1 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: And then I saw Michelle and she's like, Keisha, come 2 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: over here. I need you to meet my husband. And 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: I was like, is this the moment? And so then 4 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: she introduces me. 5 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 2: To Barack and he was like, I heard you were 6 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 2: on the My wife was on your show. 7 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: And he's like, my daughters. 8 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, He's like, and my daughters are big fans of 9 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 2: you in the show. And you know, Michelle thinks she's 10 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 2: really cool, but I have to ask. 11 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: You, is she really that cool? 12 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 3: That was Keisha Chante, award winning singer, TV host and 13 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 3: one of the few women to transition from teen stardom 14 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 3: to lasting success on her own terms. In this episode 15 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 3: of My Legacy, Keisha sits down with her mentor who 16 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 3: helped shape her path, Stephen Hill, for a conversation about reinvention, resilience, 17 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 3: and knowing when to walk away from what no longer 18 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:55,959 Speaker 3: serves you. It's a masterclass and how to stay grounded 19 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 3: while rising, and how the right mentor can change everything. 20 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 3: This is My Legacy. This show is built on connection, 21 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 3: on showing up authentically, and on reminding each and every 22 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 3: one of us of what really matters. If that resonates 23 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 3: with you, Subscribing is the easiest way to support what 24 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 3: we're all building together and help us bring more of 25 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 3: these uplifting conversations into the world. 26 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 4: Welcome to My legacy. For our new listeners and viewers, 27 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 4: this isn't your typical celebrity solo interview. This is a 28 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 4: show where remarkable people pull back the curtain and bring 29 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 4: along the one person who's seen their story unfold to highs, 30 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 4: the heartbreaks, and everything in between. And today's guest has 31 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 4: been a powerhouse in music, in TV, and entrepreneurship since 32 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 4: her teens. From an award winning R and B singer 33 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 4: to popular television hosts, to interviewing icons like First Lady 34 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 4: Michelle Obama to powerfully advocating for inclusion and mental health. 35 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 4: Kisha Chante is a true trailblazer, and keeping with the 36 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 4: spirit of the show, she's brought along someone who's played 37 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 4: a special and meaningful role in her life. And so, Kisha, 38 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 4: would you do us the honor of introducing to us 39 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 4: your plus one, your guest, the person who knows you 40 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 4: so well, who are interviewing and sharing with our audience today. 41 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: Yes, the man, the myth, the legend, mister Stephen Hill. 42 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 2: Stephen and I met when I was very young. I 43 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 2: was sixteen, actually I think a little younger than that. Yeah, sixteen, 44 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 2: and he's seen me along the way, So I felt 45 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 2: like he would be the perfect person to be here 46 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 2: as my plus one, because not only is he a mentor, 47 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 2: but he's a dear friend. He's incredibly intelligent and creative 48 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 2: and has been a trailblazer in his career and in 49 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 2: his craft, and he just constantly inspires me. 50 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: So and everyone loves him. 51 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 3: I do want to start with Keisha, because I know 52 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 3: that you were raised in a multicultural home. If if 53 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 3: I understand correctly, your mom is Portuguese, your dad is Trinidadian. Yeah, 54 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 3: how would you say that that experience shaped you as 55 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 3: you were going out into the world. 56 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean so, I was born in Ottawa, the 57 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 2: capital of Canada, a very political city but a really 58 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 2: beautiful place to grow up in. My mom's family immigrated 59 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 2: from Portugal. They're also Hispanic as well, they're mixed, and 60 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,959 Speaker 2: then my father's family immigrated from Trinidad and Tobago. And 61 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 2: just even the school that I went to, nobody really 62 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 2: looked like me. The only people that I really related 63 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 2: to were my family at home. But when I went 64 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 2: out into the world, nobody looked like me, and it 65 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 2: was odd. I remember feeling, you know, at home, for example, 66 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 2: my mom and dad would be like, we love your hair, 67 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 2: and you know, they'd point out things about me. 68 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: But I'd go to school and they'd be like, what's 69 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: wrong with your hair? Are you tanned? Why are you 70 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: not like? You know, So there were a lot of 71 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: shocks that went into play. 72 00:03:54,240 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 2: But my parents are so incredibly loving, affectionate, support, very 73 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: honest with me. They had conversations with me very early 74 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 2: on that you know, I don't think parents usually have 75 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 2: with their kids. They kind of wait until they feel 76 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 2: it's a safe time to do so. 77 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: But also being an only child, there's a different. 78 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 2: Magnification, so to speak, on every move that I made, 79 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 2: because you are raised with pride, but you're also raised 80 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 2: in a sense where you really want to make your 81 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,919 Speaker 2: mom and dad proud. So I just felt like I 82 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 2: wanted to be the best at school, the best at home. 83 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: I just wanted to make them proud all the time. 84 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 2: But just at home, it was just always full of music, family, 85 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 2: good cooking, singing, dancing, and. 86 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: A lot of inspiration. 87 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 3: But home was my safe place, so it sounds like 88 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 3: they were both, but particularly your mom was very deliberate 89 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 3: because what you just said, and I don't want to 90 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:53,479 Speaker 3: skim over it, you know, to point out, oh, I 91 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 3: love your hair, I love your so that you already fortified. 92 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 3: What she was doing was fortifying you because she knew 93 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 3: more than you, that little keishaself, what you were going 94 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 3: to face into the world. And so that's the beautiful 95 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 3: gift of deliberate intention. 96 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 5: That she offered you. 97 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 3: I know she also, you said, gave you some tough love. 98 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 2: Oh yes, my mom especially she's my biggest fan but 99 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 2: also my biggest critic. So when I told her I 100 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 2: wanted to sing, she said, anything you want to do 101 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 2: in life, you can do it, and you can be 102 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 2: amazing at anything, but you have to be willing to 103 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 2: do the work. And even if you're naturally good at 104 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 2: a particular talent, you still have to work for it. 105 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 2: Don't just expect it to come to you. As long 106 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 2: as my grades were good, she would support me. So 107 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 2: if I wanted to sing, she said yeah, But at 108 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:46,679 Speaker 2: the same time she would record me performing and force 109 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 2: me to watch it back. 110 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: And in those days it was VHS. The pausing and 111 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: then the breakdown. 