WEBVTT - Leon Thomas 0:00:01.960 --> 0:00:05.000 R and B Money. 0:00:05.559 --> 0:00:06.120 We are. 0:00:07.680 --> 0:00:14.360 Thanks, take the child. We are the authority on all 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:16.040 things R and B. 0:00:18.040 --> 0:00:21.560 Ladies and gentlemen. My name is Tank Town. This is 0:00:21.600 --> 0:00:24.560 the R and B Money Podcast, the authority on all 0:00:24.640 --> 0:00:25.959 things R and B. 0:00:26.160 --> 0:00:29.280 Yes, it is the Army Money podcast. What it is 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:31.600 you ful m? Yeah? 0:00:31.800 --> 0:00:34.880 We tap into the new generation. Yeah, the new sign 0:00:35.040 --> 0:00:38.320 a real way, the new gifts, new excellence. 0:00:38.440 --> 0:00:40.000 Yeah, you might have dreadlocks or something. 0:00:40.040 --> 0:00:41.280 You just see what I'm saying. 0:00:41.440 --> 0:00:43.120 I mean, die you tips. 0:00:42.800 --> 0:00:46.160 Like like what the brother we got on here now 0:00:46.800 --> 0:00:48.559 has been a superstar since he was. 0:00:48.479 --> 0:00:52.000 A childress man, it's been victorious. He's been victorious as 0:00:52.080 --> 0:00:52.839 a childster. 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:54.120 You understand what I'm saying. 0:00:54.400 --> 0:00:58.440 Now he's an adult child, yes, the children and now 0:00:58.520 --> 0:00:59.880 he's an adult yeh. 0:01:00.320 --> 0:01:05.280 He kicking everybody else makes some doors with and so 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:05.680 what's so? 0:01:06.160 --> 0:01:10.080 Yeah, that was an amazing intro. By the way, thank 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:10.320 you man. 0:01:10.360 --> 0:01:13.320 I appreciate your next album. 0:01:13.560 --> 0:01:14.400 I mean, if you can't. 0:01:16.840 --> 0:01:20.440 Listen, bro, First of all, thank you, thank you for 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:22.160 your time. You know what I mean. 0:01:23.319 --> 0:01:26.080 We know you are working man, that's what we do 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:28.400 know man, But thank you so much for having me. 0:01:28.680 --> 0:01:31.760 I've actually been watching the podcast. It's so fucking funny. 0:01:31.760 --> 0:01:36.000 I appreciate you, brother, and and you're we commend you, brother, 0:01:36.080 --> 0:01:40.160 because you know, this is a tough place to grow 0:01:40.280 --> 0:01:43.760 up in, absolutely a very tough place to grow up in. 0:01:44.280 --> 0:01:48.800 And and from the first time we've crossed paths, like 0:01:50.240 --> 0:01:51.680 you can tell that you were raised well. 0:01:53.600 --> 0:01:54.560 Shout out to my mama. 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:56.880 Yeah, you know, I mean, I just came from a 0:01:56.960 --> 0:02:00.720 really amazing musical tribe that just surrounded me with and support. 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:01.800 I mean, it's funny. 0:02:02.040 --> 0:02:03.880 I'm around a lot of artists and and and to 0:02:04.000 --> 0:02:07.080 hear that sometimes that parents weren't supportive early on, you know, 0:02:07.160 --> 0:02:09.160 it's kind of crazy to me because I don't know 0:02:09.240 --> 0:02:12.000 a world that that that isn't that. And I feel 0:02:12.040 --> 0:02:13.760 like really having God in my life too has really 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:16.040 helped just keeping smooth. 0:02:15.840 --> 0:02:20.360 You know, with with with with that in that parental space. Right. 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:23.400 Sometimes I think of it like this. 0:02:25.280 --> 0:02:28.720 As as most of us may bee, I know, our 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:32.200 first generation to this place, you know what I mean, 0:02:32.440 --> 0:02:37.520 And so our parents when you start talking about dreaming 0:02:37.720 --> 0:02:40.600 of this kind of life, right, they're like, what are 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:46.240 you talking about. Walgreens has some openings right now, Walmart, 0:02:46.320 --> 0:02:49.399 they're stalking boxes right now for twenty two dollars an hour. 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:54.600 There's no openings and artists, no artist, yeah, guarante opening. 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:55.920 There's an opening to be a superstar. 0:02:57.280 --> 0:02:59.359 It just doesn't. And so we're pulling this out of 0:02:59.360 --> 0:03:02.640 the air by big first generation. That dream sounds so. 0:03:04.480 --> 0:03:08.359 In a real life crazy right to most people, you 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:10.320 know what I mean. And the parents that you know 0:03:11.080 --> 0:03:16.720 haveven lived the crazy lifestyle, they just don't get it 0:03:16.800 --> 0:03:19.919 until they see it. And thank god, you know, you 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:24.120 were surrounded with parents and people who at least had 0:03:24.200 --> 0:03:27.960 the music. