Overview of Ep 638 - Beef Raised Right (feat. Mason “Bric” LaDue)
This episode is a wide-ranging conversation with Mason “Bric” LaDue about his unlikely path from Texas rap promotion and music-industry hustling to full-time ranching and regenerative beef production. The discussion moves from wild road stories, lean culture, and early Texas hip-hop to cattle management, horse work, soil health, and why Bric believes ranching is his true calling.
Mason “Bric” LaDue’s Background
- Grew up between rural Texas ranch life and the Dallas suburbs, which gave him a mix of cowboy culture and city exposure.
- Got pulled into the Texas rap scene in his late teens/early 20s through weed, mixtapes, and local music networks.
- Describes himself as a “connector” or “goldfinger” — someone who helps people and opportunities find each other.
- Over time, he worked around major Texas/Southern rap figures and became deeply involved in touring and promotion.
The Texas Music Scene Stories
Hustling mixtapes and local acts
- He got into selling mixtapes/CDs, buying cheap and flipping them for profit.
- Worked around early-2000s Texas artists and scenes, including names like:
- Dirty South Riders
- Big Tuck
- Tom Tom
- Paul Wall
- Slim Thug
- Wiz Khalifa
- The scene was portrayed as highly independent, entrepreneurial, and often chaotic.
Touring, fights, and “high-stakes” rap culture
- Touring with rap acts in that era could be violent and confrontational.
- Bric and his crew sometimes showed up 30–40 deep and expected trouble.
- He describes the environment as a kind of “domestic warfare” culture where defending your people was part of the job.
- He also tells a memorable story about beating up the Franchise Boys in a mall over a disrespectful remix/lyric dispute.
Lean culture
- A big chunk of the conversation is about lean/purple drank:
- How it was common, cheap, and deeply tied to the Texas scene.
- How it affected behavior, weight, energy, and attitude.
- The hosts and guest joke that lean is probably the funniest designer drug ever.
- They discuss how public attention and celebrity usage helped normalize it more broadly.
Post Malone, White Iverson, and Industry Loyalty
- Bric says he helped defend and support Post Malone early on, when people in the industry were dismissive or hostile.
- He describes finding “White Iverson” through SoundCloud and recognizing it as something special.
- He and Wiz Khalifa played the song early, helping push it into the world.
- He says some of the backlash around Post was tied to “culture vulture” criticism and internet commentary, and he felt compelled to protect a young artist he believed in.
- He also recounts confronting media personalities like Charlamagne tha God and DJ Akademiks over how they talked about Post.
Why He Left Music and Returned to Ranching
- Bric says ranching was always his original life path.
- He studied ranch management and always knew he would eventually return to the family business.
- The music years were exciting and formative, but he describes returning to ranching as a kind of relief, clarity, and calling.
- He says he now feels more aligned with who he really is and what he’s meant to do.
Ranching, Beef, and Regenerative Agriculture
Beef Raised Right
- Bric now focuses on raising high-quality beef and feeding families.
- His operation centers on Akaushi cattle, a Japanese breed associated with high-quality beef.
- He explains:
- Akaushi is closely related to Wagyu, but not all Wagyu is Akaushi.
- The breed came from a very small imported stock and expanded from there.
- He emphasizes that he doesn’t talk too much about herd size, but the operation is “formidable.”
Soil health and rotational grazing
- He gets deep into how cattle are managed:
- Rotational grazing
- Reading soil health
- Using bird and insect activity as indicators of pasture quality
- Avoiding herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers
- His brother, who is into regenerative farming, has helped sharpen his understanding of soil and pasture management.
- He explains how cattle grazing can actually support regrowth when managed correctly.
What cattle actually eat
- Cows aren’t just eating grass; they eat a wide variety of vegetation.
- He notes that cattle can help upcycle inedible plant matter into protein humans can eat.
- He argues beef is one of the most honest proteins because you can see the land, the animals, and the process.
Horses, Dogs, Coyotes, and Ranch Life
- Bric talks about growing up around horses and developing a deep respect for them.
- He explains:
- Horses can sense your heartbeat and energy
- Calm, even-keel handling gets better results
- Horses are highly intelligent and responsive to psychology
- He describes his own horse, Bolero, with a lot of affection.
- He also discusses:
- Geldings vs. studs
- Why male horses are often castrated
- The challenges of managing stallions
- On the dog side, he mentions:
- An Australian Shepherd named Llewellyn
- A second dog named Sheriff Ed Tom Bell from No Country for Old Men
- Coyotes and feral pigs come up too:
- He’s not particularly gun-focused and prefers roping or non-lethal solutions when possible.
- Feral pigs are described as a major Texas problem and incredibly adaptive.
Business and Development Concerns
- Bric briefly weighs in on data centers and solar farms in rural areas.
- He’s skeptical of the politics around them, especially when county officials with limited expertise are making decisions that affect land use and communities.
- He sees a tension between private property rights and the impact massive industrial projects have on neighbors and the land.
Notable Takeaways
- Bric’s life trajectory is a good example of how people can move from one intense subculture to another and still find purpose.
- He frames ranching not as a fallback, but as a calling.
- The episode treats ranch work as a serious craft:
- managing soil
- managing grass
- managing animals
- understanding ecology
- The conversation also reinforces how much of Texas music, ranching, and masculinity culture overlap in the hosts’ world.
Links and Mentions
- Bric says listeners can reach him on Instagram at @bricmason.
- His ranch brand/site is beefraisedright.com.
- The hosts also plug upcoming live shows and sponsor reads throughout the episode.