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Summary:
In this episode of Uptown Voices, hosts Led Black and Octavio Blanco celebrate the 20th episode milestone, reflecting on their journey and the importance of community engagement. They discuss their experiences at the New York Latino Film Festival, highlighting cultural narratives and personal stories. The conversation delves into the impact of social media on culture, the significance of political discourse within the Latino community, and the role of media in shaping narratives. The hosts also explore the cultural reflections presented in the film La Cuarenta y Dos, emphasizing the grassroots movements emerging from marginalized communities. In this conversation, Octavio Blanco and Led Black discuss the complexities of political discourse, particularly focusing on the impact of figures like Ezra Klein and Charlie Kirk. They explore the challenges of engaging with opposing views, the dangers of dehumanizing language, and the need for a new political strategy that prioritizes community solidarity. The discussion also touches on the current political climate, drawing parallels to authoritarian regimes, and emphasizes the importance of preparing for potential societal collapse.
Takeaways:
The podcast has reached its 20th episode, a significant milestone.
Listeners appreciate the authentic voices of the hosts discussing community issues.
The New York Latino Film Festival showcased important cultural narratives.
Personal stories shared by the hosts resonate with the audience.
La Cuarenta y Dos highlights grassroots cultural movements in marginalized communities.
Social media plays a crucial role in shaping contemporary culture.
Political discussions reveal deep divides within the Latino community.
Media representation is essential in understanding community identities.
The hosts reflect on the impact of current events on their community.
Cultural commentary is vital for fostering understanding and dialogue. Ezra Klein's debate style was criticized for lacking depth.
Charlie Kirk's influence is seen as harmful to political discourse.
The conversation highlights the need for a new political strategy.
Dehumanizing language can be dangerous in political discussions.
Engaging with those who hold opposing views is challenging but necessary.
The importance of language in shaping political narratives is emphasized.
The current political climate is compared to authoritarian regimes.
There is a call for serious reflection on the state of democracy.
The need for community solidarity among marginalized groups is stressed.
Preparing for potential political collapse is a growing concern.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Uptown Voices
02:58 Celebrating Milestones in Podcasting
05:39 The Impact of Local Voices
08:44 Highlights from the New York Latino Film Festival
11:30 Exploring Cultural Narratives in Film
14:17 The Role of Social Media in Art
17:12 Reflections on La Cuarenta y Dos
20:06 The Power of Grassroots Movements
22:51 Cardi B's Cultural Influence
26:02 Closing Thoughts and Future Endeavors
30:41 The Humor of Youth and Generational Gaps
31:38 Bridging Divides: Unlikely Friendships
33:14 The Rise of Right-Wing Media Figures
35:48 Latino Support for Trump: A Complex Issue
37:46 The Cult of MAGA: A Dangerous Trend
41:36 The Death Cult of Politics
45:28 The Role of Language in Political Discourse
49:10 The Impact of Misinformation on Society
52:43 The Need for a New Political Strategy
01:03:55 The Importance of Honest Discourse
01:06:41 Political Accountability and Voter Awareness
01:07:56 The Role of Education and Immigration in Society
01:12:45 Confronting the Truth in Political Discourse
01:15:55 The Reality of Crime and Community Safety
01:21:09 The Need for Political Change and Action
01:26:03 Preparing for Uncertain Times
Mentioned in our show:
Tigueronas: https://letterboxd.com/film/tigueronas/
La 42 movie IMDB page: https://share.google/xFJTvAqQ57KSsvf70
"Defectors," by Paola Ramos: http://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/741645/defectors-by-paola-ramos/
Juan Bago (Our Fairy Podfather): https://www.instagram.com/juanbago/
Brown and Black: https://www.youtube.com/@brownblackpodcast
In this episode of Uptown Voices, hosts Led Black and Octavio Blanco celebrate the 20th episode milestone, reflecting on their journey and the importance of community engagement. They discuss their experiences at the New York Latino Film Festival, highlighting cultural narratives and personal stories. The conversation delves into the impact of social media on culture, the significance of political discourse within the Latino community, and the role of media in shaping narratives. The hosts also explore the cultural reflections presented in the film La Cuarenta y Dos, emphasizing the grassroots movements emerging from marginalized communities. In this conversation, Octavio Blanco and Led Black discuss the complexities of political discourse, particularly focusing on the impact of figures like Ezra Klein and Charlie Kirk. They explore the challenges of engaging with opposing views, the dangers of dehumanizing language, and the need for a new political strategy that prioritizes community solidarity. The discussion also touches on the current political climate, drawing parallels to authoritarian regimes, and emphasizes the importance of preparing for potential societal collapse.
Takeaways:
The podcast has reached its 20th episode, a significant milestone.
Listeners appreciate the authentic voices of the hosts discussing community issues.
The New York Latino Film Festival showcased important cultural narratives.
Personal stories shared by the hosts resonate with the audience.
La Cuarenta y Dos highlights grassroots cultural movements in marginalized communities.
Social media plays a crucial role in shaping contemporary culture.
Political discussions reveal deep divides within the Latino community.
Media representation is essential in understanding community identities.
The hosts reflect on the impact of current events on their community.
Cultural commentary is vital for fostering understanding and dialogue. Ezra Klein's debate style was criticized for lacking depth.
Charlie Kirk's influence is seen as harmful to political discourse.
The conversation highlights the need for a new political strategy.
Dehumanizing language can be dangerous in political discussions.
Engaging with those who hold opposing views is challenging but necessary.
The importance of language in shaping political narratives is emphasized.
The current political climate is compared to authoritarian regimes.
There is a call for serious reflection on the state of democracy.
The need for community solidarity among marginalized groups is stressed.
Preparing for potential political collapse is a growing concern.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Uptown Voices
02:58 Celebrating Milestones in Podcasting
05:39 The Impact of Local Voices
08:44 Highlights from the New York Latino Film Festival
11:30 Exploring Cultural Narratives in Film
14:17 The Role of Social Media in Art
17:12 Reflections on La Cuarenta y Dos
20:06 The Power of Grassroots Movements
22:51 Cardi B's Cultural Influence
26:02 Closing Thoughts and Future Endeavors
30:41 The Humor of Youth and Generational Gaps
31:38 Bridging Divides: Unlikely Friendships
33:14 The Rise of Right-Wing Media Figures
35:48 Latino Support for Trump: A Complex Issue
37:46 The Cult of MAGA: A Dangerous Trend
41:36 The Death Cult of Politics
45:28 The Role of Language in Political Discourse
49:10 The Impact of Misinformation on Society
52:43 The Need for a New Political Strategy
01:03:55 The Importance of Honest Discourse
01:06:41 Political Accountability and Voter Awareness
01:07:56 The Role of Education and Immigration in Society
01:12:45 Confronting the Truth in Political Discourse
01:15:55 The Reality of Crime and Community Safety
01:21:09 The Need for Political Change and Action
01:26:03 Preparing for Uncertain Times
Mentioned in our show:
Tigueronas: https://letterboxd.com/film/tigueronas/
La 42 movie IMDB page: https://share.google/xFJTvAqQ57KSsvf70
"Defectors," by Paola Ramos: http://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/741645/defectors-by-paola-ramos/
Juan Bago (Our Fairy Podfather): https://www.instagram.com/juanbago/
Brown and Black: https://www.youtube.com/@brownblackpodcast
Creators and Guests
What is Uptown Voices?
A podcast focused on the Uptown neighborhoods of Inwood, Washington Heights and Harlem. Our neighborhoods have a voice and we want to be heard and felt. We love Uptown.
Each episode will elevate the people here who are making a difference in the life of this community. We’re also committed to “real talk” that seeks solutions that improve the quality of life in our beautiful Uptown neighborhoods.
Led Black (00:00)
What up, what up everyone, it's Led Black and Octavio Blanco for another episode of Uptown Voices. This is another chapter in the Black and Blanco saga. And you know what's funny? Mike Diaz, aka Juan Bago, who's our fairy pod father, he told me he likes the Black and Blanco. He really, really likes that, man.
Octavio Blanco (00:19)
You know,
I've gotten the same kind of feedback and I'm starting to think that we might wanna like...
Considered doing two podcasts uptown voices where we talked to like uptowners and one is black and Blanco just you and me something to talk about something to think about because yeah, I'm getting a lot of that same feedback that People really like to hear what's going on and where we come where we're where we are on certain things And I mean we are both uptowners. So these are still uptown voices And there's a lot to be talking about not just uptown, but in our own world, know, I mean like in our own in the national
Led Black (00:51)
Mm-hmm.
Octavio Blanco (00:54)
world and the international world in the in New York City world and in obviously uptown Washington Heights Inwood and Harlem which ⁓ you know we are still like 100 % committed to doing but but I yeah I'm getting a lot of people telling me like they like Black and Blanco they like to hear our voice they like you my mom is one on your on your on your bandwagon now you know so hey mom
Led Black (01:17)
No, that's hilarious. That's so funny. Hi, Mom.
Hi, Octavio's Mom.
Octavio Blanco (01:23)
But so I mean, so yeah, I think these Black and Blancos are great I love talking to you. This what we always did anyways Like just like run into you on the sidewalk and next thing, you know, two hours gone by and we're still talking Yeah, where the hell is this guy
Led Black (01:33)
Yeah.
Yeah, I could tell, our spouses are like, what the fuck? you just, they're
like, can we leave now? Like, you know what mean? Yeah, no, seriously. But it's, no, yeah, man, I've been enjoying doing this. This has been a lot of fun. And I think it's going good, man. You know, there's a lot to talk about.
Octavio Blanco (01:55)
Yeah,
yeah, is that it?
Led Black (01:57)
And I think,
you know, we'll see where we go with it, right? Like, that's the beauty of it. We could do what we want, you know what mean? So let's see where it goes. But Mike was telling me, like, how much he likes the podcast, like, he likes the tenacity. We haven't really missed a week. We haven't missed a week, right? We've been dropping episodes every week for, like, I don't know how many weeks now. that's, that's... twenty that's amazing. That's amazing, you know what mean? That's a big deal.
Octavio Blanco (02:03)
Yeah.
20 this is episode 20 episode 20 episode 20 that's a big deal that's a big deal but I think I I
think that if you look sorry to geek out on y'all but most podcasts like they don't get they don't get to 20 I think 20 is like a
Led Black (02:33)
That's
Octavio Blanco (02:34)
An important
Led Black (02:34)
an important number.
Octavio Blanco (02:35)
number in the podcast world and so I'm proud of that number especially since you know for the most part we have had some like high quality interesting people in here talking about like really really important stuff and one thing that I think you know that that my mom tells me and which I totally believe in it's not just my mom telling me this but Yeah, we're an uptown focus, but our topics are our global You know, mean like our the people the the things that we talk about don't just like impact
Led Black (02:44)
Yeah, for sure.
Mm-hmm.
Octavio Blanco (03:02)
people uptown. The things that we are talking about, yes, they impact our community, but these are the things that all communities are going through. It's just coming from our perspective uptown. So I love the fact that just basically people from all over the country are, and all over the world frankly, we do have viewers from like crazy parts of the world that I didn't expect, like Finland and...
Led Black (03:11)
Bye. Bye.
