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A Slice of Sneaker Excellence with Zo
146 Plays5 days ago
This week Zo of Conversations with Zo is on the podcast. We are talking about the New York school system. Working in Public and Charter schools, how to reach the youth in this current day and age. Where he see priorities lie and why it's important. How sneaker played a part in his life and where his influences came from. The work he has done with Slice of Excellence and his podcast and much more!
Follow Zo: IG: https://www.instagram.com/conversationswithzo
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@conversationswithzo
Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/myfirstkicks Sign up for the Patreon: https://patreon.com/MyFirstKicks
Intro & Outro by Sango: https://www.instagram.com/sango_/
Backing Music by The DoppleGangaz: https://thedoppelgangaz.bandcamp.com/
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Transcript
The Versatility of Hushpuppies
00:00:00
Speaker
I went to Catholic school from fourth all the way to my sophomore year. um Hushpuppies, you could get busy, you know. You could play basketball, you could run, you could for your life, you could fight. All that. That's a very versatile shoe. That is. Because I thought I was going my grown and sexy as a freshman. uh I'm going to get some more dress shoes. right Wrong. Wore those one day, couldn't get busy.
00:00:23
Speaker
my traction, you know, and I was like, these aren't going to work because I go to school on Walton Avenue. uhhu Like no way that I got i gotta to go right back to Buster Brown's and get my hush puppies because I'm not going to survive running in these. I need something with give. You could cut corners. You could, you know what I'm saying? You could get busy. You know what it's, this 2006. My brother in the South Bronx. It's a wild town. Oh yeah, for sure.
Bronx Representation and Podcasting
00:00:50
Speaker
know what I'm saying? Like it's a lot going
00:00:56
Speaker
What's good, everyone? Welcome back to my first kicks. This episode 261. This week, I got another special guest. Welcome me to the podcast. as Oh, appreciate you, my brother. appreciate you, man. Thank you for having me. No, yeah. You ah you know, I've been...
00:01:10
Speaker
You've been grinding. You've been doing podcasts for a hot minute too, bro. Yeah, been around seven years. Yeah, and it's like, I remember, well, we both had Mero on our stuff, and that kind of put me on the radar for your stuff, and I was just like, I got to have you on too, you know? Like, the...
00:01:27
Speaker
The whole, like I don't have a lot of Bronx people in the pod, so it's just like everybody, it's always like, yo, I'm from Brooklyn, you know and i so I want more Queens people. right Queens people hit me up. But you know I usually represent Queens, ah so like having you on is super super
Connection to the South Bronx
00:01:42
Speaker
dope, man. no Yeah, you know I represent New York City, but definitely the South Bronx, that's my heart, that's my home.
00:01:47
Speaker
You know, the Merrill interview was a big one for the Bronx, for New York City and the platform. Now he's the mayor. You know what I'm saying? the mayor, right? You know, my first kids podcast, you know, a beautiful platform. You know, I'm all about community. Yeah, you are. Podcast chat. So, you know, I got hip to you and everything you're doing. And how could I support you and put you in the chat and just grow, man. You know, everybody has their own niche. Everybody got their own thing going. So I just saw your platform. Like, you know, we got to push this. No, yeah, I mean, look, if you're not familiar, you know, conversations with Zo, like, I think the topics you touch on are things that, I mean, we've seen, is it like VS Agent? They always post like motivational people. Like, you're on there a lot. Because it's like, the guests you have on, they've gone through a lot of stuff. You get them to really hone in and see what they're taking from these experiences.
Lack of Representation in Conversations
00:02:39
Speaker
So it's like a one-of-a-kind podcast because when we always see that or when we see these conversations, and I mean not to sound super critical about it, but we always see it from a white person talking to another white person. And it's not really – because, I mean, this is just like a commentary of what I always see. Yeah.
00:03:00
Speaker
It's like people don't really sit down like ah people of color don't really sit down and talk about their experiences. It's kind of just more of just like it's always like comes from a a space of like you should do this. And because I'm telling you to do this, it means that you don't have to go through what I went through. And I think that that that causes more of like like. I'ma prove wrong. And then you they end up going through the same thing we went through. it yeah It's a very ego filled conversation that you usually see where we're trying to one up each other or it has to be a big bro, little bro situation.
Mindset and Morals of the Hood
00:03:33
Speaker
And for me, my reality is where i come from. Yeah. Right. And Nine times out of ten, the guests come from the same environment. right Whether it's in another city, and another state, you know, at hood morals and the mindset is kind of universal. Yeah. Right? So that's something that we could always touch on. And then we could...
00:03:54
Speaker
dissect that you know what saying so for me it's timeless content because it always applies because yeah it's all about the mindset right and we see that mindset is still prevalent in the hood right now right you know we got the Bay Plaza you know yeah I want to take over yeah i see it's crazy we're gonna get to that but nonetheless u huh you know it's about the mind and thinking critical thinking and really maximizing your time with with successful people in whatever
Empowering Youth Through Culture
00:04:21
Speaker
they do. But let's get to it though, because I want the youth to see that where I started, you know, is not where I am today. right yeah Everything comes down to the power of choice, right? right you And and you lose you lose that power. right Or you think you did, right? Because you think you're not worthy, right self-love, and all these intent all these intangible internal things. yeah right That I like to always bring that out because somebody's always going through something. you And I work with the youth every day, so I want to make sure like that the content is relevant to them and our culture and our community. i don't care about upstate. I'm from the hood. So that's what I'm trying to touch on. And I want to empower us because we don't feel worthy. We got so many hurdles. you know what saying? And I feel like now the youth,
00:05:07
Speaker
It's one thing to have melanin, right? and we're That's already a hurdle right there. right But now we're attracting other attention. We're doing other things that aren't really conducive to our well-being. right yeah And I got i gotta to turn it up even more because they wilding. I mean, yeah, they're going crazy right now. you know Or even like back, because i want you know I've been watching you for a hot minute. like Community is huge and stuff like that. But like even when I was had this recent thought where i was just like, yo, I remember just like the knockout game and being afraid of like,
00:05:37
Speaker
walking around a group of like oh yeah kids and and you're like, oh, they're gonna are they gonna knock me out or you know, like, or even when, even back in the day, like when i was growing up, grew up
Education as a Tool for Change
00:05:47
Speaker
in Corona.
00:05:47
Speaker
I remember, what was it? It was like, Buck 50, it was like Buck 50 or something like that. People would just come up to people, just slice people and they- You know, it's stressful, bro. You know what I'm saying? Like, We were in war, bro. We've been in war, bro. Every day. They don't know how stressful it is. Like, or this scenario, right? Every kid in hood been through this. You see five people and in your mind, you thinking of every scenario that could happen. Like, what if this dude do this or this that happened or...
00:06:16
Speaker
I don't, and it's like, bro, there's no peace in that. know I'm saying? But as you get older, you get to control your narrative more, right? That's why education is so beautiful. It's so fly. And going to school is your opportunity, right? People say that they don't have opportunity. You do. If you go to school, that's your opportunity.
00:06:34
Speaker
Make the most of that. I'm a maximize my opportunity kind of person, make the most of everything put in front of me. yeah I'm gonna take that and 10X that. yes you know Every single time. So that's why we have to continue to promote education and doing the
Supporting the Podcast
00:06:47
Speaker
right thing. yeah And that's why I have Slice of Excellence. No, yeah. Shout out to, definitely talk about yourself. But before before we jump into that,
00:06:54
Speaker
Please support the podcast. Please hit up the Patreon, patreon.com slash myfirstkicks. Hit that subscribe. Hit the like. If you like what Zoe was just talking about, leave a comment. Be like, yo, I'm going to check out Slice of Excellence. I'm going to check out the podcast. It goes a long way. It helps the podcast. And then you can also follow him, you know, in conversations with Zoe on YouTube and everything else, too. But definitely talk a little bit about yourself and definitely talk about Slice of Excellence.
Slice of Excellence Initiative
00:07:21
Speaker
Yeah so um you know Lorenzo Bernardes Jr everybody knows me as Zo now um I have the podcast you know where I'm the king of the sidewalk so everything is about love healing and education the power of choice empowering the youth but slice of excellence that's my baby you know I'm saying we trade with pork cars for pizza so annually throughout the whole school year every month we do perfect attendance pizza parties yeah in schools across New York City primarily in the Bronx but Anywhere I have a connection, I have a bridge, we do a pizza party there. Like right now, I just came from a back to school event with New Leaders Hoop in Red Hood, Brooklyn, home Carmelo Anthony and the Akiway and all those things. So Akiway was there, New Leader Hoop, out to my guy Dre, shout out to Unk.