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, to nurture 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:30.000 you and get you prepared. As a matter of fact, 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:32.480 let's start there. Let's go back to the beginning. 0:03:32.840 --> 0:03:33.560 You know, it's crazy. 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:37.560 My grandfather just flew out yesterday and we were talking 0:03:37.600 --> 0:03:40.520 about just this whole journey in music, and he started 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:42.640 naming names of people that he was around. He was 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:46.320 talking about cab Calalle, he was talking about Miles Davis, 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:49.320 you know, he was talking about Leonard Bernstein. You know, 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:53.200 I mean this guy, he was an amazing opera singer 0:03:54.000 --> 0:03:55.200 in the nineteen sixties. 0:03:55.280 --> 0:03:57.280 And to be black and to be. 0:03:57.280 --> 0:04:00.560 Your grandfather, yeah, to be in that place he wasn't 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:04.520 in that place. Yeah, I was very special around that time, 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:08.120 John Anthony. Yeah. So, I mean every time he comes 0:04:08.160 --> 0:04:10.360 into town, and even when I traveled to New York, 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:13.320 you know, I spend most of my time just asking questions. 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:16.240 I mean, how did he stay saying through all of 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:19.160 the different changes and and and even being in a 0:04:19.200 --> 0:04:22.360 position where, you know, the civil rights movement was going on, 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:25.000 and and and genuinely having to kind of keep a 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:28.360 level head during so much climate, you know, just just 0:04:28.520 --> 0:04:30.599 just a wild climate at that time, you. 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:33.360 Know, yeah, because your reaction could at that time get 0:04:33.440 --> 0:04:33.800 you killed. 0:04:33.880 --> 0:04:38.400 It could get you straight killed. Yeah, So he was, Yeah, 0:04:38.480 --> 0:04:41.040 he was in a place where I mean, of course 0:04:41.080 --> 0:04:44.480 we know he belonged, but and I mean he was 0:04:44.520 --> 0:04:46.479 working with the Poor People's March. And he was telling 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:49.920 me a story yesterday about how James Brown came through 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:52.480 to do a free concert in this tenth that they 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:55.440 set up, and that's just so cool to me, Like 0:04:55.600 --> 0:04:58.120 he was really chopping it up with James Brown back 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:00.400 in the day, like you know, at his this because 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:02.120 I mean whenever he comes through and he's in my car, 0:05:02.160 --> 0:05:04.240 I always like to play like some old school funky 0:05:04.360 --> 0:05:05.120 you know, just kind. 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:05.600 Of vibe out. 0:05:05.680 --> 0:05:08.360 But yeah, so so let's go back to the beginning 0:05:08.480 --> 0:05:13.000 to where you know, you as all things that you are, right, 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:17.640 somebody was like, man, boy right them, I'm telling you, right, dad, 0:05:17.680 --> 0:05:19.719 if it's gonna be something, or even when you said 0:05:19.760 --> 0:05:23.560 to yourself, I think I think I got something special. 0:05:23.800 --> 0:05:27.440 Well it it's a pretty crazy story because I was 0:05:27.560 --> 0:05:30.320 ten years old and my mom, she's also a singer 0:05:30.360 --> 0:05:33.880 as well, and you know, she was doing a really 0:05:33.960 --> 0:05:37.480 cool show and took me to a rehearsal and her 0:05:37.520 --> 0:05:39.320 friend was like, you should audition for the Lion King, 0:05:39.440 --> 0:05:42.400 And that was my first ever audition. I went in 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:45.120 and you know, you should audition for the like well, 0:05:45.160 --> 0:05:47.240 I mean I was just a charismatic kid, you know, 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:50.280 running around and it was a rehearsal, so I'm like 0:05:50.400 --> 0:05:53.719 kind of humming and singing and just being you know, myself, 