1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio One. 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 2: I'm QLs listeners and viewers. I see you, Actually I don't. 3 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 2: But anyway, we are back with Part two of Quest 4 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 2: Love Supremes episode with DJ Drama. Now don't forget. This 5 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 2: was filmed on location in Atlanta, Georgia, and we recorded 6 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,760 Speaker 2: this episode in TI Studio, which is really a dope spot. 7 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 2: So make sure you've watched or listened to part one. 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 2: That's where Drama, you know, my Homide from CAU talks 9 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 2: about his Philly upbringing, his respect for Questlove and the 10 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 2: roots and making critical inroads with TI and GZ and 11 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 2: Fini at driving Atlanta. All right, y'all, let's get ready. 12 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 2: Here we go with part two. 13 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: As a mixtape. DJ, you're locking it down. 14 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 3: But as far as now, when you're DJing in clubs, 15 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 3: if I'm hiring you to DJ a party in two 16 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 3: thousand and six, two thousand and seven, how long, like 17 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 3: how long is your set? And are you doing just 18 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 3: exclusive stuff that is exclusive to you or are you 19 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:21,919 Speaker 3: still just like doing regularly DJ stuff? 20 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:26,119 Speaker 4: And so really what wound up happening was around that time, 21 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 4: I actually wasn't doing a lot of gigs because I 22 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 4: then became DJ Drama and I went literally from getting 23 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 4: paid three hundred dollars from doing parties in Atlanta to 24 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 4: them not being able to afford me. And then I 25 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 4: was also tips DJ, so I was on the road, 26 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 4: so I didn't really I wasn't doing a lot of 27 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 4: my own gigs. I would I would here and there, 28 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 4: I would I would get hired, but I would probably 29 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 4: do like a two hour set and I would you know, 30 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 4: but this is all a time when like so I 31 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 4: guess Serrato was already out right, so I would do 32 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 4: like big gigs like I remember when Vibe had like 33 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 4: the Vibe something down here and outcasts perform like they 34 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 4: will book me for that, or like BT would book me, 35 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 4: and you know, I was just I was playing like 36 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 4: I would mix it up. I mean, I would do 37 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 4: what was hot, but I would also, you know, kind 38 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 4: of play some gangster grol ship. 39 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 3: So are you a business in terms of like now 40 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 3: you have a manager and an. 41 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: Agent and a staff. Yeah. 42 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 4: The office space like definitely, we had a Walker Street 43 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 4: was our was our was our office. Niece Denise, Denise 44 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 4: worked for us. We had I had Jason Brown was 45 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 4: was handling all the distribution. Orlando McGee was my first manager, 46 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 4: and yeah, because then I got, you know, the opportunity 47 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 4: to get an album there. I mean I literally met 48 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 4: with every late Boot at one point as far as 49 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 4: like their interest in signing me as a DJ to 50 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,119 Speaker 4: do a Gangster Girls album, you know, and based upon 51 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 4: my loyalty and I hadn't known the building, I signed 52 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 4: to Ground Hustle Atlantic. But but yeah, I definitely had 53 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 4: staff and a manager and you know, the whole nine. 54 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 4: So with dedication, Like how did that come to? I 55 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 4: was on the I was on the bus with Tip. 56 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 4: We were on the Urban Legend tour. He was on 57 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 4: the phone with Wayne. I heard him talking to Wayne 58 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 4: and I was like, Yo, let me holler at him. 59 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 4: So I remember being on my bunk and I just 60 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 4: got on the phone with him and I was like, 61 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 4: what's up. 62 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: I was like, you know, and at that. 63 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 4: Time, Wayne was was doing his squad up mid Squy, 64 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 4: so I was using a lot of those songs on 65 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 4: Gangster Grills, so I knew he was kind of in 66 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 4: his mixtape bag. And I was like, yo, you know, 67 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 4: we got to get one, and he was like yeah, 68 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 4: you know, I mean he was already familiar with me. 69 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 4: And I remember coming off tour for a time and 70 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 4: I went to stank On and met with Wayne and 71 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 4: Tez and we just kind of like went over. I 72 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 4: brought on a bunch of instrumentals, just options and things 73 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 4: to wrap on and things of that nature, and I 74 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 4: literally just came up with the name Dedication, just like 75 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 4: let's call it Dedication and he was like all right, cool. 76 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 4: And Rob Petroso, who used to do all my artwork, 77 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 4: came up with the cover, which was you know, legendary. 78 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 4: And you know, because by that point, Gangster Grills was 79 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 4: a brand, Like you know, when I was moving them 80 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 4: throughout the southeast or up north or what have you, 81 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 4: people were already like okay, if it's a Gangster Grills, 82 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 4: like we need it, we want it. And the Wayne tape, 83 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:42,799 Speaker 4: you know, I remember when he sent me to music 84 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 4: and listening and I was like, Yo, this shit is different. 85 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 4: This is not the wobbledy wobbley dropping like his hot kid, 86 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 4: like he's on some shit, like some real bars on here. 87 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 4: And you know, when I did the tape and I 88 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 4: kind of I had known like, yeah, this this is 89 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 4: this is a moment. You know what I'm saying, and 90 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,919 Speaker 4: then it really turned into a moment and so it 91 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 4: was like it was like back to back from me 92 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 4: because I just did Trap or Die and then Dedication 93 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 4: happened and it was like Wayne was on fire from 94 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 4: you know Carter to dedication to you know, coming into 95 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 4: his own and so here I am again, this kid 96 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 4: from Philly went to school in Atlanta, who's now the 97 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 4: king of the mixtapes with Tip GZ and Wayne or 98 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 4: like who were the hottest guys not only in the 99 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 4: South but now in the hip hop And it was 100 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 4: like I'm in the mix, like I'm the platform for 101 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 4: you know, what's what's getting these niggas hot? 102 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 1: In your mind? 103 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 3: And this is before you know the fans and Rico stuff, 104 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 3: but like in your mind, what. 105 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: Was the end game? Are you? Like a great question? 106 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 3: Let me start, like when do you You're like, hey, 107 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:58,919 Speaker 3: I need to be puffy or I need to start 108 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 3: my label or I need like because in your mind you're. 109 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: Like, whoa, I'm just in college. 110 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 3: You know, in fact seven years ago now, like I 111 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 3: determined what the future. 112 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 4: You know what it really was when when I first 113 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 4: got hot or got popular or became that guy. The 114 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 4: only thing that I told myself, is yo, okay, you 115 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 4: got here like from ninety two to zero five, like 116 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 4: there was a lot of legwork to get here. 117 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: You gotta stay. 118 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 4: Here drama Like I didn't know how or what it 119 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 4: was gonna be, but I just told myself like, yo, 120 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 4: like you gotta stay relevant, like somehow, some way, And 121 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,600 Speaker 4: it happened in a lot of forms. I mean, my 122 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 4: brother over here, like when at the time when Gangster 123 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 4: Grills was known for trap music and southern hip hop 124 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 4: to an extent, you know, at the same time, like 125 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 4: they they're per it was at Apache Cafe or yin 126 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 4: Yank Cafe. It was Apache and they Little Brother had 127 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 4: a show and the bus was outside of the venue 128 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 4: and I came on a bus and we sat down 129 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 4: and I told them like, yo, I'm a huge fan. 130 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: I have been for some time. 131 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 4: And then you know, they told me the same in return, 132 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 4: and they were like, what do you think about doing 133 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 4: a Gangster Grills And I was like, what. 134 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: What are we waiting on? 135 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 4: But around the same time, I was getting pushback from 136 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 4: various people like wait, you're gonna do a tape with 137 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 4: who Little Brother and Pharrell like that's not Gangster Grills. Like, 138 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 4: how does that make sense? And you know, I've always 139 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 4: looked at myself like John Singleton and Martin Scorsese like 140 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 4: I make I can make boys in the hood, but 141 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 4: then I can go and make poetic justice, and I 142 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 4: can make higher learning, and I can make baby boys. 143 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:00,080 Speaker 4: So that was how I approached it, so that the 144 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 4: the fact that people were like pushing against this is 145 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 4: not a platform for Little Brother was like so like 146 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 4: not only like what are y'all saying my ship's and 147 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 4: I say on the table, Yeah, it wasn't gonna sound 148 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 4: good on. 149 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 5: This, yeah, Like, and that was our mentality going into 150 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 5: it too, because hence the name separate but equals. 