Plot On The Rocks
🥂 Serving Black & POC books 📚
Bold convos, stirred not shaken.
#PlotOnTheRocks
Plot On The Rocks
This Hoe Got Roaches In Her Crib
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Hear us out... no seriously, hear us out!!
We all know about the infamous Quan Millz and his over the top titles. This week we did the ultimate test of not judging a book by it's cover and let me tell you- this was SO much different than we thought it would be!
This week, we diving into the real story behind the crazy title and it got REALLY deep, SUPER fast. We're doing a lot of laughing and a lot of shaking our heads in this episode, but we also explored some really heavy but important subjects.
You do not wanna miss this conversation!
Sidenote: this was a live recording but we had some technical difficulties, so if you hear any mention of it... no you didn't! :D We'll be trying again soon. Please excuse any audio distortion.
Trigger Warning!!
Discussions of physical abuse, SA, systemic failures, and incarceration.
Shoot us a text, if you have any recs or comments!
Connect With Us:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plotontherocks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587270180670
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@plotontherocks
Hey, hey, hey, book lovers. Welcome to Plot on the Rocks, the podcast where representation is crucial and it's always for the plot.
SPEAKER_04We're your hosts, Alicia Rikia, and Tia. Three friends dedicated to honoring the brilliance and the power of black and POC authors.
SPEAKER_01We got some hot take, some spoilers, don't worry, we'll always warn you, and deep combos on culture, identity, and everything in between.
SPEAKER_02Each week we dive deep into a new book, share our unfiltered thoughts, and celebrate the writers who are reshaping the literary world one story at a time.
SPEAKER_04And fair warning, if you're here for a calm, quiet book club, this might not be what you're looking for.
SPEAKER_01Grab your favorite drink, curl up with us, and let's talk books. The ones that move us, excite us, and keep us whipping pages way past our bedtime.
SPEAKER_02So lower your expectations and let's get into the plot.
SPEAKER_03Hello everybody, welcome back to Plot on the Rocks. If you're listening at home and we sound a little bit different, it's because we were filming a person for the first time. So the audio might not be great, but still listen. Still listen.
SPEAKER_02Oh my god. We're gonna try to, you know, still sound good. But you know, I don't, I just we just don't know how it's gonna be. Yeah. You know, my man said you want to do this. So that's just what I was saying. But with that being said, if you usually listen to us on Spotify, Apple Podcast, or um Cast FM, please watch this on YouTube just so you can see us, you know, because like who knows if we get to do this again. Right now, that's true. We'd be busy as hell. Um yeah, but we're super excited. Yeah, it's okay to take it away. What's it? Yes. This book is gonna be by the infamous Quan Mills. This whole got roaches in her crib.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_01Just after the title, y'all already know it's gonna be. Let's take a breath. Let's take a breath.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Yes, it is whole. This whole got roaches in her crib. Okay. Now I know, I know it sounds crazy, but like, I just I don't know. Okay, so I don't know about y'all, but whenever I see him online, the comments are always one or two things disgust, yes, or somebody saying, Yes, the titles are crazy, but the book itself is actually good.
SPEAKER_03Okay, this is true. The book was not what I expected from the title. Completely 180. Yes.
SPEAKER_02And so that's why we wanted to read it. We were like, okay, let's give it a chance. Let's just see, you know. We trying to, you know, we're trying to read a variety of different books. Yeah. Expand our horizons. So yeah, we read it. And okay, what was what was y'all to do first?
SPEAKER_00Um, I I guess I think okay, let's let's just talk about our initial introduction to the book and then how we felt going through the book. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Oh, you're looking at me. It's my I didn't think I could finish it. Like honestly, a few pages in, I was like, I was absolutely disgusted by Fisha, by her house. Um the there was a spicy scene in it. I don't think I've ever been disgusted by the spicy scene in my whole entire life. I was I I fast forwarded it. I was like, no, absolutely not. But would I read one of his books again? No. I did it. I was what is that? What's that just about? I've seen all I need to see. And I'm I was interested.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes. What about your repeal? I agree. Those first couple pages, utter disgust. That spicy scene, what she said she did on the sheet had a common decided to brush her teeth first. So nasty ho. Nasty. Nasty. Nasty put some clothes on. She's nasty. Oh my gosh. But it was it was some I did laugh. I laughed a lot in it. I did, yeah. And there was a lot of parts that made me actually sad.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Especially for the kids.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01And would I read another book? If I was in the mood, if I was in the mood for like some real mess, I would. I did see one earlier today called That Thought Next Door or Old Thought.
SPEAKER_03Old Thought.
SPEAKER_02And I heard it was good. It was good. I I was also disgusted by the beginning. And I think if if you guys ever read this book, my advice, and I took I was the first one to read it. Yeah. So my advice to them was read the first chapter or two and then put it down.
unknownYes.
SPEAKER_02That's all you're gonna be able to do anyway. Just put it down when it gets too much and then come back later.
unknownOkay, I'll thank you.
SPEAKER_03That cover is crazy.
SPEAKER_01Wait, how many clinks did you give it? Out of five.
SPEAKER_05Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_02Out of five, I'm gonna give it a damn. 3.5. 3.5. I'm gonna say it was a good, it was, it was crazy, yes. Nasty, yes, but the story itself, once I was into it, it grabbed me. Yeah, I was emotionally invested. Yes, it's true.
SPEAKER_01I'll give it solid three.
SPEAKER_03Solid three. You don't understand rating things low anyway. Let's give it a two. Let's give it a two. There was there was too much. You could tell it was self-edited. You could tell it was self-edited. Because there were a lot of mistakes in there that he didn't go back and double check, so that kind of bothered me. But after a while, I was like, you know, I know what he I know what he means by that. And then I think towards the tail end, I I fast forwarded a bit when what's what's what's the little girl's name?
