Shownotes Transcript
All right, welcome back to another episode of the 611 Podcast. Jimmy Rollins, co-host Ryan Howard, today in ATL. Yes, sir. You know, the all-star games here in ATL. You're a resident of ATL. This is correct. But a true Atlanta man. Yes, sir. Waka Flocka Flame. Man. In the building today. Waka. Jimmy Rolls. Waka. Let's go, bro. Hey. Hey, real talk, bro. That was my walkout song.
I used to come out to that hard in the paint, bro. I peeped, man. Look, I always used to try to go with music that was going to get the crowd kind of going into it. But I was like, bro, when you got cash from the other team coming up to you, like, bro, that was big moments for me, bro. Because anytime they played that, I was about to do some damage.
We go out to dinner, we go out to the club, artists come in, all of a sudden the music change. You know what I'm saying? But in sports, we get to actually choose what we want. Yeah. Because it means something. It's like this puts me in that zone. So when Rod came out to it for me, that was a big man song. I couldn't come out to Hardin and Payne. I'm hitting singles. You know what I'm saying? He show up, he doing something, so it made sense. But when you hear that your song meant something...
What is that? Honestly, I don't got no feelings on it.
I promise. But it's funny that he got the same feeling I had making it. I mean, I said, yo, I just want to hear something. First thing I thought about was like Gladiators. I wanted to think like if he was in a college team sitting in the back while they get ready to like go to fight. I thought for LeBron because it was like LeBron because the theme was like on some, what if I was LeBron in a paint and then the game is like down to 10 seconds. It was one of those. It was a moment kind of record.
But now it's like, dang, what if people don't get it like this? I'm like, forget it. I'm going hard to pay anyway. Right. Yeah. And it rubbed off like that. And so to hear him say that, and he hints it, I'm like. Yeah. That was it. That was exactly it. That was exactly it. It's just a feeling. It was like. And I'm like, we about to win. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Because it felt like you about to win.
Yeah, I got a, man, we should look into them kind of instruments. Bro, I'm telling you, man, because it was like when that first beat dropped, like you said. Bro, you know something is about to happen. And they roll that.
Yeah. And then I yelled. That was important for us. I remember I record, I said, bro, we got to take the beat out. And let me say, fucker. And just say a couple of lines and hit. Because I think about if you're running out in a tunnel or anything, and it's them last words. And like, fucker. And then I go, boom. And you're running like, yeah. That's that moment. It just give you like the...
It definitely was inspired by some gladiators. Some gladiators in sports. That's definitely what it was. So for rappers, how important is it for you to have that piece? What does it mean? First, it's important if you make it a part of your image. But, you know,
these stars shine man yeah yeah so it's all kind of the stars that glow that glow and shine and to me it just put that it's just put the the spice on the rice right i have some pieces i like them a lot yeah you gotta have some pieces had to all right so we're gonna talk about acuna oh yeah that's nice oh yeah that's crazy oh he killed that yeah
With the Gucci links? Yeah, he got the arm sleeve on there. That's some work right there. The pocket out and everything. That's nice. I mean, when I first saw it, I was like, yeah. And I've never seen too many chains with that coloring. Yeah, look good. He got a 10. He got a 10 on that. Oh, okay. Ah, well played. Baby trumpets. Okay, yeah, yeah. So his walkout music is that... Nah, nah, nah. Yeah. I'm not going to lie. Yeah. Hey.
Hey boy, good one. I would've made the back of the chain look like a baseball though. That's a good point. Well played. That's a good point. I'll give him an 8.5 for that. Oh wow. See, it's the character. It ain't about just blinging. They steal the character. That's what make it fun. Chaz got a 10. That's a 10 for sure.
Even the chain is fire. The chain is fire, too. Interesting. It's nice. Yeah, isn't it? It's nice. It's heaven. Oh, Juan Soto. Juan Soto. Yeah, that thing hard. Gold bat. Yeah, gold bat. Yeah. I mean, they got the whole... He got the hand across the chest. He cold with it. Yeah, he dribbled. That's nice right there. Yeah. That's nice right there. He dribbled. He dribbled. The silver surfer one. Yeah, that's nice. He dribbled. He got a 10 for that. I like that. For sure. That's dope. So...
A little bit on the music. When you're making music, do you have a thought going into the studio or are you sitting, you picking beats, trying to find what you want to hear to rap to what you already have planned or you hear the music and then it starts talking to you? Well, back then, I didn't care. I was just like, all right, get this out of my... It was just... Then, when I was younger, it was more so, if I don't get this out, I'm going to crash. Right. So I had to get it out before I crashed. In today's time, it's more like...
Let's just go in there and do something.
Now you're subconscious, right? You got kids, business. You're like, damn, I say this. But it's still, to me, I still use it as anger management or counseling. It's an expression. Like, now I got to get this out of me. Sometimes I want to rap with the politics stuff. But then I don't fully know the truth. So it's hard to talk about something that I don't fully know the truth. And I'm the kind of person that don't want to affect nobody with art.
