The Connect- with Johnny Mitchell

In this episode Houston legend Mike D — the man many call the original King of Lean — unpacks the true story behind codeine culture in the American South.

Before “lean” was a mainstream rap flex… before double cups and purple memes… there was a street-level hustle that changed Houston forever.

Mike D breaks down how promethazine with codeine went from a quiet substitute for heroin to a full-blown cultural phenomenon — influencing DJ Screw, the Screwed Up Click, and icons like Pimp C, Bun B, and Lil Wayne. What started as something passed around on the corner turned into an underground empire moving thousands of dollars a day — long before law enforcement even understood what was happening.

In this interview, we cover:

* How Mike D became Houston’s go-to supplier
* The birth of “drank” culture inside DJ Screw’s house
* The economics of the codeine black market
* Street wars between Houston neighborhoods
* Texas prison brutality and plantation-style incarceration
* The real story behind Pimp C’s death
* Addiction, droughts, and what happens when supply dries up
* How music and drugs fed off each other to build a movement

This isn’t just a drug story.
It’s a story about culture, capitalism, addiction, loyalty, betrayal — and how one underground market reshaped Southern hip-hop forever.

From Astroworld fights to state prison bids… from Mercedes at 16 to moving cases of syrup… Mike D tells it all.

Go Support Mike!

YouTube:  @1on1wMikeDpodcast 

Join The Patreon For Bonus Content!
https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow

00:00 Introduction & Mike D's Beginnings
01:20 Early Hustle, Music & Street Life
07:16 Houston's Hood Culture & Neighborhood Conflicts
17:51 Inside State Prison and Houston's Rap Legends
19:35 This Episode Is Sponsored By CashApp
21:12 Pimp C, UGK & Houston's Musical Roots
27:47 The Origins of Lean & Houston's Drug Culture
32:12 Spreading Lean Culture, The Detail Shop, and DJ Screw
38:42 This Episode Is Sponsored By Betterhelp
39:52 The Screw House, Houston Rap Scene & Lean Epidemic
45:50 Market Growth, Addiction & Codeine Business Expands
52:44 Scarcity, Turf Wars & Million Dollar Moves
59:42 The California Connection & Smuggling Lean
01:10:32 Law Enforcement, Risks, and Hustle Tactics
01:17:12 Market Collapse, Addiction, and the Opioid Shift
01:29:30 The Bust, Downfall & Lessons from the Game
01:42:43 Legacy, Chopped & Screwed, and the Codeine Cowboy
01:46:42 Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Mike D
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In this raw and unforgettable episode, Virginia street legend Pretty Tony sits down to tell his life story — from being introduced to crack at a young age, to becoming one of the most prolific cocaine cooks in Virginia history, to growing up alongside future rap superstars like Pharrell and the Clipse.

Pretty Tony breaks down how he perfected the infamous “mix” that made him the go-to hood chemist, what it was like cooking bricks in kitchens for kingpin-level dealers, and how violence, robberies, torture, and street politics shaped his reality as a teenager. He also shares near-death experiences, including being shot in the face, wild encounters with rip crews, and seeing close friends and family fall to the game.

This episode dives deep into:

-Learning to cook crack at a young age

-Becoming the neighborhood “hood chef”

-Growing up with Pharrell, Pusha T, and Malice

-Virginia’s hidden kingpin era

-Drug droughts, cartel-style tactics, and street economics

-Surviving shootouts, robberies, and betrayal

A brutally honest look at the streets, the music, and the thin line between fame and prison.

Go Support Tony!

Book: https://a.co/d/036MGUqH

Merch: https://shop.app/m/w53xak0gbe

This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following:

Prizepicks! Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CONNECT and use code CONNECT and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup!

