Dog In The Yard

Krayzie Bone, member of legendary rap group , Bone Thugs and Harmony, share his story of coming up in Cleveland running his street hustle and trying to make music. He opens up and tells never heard before stories of getting locked up for robbing and how prison life effected him and his music. He tells about seeing guys get thrown off balconies and stabbings right in front of him and how those experiences got him motivated to double down on taking a straighter path and focusing on just making great music. After getting out Bone Thugs were relentless and pushing to get thier music careers off the ground and day landed rap legend Eazy E as their producer and A&R legend Steve Lobel. Bone Thugs went on to be one of the most famous rap groups of all time. The worked with Tupac, Biggie Smalls, and Big Pun makes them the only group to pull off that trifecta in history! Enjoy this episode of Yard Talk.

OG Lepke grew up in the Crenshaw area of Los Angeles. He bounced between his mom and dad's homes as a kid and got into the street game early. He was attracted to the flash and sizzle of the street life. His Mom was a hippy who always had drugs around the house. Whether it was acid, weed, or mushrooms drugs were no different than having a candy dish out on the table. Lepke was so immune to it he once brought a bag of marijuana into his elementary school class for sho wand tell. He ended up like many gang bangers getting in trouble and doing time as a youth in YTS and eventually going to Mens central Jail in LA. Considered the Rikers Island of the west and to spending time up state at the legendary Folsom prison. He shares how the prison system is nothing more than a multi million dollar enterprise set up to keep people incarcerated versus truly helping felons become rehabilitated and a productive members of society. he has decided his life to this cause of helping those that are trying to overcome personal challenges whether its keeping someone from going to prison or helping those getting out of prison or trying to overcome an addiction issue. Lepke believes that we all need to have more positivity and love. Focusing on solutions not problems and having this be driven from within the neighborhoods and communities. Lepke is living proof that its never too late to turn your life around, take accountability and drive positive change.

He grew up in Long Beach and despite being bused to Texas every summer by his mom to get him away from the gangbanger life, Blue was having run ins with the law by age 12. He ended up doing time at each level of California's local and state judicial system. Going from Youth Detention Centers to Juvenile Camps to YTS (aka Gladiator school) and finally Solano State Prison, was like going from elementary, to middle, then high school and eventually ending up in the University. He never forgot his LBC and Crip roots. While locked up Blue dealt with the worst situations whether it was holding down the yard or having to deal with his close friend breaking the Crip code and stabbing him. Blues time in the hole actually helped turn his life around as he had to deal with all gang types and ethnic backgrounds. After getting out he had to deal with his daughter get into gang banging and his niece be murdered. This set him up for when he got out and started giving back and helping those from LBC learning to stay away from gang banging and out of jail. He eventually was hired by prestigious Long Beach Poly high school to help coach football. This built many deep and long term bonds with young men and their families many of which went on to play Division I football and even the NFL. Blue's new reputation landed him a new role where he's helping many organizations like USC, USD to the LAPD on how to help understand how help the youth from the inner cities and help the people in those neighborhoods to use the resources available to help themselves.

Blue believes current prison reform initiatives continue to fail because they don't address the problem. These programs are more important than ever and he is dedicated to helping make the changes needed to provide a second chance..

Big U is truly. a man that walks the talk. After growing up in the worst parts of Los Angeles like Compton's Crenshaw area. Big U ran the streets and hooked up with the Crips and was associated with the Rollin 60's and eventually becoming one of the most notorious people in LA gang life. After being convicted of multiple charges and going in and out of jail, he started playing the music game and built a real business and used his success and reputation to go back to the streets and set the youth straight about why doing crime is not with the time. He also began using his stature and influence to get the local authorities to realize that helping make the neighborhoods a safer place and by reducing all the injustice that gets put on minorities you get a people to believe there is a way out without being shot or arrested. He now runs the biggest non profit organization dedicated to black youth. Big U is a true legend of west coast urban culture. He was part of the early days of gang life and all the violence it came with. He eventually became the first person to bring the two most famous gangs the Bloods and Crips together and start working to create a safer and better life in the roughest neighborhoods. Big U raised his game in Hiphop and messed with everyone from Suge Knight and Death Row records and eventually Nipsey Hussle. Big U had a big influence on Nipsey's desire to give back to his hood (Crenshaw) and why it's important to help those young ones. U also helped Ving Rhames and extend his acting career. Through his efforts he has helped thousands kids to get off the streets and finish high school to hundreds of college grads and even through youth football getting 8 boys to the NFL

No one tells a story like Fat Joe, so don't miss out on the conclusion of Joe's crazy story of prison life and holding it down inside and out while doing his bid. He shows his love for the friends and family that helped him get through it as well as his respect and appreciation for those that did bids and came out on the other side as well as those still behind bars. Its a life no one wishes for and is not the place to spend your time on this earth.

Iconic rapper and Hip Hop legend Fat Joe, aka-Don Cartagena, shares his never told before experience behind bars. Joe talks about everything from getting advice from his close friends Pistol Pete and Lil Wayne along with other Terror Squad crew members on how to conduct himself while behind bars to the people that tried to shake him down and how he made sure that everyone in that jail knew he was not playing around. Joe is on fire during this -two part interview as he describes how he held down his cell block and ran things like a Don.

Chris Gotti was part of the Hip Hop revolution. He and his brother built Murder, Inc. into a power house music label. They helped propel the music genre throughout the 90's and 2000's. They worked with some of the biggest names in the biz from JaRule to Black Child to Ashanti. Then in 2003, he his brother along with many famous rappers get targeted by the NYPD's "Hip Hop" police. As a result of their connection with Kenneth "Supreme" Team McGriff the FBI and NYPD raided their office and indicted them on multiple charges related to money laundering. Chris breaks down what happened and how they spent years investigating on their own and spending more than $2M to get the best lawyers and private investigators. He shares stories about relationships and controversy past and present with Fat Joe The Game, and many others. Chris has always helped guys coming back from prison and given them the the opportunity to prove themselves back in society. Today he is focused on how the world of HipHop and more broadly the Black and Brown communities need to work together to fight the systemic racism that is built into every fiber of the US judicial system. As Chris says," We need to stop fighting with each other and focus the effort on the real problem. Unless you got the best most powerful lawyers money can buy, you have a 99% chance of getting screwed when being arrested or going to trial".

Gee spent more than half his life behind bars, but used all those lonely days ot learn how the law worked and how to better himself. He now spends every waking moment helping others. Whether it's helping convicted men fight their legal cases or getting someone reestablished into society or chauffeuring people that have health issues and can't take care of themselves. Gee give way more than he gets. And he likes it that way.

After 15 years and multiple bids, including a murder rap. Bobby is living out his dreams and no longer his nightmares. He figured out how to deal with the BS of day to day jail life. He had a bigger vision. He stayed focused and today he leads an organization that puts those newly released men to work and gives them the chance to live out their dreams free from the streets and the jail cells. Bobby is giving back everyday and getting the best reward in life, helping others. This man is truly a role model for everyone to follow.