WEBVTT - Episode 1: Breaking In (Start Here) 0:00:00.040 --> 0:00:16.840 Yeah, I feel one coming on right now, another panic 0:00:16.840 --> 0:00:22.920 attack inside, climbing up in my throat, and I'm starting 0:00:22.960 --> 0:00:32.159 to hyperventively all the classic science. Man, I gotta get 0:00:32.159 --> 0:00:33.640 out of my head and pay attention or I'll miss 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:36.879 my transfer. I think I'm all worked up because it 0:00:36.920 --> 0:00:39.479 was coming up tonight. I thought i'd be excited, but 0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:43.360 it's just it's just too much. You know, what the 0:00:43.360 --> 0:00:47.479 hell am I inbuts oh god, God cool yo, Ruben, 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:50.239 It's all in my head. I know this, I know this, 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:55.480 but it feels so real. Sometimes it's overwhelming and I 0:00:55.560 --> 0:00:57.760 cannot have an attack like this night. It will ruin 0:00:57.880 --> 0:01:01.880 everything Marko and I have planned, Ruben. See, no one 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:04.880 wants to be a Hollywood celebrity anymore, no one my 0:01:05.000 --> 0:01:09.200 age anyway. I mean, we want to be Internet famous. 0:01:09.720 --> 0:01:12.319 We want to be influencers, motivating our peers to become 0:01:12.360 --> 0:01:16.040 followers of what's trending on Twitter, TikTok or Instagram. We 0:01:16.040 --> 0:01:20.280 areddinkted to our follows and our likes. Man, I should know. 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:24.040 I remember when I was nine, I created a profile 0:01:24.080 --> 0:01:28.800 on Vine. Remember ye that it doesn't matter, kind of 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:32.240 like Instagram, but with just video. Anyway, I posted a 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:34.840 video and nearly broke the internet. Outloaded the post to 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:40.200 me freestyling off of Hello Marco, what man, are you 0:01:40.240 --> 0:01:44.160 ready for tonight? My best friend Marco has a mischievous grind. 0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:48.000 Oh he sees his upside. Try my best not to frown, 0:01:48.360 --> 0:01:52.680 Try my best to mirror his expression. Yeah, I'm ready 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:55.720 as I'll ever be. Believe it, bro, you gotta kill 0:01:55.760 --> 0:01:58.920 it tonight. Trust me, my head is still in the 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:00.960 clouds when I try to focus on Marco was asking 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:04.360 me about I can't believe of really doing this. He 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:06.320 grabs me by the shoulders and stares me dead in 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:09.280 the eyes. Hey, I wanted you in this with me specifically. 0:02:10.320 --> 0:02:12.200 You got this. Are you sure you don't want to 0:02:12.240 --> 0:02:15.360 be on MIC for the interview yourself? You got the crid, 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:18.600 You're the quote unquote influencer. Now I'm just a goof 0:02:18.680 --> 0:02:21.320 making dumb TikTok videos. Man, this is bigger than that. 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:23.880 It's got to be its own brand. You got the depth. 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:27.400 You're practically an artist yourself. I see you lost in 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:30.200 your head all the time, scribbling your ideas out in class. 0:02:30.600 --> 0:02:33.520 You need an outlet, let those creative juices flow. I 0:02:33.600 --> 0:02:35.440 know you can connect here. Trust me. You're a guy 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:39.160 for this. I do trust Marco, but I am nervous 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:41.919 as hell. All I really want to do is put 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:45.000 my headphones on and yeah, I get lost in my thoughts. 0:02:45.440 --> 0:02:47.239 I don't want to think about doing an interview tonight. 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:49.639 I can't believe I'm sneaking into the city, lying to 0:02:49.720 --> 0:02:51.919 my parents and doing what I've dreamed of doing forever. 