Welcome to Wha'ts Ur Thing, this is the show
where I talk to my friends and your favorite
celebrities about their "thing." Today's guest, Angie Martinez.
Her thing is board games, card games, mind games.
All the games right here.
On What's Ur Thing?
You better not move.
♪ ♪
Ladies and gentlemen,
Angie Martinez is here.
How about that? Huh?
Huh?
I feel weird talking.
Is that the only introduction I get though?
Well there was already a big introduction before.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you for that.
Thank you.
Alright, so before we get into your thing.
Yeah.
Because that's what this show's about.
Like, people's things, obsessions and passions.
We got to do small talk.
I hate small talk.
I know the network wants us to like just figure out
what you're up to now.
Oh, ok, fine.
Hey.
What are you, what are you up to?
What's going on?
I'm just, you know, working.
Working on some television stuff like you.
Really?
I hosted Title X last night, which was for
criminal justice reform.
It was really good, and Meek came out because you
know, he's been a big advocate for that.
Did he perform, or he spoke?
A little bit of both.
Mostly performed.
I keep wanting to talk into this mic but it can
hear me from here, yeah?
Yeah, because it's our radio background.
I know, and we wanna be like "What did you say?"
We know, we've been in the game.
Cipha and I have been friends for how long?
A hundred- I don't want to say.
Alright, we're really old then.
We really have been friends for a really long time.
You know when I found that I really liked Cipha, but
I was having.
It was early in my career too, I was having a
birthday party and I didn't know you at all.
It was like this young kid.
I was like, I want somebody because it was a
small intimate birthday party.
I want a DJ, he's going to be good, but I don't want
anybody who's going to be a headache or cost a lot of money.
He was like, "I'll send Cipha down there."
I'm like, fine.
And then he came.
Not only did you kill the party, but he brought me a
gift and it was a candle in this little brown, like
a candle holder.
It's crazy that you remember that!
I still have it.
I should've brought it!
I swear to God.
You should've brought it and put it right here.
It's a little rusted now.
It's not the same color it was when you gave it to me.
That's so cool that you remember that and that's
how we became friends and then I got to bring up
this thing that you hate that I talk about,
that you were late to my wedding.
Everybody thinks that's funny.
It was not funny.
I felt horrible.
So I was late.
It is because- Listen, my wife is Filipino and then
the Filipino culture, they have this thing called the sponsors.
I was a sponsor.
I wasn't just attending.
I was part of the wedding.
It's like a, it's like a godparent of your marriage.
Right?
So like you have like a godparent of your kid-
Which I was really honored that you asked me.
I know!
It meant so much to me.
So we're ready to walk down the aisle and my wife's
like this, she's like "we really have to wait for her?"
I'm like, "we have to wait for her.
It's Angie!"
She's like, "....alright." On her wedding day!
And then I don't remember why, why I was late.
I'm sure I had an amazing reason.
Anyway, so I'm rushed.
I'm driving, I'm in my dress.
I'm driving like a crazy person.
I see the and by the way, I got a little lost,
I'm circling the place, I found it pulling up and I
could see the wedding party set up outside.
They're outside like everybody's here, I'm
like, "there they are!"
I'm pulling up my car, speeding.
I get out the car trying to fix my hair and then I
look and I see literally the wedding, the bride and
her, her and they're just standing there waiting and
I'm hopping out of the car and the wedding is
waiting for me.
And you just pulled up in front- I left my car there!
I didn't even.
Wasn't illegally parked.
That just left the car there and ran inside.
It was horrible.
Are you late to all weddings?
And he brings it up!
Every time he can!
And it's horrible!
Because you hate it.
It's because you hate it.
Now we're documenting it.
You're a part of hip hop history for many different reasons.
Okay.
Oh, you know what?
Someone asked me, we got a question on Twitter.
What's happening with the Tupac interview?
Well the thing is, Cipha is that- If you don't know
this, she has this amazing Tupac interview where she
went to LA and interviewed him and it's probably the
most dynamic, in-depth interview anyone ever got
with Tupac and you never released it!
Wow, you just really put so much sauce on it!
Well that's what it is!
No, he invited me in the middle of east coast,
west coast, come out.
I came out, I interviewed him.
I came back.
I was afraid to put it out because I was worried
about what the repercussions of that
interview would be, people losing their lives.
He was saying some crazy shit.
I didn't want that to happen so the tapes have
just kind of been in my possession.
Um, and it's, it's sensitive.
Even now hearing it, it's like a sensitive.
But I do know it's a piece of history.
So I am planning to release it and I am,
I just want it to be done.
