Episode 20

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Published on:

30th May 2025

Preacher Moss on Comedy, Identity & Jazz (Pt. 1)

Preacher Moss on Comedy, Identity & Jazz (Pt. 1)

In this episode of the American Muslim Podcast, hosted by Imam Tariq El-Amin and presented by Bayan on Demand, the featured guest is Preacher Moss, a trailblazing Muslim comedian and activist. The discussion delves into Moss's journey in comedy, his experiences with segregation within the comedy world, and the influential figures like Dick Gregory and jazz music icons who shaped his career. The conversation also explores the challenges and nuances of bringing humor into Muslim communities, the critical importance of etiquette, and the implications of thought leadership in comedy and activism. Moss discusses how a combination of humor, activism, and deep-rooted cultural experiences form a powerful platform for social commentary and change.

00:00 Introduction to Bayan on Demand

01:01 Welcome to the American Muslim Podcast

01:11 Introducing Preacher Moss

03:39 Preacher Moss's Journey in Comedy

04:59 Influence of Dick Gregory

06:52 Challenges in Muslim Comedy

16:17 Jazz and Comedy: A Unique Connection

23:09 The Philosophy of Unexpected Notes

37:05 Navigating the Entertainment Industry as a Muslim

37:48 The Script That Challenged Norms

38:56 Reflections on the Movie Bamboozled

41:16 Thought Leadership in Comedy

44:49 The Mission of 'All Made Me Funny'

56:27 The Importance of Etiquette in the Muslim Community

01:10:10 Conclusion of Part 1 and Call to Action

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Cover Art & Intro Music - Tariq I. El-Amin @ImamTariqElamin

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Transcript
Imam Tariq:

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to get more information.

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Tariq: May the peace that

only God can give be upon you.

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I'm your host, Imam Tariq El-Amin,

and welcome to the American Muslim

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Podcast, presented by Bayan on Demand.

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today we are blessed to

have with us a luminary.

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Matter of fact, I'm not gonna

tell you his name first.

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I'm gonna give you some of

the, some of the stats, just

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a little bit about him first.

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We are blessed to have with us

a Muslim comedy pioneer, right?

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That's the first thing.

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Second, he's an activist, say,

comedy and activism, right?

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All right, let, let's keep running.

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He's the first Muslim Comedy scholar.

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. That's right.

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I said it.

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Muslim comedy scholar.

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He has toured with such luminaries

as Dave Chappelle and George Lopez,

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the founder of Allah, made me funny.

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I'm giving it away now.

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And he's a bayan graduate.

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The MA and Islamic education.

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That's right.

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It's preacher Moss As

Salaamu Alaikum brother.

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. Preacher Moss: Wa Alaikum As Salaam

wa rahamatullahi wa barakatahu, You

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should've done a commercial like after

that like, and we'll be right back.

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We'll be right back.

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Lay your, lay your loved ones

to rest without that worry.

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Pay that death on a plan.

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Six months will 12 months to pay.

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Tariq: Hey, keep.

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Just keep, let's keep the suspense going.

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We're gonna take our first caller.

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And, uh, we'll see.

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Do you know who we're talking to,

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brother?

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Preach.

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Preacher Moss: Herbert

said, but they won't.

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They said We got three more

payments before we can burn.

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Tariq: Now, I know this intro, this

is gonna go way different than every

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other conversation that I've had.

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Uh, and, and that's because we always

start out, we say we invite our guests to

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be as open, as vulnerable, as transparent,

and talking about the pivotal experiences,

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the influences, the lessons that they've

learned, really for the benefit of

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who, of our, of our listeners, right?

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So that, that transparency

or that openness, it helps.

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And for some reason, um, I already

got a feeling that, um, whatever you

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give us is not, is, it's not just

about, um, uh, making us laugh, but.

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You have a proclivity for

making us think as well.

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Oh, I did not mention also the

host, uh, creator and producer.

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Right.

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We can, we can lay out the whole

credits of the shoutout show.

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Give it to me.

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Right?

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Give it to me please.

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So let, let me start

by asking you Yes, sir.

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Can you, what's a, a pivotal, a,

a formative experience, a memory,

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something that you go back to and

says, this is what put me on to the

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road that I find myself on today.

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Preacher Moss: I'm Dick Gregory.

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Dick Gregory, uh, early

twenties Def Jam years.

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Yeah.

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So I was a Muslim.

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I take my shahada.

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When I started comedy when I was 17,

of course I was a Muslim college.

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I kind of fumbled around with it, took my

shahada after I, right around the time I

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graduated, was still trying to do standup.

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But trying to do it in this, what I had

was in my mind was really strict form.

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Tariq: Mm-hmm.

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Preacher Moss: Uh, you know, um, not

cursing on stage, uh, being in the clubs.

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'cause it was, that's where we were.

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There was no, uh, there was really no

platform for Muslim comedy back then.

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Tariq: Mm-hmm.

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Preacher Moss: Muslim

entertainment period.

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Really.

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Uh, so we were, I was in the club.

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I remember running to a guy in

Columbus who said he was Muslim,

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but I never saw him again.

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Um, maybe Red Grant.

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It was real passing.

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But I remember Dick Gregory spoke to

me because I was gonna quit comedy.

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Mm-hmm.

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I was gonna quit.

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Because I just, it was hard

to compete with Def Jam.

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It was hard to be a clean

comedian right on stage.

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I'm in the club with my Kofi, um,

a brother, you know, everybody

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had a, everybody had a, uh,

comment about Muslim comedy.

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So basically really at the Masjid,

I was in Milwaukee at the time.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, I was basically blackballed.

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Really?

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Really?

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Yeah.

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They didn't like the whole

idea of Muslim comedy and it

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represented a whole lot of stuff.

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And people told me how a whole lot

of stuff about, you know, when you're

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on stage, you cannot move 'cause

you don't want to tempt the sisters

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like the sister gonna jump outta

their seat because I moved my hand.

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Woo.

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There we go.

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Um, you know, I'm like, and literally

this old tape of me walking on stage.

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Mm-hmm.

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Uh, I have a new show called Confessions

of a Muslim Comedian Volume two.

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Okay.

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Uh, no Feel Lies.

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No Feel Lies there.

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And at the beginning of the show.

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You see me in my mid twenties

walking out on stage to do a set.

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Mm-hmm.

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And I literally stand

there the whole time.

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I do not outside of this, I literally

stand and work the room, like literally.

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Wow.

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I'll send it to you.

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You'll be like, what in the world?

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And that was it.

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And I was like, 'cause I don't want,

and this is in the clubs, it's not even,

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not, not even, um, in front of Muslims.

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I'm like, that's how I saw a

picture of myself, uh, a video of

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myself at the ice house years ago.

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Mm-hmm.

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I was auditioning to write on the

George Lopez show, and I saw the

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video and I'm literally not moving.

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And Lopez, when we toured, he

was like, why don't you move?

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And I'm like, I gave him this stuff.

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He's like, yeah, Muslims are weird.

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I'm like, okay.

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Because in your mind, and uh,

I was about to quit after I got

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fired at this place called the, uh.

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The, the Cotton Club, I think

it's called The Cotton Club.

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Mm-hmm.

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If, if in, uh, Chicago.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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I remember the Cotton Club.

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Rough room brother.

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Rough room brother.

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Yeah.

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Uh, and I told the lady her name

was, I'm, I'm gonna blow her up.

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Her name was Diane, quarter Uhhuh.

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And I'm like, listen, Diane,

um, I'm a clean comic.

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I'm Muslim, I do social humor, da da da.

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I see all this stuff.

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Don't worry about it.

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They gonna love you.

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And I went down there, boo boo.

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And uh, that's before I

even got on stage, boo.

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Wow.

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Because I, from Chicago, I was,

I was coming from Milwaukee.

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Tariq: Yeah.

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Preacher Moss: And, uh, I got fired.

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They brought me back.

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The next night I got fired again.

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And, uh, I called, my mom

was like, what are you doing?

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I'm, I'm quitting.

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Because it was just hard.

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Yeah.

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Because you're trying to get on then.

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Right.

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And, um, she said, well, I

have a, a friend of a friend.

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You should talk to him.

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He's a comedian.

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I'm like, who is it?

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It is Dick Gregory.

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How you know Dick Gregory, you know,

i's how you, how you know Dick Gregory?

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And, you know, I read his books.

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Um, shadows just Scare Me.

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Of course, nigger.

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Yeah, yeah.

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Um, yeah.

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So I read that and I called him and

he puts it all on his inspector.

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Now, this is before the old, you

know, the later Dick Gregory.

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He, he, he, you know,

he was doing that right.

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Breakfast Club.

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Dick Gregory.

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Yeah.

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So he wasn't that way.

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So, um, I, I, I, uh, I get him

on the phone about some miracle.

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Mm-hmm.

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And, uh, I tell him what's going on, I

tell him I'm Muslim comedian, da da da da.

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And he's like, tell me you're set.

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And I had this bit about, um.

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Social unrest.

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And it was sort of framed

like a, a weather report.

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Okay.

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He was like, why do, why the pressures

coming to low pressure from this side?

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I said, I said, black inequality

is still at a hotel low.

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And you know, as a, I was like, economic,

you know, I was doing all this stuff.

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And he said, yeah, man.

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He says, don't, he says, no, don't quit.

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He goes, uh, he said, you

do a disservice, you quit.

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He said, you Muslim?

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I was like, yeah.

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He said, no, don't quit.

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And I was like, really not feeling good

about doing standup after this, uh, thing.

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Mm-hmm.

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And he goes, uh, he goes, what?

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You, you?

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I said, I died on stage.

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That's what I tell him.

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Uh, you mad.

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I said, I died on stage.

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And he goes, he goes, do you think

you the only Muslim died on stage?

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And I'm like, what other

Muslims died on stage?

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I'm thinking, comedian, what

other Muslims died on stage stage?

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He went there, he goes,

he goes, Malcolm X.

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That's right.

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And I'm like, oh.

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He is like, you know what?

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Hey brother, uh, get,

get better, get bitter.

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Mm.

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And that was it.

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And years later I met him.

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We worked a couple times, and I, uh, I,

uh, I was blessed to Mc his 80th birthday

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party at Washington DC here DC Wow.

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And, uh, incredible conversations, man.

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Mm-hmm.

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You know, incredible conversations.

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And he, you know, he really pushed

me to do all them make me funny.

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Really?

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Yeah.

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Hmm.

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Yeah.

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So, 'cause he, he, he always talked

about the Muslim body politic

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as, as not being there for one.

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Mm-hmm.

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Like, we don't have a, uh, we don't have

a, a, a Muslim Political Action Committee.

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Uh, he said, but you

could do it for culture.

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Tariq: Right.

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Preacher Moss: He said,

don't wait for the politics.

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'cause people afraid

do it with the culture.

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Mm-hmm.

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And he would always ask you,

you, you, we had talked about

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it, you start that thing yet.

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No, no, no.

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Well maybe we had a Christian to

start up, you know, I'm like, oh boy.

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No.

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He say, he say, you started up.

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I'm like, no.

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He said, well, you waiting

to go back to Christianity?

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I'm like, nah.

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And then nine 11 hit and then it was like,

I kind of see what he's talking about.

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And uh, conversations with

him, conversations with the

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man, Walter de Muhammad.

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It's interesting 'cause you know,

you begin to see how all these

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guys are really intertwined.

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Yeah.

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That, uh, when I began to talk to him,

he talked about some of the conversations

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he had with Al Elijah Muhammad.

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Right.

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And the conversation he had with

Muhammad Ali and conversations

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I had with Malcolm X.

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And I'm like, he's around all these,

what we call Muslim luminaries.

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Mm-hmm.

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And he is like, so none

of them do standup.

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He is like, you do standup.

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Tariq: Right.

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Preacher Moss: And he is like,

you, you know, he gave the

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push, he really gave a push.

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And then of course, uh, Iman, Walter, Dean

Muhammad, may I be pleased with him, gave

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me a lot of encouragement and direction.

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That was the difference.

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Okay.

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You know, and with comedy, you

don't really look for direction.

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Encouragement.

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Yes.

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Gave me direction.

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He was like, well let me, let

me let you know the space that

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you're gonna be working in.

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He's pretty much talking about what

he had to go through or what he saw.

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And then you get the history of

Audible Elijah Muhammad being

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locked up for this amount of years.

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And he had to do time.

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And he is like, you know, this is,

you know, he said, if you do it

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right, you won't get locked up.

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But, um.

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Incredible insight.

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Incredible insight.

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So Dick Gregory was it man, you

know, because you know, when

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you start out comedy mm-hmm.

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You know, you are a slave to,

to, to local, uh, local habits.

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Right.

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And I was DC in, I was DC uh, uh, do I

had been in Milwaukee going to school,

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left, went home, came back like three

years later to teach in Milwaukee.

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Mm-hmm.

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And the whole culture thing was, you

know, it was like the comedy thing.

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I got blackballed in, in

Milwaukee probably the first two

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months there just off of Joe.

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I told about Jeffrey Dahmer.

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Tariq: Really?

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When you say you are a slave kind of

local habit or custom, do you mean

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that what the people think is funny?

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What, what they think is acceptable

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Preacher Moss: to talk about?

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Think it's funny.

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Yeah.

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What they think is.

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What they think is funny or acceptable

to, to talk about the club owners,

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you know, they have that power.

