Rhett: 0:00

like people were wearing this stuff we don't ever talk anymore we don't ever talk anymore. I'm sorry, it's the point. How will you take me back?

Justin: 0:15

I wanted dreadlocks. So bad we find this. It's like a shotgun style. I mean barber shop full bars on the window. We knocked on the door. You heard all the latches coming off the door opened up.

Rhett: 0:25

We're not making it like, we are not exaggerating. I promise you.

Justin: 0:28

There were at least six locks oh, my gosh and me and rhett walked on in. The lady opened it up for us, yeah, and she said what y'all want? And and I tried to use more of my tough voice, so I'm like I want some dreads and I'm yelling across the store to her.

Rhett: 0:44

Yeah so coming to America, the best barbershop scene where they're all laughing and have a good time and making fun of people and stuff, just imagine beauty shop.

Justin: 0:51

Just, it's women now Laughter like you cannot believe, and me and Red are just standing there in our overalls, in our Dikembe Mutombo shoes what is going on.

Rhett: 1:14

Everyone, it is so good to have you back for another conversation with red and justin right here at arm chair authentic, listen, we're your friends and we're here just stewarding our stories in a way that serve you, trying to have real conversations with real people about real life, and today is no different. We can't wait to get into it. So we're just going to start right now. You guys ready, here we go. You know you've got a really good relationship when your friend comes over and they help themselves to the goodies in the closet. Let me rephrase that the pantry. Oh man, I should definitely clarify that one. We don't have to qualify things, but the pantry, you're helping yourself to the blueberry. But I have told you and I did, and I mean this I'm kidding, I'm kidding, but I'm also being very truthful in that I love it. It means a lot.

Justin: 2:13

I'm grateful no, I'm grateful that you can make yourself.

Rhett: 2:19

I mean, like I'm trying to eat better, there's healthy snacks. And you know, I'm trying to eat better, there's healthy snacks. And so we've got the Nature's Bakery fig bars, we've got the bananas, and I'm always like dude, help yourself, man, Go for it.

Justin: 2:28

Yeah, thank you. I tried to shout it at you still. I had to still say can I grab a fig bar?

Rhett: 2:32

But you didn't answer and I grabbed it anyway. These are so good.

Justin: 2:39

No, I told you, man, help know a little, pick me up to get us going on our podcast today.

Rhett: 2:42

But you know you're, you know there's something to be said about the comfort level and the equity that's been built, when you can walk into somebody's house and just feel at home and feel like, hey, it's true, you know, now, please don't do it on, on on an out, like not you, but like those who are listening, like don't just walk up into somebody's house and help yourself to their pantry If country if you don't know them relational equity built with them.

Rhett: 3:05

But, um, you know, one thing we were talking about, justin, is this whole idea of, uh, kombucha, kombucha. Oh see, I don't even know how to say it. Kombucha, kombucha, how do you spell that?

Justin: 3:16

K-O-M-B-U-C-H-O. I hope Kombucha.

Rhett: 3:22

Kombucha. Okay, so to me, I'm not throwing all the kombucha lovers under the table, but I just when I created a science experience or experiment, let me try that again. When I created a science experiment in high school, I never thought to myself, hmm, I want to take that home and drink it. Because, like to me, the first time I ever heard of this, jeff roberts, you're getting another mention of yellow hammer coffee. Good friend of mine and mobile. We're at his house talking about being friends and, hey, help yourself, open up the fridge. And I'm like, what in the world am I looking at? It's like medusa in a big, huge jug dangling, just dangling everywhere and moving. And I'm like, what is this? He's like like, oh man, it's the best. And you start talking about all the health benefits and all this stuff.

Justin: 4:08

I'm like a lot of them. All right, bro, Like he's like you ought to try it Like I am not drinking that.

Rhett: 4:13

It's called the mother by the way, is that what it is? You earlier and you said oh man, there's nothing like just drinking it and just like experiencing the it's so the slime.

Justin: 4:26

You said, no, I didn't, I didn't. And I'm like come on, man, oh, okay, I don't, I'm correct I'm not crazy about that.

Rhett: 4:32

That's what I heard. No, no, I don't look. That's like I drank a tentacle here from the science.

Justin: 4:37

Yeah, no, it's like you'll be drinking kombucha and it does have the stuff inside of it and eventually it's like you feel it go down and you're thinking you try to ignore it.

Rhett: 4:47

Yeah, you think yeah, but you know, I feel like they're changing the way they bottle it now because I have not noticed.

Justin: 4:54

It's almost like more broken apart than it used to be.

Rhett: 4:57

I think he made this himself. Oh yeah, there's a lot of people into making them. They brew their own. Yeah, yeah, that that that was his thing, like it wasn't like he bought this from a store. I don't think, I believe. I believe that jeff would do that. Jeff would definitely do that. Yeah and um, it's a deal.

Justin: 5:11

I mean people. My favorite kombucha is a brand called gt's kombucha. Is it like in a bottle?

