1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 2: This is kind of weird. 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 3: Well it's gonna be great. Welcome you mean the weirdness 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 3: of those those two guys in the corner. 5 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 4: No, everyone, we're good. 6 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: All right, let's go kids. Here we go. 7 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 5: Supprimo sub primo, roll sup Primo, Sun sub Premo, roll 8 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 5: sub dream Primo, roll sub cream Supremo. 9 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: My name is quest Love. Shut up. 10 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, So, ladies and gentlemen, uh, this is another episode 11 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 3: of Quest Love Supreme. I'm your host, Quest Love. I 12 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 3: hope you are doing fine. We have a fan Takeolo 13 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,959 Speaker 3: and Laya and and Sugar Steve and on pay Bill. 14 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 3: And our guest today is the Emmy winning director in film. 15 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 3: Why y'all looking at me like there's a far tell 16 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 3: you alright, knows what time it is. My name is Spante, 17 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 3: so nice to meet you. Don't got the coat jam 18 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 3: but it's Lisa, Lisa. 19 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: My name is Sugar Glad. We're not on zoom Yeah, 20 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: wop out of lubob Yeah, wop. 21 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 6: Him on. 22 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 7: My mom? 23 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: Pay Bill and what the what? Let's talk to the 24 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: fruity and take it in the butt. 25 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 2: It's like, yeah, and I'm losing my mind. Yeah, I 26 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 2: am everything. That's music doc of my time. My name 27 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:21,239 Speaker 2: is and I can't rap, but I'm a director and 28 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 2: I'm gonna tell you about some little ripe. 29 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: I know why you left the rap label. 30 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 2: I'm sorry I was I didn't know. 31 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 3: Actually, I agree with you. It's one of the most 32 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 3: important Yo. No for a ladies and gentlemen. Walking to 33 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 3: another Quest Love Supreme episode. All right, how are you 34 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 3: guys doing doing? 35 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 6: Good? 36 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:55,959 Speaker 1: Man? Yo, we had a field trip. I got to 37 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 1: make a butt tex rhyme. 38 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 3: I'm good, Hey, yo, man shot yo unpaid building doing 39 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 3: some amazing ship. 40 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 1: Come on, yeah, straight up? 41 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 3: Man, Even though he got You're definitely gonna e got 42 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 3: all right? Right, No, first jam Band had showed us 43 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 3: on YouTube. 44 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:13,839 Speaker 7: Kids. 45 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 3: It's like my favorite kids show since Yo Gabba Gabba. 46 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 3: It is perfectly made for people that like to get 47 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 3: high and watch television shows. 48 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 4: Also featuring Fonte and like, yeah, yeah, yeah, she's. 49 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 7: Killing as the book Yeah I meant to give you. 50 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: So yeah. 51 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 3: So jam Van is great, and then his show and Juliette, 52 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 3: which is on Broadway. We saw it last night at 53 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 3: the Stephen Sun Theater. I'm not a musical person at all. 54 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 3: Like ever, I was worried. 55 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 7: That was my first Broadway show ever, first Broadway show, 56 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 7: not my first play. 57 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 3: I mean I've been to play. I got Culture and Ship, 58 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 3: but like I sain't never been on Broadway. You've seen 59 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 3: some Sunday plays, you know what I'm saying. 60 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 8: Come on, I seen Mama and the Burning Up the Chicken, 61 00:03:55,000 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 8: and y'all see Short the Box with whatever. But no, 62 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 8: a Juliette bro we had a wonderful time, man, great time. 63 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 8: It's the music of Max Martin. 64 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 3: So it's like all like the Backstreet Boys Ship and 65 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 3: Weekend and brit Britney Britney. 66 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: That way and the way they used it. Yeah, I 67 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: was like, yo, that was that was clever. 68 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, and everybody the Backstreets Back, that sh it was funny. 69 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 3: There's gonna be well. I don't want to spoil it, but. 70 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: But no, man, wait, can I ask a question though? 71 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: When you hear Backstreets Back? My prerogative? Oh not even damn. 72 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: I didn't even give to that. 73 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,159 Speaker 3: I was going to say, are there any other thoughts 74 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 3: in your mind when you hear Backstreets Back? 75 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 7: Nah? 76 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 3: Okay, it's only me only because that song is literally 77 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 3: the reason why Kel's got a guilty plea because you 78 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 3: know his whole thing of saying that you know. 79 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: C G I or you know whatever, like that was 80 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: make me or whatever. 81 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 3: But apparently someone has t r L on in the 82 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:12,280 Speaker 3: other room and it was a Halloween episode. 83 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 1: I guess that that song debuted on as a. 84 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 6: Halloween costumes and the videos and stuff, right, and. 85 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: So I guess you can hear in the background like 86 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: special Halloween. There's a world premiere of Backstreets Back but no, no, no, 87 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 1: no no. 88 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 3: So it's almost like every time I hear that song, 89 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 3: I think like, wow, this is the song that finally, 90 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 3: after years and years, is what got call. 91 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 7: I did not know that. Yeah, that was a deep dive. 92 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,479 Speaker 7: I won't be thinking of that when I hear that song. Sorry, 93 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 7: I'll just be doing that. Man, Like great job man 94 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 7: the music show. Like we had a wonderful time. 95 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 4: Man, glad you guys got to go. 96 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. 97 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 4: It was amazing, cool and that was your experience last night. Fantastic. 98 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:56,279 Speaker 4: I went to see New York New York just Open 99 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 4: on Broadway, uh with John Deeler and Linn Miranda, and 100 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 4: it was wonderful. He's in it No, he just wrote 101 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 4: some additional lyrics. 102 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: Okay, I got it. 103 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 4: I got I saw Vanessa Williams though, who I believe 104 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 4: worked with our guest here, and that was quite a night. 105 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 2: Vanessa L. Williams Sure, okay, right? 