Ep 173 : It's African Time ft Kwesi Foli

Raphael Harry [00:00:00]:
Welcome to White Label American Podcast. This is a podcast that brings you bold in-depth interviews with interesting people that are mostly immigrants taking down artificial walls one story at a time. This is a podcast that empowers immigrants to share their stories and listen to those of others. Thank you for joining us. Welcome to white label American. Thank you all for joining us for another special episode. I'm honored to have today's guest with me here today. But before we get to the today's guest, I would like to give a shout out to everyone who's been supporting us.

Raphael Harry [00:01:06]:
We appreciate your support. And for new listeners, we, old listeners who just came back, everybody, after this episode, let us know if you enjoyed it. We had multiple ways to give feedback. Number 1, you can just do it on the website. Let us know via the comment section, or you can send us an email through our contact button on the website, or write an email through white label american@gmail.com. We'd love to hear back from you. So with that being said, let's get to meet our distinguished guest today. I'm honored to have a video producer.

Raphael Harry [00:01:46]:
He's a podcast creator with an awesome podcast that just kicked off with a great name, a great title. I'm like, man, I wish I'd locked down title like that, you know? And he's an occasional writer for the New York Times, Joyce sauce, HuffPost and other publications that, he says you've never heard of, but I've heard of a bunch of them. So if I have heard of them, I believe you have. Also, he loves jollof rice, which when you hear his background, then you'll be like, yes. It's a it's it's a giving. So we'll find out if he's into the jollof rice wars. Loves basketball, and, well, there's one team that has made him cry, and you'll find out why that team has made him cry. So without much delays, welcome to the show, Kwesi Foli.

Raphael Harry [00:02:29]:
How are you doing today, my brother?

Kwesi Foli [00:02:30]:
I'm fine. Thank you. And that was an excellent intro. I really like that. Thank you.

Raphael Harry [00:02:34]:
You know? I'm I'm available for

Kwesi Foli [00:02:36]:
You're making my That is already pretty big, even bigger.

Raphael Harry [00:02:39]:
So Hey.

Kwesi Foli [00:02:40]:
I appreciate that. Well,

Raphael Harry [00:02:41]:
if you wanna hire me to introduce you, I'm down. You know, you can, you know, accept dollars, euros

Kwesi Foli [00:02:46]:
Yes.

Raphael Harry [00:02:47]:
British pound, sterling. But if they

Kwesi Foli [00:02:48]:
No CDR. If the

Raphael Harry [00:02:49]:
recession continues in the UK, I won't accept that anymore. I accept gold, but, not, the type of gold that's accepted. Oh, okay. Yeah. Full disclosure, and Nazi gold is not acceptable. We don't want that. Yes. I accept Bitcoins too.

Raphael Harry [00:03:04]:
Crypto? No. I don't accept the one Musk is

Kwesi Foli [00:03:07]:
Oh, okay. Got it.

Raphael Harry [00:03:07]:
But bitcoins, yes. I accept that. If it drops in value, we'll we'll have to negotiate. I don't accept naira.

Kwesi Foli [00:03:13]:
No. Okay. Or CDs. Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:03:15]:
Yeah. CDs has higher value than naira. So we can negotiate. I'm available to negotiate with that. That's true. Can't take life too seriously. You know? No. That's fair.

Kwesi Foli [00:03:29]:
That's definitely fair.

Raphael Harry [00:03:30]:
So how are you today, my brother?

Kwesi Foli [00:03:32]:
I'm good. This is, this I'll tell you what. This is a new experience for me because usually, the roles are reversed. I'm doing the interviewing and then, the other person, the interviewee. So this is, this is cool.

Raphael Harry [00:03:46]:
There you go. It's it's for a start. Next thing you know, Trevor Noah has won interviewing you. Mhmm. Here's a prep for that.

Kwesi Foli [00:03:51]:
Well, I mean, who who knows when that will be? Because he's not at The Daily Show anymore. So

Raphael Harry [00:03:57]:
He got his own podcast now. So

Kwesi Foli [00:03:59]:
Oh, really? Yeah. What's it called?

Raphael Harry [00:04:03]:
He got a podcast with Spotify. I got it.

Kwesi Foli [00:04:05]:
I really do like Trevor.

Raphael Harry [00:04:06]:
I I love his interview style.

Kwesi Foli [00:04:08]:
And the way and the way he thinks.

Raphael Harry [00:04:10]:
So I'll try to you know, he's he's one of my yeah. What now? Which what now? Question mark. With Trevor Noah.

Kwesi Foli [00:04:18]:
Oh, okay.

Raphael Harry [00:04:18]:
Yeah. I think it's a Spotify podcast.

Kwesi Foli [00:04:20]:
Does it does it cover news? Or is it It's it's it's same flow, usual Trevor's style, the way

Raphael Harry [00:04:28]:
he was interviewing on daily show. He has people from political leaders to some cities. And then, like, I I know I haven't listened to the episode yet, but after the Grammys, he had people from the production of the Grammys and people who worked with him Mhmm. On the Grammys on that. So the one I was the last episode I was listening to was where he interviewed Kevin Hart

Kwesi Foli [00:04:49]:
Okay. Yesterday. I mean, I guess that makes sense. That comes full circle because I think Kevin Hart was his first guest on, The Daily Show when he first started. So that was his first guest.

Raphael Harry [00:05:00]:
Okay.

Kwesi Foli [00:05:01]:
And I think maybe he probably said something about that. So it's nice to see that things came full circle. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:05:06]:
That's good. By the way, well, I just brought that up so that in case you make it to Trevor first, just let him know that, I'm I'm here. You know? And that you yeah. We were both in New York. You know? He he he can't come on my show. Of course. Doesn't want me to come on his show. That that's that's fine.

Raphael Harry [00:05:22]:
I'm okay with that. Yeah. Or he can you know? Or the the other way around. Yeah. You know?

Kwesi Foli [00:05:27]:
That works. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:05:28]:
That works too. So I just realized I forgot to put on my bracelet. I brought it, but somewhere. But, we don't need to find out why I forgot to put on my bracelet. So let's dig deep into you.

Kwesi Foli [00:05:39]:
Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:05:40]:
Let's start from the very beginning. Yeah. So your name, Kwesi Foley, what's the meaning of your name, and what's the story behind it?

Kwesi Foli [00:05:49]:
So with Ghanaians, we have born days. So we have, you know, names for the days that we were born. So, Kweisi Mhmm. Is, means Sunday born. Sunday born. Okay. Other ones. And, you know, the names that people know of Kufi, Kwami, Kwiku, those, Kufi.

Raphael Harry [00:06:09]:
Yeah. Uh-huh. Kufi. I was born on Monday. There you go.

Kwesi Foli [00:06:12]:
Those are all those are all, day names. So, yeah, Kwesi. And then, yeah, Kwesi Fuli. Fuli, Fuli means in ewe. That's my tribe in, in in Ghana. We're we're, like, in the Volta region

Raphael Harry [00:06:29]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [00:06:29]:
Which is, like, southeastern in southeastern Ghana. Folivi Folivi just means elders born. So and, actually, if I'm be if if I'm going to even get deeper, when I was working at the times, I noticed that there were a lot of people that had pen names, you know, aliases, whatever you wanna call it. And I I asked one of the people, oh, hey. Why is that? And, he said, well, you know, you wanna keep your online, profile or your online persona different than your, than your, like, real life. Right? You wanna make sure that those things are separate. So Kwesi Foley is my name, actually. It's you know? But the the name that a lot of people know me by, you know, that in in my real life, I guess, is Mawena.

Kwesi Foli [00:07:26]:
So Mawena is Mawena. Mawena. Yeah. That's right. And Mawena actually in is also epi. It means, God's gift.

Raphael Harry [00:07:37]:
Oh, okay.

Kwesi Foli [00:07:38]:
Because there was a time where my mom and my papa were debating. Mhmm. You know, because they were like my papa was like, well, yes. I have a Christian name. And my mom said, God's gift? That's as Christian as you can get. The Yeah. We'll call it Maui because, you know, they wanted the, you know, Ghanaians, especially even now, I guess, there's the you have your Ghanaian name, and then you have your Christian name, John, Jacob, whatever it is. Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:08:03]:
Nebuchadnezzar or something. And then, but she decided to name me Mawena, yeah, which means God's gift. But my alias or pen name is, Kwesi Kwesi Flui.

Raphael Harry [00:08:18]:
Alright. Beautiful. Yeah. So we we've gotten a little, it's it's a little spoiler into the background. Ah. We've had Ghanaian in there.

Kwesi Foli [00:08:31]:
Yes. But

Raphael Harry [00:08:33]:
where, can you introduce your place of birth and, yeah, what your childhood was like?

Kwesi Foli [00:08:38]:
So I was born in, Madison, Wisconsin. Which is very far from California. Yeah. Which is very yeah. You know, right in the Midwest. And, you know, I I don't really remember much from ages 1 through 7. Okay. But then when I was 7, my sisters and I, we all went to Ghana and we went to live in Accra with our aunt.

Kwesi Foli [00:09:07]:
And the reason for that was my my parents and and my mom especially, wanted us to get to know our culture. She wanted to make sure that we could speak and understand ever. Mhmm. That, you know, we and that we just get acclimated with the culture. So, you know, not so not being afraid to eat jollof or fufu or bancu and and to know what those things are. So when I was 7, yeah, we I went to Ghana, and I was there for around 3 years, three and a half years. And then I came back to the States. And then, every other year, we would go back to Ghana, until I was in until college, basically, because then it just got too expensive.

Kwesi Foli [00:09:48]:
And Mhmm. My parents were like, if you wanna go to Ghana, you should, pay for it yourself. There is really expensive. That's why I I always get so jealous of my, you know, Dominican or, you know, Jamaican friends because Caribbean. Yeah. Caribbean. Because, you know, they can go back.

Raphael Harry [00:10:08]:
It's a lot easier. You know,

Kwesi Foli [00:10:09]:
a lot easier. They're closer too. And exactly. You know, and I lament that Ghana Airways isn't around anymore. Because it was just a straight from either DC or New York straight.

Raphael Harry [00:10:22]:
That's not And

Kwesi Foli [00:10:23]:
now you have to take KLM or British Airways, so you have to go to, Amsterdam or go to London and then come back down.

Raphael Harry [00:10:30]:
Well, I've I've heard the new trick now. It's, Moroccan, air morocque is the cheaper the cheaper route. But you just have to be you spend 1 night in Casablanca, and it's a great night.

Kwesi Foli [00:10:42]:
That's not a yeah. I guess that's not a bad place to go. I mean, one time, I missed I missed my flight to Ghana and lost a long stupid story. But I missed my flight. So I went on Kenyan Airways, flew to Nairobi, was there for almost 24 hours, and then went

Raphael Harry [00:11:00]:
to, Ghana. So you were just hanging out at the airport?

Kwesi Foli [00:11:04]:
No. No. No. So, yeah, I had a friend that was working there. So then

Raphael Harry [00:11:07]:
I went to go meet How many did you

Kwesi Foli [00:11:08]:
them. And, yeah, actually, Nairobi, it's it's it was really cool because I've not been to any other place in Africa besides Ghana. So when I went to Nairobi and I saw another how, you know, another country in Africa is. I thought that was very that was very cool.

Raphael Harry [00:11:24]:
So Yeah. Me too. I haven't been to other places in Africa. I just know a lot about what's happening. Yeah. Yeah. I don't mind an experience like that. So, yeah, the sort of yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:11:36]:
I it's just interesting how you gotta fly all the way to the other side

Kwesi Foli [00:11:41]:
Exactly.

Raphael Harry [00:11:41]:
And then from the other side, fly. So at least with the air, Morocco, it's coming through the north. You stop in Casablanca and then continue from there.

Kwesi Foli [00:11:50]:
Straight to wherever. Okay. That's great.

Raphael Harry [00:11:52]:
At least coming to West Africa, it's, you know and even if you're going to the east, it's it's still you stop in the north and then continue the other way. So

Kwesi Foli [00:12:00]:
The the last time I was in Ghana was, in 2019, like, right before the pandemic Mhmm. During the year of return

Raphael Harry [00:12:06]:
Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:12:07]:
Which was beautiful. Good job in Ghana. So, now I have that for my next trip to Ghana, which I hope to happen will be this year.

Raphael Harry [00:12:19]:
Okay.

Kwesi Foli [00:12:19]:
We'll see. I gotta get my finances together.

Raphael Harry [00:12:22]:
We'll come back to that. And we'll just start getting ready to support.

