Happy (Early) New Year! We’re dropping into your feeds early this week with a special Season 2 finale episode. In this marathon of a year, we talk through our personal lessons of the year before getting into all the culture moments that brought us joy in 2021. Because if there’s one thing Omarion’s not gonna do, it’s stop us from celebrating all the fabulous Black women and culture movers who gave us life in this wild year. We get into everything from our favorite Verzuz battles to the best viral internet moments (shoutout to Oprah’s Meghan Markle interview), our favorite albums of the year, songs, movies, TV shows and so much more. So grab yourself a little weighted blanket and tap in!
Okay, ‘21 Was Savage
Scottie Beam You're listening to, OK, Now Listen, a biweekly show where we chat about what's on our minds, what we're bingeing and what's blowing up our timelines. I'm Scottie Beam, media personality content creator, music enthusiast and still on a detox.
Sylvia O'Bell And I'm Sylvia O’Bell, culture writer, host, producer and lover of Beyoncé, who I'm afraid I'll never get to see live again at this rate.
Scottie Beam Child because they talking, sis. They are talking. You’re never getting anything from Beyoncé.
Sylvia O'Bell Beyoncé, please, everybody be quiet. Relax, shut up!
Scottie Beam Shut up!
Sylvia O’Bell Y’all know how our queen get. Please do not test her, she just wants to be with them babies and her 5011 children if you let her. We’ll get Ivy Park line after Ivy Park line and that’s it. If y’all don’t stop and let her surprise us, Okay? Thank you.
Scottie Beam Thank you, Sylvia, for that.
Sylvia O’Bell All right. If y’all don’t remember nothing else. I can’t go another year without no Beyoncé album.
Scottie Beam Child, keep your mouth shut.
Sylvia O'Bell But, speaking of going another year, Scottie. 2021
Scottie Beam Yeah.
Sylvia O’Bell The end is here.
Scottie Beam Yes.
Sylvia O’Bell The end is here.
Scottie Beam Yes.
Sylvia O’Bell We have seemingly survived, so they say, another year.
Scottie Beam By the grace of God.
Sylvia O'Bell I am happy that we are both here, sis. It's been a wild ride.
Scottie Beam It's been a wild year. A very wild one, especially coming from 2020. 2021 was different and the same at the same time, especially now during this December time, things is getting a little sticky.
Sylvia O'Bell It’s looking like we going right back to what we did last Christmas.
Scottie Beam It’s looking like another lockdown.
Sylvia O'Bell And this is what happened last year, and it's always, I said dang, that those of us who had birthdays from December to February last year, were we the only ones who got that pre-pandemic birthday because we'll never get one again.
Scottie Beam That’s probably it. That’s probably it. Sylvia, deadass, that’s probably it.
Sylvia O'Bell I’m like, every year, just when it was about to be my turn again it’s like, “Oh, nope. Lockdown.”
Scottie Beam Yeah, so I get that. But I mean, we did do a lot of great things. I feel like we've, me and you. We really took the world by storm, child. We was out here just killing shit out here in the kind of streets, kind of in the streets, but vaccinated streets, we was out there.
Sylvia O’Bell Once we got our shots, we was like, let’s do it. Once we got the jab.
Scottie Beam We was like, let’s test this child!
Sylvia O'Bell You know, let's see what we can do. Cause we definitely launched this podcast, as you all know, in the in the top of the lockdown.
Scottie Beam In the pandemic.
Sylvia O'Bell So you're two was our chance to try to tiptoe where we could. And also just kind of get to see and experience the response and recognition like, we came out the gate hot with New York Times! With the New York Times feature, in print!
Scottie Beam In print!
Sylvia O’Bell They took our photos.
Scottie Beam I never. It was so exciting!
Sylvia O’Bell Via facetime because that’s how deep in the pandemic we still were when we took those pictures.
Scottie Beam Yes we were. We were in Essence.
Sylvia O'Bell We were in the Essence spread, in the magazine, which is so - to me, starting as an Essence Intern, and like, Essence always being my dream job, like,
Scottie Beam Full circle.
Sylvia O’Bell And I just, I think for me, the height of my hope at Essence was like a cover story. Once I got like my Essence cover story, I said, that's it. That's the top. Never did I imagine myself being in Essence, that I could go from, like, write an Essence, cover to being inside of an Essence profile all within less than 12 months is like wild to me. And like, that still is like such a, something I hold dear.
Scottie Beam That was definitely a first for me, so I was out my skin excited. I've never even thought about the possibility of that, so I thought that was really, really amazing to see. And I also got to record with you in person, which I've always wanted, which was our plan in the beginning before the pandemic. I love recording in the studio. I love the chemistry that we have. We still have it on Zoom, but, you know, when I'm able to see my friend like physically, I feel it, I feel the energy, it just feels - I had a great time. I was very happy about it. So, yeah, that was great. What are some of your like, personal reflections during this year?
Sylvia O'Bell Yeah, I think while we had our professional goals, right, like, just being celebrated in the podcast and like, Get You a Me, oh, I even did TV like, Soul of a Nation, I almost forgot, like being on ABC Prime time was wild, but like while those things were great, like, I also feel like there was so much personal growth for me this year. I got back into therapy at the top of the pandemic like a lot of people did, child, cause I said it’s going to be God, me and my therapist, child, to get through this. And I think what 2020 was as far as like, doing the work on myself, I feel like 2021 was like, OK, now let's put it into practice. Like I, I feel like 2021 taught me like, you grew in your time of isolation. But how does that look like an exercise in practice, and like, I think in a lot of ways, there was a lot of closure for me in 2021 like, I think, you know that quote, where they say, “There’s the years that ask questions and there’s the years that answer?” I feel like I got a lot of answers in 2021. Like, maybe too many child, but there was a lot. Especially after everybody got vaccinated. I feel like everybody was coming out of the woodworks, you know, like making their apologies. Trying to get right with life, like trying to whatever. And I found myself having to weed through a lot of people, closed doors on a lot of relationships and like,
Scottie Beam That’s right, Amen!
Sylvia O’Bell Put like a ending bookmark on a lot of chapters and whatever in my life. And I think that that felt very liberating. The big thing I felt like this year was, practically, for me, like emotionally prioritizing myself. I learned a lot in therapy that I mostly, I prioritize the emotions of others over myself. I am a recovering people pleaser, but I still have that habit of not thinking, “What does Sylvia need?” first and how to set boundaries that reflect that with the people in my life who I may care about. But it opened the door for a lot of new growth. It opened the door for me to like, feel like I can put fear aside, on the personal side of my life and put myself back out there in dating and, you know, see what that brings and see how that goes. And I'm really glad that sometimes life shows you that once you close the door on a lot of things that do not serve you anymore, like God will really open the door. Two or three that will be just like what you've been waiting for or looking for and all of those things. And I think it's a really beautiful lesson. And I think that I'm glad that God made a lot of things, took a lot of this terrible situation and made it for good in my life, and in yours, I believe. I’ll let you share, maybe, what you think some of your good was this year, or growth was, or even any just personal lessons.
Scottie Beam Yeah, I… First, I'm very grateful for all the work that I've been doing, the partnerships and campaigns that I've been doing with Target and Beats and Hunter and being on a list for Ulta.
Sylvia O’Bell Yes, Ulta!
Scottie Beam Yeah, Ulta’s, one of the 100 inspirational voices and you know, I am very, very proud of those moments. But one of my growth moments was like trying not to let that be my highlight of my year because I often prioritize my career over personal things. I, that's how I work. That's how I move. That's how I move forward. That's how I think my future is pretty much based on my career. So I've decided, like last year, well this year too, actually, to not do that, be in the moment, you know, prioritize moments that don't involve working. And one of those moments had to be a road trip that I took for my anniversary. I think that was very beautiful because that's one of the things that I said that I wanted to do and Keaton and I really was like, I want to do it. I want to do it. I never got a chance to do it for years, and I got to do that. Even though it was a short one, it was something that I needed to remind myself that these are actually the moments that you think about, often, that you should want to think about, often, that give you the most peace. And that was definitely a very peaceful moment to me. So, yeah, I got to change what joy looks like, you know, change my list a little bit. My joy in the beginning was set on how many jobs I can book, how much money I can make. And although those things are amazing and trust me, I am still working, girls and boys,
Sylvia O’Bell It just won’t be by itself, but it’ll still be on the list!
Scottie Beam Right. But it's OK to rearrange that list and add on to that list. It doesn't mean that these other things are distractions, they're not. They're just adding on to joy. And so that is like getting this dog. I love this child. I am going to get emotional.
Sylvia O’Bell It wouldn’t be the first time, girl! Nina, that’s your baby.
Scottie Beam Although this child is a headache and I can't stand this child, girl, we be arguing. But, because of this dog, I am starting to think outside of work. And that, and think about family and thinking about future planning and things. I don't think about these things, I wish I could tell you. I don't think about these things often. I kind of think I'm going to be a terrible mother, but I know what this dog, child, come on. You know, I forget to feed myself. I know for a fact. But with this dog, it just started the conversation for me to start thinking about other responsibilities that I may, I possibly can take on because I thought that I couldn't do it with a dog, and bitch I'm doing it. Because the first month I was about to call that shelter right back up and be like, “Hey, do y’all do pick ups?”
Sylvia O’Bell [laughing] Do y’all do pickups.
Scottie Beam So I am so blessed for that. I am blessed to go to L.A. I was freaking out. Sylvia child can tell you, let her be the witness. I was crying about it. I was kicking and screaming about it. I didn't want to do it.
Sylvia O’Bell Almost canceled the flight, Lord.
Scottie Beam Almost canceled the flight, OK? I was afraid, all up to the moment of like, the middle of the trip of L.A. I was afraid, but I really did have a great time. I missed my friends.
Sylvia O’Bell Yeah we missed you.
Scottie Beam I missed having y’all around. I missed, you know, laughing in y’all face. I missed all of that. I missed it all. I missed it. And I feel like that piece of me that sometimes I feel is gone or something where, you know, I have a sense of humor and everybody knows that, but sometimes I feel like I after the pandemic, I got a bit more weird or a bit more awkward, and L.A. just proved to me that, no, it's not gone. You just changed into a different person. You still are Diani, you’re still Scottie, you're still these things. But there are things that I am realizing guys, I think I have ADD. I think, you know, there's things that I have to start to work on with myself. But I found out that I could still be myself the pre-pandemic Diani, when I was in L.A., and that was a blessing. That was a blessing. I was like, OK, I still got it. I still got a sense of humor. I still can laugh really, really hard. But you know, my girls, like, I still, I missed it. I loved having that in L.A. So it was, and it was a blessing to have y’all to help me through that. Yeah. I'm just happy,
Sylvia O’Bell I'm proud of you for the things that you’ve noticed and done.
Scottie Beam I’m proud of you.
Sylvia O’Bell Well this year, as we can see the big one for us, for personal growth and career growth. But it was also, like we said, another hard year in general. Our asses were still locked down at the start. And just as folks are trying to crawl our way out of this panorama, Omarion want to come and break dance all over our winter plans, bitch and let it touch and, you know, he don't care about us. He don’t care about J-Boog, Lil’ Fizz, Raz-B. None of us!
Scottie Beam That man got an icebox where his heart used to be.
Sylvia O’Bell OK? So.
Scottie Beam Right. And we know some of us either had to cancel our holiday plans last minute, or push through the anxieties and hope for the best. So this year, we want to repeat our tradition of recapping the moments that brought us joy.
Sylvia O'Bell Yes, we are going to run through it all from our favorite albums, movies and TV shows to the best internet moments and catchphrases. So get real comfortable, because we got a lot of joy to talk about, and you ain’t got nowhere to go.
Scottie Beam Ain’t got nowhere to go, stay your ass right in the house, Hello?
Sylvia O’Bell Stay in the house, Okay? Sit down! Get comfortable.
Scottie Beam Sit your ass down with us right now. Get that weighted blanket. Let’s do it.
