1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: What angela ye, angela ye, And it is a blessing 2 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: to have somebody who was a visionary on the show. 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 2: Mister Easy is here with us. How are you zag? 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 3: Got that way up with angela ye? 5 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: Now you were way down. Yes, it's nice to meet 6 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: you too. Before you got here, you were on the subway. 7 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, as we were, we went to the wrong location. 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 3: Big shout out to Jesse for sending us the wrong location. 9 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 3: But like we're in this taxi and he's looking at 10 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 3: He's like, oh, we'll be quicker if we go through 11 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 3: the subway. And I was like, I was like, are 12 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 3: you sure we need to go to the subway, And 13 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 3: my assistant was like, no, let's go. Long story show. 14 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 3: We stopped the car like in the middle of the road, 15 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 3: run to the subway, and it was actually cool. 16 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: It's a good experience if you've never done it. I 17 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 1: feel like people always tell me when they're not from here, 18 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 1: like I just want. 19 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 2: To take the train one day. Did you take pictures? 20 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 3: I think he took pictures. But in all those movies 21 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 3: you'll be seeing like they be pushing people on the subway, 22 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 3: or the bad guys be coming to fight, Like it's 23 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 3: just like so many bad stuff. Well, I think I 24 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 3: love the subway. 25 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 2: I want to be bad. Let's calm down. I don't 26 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 2: know about you, know. 27 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:13,839 Speaker 3: How you just for the first time, but this cool. 28 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 2: I think I love the subway. I've never heard anybody 29 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 2: say that. 30 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 3: It wasn't hot as well. 31 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, that's good. I'm glad you had an opportunity 32 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: to do that, just to see. And I will say, 33 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: it's not just in the movies. It's also in the 34 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,559 Speaker 1: news that you see. Sometimes people push people on it, 35 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: but all in all, you know, it does get you 36 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: places faster. 37 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 2: That's why I always encourage people. 38 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 3: True and you go toos here like twenty minutes faster. 39 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 2: All right, Well we like to hear that. 40 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: Now let's talk about your journey, because I'm fascinated by you, 41 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: not just as an artist, but also as an entrepreneur, 42 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: a business person, but somebody who also does things to 43 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: help other artists and other creatives. When did you realize 44 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: that was your passion. 45 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 3: I never wanted to be on autist. I just wanted 46 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 3: to be an entrepreneur since I was like fifteen, I 47 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 3: just wanted to be dangte dangle it. That's like, that's 48 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 3: the richest black person in the world, and so that 49 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 3: was my dream. I'm just like, I just want to 50 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 3: be independent. I don't want my mommy saying, oh, you 51 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 3: need to come back home. You stay in my house 52 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 3: and put food over your head, so you need to 53 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 3: listen to my rooms. So I just wanted that economic 54 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 3: in the independence. But I started doing parties in my 55 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 3: school because my school was an engineering school, right, So 56 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 3: everybody's like just focusing on work, and those parties turn't 57 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 3: to concerts and turn to festivals raves, and I find 58 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 3: myself in the studio because it was fun, and people 59 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 3: start saying, yo, we love your music, we love your music. 60 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 3: And next thing I know, twenty fifteen or sixteen, Lawren 61 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 3: Hill reaches out and says, oh, they want me to 62 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 3: come perform in Brooklyn. I think Brooklyn Theater is a 63 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 3: brook King's Theater. 64 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 2: Oh King's Theater legendary, okay, right. 65 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 3: And so even thought it was a scam, I remember 66 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 3: like going to the US Embassy and telling the guys 67 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 3: at the embassy and I'm like, there's this person that's 68 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 3: saying there Lauree Hill, and I don't know if it's true. 69 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 3: Please help me check because I was thinking maybe it's 70 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 3: some human trafficking kind of thing or something, and they 71 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 3: look it up and they're like yeah. Miss Laurie Hill 72 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 3: was like, wow, that's. 73 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 2: A huge thing. I didn't know that it happened. 74 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 3: Exactly, and I hadn't even decided to be an artist 75 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 3: at that time, and so that was my first time 76 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 3: in the US, playing at King's Theater. I had no 77 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 3: manager at the time. I just with a guitar coming 78 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 3: to play and it was so beautiful that Miss Laurence 79 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 3: Hill came backstage and it was so sorry when she 80 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 3: came to me and she like, yeah, mister Easy, I've 81 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,239 Speaker 3: been looking for you. And I was like, wow, this 82 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 3: is crazy. And those were kind of the first moments 83 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 3: when I realized that, Okay, this is really like I'm 84 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 3: legit if Miss Laura Hill is saying. 85 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know too many people who have that story, 86 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 2: you know. 87 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 3: And from there, I just like been going since then, 88 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 3: since twenty sixteen. 89 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 2: And stayed independent. 90 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 3: And I just stayed independent because, like I was just 91 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 3: with mister Biggs we call him mister Biggs and Bigs 92 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 3: from Rock Nation. I was just with him yesterday and 93 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 3: he was reminding me how he flew. He flew to 94 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 3: Nigeria to Legos in twenty sixteen to try and sign me. 95 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 3: So like, wow, imagine like twenty sixteen, like I probably 96 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 3: had only two songs out. 97 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 2: That's insane. 98 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 3: That is his singles out. 99 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: It makes it feel like this is your destiny when 100 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,479 Speaker 1: when people like that are really coming and seeking you 101 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: out and you're not even that wasn't what you were 102 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,040 Speaker 1: so passionate about at first? 103 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 3: No, that was that wasn't it. But I stayed independent 104 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 3: because I don't like to blame people, you know, just 105 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,039 Speaker 3: wanting about me. Like if I feel I like to 106 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 3: know that okay I feeled, but if I feel like, 107 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 3: ah it was because of this person, they won't sit 108 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 3: well with me. So because of that, I just want 109 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 3: my destiny in my hand. And there's you know, there's 110 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 3: things you win, things you lose. 111 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 2: But it's only me. 112 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 3: It's just I just like the responsibility and the freedom 113 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,679 Speaker 3: to make music when I want to, when I want sing. 114 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 3: How I won't drop an album if I want, go 115 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 3: on vacation if I want, like, not needing to answer 116 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 3: to anybody especially freedom is the biggest thing for me. 117 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 3: And that's what that's what that's what I've done with 118 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 3: my music, and that's what I do with my label 119 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 3: and Power Africa a publishing company, same and just keeping 120 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 3: it in house, keeping it one hundred percent in Africa. 