I don't want my art to be a misery because it's kind of wrong. You know what I'm saying? I grew up like that. I had to grow up in a society where people were like, oh, let's talk slavery today. Whole time, y'all talking about my aunts, my uncles, my grandparents, my aunties. That hurt. But who would need to teach you my hurt? So I never wanted to make my art feel like that for other people. That's why I stayed in the club. So people would notice I always wanted to just be in a party. I never wanted to be a part of the top 10, the top five, the top this. Because I'm like, bro, I'm not doing that. Because...
Art could be real. That's real because I say it all the time, especially to the kids. What you're listening to, over time, you start believing it. You start seeing it. You start acting it out. It's not on purpose, but if you're listening to it all the time, all the time, it becomes who you are. And it's very important that, especially when you have kids,
Sometimes you got to turn that station. It's like, I like it, but you can't listen to this. It's going to get to a point where you will, but you're not going to do it in front of me and it's not going to happen today. I know myself, I was inspired by music. I love music. I played instrument. I was in a band, but I was just much better in baseball. And I was like, bro. So I understood the power and influence of music. So to hear you say that, like, you know, why you chose the lane and why you didn't get outside that, that's big. Because as you know, I mean.
- I lied. - Cap, cap, cap. They ain't ready for this and that. It's like, come on, you gotta evolve. You're not living that life no more. You know, so to hear-- - But you don't know if it's real or fake, though, as a kid. That's the cold part. So that's the part I really do know, though. People be like, yo, the kids listen. I'm like, but--
People not wrong, because when I was younger, I was listening to music. I didn't know nothing. When I listened to rock music, I used to be like, oh, they love the devil. They just biting bats. It's crazy. We grew up with the Marilyn Manson stuff. But then when you're seeing hip hop, you're seeing Timbaland Boots. Like, yo, son, we on side. Like, New York was jumping in. But then Atlanta started coming in. And Atlanta, what Atlanta did, I'm telling you, man, the South...
Like, Georgia, man, Georgia actually saved the corruption of music. I'm telling you, man. Because what Georgia did was put the comedy back in it, put the humor back in it, put the party back in it. But then when I come in, it made it like, okay, it's party, but it's gangsta. But I didn't let the media...
Take the gangsta of me. I took that back. I'm like, Tom, are y'all not about to make me the new Suge Knight? No way, bro. I'm not trying to be this. I'm a product of my environment, but I like to party, so I took the party route. But when I took the party route, I started seeing music come to drill and emo.
See, my music was like a mixture of drill, emo, and party in one. So that's why I connected with all demographics of kids because we all experienced that. Now, if I would have just made it gangster, it wouldn't have been to everybody. It would have just been a black thing. But I started seeing the emos come up, the rock come up, the this come up, all based off what route I took. So I'm like, dang, that's crazy. And I watch people follow me. I watch coming to clubs where people used to have haircuts to...
Black kids growing dreads, white kids growing long hair and going like this, like rocking. They was already doing them. I'm like, dang, changing their hairstyle? But you young, you just going with the flow. But I know me, I was the kind of person like, yeah, I created this. I created the Globetrotters. I was like, yo, we going with the flow. But it was love though. I still seen kids as could be kids. Nah, that's what's up. Who were some of your biggest inspirations? Obviously being down south.
Being here in Atlanta, a hotbed. A lot of the musicians you just mentioned, you got Outkast, you got Ludacris, everybody down here. Who were those folks? Oom Camp. Boot Camp? Oom Camp. Oom Camp for sure. No, Boot Camp was there, but that's up there. I loved Oom Camp. I loved Keough Ali. I loved Lil Jon. I loved Ludacris. I loved Sammy Sam.
I just love the party of it. Baseball was lit then, bro. We was playing in the hall growing up. Y'all was lit, but y'all get to that first round and be out. Yeah, that's fast. But y'all got it with 22? Y'all won? Do you celebrate that still? Yeah, that's crazy. You celebrate the 20? It was like, ooh. All right, but let's...
Let's get into something, some of your passions. And we're going to talk about your Collecticon. Oh, yeah, I love it. Right. So I don't know nothing about that. Please. Educate me. Collecticon. Collecticon.
I love most of our card games, right? Yeah. So you got to think, we grew up in an era of the cards. The baseball cards, the basketball cards, the football cards. It was the truth. But I came from an era of Pokemon. Pokemon, where I learned actually how to be a salesman. I made my first thousand dollars off Pokemon cards.
