SPEAKER_02 1:45

Welcome back to another episode of the Hilltop Glove Podcast. We are so excited to have Kill Ripkin, a returning guest, and one of his students. His son, actually. I forgot myself. He's a student too. But we're going to say it's also his son from the Youth Development Initiatives as our special guest. YDI is a nonprofit organization based in Charlotte, North Carolina that provides evidence-based after-school programming to disadvantaged youth. The organization aims to give hope to kids by providing them with the guidance and life skill training necessary to finish high school and prepare for college, military, or a job. One of the most important innovative programs that YDI offers is the life management guidance curriculum. This program is a technology-driven and project-based educational tool that uses skill assessments to engage students in everyday living scenarios that connect the classroom to the real world. The LGM's format also engages students in active learning, making it an effective tool for all students, regardless of their learning styles. Apart from the LMG curriculum, YDI also offers powerful training modules for parenting, family skill building, mentoring, and so much more. With their evidence-based programming and innovative tools, YDI is making a significant impact on the lives of adolescent youth in Charlotte, North Carolina.

SPEAKER_03 3:09

Yes. That is in surrounding areas.

SPEAKER_02 3:12

Yeah, I was on the website looking at their surrounding areas as well.

SPEAKER_03 3:15

Man, that's a lot. It is a lot. Before we move any forward, I just want a big shout out to the owner and the creator of the program, Mr. Darrell Bagel and his wife, Michelle Bagel. So I just wanted to shine light on them because they're the engine. This is their dream. They're the ones that, you know, make it possible for the youth here in Charlotte. I'm just a part of it. And, you know, I just wanted to give them a shout before we move forward.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

Much respect out to those folks because especially in the communities that we deal in and work and live in every day, to know who those heroes are. Because they are heroes. Definitely. And in doing those things, it's great to acknowledge those people who want to make sure that their work does not go unnoticed. Indeed. And as I always like to say, man, before we start this off.

SPEAKER_04 3:53

How you doing today? I'm doing good, man. It's good to see you. It's been a couple of years. Feels.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

Like a couple of years. It's been about a year, man. Well, we seen well, I seen you at one of the last years.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

Yeah, the Gene Brown. The Gene Brown. Yeah. So I saw him recently.

SPEAKER_03 4:13

I feel like me and Kev always talked. Always. You know. But it's been about a year since I seen you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:18

Since we had the even more, it's kind of on the sad note, but I didn't get to see my man panic. Yes. Before he was. Rest in peace, bro. Rest in peace, rest in power. My good friend. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_03 4:29

Rest in power. I was I did think of you and it's like, man, you know, seriously, that was like, like my dad always says, man, don't see your folks that you love while they do. Definitely, definitely. And it's funny you say that because we had an album on deck. Wanted to do an album with me so bad. Sent me a gang of beats and everything. And I just kept, you know, I just, it just, you know, that's what I'm saying. You know, you're gonna do something with with Brother Pan, that's gonna be heavy. So I just wasn't in the space to create in that type of level. But I don't have regrets, but I'm like, wow, what if we would have got a chance to do that? So yeah, rest in peace to the bro, man, and to his wife and the family.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

Most definitely. And all that. Make sure we send that out because especially coming into a new Gregorian calendar year. New Year's not my birthday. That's right. I know what y'all talking about. That's right. That's right. We always are like to look back at the past year and the stuff that we had seen, accomplishments, growth, and all that other good thing to talk about. But the one reason why we always like to have repeat guests is to build on those things and see where our folks are moving in. It's so good to have this man here. Just the first time we get to meet him. I want you to introduce yourself because of course our audience knows this gentleman. Introduce yourself so we can know who you are.

SPEAKER_01 5:41

Well, I am Amir, also known as Amir Views on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Got the hoodie on right now. So you guys can get that gear. I'm working on my brand right now, Amir Views Apparel. I really want to be a motivational speaker, uplift the youth. I see a lot of problems in our community, especially the black community. And I feel like I'm in a position to talk to them. Coming from an adult, we hear it, but we don't really hear it. One in one ear, out the other. But I feel like at 18 years old, I can really connect to them and really touch them. And I feel like I've been doing that, and I want to keep growing my brand and keep growing amazing.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

Having a brand at 18 is amazing. That's dope. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:21

And that wasn't even a thought at 18 for me. Yeah, yeah. That's Cola's job. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:27

So you already ahead of your time.

SPEAKER_03 6:29

What else you got going on?

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Also a chef, so working on a catering business.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

Be quiet. Yeah, you you chop it up.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

Yeah, I chop it up. I chop it up. I chop it up. Be quiet. How long? I had to ask this because you're 18. It was a ready for that one. It was a ready.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

I'm trying to think when the first time I got in the kitchen, like three years old, my mom. You've been in the kitchen. Yeah, I've been in the kitchen a very long time. Bruh, bruh, prepare a whole Thanksgiving dinner for it. What? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 6:52

So I've I've told me that. What? Oh, why don't we get it?

SPEAKER_00 7:00

Okay. I'm gonna have to watch it. Um look at your page. I need to learn.

SPEAKER_02 7:05

Come on, to my head. What do you mean?

unknown 7:08

Mostly vegan stuff.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

Yeah, mostly vegan stuff. Yeah. Even better. Even better. Want to promote health to them to the mental and to the temple, man.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

So I love it. Use the hashtag.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

Oh no, he's a cat. Thank you for not being a bird.

SPEAKER_03 7:28

Appreciate it. Virgos are the best. Virgo's are the best.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

That's all about the table. Come on, man.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

Come on. But man, that's excellent to hear. And you know, we gotta ask you this question because we've already asked him this. This is a funny question to ask. You ready? So, what influenced your work in the community, particularly working with you? Because you're youth.

SPEAKER_01 7:50

Right. So you probably wondering how'd I get into this? Honestly, I think it stemmed from sports. This guy, he's gonna take the credit for it. He's he's definitely a big part of it. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 8:01

See, that's good.

