WEBVTT - Omarion 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:02.360 Why were you two minutes ago when they got to 0:00:02.400 --> 0:00:04.240 be out of character? Now you're telling me all this 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:06.200 because I definitely let somebody get me out of my 0:00:06.320 --> 0:00:08.880 career today. And what I'm not gonna call me the 0:00:08.960 --> 0:00:11.480 unbothered kid. I have to bother ka. 0:00:11.520 --> 0:00:17.160 I was bothered all my life, grinding all my life, sacrifice, hustle, 0:00:17.200 --> 0:00:21.000 pet price, one slice, got the brother of geist swap 0:00:21.200 --> 0:00:24.000 all my life. I've been grinding all my life, all 0:00:24.040 --> 0:00:28.520 my life, the grinding all my life, sacrifice, hustle, bag price, 0:00:28.600 --> 0:00:32.440 one slice, Dtor brother of geist Swatch all my life. 0:00:32.479 --> 0:00:34.880 I've been grinding all my life. 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:38.559 Hello, welcome to another edition of Club Sha Shay. I 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:41.080 am your host. I'm also the proprietor of Club Shasha. 0:00:41.360 --> 0:00:43.479 And the guy that's stopping by for conversation on the 0:00:43.520 --> 0:00:47.000 drink today is a Grammy nominated artist, a multi talented 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:52.240 pop culture icon, multi platinum singer, songwriter, producer, actor, dancing composer, author, 0:00:52.680 --> 0:00:55.240 megastar and one of the guys responsible to make your 0:00:55.320 --> 0:00:58.480 R and B. Isn't dead or isn't dying? O? Marion? Oh, 0:00:59.000 --> 0:01:01.200 what's up? Rock Man? 0:01:01.280 --> 0:01:04.120 Happy to be on club but I'm happy that you 0:01:04.240 --> 0:01:04.880 for having me. 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:07.280 I'm happy that you gave me a little bit of 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:09.440 your time, but I know you visit so I appreciate 0:01:09.480 --> 0:01:10.120 your stopping by. 0:01:10.240 --> 0:01:10.880 Man, it's love. 0:01:11.360 --> 0:01:13.120 Let's go back. Let's get to where it all started 0:01:13.160 --> 0:01:16.720 from Inglewood. Yes, growing up in Inglewood. You're the oldest 0:01:16.720 --> 0:01:20.959 of six. What did Marion want to be when he 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:21.560 was growing up? 0:01:22.160 --> 0:01:26.080 Well, my mom was a young mother, a kid having 0:01:26.120 --> 0:01:30.319 a kid, both my mom and dad. She had me 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:34.160 when she was sixteen, you know which, I would say 0:01:34.200 --> 0:01:37.520 that gave me a really big advantage, you know, aside 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:40.280 from all of the other kids, because my mom allowed 0:01:40.280 --> 0:01:43.399 me to really just be myself, try things. You know, 0:01:43.440 --> 0:01:46.520 I definitely was interested in sports, you know what I mean. 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:50.240 I did that for a little while. She supported me 0:01:50.280 --> 0:01:52.920 in acting and essentially, you know what I mean, she 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:55.400 just gave me the free range too, you know, just 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:57.960 be myself. This was you know, during the time when 0:01:58.000 --> 0:02:01.400 kids would play outside, you know, walk everywhere. You know 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:07.040 what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, so yeah, you know, you know, 0:02:07.200 --> 0:02:10.280 me as a kid was just an explorer, a discoverer, 0:02:10.720 --> 0:02:12.880 you know what I mean. I would say I was 0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:15.560 like a type of rough kid. You know what I'm saying. 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:18.320 I love to, you know, play sports fight. 0:02:18.919 --> 0:02:22.760 You know. So what was your sport? Football? Basketball, you soccer, baseball? 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:23.880 What was your sport growing up? 0:02:24.480 --> 0:02:28.280 Baseball? Basketball, and football. My mom didn't really let me 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:31.960 play football, you know what I mean. But a lot 0:02:32.000 --> 0:02:34.440 of the neighborhood kids, they were on the Pop Warner team, 0:02:34.560 --> 0:02:36.040 so you know what I mean. They would bring their 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:39.080 paths and I was able to fans that way. Okay, 0:02:39.120 --> 0:02:39.840 you know what I'm saying. 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:41.760 You mentioned that your mom had you at a very 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:44.400 young age. She was sixteen. So would you say your 0:02:44.440 --> 0:02:47.519 mom did she Was she like mom's son or was 0:02:47.560 --> 0:02:49.000 she like more mother friend? 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:53.519 A little bit of both. You know, I would say she, uh, definitely. 0:02:55.000 --> 0:02:57.120 As I grew as a young adult, you know what 0:02:57.120 --> 0:02:59.520 I mean, she became more like a friend. But you know, 0:02:59.600 --> 0:03:02.760 she still was a parent, you know. And I definitely 0:03:02.760 --> 0:03:04.600 got a shout out by Nana, you know what I mean, 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:07.399 because she spoke over my life before I even you know, came, 0:03:07.919 --> 0:03:10.440 you know, which was we don't kill our babies because 0:03:10.480 --> 0:03:12.480 a lot of the time, when you know young kids 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:16.560 are having kids, they're like, yeah, you need to exactly. 0:03:16.680 --> 0:03:19.680 But you know, I come from a strong lineage of 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:22.880 you know women, and I'm so grateful, you know, because 0:03:22.880 --> 0:03:25.760 they taught me a lot about style and taste and 0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:28.360 you know what I mean. It's why I, you know, 0:03:28.720 --> 0:03:31.600 have a big fan base full of women. You know 0:03:31.639 --> 0:03:33.880 what I'm saying, You know what I mean, So shout 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:34.800 out to the ladies. 0:03:36.240 --> 0:03:38.200 But you mentioned your grandmother that I was gonna get 0:03:38.240 --> 0:03:40.560 to that you were very very close with your grandmother. 0:03:42.400 --> 0:03:45.600 How did that impact your life in her passing? What 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:47.000 did that do to a younger Mario? 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:51.560 Well, I think it helped me just realize that we 0:03:51.600 --> 0:03:54.280 all have a really short time, you know, and it's 0:03:54.320 --> 0:03:58.720 important to you know, love each other. It's important to 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:02.119 have you know, unders and you know it's i it's 0:04:02.120 --> 0:04:04.760 important to just spend that time, you know what I mean. 0:04:05.000 --> 0:04:08.760 And you know, having my nana as a supporter, you know, 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:14.240 she helped me really un understand the importance of expressing 0:04:14.240 --> 0:04:17.560 my emotion, kay. And you know, she really introduced me 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:19.480 to culture. You that they there used to be this 0:04:19.520 --> 0:04:23.760 thing in La called the African Marketplace and a lot 0:04:23.800 --> 0:04:27.839 of her friends, you know, we're in the conscious community 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:30.279 as what they would call it now, but back then 0:04:30.400 --> 0:04:32.960 it was just culture. You know what I'm saying, I 0:04:33.040 --> 0:04:36.040 learned about you know, can't take cloth and oils and 0:04:36.520 --> 0:04:39.680 you know hair because my nana was uh a hairstyle 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:41.359 and she actually used to have a shot back in 0:04:41.360 --> 0:04:44.800 the day. Right, So that's why my hair has always 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:46.920 been my hair, you know what I'm saying, Because because 0:04:46.920 --> 0:04:49.040 of the ladies, because of my manner. Yeah, so I 0:04:49.080 --> 0:04:53.880 would say, you know, she just really you know, uh 0:04:53.920 --> 0:04:57.320 poured into me. You know, the importance of showing up 0:04:57.320 --> 0:05:00.920 and being a man, you know, because I didn't really 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:02.440 have that growing up, you know what I mean. I 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:04.720 have a great relationship with my father now, you know 0:05:04.760 --> 0:05:06.279 what I mean, but it wasn't a lot of men, 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:09.080 you know, so essentially being the first born, you know, 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:11.800 I kind of took on that persona and that responsibility 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:15.120 of looking after everybody and you know, being a man. 0:05:15.880 --> 0:05:17.839 You mentioned that your you and your father have a 0:05:17.839 --> 0:05:20.359 great relationship. Now, I Don'm not sure how much he 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:22.880 was around then, but did you is there something that 0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:24.880 you felt that you missed? You mentioned that how strong 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:28.120 your mother was, how strong your grandmother was, and you know, 0:05:28.240 --> 0:05:32.479 being raised by strong black women, how did that shape you? 0:05:33.320 --> 0:05:35.800 It shaped me, I think in a great way. But 0:05:36.000 --> 0:05:39.480 you know, there was you know that avoid that that you. 0:05:39.440 --> 0:05:42.200 Know, things that only a man can teach a man exactly. 0:05:42.320 --> 0:05:45.880 And also you know, in understanding a woman, I mean 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:47.720 because it was a lot of emotions, you know what 0:05:47.760 --> 0:05:49.479 I'm saying. So it's like I kind of got that 0:05:49.600 --> 0:05:53.600 too from women. You know, I would say, I'm aware, 0:05:53.760 --> 0:05:56.320 you're aware, Okay, yeah, because you know, sensitivity is just 0:05:56.400 --> 0:05:57.600 hiden awareness. 0:05:57.279 --> 0:05:57.440 You know. 0:05:57.760 --> 0:06:04.440 Okay, yeah, you know what I'm saying. So I'm like, hey, 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:06.560 you know what I mean. I could feel it too, 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:09.040 your feel me wave man, hold on, what's going on? 0:06:09.480 --> 0:06:11.560 Because women have that, you know what I'm saying. And 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:15.760 you know that was a gift that only a woman 0:06:15.839 --> 0:06:18.080 could really give you being around a whole bunch of 0:06:18.120 --> 0:06:20.680 emotional women. But for my for my dad, you know, 0:06:21.040 --> 0:06:22.880 my dad was around, you know what I'm saying. He 0:06:23.080 --> 0:06:28.400 definitely uh, like I don't want to say like he 0:06:28.480 --> 0:06:30.680 wasn't there. You know, he he was able to be 0:06:30.720 --> 0:06:32.559 there as much as he could, you know what I'm saying. 0:06:33.160 --> 0:06:35.320 And that's why we have a great relationship now because 0:06:35.360 --> 0:06:38.000 I understand in the grand scheme, it's like we all 0:06:38.080 --> 0:06:41.599 are working from a place that like, you know, we 0:06:41.640 --> 0:06:43.919 can only work from you know, from what we were taught, 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:46.400 you know what I'm saying. And that's why we have 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:48.159 a great relationship now, you know what I'm saying. So 0:06:48.200 --> 0:06:51.000 it was important moments like you know, throughout my career. 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:53.520 You know that he wasn't just able to be present 0:06:53.560 --> 0:06:55.800 for it. You know that that was really important. And 0:06:56.000 --> 0:07:00.960 also you know the attitude and business and understanding you know, uh, 0:07:01.040 --> 0:07:06.880 that good balance between you know, emotions and you know, professionalism. 0:07:07.200 --> 0:07:07.839 You know what I'm saying. 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:12.120 You're the father of three to two? Yeah, how different? 0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:14.720 How was how did your father you have in the 0:07:14.800 --> 0:07:18.240 relationship growing up with your father? How has that impacted 0:07:18.240 --> 0:07:19.640 how you raise your kid? 0:07:20.560 --> 0:07:24.040 I think that uh, you know, we are essentially you know, 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:28.320 like you know, wanna become what we're what we feel 0:07:28.360 --> 0:07:30.160 like we lack ya you know what I'm saying. So 0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:32.880 I feel like it made me step into the role more, 0:07:33.000 --> 0:07:34.760 you know what I mean. And and again I will 0:07:34.800 --> 0:07:37.320 say that it wasn't that My dad wasn't that you 0:07:37.360 --> 0:07:39.200 know what I mean. He was definitely present as much 0:07:39.240 --> 0:07:40.560 as he could be. You know what I mean. He 0:07:40.640 --> 0:07:43.800 cut my hair, you know, he always you know, bought 0:07:43.840 --> 0:07:46.720 me things and you know, supported me the best way 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:48.680 he could. And it's funny. I shared this, uh little 0:07:48.720 --> 0:07:53.120 story with you recently, maybe like two years ago. He 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:55.120 was like, he was like, son, I ran into your 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:57.440 old coach, your old basketball coach, and I was like, 0:07:57.480 --> 0:07:59.520 oh for real, And he was like, you know what, 0:07:59.560 --> 0:08:01.920 I realize, Like I never came to none of your games. 0:08:01.920 --> 0:08:04.440 I'm sorry, son, you know what I'm saying. And that 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:06.560 was really powerful, you know what I mean, because I 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:08.080 had forgot about that, you know what I mean. I 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:11.320 wouldn't holding that against them, right, but you know, those 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:13.480 are the things that's like, you know, as a man, 0:08:13.560 --> 0:08:15.800 you really realize, like when you have your own kids 0:08:16.120 --> 0:08:18.880 start really looking at your parents and seeing like, oh, well, 0:08:19.520 --> 0:08:22.600 my dad's you know what I'm saying, Yeah, yeah, an 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:24.640 And he didn't really have this, so how could he 0:08:24.680 --> 0:08:26.800 give that to me, you know what I'm saying. So 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:29.400 it wa It was definitely a a full circle moment, 0:08:29.440 --> 0:08:31.000 you know what I mean. So I I definitely don't 0:08:31.000 --> 0:08:33.520 blame my father, but as far as me being a 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:35.560 parent in my kids, you know, because my mom is 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:38.360 such a cool mom. You know, she introduced me to 0:08:38.520 --> 0:08:40.280 all of the great music. You know what, I mean, 0:08:40.640 --> 0:08:43.280 my style comes from my nana and my auntie and 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:45.760 my mom. So you know I I do the same 0:08:45.800 --> 0:08:48.800 for my kids. You know one thing that we do 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:51.640 when we uh uh cause I take them to school. 