SPEAKER_04Maya.
SPEAKER_03Maya, when she was in the hospital. Yeah. Because at the end of the book, at the end of the book, it was just they were just it was a half-a page of prayers. I don't want to read that. Okay, I get it. She's in the hospital. It's almost like he ran out of stuff to say. She was like, Yeah, we're just hard.
SPEAKER_02You know what it felt like to me? Okay, actually, before we get into that, let me do let's do two things. Let's do a synopsis. Okay. So in the book, okay, we are introduced to Frankricia and her three children. Maya is the only daughter. She also has two summits. The sunmits are favored. Maya is abused, and I mean actually abused is actually really bad.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, Francretia is very nasty, her house is very deep, the roaches are sentient. They talk. I mean, they are actually judging Franquisha in her house as they're looking for food in her house. So this is true. Franquisha's baby's father, Austin, is in prison. Yes. But Austin is a good guy. He's a good guy, bad circumstances, you know, comic story. His mother loves Maya. Franquisha, being her messy still, does not let Maya go with her very much. She doesn't like her, but she lets her go this time because she wants to get into cement. She wants to go party. She gotta get rid of Maya. So she lets her go. Maya basically discloses to her grandmother that she's being abused and they tried to save her. Um CPS gets involved with the whole thing, and I'm gonna just read it for the rest. But it was I I thought it was a good one. Now I have to remember what was the second thing. Oh, you got it.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god. Please pick it in. I made us all peach and gorilla. It's it's good. Yeah. She made this from me. She made it too star. Yeah. So peach syrup. What I do? Same measurement for the sugar and then water, and then I chopped up some peaches, cinnamon, nutmeg.
SPEAKER_03Be on the lookout for it. Yeah, yes. Yes, please.
SPEAKER_05Yes, it is very good.
SPEAKER_03It is good. I'm about to buy some through. I'm just wine gives me a headache. When I'm drinking it, I'm also drinking an Anchor Orchard hard cider.
SPEAKER_01I always try it when I'm eating a burger. Yeah, some beer. I don't really like beer, but they have to do.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, this is like beer. So I can have it.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I used to buy the 12x. Yeah. Oh, the 12 packs. Yes. But because they're cheaper. You know, a couple nights a week or whatever. I like the bulb rock ones too. The bull rock. I saw that.
SPEAKER_01They're tasting like they're good. They have different like blackberry.
SPEAKER_03I saw I was looking at that one too. I decided to just be safe. Yeah, they're good. And get this one.
SPEAKER_02I will have to try it. Um, okay. So y'all know we'll be drinking this. Yeah. It's called platform for that reason. Yes, yeah. Um okay. So what I was gonna say about the prayer situation and the ending of the book. So without giving it away, well, you know, yeah. Maya gets it for some reason is y'all's first time listening to this. We'd be spoiled.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so we get half halfway through. Maya ends up getting bit by a roach at her other grandma's house for her. The mean mama. The mean one and she gets Mr. Yeah. No, no, menagitis. No, menagitis, she gets menagitis. She gets meningitis and she's in the hospital. And she dies. Yeah, it makes her go like brain dead and everything. Yeah, yeah. That pissed me off though, because I'm like, what the hell? This man is trying so hard to get cussy of her and then she just dies. It's sad.
SPEAKER_02This is part of why I like the book, okay? And and maybe let's go into well, first I want to say this, okay, before I ask this question. Yeah, I think this book, especially towards the end, felt like a classic black movie.
SPEAKER_03Yes, that's what I felt like.
SPEAKER_02Yes, and that's why I I like the pregnancy. You get what I'm saying? It showed that scene that always happens in a tragic black movie where the family finally comes together and just praying. You get the idea? Like it felt it felt like I like that. Yeah, I like that. It felt nostalgic in a way.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, um for me, I was getting bored with the book. Yeah. And then I was like, okay, whatever. The family prayer I liked, and then when the CPS person coming in, and it just to me, it just felt like he was he didn't have anything else to put down. So it was like a filler, it was like a filler part to me. Not the family prayer part, but the same time. Yes, the third time it came up, basically. Because even the dialogue was getting a little maybe worse.
SPEAKER_02I um yeah, I get that. So I guess with that being said, um that that I think this goes into a question, which is how does this book subvert the urban fiction genre? Because this is urban fiction, yes, but it's a very different book that I've ever read. Yeah, this is true.
