Foxy Brown’s EMOTIONAL Interview! BK’s Don Diva TELLS ALL To Combat Jack — Jay-Z & Beyonce, Skin Color Insecurities, Hearing Loss Drama & How She Turned Into A BAD GIRL At 14
It’s the interview we’ve been waiting years to hear. Straight from the 34-year-old Brooklyn Don Diva’s mouth, we now know everything to set the record straight about rapper Foxy Brown and her relationships with her father and other men, changing the rap game as a brown skinned girl, her friendships with Lauryn Hill & Nicki Minaj, her mess-ups and the mature place she’s in now.
Check out the extremely emotional interview inside with the Combat Jack Show…
From her long time relationship with Jay-Z and the disgustingly false story about Jay that she NEVER told to how an educated good-girl became the queen of Ill Na Na at the tender age of 14…Foxy Brown is dishing ALL. In an interview with Combat Jack, who she goes way back with from when he was a lawyer in the business, Inga Marchand left it all on the table. She said she was saving all of her true story for Oprah, but flipped it and connected with her long time friend instead.
(Pictured above with Emily B. and Raekwon at last week’s Summer Jam XX) And we’re happy she did. Because this is the realest ish we’ve heard about Inga’s life…not just Foxy’s….ever. She’s been one of our idols since junior high, and from the interview, we learn that she was the same 14-year-old good girl as most of us before she met the intoxicating men of the streets. And her rap career made history from that point out.
It’s been a major 20 years for Fox Boogie in this business, and here’s highlights from how she gives her whole story on The Combat Jack Show:
On growing up as an educated good girl who turned "bad" with street guys:
"There was something that intrigued me about the projects. I didn’t come from that. I grew up in Park Slope in a brownstone. My parents were hard working Trinidadians and I was raised by an educator (my mother). My brothers were ball players. I used to go to my girlfriends’ houses in East NY and BedStuy after school (when I was like 14) and there would be the guys parked on the corner in the Mercedes 190 E. Witht he mesh tank tops. That’s the scene I would go to and that would be my escape."
On dating Haitian Jack (legendary gangster who stong-armed himself into Jimmy Henchman’s, Tupac’s, and Biggie’s circles) when she was just 14 and 15-years-old
"At that time, light skin chicks were in. I came in and changed that. I met him in East NY and he was like who is this dark shorty? Clear skin, hair is kinda good. I just knew OF the legend of "Haitian Jack." He took me to Jacob’s (Jacob the Jeweler) the first time we met. I started out EARLY. And once a good girl’s gone bad, she’s gone forever. But he was that street dude who could still take me to my meetings with Lyor Cohen and with American Express while he’s wearing his snakeskin boots. He always taught me to ‘stay in my mirrors’."
On growing up insecure about her dark skin
Lauryn [Hill] came in first as the dark skin chick on the scene. And the dark skin she represented was more natural and beautiful. Light skin, long hair…cool. No disrespect to light skin women. But when you see a bad, dark skin chocolate chick, it’s like Wow. I absolutely was not always comfortable in my skin. Lauryn and I used to talk about that all the time. I had the worst insecurity. My mother is very light skin from Trinidad and my brothers are too and I’m the only one in my family who is dark, besides my dad. My mom always tried to make me feel better by saying she wanted to go to the beach to get darker. But I think we all have that..even my nieces who are dark have that innate insecurity. I also always had keen features so…
On first discovering her power with rap
I discovered it when my dad up and left. My parents divorced and he left at a really early age. I have two brothers and I’m the baby. They tried t fill the void but couldn’t. When he left, he started getting high and it got really bad. I used to come off tour and roll up to his welding shop and he would be shriveled up sitting on a crate. And that hurt me. But he was still my King. When I look back at the guys I’ve dated, I picked some crazy ones. And it’s because I was rebelling. My pops just left…and left me to find out from these dudes how I should be treated. So I said, I’m going to flip it and do THEM dirty. So I got that power and got that nickname "Ill Na Na". And the statement that made when I was so young…. I had to get permission from the OG Foxy Brown to use her name. There’s no way I would use Pam Grier‘s name without asking her first. And she told me to take the name and make it bigger than her.
On who influenced her to start her hip hop career
I was totally into dancehall back then. Not even hip hop. But the only one who did it for me, who was the dark skinned one who was educated and had all the dudes on her and didn’t care what chicks said–was Roxanne Shante.
