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On this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with actor, comedian, writer, sports reporter, podcast host, "international hero," hip-hop aficionado, and longtime friend of Talib -- Michael Rapaport. Get ready for a wild one here, with an interview as up-front, honest, and hilarious as any we've seen on People's Party. It kicks off with Mike growing up in New York during the 1980s, where for him "it was all about basketball, hip-hop, and talkin' shit," then moving to LA to do stand-up comedy, which evolved into an acting career, starring in movies like "Zebrahead" and "Higher Learning."

As the show progresses the trio find themselves in sometimes heated disagreements over a few things, such as the firing of the Shane Gillis from SNL, and how much is "too much" even in world of comedy, the use of the N-word, and Mike's controversial "ashy ankles" comment towards Kenya Moore.

Later, Mike speaks on the "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest," documentary he directed, and what it was like working with these legends on something so personal. He also talks about his meeting Dave Chappelle, his book "This Book Has Balls..", commentating for the "BIG3" league, and concludes with the story of how he saved hundreds of lives on a plane, garnering status of "international hero."

Check out the audio podcasts here:

Apple - https://applepodcasts.com/peoplesparty

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/peoplesparty

Interview timing:

6:02 -- Mike talks about growing up in New York during the 80's as "White Mike", and attending the same school as rapper Special Ed. Talib and Mike also trade stories about being young, and seeing legends like LL Cool J, and MC Lyte riding the subway during that time.

10:43 -- Mike speaks on his teenage years in New York, playing basketball in the projects, and being immersed in the hip hop scene. They also touch on his parody rap album "How To Rob An Actor".

18:35 -- Mike talks about his start in stand-up, and how that evolved into an acting career, landing his first big role in "Zebrahead".

24:06 -- Mike looks back on filming "Higher Learning", and the trio discusses his neo-nazi character and how racists have evolved from that time to where we are now with groups like the "Alt-Right", and whether the internet has done more to help or hurt the fight against the spread of white supremacy.

33:32 -- The trio debate over the SNL hiring and firing of Shane Gillis, as well as Dave Chappelle and Bill Burr's success in pushing comedy to it's limits, while avoiding backlash.

43:55 -- Mike asks Talib why he still uses the N-word, Talib explains why it's so important to watch what you say in certain situations, regardless of intentions. They also discuss Mike's role in the movie "True Romance".

52:27 -- Mike describes his experiences working with stars like Will Smith, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio, and speaks to the evident "it" factor that they possess.

58:08 -- Mike digs into the ATCQ documentary that he directed. They discuss his love for the group, expectations going in, how that changed as he dug deeper into their relationships.

1:06:24 -- Mike talks about his famous Instagram post in response to Laura Ingraham's "Shut up and dribble" comment.

1:14:50 -- Mike speaks about his appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" with Kenya Moore, calling her out for having "ashy ankles" after she called him an "old, fat white guy". Then the trio get into a lengthy and heated debate on whether or not his comments were out of line.

1:32:06 -- Mike responds to an article from "The Root", who falsely accused him of posting a picture of Kenya Moore next to a gorilla, and mentioned his criticism of Janet Jackson's relevance.

1:41:00 -- Talib tells Mike in further detail why he feels that these conversations about words, in regards to intentions and perceptions are so important, and Talib goes off on Barstool Sports, who have used underhanded trolling tactics in attempts to sabotage his career.

1:49:51 -- Mike speaks on how he met Dave Chappelle, who put him in the pilot episode of "Chapelle Show".

1:54:22 -- Mike talks about his father working at the radio station KTU, when Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" first hit the airwaves, sparking Mike's love for hip hop. He also reveals his favorite moment on his own podcast show "I Am Rapaport".

1:59:07 -- Mike talks about his book "This Book Has Balls: Sports Rants from the MVP of Talking Trash", and being a sports correspondent for the "BIG3" league.

2:03:24 -- Mike tells his story of how he stopped a guy from trying to open the emergency hatch on a plane during mid-flight, and being hailed as a hero.

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