WEBVTT - Out Of Context: LL Cool J And Charlamagne Tha God 0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:05.520 Get it. 0:00:06.840 --> 0:00:15.080 Let's get it. LL cool J, my brother good. I 0:00:15.120 --> 0:00:17.400 want to set my intentions for this conversation before we 0:00:17.440 --> 0:00:20.599 get started. I want people to watch this conversation, and 0:00:20.640 --> 0:00:22.440 when it's over, I want them to say to themselves, 0:00:22.520 --> 0:00:25.760 damn objectively, regardless how they may feel personally, who's their 0:00:25.800 --> 0:00:29.520 personal favorites? Objectively, you can't have any top five greatest 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:32.120 of all time discussions without mentioning LLL cool J. 0:00:32.960 --> 0:00:35.120 Yo, I take it. I take that all day. 0:00:35.159 --> 0:00:35.319 Man. 0:00:35.640 --> 0:00:36.519 Can I argue with that? 0:00:37.560 --> 0:00:39.400 And one of the reasons I say that is because 0:00:39.440 --> 0:00:43.080 you are by far hip hop's first major superstar. People 0:00:43.120 --> 0:00:44.960 could say you are a prototype for what became the 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:47.760 formula for success in rap. You had the streets, you 0:00:47.800 --> 0:00:50.560 had the women, and you had songs for both of them. 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:53.560 So with that said, why do you think L COOLJ 0:00:53.720 --> 0:00:55.280 isn't in those conversations? 0:00:56.200 --> 0:00:58.280 I would say, you know, first of all, I feel 0:00:58.320 --> 0:01:01.080 like I First of all, let me just say I 0:01:01.120 --> 0:01:03.800 feel appreciated, and I feel respected and I feel loved. 0:01:04.120 --> 0:01:07.839 I think that you know, any in any art form, 0:01:07.880 --> 0:01:11.920 in any genre, you know ultimately you know there are 0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:14.800 different dynamics at work when people hear people like so 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:18.240 you know, the Internet ushered in a different came in 0:01:18.319 --> 0:01:21.120 during a different era, so it documented things on a 0:01:21.160 --> 0:01:24.120 different level. So some people who weren't there to necessarily 0:01:24.120 --> 0:01:26.800 witness certain things might not be aware. But my job, 0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:30.120 like is not to really harp on what people don't know, 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:32.399 is to show them what they should know and teach 0:01:32.440 --> 0:01:33.200 them what they should know. 0:01:33.319 --> 0:01:33.479 Right. 0:01:33.560 --> 0:01:36.000 So it's like, that's the whole point of me making 0:01:36.040 --> 0:01:38.600 new music, just to get out there, to let them 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:40.600 see what it's like to have me on the court, 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:42.400 so to speak. You know what I'm saying, to see 0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:45.080 me out there balling. And the difference is, you know, 0:01:46.080 --> 0:01:49.120 this isn't sports, this is art, and in art, you 0:01:49.160 --> 0:01:51.640 know it's about the mind, the soul, the emotions. You 0:01:51.720 --> 0:01:54.160 be connected to what you create. So you could do 0:01:54.240 --> 0:01:56.520 that at a high level at any point. And I 0:01:56.520 --> 0:01:59.640 think that's my that's my goal and my objective right now, 0:02:00.120 --> 0:02:02.760 show people that you can take a hiatus from something, 0:02:02.840 --> 0:02:05.880 do it, do something else, and then re emerge and 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:06.200 do it. 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:06.840 At a high level. 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:10.000 So you know, we'll get to it, they'll learn most most. 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:13.000 Critics will consider it risky though, because of your icon status, 0:02:13.080 --> 0:02:14.919 to release a new album so long. 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:17.360 After your last one. What would you say, I'd say 0:02:17.360 --> 0:02:20.079 that's the whole point. Like, that's the fun part of it. 0:02:20.240 --> 0:02:20.440 Right. 0:02:20.440 --> 0:02:24.640 It's like, listen, there is no great artists, great athlete, 0:02:25.360 --> 0:02:29.160 or great any anybody that's great at anything if you 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:31.240 cannot be great if you're not willing to be vulnerable. 0:02:31.560 --> 0:02:34.080 And this vulnerability comes from having the strength and the 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:36.040 courage to go after what it is that you want 0:02:36.160 --> 0:02:37.880 and risk looking foolish in the process. 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:40.160 Lebron doesn't get the last shot. 0:02:40.200 --> 0:02:42.640 Steph Curry doesn't take the last shot if he's worried 0:02:42.680 --> 0:02:45.800 about his legacy. Right, Kobe don't take the last shot 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:48.560 if he's worried about his legacy. Lebron stops playing three 0:02:48.680 --> 0:02:51.440 four years ago if he's worried about his legacy. But 0:02:51.480 --> 0:02:54.280 because he wants to push the envelope. You're having a conversation. 0:02:54.360 --> 0:02:55.919 Look at what this guy can do in year twenty, 0:02:56.040 --> 0:02:58.840 Look what he can do in year five, Right, you 0:02:58.840 --> 0:03:01.760 see what I'm saying. So to me, it's like, that's 0:03:01.760 --> 0:03:04.400 the fun of it. Like I love that challenge. I 0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:08.000 look like I am. That's what's that's what makes it 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:08.440 worth it. 0:03:09.160 --> 0:03:09.600 You know what I mean? 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:13.360 So, what is legacy the ll cool, Yo, I got it. 0:03:13.400 --> 0:03:15.639 You know what's funny, man? You know. 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:19.240 Nobody gets a chance to come back and say, yo, 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:21.560 correct my tombstone. You know what I mean? 0:03:22.440 --> 0:03:24.840 Like yo, yo, yes, that that's not what I meant. 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:27.800 Naw. So it's like none of us really know what 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:30.360 our legacy is because why do we know that? Because 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:32.160 if you put a picture of a glass of water 0:03:32.200 --> 0:03:35.360 on the internet, they're gonna argue over that, right, And 0:03:35.480 --> 0:03:38.480 people rounded it. Oh, people used it to sustain life. 0:03:38.680 --> 0:03:42.280 People wanted plans with it, nine people. So I don't 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:45.080 it doesn't matter. What matters is what you do in 0:03:45.080 --> 0:03:46.400 the moment. You know what I'm saying. 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:48.320 What are you doing in the moment right now with 0:03:48.360 --> 0:03:49.520 your life? You know what I'm saying. 0:03:49.840 --> 0:03:52.400 So what I want to do is just maximize my potential. 0:03:52.640 --> 0:03:54.960 Then you let you let the world decide all that. 0:03:55.320 --> 0:03:57.960 There'll be generations after us that can have all them 0:03:57.960 --> 0:03:59.600 debates and all them conversations. 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:02.160 To pop your shit a little bit though, put out 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:04.400 of doubt because you see the top five list and 0:04:04.440 --> 0:04:07.600 there's people that came after you. They'll put on the 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:10.920 top five list and it's almost like you know, they're 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:14.560 discrediting you. In a in a sense, So you gotta 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:16.000 care about the recognition. 0:04:15.760 --> 0:04:17.320 Well, I do care about the right. No, no, no, I 0:04:17.320 --> 0:04:23.640 definitely care about the recognition. No, no, absolutely, I just like, like, 0:04:23.760 --> 0:04:25.320 you know what you're saying. It's like sometimes you hear 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:28.160 Floyd say, Yo, everybody's entitled to their opinion. That's really 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:31.440 how I feel, like, I really don't care about that shit, man, Like, 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:33.520 if that's what you like, that's what you like, baby, 0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:37.200 Like you know what I mean. Like my job is 0:04:37.240 --> 0:04:40.480 to touch the people who love L and who fuck 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:44.039 with L, not to be worried about who messages with 0:04:44.080 --> 0:04:46.960 this one or that one, Like you know what I'm saying, Like, 0:04:47.240 --> 0:04:51.520 it doesn't, it doesn't affect my spirit on my vibe 0:04:51.560 --> 0:04:55.159 because if it did, listen, man, to get the way 0:04:55.200 --> 0:04:57.200 I've been in life and to get do the things 0:04:57.240 --> 0:04:59.839 out do, you gotta have thick skin, bro, Like you know, 0:05:00.120 --> 0:05:01.640 i'd i'd have been. 0:05:01.480 --> 0:05:03.920 At a ball with my thumb in my mouth and 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:05.960 a blanky a long time ago if I was really 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:10.120 worried about these lists and people's opinions, because nothing is 0:05:10.120 --> 0:05:11.719 ever gonna be perfect, you know what I mean. 0:05:11.800 --> 0:05:16.479 So look, I think that history will shine kindly on me. 0:05:16.560 --> 0:05:17.839 You know that at the end of the day, like 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:22.160 you gotta remember, like you're talking to look, death Jam 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:26.200 had there was Death Jam Productions. The label was Party 0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:28.880 Times street Wise. They had a song by Tila Rock 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:30.080 called It's Yours. 0:05:30.440 --> 0:05:32.320 I bought that. I bought that song, that. 0:05:32.400 --> 0:05:35.840 Song, I took it, wrote, made a demo centered into 0:05:35.880 --> 0:05:39.600 Rick Rubin, Me Russell and Rick. We ended up starting 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:42.440 Death Jam, right. They they it was their label. 0:05:42.520 --> 0:05:43.920 I was the flagship. 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:49.400 Artist, right, so everything that came after me, you know 0:05:49.520 --> 0:05:51.440 my first You know, you're talking to a guy whose 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:55.240 first single drop to eighty four and people, and I'm 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:58.400 still like relevant in the world globally. 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:00.520 I can't. I can't complain. 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:03.880 And if you think about everybody that came after Death Jam, 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:08.640 out of death Jam on death Jam, like I mean, 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:11.719 I basically ushered in the whole modern era of hip hop, 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:15.520 right and grew up watching Flash and the Treacherous and 0:06:15.520 --> 0:06:17.800 the Crash Crew and the Feelers. Form was at those parts, 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:21.359 like at their shows and seeing them and listening to 0:06:21.400 --> 0:06:23.400 the tapes and the blends and the mixes. So I've 0:06:23.440 --> 0:06:26.119 been a fan from day one and then helped usher 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:28.799 in a new era as well, so I don't really 0:06:28.839 --> 0:06:32.279 have any beef. You know, I feel real good about 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:34.599 my standing in this culture. 0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:36.840 You know, I wanted to ask you about Death Jam too, because, 0:06:36.839 --> 0:06:39.600 as you just mentioned, you were a staple at Death Jam, 0:06:40.040 --> 0:06:43.360 and I would always thought they should have renegotiated your 0:06:43.400 --> 0:06:45.039 contract to make. 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:46.200 You more of an owner. 0:06:46.600 --> 0:06:48.400 But I catalog. 0:06:48.640 --> 0:06:49.840 Oh okay, okay, I. 0:06:49.760 --> 0:06:50.960 Own my catalog. 0:06:51.040 --> 0:06:52.839 When you see Mama Sitt knock you out in the movie, 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:55.719 I licensed that, you know what I'm saying, like people, 0:06:55.960 --> 0:06:56.240 you know. 0:06:56.240 --> 0:07:00.000 People, people are under depression. Oh boy, like listen man. 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:04.320 Because that was the time back in the day artists 0:07:04.320 --> 0:07:04.960 were getting gotten. 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:08.520 Nah, but see, not all artists. That speaks. That's not 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:09.960 a broad general thing. 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:13.480 That speaks to certain executives taking advantage of certain people. 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:16.640 One thing I can say about Russell and Leo. Look 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:19.720 and Russell, he didn't make a bad deal early. And 0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:22.080 then Leo, he drives a hard bargain, but he'll give 0:07:22.120 --> 0:07:24.680 it to you when you earn it and knows I 0:07:24.680 --> 0:07:26.520 can't front on the guy. People can say what they 0:07:26.520 --> 0:07:28.200 want about him, but at the end of the day, 0:07:28.520 --> 0:07:30.720 I do own my catalog, and I do you know, 0:07:31.320 --> 0:07:34.120 you know, have a huge interest, you know in what 0:07:34.200 --> 0:07:36.840 I do. You know what I mean. Yeah, there's other 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:39.679 samples and different things, but I own all my stuff. 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:42.280 So it's like I can't complain with that. 0:07:42.320 --> 0:07:44.200 The Kobe deal for you, Like, did they give you 0:07:44.240 --> 0:07:46.520 that because like, Okay, this was our franchise artist. This 0:07:46.560 --> 0:07:48.160 is the guy who put us on the map here 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:49.760 to take all your masters and everything else. 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:50.760 Well, it wasn't really that. 0:07:50.800 --> 0:07:52.520 It was I was at a point where I was 0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:56.080 my deal was up and we had you know, it 0:07:56.200 --> 0:07:58.040 was like we got to find a way to make 0:07:58.080 --> 0:08:01.760 it right, so and just our relationship and we just 0:08:01.800 --> 0:08:04.440 made a good deal and that was part of it. 0:08:04.520 --> 0:08:09.080 So you know, I'm I'm good, like you know what 0:08:09.080 --> 0:08:11.040 I mean, Like I really am in a good place 0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:12.880 in that way, you know what I'm saying. Not to 0:08:12.920 --> 0:08:15.440 mention all the other things that I do as well, 0:08:15.520 --> 0:08:16.720 so you know, I can't. 0:08:17.320 --> 0:08:19.680 We're gonna get into that. Yeah, do you feel slightly 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:22.160 that it took so long for them to put you 0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:23.280 in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:28.600 Not really, because I understand that a major part of 0:08:28.640 --> 0:08:32.040 my appeal, you know, especially in something especially on a 0:08:32.040 --> 0:08:36.360 commercial level, was geared towards women. It was black women, 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:37.920 all women of all races, but it was a lot 0:08:37.960 --> 0:08:40.000 of black women, a lot of difference. And because of that, 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:42.240 you know, you just got some dudes that you know, 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:44.880 you know that ain't you know, they want you to 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:47.560 you know, if you ain't burning the flag or you know, 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:49.600 being a revel in a different way, they want to 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:54.360 not necessarily give that. You know, everybody doesn't recognize the 0:08:56.200 --> 0:08:58.800 artistry that comes with that. They think it's like there's 0:08:58.800 --> 0:09:00.920 some kind of trick to that. But there you got 0:09:00.920 --> 0:09:02.000 to really make them songs. 