Kwesi Foli [00:12:27]:
That's it. Our brother here. Get my Cash App and Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:12:30]:
Them already. Yeah. Support him. So, sticking with your childhood, when it comes to your favorite childhood memory, where would you say it comes from if I had to ask you for your favorite childhood memory at this moment?

Kwesi Foli [00:12:52]:
Yeah. Okay. I think all of my favorite childhood memories were were probably was when I was in Ghana because especially in, you know, retrospect thinking back now, Ghana, I I felt truly at home there. I still do. And I I'm trying to think of a specific one, but I guess I'm just thinking of being in Ghana. And a fair and it probably has to do with food because I just like to eat. Yes. So Nothing wrong with that.

Kwesi Foli [00:13:29]:
So, you know, that is is probably one time where we we were eating it was probably kink. Yeah. You know kinkade and fish or some food. And, you know, me and my sisters and my auntie and everyone is just there. You know, the kids have their malta Guinness. Yeah. And then of course so he's he's already reminiscing. And then and then, of course, the adults have the Guinness.

Kwesi Foli [00:13:54]:
Right? And then and we're just outside and having fun. And, you know, maybe I have some rose colored, glasses on and maybe, I'm forgetting, you know, some cousins fighting or some people yelling at each other. But back then, of course, you don't notice that stuff because they're kids. Yep. And, for me, it was it was a good time to be there. Because now and things as small as just your name, you know, Kwesi. And, you know, there's the confusion. There's, whereas, you know, in Ghana, yeah, Kwesi, they're like, okay.

Kwesi Foli [00:14:31]:
Next or whatever. There's nothing to discuss. There's no discussion about it. And I I feel I feel like a fair amount of people do not cannot even comprehend, especially, you know, in America where, you know, Jacob, Luke, John, whatever. There's no, question about that because most places you go in the world are have those kind of names and have those kind of things. So it's it's it's something that I've I do not take for granted, you know, being in Ghana and being be and having something as simple as just saying your name and people going about their business because Yeah. It's it's part of that. So that I think that would be that would be it.

Raphael Harry [00:15:18]:
So, the 3 years you were in Ghana, you did schooling there, and then

Kwesi Foli [00:15:24]:
Northridge Northridge Lyceum. Every every day, we'd have an assembly.

Raphael Harry [00:15:31]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [00:15:31]:
And we'd have to have a and then we would say we would say, and, you know, and then, of course, we'd go to class. We'd do the timetables, which I always did incorrectly. Why can't I 2 times 2 for 3 5 times 5, 25. 6 times 6.

Raphael Harry [00:15:50]:
You guys stop at 12?

Kwesi Foli [00:15:52]:
Well, I  would usually get to 7 7 times 7, and then I would say 50 or something. Shrimp shrimp shrimp

Raphael Harry [00:16:00]:
shrimp. So,

Kwesi Foli [00:16:03]:
it was it was it was bad. Math is still not mine. And I think maybe I get triggered. So every time I hear numbers, I I start doing one of those. Yeah. And then, you know yeah. And that's we had, you know, the the head mass the headmistress, headmaster, you know, things like that. My sisters were prefects.

Kwesi Foli [00:16:21]:
I was not.

Raphael Harry [00:16:22]:
I was prefects in my later years, but in the early years, I wasn't.

Kwesi Foli [00:16:26]:
Okay. So you were yeah. You were good. You had sense.

Raphael Harry [00:16:29]:
In a different way. It was, I think when I when I got old, that was I was beginning to understand how to play a system.

Kwesi Foli [00:16:37]:
Right.

Raphael Harry [00:16:37]:
So it was, I think it was more of that. Looking back now Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:16:40]:
My friend, that was not me.

Raphael Harry [00:16:41]:
Yeah. It was, because in by secondary school, I was, I moved from Benin City to Ibadan. So that's heavy Yorubaland, main Yorubaland, and I was an outsider there. Mhmm. So that's where people are like, where are you from? Is that a refugee? There were I think I was a refugee. There were a lot of, kids who were from Liberia and, Ghana. There were a few Ghanaians there, but there were both Liberians and Sierra Leoneans, and this was, after the civil war in both countries. So they're like, oh, your name your name doesn't sound like people from Nigeria, which is code for Yoruba.

Raphael Harry [00:17:19]:
Mhmm. Right. Then they do Igbo people. So they're like, we don't know people like you. I'm like, from by us, and they just created my state by carving it out of River state. So you're like, you guys have all this good news? They're like, no. So I will have to refer to the old states. Like, oh, yes.

Raphael Harry [00:17:35]:
Yes. So you're from there? Oh. So I was like, I guess that was the beginning beginning of feeling like, oh, this is what it must feel like to be from a minority Mhmm. Within your own place. Yeah. So people are like, you're not a refugee. You sure? I'm like, what do you mean? I'm not I'm not sure I'm not a refugee. But so I always stood out, and then I guess there were some teachers who were like, he's different.

Raphael Harry [00:17:59]:
His English is different from the English we have here. A lot of kids don't speak English. So, automatically, he's a candidate to be a prefect, and, I got punctuality prefect. Punctuality. I wasn't, like, the smartest. It wasn't for being the smartest. So

Kwesi Foli [00:18:15]:
So you're you're always on time?

Raphael Harry [00:18:17]:
I was on time. Except

Kwesi Foli [00:18:18]:
except for this podcast. Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:18:20]:
Got it.

Kwesi Foli [00:18:20]:
Understood. Yeah. That does

Raphael Harry [00:18:23]:
understood. Got it. Okay.

Kwesi Foli [00:18:27]:
There there are not too many Ghanaians around, so that's why

Raphael Harry [00:18:29]:
I'm trying to get on. Alright. No. Understood. The next school had some Ghanaians. I think there was only one in my school, but the next school had Ghanaians and, Sierra Leone. There was one librarian in my school, and he he became a legend. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:18:43]:
Yeah. Leo Leo Nelson. If, yeah, I tried looking for him one day on Facebook, and that's when I realized that, yeah, it's it's difficult when he Leo Nelson. That was that's his name. Yeah. That's thousands of Leo Nelson.

Kwesi Foli [00:18:57]:
Oh, right. Right. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:18:58]:
That's,

Kwesi Foli [00:18:58]:
I give up.

Raphael Harry [00:19:00]:
Wow. Man. So going from, Wisconsin is they they got cheese there. Right?

Kwesi Foli [00:19:09]:
Yes. They got cheese. They got beer. Harley Davidson. What else?

Raphael Harry [00:19:16]:
Nice winter.

Kwesi Foli [00:19:18]:
If that's what you wanna call it. Yeah. Winter wonderland. Whatever. People have always think that I like, I'm, you know, Frosty the snowman or something that you know, because we've been in Wisconsin that I should just be automatically acclimated. I never will be. I do not like the winter. I never will.

Kwesi Foli [00:19:39]:
I I mean, even when I used to play sports, it would call me like a solar powered battery because when the sun was out

Raphael Harry [00:19:44]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [00:19:45]:
I just usually went out and have my best games. Oh. But when it was cloudy and Charged. Cold,

Raphael Harry [00:19:50]:
it

Kwesi Foli [00:19:50]:
was different. And Wisconsin, it doesn't really we don't really have seasons. It's just it's just hot for, like no. No. Warm for 2 months. Rest is just kind of winter and then winter. That's it. There's nothing there's no real

Raphael Harry [00:20:09]:
I've I've never been there. But, like, every time I've been invited to come over there, I I just check the weather forecast, and I'm like Nope. Can't do it. Yeah. You know what? I appreciate the invite. Well, I got a big house, and I'm like, that's why you have a big house there. No one wants

Kwesi Foli [00:20:23]:
to feel no one wants to feel threatened by walking to their mailbox

Raphael Harry [00:20:27]:
in the

Kwesi Foli [00:20:28]:
morning. I'm

Raphael Harry [00:20:28]:
just Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:20:29]:
Why do you why do you wanna go through that? I will visit you one of these days.

Raphael Harry [00:20:32]:
Please know. I'll be here. I'll be in New York. So I'm referring to the press

Kwesi Foli [00:20:34]:
Oh, okay. About those.

Raphael Harry [00:20:40]:
Always trying to invite me from home, but they're

Kwesi Foli [00:20:42]:
like, hey.

Raphael Harry [00:20:42]:
I got a big house. You have a great time. Yeah. Back when I was single, like, you have a party. I'm like, yeah. I don't I don't think people I don't want people coming on, what they call it? The the sled. The the the 5, 10 dogs pulling them. Like, nah.

Raphael Harry [00:20:54]:
I'm good.

Kwesi Foli [00:20:55]:
Like Rudolph. Yes. That I get that. So, yeah, it's not but, you know, I have I still have friends

Raphael Harry [00:21:05]:
there and Any family still over there?

Kwesi Foli [00:21:09]:
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. My my sister still lives there. But most, yeah, mostly everyone has has left.

Raphael Harry [00:21:16]:
So She's she's she's really down with the she she loves it.

Kwesi Foli [00:21:21]:
I I don't know. Press

Raphael Harry [00:21:22]:
the pound.

Kwesi Foli [00:21:22]:
There's always one. Apparently. There's always one. Right. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:21:25]:
Yeah. So Always. Yeah. But I kind of like me with love with New York love. I love New York weather too. Not not the not the weather really, but I I love New York. So Yeah. It's where I comes with it.

Kwesi Foli [00:21:35]:
New York does not yeah. Nothing compares to the the the Arctic in in Wisconsin.

Raphael Harry [00:21:42]:
So from, Ghana, you know, coming back to the states, where where did you end up in?

Kwesi Foli [00:21:53]:
Yeah. So we we came back to Madison because, yeah, my my parents just stayed in Madison while, my sisters and I lived in Ghana with our auntie and grandma was there, and she helped take care of us. So then, at some point, we we had to come back. Mhmm. I guess our parents were missing it. Because, you know, they had to keep working. They couldn't afford to just Yeah. Move to Ghana.

Raphael Harry [00:22:16]:
So Except if you're like, you got that government bread.

Kwesi Foli [00:22:20]:
Oh, government. Yeah. You know the right, people. Corruption. That's right. Anyway, so then, yeah, we came back to Madison, and then that's where I, you know, spent the rest of my, adolescence or whatever. And, yeah, it was a real culture shock because in a very literal way, you move from one of the warmest places on earth

Raphael Harry [00:22:40]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [00:22:41]:
To one of the coldest. And it wasn't just the weather, but, you know, also the people too. And, you know, that's not to say anything about racism or anything. That was there too. But just like I was saying with the name. And, and not my pen name. You know, I went by Mawena and, you know, the amount of times I heard my weenie, my wiener

Raphael Harry [00:23:08]:
Oh, lord.

Kwesi Foli [00:23:08]:
Lord. I I can't imagine. Mohammed. And I said, it doesn't when did Mohammed come into the conversation? Well, it it sounded different. So I thought that was the that was the most different I could get. I was like, well, it's nothing close to that. So, yeah, I have really got Kautowski. Right? Yes.

Kwesi Foli [00:23:27]:
Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that was always the joke. Right? Yeah. You can always say these names with, you know, 20 consonants yeah, yeah, it was tough. I did not I did not like it. I did not like being back in but, the the good thing about Madison is that, so University of Wisconsin Madison is known as a big research school.

Kwesi Foli [00:23:56]:
And because of that, there are a lot of scientists from Africa that came there. Oh. But unlike bigger cities like Chicago, New York, and places like that where you had you could have your own factions. Right? So Yeah. You know, you could have the Ashanti people here, and then you could have ever here, and then you could have Igbo, Yoruba, whatever. In Madison, there weren't that many Africans to begin with. So all the Africans would come together. So I always remember have you been to the shrine in, in, in Harlem? You know that place? It's on, like, 137th and Adam Clayton, I think.

Raphael Harry [00:24:36]:
I don't think so, but I

Kwesi Foli [00:24:36]:
think I've gone I've gone I've gone part of that kinda yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:24:39]:
Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:24:40]:
So, you know, it's this African francophone bar. And I always remember I was dancing to a Senegalese song. Mhmm. The, Imbalakso, I think that's what it's called.

Raphael Harry [00:24:49]:
I think I did something there way before.

Kwesi Foli [00:24:51]:
See. Yeah. Hey. If you're if you're African and you're in New York Yeah. At some point, you'll you'll come across the shrine. So I was dancing. And then this guy, you know, came up to me and I think he started speaking to me and well off. And I was like, I don't.

Kwesi Foli [00:25:04]:
And then he and then he was like

Raphael Harry [00:25:06]:
heights too. Yeah. Oh, yeah. There's test.

Kwesi Foli [00:25:08]:
And then he yeah. That too. And then he looked at me, and then he's like and then he started speaking French. I believe in France. I was like

Raphael Harry [00:25:15]:
bitch is next in life.

