In the early 90's, a new kind of soulful hip hop emerged on the scene with the arrival of P.M. Dawn, and their smash hit "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss". Brothers Prince Be and Eternal became influential to many future hip hop artists. Their cousin Doc G. joined the group, and spent Prince Be's final years with him. Doc G now represents the group. Although some feel the move is controversial, Doc G confronts the naysayers. Today, he is speaking on this podcast about his experiences, as we give admiration to the talent and life of Prince Be, who passed in 2016.
Dope Nostalgia
Episode 213 - P.M. Dawn
[Music] Open up that crystal Pepsi and get comfortable. [Music] This is Dopeness Up. Hey everybody we're back with episode 213 of Dopeness Stalja and I'm your host Naomi. I just got back from Chicago where I went to go celebrate a dear friend's birthday. You may have heard of the YouTube channel Rat Tale. Well it was Girl Rat Tale's birthday and boy did we have a huge awesome party. Adrian, once again we love you and happy birthday. I'm glad that you had the best weekend ever. Now today's episode is going to be a little different because there's a lot of controversy with this group. And I wanted this person to have the chance to say their side of the story. The group PM Don was huge in the 90s and the original two members who were brothers. Prince B and Eternal were the mainstay of the group. As years went on all kinds of things happened which we'll be getting into. And then Doc G who we're talking with today became a member of the group. In this episode he gets to share his story of what happened and about the legend Prince B who unfortunately is no longer with us as he succumbed to complications from kidney disease in 2016. So before we get into talking with Doc G from PM Don we have a little bit of news for you. It's been a while since we had a news update. Here you go. Hot off the presses, adjust those rabbit ears. You got that antenna pulled up? It's time for some dope nostalgia news. Now one of our previous guests on dope nostalgia is releasing a brand new single. It's coming out tomorrow which is as of me recording this. It's going to be September 18th. Chesney Hawks is back so you can check out on his Instagram. He has a great contest going on right now. The song is debuting tomorrow on BBC Radio 2. So the new song is called Get a Hold of Yourself. Go to the link in his bio on Instagram to pre-save it. And you can get the chance to win a video call with Chesney and a very special personalized package from him. So Chesney Hawks official on Instagram. Check it out. Hit the link. Try to win the stuff man. Chesney Hawks was such a great guy and a great guest. You can listen to my interview with him back in the old school catalog on wherever you get podcasts. And if you don't remember Chesney he is the singer of the song The One and Only. Now here's a little background information on PM Don. Wikipedia moments. Please bear in mind that Wikipedia is not to be taken as actual 100% fact. Any donkey could edit it at any time. If I'm reading you the artist bio, that stuff is the real truth. PM Don is an American hip hop and R&B act that formed in 1988 by the brothers Atrell Cortez and Jarrett Cortez. Their stage names being Atrell's Prince B sometimes called Prince B the nocturnal. Jarrett's stage name, Eternal or DJ Minute Mix. They were formed in Jersey City, New Jersey and they earned significant crossover success in the early 1990s with music that merged hip hop, older soul and more pop oriented urban R&B. PM Don recorded their debut single O to a forgetful mind in 1988. Their first album of the heart of the soul and of the cross, The Utopian Experience was released in 1991 to critical acclaim and was an immediate commercial success driven by its single Set a Drift on Memory Bliss. This song, as you well may know, was sampled and the original artist is Spando Valle and the song True. This song has been sampled by many different artists including The Vaxxry Boys and Jordan Knight to name a couple people that I know off the top of my head. But it's such a classic riff and classic tune. This song blew up PM Don. Their 1993 follow up, The Bliss Album. In parentheses, vibrations of love and anger and the ponderance of life and existence. In parentheses, featuring the hit singles "I Die Without You" and "Looking Through Patient Dies" was also phrased by critics. PM Don continued to receive strong reviews with their subsequent albums. Jesus Wept in 1995 and Dearest Christian, I'm so very sorry for bringing you here. Love Dad in 1998, despite poor sales unfortunately. When 2005, Prince B's health issues due to complications from diabetes led to his cousin Doc G taking ownership of PM Don and the eternal's departure from the group. In 2016, Prince B died from kidney disease. Doc G continues to perform as PM Don without the involvement of the court as brothers. Not everybody was happy about that decision, especially members of the family. In 2022, the documentary episode "Unsung" came out, highlighting the story of PM Don. And Doc G was on it as well as Jared Cordes and they don't agree on anything. So today, we got Doc on the show. Doc G agreed to come on Dope Nostalgia and talk with us about the legacy of Prince B in the history of PM Don. Welcome Doc G to Dope Nostalgia. I like the shirt. Thank you. I just wanted to do, whenever I do something lately, a video or anything, I try to plug a local business. So this is a this is Yankee Biscuit. This is actually Southern Bagel out here in Long Beach, Southern Bagel Company. A very dear friend of mine named David Gill, he's from New York like me. And he moved down here to Long Beach, Mississippi years ago. And he wanted to bring the New York bagel breakfast experience with him. So now we can live down South and enjoy a salmon locks bagel with cream cheese and cakes. I didn't have any idea that bagels weren't a thing