151 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: It's so iconic in so many ways, like how. 152 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 3: Are you talking Wayne into because you know, to be 153 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 3: it was kind of perplexing. 154 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 5: That he chose that beat. Really he chose that. You 155 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 5: didn't even know I was going to ask you first. 156 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 5: He chose that beat, all right, Wayne chose And that 157 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 5: just shows Wayne rhymed over loving it. Well no, no, no, 158 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 5: I'm sorry. Well yeah, like he. 159 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 3: Round of a Star and I'm like, god, damn, like 160 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 3: he's killing our ship more than our ship. 161 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: I was so anti Wayne back then. 162 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 6: I ain't none of it. 163 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: It's crazy you missed dedication I was. 164 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 6: I was on the radio is very anti these things, 165 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:01,839 Speaker 6: and that's what I was known for. 166 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: So but I heard that little brother, but a little brother, 167 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: so you wasn't a gangster girl? Oh yeah, she's one 168 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: of the ones like when are you gonna do another automatic? 169 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 7: But so what like because that's exactly exactly like but 170 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 7: I'm saying, like, like the for my mind, I was like, 171 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 7: did you I was like, man, maybe helped Wayne to gunpoint, 172 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 7: like you better run over this Philly track like he. 173 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:37,679 Speaker 1: Was just from a big giant is a head hip hop? 174 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 1: Yeah you know? 175 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 4: And and then and then for me it was my 176 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 4: like again also coming from making automatic relaxations or coming 177 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 4: from wanting to do this because if y'all like when 178 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 4: Little Brother approached me and when Pharrell approached me, it 179 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 4: was so exciting for me because it was one it 180 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,439 Speaker 4: was an opportunity to branch out, and then too, it 181 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 4: was an opportunity to like feel like I was giving 182 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 4: back to my roots, no pun intended, but like like 183 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 4: what like I can make a little brother gangster girls 184 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 4: or for real gangster grills like oh man, once I 185 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 4: open this door. That just opens the floodgates for you know, 186 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 4: for it to go in so many directions and. 187 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 5: For us doing that when we did Separate equal like 188 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 5: because my whole thing was, like I hated mixed. Well, 189 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 5: I love listening to mixtapes, but I didn't want to 190 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 5: make a mixtape, you know what I'm saying. Like my 191 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 5: thing was, if I'm going to take time to write 192 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 5: these original rhymes, I'm not putting them ships over somebody 193 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 5: else tracks, you know what I'm saying, Like I can 194 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 5: take them new rhymes, I can put over a new beat. 195 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying, That's a new jam. 196 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 5: I'm loved it. I love that our tape was like that. Yeah, 197 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 5: we only rhymed of like maybe one instrumental. The rest 198 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 5: of that shit was all original joints. 199 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 4: Can we discuss the no drama version though, Like you know, 200 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 4: I've had a saw well yeah, but yeah, so. 201 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 5: What we did we did We did the tape and 202 00:10:57,559 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 5: that was in like we did some that was like 203 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 5: oh it was six yeah, so maybe like what like 204 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 5: two years later, like we did uh we called drama 205 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 5: free version because at the time when we were out, 206 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 5: it was a drama free version because we had the mixtape. 207 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 1: But like all your drops on this stuff. 208 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,199 Speaker 5: But then if if if I'm not if I remember 209 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 5: this correctly, I think who we were putting it out, 210 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 5: we were putting the project out with they just didn't 211 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:27,079 Speaker 5: want Yeah, I mean it was straight up you know 212 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 5: what I mean, because retail wouldn't they wouldn't put it 213 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 5: in like you couldn't get in certain stories like it 214 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:34,439 Speaker 5: was a mixtape exactly. So we were just like, all right, 215 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 5: well here's the records. They was original records and they 216 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:38,559 Speaker 5: was our fucking records, So you know what I mean. 217 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I get it. 218 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:41,680 Speaker 4: I mean the fact that it was called Drama Free 219 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 4: was definitely kind of made me sad. 220 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 5: But it wasn't no like that wasn't a shot and 221 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 5: it was just like it was just like free. 222 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 6: It's kind of catchy. It's catchy as a motherfucker's shape. 223 00:11:58,520 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 1: I got it. 224 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 4: I mean, they're not the you know, they're not the 225 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 4: first person to do a version of the tape without me. 226 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 4: I mean, Crenshaw exists on on streaming platforms. 227 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,680 Speaker 1: Without me on that one hurts too, like you know, 228 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,079 Speaker 1: like that was I was part of it. 229 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 3: I was part of Crenshaw, aren't you the spice and 230 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 3: the bells and the whistles. 231 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, like like that that was the thing about that 232 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: was one. 233 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 4: I mean hence why because when I did the table 234 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 4: with Geez, like, the music didn't exist without me on it, 235 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,719 Speaker 4: So all the DJs had to play the versions with 236 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:30,680 Speaker 4: me on it, and he didn't give it out without 237 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 4: me on it. So you would go to the club 238 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 4: and hear gangster grills all over because the music didn't 239 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 4: exist without me on it. 240 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 6: Sounds like a do over. It sounds like, I. 241 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 5: Don't know, it's like almost hearing a Dela jooring without 242 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 5: the siren and the Dila dilla beats beats. Yeah, like 243 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 5: he thought he was sucking shit up, like nobody will 244 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:49,320 Speaker 5: rhyme over this shit to be that made it better? 245 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 4: I mean yeah, I mean you know, I like, to me, 246 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 4: it would hurt like I've never listened to the separate 247 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 4: but equal drama free version, like I don't even it 248 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:01,679 Speaker 4: would hurt my soul to to me this, I think. 249 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 5: The separated egal drummer fee version. So and it's crazy. 250 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 5: I thought it just me and you have never talked 251 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 5: about none of this shit. So man, when we did that. 252 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 5: We did that record, and I always just want to 253 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 5: thank you man, because I sent you those records. Like 254 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 5: when I manage at the time, Dough, me and Poot 255 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 5: finished everything and I just put the records in a sequence. 256 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 5: I put all the songs in the sequence, skits like everything, 257 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 5: and I was like, I think this worked. But whatever, 258 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 5: I'm sure Drama do his thing. He'll change it up whatever. 259 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 5: I trust him. And so when they sent it back, 260 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 5: we were on tour and Doe was like, yo, Drama 261 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 5: just sent the joint and I was like, all right, cool, 262 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:38,440 Speaker 5: and I opened it up because this is you know, 263 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:40,840 Speaker 5: MP three's, so you will open it and see the 264 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:43,320 Speaker 5: track listing first before you loaded the shit up, and 265 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 5: you kept the track listening the exact same way I 266 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 5: did it. And I was like, holy shit, you know 267 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:48,319 Speaker 5: what I mean, Like that was just a. 268 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 4: Big ohst to it when I listened to it and 269 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 4: I heard it and then I heard it in the 270 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 4: way that the skits were and everything, like I'm not like, 271 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 4: you know, I know, part of my job is, you know, 272 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 4: there's people that want me to put it in an 273 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 4: order or or however to do my thing, but I'm 274 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 4: not going to mess with something that's already dope, you 275 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 4: know what I'm saying. So for me, it was already 276 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 4: like okay, here's my bells and my whistles. But if 277 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 4: this ship flows the way it flows, like watch watch 278 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 4: change perfection, that's always I appreciated that, man, bro, Like 279 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 4: I mean you like the Little Brother and the Pharaal 280 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 4: tape like came out at a time, and it came 281 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 4: out literally like back to back, and those tapes are 282 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 4: so important to me because again, like you know, from 283 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 4: where I come from, from the cloth that I come from, 284 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 4: and for what I was being known for at the time, 285 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 4: and not that I was fighting against it, but it 286 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 4: was like yo, like I want to show the world 287 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 4: like I am hip hop like to it's full, like 288 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 4: I am from the cloth, you know what I mean. 289 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: And to be able to do those two projects were like. 290 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 5: We had a point to prove because you had We 291 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:00,080 Speaker 5: both had a point because for you, you know, you 292 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 5: said it was proven like we were from that cloth. 