Right? Because I used to live in Georgia, and when I went to New York for the summer, one of my boys was like, "Yo, let's go to Chinatown." He's like, "Walker, let's go." He said, "Where are you going?" He said, "Bro, we were catching two school buses to get to school back then. Why not?" I'm like, "What's that?" He said, "Pokemon cards." I'm like, "Oh, go it." Right? So my boy taught me how to get Pokemon cards, like not original, but you can make them
make it look good. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Right. So I scraped up my first thousand dollars doing that and it was over with. But I love Pokemon because what Pokemon did for me in my life was I felt like Ash.
And all the Pokemon's like, oh, all the things that I could capture and create and manifest. So I treated it like ideas. So Pokemon told me how to use my imagination. Go somewhere bigger than where you was and where you at. And then I fell in love with Zelda. Link was the same way. So that's why I say games is not bad. Because if you get a game that's adventurous and make you think with imagination, then it's a bigger thing. So when I heard about Collecticons,
I went to Shoe Con or something, like Sneak Con. Yeah. They was like, yo, man, you know, they got, my boy was like, look at these kids dressing in costumes and this. But the whole time, they ain't go lozering, man. Like, damn, bro.
I'm like, "Yo," and that's when it clicked. I'm like, "Yo, I got to go in there." And I'm like, "All right, cool." I tried. Then another thing, I get on the airplane, I read this magazine, this guy was talking about, "I'm a father, I'm a husband, I got this, and I'm not happy."
You know what I'm saying? It's one of those back in the day. I read it, but he had a good passage in there, though. He was like, yo, I had to go back to everything that I loved as a kid. Right. And that's when I went to Pokemon. I swear to God, I played Pokemon. It reminded me like, damn, Walker. Like, happy, bro. Like, just playing the game. So I went back to that. I'll never leave it. Like, Pokemon is life.
I love it. How much of that have you taken to being able to add that to your artistry? I just did a Charizard song. I'm actually about to drop it. Okay. Probably Friday. Okay. Facts. You heard it here first. Yes, sir. Charizard. Charizard. So who is he? Charizard is a fire type Pokemon. He comes from Charmander, Charleon. So Charmander is a Pokemon that grows to level 16 and he turns into Charleon.
And from 16 to 36 or 35, he turned into Charizard. That's like his master evolving. So it's like a dragon that blow fire out of his mouth. So that's you. Yeah. Evolution. Look, it's crazy, bro. That was my favorite Pokemon as a fire. Then people start calling me Waka Flocka Flame. So like fire always. So it was already there. It was already there. It's crazy, bro. Like the analogy of fire in my life. That's crazy. It's just crazy.
Yeah, the world's going to speak to you. You know what I'm saying? You just got to listen. And recognize the signs. And when you do, it's a beautiful thing. They playing these Pokemon. I'm playing Madden, playing RBI, whatever. Pokemon. And look, I just wasn't going to spend the time to play it. You got to understand the story. It's like Dragon Ball Z. And that's what I wasn't going to try to do. Yeah, you got to. You know what I'm saying? I grew up in it. Yeah. It's just...
It was nothing. But I respect it. I get it now. You know, as an adult. But as a kid, I'm like, I'm about to go play ball. I ain't doing nothing. Then it blew up with trading cards. I still got all my cards. Like, I got cards worth some money on. I'm talking about thousands. What's your favorite card? Whether it's the value of it, but what's your favorite card? I think Charmander cards. I like Charmander. Charmander, Gengar's.
Snarlag, some Jigglypuffs, Mewtwos. You said Jigglypuffs. Jigglypuffs. Man, I'm getting education today. I don't know nothing about it. I didn't do Pokemon. They had Pikachu in the baseball booth. They had the Pikachus out there on the field. Oh, they did? Yeah, they did. A whole bunch of them. So I know about it in that nature, but like I said, I was...
Now, was Pokemon, was that the one where they had cats running all around different states trying to find a little- That was me, bro. That was you? That was me. So that was Pokemon. I'm about to call out, that was me. I came up front. That was me, man. We need a soundtrack. We doing a Pokemon Go MLB release in there, right? That's right. That's right. So we need a soundtrack. That's right. Dang, that might be a fire game though. MLB Pokemon? Yeah.
Whoa, that might be fire. You heard it here first on the 6-1-1 podcast. Yeah, that's good. Yeah, see, you're already going with it. Let me tell you, in sports, I know this, bro. Everybody's bench, the MLB bench, bro, you really can't find out what they got going on in there. Nah, nah. It's in the dugout. It's real. It's away from everything. What happens in it? So we were talking about this. I wish I had any cameras in there. It could be anything.
