Talk Shit With P
Welcome Shit-Talkers...
I am Paula, owner & host of Talk Shit With P Podcast, a place where we celebrate the stories and talents of creative minds, all while raising awareness for mental health.
We provide a safe space for creatives to share their experiences and insights, while promoting overall mental well-being within the community.
Join us each week for inspiring conversations and resources, as we navigate the highs and lows of creative journeys and discuss effective mental health management.
Whether you're an experienced creative or just beginning, Talk Shit With P is the podcast for you!
Over here, we give you your flowers cause your journey matters!!
After all, I am A Rebel With A Cause.
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Talk Shit With P
S9E3 - Cultural Narratives and Immigrant Stories: A Blend of Faith, Humor, and Identity!! #ShitHappens
Picture this: a lively memory of a town crier in Nigeria, a regal topless woman, and a vibrant blend of stories that weave together the themes of faith, culture, and humor. That’s how our latest episode kicks off with Raphael Harry, a devoted fan from Afros & Audios. Together, we share personal anecdotes about African football jerseys, dive into our religious upbringings, and even chuckle over tales involving anointing oil and a stolen mug. This episode is all about embracing the rich cultural narratives that shape our identities and experiences.
Next, we travel through the world of immigrant stories, with a spotlight on the creation of the podcast "White Label American." Reflecting on our childhoods, fascination with encyclopedias, we recount how those early explorations of diverse cultures influenced our understanding of the world. Despite its original focus on New York immigrants, the podcast’s reach expanded globally during the pandemic, revealing how immigrant tales transcend borders. We tackle the importance of challenging misconceptions and misinformation that often distort immigrant narratives, uncovering the true American story through a lens of growth and exploration.
The conversation then shifts to the media portrayal of African countries, especially the disparity in coverage. We tackle the impact of audience engagement on news coverage, illustrated by a humorous account of a podcast appearance where I was humorously labeled a "villain." We also tackle traditional African customs, exploring marriage rituals and the complexities of cultural identity and expectations. Wrapping up with a nod to African football, we explore the value of connection & community, while expressing gratitude to our listeners and highlighting future events. Don’t miss this engaging episode filled with laughter, reflection, & meaningful dialogue.
Ep 176: Embracing Multicultural Education and Culinary Discoveries ft Paula Sima - https://www.whitelabelamerican.com/
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and a town crier is ringing the bell. I'm like, well, what's happening? Is there some fight or something About to go down? Because it was around the time when some of what's happening in Nigeria today was just beginning to happen in the oil-producing areas where I'm from, and I see a young woman walking behind a few feet behind the town crier and she's topless, she only has a skirt and it was a majestic walk. I'd never seen something like that before. She was majestically just strolling behind the guy and he's just announcing and the loose translation is Shit happens. Shit happens to you and me.
Speaker 2:It doesn't matter if you're a wizard, a king or a queen, even if you are magic, you've got to agree it's worth it to talk shit out, no matter how messy Shit happens.
Speaker 3:Shit happens. What's up? Hey, shit Talkers. So this episode is a Shit Happens episode that was recorded earlier this year in February, and I wanted to bring it back right now because Rafa and I, with other Africans, will be part of a panel at the 6th Afro-Sinai News happening October 18th to the 20th in Baltimore, md. Our panel is about voices of African diaspora telling our stories through podcasting. So if we got a whole bit of time then to bring the shit up in the episode, then right now Raph is the organizer of this panel as well. So he got, he got all of us together and we all met last year at afros and audios fifth festival. So come catch us live on october 18th to the 20th at bartlemore md.
Speaker 2:Oh, my god, y'all wish me luck because this guest right here. Y'all need to send all your prayers, dance to your gods and just hope that I make it, because I'm so by your eyes. I don't know, I'm going to need to go drink after this conversation. Allow me to introduce to you the one and only Mr Raffaella. He's a Talk Shit With Peef fan, you know. I met him at Afros and Argers and he was such a fan that he just wants to follow me everywhere and just be around me. Hey, raf, welcome to. Shit Happens. What are you talking to me? Hello, wait, what jersey are you wearing? Why does that look like a younger jersey?
Speaker 1:I wanted to wear one that you might recognize easily, but I couldn't find it, so I wore the Bafana Bafana one instead.
Speaker 2:Don't tell me you have a Typhus Stars jersey.
Speaker 1:I do have a Typhus Stars jersey.
Speaker 2:How do you have a Typhus Stars jersey? I do have a Typhus Stars jersey. How do you have a Typhus Stars jersey?
Speaker 1:Because I have many jerseys.
Speaker 2:I don't even have a Typhus Stars jersey, so are you sure you're from where you told me you're from? I have Yanga, because I'm team Yanga, I have team Yanga too.
Speaker 1:That's my team Yanga.
Speaker 2:Oh, not Simba.
Speaker 1:I like Simer too. That's my team Younger, oh, not Simba. I like Simba too.
Speaker 2:Their fans make me, they entertain me online. Yeah, simba, fans are annoying as fuck.
Speaker 1:I respect them, you know, but if they want to join my Patreon, I welcome them too, you know. So how are you doing now? I'm good, I'm good. Well, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:Here'm Raphael Harry. For those who don't know me, you blackmail me into having you here, so I don't know why you're thanking me.
Speaker 1:I don't know why I was invited, but um, well, if that's the unofficial way we are going with, we'll see. Well, that looks like my mug. I don't know how you got it, but I don't even have one, but you know.