0:08:51.640 --> 0:08:54.960 I'm a very ye yeah, I'm involved that. You know 0:08:55.000 --> 0:08:57.320 when I when I take them to uh school in 0:08:57.360 --> 0:09:00.840 the morning. You know, I showed them all right, I 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:03.640 show them samples. You know, songs that you know, come 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:05.520 from back in the day that people sample now and 0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:09.360 they just love you know, those little nuances and things. 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:12.120 You know what I'm saying, Like, you know that only 0:09:12.160 --> 0:09:14.920 only your parents can really show you. 0:09:13.559 --> 0:09:20.400 You know, who you actually are. They like that. Yeah. 0:09:20.840 --> 0:09:23.520 I took Mega for his uh for his seventh birthday 0:09:23.520 --> 0:09:26.400 to go see Usher okay yeah, down in Vegas and 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:29.679 it was such a great experience for him. Usher shadowed 0:09:29.720 --> 0:09:32.080 him out and was like, we got a birthday boy, Mega, 0:09:32.200 --> 0:09:35.559 So he gets it, he's like, you know. And also 0:09:35.640 --> 0:09:37.120 my daughter, she was mad about that. 0:09:38.160 --> 0:09:38.640 Yeah. 0:09:38.720 --> 0:09:41.280 Yeah, she wants to be Beyonce. Ok yeah, yeah, she 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:43.120 wants to be Beyonce. So we're working on that. 0:09:43.800 --> 0:09:47.000 Yeah she does come. I think it's up at the sofa. 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:49.280 Yeah, yeah, so were gonna pull up, pull up. 0:09:49.320 --> 0:09:51.600 Yeah, we're gonna pull up all right, but you hope 0:09:51.600 --> 0:09:52.360 you can make that happen. 0:09:52.440 --> 0:09:52.640 Yeah. 0:09:52.760 --> 0:09:56.040 Yeah, you mentioned you've played all the sports. But obviously 0:09:56.080 --> 0:09:59.960 you you're entertainer. You're a singer, started saying you started singing? 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:03.120 When did you know you could sing? And this was 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:05.280 the path that was gonna take you to where you 0:10:05.320 --> 0:10:05.840 wanted to go. 0:10:06.440 --> 0:10:09.440 Well, my mom was uh a dancer okay, yeah, uh 0:10:09.440 --> 0:10:11.959 she was a ballet dancer okay. And she loved hip 0:10:12.000 --> 0:10:14.360 hop so a lot of the times. And and she 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:16.240 was a hairstylist, so a lot of the times when 0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:21.240 she was you know, you know, doing hair for uh, 0:10:21.240 --> 0:10:24.320 you know, Kurt Franklin, God's Property, she did Usher's hair, 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:27.520 she did Jermaine Dupriez here. I will always be around, right, 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:31.400 So entertainment was very easy, especially coming up in you know, 0:10:31.480 --> 0:10:33.880 Los Angeles, California. My mom used to work at this 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:38.760 shop call Afro's of Hollywood on a Hollywood and Vine. 0:10:39.160 --> 0:10:42.120 So I'm very much like a entertainer kid, you know 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:45.120 what I mean. I grew up you know, entertaining, so, 0:10:45.880 --> 0:10:49.520 you know, because she allowed me to kind of just 0:10:50.240 --> 0:10:53.120 roam and figure out what worked for me. You know, 0:10:53.320 --> 0:10:55.319 I I really have to give the credit to her, 0:10:55.480 --> 0:10:58.640 you know what I'm saying for uh, you know, me 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:02.680 finding my purpose because you know, essentially, you know a 0:11:02.720 --> 0:11:05.560 lot of the time, you know, parents they want you 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:07.640 to do certain things, you know what I mean. But 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:09.400 my mom was like very much so like, oh, this 0:11:09.480 --> 0:11:11.240 is what you wanna do. Okay, well, this is how 0:11:11.280 --> 0:11:13.559 you do it, you know. Or you know, you wanna act, 0:11:13.720 --> 0:11:16.200 Let's take acting class. You want to dance, somebody, let's 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:17.880 take a dance class, you know what I mean. So 0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:21.680 shout out to mom's she she was, she was, she was. 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:24.600 She really helped me, you know, find my way. I 0:11:24.640 --> 0:11:29.000 actually was a rapper before I was a singer. Okay, Yeah, 0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:31.360 well I did this song called I Wanna Be Like Puff, 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:34.520 you know what I mean. Yeah, back when Diddy was 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:40.520 really popping, and my sister's father he was very much 0:11:40.520 --> 0:11:44.000 so in the music industry as well. So, yeah, music 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:46.800 was just my thing. You know. Music really helped me 0:11:47.360 --> 0:11:50.480 express myself in a creative way, and it also was 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:54.280 the junction for acting and for you know, all of 0:11:54.320 --> 0:11:56.439 these creative things in expression. 0:11:56.679 --> 0:11:59.480 So you started out in a group, yeah, and when 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:02.280 you're in a group, there are a lot of moving parts. 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:04.679 I mean, somebody could do this, somebody can do that, 0:12:04.720 --> 0:12:07.520 but when you go solo, you're the only moving part. 0:12:07.559 --> 0:12:10.480 You're the only thing that they see. Were you nervous? 0:12:10.520 --> 0:12:13.319 Were you apprehensive about going solo because you had had 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:14.839 such success in a group? 0:12:15.720 --> 0:12:21.960 Yeah, that journey was really interesting because you know, it 0:12:22.000 --> 0:12:23.920 was a lot going on with the group at the time, 0:12:24.120 --> 0:12:28.120 and you know, essentially we separated and it was never 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:32.640 my plan to quote unquote go solo the way. Really, yeah, 0:12:32.640 --> 0:12:35.480 it wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't in my plan. You know, 0:12:36.240 --> 0:12:38.960 a lot of things were happening so fast, right, and 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:41.599 it was like, all right, well, oh you know what 0:12:41.640 --> 0:12:46.079 I'm saying, like you going solo, and I'm like I am. 0:12:47.679 --> 0:12:49.680 So it was nerve racking, you know what I mean. 0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:53.240 But it was again, very natural for me to step 0:12:53.280 --> 0:12:56.920 into that that space. You know, even though it wasn't 0:12:56.960 --> 0:13:00.440 a plan. You know, the universe has an interesting way, yeah, 0:13:00.720 --> 0:13:02.559 you know what I mean, I have an interesting way 0:13:02.600 --> 0:13:05.480 of constructing things. And even though it felt like I 0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:08.160 was being ripped apart from my group because you know, 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:11.760 we were essentially you know, brothers, you know what I'm saying, 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:16.439 creating a bond, spending so much time together doing artists development. 0:13:16.520 --> 0:13:18.440 When you spend that much time, you know, just like 0:13:18.480 --> 0:13:19.960 a team. Yeah, I'm saying those those. 0:13:19.880 --> 0:13:24.640 People with those guys, you actual family. 0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:26.839 Exactly, you know what I mean. So the transition, I 0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:32.200 would say was nerve wracking, you know, but essentially, you know, 0:13:32.240 --> 0:13:35.959 when I find my footing and you know, I regained 0:13:35.960 --> 0:13:38.280 the confidence because I remember my first show that I 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:40.440 had to do without the boys, and I was like, 0:13:40.559 --> 0:13:43.480 I was so nervous. I even may even shed a 0:13:43.480 --> 0:13:45.400 little tear, you know what I mean, because I was 0:13:45.480 --> 0:13:47.840 just not prepared mentally, you know what I mean. But 0:13:47.960 --> 0:13:50.760 I stepped into the spot, and you know, the success 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:58.040 of everything definitely made it all right. Yeah, we dripping still. Okay, 0:13:58.120 --> 0:14:00.960 I got to work with some of my favoriteroducers, you know, 0:14:01.160 --> 0:14:04.640 uh for real Williams, you know what I mean, Uh, Timberland, 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:07.320 you know what I mean. Like, so it wa it 0:14:07.360 --> 0:14:09.120 was a kind of meant to be kind of thing, 0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:11.080 even though it was like, oh my god, I w 0:14:11.280 --> 0:14:12.760 I'm not ready for this, you know what I'm saying. 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:14.760 So let me ask you a question. So when you say, okay, 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:17.160 whose decision was that. Did you talk to your mom 0:14:17.320 --> 0:14:19.760 or was it a a manager does like, you know, 0:14:19.800 --> 0:14:21.320 you can do this on your own. Did you sit 0:14:21.360 --> 0:14:23.560 down and talk to your mom? Mom? They think I 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:25.440 should go solo? What do you think? So? Who do 0:14:25.480 --> 0:14:26.440 you bounce that off of? 0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:30.600 Yeah? So at that time, you know, it was so 0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:33.400 so much you know, drama going on with the group 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:40.120 and the separation between you know, teams, and essentially it 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:41.960 was like I kind of found out on the spot. 0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:45.680 It was Yeah, it was like okay, yeah, uh oh, 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:48.080 Marian is going solo. I would say. The lead up 0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:52.720 to that was on the Pandemonium album and B two 0:14:52.800 --> 0:14:56.520 K we all had our individual albums, which was kind 0:14:56.560 --> 0:15:01.440 of like, you know, like alright, you know, this person 0:15:01.520 --> 0:15:04.400 has this separate fans. Everybody loves this group member. Everybody 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:06.360 loves this group member. So it was cool, but it 0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:09.640 was like the idea was kind of being introduced to us, 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:12.000 you know what I'm saying. One of the other members 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:15.040 was being presented with an album, you know what I mean, 0:15:15.240 --> 0:15:17.120 And it was kind of like we were all getting 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:18.600 in that mindset. 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:23.280 Of that everybody you know, you see like Jeffrey Osbourne Ltd. 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:26.560 He goes solo, Philip Bailey Earth Winning Fire, he does solo. 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:28.720 We see some of the guys that were from big 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:31.120 groups do a solo project, but damn, it seemed like 0:15:31.240 --> 0:15:34.080 everybody had a solo project, right. 0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:37.880 I mean, you know, being you know, the young you know, 0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:41.560 the youngest you know black boy band out there. You know, 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:43.880 we did all have our own little set of fans, 0:15:43.880 --> 0:15:46.800 and everybody that may have loved this member loved this member. 0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:50.239 So yeah, even though I think that it was indicative 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:53.520 to groups, like we were so young, we weren't even 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:55.560 thinking about that. You know, we weren't even thinking in 0:15:55.600 --> 0:15:58.000 the head space of you know, what is the future 0:15:58.040 --> 0:16:00.200 hole like I want to be a solo artist. Think 0:16:00.200 --> 0:16:03.400 we were just really you know, being present, you know, 0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:06.560 trying our best to be present because our schedule was crazy. 0:16:06.600 --> 0:16:11.080 It was like, okay, you know, I'll never forget this schedule. 0:16:11.200 --> 0:16:14.360 When we dropped our album, we did all of the 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:17.320 Burroughs in New York, and we started in the morning 0:16:17.360 --> 0:16:20.200 and we ended up, you know at night, you know, 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:23.480 doing this big performance. So I don't think that we 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:25.680 were even thinking about that, you know what I'm saying. 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:29.560 We was just like having fun performing and being. 0:16:29.440 --> 0:16:31.680 Kids, right, did you, did you see it? Because you 0:16:31.680 --> 0:16:33.640 look at I don't know how I know, you're familiar 0:16:33.640 --> 0:16:36.960 with new addition and you see Bobby Brown does his thing, 0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:39.880 and now Transvant does his thing, and Ronnie Bobby they 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:42.280 go out and do their thing. Did that thought ever 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:45.400 cross your mind? Like, well, damn, you know, because everybody 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:48.920 loved new additions and then eventually guys did their own 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:51.600 thing and you see them, we see them back together now. 0:16:51.880 --> 0:16:53.920 But did that cross your mind? Did you think that 0:16:54.040 --> 0:16:55.200 might happen to you guys? 0:16:55.760 --> 0:16:58.360 No? I didn't. I didn't. I didn't know how things 0:16:58.400 --> 0:17:03.040 would happen, especially because we were like huge fans of 0:17:03.080 --> 0:17:05.840 five Heartbeats, so that was like one of our that 0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:09.080 was like one of our go to movies throughout And 0:17:09.119 --> 0:17:12.679 it's just so interesting how life is, you know, just 0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:16.639 stranger in fiction because it's essential. I mean essentially we 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:19.080 kind of went through our own little version of that, 0:17:19.320 --> 0:17:21.280 you know what I'm saying. And I think that when 0:17:21.600 --> 0:17:24.720 you know, we're talking about kids in the entertainment business, 0:17:25.240 --> 0:17:28.960 you know, unless you really have a strong foundation, you're 0:17:29.000 --> 0:17:32.760 really subjected to, you know a lot of things. You know, 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:36.520 we see so many you know, child celebrities that go 0:17:36.640 --> 0:17:39.919 through so many things when they don't have strong foundations. 0:17:40.040 --> 0:17:42.359 You know what I mean, I have to again, you know, 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:45.080 shout out my mom's and my foundation. 