106 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: Oh yeah yeah, and I got to rhyme about a butt. 107 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:18,920 Speaker 4: So I'm happy. 108 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: It's a good day. I feel you, beatiful, yo. 109 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 3: Our guest today is I mean winning director, film producer, 110 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 3: and she's part of the team that brought us Oh Precious. 111 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: Wait, can I ask, how's life are you? 112 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 2: I was just messing with you. Go ahead, ask your question, boy, whose. 113 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 1: Idea was it to make? 114 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 7: Like? 115 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 3: Why it wasn't just simply called Precious and not Precious 116 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 3: a film adaptation? 117 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 1: Yes, I asked that was your idea? Yes? 118 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 6: Why? 119 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: Why was that? 120 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 2: Precious was the character? But the source material was so 121 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 2: important and I wanted to make certain that that connection 122 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 2: was there at the end of the day. Shorten it, 123 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 2: yeah if you want, But I wanted people to connect 124 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 2: to the book that you know, back in the nineties 125 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 2: on the subway going to Brooklyn, everybody was reading Push. 126 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 2: So based on the novel Bye Push. 127 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 3: At thirty Rock, that's always been like an inside joke 128 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 3: where people will never say Precious. They'll be like, oh, 129 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 3: you're talking about Precious based on the novel, by push 130 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 3: and by like literally, they'll give the whole biography or 131 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 3: description of the book. 132 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: And I was like, why do you guys keep saying that? 133 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: And I guess it's them. 134 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 2: Like also, because if it was just going to be Precious, 135 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 2: I didn't think that gave enough. We worked on that 136 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 2: film for so long to get Sapphire to give us 137 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 2: the rights option it, to develop it, to write the script, 138 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 2: to have one director, to then have Lee step in, 139 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 2: to have cast the main character, and four weeks before 140 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 2: we're gonna start shooting, Lee's like, we have the wrong person. 141 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 2: I'm like, oh, no, we have the right person, because 142 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 2: we're gonna start shooting in four weeks. And then we 143 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 2: went out and we found Gabby Sidibe. So there's such 144 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 2: a deep, deep history. We worked on it forever as 145 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 2: she was she was the right person, but they let 146 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 2: me introduce our guests first. 147 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: Wait, I know that anyway. 148 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 3: There's also the Apollo Theater documentary, which she was part 149 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 3: of the production team. She also directed Remixed Hip Hop Times, Fashion, 150 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 3: All Right, Got It, and Before her Life in film. 151 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 3: She was an exec at Mercury and Deaf Jam. Very 152 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 3: interesting story of how we're connected. Well, we'll talk about 153 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 3: that later, but I will say that her newest film, 154 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,679 Speaker 3: which I will go ahead and say an instant classic, 155 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 3: and that's not Questlove, hypercole or over exaggeration, which of 156 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 3: course world famous for it. 157 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: But I will say that it is an immensely what 158 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: you just called yourself world famous for exaggerating, which was. 159 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 3: I will say that it's an immensely powerful and important film, 160 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 3: especially where we are today in terms of erasure, in 161 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 3: terms of understanding that all people are in a monolith, 162 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 3: that we're we have different spectrums and different cultures and 163 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 3: different aspects of our lives, and you know, and basically 164 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 3: the freedom, the fight. 165 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 1: For the freedom to be free. 166 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 3: And I guess we had quest of supreme want to 167 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 3: do everything in our power to amplify this very powerful documentary. 168 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,559 Speaker 3: Of course I'm speaking of Little Richard the well the 169 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 3: full title, because of course. 170 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 1: No it's called Little Richard. I am everything. Ladies and gentlemen, 171 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: welcome Lisa Cortel. 172 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 2: I just want to say it's so good to see 173 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 2: you all. I listen and I thought these are my 174 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 2: imaginary friends, and they're real. There's no going. 175 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 3: So before I get to your story, I have to 176 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:23,960 Speaker 3: say that you are very, very very key and instrumental 177 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 3: in my career. 178 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:26,679 Speaker 1: I don't know. 179 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 3: Do you remember a conversation that you had with Richard 180 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 3: Nichols right when? So assuming that your years at Mercury 181 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 3: you were part of the Kenyata Bell ed Eckstein Dave gossip, Yeah, 182 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 3: rejection demos, that's my favorite line. 183 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 1: So do you remember the story of our the connection 184 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 1: with the roots of Mercury Records? 185 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 2: Yeah? 186 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: All right, Well one I want to ask what happened 187 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: the day after? 188 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:54,199 Speaker 3: So I've told this story millions of times, but the 189 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 3: shortest version is, you know, we started busking on the 190 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 3: streets in nineteen ninety two of the actually all of 191 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 3: nineteen ninety three, we start fishing for a deal, winds 192 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 3: up into I won't say it, bidding more, but we 193 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 3: damn near went to every label, and then at the 194 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:15,079 Speaker 3: last minute Mercury was going to be that label. And 195 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 3: then the way that I believe the story was when 196 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 3: either Kenyada Bell's assistant sent us the contracts because of 197 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 3: our intricate spelling of our names. Three of the group members' 198 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 3: names was misspelled, and our lawyer was like, well, instead 199 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 3: of you guys initially it, tear this up and have 200 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 3: them send back new contracts with your name spelled correctly. 201 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 3: And Kenyata Bell's assistant, I was supposed to send new 202 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 3: contracts the next day and she forgot to do it, 203 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 3: but not to worry. Look, I'll send it on Friday 204 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 3: and then you guys will get it, you know, Monday 205 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 3: and sign. But that Saturday and Sunday is when Wendy 206 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,080 Speaker 3: Goldstein decided to throw a hat in a ring. Now, 207 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 3: we had no intentions on signing with Get From Record 208 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 3: because we're like this rock label. 