PAY YOUR FRIEND$ with Cipha Sounds

21. Jay Z, Nas, Griselda & Pooh Sheisty 101 | Salma Zaky | PYF$ with Cipha Sounds

PAY YOUR FRIEND$ is back and comedian Salma Zaky is back for her third appearance — this time to get a full hip-hop education whether she wants it or not. Cipha quizzes Salma on everything from Jay-Z's name origins to the four pillars of hip-hop, and somehow she keeps landing answers through pure energy and Brooklyn osmosis. Along the way they break down Nas lyrics line by line, decode rapper nicknames, and get into the current state of the culture. In this episode: • Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt" 30th anniversary at Yankee Stadium + the "Blueprint" 25th • Why he's called Hov, and the "water to a well/whale" mystery (he texted back "yes") • The four pillars of hip-hop — and why Cipha wants a fifth • Nas, "N.Y. State of Mind," and reading Illmatic like poetry • The Griselda situation: Westside Gunn, Conway & Benny the Butcher • The Pooh Shiesty / Gucci Mane case • Knicks fever, old NYC vs. new NYC, and more Serious things, the silly way. How have you helped a friend today? 🎧 Listen everywhere you get podcasts. 📲 Subscribe, like, and share. #CiphaSounds #PayYourFriends #SalmaZaky #HipHop #Comedy #JayZ #Nas #Griselda #NYC #Podcast

20. What Makes You a Real New Yorker? | Simeon Goodson & Lenny Marcus | PYF$ with Cipha Sounds

What does it really mean to be FROM New York City? Cipha Sounds, Simeon Goodson, and Lenny Marcus go deep on one of the most hotly debated questions in the city — and it's more than just an address. The conversation kicks off with the Peter Rosenberg and Noreaga hot 97 morning show drama, where Noreaga said it felt good hearing New York voices on New York radio — and Rosenberg, born in Maryland, took it personally. The crew breaks down why "living here for 20 years" doesn't automatically make you a New Yorker, and what actually does: riding the subway as a kid, knowing what a New York police lock is, having certain spots close down on you. They also get into gentrification and how neighborhoods like Williamsburg, East New York, and Coney Island have transformed — and who's really being displaced at each wave. Plus: New York sports allegiances, the racial and cultural mix that makes the city unlike anywhere else, teaching kids street smarts, guardian angels on the subway, and some wild transit stories you won't forget.

Ice-T Drops Gems on Street Wisdom, Body Count & Raising Kids | CIPHA SOUNDS PYF$ | Ep 19

Ice-T sits down with Cipha Sounds and Dante Nero on Pay Your Friend$ for one of the realest conversations you'll hear all year. What started as a fun visit turned into a full-blown survival guide — packed with hard-earned wisdom, street philosophy, and genuine laughs. Ice-T opens up about growing up as an orphan in New Jersey, being shipped to LA, navigating gang-heavy neighborhoods without joining a gang, and how love — not fear — is what actually protects you. He breaks down why emotional decisions are dangerous, how to read a room before things go sideways, and the real reason you should always check in when you're on someone else's turf. The crew also gets into raising kids with street smarts without the trauma, why Body Count is NOT rap-rock (and why they won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance), his new album Merciless, and the upcoming solo project Criminal Migraine — which he's selling old-school direct at xt.com, bypassing streaming entirely. Dante Nero brings the energy and drops his own gems on emotional intelligence, wisdom vs. knowledge, and the ACE principles (Authenticity, Credibility, Empathy). Rocky holds it down as referee. The result is a backyard barbecue conversation that feels like school and a block party at the same time.

Bad Dates, Hecklers & Dating Red Flags | Dante Nero & Aldana | CIPHA SOUNDS PYF$ EP 18

Aldana joins Cipha and the crew, and she did NOT come empty-handed — she brought some of the wildest first date horror stories you've ever heard. From a drunk date who wouldn't stop heckling at a comedy show and made a comment about his own mom that left the whole room stunned, to a guy she met on TikTok who somehow topped that disaster, Aldana holds nothing back. Dante drops his ACE framework — Authenticity, Credibility, and Empathy — and breaks down exactly why so many guys talk themselves right out of a good situation. Rocky shares her own chaotic dating experience with a con artist (yes, they later made a TikTok page about him), and Cipha somehow manages to derail every conversation with Happy Days spin-off trivia and bathroom confessions that nobody asked for. This episode has everything: Knicks playoff game drama, mood stabilizers, Balkan geography lessons, the wingman debate, and a 26-year-old finance bro who sent the most unhinged text after one date. The PAY YOUR FRIEND$ cookout is officially open.

LIVE TOKYO TRIP Q&A | PAY YOUR FRIEND$ | CIPHA SOUNDS | EP 17

Cipha Sounds is back from Japan and he’s got stories. On this episode of Pay Your Friends, Ciph and Rocky talk about Tokyo nightlife, Japanese hospitality, 20,000-step shopping days, viral Family Mart fried chicken pancakes, One Oak Tokyo, after-hours food runs, Japanese BBQ, Don Quijote, sneaker shopping, and why Tokyo somehow makes everybody more polite. Ciph explains why “Pay Your Friends” is more than a podcast, Rocky learns what BAPE stands for, and the crew goes fully live for the first time.