1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the thing. 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: His family and folks close to him called him a mere. 3 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: That's a mere Khalib Thompson. But you probably know him 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: as Quest Love, Philly native music history savant and drummer 5 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: and music director for the Grammy Award winning hip hop 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: group The Roots. When the Roots aren't in the studio 7 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: or out on tour, they're backing up Jimmy Fallon on 8 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: the Tonight Show. Dude, I gotta say you one of 9 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:34,959 Speaker 1: the hardest working guys ever. We love you so much, 10 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: you know, and you and the guys, this is the coolest. 11 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: We've been doing this together for what like seven years. 12 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: Years he's been called America's bandleader. The forty five year 13 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 1: old drummer is also a DJ, and he's been a caterer. 14 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: He just came out with the book about Food this year. 15 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: Quest Love is constantly creating, trying to do the many 16 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,319 Speaker 1: things he loves seemingly all at once. But why thing 17 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: Quest Love doesn't do well is take compliments, which explains 18 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: his reaction to a very flattering profile in The New Yorker. 19 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: I was pleased you were, Yeah, I don't know, I've 20 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: been taught to not relish and celebration of of press 21 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: stuff because I do so much. Um, you can't let 22 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: it matter. I mean, after a while, it's just like, okay, 23 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: I'm it's like now, I don't think I've watched Tonight 24 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: Show episode like two years. You haven't watched your show 25 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: unless it's super epic. I mean, if it's like Phil Collins, 26 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: then I'll watch it to make sure. Have we firstly started? 27 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: We started? Okay? Um? I read this piece in the 28 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: New Yorker, and I mean, just from my money, I mean, 29 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: these press things aren't that important. You're right, but this 30 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: piece is very complimentary and real and honest. And I'm thinking, 31 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: what do you miss about them? What do you miss 32 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: about Philly? Is it Osage Street? You having a mom 33 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: and dad, the drums, the basement? What do you miss 34 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: about back before you made it? You know what? You know, 35 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 1: it's weird. Um. My sister always rags me about this, um, 36 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: and this will probably mark the first time that I 37 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 1: haven't made a pilgrimage. Um. There's certain luminaries in hip 38 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: hop that will go back to the old hood. And 39 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: I'm like, dog like, why are you? Why are you 40 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: driving a Bentley through the projects, you know what I mean? 41 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: Like that having that moment I'm in mind is the 42 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: exact opposite because my car is like I'm still driving 43 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: my first car, which is still driving. Yeah, I'm never 44 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: going to give it up. I mean, I have other cars, 45 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: but my scion is is my baby. But um uh, 46 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: I don't know, like I have this. I often have 47 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: this craving to drive back, just drive back and look 48 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: for old ghosts. Um it's it's weird, it's it's even 49 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: uh even with with food, Like I'll question why am 50 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: I sticking to a certain diet from my childhood? Am 51 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: I hoping to to find old ghosts? Or I don't 52 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: know what it is, But what's a diet from your childhood? 53 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm in a place now, in a position 54 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: in which I could be at the prime healthiest of 55 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: my life if I chose to. And you know, as 56 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: I speak to you, I'm back on that bandwagon in 57 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: the piece you talk about a Greek chorus of health 58 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: people around you. Whatever, they're back, They're back and singing 59 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: louder than ever you asked for it. Because I let 60 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: two thousand sixteen be two thousand and sixteen, and it's 61 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: you know, it took a toll on me. So I 62 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: decided after Thanksgiving, I'm going back to you know, to 63 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: to fight for my life again. Um and I think 64 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: during Thanksgiving, I don't know, it's just thinking about those 65 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: psychological process and I'm like, well, you know, what is 66 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: it when you taste these college greens? What is it 67 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: when you when you eat this particular type of soul food? 68 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: Like are you missing memories of of of grandmam On 69 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: on a Sunday? Like food was a very big part 70 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: of our my childhood and uh, I'll say, like the 71 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: process would start on Thursday. I'd stay at my grandmother's 72 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 1: house and it was always like it was an event. 73 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 1: And Thursdays, like she and her sisters would start the 74 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: process of cooking Sunday dinner. So Thursdays, Fridays, Saturday's even 75 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: like while watching Soul Train, I'd help with snap beans. Uh. 76 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 1: They're the type of people that would like start a 77 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: cake on a Monday and drown it in uh brandy 78 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: for about three weeks. Don't touch that game here and 79 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: you know that sort of thing. Uh. So it's like 80 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: always a big process for this sprawling Sunday dinner, like 81 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: every Sunday was like Thanksgiving. Every Sunday was Thanksgiving and special. Yeah, 82 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 1: it was special. So I don't know, maybe I'm looking 83 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: for my identity now that I've been sort of Uh, 84 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: I don't want to say misplaced, or you know, I've 85 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 1: I've transitioned to another life, another lifestyle which I'm kind 86 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: of separate from my childhood memories, which probably explains the 87 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: Soul Train obsession, which explains like now now that I've 88 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: I've had time to really think about it, and especially 89 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: in the last week, it's it's making sense. Like I 90 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:49,239 Speaker 1: don't think I'm collecting seven episodes of soul Train because 91 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: I really think that's an awesome show. Of course, I 92 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 1: think it's an awesome show. But you know, in my mind, 93 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, yeah, in my mind, I'm thinking, Okay, the 94 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,839 Speaker 1: Frankie Valley episode of Soul Train, my sister and I 95 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 1: almost burnt down the house using the Jiffy popcorn on 96 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: the stove. Uh. The Johnny Guitar Watson episode of Soul Train. 97 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 1: I remember like cutting my hand on the the no 98 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 1: Frills Ravioli from Path Mark. Uh. The seventy nine episode 99 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: of the Jacksons remember stupping my till in the coffee. 