0:17:45.280 --> 0:17:47.480 Yeah, because it seemed like your mom was always a 0:17:47.560 --> 0:17:50.200 mom and never a fan. Because sometimes they can get 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:53.160 seduced by all the money that's coming in and they 0:17:53.200 --> 0:17:56.160 forget but that's my child, Yeah, and he's going astray 0:17:56.400 --> 0:17:59.400 or he's not getting proper guidance because of the money 0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:01.280 that's coming in, and they become a fan and they 0:18:01.680 --> 0:18:04.600 get subduced to the star of the limelight. But it 0:18:04.640 --> 0:18:07.200 seemed like your mom was always a mom. Yeah. 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:10.320 And she was actually one of the few parents that 0:18:10.320 --> 0:18:12.400 were able to be there because she was the hairstyle 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:14.680 as fuck for the group too. Okaka, you know what 0:18:14.680 --> 0:18:17.400 I'm saying. So my mom, Yeah, my mom was always 0:18:17.440 --> 0:18:19.080 with me. You know what I'm saying. My mom would 0:18:19.080 --> 0:18:21.520 always you know, do our hair. So yeah, I did 0:18:21.640 --> 0:18:23.959 have that other kind of support system. 0:18:24.280 --> 0:18:25.880 Were you shocked? I mean, you look at your debut 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:28.080 album debut number one on the Billboard chart, you go 0:18:28.160 --> 0:18:33.200 platinum Grammy nomination. Second, I mean, were you surprised that 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:34.960 how well you did out the gate? 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:38.640 You know, I didn't even think about it like that. 0:18:38.760 --> 0:18:41.840 You know, I didn't even you know, it's crazy to say, 0:18:42.000 --> 0:18:44.879 you know, and now looking back on it in hindsight, 0:18:45.160 --> 0:18:47.560 everything was going so fast, right, you know what I mean. 0:18:47.600 --> 0:18:51.880 So I wasn't able to really essentially appreciate those feats, 0:18:52.000 --> 0:18:55.040 you know, I was. I was, you know, built as 0:18:55.160 --> 0:18:57.800 a workhorse. So it was like, oh, okay, that's cool, 0:18:57.920 --> 0:19:01.280 what's next? You know what I'm saying. So looking at it, 0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:03.840 and you know, looking back at it, I'm like, yeah, 0:19:03.880 --> 0:19:05.480 I'm like wow, you know what I mean, Like that 0:19:05.960 --> 0:19:08.479 was cool to be experiencing at such a young age, 0:19:08.520 --> 0:19:12.240 you know what I'm saying. But yeah, nah, I wasn't 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:14.080 even tripping off of it. I was just like, yeah, 0:19:14.119 --> 0:19:16.560 I'm me. I'm showing up, you know what I mean. 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:17.399 What's next? 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:20.920 You're sitting the charts of the R and B pop, right, 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:24.080 You're like like yeah. 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:28.960 And also coming from you know, the B two K. 0:19:29.200 --> 0:19:32.399 You know what I'm saying, Like it, you know, it 0:19:32.680 --> 0:19:36.160 felt real easy, you know, it felt like that's how 0:19:36.200 --> 0:19:38.359 it was supposed to be, you know what I'm saying. 0:19:39.160 --> 0:19:42.320 Given the success of your first album album, how much 0:19:42.359 --> 0:19:45.480 pressure did that put on you? The second second album 0:19:45.520 --> 0:19:47.600 coming out, because you know, everybody wants to do better 0:19:47.640 --> 0:19:49.480 than the first and you want to prove that the 0:19:49.520 --> 0:19:53.359 first wasn't a fluke, that this is it. I'm legit right. 0:19:54.040 --> 0:19:58.600 Well, the second album, you know, still being able to 0:19:59.320 --> 0:20:03.680 work with you know, mega producers like Timberland and for real, 0:20:04.080 --> 0:20:05.880 you know, I felt like I was in good company. 0:20:05.920 --> 0:20:11.479 And actually that second album, you know, was probably of 0:20:11.560 --> 0:20:14.159 the most I ever got paid in an advancement, you 0:20:14.200 --> 0:20:18.840 know what I mean, being under Donnie Iinor and Lisa Ellis. 0:20:19.280 --> 0:20:23.120 So I was really starting to essentially step into more 0:20:23.240 --> 0:20:27.199 of a business mindset. Yeah, and so looking at that 0:20:27.320 --> 0:20:30.399 second album, I was just like, oh, okay, yeah, this 0:20:30.560 --> 0:20:32.840 is how it's supposed to be, you know what I mean. 0:20:33.560 --> 0:20:37.400 And also it was the transition that I figured out, 0:20:37.520 --> 0:20:41.760 you know, the importance of having champions inside of certain companies, 0:20:41.800 --> 0:20:44.520 because this is when the music business changed too, you know, 0:20:44.640 --> 0:20:47.600 after that album, you know, Ice Box still you know, 0:20:47.680 --> 0:20:49.720 being one of the biggest records you know that I 0:20:49.880 --> 0:20:52.480 had to date, you know, outside of oh in touch, 0:20:53.119 --> 0:20:55.399 you know what I mean. Like when Donnie Ironor and 0:20:55.400 --> 0:20:58.119 Lisa Ellis no longer worked for the company, that was 0:20:58.160 --> 0:21:02.159 like oh you know that was a big yeah, a 0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:05.919 big learning experience for me and also essential to growth, 0:21:05.960 --> 0:21:08.520 you know what I mean, because life is not you know, 0:21:08.680 --> 0:21:10.880 just full of grand successes, you know what I mean. 0:21:11.160 --> 0:21:14.320 Life is ups and downs and like, what's a story 0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:16.440 you know without ups and downs? You know what I mean. 0:21:16.520 --> 0:21:20.359 So while my second album was still a major, major success, 0:21:20.800 --> 0:21:25.720 I was beginning to experience, you know, the challenges of 0:21:26.240 --> 0:21:30.320 you know, not having champions in you know, in the building. Yeah, 0:21:30.560 --> 0:21:33.280 in my corner, you know what I mean. And again 0:21:33.400 --> 0:21:35.720 it was so essential to my growth. You know, any 0:21:35.840 --> 0:21:39.480 artist that tells you that's always good, it's like that's 0:21:40.200 --> 0:21:42.720 that's fake r. You know what I'm saying. So, you know, 0:21:43.160 --> 0:21:46.119 while this that was a successful album, it was also like, 0:21:46.280 --> 0:21:48.679 oh wow, I gotta switch things up, you know, I 0:21:48.720 --> 0:21:52.120 need to do different things. So great learning experience. 0:21:52.160 --> 0:21:54.200 But it seems to me that you've always stayed true 0:21:54.240 --> 0:21:56.119 to who you are and what you are. You haven't 0:21:56.200 --> 0:21:59.280 tried to follow a trend. You're like, I'm a Marion, 0:21:59.520 --> 0:22:02.040 this is who I am, this is what I do. Yeah. 0:22:02.160 --> 0:22:04.800 I always try to show up in you know, spaces 0:22:04.840 --> 0:22:08.120 that way, because you know, we're all you know, individually 0:22:08.200 --> 0:22:11.879 going you know, on our own personal walks, and a 0:22:11.920 --> 0:22:15.199 lot of the time the industry and also you know, 0:22:15.480 --> 0:22:18.639 my peers, they like to you know, compete, you know 0:22:18.680 --> 0:22:21.159 what I'm saying. But the thing about competing in the 0:22:21.240 --> 0:22:24.240 music business is not the same as football. It's not 0:22:24.280 --> 0:22:26.439 the same as basketball, you know what I'm saying. Like 0:22:26.480 --> 0:22:29.560 we're you know, or even boxing or UFC, you know 0:22:29.600 --> 0:22:32.040 where it's like, all right, I want to fight and boom, 0:22:32.080 --> 0:22:33.879 we can shake hands, you know what I'm saying. It's like, no, 0:22:34.440 --> 0:22:36.440 you know, whoever's having the biggest year is having the 0:22:36.480 --> 0:22:39.000 biggest year, and it's like salute, you know what I'm saying. 0:22:39.200 --> 0:22:41.160 And you got to stand in that line until you 0:22:41.440 --> 0:22:43.760 figure out when it's your time again, you know what 0:22:43.800 --> 0:22:47.080 I mean. So I always like to show up as 0:22:47.080 --> 0:22:50.200 an individual and contribute what I can as an artist, 0:22:50.240 --> 0:22:52.320 you know what I'm saying, Because again, you know what 0:22:52.320 --> 0:22:55.160 I mean, Like everybody's here to give something different. Everybody 0:22:55.200 --> 0:22:57.560 has their own experience and their own walk, you know 0:22:57.600 --> 0:23:00.760 what I mean. And I've always stayed true to that, 0:23:00.880 --> 0:23:03.800 you know what i mean, realizing that, you know, my 0:23:03.920 --> 0:23:06.040 experience is different from everybody else's. 0:23:06.720 --> 0:23:10.320 Did you look across the bowl and like, wow, Okay, 0:23:10.880 --> 0:23:14.440 he really blowing up man doing his thing, and heap 0:23:14.480 --> 0:23:16.480 doing his thing. You're like, hey, I need to really 0:23:16.520 --> 0:23:18.920 get on my grind because hey, yeah, I'm still old. 0:23:19.280 --> 0:23:23.200 Yeah. I mean I've always been inspired, you know, by 0:23:23.600 --> 0:23:26.320 my peers, you know, to just you know, keep pushing 0:23:26.320 --> 0:23:28.199 that line and growing as an artist. And that's the 0:23:28.520 --> 0:23:31.040 that's the cool thing that I love about, you know, 0:23:31.080 --> 0:23:34.119 being a musician or an entertainer and you just in 0:23:34.200 --> 0:23:36.960 totality is it doesn't have to stop. You know what 0:23:36.960 --> 0:23:39.720 I'm saying, Like you can have a big success and 0:23:39.960 --> 0:23:41.280 you know, you could take a break and then you 0:23:41.280 --> 0:23:44.240 can come back. You know what I'm saying. That's what's 0:23:44.320 --> 0:23:46.600 different from sports. And I think that that's also what 0:23:47.040 --> 0:23:50.080 you know, attracted me to entertainment, you know what i mean, 0:23:50.160 --> 0:23:53.840 because you know, it's like the loving the game. You know, 0:23:54.160 --> 0:23:55.960 it's like why do you have to give it up? 0:23:56.000 --> 0:23:58.719 You know what I mean? And that's why I love seeing, 0:23:59.119 --> 0:24:01.639 you know, people in sports be able to take on 0:24:01.760 --> 0:24:04.760 different positions and sharing and helping people. And you know, 0:24:04.840 --> 0:24:07.359 Deon Sanders is one of my favorite players. You know 0:24:07.400 --> 0:24:09.919 what I'm saying, watching what he's doing it's like, you know, 0:24:10.440 --> 0:24:13.240 as as someone that loves what they do, it's like, yo, 0:24:14.359 --> 0:24:16.280 you know, who tells you got to quit or who 0:24:16.359 --> 0:24:18.720 tells you you can't have another hit at fifty? 0:24:19.000 --> 0:24:21.320 You try to be like Tom Brady, So you try, 0:24:21.760 --> 0:24:24.240 you try to do you be able to stay in 0:24:24.400 --> 0:24:25.359 fifty sixty five? 0:24:25.480 --> 0:24:27.560 Well, somebody got to show him how to continue to 0:24:27.600 --> 0:24:29.320 grow through this, you know what I'm saying. And a 0:24:29.320 --> 0:24:32.760 lot of my you know, favorite performers and dancers, you know, 0:24:32.840 --> 0:24:35.920 like Jimmy Slide and Nicholas Brothers. You know, they still 0:24:36.040 --> 0:24:39.359 enjoy themselves later in the latter part of their life. 0:24:39.480 --> 0:24:41.000 And it's like, that's that's what I want to do 0:24:41.040 --> 0:24:44.760 because I truly love entertaining. I truly love performing. It's 0:24:45.040 --> 0:24:45.680 really a gift. 0:24:45.920 --> 0:24:48.160 You still at a high level. But when you look back, 0:24:48.240 --> 0:24:50.879 is there something? Is there one or two things that 0:24:50.920 --> 0:24:53.400 you like? Man, I wish I could have done that differently, 0:24:53.480 --> 0:24:55.200 or I should have done that differently. Do you ever 0:24:55.240 --> 0:24:59.480 look back, although you're continually continuously still doing performing at 0:24:59.480 --> 0:25:01.119 a high level, Well, do you look back and says 0:25:01.920 --> 0:25:03.520 wish I could do this over again? 0:25:04.240 --> 0:25:07.320 Sometimes I think we all feel that way, you know, 0:25:07.480 --> 0:25:11.399 but it's like essentially it's like, ah, man, this is 0:25:12.000 --> 0:25:14.199 this was for you. You know, this was you know, 0:25:14.520 --> 0:25:17.359 I look at a lot of the the champions, you 0:25:17.400 --> 0:25:19.760 know what I'm saying, Like one of one of my 0:25:21.119 --> 0:25:25.480 well two actually two of my favorite UFC champions, you know, 0:25:25.800 --> 0:25:31.479 kamarow Uzman and what's my man name? Out of signya. 0:25:31.600 --> 0:25:33.560 It's real, out of science, you know what I mean. Like, 0:25:34.760 --> 0:25:38.399 you know, defeat teaches you so much. It shows you 0:25:38.480 --> 0:25:41.280 so much about you know, the things that you maybe 0:25:41.400 --> 0:25:43.919 need to sharpen, you know what I'm saying. So it's like, 0:25:44.040 --> 0:25:46.359 you know, in those moments that I felt defeated or 0:25:46.400 --> 0:25:48.560 if I felt like I would have changed anything, essentially, 0:25:48.960 --> 0:25:51.439 you know, it sharpened me essentially, it showed me what 0:25:51.520 --> 0:25:54.040 I needed to improve in. So you know, while it 0:25:54.080 --> 0:25:57.000 didn't feel good in those moments, you know what I'm saying, 0:25:57.080 --> 0:26:00.159 It's like, essentially it pushed me. It propelled me to 0:26:00.800 --> 0:26:03.600 get more into my craft, to become stronger, you know 0:26:03.640 --> 0:26:05.639 what I mean, Because like I said, life is for 0:26:05.760 --> 0:26:07.320 the ups and downs, you know what I'm saying. So 0:26:07.680 --> 0:26:11.399 a champion is a person that you know, takes you know, 0:26:12.200 --> 0:26:15.320 those moments and they continue to push forward. You know 0:26:15.320 --> 0:26:18.399 what I mean, It makes them better. So you know, 0:26:18.440 --> 0:26:21.119 I'm unstoppable in that way, you know, mentally, you know 0:26:21.160 --> 0:26:23.439 what I mean, like nothing can stop me. You know, 0:26:23.880 --> 0:26:27.560 even a proverbial loss, you know, which I call a lesson. 0:26:27.720 --> 0:26:30.080 You know what I'm saying, It's only helped me become better. 0:26:31.720 --> 0:26:34.520 When did you become this? Man? I mean, I get 0:26:34.640 --> 0:26:36.840 voice mails from you, I get text and it's always 0:26:37.359 --> 0:26:42.160 blessed day, Brother shah Man, and it's always so positive, 0:26:42.240 --> 0:26:46.560 so uplifting. When did you evolve into this? Mario? 0:26:47.600 --> 0:26:52.040 Well, I had to go through a lot. I had 0:26:52.040 --> 0:26:55.560 to go through a lot and essentially, you know, and 0:26:55.640 --> 0:26:58.399 I covered this in my book Bothered The Power of 0:26:58.480 --> 0:27:02.359 choosing joy, you know, this life experience. You know, essentially, 0:27:02.800 --> 0:27:06.159 being happy is our choice. It's no one else's choice. 0:27:06.400 --> 0:27:08.399 You know what I'm saying. It's not you know, up 0:27:08.480 --> 0:27:13.480 to any outside forces to you know, make you want 0:27:13.520 --> 0:27:15.399 to be happy, you know what I mean. So moving 0:27:16.080 --> 0:27:18.600 about the world in a positive way is something that 0:27:18.640 --> 0:27:21.840 I choose to do. And it's something essentially you know, 0:27:21.840 --> 0:27:23.440 if you if you talk if you talk to any 0:27:23.480 --> 0:27:26.159 of you know, my family or people that have known me, 0:27:26.440 --> 0:27:28.879 you know, I've always been this way. I've always you know, 0:27:29.880 --> 0:27:33.679 wanted to interject some positivity and love and good energy 0:27:33.760 --> 0:27:36.480 anywhere I go. So I would say this is just 0:27:36.480 --> 0:27:39.720 an evolved version of you know, the lil O Mari. 0:27:39.880 --> 0:27:42.560 You know, how hard is it to stay positive in 0:27:42.600 --> 0:27:46.320 such a negative world, especially now we have social media 0:27:46.400 --> 0:27:49.200 and it seems like anytime you do something good, there's 0:27:49.240 --> 0:27:51.480 fifteen people on there saying you did something bad, And 0:27:51.520 --> 0:27:54.480 anytime you do something positive, there's always a negative. How 0:27:54.560 --> 0:27:57.360 have you been able to stay so positive when everything 0:27:57.400 --> 0:27:59.280 seems to be around you that's so negative. 