WEBVTT - Steven Russell 0:00:01.960 --> 0:00:05.000 R and B Money. 0:00:05.559 --> 0:00:06.120 We are. 0:00:07.680 --> 0:00:08.039 Thank you. 0:00:10.000 --> 0:00:10.160 Chi. 0:00:11.080 --> 0:00:15.720 We are the authority on all things R. 0:00:15.720 --> 0:00:19.439 And B ladies and gentleman. My name is Tank. 0:00:21.000 --> 0:00:27.520 This is the R and B Money Podcasts, the authority 0:00:27.880 --> 0:00:31.400 on all things. 0:00:29.920 --> 0:00:34.000 All things R and B real, R and B. Yeah. 0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:39.760 Wing spreaders, huh, come on fly, come on. Whole whole 0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:44.239 line dedicated to the name of the group. Yeah, you know, 0:00:44.800 --> 0:00:49.320 clothing line. You know I'm talking about some steppers. Help me. 0:00:49.320 --> 0:00:52.320 Steppers call them my nesty. They say birds of a feather. 0:00:52.960 --> 0:00:56.680 What they do flock together. Okay, I got my brother 0:00:56.680 --> 0:01:01.000 in the builder, my loved one. We have created magic together. 0:01:01.280 --> 0:01:03.160 Yes, we had to get to talk about it all 0:01:03.320 --> 0:01:08.680 right here on the Army Money podcast. Get up, Yes, 0:01:10.240 --> 0:01:11.480 that's yeah true. 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:14.880 The legendary, legendary Yeah yeah, West Coasting. 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:19.240 That's a din in the house. I'm reminded of a 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:21.200 story you told me. I want. 0:01:21.200 --> 0:01:23.320 I want to get on two things first before we 0:01:23.680 --> 0:01:29.240 paused that. The first story you told me you came 0:01:29.280 --> 0:01:30.360 in to I forget where you were. 0:01:30.400 --> 0:01:30.880 You were like. 0:01:30.880 --> 0:01:35.520 Backstage somewhere or something, and uh songs was doing good right, 0:01:35.680 --> 0:01:38.800 you know, you was popping and you had your shades on, 0:01:40.280 --> 0:01:45.720 you know, your your your I'm doing this ship shades on. Yeah, 0:01:46.040 --> 0:01:49.600 and a guy by the name of jel LeVert walked 0:01:49.640 --> 0:01:52.720 up to you and said, not yet, not yet. 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:59.360 No, he did turn your LIFs down. Listen your light. Yeah, relax, 0:02:00.680 --> 0:02:00.960 you know. 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:05.200 I feel you, Bro, but one more record at least, Bro, 0:02:05.400 --> 0:02:11.680 just pace it not this moment. And I respected it. 0:02:12.240 --> 0:02:23.120 But my feet were off the ground. David Blade, Yeah, 0:02:23.760 --> 0:02:29.000 where was this? We had a show together, Rude Boys, 0:02:29.080 --> 0:02:33.799 Men at Large, Jeli Image Awards, Wow, and we were 0:02:33.840 --> 0:02:40.799 doing the Temptations. And this was the third Oh my god, 0:02:40.880 --> 0:02:44.640 this was the third album. I had went through my 0:02:45.560 --> 0:02:49.079 college days with Chuckie and Babyface and everybody, the first two. 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:52.360 The third album, I went in and put my work in, 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:54.360 through the litigation and all that. I was in the 0:02:54.400 --> 0:02:58.080 studio one percent of the time, and I thought I 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:03.360 was ready, you know. I thought I had not reached 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:05.520 where I wanted to be, of course, but I thought 0:03:05.560 --> 0:03:12.360 I was in a place where where I was solid 0:03:12.400 --> 0:03:18.360 as a creator, you know. And we were getting ready 0:03:18.360 --> 0:03:20.480 to do the Temptation. And mind you, we had been 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:25.760 on a road killing it Hammer Keith, I mean all 0:03:25.840 --> 0:03:30.280 the rappers were killing it. You know, we're new addition 0:03:30.400 --> 0:03:34.600 in our bubble. Yeah, completely, and so we're getting ready 0:03:34.600 --> 0:03:37.880 to do this temptation thing. So man, what I am 0:03:37.960 --> 0:03:39.320 David ruffin tonight. 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:42.760 Guy? Right? 0:03:43.160 --> 0:03:45.800 And you know, I loved Gerald so much because that's 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:48.520 not the only time that Gerald, you know, Joel was 0:03:48.560 --> 0:03:50.720 like a big brother to me. But I love him 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:55.560 and I appreciate that moment so much because we don't 0:03:55.600 --> 0:04:00.000 know when God in the flesh is talking to you, 0:04:00.200 --> 0:04:01.160 dealing with you. 