Blocks w/ Neal Brennan

LL Cool J joins Neal Brennan to talk about what he wishes he knew sooner: knowing his value, learning how to lead, and being a better friend. They get into growing up in Queens, the family lessons that shaped him, getting his start in hip-hop in the late 1970s along with a (too) long list of legends, the writing behind songs like "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Rock the Bells," and the honest vulnerability behind “I Need Love.”  Plus: Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, Beastie Boys and Def Jam stories, the greatness of Bruce Lee, the business of touring, becoming a sex symbol and then an actor, and the night an intruder broke into his home. -------------------------- CHAPTERS 00:00 LL Cool J joins Neal 01:16 Opening up about his childhood 07:50 Lessons from his family 08:31 First turntables & the trappings of success 13:16 Discovering hip-hop 17:27 Def Jam & owning his music 18:57 Making demos & writing rhymes 23:09 Wanting to be seen 25:33 Representation & giving back 30:21 Sponsor: BetterHelp 32:29 Sponsor: CookUnity 35:10 Creative freedom & songwriting 36:13 I Need Love & vulnerability 40:53 Acting, working out & Bruce Lee 45:16 Building a career without a blueprint 48:08 Knowing your value & saying no 52:06 Comparing careers across generations 54:32 Why he avoided headlining tours 56:21 What makes a great live show 58:38 Sponsor: Mars Men 1:01:15 Sponsor: Ethos 1:03:18 Learning how to lead 1:08:16 Respect, manners & staying grounded 1:15:03 Learning how to be a friend 1:17:46 Becoming a sex symbol 1:20:13 The home invasion 1:26:05 Acting projects & wrap-up ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle ---------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors: Visit https://www.BetterHelp.com/NEAL to get 10% off your first month. Go to https://www.cookunity.com/NEAL or enter code NEAL before checkout for 50% off your first order.  For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at Mengotomars.com Go to https://www.Ethos.com/NEAL to get your free life insurance quote. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Soder returns to kick off the new I Wish I Knew premise on Blocks: the things people wish they'd figured out sooner.Dan gets into why being funny matters more for men than having abs, how cutting out industry middlemen is the best path to creative freedom, and why stealing from corporations is okay. In an update from his classic episode of Blocks, he shares how finding a letter from his sister changed the way he understood his dad leaving.Plus: exercise, eating, long butt cracks, hero worship, and how to not take everything personally. ---------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to  ⁨@DanSoder⁩  -------------------------- Chapters 00:00 New format: I Wish I Knew 01:58 Cutting out the comedy middlemen 05:37 Stealing from Bed Bath & Beyond 09:43 Doing bits with customer service 14:47 Sponsor: BetterHelp 16:20 Sponsor: Superpower 19:10 Body image: just get in the pool 20:17 Friendship, Instagram & anxiety 25:03 Personality, abs & attraction 35:25 Sponsor: CookUnity 37:46 Sponsor: Mars Men 40:18 Exercise & getting older 42:42 Still being a comedy fan 46:58 Your heroes are just people 49:13 Dan’s dad & wanting approval 54:17 Finding his sister’s letter 57:26 Understanding your parents 59:51 Sponsor: ZBiotics 1:01:21 Taking things less personally 1:04:45 Why read the comments? 1:06:32 Healthy relationships & handling rejection 1:11:10 Being wrong & saying “my bad” 1:12:43 Weed & moderation 1:14:52 Wrap-up ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle ---------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors: Visit https://www.BetterHelp.com/NEAL for 10% offHead to https://www.Superpower.com & use code NEAL for $50 offGo to https://www.CookUnity.com/NEAL or use code NEAL before checkout for 50% off your first weekHead to https://www.Zbiotics.com/NEAL and use code NEAL for 15% off your first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neal Brennan interviews James Sexton (Attorney, Author, Sexton Show) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks. Subscribe to James Sexton: @sextonshow 00:00 Intro 1:30 Fame 10:21 Childhood 14:29 Debate Skills 17:10 Trauma, Growth & Divorce Clients 23:47 Sponsor: FitBod 26:06 Sponsor: Aura 28:11 Tactical Mind vs. Emotions 35:12 The 8 Mile Strategy 41:27 What All Divorce Cases Have in Common 43:56 Social Media & Relationship Dissatisfaction 55:48 Sponsor: SuperPower 58:15 Sponsor: Mando 59:45 How to be vulnerable in relationships 1:05:00 Offense vs. Defense in Relationships 1:20:00 Why Most People Shouldn’t Be Together 1:31:28 F.A.P. ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle ---------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors: https://www.fitbod.me/NEAL for 25% off your subscription https://www.auraframes.com promo code NEAL for $45 off! https://www.superpower.com promo code TAKE20 for an additional $20 off https://www.shopmando.com promo code NEAL - new customers get 20% off sitewide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices