Circle The Block

CBS wouldn't pay for Thriller. Michael Jackson funded it himself and turned a music video into a 14-minute horror film that changed the industry forever.Rello and Cunda break down the 1983 short film that redefined what a music video could be: John Landis getting hired off American Werewolf in London, Rick Baker's 20-person makeup team putting dancers in prosthetics for five hours a day, Deborah Landis designing the red jacket so Michael would pop against the fog, and Vincent Price's narration that terrified an entire generation of kids who loved Michael Jackson but couldn't make it through his own video.Plus: the financing workaround that paid for the whole thing, Jennifer Beals turning down both Thriller and Purple Rain, Ola Ray in her own words, Mos Def hiding in the 1996 Ghosts short film, and how Offset rebuilt Thriller shot-for-shot to announce he'd left Migos.Trick-or-treat war stories from Pittsburgh included.

On January 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors — 55 of them in the second half, with his team down 20. For twenty years it stood as the modern standard for a single-game takeover. Then on March 10, 2026, Bam Adebayo dropped 83 on the Washington Wizards and the record books changed.On this episode of Circle The Block, hosts Rello and Cunda put the two nights side by side and ask the question the box score can't answer: which one actually mattered?The crew breaks down what Kobe was working with that night; a roster of Chris Mihm, Kwame Brown, Smush Parker and Lamar Odom; and why "team ball" stops being an argument when you're down twenty and nobody else can score. They get into the 46 shot attempts, the 18 free throws, the scoring title he won that season, and the Nick Young story about Kobe wiping a play off the clipboard and telling the huddle exactly what was about to happen.Then they turn to Bam's 83: 31 points in the first quarter, 62 through three, and a Heat team that was already up close to 30 on a Wizards squad in rebuild. The hosts dig into the uncomfortable part — the late intentional fouls to get the ball back, the 22 three-point attempts from a career defensive anchor averaging 18 a game, and whether a record chased in a blowout carries the same weight as one earned in a comeback. Plus A'ja Wilson courtside, and what happens when the most competitive woman in basketball is in your ear.The episode also goes personal: AAU summer league in Mason, Ohio, nine threes against OJ Mayo's squad, and the difference between a heat check and a real takeover moment.As always, the crew runs their odds; Pacific and Southeast Division futures, with a long look at what AD and Bub Carrington mean for Washington before Bishop Cunda takes the pulpit with the line that sums the whole episode up: if Kobe's 81 hits harder than Bam's 83, then numbers do lie.New episodes of Circle The Block drop every week. Hit subscribe and turn on notifications.00:00 – Cold open: Kobe on the night he scored 8100:40 – Intro with the crew02:59 – Birthdays, safari backdrops & a David Attenborough party05:00 – Does January 22, 2006 ring a bell?06:02 – Circling the block on Kobe's 81-point game06:56 – Where were you when it happened?09:01 – 55 points in the second half09:48 – "Give me the ball and move"10:49 – Team? What team? The roster Kobe was carrying11:27 – The Jordan comparison nobody asked for12:48 – Which side of the fence are you on?13:46 – The Nick Young story: Kobe wiping the play off the clipboard14:29 – The scoring title season15:06 – 46 shots, 18 free throws & what it took16:12 – Personal takeover moments17:18 – Nine threes against OJ Mayo in Mason, Ohio18:00 – Reggie Miller, birthday twins & a 20-year gap18:47 – Being the glue guy instead of the gunner19:53 – Odds: Pacific Division futures21:45 – Back from break22:09 – Twenty years later, the record falls22:49 – Circling the block on Bam Adebayo's 83-point game23:14 – A'ja Wilson courtside23:56 – 31 points in the first quarter24:51 – The Wizards, AD & what that roster really is25:20 – A 150-129 blowout: the stat-padding question26:56 – Competitive energy at home28:37 – Kobe at 26 by half vs. Bam at 4329:43 – "Y'all really blowing this team out — why are you still playing?"30:13 – The free throws at the end of both games31:11 – 8/24 and why the number matters31:37 – Where Rello lands on Bam's 8332:14 – Respecting the effort, questioning the circumstance33:08 – Odds: Southeast Division futures34:26 – Trae Young, Bub Carrington & the Washington flip35:49 – Bishop Cunda takes the pulpit37:22 – "I guess numbers do lie"38:32 – Less is more: why 81 beats 8340:08 – Last words & picking on a rookie42:13 – OutroABOUTCircle The Block is a culture and nostalgia podcast hosted by Rello The Saya and Cunda, where hip hop history, throwback pop culture, sports, gaming, and current entertainment news collide. New episodes weekly.

