Gene Deal sat down with DANZA for a no-holds-barred conversation about his life before and after hip hop. From his early days hooping in the streets of St. Louis and playing in legendary tournaments like Rucker and Kingdome, to becoming one of the most respected names in celebrity security—Gene holds nothing back.
He opens up about his fallout with collegiate basketball, the loss of his grandmother, and the moment he was “whitewashed” from the game. Gene also reveals shocking moments with the Hip Hop Police, his work with top artists (including Diddy), and why he ultimately walked away from it all.
“They didn’t want me there… I felt that.”
This episode is packed with street knowledge, raw emotion, and behind-the-scenes gems the industry never talks about.
🧠 Real stories.
🎤 Real Hip Hop history.
🔥 Only on The Danza Project.
#GeneDeal #TheDanzaProject #HipHopSecurity #Diddy #RuckerPark #BasketballLife #StreetLegends #ViralPodcast
0:00 – Intro
2:31 – Gene Deal on a rough childhood: raised by grandparents, beatings & confronting his mom’s boyfriends
14:57 – Gene meets his father (who didn’t know he had a son) + dunking on Barry Sanders
23:40 – Gene’s entry into security: ASAP Ferg’s dad, crew life & first meeting with Puff in NYC
27:54 – Puff joins “Butt Naked” crew, Suge Knight name-drops Corey Jacobs & Sarah Chapman enters the story
31:45 – From parole plans to VIP nightlife: Gene’s security come-up before phones changed the scene
37:31 – The crossover: Gene joins Diddy’s inner circle, speaks with Biggie’s mom & faces controversy
44:12 – Danza grills Gene: “Were they paying you or the company?” Gene fires back with IRS joke
45:24 – “Big… you might die out here.” Gene, Puff & Unique saw it coming.
51:40 – Suge wanted peace between Big & Pac but Puff wasn’t with it | Orlando asks about Puff’s “ability” to stop the murder | Haitian Jack
56:59 – Gene addresses the dark rumors: Did Puff gain from Big & Pac’s deaths?
1:15:59 – Puff’s reaction after Big’s death | Mase & Stevie J allegedly knew | Info withheld from Mase | Clark Kent
1:22:11 – Gene on Puff’s legal future, Mase’s isolation after Big’s death & the Black Gorilla Mafia
1:27:31 – Gene exposes Mase: he didn’t know what happened — he was in his hotel that night
1:29:23 – Gene on Roger Bonds, knowing Puff put a hit on him & why his truth stands apart | Puff’s foul ways
1:33:13 – Gene on life now: writing books & helping others through their pain
1:36:18 – “Why now?” Kato asks. Gene explains… and talks about his documentary.
1:41:08 – Gene & Puff argue over Danity Kane in the studio | Why Diddy kept him around
1:47:02 – Gene exposes Puff: “He didn’t even know how to talk to girls”
1:49:06 – Gene claps back at Stevie J’s diss & talks Fonsworth Bentley
1:55:00 – J.Lo speaking with Gene | He tried to help her… then came the Shyne case & conflict with Wolf
2:04:45 – “Scott Storch had serious ice on.” Gene on protecting a hit-making legend
2:08:43 – Gene on Puff Daddy’s verdict: the 5 cases & who really showed up to testify
2:12:59 – Gene calls out Vlad: “He’s full of sh*t” after being accused of lying | Wack 100
2:18:24 – Gene addresses the Kim Porter & Keefe D rumors with honesty and caution
2:23:54 – Gene on finding peace: prayer, emotions, cooking for others & love for The Danza Project
2:31:48 – Danza & Kato give Gene his flowers for being a protector | 20 years of speaking on Puff comes full circle
2:34:18 – Gene reflects on protecting the same man who tried to tear him down
Whether Puff Daddy’s legacy is permanently tarnished by scandal
What really happened during infamous incidents involving Diddy, Shyne, Jennifer Lopez, Mase
With Diddy facing sentencing in the coming weeks, Gene Deal boldly predicts Diddy’s fate and opens up about the threats, rumors, and secrets he’s uncovered over years in the hip-hop industry. This might be the most shocking and revealing Gene Deal interview yet!
#GeneDeal #DiddyTrial #BiggieSmalls #Mase #BadBoyRecords #HipHop #DanzaProje
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@DanzaProject 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 definitely in a league of your own! 🤌🏾 Love me some Gene Deal
No disrespect but these guys are not real hip-hop fans – Most of the stories or names Gene's dropping, they've absolutely no idea
Please put Gene in a jail cell next to diddly. You aint right.
When Gene is talking about what sentence he may get, He is talking about him being a first time offender And he is talking about when they do the pre-sentence report they come up with a score based on his priors and they will follow sentencing guidlines
Puffy knew something that night at the Peterson Museum. Somebody told him something. Not leaving right away…..stalling……after the party let out…🤔
Gene on @DANZAPROjECT👑🏆🌹🕶️🎙️… ILLIST'….This SegMent…Is….Very candid_dA' personaL….ALMOST… Parallel 2…GENE'z….👑🎙️🌙LAST BIG NIGHT INSTALLMENTZ🕶️🌹…. Respectz'….
Good Interview
Putting the car in park and running is dumb. Npcs do that on gta i be like they dumb af 😆
Dude is just a disgruntled employee!!!
Gene the truth PERIOD🎉
incredible. much love Gene been the realist 🎉
Why didn't big have his own body guard and he was in a wheelchair gtfoh
Is there a picture of big killer . And if the car was parked all night how did he get back to kill biggie if he was on feet ? He just want to be bigger than he is..
Love hearing his story of the early days his upbringing !
Gene the truth and keep telling it my guy😎!!! DANZA is fucken cute bro um Dannza 😛 keep doing yo shit to pa DANZA KILLING IT😎
I LOVE GENE DEAL❤
OMG I LOVE THIS MAN!
They probably didn't want his little Tootsie Roll
1:04:00
1:-55:00
Gene lie so much it’s hard to believe him not knowing his mom 😅 story sound so put together lol
At least his mom ain’t kick him out even with the shaky bond 😕similar upbringing sad realization hearing that honestly
Who TF wants to listen to this old loser for 2 and a half hours? Bottom feeding podcasting at its best
STOP GIVING THIS 🤡 A PLATFORM
All about control money power respect. This needs to stop like for real 😊
😂😂True story, me and 2 my buddies went to ATL on a humbug. Went to Club 112, paid for VIP, so didn't have to wait in line. We get in the Club, and just had so much fun, that we forgot all about the V.I.P, and it didn't dawn on us till the next day!🤦🏾♀️🤣
This gene deal interview the best thus far. I’m a St. Louis native and big gene definitely known and has been here in the city. This interview was dope. Great questions, no weird sht. 💯