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Mm-hmm.

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Uh, they'll tell you, don't do that joke.

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Really?

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They'll tell you, don't do that joke, man.

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Don't, Hey, look, do not do that joke.

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I did a joke about Jeffrey Dahmer

and, uh, at the time, DC was

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the murder capital of the world.

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Yeah.

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So the joke kind of goes, man, I'm

like, with all this crime, he like, you

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know, you gotta, I gotta give Jeffrey

Dahmer a little credit man said, because

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he took the heat off of dc you know,

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I said, and I said, I

said, we, I said, yeah.

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I said, we the murder capital world.

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Now we got our chest outs.

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Like, yeah, we, the murder

capital world, we kill people.

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We don't eat 'em.

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Uh,

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it's all relative.

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And so somebody goes.

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A survivor of Adic of a, of a Jeffrey

Diamond victim was in an audience.

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And oh, and I was like,

how, how am I to know that?

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But I was, I was different

because I'm like, I'm from DC

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and I've been around black.

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I'm gonna say what it's, and Right.

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Yeah.

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So, yeah, that, that

probably sparked me a while.

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But that, and, uh, getting

fired, uh, a couple times.

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Um, I got fired when I was 18

and I was MCing at a strip club.

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I got fired from there.

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How you do that?

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Preach, uh, don't say the wrong

thing to the wrong person.

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Don't say the right thing to the

wrong, to the right people or

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the wrong people like sister.

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We need to get it together.

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Yeah.

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I'm like, yeah, pick up

this glitter, you know?

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Um, no.

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I told, uh, a sister

there that, you know what?

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You're pretty smart.

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Maybe you should go to school.

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Try that out.

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Right, right.

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And she was dating a club owner.

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Mm-hmm.

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And they were way different in age.

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And I guess she told them,

uh, maybe she said, maybe I,

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I need to go back to school.

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Or maybe she said, uh, you really

old and you smell like glue.

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I don't know what happened, wanted to.

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But in between those two, I got fired.

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And, uh, you know what it, that

was the other thing outside of, uh,

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Dick Gregory, that thing allowed

me to, um, I was too young to work.

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Um, my college years, I was a, when I

showed up to school, I was 17 years old.

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And, uh, my end of my first

semester of college, I was still 17.

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That's how young I was.

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Wow.

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So I couldn't work in, I couldn't

work in any bars and in clubs.

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So I wound up working out with jazz bands.

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And you talk about a cultural shift.

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Tariq: Yeah.

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Preacher Moss: So I learned how

to write standup, uh, watching

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jazz musicians write mm-hmm.

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Jazz music.

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And the truth is, I never

wanted to be a standup.

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I wanted to be a jazz musician.

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So really?

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Um, yeah.

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Okay.

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My comedy special, my first one

was Love Supreme and Anatomy of

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Gratitude is, uh, a salute to, uh,

Coltrane and the transformative

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music that I listened to when I was

thinking about becoming a Muslim.

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Mm-hmm.

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And that was it.

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So I was like, you know, I'm

gonna give that love back.

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Uh, so I was heavy in the

jazz, heavy in the jazz.

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I love, uh, train.

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I love all the, uh, Philly horn players.

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Clifford Brown.

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Mm-hmm.

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Big Le Lee Morgan fan.

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He usually Morgan fan.

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Uh, I, I I did a short film

featuring his, in some of his music.

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Um, Murphy Man.

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, huge dude.

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Then I wound up being in like, the

house mc for a lot of groups that

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came through Milwaukee Jazz groups.

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'cause nobody cared about jazz.

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Yeah.

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You know, so I worked with everybody

from Tito Puente to Stanley Clark

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to, I worked with Gil Scott Heron.

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I worked with, uh, heavyweights.

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Yeah.

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Man, I, oh my, and my

favorite Frank Morgan.

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Tariq: Mm.

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Preacher Moss: One of my

favorites is Frank Morgan.

404

:

Johnny Griffin.

405

:

Okay.

406

:

The little giant probably saved my career.

407

:

I wanted to, uh, I, I love Johnny gi.

408

:

He's one of the few people

that played with, uh, monk.

409

:

Oh, really?

410

:

So a few of the guys

that played with Monk?

411

:

Yeah.

412

:

Yeah.

413

:

He's, he's one of 'em, him Rouse a train.

414

:

Played with Monk too.

415

:

Mm-hmm.

416

:

But I really, I had a role going on.

417

:

He came to Milwaukee to play and

I was gonna be MCing and I was

418

:

trying to press this young lady.

419

:

Let's keep it real.

420

:

Yeah.

421

:

Uh, dude, I had a killer first

set, and I don't know what I'm

422

:

thinking, but I want him to recognize

that I had a killer first set.

423

:

And, uh, I walk up to this guy

and I tap on the show and I'm

424

:

like, Hey, did you see my set?

425

:

I, I'm losing, I guess.

426

:

Yeah.

427

:

You like, yeah.

428

:

You know, he goes, is that what that was?

429

:

And I'm like, yeah, I

saw my set and I'm like.

430

:

You know, your jazz musician.

431

:

I'm, I'm, I'm like the jazz comedian.

432

:

What do you think?

433

:

You know?

434

:

Right.

435

:

And he goes, buy me a drink.

436

:

And I'm like, all right.

437

:

Give him a drink.

438

:

Mm-hmm.

439

:

You really wanna know.

440

:

Yeah.

441

:

He goes, buy me another drink.

442

:

I buy another drink.

443

:

And he, he looks at me with a straight

face and he goes, I hate your voice.

444

:

Tariq: What?

445

:

What

446

:

Preacher Moss: he says, he says,

your voice is like bricks on a, on

447

:

a, on a, on a, on a, on a chalkboard.

448

:

I mean, he, I, I look at my

face, it's like all the, all

449

:

the joy runs outta my face.

450

:

Like, oh my God, Andy's loud.

451

:

He goes, he goes, nobody likes your voice.

452

:

He said, the band hates your voice.

453

:

He, this is, he goes, the

wood floors hate your voice.

454

:

I'm like, the wood floors.

455

:

I mean, I'm goodness.

456

:

I'm hooking.

457

:

I'm about to cry.

458

:

And, uh,

459

:

I just leave.

460

:

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

461

:

Preacher Moss: And, uh, I'm dreading

I gotta come back the next night.

462

:

Tariq: Hmm.

463

:

Preacher Moss: And I came back

the next night and I did my set.

464

:

I didn't ask him anything, right?

465

:

And I sit the bar, he goes, are you,

you gonna ask me about, uh, your set?

466

:

And I'm like, absolutely not.

467

:

Not after last night.

468

:

He says, you're a jazz dude.

469

:

I said, what do you mean?

470

:

He goes, you played a little.

471

:

I said, yep.

472

:

I played alto violin when I was young.

473

:

Um, he says, you, you can

read a little sheet music.

474

:

I'm like, yeah, I can still

read sheet music, right?

475

:

He goes, the problem is,

I said, I hate your voice.

476

:

He said, 'cause you're wasting it.

477

:

He says, you just throwing it out there.

478

:

He says, there's no tone, there's

no presentation, da da, da.

479

:

He says, I expect more.

480

:

He said, you're funny, but I expect more.

481

:

And he said, you were the

jazz audience and da da da.

482

:

And I'm like, how, what?

483

:

So he introduces me to Vocalese

music, vocalese, which.

484

:

Vocalese, if you ever

heard like Frank Sinatra.

485

:

Yeah.

486

:

Or Dean Martin, those guys.

487

:

Mm-hmm.

488

:

They stole all that music from

a guy named King Pleasure.

489

:

And King Pleasure stole it

from a guy named Eddie Griffin.

490

:

If you ever heard Moody's Move

for Love, I know you heard that.

491

:

Yeah.

492

:

There I go there I go there I go.

493

:

Well that's a solo, that's a musical solo.

494

:

And somebody put words to

the solo, they record go.

495

:

They record, like Al Dre is

probably as close as you're

496

:

gonna come to perfection on that.

497

:

Mm-hmm.

498

:

But Eddie Ruffin did it

with, um, James Moody.

499

:

Tariq: Okay.

500

:

Preacher Moss: And I learned how, for

a while there, for about three years,

501

:

I would write my music to solos.

502

:

Like I write my comedy to

solos like, uh, miles Davis.

503

:

So what, um, uh, Coltrane

while my lady sleeps mm-hmm.

504

:

I would, and so for years, a lot of

people don't know this, but I don't

505

:

know if I should tell him for years.

506

:

Uh, I haven't been doing comedy.

507

:

I've been giving you guys songs.

508

:

It's the easiest way to do.

509

:

Really.

510

:

That's my cheat code, man.

511

:

Tariq: So you're taking the

intonation, the, the, the,

512

:

the very, I'm taking literal

513

:

Preacher Moss: notes if

you see Love Supreme.

514

:

Yeah.

515

:

I perform with a jazz man,

516

:

two jazz professionals, uh, Leon

Alexander, uh, at the, he, he, Leon

517

:

Alexander retires a week before

my gig from the US Navy Jazz Band.

518

:

He was the senior officer

for the US Navy Jazz Band.

519

:

Mm-hmm.

520

:

Uh, the Commodore, my bass player

is ta ine, who's like:

521

:

jazz bass player of the, like,

these are heavy jazz cats, right?

522

:

Imagine me writing the breaks.

523

:

This is, we're talking about keys and

they're like, you know, so a lot of people

524

:

with, when they see, uh, um, love Supreme,

they're like, you guys really rehearsed?

525

:

I'm like, nah.

526

:

Um, if we rehearse it,

it's not gonna be good.

527

:

We gotta trust each other.

528

:

Just like, if you understand

how they did, uh, love Supreme.

529

:

Mm-hmm.

530

:

Coltrane didn't write

a lot of those parts.

531

:

He was like, here's the

scheme, here's the key.

532

:

Here are your bars and, and

this is where I'm going to be.

533

:

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

534

:

Preacher Moss: We need to be here.

535

:

You do what you're gonna do.

536

:

I'm gonna trust you.

537

:

And he got that from Ornette

Coleman, who even when I was young,

538

:

I didn't really like Ornette Coleman.

539

:

'cause he'd be trying to play 2,

2, 2, 2 horns at the same time.

540

:

Like, this dude's crazy.

541

:

Um.

542

:

But Coltrane got a lot of that from, on

that Coleman, I'm like, that freedom that,

543

:

you know, as a musician, you gotta be

like that freedom is what I really want.

544

:

But as a comedian, I'm like, that's,

that's, that's crazy expression.

545

:

Tariq: Um, so there's a, a bit of

a dichotomy here in jazz is that

546

:

you are talking about this freedom

of expression, this ability to kind

547

:

of move, um, unscripted and not

necessarily, I I love to hear the way,

548

:

um, I'm losing his name right now.

549

:

Uh, shame on me because he's one of the,

uh, the, the pianist, um, Harry Hancock.

550

:

No, no.

551

:

He's in the new generation.

552

:

Why do I wanna say Baptist?

553

:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

554

:

So, yeah.

555

:

Baptist.

556

:

Yeah.

557

:

Baptist.

558

:

So he talks about how the expectation

as we're listening, right, that.

559

:

Uh, there's something inevitable

about the way the music moves, but

560

:

the expectation that we have when we

are listening to music, even when it

561

:

is freeform, when it has this, this

creative element to it, we are never,

562

:

um, I think it's the right way to say,

we're not necessarily surprised, right?

563

:

By like, you, you hear, you go from one

note, you expect the, the next note.

564

:

Preacher Moss: You know,

it's a crazy story.

565

:

Um, band has my, uh, my thesis

Uhhuh, uh, I made me funny.

566

:

It was, it talked about intersectionality.

567

:

Yeah.

568

:

Uh, race, uh, race,

uh, religion and humor.

569

:

Hmm.

570

:

Like, they need to, they need to

probably, uh, dip that joint in bronze

571

:

and keep it really, you know, because

this is the only joint that's out there.

572

:

In my thesis, I talk about Herbie Hancock.

573

:

Um, Herbie Hancock gives an

account of being with Miles Davis.

574

:

Okay.

575

:

Like Miles Davis got

Herbie Hancock in his band.

576

:

This is how good Herbie Hancock was.

577

:

Like, he's 17, 18 in Miles Davis's band.

578

:

Hmm.

579

:

Um, and I guess they've been

playing together for a while.

580

:

He tells this story and I'd

say this is an Islamic story.

581

:

Okay.

582

:

'cause, you know, Islam

is in the jazz world.

583

:

Mm-hmm.

584

:

It's a whole different expression

than what we see at the mosque.

585

:

I'm like, these cats are really

pioneers with his, his music

586

:

and his spirituality, his music.

587

:

Like, uh, brother Tark, uh, Tarina played.

588

:

Mm-hmm.

589

:

He's a world class bass player, man.

590

:

But he's just, he's, he's

sitting there doing his thicker

591

:

beads, you know what I mean?

592

:

Mm-hmm.

593

:

Yeah, man, I'm like, you know, I love him.

594

:

But, uh, Herbie Hancock says this, and I,

it felt something, it felt so much like.

595

:

Hadith that I couldn't find.

596

:

Tariq: Mm.

597

:

Um,

598

:

Preacher Moss: so Herbie Hancock and

Miles Davis and All Star Band are playing

599

:

somebody like Sweden or Scandinavia.