00:08:05
Speaker
We did a give back, we gave away rad food, three point contest, we had a DJ, artist, 7th Street Burger, ah gave me some burger and burger cards to give out to the community and the youth. and It was a beautiful event. So that's what we, that's what I, I'm the bridge. yeah I connect the bridge. I connect the dots for the youth. And we do a lot of fly things for
Sneaker Community Engagement
00:08:24
Speaker
the youth. You know, we're very fly. We have our sneaker event, i know right? Which is very prevalent to this podcast. Pick a teacher, pick a sneaker. yeah You know, where we nominate ah teachers and students to go for an in-store shopping experience. Definitely shout out to Up and YC for doing that. for us every year. Shout out to Fat Joe, Ruby, the whole team, Dior, everybody over there yeah for the love. what saying? I love seeing that. Every time you post that, I'm like, I gotta re-share. It's Christmas, bro. It happens at the end of a year. It's a beautiful event.
00:08:53
Speaker
And we show love to educators as well. yeah You know, students, educators, and people forget everybody's financial situation is a little different. You feel me? You might be rocking those kicks for the whole year. Right, yeah. Right? Or until tax season or whenever your parents can spare a few dollars to, you know, get a new pair of sneakers, that's you. That's it. There's no switching out. So usually you probably got a solid color like black. Then you wouldn't, your parent wouldn't buy you those. Nah, definitely not. You got key. Nah, what we doing with those? Right? Like, Cicconis and all that. Like, you can't, nah, you got to get a more solid color. Right? It's got to last as long as possible. It's got to last. You got to put different fits with it. You know what I'm saying? So pick a teacher, pick a sneaker is empowering because it's pre-selected, but we give out fire. Black cats, all that. You mean? And if you don't like it, we switch it out or I give you cash. So you're going to leave happy. Yeah, exactly. And you got 7th Street Burger in your belly, so you got fed. And it's all love. You got out of school for a few hours. Mm-hmm.
00:09:54
Speaker
You know, it's, man, it's better than my birthday that day. Yeah. I swear. I mean, I see you light up every time you talk about bringn giving back, man. It's beautiful. it's beautiful to see. So let's jump into the question that i ask everybody each week. And that question is, what's your first kick?
First Sneaker Purchase Experience
00:10:09
Speaker
it's that first pair sneakers you absolutely needed to have.
00:10:11
Speaker
My first pair of sneakers I absolutely needed to have were pair of Air Max 95. Yeah. Which color way? With the orange, with the gray and the orange on the top. Wow. Not the infrareds. It was just a regular. Yeah, it was, the you know, infrared, but they have the orange, the neon. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that whole colorway. Air Max, the Air Maxes were more attainable. Yeah. For me. So Jordan's with was a higher price. Right. But if you go to certain sneaker stores, you could do two for 200, two for 250, you know, move around for them.
00:10:44
Speaker
You know what saying? So... Did you have like ah a spot? Yeah, you had a few spots. You know, I had a spot on 3rd Avenue. You know, shout out to Michaels. Shout out to London Boy. A few spots on Svordom. I don't know the name, but you go to the top. Over there by the Ford train on Valentine. Go early because you might get robbed. You know what I'm saying? That's that time of year. But it was just something that I could work with my dad and I could, you know, I can get more of them because Jordans were out of my price range. Right.
00:11:13
Speaker
with these two for 200s and different price range and when the pipes drop at Foot Locker or something like that, you know, Air Max's, well, I was the Air Max king. Air Max 95, 97s, killing them. killing I had all the colorways. All the flavors. All the flavors, you know what I'm saying? And I could get more of them, right? like So being, and then also I learned to like,
00:11:35
Speaker
Now I go completely broke over buying a pair sneakers. So like, okay, cool. I have $200. I spent $120. I got $80 to my name, right? So I started to notice that too. I'm buying kicks and I'm just in a crib. I can't do nothing. I got nothing else to do, right? So can't go nowhere. So yeah, so just being efficient with my money. But I was the Air Max king. That's a fact. I mean, look, I love a good Air Max. And I We're getting We're getting the
Air Max Day Celebration
00:12:02
Speaker
neons back now. Like, I've never owned a pair, but I've always wanted a pair. Oh, yeah. So, like, yeah, that's such an iconic shoe. But, like, yeah, the way that, like, the way that Air Max, and now we're approaching Air Max Day. don't know. Right? Like, that's coming up. Yeah. So once again, shout out to UpNYC.
00:12:22
Speaker
ah We did Air Max Day two years ago, right? And we ah had a school from the Lower East Side come up to the Bronx and we did the Air Max to mx Ones.
00:12:32
Speaker
Yeah, the Air Max Ones, the Air Max 90s, one of those two. the white and red ones. yeah yeah So we gave those away to the students, to all the students, and they gave the teachers the silver bullets. So yeah, that was a great experience as well. So super fly stuff, bro. Super fly stuff. You're about to make me move, man. I'm about to become a teacher. Yeah, you know, we got to show it. It's tough.
00:12:53
Speaker
It's tough, man. You know, um I was a teacher for... i know I was just about to ask like... Like seven months. You know what I'm saying? But I think God put me there to create a slice of excellence because that's what came out of my teaching experience. But, you know, if you got 30 students, everybody... every every Let's group them in groups of 10, right?
00:13:14
Speaker
So you got 10 kids, two-parent home. You got 10 kids... you know, single mother and you got 10 kids who have like an aunt-grandma combination thing going on, right? So all of these people need you differently, right? So let's talk about the two-parent home, right? I got to now do positive follow-ups, right? yeah Because...
00:13:38
Speaker
my attention is all the way over here with the, oh, the other one, let's say co-parenting, right? So instead of the grandma-mother combination, let's co-parenting in that one. So we got the single mother 10 and we got the co-parenting 10, right? So the co-parenting 10, I now got a lock in with whoever the child's in on the weekend, right? Because yeah Monday through Friday, they good. They with mom dukes. And I understand dad wants to be a superhero over the weekend, but then Monday homework is not done. right so now I got holler at Pops, you know, very loving way, yeah but like, you know maybe Friday, y'all get that homework done ah and then y'all coast the rest of the weekend, yeah right? Because now when y'all switch off on Sunday, or whoever, homework is not done and now y'all are, whatever. yeah not You know what I'm saying? But listen, it's a routine, brother. You know what I mean? And get that done Friday, Saturday morning and enjoy your weekend. So I understand you trying to make up for the time, have fun and all of those things.
00:14:34
Speaker
But then the kids that got it together, now I have to find time to make positive phone calls and give that reassurance yeah to those families, right? Because there's no problems on that side. Everything is done exceeding expectations. So now I'm doing the heavy lifting with the single mothers and the co-parenting situations, right? So it's a lot. And you're divided in many different ways. And...
00:14:57
Speaker
Honestly, there's, you know, 8 to 3.30, no way. If you're really going to be an impactful teacher, quote me. I don't know. Like, if you're going to stay within those hours, it doesn't work. No, definitely
Challenges in Education
00:15:09
Speaker
not. just doesn't. You have, now I don't know how big the classrooms are now, but is it still 40? Is it still 40 kids? It depends. It depends. Some schools, like my high school, we're 20 or less. Yeah, yeah. But, you know, some public schools, I know charter schools, success academy, they trying to record. come up in there. You got 35, 38 kids in classroom.
00:15:28
Speaker
I'm very, like, I've read some stuff on Success Academy and I'm like... That's what i did my seven months, by the way. Yeah. yeah In and out of there. Yeah. It's crazy. The stuff I've heard is insane there. Wasn't there something crazy? Yeah.
00:15:40
Speaker
Never met those people in person. What? It was COVID. Oh, so how do I have the same experience? Yeah. And I never met those people in person. I don't know, man. Crazy. that why That's crazy. Why? And it's like, because like, as soon as if so, you know, what every time you're in Harlem, if you watch a YouTube video in Harlem.
00:15:58
Speaker
They just pushing. I got so you get served Success Academy videos the entire day. Just being like, take bring your kids to Success Academy. And then I was like, you know what? Let me see. Like, what is it like? I've looked at like the glass door or whatever. And I was like, and then there's people like, yeah, they just like, they drive, they like, they they really make you work yeah that money. Oh yeah, the money's good too. If I would have never left success, I could have probably been an AP by now. AP, probably principal, but you got to give in, yeah right? And how do you say it
00:16:32
Speaker
You gotta look the other way, bro. yeah yeah like If you could do this and look this way, yeah you good. You gonna be all right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. shot I won't even say his name. yeah um my brother yeah yeah My brother gave me the opportunity.
00:16:49
Speaker
God bless you. I love you, bro. You what I'm saying? It's all love. We older now. um We never saw each other again. know last time I seen you, I told you it's up when I see you. I take that back. We grown now. If you still feel the kind of way, then it's going to go how going to go. It's all peace and it's all love. He was pro-success. He the one that got me the job. I ain't going to lie. Let's say it's Carlton and Will.
00:17:17
Speaker
Now, Will tried. Will tried to give into his whole... Beverly Hills, Bel Air Academy thing. right yeah yeah And ultimately it just was not for me. It's a wild place. i'm saying they talk They train you to talk crazy to the parents. like We're doing um professional development and all of that. yeah there's like It's like a business school. And I'm like, I got to say that to Hassan?