112 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 2: Of like that note was off, let's discuss why it 113 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 2: was off, and then having to rewind it, and then's 114 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 2: a little and sitting there and then and then starting 115 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 2: it over again. It was a lot. Okay, as a 116 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 2: six year old, it was a lot. But you know what, 117 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 2: it's good to be. It's good to be able to 118 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 2: see yourself. 119 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 5: Six year old as a six year old. That is 120 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 5: a early that's given feedback you. 121 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, she was like, oh, you want to do it. Okay, 122 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,799 Speaker 2: let's do it for real. Then it wasn't I couldn't 123 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 2: just it wasn't at my leisure. It was if you 124 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 2: make that decision, you're being intentional, then you have to 125 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 2: be great at it or else nothing else. 126 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 5: By the way, that was such an interesting window. I 127 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 5: appreciate being so open and so candid and talking about that. Okay, 128 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 5: So you said that Stephen is one of your mentors. Okay, 129 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 5: So let me turned to Stephen just for a quick second. 130 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 5: Here you cut your teeth as a radio host, yes, okay, 131 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 5: and then you move over to be et. You became 132 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 5: pretty iconic and shaping some of the key moments there. 133 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 5: So you are one of her mentors. But let's actually 134 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 5: take it back to your mentor, Stephen, Can you share 135 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:57,479 Speaker 5: with us a mentor in your life. 136 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 6: Absolutely, el Roy arc Smith, who is a legend in 137 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 6: American radio who was worked in Boston, Dallas, Chicago. 138 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 7: He was the first person. 139 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 6: Who really believed in me as I when I when 140 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 6: I was cutting my teeth as a weekend person on 141 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 6: the on the air. He found me and brought me 142 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 6: to w I L d AM in Boston, and he 143 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 6: was just. 144 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 7: So immersed in radio he did. 145 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 6: So when you were mentioning what your mom did to you, 146 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 6: that's what Elroy did to me. After shows we'd go through, 147 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 6: I'd I'd take my shows, I'd go into the office 148 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 6: with Elroy and Elroy would would push it would push 149 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 6: the pause. But like, here's how you could have done 150 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 6: that better. Here's like what were you thinking when you 151 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 6: did that? And so they're called air checks, and we 152 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 6: did them with you when you were when you came 153 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 6: to bed. But it's the way you get better is listening, 154 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 6: is is being forced to critique yourself and always remembering try. 155 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 7: To make yourself better. So Elroy, Elroy Smith. 156 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 6: Was really my my biggest mentor. Even when I got 157 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 6: to got to TV. I just learned from from him. 158 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:06,679 Speaker 6: It's always about the audience. 159 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 5: And I love how you're both pulling back the curtain 160 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 5: here because you know, people see you global superstar now, Kisha. 161 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 5: But to realize at six your mom was hitting or Stephen, 162 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 5: you know, incredible, world famous producer, but to pause and 163 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 5: realize someone had to lean in and literally hit pause 164 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 5: and give you that tough love feedback, like it isn't 165 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 5: by accident that both of you ended up as successful 166 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 5: as you are. And I love that you are just 167 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 5: being so honest and so vulnerable and sharing that with 168 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 5: everyone who thinks they have the poster on their wall 169 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 5: or they aspire with the street Zaber. They don't understand 170 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 5: all the work that takes to get to both of 171 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 5: where you are. 172 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: And the amount of reflection always. 173 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 3: That's one of the things I'm already hearing in your 174 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 3: stories too, is that to really take the. 175 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: Time and reflect. 176 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:45,839 Speaker 3: Now, when you were a little you didn't know how 177 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 3: to do that, but your mom, you know, made sure 178 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 3: that you were reflecting, and you know your mentor. And 179 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:53,559 Speaker 3: I think that there's a space for all of us 180 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 3: in our lives to reflect on what can we improve. 181 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 3: Let's let's look at that. So that's one of the 182 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 3: things I'm already taking away from. 183 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 5: Martin Zotti's head, going, yeah, does someone else give you 184 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 5: feedback in your life? Every now that I know my 185 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 5: wife does. 186 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 8: Oh yeah. 187 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,079 Speaker 5: So I'm gonna say say it would love. 188 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 8: Cause you when you first started out, there were barely 189 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 8: any radio stations in Canada that actually played the music 190 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 8: that you've sang. Yeah, now when doors weren't initially opening 191 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 8: for you as an artist? Yet, what helped you to 192 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 8: to actually move forward and continue to want to develop? 193 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: Great question. I always remain a student. 194 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 2: I remember being thirteen years old and being discovered and 195 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 2: having to go to the record label, and there were 196 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:55,839 Speaker 2: a few people that really believed in my talent as 197 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 2: a singer and wanted me to make R and B 198 00:09:57,520 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 2: music and go in the studio and record these songs. 199 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,079 Speaker 2: But then we'd go in these meetings and the labels 200 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 2: at the time were like, there are really no thirteen 201 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 2: year old artists and we don't have R and B 202 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:08,840 Speaker 2: radio stations, and like what are we gonna. 203 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: Do with her? And shouldn't she be in school? Like 204 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: where's her chaperone? 205 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 2: It was like a lot of red tape, and I 206 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 2: felt like I had to very much audition for my contract. 207 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: So I remember my first day at the record label. 208 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 2: For example, Deborah Cox walked in and she happened to 209 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 2: be there that day. I sang for her and she 210 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 2: was like, you can do it. It's gonna be hard, 211 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 2: but if you really want it, you can make it happen. 