600

:

So they, by all accounts, it's, it's like

this magical night, A magical music night.

601

:

Everybody's hitting their mark.

602

:

Every solo is incredible.

603

:

Every musician is on point and

it's building towards Miles solo.

604

:

And everybody's waiting to

hear Miles solo on this record.

605

:

I think it was.

606

:

So what?

607

:

Or something like that.

608

:

Herbie Hancock gets so excited,

he hits this wrong chord.

609

:

It's so bad.

610

:

Everybody knows like, ugh.

611

:

Like the audience is like, Ugh.

612

:

The musician's like,

oh my, what you doing?

613

:

Herbie S Oh my gosh.

614

:

Like, it's miles,

615

:

Tariq: right?

616

:

Preacher Moss: And the waiting for Miles

to just go off this is Miles Davis.

617

:

You don't do that, right?

618

:

You ain't Miles.

619

:

So you could probably.

620

:

Interpret this.

621

:

Herbie Hancock said he played

this really, really bad note,

622

:

this really, really wrong note.

623

:

Herbie Hancock of all people.

624

:

Mm-hmm.

625

:

He said he looked at Miles

thinking Miles is gonna explode.

626

:

He said, miles has his trumpet.

627

:

He looks up, he looks up, he hears it

Now he said he plays a little something

628

:

and then he goes into a solo and he

said he didn't realize, but what Miles

629

:

did was he heard what it was, it was

a wrong, he fixed it and then it went

630

:

into a solo and he asked Miles about

it and he said, well, miles plays this,

631

:

this, uh, this, this, this wrong note.

632

:

And Miles Davis with that voice,

he's like, Hey, it was wrong.

633

:

It was just unexpected.

634

:

And I'm going.

635

:

Is that a philosophy of life?

636

:

Mm-hmm.

637

:

Or what?

638

:

I'm like, that's a hadid.

639

:

Tariq: Yeah.

640

:

Preacher Moss: It's not wrong.

641

:

It's just unexpected.

642

:

Tariq: Yeah.

643

:

Preacher Moss: And I put it in,

I'm like, 'cause that was what

644

:

all made me funny was 'cause there

wasn't templates to go through.

645

:

Right.

646

:

You know, we made mistakes, uh, you know,

we made mistakes, things that need to be

647

:

correct, things we just didn't understand.

648

:

Uh, but the philosophy for

me was, it's not wrong.

649

:

It's just unexpected

dudes leave your band.

650

:

It's not wrong.

651

:

It's unexpected.

652

:

You're a jazz dude.

653

:

What you gonna cry the blues?

654

:

Right.

655

:

You go up and you watch cats

come in a band and leave a band.

656

:

Tariq: Yeah.

657

:

Preacher Moss: Okay.

658

:

We had a trio.

659

:

Dudes, cats come in, they go

out, they got problems, you know,

660

:

you know, they wanna branch out.

661

:

They, they got women problems.

662

:

We, I'm not making enough money.

663

:

I'm like, Hey, this is, this

is, uh, the, the, the, the, uh,

664

:

dressing room of more better blues.

665

:

You know what I mean?

666

:

Mm-hmm.

667

:

But that whole thing of Herbie

Hancock saying it wasn't wrong.

668

:

It was just unexpected

669

:

Tariq: there.

670

:

There's a, a, a fairly lengthy

narration that I'm not gonna, I'm not

671

:

gonna share here, but it basically

revolves around a king and the

672

:

scholar and everything that happens.

673

:

The scholar replies of Hamed la right.

674

:

The all is, is due to God.

675

:

Um, and it fits perfectly with this idea.

676

:

If it wasn't, it wasn't wrong.

677

:

It was just unexpected.

678

:

Um, yeah.

679

:

So how does, talk a bit about

the, either the connection or

680

:

maybe the differences between that

unexpectedness in music versus comedy.

681

:

Preacher Moss: Well,

682

:

music revolves around, I like to say

rules, but it has, it has more to,

683

:

uh, it has more to do an etiquette.

684

:

Hmm.

685

:

So when you see a big orchestra,

686

:

Tariq: yeah,

687

:

Preacher Moss: playing together, that's

a really, really, uh, complicated example

688

:

com You know, a sophisticated example of

of etiquette to hear other instruments,

689

:

to lead comedy is one instrument,

690

:

Tariq: right?

691

:

Preacher Moss: For a lot of people,

I got the microphone, I talk to

692

:

the microphone, I listen to you.

693

:

But other people say comedy is

etiquette, which means that I'm going

694

:

to make you laugh, but it's gonna bear

out a certain amount of preparation.

695

:

You know, uh, performing in front

of Muslims is probably one of the

696

:

most difficult things you could do.

697

:

It's difficult because

698

:

people, Muslims and I, I don't wanna

generalize, but I'm gonna say this and

699

:

I'll just take the heat for it later.

700

:

Muslims in Islam don't really follow

the true curriculum for how you treat,

701

:

teach, teach Islam and treat people with

Islam, whether they're Muslim or not.

702

:

Mm-hmm.

703

:

The reason why you have these amazing

levels of conversion, like every week I

704

:

go to the mass, somebody's taking a shot.

705

:

Yeah.

706

:

The religion in its base is set

up that it, it, it teaches to the

707

:

lowest common denominator of society.

708

:

Tariq: Right.

709

:

Preacher Moss: And if you're making that

person feel worthy, you're making that

710

:

person feel inspired, they're gonna come.

711

:

But if you're like not teaching to that

group, you don't see what that magic is.

712

:

So with comedy, it's interesting

because people, I do teach the lowest

713

:

comedy denominator of the audience.

714

:

Mm-hmm.

715

:

Uh, but it's with respect.

716

:

It's respect.

717

:

And trying to find a balance

is like, okay, preach.

718

:

You are on a, you are on a saxophone.

719

:

The drums gotta sound this way.

720

:

The bass gotta sound this way because

it's not about my performance, it's

721

:

about the presentation of the band.

722

:

Right?

723

:

And we don't look at the

presentation of the band.

724

:

So cats take their jihad, they go

to a maji, it's out of balance.

725

:

They, they go to a conference,

it's out of balance.

726

:

They go to a liquor store.

727

:

It's out of balance.

728

:

And so, um, and, and it is interesting

because, I mean, I went through

729

:

that, I went through all of that.

730

:

But you know, when you're teaching and

Muslim audiences tend to believe that,

731

:

you know, we're very sophisticated.

732

:

No, you're not, right?

733

:

No, you're not.

734

:

Uh, yeah, it, you could be a h it

doesn't come, it does not translate to

735

:

you being able to understand comedy.

736

:

Right.

737

:

Because I understanding comedy is

like, I'm telling you something, but

738

:

you gotta understand where I came from

because, so he, because when you in the

739

:

audience, a lot of 'em never been there.

740

:

Tariq: Right.

741

:

Preacher Moss: A lot of people don't know

what South side of Chicago look like.

742

:

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

743

:

Preacher Moss: A lot of people

don't know what Oloc looks like.

744

:

Tariq: Right.

745

:

Preacher Moss: You know what I'm saying?

746

:

They don't know what Southeast

Washington looks like.

747

:

And it's not that these are poor areas.

748

:

These are areas that have survived and,

and existed on the will and on the will

749

:

and, and, and the, the presence of really,

really good people, not bad people.

750

:

Really, really good people.

751

:

So, and Muslim comedy, I'd say this,

so it, it is from our experience,

752

:

it's from African American

experience because it wouldn't work

753

:

from anybody else's experience.

754

:

Right.

755

:

Tariq: Right.

756

:

Preacher Moss: You know, um,

Eric KRS won on a podcast drink.

757

:

Champs say this.

758

:

He says, uh,

759

:

he says, basically he goes.

760

:

Black people, brown people.

761

:

He said, you know, the white man

doesn't follow any of our laws.

762

:

Not one.

763

:

Mm-hmm.

764

:

He said, we have not turned out one

law that that person will follow.

765

:

You know, even with the civil rights,

everybody gets civil rights now.

766

:

You know what I mean?

767

:

Yeah.

768

:

And this is black law, black struggle,

but everybody gets civil rights.

769

:

And I'm like, man,

that's a hundred percent.

770

:

Like, that is a hundred percent true.

771

:

And when you start to think about

what it is in comedy, the comedy is

772

:

like, this was not to be black law.

773

:

You know, it's meant to be for everybody.

774

:

Mm-hmm.

775

:

But even then, you know, it had, it

had to come out of our experience.

776

:

Right.

777

:

You know, we are purveyors not just

of humor, but we are commentators.

778

:

Tariq: Yes.

779

:

Preacher Moss: And I don't mean like

recent commentators, I'm talking about.

780

:

And you, you show me a a you

know, I'm, I'm a comedy historian.

781

:

I mean, way back man.

782

:

I mean, Timmy Rogers, MAs Maly.

783

:

I'm a, I'm a huge Red Fox fan.

784

:

Yeah.

785

:

Uh, you're lucky I fell asleep to KO Jack,

otherwise it would be Red Fox Sanford.

786

:

So, um, you know, being able to spend time

with Nipsey Russell before he passed away.

787

:

Oh, wow.

788

:

Uh, remember Nipsey Russell?

789

:

Yeah, yeah.

790

:

Uh, uh, Manam Molan, um, the great Burt

Williams, Larry, you know, you know

791

:

the, the, the, uh, film director haw.

792

:

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

793

:

Preacher Moss: We, people

don't even know about that.

794

:

You know, people don't even

know about Paul Robeson.

795

:

What he bring, what he

brings to the table.

796

:

I'm like, this is, this gives me, you

know, that's really where I'm coming

797

:

from with the, the Muslim comedy thing.

798

:

Tariq: Hmm.

799

:

Preacher Moss: Because

it's artist protest.

800

:

The minute, the minute it's

commoditized, you know, they,

801

:

they, they, they commercialize it.

802

:

Yeah.

803

:

It's dead.

804

:

No offense.

805

:

You put it on Hulu, you put

806

:

Tariq: it on Netflix, it is dead.

807

:

And is that because now you go back to

being slave to not just a local, but maybe

808

:

a national culture, custom expectations

along with the profit, like what?

809

:

This is what sells.

810

:

So we're going to package what you give.

811

:

It's like Muhammad Ali is a state

812

:

Preacher Moss: we love Muhammad Ali.

813

:

Right.

814

:

Then Muhammad Ali twice in month.

815

:

Mm-hmm.

816

:

I was aw.

817

:

As a kid and I was Aw.

818

:

As a as, as a, as an adult.

819

:

Right.

820

:

You see Muhammad Ali's stuff.

821

:

You have, it's almost like it's separated.

822

:

There's gonna, people are gonna

tell you about how great he was with

823

:

social causes and the people, and then

there's gonna be people who will show

824

:

you his picture over Sonny Liston.

825

:

But there's no, there's no context to it.

826

:

Know what I mean?

827

:

There's, we don't know about him

being a Muslim in Sonny Liston.

828

:

So they've taken the Islam out of

the, when they give you Muhammad

829

:

Ali, they take the Islam out of it.

830

:

They take the history out of it.

831

:

When you see these shows, now I'm

gonna say this 'cause I'm gonna say it.

832

:

You say, Hey, I could say

whatever I want to look.

833

:

Way before Netflix and Hulu, I had

my shot in Hollywood with a huge, uh,

834

:

management group called Brill, Stein Gray.

835

:

Mm-hmm.

836

:

Brill Stein Gray.

837

:

And essentially it's what every comedian

wants, uh, Darrel Hammond from Sat Live,

838

:

you know, he walk me through the door.

839

:

I was writing on a Lopez show, and, uh,

the guy's name was Jeff Chetty, because

840

:

I'm gonna put his name out there too.

841

:

Um, he liked my writing, he liked

my standup, but it came to, he goes,

842

:

but you're a Muslim though, right?

843

:

Listen to it.

844

:

But you're a Muslim though, right?

845

:

Mm-hmm.

846

:

Like, I'm gonna go, uh, some days

847

:

I'm like, yeah.

848

:

The question is like, you

know, um, you know, we're in a

849

:

business and how would you feel?

850

:

You know, we had to do some things.

851

:

Like you had to do some things that,

you know, may not be what you believe

852

:

in, but you know, we're making money.

853

:

Mm-hmm.

854

:

And my question is, well

why would I do that?

855

:

Why can't we make money with

the things I believe in?

856

:

Now you're talking about market,

uh, the market structure.

857

:

Right.

858

:

And he was like, thanks for coming.

859

:

So that mean it was over Wow.

860

:

Years before I wrote a script

called, here Come The Muhammads.

861

:

Mm-hmm.

862

:

And people saw it.

863

:

It was a good script.

864

:

Somebody really liked it.

865

:

Like, this is great.

866

:

But I'm like, what's it about?

867

:

He goes, where's the gay character?

868

:

Hmm.

869

:

There is no gay character.

870

:

It's called, here come the Muhammad.

871

:

I come here, come Muhammad.

872

:

And a gay character.

873

:

Otherwise I wrote it like that.

874

:

But it was funny because.

875

:

And then the Muslims.

876

:

Like, you can't say Muhammad.

877

:

I said, it's Muhammad's.

878

:

Right?

879

:

It's not, hi, now here come

the, here comes Muhammad.

