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Tony Yayo joins Shannon Sharpe at Club Shay Shay for a raw, unfiltered conversation about his life, his career in hip hop, and the brotherhood behind G-Unit. Yayo starts by comparing life in Europe to America, saying liquor tastes better, food is healthier, and there aren’t guns everywhere like in the U.S. Fresh off tour in Europe with Chris Brown in Manchester, he talks about how Washington D.C. feels dangerous today with residents scared to drive their own cars. Yayo reflects on growing up in the Southside of Jamaica, Queens, calling it the best borough in New York over Brooklyn and the Bronx. He shares that his parents are from Haiti, and explains how he got the name “Tony Yayo” from Scarface.
He dives into his upbringing, calling immigrants hard-working, recalling his strict parents, and saying their divorce led him toward the streets and drug dealing. He dropped out of school, hustled while working around his mom’s schedule, and even had $100K thrown away by his mother. He remembers being robbed at gunpoint for a Starter jacket, his mom’s house being shot 22 times, and the pain of calling her from jail after being arrested. Yayo describes how 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks look out for friends coming out of prison, how he ended up dealing drugs, and why the worst part of street life was disappointing his mother.
Yayo reflects on hip hop beefs, loyalty, and survival. He says he’ll never be mad at DJ Khaled for siding with Fat Joe during the feud with 50 Cent. He remembers riding in a bulletproof truck riddled with bullets, the murders of PnB Rock and Pop Smoke, and why he prefers hanging with his lawyer over rappers. He recalls being harassed by hip hop police when G-Unit was labeled “the most dangerous rap group in the world.” He praises Eminem as his “favorite white boy in the world,” calls Dr. Dre one of the best producers, and says Eminem listens to details like “the footsteps in Poltergeist.” He talks about how Eminem’s cosign made Joe Budden’s career, how Kanye West was around before fame, and how 50 Cent would turn down million-dollar deals.
Yayo shares vivid stories about his friendship with 50 Cent — from knowing him since age 12, watching him box in the projects, and remembering the day he was shot nine times at his grandmother’s house. He says 50 didn’t want to be seen weak in the hospital, later rode around with a vest and gun looking for enemies, and didn’t even like “Many Men” until Yayo convinced him to keep it. He recalls 50 Cent giving him $1M, letting him sleep on his couch under strict rules, and always looking out for him when no one else did. He also revisits beefs with Ja Rule, Rick Ross, and Fat Joe, and explains why he’ll never be cool with Ja Rule.
Yayo opens up about his rap journey, starting in basements as a dealer-turned-rapper, being starstruck partying with Mike Tyson, Venus and Serena Williams, Wesley Snipes, Samuel L. Jackson, the Kardashians, and even the owner of Ray-Ban. He recalls Mike Tyson telling him to expand his horizons, leading him to caviar. He talks about performing with Cash Money, almost signing J. Cole and Nicki Minaj to G-Unit, and Atlanta artists like Outkast, Jermaine Dupri, and Lil Jon. He says Biggie was a better songwriter than Ice Cube, praises Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Ghostface, Slick Rick, KRS-One, LL Cool J, and Heavy D, and discusses Nipsey Hussle’s death in his own neighborhood.
He reflects on modern rap and street culture — drill music glorifying murder, rappers like King Von, BloodHound Lil Jeff, and Q50 rapping about their crimes, and why kids today flaunt guns with switches on Instagram. He talks about Tekashi 6ix9ine snitching, Fat Joe enjoying Gunna’s music despite controversy, and whether Young Thug and Gunna might reconcile. He weighs in on Drake sampling his music, the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef reminding him of Nas vs. Jay-Z and Tupac vs. Biggie, and why Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are the only artists making real money in streaming today.
From doing time in Rikers Island with Diddy’s bodyguard to meeting Donald Trump after jail, from charity work with the Knicks to investing in real estate, Yayo tells it all. He talks about loyalty, losing friends, being stabbed, doing Hot Ones as its first guest, and being starstruck by Nas, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and John Cena. Through it all, he credits 50 Cent, Jay-Z, and Eminem for inspiring him to handle his money wisely — while never forgetting the streets that raised him in Queens.
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