WEBVTT - Lecrae Full Interview 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:02.639 My next guest is one of the most popular Christian 0:00:02.720 --> 0:00:05.840 hip hop artists in the rap industry. He has won 0:00:05.920 --> 0:00:09.200 five Grammy Awards, including one win for Best Gospel Album 0:00:09.200 --> 0:00:13.000 which is Awesome, fifteen Double warves, and one Billboard Music Award. 0:00:13.200 --> 0:00:16.200 Here's a philanthropist and I called him a social entrepreneur. 0:00:16.239 --> 0:00:18.000 We'll get into that in the minute. Is one of 0:00:18.040 --> 0:00:20.160 the best in the rap game. Please welcome to money 0:00:20.160 --> 0:00:26.160 making conversation. The Craiz. What's going on? What's going on? Okay? 0:00:26.160 --> 0:00:28.960 First of all, the Craig Houston, Texas. That's where you're born, 0:00:29.000 --> 0:00:33.040 young man. Okay, cool, That's where I'm from. That's why 0:00:33.080 --> 0:00:35.920 I'm from War, Texas. Brother just was gonna lockdowns of 0:00:35.920 --> 0:00:39.840 information about each other. Get our gps together here, Okay, Now, 0:00:40.240 --> 0:00:46.519 I was sir, yes, sir, right there, collins Worth right 0:00:46.520 --> 0:00:48.840 out fifty nine brother right there, Russell and Bain Street. 0:00:48.840 --> 0:00:51.960 That's where I was born. Right there. Now, he is 0:00:52.960 --> 0:00:55.720 my folks from Live Oak off in third ward. There 0:00:55.760 --> 0:00:58.120 you go, there you go. Come on, now, we're gonna 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:00.480 get We're gonna get so, we're gonna be in so tune. 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:02.840 You and I we're gonna be friends from life after 0:01:02.840 --> 0:01:06.600 this interview. Now here's the beauty of our relationship. Okay. 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:10.679 I was at the Super Super Bowl Gospel celebration taping 0:01:12.959 --> 0:01:15.800 and I was sitting on the front row. Uh, because 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:17.240 when you're big, that's where they put you on the 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.040 front row and just set you on the front room. 0:01:19.240 --> 0:01:22.000 And so and so this young man came out, you know, 0:01:22.520 --> 0:01:27.360 uh because I believe demands were hosted. David talond Man 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:30.280 was hosting that year, and they introduced this young man 0:01:30.400 --> 0:01:34.720 called look Crazy. I didn't even know his name. All 0:01:34.760 --> 0:01:37.000 I knew is he came out and he was rapping, 0:01:37.640 --> 0:01:39.520 and I was turning next to the person. I was saying, 0:01:39.840 --> 0:01:42.440 who is that dude? Because first of all, he looked 0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:46.720 good and he see here's the thing about his gifts, 0:01:47.520 --> 0:01:52.040 because see, gospel is rooted in you know traditional look, 0:01:52.480 --> 0:01:56.800 you know singing, you know, you know you you road 0:01:57.240 --> 0:02:00.760 gotta have that choir, gotta how to conductor. Here he 0:02:00.840 --> 0:02:04.080 was out there on that stage by himself, rapping and 0:02:04.120 --> 0:02:06.520 he I remember, I remember something he did. He told 0:02:06.520 --> 0:02:10.160 her about to raise their hands and everybody and this 0:02:10.160 --> 0:02:14.120 this this performance at Lakewood as Joel Osteen's Church. Now 0:02:14.160 --> 0:02:16.239 that's that's a former home or the Houston Rockets. You know, 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:19.519 you're talking about people up in that join and all 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:21.880 of them raised their hands. I look around, who is 0:02:21.919 --> 0:02:25.560 this dude? And then but better than that, his what 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:29.919 he was saying said something to me. His beat says 0:02:30.000 --> 0:02:33.440 something to me. And I became a fan of your 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:35.920 talents from that day. And you didn't even know that, 0:02:35.960 --> 0:02:37.880 young man, You didn't even know that you affected a 0:02:37.919 --> 0:02:41.200 person like me ra Sean McDonald based on your skill set. 