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:03.280 They don't see the value in it. 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:05.120 Yeah, you got to really write I Need Love. 0:09:05.160 --> 0:09:06.880 You have to really write around the way girl, Like, 0:09:06.880 --> 0:09:08.200 you really got to write these songs. 0:09:08.400 --> 0:09:10.480 You got to write lounge. You got to write doing it. 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:13.320 You can't just you know, that doesn't just show up 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:15.599 because you took your shirt off, like you you know, 0:09:16.240 --> 0:09:18.280 I take my shirt off. You know the song is 0:09:18.320 --> 0:09:20.440 bullshit When I took my shirt off like that. It 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:22.520 doesn't work like that. Like, you actually have to write 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:25.120 the songs, so you know what I mean. Like, so 0:09:25.280 --> 0:09:27.320 for some of them dudes in the Hall of Fact 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:30.840 at that time, especially when you hear in retrospect, because 0:09:30.840 --> 0:09:33.280 that was an old regime. Remember that's not the new regime. 0:09:33.320 --> 0:09:35.800 The new regime, they're rocket you know what I'm saying. 0:09:35.800 --> 0:09:37.640 But that was another guy, and he had a whole 0:09:37.679 --> 0:09:39.800 nother mindset, so you know what I mean. 0:09:39.840 --> 0:09:42.640 That's interesting. So you're saying that they probably didn't respect 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:45.360 the art like they should have because of your sex 0:09:45.400 --> 0:09:48.520 simple status. Yes, that's crazy because you hear that conversation 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:50.840 from women, you don't really hear that from a man's perspective. 0:09:50.840 --> 0:09:53.280 Of course, it's real though, it's real. It's like you 0:09:53.320 --> 0:09:56.880 know there, you know, like it's just part of the game, 0:09:57.000 --> 0:09:59.800 right like at that time, Like in terms of those 0:09:59.800 --> 0:10:01.600 song you know what I'm saying, Like they want, you know, 0:10:03.000 --> 0:10:04.959 fight the power and only fight the power, you know 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:07.360 what I mean respectfully, you know what I'm saying, Like 0:10:07.440 --> 0:10:10.439 they you know, just think about who got in and 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:16.040 why with sex cells. Yeah, but that's not necessarily you know, 0:10:16.240 --> 0:10:17.360 let me let let's keep it. 0:10:17.360 --> 0:10:23.120 Really, if if. 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:22.400 You got a dude that feels like he's living his 0:10:22.440 --> 0:10:25.240 life making a pinky promise, the last thing, the last 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:27.440 thing he wants to do is put you know, the 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:29.640 young bull and the you know on the frame. 0:10:30.040 --> 0:10:30.960 That's fantastic. 0:10:31.120 --> 0:10:41.080 Hey honey, Hey, hey honey, look at this guy. Let's uh, 0:10:41.240 --> 0:10:42.520 let's uh, let's keep him. 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:44.880 Out of the Yeah, yeah, let's start. 0:10:45.000 --> 0:10:47.719 Uh yeah, let's not uh. 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:51.959 You know, man, does it feel well? 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:52.080 How? 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:53.280 I love that remix? 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:01.160 I'm grave. So you kept your shirt on mores when 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:03.760 they a lot okay, been a. 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:06.960 Lot easier, bro like like shirts on and you know 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:10.280 then you were not the women. It's like whatever, you know, 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:13.080 It's like, you know, like showed up to a cocktail 0:11:13.120 --> 0:11:15.840 party with your tuxedo opened at a six pack with 0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:20.280 your shirt. It probably won't go over well with some 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:23.120 parts of the crowd, but you embraced the door like 0:11:23.640 --> 0:11:24.040 who's he? 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:29.360 It is crazy, but you embraced the door like I 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:32.959 always heard methhan Man say he shunned his sex symbol status. 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:39.320 Youmbracey, God damn right. Absolutely I loved it. Yeah why not? 0:11:40.920 --> 0:11:42.000 I ain't no shame of mine. 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:47.040 Listen, listen, man, When I grew up, you know, I 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:50.400 grew up liking the girls, liking you know, you know. 0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:52.600 I thought, you know, that was our goal as kids. 0:11:52.640 --> 0:11:54.520 You know, we wasn't like in it to. 0:11:54.480 --> 0:11:55.559 Not have them. 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:59.720 Yeah, I wasn't to not have no, like you know, 0:12:00.000 --> 0:12:02.320 it wasn't like I was running around doing everything, but 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:05.280 I definitely was looking and it was interested, you know 0:12:05.320 --> 0:12:05.719 what I mean. 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:07.320 So that's the way I. 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:09.000 Look at it, you know, I mean, you know, the 0:12:09.040 --> 0:12:11.319 feel strange that this generation may know you more from 0:12:11.400 --> 0:12:12.600 NCIS than your music. 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:18.440 Actually it's an amazing thing because it's like it just 0:12:18.520 --> 0:12:20.839 it's proof that you could do anything, that you can 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:24.160 reinvent yourself on so many different levels. And you know, look, 0:12:24.200 --> 0:12:26.480 I got two crowds, man, I got two crowds when 0:12:26.520 --> 0:12:29.960 it comes to me, to my audience musically, It's the 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:33.480 don't call it a comeback crowd who absolutely knows what 0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:36.160 I do, and it's the he raps crowd. 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:37.840 Right. I'm very aware of both of them. 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:39.880 I know when somebody's looking at me, they're like, oh, 0:12:39.920 --> 0:12:42.520 he raps it, you know, Oh he hosted, I like 0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:46.120 it shop with, I love it all. It's like, but 0:12:46.240 --> 0:12:48.760 music is my first love, you know what I'm saying, 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:51.680 Music is my first love. But nah, that doesn't because 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:53.040 look at the end of the day, saying when you 0:12:53.040 --> 0:12:57.480 hear artists like bitching and moaning and crying and complaining 0:12:57.480 --> 0:12:59.040 about generations. 0:12:58.480 --> 0:13:00.200 Not knowing them It's like, man, make a rack it, 0:13:01.240 --> 0:13:02.400 you know, make some music. 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:04.520 Then you got a problem with people not knowing you 0:13:04.559 --> 0:13:06.560 for something, then do something about it. 0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:09.440 Make some music. Wanna sit over your crown, ain't gotta know. 0:13:09.559 --> 0:13:13.760 And you know, art, the arts are kind of there 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:17.080 is a what have you done for me lately? Factor 0:13:17.160 --> 0:13:21.040 that always plays into art as it moves through the 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:24.200 through through the continuum of time, you know what I'm saying. 0:13:24.240 --> 0:13:27.319 So there's gonna be certain generations that are not as 0:13:27.360 --> 0:13:29.640 aware if you're not current and if you don't put 0:13:29.640 --> 0:13:32.960 out current shit. So my job is lokoj is to 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:35.839 put out a current album and give them a current 0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:39.319 idea of what I think artistically, which will cause them 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:41.080 to look back at some of the things and go 0:13:41.240 --> 0:13:44.080 dig into Go google my shit and get into my 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:46.559 older videos and get into my early stuff. They can 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:49.520 get that history. But you gotta do some new shit. 0:13:49.880 --> 0:13:52.240 You know what I'm saying, Like, no excuses, you can't 0:13:52.320 --> 0:13:55.960 you know, you know, you know, like I said on 0:13:55.960 --> 0:13:58.160 one of my songs, on Passion, I was like, no excuses. 0:13:58.679 --> 0:14:02.440 You better better be easy, ruthless. You know, a bunch 0:14:02.480 --> 0:14:05.720 of paper tigers are toothless. You know that Tony Montana 0:14:05.760 --> 0:14:08.920 blueprint is useless. Some people ignore facts that Nigga in 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:11.240 the Nigga and Scarface fell. 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:11.520 On the map. 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:13.480 We just act like we don't see that, you know, 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:16.320 asking where the weed at eliminating mids when the speakers. 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:17.800 Get the feedback, you know what I mean? 0:14:17.840 --> 0:14:21.120 Like it's just like you gotta you just gotta step 0:14:21.160 --> 0:14:23.160 into the ship that you do. 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:23.760 Does that make sense? 0:14:23.760 --> 0:14:25.560 Absolutely? You just answer one of my questions. And I 0:14:25.640 --> 0:14:27.920 was gonna ask you about you know something Mefi Man 0:14:27.920 --> 0:14:30.240 recently said after a performance at Summer Jam, and he 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:32.560 said the generation gap was too wide for him, and 0:14:32.600 --> 0:14:33.960 I was gonna ask you, do you ever feel like 0:14:34.000 --> 0:14:35.760 you need to make you feel the need to make 0:14:35.840 --> 0:14:37.640 music to appeal to this generation. 0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:39.560 No, because you have to. You have to make art 0:14:39.600 --> 0:14:42.680 that's true to you. Okay, you know it's true to you. 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:45.440 I don't need like for those who understand the reference. 0:14:45.440 --> 0:14:47.120 I don't need the Golden Girls to be acting like 0:14:47.200 --> 0:14:47.880 Nicki Minaj. 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:52.640 You know, let's not do that. 0:14:53.040 --> 0:14:55.240 Let's just not do that, you know, let's not go 0:14:55.400 --> 0:14:57.840 there with so ill don't need that. I don't need 0:14:57.880 --> 0:15:00.240 to get my little Uzi vert on and ship little 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:01.120 yachty on for them. 0:15:01.360 --> 0:15:05.080 You know, I gotta be me and they'll they'll find it. 0:15:05.480 --> 0:15:06.040 You know what I'm saying. 0:15:06.040 --> 0:15:08.640 Listen, at the end of the day, if I'm sixteen 0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:09.440 years old. 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:12.320 Or if I'm nineteen, or if I'm twenty, the only way, 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:15.720 the only way you gonna get my attention is by 0:15:15.880 --> 0:15:17.800 the person playing some shit. And that shit is hot 0:15:17.800 --> 0:15:20.000 to me. None of that other shit matters. 0:15:20.000 --> 0:15:21.800 The only the fuck what you did. I don't care 0:15:21.840 --> 0:15:22.560 how you did it. 0:15:22.960 --> 0:15:25.280 I don't care what you started, what you didn't start 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:28.880 with you, how you Is that shit hot? If it's 0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:31.720 hot to me, I'm good, I'm in. If it ain't, 0:15:31.840 --> 0:15:34.920 I'm not fucking with it. It's that simple, And that's 0:15:35.160 --> 0:15:39.880 that's that's life, you know what I'm saying. So a 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:41.680 lot of these are like like meth like, you know, 0:15:41.720 --> 0:15:42.200 that's my man. 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:44.960 I love him. He's super nice. Is flow crazy? 0:15:45.320 --> 0:15:48.120 My thing with him is is that I get what 0:15:48.160 --> 0:15:51.120 he's saying. It was it was the station's job to 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:54.200 kind of think about that when they were curating it, 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:56.960 so that it's seamless to help him out. You know 0:15:57.000 --> 0:15:58.960 what I'm saying. You gotta put the p you gotta 0:15:59.000 --> 0:15:59.360 line the. 0:15:59.280 --> 0:16:01.000 Pieces up right. You know what I'm saying. 0:16:01.000 --> 0:16:03.480 You gotta line them pieces up right because that audience 0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:05.280 could get into their music, but they have to It 0:16:05.320 --> 0:16:07.920 has to be sandwiched the right way and presented the 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:10.520 right way to give the audience an opportunity to rack 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:13.520 with them, because this shit is dope. If look if 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:16.160 Mick Jagger can run around at eighty years old and 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:18.720 have four generations in his show, like even me with 0:16:18.800 --> 0:16:21.040 my Force Tour, I'm running around. I got three four 0:16:21.080 --> 0:16:24.240 generations in the crowd. But those kids were introduced to 0:16:24.280 --> 0:16:26.440 the music by somebody. It was laid out for them 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:30.320 a certain way. We did the Grammy fiftieth anniversary. We 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:34.000 had Glow Riller and Little Baby on the same stage. 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:38.840 Republic Enemy, Run, DMC, and Flash. It's doable. It's all 0:16:38.880 --> 0:16:40.720 about how you do it, you know what I mean. 0:16:40.960 --> 0:16:43.560 It's about execution like anything else, you know what I'm saying. 0:16:43.640 --> 0:16:46.120 Whatever a time you were disheartened by the state of. 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:52.360 Hip hop, well yeah, I would say I would say 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:54.400 there was a moment when I felt like right before 0:16:54.440 --> 0:16:57.120 I started rock the bells and really started, you know, 0:16:57.680 --> 0:16:59.640 like because people have to realize like this. 0:16:59.520 --> 0:17:01.920 Whole time timeless resurgence that people are feeling. 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:04.800 You know, that's because I put it on my back 0:17:04.840 --> 0:17:07.040 with Rock the Bells and Rock the Bell's Radio and 0:17:07.080 --> 0:17:09.240 went out there and say, you know, I'm gonna throw festivals, 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:11.480 I'm gonna do things. I'm gonna lift these acts up, 0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:14.520 and those who are open and allow themselves to receive 0:17:14.560 --> 0:17:15.800 the blessing will be lifted up. 0:17:15.840 --> 0:17:16.040 Right. 