0:27:59.680 --> 0:28:03.439 I think is important to be able to recognize, you know, 0:28:04.840 --> 0:28:08.280 where you know that energy is coming from. You know, 0:28:08.320 --> 0:28:11.520 I think it's important to be able to take constructive criticism, 0:28:11.720 --> 0:28:15.480 you know. And also, you know, everybody's not gonna like 0:28:15.520 --> 0:28:17.480 what you do always, and they're not going to have 0:28:17.520 --> 0:28:21.920 the information to understand why, you know, you make those choices. 0:28:21.960 --> 0:28:25.040 So essentially, you know, I just drown out that noise 0:28:25.520 --> 0:28:27.600 and I continue to show up as myself, you know 0:28:27.600 --> 0:28:30.840 what I mean. It's annoying to some people because you know, 0:28:31.160 --> 0:28:33.919 negativity is such an easy thing to do. You know, 0:28:34.000 --> 0:28:38.120 it's easy to be you know, low vibrational, you know 0:28:38.160 --> 0:28:41.160 what I'm saying, and it actually takes effort to be 0:28:41.280 --> 0:28:44.560 positive and to like you said, yo, yo, what up, 0:28:44.760 --> 0:28:47.040 big brother Shannon? You know how you feeling that? You good? 0:28:47.200 --> 0:28:47.720 You know what I mean? 0:28:47.800 --> 0:28:51.480 Like you know, that's an everlasting feeling, you know what 0:28:51.520 --> 0:28:53.680 I mean, When it's time for us to all go 0:28:53.760 --> 0:28:56.320 away from this experience, that's the type of effect that 0:28:56.360 --> 0:28:58.040 I want to have on this point. 0:28:58.240 --> 0:28:59.840 What's been the most difficult part of. 0:29:02.040 --> 0:29:05.120 Dealing with things and not understanding why you know what 0:29:05.160 --> 0:29:10.719 I mean, you know, certain pain and certain hurt and 0:29:10.800 --> 0:29:13.040 not really understanding like why am I going through this? 0:29:13.200 --> 0:29:13.440 Right? 0:29:13.520 --> 0:29:17.200 You know, that has been not only essential to my growth, 0:29:17.240 --> 0:29:20.040 but also to my understanding you know what I mean 0:29:21.000 --> 0:29:24.800 as as a you know, very important people in my 0:29:25.200 --> 0:29:27.840 life would say, and also Jay Z said said this 0:29:27.960 --> 0:29:30.200 too is it's things is not happening to you, It's 0:29:30.200 --> 0:29:32.040 happening for you, right, you know what I mean. And 0:29:32.280 --> 0:29:37.400 I really live by certain philosophies and I really believe that, 0:29:37.480 --> 0:29:39.360 you know what I'm saying. It's like if you really 0:29:40.000 --> 0:29:44.040 think about, you know, some adverse experiences, it's like it's 0:29:44.120 --> 0:29:46.160 information in there for you to get right. You know 0:29:46.200 --> 0:29:47.800 what I mean, like, why are you going through this? 0:29:48.000 --> 0:29:48.080 Oh? 0:29:48.080 --> 0:29:51.360 Okay, you need to you know, think about what you're doing. 0:29:51.360 --> 0:29:53.960 You need to maybe not let certain things go, you know, 0:29:54.040 --> 0:29:57.480 you need to stand up for yourself. And essentially that's 0:29:57.560 --> 0:30:00.200 what you know, all my lessons in life a have 0:30:00.400 --> 0:30:01.280 uh showed me. 0:30:01.640 --> 0:30:03.920 What's been the most gratifying part about this evolution? 0:30:05.080 --> 0:30:10.600 I think, you know, not knowing how you affect people. 0:30:10.920 --> 0:30:13.480 You know. It's been so many times when people have 0:30:13.760 --> 0:30:16.320 uh come up to me and they just they like, yo, 0:30:16.360 --> 0:30:18.640 I don't know what i'm'a see oh again, but yo, 0:30:18.760 --> 0:30:21.360 I have to just tell you, like, you know, you 0:30:21.440 --> 0:30:23.040 helped me go through this break up, you know what 0:30:23.080 --> 0:30:25.440 I mean? Or you helped me get through this. I 0:30:25.480 --> 0:30:29.600 think that sometimes you don't really realize how much you 0:30:29.640 --> 0:30:31.880 can affect people, you know what I mean, until that 0:30:31.920 --> 0:30:35.280 person comes up to you. And it's sometimes it's so random, 0:30:35.360 --> 0:30:36.840 you know what I mean. I I remember I was 0:30:36.880 --> 0:30:40.240 in uh the UK, Uh, I was in London, and 0:30:40.480 --> 0:30:42.560 I just I was about to walk into this place, 0:30:42.560 --> 0:30:44.360 but I I wanted to, you know, just take a 0:30:44.360 --> 0:30:46.640 beat real quick, you know, and I just walk down 0:30:46.680 --> 0:30:49.920 this random, you know, side street and it was like, 0:30:49.960 --> 0:30:53.080 come down like six girls and they like, is that 0:30:53.120 --> 0:30:55.440 a warrion? Oh my god, we about to go to 0:30:55.520 --> 0:30:57.600 such and such and we love you. Can we take 0:30:57.600 --> 0:30:59.360 a picture. And it was just so random And it's 0:30:59.440 --> 0:31:04.120 just like I find that, you know, when you share 0:31:04.280 --> 0:31:07.560 certain energy with people, that energy it comes back to you, 0:31:07.560 --> 0:31:10.479 you know what I mean, in the most prolific ways. 0:31:10.520 --> 0:31:13.400 And you know, I'm not somebody that is always happy, 0:31:13.480 --> 0:31:15.000 you know what I mean. I have my moments, but 0:31:15.080 --> 0:31:19.000 those moments, you know, definitely boost me and made me 0:31:19.040 --> 0:31:21.200 feel like all of the work that I'm doing. It 0:31:21.240 --> 0:31:22.160 actually makes sense. 0:31:23.480 --> 0:31:26.160 You grew up in Inglewood. I don't know how many 0:31:26.200 --> 0:31:28.520 of the friends that you grew up with that you 0:31:28.600 --> 0:31:33.640 still currently have. But how hard is it to grow 0:31:34.640 --> 0:31:38.880 apart from people? How hard was it for you to 0:31:38.920 --> 0:31:41.720 grow apart knowing right that the evolution that you must 0:31:41.800 --> 0:31:44.080 go through. Everybody can't come along with the Maria. 0:31:44.560 --> 0:31:51.840 Yeah, it has at times, you know, felt lonely, you 0:31:51.840 --> 0:31:55.680 know what I mean. But essentially you know what I mean, 0:31:55.800 --> 0:32:00.239 because you know that's my favorite word. Essentially Essentially, you know, 0:32:00.640 --> 0:32:02.280 those that are meant to, you know, go on the 0:32:02.360 --> 0:32:04.320 journey with you. They'll grow with you. You know what 0:32:04.320 --> 0:32:06.760 I mean. And I made peace with that very early 0:32:06.800 --> 0:32:09.000 on because I started so young, you know what I mean. 0:32:09.040 --> 0:32:13.800 I only got to experience you know, a childhood, did 0:32:13.840 --> 0:32:15.760 you Yeah, I mean tenth grade. You know, I was 0:32:15.800 --> 0:32:17.080 out of school, you know what I mean. I went 0:32:17.120 --> 0:32:20.520 to Hamilton High. Shout out to all the Hamilton alumnis, 0:32:20.960 --> 0:32:23.080 you know what I mean. After tenth grade, I was 0:32:23.200 --> 0:32:25.560 on the road, you know what I mean. So I 0:32:25.560 --> 0:32:30.600 didn't have so many friends. I do still have my 0:32:30.600 --> 0:32:33.720 my one best friend, uh from third grade, you know 0:32:33.760 --> 0:32:36.240 what I mean. Yeah, so you know he's stuck with me, 0:32:36.280 --> 0:32:37.880 and I stuck with him, you know what I mean. 0:32:38.040 --> 0:32:41.200 So family has always been the nucleus for me, you 0:32:41.240 --> 0:32:43.800 know what I mean. So I never had to experience 0:32:43.880 --> 0:32:47.840 too many you know, people that were along my journey 0:32:47.880 --> 0:32:50.680 that's like no longer here. The people that are are 0:32:50.720 --> 0:32:52.320 here still, they're supposed to be here. 0:32:52.360 --> 0:32:54.120 Do you feel like you missed out on anything in 0:32:54.120 --> 0:32:56.640 your childhood, because really you have to be a you 0:32:56.760 --> 0:32:58.400 really have to be an adult because now all of 0:32:58.400 --> 0:33:00.080 a sudden, like you're saying, from the tenth grade on, 0:33:00.160 --> 0:33:03.920 you're on the road. I understand you're a child in age, 0:33:04.280 --> 0:33:06.800 but you're really not a child in occupation. You're actually 0:33:06.960 --> 0:33:10.840 you know, you bringing an income and people are depending 0:33:10.880 --> 0:33:14.200 on you for their livelihood because your success is tied 0:33:14.240 --> 0:33:15.040 to their success. 0:33:15.280 --> 0:33:20.800 Yeah, I mean yeah, yeah, I mean yeah. Man, you know, 0:33:21.200 --> 0:33:24.400 it's a trip. It's a trip, you know, my whole experience. 0:33:24.480 --> 0:33:28.920 But I would say that, you know, early on, being 0:33:29.800 --> 0:33:33.440 you know, in such a supportive environment, I was able 0:33:33.480 --> 0:33:35.400 to find my purpose, you know what I mean. And 0:33:36.160 --> 0:33:39.000 you know, when I'm looking back, I'm like, wow, I'm 0:33:39.040 --> 0:33:42.080 so happy that I was, you know, so very young 0:33:42.440 --> 0:33:45.760 in my experience because now, you know, that has put 0:33:45.800 --> 0:33:48.520 me in a position to really realize why I still 0:33:48.520 --> 0:33:51.200 put music out. You know, I'm not sure why you know, 0:33:51.520 --> 0:33:53.600 others do things, you know what I'm saying. But if 0:33:53.640 --> 0:33:57.360 you're not tied to you know, purpose, and you don't 0:33:57.400 --> 0:34:04.400 have intention, then you can't you can't essentially whether the storm, 0:34:04.720 --> 0:34:09.279 you know, whether the storm of what people deem as unsuccess, 0:34:09.600 --> 0:34:13.560 you know, being unsuccessful. You know what I'm saying, Like, 0:34:14.360 --> 0:34:16.319 you know, you have to weather that. You know, this 0:34:16.400 --> 0:34:19.759 is this is a you know, a good and bad experience. 0:34:19.800 --> 0:34:20.399 You know what I'm saying. 0:34:20.600 --> 0:34:24.480 That people refer to you as the unbothered King, So 0:34:24.600 --> 0:34:30.239 you've learned I determine my success. I don't let the negativity. 0:34:30.239 --> 0:34:32.320 I don't let you say people say, well, that wasn't bad. 0:34:32.600 --> 0:34:34.279 I feel good when I was making this album. I 0:34:34.280 --> 0:34:36.400 feel good when I was making this song. So Okay, 0:34:36.440 --> 0:34:39.680 everybody's not gonna like it, but I felt good when 0:34:39.680 --> 0:34:41.319 I do when I put things out like this. 0:34:41.719 --> 0:34:44.640 Yeah, And I have intention, you know, and my intention 0:34:45.000 --> 0:34:48.000 is to, you know, make someone else feel good, you 0:34:48.040 --> 0:34:50.640 know what I mean. And you know, whether that's one 0:34:50.680 --> 0:34:53.880 person or a billion people, you know what I'm saying, 0:34:54.280 --> 0:34:56.320 My intention still reigns. 0:34:56.719 --> 0:34:58.920 Bro, how do you say? So? Look, we all, like 0:34:58.960 --> 0:35:01.640 you said, we we we all get upset, we all 0:35:01.680 --> 0:35:06.200 get angry. But it seemed your calm demeanor is like 0:35:06.360 --> 0:35:10.239 you really never get outside of Oh yeah, Have you 0:35:10.360 --> 0:35:12.799 always been like that or that was? Is that a 0:35:12.920 --> 0:35:15.279 work in progress, that that's an ongoing work that you 0:35:15.360 --> 0:35:16.839 had to work on? Yeah? 0:35:16.840 --> 0:35:18.520 I think I think it's a little bit of both, 0:35:18.560 --> 0:35:19.960 you know what I mean. It's something that I've had 0:35:20.000 --> 0:35:23.600 to work on because certain situations has you know, called 0:35:23.600 --> 0:35:26.439 my emotions to heighten to a level that I wasn't 0:35:26.480 --> 0:35:29.239 prepared for. You know what, I'm saying, but essentially it 0:35:29.320 --> 0:35:31.239 still goes back to choice, you know what I mean. 0:35:31.239 --> 0:35:33.399 And I'm choosing to show up in the world this way. 0:35:33.680 --> 0:35:36.719 And you know, like I said, not everybody you know 0:35:38.040 --> 0:35:40.280 understands it, you know what I'm saying. Some people feel 0:35:40.280 --> 0:35:43.279 like it's unauthentic. You know. After the fans dub me 0:35:43.360 --> 0:35:45.920 mister unbothered, it was like people wanted to. 0:35:46.480 --> 0:35:47.840 Try to put you in a situation to get you 0:35:47.880 --> 0:35:48.960 by you know what I'm saying. 0:35:49.200 --> 0:35:51.800 They would have, you know, mess with me more. You 0:35:51.840 --> 0:35:55.319 know what I'm saying, and you know, having emotional intelligence, 0:35:55.560 --> 0:35:57.520 and this is what this is how I look at 0:35:57.560 --> 0:36:01.600 being you know, dubbed mister Bob. It's like, when you 0:36:01.640 --> 0:36:04.279 really think about it, at the end of the day, 0:36:04.440 --> 0:36:07.800 you know, when someone is you know, has the intent 0:36:07.880 --> 0:36:10.359 to pull you out your space, like you're gonna give 0:36:10.360 --> 0:36:12.280 them that power, you know what I'm saying, You're gonna 0:36:12.280 --> 0:36:16.680 really give up that power to allow somebody to, you know, 0:36:16.800 --> 0:36:18.040 make you turn into. 0:36:17.840 --> 0:36:22.000 Something that when they got me out of character. Now 0:36:22.000 --> 0:36:24.240 you telling me all this because I definitely let somebody 0:36:24.239 --> 0:36:26.640 get me out of my character. Damn, I need to 0:36:26.640 --> 0:36:28.600 hear this conversation. Two months ago. 0:36:28.719 --> 0:36:31.440 No, I said. I seen that clip and I was like, whoa, 0:36:31.480 --> 0:36:35.640 that's a lion on them court hold man, hey, get somebody. 0:36:36.040 --> 0:36:39.719 They can't even hold it. Wait a minute, I'm not 0:36:39.760 --> 0:36:42.280 gonna call me the bother king. I have to Bob, 0:36:42.960 --> 0:36:43.720 I would bothered. 0:36:44.760 --> 0:36:44.960 Man. 0:36:45.000 --> 0:36:47.799 I seen that and I was like, whoa, whoa? Hold on? 0:36:47.840 --> 0:36:49.799 What's going on? I said the same thing, like who 0:36:49.960 --> 0:36:50.120 is that? 0:36:50.200 --> 0:36:50.439 Dude? 0:36:50.440 --> 0:36:57.000 I'm like, but I'm looking at some of your ice Box, 0:36:57.040 --> 0:36:59.360 produced by Timberlin, peaked that number twelve on the Billboard, 0:37:00.560 --> 0:37:04.520 your most successful solo single to date, Will Smith is 0:37:04.640 --> 0:37:07.120 produced one of your music videos. What is it like 0:37:07.239 --> 0:37:09.120 working with some of these? I mean Tim, we know 0:37:09.160 --> 0:37:12.880 what Tim is the beat guy. Working with Will Smith, 0:37:12.920 --> 0:37:15.280 we know what he is as a as a rapper, 0:37:15.400 --> 0:37:18.560 as an actor, as an entertainer, producer, working with some 0:37:18.640 --> 0:37:21.279 of these all time great guys. So when you go 0:37:21.360 --> 0:37:23.880 into the studio or you go into it, you know 0:37:23.880 --> 0:37:28.680 you're gonna do the music video. What's on Amarion's mind? 0:37:28.760 --> 0:37:31.879 And does it always mess with what's on their mind? 0:37:32.120 --> 0:37:35.719 Yeah? For me being able to you know, brush arms 0:37:35.719 --> 0:37:38.040 with the Grays, I'm always trying to learn, you know 0:37:38.080 --> 0:37:41.120 what I mean. I'm always like, okay, so well, okay, 0:37:41.160 --> 0:37:44.880 that's what he did. Okay, Oh he's using that machine. Okay, okay, 0:37:45.040 --> 0:37:45.880 Will did it like this? 0:37:46.000 --> 0:37:46.280 Okay? 0:37:46.400 --> 0:37:48.880 You know what I'm saying. So I've always essentially been 0:37:48.920 --> 0:37:51.320 a sponge and that's something that I've carried with me, 0:37:51.719 --> 0:37:53.360 you know what i mean. So to be able to 0:37:53.360 --> 0:37:56.440 work with the greats, you know, is an honor, you 0:37:56.520 --> 0:37:59.120 know what I mean. But I always I'm always in 0:37:59.160 --> 0:38:00.839 a space of learning, you know what i mean. 0:38:01.000 --> 0:38:04.480 So you I mean, you had a record with Chris Brown. 0:38:05.360 --> 0:38:07.600 Where's Chris Brown rank on the R and B charge? 