Stephen Jackson Defends His Stance on 'Checking in,' Says He Doesn't Do it for Protection

On the latest episode of One on One With Mike D podcast, former NBA star Stephen Jackson defended his stance on "checking in" after the RICO charges against Eugene "Big U" Henley brought more attention to the controversial practice.

What did Stephen Jackson say about "checking in" at Chicago's O Block?

Jackson has previously indicated that he likes to "check in" with people he knows when he visits a city he's not from. Rumors recently circulated online that he checked in during a visit to Chicago's O Block, a neighborhood known for high crime rates and gang-related shootings.

"Let's clear up the O Block shit," Jackson said, as seen in the clip below. "I'll give a million dollars to anybody that you can find in O Block that said I checked in."

He explained that he was in Chicago for a Big3 tournament, and he drunkenly suggested going to the O Block when he was hanging with some of his friends from the city. One of his friends knew someone in the area, and they called them up before they went to visit.

"I ain't no checking in n***a, I pulled up on the young-ins!" he added.

"The problem is, everybody can't go," he said. "When I go places and there's n***as that I love [there], I do check-in. I ain't checking in for protection, I'm checking in to let a n***a know ... 'I'm in your state, n***a, let's link up.' I don't need no protection."

The full episode of the podcast can be accessed with paid membership here.

What does "check in" mean?

In 2022, per TMZ, Jackson said that he "checks in" wherever he goes.

"Everywhere I go, I call somebody from the place that I'm going that I know and check in," he said. "I wanna go home to my family and I love my life. 'Oh you 44 years old and you checking in...' Yeah, I'm checking in! I'm checking in with my people out of respect. I fear no man, I fear Allah and that's it. But everywhere I go, I don't mind checking in. ... It makes me feel safer."

In the criminal complaint against Henley and six others, the term "check-in" is explained as the practice of contacting or meeting with "the local street representative of said city to pay a ‘tax’ or ‘fee’ for permission both to move about freely and to have an event or conduct business in that other city without the risk of harassment or danger from criminal elements."

The case has brought renewed attention to the practice, with comments from various figures in pop culture and hip-hop especially recirculating online. SchoolBoy Q's comments, for instance, recently received attention on social media.

"Everybody be checking in. That's y'all favorite thing to do. Check in with somebody that's going to rob your stupid ass," Q said on Drink Champs in 2024. "You think the guy that you don't know motherfucker in California got your back? The guy that got beef with other hoods, you're checking in with that dude? Go to the hotel, get you something to eat, go back to the hotel, go have some fun where shit is fun. Why do you want to go over there? For what?"