0:17:16.520 --> 0:17:19.600 So I felt like our music was, our culture was 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:22.600 being commoditized, you know what I'm saying. I felt like, 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:26.200 you know, if Mick Jackie can be respected, and if 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:29.160 Bruce Springstein can be respected, then so can Rock Kim, 0:17:29.240 --> 0:17:31.960 and so can Chuck d and so can you know, 0:17:32.400 --> 0:17:34.560 countless others, Queen Las, you name them. 0:17:34.840 --> 0:17:35.280 And so. 0:17:36.720 --> 0:17:38.760 That was a moment. But I did something about it. See, 0:17:38.760 --> 0:17:43.199 I'm a big believer in you know, don't talk about it, 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:45.080 be about it, mint and if you have an issue, 0:17:45.280 --> 0:17:47.840 if you got something that's a problem to you, address 0:17:47.880 --> 0:17:48.280 that shit. 0:17:48.800 --> 0:17:49.440 You know what I'm saying. 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:52.520 Dudes, be you know, crying and bitching and morning then 0:17:52.560 --> 0:17:55.560 go home and sleep, you know, get high, smokes wig, 0:17:56.240 --> 0:18:00.360 cross the motor. Next day, get high again, cross the ball. 0:18:00.720 --> 0:18:03.080 It's like, Nah, if you got a problem, do something 0:18:03.080 --> 0:18:05.080 about it. So I did something about it, and I 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:08.119 think that it really works. It led to all of 0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:11.320 the things you see from you know, you know, draying them, 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:13.560 all of them rocking and killing the super Bowl to 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:16.919 all these artists and this research is you see it, 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:19.880 you know, different artists doing all these things that all 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:23.480 emanated from that decision that I made with Rock the Bells. 0:18:23.560 --> 0:18:27.000 So again you're welcome, you know what I'm saying. But 0:18:27.119 --> 0:18:29.280 that was the vibe, you know what I mean, Do 0:18:29.359 --> 0:18:31.240 something about it. If you have an issue, and that's 0:18:31.240 --> 0:18:34.000 in life in general. If you find you passionate about 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:37.160 something or angry or frustrated about something, lean into that shit. 0:18:37.359 --> 0:18:38.119 That's your calling. 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:40.400 Let's ex found on that because I had a question 0:18:40.440 --> 0:18:42.159 about Rock the Bells. Man, when you look back at 0:18:42.200 --> 0:18:45.320 the version of yourself who recorded the song rock to Bells, 0:18:45.560 --> 0:18:47.000 and now you look at the man you are today 0:18:47.000 --> 0:18:49.080 and the Rock the Bells brand you created that you 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:51.639 were just talking about the demand in that booth recording 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:53.760 the song Rock the Bells back in the eighties. Envision 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:58.119 this hell no, okay, he don't know, Well, what's the 0:18:58.160 --> 0:19:00.240 connection between the two, Like, why did you chose to 0:19:00.359 --> 0:19:03.159 use that song title for this brand above all all 0:19:03.240 --> 0:19:03.800 other songs. 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:06.080 Well, a few, a few times, a few things. It 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:08.639 was a few things. First of all, you know they 0:19:08.720 --> 0:19:10.600 do back then. He just wanted some new sneak and 0:19:10.680 --> 0:19:13.320 some cars and you know, some jewelry I didn't want. 0:19:13.320 --> 0:19:16.280 I was very simple, pretty easy to you know, maybe 0:19:16.320 --> 0:19:17.560 a little red lobster. 0:19:17.320 --> 0:19:19.640 Or something that was fine dining back in the day. 0:19:19.640 --> 0:19:21.560 Though the finest, Yeah, it was the finest. 0:19:21.560 --> 0:19:23.280 They might have been playing hockey with the steak in 0:19:23.280 --> 0:19:26.600 the kitchen, but we felt great about the ship, you 0:19:26.640 --> 0:19:30.240 know what I mean. But as far as uh, why 0:19:30.280 --> 0:19:34.000 that name, It started off with those guys who originally 0:19:34.040 --> 0:19:36.680 had the Rock the Bells festival. Originally they had they 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:39.040 took my song. You know, a lot of things come 0:19:39.080 --> 0:19:40.119 for me, like Rock the Vote. 0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:41.800 That was Rock the Bells. You know a lot of 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:42.640 things come from. 0:19:42.440 --> 0:19:45.520 So so they those guys they had Rock the. 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:48.240 Bells and then so that was cool. I didn't say nothing. 0:19:48.280 --> 0:19:48.840 I left alone. 0:19:48.880 --> 0:19:51.399 And then then one day they caught me up and 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:53.560 they offered me, you know, let's just let's just call 0:19:53.600 --> 0:19:54.800 it ten dollars for a show. 0:19:55.080 --> 0:19:55.880 Let's just call it that. 0:19:56.000 --> 0:19:58.160 I ape the perform in the show called Rock the Bells. 0:19:58.600 --> 0:20:00.680 Yeah, and when they when that when that when when 0:20:00.720 --> 0:20:02.600 my team told me that I was looking at the phone, 0:20:02.600 --> 0:20:06.240 I said, I want my IP back. It just it 0:20:06.560 --> 0:20:08.879 fucked me up. It was like it just it rubbed 0:20:08.880 --> 0:20:10.520 me wrong, you know what I mean. So I just 0:20:10.720 --> 0:20:12.240 went and took the I P back. 0:20:12.640 --> 0:20:13.800 You know what I'm saying. I said, yeah, let me 0:20:13.800 --> 0:20:16.120 get that, and then I said, you know what I mean? 0:20:16.280 --> 0:20:19.480 Then I said, yo, let me you. 0:20:20.600 --> 0:20:25.680 Know, motherfucking fucking out of here. 0:20:26.640 --> 0:20:31.280 So, uh so I I took it back and then 0:20:31.320 --> 0:20:33.400 we started rolling with it. So that's really the real 0:20:33.480 --> 0:20:36.000 reason why it ended up being that. So it could 0:20:36.000 --> 0:20:38.639 have been any song, but that my inspiration came from 0:20:38.720 --> 0:20:40.760 that first first I felt like, yo. 0:20:41.800 --> 0:20:44.399 Like listen, it's kind of like. 0:20:47.480 --> 0:20:49.880 You know, like you know, people take kindness for weakness 0:20:49.920 --> 0:20:52.639 and sometimes they take leniency for stupidity. 0:20:54.080 --> 0:20:56.080 I'm being lenient with you. So you think I'm stupid? 0:20:56.160 --> 0:20:59.080 Yeah you know what I mean that they're gonna call 0:20:59.240 --> 0:20:59.520 you this. 0:20:59.680 --> 0:21:02.840 Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're really a sucker, Like you know, 0:21:03.080 --> 0:21:04.959 I kind of thought you were, but now yeah, let 0:21:05.000 --> 0:21:07.080 me call you in. So I was like, you know what, 0:21:07.680 --> 0:21:09.720 I took it back. So anyway, I say that to say, 0:21:10.160 --> 0:21:12.159 that's why it ended up being rocked the bells. But 0:21:13.600 --> 0:21:15.840 my desire to lift up those other artists and to 0:21:15.880 --> 0:21:18.800 see them respecting and elevated that came from me, you 0:21:18.840 --> 0:21:21.000 know what I'm saying, and lifting that up, And obviously 0:21:21.119 --> 0:21:23.320 the song was you know my shit, you know, So 0:21:23.600 --> 0:21:24.240 that's what it was. 0:21:24.560 --> 0:21:27.679 It's impossible to talk about you as just the hip 0:21:27.720 --> 0:21:29.879 hop artists in regards the people who have helped the 0:21:29.920 --> 0:21:32.560 culture move forward because of all the success you've had, 0:21:32.920 --> 0:21:35.960 you know, in television and in film. So how important 0:21:36.119 --> 0:21:39.560 was your appearance and Crush Groove to your career launching 0:21:39.800 --> 0:21:42.040 to another level and taking hip hop to another level? 0:21:42.119 --> 0:21:44.160 So Crush grew that the movie. 0:21:44.240 --> 0:21:47.320 The film, it was about Russell's life and run Demse's life, 0:21:47.400 --> 0:21:49.119 and it was hugely important. 0:21:49.160 --> 0:21:51.160 First of all, the only reason there was two things. 0:21:51.200 --> 0:21:52.879 First of all, I overslept for my I Can't Live 0:21:52.920 --> 0:21:55.399 without my radio video because I was hanging out all 0:21:55.480 --> 0:21:57.160 night doing so I had a show. I had a show, 0:21:57.359 --> 0:21:59.000 so I didn't wake up in the morning, so Russell's 0:21:59.000 --> 0:22:00.520 screaming and all that, so the. 0:22:00.560 --> 0:22:07.119 Video didn't happen. Then after that. I wasn't even supposed 0:22:07.119 --> 0:22:08.680 to be in that movie. In the in the movie 0:22:08.720 --> 0:22:10.240 Crush Crew, I was an extra. 0:22:10.359 --> 0:22:12.760 I went down there, my man and Cornell may he 0:22:12.840 --> 0:22:14.439 rest in peace. You tell me yo, go down there 0:22:14.440 --> 0:22:16.200 every day, go down to the set. I'm like, you 0:22:16.280 --> 0:22:18.399 know what, Yeah, you're right, because I'm you know, I 0:22:18.800 --> 0:22:21.200 had left home when I was sixteen. I you know, 0:22:21.480 --> 0:22:24.119 my grandmother didn't understand me pursuing my music. I'm sleeping 0:22:24.160 --> 0:22:26.440 on the train. I'm like, you know, I got my 0:22:26.560 --> 0:22:27.800 green bags on the train. 0:22:27.920 --> 0:22:30.200 I'm riding around trying to figure out what to do next. 0:22:30.680 --> 0:22:34.200 Then I went and so I was going down to 0:22:34.280 --> 0:22:35.760 the set every day because I you know, it was 0:22:35.840 --> 0:22:37.560 either that or stay in the basement with a bunch 0:22:37.600 --> 0:22:39.240 of roaches. I was like, fuck it, let me go 0:22:39.240 --> 0:22:40.920 down there the set every day. So I was going 0:22:40.960 --> 0:22:45.640 down there this set, and one thing left led to another. 0:22:45.720 --> 0:22:47.840 I'm down there, you know what I'm saying, talking this 0:22:47.960 --> 0:22:49.760 and that, and then finally they gave me a little part. 0:22:49.800 --> 0:22:52.439 I was talking that shit and the rest is history. 0:22:52.640 --> 0:22:54.840 It launched me because it, you know, it was like 0:22:54.920 --> 0:22:57.639 having a national video on a national platform, so it 0:22:57.640 --> 0:23:00.160 would be the equivalent of whatever you can think. Think 0:23:00.200 --> 0:23:03.680 of now as a national platform for your first visual, 0:23:03.760 --> 0:23:06.040 for people to see you first the first time, and 0:23:06.160 --> 0:23:08.080 you know, it blew up from there. The album ended 0:23:08.160 --> 0:23:12.400 up going platinum and you know, good things happened. Absolutely 0:23:12.480 --> 0:23:13.680 it worked out for everybody. 0:23:13.760 --> 0:23:16.199 When you think about movies and music, what's your favorite 0:23:16.560 --> 0:23:18.080 movie project of your career? 0:23:18.400 --> 0:23:26.359 My favorite movie hum probably Into Deep in Deep Blue Sea. 0:23:26.359 --> 0:23:29.560 Loved In Too Deep Classic, I told you that before. Yeah, 0:23:29.680 --> 0:23:32.720 God is very underrated black movie villain. 0:23:32.920 --> 0:23:35.440 Oh yeah, he's like you know you talk about old 0:23:35.480 --> 0:23:38.000 dog Bishop, Oh God? To put God in that oh 0:23:38.160 --> 0:23:40.399 yeah he was, Yeah, it was it was real. Just 0:23:40.440 --> 0:23:42.639 everybody should check that one out Into Deep Yeah, it 0:23:42.680 --> 0:23:43.080 was crazy. 0:23:43.520 --> 0:23:47.679 Now let's get into the album, Spirit of Cyrus. 0:23:48.280 --> 0:23:48.399 Right. 0:23:48.760 --> 0:23:51.080 The album's called Force, but the intro Spirit of Sirrus. 0:23:51.119 --> 0:23:53.840 First of all, you know you addressed police brutality out 0:23:53.880 --> 0:23:56.480 the Gate. Who is Cyrus and what inspired you to 0:23:57.240 --> 0:23:59.679 address the injustice cops display the black people right out 0:23:59.720 --> 0:23:59.960 the gate? 0:24:00.440 --> 0:24:03.440 Okay, so the name of the album is the Force 0:24:03.560 --> 0:24:05.920 is an acronym, right, frequency is a real creative energy 0:24:05.960 --> 0:24:08.520 and Cyrus, you know, I mean people could go into 0:24:08.600 --> 0:24:10.800 history with it. But we were talking really about you know, 0:24:11.160 --> 0:24:15.080 the Warriors and Cyrus and this guy who was trying 0:24:15.119 --> 0:24:17.200 to bring all of these people together and see good 0:24:17.240 --> 0:24:19.359 things happen in his community, even though it was coming 0:24:19.400 --> 0:24:21.560 from him being a gang leader, him being all of 0:24:21.600 --> 0:24:26.160 these different things, and you know, he ended up going out. 0:24:26.440 --> 0:24:28.639 Now, that was a metaphor for the guy that the. 0:24:28.680 --> 0:24:31.359 Story was based on, because I was inspired to write 0:24:31.400 --> 0:24:34.240 the song based on a guy named Christopher Dorner. He 0:24:34.359 --> 0:24:36.040 was an LAPD cop who felt like he was being 0:24:36.080 --> 0:24:37.800 a pressed And the reason why I got into the 0:24:37.920 --> 0:24:40.920 song is because when I was doing NCIS it should 0:24:40.920 --> 0:24:44.560 be people at high levels of law enforcement. I had 0:24:44.600 --> 0:24:46.560 some friends at high levels because I did the show 0:24:46.600 --> 0:24:48.600 for so many years. This dude called me up. He's like, yo, 0:24:48.680 --> 0:24:52.840 el or Todd, Yo, what's up. Don't come outside. I'm like, 0:24:53.520 --> 0:24:54.280 don't come outside. 0:24:54.320 --> 0:24:56.560 The fuck that I do? Right, I ain't do nothing. 0:24:56.760 --> 0:24:58.600 He's like, nah, you don't understand. 0:24:58.760 --> 0:25:01.560 And he sent me a picture of Christopher Donna and 0:25:01.640 --> 0:25:03.360 when I saw it, and he said, look, they're looking 0:25:03.440 --> 0:25:05.640 to take this guy dead or alive, and it might 0:25:05.760 --> 0:25:08.000 not be alive, so don't. 0:25:07.840 --> 0:25:09.479 Come out because you could be mistaken for him. 0:25:09.480 --> 0:25:12.359 When I saw the picture, I realized how real that was, 0:25:12.720 --> 0:25:14.880 and so I went down the rabbit hole. And then 0:25:14.880 --> 0:25:16.639 I ended up writing a song because I knew that 0:25:16.720 --> 0:25:18.680 there were people that would relate to both sides of 0:25:18.720 --> 0:25:19.200 that story. 0:25:19.480 --> 0:25:20.800 And I said, you know what, I'm going to write 0:25:20.840 --> 0:25:22.520 this song. And I was inspired. 0:25:22.680 --> 0:25:25.439 Me and me and Tip, Me and Q Tip were 0:25:25.440 --> 0:25:27.160 in the studio and he had all of these wild 0:25:27.280 --> 0:25:29.960 synths and these this track that sounded crazy, and I 0:25:30.119 --> 0:25:34.359 just ended up writing that song and the rest is history. 0:25:34.359 --> 0:25:35.879 But it's a it's a it's true. 0:25:36.000 --> 0:25:40.280 It's based on a true event, and it was inspired 0:25:40.280 --> 0:25:42.880 by true events. And it was you know, a dude 0:25:42.880 --> 0:25:46.359 who just who had had enough and he exploded and 0:25:46.680 --> 0:25:50.480 you know, he was like addressing police brutality, blue on 0:25:50.720 --> 0:25:52.720 blue brutality, like all of it. 0:25:53.160 --> 0:25:54.359 And so I wrote the. 0:25:54.400 --> 0:25:57.720 Song, do you have anybody doing any pushback? 0:25:57.760 --> 0:25:57.920 Like no? 0:25:58.040 --> 0:25:59.520 Hell love? That might affect what you got going on 0:25:59.600 --> 0:26:01.400 in Holland would that might affect what you got going 0:26:01.440 --> 0:26:02.200 on in television? 0:26:02.280 --> 0:26:04.680 You can't, you know, say that about the police. Well, 0:26:04.800 --> 0:26:06.440 I got to be true to the art on this one. 0:26:06.880 --> 0:26:10.320 It's not like I was condoning or pushing it away. 0:26:10.480 --> 0:26:12.640 I was just letting be in a channel to the art. 0:26:13.119 --> 0:26:16.320 You know what I'm saying. It doesn't invite, it doesn't 0:26:16.400 --> 0:26:18.640 incite a person one way or the other. 0:26:18.920 --> 0:26:20.159 It's art. It's like a painting. 0:26:20.400 --> 0:26:22.160 It's up to you to look at it and see 0:26:22.280 --> 0:26:25.120 or hear what you want to hear. You know, obviously, 0:26:25.200 --> 0:26:27.800 I you know, I played law enforcement for years. But 0:26:27.840 --> 0:26:30.600 I've also had bad experiences too as a kid growing up. 0:26:30.680 --> 0:26:34.200 So it's both right, So I think the song addresses both. 0:26:34.440 --> 0:26:37.520 And I think that you know, anybody that's honest and 0:26:37.600 --> 0:26:38.960 objective could just listen to it. 0:26:39.200 --> 0:26:40.680 It is what it is, like, It's a song. 0:26:40.720 --> 0:26:43.879 How much responsibility to do artists have the address social issues? 