[Transition music fades in and out - marimbas cling and shakers shake]
Scottie Beam All right. Let's start with our favorite Verses of the year, because Versus is still going down, it's still happening. Now, this may not have been a better lineup than last year when it all began, but there were still some notable moments that I hold near and dear to my heart, child.
Sylvia O'Bell Yes, there were girl. We got to start all right in February with none other than D'Angelo himself.
Scottie Beam Shit!
Sylvia O’Bell Cause I don’t care what none of y’all thought - I DID NOT NEED ANOTHER PERSON ON THAT STAGE WITH D’ANGELO BECAUSE THAT MAN, that man, that man!
Scottie Beam MY MAN, that man, my man, cause let me tell you something.
Sylvia O’Bell That man can make woman feel.
Scottie Beam Whoo-ee. Hot butter.
Sylvia O’Bell How does it feel? In fact?
Scottie Beam I’ll show you how it feels. Let me tell you something.
Sylvia O’Bell He showed us how it feels. It felt like sex through the screen. I have never been more turned on just by vibes, like, just the vibe. I like D’Angelo is just.
Scottie Beam Like, even though we hate using, I'm sure I hates using the vibes. But if we were going to get, or need a definition of “Vibe?”
Sylvia O’Bell The forefather.
Scottie Beam The pioneer of Vibe, we are talking about D'Angelo at all times. That man got it. You hear me. There's nothing else to say.
Sylvia O'Bell Whatever it is, that's why the album was called Voodoo. He put that voodoo, that boombata, the santamaria!
Scottie Beam [Laughing] The santeria!
Sylvia O’Bell [Laughing] The santeria! All of it. He put it on us. Niggas everywhere were like, “My girl has not looked at me in days.” He said, it was just, it was a beautiful live show. If anybody could pull off the first ever solo verses, it was D’Angelo. He had some guest appearances, shout out to Method, always been a fine man.
Scottie Beam Yes he is, yes he is. And Redman, for coming through. H.E.R. came in and did “Nothing Really Matters” with him. And that was cute. But baby, it was about D’Angelo and that hat, and that cape.
Scottie Beam It was all D’Angelo. It really, it don’t matter.
Sylvia O’Bell And when he got on them keys?
Scottie Beam D’Angelo, actually, D’Angelo don't even need to sing at this point. D'Angelo can just sit there and say, “Hey, how you doing?” And I would have been like, “Well, this has been one of the top three best Verzuz that I've ever seen!” Because that man has, He just got the look. The aesthetic is just, it's him.
Sylvia O’Bell And even when he is croon on the mic, you’re like, whoo! Definitely was that girl in front row of the five heartbeats. The whole Verzuz.
Scottie Beam I'm sure he hates this, but I he's just a good man. Savanna, OK? He just looks good, OK?
Sylvia O'Bell And it was a good Verzuz. And if there was any Verzuz that I could just buy on DVD, that would be the one. I went back and rewatched it off to just for the vibe.
Scottie Beam Yeah, him. But if I'm buying another one on vinyl,
Sylvia O’Bell OK, tell them! Tell them.
Scottie Beam I am going to get Earth, Wind, and Fire Verzuz Isley Brothers on record! Because what a moment! Truly.
Sylvia O’Bell Drifting on a memory!
Scottie Beam Truly!
Sylvia O'Bell Ain’t no place I'd rather be better.
Scottie Beam You better speak.
Sylvia O’Bell Then with them, then with them. Loving them.
Scottie Beam You just going to do all the lyrics. I literally was about to let you do it, too, I was like, go ahead, finish.
Sylvia O’Bell I thought you was gonna come in with the [singing] “ooo, ooo, ooo.” But no, the Isley Brothers is like top five for me.
Scottie Beam For, for you?
Sylvia O'Bell I love the Isley Brothers, I listen to them regularly. Like, if you look at my Tidal, that's where it is. It's on all my, I have like, I use different streaming apps for different things. If you look at my Tidal, it's all Isley Brothers at the top. Like, I love - and I’m talking like, not like Mr. Biggs Isley Brothers, I’m talking like Voyage to Atlantis. I’m talking Don’t Say Goodnight. I’m talking Hello. You know, it's me. I'm talking, that era of the Isley Brothers.
Scottie Beam [Singing] “Hello. It’s me.”
Sylvia O'Bell Baby I be singing Don’t say Goodnight, I be dancing around my kitchen with a glass of red wine.
Scottie Beam Right. And for me, it's Earth, wind and fire, OK?
Sylvia O'Bell And that is fair, because the elements.
Scottie Beam It's the elements. Like, let's just, it's the elements, and they do provide the elements. They're sitting right next, to me, personally. They're sitting right next to Stevie Wonder when it comes to comfort music. The musicianship is impeccable. I often talk about the word “composer,” and I'm happy that people don't use this title a lot because it shouldn't be used loosely. These men over there. OK? The Philip Bailey.
All right, say their names!
Scottie Beam Verdine White! Maurice White. It's those things for me that - these men are incredible. They are really the definition of comfort to me and the music, the instruments that will really take you on a ride like a fantasy! I will cry tears, just listening to Philip Bailey. Sing that song. And you know, I also enjoyed the host, Steve Harvey. I know everybody was mad. I had, I had some moments where I was like, nigga wrap it up! I’m tryin’a get these hits!
Sylvia O'Bell Steve, I will say now, but he was on brand choice. There was never a more well branded versus this year for the uncles. Steve came through, his suit. Everybody was in their three piece, four buttons, whatever it was the case, and they church shoes, and they came with their cognac. I think Steve was so drunk. By the end, he was smoking a cigar
Scottie Beam Because it was taking him to a place like, that's why I felt good to watch that because it was like watching your uncle reminisce about good times. And, you know, that's one thing that music can gift you, a memory of something that you probably didn't think of before. But once that song turned on, you like, “Now, I remember.” And that's how he started.
Sylvia O’Bell Because he gave us the Biography of Steve Nathaniel Harvey that day.
Scottie Beam I love that. And ain't no telling when, like a J. Cole mixtape come on. I am, I'm going to stop and say, “Y’all don't understand where I was at this moment. Let me go ahead and rewind this for you.”
Sylvia O'Bell She’ll be just like, “I had, my bike had just gotten stolen.”
Scottie Beam Hello?
Sylvia O’Bell I had just ran home. The streetlights had just come on, I think it was a Sunday in June.
Scottie Beam Yeah.
Sylvia O'Bell Child, we was tired, but it was a good time.
Scottie Beam They were booking. But after Verzuz, I feel like I've seen the Isley Brothers everywhere. Ronald is collecting the check.
Sylvia O’Bell Ronald? First of all, Ronald be acting up.
Scottie Beam No shirt. Just vest. And that cane, child.
Sylvia O'Bell He got that hair. He got that fade, and that gray silver fox beard going. And child,
Scottie Beam He know
Sylvia O'Bell What was that slow motion, that slow motion gif they got of him, when the camera panned.
Scottie Beam Yeah, that was recent!
Sylvia O’Bell Had the grandmas going crazy baby. Ronald came in, he ain’t look bad.
Scottie Beam Oh, let’s just, hold on Sylvia.
Sylvia O’Bell If I was a 75-year-old woman.
Scottie Beam Hold on Sylvia. You saying the grandmas going crazy? They got this generation, the millennials are like, “aye, man, I'm tryin’a put my bid in. How, like, how young does he go?” You know, because,
Sylvia O’Bell He’ll probably go as young as you’ll let him.
Scottie Beam I know, that's right. But I think he got a wife, shout to his wife. I think she's, you know,
Sylvia O’Bell Oh, OK, no disrespect.
Scottie Beam No disrespect. t But you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm seeing the bids out there, and they are our age. You hear me?
Sylvia O’Bell Wow. Wow. I didn't realize.
Scottie Beam Yeah, no, girls is throwing it at Ronnie. The girls is throwing it. And so, shout out to him.
Sylvia O'Bell And so that was a good one. And we would be remiss if we did not include the entertainer of the year in this countdown. The one and only, Jadakiss. I mean,
Scottie Beam With the LOX.
Sylvia O’Bell I mean The LOX versus the Kiss, yeah. But Jadakiss was the MVP, star player, top scorer and overall touchdown player of that Verzuz, Okay?
Scottie Beam I was about to say, that’s the most I’ve ever heard her talk about sports in my life, this is great. I’m very impressed.
Sylvia O’Bell I was nervous halfway through. I said, think of one more, think of one more. I had to switch sports, I went from basketball to football. It was limited.
Scottie Beam No, that's very true. That's so true. It was, if you were from the tri state area and you watched that, you've watched a piece of history. Like you really have watched something that you will remember and tell your children about for years to come.
Sylvia O’Bell It made me homesick.
Scottie Beam It should’ve. It should’ve, you should have got on a flight immediately.
Sylvia O'Bell Don’t nothing make you feel homesick worse than watching niggas in tims argue about,
Scottie Beam Mm hmm.
Sylvia O’Bell Because here's the thing that made New York, New York is… We talk about, yes, regional things, however, when it comes to battling? Battling. Battle rap. New York, and so I think that they brought back that to Verzuz, like this isn't a friendly exchange of music. This is supposed to be a fun, competitive shit. Let's, let's, let's do it! Let's be competitive. Let's exchange bars. But also, like, you know, get jabs at each other, like, let's not start no war, but let's have a fun, competitive battle like Jadakiss was ready to go, guns loaded.
Scottie Beam Well, this is, let me just say this right now. It it is a regional thing, simply because no one talks shit more than New York niggas. Or Tristate niggas, or whatever you want to say. Biggas over there, they talk different. They talk to you different. They talk about you different. And so I knew that this was going to be a ride of my life, and because I am a big fan of both. I thought in the beginning that this set was going to have a time.
Sylvia O’Bell We did. We really, really did.
Scottie Beam But then was quickly reminded that The LOX, like, they’ve had the game on lock for a very, very long time. They also have been performing longer than any of them niggas on stage. They perfected their craft for years and years, and they don't let up because they really do love this shit. You could tell, them three? They eat, sleep and breathe this shit. This is what they do. So quickly was reminded, quickly! The first song I said, Things are going to change. Everybody! This is the, I have. I quickly changed my answer, and I was like, Yeah, I forgot your wylin, Diani. So, yeah, it was.
Sylvia O'Bell The stamina was there.
Scottie Beam But just in case niggas forgot, Jada said, No, I will never let you forget who the fuck I am, ever.
Sylvia O’Bell It’s, it’s Jada! It’s out-side, Ok? [Laughing] It’s him! Do you know where he be at!
Scottie Beam Yo.
Sylvia O’Bell But child, I do have to say though, the one thing I’ll say about Jada, because God, I love that man,
Scottie Beam Umm-hmm, I love his spirit.
Sylvia O’Bell Was, I will never. The way now, when I listen to the song “Honey,” I just need them to just drop in Jada’s intro to it on all iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, everything streaming. Alright, if you’re listening. The new intro of Honey got to be, do you niggas don’t got Gyammys, they don’t know about Grammys?
Scottie Beam They don’t.
Sylvia O’Bell They know much about grams, but they don’t know about Grammys, as Mariah is just harmonizing in the back, [Sings harmonies]. And Jada is just talking shit. When Joelle that y’all ain’t got no songs for the ladies?
Scottie Beam That was the greatest set up in America, I really thought they paid Joelles backstage.
Sylvia O’Bell I said whose team is she on?
Scottie Beam I thought they paid Joelles to say that, because the way that he set these niggas up, I swear, like, you have to be at a top tier to be like: “Just in case a nigga say this. We respond like this.”
Sylvia O'Bell They were ready for battle, they had strategies.
Scottie Beam War ready, yo.
Sylvia O’Bell Shout out to the DJ. Shout out to that there DJ. Because he, Jada didn't have to say nothing, he was like, “You heard ‘em.”
Scottie Beam You heard what he said.
Sylvia O’Bell He was like, “Ladies!”
Scottie Beam Yo, and then reminded everybody why these bitches was really out here having the biggest crush on Jadakiss for no reason.