212 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 2: And seeing her gave me this glimmer of oh, I 213 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 2: could do it too, which was really nice to see 214 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 2: that representation because there wasn't much of it. And then 215 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,920 Speaker 2: I just felt like I needed to remain a student. 216 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 2: So I would sit in the office at business affairs. 217 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 2: I would sit with the radio team, the marketing team, 218 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 2: the street team. I wanted to know every single DJ 219 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 2: in the country, from college radio to the radio stations 220 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,440 Speaker 2: that weren't playing my music. And at the time it 221 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 2: was vinyls, So you know, we'd get in the car 222 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 2: and we would go. I would hand deliver it after 223 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 2: school with one of my best friends, Jennifer Hyland. We'd 224 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 2: drive to the DJs and I would give them the 225 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 2: Vinyls and I just. 226 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: Felt like, this is the grid of it all. 227 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 2: But I was told as a little girl that I 228 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:22,679 Speaker 2: literally could have anything in the world if I worked 229 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 2: for it. So the idea of no, even to this day, 230 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 2: like no doesn't exist. There's just another way to ask 231 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:31,079 Speaker 2: that sounds like mark. 232 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 7: True. 233 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 2: So we definitely it was a lot of fighting. It 234 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 2: was a lot of fighting. And then I remember the 235 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 2: first record it got. 236 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: Picked up by the DJs. 237 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 2: The DJs were playing it on radio shows at radio 238 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 2: stations that did not play R and B, and they 239 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 2: would mix me in yeah slowly and then people would 240 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 2: request it, and then eventually it ended up I think 241 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 2: like number one or number something like, Yeah, it was 242 00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 2: number one. 243 00:11:58,040 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: Or about what age At this point, I. 244 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:04,439 Speaker 2: Was thirteen, thirteen years old and Shante's my middle name, 245 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 2: so I was still going back to class and no 246 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 2: one knew Keisha Shante was the student sitting in their 247 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 2: class cause I kept it a secret for as long. 248 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 2: There was no music video for that single, so no 249 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 2: one knew what I looked like at the time. But 250 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,960 Speaker 2: I remember being in our little cafeteria and someone actually 251 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 2: was playing the song. 252 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: And I thought it was a setup. 253 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 2: I was like, do they know, are they gonna like 254 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 2: harass me or tease me or something? 255 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: But they didn't know. And then yeah. 256 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:37,839 Speaker 2: I was like, okay, well we got to keep, you know, advocating, 257 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 2: And I think, I just it's just relentlessness. 258 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 3: You would think that at that age you would have 259 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,560 Speaker 3: been shouting and running up and down the hallways at 260 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 3: school to say, hey, I have a record. You know, 261 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 3: I'm fascinated about this because our daughter a lot of 262 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:54,080 Speaker 3: times at school, like she will go and speak in 263 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 3: front of almost a million people literally and then go 264 00:12:57,400 --> 00:12:59,200 Speaker 3: to school and be like this, well, what you did 265 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 3: this weekend I saw in an indoor pool. And she's 266 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 3: the only child too. Were you intentionally not sharing with 267 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 3: your classmates? 268 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 2: I think, and I don't want to speak for all 269 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 2: only children, but at least from what I can take 270 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 2: from it, when you are an only child, you feel 271 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:20,079 Speaker 2: separate from everyone, You don't feel a part of the group, 272 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,560 Speaker 2: and you have a lot of alone time. I say 273 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 2: this a lot with only children. Like when you have 274 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 2: siblings and your sibling touches the cookie, takes the cookie 275 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 2: out of the cookie jar, you see it, you visually 276 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 2: see it, and you're like, oh my god, Mom's gonna 277 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 2: yell at him or her right, and you know it's 278 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 2: gonna happen. 279 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: When you're an only child. You don't have any visuals 280 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 1: of that. You only know what it feels like. 281 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 2: You're taking the cookie and then you get yelled at, 282 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 2: but you don't have anyone else to compare anything to. 283 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 2: You're just kind of figuring it out on your own. 284 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: It is. 285 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:53,839 Speaker 2: It's only like ten percent of the population I think 286 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 2: are only children. 287 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: So there's that. 288 00:13:56,440 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 2: But I found it almost embarrassing, like not shy, because 289 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 2: you can put me on a stage and I would perform, 290 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 2: and I used to go to the principal's office and 291 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 2: be like, can I host a coffee show and talent show? 292 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: And can I sing? 293 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,080 Speaker 2: I wanted to sing as much as I could in school, 294 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 2: but once there was that kind of attention, it was 295 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 2: I'm like, am I not going to be accepted? Am 296 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 2: I going to be separate? Am I I don't want 297 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 2: to act differently? And then people not. 298 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: Want to include me, or while I get bullied or 299 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: I don't know. I think you just you just don't 300 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: want to be separate. You just want to You want 301 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: to blend it. 302 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 3: As much as fascinating is helpful to me as as 303 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 3: a mom of a only child. Yeah, and another thing 304 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 3: as a mom that I appreciate. Is that your music 305 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 3: is always age appropriate? Yes, and so is that something 306 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 3: that you are intentional in doing well? 307 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 2: As a little girl, you could not get me to 308 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 2: sing any lyric that wasn't real, Like all the lyrics 309 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 2: were like at school, met a boy at the mall, 310 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 2: like very young, but also having my mom at the 311 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 2: time as my mom and Jeremi, my mama does not play. 312 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: She is a force. 313 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 2: So she was with me every day and she was 314 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 2: very much like, she's not wearing those heels and no, 315 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 2: she can wear a little tracksuit, thank you. 316 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: Like is that skin? No, she's not doing skin. 317 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 2: So I had her always there and that was good 318 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 2: for me to have that. But I've always been very 319 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 2: like vocal about what I. 320 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: Think is right. 