The Quality of Love Podcast
The Quality of Love Podcast is a space where we empower individuals in toxic relationships with narcissists to transform their relationships into positive ones by providing valuable insights, practical tools, and helpful resources through a podcast.
Hosted by Podcast Magazine's 2022 40 Under 40 Winner, Tyrone Dixon.
The Quality of Love Podcast
Eddie Mitchell Jr's Journey: From Adversity to Empowerment
From navigating a troubled childhood littered with negative influences, Eddie's journey is a testament to the transformative power of sports, purpose, and community support. He openly shares his experiences grappling with mental health issues, the darker side of fame, and the importance of living with purpose. His candidness and resilience are sure to inspire those facing similar battles in their lives. Eddie also discusses the challenges facing today's youth, from the glamorization of adverse role models to unconscious behaviors influenced by social media.
Eddie's story will resonate with anyone seeking to convert their life's trials into a beacon of hope for others. His relationship with his famous father, his perspective on the importance of a supportive partner, and the plans he's making to further the reach of Team Angel show Eddie's commitment to creating a positive influence in his community. Be prepared to take away from this episode a newfound appreciation for the power of perseverance, community engagement, and positive influence.
Your quality of love = Your quality of life #Peace&Love
Welcome to the quality of love podcast. I am your host, tyrone Dixon, nationally certified life and relationship coach, husband, father to two beautiful princesses, and CEO and founder of Roastew Concrete Consulting. Thank you all for taking the time to listen in with us tonight. We really appreciate it, man, when I tell you this episode is about to be epic. I told my boy this episode about to be epic, so we got to make it happen. Before we do, though, I got to say we in the Kenan Center tonight.
Speaker 1:The Kenan Center is an entrepreneurial space that we've come to, that we've been invited to host one of our episodes of the quality of love. It's an extremely amazing space. It's a great space. I would invite anyone who's doing entrepreneurial work to visit the Kenan Center, access it, see what it has going on, because a lot of great things going on. But with that being said, tonight I have an awesome, awesome, awesome guest, someone who is a tremendous inspiration to myself as well as individuals in the Syracuse community, someone who I've known since I was a kid going to Southwest, and we'll get into that a little later, but I'll have him introduce himself briefly here.
Speaker 1:Hey, lil Ed, how are we doing, brother? I'm doing good. How you doing man, pretty good man. I appreciate you doing it to me tonight. I appreciate you being here. I appreciate you all you do for the community, man, seriously, I appreciate that and I don't know if you hear it enough, but you definitely deserve your flowers, brother. So we have the quality of love when it gives you those things right away. I appreciate that. What's that for no doubt? Now, listen, I've known you before you became the founder of Trinity Team Angel, the director of Team Angel, the newly appointed JV coach over at Corker High School no, definitely that boy going back home. Shout out to them, kruger. Yeah, I appreciate you being here. But for the audience, the international audience, because, shout out to Panama, y'all still showing love, we still showing up in the top 115 over there in Panama. So we appreciate that love from over there in Panama. We always appreciate it. Keep it coming, keep it going. Before international audience Lil Ed, eddie Mitchell, who are you, eddie Mitchell Jr.
Speaker 2:I'm born in this little Born and raised in Syracuse, new York, product of the city, well known through many things basketball, party and dance, motivational speaking, being a community figure, as they say. Just hands in everything, just trying to get back to my community and be the best I could be Basically, just improve myself as a man daily, learn from mistakes, learn from betrayal, learn from heartbreak, learn from depression. Just trying to endure my time here Because we don't know how long we gonna serve. So I just want to make a stamp while I'm here. Like MLK, marcus Garvey, nat Turner, all of you who made an inspirational in the world, I want to be that little, small piece in the city of Syracuse.
Speaker 1:I'm going to be someone who we remember at a young age, absolutely, somebody who made an impact very early on in their life. You've been doing it for a long time. We were just talking off camera, but my boy had been around for about 14 years now. He been putting in that work 100% and gave you your flowers while we can. Alright, so listen before we get into Team Angel.
Speaker 1:And, by the way, team Angel is an organization that Lil Ed started again about around 14 years ago right, yeah, 14 years ago. And that organization that was started around 14 years ago after Ed realized that he had started to see cuts in the community programs. And we all know when the cuts come the first place they come to areas like ours, right To them, urban areas. So Ed recognized that, he connected with some friends and he was able to now, in 14 years later, create something that's epic for the Syracuse community. But I don't want to talk about that just yet because we're going to do a deep dive in the Team Angel. The first thing I want to talk about is newly appointed Corcoran High School JV, because, dawg, what does that feel like Like? Talk to us about that, tell the people about that.
Speaker 2:First of all, it's really a blessing. It's really kind of pretty cool for a person who ran the halls, person who skipped, had bag raids, played Corcoran quarterback, played point guard, did everything on his side at Corcoran, to actually be able to have opportunity to coach at his old high school where he played, when he put in a lot of pain, a lot of sweat on the court, a lot of battles. I don't have with my peers, but it's really like the coach JV where I played, where I undefeated JV. So I know what it looks like, what it feels like. I played varsity basketball. I played against Greg Paulus. I played against Josh Wright. I played against Andre Blatch. I played against a lot of people who played somewhere. So I never was a person who sat in the bench, I played. I was him, I was the young him. Yes, sir, talk that talk. I was pretty cool.
Speaker 2:But to be a coach in this era now is amazing, because people try to give me the AU coach, try to give me the coach here. I didn't want to do it. I coached at Corcoran 10 years ago, but it was a freshman coach, so it wasn't me, I was still young. I was young, I didn't know what I was doing. I just wanted to be there at Corcoran. I'm happy to be there at Corcoran, I'm cool.
Speaker 2:But now to actually be in the big league, now it's different. Now your eyes on you, people are watching you. You're on a sister varsity. You want to be the news going to be there. So being a player for Corcoran young up it's still. It didn't hit me yet until when I go to the school, I guess when I first practice hits, that's when it really hit me. I'm really coaching while I play. You see on TV. You see like Pingu Hardaway went back to like people, allow them to do more. Like people coach when they play. That you don't see that all the time on TV. You see it like other places. But to have an opportunity yourself to coach where you play, that's to me that's kind of it's God driven.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's God driven man. And you operating on your purpose too. That's the dopest part about it, I think. And then you take it back. You got, you went from somebody who 10 years ago was just trying to do it to now some coach, a legitimate coach. You build up their resume because I ain't no fool, he was getting it in over there. Brighton. Don't even mean my boy be trying to play a little shy, but he was a dominant coach over there in middle school so he didn't pull him up to JV or annoying him that the JV coach or point him to JV coach for no reason. That man know what he doing. You know what he talking about. He know how to work with those youth. So again, shout out to you, man, what are some things that you're looking forward to outside of just being back in the courtroom, being back in the school?
Speaker 2:I've been working in the school for a minute at Corpus O. It's like to be like hands on. Hands on it's more of life skills. Right, right, anybody could do a basketball. I have learned that for myself, being an athlete, and why? A piece of why I do team manager, why I play the team manager, because of me having bad grades, certain situations, or skipping or not, you know, and I have them grades.
Speaker 2:Life comes more than just basketball, right, what I've been doing and what I'm planning on to continue to do is to teach kids about life. Right, you know the dudes that don't stop the downs, the rights, the lefts. Being a young male in the society that we live in job stuff, resumes, college building, entrepreneurship there's being respect for your man in the community. You know learning different things, learning how to use your words wisely, the essence, the swear words and the violation of different situations. These kids don't know how to properly address each other. Right, right, right. The communication piece.
Speaker 2:I want to be more than basketball. You're learning basketball with me, but you're going to have to be a young man. You're going to learn how to grow. You're going to learn how to survive, but my friends there survived. I want to many who survived many things that my friends didn't Right right. So it's very rare in our community. You survived like you're saying, like you know our families and close in the background and see the loss of you in the sink and people. We didn't see them go. Absolutely, bro. People didn't expect you to be like he was a dog too flexible yeah, yeah. But they didn't expect you to be like, no, he could be better. I pass it differently. So my thing is to teach people you know, podcast it and being a life coach and being a respectful husband and being a good man in the community, right, bro.