SPEAKER_01I feel like it shines a little bit of a light on what people actually go through when they're either scared to talk about or ashamed to talk about. Because I feel like almost everybody knows somebody. Like, I always say her name wrong. Franquisha. Franquetia. Yeah, I feel like somebody knows somebody like her. But she got a lot of kids, she don't take care of them, her house be nasty, her kids be looking crazy, just out here doing whatever. And it's a lot of women out there just like her, doing whatever she can, whenever she feels like it hopping from man to man, and it's like, oh, that's horrible. But that's the life for a lot of people, like how they're living, like roach infested, you know, living in Section 8 and things like that. That is the life for a lot of people, and I feel like he kind of shined it, so it's not necessarily exclusion, but kind of like that. Like we we say y'all too, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I think for me, like I think it was the first thing I said when I started reading it was it it was almost like it was it was over at least stereotypical. I think it kind of reminded me of like Fred Preacher was the what the welfare queen, not like Ronald Reagan had coined, like has been, yeah, and what people genuinely think were not, you know, like people. They go when they think of somebody on a black person on welfare, yeah, somebody like that. And I thought that, like you said, they do exist, they're there, but I think it's an overt stereotype of it, yeah, yeah. That it's kind of just like hmm, because even like the way that he described, I think I wrote it down too. There were stereotypes in it with the way he described her versus her friends, because I assumed that she was dark sin by the way he described the way her color of her lips, how she was, whatever, whatever. But then her friends, you in you get introduced with her friends, and one of her friends, uh Taikisha, is short, fat, black, and black, but didn't mind wearing loud, bold, neon-colored lace fronts. And then you have the other friend, Antoinetta, Antoinette, who's light skinned, and the way that he describes her is completely different than the way he describes Taikisha and Clarkisha. So he describes Antoinette as lighter skinned, she was slimmer, she was of home health age, she's going back to school to get her RN license. So I was like, that's interesting, yeah, to put it like that. So I don't know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think in one day I like after I finished it, I kind of was looking more into like his public statements about his books, and he did say that they were satire. Okay, so I mean we kind of get that because, like you said, it's overly stereotypical. Yes, you know, um, whatever. But my thing is, it's it feels like to me, this was almost like reading the other side of the urban fiction we're used to. Because a lot of times the books will glorify hood life, yes, and almost like all the characters are secretly wealthy.
SPEAKER_01Yes, don't let's wonderful people.
SPEAKER_03Yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's definitely put it out there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Then if anybody's in prison, they're coming out, then they're coming out too.
SPEAKER_01And Rose Works. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Houses are you get what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's true. So it almost felt like he was like purposefully showing us the opposite. Like, no, this is actually like this is the bad side of what could be going down in these neighborhoods or whatever. And yes, it was it was overly stereotypical, but like you said, we know people, everybody knows at least one person like that.
SPEAKER_01I feel like everybody knows somebody like Austin as well. So you have a promotion for a household family, you know, just came from themselves, and you decide to be a gangbanger. Why?
SPEAKER_02You're not gonna go back for real. Yeah, yeah, find yourself in a bad situation. Matter of fact, find yourself in a bad mother.
SPEAKER_03Who technically is not his favorite? Technically. Technically. What did you guys think of things? Like running around, and then all of a sudden, like my skin was and that wasn't the thing, like and for what? Like, why would she do if she knew? I'm assuming she knew that wasn't the father. But like, if she knew, why put him through all of that?
SPEAKER_01He was gonna take care of him. Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_03She made sure well she once she made sure that like she didn't get custody and he and she took, and that was another stereotype too. Everybody thinks that people on welfare they end up taking advantage, which again they're taking advantage of the system. But when she used like what her mind is like a disability thing, when she wasn't disabled and took the money for that. I don't know. I think Francretia was a mess, but the one part that I felt very bad for her for was with the landlord when he pimped her out. I didn't that that scene made me very uncomfortable because I not that I didn't think it was necessary, but it hurt for her.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03As much as you don't like this character, it's like it just deserves nobody for you. No, yeah, you're beating the shit out of her, and then you're gonna pimp her out like two seconds later.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but like that was advocate, she made a horrible choice. There's no way my baby is gonna be on basically on her deathbed, and I am going to leave her. Yeah, she had other outlets, like if you would have lost that crib, all y'all just would have been all about the house, or you would have hooked appropriate. I'm not leaving my baby for nobody.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely a cautionary tale. Yes, yes, it is, definitely a cautionary tale, and I think this is also why it kind of reminded me of like those movies that was coming out in the 90s, early 2000s, because we had a lot of cautionary tales. That's it all.
SPEAKER_01That's exactly when I thought about y'all, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Oh gosh, that that that part of the book. Yeah, it was that, yeah, it was more exactly because like obviously, and and then like you start to see her kind of wake up a little bit, like, dang, okay, maybe I shouldn't have done it too late, a little too late. It was very, very late, obviously, but like, yeah, it was it was a good book, man. It was good for me.
SPEAKER_03I like it was crazy as halo and watching it because how does this come to your range? Because as as many critiques as I have for the book, I think I liked it because it was again like it wasn't what I expected. Nothing happened like that. No, like I've guessed it does the whole have rushes in her career, but I really thought it was just gonna be that but it was like so much more than that, and it was like Damn, like uh people, you know.
SPEAKER_02I mean, literally every comment section, people are saying the the title is to catch her attention. Yeah, but yourself is never gonna be about the actual title.
SPEAKER_01That's true. A lot of twists and turns. Yeah, because even the daddy-daughter thing, I was so excited. That doesn't hurt my feelings. I don't know, but at least we got to the end, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that hurt my heart so bad. And then the scene where um did he get chant or shot? No, he got shot. Is that the shot? He got shot everybody. Like he's a fucking chance to no longer send himself. It's like a week left.
SPEAKER_02I was so scared. Yeah, listen. Oh my god. Yeah, I'm just you know, oh, I hate it because I'm like you sit here thinking, like, okay, he's fine, everybody sees a baby, and then all of the shit starts happening. Yes, yeah, like, oh my god, horrible.
SPEAKER_03At least he got to see her in the hospital, but like, yeah, but she was that must have too because you're not awake, you don't know, you're not aware, and then it just I did like three creatures brother though. Yes, it was definitely with them at all. Yes, then while we know Evelyn, trash, trash, but I think that's where we should learn how to I think because that you learn behavior from that, yeah. So how her mom treated her, she treated Maya, yeah, but worse.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for a chat, yeah, good in Porchette. She was about to start coming out to get Maya, and then went to Maya, she can out to get the LCD.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. Can we talk about the scene where her her son beat her up?