321 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 2: So it's a little girl, I would tell you right away, like, no, 322 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 2: that lyric doesn't register with me. 323 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: We're gonna change that line. Yeah. 324 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 3: Coming up on my Legacy, Keisha takes us back to 325 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 3: the show that shaped a Generation one oh six in 326 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 3: part if you Know you Know, and how she went 327 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 3: from watching every day after school to stepping on the 328 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 3: stage as a host. If you remember the countdown days 329 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 3: hit like follow and share this with your crew and 330 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 3: please subscribe so we can keep bringing you these joyful 331 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 3: conversations that remind us all of what's possible. 332 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 5: Now back to my legacy occasion. 333 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 9: You've had an incredible, incredible career. I mean just looking 334 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 9: back at the fact that I believe fourteen you recorded 335 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 9: your first single. At sixteen, you were opening up for 336 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 9: Destey's Child. 337 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. 338 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 9: Wow, what was that like? 339 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 2: It was insane because as a little girl I used 340 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 2: to sing Destney's Child because I had no siblings. I 341 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 2: was Beyonce Kelly, which which song? 342 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: Which song was like your go to emotions? Okay, but 343 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: I would run during the chorus, I would run and 344 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: try to change my outfit and the next part. So 345 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: doing that show was so cool. 346 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:48,680 Speaker 2: We had the same publicist at the time, which was 347 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 2: like a huge honor, and it was a forty five 348 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 2: minute show by myself with my dancers and minutes by 349 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 2: myself I had to do. 350 00:16:58,520 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 5: So that. 351 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 3: Was longer than what's average, right stea where. 352 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:07,200 Speaker 1: I hadn't. 353 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,639 Speaker 2: Yeah, but that was their last show as a group 354 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 2: on tour, so it was emotional for them and then 355 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:15,360 Speaker 2: I got to meet them. 356 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: They were in there, they. 357 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 9: Were and they were young when they started, so what 358 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 9: did you learn from them in the process. 359 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 1: I just think that. 360 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:27,639 Speaker 2: Their attention to detail, their professionalism, their obsession with the craft, 361 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 2: like they go out there and it's one hundred percent. 362 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 2: But even just over the course of my career, you know, 363 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:38,679 Speaker 2: meeting them and even Brandy Monica Aliyah, they inspired me 364 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 2: a lot to TLC. 365 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: But from them it was just their work ethic. 366 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 3: So, Stephen, with all of these young artists that we're 367 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 3: talking about, right, so Destney's child, Brandy Aliyah, what you've 368 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 3: worked with young artists before? What what advice would you 369 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 3: give to young young people, young artists in particular as 370 00:17:56,480 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 3: far as integrity and authenticity as they are wanted to 371 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 3: break into the business. 372 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,880 Speaker 6: So as you ask that question, I'm thinking whether I 373 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:08,440 Speaker 6: gear my answer to the artist or to the artist's parent, 374 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 6: because the common theme is at least one parent who 375 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:19,440 Speaker 6: is meticulous about making sure that the child is protected. 376 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 6: I think that's the most important part. Don't lose your childhood. 377 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 6: There's things you're gonna have to do that you're you're 378 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 6: going to have to work very hard in a way 379 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 6: that other people don't, but don't lose the playful side. 380 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 6: And parents should not should not allow that playful side 381 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 6: to be lost, like it can't be. 382 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 7: It can't be just just the business. 383 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 6: The people I've seen who are most successful have are 384 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 6: able to strike that balance. Sometimes the artist wants to 385 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 6: be kind of more focused than than the parent, and 386 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 6: it doesn't want that time away, but it feels it 387 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 6: just feels like there's a need for playfulness, and some 388 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 6: who don't, who haven't had it, regret it later in life. 389 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: That problems. 390 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 5: I like that you're not in your. 391 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 2: Head any regrets, you know, my regrets, Like I didn't 392 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 2: go to prom, I would say, not being able to 393 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 2: go to college because I was on tour, and I 394 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 2: mean my career was I was, it was a successful time, 395 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 2: so it didn't make sense to stop living my dream 396 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 2: career to go to school. 397 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:30,400 Speaker 1: But I wish I did. I still I'm still going 398 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 1: to go, but it just it got so busy that 399 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:34,399 Speaker 1: I missed that. 400 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 2: Because again, being an only child, that's the only community. 401 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,119 Speaker 1: Of people your age you're really going to have. 402 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 2: So I felt like I was kind of separated really young, 403 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 2: Like thirteen is when I started to be busy going 404 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:53,399 Speaker 2: on tour and whatnot, but also traveling a lot, still 405 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,159 Speaker 2: turning in my grades where I eventually got homeschooled, but 406 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,360 Speaker 2: I just missed like going to class and having recess. 407 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 2: And I still to this day I feel very childlike. 408 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 2: Like a lot of my friends are like, you're such 409 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 2: a big kid, and I'm like, yeah, well, when your 410 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 2: childhood gets snatched away, I mean I chose it. 411 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:12,439 Speaker 1: Though I chose it. My mom used to say every day, 412 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,680 Speaker 1: are you sure you sure you want to do. 413 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 2: This, because you know, like the other kids are doing this, 414 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 2: And I'm like, yeah, but I will think about the 415 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 2: possibility of the if if I don't, you know, get 416 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 2: a chance to do it. 417 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 9: You didn't go to prom, but did they play your 418 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 9: song at prom? 419 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 1: They did. 420 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 5: I started at twelve, so I totally appreciate what altern 421 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,400 Speaker 5: of high school, the whole journey. So I totally get that, 422 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 5: Like I understand that I can at a very young age. 423 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 5: I get the responsibility aspect because you know, like by 424 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 5: fifteen sixteen, we had dozens of staff. By that point 425 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 5: we had a global operation. Say yeah, it was an 426 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 5: unusual childhood. Also wow, so very much can relate and 427 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 5: you had to step into a business role also at 428 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,239 Speaker 5: a really young age's like famously Taylor swift as we 429 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 5: recording her master's Now, yeah, but you were fighting for control. 