After the Snow

RECAP: SNOWFALL SEASON 1, EPISODE 8 “BABY TEETH” Things have settled a bit for Rick and Dave as they’re both after several weeks of travel and impact. Rick shares insights from his most recent book “21 Keys of Success” and how it came to be. It’s the follow up to his first book, “Freeway Rick Ross: The Untold Autobiography” which was released 8 years ago this month. He recalls having demo copies of his book around the same time that his documentary “Freeway: Crack in the System” premiered. Rick shares that John Singleton, creator of Snowfall, was one of the first to pick up his autobiography, a demo copy at that. In this week’s episode, we find the crew anxious to take their first steps into the dope game. They have their newfound product on hand, and they’re ready to hit the streets… only thing is, they must build a team AND create the market. Rick recounts just how lucrative the game was. He had deals bringing in six-figure profits… and this was in the ‘80s! As entertaining as the episode was watching Leon and Kevin get their Costco on…giving away free samples to the community…Rick can’t help but note how the characters feel a bit disconnected from what street life really was like at this time. Rick continues to open up about where he was mentally and how being incarcerated never broke who he was and the freedom he desired. He outlines a few details of the case that got him locked up and how the system tried to play him to the left. The ends with the biggest cliffhanger to date which spawns a conversation with Rick discussing his relationship with Nipsey Hussle, despite the differences between their respective hoods. Tap in with us!

Well things have definitely turned up in this week’s recap of Snowfall Season 1, Episode 7. In this episode, Franklin and crew travel to Oakland, CA where they discover a new trend on the rise in the cocaine world… ROCK. Crack rock that is. Rick and Dave take a deep dive into the unfolding of Rick’s introduction into the dope game. Rick gives us an update of his past weekend in St. Louis for his latest exhibition fights which turns out to be somewhat of a full circle moment. He reveals that St. Louis was temporarily a place he once called home, and the first place he had ever been “busted” by the feds for drugs. He not only details the encounter, but walks us through how he learned to cook up rock and how much he paid.. which would still be a big deal today, almost 40 years later..Tune in.

Dave and Rick hold it down this week from Chicago and Atlanta. The hosts discuss S1 Ep6 of Snowfall and explore some interesting themes that come from watching this episode. Rick talks about how Franklin is sensing that some of his team may be dipping into the product and how difficult it can be to know when someone is using cocaine. They talk about the guest appearance by one of the hip-hop generation’s most iconic actors, Bokeem Woodbine, who plays Knees, the OG who gives Franklin the lowdown on the coke business. Dave and Rick talk about the idea that Knees shares: the FBI’s Cointelpro program destroyed the Black social and political movements of the 1960’s and how that is the root cause of the rise of violent street gangs in Los Angeles. Franklin is showing a remarkable level of determination to get his cocaine business going and Rick talks about some of this characteristics and motivations that led him to do what he did in the 1980’s. The idea in the show that the Mexicans were controlling the cocaine market in Los Angeles in the early to mid 1980’s is debunked and the hosts talk about how this diminishes the reality of how directly the government-backed flow of cocaine was into the heart of Black communities in Los Angeles and across the country.

The full After The Snow cast—Freeway Rick, Dave Mays and Brett Jeffries—are back together for this special episode. The crew are together in person for the first time while hosting After The Snow. They reveal that they are in the Inglewood section of Los Angeles and were on the set in Hollywood earlier in the day for the taping of the new Breakbeat podcast Top Billin’ With Bill Bellamy that will be launching in the next few weeks. Rick reports on his recent trip to Washington, DC and his first time going to a go-go there. This week’s episode covers S1 Ep5 of Snowfall, which is titled “seven-four,” a reference to the 4th of July holiday that takes place during the episode. Rick talks about how much gunfire would go off in the hood on this holiday and even how they would have fun shooting up “buckets” with some powerful weapons. Brett has similar memories of the holiday in Chicago and how the gunfire caused a lot of dog barking. The hosts talk about Franklin’s dad and how they felt when he walked off while the cops were jumping on Franklin outside of Uncle Jerome’s house. Viewers learn that Franklin’s dad is a former Black Panther and Rick talks about the presence in LA of the Black Panthers during the Watts Riots as well as his experience with other revolutionary organizations. They talk about the best way to handle police interactions and why police are often seen as the enemy to folks in the hood. More great conversations ensue so be sure to check out this classic episode.

After The Snow gets into S1 Ep4 of Snowfall. Rick talks about his recent visit to Chicago where he was able to re-unite with an old friend from prison who was part of the Larry Hoover case. Rick recalls his determination to get free despite having a life sentence. Dave informs the audience about Breakbeat’s upcoming Larry Hoover life story podcast series and provides an update on Larry Hoover’s current legal situation. Rick visits a vegan restaurant in Washington, DC and he and Dave discuss the idea of reviewing vegan spots around the country. In the show, Oso is recovering from a stab wound and Lucia uses cocaine to numb the pain. Rick points out that dentists used to use cocaine and then novocaine, a “cousin” of cocaine. Teddy has used his “super powers” to locate Alejandro’s rebel camp in the Nicaraguan jungle and somehow figures out that the kid there is a spy. Teddy forgets that he has a son, so Rick and Dave talk about their own experiences and how it can be necessary to make sacrifices when you are focused on pursuing your dreams. Franklin and Leon have a body in the trunk that suddenly awakens, reminding Dave of the opening scene from the movie Goodfellas. The hosts acknowledge the passing of actor Ray Liotta and talk about the recent school shooting in Texas.