Octavio Blanco (03:28)
Belgium, you know and and and places like that So, you know, there's small audiences, but the majority of our people are here in New York City Most of our people are probably up here and uptown. So I really appreciate the fact that people are tuning in You know, we don't have thousands and thousands yet, but hey, that'll come we're gonna we're gonna we're keeping we're keeping on doing this, know, I had I have a friend named Jack Rico. He's he's a longtime pod. Yeah, you know Jack He's he does a black and brown podcast. So sorry Jack black and blanco
Led Black (03:28)
All right, fill in.
It'll get there, it'll get there for sure.
I know, Jack Rigo, yeah. Yeah.
Octavio Blanco (03:58)
It's different. It's not the same thing black and brown black and Blanco, but you know, I I talked to him also I think it was the same day that we talked to Mike Diaz and ⁓ He was basically like look Octavio if you're if you're getting into podcasting to make money You know run the other way because it's really hard to make money in podcasting now Obviously, we know people are making money in podcasting people are making a lot of money in podcasting But that's that's that's actually not
Led Black (04:03)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Octavio Blanco (04:26)
the rule, it's sort of the exception. Most people in podcasting doing it in support of a cause, doing it in support of an organization, and we're doing it in support of our our neighborhoods, you know, and trying to keep our people, whether it be informed about what's going on, introduce them to the important people ⁓ in our neighborhoods and resources that are available for the things that that that they're confronting, which are, like I said, things that have been confronted all over America.
Led Black (04:29)
Bye.
Octavio Blanco (04:54)
and all over the globe, is like housing is extremely expensive. There's a freedom of the press and freedom of speech is being every day eroded. I'm so happy with Jimmy Kimmel being back. was really, really upset and that was people power that brought him back, know? Folks getting on there and saying, I'm gonna cancel my Disney Plus, know, stuff like that. yeah, you, Led, you've been super busy. you, you?
Led Black (05:10)
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah,
yeah.
Octavio Blanco (05:20)
Are you
back in the land of the living? was the Latino Film Festival? Tell me.
Led Black (05:23)
So
the New York Latino Film Festival was incredible, biggest year ever, and I've been there since it came back. It's funny because it's actually, the festival finished on Sunday with a massive black block party on Dyckman.
Amazing activation was amazing, but it's already on tour, right? So it's going on tour across this country and I also ended up Puerto Rico as well. So I'm still working, you know, I'm not going to be traveling, but I'll be doing the social, you know, remotely. But the festival was super incredible. You know, there was so many highlights on Futuro 25 is like the digital conference and it was on panels and just thought leaders and just amazing people. Shout out to my brother, Paulo Sagara, who's an IP attorney.
Jasmine Rees was there who's also amazing. There was so many just really cool, smart people. And that was just the kickoff. That's like the digital conference to kick it off. And then from the opening night was so perfect. It was ⁓ for Mad Bills to pay, which is the film that I've been championing for a long time. I really pushed for that to be opening night. know what mean? Like I said, I'm glad that Calixto agreed to do it because I think that's an important film.
funny because after party, you know, the cast and crew were there having a good time and enjoying themselves with their people, right? It was so wholesome, right? Like it's amazing that film has won, you know, they won the best ensemble at Sundance. They've done all these amazing accolades, you know, globally, but for them to be home and to be celebrated by their own people, I think was very special. Destiny Checo, Juan Collado, Joel, all those people, know, Johanna, like Natalie, they're like really down to earth.
super amazing, you know what mean? And what they're able to do, and the movie's now been acquired, so hopefully, maybe, I think it's gonna get released sometime next year. Stay tuned on the Uptown Collective, and New York Latino Film Festival will post about it, but that film was super incredible. But then, you know, it's so funny, like, I gotta go rewind back a little bit. It's funny, on the week, on Wednesday, last Wednesday,
there was the opening night for the Roberto Clemente, it's called Clemente documentary. It's now in theaters. It's an outstanding film and we opened the festival last year with that film, right? But now this is the theatrical, right? So I was at our opening night and so this is pre-festival, And Calixto gets a call and he looks shaken. I'm like, what, what's going on?
So I didn't think nothing of it. comes back, he goes, let I gotta talk to you. Like very serious. I gotta talk. ⁓ what's going on? And he's like, I got a call. I said, you got a call? Then he starts eating. I'm like, yo dude, don't eat. Like what happened? He's like, stop, like tell me what's happening. He's like, I got a call from Bad Bunny's people in Amazon music. Right? So as you know, Bad Bunny did one last concert, right? And the Amazon music snatched it up, right? And they basically...
Octavio Blanco (08:00)
Hahaha
Led Black (08:15)
put it on Prime that broadcasts it live, right? And they're giving a bunch of money to Puerto Rico, which is amazing. There's so much amazingness coming out of this deal, right? That's not to praise Amazon, but this was amazing, And anyway, so we were the official watch party for it, right? So somehow, Bad Bunny's people heard of NYLFF.
And they said, yo, we want them to be the New York partners for this. So we were the official. So that's why he was so shaken. It was like when Bad Bunny calls, you you got to like, you got to make it happen. you you got to think about this. Well, we already had a festival ready, right? The festival starting within days. We have Michelle Rodriguez, you know, Girlfight 25th anniversary, right? We have on the outs, you know, we have a lot of big films, a lot of big things. We have the block party. There's all these moving pieces, all this huge, you know, I like to say it takes a village to put
Octavio Blanco (08:56)
Yeah.
Led Black (09:10)
produced a film festival does is so many people you know that they have to do so and it's just a lot of people and now we have this this thing that you can't say no to right and what's hilarious right so I remember this is coming along and then Wednesday after opening night it's still not solidified right it's gonna happen and then but it's still not solidified it's only sat a few days away right so one of the I was off you know so I was what I did is I like to go to the piers like by Dyckman you know like by La Marina by the Hudson
Octavio Blanco (09:38)
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yep.
Led Black (09:40)
It's small, sometimes people are fishing there, but it's just very peaceful. I like it, just get my mind off of things. But it's funny if you can face either looking at Jersey or you can face looking at Dyckman. There's like a little beach there, like a little beach, right? You know what mean? So as I'm talking with Calypso and Jessica Vargas, who's part of the brain trust for agency NYLFF which is like the agency arm of NYLFF, we're having this, and now it's serious. Like, okay, this is happening.
Octavio Blanco (09:51)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Led Black (10:09)
mind is blown by this, I'm on this call that this is happening. I'm like, wow. And then it's funny, as I'm doing it, I'm looking at the beach side, right? And I see a Dominican dude, right? He comes to the water, he gets close to the water, he takes off his shirt, he takes off his chancletas, and he goes in the water. I was like, he's in the Hudson.
I could not believe it then I couldn't bring it up in a meeting, right? I could say, hey, hold on guys. They were like, yo, we're talking serious and you're talking about somebody swimming. And I couldn't record video because you can't record video when you're on a call, but I took a picture and I'll send it so you can see it. This dude was frolicking in the water. Like it was mind blowing.
Octavio Blanco (10:48)
lead,
lead, I have swum in the Hudson. I have swum in the Hudson and I'm okay. No, I have, I have, I have swum in the Hudson. I swam one summer down by the tennis courts. You know, if you go a little bit further down by the tennis courts.
Led Black (10:52)
You have?
What?
What's an
all further down? You just got in the water?
Octavio Blanco (11:07)
Got in the water and swam around. And then I came out and I was with, I was with, I I was with. It was hot, it was refreshing. The Hudson is actually much cleaner than it used to be. But you gotta be careful, you can't.
Led Black (11:11)
Don't do that again. That's crazy. Why would you do that? That's gross.
But also it's
also very dangerous where you are at because at least he had, that's like a little inlet, right? So it is like a little beach. what I'm saying on the Dyckman, Dyckman one is really nice. It's more dangerous you're saying?
Octavio Blanco (11:29)
No, that's more... that's more dangerous.
Here's why. Because there the water kind of just stays. So all the grossness can just like sort of like float around. But down by, yeah, yeah. Yeah, well, you know, I wasn't like deep into the Hudson and I could still touch bottom and everything. It was just, it was fine. I'm still fine. I'm good. I'm fine.
Led Black (11:41)
Mm-hmm. Okay, but I'm scared more of the currents. I'm scared of the currents.
Okay, I wouldn't do that. That's gross. I'm not.
Octavio Blanco (11:59)
You're not impressed, but it was fine. We should
normalize swimming in the Hudson. You should be able to swim in the Hudson. Everybody, next summer, next summer, Hudson swim party. Hudson skinny dipping.
Led Black (12:10)
No, don't. You should, no, don't. No, that makes no sense. No. No, stop. No, don't
do that. Don't do that. Bad news.
But back to the festival. But
then, know, the Bad Bunny thing was amazing, right? But I couldn't be there. I could only catch a little bit of it because my daughter's film was premiering at the theater on 13th. And this was happening at the PRX theater. The Bad Bunny thing was so amazing, right? So it's a PRX theater, which is in Times Square, which is, I mean, this beautiful theater with amazing sound. The seats vibrate, right?
Octavio Blanco (12:50)
Oh yeah, the chairs vibrate
and there's like water. We saw, yeah. No, they do, they do. I've, well, I went to see King Kong with my son and whenever they were like fighting in the water, there was like little sprays of water that would come out and like there was wind, the chairs moved. And then if there was like King Kong splashing in the water, you'd feel a little, pssh.
Led Black (12:52)
Yeah. And then imagine, yeah, it's really amazing. They don't have water there, but imagine, but this one I didn't see it have water.
Hmm?
That's amazing.
Octavio Blanco (13:18)
That felt gross.
Led Black (13:19)
That PRX theater, yeah, I can
see that feeling gross, but that PRX theater is the nicest theater I've ever seen. It's perfectly set up for sound, it's gorgeous. So imagine almost 300 people in that room.
watching the concert, you know, the whole thing, right, as it's happening. And it's official and it was amazing. But again, I only could have stayed for the beginning because my daughter's film was on 13th Street. But Ken Starr was the host. He did an amazing job, you know, and it was an amazing night, you know, and like watching the videos from it were incredible. But my daughter's film was amazing too because she was in a really good shorts block. And then, you know,
Octavio Blanco (13:56)
TIGERONAS.
Led Black (13:58)
Tigeronas, and then when it came to, she was the last one. So as soon as it began, you could just hear the crowd erupting. And it was, you know, laughter and, you know, and finger snaps the whole way through, you know, a good chunk of the cast was there. I think there was only one person that was missing, but it was, it was beautiful. It was just really nice seeing my daughter get the accolades she deserves, you know, and the cast, the cast is incredible.
Octavio Blanco (14:18)
I'm sorry that
I missed that one because when I went to get the tickets they were already sold out. They sold out.
Led Black (14:23)
Yeah. Yeah,
you know what it is? Because it's a shorts block with like seven, seven or eight films and all those people want to see this. So those shorts block, we get the biggest theater there and it sells out quick. But we had a contingency, like we had a squad, like we were like, we were deep. I would say 25, 30, maybe deep.
Octavio Blanco (14:41)
Yeah, I didn't read it. didn't.
I didn't realize it that it turns out like a film festivals shorts, the shorts blocks usually get a lot more interest because these are, you're not gonna see them anywhere else. And these are like usually young developing filmmakers. So you're getting like a real view of like the up and coming. So I didn't realize that that was the case that shorts are actually like the thing at these film festivals.