Speaker 1:I love that man. You're giving me, like a coach, prime vibe. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:That's the energy like, that's the energy lab and I've been before. He can even prime people like not before he, but before he even got his highlight, I was already on that mission, right, and that's always been in me, right. So it's this I love my dad, that's why I got my swag from my father and what and prime too. So he put a little spinning now. So it's Jay Z and Diddy, like they. You know they give me that energy like Russell Simmons, like they give you that energy to be who you is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the powerful black man is not ashamed to be who they are.
Speaker 2:And people don't understand. They like why are you dressed the way you dressed? Why are you moving when you? I'm not wearing a shirt, no, suit and tie, only when I have to. But the kids respect me more for how I am Right, because you're yourself. I'm thinking self like you know, my mom, you need to change the entire. You need to go through this. No, I'm me. The kids love me. I'm going to meet like this and want dressed like this. And why I? Just how I am. The kids love me, right, you know. So that's, that's my, that's my mission. You know, because my students one year. They see the supertoon that they seen the district people coming to the building. They had to talk. They like no, who is the probation or police? Right? Kids only see you dressed up as probation Right.
Speaker 1:You in trouble? Hold on, I'm gonna pause you there, bro, because you just hit something that's like that's a big deal, right? Because in a lot of cases, when you come to those urban schools, urban communities, when you dress up like that, it's like, oh, who you coming to get, right? Who you coming to get, or who in trouble?
Speaker 2:Yes, sir, yes, sir, speak to that who going to, who get arrested or who right who? Probation, yes, sir, but now I'll dress up what is needed. Mm-hmm, I'm saying I'm never gonna dress up. I love to, just, it's so good at this up, but I myself, I want to keep the kids love me, to keep understanding the energy. I talk like them. I talk a language, right, I want to. I'm me, you relatable to, relatable, I'm not, and I'm one thing I'm not trying to do. I don't tell them what to do, I don't talk at them. I want to talk with you, you know. So it's about like all right, I can learn from you, you don't learn from me, you know. So we're going to learn from each other and I'm gonna tell you right from wrong, because you still a kid, right, I want you to get where I'm at, because many kids that I've talked or been around didn't make it this far. Many of them speed the locked up, facing murder charges or the audience in six feet under.
Speaker 1:Right, so you, you looking to really to speak to the whole kid, not just, not just, passable.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no, not just basketball, kid, I want to speak to you, I want to speak to your soul, I want to speak to you. Understand, like yo, like.
Speaker 1:It's not Pacman, you don't get this, not Grand Theft Auto, it's not Pacman, you don't die and come back Right and you have those real experiences to which we're going to talk about team Angel in a minute. But you have those real experiences where you've been in situations where, not for nothing, you was chilling with a friend, right, and then that next day said friend wasn't there really.
Speaker 2:That was the next night next night, next day, right, and then the minute, like I'm leaving, you'll meet your head hour. They don't come in an hour, they go.
Speaker 1:So it's like, all right, like, and that's real, though, like you know what I mean, like that's the reality of your situation and it's why you started Team Angel, and I guess, since we we already had him down there, we might as well get right into the team Angel. So, team Angel, team, avoid negative garbage, enjoy life, what, what, what was that all about? What? How did that all come to fruition? What made you say, like, you know what I want to be the positive beacon for my community. Where did that come from?
Speaker 2:It always in me from fourth grade, so we can go back deeper.
Speaker 1:You want to go deeper? Yes, sir, this is what we're here for. This is the quality of love, baby, we don't play around around here. So I've been with people since I was about four Four you can remember back to those A few.
Speaker 2:Okay, four years old, when I believe, when it leaked. I mean four years old, you know, then, uncle, grandmother, uncle, like then it was ages. Very Right as I remember, like so. So then, going to Dr King, leaving Dr King, fourth grade, go to Roberts from fifth to eighth grade. Now, fifth and sixth is when we first looked at lots of our first friend at Roberts.
Speaker 1:Okay, Okay, so you were sixth grade.
Speaker 2:Sixth grade, and this was your friend. He was in school with us. He was like he was older than us, but he was in school with us.
Speaker 1:Wow, so then, after that no, seventh, eighth grade, my friends and Robert started going to help them Right, right, right, and there's that, because they were involved in gang activities, because they were involved in violence.
Speaker 2:It was a combination of it's still a car or you know violence, right, you know. Then I get to high school. Nope, we'll go back. Eighth grade I had scholarships for the CBA. What CBA is? Christian Brothers Academy, it's a private school. Very, I was a star quarterback at Kurt Park, went to states, went to regionals and everything you know was was the man you know, we, we was, we was Kurt Park was lit. Back then Shout out to the KPC, we was lit. So, okay, opportunity to go to Kurt Park. I'm going to go to CBA. I failed social studies so I couldn't go to eighth grade. You had to graduate. I had to go to summer school. Wow, so, so eighth grade, I had to go to summer school. And the born corporate because I seen, you know when you and Robert, you see the kid walking on the hill, they look cool. They got Panasonic. They got the Georgia zone, the Jersey Time out.
Speaker 1:Time out Panasonic. For, for those that don't know, man, you we owe now bro, so you got to you got to break it down for the young audience.
Speaker 2:You see the Panasonic. It's a boom box, boom box. You see the tapes loud. You see the girls running around. You see it was. It was exciting, like we're going to do that, we're going to do that, we're going to do that. So I'm like I'm a, I failed and really had to go to corporate. So okay, so I'm going to go to corporate. Freshman year. You know everything's happening. Now you start losing friends for real, right.
Speaker 1:If I could stop you once more time there, because I think you're describing like very critical points of life too right, like it's the grade, but then it's also our hormones. You know what I mean. Like all of those very critical times and ages where our hormones are taken over. We engage in it and a lot of things that we might not engage in, but it's fun, you know what I mean. Like imagine how the adrenaline rush I could still think about doing dumb stuff from back then and getting out of adrenaline rushing. It ends up being fun, but you do it out enough. You know what I mean. Now that becomes your habit, now you really interested in being involved in the game, like stealing cars, robbing people, like that becomes who you are because you the adrenaline rush that's associated with that. Yeah, but then I had a parent tap parents?
Speaker 2:They ain't play that. So I did what I had to do when they were not around them. Yeah, sir, so I'm not saying I was not, no, my mom and dad was around, yeah, they. Well, we had to do stuff when they wasn't around. So, okay, 10th grade, when I was with my well, four friends that's been one year that's when everything changed. Four friends, four close friends, man, and it changed. That change. The 10th grade year changed the game of everything. That's what really sparked like, dang, your friends were going to jail for murder. Two murder, three murder charges yeah, three murder charges and robbery charge. So I love four friends, the tip of the fingers.
Speaker 1:And these are friends. Like this is not like oh, somebody on scene these?
Speaker 2:are buddies, these are, these are bitty, bitty basketball. So dudes and women that you grew up with like this ain't no okay, school friend, we leave school, we go to school, we outside of school together, we, you know so, when they left, when seven, when number four left and it's in the midst of the time, things you know by yourself but now I had to be forced to hang with, not forced to, but I had to go to with my sport friends.
Speaker 1:Right Now I see they going, they went, left, they went left.
Speaker 2:I got to go right. So you know, now it's time to lock in with sport. But also, now I was not 10th grade year, don't remember Like my grades were bad, like I can't even I'm not going to sit here and I can talk about what I'm grown now so my grades was bad, you know. So go home, fell on tests, you know, skipping playing class, clowns or everything under the sun. So now we get to get junior year. It's critical Junior year. Your coach is looking at you, grade everything. You know, put up or shut up, or shut up. You know, dad, still with the friends, still keep going with more friends, and you know they dropping out. Now senior year, senior year come out. Here's where everything did a little little interesting. Senior year come I did everything under the sun. You know. Start a point guard now, quarterback everything. Now I got five regions of the past. I had to pass five regions.
Speaker 1:And one year bro.
Speaker 2:One year.
Speaker 1:I had two on the same day. Damn Bro, couple bro spending that talk right now. Man, I don't know.