Sylvia O'Bell And shout out to all the niggas that refused to leave the stage because that's what New Yorkers do.
Scottie Beam I mean, let me also tell you about PTSD. Whoo! I was cursing y’all out, whoever was on that stage.
Sylvia O’Bell That stage was so crowded.
Scottie Beam Check my Twitter account. You have been cursed out on my Twitter because I hate that shit and from working in that world, and doing shows at SOBs where niggas refuse to step off stage on that small ass stage.
Sylvia O’Bell And it be the smallest stages too, it be the smallest one.
Scottie Beam I was on a thousand that night. So yes,
Sylvia O'Bell It was all the elements. It had all the elements. It was the most New York Verzuz that ever New York’d and Verz’d.
Scottie Beam It brought me back, it really did, it brought me back. Oh! What a moment, what a monet.
Sylvia O'Bell Oh, well, that was the Verzuz segment. I hope you guys go back and relive some of those playlists and all of those things. Tidal does a great job with the verses playlist. They have them all, I know a lot of niggas don’t have tidal no more. But if you still do,
Scottie Beam They do, they do a great job with that.
Sylvia O'Bell They do a good job with that one. But OK, next up, we just had of all the beautiful badass Black women in sports for saying no. Full stop.
Scottie Beam Let’s just.
Sylvia O’Bell Full stop. Just: “Nope.” And prioritizing their health, [laughing] that last nope was my favorite. Prioritizing their health, and creating a global conversation about mental health, especially when it comes to women in sports with the pressure, and it was the summer of the Olympics, there was so much happening. Naomi Osaka kicked it off with the first “Nope,” the first big Nope of the season about refusing to do press at the French Open in May.
Scottie Beam Mm-Hmm.
Sylvia O’Bell Our girl said, “You guys just keep trying to come for my confidence that these interviews and I am not performing my best. My mental health is barely holding on. I cannot withstand this.” She was willing to pay the fines, she didn’t want to do whatever.
Scottie Beam Because the girls, the girls was getting partnerships and, you know, brand partnerships so, girls can pay for this. This is, this is nothing.
Sylvia O'Bell She’s like “I won the last titles. I'm currently the number one seed, baby, I got the funds.”
Scottie Beam So, I can say, no. Right.
Sylvia O'Bell Right? And they don't like they don't like when we get to take the fines,
Scottie Beam Hello.
Sylvia O’Bell So what do they do? They exercise that supremacy that they love to exercise. And what I love is that instead of everybody ostracizing her, the other Black women in sports came in and, you know, stood behind her. Especially in tennis, too.
Scottie Beam Right, stood behind her in tennis. But then Simone Biles, taking herself out of some events for her safety. That fucking rocked everybody's world. That was a conversation for a minute. People were debating, but I don't know what there was to debate. I loved that Simone said, “Nope, I'm exercising the power to listen to my body, and making the choice to prioritize what makes me comfortable over what people expect from me.”
Sylvia O'Bell And I can’t imagine higher stakes. Like, we all talk about how hard it is to say no in general in our lives. Simone Biles is representing her country at the Olympics. Knowing she’s carrying the entire gymnastics team on her back.
Scottie Beam Right? And she said, pause. But what about me?
Sylvia O'Bell Exactly, and if - Whoo.
Scottie Beam So, the fact that Simone's like, she made the choice to not sacrifice her safety and her health to meet these expectations was revolutionary. And if Simone Biles can do it? Child, girl!
Sylvia O’Bell What they got to do? What? If, tuh, the, Okay? They’ll deal! Simone told all of America no! She told the world, she told the world, no. Gymnastics is one of the most watched Olympic winter sport- I mean, summer sports ever. She has been on the winning streak. She carries a team. She said, NO. And I was so, because you know, what it is is that if she had gone up there and fully injured herself, that would have been it for her.
Scottie Beam Then what?
Sylvia O’Bell The end.
Scottie Beam Right.
Sylvia O’Bell Then what? You have to, you cannot sacrifice yourself and your life for momentary things and momentary wins and material. And man, there was such a big lesson. And I would like to believe that the more, you know that even her seeing Naomi do that at the top of the, you know, at the French Open back in May, when she is number one, just like Simone’s number one, gave her a little bit of courage, and that's why it's such a big deal when these girls do it.
Scottie Beam Yes.
Sylvia O’Bell At their young age, they’re so young.
Scottie Beam At their young ass age.
Sylvia O'Bell For them to have learned these lessons in their early 20s is just wild and so beautiful to me. I think it goes back to something we had said at the top of the year, and we were talking to Zendaya about Chloe Bailey and all of them, and how I feel like this is to me, what makes us feel like all of our talking and work as millennials
Scottie Beam Has worked.
Sylvia O’Bell Was fruitful and something, like seeing these Gen Z girls get it faster. Hmm. Because the information is out there is just.
Scottie Beam It makes me so confident for the future, too that they know their power. They're starting to get their power, and get that they have the power. They've always had it. So I love that they said, Now let me exercise this power, let me protect myself with this power. But while we're on this topic of Black women controlling the conversation, we got to bring in Oprah's interview with Meghan Markle. Cause,
Sylvia O'Bell You know that was extremely my shit.
Scottie Beam Sylvia’s tweets were A-fucking-one that day, I was like, Sylvia will not let up. You hear me?
Sylvia O’Bell I was like, I've been training for this. As somebody who's watched every episode of The Crown. My mom was like, I remember crying over Princess Diana with my mom and the funeral, me watching her cry. Being like, Why are you crying over this woman? Like the whole saga, the obsession with the royal family, like even just, you know, coming from a Kenyan family which was colonized by the British and keeps a lot of that. Like all of them, my mom's name is literally Elizabeth. Like, it's just all of that is so to see, to know the stakes and to see Meghan and Harry say, “I am tired of the way y’all are treating my Black wife, and my quarter-black son, and I am taking them both. I am taking us and our 35% Black and we are leaving!”
Scottie Beam We're going to Tyler Perry's house.
Sylia O’Bell The fact that Tyler Perry was the rescuer was one of the wildest revelations from that interview. I said Tyler, who?
Scottie Beam Thank you. And I don't think any of us was surprised about Meghan Markle's story, actually, because I mean, she was with the ground-down colonizer. Like, everybody knows, but what was very big, and also I use the word again, revolutionary, is opening her mouth to speak about it.
Sylvia O'Bell That was the shocking part.
Scottie Beam Boy.
Sylvia O’Bell Yes, woo. The power.
Scottie Beam Shit. I was, I was afraid.
Sylvia O’Bell She blew the lid off that thing, she blew the lid off of it.
Scottie Beam We still speechless.
Sylvia O’Bell We still speechless because it’s like like, watching The Crown and these other documentaries, we're seeing how much the royals did not, do not say. That's what this is showing is like, all of this was happening and you weren't speaking on it? And so the power for her to reclaim, essentially reclaim her power and say, I don't need this, I don't need your, I don't need this crown, this title, whatever. Y’all can have it.
Scottie Beam And I was fine before this.
Sylvia O'Bell And that will be fine after it. We will and I will, listen, because we are in love and we will go. And shout to Harry for being a real one. Right or die for his, you hear me? Cross the speak about his, he gonna wait his tat!
Scottie Beam Harlem was out. I mean Harlem.
Sylvia O’Bell Listen - Harlem? Harry! I’m crying!
Scottie Beam Why am I calling Harry “Harlem?” Well, Harry you got a new name. That's it. I'm naming him Harlem. Yes.
Sylvia O'Bell Hearing about like even the title of protection and how they would not protect Archie. That was the thing from the interview that was like so wild and disgusting to me. And even the concern. Oh, the color. The conversation about how dark he might pop out?
Scottie Beam The color of his skin.
Sylvia O’Bell Baby, that baby is a quarter at best! What did you think he was going to come out looking like? Y’all should know.
Scottie Beam The fact that they were still worries. They were like, “Oh, we don't want to take the chance.”
Sylvia O'Bell That curl might be a little too tight.
Scottie Beam Little too tight, girl. I don’t know about that.
Sylvia O'Bell It's crazy. And they’re still good ones for not really revealing who said what. But I am proud of them for getting out of a bad situation and protecting their mental health. I think because Harry has seen the worst of it. He lost his mother to this. He said, I will not lose my wife and I will not lose my child, and it was so sad. And heartbreaking to hear Meghan talk about how depressed she was, like just how crippling and I can only imagine, like the U.K. press, like the British press is like, it's wild so that tabloid cycle is wild.
Scottie Beam The nigga's romanticize that whole fuckin thing, being a princess and doing, you know, having these titles over there and that, I'm sure like, I'm glad that she spoke up about that because I think a lot of people had thought that you are just living in the lap of luxury, like you are having a great time at all times. But I'm sure that happens when you're white. When you're Black, that's different.
Sylvia O'Bell Well, if it doesn't even happen when you're white, it damn sure not going to happen when you Black. And that's what we learn like, I’m over here watching how the white women were separate, and how Diana was going through it, child. Yeah. So it's like we knew Meghan was gonna be bad, but shout out to them for giving us all the juicy details. Oprah got the interview of the year on retirement. That woman is ridiculous.
Scottie Beam I mean, come on.
Sylvia O’Bell That shit went viral. I mean, she's Oprah. When she showed us, this was a reminder. Like Oprah, like, I am who I am. Don't forget it. Every now and then, Oprah come back with a haymaker interview like, “Heard y’all forgot about me for a second. Wanted to remind you who the fuck I am. Okay, who started this?
Scottie Beam I know for a fact, after, “Were you silent, or silenced?” I know in the back of her mind she was like, “I’m fucking this shit up. You hear me, they gonna take this.” That line.
Sylvia O’Bell That was Oprah’s version of that Drake video where he was like, “Look at this, you see this? you see this?”
Scottie Beam I made all this. We built this.
Sylvia O’Bell All this? I built this. Me. Oprah.
Scottie Beam That’s exactly,
Sylvia O'Bell That's it. And it went viral just like she always wants to do. And speaking of viral moments, we should get into some of our favorite internet moments of the year.
Scottie Beam OK.
Sylvia O’Bell And you know, Oprah, all of the Oprah memes from the Meghan interview is on my list.
Scottie Beam All of them, each and every one.
Sylvia O'Bell I screenshoted them immediately. I think I provided the internet with the first four because I did as I was watching on my laptop, because I could not wait for the West Coast viewing, I found a link. I found a link to the East Coast View, I think I was on some Zoom where it was streaming, like, me and, shout out to Nina Parker. We were desperate. We were like, “We got to get a link.” Somehow we got one. I was screenshotting that shit like a motherfucker, like it was, Hands up?
Scottie Beam Oprah, the Hands Up, I still to this day use that one, because that is truly how I feel most of the time when I have no energy to deal with these niggas, I'd be like, Oh, whatever, man. The other one that I cannot stop, and this is the new one, guys, “the African-American urge to” and they say it like the African-American urge to watch your children play and say, Hmm, they're going to sleep good tonight or the African-American urge to see somebody see a kid with no hat on and be like, they need to put a hat on that baby. Like,
Sylvia O’Bell The stuff that we always do, but they, they put a fade to it.
Scottie Beam And we live the same life, like, it’s crazy!
Sylvia O'Bell And those are my favorite memes. The ones that remind us, the ones that unite us, not tear us apart.
Scottie Beam Right.
Sylvia O'Bell And it’s like [laughing] And it’s like, “the African-American urge to ask your kid if they got McDonald's,”
Scottie Beam Right.
Sylvia O'Bell When you know they ain’t got no job. The African-American urge to laugh to keep from crying.
Scottie Beam Right?
Sylvia O’Bell Like, we could go on. I think the one I used on Twitter was from Meg's graduation, where I was like, I hope I felt everybody gave in to the African-American urge to clap for their person, even though the school asked you to hold all applause ‘til the end. Because we all fucking, every graduation, it don’t matter, Pre-K, kindergarten, middle school, high school, college.