293 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 5: For us at that time, you know, we were coming 294 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 5: off the Minstrel show and it was just like ah, 295 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 5: them niggas, they just some backpack hate niggas. It was 296 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 5: like no, we fucking wrapped, you know what I mean. 297 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 5: And it was just like, look, it don't matter if 298 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 5: it's trapshit whatever, like. 299 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: And just beat the South. 300 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 4: I mean, so it was like even that in that 301 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 4: sense of what people were looking at was Southern hip hop. 302 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 4: And then you know us doing that tape and separate 303 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 4: but equal like as a title and y'all being from 304 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 4: the South, like it all it all just made it 305 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 4: was It was great. 306 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: It was a great moment. 307 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 5: Now it really was, man, And that was just I'm 308 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 5: so thankful that you know our pass like crossing the 309 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 5: way he did that shit was amazing, amazing. I know 310 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 5: that you rehashed the story over and over and over 311 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 5: and over again, so I'm trying not to beat an 312 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 5: already dead horse that you moved past. I mean, the 313 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 5: question is basically like in two thousand and seven, I'm 314 00:15:54,680 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 5: trying to figure out how an industry that utilizes you 315 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 5: to break open their artists like and again, I'm a 316 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 5: stornch East Coast head. 317 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 3: You know, Tarik himself listen to nothing but your mixtapes. 318 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 3: So this is how I'm learning about Wayne, Like, this 319 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 3: is how I'm getting my education on what I need 320 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 3: to learn about the rest of America except my niece. 321 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 3: And I'm trying to like, and I understand that there 322 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 3: was a period between two thousand and three in two 323 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 3: thousand and eight, especially like with record labels not knowing 324 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 3: like if they're going to survive now that streaming culture. 325 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: Like you know, we already had the sign napster. 326 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, like around two thousand and three whatever like 327 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 3: that just starts, But I'm trying to figure out how like, 328 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 3: like you were definitely utilized and used to break open people, 329 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 3: like so just in general and not like from one 330 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 3: to ten, How shocked were you when you came home 331 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 3: and like, wait, what the fuck is this? Like did 332 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 3: you did you have an inkling of a clue? 333 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,439 Speaker 1: Like none? Or even even when the ship was selling 334 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 1: like hotcakes? Twelve, even when she was selling like hotcakes? 335 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 3: Was there any person that was sort of like, have 336 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,879 Speaker 3: you ever received pushback from anyone that like you rhymed 337 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 3: an instrumental over and like Jame's like, hey, why'd you 338 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 3: use fronting? 339 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 1: Or why never? 340 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:28,920 Speaker 5: It wasn't on the artists like that was a badge 341 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 5: of honor to have someone to like wrap over you. 342 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: It wasn't that. 343 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 4: So, I mean we there's a there's a there's a 344 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 4: lot to unpack here. And again, I know I've told 345 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 4: the story. One part about it is, first off, it 346 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,439 Speaker 4: shows the disconnect within the labels. Right, So as much 347 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:50,880 Speaker 4: as the marketing departments loved me, or the mix show departments, 348 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:54,160 Speaker 4: or you know, the promotion department, how much I meant 349 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:59,360 Speaker 4: to them, the legal department of a label didn't understand. 350 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 4: They haven't clue, they don't get it. Like what wait 351 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 4: what like that that's not cleared? Like we're not you know, 352 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 4: we hold on. So they're you know, I was friends 353 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 4: with the promotions in the marketing side, but yeah, the 354 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:16,200 Speaker 4: legal department didn't. It didn't make sense to them, why 355 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 4: are we giving this free music out? And then this 356 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 4: is also a time where outside of my mixtapes, there 357 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:29,200 Speaker 4: were hundreds of other mixtapes that weren't sanctioned that people were, 358 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 4: you know however, getting MP three's hacking for whatever way 359 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 4: they were getting them. Music was coming out that people 360 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 4: didn't give permission for. And then on top of that, 361 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 4: around this time, these mixtapes Minds and others started to 362 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 4: show up in best Buys and then targets and in 363 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:54,879 Speaker 4: walmarts with barcodes on it and so in that, you know, 364 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 4: and that made it confusing. And I just spoke about 365 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 4: this on math Hafa because they brought up, you know, 366 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 4: after I got raided. One of the people they asked 367 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 4: about what do you think about what happened to drama 368 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 4: was Wayne? And Wayne said, drama needs to Drama needs 369 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 4: to play the game fair or smarter like Clue or 370 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:17,280 Speaker 4: Kalid or something of that. 371 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: But is it the same? I mean, the reason why 372 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 1: I never. 373 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 4: Took offence to it is because you know, when these 374 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 4: when these because there's all there was a street code 375 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,920 Speaker 4: that went along with mixtapes for promotional use. Only right, 376 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 4: everybody knew that we were making money, and you know, 377 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 4: that's how I was supporting myself. But when they started, 378 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 4: when the mixtape started to show up in the stores 379 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 4: with bar codes, as an artist, I could understand how 380 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:49,160 Speaker 4: one could fill the type of way promotion because they're like, wait, 381 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 4: hold on, why is this? Why is my ship in 382 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 4: Target with a bar code? And I'm not seeing a 383 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 4: dollar from it? 384 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 6: So they're okay, not seeing a dollar if you just 385 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 6: selling it the way you're selling it. 386 00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:58,639 Speaker 1: Like from to an extent. 387 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 4: I mean again, now look looking back on it, if 388 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:05,640 Speaker 4: at the wise age of forty four that I am 389 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 4: now in my twenties, the type of money that I 390 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 4: was making, and I would you know, I would have 391 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:14,400 Speaker 4: easily thrown someone at twenty five or fifty if I'm 392 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 4: making X amount of dollars, like just as a quick 393 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 4: thank you, it would have It would have been a 394 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 4: nice gesture. 395 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 1: Like. 396 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 4: But you know, on the on the other end, these 397 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,440 Speaker 4: guys are going and doing shows for one hundred and 398 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 4: fifty two hundred thousand dollars off of what we've built together. 399 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 4: So you know, I don't count anyone's pockets, nor did 400 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 4: I feel like anyone should. 401 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:34,199 Speaker 1: Count to be fair and just. 402 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 5: I mean again, we just talk about it now, but 403 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 5: you know I never felt you know, me and I 404 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 5: could speak you know, from my brother Pool as well. 405 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: For us, it was never that like we did our 406 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 1: show up with a barcode. No, it didn't. I was 407 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: gonna show up on a bar code. 408 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 5: I remember like watching it on the news and seeing 409 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,199 Speaker 5: like when they was taking like shut out and they 410 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 5: separate videos there, bro I was like, what the fuck. 411 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: News outside? 412 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 5: I remember that, Yeah, y'all's was there, Bruh. That shit 413 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 5: was nuts so. But yeah, but for us, like you said, 414 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 5: it was just a code of honor. It was just understood. 415 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 5: It's like, okay, we do to take you know, drum, 416 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 5: he gonna move it on our end, We'll do whatever 417 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:14,879 Speaker 5: on our end. 418 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 1: We'll do, press it, shows whatever. 419 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 5: Like it was just you know what I mean, it 420 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 5: was a mutually beneficial thing, and. 421 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,119 Speaker 4: It was like that for most people. But yeah, I 422 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 4: think all those things came into play. I think the 423 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 4: fact that you know, two thousand and seven was a 424 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 4: very pivotal year for the music business where you know, 425 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 4: it was a transition, and you know, the the bottom 426 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 4: line wasn't wasn't adding up for them, And there's there's 427 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 4: many theories or conspiracy theories or you know, let's take 428 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,199 Speaker 4: the big guy out to shut this down. However, you know, 429 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 4: hence I don't you know, I do know that for 430 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:53,120 Speaker 4: a fact that people were told, artists were told like yo, 431 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 4: if when when DRAMs situation comes up, don't speak on it, 432 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 4: like leave that alone, you know what I'm saying, or 433 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:01,679 Speaker 4: you know, nobody he necessarily people used to ask me 434 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 4: in interviews like did you feel the type of way 435 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 4: when nobody spoke up for you? And I was like, honestly, 436 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:09,120 Speaker 4: not really like you know, like there were a couple 437 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:11,439 Speaker 4: of people behind the scenes I talked to, you know, 438 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 4: just that that that reached out or what have you. 439 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:17,120 Speaker 5: And then yeah, well us when you got when when 440 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 5: it happened for us specifically, So yeah, that was like 441 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 5: oh six o seven we did the and Justice for All? 442 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,240 Speaker 4: What's it seven? We did just January. It was January 443 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 4: seven when my shit happened. 