Maino Talks About Prison, His Scar, and Writing a Book - The Combat Jack Show Episode 1

The Brooklyn rapper details his experiences while serving a 10-year sentence.

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Complex Original

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Nobody does real talk like Reggie Ossé a.k.a. Combat Jack. The former rap industry attorney, media executive, author, and Internet radio talk-show personality now hosts The Combat Jack Show, where hip-hop's biggest names are put on the front line. The questions will be tough—and shots will be fired. Co-hosted by Dallas Penn, Premium Pete, and Just Blaze, The Combat Jack Show appears every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday on Complex TV. 

In the first part of our three part interview with Maino on The Combat Jack Show, Maino detailed the story behind the scar on his right cheek, which came following an altercation with a prison inmate. "People don't know that they got barbershops to cut hair," he says. "I was getting my hair cut, and I knew he was there. That's when I learned to never overestimate myself and underestimate somebody else."

Serving a 10-year prison sentence, Co-host Dallas Penn asks the Brooklyn rapper how he was able to avoid being institutionalized. Maino highlighted three activities he abstained from while in jail that would benefit him in the long run. "I felt like if I did these things, I was setting myself up to leave my spirit in prison," Maino says. "Nobody told me this, this was just something that I felt."

Maino goes on to reveal that he's writing a book about his experiences in prison, which he sees as an opportunity to help others that find themselves in a similar position. "It's not an autobiography, but it's something inspirational for dudes that need it." 

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