SPEAKER_01 8:02

I appreciate my dad a lot. We joke around, but I really he's like my superhero. He's like my Batman. So I really appreciate him. But I feel like playing sports all my life too, really. What particular sports are you playing? I played a lot of sports. Baseball, basketball, football. I ran track for a season. So I've touched, I was little. I don't even I don't even remember. You remember what you played outfield. He played right there. Yeah, I was outfield. Okay. I'm playing baseball, man. You like baseball? Yeah, that's what people talk about. Love baseball.

SPEAKER_03 8:28

He's an old man when I come to baseball. No, and he loves it. It's probably my favorite sport, but I played football. Me too. I played baseball. I love football, but baseball is my sanctuary. Like I could just give me some seeds and it's boring. Come on, relax. Three hours, four hours.

SPEAKER_01 8:45

I only watch baseball really when the playoffs hit. That's when baseball gets excited. Playing sports, being around the youth, being around peers, it really helped me see that everybody comes from a different background. Everybody not raised how I was raised. Everybody not raised how my friends were raised. And it's like I want to make a difference. You know, I see our community going downhill a few decades, and it's like just the same distractions, same kids, get into gang life, drugs, you know what I'm saying? Getting addicted to money, and they'll do it at any cost. So I was like, I want to that's cold. Yeah, I want to see if I can make a change. And I one day I put my camera up and I started talking. And from now, I just I'm still growing, you know, still kind of small, but I'm getting out there, getting my name out there, getting myself out there. And yeah, sports definitely helped me with that. Sports, I feel like, is the best way for a young man to learn how to be a young man. Why is that? Why do you think I think because either half the time they don't have a father figure, so that coach is their father figure, and they can coach them up to be a young man. And if they do, in my in my case, it's just another young, another man to be like, yo, you're a man. You know what I'm saying? You can grow up and be a man and do great things, not just hearing it from your dad, hearing it from another man is great, in my opinion. Because, like I said, we hear from adults, oh mom, dad, it just being mom and dad. Another adult say it, it's like, maybe mom and dad was right. Yeah, it's confirmation. It's like he was right. So I feel like that's very important for the youth to hear that, young ladies as well.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

Yeah. He's right. Because listen, sports will change your life, give you discipline, confidence, self-love. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:22

Because, like, I hate to say it, we aren't at seven years old being prepared for battle anymore. Oh no. Like we aren't going through warrior school there, but in sports, you kind of get to go through warrior school. And one thing, too, I'm not, I wanted to see if you paid attention to this with sports. One of the biggest things, and I like how you said it allows you to see everything, is it breaks down social economic gaps because it's sports. It doesn't matter how much money you make, can you perform? And so you get to see people from every economic background, different communities, cultures, and et cetera. And they're all trying to do the same thing, which is either score a point, block somebody well, run fast, whatever it is, and you're gonna do it together. And so you get to see that. Yeah, man, that's a that is a big thing, especially at your age. It's interesting, but I know who your pops is. Right. It's almost one of those situations, like not that I expect, but I know what you're getting is not the same input that most people that you're talking about, things that you're seeing from certain issues situations, they are not getting that same type of input. So one of my biggest things I always like to see good father-son balance and information in one of my favorite podcasts is the father-son podcast. I watch it all the time. It comes on Mondays and I've seen that. Yeah, I love it, man. And I like the vibe that it's had there. And I saw it like with my dad, we always have really good communication and conversation. And so, this is a question of both of you all, being father and being son. How has that allowed you all to also together tackle this um situation and this challenge that you're seeing out here in the community, specifically with bridging the gap between two different generations?

SPEAKER_03 11:51

Because, you know, coming from the aspect of working with the youth at the facility at YDR, right? And comparing that, or not comparing that, but like just, you know, wearing it with my weighing it with my my son, right, who I live with on a daily basis. So these kids are really hurting some of these kids, you know. Some of these kids really have heavy issues that he may not have. And so it puts things in perspective for me, our relationship, you know what I'm saying? And his relationship outside of him, myself and his mom and his sisters, and just our, you know, our tribe in general, right? Yeah, because you know, I tell him all the time, I'm so thankful because a lot of these young men and a lot of these young women are really hurt. And it just makes me pour into him even more. You know what I'm saying? It just makes, and not on uh like uh right from wrong, do this, do that, do this, do that, more so on a wisdom, just you know, just making sure that he's aware, can see, you know, no blinders on all angles, right? Because, you know, a lot of these kids are living way faster than they should right now. You know what I'm saying? And so I tell him all the time, and you can ask him, and I've been telling him this more recently stay a teenager until the teen is gone. Yeah, because we all know when the teen is gone, yeah, real deal holy fill. And it's just the way it is, right? So be a teenager, enjoy the teenager. I tell him, you know, like adult stuff, right? Has you know, adult stuff we deal with every day. Yeah, and I tell them don't worry about the adult stuff, leave that to us. You just remain a youth, remain, you know, you just turn 18 in December. Okay, remain a teenager. You got two, you got a year left. You know what I mean? Keep the team, keep the team. And then it gets real, right? And then you have to adjust to that. So for me, it's appreciating these kids that I work with and appreciating him even more. So they help me, uh they help me appreciate him more, and he helps me appreciate them more because I know they are not getting what he's getting. So the days, if it's a day that I may not want to go to work, I picture that or I channel that. Yeah, and that makes me go. That makes me get in that, you know, my car, get in that van to go pick him up. Yeah, because I know they're not getting what he's getting. Yeah, you know, he's a he's ahead of the game, yeah, and that's why I'm telling him be a leader.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

I was just about that was my question earlier, my friend.

SPEAKER_03 14:12

You can't be ahead of the game and not leave. Then you're just a distraction, right? So, like, yeah, if you're ahead of the game, he's been getting Jews since he's been born. Literally, literally, you know, this brother cut from a different cloth. All of these teachers that you and I have talked about, he calls them uncle. You know what I mean? Oh, it's different.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

It's different.