121 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: How does that work then with Empower Africa, the company 122 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 1: that you have because you help other artists too creatively 123 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 1: to help fund their ideas, does that sometimes happen where 124 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: they blame you if things don't go right, because that's 125 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: putting them in a position where now they're like, Okay, 126 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: I thought we were doing this. Yeah, because being sometimes 127 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 1: being in that position where you want to help other people, 128 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 1: it does make them feel like you're responsible. 129 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 3: That's happened like once. But the thing about Empa Africa 130 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,599 Speaker 3: is like it doesn't wrong like a label. I only 131 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 3: sign artists that I think are independent in their thinking. 132 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 3: So I say you come with your team, like well 133 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 3: like Uber you know you know you you get them Uber, 134 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 3: you have your car or your driver, you take care 135 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 3: of your car or you connect. Then we provide the app, 136 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 3: we provide the community. And that's how Empower works. So 137 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 3: it's like if you I always tell them like Joebo 138 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 3: and one of the biggest artists always up here and 139 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 3: I say you with you feel it's on you because 140 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 3: it's your destiny and if you want something, you need 141 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 3: to get it. Like if if I want even if 142 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 3: I'm signed to a label, it's my job or my 143 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 3: manager's job to push the label and say this is 144 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 3: what we want. You know, because you're never gonna you're 145 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 3: never nobody's ever going to love you, moder yourself. 146 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 2: Right, No, you're absolutely right. 147 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: Even I feel like even people who are signed to 148 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: a label, for them to think the label's going to 149 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: do everything for you, that doesn't happen. Usually you make 150 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: your own momentum and then the label will step in 151 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,280 Speaker 1: when they see it's happening, and then they support what 152 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: it is that you're doing. But you still have to 153 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: always I think, operate independently. Yeah, and then whatever help 154 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: you get, that's a blessing, But it is your career 155 00:06:57,880 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: on you. No one's going to care about what you 156 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: have going on more then you're going to care about 157 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 1: what you have going on. 158 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 3: Trade up and is partnerships, you know, And it's so 159 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 3: I don't see it as like we never say it. 160 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 3: We've just signed the artist with like empowered partner artists, 161 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 3: so we partner with Joe Boyd. We partner with Major 162 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 3: League DJs, one of the biggest piano DJs producers out 163 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 3: of South Africa. We partner with Faith, We partner with 164 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 3: King Promise. At some point, we partner with loads of producers, 165 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 3: you know. That's how we do partnerships, and it's it's 166 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 3: been working. We've been figuring it out and we've been 167 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 3: partnering with like some of the biggest companies part time. 168 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 3: Like I'm publishing. We partner with Cobalt that's like the 169 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 3: biggest independent publishers. So those partnerships, that's what That's why 170 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 3: I be feeling And frankly, just move at your own 171 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 3: pace to be honest, just take it easy. 172 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: Like the name, yeah, I see, well, the name of 173 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: the new project is the Evil Genius And this is 174 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: our first true album because you've done LPs, you've done 175 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: mixtapes right, and epis and mixtapes. So what made you 176 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: say now is the time to put out like and 177 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: what makes this different? 178 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 3: I think this is first off, this is this is 179 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 3: the most personal music I've made in my life. Like 180 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 3: music for me has been like an escape from reality. 181 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 3: So vibes, you know, So I'll be singing about like 182 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 3: not stuff that's happened to me. So when I sing 183 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 3: in Legover, my baby confused me with a bomb she 184 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 3: got a guy away send her money from London. That 185 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 3: never happened to me. It's just like vibes, you know, 186 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 3: when I say put me water, Holy water, you know, 187 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 3: And and all those songs are like the song with Nikki, 188 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 3: Oh my God, it's like, it's not it's not real. 189 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 3: It's just vibes. It's just a good vibe. But on 190 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 3: this album, it was the first time I realized that 191 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 3: music could be therapy to myself, you know. So I 192 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 3: met people that said, hey, your song it took me 193 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:56,319 Speaker 3: through this time. I was listening to miss You bad 194 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 3: and it made me feel this way. And sometimes I'd 195 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 3: be like, are you serious. Like I'd be like, oh wow, 196 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 3: this is beautiful, but that's not why I made it. 197 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 3: But this time I then saw how music could be therapeutic, 198 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 3: but to myself. So I was saying things that I 199 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 3: couldn't say. And before I made this album, I've never 200 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:19,959 Speaker 3: done therapy, right, you know, And I realized that things 201 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 3: I was saying on the records were things I didn't 202 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 3: have the balls to even say to myself. Like on 203 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 3: the on the first track, my mom is on it, 204 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 3: you know. And you know, my mom is she's religious, 205 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 3: she's she's Christian, and the music I make is not 206 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 3: Christian music, you know. And this is the first time 207 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 3: she's she actually puts her voice on my music. 208 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,079 Speaker 2: You need to get her to agree to do that. 209 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 3: She she didn't know. She sent me a voice note. 210 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 3: So my mom sent me no, no, no, she knows that. 211 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 3: You know. My mom is a business woman, so I 212 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 3: had to make sure she loves me. But she's a businessman, 213 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 3: so you know, she sent me a voice note. That's 214 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 3: the voice notes that plays in the beginning of the 215 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,080 Speaker 3: song Joe and when I fix it in and the 216 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 3: chorus of that song, it's a sample of one of 217 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:14,439 Speaker 3: the most popular gospel choruses, like the ones you sing 218 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 3: in church. Joe. What made It's okay means God, please 219 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 3: lift me up, God, please don't let me fall. This 220 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,679 Speaker 3: is song we always sang in the morning when I 221 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 3: was growing up, and so I put it there and 222 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,439 Speaker 3: when she heard it, she's like, oh, you're now making 223 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 3: gospel music. 224 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 2: She loved it. 225 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: She loved it, and it worked yeah, every morning. Honestly, 226 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:37,319 Speaker 1: things like that it's like, yeah. 227 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 3: Exactly, and and and she was. She she was so 228 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,200 Speaker 3: excited then, and I said, yeah, but mommy, you need 229 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 3: to clear it so you don't sue me. What do 230 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,400 Speaker 3: you mean I'll sue you? And we sent her the documentation. 231 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: She's she could always he somebody do her voice. 