1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: West Love Supreme is a production of iHeart Brady. Yeah, 2 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: look at Fonte team, my man, what what up? Fonte? Brother? 3 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:17,760 Speaker 1: Good to meet you, man, good to meet you. It's 4 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 1: an honor to meet you. Brother. No, no, I mean 5 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: what you've done. I mean from from the Slum conversations 6 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: with T three to the Daylight conversations. Bro, your name 7 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: is synonymous, You're clue as synonymous, and I always have 8 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: to show my salute, my ultimate respect to pioneers like yourself. 9 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: Oh man, that's love, brother, Thank you so much. I 10 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: received that. Man. Likewise, thank you for sure. Bro. You 11 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: just don't know how much your music means to all 12 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 1: of us man, like you know, um us being sons 13 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: of Daylight Tribe and just coming from that cloth groups 14 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: like yourselves like you Slum Village, you guys. You guys 15 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: definitely continues with the gone and I'm proud of you 16 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: everything that you've done, even transition into this new medium. 17 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: It's really dope. Thank you so much. Man. So I 18 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: guess we just started the episode already. We started with flowers. 19 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: I started with humility, brothers, because you guys, you guys 20 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: are always giving people flowers. Now it's time for you 21 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: to know what you mean to hip hop culture and 22 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: to two hip hop kids like myself that started as 23 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: b boys breakdancers on the block, wanted to put on 24 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: for our communities, uh you know, our ancestry. Unfortunately, hip 25 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: hop was the conduit. You know, breaking was the first 26 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: thing I got into. Then I got into graffiti, m seeing, 27 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: I met my tribe where I am an apple the 28 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: app and we became uh you know, he became brothers 29 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: and became black eyed peas. So when I see folks 30 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: like yourself, like a mirror and fante who set the 31 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: tone for hip hop culture, I always got to give 32 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: you the flowers. That's love, brother, than thank you. Wow. 33 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: This is the first time where the guests actually winds 34 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: up entering the show. Ladies and gentlemen of the internets, 35 00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: welcome to another exciting episode of Question lest Supreme. I'm 36 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: your host, Question Love. We have Fine Tikolo in the house. Brother. 37 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: How's it going all right? Man? I'm cool, just resting 38 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: and uh yeah, getting ready for Thursday and Friday of 39 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: this week. This will it'll have been passed by time 40 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: this air, but yeah, we Boston in New York this week, 41 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: So I'm just resting getting ready. Man, is this a 42 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: major tour or is this? Uh No, I mean it's not, well, 43 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: it's not major in the sense of it's a lot 44 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: of dates. We just did San Diego in Orange County 45 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: last weekend, and then this week it's uh Boston in 46 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: New York. Um June we play Roots Picnic and yeah, 47 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: it's fuck this. I'm back in the house like really, 48 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: oh yeah, do you wait? Wait, I gotta ask, do 49 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: you do you feel like you? You? I know that 50 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: of all of us in this on this show that you, 51 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: more than anyone, has been extremely like almost it's Fort 52 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: Knox level protective of not catching the VID. And you 53 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: went out and then you you you, you got caught 54 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: out there. I called that my first time leaving the house, 55 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: my first run and three years my first it'll be run. 56 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: You know that We went and we did San Diego 57 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: in Orange County and yeah, I got hit. Well now 58 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 1: that you got I mean, was it like for me 59 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: it was like just having a cold. Was it that 60 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: way for you or was it like a little worried there? 61 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: Of Um, it was like having a cold, But for 62 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: me it was more so it wasn't necessarily just having 63 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: a cold. It was just participating in the delusion that 64 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: this shit is gone right, and like that's the part 65 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: that I just refused to do anymore. Like it's not 66 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: in terms of what touring is now, touring pre COVID 67 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: and turn post COVID, it's just very different, and it's 68 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: like now, particularly for artists like us, I mean, where 69 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: you're pretty much doing everything like motors don't really do 70 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: shit no or so for me, I just looked at 71 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: from the standpoint of'm like, okay, I gotta play promoter, producer, performer, 72 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: curator and the fucking CDC. Fuck this, dude, No, damn, 73 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: I'm good, I'm paid. Bill. I went to get cigarettes again. 74 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: I went to Australia. I'm back. You went to Australia. 75 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: I was in Australia for a few weeks to put 76 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: up a show. Now it's up. Now show. Uh it's 77 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: called and Juliet. You haven't seen it yet, but you've 78 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: threatened to a few times. It's on Broadway. Now it's 79 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: in Australia. Wait, you guys are making it worldwide already. 80 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 1: Global domination, my friend, blob domination. That's how we do it. Well, Dan, 81 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:44,280 Speaker 1: with the songbook, I would suspect that and Juliet will 82 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: probably be a five to ten years staple. I hope. 83 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: So that'd be nice for my kids college tuition and all. 84 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: That's what's up, man, That's what's up? U Sugar, Steve Esteemed? Uh, 85 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: jazz label head? What what's going and all? How are you? Um? 86 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: Everything's okay? I We finished three records this past weekend, 87 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:13,039 Speaker 1: one of them yours. Yes, we finished mixing David Murray, 88 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 1: Ray Angry and Questla, a four platter box set that 89 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: you can look forward to. She ends up making my 90 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: second jazz offering in my life. Are we calling the 91 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 1: Philadelphia Experiment the first one? Yeah, that's the first one, okay, 92 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 1: so I don't necessarily called jazz, but you know this 93 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: one was actually probably I have more fun doing this one. 94 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of treats in there. So 95 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: you're saying it's a box set that we're releasing, Yeah, 96 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: four platters and a seven engine side and it's gonna 97 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: be coming later this year. Son, shit, I might have 98 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:53,480 Speaker 1: to do a news for that. Uh. Have we lost 99 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: our queen today? Yeah, she's on stage doing something something 100 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: for Jill. Okay. He came and set us up that's nice, 101 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: ladies and gentlemen. I will say that our distinguished guest 102 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: today has checked many a bucket list fulfillment since having 103 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: entered our lives some twenty five plus years ago, as 104 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: one third or one fourth how you want to look 105 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 1: at it, as one third member of legendary, legendary hip 106 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: hop outfit, having created over nine studio albums that have 107 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: worldwide sales over a thirty three million yo. Just looking 108 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 1: at the stats made me feel like I'm not working 109 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: hard enough. Ninety seven Platinum Awards. I was way too 110 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 1: lazy to keep total of the gold awards, but I 111 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: stopped counting after one hundred, over a twelve major world tours, 112 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 1: over sixty sixty various awards from the AMAS to BTS, 113 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 1: Soul Train Awards, Latin Awards for bill Board, for even 114 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: the En double ACP Awards, six Grammys, six Grammys, countless 115 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: MTV awards. But you know, it's not even about the quantity, 116 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: ladies and gentleman's. It's to me. The achievements are cool. 117 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 1: But you know, in this episode, we get to know, 118 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: We aim to get to know the person behind the 119 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: achievements and get to know them. And you know, many 120 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: of us were pretty much a majority of us were 121 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: unaware of his of his advocacy work. Now, the thing is, 122 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: when I start talking, I feel like I exposed myself 123 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 1: when I try to talk sports, Shut up Steve, or comics, 124 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: shut up Steve. Okay, yes, I'm the guy that says 125 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: the sports, the comics, but I you know, I will 126 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: say that with uh, you know, having created indigenous characters 127 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: and it's sort of expanding the world of Marvel is 128 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: a wonderful thing, be it the Red Wolf series or 129 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: the Deadly Neighborhood spider Man. He's also an author of 130 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: a kid's book about identity, and most importantly, he's been extremely, 131 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 1: extremely vocal in his memoirs and his interviews being an 132 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: advocate for surviving cancer and using this platform to connect 133 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: and encourage others that share that same experience. And at 134 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 1: the end of the day, you know, I will say 135 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: that he's just an overall a signing light and a 136 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: really cool dude. And please welcome to QLs MC. Author, 137 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:40,479 Speaker 1: political activists, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, producer, and yes, survivor. 138 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: Jamie Gomez aka Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, welcome 139 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: to Thank you a lot Yo. First of all, I 140 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: got acknowledged Steve for being a comic head. Steve, salutes 141 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: to you brother, the fact that Emir had passed it 142 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: on to you and said sports comics not my thing. 143 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: It's all good, all good, and salute to you, Steve. 144 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: And then Bill, you had me at two daughters. I 145 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: don't know seriously when you said I'm a father of 146 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: two daughters, my I would say my greatest gift is 147 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: being a husband and a father, because there's no motives 148 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 1: behind that other than love. And I'm not trying to 149 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: be Kumbaya a Hallmark card, but this is real. This 150 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: is who I am. All the accolades and all the 151 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: stuff that's monetary and all that stuff where you're battling 152 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: cancer ladies and gentlemen, that shit's so irrelevant. That shit 153 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: is so irrelevant because you're like, YO, just give me 154 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 1: one more chance to be with my kids, Let me 155 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: hug my wife one more time, Let me get on 156 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 1: that stage one more time with my crew so that 157 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,839 Speaker 1: I can perform and bring healing to people that need it. 158 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: So I just wanted to get that and be transparent 159 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: and candid about how much love I have for life 160 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: beyond any music, beyond beyond any career. I'm enjoying just 161 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: being able to have opportunities like this to give my 162 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: testimony and meet people like you, Bill, and meet people 163 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 1: like you Steve, who you know, I've met a mirror. 164 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: I'm a fan of fante. I know what they bring 165 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: to culture. I love them for what they bring and 166 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: who they are as human beings. But to be able 167 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,839 Speaker 1: to see the team that brings us all together and 168 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: give you your flowers and salute you for what you 169 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: make this whole team happen. You guys got to know 170 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 1: that too, So I just wanted to kind of put 171 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 1: that out there. I'm all about that, man. I'm telling you, 172 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: humility is freaking key. A lot of people get caught 173 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 1: up in their own ship and I'm not trying to 174 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: do that. Brother. I surrendered evil a long time ago. 175 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: And so how all your daughters, man? Well, I have 176 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 1: one daughter. Guess what, I have three boys and one daughter. 