SPEAKER_03 14:31

Oh, I know what you mean. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 14:32

It's way different. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:33

He's seen and heard things that they haven't. And so there's no pressure, and he knows that. I never put pressure on him because greatness doesn't need to be. That's just you are you automatically know you just gotta get it done, you know. So that's how I would answer that question if I, you know, answered it right. I just think I take the both aspects of what I'm dealing with between my son and the youth that I work with, and it they both just help me appreciate both scales of you know, of what it is to be a youth today. That's a good answer.

unknown 15:04

I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 15:05

But you're talking about it.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

I mean, but you're a virgin too, because you're getting knowledge from your dad, and then it's like you have people looking up to you. So you're like a middle person too.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Yeah, definitely. Being around them, being in the environments that he talks about, it makes me appreciate him more because it's like, and I could be these type of kids and not trying to bring them down or anything, but it's like no kid should experience that. No kid should have to at 15 years old, gotta go sell drugs and go do some low-level things just to survive. You know what I'm saying? It it touches my heart because it's like we all came here to be great, and sometimes situations, living style, you know, it just doesn't end up that way. Yeah, circumstances, and yeah, you don't want to use that as a crutch, but sometimes it's harder than others, man. Every situation is different. Yeah, everybody might be drowning, but you might be 50 feet underwater, and I'm only three feet underwater. I'm still drowning. Yeah. It's not as bad as yours, you know what I'm saying? So just seeing the youth, see being around a bunch of kids, going to summer camps, playing sports, having a bunch of friends, it definitely has taught me like I'm very grateful for the life that I've had. I've never taken anything for granted. And the trials and tribulations that I go to go through, yeah, it sucks. Nobody wants to be hurt, nobody, you know what I'm saying? But I appreciate them because it's made me who I am today. And it could be way worse. Everybody can have it worse. The days where, you know, I can't get my favorite snack, somebody can't even eat. You know, so it makes me appreciate every little thing that I have and body in my life. You know, reach out to your friends and check up on them and love up on your mom and your dad if they're still here, because you never know when that day will come. And not to sound dark, but just appreciate every little thing.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

Yeah, seriously, he got real that thing real good. No, but you're right about that. I always thought about that as a youth too, and from the information that was given to me by my father, and I like what he said. He would always tell me, so now you're you have this ammunition. When you go out there into the world, you cannot unload it. You have to let people have this information to you can't keep it to yourself. That's selfish. Learn to teach. Yeah. You gotta learn to teach. And I gotta ask you a question just off of that. Just like, what's a jewel that your pops gave you that you, in bridging the gap, you have caught yourself either teaching or giving to those people, your peers, and et cetera, around you.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

The biggest one is definitely, he's been saying this since I can remember. He always told me it works. Yeah, man. It's it's a lot of little sayings he always told me since I was little, but the one that stuck with me the most is stay disciplined or you will be disciplined.

SPEAKER_00 17:41

Put that on the shirt. Telling him, let me tell you, I will do it if you don't do it. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_03 17:48

It would be saying that for years.

SPEAKER_02 17:51

Yeah, yeah. Explain that so our audience.

SPEAKER_03 17:54

Well, for me, I went cold turkey, eating meat, stopped eating meat 24 years ago. And because I've done that and haven't wavered, it's kept me disciplined. It's not hard for me to form a system of discipline with anything because I was able to do that. You know what I mean? So, like for me, it's like there was a reason why I did that, a health reason, and I'm like, man, if I'm not disciplined and maintain that style of health, I will be disciplined.

SPEAKER_04 18:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:23

You know, it's like you don't listen to your mom or your dad, the repercussions is that belt or that verbal, you know, lashing or whatever, right? So for me, that's just what it was. It's just something that, you know, I love discipline. Playing football, I have to be disciplined. I love tough coaches, right? I love being coached hard, I love being taught hard, love hard sometime, right? Because love is, you know, balance. But I definitely love that discipline, that hard nose, you know, A to Z, get it done. And that allows you to focus, being being helped. That's exactly how I I raised them. I mean, I got three girls before him, so it was different raising girls.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

So like a warrior spirit really didn't come out until they always say this different, like when you're a man, you have a son.

SPEAKER_03 19:10

Oh, yeah. I mean, I really had to like, you know, get in shape again and yeah, you know, seriously. It's real, yeah. And then it really hit me too that raising a young, melanated man. He's be he's gonna, the minute he gets out there, he's gonna be attacked. And so I had to, in order for him to be equipped, I had to, you know, I was on point with my daughters, but it's different. You know, you know, relationship with your dad is different. It's just different. Yeah. And my girls weren't athletic. So that allowed me to detach from the athletic. You know what I mean? So I just was bad. I just, you know, I couldn't be bad at school, yeah. But it's a flight. Like you said, you had to disappoint yourself. You know, my dress style was different. It's been sweatsuits and you know every day. Yeah, you know, because he keeps me on my toes, he keeps me going. So, and I knew I had to do that because he's a melanated boy who would grow into a young man who would go into a black melanated man. And you already know the bullseye. The bullseyes be successful. It's dead on us, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

So and I I'd say so, so with saying that, just working that into YDI and how that program and it interacts and works for the youth. Specifically, I like the fact that they do life management guidance.

SPEAKER_03 20:33

Life skills management. Oh my Jesus.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

People think that it people don't understand how important this is. Could you explain that to our audience a little bit, what that is, what that does for the youth, and after he explains that, if you can explain, since you're in the program, explain how that assists with you and what you're doing as well.