down south. No. Yeah, they're pretty popular. That makes sense. I guess. Yeah, I'm in Canada. I'm in Western Canada. Wow. I don't think I've ever been to Canada. I was supposed to go once and one of the acts got arrested at the border. So they canceled the show and everybody could go. Yeah, I bet you that happens a lot though, or they can't cross the border. I've seen concerts get canceled for that reason. Everybody, a lot of stuff happens to me because of stuff other people do. It's like the sound track to my life. Welcome with me today is Doc G, PM Don. How's it going? Hi, thanks for having me. Of course. I wanted to welcome you and talk about the great times you've had as part of the group, the legacy of PM Don. And to give you a platform to speak your truth. Yes. I just really didn't like what was going on back home in New York. The politics, the nonsense, the violence, the inability for a law abiding citizen with no criminal history to protect himself. You know, it's like you take a beautiful woman. You don't feel like driving. You want to go to dinner in a movie and you know, you hop on a train. What should be a romantic time to easily turn into a bunch of people just being jealous. You stick a gun in your face, humiliating you, snatching your girls pearls and stuff. You know, who need that? Down here in Long Beach, Mississippi, where I live, it's a beautiful place. It's like it reminds me of what Long Island used to be. Yeah. And you know, you could leave your car door open, not that I do, but, you know, and it's like good, good family values, family first, you know. And so for me, it's like I'm a single dad raising two boys by myself, two amazing sons who live with autism. And, you know, God is good. That's all I could say. And, you know, so I'd fly back every two or three years to eat white castles, fresh off the grill and hug my dad. And then I get back on a plane and come on. No, I can totally understand that decision. It sounds like a wonderful place to be. It is. Now, when PM Don came onto the scene, your cousins, a trial and Jarrett, which people know as Prince B, an eternal DJ Minute Mix, right? Yeah. They were the ones that started it all. Where were you at? And what were you doing in the 90s when all of this was happening? Okay. So. I was wobbing a deck on the USS Orion. Yeah, I told this story and other interviews. I am. I'm swabbing a deck. Waiting to pull into port. And I hear. We were stationed out of Italy and I hear it. I'm there. I'm there. I'm there. I'm going to be him. Do da, da, da, da. And I'm like. Oh, God, that's our group. And, you know. They tried to get me to go a wall. They almost got me to leave a ship in Sicily, but I didn't want to get court, Marshall. And, um. You know, he was very upset when I went to the Navy. He did not want me to go. A lot of my relatives didn't want me to go. And it turned out to be a bad choice. But, you know, I'm glad I did it because I got to do some things independently that I would not have done. And, um. My mom, I remember it was 1992. And my mom had mailed me a valentine's card. And basically, uh. It has a daily newspaper clipping. When KRS one attacked my cousins. And then started the card and said, look what they did. The book in Jared. And, um. I was good. I was dealing with some of my own things going on in the military at that time. So instead of waiting for you to get to GI Bill, I took it early out. And I showed up at a. Prince B's doorstep. And I never left a side. I didn't, I wasn't aware of what happened with KRS one. It was silly. See, back then. And people like to put their own spin on it. But there was a tremendous amount of hatred towards what people. Call. Then they called it alternative hip hop. Like there's a tremendous amount of hypocrisy. Like I find it. So very humorous that VH one used to do the hip hop honors. When years ago, they refused to play the video. I died without you. On their channel because it was a hip hop song. So fast forward 20, 30 years. That's not the case anymore, right? So yeah, they hated us. They hated the rest of, uh, arrested development. You know, uh, they, I believe they, they, they downloaded a. Diggable planets to was like anything that wasn't talking about selling drugs. Or shooting somebody was considered alternative hip hop. Uh, yeah. Like the roots. They'd probably be. I wouldn't say the roots will ever alternative hip hop because. Black Lord was spitting bars like, like. From the gate. Yeah. So you just couldn't deny his greatness. That's just my opinion. Well, that's what I'm here for. He's, he's got to be on it. If a person writes their raps. Or 3000. Black thought has got to be on the top of your route. In my opinion. So. Um, there's a quotes. Um, of eternal saying Kanye West was also greatly inspired. By PM Don and I think a lot of people who are currently. Big in hip hop were. And so. I still get a lot of. PM Don's greatness and influence in current hip hop artists today. Anybody who sings over the track. Anybody who uses what they call hashtag rap, like the style that Drake. We brought to the game. You know, we started that. They're probably a lone solitaire. You know, you take out the word like and just. You do it that way. So. You know, but. They've also shunned us like it was. It was, it was painful. When Prince B died and they left him off the list. That year at the B.T. Awards. That's why I just don't watch anymore. Wow. I can't believe that even happened. Yeah, it's, it's like I said, it's, it's very bittersweet. And I try to just. You know, take the memories, the, you know, the good memories. And. You know, but at the end of the day, I still love hip hop. I still, I still. Right rhymes. I still create. I still perform. And I even got my kids getting involved now. My son is getting into DJing. He's 16. Yeah. Yeah. I got an 11 year old who plays the harmonica and. He's still trying to figure out what he wants to do, but. Whatever they