Rhett: 5:17

yes, glass bottle so it's kind of already lived through the science experiment and it's kind of been like filtered through a filter in a way you're not getting the slimy, stringy like it's, like it still can have that I've learned how to like.

Justin: 5:32

You don't shake kombucha, but you kind of turn it like up, like up and like like what, as you try to flip it upside down with your hands.

Rhett: 5:40

I'm like they can't see what you're doing with your hands almost like you're turning it upside down, okay, so you turn it right.

Justin: 5:45

Yeah, okay and then that what that does? It just stirs the stuff up inside.

Rhett: 5:49

So you shake it once, you don't shake it, well, it's not a shake. But if you slow that, if you slow a shake in slow motion, yes, that's what you're doing.

Justin: 5:56

Yes, upside down if you shake things like that and then slow. I've never shaken something when I turn my hand. You've've never done that.

Rhett: 6:02

Oh, I have. You know it's called an hourglass.

Justin: 6:04

Or not an hourglass? What do you call the?

Rhett: 6:07

sands of time that move.

Justin: 6:08

Yeah, hourglass, is that what it is. Where the little sands Hourglass Sands.

Rhett: 6:13

Where the little hourglass? Oh man, I need some Nature's Bakery fig bar to get my mouth working this morning while you're gone.

Justin: 6:22

Yes, me right now, okay.

Rhett: 6:28

So that's what an hourglass right.

Justin: 6:30

Okay, okay, all right, I don't know, is that what they?

Rhett: 6:32

call it Like when you're playing a game it's the timer it's the timer but it's sand.

Justin: 6:36

Okay, yeah, all right, hourglass. Is that what it's? We're set to take an hour.

Rhett: 6:42

Well, the things you learn that aren't your authentic, yeah, so anyway, why did?

Justin: 6:48

you were talking about shaking. Thank you. Yeah, you shake things. I don't Okay.

Rhett: 6:52

Well, but okay, there you go. I wish people could see what you're doing with your hands.

Justin: 6:56

I'm trying to like. Oh man, I'm trying to give the example of how you use it how you like. There's a way.

Rhett: 7:02

Have you seen those? I'm not going to go there. I'm not going to go there. Okay, so moving right along the way that you would turn an hourglass is the way that you would do this.

Justin: 7:11

You would turn it and then turn it back over. Okay, yeah, there you go, gently, okay so all that to say cause you don't want to disrupt it too much.

Rhett: 7:27

So you do it, but you turn it, yeah, in a weird way and it kind of breaks it up. Okay, see, like this is the point, like I'm like why, why, okay keep talking.

Justin: 7:30

It's good. It's just good for you. It's got a billion of these like that is this I mean.

Rhett: 7:36

So if I were to google this right now, it would say a billion, you could look. Okay, something like that. We just be evangelistic.

Justin: 7:42

No, no, no, no, okay, it's like it's I think I mean, hey, we'll look, but I think it says billion. I have a lot of kombucha at the house. Okay, all right, like it's like it packs my refrigerator. I have one probably every other night.

Rhett: 7:54

Okay, and so what are the other health benefits? And it's a certain kind Like cleansing your gut or your gut health, yeah, gut health yeah, stuff like that, Probiotics a lot of probiotics.

Justin: 8:06

That's where it says billions of living organisms, like the probiotics that are being created when they're putting it through this. It's a fermenting process. Almost like alcohol would be, but it goes through a fermenting process. So for me I think, but it's not alcohol.

Rhett: 8:25

So, no, no, no, it's not alcohol. But, like for me, having looked behind the curtain of what this thing looks like at its most intricate level, of whatever it produces.

Justin: 8:38

This living weird Medusa looking thing that's slimy. It's not necessarily behind the curtain. That's what's in there. You can see it.

Rhett: 8:44

I mean, yeah, but like if I would have walked through the grocery store never knowing that or seeing that. And I just see this thing here. It says kombucha and it's just in a bottle. I'm not thinking that this and the bottle came from that, right, and so I know I think I would like a science. Yeah, yeah, yeah, so I think I would have drank it. Oh, this is pretty good.

Justin: 9:01

Probably you know maybe not, so it's like eating. Uh, I gave my dad one during.

Rhett: 9:07

COVID, and he guzzled it.

Justin: 9:09

He was, yeah, he, he didn't like it. I don't know if he had COVID or what, but we said here drink one of these. And he, he guzzled it like a Gatorade and all I know is I looked out my window and this is, at that time, my 80 year old dad.

Rhett: 9:25

He's 85. Now the 80 year old, he's leaned over his car. I've never seen him. Look, was he? Was he up chucking? No, he was ready to and he hasn't touched a kombucha he's like what did y'all give me? That's like his dunk that's. That's your dunking donut.

Justin: 9:35

He's probably guzzling and he filled that, whatever the slime was, oh, gross, and it probably set him in a bad place.