444 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 5: Okay, it was January seventh, so I think maybe it's 445 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:33,199 Speaker 5: the next year, maybe it was or later that year. Anyway, 446 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 5: we did Mike Boogie tape uh and Justice for All? 447 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 5: I mean yeah, and I hear uh. I was telling me, 448 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 5: I said, y'all did that before the raid or after 449 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:42,639 Speaker 5: the ring? That was after the raid? Got you that 450 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 5: was after the raid, because I was telling me, I 451 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 5: was like, yo, bro, like, we gotta get drums speaking 452 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 5: on this, because the first record on that tape was 453 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:50,360 Speaker 5: Can't Stop as a record called Can't Stop as well. 454 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:52,880 Speaker 1: We was talking about that ship and it was just. 455 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 5: Like I said, nah, bru, like we gotta get drum 456 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 5: talking because they not they're not gonna We're not letting 457 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:58,199 Speaker 5: them shut this ship down. 458 00:22:58,320 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 1: Like fuck y'all. 459 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,440 Speaker 4: I meir I felt the type away, like I felt 460 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 4: a lot of guilt at the time because I'm like, damn, 461 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 4: like this is a culture like I grew up loving, 462 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,400 Speaker 4: you know what I'm saying, like, and I can't let 463 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,639 Speaker 4: this shit die on my shoulders, like like damn, you 464 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 4: felt like you killed the mixtape game for a moment, 465 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 4: for a moment, literally, yeah, Like I felt like, damn, 466 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 4: the downfall of the fucking mixtape game is going to 467 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 4: happen when I become the top of the food chain. 468 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 4: And like, you know, I spent a lot of time, 469 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 4: like you know, I still went and put tapes out 470 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 4: right after that, and. 471 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,160 Speaker 3: How long was it until you look both ways where 472 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:36,679 Speaker 3: you cross the street, and like, oh, I put a 473 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 3: tape by like a month too after like I did 474 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 3: like Gangster Grills sixteen and was just talking crazy on there, 475 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 3: like you know, and I remember the first big the 476 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 3: first big mixtape that I probably did was Dedication three, 477 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 3: and then I remember, you know, that was after you know, 478 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:57,159 Speaker 3: Wayne had went and said like fuck mixtape DJs or 479 00:23:57,200 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 3: fuck DJs or something, and then he called in my 480 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 3: radio show and we cleared that up. 481 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 4: And then you know we went on to do Dedication three, 482 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 4: but yeah, I mean again, I was like, you know, 483 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 4: I had a point to prove, like yo, I'm not first, 484 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 4: you know. And then Atlantic Records called literally the next day, like, 485 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 4: oh my god, how fast can we get your album done? 486 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: Like we can't pay for. 487 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:23,440 Speaker 4: This type of publicity because the record Riggs Riggs actually 488 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 4: did all the skits on my first album. So Riggs 489 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 4: did the I mean it was it was literally Julie 490 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:31,719 Speaker 4: and Craig and I think Kevin was still there at 491 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 4: the time, and and Kuys and then they all called like, yo, 492 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:36,160 Speaker 4: we can't play for this type publicity. 493 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: How soon can you turn your album in? 494 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 4: So you know, my first single actually was titled Feds 495 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 4: Taking Pictures. 496 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 1: Taking Pictures. Yeah, so you know Beneath the Diamonds. Oh, 497 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 1: I love that ship. 498 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:51,880 Speaker 6: For some reason, when that happened to you, I feel 499 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 6: like a lot of people who knew you, we felt 500 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 6: like it couldn't have happened to some better person who 501 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:00,639 Speaker 6: had resources prepared for In a way, I don't know 502 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 6: how to explain it to you, but we felt like 503 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 6: we knew you were going to be okay because you 504 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:07,920 Speaker 6: were smart as fuck, right and because what is that 505 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 6: Another reason as to why it felt like it kind 506 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:14,160 Speaker 6: of came and went and away. 507 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 4: Resource well for me, I mean you know again, I 508 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:19,359 Speaker 4: mean it literally made me more famous than I ever was. 509 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 1: I mean, next thing, I know. 510 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:22,479 Speaker 6: So you never had a crying moment, you was like, 511 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 6: the only. 512 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:24,960 Speaker 4: Crime moment I had is the next day I got 513 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:27,199 Speaker 4: out and I wasn't familiar with what the RICO was. 514 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 4: And then I called Tip and Tip was like, bro, 515 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 4: they hit you with the RICO, Like, check your bank account. 516 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 4: My bank account said zero point zero zero after having 517 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 4: six figures in it, So I definitely shed a tear. 518 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:45,199 Speaker 3: But after that, like where is no they kept? So 519 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:47,640 Speaker 3: I had we had two accounts for a museum's sake, 520 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:48,639 Speaker 3: like where is that stuff? 521 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,639 Speaker 4: Well, they gave back what did they gave back the equipment, 522 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:56,239 Speaker 4: They gave back one of our accounts. They gave back 523 00:25:56,280 --> 00:26:01,440 Speaker 4: the account that ironically was like the label budget account. 524 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 4: But the drama like the d or the DJ drama 525 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 4: account that I had with where most of the money was. 526 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:11,880 Speaker 4: They kept that because they they said they couldn't differentiate 527 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:14,679 Speaker 4: what was what was what? So we're keeping all. 528 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:16,359 Speaker 1: Of this, But how long did it take to replace 529 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:19,160 Speaker 1: I started making money. I mean, you know, I got 530 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 1: it back and got I got back up, you know, 531 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: to take me too long? 532 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 3: Obviously it was a performative actually, like what was the 533 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 3: end results? 534 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 1: Like yeah, I mean story the I double A. 535 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:34,920 Speaker 4: You know, and around that Timmy and Cannon had kind 536 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 4: of had a falling out and you know we went 537 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 4: our separate ways for a moment. 538 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: But the R I Double A made us do. 539 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 4: This like P s A where it was like hey, kids, 540 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 4: like don't sell music. Yeah, like they chilling, Yeah, like 541 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:54,400 Speaker 4: it never came. They never put it out, but they 542 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:58,920 Speaker 4: made it. We shot it at Tree Sounds and they literally, 543 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 4: like you know, gave us a screw like if you 544 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 4: make music, do you have a copy of it? 545 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,920 Speaker 1: I wish I did. Yo, Man, you gotta put it 546 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:08,199 Speaker 1: on your Instagram. I know it exists, it has to be. 547 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 4: And this this was literally the first time me and 548 00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:12,240 Speaker 4: Cannon had seen each other in a while, and we 549 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:12,920 Speaker 4: had to do it. 550 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:13,240 Speaker 1: You know. 551 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 4: Part of the agreement was us doing that P S 552 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 4: A that they never put out. But it's like, you know, 553 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 4: like for me, Likeah said, like when I was doing interviews, 554 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 4: I remember saying like, yo, this is not the end 555 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,439 Speaker 4: of my story, like this is one chapter, like you know, 556 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:31,879 Speaker 4: for me, it was like, yeah, this is just you know, everybody, 557 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 4: anybody who's anybody gets hit with some type of adversity 558 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,399 Speaker 4: and this is just my my first, you know, my 559 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 4: first real challenge. And you know, I'm a I'm a 560 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 4: I'm gonna be here like I've been here and at 561 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 4: the time, I had, you know, been here to up 562 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 4: to that extent, not knowing what life had in in 563 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 4: uh in mind for me up to this point. But 564 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 4: it was like, yeah, like this is just one chapter 565 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:57,600 Speaker 4: in my story. This is not the last chapter. Like 566 00:27:58,119 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 4: watch what I do? 567 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:03,840 Speaker 1: Man. 568 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:06,360 Speaker 5: I always wanted to ask you about the ARTI storytelling three. 569 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:07,880 Speaker 5: I was just about to bring that up. All man, 570 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 5: how did how did that? 571 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 1: Three? Or four? Four? Oh? Four? 572 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 5: I'm sorry? Yeah, there's a three. Yeah, there is a three. 