430 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:05,639 Speaker 2: He is not done so many songs, but at sixteen. 431 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 5: You were fighting for control of your master's. Like you 432 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:10,439 Speaker 5: gotta take us back a little into the mentality, like 433 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 5: where does that vision come from? And that kind of 434 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,159 Speaker 5: ownership mentality which is not always the norm among artists. 435 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, well I come from like my grandfather when he 436 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 2: immigrated from Trinidad. 437 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: He was the one that he owned the only like. 438 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 2: Restaurant club in the city that was like Caribbean food. 439 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: My grandmother was cooking. 440 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 2: He ran the business in Ottawa and there was nothing 441 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 2: like it at the time. So seeing my grandfather do that, 442 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 2: and he had multiple businesses over time, and he you know, 443 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,640 Speaker 2: had a taxi company. So I would be like ten 444 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,680 Speaker 2: for Roger that I try to do all the dispatching 445 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 2: when I was like eight. But seeing that kind of spirit, 446 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 2: like oh, you could be your own boss was something 447 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:51,639 Speaker 2: that I found very fascinating. But then also as a 448 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 2: student being at the record label, I used to go 449 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 2: into business affairs and I would befriend everyone at business 450 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 2: affairs and I would ask, you know, what can I 451 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 2: learn and they would say read this book about you know, 452 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 2: entertainment law, or they would let me see contracts that 453 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 2: they weren't supposed to let me see, and I'd be like, what. 454 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,359 Speaker 1: Are mechanical royalties? And like what are what is this publishing? 455 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 7: Like? 456 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:16,800 Speaker 2: I was very curious about all these things, and they 457 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 2: would give me the real tea on what all of 458 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,159 Speaker 2: it meant. And then I got enamored and fascinated with 459 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:27,679 Speaker 2: the law aspect of the music business. And then I 460 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 2: realized that all my work was really just it would 461 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 2: be in vain if I didn't have some sort of 462 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 2: ownership of it. 463 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 1: So I got kind of fixated on this. 464 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 5: Well you say your own company up at sixteen. 465 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 1: Yes I did. 466 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 2: I did, yeah, because I started to think like, well, 467 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 2: we're employing people, but how are we having more like 468 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 2: control over the details, and how do I feel more 469 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:53,719 Speaker 2: safe in what we're doing if I don't own a 470 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 2: company that does that. And I also thank my grade 471 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 2: six teacher, mister Pratt, because he was the only black 472 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 2: teacher in our school, but he was very who He 473 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 2: would sit me down and be like, listen, the world 474 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 2: is this type of place. I need you to be 475 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 2: armored and geared up, and the one thing no one 476 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 2: can take away from you is your education. So I 477 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:18,359 Speaker 2: need you to take that seriously because you can lose 478 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 2: everything in life, but as long as here has it. 479 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,840 Speaker 1: You will get it back again. And yeah, that was 480 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: my school of thought. Would you say he taught English 481 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:28,879 Speaker 1: teacher English? Yeah? 482 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 8: Amazing. And Stephen, looking back over your incredible career, what's 483 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 8: the decision you made that felt like a major risk 484 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:44,400 Speaker 8: in the moment but ended up opening doors for your patn. 485 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: Wow, I feel like there's a lot. 486 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,639 Speaker 6: There's a lot, so there's to spin the wheel. The 487 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 6: new Edition story was something a lot of people thought 488 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 6: was going to be was risky. It was at the 489 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 6: time we did it twenty sixteen, fifteen sixteen, it was 490 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 6: a large undertaking. There hadn't been a h a biopick done. 491 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 7: At BT before. There was some belief that. 492 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:13,360 Speaker 6: That, uh, the target audience would not be served by 493 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 6: a by a by a biopic of of like all men, 494 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:19,199 Speaker 6: because we were very women focused. But then we all 495 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 6: came to realize, oh, that's that's a new addition's entire audience, 496 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 6: and it's really I have this whole thing once once. 497 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 7: Once you're a child or you're a teen. 498 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 6: Idol, you will you Will Live and Eat Forever. Right 499 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 6: Backstreet Boys in Sync had gone on tour New Kids 500 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 6: in the Block still every two years goes out and 501 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:38,679 Speaker 6: does arenas, and so that was that new edition was 502 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:40,960 Speaker 6: our was ours But it was a risk because it 503 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:44,119 Speaker 6: was it was it was a large amount of money 504 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 6: and uh, we didn't know how it would come out. 505 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:47,360 Speaker 7: We didn't really to. 506 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 6: Be stars in it, but it turned out to be 507 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 6: an absolute blockbuster. 508 00:24:52,200 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 3: Will So also you actually did you you created one 509 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 3: O six in park. 510 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:03,920 Speaker 6: I was, I was, I was in the room where 511 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:09,640 Speaker 6: it happened. The show was always constructed to be uh, 512 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 6: to be entertaining, but uh, but but give information. 513 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 7: At the same time, it was the hosts were were uh. 514 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 6: Were well read, educated and of the culture. So it 515 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 6: was really important because at that point in time you 516 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 6: could not you did not see uh black youth on 517 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 6: TV every day or even regularly. So it was important 518 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 6: we took our role and in doing that, really we 519 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:40,960 Speaker 6: knew we were leading culture, but we also wanted to 520 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 6: make sure we were reflecting culture as well. 521 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 3: Is that because you were, Because as we've learned from 522 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 3: your story today, you were already impacting young people kind 523 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,560 Speaker 3: of mentoring them. So did you then when you were 524 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:53,920 Speaker 3: thinking about at the when the show was being created, 525 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 3: did you intentionally bring that aspect to. 526 00:25:59,359 --> 00:25:59,919 Speaker 7: Absolutely? 