Speaker 2:I went to your warehouse and stole it.
Speaker 1:I was made aware. I saw the CCTV, but they couldn't tell if it was.
Speaker 2:A boy's gun.
Speaker 1:Should we report? I was like you know I don't like sending was like you know I don't like sending kids to. You know I believe in second chances.
Speaker 2:I'm not a Christian or Muslim, but I believe in second chances. I don't. I just find myself an adult, so you don't do religion.
Speaker 1:No, I do, but I accept payments.
Speaker 2:Impressive for a Nigerian.
Speaker 1:I grew up in the church so I've seen all the secrets. I know the secrets. There's family members who part of why they don't talk to me today is because of religion.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I figured I disappointed nobody. Did you ever read that book about the Catholics? This guy went and exposed the entire Catholic, even had an interview with the Pope and everything. I forgot the name of that book. I didn't finish reading it. I read half of it.
Speaker 1:I grew up, I was first Catholic. I did my first baptism. I just didn't do confirmation. But then from Catholic Church I moved to what is called evangelical here we call it Pentecostal in Nigeria. It was very hardcore. We even did prayers and fasting for George W to become president. I still remember doing that. So yeah, the homosexuals do not have power in America. We went hardcore and all that kind of nonsense. Yeah, the church is very big right now. We went hardcore and all that kind of nonsense. The church is very big right now. We are probably in a part of Africa too.
Speaker 1:We don't say we were sick, we say we are well, you are well, it is well. That's how we greet each other. That's an expression of faith. There was one time I had pains in my neck and I was told I didn't have faith. That's why I was feeling pains in my neck. So you have to drink anointing oil. Until I came to America I discovered that the anointing oil I had been drinking was olive oil and I was like God dang it. People cook with this Like man. This company making a lot of money in Nigeria. They've been wondering why Nigerians were buying that oil all the time. Then I discovered. I saw the factory in New Jersey.
Speaker 1:I was like man, this company, I can't stop cooking with olive oil. Yeah, there's a whole lot of stories. If you met that person back then I would have casted you out. Bind you in the name of Jesus, bind you Got to cast him. Bind you.
Speaker 2:I mean you can't really cast me. That was just a different kind of casting.
Speaker 1:But it's true. Yeah, I was very close to the manosphere back then, but that's why I accept payments now. If you pay me properly, I can even bring that person out for you.
Speaker 2:Okay, we need to share that because I've realized when me and Rafael talk we can go. When I went on his podcast, we ended up talking for almost three hours and we are trying to keep this to less than one hour. So let's get to. When two podcasters meet and then it's two African podcasters it just gets real.
Speaker 1:I was. So. I made such an impact on you that you even copied my hairstyle. That's why I had to cover it today.
Speaker 2:You see, I had to do stuff there. Let's see yours, because copying you would mean.
Speaker 1:I saw the photos. It's all right.
Speaker 2:Some of your hair don't grow.
Speaker 1:There's some in here, it's all right, Some of your hair don't grow you know, there's still some here, there's still hair.
Speaker 2:Okay, let's not start saying which parts there is hair right now. So I really actually want to talk to you about your, your, your podcast and your journey with your podcast, because you know, um, first of all, I'm very curious why the fuck, how the fuck, you came up with that name like white label america. Like what were you thinking? Until you're like white label america, that's my podcast, that's the name. Like how did that come about?
Speaker 1:my shout out to my boy, scott, fellow navy veteran, and I was in a different space back then. I'd been robbed by a fellow nigerian who had stolen all the equipment for a previous podcast that we were supposed to do. I was, you know, I'd embraced mental health.
Speaker 2:It's your own people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's always your own people, you know. So it's Black History Month, so part of Black History includes some negative stuff too. Yeah, so I was contemplating quitting podcasting because, you know, I didn't really have the full information before going into podcasting. But it wasn't too long after I started going through mental health embrace the mental health treatment and part of my treatment was coming out of my. You know, I'd withdrawn from society, I'd withdrawn from people. I was talking a lot on social media but in real life I wasn't out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because you like shouting on Facebook to people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I wasn't. He didn't know me then. That was different. But I'd come across this dude and he had said dude, you're not like other Nigerians that I've met. You have your political views, your social views, you have great commentary. We should do a podcast. And I was like I heard that word before. It sounds familiar. I'd even forgotten I did a podcast with somebody around 2010 and I didn't like my voice. I don't forget that.
Speaker 1:I did a podcast with somebody around 2010, and I didn't like my voice. I was afraid inferiority, complex, a whole bunch of things. So I never listened to it and completely forgot about it. Now this guy brings it up. I'm in a botched confident space mentally and I was like all right, what do you need? I just trusted him and he gave me a list and I bought everything on the list and he stole everything. So we ended up in court and all that. He still hasn't paid me to this day. But I won in court. But after that experience I'm like I don't want to do this podcasting thing anymore. It seems like too much headache. But a few friends who listened to the stuff we did said I have something going for me. People like coming to me telling me their stories. It's a natural thing I have do your own thing. Yeah, I always get stories out. I got your story too, you know. So, uh, yeah where is it?
Speaker 2:where is it you got my story? Where the fuck is my story?
Speaker 1:it's still on that. Come on, we're not doing that again. My external hard drive got broken. Don't make me go over the heartbreak of how much I spent on that.