880

:

It's the Muhammads.

881

:

Right?

882

:

And I laugh now, I said interesting.

883

:

15 years ago, he couldn't

say, here come the Muhammads.

884

:

Uh, but on Netflix you could

say, Mo, ain't that something?

885

:

Tariq: Hmm.

886

:

Preacher Moss: You got him Muhammad.

887

:

But he's a mo.

888

:

Tariq: Right?

889

:

Preacher Moss: So I'm like, you know,

you, you know what the game is Like I

890

:

said, like Dick Gregory said, you know,

either get better or you get better.

891

:

Mm-hmm.

892

:

But even in that space, you know, one,

my first writing job with Damon Weighs.

893

:

Mm-hmm.

894

:

Right.

895

:

And uh, remember the movie Bamboozle?

896

:

Yeah.

897

:

It's interesting.

898

:

You can't find a movie anywhere now.

899

:

Tariq: Yeah.

900

:

That was a great movie.

901

:

You

902

:

Preacher Moss: know how you can

find all the garbage movies on, on?

903

:

You can't find bamboozle.

904

:

Mm.

905

:

Like I've been on Find Bamboozle.

906

:

You can't find it.

907

:

There's a scene and this kind of explains.

908

:

The Muslim entertainment scene?

909

:

Mm-hmm.

910

:

A little bit, particularly with tv.

911

:

Tariq: Okay.

912

:

Preacher Moss: If you remember Bamboozle,

uh, Damon Williams plays a a TV executive.

913

:

He's a writer.

914

:

He's had a new network.

915

:

He's trying to get new content

on about black people, our

916

:

stories and things like that.

917

:

Mm-hmm.

918

:

Everything he writes is, is turned down.

919

:

Tariq: Right.

920

:

Preacher Moss: So he wants to break his

contract, but he don't want to get sued.

921

:

So he comes up with this idea, I'm gonna

write the most outrageous thing and

922

:

I'm gonna turn it in, and they're gonna

fire me and I can move over my life.

923

:

So he turns in this idea for

a modern day minstrel show.

924

:

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

925

:

Preacher Moss: He turns it in.

926

:

The network loves it.

927

:

They run with it, they put money out,

and, and it becomes this major hit.

928

:

I feel like a lot of artists.

929

:

Yeah.

930

:

They just start writing

the most outrageous thing.

931

:

They're not presenting.

932

:

They, they go to the most outrageous

thing thinking these people

933

:

like it because I'm a Muslim.

934

:

Look at the contract in battle.

935

:

I'm a Muslim who write this

really outrageous thing.

936

:

It doesn't even look Muslim.

937

:

And, and the people buy it now.

938

:

The trap is you now have to top

that level of extremity every time.

939

:

Every time.

940

:

And, and that's why, you know, a lot of,

I had people call me after they watch some

941

:

of these shows and they were like, yo,

man, what's, what's up with your dude?

942

:

Or what's, what's, Hey

man, I'm not right now.

943

:

You know what I mean?

944

:

Mm-hmm.

945

:

I was like, I could tell you if

I'm not writing on that show.

946

:

Yeah.

947

:

It's a prob it's a problem.

948

:

They don't want me writing on that show.

949

:

'cause I probably be a

problem in the writer's room.

950

:

Mm-hmm.

951

:

Like, man, we don't, we don't do that.

952

:

But I learned, you know, you

learn the game, you learn the

953

:

hustle, you learn the game.

954

:

But you know, again.

955

:

Uh, it's not wrong.

956

:

It's

957

:

Tariq: unexpected.

958

:

Hmm.

959

:

Talk a bit about the connection

between thought leadership and comedy.

960

:

Uh, Dick Gregory as, as you,

as you mentioned, right.

961

:

For those who are familiar with him.

962

:

Yeah.

963

:

I know a lot of our younger generation

may not be as connected or aware.

964

:

Preacher Moss: Dick Gregory is,

he's a brain, you know, he's the

965

:

motor behind the Richard Pryors.

966

:

He's the motor behind Carlin.

967

:

He's the motor behind, uh, red Fox.

968

:

Uh, red Fox was before him, but

once you see that, you see Red Fox

969

:

embracing, uh, black nationalism.

970

:

Um, he was the comedian for

Mega Evers, Martin Luther King,

971

:

Malcolm X, and Muhammad Ali.

972

:

Mm-hmm.

973

:

Like he was the Comedy Mind, the

Comedy Muse for all these guys.

974

:

And he was an activist.

975

:

And, you know, there's a, there's a thing,

and I've gone through it in my lifetime.

976

:

It's like, you can go so

far with your activism.

977

:

You're not funny anymore.

978

:

Yeah.

979

:

This is a full time thing.

980

:

And I've gone through that a couple times.

981

:

Like, you know, you're so angry or so

passionate about something that happened.

982

:

You know, the funny is not there.

983

:

Right.

984

:

Or the ability to communicate

with humor, it abates.

985

:

Mm-hmm.

986

:

And he, he talked about that man, you

know, he, he, he laid some serious

987

:

stuff on me, his 80th birthday party.

988

:

He said, you know,

preacher must be careful.

989

:

He said, 'cause sometimes it's not that

people will forget your turn on you.

990

:

He goes, you can't outlive your

purpose in somebody's eyes.

991

:

That's deep.

992

:

Yeah.

993

:

They said You can outlive your, you can

become a statue in your community science.

994

:

When people go, oh, preacher

Ma, you're a legend.

995

:

I'm like, Ugh.

996

:

Oh, you know, you'd wanna hear it.

997

:

Right.

998

:

Um, because I mean, I had an interview a

while back and I was, uh, dealing with,

999

:

um, this position and the person got on,

they were like, he is Muslim organization.

:

00:43:21,845 --> 00:43:26,105

They were like, we've been

following you for the last 20 years.

:

00:43:26,105 --> 00:43:28,475

I'm like, well, what we doing

this, what we doing this for?

:

00:43:28,475 --> 00:43:29,825

Hey, I can't tell you nothing new.

:

00:43:29,830 --> 00:43:30,060

Mm-hmm.

:

00:43:30,425 --> 00:43:31,055

You know what I mean?

:

00:43:31,565 --> 00:43:33,605

And that's exactly, I

was like, that's what Mr.

:

00:43:33,605 --> 00:43:34,565

Gregory was talking about.

:

00:43:34,985 --> 00:43:35,225

Tariq: Mm.

:

00:43:35,405 --> 00:43:39,455

Preacher Moss: You know, um,

you can't top what you've done.

:

00:43:40,535 --> 00:43:43,205

You can't take 20 years and

then five minute conversation.

:

00:43:43,685 --> 00:43:47,975

Somehow I'm gonna change the texture of

the tone of what I've done for 20 years.

:

00:43:47,980 --> 00:43:51,785

And know, and once he, you

know, once he went through that,

:

00:43:51,785 --> 00:43:53,375

he, he went back to the stage.

:

00:43:54,110 --> 00:43:57,620

He was an activist, you know, he was

84 years old, still doing standup.

:

00:43:57,980 --> 00:43:58,160

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

:

00:43:59,750 --> 00:44:04,040

Preacher Moss: Ironically, his show,

last show was in, in Dayton, Ohio.

:

00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:05,870

And guess who's in the audience?

:

00:44:06,140 --> 00:44:06,290

Tariq: Who

:

00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:06,950

Preacher Moss: of day?

:

00:44:07,130 --> 00:44:08,270

Chappelle's mother and sister.

:

00:44:09,890 --> 00:44:10,130

Tariq: Hmm.

:

00:44:10,610 --> 00:44:12,680

Preacher Moss: And he tells him

to come back and he gives him a

:

00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:17,090

message, tell your son this, this,

this, but he was in the thing.

:

00:44:17,420 --> 00:44:18,620

But he's like, yeah.

:

00:44:19,070 --> 00:44:20,060

Kept him for two hours.

:

00:44:20,060 --> 00:44:21,050

They still talk about it.

:

00:44:22,070 --> 00:44:22,340

Wow.

:

00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:23,480

They still talk about it.

:

00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:26,180

But he was a great teacher.

:

00:44:27,230 --> 00:44:31,220

Uh, and man, Walter de Muhammad, you know

how people have great, really, really

:

00:44:31,220 --> 00:44:33,590

good stories about Iman Muhammad mm-hmm.

:

00:44:33,740 --> 00:44:34,490

And how they hung out.

:

00:44:34,670 --> 00:44:35,660

I have none of those, bro.

:

00:44:35,810 --> 00:44:35,990

Tariq: Yeah.

:

00:44:37,670 --> 00:44:42,920

Preacher Moss: I have, uh, the WD

Muhammad version of, of, uh, Dick Gregory.

:

00:44:43,225 --> 00:44:43,465

Mm-hmm.

:

00:44:43,715 --> 00:44:45,585

Short talk tongue lashing.

:

00:44:46,490 --> 00:44:46,940

He didn't do that.

:

00:44:48,080 --> 00:44:49,700

Um, yeah.

:

00:44:49,705 --> 00:44:51,800

But I remember when I would

start all made me funny.

:

00:44:51,830 --> 00:44:52,130

Mm-hmm.

:

00:44:53,755 --> 00:44:55,760

It is like he gives me a

mission, like I'm in a nation.

:

00:44:56,690 --> 00:44:59,030

Start it, but don't start

it in our community.

:

00:44:59,030 --> 00:45:01,040

He say, he tells me, don't

start it in the black community.

:

00:45:01,940 --> 00:45:03,170

Don't start it with black Muslims.

:

00:45:03,170 --> 00:45:03,680

Like why?

:

00:45:03,680 --> 00:45:05,660

He goes, you know, it'll die in community.

:

00:45:05,660 --> 00:45:07,370

He, he die in community.

:

00:45:07,880 --> 00:45:09,950

He's like, because everybody

here thinks they knew.

:

00:45:10,040 --> 00:45:13,400

He says, nobody's done anything, but

everybody's gonna tell you how to do it.

:

00:45:14,150 --> 00:45:15,140

He said, skip all of that.

:

00:45:15,590 --> 00:45:16,550

And he said, you got a mission.

:

00:45:17,180 --> 00:45:24,920

And you know,:

on the tail of immigrant Muslims.

:

00:45:25,220 --> 00:45:25,490

Mm-hmm.

:

00:45:25,730 --> 00:45:26,810

They had their foot on their neck.

:

00:45:26,810 --> 00:45:29,990

He said, go over there,

take this language, go over

:

00:45:29,990 --> 00:45:30,800

there, give it to a human.

:

00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:33,350

He says, 'cause if you try

and get on a men bar, you, you

:

00:45:33,350 --> 00:45:34,790

won't get on there for 20 years.

:

00:45:35,270 --> 00:45:36,170

But that human is different.

:

00:45:36,170 --> 00:45:36,500

Yes.

:

00:45:36,950 --> 00:45:40,190

And he said, it is the ability to cut

through a lot of, and speak to the youth.

:

00:45:40,910 --> 00:45:43,520

If you're lucky, you're gonna get

some of the, the older folks that

:

00:45:43,520 --> 00:45:44,750

come along, the more progressive.

:

00:45:44,750 --> 00:45:45,830

But you gotta talk to the youth.

:

00:45:46,610 --> 00:45:50,770

Because what he's telling me is, and

I don't understand it, is in 10, 50,

:

00:45:50,770 --> 00:45:54,590

20 years in our own community, we're

gonna have an issue with what we got.

:

00:45:54,590 --> 00:45:58,040

No youth got very little youth.

:

00:45:58,100 --> 00:45:58,250

Mm-hmm.

:

00:45:59,330 --> 00:46:03,141

They're not sticking in that building

the ma shit, he says, so, you know, the

:

00:46:03,146 --> 00:46:08,270

me, the message has to flatten out and

we had to bring people into our spaces,

:

00:46:08,270 --> 00:46:12,590

and this presents more of a, uh, you

know, a, a multicultural front, if you

:

00:46:12,590 --> 00:46:15,200

will, Islamically, but we don't have it.

:

00:46:15,860 --> 00:46:18,770

So, man, all it made me funny.

:

00:46:18,770 --> 00:46:22,010

Let me get my first passport,

man, really, you know?

:

00:46:22,130 --> 00:46:22,310

Mm.

:

00:46:22,580 --> 00:46:26,330

Really let me get my fast first

passport and go on here and

:

00:46:26,330 --> 00:46:28,670

go on there and going to uk.

:

00:46:28,670 --> 00:46:33,560

And I went to the uk, man, I went to

Bradford, that, that was the first

:

00:46:33,560 --> 00:46:35,480

city I ever performed in, in the uk.

:

00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:36,800

Mm-hmm.

:

00:46:36,830 --> 00:46:41,240

I literally had to tell the people,

let me, and my joke was, let me

:

00:46:41,240 --> 00:46:42,620

show y'all what y'all look like.

:

00:46:46,985 --> 00:46:47,555

Wide eye.

:

00:46:47,555 --> 00:46:47,615

Huh.

:

00:46:47,645 --> 00:46:53,075

Um, because they weren't used to, uh,

uh, particularly a black man Yeah.

:

00:46:53,225 --> 00:46:57,785

Who wasn't a scholar, who wasn't a man,

who wasn't a shake talking to them.

:

00:46:58,655 --> 00:46:58,865

Tariq: Hmm.