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:44.079 I didn't know you from Houston at the time. All 0:02:44.080 --> 0:02:45.760 I know is that when you still on that stage 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:47.679 and then you walked off that stage and walked down 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:49.760 those aisles, you walk right down my aisle. I went, 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:56.720 I wonder who managing him? Because brother, you got it, man, 0:02:57.080 --> 0:02:59.720 tell us about that journey a little, just just just 0:02:59.720 --> 0:03:02.040 at a bit about that journey. Because of the fact 0:03:02.080 --> 0:03:05.800 that when I was watching California Dreams Dreaming, it said 0:03:05.840 --> 0:03:08.320 that it seemed to say that you grew up in California, 0:03:08.600 --> 0:03:10.960 but then by bio, your bio says that you were 0:03:10.960 --> 0:03:16.160 born in Houston, Texas. Can you help me out there, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 0:03:16.240 --> 0:03:20.000 So my uh, you know, I got a military family, 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:21.760 so of course we spend a lot of time in 0:03:22.200 --> 0:03:26.440 different places I was. I was my family originates in Houston, Texas, 0:03:26.480 --> 0:03:28.760 so that's where most of them live. That's where, you know, 0:03:28.840 --> 0:03:31.799 my mother's firm, That's where I was. I started out at, 0:03:32.520 --> 0:03:34.239 but were moved around, so I spent the time in 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:36.960 San Diego in California, and I spent the time at 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:40.400 Denver and in Dallas. Right So, but but Houston has 0:03:40.400 --> 0:03:43.960 always been, you know, kind of the origin. The rum 0:03:45.320 --> 0:03:47.880 ain't nothing wrong and there's nothing wrong with having Houston 0:03:48.040 --> 0:03:52.760 is your origin, my friend? Yeah, where was where was 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:59.600 established that Reach Records, your record company. Reach Records is 0:03:59.640 --> 0:04:04.640 actually established um right outside of Dallas and ben Texas. 0:04:04.680 --> 0:04:07.200 And uh, basically what had happened was a friend of 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:09.520 mine and I, you know, we were at the University 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:13.000 of North Texas UM and and that's kind of where 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:16.200 I had a spiritual transformation and just kind of realized, man, 0:04:16.200 --> 0:04:18.599 I may need to use my gifts for you know, 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:22.239 bigger purpose and UM and so from there we began 0:04:22.320 --> 0:04:25.680 to start putting out the music independently. And uh, and 0:04:25.279 --> 0:04:27.760 it you know, Texas is almost like its own country. 0:04:27.800 --> 0:04:30.600 So just touring the state of Texas and and and 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:34.600 traveling through our Texas had had so many people supporting 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:36.760 the music, and it just kind of spilled over from 0:04:36.800 --> 0:04:39.720 there and and into the to the rest of the world, 0:04:39.760 --> 0:04:43.480 and so you know, year after year, Uh, things just grew. 0:04:43.600 --> 0:04:46.240 You know, we started off independently. I remember taking my 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:49.840 CD into Stories and selling them on consignment. And you 0:04:49.880 --> 0:04:51.800 don't know what consignment is that when you convinced the 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:53.800 store they need to buy some of your music. And 0:04:53.839 --> 0:04:55.400 I was sending my friends in the store to go 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:57.640 buy the music that they bought, and then they would 0:04:57.760 --> 0:05:00.680 buy some more from me and so uh literally at 0:05:00.720 --> 0:05:02.920 the trunk of my car. And we did that for 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:06.279 years until things just kind of group beyond having to 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:08.000 do it that way. Well, you know, look crazy, It's 0:05:08.040 --> 0:05:11.520 really a blessing to have this conversation with you because 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:13.800 the fact that you affected me and it's such a 0:05:13.839 --> 0:05:17.839 positive way. And that's what I really love about gospel 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:20.880 music and in your case, hip hop music and rap 0:05:21.320 --> 0:05:23.680 because of the fact that I'm of old school. You know, 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:27.200 I tupas my man Okay, you know, I grew up 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:29.600 with at the comedy club in Houston, hip hop comedy 0:05:29.640 --> 0:05:34.840 stop Back, and so my whole, my whole flavor is 0:05:34.839 --> 0:05:36.840 tied to what you're doing. Even though I'm an R 0:05:36.920 --> 0:05:39.760 and B guy, you know, I'm I'm an old Jay's guy, 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:42.600 you know, Marvin Gay, I'm all that. And so when 0:05:42.600 --> 0:05:45.080 I so when I see you, I see I see 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:48.320 a very gifted young man that that really is kind 0:05:48.320 --> 0:05:50.840 of like