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:04.880 Yeah, You're gonna speak to you through something, through somebody. 0:04:05.040 --> 0:04:08.680 Yeah, come on, and it's up to you to know 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:13.520 his face when you see for sure, you know. And 0:04:13.560 --> 0:04:16.479 because I like to learn and like to grow. And 0:04:16.560 --> 0:04:18.880 I was such a big GERLD fan period when he 0:04:19.080 --> 0:04:22.200 said that, I was able to say, Okay, Steve, I 0:04:22.520 --> 0:04:23.280 feel what he's saying. 0:04:23.800 --> 0:04:24.480 Because I'm. 0:04:26.839 --> 0:04:31.000 Anybody else, anybody else, anybody else said it, you probably 0:04:31.000 --> 0:04:31.560 would not have. 0:04:32.880 --> 0:04:35.280 I know you're talking to yes, bro, I'm number one. 0:04:36.000 --> 0:04:40.680 I'm number one, as you're telling me this, excuse me, 0:04:40.760 --> 0:04:44.000 excuse me. 0:04:42.800 --> 0:04:44.760 Right now, at least in this second. 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:48.120 Now, everybody everybody wears shades now, but I didn't do that. 0:04:48.160 --> 0:04:50.440 But everybody wearing sh now. But back then, if you 0:04:50.520 --> 0:04:51.279 had on some shades. 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:52.400 It was. 0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:57.359 You know, I had lines. You know, I'm designed up, 0:05:00.080 --> 0:05:04.080 made over new grill. You know, I had porcelains in 0:05:04.120 --> 0:05:04.880 the nineties. 0:05:06.760 --> 0:05:10.839 I was the first thing Caniga smiling. 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:15.719 You know, I'm you know, just you know, keeping it real. 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:21.279 Gerald was one of the guys that always pulled my coattail, 0:05:21.640 --> 0:05:25.640 but he always pushed me forward at the same time. Yeah, 0:05:25.680 --> 0:05:29.560 you know, I remember we did our Senior Hall second album, 0:05:29.640 --> 0:05:32.799 I'm Not Suited. We didn't know New Audition was gonna 0:05:32.839 --> 0:05:37.480 be there, and you know, Gerald was always my. 0:05:37.560 --> 0:05:38.520 Round table guy. 0:05:38.680 --> 0:05:40.520 You know, I didn't have any brothers and stuff growing up, 0:05:40.560 --> 0:05:43.320 but Jerald he was the guy I always called just 0:05:43.320 --> 0:05:45.920 for whatever. So I was real nervous and scared, you know, 0:05:46.360 --> 0:05:48.640 and he was pumping, Man, man, you're gonna do great man, y'all. 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:50.200 You know, you the ship man, you know whatever. 0:05:50.279 --> 0:05:54.400 So I remember after we finished I'm Not suit Bro, 0:05:54.480 --> 0:05:55.440 he called me crying. 0:05:55.520 --> 0:05:58.240 Man, your niggas is great, man, You niggas is great. 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:00.799 I told you, I told you, man. He's so passionate. 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:02.640 You know, he's so passionate. 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:06.400 He was so happy that we killed it the way 0:06:06.440 --> 0:06:08.440 we killed it because he's rooting for the under he 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:10.920 wants us to kill it, and we killed it, bro, 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:12.320 and he called me he was so proud. 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:15.760 I'll never forget that. Wow, Rest in peace, man. 0:06:18.040 --> 0:06:21.039 And then another other story. When we first got the building, 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:23.760 I was like, man, I was like, what. 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:29.640 Are you doing on the roof right? I'm working with 0:06:29.640 --> 0:06:30.200 my birds? 0:06:30.480 --> 0:06:35.040 I said, what what are you doing here? 0:06:35.200 --> 0:06:38.400 Birds? He said, yeah, my pitch and my birds. I 0:06:38.400 --> 0:06:39.120 said what. 0:06:40.080 --> 0:06:42.520 So from him, you know, and we'll get more into 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:44.960 that so you can really explain that. But from there 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:47.080 is me, and you just began to hang out more 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:47.960 and happen more. 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:50.880 You know. He's like, he's like, na, we're nesty. I said, 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:54.520 what is a nasty had two eggs? 0:06:54.600 --> 0:06:57.280 Mans? 