Rocket Money! Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at https://rocketmoney.com/connect

Join The Patreon For Bonus Content!

https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow

00:00 From the Trap House: Pretty Tony's Origins

06:35 Family Ties & Street Influence

13:33 Virginia’s Crack Era: The Rise of the Street Game

21:05 This Episode Is Sponsored By PrizePicks

22:01 Family, Cousins, and Murderers

32:39 The Art of Cooking: Becoming the Hood Chef

40:03 Mastering the Mix: Cracking the Recipe

45:00 The Music Connection

47:24 This Episode Is Sponsored By Rocket Money

48:33 Links to Pharrell, Clipse, and the Scene

53:32 Hustling & Robbery Crews – The Risk and Respect

01:03:21 Rising Profits and Street Networking

01:16:31 High Stakes: Plug Connections & Expanding Operations

01:31:22 Caught in the Crosshairs: The Deadly Setup

01:46:09 Surviving the Hit: Aftermath and Transformation

01:55:00 Getting Out the Game & The Virginia Scene

02:01:47 Legacies, The Music Stardom, and Moving On

02:04:27 Reflecting on Regret, Survival & The Future
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Gary Dodson — better known as “Bumper” — tells the uncensored story of his transformation from a violent white supremacist skinhead and federal prison gang member to a man who ultimately walked away from hate and extremism.

Raised in a chaotic, drug-filled household in rural California, Bumper gravitated toward gangs, violence, and racist ideology at a young age. What began as rebellion turned into full-blown immersion in neo-Nazi skinhead culture, leading to robberies, stabbings, riots, and eventually a federal hate-crime and arson case tied to Molotov cocktails.

Bumper spent over a decade inside some of the most dangerous level-four federal prisons in the United States, including USP McCreary and USP Victorville, where racial politics, stabbings, and brutal “smash-outs” were a daily reality.

In this interview, he breaks down:

• How he was recruited into the skinhead movement

• The inner politics of white supremacist prison gangs

• The psychology behind hate, identity, and belonging

• What daily life is really like in violent federal penitentiaries

• How he slowly abandoned racist ideology

• What finally made him choose a different path

This is a raw, unfiltered look inside extremist subcultures, prison survival, and the possibility of change.

Go Support Gary!

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@garydodson7

Podcast: @YardDownProductions

This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following:

Superpower! Head to Superpower.com and use code CONNECT at checkout for $20 off your membership. Live up to your 100-Year potential. #superpowerpod

Hims! To get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit https://hims.com/connect

Ava! Take control of your credit today. Download the Ava app, and when you join using MY promo code CONNECT20, you’ll get 20% off your first year—monthly or annual, your choice.

00:00 Bumper's Violent Origins and Early Life
06:00 Growing Up in Racist Small-Town California
12:00 Troubled Childhood and Family Chaos
14:49 This Episode Is Sponsored By Superpower
18:04 First Criminal Experiences & Juvenile Hall
22:00 Introduction to Gang Life and Becoming a Skinhead
32:00 The Skinhead Subculture: Beliefs and Identity
33:24 This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims
35:57 Life of Crime: Robbery, Fights, and Violence
51:00 First Prison Stint: Rules, Riots, and Violence
52:12 This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims
54:05 Reentry to Society, Skinhead Crew, and Ongoing Crime
01:13:00 Federal Hate Crime Case: From State to Feds
01:23:00 Violence, Betrayals, and Prison Politics
01:33:00 Federal Time: Maximum Security, Survival, and Chaos
01:42:00 Addiction, Hustles, and Race Dynamics Behind Bars
01:50:00 The Reality of Violence in Prison Life
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In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Pimpin Ken, a former high-level pimp from Chicago and Milwaukee, breaks down the psychology, power dynamics, and realities of the pimping game during its peak in the 1970s–1990s.

Ken speaks candidly about how he entered the life as a teenager, the culture of pimping that existed at the time, and how manipulation, control, and desensitization became central to survival. He explains the difference between street-level track work and higher-end strip club and VIP hustles, detailing how money was really made — and why most people misunderstand the game entirely.

This interview also dives deep into:

-The psychology behind control, power, and influence

-How pimping was normalized in certain eras and communities

-The role of trauma, abandonment, and emotional conditioning

-Why he avoided violence and relied on manipulation instead

-The evolution from street hustling to sophisticated financial setups

-His thoughts on relationships, marriage, masculinity, and power

-How prison, reading, and reflection changed his perspective

This is not a glamorization — it’s a firsthand account of a brutal system, told by someone who lived it and survived it.

Support Ken

Books: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/PimpinKen7?srsltid=AfmBOoocrftoIFbUynb_2YpRlVnI7TyfLbkZk6L55Hq6d821w17fi1K5

Audio Book: https://www.audible.com/pd/Pimpology-Audiobook/B0196WKYU8?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Hip Hop Fraternity: https://www.pimpinken.net/

This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following:

The Wellness Company! Power up with RECHARGE! Click https://twc.health/connect and use code CONNECT for 10% Off + Free Shipping on every order 🇺🇸.