0:05:54.240 --> 0:05:57.840 and you know, I ended up doing the audition, got 0:05:57.920 --> 0:06:00.479 the first audition, and ended up doing Bray at ten 0:06:00.600 --> 0:06:03.400 years old. And for me, like to go from just 0:06:03.480 --> 0:06:06.240 being a regular kid to like, you know, starring on 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:09.760 Broadway in front of like four hundred people packed house 0:06:10.839 --> 0:06:13.200 and seeing the reaction of of of the you know, 0:06:13.240 --> 0:06:14.800 people in the crowd. I mean, you can kind of 0:06:14.839 --> 0:06:17.240 see behind the lights, but for the most part, I 0:06:17.360 --> 0:06:20.440 just remember seeing, you know, the front row and just 0:06:20.480 --> 0:06:22.200 seeing the joy on people's faces. 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:24.280 That was the moment where I knew. I was like, Okay, 0:06:24.440 --> 0:06:24.640 this is. 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:28.160 I was doing at that time four but I did 0:06:28.200 --> 0:06:30.920 three Broadway plays in three years, so the other ones 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:32.920 I was doing, I was doing like eight shows a week, 0:06:33.600 --> 0:06:36.240 and you know, once I kind of got into the 0:06:36.880 --> 0:06:39.719 space of theater, it just made a lot of sense, 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:40.000 you know. 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:42.000 Shout out to Linda Twine. 0:06:42.120 --> 0:06:43.680 She was a musical director for a lot of the 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:46.040 big plays at that time, and she went way back 0:06:46.080 --> 0:06:48.040 with my grandfather too, so there was like a bit 0:06:48.120 --> 0:06:50.360 of a family aspect to it. So it kind of 0:06:50.360 --> 0:06:52.360 felt like fun. It was like a playground for me. 0:06:53.000 --> 0:06:56.320 But Broadway is no joke. You got to you gotta 0:06:56.360 --> 0:06:58.200 show up. You got to show out. 0:07:01.000 --> 0:07:01.960 As well at this time or not. 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:04.040 You know, I'm going to school, I'm waking up. I'm 0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:04.680 going to school. 0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:07.600 Uh you know, I do my homework in the afternoon 0:07:07.680 --> 0:07:10.600 and I'm you know, going backstage and I'm doing the show. 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:12.440 I'm waking up and doing it all over again. Sometimes 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:14.200 I would have a mattenee on Wednesday. I would get 0:07:14.200 --> 0:07:18.120 a half day, got to do homework backstage. It was 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:18.720 pretty crazy. 0:07:18.760 --> 0:07:20.680 I should have been homeschooled at that time, but I 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:22.160 was still in public school, just doing me. 0:07:22.880 --> 0:07:25.960 So, so how is how is I mean I was 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:28.600 never in school and famous, So how is it being 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:32.920 in school and being on Broadway at the same time? 0:07:33.040 --> 0:07:37.680 Your kids know that yeast. 0:07:37.320 --> 0:07:40.040 In that age group was fourth fifth grade? Yeah, do 0:07:40.160 --> 0:07:41.200 they even know what Broadway is? 0:07:41.280 --> 0:07:45.080 They don't, So, like, you know, for the younger years, 0:07:45.680 --> 0:07:48.920 I'll say, like middle school, it was kind of just 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:51.560 like whatever. It wasn't until I started doing like movies. 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:54.840 I did a film with Robin Williams called August Rush 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:59.040 and whould you do the film with Robin Williams? Yeah, yeah, 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:06.240 gen Terrence Howard was in that film to man, yeah, 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:10.440 so like and and that one still like it took 0:08:10.560 --> 0:08:12.480 like two years for it to come out. So I 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:13.880 was telling my friends like, yea, you're gonna see me 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:15.640 in the movies and they were like, I ain't gonna 0:08:15.640 --> 0:08:18.240 see you no, you know, so it's still that element. 