Blocks: I Wish I Knew w/ Neal Brennan

LL Cool J joins Neal Brennan to talk about what he wishes he knew sooner: knowing his value, learning how to lead, and being a better friend.

They get into growing up in Queens, the family lessons that shaped him, getting his start in hip-hop in the late 1970s along with a (too) long list of legends, the writing behind songs like "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Rock the Bells," and the honest vulnerability behind “I Need Love.” Plus: Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, Beastie Boys and Def Jam stories, the greatness of Bruce Lee, the business of touring, becoming a sex symbol and then an actor, and the night an intruder broke into his home.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 LL Cool J joins Neal

01:16 Opening up about his childhood

07:50 Lessons from his family

08:31 First turntables & the trappings of success

13:16 Discovering hip-hop

17:27 Def Jam & owning his music

18:57 Making demos & writing rhymes

23:09 Wanting to be seen

25:33 Representation & giving back

30:21 Sponsor: BetterHelp

32:29 Sponsor: CookUnity

35:10 Creative freedom & songwriting

36:13 I Need Love & vulnerability

40:53 Acting, working out & Bruce Lee

45:16 Building a career without a blueprint

48:08 Knowing your value & saying no

52:06 Comparing careers across generations

54:32 Why he avoided headlining tours

56:21 What makes a great live show

58:38 Sponsor: Mars Men

1:01:15 Sponsor: Ethos

1:03:18 Learning how to lead

1:08:16 Respect, manners & staying grounded

1:15:03 Learning how to be a friend

1:17:46 Becoming a sex symbol

1:20:13 The home invasion

1:26:05 Acting projects & wrap-up

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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan

https://twitter.com/nealbrennan

https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle

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Mark Normand returns to Blocks with Neal Brennan to talk about what he wishes he knew sooner: how much time a phone can steal, why trying so hard to be the funny guy can backfire, and why getting older doesn’t automatically make you feel like an adult.Mark and Neal also get into fatherhood, anxiety, drinking, the old New York comedy scene, taking more photos, and trying to raise a kid without passing down all your own baggage.

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Subscribe to ⁨@marknormand⁩
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CHAPTERS

00:00 Mark Normand returns / I Wish I Knew

03:46 Always needing to be productive

05:49 How fatherhood changes you

10:21 Netflix, YouTube & building a comedy career

12:12 “I thought the world would be more fun”

21:40 Sponsor: Huel

23:57 Sponsor: Tushy

26:03 Sponsor: ZocDoc

28:20 Phone addiction & the pressure to post

35:40 Trying too hard to be the funny guy

40:07 Coming up in New York comedy

44:48 The old Comedy Cellar atmosphere

47:42 Friends who tell you the truth

50:14 Sponsor: Quince

52:04 Sponsor: Ultra

54:12 Remembering your life & taking photos

58:42 The pressure to be a good parent

1:04:01 Getting older doesn’t mean feeling grown up

1:11:40 Podcasts & staying connected

1:15:14 Wrap-up
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle

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Dan Soder returns to kick off the new I Wish I Knew premise on Blocks: the things people wish they'd figured out sooner.Dan gets into why being funny matters more for men than having abs, how cutting out industry middlemen is the best path to creative freedom, and why stealing from corporations is okay. In an update from his classic episode of Blocks, he shares how finding a letter from his sister changed the way he understood his dad leaving.Plus: exercise, eating, long butt cracks, hero worship, and how to not take everything personally.
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Subscribe to ⁨@DanSoder⁩
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Chapters
00:00 New format: I Wish I Knew

01:58 Cutting out the comedy middlemen

05:37 Stealing from Bed Bath & Beyond

09:43 Doing bits with customer service

14:47 Sponsor: BetterHelp

16:20 Sponsor: Superpower

19:10 Body image: just get in the pool

20:17 Friendship, Instagram & anxiety

25:03 Personality, abs & attraction

35:25 Sponsor: CookUnity

37:46 Sponsor: Mars Men

40:18 Exercise & getting older

42:42 Still being a comedy fan

46:58 Your heroes are just people

49:13 Dan’s dad & wanting approval

54:17 Finding his sister’s letter

57:26 Understanding your parents

59:51 Sponsor: ZBiotics

1:01:21 Taking things less personally

1:04:45 Why read the comments?

