DJ Sir Daniel: Thanks for watching!
Greetings, and welcome to another episode of Queue Points Podcast.
I am DJ Sir Daniel.
Jay Ray: And my name is Jay Ray, sometimes known by my government
as Johnnie Ray Kornegay the third.
And Sir Daniel, we have made it.
Through another year, sir.
DJ Sir Daniel: We sure have.
Queue Points podcast is the podcast dropping the needle
on black music history.
And like you said, 2024 acted like he had somewhere to go.
Like they couldn't, they, they came inside.
They didn't want to put the, she didn't want to put her purse down.
She didn't want to take off her jacket.
She was fluttering about the place and just got the hell up on out of here.
Yes.
Because in less than a few days, we will be, like you said, um, stepping the
new and an unknown territory of 2025.
And that is exciting and scary at the same time, considering what we've
been through over the past year.
Jay Ray: Yes, indeed.
You know, it's putting all of this in perspective.
One of my true highlights is the fact that we get to do this show.
Um, because let me tell you something since COVID it has been
like, For real, though, for real.
So I am excited to experience 2025 because, you know, it's a
new year, you know, not even new year, new me, just new year, right?
Same me, new year.
Um, And I'm looking forward to it.
Uh, but I, I'm, I'm also just like, okay, girl, let's see what you give.
DJ Sir Daniel: Let's see what you got.
Come on, hit me with your, well, no, let me not say that.
Hit me with
Jay Ray: your best.
Nah, you know what?
Take that back.
DJ Sir Daniel: Yeah.
Nah, cause 2025 will come around here and just Mali walking us all right,
just dragging us and just wrecking the house as soon as they come in the door.
So what we are going to do is we're going to be very demure and we're
just going to have a mindful and very mindful of of the things that we
That we have come across in 2024, and we're gonna do it the Queue Points way
You know, people like to come up with a top 10 list.
Restream recording Dec 23, 2024 • 12:16:36 AM: Mm-hmm
. DJ Sir Daniel: We are not going to do that.
What Queue Points is going to do?
We are going to list the good, the gag, and the ugly of 2024.
And before we get into all of that, Jay Ray.
If 2024 had a theme song, what would it be?
And it doesn't have to be a song that came from 2024.
It could just be a song that just pretty much sums up what this year was giving.
Jay Ray: Oh, you know what?
Um, shout out to Kendrick Lamar.
I think squabble up, um, actually summarizes 2024 really well.
It's just like, listen, what you got.
Let's go
. DJ Sir Daniel: You know what?
You're right.
And on the flip side of that, what I will say is my song that will help you describe
2024 would be Sheena Easton's Strut.
Jay Ray: Okay?
Yes.
2024
DJ Sir Daniel: says Strut, pout.
Put it out.
It's like you, what you, what you doing here?
We want to see what you got.
Yes.
We want to see what you got.
And it's going to be a lot of foolishness.
There was some fun.
Yes.
There were some tears definitely shed, but that's what, that's life, right?
Jay Ray: Indeed.
Indeed.
Man, that's the thing we keep going.
DJ Sir Daniel: We keep going.
So let's just get to it.
So the good Jay Ray, what was your good of 2024?
Jay Ray: I have had a lot of goods in 2024, but if I am going to pick one good,
um, it is the fact that, um, I got to participate in the, in the, uh, Air new
voices, amplify, which Queue Points, which was for Queue Points, right?
That was one.
I applied for it.
It's different when you apply for stuff and you get it.
That just feels really good.
Right.
I applied for it.
I got in and I also, um, learned a lot.
Um, that we get the opportunity to use here for the show.
Um, and I feel like I also contributed a great deal.
I made friends, you know, I got like friends and some came to our, uh, our
end of the year kickback that we had.
And, um, I am very proud, um, of, of that experience.
And that is one good that I would like to highlight.
What about you, man?
DJ Sir Daniel: Um before I say that I will echo what she said not only did
you make friends But you've made there's a lot of people who how do I put this?