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:03.760 Yeah? You like my master. 0:07:07.440 --> 0:07:12.360 So take us back, Take us back, Steve too the 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:14.840 very beginning, like where does the star for you? 0:07:14.960 --> 0:07:15.440 Where is it? 0:07:15.560 --> 0:07:15.640 Like? 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:20.840 You know, okay, I got something, I'm finding something, I'm 0:07:20.960 --> 0:07:29.520 tapping into something. As this young kid. 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:29.720 I was, I was an only child with my you know, 0:07:29.800 --> 0:07:33.920 single parent home, my mom and my grandmother. Her mother 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:38.240 used to always tell my mother that boy is special 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:43.000 my entire life, and because I loved her so much, 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:47.880 that meant something to believe whether I knew what it was. 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:52.240 I believe that because she said it, and she said 0:07:52.240 --> 0:07:53.480 it a year after. 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:55.920 You make sure you keep him with drawing paper. Do 0:07:55.960 --> 0:07:57.520 you know this boy can draw? 0:07:57.600 --> 0:07:59.480 Because I was with her this summer in Texas and 0:07:59.480 --> 0:08:04.360 that Marilla, bless her heart. Anyway, it started from that 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:10.440 her saying this to me. So fast forward fourteen years old, enter. 0:08:10.320 --> 0:08:11.080 In high school. 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:16.320 She passes from an aneurysm before I even become fifteen. 0:08:17.800 --> 0:08:24.720 So I'm dealing with her not seeing me manifesting anything right. 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:30.080 And I was walking on campus when I first got there, 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:36.840 and I saw myself homeless actually, and I was older 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:41.480 and I was on the street, bro, and it scared 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:46.040 the living shit out of me. And from that moment, 0:08:46.240 --> 0:08:49.560 it was either football or music. Because I grew up 0:08:50.120 --> 0:08:52.959 I was popular as a dancer in Pasadena. 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:54.400 I was one of the only little kids. 0:08:54.440 --> 0:08:58.320 You knew, this little dude, he's always danced, you know. 0:08:58.320 --> 0:09:00.720 And then I went into Michael Jackson, and I was 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:04.680 super popular doing Michael Jackson. I was famous doing Michael Jackson. 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:04.840 Bro. 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:10.120 I was Mike at twelve, and so I already loved 0:09:10.160 --> 0:09:13.480 the fans. I used to make people happy doing Mike, 0:09:13.920 --> 0:09:16.160 and I fell in love with that. I fell in 0:09:16.200 --> 0:09:18.240 love with making people feel good because it made me 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:24.040 feel good, you know. And that was all connected with that, 0:09:24.720 --> 0:09:29.480 seeing myself homeless and wanting to be something for my 0:09:29.600 --> 0:09:33.280 grandmom and my mom. All that was the moment where 0:09:33.320 --> 0:09:36.120 it was like, okay, so on, I don't care what 0:09:36.200 --> 0:09:39.120 it is. It's either football. I was playing football against 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:39.839 my mom's will. 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:40.439 I was good. 0:09:40.840 --> 0:09:43.600 I got over my fear of defensive back. I got 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:45.960 over my fear of hitting. It was over once I 0:09:46.000 --> 0:09:49.959 knew I was hitting you monster. So anyway, it was 0:09:50.000 --> 0:09:54.520 either that or singing. And I started giving demo tapes 0:09:54.559 --> 0:09:58.839 around in the studios in Pasadena. I would record what 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:02.800 were you recording on UH eight recorder cassette recorded those 0:10:02.840 --> 0:10:04.000 great cassette recorders. 0:10:04.000 --> 0:10:06.000 Bro, you pressed, You have to press real hard to 0:10:06.040 --> 0:10:06.880 get it to record. 