Hey, everyone listening to the podcast. This is Ari Melburgh. I hope you're doing all right, considering what we're going through. I hope you join the podcast when we can put them up. This is a podcast extra. So this is exclusive stuff beyond what we did on the show. I want to share with you. I'm actually really excited about both of these discussions ahead. I hope you like them as well. And if you are quarantining, I hope you can listen to this while you're doing what you got to do, clean up the house or lay back or maybe take a quick, safe,

social distancing walk if you can. So what you're about to hear is an extended conversation that

we did, again, exclusively for you on the pod, with Curtis Jackson, 50 cent. We go cover a lot

of ground, a little bit of politics, a little bit of Trump, a little bit of news, sure. But then also what animates him, why he has a mantra, why he likes the people he's gotten to meet. He explains his history of the disagreements he's had with Oprah as well as reconvening with her. And because he's been on the show before, it's sort of a conversation that's evolved into, you know, a longer, deeper thing.

So I hope you enjoy that.

That's first.

After that, you're going to hear from an artist that might be a little lesser known, but I definitely think you should check out. His name is Vic Mentsa. He's from Chicago. He's socially conscious, politically active. And that conversation is probably even more political than the first one, because Vic and I talk about what's going on, his views of 2020, why he says it's so important that hip hop try to get Donald

Trump out of office, even though he also doesn't think that Joe Biden is a perfect candidate

based on his record in history. I'll let him tell it in his own words. So again, keep it locked

right here. You listen to Be With Ari Melbert podcast, two extended podcast

exclusive interviews just for you. Everyone can see the terrible costs of coronavirus. The death toll,

the recession, over 20 million people now without jobs. Facing this undeniable devastation,

some also see hope from health care workers showing grit to entrepreneurs exploring ways to get out of this mess.

Many working on vaccines.

Billionaire Ray Dalio says that like the Great Depression, the COVID era can bring devastation followed by renewal.

He cites, quote, the human capacity to adapt and invent out of adversity.

There are historical examples. World War I was a terrible tragedy.

It also spurred the invention of blood banks, a wartime development now considered one of the greatest peacetime dividends to come out of global conflict, obviously in use to this day.

Or take an example from a tough economy.

In 2007, two unemployed guys couldn't find jobs.

They were worried about rent.

So they tried renting out air beds on their Florida strangers.

...