527 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,880 Speaker 6: I mean AJ was AJ and Free were the first host. 528 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 6: AJ I knew. I wanted someone who had gone to 529 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,400 Speaker 6: an HBCU like and it was, and that was it's 530 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 6: a it's a it was. AJ was a great find, 531 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 6: like a needle in a haystack, very personable, but you know, 532 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 6: brought Howard with him wherever wherever you went. I thought 533 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,120 Speaker 6: it was really important to have on one of six 534 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:26,679 Speaker 6: and Park HBCU everywhere to make sure that education, education, 535 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 6: education is always being put out there in between the 536 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 6: job rule and a Shott video right so so so 537 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 6: so yes, you know, doing the right thing by young 538 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:38,879 Speaker 6: people always a part of what I six of. 539 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:40,399 Speaker 5: Park was supposed to be well in this is an 540 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 5: amazing host of one O six and Park, one of 541 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:47,440 Speaker 5: them is sitting here of course watching it to coasting 542 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 5: it insane like pinch yourself. Was there a moment that 543 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:52,120 Speaker 5: you realized your dream had no come true? 544 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 1: Absolutely? 545 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 2: As a little girl, one O six of Park was 546 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 2: all I had, like it was the little slice of 547 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 2: culture I could get where I was living. I couldn't 548 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 2: get it anywhere else, so I remember being like, especially 549 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 2: where we lived at the time, we didn't even get 550 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 2: the channel. So I had to like go to a 551 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 2: friends and see if I could figure out how we 552 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,120 Speaker 2: got the channel. It was a whole thing, but one 553 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:17,639 Speaker 2: O six in Park was the slice of just you 554 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 2: felt represented, and you felt seen and heard, and you 555 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:23,639 Speaker 2: felt like you were a part of the community. Like 556 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:25,760 Speaker 2: it was just I can't explain it, but it was 557 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 2: really such an important part of my school days, like 558 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 2: my weekdays. It was five days a week, so important 559 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 2: to me. And then to get the call to do 560 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 2: it absolutely insane and only Canadian, but I. 561 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 1: Remember Canada was so excited. But at least for me, 562 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 1: I just I. 563 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:47,160 Speaker 2: Every day I would get on set, and what people 564 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 2: don't realize is there's a live audience who are allowed. 565 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 1: As heil. 566 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 2: Okay, There's a DJ who is playing loud music during 567 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 2: commercial break. 568 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: You got your in ear people talking to you. 569 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:06,879 Speaker 2: You have the teleprompter that sometimes is being retyped live 570 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:09,880 Speaker 2: as you're reading this line, and you see the bottom 571 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:11,119 Speaker 2: is changing live. 572 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: The audience is loud, the DJ is crunk. 573 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 2: You're literally like, oh my gosh, it is you feel 574 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 2: like you're hosting in a nightclub for kids. 575 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: It was insane. 576 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 2: It was insane, and then somewhat like guess that would 577 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:26,960 Speaker 2: come like they would blow my mind. 578 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:27,239 Speaker 1: You know. 579 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 2: There was one of the most insane days of my 580 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,960 Speaker 2: life was I came into my dressing room and there 581 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:35,800 Speaker 2: was a letter from the White House and it had 582 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:38,720 Speaker 2: like the White House stamp and the name and everything. 583 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 1: And I remember I was in my dressing room trying 584 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: to listen to. 585 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 2: See if bow Wow got it, because he walked in 586 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 2: his room and he didn't say anything. 587 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:45,360 Speaker 1: So I was like, ooh, I think it's just me 588 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: that guy. 589 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 2: So I was like, let me open So I opened 590 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 2: it and it was like not a QR code, but 591 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 2: it was one of those things you scan it and 592 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,040 Speaker 2: then it's Barack and Michelle Obama saying, Hi, we're so. 593 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,800 Speaker 1: Excited to welcome you to our White House Christmas Party. 594 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:00,240 Speaker 2: And it's going to be on this day. I hope 595 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 2: you can attend. And I spent the entire day. I 596 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 2: didn't tell anyone. I didn't want bow to noecause I 597 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 2: didn't want him to be left out right, So but 598 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 2: I was so excited and I also remember like all 599 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 2: these men in suits going through our drawers and our 600 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 2: closets and I didn't know, and then they just like, oh, 601 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 2: Michelle Obama's coming tomorrow. 602 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 1: That was secret Service checking. 603 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 2: Out in your room. 604 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 1: They just didn't tell you you'd find out the. 605 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 2: Day before you'd have like the biggest star on the show. 606 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:33,719 Speaker 2: So it kept you on your toes. But sidebar I 607 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 2: did end up going to the Christmas party, and how 608 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 2: was it? 609 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: Well? 610 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 2: When I arrived, Babo texted me and was like are 611 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 2: you here? 612 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 3: Ah, He's like I have no one to go with. 613 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: Can we go together? And I was like, so you 614 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 1: were invited as well. But we had the best time. 615 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: And then I saw Michelle and she's like, he should 616 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 1: come over here. I need you to meet my husband. 617 00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 1: And I was like, is this the moment? 618 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 2: And so then she introduces me to Barack and he 619 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 2: was like, I heard you were on the my my wife. 620 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:07,960 Speaker 1: Was on the show. 621 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 2: And he's like, my daughters, yes, and my daughters are 622 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 2: big fans of you and the show. And you know, 623 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:18,080 Speaker 2: Michelle thinks she's really cool, but I have to ask you, 624 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 2: is she really that cool? 625 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 1: And I was like no, everyone loved her she's the 626 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 1: coolest ever. 627 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 2: And he's like, she's I And I'm like, did the 628 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 2: President just say I. 629 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 1: I love here? And I was like, anyway, this is 630 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 1: bowow y'all love him. I always tease him, but yeah, no, 631 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 1: it was that was for me. 632 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 2: That was a huge moment for me and also was 633 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:42,719 Speaker 2: so inspiring. 634 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: And then to interview Michelle, Yes, I mean you don't. 635 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:47,240 Speaker 5: You can't get any more. 636 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 1: There's no inspiring than that. Now, the two of. 637 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 9: You, I mean, you guys have been the White House 638 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 9: dozens of dozens of times. Is there one moment especially 639 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 9: from uh, from your experience the White House? So you 640 00:30:58,040 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 9: want to share that? 641 00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 3: I do think like one of the most special ones 642 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 3: for for me was when we had the opportunity to 643 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 3: bring Yolanda into the Oval Office to meet with President Obama. 