Kwesi Foli [00:25:16]:
Yeah. I was like, I don't know. But then so then he just straight he was like, but how do you how do you know that dance? Because I was doing the synagogue. I was like, oh, because I used to be around people that would do it. Because, again, you know, in Madison, everyone's so then they would play we would have parties and they would play everything.

Raphael Harry [00:25:34]:
They would

Kwesi Foli [00:25:34]:
play some Highlife, and then they'll play some Juju music. Then they'll play some Don Bolo. Then they'll play. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They play everything. Right? Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:25:42]:
So but I came to realize, especially in New York, when you have so many you've you you can start making your own groups. Mhmm. So, you know, so then the Ashantis don't talk to the Everest. The Everest don't talk to the guys. They're it's very separate. So that's the one thing I really loved about Madison that we all got to be together and, you know, we got to try.

Raphael Harry [00:26:04]:
Yeah. You you got you got to you got to taste you got the real taste of Africa.

Kwesi Foli [00:26:08]:
Africa. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:26:09]:
Because everybody being together, there's no oh, so let I don't talk to North Africans. I don't talk to South Africans.

Kwesi Foli [00:26:15]:
I don't talk to East.

Raphael Harry [00:26:15]:
That helps.

Kwesi Foli [00:26:16]:
I mean, you know

Raphael Harry [00:26:17]:
My African is African. My bully of me is African. Yeah. Yeah. But while you're in a bigger, metropolitan area like this, then it's like, oh, yeah. We are that can build in me.

Kwesi Foli [00:26:28]:
Yes.

Raphael Harry [00:26:29]:
My people is me and my people

Kwesi Foli [00:26:30]:
on it. Exactly.

Raphael Harry [00:26:31]:
You form your oblique. Yeah. You form yeah. That's Yeah. I had something like that too when I was in Bahrain.

Kwesi Foli [00:26:36]:
Oh, okay.

Raphael Harry [00:26:37]:
Yeah. Because, yeah, I started an African movement. Not it was technically a movement, but I didn't really know what I was doing. But I was copying the Filipinos, who I saw on base always. They had a network. I didn't even know the word network, and, you know, they always hung out together. But if one was in trouble, they took care of that person. And I was like, wow.

Raphael Harry [00:27:01]:
Why don't we have something like this? And I knew almost for some reason, every African was just connected to me somehow. No matter the rank, they just talk to me. Yeah. So I was having lunch with 2 Togolese who were were the ex military civilians, US military civilians, and I brought the idea to them. And they're like, oh, yeah. We well, we don't know other people. You seem to know everybody. If you can, I was like, okay? I don't have you guys have more resources than me.

Raphael Harry [00:27:28]:
What about I bring the people, and you guys provide the venue, and we have a dinner, and we meet each other. Yeah. Because the 2 of them have been on the island. Bahrain is very tiny, small tiny place. They had been there for 5 years working on the same base, which is one of the smallest military bases. For 5 years, they didn't even know each other. Wow. I was until I showed up, and I was like, yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:27:51]:
You know your guy Togolese brother? He was like, Togoliz here? I was like, yeah. And I called the guy. So I'm talking to Togolese right now. He said, Togolese here. No. I've been here for 5 years. So I was like, how long have you been here? So I've been here 5 years. And I told him, where? My brother.

Raphael Harry [00:28:05]:
My brother. Yo, Ralph. You must have lunch with both of us because you connected us. And that's I was doing that with South Sudan. People started calling me. I'll be getting phone calls like, oh, somebody said you you know Africans. Yeah. You know? I I just came from I'm from South Sudan.

Raphael Harry [00:28:19]:
Yeah. I just arrived. They transferred me here. Yeah. So I was okay. We're out to meet, and then we had a lunch, dinner dinner party, organized food and drinks. Some ladies showed up. Guys showed up and, hey, I play football.

Raphael Harry [00:28:34]:
Yeah. Yeah. Somebody told me. Okay. Oh, you're welcome. This one, basketball, volleyball.

Kwesi Foli [00:28:39]:
The connect. The plug.

Raphael Harry [00:28:40]:
That's how it started. And with time, you know, we started having clubs. We started going night some night clubs even started calling. Like, hey. Come bring your party here because people are not showing up when you guys meet. They don't come to the night clubs. So that's how big it became. Well, eventually, it died because 2 groups.

Raphael Harry [00:28:55]:
They you know, when when it started becoming big enough

Kwesi Foli [00:28:57]:
Then they they

Raphael Harry [00:28:58]:
started all night.

Kwesi Foli [00:28:59]:
The facts.

Raphael Harry [00:28:59]:
Got the the English versus the French. Yeah. Yeah. But Ethiopians always had their thing there. But Ethiopians were brought in. They came and you know? But it was great seeing everybody talking because, you know, one time, you know, the what do you call it? The visa thing for the, like, the human trafficking tied to your visa in the Middle East. Oh. So there was a guy who who met, and that's why I still like my one of the the things I'm happy about that I did over there.

Raphael Harry [00:29:29]:
The guy came and was like, man, I didn't know about how what what it was like to come here. Yeah. He's a graduate in Nigeria. Somebody just said, you wanna go overseas, sign up. He didn't even ask, where are you taking me? He just signed up, paid, like, $2,000. Oh, wow. This was, back in 20 2010. And he ended up in Bahrain washing cars, sleeping in a room with, like, 10 other people.

Raphael Harry [00:29:54]:
He's just like, man, I wanna go back, man. I wanna go. I just, you know, but, yeah, I don't have any money. They're paying me peanuts. Yeah. I'm like, okay. I brought I held a meeting with a bunch of guys, and they were like, the guy wants to go back. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:30:09]:
Everybody just donated money. Alright. Buy a ticket for him and some change. But for our parties, he did security. He did we're like, you wanna do security for the party, so they give you extra. And they're just something like that. And I was like, yeah. This is what it can be.

Raphael Harry [00:30:21]:
It can help people.

Kwesi Foli [00:30:22]:
It's, that's how it works.

Raphael Harry [00:30:23]:
The fight broke out. And Of course. You know, just before I left. I think they knew that I was leaving about to leave. So who so who who will be that person to take over from me? If I were to go back and redo it again, I think think there'll be more structure to it because somebody had brought that up that they should be, like, an a formal organization or stuff like that. But, you know, back then, I was much younger. I was like, oh, man. We we we good.

Kwesi Foli [00:30:45]:
We bro on a party.

Raphael Harry [00:30:46]:
We we gonna have fun, friend. We all don't. Nah. But now now I know. I look back. I'm like, It made sense why I got brought the idea and stuff like that. But, yeah, it was, you know, people really came together. I still have the photos.

Raphael Harry [00:31:02]:
I look at them every now and then. So don't post that on Facebook. My wife in America will see. Uh-oh. So, yeah, it was, but there was a period for almost a year, there was no South Sudanese is not talking to Ghanaian. Ghanaian is not talking to Senegalese. All that was paused for a year where club owners were actually calling, oh, I'm a Brazilian. I own this club.

Raphael Harry [00:31:31]:
Bring your party to my club. How you get my number? Oh, don't worry about that. Don't worry. You get the club. You do want do you want all the drinks sales of drinks, we'll quote you guys. I could have gotten in trouble because my master chief called me one day to a meeting to a chief sitting down. How much are you getting for this party? I said, you said you guys know about this. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:31:48]:
I was not doing it for the money. Now if I will go back, I'm doing it. I'm gonna do it for the money because I should have been getting paid.

Kwesi Foli [00:31:55]:
All that work you were putting in. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:31:56]:
But it was it was just great to see, you know I was just happy to see people come together, meeting people from Libya, South Africa, everywhere. I met from all over the continent. I was like, wow. Just from the lunch meeting and just saying, yeah. I can bring people together. It worked.

Kwesi Foli [00:32:15]:
Yeah. So I mean, just talking to you, obviously, you're one of the most charismatic. But, I mean, NYCHA people, you guys all have that that, charismatic gene in

Raphael Harry [00:32:25]:
you. You know? So I don't know. It doesn't

Kwesi Foli [00:32:29]:
I'm not surprised by that.

Raphael Harry [00:32:30]:
That's a way. Whether you

Kwesi Foli [00:32:32]:
like to or not, by force. This is just gonna happen.

Raphael Harry [00:32:40]:
So coming back to your story, so did your whole experience with the African community, did make you decide to go to university also in

Kwesi Foli [00:32:55]:
Wisconsin? So the the main reason why I went to University of Wisconsin Madison, it was, I think it's still going on. There's a program called people program.

Raphael Harry [00:33:05]:
People program.

Kwesi Foli [00:33:06]:
Yeah. The it's, what do you call it? Abbreviation? No. No. Like FBI. Whatever. It means precollege enrichment something something something. I can't remember. But, basically, it was for, people of color and disadvantaged youth.

Raphael Harry [00:33:26]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [00:33:27]:
And if you if you were in the program starting in middle school, if you were stuck with the program, if you got into into UW Madison, then they would give you a scholarship for free. Oh. A tuition that paid all your tuition through for 5 years. Okay. So that was the main reason. I mean, I wasn't really smart enough to get into other schools anyway outside of the state. So, I was my parents were like, look. Just get get in.

Kwesi Foli [00:33:59]:
Just do just get into college, please. So, yeah, I was able to get into UW Madison because of that. And the people program were really great at fostering a a community of of people of color, you know, getting to know each other because, UW Madison is a is a PWI, like a very, very white, college. You know? I mean, at one point, they had, a brochure or some kind of pamphlet where, they had to insert a black person in because they took a picture, and it was just all white people on the cover.

Raphael Harry [00:34:37]:
You know?

Kwesi Foli [00:34:38]:
So they they literally had to put a black person in. So just to say, hey.

Raphael Harry [00:34:42]:
We have The GOP intent. Have one. Intent at congress. When they had that picture. Yeah. It was like

Kwesi Foli [00:34:51]:
it was like basically like that. They're like, hey. Hey. There's we we have some black people

Raphael Harry [00:34:54]:
on there.

Kwesi Foli [00:34:55]:
You know, you you go to the you go to like a football game, which I never went to because one, it was too early. And 2,

Raphael Harry [00:35:02]:
how how early was it? I've never been to a college football game.

Kwesi Foli [00:35:05]:
Yeah. So usually they would start at at 11. I know I'm saying early, but the there was such a culture of drinking. Not to say I

Raphael Harry [00:35:13]:
didn't drink.

Kwesi Foli [00:35:14]:
I definitely drink, but, it's it's just beer. I mean,

Raphael Harry [00:35:19]:
it is. I've never really been much of a beer person. For 11.

Kwesi Foli [00:35:22]:
I have the select or the African ones. Right? Mhmm. Heineken, Guinness, and then me personally, Corona. But, like, Heineken and Guinness are my thing. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:35:30]:
Even even those are still I mean, after I've drunk, stop back home.

Kwesi Foli [00:35:36]:
I've drunk

Raphael Harry [00:35:36]:
hop. I mean, it's it's it's come on.

Kwesi Foli [00:35:40]:
Can I tell you something? What? I broke my heart because I always thought Star was Ghanaian. Star beer.

Raphael Harry [00:35:48]:
Yeah. Yeah. And then when I

Kwesi Foli [00:35:49]:
was always had the commercials, hey, star beer. She had check it out. Something like that. Mhmm. And then I don't know. I think I was at I was at one of these Brooklyn, Bucha, I

Raphael Harry [00:36:00]:
think. Yeah. Bucha, Stan Gouda. And then I was recommend their food. Oh.

Kwesi Foli [00:36:04]:
Yes. Okay. I didn't say that. But I

Raphael Harry [00:36:06]:
was looking to This podcast never recommends it. Oh, okay. Don't do it yourself. Don't do it.

Kwesi Foli [00:36:12]:
Don't don't bring us. Okay, yeah. And I was looking down the menu, and then I see star beer underneath Nigeria. And I was like, what? Mhmm. Star is Nigerian? Yeah. Anyway, I was I was heartbroken because, in fact, my my mom was known with, because she had 2 other friends and they were they call them, stabia number 1, number 2, number 3. Because that was that was their drink. Wow.

Kwesi Foli [00:36:37]:
So to me, I was like, oh, star, Ghanaian. Boom. No. It's Nigerian. Anyway

Raphael Harry [00:36:43]:
I was that's, Hap is the one I always mistook for Nigeria too until I saw Hap in, when I was in Norfolk, and I saw Hap in a in the com the commissary, which is like a giant beer you have the giant beer section. It's like a giant cooler. Like, you're walking. You can't spend 5 minutes in there because you freeze up. But it's just I was so happy. I was like, oh, man. Look at that. US Navy got hot here.