SPEAKER_03I'm sitting at work in the back eating my lunch. I'm just like my mouth was open. I was just like, that text feels like beating her ass. I was like, I just couldn't believe it.
SPEAKER_01I could not believe it.
SPEAKER_02We okay, so at this point in the book, we see Frankisha kind of realizing that my told the grandmother's trying to get her, and now she's scrambling. She pissed off, she came home, she decided she's going to be on her son's. You know, you're talking part.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we had a babysitter, but it was also it was Kateha's daughter, so her best friend's daughter, she got her pregnant.
SPEAKER_01The daughter, the uh the musician, the musician's daughter. Yes, she was a musician.
SPEAKER_03What if she was like how little? So yeah, so she got her pregnant, and then she flipped out. Yeah, she flipped out.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And with everything happening. And not we're not talking about a spanking when we say a beat and y'all. I mean she was she was like, Take your clothes off on a little bit.
SPEAKER_03That's basically what it was. And then the other brother came in and they just started curves on her. Yeah. Quite literally, basically. And then no, she burned up with the cigarette. Oh, yes. And that's when that's when they just I thought she was gonna die in that's me. And then that part I was like, okay, good. CPS is gonna come, they're gonna see what she's doing. Yeah, they're gonna ignore the fact that Maria's other grandmother kidnapped her and kept her there. But this is a great segue into CPS.
SPEAKER_05And they're rolling.
SPEAKER_03They pissed me off.
SPEAKER_02The book and in the black community. They pissed me off. This is this is a sensitive topic.
SPEAKER_05This is a sensitive topic.
SPEAKER_02But I will say, unfortunately, the book version of CPS is quite accurate. In the book, there was a report made as soon as Mike told her grandmother. CPS says they're gonna look into it. The police don't care. Literally don't care. And CPS does not go check. They say they do though. Yeah. And then we basically get to the point in the book where she's being told, okay, you cannot keep my grandmother. They tell Maya's grandmother you cannot keep her, she has to go to her maternal bed. So another CPS worker comes and brings her from the loving grandmother's house with a put-together home. Obviously, she wants to be there. Maya's crying, they drag her out of the house, take her back to the hood where her mom's mom, and she immediately knows that something is wrong. But she has no power to do anything, and the cop is not gonna help her. And because paperwork has been filed incorrectly, guess what? Maya's gotta stay there for now. And that's when she gets fit, which leads to her death.
SPEAKER_03Yes. And it's one of those situations, and that we've talked about this too, where it's like how the justice system itself also fails. Because it's like you have to follow these rules, and sometimes rules make absolutely no sense because it should be I'm going there, I'm seeing how this is. No, I'm not gonna leave you here because of my findings, not well, we have to wait for this to go up the ladder. Because what it was the the Spanish one that she was good because she saw that she was trying for best, yeah. But I think in real life it because you said in marriage, and it shouldn't be like that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so there was a thread, I want to say last week, and somebody said CPS will literally take your child and pay another family to care for them instead of giving you the money to care for your child. Yes, and they do this at an extremely high rate for black families. They will literally take your child due to poverty, they will take your child due to substance abuse, and it's not always warranted. It's not always warranted, and oftentimes the children are left worse off than they would have been had they been able to stay home because everybody has heard stories of foster care or group homes. It's I don't know one person that has lived in foster care who had a good experience. There's often a lot of you know trauma and abuse that happens, and this will really triggers on that end because it's like, oh my god, it's an office full of people that's supposed to be investigated, and then supposed to be out there for the case. No, I said I was talking to my mother husband's doing it very similar to it. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, look at your job. That's not necessary.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And another thing I didn't like, and this is as far as CPS and the police, they said basically they couldn't do anything because there was no visible hoop. Words can hurt me. You can't see that. Yeah, yes, the physical abuse. If you beat on somebody on the first of the month, most of the time by the 30th of the month, those bruises and scars are gone from your body physically, but they're still with you mentally. And they were like, oh, it's a child's word voted first as an adult. These kids, I think I got this sense. Okay, they could tell you right or wrong yes or no, yes, bad touch, good touch. So why can't my that word be taken as true if somebody that they love is hurting them?
SPEAKER_02People are, I mean, children are not given personally. No, no, they're not.
SPEAKER_03Children don't believe that. No, no. There's a quote about that, and I'm not even gonna paraphrase it because I don't remember, but I saw a quote about that. Where it's like we don't treat children as like regular private citizens, we treat them as property, essentially. And are there children who lie? Yes, there are, yes, there are, but most the children's gonna the child doesn't lie to you. That's what they say. If a kid tells you that you're ugly, then you're ugly. Yeah. And like it just boggled my mind, and it reminded me too of like how when if a woman is abused and they can't get a restraining order and they wait too long, though the police don't want to do a training order, they end up being killed by Tina.
SPEAKER_01Do you remember she went to get the restraining order for buddy? And it was like, yeah, she had to wait. The second part, Tina and um the other thing, yeah. Yes, exactly. She couldn't get a return order and then you know how.
SPEAKER_03That's true. And that happens every day. Yeah. And it's like nobody gets nobody up there has a sense to like fix what's going on because they also benefit from it money-wise, and that's why they just keep doing it because this might be an extreme thought and an extreme thing to say out loud, but it's like sometimes I feel like the foster care system is a trafficking system. I mean for our fish. Listen, okay, I'm by the way. She was like, oh shit. No, no, no, listen, listen to the highway. She's okay with this.