Speaker 2:There's some circumstances, so I had global studies and you're just the same day. I had 10 minute window. I had a. I was in US history for three hours and the team in the window to take global studies. I felt one test by two points, oh man, my senior year Get out of here.
Speaker 2:I'm telling you. I'm telling you the truth, I'm telling you the truth. Okay, so I had to go to school my senior year. Now it's a start, a point guard, start, a quarterback, right, I couldn't go to school. I haven't gone to school with my friends.
Speaker 1:I'm crying.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to do everything under the sun I'm trying to take, I'm trying to do man. Come here See what's up. Like yo, this, it was too much. Right, right, right, right. I'm like man. They gonna call me. Right, I'm listening to that. I'm like I can't go. I ain't gonna call it. Everybody gonna laugh at me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let me, let me visit that piece right there. You know, man, Like. So you, you, you, you did. You dealing with the pressure of losing friends and again we talking about bros, we ain't talking about friends that just high bike Like these are your bros, that you go to school where you go home, when you go to Southwest with Right. So you dealing with that. You dealing with taking five regions at one time, like in one year, to be able to graduate Right. You dealing with the pressure of just being a black young teenager you know what I'm saying? That's trying to navigate life and figure out what you want to do and how you want to do it successfully. And then you have to deal with the peer pressure of failing a of regions by two points.
Speaker 2:And still, on top of my dad, you had your party. Still, you're gonna be good man. I work, but it's not they gonna laugh at me.
Speaker 2:Right, I'm the talk of the town, that peer pressure I'm known like. No, I didn't graduate, right, we were already calling people that didn't graduate you for. So now it's on me now, though, so you already knew, you already knew that like that. Yeah, I went home and cried. I had a knife, man, I'm like I'm about to take some pills, I'm trying to cook, right, yeah, this is this over, right, Right, right, but this, but once again, the spirit I was trying to. I was crying so bad I would asleep, woke up, I'm like I forget it. Let me just know.
Speaker 2:But this summer school still have my party, still have my graduate party, still with the summer school? Now, I had no, I had really had no school looking at me, because you know my grade so had to go to KU my freshman year, when you came to have a heart problem my heart valve I had to go to EKG, you know something like that. So I left KU, got opportunity to go to TC three, top was calling community college in Corden, which is a great school, by the way.
Speaker 1:Don't sleep on TC three now Nobody know about it.
Speaker 2:Nobody in secret know about TC three.
Speaker 2:Not really, I'm maybe this is me and another friend named Sean Anderson made that school what it is to this day. Talk that, talk bro. So when I went there, when I went in my left KU Went there, went there toward a school up Made. The school was like New Jersey's but we was getting always getting, like you know, slack from the community because, you know, no one of African American stayed on the team for two years Joining me, kicked off by January, by January, you know. So you know, my freshman year, we did X, y, z. My sophomore year, I was going to be on probation. Oh, wow, yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't think you're over sure.
Speaker 2:My freshman year going into my summer year, I was going to have to be probation but the president took me off. I love that, carl Carl Haynes.
Speaker 1:Shout out to Carl Haynes for giving a young black brother extra chance.
Speaker 2:He took me off he said, no, I need him to play, took me off, so you know. And then, okay, when the TC three, then my, have my mom, that's the time there, you know, passing them. I graduated from TC three with my, my, my degree, I come home. I come home for my. Come home for I don't know why we wanted that one into myself more year. I come home for a break. Young kid, you came behind me. He's 15 years old. Johnny chambers, you got to keep behind me behind you, Like why you was.
Speaker 1:you was in that area with the house party. Oh wow, what.
Speaker 2:So that happened, you know I missed my computer up. So my sophomore year go back to school, you know, but my cousin died and missed it at watching him pass away. Car accident and stuff like that. More friends dying. 2008 go to go to go to TC three. My sophomore year graduates. I graduated in May. Come on Back for a tournament. A little tutorial baby got ran over at higher. Wow, Playing the tournament.
Speaker 1:While y'all at the tournament. Yeah, a kid got hit, she got hit and ran over.
Speaker 2:But then in the midst of them years, people dying, dying. But then I posted with the school called Wales College, all girls school, with the first one, the first male, to give a crew to go there. You know party, you know it was May, june, july, about to go to school. People know having fun, you know enjoy yourself. I got shot August night. Same day Troy got killed, oh, wow.
Speaker 1:So where do you get shot at On the one side, no revealing any trauma, I'm fine, I'm fine. Before I was like what was the circumstances in which that happened? I was at a trajectory, yeah.
Speaker 2:I was on a helping out on a birthday party, you know, you know, just being being a poor was things happen. I shot. I shot my left, my left side, wow, you know. Then, still the people, still other friends, you know, go to school or the college. I had a little kid and he was like you know I was like what's the problem?
Speaker 1:I was like why was it? It was racism, it was. I would imagine you probably went once Mike, now front bro, once you said all girls college.
Speaker 2:Once you said that I would imagine being the first man, or or the middle. It was about 30 of us.
Speaker 1:It was about 30 boys.
Speaker 2:I already know that that had to be so much microaggression, racism and all of that. They was like dead, like they was like he man, woman, bro they was. They was shripping Bro, they was like they was like straight, like they was like on it, like so there was a timeout.
Speaker 1:So it would y'all come up to the camp as 30 gentlemen Right?
Speaker 2:You would think you were having. We hear oh y'all go school, right, that's what I'm thinking.
Speaker 1:It's the floodgates opening. It's a floodgates opening.
Speaker 2:They don't talk about floodgates, wait.
Speaker 1:So we, so you experienced like, instead of embracing you right and saying, all right, cool, First male is to be recruited to this college, it was. It was resistance.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was resistance man, but when we started together, it was a couple of friends there. It was some females who you know it was love, but I couldn't take the the environment of the school Right, so I left, I left, left there. I went back to T-Street for a little semester just to get some more credits. After that, left there, tried to try out the basketball game. You know, you got the therapy, healing, all that. I breaks my foot 2009. Damn bro, you don't have some rough breaks, man, I break my foot. You know, healing, healing. But now this is the time now I'm healing. Try to go back to school now. Got opportunities. Now this is the time of 2009, from now present.
Speaker 2:That's when Ben Rashad got killed. Keogh Keogh died. That was a rough stretch, bro. Them years, right there, it was that now it's now. This word gets all the friends that are losing. Yeah, that was a rough stretch, man, it's going to speed it up. Now I got opportunities for basketball. Now this is where I go to the camp. I'm on my way to camp. I'm like, all right, I'm gonna do. I got between the basketball. Now I'm gonna do this for Dain, my friend DeQuan, the Rico hit. Because the Rico hit that time, my grandmother, all my people who did that, got between the basketball and Kiari, all the people who died, you know, had them on my wall and I said these are my angels who watch me, protect me. So I'm like I'm gonna bust my I can't figure, I need to figure what I'm gonna say angels, angels, angels. I'm like I don't know what.
Speaker 2:So I'm gonna bust my yeah, then I'm like okay, cause I was doing stuff negatively before I got to school. You know you still, you mean to you got that young mindset. And then you're like, I'm like now a front man.
Speaker 1:We grew up in the hood, like very much in the midst of I think the issue right.
Speaker 2:you know what I mean. Everything was born up in a like a pot, so I'm like you know what, If I avoid a thing that's negative, I could progress, cause I keep, I keep making it a burden. I keep making things like it's keep hindering me from growing you making it harder for yourself.
Speaker 1:So I said angel, angel, angel.
Speaker 2:Spirit said got some for you. Avoid negative garbage and joy like I call brandy's. I'm on a bus. I call brandy's. He been my first logo.
Speaker 1:Shout out to brandy's too. He been doing a lot of work for a long time, so he did my first logo and then he said look, he said, bro, you gonna do something with an S.
Speaker 2:I like, now I'm gonna keep an angel. I did it roughly, did that, all right, cool. Then I get to school. You know, school didn't work out, transfer it again, right. And then I get the cover skill. Get the cover skill. I'm still riding team angel still, you know, still try to my thoughts and people still dying and you know, still still. So. I had a folder will get killed. Everything to start. I started putting the folder.