want. Daddy's here for it. So. It's nice to have a family that backs your musical aspirations. You know. Yeah, I wouldn't know nothing about. Was your whole family musical or some like, no, you guys. Don't get into, don't get into this. There's no future. No, they would get some musical people in the family. But I mean, I once took a butt whooping for listening to run DMC. Oh. Damn. Hilarious. Like me and my old man, we laugh at that stuff now, but it's like. Yeah. I mean, when you, when you, when you're growing, when you're growing up. And you got your parents are like young Christians on the come up. You know, people make mistakes. And like I said, but, um, one thing I've learned is the power of forgiveness. And I learned how to let a lot of things go. Because, you know, do you think it's silly when people say, oh, I mean, you forgive somebody. It's for you and not for them, but it really is because. Raise and hatred will poison your soul. And it almost got me a couple of times. So. Yeah, no, it's true. It's true. If anybody feels better about the giving that forgiveness and letting go, it's definitely you. Right. Yeah. How did you feel about the changes that took place throughout the music industry throughout the decade of the 90s, like from the beginning to the end. Um, I don't have problems with changes. Um, things change for better or worse, no matter how you look at it. I mean, you know, when I was a kid, my father didn't understand why I wanted to stick a penny in my shoes and, you know, try to moonwalk or why would take the strings out of my duties. He thought I was crazy. You know, so. I don't understand why it's a fashion statement. If you pull your pants off your waist and under your butt cheeks and then walk into a club and go, don't disrespect me son. I'm a man. And I'm like, well, why are your pants under your butt cheeks? That's not manly to me. So. I can't wrap my head around it either. It's just like something like. And when I don't do hip hop, I do armed security. So I can't tell you how many times I've told somebody they couldn't get into somewhere and he's like. Yeah, who you talking to cause I'm grown. I'm like, if you've grown, then pull your pants up over your waist. And then I'll allow you in this development, you know, so. It's pretty hilarious. How did and when did you join with Prince B and why? Well, here's the thing. I was supposed to join from the jump. And when I did not. He was, he was pissed. So when I came back to town, when I got out the military. Basically became the Alfred to his Batman. So anybody who came over to work with him. Nine times out of 10. I'm the one that had to get him a Blinty burger and run it back to electric lady studios. But by a frank mixed drinks, you name it, I did it. And every time I tried to leave and do my own thing. You know, he would let me go. It was pretty funny. He's like, you know. Well, what do you need? Well, I got to get an apartment. Pick a room in the penthouse. What else do you need? Well, I got to get a car. Okay, here's the keys to the grand Cherokee. What else do you need? Well, I got to get a job here. I'll pay $600 a week. Stay please. You know, and it was like. And I stuck around and. On numerous occasions, I helped them out. We, you know, had a lot of very toxic relatives in his life. People that this would, you know, would just begging, wanting money and stuff or using him. I remember we had a bodyguard who was having an affair with his girlfriend. And little brother knew about it and wouldn't say anything because they were giving them drugs. A lot of crazy stuff. Yeah. But, you know, the same people who did this showed up in an ensemble. They're like, oh, you know, we loved them so much. And I'm like. So. For me, it was like. I would always ask him when we sit in Red Lobster on route 22. I go, are you happy? And he go, I want to be, but I'm not yet. And then stuff will come to light. We kick the bad people away. He'd be happy again, you know. Yeah. But I think what he wanted more than anything else is he wanted to be acknowledged for how dope he was. And he. He really despised the ununity. And hip hop as far as like people not respecting them and stuff. We want to show him that respect now, right? Like, I mean, that's part of why I wanted to do this episode. Well, well, I get, I get, I'm starting to get a lot of love on Instagram again. And tick tock because I really don't like social media. I feel like it takes the curtain off the Wizard of Oz. Let the Wizard of Oz be the Wizard of Oz. Why do you have to see him? I shouldn't have to film myself writing and making a record for you to want to hear it and buy it and see me form it live. It's like, I don't want to, I don't want to be in that process. Like, I don't want to know that Batman is Bruce. I just want to see Batman, you know, that's the whole thing. And it's, and it's not just music. Like, it's the same thing with professional wrestling. Why do you have to go behind the curtain? I'm like, I don't, I don't want to see this guy when he's not, you know, popping up out of a coffin or, you know, something like, you know, nobody wants to be entertained and just leave it the hell alone anymore. Yeah, I can see that. Yeah. What are some of his gifts that you feel like he gave to you as cousin and to the world? Oh, well, to the world, I think he gave the gift of a black man doesn't have to scream and yell and hollow all the time to get his point across. He expressed vulnerability. He's expressing his thoughts about his faith in God. His fear is about being a parent and a spouse. And as far as his personal gift to me, he always to tell me, he used to tell me I was lazy because I don't make beats. I always get somebody else to do it because I just missed the camaraderie of waking up at 12 noon, taking a shower, brushing my teeth, meeting my cousin for Red Lobster for breakfast at 2 p.m. And then House of Pancakes for dinner at 12 30 a night. We were