0:38:07.840 --> 0:38:10.239 Oh man, He's he's top level. You know what I mean. 0:38:10.680 --> 0:38:15.279 He's he's high level. You know, maybe a little bit 0:38:15.280 --> 0:38:17.799 too late that, Yeah, I mean, you know, all of 0:38:17.840 --> 0:38:21.960 my peers, you know what I'm saying outside of whatever 0:38:22.239 --> 0:38:24.400 you know, personal things, you know what I'm saying, Like, 0:38:24.840 --> 0:38:27.600 we can't we can't never take the talent and skill 0:38:28.000 --> 0:38:31.680 and focus and ability away from him. So you know, 0:38:32.200 --> 0:38:35.719 C b Usher, you know, I would I would consider us, 0:38:35.960 --> 0:38:40.520 you know, in the class of Michael and James Brown's sons. 0:38:41.000 --> 0:38:44.239 You know what I'm saying, because you know, essentially we 0:38:44.280 --> 0:38:46.400 do the song and dance and the performing. You know 0:38:46.440 --> 0:38:50.239 what I mean. So, uh yeah, you know what I mean. 0:38:50.320 --> 0:38:53.040 So and in the ranking, you know what I mean. 0:38:53.160 --> 0:38:55.920 Usher definitely is a solo artist, you know what I mean. 0:38:56.000 --> 0:38:58.440 Then I would come come after that and then you 0:38:58.440 --> 0:39:01.360 know c B. You know, as far as timeline wise goes, 0:39:01.400 --> 0:39:01.799 you know what I mean. 0:39:01.920 --> 0:39:03.960 I'm looking at you guys. I mean, what type of 0:39:04.000 --> 0:39:07.399 physical conditioning must you be in to not only sing 0:39:08.320 --> 0:39:12.399 but dance for two hours? Yeah? 0:39:12.440 --> 0:39:14.880 I mean, you know, you definitely have to be a 0:39:14.920 --> 0:39:16.640 freak of nature. You know what I'm saying. 0:39:16.680 --> 0:39:18.759 GM, You're working down a cardio every day. 0:39:19.360 --> 0:39:23.600 I just I just bunched down my twenty one days, yep, 0:39:23.840 --> 0:39:26.160 the day before yesterday, I finished my last twenty one days. 0:39:26.160 --> 0:39:29.600 But I'm constantly in the gym. You know, I'm constantly 0:39:30.239 --> 0:39:32.879 you know, still taking vocal lessons. You know what I'm saying. 0:39:32.920 --> 0:39:35.000 I'm still in the studio every day, you know what 0:39:35.040 --> 0:39:36.720 I mean. Like glowing. 0:39:36.760 --> 0:39:40.239 I feel, even though you've reached a certain level, you 0:39:40.280 --> 0:39:42.280 still feel that Amarjan can get better. 0:39:42.560 --> 0:39:45.359 Oh yeah, y'all haven't seen the best. Y'all haven't seen 0:39:45.400 --> 0:39:46.719 the best. You know what I mean. I'm going to 0:39:46.800 --> 0:39:50.160 continue to grow as an artist and that as an individual. 0:39:50.239 --> 0:39:52.440 So yeah, yeah, y'all haven't seen the best. 0:39:52.480 --> 0:39:56.080 Who's on your current list of active R and B 0:39:56.239 --> 0:39:59.359 Mount Rushmore active active? 0:40:00.080 --> 0:40:00.239 Hmm. 0:40:00.440 --> 0:40:02.600 That's a hard one because you know, I listened to 0:40:02.880 --> 0:40:07.399 a lot of past music. You know what I'm saying. 0:40:07.520 --> 0:40:09.160 You want to do? You want to do a Mount Rushmore, 0:40:09.160 --> 0:40:10.560 You want to do a just go ahead and says, okay, 0:40:10.560 --> 0:40:13.560 my Mount Rushmore of R and B singers are okay, 0:40:13.800 --> 0:40:14.120 all right? 0:40:14.239 --> 0:40:20.960 Mount Rushmore of R and B singers, Donnie Hathaway, Frankie Beverly, 0:40:21.040 --> 0:40:26.920 mays Well, Frankie Bevery, Frankie Beverly, and Marvin Gaye. You know, 0:40:27.160 --> 0:40:32.000 Michael Jackson R and B a pop uh, He's definitely 0:40:32.120 --> 0:40:35.040 R and B. You know, you know pop music, you 0:40:35.040 --> 0:40:38.480 know it's been convoluted, but really pop music is popular music, 0:40:38.560 --> 0:40:40.440 you know what I mean. And Michael Jackson is one 0:40:40.480 --> 0:40:43.200 of the most popular artists of all time, you know 0:40:43.239 --> 0:40:47.080 what I mean. So he's definitely R and B. Stevie 0:40:47.080 --> 0:40:50.800 wonder you know what I mean? How many is that five? 0:40:50.880 --> 0:40:56.480 That's Rushmore? Got like six? Okay? Okay? 0:40:56.920 --> 0:40:59.160 Michael? And who who could be the last one? Who 0:40:59.160 --> 0:41:00.000 could be the last one. 0:41:00.200 --> 0:41:03.680 You got Usher, you got Chris Brown, of course, pend 0:41:03.719 --> 0:41:05.240 the Grass I'll beat up of. 0:41:05.120 --> 0:41:11.160 Course all of those guys. Harry Right, what about my man, 0:41:11.680 --> 0:41:17.400 Charlie Wilson. Yeah, what I'm saying, Yes, that's a great Okay. 0:41:17.400 --> 0:41:26.040 What about female female? Definitely Franklin Beyonce, who else? 0:41:28.280 --> 0:41:30.240 Anita Baker, Anita. 0:41:29.920 --> 0:41:36.560 Baker for show, Anita Baker? Who else? Who else touched 0:41:36.600 --> 0:41:45.279 my song? Whitney Kimbarell. Yeah, Maria's up in there too. Yeah. 0:41:45.560 --> 0:41:50.120 So you signed to a few rappers label and I 0:41:50.160 --> 0:41:53.160 mean you Lil Wayne Young Money Tamberlain moses the music. 0:41:53.800 --> 0:41:56.840 Is it hard to sign with a label when the 0:41:56.920 --> 0:42:00.920 label head is still produced putting out music, because it 0:42:01.000 --> 0:42:02.960 seems to me that while they're still trying to do 0:42:03.040 --> 0:42:05.200 their thing, they don't have the kind of time to 0:42:05.239 --> 0:42:07.719 focus and give you that what you need. Yeah. 0:42:07.760 --> 0:42:10.040 Well, you know with Young Money, you know, and uh 0:42:10.120 --> 0:42:12.719 shout out to uh Lil Wayne. You know what he 0:42:12.800 --> 0:42:15.440 was creating at the time, you know, which essentially we 0:42:15.520 --> 0:42:18.399 see now, you know, with Drake and Nikki and all 0:42:18.440 --> 0:42:21.800 of the other artists, was really just a artist haven 0:42:22.120 --> 0:42:24.160 to be able to do what you wanna do, right 0:42:24.200 --> 0:42:28.040 cause cause essentially, you know, real creative artists, they just 0:42:28.560 --> 0:42:31.680 need support, right, you know what I'm saying. And you 0:42:31.760 --> 0:42:34.520 know that's what my thought process was, you know. With 0:42:35.000 --> 0:42:38.920 you know, aligning with Young Money was not just you know, 0:42:39.040 --> 0:42:42.160 being able to go to you know, another artist and 0:42:42.200 --> 0:42:44.480 say like, yo, this is what I need. You know, 0:42:45.040 --> 0:42:48.160 can you do this business wise? Like Wayne was very 0:42:48.239 --> 0:42:50.879 much so like hey you wanna do that? Oh here, 0:42:50.920 --> 0:42:52.960 go to the check do this? You know what I mean? 0:42:53.080 --> 0:42:56.960 Same thing uh with with Mayback music, right, you know 0:42:57.000 --> 0:42:59.520 what I mean. Essentially it was just the artist supporting 0:42:59.520 --> 0:43:01.279 the artists, you know what I mean, and you feel 0:43:01.280 --> 0:43:04.759 the connection. You feel like there's a bridge between you know, 0:43:04.880 --> 0:43:07.719 an artists understanding that it doesn't always work out because 0:43:07.719 --> 0:43:11.520 there's some selfish ass artists out here. Oh yeah, they 0:43:11.520 --> 0:43:13.480 don't want you to be hotter than them. There's some 0:43:13.640 --> 0:43:16.640 artists out here that you know, they won't allow you 0:43:16.680 --> 0:43:18.520 to flourish like that, you know what I'm saying. But 0:43:19.120 --> 0:43:21.640 you know, the people that I've been able to associate 0:43:21.680 --> 0:43:22.840 myself with people. 0:43:22.640 --> 0:43:24.480 Realize that how much money is out there and there's 0:43:24.560 --> 0:43:25.799 enough for everybody to get some of it. 0:43:26.320 --> 0:43:28.040 I don't know if they do all of the time. Oh, 0:43:28.280 --> 0:43:29.480 I don't know if they do all the time. I 0:43:29.520 --> 0:43:31.600 think some people want to hog the limelight, you know 0:43:31.600 --> 0:43:34.280 what I mean. But you know, as Jay say, sometimes 0:43:34.280 --> 0:43:37.200 people don't realize it's not about that white hot light. 0:43:37.280 --> 0:43:39.319 I mean white hot light, you know what I mean. 0:43:39.600 --> 0:43:43.040 It's essentially about you know, creating things, you know what 0:43:43.040 --> 0:43:46.040 I'm saying, and having different businesses. You know, And he's 0:43:46.400 --> 0:43:48.840 definitely showed us how important it is to not just 0:43:48.880 --> 0:43:49.879 be an artist to do. 0:43:50.200 --> 0:43:51.920 They I'll just read he worked two point five b 0:43:52.000 --> 0:43:55.200 and if were net worth is double since twenty nineteen, 0:43:55.520 --> 0:43:56.360 So shout out to you. 0:43:56.480 --> 0:43:57.480 Hold yeah, for real? 0:43:57.719 --> 0:44:01.120 So what did you learn? I'm working with so many 0:44:01.120 --> 0:44:05.359 different music labels. 0:44:03.880 --> 0:44:06.360 That it's up to you. You know, you need to 0:44:06.600 --> 0:44:11.680 actually you know, have a team that makes checks and 0:44:11.760 --> 0:44:15.279 balances and that you know, communicate with people. Essentially the 0:44:15.320 --> 0:44:18.560 businessman that I've become to today. You know, all those 0:44:18.600 --> 0:44:21.160 experiences showed me that it's like, it's not up to 0:44:21.200 --> 0:44:25.160 anyone else, no outside energies. You know, it's up to me, right, 0:44:25.200 --> 0:44:28.680 you know, And because I started so young, I haven't 0:44:28.680 --> 0:44:30.720 always been able to do that. You know, There's always 0:44:30.800 --> 0:44:34.040 been you know, managers or certain people in the way 0:44:34.239 --> 0:44:37.759 right of that connection, you know what I mean. So, yeah, 0:44:37.760 --> 0:44:40.239 they just showed me, you know, like, hey, it's up 0:44:40.280 --> 0:44:42.240 to you, Oh right, it ain't up to them. 0:44:42.640 --> 0:44:45.319 You see, Like you look at a Michael Jackson, you 0:44:45.320 --> 0:44:48.080 look at a Chris Brown, you look at a Beyonce, yourself, 0:44:48.560 --> 0:44:53.400 people that started out as child entertainers and then have 0:44:53.520 --> 0:44:57.400 this long career as adults, how have you been able 0:44:57.440 --> 0:44:59.200 to maintain or manage that? 0:45:00.360 --> 0:45:04.280 I think by not being pigeon held by you know, uh, 0:45:04.320 --> 0:45:07.759 having one hit, you know, or having hits. You know, 0:45:07.840 --> 0:45:10.279 they call those legacy artists now you know what I mean, 0:45:10.360 --> 0:45:13.880 certain people that ever go on tour and do songs 0:45:13.880 --> 0:45:16.480 that they did in the past. Right While I think 0:45:16.520 --> 0:45:20.200 that that's important, I think it's it's it's even more 0:45:20.239 --> 0:45:22.680 important to continue to grow as artists, you know. And 0:45:23.080 --> 0:45:25.520 when I look at my predecessors and people that I 0:45:25.600 --> 0:45:28.840 look up to, like Michael Jackson and Marvin Gator, you know, 0:45:28.880 --> 0:45:32.440 when I realize how dope you know Stevie Wonder was, 0:45:32.520 --> 0:45:35.560 it was like it was immediate, you know, and now 0:45:35.840 --> 0:45:38.640 today's climate, you know, I think, uh, people that are 0:45:38.640 --> 0:45:41.120 born you know in my year, like Lebron. You know 0:45:41.160 --> 0:45:43.440 what I'm saying. We both eighty four babies. It's like 0:45:43.480 --> 0:45:45.879 we've seen him just grow, right, you know what I mean. 0:45:45.920 --> 0:45:47.799 And I think that that's what's so cool about now 0:45:48.160 --> 0:45:49.839 is that there's no limits, you know what I'm saying. 0:45:49.840 --> 0:45:52.319 You can just continue to get better, try different things, 0:45:52.400 --> 0:45:54.839 do different things. And I think that that is what 0:45:55.040 --> 0:45:58.480 is been, you know, essential to my success and staying 0:45:58.560 --> 0:46:01.880 relevant is I'm a fi I'm not afraid to to 0:46:01.960 --> 0:46:03.640 do new things, right, you know what I'm saying. 0:46:03.760 --> 0:46:05.319 What are some of the advice you would give the 0:46:05.360 --> 0:46:07.319 young and up and coming artists if you could sit 0:46:07.360 --> 0:46:09.520 down and there's some artists like, oh, w you know, 0:46:10.000 --> 0:46:12.520 we're new to the business, give us some advice. What's 0:46:12.520 --> 0:46:14.040 some of the advice that you would give a new, 0:46:14.120 --> 0:46:15.200 up and cooming artist. 0:46:15.480 --> 0:46:19.560 I would say, for perfect your craft, you know, don't 0:46:19.560 --> 0:46:22.120 put yourself in a box, don't allow others to put 0:46:22.160 --> 0:46:25.600 you in a box. And uh yeah, just try new things, 0:46:25.640 --> 0:46:28.320 you know what I mean. And also it's very important 0:46:28.360 --> 0:46:31.719 that you know whoever is representing you, you know, is 0:46:31.800 --> 0:46:34.879 representing you in the way you wanna be represented. Yuh, 0:46:34.880 --> 0:46:36.480 you know what I mean. I think that It's so 0:46:36.600 --> 0:46:40.000 important when we're talking about business. You know that people 0:46:40.239 --> 0:46:43.520 uh honor fairness, you know, because we as you know, 0:46:43.600 --> 0:46:45.680 this business isn't fair. Yeah, you know what I mean. 0:46:45.719 --> 0:46:48.000 And people always want things from you when you hot, 0:46:48.400 --> 0:46:51.279 you know what I mean. So realize you know that 0:46:51.320 --> 0:46:54.040 this is a up and down experience. This is a 0:46:54.160 --> 0:46:57.680 motion experience. This is not just a flatline, you know 0:46:57.680 --> 0:47:00.279 what I mean. And just continue to grow. Oh, you 0:47:00.320 --> 0:47:02.879 know what I mean. Perfect your craft, love what you do, 0:47:03.160 --> 0:47:05.640 find your purpose in it, and have intention. 0:47:06.200 --> 0:47:06.400 You know. 0:47:07.640 --> 0:47:11.080 That is really what saved me from feeling like I 0:47:11.120 --> 0:47:14.000 wanted to quit or feeling like I wanted to, you know, 0:47:14.120 --> 0:47:15.960 give it up, you know, like, oh can he have 0:47:15.960 --> 0:47:18.200 anoether hit? I don't know why. It's like, you know, 0:47:18.680 --> 0:47:20.960 the public puts that on you. They put that on you. 0:47:21.000 --> 0:47:23.440 They put on you like oh he's old, or you 0:47:23.440 --> 0:47:26.600 know like, oh, well we've seen him do this before. 0:47:26.680 --> 0:47:28.399 But it's levels to this, you know what I mean. 0:47:28.480 --> 0:47:32.200 So continue to grow and yeah, do your best, show 0:47:32.320 --> 0:47:33.400 up as your best. 0:47:33.719 --> 0:47:36.200 What are some of the benefits and the drawback of 0:47:36.239 --> 0:47:40.480 social media Because not everybody's a producer, everybody is a songwriter, 0:47:40.640 --> 0:47:44.160 everybody has an opinion and it somebody says this, it 0:47:44.200 --> 0:47:46.680 can go viral in fifteen seconds, and then all of 0:47:46.719 --> 0:47:50.640 a sudden you're being talked about when what's your qualifications 0:47:50.680 --> 0:47:53.560 to judge what I did or who I am? Right? 0:47:53.719 --> 0:47:58.279 I think the pros of social media is that you know, 0:47:59.520 --> 0:48:03.040 it can get hot overnight, you know, And that was 0:48:03.120 --> 0:48:05.799 different from the time in which I entered into the 0:48:05.920 --> 0:48:08.719 music business, which was or the entertainment business, which was 0:48:08.760 --> 0:48:11.440 like you actually have to do the work, you know 0:48:11.440 --> 0:48:14.240 what I mean. But you can also burn out fast, 0:48:14.560 --> 0:48:16.719 you know what I mean? You can you can be hot. 0:48:16.800 --> 0:48:20.399 I mean, it's so many what do they call them, 0:48:20.680 --> 0:48:25.600 socialized social media personalities, your influencers that have been successful 0:48:25.640 --> 0:48:28.080 at one thing and then they disappear, and then you 0:48:28.640 --> 0:48:30.160 find them and then you see them on the street. 0:48:30.200 --> 0:48:31.720 You'd be like, oh what happened? 0:48:31.760 --> 0:48:31.960 Man? 0:48:32.320 --> 0:48:34.279 You know what I mean. So I think that, you know, 0:48:35.480 --> 0:48:37.400 there are some good things about social media and then 0:48:37.440 --> 0:48:40.360 there's some adverse things. You know, I won't say bad 0:48:40.480 --> 0:48:42.520 if you know how to navigate, you know what I'm saying. 0:48:42.600 --> 0:48:46.719 But you know, I think, you know, being intentional is important. 0:48:47.080 --> 0:48:51.080 You know, I couldn't believe that the o Marion challenge 0:48:51.600 --> 0:48:54.960 you know, came from you know, six years ago, this 0:48:55.120 --> 0:48:57.799 performance you know that I did. And then it was 0:48:57.840 --> 0:49:00.400 like you know, football players was doing and when they 0:49:00.400 --> 0:49:02.439 you know what I mean. Like, so you can have 0:49:02.480 --> 0:49:06.000 some incredible success from from you know, the internet, you 0:49:06.040 --> 0:49:07.800 know what I mean, But you can have some adverse 0:49:07.840 --> 0:49:09.879 things too, you know what I mean. You don't want 0:49:09.960 --> 0:49:13.319 no sex tape out there, you know what I'm saying. 