00:17:42
Speaker
Yeah, you got to say that. like This is how you say it. Let's practice. I need the scenario now. All right, cool. Perfect. Right. My, own my, shout to my nephew. um He go to success and he working out for him. all right But they gave my, my, my brother, the mother of my brother's children. Right. that Trying to save him mama. Uh huh. They gave her run for her money. yeah Listen, that lateness, tighten that up.
00:18:09
Speaker
Okay, cool, right? Lateness number two. Hey, what's going on with those latenesses? You know, we've we've spoken and we documented this on September 4th, you were late. Now, September you're late again.
00:18:22
Speaker
September 7th. We don't know if this environment is for you. Already? Already. i don't know if this is good i don't know if this is a good fit for your child and your family. um Is everything okay? You guys struggling? But hey, if it's ti's not for you, there's the door.
00:18:39
Speaker
Yeah. That's insane, dude. It's a school. No, it's not a school. We have 20,000 kids on the wait list. u huh So I can replace that seat tomorrow.
00:18:51
Speaker
But the kid is already, we here. and we The kid is in here. You have to be here. If it's not for you, it's not for you.
Accountability in Education
00:18:58
Speaker
And yeah. I don't know how a parent a parent could even handle that. She was tight.
00:19:03
Speaker
But it's like it's ah it's a it's a get in or get out. yeah That's it. It's my way or the highway. I don't care. That's wild. Figure that out. But like, what is it building towards? Is it building towards business professionals? Like what is, because like, I mean, and not to meander, but like, you know, the whole, everybody's judgment about schools are like, this is the prison to, this is the pipeline, the prison pipeline. So here's the thing, right?
00:19:32
Speaker
We need accountability. yeah we We need to be held to a higher standard. right It's just excessive. But, some people, some families have to be pushed. Right.
00:19:45
Speaker
Because if not, then everybody falls through the cracks. The parents, the kids, and everything is going downhill. So, it had we got to raise the bar.
00:19:56
Speaker
And it is doing that. But it also is exploiting and taking advantage of black and brown people. Right, yeah. Because that's what y'all pushing. That's what y'all selling. Right. But...
00:20:08
Speaker
You need to, so how do you protect your child? You got to be involved. If you're not involved, yeah that that's for all the school trauma and people talking to your kid crazy and all of that. right And then you can't have, and I understand, you need an adult. right Like your your child cannot be your translator because it's not going to hit the same. They just trying to,
00:20:33
Speaker
translate in the language what know, but you need an adult to be like, no, bro, that's not good. And this is what they meant. And that way you can make a better decision. But remember, you won the lottery to go to this school. So as an immigrant parent, as a person coming from hardships,
00:20:57
Speaker
You think you did something good, you did, but now it comes
Experience at Success Academy
00:21:01
Speaker
with a lot. right um Very rigorous, very data driven, and just a tough environment. But some kids thrive, some kids thrive in that environment.
00:21:12
Speaker
And the ones that don't, you go back to public school. right right So it's, I like it and I don't like it. So I'm gonna give you the other side. yeah I got kids in my high school, can't read.
00:21:26
Speaker
Hey, I mean, even for example, the Kai Sanat thing. Right. And it's like, and he's learning how to read, I guess, read better now. Right. Right. And he grew up in this school. He grew up in this school system, too. And it's like the the importance of like, has that gone to the wayside? Because everybody's just spending more time on their phone and they can read on the phone, but they can't read a book because different things. Right. you Priorities. Yeah.
00:21:54
Speaker
So going back to Hoodmore rules, right? We invest in Supreme Billionaire Boys Club. Boom. That's what we do. Right. But we don't invest in extracurricular activities. No, definitely not.
00:22:05
Speaker
Now, YMCA, shout out to the YMCA. They doing good numbers. Swimming for 10 weeks is $1.60. Yeah, that's good. What's that? $16 a week? Right, yeah. 10 Sundays? Let's go. Yeah. That's a pair of kicks. Right.
00:22:21
Speaker
But, nah, we don't got it for that. Nah, we got it for the kicks. We got it for the kicks. I need i need my kids to look good. Mm-hmm. nothing's going on up here. right yeah So being in that system, also having slice of excellence, I see these things in real time. And it's just a priority thing, right? We don't care and we don't invest in those things. right We don't even look that way. Kids is walking around with $1,200. You know, you imagine um You know the Merm era, all that? You getting robbed. You getting robbed. You know what I'm saying? But now the kids, it's $1200 moose knuckles. Now the price is triple, four times more. yeah And they all walking around with them. know, yeah, I've seen All of them. yeah
00:23:02
Speaker
Flavors in them. How? i don't i mean rent And think about Jacket, a band. Black cats is what, $250? Right. If you got them retail. Right. The purple jeans is $200. Your spider hoodie is $400 or $500. Right.
00:23:17
Speaker
You a ticket. Yeah. $2,000. And you got five kids like that. That's $10 billion right there. You know what saying? But barely have life insurance. no Definitely don't got no health insurance. Definitely not, no. You know I'm saying? Living in so um tough situations, tough circumstances. But yet...
00:23:37
Speaker
Everything else, how we look is up to par, but how we live isn't.
Social Priorities and Investments
00:23:41
Speaker
The priorities is off. But it's like, and these are things that like I've always wanted to have, these kinds of kinds of conversations of like the priorities and stuff like that, especially growing up. Because when like when I look at the kids now...
00:23:55
Speaker
Like it's and me being like the elder statesman or whatever. Right. I'm not having these conversations. Right. I'm not the like there's no and I'm sure like, you know, kids don't really listen to podcasts either. Right. Like they'll probably get to this later in their lives. But ah to me.
00:24:15
Speaker
I'm not stopping a group of five kids in Moose Knuckles and being like, yo, guys, let's let's chop it up real quick, right? And I mean, look, look shout out to... there I found this one creator on ah on Instagram recently. He does like... He'll be like, yo, let's go eat something healthier.
00:24:30
Speaker
right And super fire. Like, he'll approach kids. Like, they went they went to like a pizza shop. They were trying to get a pizza. And he like, yo, if you don't get that pizza, um'm would come come with me. Let's get something healthier. And it's like teaching them that. Right.
00:24:43
Speaker
yll You should eat healthier. Right. But like, I'm not going make a video where I'm going to go to like five kids. I feel like I'm a good jump. You know, like that, that I don't know where to build that, where it turns into just like, I mean, yes, need more people like you within the school system or like my boy Scrams, who was the first episode of this year, ah second episode this year, but like that are integrated into that, that lived the learned experiences that and can actually communicate it to the younger generation where they look at it and be like, you know what? You're right. But it's like, I feel like as the, like a person that's like, I wish I could stop more people and be like, yo, you know, I know what you're going through.
Guiding Youth Away from Social Currency
00:25:22
Speaker
And I, and I know that you want to put up this, like this veil of like, you know, ah social currency. Y'all should, y'all should fuck with me. Like, don't want to put up this veil so that you don't have to worry about the stuff in the crib or you don't have to worry about like your grazers suffering because you don't know what your future is going to be. Um,
00:25:40
Speaker
It's just like, it's hard. I feel like to me, like even saying that out loud is daunting because if I think about like when I was younger, I was like, I spent a lot of time online, like looking for sneakers and stuff like that, but only looking at them. I never bought them. You know? Oh 23 is back. Yeah, yeah, exactly. We used on 23 is back. a day exactly you know and i'm you know i'm nike sb guy so was always on nike sb.org and stuff like that so like i was building community like that and now we don't really have that a lot of these kids is like you know roblox and and you know fortnight and that's where they build community like the only reason i brought that up because i i
00:26:17
Speaker
I learned that, like, a lot of kids now that, like, are into the Moose Nuggles and stuff like that, the expensive stuff, they all used to just be on roadblocks, like, doing, like, crazy, making games and doing crazy shit on there. um And so it taught them that, like, oh, yeah, if I got the cool stuff in the game, I should have the cool stuff in real life. yeah You know? So...
00:26:39
Speaker
I don't know if you got like advice for anybody that's listening to this of like, how can we get in front of
Engaging with Youth
00:26:43
Speaker
these kids? Yeah, I mean, listen, there's always elementary schools, middle schools, you know, getting where you fit in, you know, reach out to schools, go talk to the kids.
00:26:54
Speaker
um go back to your old stomping grounds any middle school you went to any educators that you know really is all relationships everything that I do is through my network and relationships and also reaching out you know saying so if you went to a ah elementary school or middle school or high school, that's always a good place to start. Hey, I'm an alum, this is what I do. I would love to talk to the, you know, career day yeah or different things. um A lot of ah high schools have different electives. So maybe they can get you in for like a little 20 minutes and go in front of those kids. but I would say, you know, quarterly, every three months, maybe three, four times a year, just get in front of a group of kids and go to a local school. Charter schools are always, they're a little more ah lenient, you know, getting people in the door, but just put yourself out there, you know i'm saying? and
00:27:43
Speaker
And use use the kicks as the bridge. You what I'm saying? Because everybody loves a fresh pair of kicks, for sure. ah I mean, let's go back to like yeah your time in high school. right yeah like what what was like Were you part of the singer community? 100%. So school...