0:02:52.760 --> 0:02:55.480 Too sick when you think about it. I'm tripping, fraid 0:02:55.520 --> 0:02:57.800 I can't do this. No, no, no, no no. Marco 0:02:58.000 --> 0:03:00.200 was right, No need to psych myself out there. There's 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:02.919 no turning back now. Did you tell your parents you're 0:03:02.919 --> 0:03:05.800 staying at my place tonight? Yeah? They think they know, 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:13.440 They don't know. Jack Jack, Jack Jack. Hey, congrats man, 0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:15.600 it's been a hell of a summer. We live large. 0:03:15.760 --> 0:03:18.400 Now on to bigger and better things, right, meet me 0:03:18.440 --> 0:03:21.280 back at the train station at seven. That's gonna be huge? 0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:26.520 Will it be huge? What if I mess up? Ship? 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:29.200 I'm more afraid of it being huge. And if it's 0:03:29.240 --> 0:03:31.000 just some dumb, hoppy me and my friend of doom? 0:03:31.760 --> 0:03:34.480 What did I get myself into? Okay, let's let me 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:37.440 stop tripping. I put in my earbuds and force myself 0:03:37.520 --> 0:03:41.080 to focus on something other than myself. Doubt ready or not, 0:03:42.120 --> 0:04:12.600 here it comes to break, of course, I'd be Marco 0:04:12.680 --> 0:04:16.480 back to the train station. He's always mad late, It's 0:04:16.520 --> 0:04:19.919 like clockwork. And while I'm stuck waiting, my mind dripped 0:04:19.960 --> 0:04:22.760 back to the same old training thought. The video that 0:04:22.800 --> 0:04:25.840 blew up on Vine just me freestyling over a Kanye 0:04:25.880 --> 0:04:29.239 type beat I found on YouTube. After I posted that video, 0:04:29.640 --> 0:04:33.360 my likes my shares, they went through the roof. Next 0:04:33.440 --> 0:04:35.520 day at school, everybody stopped me in the hall in 0:04:35.600 --> 0:04:38.800 class Wherever asked me to take selfies with him. The 0:04:38.800 --> 0:04:41.120 biggest hip hop law share my post on their pages. 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:46.560 I was famous overnight in that famous anyways. I gained 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:50.239 fifty k followers in less than forty eight hours. Parents 0:04:50.240 --> 0:04:54.360 didn't quite understanding the oven until Ellen, Yes, Dad, Ellen, 0:04:54.640 --> 0:04:56.720 the one with the TV show shared my video on 0:04:56.880 --> 0:05:01.240 national television. Ellen itself didn't invited me on, but my 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:04.000 parents thought I was too young. They wouldn't allow me 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:05.640 to fly out to Los Angeles to be a guest 0:05:05.640 --> 0:05:08.240 on the new shows at Ellen or or anyone else 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:13.919 hosted on television, radio or even podcasts. Parts right, my 0:05:13.960 --> 0:05:17.200 parents thought my freestyle was cute, but they freaked out 0:05:17.200 --> 0:05:19.880 it all the attention I was getting, some of which 0:05:20.040 --> 0:05:27.440 was negative. After monitoring the comments over the weekend, my 0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:29.440 parents to leading my account on Monday morning before they 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:32.000 dropped me off as school. They were afraid of me 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:35.279 being cyper bullied or distracted by internet fame or worse. 0:05:36.480 --> 0:05:37.960 I mean, I thought I was just having fun and 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:41.520 being myself. It's never my intention to go viral or whatever, 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:50.200 but I did. But man, when it happened, what a rush. 0:05:50.720 --> 0:06:02.919 I just I never quite stopped chasing that feeling. Fast 0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:06.120 forward eight years later to the here and now. My 0:06:06.200 --> 0:06:08.760 friend Marco was a self made social media influencer and 0:06:08.760 --> 0:06:12.359 he's only seventeen years old. He doesn't follow trends. He 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:15.960 sets him height beast monitors his social media pages for direction. 0:06:16.480 --> 0:06:19.360 Dude has been a tastemaker his whole life without even trying. 