She’s my big sister to this day. No disrespect to other females, but Roxanne did it for me. It was the power she had–the crazy fur, the chocolate skin, and she would open her mouth and be so articulate. And at that moment I knew that’s what I wanted.
On physical abuse and not having a father shielding her from the harshness of the business
"Yeah, me and my girlfriends went through the same thing. We thought that was the guy who loved us, the ones who got physical. He’s getting physical so…
But I started to know that was wrong when I did the cover of New York Magazine in 2005. Four of us did it–Beyonce, myself, Star Jones and Teri Woods, the author. Not sure why they pulled us four, but they said we were all at the top of our game. Star and Beyonce had their dads there, Teri and I didn’t. We were asked if it made a difference that even though we’re all here in the same place in our careers, that we didn’t have our dads but Beyonce and STar did. Beyonce was asked if it helped having Mr. Knowles there taking all the shots and covering up your boo boos and saying "Oh it’s OK baby" when you got hurt. And instead of (like Foxy) having to take all the shots herself. And Beyonce said, "Absolutely." And she said it made her know which men to allow in next to her. The father sets the bar so high, so the dude knows what he has to measure up to be."
On if she made Jay relevant with "Aint No N*gga"
I always have to correct people about this. Jay was always Jay. He was that dude whether he was going out of town or on the streets. When I came in, I don’t think Jay saw past the streets and "Can’t Knock The Hustle." When my records crossed over and went pop and went #1 all over, like our "Aint No N*gga", the format of that record is so hip hop. It changed him. My allegiance to Jay is so real I just knew I had to be there and be on stage with him at his shows. I’ll always do that.
On her current relationship with Jay-Z
Jay doesn’t allow ANYONE around him who causes discord. That’s why he is where he is now. When I read his book Decoded, I said, if there’s any young black dude out here who doesn’t look up to this dude, something’s wrong. He’s a street dude and he took the shots. And he’s leading by example. I didn’t have a female to say to me "this is what it is" while I was coming up. So I tell every young dude to pick up this book. The first thing Jay did when he was named President of Def Jam, he reached back and signed me–the person who he started with. He’s never said not one bad thing about me. So when that false story came out about me talking about him, it’s like, why would I say those things about him?
On the completely fabricated story about Foxy supposedly speaking badly about Jay and Beyonce in a book
"I stood up for him and Bey because I love both of them. That took me back. I was ready to lace my Timbs up and go back to old Inga because it was so disrespectful. The slander. It was disrespectful to me and all of the people who have done things for me. Do you understand I can hear now because of Jay-Z?" [Foxy got emotional and broke down and said she needed to go to a break]
"….People believed something that wasn’t even a story, it never was said. It’s not about immortalizing Jay, it’s about me having a reputation. I’m always coy about my personal life. There was no story, no audio, no interview….just someone maybe in Milwaukee somewhere just made up some story. When a story is saying YOU said someone like transvestites and someone gave you Herpes…when you’re insulting people’s families that’s a different level. Jay-Z is someone who I love and respect dearly and he’s always been nothing but great to me and my family period. Beyonce has been nothing but classy and sweet and loving and respectful to me. Those are my friends. They were disrespected. I was disrespected.
I come from a time of real journalism and now, this new day in age someone can just sit behind a computer and say whatever. Even the tone of the article was so ill-written. The words and grammar used, it’s not even me. My mom is an educator. And anyone who knows me knew immediately I don’t speak like that. And all these little hip hop sites just ran with it…"
On her longtime friendship with Nicki Minaj
"She and I had a conversation because I see so much of me in her. I said, "I took the shots….I kicked the doors down and opened them back up…I did the jail time…and I’ve made a ton of mistakes." I sit back and laugh at all these girls calling themselves a "bad girl." And no shots at Rihanna. I love her and she supported me when she posted that pic of me and Kate Moss for W from a long time ago. I was a REAL bad girl. I took the shots. I was sassy and wouldn’t take any sh*t from anyone. It wasn’t concocted and it wasn’t fake. So I tell Nicki she doesn’t have to do that. Lil Kim and I came in and changed the landscape. There have been many girls after that who have tried to do the same thing. But they’re coming out with a group of guys and just putting on a bikini. So I tell Nicki she doesn’t have to do all that, she’s amazing and talented. She can do it herself."