Speaker 1:My boy Scotty was the one who said after I decided okay, I'm going to do my own podcast, I'll embrace what this skill that I've always I've never really embraced. Now it comes to what will I call it, what's the title going to be? And my boy Scotty was like White Label, american. And I'm like are you crazy? What kind of title is that? Can't come up with something else? And he's like, no, no, no, you need that title because, first of all, it's catchy. It makes people pause. People are going to stop and be like what Wait, I have to check it out, what is this? And I didn't realize what I was doing then. But I kind of did a market survey without thinking about it and I asked about 20 to 30 people people, will you listen to a show or podcast if this was the title? And out of all the people I asked, only one person was like why do you hate white people?
Speaker 2:Then I looked at it and I was like there's always going to be that one person. There's always going to be that one person.
Speaker 1:I know the person. He's also a veteran and he's kind of a Clarence Thomas type of person and I was like this is the type of person that gives me that feedback. Good, I think this is a good sign. So I kept it because it was my own take on who's American. It's from my own point of view, but it's my own way of showing the American story and bringing it to light, and although it has expanded from where it began when I started, everything in life always expands from the place you start from, if you're doing it right.
Speaker 2:That's growth. Because we are growing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I started before the pandemic, and the pandemic will happen and I will start getting guests from outside of america anyway. So, but immigrant story is not, uh, limited to only people in the united states or new york. Like I started, I intention, I planned at the beginning to only have immigrants in new york, because new york is a big uh market and a big space, so that was the original plan. We'll come, they'll come, sit down with me in the studio, and then I started getting guests from around the country and from outside of the country. Do I say no just because no, but when the pandemic happened I couldn't be in the studio too, so fate kind of arranged certain things for me, but I wasn't going to change the name from White Label America just because I like it and everybody's always like wow, and if you don't like the name and you're like, oh, it makes me feel like you don't like white people, well then that means my podcast is not for you. Bye-bye, but still donate money.
Speaker 2:Before you leave, though, and buy merch I was like when I first heard the podcast name, I was like, but he's a black Nigerian and his podcast is called Wild Label America. Like what the fuck is this? But then again, then I actually talked to you. I was like it makes sense why I would have a podcast called Wild Label America. So you, being an immigrant, why was it important for you to share these immigrant stories on your platform? Were you looking for something? Were you missing something, or were you trying to show America something? Why was sharing immigrant stories?
Speaker 1:I think it's a combination of all. Right from my childhood, I've always been exploring. My older brother had a whole bunch of encyclopedia in the house. I don't know which one, I can't recall which one, but it was from A to Z.
Speaker 2:Fancy, fancy. Sometimes we were know which one. I can't recall which one, but it was like from A to Z.
Speaker 1:Ah, you were fancy-fancy. Sometimes we were, sometimes we weren't. We still had power outages and later on I would have to go fetch water, sometimes up to a mile. So it depends. To an extent we were, to an extent we weren't, because, you know, there was a middle class back then so and we could afford housemates up to a point in life. But I was always reading, I was getting information about other places, other worlds, and you hear stuff from people who are older than you, people who are supposed to have more knowledge about the world, and when you are reading information at a time when there was no internet, at a time when there was no social media, you start absorbing this information and thinking that, oh, you know, people here are this, people here are that.
Speaker 1:And then, by chance, you will meet one person and you'll be like, wait a minute, I thought you all are this. You know, as a big soccer fan and I'm watching one of the international tournaments and I will see a name on a player's jersey and that name like a Japanese name, but it looks like exactly the same spelling as a name from the ancient Benin kingdom. Has the name the same when you know? But there's no explanation for something like that. It's just like everything is black and white but it's not. A lot of things exist in a grey area. From the information I was getting, a lot of it wasn't correct. Like one time, I still have this memory of one uncle who nah I question if that man even left ever crossed Nigerian's border, but the guy will always have stories of man. You know, when I was in New York I woke up brush our teeth with Napoleon Brandy man, how does that make sense? But to a kid back then you'd be like, wow, you mean in New York they brush their teeth with Napoleon Brandy, so great your teeth was. You have teeth in your mouth even after six months, but that dude has stories like that.
Speaker 1:And then anti-Black stories. There was the ones demeaning women and all this. But there was ones demeaning other countries. How Ghanians are this? Indians are that? The legendary story of how India beat Nigeria 100 to 0 goals. A lot of Nigerians believe that story. The BBC has done an investigation. It never happened. It never happened. And then you find out one day day that Ghanaians have the exact same story. When did this story begin?
Speaker 2:I saw your post, the mother.
Speaker 1:Yeah, every Indian. I brought on the podcast. I've asked them and they're like man. You're the first person telling me this. India cannot. They don't have a strong team, they've never had a strong team in soccer.
Speaker 1:But in Nigeria there's a legendary tale that came out when nobody knows. Ghana has the exact same story. So all these things you have to start. It's an artificial world that has been created at one point in time. It makes you think that people have never interacted, makes you think that people have just been on islands to each other. Meanwhile, we've been interacting for a long, long time through different things, most especially trade, be it from slavery, religion, all these things. We've been interacting.
Speaker 1:Royalties talk to royalties around the world way before colonialism came into picture, and colonialism is also it's exist in the way we talk about it now is just seem to be like oh, europeans just came out and created colonization. Colonization has existed even in Africa. We colonize each other and all these things is something that, with time, I started looking at it like man, wait a minute. A lot of information I got as a kid was not correct or factual. I'm not saying correct, it wasn't factual. So I was always interested when I meet people from other places and we start talking and it's like wait a minute.