0:10:07.280 --> 0:10:10.280 Playing record. At the same time with the Little Black. 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:15.120 Mic No, I was singing Jermaine Jackson, Dude, what you 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:16.440 do when you did? 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:17.160 What you did? 0:10:19.520 --> 0:10:21.599 Tell how Jermaine had a hit to it, because you know, 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:31.480 sleep you record record he did on Jermaine's name. 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:35.800 Man, that song was us, So you know, yeah, I 0:10:35.800 --> 0:10:37.920 was passing my sorry, I was passing my demo around 0:10:38.360 --> 0:10:41.680 and then a guy from school that I knew that 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:44.880 played sports and stuff said, hey, man, you got to 0:10:44.920 --> 0:10:45.840 watch us this weekend. 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:49.000 We on this show called Putting on the Hits and 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:50.280 it was a litsen show. 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:53.320 Yeah you know so, and I was like, you won't 0:10:53.360 --> 0:10:56.240 Putting on the Hit you played basketball. So I watched it. 0:10:56.320 --> 0:10:59.000 I went home and they was getting down cooler than now. 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:01.800 I mean bust so I was telling my mom. I 0:11:01.800 --> 0:11:03.360 was like, I'll go to school these dudes, you know. 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:09.560 So anyway, they won week fast forward. He's we got 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:12.079 these big talent shows. Back then, it was always huge 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:14.880 city talent shows, so we were getting prepared for one 0:11:14.920 --> 0:11:17.040 of those. The lady who was running the talent show 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:20.320 wanted me to get them. At the same time, someone 0:11:20.320 --> 0:11:23.160 had contacted Putting on the Hits to find out if 0:11:23.200 --> 0:11:26.160 that group could sing, but they wasn't a singing group. 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:28.240 So he was looking for me while I was looking 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:31.160 for him, and when we run into each other, I'm like, Rodney, 0:11:31.160 --> 0:11:32.880 I need you for this talent show. He was like 0:11:33.080 --> 0:11:36.680 talent show. He was like, yo, a producer called the show. 0:11:36.720 --> 0:11:38.960 I want to know if we can sing, bro, I 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:42.800 need you in my group. I need you in my group. Bro, 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:44.640 you gotta talk to my mom. 0:11:45.000 --> 0:11:46.880 I need you because how old are you? Guys are 0:11:48.080 --> 0:11:49.160 fifteen years old. 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:51.439 We're cute freshmans. 0:11:51.840 --> 0:11:53.000 We're freshmans, bro. 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:56.920 And of course I just made this decision. 0:11:58.080 --> 0:11:58.240 Work. 0:11:58.679 --> 0:12:02.280 I had just made the win at all costs. 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:05.360 Here comes Rodney. I need you in the group. So 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:06.800 of course, fast forward. 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:08.079 John John was. 0:12:08.000 --> 0:12:09.720 In one of my thriller groups when I was doing 0:12:09.760 --> 0:12:11.560 mic so he came along. He found out I was 0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:12.079 in the group. 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:23.360 He made he bullied hisself. That's my god, you know. 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:28.280 So you know Alan came shortly thereafter, and you know 0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:32.200 we rehearsed every day, bro. 0:12:33.000 --> 0:12:33.800 So start off with four. 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:36.760 Well it was well, it was it was four because 0:12:36.800 --> 0:12:39.960 one of the original members was sticking around, our buddy Shane. 