touching a person that that's in my age group, 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:53.640 but also younger people too. Tell me to talk to 0:05:53.680 --> 0:05:59.560 us about the responsibility of what you're delivering with your music. Well, yeah, 0:05:59.640 --> 0:06:03.040 you know, I um, you know, I spent a lot 0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:05.880 of time with my grandmother, who's basically like the spiritual 0:06:06.520 --> 0:06:09.400 matriarch of the family, and so there's a little bit 0:06:09.440 --> 0:06:11.279 of an old soul in me as well that that 0:06:11.360 --> 0:06:14.400 helps me to connect to people, you know, outside of 0:06:14.440 --> 0:06:19.000 my you know, typical age range or or you know, demographic. 0:06:19.040 --> 0:06:21.240 But then at the same time, you know, I was 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:23.600 raised in the streets and I ran ran the streets 0:06:23.640 --> 0:06:25.719 as a as a kid, and so I was influenced 0:06:25.760 --> 0:06:27.599 by a lot of that type stuff. And so for me, 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:30.560 I think about how do I take the wisdom that 0:06:30.800 --> 0:06:34.080 folks like my grandmother had instilled in me and uh 0:06:34.080 --> 0:06:35.839 and how to apply it to folks who grow up 0:06:35.920 --> 0:06:37.960 like me who you know, we're looking for godance and 0:06:38.040 --> 0:06:41.479 looking for you know, different uh models, because I didn't 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:43.400 grow up having models in rowd models. By the time 0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:46.240 I was a grown man, you know, Marty Luther King 0:06:46.320 --> 0:06:49.360 was gone and so you know, all we had was 0:06:49.960 --> 0:06:52.520 a lot of confused individuals who were doing the best 0:06:52.520 --> 0:06:55.360 that they could, but you know, they didn't know which 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:57.560 way was up. So for me, the responsibility is to 0:06:57.680 --> 0:06:59.719 use my music and my gift as a tool to 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:02.560 uh to help people see their guy given potential and 0:07:02.880 --> 0:07:05.640 to understand that, you know, that they were created for 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:08.240 a bigger purpose than what they may know. Well, you 0:07:08.240 --> 0:07:09.960 know the interesting thing about let me just talk about 0:07:09.960 --> 0:07:12.680 before we go to break about his his media reach, 0:07:12.800 --> 0:07:15.760 you know, his social his social media reach okay, as 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:18.440 well as hiss a YouTube breach since his Reach Records 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:21.600 has seven hundred and forty two thousand subscribers Reach Records, 0:07:21.600 --> 0:07:24.760 which is really important. And then his brand Lacrai has 0:07:24.800 --> 0:07:29.200 five and one thousand subscribers. His Facebook has over two 0:07:29.200 --> 0:07:33.240 million followers, Instagram over one point five million followers, Twitter 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:37.600 one point six million followers. Prior to my introducing him, 0:07:37.600 --> 0:07:40.680 I talked about the Muhammad Ali era That's exactly what 0:07:40.720 --> 0:07:44.200 I'm talking about. This This this amount of media control 0:07:44.240 --> 0:07:47.840 allows him to shout out his brand, promote his talents 0:07:47.880 --> 0:07:50.320 that could not happen ten years ago, could not happen 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:53.840 fifteen years ago. Corporation has only had that ability to 0:07:53.880 --> 0:07:57.240 be able to communicate now because of individuals like him 0:07:57.320 --> 0:08:01.280 were smart enough to control their brand and massive, massively 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:03.520 put it out there. Because the saying you've got the 0:08:03.640 --> 0:08:05.800 YouTube channel that is so smart. I have to say 0:08:05.840 --> 0:08:08.520 that publicly because a lot of people artists don't do that, 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:11.480 and they should do that, especially the gospel arena. We 0:08:11.560 --> 0:08:13.120 will come back. I'm gonna have more to talk to 0:08:13.160 --> 0:08:16.520 him about. I'm just a fan of Lokraize Man Rashawn 0:08:16.600 --> 0:08:26.560 mcdom Money Making Conversation. We'll be back with more. Hi. 0:08:26.680 --> 0:08:29.520 This Rashan McDonald and you're listening to Money Making Conversation 0:08:30.000 --> 0:08:33.080 my guests on the phone. L Craiz born in Houston, 0:08:33.120 --> 0:08:36.560 texas As. He said, uh, military child for a little 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:38.800 time in California a little time, and Dallas a little time. 0:08:38.800 --> 0:08:42.840 And Colorado. One of my favorite stags is Colorado. Um, 0:08:42.880 --> 0:08:45.000 he said. He said that Reach Records just a little 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:46.640 know what that guy from in bio. We got into 0:08:46.679 --> 0:08:49.680 this because we love hip hop and we love Jesus. 