Speaker 1:So that became the shift, that became the shift when it was like yo. I'm making a conscious decision.
Speaker 2:Cover skill. I'm on the cover skill. I'm like all right, cause school like basketball. Over my career I came to basketball, no more. What I'm gonna do now Didn't know. I'm party, no, so I'm like no. Then I had two. I had a professor and a dean students in my speech class. They all told me not to say you ain't gonna be nobody, you ain't gonna be doing it. Oh wow, your teacher was telling you my marketing teacher, cause I was tired of class. So I took everything I learned from marketing and put it in a book, right, and I'm like all right, this, how you market, this, how you admission statement. I'm paying attention, but not paying attention.
Speaker 1:Right right, right, right, right you taking the things that you know you're going to need After class.
Speaker 2:I go to library and just put stuff together and put binders together. I come home for a break. They try to close the center. Now I'm like man.
Speaker 1:Nah, we thought we'd be in the center Center as in Southwest Center, just the way everybody knew. Try to close Southwest Center, like nah, which is a beacon, for I don't care who you is. If you was on that Southwest side at any point in time, even other side of town, especially early on, like you, with the biddy tournaments and anything that was going on, that Southwest, southwest was the place to really foster real growth as a kid. But I didn't mean to cut you off, bro. Southwest got to get his love.
Speaker 2:So I called my cousin, called Noble, shouted to my cousin Noble Jennings, tim Jennings, I mean big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big pillar in the community, big person who do a lot. Man, they envy the flowers enough.
Speaker 1:So I called up.
Speaker 2:I said cause, man, it's time I gotta come home. We gotta do something. Man Like something gotta do. This ain't for me, though. I gotta, I gotta, I gotta shift. I'm not ready to change, I'm ready to put the. Came home, helped me get my things started my DBA, my license, everything and made my first t-shirt at the mall. I had it on at my college party. The dude, the Dean, was like you ain't gonna, you ain't gonna, you ain't gonna do nothing that ain't gonna work out. So came home, Noble, got me, got me rocking. Now I'm 14 years in the mix 14 years later.
Speaker 1:what you talking about, dean Right?
Speaker 2:So what you talking about? Dean? It's the credit part. He seen it in a new speaking at Albany.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 2:Two years prior. Later, Talk that, talk. He's been two years later. I had my, I brought my, I brought my hundred shirts to the campus. One of them came to have my outfit on and they came to my shirt. They put me in a fashion show. They wore my shirts in a fashion show. The same, the same Dean was like oh, I'm proud of you. I said, bro, I came back because of you.
Speaker 1:You're the reason why I came back. That's a fact. Talk that.
Speaker 2:Talk right to his face guys, the reason why I came back. But but all from high school, from middle school, all I had one person always told me I wasn't going to be who I was at Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, the Prince of Well, corcoran, my deans in college it's always with one person who said now, you're not going to be who you are Right, that's a fact, and still to the day. But now to the day, you got friends, you got people, you got family. Be like you think you're better than you, you're like I'm on a mission, Right, right, this was I don't.
Speaker 1:If you had my shoes you're going to want to be him. That's a fact. You functioning in your purpose, and the thing about it is I'm happy you actually spent spent some time on that one too, guys, because people look at you and they be like dang man.
Speaker 2:I wish I had that fame and I wish I had that notoriety.
Speaker 1:But it's like when you were on these type of journeys. Man, this junk is way more stressful today than it is fun Like.
Speaker 2:I can imagine a surreal like the A-list celebrities and imagine the presidents, imagine all these MBAs no bro, the anxiety, the depression that come with this and being on the front line daily with Teen Angel and the schools and working here and doing this and gotta be here and if you don't do that, people get upset at you. If you don't comfort them, you the bad person. But who there to comfort you when you go through your situation that night, when you just, like you know, depression or suicidal thoughts and your bills getting up, bills due and you don't got money to do this, I'm surprised your checks don't come or grants fall through, or you got to stretch this bill to this bill and wait till that 30 days you might get interest rates on something.
Speaker 1:The only thing people see is when you on.
Speaker 2:TV when you with celebrity, when they got your shirts up. When you got no, I got them, god grab it. I'm on stuff now like no, they only see that part.
Speaker 1:Right, they see the 14 years later, they see that but they don't see it.
Speaker 2:When you crying that night at home, when you got your alone, you cry that night at home you losing your friends, your kids getting sentenced to jail, kids you just been with, that's dead. People betray you, backstabbing you. It ain't being stuff you ain't got. No, you ain't got no, no mista People throwing dirt on your name for no reason. So it's like a lot coming with it, man. And every day I ask I'm like why I don't want to be like? Every day I have a thought like now I don't even be here, man, I'd rather be gone somewhere. Right, right, you know what I'm saying. I'd rather be, but I can't be because I know God sat me down for a reason, cause I always was, I always was trapped, I always was gone.
Speaker 2:So now people are like why are you doing? Like they general? Why you don't got this, why you don't got that? I don't, I can have that if I want it. I don't want it cause what come with that? God didn't tell me I need that right now. That's not your annoyance, that's not what I like. People are like oh, why you don't have this, or why you don't got you judging for material things, but you don't know what, why. If I did have that, I wouldn't be doing what he was doing.
Speaker 1:Right, right, right. That'll distract you from your real mission. You know what I mean. But that's again cause I'll admit to that too, because that's the thing that people don't think about. Right Like.
Speaker 1:they'll see you and then be like oh man, he was just on TV, you just did this, you was helping these kids. But, like you said, when you sitting at home alone and you, it's just you and your thoughts, man, how do you deal with that piece? Right, because the reality is that it's the public facing and Mr Team Angel, mr Supportive, mr Helping Everybody Out, right, but then the reality is we all got multiple personalities. And how do you deal with that piece at?
Speaker 2:home. Only time I'll put that home. I listen to music. I have my little downtime, but majority of the time I barely sleep. I don't want to get up. Sometime I stay in the bed like crying, like why do I get up? I don't want to deal with people. I don't want to deal with this situation. I don't. Why am I going through this? What do I do to deserve this? Or you know, I question a lot of things. Sometimes it's like why, why Like, why like, why? And I survive for so many things. But I'm like, I survive all this stuff, but when I get to this righteous side, I'm facing more. Yeah, it's funny, when I was doing X, y and Z, you got away with everything I got smashed.
Speaker 1:Bro, I was just telling my cousin that wearing man when I didn't give a F like life was so much easier. Bro and I'm not, I don't think I ever admitted that on this podcast, but I had my stretch. We all had our stretch where I just didn't care Like I was womanizing.
Speaker 2:I was doing whatever I wanted to do. Me and Cous had a lot of run-ins with each other. We used to see each other like it was, so you'd be like he was, cause he was he was.
Speaker 1:I was a different type of cat.
Speaker 2:He was a beast. I was a different type of cat. And that's what I said. When I see my, I'm probably like yo, I would have to sleep.
Speaker 1:I'm like I got time to look, I got time, I still got time to think, and it's all love because, like again, we've known each other since we were kids, our families, we call each other family, like you know what I mean. Like it's just that connection and to see you go from and experience all these things to now be an inspiration Cause, like we really, we really need you in this community, man, and I just hope you know that man, I know you go through your stuff too, but you are, you are the light bro, like you are the light man and as we continue to move forward, I know I'm definitely gonna make sure that you continue to get that and receive that love, because the reality is, man, ain't nobody doing what you're doing and nobody knows what you really go through and what you really experience.
Speaker 2:And it's funny, cause, like I never wanted to do this, Like I tell my no everything he be like your cause. You appreciate your profit. I'm teaching you. I mean you do our teaching. He helped me understand who I am and uncle God bless him I honestly, they told me who I am, they hands on me and show me that this is what you are, this is what you're gonna do. But I told my cousin, he man, he gonna tell you I supposed to be somewhere to party in party promoter somewhere. I supposed to be out of town. I supposed to be like in BT ward. I hope it, like you know, but that's not what the plan that God had, the plan I had, is not what God plans and it gets, it gets. It gets heavy, it gets discouraging, it gets. You know, see, people like, oh, you just just leave them, you ain't gotta do this, it's not that easy.