SPEAKER_03 20:48

Okay, well, and like me and my sister T was talking before we started, like, I think it'll be best if we came brought the show to IDI. I think I think Mr. Bagel really love that. Okay. So I'm gonna do my best. Synopsis. Yeah, because I think the way he does it justice, it just makes more sense. But since I've been there, I see I've never worked for a nonprofit before either, right? So even from that aspect, I just see how things work and how it can really affect or enhance a neighborhood or community.

SPEAKER_04 21:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:23

So yeah, but I'll try to do my best answering answering that question. Basically, it was what was it again?

SPEAKER_02 21:29

Like So how the life management guidance, how you see how it how does it affect the youth that are in the program? They love it.

SPEAKER_03 21:36

Because people think they love it. So we get a lot of kids from DJ J, right? The Department of Juvenile Justice. Yeah. So some of them have ankle bracelets.

SPEAKER_04 21:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 21:46

You know what I mean? These guys are they they're a charge away from getting locked up. Boom. Right? So they're coming in from long eight-hour days in school, and then they gotta come, and it's almost like they fill the school again. So they're coming in grumpy, yeah, attitude. They probably just had a fight, they probably just got suspended earlier.

SPEAKER_04 22:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:04

So it's a lot that they deal with. You know what I mean? But once they get into the program, they love it.

unknown 22:10

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 22:10

They really do, they really love it. And and we have a small staff, so it's easier to love up on them, as opposed to huge staff, everyone's just there for numbers, cogs. We really feed into, we really feed into the children. We really try to meet them where they're at. And then the the curricul, his curriculum, the program just speaks for itself. We don't, I don't have to do anything outside of that box. We teach them life skills, what that entails. Some of these kids don't know who they are. So we do like self-assessments, we do like color self-assessments, where you know, they get to find out. They might think they're one way, and then they'd be like, wait a minute. I'm more artistic. So they really do skills assessment tests. We do skills assessments, we do uh financial literacy. Okay. Some of these kids don't know how to open up a bank account.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

Yeah. It's just certain steps. They probably they're some of these, some of these kids don't even have ID.

SPEAKER_03 23:02

Wow. Ah. Okay, so we also prepare resumes for them. Uh-huh. That's good. Another thing I would love to do now. We haven't had many, which I would still love. This, I'm just so excited. I mentioned this to Mr. Bagel too, but I'm so excited because I think this could spark something in the youth. They I haven't had any of them say, I want to be a cameraman or have my own podcast, right? A lot of them want to be barbers.

SPEAKER_04 23:29

But that's good, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:30

They gotta rappers, skills, yeah. Um, for the young ladies, it's nursing, things of that nature. But this is something different. It is. And so we also have career, uh we have like it's like a career workshop where we bring professionals in. Yeah to talk to the minute that came up, you guys came to my mind. Yeah, man. Because it's something different, too. You know, like to see these mics and that camera and these lights. And this is what I'm telling him. I heard what you're saying. They're not seeing a whole lot of you that look like them, right? But it's doing something different. Everybody wants to rap, play sports, and be a nurse, and that's cool. But we have so many other things that these youth can do. So with YDI, I think one of the things that I really love about the program is that it reprograms, that's one of the words we use there. It reprograms their mind but want to do something diff, something different. You know what I'm saying? So like I try to be like the cool uncle there, right? Do I feel like I'm from where they're from? Yeah. Right. And I've been through what they've been through. Yeah for real. So like I when they come through the door, I meet them right, I meet them right where they at. Yeah. I come right down to them. That's important. Of course I demand, and we have standards there and all that. Also, too, we have a vocational program and where we have Mr. Johnson. He's a what do you want to call him? What do you call it? He's a man. Like a counselor? No, no. He built a carpenter. Thank you. He's a carpenter, master carpenter. So we're teaching these kids how to bust down walls, put up drywalls. Yeah. Why? Use all the tools. Like, yeah, if when you guys come to the pro come to the facility and it's a little bigger than the studio, a lot bigger, right? Would you think you will see what I'm talking about? It's just it's a haven for the kids. Okay. Because, like I said, they're going through it. They're going through it. And so when they come there, you know, we feed them well, they get snacks. You know, we got a big pool table. We just we try to make them feel like they're not being punished by being in this program. It's not a it's not like a juvenile prison or anything like that. It's someplace where they can come where some adults really love them, really care about them, succeeding, and moving on in life. And I think that's what YDI is doing, and which is why I just want to be a part of that program so so bad, because my passion was teaching. So when we moved here to Mecklenburg County, I taught in the schools, you know the story. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:53

Just didn't sit right with me.

SPEAKER_03 25:55

Left the schools, pulled my children out, I homeschooled, created a homeschool co-op. I have a daughter that's uh entrepreneur. She taught over 800 students across the country doing eyelash. She's working with Senator Alma Adams to pass a bill to make it uh legal and license to do that because a lot of the girls get infections and things of that nature, right? And there's no licensing, no regulations. Not at all. That's why everybody's gonna be able to do that. I have another one that's doing her master's at Winthrop. Okay. And my oldest one is into banking, and then you know, Amir's spreading his wings. So I say all that to say homeschool works.

SPEAKER_04 26:36

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 26:36

I try to tell people to think homeschool works. Because when my daughter, to be honest, my other two daughters, well, the other one, Lauren, went to college, she went to um what is it? UNCG. It's Greensboro, yep. But my youngest one totally destroyed college, like just killed it. And I was like, I was shocked. Now I knew she would do good. I just didn't think she would do above and beyond good. Because homeschool, you know, we get to do what we want now. I was one of those homeschool teachers I taught, I did the teaching, right? I really taught like it was a school. Because I didn't, because in case they did want to go to college, I didn't want them to feel socially awkward. So I I would suspend them.

SPEAKER_05 27:14

Oh wow, I would suspend them.