100 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: Like there's there's certain childhood memories that are associated with 101 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: every episode of souldring. So I think that's why I 102 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: hang onto it. Um. And plus like being part of 103 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 1: a uh you know, being in the quote unquote hip 104 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: hop generation, a culture that celebrates youth so much. Um. 105 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:52,359 Speaker 1: I think just the idea of transitioning or metamorphosis or 106 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: even just vanishing, which I think I think the idea 107 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: of vanishing is what's really can trolling a lot of 108 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: Americans thoughts in two thousand sixteen, the idea of not 109 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: mattering old traditions leaving the idea of change. The idea 110 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: of this is related to the election or not. No, 111 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: just every yeah, everything. It could be the election, it 112 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: could be me personally. I think they have a sense 113 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: of somethings vanishing. Um. Yeah, I think just in general, 114 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: there's something about two thousand and sixteen that is transitioning 115 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 1: more than anything. I for one, um as a musician 116 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: and a lever of the arts. Um, you know, this 117 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: is the the largest amount of I mean this yeer 118 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: volume of people dying in two thousand and sixteen. Um, 119 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: it's for me. This is this is uh a message. 120 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: I feel more of my childhood being I feel more 121 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: me being stripped away than just like, oh, Natalie Cole died, Oh, 122 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: Mauric's White died, Prince died. Oh. Like you know, it's 123 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: it's up to light piece of your twenty three key 124 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: members of my life that you know shape my life 125 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: are like now going in this year, this year, dude, 126 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: I mean my It's to the point that even when 127 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: I was writing um on my Instagram the there's a 128 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: well known, well loved house singer named Colonel Abrams, I 129 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: was hesitating to write a tribute to him on Instagram 130 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: because now, like it was to the point where people 131 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: were like, oh, mirror, you're just the the obituary historian, 132 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: Like your Instagram has come become nothing but these long 133 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: two paragraph tributes to that of I was life like. 134 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: It's it's almost like a joke down and that's that's 135 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: where it's come to you. But I think more than that, 136 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: it's just I think that all of us right now 137 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: are fearing a transition, if you will. So you know, 138 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 1: when I when I do drive back home and you know, 139 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: sit there in the parking lot and and here at 140 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: the house and everything. I don't know. I think I'm 141 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: maybe in my mind, I'm Jacob Marley looking for my 142 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: younger seven year old self on going to school or something. 143 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: You see, this is the thing I want to get to, 144 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 1: which is when I read the article, and I don't 145 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: want to keep referencing that article. But when I read 146 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: the article, it's like you kind of get the sense 147 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:44,560 Speaker 1: of like how much longer are you going to do this? 148 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,839 Speaker 1: That this is gonna be enough for you? Meaning music 149 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 1: will be in your life maybe in some other way. 150 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 1: Something tells me your love, your worship, music being in 151 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: your DNA in the way it is so completely from 152 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: what I read. I mean, you being you people, you're 153 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: like some company of like, uh, you're like Mozart and 154 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: Alan Turing. You know this savantage freak in a good 155 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: way about music and so for an entertainment for that matter. 156 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 1: But I'm wondering, so I assume you'll have some place 157 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: in your life where do you think it's weird? Because 158 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: since that New Yorker article came out, um, it is 159 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: blossom and bloomed tenfold um to the point where I 160 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: guess at that time, uh, I had let's say I 161 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:41,560 Speaker 1: had maybe eight jobs, um up until early January. I 162 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:49,079 Speaker 1: mean I had six sixteen jobs. Like, I just decided 163 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: maybe a month ago to not return to m y 164 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: U to teach, um because what were you teaching there? Um? 165 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:01,440 Speaker 1: I taught music history. I taught at Clive Davis Music School. 166 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:08,679 Speaker 1: Me and Harry Wagner, who controls all of Universal Music's reissues. 167 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 1: So anytime you get like, he's the guy that has 168 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: to sit back and figure out how to resell you 169 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: Marvin Gaye's box set or anything from Motown or anything 170 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: from the Rolling Stones, anybody Universal related on that label. 171 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: So he and I taught at n y U for 172 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 1: the last five years, um, and mostly we we I 173 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 1: like with that experience. Uh, it got scary the last 174 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 1: year because suddenly I realized, I mean, I mean you 175 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: you you have children, so I'm sure that there's a 176 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: point in your life where you just a sentence started 177 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 1: with millennials like you know, I go there, right, And 178 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: it was frustrating. It's it's it's an amazing mystery because 179 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: the rich kids, no, I mean some some are I 180 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: mean some are well to do. I've realized that some 181 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: came from the lineage of Oh, that's your father, you know, 182 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 1: that sort of thing. Um. But it was to the 183 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 1: point where, because the information is so abundant now, I 184 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: actually caught myself wanting them to teach me as I was. 185 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 1: I mean, the questions they were asking about, Uh, like 186 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 1: the production methods of Michael Jackson's thriller, Well, you know, 187 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 1: on human nature. Uh here a fairlight synthesizer. But what 188 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 1: do you think that was the eighty two module or 189 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: the yeah that's using that class. It got scary for 190 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: a minute. But um, what what I specifically taught about was, um, 191 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: the departure record. I'm really I'm really obsessed with the 192 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: idea of self sap tajing Um. There's a movie that 193 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: came out by comedian Mike Rabiglia called Don't Think Twice 194 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: and actually, um coming up the follow up to Whiplash 195 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: is the film called uh Land of La La with 196 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 1: Emma Stone La La La La. I'm sorry, I'm getting 197 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: that uh La La lamb with Emma Stone and um 198 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: Ryan Gosling, which sort of uh deals with the same 199 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: uh premise, which is have you seen Don't Think Twice 200 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: or heard about this film? Okay, so Don't Think Twice 201 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: is a film about um a groundlings or uh kind 202 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: of a comedy troupe, um you CBS comedy troupe of 203 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: like seven people, um who are really like at the 204 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 1: top of the game with improv and then one day 205 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: a Steve Higgins figure comes in and changes one of 206 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: their lives by offering them a spot on an smlish 207 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: type of platform. And uh, one of them, one of 208 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: the seven that have been tightened it forever will clearly 209 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: be a star. Um. And of the seven, you know, 210 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 1: it's like it's how they deal with the