Rhett: 9:42

So he was in a bad place, so do you have to mentally prepare yourself to go? Okay, I'm going to drink this because I know it's good for me, despite how gross this feels. Is that what you do? How do you mentally prepare for this and even build up to the point to go? I want to drink one of these every night.

Justin: 10:00

I was more excited because we've talked about my carbonation streak, no carbonation and coming up on 24 years.

Rhett: 10:06

Okay.

Justin: 10:07

But the way this goes to the, the, the brand. Now the brands you can get that are carbonation, like carbonated water, oh okay. Like that's kind of the standard. But you can get certain brands that are like naturally fermented and it goes to like a natural carbonation, okay, and so it gives enough of that burn, okay. And so when summer first, let me try it, because I haven't had this in almost. At that time it was probably 18 years.

Justin: 10:32

I've been probably drinking this six years okay but when I first tried it it's like it affected my body, like I could almost in a good way like very euphphoric, just like whoa Gotcha, probably because I'm tasting that burn.

Rhett: 10:47

Yeah, you're no longer drinking water, you're drinking something that's like that carbonation type feel, which that's what I miss the most about carbonation.

Justin: 10:56

So I wasn't as concerned about all the dangly things that's in the glass bottle. Okay, because my first experience was good. So now, when she's one, when she's like hey, or have some more, when I saw that and you kind of like, uh, it's kind of it is weird.

Rhett: 11:13

Would you have? Would you have not done that had it not been your wife, because you love your wife so much that you're willing to trust her If that would have been a friend going oh yeah, try this. Oh, I have been a friend going oh yeah, try this. Oh, I probably wouldn't try it. Okay, yeah, so my first experience was good, okay with kombucha, okay and so, but yeah well, when we talked about it, yeah, so if if you have no idea what we're talking about, it's a good drink blessed, be blessed.

Rhett: 11:35

It's a good drink, I think well, you either.

Justin: 11:38

You either love it or hate it. It doesn't taste like awesome, it's an acquired taste. We said that last episode. We were talking about acquired taste. Yeah, same thing. It's like OCs versus HOKAs or ONs ON clouds. I call them OCs, yeah, but they're ON, that's an.

Rhett: 11:55

ON. It looks like an OC.

Justin: 11:58

They're my OCs, you can call them whatever you want to See.

Rhett: 12:00

yeah, I can call them what I want to, because if it's an on cloud O-C.

Justin: 12:06

Oh, I got you.

Rhett: 12:08

So that's what you're saying, O-C.

Justin: 12:09

That's why I'm yeah, it's not because you think that's a well now you got me wondering is that? An upside down C, or is it trying to spell own Right?

Rhett: 12:17

See. So that is the debate and I'm not going to look it up because I don't want to be wrong, but not that I have a problem with being wrong, because I will humble myself before the Lord and my friends on this podcast and be like okay, I'm still calling them OCs. That drives my wife nuts, but they're on clouds, it's an O-N. I'm like no, we've never had this conversation. I'm giving you an example, but I'm like yeah but I'm not going to call it that.

Rhett: 12:40

So for yeah, so like. So for me. On clouds versus hokas, like the debate is like oh, I'm a hoka man, or I'm an on cloud man, or whatever. And I don't have my hokas on today.

Justin: 12:54

No, you're wearing your Air Jordans or your Nikes or one of those Air Force Ones.

Rhett: 12:57

What are we looking at here today? Yeah, I don't know. They're sweet man. You got them, I've had them, I've had them. You know, are you, I've had these for like three years and I just keep them clean. So I love this, justin, you're keeping it real, man.

Justin: 13:12

You, you got the style going on. They're black and gray and white, which match your black jeans and your black yeah. Sweatshirt, but they're not tied. Well, I cut those off, I cut. Did you cut them?

Rhett: 13:18

off. Oh yeah, so you're, you're, you're. Uh, your strings are just hanging well I cut them. You did, did cut them short, but how did you keep them short like that? Oh well, we.

Justin: 13:30

Because you still had the end. It came with a gray pair of laces. I went and bought a small pair of black laces. Strings I said strings.

Rhett: 13:38

Laces.

Justin: 13:38

I bought a small pair of black laces, so it would fit perfectly on this shoe.

Rhett: 13:43

Okay, well, there you shoe, I don't have to tie it and I can just pop them on.

Justin: 13:48

You created your slip-on with your high top it creates a little bit of that width that they're known for.

Rhett: 13:53

Do they not feel like they're coming off your foot when you're walking?

Justin: 13:57

No, because usually in these. I'm in my chill walk, I'm not going power walking. You know what I mean.

Rhett: 14:04

I love it. I love it. Only Justin Bradshaw could compartmentalize different walks, cause today, today is my chill walk today, so you, know if we want to get in the future for a minute and when we're listening to this, when it's actually airing, I'm going to go ahead and let's see if I can.

Justin: 14:20

I can predict the future which you guys are in right now. Okay, even though we are in the past Spring break. You just got back from spring break. Just got back, or just going? Oh, I just got back, oh, okay.