They swear by Y'all listening.
They swear by jray in this industry Jray is like the god the go to person Um Um,
when it comes to all things podcasts, um, logistically, and that truly is his gift.
I'm saying that I don't mind.
I'm not guessing you.
This is truly how I feel.
You know, I say it all the time.
That is truly your gift of foresight.
And just organization, which a lot of us scatterbrains really
depend on people like Jay Ray,
Restream recording Dec 23, 2024 • 12:16:36 AM: you
DJ Sir Daniel: know, to, to make things happen.
So, yes, I totally agree with you on that aspect.
And yes, you rocked 20, 24, um, 20, 24 was, uh, I'm proud of
myself also for 2024, um, because, um, my boat got rocked in 2024.
You know, I had a big life change that a lot of people experienced this year.
You know, I, I lost my job.
I lost my, my main source of income.
And as a creative, Um, trying to, you know, keep the lights on and, but also
do your thing forces you to become creative and it forces you to really,
you know, put your, rely on your faith and really see what you're made out of.
And in the midst of all of that, I've had some really great opportunities.
Like I was able to, I was invited by a lot of, by quite a few of my peers to
appear, um, on various, uh, various DJ gigs, which, you know, I, I did without
any fear of trepidation, um, that's something that I put way behind me.
I, I literally don't have time for that.
Um, the nerves.
allow me to, to, to, to put more preparation into what I'm doing and
to really, um, create a vision that I want to for, that I want to see happen.
And so it's allowed me to really expand and flex my muscle and just to really step
in and present myself as, you know, The best at what I do or what I, you know,
and doing, and that's not just as a DJ, but as a podcast host, we've had several
opportunities, opportunities, shout out to the folks at Afros and audio, who,
um, took us from a small classroom to the main floor presentation this, um, in 2024.
So I'm very happy for the personal growth that I've experienced along
as professionally alongside UJ race.
So 2024, you know, you try, you try, you try, you tried a little, you try
a little bob and weave with me, but you know, I bobbed and weaved back.
I stood up and I took my licks, but it's like, I'm still going.
Yes.
You cannot, what's that mean?
You cannot fool me.
You cannot trick me 2024.
So no, but yes.
So that was my good.
And uh, I, I just foresee more good and gooder for Queue Points
for the Queue Points crew.
In 2024.
Jay Ray: Yes.
In 2024.
Um, and definitely in 2025.
Yes.
Um, so to that point.
You know, there's always something right that that's kind of like, it's not good.
It's not bad, but you know what?
It's kind of like the gag, right?
So for you, um, cause I had to think about this and I got a good one.
Um, what's your gag for, for 2024.
DJ Sir Daniel: You know what?
I'm glad you asked me that Jay Ray.
Cause I, what has really gagged me all year long.
Is I am a, you know, I'm like the rest of you out there, I, I partake in my
social media and I have my, you know, I indulge in foolishness online and I see
a lot of stuff that's happening, but I am perpetually gagged when I see people.
That we have turned some of the most unlikely people into superstars.
A product example.
Here's my biggest example.
Um, you all out there, I'm pretty certain are familiar with who Shemarco
is and, or, or as he's known as big Marco clock that T you know, who Shemarco is.
I.
So Marco is a bonafide rockstar and I'm putting rockstar up in quotes right
now, but he is a bonafide rockstar who went from being, uh, ridiculed
and made fun of online because of his, it's clear, it's very clear that he has
some, um, is definitely a birth defect.
He is a form of scoliosis and, you know, he's shaped funny.
Um, he's, You know, he definitely has a lot of, um, dental challenges with the
crowded teeth and, you know, everybody's concerned about his, where he lands
on spectrum and his mental health.
And he has gone from fighting a lot in the streets, fighting, um, with various
people, being ridiculed, people running up on him and recording him to make
fun of him to becoming A well paid Um, performer, someone that actually has a
song that is playing in certain types of clubs, but he, but now because of
his heightened visibility, um, because of social media, he is able to command
appearance fees and performance fees.