0:12:39.960 --> 0:12:42.760 He was still believing a little but that ran out 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:45.600 for him, you know, And that was I had already 0:12:45.600 --> 0:12:48.280 met Alan uh singing in a park or something. So 0:12:48.400 --> 0:12:51.199 I remember this guy I can sing. I know, Rodney 0:12:51.280 --> 0:12:53.120 him and looking at me like, I'm this guy, but 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:55.200 I need a singer in the group, you know what 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:59.800 I'm saying. So when Shane made space for Alan, boom 0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:01.000 and that was five. 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:11.160 Of a kind, Bro, what you said, Well, Reggie and Rodney. 0:13:07.720 --> 0:13:14.520 Reggie and Rodney were the originals, and they were the 0:13:14.600 --> 0:13:16.720 originals that went on putting on their heads, and Reggie 0:13:16.720 --> 0:13:20.360 stayed him and Rodney were the two originals that remained 0:13:20.360 --> 0:13:21.480 from that putting on the hits. 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:25.520 And from there, Man, we rehearsed every day, day in 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:29.760 day out. And now that I'm older and i've I've 0:13:29.840 --> 0:13:33.120 learned some stuff about what life is about. I look 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:35.760 back now, like in hard times or when I feel 0:13:35.760 --> 0:13:40.360 like it's a struggle going on, and I remember rehearsing 0:13:41.080 --> 0:13:43.199 and not being on the sidewalk. 0:13:43.240 --> 0:13:43.400 Bro. 0:13:44.960 --> 0:13:47.520 There would come a time in rehearsal that I was 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:53.120 on stage in front of thousands of people, and by 0:13:53.160 --> 0:13:57.800 the time the rehearsal was over, I was back before 0:13:58.440 --> 0:14:01.920 I got in the eleventh grade. Were signed to Atlantic Records. 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:05.040 Bro, this is about a two year process. 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:09.160 Yes, you know, to get the development, Yes, for us 0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:11.920 to get our stuff together, but no, we developed. We 0:14:11.960 --> 0:14:18.320 got signed June second, on a Tuesday in eighty six. Wow, 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:23.560 so we still had work to do. But the manifestation 0:14:23.840 --> 0:14:28.920 from the visualization is real. It's really really real, man, 0:14:29.080 --> 0:14:31.000 And all of us was on one accord, So it 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:32.960 was nothing the universe could do but just move it 0:14:33.000 --> 0:14:35.000 out of the way. By the time I was in 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:37.280 twelfth grade, Mama Citu. 0:14:37.040 --> 0:14:37.920 Was almost number one. 0:14:38.320 --> 0:14:41.640 You know what, man, My classmates got to see me 0:14:41.720 --> 0:14:44.120 on Donnie Simpson after all of those years of saying, oh, 0:14:44.120 --> 0:14:45.160 we're coming out next month. 0:14:49.600 --> 0:14:51.840 So by the time we get to the twelfth grade. 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:57.920 But before that, are you guys already? True? No, five 0:14:58.000 --> 0:14:59.960 of a con, five of a con. 0:15:00.200 --> 0:15:05.640 We're the guys in the twelfth grade, before we before 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:06.760 that record comes out. 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:08.880 We're the guys. But our group was the guys, and 0:15:08.920 --> 0:15:09.360 there was a. 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:12.680 Group called Guy that had a release date before hours 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:16.320 a couple of weeks groove me wow, yes, and we 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:18.920 had to change our name bro, and we already had 0:15:18.920 --> 0:15:19.440 to day wait. 0:15:19.520 --> 0:15:21.920 So at the same time Teddy and him got Guy, 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:23.160 y'all got the Guy. 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:25.960 We were the guys, but y'all signed too, and yeah 0:15:26.080 --> 0:15:27.200 we were signed the guys. 0:15:28.640 --> 0:15:29.080 Wow. 0:15:29.280 --> 0:15:31.600 So okay, So and didn't even know about Is there 0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:35.680 a brainstorming meet? Yes, West Coast, East coast? Is there 0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:37.760 a brainstorming meeting of like, what are we going to call? 0:15:38.240 --> 0:15:40.200 No question? How does that go? 0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:43.920 Merlyn Bob rest in peace. He's Sylvie Rome's right hand man, 0:15:44.160 --> 0:15:47.040 but he was our handler, you know, we were his ships. 