SPEAKER_03 27:21

You can't come down in pajamas and head wraps and things of that nature. You gotta come prepare. We gotta fully dress, but let's get to work. Yeah. So, you know, yeah, home school. He'll tell you, you know, even when I would bring in other students into the home and I would teach other students, like, yeah. So like I think that prepared, that's what you see is a product, the maturity. So he's a product of homeschooling. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's he's never he's in Legion Academy now only because of basketball. Yeah, and I can let him share that story because that's his personal journey. But that's the only reason why we put him in there because he had an opportunity to play basketball on a high level. Yeah, and then he said that he wanted to play college ball. So obviously. So that's why he's in Legion, but and he's basically done with high school. Like when he's done with Legion, he can go into college if he wants like 30 credits already.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

Wow, that's good.

SPEAKER_03 28:16

So, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 28:18

That's a lot of dedication and discipline.

SPEAKER_03 28:21

Listen, it's a lot of hard salute to my wife, salute to the queen. It does take a team, and it ain't hard, it ain't easy. Yeah, it ain't easy. So when even when I talk about the bagels and how they've formed this company. Are they from Charlotte?

SPEAKER_02 28:35

Yeah. Wow. So it's staying in the community, putting work.

SPEAKER_03 28:38

There's Charlotte, there's Charlatans, they're not on, I wouldn't say they're from Charlotte. Mr. Bagel's from Ohio, I think his wife is from South Carolina. Okay. But they've been in the Charlotte community and raised their kids here in Charlotte. Yeah, they're near Charlatans. Yeah, they're here. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:52

What was the best part about the program from your point of view?

SPEAKER_03 28:55

My point of view? Well, before you answer that, yeah. He went through an accelerated version of the program.

SPEAKER_00 29:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 29:01

So he did the program in probably like maybe a week online too. He has a couple of online sessions with Mr. Bago, but I just wanted to clarify that. So he has no note to see. Right. Okay. And he got what they get. He did his online and with me personally at home. Yeah. But he happened to experience going through the life skills program. Yeah. And so I let him alive.

SPEAKER_01 29:23

Yeah, the life skills program was definitely exciting. I feel like it's very important for the youth to learn life skills. You know, like he said, some kids don't know how to fill out a resume or have an ID or know what a bank account is. Yeah. You know, a savings account. Nobody knows like kids my age, they just worried about TikTok. Why y'all worried about TikTok? I don't know. I don't know. It's a it's a dick. That's a me question. It's a dick thing. Yeah, it's a dictator. It's a dictator. So but yeah, it was really dope because it opened my eyes to the the corporate world of life, which is very important, financial uh side of things. That, you know, not everything is just hard work, you know, I'm just gonna make money, chase a check, because then you're gonna be chasing that check until grade. But if you learn financial literacy, which I'm learning right now, you know, reading my books and learning how to invest and when to save, when not to save, and stuff like that. I feel like that's a very important that every youth should know. And I learned that going through that program, even though it was quick, but I would come to the job some days after practice and you know, see them build wood. And it was, I feel like every young man should know how to build a little shack. You know, I want to build a little shack. Yeah, to build something, man, to live something. And you know what I'm saying? I feel like that's very important. We've gotten away from that. Yeah. Not everybody, like you said, just want to be the next Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James. Oh man, but it's it's real, man. Like not everybody's gonna be a rapper, not everybody's gonna be an athlete. It's just that's just not gonna happen. What you gonna do when that's that's gone? Yeah, you know what I'm saying. What's your fallback? What's your fallback? And not thinking that you're gonna fail, it's just being smart, you know, being smart to have multiple plans in life because life is gonna hit you in waves. Yeah. It's gonna hit you in, you know, you might not do this 10 years from now, you might do this for a year, you might do this for three years, you know. But as long as however long you're doing it, you put your all into it and you can say, I'm proud of myself for what I did, I feel like that's very important. And that's what I another layer that I learned from that program. It was very eye-opening. Even more, you know what I'm saying? Even more knowledge. Since I was little, I always like learn. I've touched everything. I went through so many phases as a kid. I wanted to be a musician, then I wanted to be an architect, you know what I'm saying? Now I want to be a chef. Yeah, I not like a musician, I just wanted to learn instruments, which I still want to do. I want to learn guitars and stuff. When it comes to like that's different. Yeah, that's different. That's different. When I'm different talking about the rap industry, yeah, I don't want to be a part of that.

SPEAKER_03 31:47

I'll listen, but he told me that. He literally told me that. I was like, oh, maybe yourself hard.

SPEAKER_01 31:53

That's in trouble. Yeah, I never wanted to be a rapper. I love now, I love he could tell you I love music. Like I listen to music a lot from top three favorite artists. There's so many that I listen to. Right now, what genre? No, what I'm asking.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

Oh, any genre because I gotta give you Miles Davis and Nas. I'll put them all together. Okay, right. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 32:13

Yeah, top three right now, the people that I listen to the most.

SPEAKER_03 32:16

The weekend, Sade, and then I play Sade like she just said. I believe it. The way he just said she's like, yo, the shit. Sade Sade, one more time.

SPEAKER_01 32:28

It hit the soul, it's that soul music. You know, it's the we don't really see that a lot. But yeah, the weekend, his old stuff when he first came out. I love the weekend music, Sade. And you know, I still gotta say youthful, so I'm gonna say young boy. That's my guy.

SPEAKER_02 32:40

Like a young boy, ain't that?

SPEAKER_04 32:41

Yeah, I feel like a little psycho, man.

unknown 32:45

Right.

SPEAKER_04 32:45

You know, looking like a little psycho.

SPEAKER_03 32:47

I'll give him grace for that.

SPEAKER_01 32:49

Yeah, I listen to my generation from the early 2000s. I'm gonna go.

SPEAKER_02 32:54

You gotta look, you can't not be in your age group. It's one of the weirdest things. Like my dad told me all the time, man, he's like, I know I got you listening to this and this type of music gotta like growing up, towel power, etc. All this stuff, but you gotta like what you like. That's right. But one time I caught myself trying to hide a na CD from my dad, and my dad found na C D. He said, Bro, this is what you like, listen to your music. I was like, For real? He was like, Yeah, bro, just listen. Like, why are you afraid of? I said, I didn't think you let me listen to it. He said, What do you think I was growing up listening to? He started letting me listen to all his music, and he had his regulators, his war and G and stuff. I said, Oh, okay. Okay, it's like you're human, man.