Speaker 1:You guys do this, I do that too and you start. It's like heads start exploding, like wait a minute, wait a minute. You guys eat. You eat it like this. You guys have this cultural reference.
Speaker 1:So why wouldn't I start collecting stories? Why wouldn't I start looking for a way to show the world that, yeah, you know, my picture of America growing up as a kid wasn't yeah, it didn't make sense. Now it doesn't make sense now for me to still be sticking to that picture. And when I try to show other people, like you know, I've had one or two people write to me my childhood friends. They're like, oh man, I listen to what? That thing? That way they do I listen to it. Eh, so way they do I listen to it.
Speaker 1:So, somebody from this country, they do things like we do things and I'm like, yeah, that's why I try and tell you that it's important for you to hold on Some of those views that we are still holding on to. It doesn't really make sense. Just try and listen to other people and find out that, yeah, maybe we can pause on some views that we hold on to and think it's our culture. Is it really our culture If somebody told you that that's our culture and we just run with it like it's our culture. Is it convenient to call it our culture?
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I think that's part of why I do what I do, because it just challenges everything that we hear and try and stick to it challenges your mind and you get to unlearn I think most of us and it kind of goes the same when you're working on yourself right, or you have to work on yourself. Most people here are doing that because you end up unlearning shit you were told, because these are things we were told by our great-grandparents, but even our parents. They're like oh, you remember when I told you this? That's not actually true. I just came to realize that it doesn't work that way.
Speaker 2:So when you start hearing these stories and seeing what different stories of people in their different cultures, in their different, you're like oh shit, how come I was told your country was like this. So that's not true. No, no, that's not our country. And you're like fuck, I've been lied to all my life. So you're doing an amazing shit showing the world and you're actually also showing the world that we are more than what they see on TV, because they like showing these countries on the bad side, not the good side, only the nasty side. So hearing people, their stories and their childhood, and knowing how they actually grew up or the different cultures they have, it's just like you know, people now listen to your podcast and be like, man, I should go visit Ghana, or I should go visit North Dakota, wherever the stories are coming from, because of the stories they just had from there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I also look at it this way, because there's a lot of representation and diversity on TV, like, for me personally, I'm not, I know, like when I interview Nigerians, there's this talk about, oh, we need to show a lot of the good things happening in Nigeria and I'm like, yeah, but there's a lot of bad things happening in Nigeria, a lot like plentiful, and it's part of the stories.
Speaker 1:I don't shy away from that, you know, because the stories include the good, the bad and the ugly. We haven't even touched a lot of the bad, but there's some ways like I forgot what they call it. Is it like the ghetto tourism or something like that? There are people who enjoy that kind of thing and for me, I try to look for a balance and some people just want. I think some people have this feeling within them that, oh, you must always show good or the bright lights when it comes to my part of the world, and I'm like okay that's good for you to my part of the world and I'm like, okay, that's good for you, but for me I'm like every place has good, bad and ugly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but America TV only shows Tanzanians' bad side, it depends on what TV you're watching, because if you're watching, Tell me what nice shit you have seen.
Speaker 2:No, I'm talking about the news. I'm not talking about movies that are created on Netflix or documentaries. I'm talking about the news when they report about the country. Tell me, when have you had Tanzania being reported in a good light?
Speaker 1:If you listen to VOA Africa, which I do, Again you said VOA Africa.
Speaker 2:That's right Africa.
Speaker 1:That's Voice of America.
Speaker 2:So when? What about Tanzania?
Speaker 1:The Jews. They report everything happening and if there's positive, they report positive. But you should remember, you should remember News headlines is Because what I'm bringing this point up is people tend to if there's a war happening in Tanzania, should they report it or should they not report it? Because when Tanzania's what's your current president? The woman when she ascended power she was the first woman to ascend the power in Tanzania All of them reported that there was a woman as president. Who are saying the power in Tanzania? All of them reported that there was a woman as president.
Speaker 1:But if she does something like what is happening in Senegal right now, where the president just moved the election it's supposed to happen right now. Technically, putin, a country that has never had destabilization in West Africa, in big position to have a possibility of a coup happening then everybody's reporting it. They'll post it. Oh, they're showing bad news about Senegal. I'm like, yeah, the man did it, somebody there did it. They have to report. We leave all that out and say, oh, they only showed the bad. But I'm like, when the good is happening, yeah, we don't hold the people responsible. We need to hold people responsible for their actions. There's that side of it too. But Tanzania. Remember when the woman, what's her name? Again, I'm forgetting your president's name.
Speaker 2:I'm seeing her face, which I guess, of course, that one they're going to report. How many women presidents do we have?
Speaker 1:We have six on the continent.
Speaker 2:But if it was a normal other president, it wouldn't have been news. It was news because she was a woman and we don't have those. Of course they're going to report that. But apart from that, we have incredible, other amazing shit that goes on in Tanzania. They don't, but when it comes to our president checking COVID on the oil and shit, all the bullshit that they report, all the the bullshit that they report, all the killings that they report, which I get, we do have bad things, but so does America, so does all these other countries, but you see other countries being promoted. The beautiful side of it. I'm not saying don't talk about the bad. Of course, talk about the bad. My country has so much bullshit, yes, but it's also still a beautiful country without a lot of stuff to offer. Exactly so that's what my point was To be honest when it comes to news from Africa.
Speaker 1:Tanzania is still not a disrespect, but Nigeria is way ahead of grabbing headlines. I mean we love Nigeria South Africa. If I have a problem with news reporting, it's Nigeria, south Africa, ghana, egypt, ethiopia.