0:26:44.280 --> 0:26:44.840 I don't think. 0:26:44.960 --> 0:26:47.399 I don't think that's an artist is an artist is not. 0:26:47.600 --> 0:26:51.800 That's not a prerequisite. That's just like saying, you know, 0:26:53.600 --> 0:26:59.000 when when you know, when Michael Angelo sculpted David, did 0:26:59.080 --> 0:27:00.119 he have a response. 0:27:00.000 --> 0:27:02.080 Ability to deal with men's health? You know what I mean? 0:27:02.080 --> 0:27:04.399 Because they got to do neicked and do standing in 0:27:04.560 --> 0:27:07.480 neked like he's on. Michael Angelo has no addressment, Like 0:27:07.640 --> 0:27:10.480 you know, artists see what people fail to realize is 0:27:12.840 --> 0:27:16.159 creating art that is popular doesn't necessarily mean that you 0:27:16.280 --> 0:27:20.720 have evolved in other areas and are necessarily inspired or 0:27:20.960 --> 0:27:24.680 educated by or in terms of other areas. You know 0:27:24.720 --> 0:27:26.760 what I'm saying. So you gotta let an artist be 0:27:26.840 --> 0:27:29.160 an artists. And if you're gonna have people out there 0:27:29.280 --> 0:27:32.200 who are very socially conscious, who care about this stuff, 0:27:32.200 --> 0:27:35.040 and they will appeal to certain people, but you can't 0:27:35.160 --> 0:27:37.600 just say it's your responsibility. 0:27:37.880 --> 0:27:40.320 That doesn't work because that's not just either. You know 0:27:40.359 --> 0:27:42.560 what I'm saying. You gotta let people be who they are. 0:27:43.320 --> 0:27:43.480 You know. 0:27:44.520 --> 0:27:47.320 You know that's like you know, like saying, like you know, 0:27:47.560 --> 0:27:49.560 you can't put red in your hair because. 0:27:49.320 --> 0:27:51.120 You have people that are triggered by red. 0:27:51.880 --> 0:27:54.359 You can't really live your life like that, you know 0:27:54.400 --> 0:27:54.720 what I mean? 0:27:54.840 --> 0:27:56.800 Son? 0:27:57.119 --> 0:27:59.800 I think artists do should do what they really feel 0:28:00.359 --> 0:28:02.600 for real, like but what they really feel like This 0:28:02.720 --> 0:28:04.760 album is what I really feel like. I wasn't trying 0:28:04.800 --> 0:28:07.480 to go commercial. I'm not trying to like this ship 0:28:07.600 --> 0:28:09.600 is you know what I wanted what I felt inspired 0:28:09.600 --> 0:28:10.399 to make, you know. 0:28:10.440 --> 0:28:13.160 A Saturday Night Special to record with Ross and Fat Joe. 0:28:13.560 --> 0:28:16.280 It sounds like you were dressing people's egos. 0:28:16.320 --> 0:28:17.320 I want I want to know what's the. 0:28:17.359 --> 0:28:19.560 Lesson to be learned in those verses, and did you 0:28:19.720 --> 0:28:23.800 have particular people in mind when you were writing those raps? 0:28:23.880 --> 0:28:25.920 Well if the songs, well, look, the the verses for 0:28:26.000 --> 0:28:30.080 me were definitely archetypes. And you know, you do have 0:28:30.280 --> 0:28:36.280 the dude who's uh, who's greedy and extra sensitive and 0:28:37.600 --> 0:28:39.960 pretends not to be offended when he really is, and 0:28:40.120 --> 0:28:41.760 you have to watch out for that when you're growing 0:28:41.800 --> 0:28:43.800 up or when you're in a boardroom, or when you're 0:28:43.800 --> 0:28:47.520 trying to you know, pass the ball when you you know, 0:28:47.640 --> 0:28:50.200 in law school or whatever it is you pledging. It 0:28:50.280 --> 0:28:52.800 don't matter like you're gonna have people like that. You're 0:28:52.800 --> 0:28:54.960 gonna have the dad devil who has to be the 0:28:55.040 --> 0:28:58.480 center of attention or they're uncomfortable. You have that person 0:28:58.640 --> 0:29:01.400 and they have that Ndia spirit in them all. Whatever 0:29:01.440 --> 0:29:02.920 it is that you got to watch out for, you're 0:29:02.960 --> 0:29:05.880 gonna have that. You're gonna have different people. But the 0:29:06.000 --> 0:29:10.560 song is really about integrity, not moral judgment, not saying 0:29:10.600 --> 0:29:13.080 people got to be perfect and shit, but just integrity, 0:29:13.240 --> 0:29:15.920 like saying what you mean and meaning what you say. 0:29:16.400 --> 0:29:19.360 And you know people say standing on business, Well that's 0:29:19.360 --> 0:29:20.960 what it's really about. You know what I'm saying and 0:29:21.080 --> 0:29:23.640 being solid, and so that's what the song really addresses. 0:29:23.680 --> 0:29:25.479 And then what Joe and Rick do is they give 0:29:25.520 --> 0:29:28.600 you examples of different types of characters that say different 0:29:28.640 --> 0:29:32.480 types of things. And so Joe will address it one way, 0:29:32.520 --> 0:29:35.320 and Rick is showing you an example of that type 0:29:35.360 --> 0:29:35.959 of a character. 0:29:36.320 --> 0:29:36.960 You know what I'm saying. 0:29:37.800 --> 0:29:41.560 I chose to give you the lessons that are to 0:29:41.640 --> 0:29:43.000 be learned from those characters. 0:29:43.400 --> 0:29:45.840 And that's kind of what the song is. I like 0:29:45.960 --> 0:29:49.200 Black Hold a Lot, Thank you. I think you should 0:29:49.200 --> 0:29:52.440 put that out on June teenth. But you know on 0:29:52.560 --> 0:29:56.320 Black Hole you said the only crossover you respect is Kyrie. Yeah, 0:29:57.080 --> 0:29:59.400 what would you say to people who said you crossed 0:29:59.440 --> 0:29:59.800 over them? 0:30:01.040 --> 0:30:08.880 I would say they're right, and I would say it happened, 0:30:08.920 --> 0:30:10.080 but it was never intentional. 0:30:10.880 --> 0:30:13.720 It was organic. It was organic. You know what I'm saying. 0:30:14.320 --> 0:30:17.000 It's like kind of like and the reason like you 0:30:17.120 --> 0:30:19.320 look at a Kyrie, or you look at a Jordan, 0:30:19.440 --> 0:30:22.000 or you look at a Lebron. They did cross over, 0:30:22.600 --> 0:30:25.920 but they crossed over doing what they love. They crossed 0:30:25.920 --> 0:30:28.960 over doing what's true to them. They didn't pretend to 0:30:29.040 --> 0:30:32.120 be somebody else. You know what I'm saying they didn't come, 0:30:32.200 --> 0:30:34.920 and you know, Magic didn't come and painted like he 0:30:35.000 --> 0:30:37.320 was Loarry Bird and shit to crossover, it's like he 0:30:37.440 --> 0:30:41.080 was magic, you know what I mean. So that's my thing, 0:30:41.200 --> 0:30:43.320 Like my thing is, you got to be true to 0:30:43.360 --> 0:30:45.560 who you are man, you know what I'm saying. Whatever 0:30:45.680 --> 0:30:48.440 that is, you got to stand on that. Be yourself, 0:30:48.840 --> 0:30:50.960 you know, like that old Oscar Wild quote, be yourself. 0:30:51.000 --> 0:30:54.960 Everybody else is already taken. That's real shit. So yeah, 0:30:55.000 --> 0:30:56.960 that's that's what I meant, you know what I'm saying. 0:30:57.000 --> 0:30:59.440 So yeah, I did cross over absolutely on thousand percent 0:31:00.520 --> 0:31:04.360 way over like Silphead Ladies in Montana. I love that show, 0:31:04.800 --> 0:31:06.640 but I was doing what I loved, you know what 0:31:06.680 --> 0:31:08.040 I'm saying for sure. 0:31:08.400 --> 0:31:10.440 And I also liked the song black Hole just because 0:31:10.480 --> 0:31:12.120 it's so black. But I remember I saw you on 0:31:12.240 --> 0:31:14.200 the shop and you were saying, you know, one of 0:31:14.200 --> 0:31:15.800 the reasons you reached out to the Q tip because 0:31:15.800 --> 0:31:17.280 you're working on the album with Dre. You reached out 0:31:17.280 --> 0:31:19.760 the Q tip because you said you really wanted like 0:31:19.880 --> 0:31:22.320 a black, black Black and the black black album. So 0:31:22.440 --> 0:31:25.320 it made me wonder, like, what wasn't Dre giving you 0:31:25.400 --> 0:31:26.360 in terms of Blackness. 0:31:26.560 --> 0:31:29.280 Oh no, no, no, Dre gave me everything. What it 0:31:29.480 --> 0:31:33.080 was was my songwriting wasn't up to Paul when I 0:31:33.200 --> 0:31:33.800 was working with Dre. 0:31:34.000 --> 0:31:34.720 Dre gave me some. 0:31:35.800 --> 0:31:37.640 Dre gave me some tracks and some so we got 0:31:37.720 --> 0:31:38.880 so we got like forty joints. 0:31:39.120 --> 0:31:40.080 It's just my writing. 0:31:40.520 --> 0:31:43.480 I didn't feel like my writing was meeting Dre where 0:31:43.480 --> 0:31:46.440 it needed to be, and so before even though I 0:31:46.520 --> 0:31:49.240 did call Tip and got with him, in between that time, 0:31:49.560 --> 0:31:51.680 I was back in the gym working on my jump shot. Okay, 0:31:51.760 --> 0:31:53.840 I was working on my pen game. I was looking 0:31:53.880 --> 0:31:56.400 analyzing my writing. I had to learn how to rap again. 0:31:57.240 --> 0:31:58.720 I had to learn how to rap again. Wow, you 0:31:58.760 --> 0:32:01.920 know what I'm saying. I had to because remember the 0:32:02.040 --> 0:32:06.000 game changes, it shifts, it evolves. So the dribble that 0:32:06.200 --> 0:32:09.080 was fancy, the Tim Hardaway dribble that was fancy at 0:32:09.160 --> 0:32:12.360 one time and he's amazing, it's different from the Kyrie 0:32:12.520 --> 0:32:17.000 dribble that's fancy today. Things evolved, so the same with writing, 0:32:17.160 --> 0:32:19.000 and when you when you're doing hip hop, you have 0:32:19.120 --> 0:32:22.959 to respect the evolution of the game. So I had 0:32:22.960 --> 0:32:26.120 to go back and relearn, making sure them couplets were right, 0:32:26.360 --> 0:32:29.280 making sure that wordplay was right, making sure those narratives 0:32:29.320 --> 0:32:32.000 were correct, making sure that I was expressing myself right. 0:32:32.320 --> 0:32:34.840 And once I worked on that in a real serious. 0:32:34.520 --> 0:32:38.000 Way, then I got with Tip and the rest is history, 0:32:38.000 --> 0:32:41.000 and we made this amazing body of work that I 0:32:41.080 --> 0:32:42.080 feel really good about. 0:32:43.040 --> 0:32:44.480 So when you revisited to doctor. 0:32:44.280 --> 0:32:46.840 Dre, one hundred percent trade my man's you know, he 0:32:46.920 --> 0:32:49.800 FaceTime me the other day. Man, absolutely, one hundred percent. 0:32:50.080 --> 0:32:53.240 I just I just wasn't ready. You know what I'm saying. 0:32:53.320 --> 0:32:56.000 He he always that's my men. You know what I'm saying, 0:32:56.120 --> 0:32:59.920 Like he always delivers. It's just I'm not gonna put 0:33:00.080 --> 0:33:02.760 him in a position, you know what I'm saying where 0:33:02.840 --> 0:33:04.880 I'm not all the way there and I'm not giving 0:33:05.000 --> 0:33:08.040 him the best. I'm not taking full advantage of our 0:33:08.920 --> 0:33:11.000 creative relationship, you know what I mean. 0:33:11.160 --> 0:33:13.520 I value our creative relationship. 0:33:13.200 --> 0:33:15.000 Too much for me to be writing some some some 0:33:15.160 --> 0:33:17.400 lame shit, some ship that I think is lame and 0:33:17.480 --> 0:33:18.640 it's not meeting you know what I mean. 0:33:18.920 --> 0:33:20.760 How do you get to that level of self awareness, 0:33:20.760 --> 0:33:22.440 the way you can look at your wraps and be like, yo, 0:33:22.520 --> 0:33:23.280 this ship is wack. 0:33:24.120 --> 0:33:24.320 Man. 0:33:25.120 --> 0:33:26.800 I can't see too many people doing that. 0:33:27.400 --> 0:33:28.920 Yeah, you got a lot of people walking out the 0:33:28.960 --> 0:33:31.160 house and outfits when they need to be doing that ship. 0:33:31.280 --> 0:33:33.160 You know what I'm saying, Like, Yo, you gotta like, honey, 0:33:35.280 --> 0:33:39.000 you see that ship right, Like like people like your 0:33:39.120 --> 0:33:41.360 dude walking out he got the camel toe and shit 0:33:41.480 --> 0:33:43.000 like you know, the fucking moose knuckle. 0:33:43.200 --> 0:33:46.000 It's like, oh, loose some JESU bro saw yourself you left? 0:33:46.400 --> 0:33:48.480 Yeah, before I left the house, I was like, yo, ma, 0:33:49.480 --> 0:33:51.280 this is some moose knuckle shit. Let me you know 0:33:51.440 --> 0:33:54.280 this is looking crazy. I'm bending over like my pants 0:33:54.320 --> 0:33:54.680 are ripped. 0:33:54.680 --> 0:33:56.479 And anybody that tells you are you just can hear 0:33:56.520 --> 0:33:57.000 it yourself. 0:33:57.320 --> 0:33:59.120 You gotta listen to it. You gotta be honest. 0:33:59.520 --> 0:34:01.840 See, I make two types of projects, you know what 0:34:01.840 --> 0:34:04.360 I'm saying. Like I said before, I make shit in 0:34:04.440 --> 0:34:06.440 a vacuum where I'm just kind of experimenting for. 0:34:06.480 --> 0:34:08.840 Me, and I make cultural albums. I was looking to 0:34:08.880 --> 0:34:10.480 make a cultural album. I wasn't. 0:34:10.480 --> 0:34:11.759 I didn't want to get with Dre and do my 0:34:11.840 --> 0:34:16.960 experimental thing, because my experimental thing is never the records 0:34:17.000 --> 0:34:19.439 that are appreciated by the culture. They're never the ones 0:34:19.480 --> 0:34:22.239 that are asked, but they as an artist. They make 0:34:22.360 --> 0:34:24.960 me feel good. So it's really a little weird thing 0:34:25.040 --> 0:34:27.000 I do. And most of the time that's why after 0:34:27.040 --> 0:34:28.840 I do a really really great album, I go do 0:34:28.960 --> 0:34:32.719 some weird shit and that's how I work. That being said, 0:34:33.360 --> 0:34:35.360 I wanted to make a cultural album this time, so 0:34:35.800 --> 0:34:36.560 I had to be writing. 0:34:37.200 --> 0:34:39.399 You got a song called thirty Decemblers. You know, most 0:34:39.400 --> 0:34:42.040 people talk about how many summers they got. You said 0:34:42.080 --> 0:34:43.080 you had thirty Decembers. 0:34:43.320 --> 0:34:45.680 Yeah, because I was away a long time. I was 0:34:45.719 --> 0:34:47.359 away from New York a long time, and I went 0:34:47.480 --> 0:34:51.320 back during the pandemic. Right. I put the black mask on, 0:34:51.440 --> 0:34:53.160 I got the hoodie on, I got the shades on, 0:34:53.280 --> 0:34:56.760 I got tyms all black. I'm running around like probably 0:34:56.800 --> 0:34:58.600 look like a stick up kid or something, right, Like, 0:34:58.680 --> 0:35:00.880 they don't know what's going on. But I got to 0:35:00.960 --> 0:35:02.920 go everywhere. I was all in the projects. I was 0:35:03.000 --> 0:35:05.439 up in the pink houses. I was places they didn't 0:35:05.480 --> 0:35:08.000 even know it was me. I'm running around in Coney Island, 0:35:08.680 --> 0:35:08.840 you know. 0:35:08.920 --> 0:35:09.480 And I filmed that. 0:35:09.560 --> 0:35:12.800 I documented on the ground and I got inspired. So 0:35:12.840 --> 0:35:15.360 I wrote thirty Decembers, you know, being on the subway 0:35:15.880 --> 0:35:17.600 and everything I said in the song, like, you know 0:35:17.600 --> 0:35:20.600 what I'm saying. The lady sitting next to me don't 0:35:20.600 --> 0:35:22.160 want to move her stuff. She don't want to let 0:35:22.200 --> 0:35:24.439 me sit down, afraid of how I get down. Ain't 0:35:24.440 --> 0:35:25.880 dealing with that shit, now, you know what I mean? 0:35:26.000 --> 0:35:28.719 Like all that stuff I said is really what I 0:35:28.800 --> 0:35:31.040 went through, you know, and it was deep because the 0:35:31.120 --> 0:35:32.840 one thing you forget about in life, you know what 0:35:32.840 --> 0:35:35.200 I'm saying, When you like, even if you got a 0:35:35.239 --> 0:35:38.439 good job, you forget about danger, you know what I'm saying. 0:35:38.480 --> 0:35:41.719 You forget that danger exists. You forget that there's pissy elevators. 0:35:42.000 --> 0:35:44.720 You forget that there's people sleeping on the floor dodging bullets. 0:35:45.600 --> 0:35:48.520 You forget that there's people swallowing vics because they can't 0:35:48.560 --> 0:35:50.719 go to a hospital or going to the emergency room 0:35:50.880 --> 0:35:53.399 because they don't feel good. You forget about all that shit, 0:35:53.920 --> 0:35:59.400 And that disconnection is part of the reason why artists 0:35:59.440 --> 0:36:01.239 aren't able to really give the people what they want. 0:36:01.400 --> 0:36:03.799 They start rapping about fucking grateful panna. 0:36:03.840 --> 0:36:08.080 Right So so thirty symbol symbolizes the screets in New 0:36:08.200 --> 0:36:09.360 York City and how. 0:36:09.280 --> 0:36:11.480 Long it it been since I really was home for real, 0:36:11.800 --> 0:36:15.000 not visiting the city, not visiting the city in the suv, 0:36:15.920 --> 0:36:18.160 not visiting the city and saying, Yo, I'm from here. 0:36:18.560 --> 0:36:19.879 No, that ain't what I'm talking about. 0:36:20.000 --> 0:36:22.680 I'm talking about really, when's the last time you really 0:36:22.760 --> 0:36:23.920 sat on the fucking council? 0:36:24.040 --> 0:36:26.399 Was like this shit smell funny, you know what I mean? 0:36:26.880 --> 0:36:29.360 Like this smelled funny in this motherfucker. 