#080: The Hustle Is Legal Now: Bobby Shmurda on Building Wealth Post-Prison

I'm gonna turn all the phones off, okay? The trap phone— I'm playing, it's not the trap.

It is the trap phone. You forgot, you forgot, you forgot, you forgot to, you forgot to click your lock screen.

This is the business phone, this is the business and family phone, this is the money and bookings phone, and this is the, um, social medias and crypto phone on my YouTube.

But none of those phones are the on-time phone. No, they're all, they're all running late.

Bobby's never— I don't know why I'm never time, but they say save the best for last, don't they?

They do.

They say that, right? Save the best for last. And they—

and they say— and they say that it's worth—

oh, anything good is wait—

worth waiting for. And they also say that if you schedule something with Bobby, plan for 2 hours later than what you tell him. That's what I learned. This is a podcast that's starting at 7 PM that I told Bobby 3 PM, and we're here. Good things take time. Listen, hold on, let me just, let me just get the intro and then we can rip.

All right, rip.

Welcome back to season 4, episode 3 of the Turning Pro Podcast. Today we have Bobby Shmurda on the show. Thanks for joining today, Bobby.

Third time's a charm.

Third time's a charm.

I bet I did, I did it once.

Nah, twice.

I remember last time I had the red hat and I had the thing, the red shorts with the thing. We took the pictures out there.

No, you bailed on the podcast.

You want to jump on the, um, cold plunge in the pool? You did jump in the pool.

I did.

Yes, you did jump in the pool. You still got that pool out there?

Yeah, shout out Culture, cold plunge guys.

Shout out Coke, you know what I'm saying? I'm not jumping in the pool, but he is. Yeah, I won't be in the pool.

We made it, we're here. Um, I think this is cool because we met in a very random way. Uh, we were at—

remember? Yeah. Yeah. Do you remember?

Of course I remember. We were at the grand opening of the paddle, uh, place in Hudson Yards.

Yes. Yes.

I don't think you remember it. I can tell by your reaction.

No, I was— I was— no, I do remember. I can tell you why. I remember I was with Andrew Mathias and, um, at the— always playing paddle. And I remember, yeah, I met you and, ah, with the nails and the blonde hair. Don't say Rick.

Ryan.

Ryan, the fuck? I always had him. Where's Ryan at? Where, where's he been up to?

Uh, he's wheeling and dealing. He's building, he's building a cool brand called Cozy. You should talk to him. It's Cozy. Uh, he's building like an apparel brand, home goods and apparel. It's called Cozy.

For real?

Yeah, it's—

I'm, I'm doing it. I'm getting into apparel, so I got to talk to him and reach out to him.

Yeah, you should.

I'm going to reach out to him.

Um, where's he at?

He's in New York or he's—

Yeah, he's in New York. No, no, he's in New York.

I remember last time y'all was going to Texas. Last time I talked to y'all, y'all was going to Texas.

Yeah, we ran, we ran on an F1 track, Formula 1 track.

It was cool.

Yeah, that was that. You got a good memory. As we were doing the— we were doing the— we were doing the YouTube stuff.

I juggle like 7 businesses, so like fucking 700 people all day.

How do you, how do you do that? It's a good, it's a good place to start.

I got ADHD, so I used to—

you think it's a superpower?

ADHD. You know what's crazy? They used to try to put us on medication back in the days. Remember back in the day they put us on medication for that shit? But my mom's enough, they was like West Indians, so they didn't believe in medication. They like, he just need his ass whooped or some shit, or give him something to do and some shit. So when I started, after around like 10, I started smoking weed. After around like 10, I started smoking weed. And when I started smoking weed, that's when I learned how to control, I say, my focus. And when I started how to control my energy, because I always used to be like this, I'd be one person, I'd be like this, just sitting down like this. So when I started smoking, it helped me learn how to control energy. And then when I do things, it keep me busy, so keep me like distracted but not distracted, you know what I'm saying? At the same time, but I'm focused but not— I'm distracted but I'm focused, you see what I'm saying?

How do you, how do you prioritize though when you have so many things going on?

Um, I schedule it. It's sad to say, but I really schedule it from— I grew up in like in, and I want— I went to a couple juvenile centers and it structured me, helped structure me. I went to even— President helped structure me with time. I said, if I could always spend time, um, in jail, they program you. They tell you, yo, you got to do this program, this program, this program, this program. And we don't want to do the programs, but we did the programs just to get home. So if I can do this to get home, why can't I do these programs to build generational wealth? Or why can't I do these programs to tighten my life up, you know what I'm saying? Like, shit like that. So I was on that type of time when I came home, and I said, you know what, I'm gonna— I could run 4 or 5 businesses if I dedicate— I got all these 8 hours of sleep, I got 16 hours left. I dedicate 3 hours here, 2 hours here, 3 hours here, 4 hours here, and I got a schedule for a day.

And so you, you just— every day it's, it's organized confusion in your own head?

Yes, organized confusion.

Like, everyone, everyone's like, everyone's like, what the fuck is going on? You're like, no, no, trust me, it Makes sense.

It makes sense at the end of the day.