Speaker 2:Tanzania. They don't even know we exist, Unless it's something.
Speaker 1:Sometimes I write to BBC Africa, I've written to VOA. You guys have to report yes, 54 countries. Report on the 54 countries, because a lot of stuff gets under the headlines. You have to report, yes, 54 countries. Report on the 54 countries, because a lot of stuff gets under the headlines. You have to go on the website to get the news happening from all the countries, which I understand if it's like a 30-minute program.
Speaker 1:They try to get the biggest headliners, the biggest, the ones that pull more weight, more eyes on. You know they want to get, because everybody, everything is about what do you call it? Ratings? Now, right, oh, yeah, yeah, so it's about oh, if we put Nigeria at the top, then more eyes will come. Everybody knows Nigeria. If we put Seychelles, what is that? Where is that? Is that an, an African country? Why is there? Because if you have Africans, why say she was there? So, and also to that too, people say they want good news, but at the same time, people don't respond to good news a lot positively. We also have to question that, because you know when you put good news, it doesn't move as much as bad news. At the same time, you see more interaction with bad news. I'm not saying they shouldn't report good news, but I'm just saying, if you go by the numbers thing, the ratings thing, we also see that. But you're right on that though.
Speaker 2:I mean you kind of did the same shit on your podcast After Afro's Anarchist for like two, three episodes. I was a villain on his show. Like for some reason my name kept coming up. I think you're a villain.
Speaker 1:I said you are my. It was the first time I met a nemesis, and it was a friendly nemesis, but it was different. I had met somebody who could match my energy. No, you mean?
Speaker 2:exilic because, if I recall properly, I shut you up for a minute there. Even people were like is. Raph quiet, does Raph not?
Speaker 1:have a cover.
Speaker 2:I think Afro and Adias needs to give me an award this year when I go that the person was able to shut Raph up, Like literally, Talib and Corey. I'm just saying an award that they shut Raph up at Afros and Audios. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1:Now it's 2023, we're in 2024 now. All right much. Now it's 2023. We're in 2024 now all right.
Speaker 4:This October 18th to the 20th, don't miss the go-to event experience for aspiring new and seasoned Black indie podcast creators and audio professionals. Now, spanning three action-packed days, the sixth annual Afros and Audio Podcast Festival in Baltimore, Maryland, will be a weekend of panels, workshops and networking designed to elevate your podcasting game. Join us at the Reginald F Lewis Museum and book your discounted room at True by Hilton Baltimore Harbor East. The festival jumps off with a live show and kickoff party on Friday, followed by a weekend of networking, learning and celebration. You'll get to engage with industry leaders through educational tracks and awards evening and close out with pivotal discussions on Sunday. We'll see you in October to secure your spot for an unforgettable experience. Visit afrosandaudiocom to secure your ticket today.
Speaker 1:The countermeasures have been deployed. The system has been upgraded Because the system hadn't met you then. So it had to take five minutes to calibrate, to build the antivirus, to cover it wasn't used to. Like you know, the MISA system had not upgraded. You know I had to go add another one. From which country would I add that from?
Speaker 2:Okay, I won't tell you where it was coming from, but anyway, it don't matter, I'm going to get my award anyway, even if I have to make one for myself.
Speaker 1:I still have my people in the Middle East who used to make awards for my command. Drink water, please. Drink water, it's okay.
Speaker 2:So how long have you been working with White Labo America?
Speaker 1:Since October 2019. Oh wow. Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's impressive. So, out of all the stories you've had right in your podcast, out of all the guests, which one was the most shocking one? That was like what the fuck Dang?
Speaker 1:Oh man.
Speaker 3:Ask me that question.
Speaker 1:I've had quite a few, I've heard quite a few. I've heard quite a few. Let me see, I don't have anything written in front of me right now. So you know I've crossed once, you've crossed 40, you know the database sometimes be bouncing up and down.
Speaker 2:Just say, because you do a lot of this, that's why.
Speaker 1:Nine, nine, nine, nine, nine. I'm a sober guy, you know it's only palm wine. If it's fresh palm wine, then it's different.
Speaker 2:But ah, oh, where do you get fresh palm wine?
Speaker 1:What do you know about palm wine? You're too young to know palm oil. You guys have palm oil in Tanzania.
Speaker 2:I live in Malaysia with Nigerians, so they got palm oil in.
Speaker 1:Malaysia. They got no palm oil there. They do. Where do you get palm oil in?
Speaker 2:Malaysia. Where do Nigerian people get all your shit? They don't have palm oil in Malaysia. They live in pamwine in malaysia.
Speaker 1:People get all your shit in malaysia. They what they sleep that that is adulterated pamwine. You have to come to my, to the, to the villages in the niger delta and get it fresh. You get it fresh from the tree. Okay, I ain't telling you no more secrets, but anyway, let's stay on track. So Let me see, I think I might. Okay, I'll give it two, I'll give it two.
Speaker 1:So when Mariano the episode of Mariano Charles, he's moved back to Argentina. He moved to New York right as the pandemic, right as we went into lockdown. So when he arrived in New York it was literally no crowds, it was like no people, nobody on the streets. So I guess he was like one of the last people that was allowed into New York City and that was like his first time in New York City. So that experience, it's rare to meet somebody like that. You know, because everybody who's been to New York is like you know New York crowds, you know people, like you know locals, you know like people a lot of people get overwhelmed when they visit New York, like man there, york, the crowds, so much.