Speaker 1:No, not at all, especially when you know it's like you functioning within your purpose too, cause it almost becomes like that double-edged sword where it's like days like cause. Again, I'll admit it too, there's days where I'm like man, I don't wanna do this man, like I don't wanna do this podcast or that thing, I just wanna go to work and come home. But the reality is, when you functioning in your purpose, it's like your spirit calling you bro, it's like like, even like you said, when you lay down that doesn't be like no, I do this, no, I do this, god giving you all them revelations. It's like you gotta act on it.
Speaker 2:Like when I speak at schools and I act as one student. She was in seventh grade, now Eight grade. Right now I act, I'm seven, I act. So I said what if I give up? Right now? She said you gonna let me down.
Speaker 1:Right, and I'm like, man, you making this, how you making this so hard, man.
Speaker 2:So, like the kids, like kids, a lot of kids look forward to seeing me. A lot of kids look and that's what I do for. But, man, you're like I don't. It's real hard, man, like it's. The better your thoughts, the better the deaths, the battle of feeling alone, like the battle, like the serious situation. People are like you should do stuff to make people feel happy. Man, it ain't that easy, man. No, not at all. But how you gonna tell me what I should do? You don't see what I see. You don't like it ain't easy to go into the few rows and deaths and homicides and shootings, and but then it's the funniest question or funniest answer I always get. You chose that life, step away. You ain't gotta do that how you.
Speaker 1:You can't like you and that's do something else. Those people cause that. I won't say never. I never say never. But they probably won't get to a point where they reach operating in a purpose. You know what I mean? Because if you understand operating in your purpose, you understand that it ain't just dropping and that's it. You know what I mean? It's literally your spirit. You'll be chilling your spirit like yo do this, do this, do this. Or you, chilling at school, in a random low kid come up to you and say yo, I need you, mr, and I need the team.
Speaker 1:That is the real bro, like that's how you know God is speaking to you right in that moment.
Speaker 2:Certain days I get that like I could be in a bed one day and I just I mean, go Right, like the other night this was a couple nights ago this little dude who I'm coming to suicide. So, even though, even though I've been thinking about it a lot, but he was like yo, I went in there to get something to eat. I was, I was gonna go get something to eat. Went in and get something to eat. He was sitting there. I'm like why you? I'm like yo, bro, you ordered. He like nah, 22 years old kid. He like he's in the back of my hoodie. He said avoid negative garbage and drink Like. He said yo, I needed that spot, that positive.
Speaker 1:Like you want to go bro.
Speaker 2:He's like nah. He said I'm by the. I'm like what? And he just started crying. He got up and hugged me and I felt his whole spirit just hugging me and I'm like yo, what's wrong? He like tell me the situation, what you going through, you know. So he was like yo, whether for you, just now, man, I would have took myself out. And I'm like no, bro, you ate. He like nah, he had a little brother with him. I'm like, nah, I'll take this money, get y'all some food, bro. Like he was like it wasn't for you, man, right? Nah, I'll be out of here. And I'm like, and he gave me chills. I went outside and cried.
Speaker 2:I'm like, why did you? Why he? I said, why the spirit, sit me here, why? Why he and I didn't even want to eat the food, I didn't want to go to get no food, but for him to run and sit me. He like yo, I was waiting for you, he wasn't waiting for me. So it just was like stuff like that. And you know, when I go to the schools, like feeding, going to the schools and feeding the homeless makes my peace, that's my outlet. But if I'm not doing that, or doing interviews, or speaking at college or teaching people or telling my story or telling what I go through, cause I don't understand when I go through some time, but people like it. When I started talking they be like yo.
Speaker 1:Nah, yeah, yeah, it's tripping. Yeah, nah, I mean a laugh, but that really is the reaction to him, right, cause I keep everything to myself, right, right.
Speaker 2:Or I can put, or I can say a quote, like I'm just talking right now, I can put it on my Facebook, or some comment. It won't be about me, but they say yo Lord, he need help. It may not be about me, it could be something I seen, it could be a movie I watch, but the funny thing about life is just cause they know you, they judge you. And Rye Wayne, keisha Cole, lil Durk could put a saying, me can look up and put a verse, the same thing.
Speaker 1:But they're singing to the teacher.
Speaker 2:Yep, yep, yep, yep, Just cause it's you, it's you, it's you. You got you going through the situation, what you're going through, but I mean so. But some days, I mean I really, some day I just be reading, like you know, maybe just being that, pick me up, right.
Speaker 1:So it's like we all do cause, and I think that that I seen the story of you, like you shared on Facebook where you said, like yo, I just, I just helped somebody from committing suicide. But to hear that story cause, I think that, like, that's the perfect tie in it and kind of connection to what we talking about it and understanding that this is your purpose, right, you know what I mean, because you end up being places in spaces that you don't even want to be, but then when you get to them spaces, you realize, yo, you, you have a life that you need to save and literally.
Speaker 2:And one thing that I know is real, cause I watch touch by angel every night. I watch that show every night and it be in, in, in, in. Do I talk to her? Cause I know when I watch that show I be seeing stuff and me like I mean, like it'd be like kind of look at my angel who will pass away, like my grandmother, my uncles, my friends, I be like yo, can y'all help me? Help me, right. Right, I made it better to see them. But I see when I'm asleep, like some, some, some of my friends come to me when I'm asleep. They come talk to me. They tell me they go just to let me do so. People think it's kind of crazy, but now I see them, they come to me. Yes, I can see, I can really see, if you understand that. I mean you can see, I can really see. That's why I wear shades a lot, so I don't want to look at y'all, cause, like your spirit can, can you can put some on me that I don't even know what's going on.
Speaker 1:You're not even thinking about it, you me. You're having a regular conversation and somebody just toss that energy in you.
Speaker 2:So I went to that show and I see, like you know, the spirit be talking and I be like, wow, that's, that's, you know. But, man, some days I'm like I, you know, I just be, I just move by, by, by, by the Lord, you know, by the power of the ancestors, they move me. So, things I've done, things I have gotten it, it wouldn't be without them, right, right, you know what I'm saying. And when I didn't get something that must was attached to it, yeah, yeah, it wasn't for you, it wasn't for me, it wasn't for you I might get upset like yo, I wonder if that's so bad, but it made me. It made me, I got a bigger plan, you got a bigger plan. But sometimes you be asking something like man, what you doing up there, yo, how?
Speaker 1:dare you be doing?
Speaker 2:that Listen man.
Speaker 2:I'm like yo, bro, what you are you serious? Yes, man, you know so it's. It's serious situations, man, like I just wanna my. One of my goals is to really I wanna still be in a school, but I wanna tell my. I wanna speak of what I see. But I see a lot. I go through a lot, right, right, right. And I and I'm 36 now I'm gonna do a start with 21. Mm, full blown commitment. Ain't no days I had I had God black surgery. I had I still was shaking. No days off. No days off, man, no days off. Loosen you losing your cut job get cut. Still still doing it. You know what I'm saying. So it just I. I I be in a lot of places, a lot of spaces. I just wanna now I wanna tell my, tell stories, different places. You know, absolutely, man, you've been there.
Speaker 2:Different kids, different countries. You know opportunities. You know what I'm saying, cause I'm not saying everybody go through different city, everybody go through losses, but I'm telling you I'm really, I'm, I'm there, yeah, yeah, I'm going from meetings to crime scenes, to the schools, to the part one of the game, to the mall, to anywhere where it's activated at Right. I'm in the mix.
Speaker 1:Right, you on the front line, like you're not just talking about it, you're actually right there in action and in the mix.
Speaker 2:And I can't tell the way like, but frankly, I can't tell you about the other things, just like, that's not my experience. I've been outside the whole time People are like, oh, you ain't been to, I know, mm-mm.
Speaker 2:It's not a bad to honor, by the way, but that's what people feel like. No, no, no, it's not a bad. You don't know that cause you ain't been. No, no, no, I have life experience, man. That's the key. You know what I'm saying. So I lost enough people to understand I ain't trying to go that way, right, I'm trying to go this way. I want to make a better chance for my family when they come home, or the kids, so they won't grab Right, don't even have to go that way. So I just wanted this, this my thing is, bro. I wanted to speak different places, different opportunities. All that for the opportunity, you know, just to while I'm here. That's basically what you can call. Other than that, I've been my thoughts lost.