At this point, I want it to be done well and I want
it to be done respectfully, and with
some type of purpose.
Not just because- Just releasing it for no reason.
Yeah!
I want to do it with some type of purpose.
So I've been, you know, things take time, but I
have been working on that and it is coming soon.
You know when you really think about Tupac, there's
not that many interviews, you know what I'm saying?
Like there's like a couple of famous ones where he
was talking to the woman from MTV, and like there's
a lot of like, almost like he was doing snippets
before there was youtube, like he had like little quick.
Also we didn't have video back then.
Yeah.
The video wasn't as easy as it is now.
I mean literally it was like me and his apartment,
a little mic with a little recorder and the microphone.
Oh, it's not even video?
No, it's audio.
Oh, I thought it was video.
It's a radio interview.
It was a radio interview, it's just audio.
So trying to figure out how to put that out and be
and it, you know, when people.
And he was talking crazy on there?
Of course he was talking crazy.
It was in the middle of all of that.
And he was.
Yeah.
And he was.
But he was also passionate and intelligent and way
more advanced than me.
I wish me now could interview him.
'Cause, when you hear it and when you all who will hear it?
He um, he just blows me away.
I'm like, "okay!"
I was just in awe of him and he was way like,
rolling all over me.
So you have, another part of hip hop history you're a
part of, which people might not know.
You used to do this segment on the radio
called the Top Five at Nine.
I did!
Oh my God.
Countdown.
The Promo you had was Jeru the Damaja.
Oh, that one.
Yeah.
I had a really good Jay Z one, too.
That was hot before.
But anyway.
Go ahead and carry on.
The Jeru the Damaja beat, Biggie heard and was like
"I want that beat." And then they made 10 Crack Commandments.
This is true.
There wouldn't be no 10 Crack Commandments without you.
The 10 Crack Commandments was the Hot 5- and that's,
yeah, that's mine.
Listen to 10 Crack Commandments guys.
Pause this.
I don't think you told that story good.
You want me to tell the story better?
So I had this crazy promo that DJ Premier made just
for me for my show, right?
And it was his new artist Jeru the Damaja and it was
like "Top 5 at 9" over this crazy beat.
Biggie's driving around, listening to me on the radio.
He hears my promo and was like, "Yo, I need that
beat." And Premier called me and was like, Biggie
wants to beat and I'm like, "of course give
Biggie whatever he wants!"
And then 10 Crack Commandments was born.
Amazing.
Didn't I tell it better than you?
Did you stop playing promo when 10 Crack
Commandments came out?
No!
It was some fire after that!
Then it looked like I took Biggie song and made a
promo if you didn't know, but really my promo was first.
Angie Martinez, your thing is games.
So I like to play games.
I am like inappropriately competitive.
Inappropriately.
Yes.
Like I've literally- You go hard.
You know what the funny thing is, I'm not trying
to beat anybody.
It's myself that I'm battling.
Like I'm not battling other people.
It's not like "I want to kill Cipha at this game."
It's like "why can't I figure out how to win this?"
And are you like that in life?
Of course I'm like that in life.
If there's something you can't figure out,
I think I could figure it out anything.
That I would want to put my mind to.
And I will stay with it until I can.
Yes.
So that's the same thing.
So what's game night?
What's like the favorite games you play?
Um, well I used to do a lot of poker nights.
Did you ever come to my poker nights?
I think I went to one.
Did you play?
Yeah.
I didn't know how to play that well.
So I was just having fun.
It was intense.
People were playing for real.
Yeah.
I was like "Ah, there'll be chips, music, play some games,"
and everybody was like.
I was like "Yo, this is real." This is so serious.
What's your thing now?
I do "Belebrity" nights.
I hosted one in New Orleans.
That's like Heads Up?
Yeah.
But it's more like of the culture.
Right?
So I did a "Belebrity".
I hosted a "Belebrity" night in New Orleans around
Essence Fest.
And I did one at 40/40 here in New York.
That was a good time.
It got a little competitive.
Also, I had monopoly game nights that I used to do
with Joe Button.
What's your monopoly strategy?
To win mostly.
What's the longest game you ever played?
Hours.
At Monopoly?
Easily.
Four hours, five hours, like hours.
I played once and I literally owned every
property on the board.
Well you were paying with terrible people.
It got very long and I just saw people getting
tired and I was like, yo, I'll take that part.
No rent.
Oh, so you just?
I just swindled it.
And at the end of the game I had every single property.
You win!
Because my usual tactic is slum lord.
I like to buy all the cheap ones right in front.
Not bad.
Take any property you can get.