573 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:16,360 Speaker 5: That's why it's four. 574 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:18,360 Speaker 4: Big boy has to tell you where the three exists, 575 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,160 Speaker 4: because he told me, because that's why we artist storytelling four. 576 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 1: But I was supposed to do it Idle Wild Gangster Grills. 577 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:28,240 Speaker 4: Oh wow, okay, really yeah, I was supposed to do 578 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 4: a tape around that time were they were gonna go. 579 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 4: We were gonna do a tape pre Idle Wild going 580 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 4: into the project me uh stacks Big and their manager 581 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:42,800 Speaker 4: Blue got on the phone and they came to me like, Yo, 582 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 4: we want to do a Gangster Grills and I was like, 583 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 4: hell motherfucker yeah. And then a few months later they 584 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 4: called and was like, listen, bro, we're just buckled down 585 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 4: with the movie and the soundtrack and we you know, 586 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 4: we apologize, but we don't have time to do the tape. 587 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 4: And they were like, but how about we offer you 588 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 4: a song for your album? And I was like hell yeah, 589 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 4: Like of course. So I started the process of literally 590 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 4: sending three thousand beats from every big known name producer 591 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 4: out at the time, you know, because this is the 592 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,080 Speaker 4: time when I was doing the first Gang Squirrel album. 593 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 4: Gangster Grills was the biggest thing going, So everybody was 594 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:24,760 Speaker 4: pretty much giving me beats and I would send them 595 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,720 Speaker 4: to three thousand and he would be like nah, nah nah. 596 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 4: He would pretty much turn everything down. One of the 597 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:34,120 Speaker 4: last tapes I made before the raid was Jim Jones 598 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 4: seven Day Theory tape from We Set the Trends No 599 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 4: well no, no, I mean yeah that Jim Jones. Yeah, with 600 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 4: the tape Our first tape was called the Seven Day Theory, 601 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 4: which was a fire tape. 602 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:49,120 Speaker 1: Max b is all over there. 603 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 4: Recipe stack was on their you know that was when 604 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 4: that was when he created a bird Gang. And there 605 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 4: was a beat on that tape, and I asked Cannon, like, 606 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 4: make me a beat similar to that beat. So Cannon 607 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 4: made the beat and then we had gotten the raid 608 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 4: had happened, and Lake was actually managing. 609 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:13,920 Speaker 1: Marcia at the time. 610 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 4: Oh okay, So I sent the beat to Marcia, and 611 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 4: I told Marcia I was like, yo, like, look like, man, 612 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 4: they just locked us up like people saying this is 613 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 4: the end for me, Like I need something like nothing's 614 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 4: gonna stop us, like I'm gonna be here, like you 615 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,479 Speaker 4: can't stop us. And she literally like took what I 616 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 4: said and turned it into the hook. And I sent 617 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 4: the record to three thousand, and he said, I'm gonna 618 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:44,719 Speaker 4: call you tomorrow. Twenty four hours later, he sends me 619 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 4: back his verse of art the storytelling part four, and 620 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 4: I just was like, I couldn't believe it that I 621 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,840 Speaker 4: had an Andre three thousand verse like and on top 622 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 4: of a Don Cannon beat like. So then I went 623 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 4: to stank on the and I played it for Big. 624 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 4: I think at the time, I was like, I was 625 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:06,120 Speaker 4: still trying to figure out what record Big had wanted 626 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 4: to be on. I played him a couple records, and 627 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 4: then when I played him then he was like, oh, 628 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:11,719 Speaker 4: what are we talking about? Like I'm doing this, so 629 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 4: he did his verse and then Big was like, Yo, 630 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 4: we should call it an artist storytelling part four. And 631 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,240 Speaker 4: then hence, you know, I literally have a fucking outcast 632 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 4: record on my album. And then, you know, I wish 633 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:26,440 Speaker 4: I would have knew then. I wish I would have 634 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:30,560 Speaker 4: knew now when I knew then, because three thousand offered 635 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,239 Speaker 4: to do the video and he was just like, yo, 636 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:35,880 Speaker 4: I just need one hundred thousand from the label and 637 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 4: me not me, not as knowledgeable as I was, then 638 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 4: I kind of let the opportunity like pass, And looking 639 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 4: back on it, I would have told the label give 640 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 4: me fucking one hundred grand to give this man for 641 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 4: this record, Like we probably could have got a Grammy 642 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 4: nomination out of that, you know what I'm saying if 643 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:57,160 Speaker 4: it would have literally happened. But I mean, it's still 644 00:31:57,200 --> 00:32:00,400 Speaker 4: an amazing record. You know how many dj can say 645 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 4: they have an outcast record like It's one of my 646 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:07,160 Speaker 4: proudest moments in my career. Still, yeah, I still wound 647 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:07,920 Speaker 4: up getting Grammy. 648 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 5: Well, how did you approach making the transition from DJ 649 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 5: to executive? 650 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:13,200 Speaker 1: Naturally? 651 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 4: Honestly, I mean it was just like, you know, again, 652 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 4: relevancy has always been very key for me in my career, 653 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 4: and like staying on a cusp, and I think a 654 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:26,840 Speaker 4: lot of that comes from being a mixtape DJ, and 655 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:30,280 Speaker 4: like just like my addiction to new shit, like my 656 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 4: fascination of like what's next, you know what I'm saying 657 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 4: and not kind of letting myself get boxed into one thing. 658 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 4: You know, Like there was a tweet somebody to put 659 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 4: out was like yo, DJ Drama literally went from the 660 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 4: roots in Bahamadia to Tip Cheezy and Wayne to Little 661 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,480 Speaker 4: Uzi and Jack Harlowe like give this man this, Yeah, 662 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 4: and that's exactly what it is. So, you know, just 663 00:32:55,800 --> 00:33:00,120 Speaker 4: around I had when I was making my albums, I 664 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,640 Speaker 4: had left Atlantic and went to E one, and you know, 665 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 4: I was still using a lot of the staff over 666 00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:09,200 Speaker 4: at Atlantic, just kind of independently to work my records 667 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,920 Speaker 4: and things of that nature. And I started to make 668 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 4: like records that were having success, like oh, my like 669 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:19,520 Speaker 4: my moment. And so when I was doing that, one 670 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 4: of the people, you know, I used to have Sam 671 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 4: Crespo work my records and Chris, my brother Sam. And 672 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 4: Sam was like, yeah, I should you should like think 673 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:31,240 Speaker 4: about being an R, Like you know, I should bring 674 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:35,240 Speaker 4: that idea to Julian Craig, like, you know, you're putting 675 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:37,880 Speaker 4: together some real good records, like maybe it could be 676 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 4: opportunity for you to come in a building and be 677 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,720 Speaker 4: an an R. And I was like, I'm down. So 678 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:46,840 Speaker 4: he mentioned it to Julian Craig and you know clearly, 679 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 4: you know, they were like, drum, that's our guy, Like 680 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 4: we love drum. So I flew to New York. I 681 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:55,080 Speaker 4: had a meeting with Craig Julian Kaiser, and they were like, 682 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 4: you know, are you interested in you know, coming over 683 00:33:58,200 --> 00:33:58,880 Speaker 4: here as an R. 684 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 1: And I was like yeah. And and then. 685 00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:03,440 Speaker 4: I was like, oh, yeah, by the way, I'm building 686 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 4: the studio in Atlanta that you know, you guys might 687 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:08,879 Speaker 4: want to partner with me on. And at the time, 688 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 4: Kawan Pray third KP was was vice president of Atlantic. 689 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 4: He was working out of another studio. They sent him 690 00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 4: over to my spot mean Streets to check it out 691 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,520 Speaker 4: to see you know what he thought, and he was like, 692 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 4: oh yeah. 693 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 1: This is dope like this this this could be a 694 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:25,640 Speaker 1: thing for us. 695 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 4: So part of my deal when I came over as 696 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 4: an an R was also for Atlantic to be partners 697 00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 4: with me on Mean Streets. So I literally, you know, 698 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 4: took their money and built the rest of Mean Streets up, 699 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:41,759 Speaker 4: you know, from what I had already built from it. 700 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:45,239 Speaker 4: And when I got there, I really was kind of 701 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 4: trying to find my way. They had put me with, 702 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:52,439 Speaker 4: like artists that were already on the label to try 703 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:55,800 Speaker 4: to work with, and it just wasn't it wasn't meshing 704 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:57,080 Speaker 4: Like it wasn't you know. 705 00:34:57,120 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 1: I would go to an R. 706 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:00,640 Speaker 4: Meetings and things, and you know, they they would give 707 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:02,160 Speaker 4: me an artists to try to work with, and it 708 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 4: just kind of it wasn't. 709 00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:06,080 Speaker 1: They were trying to put you with at the time. 710 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:07,239 Speaker 1: Did anybody you can name? 711 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:13,840 Speaker 4: So Spenzo Boussi cap G was KP's guy, and he 712 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:16,400 Speaker 4: was there, he was around, but you know he was 713 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 4: those were those were some of their the artists that 714 00:35:20,239 --> 00:35:22,719 Speaker 4: you know, early on they kind of wanted me to 715 00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:25,360 Speaker 4: quote unquote, I guess an R be a part of 716 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:29,360 Speaker 4: and then also Thug was you know, I happened to 717 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 4: be the closest thing to Thug in those days that 718 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:37,840 Speaker 4: they felt like could be of an assistance to help 719 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:41,479 Speaker 4: with Thug and you know, getting music or you know. 720 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 6: Young not slim. 721 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: I'm sorry. So it's a few of them young, yeah, 722 00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 1: young thug, not some thug again. Shout out to something. 