00:27:57
Speaker
my high school experience was like no other.
High School Transition and Sneaker Influence
00:28:03
Speaker
I know a lot of people in my circle that had a similar experience. I'm very blessed that I got to go to high school in the city and I also went to boarding school. So I went to Ohlows for two years in the Bronx. And you know, that was the Air Max wave. We was wearing Pradas, ACGs, A Solos, like very, very fly. A Solos is coming back. facts. You know what I'm saying? Very, very fly time period. That's 06 to 08.
00:28:32
Speaker
And then I go boarding school. And now it's like, I'm heavy on Jordans now. So I'm, I'm heavy on the Jordans. Uh, I think I had Olympic sixes, cool, great nines, Concords, uh, black straight fives.
00:28:49
Speaker
Um, um, Definitely a pair of 12s. I was definitely like a 9s, 5s, 11s, 12s kind of guy. I didn't know you can even wear sneakers in boarding school. Yeah, I mean, you know, we switch it up here and there. You know, I was on a basketball team too. okay. it like, you know, we went to the games. um Funny thing, um I always tell the story. ah Shout out to Mr. Yates. So, how do all right, as a New Yorker, yeah how do we view Pradas? Yeah.
00:29:17
Speaker
I mean, I think... Sneaker or shoe? That's a sneaker. Right? But what do we wear it as? As a shoe. Thank you. Yeah. Right? So New York fashion, yeah New York culture. Right. Those is church, funerals, job interviews, formal events, baby showers, you know I'm saying? Like, maybe a wedding. Yeah. Right? So... Nah, because people be like, oh, yeah, you really got that on. Yeah. As soon as you put that up, you're like, oh, you dressing up. Yeah, you dressing up. Oh, yeah. It changes the complexity of everything. You throwing that shit on. So, you know, we was wearing Prouders out there in border school. They wasn't jacking up. I got detention for them. You know, but I still wore them here and there, but it's just like, bro, like, I'm not going jogging in these. Nah, yeah. not going to the Jiminy's. Like, this is just a flex yeah every single day. So I had i had a silver pair product, and I had the black with the tan sway back. That's one more, man. And shout to Mufferly, too. That was my sis. She work at Saxon Fifth. So I used to get them 40% on. So that's how that's I had two pairs. yeah I paid like $180 for one, got the sale on top of the sale for the other.
00:30:23
Speaker
So very blessed in that. in that ah In that world for sure Nah yeah mean well i don't know if you remember the diesel days cause Oh yeah diesel So I went to Catholic school So wearing shoes So was a hush puppy guy Feel me Definitely a good pair of suede A leather hush puppies That was all ah all of Catholic school I went to Catholic school from fourth all the way to my sophomore
Revisiting Hushpuppies and Street Challenges
00:30:46
Speaker
year. um Hushpuppies, you could get busy, you know. You could play basketball, you could run, could run for your life, you could fight. yeah All that, that's a very versatile shoe. Because I thought I was going my grown and sexy as a freshman, I'm gonna get some more dress shoes. right Wrong. Wore those one day, couldn't get busy.
00:31:06
Speaker
My traction, you know, and I was like, these aren't going to work because I go to school on Walton Avenue. Like, no way that I got to go right back to Buster Browns and get my hush puppies because I'm not going to survive running in these. I need something with give. You could cut corners. You know what I'm saying? You could get busy. You know what I'm saying? Because this 2006, my brother in the South Bronx. It's a wild time. Oh yeah, for sure. You know what I'm saying? It's a lot going on. You got the gangs and all of that is coming in. You got it. You had, I always bring this up. Well, this gang, DDP. DDP? That's 2008. Come on. That's a very prevalent time. We almost got packed up by DDP one time. No. on Dominican Independence Day. We was in the Heights of all days. You know what I'm saying? So that's the beginning of Trinitario and all that, that whole becoming more prevalent. So it grew from the Latin. So I grew up in the Brook Avenue. So I got Nientas, I got Rough Riders over there down on Patanjis, Bloods, Crips, and Latin Kings. And then boom, Trinitarios is there. So it's
00:32:16
Speaker
It was a lot going on, but once again, the power of choice where you have to, it's tough it's ah and it's not easy. I'm not saying it's easy, but you have to decide where you stand. right right And I'm a sidewalk guy.
00:32:30
Speaker
I declared that at 13 years old that I belong on the sidewalks. um I have a brother who's a part of the Rolling 30s Crips. I have another brother who's blood. and ah That was a choice, right right but it wasn't for me. I didn't feel comfortable with that.
00:32:46
Speaker
baseball, books, and girls. I don't want to say the other word, but we used to say triple B's. You know what I'm saying? I was a part of triple B's. Baseball, books, and you know, girls. You know what saying? That's what we was doing. respectful on this podcast. Be respectful. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Women's month is coming out. You know what I'm saying? But It's something that I felt comfortable with that. I never felt comfortable with aggression. We had to get to it. That's one thing. Defend yourself. But to go out of my house with that energy, that's a lot of energy going to something that's not productive or conducive to my well-being. Right. so
00:33:21
Speaker
And for you know tough guys, that's a lot of energy too. There's a lot of tough guys out there. You know what I'm saying? So i can't I don't want to pretend because I don't want to have to fight every day. It's too much. Everybody pressing you. They did. Because mind you, right? I'm a sidewalk guy and I got stories for days yeah and I never look for no trouble. But guess what? You outside, ah you in a basketball court, you on different hood, you traveling home from school to your house and things happen.
00:33:48
Speaker
So Imagine now being on the other side, how much more happened. That's too much. And I'm already stressed out with the little that I have. Right, exactly. Right? That's it's a lot. yeah On the bus and the train, trying to figure out what kind of jacket that's flopped, not too much attention. yeah You know I'm saying? I don't know if we have that even now. No, they don't. They don't because it's so much more accessible. Right, yeah. right we Our parents wasn't putting shit on credit cards for us.
00:34:18
Speaker
it's It's paying outright. Yeah. You know, now you have a right away after pay all of these things. Now my yeah my parents would never do no layaway me ever. you know what I'm saying? That's not even a thing. If you can't afford it, it's not for you. Nah, yeah. Pop started getting money. You know, he he started doing better for himself. So life elevated more. And I could go work with him and earn money. So that also changed things. But...
00:34:40
Speaker
kids aren't being given positive incentives. Like they're just being given it for overcompensation for what I didn't have. Right? That's the majority of these parents. I know. I just, I made that, I made that, that conversation. Well, i made that conversation. I said this in a conversation recently too, where, um, i so I forgot who I was talking to, But it it revolves of just about like, um why are the kids now not as motivated to get things now? And I was just like, because we we work so hard ourselves. as a mill Millennial parents work ah worked hard and went without so that their kids can have what they always wish they got. Because we came from parents that are, we need to just change our lives. Right. right like They're like, 35, I got a house, this, that. We don't got that. Because we spent all our money on sneakers, video games, like stuff that we we were like we were like hoping that we can get now. And then when we got older, we're like, we got to catch up on all the stuff. And then it's like, okay, now I have a kid.
00:35:41
Speaker
going just get them all the stuff that I wish I had. right So it like, it trickles down. And then those kids are like, I got everything. I don't really got to work now. So like, yeah. Yeah, but see, it's a, it's a, there's a long-term effect to, to short-term decisions. Right. Because in the long run, how are you going to be able to sustain this lifestyle? How are you going to be able to afford these things? Right. Right?
00:36:05
Speaker
Going back to education, that's your opportunity. That's your ticket. So what are we doing without those things? And it's funny, a student called me yesterday and I told him, you know, I know the manager at Chick-fil-A.
00:36:17
Speaker
And before I said that, I told him, the goal is to get money. right That's the goal. right And guess what? People going talk if you broke or whether you got it. Honda, Benz, criticism. You're not escaping criticism. You're never escaping that. But cares? Because you want bread in your pocket, right brother.
00:36:35
Speaker
So listen. I know somebody at Tee Filet, a very good friend of mine, probably makes something happen for you. Right? Now, remember what the goal is, because I know what you're thinking as a 19, 20-year-old kid, but the goal is to get money. Right?
00:36:51
Speaker
Right? so I'm a dean out of high school. I coach a travel baseball on team. I do security on Friday and Saturday nights. right yeah So security, anywhere they play freestyle, it's an old head spot. You know what I'm saying? 35 and older. I'm chilling this. You're chilling. Everybody else. it's the Bronx things get, but it's very calm. Hey, Youngblood, let me Yeah. it's calm. They feel like they own the the the spot, they regulars. But hey, I don't know you, you don't know me. I'm going to call umma called you one time and one time only because it's protocol.