Scottie Beam Yo, somebody said the African-American urge to stick your hand out the front door to get the weather for the day, because that's exactly what I do when I'm like, I don't trust the weather app. Let me see what the real feel is.
Sylvia O’Bell Like your fingers gona tell you. Cause when you realize just how ridiculous that may be. And what I love also also about this, this meme that we've taken over. It started as they were filling in the blank. Whatever, the feminist urge, or like, the whatever urge then like we, obviously, the Black people took it, and like we always do, knocked it out the park. And now it's like the other ones never even existed.
Scottie Beam And let's talk about some of these quotes, too, and catchphrases that everybody was doing.
Sylvia O'Bell Oh yeah the catchphrases this year.
Scottie Beam Well, we all know this one. I'm going to assume that this is the one for 2021, which was Fat Joe's. “Yesterday's price is not today's price.” That one, I think, is number one. Of the year.
Sylvia O'Bell Number one, “Yesterday's price is, in fact, not today’s price.” And that's how you know the Jada, I mean, The LOX and Jadakiss Verzuz was great because, it started out, it kicked off Fat Joe’s career, internet career. His little recap afterwards where this came from was the funniest shit I think Fat Joe's ever done.
Scottie Beam That shit was hilarious.
Sylvia O'Bell I felt all Fat Joe’s friends were like, “this nigga been like this,” but I was like, “Fat Joe has been this funny the whole time?”
Scottie Beam He is very, very funny. That man is very funny, but it was very true. Like. And that line you can put anywhere like, for oxtails and gas prices, anywhere else. It's like, Wow, yesterday's price is really not today's price. Everything is high. Everything costs money. Everything, including my rate, sweetheart. But I love that line. I love that line. The other ones are what?
Sylvia O'Bell Oh, Issa Rae when she was like, “It’s really feeling like Me season.” That speech and every single one of y'all posted on Instagram.
Scottie Beam I sure did!
Sylvia O'Bell I wanted to but by the time I thought I had seen it everywhere, I just was like, All right, it’s gone.
Scottie Beam When I say, I didn't hesitate. As soon as I saw it, I screen recorded it. I said, this is going on my page, because it was about to be Libra's season, and I was like, Huh! One, one thing: it is me season, OK? One thing about Libra, it’s going to be eye season, that's for sure.
Sylvia O'Bell Yes. And yeah, so that was a good one. You loved it so much didn't your mom make you something? It’s me season?
Scottie Beam Oh Jesus, my mom did.
Sylvia O’Bell That's what started that.
Scottie Beam My mom made me a me-season sweater that I will wear, Mother, if you're listening to this, I'm definitely going to wear it in the new year. So absolutely.
Sylvia O’Bell Cause it’s her season. Yes it is.
Scottie Beam Mm hmm.
Sylvia O'Bell One came straight out of a Netflix movie premiere.
Scottie Beam Yes.
Sylvia O’Bell The Jay-Z shocked to see Kelly Rowland meme, when he saw her at The Harder They Fall.
Scottie Beam That was a cute.
Sylvia O’Bell That was a cute one, to keep moving.
Scottie Beam Understood the assignment, child. Yeah, Ran that one in the ground. Let's just, [laughs]
Sylvia O’Bell I did, I did, I’s guilty.
Scottie Beam Let's leave that in 2021. How about that? We've had so much fun with that one.
Sylvia O'Bell We've had a lot of fun. I think for me, the reason why that one be hitting is because sometimes with Twitter, you have to find a way to say a lot with a little because, of the characters. And sometimes like, that just encapsulated a lot of what we be trying to say sometimes, like everybody understood the assignment. Or I guess, da da da da da, but I get you.
Scottie Beam I get it. It may be time.
Sylvia O’Bell The one I would like to rid myself of that I have to maybe go to rehab for is “it's giving.” Scotty is dressed right now in like a hoodie and like a skully. And I’m like “it's giving: This is the last podcast we're taping.” [Laughs] It’s giving this is the last podcast.
Scottie Beam I have nothing else left to hide. It’s giving you can tell that it’s December.
Sylvia O’Bell It’s giving December, and it’s December 31st. It’s giving me the very last episode, I promise you, that’s what it’s giving, like that.
Scottie Beam I'm also a big “Not”. I love Not, like, Not, not this skully. Like, not you look like you're about to rob somebody? Like that, I love not. I use not all the time, So much that boyfriend uses it. I say it all the time. Like,
Sylvia O'Bell It's so fun. It's so easy because, I didn't realize, I think it’s the one, it was made for us. Like the anti-ers. Like, we always questioning why niggas are doing shit and it’s like, perfect for that like, “not you saying,” like, “Not you coming late?”
Scottie Beam “Not you laughing?”
Sylvia O'Bell Not he calling again after saying he was never gonna call me again.
Scottie Beam And it's also good to like, instigate like you're like, Oh, not him calling you out your name. Like, That's crazy. And even like, Damn, he did call me out my name. That’s crazy!
Sylvia O'Bell That's why I also shout out to Drewski who talks about how it also minimizes and brings humor to serious things because they’ll be like, we are all just laughing to keep from crying in so many ways. And it's like, I think he did the, He did that video, whatever we're calling them, and it was like him going around the house and the person pulled out a gun and they were like, “not he the ops.”
Scottie Beam [laughing] Not he the ops!
Sylvia O’Bell Not he shooting, like, not, and then Scottie’s telling me about how people fighting for they lives outside, I be like, “Not they fighting for they lives.” Like, this is not funny. Why are we making light of this?
Scottie Beam Why do we think everything is a joke? Why?
Sylvia O'Bell Because it's the only, the African-American urge to laugh to keep from crying. It’s too much, but yes, I will need to go to rehab for that. Both of those terms, because they've stuck like glue.
Scottie Beam Yeah, no. I think, I think not is stuck for me. That's it. I can't. I don’t got nothing else for you. And that's also like just graze over these, Let's just do some of these favorite internet moments because they set the tone for Twitter. And I have a fucking grand time on Twitter. I have a great time.
Sylvia O'Bell Twitter is still my favorite app. At the end of the season, girl.
Scottie Beam It is. And one thing that really set off my moments on Twitter was the moan room on Clubhouse, Child. When they had LaKeith Stanfield moaning for a hundred dollars. I said, “We are in different times now. We are in a whole set of different times.”
Sylvia O'Bell The Dark Ages, start the rapture.
Scottie Beam And for the moan to be trash! On top of that! LaKeith didn’t have the fire moan? You gonna tell me that nigga moan like a fucking owl like I didn't. I was so upset.
Sylvia O'Bell But I also was like, glad it was clearly not a real moan because I wouldn't put it past LaKeith to get into character for that. And I was like, can you imagine if he actually was pleasuring himself to, like, make himself moan, like.
Scottie Beam But what if he did? We don't know.
Sylvia O’Bell Oh, come on.
Scottie Beam We don't know.
Sylvia O’Bell Guys.
Scottie Beam And that's what I'm saying. Sylvia, we don't know what he was doing to get himself in that moment. He probably was really dedicated to that moan. But for the moan to be bad is what really made me upset.
Sylvia O'Bell That whole room, first of all, in general was wild, before LaKeith got in there. The money prize was not high enough for y'all to be in there moaning your life where, like, we didn't know who, we couldn’t see who you were! In front of sort of a live studio audience? You’re gonna just moan like this?
Scottie Beam And I just truly understand that, you know, niggas needed money like dumb PPP loans and whatever it is, those loans wasn't doing enough. But I needed y'all to really get better moans like I was very upset at the type of moans that y’all were doing, that y’all thought that people would like, which really had me asking questions like, are people moaning just to sound like they're sexy? Because this shit ain't sexy? This shit is far from sexy. So yes. And then the fact that people were coming in to add money on top of the hundred dollars like “I'll give two hundred on top of that for the best moan,” that was happening in this year.
Sylvia O'Bell That was happening, it was dark times. I said all’a y’all niggas is going to hell, that’s crazy.
Scottie Beam Oh my God.
Sylvia O'Bell And it was also like, What I loved about Clubhouse is like just also the African-American urge to tweet what was happening in the Clubhouse. Cause like, they never asked us to. That's not the rule, but that's the only way I would know what things were happening. If it wasn't being tweeted about, I wouldn't then get on the app to find out what was happening. Shout out to everybody who tweeted that Lakeith was in there moaning because I couldn't believe it and I heard it for myself, and I said “Wow.”
Scottie Beam I can’t believe that was a thing.
Sylvia O'Bell A day to truly mark in history.
Scottie Beam Mm hmm.
Sylvia O’Bell To me, I think if I had to pick all the top days on the Internet, mine would definitely be that when Porsha Williams, of Real Housewives of Atlanta, stole Fallon's husband and everyone on the internet became a Pulitzer Prize winning investigator because we were confused, Porsha had the nerve to post a picture of her, Simon, and Dennis Logan wasn't with no context. But, like, it wasn't going to start the Rapture around the world.
Scottie Beam This is like that TikTok thing that’s like, “it's me. Am I the drama?” I must be the drama - am I the drama? Girl?
Sylvia O’Bell And it’s Porsha like, she outed herself. It wasn't even like it was a tabloid nothing. She literally chose, actively chose to do this. And I still don't know why. Because the problem is, is that, the season had just ended. So we had just had, like, obviously, they film it and it gets edited and it goes out and time passes. But even when you calculate that time, we all said, “Porsha, We just saw Fallon come on this show this season. You was in that woman's house. We watched her introduce you to her husband. We watched y’all drink, Dussé and have hookah in their pool. When y’all had a little Halloween party. We watched y’all run around the house. Also, those of y’all who was captioning that Porsha trying to figure out how she was going to change the tiles.
[Scottie Laughs]
Sylvia O'Bell Y’all going to hell because that shit was funny. But you gonna post that woman's husband before the divorce is final?
Scottie Beam You know, my only, I had tons issues with this, yes, but I did my number one issue that Porsha didn't think about her fans. OK? Those that ride for P-baby, and I ride for Porsha. We were fighting for our fucking lives that day. You hear me? I had no answer. I don't understand this. And I was so upset that I could not argue about it. Like, I was like, Girl, they lighting your ass up and I ain't got no ammo. I don't have nothing for you.
Sylvia O'Bell And the thing was that they was lighting it up with receipts. People were in the room pulling up divorce files, legal court documents, receipts on dinner dates, stamps on pictures!
Scottie Beam Sylvia. They had real lawyers in the Clubhouse.
Sylvia O'Bell Clubhouse Room, The Bravo Clubhouse Room started a whole like, and you know it’s bad when the whites are involved. The whites were involved. They were in there, we was, we had Porsha in the court of law, bitch. And she wasn’t even there to defend herself, because there was really no defense, because even at the end of the day, if you know, if Fallon and Simon were separated, you met this man through his wife.
Scottie Beam Yeah.
Sylvia O’Bell And just off the GP of that, you got to let Fallon run the fade, If she wants. She gets, and it was hard for me to admit that somebody who I enjoyed deserved to get a fade run on her if, in fact, this was true. I mean, you could continue on after that. Like, Hey, if it was worth it, if you like, the private jet was worth it, we can fight.
Scottie Beam Yeah,
Sylvia O’Bell We can fight one good time. I understand I'ma keep on going. And then she left the Housewives. So we don't even get a chance to hold her to the stake about it, she ain’t slick. Porsha’s like, I’m taking my money and I’m out.
Scottie Beam Damn, Jesus.
Sylvia O'Bell That was, that was, that was the top day on the internet for me.
Scottie Beam What a moment. And also, Megan Thee Stallion, my girl, graduated college. Okay!
Sylvia O'Bell HBCU grad!
Scottie Beam HBCU grad. I am so, so proud. So proud. I'm so mad I didn't watch it in real time. I got to watch it on Twitter, because I did want to watch it.
Sylvia O’Bell Shout out to her for sharing the stream. I love that she shared the stream. She was like, “Here’s the stream if y’all wanna watch!”
