was a white t-neck, like I ain't used to have nothing on with some cargo gas station white.
Speaker 3:T was it a gas station white, it was a haynes, it was was fresh out of Walmart five pack. Where'd you get your white tees? At Mate.
Speaker 2:Ooh, I don't even Right now.
Speaker 3:No, no, no, no, no, back then, Back then. We can't get them in the game now.
Speaker 2:Right, uh, foot Locker. Yup, yup, was y'all in the.
Speaker 3:uh, the long t-air the tall, tall t with the stick on it.
Speaker 1:I used to have me a gown on every day.
Speaker 3:Y'all remember the. Y'all remember the jackets, the from full locker, the diamond jackets, the like little puffers they were. They had black and they had like brown ones.
Speaker 1:Yeah, everybody wanted like the black ones. They had a dark green, a green with the orange on the side.
Speaker 2:Ah see, y'all remember they got to Stephen Berry's.
Speaker 1:Yup, yeah boy, I had a big old blue coat from there, a big old coat.
Speaker 2:What you mean? Big old blue coat. I had about 15 Of them, 999 jackets.
Speaker 1:Nah, nah, the one I had. I had a Duke one.
Speaker 3:I had a Duke blue devil. When they got, I was coming down.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Bro, I had so many Of them.
Speaker 2:Hey, they fell apart, though, for real, yeah, stephen Berry Was cheap as hell, but it was. Hey, it was Came in handy boy.
Speaker 1:But back then, bro, you gotta think about it. So I seen a little meme and it was showing all the groceries you could get for like 50 bucks. They filled up the freezer and the fridge with all kind of stuff bro All of it's unhealthy yeah. But I mean it was at least lunch and bacon in that mug.
Speaker 3:We got a bunch of snacks, killing ourselves boy.
Speaker 1:For a long time.
Speaker 3:Right, think about the stuff we was eating back then, boy, we was getting a bunch of stuff but, nigga, it was bad.
Speaker 1:It wasn't as many chemicals, though, bro, it wasn't nearly as many chemicals, I feel like it's way worse.
Speaker 3:Now we say that how can we prove that?
Speaker 2:yeah, we don't know huh yeah, we really don't know how can we prove that unless we get a box.
Speaker 3:That was back then, you know you know how we gonna prove it.
Speaker 2:Cause, and our grandparents died at like 90 95, you feel me like.
Speaker 1:That's the thing, bro, and they just be like.
Speaker 3:Oh, he was just sick, you know, at 45.
Speaker 2:What was wrong with him? All the chemicals?
Speaker 1:But see, I'm trying to eat good too.
Speaker 2:I'm like, I'm just trying to eat, like.
Speaker 3:That's why we had our trophies right now. We had our trophies, yeah for real Not even salads Cause.
Speaker 2:Y'all over here talking, nah, but I ain't I I still do like chicken and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:I just you know like chicken, but hey, but think about that think about our perspectives, bro, because we keep talking about like back in the day and then we fast forward until today. You know what I mean. Do y'all feel like going back to touching on some of anthony mackie's uh comments? Do y'all feel like Going back to Touching on some of Anthony Mackie's comments? Do y'all feel like Y'all had to face any of that? Do you feel like when you at right now Is where you supposed to be? Do you feel like you had to work Hella hard to get here? Or do you feel like you were chosen To be where you at?
Speaker 2:Bruh, I kinda feel like it was effortless.
Speaker 3:Effortless.
Speaker 1:Effortless, effortless, that mug echo.
Speaker 2:Nah, I feel like it was effortless. You know it was like I was thinking about my path, you know, because I had a mentor that kind of. You know she kind of paved the way for me along the years. You know what I'm saying. But I feel like I earned that, though you know I didn't know what I was doing, but she was like he, a sponge, I see he. She was like I see he soak up game quick. You know what I'm saying. So she held my hand, bro, like bro, like she.