Speaker 1:That guy got a whole experience Of New York. That's like it's rare to meet somebody. People can really match that experience. Because he got to see Ghost Town, new York, and that's how I even became my friend. Because when we started letting people Mingle and I also run some volunteer groups in the neighborhood One is for fathers raising kids without fathers and another one is a soccer group for dads and he came to the soccer group and he was like, can I play with you guys? I don't have any friend. I moved here just as lockdown happened, so I don't know anybody and he's running crazy because his wife has been living.
Speaker 1:His wife was already in new york. She's also an immigrant from germany, but he didn't know a single person. And then he arrived here there's nobody and it's just uh, you know it's locked down so you can't even go out and mingle, make start trying to make friends. He's from Argentina. He's like going crazy. And when he finally came on the podcast and he's sharing his story, I knew he had been previously married before.
Speaker 1:And then he now tells that now he's sharing the story of what happened to his first wife. She had taken her life, but the whole thing that led to her taking her life was a whole accident, how she lost her brother. But the day she died he was in the house when she took her life and I had to stop the recording and ask hey man, you sure you want to talk about this? This was before I started doing video recording, otherwise the clip would have been out there. But I had to stop and ask him like hey, man, although you know, in the content space that's like gold material, yeah, that was good, yeah, no no.
Speaker 1:I have to ask you, first of all, where are you at right now?
Speaker 4:Are you sure you?
Speaker 1:want to talk about this and he's like hell, yeah, I want people to know. I don't know who will listen to this episode. I don't know where they are at. They might be where I was after I lost her and you know how I was able to come back and now I'm married and now I'm a dad. Like back when he was married to his first wife, they didn't want children, and now he's a dad. Actually, they have two kids now. Their second kid was born after they moved to Buenos Aires. So it was. I think at that moment I knew that I'm not in this for viral moments, because it would have been so easy for me to just cut that clip. I think at that moment I knew that I'm not in this for viral moments, because it would have been so easy for me to just cut that clip.
Speaker 1:I can still create an audio clip and just throw it out there. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. But the fact that I was able to stop the recording right there and say, hey, man, you sure you want to talk about this? Where are you at right now? And he like, oh yeah, I'm good, I want people to hear this. Yeah, I came here to share this story and I want to share this story. I said, alright, we can continue. I know you're in a good place now. It's not something that you're just going to run your mouth and then maybe one month later or one year later you're going to call me and be like no, no, no, no, no, no, Take it off, take it off, take it off that kind of thing. So it was a shock to me to hear that part of the story, but it was a good shock, I'll put it that way.
Speaker 1:And the second one is someone who one of the few people who knew me as a teenager. We're both in the same school. He's a lecturer now in another African country and I asked him you know, when he got to that country, what was his first surprise? And you might know the country when I say what he's answered. So he said you know, when I got there, they have this festival where girls become women, and I was surprised the girls were naked. They cover their loins. How can these people not African? What kind of African people are these Africans don't do this? And I was like, okay, okay, I hear you, I hear you.
Speaker 2:It's safe to say, tanzanians have stopped doing that ceremony, so I was like I hear you, but you're from the western part of Nigeria.
Speaker 1:You're from one of the biggest tribes in Nigeria, the big three. Have you been to my part of Nigeria? That was the question I asked him. He said no. I said okay.
Speaker 1:So let me share a story that happened, something that happened to me in 2004. I was in a city. I was doing a job, you know, to set up canopies, chairs, tables for events. They would hire us, so they hired me outside of Otakot to go to a nearby city, but still, my tribal people are there, and that was the first time I went to this city and we were done before 6 pm, so we got a few minutes to relax before heading back to the city and a town crier is ringing the bell.
Speaker 1:I'm like well, what's happening? Is there some fight or something About to go down? Because it was around the time when some of what's happening Is there some fight or something About to go down? Because it was around the time when some of what's happening in Nigeria today was just beginning to happen in the oil producing areas where I'm from. And I see a young woman walking behind a few feet behind the town crier and she's topless. She only has a skirt and it was a majestic walk. I've never seen something like that before. She was majestically just strolling behind the guy and he's just announcing. And the loose translation is take one last look at this. Let me say, goddess, you can't look at her After today. She belongs to somebody, so it means she's getting today. She belongs to somebody, so it means she's getting married.
Speaker 2:So wait, wait, wait, wait. So when you're getting married, they parade you with your titties out for people to look at you.
Speaker 1:Wait, wait, I have to finish. I have to finish it. He's saying it in Pidgin English, right, and a mixture of english and our language, but it's, it's not like it's, it's, it's. It's a loose expression, it's, it's, it's comedic way he's saying it and she's just like catwalking and she's just happy and people like cheering her on. And for me, coming from Manassas, I'm like what the hell's going on?
Speaker 1:here. I'm shocked now and I'm beginning to sound like this guy who's my guest right now on the podcast. That's how I sounded like In 2004 and I'm like how dare you people do this? What is this? And I'm yelling and people start laughing at me and they're like oh, where are you from? Man?
Speaker 1:I said I'm from my tribe and I'm an EJOR, like, yeah, which EJOR are you? And I said I'm from the next door state. They're like, oh, yeah, yeah, you guys stopped doing this a long time ago. You guys stopped, but we still did it. We've been. We're christians, we don't do this kind of stuff. They're like, uh, yeah, before, we're christians. You know, we have culture, we have traditions. Uh, yeah, this is one of them. And I'm like, oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. You know, we are christians, we don't do this kind of things. You know, our women cover up and, yeah, so that was something I wouldn't even think about until 2021.