SPEAKER_03 33:28

You gotta be. It's funny with him because growing up, the kids listen to what we play. Yeah, they don't have a say. Yeah, yeah. So for him, it was Dead Press, little brother every day, right? He became big little brother fans, big outcasts, RBG fans, big outcast fans, right?

SPEAKER_04 33:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:49

So that was my influence. When he was able to control his ear, he started listening to stuff that I would never play, right? But I never, you know, I never judged it, right? Because I knew, like you just said, you gotta listen to where you're at, right? But I just wanted him to know the essence of where good music comes from, right? And sometimes you think that they're not paying attention because he would never acknowledge music. Once he got on his own, he never played Little Brother again. He never like kids are not. I don't know if you remember this. One day he's in the bathroom, take getting ready to take a shower. He always plays music in the bathroom, and he played a gang star record. The new joint went up with J. Cole with the and he just kept, and then he went back and listened to the old stuff and then started asking me questions. I was like, Yes, he is. He did pay attention. It's then there. He did pay attention. So yeah, he's very versed when it comes to music. I will tell you. You gotta have that. Some of these kids, man, is they don't have cultural influence.

SPEAKER_02 34:48

Here's the thing, they're scraping up what they have to hold on to. And that's one thing I had to learn too. Is it's not that they don't want to know, it's just gotta imagine if you're out here, you don't know who you are, right? Where you came from. At least I have this person to hold on to around my blocker from where they are at. They make something that I can identify with, whether it be negative or positive. It's just something.

SPEAKER_01 35:10

Right.

SPEAKER_02 35:10

Because a person without a history or background, they are lost in the wind.

SPEAKER_03 35:16

You can be influenced by anything. So yeah, that's what we see. Like we tell them in YDR, everyone is out for your mind. Yep. Right? And the word mind is the word in. Everybody's looking to put something in your mind. Us at YDR, right? We tell them this all the time, right? But it's true. The TV's trying to get your mind, music, your peers, right? Out there in the streets, family. Everyone wants your mind, right? And so one of his sayings with a mere views is what? Open the mind. Open the mind.

SPEAKER_01 35:42

I start my videos all the time. Open them. Time to open the mind. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_00 35:47

Oh, okay. I'm gonna be watching it.

SPEAKER_03 35:51

Chill up. Yeah. He's pretty dope, you know. And I can say that because I definitely have constructive criticism because we're in a field, I guess, right? That everyone is trying to do or wants to do, like music, podcasting, everyone's trying to do that, right? So if you're gonna do it, do it like Hilltop. No, nah, you know, look, and then they can only get bigger from here. You know what I'm saying? We gotta start somewhere. Like I was just telling him on the way. A good business is not a fast business. Never. Take your time, yeah, be consistent, keep jabbing, keep jabbing, keep jabbing, and then the knockout blow will come. Exactly. But if you're trying to do it, knockout, right? You know, it's not gonna happen that way. So this is the main reason why, you know, when the other students flaked out on me, I said this would be a good opportunity for him. You know, I didn't want to cancel it. Not just for him to speak, to just see this.

SPEAKER_00 36:43

Experience every experience everything.

SPEAKER_03 36:45

He's into the the the tech equipment, he's into the mics, the or you know, for his birthday. That's why Mike, I want a mic, I want a this type of screen. You know what I mean? So, like to see professionals and masters do it.

SPEAKER_04 36:57

Yeah, it can be done.

SPEAKER_03 36:58

I learned from masters. Say it again. I learned from masters.

SPEAKER_02 37:02

That's how I always like I'm trying to go find a master.

SPEAKER_03 37:04

I learned from masters.

SPEAKER_00 37:06

We're actually teaching podcasting to kids now.

SPEAKER_02 37:09

There it is. So like take notes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because there's a reason, like I know, learning everything, and then also us having to figure out certain pitfalls, certain things we don't do well, certain things we do well. Like our format that we have now, this took two years. Yeah. And I've two literally watched it grow.

SPEAKER_03 37:27

Yeah, like for real.

SPEAKER_00 37:28

So that's why I'm he's advocating for us. Yeah, no, for real.

SPEAKER_02 37:32

It feels good, man. It's feel good. Listen, this is. You don't feel like I want to feel like you're wasting time. Yeah, so yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:38

Everything, you know, love is always within the circle. You know what I mean? And I think, you know, everybody turns to get loved on eventually comes, right? This is y'all, this is your time to be loved up on. Because y'all bringing something to the community that, you know, it's not about just sports or don't do guys. Everything that's common, right? It's like my wife and a couple other people that keep asking us to do a podcast or something like it, right? Old school, new school. Because we go in. We we are it's friendly argument, but we're it's good. Oh, yeah, we go in because it's like, you know, I'm so old school, for lack of words, right? And he's so like, oh, let's just do it, and you know, it's the newer way, just it's just the way it is now. Yeah, it's never just the way it is now, just the way it is now. Listen, just the way it is now came from something. Yeah, yeah. Am I right? Everything comes from something. Don't just tell me, oh, we go in. I hit record, yeah. And I didn't want him to know, I wanted to keep it natural, and for some reason it just only did like a minute of it and it just stopped. But when I was talking about the pimps in Atlanta, oh with the uh because the Atlanta coach is like that. Yeah, so we just have real in-depth conversations because you know it's it's really even at the program, it's really great to talk to youth and they can converse with you back, right? I love that. Man, it's nothing like talking to a young man or woman, and they it's hard for them to articulate because now as an adult, you know, you have to find a way to pull something out of them. The ones that are ready ready to talk and express themselves and really be brave with that. I love that because now it makes my job nurturing and cultivating. Easier. Yeah, yeah. I literally meet them with it.