Speaker 1:Hey, this, is what you do like. So you feel like it was kind of both like you showed and proved, so she chose you yeah, so I earned it.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean, but it earned me a spot for a long time. So, um, I just feel like, yeah, I I agree with some. I agree with most of what he said, bro. It's just certain things. It's like eh, it was a little yeah. Yeah, you know the way it was said.
Speaker 1:What about you, Unique? Do you feel like you was chosen for this position, or you feel like the work that you put in specifically landed you in this position?
Speaker 3:Both, like the work that you put in specifically landed you in this position, um both but initially I would say, um, I work for this.
Speaker 3:But the reason why I say both, because I wouldn't be in a position without god, because I I was thinking about this the other day, before we even thought about the topic for this podcast, for this episode, and and I was just saying, I said it out loud to myself and I was like man everything I said I wanted, I did. God gave it to me. Everything, everything I wanted to do, I ended up doing it. You know what I'm saying. Achieving it, I got through it. So that just gave me more power. I started saying things out loud when I was in the crib by myself.
Speaker 3:You know I'm saying speaking out, but um, but I definitely put the work in, because I've been through situations to where I had to pivot and put in the work, you know I'm saying, to get to the position where I'm at now. You know I'm saying I could do what I want to do, um, but nah, it wasn't. It was earned for sure. I'm still trying to earn. You know what I'm saying. I can do what I want to do, but nah, it was earned for sure, I'm still trying to earn it. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I like that mindset. I like that mindset, I know you put in your work.
Speaker 3:Ain't nothing given over there.
Speaker 1:Hey, but I ain't even going to lie to you.
Speaker 3:He was a bum. I'm going to let him fool you guys.
Speaker 2:Look, look, look. Definitely didn't used to have this vernacular, for sure. Hey, when he was sitting there Talking about you, used to beg for money. He was talking about himself.
Speaker 3:Look, look, look, my bad Sharice Let me apologize to Sharice and Ashley.
Speaker 1:Nah, just kidding. I don't even know no, sharice.
Speaker 3:Watch me have a homegirl Sharice.
Speaker 1:She be like dang, you don't know me, I know Sharice, broa, look watch me have a homegirl sharice. She be like dang, you don't know me my bad, my bad I know, sharice. Look, I jumped off that window this is when I worked at footlocker. See, I feel like I vaguely remember yeah, yeah, you remember that story.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the boy ran came to the room. People came home. Yeah, I was under the bed. Yeah, dog chased me. Yeah, yeah, you remember that story. The boy ran came to the room. People came home. Yeah, I was under the bed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, dog chased me, yep, yep, jumped the gate, yep yeah, yeah, I remember that that's hilarious, definitely just thought about that. All right, all right now. But so I for me, nah, but this is my surprise job. But, to be honest, for the position I got now I definitely feel like I was chosen like, and the reason that I say that is because I feel like my whole life I ain't going to say my whole life definitely I've been preparing myself to be in the type of position that I'm in right now. But when I look at the accolades, when I look at for real the resume of people who are in my position, there's a lot of schooling that I don't have. The resume of people who are in my position, there's a lot of schooling that I don't have. There's a lot of experience that I didn't go get from other jobs that would have technically been the prerequisite for this position. So for me, that boy don't fit the criteria at all that at all.
Speaker 1:Look at all at all.
Speaker 3:No but the position is mine.
Speaker 1:I do now. I do now because I've been in it for a couple years, but for the most part when I look at like legit resume wise, I'm not supposed to be here yet. Like again I, you might not be at that level. I have to take a step down most likely, I like pay, I'll probably be okay right, but my position with death, I I step down a couple runs on the ladder for sure, for sure so so what advice would you give somebody that's in the same position?