Scottie Beam And we did! We really did.
Sylvia O’Bell The stream broke. I said, I don’t know why she gave out that stream, like Texas Southern had the bandwidth for all her fans. They shut that shit down, I know people who have real cousins graduated that day was pissed.
Scottie Beam Well listen, we all cousins, all of us, of Megan Thee Stallion. So girl, Megan Pete that day.
Sylvia O'Bell Megan Pete, and she got her pharmacy degree, something in like, pharmaceutical sciences. I said, now Meghan is going to come up with the vaccine. Save us. Do something girl, please!
Scottie Beam Give us the hottie booster. I want the hottie booster. Yeah, so yeah, I am so proud of her. That was a great moment to watch, all of us just pour into her too. That was really dope to watch. And OK, now it's time to switch gears, since we're already heading that way to some of our favorite albums and songs of the year. Let's start with albums, Sylvia, please.
Sylvia O'Bell OK, so brief shout out to Jazmine’s Heaux Tales.
Scottie Beam I mean,
Sylvia O’Bell We have talked about that album at length. Episodes, four episodes, y'all know we love it. “On It,” was like my top song of the year, apparently, according to Spotify and Apple Music. So like, “Girl Like Me,” as well, like “Pick Up,” all of it, it was there.
Scottie Beam It was my top album on Spotify, Absolutely. 100%.
Sylvia O'Bell So yeah, definitely my fave, both of our favorite album that came out this year. And we love you, Jazmine. Moving on because to albums we haven't talked about, well, we talked about Adele's 30 a little bit, so I'm not going to go there.
Scottie Beam [in a British accent] A little.
Sylvia O'Bell [in an accent] a little bit. [Drops accent] But Adele's 30, obviously, masterpiece. My favorite, I think I mean, like Adele has given us a solid albums with 19 and 21. I think we all had, like, split about whose favorite is what, but like 30 is the first one to rival 21 for me and I still listen to it. She took the time she took and came back with the quality for sure, and we have shared the songs we love from that one already. I would like to add also to my list. Summer Walker’s Still Over It.
Scottie Beam 100%.
Sylvia O'Bell Because sister’s still over it. And I love that she named it that. Like, I can't wait for it Too Fast, Too Over It. I can't wait for Been Over It Five. I can’t wait for Still Over It, Atlanta Drift.
Scottie Beam Yo, she’s going.
Sylvia O'Bell Like, I, because she going keep making these - I feel like Summer Walker is trying every other day because of a nigga pissing her off. So I feel like the content will continue, but the girl makes good music out of it so she can keep going. These songs! “Still Over It,” has me like, I'm happy and I'm fine, and you can't tell me I was looking for a baby daddy to curse out, the whole album because it just, she's so good at capturing those nuanced feelings. And there's obviously, the Shade Room shows us every day, there's a whole audience there who needs these songs. You know, like “Insane,” “Unloyal,” with Ari. Fantastic, fantastic song. “Circus,” um, the one with Omarion. Like even “Over It.” “Fourth Baby Mama,” where she attacked this man's whole mother and family and child and everything, child. Like Summer Walker is a lot of things, but what you will never be able to say is that her voice is not. It's there, and the fact that she did it all over his beats that he gave her prior to them breaking up. The cherry on top. Shout out to all the other producers and writers involved, like I know Shawn Garrett was on there. I know, I think by Brian Michael Cox probably did a couple of songs.
Scottie Beam Of course
Sylvia O’Bell Like, stuff like that, but such a good album, definitely my favorite R&B album after Heaux Tales from this year. And my third, the third album I will name… Certified Lover Boy, Drake, because, he can't keep getting away with this! But he does! I have a problem. I don’t know y’all cause, it’s not, it’s not my favorite Drake album, no. But even when Drake puts out an album that's not my favorite Drake album, it’s still one of my favorite albums of the year, and that could have to be with the lack of albums that came out this year. I do feel like I would like, there were like a solid six, seven albums I really enjoyed this year, but I definitely feel like it was not like one of those years where I'm like, This was a year of albums! So like, I don't think it was a hard year for CLB to do well. But also, he gave us like 18,
Scottie Beam I mean, we all anticipate Drake. It really doesn't matter.
Sylvia O'Bell It's like if you like the recipe. I think the debate about Drake is that he keeps putting the same kind of music. But if you love the kind of music, then you’re constantly being fed.
Scottie Beam If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Like there's no reason.
Sylvia O’Bell That’s what Drake’s saying.
Scottie Beam So Drake says, I have a formula. The formula works. It still tastes good. The recipe still tastes good, it works. They're eating it. They're drinking it up! It doesn't matter.
Sylvia O’Bell The bitches love it.
Scottie Beam So I'm going to continue to do what I do. My pick for album, I think I have one really like, I'ma name some, I'ma name another and all that. But I have one that singlehandedly shut my Apple Music the fuck down. And that was Tyler, The Creator. Call Me if you Get Lost.
Sylvia O’Bell Oh, yes.
Scottie Beam I think half of it is shock. The other half is me being just so happy and proud for this man. Like, first of all, I feel like everyone has been tapping into some nostalgia when it comes to like music and movies and things like that, and the fact that Tyler, the Creator open that album up with DJ Drama, who is one of my favorite mixtape era dudes ever, to ever grace the world, ever. Gangsta Grillz is just something that is attached to me for the rest of my life. So, immediately my jaw dropped. I think it was just surprising. I was just happy. And then the beats were undeniable. I mean, the song placements on the album were fuckin seamless. I am comfortable with saying that Call Me If You Get Lost is a classic, too. And not to me, a classic in hip hop. I love that album, and I understand that you're going to say time will tell, I did time will tell already, time did tell, and it's still good.
Sylvia O’Bell I know you did the math.
Scottie Beam Time did tell me. Me and time had a discussion and trust me, time said, “This album ain't going nowhere,” and it's not. I'm also very happy because in the beginning I often felt like Tyler, the Creator, you know, and I missed each other when it came to his earlier releases. Yes, I loved his voice and I love this flow, but I never understood his subject matter. And I think once that, when that changed and he grew up a little bit, I finally felt like we caught each other. So I was like, OK, now this is more of a me thing. Like, We can hang out now like, we are cool.
Sylvia O’Bell We can hang out. He’s old enough.
Scottie Beam Every fucking song is something for me.
Sylvia O’Bell I was gonna ask, what's your favorite?
Scottie Beam Everything. “LUMBERJACK,” “WASYANAME,” “MANIFESTO” Yes, “SWEET.” Oh my god. “I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE.”
Sylvia O'Bell I listen to “SWEET” daily. Every day, it's so good in the car. It's a good car album.
Scottie Beam “JUGGERNAUT,” fucking fire, Lil Uzi Vert and Pharrell Williams? Like, Oh, I love it.
Sylvia O'Bell I think they gave “WILSHIRE,” one of the top, I think that was the New York Times’ pick.
Scottie Beam Oh yeah, one, because he telling all his motherfucking business in a song.
Sylvia O'Bell It's like a narrative. It's, I hear a whole, he in the whole story. It’s a story.
Scottie Beam It is. I get it. He told us, and I like that is, I let it rock, but it's I'm like, Girl, I don't care. But other than that, like, I love “CORSO,” tough. Tough! And I still listen to that album probably once a week, maybe a few songs, maybe the whole album. I just let it rock and I can do that, and I feel like I'll be able to do that for the rest of my life. So it is a classic to me. Shout out to Tyler, the Creator. The other album is J Cole The Off Season. The girls and boys were on fire when this came out. I, too was on fire. Great album. Everybody loves it. Some people will say it's J Cole's best album. I ain't going to say all that, but I will say it's one of the better albums that came out recently for J Cole. So take that.
Sylvia O'Bell I think it put his, I think there's a lot of people who I know don't tend to like J Cole, who were respecting this album.
Scottie Beam Right. And I feel like he started, he did more features. He started to let loose with this beat selection shit like he, he wanted, he just loosened the reins a little bit and let other people be involved in this project. And so, that is, you know, asking for help. Look what you, look at what it could do. You know, it helps, Cole! So, I'm just, even though I know we could do it, you could do it yourself because as a J Cole, don’t,
Sylvia O’Bell Don’t prove it, we know.
Scottie Beam No features, Okay? I’m about to say, the girls know, but, I'm happy that you got to do something different. And so that was great to watch. So that's all I'm asking for. Let's talk about songs.
Sylvia O'Bell Yes. So yes, while there were some great albums, there were a few singles that we enjoyed. Tems. Can we talk about terms and how Tems came through?
Scottie Beam Whoo, crazy.
Sylvia O’Bell She gave us a little EP. It was cute, but her song “Found,” with Brent Faiyez? [Singing] “People always try to get involved,” like her voice is, she has such a, she’s one of those people who like, when I heard her, and then when I saw her, I was like, Wait, what? No way.
Scottie Beam Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sylvia O’Bell Like, her voice is so unique, and it's like its own instrument. The tone. The sound is like nothing I've ever heard coming from like a woman, and I'm just like, she is so, I love that. I love them when they come in with these, like, super unique, just voices. And like, I think she definitely has that tone.
Scottie Beam I love it
Sylvia O’Bell That just, is all her own. And, that song with Brent, it's like every now and then a song come out where it's like, got a little crack in it? “Found,” is that for me. It's like, I love this song. And Brent has never sounded better. I feel like Brent has been, whatever, in the lab. Getting his vocal strength lessons going. I feel like I really enjoyed him on that track as well. I am a big Brent Faiyaz fan, but I really felt like he sounded really good on that track. I just love the it's just so airy and light and all of those things, so I loved Tems’ “Found,” shoult out to her whole EP, um, and shout out to her for finding success and independence post Essence, because, a lot of people was forgetting to include that she was on teh Essence track with Wizkid. So I’m really excited to see her career take its own form.
Scottie Beam Was that this year or was that last year with Essence had?
Sylvia O'Bell So Essence came out in 2020.
Scottie Beam Had the niggas on lock during this summer. Oh my God.
Sylvia O'Bell Baby, Essence was the song of the summer. Let's be clear. It came out last year. That's why technically I don't have it on my list because I am one of those people that remind y’all that that album came out in October of 2020.
Scottie Beam Mm-Hmm.
Sylvia O’Bell But sure, I'm glad everybody loved it in 2021. Essence is, that song’s got crack it, everywhere you go, everywhere you be.
Scottie Beam And that's not even the best song on the album.
Sylvia O’Bell My favorite on that album is True Love.
Scottie Beam My favorite is Blessed. [singing] I might be rough around the edges baby, yes.
Sylvia O'Bell Yes, that's a good one. And another song. So speaking of Brent, “Gravity.” And speaking of Brent and Tyler, the Creator, I love “Gravity.” [singing] Don't act like I'm average, cause I’m not. [speaking] You know, like, that’s not how the song goes, that’s what I said.
Scottie Beam Okay. I’m like, um-hmm. Genius, I’m gonna have to check Genius for these lyrics.
Sylvia O'Bell Yeah, I know, I switched it up on purpose, y’all, I know how it go. but I thought that was a fun collaboration that came out of nowhere. I think Tyler let out a lot of his looses once he figured out what was not going to make the album. And I feel like we were hearing those songs on a lot of different places, and I think “Gravity” felt like one of those. And I think I would be remiss not shout out, Giveon, this year. I think he had it.
Scottie Beam What song is this?
Sylvia O'Bell Um, “Still Your Best.” It’s the one where he's talking shit to his ex, like, “I'm still your best.” [singing] I’m still your best, just like that.
Scottie Beam Just like that, OK?
[Scottie and Sylvia mumble sing together].
Scottie Beam Giveon had himself a fucking year, you hear me?
Sylvia O'Bell He said, you thought Chicago freestyle was going to be it. But no, baby, I’m about to break with it on that [singing] 2:30 came [speaking] and Giveon was out, and I think even, he was still even on CLB. But yes, Giveon had a huge year, shout out to that whole team over at epic. Including our girl, Ayana. Alright, how about you, Scottie?