idea of 211 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: again separation and and it's it's just an amazing two 212 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: hour exercise and self sabotage. So how it relates to 213 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: the class that I teach uh, I teach about departure albums? Uh? 214 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: In other words, Uh okay, So the Beatles got tired 215 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: of being the Beatles. They got tired of playing in 216 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: stadiums in which they couldn't hear themselves of the screaming 217 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: and yeah, yeah, you know the story. Assuming that you're 218 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 1: in love, love love, assuming that you're listeners are on 219 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: your i Q level. Um okay, So they get a 220 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: SHA stadium. After that they pack it in right then 221 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: they decide we're tired of being the Beatles, so let's 222 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: just make uh you know, a psychedelic record and Tim 223 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 1: Panaley references and and we'll stop being the Beatles. And 224 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 1: then it backfires. It really makes them like the greatest 225 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: band of all time. So speaking of Sergeant Peppers, that's 226 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: an example, or the opposite is sly Stone, whom uh 227 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: after having a massive like one single, hits off of 228 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: his records, finally hits jackpot in uh n nine with 229 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 1: the stand album and then a very you know uh 230 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: uh uh a victorious uh uh run at at Woodstock 231 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 1: uh leaves his audience like just you know, begging for more. 232 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: In whatever is follow up records is going to be like, 233 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's the ultimate alley you set up 234 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: someone just shot of alley you and all he has 235 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:10,520 Speaker 1: to do is run to the to the rim and 236 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 1: dunk it. And what does he do? He makes one 237 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: of the most depressing let's go get that what is 238 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: that's called there's a riot going on? Now? The thing 239 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: is that, yeah, family affair. Here's the thing, there's a 240 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: riot going on. Leaves a lot of people in conflict 241 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: because it's essentially the first funk record. But what I 242 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: try to explain to the class is the equivalent of 243 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: you know, how like your first okay, not for you personally, 244 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: but how a person in two thousand and six, how 245 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: their first instinct will be to pull out their cell phone. 246 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: If a car accident happens, they pull out their cell phone. Oh, 247 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 1: fight happens, I'm gonna pull out my cell phone to 248 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: watch it. What there's the right going on is is 249 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: really you're you're watching in real time a human being 250 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 1: having a meltdown on wax and it's it is It's like, 251 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:15,920 Speaker 1: do you know personally, why was he melting down? Well, 252 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 1: that's the thing. There's there's survivor's guilt that people don't 253 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: talk about, especially with black people. The idea of like 254 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:27,680 Speaker 1: you reference in the article where you say the thirty 255 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: three kids and this one's dead, this one's in jail, 256 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 1: this one's bright and you made it dude, survivor's guilt. 257 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:35,880 Speaker 1: Survivor's guilt is real. Where is he from. He's from 258 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: the Bay Area, Oakland. So I mean there's the pressure 259 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:45,360 Speaker 1: of staying true, staying true to yourself, not not selling out. Uh, 260 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: the just the pressure of having to now deal with 261 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 1: be careful. You know, you here all the time, be 262 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: careful what you asked for. And I feel as though 263 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: in those two years of of the pressure of now, 264 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: I have to live up to the expectation and the 265 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: brilliance that people expect of me. And what does he do? He? 266 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,600 Speaker 1: I mean, Slim and Family Stone was in the age 267 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: of Martin Luther King, the the utopian dream. It was 268 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: a group of black and white musicians, a male and 269 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,399 Speaker 1: female musicians. I mean, it was the utopian post idea 270 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,919 Speaker 1: of what Martin Luther King's dreams should have been. And 271 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 1: he just piste on the legacy. In turn, he also 272 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: gave us funk music. I mean, you know, historians will 273 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: be like, you know, it's the first time a drum 274 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:39,479 Speaker 1: machine was used, and it's the first time, you know, 275 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: the e cord was used on a on a base 276 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,320 Speaker 1: for funk reasons. So it's like, what's the big hit 277 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 1: that comes out before this album? What's he riding the 278 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:50,639 Speaker 1: wave on? What song? Uh? The the hit before was? Uh? 279 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: I mean the album before was stand Now. To sort 280 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 1: of stall for time, Epic Records put out the Greatest 281 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:02,119 Speaker 1: Hits Album and put three other songs that weren't associated 282 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,439 Speaker 1: so thank you for myself, thank you for letting me 283 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 1: be myself hot fun this summertime. Everybody's like, even even 284 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 1: the Throwaway singers were like, yes, we're waiting, we're waiting 285 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 1: for this big statement and he pisses all over it. 286 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: But you know it's the same for you know, Michael 287 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: Jackson wanting to escape the family and be his own 288 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: man Like. Making Off the Wall was a departure record. 289 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: The Beastie Boys not wanting to be known as these 290 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: these party frat guys and want to make a serious, 291 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 1: uh piece of art with Paul's boutique, the follow up 292 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:44,199 Speaker 1: to License to Ill. So what I basically do is 293 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: I take eight or nine records of departure records. Some 294 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: of them they were all made with the premise of 295 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: I need to throw away and run away from what 296 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: I once was. Some of them made a more successful 297 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 1: all the be Les. Uh. Some of them were complete bust. 298 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: I mean, there's the jury still out on Satanic Majesty's 299 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 1: request by the Stones, but you know it's it's you know, 300 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 1: it's it's it's the Stones were never gonna get Beatles love, 301 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: and they know it well. They tried. I mean, you know, 302 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: I have to give it to them. They tried. So 303 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 1: it's really it's really just about examining the psychological process 304 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 1: of of making music and why we run away from 305 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:34,240 Speaker 1: success or the idea of doing it. Did you wait, 306 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: let me ask you, because this is the first did 307 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 1: you did you run away from success? Um? Okay? So 308 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: the Roots were everyone's favorite underground secret, Like you know, 309 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 1: that's if you ever meet a music snob and there's 310 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: like that that one thing that you know, there's the 311 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: band that they know about that you don't know about, 312 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 1: and that makes them cooler than you, and then suddenly 313 00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: you discover it, and then everyone discovers it, and then 314 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: it's suddenly it's like, uh, like everyone has my toy 315 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: now in the pool. Yeah, we were that for a 316 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: lot of people, and then with our fourth record, suddenly 317 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 1: we hit jack pop because we realized what the formula 318 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 1: was to not to monetize, but to to two gain acceptance. 