209 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 1: They don't off of staff. 210 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 3: We're good, but we wanted the free dinner, like we 211 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 3: liked the whole whining and dining courting part of getting 212 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 3: a record deal. 213 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,559 Speaker 1: So thus, you know, we did the steak and lobster thing, 214 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: We're three to go and all that ghetto shit. 215 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:20,679 Speaker 3: And then just to mess with her Rich and I 216 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 3: decided to call her Bruff and we just literally like 217 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 3: just started naming everything like you know, we want you know, 218 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 3: pathminder and three apartments and da da da da da 219 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:32,959 Speaker 3: da da da da da long story short or longer Sunday. 220 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 3: Our lawyers like, uh, she agreed to everything you guys 221 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 3: asked for and more. And then we're like, but we 222 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 3: told Kenyata Bell we're going to sign the Mercury Records, 223 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 3: and you know, the price was way different because you 224 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 3: know how much rap labels were paying back then, and 225 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 3: Rich basically had to break the news to you guys. 226 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 3: Kenyada was severely depressed about this, and I believe he 227 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 3: also spoke to you. He said, Lisa Cortez told us, Hm, 228 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 3: get from records. I hope y'all take racial sensitivity training 229 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:10,559 Speaker 3: over there. And I was like, wait, what does that mean? 230 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:15,679 Speaker 1: Rich? And we found later found out in the longest 231 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: twenty year lesson. 232 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 7: Of the longest fuck around and found out ever. 233 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 3: Literally and so whenever the bullshit happens, we always used 234 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 3: to joke. 235 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: Lisa Cortez told us this is going to happen. 236 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 3: So do you know, like what was the aftermath of that, 237 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 3: because you know, we should have signed to that label, 238 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 3: Like you guys took us to the Legion. 239 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,359 Speaker 1: I think the Legion was shooting a jingle jingle, jangle wow. 240 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 7: Everything literally, like we. 241 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 3: Went to the jingle jingle said, we met dress and everything, 242 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 3: We're like, oh shit, we're going to be stars, you know. 243 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 2: And then you know, so I remember when you guys 244 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:58,319 Speaker 2: did a showcase for us. Yeah at s R, Yes, 245 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:04,599 Speaker 2: like on fifty something something kind of proxidity and it 246 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 2: was fantastic. I was the VP and I had hired 247 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:12,079 Speaker 2: all those guys like Dave Gossip had gotten fired a 248 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 2: deaf jam and I was like, come over and work 249 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 2: with me. And you know, Kenyatta came in and I 250 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 2: didn't know this thing about the spelling stuff. See that's 251 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 2: the thing when you give the keys to the car 252 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 2: to the kids, Like sometimes they don't tell you stuff that. 253 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: You know. Our parents were naming us like you know, 254 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 1: it's like I. 255 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 2: Don't do that. 256 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: Twelve names. So yeah, you know. 257 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 2: I do remember though, telling Kenyatta that because you know, 258 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 2: I wanted to do the deal and I wanted to 259 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 2: support my team because if somebody came to me and 260 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 2: like Lisa, we have to sign, we have to and 261 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,360 Speaker 2: they had so much passion, they had a vision. I 262 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 2: saw you guys. I knew the long tail that we 263 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 2: could make an investment in. And when I heard you know, 264 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 2: and it's like, I just always blame it on the managers. 265 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 2: I'm like, who's the manager who like the ship go down? 266 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 2: But with grace, you know, I was Connecticut. 267 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: He said, you did it very Claire Huxtables, like the 268 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: very stern. 269 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 2: Hmm, motherfucker. But I love you, bless you and so. 270 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 2: But I was just like, I also as an executive, 271 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 2: saw different spaces, and I knew Wendy Goldstein had a 272 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 2: great heart and she was there. But the ecosystem, the 273 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 2: bigger ecosystem you were going into. It was like, you know, 274 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 2: when working for Ed Eckstein, and the Ed story is 275 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 2: really interesting how we connected. But you know, he was 276 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 2: the president. A black man was the president. He let 277 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 2: all of us do our thing, you know. Like I 278 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 2: got a tape from Red Alert. It was the Black Sheep. 279 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 2: I was like, I want to sign them. It was 280 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 2: a real jankie tape too. But I was just like, 281 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 2: I really like these kids from North Carolina, let's do it. 282 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 1: He was all. 283 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 7: I was like, I didn't know why Stanford. 284 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 2: I did not know that. 285 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 5: Yeah. 286 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 2: I got a tape on a spoken word artist, Reggie Gaines. 287 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 2: I was like, I want to do a spoken word record. 288 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 2: He's like sure I would produce, didn't sign Regie Gaines. 289 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, no, We're always. 290 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 2: Kind and gentle. So when all of this happened, I 291 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 2: just was like, yes, they should be here. But more importantly, 292 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 2: I'm a prayerful person, so I was like, I'm just 293 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 2: praying that the right people besides the one A n 294 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 2: R person who loves this group, is going to come 295 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 2: on board, because I know how that happened, like I 296 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 2: would love things and I could not get the rest 297 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 2: of the company on board. And then and you know, 298 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 2: like Buju, I worked with Boujious for so many years, 299 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 2: from signing him to finally getting to tell Shiloh, and 300 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 2: there was a lot of resistance. You know, when you're 301 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 2: the sole A and R person in the woods going 302 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:14,880 Speaker 2: they're the best, they're the greatest, come to the show, 303 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 2: Let's do this at retail. Come on, let's get him 304 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 2: on this tour. And everybody's going, you know, when's the 305 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 2: new X record gonna drop? It's it's very disheartening. 