Raphael Harry [00:37:10]:
Wow. You guys are really inclusive. Man, I was just so happy. And my boy, like, you know, Irish beer? And that's what I thought about it. I was like, wait. The the the logo is the same as Guinness. Yeah. Oh.

Raphael Harry [00:37:23]:
Alright. There you go. Yeah. That's when it dawned on me. Like, all these years, I've been saying I've been claiming half as Nigerian. I'm like, oh. Oh, man.

Kwesi Foli [00:37:31]:
It was it was disappointment. So, anyway, yeah, people program is the and I'm really glad to to have been in that program because I made some good friends there and then fostered a community of black and brown people at that college. Because there were times where, yeah, you wouldn't see one, but you knew you had that safe space to go to and

Raphael Harry [00:37:48]:
Nice.

Kwesi Foli [00:37:49]:
And and be with other, other people in your community. So, yeah, that's the reason why I went.

Raphael Harry [00:37:56]:
So when you ended up in college, did you go to study one of the the big five that, you know, our our parents love us

Kwesi Foli [00:38:09]:
to go into? You know, so I always remember telling my papa that I wanted to do I wanted to study English. And he said, ah, Pamoina, you already speak English. And look, Rafael, if I'm being honest and and and and and they always say this. Alright. My mom will always say, look. You've never been my age, but I've been your age. So listen to what and, you know, we would always tell them, please. Uh-huh.

Kwesi Foli [00:38:44]:
But, yeah. English? Because, you know, there's been some, I've there's been some struggles. Yes. There's been some fights. Yes. And, you know, that STEM education was really good right now.

Raphael Harry [00:39:00]:
Yeah. I hear you.

Kwesi Foli [00:39:01]:
Science, technology, engineering, mathematics.

Raphael Harry [00:39:05]:
I hear you.

Kwesi Foli [00:39:06]:
And they and they they tried so hard. And at one point, I was considering going into law school, going to law school, and, I did, like, even, like, this pre college law program thing in Nebraska during the summer. But I if you get but, you know, and people always say, no. You like to argue, so you should be a lawyer. As if that's as if that's the only, requirements that are

Raphael Harry [00:39:29]:
necessary to be a lawyer. The reading parts.

Kwesi Foli [00:39:31]:
You know what I mean? Like, that's not that's not how that works. Anyway so but I am still, you know, grateful that, you know, that I went to college and I did because I've honestly especially what we've come to know about how the educational system works here and how, you know, much of a, you know, pyramid scheme it can be. Education is important.

Raphael Harry [00:39:55]:
Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:39:55]:
And what I've come to learn what I've come to realize is that I love to learn, but I don't necessarily love the institution of learning. And I think that's really been how my life has been like. I think I'm spiritual, but I do not like the institution of spirituality, which is religion.

Raphael Harry [00:40:14]:
Yeah. Do you

Kwesi Foli [00:40:15]:
see what I'm saying?

Raphael Harry [00:40:15]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [00:40:16]:
So whenever whenever something becomes commodified and and is is used with an agenda, that's when I, you know, not I I don't love it. And, and I think that's that that had always been my issue is that I like to read and I like to learn new things. But if I don't see how it's, you know, helping in my life or or they're telling us, hey, do this, do that. For some arbitrary reason, my mind kinda rebels against it. I don't know. Hence, the struggles in my life.

Raphael Harry [00:40:49]:
So Right. You you're not alone in the struggle. But I I can't I can't relate to that. However, I'm just gonna say this as a form of inspiration. Yeah. Just because you studied English doesn't mean, I've I've met somebody I've met somebody just before the pandemic at a networking event in the city, and she was like, you know, I, it was some event networking event, and she I forgot. She worked with one of them museums, one of the bigger museums. And after she had been going on about what she she she does, and I was like, wow.

Raphael Harry [00:41:30]:
That sounds interesting, which is more like inventory of some of, like, the pricier art stuff. Mhmm. And I was like, oh, what what did you study? I was like, oh, you don't really go to university to study what I do, but I studied English. Mhmm. And I was like, damn. You you get, like, a 6 figure you get a 6 figure for that when I study in English? It was more like, you know, just networking. She said it was networking. And I thought I should got the job that she has, and I was like, goddamn.

Raphael Harry [00:42:02]:
Like, oh, okay.

Kwesi Foli [00:42:03]:
Your job?

Raphael Harry [00:42:04]:
It's I don't even know what you call it, but Okay. It's more like to me, it sounded like inventory because I was like, I that sounds like one of the jobs I did in military. I have an inventory supply chain background, but she makes sure, like, the the most of the art stuff coming in. She has an inventory of it. It's in good condition, and she communicates with other, with art dealers, galleries, and all that. So that I guess that's where the English comes in. Sure. Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:42:34]:
Well, I guess, well, I'm like, I I can write too.

Kwesi Foli [00:42:36]:
Yeah. Yeah. But

Raphael Harry [00:42:37]:
okay. So it it didn't sound like

Kwesi Foli [00:42:41]:
I just I That's I

Raphael Harry [00:42:42]:
guess that's why she said I did not go to university for what I do. But when she you said you studied English, I know the whole group of us were there. We're just like, what?

Kwesi Foli [00:42:51]:
I think there are just some people like yourself that are just masterful at, networking, and I don't think I am. I think I'm I'm too awkward and I'm too, I can be too much in my brain sometimes to, you know, look at the bigger picture and, you know, just make connections.

Raphael Harry [00:43:08]:
And I also my my good friend, Scott. Uh-oh. Yeah. Yeah. He he he he does. So he went to Columbia, and we are once went to a job fair, and I I I spoke to he the type of job he was looking for, I I he he was doing something, and I walked around and I said, oh, he got that qualification. I spoke to one of the guys, and I brought him. So he didn't realize I already talked to the guy on his behalf, and he started, like, oh, we're talking, and the guy was like, you know what, man? You're lucky.

Raphael Harry [00:43:36]:
You should thank this guy that you you got friends like this guy. Just give me a rest of

Kwesi Foli [00:43:41]:
your day. So, Rafael, that's your way of saying that I've been over talking to

Raphael Harry [00:43:44]:
you in this podcast. Don't say yourself shut down.

Kwesi Foli [00:43:46]:
No. Just That's all.

Raphael Harry [00:43:47]:
That's all. Just believe. Yes. Believe. I've seen it I've seen it in you. You got it. So how do you think your diverse background as someone born in the US raised in Ghana and by the way, let me, let let me go back. I I also do that sometimes, dude.

Raphael Harry [00:44:05]:
I don't just think that, I kill it all the time. No. I think we all have I think a lot of us are creative genes. We got this. Sometimes we just overthink it. Yeah. But once yeah. I'm trying to do a better job of you know, once in a while, if somebody recognizes and says, hey.

Raphael Harry [00:44:20]:
I you I like what you're doing. No. Yeah. I'm like, hey. If you wanna give me the money, give me. I'll take it. That's it. Just go with that.

Raphael Harry [00:44:28]:
Don't don't start over thinking. I say, I don't know if I'm qualified. I'm like, there are too many scammers out there getting paid. I watched. I got got paid, and I'm like, goddamn. I'm doing something wrong.

Kwesi Foli [00:44:40]:
Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:44:40]:
You're too many scammers. So you deserve to get paid. I deserve to get paid. I will not scam anybody. Yeah. Oh, well, that's giving them good stuff.

Kwesi Foli [00:44:47]:
That's good. I'm glad that you're going against the Nigerian prince, austerity. So that's I'm

Raphael Harry [00:44:52]:
I'm I'm still okay to be a Nigerian prince. If you wanna give me money, I'll take it. There you go. Put it to a good cause

Kwesi Foli [00:44:58]:
There it is.

Raphael Harry [00:44:59]:
In your name.

Kwesi Foli [00:45:00]:
A good cause AKA my bank account.

Raphael Harry [00:45:02]:
Yes. We'll dedicate a school to be built in your name. Right. The school will be built in the future.

Kwesi Foli [00:45:09]:
As sometime.

Raphael Harry [00:45:10]:
There's a brother on online who said he's building a school. That. Many women give him money to doctor UMAR. Yes. I'm not seeing. Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:45:18]:
Yeah. I've I've heard of that guy too.

Raphael Harry [00:45:22]:
So how do you think your diverse background as someone born in the US, raised in Ghana, working in various creative fields has contributed to your unique voice in podcasting. Well, in the old creative genre. Like, what in in fact, let me rephrase that. How did your unique, background your diverse background leads to you embracing your creative side?

Kwesi Foli [00:45:53]:
I well, okay. I think first Because, you know, they're of course, I would love to say that I'm so special and but, you know, they're

Raphael Harry [00:46:01]:
You're very special.

Kwesi Foli [00:46:02]:
Yeah. Oh, thank you. But I think there are more there are a few people like me that also have that kind of background. But, I think what I've come to realize is to be thankful. I think that's really the difference. When I was younger, I I used to hate I used to hate myself with those kind of differences because when I was in Ghana, I didn't feel American or I didn't feel Ghanaian enough.

Raphael Harry [00:46:30]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [00:46:30]:
And then when I was here in in America, I didn't feel American enough. Mhmm. And I used to see that as a curse, that duality. And I and there were times when I would try to, you know, stomp one of those identities out instead. But as I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate those two identities. Because just as as much as I am a a Ghanaian, I am also an American. And he used and honestly, my the thing that my mom could use to just shut me off, she's like, see? Yeah. So I'm American now.

Kwesi Foli [00:47:05]:
Look at you. I'm so I'm weather and it it could be it could be anything.

Raphael Harry [00:47:10]:
Yes.

Kwesi Foli [00:47:10]:
The way I wear my shoes, the way that I and usually, it would be like if even if I hadn't a little if I just turned my eyes. Uh-huh. See? Yep. The disrespects. Look at you. You're so American. It used to kill me. But now now I've just come to appreciate those identities.

Kwesi Foli [00:47:29]:
So that's why I think that was one of the main reasons why I created my the the podcast, African time, because I I wanted to learn how to embrace different identities Mhmm. But still recognizing the differences. Okay. So, I mean, there are just so many examples, but just as, you know, hey. Then we might have fufu in Ghana. There's Ebuying, in Nigeria. I know I know even in in Jamaica, they have, which is like Swallow. Which is like kinky, like kind of the food.

Kwesi Foli [00:48:09]:
Oh. And but and and they pronounce it in a different way, but it's

Raphael Harry [00:48:13]:
still that. Whether that? Yeah. I just found out that Guineans have their own swallow too.

Kwesi Foli [00:48:18]:
Oh, okay.

Raphael Harry [00:48:19]:
Yeah. I went, I I stumbled on, on the opening day of Afcon. You know? A sister who I have to heat up, she had told us to go watch Avcon at a Congolese owned restaurant, Midtown. And Where is that? Yeah. She forgot to tell us that the restaurant opens at 5 o'clock, not,

Kwesi Foli [00:48:42]:
What's the name of the restaurant?

Raphael Harry [00:48:43]:
I forgot because Oh.

Kwesi Foli [00:48:44]:
It it it It wasn't

Raphael Harry [00:48:46]:
The time was wrong.

Kwesi Foli [00:48:47]:
Oh, okay. Okay. Last time

Raphael Harry [00:48:49]:
was 3 o'clock. Yeah. And we got there and it's inside it was inside I've gone into the hotel. It's inside one hotel. And, yeah, I was like, oh, man. Well, when is restaurant opening? There's nobody there. She was like, oh, they go open before the game. I was like, yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:49:02]:
It's inside a hotel. There's not one person hanging out here. The hotel staffs at, yeah, they open at 5. That's when somebody would show up. I was like, man, it's a setup. So there was a pub nearby. I had somebody with me who was a white guy. He he was like, oh, let's go in there.

Raphael Harry [00:49:21]:
So we're going there, acts at the pub. The guy looking at me like I'm speaking French, and I was just like, yeah. This guy's not gonna they're not gonna show the game here. They were showing all my, soccer matches, but the white guy is not trying to yell at him, man. I was already walking out. So as soon as I stepped out, I think we're on 25th or 35th Street. I just saw I noticed there are a lot of bicycles, like delivery bicycles. Oh, I just saw a little signpost saying, I think B and B West African buffet.

Raphael Harry [00:49:54]:
And I was like, in Midtown? It's not a just like a tourist area, business, financial. Very expensive West African buffet here. Yeah. So I stood at the door and looked inside. And, like, we're buffets. I said it's around. That's what it looked like. And somebody spoke French to me out there.