Led Black (15:01)
Right.
Yeah.
They
have shorts only film festivals, right? And I like to say that NYLFF is almost like a short film festival sometimes within a regular film festival, right? Because we do a lot of shorts, because shorts are, like you said, it's a lower barrier to entry, right? And then also, you can do really good things now. And storytelling is even harder when you're telling a 12-minute story. It's a much harder thing to do. It's got to be tight, it's got to work.
Octavio Blanco (15:33)
It's gotta be tight.
Led Black (15:37)
things that could be really pretty but that don't take you nowhere. They gotta do all those things. They gotta tell you a story. They gotta look nice. know, and I'm really proud of the film that my daughter made. Like I said, everyone in my family had a part in. And I'm proud of her for doing this film. we're gonna keep rocking out on the film circuit, you know. So let's see where we go next. It's funny because her first short film is gonna be playing again in October. I don't have all the details, but stay tuned for that. So City of Dreams will be in a film festival.
Octavio Blanco (15:57)
Yeah.
Led Black (16:07)
here in New York again. for those who didn't see it, know, they could catch it there.
Octavio Blanco (16:11)
Wait, again, it's gonna be in a different film festival or, nice.
Led Black (16:15)
Yeah, it's another film festival. it's
amazing. Like for the last two years, know, she's had that film has been, you know, the film I'm from the film festival circuit. And now this one is, you know, another entry into it. So the city of dreams is still getting love out there, you know. So, you know, that was kind of more like a, you know, like a proof of concept, you know, to do a series. So, you know, it's another I've actually I have a cameo in that one. So does the wife. So, you know, it's a cult classic.
Octavio Blanco (16:38)
Yeah, yeah, so you're saying it's
a cool classic. Yo, I gotta tell you, I did go to see La Cuarenta y Dos, which was screening, ⁓ my God. Well, I had a lot of thoughts. I mean, when I came out of the theater, I was kinda like...
Led Black (16:46)
La 42, what you thought?
Octavio Blanco (16:55)
Adirin headlights. I was like in shock. I was just like what did I just what did I just experience? But ⁓ but it was amazing. It was amazing. It was ⁓ it was just like super ⁓ eye-opening number one and number two like I loved the You couldn't tell what was like
Led Black (17:00)
It's a lot. It's a lot.
Mm-hmm.
Octavio Blanco (17:17)
real, what was not real, like what was actually like a documentary and what wasn't like quite a documentary or like are they all actors or were some of them actually like from La Cuarenta y Dos people like like that dancer there's a woman who's a dancer she's got she's actually leads this like this like troupe of dancers they're street dancers and yo I don't know do you know was she like is she like really from like what like from La Cuarenta y Dos
Led Black (17:21)
Right.
Yeah.
Right. Right.
She's really, yeah. Well, she's
not from La Corredito, but she made her mark there. ⁓ Yeah, so she was from somewhere else, she was a dancer there and she took off with it.
Octavio Blanco (17:50)
She did, she's actually like...
But so she's like a real deal person who sort of like went to La Cuarenta y Dos and became, I guess, internet famous and now famous in this movie.
Led Black (18:10)
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, but like the main guy that he's always running with in the film, the one that is like the main character, forgot his name. Yeah, the dude with the dress, he's the real dude. Like he's a real heavyweight in that neighborhood. He's been around forever. He's really full of like, he's for real. He's the real deal. So that's what makes the movie, think, really cool that it is kind of a documentary, but it's not. It is different, right?
Octavio Blanco (18:18)
With the dreads, with the dreads.
⁓ he's for real.
⁓ God.
Led Black (18:38)
that person is real, I do think the guy that came from Spain, that's an actor, right? So it's like, it mixes both in a very interesting way. I thought it was actually brilliant. And I think it one of those films that was just, I really enjoyed it, like you said, it's jarring because it goes back and forth. There's even a point where, I don't wanna spoil it, but the fourth wall gets broken, right, where you see the director, right?
Octavio Blanco (18:43)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah,
yeah.
Led Black (19:01)
Like, you know what mean? That was really cool. I thought it was like a good touch, you know? And Jose Maria Cabral like I said, he's a brilliant young Dominican director. He keeps proving it. He keeps doing it. He had a movie called Calpinteros, which was amazing. was about, Nahayo is a part of the art where there's like a prison, and there's a women's prison and a men's prison next to each other. And the female male inmates develop like a sign language where they talk and it's always changing.
And he filmed it in the prison with some of the real prisoners, you know, and some actors So he's already had this experience of doing this kind of like he does what he wants man. That dude is brilliant Yeah, it's very avant-garde, you know, I mean he does what he wants and I think he's really true and then it's funny because he also had another movie in the festival that I didn't get to see that I wanted to see called El Tigere there with my brother Manny in it and I would heard it's very dark and it's very different, right? So it's a movie that kind of weighs on you, you know, I know I want to see that one as well so I think you know
Octavio Blanco (19:36)
Wow.
It's like a verite, verite.
Led Black (20:01)
I'm glad you felt that way because I felt the same way about like one of those it's jarring It's but it's amazing and you know you come out like what did I just see what happened?
Octavio Blanco (20:05)
Yeah.
Well,
I'll tell you another thing that I think was so interesting is that in La Cuarenta y Dos, you know, they're really talking about their culture, right? And it's bizarre because...
you know, like you were describing in the last, I think in the last Black and Blanco, you know, La 42 is a neighborhood that you don't necessarily want to go there, or if you do want to go there, it's because there's all this like underground stuff happening. Some of it...
good and some of it not good right uh and la 42 the movie gets into all of that but what was interesting was that these people uh he was highlighting the dancer and um and the main guy his name is um oh gosh i forget what his name is looks like metallico or something like that or yeah and uh but um but um
Led Black (20:46)
Bye.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Octavio Blanco (21:06)
They're really for the culture of what they're doing, of creating their culture. Like they're arguing about, I invented this dance, you didn't invent this dance. it's like, it's, and they like, you know, they developed the music, the dembow, which is, you know, some of the most popular music out there now is like this dembow music. like, you know, for me, it was so interesting to see this.
Led Black (21:16)
Mm-hmm.
Octavio Blanco (21:33)
literally like a grassroots cultural movement that has been created in what I gotta describe as probably like one of the poorest, most low resources neighborhoods in Dominican Republic. It's essentially a shanty town, you know what I mean? So it gave like a favela. It's like a favela. It really gave like City of God vibes, you know?
Led Black (21:54)
It's like a face of favela basically in a certain way, Right, yeah, it's, yeah.
Octavio Blanco (22:00)
It was really really really interesting. We we stayed for the whole thing. We liked it. The music was on point and and ⁓ the the storyline was
It was a lot going on. There was a lot going on. There was a lot of story there to pick through. I mean, if I had one tiny critique, which is, you know, take it from me who's sitting behind a camera, not making a not making a documentary, a film. you know, take it with like two pounds of salt. You know, it could have used a little bit of like ⁓ maybe a little bit less less story or like shorten it. It was a little long. but besides that.
Led Black (22:14)
Hmm.
Octavio Blanco (22:36)
For what it was, it was like, it blew me away. I really, really enjoyed it. I really did enjoy
Led Black (22:44)
Yeah, yeah, good. think it was an excellent film. I think all those things are happening, you know, like what I realized about...
know filmmakers, right? He's creating a vibe, right? He's creating a setting and those things sometimes they may not see that thing that they make sense in his brain, you know what mean? And I think they make sense in terms of like just kind of building this this whole scenario. I mean, I think the movies are I loved it. You know what mean? I just want to see keep seeing what this guy keeps making because he keeps making really cool other like he does. He's not following anyone's rules. He doesn't do it too. He does. He does film that he wants to do. And I'm really enjoying the output.
Octavio Blanco (22:59)
yeah!
Led Black (23:20)
mean for real.
Octavio Blanco (23:21)
Absolutely,
absolutely. The creativity is there and all that. it's, you know, that was just one tiny little critique. the fact that he's able to make it happen, the fact that he's able to to bring his vision to life like that, where so many people cannot, is commendable. And the vision that he brought to life was absolutely interesting.
Led Black (23:42)
And you know, for some
Dominicans, right, you know...
like what did they do, it like a shameful place, right? Some people was like, don't highlight that, that's what was called bajo mundo for a reason, you're not supposed to highlight that. And the thing is it really does exist. it really is, again, I think people don't realize that out of the depths, beauty does come too, right? And these are extremely poor people, low resources, Like the government has forgotten them, right? That's the poorest, you know.
That's the realest hood, the realest part of the realest hood in the capital, right? So this is really disadvantaged. So they decided, you know, they're gonna make music and culture for them. They could care less about the outer world, because the outer world doesn't care about them. And you know, that could be right, could be wrong. You may not like the music. I don't like all them ball, you know what mean? To be honest, I like some of it. You know what mean? Some of it is, not, it's just not for me, you know what mean? But again, I think...
Octavio Blanco (24:37)
Yeah.
Led Black (24:40)
I think the film is a real interesting look at a group of people and how they live and what's interesting is that what it does, it has become like a magnet for people from other places to come from other hoods to go there because it is the place to be seen and to be seen. Right, right. know what mean? But again, I'm glad the film was made and I want to see what he keeps making.
Octavio Blanco (24:56)
to get the street cred or whatever.
Yeah, you know, I mean...
Obviously the film was good, especially since we're still talking about it because one of the other things that was so interesting about the film was the role of social media in how they sort of ⁓ create their art and also like the thinking that goes behind it. You know, there's not like a record company, right, that's telling them, well, this is the thing that you need to do because this is what our buyers are. Basically, did, everybody can bring their own
own style and whatever takes off on social media is what becomes the popular music and I was really intrigued by that aspect of how much social media has interplay. You were saying they don't care about the outer world. I don't think that's quite true. It's more like they're doing their own thing and they're putting it out to the world.
They don't care. They don't care. They don't care what the outer world thinks, but they
Led Black (26:00)
No, what I mean, I don't mean, I'm talking about, I'm not,
that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying it's not the outer world, it's society. Like, I feel like Dominican society has given up on them so they don't care about society and how you should dress, you know? Again, you gotta think about it this way. In Dominican Republic, you really like.
Octavio Blanco (26:12)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Led Black (26:20)
You couldn't have tattoos. know, there was a lot of like, these things where you couldn't be walking around with tattoos or braids, you know, like in the 90s, you know, that wasn't acceptable, right? And like, so this is really like rebel culture in a lot of ways. So it's something that is really looked down upon by, Dominican society can be very classist, right? Just like I'm sure Mexican society can be as well, right? So it's like, these people are, this neighborhood, these people are looked down upon a lot. You know what I mean? So I think like, and I'll tell you one,
I remember being in the yard a years ago and it was like a hurricane happening. And when you're in the nice part of town, yeah, it's raining, but you're good. You're fine. The water's gonna come through, but you're in a good part of town. But in lot of those places, the barrios, you see them flooded. The water's coming in, but the people there in the water, they're swimming, they're frolicking in the water, playing dominoes, dancing, because they feel like, hey, look, I'm not gonna die here. I'm gonna live my life happy. And I think that there's something to be said for that as well.
Octavio Blanco (27:07)
You
Led Black (27:19)
that is right or wrong, but people are gonna live. Poor people need just the right to live and enjoy themselves too.