306 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 8: Were you did you sign el Al Scratch as well? 307 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 8: M okay, yeah, how did that come about? 308 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 2: I think that might have been someone might have been 309 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 2: Bernadette Williams who's my assistant? And then she became an 310 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 2: A and R person. You know, I did a record 311 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 2: a label deal with DJ Pooh because I had known 312 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 2: Pooh from you know, back in my days before. And 313 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 2: I think, if we're going to Mercury, the most interesting 314 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 2: thing talking about Vanessa Williams is when I was at Rush, 315 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 2: I started a company there called Rush Producer Man RPM, 316 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 2: and I represented you know, the Bomb Squad, Eric Vietnam, Sadler, 317 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 2: Larry Smith, Sam Sever. 318 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:13,119 Speaker 1: The jam Master, Jason Williams, and so. 319 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:15,440 Speaker 2: The late great Gary Harris. 320 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: Ah. Gary. 321 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 3: You know, every conversation I ever had with Gary was 322 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 3: always like I don't even know how to visually describe, 323 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 3: but he'd just be like one of those cats that 324 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,440 Speaker 3: would always cover his mouth like uh, like it's it's 325 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 3: a casino, like yeah, like the is watching the right 326 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:37,640 Speaker 3: right right, But he'd be like, yo, this kid named 327 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 3: DiAngelo like whatever. 328 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: It was part of the D'Angelo team at Emi. But 329 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 1: he was at Mercury first. 330 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 2: Well, he was friends with Ed. He never went there. 331 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,160 Speaker 2: So Ed had Wing records, and he had Tony Tony Tony. 332 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:53,399 Speaker 2: He had Vanessa. They were trying to blow her up 333 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,680 Speaker 2: and Gary said Joe, you need to meet Cortez. She's 334 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 2: working with all the hot hip hop producers. So Hank 335 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:04,159 Speaker 2: Shockley Bomb Squad did a remix of the Right Stuff, right, 336 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:08,639 Speaker 2: and then I Edward was in California. He would come 337 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 2: to New York. You know, we'd take him to Nels, 338 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,119 Speaker 2: we take them to the Fever, you know. And so 339 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 2: I knew all the people out there, the producers, you know. 340 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 2: I would sleep in the studio at Green Street, like 341 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:25,200 Speaker 2: when we did Ice Cubes first album, the Bomb Squad. 342 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 1: You were there to witness that. 343 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, Jesus, I'm a hip hop zelig. 344 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: All right. You were born in Connecticut, Yes, all right, 345 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 1: So what was your first musical memory? 346 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:42,679 Speaker 2: Okay, I was born in Connecticut, but I grew up 347 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 2: between Connecticut and Harlem. So I always liked to put 348 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 2: that on the map because I'm you know, I'm kind 349 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 2: of like Green Acres. I'm like the city and the country. 350 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:52,800 Speaker 3: I can tell already this is gonna be my favorite 351 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 3: interview of this whole entire series, Like, oh, she just 352 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,679 Speaker 3: has an energy first memory. 353 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:02,400 Speaker 2: I'm down on my knees. I'm begging you please, cause 354 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 2: I'm busted. Ray Charles, Yes, Ingredients and a recipe for soul. 355 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 2: My mother would play that like three times and the 356 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 2: house would be She had these records she would play 357 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 2: to clean the house and she'd be like, I buy 358 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 2: him three times and the house will be clean. So 359 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 2: that was one, and then Dinah Washington this Bit of Earth, 360 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 2: and then there'd be an occasional show too. So I 361 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:33,920 Speaker 2: love musicals. I don't, said the man on his way 362 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 2: to it Eco. 363 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 3: I mean, can I ask a question, speaking of Busted, 364 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:42,199 Speaker 3: have you ever heard this version of Ray Charles doing Busted? 365 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 3: And then someone walks on the stage to suck a 366 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:47,440 Speaker 3: punch Ray, because I guess Ray. 367 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 1: Slept with this woman. 368 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:53,160 Speaker 3: Like literally, they're going and he's going through the verse 369 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 3: and then all of a sudden, you know the the bands, 370 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 3: you know, like on television when they messed up, like 371 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 3: literally that moment and someone's. 372 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: Like you a dog. You're a motherfucking dog and racist, 373 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 1: like bless your hearts, someone, someone come and get this 374 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: gentleman off. 375 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 2: Fuck you dog. 376 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: Why'd you do that to her? You dog? You dirty, 377 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:15,120 Speaker 1: disgusting dog. 378 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:19,200 Speaker 3: And then something did you hear like dog dog, someone 379 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 3: please come get him off me? And my part was like, wait, 380 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,159 Speaker 3: why is the band letting Rachel's get beat up like 381 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:31,399 Speaker 3: that speaks more than because they knew, right, And so 382 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 3: you hear them dragging him to him off like fuck you, Raychel, 383 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 3: and you hear him like out the door, and I blessed, 384 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 3: blessed this kind of hard all right, two three? 385 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: And then literally you never heard that, never never. 386 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,680 Speaker 3: That's like my favorite thing, next to like Freddie Ubbert 387 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 3: cursing out the band and Buddy Rich Germany. 388 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, sorry, Well, you know it's funny when 389 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:59,679 Speaker 2: you were vamping there. I think for a kid, they're the. 390 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 6: Right. 391 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 2: Even though I didn't know the lyrics, I love the melody. 392 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:09,159 Speaker 2: So I think that's why I always remember that so 393 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 2: strongly as at musical memory, and just how it motivated 394 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 2: my mother to get the house together. 395 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 1: You know, that's called I learned that. I learned this 396 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 1: this morning. Okay, I'm doing the slide movie. 397 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 3: It's called Counterpoint, where oh damn, Bill just literally came 398 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 3: alive like rum hello, I know you have to get 399 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 3: music nerdy. 