177 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:47,959 Speaker 1: My daughter was born as a miracle baby after my 178 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: doctor said you're not gonna be able to have any 179 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 1: more children because you have stage two testicular cancers. So 180 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: the chemotherapy so going to be so aggressive, intense and 181 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: it's gonna break down everything that's good in your body 182 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: to kill that one thing that's bad in your body. 183 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,679 Speaker 1: And so he said, unfortunately, you're probably not going to 184 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: have any more children. So my daughter, my one and 185 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: only daughter, jet Juliana, was born as a miracle baby. 186 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 1: And so when you said that, Bill, I was like, Yo, 187 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: There's only been one other person that has inspired me 188 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:23,599 Speaker 1: like that, and that was Kobe Bryants. I had a 189 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: chance to build my brother Kobe, and his love and 190 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: his appreciation for being such an amazing girl dad was 191 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 1: something that sparked me to become a writer of books 192 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 1: and comics and be a storyteller and really focus on 193 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 1: my kids and kids around the world, bring inclusion, bring 194 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: a mosaic of cultures that's represented through storytelling, and do 195 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 1: it in a way where it's fun, there's music, there's art, 196 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: there's culture, and has done very genuine and authentic. So 197 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: let me ask you for you for your life, women, 198 00:11:55,640 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: was the paradigm shift in which you had this awakening 199 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: and this zest for life. For people that remember the 200 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 1: earlier work as a black Eyed peas I was, I 201 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: looked very different back then because I wasn't taking care 202 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 1: of myself. I looked more depleted. My check bone structure 203 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 1: was very profound. I had long hair. I was like 204 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: weighed like one hundred and ten pounds because I was 205 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: using it and abusing. And I'm very candid about it. 206 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:31,080 Speaker 1: When I when I became sobers, when I found that 207 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: first moment of clarity for myself. And I only speak 208 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: for me because I was going crazy, but I was 209 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,599 Speaker 1: living the rock star lifestyle. I went from sleeping on 210 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: mom's couch to having my first you know whatever success 211 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: with whereas of love, and that was in two thousand 212 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 1: and three. So from two thousand, from nineteen ninety five 213 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 1: when we started Black Eyed Peas to two thousand and three, 214 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: I was building this like bravado and this energy, you know, 215 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: hip hop grabbed your crotch all that shit. I'm an MC, 216 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: I'm a b boy. I'm gonna battle you, yah yah 217 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: yah yeah. Right, you're building this provader. You're confidence sometimes 218 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: turns into ego, especially when you're going crazy with over indulging. 219 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 1: And so I started over indulging, started getting money over indulging, 220 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 1: and I wrote a book about it, another book before 221 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:17,560 Speaker 1: I wrote the Kid's book about identity. Because I wanted 222 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: to help people that have addiction or going through addition. 223 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: And in two thousand and seven, March twenty seventh, that 224 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: was the day that I changed my whole perspective because 225 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,559 Speaker 1: I wanted to live for my kids. I was living dangerously. 226 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:35,319 Speaker 1: I was living recklessly, and you know, I had a surrender. 227 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,559 Speaker 1: That was my first moment of surrendering because my ego 228 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 1: is out of control and it kept saying You're the shit, 229 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 1: nobody could fuck with you, You're unstoppable, You're part of 230 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: this mega crew, YadA, YadA, YadA. But in actuality, I 231 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: was just a human that was trying to fill void 232 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 1: with alcoholism and drug use. And I'm candid about it 233 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: because I want people to take inspiration from this, even 234 00:13:57,679 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 1: if they're like, wow, we didn't know that you were 235 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: going to that. Well, I never really publicly talked about it. 236 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: I actually did the work and the due diligence and 237 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: the ways to be able to give back and to 238 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 1: be of service. And so from that point on, my 239 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: first step of moment of clarity was sobriety. So now, 240 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: going on sixteen years of being removed from that time period, 241 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: in twenty fourteen, I get hit with cancer and as man, 242 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: we don't talk about that ship ever. I ain't got 243 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 1: to get tested. Man, my testicles, we mean touched my nuts? 244 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: What do you mean go to the doctor and I'm 245 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: gonna go on tour. I got tours. I got shows 246 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: to do, right, So that was the mentality. I got 247 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: shows to do. So I had this back pain and 248 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: my right testicle is hurting, but I was like, oh, 249 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: that's cool, it's it's a it's wearing terrible of the road. 250 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: And so in twenty fourteen was the year that it 251 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: all came crashing down for me and I got diagnosed 252 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 1: with stage to testicular cancer, which it went to my 253 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: two lip notes to my fine, and I did have 254 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: to go into aggressive chemotherapy six days a week, well 255 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: excuse me, six hours a day, five days a week, 256 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: many many long, strenuous hours of torture and trauma, mental 257 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: and physical. I've only probably really been close to one 258 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 1: person that had to go through testing and that stuff 259 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: with leukemia. Shout out to Rich Nichols, who even then, 260 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: like Rich was such a hard ass cynic that he 261 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: didn't want to burden us with the human side of 262 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: what it felt like. But what what does what is 263 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: the process of going through that level of chema where 264 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 1: six hours every day? What is the what is the process? 265 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: It's different for every type of cancer. You know, for 266 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 1: the Kids Unit, which is the cancer treatment center for 267 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: kids m McDonald's Center in Los Angeles, they have different 268 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 1: varieties of chemotherapy that some of them are aggressive, but 269 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: also you don't want to you don't want to bring 270 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: trauma to the kids so much that it causes permanent damage. 271 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: So with me, it was like, I'm going to go 272 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: aggressive because I want to be back on stage. So 273 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: I opted to do aggressive chemo because it was spreading 274 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: at such a rapid rate that if I didn't do 275 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 1: it the way that I did it with five hours 276 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,080 Speaker 1: a day, I mean, excuse me, six hours a day, 277 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: five days a week, then it would have prolonged the 278 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: process and I probably it probably would have went from 279 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: my spine, my lungs, and then my brain and I 280 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: would have died. And that was how the doctor explained 281 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: it to me. How long from the moment that you 282 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 1: found that you had it, how long did it take 283 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: you to acknowledge it? And like, all right, let me 284 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: start treatment from I got checked in on a Thursday, 285 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 1: I was doing chemo on that Monday, so I had 286 00:16:56,400 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 1: surgery Friday to get my right testico removed. So as 287 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: you were concerned, you were just like, damn, man, like 288 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: my back is killing me. I can't dance like I 289 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: used to. Let me go get the spicks, and then 290 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 1: that's how you found out you had cancer or well, 291 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:11,399 Speaker 1: it was like I had pain in my back, and 292 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,119 Speaker 1: it was more about like being able to pick my 293 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: kids up more than dancing. Okay, it was something very 294 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 1: innate to my life, Like the dancing thing is only 295 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 1: like an hour or two hours when I'm on stage, right, 296 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,400 Speaker 1: I live a daily life of being a father, and 297 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 1: so something as simple is like trying to bend over 298 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 1: to picking my kid. I had the sharp pain in 299 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: my back. So I was like, yo, there's something wrong 300 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: with me. I just don't know what it is. Maybe 301 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: it's wear and tear of being on tour. Tell my wife. 302 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: My wife says, hey, if this continues to get worse, 303 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 1: you need to go to the AR. Unfortunately, at twelve 304 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: midnight it got worse, so I drove. I don't know 305 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 1: how I did it. I got in my car, drove 306 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 1: to the AR and I went straight into getting m 307 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:56,719 Speaker 1: I cat scans, CT scans, and by seven am they 308 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:59,199 Speaker 1: told me I was diagnosed with cancer. They didn't tell 309 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: me what type of cancer. They just said, Um, we 310 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 1: found a mass which is four centimeters wide four centimeters 311 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: long like a tennis ball, and it's in your spine 312 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:11,119 Speaker 1: and it came from your right testicle. Run in your family? 313 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:14,200 Speaker 1: Is it hereditary? That was the first one, brother. Wow, 314 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: So so let me let me just give you guys, 315 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 1: because I know this is a fun show and everybody's beaten. 316 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: No no, this is a human no, no, no, a 317 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,639 Speaker 1: human show and there's a human show. Normally I just 318 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: start with your creative life, but you went there, so 319 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: I want to know this for me. Yeah, so so, 320 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: so I just wanted to give you guys, uh, the 321 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: ultimate connection to me as a human being, because I 322 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 1: love what you guys do with the show, how you 323 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: guys take journeys of like the dark side the light, 324 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 1: the career triumphs. But this one for me was the 325 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:48,120 Speaker 1: thing that kind of shape and molding who I am 326 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: today as a father, as a husband, as a storyteller, 327 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,959 Speaker 1: as a creative because I probably wouldn't have understood being 328 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 1: a voice to indigenous communities if I didn't go through 329 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:03,480 Speaker 1: this trauma. Because after I beat this horrible disease, I 330 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 1: said to myself, what's my higher purpose beyond being an entertainer, 331 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:10,880 Speaker 1: beyond doing music? Wait a minute, I think I gotta 332 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: go and be of service. So I went to Standing Rock. 333 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: Standing Rock was a they say it's a protest. We 334 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: call it a protection of sacred land. At that time, 335 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,920 Speaker 1: which is sing rock to tribe, they were trying to 336 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 1: bring build the oil pipeline that would eventually bring oil 337 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 1: into the water drinking water of the trafic community surround 338 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: that you were part of those protesters that I went 339 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: there as Jimmy Gomez, an activist, as a Native kid 340 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: that just wanted to standing solidentity wasn't about Black Eyed Peas. 341 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: It just me. I took my oldest son, Josh, and 342 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: we were there as as Native activists of giving back 343 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: to the community, trying to just be of service. And 344 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:52,679 Speaker 1: then I figured out how I can be a voice 345 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 1: and really use this huge megaphone that is Black Eyed 346 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 1: Peas to bring more eyeballs and more visibility to tribal issue, 347 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: whether we're talking about you know, pipelines or we're talking 348 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,960 Speaker 1: about indigenous people's seeing Los Angeles, we're talking about the 349 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 1: Native Nation's march, or bringing more conversation in mainstream media 350 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 1: that has an indigenous lens that's very genuine and authentic 351 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:18,879 Speaker 1: and not stereotypical like we've seen in the past. And 352 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: so that was kind of like my AHA moment to 353 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,880 Speaker 1: be that guy. He's like, Yo, black Eyed Peas, Yo 354 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 1: wheels all about technology, Apple's all about the Philippines. Yo, 355 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:32,359 Speaker 1: I'm going to be about this. I'm going to activate 356 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: this amazing opportunity to inspire the youth in tribal communities 357 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 1: in the Latino community because I'm Mexican as well. Why 358 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:43,120 Speaker 1: don't I use this energy that I've been putting on 359 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:46,159 Speaker 1: stage for so many years and now bring light to 360 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: the fight against cancer, advocating for indigenous communities and actually 361 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: do something to bring light and hope to the people. Yeah, 362 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: I was going to say that. In doing research for 363 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:02,680 Speaker 1: your story, and you know, having just turned fifty two 364 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: two months ago, I'd