On August 28, 2003, Madonna opened the MTV Video Music Awards dressed as a groom, with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera as her brides and kissed them both on live television. The clip ran on front pages usually reserved for political news, got replayed relentlessly on MTV, and became one of the most downloaded moments of the early internet, years before social media existed.On this episode of Circle The Block, hosts Rello and Cunda use that night as the entry point into a bigger idea: the passing of the torch, and whether anybody recognizes it while it's happening.The crew breaks down what the VMA moment actually was underneath the shock value; Madonna two decades into pushing boundaries, Britney and Christina both shedding the teen-idol image at the same time, and a staged wedding that doubled as an anointing. They get into why MTV panned to Justin Timberlake instead of staying on the action, how taboo it felt in 2003 versus how ordinary it would read now, and why hosts make or break these nights (respect paid to Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx and Kevin Hart).Then they circle back to 1983 and a moment far fewer people have actually seen: the only night James Brown, Michael Jackson and Prince shared a stage, at the Beverly Theater in Los Angeles. Brown pulled Michael out of the audience. Michael whispered to Brown to call Prince up too. What happened next has become legend: Prince arriving on his bodyguard's back, a shaky guitar solo, the shirt coming off, and the stage-prop lamppost that didn't survive. Plus the Quincy Jones story about what an embarrassed Prince allegedly planned to do in the parking lot afterward.The hosts dig into the real split that night represented: Michael inheriting James Brown's precision and showmanship while Prince took the raw, multi-instrumental side of the same legacy and the decade-long rivalry that followed. Plus an honest take on who Prince really was in the early '80s, why Purple Rain might be less acting than people think, and the era when Black music let only one person win at a time.As always, the crew runs their odds on UFC 333 before Bishop Cunda takes the pulpit with a message about recognizing what you're looking at while it's still in front of you.New episodes of Circle The Block drop every week: hit subscribe and turn on notifications.00:00 – "Anybody kisses Madonna creates some hype"00:40 – Intro with the crew01:53 – A bad day: the Cowboys lose to a backup QB at home03:22 – Why AT&T Stadium is the NFL's Madison Square Garden05:08 – Award show moments that make you say "what did I just watch"05:28 – Circling the block on Madonna's 2003 VMA double kiss06:11 – How much twenty years changes what's taboo06:42 – Chris Rock hosting & why the host makes the show07:09 – Great award show hosts: Kevin Hart, DruSki, Jamie Foxx10:20 – Front page news: bigger than politics that week11:19 – Why the camera cut to Justin Timberlake12:17 – Madonna's two decades of boundary-pushing by 200312:40 – The groom, the brides & the staged wedding13:42 – Who else but Madonna could have pulled it off15:48 – Watching it live at 16, with mom on the couch16:43 – Odds: UFC 333 (Yan vs. Dvalishvili)17:36 – Back from break: other passing-the-torch moments18:16 – Circling the block on James Brown, Michael Jackson & Prince, 198319:17 – Prince arriving on his bodyguard's back19:46 – How the night actually unfolded at the Beverly Theater21:00 – Michael calling Prince up to the stage22:20 – Why Prince treated Michael like the opposition22:43 – When Black music only allowed one winner23:00 – The guitar solo, the shirt & the lamppost24:01 – The Quincy Jones parking lot story24:34 – Purple Rain, Graffiti Bridge & how much was really acting25:48 – Prince could actually hoop26:30 – The split: Michael got the precision, Prince got the raw29:29 – The bridge between eras29:58 – Odds: UFC 333 (Volkanovski vs. Evloev)30:46 – Bishop Cunda takes the pulpit31:30 – Recognize what you're looking at33:13 – Last words & Steelers Nation condolences35:11 – NBA preseason: the Sixers, Dame, Ja Morant36:30 – OutroCircle The Block is a culture and nostalgia podcast hosted by Rello and Cunda, where hip hop history, throwback pop culture, sports, gaming, and current entertainment news collide. New episodes weekly.