He's traveling.
Um, they're rolling out the red carpet for him.
Now, here's the thing, Jay Ray, I don't know.
I don't know if it's good or bad.
I know it's good in the sense that He's not begging, or he's not, um, he's not
begging for money online like he used to.
It was like every other morning he was begging people to cash
app him to pay for a new phone.
It looks like he's able to sustain himself.
That's good.
Um, food, clothing, and shelter wise.
I am concerned of how long this bubble will stay inflated because as we all know,
when they're, when they're vulnerable people, they get, you know, they get
these kinds of opportunities and are, you know, and become famous overnight.
There's always people on the sideline.
Waiting to with their hand out to get something to use their name to get their
own money or Just waiting for him to fail.
Yes, and because and I just I you know Like the rest of y'all, I get my laugh and
I kiki about stuff too, but at the same time as a human being, I'd be like, damn,
is he, you know, I would hate for him to go back to what he was going through.
And I just don't know.
And it ain't none of my business really, but I just don't know if he has that
kind of support to keep him, uh, a float or to keep the momentum of his,
Yes, you know, as this is a career
Jay Ray: at this point.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a
DJ Sir Daniel: career for him at his point.
And yeah, but it just, but again, to my, my main point is.
That social media is taking the most unlikely, sometimes some of
the most undeserving people, people that we just don't, that don't
necessarily, in our opinion, look like or feel like they have, that
they're actually talented or anything.
And that's just the bewilderment of social media at this point.
But I am, I continue to be gagged at what social media has done for.
individuals, good, bad, or indifferent.
Jay Ray: Yes, that is a very real thing.
I, I, and I, yes to that.
And I want to encourage us all let's stop making people who
don't deserve it famous in 2025.
DJ Sir Daniel: Good luck.
Jay Ray: There are.
Sir, Daniel, I promise you, you mentioned these two people.
I'm not going to mention their names here.
Cause that's shady.
But there are two people that you text me about regularly that I'm
like, I still don't understand why these people are like a thing.
Like I don't understand it.
It doesn't make sense to me.
I don't get it.
And that's okay.
Yeah, everything ain't for everybody.
Ain't that?
What?
Uh, what, what, uh, Jill Scott said
DJ Sir Daniel: this.
You sure did.
Yeah.
Jay Ray: And, and so some of these folks ain't for everybody.
Let's stop making some of them famous . But I, I dig that gag and, you know, I
had to think about this one a bit and actually my gag is related to my good.
DJ Sir Daniel: Okay.
Jay Ray: So here, . And you know what, I'm gonna walk in this a
little bit because I was gagged.
Um, you were actually in the room when this gag happened.
Um, uh, as part of my Air Amplify new voices opportunity, I had the
opportunity to, um, present on SEO, right?
It was just very random.
I had talked about SEO and then they were like, Oh, would you like to present on it?
And I did a little deck and presented on it.
Um, The like a week later or whatever well at the end of the cohort, you know,
they were asking people like, okay Well, what did you get the most out of blah blah
blah blah blah and people were going down the line Here's what I got the most and
one of the people and I was so grateful But also gags was like actually the one
thing that I really got a lot out of was Johnny's presentation or SEO and I
grew by like 200 percent and I was like
DJ Sir Daniel: 200 percent we need that at home.
Jay Ray.
Jay Ray: I know.
Oh my God.
Um, I believe it was 200%.
I'm gonna go back and listen.
But either way it was, it was a lot of percent.
Okay.
It was a lot.
And so the gag was, I'm sitting here in this room, right?
Um, amongst these people who are incredibly talented.
Yeah.
That's it.
Yeah.
And I needed to be reminded that I am also talented and I am also in this room.
And so I was gagged at the fact of like, Oh God.
Okay.
I see you God.
Cause you ain't even had to, there was no, she ain't have to say it.