Rocket Money! Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at https://rocketmoney.com/connect

Cash App! Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Cash App Green, overdraft coverage, borrow, cash back offers and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

Join The Patreon For Bonus Content!

https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow

00:00 Introducing Pimping Ken & His Legacy

02:18 Origins: Hustling in Chicago

06:01 Juvenile Crime & Early Lessons

09:08 Transition to Milwaukee & First Schemes

13:16 Entering the Pimp Game

16:46 The Milwaukee Pimping Culture

20:25 Psychological of Pimping

21:24 This Episode Is Sponsored By The Wellness Company

22:58 Breaking Tricks – The Strip Club Game

28:39 How Pimping & Payments Really Work

33:01 Scaling Up: From Pimping to Business

38:42 Managing Multiple Women

39:48 Manage YOUR Money With Rocket Money

41:27 Pimping, Power & Mind Games

49:54 This Episode Is Sponsored By Cash App

51:22 From The Streets to Legendary Status

56:15 Trauma, Environment & Why People Pimp

01:02:03 Book Deals, Rap Fame & Legal Hustle

01:10:54 Major Deals, Royalties & Real Business

01:17:41 Education, Self-Help & Writing Approach

01:26:01 Life After Pimping – Giving Back

01:32:31 Fatherhood, Relationships & Change

01:38:46 Financial Success: Pimp Game vs. Legal Life

01:44:00 Stepping Into Mainstream Business & Media

01:48:02 Building the Hip-Hop Fraternity & Future Plans

01:50:02 Final Reflections & Where to Find Ken
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In this episode, a former drug trafficker "Fernando" breaks down how crystal meth from Mexico’s most violent region flooded small-town America — and how he lived at the center of it.

Raised in a multi-generation trafficking family tied to Michoacán, Fernando reveals how meth labs in Mexico, tight-knit immigrant networks, and overlooked U.S. towns created one of the most devastating drug pipelines in modern history. From burying cash in the ground to moving hundreds of pounds before age 20, this is an unfiltered look at the business, culture, and consequences of the meth trade.

Fernando discusses:

-Why Michoacán became the epicenter of crystal meth

-How cartel families expand into small U.S. towns

-The economics of meth vs cocaine

-Gambling, narco culture, and “front” businesses

-How federal cases are quietly built for years

-Life inside federal prison and the cost to family

-Why leaving the game is harder than entering it

This episode is raw, detailed, and brutally honest — a firsthand account of how an entire system operates in plain sight.

This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following:

The Wellness Company! Visit twc.health/connect to get American Made Ivermectin. Order your 6-month supply today and use code CONNECT for $30 Off + FREE shipping. USA Residents only 🇺🇸

Ava! Take control of your credit today. Download the Ava app , and when you join using MY promo code CONNECT20, you’ll get 20% off your first year—monthly or annual, your choice.

Betterhelp! You can’t step into a lighter version of yourself without leaving behind what’s been weighing you down. Therapy can help you clear space. Sign up and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/connect.

Join The Patreon For Bonus Content!

https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow

00:00 How Michoacán Meth Changed Everything

02:14 Meet Fernando: Family History in Trafficking

07:11 Michoacán's Cartel Culture and Drug Routes

10:49 Growing Up in a Narco Family in the US

15:36 This Episode Is Sponsored By The Wellness Company

17:15 Why Michoacanos Move to the US Drug Market

24:08 Volleyball, Gambling & Community: The Social Side

30:09 This Episode Is Sponsored By Ava

32:24 Drug Dealing, Customers, and Cutting Product

42:09 Transitioning from Cocaine to Meth

47:41This Episode Is Sponsored By Betterhelp

49:04 How the Meth Market Works

53:19 Cooking, Stretching, and Selling Meth

01:00:13 Family Roles, Buried Money, and Prison

01:10:05 Life in Prison and Staying Connected

01:21:03 Getting Busted & Prosecuted

01:31:36 Culture, Resourcefulness, and Prison Life

01:41:00 Reflections, The Present & Trying to Go Legit
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