In 1999, Trent Green went down in the preseason and the sports world wrote off the St. Louis Rams. Coach Vermeil stood at a podium in tears and told the media they would rally around Kurt Warner and play good football. Six months later, Warner was a Super Bowl champion and the NFL MVP.On this episode of Circle The Block, hosts Rello and Cunda use that moment as the lens for what's happening across the league right now; a season where backup quarterbacks are suddenly running half the NFC.The crew breaks down who Kurt Warner actually was when he took over: a 28-year-old undrafted backup out of the Arena Football League who famously stocked groceries at a Hy-Vee supermarket, with zero regular-season starting experience. They get into how his arena background was secretly perfect for Mike Martz's quick-release system, how the supporting cast of Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce and Ricky Proehl turned into the Greatest Show on Turf, and the 2021 biopic American Underdog (with Dennis Quaid as Vermeil) that one host somehow missed entirely.From there it becomes a full backup quarterback roll call: Tom Brady stepping in for Drew Bledsoe, Nick Foles winning a ring after Carson Wentz went down, Brett Favre in Atlanta, Randall Cunningham in Minnesota, Tony Romo coming off the bench, Matt Cassel and Jimmy Garoppolo turning fill-in years into contracts, Trent Dilfer riding a historic defense, and a deep run through the Steelers' own bench history: Charlie Batch, Byron Leftwich, Dennis Dixon, Tommy Maddox, Mike Vick and Mason Rudolph.Then they bring it to right now. Jackson Dart's season-ending knee injury and Jameis Winston's audition going sideways. The J.J. McCarthy trade. Jayden Daniels going down again and Marcus Mariota taking over in Washington. Caleb Williams' injury in Chicago and Case Keenum beating the Eagles anyway, which raises the real question of the episode: how much of this is the quarterback, and how much is the coaching?Plus Mike Tomlin's "next man up" philosophy and the fine line between a Pro Bowler and a backup, an Any Given Sunday detour into Willie Beamen, and an honest look at why talent evaluation in the NFL is still an imperfect science.As always, the crew runs theirl odds; NFC West and NFC North futures before Bishop Cunda takes the pulpit with a message about haters and seizing your opportunity when it finally comes.New episodes of Circle The Block drop every week; hit subscribe and turn on notifications.00:00 – Cold open: "We will rally around Kurt Warner"00:41 – Intro with the crew01:08 – Don't take yourself too seriously02:10 – Pittsburgh's in an uproar (and why haters don't get airtime)03:17 – Daddy mode: the daughter competition05:40 – Circling the block on the 1999 Trent Green injury06:25 – The Rodney Harrison hit everybody remembers07:10 – Coach Vermeil's press conference and the promise he made07:40 – Who Kurt Warner was: arena ball and stocking shelves08:45 – American Underdog: the Kurt Warner biopic11:06 – Backup QB roll call: Brady, Foles, Favre, Cunningham13:12 – The Steelers bench: Batch, Leftwich, Dixon, Maddox, Rudolph14:30 – Matt Cassel, Jimmy G & the backup-to-contract pipeline15:00 – Tomlin: the fine line between a Pro Bowler and a backup15:39 – How the Greatest Show on Turf was actually built17:00 – Odds: NFC West futures19:49 – Back from break22:15 – Jameis Winston's audition goes sideways24:43 – The J.J. McCarthy trade & Jayden Daniels going down25:10 – Marcus Mariota takes over in Washington25:41 – Circling the block on Caleb Williams' injury28:41 – Why the league defaults to panic mode31:01 – Inside the locker room: jobs on the line33:19 – Next man up & the Willie Beamen principle35:47 – Odds: NFC North futures38:58 – Back from break39:08 – Bishop Cunda takes the pulpit40:19 – Six months from stocking shelves to MVP41:23 – Last words: shoot your shot43:14 – OutroCircle The Block is a culture and nostalgia podcast hosted by Rello The Saya and Cunda, where hip hop history, throwback pop culture, sports, gaming, and current entertainment news collide. New episodes weekly.