400 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 7: I like it. 401 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:32,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, Counterpoint, I guess. 402 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:32,719 Speaker 6: Uh. 403 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 4: Well. 404 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 3: Sly also took advantage of this well where Ray has 405 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 3: a gospel bass, but the melody is more like a 406 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 3: nursery rhyme, So it's sort of like, you know, the 407 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,360 Speaker 3: the Rece's theory of mixing chocolate and your peanut butter 408 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 3: and that sort of thing. So sometimes people intentionally write 409 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:55,360 Speaker 3: songs where, you know, some super funk like Slide will 410 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 3: do something super funky with the drums and the bass, 411 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 3: but the horns and the melody will be like no, no, no, no, 412 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:08,639 Speaker 3: like play schoolyard ship mixed with funk and knowing that 413 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 3: that's how you get the kids and the music heads together. 414 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 2: So can I ask you a question? Yes, did he 415 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:17,120 Speaker 2: sleep with Doris Day? 416 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 1: All right, so that's one of the most asked questions 417 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 1: of this thing so far. 418 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 2: He was like, what are you talking about? 419 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:27,360 Speaker 6: So far? 420 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: I have four no's and two yes's, and the nose 421 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:31,920 Speaker 1: might have it. 422 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 3: However, dars Day's son, who was like Slies engineer doing 423 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 3: that there's a ride going on, was also his Well, no, 424 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:41,360 Speaker 3: they Sly live across the street from the Beverly Hill 425 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 3: Billy's house. 426 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: This is when they went to bel Air. But turn 427 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: it real like hood. 428 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:51,680 Speaker 3: Dars gave Sly her BMW and I guess that's how 429 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:53,840 Speaker 3: that rumor came. 430 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:56,399 Speaker 1: But Sly every every interview sly sort of. 431 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,440 Speaker 3: Sinuated like, yeah, you know, dars Day gave me this BMW, 432 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 3: so you know, they're like, wait, are you dating dars Day? 433 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 1: I don't know. Am I dating dars Day? So I 434 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: don't think you know. 435 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 2: You know Sarah everybody you know I'd be in the 436 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:13,680 Speaker 2: Beauty Paul with my mother and then people be like, okay, 437 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 2: Sarah cy Doris Day. 438 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:19,879 Speaker 3: But the thing was, I looked in seventy three and 439 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:25,920 Speaker 3: I was like, okay, so slies twenty nine, Dars's forty four, 440 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 3: and I looked at her in seventy three, and I'd 441 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 3: be like, all right, that motherfucker hit. 442 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: So like, would you give anyone your BMW just for that? 443 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 4: So hello talk. 444 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:39,360 Speaker 1: Yeah. 445 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 3: So there's one person that can put their life on 446 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,159 Speaker 3: the fact that they believe they slept together, But the 447 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 3: rest of the band's like, nah, I think he was 448 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:52,400 Speaker 3: just lying. Right If that's and that was this day 449 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 3: after the song you want Me to Stay, that's never 450 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 3: that fus. Yeah, I told you she knows how a 451 00:24:57,480 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 3: rabbit hole just like the best of us. What was 452 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:00,640 Speaker 3: the first concert you went. 453 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:06,120 Speaker 2: To Stevie Wonder opening for The Supreme. 454 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 1: I thought you said the Rolling Stones, because I was like, 455 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: what were you doing there? 456 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 2: They couldn't find a babysitter. 457 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,760 Speaker 1: Come on, come on, how old old were you? I 458 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,119 Speaker 1: was like, four, man, do you have memories of it? 459 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: Or is it fit? 460 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 2: Here's It was at the Bowl, the Bowl in New Haven. 461 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:29,920 Speaker 2: It was it was outdoors, it was the summer, and 462 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:35,240 Speaker 2: Stevie kept he did like fifteen encores and I just 463 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 2: remember my mother going, you know, I really came to 464 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 2: see Diana Ross and the Supremes and I was like, 465 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 2: I was like, I like this man. 466 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 1: I like him. So your mom was just like I 467 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 1: was a little opening at kid. 468 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, she grew to love him, she could love him. 469 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 2: And then I had a very memorable concert with the 470 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 2: Jackson five with my mother and father, and that famous 471 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 2: memory is it was at Madison Square Garden and my 472 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 2: father at like all these screaming kids and my father's like, 473 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:12,639 Speaker 2: that's when the Horn and Hearted Automatic restaurant was right 474 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 2: across the street. There wasn't you know the train station 475 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 2: all that. My father's like, I'll be in the Horn 476 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 2: and Heart it having some tapioca pudding because you. 477 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: Want to come. 478 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 2: He couldn't take it. It was just like all these 479 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 2: you know, prepubescent girls screaming be like. 480 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:32,200 Speaker 3: A parent today at a BTS concert, Like, I don't 481 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:34,439 Speaker 3: want to see that, so let me I'll be across 482 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:36,119 Speaker 3: the Harry restaurant right. 483 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:38,439 Speaker 1: Exactly what did your parents do for starting? 484 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 2: My mom was an aircraft engineer, and my dad, who's 485 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 2: an immigrant. He's from Columbia, South America. 486 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:47,479 Speaker 3: Uh. 487 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 2: He was a rebel, radical and a businessman. 488 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 1: In in my back of my mind, I was trying 489 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:55,360 Speaker 1: to Okay, let me figure out where. 490 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 2: Okay, so the whole Pacific coast Afro Colombian. Are you fluent, Lisa? 491 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 2: Do you speak of Spanish when I need to cust 492 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 2: somebody out? And where's the bathroom? I mean, I think 493 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 2: those are the most important language. 494 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,439 Speaker 3: Skills to have, but not busting people, because my favorite 495 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,399 Speaker 3: thing is when I've hung with people that people might 496 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:18,680 Speaker 3: think like, oh, they're black or some whatever, and they'll 497 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:20,439 Speaker 3: talk shit and then. 498 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:25,840 Speaker 2: Right and then and then you go uh and then 499 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:27,120 Speaker 2: they go right. 