00:37:27
Speaker
But once I know you, you good forever. right yeah There's nothing to talk about. and You got to hustle. The hustle is sold separately. right yeah No one is too good for anything. Guess what? Go out there because you have to worry about yourself. You have to pay your bills. right You have a mother you gotta support exactly got You got younger siblings. You got your own thing going on. And you a man.
00:37:48
Speaker
So as a man, go through what you gotta do. yeah right But everybody wants to work where they wanna work and do what they wanna do. But guess what? when you You gotta do what you don't wanna do to do what you do wanna do. And you gotta pay your dues. You gotta pay in to get a payout. yeah That's it.
00:38:03
Speaker
i mean, I think it's just like a lot of people don't really look at it like that anymore. It's like, I think the job force or like working, you know, the we were doing it because out of necessity, right? But if you're just given everything, it's kind of like... Nah, i gotta make it i gotta make sure I'm doing what I wanna do, right? There's no, people don't look at it as like a stepping stone, right? Like, I've taken odd jobs before I was like, all right, fuck it, I'm just working at a candy store. There's pain, all right, let me do it, right? And then i was doing that, and then that led to me, you know, learning how to talk to people and stuff like that. But when you're doing it, you don't really you don't really see it as that, right? You're just like, yo, I'm getting this check, whatever, whatever. And then it it just kind of snowballs. But like you have to take that first step to get to that point. Like like ah I'm trying to say the like the work, the working, the workforce or like whatever, joining the workforce or whatever. Like the first couple steps is to to to do it and like find your way in. And you can use that motivation of like getting sneakers, getting clothes, getting whatever. Use that as like your motivation to to jump into the workforce. But once you start doing that, then you start being like, man, I want to be a manager. Man, I want to do, you know, There you go. Yeah. There you go. But I think it's just like the daunting part of it. Like, is is ah for example, you know, um the the student that hit you up, like, it's like, now you're like, oh, I don't want, I don't want nobody to walk in on me on Chick-fil-A in my Chick-fil-A uniform. Bro. You know? If you had,
00:39:38
Speaker
going to, all right, cool. So I start conversation with Zoe. Here comes Rev Run. Right. right Oh, here comes the preaching. Yeah, yeah. Right? But hey, you got to stick to your guns. Like that's, I know that this negative shit,
00:39:55
Speaker
is not for everybody. The streets is not for everybody. yeah i don't Don't let anybody tell you that. Shout out to 21 Savage and all those people saying, I've been saying the streets forever. yeah For over, I'm 33 years old.
00:40:08
Speaker
You date back, you can go, you can even check my Facebook. Go back 10 years ago when I was 23, same message. I'm just more famous, you know I have more resources, yeah but I've been saying it because I left the hood at 16 when I went to boarding school. right So my reality was now this prominent Northeast New England prep school. right We out the hood. yeah right And that was my fear. had FOMO. yeah The fear of missing out. yeah I'm not going on the block no more. I'm not in the town no more. wrong Yo, bro, the best thing I ever did, shout out to Bill Minshew, Antonio Ponte, Coach Amar, Sean Atkins, and the whole Boys Club of New York. There's one in Queens as well. There's the Abbey Clubhouse.
00:40:53
Speaker
um There's one in Harlem, there's one in the Bronx now, there's one in East though um in east side of Harlem, Uptown, Jefferson Clubhouse. And they did boarding school placement, right? So that's how i ended up playing sports for them. And then I ended up being on the showcase team and that's how i ended up at Suffield Academy in Connecticut, right?
00:41:12
Speaker
And life has never been the same, right? um Very prestigious institution. um Study hall every day. Classes, great sports. went to school Saturdays. I mean, yeah, because you're not public school and then you dip out. I was out of town. So now I got to play by the rules. But it gave me structure. It gave me discipline. And there's a bag. Somebody paid a bag $50,000 for me to be here. That's crazy. So now I can't, there's no time to play here. I gotta show up and also be grateful that I'm here. And I also had somebody that saw something in me that I did not see in myself. You know I'm Shout to Mo Knowledge. I was on the phone with him yesterday.
00:41:56
Speaker
Conversation with Zo was something that I was a little discouraged about because all the backlash, like, all the negativity, all this corny, all this or that. But he's like, nah, you going the right way. Wait, so wait.
00:42:08
Speaker
You said when he started, you was getting mad? Yeah, facts. Why? Because it's true. It's the truth. Right? Who wants to hear the truth? Right? Who wants to hear that I should be taking care of my children and not be on the block all day. right You don't want to hear that. not Who wants to be held accountable for spending money?
00:42:30
Speaker
Who wants to be held accountable for my priorities being off? yeah right i'm i'm I'm on the block. I'm the person he's talking about. yeah yeah right He's describing a person like me who runs a whole block but don't take care his kids. right yeah It's true. yeah Who wants to hear the truth? So we got to denounce it. We got to tell Gordy, and Gordy's my nickname, we got to tell Gordy he's corny.
00:42:54
Speaker
We got to tell him it's whack, he's preaching. We don't want to hear that. We have to because he's not lying. I mean, that's, yeah, I mean. and i get And I want to manipulate kids. Why is he telling kids not to join gangs?
00:43:08
Speaker
right He never been in a gang. He don't know it's not that bad. right But I had a brother that went to Rikers. I had gang member brothers. I know what I'm talking about. right yeah right So I want to empower those kids to go to school. If he's doing that, then I'm getting less members. yeah Less people to manipulate. yeah right He's talking too much truth on it.
00:43:27
Speaker
And then boom. Now, we state we COVID happens, now I'm like, this is it's gonna make a break me. Because I complain about time, I complain about this, guess what? I'm a run it up. yeah So I did 57 episodes in 2020. And I start interviewing people. So now, my creative mind starts to connect with people that I know that can I can take their story and and give like a blueprint to the youth. right So, shout out to my brother Tone Dollars. um You know, he does the stocks and the trading and all of those things, flipping PS5s and credit cards. And he had the financial literacy thing going.
00:44:07
Speaker
And that's how, fast forward, I interviewed people from Earn Your Leisure, right? You got the master investor. yeah You got Ian Dunlap. You got... ah Troy and Rashad and all of those things happening because of my friend that told me to raise Rich Dad Poor Dad. right So now financial literacy. So going back to border school, yeah who are my friends there? yeah What are they into? right They reading the Wall Street Journal. right I'm in Cali with them, they getting up early in the market. right yeah right They like, yo, come, Zos, sit down.
00:44:37
Speaker
This is what you gotta to do. And if you wanna be a part of the circle, then i need you to be a part of these conversations. Because I would just keep sleeping, go outside, hit the strip, BSing. they like, nah, this is gonna change your life.
00:44:50
Speaker
and you need to start investing your money. So I've been in the stock market seven, eight years now. dan From the conversation with kids that I went to boarding school with, and now I got a platform, I got to put us on. right right I got to bring all of that back, all of them resources, the tips and advice back to the hood, because we don't think like this. We have the money.
00:45:09
Speaker
but we just don't see it as valuable. I want to feel this. ah But guess what? Apple is a great stock, right? We have AirPods Max Pro. We got the AirPods. We got the phone. We got the tablets. We got the Apple stick and all that. know what I'm saying? It's a great company that you've invested so much money in. already for your own money into it. So I told people during COVID, I in Apple when it was like COVID went down to 116. I say, oh, this is a great number.
00:45:42
Speaker
That was like 270, 280 today. Yeah. your money right there. Right there. You know what I'm saying? I mean, talked about it with like, because like a lot of people, when you think when, i'm you know, sneakers wise whatever, there's so many brands that are right you can buy the stock. yeah you know And that kind of make money off the money that you're spending with the brand already. you know or i mean, there's this i use a Stash.
00:46:04
Speaker
and Stash. yeah Love Stash. Y'all have to um sponsor these podcasts. Yeah, for real. right Stash. out We are long-term advocates. We love your platform. We can promote financial literacy on this. yeah You can do financial literacy in the school with the kids. yeah Right? Good bridge with the sneakers and the stocks. Feel me? Because there's there's a stock market for sneakers too. yeah And the value of them and all of those things. And that's entrepreneurial. But we also have to think long term. Right? As a person who's buried both of his parents, you got to think about tomorrow. i don't I know YOLO is fun. Yeah. Yeah.