This week After The Snow covers Season 1, Episode 3 of Snowfall. Our co-hosts Dave and Rick bring the listeners up to date on the latest happenings in their worlds. After Franklin got robbed and beaten at the end of the last episode, Rick advises not to “walk around with all your savings in a backpack.” Franklin is out to get his money back and recruits Leon and a local gangster to help. Rick talks about what the gang structure was like at this time and runs down all of the major housing projects in LA. Dave and Rick talk more about Oso and agree he is one of the most likable and loyal characters. Viewers learn that CIA agent/international drug trafficker Teddy has a new baby and may have to choose between his country and his family. The hosts comment on how Franklin thinks he can talk the guy who robbed him into giving up the location of his stolen cash.

In this week’s episode our co-hosts delve into Season 1, Episode 2 of Snowfall. The show continues to pick up steam as Franklin begins to move more completely into the drug business. Rick compares his start in the game to what we see happen with Franklin. The hosts talk about the Israeli gangster Avi and if Rick ever came in contact with anyone like him. The character Oso is highlighted and the hosts make note of the sense of morals that he brings to the show, stating that he doesn’t like that Lucia and Pedro are betraying their own family for money. Chicken milk bombs, drug house operations and the influx of the Mexican cartels in the cocaine business are all discussed—a lot of interesting stuff in this episode!

This week we take it back to where it all started. Our co-hosts Rick and Dave have watched the very first episode of Snowfall that originally came out in July of 2017. Created by one of Hip-Hop’s most legendary creatives, the late filmmaker John Singleton (RIP), Snowfall is absolutely one of the most authentically hip-hop tv shows the world has ever seen on a major network. Rick notes that he got his start with just a $50 cocaine rock, as opposed to the kilo that Franklin somehow manages to convince the drug/gun lord Avi to give him on consignment. And Franklin gets it for a price ($12,000) that was much lower than what it would have actually cost at that time. Rick remembers how everybody told him he wouldn’t be able to sell cocaine in his neighborhood of South Central, as it was a rich person’s drug at the time. Marijuana and “Sherman” (PCP) were the drugs of choice in the hood in the early 1980s. Franklin is a hustler, running the local Asian-owned corner store, where he tells his next door neighbor Melody that he doesn’t drink and that making money is the thing that motivates him. Rick shares an old saying he used to live by, “getting drunk can get you put in a trunk.” The hosts give a rundown on each of the main characters that viewers meet in this first episode. Leon is the wild young’un fresh out of jail who becomes Franklin’s trusted sidekick. The hosts share their thoughts on Uncle Jerome, Auntie Louie, CIA agent Teddy and Franklin’s mom Cissy. They also discuss Franklin’s next door neighbor Andre, an LAPD sergeant. Rick remembers just one Black police officer who they called “Action Jackson,” but says a police officer could never have gotten away with living in the neighborhood. Finally, Rick and Dave discuss all of the outstanding music selections that we hear in this episode. Rick tells the audience some of his favorite artists and songs from that era while remembering how he and his crew would throw parties and always had two staple artists on hand: Parliament-Funkadelic and Earth, Wind & Fire. Dave talks about growing up with a love for music, going to buy 45s and how this lead to him creating The Source.

The After The Snow podcasts celebrates its first guest from the cast of Snowfall! Rick and Dave welcome actress Christine Horn, who plays Black Diamond, a dangerous female bounty hunter, on the show. Rick talks about some of the actual women in the game that he remembers, including a crazy story about one named Stacy who would fight in the street with men. The crew weighs in on the dramatic ending to season 5 that took place last week, before getting into what’s being planned for season 6. Everyone agrees that we will likely see a lot more of Kane and learn more of his backstory next season. “But can you trust someone who you tried to kill?” Rick asks, before stating that he thinks Black Diamond and her partner Dallas should be taking Jerome and Louie’s spot going forward. Christine shares some behind the scenes stories of what it’s like on set when the show is being filmed and we learn why Skittles is the unofficial “cast candy.” Christine also shares the news that she will be a character on the new season of BMF, that is expected to be released later this year. She plays Mabel, a trusted friend and neighbor to the Flenory family. Stick with us at After The Snow! There is much more to come as the show continues to grow.

Our co-hosts convene to talk about the final episode of Snowfall Season 5. Rick joins from Boston, where he is busy promoting his cannabis company, LA Kingpin. Back in Chicago, where cannabis has also been legalized, Dave talks about the 4/20 cannabis event he attended last night, hosted by Vic Mensa, who just launched his own cannabis brand. The hosts share the big news: while the new season of Snowfall is over, After The Snow will be continuing to do podcasts every week, going back now to Season 1, Episode 1. While Dave is excited about how things played out in the final episode, Rick is still concerned that the show promotes too many stereotypes and leaves a lot of room for a more accurate depiction of life in South Central LA in the 1980s. Rick is overwhelmed by all of the espionage stuff (bank fraud, the KGB, etc). Dave likes the multiple layers the show is able to cover, balancing more serious, real issues with the action and drama. They talk about Teddy being exposed as rogue by Avi, who explains this provides a level of deniability for the CIA, which, in real life, many of us saw when journalist Gary Webb first broke the story of the CIA-crack cocaine connection in the 1990s. In the episode, Leon tells his crew about the new drug laws being designed to enslave the next generation of Black men, which Rick explains is detailed in his documentary, Freeway: Crack In The System, which you can see on Netflix now. Rick also shares the news that a former DEA agent, who actually worked on Rick’s case, recently contacted him and wants to be an ally. Rick and Dave agree this season had its ups and downs and talk about what to look for in the sixth and final season that F/X has announced will be coming.