644 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 3: So of course we had been with him many times 645 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,719 Speaker 3: before he invited us into the into the Oval Office. Wow, 646 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:20,560 Speaker 3: to see the bust that he had had placed there 647 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:24,680 Speaker 3: of her grandfather, Martin's father, So it was it was 648 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 3: particularly interesting just to be there and to you know, 649 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 3: to see them interact and together. And we we had 650 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:35,600 Speaker 3: said to elimd okay, Elanda, you can r you're gonna 651 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:37,960 Speaker 3: meet with the president, you know, maybe you would want 652 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 3: to think about what you're going to say. And so 653 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 3: she asked him about the fact of, you know, mister President, 654 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 3: what are you gonna do about these guns? And then 655 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:50,680 Speaker 3: you know, he started from a political you know, he's 656 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 3: wonderful man, of course, and he was saying, well, you know, 657 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 3: you don't have to be afraid, you know, like a 658 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:57,280 Speaker 3: like a father, and you know, because of this, and 659 00:31:57,320 --> 00:32:00,560 Speaker 3: she gave him like that that you know kind of 660 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:05,360 Speaker 3: stare at Correta Scott Kings there, you know, and he 661 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 3: really wanted, you know, to policies and you know things 662 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:10,320 Speaker 3: with her, and so it was just really wonderful to 663 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:11,000 Speaker 3: really think. 664 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:13,560 Speaker 1: About not only that moment in the White House and in. 665 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:16,560 Speaker 3: The Oval Office and what he represents, but to be 666 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 3: there with that bust and also to see you know, 667 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,840 Speaker 3: him taking the intentional time to talk policy, you know, 668 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:24,920 Speaker 3: with a with a little one but. 669 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 1: Funny story speaking of only only children. 670 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:32,480 Speaker 3: It was a bit of a negotiation to get her 671 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:36,760 Speaker 3: to go on that trip. That same day, her school 672 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:40,400 Speaker 3: class was taking a field trip to go to the 673 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:42,720 Speaker 3: capitol here in Georgia. So she was she was like, oh, 674 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:48,160 Speaker 3: but Mom, they're gonna ride the train, public transportation, and 675 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,560 Speaker 3: they're going to meet they maybe even meet with the governor. 676 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 1: So she was trying to decide should. 677 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 3: She take this is a true story, So she take 678 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 3: Marta for those of us in Atlanta, and take Ma. 679 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:02,239 Speaker 3: Didn't go with her class to you know, to the 680 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:05,440 Speaker 3: capitol which we live here in Georgia, you know, because 681 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:07,440 Speaker 3: wanting to be a part right, she wanted to be 682 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:09,959 Speaker 3: a part of her class, so that to her and 683 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 3: belonging was more important than going to meet with Barack 684 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 3: Obama in the Oval office. But she ultimately chose, she 685 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 3: chose to go. 686 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 9: And asked him a really good question. 687 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 5: Yes she did. 688 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:24,840 Speaker 1: Yes, Yes she is. 689 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:25,920 Speaker 9: She's a powerhouse. 690 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. 691 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:30,959 Speaker 3: Coming up on My Legacy, Keisha shares what makes Steven 692 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 3: such a powerful mentor and why everyone needs someone like 693 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 3: him in their corner. If you're looking to step into 694 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,840 Speaker 3: that role or find your own person, keep listening and 695 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:43,959 Speaker 3: if someone's been that kind of support for you, subscribe 696 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 3: and share this episode with them as a way to 697 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 3: say thank you. Now, back to My Legacy, I want. 698 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 9: To ask you you said this even believed in you 699 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 9: before anybody quote unquote really knew your name. What was 700 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,440 Speaker 9: some advice or one major piece of advice that he 701 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:14,240 Speaker 9: gave you? And with humility did you listen to it? So, Steven, 702 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:15,440 Speaker 9: you have to hold her accountablet here. 703 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 2: Oh boy, Well, the way we met was interesting. I 704 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:27,160 Speaker 2: was already seeing success in Canada, but not really stateside. 705 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 2: It was like you were getting a little, like little 706 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 2: remnants of it. But the dream was always to be 707 00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:34,000 Speaker 2: on BET. But at the time, it wasn't really common 708 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:37,000 Speaker 2: for Canadian acts signed to Canadian labels to be on 709 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:42,040 Speaker 2: American television. So at the time I the song was 710 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 2: on it was bad Boy, the song was on the radio. 711 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:47,279 Speaker 2: We had a music video was doing well on the 712 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:51,479 Speaker 2: network and a different network and not BET. 713 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 1: It was a Canadian network, not yet. 714 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:58,400 Speaker 2: And I was It was the Urban Music Awards in 715 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,359 Speaker 2: Canada and I was nominated for things. 716 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:05,239 Speaker 1: But I still had this feeling of like isn't there 717 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:05,719 Speaker 1: more to do? 718 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:08,279 Speaker 2: Like we're doing it here in Canada, but where there's 719 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 2: a whole world out there. And then I met Steven 720 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:15,200 Speaker 2: and I remember he walked up to me at the award. 721 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 6: Show because I had come up from BETBT it's yeah 722 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:22,480 Speaker 6: VT Canada, and I was up doing some press that day, 723 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 6: and I went to a radio station and they played 724 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 6: bad Boy, and I was obsessed with that song. I 725 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 6: simply loved how it moved, how she sounded. I had 726 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:34,560 Speaker 6: never heard it before. I asked him to play it 727 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:37,919 Speaker 6: again on the radio. They did, yeah, And so it 728 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:41,239 Speaker 6: was really just by fortune they played that, and then 729 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:44,320 Speaker 6: I somebody pointed her in the audience when I was 730 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 6: at the Urban Music Awards and I walked. 