319 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: We realized what the formula was, but acceptance with what 320 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,359 Speaker 1: you It says, it seems to me you wanted acceptance 321 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: with something else, meaning something tells me, because you're so 322 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:35,639 Speaker 1: acute about music, you didn't have a number one single. 323 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 1: This is what you're gonna learn about me? And you 324 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,239 Speaker 1: could and you could have sat down and something tells me, 325 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: and I'm not saying this to be kind, you could 326 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: write a number one single in the car on the 327 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: way to the office right now when you leave here, 328 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: and you didn't do that because fear fear. This is 329 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: what happens. Okay. So when we started in UM, the 330 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: idea of the roots, the idea of we would be 331 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,120 Speaker 1: pegged into alternative hip hop. Now, when we first came out, 332 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: they were like or they asked jazz. It was like, basically, 333 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: if you weren't, if you weren't holding your middle finger 334 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,880 Speaker 1: out to the camera, you know, saying singing straight out 335 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: of Compton, if you weren't in way, you weren't the 336 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 1: status quo of what people perceived to be as hip hop. UM. 337 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 1: But again, like for people that are not immersed in 338 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:28,679 Speaker 1: hip hop culture and when they just turn the channel 339 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:31,239 Speaker 1: and just see no no bitches, no no, no, no no, 340 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 1: no no, then they just think, oh, that's all it 341 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: is UM, which it isn't. Like hip hop is a 342 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: wide array of art and it just so happens that 343 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: the five percent that catches on is what's in embroidered 344 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: people's minds as what it is, but emotionally violent, that's 345 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:50,200 Speaker 1: what they think it is. But it's so much more 346 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: than it is. So I came into uh metaphorically speaking, 347 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 1: we got to the train platform as the first wave 348 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:02,639 Speaker 1: of alternative hip hop. Uh train was leaving, you know, 349 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: like when you run for the train and the doors 350 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 1: closed and you see the train leaving, you have to 351 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: wait for another twelve minutes for the next train to come. 352 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 1: That was the roots. The first train was the Jungle Brothers, 353 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: a tripolic quest de las soul. Uh. It kind of 354 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:22,199 Speaker 1: uh ended with arrested development like a ninety one, like 355 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,640 Speaker 1: they won like four Grammys. They were the darlings of 356 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:28,479 Speaker 1: you know, finally hip hop as in art, like you know, 357 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:34,120 Speaker 1: people were were exclaiming that like our new savers, and 358 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: then the backlash happened, like imagine that being the Obama era, 359 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: like finally a new beginning. And then suddenly the next 360 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 1: train comes in and the night Dr Dre and Snoop 361 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,679 Speaker 1: Dogg coming in with guns and bitches and ship and 362 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: people like, no, this is what we want. So imagine 363 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:54,120 Speaker 1: this election, like how can we go twelve steps back? 364 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: And that was the mentality, and so we had to 365 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 1: wait it out and waited out and literally embraced for 366 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,640 Speaker 1: it's a tsunami. We just said we're gonna, Paul Hendricks, 367 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:09,160 Speaker 1: We're gonna leave America. We're gonna move to London as 368 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: a hub, find refuge in in in London. Uh, get 369 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 1: our musicianship together, get our show together, get our songwriting together, 370 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 1: get our production. Uh. We got a record deal in 371 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:31,160 Speaker 1: ninety two. We exiled in Um three years when three 372 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: years you live we were on. We were on Geffin Records, 373 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 1: and In Records had so much money, Guns and Roses, Nirvana, Uh, 374 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 1: Aaron Smith. They made so much money that Geffen was like, Yo, 375 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:49,359 Speaker 1: let's start a black music department where rock label. We 376 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 1: have no black acts, and you know we want to 377 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:56,639 Speaker 1: cash in on on you know, the craze and so 378 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: name you just stayed ge Well, I mean there was 379 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:06,960 Speaker 1: a d G C. But um, we were basically kind 380 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: of their guinea pig experiment. Um. They were like, you know, 381 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,880 Speaker 1: we'll we'll build the staff eventually, but for now, look 382 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:18,920 Speaker 1: just keep the receipts. Here's the credit card. Like that's 383 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,639 Speaker 1: what we did. And then, um, anybody married back then 384 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 1: with kids that they had to pull over there or no, 385 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 1: everybody was single. No, we were all single, were all 386 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: out of high school and college and everything. And so 387 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: what winds up happening was when we first signed, Aerosmith announced, well, 388 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,639 Speaker 1: we're gonna leave Geffen. Remember Pump came out and it 389 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:38,639 Speaker 1: was like really big seller. So they went back to 390 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,919 Speaker 1: Sony and so I was like, all right, whatever. And 391 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 1: then a little bit later it was kind of obviously 392 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:46,919 Speaker 1: like Guns and Roses was not going to have a 393 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: follow up to use your loosen one and two, and 394 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 1: I mean they had an ep of the spaghetti incidence, 395 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 1: but that really didn't make any noise. And so Guns 396 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 1: and Roses wasn't there to have a fill up record 397 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:03,639 Speaker 1: to make the more millions. And then Nirvana came and 398 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 1: you know, just changed everything and make gazillions. So then 399 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 1: when April comes and Kurt Cobain makes his exodus, my 400 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:21,879 Speaker 1: manager called me at one in the afternoon and said, 401 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: playing and simple, we're fucked, And I was like, what 402 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:29,440 Speaker 1: do you mean. He's like, dude, Aerosmith's going, Guns and 403 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 1: Roses ain't coming back now, Kirk is gone, and what 404 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 1: they're gonna do is they're they're just going to drop 405 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 1: and cut the label in half. I was like, so 406 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,359 Speaker 1: what do we do. He's like, we're gonna go to 407 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: the studio for four days. We're going to finish the record. 