723 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:51,680 Speaker 4: He's got a gangster girls too though, But so yeah, 724 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:54,160 Speaker 4: Thug was working a lot of mean streets. So you know, 725 00:35:54,239 --> 00:35:57,800 Speaker 4: I was kind of in the mix with Thug and 726 00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 4: Atlantic and you know, just trying to make that whole 727 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:03,879 Speaker 4: thing kind of work out, and it went out went. 728 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:09,239 Speaker 4: But we also you know, myself, Lake and Cannon. You know, 729 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 4: when Cannon was vice president of Deaf Jam around the 730 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:15,160 Speaker 4: time I got my gig, and then we had missed 731 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:18,720 Speaker 4: out on a couple opportunities of artists. I took Migos 732 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:22,600 Speaker 4: to New York for the first time and presented them 733 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:26,879 Speaker 4: to Alan Grumblack and he offered them pennies, and you know, 734 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:29,279 Speaker 4: they they went and did the right thing and went 735 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:32,440 Speaker 4: to QC. Shout out to Coach and p you know 736 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 4: those are my guys. You know, we kind of started 737 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:37,560 Speaker 4: our labels around the same time, but me, Cannon and 738 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:39,600 Speaker 4: Lake were like, yo, we can't miss nothing else. 739 00:36:39,719 --> 00:36:41,200 Speaker 1: Like, we're not missing nothing else. 740 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:44,680 Speaker 4: I was gonna say, besides Migos who so Tory Lane, 741 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:48,879 Speaker 4: I wanted to sign Tory Ot Genesis, t Fly. 742 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:50,560 Speaker 1: I actually wanted to sign t Fly. 743 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:55,000 Speaker 4: So those are a few that you know, we were 744 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 4: in the midst of us and you know when we 745 00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 4: were trying to figure out the label thing or signing 746 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:05,479 Speaker 4: artists up around the time. Cannon came back one day 747 00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 4: and just was like, Yo, I heard this kid, little 748 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:10,839 Speaker 4: Uzi vert and I was like, let's do it. 749 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:15,319 Speaker 5: Get him signed unseen unseen that is crazy if you 750 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:17,759 Speaker 5: believe your man, let's go. 751 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 1: Never heard nothing, didn't know nothing. Where's he at? What 752 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:24,319 Speaker 1: are we doing? Like? 753 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:26,640 Speaker 4: And it was this is around what year? This was 754 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:34,600 Speaker 4: two thousand fourteen. Oh, in twenty fourteen. Wait, that's when, yeah, 755 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:35,600 Speaker 4: we signed Uzzi twenty. 756 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:37,399 Speaker 5: I was about to say, I know that we had 757 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 5: Uzzi on the Roots pick like way before now y'all had. 758 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:41,440 Speaker 1: No you did him. 759 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:46,439 Speaker 5: That was like when he was opening that he did 760 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:49,600 Speaker 5: it was roots picnic, okay, moneylaw, it was money long. 761 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:51,080 Speaker 1: It was before actual to our life. 762 00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:54,440 Speaker 4: It was money longer days when he did Roots Picnic 763 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:56,680 Speaker 4: because I did it in twenty seventeen. 764 00:37:57,160 --> 00:38:00,239 Speaker 1: Because when I brought Little Baby, yeah, y'all had that 765 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:04,279 Speaker 1: stage that they were looking like, who is this guy? 766 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:08,120 Speaker 4: Like I remember that I brought Baby to Roots pic Nick, 767 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:11,080 Speaker 4: and I think that was right before the Drake record, 768 00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:13,560 Speaker 4: like or maybe the Drake record it just came out. 769 00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:18,600 Speaker 4: But literally I remember the crowd like not understanding, like 770 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:22,600 Speaker 4: I just brought y'all little Baby like here. But so yeah, 771 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:27,640 Speaker 4: so we signed. So we signed Scheme. Scheme actually was 772 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:29,839 Speaker 4: our first artist that we signed. Shout the scheme. He's 773 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:31,600 Speaker 4: he's kind of mad at me because I haven't brought 774 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:33,759 Speaker 4: his name up when I talk about the label. So 775 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:38,000 Speaker 4: we signed Scheme. We signed Uzi, and we were signing. 776 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,480 Speaker 4: We were trying to sign this group called the Wedding Crashers, 777 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 4: which Quentin Miller was part of. So we named a 778 00:38:45,239 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 4: Generation Now. Generation Now is actually a mixtape title that 779 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:52,120 Speaker 4: I had used early on before the Little Brother and 780 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 4: the for Real tapes. I had gotten drops from Kanye West. 781 00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:58,880 Speaker 4: He was opening enough for Taile Lib quality wound up 782 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:02,000 Speaker 4: getting drops from Kanye. I also got some drops from 783 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:05,160 Speaker 4: Joe Budden and it wasn't. It was like, damn, this 784 00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:07,759 Speaker 4: is not gangster grills. It doesn't feel gangster grills. So 785 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:11,319 Speaker 4: I need another title for another brand. So I came 786 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:14,400 Speaker 4: up with Generation Now. Years later, we wound up double 787 00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 4: backing when we were looking for a title for the 788 00:39:16,239 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 4: label and I was like, what about Generation Now. 789 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:19,720 Speaker 1: So the guys was like, yeah, that's fire. 790 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:24,239 Speaker 4: So we Atlantic was on the verge of firing me, 791 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:29,000 Speaker 4: like I was two years into my deal and they 792 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,359 Speaker 4: were looking at it like, look, we just paid DJ 793 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:34,680 Speaker 4: Drama all this money he brought us. We done, We 794 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:38,239 Speaker 4: put all this money into this studio, Like what are 795 00:39:38,239 --> 00:39:42,440 Speaker 4: we doing? What's going on? Like where's our where's our return. 796 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:47,360 Speaker 4: Craig Kleman came to Atlanta. We sat in the radio 797 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:51,840 Speaker 4: room of the The of Mean Streets and he said, look, Drama, 798 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:55,400 Speaker 4: I believe in you. You know, I don't want to 799 00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 4: let you go. Like let's just do a one year deal. 800 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:02,480 Speaker 4: We're gonna I will stay partners on the studio and 801 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 4: we'll just you just you guys, just focus on Uzzy. 802 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:08,040 Speaker 4: Like we'll just just you guys, just focus on little Uzzy. 803 00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:11,720 Speaker 4: And I was like cool, like I'm with that, like okay, cool, 804 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:15,520 Speaker 4: And next thing you know, you know, Love is Rage 805 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:19,680 Speaker 4: comes out. Mean Streets becomes the go to studio in 806 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:25,080 Speaker 4: Atlanta and the tables turned within six months in one 807 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:28,320 Speaker 4: eight and you know it was like I told. 808 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:30,000 Speaker 6: You not going. 809 00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:34,680 Speaker 5: My ancestors are watching you and guiding. How did Jack 810 00:40:34,719 --> 00:40:37,440 Speaker 5: get on y'all's radar? Because for me, Jack, he was 811 00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:40,239 Speaker 5: the record and I don't think this was before Generation Now. 812 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:41,080 Speaker 1: My record was. 813 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 5: Sundown, Like that was the one that I heard. I 814 00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:46,120 Speaker 5: was like, he was on your generation now, that was 815 00:40:46,160 --> 00:40:48,880 Speaker 5: generation Oh then okay. He had put out a record 816 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:50,920 Speaker 5: called Dark Knight. That was the one that really forced 817 00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:52,960 Speaker 5: our hand. But we had heard of him before them. 818 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:57,040 Speaker 5: A friend of mine brought them to me late twenty 819 00:40:57,120 --> 00:40:59,800 Speaker 5: seventeen and put. 820 00:40:59,719 --> 00:41:00,560 Speaker 1: Him on my radar. 821 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:05,920 Speaker 4: And then you know Ky Engineering, who is based in Atlanta, 822 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:11,360 Speaker 4: who had engineered for Wayne Tiger. He mixed Dreams of Nightmares. 823 00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:15,960 Speaker 4: He mixed that whole, mixed the whole first album. He 824 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:20,000 Speaker 4: was Waka Floka's engineer. He's two chaines engineer. He mixed 825 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:23,120 Speaker 4: my records. He did my quality street music album. He's 826 00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:25,560 Speaker 4: from His name is Kay because he's from Kentucky. So 827 00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:30,480 Speaker 4: around the same time he was telling right, okay, he 828 00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:33,440 Speaker 4: was telling Lake like, yo, I want to bring you 829 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:37,880 Speaker 4: something when it's ready. So Jack wound up on my radar. 830 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:40,760 Speaker 4: I went and followed him. He had like seven thousand followers. 831 00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:43,279 Speaker 4: He saw that I followed him, He followed me right back. 832 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:46,040 Speaker 4: He then went on to tell me later on that 833 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:48,680 Speaker 4: he told a friend of his like, damn, DJ Drama 834 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:50,520 Speaker 4: just signed to me. I think I'm think I'm gonna 835 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:54,520 Speaker 4: sign the drama. So we so he wounds up. He 836 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:57,120 Speaker 4: winds up coming being in Atlanta and coming to mean 837 00:41:57,160 --> 00:42:00,680 Speaker 4: Streets and you know, that was our first time meeting, 838 00:42:00,680 --> 00:42:03,240 Speaker 4: and we like, you know, we sat down, we chopped 839 00:42:03,239 --> 00:42:03,440 Speaker 4: it up. 840 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:04,680 Speaker 1: We were talking. He was like, you know, what are 841 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:05,319 Speaker 1: you what are you into? 842 00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:07,120 Speaker 4: And I'm like, I'm in the movie, Like I'm a 843 00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:10,160 Speaker 4: movie buff, like I just love movies. And he was like, 844 00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:12,160 Speaker 4: tell me a movie that you think that I would 845 00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:14,640 Speaker 4: be shocked that you would know. And I told him 846 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:16,719 Speaker 4: it was this movie called E two My Time Bien, 847 00:42:17,080 --> 00:42:20,000 Speaker 4: Oh yeah yeah, and he was like wait what. He 848 00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:24,600 Speaker 4: was like, DJ dramat has watched YouTube. 