On losing her hearing
The next morning after finalizing her and Jay’s "Come Fly With Me" track, it was being sent to Z100 and they were gearing up to shoot the video in 2 days–which she knew would be their biggest track: [Very emotional] "I woke up the next morning and couldn’t hear anything. Jay is the first person I told. We had what we knew what be the biggest pop record, and we couldn’t tell anybody. We had just shot the cover of XXL–President Carter and his cabinet. Foxy, LeBron, Kanye, us four on the cover and I was the first lady. Jay said he’s going to put his entire life…." [Foxy breaks down again]
It was a quiet that will drive your crazy. I had to mentally flip it to my advantage and make it work for me. I knew I would never find that type of quiet peace with hearing, so I would read and let it soak in. I told Jay I lost my hearing the morning of my aunt’s funeral who died from cancer. Jay was leaving the country that day but he came to the funeral anyway. I got on my knees and prayed since my relationship with God supersedes all of this. I felt like I let everybody down. Jay whispered something in my ear and I had to tell him I couldn’t hear him. I had to eulogize my favorite aunt that day and I had to tell him I couldn’t go in there. I’ve never seen him that emotional before. He said I need to man up RIGHT NOW and go back into that funeral. I had to soldier up. I even had to read the lips of my family–everyone was talking to me at this funeral and I couldn’t hear them and they didn’t know.
Here’s the full 2 hour+ audio below. She also speaks on what she learned from her stint in jail, why she hates blogs who just say anything, and more.
Photos: Team Foxy Brown’s Instagram/Foxy Brown’s Instagram
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Original Post Source – http://www.theybf.com/
Entrepreneur
Award Winning Entrepreneur Mama Sue Taylor Talks Being A Cannabis Pioneer & Resource For The Elderly Community
Sue Taylor “Mama Sue”, is a pioneer in the space of wellness and cannabis. Breaking barriers as the first black woman to open and operate a dispensary in Berkeley, California, she has been featured in Forbes, CNN, ABC7, Black Enterprise, MSN and several other publications sharing her incredible journey through cannabis. As she is one of the most influential women in cannabis she continues to utilize her platform to debunk any negativity surrounding the healing plant. As a mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, and advocate, Sue Taylor has made it her mission to be a resource to the elderly community through her Mama Sue Wellness tinctures and series of educational events.
I had the pleasure and honor of speaking with Sue after she was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award from Grammy Award Winning singer Erykah Badu at the 2024 Women in Cannabis Awards. Check it out below.
Sue Taylor Interview
What does it mean to you being a cannabis advocate and how did you get your start in the cannabis industry?
Sue Taylor: If someone had told me 17 years ago that I would be working in the cannabis industry I would have never believed them. I did not choose this, it chose me. My son lured me into the business by convincing me that this is a way for me to have my spiritual wellness center that I have always wanted and that intrigued me. I saw that it was needed because of how I took care of my body when I began to age and I knew the pharmaceutical approach wasn’t working way back then. As I said yes to work with Cannabis, I was actually scared and frightened by it due to the movie Reefer Madness. People in my generation were always told weed was a drug and it was always black people or hispanics and the weed devil and a lot of craziness.
This deterred my generation from cannabis because we simply do not break rules and it was deemed federally illegal. As an African American woman you know there is a stigma around us. I am already judged for being a black woman and I don’t want to be judged again! Being black I am judged everyday even still to this day, so to be taking on something that is extremely stigmatized was scary. But when my son told me I could have my Sue Taylor Wellness facility, I said okay let’s give it a try. Even though I was scared, I knew it was something I had to do to improve the quality of my life. If your dream doesn’t scare you a little bit your dream is not big enough. I was so scared but I was not willing to give up, which has allowed me to live my dream in real time.
Not only are you a cannabis advocate but you are also a pioneer. Can you share with me your vision for your Farmacy dispensary as you are the first and only black woman to own and operate a dispensary in Berkeley?
ST: The journey to opening Farmacy Berkeley was not an easy one. It took us 17 years to get things going. However, I was granted a permit to open Farmacy Berkeley because I had a special niche. Mine was geared to the needs of seniors. I also did my own lobbying to the city council and the mayor. I did it because we really didn’t have the money to do it and we are not equity people. We used our family’s money to get things accomplished. I had another key component Brittany that I want to share. When I went in, they could see that I genuinely cared for humankind. It wasn’t about me. And it really wasn’t just about cannabis. I just saw cannabis as one tool to help people. My pioneer work has helped with the stigma that surrounds cannabis. Recently I received the Lifetime Achievement at the Women in Cannabis Awards for my advocacy work and have also received an advocacy award from Oaksterdam University.