Rhett: 14:35

Because today's date is what Are we going back to the future? 31st of March. But before we go back to the future, we're going back to the future.

Justin: 14:42

Today should be March 31st that we, that we released, yeah, this episode, which means, if I'm right, I've got a pair of Own clouds on.

Rhett: 14:54

Oh, there you go. Yeah, there you go.

Justin: 14:55

Because every spring break we go to the beach and I buy a pair of own clouds. That's your tradition, that's a tradition, and I went with Hoka's last time.

Rhett: 15:04

So do you buy them at the beach or do you buy them before you go to the beach? At the beach On the last one of the last days? Is there an on-cloud store there?

Justin: 15:09

There is a store that sells on-cloud. Well, when you're there, ask them.

Rhett: 15:12

Is it O-N or O-C?

Rhett: 15:14

Inquiring minds want to know so when you say Back to, we really have been called back to the past. Hey, friends, red here Want to take a moment and interrupt our conversation to simply say thank you to every single one of you who are our first time guests today. Man, it means so much that you would take some time out of your day, download the episode and listen and join in on some of the laughter. It really does mean so much to us. In fact, if you haven't already done so, so could we encourage you to find us on facebook or even on instagram. You can find us there at armchair authentic. That's at armchair authentic. We're also over on x. You can find us there at armchair off pod. That's armchair off a u t h p o d. All right, guys, now back to the conversation. So when?

Justin: 16:02

you say back to the the future.

Rhett: 16:05

Shouldn't the movie really have been called Back to the Past?

Justin: 16:08

Or is it? When they're in the past and they go back to the future. It's a play on words, right?

Rhett: 16:13

Yeah, but literally the whole movie takes place in the past, but they eventually have to get back to the future, but they do come back to the future Right. So, back to the past.

Justin: 16:24

future, I don't know, I don't know if that doesn't make for a great title.

Rhett: 16:28

Anyway, it's the first time that's ever hit me. I'm like really.

Justin: 16:30

You're trying to go back to the past.

Rhett: 16:38

Part two back to the future. Back to the future, part two. Yeah, yeah, back to the past. It's really not the past, it's your current future. And then really, is that your present?

Justin: 16:44

Yeah that's Ant-Man bringing all that genius.

Rhett: 16:46

Yeah, I was like oh, my God.

Justin: 16:48

The quantum realm exists, yes, that was good. Okay, the quantum realm that was them both.

Rhett: 16:56

I do. I'm not ready your chill walk is your. Air. Are these Air Jordans? What are these?

Justin: 17:05

These are Nikes. These are Nikes. These are not Jordans. Oh, okay, it's like Air Max probably.

Rhett: 17:09

I didn't know Nike made anything but.

Justin: 17:12

I can't fit. Oh yeah, they make Air.

Rhett: 17:15

Max and I can't flip, put my foot, I can't. It's not an on chair, authentic episode. Until I trip over my words at the very beginning of this thing.

Justin: 17:24

And I don't edit it out anymore. I know it's been going on from the beginning. People you just didn't know. I protected it.

Rhett: 17:29

I cannot put my foot it's a great. You're getting a great perspective on my personality, because I'm always like I got so many words and then I'm already thinking three steps down.

Justin: 17:45

so many words and then I'm already thinking three steps down but and then I just can't get there and I stumble, all right, anyway, q dc talk. What if I stumble? What if I fall?

Rhett: 17:50

I can literally cannot fit my foot in a nike. I mean, I can put it in there with the bigger shoes, but they're so tight because my I've got a wide foot. Yeah me too and literally I'm like, hey, do y'all make a wide in this? And they kind of put their nose up. Yeah, we don't make wise. I'm like, no, I know you do, and stop being snobby, because you see all of those professional nba players out there they got some wide feet they have massive 15, 16 size shoes.

Rhett: 18:13

Where's that for the general public? Right, I wear a size 11 and a half just give me the size that would fit their foot and 11 and a half, yeah, and they almost kind of get a little snot. Yeah, we don't make lines you know like, and so I stopped asking and I don't buy nike for that very reason man, when I started running I used to very disappointed.

Justin: 18:32

I used to wear. I would wear 10 and a half. I remember I wore 11 and a half. If it was a good shoe, I'd wear it yeah and it, yeah, and it felt very normal to me.

Justin: 18:41

Okay, when I started running and my buddies would tell me you need to go to a running store and they will fit a shoe perfect for you, I went and did that and keep in mind, I'm used to 11 and a half, 11, 10 and a half, maybe 10. They fit my feet with some shoes and it was nine no way Nine.

Rhett: 19:03

You were wearing 11 and a half shoes when your foot was a nine. How much space did you have between your toes and the top?

Justin: 19:09

Evidently a lot more than I thought.

Rhett: 19:10

Oh my gosh, and they fit me in that shoe Were you wearing like a Ronald McDonald clown shoe or something Like these shoes are a little tight, aren't they?