so backwards, man. We were so backwards. It was Red Lobster on Route 22 for breakfast and the House of Pancakes on Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City for dinner. It was always like that. It was fun. Hey, I know that night, I will life. I mean, that's me. And I miss, I miss Alice Dine on Communipal Avenue. They knocked that down in Jersey. That was, that was a good one. That was the Superman to diner where he got revenge on the guy with the pinball machine. A lot of people know that. Yeah, it was. Well, history. Yeah. Do they serve breakfast food there? They served everything that I was done. Nice. Nice. So, but I missed those things. I missed the road trips. And it's funny that you contacted me because this is normally a rough time of the year for me because his birthday is May 15. And he passed away the Friday before Father's Day. So from that made of June. I have to deal with forming termites and the pain of my cousin, who was my best friend, his absence. And when you, when you lose somebody that you know is that you're two years old, you never heal from that. You just kind of exist in spite of it, in spite of the loss, but you never really heal from it. So every year around this time, I just throw up in a little cocoon and just, you know, watch little videos and things, listen to stuff and, you know. And, and then I show my son's video because he's both of my children's Godfather, you know. And so it's just one of those things where, you know, like I have other friends who suffered losses, like my friend, money B, he lost his guy, you know, shock G, right. And then I remember Coolio died a few years ago. And that broke my heart because the last time I saw him, we brought him down to do a show in Biloxi. And I remember I put my arm around him. I kissed him on the side of the face and I said, "I love you, brother, stay healthy." And he said, "You know it, man. I didn't see him no more." "That's the sad part." It's like what Indiana Jones said, you know, he goes, "I'm afraid, Jack, this time of life where life takes away more than it gives." You know, I think Kareem said that about Bill Walton recently too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, no, the loss is definitely one of the hardest things we cope with as humans. I'm just, I'm grateful for you. I'm grateful for you to be here and share those memories, even though I know this is a hard time. So I thank you for that. Well, I do have to funny memories now, like, the man was addicted to all bond pawning. Like, if we had to be somewhere and we had to go nonstop to make it there, and then he sees all bond pawning and all great, come on, you got to stop. I'm like, "No, we can't." It's like, it got so bad that whenever I book shows, I would put his fat butt on a plane where he had to land in a town and go to the hotel, and then I would drive my car because I didn't believe in doing rental cars because the rental car don't got the big subwoofer that I got. So I remember we did a show in Miami, and I remember being so pissed when I got down there. I'm on Collins Avenue. I'm getting a pedicure. You know, you could laugh, but look, I'm six foot two, and I have a size 14 shoe. If you have a size 14 foot, you have to get a pedicure, or you cannot have good quality of life. Your nails will get wolverine-ish. Hey, I hear you. I remember walking out and I'm seeing all these guys, and they've got their little systems, and they're playing their little goofy tunes and everything. And I'm just getting mad and be like, "What the hell is wrong with you?" I'm like, they think they're doing something, you know, and they're not doing nothing. Like, you know what? If I had the ultimate, you know, then he's dying laughing because he's not like, "I can't believe you take this whole person." I said, "Listen." I said, "I'll see you tomorrow." He go, "What the hell are you talking about?" Two days tops. I got on a plane. I flew back home to New York. I got my car, and I drove my ass straight down to Miami. And I came back with my car, and I said, "Now, what's up?" And I dropped the windows down. I started blasting. "You got such a chill, too, EPMD." I'm like, "Y'all don't got nothing. You might have your boys don't got nothing, you know." Wow. That's quite the drive. You got the right stereo. Listen, all I needed back then was that T-Pain Epiphany album. I put that on repeat. I could stay awake for hours. ♪♪ ♪ Is it my turn to wish you were lying here? ♪ ♪ I tend to dream you when I'm not sleeping, huh? ♪ ♪ Is it my turn to fix your mind in my world? ♪ ♪ But even the imaginary motions tell myself anything, yeah? ♪ ♪ Is it my turn to bite your hands? ♪ ♪ Tell you I love you and you might hear me, huh? ♪ ♪ Is it my turn to totally understand? ♪ ♪ Is it my turn to bite you or get in my life? ♪ ♪ I do it empty, whoa-hoo! ♪ ♪ You might begin awake, a feeling that I feel, yeah? ♪ ♪ I'm sad, oh, whatever baby, whatever baby, yeah? ♪ ♪ I have to take a ball, oh, that I have, yeah? ♪ ♪ Then I put my dew inside, tell me the truth ♪ ♪ Yeah, baby, inside, tell me the truth ♪ What has happened with Jared over the years? Where's he at? Well, I don't know where he is, we have no relationship. That is, by doing the horrific chop job they did on that unsung to exonerate him. It's like, basically, an executive producer named Cassidy Arkan figured it was, he wanted to put me, and I have emails to back this up, but she wanted to put me in a room with family members that don't like me and I don't care for. I would not do that. That's not a wise decision. So I said, no. And I said, I'm not going to New York because New York, I don't have reciprocity for my pistol permit. And, you know, see, I grew up on the '80s hip-hop and what did Rob base, what did the God Rob base say? I'm not a sucker so I don't need a bodyguard. So I don't have a bodyguard. I have an F and X-4-5 tactical, you know? And, you know, so I don't -- I don't walk around