33. Interview with Wayne “Classic” Price: Part 6

11 July 2011

– Man, Earl looked at Tony like he was out his goddamn mind, bruh. Told Tony hell naw he ain’t doin’ no crazy shit like that. So Tony backs down and holds his hands up all surprised and shit, ‘cause Earl ain’t never really been the type a nigga to stick up for hisself, know what I’m sayin’? I bet Tony was expectin’ my cuz to hang his head, nod and shit like, alright, Tony. Whatever you say, massa. Yessuh, right away suh, and shit. Probably ‘cause that’s what Earl usually be doing, you know what I’m sayin’? Nigga’s soft sometimes, son. But I taught Earl better than that. Since we was kids, bruh.

– Taught him to stick up for hisself. Like—you want to hear how I taught this nigga?

– I remember this one time, me and Earl was sittin’ in the crib, his mom’s crib, watchin’ MTV, and Earl turn ‘round askin’ if he can watch G.I. Joe. [Mr. Price holds his hands up, about a foot apart] That’s the generation gap right there, you know what I’m sayin’? I only got ‘bout three years on the nigga, but three years is a lot when I’m fourteen and the little nigga’s only eleven.

– I was in junior high back then, son. MTV was like the dictionary back in junior high, back when they was still ‘bout music and shit. Like Yo! MTV Raps. Loved that shit. Not like they is now, stupid ass reality shows and a bunch a uppity rich niggas and bitches talkin’ ‘bout how much money they got. Fuck that. You watched MTV back in the day and you was runnin’ things ‘round the time that school bell ring. Walkin’ through the hallways like a fuckin’ hip hop encyclopedia and shit. People be askin’ you, yo, what up with that new Biggie video, nigga? And me? Man, I seen that shit like two weeks ago. Got every scene memorized. Me and my niggas, we used to go ‘round testin’ each other; say some shit like, who yo’ favorite nigga from New Kids on the Block and shit, and if you got any answer but fuck you nigga then you gettin’ ranked on[1] for the rest a the year, know what I’m sayin’?

– But Earl, he wasn’t ‘bout that yet back then, bruh. Nigga was still playing with Legos and shit, know what I’m sayin’?

– So Earl ask to watch G.I. Joe this day and I’m watchin’ MTV so I say hell naw, and he just look at me all sad and shit and turn back ‘round, ain’t say shit to me ‘bout it. But that’s my little cuz, bruh. I can’t let the nigga turn bitch on me. So I kicked his ass in the back a his head, hard as hell, so it sounded like when you hit one a them big ass plastic garbage cans. [Mr. Price chuckles] Big head nigga. Put my foot right in his skull, bruh, and he turn ‘round lookin’ like he ‘bout to cry, askin’ me why I hit him. And I’m like don’t cry nigga, and don’t ask me why I kicked you. Kick me back. So the nigga kicks me in the shin, right? And my whole leg goes numb. I almost punched him dead in his mouth but he looked so damn scared I just rubbed my leg and told him this: you ain’t goin’ get shit actin’ like you ain’t got a dick between yo legs. You gotta fight for what’s yours, son, ‘cause these niggas out here on the streets, they’ll take everything from yo ass in a second if you don’t. And Earl? Earl lookin’ at me like I’m fuckin’ Jesus Christ on a cross, like my words was gospel.

– I schooled that nigga, bruh. That was me talkin’ when he told Tony he was outta his goddamn mind, tryin’ ta kill hisself.

– Then what? Tony kept talkin’, that’s what. Nigga ain’t know how to just shut the fuck up. And everything I taught Earl fell outta his ear and he went and fucked his whole life up.

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[1] “Ranked on”: one of many slang terms for being made fun of by your peers.

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