Raphael Harry [00:50:14]:
Like, I guess he was trying to go in, so I stepped aside. And I was like, I'm going in to my boys. I was like, you don't mind being the only white guy here. Right? He said, no. Oh, okay. Come on.

Kwesi Foli [00:50:23]:
Should never be a problem.

Raphael Harry [00:50:24]:
But yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:50:24]:
So yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:50:24]:
He he walked in because I I was gonna leave him. I was like, okay. Bye bye. Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:50:28]:
So I was gonna tell

Raphael Harry [00:50:29]:
him, I'm not I'm not going out with you. I wanna watch my game. It was like, 10 minutes to the start of the game. So, yeah, good luck. That's all. You go find where you watch the game. Yeah. So I went in.

Raphael Harry [00:50:39]:
There were all their TVs were on French inside, but the other one the one TV was not, showing the game yet. So I asked the guy, and he was like, well, you're gonna put the game on. So I thought it was gonna be in French, which I don't mind. But he put the game on English, and I was like, okay. After the game, I said, I'm getting food. I've only bought a drink. And when I checked the buffet, they had, like, there was stews and, like, there was peanut stew, which I I I knew was peanut stew, but there were some other stews that looked like, like, the kangkong, Afang soup, which, you know, the veg most of the vegetables, spinach style soups in Nigeria. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [00:51:15]:
Yeah. They had something similar to that. They had, like, the the fufu type, and I was like, But they don't have they didn't have labels for what the food would call. So I I just bought some stuff, and I went and tried it home. Tasted delicious. That's the first time I've seen because I've been to other Ghanaian, Senegalese style buffets, and I never seen a swallow there. Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:51:35]:
So that

Raphael Harry [00:51:35]:
was the first time I was like, oh, wow. They they do have swallow. But I was like, why would they have swallow? Yeah. You know?

Kwesi Foli [00:51:41]:
So that's yeah. I'd I'd just like that, I'd you as and as of especially being in New York and coming across the people you do and you see all the the the ways that things are similar but different.

Raphael Harry [00:51:53]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [00:51:54]:
And I think, of course, I think in human nature or really amongst people in power, they they usually try to use our differences to divide us.

Raphael Harry [00:52:03]:
Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [00:52:04]:
Whereas I with my podcast and just my general, motto in life is to use those differences to unite us.

Raphael Harry [00:52:15]:
Hi, everyone. If you're new to the podcast or a returning listener and you enjoy what we are doing here, did you know that you could enjoy more of our content and also support our work via Patreon? For as little as $3 per month, you'll get access to loads of bonus content that you'll find nowhere. And be the first to the latest news. Don't miss out. Go to patreon.com/whitelabelamericanpod or just search for White Label American Podcast on Patreon, patre0n. You you also do video production. When did you how did you get into that? And can you walk us through your, creative process when producing a video from conception to final edit? Well, I

Kwesi Foli [00:53:08]:
guess it depends on what the the video is, but Like, I'm I'm not

Raphael Harry [00:53:13]:
in video production. I I don't really know anything about video production other than just I'm I'm done. Nosey guy nosey neighbor just peeping from outside the window. So

Kwesi Foli [00:53:23]:
So I I guess I'll

Raphael Harry [00:53:24]:
question is framed like that.

Kwesi Foli [00:53:26]:
When, when, African time was in its first iteration because I kinda started it a little bit after, college, which is now 10 years ago.

Raphael Harry [00:53:36]:
Oh, wow.

Kwesi Foli [00:53:37]:
It used to be, we we actually wanted to make African Time into a movie. So we would interview different people

Raphael Harry [00:53:44]:
Okay.

Kwesi Foli [00:53:45]:
That I knew, and we would have different, topics and conversations for them. Eventually, we decided that it would become a web series because then we could chop up the talking because it was like a talking ad interview. And then we can chop up the the different ones and and have them be like that. So I've kinda learned how to use final cut. Not really. I'm not I'm I'm by no means an expert at it, but I had a friend of mine that helped that did more of the video stuff. So, this is all to say you can be a videographer just like a director. It's not necessarily like the cinematographer or the guy that is checking.

Kwesi Foli [00:54:30]:
It's just about imparting your vision or what you want to be to be done. And I guess you have to be really good at delegation. So, like, knowing how to delegate certain tasks to certain people that can do the logistics and, you know, kinda because I personally, I do not yeah. I'd I'd like, I I I'm glad I have a very basic knowledge of final cut, but I don't I don't like to do it. So I'm very happy Come on. Paying other people to be like, hey. Could you cut it here? Could you cut it here? But I I think the the most important thing is just to know how to communicate what you want.

Raphael Harry [00:55:11]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [00:55:11]:
And, and how to get someone else to realize your vision.

Raphael Harry [00:55:16]:
Awesome. Okay. Remind me after this recording, there's there's an idea that, if you are interested, I might I might be looking for you know, I might I might come on board as a partner or you might whichever way. I might there's a potential partnership.

Kwesi Foli [00:55:32]:
I'm a fan of ideas.

Raphael Harry [00:55:33]:
It's tied to your original idea, your original plan for African time, I think. You already have the the title, so it could be you know, it could work with the the video aspect of it. But, yeah, just remind me after the recording.

Kwesi Foli [00:55:52]:
I got you.

Raphael Harry [00:55:53]:
So how has, you you you going back to writing, how has writing for different publications enriched your skills as a writer and a storyteller?

Kwesi Foli [00:56:07]:
That's a good question. It is important to what whatever task or whatever thing you're doing, it is important to do it. And I I know that sounds almost, you know, painfully elementary, but it's true. If you want to be good at something, you have to do it a lot. Oh. And, but I guess in my specific case, one, knowing it's it's a skill to know how to write for different publications because different publications prioritize different things.

Raphael Harry [00:56:42]:
Can you give an example?

Kwesi Foli [00:56:44]:
So for example, I wrote for The Undefeated about Shirley Chisholm. And, oh, actually, they're not called undefeated anymore. I think they're called Anscape, which is a very interesting name. But whatever. So I wrote for them, and they wanted it was, like, kind of a profile about Shirley Chisholm because it was in the wake of Hillary's announcement for president. And the basically, Hillary was trying to come off like she was the first woman to To to to run for president. And I was like, no. That's not true.

Kwesi Foli [00:57:23]:
So, and then, of course, people are shocked that of all people to do it, it's a black woman? Actually, not. I think about it. Netflix is coming out with an film called Shirley with Regina King, I think. And, anyway, Shirley Chisholm is someone that everyone should know because she was an amazing powerful man from, I mean, her parents are from Barbados, but she's from New York. Anyway, but they wanted me to do it in, like, a profile style, interview people. So, you know, that's and, you know, there were just certain editorial choices that they wanted versus a place like HuffPost, which I wrote more like op ed, like opinion pieces, and doing that. And then New York Times, which is kind of a mix of both because for the times I wrote about, these guys that, what are they called? Everyday people or everyday Africa. Anyway, they they took pictures of they would just take pictures of Africans doing everyday things because apparently, it is a revolutionary idea that Africans aren't just interested in famine, disease, and war, and poverty, or something like that.

Kwesi Foli [00:58:34]:
They just took pictures of people doing regular stuff and people are like, oh my god. Anyway, so I interviewed those guys and things. So you get to learn how different editors work and what people want and and, and then depending on the topic Mhmm. You also get to learn how to kind of, change your voice. So for example, for a a publication like Nerdist, which has to do with, like, Marvel and DC and things like that. I'm not going to write in a very, I don't know, didactic and very, straightforward way. There'll be, you know, put a little humor, put a little some little jokes in there.

Raphael Harry [00:59:18]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [00:59:19]:
But on the same token, I wouldn't write that way for, you know, for for the times because the times has a very specific way that they want to communicate to their audience. So all of that is to say it'll it allowed me to know how to adapt to different situations. And then once you do that with writing because I believe writing is the base for everything, whether you're talking about movies, TV. Yeah. It always starts on the page.

Raphael Harry [00:59:48]:
On the page.

Kwesi Foli [00:59:48]:
Even though these execs and these people try to, invalidate or try to downplay the importance of writing. Writing is where everything starts.

Raphael Harry [00:59:59]:
True.

Kwesi Foli [00:59:59]:
You know, you wanna shoot something, you wanna do, any kind of create, that's cool, but it's always writing that is the beginning. It's always the basis, the fundamental.

Raphael Harry [01:00:10]:
I I agree with you there. So

Kwesi Foli [01:00:12]:
Just saying.

Raphael Harry [01:00:14]:
What would you what would your advice be to someone who, at one point in time, used to be able to write a lot? Well, mostly about soccer and sometimes social commentary. Mhmm. I wouldn't recommend a social commentary back then. It wasn't, he was on a different maybe he was on the red pill back then. But let's we won't worry about that. Right. People will evolve over time. You know? But, the person seemed to just one day lost the ability to to type.

Raphael Harry [01:00:52]:
Uh-oh. Not just type, but just just couldn't, you know, try to write, and it's just like, ah, it's not working. Ah, it's not working. Ah, it's not working. And since then, it's been difficult to just write consistently. So if the person is like, I wanna write. I wanna write. I wanna write.

Raphael Harry [01:01:07]:
And it's like this. Ideas are so many things. The person is trying to get back to writing. What would you how would you, you know, what would you tell that person?

Kwesi Foli [01:01:20]:
First, don't listen to me. But just kidding. What advice do you you failed right. Anyway, I'm just kidding.

Raphael Harry [01:01:30]:
Welcome to my family.

Kwesi Foli [01:01:32]:
Be seeing that self deprecation is a way of me analyzing, processing, my trauma. Anyway, the the thing that I think of is so when I was younger, I used to write a lot of poetry. Mhmm. And my papa my papa is a very, like he's he's a man of a particular generation that saw it from Ghana and of of a very certain era that kept all emotions heavily bottled in. Yeah. And was just about results, results, results. Now I can understand why, especially when you're moving from, you know, your place in Ghana and you come to a country and you have to support that there isn't a lot of time for, you know, creativity and any of that stuff. But he's a very business-minded and very, straight-laced kind of guy.

Kwesi Foli [01:02:32]:
But they saw he saw that I had a talent for poetry and, you know, I had one, like, a writing thing, and I'd got into our, like, local magazine. So one day, he just I think before he went to work or something like that, he was like, hey. Yeah. I want you to write a poem. I was like, write about what? Don't, write write about poverty. Just write it.

Raphael Harry [01:02:59]:
Oh, wow.

Kwesi Foli [01:03:00]:
And, yeah, and I was, you know, there. And I was like, what? 12? 13? Whatever. So I wrote something, and he comes and he comes back and he sees it and he's like, what is this? I was like, Papa, you asked me to just write, that's not how it works. And he was like, what do you mean? You you you are right, I just write. And, of course, back then, you know, I didn't have the way to articulate what I was trying to say. But and I say this, and or I've I've thought this a lot. The way to start writing is or at least for me, so I'll speak for me specifically, is to have some sort of inspiration. That's why I wasn't able to really write about poverty or something like that because there was no truth or there was nothing in me that wanted to write about that.

Kwesi Foli [01:03:57]:
Mhmm. So I I I believe that when you are ready to write or when you will write, you will write. And if you're not ready to write, then you won't. Now if it's coming from a place of fear or it's coming of a of a place of insecurity as in, oh, these words, then that's a different thing. And I think in that with that, I think it's just best to to just write. And then eventually, those words will start spilling and then it would be like a waterfall. But if it but for me, it's just about inspiration. What inspires you? What what is it that you want to communicate? And, of course, I've and most of the time, at least when it comes with me, I write what I want to write about.

Kwesi Foli [01:04:46]:
And then the fine tuning and the editing and the pitching comes when you wanted to, you know, disseminate that to the masses. But I think in the beginning, it's important for you to just do what you want to do and to just start writing. And then after that, you can figure out because until the there's any words on the page, that's what writer's block that's what they refer to. Writer's block is not actually just writing. It's just you not write you not putting anything on the page. So my suggestion is to just start there. Just start writing whatever. And then before you know it, that inspiration or that feeling will start to come.

Raphael Harry [01:05:29]:
And he said, don't listen to him.

Kwesi Foli [01:05:32]:
I mean what what is it? Man of contradiction. So What's the

Raphael Harry [01:05:35]:
TED talk he gave here? What a TED talk. Are you sure you haven't given TED talks before?

Kwesi Foli [01:05:40]:
I have not. We we don't wanna do that.

Raphael Harry [01:05:42]:
We need to go give it more. So let's step away from writing and creating. Let's come to, oh, before I I come to that, there's,

Kwesi Foli [01:05:52]:
Yes, sir.