232 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 3: You know, I use a so on every on every song. 233 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,319 Speaker 3: That's that's why this is different. And that's why I'm 234 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 3: calling it an album because growing up, I used to see, 235 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:07,079 Speaker 3: you know, twenty seven to twenty nine was the year 236 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 3: I listened to the most music, and that was like 237 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 3: mixtapes from Lil Wayne and Drake, you know. And I 238 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 3: then saw when they started putting our albums. I saw 239 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 3: the taught process behind it, or like my fin of 240 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 3: jay Z or see like the way you know the 241 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 3: Kingdom come and you know the rollout, you know, decoded. 242 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 3: And this is the first time I really felt like 243 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 3: this is personal enough for me to call it a 244 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 3: record because it's literally a record of my taughts and 245 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 3: experiences for those three years. 246 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 1: And you're also getting married, yep, and so I'm sure 247 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 1: there's some personal songs about your relationships. 248 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 3: One's like there's three parts of the album. The first 249 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 3: one is like self reflection is bragging, and then there's 250 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 3: pan a Doll, which is cheeky, is talking about sex, 251 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 3: and we go from there to the relationship part. But 252 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 3: it's not like fairy Tale. The first song there's lack 253 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 3: of communication. And that day I had you know, I'm 254 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 3: usually the type to be like, I'll be pissed with 255 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 3: you and I won't say anything, like i'd just be 256 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 3: giving you decided. 257 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 2: That doesn't marriage. 258 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:17,320 Speaker 3: You know, I'm a girl. That day she gave me back. 259 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 3: She gave me back what I've been giving her, and 260 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 3: she wasn't even trying to do but upset her so much. 261 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 3: She didn't even she didn't even want to. She didn't 262 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,959 Speaker 3: want to talk to me. And that just drove me 263 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 3: so crazy. 264 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 2: And I don't touch me. 265 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, she didn't even say it, don tap me. She's 266 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 3: just like I could just feel it in the air. 267 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 3: And I was so pissed, and I went to the 268 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 3: bathroom to shower and I was just thinking about about it, 269 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:45,080 Speaker 3: and I just got my phone and I was like, 270 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 3: lack of communication in the course probablem like, lack of 271 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,839 Speaker 3: communication is what causes problem. And the song I'm saying baby, 272 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 3: if I've pissed you off, let me know I don't 273 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 3: like it when you gave me the silent treatment. And 274 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 3: from there I send it to Kel is, my producer. 275 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 3: He co produced the entire album. I send it to 276 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 3: him and he quickly sends me back my voice note 277 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:14,680 Speaker 3: on an instrumental and I go to Kel's house help 278 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 3: the producer of that record, and we make the song. 279 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 3: So it's like, so I go from lack of communication 280 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 3: to and affair where I'm apologizing for not being present 281 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 3: in the relationship, to good loving where I'm saying, you know, 282 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 3: she she just wants my love and affection. She wants 283 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 3: my presence to legalize where I'm like, okay, let's get married. 284 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,199 Speaker 3: That's what I mean by legal lives. So it's personally 285 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:45,679 Speaker 3: in that sense, and that's that's that part of the album, 286 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 3: and the last part of the album is again starts 287 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 3: with like we Day, where I speak a little bit 288 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:56,959 Speaker 3: about the political situation at the time with police brutality, 289 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 3: and I move the second verse, I'm realizing the blessings 290 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 3: I've got to go. I'm outing a jet with my girl, 291 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 3: and that's not the flex I never tried to finess 292 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 3: I was going going for my birthday, my birthday celebration. 293 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 3: Now just saw myself like I'm like, wow, I've grown. 294 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 3: I'm in a jet with my girl and we're going 295 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 3: we're going for holiday, and it's not even something I 296 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 3: want to post. It's just it's just normal to me. 297 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 3: And I put that in the record. So that's how 298 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 3: personal it is. That's amazing with everything. 299 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 2: And you guys also have a podcast together, so I'm 300 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 2: sure that helps you be able to open up too, 301 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 2: because now you're on a podcast talking about everyday thing 302 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 2: and communicating with each other but also letting the world here. 303 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was really scared about the podcast. Said during COVID, 304 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 3: we spend the most time together. During COVID, it was 305 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 3: the first time we were spending that long that's a. 306 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 2: Make up break situation. 307 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 3: It was like for a full months of just me 308 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 3: and her, Like there was nobody else in the house, 309 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 3: so I was seeing her and we were seeing each 310 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 3: other every day, and it made me realize how much, 311 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 3: you know, how much I love her And I don't 312 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 3: like being with people period, Like I like my Space, 313 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 3: she likes her space. But we're able to be in 314 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 3: the same space and She's like, Oh, let's make a podcast, 315 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 3: and I was just thinking the whole world is going 316 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 3: to start hearing like how I'm speaking. But we've been 317 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 3: doing it at that pace once a year and it's 318 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 3: been fun. 319 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:37,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, and the Evil Genius. 320 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: So I saw in an interview you had said that 321 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: sometimes people have this perception that you're manipulative or you're 322 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: doing things to get something out of it, not just 323 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: because you want to help other creators, but there's some 324 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: type of hidden motivation. Yeah, which I didn't know that 325 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: people would think that because you have a lot of 326 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: proof of concepts. Exactly from where do you think that 327 00:15:58,960 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: comes from? 328 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 3: I think it comes from and like, you know, just 329 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 3: keep mentioning Jesse. Jesse says something today. He was like, 330 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 3: he has seen me talk about stuff, and he was 331 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 3: there when I started talking about it, and like bom, 332 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 3: it happens. So it then seems like everything I'm doing 333 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 3: is super planned and super calculative. Meanwhile, I'm just following 334 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 3: the vibe, like I'm very I'm a very follow of 335 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 3: the vibes's guy. But when you when you're just following 336 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 3: the vibe and it's working, then people look at it 337 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 3: from outside like his strategy, and so everybody's always thinking 338 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 3: if I come say, hey, Angela, let's go to Let's 339 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 3: go to Legos, why is Easy saying we should go 340 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 3: to Legos? Maybe Easy has some dealing Legos, and he's like, 341 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 3: there's they're always overthinking. Some people overthink when I just 342 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 3: say stuff. But beyond that, I just think it's the 343 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 3: pressure of like I've stayed independent. I've stayed only my 344 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 3: own label and not signing to anybody, and even investing 345 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 3: in the distribution company that I use their tech. And 346 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 3: it's like unheard of this the first time is happening. 