00:46:40
Speaker
Forget it, yeah spend it, throw it, ah throw it in the air. It comes and it goes. yeah i get And that's the beauty of, right not to five, is a guaranteed check. all That's why entrepreneurship is not for everybody. right Some people need that stability, know that it's coming in, but our jobs fund our hobbies and our podcasting and our other ventures. right yeah right where We use that money to turn into something else. to right yeah To further it along. To further it along. but I don't know, just like long, long. I mean, even just talking about like longevity and like podcasting, like now we're we're we're being we're being like there's so many other podcasts that are just being started because they've got a ton of money. And then, you know, we've got our small stuff where we're trying to, you know, get this in front of people. And it's like we're working. trying to work our hardest to get to get in front of people with clips and all this stuff and and it's just it's a daunting task again like i'm saying we're daunting too many times but like it's a daunting task because it's like we want to be especially when we do something like this where we want to be of use like have service like we're trying to help people
00:47:45
Speaker
people at any given time where they can pick up this conversation and be like, you're right. Like I should probably not join that gang or like, you know, or like, or for me, it was just like, you know, oh maybe I shouldn't spend that money on that sneaker. Maybe i should save that money and buy that stock on Nike or like something like that. But,
00:48:01
Speaker
ah Or just even like, because I've been getting people that work within the sneaker industry because everybody knows how a sneaker knows the end part of it. We we buy it. We spend the money. But you did you know that you can be part of the process? right um But like, it's harder for us because we don't we don't necessarily have something that's like,
00:48:20
Speaker
yo, this guy talking mad crazy on his podcast. got to pull it up. You know, it's like ah that's the I feel like that's like so hard to to kind of get across that you people should be listening to more things like our stuff, because when we want to hear people should want to hear the stories so that along their journey, they can look back and be like, you know,
00:48:45
Speaker
this looks like something that I've heard before. And now I got that red flag. Oh, I can kind of curve around it or or figure out my way through it or or get over this hill that I think that's coming up. or you know like that I think this is more what podcasting should be in my right opinion. you know I think you know your digital blueprint your legacy is...
00:49:06
Speaker
you know, astronomical, bro. What you're doing with this platform is is beautiful. mean, appreciate it. You too. Oh, thank you. But, you know, but this moment is about you because you love yourself, you love this platform, and you're pouring love into our community. yeah The hate comes and goes.
00:49:26
Speaker
So we need this. So just continue to pour into us and everything else will come into fruition. Because this right here is going to stand the test of time. right So you talk about the VSG,
00:49:41
Speaker
agent and all of those things, those most of those clips are years old. yeah But it stands the test of time. It's still relatable. People still on the same BS today, but you still need the valuable, informative content. right Because the thinkers, even rappers are rapping again. We back. we're And and you're you're here, you've been doing it and all of those things are going to come in unison. Yeah. But we just got to keep going. Right. And and God at the end of the day, bro, God has allowed you to continue.
00:50:12
Speaker
So whatever it is, the purpose in this platform, continue to still seek it because God is going to unveil that to you. Yeah. A thousand percent. Yeah, I agree. I agree. It's like, I'm not saying I'm discouraged. and I mean yeah you know you ah feel like you took a break.
00:50:28
Speaker
No, not really a break. Oh, yeah, let's get to that. So, look, I started off 2026 with Bell's palsy, bro. Oh, wow. My face was numb. No way. Crazy. You know what I'm saying? It's crazy that that's a disease that you just wake up with. Yeah, you just wake up with it. But instead, hereditary, stress, or you got bit by tick. I think for minds with stress, you know, co-parenting is tough. It's tough, bro. I hate it, bro. But you can't let it. Like, there's so many life lessons that you learn in co-parenting, right? Yeah.
00:51:03
Speaker
You know, you can't let anybody trick you out of your position. right I love my children, Hendrix and Lennox. Those are my hearts. Those are my sons. I love them so much. And I do this for them, for me. So you just got to keep the main thing, the main thing. yeah Understand that most the person that is approaching you is is emotional, um is angry at you. They have a lot of ill feelings towards you. Right.
00:51:27
Speaker
And If I return that back, then that makes me you. right Now there's two of us. right Now it's even worse. right So I have to continue to lead with love and be patient and be kind because that is going to serve a greater good in the long run right with my sons. right You've only seen me pour love and respect into your mother. You've never seen me talk ill about her, talk bad to her, and any of that nature, right? Because once again, I'm a part of a generational curse, right? My father had four sons before he was married. wow He got married.
00:52:07
Speaker
I got two brothers. All three of us have a baby mother and two kids. So that's why no more kids that are wedlocked for me and the next child i bring into this world is gonna be under a marriage ah through through a covenant with God. yeah That's the only way. You know I'm saying? So then navigating a new relationship with co-parenting and kids, it's a lot, but you know, you, uh, you gotta to find ways to still be there for yourself while be there for everybody else. It's tough for men. And I feel for a lot of men, I see why people were like, you know what,
00:52:45
Speaker
F this. yeah right yeah But continue to fight my brother. right yeah For women out there, you know if especially a person like me, and i could in I know a lot of men are gonna relate to this, I look for my children. You are not looking for me to look for my children. right yeah I look for them. I am there for them.
00:53:06
Speaker
I provide for them. I take care of them. I love them. I'm not only financially there, but I am all the intangible thing, the love and the hugs and... You know, the sneakers and the haircuts, whatever it is, I am there for Hendrix and Lennox, no matter what.
00:53:21
Speaker
Right? So how do you feel towards Lorenzo is one thing. How you feel towards is their father is another thing. And when we separate those things, we'll have more success. We're still in year one of this new parent co-parenting situation. But at the end of the day, i just got to continue to stay close to Christ because Christ is helping me co-parent and stay prayed up, my brother.
00:53:43
Speaker
And then, I mean, the podcast? The podcast, right? um I'm letting God have his way. You know i'm saying? um We are taking a a more... i want I want impact no matter what. Right, yeah. Right? So the industry is weird, right? Because I'm in the music industry standing on my own. I'm the same person you see.
00:54:05
Speaker
But... Those people are not your friends, right? And some are, some aren't. I could say Graf is really my friend. yeah You feel me? DNA, right? But those are also people that do really well for themselves, right? And you have other people that are on a lower tier that are that they're trying to hold on to every little that they have. so And then they have their family and their village to take care of, right?
00:54:34
Speaker
I'm blessed. I work in the DOE. I'm a dean of the high school. yeah So i'm not I don't have to cut you, cut him, him, and do any shiesty, sleazy business right yeah because it's guaranteed for me. right I know if I don't podcast, I still make money. right yeah right I have great health insurance. I have a great life. And this is something that I choose to do. And I choose to invest my time, money, and resources into. right So the podcast is coming out when it comes out.
00:55:04
Speaker
um I went crazy for years. yeah right like that That's how we got to 250 something. right yeah and But I'm not chasing the big interview.
00:55:14
Speaker
I'm just chasing something that's going to move and continue to impact the minds and the hearts of our community. right So I got a lot in the talk, but it's just a matter of timing and when those things going to happen. yeah Because now that I've done all this work, I can now be like, okay,
00:55:32
Speaker
I could now approach this person because of the body of work. right yeah I could now, these things make more sense, right? I've built it to a level where more people fit, right? But I i also want to continue to bring Christ into the equation as well, right? now And you can't force those conversations. yeah Cause you gotta watch those people, cause you may be saying something now, and then you really promoting gambling and all these other things. So I'm just taking my time.
00:56:02
Speaker
Also, you know, I got a few friends that ah were incarcerated and back home, they were on the show. So now, like, really showing you guys people who have gone away and back home and telling those stories. And that takes time too because, you know, you also want them to acclimate to being back home. So... I'm not running as as fast as I was before. and I'm just taking my time and making sure everything fits and makes sense. Yeah. For myself and for the audience and for the youth because that's how we get Bay Plaza. Right. Right. We get all of those crazy things going on. So we got to be more intentional.
00:56:37
Speaker
And I'm just taking my time and being more intentional with the platform. Yeah. And every week. It's all about intent. Like. I've always felt like you move intentionally. Oh yeah, for sure. And now it has to be even more. Because God is the center of my life now. See, everything you saw, Lorenzo was the center of his life. It wasn't God. God was my number two, not my number one. He's my number one now. So not that I'll never interview another porn star.
00:57:08
Speaker
But that was a different time of my life. Right, yeah. Right, where that was funny, it was entertaining, it was spicy, as they say, right? and But if I do something like that, it would have to make sense of how we can tie it back to where we are because, you know, lust is a dangerous thing. Right. Right? And... and P-O-R-N is something that many people struggle with, men and women. right So that's why I'm getting in front of that too. you know I make content about it and people are like, wow, like i struggle with that as well. like look Look what he just said. He just put all of that on front street, but it's something that we have to evolve from as well. yeah And how we view women as well. As men, how we view women, how we approach them, how we treat them. um You can say...
00:57:54
Speaker
Cool, we in Brooklyn. you know Matter of fact, we in Queens, we in Corona, we chillin', right? She a beautiful young lady, she passes by. you know That's a beautiful young lady. We can acknowledge she's pretty, but we don't have to say everything else. We would say, yo, now you tellin', do this. No, we don't have to say that. That's a little, but we raised hood morals, right? It all ties back to hood morals. When we come from our neighborhoods and how we view women and how we view other young men and now your value is in how many women you've been with. And that does not make you valuable. It does not give you identity because take that away. Who are you? What you doing?