with big chains. I don't -- people don't jump me or nothing. And, you know, I do all right for myself. So, you know, because I didn't want to play nice, they filmed me for three hours and then they chopped and edited the footage and made me look like some type of evil monster. They said I stole the name and all of the other stuff. And it was just -- it was just all lies. So -- and then they gave him an opportunity to tell some lies that he knows isn't true. The guy didn't care about the group. I remember what brought me to the group in the first place the second time because, you know, Prince B kept asking me -- I wish he was alive, tell the story because he used to make it more entertaining because he would say -- he would say, I feel like I'm Jesus Christ because you keep denying me like Peter, you know, he always tell me. But I would tell him no, I'm not coming between the two brothers. And then one day I was looking for an idea for some logos back in 2005 after we did the "Hit Me Baby" thing. I'm just trying to create some new PM Dawn merchandise. I think I was trying to do something like the Bliss is back. I'm always coming up with things. I came up with the whole Utopia Knights thing like for our fans and stuff. Everybody thought I was crazy. And so while I'm going to Google him, old PM Dawn merch on eBay, all of Jared's plaques come up, all of his plaques. And I remember before I called him, I talked to the woman I was dating at the time, you know, and I said, listen, do you mind if I pull some of our money to buy this stuff back and give it to my cousin? And she said, as long as you put it back, you know, after your next past shows, no, we cool. So I called Jared up and he goes, yeah, yeah. Yeah, they're plaques. What about him? And I go, well, look, why are they, why are they like that? He goes, look, I don't want to talk about it, man. And then they'll, and he goes, so what do you want? And I told him I said, well, I'm going to buy them and give them back to you. He goes, why would you do that? I don't care about PM Dawn. I don't care about those plaques. He said, have you really cared about me? You was to give me the money instead. And I remember when he said that, you know, I'm an emotional Virgo. So I cried a little bit on the phone upon him. I called Prince be back and I said, I'm in. And I told him what happened. And he said, I told you, that dude is not for us anymore. And he never did anything. He never wrote, he never produced. He barely DJed most of the time when it was a live show, like a live real money making show. It was cash, it was DJ cash money, DJing. Like ask anybody that was ever singing us blow the roof off the palladium and there was something like that. It was always DJ cash money. Cash money was a bad ask. I've seen that brother scratch a record with a goddamn shell to a deater. He's one of the most beautiful DJs. I know as far as his mastery of his craft, you know, DJ cash money. And then I got another homeboy, Ice T's DJ Evil E. He's like one of them. In my opinion, he's like the best living DJ to me. I'm a little biased because I love the guy, but you know. But yeah, so. And then so I joined up and it changed the group because I don't just sit there and do nothing. I gotta, I gotta get people moving their hands and everything. And you know, I come up with little phrases and things and another thing I used to do is I would dance around Prince B because he had suffered a stroke and he didn't want people to know it, but he wasn't as nimble as he could be. So he would do things. And then while he's doing things, I'm jumping around on stage and, you know, back when I have my locks and everything because if you're looking at me, acting like a fool, you're not noticing whatever he might have going on health wise. Yeah. And I told him this, this is what we, this is how we gonna do it. And you know, when he, he silently groomed me to like, take the lead like he, and he told, and he kept telling me, and I wish I would listen to him now, but he always said, Greg, you got the ear. He said, you got the ear because the way I always come to him and go, Hey, what if we do this and add this to it, you know, because our whole science for making music was, we were both a bunch of fat kids that like peanut butter and jelly. The jelly is something smooth. The peanut butter is rough. You can put it together, you know, so you get the ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, you know, we just fat kids that made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The relationship that you, you've had there with him. That's, that's something beautiful. I had to get rid of my ultimate when he died. My, my, one of my best friends, Brandon, poor, he's like the best mechanic on the coast. Mm hmm. I know I'm plugging on with my homies, but he made me get rid of that car because I was going to pieces like, when every, every time I get into the car, I know that my cousin is dead and he's not alive, but I can get in the car. And then I could see a conversation that we had ten years ago, you know, six years ago, stuff like that. And um, and then you flash away, flash back, and you're in the car by yourself again. And so I would pull up places and I'd be crying and they were like, what's going on? And they were like, we got to get you out of this car, man. We got to get you out of this car. There's too many memories in it. Like, I would have never got rid of that car because it was, it was the car I drove from New York, California. It was, you know, doing tours during the summer bliss. Oh, six. And um, it was also the car that I drove both of my sons home from Long Island Jewish Hospital when they were babies. Like even now I have an idea for a new piece I'm going to have made up. I have the key to the ultimate, and I'm going to have that key made up, you know, and put around my neck, just to represent what that car meant. That would be a nice place to