Marvel's Wolverine just dropped on PS5. Rello & Cunda trace Logan from Hulk #181 in 1974 to the arcade, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, and now.Marvel's Wolverine landed exclusively on PlayStation 5 on September 15, 2026 and on this episode of Circle The Block, hosts Rello The Saya and Cunda use the biggest game drop of the year as a doorway into the full history of one of the greatest comic book characters ever created.The crew starts where most '80s babies started: the 1992 X-Men animated series — that theme song, Cyclops as the actual front-runner, and the Jean Grey / Cyclops / Wolverine love triangle that taught a generation of kids what a love triangle even was. From there they go back further, into the character's real origins: created by Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and John Romita Sr., first appearing in The Incredible Hulk #181 in 1974 before joining the team in Giant-Size X-Men #1 in 1975 meaning the X-Men existed as a team before Logan ever walked in and took over.They dig into the parts of the mythology casual fans miss: that Wolverine was born in the 1800s and is pushing 215 years old, that he served across World War I, World War II, and Vietnam, that his claws were bone before they were adamantium, and the brutal origin moment; a sickly boy who discovered his powers by killing the man who murdered his father, only to learn he'd just killed his actual father, and took the name Logan because of it.The back half is a full Wolverine gaming retrospective: the 1992 Konami X-Men arcade cabinet (a six-player machine and one of the top five highest-grossing arcade games in the U.S. that year — where fans still argue Storm and Dazzler were strongest and Cyclops was the weakest), its 2010 HD port and 2013 delisting, the 2021 Arcade1Up home cabinet, and the game that owns a permanent place in Rello's heart: X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), the game that introduced tag-team combat and still draws tournament play today.Then the headliner itself — the new Insomniac-developed Wolverine, its linear campaign spanning Canada, Japan, and the mutant haven Madripoor, Liam McIntyre (Spartacus) on voice and performance capture, and Sabretooth and Omega Red showing up as major antagonists. Plus a genuine DC-vs-Marvel debate between two hosts on opposite sides of that fence, Halloween costume confessions, and Storm appreciation that gets slightly out of hand.As always, the crew runs their odds: Big 12 and ACC championship futures before Bishop Cunda closes with a sermon on the misconceptions people hold about gamers, and the head coach who's been building a Minecraft world for sixteen years.00:00 – Cold open & intro with the crew01:21 – How everybody's feeling & running into childhood homies03:13 – Like, share, subscribe... and where's Angie?04:10 – Marvel's Wolverine just dropped04:28 – The hype was real: early gameplay reactions05:26 – Earliest Wolverine memories: the cartoon & the action figures05:49 – That X-Men animated series theme song06:23 – Wait, Cyclops was actually the front-runner?07:12 – The love triangle that taught us all about love triangles08:26 – Storm appreciation (and a brief Halle Berry detour)09:57 – Wolverine's real origins: Roy Thomas, Len Wein & John Romita Sr.10:35 – Who added the retractable claws11:10 – Incredible Hulk #181 (1974) & Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975)12:05 – The X-Men existed before Wolverine walked in13:03 – The 1992 animated series creators & visual style13:52 – DC all day vs. Marvel neutral: the household divide15:00 – Halloween costume confessions 16:01 – Born in the 1800s: the wars Logan fought in18:35 – Action figures, imagination & bringing toys to school 19:26 – Which Wolverine power would you take?19:34 – Bone claws before adamantium20:22 – The traumatic origin: how his powers first surfaced21:46 – The father he didn't know he killed & how he became Logan22:57 – Circling the block on the 1992 X-Men animated series23:41 – Why the cartoon was really a drama24:15 – Big 12 championship futures25:50 – Back from