It could be last night. It could be what's going on tonight. Now, if it's a no hit or something like that, then ain't nothing really being said. Because baseball players are superstitious. I'm not one of them, but I wasn't going to be the one to get blamed. Right. You know what I'm saying? I'm not going to do something that I know goes against that cardinal rule, those unwritten rules. I'm not going to be the one. Right. But-
I mean, about the 5th, 6th inning, we looking at dinner reservations. We ain't going to even lie. Where are we going? We're looking at dinner reservations. Did you talk to him? It's a late game. We got reservations here. Where are we going out after that? Did you go make that phone call? Nope. Run upstairs, go, you know, wherever you got to do to get you in. Are you home? See, bro, if you're home on the road, like,
Hey, did you talk to such and such on the other team? You got that set up? Like, are we good? Where are we going? I knew it. Because you play so many games. And you're in the city for three to four days. Yeah. You know, baseball, if I had to think of like, all right, baseball to me was like the most preppiest one. For sure. Right? For sure. Baseball was the preppiest. But then you get like jockeys. To me, that was football players.
Right, right, right, right. The guys that want to be hip all the time was like basketball players. Basketball, right. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And then you got like the prestige guys, like the soccer players. So I met all three of them. When I met the baseball players, I'm like...
"Hey, D, buy Steve." - Yeah, yeah. - 'Cause, bro, they organized. It's not like, why is it like, "Look, bro, look, bro, we can't have all those cameras and stuff, but we ain't doing nothing crazy." It was more humble here. - No, for sure. - So basketball was competition, football, it was like-- - We see it in basketball, for sure. - Football was more so, "Yo, don't be talking about it, this my vibes." Soccer was like, "Yeah, we can't be seen doing this." But then, with baseball, people was like, "It was sick." Like, "All right, bro, we about to do this. This weekend, we gotta go do this." I'm like, "Oh, yeah, this is..."
That's for sure. - They're supposed to play baseball. - We got the cities, we got three days in the city, every game starts at seven o'clock. - Every game. - And they're supposed to go to some sightseeing area. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, we gonna get out there. So, but I mean, so if it's not nothing special, I mean, don't get me wrong, you got the baseball talk, you know, mad at the umpire, cursing the umpire out. - Right, asking about pitches, all that kind of stuff. - Yeah, you know, if I see someone like, I'm sitting right there in Charlie's face,
huffing and puffing. You know, you're like, yeah, yeah, okay, son. I'm thinking of you. Actually, Charlie would be funny because Charlie would come up to you. Like, if you were a pitcher or something like that, and, like, you gave up a home run, he'd come over to me and Jimmy and be like, pitch would be right there. He'd be like, so what's he supposed to do to that ball? They hit it off our guy. And we'd just be like...
He was laughing. But it was all in fun, though. It was all in fun, though. So we had a lot of freedom. But for real, like most of the conversations, like after the baseball stuff, was, yeah, what's lined up. Baseball players, it's crazy. They're like the most maturest.
I think we have to be. You have to. I hate to say it like that. I respect. Just from my little career, I've seen baseball players, they always had a little more respect. Just like didn't like it.
I'll say it to this. I'm doing that hot in your dirty lines. What are you talking about? He mic'd up. We mic'd up. Hey, Rule 23. Rule 23. Rule 23 he mic'd up. Hey, what did you say? I don't know what you're talking about. No, but I will say this. I think, as you pointed out, in baseball…
It was always and always has been the team across the front. That's what you represent. When other sports, which I find out, it's about the individual star.
the competition. Like, is there a competition? Yeah. Like he go get a Ferrari. Okay. I might go get something, you know, just we, we compete in that way, but on a field, it's not really as much. And off the field, like we together, 190, 195 days out of 365 days. So it's like, we, we ain't got no time to really be doing all this stuff in between. And we have to really be a fan. That's why baseball is super rich. Yeah. This guy's working all the time.
All the time. And we're not trying to be like you. We're not trying to work. Right. We're trying to be on some ownership. And then we addicted, right? You try to slow down. You get restless. It's nice to argue with your girl. It's like, baby, just get out the house. I'm about to say, go somewhere. Go get some help. If fashion is your thing, eBay is it.
eBay's where I find all my favorites, from handbags to iconic streetwear, all authenticated. For real. This time, a little Supreme, some Gucci. I even have that vintage Prada on my watch list. That's why eBay's my go-to for all my go-tos. Yeah, eBay. The place for new, pre-loved, vintage, and rare fashion. eBay. Things people love. Hey. Right. Going on that college tour. Yeah. Talk about it.
Talk about it. The college story for me, I think they robbed me from my youth. What the music business did to me is like, I'm not gonna lie, bro. It's wrong. I don't even talk about it. What they did to me and my family, bro, it's to the point where I never even wanted to talk about it. So I focused...
More so like right in my wrongs. Like when people are like, yo, Walker, I like drill music started with you. Like Chicago wouldn't have drill music. And they make me in the inside. I don't like that. Because then you start feeling like you was a soundtrack to all the killings. Right. Then you see the drill music in New York, everywhere around the world. You be like, damn, I actually like, I don't want to say I started it, but hey, damn sure you was on the sign for it. Right. So when I went to like colleges and then
different kind of colleges, I got to see different kind of nationalities and how they are from the very beginning, from white kids to Jewish kids to Indian kids to foreign exchange kids to even black kids. Because it's mad black kids. I grew up, I ended up being around them. I'm like, damn, I never even hung around black people like y'all. You know what I'm saying? So I understood, damn, I didn't grow up around being civilized. And then on top of it, these kids are the future of America.