347 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: Right, And I'm sure there's been some huge offers that 348 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 1: people have made to ye. 349 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, I've been I've been in the room with some 350 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 3: of the biggest names in music, from from Solution to 351 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 3: to Wheelard of Cobalt, to the guys from Republic to 352 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 3: you know, to like everybody, And you know, I've stayed independent, 353 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,919 Speaker 3: not because I do not appreciate the value these partnerships 354 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 3: will bring, but just because I've just been about my 355 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 3: freedom right, you know. And and so it's a big deal. 356 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 3: You know, it's a big deal, and I think it's 357 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 3: really important for other young people to see that, you. 358 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:56,359 Speaker 1: Know, somebody will throw a money number at you, and like, 359 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,359 Speaker 1: what's a number that somebody may have thrown at you? 360 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:00,440 Speaker 1: There might have been like, oh got at least think 361 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 1: about it. 362 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 3: I mean like in sort of like in twenty I 363 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 3: think it was like in twenty eighteen, I got offered 364 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 3: six million, six million dollars. 365 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:12,720 Speaker 2: That's hard for somebody to be like, yeah, and especially 366 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:14,360 Speaker 2: yo Angela. 367 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,199 Speaker 3: I didn't even I hadn't even seen six million. I 368 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 3: didn't even know what six million felt like. Yeah, you know, 369 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 3: but I was just like, okay, okay, the cost to 370 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 3: my freedom or like, am I going to be able 371 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:31,719 Speaker 3: to then give the artists the best deals? You know? 372 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 3: And and that's why I've stayed independent. I'm always open 373 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 3: for partnership. I've partnered with like Colombia with Deep, those 374 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:41,120 Speaker 3: label mad Dison. 375 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 1: With at least you could just step away and once 376 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 1: this situation, this deal is finished, ties. 377 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:50,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, And I always put in my deals. I always say, 378 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 3: you know, I should be able to pay you back 379 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 3: if you give me an advance, that should be a 380 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:57,400 Speaker 3: pay a buyout class, give. 381 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:58,120 Speaker 2: Me, gimme's fair. 382 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 3: And that's like balls because I'm just basically telling you 383 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 3: that I'm always willing to bet on myself. 384 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: Because some people are like, Okay, get as much money 385 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: as you can upfront, right, But you're of the thinking 386 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:12,640 Speaker 1: and even with your artist, is let's be more rational 387 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,400 Speaker 1: and reasonable. Yeah, within a budget so that you don't 388 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:16,959 Speaker 1: have this huge debt over you. 389 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, And there's the value of just taking the biggest 390 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 3: check man, Like, just take the money. And sometimes I 391 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 3: be thinking like, yeah, geez, maybe I should have taken 392 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 3: that check. Sometimes I get into meetings and I'm like, 393 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:29,199 Speaker 3: maybe I. 394 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: Should just take the check because it has to go 395 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: through somebody's mind. But you know, a check for six 396 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: million dollars isn't six million dollars. Once you have to 397 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: break it and bust it all down. 398 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 3: There, it goes. It's good you're saying that, because like 399 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,160 Speaker 3: that's the reality, Like it's not like six million. 400 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:46,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, half taxes and then if there's any of management 401 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:47,920 Speaker 1: and yeah, and. 402 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 3: Then the deal, the deal keeps going balling. 403 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 2: You have to spend that money on some like it's 404 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:53,360 Speaker 2: all exactly. 405 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 3: It's not like money in your bank for you to 406 00:19:55,720 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 3: go spray spping, go shopping, you know. But yeah, but 407 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 3: I think the most important thing for me is just freedom. 408 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 3: Like on this album, I said, I walked through the 409 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 3: hotel one day I was in recording the album and 410 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 3: I saw an art piece just hanging on the wall 411 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 3: and the hotel and that was the piece from the 412 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 3: Benanese artist Patrick Correll, and that became the cover. He 413 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 3: then painted the cover for Legalized, one of the songs 414 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,159 Speaker 3: on the album, and I just saw it there and 415 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 3: I said, you know what, now we're gonna have a 416 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 3: single piece of contemporary African art to go with each song. 417 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,720 Speaker 3: So each song has a piece that was commissioned for 418 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 3: that piece. And the rollout of this album is art exhibitions. 419 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:48,440 Speaker 3: You know. We've done Ghana, We've done London, we might 420 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 3: do New York later in November, and then we're also 421 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:53,920 Speaker 3: doing legos. 422 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:55,360 Speaker 2: And it's all eight countries from Africa. 423 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, eight countries from representing these yeah, male and female 424 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 3: artists in different stages of their careers. And for a 425 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 3: lot of people it's the first time, like the first exhibition, 426 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 3: like sixty percent of the people there, that's the first 427 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 3: time these kids were going into a museum, going into 428 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 3: a gallery period, and so they're discovering African arts for 429 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 3: the first time they're discovering arts for the first time. 430 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 3: And it's true the African artists, I think there's just 431 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 3: something so special about that. 432 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 2: No, I think that's great. 433 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: So my biggest piece, I bought a Nelson Macamo piece, 434 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,439 Speaker 1: which was really exciting for me. And then after that 435 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 1: I saw Oprah bought something you know, from him. But 436 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: really art is something that can it can be a 437 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:41,400 Speaker 1: good investment. 438 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 3: You know. 439 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 1: Sometimes when people are earlier on in their career, you 440 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: can't tell. But if you love something and it makes 441 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 1: you feel something, it's valuable to you. 442 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, one hundred percent. And for me, like being able 443 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,639 Speaker 3: to even do that, if I were signed to a 444 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 3: record label, they might have told me that's not in 445 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 3: your budget period, because that's the. 446 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 2: Real You don't even know how much you spend. 447 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, Like you know, it's like I'm just like, let's 448 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 3: do it. And sometimes I'd be telling the finance things. 449 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,439 Speaker 3: Don't tell me. Don't tell me how much I'm spending, 450 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:15,160 Speaker 3: except you see that it's gonna hit the bottom line 451 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,480 Speaker 3: like crazy. Then you'll be like they have it. Come 452 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 3: to Jesus moment easy. We want to talk to you, 453 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,640 Speaker 3: like I didn't want to hear you know, but being 454 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:25,919 Speaker 3: able to do that, being able to just think it 455 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 3: and do it is a blessing. There's only a few 456 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 3: people in this world that get to see their dreams 457 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,640 Speaker 3: come true, and I think it's one of the biggest. 