Octavio Blanco (27:21)
Yeah.
Yeah, yo, this is not about La 42, but it's about Cardi B. I saw an interview that Cardi B did like on CBS or something like that. you know, like, and so apparently I didn't realize this, but Cardi B who came up to the heights, right? And she did like a little mini, a little pop up in the heights. She's Dominican, she's Dominican York, right?
Led Black (27:43)
Yeah, I'm on 59th.
Just
have them and again have Trini, yep.
Octavio Blanco (27:50)
And
and she was talking about her grandmother during this interview which is really interesting and she was saying how her grandmother like grew up with nothing, you know what mean? Like and was like had a ten children or something and like no education, but she
did what she had to do to raise these kids, right? And I guess it was both of her grandmothers were like that, that she comes from very humble beginnings, you know? And so she was talking about, she gets out there and works, grinds, you know? And she was like, what would I tell?
Led Black (28:22)
Mm-hmm.
Octavio Blanco (28:33)
How could I tell my grandmothers, like, oh no, I'm tired, I can't do this? Like, how would they respond to that? To me, that was like really, really interesting. And it was a very sort of like, it brought me also to this like, the idea of La Cuarenta y Dos and all these people who like, like you say, these are the most disadvantaged people, but they're making something out of nothing. Like literally, have like, you know, nothing.
Led Black (28:38)
Right.
Yeah, yeah. And
speaking of Cardi B, like I gotta give it to...
You know, her campaign, like this, this, this campaign has been beautiful. Like she's been so smart with it. So I don't know if you noticed that she posted, she was on 125th. Like, you know, 125th is like, that thoroughfare where people go by things. So she had like a little setup there, like talking about her album. And she put that on social. That was brilliant. And then she popped up on 159th and Broadway. Everyone lost it. You know, she pulled the baby out. Like it was like a Michael Jackson moment almost, you know what I mean? Like, but everyone lost, everyone took pictures and did what it had to do.
Octavio Blanco (29:16)
I saw that, yeah.
Yeah.
Led Black (29:31)
and cost no money, right? Like, her pulling up to 125th and just saying, yo, I'm one of y'all, you you see me where you at, right? And I think that was really smart. Takes no money, right? It's free publicity. And then she did the same thing on 159th because she knows the hood and Heights loves her. Brilliant, brilliant, right? Like, here you go, nothing. I'm just going to pull up and I'm going to cause his, you know, mass hysteria because I'm Cardi B. I thought he was brilliant. So kudos to her on that. I haven't heard the album. My oldest daughter, Imani, loves the album.
I haven't heard it yet, so I'm, you know, I haven't said it, I like Outside. I like some of those records. I like Cardi B, so I'm a fan,
Octavio Blanco (30:07)
Yeah, yeah,
yeah. Am I a fan? I haven't really, yeah, I guess I am. I like her music. I'm not like, oh, waiting for the latest Cardi B album to drop, but like, if it's on the radio, I'm not turning the station, you know? I'm gonna listen to it. And maybe I will look it up and try to hear what she's got to say these days. Yeah, I know. Well, is 15, so like...
Led Black (30:28)
Don't let the, don't put, you can't let your kids hear it though, cause it's, yeah. No, no,
yeah, still, you don't want him to, he'll be like, dad, what's wrong with you? Why are you listening to the dad? He's like, cause it's really like dirty, so don't, don't play for Dante.
Octavio Blanco (30:38)
What?
You
know what's funny, speaking of kids, like, there's like a meme that high schoolers are doing where it's, they say six, nine, six, nine, and it kind of doesn't mean anything, but it's like a meme from basketball. It's like if you're a six foot two, but you play like six foot nine, it comes, and so like I do that to Dante. Usually the kids in high school do it like,
Led Black (30:58)
Mm-hmm.
Octavio Blanco (31:10)
they'll ask, somebody will ask like, you know, what time is the test gonna be tomorrow? And instead of telling them the time, they'll be like, six, nine, you know, it's just like one of these things that people, yeah, like, yeah, like that. It was sort of like that, yeah. And so I start doing it. Yeah, so I start doing it and Dante's like, my God, doc, dad, can you?
Led Black (31:20)
⁓ like we just say these nuts like that. Yeah. 6ix9ine is the nuts of our times.
Octavio Blanco (31:35)
could you please stop? And so now I just do it just whenever I want to annoy him. But yo, you mind if I change the topic because I'm, I was gonna come on here feeling, I was, I wanted to come on here feeling positive. I was like, I saw, I saw this really cool social thing on social media, which was like,
Led Black (31:38)
That's hilarious. I know that.
Octavio Blanco (31:56)
this guy was talking about in the the 60s, there was like this movement to like help people to communicate with each other. And there was like one of the leaders of the Ku Klux Klan was sitting with one of the leaders of the of the of the ⁓ civil rights movement in this small town in North Carolina. And, you know, they couldn't disagree more with each other. But
during the I guess it was like a week or so that they were together like They became close and at the end of this period this guy had seen how hard this woman worked and had heard her her side of things and He Decided he's gonna leave the clan
And he's gonna and they became lifelong friends and ⁓ there's been documentaries done about it. I don't remember the name of the documentary. There was like a book written and stuff like that. So it's like it's a really heartwarming story about talking to, you know, people that you disagree with. And, know, we've talked a lot about especially about Latinos for Trump and how we really, really disagree with them. And I know that you spend a lot of time sort of like
you know, arguing essentially with them online. But today, I saw news that really sort of like, I felt really kind of like, I shouldn't be surprised, but I was. There's this guy, he happens to be Dominican, American. His name is Willie Laura. And he used to be the head of CNN's,
political unit for CNN Espanol in Washington. And he was just named the editor in chief of the LA tribeeyuhne en Espanol. This is like as right wing, but he's a...
Led Black (33:35)
Okay? Okay?
Wow, that's amazing.
⁓
Octavio Blanco (33:55)
He
is a MAGA head. Like, that's the thing. He is, so he's gotten a lot of, he's gotten a lot of ⁓
traction from the fact that he used to be CNN and Espanol political director based in Washington. But ever since he was there, he's morphed into this like ultra right wing MAGA head. And now he's going to be, LA trib en Espanol, and he's going to be the editor in chief. And this to me is like,
one of the, needs to be, it needs to be like put out there that this is who this is. Now, it shouldn't come as a surprise because the LA trib is very, very right wing.
Led Black (34:30)
That's crazy.
Octavio Blanco (34:42)
Like it's one thing to be a Republican and you know old, I would say like you know.
I would be okay with Republicans, but I think Republicans have been taken over by MAGA. And this guy, Willie, is just like an absolute right-wing MAGA head. But what I fear is that people are gonna say, CNN's former politics head for CNN Espanol is gonna be in this role. And they're not gonna know, especially English-speaking audiences, because he's really in the Spanish language.
world they're just not gonna know that that this guy is like as far right as you can get and I just want to make sure that people do know this That's it. So that makes...
Led Black (35:29)
Yeah, no, I mean, think that's a danger. No, but
I mean, think it's part of a bigger trend with Latinos, a lot of Dominicans, know, a lot of times it's the men, right? I think it was men, Latino men were almost like half for Trump this last election, right? Like that's crazy, right? Like that's insane. And I find myself, you know, I do argue a lot, you know, with...
Octavio Blanco (35:45)
Yeah.
Led Black (35:53)
with Trump supporters of color, Latinos, Trump supporters, right? Because to me it's insane. It just doesn't make any sense. ⁓ John Leguizamo said, Latinos for Republicans is like roaches for Raid
Octavio Blanco (36:05)
Yeah.
Led Black (36:06)
Right? And it's very true because you think you're part of a team, then you're not part of that team. You're fighting for a party that's 99.999 % white and wants to keep it that way, right? It's an openly white supremacist platform, right? Openly. And...
You know what mean? You're not part of that team. So it's one of those things that's really heartbreaking to be honest. Like that a lot of the shit that our communities are going through right now was voted by members of our community, right? Like, and the ones that are the least educated, the ones that have the least intelligence, right, are deciding for the rest of us and we're all losing. And they're losing eventually too because nothing's gonna stop them. If you're brown, you know, or black, it's open war on us, right? Like that's what we're
Octavio Blanco (36:36)
Yeah.
Led Black (36:54)
we're headed to and it's one of those things that really really hurts like you like damn like you you know you have you have traitors in your midst you know what I mean like I think it is that that much of a problem and I think that because MAGA is a cult there's no reconciling and I hate to say it right like someone has to come to that Jesus moment themselves there's nothing I can say to you or you can say there's no logic
that I'm going to just drop on you. They're going to say, you know what? You're right. Logic is it again. I've always seen as I said before, Trump derangement syndrome is not something that progressive have or liberals. It's something that that Trump supporters have. If you could look at Trump with fake hair, his fake tan, his fucking just obesity, his lying about it, all the bullshit. Right. If you could look at that and still be like, yeah, I fuck with him. There's something wrong with you. That's Trump derangement syndrome. Right. So so I just feel like sometimes it's
And again, we're headed in such and so the wrong direction. Every week it just gets worse. Now Charlie Kirk is becoming a martyr. Apparently he's a saint. He's the equivalent of Jesus and Martin Luther King. And he's never said anything wrong ever. He's never said really incendiary statements. He lived the life of purpose and he was about Jesus and opened the bay. And that's bullshit. That's the thing no one talks about.
Octavio Blanco (37:55)
Yeah.
Led Black (38:13)
Again, horrible the way he got killed. It's a dark day in America because again, they have all the guns. This is not good for anybody. This is not good at all. 100 % bad all across the boards. But, Charlie Kirk was a...
bad person, you know, he was very, he became rich off of racism and selling it and the idea of open debate. He was a community college dropout that was in his 30s that was going to debate kids. And he controlled everything. He was on stage, most of the supporters were his. And these kids, even as smart as they were, they weren't well matched for him.
And it's funny because there's a video where he went to Cambridge and this young British dude with red hair just cooked him, like straight cooked him, because he couldn't match the intellect. Charlie Kirk, he wasn't a smart person. He just used racism and vitriol, and that's how he became who he became. But again now, Democrats, a good point of the Democrats, voted to have a Charlie Kirk Remembrance Day.
Octavio Blanco (39:18)
Yeah, yeah.
Led Black (39:19)
Remembrance Day on October 14th, which is also George Floyd's birthday. Right? So it's just, I don't think anything says, and if, you see that fucking memorial? Did you see that monstrosity? Then it was like, did you see it? I'll you, did you see it at all?
Octavio Blanco (39:24)
Mmm.
I mean,
I've seen clips. I didn't, but the clips, I don't wanna, I don't wanna.
Led Black (39:38)
my God. No, you have to see it. You have to because again, first of all, you know, it
was it was like a wrestling match. Right. And and and and. That pyrotechnics ⁓ that they had Stephen Miller, that cool basically, he basically like he did like he just basically stole a gurgle speech.
Octavio Blanco (39:47)
I I saw that they had like pyrotechnics. Like pyrotechnics.
Led Black (40:03)
It was, it was again, it was a ghoul saying you produce nothing. Liberals produce nothing. We are everything. We are culture. It was insane. And then Trump went into talking about terrorists. Like he just, he was somewhere else. When, when the music came on, he's dancing at a memorial. The parents have not, you know, his parents weren't there. Right.