0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:48.640 He got us on the phone and said we need 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:53.520 a name now this second. So everybody was scrambling for 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:55.920 a second. And you know me, I'm a download guy. 0:15:56.480 --> 0:15:58.640 So as soon as I got the download Troopers, we 0:15:58.640 --> 0:15:59.960 had a dance. We were already doing the Truth. 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:01.160 That's us. 0:16:01.320 --> 0:16:03.000 You know what I'm saying. We're not a new addition 0:16:03.120 --> 0:16:04.160 with true, my nigga. 0:16:05.040 --> 0:16:05.920 And that's how it happened. 0:16:05.920 --> 0:16:09.440 I said, with the True, and everybody at simultaneous like 0:16:09.480 --> 0:16:12.320 that's it, that's it, and Maryland hung up the phone 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:14.320 and then Alan sat there for a couple of seconds 0:16:14.320 --> 0:16:16.880 and came up with total respect of other people, and 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:17.800 that was it. 0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:23.080 Wow, number one record. I didn't know that number one record. 0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:26.600 After the number one record, we never flopped, bro, we 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:30.760 never felt the feeling of a defeat on a charting record. 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:37.240 Give me because I know you yeah, I know you know, 0:16:37.320 --> 0:16:37.680 I know it. 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:43.480 Give me twelfth grade with a hit record. How is 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:48.000 that well floated? I'm sure he was flowing. 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:50.440 All of us know each other like the people that 0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:52.200 we went to school, which you've been in school with 0:16:52.280 --> 0:16:56.480 him since second grade, So we know everybody. So you 0:16:56.600 --> 0:16:59.720 already have built up the people who knew you weren't 0:16:59.760 --> 0:17:02.600 not gonna make it. You already have that crowd. You 0:17:02.720 --> 0:17:05.160 have the crowd who's rooting for you, and you got 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:06.960 the crowd that know you're gonna do it. 0:17:07.359 --> 0:17:09.119 So we had. 0:17:09.000 --> 0:17:12.719 Stopped talking about what we were doing well before we 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:14.280 got like by the time we got the record deal 0:17:14.359 --> 0:17:16.600 and all that, we wasn't going to school hoping people 0:17:16.640 --> 0:17:17.640 believed us anymore. 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:19.120 So we were just. 0:17:19.160 --> 0:17:24.960 Regular right when we got on Donnie Simpson's couch, that 0:17:25.119 --> 0:17:28.159 couch when we came back to school, this is the 0:17:28.240 --> 0:17:31.080 last week of school, Bro, you got four more days. 0:17:31.080 --> 0:17:33.919 You're out video. So when we came back that. 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:38.240 Monday from being on video, so bro, that four days 0:17:38.359 --> 0:17:42.919 was the best four days of our high We were 0:17:42.920 --> 0:17:43.760 on the couch, you know. 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:47.879 How big that was. I made the couch, you know. 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:49.800 And then I found out that the elevator wasn't real 0:17:49.840 --> 0:18:03.359 because I tried to the elevator. 0:17:52.280 --> 0:18:00.240 And I'm like, man, I want to get on the elevator. 0:18:00.960 --> 0:18:04.000 Right, that's true. 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:05.800 And it was a wonderful experience. 0:18:05.920 --> 0:18:06.120 Man. 0:18:06.359 --> 0:18:10.280 Was there a particular young lady That's all he wanted 0:18:10.280 --> 0:18:13.160 to know if you had to go use your flag, 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:15.800 was there a particular young lady that you had had 0:18:15.840 --> 0:18:19.639 your eyes on, and maybe it was maybe it was 0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:23.200 a little difficult, Maybe it was just a little challenging, 0:18:23.359 --> 0:18:25.080 you know what I'm saying. But you know what I'm saying, 0:18:25.080 --> 0:18:27.240 before the couch, but then right after the couch to 0:18:27.720 --> 0:18:29.040 you know, to get. 0:18:28.840 --> 0:18:31.119 Back in retaliation. The reciprocation was. 