500 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:33,200 Speaker 3: Exactly, we everywhere, baby, So when when was the moment 501 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 3: that you were like, I want to get in the industry. 502 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 2: Nine years old, I convinced my mother to let me 503 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 2: go to the children's Theater Workshop, which was a dance 504 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 2: school run by Miss Connie, and they put on many musicals. 505 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 2: I'm trying to get on your next show, and so 506 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,360 Speaker 2: we did Gypsy. So you can imagine, you know, from 507 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 2: three year old kids to teenagers doing once. I was 508 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:06,440 Speaker 2: a Schleppa, now a miss Mazeppa, you know, like, because 509 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:10,159 Speaker 2: Gypsy is a musical about a stripper, and I had 510 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 2: been very it. 511 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:13,160 Speaker 1: Was you want to be in that musical? 512 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 2: I was, I do it all the time? 513 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:18,639 Speaker 1: Wait, I didn't know that. 514 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:24,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, Stephen Sondheim. And it's the story of Gypsy Rosalie 515 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:27,880 Speaker 2: and how her sister was going to be the star 516 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 2: and their mother pushed the sister forward and then the 517 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 2: sister ran off with one of the dancers because it 518 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,919 Speaker 2: takes place in the vaudeville time, and then Gypsy they 519 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 2: end up in a shitty show and the mother's like, 520 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:42,440 Speaker 2: you're going to be an exotic dancer, and Gypsy goes 521 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 2: on to become one of the famous vaudeville strippers. 522 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 1: Time. I was in this play in like fifth grade 523 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:50,920 Speaker 1: and didn't realize how many kids. 524 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:51,240 Speaker 6: In these plays. 525 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 2: I don't understand what we'll doing this play. 526 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 1: This kid's a performing art. 527 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 3: Well, at my school, it was like from first grade 528 00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:59,240 Speaker 3: to twelfth grade, so it was the older kids, but 529 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 3: they found like roles for like the elementary kids to 530 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 3: play in. 531 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:04,920 Speaker 2: So I didn't really did show Boat. We did Mame, 532 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 2: we did Gypsyme. 533 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was Vied Charles's assistant. Well, my sister played 534 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 3: via Charles and I had to. They made a role 535 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 3: for me Bullet Cherry. 536 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 7: I did hair in high school. I was hood. 537 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: Were you naked? Fuck? Okay? Then you didn't do hair? 538 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 7: Yeah, I mean it was a very a very tame down, 539 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 7: Republican version of air. 540 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:28,960 Speaker 1: But I did it. 541 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 2: You were here, you were bald. 542 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 6: Yeah. 543 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 7: I grew my hair out. But like they wouldn't let 544 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 7: us do all the new all that, we wasn't doing 545 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:36,400 Speaker 7: that shit plays. 546 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 2: So I found my voice. I went my mother, get 547 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 2: your grades up. I got my a's, and I auditioned 548 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 2: and discovered that I could sing, and then I loved 549 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 2: movement and performance and connecting. Fast forward this summer I 550 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 2: was fourteen, when everybody rebels, I locked myself in my 551 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 2: room and I just listened to Ella's Gershwin songbook Cole 552 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:03,680 Speaker 2: Porter songbook. 553 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 1: I just not heat waved, not. 554 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 2: Of course Evelyn Champagne King, you know, I mean my 555 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 2: father's playing Celia Cruise. I mean there was a lot, 556 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:20,280 Speaker 2: a lot of music. And I also read the back 557 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 2: of albums and I was like, who is this mixer? 558 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 2: I just I you know, I would bathe myself in music. 559 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 3: You found bath you said rebelling, So in my mind, 560 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 3: I'm like, oh, okay, this is when like she discovers 561 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 3: bad brains or sex pistols or the ramos, and I'm like, GIRs, 562 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 3: when your parents dream but your. 563 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:46,320 Speaker 2: Pears are like, what the And then I discovered hip hop? 564 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: What was your first hip hop record? 565 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 2: I'd say it's it's rappers Delight? 566 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,040 Speaker 1: How are you when rappers the like came out? I don't. 567 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 2: I don't talk about age younger than springtime? 568 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: I got it? Okay, So how do you nuance your 569 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 1: way into was Maroon era? Depth jam? You're a deaf 570 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 1: jam or black label def jam? 571 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 2: You're Jenia, No, I'm Maroon, I'm nineteen eighty six. 572 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: Tell me everything about it. 573 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:18,360 Speaker 2: Okay. This is one of my favorite How do you 574 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 2: get in the music business when you have no connections? 575 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 2: So I went to Yale and when I was there, 576 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 2: I had this incredible group of friends. One of them's 577 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:32,080 Speaker 2: sister named Lisa Jones Mary baraka Starter. 578 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. 579 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:34,959 Speaker 2: We were just these young, feisty kids and we were 580 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 2: working on a magazine that Lisa was putting together. She 581 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 2: was part of that great crew at the Village Voice 582 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 2: at that time, and she wanted to do a magazine 583 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 2: called Diva d'cooning. I was into hip hop, and I 584 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:49,360 Speaker 2: was like, I want to write about women in rap. 585 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 2: So I talked to her stepsister, Dominique diu Prima, you know, 586 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 2: in the in the Bay. I talked to the sister 587 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 2: Tequila Mockingbird, who was kind of in the punk scene 588 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:05,440 Speaker 2: in Los Angeles. And I really loved this article. And 589 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 2: a friend of mine who worked at Spencer Beck worked 590 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 2: in Interview magazine, and I told him about this article 591 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:14,600 Speaker 2: and I was like, I'm really excited about because nobody 592 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 2: knew there was women in rap. And so he said, 593 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 2: you should go talk to Bill Adler. He is the 594 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 2: publicist at def Jam. So I just called and Bill said, 595 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:28,120 Speaker 2: come on in. So I'm just chatting with Bill. He's 596 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 2: the most amazing, giving, knowledgeable person. And a guy across 597 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:36,680 Speaker 2: the room said, who did you talk to in LA 598 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:40,479 Speaker 2: And I said, oh, tequila, Mockingbird. That guy was Lee 599 00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 2: or Cohen. So two weeks later, what are you doing? 