Raphael Harry [01:05:53]:
You're a basketball lover? Yes. Who's your basketball team?

Kwesi Foli [01:05:58]:
The boys.

Raphael Harry [01:05:58]:
College or professional? Oh, no.

Kwesi Foli [01:06:00]:
No. No. I do not care for college, and I know people it's it was so annoying, especially in college, you know, like, oh, college, they play with heart. They play with such of it. Yes. I don't care about that. I really I I truly

Raphael Harry [01:06:15]:
And if you are mad that I said that, first go and buy my merch. I complain. Donate. We accept donations. You know, you're not the type of donations I accept. The donate button is on the website. There you go. That.

Kwesi Foli [01:06:27]:
Yeah. I I don't care for that. I I don't care. I the the the NBA is the best basketball league. These are true professionals that do things that you've never seen before and I cannot hope to do because those are the best of the best. I don't care how much heart or how much spunk or moxie or whatever word you want with these college kids. I'd it doesn't matter. Now when I went to UW, yes, I cared a little bit.

Kwesi Foli [01:06:52]:
But once you leave, I I'm not really interested in that. And I if I'm being honest, there's just a twinge, a little racist twinge when they talk about Oh, yeah. The NBA versus college, when

Raphael Harry [01:07:06]:
they start using those when it comes to that college.

Kwesi Foli [01:07:09]:
Yeah. It means

Raphael Harry [01:07:10]:
I love them working for free. It's slavery too.

Kwesi Foli [01:07:13]:
Right. That kind of stuff. Yes.

Raphael Harry [01:07:14]:
Yeah. I hear that nonsense.

Kwesi Foli [01:07:16]:
So, but my my team is the Chicago Bulls.

Raphael Harry [01:07:19]:
Oh, Chicago Bulls.

Kwesi Foli [01:07:20]:
And and also just to be clear, it's not because of Michael Jordan. What? No. It's not. No.

Raphael Harry [01:07:25]:
You you you're you're the you're the die hard. You're you're you're legit bullfighter.

Kwesi Foli [01:07:31]:
Because it was actually after Jordan left, and I started becoming a, you know, and then Derrick Rose was kind of making his way through Simeon Rice, but it was around, you know, Luol Deng used to play for the Bulls.

Raphael Harry [01:07:44]:
That's true. Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [01:07:45]:
Ben Gordon play, you know, sharpshooter, Kirk Heinrich. Those are because they were just a really scrappy just, again, it's it was a place that was kind of languishing, and I love those kind of teams where it's just a lot of people that, that you might not know of or really think of, but were really trying their best. And then, of course, Derrick Rose came on the scene, And then Joaquin Noah and all those guys were playing, and they're just fun. So and they're they're kinda the same way now with DeRozan and, you know, LaVine is I don't know what's happening with him, but we had a really good chance to be really good last year because Lonzo Ball, Vucevic was there. LaVine, DeRozan. I mean, Kobe White is coming up. But, of course, then Le Ball got injured and then things kinda just fell by the way.

Raphael Harry [01:08:35]:
Ball's into getting injured.

Kwesi Foli [01:08:37]:
Yeah. But, you know, we're we're still there. And so, yeah, I'm a I'm a Bulls fan.

Raphael Harry [01:08:41]:
I'll keep it simple. I'm a LeBron fan. Anyway, he is, I'm there.

Kwesi Foli [01:08:45]:
I'm and I'm a LeBron fan even though my, admiration of him has kind of gone a little bit down because. But I should have known. Anytime anyone becomes a billionaire, you know, they have some other interests that, obviously, I can't really understand or comprehend.

Raphael Harry [01:09:05]:
I don't think I don't try to understand it. I'm just a LeBron fan of the question.

Kwesi Foli [01:09:10]:
That's fair. And that, I completely understand that.

Raphael Harry [01:09:14]:
To it's not my I'm not trying to I'm already bald, and, I don't I don't need the extra yeah. I I don't need to lose more stuff.

Kwesi Foli [01:09:21]:
That's right. So, yeah. I'm I'm a fan of LeBron James as well, but just

Raphael Harry [01:09:27]:
Alright. It's going down. The question I've been avoiding asking you all this time. Uh-oh. Have you recovered from Afcon 2023? No. No?

Kwesi Foli [01:09:41]:
No. Look. So, are we having so are we having the Black Stars conversation now?

Raphael Harry [01:09:47]:
Yeah. Yeah. That that of course.

Kwesi Foli [01:09:49]:
Of course. So what would you like to what would you like to know?

Raphael Harry [01:09:52]:
Because Okay. Before before we get into

Kwesi Foli [01:09:54]:
Yeah. There you go. Yes.

Raphael Harry [01:09:55]:
Well, let's let let me start from a happy place.

Kwesi Foli [01:09:57]:
See, I'm already getting allergic. Like, you know, my eyes are itching. I'm already feeling I'm already I'm feeling stressed. Alright. See?

Raphael Harry [01:10:07]:
Let let me let me let me let me start off let me let me land you softly. Okay. Okay. Yeah. What was your first Black Stars moment? Your your first, yeah, the first time you became a Black Stars fan, like the day you became a Black Stars supporter.

Kwesi Foli [01:10:27]:
I bet you believe.

Raphael Harry [01:10:28]:
Oh, that's and Way back.

Kwesi Foli [01:10:30]:
Yeah. Way back. I mean and and when I was young, you know, I didn't I wasn't really I don't really have memory, but I knew that he was one of the the the greatest soccer players and, oh, Ghana. Anyway, Yeah. You see? The the the energy is already coming down. Like, I I told you, like, once this starts happening, then I'm gonna but, so Abedi Pele was just one of these, you know, amazing, football players that's, you know, meant a lot. And, you know, back then, you know, there's the Zidane, there's the Ronaldo, there's a but, you know, when you're in Ghana and you have you have one that's, in my opinion, was on that Yeah. You know, on

Raphael Harry [01:11:17]:
He was.

Kwesi Foli [01:11:17]:
On that, level. He was great. So that's my as especially of a player

Raphael Harry [01:11:22]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [01:11:22]:
You know, or a black star. But, yeah, of course, when Ghana started really coming up with because we had our own kind of golden generation, if you wanna say, with, SCN and Kevin Prince Huateng and, Steven Appia

Raphael Harry [01:11:42]:
Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [01:11:43]:
And Samajohn. Like, all these these great

Raphael Harry [01:11:45]:
field was

Kwesi Foli [01:11:46]:
Right? All these great players, Kings Kingsley,

Raphael Harry [01:11:50]:
the ball team. Was just, 2010 midfield was

Kwesi Foli [01:11:53]:
So yeah. Ghana went and then, of course, there was this little, rivalry between the US and Ghana because we were always knocking them out. You remember?

Raphael Harry [01:12:02]:
It from yeah. I don't count that as rivalry. Right.

Kwesi Foli [01:12:06]:
Yeah. So I just never forgot my my, Sule, Sule Muntari. Sule Muntari. You know? So we we had a real squad. You know? And and then and 2010 was was just amazing. I mean, people were complaining about. I love them.

Raphael Harry [01:12:23]:
Man, get out of here.

Kwesi Foli [01:12:24]:
Time I heard it. I tell them, get out of

Raphael Harry [01:12:26]:
your diagnosis.

Kwesi Foli [01:12:28]:
I love it. Yeah. You know, only that it was, you know, was there. We're all cheering. And then and then we get to Uruguay, we get to Ghana, and every everyone in Africa is pulling for us. And we're in South Africa, the first one. 2010, we're about to do it. And then this cretinous, useless piece of Suarez.

Kwesi Foli [01:12:55]:
I I cannot He's coming to Miami. Good for him. He will probably bite somebody else's ear. Honestly, Suarez has almost become like a a curse word in in in like it's we just you every time you hear that guy's name, it just starts to make your ears bleed.

Raphael Harry [01:13:15]:
You know?

Kwesi Foli [01:13:15]:
Oh, man. That's how you know that that when Suarez did that, that's how you know that our enemies are prospering because of that guy. I'm really yeah. I'm a say that. Anyway, so and then, of course and then once that happened, it was just like a curse had come down, and then Ghana started going down. So then when we're in Brazil, we had the US scored on us within 50 seconds or something. Who lets that happen? And then I think at some point, we had to airlift money. We had then they kicked out, Prince and, one of or something like that.

Raphael Harry [01:13:52]:
Yeah. Prince and who got kicked out? Charlie. It's

Kwesi Foli [01:13:56]:
such a and I mean, if I'm going back to 2010, because I know I'm blaming a lot on, but I saw what John, how could how could you just how could you just you're you're a professional footballer. How do you just scale the whole thing like, just keep it on your foot. That's it. We would have been it it would have been done. Then we would have gone against, I think, the Netherlands or Yeah. It was Netherlands. Netherlands. Versus the United States.

Kwesi Foli [01:14:22]:
We would have had a chance.

Raphael Harry [01:14:23]:
Oh, yeah. You would.

Kwesi Foli [01:14:24]:
Because, look, Spain was that was the, you know, that was they, they, they were going to win. But then nevertheless, we would have, we had a chance. You could have beat them. See, you got my, my voice high now.

Raphael Harry [01:14:36]:
See? Look. I I I would say something controversial. It's always controversial. I don't think it's a Ghanaian, but, you know, I for me, I I after that game, I never got mad at Luis Suarez. It it was, I just I understood everything that happened. I supported Suarez, what he did. Yeah. I'm I was fine with him.

Kwesi Foli [01:14:58]:
I'm not responding to that. I don't know what else to

Raphael Harry [01:15:00]:
say. He did what he That is I expressed That is

Kwesi Foli [01:15:03]:
that is traitorous. But you're Well,

Raphael Harry [01:15:05]:
you gotta save your team. You took one for the team, but Who are you supporting? The Africa or I'm support I

Kwesi Foli [01:15:08]:
was supporting also Why would you like why

Raphael Harry [01:15:15]:
my sellers were mad at me. They're like, how can you be wearing United States Navy uniform, and you're not supporting USA right now? I said, my friend, get out here. You didn't you know how to play football. If basketball is different. You're not a play before boy. What are you talking about? Get out here.

Kwesi Foli [01:15:33]:
You Nigerians, you guys actually revel in our No. No. I'm not I got Ghana. Sorry. I understand.

Raphael Harry [01:15:38]:
That's why you're I got I got I got I got Ghanaian. Hey. I'm tired. My family ties is related to Ghana, so I can't I can't I'm I'm I don't. Look. Let me I'll make you happy. Senegal 92, semifinals. Nigeria against Ghana.

Raphael Harry [01:15:53]:
That's my first Afghan. You know, the whole house is, you know, we we we had the house that had one one of the few houses we generated on on our streets, and so most people came to watch the match at our house. And a lot of people came to watch the match at our house. And, my older brother was like, he came in. He doesn't like football, and he's like, what y'all doing? Who who's playing? He said, Nigerian. I says, You can see there. We're like, if it's if it's not madam son, the the the people the attacks, I would have been coming. And he just walked away.

Raphael Harry [01:16:31]:
But I was a kid, so I I couldn't say what I wanted. I was loud, but I was like, why why are we supporting? Why are we picking one side to win? I was okay with anybody winning. So when I drew a score, I was like, yeah. When score to tie the game, I was like, yeah. When, that allowed to score the winning goal, I was like inside me, I was like, yeah. I'm glad anybody's glad. I'm like, yeah. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:16:53]:
It was hey. We are winning. We should be winning because we had KK in the fridge. So I thought, yeah, I'm gonna eat KK. So, yeah. I'm I'm like that. So all these stuff people are doing now, like, when they're doing they're just attacking Ghanaians. I'm like, yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:17:10]:
I I can't be attacking because I'm from Ghana winning, but it's like both of them are facing each other. I can tell you who's gonna win. I can weigh both teams up and tell you who's better. Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [01:17:21]:
But that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about Uruguay Yeah. Foreign invaders on African soil. No. No. No. Ghana.

Raphael Harry [01:17:28]:
If you do the history of football, Uruguay I

Kwesi Foli [01:17:32]:
call them the first

Raphael Harry [01:17:33]:
bring black players to the World Cup. So I always respect Uruguay because they forced Brazil to even start including black players in the national team. So I have a soft spot for

Kwesi Foli [01:17:41]:
Uruguay was the first to do that?

Raphael Harry [01:17:43]:
Yes. They were the first. They did. They brought black players to World Cup before Brazil.

Kwesi Foli [01:17:48]:
So before Pele?

Raphael Harry [01:17:49]:
That was bra that's how Brazil that led to Brazil.