0:36:29.600 --> 0:36:31.239 Or when you walk in the hallway and there's so 0:36:31.400 --> 0:36:34.920 many people cooking in the projects, the fucking hallway smells 0:36:35.000 --> 0:36:39.920 like God damn tie Italian Irish soul. Fucking your nose 0:36:40.040 --> 0:36:43.319 is exploding with the fucking all these smells because it's 0:36:43.320 --> 0:36:45.040 all this hooded that. 0:36:45.120 --> 0:36:45.640 Type of shit. 0:36:46.280 --> 0:36:50.040 Yeah, I don't think people are aware, especially I know 0:36:50.160 --> 0:36:52.200 this generation not, and probably just a lot of people 0:36:52.239 --> 0:36:54.279 in the industry. On you came up in a time 0:36:54.320 --> 0:36:58.000 in NYC where rappers was running with real people. Let's 0:36:58.040 --> 0:37:00.920 just leave it at that, real real the hustles, yeah, 0:37:01.040 --> 0:37:01.840 the killings, everything. 0:37:01.920 --> 0:37:02.080 Yeah. 0:37:02.160 --> 0:37:02.319 Yeah. 0:37:03.120 --> 0:37:05.520 What did you take from your time spent on blocks 0:37:05.560 --> 0:37:08.480 and eat flash flat Bush with hustlers like George Chang? 0:37:08.680 --> 0:37:11.440 Oh man, you know about George Wow stretch my man 0:37:11.480 --> 0:37:12.240 stretched from Brooklyn. 0:37:12.320 --> 0:37:15.520 May he rest in peace. It's so funny. Man. 0:37:18.280 --> 0:37:20.080 I used to go out to Brooklyn with with Stretch 0:37:20.160 --> 0:37:22.239 all the time. He had his Goal one ninety evens 0:37:22.280 --> 0:37:24.640 and like even when I had Rock the Bells. I 0:37:24.719 --> 0:37:26.279 remember I was playing Rock the Bells for a bit 0:37:26.360 --> 0:37:28.360 of car time. Du was like, we pulled up on 0:37:28.480 --> 0:37:30.400 this trew. He's like, yo, it's my man l He 0:37:30.480 --> 0:37:32.040 wanted to know if you think he should make this 0:37:32.160 --> 0:37:32.560 a record. 0:37:32.880 --> 0:37:33.719 He played it for him. 0:37:34.000 --> 0:37:35.120 He was like, yo, shit is hot. 0:37:36.160 --> 0:37:37.480 So me and Stress were real cool. 0:37:37.840 --> 0:37:41.120 I really hung a lot with with A Z and 0:37:41.320 --> 0:37:44.600 Rich and I'll poll with those guys because of my 0:37:44.719 --> 0:37:46.719 man Chuck. You know, I used to go uptown, so 0:37:46.719 --> 0:37:48.239 I used to be on one three two all the time. 0:37:48.320 --> 0:37:50.480 And so those are the guys like the paid in 0:37:50.560 --> 0:37:53.919 Full movie, like like like the Paid in Full movie 0:37:53.960 --> 0:37:56.759 guys were my real friends. And I was with him 0:37:56.760 --> 0:37:58.440 every day. So when I did like walking with a 0:37:58.520 --> 0:38:01.680 Panther and you know with the jewelry with the diamonds 0:38:01.719 --> 0:38:04.160 and all that shit, like that's why I was with 0:38:04.280 --> 0:38:07.000 every day. So it was like that definitely rubbed off 0:38:07.080 --> 0:38:10.120 on me in terms of wardrobe, my mindset. I mean, 0:38:10.160 --> 0:38:13.440 even songs like Saturday Night Special it still influences that 0:38:13.600 --> 0:38:16.200 mindset because you learn how to move, you know what 0:38:16.239 --> 0:38:19.319 I'm saying, Like, you learn that if you really, really 0:38:19.440 --> 0:38:20.880 really want to survive in the world. 0:38:20.719 --> 0:38:21.719 Don't try to be a tough guy. 0:38:22.960 --> 0:38:25.400 Like that tough guy shit don't really fly because somebody's 0:38:25.400 --> 0:38:27.879 gonna test that shit all day long. You're much better 0:38:27.960 --> 0:38:31.239 off just having manners. I didn't say be soft. I 0:38:31.280 --> 0:38:33.759 didn't say don't defend yourself. I didn't say don't do 0:38:33.880 --> 0:38:35.960 what you got to do if there's a problem. I said, 0:38:36.200 --> 0:38:38.120 don't try to be a tough guy, you know what 0:38:38.160 --> 0:38:41.719 I'm saying. So that was the thing, like just understanding that. 0:38:42.280 --> 0:38:44.960 And you know, those guys being you know, maybe two 0:38:45.120 --> 0:38:47.200 three years older than me, four years older than were 0:38:47.360 --> 0:38:47.920 just old. 0:38:47.840 --> 0:38:50.719 Enough to kind of mentor me. 0:38:51.120 --> 0:38:54.360 So it's like you know, coming out of queens, like 0:38:55.239 --> 0:38:59.080 from age you know, late like sixteen seventeen, like seventeen 0:38:59.160 --> 0:39:01.840 early maybe late sixteen, early seventeen, all the way to 0:39:02.000 --> 0:39:05.479 like early you know, twenties or whatever. I was hanging 0:39:05.520 --> 0:39:07.360 around for as long as they were around. I was 0:39:07.400 --> 0:39:10.160 hanging with these guys and learning the ins and outs 0:39:10.239 --> 0:39:12.800 of life. And it's not just all like crime and 0:39:12.920 --> 0:39:15.360 criminal shit and all that negative shit that people always 0:39:15.400 --> 0:39:18.719 think about, and also life lessons in it about manhood, 0:39:18.920 --> 0:39:21.200 you know what I'm saying, and about how to be 0:39:21.360 --> 0:39:23.520 honorable when you're moving around, and how to treat. 0:39:23.320 --> 0:39:26.200 People, how to respect people so that you if you see. 0:39:26.040 --> 0:39:28.200 Them again, it's not a problem. You know what I'm saying, 0:39:28.239 --> 0:39:30.879 because you got to see people again. Man, old woman, 0:39:31.080 --> 0:39:32.040 you gonna see them again. 0:39:32.480 --> 0:39:32.960 You know what I mean. 0:39:33.080 --> 0:39:33.560 Absolutely. 0:39:33.680 --> 0:39:35.319 You know the girl would be walking past you while 0:39:35.320 --> 0:39:38.319 you get your ass whip or getting pistolhipped about. That's right, 0:39:38.440 --> 0:39:40.560 you know, catch one of them, man, you know, so 0:39:40.760 --> 0:39:42.480 you you know what I mean, so you learn. 0:39:42.560 --> 0:39:42.960 You know what I mean. 0:39:43.160 --> 0:39:45.400 You're answered a lot of questions before you asking, because 0:39:45.400 --> 0:39:46.759 I was gonna ask you. Like you know, you see 0:39:46.760 --> 0:39:48.960 a lot of people in hip hop get caught up 0:39:49.040 --> 0:39:51.239 being too close to individuals in the street. And I 0:39:51.320 --> 0:39:54.000 was watching the Supreme Team doc and you were. 0:39:53.920 --> 0:39:57.080 In the crowd. Oh get that fat Cat Birthday part. 0:39:57.080 --> 0:40:00.279 Supreaming them as moment listen, listen, just black justice men. 0:40:00.560 --> 0:40:02.960 You know what I'm saying. Bimmy's my men. I was 0:40:03.040 --> 0:40:04.920 running with them because they were closer in age. And 0:40:05.000 --> 0:40:07.719 then prem I knew you know, you know that that 0:40:07.920 --> 0:40:08.960 crew like a lot of them. 0:40:09.000 --> 0:40:10.640 I knew they were a little older, but I knew them. 0:40:11.320 --> 0:40:12.759 So how'd you end up not getting caught up in 0:40:12.800 --> 0:40:15.640 that like like say a IRV did not you know, 0:40:15.760 --> 0:40:16.600 not throwing them under the bus. 0:40:16.640 --> 0:40:19.000 But just nah, nah, I get it because you know why, 0:40:19.080 --> 0:40:22.880 because I was around enough hustlers my whole life. 0:40:26.160 --> 0:40:29.800 To to know that the shit ain't cute, you know 0:40:29.840 --> 0:40:32.400 what I mean. See, let me tell you that, like. 0:40:34.560 --> 0:40:38.360 Dudes that are insecure, that becomes like a like a 0:40:38.520 --> 0:40:41.759 like a like a like a security blanket form, you 0:40:41.800 --> 0:40:44.560 know what I mean. If you really understand life and 0:40:44.640 --> 0:40:47.040 you're around enough people, you understand that you need to 0:40:47.200 --> 0:40:49.400 just that's not you don't need to be seen in 0:40:49.480 --> 0:40:52.960 that light. It's not necessary because I really was around it, 0:40:53.400 --> 0:40:55.840 Like so I don't have to inject I don't have 0:40:55.960 --> 0:40:57.960 to make that part of the loll cruise ain't narrative 0:40:58.360 --> 0:41:01.680 because I really did. I was really there, like for real, 0:41:03.400 --> 0:41:06.160 you know what I mean, the shower for real? Yeah, 0:41:07.280 --> 0:41:10.520 very real. So it's like, you know, like dudes playing 0:41:10.560 --> 0:41:12.719 with guns and dropping them on the floor for a 0:41:12.800 --> 0:41:14.240 purpose just to see how you react. 0:41:14.640 --> 0:41:18.080 You know, you know that kind of ship. 0:41:18.600 --> 0:41:21.640 Yeah, you ever thought about telling those stories like in 0:41:21.719 --> 0:41:24.160 a movie or I mean I would do a movie. 0:41:24.239 --> 0:41:26.480 I thought about the people asked me that kind of stuff. 0:41:27.480 --> 0:41:29.000 I would you know what I'm saying. 0:41:29.719 --> 0:41:35.359 When I hear those stories, they sound unbelievable about the teams. 0:41:35.080 --> 0:41:44.920 Like what yeah, yeah, nah, yeah, yeah, you know yo, 0:41:45.000 --> 0:41:49.040 I'm listening back. You know, you know two schools of thought. 0:41:49.320 --> 0:41:51.120 There's the guys that really, I want to be cut 0:41:51.160 --> 0:41:53.040 from that cloth, you see me as that, And there's 0:41:53.040 --> 0:41:55.000 the guys like, I'm gonna lay that over there because 0:41:55.719 --> 0:41:58.680 you know, I really smelled them candles, you know what 0:41:58.719 --> 0:42:01.319 I mean, like them candles was? I smelled them for real? 0:42:01.440 --> 0:42:03.719 So I don't need to be you know what I mean. 0:42:03.960 --> 0:42:04.399 I'm good. 0:42:04.600 --> 0:42:05.080 I'm good. 0:42:05.520 --> 0:42:06.120 Nothing to prove. 0:42:07.320 --> 0:42:10.440 Another record off the album hewe and the chall Yeah again, 0:42:10.719 --> 0:42:13.839 you're taking a revolutionary tone. So it made me think, 0:42:13.880 --> 0:42:16.480 would you have rapped like that throughout your career if 0:42:16.480 --> 0:42:18.040 it was more I guess profitable. 0:42:20.280 --> 0:42:24.040 I didn't even take profits in the consideration. See, there's 0:42:24.080 --> 0:42:25.800 a time to create art and as a time for 0:42:25.920 --> 0:42:30.520 commercial consideration. If you painting them Ona Lisa, you don't 0:42:30.520 --> 0:42:34.000 paint it, you know, thinking that you know, I don't 0:42:34.080 --> 0:42:36.480 know something's gonna be trendy one day. 0:42:36.480 --> 0:42:39.319 You just painted. I just I didn't. I don't take 0:42:39.360 --> 0:42:42.360 that in consideration with this album. I wrote a record 0:42:43.120 --> 0:42:46.520 from the heart that I think people of all. 0:42:48.760 --> 0:42:52.560 Colors, ethnicities, cultures will be able to respect because it's 0:42:52.640 --> 0:42:55.360 really coming from my experience of what I've seen or 0:42:55.680 --> 0:42:59.880 what I've witnessed, or what I've envisioned it have it 0:43:00.120 --> 0:43:00.520 came to me. 0:43:00.640 --> 0:43:03.399 Whatever I was inspired to write, it's real. 0:43:03.560 --> 0:43:08.600 So it's not trying. I'm not trying to be commercial. 0:43:09.320 --> 0:43:14.000 I wanted to make something that could touch the world 0:43:14.880 --> 0:43:17.800 in a way that is real from a hip hop standpoint. 0:43:18.840 --> 0:43:23.000 So you know, I respected his stance. I respected, you know, 0:43:23.120 --> 0:43:25.480 my aunt And this is an interesting thing and I 0:43:25.560 --> 0:43:28.920 didn't know this when I did my DNA and at 0:43:28.960 --> 0:43:31.000 Harvard and they did all this stuff and she's still 0:43:31.000 --> 0:43:34.080 alive when we've talked. My aunt Joan, you know who 0:43:34.239 --> 0:43:36.080 I got reconnected with later in life. She was the 0:43:36.120 --> 0:43:37.120 first female black panther. 0:43:38.000 --> 0:43:38.280 Really. 0:43:38.480 --> 0:43:42.960 Yeah, my aunt Joan, Yeah, my aunt Joe from Oakland. 0:43:43.560 --> 0:43:47.640 She's from Oakland, Joan Lewis. My uncle was John Henry Lewis. 0:43:47.680 --> 0:43:49.879 He's a light heavyweight champion. He's in the Boxing Hall 0:43:49.920 --> 0:43:53.160 of Fame. He's first African American light heavyweight champ. But 0:43:53.239 --> 0:43:55.320 that whole side of my family has some very interesting 0:43:55.400 --> 0:43:58.320 people in me. She plays a violin. She you know, 0:43:58.520 --> 0:44:02.160 she's dope. And that that was, you know, something I 0:44:02.280 --> 0:44:05.120 learned and discovered. I thought that was quite fascinating, the 0:44:05.239 --> 0:44:06.920 huge thing. I thought a lot of the things he 0:44:07.080 --> 0:44:11.080 was trying to do were worthy of respect. Absolutely, so 0:44:11.560 --> 0:44:13.120 I wrote a song about it. I thought it was 0:44:13.680 --> 0:44:16.680 it was worth listening to. I think that, you know, 0:44:16.760 --> 0:44:18.520 as an artist, I would be cheating the world if 0:44:18.560 --> 0:44:19.640 I didn't write stuff that. 0:44:21.719 --> 0:44:24.239 Was came from my heart and soul. It's never to 0:44:24.360 --> 0:44:25.520 exclude anybody. I don't. 0:44:25.560 --> 0:44:27.440 I'm not even that. I'm not even built like that. 0:44:27.800 --> 0:44:30.360 I like everybody like I like people. I'm weird, like 0:44:30.440 --> 0:44:32.600 I don't have like all of them. You know, I 0:44:32.640 --> 0:44:36.520 don't judge people. I'm not judgmental. I don't, but I 0:44:36.719 --> 0:44:39.439 like so, I just wrote something that I thought people 0:44:39.440 --> 0:44:40.520 would find fascinating. 0:44:40.680 --> 0:44:42.759 But it clearly as a black man, that's always been 0:44:42.840 --> 0:44:44.440 in you. You talk about your you know aunt, who 0:44:44.520 --> 0:44:46.720 was the first black panther, So it's in your DNA. 0:44:46.840 --> 0:44:48.879 So when you used to hear Chuck d Rapp back 0:44:48.920 --> 0:44:50.680 in the day, did you have any of those that 0:44:50.760 --> 0:44:52.160 you did but maybe never put out? 0:44:52.239 --> 0:44:54.080 I did? I did? I did? 0:44:54.440 --> 0:44:54.799 I did? 0:44:56.880 --> 0:44:57.040 You know? 0:44:59.120 --> 0:45:02.360 I think I think creative courage it takes time to 0:45:02.400 --> 0:45:03.120 get to that place. 0:45:04.080 --> 0:45:06.200 You know, when you have choices, and. 0:45:07.680 --> 0:45:11.680 You know, quite frankly, you know, you know when you 0:45:11.840 --> 0:45:14.400 raised to be polite and when you raised with a 0:45:14.440 --> 0:45:17.040 certain type of manners, there's certain things you just don't 0:45:17.080 --> 0:45:19.840 say because you don't want to ruffle feathers. And I 0:45:19.880 --> 0:45:22.439 think that's a natural thing. Though that's not always about 0:45:22.560 --> 0:45:25.560 That's about how you're brought up. That's about upbringing. That's 0:45:25.640 --> 0:45:28.920 not really about like even commercial stuff. That's about upbringing. 0:45:29.360 --> 0:45:32.920 Like you look at Pocket, it's his upbringing that fuel 0:45:33.040 --> 0:45:35.839 that that creative music. It's your upbring So I wasn't 0:45:35.920 --> 0:45:38.279 really brought up in that kind of household, you know 0:45:38.320 --> 0:45:40.120 what I'm saying. I was brought up in a household 0:45:40.840 --> 0:45:44.279 Caribbean and southern, you know what I'm saying. Grandfather from Barbados, 0:45:44.640 --> 0:45:46.399 So it's a Caribbean influence in the house. 0:45:47.120 --> 0:45:49.240 Working a thousand jobs, washing. 0:45:49.120 --> 0:45:50.920 Your arms up to your elbows when you come in 0:45:51.080 --> 0:45:53.799 all that, you know, fixing your own car and shit. 0:45:53.840 --> 0:45:56.239 And then my grandmother from down south, so I was 0:45:56.320 --> 0:45:58.600 raised with that Southern Caribbean vibe in my house. 0:45:58.920 --> 0:46:02.759 So that just wasn't what we talked about. So I didn't. 0:46:02.880 --> 0:46:05.000 I wasn't as a kid coming up, That's not what 0:46:05.080 --> 0:46:05.640 I wrote about. 0:46:05.719 --> 0:46:07.839 But as you evolving, as you grow as a human being, 0:46:08.200 --> 0:46:11.080 and as you discover new things and new ship talk 0:46:11.120 --> 0:46:11.440 about it. 0:46:11.880 --> 0:46:13.680 Do you have a lot of unreleased music that you 0:46:13.800 --> 0:46:16.480 recorded in like, you know, your early years, and so 0:46:16.680 --> 0:46:17.840 why not? Why not put it up? 0:46:19.400 --> 0:46:19.719 I don't. 0:46:19.800 --> 0:46:21.520 I think I don't think there's anything wrong with that. 0:46:21.640 --> 0:46:23.080 But you know they'll have plenty of time to do 0:46:23.160 --> 0:46:23.960 all that, right, I don't. 0:46:24.120 --> 0:46:25.359 It's not for me here. 0:46:25.440 --> 0:46:29.440 You wait till you leave. Yeah, hell yeah. They hear 0:46:29.480 --> 0:46:33.880 that old ship, all that old ship. Yeah, I got 0:46:33.960 --> 0:46:37.799 the new old ship coming out. Wanna hear that old ship? 0:46:37.920 --> 0:46:38.080 Man? 0:46:38.440 --> 0:46:41.600 Trying to make some new ship. Let's get it popping, baby, 0:46:41.800 --> 0:46:44.000 what's happening man? Wanna hear that old ship? 0:46:44.120 --> 0:46:44.239 Man? 0:46:44.600 --> 0:46:45.919 I don't even care about that ship. 0:46:46.040 --> 0:46:46.600 Yeah. 0:46:46.840 --> 0:46:47.200 Whatever. 