So you know what, you actually, you actually do something that's amazing, uh, that a lot of people listen to this would actually benefit from hearing. Something about you that I really, really appreciate, you're not sitting in front of a laptop all day like making shit happen, which is very, which is very under—

probably like 4 or 5 hours out my day, probably 2, 3 hours a laptop, and that's probably really checking emails or building pitch decks or, or, or going through contracts and things like that. It's probably like 2 or 3 hours out of my day. So probably like 2 hours, and I'll do it probably like 3 and 7 through the night, through the day, you know what I'm saying? Like half the day and half the thing, you know what I'm saying? Or when I'm on— I know I'm working on a big deal, I'll be on the email all day. So it's like probably out 7 days out the week, probably 2 2 days I'll be on the email all day, you know what I'm saying? Like shit like that. So I'm not on it like constantly all day because that'll have a motherfucker— but that's what's good about being a CEO sometimes, because you get to pick your hours. Sometimes you don't get to pick out, but you know, you get to pick out majority of the time.

Well, because when you're in charge, you get to pick your hours because the buck stops with you. So either you're getting the job done or you're not. No one cares when you're working as long as you do what you need to get done. Because if you don't do it, then the business isn't going to last very long.

That's what I'm saying. But people don't— um, I guess people don't really see that side of it, you know? Like, a lot of people don't really see that side of it. They think that a boss is just probably just sitting there with his feet kicked up all day, doing podcasts, hanging out, cigars and shit like that.

But it's not. But it's not. Uh, yeah, Griff, in the— right in the cupboard. Uh, there's a tissue box to the left.

But like smoking cigars and shit, just kicked up and shit like that all day.

No, it's the— you got to do the thing. You do a lot of the things that people don't get to see, right? Like when you, when you go perform for a show or do a deal, you get to go up there and have fun, but people don't realize like the work that went on in the back, in the back to get there.

So I tell people like cooking all the time, I'm like, yo, if you see how food was made before we eat it We wouldn't be in a lot of shit. Right or wrong? Like, we see that motherfucker, like, before the food is alive and then it gets unalive, then it gets cut and cleaned and all that. I don't want to eat that shit no more. But they look at it, they make it look so good when it come out. You know what I'm saying? Then they give you a big-ass bill with it. Give you a big bill with it.

Bobby, walk me through a day in your life. What time are you going to sleep? What time are you waking up? And what does an average day look like?

Give me, give me what was so unorthodox that I won't say that I have, I have a system, but as you say, uh, what you call organized confusion. Yeah, organized confusion. It's unorthodox.

Yeah, but I want to hear even like one, like what happened yesterday.

I say like some days I'll go to sleep 3 in the morning. Some days I'll go to sleep 10 at night. Some days I won't go to sleep till the next 2 days because some days I could be on a studio session like 3, 4 in the morning, then I got a meeting in the morning, so I got to stay up. And then the next day I probably don't have nothing, but I got to work out and stuff like that to get ready for the next 2 days events and stuff like that. So it's always like constantly something back and forth. So it's not— I think my personal life, I don't have a personal no, like really, like my person, all my people that I talk to is like, is it something that would work? Something like, but I guess that's being in the business world.

Yeah, but I think that if you enjoy it, you wouldn't want to have separation because that's actually what brings you joy.

No way, that's what brings me joy.

Like when I came here, I said like, yo, let's take a shot.

I didn't drink in like 2, 3 weeks. I was in a car and I was talking and then a guy called me. I called one of my partners, the CEO called me. He said, yo, listen, bro, I just made you a lot of fucking money. I said, what the fuck? Where the money at? I better get the— give me the motherfucking W now. I made some W now. He calls me, he say, yo, we just caught a $40 million valuation and I got equity in the company. So I looked at it, I started doing numbers. I said, oh shit.

Ah, yeah, but the, the valuation—

let's take a next shot.

Valuation doesn't matter until they have a liquidity event though.

The docs, they got the docs.

No, no, I know, but it's just the value on paper. It's not real money, it's perceived value.

Perceived value. But you go to a bank now and get a valuation, and then you get loans off these companies, or you get a lot of things off of valuation.

Yeah, you can get a loan, but you got to be careful because evaluation is just perception. Until they sell the company, you're not actually getting the money. So you might be worth $3 million on paper from your equity in that company.

Nobody till you I sell it, it doesn't matter. So I shouldn't be happy?

No, now the work starts.

Fuck, you see how he did that too? No, no, but it's the business world. No, it's the best one. My first time I got a call, and I'm up here talking about the first time I got a call that they said we had a company evaluated at the full $40 million, and that evaluation is good. But you said that that's only if somebody buys it.

Now all, all that means is they believe their company's worth that. So the money that someone gave them at that value, they have to use that money to actually become worth that.

So explain that one more time.

So right now, why, why are they worth $40 million? The reason they're— the reason they're worth $40 million is because that is the price that someone was willing to pay to get involved in the business. I can come to you and say my company's worth $100 million. What does that mean? If you give me $1 million, you own 1% of the business. Now the point of that is that it's just the perceived value. Yeah, because if he calls you tomorrow and says, yo Bobby, we're broke, we're closing down the business, you're going to be like, I thought you were worth $40 million, and now he's it's worth zero.