458 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 2: No, I think that's great. 459 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:38,359 Speaker 1: And I love the idea of doing something that nobody 460 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 1: else because I haven't heard of that being done before. 461 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: You know, an our exhibition that will be moving to 462 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: these different you know, different places, different countries, and that 463 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: goes along with each song. 464 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so what happens with the arts? Do you 465 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 2: keep those pieces? 466 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 3: Or to be honest, I don't even know, Like I 467 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 3: have not thought that far. I've not It's like the 468 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,800 Speaker 3: first one of somebody came to the first exhibition and 469 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:04,679 Speaker 3: I was like, okay, if I want to buy this, 470 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 3: how much? And I was like, okay, I've not thought 471 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 3: about it. And he's like, you mean you're doing an 472 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 3: exhibition like you've not taught about Like it happens just 473 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 3: it's just we're just going stage by stage, you know, 474 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:23,399 Speaker 3: And that's the beauty of it all. And then we 475 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 3: decide by the time we do the final exhibition, will 476 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 3: decide what we do with it. But for now, The 477 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:33,240 Speaker 3: aim is for people to consume the music in a 478 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 3: three dimensional way. So you listen to the music, and 479 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,439 Speaker 3: you like the exhibitions. At the exhibitions, you put the 480 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,199 Speaker 3: headphones on, you listen to the music and interact with 481 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 3: the art. 482 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 2: That's amazing. 483 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 3: And then hopefully you could feel the energy and you 484 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 3: could see the same energy in the art, the same 485 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:53,639 Speaker 3: energy and in the music, and you you can experience 486 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:56,879 Speaker 3: Africa through that way, and you could experience my story 487 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,840 Speaker 3: through that way. So is it's really cool? 488 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: And with afrobeats and afropop as popular as it is now, 489 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: I saw with Rama and Selena Gomez them winning a 490 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: Grammy for Calm Down. What do you think about people 491 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:15,240 Speaker 1: who are not African making afrobeats and afropop? 492 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:18,280 Speaker 2: Is that still considered afrobeats. 493 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 1: If it's say, you know, I know there's features, but 494 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: what if somebody that was from somewhere else, you know, whatever, 495 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:26,360 Speaker 1: white person was like, hey this is my afrobeat song. 496 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:28,880 Speaker 2: Is that still considered I. 497 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 3: Mean, like that's a tough one. I've not talked about it, 498 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 3: but I have seen, like I've seen like some some 499 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:43,879 Speaker 3: like music from like Mexico, like from Colombia, like from Chile, 500 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,439 Speaker 3: even Spain where at least like I hear the beats 501 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,200 Speaker 3: and I'm like, hey, what song is that? Then is 502 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 3: afrobeat ball is you're singing it in Spanish. And there's 503 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:00,920 Speaker 3: been some that I'm like, oh, this specially really knows 504 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:03,159 Speaker 3: how to write it. And then there's been like some 505 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 3: I'm like, yeah, they know if he gets the divide properly, 506 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:11,879 Speaker 3: you know. But I think it speaks to the soft power, 507 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:15,879 Speaker 3: the African soft power that's happening right now. And the 508 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 3: first time I came into the US, I was watching 509 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 3: the TV and the first thing I saw was like 510 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:23,679 Speaker 3: a baby with flies on the face, and that was 511 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 3: the that was that was how a lot of people 512 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 3: were seeing Africa. That's that was the first way of 513 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,560 Speaker 3: hearing about Africa, or you're hearing true books. Starving kids 514 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 3: or terrorism. 515 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 2: I used to say that all the time. 516 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,120 Speaker 1: You know, there's kids starving in Africa, like when you're young, 517 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: if you're not eating your food here, they used to say. 518 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:42,359 Speaker 2: And then you're got. 519 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 3: Calling poverty point right, you know. But now you're experiencing 520 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 3: Africa and not through those lenses. You're experiencing the true 521 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 3: art and there's no judgment in art. It's like the 522 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 3: most judgment free place, you know. I can there's talks 523 00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:00,160 Speaker 3: about you know, I could see anything in my music 524 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 3: and his art. I can paint like. There's one of 525 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 3: the artists on this project, zinc By, and most of 526 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 3: his paintings are like he paints like balls, like balls, 527 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:17,359 Speaker 3: And it's like there's one painting where somebody has tied 528 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:20,960 Speaker 3: some balls and and I'm like, looking at him, isn't 529 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:22,680 Speaker 3: like crotum? 530 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 2: Okay, I just wanted to be clear now, basketball, but 531 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 2: you're talking about. 532 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 3: Like nuts, like like nuts, and he's just like yeah, 533 00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 3: It's like it's like the guy is in love and 534 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:36,639 Speaker 3: he's his knuts have been tied. 535 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:39,199 Speaker 2: Okay, I understand the thought of that. 536 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, And I'm just looking at it. And you know, 537 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 3: if if someone went if someone went like the press 538 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:50,920 Speaker 3: because they were swollen about to like bus and if 539 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 3: if if someone went on a press conference and he's like, yes, 540 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,080 Speaker 3: so what I'm going to do, what my my, my 541 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 3: my loved one has done is my scroll that sac 542 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:05,160 Speaker 3: has been has been like tied. You'd be like, what's 543 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 3: going on? But when you see it on the canvas, 544 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:10,439 Speaker 3: like there's no judgment. You just interact with it. 545 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:13,200 Speaker 2: And that's the beautiful thing about. 546 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 3: I'm going to show you the No, there's no, it's 547 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 3: like it's like you might not even notice that it's balls, 548 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 3: but once I saw that, like this is balls. I 549 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 3: never want to talk about balls or this interview but 550 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:34,200 Speaker 3: so confused. You know, that's that's legendary artists from Benin. 551 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:38,239 Speaker 3: But what I was saying is African selft power is 552 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,640 Speaker 3: you could interact. You could learn about African now through 553 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 3: the music, through the art, through the movies, through the people. 554 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:52,560 Speaker 3: You know, Marchine Square Garden for an African artist, maybe 555 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 3: you know whatever, and then you're with you're with African 556 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 3: people dancing and you're seeing real people, not truely learns. 557 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: Of Oh no, definitely seeing Bernaboy. I saw him at 558 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 1: the garden. 559 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:05,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, and when I. 560 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 2: Tell you that show was nowhere to move it was 561 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:09,440 Speaker 2: packed there. 