Blocks: I Wish I Knew w/ Neal Brennan cover art

Blocks: I Wish I Knew w/ Neal Brennan

Blocks: I Wish I Knew w/ Neal Brennan

Written by: Neal Brennan
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Comedian Neal Brennan interviews people about the things they wished they'd realized sooner in life.Neal Brennan Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences
Episodes
  • LL Cool J: I Wish I Knew

    LL Cool J: I Wish I Knew
    Oct 15 2026
    LL Cool J joins Neal Brennan to talk about what he wishes he knew sooner: knowing his value, learning how to lead, and being a better friend. They get into growing up in Queens, the family lessons that shaped him, getting his start in hip-hop in the late 1970s along with a (too) long list of legends, the writing behind songs like "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Rock the Bells," and the honest vulnerability behind “I Need Love.” Plus: Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, Beastie Boys and Def Jam stories, the greatness of Bruce Lee, the business of touring, becoming a sex symbol and then an actor, and the night an intruder broke into his home. -------------------------- CHAPTERS 00:00 LL Cool J joins Neal 01:16 Opening up about his childhood 07:50 Lessons from his family 08:31 First turntables & the trappings of success 13:16 Discovering hip-hop 17:27 Def Jam & owning his music 18:57 Making demos & writing rhymes 23:09 Wanting to be seen 25:33 Representation & giving back 30:21 Sponsor: BetterHelp 32:29 Sponsor: CookUnity 35:10 Creative freedom & songwriting 36:13 I Need Love & vulnerability 40:53 Acting, working out & Bruce Lee 45:16 Building a career without a blueprint 48:08 Knowing your value & saying no 52:06 Comparing careers across generations 54:32 Why he avoided headlining tours 56:21 What makes a great live show 58:38 Sponsor: Mars Men 1:01:15 Sponsor: Ethos 1:03:18 Learning how to lead 1:08:16 Respect, manners & staying grounded 1:15:03 Learning how to be a friend 1:17:46 Becoming a sex symbol 1:20:13 The home invasion 1:26:05 Acting projects & wrap-up ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle ---------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors: Visit https://www.BetterHelp.com/NEAL to get 10% off your first month. Go to https://www.cookunity.com/NEAL or enter code NEAL before checkout for 50% off your first order. For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at Mengotomars.com Go to https://www.Ethos.com/NEAL to get your free life insurance quote. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Mark Normand: I Wish I Knew

    Mark Normand: I Wish I Knew
    Oct 1 2026
    Mark Normand returns to Blocks with Neal Brennan to talk about what he wishes he knew sooner: how much time a phone can steal, why trying so hard to be the funny guy can backfire, and why getting older doesn’t automatically make you feel like an adult.Mark and Neal also get into fatherhood, anxiety, drinking, the old New York comedy scene, taking more photos, and trying to raise a kid without passing down all your own baggage. ---------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to ⁨@marknormand⁩ -------------------------- CHAPTERS 00:00 Mark Normand returns / I Wish I Knew 03:46 Always needing to be productive 05:49 How fatherhood changes you 10:21 Netflix, YouTube & building a comedy career 12:12 “I thought the world would be more fun” 21:40 Sponsor: Huel 23:57 Sponsor: Tushy 26:03 Sponsor: ZocDoc 28:20 Phone addiction & the pressure to post 35:40 Trying too hard to be the funny guy 40:07 Coming up in New York comedy 44:48 The old Comedy Cellar atmosphere 47:42 Friends who tell you the truth 50:14 Sponsor: Quince 52:04 Sponsor: Ultra 54:12 Remembering your life & taking photos 58:42 The pressure to be a good parent 1:04:01 Getting older doesn’t mean feeling grown up 1:11:40 Podcasts & staying connected 1:15:14 Wrap-up ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle ---------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors: Visit https://www.Huel.com/NEAL and use code NEAL for 15% OFF online. Over 2 Million Butts Love TUSHY. Get 10% off TUSHY with the code NEAL at https://hellotushy.com/NEAL Ready to be seen? Check that appointment off your to-do list with Zocdoc ✅ : https://zocdoc.com/neal Don’t sleep on @ultrapouches New customers get 15% Off with code NEAL at takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #MarkNormand #NealBrennan #iwishiknew #BlocksPodcast #StandupComedy #MentalHealth #ComedyInterview #regrets #PodcastFullEpisode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • Dan Soder: I Wish I Knew

    Dan Soder: I Wish I Knew
    Sep 17 2026
    Dan Soder returns to kick off the new I Wish I Knew premise on Blocks: the things people wish they'd figured out sooner.Dan gets into why being funny matters more for men than having abs, how cutting out industry middlemen is the best path to creative freedom, and why stealing from corporations is okay. In an update from his classic episode of Blocks, he shares how finding a letter from his sister changed the way he understood his dad leaving.Plus: exercise, eating, long butt cracks, hero worship, and how to not take everything personally. ---------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to ⁨@DanSoder⁩ -------------------------- Chapters 00:00 New format: I Wish I Knew 01:58 Cutting out the comedy middlemen 05:37 Stealing from Bed Bath & Beyond 09:43 Doing bits with customer service 14:47 Sponsor: BetterHelp 16:20 Sponsor: Superpower 19:10 Body image: just get in the pool 20:17 Friendship, Instagram & anxiety 25:03 Personality, abs & attraction 35:25 Sponsor: CookUnity 37:46 Sponsor: Mars Men 40:18 Exercise & getting older 42:42 Still being a comedy fan 46:58 Your heroes are just people 49:13 Dan’s dad & wanting approval 54:17 Finding his sister’s letter 57:26 Understanding your parents 59:51 Sponsor: ZBiotics 1:01:21 Taking things less personally 1:04:45 Why read the comments? 1:06:32 Healthy relationships & handling rejection 1:11:10 Being wrong & saying “my bad” 1:12:43 Weed & moderation 1:14:52 Wrap-up ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle ---------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors: Visit https://www.BetterHelp.com/NEAL for 10% offHead to https://www.Superpower.com & use code NEAL for $50 offGo to https://www.CookUnity.com/NEAL or use code NEAL before checkout for 50% off your first weekHead to https://www.Zbiotics.com/NEAL and use code NEAL for 15% off your first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 18 mins
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