0:46:47.640 --> 0:46:50.560 These dudes, you know, like run around and you know 0:46:51.320 --> 0:46:53.040 there's dudes right now. I think they're gonna get away 0:46:53.080 --> 0:46:55.400 with the pro tools and all that. No, you're not mistake, 0:46:55.480 --> 0:46:59.120 gonna wear your ass out, man. Yeah, we come to 0:46:59.160 --> 0:47:01.560 get all that. I know you think you got it, 0:47:02.040 --> 0:47:04.600 you think you slick. You know, a couple of dudes 0:47:04.640 --> 0:47:06.480 put some sit up on its. I'm gonna tighten you 0:47:06.640 --> 0:47:09.040 up too. I got something for your ass too. You know, 0:47:09.239 --> 0:47:10.560 I know you think I forgot. 0:47:12.040 --> 0:47:14.880 You know, I think about I was talking about you 0:47:14.960 --> 0:47:18.720 in regard the Drake right because the way Drake doesn't 0:47:18.800 --> 0:47:21.560 back down from a rap challenge reminds me of ll 0:47:21.800 --> 0:47:24.719 couj because Drake makes the record for the ladies, but 0:47:24.760 --> 0:47:27.680 he's also not afraid to mix it up as an MC. 0:47:27.800 --> 0:47:29.480 And you had a lot of those back in the day. 0:47:29.560 --> 0:47:31.560 You had Ice Tea, you had Hamm, a cool modd. 0:47:32.200 --> 0:47:33.640 You know, you got it all of them onto the 0:47:33.680 --> 0:47:36.239 break of dawn. But what happened when you and Iced 0:47:36.239 --> 0:47:38.719 T finally bumped into each other at the Death Jam 0:47:38.800 --> 0:47:40.080 party on Bleak and bro. 0:47:43.920 --> 0:47:46.000 Man, Me and Ice Man, Me and Ice are cool man, 0:47:46.080 --> 0:47:46.640 you know what I'm saying. 0:47:46.719 --> 0:47:49.439 We bumped at each other, you know, talked a little 0:47:49.520 --> 0:47:51.279 talk and went back and forth for the low of 0:47:51.360 --> 0:47:54.880 this and that, but we cool like like I respect 0:47:54.960 --> 0:47:58.000 Ice like I really do. Ice is a you know 0:47:58.000 --> 0:48:00.879 what I'm saying. He's a smart dude. He's very clever, 0:48:01.160 --> 0:48:04.399 very smart. Like, you know what I'm saying. Like, listen, man, 0:48:04.480 --> 0:48:07.480 I had all kinds of runnings with all kinds of 0:48:07.560 --> 0:48:10.600 dudes over the years. You know what I'm saying. The 0:48:10.680 --> 0:48:15.239 bottom line is that it's always better to air on 0:48:15.320 --> 0:48:18.040 the side of civility, man, instead of putting yourself into 0:48:18.080 --> 0:48:19.520 some bullshit you don't want to get into. 0:48:19.800 --> 0:48:21.560 So me and Ice we ironed that out. Man. It 0:48:21.640 --> 0:48:24.480 wasn't no you know what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, that's 0:48:24.560 --> 0:48:25.759 funny though you brought that shit. 0:48:25.960 --> 0:48:27.680 I know, because I just always wonder how cool it 0:48:27.760 --> 0:48:30.799 heads prevailed. As you said, you you are a real 0:48:30.840 --> 0:48:32.960 figure who ran with real figures. Yeah, Ice Tea's a 0:48:33.000 --> 0:48:34.799 real figure who ran with real figures. But it never 0:48:34.880 --> 0:48:35.360 got to that. 0:48:36.040 --> 0:48:39.120 Level of yeah yeah, well I'll tell you why, because. 0:48:41.600 --> 0:48:43.160 You know, I've always been a guy that look to 0:48:43.200 --> 0:48:48.759 avoid problems because I know problems become real problems. And 0:48:48.880 --> 0:48:52.000 I know how I am, you know what I mean, Like, 0:48:52.160 --> 0:48:54.719 I don't look for problems, Bro, I don't you know 0:48:54.760 --> 0:48:56.880 what I'm saying, Like, I'm just really not built like that. 0:48:57.040 --> 0:49:00.080 I don't want the problems because I'm not fucked and 0:49:00.160 --> 0:49:01.960 playing with you, you know what I mean, Like, I 0:49:02.000 --> 0:49:03.560 don't so I don't want no problems. 0:49:04.120 --> 0:49:04.560 You know what I say. 0:49:04.600 --> 0:49:07.320 I'm saying I'd rather us be friends. You know what 0:49:07.360 --> 0:49:09.279 I mean, because you have to look at me. You 0:49:09.320 --> 0:49:10.239 gotta look at my career. 0:49:10.320 --> 0:49:10.400 Bro. 0:49:10.520 --> 0:49:12.520 If I put all my energy into a problem, do 0:49:12.560 --> 0:49:14.959 you know how crazy it would be? This world would 0:49:15.000 --> 0:49:17.399 be different if I was fucking on the other side 0:49:17.400 --> 0:49:20.640 of the fence, the whole world. So it's like, I 0:49:20.719 --> 0:49:23.200 don't even want to go there. You know what I'm saying. 0:49:23.239 --> 0:49:26.600 I want to keep things positive energy, no problem, no 0:49:26.719 --> 0:49:28.280 tough fake tough guy bullshit. 0:49:29.120 --> 0:49:32.799 Respect dudes. Give them love, give them on a see them, 0:49:32.880 --> 0:49:33.319 give them a. 0:49:33.400 --> 0:49:36.800 Dap, respect them behind their backs, respect them too, not 0:49:37.000 --> 0:49:37.760 just in their face. 0:49:38.280 --> 0:49:40.920 You know what I'm saying. And just keep it dead, 0:49:41.200 --> 0:49:42.800 you know what I'm saying. And it works for me. 0:49:42.880 --> 0:49:44.719 That's why I have a lot of friends and a 0:49:44.760 --> 0:49:47.160 lot of respect in the game. And there's very few people. 0:49:47.160 --> 0:49:49.279 There's only a few people that you know aren't in 0:49:49.360 --> 0:49:51.560 love with me, and I understand why. And you know, 0:49:51.920 --> 0:49:53.640 these things happen, you know what I'm saying. 0:49:53.719 --> 0:49:55.440 But I got good. 0:49:55.280 --> 0:49:58.560 Relationships because of that, So I'd rather keep it dead 0:49:58.600 --> 0:49:59.399 with it, you know what I'm saying. 0:50:00.040 --> 0:50:01.960 You say the rappers of the day, you know about 0:50:01.960 --> 0:50:04.239 the pitfalls of just beef and hip hop now now 0:50:04.320 --> 0:50:04.799 that times have. 0:50:05.280 --> 0:50:09.839 Changed, But I would say that, you know, I would 0:50:09.840 --> 0:50:11.919 say that when it's really when it's really just about 0:50:11.960 --> 0:50:14.400 the music and the bars, like, don't take it so personal, 0:50:14.520 --> 0:50:16.399 be like, why the fuck are you so butt hurt 0:50:16.520 --> 0:50:18.920 like that you want to like, you know, kill everything 0:50:19.040 --> 0:50:21.160 moving because somebody assaulted you on the way. I do 0:50:21.360 --> 0:50:23.880 get it, but you gotta control that, you know what 0:50:23.920 --> 0:50:25.759 I'm saying. It's not like you can't really judge them 0:50:25.800 --> 0:50:27.840 because I've been there, I know it. It could be upsetting. 0:50:27.960 --> 0:50:29.719 You know. You see a girl you in you know 0:50:29.840 --> 0:50:33.160 the record plays you wanna call your girl got you now? 0:50:33.200 --> 0:50:33.759 You want to fight? 0:50:34.120 --> 0:50:38.360 You know, or she might go you'd be like, yo, 0:50:38.480 --> 0:50:40.040 this is you know, and she kind kind of gives 0:50:40.040 --> 0:50:42.960 you the you know, you see that that little you 0:50:43.040 --> 0:50:45.480 know that you see her mouth do this ship that 0:50:45.600 --> 0:50:49.719 little shit You're like, now you gotta you know, like 0:50:49.800 --> 0:50:52.120 you know, you made Drake that not like us. Shit, 0:50:52.200 --> 0:50:55.799 that's torture for a buffer said little kids, saying that's 0:50:56.200 --> 0:50:59.120 you know, that's just bananas. Absolutely, you'd be fine, bro, 0:50:59.440 --> 0:51:01.640 you know what I mean, don't even trip. So my 0:51:01.719 --> 0:51:03.680 thing is like, that's what I'm saying. So like with 0:51:03.840 --> 0:51:06.400 the you just don't take it personal, you know what 0:51:06.400 --> 0:51:09.000 I mean. You can't be overly sensitive, you know what 0:51:09.040 --> 0:51:11.480 I'm saying. Is it true that you and. 0:51:11.640 --> 0:51:15.040 Jay Z once battled in a parking lot in Manhattan 0:51:15.239 --> 0:51:18.239 and you wrapped a verse from Funkadelic Relic and him 0:51:18.280 --> 0:51:19.440 and his team laughed at you. 0:51:20.200 --> 0:51:22.920 Okay, let's let's let's talk about it what it really is. 0:51:23.040 --> 0:51:24.759 First of all, it wasn't a I didn't rap a 0:51:24.880 --> 0:51:26.080 verse from Funkadelic Relic. 0:51:26.719 --> 0:51:33.959 Okay, that's the first fucking thing that the story it's bullshit, Okay, 0:51:34.080 --> 0:51:34.759 it's not true. 0:51:35.120 --> 0:51:38.600 What did happen though, is you know, I see you know, 0:51:39.440 --> 0:51:41.520 see guy you know Ei the club and then trying 0:51:41.560 --> 0:51:43.400 to you know, flash money to get my attention, and 0:51:43.440 --> 0:51:45.920 I'm looking okay, and then this man's sauce came up 0:51:45.960 --> 0:51:47.839 to me and was rapping. So I had a couple 0:51:47.840 --> 0:51:50.520 of rhymes. Remember I'm albums in there. You know these 0:51:50.560 --> 0:51:52.520 are guys that ain't had that deal. So when I 0:51:52.719 --> 0:51:54.360 have a deal, I had a suitcase and rhymes. Now 0:51:54.360 --> 0:51:57.640 I'm albums in saw I said some rhymes. I said 0:51:57.680 --> 0:52:00.319 a couple of rhymes. Then I said a little bit 0:52:00.400 --> 0:52:02.680 of a song. Ain't no stopping this a little bit? 0:52:03.000 --> 0:52:05.080 Then J came up wrapped, I was out of rhymes? 0:52:05.160 --> 0:52:09.040 Me in no, in no scenario that was I like 0:52:09.160 --> 0:52:10.719 fully loaded and ready to rhyme. 0:52:11.239 --> 0:52:11.879 You know what I'm saying. 0:52:13.320 --> 0:52:16.600 If I was, you know, I'm not exactly like you know, 0:52:16.719 --> 0:52:18.600 the first rapper that you really want to get into 0:52:18.640 --> 0:52:20.759 that ship? You know what I'm saying, Like I wasn't. 0:52:21.040 --> 0:52:24.439 I wasn't like, so, yes, did I run out of rhymes? 0:52:24.600 --> 0:52:25.560 Was I finished rapping? 0:52:25.719 --> 0:52:28.000 A fucking ltely? Was it was? I? 0:52:28.360 --> 0:52:28.640 Was it his? 0:52:28.960 --> 0:52:32.959 Was it their peanut Gallery? Absolutely? But do you really 0:52:33.040 --> 0:52:35.840 want to get into some some of that kind of 0:52:35.840 --> 0:52:38.640 shit with LLLL like you really want that? You know 0:52:38.680 --> 0:52:41.200 what I'm saying, Like, do do dudes really want the problems? 0:52:41.280 --> 0:52:42.680 Or is it just a nice story to have? 0:52:43.200 --> 0:52:45.320 It's like it's like you know, it's like like like 0:52:45.520 --> 0:52:47.600 like Floyd taking off the gloves, stepping out the ring 0:52:47.800 --> 0:52:50.040 and you shadow boxing in front of him, and I 0:52:50.200 --> 0:52:50.520 caught you. 0:52:50.800 --> 0:52:54.800 It's like, okay, okay, yeah you caught me. 0:52:55.600 --> 0:52:56.440 Yo, y'all caught me. 0:52:56.760 --> 0:52:58.759 Yeah, So you saw there was just one of those things. 0:52:58.800 --> 0:52:59.759 You just weren't as prepared as you. 0:53:00.000 --> 0:53:02.160 I wasn't prepared. I ran out of rhymes. They run 0:53:02.280 --> 0:53:04.239 up this morn You know, he been rapping on the 0:53:04.280 --> 0:53:05.320 corner for ten years. 0:53:05.680 --> 0:53:08.719 He got fucking a thousand rhymes. I ain't got none. 0:53:09.000 --> 0:53:10.880 I'm out of rhymes. He raps. 0:53:11.160 --> 0:53:14.160 Okay, congrats, you got that one. You got that one. 0:53:14.239 --> 0:53:16.439 But you know, if I was you, I just baked 0:53:16.480 --> 0:53:18.320 that one and just leave it at that, you know 0:53:18.320 --> 0:53:19.959 what I mean? Don't like drop nothing? 0:53:20.600 --> 0:53:22.839 Is that Where the whole jay Z and llll COO 0:53:22.920 --> 0:53:24.200 J got problems came from? 0:53:24.800 --> 0:53:26.840 I don't know. I couldn't even tell you, bro. 0:53:27.560 --> 0:53:29.920 There was another rumor that the song Lounging, Your song 0:53:30.000 --> 0:53:35.359 Lounging was about Hole. I mean because at the time 0:53:35.400 --> 0:53:38.600 he was known for the Lexus and you was looking 0:53:38.640 --> 0:53:42.360 at me. He was known for the Lexus and he got. 0:53:42.280 --> 0:53:44.720 Stocking fucking Lexus, I can't rap about a Lexus. 0:53:45.000 --> 0:53:50.120 My nigga got stocking Lexus. Hey, I can't mention it Lexuss. Fuck, 0:53:50.680 --> 0:53:53.200 let's go on. What are we doing here? Like how 0:53:53.520 --> 0:53:54.040 personally are. 0:53:53.960 --> 0:53:54.799 We gonna take this ship? 0:53:54.880 --> 0:53:54.960 Bro? 0:53:55.239 --> 0:53:55.279 Like? 0:53:55.400 --> 0:53:57.000 But with any of those balls about. 0:53:56.840 --> 0:54:03.840 Jay No, Like look, okay, So I'll tell you to 0:54:03.880 --> 0:54:06.600 you like this, if a dude makes a song, right, 0:54:06.920 --> 0:54:11.800 and I make a contrary a contrasting idea about a 0:54:11.920 --> 0:54:16.080 similar like in other words, if you say, yo, yo baby, 0:54:16.120 --> 0:54:19.160 I'm coming upstairs to see you, right, and then I'm like, yo, 0:54:19.960 --> 0:54:23.239 if I if I said something like if that inspired me, right, 0:54:23.480 --> 0:54:27.560 and I'm like, you know what, let him come upstairs, 0:54:27.560 --> 0:54:29.320 I'm gonna going around the side or some shit like that. 0:54:29.760 --> 0:54:31.319 That's not a disrespect bro. 0:54:32.160 --> 0:54:35.880 Had you had a song, it had some cool ideas, 0:54:35.920 --> 0:54:39.120 and it I just as an artist, was inspired and 0:54:39.239 --> 0:54:44.719 made some contrasting you know, a contrasting statement about what 0:54:44.880 --> 0:54:46.800 you were kind of saying in a contra like the 0:54:46.920 --> 0:54:50.000 contrast of it. It wasn't like I don't even know you, 0:54:50.200 --> 0:54:52.919 don't I don't know you from a hole in the wall, 0:54:53.160 --> 0:54:55.959 like at all. I have not like what what could 0:54:56.000 --> 0:54:59.520 I possibly want from him in nineties, Like, let's think 0:54:59.520 --> 0:55:00.719 about Night ninety six. 0:55:00.880 --> 0:55:01.839 What do I want with him? 0:55:01.920 --> 0:55:02.680 Yeah, he's brand new? 0:55:03.040 --> 0:55:06.080 What could I possibly want? And so all I did 0:55:06.280 --> 0:55:07.480 was there were songs out. 0:55:07.600 --> 0:55:11.400 I've made some contrasting statements based. 0:55:11.160 --> 0:55:14.520 On his song and my song like that. There wasn't 0:55:14.560 --> 0:55:18.080 no disrespect. But again that goes back to that sensitivity. 0:55:18.160 --> 0:55:19.719 Be dudes, be sensitive. 0:55:19.800 --> 0:55:23.640 Man. It's like, dude, like, don't assume the worst? Why 0:55:23.680 --> 0:55:28.000 are you assuming the worst? Why not assume the best? 0:55:28.160 --> 0:55:32.640 Why not say yo, yo, let's fuck with something like 0:55:32.760 --> 0:55:35.080 why does it have to be I'm dissing you? Like 0:55:35.160 --> 0:55:37.360 I wasn't dissing that, man. I hain't no reason to 0:55:37.440 --> 0:55:40.080 dism like for what. Even to today, I don't want 0:55:40.080 --> 0:55:42.560 to disshome for what. I don't want nothing from him, 0:55:42.640 --> 0:55:44.839 I don't need nothing from him. I'm not looking for nothing. 0:55:44.840 --> 0:55:45.880 But I don't have any problems. 0:55:46.440 --> 0:55:50.200 Like you know, there is that infamous picure of you 0:55:50.280 --> 0:55:52.400 at the awards. You're looking at him when you sizing 0:55:52.440 --> 0:55:55.800 them up, like yo, I got the rhymes right now now. 0:55:56.600 --> 0:55:58.440 Now, what it probably is is he was looking at 0:55:58.480 --> 0:56:01.160 that like at me like that when they caught the shot. 0:56:01.760 --> 0:56:04.000 You know, that's like that's like the teacher I got 0:56:04.040 --> 0:56:06.279 you last. It's like a motherfucker look at you, and 0:56:06.320 --> 0:56:08.040 then you look at him, and then the teacher get 0:56:08.080 --> 0:56:10.440 out of my classroom. You know, it's like I just 0:56:10.520 --> 0:56:11.640 got the I got caught. 0:56:11.760 --> 0:56:11.880 You know. 0:56:12.160 --> 0:56:14.120 You know Pick, I'm talking know exactly what you're talking about. 0:56:14.160 --> 0:56:15.800 Do you remember what you were thinking about in that 0:56:15.880 --> 0:56:19.080 moment exactly? Yeah, I was probably thinking small fucking get 0:56:19.120 --> 0:56:21.160 on my nerves. He's looking at me all crazy, but 0:56:21.280 --> 0:56:23.520 some shit like that, smart fucking get on my nerves. Man, 0:56:23.560 --> 0:56:25.800 we get a smart fucking and then like a friendly competition, 0:56:25.920 --> 0:56:27.279 because you know, I even think about it had to 0:56:27.320 --> 0:56:29.600 be kind of difficult when he became president of the 0:56:29.640 --> 0:56:30.880 Death Jam because now he's. 0:56:31.000 --> 0:56:33.920 Wasn't difficult at all. We had a meeting, wasn't difficult. 