0:49:13.360 --> 0:49:15.760 You want your ass out on it on the internet 0:49:15.840 --> 0:49:18.480 because they never go away, you know what I'm saying. 0:49:18.560 --> 0:49:21.760 So you know, I would just say, you know, be thoughtful. 0:49:21.800 --> 0:49:24.319 But I think that that is the good and bad thing. 0:49:24.440 --> 0:49:28.880 Well, you mentioned social media being catfish. There was someone 0:49:28.920 --> 0:49:31.719 that got catfish that went on Doctor Phil and say 0:49:31.760 --> 0:49:33.799 they were married or they were getting married to you 0:49:34.719 --> 0:49:40.960 and so the real own right catfish. So when you 0:49:41.000 --> 0:49:42.960 see that, you're like, man, come on, why would somebody 0:49:43.000 --> 0:49:43.359 do this? 0:49:43.600 --> 0:49:47.160 Yeah? I think that it's you know, the internet is 0:49:47.480 --> 0:49:51.000 you know, to certain people that don't. I heard Prince 0:49:51.000 --> 0:49:53.440 say this, he said, use the Internet, don't let the 0:49:53.440 --> 0:49:56.120 Internet use you, you know what I mean. And sometimes 0:49:56.360 --> 0:49:58.400 people are so gullible, you know what I mean. And 0:49:58.440 --> 0:50:00.880 it was really unfortunate that they young lady thought we 0:50:00.880 --> 0:50:03.600 were in a relationship. She was about to send this 0:50:03.719 --> 0:50:07.520 other person money. It's like, you know, I think we 0:50:07.600 --> 0:50:10.320 live in an age where you have to be mindful, 0:50:10.480 --> 0:50:13.080 you know what I mean. And it was real sad, 0:50:13.160 --> 0:50:15.239 you know what I'm saying, Like who wants to get 0:50:15.239 --> 0:50:20.280 taken advantage? So being catfish? And then also that show, 0:50:20.440 --> 0:50:23.600 you know what I mean, like that show coming into existence, 0:50:23.719 --> 0:50:25.520 you know what I'm saying, where you know, you think 0:50:25.560 --> 0:50:28.680 you're getting to know someone and you know it's they're 0:50:28.719 --> 0:50:30.600 not who they say they are. You know what I'm saying, 0:50:30.640 --> 0:50:33.040 Like it's just whack. You know what I'm saying. So 0:50:33.400 --> 0:50:35.120 you know, all the people out there on the internet, 0:50:35.200 --> 0:50:37.960 don't be naive, y'all. Okay you're not talking to Oh 0:50:38.040 --> 0:50:40.080 if you don't see the blue check, Okay, if you 0:50:40.120 --> 0:50:41.759 ain't see the blue check, I hit you with the 0:50:41.800 --> 0:50:45.000 slide in the DM, which I don't do too often, 0:50:45.080 --> 0:50:53.640 you know, Nah. I mean I mean, if you're looking good, Nona, No, 0:50:53.760 --> 0:50:57.879 I try I try to. I try to, you know way, Yeah, 0:50:57.880 --> 0:50:59.960 I think I think you know you have to kind 0:50:59.960 --> 0:51:02.839 of you know what I'm saying, have the boundary, Yeah, Yeah, 0:51:03.200 --> 0:51:05.600 have boundaries, you know, because you can have a good 0:51:05.640 --> 0:51:08.279 conversation online, yes, you know what I mean, but you 0:51:08.880 --> 0:51:11.200 need to meet them and that that needs to translate 0:51:11.239 --> 0:51:12.279 to you know what I'm saying. 0:51:12.400 --> 0:51:16.960 So you got punk by Badwow. So which was so 0:51:17.520 --> 0:51:20.680 being punked on national television or being catfished? 0:51:21.400 --> 0:51:25.000 I think being punk because that's that's quicker than being catfished. 0:51:25.280 --> 0:51:27.560 You know, I'm just saying. 0:51:27.640 --> 0:51:30.080 You could be talking to you know, you could be thinking. 0:51:30.320 --> 0:51:31.920 You could be thinking that you're talking to Mary j 0:51:32.040 --> 0:51:35.040 Bos and it's scary j Block. You know what I'm saying. 0:51:35.400 --> 0:51:37.760 You thought you fall and fell in love with JB 0:51:38.360 --> 0:51:40.520 and you got scary JB. You know what I'm saying. 0:51:40.560 --> 0:51:42.840 So you got to be mindful people, you know what 0:51:42.880 --> 0:51:43.400 I'm saying. 0:51:44.080 --> 0:51:46.759 So you are kid star, mean because you've always been 0:51:46.800 --> 0:51:48.640 to live like you were in commercial for I think 0:51:48.719 --> 0:51:51.560 corn Pops and you had another commercial. So when you 0:51:51.600 --> 0:51:53.760 were like six or seventy and you're doing all these things, 0:51:54.040 --> 0:51:55.759 how are your friends reacting to you? 0:51:56.320 --> 0:51:58.960 Well, my friends with my family and because you know, 0:51:59.480 --> 0:52:03.239 I was so uh you know young, with my mom 0:52:03.360 --> 0:52:06.800 having a child, I was already famous. Oh that's so 0:52:06.960 --> 0:52:09.640 Mari you know what I mean. Oh, they're all right there, 0:52:09.920 --> 0:52:12.160 you know what I mean. So I always feel like 0:52:12.320 --> 0:52:16.560 I was essentially famous my whole life. 0:52:16.760 --> 0:52:21.080 So you've always lived quote unquote a fish bowl. People 0:52:21.080 --> 0:52:23.800 have always looked at you because you had this unique talent. 0:52:23.960 --> 0:52:27.719 Yeah, and energy and personality, you know what I mean. 0:52:28.160 --> 0:52:30.640 I was definitely that kid you know that brought my 0:52:30.719 --> 0:52:33.919 teacher flowers. You know what I'm saying, Oh. 0:52:33.880 --> 0:52:36.200 Yeah, that wash. 0:52:37.680 --> 0:52:41.360 Yeah, Miss Chase, shout out, Miss Chase. She was fine, 0:52:41.640 --> 0:52:43.839 And I knew that as a kid. I just didn't 0:52:43.880 --> 0:52:44.239 know what to. 0:52:44.200 --> 0:52:48.040 Do with it. You know what I'm saying, Old, you're 0:52:48.040 --> 0:52:48.880 looking at the teachers. 0:52:49.040 --> 0:52:53.319 She was fine. She had that smile. I was like, Hey, 0:52:53.400 --> 0:52:55.440 it's Chase. He goes some flowers. 0:52:56.600 --> 0:53:02.920 I'm gonna come back about ten years. Do you believe 0:53:03.080 --> 0:53:04.960 Do you believe Bow? Do you believe Bob gets the 0:53:05.000 --> 0:53:07.000 credit that he deserves, because I've seen on the internet 0:53:07.000 --> 0:53:09.040 people trying to clown him, pretending like he only had 0:53:09.040 --> 0:53:11.359 one or two hits, and Boo was like that he 0:53:11.520 --> 0:53:13.799 I mean, he was in movies. I mean he was 0:53:14.640 --> 0:53:17.719 obviously I haven't seen many movies lately, but he was 0:53:17.760 --> 0:53:20.200 at the top of the charts for a period of time. 0:53:20.520 --> 0:53:22.759 But he's he did that music. No matter what you 0:53:22.800 --> 0:53:24.359 think about it, he did that. 0:53:24.760 --> 0:53:28.120 Yeah, I mean everyone that comes from you know, my era, 0:53:28.680 --> 0:53:32.319 you know of music, the stream tour, you know, c 0:53:32.520 --> 0:53:38.680 B Bow Wow like you know, unfortunately nowadays, you know, 0:53:39.120 --> 0:53:41.160 people like to chip away at artists, you know what 0:53:41.200 --> 0:53:43.560 I'm saying. I seen him chipping away at Usher too, 0:53:43.600 --> 0:53:47.600 and he's That's what I'm saying. But he's one of 0:53:47.640 --> 0:53:51.800 the few artists that has like a Diamonds certified album. 0:53:51.880 --> 0:53:54.719 So I think essentially it just comes with it, you 0:53:54.719 --> 0:53:56.480 know what I mean. It comes with being an artist 0:53:56.480 --> 0:53:58.759 and putting yourself out there. You know, I think the 0:53:58.840 --> 0:54:03.440 only now even yeah, even Beyonce has to go through it, 0:54:03.520 --> 0:54:05.919 you know what I'm saying. Like it's just a part 0:54:05.960 --> 0:54:08.680 of it, you know what I mean. But everybody in 0:54:08.760 --> 0:54:12.319 their own right, you know that has had major success, 0:54:12.360 --> 0:54:16.279 you know, definitely deserves a salute and some respect, you 0:54:16.320 --> 0:54:18.240 know what I mean, because this is not easy. 0:54:18.320 --> 0:54:20.799 You know, your life, you've i mean, like you said, 0:54:20.880 --> 0:54:24.480 from a child star to now who you are, so 0:54:24.600 --> 0:54:27.560 you've always been in the eye. What made you do 0:54:27.640 --> 0:54:28.359 reality TV? 0:54:29.480 --> 0:54:34.239 So my thought process, you know what Reality TV was 0:54:34.520 --> 0:54:38.319 two things, and that was one at that particular time. 0:54:38.520 --> 0:54:42.640 And I've shared the story many times. My record company 0:54:42.719 --> 0:54:45.319 wasn't supporting supposed to be, you know what I mean. 0:54:45.760 --> 0:54:49.080 And this was also a part of my growing as 0:54:49.480 --> 0:54:52.400 a businessman too. You know, I invested my own money, 0:54:52.600 --> 0:54:54.920 you know what I mean into supposed to be you know, uh, 0:54:55.600 --> 0:54:58.080 shout out Jenai Eko and Chris Brown because you know, 0:54:58.160 --> 0:55:00.800 this is one of my biggest songs to date, right, 0:55:00.840 --> 0:55:04.000 you know, four times platinum and I saw him in 0:55:04.040 --> 0:55:07.640 the chart it might be at seven million at this point. Wow, Yeah, 0:55:07.680 --> 0:55:09.960 we gonna confirm them numbers, but I know it is 0:55:10.000 --> 0:55:16.480 at four million, right, but yeah, uh, you know, my 0:55:16.920 --> 0:55:19.359 record company wasn't supporting me. So I was like, Yo, 0:55:19.440 --> 0:55:21.920 how am I gonna be able to you know, be visible? 0:55:22.080 --> 0:55:23.279 You know what I'm saying? How am I gonna be 0:55:23.320 --> 0:55:26.400 able to you know, not only be visible, but you know, 0:55:26.480 --> 0:55:30.360 show people that I'm growing? Right, And you know, Reality 0:55:30.400 --> 0:55:33.120 TV gave me an opportunity to kind of step out 0:55:33.160 --> 0:55:35.279 of that space, you know, cause I come from the 0:55:35.280 --> 0:55:38.719 class of mystique, right, you know that doesn't exist anymore. Yeah, 0:55:38.760 --> 0:55:43.040 but you know, you know, being being you know, coming 0:55:43.040 --> 0:55:46.880 from that class and you know, adapting to the new reality. 0:55:47.239 --> 0:55:48.520 You know, I feel like it would be a great 0:55:48.520 --> 0:55:52.040 opportunity for me to promote my music, and essentially it was. 0:55:52.120 --> 0:55:54.560 You know, I was able to show my growth on 0:55:54.600 --> 0:55:57.320 that show, you know what I mean, having a girlfriend 0:55:57.400 --> 0:56:00.479 and you know, bringing my my child, you know, into 0:56:00.520 --> 0:56:04.400 this world on reality TV. So it did exactly what 0:56:04.440 --> 0:56:06.759 it was supposed to do. But again just brings me 0:56:06.800 --> 0:56:09.640 back to intention. I wasn't just on TV to be 0:56:09.719 --> 0:56:11.520 on TV, you know what I mean, Like I had 0:56:12.239 --> 0:56:14.640 it was a purpose, you know what I mean, and essentially, 0:56:14.920 --> 0:56:17.560 you know that purpose carried out. It wasn't for me, 0:56:17.920 --> 0:56:22.320 you know, and you know in a long term situation 0:56:22.600 --> 0:56:26.600 just because you know it did. But scripture reality is 0:56:26.640 --> 0:56:27.840 just not for me, you know what I mean. Like 0:56:27.880 --> 0:56:30.680 I'm not a person that you know, wants to shoot 0:56:30.719 --> 0:56:35.440 in you know, February and going through something very tough 0:56:35.480 --> 0:56:37.759 to go through, you know, with a camera in front 0:56:37.760 --> 0:56:40.160 of my face, and then the show don't come out 0:56:40.239 --> 0:56:42.920 till November, and now I gotta go back through it 0:56:43.120 --> 0:56:45.120 right with the public, right, you know what I'm saying. 0:56:45.200 --> 0:56:47.319 So when I realized that, I was like, yeah, this 0:56:47.440 --> 0:56:48.880 is not for me. This is not for me. 0:56:50.239 --> 0:56:53.000 You were in a very public relationship, and you've been 0:56:53.040 --> 0:56:58.240 a very public person. How does O find the perfect 0:56:58.840 --> 0:57:00.640 I don't know if there is such thing. It's perfection. 0:57:00.760 --> 0:57:03.440 People strive to achieve it. But how does he find 0:57:03.880 --> 0:57:08.760 the ideal woman? Given who you are, Given that any 0:57:08.960 --> 0:57:12.839 potential dating candidate knows who you are, how do you 0:57:13.040 --> 0:57:14.080 find that person? 0:57:15.360 --> 0:57:21.360 Well, she finds me, you know what I'm saying. It's 0:57:21.360 --> 0:57:25.320 been a while since I've actually been in a you know, 0:57:25.880 --> 0:57:31.240 quote unquote girlfriend boyfriend type relationship. You know, But I 0:57:31.280 --> 0:57:33.120 think a private life is a happy life, you know 0:57:33.120 --> 0:57:35.800 what I mean. But I believe that she finds she 0:57:35.920 --> 0:57:39.200 finds me, But they don't know. I'm just saying, you 0:57:39.200 --> 0:57:42.880 know what I mean, And it might be she's you 0:57:42.880 --> 0:57:45.960 know what I'm saying. Yeah, I'm just saying she's might 0:57:46.040 --> 0:57:52.080 find me. Yeah, plurals, you know what I'm saying, She's 0:57:54.120 --> 0:57:56.920 like that. No, I'm just saying, like, you know, if 0:57:56.960 --> 0:58:00.360 I if I really thought about my lifestyle and being 0:58:00.400 --> 0:58:03.920 with me, like the pressure of being with me, you know, 0:58:04.080 --> 0:58:06.120 and it just being one woman, I don't know if 0:58:06.120 --> 0:58:07.440 that I don't know if that is it might take 0:58:07.440 --> 0:58:09.920 more than it might, because you know, I might need 0:58:09.960 --> 0:58:11.720 her to be a businesswoman on Monday and then we 0:58:11.800 --> 0:58:17.000 might get freaky on Tuesday. I'm just saying it might be. 0:58:21.400 --> 0:58:23.920 It might be, it might be. You know, I don't 0:58:23.920 --> 0:58:27.720 come from a traditional you know, uh standpoint. You know, 0:58:27.800 --> 0:58:31.560 I feel like I've definitely tried the traditional way, and 0:58:31.600 --> 0:58:33.840 I don't know if that's for me. You know, again, 0:58:33.920 --> 0:58:35.000 I'm still I'm single. 0:58:35.040 --> 0:58:36.840 You know, Are we really meant to be that? Are 0:58:36.840 --> 0:58:41.240 we are men really meant to be in a monogamous 0:58:41.520 --> 0:58:43.280 one on one situation? 0:58:43.600 --> 0:58:45.600 I don't. I don't know. I really don't know. I 0:58:45.640 --> 0:58:48.640 think that you can find someone that makes you feel 0:58:48.680 --> 0:58:50.320 like you don't want to be with anyone else, you 0:58:50.360 --> 0:58:52.160 know what I mean. There might be a woman out 0:58:52.160 --> 0:58:54.720 there that can fill that voice. But you know, if 0:58:54.840 --> 0:58:59.600 if we're talking just strictly nature, you know what I'm saying, No, No, 0:58:59.680 --> 0:59:02.520 I don't think so, you know, I'm you know, it's 0:59:02.640 --> 0:59:04.680 very far in between it. I've seen a man and 0:59:04.720 --> 0:59:07.120 he just like, yo, I just love this woman like 0:59:07.160 --> 0:59:09.959 it's you know what I mean, it's it's it's very rare, 0:59:10.360 --> 0:59:13.320 you know what I mean, And especially being in my industry, 0:59:13.440 --> 0:59:17.000 you know what I mean, but you know, just being fair, 0:59:17.400 --> 0:59:19.840 you know what I'm saying, Like I'm I'm definitely open 0:59:20.240 --> 0:59:24.000 to love, and I really feel like love is acceptance, 0:59:24.400 --> 0:59:27.120 you know what I mean. So if there is one woman, cool, 0:59:27.200 --> 0:59:29.640 you know what I mean. If there's two cool, If 0:59:29.680 --> 0:59:33.000 there's three cool, But after three, I'm gonna have to 0:59:33.520 --> 0:59:34.040 you know what I'm saying. 0:59:34.360 --> 0:59:37.720 You tried to be a king? What's going on? 0:59:38.440 --> 0:59:39.640 You know what I mean? Well, you know what they 0:59:39.680 --> 0:59:41.960 say about two women, you know, and a man. 0:59:42.000 --> 0:59:43.280 They say, got double problems. 0:59:44.920 --> 0:59:46.040 You gotta be double a man. 0:59:50.160 --> 0:59:53.600 I ain't got to do overtime. So we saw I 0:59:53.640 --> 0:59:56.880 saw this on the internet, you and and Neil Long 0:59:57.200 --> 1:00:01.880 and there's a vast age difference. And she's like, that's 1:00:01.920 --> 1:00:04.960 my nephew. Got y'all they blow up everything on there? 1:00:05.200 --> 1:00:05.720 What is it? 1:00:05.800 --> 1:00:08.680 Yeah? She said, y'all good. Yeah, we're cool. Yeah, Ben, 1:00:08.800 --> 1:00:10.920 that's not ain't a relationship. 1:00:10.440 --> 1:00:14.840 No, no, no, no. But I mean, you know I wouldn't. 1:00:15.160 --> 1:00:17.480 I wouldn't skim over it, you know what I'm saying. 