Justin: 19:17

They're like these shoes are a little tight, aren't they? They're like this is how you want them. I'm like, wow, okay, and I started running in them. It was perfect, so your toes weren't cramped.

Rhett: 19:24

No.

Justin: 19:25

You didn't feel like you're.

Rhett: 19:26

No. And I think what happened when me and you were young. You remember when we bought those Dikembe Mutombo shoes and they were the rainbow colored soles. So they had two straps Two straps with a peace sign and a basketball sign.

Justin: 19:40

He played for the Denver Nuggets if I remember that correctly, at least one of the teams.

Rhett: 19:45

The world's most colorful shoe at that point that had ever been created, I think.

Justin: 19:49

Oh, it was so cool and Ming, you bought the same pair, yeah, but then you didn't wear yours a lot.

Rhett: 19:55

They weren't very comfortable for me Right but do you remember what I did?

Justin: 20:01

Once I wore mine out yeah, you gave me yours, did I? Oh well, that makes sense, and so I was wearing those 11 and a half, so way around all right.

Rhett: 20:04

So the one detail you're leaving out in this time frame of life is that we were also wearing the bibs oh yeah, we loved our bibs people like wait a minute, hold on what you're wearing. A baby bib around your neck. No, they're kind of like overalls, but then they're kind of like cut short at the calf yeah, right in that.

Justin: 20:21

And then you had black overalls.

Rhett: 20:22

They, yeah, they went down just past, just past your knee to the calf and then you know the overalls, have the the suspender thing, if you will, but they're jean, you know denim and they have the hooks that go on the button and you undo one of the undo, one of the hooks.

Justin: 20:37

Right, you wear kind of a, but we didn't go shirtless under. You have like a. We'd have a nice button down or something.

Rhett: 20:42

Probably the button. Your fly was a big deal then.

Justin: 20:45

You remember those shirts that were popular. You probably wear that t-shirt. I never had that, but you did.

Rhett: 20:49

Now, it wasn't like us wearing a what are the Scottish call them Kilts.

Justin: 20:56

Yeah, it was nothing like that, like I wore shorts underneath these things, man, I was like the last thing I want this thing to do is fall down and me just be in. I loved the black overalls. Do you remember we went on a spree one day and bought these clothes? We?

Rhett: 21:07

did and you know influence. Let's filter it through the lens of. We were a singing group and DC Talk was huge. Yeah, DC Talk this was a bit like people were wearing this stuff.

Justin: 21:18

Oh man, yeah, like people were wearing this stuff, like so yeah, and a lot of the, the, um, kind of the oh, the, the flowy clothes that are like white or or beige, khaki yeah, yeah, you'd wear it the beach, yeah, where you put your arms out the bowl and they start waving like a flag yeah like we did that a.

Rhett: 21:33

Oh yeah, Kind of like We'll make the biggest mistake of our lives.

Justin: 21:42

Don't do it, baby. Ooh, we don't ever talk anymore.

Rhett: 21:53

We don't ever talk anymore. You couldn't have a 90s. I didn't really mean it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, cue the rain soundtrack. Oh, oh, ohs. I didn't really.

Justin: 22:02

Yeah, yeah, cue the rain soundtrack. No, I didn't, I'll be back. For sure you love me again like you loved me before.

Rhett: 22:12

Okay, yeah, I mean like, yeah, you had the guy that really didn't sing much but just talked on the songs, girl, you know I didn't mean to do it again.

Justin: 22:22

I'm sorry, it's the fourth album. Will you take me back, Anyway?

Rhett: 22:27

so we had the flowing clothes. I don't think I mean we spent a couple of hundred bucks or whatever.

Justin: 22:32

We spent a lot that day, and that was the.

Rhett: 22:35

Sadly, there are no pictures to show of this. I don't know if it's sadly. I pictures to show of this, you know, I don't know if it's sadly.

Justin: 22:43

I'm so grateful social media did not exist when we were teenagers.

Justin: 22:44

Yeah, it's so true because we also found yeah, we were influenced on a penemal city trip. Um, this is probably when we were 13, 14, and there's the guy who wore like he had like this it wasn't like a bandana, but it was almost like a sack. He wore like he had like this it wasn't like a bandana, but it was almost like a sack. He wore like some kind of a how would you A baggish kind of beanie that he'd wear on his head.

Rhett: 23:06

A baggish beanie on the head. All I know is the do-rags.

Justin: 23:09

But it wasn't just a do-rag.

Rhett: 23:11

The way it was said. It was like it went over your head. I don't.

Justin: 23:22

I remember we saw the guy who wore that and we thought that's kind of cool.

Rhett: 23:26

And we went and found us, panama City Beach, alvin's Island.

Justin: 23:30

We had our do-rag and we wore those things. You went a lot longer than I did.

Rhett: 23:35

Well, because I, you know, Mr Creative, I could care less what people thought of me. Man, I was just like hey, I like weird stuff and I'm down with that, let's go.