SPEAKER_00 39:28

It's like they found their voice and they're not afraid to speak it. And a lot of kids, they are shy. So this helps like express on so many levels. The kids at a boys and girls club, yeah, they're like from like ninth grade and down, but they're like when they talk and they're talking about music artists and all this stuff. But then we ask some questions about like race, and they're like, Yeah, you know what? I really do go through bullying. They don't really, they're not internalizing it until they actually say it. Right, and they're like, Oh, yeah, I am suffering from that.

SPEAKER_03 39:58

It's just part of what they do every day, they don't realize that it's a trauma, it's some type of trauma. You're being traumatized, you're being affected. Yep. And until you literally, and it's before that type of effect would take some time, it's happening quicker now.

SPEAKER_02 40:12

Yeah, oh yeah, in the quickening. No, that's serious. But you're right on the money on this topic, and I know I'm not gonna hold you all too much longer, but the one thing I did want to say is because you're talking about it. Adults, sometimes, you know, we feel we have all the knowledge, and you as young folks feel that sometimes we're doing it to try to help them solve problems, but we don't. But so because sometimes we're giving them this information. I like what you said earlier. We you all don't hear us, it's won. But we have to listen to you all, and I like what you were saying, but one of the issues we run into is sometimes you all don't talk. And so we there's nothing to listen to. And that leads us to the question of what are some of the issues that you all might face on a daily basis that we overlook as adults. This is I love that. When I saw that question, I was like, oh, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 40:59

Some issues that we go through that you guys overlook.

SPEAKER_02 41:01

Yeah, man, what's happening with y'all out here in these creeds?

SPEAKER_01 41:04

I I feel I it has to stem from social media, okay, to be honest. Like you said earlier, most of these kids don't know who they are.

SPEAKER_04 41:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:11

So when they look on social media, they see this rapper got a chain, got cars, got all the girls. Or if young ladies go on social media, they see this woman, she got the best body, or this is that, and the third. And it might not, they might not know it's affecting them, but subconsciously, they're getting insecure about themselves. That's why you see so many girls insecure about themselves. Even though they're they might be really beautiful, but in the inside, they see on social media, well, I don't look like that, so I can't be beautiful, or no guy's gonna like me. Or now young men are looking, well, this rapper got all these chains and all these cars, and I got a little Honda. I I can't be cool. You know what I'm saying? And you guys might not, you got I see adults look at that and be like, why are you worried about that? You know what I'm saying? But social media has definitely played a huge part. It's a blessing in disguise, it's a blessing and a curse where you can do things like this, talk to millions of people with just one little video, but it can also damage someone from not knowing themselves. And I feel like knowing yourself is very important. So when you go into that social media virtual world, you know that it's all fake, to be honest. You know, you can pull back the curtains and know this video stage or this ain't no real chain. He just borrowed the car, or it's all entertainment. No boundaries, though. Yeah, it's no boundaries, and people would do anything to get likes and clicks, literally anything. It would they would sell their soul to get likes and clicks because it makes them feel good. It's like a dopamine hit.

SPEAKER_02 42:37

When did you find out that it was wrestling? That's I always like to look at it. Like you found out apparently something clicked in your mind when you realized, oh, this is wrestling, it's not real.

SPEAKER_01 42:45

Probably around 2017.

SPEAKER_02 42:47

I was out jumped out the matrix. Yeah, 2017 around Yeah, you jumped out around 2017.

SPEAKER_01 42:53

Me and my uh lifelong friend calling like my cousin now, Cam, we always watch YouTube videos and like prank videos and stuff. And then we realized like Shout out to Joe Rockhead. Yeah, shout out to man, my boy Cam. But like we would watch these prank videos and be like, oh man, that's crazy. And then we it was like, I forgot what kind of YouTube video it was, and he exposed everything. Like these couple channels aren't really couples, they just doing it for the money. And I realized, like, hold up, this isn't real. And then loving sports for as long as I could remember, realizing that this isn't real too. Yeah, like it's like, dang, man. Like, I'm playing sports, but I know at the highest level it's really all politics. It's not real. You know what I'm saying? It's not real. So that's when I really figured it out.

SPEAKER_02 43:36

Did you take your love? Did it did it make it make you feel as if your love was gone and that there was no reason to continue though?

SPEAKER_03 43:42

Man, um, you in the crib with us? He spying on the crib a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 43:48

I would say so. Yeah, I would be lying if I said it didn't. That's what I wanted to hear. I wanted to know.

SPEAKER_03 43:53

Because you just we just went through it.

SPEAKER_00 43:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:56

So yeah. Before going to Legion, I really went to Legion just for basketball. Because over the summer, I was traveling around Virginia Beach and Atlanta and North Carolina. I was playing ball and I was really enjoying that. You know, I felt myself getting better. We found this school and it was like an easy way to get to college ball and play in the NBA. Like, I've been watching the NBA since Braun was on the heat. So, you know what I'm saying? Like, to play in the NBA, that's a dream come true. And when I started to realize is that coaches aren't really coaching for the youth, they're coaching for their own ego. And they might not know it, it's really just hidden motives behind them. Like, I'm the man, you're gonna listen to what I do, this, this, that, and the third. But coaches are supposed to coach for the youth, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, it's supposed to be for the kids. Help my dad say that all the time. It sports is for the kids. Let us let us yeah, let us play and figure it out. We feel like we're getting micromanaged every two seconds, then it's like you start playing tense and uptight because I don't want to make a mistake. Because if I do, I'm gonna get subbed out, or I'm not gonna play the next game, or to that and the third, or when you're putting in that hard work and practice or in the gym by yourself, you know, you feel like you're getting better, you're making your teammates better, and you can't show that off on the courts or the field or the track. It's like, what am I doing this? You know what I'm saying? And to know that at the highest level that I want to get to isn't really real. And to be one of the greats, like a Tom Brady and LeBron and all these type of guys, I have to play the game because I didn't want to do that because it it would take away for from who I am. I still like yeah, it would compromise myself.