suddenly asked myself a question. I'm like, 365 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,640 Speaker 1: wait a minute, I think when you turned fifty you're 366 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 1: supposed to start getting test to see you know, because 367 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 1: I'm one of those people. You know, I have been 368 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:25,959 Speaker 1: living with like stage two LYMPHIDEMAUM for about yeah, like 369 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:30,399 Speaker 1: since like ninety eight, like for twenty five years. Answer 370 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: with you about something. Yeah, I noticed that. I noticed 371 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 1: that about you because I saw the fluctuating of your 372 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: health and my friend from Afar seeing you at certain events, 373 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,639 Speaker 1: I'd be like, yo, you know, just going through my 374 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 1: struggles in my illness. Same thing that happened with Dave 375 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 1: in Peace for Boy, I had that same conversation, and 376 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: it was so candid and it was so on a 377 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:56,600 Speaker 1: human level that he inquired me more than any day 378 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: I saw track or any song or any message or 379 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 1: any lyrics because we we bonded as brothers. And so 380 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: you know, I noticed that about you, and I gotta say, man, 381 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,159 Speaker 1: like you without even knowing you, you are one of 382 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: those warriors that have inspired me too. Thank you, man, 383 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: thank you. You know at the time, I just ignored it, 384 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:18,159 Speaker 1: and I never heard the term limpid demon. I was 385 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: just like, damn, I got fat, like suddenly, I gained 386 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:25,439 Speaker 1: seventeen pounds overnight, Like how has that happened? And I 387 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:28,479 Speaker 1: didn't realize, like, you know, every day I have massive 388 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: swelling and like in different limbs or whatnot. Just every day. 389 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: It was sort of like a roulette. Change of a 390 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 1: roulette will result of all, right, what's going to be 391 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:42,199 Speaker 1: affected today? Oh my arms? Okay great, That's why I 392 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: asked you, like from the time you were diagnosed to 393 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:49,120 Speaker 1: the time that you immediately wanted to get it checked out. 394 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: Like it took me nine years, nine years to finally 395 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: and it's only because of mistake, Like I was changed 396 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: before a video. My manager saw me and like, what 397 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: the fuck happened to your legs? A mirror and then 398 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:05,239 Speaker 1: like he rushed me into the hospital. So um, you know, 399 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: and I know I'm at that age now where every 400 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 1: my mental health and my physical health is like paramount, 401 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:19,399 Speaker 1: and so like I took my first and I had 402 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: a fear. You know, sometimes ignorance is bliss sometimes with people, 403 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 1: and I had a general fear like kept putting it off. Okay, 404 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: when I turned fifty one, I'm gonna get the testament, 405 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,879 Speaker 1: get the testament due my my my cancer test and 406 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: all that stuff. So I definitely knew that before we 407 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:38,160 Speaker 1: started this interview. I didn't want to have to face 408 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:42,439 Speaker 1: you and been like hiding, like uh, yeah, I've been 409 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 1: putting this off for two years. I finally got I 410 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 1: did my test like a week and a half ago. 411 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:52,400 Speaker 1: So you know, I'm good, clean bill of health. But yeah, 412 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: I just but I do know that because of our 413 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 1: unwillingness to catch it earlier or that sort of thing, 414 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 1: or to even find out, we'd rather just live in 415 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:06,480 Speaker 1: bliss and then it's too late and your body starts 416 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 1: talking to you and then you have that that pain. 417 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 1: So but yeah, I will say that in doing research 418 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: and seeing your story, then I guess that kind of 419 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,119 Speaker 1: pushed me over the ledge, like all right, man, just 420 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:22,640 Speaker 1: start doing your test, bro, Like get this together. So well. 421 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: We need we need we need more heroes without capes 422 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:30,719 Speaker 1: and our communities that activate just you know, health as 423 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: wealth man. And I learned that the heartbreak. I'm not 424 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:38,119 Speaker 1: a preacher. I will never preach health and wellness, but 425 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 1: I will shine light on it and be like, yo, 426 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: we need that more hip hop community. I see a 427 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 1: lot of our pioneers that are not taking care of themselves. Yeah, 428 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: I'm like, yo, you know what I'm saying. And I'm 429 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: a fan of these pioneers and some of them just 430 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:55,640 Speaker 1: you know, and it's sad because with a little bit 431 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:58,320 Speaker 1: of prevention with a little bit of a conversation and 432 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 1: communication which can hope bring that light. Like that's something 433 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: that you know, I would like to do that for 434 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 1: for communities, just like just like what Lance Armstrong and 435 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:13,360 Speaker 1: I know the whole scandal was whacking. It just ended 436 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 1: up like bullshit, right, But if I can be that 437 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:20,520 Speaker 1: conduit of hope with my experience so that folks don't 438 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: have to go through it and can prevent it, just 439 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,199 Speaker 1: like what you said a mirror, You're like, oh, I 440 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,120 Speaker 1: saw your story and I'm like, fock, okay, it's fifty one. Okay, 441 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do it. Maybe it was a little nudge 442 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 1: that you didn't even expect it. Maybe because you saw 443 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 1: what I went through, You're like, you know what, all right, 444 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 1: let me go get chests. Definitely a nudge. It is 445 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: the nudge that finally made me call my doctor and 446 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:41,879 Speaker 1: being like all right, I'm coming in let me you know, 447 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:44,919 Speaker 1: so I want to credit you with that. Yeah, man, 448 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: it's a conversation that that I think is healthy to have. 449 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:50,920 Speaker 1: It's holistic. It's a way that we can we can 450 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 1: bring something that that you're you're trying to support and 451 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: nurture the idea of just wanting to see your people 452 00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 1: succeed and not only music or art, but also in 453 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: taking care of themselves. Now, I'm really going to start style. 454 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:13,160 Speaker 1: Where were you born? I was born in East Los Angeles, 455 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 1: Ball Heights, California. Okay, yeah, what's your what's you know 456 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:20,639 Speaker 1: for you? What's your memories of what your childhood was? 457 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: My grandmother, my grandmother was a beautiful Native woman from Jerome, Arizona. 458 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 1: She represented her roots to the to the tea. She 459 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 1: was all about being a service, sometimes to her own detriment, 460 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:37,040 Speaker 1: her own health, which taught me a lot about like, hey, 461 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,920 Speaker 1: I'm gonna help, but I'm not gonna put my health 462 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 1: before anybody else. Um. She was all about the arts 463 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 1: and music and dancing. It goes hand in hand with 464 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 1: our ancestry. You know, we used dancing as a way 465 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 1: of prayer healing. If you look at an old power 466 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 1: out style dancers, a lot of it is just stories 467 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: that are being told through their their style and their expression, 468 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: and they use that as a former healing in prayer 469 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:04,400 Speaker 1: and so growing up, my grandmother kind of instilled that 470 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 1: that dancing performing mentality at five years old, and I 471 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: would be dancing to like you know, craft work and 472 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: African Bambada and you know, um, I got into craft 473 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,200 Speaker 1: work because of African Bambada and soconic Force. I started 474 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:24,760 Speaker 1: understanding studying where that whole electronic style came from. And 475 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,360 Speaker 1: then after that I saw, you know, when we saw 476 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 1: breaking and he saw what's the name doing the freaking? Like, Yo, 477 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:35,159 Speaker 1: what's that? Oh wait, that's craft work? Wait a minute. 478 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: So I started doing a deep dive into like not 479 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: just hip hop culture, but also where it comes from 480 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: and where that electronic vibe came from, so you know, 481 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: and and growing up, I started really sharpening my swords 482 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:51,480 Speaker 1: as a b board breaking being inspired by breakers like 483 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: Crazy Legs and the rock Steady Crew from from New York, 484 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: but also a lot of dancers from from the West 485 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:03,359 Speaker 1: Coast like Popping Pete Boggaou Shrimp Um, Jeffrey Daniels who 486 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 1: was part of Shelamar, he was doing Feller, you know 487 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, Like he was ill with it. He 488 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 1: taught Mike MJ a lot of the stuff. Um, but 489 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: also like Leg one, Leg two, MC Lights Dancers, Mission 490 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:19,400 Speaker 1: Impossible Special LEDs dancers, Uh, you know kid in play 491 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: to scheme team, which is Divine Stylers dancers, So Brothers 492 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:28,400 Speaker 1: that was Deaf Jeff's dancers. Yeah yeah, yeah, the far side, 493 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 1: you know, and I mean the mop tops from buddhas 494 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,119 Speaker 1: Stretch from from New York. Like, I had such an 495 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:37,920 Speaker 1: innate love for for freestyle dance, and then it got 496 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:40,680 Speaker 1: into housing. Once housing came in, I was like, Yo, 497 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 1: what's this Because when I heard the Ginger Brothers said 498 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: say girl, our house you I was like housing. And 499 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 1: I started doing research on like soho and hot hot 500 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 1: music music Hot from Doom Dude. I was like, Yo, 501 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: what's that style? So I started seeing these different styles 502 00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 1: herp Alpert North on South Street, watching those videos and 503 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 1: really immersing myself in the art foom a dance. And 504 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: then I started studying the great Nicholas Brothers, James Brown, 505 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:13,280 Speaker 1: Sammy Davis, Bob Fosse, all these amazing dancers that came 506 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: from from the past, and I started incorporating these styles 507 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: and wanted to bring this this hip hop clash of 508 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 1: like all these unique frequencies of movement. And so that 509 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,040 Speaker 1: was my upbringing. Man, That's what I that's what I remember. 510 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: This is before me even meeting Will and Apple. Before 511 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,120 Speaker 1: we even became Black Eyed Peas, I started a group 512 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 1: called Divine Tribal Brothers, and of course who were sons 513 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: of tribe, and we loved the Jungle Brothers. So Tribal 514 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 1: Brothers right right, Will and Apple were tribal nation because 515 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:52,680 Speaker 1: Zulu nation and you know trip call quests. So eventually 516 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:55,520 Speaker 1: we became a crew and the name of our crew 517 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:57,480 Speaker 1: was Grassroots. And when we're trying to do like the 518 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,720 Speaker 1: Native tongues in the West Coast, because we were so 519 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 1: inspired by the native tongues. It wasn't just your grandmother, 520 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: was it mom and dad in the picture? Like who 521 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 1: was who was it? My mom was in the picture, 522 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: but you know she was she was born in East La. 523 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 1: Very typical mom from from East La. She she was. 524 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 1: She didn't see it like my grandmother saw it. She knew. 525 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 1: She's like, you get on the stage and you give 526 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 1: the best version of yourself and don't ever stop fighting 527 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: when you're on that stage. Right, So that b boy mentality, 528 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 1: that killer, that apex predator mentality, battle came from my 529 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: grandmother's will and her energy. Like, yeah, I loved Michael 530 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: Jordan and you know Magic Johnson and all these sports 531 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: figures and Bruce Lee was a big, huge inspiration. I 532 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:44,760 Speaker 1: love Kung Foot movies, Marsha black Bell Theater, loved Billy 533 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: Jack Um you know, love watching those old school eighties 534 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 1: movies too. But my grandmother was my superhero. And that's 535 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 1: I think that's why I kind of really got into 536 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 1: storytelling and being a superhero advocate because my grandmother was 537 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: my hero. Without a cape. You mention hot Music by Soho. 538 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 1: Just found out that um Soho was basically are you 539 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: are you? You remember pal Joey, Pal Joey and the House? 