:

00:46:59,285 --> 00:47:00,485

Preacher Moss: And

having to break the ice.

:

00:47:00,485 --> 00:47:03,215

Like, we're gonna have this

conversation and it's okay to laugh.

:

00:47:03,215 --> 00:47:03,635

Tariq: Right.

:

00:47:04,625 --> 00:47:04,686

You know,

:

00:47:04,925 --> 00:47:07,085

Preacher Moss: and it was, I say it's

okay to laugh and then I tell 'em,

:

00:47:07,325 --> 00:47:12,515

but it's okay not to laugh, you know,

don't laugh at everything 'cause

:

00:47:13,085 --> 00:47:14,675

it's not gonna be organic to me.

:

00:47:14,705 --> 00:47:14,855

Right.

:

00:47:15,395 --> 00:47:17,945

You know, some stuff you gotta

stop, think about da da da.

:

00:47:18,035 --> 00:47:18,125

Mm-hmm.

:

00:47:18,995 --> 00:47:23,885

You know, but it was, it was, you know, it

was interesting to have that kind of, as

:

00:47:23,885 --> 00:47:26,885

you say, thought leadership going into it.

:

00:47:27,875 --> 00:47:32,495

And I think the interesting thing, I

don't wanna say it's controversial,

:

00:47:32,495 --> 00:47:40,175

it's not, the interesting thing was it

was not built to drive, uh, interfaith.

:

00:47:40,865 --> 00:47:41,135

Hmm.

:

00:47:41,180 --> 00:47:41,240

Yeah.

:

00:47:42,770 --> 00:47:43,670

Say more about that.

:

00:47:47,330 --> 00:47:48,920

I'm not a big fan of interfaith.

:

00:47:49,250 --> 00:47:49,550

Okay.

:

00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:52,580

Uh, I'm a big fan of interfaith.

:

00:47:53,630 --> 00:47:57,980

We need to correct what we are doing

first instead of running around because

:

00:48:01,070 --> 00:48:03,350

interfaith like a pimp game

a little bit, you know?

:

00:48:03,710 --> 00:48:03,800

Mm-hmm.

:

00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:06,530

Uh, you know what the pimp say?

:

00:48:06,830 --> 00:48:09,500

Uh, people act funny for the

money and strange for the change.

:

00:48:12,315 --> 00:48:12,985

Tariq: Right, right.

:

00:48:14,300 --> 00:48:15,410

Go ahead and get your

laugh out there, man.

:

00:48:17,065 --> 00:48:18,425

Preacher Moss: I, um, hear you.

:

00:48:19,055 --> 00:48:19,345

Yeah.

:

00:48:19,430 --> 00:48:23,150

But like, yo, this is all subjective, man.

:

00:48:23,210 --> 00:48:23,480

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

:

00:48:23,780 --> 00:48:24,620

Preacher Moss: You know what?

:

00:48:24,620 --> 00:48:26,060

You got 20 years of interfaith.

:

00:48:26,540 --> 00:48:28,102

We've been working together and da da da.

:

00:48:29,030 --> 00:48:30,080

October 7th happens.

:

00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:30,770

What happens

:

00:48:31,820 --> 00:48:32,510

Tariq: back to their camps?

:

00:48:32,540 --> 00:48:33,470

You gonna find out who you've

:

00:48:33,470 --> 00:48:35,090

Preacher Moss: been dancing

with the whole time.

:

00:48:35,150 --> 00:48:35,480

Tariq: That's right.

:

00:48:36,680 --> 00:48:39,275

Preacher Moss: Uh, and I'm, I'm

like, listen, and I don't doubt them.

:

00:48:39,365 --> 00:48:39,575

Mm-hmm.

:

00:48:40,025 --> 00:48:41,495

I mean, I, I did a joke one time.

:

00:48:41,495 --> 00:48:43,685

I said, man, I, I used

to really hate on Satan.

:

00:48:43,685 --> 00:48:44,555

I don't hate on Satan.

:

00:48:44,555 --> 00:48:45,725

He's got a job to do.

:

00:48:46,055 --> 00:48:46,175

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

:

00:48:46,715 --> 00:48:50,675

Preacher Moss: You know, he's, he, you

know, he's okay to do these things.

:

00:48:51,305 --> 00:48:52,565

You know, Satan is Satan.

:

00:48:52,565 --> 00:48:53,435

That's what he does.

:

00:48:53,495 --> 00:48:57,305

You know, if he, if he's put something

out there to steal, he is gonna steal it.

:

00:48:57,305 --> 00:48:58,415

That's the way the game goes.

:

00:48:58,445 --> 00:48:58,565

Mm-hmm.

:

00:48:59,165 --> 00:49:00,725

Why are you arguing against nature?

:

00:49:01,475 --> 00:49:01,865

You know?

:

00:49:01,865 --> 00:49:04,805

And the thing about interfaith

is stop fooling yourself.

:

00:49:04,805 --> 00:49:08,345

Don't delude yourselves, you

know, and, and push come to shove.

:

00:49:08,345 --> 00:49:10,206

People are going to, you know what it is?

:

00:49:10,211 --> 00:49:10,340

Mm-hmm.

:

00:49:11,555 --> 00:49:14,195

We're gonna act in our best

interest for our people.

:

00:49:15,005 --> 00:49:18,305

And I'm like, well, why do we

have, you know, why do we need

:

00:49:18,305 --> 00:49:19,415

to keep having these meetings?

:

00:49:20,525 --> 00:49:24,275

That's what it's, and we're

gonna have a friendship league.

:

00:49:24,275 --> 00:49:26,015

Nah, you know.

:

00:49:27,740 --> 00:49:29,630

Whatever it is you

believe, just hold tight

:

00:49:29,630 --> 00:49:30,320

Tariq: to it, man.

:

00:49:30,395 --> 00:49:31,520

I, I can respect that.

:

00:49:31,700 --> 00:49:35,480

You mentioned something about Iman,

Martha di Muhammad, and I think this

:

00:49:35,480 --> 00:49:40,700

is a point where interfaith has a

completely different framing, uh, and, and

:

00:49:40,700 --> 00:49:42,800

texture when you think about the title.

:

00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:42,980

Right.

:

00:49:42,980 --> 00:49:45,740

He took a title for himself,

Muslim American, uh,

:

00:49:45,740 --> 00:49:48,140

spokesman for human salvation.

:

00:49:49,280 --> 00:49:49,640

Yeah.

:

00:49:49,645 --> 00:49:56,090

And when, when our interactions are based

upon this human identity, then it becomes

:

00:49:56,150 --> 00:50:01,910

something more than just an opportunity to

check off a box and say, well, I'm Muslim.

:

00:50:01,910 --> 00:50:06,530

I got together with, you know, I, I, I

met my Jewish brothers, I met my Catholic

:

00:50:06,530 --> 00:50:10,430

brothers, my Lutheran brothers, my, my

Methodist brothers and sisters, right?

:

00:50:10,430 --> 00:50:14,270

But it's really about what is the,

the shared, what is the, the common

:

00:50:14,270 --> 00:50:16,850

denominator, and that is our humanity.

:

00:50:16,850 --> 00:50:20,000

So in terms of thought leadership, right?

:

00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:23,780

I look back to him to say,

how do we expand this?

:

00:50:23,840 --> 00:50:26,450

And likewise, with, with, with your.

:

00:50:27,155 --> 00:50:33,905

Uh, with your work with comedy and the

way that you approach it, it, I, I see,

:

00:50:34,025 --> 00:50:38,555

and, and correct me if I'm wrong, but

I see the, the human element, uh, in

:

00:50:38,555 --> 00:50:43,535

it as well, but firmly rooted within

your very own distinct experience, you

:

00:50:43,535 --> 00:50:45,695

know, as a, a black American Muslim.

:

00:50:47,045 --> 00:50:47,855

Preacher Moss: No, 100%.

:

00:50:47,945 --> 00:50:52,295

You know, the moment I go away from that,

uh, Tarek, I'm through as a comedian.

:

00:50:52,445 --> 00:50:52,625

Tariq: Yeah.

:

00:50:54,275 --> 00:50:54,845

Preacher Moss: It's a wrap.

:

00:50:55,115 --> 00:50:55,355

Tariq: Yeah.

:

00:50:56,195 --> 00:50:57,455

Preacher Moss: You know,

take the microphone.

:

00:50:57,935 --> 00:51:00,665

No, you don't have to take the micro

microphone away from, I would put

:

00:51:00,665 --> 00:51:02,135

it back in the stand and walk away.

:

00:51:02,375 --> 00:51:02,675

Yeah.

:

00:51:03,395 --> 00:51:04,835

And you have to be that

real with yourself.

:

00:51:04,835 --> 00:51:05,705

Mm-hmm.

:

00:51:05,885 --> 00:51:08,465

You know, that's the thing is that

you gotta be that real with yourself.

:

00:51:09,845 --> 00:51:12,095

You know, the, you know, Dr.

:

00:51:12,095 --> 00:51:12,890

Jackson, Dr.

:

00:51:12,890 --> 00:51:16,685

Sherman Jackson, and I had a

conversation one time and, uh, I was

:

00:51:17,315 --> 00:51:21,845

pulling, I was asking him, interviewing

him for one of my papers for band.

:

00:51:21,965 --> 00:51:22,415

All right?

:

00:51:22,420 --> 00:51:22,430

Mm-hmm.

:

00:51:22,925 --> 00:51:28,655

And he was on his way to Howard

University for some symposium, and I'm

:

00:51:28,655 --> 00:51:30,335

like, God, what's the symposium about?

:

00:51:30,575 --> 00:51:33,965

He's literally like, I gotta

apologize to black Muslims.

:

00:51:36,845 --> 00:51:37,085

Tariq: Hmm.

:

00:51:39,095 --> 00:51:39,875

Preacher Moss: Tell me more.

:

00:51:39,880 --> 00:51:44,615

You know, he is like, yeah, he is

like, you know, he was under disbelief

:

00:51:44,615 --> 00:51:49,145

with the, you know, the, the third

resurrection would be that, uh, immigrant

:

00:51:49,145 --> 00:51:52,865

Muslims and African American Muslims

would be able to, you know, build this

:

00:51:52,865 --> 00:51:57,875

new identity through classical exam

and classical Islam and all of that.

:

00:51:58,445 --> 00:51:59,345

He was like, no.

:

00:52:00,365 --> 00:52:02,675

He said, black Muslims wound

up giving up their identity.

:

00:52:06,935 --> 00:52:07,715

He said,

:

00:52:09,845 --> 00:52:15,935

you know, you give up this space thinking

that people gonna, you give up a space.

:

00:52:15,935 --> 00:52:18,935

And a lot of people in thinking

that when the, you know, more space

:

00:52:18,935 --> 00:52:19,925

come in, they're gonna bring you in.

:

00:52:20,075 --> 00:52:20,825

They didn't bring you in.

:

00:52:21,500 --> 00:52:22,760

And the dialogue changed.

:

00:52:22,790 --> 00:52:24,170

It's, it's this way now.

:

00:52:24,230 --> 00:52:28,370

You know, I support everything about

Palestine, but I'm like, you gotta

:

00:52:28,370 --> 00:52:30,590

look at, you know what I'm saying?

:

00:52:30,590 --> 00:52:30,680

Mm-hmm.

:

00:52:30,920 --> 00:52:33,050

I've been talking about Palestine

since I was 18 years old.

:

00:52:33,165 --> 00:52:33,515

Tariq: Right,

:

00:52:34,130 --> 00:52:34,490

Preacher Moss: right.

:

00:52:35,030 --> 00:52:36,350

That was my first fight.

:

00:52:36,740 --> 00:52:38,960

What about Palestine in college?

:

00:52:40,100 --> 00:52:41,045

My point is Dr.

:

00:52:41,045 --> 00:52:44,690

Jackson said, you know, black folk

have been under the auspices of the

:

00:52:44,690 --> 00:52:51,080

religion, looking for a, a, a cultural

and spiritual home within World Islam.

:

00:52:52,100 --> 00:52:55,730

That takes this whole thing out

of, you know, we, we came over

:

00:52:55,730 --> 00:52:56,865

in slave boats, da, da, da.

:

00:52:57,230 --> 00:53:00,890

You know, it doesn't ready recognize

that we've embraced this religion.

:

00:53:01,190 --> 00:53:06,200

We haven't excelled from being the, the

lowest common denominator of this Islam

:

00:53:06,530 --> 00:53:09,080

in slavery and being able to produce, I.

:

00:53:09,890 --> 00:53:14,540

He says, now we can't talk about

things that are important to us.

:

00:53:14,930 --> 00:53:21,110

So you can't talk about anti-black,

uh, racism or anti-black Muslim racism.

:

00:53:21,980 --> 00:53:28,370

Now in this inclusive pot, you

gotta talk about, uh, anti-Muslim

:

00:53:28,370 --> 00:53:30,590

racism or anti-immigrant racism.

:

00:53:31,130 --> 00:53:31,250

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

:

00:53:31,490 --> 00:53:32,120

Preacher Moss: You see what I'm saying?

:

00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:34,610

And we don't fit in any of those.

:

00:53:35,120 --> 00:53:35,240

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

:

00:53:36,200 --> 00:53:38,630

Preacher Moss: We don't

fit in anti-Muslim racism.

:

00:53:38,630 --> 00:53:41,000

That is the argument

with Palestine right now.