0:08:50.080 --> 0:08:53.720 Long before awards, plaques, chart positions in radio play, a 0:08:53.720 --> 0:08:56.719 few guys from Texas started using music to express their 0:08:56.760 --> 0:09:01.280 new found faith. That's that's power. And how how old 0:09:01.320 --> 0:09:06.320 were you at that time? Look great, I was so 0:09:06.920 --> 0:09:09.199 my faith transition app but I was eighteen and then 0:09:09.200 --> 0:09:12.040 we really, you know, kind of got things moving around 0:09:12.040 --> 0:09:14.680 twenty two, when I was about two years old is 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:18.520 when things started taking off. Yeah, it's really amazing when 0:09:18.520 --> 0:09:20.679 you become a brand, because you are a brand, and 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:23.320 I know you're recognized in that industry. So a lot 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:27.080 of people started coming to you two your opinions and 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:29.720 stuff like fristance. Uh. I read an article where you 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:32.000 had expressed an opinion of your thoughts that was all 0:09:32.040 --> 0:09:37.200 positive about the Kanye West album being dropped out Jesus 0:09:37.320 --> 0:09:40.000 Is King, and then you had can you state your 0:09:40.040 --> 0:09:42.320 thoughts on that because it's all positive, it's all good, 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:44.480 and but I just won't let everybody know that. You 0:09:44.600 --> 0:09:48.600 become the center of conversation because of your brand and 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:50.800 who you are, and it takes a lot of responsibility 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:54.840 when people come to you wanting quotes or statement or 0:09:54.840 --> 0:10:01.200 writing an article. That's a lot of responsibility. Yeah, absolutely 0:10:01.240 --> 0:10:04.679 it is. And you know I have I have to 0:10:04.920 --> 0:10:08.160 constantly think to all that you know, UM and and 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:09.760 and you want to be transparent and you want to 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:12.760 be honest, um, but you know every platform is not 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:16.240 the perfect platform, and give your full, your full thoughts 0:10:16.240 --> 0:10:19.120 on everything you know. And so for me, I knew 0:10:19.200 --> 0:10:22.000 that the bigger picture that I wanted people to know 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:24.400 as far as Kanye's albums concern was because we're not 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:26.880 talking about his political stances, we're not talking about some 0:10:26.960 --> 0:10:31.239 of his commentary and media. We're talking about the album specifically. 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:33.280 And as far as the Altbom's concerned, I thought that 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:37.000 it was a um, a very sincere project, and I 0:10:37.320 --> 0:10:40.079 appreciated the content. I also thought that there's a lot 0:10:40.080 --> 0:10:44.320 of intersectionality between you know, the community of hip hop 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:49.240 artists UM that acknowledge their face and what Kanye is doing. 0:10:49.240 --> 0:10:51.079 And I think that gives a lot more freedom. A 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:53.960 lot of people don't recognize to realize that, you know, 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:55.880 there's a there's a place in a space for what 0:10:55.920 --> 0:10:59.920 you're doing, regardless of what it is, you know, artistic. 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:01.360 To me, there's a space for it, and that's what 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:02.920 we had to realize. A lot of people thought there 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:04.760 was no market for what we were doing, but we 0:11:04.840 --> 0:11:06.920 knew that was a market for it because we were 0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:09.679 the individuals who were longing for it. And so we 0:11:09.760 --> 0:11:13.920 created the very thing that we had a demand for. 