have. Yeah. But um, I still have the cross that he gave me years ago. Um, he gave me that cross at a friend of mine, Rob's wedding. And he told me he said, that's, that's white gold. If you lose it, I'll kick your ass. I never lost it. A lot of, he gave it to a lot of the family members and those goofy bastards did stuff all on date, something else. I kept mine because I wanted to kick my ass. You know, he was stronger than a mountain book. Let me tell you after these messages, we'll be right back. Yeah. Hey, friends. I kind of miss getting those messages on my answering machine like me is too back in the day. What I'd really love is to hear from you, the listeners of Dope Nostalgia. This is your chance to be on the show, giving feedback, telling us what you love, what you hate, and who you'd like to see more of. Call us at our new toll free number 1-888-741-9192. Leave us some feedback. Your message could be played on the show. So give us a call 1-888-741-9192. Hey, Dope Nostalgia listeners. My name is Shalina. I'm the host of everything 90s podcast. This is a show dedicated to folks who grew up in the 1990s. And in each episode, I take listeners on a nostalgic trip down 90s memory lane as I reminisce about the highs of that decade. Topics include TV shows, movies, toys, music, and every year I also do a special series called 90s versus 2000s. This is where people come on to battle it out and represent the two decades for a given category and then the listeners vote on which decade they think won that category. So if this is a show that you are interested in checking out, it's available on Apple podcast and Spotify. And you could also connect with me on Instagram at everything 90s podcast. Thank you so much for listening and looking forward to connecting with you. What's for lunch? It's hungry hungry hippos! Hungry hungry hippos. Hungry hungry hippos. Hungry hungry hippos. The first thing I've loved the most marvellous wins. They're hungry hungry hippos. Hungry hungry hippos. Hungry hungry hippos. Hungry hungry hippos. I do, I try to think about you I have a love for you, but nothing behind me Whatever it is, ain't it? I'm always thinking for you I hope you'll look at me, if they should I I'm really glad to have this opportunity to really, you know, share with the world with an amazing person and artist he was. So that's really what we're doing today. That's great. He really, he really was the best. And he was, he was a horrible person as far as like with practical jokes. He would do, he would do the most horrible things to me on the road, but it was, it was funny. I remember one day we were in a I'm glad that social media wasn't around back then because oh my God. One day we were going, we were going, we all right we used to go to buy records at the Roosevelt like this hotel in New York. I'm pretty sure you've seen those documentaries have those guys they all hated us because I'm not going to name names because I don't want people to try to approach being embarrassed themselves. But establish artists. Basically what you do is you go in there and you would, and friends we taught me this, you listen the way you buy records you listen and you read the back of the, you know, the record. Well, a player, and you see who is playing what instrument so you see Benny Goodman, you know, you know, people like this. Okay, you know, there's a good record. And then so the other rappers when the guy would say, Hey, I want 300 dollars this record. Oh, come on, man. Come on. Let me, let me get it for 90 dollars. So, here comes PM dawn in the place. And you know we weren't buying cars and other stupid stuff with our money we were reinvesting. So, how much the record is 300. So now it comes out okay, just hold all the dope shit from when PM dawn come don't even put it out here, because we're going to give them what they want. And then when they started complaining about it. We started, they stopped going through the hotels. And we would drive out to Riverhead Long Island just go to the houses and they just make us something to eat. And then we'd listen to records in the house Bible we want and leave. So now they don't have to deal with the rappers that want to haggle them and bring them down for bullshit money. So, it was like, and then he taught me that he was like Greg. People aren't given much in this world, the least we do is paying what they were, what they want. So if that made us assholes and fine, I guess we were assholes. It sounds like a pretty fun memory to have. But, but back to this. So this, this is, this is one of the more horrible stories. One day. We used to have. Fans that we trust. Like they would become friends. And so they knew we were coming to a town. I give them the information. They check us another hotel, set the air condition and force and everything in the rooms, make sure everything's nice. And then when we come into town, like. They picked Prince be up for the airport for me, and then I drive in and everything will be okay. So one time, and I'm not going to say the name of the person. So I guess he tells Prince be man, I have to use the bathroom really bad. I ate something to integrate with. And he goes. Okay, but on one condition. Use the bathroom in Greg's room, turn off the air condition and don't flush. And leave the toilet open and I go. And he goes, what he'll do it. He said that it just be around. I would have seen to look on, you know, get to look on his face, whatever. I walked into that room and had a room and said, Oh, what? And I said, Chris, what the hell are we going? Yeah, I said, it looks like. He said, I'm sorry. He told me to do it. He's choking me up thinking about that. But that was death. That's what it was like going to Clearwater in Florida, man. This horrible, practical jokes. Then I remember another time I was in a lot of deals. And I have a knock on my door. And it's a young lady and she's like, Hello, Doc. I just wanted to know if I could