So that happens?

Yeah, all the time. Damn, 99% of companies fail. No, it's okay to— so it's okay, it's okay to celebrate the wins.

Easy, man. Fuck, we got drunk. I gotta call a girl now tonight.

You could sell— you could celebrate the wins, but it's— until you have the money in your bank account, it doesn't matter.

Doesn't matter.

No.

So don't get hype off those calls, like, all right, cool, whatever.

Yeah, on to the next one.

Yeah, it's fucking—

on to the next one.

Next time you call, really sell the motherfucker. So fucking motherfucker, then call me when you sell it.

That— then, then you'll get money. Um, Bobby, I want to talk about your childhood.

Childhood? You trying to make me appear tears and shit like that? What are you trying to talk about? I think, um, childhood's a lot, man.

Yeah, I mean, something, something that I'm fascinated by, uh, with the journey that you've been on Yeah, as you know, you're, you're a product of your environment, right? Like, you are set up in an environment that is either built to make you succeed or set up to make you fail, right?

I wouldn't say make you succeed. It's the environment that I was set up in is the automatically to make you fail. It's either dead or in jail. And, um, the people that do slip through the cracks, they are— majority of them are— I want to say, I would say, you know, they, they, they spend their 30, 40 years working 9 to 5, then don't know how to run a business or what one of the businesses like because they was never taught to run a business, you know. And then that was just— they were taught to survive. The place where I come from, you know, it's like it's pissy hallways, it smell like piss growing, you know what I'm saying. It's like you got to walk past that shit every day, um, you know, it's motherfucking crack shit outside when you come out to your house and shit like that. So it's like, it's fucking— the streets is nasty, all broken up and shit. So it was like, it's Brooklyn, you know? And it's Brownsville, East Flatbush is the bad part of Brooklyn at it. So, you know, being from that part, I grew up, I was born there, I was born and raised there. So it was nothing to me. You know, when you come into the world, whatever you see is what you observe, you know what I'm saying? Like, you become like a, as you say, a product to your environment, you know what I'm saying? Or whatever. But growing up, I say it shaped me and helped me for a lot of things. It helped me even into the— helped me appreciate things more than a lot of people appreciate things. It helped me appreciate. So I wouldn't— I get happy off of like the littlest shit sometimes, you know what I'm saying? So I'll be cool with it. I'm like, fuck it. Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't take nothing back.

Yeah, but I think the part, the part that's so fascinating to me is like you made it out on the other side. Yeah, and a lot of people don't. And so I want to understand from you, like, what— why do you think that is?

Sacrifice. You got to sacrifice. And sacrifices, sometimes you got to say the thing— you got to sacrifice pride. Pride. You got to sacrifice the things that seem fun in the moment but fuck you up later on, you know what I'm saying? So you gotta, you gotta really evaluate your situation sometimes and say, all these things seem cool, but what's the benefit? What's the beneficial I'm gonna get out of it in the next 5, 10 years? Like, I go to the juveniles, I go to all these shits, and I talk to these kids and I tell them about the gang banging and all the other selling drugs and stuff. It seems fun, but— and then you can be making money, um, selling drugs, making money thousands of dollars, millions of dollars, until that one day you get locked up, or that one day you get caught, then it's all hell break loose, you know. From once you go in that cell, that cell, all hell break loose from there, you know what I'm saying. You're losing your family, using friends, all your businesses getting freed. You could have ran $2, $3 million, now you can't even use it, you know what I'm saying. So it's like, it's all— it's like you gotta, you gotta learn the fast money, the quick money, you gotta learn to sacrifice it for your pride sometimes and say, you know what, I'm gonna fall back and I'm gonna focus on something that I could sell and make long-time generational wealth that I ain't got to look over my shoulders for. So it's that, you know. I used to be a drug dealer. I used to be a big drug dealer when I was in my neighborhood. I was one of the top drug dealers. And when I got locked up, I turned Bobby Shmurda. I took the chance. When I got the chance about being Bobby Shmurda, I ran with it because I knew the the detrimental of what we was doing in the streets. I knew like where, where it could take us, you understand? I knew like that, that was either gonna lead to life or us murdering people, or people even trying to murder us sometimes, you know? Because when you get money and people, motherfuckers be hating and shit like that. So it happens in the street and it happens every day and it's been happening for years. So it's nothing like it's just started with us, you know what I'm saying? It's something that we've seen in our sets and I say, yo, this ain't somewhere I want to go. And when I sold drugs, I sold drugs to say I want to go into real estate later on, then end up becoming a rapper. I said, oh shit, I'm out of here. I was like, I'm fucking out of here.

Was there, was there one moment that you can recall where you're like, I'm ready to, to turn my life around?