Yeah, because people skip those.
They're like, oh, it's not a lot of money.
But if you build up.
Those orange ones around there, and dark purple one over there.
Slum lord, baby!
We've been in radio for a long time.
You longer than me.
You're my mentor in the radio game.
And how many celebrities were nobody's when they
first came to you.
And then we play their records, break their
records, and they become celebs.
Yes, many.
A lot, right?
Many.
So, I want to take it a step further.
Instead of them giving us the finished song and we
tell them if we like it or not, breaking it, making
them celebs, let's make the song that we give them
to make them a superstar.
Like give them the fire?
Right!
Give them the fire.
Now here's how we do it.
These are two different categories here.
This is vibe.
And this is genre.
I forgot to mention, this show has an alternative budget.
So we don't have a lot of money to get real music.
So we're gonna use like this stock music that they
use in commercials.
The free music.
Yeah.
But this machine finds the exact right beat.
You pick a vibe, you pick a genre.
We find the music, and we create the song.
Alright, here it goes guys.
Ladies and gentlemen.
This is my stock machine.
This is the vibe we're on today.
Check, check, check, check.
One, two.
Okay.
Aggressive.
Ooh, that's perfect for you.
And then what's the genre?
The genre, let's see if I like this.
It's country.
Aggressive country.
Is that a thing?
Yeah, we're making it a thing.
Okay.
Stock machine.
Aggressive country.
[beep]
[country music plays]
Oooh!
What's the lingo?
What's the hook?
[country music plays]
Okay.
Alright.
Who's on that song?
Who do we give that to?
Well, I don't.
Aggressive country artists?
I don't really have like a list of those.
What do you mean?
Nelly.
Nelly did a country song.
He did.
I was going to go for Nelly cause he was like
my only reference.
Lil Jon.
He makes some country music.
Yeah.
Oh, like um.
Somebody bounces.
Somebody that can be like [rock grunts]
So DMX?
DMX with?
Somebody that could bring the country heart.
DMX is the aggressive.
Then we need the country.
Kid Rock!
DMX and Kid Rock.
Yeah!
This is a flop already.
♪ This is a flop ♪
♪ A flop! ♪
♪ Flopping away ♪
♪ American flag flops in the air ♪
Perfect.
Yes!
[applause]
Yeah, that was good.
Fire is what you should insert.
The fire Emoji!
Next, yeah.
Uplifting.
Ooh, I like that.
Uplifting disco.
Oh!
Whoo!
Stock Machine.
Uplifting disco.
I'm into this song.
[beep]
Whoo!
That is fire!
[disco music plays]
So, I want.
Ok, stop.
Yes?
Who would you want on there?
Well, I would want Donna Summer.
Right, but she's not here anymore, unfortunately with us.
Did she pass?
Yeah, many years ago.
You didn't know that?
And she has a show on Broadway.
You should go see it.
Did she have a crazy life?
I only know one song.
What?
Excuse me?
Sorry, is there more songs?
There's a hundred amazing Donna Summer songs.
What?
"Bad Girls", "Radio", "Love to Love You".
I didn't realize that was all her.
I could go on all day.
Okay, so Donna Summer.
I almost like want to leave.
No, no, no, no, no.
So we find some old Donna Summer.
No, we can't.
Like a sample?
Like and old Donna Summer sample?
We find like an Acapella.
And then we could put Kelly Rowland on it.
To bring it like now.
She has that cool hair.
She could do disco.
Alright, so what's this song about?
[disco music plays]
Song as disco?
Uplifting.
It should be about love and joy.
♪ Love and joy. ♪
♪ Raise me up for Jesus. ♪
[record stops]
You hit Gospel.
Cause uplifting makes me think of Gospel.
Is that not right?
I don't ever want to make music with you.
What?
Your vibe is like not like my vibe.
I guess making music with me is not your thing.
That's not my thing.
I enjoyed it though.
It was fun.
So, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to do the damn
thing because her thing is playing games.
Yeah!
So now we do the damn thing.
This is "Belebrity".
You go first.
You show me how it works.
Okay, so you get to pick a category.
Or do you want me to pick it for you?
I like that TV show one.
My president is black, celebrity couples.
You like TV shows?
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay, fine.
You want to be on the same team?
We're on the same team.
Ok, on the same team!
I need this type of mental, ok.
[laughter]
It's about strategy, ok.
So if we're on the same team, I'm going to give
you the best clues ever.
Right.
Let's do it.
Okay.
So now I hit play.
You're on my team.
Don't kill me.
Get ready.
Three, two, one.
He's not round.
He has four sides.