break: Wolverine in video games26:58 – The 1992 Konami X-Men arcade cabinet27:29 – Six players, one machine, top five grossing arcade game of 199228:00 – Storm & Dazzler strongest, Cyclops weakest: fight us29:05 – The 2010 HD port, the 2013 delisting & the 2021 Arcade1Up cabinet31:29 – X-Men vs. Street Fighter enters the chat33:28 – The 1996 Christmas that made the game legendary35:02 – How it became Marvel vs. Capcom35:32 – Wolverine & Ryu: the unbeatable team36:11 – They still hold tournaments for these games today37:07 – Circling the block on the 1992 arcade graphics37:50 – "It can't get better than this" — 16-bit mindset38:39 – Circling the block on the new Wolverine game39:06 – PS5 exclusive, September 15, 2026: Canada, Japan & Madripoor40:22 – Omega Red and Sabretooth show up41:01 – Why gaming was never a fad41:52 – ACC championship futures43:35 – Bishop Cunda's closing sermon: the misconceptions about gamers44:46 – Mike Tomlin's sixteen-year Minecraft world46:33 – Last words

NBC's president said Living Single was the show he most wished he had. A year later, Friends premiered. Rello & Cunda break down the receipts.This week on Circle The Block, hosts Rello The Saya and Cunda go digging into one of television's most debated origin stories: did Friends rip off Living Single?The episode starts with the receipt that sets the whole conversation off. Yvette Lee Bowser's Living Single premiered on Fox on August 22, 1993 , six friends navigating life in New York City, and the first primetime network series created, run, and produced by an African-American woman. One year later, on September 22, 1994, NBC premiered Friends, six friends navigating life in New York City. And in between those two dates, NBC president Warren Littlefield publicly named Living Single as the one show on a rival network he most wished he had on his own schedule. The hosts pull up Littlefield's own words describing how Friends was developed as something that "for some weird reason isn't on television," and let listeners sit with that contradiction.From there, Rello and Cunda go character by character through both casts — Khadijah James and Monica Geller, Sinclair and Phoebe, Regine and Rachel, Maxine Shaw and Chandler, Kyle Barker and Ross, Overton and Joey — plus the family dynamics, the slow-burn romances, the college-roommate connections, and even the near-identical dancing opening credits. It's a side-by-side breakdown that gets harder to explain away with every comparison.The conversation also digs into the business reality behind the two shows: the Friends cast's legendary 2% syndication equity deal that made Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow the highest-paid women in television at the time, the roughly $90 million each cast member earned in base salary, and the estimated $20 million per year in residuals they still collect decades later. Against that, Living Single's entire per-episode production budget was just over $1 million — cast, crew, cameras and all. As Rello puts it: a Ferrari engine going toe-to-toe with a Geo Prism.Plus: why so many Black sitcoms of the '90s hit a ceiling at exactly five seasons, what Fox was really chasing while Living Single aired, and whether the powers that be ever gave the show a fair shot.As always, the crew runs their odds, the 99th Academy Awards Best Picture race and a Harry & Meghan prop board, before Bishop Cunda delivers a verdict from the pulpit.00:00 – Cold open: Warren Littlefield's own words00:45 – Intro & a new twist on the welcome02:05 – No hate, all love: setting the tone02:48 – Missing Miss Angie03:28 – Friends premieres September 22, 1994... sound familiar?04:34 – The question of the day: did he rip them off?04:41 – Circling the block on Warren Littlefield's interview about creating Friends06:16 – The receipt: Littlefield named Living Single as the show he most wanted08:11 – The Friends cast's legendary syndication chess move09:30 – $90M each in base salary & $20M a year in residuals12:19 – Odds: 99th Academy Awards Best Picture14:43 – Yvette Lee Bowser and the creation of Living Single15:16 – The first African-American woman to create, run & produce a primetime series16:21 – Living Single's inspiration: her own life and friends in New York City17:16 – Ten seasons vs. five: the ceiling for Black sitcoms in the '90s18:40 – Fox was barely seven years old at the time19:12 – A real David and Goliath moment19:34 – Cast comparison begins: Khadijah James vs. Monica Geller20:15 – Sinclair James vs. Phoebe Buffay21:49 – Regine Hunter vs. Rachel Green22:43 – Maxine Shaw vs. Chandler Bing24:12 – Kyle Barker vs. Ross Geller25:17 – Overton Wakefield Jones vs. Joey Tribbiani26:57 – Even the opening credits: both casts dancing28:30 – The family dynamics: Khadijah & Sinclair vs. Monica & Ross29:35 – The slow-burn couples & the love-hate romances31:33 – College roommates on both shows32:17 – The engine difference: Friends' budget vs. Living Single's $1M per episode34:40 – A Ferrari engine against a Geo Prism34:50 – What NBC and Fox were each really chasing35:20 – Was Fox using Living Single to fund the NFL rights chase?36:07 – Odds: Harry & Meghan props37:15 – Bishop Cunda's closing sermon: the verdict39:28 – On people who've never seen Living Single40:37 – Why putting Living Single against Friends made no sense41:52 – Final words: did he do it?42:27 – Outro43:00 – Angie, get back on the court44:00 – One more thing before we goABOUT CIRCLE THE BLOCKCircle The Block is a culture and nostalgia podcast hosted by Rello The Saya and Cunda, where hip hop history, throwback pop culture, sports, and current entertainment news collide. New episodes weekly.

Shedeur Sanders fell to pick 144. Dan Marino fell to 27. Rello and Cunda break down the two wildest draft slides in NFL history.Football season is officially here, and on this episode of Circle The Block, hosts Rello The Saya and Cunda kick off the season with a deep dive into one of the NFL's most fascinating recurring storylines: the draft slide.The crew starts with the one everybody's still talking about — Shedeur Sanders' historic 2025 NFL Draft slide. Projected by most analysts as a top-three quarterback and a franchise-altering talent, Sanders instead tumbled all the way to the 144th overall pick in the fifth round. Rello and Cunda break down the theories behind it: the front-office aversion to high-profile brands, the reported "prime equity clause" that would have given Sanders a cut of merchandise and NIL revenue, the whispers about medical flags, and whether being Deion's son helped or hurt him. They also dig into the staggering number that may explain everything — $17.7 million in jersey revenue, nearly doubling Tom Brady's previous single-season record, all before Sanders had proven anything on an NFL field.From there, the conversation goes full Quentin Tarantino and jumps back four decades to Dan Marino's 1983 draft slide — the Pittsburgh kid out of Pitt who fell to the Dolphins at pick 27 as the sixth quarterback taken in the first round. Cunda breaks down Marino's shocking senior-year college numbers (58% completion, 17 TDs, 23 interceptions), the pre-draft rumors that spooked front offices, and the painful Pittsburgh twist: the hometown Steelers passed on him entirely. The hosts also revisit the legendary 1983 draft class — John Elway, Jim Kelly, Eric Dickerson, Bruce Matthews, Darrell Green, Richard Dent — widely considered the greatest draft class of all time.00:00 – Cold open & intro with the crew01:05 – Missing Miss Angie & football season is finally here01:51 – Fresh ink: the new tattoo update03:31 – NFL offseason headlines & a whole lot of "activities"04:27 – Setting up the Cleveland Browns quarterback battle05:07 – Setting the scene: Shedeur Sanders' 2025 draft night06:39 – The projections vs. the reality of the slide09:32 – Circling the block on Shedeur's reaction to the slide10:04 – How Shedeur handled himself through it all11:04 – The front-office overcorrection theory11:30 – The "prime equity clause" explained13:11 – $17.7M in jersey revenue: shattering Tom Brady's record14:47 – The three-way Browns QB competition15:04 – Drafted 144th overall in the fifth round15:36 – Jersey