540 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: I did not know so pal Joey, who was kind 541 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 1: of an engineer for Kariss One. So I guess around 542 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:19,800 Speaker 1: the time when they're making Sex and Violence. I think 543 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: D Nice told me the story that basically all those 544 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 1: patches belonged to d Nice and Kariss One, like that's 545 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: how he made hot music. But Pal Joey is making 546 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:31,880 Speaker 1: like house records on the side, just you know, for 547 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: extra cash or whatnot. So wow, and I did not 548 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 1: know it. That's kind of like how we looked at 549 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:42,280 Speaker 1: when we when we started getting that frequency of international 550 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:45,840 Speaker 1: EDM electronic music around the world, whether it was Justice 551 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:50,120 Speaker 1: or the the you know, uh David Getta who were 552 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: traveled the world, and we're like, yo, remember that era 553 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:56,480 Speaker 1: of like go out house you and the technotronic plump 554 00:31:56,680 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 1: up the gym? Y remember remember so who hot Hot. 555 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:05,480 Speaker 1: We started talking about how we can connect and bring 556 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 1: whatever was happening around the world and bring that same 557 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: frequency that Jungle Brothers was doing when they did throw 558 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,360 Speaker 1: a House you, but just doing a black eyed Peace 559 00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: style and utilizing those inspirations and those sounds and those 560 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: frequencies that were electronic that were popping in around the world. 561 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 1: That in turn became the Boom Boom Pals and the 562 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:27,840 Speaker 1: I Gotta Feelings and those big records that we did 563 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 1: in two thousand and eight to twenty eleven. And so 564 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 1: all we did was just regurgitate the inspiration that came 565 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,840 Speaker 1: from Jungle Brothers and and and those folks that were 566 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 1: transitioning into that, Yeah, a lecture of music. Music. Yeah. 567 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 1: When I talk to anyone from LA that's a dancer, 568 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:50,000 Speaker 1: the first thing they always tell me is that, you know, 569 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:53,840 Speaker 1: it wasn't Vogan. It's called whacking. There's a whacking culture. 570 00:32:53,840 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 1: Whacking culture whacking like what was I guess him outside 571 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:02,760 Speaker 1: of her standpoint. I mean, I'm a DJ, but I 572 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 1: don't really get many opportunities to do like house parties 573 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: like on frequently, maybe like four or five times a 574 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 1: year some club will hired me to do a house 575 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:17,720 Speaker 1: set or whatever. But you know, were you at all 576 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 1: part of the whacking community like those? It was a 577 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 1: pretty tight niche We were part of the freestyle the 578 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:27,680 Speaker 1: Adrian Youngs. You know Adrian Young before he became a producer. Wait, yeah, 579 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:31,880 Speaker 1: before Adrian Young became a producer with Ali Shahid Muhammad Yo. 580 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:34,800 Speaker 1: This dude was an incredible dancer. Bro Like, he had 581 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:37,880 Speaker 1: the dreadlocks. My man, Adrian Young was one of the 582 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 1: illest dancers and we all came up together. You know. 583 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: So shout out to Adrian Young for his transition into 584 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:48,480 Speaker 1: becoming an amazing cultureist of the culture. He just he's 585 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 1: just such a big inspiration because he did start as 586 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,680 Speaker 1: a dancer. He started as a freestyle dancer with us. 587 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: So were you part of the good life community at 588 00:33:57,320 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: all or was that like sort of before we had 589 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 1: our own thing. We had our own thing called Peace 590 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:04,560 Speaker 1: and Justice Center, which Black Eyed Peas spawned out of it. 591 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 1: We also had pump gated heead we used to come 592 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:09,920 Speaker 1: out of there. Um. Not a lot of main artists 593 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 1: came out of there, but we had love and appreciation 594 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 1: for the abstract roods and the fellowships and you know, 595 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:21,799 Speaker 1: uh Medusa and all those folks. Yeah, Medusa. Um, But 596 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 1: we weren't that part of La. We weren't in Lamert Park. 597 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:29,800 Speaker 1: We were in East La Glendale, Sangibo Valley, Los Felis, 598 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:31,840 Speaker 1: Like that was our world. That was our stomping grounds, 599 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 1: and we were more in the Filipino community because of 600 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:36,279 Speaker 1: apple apples. He was the guy that would bring us 601 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:39,719 Speaker 1: to the hip to Filipino parties. So okay, that's kind 602 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:42,440 Speaker 1: of where we We were sharp sharpen our swords and 603 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:48,600 Speaker 1: battle other crews. My idea of battling really just stems 604 00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:52,319 Speaker 1: from watching Beach Street and that sort of thing. But 605 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:56,399 Speaker 1: you know, when you go to a function, like take 606 00:34:56,480 --> 00:35:00,799 Speaker 1: us back to nineteen ninety or ninety one, If you're 607 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:04,520 Speaker 1: going to a function, are you going there to flex that? 608 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:06,440 Speaker 1: I will dance out dance to all of you, like 609 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:10,120 Speaker 1: how does a battle start? It's more of a spiritual warfare, bro, 610 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 1: more than our battle out dance you. It's more like 611 00:35:14,719 --> 00:35:17,880 Speaker 1: when you know when you see the X men battling 612 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,799 Speaker 1: Scratch Pickles, or you see the beat junkies battling these 613 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:24,239 Speaker 1: other DJs and they're going there, they're killing. It's the 614 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:29,760 Speaker 1: same mentality for for dancers or B boys or freestyle dancers, 615 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:33,080 Speaker 1: like we are in there as apex predators to see 616 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:35,920 Speaker 1: who's got the illest shit? How dope are you repid? 617 00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 1: What's the what's the dopest moves that you're bringing to 618 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 1: be able to show that you're representing your crew. And we, 619 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 1: you know, we watch movies like Umu Rack Shot by 620 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:51,080 Speaker 1: the mop Tops and and Wild Style, and you know, 621 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:54,759 Speaker 1: we learn from the greats watching the battles between rock 622 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:57,319 Speaker 1: Steady and the other crews and seeing how they would 623 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:01,759 Speaker 1: go into it and be able to present this beautiful 624 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:04,200 Speaker 1: art form that was ghetto gymnastics that we would do 625 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:06,799 Speaker 1: in our backyards practicing, and then we would bring it 626 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:08,799 Speaker 1: to the stage and it was a performance. Basically, it 627 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:11,879 Speaker 1: was like people were watching us battle. And then Will 628 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:14,319 Speaker 1: would get on the mic and battle on the MC tip. 629 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,360 Speaker 1: He was a killer. He was a killer on the 630 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 1: MCATs on the freestyle tip. And so there was this 631 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:25,799 Speaker 1: club called Ballistics which Bud Bundy Ak David Faustino used 632 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 1: to put out and there was a hip hop club 633 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:32,680 Speaker 1: and basically we would have, you know, crews from Pasadena, 634 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:35,440 Speaker 1: from LA from South Central come to battle at the 635 00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:39,239 Speaker 1: spot in Hollywood, and that's where Buckwheat was at. That's 636 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:43,280 Speaker 1: where the Far Side exhibit Robin Dick Haul of Patton, 637 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:47,200 Speaker 1: Leonardo DiCaprio. We all came to Alyssa Milano. We all 638 00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:49,880 Speaker 1: came to this club when we were all teenagers and 639 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:52,839 Speaker 1: black eyed peas. That's where we met and that's where 640 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:56,759 Speaker 1: we started kind of like conjugating at this club called Ballistics. 641 00:36:57,400 --> 00:37:00,640 Speaker 1: When these battles happened, Like is there at ticular crew 642 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:05,919 Speaker 1: or a person to whom you were like, nah, man, 643 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,960 Speaker 1: I'm a destroyer when I see him next, or that 644 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:14,200 Speaker 1: sort of thing, Like like what's the battle mentality to 645 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 1: to discredit another dancer? Not discredit another dancer, but like, 646 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 1: how does one determine who won a dance battle? Um? 647 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 1: I think it's more about the cruise, you know, and 648 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:28,719 Speaker 1: and and just getting the name up and getting your 649 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:32,440 Speaker 1: name because the crew would give you married in every 650 00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:36,880 Speaker 1: city if you're if you're dominating these battles. Um it 651 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:39,480 Speaker 1: wasn't about money. Back then. There was no money. It 652 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 1: was like you know when you watch eight Miles, like 653 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:45,480 Speaker 1: Eminem just battling. There was no like it's like, Yo, 654 00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 1: you're battling for reputation, right, and then you're battling At 655 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:52,279 Speaker 1: that time in the eighty nine ninety it's like, Yo, 656 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:55,280 Speaker 1: I might be seen by somebody that I can probably 657 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:57,319 Speaker 1: make this a living, right because we don't know. We're 658 00:37:57,320 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 1: like we see people on television, we see people in 659 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:01,400 Speaker 1: the movie. He's like, oh, yeah, I'm a dancer, I'm 660 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:05,120 Speaker 1: a b boy. Maybe I can get a foot loose opportunity. 661 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:08,279 Speaker 1: Maybe I can be on David Letterman, like the way 662 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:10,640 Speaker 1: that Crazy Lads was, you know what I'm saying. So 663 00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:13,319 Speaker 1: this just as a kid from the inner cities, you're 664 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:16,080 Speaker 1: just like, Yo, this is my opportunity to express myself. 665 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 1: At that time, I wasn't rapping. I would just break 666 00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:24,160 Speaker 1: dancing or freestyle dancing. And then I started elevating my 667 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:29,640 Speaker 1: mentality to be able to utilize performance dancing. And then 668 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:35,799 Speaker 1: with the guidance and the strength and the leadership of Will, 669 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:38,120 Speaker 1: I was like, Yo, maybe I can do this thing 670 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 1: too and represent and utilize this as another weapon, production, songwriting, 671 00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:48,440 Speaker 1: breaking and like the way Chris Brown was. You know, 672 00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:51,080 Speaker 1: Chris Brown had that same type of philosophy as like 673 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:53,640 Speaker 1: I could be a triple threat, break it down because 674 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:55,880 Speaker 1: he wasn't just a regular dancer or not just a 675 00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:59,399 Speaker 1: regular dancer. He's actually one of my favorites because he's 676 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:02,440 Speaker 1: able to do street dancing and not you know, he 677 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:04,839 Speaker 1: can do choreography, but he can also have his own 678 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:08,080 Speaker 1: freestyle bounce to it. What was the point in which 679 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:15,040 Speaker 1: you knew or seriously pursued like, Okay, this is what 680 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 1: I want to do for a living. What was your 681 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:24,160 Speaker 1: life into your daily life into pre entertainment, like as 682 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:26,399 Speaker 1: far as school or a job or that sort of thing. 683 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:29,240 Speaker 1: My first first job was at Disneyland picking up Horseman 684 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:33,920 Speaker 1: after the electrical parade, which was I was dealing with 685 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:37,719 Speaker 1: a lot of ship back then, ladies and gentlemen. I 686 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:40,120 Speaker 1: was dealing with a lot of shit. But it taught 687 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaker 1: me being on point um as far as like um, 688 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 1: you know, being punctual, work ethic um, humility, because I 689 00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:52,080 Speaker 1: was dealing with a lot of shit but also being 690 00:39:52,120 --> 00:39:54,840 Speaker 1: part of a corporate structure. And during the day I 691 00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:57,960 Speaker 1: was working at disneland and at night I was performing 692 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:01,720 Speaker 1: with Will and Apple, which was what was to become 693 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:04,880 Speaker 1: Black Eyed Peas, And so I had a day job 694 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:08,440 Speaker 1: to be able to facilitate my dream at night. Um, 695 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:11,200 Speaker 1: just like what you guys used to do a mirror 696 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 1: at the what was it called Leila's was that? What 697 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:19,200 Speaker 1: was that spot called? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah, the early years. Yes, 698 00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:21,160 Speaker 1: So we used to do that same thing. We used 699 00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:23,239 Speaker 1: to go to this Peace and Justice Center and just 700 00:40:23,360 --> 00:40:25,839 Speaker 1: sharpen our swords, do like a jam, or we had 701 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:27,520 Speaker 1: a live band and we would rock out and we 702 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:30,279 Speaker 1: would do these performances. And so even though we were 703 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:32,160 Speaker 1: getting paid a lot of money, maybe like one hundred 704 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:34,359 Speaker 1: and two hundred bucks, we looked at it like, oh, 705 00:40:34,440 --> 00:40:36,759 Speaker 1: this is a start of something. Maybe we can you know, 706 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:39,480 Speaker 1: continue to grow this art form and this this this 707 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:43,800 Speaker 1: vehicle called Black Eyed Peas and this could become something. So, 708 00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:45,920 Speaker 1: you know, and we're straight out of high school. Man, 709 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:49,040 Speaker 1: We're seventeen eighteen year old kids that that had a 710 00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:50,959 Speaker 1: dollar in a dream or two dollars in a dream 711 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:55,760 Speaker 1: for gas. And so Disneyland was my first initial job 712 00:40:56,200 --> 00:41:00,600 Speaker 1: fulfilling the dream because that was the way I was 713 00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:02,480 Speaker 1: able to pay for gas or meals to get to 714 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:06,000 Speaker 1: the studio or to my performance. I was gonna ask 715 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:10,200 Speaker 1: had y'all officially become at band clan at that point? No, So, 716 00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:13,799 Speaker 1: Will and Apple got signed at sixteen as an ad 717 00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:16,200 Speaker 1: band clan, and it was another brother named Mookie that 718 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:19,880 Speaker 1: was part of that trio. Easy actually discovered Will and 719 00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:23,680 Speaker 1: Apple at Ballistics the Bud Bundy joint, and so he 720 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:26,919 Speaker 1: signed him. He was like, Yo, I love I love 721 00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:28,880 Speaker 1: what you guys representing. You guys are kind of like 722 00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:31,719 Speaker 1: the West Coast version of a trip Call Quest or 723 00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:34,439 Speaker 1: Diggible Planets. You guys are like, you know you got 724 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 1: that whatever whatever he said, Bohemian rap or whatever, because 725 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:40,759 Speaker 1: he didn't know how to explain it. And so he's like, 726 00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:43,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do the same thing Diggible and Tried did 727 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:45,319 Speaker 1: in the East Coast. I'm gonna do that for you 728 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:48,839 Speaker 1: guys here in the West Coast. And so unfortunately Easy 729 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:52,719 Speaker 1: passed away ninety five, and so that's that was kind 730 00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:55,279 Speaker 1: of the moment where Will was like, Yo, we got 731 00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:57,279 Speaker 1: to start a new thing. It can't be ad Bank clan. 732 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:01,040 Speaker 1: So let's just I don't know this called Blue Unit. Nah. 733 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:04,920 Speaker 1: That's why let's call it uh, let's call it uh 734 00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:08,799 Speaker 1: beans of rice? Why nah, it's just kind of whack. 735 00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:14,000 Speaker 1: What about what about black eyed peas? Peas? What does 736 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:17,279 Speaker 1: that represent? Black eyed peas is so food? We could 737 00:42:17,280 --> 00:42:20,359 Speaker 1: feed the soul with our music? Oh shit, Okay, black 738 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:24,399 Speaker 1: eyed peas and black eyed peas brings good luck during 739 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:27,080 Speaker 1: New Year's We bring good luck with our music. So 740 00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:29,879 Speaker 1: we started coming with it cool ideas about what black 741 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:32,320 Speaker 1: eyed peas represented. And plus, there wasn't a lot of 742 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:43,160 Speaker 1: food groups out there other than the chili pepper, right, Fante, 743 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:45,319 Speaker 1: you're kind of a part of this, but you, you 744 00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:50,480 Speaker 1: and poo don't necessarily do like run DMC tug of 745 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:55,319 Speaker 1: war style. But you know in the Peas there are 746 00:42:55,400 --> 00:42:58,480 Speaker 1: various songs in which you guys trade lines and that 747 00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:02,359 Speaker 1: sort of thing. Can you describe to me, Like, what 748 00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:06,840 Speaker 1: is the creative process when you are one third of 749 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:10,920 Speaker 1: a unit and you're creating a song, and you know, 750 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:13,719 Speaker 1: of course there's the old all right, you get one verse, 751 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:16,719 Speaker 1: you get one verse, you get one verse, but you 752 00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:19,520 Speaker 1: know who decides which verse goes for us? He's the 753 00:43:19,520 --> 00:43:22,880 Speaker 1: first verse to be heard. Who decides? Like when you 754 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:25,440 Speaker 1: guys are writing songs and which you are are trading 755 00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:28,000 Speaker 1: like tug of war lines like walk me through just 756 00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:32,239 Speaker 1: the creative process of how you guys develop your lyrics. Yeah, 757 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:36,280 Speaker 1: I would say the best way to describe the most 758 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:43,200 Speaker 1: recent exchange of even shared contributions is this album called 759 00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:47,360 Speaker 1: Masters in the Sun, which we put out in two eighteen, 760 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:50,439 Speaker 1: which is probably about that love that record Thank You Brother, 761 00:43:50,600 --> 00:43:53,680 Speaker 1: which is our best work. It's not a pop record. 762 00:43:53,840 --> 00:43:57,399 Speaker 1: It's a strictly Black Eyed Peas is showing you, which 763 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:00,799 Speaker 1: we still are capable of doing as hip hop kids, 764 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:05,600 Speaker 1: as mcs. We got to work with our freaking one 765 00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:09,879 Speaker 1: of our mentors, Lalo Shipperd doing all these transitions. So 766 00:44:10,280 --> 00:44:12,400 Speaker 1: that being said, you know, we're just in the studio 767 00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:15,560 Speaker 1: just vibing, like jumping around and just acting like we 768 00:44:15,560 --> 00:44:18,040 Speaker 1: were seventeen again. And that's what the Peas is is, 769 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:21,040 Speaker 1: like we're it's a friendship. You know. We've had different 770 00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:24,440 Speaker 1: iterations of as you mentioned earlier about like is it 771 00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:27,240 Speaker 1: a third is it a fourth um? You know, shout 772 00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:28,759 Speaker 1: out to all the ladies that have been part of 773 00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:31,000 Speaker 1: our journey. But at the end of the day, like 774 00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:34,840 Speaker 1: black Eyed Peas is myself, I am an apple and 775 00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:37,319 Speaker 1: it's always been that, And so what you see on 776 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:39,719 Speaker 1: stage is us jump jumping around having a good time, 777 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:43,600 Speaker 1: just you know, not taking ourselves too seriously. Not to 778 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:45,919 Speaker 1: Day Last, so not to day La because they said 779 00:44:45,920 --> 00:44:50,359 Speaker 1: the same thing that inspired us. So we just we 780 00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:53,320 Speaker 1: do that. We are in the studio and we're building 781 00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:55,319 Speaker 1: and we say a couple of words. I don't like 782 00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:57,359 Speaker 1: that line. Maybe we've changed that line. All right, app 783 00:44:57,600 --> 00:44:59,239 Speaker 1: what do you got? Apples say something, and then we 784 00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:01,840 Speaker 1: just started exchange and then you have your traditional like 785 00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:05,040 Speaker 1: you know, tab what you got yo? I got this first? Okay, 786 00:45:05,120 --> 00:45:07,359 Speaker 1: you go first? All right, well we got this. So 787 00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:12,520 Speaker 1: there's no recipe. It's just we're scientists in there. We 788 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:15,880 Speaker 1: we tap into a frequency that we want to display 789 00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:20,319 Speaker 1: on every every song, and it comes out magical because 790 00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:22,960 Speaker 1: we know our formula. We know how to maneuver on 791 00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:25,959 Speaker 1: stage and in the studio as a trio. You spoke 792 00:45:26,280 --> 00:45:28,560 Speaker 1: about briefly about the ladies that y'all worked with over 793 00:45:28,600 --> 00:45:31,120 Speaker 1: the years. I want to ask you specifically about Kim Hill. 794 00:45:31,239 --> 00:45:34,120 Speaker 1: I really love her, Like, what memories do you have 795 00:45:34,160 --> 00:45:36,760 Speaker 1: of working with her during that time of First of all, 796 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:39,400 Speaker 1: I just want to acknowledge all the ladies that have 797 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:42,239 Speaker 1: worked with us, and Kim Hill set the tone. You know, 798 00:45:42,360 --> 00:45:47,320 Speaker 1: She's been such an amazing piece of our history. And 799 00:45:47,480 --> 00:45:49,960 Speaker 1: for those folks that don't know she's she's an amazing 800 00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:54,560 Speaker 1: designer as well. She has some pieces. Yeah, she's a DJ, 801 00:45:54,840 --> 00:45:58,560 Speaker 1: she's a great mom, and she she just she's all 802 00:45:58,600 --> 00:46:02,680 Speaker 1: around amazing person. So she just set the tone for 803 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:04,640 Speaker 1: us because she was older than us at the time 804 00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:07,480 Speaker 1: over when we're when we started Black Eyed Peas, so 805 00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:09,719 Speaker 1: she was kind of like an older sister figure to us, 806 00:46:10,239 --> 00:46:12,040 Speaker 1: and she kept us a line when we're on tour. 807 00:46:12,239 --> 00:46:15,160 Speaker 1: You know, we're like teenagers. She was in her early 808 00:46:15,200 --> 00:46:18,040 Speaker 1: twenties and we were like, uh, you know, still kind 809 00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:20,320 Speaker 1: of goofy and messing around, and she'd be like, yo, guys, 810 00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:23,000 Speaker 1: we gotta we gotta show them all whatever. But it 811 00:46:23,080 --> 00:46:24,640 Speaker 1: was cool because we looked at her as like an 812 00:46:24,680 --> 00:46:30,080 Speaker 1: older sister and she always showed love. She was always inspirational, 813 00:46:30,160 --> 00:46:34,000 Speaker 1: and you know, to this day, I'll hit her up 814 00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:37,160 Speaker 1: on Instagram and we just we have a mutual respect 815 00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:39,640 Speaker 1: for each other. So so I'm glad you said that, man, 816 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:42,280 Speaker 1: because she contributed a lot to the first two albums 817 00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:45,960 Speaker 1: behind the front and bridging the gap, and you know, 818 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:50,719 Speaker 1: she's just she's amazing and I'm proud of everything that 819 00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:53,279 Speaker 1: she's doing now, So salute to Kim Hill. He walks 820 00:46:53,320 --> 00:46:57,479 Speaker 1: us through the process of what led to the deal 821 00:46:57,760 --> 00:47:01,200 Speaker 1: with Interscope, from the time that you got guys formed 822 00:47:01,239 --> 00:47:05,280 Speaker 1: the group to getting that deal, Like, what was the process? 823 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:08,520 Speaker 1: A lot of a lot of shows, man, a lot 824 00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:11,319 Speaker 1: of shows, A lot of nose, black eyed peas. You're 825 00:47:11,360 --> 00:47:15,640 Speaker 1: not tangible enough. M there's already a slum village, there's 826 00:47:15,719 --> 00:47:18,799 Speaker 1: already a route, there's already a Fuji's what makes you 827 00:47:18,840 --> 00:47:22,719 Speaker 1: think you're gonna sell records? I feel the spirit of 828 00:47:23,040 --> 00:47:29,799 Speaker 1: run fairy Man. It was. We dealt with a lot 829 00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:32,440 Speaker 1: of nosse it's not tangible enough. I don't hear any 830 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:36,280 Speaker 1: singles of you know, who are the black eyed peas? 831 00:47:36,280 --> 00:47:38,600 Speaker 1: What are you the black eyed peas? Like you know what? 832 00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:40,400 Speaker 1: You got a ninja and a black guy and a 833 00:47:40,440 --> 00:47:43,480 Speaker 1: Filipino Like what are you guys? You know? So it's 834 00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:48,200 Speaker 1: just not understanding what what we were going to contribute 835 00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:50,960 Speaker 1: to the world. And we always had an international mindset 836 00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:53,919 Speaker 1: because Apple came from Philippines, so we knew we wanted 837 00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:56,640 Speaker 1: to make music for the world, and even if domestic 838 00:47:57,280 --> 00:47:59,560 Speaker 1: didn't understand what we were trying to do with our music, 839 00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:03,319 Speaker 1: because we were inspired by you know, Georgie Banjour and 840 00:48:03,360 --> 00:48:06,000 Speaker 1: Sir Joe Mendez and Brazil sixty six and all these 841 00:48:06,000 --> 00:48:11,360 Speaker 1: amazing Brazilian artists, and we loved the samples. We loved 842 00:48:11,440 --> 00:48:14,040 Speaker 1: those ideas of being able to go to Brazil one 843 00:48:14,080 --> 00:48:17,799 Speaker 1: day and being able to tour Europe and making a 844 00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:20,279 Speaker 1: stamp in Europe, just like the way Jimmy Hendricks did, 845 00:48:20,640 --> 00:48:22,680 Speaker 1: the way that the Doors did, the way that you 846 00:48:22,719 --> 00:48:25,239 Speaker 1: guys did at Jazz Cafe. You know, it was just 847 00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:29,480 Speaker 1: that that idea of always wanted to go international, and so, 848 00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:32,319 Speaker 1: you know, it was it was a journey man. It 849 00:48:32,360 --> 00:48:36,920 Speaker 1: was a journey of belief, of doubling down on ourselves 850 00:48:36,920 --> 00:48:40,120 Speaker 1: when people were doubting us, and we just we just 851 00:48:40,160 --> 00:48:43,280 Speaker 1: continued trucking on. In fortunely, Jimmy Ivey saw the genius 852 00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:44,960 Speaker 1: and what was to become Black Eyed Peas, and the 853 00:48:44,960 --> 00:48:47,000 Speaker 1: thing that he said to us is we were going 854 00:48:47,040 --> 00:48:49,920 Speaker 1: through a bidding war. It was poly Anthony and Sony 855 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:54,279 Speaker 1: Rest in Peace at fifty and it was also Tom 856 00:48:54,360 --> 00:48:59,680 Speaker 1: Wally at Warner brothers and then at Jimmy Ivy and 857 00:48:59,760 --> 00:49:03,479 Speaker 1: so Jimmy's like, you know, you can make records here. 858 00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:06,799 Speaker 1: No matter how many records you sell, you can have 859 00:49:06,880 --> 00:49:09,480 Speaker 1: a career here with me. You can get a million 860 00:49:09,480 --> 00:49:13,120 Speaker 1: dollars from Sony, But who knows what they're gonna do. 861 00:49:13,160 --> 00:49:16,160 Speaker 1: As far as you're touring. You guys are touring band. Um. 862 00:49:16,760 --> 00:49:19,120 Speaker 1: If you guys are about the money, you can go 863 00:49:19,120 --> 00:49:21,279 Speaker 1: to some but if you're about a career and have 864 00:49:21,360 --> 00:49:26,240 Speaker 1: longevity and belief, come here. So you know, fortunately we chose, 865 00:49:26,320 --> 00:49:28,880 Speaker 1: we chose right, and Jimmy was kind of like like he 866 00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:33,160 Speaker 1: was the godfather that led us on that path. Whenever 867 00:49:33,200 --> 00:49:37,400 Speaker 1: an artist puts the big hit at the very end 868 00:49:37,480 --> 00:49:41,719 Speaker 1: of the album, then I always feel like, Okay, maybe 869 00:49:42,640 --> 00:49:45,400 Speaker 1: they didn't believe in the product or whatever. And I 870 00:49:45,520 --> 00:49:50,839 Speaker 1: know that when behind the front bridge of the gap, 871 00:49:50,920 --> 00:49:54,080 Speaker 1: not behind it. Yeah, so you know, there was a 872 00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:57,240 Speaker 1: second where it's like, okay, you guys getting traction on 873 00:49:57,239 --> 00:49:59,839 Speaker 1: on TRL and this is about to happen. You guys 874 00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:03,839 Speaker 1: are how to do it? Could you describe what the 875 00:50:03,920 --> 00:50:08,160 Speaker 1: feeling is like when it's it's kind of a close 876 00:50:08,160 --> 00:50:10,719 Speaker 1: but no cigar moment, and then you have to make 877 00:50:10,760 --> 00:50:16,160 Speaker 1: a decision on what you're you're surviving is going to 878 00:50:16,239 --> 00:50:19,200 Speaker 1: be sink or swim? Like, did you walk through that period? 