0:08:18.320 --> 0:08:20.520 And you know, being in Brooklyn too, you know, it 0:08:20.640 --> 0:08:23.160 was just such a grounded situation. You know, I was 0:08:23.200 --> 0:08:26.440 going to a very public school, Like it wasn't one 0:08:26.480 --> 0:08:29.880 of those fancy, you know, art schools or anything. So 0:08:30.000 --> 0:08:32.320 I really got a lot of balancing. My friends were 0:08:32.320 --> 0:08:35.560 always very supportive, and I think once the Nickelodeon stuff 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:38.959 started happening, I noticed going on the train was different, like, 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:40.679 you know, people kind of looking at me, or even 0:08:40.720 --> 0:08:43.000 going to school and people treat me different than they. 0:08:43.000 --> 0:08:45.760 Did before on Nickelodeon and still taking the train to 0:08:45.800 --> 0:08:46.400 school and doing. 0:08:46.320 --> 0:08:47.040 The whole man. 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:49.560 Yeah, I mean I'm not going. 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:56.240 I thought I was about to get robbed. 0:08:57.559 --> 0:09:00.880 Who is what you got on? 0:09:01.000 --> 0:09:01.040 You? 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:02.480 Some checks ain't come in? 0:09:04.520 --> 0:09:07.079 Yeah, yeah, bro, just trying to make you know what 0:09:07.320 --> 0:09:08.480 you got on be What's that. 0:09:12.040 --> 0:09:12.360 Did? Bro? 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:13.160 Like the first couple of. 0:09:13.160 --> 0:09:15.200 Times I got recognized, I really thought I was about 0:09:15.200 --> 0:09:17.599 to get ribbed, but it was all love and that 0:09:17.760 --> 0:09:18.680 was a cool thing I felt. 0:09:18.720 --> 0:09:23.079 Started realizing that the thugs watching Nickelodeon, Yeah, they. 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:24.360 Really watch Nickelodeon. Man. 0:09:24.400 --> 0:09:29.800 At this point, I'm definitely getting to like, guys don't 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:34.160 necessary necessarily hot know how to soften up to show love. 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:37.560 So it's aggression either way, you know what I'm saying. 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:43.360 It all feels the same robbing or salute. You're getting pressed. 0:09:45.400 --> 0:09:48.360 I have to learn that early, right, Dudes would be 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:51.840 looking at me and I'm like, what did you looking 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:54.520 at it? Nigga? I love your music, nigga. 0:09:56.559 --> 0:10:01.120 Okay, okay, well thank you man too. Maybe I deserved Nigga. 0:10:01.120 --> 0:10:02.320 That's some good ship nigga. 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:05.400 Yeah, maybe a small brother, something like just a little. 0:10:05.520 --> 0:10:08.200 So it took me a while just to get used 0:10:08.240 --> 0:10:11.800 to that and to be more welcoming. You know what 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:13.280 I'm saying, Somebody looking. 0:10:13.120 --> 0:10:14.480 Like this, what the brother? How you doing that? 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:17.280 I definitely took time. I'm really from Brooklyn. 0:10:19.559 --> 0:10:22.200 My daughters. My daughters grew up in New York. They 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:25.760 came up in Harlem and so my my oldest went 0:10:25.800 --> 0:10:26.360 to p p A. 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:28.559 S Oh yeah, yeah, very school. 0:10:28.760 --> 0:10:31.520 She went to Harlem School of the Yards. She was 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:34.080 on the Metropolitan Opera. Wow, you know what I mean. 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:37.920 So they was catching the train early. I was like, 0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:39.520 I was like, so where are you going? We're on 0:10:39.600 --> 0:10:42.920 the train. You're barely a teenager. 0:10:44.000 --> 0:10:46.720 I mean it's just you know, how you get around. 0:10:46.720 --> 0:10:49.480 I've never been on the train in New York. Really 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:52.520 how to do it? At least my son made me 0:10:52.640 --> 0:10:54.520 do it. Yeah, my son made me do it because 0:10:54.520 --> 0:10:56.800 he said that's what the ninja turtles were. He was 0:10:56.920 --> 0:11:00.400 he was younger, older now he put on blast. But 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:02.079 you tho you got. 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:06.080 I mean it. 0:11:08.640 --> 0:11:12.600 Is a little that's funny. 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:14.120 We're probably not gonna see him. We go see a 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:15.920 drunk nigga dressed up as a turtle. 0:11:17.600 --> 0:11:18.920 With green handy holds. 0:11:19.760 --> 0:11:21.680 Get different, No, it's definitely different. 0:11:21.800 --> 0:11:25.079 What is that about you as you are in New Yorker? 