So at least as an artist, I could go there and show them morality. I could show them, have empathy, go in there and take pictures and be a good human. Because at the end of the day, they still develop it.
So no matter how rich, how famous y'all see me be, I'm still humble enough. I can sit here and talk to y'all. I'm still humble enough. And to me, that gives me more energy because you fighting for your spot. You fighting to pay your bills. You fighting to keep your sanity. But then you get around a group of kids that you ain't even looking like. It ain't, it's just straight pure entertainment. Like, right.
And it's just like, damn, they grasping something out your mind. It's more so of like that. That's the feeling I get. Like, damn, they actually want to hear I did. They want to hear a quote. They want to hear where I'm stuck here. Like kids act all the time like, look, man, I'm in school for this, but do it make sense? I'm like, nah, this really makes sense. Make sure you got economics. Make sure you got some kind of business degree just to know corporate structure. Because, man, they're fast forward. I got kids that work for Procter & Gamble, this, that, that.
Like, walk, I remember my first da-da-da-da. Or I could be in a deal and five or three people at the table like, yo, bro, we partied together. Look at this picture. That right there helped out. To me, that's what I wanted. I did it for the longevity of it. That's all it was. And to me, that's the love. That's like the...
That's the core of it all. And then plus, you get to go to the bar. After we do all that. After we do all that, that's that dugout talk. The young kids, they give me more depth to talk to a white guy. We out of touch. We out of touch because they erased it. It's gone. Bro, you got to think. When we was kids, when people say FaceTime, you're in the future. You get on a phone call, you're in the future. Your car got a screen, you're in the future.
Hello kids. We in our future. So no, and our future feel like they're like, like, I'd rather be like in the woods. I like country stuff. I noticed that I don't like big cities. Like I had to, as a man, I had to realize that people like, yo, slip Miami. Yo, we was on a yard and this. I'm like, this is not fun, bro. Like,
It's crazy. I'm an activity guy, so I learn. I'm just country. So if I'm in a country, I'm down with that. I'm down with driving trucks and hauling stuff and helping people move. I'm just a country...
I'm just country, bro. Is that something that, like, you know that about yourself. But then, like you said, you're a rapper. And it's always this image that they want to push this. And you find that. So that never happened to you. You were good. It's over. It's over. Like, I've seen that, what you're saying. When I was younger, right? When I get back to Georgia, people are like, yo, you got to move. I'm like, I'm not trying to move. I'm trying to go to the Braves game, the Falcons game, the Hawks game.
and a land of United game. I want to be a founding member. That's the part in life that I'm ready for. That's tough, man, because you get lost in a lot of this stuff. Because even with what we did,
that fame, the fortune. - You in a bubble? You live in a bubble. - Yeah, you can get lost with that, but that's dope, man. You can stay grounded and stay who you are. - I didn't want this. I literally didn't want this, bro. - So how did that happen? - You didn't want it. - Just being down to your last dollar. But I know if I told myself, I do music,
I want to talk, what I call high-class Ebonics. I love talking ghetto to me. I love talking with Ebonics only because it's a lot of people in the world that understand that. A lot of people don't understand this high language of grammar because I've met people that's high scholars that can't even accomplish it with a person that's dumb, basically, I'd say. And then I just, I love it, man, because when you talk Ebonics, it's more expressive. Like, you can feel it better. He's like, yes, Ebonics.
Technically. Shut up, Professor Hope. Be quiet. But Ebonics, to me, it shows morality and it shows you who you are when you got to compare things to other things because your grammar is not big enough. I love that. I love two-syllable things. All these five-syllable words. I'm not doing it, brother. Sorry. I leave it for my kids to be great. I'm not doing that. And to me, that's what kept me with the people.
I used big words. Because we didn't come around. Nobody used big words. So I was using it to expand my vocabulary and my education, knowing that when you get in those rooms, you're not about to blow me away with some fancy word. I'm going to let you think I don't know it. Because I want to see what you're made of. But I was doing it for that purpose of also my friends around me like, look, you got to know these words. If we're trying to get rich when we're kids, trying to get rich, this is how they're going to be talking. Right.
It ain't going to be a lot of us. Watch this though. So that's how we're going to be talking. Y'all just caught the alley-hoo. Now, you see what y'all said? Mm-hmm. Guess what I seen? See, bro, one day I was watching movies. And you notice every time in movies, right? No matter if they black in a white environment, a young white kid in a rich white environment, people in rich environments are still intrigued of why you here, how you here, and what you sound like. Mm-hmm.