:

00:53:41,150 --> 00:53:41,420

Tariq: Right.

:

00:53:42,350 --> 00:53:43,370

Preacher Moss: That's what dominates it.

:

00:53:44,030 --> 00:53:48,830

And if you understand, you know, the

game, they've been trying to kill black

:

00:53:48,830 --> 00:53:50,720

folk for how many years We still here?

:

00:53:50,900 --> 00:53:52,310

Me and you doing podcasts?

:

00:53:52,430 --> 00:53:52,640

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

:

00:53:54,860 --> 00:53:57,050

Preacher Moss: We gonna go from

can't drink out of a water fountain

:

00:53:57,050 --> 00:53:58,370

to we doing our own podcast.

:

00:53:58,370 --> 00:53:58,550

Mm-hmm.

:

00:53:58,910 --> 00:53:59,210

Tariq: Right, right.

:

00:54:00,560 --> 00:54:03,200

Preacher Moss: But in the large

case, and people go, no, no, no.

:

00:54:04,040 --> 00:54:07,460

Sh the African American Muslim, sh you'll

get your turn, you'll get your turn.

:

00:54:08,585 --> 00:54:09,785

We don't get our turn.

:

00:54:10,325 --> 00:54:15,905

Just give a, I mean, look at, you

know, sna years ago in Chicago,

:

00:54:15,905 --> 00:54:19,295

that, that weekend was the man

Walter de Muhammad's weekend.

:

00:54:19,295 --> 00:54:20,225

That was our weekend.

:

00:54:20,405 --> 00:54:21,125

And what'd he do?

:

00:54:21,875 --> 00:54:23,225

Hey, we're gonna shed a weekend.

:

00:54:23,255 --> 00:54:29,285

All of a sudden he way out in Harvey,

Illinois, it might as well be St.

:

00:54:29,285 --> 00:54:29,615

Louis.

:

00:54:29,615 --> 00:54:30,755

That's how far out it was.

:

00:54:31,145 --> 00:54:31,265

Mm-hmm.

:

00:54:31,925 --> 00:54:34,955

You know, and then we

have to be included back.

:

00:54:34,955 --> 00:54:37,115

But you set it up, why are

you being included back?

:

00:54:37,865 --> 00:54:38,075

Right.

:

00:54:38,105 --> 00:54:41,075

You have a, you have a historic

connotation that goes all

:

00:54:41,075 --> 00:54:42,335

the way back to Savior's day.

:

00:54:42,605 --> 00:54:42,815

Tariq: Yeah.

:

00:54:43,085 --> 00:54:44,765

Preacher Moss: And now we don't have it.

:

00:54:45,425 --> 00:54:48,275

And the further and further

people get away from that fact,

:

00:54:48,515 --> 00:54:49,625

it's like it never existed.

:

00:54:51,215 --> 00:54:51,455

Mm.

:

00:54:51,485 --> 00:54:55,745

So, you know, my humor does,

uh, my humor cuts that way.

:

00:54:56,465 --> 00:54:57,845

And I know they're comedians.

:

00:54:57,845 --> 00:54:59,285

I know I make them uncomfortable.

:

00:54:59,285 --> 00:55:00,455

I'm like, 'cause I'm still here.

:

00:55:01,115 --> 00:55:01,835

You know, I'm an og.

:

00:55:02,435 --> 00:55:03,755

I just sit back and watch.

:

00:55:04,280 --> 00:55:05,420

You know, I, I learned, yeah.

:

00:55:05,420 --> 00:55:07,670

I might teach you everything, you

know, but I ain't teach you everything.

:

00:55:07,670 --> 00:55:08,030

I know.

:

00:55:08,480 --> 00:55:09,800

Thank goodness hu luck.

:

00:55:09,800 --> 00:55:13,160

Because I never want to have to turn

around on my folks and apologize

:

00:55:13,820 --> 00:55:16,010

because I, I, I've had great teachers.

:

00:55:16,040 --> 00:55:16,340

Mm-hmm.

:

00:55:16,670 --> 00:55:20,300

You know, I've had great teachers

and I've had some, some, uh, Muslim

:

00:55:20,300 --> 00:55:24,965

teachers that have taught me the,

the, the, uh, the thick of slick in

:

00:55:24,965 --> 00:55:30,080

terms, in terms of navigating the,

Hey, you gotta put that on the shirt.

:

00:55:33,590 --> 00:55:33,980

Yeah.

:

00:55:34,340 --> 00:55:34,580

Yeah.

:

00:55:34,580 --> 00:55:38,360

I've learned the thick of

slick I brother, let me talk.

:

00:55:38,360 --> 00:55:39,740

Nah, you ain't gotta talk to me, man.

:

00:55:39,950 --> 00:55:40,760

You the second one.

:

00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:42,530

You the third one this week

came to me that hustle.

:

00:55:42,650 --> 00:55:43,250

Go ahead though.

:

00:55:43,370 --> 00:55:43,910

Practice.

:

00:55:43,970 --> 00:55:44,180

Right?

:

00:55:44,180 --> 00:55:44,750

That's what I tell him.

:

00:55:45,140 --> 00:55:46,550

Whatever you say, go and practice, man.

:

00:55:46,580 --> 00:55:46,880

Mm-hmm.

:

00:55:47,660 --> 00:55:48,320

I might at the end.

:

00:55:48,320 --> 00:55:49,400

I'm not listening to you, but

:

00:55:49,550 --> 00:55:49,820

Tariq: yeah.

:

00:55:49,880 --> 00:55:50,660

Preacher Moss: Maybe you'll get better.

:

00:55:51,380 --> 00:55:53,240

But that's, that's, and

that's where we are.

:

00:55:53,240 --> 00:55:55,610

So I think I.

:

00:55:56,225 --> 00:55:59,915

Humor, Muslim humor

divides along that line.

:

00:56:00,455 --> 00:56:03,935

So when you get to Hollywood, Hollywood's

like, we've been trying to kill that

:

00:56:03,935 --> 00:56:07,175

dude for a long time, and the best

way to kill him is we're gonna have

:

00:56:07,175 --> 00:56:09,815

you come in, you'll set the premise.

:

00:56:11,225 --> 00:56:12,335

They'll go, they'll go away.

:

00:56:12,785 --> 00:56:13,025

Tariq: Right.

:

00:56:13,415 --> 00:56:14,465

Preacher Moss: You know, they'll go away.

:

00:56:15,035 --> 00:56:17,015

Uh, they won't, they won't be inspired.

:

00:56:17,015 --> 00:56:23,465

They'll get frustrated, you know,

but I'm like, miles, it ain't wrong.

:

00:56:24,485 --> 00:56:25,235

Tariq: It's unexpected.

:

00:56:25,685 --> 00:56:26,045

Hmm.

:

00:56:26,525 --> 00:56:27,095

I love that.

:

00:56:27,185 --> 00:56:30,095

I love that saying, talk

a bit about the etiquette.

:

00:56:30,485 --> 00:56:32,915

That, and I've, I've not heard that.

:

00:56:33,125 --> 00:56:35,795

You know, that's why I really

love the opportunities that I

:

00:56:35,795 --> 00:56:36,905

have to sit down and talk with.

:

00:56:37,325 --> 00:56:37,895

Uh, yes sir.

:

00:56:37,895 --> 00:56:38,885

So many different minds.

:

00:56:39,515 --> 00:56:45,095

And this idea of music, the

orchestra, the band, right.

:

00:56:45,215 --> 00:56:50,705

Being a representation of etiquette, how

is that being played out or what can.

:

00:56:51,050 --> 00:56:52,220

The Muslim community.

:

00:56:52,220 --> 00:56:55,130

'cause you're really, you're

talking about interfaith

:

00:56:55,400 --> 00:56:57,200

engagement, getting things right.

:

00:56:57,200 --> 00:56:57,410

Mm-hmm.

:

00:56:57,455 --> 00:56:57,695

Right?

:

00:56:58,370 --> 00:56:59,255

And there's a no, you're right.

:

00:56:59,255 --> 00:57:04,160

Lack of etiquette so that every

instrument is not being heard.

:

00:57:04,400 --> 00:57:07,430

So the band, the orchestra

is not coming off.

:

00:57:07,880 --> 00:57:08,090

Yeah.

:

00:57:08,090 --> 00:57:11,375

It's not So, so, so what do,

what do we need to learn?

:

00:57:12,050 --> 00:57:13,610

You sound like a old man, Charlie.

:

00:57:14,235 --> 00:57:14,455

I'm,

:

00:57:16,460 --> 00:57:17,450

you sound like a old man.

:

00:57:17,450 --> 00:57:18,140

I thought it was just

:

00:57:18,140 --> 00:57:18,350

Preacher Moss: me.

:

00:57:18,355 --> 00:57:18,710

No, no, no.

:

00:57:18,710 --> 00:57:18,770

I'm,

:

00:57:22,160 --> 00:57:23,305

you know what you sound like, what?

:

00:57:23,720 --> 00:57:28,310

You sound like me and you sitting

in the back of a, of a jazz club and

:

00:57:28,310 --> 00:57:33,585

a dude come up there with a shiny

suit and a shiny horn and he, he

:

00:57:33,595 --> 00:57:38,785

blows and everybody goes, yay, yay.

:

00:57:39,440 --> 00:57:40,670

And the place clears out.

:

00:57:41,360 --> 00:57:42,620

And I go, what?

:

00:57:42,620 --> 00:57:44,870

You think the young cat And you go.

:

00:57:45,635 --> 00:57:46,445

He's loud.

:

00:57:46,445 --> 00:57:46,895

What do you think?

:

00:57:46,895 --> 00:57:48,635

I go And he can't read music.

:

00:57:51,995 --> 00:57:55,475

Tariq: Hey, it inevitably will happen

to you if, if you're paying attention.

:

00:57:55,475 --> 00:57:55,715

Yeah,

:

00:57:57,785 --> 00:57:58,115

it

:

00:57:58,115 --> 00:57:58,685

Preacher Moss: is.

:

00:57:59,135 --> 00:57:59,465

It's true.

:

00:57:59,495 --> 00:58:00,215

No, man.

:

00:58:00,605 --> 00:58:00,905

You know what?

:

00:58:00,905 --> 00:58:02,405

Etiquette, denotes man trust.

:

00:58:03,695 --> 00:58:03,815

Mm.

:

00:58:04,385 --> 00:58:06,095

Like it denotes Trust.

:

00:58:06,095 --> 00:58:06,096

Trust.

:

00:58:07,115 --> 00:58:08,465

I'm gonna treat you a certain way.

:

00:58:08,470 --> 00:58:08,690

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

:

00:58:09,440 --> 00:58:13,835

Preacher Moss: And shala, you

treat me like it's a small

:

00:58:13,835 --> 00:58:14,705

thing, but it's a big thing.

:

00:58:14,885 --> 00:58:15,095

Tariq: Right.

:

00:58:15,335 --> 00:58:16,565

Preacher Moss: Giving us lambs.

:

00:58:18,665 --> 00:58:18,965

Okay.

:

00:58:19,025 --> 00:58:19,385

Okay.

:

00:58:19,625 --> 00:58:20,315

Tariq: Well, you know what I'm saying?

:

00:58:20,315 --> 00:58:21,065

They can't see my face.

:

00:58:21,065 --> 00:58:22,055

They can't see your faces.

:

00:58:22,055 --> 00:58:22,145

I saw,

:

00:58:22,955 --> 00:58:23,675

Preacher Moss: go ahead, go ahead.

:

00:58:24,005 --> 00:58:29,705

I say I saw Iman, uh, ached may lobby

police with him Mercedes on a thing.

:

00:58:29,825 --> 00:58:34,865

And it was almost kind of flippant, but

he said, you know, when you give us lambs,

:

00:58:35,225 --> 00:58:37,115

either give one that's that's equal.

:

00:58:37,115 --> 00:58:37,205

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

:

00:58:38,135 --> 00:58:38,675

Preacher Moss: Or better,

:

00:58:38,915 --> 00:58:39,125

Tariq: right?

:

00:58:39,515 --> 00:58:39,890

Preacher Moss: So he says.

:

00:58:41,760 --> 00:58:45,275

I, he says, because I want all of it.

:

00:58:45,515 --> 00:58:46,895

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

:

00:58:47,135 --> 00:58:48,365

Preacher Moss: He said, I want the peace.

:

00:58:48,695 --> 00:58:51,125

He said, I want the blessings

and I want the mercy.

:

00:58:51,125 --> 00:58:51,305

Right.

:

00:58:51,665 --> 00:58:53,315

He said, who don't want

all those three things?

:

00:58:53,855 --> 00:58:54,605

He said, I want it for me.

:

00:58:54,605 --> 00:58:55,355

I want it for you.

:

00:58:56,315 --> 00:58:57,365

That's etiquette, man.

:

00:58:57,665 --> 00:58:57,965

Tariq: Yeah.

:

00:58:58,415 --> 00:58:59,045

Preacher Moss: You know what I mean?

:

00:58:59,195 --> 00:59:02,555

This is the only, I'm not gonna

say it's only religion, but

:

00:59:02,555 --> 00:59:04,175

this religion emphasizes that.

:

00:59:04,355 --> 00:59:04,445

Mm-hmm.

:

00:59:05,675 --> 00:59:07,175

Before you say, Hey, what's your name?