408 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,719 Speaker 1: I was like, eight songs, ye, I don't have any ideas, 409 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 1: make them up on the way there. And he's like, 410 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: we're gonna shoot three videos next week. We're gonna shoot 411 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: the album cut like totally russ and then we're gonna 412 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: take that money because we were controlling our budget. They'd 413 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: have a staff, yet we just had the credit card. 414 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:03,879 Speaker 1: We're gonna take our leftover money and we're gonna buy 415 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 1: tim plane tickets and get an apartment in London and 416 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 1: Pola Hendricks and just lived there and pray to God 417 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:14,120 Speaker 1: that's our only hope. And you know, that was our 418 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:18,359 Speaker 1: only hope. And it worked. Uh, we miraculously finished an 419 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,679 Speaker 1: album and even in rushing it, I'm shocked. I mean 420 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,640 Speaker 1: it was critically claimed and all that. So we were 421 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:29,399 Speaker 1: in the right mind frame. Shot three videos, Uh, kissed 422 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 1: everybody goodbye, came to London with a stick in a 423 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 1: bundle on her um, stayed in a hotel for like 424 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 1: maybe a day or two, and then eventually found a 425 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: flat god. An agent said, work is to death. We 426 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 1: don't care what it was, and like that was our 427 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:51,639 Speaker 1: Beatles in Hamburg moment. That was our our Hendricks living 428 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:56,400 Speaker 1: in in in Europe moment. And we made two other 429 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 1: critically acclaimed records, but by the fourth one we felt 430 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:04,439 Speaker 1: if we didn't deliver the goods, uh, we'll be in trouble. 431 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: And so we had a scientific conversation with our label. 432 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,439 Speaker 1: We said, look, before you, you know, divulge all this 433 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:16,240 Speaker 1: money into us, let's have a conversation. We told them 434 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,720 Speaker 1: that no matter how good the records are, no matter 435 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:21,600 Speaker 1: how critically claimed, how many top ten lists we make, 436 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:27,000 Speaker 1: unless you build us a movement, it's never gonna work. 437 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 1: And they said, well what is that. So we said 438 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 1: this is what we need. You want the short version, 439 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:33,880 Speaker 1: long version? He said, give us a short version. We said, 440 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: we need three fifteen passenger fans, we need uh expendable 441 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: kind of uh studio equipment, uh, and we need to 442 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 1: hire two chefs. And they looked and said what the hell? 443 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:53,480 Speaker 1: And we explained the plan. We said, what we're gonna 444 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: do is every Tuesday, at this particular spot, we're gonna 445 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 1: have jam sessions, and every Friday in the Mirrors living room, 446 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 1: we're gonna have jam sessions. The chefs are going to 447 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:07,080 Speaker 1: cook all the food to entice the artistic community. Because 448 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: if you say free food, every everything, everybody be surprised. 449 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: Everybody comes over and we'll just have jam sessions. And eventually, 450 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 1: what we figured out in those four years was that 451 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: no one has ever had success in music without being 452 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 1: contextualized in an artistic community. So you think you like 453 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: Stevie Wonder, but it's like, no, you associate Stevie Wonder 454 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: with Smokey Temptations, Uh, Diana Ross's Supremes, the Motown family. 455 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: You look at look at someone without design, take Justin Timberley. 456 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 1: You're automatically gonna think, Oh and Sink, Oh, Backstreet Boys, 457 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: Oh Brittany Disney, Christina Aguilty. You think of the Disney set, 458 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: you think of I mean, Prince grew his own crops, 459 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 1: Prince Sheila e Mars, Dame of Time. Like everyone that 460 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: has success, the only people that have never had success, 461 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:07,959 Speaker 1: that had success without a family or contextualization was one 462 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 1: Hit Wonders, Where Alan kick the guys that say Macarena, 463 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 1: Tiny Tim Maybe the McArthur part person. But everyone's associated 464 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 1: with the movement. You look at the Police, Okay, they 465 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: were part of that post punk punk movement, early new 466 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:27,080 Speaker 1: wave movement. Talking heads like even if they don't do 467 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: it by design, we as consumers think that. So we 468 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:33,680 Speaker 1: had to grow on crops. So as a result, m 469 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 1: these three years of having the chef the Jam sessions 470 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:44,479 Speaker 1: week by week, Um, suddenly we were writing the story 471 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: of the next millennium of soul. So that's explains Erica 472 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:57,240 Speaker 1: Bado D'Angelo. Uh, most def tali quality basically the fourteen 473 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 1: or fifteen or so platinum based artists in the future 474 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: of course. Uh, starting in our living room and then 475 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:09,280 Speaker 1: expanding having their own careerson my words yours. But but 476 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:12,880 Speaker 1: if if London is graduate school, if you all decide 477 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: to stop. We found success by our fourth album, and 478 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 1: then you know, the one thing that we didn't plan 479 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: on was succeeding. Everyone got successful, so we stopped paying 480 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 1: it for it. Like suddenly it's like, oh, we don't 481 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 1: need the Jam sessence no more, Like we're an MTV 482 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 1: every week, Like that's that's what the mentality was. And 483 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: then it all came to I'm not saying it came 484 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:46,000 Speaker 1: to a screeching halt. But people often asked me, what 485 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,160 Speaker 1: do I talk. There's there's a movie we did with 486 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:52,920 Speaker 1: Michelle Gandry and Dave Chappelle in two thousand four called 487 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:59,000 Speaker 1: Black Party. It was Dave Chappelle's version of of watch Stacks. 488 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 1: It was Dave Chappell's version of Woodstock, which was basically 489 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: kind of the alternative, the alternative hip hop gathering you 490 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 1: know of in Brooklyn, of all the great acts Kanye West, Uh, 491 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 1: the Roots, Dead preys Erica, Baudoo, common Um, all the 492 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: all the people that are under our umbrella. And something 493 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:30,959 Speaker 1: happened that day and I realized, just like, Okay, if 494 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 1: you look at wood Stock, wood Stock is not the beginning. 495 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:36,479 Speaker 1: You would think like, oh, what Stock. All these new 496 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: acts I've never heard of, They're going to be big. 497 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 1: Wood Stock was the end of the sentence. People think 498 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,760 Speaker 1: that what stocks at the beginning of the sentence? What Stocks? 499 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: The end of the love movement? Because next was Altamont 500 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:54,120 Speaker 1: and Pay the seventies, the club everyone diing, Uh, Saturday 501 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 1: Night Fever. People think the right about disco. Nope, that 502 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: was the end of disco. By the time Hollywood puts 503 00:32:59,920 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: to on screen, it's over right, It's over. So this 504 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 1: was that morning. I was like, ah, this is how 505 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 1: it all ends, and you know, it's like a brace. 506 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: It was. It was a the mentality that you have, 507 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 1: which how am I going to survive the next four years? Well, 508 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 1: not you personally, put for the average American, like I 509 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 1: gotta hang on tight. I don't know what's gonna happen. 