Octavio Blanco (40:20)
Yeah.
I didn't
know that.
Led Black (40:24)
So
again, this is what we can't talk about in America anymore. We can't talk. Charlie Kirk is a saint. He's a secular saint. Well, he's not a secular He's a religious saint. You know, it's funny. I didn't, I only did very little. I'm a reader, right? I didn't.
Octavio Blanco (40:29)
Yeah, yeah. ⁓
Led Black (40:42)
finished college, I'm a reader, right? I chose a different life, right? But it's funny, because I have a lot of thoughts, right? I remember reading and saying this before, that the GOP, before Trump, was like a Ronald Reagan death cult.
Right? And it's funny, I didn't even know that the idea of a death cult is actually a theory. Like it's a thing in academia. didn't know that. was Chris Hedges, who's one of my favorite writers, who talks about it. So a death cult basically arises when a group of people are under stress.
Octavio Blanco (41:07)
What is the... So what is it? Because I'm not familiar.
Led Black (41:15)
And he calls it Magic Jesus, right? Where like you start thinking magic, fantastical things and you know, the right person comes along to lead this cult, right? So it's a death cult, right? And it's, so I always thought that the GOP was a death cult before I knew that death cult was a thing, right? And it feels that way. But now here comes the dear leader, Trump.
Right. And, and, and he's Charlie Kirk, the martyr, right? It's like, instead of the son, the father, the Holy Spirit, like this is the, the, the, the, the trilogy of Maga, the Maga trilogy, right? He's a, he's he's a saint. You cannot everything and all the repression that's going to come is in his name. Cause you cannot say things. Right. That's why Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Kimmel didn't even say anything bad. Right. He just said, Hey, that he, he wasn't, he wasn't left wing. That's all he said. And ABC canned them. And then like you said, people power brought them back.
Octavio Blanco (41:57)
Yeah, no, he didn't, he didn't.
Led Black (42:06)
But again, the fact that you could, that this is, that's not this country then. If someone could fire for an opinion that wasn't bad, if he has something truly awful, then I understand that, right? There was some things on the internet that were horrible.
Octavio Blanco (42:15)
And
it wasn't just people power. I I want to make sure that some people who I completely disagree with on 99 % of the things that they say, they also had at least a little bit of a hand in helping to get this back. Like Ted Cruz, who actually came out and was like, know, this, that.
Ha, you know, I'm I'm vomiting a little bit while I say this but but but you know, I want to give him his props for you know, Pushing up. No pushing back a little pushing back pushing back a little no pushing back He had he could have he could have been quiet he
Led Black (42:41)
Yeah. Yeah.
No, no, no, get fucked, Cruz. No, no problem. Fuck him, fuck him forever, fuck him forever. I'm sorry, I'm not gonna give you that one. Fuck him forever, he is the worst. I don't care, I fucking hate, so what, he's nobody, fuck him forever, like
he is one of the worst people on earth. I'm sorry, I'm not, then somebody else, but he's a horrible human being, so I'm not giving a horrible human credit for doing what's right, like.
Octavio Blanco (43:06)
But it wasn't just him, there was a contingent.
Led Black (43:14)
Please. Again, and I hate to say this, but that's I think the problem. That's the problem. Like we were so willing to give our, and this is, this is Dominican saying goes,
Right? And again, we have enemies and there's not even, we're not giving our enemy, we're not, we don't got water for our enemies. And he's an enemy. Like again, he's not a regular runner. He's a, he's a horrible, another horrible human being who is not there for, runs to Cancun while, while, while, his, his, his, his, his stay is going through, through, through tribulations. Right? Horrible human being. Nothing he ever does is ever good. Fuck him forever. I'm sorry. I'm just, that's the way I feel.
Octavio Blanco (43:50)
I know, but I mean, he did this. He did say, you you can't have that because, but then he had said, because they'll use it against us. So it wasn't really about the First Amendment. It was more like, hey, you know, I'm not disagreeing with you.
Led Black (44:03)
He's a horrible person. he's horrible. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. The
word, I'm gonna give him props should never be said. Never ever give him, because he's a horrible, spineless, he's probably one of the worst senators.
Octavio Blanco (44:15)
I mean...
Led Black (44:20)
Even they don't like him, right? Even like the other Republican senators don't like him. Trump talking about his wife and his father, he said his father killed Kennedy, right? And he's still bootlicking, like he has no shame. He's a horrible person. He's just the worst, the worst.
Octavio Blanco (44:24)
So.
Thanks.
So you're
saying that for, we should just say nothing because it was the right thing to say. he said, but he doesn't.
Led Black (44:45)
He doesn't deserve credit for anything. He doesn't
deserve credit for anything. Doesn't deserve credit. I don't think so. I think he's, again, he's one of these, he's one of the reasons we're here. Like, you know what I mean? He's one of the reasons, because he's a bootlicker. He just, my God, he's horrible. Like, I just, again, it's like, the mere mention of Ted Cruz should make you apoplectic, right? He's that horrible, excrucible of a human being.
Octavio Blanco (44:53)
I agree.
Led Black (45:07)
His daughters hate him, like he's a horrible person. So he doesn't deserve credit for anything. Neither does Richie Torres, neither does Schumer, neither does fucking Hakeem Jeffries. And I wanna say one thing real quick that I was thinking about. So Charlamagne, I'm not shitting on Charlamagne, I like Charlamagne, but he got a lot of props for saying, referring to Hakeem Jeffries as APOC Shakur, right?
I actually said that first. you look back in the archives of this show, I actually said it before him. Now, I didn't make it up and neither did he. We both heard it somewhere else, but I did say it on radio before him. That's I want to clear that up. But all these people suck. it's like, like, like again, right now Schumer and this guy voted to give Charlie Kirk a Memorial Day. Like, what are we doing here? What are we doing?
Octavio Blanco (45:40)
Yes, yes, yes.
Yeah, that was disgusting. And did
you read Tanasi Coats's article in Vanity Fair basically tearing down Ezra Klein and his whole, he totally deserved it. Totally deserved it. You and I agree. I think.
Led Black (46:00)
Ezra Klein deserved it. He deserved it. like-
And I like Ezra Klein. I like Ezra Klein, right? Like I
liked Ezra Klein, I should say, because I really thought he was very smart and I watched the podcast and he was level. But then why are we doing this? Like why are we participating, sanctifying this guy? Like he was a good person. And I hate to say this, another thing is like, and I hate to say this because again, I always I think I'm going to seem like a crazy person sometimes, but these these white people that write these things, right, they have more in common with Charlie Kirk.
than the people he saying bad shit about. Right, so it doesn't hurt them. It hurts me when Charlie Kirk says, if I see a black pilot, I won't get on the plane. Or when he says black people don't have the same intelligence. That shit hurts.
Octavio Blanco (46:35)
I, you know.
I'd like to know, so
I, just so you know, and not because I agree with him or agreed with him, but I had been following Charlie Kirk on Twitter from almost from, for years I was following him on Twitter because I knew that he had.
his perspective and that he had an audience that followed him and believed everything he said. So I know where he stood on things like racism and things like, was not, yeah, he was a racist. was not a, like, he didn't, he wasn't, he didn't, like,
Led Black (47:16)
Super Duper Races.
Octavio Blanco (47:24)
Ezra Klein said like he didn't do debate right. He did debate very, very, very wrong. And ⁓ Tanazi Coates like nailed Ezra on this. Yeah, Vanity Fair article. And I wonder, I would like to know from Ezra Klein, like, did he have a clear understanding?
Led Black (47:31)
Yeah.
Destroyed them on that.
Octavio Blanco (47:46)
of who Charlie Kirk was, or like a lot of left leaning people, was he like not really listening? And then he thought, well this guy goes on college campuses and debates, what's wrong with that? Like if you've ever, yeah.
Led Black (48:02)
Because it doesn't hurt
him. It goes back to it doesn't hurt him. He has more in common with Charlie Kirk than with me. It doesn't hurt him when he talks about black people and brown people. It doesn't bother him. It doesn't. It really doesn't bother him as much as it should. I think this proves how bad this country has become. Charlie Kirk is in the process of becoming a national saint.
Octavio Blanco (48:26)
Yeah, he's getting the he's getting the national medal of medal of honor posthumously Which is our it's just this nation's highest honor.
Led Black (48:26)
Right? MAGA is...
Yeah!
And then you also told you can't talk about it. There's a woman I heard that got arrested in Texas because she made some, yeah arrested in Texas because she made some remarks. JD Vance took over the Turning Point podcast for a bit. What's that about?
Octavio Blanco (48:39)
Arrested?
Led Black (48:49)
You know what mean? But that's the thing, you gotta look at Turning Point. Turning Point was a machine, a well-funded machine. They had a $92 million budget, and they didn't really make money. So was like billionaires were funding it because they knew, right, they knew that the colleges, when people start learning, when people start reading about other people, they realize, hey, they're just people.
And what they call indoctrination is them finally getting a taste of history and really taking it in for themselves. So they knew that people turn left in college because people start learning and reading and growing as people, right?
Octavio Blanco (49:21)
Matter of fact, I
think Ezra Klein should apologize for what he said.
Led Black (49:25)
Yeah, exactly. But what I'm saying is that this was an operation, right? It was an operation of taking these idealistic kids and moving them to the right. And this was a well-funded operation. He became a very, very rich man. He married into a, she was very rich, right? And again, it was an operation about changing, turning the tide against the left at the colleges. Because also he ran like a watch list of professors that were harassed to no end, right?
Octavio Blanco (49:32)
Yeah. Yeah.
yeah, he was.
Yes. Yes.
Led Black (49:53)
They calls to their homes. They would get called all types of racist slurs. know, all types of, this was not a good person. He was a horrible, horrible human being. And now we're making him a saint. And if you say something bad, there's a possibility something could happen to you for words. I just think people just need to wake the fuck up. And that's what I'm saying. And again, no offense, but this other side.
Octavio Blanco (50:04)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Led Black (50:20)
They do not care. We need to play, we need a new look outlook. We can't have this direction anymore. We can't be nice. Like again, what Republicans do is they do what the fuck they want. All the guardrails, all the things that can't be done, they do them. But when Democrats come in power, I can't do this, I can't do that, I can't do this. It's insane.
Octavio Blanco (50:35)
I don't, I just don't know.
I just, so while I agree with you on a lot of the things that you say, I just, even though I'm so angry about things like this MAGA guy, he's gonna now run.
the LA Trib in Espanol where he's going to be able to you know, spoon feed misinformation to, to, to LA Latinos who speak, who speak Spanish. Like I, I, I hate that, but like at the same time, like I can't, I can't like just give up on people. I don't have that. I don't know how
to I see that what you're saying. do believe that it's a cult and you can't really it's really hard to like get people out of a cult. Like if you've ever heard people who have had family members fall into a cult, it's like it's really, really hard. And often the family themselves or the people aren't the ones who end up like.
turning somebody's opinion around. It's usually that person has that, or like what you say, like a come to Jesus moment and is able to pull themselves out of the cult. So I agree with you that it is a cult, but to stop.
trying to engage with the people who are on the other end of the cult, I think it is dangerous. And I suffer from the same problem. Like, I don't want to waste my breath with somebody who's just a believer, you know, and just doesn't have any, like, is just unwilling to hear reason. I mean, look at...
what Trump said this week at the United Nations. He completely embarrassed this country. It was a disgusting display of authoritarianism and of misinformation and of just like being an idiot. you know, so like, I can't understand how somebody can continue. So I, it drives me crazy.