So if you stuck on trying to use their language, then you have no excitement in conversation. People are more excited for who you are as a character. And they're like, what you mean? Let me break it down for you. Let me give you an analogy. What kind of sports you like? People tell you sports. This is what I mean by this and that. And they be like, oh, I like this guy. Right, right, right. So that's your power. You got to think, man. You coming into a room, you're a frog. They never seen frogs before.
But they got a perception of frogs. But when a frog come in here talking, that's a different environment. When you start breaking your words down to people that never understood it or they thought they understood it, they're like, wow, there's actually people in this environment that's actually... And that's why I bought the music. No matter... I remember starting people like, Walker, you're the dumbest person. I'm like, dumb? I run hula hoops around, y'all. Cool. You finished college and school? Let me see how far you about to get. And that's what got me to where I was at, dog. Like...
I'm still going. Yes, you are. So, yeah, bro, you still, yes, you are definitely still going. I mean, you got the residency in Vegas. Yeah. So, we got, what else? We got a tour coming up. Yeah. In what, South America Euro Tour? Yeah. Got the college tours. I just got my passport back. I mean, you talking about, you trying to, which one? I'm asking you a question.
Y'all went out of the country, right? What did it do for y'all brain? Did it like... Bro, it's a whole different animal. It expands you. It opens your eyes. It's a whole different animal. Because, I say it, in the States, we're brainwashed to think that we're the best. And then you go other places, and you're like, I don't know who that is. I love my country. Right.
But you can't sit there and say we're the best. We were just in Japan. They live in light years ahead of us. The technology, the cleanliness, you know, they still have a culture of respect. We just don't have that here. Simplicity. Very simple. So it's like every time I go there, it gives me a different view on life. Like things that...
We used to do as kids. They still do. I'm watching 19 year olds with other 19 year olds jump on public transportation, riding bikes down the street in a major city, going to school with a little briefcase. I'm like anywhere in the world. I'm sending my kids to school with another nine year old to get on public transportation. But they still are on that out there. They're not going to make it back. But so when I see that.
I'm like, I wish we had this here. You know, there's a sacrifice. There's a cost for it. That's what I'm saying. My kids, they'll never know that. Never. I couldn't wait to get on the bus because I knew the homies was going to be on the bus on the way to school or to football practice. That's what it was. Now, if they're not in the car with us, they're not going. Right. They're not going. But so...
When I see that, just different lifestyles. We have our history. We have our culture. They have the same. They're teaching themselves the same thing that we're teaching ourselves here. But once you get outside of that and you're able to be an outsider, you're able to really, I think, open your mind's eye to the world is bigger than just the place you live in. Like Germany, bro. And parts of Europe, they still love the essence of hip hop. They still love the way that... Yo, it's crazy, man.
I think American artists, we could get some real hip-hop history lessons based off the taste of people outside of America. Right. Because they love the old school of old school. Except the hip-hop part of it. Oh, for sure. The lyrical, da-da-da-da, they on that heavy. Yeah. But it's funny because when I listen to the European rappers, a lot of their cadence, I mean, their cadence is damn near the same. Yeah. It's A, B, C, D.
D-E-F-G. And they repeat it. But if you're able to take that part out and listen to what they're saying, they're still really trying to be lyricists. And that part I appreciate. Because I say it all the time. Everybody can't be gangster all the time. Every single person. It can't
be. Rob Markman: That's what they feeding us. They just feeding us that. Michael R.R. Yeah. Rob Markman: You just got to know this era, pages and underground to get to the real sauce food hip hop. It's still here. I'm going to be honest to you. When people say, "Music is not ..." No, the mass ...
The masses is pushing that style to you. It's still great music out here. I'm telling my bro, there's some good artists out here. They just don't have the tools to collect the minds to listen to them. That's really what it is. And when you don't have tools, you lack confidence. So your music is not as creative as it should be. But when you got the confidence, as all y'all know how it is, you get on this field. Like if you don't got the confidence from people, you ain't hitting the same no more. If you don't feel like, yeah, they know I'm up.
They give you that extra. And that's part of entertainment, man. You got to know somebody laughing at your joke in order for you to feel funny. We're going to go into the banana boat ritual segment. So it's well documented that baseball players, we have our little rituals, our pregame routines and whatnot. So you just mentioned before baseball,
Getting into performances and obviously knowing what you need to do to, the people got to know your joke, right? So before you get into performing, what type of rituals or pre-performance or pre-show routines did you have? Yeah, my pre-game, I have, in my dressing room, I got to have people. Hmm.
I got to fill the party in order to go to the party. So I always let people in, not just girls. Like, yo, male fans, like, yo, what up, bro? Take a picture. Or people behind. Like, I got to make my dressing room like a party. I have to. Like, if I have a dressing room that's just quiet, it's just me, I'll be like, this is about to be a bad show. Every time.