Speaker 1:uh, for me, prepare so, like one thing I'm doing right now is, now that you own this level, even if it's not at the job or the company you want to be at, right, because, like for somebody like me, I definitely always had the aspiration to at least spend a little bit of time working at like an apple or microsoft or something like that, right, so, like that would be like a long-term goal. Uh, but prepare yourself for that opportunity, because I am in this position right now. Right, I have a unique perspective. So now I get to gain experience under this title. Continue working at it, even if it don't feel good, even if you're not making as much as you feel, like you should. With that title, get the accolades.
Speaker 1:Something I looked up right is certification. So for, like, technically, I'm in human resources, right, but I guess my branch, right. So when I look at certifications, technically, to be certified to the level that I want to be, I have to be working in this field for five years. I've only been working in this field for two years, so stay put. You know what I mean. Like that would be like. One of my recommendations is like, don't be so quick to jump to the next job without seeing what you can really do, because this is a time for you to build everything, ain't gotta be a jump up the ladder you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:Get some experience under your belt absolute polish yourself right now like get yourself to where you need to be. Don't be so quick to take the first opportunity you get.
Speaker 1:There's a reason why high school is four years before you get to college like you need to. You need time to cook, but what? They say let them cook bro, well, well to that to that point I was.
Speaker 2:I was just thinking about, I was like hey, if yo, if your company does offer that, uh, that schooling or whatever yeah you know that that's the trajectory that you're trying to take tuition reimbursement.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying take advantage of that, go to school and by time you get to that point, you might be, uh, four years in and you got a degree now, and that you, you just got the job. You know what I'm saying one year earlier, plus you got a degree under your belt. Absolutely so, use those type of resources and stuff like that darling like I definitely.
Speaker 1:I definitely feel that, but, um, to that point, I don't. I don't want anybody to feel like, whether you were chosen or you worked hard to get to your position, that one is better than the other. Yeah, but I do feel like you should recognize where you at Right Because, like for somebody, like you said, if you are chosen for your position, understand that that may be temporary. Yeah, you know what I mean. Like, understand you need to position yourself just in case this moves a different direction. You know, I mean be be able to pivot, but but, at the same time, for those who have worked hard for their position, understand that it's okay for you to go for something different. That seemed like it's out of your purview you know, I mean that's okay too.
Speaker 1:you don't have to just stay on this linear path you want. So I definitely wanted to throw that out there, man, but uh, I feel like this has been some some solid conversation today, man, this has been some dope stuff. We've had a phenomenal episode.
Speaker 2:One more thing, but yeah, as a man, uh-oh, isn't it an unspoken rule? Okay, when you standing in that stall, that that man next to you ain't talking to you bro?
Speaker 3:He ain't supposed to be no dude right next to you.
Speaker 2:He ain't supposed to be like. No in the stall, no in the urinal, nah we don't talk what you talking to me for In the bathroom.
Speaker 1:We shouldn't really be talking If anything? Head nod, what's up? That's it. It ain't work. There shouldn't be no question marks.
Speaker 2:This dude is trying to give me a forlorn conversation, bro.
Speaker 3:Nah, I'd be like hey bro, check it out, Bro what. Check it out bro, don't even talk to me, bro, I was like what Nah no no, I was like hold on bro.
Speaker 1:I can't do it, bro, but I feel like, all right, you know what? Wait till we get out of here For token rules, right? Because I feel like there's a lot of things y'all be doing out here that nobody ever educated you you know what I mean Properly.
Speaker 1:Come talk to your uncles. You know what I'm saying, the big bros, and we're going to let y'all know that some stuff that y'all doing out here that's a little unbold, you know what I mean? All right, but this has been to the Trenches to Trophies podcast. Any last words, fellas.
Speaker 3:Fellas, if you love what you do, you'll never work a deal in your life.
Speaker 1:I rocks with that, so figure out your why. Ooh, that's deep.
Speaker 2:I just want to thank y'all for listening Everybody that's listening. I appreciate y'all. You know what I'm saying. Every download counts.
Speaker 3:And y'all the real mvps I love you all.
Speaker 2:Right he done. Made a girlfriend all right, y'all.