Um, a few moments, a few moments I recall. Where I could say I want to turn my life around. Um, some of all of— when my friends getting killed, some involved me sitting in the jail cell. I think really sitting in the jail cell where I was— when I, when I first went to jail, when I was Bobby Shmurda, I had money, I had this and that, I was ignorant, I was prideful, I was like, fuck these motherfuckers, fuck that. And also when I got locked up, I got locked up for something that I didn't do, and I had to take time for something I didn't do. But because of my friends, I stood tall. So, you know, it is what it was. So I think it gave me a more of a fuck it mind state when I got into the prison system too. And then I met a guy when I was 25. He was a kingpin. He was a kingpin from the '80s, and he gave me a talk. And after he gave me the talk, that's what helped me change my life. Say, you know what, I ain't got time for this shit no more. Where I seen where street drug kingpins run up $10 million, $15 million, $20 million, and then when you get locked up, it ain't nothing. It ain't nothing there. They take all the money, family leave, all the fans, all the free— all the guys that was there, everybody was doing it for the old bouncer, you know what I'm saying, working for the state. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, not working for the state, but you fucking working, do either, um, pushing the broom, doing something, or fucking, yeah, I'm cleaning the bar, doing some shit, you know what I'm saying? Like, so that showed me ain't no good— it ain't really— it's a 1%, 2% chance of good endings inside drug dealings and stuff like that, inside the street life. So that's what made me change my shit around. But I always was— I never Even when I was in the streets, I never thought that I was gonna end in the street. I always had a plan of selling drugs, though. I had like this dream that I was gonna sell drugs and I was gonna fucking, um, sell a bunch of drugs, and then by the time I was 25, I was gonna go into real estate.

And then you learn there's other ways to go into real estate. You can still—

I did some shows, I did some shows, sold some music. You can still license some You could still go. And then I went into real estate.

You can still go into real estate. You don't need to sell drugs to go into real estate. That's the, uh, the nice Jewish boy in me telling you that.

Yes, because all the—

because a lot of my people are in real estate, and I know that none of them did it through selling drugs. Um, another question I have for you. Do you remember your first day when you walked into a jail cell for the first time? And what was that experience like?

The first time I walked into a jail cell—

and you knew you were—

and you're not like— you do mean jail, like jail period?

Jail period. More like the cell when you're like, I don't know if I'm ever getting out of here kind of thing.

Oh, when I was in that type of situation?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's what did the last case. I think the last case I did when I was 20. When I was young, I knew I was going to get out. I didn't like murder nobody. It was like, I never murdered nobody, was just saying like, period. It was not murder. It was no, it was no crazy charges where I heard some crazy numbers. This case that I got off for the first time, that the first number I heard was 30. I said, 30 years? I'm only 20. What? That nigga 30 years? That you trying to give me more than how old I am, you know what I'm saying? That, and I end up getting 7 years off for the down the case. And still, I did 6 years and I came home. But the 30, that was the— I was like, what the fuck was that? But before, I never was scared because I knew I was gonna come home. I'm like, it's some bullshit, you know what I mean? And where I'm from in the—

the—

where I'm from out of Brooklyn, they lock people up over bullshit all the time. Like, bullshit all the time. They lock people up over Real shit.

And so what was that experience like?

Um, it was a growing experience. At first when I was in prison, I didn't understand what I was in prison for. I'm like, yo, what the fuck? I didn't do nothing. Like, how the fuck they could put me in prison for some shit like that? But then I understand later why I was in prison for, because I end up I end up being— I end up becoming smarter than I was. So the things that I'm doing now, the things I was doing now, the things I'm doing now, I would have probably became if I didn't go to prison, if they didn't send me to prison.

What's one thing prison taught you that you don't think you would have been able to learn on the outside world?

You got to think for people. When you think for people, you control your environment. You can never get in trouble once you think for people. You can never let somebody define you. So before, a lot of problems start off— even looking at this club or a bar, people will be drinking and they'll be drinking and a motherfucker just bump somebody, say, hey, asshole, listen, this and that. And then somebody reacts off of this and this and that is because they feel like they— somebody defined them when they called them a name or called them out of their name. But if you was really like— if you really look at it, the situation from reality, that person is crazy because they calling somebody that they don't even know out of a name and coming off with anger and this and this and that. You reacting to it is giving it energy, is giving it— you know what I'm saying? You bringing it alive. So once you understand the powers that you got, when you walk right off and you leave a motherfucker there just looking crazy, you know what I'm saying? It's like you don't react to everything. Before, I used to react to every motherfucker. Thing. I just react because of my pride. I'm like, I'm a Leo, I'm a fucking lion, I'm not gonna let nobody fucking talk to me like that. I ain't gonna let nobody— yeah, I'm saying. And I didn't grow up with a father neither, so I had to be more of a man. I had to be more of a macho. I'm like, fuck that, I ain't with nothing, you know what I'm saying. So when I start not letting people define me— and I tell this to the younger generation too— you can't let people define you. You got to know who you are, and you got to stand on who you are. It's going to be tests, it's going to be this and that, it's going to be be tested, you know, and the test is going to come and you gotta, you gotta, you gotta know to yourself and be true to yourself and say, you know what, this is who I am and I'm about to show them this is who I am no matter what, you know what I'm saying, what situations occur.

And then when you were there, like, how did you spend your time? Like, how did that impact and influence your music career?