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:29.959 What is it about the train that makes niggas get 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:32.160 and I'm not saying niggas in terms of just men 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:35.600 women and just get wild and beside themselves. 0:11:35.679 --> 0:11:36.680 What is that about? 0:11:37.040 --> 0:11:39.680 Well, first off, there's like six million people smacked into 0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:43.040 this very small location. So you're dealing with all types 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:46.440 of cultures and you know, mental health issues, all being 0:11:46.520 --> 0:11:49.920 crammed onto a very small train. You know, it's it's 0:11:50.000 --> 0:11:52.600 very possible that's's gonna get rial, but we want. 0:11:52.480 --> 0:11:56.560 To do It's always there. That's the that's the meetings 0:11:56.800 --> 0:12:01.320 like I mean it, maybe that's the meeting spot. It's active. 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:05.839 You've done whatever you've done in your job all day 0:12:06.440 --> 0:12:07.560 and maybe you had enough. 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:10.240 You get on the enough. 0:12:10.480 --> 0:12:12.839 That's really what it is. You're tired and you're dealing 0:12:12.880 --> 0:12:13.720 with a lot of bullshit. 0:12:13.840 --> 0:12:16.880 Man, yeah, it got enough. I just don't I just 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:18.920 don't want to be on the train and. 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:22.199 That crack off and that crack off plenty of fights 0:12:22.200 --> 0:12:27.679 because I'm not I'm zero to a hundred, right, I'm 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:29.760 going straight to a hundred because I want to get 0:12:29.800 --> 0:12:30.360 off the train. 0:12:31.160 --> 0:12:33.319 Word, but you ain't going nowhere. 0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:34.720 You go into the next stop. 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:38.040 I want to make this Listen. I'm the epitome of 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:40.360 it's gonna be you or it's gonna be me. 0:12:41.200 --> 0:12:46.800 You heard you. I'm getting off this train. I'm gonna try. 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:52.320 You just had like a limb. I possess a certain 0:12:53.600 --> 0:12:59.679 certain kind of skills. HiT's me. But I'm getting off. 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:03.920 I'm just prepared just in case. I know, I got 0:13:03.960 --> 0:13:07.520 some movies coming up. You know what I'm saying. They 0:13:07.600 --> 0:13:08.920 might need a you know what I'm saying, they might 0:13:08.960 --> 0:13:09.880 need an evil guy. 0:13:10.720 --> 0:13:13.880 So, so how is Nickelodeon for you? How is that experience? 0:13:14.160 --> 0:13:16.360 It was a real process, you know, because I think 0:13:17.280 --> 0:13:21.120 Nickelodeon uh signed me to a development deal at like 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:24.079 thirteen years old. So I had a record deal and 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:26.200 they were developing a TV show around me. And at 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:28.240 the same time, I was doing the show on Nick 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:30.640 Junior called The Backyard Agains, which is like a huge 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:34.840 show international, right, So there was all these big meetings. 0:13:34.920 --> 0:13:37.760 It kind of felt like the corporate swoop up, you 0:13:37.840 --> 0:13:39.719 know what I'm saying, And it was it was a 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:42.199 really interesting thing to finally, you know, be in a 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:45.400 position where you know, I knew that I was gonna 0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:49.040 actually be on TV in multiple different shows and and 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:54.560 you know, they they kind of fostered my career from 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:57.040 a very early age at that time because of the 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:59.480 movie August Rush. I also got a three picture movie 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:04.000 deal with a Warner Brothers that was at thirteen, and 0:14:04.480 --> 0:14:06.480 so like there was like this big moment with like 0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:09.400 corporate structures kind of saying like we believe in your talent, 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:11.720 we know that there's something there and we're gonna build 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:12.400 something around you. 