0:56:34.160 --> 0:56:36.640 Only thing difficult is or promote my ship. I don't 0:56:36.680 --> 0:56:40.320 get like, you know, people funny with that, because like 0:56:40.440 --> 0:56:42.520 you have people that all say, like, yo, hell, that's 0:56:42.600 --> 0:56:44.399 crazy when they gave this guy a job. But first 0:56:44.400 --> 0:56:45.880 of all, I don't like talking about people like this. 0:56:46.160 --> 0:56:48.520 This is ridiculous, But I just do it because everybody's 0:56:48.560 --> 0:56:50.960 going to be already around. We already viral any fucking 0:56:51.000 --> 0:56:55.799 with so I'm as well finish. So listen, I'm gonna 0:56:55.840 --> 0:56:58.759 use it of some Some people who are familiar with 0:56:58.840 --> 0:57:01.680 this will understand it. When Michael Jackson was on Motown, 0:57:01.760 --> 0:57:04.800 he never wanted to be the president, Bro, I didn't 0:57:04.800 --> 0:57:06.560 never want to be no president in the death jam 0:57:06.719 --> 0:57:07.000 or do. 0:57:07.120 --> 0:57:10.320 No, I didn't want a job fucking mc fuck. I 0:57:10.360 --> 0:57:12.439 ain't a couple of people, Yo Russell, give me a job. 0:57:12.640 --> 0:57:13.640 That's not what I was in it for. 0:57:14.080 --> 0:57:16.320 So No, I didn't and I didn't have begrudge him. 0:57:16.560 --> 0:57:19.400 He had. People have different things that they want to accomplish. 0:57:19.880 --> 0:57:20.720 I celebrate that. 0:57:21.400 --> 0:57:25.080 I'm happy for him, like seriously, sincerely, Like I'm happy 0:57:25.120 --> 0:57:27.480 for homie, Like I'm happy that he's doing what he's doing. 0:57:27.480 --> 0:57:30.200 I'm happy that. Like, even when that happened, I. 0:57:30.160 --> 0:57:32.080 Didn't have any issue because I had no reason to 0:57:32.120 --> 0:57:34.560 think that it would be anything negative. And if anything, 0:57:34.880 --> 0:57:37.800 you have somebody that understands what you do and what 0:57:37.920 --> 0:57:39.960 you go through as an artist who's been through some things. 0:57:40.040 --> 0:57:42.320 So nah, I didn't feel no kind of way. You know, 0:57:42.440 --> 0:57:44.760 we met and stuff. I don't really know what that 0:57:44.920 --> 0:57:48.640 dynamic is about. I really don't like I really don't 0:57:48.680 --> 0:57:49.200 know what it's about. 0:57:49.200 --> 0:57:51.480 When y'all meant to talk about, you know, the album 0:57:51.520 --> 0:57:53.920 or whatever, did y'all have good conversations, y'all bring all 0:57:54.000 --> 0:57:55.240 of this to the forefront. 0:57:55.280 --> 0:57:57.480 Yea, it was not. We didn't we never you know, 0:57:57.720 --> 0:57:59.840 sometimes you're right. Sometimes you got to give the elephant 0:58:00.080 --> 0:58:00.880 rooms some peanuts. 0:58:01.360 --> 0:58:03.280 You know what I'm saying. We didn't really address it. No, 0:58:03.360 --> 0:58:05.080 we didn't. We didn't. We didn't really address it. 0:58:05.160 --> 0:58:09.800 But I can tell you this, I sincerely I like 0:58:09.880 --> 0:58:11.760 his music. I don't have no issues with them. You 0:58:11.800 --> 0:58:13.640 know what I'm saying, Like it is what it is. 0:58:13.840 --> 0:58:17.600 You know what I'm saying, Like I'm not. I'm not 0:58:18.520 --> 0:58:21.880 you know, you know I'm I'm I'm in LL mode. 0:58:21.920 --> 0:58:23.360 Man. Think about LL cool J. 0:58:23.480 --> 0:58:24.880 When I look at y'all and hip hop, I look 0:58:24.880 --> 0:58:26.920 at you as Magic Johnson, I look at I look 0:58:26.920 --> 0:58:29.160 at him as Michael Jordan. But you don't get no 0:58:29.280 --> 0:58:30.840 Jordan without Magic. 0:58:31.120 --> 0:58:32.560 I mean that's one way of looking at them. 0:58:32.600 --> 0:58:36.440 Like Magic is literally the top five of all time easily. 0:58:36.840 --> 0:58:39.960 You know maybe you know maybe, but you know, I 0:58:40.000 --> 0:58:41.960 guess the move. The movie credits ain't roll yet, so 0:58:42.040 --> 0:58:44.160 we got to see how that how it works out? Yeah? 0:58:45.000 --> 0:58:45.480 You know what I mean? 0:58:45.760 --> 0:58:49.040 Would you be open to a friendly a friendly spar 0:58:49.520 --> 0:58:52.800 what kind of lyrical lyrical damn l lyrics? 0:58:56.840 --> 0:58:58.600 Did I get excited? Like? 0:59:00.040 --> 0:59:01.479 What was far you're talking about? 0:59:05.480 --> 0:59:06.960 Cause you know you remember at the Hall of Fame. 0:59:07.160 --> 0:59:08.560 I don't know what it was, the Hall of Fame 0:59:08.560 --> 0:59:10.280 of the seventy Maybe was just when they did the 0:59:10.320 --> 0:59:13.440 seventy five NBA inductions and Jordan saw Magic. You're like, 0:59:13.440 --> 0:59:14.080 I crossed you up. 0:59:14.600 --> 0:59:21.840 We can get at it right now, yo, listen man, Yeah, 0:59:22.400 --> 0:59:25.920 I mean, you know, hey, I'm bad. You want to 0:59:26.000 --> 0:59:28.280 know Broka, you know what I'm saying, Like, okay, okay, 0:59:29.160 --> 0:59:31.760 you know I wouldn't you know, I would say, let's 0:59:31.800 --> 0:59:32.800 just all stay focused. 0:59:32.920 --> 0:59:35.439 You know they don't know. Let's just stay focused, baby, 0:59:35.440 --> 0:59:36.320 don't get distracted. 0:59:37.480 --> 0:59:39.840 You're getting it now. Just leave it alone, just win, Just. 0:59:39.920 --> 0:59:41.000 Do your thing, you know what I'm saying. 0:59:41.480 --> 0:59:44.040 Whatever whatever happened to the e love the brother that 0:59:44.280 --> 0:59:47.160 carried your radio now ear was he's in I think 0:59:47.200 --> 0:59:47.800 he's in Cali. 0:59:48.000 --> 0:59:50.640 You know what I'm saying. I'm not sure what he's doing. 0:59:51.240 --> 0:59:52.760 We talk occasionally. I had him at the Rock and 0:59:52.840 --> 0:59:55.120 Roll Hall of Fame. That was a good vibe, you 0:59:55.160 --> 0:59:57.120 know what I'm saying. So you know, good ship. 0:59:57.200 --> 1:00:01.480 He was a public enemy logo, right, absolutely, yeah, yeah. 1:00:01.440 --> 1:00:03.360 He loved my hype man. That's the public enemy logo. 1:00:03.440 --> 1:00:07.000 He had had the the bullseye on him and all 1:00:07.040 --> 1:00:11.200 at the school. Yeah, that's funny, right, A lot of history. 1:00:10.920 --> 1:00:13.600 Bro, correct me if I'm wrong on this too, because 1:00:13.960 --> 1:00:17.400 you and DJ Scratch y'all made a classic record and 1:00:17.600 --> 1:00:18.520 go and the Goat album. 1:00:18.560 --> 1:00:19.840 We did most he did most of the gold. He 1:00:19.880 --> 1:00:21.320 did most of a lot of it. Yeah, a lot, 1:00:21.440 --> 1:00:22.280 not all of it, a lot of it. 1:00:22.560 --> 1:00:24.240 Why haven't y'all connected more on production? 1:00:25.160 --> 1:00:27.520 Just just time and and going through things like that 1:00:27.600 --> 1:00:30.680 whole acronym. Like first of all, like I didn't even 1:00:30.760 --> 1:00:34.080 know when I you know, when we came, when I 1:00:34.160 --> 1:00:37.520 came with that, with that album, that it was going 1:00:37.600 --> 1:00:40.680 to turn the Goat into everything it became then, Like 1:00:40.760 --> 1:00:42.520 most people don't even know I came up with that ship. 1:00:43.640 --> 1:00:45.800 That's crazy, Like most people do not even know. Yo, 1:00:45.880 --> 1:00:47.720 this guy really came up with the Goat, that whole 1:00:47.800 --> 1:00:52.720 concept of being the Goat and went every area of culture. 1:00:52.800 --> 1:00:55.479 Yeah yeah, so like that's just you know, you're welcome again. 1:00:55.560 --> 1:00:57.600 Fuck you know what I mean, y'all welcome, you know, 1:00:57.720 --> 1:01:00.080 But it was and I got it from Ah, and 1:01:00.160 --> 1:01:01.800 I leave saying he was the greatest of all times 1:01:01.840 --> 1:01:04.040 in Earl of Manigat. You know what I'm saying, because 1:01:04.040 --> 1:01:06.000 me and Bimmy used to about Earl of Manigat being 1:01:06.040 --> 1:01:08.320 a goat and all that with gold, right, and then 1:01:08.360 --> 1:01:10.919 I may goat g a t greatest of all times 1:01:10.960 --> 1:01:13.960 of acronym, and it just kind of bled into society, 1:01:14.080 --> 1:01:15.240 became this global thing. 1:01:15.560 --> 1:01:18.280 And you often get left out of conversations for an 1:01:18.320 --> 1:01:20.320 acronym that you created. 1:01:20.720 --> 1:01:22.800 Right, But I'm in it if they use an acronym, 1:01:23.280 --> 1:01:26.040 yeah right, like like so every time you see somebody 1:01:26.160 --> 1:01:29.360 use that goat the emoji, or they called Tom Brady 1:01:29.440 --> 1:01:31.440 the gold, or they called Jordan the gold, or they 1:01:31.560 --> 1:01:36.000 call Floyd or Ali or whoever the goat, I'm right there, 1:01:36.600 --> 1:01:39.240 which is crazy for me because I know I created it. 1:01:39.480 --> 1:01:41.680 So it's like I'm looking at it like, oh shit, man, 1:01:42.200 --> 1:01:45.080 there's another one. Oh Michael Phelps' is a goat. Oh okay, 1:01:46.160 --> 1:01:47.080 well done, young man. 1:01:47.720 --> 1:01:50.479 You know I got a few more questions I was reading, 1:01:50.520 --> 1:01:53.640 WILLI Smith's book, and he talks about going broke after 1:01:53.720 --> 1:01:56.600 having success in music early on. Did you ever have 1:01:56.640 --> 1:01:57.560 any of those issues. 1:01:57.640 --> 1:01:59.720 I've had moments in my life where you know, I 1:02:00.160 --> 1:02:01.960 taxes or had to do things, but no, I've never 1:02:02.080 --> 1:02:07.880 been in that position. I also, you know, I'm a 1:02:07.920 --> 1:02:10.600 big believe I paid my tithes, you know what I'm saying. So, 1:02:10.840 --> 1:02:12.800 you know, whatever I get, I get ten percent of God. 1:02:12.840 --> 1:02:13.400 You know what I'm saying. 1:02:14.160 --> 1:02:16.120 You know, I you know, I lived my life kind 1:02:16.160 --> 1:02:19.560 of based on certain codes. I'm not. 1:02:20.000 --> 1:02:25.640 You know, I've never been big on either overspending or oversaving. 1:02:26.520 --> 1:02:27.880 I just kind of let my life flow. 1:02:28.040 --> 1:02:28.400 That's why. 1:02:28.520 --> 1:02:28.680 You know. 1:02:28.800 --> 1:02:31.440 I can get whatever I want whenever I want it, 1:02:31.560 --> 1:02:32.720 and I'm pretty good. 1:02:32.760 --> 1:02:35.520 I'm good with that, actually, very good with that. Yeah, 1:02:36.040 --> 1:02:36.760 you know, so I'm cool. 1:02:37.040 --> 1:02:39.160 Who taught you the business? If anybody. 1:02:40.360 --> 1:02:43.760 Trial and error or trialing ever? You know, man like 1:02:44.560 --> 1:02:46.920 you learned like you just learned to like. I remember 1:02:46.960 --> 1:02:51.760 one time I gave my mother eight thousand dollars to 1:02:51.800 --> 1:02:54.960 hold for me, and then I got a check for 1:02:55.880 --> 1:02:57.000 fifty grand or something like that. 1:02:57.640 --> 1:02:58.760 It was a little I was a little kid. I 1:02:58.800 --> 1:03:01.800 was maybe sixteen seventeen sixteen something like that. 1:03:02.360 --> 1:03:05.880 And I remember Dan even wrapping that long. Oh yeah, 1:03:05.880 --> 1:03:07.480 you wrap money for that long? 1:03:08.000 --> 1:03:11.440 Yeah, yeah, No, No, it's crazy because I've been a 1:03:11.640 --> 1:03:14.200 fan since eight nine. I started writing at eleven or twelve. 1:03:14.440 --> 1:03:16.760 I've been doing this my whole life, right for real. 1:03:17.400 --> 1:03:22.680 So and I watched that fifty grand God and that 1:03:22.800 --> 1:03:23.720 eight just stayed there. 1:03:24.000 --> 1:03:25.880 I was like, Okay, let's see how this shit goes. 1:03:26.840 --> 1:03:27.880 Like I learned that right there. 1:03:28.000 --> 1:03:30.920 You just want to save money, save enough always, you know, 1:03:31.040 --> 1:03:31.920 get to make sure you can. 1:03:32.000 --> 1:03:37.560 You know, you know, you got you know what I mean, Stucky. 1:03:37.880 --> 1:03:39.400 Who are the people in your life that just kept 1:03:39.400 --> 1:03:41.560 you stables as a human because, like you said, you 1:03:41.640 --> 1:03:44.600 started when you were sixteen years old, so you had 1:03:44.920 --> 1:03:47.320 the industry, you had the streets, like, you had every 1:03:47.400 --> 1:03:50.520 single pitfall that could have happened in front of you. 1:03:50.880 --> 1:03:53.200 But your grew to still be the man that we 1:03:53.320 --> 1:03:53.880 see in today. 1:03:54.880 --> 1:03:56.840 And you know, my mother, you know, like my mother 1:03:56.880 --> 1:03:58.760 would get me, like she give me a book with 1:03:58.800 --> 1:04:01.320 a whole bunch of drug addicts and it with heroin addicts, 1:04:01.440 --> 1:04:04.160 fingers all hands, all blown up sauce. She'd be like, Tod, 1:04:04.360 --> 1:04:07.280 look at this and I'll be looking at it. She'd 1:04:07.280 --> 1:04:09.200 be like, you know people that do that, they don't 1:04:09.200 --> 1:04:12.680 have long careers. I'm like, oh, that messed my career. Interesting, 1:04:13.120 --> 1:04:14.880 you know what I mean. And then my grandmother, you 1:04:14.920 --> 1:04:17.960 know what I'm saying, because it was like initially, you know, 1:04:18.080 --> 1:04:20.560 coming up, I was raised Catholic. I wasn't even raised 1:04:20.920 --> 1:04:22.960 in like the traditional Black church as we know it. 1:04:23.040 --> 1:04:25.680 I was raised Catholic and then ended up getting into 1:04:26.200 --> 1:04:29.800 the more Bible based church faith based churches later, but 1:04:30.240 --> 1:04:33.480 so so it was you know, all that that Catholicism, man, 1:04:33.520 --> 1:04:36.680 that'll get you like that to have you like being 1:04:36.760 --> 1:04:39.640 real cautious man, like everything's naughty and all that. 1:04:40.040 --> 1:04:43.160 So it was like you just learned to like watch 1:04:43.200 --> 1:04:44.600 your step, you know what I'm saying. 1:04:44.680 --> 1:04:47.600 And you know, like. 1:04:49.360 --> 1:04:52.400 I always like I tell you man, like like I 1:04:52.520 --> 1:04:54.280 remember one time I was talking to my man, right 1:04:54.720 --> 1:04:56.800 and we was talking about hustling. He was like, well, 1:04:56.840 --> 1:04:57.920 why don'd you come hustle with me? 1:04:58.600 --> 1:04:59.160 You know what I'm saying. 1:04:59.160 --> 1:05:00.800 And this is before I went up town and everything, 1:05:01.280 --> 1:05:02.800 And I was like, nah, I don't want to do it. 1:05:02.880 --> 1:05:05.800 He's like why, I said, because I want to be 1:05:05.840 --> 1:05:09.640 the best. So he said, so what's the problem. I said, well, 1:05:10.480 --> 1:05:18.600 not to kill people. So that's the like. So in 1:05:18.640 --> 1:05:23.160 other words, what I'm saying is when you think about things, 1:05:23.200 --> 1:05:24.840 when you do things, you have to think about things. 1:05:25.640 --> 1:05:27.000 You know what I'm saying, Like, you have to really 1:05:27.080 --> 1:05:29.000 do the knowledge on what it is you're analyzing and 1:05:29.040 --> 1:05:31.760 what you consider it and whether or not you will 1:05:31.840 --> 1:05:33.480 And I just say be perfect. I didn't say none 1:05:33.480 --> 1:05:36.760 of that. I just said you have to consider what 1:05:36.880 --> 1:05:38.480 you're doing and if you if it's worth it to 1:05:38.560 --> 1:05:43.080 you based on what it is. So that's how so 1:05:43.280 --> 1:05:46.320 I had a little fun, but like, to be honest 1:05:46.360 --> 1:05:47.640 with you, with the drugs and all that, like, I 1:05:47.720 --> 1:05:49.480 don't like my brain feeling like I ain't got no 1:05:49.560 --> 1:05:52.280 breaks on it and shit, I don't like that feeling 1:05:52.560 --> 1:05:54.080 like I don't like walking in the room. I don't 1:05:54.080 --> 1:05:56.840 know what the fuck's going on. I'm all like, you know, 1:05:57.320 --> 1:05:59.320 I don't like that feeling. That's why I don't be 1:05:59.440 --> 1:06:01.560 drinking and smoking and getting high and all that. 1:06:01.720 --> 1:06:03.120 I never did because of that. 1:06:03.160 --> 1:06:05.880 I've tried everything, I've tried shit, but I'm never That's 1:06:05.960 --> 1:06:07.880 why I don't like that feeling. 1:06:07.960 --> 1:06:09.400 You know what, I'm saying, I like to have my 1:06:09.480 --> 1:06:10.120 wits about me. 1:06:10.320 --> 1:06:12.760 So that's been your key to aging gracefully in the industry, 1:06:12.800 --> 1:06:15.280 because you know, a lot of the icons we grew 1:06:15.400 --> 1:06:18.680 to knowing love they not landing with their planes with 1:06:19.000 --> 1:06:20.400 the wheels out, you know what I mean, a lot 1:06:20.440 --> 1:06:22.160 of them planes landing in the wheels not coming out. 1:06:23.200 --> 1:06:27.200 Motherfucker. Yeah, the motherfucker's landing on flat time exactly. Roller 1:06:27.280 --> 1:06:28.480 skate one, roller. 1:06:28.280 --> 1:06:32.320 Skate on the seven forty seventh yo. Yeah, just not 1:06:32.440 --> 1:06:34.840 getting high and all that. Man, Like, take care of yourself, beat. 1:06:35.080 --> 1:06:37.640 I like to get in the gym, workout train, you 1:06:37.680 --> 1:06:39.959 know what I'm saying. I like to read this shit, 1:06:40.480 --> 1:06:42.120 you know what I mean, Like, I don't be sitting 1:06:42.120 --> 1:06:43.960 around high on motherfucking day. 1:06:44.040 --> 1:06:44.920 Man, Like, what are we doing? 1:06:45.000 --> 1:06:45.160 Man? 1:06:45.440 --> 1:06:46.160 What's that about? 