Led Black (52:44)
But that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. Like again,
no, but what I'm saying, like someone, like he said, during the memorial, he says, hey, tomorrow we're gonna announce a big thing for autism, right? And then says, basically all your countries are going to hell for green energy. it's just so stupid, right? But if the person that you think you could get back,
They believe that guy. Nothing you can do. again, you have to, listen, like this is not, we're not in the world we used to be. Like I think what you're talking about is that old world. That old world. Right, but what I'm and I get that. And there's some people that you just like, I'll be your, you you're lost, right? Cause you don't even understand. But the point is that like,
Octavio Blanco (53:17)
I do have a person in mind.
Led Black (53:30)
These people are gone and trying to spend time trying to reason and we have to move on. cause these, they have already, we're already in a place where we shouldn't be. There's no, don't think I don't have any more space for this. You know what I mean? Like.
We're thinking, like the whole idea of like an escape plan, like people fleeing America is a thing on social, right? Like people are looking for real escape routes. Like a lot of people are doing that. A lot of the rich have left. A lot of, it was crazy, a lot of authoritarian scholars have left already, right? The people that study, like the sense into dictatorships say, you know what? This is happening, let me get out.
Octavio Blanco (53:55)
yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You leave.
Led Black (54:10)
Right?
So the idea that like Ted Cruz and these people, fuck all of them. I'm sorry. these are at this point, at this point, we need to delineate. There's you and there's them. It's us versus them. And I hate to say that way, but that's how they treat us. We keep losing because we keep playing this stupid game of, hey, they're just people like us. No, no. MAGA is a cancer on America. Right? MAGA is actively destroying this country right before our eyes.
Octavio Blanco (54:39)
But don't you think that what you're saying right now, don't you, like, it's dehumanizing also. like, don't you feel like that's just, you know, it's just gonna bring us lower and lower and lower? If you...
Led Black (54:40)
Just look at it.
No, no, no, no. What I'm saying to
you is make your argument. If they like it, if they hear it, beautiful, but don't make your argument to them, because they're lost. There's enough of us that didn't vote, that are apathetic, that are on the wall, that we can get. Let's get them. Let's get them. I'm not going to waste time on this person that's telling me that somehow doesn't understand that voting for Trump is a cancer in our community. It's a war on us. If you can't see that at this point,
Octavio Blanco (55:12)
Okay. Okay.
Led Black (55:22)
There's really nothing to discuss. It's not a difference of opinion. And the more we make it that way, the more we lose. Like, I don't want to be a liberal. I'm not a liberal. Fuck liberals. I'm a progressive. And all this stuff is like, we need to move on. can't, none know. We need new things. We need new, we need new, new move, new paths forward.
Octavio Blanco (55:24)
Okay.
The only thing...
Yeah.
Okay,
agreed. But can you agree with me on this though? That like dehumanizing a group of people is not effective. I hear you like make your argument.
Led Black (55:55)
But how am I dehumanizing?
How am I dehumanizing?
Octavio Blanco (55:58)
Well, you called them a cancer. You said that they are a cancer.
Led Black (56:02)
Okay, MAGA is a cancer on this country. And if you voted for it, you're part of that cancer. It's funny, so I saw a thing on Instagram. The guy was like, basically it was like, stupid people, right, empower evil people, right, to make stupid people do more things so evil people can have more money, right? The stupid people are the problem. You are the problem now.
Right. And if you're going to wake up, wake up when you want to. But we have we have like a democracy to save possibly maybe. Right. So so what I'm saying is I'm not going to spend time and energy on those people. Right. Just to point out, I'm always going to point out what they did to us. Right. So that's why a lot of people could be like, y'all did this. Latinos for Trump. This is on you. Right. This is on you. You should be ashamed of yourself because there's something to be said for shame. There is. And everything is not hunky dory. There's not hunky dory.
Octavio Blanco (56:49)
I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm
with you. I'm with you. And I agree with all of that. What I just, what I, you know, when I start hearing about your cancer and maybe your idea, well, hold, well, just hold, but hold on. No, no, no. I just don't want to hear like name calling of other people because like, I,
Led Black (57:05)
But it's true. But it's true. Like, you don't want to hear truth? It's true.
Octavio Blanco (57:17)
I agree with the fact that it's shameful. agree with...
Led Black (57:20)
All right, hold on. Hold
on, answer your question. But the other side, all they do is name call, right? All they do. But it doesn't matter what, again, we're not, this thing, cannot be offended by truth. And when he's not speaking truth as what it is, maybe the word cancer, maybe it's not the right word, maybe, but it doesn't matter. They are deplorable, right? And I don't like Hillary either, but they are deplorable and they are the reason.
Octavio Blanco (57:25)
But that doesn't make it right. That doesn't make it right.
Well, well, no.
Led Black (57:50)
that we're in this mess. And that's the truth. Trump supporters are the reason, and Latino Trump supporters are even more hurtful.
Octavio Blanco (57:51)
But wait. But wait. OK. Let.
Let
me geek out for a second on semantics, okay? Let me just try to like hit you with this semantic sort of idea. Like, it's your views are a cancer. Your views are deplorable. Your opinions are wrong. Not you. See, that's the...
Led Black (58:16)
But again, that's the problem to me too
though. That like we're playing games with words, like no, it's not your view, it's your participant, it doesn't matter. Like this is, we're parsing words. Yeah, they're words, but it doesn't matter your view. Regardless, we're in this situation that's really bad, right? That we may lose the whole kit and caboodle, right? This American experiment may go down the drain.
Octavio Blanco (58:27)
Words are important though.
Led Black (58:41)
And we're going to worry about the words we say when they don't worry about anything, right? Like we're playing by different rules and we keep doing that to ourselves. We're not in this place, this civility place no more. And we need to, we need to be, we need to be hopeful. We need to be positive. We need to tell what we want. We need to set up a positive vision, but there's a group of people that are not coming with us and we need to drop it. We need to move on. Like I told you, I think I told you before, like when I started re-seeing Handmaid's Tale,
The reason I started seeing it, because my daughter was watching it, my youngest, Saraya, was watching it. She's 19, she's not a little kid, but she was watching it and there was a scene where, I know a lot of people don't know the show, but the Handmaids, they were a group. And then you have the group of the wives, they were another group and they were in charge.
Right. And, you know, basically it was about the handmaids were the most oppressive society because they were, they were, ⁓ on further woman, right. And so they would, you had to control everything. And it was a, it's a real, you know, it's a horrible story what the handmaids lived through. Right. But June, right. She's, she's running them, right. So there's one handmade, right. That, that, that snitches. Right. On another handmade, another handmade gets killed for that. Right. And so, so that, so basically June and the rest of the handmaids end up just like ostracizing her.
Octavio Blanco (59:48)
Mm-hmm.
Led Black (59:59)
Everywhere she goes, she gets fucked with. Like, you did this, you did this, you did this. And I think that there is a place for that now. We need to delineate who's on our side and who's not. And I hate to say that that way, but we are no longer in the place where we can, again, we need to really get serious about taking back this country. And I think that we don't want to tell you this way. They don't have no compunctions on how they talk.
And again, words are important. Words are super important. But again, these are not good people. And some of them may be good people, but they've been fooled by evil people. And they're being used. And again, and I'm going to try to make my logic, but I'm not no longer catering that logic to you because that logic doesn't hit you. If you're all in for Trump, then you anti us.
Octavio Blanco (1:00:32)
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Yeah.
Led Black (1:00:45)
You know, and again, there's a guy in my building that I talk with, this guy doesn't, he's a Trump supporter, he doesn't know anything from Adam. I'm not gonna get mad at this guy, he's a hopeless, you know, dumbass. Nice guy, doesn't know anything, right? You know, he doesn't really know, doesn't follow it that way. But if you're seeing people getting deported, right, and you're posting, ha ha, or you're putting Ice Ice Baby on social media, you're putting Vanilla Ice, you know, that's fucked up.
Octavio Blanco (1:01:10)
Yeah.
Led Black (1:01:10)
That's
wrong. You're laughing at it. You're saying these things. That's wrong. You deserve some type of response for that, right? That's what I'm saying. I just think we can't play like we was playing before. We need to clean house. We need to get shit together.
Octavio Blanco (1:01:17)
Absolutely.
But it's so dangerous. It's
so dangerous when we get to the point of dehumanizing other people. And just the fact that they're dehumanizing our side, we should know that. I agree with a lot of what you're saying. think that everybody, Latinos for Trump, they should be shamed. mean, there should be something that...
Like what you're describing in the Handmaid's Tale where it's like you did this, you were wrong. But at the same time, that's different from a dehumanization that I think is what...
Led Black (1:02:00)
But I hate to say, hold
on. But I don't think, I really don't think saying they're a cancer is dehumanizing them. I'm sorry, I don't. I don't. And to be honest, I'm not even worried about their fucking feelings, to be honest. That's the problem, I think. We just wanna be so good, so good. And again, that's fine, but we need to have a country to save. There's not gonna be anything left. These people have done enough fucking damage.
Like enough, really. That's what I'm saying. It's not about the humanizing nobody. That's already been done from the other side. And they've taken people that are not, that just have a lot of hate and a lot of spite and no real intelligence. And they've weaponized that ignorance against the rest of the country. And they're making it worse for everybody. You know what mean? People are going to lose Medicaid pretty soon. Things are already bad in the cities. New York, you know how we live right here. You know how it is. They're only going to get worse when people start losing SNAP benefits.
You know, this is gonna and people voted for that They voted for that and then we're saying you shouldn't call them that what?
What? Like, that kind of thing, I just hate to say it, but I think that's what makes it work between you and I, that we're so opposite on that, right? But I don't think that's cutting, that's only shooting ourselves in the foot. That's fighting with one hand behind our back because we want to him because he's good. Ted Cruz, fuck Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz is a horrible person. All right, Octavio is pro Ted Cruz. That's the thing now.
Octavio Blanco (1:03:22)
I never said Ted Cruz was good. I just said he did.
Led Black (1:03:29)
Put that in the, put Octavio's Pro Ted Cruz. I'm gonna put Octavio Hart Ted Cruz.
Octavio Blanco (1:03:30)
Stop that. You know, I'm the editor.
Led Black (1:03:35)
That's what I'm.
Octavio Blanco (1:03:36)
There's no, you know I'm the editor here, that is gone. There's no freedom of expression on this episode. No, no, no, no, I hear you.
Led Black (1:03:36)
That's funny. No, I mean, I'm serious. I just feel we need to be honest, honest
about everything from this point forward. We are in the wilderness, right?
Octavio Blanco (1:03:53)
But in that
honesty, I also think we have to make sure that we're trying to be as careful in our language so that we can't be accused of demonizing or dehumanizing people because it's getting to the point, it's dangerous for people to go out and say what they want to say. Even if it's horrible, you should have the ability to get out there and say whatever you want to say. I don't have to...
Led Black (1:04:18)
Speak the truth and shame the devil.