kill what you like and everything. Who are you? And I really look at her. And it's not a girl. She's dressed up like a girl. And he just, he would always try to do stuff to me like, you know, he's. And then I go with knock on his door and I go, what the hell is wrong? He's like, you almost did it, didn't you? And I'm like, look, just leave me alone, man. And let me go to sleep. He was always playing some type of crazy joke on me. I like his sense of humor, though. It was crazy. It was crazy. I never got him back either. No. No, I never got him back. Because with him, let's just say I got him back. She would take it to another more horrific level. So one of those things I accepted for life that I would have to tolerate. That's right. Don't need to escalate it. No, don't need to escalate it. No, you've done so much to help, you know, keep the PM Don name alive. What goals lie ahead for you. And are you still facing criticism over continuing the band with the, with that name? Here's what I've learned. Okay. This is what I've learned. I'm 51 now. And I'm. Basically, what I've learned is. I talked to my good friend, money be from digital underground after all of this stuff happened. And he said to me, he said, Greg, I'm a West Coast OG. I've been in this game. Mad years. I saw you come up. I saw you carrying everybody's bags. I watched you work your way back in the group and everything. So why the fuck would you care about what a stranger says or thinks about you? And he told me he said, really think about this. They're strangers, Gregory. They're strangers. And I'm like, but they're calling me all of these names. He said, but it's not true. So why do you give a flying fuck about it? And that's what really, you know, so now when somebody says something. I just locked the lead to comment and I just leave it alone. And I just, I don't listen, because it got so bad, like people telling you to kill yourself. People telling you they're going to kill your children. Like the internet can be really filthy and disgusting when it wants to be. And, you know, at the end of the day. Over a lie. And, you know, so for me, it's like. I want the legacy of PM Dawn to be. We made dope records until the day we would, we died. You know, for me, it's like my mentality is the show must go on. Okay. Um, when I was a little boy. Thurmond Munson died in a plane crash. He was the Yankees captain. Did the Yankees stop being the New York Yankees because Thurmond Munson died? Or was it next man up? Let's go dominate and win the World Series. You know, when Kobe died, did the Lakers stop being a Lakers that did LeBron win the chips. I'm like, I'm just trying to win the chip. It would be nice to win a Grammy. He wanted to win a Grammy. I feel like if he was alive and he was healthy, we could have done that. You know, but that's not to be all into all for me so much. I just. All I ever wanted out of this. And this sounds stupid, but all I ever really wanted out of hip hop. Which I got. I just love being harassed and red lobster. I know red lobster is closed now, but that's. That's what it was for me. I just love that. You know. Oh, I don't care about the money. I just like to pull out the Sharpie. And now that, you know, the. The iPhone replaced the Sharpie, right? And now they just want to. Hey, hey, look what I'm with. Look, look what I'm with. Mom, look what I'm looking at. No, no, it's not Isaac Hayes. Mom. No, no, it's not Rick Ross's dad. Mom, it's Tom G. Oh, when I and you know, I'm letting this grow out because I'm letting my. I watched out my color to get my gray in. I like my gray. Let me be clear. I love my gray. My mother despises my great beard and she made me color it because she had to have surgery. About like a year or two ago. And I remember it was like this and my mother pulls me. Next to her against a mirror and she snows up some angles. They're going to think we a couple. I said, no, they're not. You're out of your mind. Anybody going to think I'm your husband. I said, you're 72 years old. Anybody going to think I'm your damn husband. Mom. So take it to the hospital going to get surgery and our doctor goes with somebody like the plant. The luck is fun. This is where I'm like. And she started laughing. I told you. I said, it's my mom. It's my mom. Okay. I'm not a husband. I'm a son. All right. And it's a big thing. Everybody laughing. And I said, you told them to. She said, I swear I didn't. I told you, you need to die your beard. Now the whole real reason that my mother wanted me to die my beard is because she said, did she feel sexy and beautiful when she looks in the mirror at 72. And then she looks at a picture of me and goes, wow, my oldest son has a white beard. Now I'm old and so I have to die my beard black. So my mother doesn't have to feel old, which is the things we do for our parents to keep them feeling young. It's ridiculous. So, you know, and, and then one time I did a video call with my dad and he goes, wow, son, your beard is whiter than mine. And I said, you know what, I'm done. So I just jumped in just from that auto stop, took a shower, voila, everybody happy now. So it'll probably be black again by tomorrow morning. I've watched this back and go, oh, wow, it is getting white again. But no, but I like it. I like, listen, I'm very happy and content being the old guy. Most of the people that I deal with, you know, the younger, the younger black guys, they call me school down here in Mississippi. I didn't know it at old school. It's too old school to say old school. Now they go, Hey, school, man, what's up with your school. What you doing in that school? You go into the bar school. It's pretty funny. So, yeah, and, but I like it. It's like, it's the season for it. There's nothing wrong with growing old and still doing what you love. You know, so maybe now, when I, you know, when I write my next little jam and it'll be like, I'm going to make that woman understand. I got to