That's why I don't like touring a lot though. Big tours, it's secluded. It's not a party. So I got to have a party in the back. It got to be like a mini party. Yo, let's take some shots. Yo, what's up? I got to record music like that, everything. It has to be. That's always my pre-games. It got to be a mini party.
Has there ever been one where you did it and you didn't have that before? Which made you realize, like, yo, this is my vibe that I got to have for this now. It's always like, it always got them knickknacks that, like, yo, we don't want nobody back. I'm like, yeah, you need to get some people back here immediately. Because think about life without partying. What is it worth without your birthday party?
Your kid's birthday party, your mom's, your brother's, your cousin's, your aunt's, a club. Celebrating life. Yeah. So the party is celebrating life for you. It's celebration. It's that moment you have to be there. Right. You have to celebrate. You have to create celebration. Even when I didn't have it, I created small celebrations. I always took celebration up and up and up and up and up. I still didn't do the perfect party that I want. And it's coming. It's coming. Oh, it's coming.
Speaking of on the way, what we got new coming out for you, Flocka? We got a new album. What we talking about? What we got? I definitely putting new music out this year, but what I'm more so excited about is putting a sit-down restaurant in my neighborhood in Riverdale. Oh, that's what's up. Yeah, I'm excited about that.
I ain't get up. It's already in the works? Oh, yeah. I'm almost done right now. Oh, foundation up everything? Oh, yeah. Oh, we can talk about that. Okay. I'm in Riverdale. I wanted to get like a super big restaurant, but I'm like, you know something, why don't you take your time and be humble? So I put it in. People are like, oh, no, you can't go back to your hood, man. Open up your hood. I'm like, well, I never left. I was inside. My neighbor went down. I'm like, damn.
I don't got nowhere to sit down and eat food. It's crazy, bro. I was sitting there getting all the fast food, still eating the fast food junk. I'm like, nah, hell no. So I wanted something that you could come sit down and feel like you in the what Riverdale is going to be kind of store. And I feel like I'm creating that. What type of food are we talking about? We're talking about some high level, mid-level, southern food, comfort food? It's not expensive. It's affordable, tasteful food.
You know, I got the lamb chops, you know, the steak, the seafood, the good brats, you know. Shout out to Chef Corey. Always ask this question, because we in Atlanta. Because you in the restaurant, but where does seafood come from in Atlanta? Y'all got to fly there. You got to fly there every time. Oh, yeah. I'm getting that fresh seafood there. Yeah. Yeah. All day. From the bay. From the bay. When are we looking at that being open? The breakfast muffins. Oh, man.
When's that going to open though? Yeah. I mean, you showing us when it's going to open. That's all I want to know. What we're talking about. By my birthday. By your birthday? I say June. I'm getting on June. Oh, so we right around the corner. Oh, so you really right there. Oh, for sure. I fixed it one time. Right? I cut it out again. I was open a year ago. So one time I fixed it and I look, I was like, nah, this ain't allowed. Yeah. Nah.
gut it. Yeah. Right. Then I found stuff in there and I was just, I don't know, man. I ain't even trying to make money off it either. Right. I promise. It could literally pay everybody that worked it and even now, I'm happy. As long as the people got something. I want the hospitality to sell itself. I want somebody to walk in here because I like when I go somewhere, it ain't about being a walker. Fuck it. Walk up.
I already know what you want, bro. You want like a salt and pepper. Or they be at the bar talking to this guy like, I already know what kind of drink you want. Like, I want that feeling because being from an environment, you never feel like, you know what I'm saying? Like, you get that importance. So that's big. Like, everybody at work, I'm like, hey, this is big for y'all to know y'all people.
because you want them to... You know what I'm saying? It's just hospitality. Customer service. You want that service, man. You want that spot where everybody can feel like, hey, bro, this is home. This is that spot to come over here and come eat. You know what I'm saying? The 2022 chips. Ah, there you go. He living on that. Hey, I mean, last time we got 108. But if we end... Y'all not getting it this year. I'm just going to keep it 100. I got a question, too. Hold on. I just...
Y'all got a good squad. Y'all got some good players. It's just this thing's going to be all year. We're just going to leave it right there. All-stars here in Atlanta this year. Ooh, I got a great point. Good point. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that. Are we going to see the potential of Waka Flocka fame in a celebrity all-star softball game? Ooh, man, count me in right now. And what can we expect? Man, count me in. I mean, you know, we can do a lot of talent here. I'm going to build my coordination lane.
I'm building right now. Let them say, Walker, we want you in a softball game. Oh, it's done. It's done. I'm about to hit Rob right now. I'm hitting Rob and Noah right now. As soon as it's done, I'm hitting Rob and Noah like it's on. We all know you from Atlanta. The 2025 All-Star Game is going to be here in Atlanta.