Speak the truth and shame the devil. I'm sorry. Again, like you have to be able to say how you feel and call things out as they are. And the truth, again, I didn't say they were animals. I didn't say that. I'm saying that the movement that they represent, that they're a part of, is a cancer on the body politic of this country. Right. It was already bad. The system was already messed up. Biden sucked.
Octavio Blanco (1:04:24)
Fine.
Okay, okay, okay.
Yeah.
Led Black (1:04:49)
Biden sucked and Biden is the reason we're here. And that's another thing that we got to be honest about and Schumer and these people are Pelosi. They're part of the reason we're here too. And we need to be honest about all of that. We need to organize and not play with blinders. it's only, no, it's not just Trump, right? When Trump say Democrats suck, people hear that because it's true, right? That it's true. And the thing is like, that's why black American voters are so smart.
Octavio Blanco (1:05:05)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Led Black (1:05:18)
They're not fooled by that, right? Yeah, Biden sucks. Kamala means good, but this guy represents white supremacy in full tilt, right? Latinos, for some reason, because some of us have lost our mind, never thought about that. And now we've put ourselves in that predicament. So I'm about calling it out every single chance I get. And you can't take that away from me. You cannot. I will not allow you to take that joy of saying, I told you so. This is your fault.
Octavio Blanco (1:05:28)
Yeah.
Well...
I am
not taking that away from you and I agree with you and I'm joining you in that. It is your fault for doing that. fact, yeah, man, my BFF, Ted Cruz.
Led Black (1:05:55)
despite your utter love for Ted Cruz. But yeah.
That's gonna be the episode, Octavio loves Ted Cruz. Black and Blanco.
Octavio Blanco (1:06:06)
No.
Tell your story. Tell your story about about
about what was it? Was it your uncle?
Blah, you're so... All right, all right, all right. Because this guy, Laura, who's Dominican, doesn't look like you, Dominican.
Led Black (1:06:13)
Blanco's good. No, we'll say that for another day. I don't want to that story.
Octavio Blanco (1:06:25)
He looks like he took a, ⁓ no, he took a bleach bath. Yeah, he does not, yeah, he's very, very white, very white.
Led Black (1:06:26)
He's dark skinned. He's white. he's white.
You know, I think, and it's funny because in that book, by Paola Ramos, The Defectors you know, I think a lot of times, you know, there's things we bring from our home countries, you know, and sometimes, you know, it's a shame, you know, because it's like, that, you know, it's a shame that we've, we're hurting ourselves. Like, again, I'm just, I'm so heartbroken by that. Like, you know, again, like that, that the trauma that we're experiencing as a community, members of this community voted for it.
You know, and that shit is mind-blowing and hurtful at the end of the day. And there's people I know that are actively in the underworld, you know what mean? Voting to give cops immunity? Like, dude, you're actually doing shit that's illegal. You know what mean? I've gotten into arguments with people that they're actively selling on the block. they're like, are you voting for Trump, dumbass? You don't even probably have your papers in order. You know what mean? You're probably the first one to go.
Octavio Blanco (1:07:04)
Yeah.
Led Black (1:07:32)
know ICE is like the biggest police force in the world. Like it's the Gestapo, right? Like this is where we're at. And you want to, you know what mean? Like it's serious times. I think serious times demand seriousness on our part as well. We need to be serious about what we're facing and who we're up against.
Octavio Blanco (1:07:41)
It's getting, it's getting, it is, it is.
Yeah.
Yeah, no, I...
Led Black (1:07:54)
And it's like,
you know, again, you, I'm gonna make my argument, I'm gonna try to make a positive argument. And if you wanna fuck with that argument, you wanna come to this, I'll never say no. I'll never say you can't come back. I'll never say that. But I'm not trying to get you, I'm not actively trying to get you either. You know, I'm trying to tell the other people, the other Latinos, say, look, look what they did to us. You're gonna step up now, you're gonna think about community different, you're gonna vote in solidarity with black Americans because that's what you need to do. And progressive whites need to do the same thing.
Octavio Blanco (1:08:07)
Yeah.
Yeah.
By the way...
By the way, when you point
that way, you're pointing at me and the, can you hear me now? I was saying that when you point, you're pointing, their finger points at me. Like if I point it like this, I'm pointing at you. Is that how it shows on your screen?
Led Black (1:08:23)
Hold on, I can't hear you.
I'll get you now. Go ahead.
really? That's funny. I didn't know that. That's hilarious. I didn't even notice that.
No, because to me it just looks like you're pointing to the side. Yeah.
Octavio Blanco (1:08:44)
Like to the side. No, no, no. Okay. Good. Good.
Good. So who knows? But, but no, yeah, I, I, I look, I agree. I think that I liked what you just said. I liked, I liked what you just said. You, if you want to come back, you can come back.
I mean, we're gonna have to, I would like there to be like a process for you to get back. Like, for you to say like, you know what? Like there's gotta be a way, somewhere where you can be like, I was wrong. I was wrong. You know, I did the wrong.
Led Black (1:09:16)
I mean, I'll just take
coming back. like again, I just think...
Because again, a lot of these people are good people, But I'm just not begging you no more. If you come back, I'll accept you as you are because the more people, you we need more people anyway, right? This is an open community, right? But I'm just saying, I'm just not spending time thinking about you and I'm going to call it out for what it is at all times, right? Because again, this has accelerated the decline, right? This has accelerated China's dominance, right? This is going to be the China century because, you know, America fumbled the bag.
Octavio Blanco (1:09:42)
Yeah.
Led Black (1:09:50)
Completely and instead of going forward went backwards like totally backwards like we are living in the 1970s and people don't know that
Octavio Blanco (1:09:53)
Look.
Look at our back, look at our
own backyard in Latin America. A lot of those, those places are cozying or have cozied up to China, which is trying to near shore a lot of its operations so that they can, they can sell to the United States without having to.
Led Black (1:10:14)
But
that's exactly what I'm talking about. He is basically orchestrating the decline, but spectacularly. So for example, fast forward, so the H-1B visas, they're going to be $100,000 starting next week. $100,000 per person. But does it matter? Again, I know that. I know that.
Octavio Blanco (1:10:22)
Yeah, on Fast Forward.
Yeah.
Yeah.
For new ones, just so that people, but no, no, no, I'm just, no, but just there was a lot of confusion.
There was a lot of confusion. It's.
Led Black (1:10:43)
Right. There
was a confusion that they so could they didn't even know what they were saying because they had to clarify it. Right. They came out with it. They had to clarify because they're fucking horrible. Right. It's malevolent incompetence. Right. But what I'm saying is, you know, that America cannot function this way with the ones that it has. It needs new blood all the time. That's what technology is. So where are they going to go?
Octavio Blanco (1:10:46)
Yes, you're right. You're right. They had to clear. Yes. Yes. Yes. Malevolent.
And they're defunding education. They're
defunding education. So we can't even raise our own smart people. We have to import them and now it's gonna get super expensive.
Led Black (1:11:14)
And it's gonna get, so
it's, you know it's so funny, right? Like, you you read about revolutions in the past and you read about like brain drains, right? Like, so when Fidel comes to power, right, a lot of the upper class people weren't happy. So the doctors, the lawyers, the upper cross society left. It's a brain drain, right? But it's a revolution. You understand that. It's a revolution that comes in and new people in power, don't like them, you leave. But this is a brain drain for no reason, right? He's pushing.
the best and the smartest away. At a time when, and then taking the working people, the workers, the backbone, the immigrants, the people that do everything, they clean the toilets, fucking grow the food, The nannies to the children, the people that are doing the work, the workers, the backbone, you see, you're deporting them. And then you're not letting in the tech geniuses. It's just a recipe for disaster.
And it's crazy. It's really, really bad. And I just think people don't have no clue. People still think we're living in that, you know, the pre-Trump era. It's the Trump era. Trump ended everything.
Octavio Blanco (1:12:22)
Yeah, I mean, you're telling me, like, I got upended. I got everything upended, you know? So, you know, I guess what I was just trying to push you on is when we talk about people.
Led Black (1:12:28)
Yeah.
Octavio Blanco (1:12:39)
That we just be careful about the way that we describe people. That's all I'm saying. And I think that you made your point very well about what you feel. And I love the fact that you say, you know, if you want to come back, we'll welcome you with open arms.
Led Black (1:12:45)
Hmm?
Octavio Blanco (1:12:57)
If you've seen the light and you realize that your way of thinking was wrong and was hurtful and destructive to your own people and you want to come back and you want to leave that, good.
Led Black (1:13:12)
And it also comes from a place, right? And I want to qualify some of this stuff, right? Like because of the Uptown Collective, because I'm very anti-Trump, right? And I'm posting all the time. You know, I'm having DM conversations with people because I wanna talk.
I want to talk to people. Let's talk. Why are you a Trump supporter? And then we're going back and forth. And it's like, I'm giving you data and real things, and you're giving me nonsense. it's like, and almost every single conversation I have, because I've had plenty of these conversations online where I'm going back and forth with people just trying to engage, being friendly. Hey, why do you think that way? But we're people too. And it's people that are your own people. And then at some point, I realized the one that gets them every single time without fail is like,
What's the last book you read? Right? Now, now, what that's gotta do with it, you know what mean? Like, now you stuck, because they're not readers, right? I don't have a college education, but I'm a reader. I'm a learned individual, right? So it's not about going to college. It's about fucking reading and finding out about your environment and not taking it from social media and someone that you don't even know you're being manipulated. You know what I mean? So almost to a person, I go, what's the last book you read? That's when they, huh.
You know, yo, what's up? I don't need to read books, blah, blah, blah, blah. Because they're getting, they're going on social, they're falling down the rabbit hole. Like again, I get it. It is brainwashing, right? It is, I get it. But what I'm saying, that individual is lost. And it's wasting my time trying to placate this person, trying to talk to them nice. It's wasting my time. We need to take into the heavy lifting of trying to avoid a total catastrophe, right? We need to avoid that and we need to focus on the people that could still make a difference.
Right? And that goes back to my theory with like with heroin addicts. Like I'm going to bring it back to that. Like I always bring it back to that. Like why am I going to focus on the heroin addict that looks like, you know, he's never going to come back from this vicious, you know, addiction. Right. And now focus maybe the guy that just started or before they get into it. Right. So I'm not saying like we need to we need to prioritize things and we need to be really focused, laser focused on what moves our community forward. We need to be laser focused on
on really like talking points, right? This is what the real deal is, right? Because what happened is for so long, we had the kooky little Trump supporting person and we didn't say nothing, right? We let them rock with their nonsense. yeah, that's fine. you know, Tito, he's crazy, whatever. And we let them rock. We didn't say, yo, my man, Tito, what are you talking about? Like, you know what mean? That's what we need to do. We need to confront it and need to speak truth. again, it bothers, people are always gonna get high and bothered when you tell the truth. But we're not at a point we can avoid telling the truth anymore.
Octavio Blanco (1:15:41)
Yeah.
You're right. By the way,
There was one of my neighbors in my building got robbed today at 10 o'clock in the morning, right on the block. then the guy had a knife.
Led Black (1:16:00)
Outside?
Well,
like, what happened? Like, pulled out a knife on him? At 10 o'clock in the morning? By your building?