SPEAKER_02But there is a documented connection between the uh what's it called? Amber Alerts and a recognized child trafficking rank. Documented. The woman who runs or at least ran a few years ago when I looked into this who ran Amber Alerts literally had a family member who was actually legally like charged with child trafficking. What this is real. Now, I was hold on, I don't know what time I'll tell you. Yeah, because this this shit is real, and this is this is my thing, and this is already I'm not going to be, but I'm gonna say it anyway. This whole country, unfortunately, this country is built on child tracking. We have to just come to terms with the fact and recognize and just really acknowledge the fact that the people who run this country are pedaccials. Yes, and that's been proven, we're not just saying that. Yeah, so people who run this country are pedicols.
SPEAKER_03We're gonna be put on a list of people.
SPEAKER_06Oh no, put that on the record.
SPEAKER_02Um, yes, they they run this country, and we have seen several instances of police officers, we have seen several instances of lawkeepers, lawyers. I mean, it just goes on and on and on. People who are in charge of children, people who are in charge of laws, they are the ones doing it. Yes, there's no sense to do it. There's no incentive for them to fix it. They wonder like that. Yes, it's just disgusting. And that's why I feel I felt very triggered by that part. Because it's like this is what allows it to have to go on, and it and it really reminds me of like I mean, this is not really related, but kind of it is like I don't know if y'all do. Did y'all know that they give you an IQ test to join the police force? Really?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, somebody if it's too high, you don't go in.
SPEAKER_03That's all that makes sense.
SPEAKER_02Nah, I'm not gonna tell nobody business, but like I know this for a fact. Somebody who's extremely smart. Extremely smart, and I mean extreme is somebody who's hard, you know. As much as I am I am very much ACAB, I very much feel that. I don't care. But I know this person got it, they wanted to do it for the right reason. They wanted to join to actually help me.
SPEAKER_03But they're the ones that always like they're the ones that get shit on, get hurt in different ways when they're not agreeing or like joining the brotherhood of it. Yeah, and it's so it's sad because again, you I guess if you have these people that want to do it, but then it's like one person against a hundred.
SPEAKER_02And and listen, this is the worst part. This this person who has the heart, who has the intellect, who has the physical works out every day, they were judging. That's how we kind of make sense. Unless they want a certain type of person, yeah. You get what I'm saying? And I feel like they do that with a lot of things, including the CPS system. Yes. If you care too much, you're probably not a job for you. But then think about it, like, would you laugh? I think about me, I can never do that job.
SPEAKER_03In reality, no, it would I ask that you say if you have if you have empathy, it's hard if you think about how many jobs it's really hard to do if you have too much empathy and you can't turn it off, and maybe you can compartmentalize for a while, but then eventually it's gonna catch up to you and you just can't do it.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, um god, so this is sorry.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, this this this book where we one of the other questions was do you think Juan Mills is using discomfort to call attention to bigger issues? I think that kind of 100% what we were talking about. I mean, Will was uncomfortable to be able to do that.
SPEAKER_03And there's another one, it's funny that you just said that just now where I pulled this. What there was one quote up where again it had to do with the landlord, and this is before um, I just like this part. Um she was like, I need to go out to the hospital, my daughter's getting ready for surgery. And this part made me uncomfortable too because it was very red pill, alpha male speak. Where he was like, You black bitches are so damn predictable, I swear one day you're careless and reckless, don't know how to raise kids. Next thing you know, some shit happens, you don't act like motherfucking best moms in the world. Which again was that true to Fred Creature's case, but there was there was some of it where it was kind of just like it was kind of red kill-ish to me. To me, maybe I was like reading like too much into it for it, but I don't know. I don't I just don't like how you wrote the black women in it, I just I don't. Yeah, I think it was on purpose. I don't know. I don't know. I'm not, I'm gonna, at least I'm gonna say that.
SPEAKER_02I don't know, I don't know. But yeah, I feel like because I mean he didn't write all of them like that. He didn't write um the mom, the mom like that. He didn't write Austin Girl, not Austin Smith.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, the next mom. Um Tina didn't write her to make it yeah, she was a good child.
SPEAKER_02She was good, yeah. She was trying to do things and she was struggling, yeah. Yeah, she was trying to get her life together. Um I mean the CPS lady was not black, but yeah, she was Mr. Next one.
SPEAKER_03She was half. Oh, she was half black? Yeah, because I think somebody called her like Mexico or something like that, and she was like, I'm from Gary, Indiana. Yeah, but yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I feel like what's I can't remember his name, but Nate adjacent. I feel like he just had a a bad heart, like just cruel person. You know, in the beginning it said that he goes back and forth to the Dominican Republic to get to get his face, and he was like a 20 and we would have gave him an extra $20 and then what he has said. So I feel like he has that mentality already. Yeah, it's like I have women who are susceptible to do whatever I say, and then who do you think you are to tell me no? Yes, yeah, very right.
SPEAKER_02I'm gonna die too. Yeah, I mean I haven't had that. Disgusting, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I was a little, I was a little bit upset, not upset that pretty quick should die, but I think I was kind of like rooting for her to like again, like she kind of started the wheel started turning, so I was maybe she gets it now. So I was kind of a little hurt, I was kind of shocked by it, but oh no.
SPEAKER_01I feel like after she told, I mean, granted, she really didn't have the money, but I feel like people like that, you hook and cool. You didn't even have a couple pieces you want to lay your back to rest in a good way. Right. Yeah, that's true. Not our background.
SPEAKER_03Come press that button. Wait, what where are we at? Where 345. Just the 345 too. This makes up three seconds. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_05Ugh. Yeah. Sorry, go ahead.
SPEAKER_01No, you found it. I just feel like she was just horrible the whole way.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But I don't feel like there were any like real good parts, except when she found out that Maya was in the hospital. She was like oh my god, my baby's in the hospital, but why is she there? Right. This is true.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, this is true. Ugh, she did everything. I know someone thinks about her, everything wrong, even though it don't work. Oh my god, where's the book? I just came out of it. Oh, there it is. So another question.