And reading, writing. I had a TV in my cell, but I never used to put the TV on. I did 4 years inside prison. I was 2 years in jail, but we did 4— I did 4 years in prison. Jail and prison is 2 different things. Um, when I was in prison, I'm sentenced, I went to, um, Clinton Correctional. We had TVs in the cell and I turned it on probably like 2 times a week, probably just to see girls, and that's about it. But I'm not really— I was never big into TV. I didn't watch TV since I was like 10 years old. So I'm more into reading, writing, and like social shit. Like TV, I feel like that's, you know, I'm— when I watch TV, the only thing I could watch is like a documentary or podcast or shit like that. It got to be people like live there, like an interview, right? You know what I'm saying? Like, can't be like, motherfucking, um, fucking James, this motherfucker bust through the window, start shooting, get the fuck out of here. Motherfucker running up the side window, motherfucker run up the side thing, jumping off the building.

A dog walking in the living room.

Nah, see, that's crazy. But you know what I'm talking about? Like those—

Yeah, yeah, you want, you want to be stimulated, you want to learn something. You don't want to watch like mindless TV of just like things running across the screen.

So it got to be something.

I get it.

So that's what, like, even reading and writing— I mean, reading and writing, where it comes to— that's why I watch something that'd be productive for something I'll be doing or something that's gonna interfere, love something that could occur in life, you know what I'm saying? So it helps me, you know what I'm saying?

Do you have a favorite book?

Uh, I read contracts, and, um, I read a lot of contracts. I read a lot of laws. I read a lot of shit like that to learn what's in effect, what's not in effect, the laws, this, that, a bunch of capital shit, all types of shit, businesses, pitch decks, shit like that. So I don't really read books. I'm not going to lie to you. I don't read books. A lot of people say they read. I read like the lawyer because me and the lawyer be on the phone all day, back to back. I say, yo, you see what they putting them on Section 6? I don't know. See, look at the Section 9. You're like, I've seen that. Yeah, I'm saying some shit like that. I don't have a manager, so I got people that manage me, but I keep counsel. And I work with my counsel. So when I work with my counsel, I'm like, we were like back and forth, like, you know what I mean?

Why not?

Because I read.

No, no, why don't you have a manager?

Because I read a lot.

So you're educated on how it works?

Yeah, yeah. Our managers don't really like educated people too much. They like, you know what I'm saying, they like that. I got management teams that I, I give a situation like a project, like real estate, like, right? You build up— you build a house, you say, yo, you manage this property. And I'll give somebody in over here to manage this property because I know everybody's different for it, you know what I'm saying? Some people can't— got ADD and manage everything. So I know, like, all right, you're good at, um, the bookings and the shows, so you do tour management over here. You're good at this and that, so I need you to handle my merch on my clothing, you know, stuff like that.

What is the difference between prison and jail? I don't know the answer to that question. I've been thinking about it since you said that. I need to get the answer. And I have news for you, there's a lot of people listening to this who are watching this who also don't know the answer to that.

All right, so the difference between prison and jail— let me get some water for this. I can't drink water. You can't just grab any water anytime you want in jail, but you grab water.

Oh wait, that's interesting.

Oh, fuck it.

Uh, if I believe that, I wasn't sure.

Oh, but, oh, so the difference between jail and prison is that jail is when you're still a— how would I say that— you're a host, like a, like a, like a— I wouldn't say hostage, but you're, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're basically a hostage, like you're being held, you're not convicted. Prison is where you're convicted, you're a convict. So this is when people who've been in prison and prison are sentenced. So people in jail can be innocent. Well, people in prison still can be innocent, come home on appeal. But jail is basically you're innocent to proven guilty, so you're just being held or you're just being accused.

Yeah, yeah.

Prison is when I— you've been convicted and this is when you're going to do time. So they keep it separated. So some people might never see prison because they beat their charge or they, they got the wrong guy.

Who's, uh, who's one artist that you've never collabed with that you would like? Who's like your— the one person you would love to collab with that you never have? Is there anyone like that you've never done a song with that you'd love to? Um, or someone that you think you'd make an amazing song with? Three Summer Dua Lipa.

Me on the song. That's what I mean. Ah, ah. Do a LIPA. Oh shit. Nah, but I'd like to do a song with Dua Lipa. I'm playing Dua Lipa. I'd like to do a song with you though. And if you want to do some other extra other things, we can do some extra other things.

I think she just got engaged or married.

Fuck!

The best you're going to do is maybe a song.

Shit! Fuck! It's cool. It's cool. Listen, LIPA, it's cool. I'm saying we still could be friends. I still listen to your music. I'm still a fan.

Who are, um, who are some of the, you know, the big artists as we know today that you're inspired by, that you've, you've worked with or friends with or, or see how they operate?

Um, definitely Chris Brown. I remember I went to the studio with Chris Brown. This was years ago too. I went to studio with Chris Brown. That shit had like 20 bitches in here. I said, oh shit. It was just him. He was just singing. He was just in that motherfucker. I was just singing. They had like 20 bitches. Yeah, like, you think they want me to get the boy? I'm like, send that nigga the record. I'm talking to you. That nigga the record. I'm talking to you. You know what I'm saying? They was all just locked up. They was just in there like this. I'm so, oh shit. You know what I'm saying? 20 bitches. Fuck you taking? Why y'all only had like 10, 5 of them?

Oh my God. But what about from a musical perspective?