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:33.119 It was just on a different level where it was like, 0:18:33.200 --> 0:18:38.280 I've always had my eye on you a lot of it, yeah. 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:41.240 A lot of it. I was a crusher. 0:18:41.280 --> 0:18:43.359 I was the quiet guy that you know, I like 0:18:43.480 --> 0:18:46.120 particular girls. I didn't just like everybody, but I liked 0:18:46.200 --> 0:18:49.920 that special little thing, you know, And I didn't always match, 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:52.959 it didn't always align, you know. But I had a 0:18:52.960 --> 0:18:56.240 girlfriend during high school. Crystal was my high school sweetheart. 0:18:56.240 --> 0:18:57.159 But yeah, I was a flirt. 0:18:57.200 --> 0:19:01.760 I was out there and yeah once, uh, that little 0:19:01.760 --> 0:19:06.080 one bedroom apartment turned into a nice Beverly Hills little retreat. 0:19:07.440 --> 0:19:09.639 No no, no, yeah right there in Pasaden, in that 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:12.280 same one bedroom apartment, so. 0:19:12.200 --> 0:19:14.560 He turned it into it for Beverly Hills Retreat. 0:19:14.600 --> 0:19:20.160 Okay, yeah, yeah, you know you always. 0:19:19.840 --> 0:19:22.800 That one apartment in the hood that got the leather couch. 0:19:24.359 --> 0:19:26.359 Everybody know about that. Get that bunk bit out of 0:19:26.359 --> 0:19:27.040 here and bring that water. 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:28.200 It was nice. 0:19:29.520 --> 0:19:30.840 And I wasn't. I didn't. 0:19:30.880 --> 0:19:32.640 I didn't take advantage of it like. 0:19:32.640 --> 0:19:35.280 I could have, but I appreciated. 0:19:36.800 --> 0:19:38.200 I did appreciate. 0:19:38.760 --> 0:19:39.840 Yeah, Okay, I. 0:19:39.800 --> 0:19:42.119 Feel like the people who took advantage of it like 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:44.080 they quote unquote should. 0:19:43.840 --> 0:19:49.359 Have, they didn't survive. And I didn't do that. Bro, 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:53.280 you got a patient, Yes, I did have to patience. 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:55.679 I did, man, I did. I mean the entire time. Man, 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:56.640 we got on the road. 0:19:56.680 --> 0:19:59.600 Man, I used to room with Reggie, and Reggie was 0:19:59.640 --> 0:20:04.120 a person professional already. This definitely wasn't his first time 0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:05.480 around touring or none of that. 0:20:05.560 --> 0:20:05.720 Bro. 0:20:06.160 --> 0:20:08.399 When we got out on the road, he was already 0:20:09.119 --> 0:20:16.080 max savvy. He already knew. Yeah, he knew and. 0:20:18.200 --> 0:20:18.520 Ready. 0:20:19.240 --> 0:20:19.399 You know. 0:20:21.960 --> 0:20:27.359 You how do you know how to I mean grown? 0:20:27.400 --> 0:20:28.800 I mean bringing grown women. 0:20:28.840 --> 0:20:34.200 I'm like your kids. I was like, I couldn't believe 0:20:34.560 --> 0:20:35.760 he'd come in the room with somebody. 0:20:35.800 --> 0:20:36.840 I just rolled with all the cover. 0:20:38.400 --> 0:20:51.560 I start saying that put the nigga shineing, shout. 0:20:51.600 --> 0:20:56.280 Rest in peace. Wow. Crazy, We had a ball man. 0:20:56.640 --> 0:20:59.240 We had a ball who's. 0:20:59.040 --> 0:21:03.200 The first tour? Yeah, oh, the first tour. Maama Sita 0:21:03.320 --> 0:21:04.200 is going crazy. 0:21:04.359 --> 0:21:08.760 We did a ninety city too, by ourselves. 0:21:08.800 --> 0:21:11.440 We did a ninety city tour. How many days does 0:21:11.480 --> 0:21:13.320 it take you all to do ninety cities? 0:21:14.680 --> 0:21:16.879 People were crying and everything before it was over with, 0:21:17.440 --> 0:21:18.760 and airports. 0:21:18.240 --> 0:21:19.240 Crying broke down. 0:21:19.400 --> 0:21:22.000 Everybody went through hell, I want to go home. 0:21:22.520 --> 0:21:27.240 Oh, and we laughed at everybody that we laughed and 0:21:27.320 --> 0:21:29.679 everybody who went through it, and everybody went through it. 0:21:30.040 --> 0:21:32.640 We did a ninety city tour by ourselves. 0:21:33.040 --> 0:21:36.639 Every skating rink across the country, every boys club, girls 0:21:37.000 --> 0:21:42.760 girls club, schools, every every school, everything that you could 0:21:42.800 --> 0:21:45.800 think of. Truth was there. And that's why we're able 0:21:45.840 --> 0:21:47.960