sales, inflation & buying in early16:34 – Cleveland Browns regular season win total17:45 – Back from break: repping the city18:31 – Circling the block on Dan Marino's 1983 draft slide19:16 – The Dolphins select Dan Marino out of Pitt19:41 – Marino's shocking senior year college numbers20:35 – The pre-draft rumors that spooked front offices21:16 – 46 interceptions in two seasons: what were they seeing?22:45 – The Pittsburgh heartbreak: his hometown Steelers passed23:54 – Marino's actual career numbers & 1984 MVP season24:32 – The legendary 1983 draft class (Elway, Kelly, Dickerson & more)25:53 – The quarterbacks drafted before Marino26:13 – Jets fans booing when they took Ken O'Brien instead26:22 – Why Pittsburgh drafted Kenny Pickett26:47 – Dolphins over/under win totals28:01 – Odds on Marino's slide vs. Shedeur's29:03 – Bishop Cunda's closing sermon30:15 – What's next for the Browns QB room31:54 – Football season is here: road to the Super Bowl33:24 – Final thoughts & missing Miss Angie34:42 – Outro

Houston gave the world screwed & chopped. Cincinnati gave the world Bootsy Collins. Pittsburgh gave the world Wiz Khalifa. This one's personal.This week on Circle The Block, hosts Rello, Cunda, and Miss Angie get personal with a special "city episode" where each host repping the music history of the city that made them. It's also a bittersweet one: this marks Miss Angie's final episode before a hiatus, so the crew sends her off in true Circle The Block fashion.Miss Angie takes us through Houston, starting with the Geto Boys' "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" and the unofficial Halloween-anthem status Bushwick Bill's verse holds to this day. From there she dives deep into DJ Screw and Michael Watts, the origins of "screwed and chopped" music, and how a South Side Houston mixtape hustle turned into a global sound now heard everywhere from K-pop remixes to Spotify streams. She also breaks down Swishahouse, Slim Thug, and why Houston's slowed-down, laid-back sound is inseparable from the city's identity.Rello takes us through Cincinnati, spotlighting the legendary Bootsy Collins; his debut in James Brown's JBs at just 18 years old, that iconic bassline on "Sex Machine," his work shaping Parliament-Funkadelic and George Clinton's sound, and his surprising modern-day relevance (yes, he's still got a radio show on GTA V, and yes, he opened Silk Sonic's album).Cunda takes us through Pittsburgh, covering the obvious names, Wiz Khalifa and the late Mac Miller, but also the city's hidden hand in hip hop history: producers Mailman and Butter, who helped shape Dr. Dre's 2001 and Eminem's breakout albums from behind the scenes. The crew also revisits the staggering global numbers behind Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again," plus a personal, heartfelt story behind why that song hits different for the crew.As always, the episode is loaded with odds like the Breeders' Cup Classic, snooker, and the 2027 NFL Super Bowl before Bishop Cunda closes it out giving Pittsburgh its long-overdue flowers.New episodes of Circle The Block drop every week — hit subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a conversation about the music, moments, and cities that shaped us.00:00 – Cold open & intro with the crew01:21 – Hurricane season check-in from Houston04:22 – A bittersweet announcement: Miss Angie's final episode before hiatus06:04 – Setting up the city episode08:21 – Houston spotlight begins: Geto Boys' "Mind Playing Tricks on Me"12:32 – Miss Angie highlights DJ Screw14:56 – Circling the block on DJ Screw & Michael Watts' Houston music history20:50 – Swishahouse, Slim Thug & Michael Watts' legacy27:59 – Odds for the Breeders' Cup Classic28:51 – Cincinnati spotlight begins: James Brown's roots & Bootsy Collins31:11 – Circling the block on Bootsy Collins joining the JBs32:04 – Breaking down Bootsy's iconic "Sex Machine" bassline34:45 – Bootsy's lasting relevance: Silk Sonic, GTA V & more37:22 – Why Ohio doesn't get enough credit for funk & R&B39:09 – Odds for snooker championship39:57 – Pittsburgh spotlight begins: Wiz Khalifa & Mac Miller41:12 – Pittsburgh's hidden legacy: producers Mailman & Butter on Dr. Dre and Eminem's biggest albums43:35 – The staggering global numbers behind "See You Again"44:31 – Circling the block on Wiz Khalifa's writing process for "See You Again"45:26 – The personal story behind why this song hits different48:24 – Odds for the 2027 NFL Super Bowl champion52:04 – Bishop Cunda's closing sermon: giving Pittsburgh its flowers54:06 – The Pittsburgh reference hiding in "Think and Grow Rich"55:18 – Miss Angie's farewell words56:25 – Final thoughts & send-off57:39 – OutroABOUT CIRCLE THE BLOCKCircle The Block is a culture and nostalgia podcast hosted by Rello The Saya, Kunda,

Remember when a chicken sandwich caused actual chaos in the streets? Rello, Cunda & Miss Angie break down the Popeyes vs. KFC sandwich war. #PopeyesChickenSandwich #KFC #npstalgia This week on Circle The Block, hosts Rello, Cunda, and Miss Angie revisit one of the wildest moments in fast food history: the 2019 Popeyes vs. Chick-fil-A/KFC chicken sandwich wars — the lines wrapped around the block, the sold-out inventory, the viral memes, and yes, the actual altercations that broke out over a chicken sandwich. The crew shares their own "were you there" stories (spoiler: Miss Angie was very much in the trenches). The conversation naturally spirals into a deeper, funnier look at fried chicken's place in Black culture — from the Boondocks' famously prophetic 2010 "Fried Chicken" episode, to the chicken scenes in Undercover Brother and They Cloned Tyrone, to a real conversation about why fried chicken gets demonized in one community and celebrated in another (shoutout to Korean fried chicken). Plus, a deep dive into Houston's own hole-in-the-wall wing culture — Timmy Chan's, Quaker Steak & Lube, and the debate over flats vs. drums. Nostalgia hits hard when the crew breaks down Popeyes' legendary 99-cent Tuesday special — a Louisiana tradition from the early '90s that predates the sandwich wars by decades and still holds a place in fans' hearts (and wallets) today. They also can't resist circling the block on KFC's latest oddity: an Oreo-flavored fried chicken burger, currently only available in China. As always, the crew closes out segments with the odds on the 2026 MLB World Series and AL/NL Manager of the Year races — before Bishop Cunda delivers a closing sermon urging everyone to "choose wisely" when it comes to what's really in their chicken. New episodes of Circle The Block drop every week — hit subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a conversation about the food, moments, and culture that shaped us. 00:00 – Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Pandemonium 04:04 – Setting up the Popeyes chicken sandwich conversation 04:51 – Who actually waited in line for it? 06:00 – Inside the pandemonium: sold-out stock, traffic jams & viral memes 08:15 – Circling the block on The Boondocks' "The Fried Chicken" episode 09:17 – The staggering sales numbers behind Popeyes' launch 09:44 – 2026 MLB World Series champion 11:40 – Back from break: the Dave Chappelle chicken scene in Undercover Brother 13:19 – Houston's own guilty-pleasure wing spot: Timmy Chan's 15:35 – The great debate: flats vs. drums 16:43 – Circling the block on the chicken scene from They Cloned Tyrone 18:30 – Why is fried chicken demonized in one culture and celebrated in another? 19:44 – AL Manager of the Year 21:12 – Back from break: throwback fast food promos & jingles 22:53 – Circling the block on Popeyes' legendary 99-cent Tuesday special 24:03 – The real history behind the Tuesday deal (it dates back to Louisiana in the '90s) 27:04 – Circling the block on KFC's Oreo chicken sandwich (China exclusive) 28:52 – NL Manager of the Year 30:00 – Bishop Cunda's closing sermon: "Choose wisely" 31:48 – Final thoughts & the mystery documentary tease 33:20 – Outro ABOUT CIRCLE THE BLOCK Circle The Block is a culture and nostalgia podcast hosted by Rello, Cunda, and Miss Angie, where hip hop history, throwback pop culture, and current entertainment news collide. New episodes weekly.