Justin: 23:41

You know, when it comes to what we wear, you were the do-rag guy and I still went with it, especially when we played basketball, we'd always wear our do-rags, but I do remember I had longer hair.

Rhett: 23:52

I had the black jacket with the wool thing before. That was cool, oh, totally.

Justin: 23:56

But I remember I wanted dreadlocks so bad I wore the. You remember that.

Rhett: 24:01

Yeah, I definitely want to talk about that. What do you call the hats that are different?

Justin: 24:08

Oh, they were like a beret. Yeah, maybe Kind of the kangaroo type hats. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, but they look like a beret, not a fedora, I don't know. Yeah, I love those. Yeah, you do. You always wore different kind of hats, that was your deal.

Rhett: 24:22

Yeah, I loved it. Yeah, so, yeah, you wanted. Yeah, I think this is a fun story to share because many people don't realize that Justin Bradshaw wanted dreads. Yeah, People, a lot of our, maybe I don't want to say a lot, because we got people from our old school world 17, 18? This was in 17. I don't know, I was 17. Okay.

Justin: 24:42

Yeah, At this time, but I had always, you know, tried to grow my hair out, but I love shaving underneath Like it would be like I would like I would shave our band name.

Rhett: 24:52

You know the soccer player thing where you would just grow your hair out as long as you could, but then up about three or four inches above your ear you would shave all of it, yeah, and it would just kind of dangle.

Justin: 25:02

It was a cool cut to us. I remember your dad shaved our band name. We had a band named 24-7. And Rhett's dad shaved 24-7 in the back of my head.

Rhett: 25:15

I wanted that so bad he wasn't like an artist by any stretch, but it was still cool enough. It said 24-7 on it. It was free.

Justin: 25:24

It was free and it still looked good enough. It got the attention clearly. Clearly I was looking for, but one day we're in our overall kind of vibe, meaning you're decked out in our Dikembe Mutombo shoes and I asked you to go with me because in the area of town that we're at it was in Birmingham it's First.

Justin: 25:46

Avenue and the area of town, eastlake lake, and it's going to be like predominantly black neighborhood versus you got you know, in birmingham it's just like that. You got black neighborhood, white neighborhood, you got mixed neighborhoods. But the way this is, this was our black culture.

Rhett: 25:59

Yeah, I mean that we were going to visit they would have been like what are these guys doing here? This is different. We've never had two little white guys walk up.

Justin: 26:07

Oh, it was absolutely like that in that community.

Rhett: 26:09

We're not trying to be derogatory or anything, but the reality was we just the only place we could try to find a place to get dreads was from our brother and sisters and a little background for us too, because obviously racism is a real thing and it happens with every color and it goes both ways.

Justin: 26:27

I get all that, yeah, but we really had this side of us. That it's we love our white brothers and sisters and we love our black brothers and sisters. We were just so wired Like we love the soul, I love it, we love the culture, musically, the passion that would go into me when Micah just oh, we just oh, we loved it. So we felt so one At least we thought we did. You know, we felt we were welcome.

Rhett: 26:56

We go to the community, like if you were to ask me, man, I would have much rather been a brother than a you know.

Justin: 27:01

I loved it.

Rhett: 27:03

And this is me. I was like I have so much soul in me I could relate to it. I was like I love it, let's go. I remember my dad taking us to the mall and he would be like all right, let's go to Parisians, which is now Belk.

Justin: 27:16

He's like let's go to Parisians and buy some clothes. And I'm like but dad, I'm here at Journeys. They got all the clothes I love. They're bright right and they're expressive. And he'd be like all right, and so he would get me my stuff there Once again. That's why we had our Dikembe Mutombo shoes. It was not normal for us to be wearing that, but we thought it was the coolest thing, we were expressive, and so I only I didn't want a barber in town that I lived in to be trying to put dreadlocks on my hair.

Rhett: 27:47

Yeah.

Justin: 27:48

Number one I want it done right. I don't think they knew how to do it. And I wanted to go where, like I wanted to go where it's going to get done Right. So we went into the area of town that was going to be. I mean you talking, they can kill it in some dreads at this particular place they were yeah.

Justin: 28:05

Particular place they were yeah, I don't want to jump ahead of you on the story and we went, we found we, we, we parked, we were walking down first avenue big deal yeah and and we find this, it's like a shotgun style. I mean barbershop, I mean what you would see on the movies, yeah, like a salon um full bars on the window, oh yeah, and we curtains.

Rhett: 28:26

You can just walk in. Curtains closed.

Justin: 28:28

We knew it was open, curtains closed.

Rhett: 28:30

You can't see anything all the doors are locked. We knock on that wooden door we couldn't open the door.

Justin: 28:33

It's surrounded by iron and you probably heard how many locks unlocked that's what I'm saying like note to self. They're open, doors locked windows, closed bars on the door, like yeah, it's like what.

Rhett: 28:47

And then you knock, and then we see a little peek outside the little curtain and then you hear oh my, god.