:

00:59:07,175 --> 00:59:07,835

What you doing?

:

00:59:08,165 --> 00:59:09,395

You may not know a person.

:

00:59:09,395 --> 00:59:10,535

You're gonna throw that out there.

:

00:59:11,525 --> 00:59:16,235

But you know, it's, you

know, people go Asa a, SA

:

00:59:18,245 --> 00:59:18,665

why?

:

00:59:18,695 --> 00:59:19,265

Wasa?

:

00:59:19,325 --> 00:59:20,135

WAS.

:

00:59:20,165 --> 00:59:20,255

Yeah.

:

00:59:20,615 --> 00:59:21,815

I still write it out, man.

:

00:59:21,815 --> 00:59:26,165

'cause I, I want, 'cause

WAS to me is, is was

:

00:59:28,715 --> 00:59:32,225

a SA is asa it is not asum.

:

00:59:32,315 --> 00:59:32,585

Tariq: Right.

:

00:59:32,885 --> 00:59:33,340

Preacher Moss: You know what I mean?

:

00:59:33,980 --> 00:59:37,610

Or they write the, with the,

I'm like, nah, man, this is,

:

00:59:38,150 --> 00:59:39,500

and their man was correct.

:

00:59:40,520 --> 00:59:44,060

That the tonality of that

etiquette is, is huge.

:

00:59:44,720 --> 00:59:48,740

You know, in the black community, man,

what's, dude, you took your jihad.

:

00:59:48,740 --> 00:59:51,260

What's the worst, what's the

word you been waiting to say?

:

00:59:51,260 --> 00:59:53,000

The, what's I lamb on?

:

00:59:53,240 --> 00:59:54,590

I used to practice in the mirror.

:

00:59:54,770 --> 00:59:55,700

Look over my shoulder.

:

00:59:56,025 --> 00:59:56,785

I slam,

:

00:59:59,135 --> 01:00:00,105

like walk across the street.

:

01:00:00,295 --> 01:00:00,585

Stop.

:

01:00:03,350 --> 01:00:04,790

Tariq: And not to get that back.

:

01:00:05,780 --> 01:00:08,600

That's, that's where I thought

you were going, is not to back.

:

01:00:09,980 --> 01:00:13,010

Preacher Moss: I used to chase down

dudes like, Hey man, did you hear me?

:

01:00:13,040 --> 01:00:16,250

Look you on the point of physical

assault, did you hear me give

:

01:00:16,250 --> 01:00:17,600

you some lambs twice, brother?

:

01:00:17,690 --> 01:00:17,780

Right.

:

01:00:17,960 --> 01:00:21,980

The first time I thought it literally,

they like, oh dude, you, you out of it?

:

01:00:21,980 --> 01:00:22,850

I'm like, no man.

:

01:00:22,850 --> 01:00:25,850

I'm trying to get my, I'm

trying to get this blessing.

:

01:00:25,850 --> 01:00:30,560

And people don't think in a,

in a, in a, in a, in a band.

:

01:00:30,560 --> 01:00:30,800

Mm-hmm.

:

01:00:31,835 --> 01:00:35,255

People don't realize the, the

trust band members have and the

:

01:00:35,255 --> 01:00:37,625

solo, you have a certain amount

of bars that you're gonna play.

:

01:00:37,625 --> 01:00:38,765

Mm-hmm.

:

01:00:38,771 --> 01:00:44,405

But while you're playing, the band plays

behind you to accelerate your solo.

:

01:00:44,615 --> 01:00:44,855

Tariq: Right.

:

01:00:45,125 --> 01:00:47,795

Preacher Moss: So the piano plays a

certain way, but it doesn't play over you.

:

01:00:47,795 --> 01:00:48,515

Mm-hmm.

:

01:00:48,516 --> 01:00:50,855

Uh, the drums play a certain

way, but it is, so they're trying

:

01:00:50,855 --> 01:00:51,935

to make sure that you're heard.

:

01:00:52,355 --> 01:00:54,995

And when you finish your

solo and people clap

:

01:00:55,175 --> 01:00:56,015

Tariq: mm-hmm.

:

01:00:56,795 --> 01:01:00,215

Preacher Moss: The next person is starting

their solo while people are clapping.

:

01:01:00,605 --> 01:01:00,815

Tariq: Right.

:

01:01:01,235 --> 01:01:03,155

Preacher Moss: And that is

the, the continuity of it.

:

01:01:03,605 --> 01:01:04,835

Like, it's all one thing.

:

01:01:05,525 --> 01:01:09,095

And I'm like, yo, continuity, trust.

:

01:01:09,395 --> 01:01:12,095

These things are, you know, these

things are important when you start

:

01:01:12,095 --> 01:01:17,645

talking about etiquette and we

lack it, you know, we, we lack it.

:

01:01:17,915 --> 01:01:22,205

I don't know why, because, you know,

we have, you have the ultimate cheat

:

01:01:22,205 --> 01:01:25,955

code at a Koran and, and Senator

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessed

:

01:01:25,955 --> 01:01:29,285

be a part of what at is street level.

:

01:01:29,525 --> 01:01:29,945

Mm-hmm.

:

01:01:30,485 --> 01:01:31,865

At a street lot, bro.

:

01:01:34,265 --> 01:01:36,125

It, it's, it's so dynamic.

:

01:01:36,695 --> 01:01:43,415

You know, I, I've gone out with I Khan

and, and, and, you know, tough areas

:

01:01:43,415 --> 01:01:46,595

of Houston and watch that guy sit on

the back of a truck with a bullhorn

:

01:01:47,135 --> 01:01:51,395

going through, you know, some of the

roughest projects and you hear, hey, the

:

01:01:51,395 --> 01:01:53,135

Muslims says here, the Muslims coming.

:

01:01:53,135 --> 01:01:54,095

He'd be bringing food.

:

01:01:54,095 --> 01:01:57,575

Him and his wife, sister saying, and

their crew, the Muslims are here.

:

01:01:57,575 --> 01:02:01,655

And he and he, but every time they

give it back, I Sala Lake them.

:

01:02:02,015 --> 01:02:02,855

I lake them.

:

01:02:03,365 --> 01:02:06,845

And then you see people coming

back for food, going, I practice.

:

01:02:07,145 --> 01:02:10,565

Well, lake Myam, you know, I

gotta go through that with my mom.

:

01:02:10,565 --> 01:02:15,995

My mom doesn't say,

she said she practices.

:

01:02:15,995 --> 01:02:16,235

Yeah.

:

01:02:17,195 --> 01:02:19,655

She's like, I want you to get

all the blessings that you can.

:

01:02:20,165 --> 01:02:23,825

I'm like, dude, this is, this

is a very valuable currency that

:

01:02:23,825 --> 01:02:24,905

we are not putting out there.

:

01:02:24,905 --> 01:02:27,845

This is, you know, it should

be like the slam Bitcoin.

:

01:02:27,905 --> 01:02:28,595

You know what I mean?

:

01:02:28,600 --> 01:02:28,620

Right.

:

01:02:29,080 --> 01:02:31,085

Um, and people don't understand that.

:

01:02:31,565 --> 01:02:39,005

And again, that slam is the lowest

common, common denominator of society

:

01:02:39,815 --> 01:02:42,965

if you're putting that on them,

you know, what is the win, what's

:

01:02:42,965 --> 01:02:44,255

the quotient for their improvement?

:

01:02:44,495 --> 01:02:44,735

Tariq: Mm.

:

01:02:44,885 --> 01:02:49,055

Preacher Moss: Or quote the quotient where

they reevaluate their own self-image.

:

01:02:50,195 --> 01:02:56,195

Tariq: You have had the opportunity to

be around people, throw out the word

:

01:02:56,195 --> 01:03:01,025

uma all the time, and sometimes they're

talking about, they're talking about

:

01:03:01,085 --> 01:03:03,155

the UMA in their state or their city.

:

01:03:03,605 --> 01:03:08,165

You've had the opportunity to really

travel around the world and be in

:

01:03:08,165 --> 01:03:13,685

different spaces, you know, and see the,

the diversity, the plurality of the,

:

01:03:13,715 --> 01:03:17,615

the Muslim, uh, um, uh, uh, population.

:

01:03:17,675 --> 01:03:17,975

Right.

:

01:03:18,005 --> 01:03:18,815

And the experience.

:

01:03:20,045 --> 01:03:24,395

Thinking about this in terms of

the, going back to music, right?

:

01:03:24,395 --> 01:03:28,955

I'm a huge, most of us are huge music

lovers, but giving us education.

:

01:03:28,960 --> 01:03:29,100

I'm gonna,

:

01:03:30,200 --> 01:03:32,915

Preacher Moss: I'm gonna send you

my, um, my, I'm gonna send you love

:

01:03:32,915 --> 01:03:34,025

Supreme anatomy to make writers.

:

01:03:34,025 --> 01:03:34,415

Please do.

:

01:03:34,445 --> 01:03:37,685

I, I can't wait to, uh, to, to look at,

but you're gonna be like, yeah, you're

:

01:03:37,715 --> 01:03:40,775

gonna be like, you gonna look like what?

:

01:03:40,895 --> 01:03:43,685

'cause it was funny because the crowd

doesn't know what's gonna happen.

:

01:03:43,685 --> 01:03:43,895

Really?

:

01:03:44,885 --> 01:03:45,125

Tariq: Really?

:

01:03:45,455 --> 01:03:45,995

Preacher Moss: They have no idea.

:

01:03:46,200 --> 01:03:47,675

So, so, so they don't know why.

:

01:03:47,795 --> 01:03:49,595

They don't know why band is on stage.

:

01:03:51,245 --> 01:03:51,485

Tariq: Okay.

:

01:03:51,485 --> 01:03:52,625

So, so check this out.

:

01:03:52,625 --> 01:03:53,015

No idea.

:

01:03:53,015 --> 01:03:53,735

Check, check this out.

:

01:03:55,385 --> 01:04:01,595

We are without recognizing it, every

group, however, we are grouped in this

:

01:04:01,595 --> 01:04:07,775

human family, uh, if it be by faith

tradition, if it be by, um, nationality.

:

01:04:07,775 --> 01:04:09,035

However, we group ourselves.

:

01:04:09,335 --> 01:04:12,095

We are, we get a chance to, to solo.

:

01:04:12,095 --> 01:04:16,685

We get a chance to play something that

is heard by the rest of the human family.

:

01:04:17,690 --> 01:04:22,790

The etiquette that you've talked

about, the and which implies trust.

:

01:04:22,790 --> 01:04:23,360

I love that.

:

01:04:23,360 --> 01:04:23,600

Right.

:

01:04:23,630 --> 01:04:26,960

It implies that trust, it implies an

awareness that you are part of something

:

01:04:27,200 --> 01:04:30,050

bigger than yourself and mm-hmm.

:

01:04:30,740 --> 01:04:33,860

When you think about it, the,

the uma, what are some of the

:

01:04:33,860 --> 01:04:39,440

things that we, the Uma needs to

do so that it is sounding right?

:

01:04:40,010 --> 01:04:43,610

It is sounding that beauty is recognized

by the rest of humanity, because

:

01:04:43,610 --> 01:04:45,110

that's, that's what we're really doing.

:

01:04:45,110 --> 01:04:49,370

We're, we're giving something

in our group presentation.

:

01:04:51,140 --> 01:04:52,670

Preacher Moss: Well, it's, it

is interesting you say that.

:

01:04:52,670 --> 01:04:52,760

Mm-hmm.

:

01:04:54,140 --> 01:04:58,340

Um, because there's, there's two

distinctions of what you just said.

:

01:04:58,370 --> 01:04:58,550

Mm-hmm.

:

01:04:59,150 --> 01:05:00,410

Um, one is sound.

:

01:05:00,440 --> 01:05:00,650

Yeah.

:

01:05:01,580 --> 01:05:02,510

One is noise.

:

01:05:03,980 --> 01:05:04,640

Hmm.

:

01:05:06,140 --> 01:05:06,440

Yeah.

:

01:05:07,940 --> 01:05:09,230

Sound is natural.

:

01:05:10,430 --> 01:05:12,140

Um, inviting, subtle.

:

01:05:13,565 --> 01:05:17,045

Noise is, I want you, it's,

it's, it's disruptive.

:

01:05:17,435 --> 01:05:17,615

Tariq: Yeah.

:

01:05:18,395 --> 01:05:20,765

Preacher Moss: I want you to

hear, when you hear beautiful

:

01:05:20,765 --> 01:05:22,205

sound from a van mm-hmm.

:

01:05:22,895 --> 01:05:24,245

It's different than noise.

:

01:05:25,715 --> 01:05:26,375

It's inviting.

:

01:05:27,154 --> 01:05:28,865

And I think the thing, you know,

:

01:05:30,965 --> 01:05:33,545

what I see is we don't,

:

01:05:36,605 --> 01:05:40,505

we don't reclassify what etiquette means.

:

01:05:41,645 --> 01:05:45,275

And what I mean by that is there

needs, there's a curriculum by

:

01:05:45,275 --> 01:05:46,475

which things are passed around.

:

01:05:46,475 --> 01:05:52,295

I, I, I'll give you a great example

on my, um, I should have put it

:

01:05:52,295 --> 01:05:53,975

in my, my thesis, but I didn't.