510 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: That's the feeling I had. I mean, on on screen 511 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:27,480 Speaker 1: it looked very beautiful, like Mischelle Gandry is one of 512 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 1: the best directors of all time, and you know it. 513 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 1: It looked like a beautiful celebration. But in my mind, 514 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 1: I was like, well, this is where you know, I 515 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 1: once held the baton and now this youngster named Kanye 516 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 1: West is going to take over the reins and he's 517 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 1: going to be a new leader. And then I'm um, 518 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 1: he yeah, at the time, he was the new leader 519 00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:53,720 Speaker 1: because when he arrived on the set, suddenly and I 520 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 1: looked in everyone's eyes, any anyone that was on the 521 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 1: set that was like under nineteen suddenly came at attention 522 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,400 Speaker 1: and all the energy and attention went to his direction 523 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: and he was just there like stand outside for a 524 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:09,919 Speaker 1: second and looking, but he was new. He just got it. Well. 525 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 1: He he sort of came in his wolf in Sheep's 526 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:16,279 Speaker 1: clothing approaches is kind of brilliant. I really regret, like 527 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 1: we tried to hide our true aspirations and our true 528 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 1: heart because we didn't want to upset the system. So 529 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 1: our thing was like, yes, we represent the everyday man, 530 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:30,360 Speaker 1: the common man. I mean, there's there's nothing in the 531 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:36,920 Speaker 1: Roots narrative that looks appealing to black people, Like we 532 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:40,840 Speaker 1: don't have any tales of there's no tales of of 533 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:44,480 Speaker 1: of there's no look, Mom made it, that's the narrative. 534 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:48,200 Speaker 1: Jay Z's narrative is I made it. I made it, 535 00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 1: like it's just it's a winning lottery ticket. I made it. 536 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:56,120 Speaker 1: That was never our narrative. So thus the reason, I mean, 537 00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:59,160 Speaker 1: the Roots are more known to be Fish or the 538 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 1: grateful dead of hip hop than you know, the winners 539 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 1: of hip hop. But you know, don't sleep. Fish is 540 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:12,000 Speaker 1: a group that somehow still made eight figures a year 541 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:14,480 Speaker 1: under the radar. They didn't have to shake their ass 542 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 1: in the video, they didn't have to get mired in controversy. 543 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 1: They quietly sell out Madison Square Garden three nights, and 544 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:26,040 Speaker 1: so that for us was a better was a better 545 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 1: way of survival. Coming up, quest Love explains the magic 546 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:34,880 Speaker 1: of Jimmy Fallon and how Fallon convinced the Routes to 547 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:40,920 Speaker 1: join him. On Late nine TV explore the Here's the 548 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:44,760 Speaker 1: Thing Archives, I talked to Danny Bennett, who has spent 549 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:49,640 Speaker 1: his life managing the career of another musical giant, his dad, Tony. 550 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:52,480 Speaker 1: I had this epiphany and I'm like, I'm gonna run. 551 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:55,279 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this like I'm running for president. And 552 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:57,400 Speaker 1: I went to him and I said, you know, presidents 553 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 1: would not go to Iowa if they didn't have to 554 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:02,920 Speaker 1: go to and and you know, shake the hands I 555 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,800 Speaker 1: go instead of having people come to you in Vegas. 556 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:11,879 Speaker 1: I said, your music transcends, right, He's reinventing himself. He's 557 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:14,960 Speaker 1: really kicking ass. I mean in terms of like taking chances. 558 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:19,359 Speaker 1: There's a transcendent quality and great art that that, like 559 00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:23,360 Speaker 1: he says, defies demographics. Take a listen at Here's the 560 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:35,920 Speaker 1: Thing dot Org. This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening 561 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:38,919 Speaker 1: to Here's the Thing. My guest today is a mere 562 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:42,840 Speaker 1: quest Love Thompson. While he's best known as the drummer 563 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:45,840 Speaker 1: and music director for The Roots, the house band on 564 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:48,880 Speaker 1: The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He's also sat in 565 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:54,320 Speaker 1: for Erica Badou, Fiona Apple, jay Z, saxophonist Joshua Redman, 566 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: and he's managed to put out several books. While some 567 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:00,760 Speaker 1: people were surprised when The Roots took the Fallon gig, 568 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:02,880 Speaker 1: quest love is a man who has a lot he 569 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:06,960 Speaker 1: wants to accomplish. People think it's money, money, money, and 570 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:09,880 Speaker 1: because it's not money, money money, you run and do 571 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,120 Speaker 1: something that frees you so you can go do this 572 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:16,279 Speaker 1: other thing. And was this gig with Jimmy frees you can? 573 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:18,000 Speaker 1: I ask you go for it. I hate to be 574 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:22,000 Speaker 1: the guy that answers your question with the with the question. Okay, 575 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:27,799 Speaker 1: so when your first approached to do thirty Rock, I 576 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:29,960 Speaker 1: mean this is the tail the tail in of of 577 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:38,160 Speaker 1: Scorsese film Baby Eater, No, No, No, even um um 578 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:43,000 Speaker 1: the Cops Boston departed. Yeah, so even on the tail 579 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:47,840 Speaker 1: into that, like anyone else, I feel, I mean, this 580 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:51,000 Speaker 1: is why imire you so much. Anyone else would have 581 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:56,600 Speaker 1: overthought the situation and defiantly been like no, like you know, 582 00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:01,520 Speaker 1: the particular legacy. I want to read leave behind is 583 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:04,600 Speaker 1: this and that? Or you know, I don't know if 584 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:08,040 Speaker 1: you're thinking about your Wikipedia entry as you do this. 585 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:12,279 Speaker 1: I'm all, no, see, I'm obsessed with how's this going 586 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:16,759 Speaker 1: to look on my Wikipedia? Because you say that, trust me? 587 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:20,719 Speaker 1: Critic critics. One critic actually said, you know, the sad 588 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:23,120 Speaker 1: the sad thing about listening to a Roots record is 589 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:27,200 Speaker 1: that I can hear quest Love imagining his Wikipedia entry 590 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:31,880 Speaker 1: as each song is right exactly. So I mean, how 591 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:34,960 Speaker 1: easy was it for you to make that transition? Because 592 00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:38,600 Speaker 1: people say to me, like I didn't have posters of 593 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:42,759 Speaker 1: Shaffer or Doc Steverson on my walls, like one day 594 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:46,680 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this, and then it's like you've met 595 00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:53,480 Speaker 1: with the opportunity and it it was it was a 596 00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:58,600 Speaker 1: no brainer. But it was also on the other hand, 597 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:03,360 Speaker 1: I was very it's just about it, and my manager 598 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 1: at the time said, look, this is what's gonna happen. 