And none of that had to happen, but she said it and I was just
like, oh my god, thank you
DJ Sir Daniel: Absolutely.
Yes, you're right.
You're right And you know what the the exercise for you then is to not
let that gag you anymore You should be like, you know what I receive that.
I I I work hard at this.
Yeah, i'm not gagged anymore.
I I get it.
I know why I know why y'all love me Yes, I
Jay Ray: think, I think the other thing too, for, for folks who
are listening to this is step out, lean into your gift, right?
DJ Sir Daniel: For sure.
Jay Ray: Lean into your gift, because here's the thing.
We You do this too, Sir Daniel, I'm sure.
Like what the stuff that we do is kind of second nature.
It's just like stuff that we do.
But literally there are people out there in the worlds that are amazed.
I am amazed.
I see you up there with those, like with the vinyl and like,
you'd be like blending and stuff.
Listen, that's not my ministry.
I respect it so much.
It's amazing to me.
Right.
And.
We have to lean into that.
I do things that people are like, wow, that's a thing.
And that's so for everybody listening, lean into your magic, whatever that
magic is, that you might have a lot of magics, maybe sprinkle that thing.
What Robbie has been saying, Robbie said, shine your light so bright that it
inspires other people to shine theirs too.
Two, because guess what?
It's a whole lot of folks out here that aren't able to do that.
So if you are baby go big.
When Leo
DJ Sir Daniel: say big, go big.
Do you know?
It's just go.
No, don't half ass.
Yo
Jay Ray: ho ho.
That's
DJ Sir Daniel: exactly right.
You know, you're absolutely right.
And I'm going to say this last piece and before we hop to the
next part, but yeah, your talents.
They're going to make a way for you that they teach that in the Bible.
A lot of people say that all the time, but they, it's true.
Your talents will make a way for you.
And when you think like the conventional way of things that you've done stops
working that talent that you have.
Uh, somebody is going to recognize it and it will make a way for you, whether that's
getting you a couple of dollars until a payday or starting a brand new career.
So I received everything you just said, J.
Ray, um, and.
And it's funny, the, the talents that we're talking about, yes, I love working
with vinyl and I love, um, DJing period is, you know, I really do feel happiest
when I'm doing it and that's why I, um, you know, when the people that I look
up to in the art, um, a lot of those people actually passed away in 2024.
And so.
There was some deaths that really, that really shook me, you know, this year.
I mean, they always shake you, especially when it's people that
you grow up, grew up admiring, but it really shook me like this.
I would say the, the passing of Mr.
C then, um, fat man, scoop DJ polo.
And then Clark Kent.
Yeah, all within the same year, I was like, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Hold on.
2024 Hold on life.
What is really happening here?
And each and every single time that I would hear, we would hear You hear about
the people that have been influenced by them and the things that people were able
to glean from their careers or that they took from them in some form of mentorship.
It just made me.
more appreciative of the, the more immediate people that are in my circle.
Cause I, I know who those gentlemen are.
I didn't necessarily, I was not close enough to reach out and touch them,
but there's plenty of people in my circle who, um, who mean a lot to me
and are very instrumental in there.
They know, they probably don't even know it, but are very
influential on me as, as a DJ.
And so.
So that made me those deaths made me appreciate those people more,
especially when I get to reach out and talk to them and see them at events.
Like I got to see a whole bunch of people at, um, at this most recent
crafts and crates where we had a surprise, a guest performance by
Nicolay, which was really awesome.
Shout
Jay Ray: out to Nicolay and the foreign exchange,
DJ Sir Daniel: man, you know?
So, yeah, so that.
Those things really shook things up for me for 2024.
Was there a death in particular this past year that kind of.
You know, rocked you just a little bit.
Jay Ray: Um, recently actually.
Um, so this is personal.
Um, there is a, a brother here.
Uh, I went to the viewing just yesterday.
Um, and we grew up together like literally, uh, He was my neighbor when
I was like a kid, kid, kid, kid, kid.