:

01:05:54,185 --> 01:05:54,815

Tariq: Mm-hmm.

:

01:05:54,875 --> 01:05:57,005

Preacher Moss: Um, one of my

:

01:05:59,404 --> 01:06:02,435

performances was at, uh, a prison.

:

01:06:03,755 --> 01:06:05,015

I did a e charter prison.

:

01:06:05,015 --> 01:06:05,135

Mm-hmm.

:

01:06:06,995 --> 01:06:10,660

In fact, uh, brother Muhammad

Ali, who was a bayan, um.

:

01:06:11,900 --> 01:06:12,800

Band alumni.

:

01:06:12,800 --> 01:06:16,220

He was a chaplain at the,

the prison out of Vacaville.

:

01:06:16,370 --> 01:06:16,460

Mm-hmm.

:

01:06:16,700 --> 01:06:19,010

And he asked me, could I

get you to come out here?

:

01:06:19,010 --> 01:06:20,540

And I was like, why are

you acting all scared?

:

01:06:20,765 --> 01:06:21,105

You know?

:

01:06:22,205 --> 01:06:23,345

Do you think I'm like,

:

01:06:25,460 --> 01:06:26,510

you ask questions.

:

01:06:26,510 --> 01:06:28,940

It's like I, I'm like,

dude, I know Kas locked up.

:

01:06:28,940 --> 01:06:30,590

Of course I I've done it before.

:

01:06:31,040 --> 01:06:32,330

Yeah, we should, we should do it.

:

01:06:32,480 --> 01:06:37,430

And I remember had to do two

shows, the first show, and they

:

01:06:37,430 --> 01:06:38,750

had no idea I was a comedian.

:

01:06:38,870 --> 01:06:40,610

They're just happy to

see people come visit.

:

01:06:40,730 --> 01:06:40,970

Right.

:

01:06:41,300 --> 01:06:44,000

So they couldn't realize,

they a little put off.

:

01:06:44,330 --> 01:06:46,910

I don't eat before shows 'cause

I don't like to get sluggish.

:

01:06:47,600 --> 01:06:48,620

I don't wanna get Isis.

:

01:06:48,680 --> 01:06:48,950

Tariq: Right.

:

01:06:49,130 --> 01:06:51,380

Preacher Moss: Um, so they're

giving me this two hit ball.

:

01:06:51,380 --> 01:06:52,430

I'm like, I can't eat it right now.

:

01:06:52,430 --> 01:06:53,000

I'm getting ready.

:

01:06:53,480 --> 01:06:53,810

Huh?

:

01:06:53,870 --> 01:06:54,200

What?

:

01:06:54,200 --> 01:06:55,010

I can't eat right now.

:

01:06:56,240 --> 01:06:57,470

I literally go up on stage.

:

01:06:57,470 --> 01:06:58,760

Worst intro in the world.

:

01:06:59,180 --> 01:07:03,529

Um, dude's doing spoke word

all we got this dude here.

:

01:07:03,560 --> 01:07:04,250

That's the way you feel.

:

01:07:04,250 --> 01:07:04,805

We got this dude here.

:

01:07:07,505 --> 01:07:09,800

And I'm telling Muhammad,

just calm down man.

:

01:07:09,800 --> 01:07:10,580

I I got it.

:

01:07:11,029 --> 01:07:11,510

I got it.

:

01:07:12,080 --> 01:07:13,070

This is nothing new.

:

01:07:13,070 --> 01:07:15,020

Remember, I've been fired in

Chicago at the Cotton Club.

:

01:07:17,090 --> 01:07:18,440

Ain't nobody going nowhere in the prison.

:

01:07:18,440 --> 01:07:18,650

Right.

:

01:07:18,710 --> 01:07:23,930

Um, and we went up and rocked it and,

and you know, we had a good time.

:

01:07:24,170 --> 01:07:25,340

But it was the second show.

:

01:07:27,320 --> 01:07:28,520

First show had like 80 people.

:

01:07:28,520 --> 01:07:32,870

The second show, well, 80 Muslims

incarcerated Muslim second show

:

01:07:32,870 --> 01:07:34,940

had like 160 incarcerated Muslims.

:

01:07:34,945 --> 01:07:35,095

Mm-hmm.

:

01:07:37,400 --> 01:07:39,110

And world travels fast.

:

01:07:39,590 --> 01:07:39,830

Tariq: Yeah.

:

01:07:40,310 --> 01:07:41,660

Preacher Moss: Like world travels fast.

:

01:07:41,690 --> 01:07:45,765

Oh man, da da da, Muslim

comedian, the prison, da, da da.

:

01:07:45,950 --> 01:07:49,610

So the second group, they harder now

'cause they heard the first group,

:

01:07:49,760 --> 01:07:51,020

now you really gotta make me laugh.

:

01:07:52,100 --> 01:07:52,520

Etiquette.

:

01:07:55,010 --> 01:07:55,880

I said, who's the?

:

01:07:56,300 --> 01:07:58,820

You know who's, who's,

who's the captain of here?

:

01:07:58,820 --> 01:08:00,980

Who's the halal Amir here?

:

01:08:00,980 --> 01:08:01,520

I was like, who's the og?

:

01:08:02,060 --> 01:08:02,180

Mm-hmm.

:

01:08:02,420 --> 01:08:05,120

And they said him over there, etiquette.

:

01:08:05,960 --> 01:08:10,010

I walked over, I said, listen, sir,

before we get started, he, he told me

:

01:08:10,010 --> 01:08:11,750

he'd been locked up for like 50 years.

:

01:08:12,500 --> 01:08:17,270

I said, um, before we get started,

is it all right to do this?

:

01:08:18,109 --> 01:08:19,189

Mm, they follow you.

:

01:08:19,340 --> 01:08:20,270

They're right to do this.

:

01:08:21,319 --> 01:08:22,069

And he was shocked.

:

01:08:22,069 --> 01:08:22,609

I was like, yeah.

:

01:08:22,819 --> 01:08:23,930

He said, what you mean?

:

01:08:23,930 --> 01:08:28,310

I said, no, you know, sometimes

you can put things in the air and

:

01:08:28,310 --> 01:08:30,170

you leave and it affects the thing.

:

01:08:30,170 --> 01:08:31,729

I wanna make sure everything's all right.

:

01:08:32,569 --> 01:08:34,580

And he is like, yeah

man, I appreciate that.

:

01:08:34,640 --> 01:08:34,940

You know?

:

01:08:34,940 --> 01:08:36,080

He goes, I appreciate that.

:

01:08:36,950 --> 01:08:39,500

And uh, and then he just opened up.

:

01:08:39,500 --> 01:08:41,180

He said, yo, man, you know, in this joint.

:

01:08:41,765 --> 01:08:45,390

Uh, Billy to laugh is the last thing

they ain't took from us and da da da.

:

01:08:46,385 --> 01:08:47,585

And we were just talking.

:

01:08:47,585 --> 01:08:50,135

He was like, uh, the classic prison story.

:

01:08:50,135 --> 01:08:51,484

They bought us food, right.

:

01:08:52,055 --> 01:08:52,805

And I'm not gonna eat.

:

01:08:52,805 --> 01:08:53,975

I said, yo, you want my thing?

:

01:08:53,975 --> 01:08:57,125

He said, you give it

to him, give it to him.

:

01:08:57,125 --> 01:08:57,575

Give it to him.

:

01:08:57,575 --> 01:08:58,325

He'll give it back to me.

:

01:09:01,654 --> 01:09:02,645

I'm like, gotcha.

:

01:09:04,085 --> 01:09:07,715

Went up, had a killer show, came back

the next year, had a killer show,

:

01:09:08,315 --> 01:09:11,434

and it all had to do with etiquette.

:

01:09:12,694 --> 01:09:15,425

And it's like, I'm,

I'm in here with y'all,

:

01:09:15,725 --> 01:09:16,024

Tariq: right.

:

01:09:16,475 --> 01:09:17,165

Preacher Moss: I'm in here with you.

:

01:09:17,970 --> 01:09:19,270

I'm here Be for an hour, whatever.

:

01:09:20,015 --> 01:09:24,484

And being able to sit and just talk,

you know, classic prison story.

:

01:09:24,484 --> 01:09:27,904

He had this, had, this

Pakistani dude came over to me.

:

01:09:28,444 --> 01:09:30,694

Um, I know, I know.

:

01:09:30,694 --> 01:09:34,085

I'm, I'm, I'm digressing a

little bit, but it's hilarious.

:

01:09:34,085 --> 01:09:34,774

It's a prison story.

:

01:09:34,774 --> 01:09:35,015

Mm-hmm.

:

01:09:36,890 --> 01:09:38,899

This Pakistani brother

came up with a Kofi.

:

01:09:38,899 --> 01:09:40,970

You know how the Kofi with

the fun of it is knocked out?

:

01:09:41,000 --> 01:09:41,180

Yeah.

:

01:09:44,285 --> 01:09:49,910

And man, he's hitting me with dua's

He hit me with hadith and cinema, man.

:

01:09:49,910 --> 01:09:50,450

He's deep.

:

01:09:50,569 --> 01:09:52,309

I'm like, man, ooh man.

:

01:09:52,940 --> 01:09:53,809

He's messing my mind up.

:

01:09:53,809 --> 01:09:54,890

I gotta do a show, man.

:

01:09:55,490 --> 01:09:55,730

You know?

:

01:09:55,730 --> 01:09:56,375

Da da da.

:

01:09:56,765 --> 01:09:57,255

Okay brother.

:

01:09:57,470 --> 01:10:01,730

He walks off and the brother goes,

yeah man, don't listen to him,

:

01:10:01,730 --> 01:10:03,620

dude, man, he killed his wife.

:

01:10:09,650 --> 01:10:10,190

Tariq: Alright, family.

:

01:10:10,640 --> 01:10:14,510

We have come to the conclusion of another

episode of the American Muslim Podcast.

:

01:10:14,720 --> 01:10:19,580

This is part one of our

conversation with Preacher Moss.

:

01:10:20,135 --> 01:10:23,225

I hope that you have enjoyed it

and I hope that you'll be back

:

01:10:23,225 --> 01:10:25,235

with us next week for part two.

:

01:10:25,775 --> 01:10:29,975

But between now and then, if you

find value in these conversations,

:

01:10:29,975 --> 01:10:33,545

we invite you to support the work

of Bayan Islamic Graduate School

:

01:10:33,725 --> 01:10:36,665

by going to bayan online.org

:

01:10:36,725 --> 01:10:39,395

and joining our community of learners.

:

01:10:39,665 --> 01:10:45,035

$10 a month gets you access to over 30

graduate level classes taught by some of

:

01:10:45,035 --> 01:10:49,955

the most sought after and respected Muslim

scholars and practitioners in the nation.

:

01:10:50,975 --> 01:10:55,295

While there, we ask for you to contribute

to the Muhammad Ali Scholarship Fund.

:

01:10:55,505 --> 01:11:01,955

Over 70% of Vian students, our scholarship

recipients and your contributions support

:

01:11:01,985 --> 01:11:04,690

those who are supporting our communities.

:

01:11:05,280 --> 01:11:07,085

Alright, that's all I have for you.

:

01:11:07,355 --> 01:11:08,285

Thank you for joining us.

:

01:11:08,285 --> 01:11:09,305

Again, I'm your host.

:

01:11:09,305 --> 01:11:09,545

I, ma'am.

:

01:11:09,545 --> 01:11:10,385

Tariq Klain.

:

01:11:10,595 --> 01:11:12,184

I leave you as I greeted you.

:

01:11:12,365 --> 01:11:13,445

Asum.

:

01:11:13,535 --> 01:11:16,235

May the peace that only

God can give be upon you.

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About the Podcast

The American Muslim Podcast
The voices, stories, and perspectives shaping the American Muslim Experience
The American Muslim Podcast is your gateway to exploring the diverse and dynamic stories shaping the American Muslim experience. Hosted by Imam Tariq I. El-Amin, and brought to you by Bayan On Demand, this podcast shines a spotlight on the voices of leaders who are making a profound impact in their communities—many of whom are students, alumni, and visiting faculty of Bayan Islamic Graduate School.

From imams and chaplains to Islamic school leaders, teachers, scholars, and non-profit pioneers, we celebrate those who dedicate themselves to serving others. These inspiring individuals include masjid leaders, community activists, and youth mentors who exemplify the values of faith, compassion, and resilience in their work.

Through insightful conversations and authentic narratives, we explore how these leaders navigate faith, identity, and service, offering a unique perspective on the evolving role of American Muslims in shaping society. Join us to uncover the stories of those who lead with purpose and embody the transformative mission of Bayan.

About your host

Profile picture for Tariq El-Amin

Tariq El-Amin

Imam Tariq I. El-Amin serves as the Resident Imam of Masjid Al-Taqwa in Chicago, IL. He is the founder of the Chicago Black Muslim History Tour and the former host of Sound Vision's Radio Islam, a nightly talk radio program that aired in the Chicago market. Tariq is a recipient of the Muhammad Ali Scholarship and earned a Master of Divinity in Islamic Chaplaincy from Bayan Islamic Graduate School in 2022. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry in Islamic Community Leadership at Bayan, with expected completion in 2026. Tariq is also a producer of the award-winning UIC Black Excellence podcast, hosted by Dr. Aisha El-Amin, and lends his voice to narrating audiobooks.