849 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:30,880 Speaker 1: The ritz like so I think that really blew his mind. 850 00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:34,279 Speaker 4: And then you know, we we had a meeting you know, 851 00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:39,040 Speaker 4: with Jack and you know, our staff, and he was 852 00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:43,160 Speaker 4: on you know, we we the opportunity was about signing 853 00:42:43,239 --> 00:42:46,280 Speaker 4: him was there, and and then we weren't one hundred. 854 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:50,560 Speaker 4: We were like seventy five percent. And then he put 855 00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 4: out Dark Night and we was like, okay, we gotta 856 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:55,040 Speaker 4: do it, like we gotta we gotta sign this kid 857 00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:56,520 Speaker 4: before we miss out. 858 00:42:56,719 --> 00:42:58,920 Speaker 1: So we went on to sign Jack. 859 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:02,319 Speaker 4: And you know, again this is you know, when I 860 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:06,279 Speaker 4: signed Jack, he looked like Napoleon Dynamite, So you know, 861 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:09,120 Speaker 4: he's come along. The heart the sex symbol heart throb 862 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:11,719 Speaker 4: that he is of today was you know, he's come 863 00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:13,640 Speaker 4: a long way. But I saw it in him like, 864 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:16,120 Speaker 4: you know, the same way I saw it in UZI 865 00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:18,920 Speaker 4: early on, Like you know, I saw like, these are 866 00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:23,399 Speaker 4: two guys that, for me, like, regardless of of us 867 00:43:23,440 --> 00:43:26,080 Speaker 4: being evolved, they would have made their way into hip 868 00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:29,200 Speaker 4: hop same way, regardless of however I would have been, 869 00:43:29,239 --> 00:43:31,480 Speaker 4: I was gonna, yeah, I was gonna. I was gonna 870 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:35,200 Speaker 4: get here somehow, some way. But again we allowed them 871 00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:38,040 Speaker 4: to stand on our shoulders to you know, go a 872 00:43:38,080 --> 00:43:40,560 Speaker 4: little faster, you know, me walking him in the sway 873 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:43,480 Speaker 4: and you know him being able to you know, just 874 00:43:43,520 --> 00:43:47,000 Speaker 4: move around, especially somebody like Jack, who you know is 875 00:43:47,040 --> 00:43:49,759 Speaker 4: a white rapper from Kentucky to be able to say 876 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:53,760 Speaker 4: he signed to Generation Now and DJ Drama who created 877 00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:57,239 Speaker 4: Gangster Grills and the label that you know, you know, 878 00:43:57,320 --> 00:43:59,200 Speaker 4: little Uzi Vert was a part of. I mean, I 879 00:43:59,239 --> 00:44:03,640 Speaker 4: think that out a lot of you know, yeah to 880 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:04,640 Speaker 4: the table, you know. 881 00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:14,080 Speaker 5: All right, before we we gotta wrap up the episode. 882 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:16,319 Speaker 6: This is damn we have to You don't even know 883 00:44:16,320 --> 00:44:19,200 Speaker 6: how long we've been sitting here. 884 00:44:18,719 --> 00:44:22,640 Speaker 1: We just started. We got we gotta go home. 885 00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:24,359 Speaker 6: I mean, you gotta bite us back and we'll come 886 00:44:24,400 --> 00:44:24,920 Speaker 6: to your spot. 887 00:44:24,960 --> 00:44:27,160 Speaker 4: But okay, but before we wrap like I don't I 888 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:29,080 Speaker 4: don't know if like I don't know if you're aware 889 00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:30,719 Speaker 4: of this because I say it all the time, but 890 00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:34,840 Speaker 4: being sitting at this table, like I have to say, 891 00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:38,000 Speaker 4: even though I say it all the time, like like 892 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:43,240 Speaker 4: you gotta understand, I mere like if it wasn't for y'all, 893 00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:48,759 Speaker 4: like I don't, I don't know that. I don't know 894 00:44:48,800 --> 00:44:52,759 Speaker 4: if I would be here like watching like running in. 895 00:44:54,840 --> 00:44:59,799 Speaker 1: And we think it is the ongoing joke of the show. 896 00:45:00,560 --> 00:45:05,680 Speaker 4: Watch me squirm like, bro, listen, Like I used to 897 00:45:05,719 --> 00:45:08,360 Speaker 4: run into a mirror playing video games on South Street 898 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:11,600 Speaker 4: and he would like let he would like put his 899 00:45:11,719 --> 00:45:16,560 Speaker 4: headphones on me and let me hear fucking Tariq rapping 900 00:45:16,719 --> 00:45:20,239 Speaker 4: like g rap or like you know, like I used 901 00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:22,440 Speaker 4: to go to the Truck. I was at the Trocadero 902 00:45:22,640 --> 00:45:28,279 Speaker 4: at their signing celebration party like like for me, like 903 00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:32,600 Speaker 4: I remember when Distortion the Static first came on Rap 904 00:45:32,719 --> 00:45:36,640 Speaker 4: City like yes, so like you got to understand for me, bro, 905 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:41,920 Speaker 4: like the roots are the reason why I knew that 906 00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:45,279 Speaker 4: you could really do this ship, Like, oh, this ship 907 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:49,080 Speaker 4: can really happen. Like I just watched this group in Philly. 908 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:49,919 Speaker 1: Watch her face. 909 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:52,480 Speaker 6: I'm just making him take it because it's hard, it's painful, 910 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:53,160 Speaker 6: go ahead, keep going on. 911 00:45:53,960 --> 00:45:57,200 Speaker 4: Like I watched this group that I loved make this 912 00:45:57,320 --> 00:46:01,040 Speaker 4: album called Organics while I'm in high school and that's 913 00:46:01,120 --> 00:46:04,879 Speaker 4: all I'm listening to. And then like get a record deal, 914 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:07,400 Speaker 4: like get signed to Geff and like these guys that 915 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:11,040 Speaker 4: were freestyling on my little mixtapes that probably only one 916 00:46:11,120 --> 00:46:15,480 Speaker 4: hundred copies exist didn't go on to become the fucking roots, 917 00:46:15,600 --> 00:46:19,359 Speaker 4: Like oh my god, this you can like this rap 918 00:46:19,360 --> 00:46:22,680 Speaker 4: shit is real like everything before that for me was 919 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:27,360 Speaker 4: just seeing it on like watching the Box and seeing 920 00:46:27,680 --> 00:46:33,000 Speaker 4: Kine and KRS and Public Enemy and NWA is just 921 00:46:33,239 --> 00:46:39,960 Speaker 4: like me watching it on television like I knew y'all, like. 922 00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:39,160 Speaker 1: Like I was there. 923 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:42,920 Speaker 4: So that for me was literally the reason like and 924 00:46:42,960 --> 00:46:45,319 Speaker 4: I say it all the time like you are the 925 00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:49,239 Speaker 4: reason why I knew this shit could really happen, bro, Like, 926 00:46:49,280 --> 00:46:51,520 Speaker 4: and I have to give you your flowers by sitting 927 00:46:51,600 --> 00:46:52,160 Speaker 4: here next. 928 00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:54,640 Speaker 1: To you, thank you for a documentary. 929 00:46:54,920 --> 00:46:55,600 Speaker 6: A documentary. 930 00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:00,359 Speaker 1: It's gonna be great. No, I appreciate every word. 931 00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:04,520 Speaker 3: Yes, years ago, I would have definitely ended the episode 932 00:47:04,560 --> 00:47:08,800 Speaker 3: because I hate compliments. No, but I really appreciate. 933 00:47:08,360 --> 00:47:10,239 Speaker 6: That this conversation was long overdue. 934 00:47:10,840 --> 00:47:13,120 Speaker 1: No, No, for real, I don't over on every song 935 00:47:13,200 --> 00:47:13,640 Speaker 1: even for me. 936 00:47:14,640 --> 00:47:17,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I'm very proud like again, like you know 937 00:47:18,080 --> 00:47:22,640 Speaker 3: the fact that you validated us as well, because it 938 00:47:22,760 --> 00:47:26,120 Speaker 3: meant a lot to me that like, wow, someone believes 939 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:28,040 Speaker 3: in us enough to put us on a mixtape, Like 940 00:47:28,080 --> 00:47:29,360 Speaker 3: to me, that was important. 941 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:32,040 Speaker 4: Black Thought Gangster Girls is definitely on my bucket list 942 00:47:32,080 --> 00:47:35,080 Speaker 4: because it's full circle for me, like it has that's 943 00:47:35,120 --> 00:47:36,320 Speaker 4: one and I have Wow. 944 00:47:36,200 --> 00:47:37,799 Speaker 1: That'd be amazing. It has to happen. 945 00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:40,960 Speaker 3: I was going to say that eventually one day you're 946 00:47:40,960 --> 00:47:46,640 Speaker 3: going to have to make a gangster Grizelda. 947 00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:49,319 Speaker 1: You gotta make that happens. Fire. 948 00:47:50,360 --> 00:47:52,759 Speaker 3: This intro will make that happen. No, great, Wait, I 949 00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:56,799 Speaker 3: have one last question. I've been watching how things have 950 00:47:56,840 --> 00:47:59,400 Speaker 3: been developing in the in the last few weeks speaking 951 00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:03,600 Speaker 3: of Gris, and initially what started out as something that 952 00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:07,239 Speaker 3: could have gone ugly is actually turned into kind of 953 00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:11,600 Speaker 3: like a cool moment. Yeah, yeah, where initially you know, 954 00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:13,799 Speaker 3: there are complaints that you're not supporting Da. 955 00:48:13,760 --> 00:48:14,799 Speaker 1: Da da da. 956 00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:18,400 Speaker 3: And you know, maybe once every five years out here 957 00:48:19,320 --> 00:48:25,279 Speaker 3: another generation coming that will tell whoever the gatekeeper is like, 958 00:48:25,360 --> 00:48:28,440 Speaker 3: let somebody else in and let somebody But as a 959 00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:32,160 Speaker 3: DJ and I usually go through this kind of quasi 960 00:48:32,239 --> 00:48:35,680 Speaker 3: depression period, maybe in November and December or Okay, So 961 00:48:35,719 --> 00:48:38,880 Speaker 3: twenty twenty three is coming up, so instantly I'm like, 962 00:48:39,760 --> 00:48:42,879 Speaker 3: all right, so someone born in two thousand and two 963 00:48:43,520 --> 00:48:46,359 Speaker 3: is now legally going to be louder than the night club, right, 964 00:48:47,320 --> 00:48:51,200 Speaker 3: and that means when they're like fourteen years old and 965 00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:55,680 Speaker 3: you know, twenty sixteen or whatever, I mean, like I'm 966 00:48:55,680 --> 00:49:01,319 Speaker 3: always doing the math of reference points. To me, I 967 00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:06,000 Speaker 3: don't know, Like for you, is there ever time where 968 00:49:06,000 --> 00:49:09,000 Speaker 3: you're just like, I don't know, it might be too 969 00:49:09,000 --> 00:49:11,320 Speaker 3: old for this ship. I don't want to just reduce 970 00:49:11,360 --> 00:49:13,200 Speaker 3: it to as too old for this ship, but like. 971 00:49:13,160 --> 00:49:13,879 Speaker 1: Too old for this shit. 972 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:18,279 Speaker 5: I mean right now, keep up like I legit was 973 00:49:18,320 --> 00:49:23,520 Speaker 5: on Wikipedia, like taking a crash course in drill because 974 00:49:23,600 --> 00:49:26,200 Speaker 5: I just like, all right, I gotta educate myself, Like 975 00:49:26,280 --> 00:49:28,239 Speaker 5: I hold a whole bunch of gigs coming up for 976 00:49:28,360 --> 00:49:32,040 Speaker 5: a bunch of kids, and I don't want to be 977 00:49:32,239 --> 00:49:35,080 Speaker 5: that person. But it's like I feel like if you 978 00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:36,880 Speaker 5: have to be paint by numbers, like okay, what are 979 00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:37,160 Speaker 5: the kids? 980 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:41,439 Speaker 1: Whatever? But for you, like, is there ever a point 981 00:49:41,440 --> 00:49:43,239 Speaker 1: where you just get exhausted? It's just like. 982 00:49:44,840 --> 00:49:48,960 Speaker 3: Dog just throw Roy's album morning, I'm calling it a day, 983 00:49:49,040 --> 00:49:53,960 Speaker 3: like I'm gonna I'm gonna take a nap whatever. So 984 00:49:54,000 --> 00:49:57,120 Speaker 3: there's never a point where you saw an act like Okay, 985 00:49:57,160 --> 00:50:00,160 Speaker 3: this is what the future is or like no, So 986 00:50:00,239 --> 00:50:02,800 Speaker 3: for you, like the more dangerous is the more you 987 00:50:02,840 --> 00:50:03,880 Speaker 3: People my age. 988 00:50:03,640 --> 00:50:05,480 Speaker 1: Are talent in every generation. 