1:06:48.000 --> 1:06:50.080 For me? I'm not Look, people could do what they 1:06:50.160 --> 1:06:52.120 want and I got homies that do that and it's 1:06:52.120 --> 1:06:52.440 all good. 1:06:52.480 --> 1:06:53.400 I ain't got no problem with it. 1:06:53.480 --> 1:06:56.840 You know, that's you, you know, But no, you know, 1:06:57.120 --> 1:06:58.240 like I said, you know, we're seeing a lot of 1:06:58.280 --> 1:07:01.080 people fall from grace, you know, for things that they 1:07:01.160 --> 1:07:03.840 did decades ago. Do you think that you know, landing 1:07:03.920 --> 1:07:06.280 with your wheels out has to be a decision and 1:07:06.360 --> 1:07:08.560 a mindset that you got to be committed to from 1:07:08.880 --> 1:07:09.240 day one. 1:07:10.200 --> 1:07:11.960 Well, you got to put yourself in the best position 1:07:12.040 --> 1:07:12.880 to do that right. 1:07:13.200 --> 1:07:15.560 Sometimes you can get lucky, sometimes things just work out, 1:07:16.160 --> 1:07:18.680 but you know it's better to be you know, prepared 1:07:18.720 --> 1:07:21.040 to land is plan your landing and then if. 1:07:20.920 --> 1:07:22.280 You got to switch it up, you switch it up. 1:07:22.280 --> 1:07:22.440 You know. 1:07:22.720 --> 1:07:27.120 It's like it's a saying, right, all plans are useless, 1:07:27.160 --> 1:07:30.720 but planning is essential, you know what I'm saying. So 1:07:30.800 --> 1:07:34.000 it's like, if you got a plan, it ain't gonna 1:07:34.040 --> 1:07:35.520 go as planned. But if you got a plan, then 1:07:35.520 --> 1:07:37.440 you got a place to pivot from, you know what 1:07:37.440 --> 1:07:40.360 I mean. It's like having a map. If you got 1:07:40.440 --> 1:07:43.000 a map, you know, and your plan is to go 1:07:43.120 --> 1:07:45.160 that way, even if you got to switch, you got 1:07:45.280 --> 1:07:45.840 a map. 1:07:47.680 --> 1:07:48.440 So you can go that way. 1:07:48.520 --> 1:07:52.400 Makes sense? That makes sense. You know. Last year was 1:07:52.600 --> 1:07:55.680 the fiftieth anniversary of hip hop. This year is the 1:07:55.880 --> 1:07:59.000 fortieth anniversary of Death Jam and. 1:07:59.120 --> 1:08:01.560 Me right the first artist. 1:08:01.640 --> 1:08:06.040 So you know, with all the controversies surrounding Russell Simmons, 1:08:06.440 --> 1:08:10.080 does that impact how these things can be properly celebrated? 1:08:10.120 --> 1:08:12.439 How these stories can be properly told. 1:08:13.000 --> 1:08:14.640 I don't think so, because I don't think one thing 1:08:14.720 --> 1:08:16.720 has nothing to do with the other one. You know, 1:08:17.040 --> 1:08:24.120 if we found out that Galileo was doing some crazy shit, 1:08:24.160 --> 1:08:29.680 should we do away with astronomy and telescopes and shit? Like, 1:08:29.760 --> 1:08:31.439 if we found out that, I don't know. 1:08:31.479 --> 1:08:33.599 You name it, you still got to tell the story. 1:08:33.640 --> 1:08:38.760 I mean like it's just like like like it's really 1:08:38.880 --> 1:08:41.120 kind of like people like. Look, first of all, I 1:08:41.200 --> 1:08:43.720 don't like to judge people because I wasn't there. 1:08:43.960 --> 1:08:46.000 That's the first thing. I also don't be little. 1:08:46.040 --> 1:08:48.479 I don't try to never make light of anything that 1:08:48.560 --> 1:08:50.720 anybody's been through in terms of victims that I'm not 1:08:50.840 --> 1:08:51.360 with that either. 1:08:51.439 --> 1:08:52.360 I don't play the games. 1:08:52.800 --> 1:08:57.719 What I will say is, you're living in let's say, whoever, 1:08:57.800 --> 1:09:01.360 you're living in an apartment building and you found out 1:09:01.400 --> 1:09:03.680 that the builder of that apartment building had did some 1:09:03.840 --> 1:09:06.840 really really bad things. Should you break your lease and 1:09:06.960 --> 1:09:13.120 move out? Should we demolish that building and redo it? 1:09:13.680 --> 1:09:15.280 Have somebody a perfect hand building. 1:09:15.640 --> 1:09:16.080 I don't know. 1:09:16.720 --> 1:09:20.120 I don't even know the answer, But what I say 1:09:20.160 --> 1:09:21.880 to people is you got to look at these. 1:09:21.800 --> 1:09:24.559 Things when you think about stuff. One thing is one thing, 1:09:24.800 --> 1:09:26.720 this is another, you know what I mean. 1:09:28.000 --> 1:09:29.799 And even if you remove the person out of the building, 1:09:30.080 --> 1:09:31.960 you still have to tell the story of the person 1:09:32.040 --> 1:09:33.320 building that building. 1:09:33.760 --> 1:09:35.640 But you still tell the story of the building. So 1:09:35.760 --> 1:09:41.280 it's like, yeah, let's take history, world history for example. 1:09:43.120 --> 1:09:44.960 It's probably been a couple of people that have done 1:09:45.000 --> 1:09:48.720 some good things and bad things. So do we eliminate 1:09:48.840 --> 1:09:52.280 all of the good because of the bad? Do we 1:09:52.439 --> 1:09:54.599 throw away the good because of the bad deed? 1:09:55.520 --> 1:09:56.280 That's the question. 1:09:58.160 --> 1:10:00.920 We live in a country that was built on bad deed, I'm. 1:10:00.840 --> 1:10:03.720 Saying, so do we like like like, like are you 1:10:04.200 --> 1:10:07.519 are you prepared to give up your passport because of 1:10:08.040 --> 1:10:10.280 what was done to the indigenous people in this country? 1:10:12.240 --> 1:10:14.720 Right like this, you gotta look, you gotta be real 1:10:15.080 --> 1:10:16.439 and I'm not and it ain't none of it good. 1:10:16.560 --> 1:10:19.080 Like I'm not saying don't make light of it by 1:10:19.200 --> 1:10:21.439 no means, I'm not on that bullshit, But I'm just saying, like, 1:10:21.760 --> 1:10:22.719 we gotta be realistic. 1:10:22.840 --> 1:10:26.360 Man, the dude built you know, he put together this company. 1:10:26.640 --> 1:10:29.680 He did so even if he's not celebrated, you still 1:10:29.680 --> 1:10:30.160 got to tell. 1:10:30.040 --> 1:10:32.200 You, yeah, you may not celebrate his actions in that 1:10:32.320 --> 1:10:34.439 particular area. But you can't say that he didn't do 1:10:34.560 --> 1:10:38.760 something right, right. I'm just saying like, it's no way 1:10:38.840 --> 1:10:42.280 around that, because if not, we have to erase all 1:10:42.360 --> 1:10:47.360 of world's history because to find a perfect person that 1:10:47.520 --> 1:10:50.799 did good things and nothing bad? Does that even exist? 1:10:51.520 --> 1:10:54.960 Does it exist in your household? What was grandma doing? 1:10:55.640 --> 1:10:59.920 Was grandma freaking off? Was grandma freaking off? 1:11:00.160 --> 1:11:00.479 Speak? 1:11:01.360 --> 1:11:04.760 Should we never did grandma illegally take money and do 1:11:05.320 --> 1:11:08.679 the nasty nasty and take some money back in the sixties, 1:11:09.000 --> 1:11:12.080 and now she making Thanksgiving? And we are we fouled 1:11:12.160 --> 1:11:15.120 for eating this stuff? And right now because Grandma shot 1:11:15.240 --> 1:11:17.840 bucking the ass with the twenty two round the corner. 1:11:19.479 --> 1:11:19.880 I don't know. 1:11:21.360 --> 1:11:23.360 I'm sure those conversations that came up for you though, 1:11:23.400 --> 1:11:25.519 right like people have asked like are you gonna have 1:11:25.680 --> 1:11:26.000 him here? 1:11:26.320 --> 1:11:28.800 No, Honestly, nobody is really asked, And I'm glad you 1:11:28.880 --> 1:11:32.920 did ask because I just think that none of us 1:11:32.960 --> 1:11:36.960 are perfect, right, and none of us should make light 1:11:37.040 --> 1:11:38.880 of any victim and anything they go through. 1:11:39.160 --> 1:11:43.800 Ever, we have to look at the world and things 1:11:43.920 --> 1:11:45.000 on a case by case. 1:11:44.880 --> 1:11:46.840 Basis, because if you're not gonna look at it on 1:11:46.880 --> 1:11:48.400 a case ba case by case basis. 1:11:48.479 --> 1:11:51.040 I don't know what we're gonna do because nobody gonna 1:11:51.080 --> 1:11:51.400 do shit. 1:11:52.680 --> 1:11:55.840 Because if everybody had a goddamn you know, a Wikipedia 1:11:56.680 --> 1:11:58.600 on a TV screen above their head with all of 1:11:58.640 --> 1:12:03.360 the foul shit they did, we'd be walking around this motherfucker. Man, Man, Man, 1:12:04.479 --> 1:12:06.000 what what? 1:12:08.200 --> 1:12:09.120 I wouldn't hurt a fly? 1:12:09.360 --> 1:12:12.280 Yeah, I know you wouldn't, but you out there chopping 1:12:12.400 --> 1:12:16.240 chickens heads off every five minutes. I wouldn't hurt a fly. Yeah. 1:12:16.240 --> 1:12:17.360 I know you're telling the truth. 1:12:17.439 --> 1:12:19.720 But I'll kill a chicken. I'll kill a chicken, you 1:12:19.800 --> 1:12:24.080 know what I mean? Like everybody like people, you know people. 1:12:24.960 --> 1:12:26.559 Nobody's perfect with that stuff. Man. 1:12:26.600 --> 1:12:28.960 So that's the way I look at it. Man, you 1:12:29.040 --> 1:12:29.360 know what I Man? 1:12:29.760 --> 1:12:31.960 Did you feel away when President Biden got your name 1:12:32.000 --> 1:12:34.120 wrong at the CBC conference? He called you l J 1:12:34.320 --> 1:12:37.040 cool Jay? Then he referred to you as a boy 1:12:37.080 --> 1:12:42.200 before correcting himself and saying, man, did you get nah? 1:12:42.520 --> 1:12:44.080 I mean, you know what else supposed to do? 1:12:44.200 --> 1:12:44.320 Man? 1:12:44.439 --> 1:12:46.280 Like I'm a mine? 1:12:48.520 --> 1:12:51.760 Man, God, drmit, you know like I was supposed to 1:12:51.760 --> 1:12:56.400 do due eighty years olds live man, listen, I got 1:12:56.439 --> 1:12:58.400 ship to do. Man, The last thing I got to work. 1:12:58.520 --> 1:13:00.439 Let me let me tell you something. When you at 1:13:00.439 --> 1:13:02.960 the point where the president messing up your name is 1:13:03.600 --> 1:13:06.360 a national story, she was a bad motherfucker. 1:13:07.080 --> 1:13:08.560 You're a bad motherfucker. 1:13:08.560 --> 1:13:11.000 At that point, Yo, when the president messing up your 1:13:11.120 --> 1:13:13.240 name is national news. 1:13:14.520 --> 1:13:15.400 He did something right. 1:13:15.640 --> 1:13:19.280 So I'm going I'm gonna just be like, I'm just gonna, 1:13:19.320 --> 1:13:20.840 you know, wish them all the best, bro, I wish 1:13:20.920 --> 1:13:21.439 them good health. 1:13:21.560 --> 1:13:22.240 And that's it. Man. 1:13:22.280 --> 1:13:24.800 I can't you ever been approached by doing the chapstick line. 1:13:25.840 --> 1:13:27.519 Well, I met with them a long time ago, but 1:13:28.160 --> 1:13:32.559 you know, you know, I think you know a lot 1:13:32.600 --> 1:13:33.280 of Melani man. 1:13:33.320 --> 1:13:34.000 I'm not sure. I'm not. 1:13:34.479 --> 1:13:36.519 That's a lot of Melani man, A lot of Melanin 1:13:36.600 --> 1:13:40.000 on them lips, man, that sits like hoof, you know, 1:13:40.040 --> 1:13:41.960 a little Bonnie Man, get a low. 1:13:41.880 --> 1:13:43.200 To ll and all that that shit. 1:13:43.320 --> 1:13:48.960 Yeah, yeah, yeah, Hell. That's why I want you back, 1:13:48.960 --> 1:13:51.439 because I'm saying back then, you know, yeah, That's. 1:13:51.280 --> 1:13:52.719 Why I want people to listen to the new album 1:13:52.720 --> 1:13:56.120 because you know, even with all the success you've had, 1:13:56.240 --> 1:13:58.320 there's still a lot of doors that have been closed 1:13:58.360 --> 1:14:00.960 to you because of your black well. 1:14:00.920 --> 1:14:04.599 I mean, listen, but there's a lot of doors that opened, right. See, 1:14:05.240 --> 1:14:08.439 life is we know what we're dealing with in the 1:14:08.520 --> 1:14:09.360 world in America. 1:14:09.479 --> 1:14:12.599 But you can't. I can't allow myself to get kind 1:14:12.640 --> 1:14:18.599 of caught up in that shit. You know what I'm saying. 1:14:18.680 --> 1:14:21.719 We know what's true. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. 1:14:22.000 --> 1:14:22.720 But my thing is. 1:14:24.320 --> 1:14:27.760 When the elevated doors close, take the steps, you know 1:14:27.760 --> 1:14:28.240 what I'm saying. 1:14:28.760 --> 1:14:29.800 Like, I'm not tripping off of that. 1:14:30.080 --> 1:14:32.439 Like I'm not gonna walk around overly sensitive with a 1:14:32.520 --> 1:14:34.840 chip on my shoulder about what I'm not getting. I'm 1:14:34.880 --> 1:14:37.479 too busy thinking about what I am getting, and so 1:14:38.520 --> 1:14:40.160 I'm gonna make the most of what I do get. 1:14:40.320 --> 1:14:43.000 So if you you know, if you do not let's 1:14:43.080 --> 1:14:45.160 just say, for instance, if somebody wanted to deny me 1:14:45.240 --> 1:14:47.560 an orange because I'm a black man, Okay, but I 1:14:47.600 --> 1:14:49.439 bet you I'm gonna give me nine thousand peaches up 1:14:49.520 --> 1:14:50.160 this motherfucker. 1:14:51.040 --> 1:14:52.960 You know what I mean. That's how you do it. 1:14:53.720 --> 1:14:55.320 You know what I'm saying, You go get it, like 1:14:55.400 --> 1:14:58.599 you can't be caught up in that because that misery 1:14:58.720 --> 1:15:02.240 and that and that that that woe was me mentality, 1:15:02.320 --> 1:15:03.920 that victim mentality. 1:15:04.320 --> 1:15:07.760 That's not successful. I'm about being successful. You know what 1:15:07.760 --> 1:15:09.160 I'm saying, what. 1:15:09.520 --> 1:15:12.719 Does success look like for you? In regard to the Force. 1:15:12.600 --> 1:15:15.000 Album impacting the culture? 1:15:15.880 --> 1:15:18.800 People getting a full load of the Force album, it 1:15:19.000 --> 1:15:22.479 really impacted the culture in a major way with sales, 1:15:23.280 --> 1:15:24.560 with airplay. 1:15:24.160 --> 1:15:26.760 With streams, people really feeling it and. 1:15:26.800 --> 1:15:29.840 Embracing it and loving it and saying, Wow, I didn't 1:15:29.880 --> 1:15:33.479 know that an artist that came maybe two, three, four 1:15:33.600 --> 1:15:36.160 generations before me, I didn't even know that I would 1:15:36.160 --> 1:15:38.960 even be remotely interested in hearing his music, But Wow, 1:15:39.000 --> 1:15:40.559 this shit really moved me. And then on the flip 1:15:40.640 --> 1:15:43.000 side of that, it's the day one fan saying, damn, 1:15:43.720 --> 1:15:48.040 I really thought that, Like because you know the guy 1:15:48.120 --> 1:15:49.760 I went to high school where there's a bus driver 1:15:49.920 --> 1:15:52.400 now and his stomach is to his knees, that L 1:15:52.520 --> 1:15:54.439 wasn't gonna be able to do it. Nah, Now we 1:15:54.560 --> 1:15:57.280 can't do it. You can't continue to be great and 1:15:57.360 --> 1:15:58.439 perform at a high level. 1:15:59.160 --> 1:16:00.600 But you just got to be on it like that. 1:16:01.840 --> 1:16:03.800 You know what I'm saying. What cloth are you cut from? 1:16:04.040 --> 1:16:06.800 Are you cut from the surrender cloth or you cut 1:16:06.880 --> 1:16:09.839 from the conquer cloth? You got to make those decisions, 1:16:09.880 --> 1:16:12.280 you know what I'm saying. So that's what I want, 1:16:12.400 --> 1:16:14.720 you know what I mean, like touch the world with 1:16:14.800 --> 1:16:18.000 that shit and let people know, like, Yo, this dude 1:16:18.120 --> 1:16:20.639 is this guy's real, This shit is real. 1:16:20.720 --> 1:16:21.800 This is a different thing. 1:16:21.920 --> 1:16:25.080 This dude is different because he really executes the shit 1:16:25.120 --> 1:16:28.080 he says like, you know, this ain't raising in the sunbeam. 1:16:28.120 --> 1:16:29.760 I'm not just talking about the shit all day and 1:16:30.040 --> 1:16:31.479 you know, and they're never doing it. 1:16:31.960 --> 1:16:34.559 Would the music be enough to tell the ll cool 1:16:34.600 --> 1:16:35.120 J story? 1:16:35.560 --> 1:16:39.080 Oh no, No, I'm way too multifaceted for that. There's 1:16:39.120 --> 1:16:42.680 too many dimensions to my character. But it definitely will 1:16:42.720 --> 1:16:45.840 tell the artistic stories that I've been looking to put forth, 1:16:46.680 --> 1:16:49.519 you know what I'm saying, And it'll tell people where 1:16:49.640 --> 1:16:51.640 I was at when I created that music and what 1:16:51.920 --> 1:16:54.760 I felt was important, what I was inspired by, and 1:16:54.920 --> 1:16:59.160 hopefully you can find inspiration in my inspiration. You know 1:16:59.200 --> 1:17:04.200 what I'm saying. It's like, you know, you know, it's 1:17:04.280 --> 1:17:06.960 like having sex. Man, you know what I'm saying. You 1:17:07.040 --> 1:17:08.320 got to be in the moment. You got to be 1:17:08.400 --> 1:17:10.919 self aware. You got to know when to be aggressive, 1:17:10.960 --> 1:17:12.840 you gotta know when to be calm. You know what 1:17:12.840 --> 1:17:14.559 I'm saying. You gotta know when to turn it up. 1:17:14.800 --> 1:17:16.800 You gotta know when to turn it down. You gotta 1:17:16.840 --> 1:17:19.040 know when to be nice. You know, you gotta know 1:17:19.120 --> 1:17:20.639 when to not be not so nice. 1:17:21.080 --> 1:17:24.479 That's life. You know what I'm saying. So that's what 1:17:24.640 --> 1:17:26.160 it is. You know what I'm saying. That's how I'm 1:17:26.200 --> 1:17:27.160 doing it. You know what I'm saying. 1:17:27.360 --> 1:17:28.160 I love cool Jake. 1:17:28.360 --> 1:17:28.479 Man. 1:17:28.479 --> 1:17:30.519 I appreciate you, brother, love you for the time. 1:17:30.600 --> 1:17:32.160 Man, mister, appreciate you.