Speaker 1:I'm interviewing this guy on my podcast and that's just when he's. He's now bashing an african country, people in an african country. He's trying to tear them down. Like you know that your own country does this shit, people who have this culture. And he's like what you mean? You mean, you mean, you mean. I'm like, yes, because you haven't even been there. You don't even know other people in your own country. So how, who are you to say people are africans, they are on african, because that's the word he used. He said they are on afAfrican, un-african, un-african. And he was trying to say because he's a Christian. And I was like you see, you can't say somebody is not African because you worship this God or you have this religion. Oh, you believe in this. You hear me, you didn't even know what's happening in your backyard, you don't even know what's happening in your land. And if I didn't know that, that experience I went through in 2004 will come in handy in the future.
Speaker 2:But now, in defending another african country.
Speaker 1:So imagine you know me now. You know there's a way I could have pretended that that never happened, you know, but I'm glad that it happened. I learned from the correction that my own tribe has something like that, even though it's not my direct tribe. It's my cousins from another state.
Speaker 2:We don't actually have a tribe.
Speaker 1:Now we also have something similar to people in Mauritania where, you know, I know some not all of us do it, but I know it's called fattening room, where if a woman is getting married like two weeks, they pump the woman up. You know, put the woman up in the room for two weeks. So I know everybody does it. But yeah, yeah, someone like you, you're going to come out. They're going to be like God damn, paula, what happened?
Speaker 2:Wait out of curiosity, right, Because you're not married to an African woman, so this thing might be a little bit. These traditions are because if you're African and you're from there, you know it's supposed to happen, right.
Speaker 1:It's not for everybody, but Depending.
Speaker 2:it's supposed to happen right, it's not for everybody, but Depending with your family members. You know, in Africa the family members hold more say when it comes to your wedding or anything, than the actual person who's. They always try to interject and there's some families that they allow the family members to take over. So do you think if you had brought your wife like like her back home to, Would she have agreed to leave her head?
Speaker 1:I'll say no, not that.
Speaker 2:Wait. And how would you have felt as a husband? Because I don't know how a man feels like. Oh, all these people are looking at my, like she's about to be mine and now she's coming to me, but everybody has seen her goodies.
Speaker 1:No, well, I can't speak for other men, but I'm asking you, no, no, hear me out. There are certain things that happen to me. I call them part of the unwiring of my programming. So before I left I even left Nigeria I discovered certain ways families treat certain people. So be it the issue with LGBTQ, no matter how Nigerians come online and act like, we are 100% against it.
Speaker 1:I already began to see the hypocrisy. So I'd seen a family member who was into the 419, the Yahoo sending of the emails, the Nigerian Prince thing. I knew a family member who that's how he made his money. And when he came from Lagos to come visit in Port Harcourt and I saw, I'd heard our family members talk about people who make their money from that kind of make their money from that venture, and this guy showed up. And when he showed up, he's throwing money at everybody. Here you go, christmas time, you buy this for yourself. I start watching all the church members. Hey, praise God, man.
Speaker 1:I started realizing that it don't matter what traditions or culture the family has, no matter what you, it depends. Once the individual has a certain level of money, uh, they will tolerate you. So someone like me, if, when I joined the navy the first time I went home, it didn't matter what if I said I was gay, oh yeah, yeah, but praise, I don't support you sleeping with a man, but US Navy salute, sir. They'll just be saluting me. There are people who will whisper it in my back, of course, but in front of me everybody will just like yeah, the king, he gave me $20. This one gave me $50. He gave me $100. Ha, correct guy. And the moment I saw that, before I left Nigeria, it changed. You couldn't come tell me later on that, oh, my wife has to come go through this tradition. You have to. My wife has to come go through this tradition. You have to force my wife Because, as I had noticed that, because even when I was 10 years old between 10 and 12, there was a funeral that I attended in the richest family member's house.
Speaker 1:The person was a major general back then. He's late now and that was the first time I saw a woman smoking. This was early 90s. Women weren't supposed to smoke, you know, the picture then was like ah, women don't smoke. So I saw a woman smoking openly and people were just walking around. I was like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What's happening and I tried to tell one of my uncle and shut up, get out of here, push me, get out of here, mind your business.
Speaker 1:I was like what? That woman was high up the food chain. You can't go talk to her, no, but when a poor woman, you don't have no money, you light a cigarette, man, they're going to chase you, get out of here, get out of here. So when the kid starts noticing these little things and you start picking man, that kid was going to turn into somebody considered a bad boy in the future. You know, maybe he'll lose his head. Maybe that's how I'm going to put it in my head. The beneficiary is my wife and kids, so you can't force them to do something that I don't like, they don't like. But first of all, if they say they don't like it, then yeah, I'm not going to be like. Yeah, they don't like it, so get out of here.
Speaker 2:But I like that you stand on that, because I know that's one thing some of Africans we have. We notice, we see, but we still also allow ourselves to be dragged into it, instead of standing tall and like, fuck, now you can't do that to me, right? So, and it all goes to mindset. I think we all need to switch our mindset and start really unlearning and being open to, open-minded to all this other stuff, otherwise we get dragged in shit that our ancestors forced on people. Anyways, we are coming to an end of this. Thank you for talking shit with me, but is Sunday the last game?
Speaker 1:Yes, the third place match is on Saturday.
Speaker 2:Who's playing on Saturday?