He's yellow.
Sponge Bob Square Pants!
Yes, next!
Down!
[ding]
The show, the guy, the host.
Arsenio!
Yes!
[ding]
This is, that's so crazy.
That's so wild.
Ricky Ricardo.
Ridiculous.
Yes, go next!
Oh, Steve Harvey host it now.
Oh, what the damnedest kids say.
No, they have the top ten answers!
Oh, oh!
Your mother, and your sister, and everybody's
there on your side versus the other side.
Maury Povich.
[laughter]
What is it?
Steve Harvey host it!
Right, top ten.
It's a game show!
Oh, a game show!
Family Feud.
Yes, for the love of god.
I don't know this person.
How do you now know these things?
Alright.
You got four.
That's it.
The game's over?
It's a round.
It's one round.
You took so much time with Steve Harvey.
Because you said your family's there and I thought it was.
I said Steve Harvey host it.
Alright, here.
What does it have to do with Maury Povich?
I already feel your intensity because when you
were telling me to pass, you smacked my head.
I did, I'm sorry!
It's already very intense.
So much anxiety.
It's like pass, errr!
Cause you took mad long.
This is a game of time.
We could do New York.
There's a New York one.
New York sounds good.
You're the voice of New York.
You want to do New York?
Let's do New York.
Okay, so I'm going to give you clues.
Okay.
Three, two, one.
Um, construction.
Timberland's.
Yes.
[ding]
Okay.
The five.
Wu Tang.
Where Wu Tang's from.
Staten Island.
[ding]
Of course!
We already knew that.
Oh, from Queens, New York City.
They where Adidas.
Run DMC.
[ding]
Okay, listen, this is great.
I've done a couple of parties out there out in Long Island.
Rich people hang out.
You take a helicopter.
Hamptons!
[ding]
Right!
Oh, okay.
Remember when we used to work at Hot 97 and there was
like some shootings outside and then they put a camera up.
Security cameras!
No, but the the people who put the cameras.
The Police!
Yes!
[ding]
Hip Hop Police?
Just police is fine.
Okay.
Oh, this borough's the thoroughest.
Brooklyn.
[ding]
Does that not count?
Go!
Oh shit.
Okay.
Think Juelz Santana.
Dip set.
Yeah, but he wore this thing on his head.
Not Jewish curls, but these things that hung down.
Oh, a ski hat.
Yeah.
[buzzer]
Ah!
It's over!
You suck.
You are so bad at this.
Do rag flap.
The do rag flap.
How about when you need to get your waves.
Okay, yeah.
This is for the win.
For the win.
The grand prize.
If you get this.
Oh, there's a prize?
Yeah, I didn't tell you that?
No, you should start with that.
You're right.
I hate when I find out there's a prize after
because I could have won sometimes.
I feel like you're going to win.
This is the 90's.
Ok.
You think you got this?
I know the 90's.
We met in the 90's.
Late 90's.
Don't get crazy.
Don't get nuts.
Disrespectful.
Alright.
Boom.
It's on forehead.
Here we go.
Try to be focused though.
Oh, it was a comedy.
Def Comedy Jam.
No, it was a movie, but they were drinking 40s and
they had the crazy braids.
The Marlon Brothers.
"Don't Drink Juice in the Hood".
Yes.
[ding]
He was married to Claire.
He just got arrested, Bill Cosby.
He played this on the Cosby Show.
Doctor Huxtable.
First name.
Heathcliff Huxtable.
You used to wear this on your hip.
Like drug dealers.
Beepers!
Yeah, but it went not one way but.
Two way beeper!
Yeah.
Ow, ow, ow!
Up!
Okay.
This is the Tupac movie.
"Poetic Justice".
You drink orange?
"Juice".
Yes!
Oh.
[buzzer]
Ahhhhh!
You're so slow, Cipha!
What do you mean?
I don't like orange juice.
I didn't ask if you liked it.
You said, you drink orange juice.
I don't drink orange juice.
We got six.
We could have had eight.
Ladies and gentlemen, "What's Ur Thing".
Clap it up for Angie Martinez.
[applause]
Ladies and gentleman, that was Angie Martinez joining
us on, "What's Ur Thing?"
Obviously I'm never going to one of her game nights.
I actually need to go to urgent care because she
almost broke my wrist.
And if you want to buy any of our songs that we made,
hit us up.
Cipha Sounds.
"What's your thing?"
Woo!
If you want to watch more, "What's Ur Thing?" videos.
That's right here.
And then I'm gonna need you to subscribe right here.
So subscribe here, watch videos here.
Getting all that?