562 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:11,160 Speaker 3: You go one and even. 563 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: Look and even having the opportunity to go there right, 564 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:16,160 Speaker 1: to go to different countries in Africa and to see 565 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:19,399 Speaker 1: what it's like and the experience is you'll be like, Okay, 566 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: this is nothing like exactly what people But I also 567 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: feel like that's been changing a lot. I feel like 568 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 1: decades ago, you know, people saw that, but now it's 569 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:31,480 Speaker 1: you know, we have the movies, we have reality shows 570 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,119 Speaker 1: that we could watch on Netflix, yeah, and see what 571 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:34,960 Speaker 1: it really is. 572 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 3: Like you're you're one hundred percent right, And that's why 573 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 3: like and I think, like for me, I'm more open, 574 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 3: Like I feel like art should it should be respectful, 575 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:48,480 Speaker 3: but art should build bridges, should connect people. And that's 576 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 3: why like I made the first I made the first 577 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:59,160 Speaker 3: afro beat like Latino song with with Yes, you know, 578 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 3: and for a lot of people, that's the first time 579 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 3: they were hearing that sound. And I didn't even know 580 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:07,960 Speaker 3: how big it was. We made a record in my 581 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 3: bedroom in London, you know, and produced by legendary bit 582 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 3: Nigerian producers. And one day I came to New York 583 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 3: and I went to some spot I was at some 584 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 3: party I can't remember, and the song dropped and everybody 585 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 3: was like, that's me, and like nobody even knew it 586 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 3: was me. I was like, I was like, Wow, that's 587 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:29,239 Speaker 3: my song, you know, and that's that's the beauty of 588 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 3: it all, you know. And maybe some people heard that 589 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 3: and got inspired by that. The only thing I'd say 590 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 3: is like, if you want to actually make an aphrob record. 591 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 3: You could reach out to the producers. There's so many producers, 592 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 3: so like do it the right way. But being there's 593 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:49,200 Speaker 3: nothing wrong with being inspired. But I challenged anyone to 594 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 3: make an aphrob record that they can play in a 595 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:55,239 Speaker 3: Legos club and people still crying. If you can't do 596 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 3: that then, but that's very hard to do. 597 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: And I want to talk about your investments in the 598 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: tech world, Yeah, you know, because I think that's something 599 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:07,239 Speaker 1: that first of I don't even know how you have 600 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 1: time to be able to do all of these different things. 601 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,440 Speaker 1: But you also have a tech company, right, yeah, so 602 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: talk to me about that. 603 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 3: So I have my fond it's called Zagada Capital, Okay, 604 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 3: And this was like me being board of music, like 605 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 3: after Coachella, Like I played the first day of Coachella. 606 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 3: I came down from the stage and I felt nothing really, 607 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 3: no happiness, no sadness. 608 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 2: That's a huge deal of us. 609 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 3: Yes, And it's like for somebody who never wanted to 610 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 3: be an artist, And like I've been doing music professionally, 611 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 3: so seventeen eighteen nineteen, like three years, my third year 612 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 3: in my career, I'm playing Coachella. 613 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 2: As in twenty nineteen twenty nineteen. 614 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:53,320 Speaker 3: And I felt I felt nothing, you know, And so 615 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 3: for me it was a sign I would either have 616 00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 3: to quit music and go do something else because that's 617 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 3: not good. That's not a good feeling to have, or 618 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 3: I need to post. Maybe I was experiencing the burnout 619 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 3: and when COVID hit, you know, I I sort of 620 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 3: got the It was the first time I passed, and 621 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 3: just trying to decide, okay, what would be the next move. 622 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 3: I had started in power, so I was getting to 623 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,360 Speaker 3: understand the music business. But I'll start of even listening 624 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 3: to music. So how can you run a music business 625 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:29,440 Speaker 3: without listening to music? So I just had my team 626 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,600 Speaker 3: handle that and I said, okay, you know, I've always 627 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:37,040 Speaker 3: wanted to be an entrepreneur. Now the music has given 628 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 3: me the access to people, the access to capital, and 629 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:43,320 Speaker 3: I'm like, okay, I'm going to go start my phone 630 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 3: like jay Z, you know, and what do I know 631 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 3: about investing. I'm like, yeah, we're going to figure it out. 632 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 3: I knew nothing about you, nothing about music. I ended 633 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:55,120 Speaker 3: up a corotella. I ended up like selling out shows 634 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 3: across Africa, across the world, so, you know, doing projects 635 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 3: with Beyonce for some that never wanted to be a musician. 636 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 2: So I'm like, yeah, two songs, and yeah, two songs. 637 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 3: I'm probably I don't know if any other person had 638 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 3: two songs y, I don't think so, or how many 639 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 3: people had two songs on that project. And the producers 640 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:17,440 Speaker 3: on those two songs were signed to publishing as well, 641 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:22,960 Speaker 3: so it was a true in house thing. So at 642 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,840 Speaker 3: that time, I'm like, Okay, I'm just gonna go do entrepreneurship. 643 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:30,239 Speaker 3: And from twenty twenty to twenty twenty two, I just 644 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 3: like went in and so starting my phone, invested in 645 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 3: a payments company that has become one of the biggest 646 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 3: payment API companies in Africa, presenting over thirteen countries. I'm 647 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 3: doing how do you. 648 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 2: Just figure that out? 649 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:50,880 Speaker 1: Like how do you because a lot of things, you know, 650 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 1: you're like, okay, you know I want to do this, 651 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 1: but I've never done it before. 652 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 2: I don't know how to do it. Like how do 653 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:57,600 Speaker 2: you just figure it by. 654 00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 3: Just doing it? 655 00:32:58,440 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 2: Just do it? 656 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 3: You just do it? And when it's when you're using 657 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 3: your own money, if you failed, okay, you failed, and 658 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:09,720 Speaker 3: you you cry or you learn something win and quickly 659 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 3: I don't payments and I was like, Okay, I don't payment, 660 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:17,640 Speaker 3: I don't music technology invested in Shobes. Shobes is the 661 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:21,520 Speaker 3: number one platform for buying aprobate tickets in the UK, 662 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 3: you know. 663 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 2: And I'm like, it's all tied together, because it all ties. 664 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:29,280 Speaker 3: Together, you know, and true that investment. When Shobes wants 665 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:32,240 Speaker 3: to collect payments in Africa, they could, they could collect 666 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:36,200 Speaker 3: payments via my payments companies. So I invest in stuff that. 667 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 2: Talk about three six connects. 668 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 3: You know. And now I'm investing in I'm investing in 669 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 3: like movies from from next year because we would have 670 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 3: our movies and the music in the movies will be 671 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 3: from the music label. Oh my god, who just sink? 672 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 3: And And when I went to do they have a course? 