599 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:11,560 Speaker 1: The critics that have been and you have to understand 600 00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:16,360 Speaker 1: how the Roots are perceived in the critical community. And 601 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:19,319 Speaker 1: we kind of unfortunately paying yourself in this corner where 602 00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:22,360 Speaker 1: you know, they just thought like we were oh so serious, 603 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:25,480 Speaker 1: and you know, you know, like a surface person will 604 00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:27,560 Speaker 1: look at Bono and think like he just thinks of 605 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:30,960 Speaker 1: himself too seriously and that sort of thing, and like 606 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,279 Speaker 1: overthinks everything. That's what critics were thinking about us. And 607 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:38,520 Speaker 1: there he was like, we need this because what what 608 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:42,279 Speaker 1: we'll do is it will help break the perception of 609 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:47,000 Speaker 1: the political seriousness of The Roots. And I was like, yeah, 610 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 1: but you know, like I had dreams of of doing 611 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:56,239 Speaker 1: what he does, like selling out stadiums and producing, you know, 612 00:39:56,680 --> 00:39:58,560 Speaker 1: releasing other records and da da da da da, And 613 00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:01,759 Speaker 1: he was just conventional goal we all have. Yeah, this 614 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:03,319 Speaker 1: is a lot there's a lot of good there as well. 615 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:05,400 Speaker 1: I don't want to put it down to be decaprio. 616 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:08,040 Speaker 1: There's a lot of great things about being Decaprio. It is, 617 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:11,600 Speaker 1: but I was I so fought it, and he says, look, 618 00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:17,640 Speaker 1: this is like some critics going to snark you, and 619 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:20,200 Speaker 1: we've got to use it as our motivation to really 620 00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:23,000 Speaker 1: come back. And I was like okay, And sure enough 621 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:28,960 Speaker 1: it happened. The first blur news blur about the Roots 622 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:31,799 Speaker 1: are actually going to be a late night band. The 623 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:34,600 Speaker 1: guy says, this is the most depressing news I've heard. 624 00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:39,400 Speaker 1: It's the equivalent of Miles Davis being a uh subway 625 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:44,840 Speaker 1: a street subway. Uh busker busker, yes, exactly, which ironically 626 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:47,480 Speaker 1: is how the route started. Um. It's like it's like 627 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:52,399 Speaker 1: watching Miles David busking the subway and he's like, there 628 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:54,840 Speaker 1: you have it. Like we've always been in the position 629 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:57,920 Speaker 1: where we are always and that's the thing. We've always 630 00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:01,799 Speaker 1: been underestimated, Like these guys walking in with these instruments, 631 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:04,680 Speaker 1: they're not real, they're not real hip hop. You know, 632 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:09,240 Speaker 1: we've always been in the underdog. What are you guys 633 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:13,520 Speaker 1: gonna do? And he's like, just repeat it again, use 634 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:17,279 Speaker 1: it to your advantage, Like we should define and redefine 635 00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:21,240 Speaker 1: the coolness of it all, not to say that oh, 636 00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:25,880 Speaker 1: you know, they're same or corniness associated with the position 637 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:29,279 Speaker 1: of being a late night band, but it was our 638 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:32,840 Speaker 1: chance to make it and for us at least, the 639 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:37,399 Speaker 1: coolest thing ever. And that's basically what it was like. 640 00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:41,759 Speaker 1: We weren't even really going to accept the position, and 641 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:46,040 Speaker 1: then Jimmy did something that no other human being was 642 00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:50,000 Speaker 1: able to do. Uh. With us, by this point we 643 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,560 Speaker 1: were like the complete opposite of what we were in 644 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:55,640 Speaker 1: ninety two. This is like two thousand seven, you know, 645 00:41:55,719 --> 00:41:58,759 Speaker 1: two tour buses, you know, high off the hog and 646 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:04,160 Speaker 1: everything and in our glory, and uh, we just thought, okay, well, yeah, 647 00:42:04,239 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 1: come to the show, Jimmy. We just figured like, at 648 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:09,120 Speaker 1: least we'll have a friend on television so that when 649 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:11,560 Speaker 1: we release records, we can be on his show and 650 00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:13,920 Speaker 1: promote it. But we're not going to accept this gig. 651 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:17,600 Speaker 1: And the funniest thing happened. I went away for five 652 00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:20,200 Speaker 1: minutes to do. We were in U c l A campus. 653 00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:23,560 Speaker 1: I want to do a quick, uh interview with the 654 00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:28,239 Speaker 1: campus newspaper in my dressing room. And when it was 655 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:32,399 Speaker 1: over six minutes later, I opened the door and on 656 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:37,760 Speaker 1: the on the field grass, Jimmy and all eight members 657 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:41,920 Speaker 1: of the Roots we're in the eight is Enough human 658 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:48,239 Speaker 1: pyramid stands and I looked at my manager and we 659 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:52,640 Speaker 1: are the most cynical, snarkiest, smartass know it all. You're 660 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:54,560 Speaker 1: we're the smartest guys in the room and not you. 661 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:58,560 Speaker 1: We just looked at each other and we're like, we're 662 00:42:58,600 --> 00:43:02,359 Speaker 1: not getting rim this guy or and he just looked like, no, 663 00:43:02,760 --> 00:43:08,000 Speaker 1: we're not. And what Jimmy managed to do was disarm 664 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:15,040 Speaker 1: us in less than ten minutes. Like Tarik alone, anything 665 00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:20,600 Speaker 1: that Tarik wears is worth twenty dollars, like he's not 666 00:43:20,680 --> 00:43:23,560 Speaker 1: driving a spark was on. Yeah, I mean Tarik drives 667 00:43:23,560 --> 00:43:27,960 Speaker 1: before he wears like ten thousand dollar Japanese denim. You 668 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:30,600 Speaker 1: know what I mean. He was on the bottom, like 669 00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:36,040 Speaker 1: Tarik with nerve put his jeans on on the dirty 670 00:43:38,520 --> 00:43:42,000 Speaker 1: I'm like, what did this guy do to talk? What 671 00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:45,120 Speaker 1: did he do? What did he do? I don't I'm 672 00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:48,600 Speaker 1: still trying to figure it. He has he's that guy. 673 00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:51,840 Speaker 1: He's that guy like when you watch the movie and 674 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:56,560 Speaker 1: the the guys are trying to dissemble the bomb. In 675 00:43:56,640 --> 00:44:01,560 Speaker 1: like point three seconds, he as the leg of the draw. 676 00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:07,239 Speaker 1: He knows exactly how did disarm. He literally disarmed us 677 00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:10,640 Speaker 1: and showed us the prose of the situation. It was 678 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:12,920 Speaker 1: as if we agreed to it already and forgot. Well. 679 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:14,480 Speaker 1: But but let me let me say that this that 680 00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:17,840 Speaker 1: I worshiped, Jimmy I adored. And the thing is, Jimmy 681 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:22,520 Speaker 1: is guileless. Jimmy's a kid, and and that freedom and 682 00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:25,480 Speaker 1: that Jimmy's gonna flow with the ground. But we're all kids, right. 683 00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:28,400 Speaker 1: But what's great is you guys in behind him with 684 00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:31,360 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna say cynicism. But there's a gravity, you guys, 685 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:33,920 Speaker 1: there's a balance exactly, there's a great there's a great 686 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:36,680 Speaker 1: balance there. There's a great balance there. What I what 687 00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:40,920 Speaker 1: I discovered the first month in first of all, what 688 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:48,960 Speaker 1: I discovered about myself and about the band um starters 689 00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:55,160 Speaker 1: for a band that sat and Rolling Stones twenty best 690 00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:59,880 Speaker 1: band Live Bands of All Time list. I noticed that 691 00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:04,760 Speaker 1: we never ever practice as a band because our shows 692 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:10,600 Speaker 1: are Springsteen length, three hours every night, and we we 693 00:45:10,680 --> 00:45:15,239 Speaker 1: did two hundred shows a night. Like every show was 694 00:45:15,280 --> 00:45:19,560 Speaker 1: like its own. I never wanted to snack before the meal, 695 00:45:20,040 --> 00:45:27,439 Speaker 1: you know, you don't wanna before the orgy whatever. Uh right, 696 00:45:27,560 --> 00:45:31,960 Speaker 1: And so when we got there and we were in 697 00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:35,799 Speaker 1: this closed in room, eight of us looking at each other, 698 00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:38,279 Speaker 1: it was the hardest thing in the world to do 699 