SPEAKER_02Taking it a little lighter.
SPEAKER_06Okay.
SPEAKER_02What's more about her mama being a hater?
SPEAKER_03How's that lighter, girl?
SPEAKER_02It's lighter than you. I don't know, a little bit.
SPEAKER_03I mean, that was more of her friend than her mom, let's be for real.
SPEAKER_01Like that was that was babies raising babies, yeah. Basically, yeah. And but then what got me was she was like, she was almost jealous at her lack of ambition. Because she was like, she could have been a hairstylist, she could have been a nail technician, but she chose to be bouncing around from man to man. That's something you could have helped up with. Yeah. And instead of wanting from her, you're trying to take her kids away from her so that you can get money.
SPEAKER_03Like, what her bad in the worst thought the one she is.
SPEAKER_01The little thing you was like, I know what I gotta do, throw my daughter under the bus.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but insanity.
SPEAKER_03So everybody's fucked up on the whole entire thing. Yeah. So she didn't stand a chance, obviously. No, like she really, really didn't, and then like honestly, like not to. I think if Maya would have lived, I don't think she would have stood a chance either.
SPEAKER_01Really?
SPEAKER_03No. No.
SPEAKER_01I don't agree with me either. Really?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, because your heart was already sweet. No, not standing a chance, like with turning out like that, but standing a chance of being in the abusive desire. That's what I meant. But then not like for being she would have I would hope. Well, I don't know, because that that's a situation of where hurt people hurt people, whereas like kids are sweet, but then they're also products of their environment. So somewhere down the line they can just turn to pick up a habit, they don't even realize that they're doing it subconsciously. That is true.
SPEAKER_02We pick up habits. I think where she had better than her brothers, though, is that she had her because she did teach her manner, yeah. She taught her, you know, how to take care of herself a little bit. Yeah. And hygiene, and oh gosh.
SPEAKER_01A good age though. Like I felt like if she would have lived, she's at a good age where she can fully understand what happened to her and then leave that where it was at to be able to go to a new space. Yeah. And I have a mother figure, which is the nightmare mom. And I have my dad, I know my dad loves me. Yeah, yeah. And I feel like he was gonna turn his life after that happened. He was starting to like her. Yeah. I'm so glad you got that money. Me too.
SPEAKER_03I know. Like, first, okay, let's talk about that. I'm too happy. I wouldn't have given her creature's mom a stat. I'm gonna give you money, I'm gonna give you a job, and a place to live. Get the fuck out of my face, excuse me. I'm sorry, for real. I would have not. No. They need it. No, because here's the thing sometimes you gotta set up a boundary, okay? You don't have to be a good person all the time. Especially people who like shit on you. Granted, was she right for Suey? Yes, because they pulled a whole entire day and a lash on her granddaughter.
SPEAKER_05Right.
SPEAKER_03But no, no, not I I personally I am not Michelle Obama. When they go low, I'm going to hell. And that's what he should have done. But you know what? He wanted good karma, I guess.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Yeah. No, you guys. I was just gonna say, I really think he was just trying to get rid of it, like make sure that they didn't bother him anymore. Even though I still weren't given, but I see why he might have.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. It's like kind of it's like one of those things where then it really is the right thing to do, but then you know y'all weren't taking care of her, you were trying to challenge his the fraternity, so you are you already knew, which is fun easy, you already knew you had to have known for you to pull some crazy stuff like that. And shout out to the judge, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Shout out to the judge, yeah, because he's like, you know what, he's been through the $10 million? Yeah. I mean, I was very happy about that. He had to live his new life with his new wife, yeah, a new baby. Yeah, but I would have given the brother money for the picture's brother. He he could have gotten some. But the mom, no, you can live in your house.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, crackhead Glenn, he would have got a couple thousand out of me. No, no, because he was he was low-key looking out for the keys to make sure nothing happened in the show and mama, yeah. And then he, you know, told a little bit so the power how could happen. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, he would have got a couple.
SPEAKER_03So, yeah, a little bit, but no, I'm gonna give it to mom everything.
SPEAKER_02She uh she just lucky. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Dirty? Yeah, yeah, it's dirty and dirty. I'm gonna look this up. That's the thing. I don't know. I don't know.
SPEAKER_03Let's look this up. Let's let's do some do broaches.
SPEAKER_01What the hell is that the bite baby?
SPEAKER_03Okay, roaches do bite, but it is extremely rare. They will only bite living humans if there is a massive infestation and alternative food sources like crumbs and garbage um are entirely depleted. So, like if they so they do bite you, it means they don't have any food. So basically, they how he described their emotions like they were mad. They didn't have food. She cleaned up. Yeah, no, she's at the mom house. Yeah, she had me. They feed, they can um they usually target exposed skin like fingers, toes, and eyelids to feed on dead skin cells, food, residue and oils, and she had pizza.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but it's actually better face too.
SPEAKER_05Oh, that's scary. Oh my god. This is terrifying. Very scary.
SPEAKER_01Clean out.
SPEAKER_03Yes. There's also another part too where we talk about stereotypes a little bit that I forgot I highlighted. It's when both Austin and uh Tina are going back to school and like she falls on the court of yard. That was like so killing. Yeah, and he helps her, and then this one wasn't the kind of stuff to me where he's she said it had been a while since someone had shown genuine non-sexual interest in her, especially a black man. I feel like that last part wasn't necessary, just because it fed into the what's that for the Mandingo stereotype of the overly sexualized black man. What? Why it'd be true since it could be true. I mean, that isn't what let me just let me just clarify, okay?