1:00:17.640 --> 1:00:20.720 You know, if there was you know, a conversation and 1:00:21.120 --> 1:00:24.120 you know, because I've never you know, got to know 1:00:24.160 --> 1:00:25.680 who she is. You know what I'm saying. I don't 1:00:25.760 --> 1:00:29.680 know her, so I wouldn't completely take it off the table, 1:00:29.760 --> 1:00:30.840 you know what I mean. We might be on the 1:00:31.480 --> 1:00:33.280 we might be on the same level. I don't know. 1:00:33.440 --> 1:00:37.320 You know what I mean. It's possible. Anything is possible. 1:00:38.000 --> 1:00:40.840 You you're just putting beings in everything. 1:00:41.240 --> 1:00:43.320 I'm just saying, you never know where it comes from. 1:00:43.400 --> 1:00:46.240 You got to be open to receive, to see you 1:00:46.280 --> 1:00:47.360 know what's meant for you. 1:00:47.560 --> 1:00:49.600 But I'm just saying, I'm just trying to figure out 1:00:49.600 --> 1:00:51.920 why the internet do stuff like that. I had candy 1:00:52.000 --> 1:00:54.120 on and people say, man, unk trying to palmer. But 1:00:54.480 --> 1:00:57.680 the woman man, right right right, even like that right. 1:00:57.720 --> 1:01:00.640 Right right right, yeah, yeah, no, I understand. And you know, 1:01:01.040 --> 1:01:03.400 I don't know when she when she grabbed my hand. 1:01:03.520 --> 1:01:07.400 I mean I was like, oh, you know what I'm saying, but. 1:01:08.360 --> 1:01:10.840 You're going through something. Oh you don't take advantage of 1:01:10.880 --> 1:01:12.600 a woman that's going at that time. 1:01:12.720 --> 1:01:15.320 No, that's true, that's true. I won't never take advantage 1:01:15.320 --> 1:01:17.000 of a woman. You know you want to give it said. 1:01:16.840 --> 1:01:18.920 Okay, what about you taking that advantage of the situation. 1:01:20.040 --> 1:01:22.760 I wouldn't do that. I feel like, yeah, you know, 1:01:22.840 --> 1:01:25.320 I think It's important for a person, you know, to 1:01:25.400 --> 1:01:28.040 have the option to choose, you know, which way they 1:01:28.040 --> 1:01:29.880 want to rock. You know what I'm saying. And I'm saying, 1:01:29.960 --> 1:01:32.840 I'm just a flexible person, you know where if you 1:01:32.880 --> 1:01:34.760 want to rock a certain type of way and I 1:01:34.800 --> 1:01:38.080 agree with you, then let's rock. You know what I'm saying. Nil, 1:01:38.080 --> 1:01:42.320 if you wanted to rock, you know, we can. I 1:01:42.320 --> 1:01:44.400 don't want to rock, I just want to. 1:01:49.400 --> 1:01:49.440 No. 1:01:49.640 --> 1:01:53.080 But but ma respect, but respect, you know, to to her. 1:01:53.440 --> 1:01:55.080 You know what I mean, because I got a lot 1:01:55.120 --> 1:01:55.600 of energy. 1:01:55.720 --> 1:01:57.600 You do know like at some point in time you 1:01:57.600 --> 1:02:00.160 can have to have some very very difficult conversations with your. 1:02:00.760 --> 1:02:03.480 Yeah, no, no doubt and and honesty is the key. 1:02:03.600 --> 1:02:05.120 You know what I'm saying, Honestly is the key. 1:02:05.200 --> 1:02:08.320 So I saw you at the HBCU Mental Health Tour. 1:02:10.360 --> 1:02:12.600 Why was that an important initiative for you? 1:02:13.480 --> 1:02:18.480 So, you know, I dropped my book uh un Bothered 1:02:18.520 --> 1:02:23.680 The Power Choosing Joy and along with you know, just 1:02:23.760 --> 1:02:26.760 speaking about the importance of mental health. You know, I 1:02:26.760 --> 1:02:30.600 wanted to share some of my methods that essentially helped 1:02:30.600 --> 1:02:34.680 me navigate some of you know, my public tumultuous situations. 1:02:35.280 --> 1:02:39.000 And you know, that involved breath work, that involved meditation. 1:02:39.600 --> 1:02:42.800 And you know, when I realized that, you know, a 1:02:42.840 --> 1:02:45.720 lot of these kids in college, you know, they're just 1:02:45.760 --> 1:02:48.560 figuring out their way. They're just leaving from their parents home. 1:02:48.920 --> 1:02:52.960 You know, they don't have no idea the importance of breathing, right. 1:02:53.000 --> 1:02:56.080 You know, through these situations, you know this person they're like, well, 1:02:56.080 --> 1:02:57.560 I want to go to school from here, you know, 1:02:58.400 --> 1:03:01.200 mid school. They like, I'm changing my you know, I'm 1:03:01.280 --> 1:03:04.120 changing while I'm here. You know, I feel like that 1:03:04.160 --> 1:03:06.960 there was a really big need for that, and you 1:03:06.960 --> 1:03:09.480 know it's not it's not a lot of artists that 1:03:09.520 --> 1:03:12.360 are are you know, out here to share you know 1:03:13.440 --> 1:03:17.360 what essentially keeps them saying. So you know, I felt 1:03:17.360 --> 1:03:19.600 that that was a void that I could feel, you know, 1:03:19.800 --> 1:03:23.800 and a responsibility that I could take on. So it 1:03:23.920 --> 1:03:26.520 was amazing shout out to all of the HBCUs that 1:03:26.560 --> 1:03:29.760 I were able to go. You know, I didn't myself 1:03:29.840 --> 1:03:38.720 go to college, you know what I mean experienced that No, no, no, no, because. 1:03:39.880 --> 1:03:42.560 You know we put that thing down yeah yeah, yeah, 1:03:42.400 --> 1:03:44.560 no period. 1:03:44.680 --> 1:03:47.080 Yeah no, I know, it's an experience. But you know, 1:03:47.880 --> 1:03:50.600 because I started so young, and because I was traveling 1:03:50.680 --> 1:03:52.920 and when I think about school and when I think 1:03:52.960 --> 1:03:58.320 about you know, like wellow work. Yeah, I mean I 1:03:58.320 --> 1:04:01.640 probably would have like for turn, you know what I'm saying, Like, 1:04:02.120 --> 1:04:04.640 you know, I think that because I started so young, 1:04:04.880 --> 1:04:06.840 Like when I look at that experience, I'm like, oh, 1:04:06.840 --> 1:04:08.200 that would have been easy for me, you know what 1:04:08.200 --> 1:04:11.640 I mean. But yeah, it's not something that I felt 1:04:11.680 --> 1:04:13.480 like I missed out on, you know what I mean. 1:04:13.880 --> 1:04:16.000 There's a docum docum series. 1:04:15.800 --> 1:04:17.960 Yes, Omega, The Gift and the Curse. 1:04:18.280 --> 1:04:20.200 What can we expect from doctor Well? 1:04:20.640 --> 1:04:25.040 The docu Omega, The Gift and the Curse is my 1:04:25.200 --> 1:04:28.360 journey of my group coming back together in twenty nineteen 1:04:28.360 --> 1:04:32.880 we started the Millennium Tour and you know, I haven't 1:04:34.400 --> 1:04:37.760 really spoken on my perspective. You know, there's always been 1:04:38.240 --> 1:04:44.360 so many different storylines, and the documentary really restrate from 1:04:44.360 --> 1:04:47.240 my perspective, from my perspective, you know what I mean. 1:04:47.400 --> 1:04:50.360 And you know it's an unbiased one, you know what 1:04:50.400 --> 1:04:53.880 I mean. I tell my personal truths, you know, I 1:04:53.920 --> 1:04:57.040 share my perspective. And it's such a great docu. You know, 1:04:58.600 --> 1:05:02.000 y'all check it out. It's on all Black and man, 1:05:02.000 --> 1:05:02.479 it's great. 1:05:02.560 --> 1:05:02.760 You know. 1:05:03.200 --> 1:05:06.280 I definitely would advise you, you know what I mean, big 1:05:06.280 --> 1:05:09.280 brother Shannon, to check it out because it really shows 1:05:10.440 --> 1:05:13.280 you know, the journey and you know the current state 1:05:13.440 --> 1:05:17.480 of you know, why things are and as far as 1:05:17.560 --> 1:05:20.640 you know, what I experienced in my group, and I 1:05:20.680 --> 1:05:23.760 think that being able to tell that story really sheds 1:05:23.840 --> 1:05:27.880 light on you know, the experience of growing up in 1:05:27.920 --> 1:05:28.880 this industry. Right. 1:05:30.720 --> 1:05:36.480 We know, alcohol and tobacca and heroin, all these cocaine 1:05:36.520 --> 1:05:39.240 and marijuana if you want to say, marijuana is grug okay, 1:05:39.960 --> 1:05:44.120 But now fame attention might be more dangerous than any 1:05:44.200 --> 1:05:50.000 of those facts. Facts. How have you been able not 1:05:50.040 --> 1:05:51.040 to succumb to those? 1:05:52.760 --> 1:05:56.760 My foundation? I really have to, you know, salute, you know, 1:05:57.920 --> 1:06:01.680 just being a decent person, realizing that you know, everyone 1:06:01.720 --> 1:06:05.800 struggles with different things, right and that you know, you 1:06:05.880 --> 1:06:09.600 gotta really be careful. You gotta really be mindful you 1:06:09.640 --> 1:06:13.840 know about you know, uh, the things you intaking to 1:06:13.920 --> 1:06:19.760 your body, your health, your your mindset. You know, I've 1:06:19.760 --> 1:06:22.360 been able to navigate it because you know, I had 1:06:22.400 --> 1:06:24.720 a loving mother, I had people that loved me. I 1:06:24.760 --> 1:06:26.919 have people that hey, oh don't don't do that, Oh 1:06:27.280 --> 1:06:30.880 you know that would tell me, you know, when you know, 1:06:31.760 --> 1:06:36.560 shout out to to my brother Anthony Martinez. He he 1:06:36.680 --> 1:06:40.640 essentially was uh a very key person on my journey. 1:06:41.080 --> 1:06:43.080 My best friend from from third grade. 1:06:43.200 --> 1:06:50.000 Yeah he he he got put in jail for uh 1:06:50.080 --> 1:06:53.360 attempted murder and he was in jail for twelve years. 1:06:53.360 --> 1:06:57.520 He just got released two weeks ago. And his attitude, 1:06:57.920 --> 1:07:00.680 you know, when I would tell him, you know about 1:07:00.680 --> 1:07:05.080 certain things and I'll be like, yo, yo, bro, you 1:07:05.120 --> 1:07:07.840 know this person is doing this and I yo, and 1:07:07.880 --> 1:07:10.360 he like, oh, you don't want to end up in here, man, right, 1:07:10.360 --> 1:07:11.920 you don't want your freedom taking away? 1:07:12.000 --> 1:07:12.200 Yeah. 1:07:12.280 --> 1:07:16.640 So those voices, you know, that support has really helped 1:07:16.680 --> 1:07:18.880 me navigate, you know what I mean, and not falling 1:07:18.920 --> 1:07:24.240 into those you know, those pits of disparity and depression, 1:07:24.400 --> 1:07:27.120 you know what I mean. Like I said, my life 1:07:27.160 --> 1:07:30.440 hasn't always been just all smiles, you know what I'm saying. 1:07:31.600 --> 1:07:35.280 But having those voices and having that love you know 1:07:35.400 --> 1:07:38.280 ha has essentially you know, saved me from it, right 1:07:38.400 --> 1:07:38.600 you know. 1:07:38.840 --> 1:07:40.960 But oh uh, a lot of times the dynamic change 1:07:41.120 --> 1:07:45.280 because okay, there's a there's a there's a parent child relationship. Yeah. Uh, 1:07:45.280 --> 1:07:48.080 the the parent is the provider the child is the child. 1:07:48.480 --> 1:07:50.560 But when the roads flip, Now, all of a sudden, 1:07:50.760 --> 1:07:52.960 the child is the provider. Yeah, And a lot of 1:07:53.160 --> 1:07:55.200 your friends that are around you, they're able to go 1:07:55.240 --> 1:07:57.160 into clubs and be in these clubs and said that 1:07:57.720 --> 1:08:00.440 bottle service yea, and talk to all these women because 1:08:00.440 --> 1:08:03.760 of you. Now, if I tell Oh, I know, Oh's wrong. 1:08:04.120 --> 1:08:05.960 But if I tell Oh, he's wrong, and all of 1:08:06.000 --> 1:08:07.959 a sudden, he stopped the bus and I gotta get off. 1:08:08.280 --> 1:08:11.480 Ain't no more fancy clubs, no more bottle service, no 1:08:11.520 --> 1:08:13.440 more being in a situation where I can talk to 1:08:13.480 --> 1:08:16.000 some of the most beautiful women in the world. How 1:08:16.080 --> 1:08:19.200 have your friends and your mom like mom got a knight, 1:08:19.400 --> 1:08:22.760 I like that, tell oh he doing wrong? How have 1:08:23.000 --> 1:08:25.400 they been able? How have you been able to navigate? 1:08:25.680 --> 1:08:27.960 And your friends that have been your friends say, oh, 1:08:28.000 --> 1:08:30.160 you're wrong, Bro, you do that? Your mom say, oh, 1:08:30.280 --> 1:08:32.559 I'm ari y'all. You know, I'll raise you better than that. 1:08:33.160 --> 1:08:37.559 How have they have been able to stay steadfast and 1:08:37.600 --> 1:08:38.679 you listen to what they say? 1:08:39.479 --> 1:08:42.479 I think, you know, having those strong conversations is so 1:08:43.040 --> 1:08:46.760 you know important, you know what I mean? And accountability 1:08:47.040 --> 1:08:49.160 is big in my world. You know what I mean? 1:08:49.200 --> 1:08:51.960 Because I'm not always right and other people aren't always right, 1:08:52.040 --> 1:08:54.559 you know what I mean. So communication is a big 1:08:54.600 --> 1:09:00.960 thing in my family, and yeah, you know I haven't. 1:09:01.520 --> 1:09:06.240 I haven't always you know, tried to you know, remove 1:09:06.360 --> 1:09:10.000 people you know from my space and you know, the 1:09:10.000 --> 1:09:13.240 the success the sir, the s the circle of success 1:09:13.360 --> 1:09:15.880 r you know what I mean. I always have tried 1:09:15.920 --> 1:09:18.519 to push people forward. And I think because I've had 1:09:18.560 --> 1:09:23.679 that attitude, you know, with with I would say outside 1:09:23.720 --> 1:09:26.400 of maybe a few people, you know that it has 1:09:26.560 --> 1:09:29.360 been adverse and that don't deserve to be around me, 1:09:29.400 --> 1:09:32.599 that don't deserve certain opportunities. I think just being real 1:09:32.680 --> 1:09:36.840 with myself and realizing where people are has you know, 1:09:36.960 --> 1:09:39.439 kept me from you know, having to experience that on 1:09:40.120 --> 1:09:43.320 you know, on such a a bad level. But I 1:09:43.360 --> 1:09:46.840 will say I have I experienced it, uh you know 1:09:46.960 --> 1:09:49.479 in a way that was like who A big lesson, right, 1:09:49.600 --> 1:09:51.880 A big lesson? You know what I mean. So you 1:09:51.920 --> 1:09:53.360 know I take the good with the bad, you know 1:09:53.400 --> 1:09:57.400 what I mean. But I've been able to navigate because 1:09:57.479 --> 1:09:59.320 you know, I keep it real with myself, you know 1:09:59.360 --> 1:09:59.680 what I mean. 1:10:00.040 --> 1:10:02.000 Why do you think it's so hard for certain situations 1:10:02.040 --> 1:10:06.280 to stay private. It seems like we become a very spiteful, 1:10:07.080 --> 1:10:11.040 very we pray for other's downfall. Someone is going good, 1:10:11.040 --> 1:10:13.200 and like, man, I don't because and I was reading 1:10:13.200 --> 1:10:14.960 the quote the other day and it says jealousy. And 1:10:15.000 --> 1:10:17.800 people used to think jealousy was always about someone wanting 1:10:17.840 --> 1:10:20.760 something that you had, But sometimes jealousy is about they 1:10:20.760 --> 1:10:23.640 don't want you to have it. Dude, got fifteen grammars 1:10:23.640 --> 1:10:25.960 and you don't want me to get one. You got 1:10:26.040 --> 1:10:28.160 one hundred million, you don't want me to get five? 1:10:28.479 --> 1:10:28.880 Come on? 1:10:29.520 --> 1:10:32.519 Yeah, I mean people like that. 1:10:33.080 --> 1:10:33.360 I don't. 1:10:33.400 --> 1:10:35.320 I don't. I don't vibe with people like that. You 1:10:35.360 --> 1:10:36.679 know what I'm saying, How. 1:10:36.760 --> 1:10:37.679 Can you can? 1:10:37.720 --> 1:10:37.800 You? 1:10:38.479 --> 1:10:41.360 But sometimes you don't know until it's too late. 1:10:41.439 --> 1:10:42.040 Yeah, that's true. 1:10:42.360 --> 1:10:45.080 It's not too late to the point that you know 1:10:45.120 --> 1:10:47.479 you can't make anybody. But you start to see and 1:10:47.520 --> 1:10:50.640 you start to hear about things that were said and 1:10:50.720 --> 1:10:53.559 things that were done that was trying to prevent oh 1:10:53.800 --> 1:10:56.439 from getting to a certain level. All they they've already 1:10:56.479 --> 1:10:57.240 reached that level. 1:10:57.680 --> 1:10:59.920 Yeah, I mean, I know so many people like that, 1:11:00.080 --> 1:11:03.840 you know what I mean? You know some people in 1:11:03.840 --> 1:11:05.920 the industry that are that way. You know, what I mean. 1:11:06.040 --> 1:11:09.000 But I think that it's just important to make sure 1:11:09.040 --> 1:11:11.040 that you're align with the right people, you know what 1:11:11.080 --> 1:11:13.760 I mean, Because again, you know, you got to kill 1:11:13.760 --> 1:11:17.679 that outside noise, because there's always going to be someone, 1:11:18.120 --> 1:11:22.040 you know, especially when you're in the entertainment business, in 1:11:22.120 --> 1:11:24.760 the limelight that's praying for your downfall, you know what 1:11:24.760 --> 1:11:27.000 I mean. And it sucks that it has to be 1:11:27.080 --> 1:11:29.040 that way. It sucks that somebody could look at you 1:11:29.080 --> 1:11:31.080 and be jealous and be like, I don't want him 1:11:31.120 --> 1:11:33.400 to have that, or you know what, I'm gonna make 1:11:33.439 --> 1:11:36.400 sure these two people don't meet, you know what I mean. Yes, 1:11:36.760 --> 1:11:39.439 why it's whack, you know what I mean. But you 1:11:39.479 --> 1:11:43.599 can't can't. People can't stop what's truly yours, and people 1:11:43.600 --> 1:11:46.160 can't take away from the hard work that you put in. 1:11:46.240 --> 1:11:48.920 And I'm a firm believer that you know, what's mine's 1:11:48.960 --> 1:11:50.439 his mind and what's yours is yours. 