673 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:56,920 Speaker 3: I was there for a week and I was just 674 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:02,440 Speaker 3: learning the American echo system of entertainment and how big 675 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 3: and huge it was the first time I realized, and 676 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:08,799 Speaker 3: I'm like, yo, there's so much opportunity in Africa, and 677 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:10,600 Speaker 3: I'm like, this is what I want to do. And 678 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 3: music is it's like you go to a bar. You're 679 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:17,239 Speaker 3: at the bar, but the music is playing in the background, 680 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:21,320 Speaker 3: and sometimes the music becomes the loudest thing. But sometimes 681 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 3: music is just there for the vibe, right, And that's 682 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:27,719 Speaker 3: how I see my music. My music is there in 683 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 3: the room, is present, and sometimes it might be the 684 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 3: loudest thing that's making everyone dance, but sometimes it's just 685 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 3: there in the background. And I am an entrepreneur and 686 00:34:38,360 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 3: I've been lucky to have good people working with me 687 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:46,040 Speaker 3: and have good success investing in Africa. And I've also 688 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 3: you know, I'm like, okay, I'm also making songs that 689 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:52,520 Speaker 3: is playing in Mexico. My song was number thirteen, A 690 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:55,440 Speaker 3: song with j Above in Lento was number thirteen in 691 00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:59,759 Speaker 3: Mexico radio. And I invested in a company that does 692 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:05,280 Speaker 3: it does remittance based lending for people sending money from 693 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:08,120 Speaker 3: the US to Mexico. So if you send money frequently 694 00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:12,640 Speaker 3: to your family in Mexico, the AI uses that technology 695 00:35:12,719 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 3: to be able to offer loans to your family back home. 696 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,280 Speaker 3: And there's a wrong by an amazing woman. The business 697 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:21,560 Speaker 3: is called Paisa. 698 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 2: There's so much here. I don't even know. 699 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, he tells me. So I'm like this, if I'm 700 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:31,319 Speaker 3: making music, if I'm making music that they dance into 701 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:38,839 Speaker 3: in Mexico, I might as well invest. And you know, music, movies, culture, art, 702 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 3: fashion is having this thing. It's bringing Africans in the fold. 703 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 3: But also technology is doing that. And so I'm just 704 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:47,719 Speaker 3: learning to be honest. 705 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:50,799 Speaker 1: Wow, And so let's talk about the movies that you've 706 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 1: been investing in. So you have some already that are 707 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:55,839 Speaker 1: about to like talk to me about that. 708 00:35:56,280 --> 00:36:00,239 Speaker 3: Yeah, we just have so my partner around that, you know. 709 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:04,759 Speaker 3: She's so my partner is an actress. She's done for titles. 710 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:09,240 Speaker 3: One her first ever title became a Netflix original, went 711 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:12,479 Speaker 3: number one in thirteen or fourteen countries, her first ever 712 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:15,799 Speaker 3: role as an actress. And then she's she's had an 713 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:19,160 Speaker 3: Amazon Prime thing. She's just she's just finished shooting another one, 714 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:21,600 Speaker 3: and then she's done a stage play and she's going 715 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 3: to be running, you know, the the movie production arm. 716 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:29,319 Speaker 3: And I'm just going to be co producing with her. 717 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,400 Speaker 3: So I don't want to she always says, I'm I'm 718 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 3: telling people too early. 719 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 2: But you want to jump in front of the camera too. 720 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:39,360 Speaker 3: I've thought about it, like I need to have like 721 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:41,879 Speaker 3: an action role. I feel like, you like, I need 722 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 3: to be like the what's the name of Denzel Washington 723 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,719 Speaker 3: to equalizer, be the one, Like. 724 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:51,880 Speaker 1: I feel like anything you said you're going to do 725 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:55,840 Speaker 1: is going to happen. Yeah, tell me about the wedding planning. 726 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:56,920 Speaker 1: All right, So when. 727 00:36:56,800 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 3: Is the is your going personal? 728 00:36:59,000 --> 00:36:59,920 Speaker 2: Isn't the album personal? 729 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:10,320 Speaker 4: Actually hour was pressed the other date geez, Yes, no, 730 00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 4: maybe sort of like a season. Okay, not a specific date, 731 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:18,960 Speaker 4: but we have. I was saying it in our podcast 732 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 4: it's called the how Far podcast. 733 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:22,480 Speaker 3: I was we were talking about it and we did 734 00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:24,440 Speaker 3: let okay, we did let the cut out of the 735 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:30,640 Speaker 3: back to say we had started planning the wedding and 736 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:34,120 Speaker 3: looking forward to it. We're looking forward and it was 737 00:37:34,239 --> 00:37:37,359 Speaker 3: been Its been amazing, is you know, there's so much 738 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:42,120 Speaker 3: it's very our culture, your back culture around weddings. It's 739 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:46,279 Speaker 3: very it's a lot, you know, it's so beautiful and 740 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:50,520 Speaker 3: so having to do that. I remember going to my 741 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:54,400 Speaker 3: my girls grandma's ninetieth birthday. There was like five thousand 742 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:55,120 Speaker 3: people there. 743 00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:59,040 Speaker 5: Wow, so this is going to be and I was like, wow, 744 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:03,120 Speaker 5: that's that's your So imagine if like all those people 745 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:07,600 Speaker 5: who came, plus my own people, plus friends, plus friends 746 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:11,480 Speaker 5: plus artists, geez, will be having like a festival. 747 00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:13,200 Speaker 2: So yeah, you might as well make it that wedding 748 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:14,399 Speaker 2: festival might as well. 749 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 3: That's true, you know the wedding race and the wedding 750 00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:19,799 Speaker 3: race man, we will have it in like mind scene 751 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:22,480 Speaker 3: square guardians like put. 752 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:24,040 Speaker 2: It on the road and then you got. 753 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:26,480 Speaker 3: Somebody call me, let's make that happen. 754 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:27,959 Speaker 2: Sorry, I did not mean. 755 00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:33,160 Speaker 1: But no, honestly, congratulations for everything that you've been doing. 756 00:38:33,239 --> 00:38:35,520 Speaker 1: I mean I am definitely in awe of how you've 757 00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:37,920 Speaker 1: been able to come, you know, for some people, and 758 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:41,239 Speaker 1: I always feel like the the worst the service. 759 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:42,960 Speaker 2: You can do to yourself is to not try. 760 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:45,239 Speaker 1: And so from everything that you've told me, it's like, 761 00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:47,920 Speaker 1: just do it and figure it out. And because a 762 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,000 Speaker 1: lot of times people have ideas and they just don't 763 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:53,399 Speaker 1: do anything and then it just goes away or someone 764 00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:55,480 Speaker 1: else does it, or you think about what you could 765 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 1: have done. But it seems like when you have a plan, 766 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 1: you know whether or not you have to tone it 767 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:02,000 Speaker 1: down because it might be. 768 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:05,279 Speaker 2: Too big, and. 769 00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:06,960 Speaker 1: Then you have to figure out how to make it happen. 770 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:10,040 Speaker 1: You've been able to do that, and I think it's 771 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:11,880 Speaker 1: amazing to say I want to do this and then 772 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:12,920 Speaker 1: to actually do it. 773 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:14,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's huge. 774 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:17,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, And sometimes if you if you, if you sometimes 775 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:19,400 Speaker 3: you have a plan, you say you want to do this, 776 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:22,640 Speaker 3: and then you you what you started out thinking you 777 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:23,200 Speaker 3: wanted to. 778 00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 2: Do changes, And that's fine too. 779 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, just being flued with it because you just have 780 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,839 Speaker 3: you have one life, right, really, you just have one 781 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:32,839 Speaker 3: life and so just just. 782 00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:34,880 Speaker 2: Try all right, Well, I love it. 783 00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 3: Well. 784 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:38,919 Speaker 1: The Evil Genius album is October twenty seventh, your first 785 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:41,839 Speaker 1: official album. Definitely not your first project and the most 786 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:43,880 Speaker 1: personal one. So I cannot wait to hear this and 787 00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:46,520 Speaker 1: I appreciate us being able to sit down. Is there 788 00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 1: anything that you wanted to mention that we didn't talk about? 