00:58:35
Speaker
where are you going? Right. Basically nowhere. Nowhere. Nowhere. It's a fast track to nowhere. way Yeah. Right? Being fly. You know, spent money. That's, is that your identity? Fast track to nowhere. All right So we have to have a balance, but we have to know who we are in all of these things, and all of these spaces. So I'm a man of God.
00:58:55
Speaker
I'm a father. And I'm a man in my community. Yeah. And my job, It aligns with all of those things. yeah Right? From being a dean to Slice of Excellence to the message I want to put out on the podcast. It all aligns with the youth.
00:59:09
Speaker
And that's me. I'm the youth plug. yeah right And I called myself that before I actually understood everything that came with that. right yeah I connect the bridge. Right? 7th Street Burger. Those is my people's. And I connect the bridge to the youth. I'm not from Red Hood, Brooklyn. But I know Dre.
00:59:27
Speaker
I know my brother Damo. They from Brooklyn. Yeah. They got kids that they can help out, so let me pull up over there. 7th Street Burger started in the Lower East Side, where we were doing the after-school lunches, right?
00:59:39
Speaker
Power of social media. He reached out, now we're doing after-school lunches in the Lower East Side. yeah I'm from the Bronx. Who knew five years later there would be a seven Street Burger in the Bronx now, right? Who we haven't done our collab yet. But we going there, right? They grew crazy. But now I'm using seventh Street Burger to bridge the gap and bring it to these events. So now back to school events, um events at the schools, um what New Leaders Hoop. So now,
01:00:08
Speaker
they don't have to do community work. They're a burger spot. Right? But through our relationship, they like, Zoe is going to go do good yeah with what we give him, and he's going to seek all of these things. Seven Street Burger sponsors pick a teacher, pick a sneaker every year. Every year, I'm able to go to them and get the funds and the food to bring this together for the kids. Yeah.
01:00:30
Speaker
And I mean, that's that's invaluable because now you're creating stories, a positive story and a positive outlook on a child, especially from a child from the city. Like yeah being people don't understand or unless you actually grew up in a city, how wild it is. You know, I mean, we talked you talked, touched on Bay Plaza and I right so i have no clue what happened. Here's the thing, right? People.
01:00:55
Speaker
And once again, going back to being intentional yeah of where I come from. Yeah, yeah. Right? I'm from the hood. Yeah. Right? But I outgrew it. But I'm still in the hood every single day. My school's in the hood. I work in Dykeman. Right?
01:01:08
Speaker
I live in the Bronx. I'm in the hood every day. yeah But my mindset, my outlook is like, it's not that I am. I am more than this. And not in a way where I feel like I'm that family from the suburbs that I'm better than my family from the hood. No, no, no, no. I know that there's more to life than this. And I know God, because God told me I'm worthy. right So we're all worthy, but we just have to seek that relationship with Christ. Right. right Now, going back to Big Plaza, there's a lot to unpack, but let's just talk about the parents. Right.
01:01:44
Speaker
um When you overcompensate, you want to give kids things. What are you teaching them? Yeah. um i'm I'm very pro-BTA, you know, belt to ass. You need it, right?
01:01:55
Speaker
And there's a difference between discipline and abuse, right?
Discipline vs. Abuse in Parenting
01:01:59
Speaker
Now, anything you you do where you discipline your child, whether you hit them or talk to them them, whatever, that's discipline. yeah Right, obviously, you know, home you boiled the belt and, you know, that's abuse. That's abuse, you know what I'm saying? But hey, like, you have to understand that There's no authoritative figure that can now talk to your child. So the teachers, they telling teachers SMD every day, all the time. That's crazy. i wouldn't I would never, I would tell you that as a joke yeah at the park, but I would never say that to our science teacher. Yeah, exactly. Yo, Mr. Shudori, SMD, that's wild. It's wild. Right? So imagine yeah that's how your mom talks, and then that's how you talk. Right. So you don't, you don't, that there's no you talk no elder yeah You talk to an adult like that already. yeah So it's no difference. right So the police can't police. right
01:02:53
Speaker
We got Madani wants to defund the police, which is stupid.
Police and Community Relationship
01:02:57
Speaker
right He don't live where we live. Madani, you don't live in the hood. Show me where you live at. Show me your apartment. We hood every day. So we can't police ourselves. And the police, the NYPD, they have to do what they need to do. yeah right Because me and you, we don't got time for that. You're not going up to those five kids with the mooch numbers, right? You're And I am, but we both got to do it then if that's how it's going to go, right? yeah We both got to go to Corona in the Bronx. And no, we have people that we pay with our tax dollars who do that for a living, to protect and serve us. And we got to empower them.
01:03:28
Speaker
We gotta to build that relationship. yeah We can't- It needs to be a working relationship. Everybody, we all in. We're all in. In every hood, in New York City and across America, the police and the community, we are all in this together. On our High School Musical, flow, right? All in this together.
Accountability in Education and Parenting
01:03:46
Speaker
And if not, then that's where we get the separation and the distractions. We don't know the policies that they're pushing and all of that stuff because you got to read the fine print. But don't tell us that in the hood that you're going to take away our protection. Because we're not calling Mandani when something happens. We're calling the NYPD. We're calling 911. And that's what we need to be doing. Right? But also, we got to change our mindset from, oh, fuck 12. We don't do the pig. No. Those are human beings, too. There's bad teachers. There's bad people everywhere. always say this. A bad person is a bad person. There's a bad bank teller. Remember, there's white the crimes right so in corporate America there's other things going on that we're not in those environments to be a part of that but this thing is going on right but guess what it's funny because I had a friend you know who went to rehab but you know they don't test those drugs in corporate America but
01:04:43
Speaker
City workers, you got to get drug justice, right? yeah All the middle people, yeah, y'all can't do nothing, right? But in corporate America, it's a wild place. They doing white girl up there, they doing weed, they doing all kinds stuff, right? But, you know, we don't we don't expect them to do that because we see them as higher and more pristine. But guess what?
01:05:02
Speaker
Now you got a great city job, city benefits, but now we're going to police you, right? And we're gonna make we're gonna put you in this box where you can't do nothing, yeah right? Because you're a city worker, right? But meanwhile, it's way worse up there what they got going on. So Bay Plaza was very irresponsible.
01:05:19
Speaker
um Don't wild out with the consequences, but there has to be consequences. Right, yeah. Right? Because these are the SMD babies, right? These the Zaza and chopped cheese babies, right? The poor diets, poor parenting, poor community, poor education. Yeah. So it's everything across the board. So guess what? For the people that aren't from the city, when you come and teach the city in the city, you are responsible for our children. So don't come here for your tenure and your pension and to ride off into the sun. No, kids got to learn. Everybody has to be held accountable. right But the kids did bad. yes And I'm not going to shy away from that. no They did bad because they terrorized our mall.
01:05:59
Speaker
um There's millions of dollars in in in damages, vandalism. And I know because I know how these kids think. right And they look at me, I'm a i'm the fly dean. i'm doing But once again, i got mine through education. right yeah right So I'm only going to tell you, this is no block, this is no illegal money, this is time, education, and waiting my turn. And also building businesses. right So I became a dean through building a nonprofit and then nonprofit relationship with all these principals and teachers that got me to the dean. right I only taught seven months to become a dean. right right But I built Slice of Excellence. That's my foot in the door. right So my my road was a little unorthodox, but That's my road. That's my path. That's ah how it worked out you. what I wanted to do.
Life Lessons and Success
01:06:46
Speaker
And I love the kids and I love education.
01:06:48
Speaker
So that's how we got here. yeah So the kids did bad and the parents are doing bad. The teachers is doing bad. So it's not a racism thing. I saw somebody say it's anti-black. We're not jacking on to that. What they did was very stupid. Very stupid. Very careless, very dangerous. mary da Because I'm a avoid police contact kind of guy. yeah You guys put your line in the fire, running from cars, getting chased. Thank God nobody got shot. and They was going to go to Eden Wall houses, which is these really bad projects in the Bronx. And thank God they didn't do that. i know That's why i made that post. like Don't go to Eden Wall. It's a no fly zone. I know Eden Wall from community work yeah that I do in Eden Wall. It's a different world.
01:07:28
Speaker
when When I go to Eden Wall again, come. I'll invite you. are It's different. It's different. yeah And I'm from the Bronx. And I've never been there. Never been there. It's up there the 220s. East Gun Hill Road. It's too far. It's different. It's too far. Different.
01:07:43
Speaker
But ah i like we got to bounce real quick. But ah I got one last question for you before we get up out of here. And that deals with a little visualization. I want to think i want you to think back to Youngzo. He's about to get the... he said Orange 95s? Yeah, Orange 95. Now you're older, Zoe, behind your younger self. What would you tell your younger self as he opens that box?
01:08:03
Speaker
um You deserve everything. You earned it. Continue to earn everything. Don't cut corners. Wake up early. And in anything you want, you can work for, even if you get it little by little. So that was few a few Saturdays going to work with my father. yeah So that's the right mindset. So I thank my father for not waking me up to go to work with him.