Speaker 1:I gotta share your story to be able to share your pieces. You mentioned and we're gonna talk about like the skill building and the self-awareness piece of Team Angel, but you mentioned a little bit about like having to experience those losses but then also being a beacon for everybody that's around you. What's some of your advice for kids nowadays?
Speaker 2:that experience those losses.
Speaker 1:Cause like that I can definitely see. I can see both sides of the coin. You know some rail like when you grow up in those areas that we grew up in. If you get caught up in what you get caught up in, then that's just what it is. You know what I mean. How do you speak to kids so they either don't get caught up in that or they can see their friends incarcerated or lost their minds but still keep their mental?
Speaker 2:I'm gonna go about it this way, so you can tell kids to keep blowing their face. Not the touch of stone, Right, they still touch the stone. A lot of kids think it's a bad to honor I'm from a neighborhood, or I'm down with this that they don't even know who that person or them people are Right, right, right, right. And you got kids nowadays will tell you or swear on somebody or you know that I'm a friend with you, Right, right. But they act like they know them More than you know them.
Speaker 1:You wasn't even born, so I gotta share this. So one of the things that I got into a conversation with a young man the other day and I definitely won't share his name, but he kept saying word to face, right, and of course you obviously know face. He kept saying it and I'm like you're like 15 years old man, like that gentleman.
Speaker 2:face died so way before you were born 2001.
Speaker 1:What you feel what I'm saying, bro, I'm like I couldn't believe it I was just like, but that's where, that's where it's at, that's so crazy to me.
Speaker 2:So when I'm saying that was like with these kids, now it's a glorification and I'm learning now like deep, like I'm accepting it more now because you chasing the ghosts, You're a suicide bomber. You're chasing, you're a suicide bomber, you wanna, you wanna. It's like you know, when people sit there, Damn, cause that was just a bar. You know, like that was a bar. When people overseas, where they sacrifice, yeah, the Kamikaze pilots, yeah they just fly, they just fly, they fly the plane right into the they kill as many people as you guys spent that again.
Speaker 1:I ain't never heard it put that way. Please say that they chasing the ghost, they suicide bombers. Damn you giving me chills now, boy.
Speaker 2:So it's like it's like. It's like. It's like I was coming to me yesterday. Yesterday, they chasing death, not dying physically, yeah, they dying mentally. Right, right, right. So you chasing something that's not even there, you killing yourself, you killing yourself off. So you think, like you, people don't even know who. I don't know who was the person. They're a man. I don't know who my new king is. I know of him. So I told K why you don't say swear to them. You don't know who. I'm a man.
Speaker 1:Right. What's their response to that, though? Like don't be funny, no, I'm being serious, it is, it's a serious thing, I'm being dead serious, right, because the people you swung, I know them Literally.
Speaker 2:So you swung on people that you have no ties, with, no connection with me. No, you from Little Pools, you telling me, you saying X, y and Z. You from North Carolina, but you coming to Syracuse telling me about my friends, I'm not even gonna front you guys.
Speaker 1:I'm not laughing at this situation at all. The little dude that I was talking to the other day was from Cicero. Yeah, that T, literally. He was from Cicero and I'm just like yo. That's so mind blowing to me.
Speaker 2:Because he heard something and it felt cool to be down with you know. So, like a lot, 90% of the kids you see now and is hearing now are chasing the illusion, right Damn, that was such a good one, god, I might have to replay that back.
Speaker 1:Man, that might be the highlight for this one you chasing the illusion.
Speaker 2:The illusion is fake. It's hollow.
Speaker 1:Right and it's not like, it's no to me. And this is the conversation where the conversation ended up, with me and the young man. It's no end game, bro. Like literally.
Speaker 2:you've seen countless people either dead or in jail. Have you seen anybody who?
Speaker 1:was in the streets, retired, never, even the ones that was up. You know what I mean, and I mean up up when they went To jail or somebody they may have To jail, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:They vowed gracefully. They chanted like right, right, right, they go to jail. They get poked out. Yeah, meaning you turned into a, you smoked out, mm-hmm. You chasing the old, you, right? Or you vowed gracefully. You change your life, you become a family. Right, right, right, you out the way, right, that's me out the way. But now, kids, we wait. Our culture, we wait until you're on a t-shirt or you're in jail for 40 years, right right, right, man, I don't see.
Speaker 1:This is exactly what I wanted to have you on. Because I want to talk to you about it's this gentleman that I met, probably like two months ago now, and that says the thing about kids nowadays is they don't understand that what they're doing. It's just kind of like in a subconscious way, so they don't really understand what they're doing, and it's not until they get in front of a judge and the judge say yo, you got life, you got this, that they actually snap out of their unconscious way of thinking. What's your perspective on that, man? Because he said that and I'm like damn, I've never even given that way of thinking any thought. Just everybody operating from a subconscious level, everybody just think things cool, everybody just thinking anything cool, until you kill somebody or somebody get killed, and then that's one reality side.
Speaker 2:It's tough bro, like say it one more time.
Speaker 1:I want to get deeper Right. So when you start to think about it, a lot of these kids are operating from an unconscious level, so they're doing a lot of stuff and they're not even thinking about it. It's not until they go in the jail, right? They kill somebody, hurt somebody, end up in front of a judge and the judge telling what's good, or somebody like they don't get hurt or killed, to where they snap back into reality and it becomes like damn, I'm really involved in these activities.
Speaker 2:It's OK. So you won't know how you. Okay, okay, I do a lot of kids be like, but then when I just tell you got x, y, z, I'm sorry, no, it is a lot of kids, numerous of kids who I've seen not talked to me, for I said yo, yo. Then when they go, they were like, no, I was right, you was right, bro. You told me, if I said I'm not trying to Down, I wanted to help you because my friends done did it right, you are you see, you? Well, no, you ain't better than them, and they were the day they were pretty good. So you tell him you better than you. Okay, so you just, this, this is started yesterday.
Speaker 1:No, it didn't start with you, it's not before you, before then, before them right and even nowadays, like you, would think that again, and this, this is my naivety, obviously. What technology and everything like cameras everywhere.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean like they don't even think about famous once I get on that stage. You don't see these videos that people go. You know for who they're not gonna take you. You want to take you with your mama. Are you gonna do is get a free you on Facebook and get a phone call. See him.
Speaker 1:I made this call me right, right, and that's that, I think, for me. I've never went down that path, but that's the most heartbreaking thing for me, like that reality where it's like my bro, gang, gang, gang, gang, gang gang. You see that shit, and but the reality is, once you go to jail, nobody taking care of your people, nobody taking care of you, nobody put money on your books, like I've seen that so many times that I'm like I don't even. I don't even know what the thrill is.
Speaker 2:No more, to be honest with you, I mean it's, it's, it's, it's a, it's a lack of self. I'm not, I can't just anyone, but I know many people who I'm like, but you have to never which you did that for right with. Why do you like? You know I'm older, not so we, we, we, we, what I want to say we Made it through certain situations right that we didn't, we didn't come in such a week and you know, all damn made it through right, but some of the visions they didn't have to do with it.
Speaker 1:I didn't even have to go down that path you had no, you had no reason to do what you're right, right, man? I always think about that though, man, because it's like you get to like you said nowadays especially, you get.
Speaker 1:You get the stuff that we experienced bleeding into, like Liverpool, cicero, clay, all these areas and it's like dog man, like you got a two-family house, your mom and dad both present, they both working hard. You know what I mean and that piece was something that I always wanted as a kid. So I look at kids nowadays and I see them having them.
Speaker 2:I'm like yo white like bro, that and that and that be the one. It be the ones who have those Though good family.
Speaker 1:That's what I mean. That's how bad the game.