Justin: 28:53

Well, we didn't. We didn't get our parents permission to come here.

Rhett: 28:56

I mean, we just went, we read, but you heard the sisters like laughing like this, but it didn't happen right away. Beauty shop, not a barber shop, right? It didn't happen right away oh, I could have swore I heard them behind that door. They they.

Justin: 29:07

We were recommended to go to this place. Yeah, we knocked on the door. You heard all the latches coming off the door opened up.

Rhett: 29:13

We're not making it like, we are not exaggerating. I promise you. There were at least six locks. Oh my gosh, and me, and rhett walked on in.

Justin: 29:19

The lady opened it up for us. Yeah, and we walk in and there's another lady on the end of the shotgun style salon.

Rhett: 29:28

Beauty shop. Beauty shop, there we go. It's the beauty shop. That's what I've been looking for. It's the beauty shop.

Justin: 29:33

And she said what do y'all want? And I tried to use more of my tough voice. So I'm like I want some dreads, and she said what I said I want some dreads. And she said what I said I want some dreads. And I'm yelling across the store to her as, like all these ladies are in their seats having their hair done. Yeah, and it was like. It was like when you hear a movie and the record goes.

Rhett: 29:58

Yeah. So coming to america, the best barbershop scene where they're all laughing and have a good time and making fun of people and stuff, just imagine beauty shop. Just it's women now and they're just laughing quiet.

Justin: 30:09

It's hilarious and it's like you can hear in the silence and out of nowhere yeah, laughter like you cannot believe it began to make its way around the beauty shop and they are laughing, and me and red are just standing there in our overalls and our dekembe matumbo shoes, yeah, red's got his.

Rhett: 30:27

He's got cut, he's got. No, you got the bandana on your head?

Justin: 30:30

of course I do, and I've got the hair exposed because I'm the one wanting dreads. I got long hair.

Rhett: 30:35

I'm ready for we are so naive, but we're like. We really mean like this is we're excited about. I was so excited like my dad.

Justin: 30:42

I told him I'm gonna get dreads and he's like okay, I don't know why you're doing that. I've got to Dad, it's in me, and so I'm waiting in this salon and they are laughing at us, they have to bring it in? Yeah, they never bring it in oh man, we finally turn around and just walk out.

Rhett: 31:01

Well, they let no, no, no, they didn't. Just they said you need to go to this girl over at the mall because she was the only one that could.

Justin: 31:07

They did, didn't they God?

Rhett: 31:09

so you remember that better they did. They gave us that directive and as we were walking out and they laughed us out the door, they literally did.

Justin: 31:17

We kind of had our head between our tails, kind of like walking out, but hey, we felt good. And then you heard the locks going click, click, click, click.

Rhett: 31:30

We got in our car, we made our way to century plaza, yeah, and then we went into that salon, yeah, and that lady and this is like bougie, so much nicer and we went in and I said, hey, I'm here to get some dreads, yeah I like that you were trying to figure out how much it was going to cost you're like hey, like I'd like to get dreads. How much does this cost? You know, the lady's down at the beauty shop told us your name. It was going to take a while, yeah. Because that's not a quick process evidently we had no clue what money was it was going to take a long time and it was.

Rhett: 31:55

I don't even want to exaggerate it was $80. It was. At that time $80 would have been like $200 or me, yeah, yeah like I ain't got that money because we could have looked.

Justin: 32:15

We could have lived off 20 bucks in one week. Well, you can go eat burger king for 323, our car for five bucks it was a whole different time, yeah, and she told us that 80 bucks. And we're staring at her. Yeah, what I'm like, dang, she's like. I mean, she's like honey that's gonna take a long time. Basically, that was her entire slot for all day yeah, I can't even have other clients if I'm working on you yeah exactly and I went and reassessed it's sad.

Justin: 32:32

And then I had uh yeah, my girlfriend put in braids. It just didn't give me the vibe I was looking for come on, man braids, and I was like oh yeah you just take those out your hair right now. It looked awful. I came up to you. I was like, hey, how's this look? You tried to make me think it looked all right. I was like, yeah, man, it's good.

Rhett: 32:56

Yeah, you keep those in your hair. Man, I'm going to keep wearing my do-rag.

Justin: 33:01

You can do that and then. But the thing about dreads is like they literally got to dirty up your hair and make it tough and you don't wash it. Yep.

Rhett: 33:09

Yeah, there was something so cool. Once I realized what dreads were really were, I was like, okay, I don't think I want that.

Justin: 33:15

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't know Cause we were listening to that, that reggae stuff too, yeah, that's what I was saying, like Jamaica, like for me. I'm an island guy.

Rhett: 33:24

I love Caribbean. I love the music. I love the.

Justin: 33:27

I wanted it. I wanted it so bad. Oh yeah, yeah, and it's all about the bass line In this time In our lives, oh yeah. We have our threads and you take us much more serious when we have our threads in our hair. But it's gonna cost you Eighty dollars Unless you find.

