The Cookout is officially on.
Michael and B Cash launch the Friday show by laying down the law. Literally. The Cookout Handbook is born in real time: don’t try to pair your phone with the speaker, don’t request a song, don’t laugh harder than everyone else, write your name on your cup, and whatever you do, act like you got some sense. Captain Brolic is checking invites at the door. Violations will be handled swiftly. By the left pant leg.
Before the guest arrives, the hosts and Cam get into a full culture check-in. Michael finally saw Superman and has thoughts. B Cash has a theater horror story involving a groaning man, a Kaiju, and a kid who yelled something unforgivable at Lois Lane. Cam breaks her silence to dissect Sinners, deliver a flawless impression of Michael’s sports metaphors, and offer the most concise take on AI in entertainment anyone’s heard: “Ethics and regulation. And I hate it.”
Enter NeoN. Stage left.
NeoN is a 22-year-old session guitarist from Chicago’s south side. He learned guitar from his aunt at nine years old and never stopped. He moved to New York to pursue music. He’s currently doing session work through his manager while writing his own material on the side. He’s talented, he’s hungry, and he’s one of the most magnetic people to pull up.
The conversation goes everywhere. The AKA-to-Nissan pipeline. Why B Cash didn’t go to college. The value of self-education versus formal degrees. How hip-hop traveled the world through collaboration. What Aunt Syl means to NeoN’s music. Why a performer stopped an entire memorial concert to retune his guitar. And what piece of art you’d send into space to represent all of humanity. NeoN’s answer involves deep music theory, sub-Saharan African rhythm, and then Purple Rain because sometimes you have to… dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun- KISS.
The centerpiece of the episode is NeoN playing a genre-bending cover of Lift Every Voice and Sing that leads into the most substantive conversation the show has had yet about culture, national identity, and who gets to decide what songs belong where.
Cam says approximately eleven words. Every one of them matters. She calls Leon’s music “quite good,” which from Cam is a standing ovation.
This is what Fridays sound like now.
Study the game. Go hard in the paint. Stay all the way up.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 — Welcome to the Cookout: The rules, the vibes, the V-Series smoothie 2:00 — The Cookout Handbook: napkins, horseshoes, corn hole, and Captain Brolic 5:00 — Don’t pair your phone with the speaker. Don’t request a song. Don’t. 6:00 — “Let us COOK!” — The Cookout is open 7:00 — Culture Check-In: Michael finally saw Superman 8:00 — B Cash’s theater horror story: the groaner, the Kaiju, and the kid 10:00 — Sinners: Cam, B Cash, and the vampire logic debate 13:00 — Cam’s impression of Michael. Michael’s reaction. 14:00 — AI in entertainment: freight trains, Blockbuster, and ethics 16:00 — NeoN enters the Cookout 17:00 — The vegan cookout test: “Does the potato salad have raisins?” 18:00 — The mutual friend: she’s got a memory like an elephant 19:00 — AKAs, Nissans, epi-pens, and Set It Off 21:00 — College, comedy, and the value of self-education 23:00 — The fumbled introduction: “Who is this dude?” 24:00 — NeoN’s music journey: Aunt Syl, short rock, and learning guitar at nine 27:00 — Session work: “I’m just a hired gun at that point” 29:00 — Music is human: onions, spices, and universal constants 31:00 — Run-DMC, Aerosmith, and how hip-hop traveled the world 33:00 — Leon plays Lift Every Voice and Sing 34:00 — The conversation: national anthems, culture, and who gets to decide 38:00 — B Cash vs. Michael: the market is not a democracy 40:00 — The Waddle: a new dance, a new stride 41:00 — What would you send to space to represent humanity? 44:00 — Purple Rain and call it a day 45:00 — Cam: “It’s quite good.” The highest praise. 46:00 — Closing: your invite is permanent, NeoN
LINKS / RESOURCES:
- Website:https://GreatestPlayersInTheGame.com
- YouTube: [insert link]
- TikTok: [insert link]
- Instagram: [insert link]
- Merch Store: [insert link]
- NeoN Social Media: [insert links when available]
TAGS / KEYWORDS:
the cookout, friday podcast, NeoN, Leon Rivers, guitarist, session musician, Chicago, south side, FAMU, music podcast, culture podcast, Lift Every Voice, national anthem debate, Superman review, Sinners review, Ryan Coogler, AI entertainment, SAG-AFTRA, hip hop, guitar, session work, new music, emerging artist, comedy podcast, dating, college debate, Prince, Purple Rain, Black culture, cookout culture, new podcast 2025