SPEAKER_02This is true, this is true, this is true. This is true. And I and I love black men, okay? Love them, married the one, love them. However, so there there are parts of our community that that very much glorify over sexualization. Give me social media right now. Yeah. Yes, I'm still orgastic that they came in. India like that. What's not what? See, this is what I'm trying to say. Get your ex on thirds. Let me tell you what happened. I don't know if y'all heard about this. Y'all heard about this. On thirds. People were literally calling India Ari the Queen? Out of her name. Okay, I saw that, but why? What did she do? She didn't do nothing. Okay, no. Let me tell you. I don't think she did nothing. This is what happened. A woman on threads said, We need to boycott Young Miami song. That song was bad for the community in a nutshell, right? Okay. India commented and said, You cannot save everybody. I gave up on trying to save everybody. Everybody don't want to be positive, kind of thing.
SPEAKER_01Okay. But exactly, right? I don't think that's so bad. But there wasn't all that she with your mammy's song. Okay. Oh my god. Yeah. Yeah. She made it something. Yeah. I know it's about, you know, it's not we just want to make people go out and do that. No. I feel like some of the older and granted, I like any other I read some of her songs and stuff like that, but sometimes it pays for you to just mind the business that pays you. She didn't have to open up her mouth and say anything. No matter what, how she feels, that song is everywhere. It is. The message behind it to me is no different than what any of these other rappers, singers, MCs. My name is my offense.
SPEAKER_02Here's my offense. My offense of India, okay? While this is all true, and I'll explain that. It's fun, like you said, it's a fun song. Somebody came over the name of the bill yard back. We're like, oh, this is like India has always been about positivity in our community. Y'all gotta remember, she's she literally got bullied all through the 2000s just for being an artist. Y'all remember when she cut her hair? They had to, I mean, they called her every name in the book. She has always been about self-love, she's always been about positivity and community. This is not a new stance from her. Not only that, but yes, this is no worse than my name, my bad. This is no worse than bad thing. Okay, it's not. However, the the truth of the matter is people have it, I mean, people have like nobody was criticized. BT Uncut got shut down because of Titrillo. Yeah, yeah. There's not one song that is like that, that is, I mean, let's just be real, focusing on the negative stereotype of black people that has not been criticized. And I don't think that criticizing that or bringing attention to the fact that it could be detrimental to our community's spiritual health, I do not think that that justifies the way that everybody bullied her.
unknownLike that.
SPEAKER_02What did they say? I mean, it was literally calling her a bitch, telling her to shut the fuck up. It's not that serious. I mean, calling her names, it was bad.
SPEAKER_01They were they were going in. They disrespect her. Well, I just saw it. It's like maybe because this is what I saw.
SPEAKER_03But what I saw was like they called her a pick me. Yeah, so I thought she was like defending a man. Yeah, but what if but that's what I thought it was, but I don't understand how they got a pick me out of out of that. Okay, your whole textpeech that you just gave me other reminded me of that I just thought of it.
SPEAKER_05Oh Lord.
SPEAKER_03What is it? What? The scene from a D's family reunion. I need you to say that. I need to. What did she say? What are the only things? Is this on this on this way? What is she talking about?
SPEAKER_02I think there's I think we just need each other. My my whole stance and my defense of India is we need balance, we need nuance, and also we should not be so quick to disrespect. We should not be so quick to disrespect women who I mean I'm as as somebody who grew up as a dark-skinned girl in the early 2000s when they want nothing but Hispanic people and music videos. I am not my hair. Building that whole album really was really a huge thing for me. Seeing somebody who was not light-skinned, who was basking in the sunlight, being beautiful, her flowers, and her, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. She deserves a certain level of respect.
SPEAKER_01She I knew this whole thing. She deserves respect for being who she is. Yes. But that's everybody. If we're gonna say it like that, yes, but that's what I get. Deserves respect from people.
SPEAKER_02That's what I'm saying. All she said was, hey, this song, now, okay, that's like, that's like, okay, for example, I'm gonna just use mommy. I know this is not easy, but I'm gonna just use my mom, okay? Let's say my mama only listened to God's squeezing. She don't like that other stuff. I already know she doesn't like that other stuff. If somebody comes around playing, I mean, it could be damn Usher strong, it ain't that bad. She's gonna say, uh uh, what you bring into my house for? I don't like it, that's not good. Okay, maybe she feels a little strong. I might be like, Mom, it's just Usher. But she's allowed to feel like that, and also I should not disrespect her for feeling like that because she did not call Usher, no homework and hug. She just said, I can't do that. I wish y'all didn't listen to that. You can't say that that's all I'm saying. Because she had not seen anything, yeah. But damn, Rakia, that or again, I went the the what's name with your mom.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's your mama. Iliot, we don't know about Leah. We don't know that one young Miami, and again, like I feel like when she's gonna say something about that, she needs to open up her mouth and uses her platform to say stuff about every other show. I don't need to see her, she was being like Indian.
SPEAKER_02She no, that's a that's a whole thing. She did not say my young Miami name.
SPEAKER_01She didn't tell her, yes, but she was commentating on somebody else's daddy. I feel like it was more than what post when she said something.