600 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 2: So Tequila shows up in New York and I bring 601 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 2: tequila to the office. I'm a good baker. I made 602 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:57,480 Speaker 2: this ginger cake and I brought my resume and we 603 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 2: all hang out body ba and Jimmy Spicer was the receptionist. 604 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 2: What Jimmy Spiser never picked up the phone with the 605 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 2: different calls because he'd be chatting some woman up, So 606 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 2: I didn't get the job. 607 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: Wait you stop. 608 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:15,120 Speaker 3: This is the second time that we've heard the story 609 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,400 Speaker 3: of someone charming the deaf GM staff to nuance a 610 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 3: job via pastries. Because you also remember Kevin Lyles with 611 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:26,680 Speaker 3: his girl, you know, his chew money. Every morning at 612 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 3: six a m. Would buy everyone orange juice, and le 613 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:32,000 Speaker 3: Yor was like impressed, Like this guy's clean up the 614 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:34,840 Speaker 3: office and buying us donuts and that's how he got 615 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 3: Like Russell was like, get away from you, kid, But 616 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 3: pastries timeout, Jimmy. 617 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 1: Spicer's dollar bill. 618 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:45,920 Speaker 2: What So I'm this kid. 619 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 1: Love when he does voices. I have to say that. 620 00:33:56,720 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 2: Oh yes, So I keep trying to, you know, roll 621 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:06,520 Speaker 2: up in there and you know press them, and you know, 622 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,880 Speaker 2: it was pretty chaotic, but it was also very small. 623 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,879 Speaker 2: There was not that many people there. And I've went 624 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 2: to a Luther Vandro show. I conned my way into 625 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 2: the party backstage because you know, you just got you 626 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,480 Speaker 2: got to get in, or actually you just need to 627 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:24,359 Speaker 2: make a whole. You don't even fit in, you make 628 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:29,080 Speaker 2: a space. And I run into Leor, who was friends 629 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:34,000 Speaker 2: with Shep Gordon, who was Luther's manager and ll Cool J. 630 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:37,319 Speaker 2: And I walk up to Leor and I go, hey, 631 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:39,719 Speaker 2: you remember me. I gave you my resume on the 632 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:42,440 Speaker 2: good paper. It was like the heavy weighted paper. It 633 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:45,520 Speaker 2: was cream color, that matter. And he said, well, you 634 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:47,840 Speaker 2: know what I actually need someone, I need an assistant. 635 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:48,239 Speaker 1: Call me. 636 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 2: So I keep calling, calling, calling, and then I got 637 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 2: him on the phone one day and I said he 638 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:56,840 Speaker 2: picked up because Jimmy Spicer was talking to some woman 639 00:34:57,120 --> 00:34:59,799 Speaker 2: and did not pick up the phone. And I said 640 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 2: to Or, you know, I don't really know if you 641 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:07,480 Speaker 2: know you'll like me or I'll like you, but I'll 642 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:09,839 Speaker 2: come and work for you for half a day for free. 643 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:14,000 Speaker 2: And then half a day turned into five years a lifetime. 644 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 7: Wow. 645 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:20,320 Speaker 3: So from eighty six to ninety one. Wow, okay, so 646 00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 3: licens Bill was about to start to come out. 647 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:22,839 Speaker 2: Yep. 648 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 1: I was there when original concept is definitely yeah. 649 00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:30,759 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I was there when we mentioned to ninety 650 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:34,279 Speaker 2: eight Elizabeth Street, right when Chuck came in and met 651 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:40,360 Speaker 2: with mister Bill Bill Stephanie and uh, you know they 652 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:42,839 Speaker 2: signed the Public Enemy. What is leear like then? 653 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:44,919 Speaker 6: Because the lear are we like, no, now, it's such 654 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,960 Speaker 6: a big personality and he was. 655 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 9: He was he was big, yeah, and look you know 656 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:54,840 Speaker 9: what he so he was always that person like the 657 00:35:54,920 --> 00:36:00,360 Speaker 9: way that people a flower, Yeah, the way people imitate Laurens. 658 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:04,360 Speaker 9: That like Lauren and Leo are the two most imitated 659 00:36:04,480 --> 00:36:08,120 Speaker 9: execs that I know, But they always have a sort 660 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 9: of disapproving father and untouchable. 661 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 6: They're untouchable, like it feels like in ways right they 662 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 6: sit and glad like you can touch Lauren, but Leon 663 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 6: and laurna in that way kind. 664 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 1: Of I know, softer in leor now like Leo. 665 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 2: Is like he's more right right, right, So it's that 666 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:26,600 Speaker 2: Bali effect from Russell. 667 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:28,960 Speaker 3: Let me ask you at the time, because I know 668 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:33,560 Speaker 3: that it's hard, like I'm such a history buff, but 669 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 3: you know, I think people don't appreciate something until like 670 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:40,560 Speaker 3: time has passed, like five years later or ten years later, 671 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:42,680 Speaker 3: you're like, wow, I was really part of the team 672 00:36:42,719 --> 00:36:44,880 Speaker 3: that brought one of the biggest hip hop records selling 673 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:46,560 Speaker 3: records to the world, like Licensed. 674 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:48,359 Speaker 1: To Ill or you know that sort of thing. 675 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:54,520 Speaker 3: But like for you though, is are you recognizing that 676 00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:58,600 Speaker 3: history is being made on the spot or was it 677 00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:00,399 Speaker 3: just like man whatever? 678 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:03,800 Speaker 2: They became my family because the crazy thing is the 679 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 2: first week my dad died when I was fifteen, and 680 00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:09,360 Speaker 2: the first week that I went to work there, my 681 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:14,959 Speaker 2: mom died. Oh and you know this small group from 682 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:20,080 Speaker 2: Russell le Or, Heidi Smith, Bill Adler, Simone who was 683 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:26,239 Speaker 2: our receptionist, Bill Stephanie. They you know, they took care 684 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:29,440 Speaker 2: of me. They loved me. I remember one day I 685 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:32,759 Speaker 2: got mugged and Eric b and Rock him. They came 686 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:35,040 Speaker 2: to the office and they heard like I was like, Lisa, 687 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:37,399 Speaker 2: I got a black eyes, Like god, you got got 688 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:43,560 Speaker 2: mugged and ju York I lived in the real deal 689 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,839 Speaker 2: and they were like, well, if you'd like, we could 690 00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:49,399 Speaker 2: find somebody who could get for you a nice little 691 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:52,720 Speaker 2: ladylike gun with a with a mother of pearl inlay. 