Kwesi Foli [01:17:54]:
That's the, I did not know that. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:17:56]:
So it's part of the, you know but I I trust me, I was frustrated with Suarez doing that, but I understood at the same time. But, our man, changed his style of penalties for that last minute kick, and he struck the post. And I was like, dang it. It would I mean, we because we Ghana could have won the game still.

Kwesi Foli [01:18:17]:
That's what I'm saying. Yeah. And we had, we would have been the 1st

Raphael Harry [01:18:21]:
African team in the last mile. The most annoying one for me was this last walk up where Ghana spent the whole time talking about revenge against Uruguay. I'm like, why are you wasting your time? Uruguay wasn't talking about that. Just go go get your wheel. They they lost woefully, and I'm like, that's more painful. So but I I don't I don't want to it's not a matter of rubbing it in.

Kwesi Foli [01:18:44]:
But That's oh, that's this is not a problem. That's not what you were doing.

Raphael Harry [01:18:47]:
No. No. No. I'm not doing that like that. My my my own issue right now is, to you, what is the solution for your Black Stars? Because Black Stars, when I started following AFCON, Black Stars were the most successful African team in in, Africa when when it came to winning Nations Cup. And then Egypt caught up to them, and then Egypt overtook them. And then now Egypt is way ahead, and the Cameroon has overtaken Ghana. And if Nigeria had won this last one, Nigeria would have caught up to Ghana.

Raphael Harry [01:19:19]:
So you have Nigerian now behind Ghana. So what would you like to see for your black stars right now? Because now they are there's some soul searching. There's gonna be a new coach. Do you want, your white European coming in, or do you want somebody from Brazil coaching, or do you what what do you what do you think the solution is?

Kwesi Foli [01:19:39]:
I think as is the case with a lot of things when it comes to Africa is to believe in our way of doing things and our way of of of winning. Everyone so and I think of the French winning the last World Cup or no. Oh, 2 World Cups. 2 World Cups back. Right? And, of course, there were the jokes of, oh, it looks like Africa won the World Cup because and, I mean, when you look at that team, Kante, Pogba, Koma, whoever you wanna go down the list. Right? They all have their background in Africa.

Raphael Harry [01:20:21]:
Same as 98 Squad. It's exactly.

Kwesi Foli [01:20:23]:
You know? Even the great Sudan. Even him. Right? I mean, of course, French people didn't start calling him Algeria until the head, but whatever. That's a that's a different one. But I think that's one of the most important things is to retain our youth and retain our our players. Now, of course, I understand. If you are you know, you're born in London to Ghanaian parents or born in to Nigerian ones and you are you have the chance to make it on the squad. Even though, as we know about England, there are chances.

Kwesi Foli [01:20:57]:
Who knows? But you get better better equipment, better money. I understand that. But I think there is something really powerful about playing for your own squad or for your own national team. And that's why I think football is the is really the greatest sport in the world because it is that perfect combination of of not not nationalism because that is that is an exclusionary and xenophobic way of thinking. It's about patriotism, of loving of everything that you love about your country and wanting to do well for them. And, also, you know, believing in a in a certain pride and joy when it comes to your your nation. So I I think that's really the first thing God I can do is to retain and to and and and to do well by their players. Again, I know they're competing against, you know, world powers, whether they be England, France, wherever.

Kwesi Foli [01:22:03]:
But there has to be a real way of pulling and I guess I am even speaking of Nigeria as well. Like, wouldn't you love if Bukayo Saka could play for Nigeria?

Raphael Harry [01:22:16]:
I could. But if Nigeria

Kwesi Foli [01:22:18]:
would know.

Raphael Harry [01:22:18]:
But if

Kwesi Foli [01:22:18]:
but and right. And that that's that's why I'm saying that they have to, you know, get the best recruiters and just say that, hey, this is your homeland. Mario Balotelli is one of the biggest not disappointment as in because I understand that what happened with his family and how they they kinda let him go. But that's what I mean. Like, Ghana should have done everything in their power. Maybe they'd And may maybe there's a story there that I don't know of, but should have done everything in their power to say, hey. We understand your your your father and your mother didn't do right by you. They and you feel Italian, but, tell me, you're one of us.

Kwesi Foli [01:22:58]:
Mhmm. You're you're you're Ghanaian.

Raphael Harry [01:23:00]:
That's right.

Kwesi Foli [01:23:01]:
You know? And that's what I I hope that Ghana and really all these countries in Africa can do. Again, it's a tall order to fight against, you know, those colonial powers. But I I think I mean, that's why I think South America has, you know, has had their success because even though they're, you know, they go to play on their club teams, they make sure to get all of those people back. Oh. And they make sure to get all of their their best players onto their team. Right? So you don't find Lionel Messi. And trust me, the any team would make the papers and everything work If they're like, hey, you could play for Spain. You could play for Italy or something like that.

Kwesi Foli [01:23:45]:
That's that's

Raphael Harry [01:23:46]:
what I'm asking. I hear you on that. However, there's a there's a caveat there. The one thing that's always missing, and I I I tell people to always look pay attention to the African countries that are doing it right because it's not like the African countries are doing it right. Morocco, South Africa, even Tanzania has been doing something. They've started the the hard work. There's the long term goal, and there's a short term goal. The Nigerians and the the Nigeria, Ghana, even Senegal is doing the opposite, but it's more of the focusing on the Europe talent than the back home talent back home.

Raphael Harry [01:24:25]:
Mali also in that category. Yeah. I think that's the problem with where the Ghana and Nigeria are now because they started focusing on only people outside of home. You need to build something at home. So Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, they have, like, the strongest leagues on the continent. Mhmm. You can't be competing if you don't have something strong at home. So there are some kids who get rejected.

Raphael Harry [01:24:53]:
Like, they reach out to like, Morocco has one of the best recruiting in Africa. Like, Morocco gets players from, like, the kid in Barcelona right now who chose Spain. Morocco hasn't wasted their time. They moved to the one. Like, Brian Diaz, I think there's rumors that he's gonna sign with he's gonna move to Morocco. He's he'll play for Morocco. They already they they get them. They get them.

Raphael Harry [01:25:11]:
They're moving like that. They go like that quickly. But doesn't mean Morocco skips over players from their league. Mhmm. Doesn't mean they skip over. Morocco is playing in all African leagues. They had players from Egypt when they went to the semifinal. Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [01:25:24]:
There's Murukans in South Africa. That that's what they don't say, oh, because we are going after players born in Europe, we skip over those at home. Mhmm. Ghana doesn't consider players at home. Nigeria doesn't even care about players at home. The the Nigerian League is dead, completely dead. But you find Nigeria's everywhere. And if you don't establish at home and that's what South America has always had.

Raphael Harry [01:25:48]:
They have their leagues at home. They always build their legs at home. Messi, it was poverty. That's what Basma used to get him because they paid for that surgery. It was a risk, and it it worked out and but if they hadn't paid for that surgery, he wouldn't he would have been playing Argentina league. Mhmm. So there was still a cushion there. So for Argentina club, I chose him to pay for that surgery.

Kwesi Foli [01:26:14]:
But right. And but he still decided to play for Argentina. Yeah. Right?

Raphael Harry [01:26:18]:
But there there was but there are still some that he could go back to in Argentina. So that that's why it's like, you know, South America already has their leagues still going for them. So I I think that's where we miss the the because, like, now Senegal is just raise kids, sell them to Europe, raise kids, but where is the league? They have talent, but where's the league? Mhmm. You know, they have Senegalese clubs challenging on the continent. Yeah. But they have the youth teams.

Kwesi Foli [01:26:44]:
And that's why that's why I pointed out that, yes, they they have a tall order.

Raphael Harry [01:26:48]:
Mhmm.

Kwesi Foli [01:26:49]:
You know, playing teams like or going against clubs because, hey, there's money, there's infrastructure, there's

Raphael Harry [01:26:55]:
Yeah. But you gotta do what Morocco is doing because Morocco doesn't just do it for men only. There are men and women. Now Moroccan women's league is attracting players from Ghana and Nigeria. So let's say Ghanaian International talk about when she left Ghana and she came to Morocco, and she's like, wow. This is this is like playing in Europe. Everything here is good. Everything is like, wow.

Raphael Harry [01:27:15]:
Ghana didn't their women football doesn't have anything. And I'm like, this is that's the problem. You have to as the we we don't you don't have to pay like Europe. Mhmm. You you can start laying the foundations. And once you start laying all these things, when you start reaching out to say, hey. Choose Ghana. Don't choose England.

Raphael Harry [01:27:34]:
Mhmm. You have when people look like, oh, what do you have at home? They see that, oh, it's not just because now they don't have to feel like I'm too big. You you you see that you are competing with somebody. It raises the competition level. But now it feels like, oh, you need me. I'm too important. Without me, you you can't survive. Then it changes the level.

Raphael Harry [01:27:55]:
Because if the person start raises their shoulder too high, then you go, okay. Bye. That's what Morocco does. Morocco doesn't waste time on you. They're not begging you. Like, okay. You want you say you don't wanna play for us. That's fine.

Raphael Harry [01:28:04]:
But we have this we have a structure. We have you see their team. You're like, oh, man, I wanna be part of this team. You start reaching out to them like, hey. Yeah. Spain Spain is calling me or whatever. I wanna play for you. Hakimi could have played for Spain, but he reached out to Morocco

Kwesi Foli [01:28:19]:
I like that.

Raphael Harry [01:28:19]:
And said, I wanna play for you guys. I was born in Madrid, but I wanna play for the country my parents came from. And that you have to start setting up stuff. You have to show them that I have something what's attracting the talent. Otherwise, they're gonna you have to do extra preaching to say, oh, we have the name. Did something in the sixties. Okay. But what are you doing now? Mhmm.

Raphael Harry [01:28:43]:
Well, right now, what are you doing? Yeah. But did stuff in the sixties. Okay. Yes. But what are you doing right now? Yeah. But we did stuff in the sixties, all Africa yeah. Yeah. But right now, yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:28:53]:
Yeah. My my guy.

Kwesi Foli [01:28:55]:
You know, I think I think I mean, Ghana obviously was doing something correct correctly because of the way that we performed in the past

Raphael Harry [01:29:02]:
In the past. Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [01:29:03]:
The past. So Yeah. I think we just need to get

Raphael Harry [01:29:06]:
Daniel Club should be challenging. South African clubs should be challenging, but you see, South Africa can't rely on it. Because their biggest international star, they claim it was mental health, and I'm not saying that wasn't true or not, but we don't really know. And traffic couldn't say, oh, the whole country will stop. No. They're okay. If you say you have an issue, you don't come to Afcon. That's fine.

Raphael Harry [01:29:30]:
Did they miss him? Probably, yes. Because they need a striker like that. But they were fine.

Kwesi Foli [01:29:36]:
Who is Vic,

Raphael Harry [01:29:37]:
Lyle Foster.

Kwesi Foli [01:29:38]:
Lyle okay. Got it.

Raphael Harry [01:29:39]:
So they were, like, fine. If you say you need to take care of your head, but he was playing in the Premier League during the AFCON. Wow. And they but they have built something. They have built a structure. So they just they they came out with local players. Everybody's like, look at look at look at players. People are just screaming.

Raphael Harry [01:29:55]:
I'm like, yeah. Tunisia came local players, didn't succeed. Sometimes you won't succeed. But you have to believe in what you got. Mhmm. Go with it. Mhmm. Don't just it might fail, but but when you succeed, everybody's gonna be like, wow.

Raphael Harry [01:30:11]:
Egypt, the 7 times they've won with the majority European based stars. No. Their biggest stars, No. The wish is to be like him now. Right? So yeah. So that that's all I would say, but we need to start wrapping up. You've given me a lot of your time. That's what happens when I that's why I try not to bring up soccer.

Raphael Harry [01:30:30]:
Yeah. But, you know so that's why as I said, I I wasn't trying to, make fun of black stars because it's it relates to the whole continent, most of our teams. Because there are a few teams doing the right thing right now. Mauritania, shout out to them. They use the FIFA grant money that all the federations have been getting. Mauritania actually build stuff with it. You are seeing the team. It's beginning to 10 years ago, they started.

Raphael Harry [01:30:55]:
Okay. Seeing the results coming out now. Started 10 years ago. Comoros, they started around the same time. So there are some smaller Yeah. Trust me. Teams that they're not challenging.

Kwesi Foli [01:31:03]:
We know Comoros very well.

Raphael Harry [01:31:06]:
Madagascar. Well. There's Angola. So there are teams that are coming, but it takes time. There's always a short term, which you can just gather the big bigger names from Europe and win right away, or you can do the long term like Morocco did. And when they achieved that, the World Cup, the whole continent benefited from it.

