The Beat with Ari Melber, Dec. 26, 2018

Duration: 45 Minutes              



Discussed Today:

A$AP Ferg on trapping, drugs & why rap beefs 'aren't real'

Rapper A$AP Ferg talks to MSNBC anchor Ari Melber about music, trapping, hustling, criminal justice and what many people don’t understand about rap beefs -- including the long-running feud between Drake and Pusha T. Ferg recounts how his mind was “blown” by the arrest and imprisonment of rapper Meek Mill, a friend and collaborator, days after they filmed a music video together. Ferg discusses how artists can best push for criminal justice reform, including addressing reports that Meek Mill considered meeting with the Trump administration about reform. Ferg also opens up about his mother’s advice to avoid drugs. When asked by Melber if he recommends his fans avoid using drugs, Ferg, also known as The Hood Pope, explains he does not seek to be a “preacher” and tell people what to do, but people can see he does not live a drug lifestyle. Ferg also discusses where the name of his debut studio album and clothing line, “Trap Lord” came from, telling Melber it was given to him by fellow musician and friend A$AP Yams, a founding member of the group A$AP Mob, before he passed away. This digital exclusive grew out of A$AP Ferg’s appearance on Melber’s news program, “The Beat with Ari Melber” on MSNBC, where Ferg appeared with attorney Maya Wiley on a “Fallback” segment.

Fmr. Defense Secretary: Trump 'destructive' & 'unpresidential'

President Trump made a surprise visit to U.S. troops in Iraq. The visit comes after Defense Secretary Mattis quit Trump’s administration two months early, in protest over Trump’s military policy. Former Defense Secretary under President Bill Clinton, William Cohen, tells Ari Melber that Trump “has shown disrespect for his military advisers” and that his decision to pull troops from Syria in the way that he did, was “destructive”.

Revealed: Dem Senator says GOP Congress thinks Trump is 'nuts'

Trump-made chaos roils Washington as the Government remains closed for a fifth day and Trump fails to fill key positions within his own Cabinet. Retiring Senator Claire McCaskill reveals in a new interview that in private, Republicans on Capitol Hill will say Trump is “nuts”. The Atlantic’s David Frum tells Ari Melber that Trump “is shutting down the Government because he enjoys the chaos”.

A$AP Ferg & Maya Wiley on the gift money can't buy

Musician A$AP Ferg and Attorney Maya Wiley join Ari Melber for a special holiday edition of “Fallback Friday”. Maya Wiley tells the Holland Tunnel to fall back for its clumsy Christmas décor and A$AP Ferg calls out Santa Con. They agree that the best gifts take into account what people actually “need”.

Watch MSNBC anchor shred Trumpian claim that 'nothing matters'

In the Trump era, everyone from comedians to pundits have claimed that “nothing matters”. MSNBC anchor Ari Melber runs through an exhaustive list of times when Trump has been defeated or stopped by facts and reporting. Melber also notes that many of the same pundits who were wrong in their predictions about the 2016 election were also wrong in 2018. Melber argues that the evidence shows that “in a Democracy, things matter when we make them matter”.