People are saying it’s a Monday — I haven’t checked, but it feels right. The only surefire way to know is if there’s a new 2J3BD episode and interview…which there is! Today, we’ve got Freeway, the de facto mayor of Philadelphia, talking about Unbreakable, the upcoming Michael Jackson movie and at what point he’d live on the moon. Enjoy!!
How do you know the LOX, or how do the LOX know you?
The LOX was in Philly, the first time I met them. I think it was the Greek Picnic or whatever, and Beans took me to rap for them. It was after signing to Jay.
I imagine it was, but was that a big deal to you?
Hell yeah! I love The LOX. I remember when The LOX first got on the radio and was first doing their thing — I think I was in high school — people thought they was me cause we rapped similar. People was saying, “Yo, I heard y’all on the radio!” The LOX’s first album came out, I had gotten locked up. When my man came to pick me up, he was playing it, We Are The Streets. I was like, “Yo, this is it right here.”
I even said it in a song, “Came home from prison / Oo’s scooped me, playing Jadakiss / and Styles and Sheek / and now that I’m on my feet / I often reminisce / on how I had to leave my home to eat a dish / Now I’d give up half my fortune if he needed it.” Yeah, that was like the pivotal moment for me, We Are The Streets. That set the tone.
What’s a movie that you love?
Life. Eddie Murphy. I’m a big Eddie Murphy fan: I love Life, I love Coming to America. I just watched The Klumps, I love Norbit. But Life’s my jawn, I can watch that any time.
Have you met Eddie? Would you be nervous?
I haven’t, no. I remember I was in Atlanta with Jody Breeze — and I’m a huge Bobby Brown fan. Like, “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Tenderoni.” I remember my tenderoni when I was in second grade, this girl didn’t pay me no mind but she was my tenderoni. Bobby Brown came on the tour bus — I didn’t even know it was him! And then when he got off the bus, someone said, “Yo, that was the King of R&B!” I was like, “Oh shit!” I had to chase him! “Bobby!” So I’d be excited to meet Eddie.
That’d be crazy.
He’s probably rapped my music, from time to time.
Is there an Eddie today?
I mean, Eddie did so much. He played all those different roles. He’s really a hard act to follow. Shout out Kevin Hart, he’s a global icon, he’s from the city, he’s amazing — but they’re different, they’ve got different lanes. What Eddie did was just different. When Eddie was playing all those different characters, you forget that it’s all him. You get engulfed in all he’s doing.
Yeah, when we did the Harlem Nights episode, we were talking about what that would like today — how he brought all these generations together. I thought it could be Kevin, Druski and Eddie as the Pryor or Red Foxx.
Oh, that would be crazy! That would be lit!
It’s interesting because we’re all on different timelines now. We don’t take in the same media.
I’m glad I came in when I came in, man. I remember where I was when I watched that. I think that jawn came out around Christmas. You know what else I loved? Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, when they had Bobby Brown in that joint. (starts singing Bobby Brown’s Ghostbusters II theme song): “It’s up to us, we’ve got to take control — gotta gotta take control.” That was my jawn! And I watched all the Ghostbusters cartoons too.
Same! Have you been to the Ghostbusters’ firehouse in NYC?
What?! I’ve been in New York a million times and never been there?!!!? They still got it looking like that?
Yeah, next time you’re up here, we’ll take you. And the apartment building is right by us, on the Upper West Side.
What’s a movie reference you love, that you said on a track or that someone did on a song with you? Like, Eric’s answer is when Twista said, “I spit G rhymes / While you fakers get the vapors / Chants like Jimmy Two Times / I get the papers get the papers.”
Lemme think about it. I like what Jay did, with Reasonable Doubt? How he brought Pain N Da Ass to life, when he was bringing life to all those gangsta movies. I think he really set the tone with that and made it popping. Now everybody’s doing it.
What’s a movie that reminds you of home?
Obvious answer is State Property. You know what reminds me of home? They actually shot it in Philadelphia and he was a superhero, and he was on the train. Unbreakable.
Bruce Willis. Kanye made a reference to that, on “Through the Wire.”
Yeah, I love that jawn. They actually shot that in Philly houses so you can really get the whole feel. And then it’s a scary movie — I remember when the little boy walked by and had his face blown off with the cowboy hat on. I was a young bol, that really had me like, “Wow.”