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:16.920 And because we knew there was a demand, we said, hey, 0:11:16.960 --> 0:11:19.440 this needs to be done, and we did it. And 0:11:19.520 --> 0:11:22.240 so but but like you said, I have to be 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:25.920 very mindful of, you know, the different circles and series 0:11:26.000 --> 0:11:30.559 of influence. I think about just at home obviously my 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:33.160 own family, then outside of my home, my employees, got 0:11:33.440 --> 0:11:35.959 you know, seventeen employees that have ten artists on my 0:11:36.080 --> 0:11:39.480 record label. And then there's the fan base outside of that, 0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:41.400 and so you're just constantly having to think through all 0:11:41.400 --> 0:11:45.520 those layers. And that's that's important to hear that now 0:11:45.640 --> 0:11:47.800 you're reachiningly got the Artists of the Year at the 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:52.480 g M A Dove Awards. Congratulations, um, And then that 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:55.360 then turn right around. You know, my man Kurk Franklin, 0:11:55.400 --> 0:11:57.480 who I could shoot a good friend. I read this 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:01.679 article about how he sped. He has felt that and 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:06.160 has publicly said that the last two appearances that he 0:12:06.240 --> 0:12:09.679 had on that when he made comments about uh police, 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:14.199 police injustice. It's been cut away from his interview, and 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:17.360 I watched his full post on social media when he 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:20.120 said it, and I had no problems with what Kurt 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:23.360 Franklin was saying. And again I asked Kirk what was 0:12:23.400 --> 0:12:25.960 the difference between he said, you know, he said, you know, 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:28.880 gospel is kind of like the is set aside, like 0:12:28.920 --> 0:12:31.000 the R and B of gospel. Do you have the 0:12:31.080 --> 0:12:33.360 Christian music that's kind of like the Dove Awards. Stella 0:12:33.360 --> 0:12:36.079 Awards is gospel and the Dove Awards it is kind 0:12:36.080 --> 0:12:37.800 of like Christian music because it's all the same music. 0:12:37.840 --> 0:12:40.960 That's what he told me, and so so then then 0:12:41.040 --> 0:12:43.320 then I read all that we said after after Kirt 0:12:43.360 --> 0:12:45.840 Franklin said that you're going I'm out to even though 0:12:45.880 --> 0:12:50.319 you had just wonned this award. I last he said 0:12:50.360 --> 0:12:54.200 about brother about so too. But but but that's a 0:12:54.240 --> 0:12:57.000 powerful thing to say because it's all part of how 0:12:57.080 --> 0:12:59.760 you used to promote your brand and you're trying to 0:12:59.800 --> 0:13:01.880 make music. But there's a place where you have to 0:13:01.920 --> 0:13:07.960 take a stand, correct m hmm. Absolutely absolutely, And and 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:12.960 you know when people people know you obviously, you know 0:13:12.960 --> 0:13:15.880 when you're talking about a brand. You're talking about who 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:18.720 are your brand champions, who are the people that are 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:21.559 your your stakeholders and that look to you to be consistent. 0:13:21.840 --> 0:13:25.200 And so if Mercedes is a brand and it starts 0:13:25.240 --> 0:13:30.920 putting out vehicles that you know are not uh built 0:13:30.960 --> 0:13:35.439 with craftsmanship or they're not um functioning within the within 0:13:35.480 --> 0:13:37.800 the integrity of that brand, and people start to turn 0:13:37.800 --> 0:13:41.560 aside eye. And so for me, it's you know, I 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:44.280 know my brand, but my brand is an extension of myself, 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:46.440 and authenticity is a big part of who I am, 0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:48.600 and so I have to be authentic, and so people 0:13:48.640 --> 0:13:51.840 are anticipating and expecting me to be authentic. If I'm 0:13:51.840 --> 0:13:53.520 gonna be authentic about my faith, I have to be 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:57.520 authentic about my views on society and social issues and 0:13:57.600 --> 0:14:00.440 issues of justice. And so this is just an extension 0:14:00.440 --> 0:14:02.640 of who I am. And I knew that there were 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:04.760 gonna be some people who may have seen it as 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:08.360 um you know, like oh, what is he doing? Why 0:14:08.400 --> 0:14:10.960 is he doing this? Or just blindly following Kirk, But no, 0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:16.199 I was backstage