879 00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:25,799 Speaker 1: That's when we knew the Internet was real. Okay, this 880 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:30,000 Speaker 1: is when we found out the Internet existed, and it, 881 00:50:31,040 --> 00:50:33,560 Speaker 1: I mean it swallowed our sales. It was this thing 882 00:50:33,600 --> 00:50:38,719 Speaker 1: called Napster. Okay, you had all the promo marketing, all 883 00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:41,760 Speaker 1: the looks you can have. We were on tour, on 884 00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:45,799 Speaker 1: a college Invasion tour with Dayline White Left and I 885 00:50:45,800 --> 00:50:49,239 Speaker 1: believe it was bisin Marquis and we would go to 886 00:50:49,280 --> 00:50:52,640 Speaker 1: these like little after parties and they were playing Bridging 887 00:50:52,719 --> 00:50:55,239 Speaker 1: the Gap. We're like, yo, Will gets all mad. It's like, 888 00:50:55,320 --> 00:50:58,600 Speaker 1: tab did you did you bring bring the record? Because 889 00:50:58,600 --> 00:51:00,560 Speaker 1: the record wasn't out yet? Did you bring the record here? 890 00:51:00,600 --> 00:51:02,960 Speaker 1: I was like no, what are you talking about? He's like, 891 00:51:03,000 --> 00:51:05,919 Speaker 1: who's playing the fucking record? So it was a girl 892 00:51:06,040 --> 00:51:08,799 Speaker 1: She's like, I love your new albums and we was like, 893 00:51:08,880 --> 00:51:10,680 Speaker 1: what do you mean our new album it's not even out. 894 00:51:11,040 --> 00:51:13,600 Speaker 1: It's like, yeah, it's out, it's out on Napster. He's like, 895 00:51:13,600 --> 00:51:18,359 Speaker 1: what the fuck is Napster. It's like, what's Napster. She's 896 00:51:18,400 --> 00:51:21,440 Speaker 1: like Napster's like the new pirrating ship, like you can 897 00:51:21,440 --> 00:51:27,360 Speaker 1: get all these like new albums. So we basically found 898 00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:31,520 Speaker 1: out that our album had been pirateed and been freaking 899 00:51:31,760 --> 00:51:35,919 Speaker 1: downloaded for free. And so the momentum was like, oh shit, 900 00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:38,560 Speaker 1: we did all this promo we did, We were on tour, 901 00:51:38,719 --> 00:51:42,719 Speaker 1: TRL picked up the song, but we only sold we 902 00:51:42,840 --> 00:51:46,160 Speaker 1: sold less than behind the front because people are now 903 00:51:46,200 --> 00:51:48,680 Speaker 1: going to Napster sot theyd get it for free instead 904 00:51:48,719 --> 00:51:51,759 Speaker 1: of buying the buying the CD. So then we said, yo, 905 00:51:52,120 --> 00:51:54,879 Speaker 1: we got to go into creating the next record. So 906 00:51:54,960 --> 00:51:58,680 Speaker 1: that's when we went into creating the ELEPHONK album. This 907 00:51:58,840 --> 00:52:02,080 Speaker 1: is two thousand and one, right, So how our decisions 908 00:52:02,160 --> 00:52:06,160 Speaker 1: made as far as who to work with, who to 909 00:52:06,200 --> 00:52:09,680 Speaker 1: bring like our producer to work with, what members to 910 00:52:09,760 --> 00:52:12,879 Speaker 1: let in the group, where all those things like how 911 00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:16,000 Speaker 1: are you guys just around this point in the early 912 00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:22,040 Speaker 1: aughts in terms of communication, It's like we're all going 913 00:52:22,080 --> 00:52:27,000 Speaker 1: through our own individual issues. And I remember at being 914 00:52:27,040 --> 00:52:30,279 Speaker 1: away from from studio a lot so to me and 915 00:52:30,320 --> 00:52:34,200 Speaker 1: Will Heavy in the studio on Elephant and at that 916 00:52:34,280 --> 00:52:39,600 Speaker 1: time ninety eleven happened. So we're recording Aboudego Bay nine 917 00:52:39,719 --> 00:52:42,960 Speaker 1: eleven happens, we're supposed to go on tour in September twelve. 918 00:52:43,600 --> 00:52:47,400 Speaker 1: We go on towards September twelve, and we travel around 919 00:52:47,520 --> 00:52:50,319 Speaker 1: the US and we see all this divide, all this, 920 00:52:51,640 --> 00:52:55,480 Speaker 1: you know, all this hatred towards Middle Eastern people, and 921 00:52:55,520 --> 00:53:00,080 Speaker 1: so we were like, yo, we kept asking the question, No, 922 00:53:00,239 --> 00:53:03,200 Speaker 1: where's the love within humanity? So we would go to 923 00:53:03,239 --> 00:53:06,000 Speaker 1: these different spots asking the same question, where's the love 924 00:53:06,040 --> 00:53:10,880 Speaker 1: within humanity? Where's the love? Okay, that's that's kind of dope. 925 00:53:11,120 --> 00:53:15,399 Speaker 1: There's something there with this topic, where's the love? So 926 00:53:15,440 --> 00:53:18,560 Speaker 1: we started creating where's the Love? The record the song, 927 00:53:20,360 --> 00:53:23,960 Speaker 1: and we recorded these records where's the loves Let's get 928 00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:27,680 Speaker 1: its started. We recorded Hey Mama, all these joints off 929 00:53:27,680 --> 00:53:31,000 Speaker 1: the elephone, and I remember we played it for Ron 930 00:53:31,040 --> 00:53:35,320 Speaker 1: Fair and he said, I don't hear a single. Wow, 931 00:53:35,800 --> 00:53:39,440 Speaker 1: I don't hear a single. So our exaction like, we 932 00:53:39,480 --> 00:53:42,440 Speaker 1: don't hear a single on elephone. So we're like, we 933 00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:45,400 Speaker 1: gotta double down. This is our last record. What are 934 00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:47,759 Speaker 1: we gonna do? So at that time, we had been 935 00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:50,799 Speaker 1: dealing with a girl that Will had been working with 936 00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:54,160 Speaker 1: named Stacy and she was working on a solo project 937 00:53:54,440 --> 00:53:56,520 Speaker 1: and she had been singing like you know when you 938 00:53:56,560 --> 00:53:58,399 Speaker 1: have a girl in the studio, She's singing the girl 939 00:53:58,480 --> 00:54:02,440 Speaker 1: parts that we yeah so so referencing stuff, but it 940 00:54:02,480 --> 00:54:06,840 Speaker 1: actually sounded good and we kept it on there and 941 00:54:07,200 --> 00:54:12,720 Speaker 1: her voice was something that we gravitated to. She was dope. 942 00:54:12,840 --> 00:54:16,080 Speaker 1: She had had her own group prior to us having 943 00:54:16,080 --> 00:54:18,640 Speaker 1: her in the studio. She was a teenage or like 944 00:54:18,680 --> 00:54:22,560 Speaker 1: a kids star, and so we're like, yo, this maybe 945 00:54:22,560 --> 00:54:25,360 Speaker 1: there's some magic here. So we kept on the records 946 00:54:25,840 --> 00:54:29,080 Speaker 1: and then we're like, yo, are we gonna put put 947 00:54:29,080 --> 00:54:32,279 Speaker 1: her in the group? Like yo, we we We've had 948 00:54:32,320 --> 00:54:35,959 Speaker 1: all these different females. It's not anything new, we've never 949 00:54:36,400 --> 00:54:39,720 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's not that we've not had a female, 950 00:54:39,719 --> 00:54:42,960 Speaker 1: because we have. We had Kim Hill, Macy Gray as Sterile, 951 00:54:44,320 --> 00:54:48,360 Speaker 1: Don Beckman, Noel Skags, all these females have worked with us, 952 00:54:48,719 --> 00:54:51,040 Speaker 1: Debbie Nova. But now there was going to be a 953 00:54:51,080 --> 00:54:55,280 Speaker 1: female that might not fit the mold because she's coming 954 00:54:55,320 --> 00:54:57,880 Speaker 1: from a group that was more of like a pop group. 955 00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:02,399 Speaker 1: So we just said, fuck it, let's go, let's let's 956 00:55:02,480 --> 00:55:04,880 Speaker 1: make this happen. Let's just bringing the crew. Let's take 957 00:55:04,880 --> 00:55:08,399 Speaker 1: her on tour. We took her on tour. People hated it. 958 00:55:08,760 --> 00:55:12,240 Speaker 1: People like, oh, man, what's this? This ain't black eyed Peas. 959 00:55:12,640 --> 00:55:15,120 Speaker 1: I'm not feeling this. So they were hated, Like yo, 960 00:55:15,200 --> 00:55:18,640 Speaker 1: it just turned like it turned negative because we have 961 00:55:18,760 --> 00:55:22,600 Speaker 1: this new girl in the group, Furgi, and so we 962 00:55:22,719 --> 00:55:28,080 Speaker 1: put out Where's the Love? And it smashes oh. Before that, 963 00:55:28,239 --> 00:55:32,080 Speaker 1: we actually I went to a club in La called 964 00:55:32,160 --> 00:55:34,960 Speaker 1: Josephs and I met this kid who was a part 965 00:55:35,000 --> 00:55:37,680 Speaker 1: of this boy band and he's a dancer, and so 966 00:55:37,760 --> 00:55:41,120 Speaker 1: he's transitioning from like this boy band to becoming a 967 00:55:41,160 --> 00:55:44,800 Speaker 1: solo artist. I'm like, yo, man, if you have talent, 968 00:55:45,480 --> 00:55:47,799 Speaker 1: I don't care where you're coming from. Bro, Like, if 969 00:55:47,800 --> 00:55:50,440 Speaker 1: you got talent, let's go, let's work. He's like, Yeah, 970 00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:53,239 Speaker 1: I'm working with Pharrell. I got this new project that 971 00:55:53,280 --> 00:55:56,439 Speaker 1: I'm doing. I'm transitioning from this group to now doing 972 00:55:56,480 --> 00:55:58,400 Speaker 1: my solo thing. I was like, Yo, you think you 973 00:55:58,400 --> 00:56:00,719 Speaker 1: can sing a hook on this record we have right now? 974 00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:03,680 Speaker 1: Is where's the love? The love? The love? That was it? 975 00:56:04,600 --> 00:56:07,080 Speaker 1: I said, can give me something like mercy? Mercy me 976 00:56:07,320 --> 00:56:10,279 Speaker 1: or like what's going on? By Marvin Gaye. He says, 977 00:56:10,280 --> 00:56:15,480 Speaker 1: all right, cool, give me a minute. He goes creates 978 00:56:15,520 --> 00:56:17,759 Speaker 1: whatever he's gonna create. He calls me, like, tab I 979 00:56:17,840 --> 00:56:20,800 Speaker 1: got it. He sings it over the phone. People killing, 980 00:56:20,960 --> 00:56:24,239 Speaker 1: people dying, children hurt, and you hear them crying. I'm like, Yo, 981 00:56:24,360 --> 00:56:28,160 Speaker 1: what the what? Yo? I gotta call Will I call Will? 982 00:56:28,520 --> 00:56:31,440 Speaker 1: I tell him, Yo, will I got the hook? You're like, 983 00:56:31,480 --> 00:56:34,000 Speaker 1: you got the hook? No, I got the person to 984 00:56:34,080 --> 00:56:36,800 Speaker 1: sing the hook. But where's the love? He's like, who 985 00:56:37,239 --> 00:56:41,680 Speaker 1: I said, justin Timberlake. He's like justin Timberlake the Backstreet boy. 986 00:56:42,719 --> 00:56:48,040 Speaker 1: He's he's not a Backstreet boy, he's part of in Sync. 987 00:56:49,000 --> 00:56:51,880 Speaker 1: He's in Sync. He's like, that's even fucking worse. Tab, 988 00:56:52,200 --> 00:56:54,359 Speaker 1: Why are we gonna have that guy thing on our hook? 989 00:56:56,280 --> 00:56:59,640 Speaker 1: But I saw what he brought. I didn't care what 990 00:57:00,680 --> 00:57:02,560 Speaker 1: his past or where he was coming from. It's like, 991 00:57:02,600 --> 00:57:04,960 Speaker 1: if the song is great, I don't care who's singing it. 992 00:57:05,040 --> 00:57:07,680 Speaker 1: Let's go. So he comes in, he records it, and 993 00:57:07,760 --> 00:57:10,919 Speaker 1: the left the rest is magic. We we put it out. 994 00:57:11,400 --> 00:57:16,240 Speaker 1: It creates this huge, huge, amazing frequency around the world. 995 00:57:16,600 --> 00:57:20,160 Speaker 1: It becomes our first number one record, and Ron Ferris 996 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:23,560 Speaker 1: put strings on it and that was his connection to it. 997 00:57:23,640 --> 00:57:25,120 Speaker 1: I always knew it was going to be a hit. 998 00:57:25,200 --> 00:57:29,640 Speaker 1: Little buddy, when this song finally takes off, what was 999 00:57:29,680 --> 00:57:33,400 Speaker 1: the first paradigm shift that occurred in your life? I 1000 00:57:33,440 --> 00:57:35,520 Speaker 1: guess you can only have one time to have that 1001 00:57:35,600 --> 00:57:41,840 Speaker 1: experience in which you instantly see the shift of first 1002 00:57:41,880 --> 00:57:47,240 Speaker 1: we were a niche, underground group and suddenly we might 1003 00:57:47,280 --> 00:57:50,800 Speaker 1: be the establishment. So what what is happening like? What's 1004 00:57:50,960 --> 00:57:53,920 Speaker 1: what's the feeling like? What happens? I love that you 1005 00:57:53,960 --> 00:57:57,600 Speaker 1: said that because I was so proud of you transitioning 1006 00:57:57,640 --> 00:58:01,760 Speaker 1: into late night me felon because it was dope to 1007 00:58:01,800 --> 00:58:06,400 Speaker 1: see you guys like you know, and that umbrella sparked 1008 00:58:06,440 --> 00:58:08,800 Speaker 1: you to be able to be in the space of 1009 00:58:08,800 --> 00:58:11,600 Speaker 1: the oscars and have to re people, to be acting 1010 00:58:11,640 --> 00:58:13,400 Speaker 1: and all the great things that you guys have been doing. 1011 00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:18,080 Speaker 1: So that being said, I think for us because I'm 1012 00:58:18,120 --> 00:58:21,000 Speaker 1: I love comedy, man, I'm a big big I love 1013 00:58:21,200 --> 00:58:24,600 Speaker 1: comedy and humor. When we were on parody on Saturday 1014 00:58:24,640 --> 00:58:26,680 Speaker 1: Night Live, Yeah, I was gonna say, how did that 1015 00:58:26,720 --> 00:58:33,560 Speaker 1: feel to be? Yo? We made it? Boy that just 1016 00:58:34,000 --> 00:58:37,640 Speaker 1: loves hip hop culture and yes it was tongue in cheek. 1017 00:58:37,720 --> 00:58:39,360 Speaker 1: It was funny. It's like they're making fun of the 1018 00:58:39,400 --> 00:58:44,520 Speaker 1: black eyed peas, but they're mentioning the black eyed peas. Yeah, 1019 00:58:44,640 --> 00:58:46,840 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. My brother Appletypp came from 1020 00:58:46,880 --> 00:58:50,600 Speaker 1: Philippines not knowing the word of English because hip hop 1021 00:58:50,640 --> 00:58:54,640 Speaker 1: taught him how to speak English. He reading dictionary, learned 1022 00:58:54,640 --> 00:58:59,280 Speaker 1: how to wrap, and became a freaking huge international superstar 1023 00:58:59,360 --> 00:59:01,880 Speaker 1: from the fact pop y'alla pop culture references like that. 1024 00:59:01,960 --> 00:59:06,400 Speaker 1: So so I'm like, yo, you gotta own it. Who 1025 00:59:06,440 --> 00:59:09,280 Speaker 1: else but us? I mean, we get shit if it's there, 1026 00:59:09,520 --> 00:59:12,560 Speaker 1: own it. And if people hate all good, Oh, you 1027 00:59:12,560 --> 00:59:16,800 Speaker 1: gotta sellouts. Yeah, we're selling out stadiums around the world. Yeah. 1028 00:59:17,600 --> 00:59:22,360 Speaker 1: You know. My manager used to tease to reconni about 1029 00:59:22,440 --> 00:59:25,280 Speaker 1: like he would always say, well, you guys are salty 1030 00:59:25,280 --> 00:59:28,160 Speaker 1: because you never got your what he calls your Bentley 1031 00:59:28,240 --> 00:59:32,840 Speaker 1: moment and his short his short Bentley moment was sort 1032 00:59:32,840 --> 00:59:36,960 Speaker 1: of a shorthand for like, whatever it is the life 1033 00:59:37,000 --> 00:59:40,520 Speaker 1: that rappers think that rappers should be going through. We 1034 00:59:40,560 --> 00:59:44,280 Speaker 1: should be walking in slow motion, We should be you know, 1035 00:59:44,520 --> 00:59:48,800 Speaker 1: pouring champagne all over women and whatever whatever. Hype Williams 1036 00:59:48,800 --> 00:59:52,960 Speaker 1: slow motion kind of life that shiny Yeah, like that 1037 00:59:53,040 --> 00:59:56,840 Speaker 1: experience you like this bill. For me, it was getting 1038 00:59:56,880 --> 01:00:01,480 Speaker 1: custody my son, being able to pa twenty thousand dollars 1039 01:00:01,640 --> 01:00:06,280 Speaker 1: to get custom full custody of my son, Josh. I 1040 01:00:06,400 --> 01:00:11,240 Speaker 1: was like, Yo, that's with more than any gold Chain, 1041 01:00:11,440 --> 01:00:14,080 Speaker 1: than any Bentley because now I'm able to raise my 1042 01:00:14,120 --> 01:00:18,880 Speaker 1: son on my playing ground the way that I want 1043 01:00:18,920 --> 01:00:21,080 Speaker 1: to raise it. And so that was something that always 1044 01:00:21,080 --> 01:00:24,840 Speaker 1: bothered me because I was a teenage parent and honestly, 1045 01:00:25,320 --> 01:00:27,360 Speaker 1: I didn't know what parenting was bro Like, I was 1046 01:00:27,400 --> 01:00:30,920 Speaker 1: a little kid having a kid. So when the whereas 1047 01:00:30,960 --> 01:00:33,960 Speaker 1: a love moment happened, that was when financially I was 1048 01:00:34,040 --> 01:00:38,600 Speaker 1: able to actually provide a stable home for my son. 1049 01:00:38,920 --> 01:00:41,720 Speaker 1: Right although I had health with my mom because I 1050 01:00:41,720 --> 01:00:44,440 Speaker 1: was still young, I was twenty one, twenty two, at 1051 01:00:44,520 --> 01:00:47,240 Speaker 1: least I have some form of stability financially to be 1052 01:00:47,320 --> 01:00:50,560 Speaker 1: able to take my son away from the way he 1053 01:00:50,600 --> 01:00:52,600 Speaker 1: was being brought up, to be able to get him 1054 01:00:52,640 --> 01:00:55,480 Speaker 1: now a home the way I was brought up. And 1055 01:00:55,560 --> 01:00:57,880 Speaker 1: so that was like for me, that was a moment 1056 01:00:58,160 --> 01:01:01,800 Speaker 1: beyond any Bentley moment or any gold chain or you know. 1057 01:01:01,840 --> 01:01:03,880 Speaker 1: And I bought a house, yeah, but it was like 1058 01:01:04,040 --> 01:01:06,959 Speaker 1: taking care of Josh was like, you know, I made 1059 01:01:06,960 --> 01:01:08,720 Speaker 1: it and it was because of that wears love money 1060 01:01:09,040 --> 01:01:11,560 Speaker 1: that brought me this, this opportunity to be a dad. 1061 01:01:12,280 --> 01:01:15,720 Speaker 1: How old were you when you had Josh? Seventeen? I 1062 01:01:15,800 --> 01:01:18,600 Speaker 1: actually walked I walked my graduation with a sign bro 1063 01:01:18,760 --> 01:01:22,240 Speaker 1: Like I was like, only it was crazy, dude. It 1064 01:01:22,360 --> 01:01:25,160 Speaker 1: was like, Okay, this guy's not gonna make it. He's 1065 01:01:25,200 --> 01:01:27,400 Speaker 1: got a kid at seventeen. But it also it gave 1066 01:01:27,440 --> 01:01:29,360 Speaker 1: me the fire to be able to not give up 1067 01:01:29,360 --> 01:01:31,360 Speaker 1: on my dreams and my aspirations even though I was 1068 01:01:31,400 --> 01:01:34,720 Speaker 1: a teen parent and I'm not in any way form 1069 01:01:34,720 --> 01:01:38,160 Speaker 1: of fashion. I don't eat teen parents parent team. But 1070 01:01:38,240 --> 01:01:40,200 Speaker 1: I am saying like it put a fire in my 1071 01:01:40,280 --> 01:01:44,840 Speaker 1: ass and it just like that was like a Okay, 1072 01:01:44,880 --> 01:01:47,000 Speaker 1: now I got to come to Grips to be able 1073 01:01:47,080 --> 01:01:50,280 Speaker 1: to give my son a better opportunity of life because 1074 01:01:50,360 --> 01:01:58,000 Speaker 1: I know that that's my motivation. Of all those records, 1075 01:01:58,440 --> 01:02:01,600 Speaker 1: I would probably say that maybe Monkey Business was probably 1076 01:02:03,040 --> 01:02:05,840 Speaker 1: the hardest to create because it's like, how do you 1077 01:02:05,920 --> 01:02:10,200 Speaker 1: keep the momentum up? Then that becomes bigger. So I 1078 01:02:10,440 --> 01:02:12,440 Speaker 1: don't even want to go to the to the E 1079 01:02:12,600 --> 01:02:16,440 Speaker 1: and D. But going into Monkey business. What was the pressure? Like, 1080 01:02:17,480 --> 01:02:20,720 Speaker 1: I mean, bro, like we uh we went in there 1081 01:02:20,720 --> 01:02:24,880 Speaker 1: and actually tried to make hits. Elephant wasn't trying to 1082 01:02:24,880 --> 01:02:29,520 Speaker 1: make hits. We're just making records like, Yo, what's popping 1083 01:02:29,560 --> 01:02:33,200 Speaker 1: over there? Shiit? What's what's what's uh Timberland doing, What's 1084 01:02:33,360 --> 01:02:35,920 Speaker 1: what's Forrell doing? What's this person doing? Like it was 1085 01:02:36,000 --> 01:02:39,600 Speaker 1: all over the place being students and like how can 1086 01:02:39,640 --> 01:02:43,440 Speaker 1: we compete? And so records like Don't Lie, which is 1087 01:02:43,600 --> 01:02:46,720 Speaker 1: my least favorite record, even though it was a smash, 1088 01:02:47,160 --> 01:02:51,360 Speaker 1: I don't like performing it. It's just um. Then we 1089 01:02:51,400 --> 01:02:53,960 Speaker 1: had Don't Funk with My Heart, which is cool because 1090 01:02:53,960 --> 01:02:56,600 Speaker 1: we studied Bollywood and we like that frequency and we 1091 01:02:56,680 --> 01:03:00,240 Speaker 1: loved Lisa. Lisa and Nicole jam love that record. I 1092 01:03:00,280 --> 01:03:03,800 Speaker 1: wonder if I take yeah so that record, and it 1093 01:03:03,880 --> 01:03:06,480 Speaker 1: was like, oh, okay, this kind of sounds like weekends 1094 01:03:06,520 --> 01:03:11,280 Speaker 1: from u um uh from from Bridging the Gap um, 1095 01:03:11,360 --> 01:03:15,040 Speaker 1: which we sampled um Um Debbie Dap look at weekends 1096 01:03:15,040 --> 01:03:17,320 Speaker 1: because here we come, and so there was like a 1097 01:03:17,360 --> 01:03:22,959 Speaker 1: formula happening. And then we sampled Dick Dale Misery Loot 1098 01:03:23,080 --> 01:03:28,320 Speaker 1: for Pump It and then Well did My Humps, and 1099 01:03:28,360 --> 01:03:32,200 Speaker 1: then we finished it off with with the James Brown joint, 1100 01:03:32,240 --> 01:03:37,800 Speaker 1: which is my favorite. Yeah, talk about that session record 1101 01:03:37,880 --> 01:03:42,880 Speaker 1: when I was jealous, man, how did that happen? We 1102 01:03:42,880 --> 01:03:45,960 Speaker 1: were at the mojole. They don't want music, they don't 1103 01:03:45,960 --> 01:03:48,880 Speaker 1: want music. Yes, that was the first Boom Boom song. 1104 01:03:49,440 --> 01:03:52,120 Speaker 1: And mister Brown, as he liked to be referred to, 1105 01:03:52,880 --> 01:03:57,120 Speaker 1: mister Brown Brown, we met him at the Mobile Awards 1106 01:03:57,120 --> 01:04:00,680 Speaker 1: in London and we're like, mister Brown, we're working on 1107 01:04:00,680 --> 01:04:04,200 Speaker 1: a new record with huge fans. You know, b boys, 1108 01:04:04,480 --> 01:04:06,280 Speaker 1: We love what you've done with you know, you work 1109 01:04:06,320 --> 01:04:10,920 Speaker 1: blah blah blah, giving them flowers. What I don't have 1110 01:04:10,960 --> 01:04:14,560 Speaker 1: to work with anybody, but something says that I need 1111 01:04:14,600 --> 01:04:22,280 Speaker 1: to work with the Black Eyed peas. Yo. Yo. Also impression, 1112 01:04:24,600 --> 01:04:29,120 Speaker 1: it's it's, it's, it's it's trying. But but he says, Okay, 1113 01:04:29,360 --> 01:04:32,760 Speaker 1: I'm show up to the studio. We're recording at um 1114 01:04:33,600 --> 01:04:39,040 Speaker 1: Metropolis in London Paramounts No Metropolis Studios. He comes, he 1115 01:04:39,120 --> 01:04:42,120 Speaker 1: has his whole entourage. Bro. When I tell you this 1116 01:04:42,200 --> 01:04:45,560 Speaker 1: dude's a mega superstar. He walk in with a lady 1117 01:04:45,640 --> 01:04:50,200 Speaker 1: that cos his hair. So he's sitting down. They bring 1118 01:04:50,200 --> 01:04:54,040 Speaker 1: out a mirror. The lady sits down, combs his hair, 1119 01:04:54,720 --> 01:05:00,720 Speaker 1: and then he's like, okay, I'm ready. I don't ready. 