Octavio Blanco (1:16:08)
On her, yeah. So, in the morning.
your building on the block right right on I don't want to say the street just but ⁓
Led Black (1:16:17)
Rhythm. What?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's
wild.
Octavio Blanco (1:16:25)
You know, we're basically the same block, but yeah.
Led Black (1:16:29)
Yeah.
Octavio Blanco (1:16:30)
So just tell your people just to be careful because it's getting.
Led Black (1:16:31)
That's wild.
Octavio Blanco (1:16:37)
Like you're saying, it's getting realer. It's getting realer and it's gonna get realer. We are living in serious, serious times and we have to be, we do have to be serious. And I'm not saying not to challenge people who we disagree with. I'm saying challenge people who we disagree with if you can. But also, if you don't wanna waste your breath anymore, I totally understand that. But definitely like,
Led Black (1:17:00)
Mm.
Octavio Blanco (1:17:02)
keep pushing for what you believe, keep putting your message out there like you and I are doing and unafraid, try to be unafraid but the fact is there is reason to be afraid and we gotta be careful, we gotta be careful out there. So that's why I like why I'm like a little bit like.
Led Black (1:17:07)
for sure.
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Octavio Blanco (1:17:22)
pushing this narrative of watching how we speak about other people. Because you can disagree with people's opinions. Everybody has one. But nobody should be eliminated because of their opinions.
Led Black (1:17:39)
But
no one's pro-elimination of anyone because of their opinion, right? I've never said that. Right? I've never said that. But what I'm saying...
Octavio Blanco (1:17:44)
You've never said that. Well, but what
I'm worried about, you've never said that. I'm not accusing you of that. Just let's be clear, I'm not accusing you of that. The only thing that I do get concerned about is that because when people start to sort of dehumanize others, even if they don't say, know, even if they're not, that other people who are deranged, people who don't.
Led Black (1:17:52)
Yeah.
Where?
Octavio Blanco (1:18:09)
don't understand or who are have their own problems they sometimes take that as like the reason to do awful things and I think that's what
Led Black (1:18:19)
But what
I'm saying is like, again, it's like, I'm sorry. And if you support Trump, you're deranged. Sorry. Right? And if that means I'm, I don't think that's humanized. It's telling the truth. There's a difference. Like again, it's like, I think these niceties and all that, that's pretty nice, but we're not there anymore. we're like on the brink of losing it all. All. Right? Like that's how serious it is. And
We can't say that they're bad because they're feelings?
Octavio Blanco (1:18:48)
No, we
certainly can say that they're bad. I think we should say that they're bad.
Led Black (1:18:54)
So we have
to say what they are, right? Or we have to not tell the truth because their feelings are gonna get hurt. Like, I mean, I just don't understand. I don't understand. Like, again, we don't live in that world anymore. And we need to get over that world because it has gotten us to this point, right? You know, like, you can't put this all on Trump, right? The Democratic Party, since Clinton has basically sold out the working class.
Octavio Blanco (1:19:00)
No, but-
Led Black (1:19:19)
Right. China and I'm not a pro communist supporter. Right. China has invested in their people. Right. America has suspended in their wars and on the rich people. And this is where we're at right now. Right. And they don't care about about optics. They don't care about niceties. They don't care about none of that. They're steam rolling us and we're writing thought pieces and we're writing letters. Right. Right. And so what I'm saying is like
Octavio Blanco (1:19:44)
But they're strongly worded.
They are strongly worded.
Led Black (1:19:47)
the strongly
worded multiple pages back and front side, like double sided. But yeah, but again, I just feel like that's part of the problem. Like it almost sounds, I know you're not saying that, but it almost sounds like you're equating the two sides are the same, it's just different of opinion. No, no, one is fucking horrible and horrible and evil, and it is, and you're telling me don't call it evil because people don't like evil, people don't want to be called evil.
Octavio Blanco (1:19:51)
Yeah, and only
You
Led Black (1:20:15)
I don't care what evil people want to be called. They're evil. If you're engaged in this movement, it's an evil movement and it's destroying this country. And you may not see that. You may not have the word with all. You may be too deep into see that. But I have to say how it is. Right? We cast, we got to, we're sugar coating a piece of shit. For what reason? Right? Why are we putting sprinkles on it? It's shit. We should say it's shit, right?
Octavio Blanco (1:20:28)
Yeah, no, yeah, yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
Led Black (1:20:39)
Right? Right? I I think, right? Like, just think, I think we do,
I think we don't live in that world anymore. And the sooner we recognize that, the sooner we start again, cleaning house. We need to clean house. Kamala, bye. Biden, bye. Obama, bye. All of them need to go, right? You need to be about the people's agenda, not your donors. That needs to end. And all, all, all, all,
Octavio Blanco (1:20:44)
Yeah.
Led Black (1:21:06)
And we need to say, and many of the people, get rid of you too. Right? That needs to happen. We need to clean house. We really need to stock and see where we're at because we are far worse than we think. We are far deeper in this authoritarian takeover than we think. It's only eight months in. Eight months in, right? Nine months.
Octavio Blanco (1:21:26)
Yeah, and I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not arguing, I'm
not arguing a both sides situation. I hate that the false equivalency. I hate that when I, you know, when I was working in journalism, I just, I was so, would, I was the voice in the, I was one of, one of the few voices. I'm not gonna say that there weren't others, but.
Led Black (1:21:34)
Mm-hmm.
Octavio Blanco (1:21:51)
this false equivalency really did get us into this is what was the original sin of this whole situation we're in where it's like, but we need to give the other side the...
Led Black (1:22:01)
Yeah. Right.
False equivalency gave us the Charlie Kirk National Holiday.
Right? That's what happened. Right? Because we want to play this game. Well, it's a different opinion. No, no, it's not. And everything Trump says about the is all projection. And you need to be able to say that because then when we stop telling the truth is when we lose. And that's the reason because we weren't true. The reason we're in this situation because we haven't been truthful. Right? If the press had called Trump the racist that he was in 2016, we would not be here. We would not be here.
Octavio Blanco (1:22:08)
Yeah, that's what happened.
And they didn't want to
use the word racist for even though, even though the first thing that came out of his mouth was that Mexicans are rapists. That was the first thing he said. And some of them may be good people. And when those of us who were Mexican and Latino were like, yo, that is racist. Everybody's like, we can't use that word.
Led Black (1:22:44)
Mexican rapists and yeah, he said and some of them I believe may be good people Thanks, right
What's wrong
with you for calling him a racist? You're muddling the debate. I'm the brawn. Like, come on. Like, that's what saying. Like, he has been given just so... If they had done their job, we wouldn't be here. And we're here now, though. This is the second term. This might be the last, you know what mean? Like, I don't think he's gonna go freely. Like, again, like, everyone's like, we just gotta tough it out three more years. No, no, we may not get there.
Octavio Blanco (1:23:02)
Yeah ⁓
Led Black (1:23:27)
Like these people do not, they're gerrymandering, they're trying to do everything to take away the vote. This is where we're at. So what we call the other side is not a priority for me. My priority is telling the truth about the people that are up against us.
Octavio Blanco (1:23:34)
Yeah. Yeah.
In North Carolina.
In North Carolina, you have to bring an ID to vote. It's like...
You're right, there is a big movement to try to make sure that fewer and fewer people vote, especially people who are brown and black. But hopefully this experience, I don't know.
Led Black (1:24:01)
Mm-hmm.
Octavio Blanco (1:24:06)
I don't know if it will, but, and it can't just, we can't just hope. Like, I'm not gonna sit on my hands and just say, hopefully people will come to their senses. We need to make our arguments and we need to be out there. But hopefully some people will come to their senses and see that. I'm seeing some reporting in places where Latinos voted for Trump that there's a lot of disillusionment for what happened. That they're like, ⁓ well now I see
that that was wrong. ⁓ We'll see, we'll see. That's what I've seen on social media, what I've seen on some reporting out there that there's some like buyer's remorse amongst Latinos for Trump. I can only continue to do what we do, talk about these issues and hope that, you know.
Led Black (1:24:35)
Mm-hmm. Right?
Octavio Blanco (1:24:55)
And let's not forget about the people who never even went out to vote. The people who are on our side, but we're like, I don't need to, it's inconvenient for me to go at this hour. So I'll...
Led Black (1:25:10)
But you know again, I
blame that of the Democratic Party. I blame that of the Democratic Party for not giving people a reason to come out and vote. It's possible, Mamdani did it. Mamdani upset the whole political world with his victory because he gave a reason for people to vote. Democratic Party didn't do that.
They did not do that. Barack took all that enthusiasm, right, that we were had for changing America. And he just took it and said, no, don't worry, I got this. And we let him because we loved him so much, right? I was one of those people that I was like, wow, Barack. And now you're like, oh, wow, you were just playing us the whole time. know, Michelle giving fucking candies to George Bush, their best friends, their besties and shit. Like, what's happening here? I thought, you know what mean? So it's like, we've been betrayed.
by the democratic leadership. We need to be honest about that. And we need to be really like, look at the situation where we're at and be really, really honest. And everything needs to be just honest and above board at this point. Because we're in the wilderness for real.
Octavio Blanco (1:26:12)
Yeah. Yo, Led, it's an hour 30 that we've been on. We're tiptoeing into Joe Rogan, like three hour episode.
Led Black (1:26:21)
Yo, I'm good. I'm gonna
have dinner soon. So, you we can keep talking. I don't really care. You know what mean? But yeah, no, but I hear you, brother. But, you know, I'm really concerned. You know, I'm really concerned where, like, I think, you know, we're in a really bad situation. And I just think, I try to tell people that, you know, on a personal level every day, like, I try to convey...
the extent of where we're at, because we don't know where we're at, because most of us have never been here, right? You know what mean? But people that study this, people that have lived in other dictatorships, people that have seen it, they know. They can identify it. Like, Masha Gessen, they write for The New Yorker. They are super brilliant and astute. And I remember seeing something where they said, in Russia, we have a joke.
I thought we had hit rock bottom, then we heard knocking from below. Right? They know what this is and they see it happening again.
And I'm just, again, like that's what I'm saying, like that's why I think it's like I'm, shouting, there's a fire in the theater, cause there's a fire in the fucking theater. You know what I mean? And then you can't be like, there's a, there's a fire. There's some, might be a smoke disturbance. No, it's a fucking full on fire and we need to abandon the building, something. And another thing I would say, like I saw something today on Instagram that made a lot of sense, right? If you're going to have, I think people really need to prepare escape routes.
You know what mean? Like when you think it, you have to prepare. You can't just go to visa country if you're not from that country. You can't just stay there. Sometimes you have to round trip tickets. Like I think that's something people really need to think about. Like have you ever had to think that? In America, you may have to flee. That's true. It's real.
Octavio Blanco (1:28:02)
Yeah, mean definitely
people need to make sure that their passports are up to date and that they know where they're going to go, where they can travel with their passport. And if they have the opportunity of getting a second nationality like you and I...
Led Black (1:28:19)
citizenship, yep. You
should do that. Find out about work visa, Spain, Europe. Find out about those things now. Right, you should start the paperwork now. Maybe you never have to use it, right? Maybe, you know, maybe we avoid this perilous fate. But prepare. You should be thinking about it. You should really be thinking about the collapse.
Octavio Blanco (1:28:35)
Yeah.
Think about the collapse.