692 00:37:53,200 --> 00:38:00,200 Speaker 2: I was like, nice style, and that's what lovely. 693 00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:04,520 Speaker 3: In a nice voice, too pretty gun a very nerdy voice. 694 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:08,200 Speaker 3: Nothing scares me more than nerdy thugs. 695 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 2: You know that's rare. 696 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:11,600 Speaker 6: I just want to tell you, as a woman, especially 697 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 6: in hip hop, it's rare to hear this level of 698 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:16,000 Speaker 6: feeling protected and loved and all of that. 699 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:19,200 Speaker 2: So I'm just get it because I also fought for them. 700 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 2: You know, people will tell you we because this is 701 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:25,920 Speaker 2: right before everything blows up. I worked very closely with 702 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:30,560 Speaker 2: Leor putting together that Adida Steel because I actually wrote 703 00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:33,560 Speaker 2: a letter to Fila because Houdini had a song called 704 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 2: do the Fela, and I wrote him a letter and 705 00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:37,919 Speaker 2: I was like, you guys need to do a deal 706 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:41,080 Speaker 2: with Houdini because they're speaking to this market. Because I 707 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:43,840 Speaker 2: was an American studies major, I like popular culture. I 708 00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 2: like seeing, you know, how we as black people start 709 00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 2: stuff that is then going to take over the world. 710 00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 2: But Fela is like, oh no, thank you. But so 711 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:55,680 Speaker 2: then when the Adidas time came, there was a lot 712 00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 2: that had to be translated about why this group was 713 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:01,680 Speaker 2: so important and. 714 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 1: How much did they need though they needed some. 715 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:08,440 Speaker 2: There was a guy named Angelo Anastasio who saw it, 716 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:11,400 Speaker 2: and he was the advocate for it. But you know 717 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:14,239 Speaker 2: he was communicating with people in Germany. They did the 718 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:17,760 Speaker 2: music had not spread there yet. And what I learned 719 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:20,440 Speaker 2: in those days it still helps me now, is about 720 00:39:20,480 --> 00:39:23,719 Speaker 2: the power of community to cross over this music. You know, 721 00:39:24,200 --> 00:39:27,680 Speaker 2: we had Dave Funkinklin who later came to work there, 722 00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 2: who was in Colorado playing this music. I don't know, 723 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:35,000 Speaker 2: two o'clock in the morning. We had the car dealer 724 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:38,360 Speaker 2: drug dealer in Houston who would play our records and 725 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:42,200 Speaker 2: bring our artists there. You know, we had Paul Oakenfeld 726 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:45,839 Speaker 2: and Pete Tong were with London Records which put out 727 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 2: run DMC in the UK. Yes, and they were hip 728 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:54,359 Speaker 2: hop heads and they would the first stop Oki yes 729 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:57,520 Speaker 2: Oki Doki damn. 730 00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:00,960 Speaker 3: He never most people on the other side of the 731 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:04,839 Speaker 3: fence will go over time to like explain their hip 732 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:07,359 Speaker 3: hop petigree. Like we toured with Oakenfell during the area 733 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:10,640 Speaker 3: one tour and talked a lot. He never once gave 734 00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:13,160 Speaker 3: a like hip hop pedigree and da da da da 735 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:16,200 Speaker 3: da da da really yeah, damn Hall When they would. 736 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 2: Come over, the first stop is they'd come to to 737 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:20,719 Speaker 2: ninety eight Elizabeth Street like that. 738 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:21,359 Speaker 1: It was great. 739 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:24,440 Speaker 2: You know, everybody would come through there. And then when 740 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:27,680 Speaker 2: him and Pete Tong become these Dan Selectro people, I 741 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,759 Speaker 2: was like, wow, interesting. So there was this community. There 742 00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:35,040 Speaker 2: was the people from Japan there, you know, who ultimately 743 00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:38,800 Speaker 2: become a part of the groundswell of the music crossing 744 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:43,200 Speaker 2: over and the ripple effect culturally. So these you know. 745 00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:45,880 Speaker 2: I remember we went to London and I, you know, 746 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:49,120 Speaker 2: would make myself the European tour manager so I could 747 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:52,920 Speaker 2: get a little holiday, and you know, we would they 748 00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:55,960 Speaker 2: we got kicked out of a hotel or people didn't 749 00:40:56,320 --> 00:40:59,400 Speaker 2: the food they wanted, and I would just like be like, no, 750 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:02,600 Speaker 2: you cannot treat these guys this way. So you love them. 751 00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:06,800 Speaker 2: I love them then. I love them now because I 752 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:10,680 Speaker 2: recognized how ground I didn't maybe knew what I was in, 753 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:14,880 Speaker 2: but I knew it was something exciting and groundbreaking and 754 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:18,640 Speaker 2: necessary and a part of how our narrative as black people, 755 00:41:18,719 --> 00:41:21,759 Speaker 2: we were taking it to something new now, how it 756 00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:25,239 Speaker 2: was going to become. I didn't know that I was 757 00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:28,840 Speaker 2: young and dumb, but I knew in my heart that 758 00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 2: they had to be treasured and that it wasn't okay 759 00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:36,440 Speaker 2: to be like, oh, the rappers there, No, these are 760 00:41:36,520 --> 00:41:37,120 Speaker 2: the artists. 761 00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:40,040 Speaker 7: Yo, yo, what's up y'all? 762 00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:43,000 Speaker 8: This is Fante Fontigelo. I hate the interrupt this beautiful 763 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:46,879 Speaker 8: discussion we had with the Great Relice of Cortez. But listen, 764 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:47,839 Speaker 8: come back to part two. 765 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:49,479 Speaker 7: We would discuss her new. 766 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:53,200 Speaker 8: Documentary Little Richard I Am Everything, while also talking about 767 00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:55,359 Speaker 8: her incredible contributions to music and film. 768 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:58,080 Speaker 1: We love this interview and we hope you enjoyed it too. 769 00:41:58,120 --> 00:41:58,960 Speaker 7: It was a lot of fun. 770 00:41:59,160 --> 00:42:02,160 Speaker 8: Oh and also in time, go stream that new Little 771 00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:03,800 Speaker 8: Richard dot available everywhere. 772 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:04,839 Speaker 4: It's a beautiful film. 773 00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:05,880 Speaker 7: I think y'all would really like it. 774 00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:12,840 Speaker 1: Appreciate y'all. Hi Payson. What's Love Supreme is a production 775 00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:14,240 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. 776 00:42:18,719 --> 00:42:21,960 Speaker 3: For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 777 00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:25,240 Speaker 3: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.