Oh, you, um, definitely. I think Chris Brown's a music genius. Um, I don't know what's— like, he did a remix, matter of fact, to Hot Nigga actually that day. Um, who else I like how they work? I definitely like how, um, DaBaby worked too as well. I got an unreleased— well, I got, I got some, some music in the stash about DaBaby too that I ain't put out, you know what I'm saying? Shout out to DaBaby. Um, I like how he worked too. Came in, ate that shit up. Pit Bull, you know what I'm saying? A Rottweiler. That's it.

Yeah, that, that dude did, uh, he stepped up and, and took advantage of the moment.

Also Meek too. Meek, Meek, Meek, Meek, a motherfucker workaholic. I be telling Meek like, I'm high, I'm tired. Meek like, nigga, go do this shit. Oh shit. So I got, I got some shit with Meek in the cut too.

You're making moves right now. Um, something that I actually really appreciate about you, uh, that I don't know— I mean, I'm sure it's talked about, but it's your loyalty.

Is it what?

Your loyalty.

I'm a lion. I am a lion, but I ain't lying. I'm a lion, I ain't lying.

No, but I, I think it's— I think it's important because even like, uh, when we met for the first time and became friends, uh, it's like you're, you're very intentional about what you do and who you spend your time with, and you give a shit, right? Like, and I think oftentimes, uh, when you are someone with fame or money it's very easy for you to just like try to brush people off to the side because they're not big enough, they're not good enough for you.

Yeah.

And I noticed that about you, that it wasn't something that you ever did, right? Like you'll meet a stranger on the street, you'll stand there and you'll talk to them, and you actually give a shit what they have to say. And that's like unusual, I think, for people that have done what you've done and been in the circles you've been in. Where do you think that comes from?

Selling drugs.

What an iconic answer.

He couldn't even hold it in either. I'm not gonna lie.

Yeah, you better not lie to me.

I was one of the top drug dealers when I was— I do my thing, man. I used to do my thing. It was illegal drugs, you know what I'm saying? But yeah, I'm saying Hennessy is legal but still a drug. Yeah, hell of a drug. What about champagne? Vodka? But, um, definitely when I sell the drugs, I used to treat— I used to treat, um, drug addicts like they was human beings. So, you know, a lot of other drug dealers, um, in the community, they just treat them like they was below earth sometimes, and I used to hate that, you know. That's why I even do like nonprofits now, and I give back, because I understand that people could go through something, but they still human beings at the end of the day, you know what I'm saying. Everybody got, um, the issues, you know what I'm saying. Some people addicted to this, some people addicted to that, some people addicted to porn. What the fuck, you know what I'm saying. I like freaks. Side bucket naked. Yeah, I mean, you know what I'm saying? I need that clip. You give me that clip. I just cut to Ben's face. Can you give me that clip?

Yeah, you cut to my face cuz it's like, what is going on?

Yeah, I need that clip. Yo, that clip, I need that clip.

You'll have that clip when we, when we post this episode. We'll post it on Instagram and that'll be the clip for you. That was funny.

That was funny. Yeah, nah, I'm big, you know what I'm saying? I freestyle this shit. This is, this is like all real from the heart. I've been doing this since I was like 30, man, I'm about to be 31. 31 years of this, so it seemed like practice, but I just— repetition, repetition.

What's something people assume about you that is completely wrong?

Um, I joke all day. I joke half the day. Nothing happen get funny. And I'll probably laugh after I get some funny fucking joke. You know what I'm saying? Two birds, one stone. Hi.

Makes sense. Understood. Oh, shit. Um, whoa, whoa, shit. Let's talk about Venture Rap.

Venture Rap, shout out to my boy E-Lizzy, you know what I'm saying? My boy Eli, shout out to the whole Posh team. You know, he came on, he came on the pod, all my dogs over there, you know what I'm saying? Um, everybody, he did.

Yeah, we had a great conversation.

I gotta see this episode. This is the shit I need to see. That's this type of shit I watch, shit like that. I like I see shit that's going to help me. So when I go into meetings, I'd be like, listen, motherfucker. The lawyers be like, oh shit. I'm like, listen, motherfucker. They're like, oh shit, who told you that? I'm like, listen, don't worry about who told me that, nigga. You better get that motherfucking paper right. Yeah, motherfucker. Make it work right.

Where did Venture Rap come from? What was the inspiration behind it?

Definitely Eli. I definitely got to give it to Eli. Shout out to Eli. He, he had an idea. We started working on some projects. He got me into venture capital, you know. I started, um, raising money for things, um, putting out things, you know. Um, still haven't got no money locked in, but it's coming, baby. It's coming real soon. It's coming real soon. But, um, talking to investors, showing them projects, things like that, setting up funding now on companies to get funded, doing things of that nature. And I've been for a year now. And after, I think, even a couple, 2 months of it, we started a company. We started a venture capital company called Raven. And when we started that, we started working on our first deal. And he started just breaking down the whole venture capital. Like, I went to college. It's like I went to college again. He broke down the whole— like, I never went to college, but it's like I went to school again. And he broke down the whole venture capital world to me. And I'm like, goddamn, this shit's like selling drugs, but a different way of selling drugs in a legal way, you know what I'm saying? It's like a legal way of doing it, an activity, you know what I'm saying? And that's what keeps you busy, you know what I'm saying? You're 24 hours a day. So, um, shit like that. And we started— ended up getting in the studio, and when he's in the studio, I said, yo, let's make a— he's like, yo, make a venture capital song. He sent me the song with the hook, I jumped on it right there, and It was lit. And I said, he said, yo, we gotta make a tape. So he's been sending me songs. I actually listened to some fire songs he sent me like 2 weeks ago. It just was fire.