Kwesi Foli [01:31:23]:
Of course.

Raphael Harry [01:31:24]:
So yeah. But, we we all benefit. So, everybody who's been on this podcast is considered a dancer. You can claim you don't dance, but I will we've we've heard you've already confessed. So, yeah, it's too late for that. Okay. So we need you to give us 3 artists that can keep you dancing for an hour. We don't need to stand up and dance.

Raphael Harry [01:31:47]:
We just need you to give us 3 artists that can keep you dancing. 3 artists. Well, I know. Now you can't come and start naming the the the the most popular names. But if you name, if you give us that song, I am a shorty, one. That's alright. You know? You know? If you don't know that song, you know Yeah. People be like, what? You know? That's, it's a classic.

Raphael Harry [01:32:08]:
Wow.

Kwesi Foli [01:32:08]:
That's a yeah. I did not expect

Raphael Harry [01:32:11]:
I did

Kwesi Foli [01:32:11]:
not expect you to say that.

Raphael Harry [01:32:13]:
Oh, absolutely. Surprises, man. Yeah. Alright. And my shorty,

Kwesi Foli [01:32:18]:
1. I want. I want.

Raphael Harry [01:32:19]:
That was I'm like the beyonder. Oh, very good.

Kwesi Foli [01:32:23]:
See, we didn't even get into nerd stuff. Okay.

Raphael Harry [01:32:25]:
Yeah. Yeah. I have to save that for the next one.

Kwesi Foli [01:32:28]:
Okay. 3 songs. Oh, 3 artists. Artists. Oh. Oh, that's

Raphael Harry [01:32:34]:
easy. At least 3.

Kwesi Foli [01:32:35]:
Okay. At least 3. Have you

Raphael Harry [01:32:38]:
ever heard of, Jeduble Ambole? Oh, name sounds familiar, but I'm not sure.

Kwesi Foli [01:32:45]:
You know, he's, someone not anyway. Is that the iLive? ILive guy. Yeah. Okay. I probably have. Yeah. Jedu Jedu, g y e d u, Ble Ambole. Highlife King.

Kwesi Foli [01:33:01]:
Yeah. He's great. So, yes, he could keep me dancing for a while. Okay. Let's see. Diana Ross?

Raphael Harry [01:33:12]:
What Where's the buzzer? Buzz? That that that's that's amongst the most popular names.

Kwesi Foli [01:33:17]:
That's a that's considered a popular name? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's fair.

Raphael Harry [01:33:20]:
She's she's legendary right there. Okay.

Kwesi Foli [01:33:22]:
But, okay. So AKA people you people you don't know. That's what you mean? Because if you said that in Ghana I I know.

Raphael Harry [01:33:32]:
I don't know. I don't know. And we

Kwesi Foli [01:33:33]:
would know.

Raphael Harry [01:33:34]:
People in the audience won't know.

Kwesi Foli [01:33:37]:
Okay.

Raphael Harry [01:33:40]:
I think somebody has mentioned Diana Ross before too.

Kwesi Foli [01:33:43]:
Okay. That's fair. Okay. So let me see.

Raphael Harry [01:33:49]:
No. I don't I don't think we've gotten Ghanaian, women musicians before. So yeah. A man getting all the

Kwesi Foli [01:33:59]:
Mizbelle. Mizbelle. Mizbelle, m z b e l. I'd be 16 years. I Oh. Be like this. So if you tap on Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:34:10]:
The edges. Golly.

Kwesi Foli [01:34:14]:
So miss Bell, yeah, she's she's got some great ones.

Raphael Harry [01:34:17]:
I think I I think I was in Nigeria under. Oh, see. So you

Kwesi Foli [01:34:22]:
guys like to just take every Charlie, let us have a you know?

Raphael Harry [01:34:27]:
That's not me.

Kwesi Foli [01:34:28]:
It was me.

Raphael Harry [01:34:28]:
I was enjoying the song.

Kwesi Foli [01:34:31]:
So there's there's one. And then okay. Yeah. If I'll just keep it together. No. No. Actually, let me go to Kofiolomide.

Raphael Harry [01:34:40]:
Kofiolomide. Oh, well, that that that is cheating right there. That is cheating right there. How? But,

Kwesi Foli [01:34:46]:
that was a cheating.

Raphael Harry [01:34:47]:
That that's a legend. That's a that's a popular That's a popular That's

Kwesi Foli [01:34:49]:
a popular

Raphael Harry [01:34:50]:
I love Kofiolomi.

Kwesi Foli [01:34:51]:
But here's the thing. I when it comes to so I admit, especially African genres is highlife Mhmm. Because but then the next one is. So if not that, extra Musica.

Raphael Harry [01:35:03]:
If not that Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [01:35:04]:
Yeah. Extra Musica.

Raphael Harry [01:35:06]:
I got I got them on my my favorite playlist.

Kwesi Foli [01:35:10]:
If not that, JP in in Vienna if not that one, extra musica. If not trust me. Congo, the Congo. Man. Congo is it, man.

Raphael Harry [01:35:23]:
Congo is it. That that they were the guys that brought me into music. Yes.

Kwesi Foli [01:35:28]:
All of that. Hey. So trust me. Hey. That's my that's the right next to Highlife is that one. Yeah. You know what?

Raphael Harry [01:35:35]:
I'll let I'll I'll keep them on. I'll let I'll keep that guy. And Congo Congo has a soft spot in my heart.

Kwesi Foli [01:35:39]:
That's the there you go. Yes. Especially concerning what's going on.

Raphael Harry [01:35:43]:
My my late uncle on Sundays will be like, you know, put put something on. Put something on. I'll say, you know, help help that from church. You know, put them go put them on slow jams. Yeah. Like, man, we we without put church they've heard church music already in church. What are you people still playing? One hour of church music. Put something on.

Raphael Harry [01:35:58]:
His wife will put on Elton John. Oh. You know, black that's how I knew that all this homophobic talk. Yeah. It's only when they want to be homophobic. They'll be homophobic. Right. The guy blah.

Raphael Harry [01:36:08]:
Okay. One hour pass. We have here all this slow music. Put hot something.

Kwesi Foli [01:36:12]:
Hot something. I said,

Raphael Harry [01:36:12]:
okay. Uncle, what do you want? That that that you want something that will be shaking something like, I willow. Or that they want Willow. Give me that coffee. Yes. I say, on Sunday Yeah. I thought Sunday is one of the everybody before me, good neighbor. I'll be playing George Tong from from 12 to 6, 7 PM.

Raphael Harry [01:36:29]:
No. This man will be like, man, until his pastor came to visit one evening, and his son quickly took off the Yeah. The DVD. He said, what what are you doing? I will slap you. He said, shh, pastor, it's outside. Oh, oh, good boy. Alright. So you've lived in Ghana, Wisconsin, visited other places When it comes to your go to cuisine, do you stick to your swallow from Ghana or is there something else that you go to? You'll betray somewhere else.

Raphael Harry [01:37:10]:
Do you you'll be are you gonna betray somebody and tell me what's your favorite cuisine, your

Kwesi Foli [01:37:14]:
favorite cuisine? I I have to shout out Accra Restaurant. Right? Okay. Accra Restaurant in Harlem. Okay. It's on 125th and somewhere on the east side because they they but they also have our papaya and another Papaya is my own. Ah, okay.

Raphael Harry [01:37:29]:
Yeah. Wait. That's In the Bronx. Yeah.

Kwesi Foli [01:37:32]:
But it's not Nigeria.

Raphael Harry [01:37:33]:
Yeah. It's

Kwesi Foli [01:37:34]:
Ghanaian. Okay. Okay. Okay. I just wanted to make sure But I I had to be you know, you you guys sometimes, we like to come out come and dance, you know, take some stuff.

Raphael Harry [01:37:43]:
After your oh, it's all you get about me. You're still you're still adding me to the people will be claiming everything. I eat everything, man. So Number 1, my favorite swallow is right there.

Kwesi Foli [01:37:52]:
There you go.

Raphael Harry [01:37:52]:
Right here. So, it's a long journey. So

Kwesi Foli [01:37:55]:
they yeah. That's true. So they're, they're peanut butter soup.

Raphael Harry [01:38:00]:
Oh, that you call groundnut. Okay. Yeah. For free yeah.

Kwesi Foli [01:38:04]:
Peanut butter soup with the with the fufu is top notch and the mixed meats.

Raphael Harry [01:38:10]:
Oh, so you so you you prefer mixed meat to goat meat?

Kwesi Foli [01:38:14]:
Mixed meat. Yeah. Okay. Because I like to have the different, you know hey. Let's see. Mhmm. That one is a I'm already I'm already salivating. I'm already thinking.

Raphael Harry [01:38:24]:
Is there it's the right weather. It's the right weather. See, I might I might just end up cooking that too. I don't know. Hey. I I just got my butcher. I said, give me some

Kwesi Foli [01:38:32]:
There you go. That's it. You know? And that's a beautiful that's a beautiful thing. You you don't see, that's why people don't understand there's light soup. There's pepper soup.

Raphael Harry [01:38:41]:
Light soup.

Kwesi Foli [01:38:42]:
You know, okro soup. There's soups. Mhmm. We have the soups. But here, chicken noodles. Anyway

Raphael Harry [01:38:50]:
Don't discriminate like that, man. Come on. Come on. I I I still do that too. That's fine.

Kwesi Foli [01:38:56]:
But ours are that's all I'm saying. Ours are better. I'm just saying.

Raphael Harry [01:38:59]:
Okay. White

Kwesi Foli [01:38:59]:
soup. Even the Nigerian

Raphael Harry [01:39:01]:
The the views are the views soup. Are the views of white people Americans. That's right. It's it's okay.

Kwesi Foli [01:39:07]:
I mean, all these things.

Raphael Harry [01:39:09]:
You see, I I was being nice to him when he was crying about Blackstar. You you see?

Kwesi Foli [01:39:15]:
The tears were being shed. It's fine.

Raphael Harry [01:39:17]:
See all these people. Anyway, my brother, how you say thank you, you know, you know, in your language? Or. Ape. Ape. Okay. That because the first one sound like Nissan.

Kwesi Foli [01:39:32]:
Yeah. Like, I

Raphael Harry [01:39:33]:
I I But, yeah, I know. Nissan. Ape?

Kwesi Foli [01:39:35]:
Uh-huh. Okay. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:39:36]:
So for coming here and, spending time with me.

Kwesi Foli [01:39:41]:
This is fantastic.

Raphael Harry [01:39:43]:
Yeah. This, Yeah. This this this was this was great. We gotta we gotta do a part 2. Okay. Yeah. One of these days.

Kwesi Foli [01:39:48]:
So that can definitely happen. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [01:39:50]:
So final question, what would you like to leave the audience with? Your freestyle moment?

Kwesi Foli [01:39:55]:
Freestyle moment. Yeah. Yeah. Hi. I'm Quacy Foley. As he already said, please check out my, podcast, African time. The podcast is streaming now. You it the our social media, African Time pod altogether.

Kwesi Foli [01:40:14]:
And, we have we have, Instagram. We have the TikTok. And then on YouTube, it's the same thing. African Time Pod. African Time, the podcast. And, yeah, I think that's that's basically it.

Raphael Harry [01:40:28]:
Okay. I was gonna ask after that for plug-ins for you you

Kwesi Foli [01:40:31]:
Oh, okay. I just jumped right to it. That's how it's Black Stars work. We just we go right to the point. We get right to it. That works. That works. To the plug.

Raphael Harry [01:40:41]:
Alright. So appreciate everyone. Don't forget if you have, yeah, let us know. You enjoyed this, if you enjoyed this conversation, writing. Give us 5-star reviews on Apple or your podcasting platforms, and go check out my brother's podcast and support his podcast, please. And support him too so he can go visit, go for a year of return part 2 Oh. And give us more content. Awesome content.

Kwesi Foli [01:41:06]:
I might I might not return.

Raphael Harry [01:41:07]:
Oh, okay. Well, you can give us content from Ghana too. We are in the new age of, technology.

Kwesi Foli [01:41:13]:
You know? Relax.

Raphael Harry [01:41:13]:
Alright. Thank you. Thank you.

Kwesi Foli [01:41:15]:
That's a wrap. Bye.

Raphael Harry [01:41:25]:
Thanks for listening to White Label American. If you enjoy the show, please give a 5-star review on your favorite podcast app. You can follow the show on all social media platforms. Visit the White Label American website for links for donations, episodes, feedback, guests, merch, and newsletter. Don't forget to download the free White Label American app on the Google Play Store and Apple coming soon. Thank you for the privilege of your company.