Scottie Beam Now, because I gave, because I said the album of my year was Tyler, the Creator. I had to include some women that gave me songs of the year. And I am not the poppy bitch, I don’t like pop like that. But
Sylvia O’Bell Yeah,
Scottie Beam Doja Cat.
Sylvia O’Bell Mm mm.
Scottie Beam Doja Kitty Cat.
Sylvia O'Bell Talk about your Libra sister.
Scottie Beam When she dropped that “Kiss Me More,” song with SZA? When I tell you, I wouldn't let off the repeat button, there's no way, I kept repeating the song. I love that song. First of all, since it is so good for a verse that will fuck you up, like, you will have to read the lyrics, of course, because my home girl, sometimes I'll be like, What the fuck are you saying, what you said? But when you find out what she said, she’s super disrespectful.
Sylvia O’Bell I hate, I hate you.
Scottie Beam Like fucking which you feel like jail nigga like, SZA is a different breed. Like she, I love her pen. I love her pen.
Sylvia O'Bell She’s got a lot of heat.
Scottie Beam So much heat. But that song is really one that I can't, like, as soon as we get off this recording, I think I'm going to play it because it's just that bubbly, it’s cute. And Doja Cat just knows, talks about a formula. The girl has formulas, and she uses each and every one of us, and we don't even, she has more. And I'm sure in stock she has so much more. She could cook up some more. Like, the girl is very talented, and I'm happy that we're getting to a place where we're like, Fuck it, the girls talent. Listen. Yes, past was the past and it happened. But the girl has talent, and I enjoy that song very much. Another song: BIA. [Singing] Whole lotta money in this mother fucker.
Sylvia O’Bell Yes! BIA BIA!
Scottie Beam BIA BIA! Yes, I know the girl will give us nothing during her performance, but I know that song! The song is fire. And also the project is great. Like, I'm very impressed. I love that song, I'll replay that song. There's another song too that I really love from her. But check out her project because it's really great. Like, I have a great time listening to it. You will want to get dressed to it. You will want to like, you know, cook or do things like, it's a very
Sylvia O'Bell I haven’t listened to it.
Scottie Beam Yes, it's a very like, you know what, bitch like, get up. Let's, let's do something like, you that bitch, kind of song. And then we have my white choice. You know, I have
Sylvia O'Bell Not your white choice.
Scottie Beam Yes.
Sylvia O’Bell Your diversity, your affirmative action.
Scottie Beam My affirmative action choice. and that is Yebba. Now, some of y’all may have met her on CLB. Drake’s album.
Sylvia O’Bell Yes, I am one of those people.
Scottie Beam Yes, I met her. I was introduced to her on PJ Morton's album. And I was like, Who the fuck is singing like this? She has a song called “Boomerang,” that I cannot stop playing, it's so fresh. She has a great voice that is, it's so soulful, I love it. I love her. I love her project that she has out and I love that song “Boomerang,” She also has a song with Smino that's really good. So the girl is working, OK, and she's putting that voice to work, and I love it.
Sylvia O'Bell I love her interlude on CLB. Yebba’s Heartbreak?
Scottie Beam Yeah,
Sylvia O’Bell That’s one of my favorite songs on that one. Bow the moment I'm sure Netflix has been waiting for.
Scottie Beam I'm sure.
Sylvia O’Bell Let's talk about the best movies and TV shows of the year.
Scottie Beam Mm hmm.
Sylvia O’Bell Let's start with movies, because it's going to be shorter. Because y’all girls have not been in the theater like that, still. 2021.
Scottie Beam Girls is waiting for that thing to come on streaming, and we still waiting for some things to come on streaming. And so first things first! The best movie of the year. The Harder They Fall.
Sylvia O'Bell I'm crying at this clap
Scottie Beam And, I've already decided that it's The Harder They Fall. Great fucking movie. I've already talked about it in, you know, podcasts before, but the excellence is really just flawless. Like, I don't have anything else to say about that movie. I'm so proud of James Samuel, who really put his toe, his foot in this movie and kept it for years, had it for years. So I'm so proud of that production. I love it. I will always watch it. I'm on like my fifth watch already, sixth watch. What can we say Classic? Maybe. I don't know. Classic to me. But, we'll wait.
Sylvia O'Bell Yes, I hear you. The Harder They Fall is definitely one of my favorites this year, the only other movie that has been on the tip of my tongue for best of the year that I think would like to have a word is the other Lakeith Stanfield movie, The Black Messiah.
Scottie Beam Yeah,
Sylvia O’Bell Because I am a revolutionary! And that shit did come out this year. I know it may feel like it didn’t.
Scottie Beam I know. I know. That was great too.
Sylvia O'Bell But that was this year, it was at the top of the year and Daniel Kaluuya did what he does. And that’s act, he became Fred Hampton. He said, the haters, I got something for y'all and it's called this performance and I'ma give it.
Scottie Beam And Dominique,
Sylvia O'Bell Yes, Dominique Fishback was my favorite performance of that movie. Please give sis all the things, I've been seeing her and more things are ready. I'm very excited about it. I'm very, very mad at how my girl was robbed at awards season, but tends to be the case, as always. But she is one of my new favorite performers of this year. If I had to give a performance award for 2021, I would give it to Dominique Fishback. Like Best New Actor.
Scottie Beam My girl works. My girl works. She works. Another great movie, another great movie that had me crying like a baby.
Sylvia O’Bell Boo-the fuck-whooing. You hear me?
Scottie Beam The story of Serena Williams and Venus Williams. The origin story. I, truly, you know, again, I know this is Will Smith movie, I get it, but let's just really give Aunjanue Ellis her flowers, please.
Sylvia O’Bell Baby, talk about it! It just continues! Every single time.
Scottie Beam How is she not Serena's mom now? Like, that's what I'm saying.
Sylvia O’Bell Every time I see their real mom, I’m like, but who's that?
Scottie Beam Who's that? Because Aunjanue, she gave birth to Serena! Like, I,
Sylvia O’Bell And Venus, and the other seven.
Scottie Beam [laughs] and the other seven. You had to add the other seven.
Sylvia O'Bell There's a lot of them girls and a lot of girls, but that movie was, and shout out to Will Smith, even though. I think Will is his best, sometimes, when he's being like, I think I think my favorite Will Smith acting wise, not fun movies. Like I have my fun favorites. But like Ali, The Pursuit of Happiness.
Scottie Beam I Am Legend.
Sylvia O'Bell But it's like, Well, I'm thinking the biopics.
Scottie Beam Oh biopics! I'm like, That's kind of like serious ones.
Sylvia O'Bell No one, I guess I was saying was that like, I think a lot of times, I think he gives his best performances when he's emulating somebody. And I think he's so good at that. And I think it's hard sometimes for a star of his nature to be able to become somebody else. A lot of people struggle with that. Like if like all you see is Will Smith, despite the fact that it's not him playing him and like, I think he's good at becoming the characters he plays, in a really good way. And for me, King Richard was an emotional wash just because after spending so much time with Venus and talking to her, prior to watching the movie, I was just so emotionally attached to their story. And like to hear somebody talk to you about their beginning and then to see it portrayed in a movie immediately after. It just was such an emotional experience that little Girl, shout out to the girls who played Venus and Serena. But especially the young woman who played Venus, like so much of the movie was about Venus’s career, because she's the one who started it off. And I think what was so beautiful was seeing the sacrifice that that full family made and how they manifested this for themselves. They did this for themselves and, it was knowing what came after the movie that made what happened during the movie so emotional.
Scottie Beam Mm-Hmm.
Sylvia O’Bell Because it's like it happened. All the things he was saying, that everyone thought he was crazy for saying, You're watching now, like. But they did that shit. And that nigga knew that they was going to do that shit. It’s crazy!
Scottie Beam It's great. And then I must add, never in my life have I cried over some braids. When I saw her walk out with them beads. I cried like a baby.
Sylvia O'Bell Yes, I love that they chose to highlight that and even the moment where her mom was doing her hair prior.
Scottie Beam Yeah.
Sylvia O’Bell I love that they made sure to like, because they got a lot of head about them fucking braids, I remember, they gave them a lot of shit.
Scottie Beam Yeah! And that’s why it’s so powerful. The choice to be who you are.
Sylvia O'Bell That's go to TV shows next. Snowfall. I would also love to put into the committee Love Life season two.
Scottie Beam Oh yes, God.
Sylvia O’Bell On HBO. Starring William Jackson Harper who a lot of people love from The Good Place. It was so fun to see him in this romantic comedy kind of role because I feel like he really gave representation to the awkward Black boys out there. The Slut, like the little corny back boys talking about what made them men? Like, this was them. This was their time. Usually you have to be a heartthrob. You gotta be Idris,
Scottie Beam Right.
Sylvia O’Bell Michael. Um… what’s Denzel’s son? Him. Or Denzel himself. Looking like that, to get to play a Black romantic lead as a man. But here came William with his lanky, kind of nerdy and, you know, kind of unsure, but he has his own little thing to him if you give him time. You know he got a little jenesequa.
Scottie Beam Oh yeah, he got a little razzle dazzle that I see, like I’m like, alright. Okay.
Sylvia O'Bell And I feel like he gave representation to those type of Black man. And I love that we got to watch him go on this journey. I'm obsessed with Love Life as a concept, like the way the show operates. Unlike a lot of Blacks, I watched season one with Anna Kendrick when it first came out.
Scottie Beam I am Blacks. It’s me, Blacks.
Sylvia O'Bell No, but you’re not alone. There’s a lot of y’all who didn't know that this show existed prior to this season. I loved it. It was the first, I think it was actually the first original content HBO put out because I remember when they started, I watched the first season in the thick of the lockdown on my phone because I didn't have the app on my TV yet. And I justm the way for those of you guys who don't know, the way Love Life is set up is that each episode is a different partner, romantic interest, partner or somebody in their life. And it kind of moves their lives in that chapter of their journey to find the one and their person in some way. And this cast, it was a great spinoff of this first season, a whole new set of cast. Jessica Williams played Mia Hynes, my favorite character, Punky Johnson, who played his sister.
Scottie Beam Yes, God, Jesus.
Sylvia O'Bell Playing his sister, and she was fucking hilarious and genius and just the perfect, Like just the perfect, and she’s a lesbian in the movie. I mean in the show, but I love that the Black, like her family. It wasn't the thing. Like, I feel like it was so great to see a Black queer female queer character able to just be herself and and it not be a part of this storyline, like everybody was just accepting of it. And, And they cast the Black Aunt Viv, Janet Harbor is out exile playing his mama.
Scottie Beam Yes.
Sylvia O’Bell Donna Watkins, I was. I know a lot of y'all screamed like I did when she popped out the house
Scottie Beam Happy.
Sylvia O’Bell Because we ain’t seen our dark skinned Aunt Viv in forever. I guess Will Smith kept on his promise about lifting the ban after the Fresh Prince reunion, when they had a heart to heart.
Scottie Beam Right.
Sylvia O’Bell Because it was so, so happy to see her play a mom and his dad was a very attractive, older Black man.
Scottie Beam Very much so.
Sylvia O’Bell Remember the episode when they went to the Little Book Awards and they was both walking and they suits across the room? I said after, his daddy kind of fine. His daddy kind of fine. But his best friend.
Scottie Beam I was just about to say.
Sylvia O'Bell His best friend, also.
Scottie Beam This is who, that’s, let me just tell you something. I love this whole, this whole series. But what truly made this series was the best friend, and I'm, I don't know his name, but when I say I laughed so hard any time he said anything because the way that he says it, it's first of all, it's so sarcastic. It's dry. It's fucking funny. Sometimes with love shows, I be like, Oh my God, like this shit is so sappy. It's so no, it's actually real. And to see him go through that and the human emotion of dating these different women and going through these, this rollercoaster on a, with a male perspective is pretty all right. Like, I would like to see that more because I don't see it enough.
Sylvia O'Bell It was beautiful to see their vulnerability. The comedian is named CP. He plays Yogi, the best friend Yogi, who is very much like a Black yogi, Yoda.