1120 01:05:01,040 --> 01:05:04,360 Speaker 1: So we're like okay, cool. So so s our band 1121 01:05:05,040 --> 01:05:07,880 Speaker 1: they going there, they start doing the thing. He's like no, no, no, 1122 01:05:08,160 --> 01:05:11,040 Speaker 1: everybody out. He brings his horn players, so his horn 1123 01:05:11,080 --> 01:05:16,360 Speaker 1: players are leading the dance. That his horn players are 1124 01:05:16,400 --> 01:05:18,760 Speaker 1: leading the dance, We're like, oh yo, just let him 1125 01:05:18,760 --> 01:05:22,439 Speaker 1: do his thing. What kind of style can we bring 1126 01:05:22,560 --> 01:05:26,720 Speaker 1: to what James Brown's bringing mister Brown's bringing. What about 1127 01:05:26,840 --> 01:05:29,080 Speaker 1: like that Greg nice and that that nice smooth joh 1128 01:05:29,360 --> 01:05:32,760 Speaker 1: Yo Disney go less. He plays a sad and I 1129 01:05:32,920 --> 01:05:35,360 Speaker 1: like Matt. So that's the that's the frequency that we 1130 01:05:35,440 --> 01:05:37,960 Speaker 1: tapped into for the rap party that Will is doing 1131 01:05:38,000 --> 01:05:42,840 Speaker 1: with with James Brown. And I just remember like after 1132 01:05:42,880 --> 01:05:46,400 Speaker 1: the session we were breaking bread. He's sitting at the 1133 01:05:46,440 --> 01:05:48,440 Speaker 1: table and he's talking to us and somebody comes over 1134 01:05:48,480 --> 01:05:52,760 Speaker 1: and starts cutting his his food, like his meat, his steak. 1135 01:05:53,240 --> 01:05:55,080 Speaker 1: He has someone to cut his steak. He has someone 1136 01:05:55,120 --> 01:05:57,480 Speaker 1: who brush his hair, and then he goes like this 1137 01:05:57,800 --> 01:06:07,120 Speaker 1: like some he comes and wipes his mouth. I was like, 1138 01:06:07,160 --> 01:06:15,000 Speaker 1: wait a minute, hey, Steve, Yeah, that's like one of 1139 01:06:15,000 --> 01:06:17,680 Speaker 1: my favorite tracks of y'alls man me too, d thank you. 1140 01:06:18,000 --> 01:06:20,520 Speaker 1: I mean that record just came so natural, and the 1141 01:06:20,560 --> 01:06:24,120 Speaker 1: fact that we got tipped to start the song, you know, 1142 01:06:24,400 --> 01:06:26,320 Speaker 1: it's he said something really special when we were on 1143 01:06:26,320 --> 01:06:28,920 Speaker 1: the road. It was with him, Dave Chappelle. He said, well, 1144 01:06:29,160 --> 01:06:31,040 Speaker 1: black Eyed Peas, we want you guys to carry the 1145 01:06:31,040 --> 01:06:34,320 Speaker 1: baton of what we started and take it international and 1146 01:06:34,520 --> 01:06:36,800 Speaker 1: all the stuff that you guys are doing international, you 1147 01:06:36,800 --> 01:06:39,800 Speaker 1: guys are representing the essence of the native tongue. So 1148 01:06:39,840 --> 01:06:42,120 Speaker 1: that was very important, and that was around that time 1149 01:06:42,160 --> 01:06:46,880 Speaker 1: the Monkey business Eric. But during that time we also 1150 01:06:46,920 --> 01:06:50,280 Speaker 1: got to tour with amazing rock groups. Can I just 1151 01:06:50,320 --> 01:06:53,040 Speaker 1: tell you about the Rockets? Yeah? Yeah, I want to 1152 01:06:53,040 --> 01:06:54,920 Speaker 1: know what tour life was like at this point in 1153 01:06:54,920 --> 01:06:58,200 Speaker 1: your life. I mean, we're we're touring with with uh, 1154 01:06:58,800 --> 01:07:05,760 Speaker 1: with um, I mean, seven Dust, No Doubt, Whence to 1155 01:07:05,840 --> 01:07:09,800 Speaker 1: Find Me, Lit Blink one eighty two, it was just 1156 01:07:09,920 --> 01:07:13,080 Speaker 1: Dope Metallica. We were just touring with all these amazing 1157 01:07:13,200 --> 01:07:17,280 Speaker 1: rock groups because those are the type of festivals we 1158 01:07:17,280 --> 01:07:19,960 Speaker 1: were doing, and we're the only hip hop group part 1159 01:07:20,000 --> 01:07:23,000 Speaker 1: of that that journey, So we learned how to perform 1160 01:07:23,080 --> 01:07:26,439 Speaker 1: in front of audiences that weren't necessarily hip hop audiences, 1161 01:07:26,680 --> 01:07:30,000 Speaker 1: and so our pellet kind of expanded, and that's why 1162 01:07:30,040 --> 01:07:32,400 Speaker 1: we had UM. You know, we worked with Travis Barker, 1163 01:07:32,440 --> 01:07:35,320 Speaker 1: and we worked with Papa Roach and all these these 1164 01:07:36,080 --> 01:07:38,240 Speaker 1: rock groups so that we could learn how to bring 1165 01:07:38,280 --> 01:07:40,360 Speaker 1: that frequency as well and just be students of the 1166 01:07:40,400 --> 01:07:43,120 Speaker 1: game UM and and learn how to perform in front 1167 01:07:43,160 --> 01:07:46,360 Speaker 1: of these audiences that you know, you better be doing 1168 01:07:46,480 --> 01:07:49,959 Speaker 1: something other than just playing instruments or just rapping, because 1169 01:07:50,000 --> 01:07:52,520 Speaker 1: they're gonna they're gonna tell you, we're gonna throw stuff 1170 01:07:52,520 --> 01:07:54,720 Speaker 1: at you, they're gonna flip you off. So we're learning 1171 01:07:54,720 --> 01:07:57,240 Speaker 1: how stage died, we're learning how to do mosh pits 1172 01:07:57,280 --> 01:08:00,960 Speaker 1: all that stuff around Europe, and as that we can 1173 01:08:01,040 --> 01:08:04,120 Speaker 1: bring that same rock energy with with the Black Eyed 1174 01:08:04,160 --> 01:08:07,919 Speaker 1: Peas essence. Well, this is a question I always wanted 1175 01:08:07,960 --> 01:08:12,400 Speaker 1: to know. Okay, So for the longest I'll say, like basically, 1176 01:08:12,480 --> 01:08:16,280 Speaker 1: before the Internet kind of colonized the world and had 1177 01:08:16,360 --> 01:08:19,679 Speaker 1: us all thinking like at the same time, whereas before 1178 01:08:19,720 --> 01:08:23,599 Speaker 1: you go to different territories and the section of town 1179 01:08:23,680 --> 01:08:26,880 Speaker 1: didn't get what New York has or that sort of thing. 1180 01:08:27,240 --> 01:08:32,080 Speaker 1: But there was a moment where I remember when you 1181 01:08:32,120 --> 01:08:37,240 Speaker 1: guys first came out. Uh you guys went to Australia 1182 01:08:37,360 --> 01:08:41,080 Speaker 1: and you did Big Day out right. Yes, loved it. 1183 01:08:41,479 --> 01:08:46,280 Speaker 1: And I remember, uh Jurassic Five telling me you know 1184 01:08:46,640 --> 01:08:49,360 Speaker 1: we we we you have to go to Australia. They're like, yo, dog, 1185 01:08:49,400 --> 01:08:51,519 Speaker 1: you got to come to Australia, man, Like we play 1186 01:08:51,640 --> 01:08:55,240 Speaker 1: stadiums over there. And I was like, Jurassic Five playing 1187 01:08:55,240 --> 01:09:00,040 Speaker 1: the stadium there's like no dog, Like you don't get it. 1188 01:09:00,640 --> 01:09:04,160 Speaker 1: Like the artists that are club artists in the United 1189 01:09:04,200 --> 01:09:08,360 Speaker 1: States when they go to Australia, they're like, yeah, mega 1190 01:09:08,560 --> 01:09:11,760 Speaker 1: And he was like yeah man, Ben Harper play stadiums 1191 01:09:11,840 --> 01:09:14,120 Speaker 1: and he was like yo, yo yo, black Eyed Peas 1192 01:09:14,160 --> 01:09:16,320 Speaker 1: can set out of the stadium. I was like, black 1193 01:09:16,360 --> 01:09:18,200 Speaker 1: Eye peat the Black Eye Peas are just opened for 1194 01:09:18,280 --> 01:09:22,320 Speaker 1: me last week the Solid Stadium. I literally I was 1195 01:09:22,360 --> 01:09:26,240 Speaker 1: like my mind was blown. But for you, what was 1196 01:09:26,280 --> 01:09:30,879 Speaker 1: the feeling to get and and yes, to put in context, 1197 01:09:31,040 --> 01:09:35,800 Speaker 1: like Australia is just different. You know, they're not really 1198 01:09:35,840 --> 01:09:39,160 Speaker 1: controlled by like corporate radio the way that it is 1199 01:09:39,200 --> 01:09:41,880 Speaker 1: over here with clear channel and you know that sort 1200 01:09:41,880 --> 01:09:45,559 Speaker 1: of thing where playlists are determined like still DJ's play 1201 01:09:45,680 --> 01:09:49,040 Speaker 1: whole music over there, like a person like Ericabadu can 1202 01:09:49,080 --> 01:09:54,519 Speaker 1: still find space on pop radio along with whoever is 1203 01:09:54,600 --> 01:09:56,639 Speaker 1: like hidden pop and that sort of thing, Like they've 1204 01:09:56,640 --> 01:09:59,519 Speaker 1: always been balanced that way. So as a result a 1205 01:09:59,520 --> 01:10:01,960 Speaker 1: lot of them, music that we like that's deemed underground 1206 01:10:02,040 --> 01:10:05,720 Speaker 1: music gets the same platform that something mainstream is. But 1207 01:10:05,840 --> 01:10:11,719 Speaker 1: for you, like, what was the feeling in breaking breaking 1208 01:10:11,760 --> 01:10:16,679 Speaker 1: that ceiling and finally, you know, getting to a point 1209 01:10:16,680 --> 01:10:20,720 Speaker 1: where I'm certainly met you know, where Michael Jackson's like, hey, 1210 01:10:20,800 --> 01:10:22,640 Speaker 1: I'm a big fan of you guys, and like what 1211 01:10:22,760 --> 01:10:24,360 Speaker 1: was that feeling? Like like who are the people that 1212 01:10:24,400 --> 01:10:27,360 Speaker 1: you're meeting and those sort of things. Uh So, so 1213 01:10:27,880 --> 01:10:30,519 Speaker 1: being able to travel to Australia, you're seeing all these 1214 01:10:31,520 --> 01:10:35,280 Speaker 1: actors and actresses and kind of like the the experience 1215 01:10:35,320 --> 01:10:39,320 Speaker 1: of the Oscars world. That's the transition of going from 1216 01:10:39,360 --> 01:10:43,240 Speaker 1: like the music world to now meeting actors, actresses, directors. 1217 01:10:43,920 --> 01:10:48,240 Speaker 1: That's actually where we met James Cameron um and so 1218 01:10:48,360 --> 01:10:52,400 Speaker 1: you're meeting all these people and you're getting this after 1219 01:10:52,520 --> 01:10:55,639 Speaker 1: effect of like yo, I didn't know they liked the music, right, 1220 01:10:55,680 --> 01:10:59,960 Speaker 1: We're just we're just kind of like Nomad's just traveling 1221 01:11:00,000 --> 01:11:03,120 Speaker 1: and you don't feel the effects of the impact that 1222 01:11:03,120 --> 01:11:05,160 Speaker 1: you're having because you're just doing you're just being you, 1223 01:11:05,280 --> 01:11:08,320 Speaker 1: or you're just creating music. So we were we were 1224 01:11:08,360 --> 01:11:11,400 Speaker 1: just embracing the beauty that was Australia and it is 1225 01:11:11,439 --> 01:11:15,960 Speaker 1: Australia because they supported us before any before anyone actually 1226 01:11:16,200 --> 01:11:19,240 Speaker 1: gave us that then Flowers, it was Australia, New Zealand. 1227 01:11:19,280 --> 01:11:23,240 Speaker 1: Let me show you something. Yes, this is my first 1228 01:11:23,280 --> 01:11:28,200 Speaker 1: plaque bust New Zealand. This is the first plaque that 1229 01:11:28,240 --> 01:11:33,280 Speaker 1: I actually got gold. Wow. So that being said, in 1230 01:11:33,280 --> 01:11:35,639 Speaker 1: New Zealand and Australia, they had loved for us before 1231 01:11:35,680 --> 01:11:40,120 Speaker 1: any any domestics, so especially on our first earlier work 1232 01:11:40,160 --> 01:11:43,080 Speaker 1: with behind the front of Bridge of the Gaff. So 1233 01:11:43,920 --> 01:11:46,599 Speaker 1: you know, it just it just affirmed everything that we 1234 01:11:46,640 --> 01:11:48,920 Speaker 1: had been doing. We have been working towards being able 1235 01:11:49,080 --> 01:11:52,160 Speaker 1: to toward the world and be international and just bring 1236 01:11:52,160 --> 01:11:57,680 Speaker 1: that energy. And I would say Australia was probably the 1237 01:11:57,680 --> 01:12:00,360 Speaker 1: place where we spent most time because we did the 1238 01:12:00,400 --> 01:12:03,720 Speaker 1: Big Doubt for months and every year we did it 1239 01:12:03,760 --> 01:12:06,439 Speaker 1: up until that point when they stopped doing it. Okay, 1240 01:12:06,479 --> 01:12:12,599 Speaker 1: So I have a theory about mega songs. Every mega 1241 01:12:12,640 --> 01:12:15,879 Speaker 1: song that I've ever known from Louie Louie to shout 1242 01:12:16,000 --> 01:12:21,559 Speaker 1: to tequila. Like mega songs, songs that will never die. 1243 01:12:22,680 --> 01:12:25,160 Speaker 1: The story always starts the same where it's like we 1244 01:12:25,240 --> 01:12:27,479 Speaker 1: created that in like twenty minutes, Like we didn't really 1245 01:12:27,520 --> 01:12:33,519 Speaker 1: put calculated thought in it. You're co creator of a 1246 01:12:33,600 --> 01:12:39,000 Speaker 1: mega song like long After Life Ends or whatever. Like 1247 01:12:39,240 --> 01:12:42,400 Speaker 1: I seriously doubt that. I gotta feel and will ever 1248 01:12:43,439 --> 01:12:47,760 Speaker 1: go away or not be played at any function, be 1249 01:12:47,880 --> 01:12:53,880 Speaker 1: it wedding, celebration. Yeah, the amount of times I've had 1250 01:12:53,880 --> 01:12:56,760 Speaker 1: to spend it as a dj M. What was the 1251 01:12:56,800 --> 01:13:00,840 Speaker 1: process in making that song? I just remember we're talking 1252 01:13:00,880 --> 01:13:04,519 Speaker 1: about what's that song we're building, what's that song that 1253 01:13:04,600 --> 01:13:09,320 Speaker 1: plays at every freaking sporting events, wedding the Earth Winning 1254 01:13:09,360 --> 01:13:12,280 Speaker 1: Fire song, And I'm like, September, Yeah, we need something 1255 01:13:12,439 --> 01:13:15,960 Speaker 1: like that in that space where it's like everywhere, it's 1256 01:13:16,000 --> 01:13:19,439 Speaker 1: playing everywhere. Yo. We need something like say little Great 1257 01:13:19,520 --> 01:13:24,400 Speaker 1: good Time, come on, yeah we do. We need we 1258 01:13:24,439 --> 01:13:30,120 Speaker 1: need something that's like gonna live sporting events, colleges. Yo, 1259 01:13:30,200 --> 01:13:33,920 Speaker 1: We're gonna make a college anthem, yo. College. Oh shit, 1260 01:13:34,040 --> 01:13:36,800 Speaker 1: let's make a college anthem. And it's the first time 1261 01:13:37,360 --> 01:13:39,880 Speaker 1: that we had ever created a song where all of 1262 01:13:39,960 --> 01:13:43,040 Speaker 1: us are singing at the same time. We had never 1263 01:13:43,040 --> 01:13:46,080 Speaker 1: done before because every single song, like you said earlier 1264 01:13:46,080 --> 01:13:48,840 Speaker 1: in Mire we have each one has a verse or 1265 01:13:49,040 --> 01:13:51,360 Speaker 1: you know, you have like a bridge or something. But 1266 01:13:51,439 --> 01:13:55,040 Speaker 1: in this song, we strategically said, we want the energy 1267 01:13:55,080 --> 01:14:00,599 Speaker 1: of this song to feel like one. Yeah. Right, So 1268 01:14:00,920 --> 01:14:05,439 Speaker 1: I remember David Ghetta sent the track to Will. He's like, oh, 1269 01:14:05,479 --> 01:14:08,800 Speaker 1: I have this remix for the Love is Gone right 1270 01:14:09,560 --> 01:14:12,559 Speaker 1: now that the Love is gone? Remember that song? So 1271 01:14:12,600 --> 01:14:17,280 Speaker 1: this is the remix track too, that song. Okay, he 1272 01:14:17,320 --> 01:14:20,320 Speaker 1: didn't use it. Oh really, yeah, he didn't use it. 1273 01:14:20,360 --> 01:14:22,160 Speaker 1: He's like, oh, you guys can use it. So we 1274 01:14:22,680 --> 01:14:27,719 Speaker 1: used that track and Will came up with that chorus 1275 01:14:28,520 --> 01:14:30,640 Speaker 1: and then we all came to the studio and we 1276 01:14:30,680 --> 01:14:33,639 Speaker 1: started jumping around. Like I said, when we started jumping around, 1277 01:14:33,760 --> 01:14:36,720 Speaker 1: that's when you know it's something. Um. The first time 1278 01:14:36,760 --> 01:14:40,120 Speaker 1: we performed it, it was a disaster. We performed at 1279 01:14:40,400 --> 01:14:44,880 Speaker 1: the Tangle it was horrible. Where was it Wangle Tangle Kiss? 1280 01:14:44,880 --> 01:14:49,839 Speaker 1: At Bam Ryan Seacrest, it was like I wanted to 1281 01:14:49,880 --> 01:14:53,559 Speaker 1: say it was. It was in in in Anaheim. We 1282 01:14:53,680 --> 01:14:57,600 Speaker 1: performed it and people are alive. Nope, We're like this 1283 01:14:58,200 --> 01:15:01,439 Speaker 1: scourged no words like, oh, oh, this might not be 1284 01:15:01,479 --> 01:15:05,000 Speaker 1: the one. Maybe it's this other Boom Boom Power song. Again, 1285 01:15:05,479 --> 01:15:08,360 Speaker 1: there was a knockout punch. Boom Boom Power came first, 1286 01:15:08,800 --> 01:15:14,040 Speaker 1: right right, that was that number one for like twelve weeks. Yeah, 1287 01:15:14,080 --> 01:15:16,639 Speaker 1: so we're like, yo, how do we outdo Boom Boom 1288 01:15:16,640 --> 01:15:19,840 Speaker 1: Power because that was like, bro, we already We're already 1289 01:15:19,880 --> 01:15:22,720 Speaker 1: at number one twelve weeks. And then we came with 1290 01:15:22,760 --> 01:15:24,920 Speaker 1: I got a fill in and then it just knocked 1291 01:15:24,960 --> 01:15:27,280 Speaker 1: it out and it just stayed on the charts. And 1292 01:15:27,320 --> 01:15:30,080 Speaker 1: then we're doing all the awards shows, all the the 1293 01:15:30,960 --> 01:15:35,479 Speaker 1: you know, all the sporting events. We did the Super Bowl, 1294 01:15:35,520 --> 01:15:38,719 Speaker 1: we did the World Cup. That song is blowing up everywhere, 1295 01:15:39,400 --> 01:15:43,360 Speaker 1: and then, um, it just let us know that something 1296 01:15:43,400 --> 01:15:45,799 Speaker 1: that we thought was gonna be a college anthem became 1297 01:15:45,840 --> 01:15:51,439 Speaker 1: an anthem that yeah, it's an anthem forever. So you know, No, 1298 01:15:51,560 --> 01:15:53,719 Speaker 1: we didn't do it in twenty seconds or twenty minutes 1299 01:15:53,800 --> 01:15:56,720 Speaker 1: or five minutes. It was done. It was It was 1300 01:15:56,720 --> 01:15:59,839 Speaker 1: a nice process. Yes, it was quick, but the idea 1301 01:16:00,360 --> 01:16:02,519 Speaker 1: that we wanted to present to the world was something 1302 01:16:02,560 --> 01:16:06,640 Speaker 1: that was very unison and very connected as one and 1303 01:16:06,760 --> 01:16:10,120 Speaker 1: That's why that representation of us doing the lyrics together 1304 01:16:10,400 --> 01:16:13,679 Speaker 1: is a synonymous for that song, how it brings everyone 1305 01:16:13,720 --> 01:16:22,400 Speaker 1: together when you're having um this level of success. And again, 1306 01:16:22,479 --> 01:16:27,000 Speaker 1: like the question was like, can you guys out do elephunt? Okay? 1307 01:16:27,120 --> 01:16:30,200 Speaker 1: Can you guys, I'll do monkey business? Okay? Can you 1308 01:16:30,240 --> 01:16:35,880 Speaker 1: I'll do the end at any point? And you know, 1309 01:16:35,920 --> 01:16:38,040 Speaker 1: I know that you went through this in your memoir, 1310 01:16:38,560 --> 01:16:44,400 Speaker 1: but what was the point where like this wasn't fun anymore? 