SPEAKER_03 45:36

You don't play ball in the world.

SPEAKER_01 45:37

I don't play ball no more. So I I one day I went to my coach and I was like, I'm stepping away from the team, you know? And it took

SPEAKER_03 45:45

the best defensive players out here team leader Kevin Garnett status yeah and it it was hard for the family too because that's been our life for the last what like you say he the only male so yeah yeah so you know like we were vested in it and you know he knows whatever and my girls whatever they want to do with it if we if it's positive and makes sense let's do it we on board yeah and so you know I don't teach quitting and I thought as a leader he should have finished the season and things like that but when he said to me it was affecting the mental it's more important that's you know it's because it's just a game. Me as a coach who coached that way I kind of understood like okay now you know you're not just a dad you're a coach too you got to understand what this young man is saying. And I agree with him man and I just I salute him 1000% it takes a lot of bravery and cojones as they say to make that decision at 16 17 years old that you know what especially playing the game at a high level I don't want to do this no more and I'm like what you know you know me and my brother we played game at the high level and it's like but what he did you know it's more way more grand than what we did. Yeah you know I mean and I think that's huge for any youth if your heart ain't in it that's one of the things we teach at YDI too do something you love to do. I've been telling him that you know if it don't love you back if I got to the point like I everyone knows I hate the industry right yeah but I never got to the point where I never got to the point where music didn't love me back. So that's why I kept doing it. If you ever get to the point where the microphone don't love you back or these cameras don't love you back then you're gonna pivot and try to do something different. At least we should right so that's what he did. He realized basketball wasn't loving basketball was gone. You know what I mean? And so like when once that week was rough on all of us he's like man what? That's the reason why we in the school all of these things right but the foundation of it all was his feelings and how he was going to use this moment to grow as a man.

SPEAKER_00 47:47

Yeah so I mean you're growing so what can we expect from you going forward?

SPEAKER_01 47:53

Going forward you can expect me to see you can see me more social media growing Amir views growing my channel on TikTok Instagram getting my catering business out there boom bites boom bites yeah so that's my nickname he oh yeah make sure you drop all your social media I got you I got you definitely well my nickname everybody in my family from friends they just call me boom not everybody called me Amir until recently yeah like that is but yeah I've been known as Boom and just little bites so boom bites you know next time we get up with the Hilltop fam we're gonna have some some empanadas yeah definitely yeah he does these amazing empanadas oh you know John gotta bring that slotted it's slotted in we gotta do that like you said if we can couple that in with going to YDI even better but continue and make sure you get your socials out we want to make sure people can flood where they can find you YouTube is Amir views just like the hoodie just a mere views Instagram is a mere it's kind of weird I gotta change it but it's a mirror dot underscore and then my TikTok is Amir Golden. So I'm about to change how you spell that two the letter two and then valid so that's my Instagram right there and then my TikTok is Amir Golden about to change all those to Amir views. But once you definitely but once if you go to my YouTube all my links all my social medias are right there. It's an easy little boom you can go there and I upload TikToks about five days a week a nice little message like yesterday I just uploaded it. It's the first of the month let's get to grinding you know what I'm saying don't make no excuses so yeah definitely gonna see me around I'm still gonna play sports still I'm trying to get into a flag league right now. So I play wide receiver in football. I still love sports you still watch sports? Yeah I still watch sports all the time we still talk about sports and still watch basketball but just stepping away from playing basketball for a little bit I feel like that's what needed that was my calling understood that's that you asked me why what got me into that it was the experiences and seeing the youth and also like God just telling me it's time for you to talk to them. You know what I'm saying? That makes sense.

SPEAKER_03 49:53

Yeah man that makes sense of course it's not like our audience is not you but it just make sure they drop your socials for us so they could know where to find you and then be working on any project Instagram Facebook at Kill Ripkin got www.killripkin at WordPress I think that's it for me I'm not on TikTok self-medicate too we cooking hey me and joh freedom don't yeah I'll be on it I'll be watching I'll be honest amazing I can just sneak that in go ahead's think of next level yeah next level the music is sounds great so shout out to the whole squad Divine DJ Lowe shout out to Scott Studio go ahead shout out Solemn Digital that we're shooting at today 23 this is this is home 226 wet Westinghouse Boulevard you already know sweet 304 Charlotte North Carolina 28273 yeah man gonna continue to put in the work with the youth and continue to hope uh continue to help YDI grow and expand and like I said I'll let the bagos really want to full plate so I would love to invite y'all there yeah in the near near future especially now the weather's getting nice yeah come out we just got new furniture and everything at YDI catch it while the furniture fresh looking good sound crazy but when you get the fresh furniture yeah yeah see us looking good and uh you know we make sure we show y'all good hospitality there. Okay. I know that's gonna be the case I ain't even doubting it. I love my hilltop fan man Kev, what up? Good to see you my brother this is dope man anytime I get to you know everybody know I don't say much. Yeah that's why it's nice to get you so when I get out and really get to say and doing this with my son it just makes it even better. But more music to come and more knowledge to learn more youth to save you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 51:33

I like the way you wrap that up that's right yeah man loves man this is excellent it's good to see you all and to see this dynamic. It don't even matter man of course I always like to sign off with the Hilltop Club it's DJ and what we got behind Mike hiding in the background skip over here hiding in the background we're of course like I said we're hanging out with Scott Slagle at Asylum Digital today. Just in case so you know if you want uh to book anything I have to do this please contact or email at studioinfo at asylumdigital.com or call by telephone if you like it 704 9289. Other than that, as I always like to tell people when we sign off, tell somebody next to them that you love them, that you appreciate them. And until next time, be easy. Peace.