SPEAKER_03Um she said, okay, somebody had a comment about her and was like, um, in um in your please, we know this on a childish, we don't care. She had an average girl from the video from the video that's ready for love, um, blah blah blah. And she was like, Look, if y'all want to drag, at least be mad about what I said, and not with somebody. Wait, I can't fucking read when I'd get when I'm I had one thing. I did not call for a boy talk. That was someone else. LOL, this is absurd. I would really be sad if I expected anything better from y'all. LOL, jeez. Um, let me see. She said, one, I said my entire adult life care way too much because I finally learned that not everybody cares with capital C, and explaining it to explaining it to them is not gonna make them care. Everything you listen to or everything you listen to, see, or eat is going to influence you. That's that that is that the energy you put out is energy that you do get to me. That's what I don't agree. So make wise choices. Finally, I realized that not everybody wants to get free, and it was a very, very, very good awakening SNH because the massive septance of the song is a crystal clear sign of this much bigger truth. What I did not say is that everybody needs to make up, that there was a problem to be fixed. I called it the truth that I personally don't like, which is my right, that the song needs to be boycotted because I don't believe that. Everybody's gonna make the choices they want to make. Um, what does boycotting have to do with it? So if you like my comments, at least don't like what I actually said instead of what somebody's telling you I said. So In light of that, what do you think?
SPEAKER_02How are you feeling after reading that?
SPEAKER_01You still think it's too gen Z? Because I thought you said I get the elbows and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_03She's a high vibrational woman.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03So I feel like when you have a high vibrational woman, but something that could be considered like a low vibrational song, it like disturbs that I don't make any fucking sense.
SPEAKER_01No, I mean she is she is a different type of person the way she cares to sell, how she feels about the herbs and all those things. She and that's what's always made her her. Yeah. So if other people want to do and listen and make this catchy, and granted, I do believe that what you put out and what you receive is potentially going back and forth. But me since thinking spin that is not making me want to jeopardize my future going scant.
SPEAKER_03That exactly, I think that's the point towards I think where it's not to me. Looking back at it, like you see how people was coming. Okay, this is how she's gonna, but like again, like you said, like I'm gonna sing the song, but like I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna I don't want to know.
SPEAKER_02And I think that's true for most people, and I I think that's why my my takeaway from it is I wish everybody had money lots. There were people on one side saying India shut the fuck up. Then there were people on the other side saying she's right, y'all supposed. And I'm like, where are the people in the middle? Because at the end of the day, let's just be real. It's the internet.
SPEAKER_03People on the internet don't listen to people that are in the middle because that's um I'm no offense to the case. And it's true. People on the internet, a lot of them don't have common sense or critical media issues.
SPEAKER_01It's polarized, it's black and white, and that's unless it's great. Yeah, it is great.
SPEAKER_03And I think no, I'm sorry, I think because I have bread because I didn't know because all I saw was like, what the fuck happened to NDRE? Like last week, and then I just never care to look at it. It was like her point is valid, other people's points are valid too. Yeah, truth truths can't be true at the same time. You don't gotta call her a name. Like damn it, disrespect each other. That's that's that's the only takeaway.
SPEAKER_02Okay, everybody's everybody write in some kind of way. Like I say, I like saying that. I also love India. Every song I heard, I gotta say, but why can't we just like acknowledge? And I know that's a lot to expect from internet. I know that's a lot to expect from internet, but like, can we just have some productive dialogue? Like, there is room to say, hey, you know, niggas be scamming each other like in real life nowadays, and kids are going up thinking in school to scale and shit.
SPEAKER_03And it's not a musician's responsibility to do that. It's Cardi B said something like that, where it's like people were attacking for her music, and she's like, I'm not raising your kids, you are her kids. It's like again, like I don't really you you need to guide them into what it is, but you can also acknowledge that music is is influential in certain things, but also like let people let people have fun.
SPEAKER_02It's about and I think I think if and you know this kind of does come up for the book. I think if we can better acknowledge the risks, yes, then everything as a whole can improve because it it's one thing to listen to Spin A and know in your head you can't scam nobody out. Yeah, scamming is wrong. Right, you will go to jail, yeah. We're too pretty good for jail. There's there's one way to listen to it, and then you can also listen to the understanding that hey, there is a real thing where there is music executives who will only push a certain type of music. Yes, yes, that's true. And so you have to acknowledge that because if you don't acknowledge it, then you do unfortunately listen to certain things around your children or around you know impressionable teenagers who will take it seriously. Yeah. So are we also exposing our children to the Indianities of the world and influencing their self-esteem in a world where the internet means you're supposed to be a certain stature, a certain skin color, a certain this and that, and whatever.
SPEAKER_00Just balance. I really think that's the whole thing, like let's get in balance.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, okay. Yeah, I guess.
SPEAKER_01But no, I I get I think I was picking up what you put in. You think I'm gonna do that? Report. Yeah, put a dialogue.
SPEAKER_02That's pretty good at our job.
SPEAKER_03Somebody sponsor us. Girls, production companies. Yeah, reach out. Hello, Angry Watcher. I'm already feeling that a little bit. Hello, Angry Watcher. I'm even starting to get in it. There's an episode of a podcast that I like the basement yard, plugged in them because I love them. But their last episode titled Lie Saint Coughing or Like Choking is embarrassing. And that is what it happened. Okay. Um, yeah, what's the next book for the next episode?
SPEAKER_02The next episode we will be talking about Outdrawn by Diana Gray. Yes. A good palette cleanser. Yeah, yes. Yes, very much needed.
SPEAKER_03Very yeah.
SPEAKER_02I thought this season has been heavy.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. It has been. And it was it was a great day. I think what the next books we're reading for August are heavy anyway, too. So I thought it was. Yeah, anyway. We'll see you guys on the next episode. Give us a like, follow uh plot on the rocks on all platforms. Yes. Bye.
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
Our Ancestors Were Messy
Coco Hill Productions
The Basement Yard
Santagato Studios
Grits and Eggs Podcast
Deante’ Kyle