Episode 123 | I Says

J. Bryson is back on a Monday to start your work week despite some Sunday Night beers.  Episode 123 is a loose, funny, brutally honest hang with J. that starts with accountability, turns into a surprising music discovery, and somehow ends with Bears season predictions, WNBA drama, and a whole lot of real-life perspective. J. opens up about missing an upload after a beer-fueled night, then pivots into why Katori Walker's track "Tension" stopped him cold on a royalty-free music site. From there, he breaks down what makes an underground rapper stand out, why putting music on licensing platforms could be a smart move for independent artists, and why he thinks more listeners need to pay attention to creators who sound like themselves instead of cloning everyone else. You'll also hear Jay talk through a Midwest food recall panic, the weird whiplash of expiration dates, and why a simple work-lunch habit can save real money over time. He touches on the brutal reality of summer weather, the frustrations of keeping a gym streak alive, and the challenge of becoming a true 6 AM workout person. Then the episode widens out into a packed music and culture rundown. J. reacts to the new Nipsey Hussle project with Bino Rideaux, explains why he trusts Nipsey's team to handle posthumous material with care, and gives Paul Wall his flowers while assigning the audience some homework. He also shares why Griselda still needs to link back up, how he may evolve his long-running "Music in the Year Of" segment, and what 2023 music really says about where the culture was headed .On the sports side, Jay goes deep on the Cubs-White Sox rivalry, the weird energy around Chicago baseball fandom, the rise of the Savannah Bananas-style spectacle, and why the new Chicago Snowballs might actually be worth checking out if you just want a fun night with family. He honors Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne, then makes the case for Jaden Daniels to demand respect after the modern era's wildly loose number-retirement standards. He also gets into Angel Reese's finishing woes, Caitlin Clark, and why the WNBA is becoming appointment listening and viewing. And yes, he closes with a full game-by-game prediction for the 2026 Chicago Bears, plus a grateful-for moment about the kind of late-summer, pre-football stretch sports fans either ignore or secretly love. If you want a podcast that sounds like a real person thinking out loud, laughing at the chaos, and still dropping actual takes along the way, this one is for you. Perfect for fans of music, Chicago sports, independent artists, WNBA talk, and long-form unfiltered conversation.