00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:40,560 Speaker 1: because we never did this before, and like I had 700 00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:44,920 Speaker 1: to call my manager, like yo, we did not know 701 00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:47,560 Speaker 1: how to It was like being naked in public or 702 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:52,800 Speaker 1: something like. It took three weeks, but suddenly we rehearsed 703 00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:57,600 Speaker 1: and became better musicians. We became better songwriters, became better 704 00:45:57,640 --> 00:46:01,240 Speaker 1: producers because they it's all these challenge is of Okay, 705 00:46:01,280 --> 00:46:02,880 Speaker 1: I need a ten seconds sting for d Da Da 706 00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:05,320 Speaker 1: Da da Da. Here's the name of the song now, 707 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:09,279 Speaker 1: and it made us more focused song like we're now. 708 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:13,080 Speaker 1: I felt like we've robbed our fan base those initial 709 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:20,879 Speaker 1: fifteen years because we're so much wiser now at songwriting, 710 00:46:21,040 --> 00:46:26,200 Speaker 1: at being musicians, at entertaining. Like there's so much knowledge 711 00:46:26,239 --> 00:46:28,279 Speaker 1: that we've gotten that we didn't know. I thought it 712 00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:31,160 Speaker 1: was gonna be a cushy retirement gig. Okay, we'll just 713 00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:34,160 Speaker 1: set off in the sunset. I'll be fine. My mom's 714 00:46:34,160 --> 00:46:36,680 Speaker 1: house will be paid off, my b that'll be cool. 715 00:46:37,400 --> 00:46:41,960 Speaker 1: But that was foolish. I was made for this gig 716 00:46:42,280 --> 00:46:44,839 Speaker 1: and didn't realize it yet. Are you guys gonna tour 717 00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:50,040 Speaker 1: perform any time? Thinking about it? We what was once 718 00:46:50,200 --> 00:46:53,440 Speaker 1: thirty eight weeks on the road is now a normal 719 00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:59,480 Speaker 1: two days on the road is now We're gonna go 720 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:04,399 Speaker 1: out again, which is normal. We do weekends, We have hiatuses, 721 00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:11,000 Speaker 1: talk about your books. Yeah, well it's the first you 722 00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:14,720 Speaker 1: find time for that. Well. The thing is, I'm I'm 723 00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:18,360 Speaker 1: a serial tweeter, which is why I know, like people 724 00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:22,799 Speaker 1: are ragging our current president elect about you know, why 725 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:24,600 Speaker 1: do you get up at three and and five that's 726 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:27,080 Speaker 1: the best times to tweet. Ever, I don't want to 727 00:47:27,080 --> 00:47:31,840 Speaker 1: defend him publicly that way, but trust me too. I 728 00:47:31,880 --> 00:47:34,879 Speaker 1: got the pad next to my bed lighting scenes down 729 00:47:34,880 --> 00:47:41,360 Speaker 1: for TV shows. So um because of the the paragraph 730 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:47,160 Speaker 1: nature of all my instagrams and and thoughts. Um, they 731 00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:49,640 Speaker 1: were basically like, well, why don't you just write a 732 00:47:49,640 --> 00:47:52,120 Speaker 1: book already? And at first I was resistant to it 733 00:47:52,120 --> 00:47:53,880 Speaker 1: because I was like, how many ideas do I have 734 00:47:54,040 --> 00:47:57,800 Speaker 1: in me? But um, so far, I've written three books 735 00:47:57,800 --> 00:47:59,959 Speaker 1: and I'm kind of proud of it. The first book, 736 00:48:00,239 --> 00:48:04,640 Speaker 1: Momento Blues, is kind of a a music memoir where 737 00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:08,439 Speaker 1: I talk about life and music, and the second one 738 00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:11,960 Speaker 1: was a passion project. Uh. I'm very obsessed with the 739 00:48:11,960 --> 00:48:15,200 Speaker 1: show Soul Train, so I wrote the Ultimate Coffee table 740 00:48:15,239 --> 00:48:18,880 Speaker 1: book about Soul Train and uh my my last book 741 00:48:18,920 --> 00:48:22,080 Speaker 1: was something the Food, about which is I discovered that 742 00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:27,480 Speaker 1: comedians and uh chefs are kind of onor on a 743 00:48:27,520 --> 00:48:31,720 Speaker 1: parallel creative level as musicians. That's what I learned in 744 00:48:31,719 --> 00:48:36,240 Speaker 1: in fallon watching I'm observing David Chang and Dominique Ganzel 745 00:48:36,840 --> 00:48:41,120 Speaker 1: and all these these great chefs when they're preparing foods 746 00:48:41,200 --> 00:48:45,759 Speaker 1: for our show. I started to notice that they think 747 00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:49,319 Speaker 1: like musicians and became friends with them and then did 748 00:48:49,360 --> 00:48:53,920 Speaker 1: a kind of observational study at their creative methods. Um, 749 00:48:54,760 --> 00:48:58,200 Speaker 1: and I guess the next book I'm gonna work on 750 00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:04,840 Speaker 1: is also about creativity and creativity. Well, I'm I'm the 751 00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:12,040 Speaker 1: guy that doesn't necessarily I don't marvel at the vehicle 752 00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:16,439 Speaker 1: more than I'm marvel at the machinery that makes it run. 753 00:49:17,360 --> 00:49:24,640 Speaker 1: And I'm always curious about the preparation process, Like I 754 00:49:24,719 --> 00:49:30,120 Speaker 1: beg Higgins daily to let me sit in on that, 755 00:49:30,280 --> 00:49:32,320 Speaker 1: Like can I I want to enter in at SNL 756 00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:35,879 Speaker 1: so I can be And Lauren is not having none 757 00:49:35,880 --> 00:49:40,440 Speaker 1: of this, by the way, uh too be there on 758 00:49:40,480 --> 00:49:43,960 Speaker 1: the pitch meetings, like to to when I watched the 759 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:49,040 Speaker 1: show on Saturday. I'm always wondering what was the pitch, like, 760 00:49:49,040 --> 00:49:51,759 Speaker 1: like how do they pitch this? And how did it 761 00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:55,640 Speaker 1: morph into what I'm watching right now? I want to 762 00:49:55,640 --> 00:49:57,640 Speaker 1: know what it's like in the beginning, So like I'm 763 00:49:57,680 --> 00:50:00,480 Speaker 1: always sneaking around on the seventeen floor trying to figure out, 764 00:50:01,080 --> 00:50:04,719 Speaker 1: you know, how SNL works, So like between steps and Comedians, 765 00:50:04,800 --> 00:50:10,520 Speaker 1: I'm trying to inspire myself with the restless the creative process. Yes, 766 00:50:10,560 --> 00:50:13,440 Speaker 1: and I'm also wrestling. Well, the thing I admire and 767 00:50:13,440 --> 00:50:15,560 Speaker 1: the thing I'm so drawn to about you and that's 768 00:50:15,560 --> 00:50:19,200 Speaker 1: so attractive about you is there's this discipline, there's this 769 00:50:19,280 --> 00:50:22,240 Speaker 1: sense of history and at the same time, like Tony Bennett, 770 00:50:23,480 --> 00:50:25,520 Speaker 1: who I always use him as the standard of this, 771 00:50:25,600 --> 00:50:27,400 Speaker 1: it's like, but we also have to have a good time. 772 00:50:27,840 --> 00:50:30,319 Speaker 1: This is what we dreamed of doing, we dreamed of 773 00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:34,839 Speaker 1: being here. Let's have a good time, yes, and enjoy 774 00:50:34,840 --> 00:50:37,840 Speaker 1: it because this is what we wanted. And I get that. 775 00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:39,839 Speaker 1: I get the two from you. I get the discipline 776 00:50:40,760 --> 00:50:44,720 Speaker 1: and and and and and the the the the professionalism, 777 00:50:44,719 --> 00:50:46,680 Speaker 1: if you will, But I also get where you're like, 778 00:50:48,239 --> 00:50:51,280 Speaker 1: let's I enjoy it. Well, I enjoy it now. Before 779 00:50:51,840 --> 00:50:57,000 Speaker 1: uh maybe five years ago, I didn't enjoy it because 780 00:50:57,360 --> 00:51:01,440 Speaker 1: you're so immersed in the work. But uh um, a 781 00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:08,960 Speaker 1: lot of it. Well, I discovered meditating because well, yeah, 782 00:51:09,000 --> 00:51:10,400 Speaker 1: I mean I hate to be so more of it. 783 00:51:10,440 --> 00:51:12,680 Speaker 1: But it was like, you know, again, growing up in 784 00:51:12,760 --> 00:51:15,960 Speaker 1: hip hop culture, the number one fear in your twenties 785 00:51:16,040 --> 00:51:18,759 Speaker 1: is like bullets in the club, So it's like, stay 786 00:51:18,800 --> 00:51:23,520 Speaker 1: off the club. But then at the age of like 787 00:51:23,560 --> 00:51:27,000 Speaker 1: strokes became a new bullet. So it's like insulin. Yes, 788 00:51:27,200 --> 00:51:31,120 Speaker 1: I I had to make a choice. So yes, having 789 00:51:31,160 --> 00:51:38,040 Speaker 1: a clear mind and clear thoughts helps, and I know 790 00:51:38,200 --> 00:51:42,399 Speaker 1: it's it's such a hard sell. It saves my life, 791 00:51:42,400 --> 00:51:45,640 Speaker 1: Like there's no way that you can have my rigorous schedule. 792 00:51:46,920 --> 00:51:50,360 Speaker 1: I feel so bit like my inner circle of nine people, 793 00:51:50,480 --> 00:51:54,399 Speaker 1: I'm the only person without gray hair, and I look 794 00:51:54,440 --> 00:51:57,600 Speaker 1: at them like, wow, I pay you people to take 795 00:51:57,640 --> 00:52:02,080 Speaker 1: the gray hair that I I'm not getting. Well, let 796 00:52:02,120 --> 00:52:04,759 Speaker 1: me just say this that you're not married now, I 797 00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:08,000 Speaker 1: have a girlfriend, no kids, no, no, So here's what 798 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:09,440 Speaker 1: I want to here's what I want to try to 799 00:52:09,440 --> 00:52:12,200 Speaker 1: close with. If I'm if I'm able, do you want 800 00:52:12,200 --> 00:52:15,480 Speaker 1: to raise kids as well? Absolutely, that'd be so cool. 801 00:52:15,280 --> 00:52:18,319 Speaker 1: You would be such a great parents. Anybody that would 802 00:52:18,360 --> 00:52:21,919 Speaker 1: have you as a parent would be so lucky. Well, yeah, 803 00:52:22,239 --> 00:52:27,000 Speaker 1: thank you. It's weird. I'm bad with compliments like yeah. 804 00:52:27,040 --> 00:52:31,200 Speaker 1: I feel as though everything that I'm doing is eventually 805 00:52:31,239 --> 00:52:37,360 Speaker 1: to pass it on and pass the love to to someone. Drummer, 806 00:52:37,719 --> 00:52:42,000 Speaker 1: DJ author and fingers crossed Future of Father a mere 807 00:52:42,280 --> 00:52:47,440 Speaker 1: quest Love Thompson. This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening 808 00:52:47,480 --> 00:52:48,319 Speaker 1: to here's the thing