1:11:50.800 --> 1:11:53.040 I'm a firm believer. Oh I believe when God said 1:11:53.320 --> 1:11:55.800 a plan in motion, you can't even stop it if 1:11:55.800 --> 1:11:58.400 you wanted to. That's let alone the outside person trying 1:11:58.439 --> 1:11:58.880 to stop it. 1:11:58.880 --> 1:11:59.400 That's fact. 1:11:59.439 --> 1:12:01.760 So if he close the door, can't no one open 1:12:01.800 --> 1:12:03.759 it and if he opens it, can't anyone close. 1:12:03.800 --> 1:12:04.360 Its fact. 1:12:04.640 --> 1:12:06.200 I'm gonna get you out and talk about your touring. 1:12:06.280 --> 1:12:08.400 In twenty twenty two, you had a very successful tour 1:12:08.800 --> 1:12:11.320 R and B Top Tour, Wrap, Top Tour Rap twenty 1:12:11.360 --> 1:12:15.320 twenty Music Billboard Music Awards. What is it about touring 1:12:15.360 --> 1:12:16.280 that you love so much? 1:12:16.960 --> 1:12:20.320 I love that you actually get to see the people 1:12:20.360 --> 1:12:23.680 and touch the people, you know, And because entertainment has 1:12:23.760 --> 1:12:28.120 always been a strong arm in my you know, entertainment career. 1:12:28.520 --> 1:12:31.280 You know, a tour is a is a ritual, you 1:12:31.320 --> 1:12:33.320 know what I mean? And that is all right, y'all. 1:12:33.560 --> 1:12:36.000 We put our new music which, by the way, we 1:12:36.040 --> 1:12:37.240 put out Big Vibes. 1:12:37.000 --> 1:12:40.280 Today here, okay, you got a right. 1:12:40.320 --> 1:12:44.120 Yeah, got a new single. It's called Big Vibes. You 1:12:44.120 --> 1:12:46.160 know it's a self explanatory, you know what I mean. 1:12:46.200 --> 1:12:49.240 Whenever you are having a great time, put this song on. 1:12:49.439 --> 1:12:51.240 You know what I mean, is the soundtrack to a 1:12:51.240 --> 1:12:55.479 big vibe. It's coming. Uh, my new album is coming. 1:12:55.520 --> 1:12:58.040 It's titled Full Circle, which is which is a oh 1:12:58.360 --> 1:13:01.000 you know what I mean? Five to five, So everybody 1:13:01.000 --> 1:13:03.760 get prepared for that. But yeah, touring allows me to 1:13:03.960 --> 1:13:06.680 you know, put out new music and actually perform it, 1:13:07.040 --> 1:13:09.880 you know what I mean. So touring has always been 1:13:10.520 --> 1:13:13.280 essential to my career and it's something that I want 1:13:13.320 --> 1:13:14.439 to continue to be able to do. 1:13:15.200 --> 1:13:18.559 There are some when you look back at your career now, 1:13:18.600 --> 1:13:20.240 there are some women that kind of grew up with 1:13:20.280 --> 1:13:23.040 that that like you, that's probably of grandmother's and there 1:13:23.040 --> 1:13:25.559 are some that are just mothers and now you got 1:13:25.560 --> 1:13:29.080 their grands or their daughters. I mean that's a big 1:13:29.120 --> 1:13:31.679 I mean, like, are you surprised that you've been able 1:13:31.680 --> 1:13:33.960 to have so much stay in power with the women? 1:13:34.640 --> 1:13:39.880 Yeah, I mean I'm not really surprised, but I'm happy. Yeah, 1:13:40.400 --> 1:13:43.840 you know, because I do it long. I'm just saying 1:13:43.880 --> 1:13:45.960 I do it long and strong. You know what I'm saying. 1:13:46.400 --> 1:13:48.519 I'm in for the long haul, you know what I'm saying. 1:13:49.200 --> 1:13:52.400 So yeah, No, it's funny when you know we're doing 1:13:52.439 --> 1:13:54.599 meet and greets and you know the mom will come 1:13:54.680 --> 1:13:56.960 and you know what. You know, there's this young woman 1:13:57.000 --> 1:14:02.200 I forget her name, but her first concert was one 1:14:02.200 --> 1:14:05.280 of my concerts and her mom passed away. So it's 1:14:05.360 --> 1:14:08.280 like a personal ritual of her every time when I 1:14:08.439 --> 1:14:10.720 you know, come to perform, to make sure she comes 1:14:10.720 --> 1:14:12.920 to the show, So you know, you never really know, 1:14:13.200 --> 1:14:14.920 you know what I mean, Like when it's time for tour, 1:14:15.160 --> 1:14:17.559 while everybody's coming out there, you know, of course people 1:14:17.600 --> 1:14:19.360 want to get out and you know, be in that 1:14:19.439 --> 1:14:22.280 atmosphere and perform and watch a show, you know what 1:14:22.280 --> 1:14:26.120 I mean. So touring has always been important. And shout 1:14:26.120 --> 1:14:30.519 out to the grandmas. Shout out to the grandmas, the mama, 1:14:30.880 --> 1:14:33.679 the daughters, the babies, bring them all. It's a family, 1:14:33.720 --> 1:14:34.519 a fair right. 1:14:34.880 --> 1:14:38.799 So what are it like performing overseas? I mean, because 1:14:38.880 --> 1:14:40.320 I mean it seems like when I look at the 1:14:40.320 --> 1:14:44.320 crowds and I see American performers performing overseas, it seems like, man, 1:14:44.320 --> 1:14:47.679 they're in these stadiums and there's fifty sixty seventy thousand people. 1:14:48.080 --> 1:14:50.720 If everybody's saying, I'm like, hell, I don't even know 1:14:50.800 --> 1:14:52.920 the words in America and you know the words to 1:14:53.000 --> 1:14:53.639 every soul. 1:14:54.080 --> 1:14:57.679 Yeah, I mean, I don't want to say unfortunately, because 1:14:58.080 --> 1:15:04.160 you know, American artists definitely support and love their American artists, 1:15:04.640 --> 1:15:08.599 but the appreciation level outside of this place is massive, 1:15:08.840 --> 1:15:13.160 you know what I mean. You know, anytime I perform overseas, 1:15:13.200 --> 1:15:15.920 the love is just so crazy. I was just over 1:15:15.920 --> 1:15:18.639 there last year. I was just in Paris, not even 1:15:18.640 --> 1:15:21.360 in the capacity of performing, even though we did do 1:15:22.320 --> 1:15:22.720 what was that? 1:15:22.760 --> 1:15:23.200 What was it? 1:15:23.760 --> 1:15:26.080 We did? We so we sold our Old two arena. 1:15:26.120 --> 1:15:28.600 The Millennium Tour did sell out the Old two arena. 1:15:29.120 --> 1:15:32.000 But the appreciation level is just different. I mean, when's 1:15:32.040 --> 1:15:33.720 the last time you've been. I'm telling you, when you 1:15:33.720 --> 1:15:36.439 go out there, oh my goodness, they're gonna be like 1:15:36.680 --> 1:15:41.040 Shannon Shannon. The love is next level, you know. And 1:15:41.080 --> 1:15:43.439 I think it's because you know, they don't get to 1:15:43.479 --> 1:15:45.280 see us, you know, all the time, you know. I mean, 1:15:45.280 --> 1:15:47.160 it's not somewhere where we're just walking down the street 1:15:47.200 --> 1:15:47.599 all of the time. 1:15:47.600 --> 1:15:49.200 I don't know if it's overseas, but I've only been 1:15:49.240 --> 1:15:53.679 to Vegas in Atlanta from I don't know you consider 1:15:53.720 --> 1:15:58.480 that overseas, But that's not that far as far as 1:15:57.960 --> 1:16:03.679 I say. You, uh, perform with Usher's lovers and friends? Yes, yes, 1:16:03.880 --> 1:16:04.839 what was that experience? 1:16:04.920 --> 1:16:07.519 Like? No, well, actually it's coming up this year. Yep, 1:16:07.520 --> 1:16:11.400 it's coming up. What's the date on that? May six? 1:16:11.640 --> 1:16:14.160 May six? So you know it is so loud or 1:16:14.200 --> 1:16:17.000 otherwise I will tell everybody to come out. But it's 1:16:17.000 --> 1:16:17.679 gonna be amazing. 1:16:17.680 --> 1:16:20.479 Well, I mean they still if enough people not not 1:16:20.479 --> 1:16:22.400 gonna get the tickets, maybe y'all add a second date. 1:16:22.560 --> 1:16:25.639 Yeah, that's facts, that's facts. Yeah, you know what I mean. 1:16:26.120 --> 1:16:29.760 The lovers and friends of franchise is always awesome. It's 1:16:29.760 --> 1:16:32.640 a land you know, between nostalgic and new, you know 1:16:32.680 --> 1:16:36.040 what I mean. So, uh, new music. So I'm excited. 1:16:36.080 --> 1:16:38.240 This is gonna be my first time performing, you know, 1:16:38.360 --> 1:16:42.760 outside of the you know, Millennium Tour brand, you know 1:16:42.800 --> 1:16:45.240 what I mean. Of course, I plan on going on 1:16:45.280 --> 1:16:48.720 my own uh solo tour this year as well to 1:16:48.800 --> 1:16:51.120 promote the Full Circle album and all of the new music. 1:16:51.280 --> 1:16:54.840 So yeah, you know, lovers and friends, y'all be looking 1:16:54.840 --> 1:16:59.720 out for some new tour dates, new music, uhh uh 1:17:00.200 --> 1:17:03.519 Omega The Gift and the Curse. And I also got 1:17:04.000 --> 1:17:06.040 I can't speak too much about you know what I mean, 1:17:06.080 --> 1:17:09.880 but uh, I gotta I gotta show. Yeah, I got 1:17:09.880 --> 1:17:12.760 a new project coming, so y'all stay tuned. But you know, 1:17:12.960 --> 1:17:16.360 all things entertainment, your boy o Marion has got his 1:17:16.560 --> 1:17:19.759 foot on the game, and you know we're gonna continue 1:17:19.800 --> 1:17:20.240 to flourish. 1:17:20.520 --> 1:17:23.240 Acting. Yes, you were a lot early on You know, 1:17:23.320 --> 1:17:25.240 you got served doing a lot of more. Is that 1:17:25.320 --> 1:17:26.320 something you want to get back to. 1:17:26.680 --> 1:17:29.880 Yeah, that's something that you know I will be doing 1:17:29.920 --> 1:17:33.439 this year, So y'all can definitely be ready to see 1:17:33.479 --> 1:17:35.880 me on your TV or your big screen for sure. 1:17:36.680 --> 1:17:41.439 Who hasn't A Marion performed with be it on stage 1:17:41.560 --> 1:17:43.440 or on an album that he would. 1:17:43.320 --> 1:17:50.080 Like to well, I would. I would definitely love to 1:17:50.560 --> 1:17:55.400 do a collaboration with Beyonce. You know, she brought me 1:17:55.560 --> 1:17:59.320 out to the UK for the first time, you know, 1:17:59.360 --> 1:18:02.559 when I was in the group, So it doesn't seem 1:18:02.600 --> 1:18:04.519 like it's unlikely, you know what I mean. I would 1:18:04.520 --> 1:18:06.679 definitely love to do a song with her. I would 1:18:06.680 --> 1:18:08.160 love to do a song with Jill Scott. 1:18:08.720 --> 1:18:08.920 Yeah. 1:18:09.880 --> 1:18:15.160 I would love to do a song with a Dell too, Yes, amazing. 1:18:15.280 --> 1:18:17.360 I saw her a couple of years ago when she 1:18:17.439 --> 1:18:19.840 first on American Soil, when she came back at you 1:18:19.920 --> 1:18:24.680 at the Observatory amazing es. Yeah, yeah, powerful, I was 1:18:24.720 --> 1:18:29.280 in the Crime Get This tape. 1:18:32.120 --> 1:18:35.719 Yeah, so yeah, and I think a slew of other people. 1:18:35.760 --> 1:18:38.200 I definitely would love to, you know, do something with 1:18:38.680 --> 1:18:41.479 Chris Brown and Usher together all theo all three of us, 1:18:41.560 --> 1:18:43.240 you know, what I mean, whether it be performance or 1:18:43.240 --> 1:18:43.719 a song. 1:18:43.800 --> 1:18:44.960 May not gonna go on for about a hour a 1:18:44.960 --> 1:18:51.080 half cause y'all gonna be up to y'all to dance here, y'all, 1:18:51.479 --> 1:18:53.559 y'all are gonna want to usher, and I dance y'all, 1:18:53.760 --> 1:18:56.040 but that thing gonna be that'ld be lit. Let me 1:18:56.040 --> 1:18:59.559 ask you a question. Is there celebrity that someone in 1:18:59.600 --> 1:19:02.240 the in the business that you met and you like, 1:19:04.160 --> 1:19:07.879 I can't believe I'm talking to I'm in the presence 1:19:07.920 --> 1:19:08.599 of this person. 1:19:09.160 --> 1:19:12.320 Michael Jackson and Prince I got to meet them. You know. 1:19:13.880 --> 1:19:18.840 I think that artists, you know before my time, gave 1:19:18.920 --> 1:19:21.800 me that energy and that feeling. Now I would say, 1:19:21.880 --> 1:19:24.400 you know, when I meet, you know, my fellow peers, 1:19:24.439 --> 1:19:26.880 it's kind of like, oh, yoh, like you know what 1:19:26.920 --> 1:19:29.559 I mean, it's nice to see you, but that feeling 1:19:29.680 --> 1:19:33.280 that kind of like you know, star like you know 1:19:33.479 --> 1:19:37.200 shock I met. I met Michael Jackson on the set 1:19:37.200 --> 1:19:41.400 of You Rock My World. Shot was heating, he was 1:19:41.439 --> 1:19:45.080 he floated towards him, He floated towards me and then 1:19:45.120 --> 1:19:48.840 he bowed and he was like and he was like 1:19:49.240 --> 1:19:51.840 old Rodney. He was talking to Rodney and I was like, oh, 1:19:52.520 --> 1:19:55.559 he different. And then when I saw Prince it was 1:19:55.560 --> 1:19:57.800 a It was at the House of Blues, and it 1:19:57.920 --> 1:20:00.800 was like he had this u he had this like 1:20:00.960 --> 1:20:03.439 disappearing effect, you know what I mean. He walked in, 1:20:03.840 --> 1:20:06.000 you know what I mean, he was like he was 1:20:06.040 --> 1:20:08.360 behind me and I was like, oh, that's Prince. Then 1:20:08.360 --> 1:20:10.400 I looked back and he was gone, you know what 1:20:10.439 --> 1:20:13.080 I'm saying. So, yeah, those are the two people that 1:20:13.120 --> 1:20:15.960 I've met that have kind of had that like starstruck 1:20:16.840 --> 1:20:17.519 you know, effect on. 1:20:17.640 --> 1:20:20.240 But being from LA, are you a Lakers fan? 1:20:20.720 --> 1:20:21.200 Of course? 1:20:21.760 --> 1:20:24.559 So who So Lakers are your favorite team or do 1:20:24.640 --> 1:20:26.200 you have any favorite players? 1:20:26.520 --> 1:20:34.160 My new favorite player is jam Morant. Okay, that's my 1:20:34.200 --> 1:20:39.680 new favorite player. But definitely I mean Lebron the Lakers, 1:20:40.000 --> 1:20:42.160 you know what I'm saying. Yeah, I mean I used 1:20:42.200 --> 1:20:47.559 to be a super big sports fan, not so much anymore, 1:20:47.640 --> 1:20:50.080 but you know, definitely Kobe, you know what I mean. 1:20:50.680 --> 1:20:53.360 But yeah, those are my favorite Alan Iverson you know. 1:20:53.439 --> 1:20:54.920 Of course, you know what I'm saying. 1:20:54.960 --> 1:20:58.519 Oh, appreciate your stopping my club shape giving me a 1:20:58.560 --> 1:20:59.519 few members of your time. 1:20:59.560 --> 1:20:59.640 Bro. 1:21:00.080 --> 1:21:00.960 All the best movies for. 1:21:01.800 --> 1:21:05.760 Love, Yeah, I gotta pack for you. Man, I got 1:21:05.760 --> 1:21:08.360 a gift for you. You know, I personally signed this book. 1:21:08.680 --> 1:21:10.680 I got you. I got you this essential oil that 1:21:10.760 --> 1:21:14.320 I have. Okay, it's called Unbothered. Okay, okay, and here 1:21:14.320 --> 1:21:14.960 you man. 1:21:15.320 --> 1:21:17.920 I appreciate that. Yeah. Are you selling this oil? 1:21:18.760 --> 1:21:24.639 Not just yet, not just yet, but you of the book, Yes, sir, 1:21:24.840 --> 1:21:26.439 Unbothered the Power Choosing Joy. 1:21:26.960 --> 1:21:27.160 Yeah. 1:21:27.200 --> 1:21:29.280 And if you, you know, are not inter reading, you 1:21:29.320 --> 1:21:31.680 can definitely catch it on audience. You know what I mean, 1:21:31.760 --> 1:21:32.320 because I did it. 1:21:32.439 --> 1:21:34.600 But I appreciate it. I appreciate it. Yeah. Is this 1:21:34.720 --> 1:21:36.439 a blanket in here? Or is a hoodie? Yeah? 1:21:36.439 --> 1:21:42.200 That's a hoodie. Hopefully it's the three acts. 1:21:43.520 --> 1:21:48.520 I can work with you. That's where I can definitely. 1:21:48.200 --> 1:21:52.720 Wear that because you know you oh goom, but I'm trying. 1:21:53.920 --> 1:21:56.559 I'm gonna drop a few pounds here, old goom bro. 1:21:56.920 --> 1:21:57.639 Hey, thank you man. 1:21:58.320 --> 1:22:04.920 Love Yes, all my life and grinning all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, 1:22:04.960 --> 1:22:08.240 pay the price. Wanta slice? Got to brow the dice, 1:22:08.320 --> 1:22:11.080 the squad all my life. I've been grinding all my life, 1:22:11.600 --> 1:22:13.759 all my life and grinning all my life. 1:22:14.280 --> 1:22:18.240 Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price. Want a slice? Got to 1:22:18.240 --> 1:22:19.120 brow the dice. 1:22:19.080 --> 1:22:21.559 Squaw all my life. I've been grinding all my life. 1:22:23.920 --> 1:22:25.120 M hm