SSP–here’s the link to info about tomorrow’s television appearance. I’m sure most of you could care less about this, but I could care less that you care less. And you could care less that I could care less that you could care less, and I could care less that you could care…
Okay, that’s just going a little too far.
But I can’t lie–this is pretty cool to me. I still remember when they asked me if I was interested in doing this at all, how blown away I was that someone would care what I thought about anything. Now? Well, this is the third television appearance I’ve made since March. Been an interesting few years, to say the least.
July actually marked six years since I started writing professionally. Funny stuff has happened. Here’s 25 or so such things, in no particular order.
Making Guru feel old. So I interviewed Guru for the school paper as a favor to my man Tino Pasquier (TIno, where you at?). Guru stood me up the first time we were supposed to link up, but we did a phoner the next day.
If you don’t know, Guru’s been too old to be rappin’ since he started rappin’. But I didn’t think he’d get offended when I asked him what year he graduated for Morehouse. He thought I was trying to play him. I really wasn’t. But if I graduated in 1983, I’d think the lil young boy was tryin’ to play me, too.
LiL Jon–The Quietest Man on Earth.
As another favor for the school paper, I covered the festivities behind the Homecoming concert (more on that later). in 2000. While backstage, someone tapped me on the shoulder and let me know I could interview Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz if I wanted to. I figured why not…I wasn’t doing anythign else, and I always liked “Who You Wit.” So I go talk to him and he was dead ass silent, man. I learned a lot about his grind, but I had to listen really closely to hear it. Big Sam, on the other hand, was loud as hell.
One hour later, Jon hit the stage and was crunk as can be. One year later, he was a megastar.
Mystikal–not quite right.
In a strange quirk, Mystikal was scheduled to perform that Homecoming show for months…but coincidentally showed up the day his album, Let’s Get Ready hit #1. He pointed at every 1 we saw, whether on a clock or an elevator.
He also lit up a blunt in the limo provided by CAU the second he got comfortable. He went out of his way to say someone was a “faggot,” which was interesting to hear coming from the lips of a high school cheerleader. But he was kind enough leave his food in the car when we dropped him off at his hotel. That shrimp was good.
The Meagan Good tragedy.
I won’t go into all the particulars, but know this–I had a chance to at least spit game to Meagan Good. Then came the haters.
My highest interview ever was with…
Lisa Bonet. I don’t know if she was high when Iw as talking with her, but she definitely know who got that. Anytime someone tells you their life is totally dedicated to beauty–while doing an interview for a movie about motorcycles–you’re dealing with a stoner, Jack. But I think she smokes good, for whatever that’s worth.
My strangest interview ever was with…
Ja Rule, who called me 4 hours late and smacked in my ear the whole time before he told me about how he wanted to fight against real boxers in his next movie but not real boxers good enough to actually beat him up. Then why get the boxers, nigga?
The coolest interview I ever did was with…
Morris Chestnut. I’ll be real–I’d love to be able to hate on Morris Chestnut. On the strength, the dude could pull my woman from directly under me, and I’d be able to do nothing about it. But I can’t hate because he was cooler than I’d be if I were him. Straight up–you wouldn’t be able to tell me shit if I was him. Instead, he turned out to be the most genuine interview I’d ever done. And he did the interview with a cast on from a torn Achilles. Good folks.
The wackest interview I ever did was with…
Aaron McGruder. Actually, the interview was cool. When he cut it short to get at some subpar chicks that I wouldn’t even try to spit game to, he lost me. BTW, thy weren’t all subpar. But I wouldn’t have spit no game to most of them, and I was broke.
But the most interesting interview was with…
Bun-B. Me and Aden once spent an hour just listening to the tape of my interview with him. If you get a chance, check out this one he did with Jon Caramanica. Great piece of work.
Most fan-like interview moment ever
I hate people that wanna be fans when they’re working entertainment stuff. We got a job, and that’s that. Well, Tino and I were backstage doing an interview with Billy Danze from MOP. I told Billy that DJ Premier and I had a few connections (we attended the same high school, and I’ve known his father since I was a child). After that, Primo happened to call. Man, I was tryin’ my best to try to get Billy to pass me the phone. It was like when I was a kid trying to get my parents to pass the phone over so I could talk to my brother.
And Billy didn’t. I was kinda hurt.
Best concert ever seen for free in the name of “work”
Okayplayer 2000, at the Tabernacle in Atlanta. dead prez, Slum Village, Kweli, Common, Badu, the Jazzyfatnastees (with Tracey’s fine ass)…all basked by The Roots. Killer show, especially since folks love to show out for Atlanta crowds. And I was there “covering” it all.
Worst Concernt Seen for Free
Mos Def, Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, 2000. That was the first sign that The New Danger would suck. His ambitions simply stretched farther than his ability.
Funniest Sight
Amare Stoudemire in San Diego, in a skintight suit with lights all over it. Wore it for a motion capture sequence for a video game he was shilling.
Most Intimidating Moment
Dappin’ Stoudemire up, wondering where my hand went. And my hands are pretty big.
Most surprising moment
Walking past Ron Artest in the locker room of the Toyota Center in Houston, giving him the head nod, and him saying hello and patting me on the back as I walked past him. He’s a really nice type of guy…but just a little volatile.
Another high interview moment
Roy Hargrove. Did a phoner with him a few years ago. He was in New York, I believe. He laughed at most of his own jokes. Except he wasn’t telling jokes. And never could say mor ethan about three words at a time. I’m not saying he was high, but it sure sounded like it.
Hangin with Little Brother at Dook last May
That wasn’t really job related. That was moreso “I’m cool with Aden Darity” related. But that’s the most fun I’ve ever had talking music with anyone. That was followed two days later by Phonte being kind enough to let me and the folk preview The Minstrel Show in his living room, which was followed by our lives being changed by our first listen to “Trapped in the Closet.” Dead serious.
Outside the Lines
True story…I was trying to answer my phone a fwe months ago when I had an e-mail come through. So I read the e-mail, which was asking me to be on OTL. At the same time, I realized the phone call was from Fred Batiste. How did I answer?
I’m gonna be on mu’fuckin Outside the Goddam Lines!
Not quite “I’m going to Disney World,” but oh well. I was so so so gassed, but…
4 Qtrs
Thank goodness I had a chance to get it right. Shouts to ESPNews for that.
Most religious experience
The ACC Tournament. For the first time, I really felt like I was deep in this game. I sat behind John Feinstein at games. My coolest story, actually….
I saw something going on in the stands that I thought would be of use to David Steele of the Baltimore Sun, so I told him about it. Months later, I sent him an e-mail about something else and told him that I was the guy that tapped him on the shoulder at the tournament.
The killer part? He knew who I was, but dind’t know that it was me that talked to him at the tournament. Surprisingly, people actually read this shit I write.
Most Surprising Moment
So it was my senior year of college, and I was sleeping as hard as I could because I was going through something that could probably now be diagnosed as clinical depression. Or maybe I was just sleeping off a drunk.
Either way, I got a call from a classmate asking if I had heard. Heard what?
“Tavis Smiley just got done talking about you on Tom Joyner.”
I was 20 years old and had started writing less than a year before in an attempt to stay busy. Never thought anythign like that would happen. For that, like many other things, I have to thank Cory Brown.
Short of 25, I have to stop. It’s just been a helluva last few years, and I’m pretty happy with how things have gone. Just wish I had a fuckin clue of how they’re going to go.