Kirk and I had plenty conversations about 0:14:17.160 --> 0:14:21.000 them cutting these conversations and cutting some performances and we 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:23.240 we're hoping that that's that this wouldn't happen again. I 0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:24.920 remember I was talking to Kirk as soon as he 0:14:25.000 --> 0:14:26.480 got off stage. He said, man, how do you think 0:14:26.600 --> 0:14:29.160 the speech? When I said that was beautiful? I said, 0:14:29.200 --> 0:14:31.640 I felt like it was all encompassing and you had 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:35.760 some great things to say. And he said, uh, I 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.280 hopefully they don't cut it jokingly. And I said they'd 0:14:38.320 --> 0:14:40.800 be crazy to do that, and low and be hoped 0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:46.160 it was cut and so h. So, you know, for 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:48.760 for him, I understood his position, and I was upset 0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:51.800 because that's my friend and I've dealt with the same 0:14:51.840 --> 0:14:54.280 thing before, and uh, and I just thought this was 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:56.880 an injustice. The man asked for a call to prayer 0:14:56.960 --> 0:15:01.760 for Tatiana Jefferson and and and in all the surrounding 0:15:01.760 --> 0:15:05.280 circumstances the officer of her nephews, And uh, if you 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:08.920 can't ask for a call to prayer on a Christian platform, 0:15:08.960 --> 0:15:11.000 and I don't know where you can where else you 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:15.000 can ask for it, you know, it's it's really Uh. 0:15:15.320 --> 0:15:17.000 I just wanted to bring those two things out just 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:18.960 to show people the Ford scope of who you are, 0:15:19.440 --> 0:15:25.600 that you really are are uniquely as h crafted individual 0:15:26.040 --> 0:15:28.720 and I and more so that I when it comes 0:15:28.760 --> 0:15:31.960 to entrepreneurship, because we're gonna talk about their your involvement 0:15:32.000 --> 0:15:34.280 is in there in some of the projects in Atlanta. 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:37.760 I call you a social entrepreneur because of the fact 0:15:37.800 --> 0:15:40.800 that you go in and you're trying to change the community. 0:15:40.800 --> 0:15:43.160 You're trying to keep the community intact, but you're also 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:47.000 trying to bring business and trying to upgrade because you know, 0:15:47.240 --> 0:15:49.920 once you increase the taxes, then guess what. Schools get better, 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:53.680 policing gets better, the community gets better. And that's what 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:57.720 social entrepreneurs do. Tell us about the English Avenue project 0:15:58.080 --> 0:16:03.520 that you involved in Atlanta. Yeah, so Els Avenue is 0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:08.440 uh historically doing uh you know, over the last decade 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:10.760 or so, it's been a very tough area, you know, 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:14.800 uh known as the Heroin capital of the Southeast and 0:16:15.360 --> 0:16:19.920 a lot of traffickings, a lot of you know, just 0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:23.520 uh tough activity going on over there. Hadn't been a 0:16:23.520 --> 0:16:26.160 school there, uh in years since a matter of fact, 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:28.600 since nineteen ninety six. So there's more grocery stores. I 0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:31.160 mean there's not even there's there's no grocery stores, you know, 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:34.400 it's just it's it's a food desert, it's a school desert, 0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:38.200 and UM, it's very unfortunate situation. And so a good 0:16:38.240 --> 0:16:41.720 friend of mine, Benjamin Wills, had a vision to uh 0:16:41.760 --> 0:16:45.600 to see some change in that community, and you know, 0:16:45.880 --> 0:16:50.160 I came alongside Benjamin Wills and UM and we worked 0:16:50.200 --> 0:16:51.960 hard to put a school in that community. And so 0:16:52.040 --> 0:16:55.640 Peace Preparatory Academy is in its fourth year now, UM 0:16:55.680 --> 0:16:57.840 adding a grade every year. So it's the first school 0:16:57.840 --> 0:17:01.040 it's been in the neighborhood since Nati six. I also 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:05.240 took it upon myself to uh to you know, uh 0:17:05.359 --> 0:17:07.560 take ownership