Speaker 2:That guy I only seen a few three, four, five kids in my lifetime really was toe-up like meaning take care of their siblings and really had no, they my own on drugs when they really have it scrambled, mm-hmm, was really getting money, really had it, they had you, they had right. But majority give me, the kids who Feel entitled, right, right mean that like you know, you, bro, you, you got a big house and you want to be like why. But once again, the music, social media Is tough. Think about it. Some drill music is like worship at a devil you're right, right it literally is a chant.
Speaker 1:It's really a trans like you're the trans. Yeah, they put you in a trans man. I heard that.
Speaker 2:No, it really puts you in a change. Okay, think about the 80s and the 90s. They may love it.
Speaker 1:You already know, uplifting positive like.
Speaker 1:Pell popping Lane and you'll even hear artists to those say, like yo, they not even letting us in the door. If we talk to positive, it's either kill, drill, pop some pills and smoke, weed, drink, do whatever ratchet, never timby. So seriously, man, that's in the in again to me. Man. I just I look at that and I'm like, damn, that's crazy man. They, they, they really manipulate in the kids nowadays to the point where they think that a ratchet toxic stuff is cool. That way that wins. And that's crazy man.
Speaker 2:But it's like Also, you do something good, people copy yeah.
Speaker 1:Don't pay no homage at all. Man don't show no love to originator. I hear you are not man. So, getting back to team Angel, overall, man, I know y'all do a lot of skill building, self-awareness, social awareness to ultimately be able to create positive relationship in the lives of the kids. Man, we definitely approved that message of air at the quality of love podcast. But how do you, how do you go about doing the skill building, self-awareness and ultimately get in the kid from a space of Not having healthy and positive relationships to being able to help me healthily communicate and have those relationships that are absolutely Necessary? You gonna be successful, I'm a guy.
Speaker 2:I'm a guy, jim. A guy drew that work for me very, very well. Oh, you're dropping them, jim. It's the only thing I'll I meet that will for me to be successful. They should know, mmm, have a blessing with the kid or with the people, to understand, because kids ain't gonna keep like animals, not say like animals. They gonna know if you ain't, if you faking or not. They can tell, they can snap it out. You didn't consistent. They know you ain't for me, mm-hmm. Think about it.
Speaker 2:A lot of kids I work with in schools they be like they look for. If they don't see me, they know something wrong, right, something off. They like now we're not at now we were Mr Adam, no, we're not. And now we so. And then when people leave them, they know what it wasn't Jim, there wasn't real. So my point what I do? I do relationship with them. Some kids I don't know. I talked to him how you gonna be with today. You know how you feel you okay, what's gonna this, so they can see I care, right, because many kids get passed by the wayside. We so focus on the negative kids. Mm-hmm, it's those positive kids who turn negative because they not get a thing I get an attention that the negative kid get, so Me I'll be relationship with all kids, whether you High-risk kid, whether you a good kid, whether you in between with your sport kid this child a bit of mission, because that's, that's key, because once say they act out one day, they only know my ability, mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:You the one that they can come to. You don't mean right on you because why you got the relationship and I had the worst of the worst kids. They always come in for the worst kids, right, but not like I. They used to do that to me at home crest too, when I worked over there with the kids. They were always put me with the worst crazy. But I always looked at that as an advantage, right, because if you could, if you could get the positive relationship with the bad kids Now it's not only you talking to the other kids, right, instead bad kids. It's like yo don't do that, so yo watch you y'all talking, to watch how y'all moving around this one, you know what I mean. So that in itself is huge, man, and I love that because we always in the show same. The quality of love and relationships that you have in your life determines the quality of your life. So that goes right along with that, man. So we appreciate you spreading that message, brother, for sure, for sure we appreciate you spreading that one.
Speaker 1:All right, the next little trick question that I have, man. So listen, we all love your pops. You know that. You spoke a little bit to it a little earlier. Man, I don't ever think I've heard anybody say one bad word about your pops, ever. Man, you have first hand knowledge of him and kind of the importance of what he's done and what he means to you. Can you tell us a little bit about kind of being a little ed, really right Like your dad, has done so much for so many people, for so many kids? Man, he saved so many of our lives, enhanced our lives. Man, what was it like just growing up around somebody that's just like so inspirational? I hated it, you hated it, yeah, because everybody compared you to him.
Speaker 2:And they always tell him I'm gonna be, oh, you gonna be like your dad, you gonna be like your center. So I ran from it a lot of times, oh, wow, I didn't want to do this, but I accepted a role recently because I learned when my dad turned 50, he ain't gonna be in 50 more years Because my dad, like me and my dad, my dad was my dad. He's, I'm a little ed, that's big ed, whatever, but he wasn't as like you know, people think me just. You know, you just know he wasn't Right Because he's he's don't take this wrong and it's not the bad thing because he did so much he's, he was, he's my father, he's all been present, right, but he's a community dad, right.
Speaker 1:Right Meaning he took. He took Everybody. Look at him like that Dang dog.
Speaker 2:I never even thought about that and as a kid like that's how I call my dad, that's how I call my dad, and then they take, they take it away from, like you know, my time was why You're tripping bro so much.
Speaker 1:I never even thought about it like that, that's our civilization.
Speaker 2:We used to be like yo, that ain't your dad, I call him, I call him dad. So it's like all right. And then he given, but he always gave us. He always Right, right, Right. But he wasn't, no, he wasn't the dad that he was, he was, he was, he didn't, he didn't follow the brother. He learned, he learned, he learned Right, right, right. Like that, learned from all his kids. He learned different things, but he's a, he's my dad, he's he's, he's the, he's the top, he's the he's lit Like he's my dad.
Speaker 1:He really is Like he.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't be low ed if it wasn't no big ed, right, right, you see, I'm taking his legacy to point out now cause he back torch Right, and I'm accepting the role because my dad, I'm gonna be a fat Right, that's a fact. You know what I'm saying. So he gave, we, talked, he, we, we got a fairer ship now cause I'm grown Like, we have conversations, we talk, work together. He helped me with stuff, he gave me advice, he helped your brother proud of you, like now he long, long time ago when my dad was saying he proud of me, cause it's like then he got all these kids tripping bro, like sit up, what's going on? Come here, like sit here.
Speaker 1:Like you tripping. That's the fact, bro, I'm getting, I'm getting the. You're getting the, you're getting the happy one all the time, man, where it's like, oh nice and sunshine.
Speaker 2:You walked on that door, but the cream like you might get a whooping shot, bro, but I learned but. But. But being in the being in the field and working with all these kids, I get it. So that's why I accept my role, because the kids I work with, of my peers who have murdered they got kids behind my friends who incarcerated Some of the kids who homeless, or some of the kids they look at me as uncle as little as dad. Uncle, you, that figure. So now I'm cool with it because this is what my dad is Right my eyes are kids. You come and process it.
Speaker 1:No, no, process it, man. I hated it. That's crazy Cause I appreciate you sharing that You're going to be like you're dad. You're going to be no, I'm not broke.
Speaker 2:That's how I went to college. I'm out of here. You see you later, bro. That's crazy. But now being in the field, bro, it's like all right, you see it, I'm cool. You see it for a second, yeah. And then you know I mean he be tired, I'm not sitting tired and he passed it down to me like yo, it's your turn, I'm broke, like let's go. So I'm cool.
Speaker 1:No, that's a fact. I appreciate you sharing that.
Speaker 2:I'm cool, I'm I'm. You know, my dad, he, it was where it was. He helped. The things he didn't do helped me be who I am. Right, right, right. I can stand on my own, Right you get to tell that I don't know which is a big deal, man. I don't know.
Speaker 1:I don't know people like you Be dependent upon nobody or relying upon nobody at all.
Speaker 2:My mom, my mom I'm happy my mom and dad. They did it Cause I stood them out on the street 18. They were there, they were all there. But I can make myself in a situation where I'm by myself Right, you can make your own decisions, and I've been to five schools and did what I did my thing I've been.
Speaker 2:I go to the town by myself, I don't, so the thing they didn't show me helped me show it. So but I but my dad, he was, he was appealing to me. He really is 40 years plus, like ran, a citizen since he's 18 years old, Like he been, he been doing his things since 18. He's still outside, he working the schools now, Like so it ain't like he's I'm cool with it, I'm good because when they see he see me, they can be talking about you in school. He's like y'all proud of that. That's my son. They're like I'm cool with it. That's a fact.