Speaker 1:South Africa and Congo, the two losers from the semi-finals. But they have good music. There's a lot of dancing in that.
Speaker 2:And the winner's going to play with who on Sunday.
Speaker 1:Sunday is between Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria. Good music too.
Speaker 2:Oh, you know Cote d'Ivoire. I'm rooting for Cote d'Ivoire, for no offense nigerian there you go.
Speaker 1:You see, I told you she's just me and her.
Speaker 2:We're on the same wavelength, so you just saw a proof of that I don't know about that, I just, I just, you know, I have a lovely it's gonna win, and they literally repeated me, so I I didn't know who was playing.
Speaker 1:I said Nigerians are going to cry on Saturday. It's sad tears. They'll be filling buckets full of tears.
Speaker 2:Have you met Nigerians.
Speaker 1:Do they look like happy losers?
Speaker 2:They'll be fine. Be prepared, You're going to see fire Nigerians. Do they look like happy losers? Okay?
Speaker 1:they'll be fine, they will be prepared. You're going to see fire and brimstone.
Speaker 2:They're always losing with your president and shit.
Speaker 1:They don't come for you.
Speaker 2:Where did K-Fast end up.
Speaker 1:I'm curious they got knocked out in the group stage. Your coach talked too much and got suspended for eight matches. You should have kept quiet. I don't know why that guy talked to me, but I like Tanzania, though they like hiring Africans. A lot of teams used to do that Hire an African from another country and pay him good, instead of you know going and collecting these rejected Europeans. Come and coach a team. But I'm available though.
Speaker 3:You guys want't hire me, I'll accept dollars.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much y'all for hanging out with me on shit happens. Please let the people know about uh where to find your podcast, where to find your shit, how to connect with you, what you got going on. This is the time to to sell yourself and send them to your patrons so they can give you their dollars, okay.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, yes, I love dollars. We accept euros, British pounds. We accept gold too, like that senator in New Jersey Gold bars Don't give me Nazi gold, but just real gold bars, like Saudi Arabian gold. It's legal. So you can find me on.
Speaker 1:Go to whitelabelamericancom or you can get our app at Google Play Store and you can see the mug that Paula is showing you. You can. If you go to whitelabelamericancom, you get our merch. You can get t-shirts, mugs and caps and other goodies that we can add. If you don't see any mesh that you like, leave a message there. That's here. Our guy will get you any match. Um, yeah, the app is on google play app store. Um, patreon, we're on patreon. Just type white label american.
Speaker 1:If you like african football, go to africo podcast on youtube. It's a brand new YouTube channel that I just started for the AFCON. We'll add more stuff about African football down the line. Maybe one day Paula will come and talk just what will make her watch African football. Don't worry, not today, but we'll get you one day on African football. And, yeah, if you want me on your show anytime, bring me on. I'm going to start watching 90 Day Fiance and some more awesome stuff because I have real life. 90 Day Fiancé people that I know. I've been watching Naked Attraction. Right now it's my favorite dating show. I'm going to improve on more dating shows this year.
Speaker 2:Naked Attraction is the one where they judge whether they're naked.
Speaker 1:Yeah, awesome dating show.
Speaker 2:It's open and people are fully naked and they judge it. Oh my God, that show. I need to have an episode with you on that.
Speaker 1:I want to hear your yeah we will, we will, we will have a round table on that. 100% yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh God.
Speaker 1:My wife won't approve me to be naked. I mean I'm also not, you know. I mean I'm still down to get Sugar Mama, but I have to sign some legal papers first for my wife. I know there's one Ghanaian who might be watching right now. He's going to be like ah yes, don't let the showman get him yet. So I have one or two Ganyan haters. He's not a hater-hater, but he's a good hater, put it that way. He laughs at me too much, but that would be an awesome idea though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like for that one we need a round table. But I get your emails of the Saturday mornings to come to your football. Even some buzzers like I didn't see you. I'm like you all want me to come and embarrass myself there. I'm not even watching, I don't know what the fuck is going on. He's like no, you should still come. It's fine, I should still come so that I sit there and then when you ask me a question, I'm like huh.
Speaker 1:We'll walk you through. Don't worry, we'll do something, for before and after the final Also hold on. There's a Zambian show that I'm actually going to be a guest on on Saturday. Let me Instagram. Show me Big Bots. I don't want to see Big Bots on Instagram right now. Let me pronounce the show correctly before I go and mess up the title of their show. The Zambians were nice enough to have me on their show and you know it's nice to connect with other Africans.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is.
Speaker 1:Well, I always pronounce their show wrongly, so I have to see it in front of me. Yeah, there it is. Well, I always pronounce their show wrongly, so I have to see it in front of me. Yeah, there it is. It's the Insaka Talk Show, so they'll have me live on Saturday to talk about the Afcon and African football in general. So, yeah, I try to, you know, connect.
Speaker 2:There's also for those outposts and outposts. It's in October, right.
Speaker 1:October. Yeah, Hopefully I'll see you there. Bring two Tanzanians with you so that you can't trick me like the last time.
Speaker 2:I'm coming for you. Well, everybody, thank you so much for hanging out with us those who have been watching, because I saw a few people watching live. For those who are going to watch the replay, thank you for watching. This is shit happens where shit happens, and I was hanging out with Ralph of White Label America. Make sure you go check out his podcast and go support his Patreon, so go spread some love, y'all.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having me. Shit shit, shit, shit happens, shit happens, shit happens, shit happens, shit happens, it happens.