1:06:32 Healthy relationships & handling rejection

1:11:10 Being wrong & saying “my bad”

1:12:43 Weed & moderation

1:14:52 Wrap-up
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle

----------------------------------------------------------
Sponsors:

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In this episode of Blocks, Neal Brennan sits down with comedian Gianmarco Soresi to discuss the unconventional path that led him to standup. They dive into his childhood experiences with divorce, his short-lived dreams of becoming a professional singer and actor, and the deep-seated desire for "glory" that keeps him on stage. Gianmarco also opens up about his relationship with his parents, his thoughts on depression and Adderall, and how he’s learning to find balance between his workaholic nature and his personal life.
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00:00 - Intro 01:03 - Comedic Wardrobe & Authenticity 03:05 - Rebelling Against His Father 04:59 - His Parents' Divorce 06:11 - Understanding the Nature of Cheating 09:03 - The "Fake" Wedding Priest 10:44 - Choosing Transparency Over Chaos 11:59 - Trying Drugs in His 30s 12:51 - The Acid Trip Epiphany 14:00 - Sponsor: Ultra Focus Pouches
15:58 - The Impact of a Restless Childhood 18:27 - Living with a Stepdad "Antagonist" 20:13 - The Prince of the Weekend 23:31 - Disrupting the Family Narrative 26:10 - The Fallout of a Family Legal Battle 29:24 - Losing the Spotlight at Home 31:32 - Sponsor: Square 34:17 - Sponsor: Quince
36:48 - From Theater Kid to Unathletic Adult 38:47 - The Desire to be Witnessed 39:19 - Using Adderall to Feel "Alive" 41:35 - Fighting the "Lead Vest" of Depression 44:31 - Finding Happiness Outside of Achievement 46:21 - On Theater and Heterosexuality 48:11 - The Pursuit of Glory 51:24 - The Brutal Reality for Dancers 54:11 - Bob Fosse and the Addiction to Showbiz 55:56 - Sponsor: Perplexity 59:30 - Sponsor: CookUnity 1:02:46 - The Workaholic Gene 1:04:06 - Developing New Show Concepts 1:05:08 - How Gianmarco Wants to Die 1:06:16 - The Struggle of Obsessive Practice 1:08:40 - When Music Overwhelms the Mind 1:09:32 - The Cost of Broadway and Theater Culture 1:12:09 - Failing into Standup 1:15:50 - Faking Intellect vs. Perspective 1:18:55 - Watching Art Without Self-Loathing 1:21:27 - Final Thoughts
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle

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Sponsors:

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In this episode of Blocks, Neal Brennan sits down with Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss to dismantle the "blocks" that have shaped his life and career. From the massive social impact of his Netflix special Jigsaw—which Daniel claims has led to over 350,000 breakups and hundreds of signed divorce papers—to the heavy toll of relentless global touring, Daniel opens up with brutal honesty.

The two discuss Daniel's struggle with weed addiction, the transition from needing constant stranger approval to finding self-worth as a father, and the hilarious, high-stakes story of how he ended up married to his ex-girlfriend’s younger sister. It's a deep dive into self-loathing, the "quiet brain" of his wife, and why being successful doesn't always mean being happy.
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00:00 Jimmy Carr1:27 Jigsaw and the 350,000 breakups4:30 Marrying his ex-girlfriend’s sister13:24 Achieving success young & avoiding self-love 15:24 The emotional toll of the X tour 20:32 Weed addiction22:20 Career struggles30:09 Sponsor: Bonobos32:34 Sponsor: CookUnity34:47 Admitting self-hatred in therapy39:39 Finding happiness in family & standup 42:01 The high-functioning stoner cycle 49:53 Bitter and Successful51:08 Comparing yourself to other comedians58:22 Searching for the source of self-loathing1:03:16 Sponsor: Tushy1:05:39 Sponsor: Zocdoc1:08:08 Balancing touring with being a dad 1:11:10 No hobbies and the need for standup1:15:10 Scummy Batman: Stories of justified violence1:23:22 Goals for the future
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Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan
https://twitter.com/nealbrennan
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan

Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557

Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234

Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased).

Edited by Will Hagle

----------------------------------------------------------
Sponsors:
For 25% off your order, head to https://www.Bonobos.com/NEAL and use code NEAL.Go to https://www.cookunity.com/NEAL or enter code NEAL before checkout for 50% off your first order.3 Million Butts Love TUSHY. Get 10% off TUSHY with the code NEAL at https://hellotushy.com/NEALTaking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/NEAL
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