Speaker 1:So for him to have, for him to really see me and who I am, I'm cool, I appreciate that man, cause I never thought about it from the perspective of being the actual child or somebody like cause, that's like being a celebrity child, frankly, like your pops was that and still is that dude, so like having anybody have that access to your pops, you know plus they go like anything you do, they're going to tell them. The known family man. What's you know? What's you know? Like that man, it's like.
Speaker 2:I'm about to go tell your grandma. So I did certain things not around him I went to him and look at me. Little do you all know it's a little overhead.
Speaker 1:You already know we always got to do something behind closed doors. It's a little overhead, always got to do something behind closed doors. So it was, it was different, Like you know.
Speaker 2:Like you know, I think, what I haven't get, everybody on the block on on crying and everybody like, oh, come on, it's the same thing.
Speaker 1:It's the same thing and that's why I said thank you for sharing that, Cause it is that like that was my experience, especially with my grandma Like I'm real protective. He was telling us that I'm still protective of grandma. So when anybody used to be like, oh, grandma, grandma, I'm like man, get the f*** out of here. Man, that's my grandma, man, which I think this is man, Y'all taking some popsicles from me? Man, those could be my popsicles.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what it. That's what it be.
Speaker 1:You got dollars. Man, then I just take you somewhere, didn't I just do this? Like your money?
Speaker 2:just act you. I said, bro, he just act you. No, but it was, it was cool. It was cool and a lot of people protected me too. So, being a center baby since one years old, born and raised in the center, that's the only thing I, that's one of the things that was on the plus. They protected me the older people, faces and all the people in the streets and the any center but like they protected me, so that love was there, there, there, because they know I'm, I'm, I'm him, so well, not happening, Not happening.
Speaker 1:You know we got answers to the big guy.
Speaker 2:That's the only. That's one of the mainly love I love about it being being, being being because, like they protected you you know what I'm saying, but then you got some who, who hate it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. I would imagine that you got both sides of the coin, man, both sides of the coin. You'd be like man, I'd hate you, I, I, I never shared this story publicly, man, but I got in some trouble in high school, man, and they made me do it Like I think it was like 20-some hours of community service, and I went to your pops and I'm like yo, man, please help me out, man, don't make me do all of this community service, blah, blah, blah. They'll have me clean up, like the gym or something like that. Like, put the basketballs away. He's like I hear boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Man, I'll never forget that day. Man Like that was.
Speaker 2:Now he go. That's the only thing he, he, he gonna make you work.
Speaker 1:He gonna make, he gonna make you work baby.
Speaker 2:I'll never forget that day. But he gonna read to some kids. But he gonna clean that gym. He gonna outside with the kids, he gonna library. You got to do something.
Speaker 1:You gonna work, work. But I love that about your pops man Cause it's like you see it right, it's like you ain't just about to get away with this man.
Speaker 2:You're like you're gonna do something and that's the real thing, you think you can just, you can just do what you want, and then then you're like all right cool, nice it's gonna be.
Speaker 1:you got to answer the song Right and I think that's what that's what really like kind of gets your pops as put them above a lot of people in that community where it's like you think you about to go here and chill like nah, he like yo. We're going to put you to work and I think that's where your love coming to, where it's not just coming around. This is going to do something right. We're going to build some skills.
Speaker 2:We're going to build yourself awareness and the funny thing about my, my life, is people think I'll, they'll like, you'll do nothing. Yeah, I'm not. See, I don't. My life is not work, mine is the ministry. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you want to mention anything I do, I have fun doing it. Why be miserable doing something that you look like? Why? That's the fact. I go to, I go to my half fun. I go to the schools and have fun, like y'all. Look at how to work, but I'm not about to stress myself, not at all bro.
Speaker 1:You're doing that. You're functioning and working in your purpose. Man, that's what I saw you wanted. Yeah, I got. I just I got two more questions for you actually, because I got to get the quality. A lot of questions in there. But what's up next for team angel man, like what y'all got on top, what you got going on, what can we, what can we help you with? It's?
Speaker 2:holiday time now. So this, this time of year I tap in with more of my events, holidays like next weekend, the 28th, we got a trumpet treat we doing for the kids, the Halloween. I passed our candy at Halloween because I was going to celebrate Halloween, because when my friends passed away I was going to celebrate. So I go, we don't celebrate Halloween. I never liked Halloween, so that's what I don't like it. But I got that the great team from my annual me and you guys, but the streets annual thank you given for the homeless. It was a great team, I'd say. When she's churched Christmas, working on my Christmas, get back. I do for the homeless, also for the kids do toys, past loves, coats. So this is a holiday time now it's trying to get more, more speaking engagements, more, more events popping. Just trying to build my, build my torch, my torch schedule.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's your brand. It's your brand. You'll be 14 years in man. Again, man, it's a little. Give me your flowers, man. We appreciate you around here. Anything that you need from us, man, just let us know if you want to come back on. You know you're more than welcome to come back on for part two.
Speaker 2:I definitely want to do all of that. All right back now Vietnam.
Speaker 1:We got to get a little lighter on it. So we, this season six, we got a quality of love question Right now, lil' A Eddie Mitchell, you single dating or chilling Out the way you, out the way you, chilling, right? No, I'm chilling, I ain't, I ain't, I ain't, I ain't All right. So my bro said he chilling, so don't be harassing me Now if something come in.
Speaker 2:I mean, if something come in, come in. So you're looking for something organic.
Speaker 1:Now it's got to be something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I mean I've been through my first year of things, you know, so it's like all right cool.
Speaker 1:What, what, what a potential partner need to show you in order to get your attention. Like, what would, what would, what would that partner need to do to be able to have you Like oh, okay, I can come back on time Consistency, okay, more understanding of my purpose. So when you say understanding your purpose and giving you that space to function and do what you do, naturally, but then having that peace when you come home, yeah or no, like yo, this is what he can do.
Speaker 2:So he got going on. This is what he does. How can I be his peace? You know people, some people we have feel like men and women, they feel like all right entitlement. They think that you supposed to say I could be, I could be your pocket. Right, you ain't tussied back, my mind is and I got a lot of things going on Basketball season events, podcasts, teaching that issue, teaching that OCC. I got so much things you want to work on Emotion. I forget. My mind go, I forget. So it's like all right, so just be patient.
Speaker 1:Patient. So we got we got patients consistency, somebody who we sound like, who's a, who is an add-on, somebody we're not really detracting or taking away, but can recognize where you are in life right now and then add to it, as opposed to taking that value away. Also.
Speaker 2:I'm not perfect myself, so I may I may for my traumas and my decisions. I may, you know, come off wrong sometimes too. So I'm learning, I'm being a better person myself.
Speaker 1:We all need grace man, so like that's having that grace, having that grace for you as well. All right, dope man, listen, that's it. I know we went a little over an hour. We typically do an hour, but listen, you got it. We got a special guest up in here. We got to do a little more in an hour. With that being said, ed, could you tell anybody how to get in contact with you before we close off the show?
Speaker 2:You can see you hit me on Instagram, mr Team Angel. Mr Team Angel underscore movement on Instagram. You can see my Facebook, eddie Mitchell. Any platform you can hit me. You know my mom around community. Anywhere you see me, you can highlight me.
Speaker 1:My guy is available. He ready to tell a story. He got 14 years of dedicated community work. Get my man on your podcast, get my man on your show, get my man on bridge street, all of that. Get him out there. His story needs to be told. He's an inspiration for the community. Again, thank you, cousin. Appreciate it. I appreciate you. To a team man, I really do. Don't forget those five ingredients to the lasting relationship, which includes trust, communication, communication as in dialogue, back and forth, knowing your partner's love and apology, language adaptability, the ability to shift through ever-changing dynamics. And then, last but not least, unconditional acceptance Accepting your partner for who they are, but then also knowing that they're working to be the best person they possibly can be. Get us up at TQOP20 at gmailcom with any questions that you have as we move forward. If you've got follow-up questions for Ed, let us know. But until next time, man, I understand and know the quality of love and relationships that you have in your life will determine the quality of your life. Peace and love.