You know, we trying to go around and get all 80 aliens people of influence in Atlanta and Walker We want to officially invite you to the MLB cap suite
The cap is not cap. It's the commissioner's ambassador program, me and Rod, a co-chair. So we're trying to curate this week. We want you to come through. My man already invited you to play in the All-Star game. You're going to be ready. He's in. We want you to be Atlanta, Atlanta all the way through. We want to see all of it. So you heard it here. It's official. If we don't get you in, it's his fault.
Yeah, but I mean, you good. You good with me. I need that. Yeah, for sure. Now, we're going to take a look at some first pitches. This is a baseball show after all. We're going to take a look at some first pitches, whether they're infamous or famous. Right. You know, and I want to get your thoughts. Well, one, can you throw a baseball? I think we'll have to find out. Oh, we're going to have to find out. Okay.
He's not confirming. Yeah, he's not confirming nor denying. That sounds like a solid no to me. That sounds like a solid no. But either way, we don't have no evidence whether he can or cannot. But we're going to take a look at this. We're going to start out with Quavo. Yes, sir. You know what I'm saying? He messed up already. He already coming out representing. Is this what we have to look forward to? Yeah. Lefty, I like that. And he's shaking off. He better throw a strike.
That wasn't bad. I mean, that didn't look bad. I mean, he gave the Jordan fist at the end, so you know that was good. Man, that Prince throw. Man, Quay, man, you tripping, man. He should have broke a chain. All right, so one to ten on a scale of one to ten. Three. Three? Damn. Damn, I thought it was good. All right, oh, we got SS00 right here. Yes, sir. Over here in Milwaukee. You know what I'm saying? In Milwaukee. No, this ain't about to be good. Let's see, what's this about?
Oh, okay. Yeah. He's a football coach. He should be able to throw a baseball. That's true. What you got, Walker? Three. A three? You need more velocity. They both throwing like they come on. And we got Luda. Oh, he got the big one. Frank, I love Luda Chris, bro. He was a party. Still a party. Wait, did it came out too?
That face, though. Yeah, 10 for that. He get a 10? All right. He got the little arms. Yes, sir. Little. All right, now we on to Kid Cudi. Oh, he in the whole brave uniform. Oh, that's Cleveland. It's the uniform for me. That's Kid Cudi in the uniform? And uniform. Yeah, he got a full uniform. Man, he looking like. Full uniform. I ain't going to lie.
- I don't know why he played for the Negro League. - I didn't wanna say it. - We were all thinking it. - But we were all thinking it. - He know what I'm saying. - Satchel Paige. - Yeah. - That's what I see. - Satchel Paige. - That's what I see. I'm just gonna leave it there, but I'm glad you said it. - Oh, he put the, oh, pitch out. Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Yeah, he put some like-- - He get a seven, eight.
Oh, they rocked it on the backside. Did he get an eight? Yeah, it's effort in there. Yeah, good form. It just went the wrong way. That's how bonds go. Oh, 50. No, no, no. It's Jackson. Oh, I'm sorry. That's Curtis Jackson. Okay, okay. Gotcha. That's Curtis Jackson. Oh, pitch out. Oh, wow. And the catcher looked at him too, bro. Come on, man.
Wow. What the? Hey, so I ain't gonna even lie. Nah, Fiff. Hey. You got you a plus one. A plus one. A plus one. I'm gonna keep it all the way real because there are some times I went to cover second base and that was my same reaction. You know what? Yeah. Hey. I can't even lie to you. It did. It did. It was even worse than that. It was worse than the catcher, bro. I'm coming in to cover the back. Yeah. And look at me.
My bad, Jay. I'm running, running. I'm like, hey, just straight up. Sometimes you got to run it, bro. And it would be the funniest thing to me. Now it was the funniest thing. He used to be mad. Because the reactions. It was just take off and just kind of sail and go up. And he would just, you could just see his whole demeanor just bad posture. The whole, just instant scoliosis, bro. That was it. Just instant.
Walker, I want to appreciate you coming down, spending some time with us at the 611 Podcast. Spreading knowledge, more importantly, getting to know you as a person for our fans to get to know you. We know you by your music. There's Inspiration Ryan coming out to that big, big man music. Yeah, we got a lock in. Yeah. Yes, sir. But just trying to bring something different to what we do. Baseball is definitely part of the culture.
it doesn't matter what race gender creed when you go to a baseball stadium it's going to be music not only music it's going to be rap music it's going to be hip-hop we're there you know whether you see it on the screen is different but being able to bring these behind the scenes stories have guys come out share who they are makes us even bigger fans so we love the music but meeting you as a humanitarian things you're doing putting kids in college
helping them get to pros, the rest of the rain got coming up. Man, that's all stuff that inspires me because we all look for a second life after what we've done professionally. So to see you still doing it, giving back, man, for sure. Appreciate it. Much respect. Much love. Much love. Appreciate it. Thank y'all, man. I made it. Jimmy and Ryan show, baby. Appreciate you. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.