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:14.080 The writers strike happened. 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:17.120 I had three years where I couldn't do anything, no movies, 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:17.840 no TV shows. 0:14:17.840 --> 0:14:20.040 Strikers, Yeah, the Strikers for three years. 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:24.640 So from you know, I want to say thirteen to fifteen, 0:14:25.600 --> 0:14:27.040 there was just kind of a bit of a lull 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:31.080 and they found a show, and it was done by 0:14:31.480 --> 0:14:33.880 this executive producer, Dan Schneider, who did like all the 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:37.400 big shows at that time, Keenan and Kel, car Lee, 0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:41.880 you know, just just huge shows. So I was really 0:14:41.920 --> 0:14:44.600 looking forward to to being on one of his, you 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:46.640 know shows, because Keenan and Kel for me as a 0:14:46.680 --> 0:14:49.360 black kid watching you know kids kind of look like me, 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:51.680 you know, kind of be goofy and fun was just 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:55.400 so tight. And you know Dan really opened, you know, 0:14:55.480 --> 0:14:58.400 open his doors creatively, and you know let me kind 0:14:58.440 --> 0:15:00.560 of be on one of his biggest shows, Victoria, which 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:02.960 I got to work with a young Ariana Grande and 0:15:03.000 --> 0:15:06.040 and just kind of be around like the who's who 0:15:06.160 --> 0:15:08.120 of like who's going to be next in our young 0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:11.320 Hollywood at that time, And moving my family from New 0:15:11.400 --> 0:15:15.160 York to LA to pursue that you know three at 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:19.720 sixteen sixteen, Yeah, whole family, I mean, and you know, 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:22.440 the network knew that I was based in New York 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:25.280 and we're willing to put something in my you know 0:15:25.480 --> 0:15:27.480 contract to make sure that I can move my family 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:29.400 with me because I needed that. You know, can't move 0:15:29.440 --> 0:15:32.480 to Hollywood at sixteen in that situation and not be corrupt. 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:36.200 So I was like I needed my family, like, we 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:40.000 need we need some home cooked meals and some strong discipline. 0:15:40.400 --> 0:15:43.720 Years old, some money in my Yeah, I was about 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:46.800 to go bro like, and I had other friends who 0:15:46.840 --> 0:15:49.480 were roommates, you know, no parents around, Like they would 0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:50.760 definitely have a lot of fun. 0:15:50.920 --> 0:15:55.360 Out of you get these you have this three picture deal? Yeah, 0:15:55.760 --> 0:16:01.000 you got this TV show? What do you buy? Did 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:02.240 your mama let you touch some of the cat? 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:04.520 I'll be completely honest with you. I was a very 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:05.080 humble kid. 0:16:05.120 --> 0:16:07.280 The way that I looked at it was, you know, 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:10.640 my parents had sacrificed so much of their personal business. 0:16:10.720 --> 0:16:13.520 They were running a very successful club date band at 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:16.440 that time, which meant they were doing like huge weddings 0:16:16.480 --> 0:16:19.360 for billionaires and you know, opening up for Shaka Khan 0:16:19.640 --> 0:16:21.680 and all these really cool people. And they really put 0:16:21.680 --> 0:16:23.320 a lot of their stuff on pause to be able to, 0:16:23.760 --> 0:16:26.400 you know, travel, Like I did a tour in Los 0:16:26.400 --> 0:16:29.160 Angeles and San Francisco with one of the Broadway plays 0:16:29.200 --> 0:16:31.320 and was doing TV shows and always had to fly. 