I have been very successful at helping to eliminate the stigma because I don’t fit the mold. I’m a former Catholic school principal. I am also a commissioner on aging. I was the commissioner on aging for Alameda County, where Farmacy Berkeley is located. On top of that, I am certified by the state of California to teach the cannabis program to nurses and help them obtain credits toward the yearly certifications that they need. I’ve had that certification for five years or more. It’s amazing to do that. It has been quite a journey for me. I have also been successful simply because I genuinely care.
When we opened up Farmacy Berkeley, we were open for one month, then the pandemic stopped everything. They sent all seniors home because people were afraid I was going to get covid. So we went away from it and then came back. But before I really got into business, I was teaching seniors. I had a community room where I would educate seniors free of charge, just come in and talk. I even did meditation classes. I did a lot of things there as well. Then that all stopped because of the pandemic. But I want you to be clear on this, we were opened up after we got the license.
How did Cannabis change your life?
ST: When I saw the way cannabis was positively impacting the lives of everyone around me that I was working with, that’s when I became open to cannabis. When I started off, I would not touch it, I was simply just doing the work. But after time, people kept coming to me saying that they were no longer using canes, wheelchairs or medication anymore. Seeing the progress in those people, I began to change my mind and became open to cannabis to help with pain or to help me sleep.
I started to think “maybe my son was right this whole time”. I thought he was on drugs, but when I found out what he was doing things changed. He was attending Oaksterdam University learning the entrepreneur side of cannabis. 17 years ago, there were only dispensaries for medical patients and only three in the Berkeley area making the rules a lot stricter. Its incredible how much growth there has been in the industry and the opportunities it’s presenting in helping others, especially seniors. I continued to do the work, myself along with the many hardworking individuals in the cannabis industry see the benefits of being in the business.
What is your mission for helping the elderly connect to cannabis as you have your Mama Sue Wellness products that are specifically geared toward seniors?
ST: Those products were made with love for a group of people that most people have forgotten about. This means everything to me to be able to have wellness products that cater to my demographic.
Seniors mostly come to cannabis for two reasons, because they can’t sleep or they’re in pain. Thats what each tincture was crafted to help with, we have a sleep tincture made with high CBN and CBD and an extra strength tincture which is high-CBD to help with aches and pain. And we have more products coming very soon. These were made with seniors in mind, but I think I might have more young people using the Mama Sue products for sleep and anxiety because the relief tincture, you could use that during the day and still function. They won’t get you high.
What has it been like working with Glass House Brands?
ST: I’ve been a part of Glass House, for a little over 4 years. What many people don’t know is that in the process of building Farmacy Berkeley, we ran out of money. That is when Kyle, Graham and the Glass House team came in, we became partners and they put up the remainder of the money to help build out the dispensary to my specifications. Glass House also helped me develop my tincture products that I’ve always wanted, Mama Sue Wellness. They aligned with my values and are doing things right, that’s why I chose them.
I’m grateful to be part of the Glass House team, they really support my mission in helping change the stigma around cannabis. As a Brand Ambassador we work together to put together these educational events, I travel to our different dispensaries where I get to speak and answer questions for local seniors one on one.
You mentioned your Mama Sue products and how they’re kind of more so geared toward the senior community. What do you feel like is the most important thing about wellness when it comes to cannabis and debunking these misconceptions?
ST: To begin, it depends on the group of people you are talking to. For instance, when me and my fellow cannabis advocates needed to get something done as a cannabis group going up against the city and state, they would always suggest sending me to speak on the group’s behalf. They thought it was like some magic or something, but let me tell you what it was, Brittany. I looked at the cannabis industry and I looked at most of the people who were in that industry at that time. They looked like stoners. I did not. And I was not. And I made a conscious decision that every time I was representing cannabis, I would look like a lawyer. And that’s who they met. They said, oh, you are in the wrong place, lady. I said, no, I’m here for cannabis. I didn’t fit the mold. Brittany, when they looked at me, I didn’t fit their perception of what people who used cannabis look like. Does that make sense?
I know that recently you and Dreka Gates got a chance to connect, can you share the synergy and connection you two ladies share?