He's fucking talented. That man is talented. Um, I want to talk about your charity efforts.

Charity? Yes, yes, yes. The charity is called, um, PBC and TBGB is, um It's like half the alphabet. So PBC is definitely called, um, Prevention Before Care. That's a community center that we building. And I have my own private one called, um, The Big Giveback that I give back to, like, I give food, you know, give food back to the, um, juveniles or sit down, eat with them, talk with them, mentorship, shit like that, you know. Give back to shelters, shit like that. Father's Day, Mother's Day, holidays, Christmas, shit like that. Unfortunately and families and stuff like that, that don't, you know, they don't got enough to, you know, to— I don't say they got enough because I feel like once you got food and family, that's everything.

Yeah, I mean, it's, um, I think when you, when you have everything taken away from you, like, you learn to understand it's not that complicated. You're just— you live in an environment where it's designed to make you think that everything is super complicated, right? It's the fame and it's the money, it's the cameras, and it's like— but when you have family and food, like you said, like, I obviously haven't been in the same situation. I haven't been in the same situation, uh, but I can empathize and understand because when you have nothing, you have to look to like, what are the things you have no choice? Like, you didn't decide— you didn't decide your family, and you have You know, food is— you need that to survive. Do you find it harder or easier to be taken seriously in the business world because of your background and your fame?

I take it easier because the deals that I've got done, the things that I've got done. So when I show my credentials, I feel like it's like they come in. I expect them all the time to come in like, I don't know nothing. And then it gives me like a leverage of like a busting them over the head like, 'What up?' 'Oh shit, oh shit.' And I was like talking to a company, actually I'm not a company, I was talking to some guys that I was doing some business with. I'm doing some business with and I showed them some credentials the last year of things that I made and they was, 'The fuck?' I'm like, 'Yeah, I just, you know, it's not televised. I don't televise.' Shit like that. I used to sell drugs back in the day. I don't like to tell people I got money if I got money with the money. I don't tell nobody that, you know what I'm saying? Or if I'm doing something, you know what I'm saying? Wait till the shit out there, you know what I mean, baby? So it's like that. So I grew up with a different structure and a mind state than the average person in our generation. So I guess that throws them off a little. So they don't expect it when I start talking it, and I guess it gets in they ass.

What's, uh, what's one project that you're working on right now that you're excited about?

Tour. Definitely excited about this tour. We're releasing the Still Alive Tour. We're announcing it, um, I don't— we can—

this isn't going to be out for like a month, so it'll be— it'll be announced already.

Listen, it'll be announced already by the time you see this shit. You're going to see the flyers everywhere. The tour's starting, boom, shit, May 15th. It's May 15th or 16th, one of them. 16th or the 15th, it's gonna be on the pop. You look at— make sure you follow It's Bobby Shmurda. Go on the page, go to the tour, go to the link, click the link, get the— watch the, um, ads. Yeah, you watch the ads. Make sure you watch the ads and you watch the clips and you click. Go get you a ticket, get you a ticket, get you some merch, stuff like that. Get you the meet and greet. Come smoke something with your boy.

Yeah, shot. We released the episode on the day of the—

was that some more dogs?

Um, talk to me more about the tour. How many places are you going to? How long is it?

The tour right now, we got about like 20-something dates. We booking more dates. Um, we, um, right now as I'm talking right now, the tour is not announced, but once we announce, you going to see it's going to be some more dates on that shit. You know what I'm saying? We going to be hitting colleges, we going to be hitting all type of shit. It's going to be lit, you know what I'm saying? Bars or anything, lounges, anything, restaurants, all types. It's gonna be on and popping, you know what I'm saying? So make sure y'all there, you know what I'm saying? I'm promoting it right now. Make sure y'all there. I told you, act like I ain't tell you.

What's your goal with the tour?

The tour?

What's your goal? Like, at the end of it, if I call you and say, Bobby, was that successful? What does success look like to you?

To make sure everybody went home fulfilled and joyful and with a fucking smile on their face, and they talk about it tomorrow in the morning and in the next year and in the next fucking year and said, Bobby Fuck you, Sparty. You bring your fucking ass back. Like, too, baby.

What does your legacy look like?

I can't tell you right now, but it's going to be superstar status.

What do you want? What do you want?

What do you—

what do you want people— what do you want people to remember you for?

Don't remember me for the love, don't remember me for the pain, remember me for the real.

Now we're at— we're at Griff— we're in the studio right now, just freestyling bars.

Make sure you remember me for the real, that I gave it to you raw. Don't remember me that B always gave it to you raw, dog.

Bobby, what was the biggest turning pro moment in your life where you feel like everything changed and you started playing a different game? You know, the analogy that I use is you get up from one poker table and go to a more high-stakes table.