Rhett: 33:47

Yeah, but we were so into that yes, I like, yeah, you, yeah, you wrote, you wrote you wrote uh, like rey I can write it right now like I love it.

Justin: 33:58

I love it.

Rhett: 34:00

It's my happy place.

Justin: 34:00

I do remember you writing that song, by the way, because me, you and mike, we had a come on, come on singing.

Rhett: 34:06

And you kept singing this.

Justin: 34:08

Come on, come on, come on, come on come on, come on now. But then it would kick in Me and Michael would sing that, and then you had these verses.

Rhett: 34:14

You were like I tell you once, and I tell you twice about a man with a plan named.

Justin: 34:18

Jesus Christ yeah it was like this you would jump into that voice. Yeah, I love it.

Rhett: 34:23

I. I don't remember anything else, but yeah, yeah, I would go into my come on everybody, let's sing the song.

Justin: 34:28

Let's sing the song. It's gonna be all day long. I mean, it was just you would sing in that voice.

Rhett: 34:33

Yeah, but you ready for this? You sold it like everybody loved it, like that was like one of the favorite songs everybody's like oh, do the come on, come on, come on now, let's go yeah, yeah, come, come on, come on now. Praise the Lord. You'll be at. Praise his name.

Justin: 34:50

Come on, come on, come on, come on come on, come on, let me hear you. Jamaica, I mean Birmingham.

Rhett: 34:56

I never did that. I didn't do that. Come on, man. You didn't do that, you missed an opportunity.

Justin: 35:03

As much as you were singing that way, you might as well talk like it. You were being the version of those pastors who are like glory to God. Hey, my name's Fred. Hey, Fred, I'm going to go preach real quick oh God's glory, glory, that was you. You're like hey, I'm Fred, I'm Birmingham. Hold on, I'm going to go sing a song. I don't let me tell you three times, but don't tell you three, I tell you four more.

Rhett: 35:29

Hey, friends, if you're enjoying today's conversation, could you do us a huge favor. Would you take a moment to copy the link from your favorite podcast platform and text that to a friend? I mean email it to a friend. Hey, if you're in the office right now, hey, airdrop that over to your buddy. Come on, let's do this Armchair Authentic. It's so much fun. All right, guys? No, seriously, though, it means so much to us.

Justin: 35:51

Thank you Now let's get back to the conversation. Tell you three times, but don't tell you three.

Rhett: 36:01

Tell you four more. Oh boy, oh man, this is the roast Red Hour. Okay, yeah, I. Oh man, this is the roast red hour. Okay, yeah, I loved it and I make no excuses for it. It was the best and I would do it again.

Justin: 36:11

Did I tell you what I was dressed in? It's not a roast red hour, it's artistry. It is artistry, and I have a deep appreciation for that. I wanted to be with you on that stage with a big head full of dreads.

Rhett: 36:24

I was trying to find myself. That's what I was trying to do. I was trying to find my voice my style. It was like one moment I'm K-Max, the next moment I'm you know, uh, whoever.

Justin: 36:35

You did it so well, though, too. That's the scary thing. It was like God it sounds just like him.

Rhett: 36:40

Well, I mean, if you, if you talk to an artist now, when you, when you hear them talk, talk, the way they talk and the way they sing are two different things, because they've created their own little branding and imagery, if you will. But anyway, that's my defense.

Justin: 36:51

I mean, I remember going through my Creed days. I sing normal, it's like hey, happy birthday to you. But in my Creed days I'm like happy birthday to you.

Rhett: 37:05

I think everybody went through that.

Justin: 37:06

Happy birthday to you Five, six, seven. I think everybody went through that. Yeah, Five, six, seven, eight. Happy birthday, I mean that was just like can you take? It's like what if you really talk, the way that you sing? It's like I got to tell you something.

Rhett: 37:28

I know, can you take me higher?

Justin: 37:30

What? Can you take me higher? What I don't understand. I'm just trying to say can you take me higher? Can?

Rhett: 37:37

you take me higher To the place of my mouth. But you start talking like hey, man, how you doing? My name's Justin, it's awesome to meet you, man.

Justin: 37:45

Where we going.

Rhett: 37:46

So it's a 35-minute episode. We love you so much. Thanks for joining us on this ride and hopefully you've laughed a little bit, had a good time and we'll just call this our Armchair Authentic Shortened episode.

Justin: 37:57

So, hey, we hope you enjoyed a little brief. Back to the future, back to the past, back to the past.

Rhett: 38:06

Enjoy. Hopefully you came back from spring break.

Justin: 38:08

Oh, I've got a tan, I'm predicting a tan and we'll see you guys next time. Peace, guys, love y'all.

Rhett: 38:15

Hey friends, Thank you so much for joining in on our conversation today. It has been our pleasure to serve you. We cannot wait for our next episode that drops next Monday, but until then we hope you have a great week, Stay safe and we will see you real soon. God bless.