0:06:20.080 --> 0:06:22.640 Marco has a soil of three hundred thousand followers. He 0:06:22.680 --> 0:06:24.880 gets invited to these exclusive events in the city and 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:28.200 he's not even old enough to drink yet. Man, tonight 0:06:28.360 --> 0:06:31.240 is one of those events. He got two tickets to 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:34.240 see Levega Jolie live at the Brooklyn Bowl. I mean, 0:06:34.279 --> 0:06:37.479 this show was sold out leves from Newark, so you 0:06:37.480 --> 0:06:39.240 already know the love of cool kids gonna be in 0:06:39.240 --> 0:06:41.840 the building. Not that would even get closer to the the 0:06:41.880 --> 0:06:44.720 stage to see her performance, probably won't even get to 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:48.080 shake her hand and meet her. But Marco's big ideas 0:06:48.120 --> 0:06:50.200 to maneuver our way onto the press list and score 0:06:50.240 --> 0:06:53.479 an interview with her tonight. My doubts had me scrambling 0:06:53.520 --> 0:06:56.640 for a way out. I can't deny that Marco knows me. 0:06:57.400 --> 0:06:59.960 He knows what makes me tick. He knows I want 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:03.440 that rush the rest of he gets all the time, 0:07:04.279 --> 0:07:09.760 one post, one sound bite, one selfie blowing up that 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:14.240 next level rush. I do a gut check on my 0:07:14.320 --> 0:07:17.120 nerves and to show this closer and closer. We're on 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:19.880 the train now heading into Brooklyn from our queen's neighborhood 0:07:19.920 --> 0:07:23.960 and far rockaway into the A tram. Once we arrived 0:07:24.000 --> 0:07:26.120 at the Brooklyn Bowl, Marco gives the woman behind the 0:07:26.120 --> 0:07:28.600 ticket count of our names. She asked if we're on 0:07:28.600 --> 0:07:32.000 the press list. Mirco gives her a slick smile and responds, yes, 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:35.840 my stomach is doing backflips. This is the moment of truth. 0:07:36.520 --> 0:07:38.640 The ticket lady frowned and she looks through the papers 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:41.520 on the clipboard, shaking her head, ready to turn us down. 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:44.920 I feel my throat tighten again. My head is dizzy. 0:07:45.440 --> 0:07:47.680 Ship ship ship not now, man, not now. I can't 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:51.680 the race, and thoughts start flying around my mind. I mean, 0:07:51.720 --> 0:07:53.360 what if she kicks us out for lying about the 0:07:53.400 --> 0:07:55.960 press list? What if I have an anxiety attack right 0:07:55.960 --> 0:07:58.880 here in the lobby. Okay, I gotta chill. She want 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:00.400 to call my parents to take me home, which is 0:08:00.480 --> 0:08:03.320 humiliating enough, But then they'll find out we're doing this. 0:08:03.880 --> 0:08:06.040 I'll be crowning from not telling them in this podcast 0:08:06.080 --> 0:08:08.680 interview we have planned would be over before it begins. 0:08:09.280 --> 0:08:11.720 When I get caught up like this, I can see 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:13.720 the oncoming crash, and I feel like there's no turning 0:08:13.720 --> 0:08:17.680 away Marco Joseph. If it's not there, then there's been 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:21.880 a mistake. Just like Marco, this dude is too smooth. Meanwhile, 0:08:21.880 --> 0:08:24.760 I'm trying not to throw up the ticket. Lady calls 0:08:24.800 --> 0:08:27.280 Neveta's rep, who comes up front to greet us, and 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:31.480 without hesitation, Marco introduces himself with me. At least he 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:36.439 recognizes Marco's name, special Influencer, inviting all I'm still focusing 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:38.800 on my breath, playing it cool and trying to hide 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:41.439 the fear of my eyes. Let it. Marco leads, really, 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:45.040 this is my creative partner, Ruben Robinson, my schedule to 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:47.320 an interview Nevea. But it looks like we're left off 0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:51.839 the press list. Vea's rep looks amused, probably thinking these 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:54.760 kids got balls or we're out of our damn minds. 0:08:55.559 --> 0:09:01.079 There's a long pause. You're right, you're not on the list. 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:03.920 I checked my hands to make sure they aren't shaken. 0:09:04.520 --> 0:09:06.280 I don't. We're about to get kicked out. I know it, 0:09:06.920 --> 0:09:09.560 and if he sees my nerves, it'll be my fault. 