Scottie Beam Yes.
Sylvia O’Bell Like, he gave the best, funniest advice. When he say, like, go home to your wife or when he was like this is why I be home with my kids. Yogi be home with his kids, you understand? He be home with his kids. He said, I don't, I don't got time for the streets. You know that that that threat bud? Which, I think I'm remiss that we didn't mention during the internet segment about, Bud? You don’t want to be out here in these streets, bud.
Scottie Beam Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sylvia O’Bell But that's. What Yogi was as a person, he was that thread. Trying to tell Marcus the whole time, like, bud, you can come back out in these streets if you want to, it’s messy out here.
Scottie Beam Very real, very real. Um… Ted Lasso,
Sylvia O’Bell Heart warming content.
Scottie Beam We need more heart warming things, more things that make us, and you know what? You know what really shows how dark I am, or the PTSD in me? Every episode I thought somebody was going to die. I was like, I'm liking somebody too much. Somebody is about to die. I like this person too much. Somebody is going to die. Oh, she's going to do something. She's probably going to kill him. I'm like, Diani.
Sylvia O'Bell I’m crying. Sometimes they can just not.
Scottie Beam Sometimes, sometimes being kind does work. Sometimes that works out for you.
Sylvia O'Bell Shout out to them for knowing that we need this ray of light in this darkass time.
Scottie Beam Dark as fuck. That will show your true colors right there.
Sylvia O’Bell You kept looking for something to happen.
Scottie Beam I was scared to like somebody too much. I'm like, Oh my God, I don't want to like this person because they're going to die next episode. How to Gon Die, Diano, like, they're on a soccer team. Why are you doing that?
Sylvia O'Bell And they do it in the way that it's still entertaining is not boring. It doesn't feel like kid content or whatever else, like. It's good stuff, and it just kind of reminds you about like, it's almost like a little life lesson in every story like, It just reminds you or makes you want to be a better person. I think it's rare that a show makes me want to try to be better.
Scottie Beam Right, kindness works. Like, we don't get reminded that a lot like being kind does pay off. The next show is my show. I fuck with this show. Yeah, of course it is.
Sylvia O’Bell Complete opposite. Everything goes wrong in this one. What is happiness? I don't know her.
Scottie Beam She does find it at the end!
Sylvia O’Bell [Laughing] Nailed it!
Scottie Beam Guys, it’s Maid. If you haven't watched Maid yet, girl, go and watch it.
Sylvia O'Bell Go on the net to the flix right now.
Scottie Beam Right. I am very attached to this film simply because sometimes it reminds me of my mother and I's like relationship. Me being the baby and her being the lead woman. Yeah, the mom. Because there's two moms on there, so it’s like, what? Your mom? Yeah, so no, not that one. Me being the baby.
Sylvia O’Bell Oh, good point.
Scottie Beam Yeah. So I just absolutely love this, this, what is it, film? It's a film. No, it's a show. Sorry, show. I love this show. Binged it in a day, really.
Sylvia O’Bell That’s wild, to me.
Scottie Beam Binged it in a day.
Sylvia O’Bell After I watched it, to take in that much, in one sitting.
Scottie Beam I know, I know I know I know, I know.
Sylvia O’Bell Is wild, actually that’s mad toxic. I had to spread that bitch out, I was like, I am sad. You hear me? I don’t know how you watched that shit in a day?
Scottie Beam When I say I cried like nobody’s business.
Sylvia O’Bell Well what else were you gonna do, Scottie?
Scottie Beam I know, I know that's a problem. But shout out to Anika Noni Rose, who was who is just a bright star, gave the monologue of the year. You hear me? On this show.
Sylvia O'Bell Under the kitchen table? At the Thanksgiving?
Scottie Beam Yes, I didn't even didn't even realize homegirl was wearing her cardigan with her cast off.
Sylvia O'Bell I think that what I love about this show, too, is that while it was heavy - I only watched it because Scottie made me and the whole time I was cursing Scottie out internally. I was like, I hate her - is because it sheds light to a lot of poverty issues, a lot of single mother issues, a lot of domestic issues,
Scottie Beam Domestic violence issues.
Sylvia O’Bell And how the system keeps us here. And I love how it highlighted how it's systematic. I think a lot of we talk about systematic issues, but shows don't get to always clearly illustrate how it's systematic and Maid does a really excellent job of that. And, fun fact that I know, I love when we get a little taste of Scottie don't know white people corner,
Scottie Beam Oh, I love this one though.
Sylvia O’Bell Andie MacDowell, who plays the mom,
Scottie Beam: Is real! Yes!
Sylvia O’Bell Is her real life mom of the girl who, they’re real life mother and daughter, Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell.
Scottie Beam That's my favorite little white fact. I love that fact.
You know, look at Scottie y’all!
Scottie Beam When I like a white show I’m gonna look them up and be like, oh, I like these people.
Sylvia O’Bell But speaking of Caucasians and their chaos,
Scottie Beam Mm hmm.
Sylvia O’Bell But on the very opposite end of the capitalistic scale,
Scottie Beam Obviously
Sylvia O’Bell We have Succession!
Scottie Beam Yes.
Sylvia O’Bell Yes! The best shit on TV three years running. God damn these white rich people, y'all. I just every time. It's just Succession is really a show about family trauma. And every season it makes it clearer and clearer like they're rich, but it’s like: family trauma, but rich people. And it's just wild to see. Every year we get deeper and deeper into how fucked up the Roy family really is. And, for those of you who know, I think from, what I love every season is that like: you have the inherent thing when you watch a TV show to try to pick a character you like. But what I think Succession is great at is that you can't really like anybody for long because they're all terrible. And they do a good job of reminding you that we do not like these kind of people in real life, y'all. You might find these characters endearing, but eventually, like, they're still who they are at the end of the day. And we hate everything that they stand for, and they're all so twisted and they don't care about each other. They stab everybody in the back, child. It is, but it's like Game of Thrones in the modern era.
Scottie Beam Mm hmm.
Sylvia O’Bell I can't believe Scottie doesn't watch it, y'all. Please continue to bully her online with me so that we can get her to watch it, in time for season four. It's like, it's just really just so… it's like, family mess, and the same way we can enjoy white reality shows because we don't care enough, like, is that, you know? I mean, it's like Soul Food if they was rich. And it's like, you know, the empire was what they were fighting over versus the money in the TV in the back of Big Mama’s house.
Scottie Beam Look at the making of a vast difference. Let's just really discuss. The family almost broke up over money in the TV, child! Alright, go ahead.
Sylvia O'Bell But, but no Succession is excellent. I will say that this season did start, it started off with a kick! It was slow in the middle, but them last three episodes, Succession is good for that. It'll be, “alright. OK, this is season is alright, it’s cool.” Then they fucked you up. But the last three episodes and you ain't see it coming. And there’s betrayal, there’s shock, there's intrigue! There's revenge! And I'm pretty sure we're going to get a Gone Girl season coming up with Shiv next, so I really want Scottie to watch it because we love Gone Girl.
Scottie Beam I love Gone Girl. Yes, I do.
Sylvia O’Bell And she coming in for that level of white woman revenge, I feel like, in the next season. Because their parents and everybody has screwed the kids over and their family united, and I am excited to see what happens next. So, shout out to all the whites on that show. I don't know they names in real life, but Cousin Greg and Tom and them, and Shiv and Kendall. Oh, and my favorite Culkin, the one who plays the brother on this one. Great writing. Some of the best writing on television. Some of the best dialog. What I can go from screaming awkward laughing to screaming shock like in 15 minutes flat. Fucking love Succession. So sad it's over. Gonna have to wait another year for the next season, but definitely on my top list. And it should be on yours too, ‘kay, bye.
Scottie Beam So while are we talking about excellent writing. My God, we have to talk about the show South Side. Guys. I haven't laughed this hard watching a show since The Office. I’m gonna be very real with you, since The Office. This is about a pair of recent community college graduates who look to become entrepreneurs in Chicago's South Side. It's very, it's giving very much so, your cousin with always a side hustle like, “nigga, what are you doing now? Like, what you got going on?”
Sylvia O’Bell Every Thanksgiving they got a new job.
Scottie Beam Every, every time, they selling tires, or they doing something new with this lipgloss they just found out about, or flat tummy tea or something else, they they are advocating for.
Sylvia O’Bell Not flat tummy tea…
Scottie Beam This show is top notch hilarious. When I say, I mean, like, scream laughing. It's fucking funny. So I employ, if you want joy, for real. And they go there, like, with the Black shit. This is an all Black cast, by the way. I think they have, they probably have one white person that we see, probably once every three episodes, which is amazing. So I definitely hope that all of y'all just watched this show. It's fucking hilarious. Chance the Rapper is in this. He's really a comedian. We really need to talk about it.
Sylvia O’Bell He gets to show his funny side.
Scottie Beam Yeah, yeah. I was like, We can really talk about it. The boy don't have to do music anymore. We can get this boy right into acting because he's also very funny. So, the writing in it is just A-one. The storytelling. It's just, it's out of this world. I really do enjoy it, and I hope it continues. Like, I hope it has many, many more seasons. But please watch it if you can while you are at home, you know, locking it down in your house. This is something that you can watch and literally laugh for hours straight, for real. And I don’t be laughing like that. This shit is funny.
Sylvia O'Bell It's got to be really funny then. So yeah, I think that I mean, there's a lot of good TV. We definitely watch more TV than movies, but these were some of our favorites. I think we would be remiss, be remiss to not mention that yes, 2021 is the last year of Insecure.
Scottie Beam Oh, Jesus. Help me.
Sylvia O’Bell At the time of the taping of this episode the finale has not happened yet. So we really didn't feel confident enough to say if we would place this particular season on our list. But I will say, this week's episode was the best of the season so far.
Scottie Beam I mean, yeah. Absolutely. Without a doubt.
Sylvia O'Bell That would be, just so you guys know, timeline wise, we're talking about the preeminent episode, Tiffany and Derek's going away party, where Lawrence showed his ass and Nathan and him and everybody got together. And I just love the Insecure episodes where everybody comes together in one spot. So those were good times.
Scottie Beam Love it. Shout out to my toxic girls who thought that shit was sexy when Nathan head popped off like that.
Sylvia O’Bell He’s said, I’m calm, but I can go up.
Scottie Beam But I can go up. Go up then, sweetheart.
Sylvia O’Bell And his deep voice.
Scottie Beam Go up then. What’s wrong with you.
Sylvia O’Bell Y’all need therapy!
[Scottie and Sylvia Laugh]
Scottie Beam He said, “no we was having a conversation,” I said, shit!
Sylvia O’Bell The only couple you should want to be in that scenario, in that episode is Molly and Torian. High as hell on the edibles living they best lives with vulnerability. Everybody else is going through a lot. But I think, as wise person just said, to wrap it up, because we do not know, like I said, how this series will end, I'll probably be pissed by the time this episode airs, but,
Scottie Beam Issa choose yourself, girl!
Sylvia O’Bell Issa, choose yourself! that is the vote we are sticking with.
About eight to choose your side. That is what we are sticking with. And I just think I'm shocked that the one thing I didn't think they were going to be able to do this season, which was find Molly a man that quickly with one season left, is id the one thing that did happen.
Scottie Beam Right, and also make me like Molly a lot more. Like, I was pissed at her last season, so, this was great.
Sylvia O'Bell I think they took it easy on Molly for a reason,
Scottie Beam They sure did.
Sylvia O’Bell They were like, Molly, we gave you a rough. She went in there making demands. She went into contract negotiations like, y’all will not. I will not.
Scottie Beam Because we was in there looking for Molly. OK? Listen, but OK. OK, guys. So this isn't only the last show of the year, but it's also our last show of the season.
Sylvia O’Bell It is! Mamas needs breaks, y’all, we tired.
Scottie Beam We is tired, child. We tired, boss. So, you know, we could talk about some possible reflections of the season and lessons that we've learned.