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:33.320 So my mom really put their business on hold. 0:16:33.840 --> 0:16:33.960 You know. 0:16:34.520 --> 0:16:36.640 I decided I was like, you know, anything that came 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:40.080 in from this time period, yo, that's that's for y'all. 0:16:40.440 --> 0:16:43.200 Let me just take a fifteen percent, you know, mark 0:16:43.280 --> 0:16:45.320 and just put that away for college or if I 0:16:45.360 --> 0:16:47.960 want to start a business at eighteen or nineteen. And honestly, 0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:49.560 I want to just kind of live below my means, 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:51.480 you know, because I just saw a lot of my 0:16:51.560 --> 0:16:54.760 other friends, you know, they got they little chat. It 0:16:54.880 --> 0:16:56.400 was just like it kind of got real, you know, 0:16:56.560 --> 0:16:58.560 mom and his bands and this and here's that, and 0:16:58.640 --> 0:17:01.840 I was just like I I saw them also fall 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:05.119 off after a certain point. You know, watch that Ben's depreciate. Like, 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:07.240 I saw a lot of things happen that didn't really 0:17:07.280 --> 0:17:10.480 make sense to me. And I knew just also from 0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:13.800 doing some research watching documentaries like how I needed to 0:17:13.880 --> 0:17:16.160 move in order to kind of get out of this unscathed. 0:17:16.600 --> 0:17:21.920 Wowright, bro, Wow what I'm. 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:23.800 Clack for that, because that's amazing for you to have 0:17:24.119 --> 0:17:27.800 that type of foresight to see, like, you know, I'm 0:17:27.840 --> 0:17:30.720 not the first one that this has happened for nah. 0:17:30.760 --> 0:17:35.560 And this is yeah, see what turn that route exactly? 0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:37.359 You know what I'm saying, Like I'll end up you know, 0:17:37.480 --> 0:17:40.440 in you know, in a situation. 0:17:40.280 --> 0:17:43.680 Absolutely me, absolutely so you know at that time, you know, 0:17:44.119 --> 0:17:46.480 my mom was trying to start a couple different businesses. 0:17:46.520 --> 0:17:47.720 You know, I was trying to see how we could 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:49.720 maybe you know, pivot some of the money into some 0:17:49.800 --> 0:17:51.359 of the things you're trying to build as well as 0:17:51.640 --> 0:17:53.880 even for me, you know, saving money for my artist 0:17:54.000 --> 0:17:56.160 career as well. And you know, I was really getting 0:17:56.200 --> 0:17:58.080 into production a lot, because I mean they were putting 0:17:58.119 --> 0:17:59.920 me when I was in New York. I was working 0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:04.119 like Bob Power and Oak and Toby Gadd and like 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:06.720 all these really great songwriters and producers, and I really 0:18:06.720 --> 0:18:08.520 fell in love with the process of making music. 0:18:08.920 --> 0:18:11.680 So a lot of my money went towards like gear 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:12.520 and stuff like that. 0:18:12.800 --> 0:18:15.160 Just to kind of like have something that kind of vibe, 0:18:15.200 --> 0:18:16.920 you know, it's something I could kind of pay me 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:18.480 back later on hopefully what you did. 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:24.600 And yeah, that's really really. 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:27.359 Dope, man, because, like I said, people just don't they 0:18:27.400 --> 0:18:28.840 don't understand. 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:31.439 That this is truly a marathon. 0:18:31.840 --> 0:18:35.399 It is a marriage, and I'm yeah, I have to 0:18:35.480 --> 0:18:36.480 be able to survive it. 0:18:36.600 --> 0:18:39.560 I've seen so much, man, And I mean I've also 0:18:39.640 --> 0:18:43.119 seen some amazing you know, like victory stories, you know, 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:45.560 like seeing people really get across the finish line and 0:18:45.960 --> 0:18:47.800 really be able to just like do what they gotta do. 0:18:47.920 --> 0:18:50.400 I mean, me and Keiky we started at the same time. 0:18:50.440 --> 0:18:52.480 We were some of the only like young black faces 0:18:52.960 --> 0:18:54.840 you know, doing our things. So I mean to be 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:59.480 able to see her key Palmer, I'm sorry, Palmer me, 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:05.119 but like we were in similar situations where we were 0:19:05.320 --> 0:19:07.080 really doing a lot of what we were doing to 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:10.920 also support the families that were supporting us as well. 0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:11.320 You know. 0:19:12.160 --> 0:19:16.040 Wow, yeah, that's great. That's great, bro. It's just like 0:19:16.560 --> 0:19:22.120 I'm a perfect example of what not to do. I'm perfect. 0:19:22.320 --> 0:19:23.720