When I start— when I start doing podcasts in the city, where the fuck we at? Where the fuck we at? Fuck me. You're a pro now.

Where are we? We're in Manhattan.

Soho. When I start doing motherfucking podcasts in Soho, spliffy. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. I found out to start changing when I started—

when I got home from prison and I started negotiating deals the way I wanted to negotiate Bobby, I remember your brother friend who was out front told you 15 minutes. Do you want to check in? I'm looking out for you because I know you show up late. I, I got your back.

Yeah, but it's good he know we're working right now, you know what I'm saying? I told him I got to come do this on my dog real quick. I got to do the podcast. They, they gotta be parked outside waiting, you know what I'm saying? I gotta come do the podcast, make sure y'all get this time, man. Chop these up, send me the Chris, I'm gonna help promote it, you know what I'm saying? Get it popping, you know what I mean? Let them know what it is. So that's what keep me pushing. I like being who I am in this kind of world, like, um, venture capital, because I'm like a— I'm like a pimp nerd.

I'm a pimp nerd. I like that.

How we put that in one word? How would I put that in one word? Yeah. I'm a pervert. I'm a pervert. I'm a pimp nerd. That's what I am, you know what I'm saying? Playing from the Himalayas.

I'm a pimp nerd.

You know what I'm saying? So I just like tech and shit like that. Again, I like motherfucking margin points and, you know what I'm saying, shit like that. Equity. And equity. And, you know what I'm saying, 2 for 20s. And funds and shit like that, you know what I'm saying? If you know what I'm saying. Um, on capital tax, yeah, capital tax raise. Oh shit.

Oh, my dad, my dad, my dad always told me if you're not paying taxes, you're not making money.

I gotta pay taxes right now.

That means you're making money.

It's not good. It's not a good thing, but it's not a good thing at the same time.

Well, no, it's— no, no, it's a good thing. It's not a fun thing.

Yes, that's See, it's not love, it's not pain, but it was real. You always remember that. It was real. It was the raw dog. We gave it to you raw, dog.

Bobby, what are your thoughts on AI?

I love AI. Don't tell nobody that, matter of fact, before they trying to kill AI. Don't tell— trying to assassinate AI. They just trying to shoot Trump the other day. He got crypto jumping and shit. You know what I'm saying? I don't say they— before they kill AI. AI is good, okay? AI is my guy, man. He chilling, man. You know what I'm saying? ChatGPT, they all chilling, man. Leave them alone. Don't bring AI up. Don't tell nobody about AI. Don't tell nobody about ChatGPT. Leave them alone, you know what I'm saying? Them my dogs right there.

They're going to be smart. They're smarter than you.

Yeah, they my friends. They're smarter than me because they tell me everything.

They tell you— it's like social media. They tell you what you you want to hear.

No, they tell me— no, social media don't tell you what you want to hear. They tell you— they sell you dreams. Social media—

no, the algorithm tells you what your brain wants to hear, but not what you should be hearing. Yeah, it's terrible.

No, I don't believe it.

You don't believe in social media? You don't believe—

tells you what it thinks you want to hear. I'd be like, why the fuck is this on my— I go on my Instagram, I'll be seeing shit I don't want to see. I'm like, why is this here? I didn't even click on this shit. Why is it— people come to It's because of what you like. What are you talking about? Show me your bitch. Show me something I like.

It's called the algorithm.

They don't know what the fuck they talking about.

You're in the— you are in the algorithm.

No, that's The Matrix.

Yeah, it is The Matrix. The Matrix is the algorithm.

They got special effects on this? I can make me go like—

yeah, we can do that.

Make it like—

you got that? He wants special effects on camera.

Make sure you put the special effects. We'll be right here. Why I said The Matrix?

We'll put you in The Matrix.

Matrix. I think that's the end.

Wait, you gotta just look at the camera and tell everyone where they can find you and what you're working on.

All right, yo, my name is Bobby Shmurda. Make sure you can find me at @itsbobbysmurda on Instagram. You can find me at Shmurda on Twitter. You can find me at Bobby Shmurda on YouTube. And we working on right now Superstar Status. We got that song out right now. It's with me, Lou Got Cash, Jeremiah is jumping off right now. We got the tour coming, um, in about a week or two, from May 16th, 15th. It's gonna be popping off. And we got a lot more music coming out, a lot more stuff. I'm back, baby. Ah, I'm right on the set, you heard? And also, business, make sure y'all check in at Charlie Fox. We got Charlie Fox in Times Square. We open up a dispensary in Times Square. Y'all want to come support a motherfucker? I'm still be selling drugs the legal way, baby. Yeah. I'm saying, we got motherfucking vapes, we got papers, we got cannabis, we got oil, we got gummies, we got anything you want, baby. 215, y'all say, make sure it's clean. Yeah, I show you Times Square, Charlie Fox on Cookies, New Jersey, Harrison. We got everything popping off. We got the smoke guns popping off too, Fuma. Yeah, I'm saying, double up. What's up, baby? Make sure you check us on crypto. I've been a lot of shit. If you want a real estate, you You know what I'm saying? We got Airbnbs jumping too. Holla at me. And he got the tow truck company.