Just looked it up. They shot it around UPenn, Franklin Field, the comic book shop, Manayunk…
Yup. From time to time, I’ve rode the train from New York to Philly. I had a homie who was in a train crash and he survived.
Whoa. What?
That hit close to home. His name’s Yameen, he used to be with The Roots.
Where do you sit in the movie theatre?
In the back. I can’t have nobody sitting in back of me. (laughs)
Do you prefer to stream over going out?
Um…just cause it’s more convenient. I actually like going to the theatre more. Where I live at, I go sometimes. But if I go to the movies in Philly, it’s…gonna be crazy.
Is it a thing where it has to be a big movie for you to go, for it to be worth it?
Yea. My man just hit me today and he got a ticket for me for the premiere of the Michael Jackson movie, on April 3. It comes out a month before everything. So, stuff like that, I’m excited, I’ll go to the theatres. I went out and saw that movie that Affion Crockett did, when they portrayed me and made me look crazy. (laughs) I was with some people I was messing with at the time, my homies was laughing — I’m side-eying them like, “Hm! They laughing too much.” (wheezing, he’s laughing so hard)
So, the Michael Jackson movie, I’m a little nervous about it!
You are?
I am. I feel like it’s a thing we all lived through, and the ability to bring the same magic — to make it as special as it already was — it’s a high bar.
Yeah, we grew with Michael, for sure. Moonwalker, that’s another jawn I watched on VHS. I know that word for word! They used to pay me 50 cents to moonwalk: I had the jacket and all that.
That’s amazing! Where?
Just around the neighborhood. I had the little Michael Jackson afro and everything. It was during the Billy Jean era. Yo, I seen something online, I don’t know how true it is: they said that he had a pigment disease, where his skin changes? I thought they bleached his skin all this time.
Yea, he had vitiligo, same as Winnie Harlow.
I know a few people like that, I had no idea, though.
What’s a good movie-person run-in you’ve had?
Early in my career, I was with Dame and — I was a young bol — and I was trying to find some weed. And Deacon Frost from Blade got me some weed. Dame had me in Paris hanging with Deacon Frost, I’m like, “I got some weed from Deacon Frost! This is crazy!”
What’s a movie with great visuals?
You seen Robocop 2? Well, it might not have been Robocop 2, it might’ve been a remake. And they were going from Earth and things might’ve happened on Mars or something. It was real visual.
There apparently is a Robocop 2, focusing on a street drug called Nuke. But it’s still set in Detroit.
Yeah, I think it wasn’t Robocop 2, cause Robocop 2 was still Robocop. It was like a remake or maybe it was a series, but I think it was a movie. (laughs)
(laughs) Perfect answer. Would you go to space?
Yeah. If it was safe.
(laughs) It’ll never be safe. Would you go to just orbit the planet, or would you want to step foot on the moon or a different planet?
I’m down. If I go to the moon or Mars, if it was safe and I could come back, I’d love to go.
Would you live there?
I don’t know about all that. You can’t even fathom that because nobody living there. (laughs) No one we knowing about, at least.
Okay: you’re on the moon, what’s one store that would have to be there for it to be livable for you?
Wal-Mart. They got everything, and you don’t gotta worry about being fly because you’re on the moon by yourself. (laughs)
Last question: what’s a movie character that you think you really understand?
Mr. Pink, from Reservoir Dogs. He’s like, “Am I the only professional?” (laughs) He was focused on the mission! Everybody’s doing this and doing that, worried about what’s going on over there and there — he’s just trying to get the job done and get to it. So I get him.
Follow-up: you’re in the scene where Mr. Blonde is dancing around, about to slice off the cop’s ear. What song is playing?
“Once again it’s on, Sigel hard like corn liquor / I'll take you out this world like you was born, n***a.” (laughs)
Gotta link the Green Lantern mix — my all-time favorite mixtape DJ — even though he doesn’t say the line Free mentioned in it. (CD version here.) That’s all for this week! Next week, we’ve got Peter Rosenberg talking about Back to the Future. In the meantime, check our Devil Wears Prada episode, now live on YouTube.
My Lucia tees just came!!
Idea for a skit: Italian jada and his homie karate man go to see Dr louch for group therapy