So we was like little kid friends, right?
Um, he lived right next door to me.
We lived in a, in a, in a row in row homes.
He was my, he was connected and, um, my age and, uh, you know, he
passed away and that was wild.
Um, Because it's also happening what seems like more frequently.
Um, and so I saw, uh, I actually went early on purpose.
I was like, Oh, maybe I'll get in here early and I won't
see a lot of people, right?
Um, cause I knew I wasn't equipped, uh, to do the funeral.
And I actually happened to see, um, another brother that
I went to high school with.
And he was like, man, I guess this is.
Our season where this is now, you know, our parents would go through that, right?
Mm-hmm . Mm-hmm . This is our season of like, going through that.
So that definitely rocked me, um, at the end of this year.
Um, yeah, and, and to the, and, and in addition, I would say another thing that
just kind of rocked me this year was the, um, watching the world be so polarizing.
Like it's either this or it's that.
Um, and with no nuance, with no, what seemed like no critical thought, it
was just like hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, or love, love, love, love, love.
And just like the casting away of folks.
Um, has really, like, really rocked me this year, too.
Um, and has forced me to be, you know, to just lean on my empathy.
You say something, um, that was kind of your model, I think, for 2023.
And it's, um, you know, that idea of giving people grace, grace and space.
Um, really just being reminded of that, like give people grace and space because,
um, it's hard out here in these streets.
So between, yes, between, uh, that death that happened super recently, but also
just watching the world be on fire.
It's been like,
so what I am looking forward to though.
And I think I said this in our kickback is, um, I'm dying to
see the art that comes out.
I want to see what we do.
I want to see what other folks do when folks feel pushed it, uh, like
their backs are against the wall and they got to fight their way out
like a, like a cat, you know, some beautiful stuff can come out of that.
And I'm looking forward to that beautiful stuff because guess what?
We're going to need beautiful stuff.
DJ Sir Daniel: We are definitely going to need art.
We are definitely going to need that.
And that's why we're going to lift up the people.
Because what's your experience of what we collectively experience?
Whether it's the actual physical death of someone or the death of An era like
what you what we experienced with those.
Um, those revelations and then the polarizing the country Right, you
know We're grieving we are greeners.
We are in a sense grieving and I I you know, that's Some people look at that
as as ugly and It can get ugly, but I think to me, what was really ugly
about 2024 is this insidious, this insidious, um, feeling among, and I
don't want to, I don't want to pinpoint and, and just rag on young people, but
it, because it's not just young people.
There are a lot of Older folks who are facilitating and enabling
them with this feeling of that there is no value on anything that
happened before they were born.
And there is no value regarding any art that was created before they were born.
There is no, you know, I've mentioned it before and I don't even know
who this young man is, but he referred to samples and Old school
music, quote unquote as UNC shit.
Restream recording Dec 23, 2024 • 12:16:36 AM: Mm-hmm
. DJ Sir Daniel: First of all, that boy was as white as the palm of my hand.
And I was like, first of all, why do you feel emboldened to speak on
such things to be able to speak?
I have, I had
Jay Ray: thoughts on that.
DJ Sir Daniel: Speak on the culture.
Jay Ray: Mm-hmm
. DJ Sir Daniel: And then it just, and then when I see other things happening
across the, um, social media and.
You know, the, the cultural platforms where, you know, a comedian can feel
emboldened to say something, to, to speak on or infer buck breaking on a major
rapper, because he wants to, cause he feels like he's a comedian and he has fun.
Full carte blanche to talk about black people and black women and, and just go
beyond and say, and even, and even if, um, infer that they're, they're okay to
use, they have a past to use the N word.
Restream recording Dec 23, 2024 • 12:16:36 AM: And
DJ Sir Daniel: the only way that they can feel that is if you, you know,
y'all Negroes out there that have, yes, that have given them said past, you
know, I'm always talking about those.
Cut it off.
Friggin invites to the cookout.