731 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 2: Down and he walked up to me and was like, 732 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:50,320 Speaker 2: I've been hearing your name and hearing your song, and 733 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:51,919 Speaker 2: I love the song and I would love to have 734 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 2: you know, the video come on to BET. But his 735 00:35:55,880 --> 00:36:00,240 Speaker 2: belief in me sparked the label to spend more money 736 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,600 Speaker 2: and get you know, Major Little X the director. Now 737 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:08,000 Speaker 2: he's Director X, but at the time he was iconic 738 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:09,920 Speaker 2: doing every music video you could think of. To do 739 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 2: these music videos for Beet to be played on BET, 740 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 2: and then not only did he put it into like 741 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:20,759 Speaker 2: heavy rotation, but he gave me rated next and it 742 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:22,840 Speaker 2: was an honor because he allowed me and my mom 743 00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 2: to visit him at his office and play him unreleased 744 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:29,480 Speaker 2: music and get his opinion. And as a little girl, 745 00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 2: you know, I'm like, Wow, he's such a huge deal. 746 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:36,440 Speaker 2: He makes the shows that I need every single day 747 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:39,759 Speaker 2: after school, and he has a belief in me. You know, 748 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 2: every piece of feedback he gave about every song and 749 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:44,520 Speaker 2: every anything. 750 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:46,759 Speaker 1: I was like sitting there as a little girl, like 751 00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:49,280 Speaker 1: we must do it. I go back to the label. 752 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 2: I'm like, guys, we have to we have to do 753 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:53,120 Speaker 2: that whatever he says, we're doing. 754 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:54,080 Speaker 7: Poise. Poise. 755 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:58,279 Speaker 6: Poise is what you call somebody who is there but 756 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 6: really beyond their years and has a calmness and an 757 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:06,719 Speaker 6: understanding of the world that that that is uh, that 758 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:09,560 Speaker 6: feels like they shouldn't have it at this young age. 759 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 6: So I felt about Keisha Chante. I remember the first time. 760 00:37:12,719 --> 00:37:14,080 Speaker 6: I can tell That's why I can tell you exactly 761 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:14,640 Speaker 6: where it was. 762 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:15,720 Speaker 7: She had. 763 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:21,839 Speaker 6: A confidence and so everyone told you meet somebody like, oh, 764 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:25,359 Speaker 6: they've been here before. There there's there's a there's a 765 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:26,680 Speaker 6: there's a feeling there. 766 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:27,640 Speaker 7: They acknowledge that. 767 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 6: They shouldn't that they shouldn't have and that that that 768 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:36,360 Speaker 6: word poise And she's continued to exhibit that as she's 769 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:40,440 Speaker 6: as as she's grown. I had no I knew exactly 770 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:41,799 Speaker 6: who I wanted when there was an opening for one 771 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:43,719 Speaker 6: O six in part I knew exactly was we went 772 00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:44,880 Speaker 6: through a whole bunch of visa. 773 00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:48,200 Speaker 7: Issues and could talk about that now because visas are 774 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:48,840 Speaker 7: a thing. 775 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:48,920 Speaker 2: But. 776 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:03,040 Speaker 5: So and we will be ending the segment. 777 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:05,080 Speaker 4: Stephan. 778 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:07,680 Speaker 9: After leaving be et, you started your own production company, 779 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 9: incredibly successful. Of course, what does success mean to you today? 780 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:14,319 Speaker 6: Success is the people that I poured into, especially when 781 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:18,839 Speaker 6: I was in the corporate world, having them flourish, right, 782 00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:22,240 Speaker 6: having Keisha flourish. There's so many people who work behind 783 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:25,600 Speaker 6: the scenes at BT on one Park who are now 784 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:31,040 Speaker 6: lead producers. They're running Tyler Perry's Unscripted, their award Emmy 785 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 6: Award winning directors, and so. 786 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:37,239 Speaker 7: Even my current. 787 00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:40,480 Speaker 6: Success is in the success of people who who I 788 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:44,240 Speaker 6: got to work with at the beginning of their careers. 789 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:47,799 Speaker 6: And success is also kind of being able to go 790 00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:48,720 Speaker 6: to the beach when I wanted. 791 00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:54,000 Speaker 5: That sounds like a balance, Lie, That's what I love 792 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:55,920 Speaker 5: about the show is we get to really peel back 793 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:59,000 Speaker 5: the laters. And I love in the mentorship relationship because 794 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,360 Speaker 5: you showed it didn't happen accident, and I love the 795 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:04,799 Speaker 5: honesty of both of you sharing the mentorship that you've 796 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:06,880 Speaker 5: had for each other, and so I just want to 797 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:09,880 Speaker 5: encourage any of our listeners or our viewers to reflect 798 00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:11,640 Speaker 5: on the mentors on in their life, to reflect how 799 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:14,520 Speaker 5: they can be great mentors, to share this with their mentors, 800 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,760 Speaker 5: or share this with their mentors, to have that relationship. 801 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:21,799 Speaker 5: And deeply grateful to both of you for living your 802 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:23,799 Speaker 5: legacy and sharing your legacy with us. 803 00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:27,440 Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you, and I'm grateful to all of you. First, 804 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:30,759 Speaker 2: you two creating the WE organization. I have to tell 805 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:33,040 Speaker 2: you that was my first time ever being on stage 806 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:37,040 Speaker 2: talking about my mental health in front of a huge audience, 807 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:39,480 Speaker 2: and it was such a beautiful place to do it, 808 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:42,040 Speaker 2: and I was so supported that it genuinely made me 809 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:45,880 Speaker 2: feel safe and comfortable to continue speaking about that. And 810 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:48,800 Speaker 2: then getting to finally meet the both of you doing 811 00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:52,600 Speaker 2: the Selma March for the sixtieth anniversary yesterday. I wasn't 812 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:54,360 Speaker 2: expecting to be. 813 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 1: There were so many emotions. 814 00:39:56,080 --> 00:39:58,480 Speaker 2: I was like fired up, I was happy, I was 815 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 2: so I it was an honor to have that moment 816 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:06,880 Speaker 2: with you guys, and just you four are incredibly inspiring 817 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:08,920 Speaker 2: in what you do every single day, and you do 818 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:11,520 Speaker 2: it at a level that is just incredible. 819 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:15,240 Speaker 1: So I want to walk that walk and I will. 820 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:18,439 Speaker 2: Be harassing all of you and then my mentor Yeah, 821 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:24,600 Speaker 2: I mean I I drive him insane, and but he 822 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:26,880 Speaker 2: he is the reason why I got into television. 823 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:29,279 Speaker 1: It's his belief in me that even allowed me. 824 00:40:29,480 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 2: Didn't know that was something I was going to do next, 825 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:34,280 Speaker 2: and it's been an incredible career. 826 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 1: So I am very grateful to use one conversation. Thank 827 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:45,000 Speaker 1: you for joining us. 828 00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:49,080 Speaker 3: If you enjoyed today's conversation, subscribe, share, and follow us 829 00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:52,840 Speaker 3: at my Legacy Movement on social media. New episodes drop 830 00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:56,920 Speaker 3: every Tuesday, with bonus content every Thursday. At its core, 831 00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:01,040 Speaker 3: this podcast honors doctor King's vision of the beloved community 832 00:41:01,080 --> 00:41:05,200 Speaker 3: and the power of connection. A Legacy Plus Studio production 833 00:41:05,480 --> 00:41:11,080 Speaker 3: distributed by iHeartMedia creator and executive producer Suzanne Haywood co 834 00:41:11,160 --> 00:41:16,760 Speaker 3: executive producer Lisa Lyle. Listen on the iHeartRadio app or wherever. 835 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:17,400 Speaker 1: You get your podcast. 836 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:28,840 Speaker 3: Until next time, may you find inspiration to live your legacy.