wake up in the morning with a eating, raising brand. You know, it's going to be something related to being old, but no, we can't, we got to embrace it. I'm being goofy, but no, but yeah, there's nothing wrong with growing old. I'm like, I can't do the kid and play kickstep anymore. I could, I could fall and it'll be hilarious and they'll get a lot of hits on TikTok, but I'm not trying to do a dance. Unless I'm not trying to do a dance like that. That's throughout my hip. Had to go to the chiropractor. Listen, I don't dance the way I used to dance. When I'm good at now, I go in the club and I go. Mm hmm. And occasionally I'll go like this, throw, you know, the little piece on up something like that, but I'm. I'm not doing it. Yeah. I am working on a new PM Dawn project. It is not tentatively titled yet. And I also have a solo project out, a few of them, but the main one is called Never See This Day. I don't know if you got a chance to hear the record, but never see this day talks about losing Prince B and like I wrote. I was an other kid. I was taught at the Roy Wilkins Center by a lovely woman named Audrey Taylor, a black woman. And she taught me to turn my rage into my passion. And she taught me to power words. And, you know, so whenever I go through something traumatic, I write, even if I don't turn to a song, I write. And it's like you write and you get the once you once you put it on the pad or, you know, the smartphone replaced the composition notebook. But once you put those words out there and it's out of your system, you could leave that pain and get it out of your body out of your heart. It's just a way for me to cope with the pain of not having them, but I think I always have them because I talk to them a lot. I talk to them a lot. Anytime I go to try, I'm trying to laugh at movies that we used to see together like Stepbrothers, Team America, Pulp Fiction. I mean, anything who laughed, that was our thing. And so I'm learning to love that aspect of life again. And I hope that people could look look up, never see this day and, you know, maybe it helps them cope with loss, the way it held me. (MUSIC) Dog diggy. You are more than my big cousin, more than the best friend of me. I wouldn't wish the type of pain on my enemy. One word scars out, miss you immensely, until we meet again, holds what I pretend to be. Friends be forever, nobody was more clever. The bond we share is cousin, the cousin never be said, but come on. Time and time again, I play the memories over, it's time of mine. Your condition, we fade all the night, we feel the pain in the line. I want to make moves without you, I thought you'd always be by my side. Now you're gone, my heart is broken, and I feel dead while I'm alive. Lord, I pray to never see this day. For I believe, need healing back some way. Lord, I pray that I would never see this day. When this disease would dig my cousin away. What would be the older song that you would pick that I should put in the episode? The only reason I'm suggesting this is because I'll be sure to put it up. I love I'll be sure, man. Shout out to I'll be sure. Sometimes I miss you so much. It's a song that I love to perform live too. It was one of those, I used to always come up with these little intros. So what B did is he would play the beginning of night and day. And then I would go, it's the bliss, baby. It's the bliss. It's the bliss, baby. It's the bliss. It's the bliss, baby. It's the bliss. It's the bliss. It's Prince B and Dr. G. We pack a hits like this. So it's the bliss, baby. It's the bliss. It's the bliss, baby. It's the bliss. It's the bliss. It's the bliss, baby. It's the bliss. And it goes a little something like this. And I go, sometimes I miss you. Man, it's really cool. I love stuff like that. That's why that's why I love music. Hip-hop music, but music in general. That was catchy. I like it. Yeah. So thank you again so much for your time today. I hope you had fun and got to express how you feel about things. Thank you. I did have fun and thanks to not, you know, ripping me for over sleeping. I was just, man, I get, I get the writing and talking to other people, collaborating over the phone. The next thing you know is daylight. You go back sleep and you're like, Oh, my God. Hey, I've done it. I get it. I'm not worried about it. Yeah. Are you okay with all the content with the show? If everything we can put everything in there, I'll. I'm cool. I'm cool with everything. I'm cool with everything. I'll bleep out the Chris name if you want. No, keep it in here. Keep it in there. It's pretty funny. Okay. So this will be out probably. I'm really ahead of schedule. So it's probably going to be. A month and a half. No, we'll put it out. Okay, that's cool. And if you want me to send you any of, like, the video and stuff for your own use, I can always send it through a Google doc and throw it over to you. From my Google. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you very much. I have a Google drive. So I wouldn't have a problem with that. Sure. Yeah. If you want it on the Google drive, let me know. And I'll send you the link of the video and. Yeah. I'll edit up all the audio for about a month and a half away for the release. Sound good? Thank you very much, Naomi. Thank you, doc. It was nice to talk to you. Yeah. Yep. And look, maintain the bliss always. We'll do. We'll do. Yeah. So. In the media. Yeah. We've got it. Send us an email. Dope Nostalgia Podcast at gmail.com. Twitter. Nostalgia. Dope. Or on Insta. Dope. Underscore. Nostalgia. This podcast is licensed by SoCan because we believe that artists should be paid for their work. Hi. If you enjoy Dope Nostalgia, thank you. Consider becoming a Patreon subscriber today for as little as a dollar a month. It helps keep the show on the air and rolling. So, if you want to check out our Patreon, it's at patreon.com/dopenostalgia. $1 a month and you'll be helping support one of your favorite podcasts.