There's a, there's a whole bunch of y'all that I don't know if you all are
on perks, you rolling on something, or you too drunk to realize that you are,
you are yet again, enabling and abetting and the giving away and the throwing away
of this culture of the things that we created in this world across the diaspora.
And so that, to me, that.
Has become like really prevalent and it's something it's like a really ugly
pimple that has just come out about of nowhere of people wanting to just
Lack of a better term shit on the things that a lot of people paid with their blood
To create that you have benefited from you continue to make money off of yep
And so that's my ugly and I'm sick of it.
I'm sick of
Jay Ray: it.
I have so many thoughts on that and I do want to echo something that you just
said um this This young man who said this stuff um has no connection to the history
That he is now making money from so he is literally making money off the culture You
Restream recording Dec 23, 2024 • 12:16:36 AM: Mm hmm
Jay Ray: that he has He has no critical thinking.
He has no history.
He has no connection to it.
So he's able to just kind of fly off the cuff and say it.
But here's the other thing that I know about that.
He, to your point, he's had people in his circle that have enabled
him to say stuff like that.
And I have problems with y'all.
My beef is with y'all.
He's only saying the foolishness that he's saying, because y'all let him say that.
This is your culture, your legacy, your history, and we are a people
who our ancestors and the people who the shoulders we stand on matter
as much as what we create today.
And if you don't get that, you've missed very, very, very, very valuable lessons,
and you got to go back and learn them.
That's all I got.
He stopped going over there.
Stop giving him your art because he's able to make money off of your back.
He doesn't even respect your history, the history of your ancestors, the history
that he's, that you're continuing to move forward with and make money from.
He don't respect none of that.
Stop going over there.
I'm looking at y'all.
I don't care nothing about him.
It's y'all that keep going over there to that man and giving him your brilliance.
Stop it.
I'm so sorry.
I, I, we hadn't talked about him.
I don't like that.
DJ Sir Daniel: I don't like it at all.
So yes, the, the, your two uncles have, have said what they had to say about it.
And we're going to leave that here in 2024 and I want to hear enough.
I don't want to hear nothing about it no more on
Jay Ray: my list.
DJ Sir Daniel: So that has been the good.
The gag and the ugly of 2024.
Our Queue Points, uh, 2024 year in review.
Um, Jay Ray, let the people know.
Jay Ray: Yes,
DJ Sir Daniel: nothing much has changed, but it is about to change
some more for the good, but just let the people know how they can
continue to watch us thrive and grow.
Jay Ray: Absolutely.
Thank y'all so much.
If you can see us, if you can hear us, thank you so much for joining us.
We really, really do appreciate you.
Go ahead and hit the subscribe button wherever you are.
And if you could do us a solid and share the show with your friends,
your family, your colleagues, if you love Queue Points, chances are
they will love Queue Points as well.
You can support us by visiting our website at Queue Points.
com.
There you can catch up on all the old shows.
Taking taking you way back.
We're up to almost we're getting into we're getting close to 200 now, sir.
Daniel Wow, isn't that something so in in 2025, we will be into the 200th show So
going over to the website check it out.
Check out the old shows.
You can also support us by visiting our website I'm sorry by visiting
visiting our store at store.
Queue Points.
com where you can get some fresh gear and all types of other things.
And, you know, check out our blog, magazine.
Queue Points.
com as well, where we have a lot of amazing content.
We appreciate y'all.
We love y'all.
DJ Sir Daniel: Absolutely.
So, like I say, at every end of every, at the end of every episode
in this life, you have a choice.
You can either pick up the needle or you can let the record play.
I'm DJ Sir Daniel.
My
Jay Ray: name is Jay
DJ Sir Daniel: Ray,
Jay Ray: y'all.
DJ Sir Daniel: And this has been Queue Points podcast, dropping
the needle on black music history.
We will see you on the next go round and we will see you in 2025.
Indeed.
Jay Ray: Peace, y'all.