01:08:24
Speaker
me forcing me to borrow $10 from my mother to go to a discount to buy an alarm clock to now wake up and go to work with him. Because I miss work three times. yeah And I'm looking at him like, bro, you said we're going to work, yeah but you didn't wake me up. So he's like, so I got to drive you there.
01:08:41
Speaker
make you work, pick you up, and wake you up and know all of that? No, you can. Who wakes me up? yeah So I was like, damn, so I needed an alarm clock. yes Right? So he taught me so many different life lessons that I get up and I get to it. I was at work last night.
01:08:55
Speaker
I did a community event. I did a podcast with you today. And you got to make the most of your time. I'm going back to work tonight. So yeah you got to make the most of your time. Maximize your time. Maximize your time. For sure. You did good. You earned it. And maximize your time,
Conversations With Joe Podcast
01:09:07
Speaker
youngzo.
01:09:07
Speaker
Damn it. everybody know find you. Listen, Conversation With Joe podcast on all platforms, Slikes of Excellence, sliceofexcellent.org. If you want to donate and support our cause, you can see that we're doing fly things in the community with the pizzas and the report cards and continue to show up. you know Even summer school, shout out to Chick-fil-A. We do a ah summer school lunch uha for kids in summer school with Chick-fil-A. Fire collab, you know chicken sandwiches for the love. man I love the work you do, man. We fly. yeah So use...
01:09:37
Speaker
I got to do this work in a fly way. I wouldn't give you a pair sneakers I wouldn't wear. Sorry. I wouldn't. But I'm to get you some. Like, handing out black cats out here. Yeah, man. Come on, man. And, know, I want the kids to be fly, but also earn it.
01:09:49
Speaker
Yeah. So show up to school. Right? You get a pizza party by showing up. in Facts. And if you want to go to another pizza party, give me them grades yeah and on again. There you go, man. Incensus, baby. Incensus. Positive incentives. Five positive incentives. Five positive incentives. Yes, sir. You know where to find me. Who is Hassel on social media? Follow the podcast of My First Kicks pod. Hit that subscribe button. Hit up the Patreon. Patreon.com slash My First Kicks. All the money goes right back into the podcast. Five dollars. It's only five dollars. And I'm going to kick it to myself and do the outro. Appreciate you pulling up, man. Absolutely, my brother. Thank you.
01:10:20
Speaker
I hope you enjoyed this week's episode with Zoe. You know, me and him have been trying to get this episode together for the better part of like a year or so. You know, ever since I had Mero on, I was like, you know, put on to conversations with Zoe, which I implore you to check out if you haven't yet or if you're coming from
Sneaker Culture Resurgence
01:10:38
Speaker
that page. Really appreciate you checking out this episode.
01:10:42
Speaker
I'm super appreciative of the conversation we've had, especially this week. It was a bit of a different episode. conversation because you know he works within New York school system and he's very in front of a lot of these kids. If you follow him after watching in this episode, you'll see how he's like super integrated within the kids and you know he's a dean of a school which is super dope and I think that in order for us to continue to make sneaker culture grow beyond the mainstream views that we currently see in these current days, ah I think it's pivotal to talk to these people or people like Zoe, you know, like AD Sneaks, Aaron, a lot of these teachers, all the teacher the sneaker teachers that post every single day, you know, you're in front of the younger generation and
01:11:39
Speaker
One thing that I've always enjoyed when I was growing up was how people made me feel about sneakers. Just like the general idea or being like, you know, I have OGs and and like being able to to hear the stories and to see the sneakers that people have lauded for years, right?
Listening to Conversations With Joe
01:12:04
Speaker
And currently we're seeing the um kind of like a resurgence of the 20, want to say like 2007, 2006 sneakers are coming out again. And, and you know, we've got HyperFlight's coming back. We've got the HyperPosits coming back. The HyperPosite 2's coming back the following year, next year. and it gives me such reverence because now I get to have that moment to be like, yo,
01:12:34
Speaker
this shoe and like how much i love this shoe in high school and so you know during all-star weekend ah the hyper the hyper flights were shown jason williams was there um and i didn't get to experience any of that but I love seeing all the pictures and hearing the stories of people going to the Foot Locker activation and just seeing that, I don't know, goldish pair of Hyper Flights, which I need a pair of those. I need a pair of those. If somebody from Nike is watching this and they have the Kinect, please let me know. I'm a size 13. I need them.
01:13:14
Speaker
yeah And i don't i don't say need very likely. like like I don't use it for every single pair. Like, I need those. I need ah the Virgil, Abloh, what is it? Archive? The VAA, all white, off-white ones. I need those. Like, those are two pairs I absolutely need. And so, it's just been really cool, like,
01:13:40
Speaker
This conversation was was really, really dope, in my opinion. and hearing his journey and like working within the school system here in New York, hearing the craziness about charter schools. But i i really implore you to check out some of his episodes of his podcast conversations with Zoe because he really sits down with lot of people.
01:14:04
Speaker
down with a lot of people that like ran the streets and like how they turn their lives around. you hear the ups and downs and and you hear a lot of life lessons that only he could get out of them because as he said during this episode, you know, he's a sidewalk guy. He's not in the streets. He's watching the streets, but he's not necessarily like in them. And so to be that person that's been able to like maneuver and and like he talked about
01:14:36
Speaker
you know having his brothers be in gangs and stuff like that. it's It was super dope. And so I implore you to check out his podcast.
Patreon Support and Content Creation
01:14:47
Speaker
It's going to be linked in the descriptions of this podcast, of course.
01:14:51
Speaker
um And of course, you know, really appreciate everyone for signing up for the Patreon right now. Really, I just hit 10 paid users or paid you know, members of the patron and I appreciate every one of y'all.
01:15:07
Speaker
Don't forget, you can sign up to be patron member with patreon.com slash my first kicks. And of course you get a shout out at the end. Like you're going to get a shout out here.
01:15:18
Speaker
But I also want to say, because we hit 10, I got an episode coming. Should be recording it either this week or next week. But it's this month's episode. It's going to be with AD Sneaks. He just dropped his book. So we're going to talk about that. If you want, if you're watching this, and i appreciate you for getting to the end of this episode. If you're watching this and you've got any questions you want me to answer, on that Patreon episode, it's going to be a Patreon-exclusive episode.
01:15:46
Speaker
please, please either email me, info at myfirstkicks.com or shoot me a DM on any of the platforms that you preferably use. And then also, got to continue to keep pushing this, but if you want to be part of the actual show, like part of the show, all you have to do you can write in or send in an audio message from My First Kicks about your My First Kicks story, info at myfirstkicks.com.
01:16:15
Speaker
I will implement it into the show. And if you want to like you know help out your boy re if you want a hell all boy, leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I will also read that at the end of the show as well um with the Patreon shoutouts. So let's start them off.
01:16:34
Speaker
And you too, going to say it again, you too can be a Patreon fan. You too can get a Patreon shoutout and be a patron by signing up for Patreon at patreon.com slash myfirstkicks.
01:16:47
Speaker
So let's start all. We got Plox. We got Samia. We got Derek Hawkins. We got Derek Lipkin. We got ah Derek Hawkins, Derek Lipkin, Ross Adams, Ross Neustadter.
01:17:06
Speaker
Um... Jesse, Jesse G, Adam Butler. Check out MSR. I should be on an upcoming episode. It's definitely not when this episode drops. And then we got Jordan Kaiser back again.
01:17:22
Speaker
And we got a new one. Shout out to Sean. Sean hates you. um big He's been so's been supporting me for a ah long time from GetUponThis 2.0. So appreciate y'all for signing up for the Patreon. Patreon.com is only $5, $5 month.
01:17:40
Speaker
It goes ah extremely long way. It gets me into the studio, pays me back for spending my money at the studio. I'm trying to expand this a a lot more. I'm trying to add um more stuff to the Patreon. I got a newsletter. I wrote a freaking newsletter for last week's episode, and that got chopped.
01:18:01
Speaker
Patreon let me down, man. Patreon let me down. i had spent maybe like two hours writing a full newsletter, putting pictures about the hyperflights, about the hyperpauses, about the Koda episode and going to the studio session with Koda.
01:18:18
Speaker
It was like super dope. And I'm thinking like, yo, I'm going to have you know this saved. like it's gonna I can just come back to it and finish it up before I drop the episode last week.
01:18:29
Speaker
No. got clipped. So it is what it is. I'm going to write another one. I'm recording this on a Wednesday that's ending on a Wednesday. So hopefully I can write this tomorrow.
01:18:41
Speaker
Write that newsletter tomorrow and it'll be a dope experience. so Please sign up. That's free. The Patreon newsletter is free. So sign up for that. And of course, if you want to check out more of this podcast, check out these two episodes here. Subscribe to the podcast. Help help me get to 2,000 subscribers by the end of this month. Let's do this. Let's get it. Let's get it.
01:19:04
Speaker
And you know we say each week? Wear your kicks. Peace.