over some of the properties down there, because 0:17:07.600 --> 0:17:09.320 if you know, as a black man, I wanted to 0:17:09.359 --> 0:17:12.080 make sure that the community was owned by somebody who 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:14.879 cares about the community. And so UM, instead of just 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:18.040 putting up, you know, random things that are not helpful 0:17:18.080 --> 0:17:20.160 for the community and just trying to profit off of them, 0:17:20.280 --> 0:17:22.399 I'm thinking through, how can we do something that is 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:28.159 profitable uh as a business, but then also uh you know, sustainable, 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:30.880 but it also helps the community. So things like that 0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:36.639 are you know, um, places that can house folks and 0:17:36.680 --> 0:17:38.840 they can pay rent at a lower at a lower price, 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:41.199 but they can also work in the storefront, and so 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:45.280 you just get different um circumstances and different things along 0:17:45.320 --> 0:17:49.440 those lines. So you know, there's um, there's there's stores, 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:54.560 storefronts that provide healthier options for people, but that provide 0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:57.679 them at a at a cost that they can afford. 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:00.639 And you hire people from within the community. Absolutely, and 0:18:00.640 --> 0:18:03.600 that that becomes a part of the process of getting 0:18:03.720 --> 0:18:08.119 the shaft. That's what I stashed the Neighborhood Award. That's 0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:10.000 what the Hoodie Awards was all about when I dated 0:18:10.080 --> 0:18:13.520 for sixties straight years, about shining. That's that's the true 0:18:13.560 --> 0:18:16.080 stars of the community. There's the stars are built within 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:18.440 the community. We don't bring them outside that they're they're 0:18:18.480 --> 0:18:20.560 gifted people within the community. We just got to shine 0:18:20.560 --> 0:18:23.000 a stronger light on it. I'll be remiss if I 0:18:23.040 --> 0:18:25.080 don't talk about it. Your music as we close out 0:18:25.480 --> 0:18:28.680 is California Dreaming. Is that's your new yest single video out? 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:31.000 A new single out? Or or it's one that's come 0:18:31.000 --> 0:18:35.440 out after that? No, yeah, that's the latest one. We 0:18:35.440 --> 0:18:37.720 we we put that out as a summer project, you know, 0:18:37.800 --> 0:18:42.399 just something for the summer, playing paying, riding the speed bias, 0:18:42.560 --> 0:18:45.919 riding a little little banana bikes. Okay, now, alright, what 0:18:46.040 --> 0:18:48.119 you know about dominoes? Don't look crazy? That's what I'm 0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:50.280 lying to flag. Are you just are you just faking 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:52.440 like you're playing dominoes? Or you really know how to 0:18:52.440 --> 0:19:00.560 play dominoes? Don't look they don't want it with me? Okay, 0:19:00.600 --> 0:19:03.520 now I would say, so it is the it's the 0:19:03.560 --> 0:19:05.959 real deal with my brother. Because I'm I'm I'm on Thursday. 0:19:05.960 --> 0:19:09.040 I'm a post collage on the dreaming on my social media. Okay, 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:12.520 you know, and I'm gonna posting on my social media. 0:19:12.680 --> 0:19:14.840 I'm gonna tell you this. I live in Atlanta. I 0:19:14.880 --> 0:19:16.720 also have a home in Houston, so you have two 0:19:16.720 --> 0:19:18.840 places you can you can you can knock me out. Okay, 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:21.400 you can knock me out. Mr Bones. Don't want none 0:19:21.440 --> 0:19:23.920 of me, Okay, don't want none of me. I'm talking 0:19:23.920 --> 0:19:29.879 to me, not you me, because because you're a special talent, 0:19:29.920 --> 0:19:32.199 you're special talent. Man. I want to thank you for 0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:35.000 coming on my show La Craze. And as you can see, man, 0:19:35.880 --> 0:19:37.920 I wanted to let you know that I am a fan. 0:19:38.080 --> 0:19:40.639 I wanted to do researching the brand. I wanted to 0:19:40.680 --> 0:19:43.359 tell some of your story and it's not enough enough 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:45.800 time to tell you how great and it changes you're 0:19:45.800 --> 0:19:48.480 making in the community. Just do me a favorite. Though change, 0:19:48.560 --> 0:19:51.920 stay strong and keep being you Okay.