ST: It was amazing. It was one of my most amazing ‘Plants Over Pills’ interviews because we connected on so many levels, so many levels. I’ve never met a young person like that, that’s spiritually evolved like her, because she’s young, you know she’s young, she’s only 37. And we just talked like we knew each other. Wait till you see the interview, it’s on the Glass House YouTube channel. I’ve never conducted an interview like that before. The camera crew was saying, oh my God, they were amazed at how easily we connected, and we just kept talking and talking. We connected on such a high level, we’re both spiritual people, we’ve been through a lot, we believe in plant medicine for healing, and she’s now even opening her first dispensary in Mississippi. Dreka talks about all the challenges she went through to secure the permit. We had trouble in California and we’re the most progressive state there is, I can’t imagine Mississippi. We bonded over all of that, opening our first dispensary and our vision to expanding that into our wellness facilities.
What has been your experience with pills versus plants for healing?
ST: They tried to give me a pill during the pandemic. I’m a spiritual person, and I had anxiety and was having difficult nights of sleep, had so much fear, all that kind of stuff. So, I went to my doctor and she prescribed me pills. I said, you know, I’m not a pill taker. But for some reason she insisted that I just take it. So I took the pills home, I looked it up and researched them before I popped anything. You know what it said on the bottle, they were to help with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia! I called her immediately and relayed my findings to her. You know what her response to me was? Why are you questioning me? You are not a doctor. She said, I give that to all my patients that have anxiety. You know what my response to her was? “I am not all your patients, and I don’t take a pill for anything. You know that I don’t take a pill to manage my health so why would you give me something for schizophrenics? I am not schizophrenic.” So that was it. I had to start looking out for my own health, and wellbeing.
I always make this disclaimer, pills have their place. Pharmaceuticals are not bad. They are not bad for people who need them. Pharmaceutical drugs were made for temporary use. If you get into a car accident or going into operation for eight hours, yes pills are helpful. But most people are using pharmaceuticals just to manage their day to day lives. Like with high blood pressure, with high cholesterol, with even anxiety.You start taking pills for an operation, then you have high blood pressure, then 10, 15 years later, you’re still on those same pills and more. That’s not okay. We have to stay educated about our health and thankfully, our younger generation are getting better at understanding that. The younger generation just doesn’t take what people tell them. You guys research everything. I have three sons so I’m surrounded by all the young people all the time and they keep me sharp.
I just met another guy, he’s gonna open up a wellness facility because everybody is seeing the light, popping a pill is not going to get you healthy. If anything, it’s gonna deteriorate your body because it’s all about the money. Pharmaceutical approach to healthcare. They give politicians money so they continue to push pills on us. We have to look beyond. We have to think for ourselves and find more natural ways to heal and care for bodies, mind and spirit.
Brittany, as I look at your beautiful face today, with that beautiful skin, that beautiful complexion, you have to go within and do what’s best for Brittany. I don’t care what the doctors try to tell you. Trust yourself first, always.
To learn more about Mama Sue Taylor and her journey through cannabis, follow her on Instagram at @suetaylorwellness.
Not everyone can be a winner. Detroit native and hip-hop sensation 42 Dugg is back with a fiery new single, Win Wit Us. The track, a precursor to his highly anticipated album 4eva Us, Neva Them, showcases Dugg’s signature style and lyrical prowess. In the brand new single, produced by FLEXONTHEBEAT, TyMaz, and Marshak, Dugg calls out those who try to ride his wave without putting in the work, cementing his stance in the rap game. The release is accompanied by an official music video directed by Counter Point, where Dugg and his crew dominate the streets and clubs of Detroit, visually reinforcing his message of loyalty and resilience. Dugg raps in the hard-hitting track:
All of sudden they wanna win wit us / But ain’t spin with us.
Dugg previously teased this new era of his music with a trailer featuring Hill Harper, further building anticipation among his fans. “Win Wit Us” follows a series of recent hits including Wock N Red, SpinDatBac, and Go Again. Earlier this year, Dugg made a triumphant return to the stage with a sold-out “Welcome Home” show at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, featuring appearances by superstars like Meek Mill, Yo Gotti, Lil Baby, and more. Notably, the event saw Dugg unite Detroit’s rival hip-hop factions, Doughboyz Cashout and Team Eastside, in a historic move to end the city’s East-West beef. Fans can expect even more groundbreaking music from Dugg as he gears up for his upcoming album. Don’t miss out on the latest single available for streaming here and watch the music video below. Link up with 42 Dugg on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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