1311 01:16:45,400 --> 01:16:48,719 Speaker 1: Or has it? Has it ever been a time where 1312 01:16:48,720 --> 01:16:51,920 Speaker 1: it's just like, was there ever a be careful for 1313 01:16:51,960 --> 01:16:54,559 Speaker 1: what you ask or wish for a moment for you? Right? 1314 01:16:56,120 --> 01:16:59,280 Speaker 1: I don't for me will an app. I'm only speaking 1315 01:16:59,280 --> 01:17:02,000 Speaker 1: for us because you know, I can't say anything of 1316 01:17:02,040 --> 01:17:04,760 Speaker 1: the ladies that journeyed with us because maybe they have 1317 01:17:04,840 --> 01:17:09,120 Speaker 1: the same experience. But man, I love being on that 1318 01:17:09,160 --> 01:17:12,920 Speaker 1: stage with my brothers. Bro, Like that's like our livelihood. 1319 01:17:13,360 --> 01:17:15,960 Speaker 1: When we're on stage. We're seventeen year old kids that 1320 01:17:16,160 --> 01:17:20,280 Speaker 1: just loved performing and loved you know, creating music and 1321 01:17:20,720 --> 01:17:24,840 Speaker 1: performing for the world. So there's never a moment, there's 1322 01:17:24,880 --> 01:17:26,800 Speaker 1: never a moment other than that moment when we took 1323 01:17:26,800 --> 01:17:30,960 Speaker 1: a break that ship was bullshit, bro, that's like suicide. 1324 01:17:31,560 --> 01:17:35,040 Speaker 1: That eight year break. That a year break from twenty 1325 01:17:35,240 --> 01:17:38,920 Speaker 1: eleven to twenty nineteen, when we put out Leetmore with 1326 01:17:39,000 --> 01:17:43,120 Speaker 1: Jay Balvin, when Sylvia Rohan signed us, learned from Interscope 1327 01:17:43,120 --> 01:17:45,439 Speaker 1: to Sony, and then we had success with Sylvia ron 1328 01:17:45,960 --> 01:17:49,599 Speaker 1: and reinvented ourselves as a trio, which that's how we started. 1329 01:17:50,560 --> 01:17:54,160 Speaker 1: But that time period of being away for eight years. Yes, 1330 01:17:54,240 --> 01:17:57,559 Speaker 1: I got cancer in twenty fourteen, but man, we were 1331 01:17:57,760 --> 01:18:02,919 Speaker 1: very lucky to come out of that your hiatus because 1332 01:18:03,320 --> 01:18:06,280 Speaker 1: usually groups are gone for eight years. They're gone. There's 1333 01:18:06,320 --> 01:18:08,720 Speaker 1: no way you could come back. Do we come back 1334 01:18:08,800 --> 01:18:12,280 Speaker 1: at a filling level? No? How is that conversation happened? 1335 01:18:12,400 --> 01:18:16,280 Speaker 1: Are you guys actively communicating with each other and saying like, hey, 1336 01:18:16,439 --> 01:18:19,360 Speaker 1: I need a break, need to have some me time. 1337 01:18:20,120 --> 01:18:24,840 Speaker 1: We'll reconvene in any year right now? It was it was. 1338 01:18:24,960 --> 01:18:27,320 Speaker 1: It wasn't a choice that mean Will and Apple had 1339 01:18:28,360 --> 01:18:31,720 Speaker 1: just being honest with you guys, that's the reality. We 1340 01:18:31,720 --> 01:18:34,280 Speaker 1: would have kept going We're at the height of our period. 1341 01:18:34,320 --> 01:18:37,920 Speaker 1: Why stop? But I get it, you know, um not 1342 01:18:38,080 --> 01:18:41,759 Speaker 1: all of us wanted to continue. And so that being said, 1343 01:18:42,280 --> 01:18:44,519 Speaker 1: when it came back to coming back to wanting to 1344 01:18:44,560 --> 01:18:48,320 Speaker 1: do music again. This is after I battle cancer. I 1345 01:18:48,400 --> 01:18:50,880 Speaker 1: reached out to Will, I reached out to Apple, I 1346 01:18:50,960 --> 01:18:53,040 Speaker 1: reached out to fird I said, Yo, I'm ready. I 1347 01:18:53,280 --> 01:18:56,720 Speaker 1: need I need this to reduce life. I need I 1348 01:18:56,760 --> 01:18:59,519 Speaker 1: need my healing performing Black Eyed Peas. We need to 1349 01:18:59,560 --> 01:19:02,280 Speaker 1: do it again. Will and Apple were like, let's go, 1350 01:19:04,040 --> 01:19:07,639 Speaker 1: and that's what it is me. Will and Apple are going, 1351 01:19:07,880 --> 01:19:10,080 Speaker 1: and that's how it's going to be. And fortunately at 1352 01:19:10,080 --> 01:19:13,360 Speaker 1: that time, Apple the app met a singer from the 1353 01:19:13,400 --> 01:19:16,920 Speaker 1: Philippines named Jay Ray Soul and she she was a 1354 01:19:17,000 --> 01:19:21,040 Speaker 1: young artist that inspired him to be able to bring 1355 01:19:21,040 --> 01:19:23,640 Speaker 1: her to the US and give her an opportunity to 1356 01:19:23,680 --> 01:19:26,400 Speaker 1: be able to to you know, to journey with the 1357 01:19:26,439 --> 01:19:29,439 Speaker 1: Black Eyed Peas and just be part of this amazing 1358 01:19:29,520 --> 01:19:32,080 Speaker 1: new I guess you can save this new lease on 1359 01:19:32,160 --> 01:19:35,760 Speaker 1: life because, like I said, we were our Interscope and 1360 01:19:35,800 --> 01:19:38,559 Speaker 1: then we got dropped and then we got picked up 1361 01:19:38,600 --> 01:19:41,120 Speaker 1: by Silvia. Rohne explained to me the process of getting 1362 01:19:41,160 --> 01:19:44,080 Speaker 1: dropped by Interscope when you're literally one of their biggest 1363 01:19:44,080 --> 01:19:47,640 Speaker 1: money makers. Well, Jimmy was gone, bro, Like Jimmy was 1364 01:19:47,680 --> 01:19:50,200 Speaker 1: now beats World He's like, I don't have anything to 1365 01:19:50,200 --> 01:19:53,240 Speaker 1: do it. So who took over Interope? John Janet and 1366 01:19:53,320 --> 01:20:00,400 Speaker 1: Steve Burman? Burman? Oh damn okay. I believe Burman is 1367 01:20:00,560 --> 01:20:04,760 Speaker 1: the cat if you remember the Dre Day video, Yeah, 1368 01:20:04,880 --> 01:20:09,240 Speaker 1: where he's playing the role with Jerry Heller. I didn't realize, like, wow, 1369 01:20:09,280 --> 01:20:12,439 Speaker 1: Burman took over Enescope. Okay. Yeah. So we put out 1370 01:20:12,520 --> 01:20:16,240 Speaker 1: Master the Sun and they're like the saying it, this 1371 01:20:16,360 --> 01:20:19,160 Speaker 1: is not what we want from Black Eyed Peas and 1372 01:20:19,200 --> 01:20:24,439 Speaker 1: so the album was great, but not to that. So 1373 01:20:24,640 --> 01:20:27,240 Speaker 1: in their eyes there was a failure. It wasn't what 1374 01:20:27,280 --> 01:20:29,920 Speaker 1: they expected. And so they're like, you know what, we're 1375 01:20:29,920 --> 01:20:33,400 Speaker 1: gonna part ways. I think we've exhausted all the energy 1376 01:20:33,479 --> 01:20:37,240 Speaker 1: the years. Thank you for all your contribution, but we're 1377 01:20:37,280 --> 01:20:40,080 Speaker 1: not going to renew the contract. So me, Will and Apple, 1378 01:20:40,360 --> 01:20:42,439 Speaker 1: we're like, yo, what what are we gonna do? And 1379 01:20:42,520 --> 01:20:47,240 Speaker 1: like Will always does, Will is like, don't worry about it, guys, 1380 01:20:47,560 --> 01:20:50,400 Speaker 1: we're gonna figure it out. So I trust him. Since 1381 01:20:50,439 --> 01:20:54,360 Speaker 1: I was seventeen, he's always been the don't worry about it, guys, 1382 01:20:54,760 --> 01:20:59,120 Speaker 1: We're gonna figure it out. And that energy was like, yeah, 1383 01:20:59,240 --> 01:21:01,040 Speaker 1: we are going to figure it out. It's all good. 1384 01:21:01,160 --> 01:21:05,160 Speaker 1: We got songs, we got you know, relationships. So we 1385 01:21:05,200 --> 01:21:07,519 Speaker 1: had this song called Reepmo that we recorded with Jay 1386 01:21:07,560 --> 01:21:11,639 Speaker 1: Bowin right. So I remember Zeke from from Sony comes 1387 01:21:11,720 --> 01:21:14,960 Speaker 1: to the studio and he hears it and he's like, Yo, 1388 01:21:15,000 --> 01:21:18,639 Speaker 1: I'm working on this this soundtrack. Would love this song 1389 01:21:18,720 --> 01:21:22,840 Speaker 1: to be part of the soundtrack, and so Will was like, yeah, 1390 01:21:22,920 --> 01:21:24,760 Speaker 1: but we want this for us, like we want this 1391 01:21:24,800 --> 01:21:27,000 Speaker 1: to be a Black Eyed Pea joint off of our 1392 01:21:27,080 --> 01:21:30,040 Speaker 1: new project. He's like, well, what label are you are. 1393 01:21:30,080 --> 01:21:32,280 Speaker 1: He's like, we're not on the label. So he leaves 1394 01:21:32,280 --> 01:21:35,920 Speaker 1: the studio called Sylvia Roone. Sylvie Rone shows up to 1395 01:21:35,920 --> 01:21:40,040 Speaker 1: the studio. Will plays the record for her and she's like, great, 1396 01:21:40,120 --> 01:21:42,639 Speaker 1: I love this record. Let's put it on the Bad 1397 01:21:42,680 --> 01:21:47,000 Speaker 1: Boys three soundtrack with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith before 1398 01:21:47,040 --> 01:21:52,120 Speaker 1: the slap and so he does that. Zeke is like, Yo, 1399 01:21:52,200 --> 01:21:54,120 Speaker 1: this is this is the future of Black Eyed Peas. 1400 01:21:54,160 --> 01:21:57,559 Speaker 1: This whole Latin afrobeat fusion, whatever you guys are doing 1401 01:21:57,880 --> 01:22:00,800 Speaker 1: with this frequency, it's international and it's popping right now. 1402 01:22:01,680 --> 01:22:05,280 Speaker 1: We're gonna sign black Eyed son to Epic. So we 1403 01:22:05,360 --> 01:22:10,120 Speaker 1: get signed. We create this album which was translation, which 1404 01:22:10,120 --> 01:22:12,240 Speaker 1: we put out during the pandemic, we still put out 1405 01:22:12,240 --> 01:22:14,680 Speaker 1: a record. We had songs like We're Like Me with Shakida, 1406 01:22:14,960 --> 01:22:20,320 Speaker 1: We had Mamasita with Thosuna, Viva Loco with Nikki Jam 1407 01:22:20,320 --> 01:22:23,640 Speaker 1: and Tiger. So all these records just represented where we 1408 01:22:23,640 --> 01:22:26,840 Speaker 1: were at in that state of our career and how 1409 01:22:26,920 --> 01:22:29,840 Speaker 1: we were inspired by these Latin applebeat rhythms that were 1410 01:22:29,840 --> 01:22:32,920 Speaker 1: happening around the world, and so that was kind of 1411 01:22:32,920 --> 01:22:35,960 Speaker 1: our nod to that. And then we created another record 1412 01:22:36,040 --> 01:22:39,719 Speaker 1: which we put out called Elevation, and that one featured 1413 01:22:39,880 --> 01:22:42,880 Speaker 1: Don't You Worry with Shakida and David Ghetta, and then 1414 01:22:42,880 --> 01:22:45,520 Speaker 1: we did a record with Anita from Brazil and Alalfa 1415 01:22:45,600 --> 01:22:48,400 Speaker 1: and the max record would drop in is with Daddy Yankee. 1416 01:22:48,920 --> 01:22:52,000 Speaker 1: After having done it at all, like what is what 1417 01:22:52,120 --> 01:22:55,599 Speaker 1: is left for you as far as like in terms 1418 01:22:55,640 --> 01:22:57,559 Speaker 1: of what you would like to achieve with the group. 1419 01:22:58,760 --> 01:23:03,600 Speaker 1: With the group, docuse series, be able to make the 1420 01:23:03,800 --> 01:23:07,240 Speaker 1: Black Eyed Peas movie, whatever that means, do it in 1421 01:23:07,280 --> 01:23:09,920 Speaker 1: a way where it's like Stranger Things fantasy kind of 1422 01:23:09,920 --> 01:23:12,719 Speaker 1: like a scripted series, Like I don't think it's a movie, 1423 01:23:12,720 --> 01:23:15,600 Speaker 1: it's a it's a series like the Beatles did a 1424 01:23:15,720 --> 01:23:18,960 Speaker 1: docu series like the Beatles did a Yellow Submarine, where 1425 01:23:18,960 --> 01:23:24,240 Speaker 1: it's kind of like mystic magical, uh, you know, something 1426 01:23:24,280 --> 01:23:28,240 Speaker 1: like that, whereas you can add fantasy because we're big 1427 01:23:28,280 --> 01:23:30,439 Speaker 1: sci fi guys. We love stranger things and just that 1428 01:23:30,479 --> 01:23:34,639 Speaker 1: whole creativity of creating stuff that's not just a typical 1429 01:23:34,720 --> 01:23:36,720 Speaker 1: like oh, these are hip hop kids. And then they 1430 01:23:36,800 --> 01:23:39,000 Speaker 1: became popular around the world. It's like, no, we want 1431 01:23:39,000 --> 01:23:42,880 Speaker 1: to tell all these amazing stories like cancer survivor and 1432 01:23:43,200 --> 01:23:46,240 Speaker 1: and tech guy he's he's the he calls himself the 1433 01:23:46,280 --> 01:23:48,200 Speaker 1: Black Iron Man because he's all about tech. And then 1434 01:23:48,240 --> 01:23:50,400 Speaker 1: you got this kid from the Philippines who was a 1435 01:23:50,400 --> 01:23:53,679 Speaker 1: farmer that didn't speak English and came to America. First 1436 01:23:53,680 --> 01:23:55,880 Speaker 1: person he met was well, I am so all these 1437 01:23:55,880 --> 01:23:59,040 Speaker 1: crazy stories. It's a little bit sensation wise, and it's 1438 01:23:59,080 --> 01:24:02,240 Speaker 1: it's entertaining and and and still appealing into the eye. 1439 01:24:03,720 --> 01:24:10,120 Speaker 1: I see, I see well, man, dude, this is definitely 1440 01:24:10,800 --> 01:24:12,479 Speaker 1: worth the weight. And for you know, this is like 1441 01:24:12,479 --> 01:24:14,880 Speaker 1: our first in depth conversation with each other. Man. So 1442 01:24:15,000 --> 01:24:17,040 Speaker 1: I'm really glad that we got this. Wait, Steve, you're 1443 01:24:17,040 --> 01:24:19,320 Speaker 1: about to say something. No, I was about to come 1444 01:24:19,560 --> 01:24:29,639 Speaker 1: wipe wipe something off your mouth. For that's theirs. I 1445 01:24:29,680 --> 01:24:32,479 Speaker 1: just want to do a little, a little promo real 1446 01:24:32,560 --> 01:24:36,200 Speaker 1: quick on something. So I invested in this company called 1447 01:24:36,280 --> 01:24:39,720 Speaker 1: a Kid's Book, about which you already I sent it 1448 01:24:39,760 --> 01:24:42,080 Speaker 1: to you. Yes, the first book that I wrote is 1449 01:24:42,120 --> 01:24:44,519 Speaker 1: called the Kid's Book about Identity, and then we have 1450 01:24:44,560 --> 01:24:47,320 Speaker 1: a whole series of other books like, you know, a 1451 01:24:47,439 --> 01:24:54,720 Speaker 1: kid's book about mindfulness, this book about addiction, um, this 1452 01:24:54,880 --> 01:24:58,960 Speaker 1: book about anxiety. And it's all about having uncomfortable conversations 1453 01:24:59,000 --> 01:25:03,639 Speaker 1: with kids because a lot of times parents tiptoe around 1454 01:25:03,640 --> 01:25:06,800 Speaker 1: these conversations. And so we said, no, why don't we 1455 01:25:06,840 --> 01:25:10,200 Speaker 1: have these these books where we actually unlock those and 1456 01:25:10,280 --> 01:25:13,599 Speaker 1: make it a comfortable conversation out of something that's very 1457 01:25:13,680 --> 01:25:17,519 Speaker 1: uncomfortable to some families. And so, you know, it's just 1458 01:25:17,600 --> 01:25:20,720 Speaker 1: it's something that I invested in because I want to 1459 01:25:20,760 --> 01:25:23,000 Speaker 1: be able to give back. Just like I'm telling you, dude, 1460 01:25:23,080 --> 01:25:26,920 Speaker 1: Kobe really inspired me being with Kobe, being around him 1461 01:25:26,920 --> 01:25:30,040 Speaker 1: and seeing how he went from being a basketball player 1462 01:25:30,080 --> 01:25:33,880 Speaker 1: to actually being you know, winning an oscar, just like you, 1463 01:25:34,600 --> 01:25:39,760 Speaker 1: writing books, almost creating an animation studio for inspired by 1464 01:25:39,760 --> 01:25:44,599 Speaker 1: his daughter. So this is just so what's the name 1465 01:25:44,600 --> 01:25:47,759 Speaker 1: of the of the book series, A kid's book about 1466 01:25:48,640 --> 01:25:51,320 Speaker 1: and where do we find that online? We get that 1467 01:25:51,360 --> 01:25:57,200 Speaker 1: on Amazon Kid's Book About dot Com. And basically it's 1468 01:25:57,240 --> 01:26:02,160 Speaker 1: all these different writers, authors, kids that are doing the 1469 01:26:02,240 --> 01:26:05,320 Speaker 1: forward so that that they that you empower the kids 1470 01:26:05,360 --> 01:26:07,680 Speaker 1: to really be part of this journey along with the 1471 01:26:07,680 --> 01:26:11,040 Speaker 1: books that I'm writing for Marvel. Um, being an author 1472 01:26:11,200 --> 01:26:13,719 Speaker 1: is very important to me because then I'm able to inspire, 1473 01:26:14,400 --> 01:26:16,519 Speaker 1: just like we did with lyrics, Like now I'm putting 1474 01:26:16,520 --> 01:26:20,320 Speaker 1: that same energy and that same approach to writing. Eventually, 1475 01:26:20,360 --> 01:26:23,320 Speaker 1: wanted to do my own script and create the first 1476 01:26:23,760 --> 01:26:26,800 Speaker 1: Native American feature film that will live in that same 1477 01:26:26,840 --> 01:26:30,800 Speaker 1: Marvel space that Black Panther lives. So that's my goal, um, 1478 01:26:30,840 --> 01:26:33,160 Speaker 1: and I'm doing my due diligence. I'm putting in the 1479 01:26:33,160 --> 01:26:35,880 Speaker 1: groundwork and putting in my ten thousand hours to be 1480 01:26:35,920 --> 01:26:40,320 Speaker 1: able to transition from music into into being a creator 1481 01:26:40,360 --> 01:26:44,360 Speaker 1: and a screenwriter and eventually one day on wood a 1482 01:26:44,479 --> 01:26:48,880 Speaker 1: director films make it happen. I mean, you lived a 1483 01:26:48,920 --> 01:26:52,160 Speaker 1: life in which you know you you made moves with 1484 01:26:52,320 --> 01:26:55,479 Speaker 1: no trepardation and you know you put your foot forward, 1485 01:26:55,520 --> 01:26:58,720 Speaker 1: So that's definitely going to happen. Yeah, brother, I appreciate that. 1486 01:26:58,760 --> 01:27:01,800 Speaker 1: And again uh fante, thank you man, thank you for 1487 01:27:01,840 --> 01:27:04,840 Speaker 1: the inspiration. I hope you feel better. Oh yeah, thank you. 1488 01:27:05,360 --> 01:27:09,760 Speaker 1: I want to say Tar and Pharaoh Munch I'm my 1489 01:27:09,920 --> 01:27:13,080 Speaker 1: two favorite mcs of all time of all I shall 1490 01:27:13,200 --> 01:27:16,840 Speaker 1: relay that to him. And honestly, we didn't we didn't 1491 01:27:16,840 --> 01:27:19,120 Speaker 1: touch on Daylight Bro, and that was something very important 1492 01:27:19,120 --> 01:27:21,559 Speaker 1: because when he text me about about Dave and that 1493 01:27:21,560 --> 01:27:23,920 Speaker 1: that piece you guys put together, everybody put together, that 1494 01:27:23,960 --> 01:27:26,519 Speaker 1: was beautiful man, So well, thank you for being a 1495 01:27:26,560 --> 01:27:28,519 Speaker 1: part of that. Man. Yeah, I want to dedicate this 1496 01:27:28,520 --> 01:27:31,800 Speaker 1: one to Dave Bro and his impact, um that he 1497 01:27:31,920 --> 01:27:34,320 Speaker 1: had on all of us and what Daylight means to us. 1498 01:27:34,320 --> 01:27:37,920 Speaker 1: And now with their music being on all streaming platforms, 1499 01:27:37,920 --> 01:27:41,960 Speaker 1: I'm proud of Pasta, Nous and Mace and Dave. I'm 1500 01:27:42,000 --> 01:27:45,439 Speaker 1: still listening to music like like it just came out yesterday. 1501 01:27:45,520 --> 01:27:49,120 Speaker 1: We're well on behalf of the QLs crew, on behalf 1502 01:27:49,120 --> 01:27:54,920 Speaker 1: of yea cousin, Jake, Steve and I'm paid. Bill came 1503 01:27:54,960 --> 01:27:59,439 Speaker 1: home from a cigarette. Thank you Taboo for joining us 1504 01:27:59,439 --> 01:28:02,080 Speaker 1: and this is what's love. We will see you on 1505 01:28:02,080 --> 01:28:04,200 Speaker 1: the next go round of course. Love Supreme, all right, 1506 01:28:04,600 --> 01:28:21,519 Speaker 1: see you M. What's Love? Supreme is the production of 1507 01:28:21,680 --> 01:28:29,240 Speaker 1: I Heeart Freed Well More podcasts from my Heart Radio, 1508 01:28:29,360 --> 01:28:32,800 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you 1509 01:28:32,880 --> 01:28:33,840 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite too,