989 00:50:05,640 --> 00:50:07,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, And I think that again, like I said, like 990 00:50:08,000 --> 00:50:11,880 Speaker 4: I'm from a mixtape culture where it's like new shit, 991 00:50:11,960 --> 00:50:16,000 Speaker 4: new shit, new shit. So it's like my fascination is 992 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:19,920 Speaker 4: is with like like what's next. Like my label is 993 00:50:19,960 --> 00:50:22,600 Speaker 4: called Generation Now, you know. So for me, it's like 994 00:50:23,400 --> 00:50:27,480 Speaker 4: the fact that I've been able to navigate through fucking 995 00:50:27,560 --> 00:50:31,640 Speaker 4: being in a Bahamad Dia video to Jack Harlowe, you know, 996 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:35,399 Speaker 4: or to Tyler Creator call me if you get lost, 997 00:50:35,440 --> 00:50:39,480 Speaker 4: and winning a Grammy, Like my career has literally been 998 00:50:39,719 --> 00:50:44,240 Speaker 4: an example of being able to surf through the errors. 999 00:50:44,480 --> 00:50:49,640 Speaker 1: So, like, you know, I it's a young like I 1000 00:50:49,680 --> 00:50:50,879 Speaker 1: love where hip hop is today. 1001 00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:52,640 Speaker 4: Last night I went to the Wu Tang in Nas 1002 00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:55,240 Speaker 4: concert and I was like a kid in a candy store, 1003 00:50:55,320 --> 00:50:55,520 Speaker 4: you know. 1004 00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:57,000 Speaker 1: I mean, that's that's my era. 1005 00:50:57,200 --> 00:51:00,000 Speaker 4: Like that's when you know when you're I think when 1006 00:51:00,080 --> 00:51:02,759 Speaker 4: your team, those are your pivotable moments, you know what 1007 00:51:02,760 --> 00:51:05,520 Speaker 4: I'm saying. So yeah, for me, I'm like, as a 1008 00:51:05,560 --> 00:51:08,000 Speaker 4: forty four year old man, I'm I'm I'm in heaven, 1009 00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:10,400 Speaker 4: you know. But at the same time, I'm also a 1010 00:51:10,480 --> 00:51:16,000 Speaker 4: DJ who more likely plays for audiences in their twenties 1011 00:51:16,080 --> 00:51:19,600 Speaker 4: than I do for audiences in their forties, So it 1012 00:51:19,719 --> 00:51:23,160 Speaker 4: keeps me current and again, I just I just I 1013 00:51:23,280 --> 00:51:26,480 Speaker 4: just love the culture so much, so I love every 1014 00:51:27,000 --> 00:51:28,800 Speaker 4: diaspora of it, you know what I'm saying. 1015 00:51:28,840 --> 00:51:29,799 Speaker 1: So I don't. 1016 00:51:30,200 --> 00:51:33,000 Speaker 4: You know, this shit keeps me twenty one forever, like 1017 00:51:33,840 --> 00:51:37,399 Speaker 4: even now, having this resurgence of gangster grills, whether it's 1018 00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:41,360 Speaker 4: with Simba or whether it's Icewear Veso or Seti Hendrix 1019 00:51:41,480 --> 00:51:45,319 Speaker 4: or you know, it's like being able to still be 1020 00:51:45,440 --> 00:51:49,239 Speaker 4: in this space. And you know, I got to give 1021 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:52,279 Speaker 4: Tyler his flowers for you know, in a sense kind 1022 00:51:52,320 --> 00:51:55,799 Speaker 4: of you know, bringing this resurgence of gangster grills back 1023 00:51:56,040 --> 00:51:56,759 Speaker 4: for what he did. 1024 00:51:57,200 --> 00:51:58,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, So no, I don't, I don't. 1025 00:51:58,640 --> 00:52:02,240 Speaker 4: I don't get in that space like I'm you know again, 1026 00:52:02,280 --> 00:52:05,520 Speaker 4: I'm to be a DJ and to to have the 1027 00:52:05,560 --> 00:52:08,680 Speaker 4: accolades that I have. It's like my goal was to 1028 00:52:08,680 --> 00:52:11,719 Speaker 4: get my name on a flyer. So the success that 1029 00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:13,440 Speaker 4: I've had, I don't. I don't take none of it 1030 00:52:13,480 --> 00:52:17,080 Speaker 4: for granted. And as much as I've accomplished, the way 1031 00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:19,399 Speaker 4: my brain works is always like damn, what the fuck 1032 00:52:19,440 --> 00:52:20,440 Speaker 4: am I gonna do next? 1033 00:52:20,600 --> 00:52:21,240 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. 1034 00:52:21,320 --> 00:52:24,440 Speaker 4: So I think that's what keeps me in this space 1035 00:52:24,520 --> 00:52:28,239 Speaker 4: of still being excited about you know, tomorrow or not, 1036 00:52:28,360 --> 00:52:30,560 Speaker 4: you know, again being one of the whiz in Logic tour. 1037 00:52:31,200 --> 00:52:34,520 Speaker 4: When I'm out there, I'm asking you know, all my 1038 00:52:34,560 --> 00:52:36,640 Speaker 4: two thousands of babies make some noise, and it's they 1039 00:52:36,680 --> 00:52:38,880 Speaker 4: make a lot of fucking noise. Like still a lot 1040 00:52:38,920 --> 00:52:41,520 Speaker 4: of nineties babies in there too, and the eighties babies 1041 00:52:41,600 --> 00:52:43,560 Speaker 4: are a little more quiet, don't your parents. I don't 1042 00:52:43,560 --> 00:52:46,160 Speaker 4: even ask about the seventies. I leave that alone. But 1043 00:52:47,239 --> 00:52:49,719 Speaker 4: you know, even when I walk out on stage, you know, 1044 00:52:50,080 --> 00:52:53,640 Speaker 4: having these kids like say my name and chant my 1045 00:52:53,760 --> 00:52:56,759 Speaker 4: name and be familiar with me because of Tyler or 1046 00:52:56,760 --> 00:53:01,160 Speaker 4: because of the Dreamville mixtape like such a blessing, you 1047 00:53:01,160 --> 00:53:03,760 Speaker 4: know what I'm saying that you know, I'm still here. 1048 00:53:03,680 --> 00:53:06,440 Speaker 1: And you're still finding a new audience, and I'm. 1049 00:53:06,320 --> 00:53:08,759 Speaker 4: Still finding a new audience, and and I'm and I'm 1050 00:53:08,840 --> 00:53:11,680 Speaker 4: excited about it, you know, as much as I'm excited 1051 00:53:11,719 --> 00:53:13,640 Speaker 4: about being able to go to the fucking nas and 1052 00:53:13,680 --> 00:53:16,480 Speaker 4: Wu Tang show and you know, seeing that sell. 1053 00:53:16,320 --> 00:53:18,719 Speaker 3: Out and shout out to you guy who thought I 1054 00:53:18,760 --> 00:53:22,920 Speaker 3: was a stalker in the hotel lobby this morning, you 1055 00:53:23,040 --> 00:53:24,360 Speaker 3: got you got. 1056 00:53:24,600 --> 00:53:28,400 Speaker 1: What man, I was like, it's me quest that you, 1057 00:53:29,120 --> 00:53:29,879 Speaker 1: oh man, I'm sorry. 1058 00:53:29,920 --> 00:53:31,919 Speaker 4: I thought you was like he thought, but you got 1059 00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:34,160 Speaker 4: to understand too, like even I hate I don't want 1060 00:53:34,160 --> 00:53:37,920 Speaker 4: to do this make you squirm again, but like bro, like, Bro, 1061 00:53:38,360 --> 00:53:40,480 Speaker 4: I saw you in the fucking like I used to. 1062 00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:44,320 Speaker 4: I was there past the popcorn. You're on television every. 1063 00:53:44,160 --> 00:53:47,239 Speaker 1: Night, like you have you have a fucking you have 1064 00:53:47,280 --> 00:53:48,440 Speaker 1: a fucking oscar. 1065 00:53:48,560 --> 00:53:53,200 Speaker 4: Bro, like you have an oscar? Like like, well, those 1066 00:53:53,280 --> 00:53:56,000 Speaker 4: things to me are like, Yo, there's the sky is 1067 00:53:56,040 --> 00:53:57,840 Speaker 4: not the limit. There's no limit. 1068 00:53:57,960 --> 00:54:00,719 Speaker 3: I'm gonna tell you this. This this is I'm not 1069 00:54:00,760 --> 00:54:04,960 Speaker 3: even blowing smoke. Today was a teachable lesson because every 1070 00:54:04,960 --> 00:54:07,040 Speaker 3: time you say something, I'm like, wait a minute, how 1071 00:54:07,080 --> 00:54:10,200 Speaker 3: are you just yes and jumping into some ship without 1072 00:54:10,239 --> 00:54:11,400 Speaker 3: light seeing. 1073 00:54:11,160 --> 00:54:13,440 Speaker 1: Who's going to be there first? Yeah, I'm like, and 1074 00:54:13,520 --> 00:54:16,480 Speaker 1: I need to be more so this is a little talk. 1075 00:54:16,480 --> 00:54:17,799 Speaker 1: You're a little more bougie than I am. 1076 00:54:17,880 --> 00:54:20,640 Speaker 5: I'm very much. I'm guarded. I'm protected. I'm guarded. I 1077 00:54:20,719 --> 00:54:22,880 Speaker 5: want to know that. I want the formula work. I 1078 00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:24,080 Speaker 5: wanted to break down the sciences. 1079 00:54:25,040 --> 00:54:27,120 Speaker 4: So if you run into somebody in the street right 1080 00:54:27,120 --> 00:54:31,280 Speaker 4: now and they're like, yo, I'm inspiring artists over the street, 1081 00:54:31,320 --> 00:54:32,520 Speaker 4: street can I get your number? 1082 00:54:32,880 --> 00:54:33,480 Speaker 1: Five people? 1083 00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:40,920 Speaker 5: Five people, blow slum Village, Jill Scott, Blow Slum Village, 1084 00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:46,440 Speaker 5: Jill Scott little brother. I'm five and oh, but I'm 1085 00:54:46,480 --> 00:54:49,320 Speaker 5: probably five and forty two. 1086 00:54:49,200 --> 00:54:51,680 Speaker 1: Thousand, oh those five I came to you. 1087 00:54:52,200 --> 00:54:55,239 Speaker 5: I yeah, I was in the position where I was 1088 00:54:55,280 --> 00:54:57,719 Speaker 5: like I felt in my heart like, oh this is 1089 00:54:57,760 --> 00:54:59,719 Speaker 5: oh Cody Testna that was my five. 1090 00:54:59,760 --> 00:54:59,920 Speaker 1: Oh. 1091 00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:03,880 Speaker 4: I remember he was on automatic relaxation. Yes, definitely was 1092 00:55:04,080 --> 00:55:06,239 Speaker 4: definitely more definitely all right. 1093 00:55:06,160 --> 00:55:08,439 Speaker 3: Give all right, we gotta wrap up, but please give 1094 00:55:09,280 --> 00:55:11,359 Speaker 3: another automatic relaxation. 1095 00:55:11,480 --> 00:55:12,200 Speaker 1: A whole bunch of people. 1096 00:55:12,280 --> 00:55:16,840 Speaker 4: You know, it's a few y'all, Like, can I just 1097 00:55:16,880 --> 00:55:21,000 Speaker 4: give you copies of the old ones? Like there's like 1098 00:55:21,080 --> 00:55:23,799 Speaker 4: it's not I mean, we we when it when it 1099 00:55:23,840 --> 00:55:26,160 Speaker 4: was what it was like now that there's a lot. 1100 00:55:26,040 --> 00:55:29,560 Speaker 1: Of that out now there's playlist, but it ain't nothing. 1101 00:55:30,000 --> 00:55:30,960 Speaker 1: But I've been coming from you. 1102 00:55:31,040 --> 00:55:34,160 Speaker 5: I think now at this point of your style, I 1103 00:55:34,160 --> 00:55:35,920 Speaker 5: don't think it would be that for you now, like 1104 00:55:35,960 --> 00:55:40,719 Speaker 5: if you did now, it's gonna be probably yeah, you 1105 00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:41,880 Speaker 5: know it's gonna be And I'll. 1106 00:55:41,760 --> 00:55:43,560 Speaker 6: Be listening now now you don't have to go, well 1107 00:55:44,239 --> 00:55:46,080 Speaker 6: where they went, they're. 1108 00:55:45,840 --> 00:55:48,120 Speaker 5: Gonna check for DJ Drama regardless. So if you win 1109 00:55:48,200 --> 00:55:50,000 Speaker 5: in that lane, that would be it would be something 1110 00:55:50,080 --> 00:55:50,880 Speaker 5: new to that audience. 1111 00:55:51,840 --> 00:55:56,440 Speaker 8: No, I'm respecting when you said relaxations and gangster Grizzelden. 1112 00:55:56,719 --> 00:55:59,399 Speaker 8: There you go, all right on behalf of Quest Left, 1113 00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:03,799 Speaker 8: Supreme Fante and Sugar, Steve and Steve. 1114 00:56:04,080 --> 00:56:05,960 Speaker 1: They say anything he was. 1115 00:56:06,719 --> 00:56:10,200 Speaker 4: Learning except about the skateboarder in Philly. 1116 00:56:10,480 --> 00:56:13,239 Speaker 1: You know he's he's Steve's here. 1117 00:56:13,320 --> 00:56:15,799 Speaker 3: Trust me anyway, No, thank you for doing this, man, man, 1118 00:56:16,040 --> 00:56:17,280 Speaker 3: I really appreciate. 1119 00:56:16,880 --> 00:56:20,439 Speaker 2: That school in the nation. 1120 00:56:21,920 --> 00:56:25,239 Speaker 3: Thank you to the staff everyone, fam you, thank you, 1121 00:56:25,320 --> 00:56:26,279 Speaker 3: and I thank you. 1122 00:56:26,320 --> 00:56:26,600 Speaker 1: Thank you. 1123 00:56:27,239 --> 00:56:29,279 Speaker 3: Uh and I am going to break that misspac Man 1124 00:56:29,320 --> 00:56:30,600 Speaker 3: record over time. 1125 00:56:30,640 --> 00:56:33,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, shout the exit shot. 1126 00:56:33,600 --> 00:56:36,120 Speaker 4: One day if somebody comes, just give him a number. Bro, 1127 00:56:36,239 --> 00:56:39,120 Speaker 4: you never know he's not You don't have to answer. 1128 00:56:39,560 --> 00:56:39,920 Speaker 1: Like the. 1129 00:56:41,440 --> 00:56:43,359 Speaker 4: Text me all the time, Like if I don't want 1130 00:56:43,400 --> 00:56:45,640 Speaker 4: to answer, I don't have to. You know, random people 1131 00:56:45,640 --> 00:56:47,680 Speaker 4: have Just when I was on tour, this guy just 1132 00:56:47,719 --> 00:56:50,040 Speaker 4: called me out of nowhere. I was like, Hey, this 1133 00:56:50,080 --> 00:56:51,959 Speaker 4: is a drama. I like, yeah, where'd you get my number? 1134 00:56:51,960 --> 00:56:54,600 Speaker 4: He's like, my manager gave it to me and he 1135 00:56:54,680 --> 00:56:56,839 Speaker 4: was like, yo, I'm a new artist, and I said, listen, bro, 1136 00:56:57,000 --> 00:56:59,480 Speaker 4: I'm a jewel you real quick. Like when I was 1137 00:56:59,520 --> 00:57:02,440 Speaker 4: coming up, I couldn't just call Jay z or Funk 1138 00:57:02,520 --> 00:57:05,839 Speaker 4: Master Flex like I'm like, and most people aren't gonna 1139 00:57:05,840 --> 00:57:07,720 Speaker 4: be as nice as me. But I'm telling you, before 1140 00:57:07,760 --> 00:57:10,239 Speaker 4: you try to get on my radar, look to your 1141 00:57:10,320 --> 00:57:12,280 Speaker 4: left and look to your right and try to create 1142 00:57:12,320 --> 00:57:15,520 Speaker 4: a movement with the people around you, and then before 1143 00:57:15,560 --> 00:57:17,479 Speaker 4: you know it, you'll be on my radar. Like, don't 1144 00:57:17,600 --> 00:57:21,960 Speaker 4: just call the the big wigs and think you can 1145 00:57:22,080 --> 00:57:24,600 Speaker 4: get on like. It's not that easy. I Connecticut, Yeah, 1146 00:57:24,600 --> 00:57:27,800 Speaker 4: I couldn't. I couldn't call jay z or Flex and say, hey, 1147 00:57:27,840 --> 00:57:31,000 Speaker 4: I'm DJ Drama like I'm dope like and I was, 1148 00:57:31,120 --> 00:57:33,280 Speaker 4: but I didn't have the right meaning to them. 1149 00:57:33,320 --> 00:57:34,800 Speaker 1: I didn't have the right to do that yet, you 1150 00:57:34,800 --> 00:57:37,720 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. So there's a teachable that's the 1151 00:57:37,840 --> 00:57:40,200 Speaker 1: jewel right there. All right, We'll see you in the 1152 00:57:40,200 --> 00:57:55,080 Speaker 1: next go round. Thank you very much, nim You quest 1153 00:57:55,120 --> 00:57:57,720 Speaker 1: Some Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. 1154 00:58:02,240 --> 00:58:07,000 Speaker 3: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 1155 00:58:07,120 --> 00:58:08,800 Speaker 3: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.