789 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:53,240 Speaker 3: No, I think we run through it's nice. 790 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:58,160 Speaker 1: What about this Disney of Africa? Yeah, I don't want 791 00:39:58,160 --> 00:39:58,600 Speaker 1: to miss that. 792 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 3: It's it's like just my idea from doing the Haard 793 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 3: cost to you know, it was the first time I 794 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:11,040 Speaker 3: like I realized that Disney was more than the cartoons. 795 00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:14,239 Speaker 3: You know. I started to see like there's the there's 796 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:18,880 Speaker 3: the music label, there's the team. Parks is really entertainment. 797 00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 3: You know, there's merch, there's the there's the app and 798 00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:26,640 Speaker 3: you know in Africa, in Africa that's like fifty four countries, 799 00:40:26,719 --> 00:40:31,319 Speaker 3: one point two billion people. There's what there's like I think, 800 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:35,440 Speaker 3: like three hundred million people in America and there's like 801 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:39,560 Speaker 3: two fifty million people in Nigeria. You know, there's so 802 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:44,080 Speaker 3: much opportunity, and like sixty seventy percent of the people 803 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:48,120 Speaker 3: back home are under the age of thirty. So you're 804 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:52,120 Speaker 3: you're saying, there's the immediate addressable market of like six 805 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:57,120 Speaker 3: hundred million kids that I just love entertainment, sports and 806 00:40:57,200 --> 00:41:01,120 Speaker 3: there's so much opportunity, and so you know, I'm like, 807 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:06,520 Speaker 3: that's the next thing to excite me, the the prospect 808 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:10,160 Speaker 3: of being able to touch sports, which I've started doing 809 00:41:10,239 --> 00:41:13,879 Speaker 3: by investing in boxing. Investing in football is. 810 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:14,880 Speaker 2: My favorite sport to watch. 811 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:18,080 Speaker 3: Oh for real, absolutely when I need to invite you 812 00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:22,920 Speaker 3: to one of the fights. From boxing to you know, 813 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:28,400 Speaker 3: investing in music like I've been doing, to movies and 814 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:33,040 Speaker 3: just to art, to African art, just African culture. And 815 00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:36,000 Speaker 3: so that's that's what I'm looking to do right now 816 00:41:36,040 --> 00:41:38,360 Speaker 3: with chop Life. So it's called chop Life. You know, 817 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:41,399 Speaker 3: I have the festival debti Rave my change the name 818 00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:44,640 Speaker 3: to chop Live Festival. You know, have the music, have 819 00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:47,759 Speaker 3: the movies. That's what I mean by the Disney of 820 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:52,680 Speaker 3: an African Disney like that cuts across entertainment and it's 821 00:41:52,719 --> 00:41:56,480 Speaker 3: a lifetime goal. So it's like now I've been like, oh, 822 00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:59,640 Speaker 3: that's something I can be doing for my whole Still, 823 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:02,919 Speaker 3: you can't get bored, Like how do I get bored? 824 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:03,279 Speaker 4: Right? 825 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:03,840 Speaker 2: You cannot? 826 00:42:04,160 --> 00:42:06,120 Speaker 1: And I love that you were rubbing your hands together 827 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:07,719 Speaker 1: like an evil genius the whole time. 828 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:11,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's that's the whole thing. It's like, oh, yeah, 829 00:42:11,960 --> 00:42:17,320 Speaker 3: the evil genius is about it. But yeah, just leaning 830 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:21,400 Speaker 3: to it, just have fun with it, and just go 831 00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:25,640 Speaker 3: with it the next express yourself. So it's a beautiful 832 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:29,799 Speaker 3: album for me. It's a very personal album to me. 833 00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:33,279 Speaker 3: It was almost too personal because I was like, am 834 00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:35,839 Speaker 3: I saying so much? Why am I? Why am I 835 00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:37,239 Speaker 3: pointing out all of. 836 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:40,640 Speaker 2: This therapy now since you said this was like therapy. 837 00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:43,839 Speaker 3: Yeah, Like after this, like finally, I'm like, oh, maybe 838 00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:46,680 Speaker 3: therapy will not be If I could dump this, I 839 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:49,120 Speaker 3: don't want. I was like, I couldn't. I could make 840 00:42:49,160 --> 00:42:52,839 Speaker 3: all my albums now be therapy. But you know, now, 841 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:55,719 Speaker 3: let me go, let me go, let me go, you know, 842 00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:59,440 Speaker 3: let me go somewhere where I can dump all of 843 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:01,560 Speaker 3: this because we go through a lot and it's just 844 00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:05,319 Speaker 3: at the back of our mind and having somewhere to 845 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:08,640 Speaker 3: go dump it entrapy, like not just dumping it on 846 00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:10,879 Speaker 3: your partner or dumping it on your mom and dad, 847 00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:14,320 Speaker 3: because they also have things that going through and having 848 00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:19,480 Speaker 3: an outlet where you could express that. It's part of ah, 849 00:43:19,719 --> 00:43:22,560 Speaker 3: it's part of our humanness. You know. There's an ague 850 00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:25,600 Speaker 3: that says it takes a village to raise a child. 851 00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:30,239 Speaker 3: It just speaks to community. That's one of the benefits 852 00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:33,440 Speaker 3: of community, having someone to talk to, right. 853 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:35,000 Speaker 2: And thinking about how that. 854 00:43:35,080 --> 00:43:36,799 Speaker 1: Like you said, other people would tell you there's certain 855 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:39,719 Speaker 1: songs you've done have really touched them, but it wasn't 856 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:41,279 Speaker 1: as personal as this. 857 00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:44,680 Speaker 2: Now this is gonna hit different. Yeah, people reach out 858 00:43:44,719 --> 00:43:47,360 Speaker 2: to you and they're like, I just went through that, yeah. 859 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:51,880 Speaker 3: And that's what I see happening. And I'm just blessed 860 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:53,960 Speaker 3: to the point where I feel like my music is 861 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:57,320 Speaker 3: also edifying me because it's been music for other people. 862 00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:00,880 Speaker 3: You know, I enjoy my music and play my music 863 00:44:00,920 --> 00:44:03,839 Speaker 3: a lot, but now it's music for myself. So now 864 00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:07,400 Speaker 3: when I hear every song, it takes me back to 865 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:11,280 Speaker 3: where it was and I feel proud to have gone 866 00:44:11,280 --> 00:44:14,240 Speaker 3: through that situation and come out on the other side, 867 00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:16,239 Speaker 3: which is beautiful? 868 00:44:16,680 --> 00:44:19,160 Speaker 2: Which song does the bar's painting go with? 869 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:20,880 Speaker 4: It? 870 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:23,719 Speaker 3: Went with the Personal Baby. I took that out of 871 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:27,160 Speaker 3: the album. So there's a song I dropped called personal Baby. 872 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:30,600 Speaker 3: I think it's the most underrated song ever released in 873 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:36,200 Speaker 3: the history of humankind. But yeah, that that song is 874 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:41,800 Speaker 3: called personal Baby, and and it was it was interesting 875 00:44:41,880 --> 00:44:43,319 Speaker 3: that he painted that. 876 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:45,279 Speaker 2: I'm going right to that. 877 00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:47,600 Speaker 3: So yeah, if you, if you, if you, if you 878 00:44:47,719 --> 00:44:50,120 Speaker 3: go on any platform right now and check out mister 879 00:44:50,239 --> 00:44:55,319 Speaker 3: Easy personal Baby, look at the cover art and and 880 00:44:55,440 --> 00:44:57,480 Speaker 3: tell me if you can see that as well. 881 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:00,560 Speaker 1: Yes, all right, well, thank you so much. I appreciate it, 882 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:02,239 Speaker 1: and I know we'll be checking back in with you. 883 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:06,240 Speaker 1: But again, mister Easy, you know he is the evil 884 00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:09,040 Speaker 1: genius clearly, but not evil. But he's just leaning into 885 00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:10,600 Speaker 1: that name because you. 886 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:11,800 Speaker 3: Know, why not. Why not? 887 00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:14,239 Speaker 2: It's the way you'll put angela ye 888 00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:17,359 Speaker 3: Way up