Sylvia O'Bell There’s a lot of uncertainty with 2022. So we don't want to leave you guys on edge. We will be coming back.
Scottie Beam Yes, we will be. We will be coming back.
Sylvia O'Bell We just need a break. So we're not going to be coming back right at the top. We just need, I know you'll be like, bitch y’all only every other week. Ra-ta-ta-ta!
Scottie Beam Ra-ta-ta-ta!
Sylvia O’Bell But we work every week, even, to make episodes that come out every game. So, we just need a little time off away from our equipment and just, you know, to live a little life.
Scottie Beam I was just about to say, podcasting, podcasting 101 should also, if you even podcast I would hope that you take some time for yourself. Experience life. Be able to reflect, think through things so that you have new perspectives on things, so that you'll be able to talk about fresh things. You know, you don't want to keep regurgitating the same shit over and over again, girl, we got to find a different perspective. A fresher one. So yes, girl, we got to live this life.
Sylvia O'BellYes, and all that and strategize about ways to make it great for you guys in season three and all of that. So while, you know, look out on the announcements will come about when we come back on the Strong Black Leads and all those things. But in the meantime, this season two was a joy. I think we really got our show. We were in our stride. I think if season one was about exploration and figuring out the kind of podcasts we were and what we wanted to be, in season two, I think we got our stride. I love that we came off the top
Scottie Beam Poppin!
Sylvia O’Bell With Zendaya, at her peak baby, alright? I mean, sis stays at her peak because even at the end of the year and we got Spider-man number one movie, Euphoria about to come back out.
Scottie Beam Hello. Sis stays working.
Sylvia O’Bell My girl works. And sis is in love now.
Scottie Beam So it’s real, Sylvia? That’s real?
Sylvia O’Bell Her and Tom Holland, yes?
Scottie Beam They’re really together? Oh I don’t know if people were like, you know, doing that on Twitter, like doing funny shit.
Sylvia O'Bell Oh no. But yes, Zendaya coming on to help us kick off the year this season, too, to me, is like the best kickoff we could have asked for and hoped for and sis don't do many podcasts. So I felt really proud that she came to do ours and that we could talk about real shit with her and a lot of her fan base who, for those of you still listening, you know, y'all really, y'all are fan base, OK? I've never seen, so I've never been followed by more fan accounts. I did not know when we had Zendaya on this podcast, but a lot of you guys said it was the most comfortable you felt like she was able to feel in an interview, and the Blackest kind of interview she was able to, and like, even was just the most grown up. Like we treated her like the grown up she is and the girl she is. And so like, I love that interview. It's definitely my favorite interview of the season and one of my favorite episodes of the season. But what's your favorite celebrity guest episode, for you?
Scottie Beam I mean child, do we really? Jazmine Sullivan, you know?
Sylvia O’Bell OK.
Scottie Beam It was live, and we were able to just be in the same room. You know, all of us together and with our listeners and some of our listeners. I thought it was really dope to do like even Jazmine who showed up as herself and showed up, so honest. I enjoyed that, her being able to tell her story and tell us why she decided to tell her story. That was really nice. People really fucked with the episode. People really fucked with the interview that's on YouTube. So, yes, check it out. This, you know, when she did a little diddly, she did a little song or two.
Sylvia O’Bell and baby, y'all have ripped that video and shared it across the land, posted your label on it, we see you!
Scottie Beam We see you.
Sylvia O’Bell And all I know is that, I know that, I love it every time, no matter how many brands they put on I hear my voice saying, “You better sing!” in the background when she hits that run. Because that’s how we know you guys like the content. When it starts to get stolen and posted, child, you know you did well. So I think we are, as a team are very proud to be able to bring you guys that whole experience. And that was such a good convo. I think the convos are best when they’re open. And I think one of my favorite episodes, non-related to a celebrity interview, was our colorism episode, with Dr. Yaba Blay. I think we felt like it was a big topic to take on, but we found our way through it in a way that felt very real, and personal to us, this podcast. And Yaba Blay is such a brilliant woman.
Scottie Beam She is a brilliant woman.
Sylvia O'Bell And I was so glad we got to experience her brilliance and just even the way she was able to help us break down and make sense of things that were so hard, especially privilege.
Scottie Beam Yeah,
Sylvia O’Bell when it comes to like like light-skinned privilege or like male privilege or the things privileges within the Black community that we may have over each other and why we have a hard time accepting them. I took a lot of lessons from that that I will carry with me.
Scottie Beam I absolutely love that, that body, the body episode from me. The toughest thing I've ever had to do. So that was, that was really tough, and I love tough discussions because once it's done, I feel like we've helped so many people, including ourselves. But we've helped so many people have that discussion with themselves and actually think about how they see themselves and how they talk to themselves. So I really did. I enjoyed it at the end. During I was like, this is shit girl, I’m having a time.
Sylvia O’Bell Wowee, it was the hardest thing. I felt like Usher at the beginning of confessions, “This is by far, the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, is tell you, the woman I love.”
Scottie Beam It was tough. But I still get, I still get long DMs about it and emails about it, and I still, you know, so I truly, it's one of those moments that I was like, OK, this served a purpose, and I'm very happy that it did.
Sylvia O'Bell As much as you guys say we don't make you feel alone. You also don't make us fell alone.
Scottie Beam Exactly.
Sylvia O'Bell So thank you for sharing your stuff with us. And I know there were so many, I tried to respond to as many as I could. I'm sure some I didn't. But like, please know that we see you.
Scottie Beam All the time.
Sylvia O’Bell And we love you, every single time it happens. And please feel like, know that we will continue to be a safe space for you all in that way
Scottie Beam Absolutely
Sylvia O’Bell When necessary. Yeah, but what about New Year's Eve resolutions in general?
Scottie Beam Go ahead, Sylvia. I asked you that first, so you go ahead and you do yours first.
Sylvia O'Bell I think these past couple of years has made it hard to feel like you can make a resolution because I feel so out of control about what life will allow me to do, actually. Somebody said, I'll change when the circumstances change, and I felt that meme. But I think if I was to make any resolution for 2022, it would be to work on my ability to trust. To trust in the things that I cannot control, to trust in the people who love me, I like to be in control. I like to have control of things. I know I trust God. But I think to trust God then I also, the way I exercise that is to trust also the people he brings into my life to be good for me and to trust in good things. So I think the word trust keeps ringing out for me because I realize there's a lot of things, and a lot of love I won't be able to feel fully if I don't harness that ability to trust other people. And that's a life unlived, and I don't want to do that side of not trusting, like, I want to have the experience, I want to have the memory, and I want to have the love.
Scottie Beam That's, that's something.
[Sylvia laughs]
Scottie Beam That's, you know, I guess that's something that I too will work on because I feel like they'll be looking at like Sylvia lookin’ at me like, “bitch. I speak for us.”
Sylvia O’Bell I say we. Surprise! It’s our resolution.
Scottie Beam I do. I feel you one thousand trillion percent, Sylvia, Like when I say with all my spirit. Absolutely. That's so hard to do. Even like even listening to you say it, sometimes, like, I cringe.
Sylvia O’Bell Yo, y’all, she closed her eyes like it was a horror movie. Like, she stopped, she just shut her eyes like the monster was coming into the house. It’s wild, it’s wild to see in real time. All I saw were Scottie’s eyelashes against her cheekbones.
Scottie Beam Oh my God. I’m so afraid of disappointment. It is absolutely earth shattering to me. So, whoo! Sylvia, I really. I was closing my eyes, too, I was like, Whoo, my stomach just turned because that is tough. Well, it'll be a group project.
Sylvia O’Bell What's yours? What's yours? What's the one you're actually going to do - no I’m kidding.
Scottie Beam No, I am, I'm going to. I'm going to. I'm going to work, I am already working on it. But I think overall, I think I well, there's, there are big. There are things like small things. I want to go to Jamaica, y'all better check me on this. I've been saying I've been wanting to go to Jamaica since 2018. I have not gone to Jamaica yet. OK? I'm going to Jamaica next year. I am going to go. That is a resolution. For me, detailed things like that, I can do. I can make for myself. As far as lessons that are to be learned, or things I have to work on, sometimes that goes when life goes like when I'm just living life and I realize, Oh, I have to, I have to work on this. But it's not, it's not a yearly thing. It's like a daily thing, you know, so.
Sylvia O'Bell Yeah, no that’s what I mean. Not, “And for the next 365,”
Scottie Beam Right, right, right. But it's like, I do that, you know, I try to think of things like that every day. So I don't necessarily, I guess I don't pour that much into those things. I try to say, OK, next year, I'm gonna get my driver's license back. OK? Like, I make those lists.
Sylvia O’Bell Oh, Please God.
Scottie Beam OK, I got to get my driver's license. I want to, and the last thing I want to do, I do want to help more Black women. Because it's so general, there's so many things I want to do with that statement. And I mean like physically, like, I want to provide a physical space, and I know that can't be done in a year, that maybe can be done in a few years. But I want to start doing that. I feel like, yes, I do a lot for my community, and, but I need to do more and I want to do more for Black women. So I'm definitely going to put my foot forward with that and try to expand in that way. You know, there is nothing but space and opportunity in that area.
Sylvia O'Bell Those are beautiful, good, fair, and tangible. And we will circle back this time next year and replay your voice and see how you did.
Scottie Beam Yeah, but guys, I'm going to Jamaica!
Sylvia O’Bell All right, girl.
Scottie Beam Thank you.
Sylvia O'Bell So that was beautiful. Those were great. And before we go before we end this supersized deluxe episode that you guys can parse out for the next month or so while we're away. We have to take a moment in remembrance of the great Black heroes that we lost this year. We really want to pay homage. We lost so many great icons and legends. There was just so much loss in 2021, so we wanted to take a moment to name a few: DMX. Michael K. Williams. Cicely Tyson. Virgil Abloh. Melvin Van Peebles. Biz Markie. Suzanne Douglas. Mary Wilson. And last but certainly not least, bell hooks. bell hooks is somebody who shaped so much of me and Scottie's a feminist theory and just the way we look at love. I know All About Love has been such a guiding light book for me. When it comes to figuring out and navigating my way through all versions of love, familial, romantic, self, all of those things. And she has like such a litany of quotes and all those things, I think Scottie had one that she wanted us to share with y’all.
Scottie Beam Yeah, “Doominator our culture has tried to keep us all afraid. To make us choose safety instead of risk, sameness instead of diversity, moving through that fear, finding out what connects us, reveling in our differences. This is the process that brings us closer. That gives us a world of shared values of meaningful community.” bell hooks.
Sylvia O'Bell Yes, I love that quote, I am glad we chose to share it because we feel like that quote really sums up the mission of this podcast in a lot of ways. And what we try to do in our own way and a lot of our projects, but especially this one. And I know bell hooks will live forever through her teachings and legacy.
Scottie Beam And teaching us how to love. So thank you, bell hooks.
Sylvia O'Bell Thank you. Well, all right, guys. That is our show, that is our season two! Thank you all for tuning in. Infinite joy.
Scottie Beam Whoo, child. Yes, Lord, yes. Our Show is a production of Pineapple Street Studios in partnership with Netflix and Strong Black Lead. Shout out to our team, our editor is Jess Jupiter and our producer is the great Taylor Hosking. Our music is by Amanda Jones. Special thanks to Max Linsky and Jenna Weiss Berman.
Sylvia O'Bell Make sure you share your thoughts with us on the episode using the #OKNowListen. Please, we covered so much, you guys have plenty to tweet us about throughout the next few weeks. Share with us your favorite episodes. Let us know what you guys would love to see next season. All of that, we'd love to hear from you. Follow Strong Black Lead on the socials, @Strong BlackLead, to get any updates about when we'll be back. And follow us, too, I’m @SylviaObell
Scottie Beam And I’m @ScottieBeam.
Sylvia O’Bell Until next time, folks, stay blessed.
Scottie Beam Happy New Year!
Sylvia O’Bell Happy New Year! See y’all in 2022!