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:13.120 I can't let Marco down like this, but I like 0:09:13.200 --> 0:09:18.800 your hustle follow me. A sense of really floods my 0:09:18.920 --> 0:09:24.120 veins like a cold shower. I held it together barely 0:09:25.880 --> 0:09:27.679 because we walked through the crowd. The rep asked if 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:30.440 we want to meet an available before the show. She's 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:32.280 got a few minutes and it will be our only chance. 0:09:33.040 --> 0:09:34.720 The rep is talking about a meet and Greece, so 0:09:35.120 --> 0:09:37.040 I kind of have to force the subject of the interview, 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:40.640 even in the green room. But of course we respond 0:09:40.760 --> 0:09:43.080 yes in a nonchalant tone. Like it isn't a big deal. 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:47.280 MARCOA makes small talk smoothly drops that we got a podcast, 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:50.600 and the rep loves the name. Here comes the break, 0:09:51.679 --> 0:09:57.400 Only we don't have a podcast, not yet anyway. The 0:09:57.440 --> 0:10:02.240 rep looks at us, smiles slightly. He's clearly amused with Marco. 0:10:02.280 --> 0:10:04.640 My stomach has stopped doing flips, but now it feels 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:07.319 like there's a lead brick in there. I didn't think 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:09.760 this will work, but now we're here and there is 0:10:09.880 --> 0:10:13.240 no turning back. I'm seventeen and about an interview one 0:10:13.280 --> 0:10:15.439 of the hottest up and coming artists in the city. 0:10:16.240 --> 0:10:19.400 I've been waiting my whole life for this moment. I've 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:22.200 loved hip hop since I was little. I remember being 0:10:22.240 --> 0:10:25.520 real young, like six, and hearing beats bleed through the 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:28.520 walls from my parents room. It was my dad who 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:31.160 introduced me the legendary artists like jay Z and Naas, 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:34.360 who told me the stories behind each track, about their 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:38.840 lives growing up, fast money cars and beasts that cost 0:10:39.000 --> 0:10:42.200 mcs like Biggie and packed their lives. He taught me 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:44.720 the hip hop was born in the South Bronx. He 0:10:44.760 --> 0:10:48.160 exposed me the cool Hurt Run DMC and African Bambiden 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:51.560 through Death Jam and the rise of Gangster Rapp. They're 0:10:51.600 --> 0:10:54.840 never in the story. I was obsessed with hip hop. 0:10:55.480 --> 0:10:58.320 I wanted to meet my favorite artists, dive into the culture, 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:03.600 and spread the gospel. The minute I started getting the platform, 0:11:03.720 --> 0:11:09.480 my parents just shut all that down. I see my 0:11:09.559 --> 0:11:11.840 parents frowning and alarmed at the side of the amount 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:15.839 of followers I gained overnight. I'm reminded of my parents discouragement. 0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:21.480 I get it on some level, particularly from my mom, 0:11:21.600 --> 0:11:24.000 who's always extra alert to the dangers of me putting 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:27.080 myself out there as a young black man. She might 0:11:27.080 --> 0:11:29.840 not disapprove this podcast I did now that I'm seventeen, 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:32.640 but she definitely won't be cool with me and Marco 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:35.719 sneaking into the city and night behind her back. I 0:11:35.720 --> 0:11:38.440 can feel the tightness in my chest, the stack of 0:11:38.440 --> 0:11:40.199 breathing as I pull out my phone to review the 0:11:40.280 --> 0:11:43.320 questions I prepared to ask Nova if we actually got 0:11:43.360 --> 0:11:48.280 this far as if you couldn't tell. I have anxiety. 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:51.400 I was diagnosed with it at ten years old. I've 0:11:51.400 --> 0:11:55.240 been taking medication ever since. Sometimes it works better than 0:11:55.280 --> 0:11:59.520 other times. Honestly, until the night, I never thought of 0:11:59.559 --> 0:12:02.520 my angsty diagnosis that's connected to my board of fifteen 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:06.800 minutes of fame. But moments like this are triggering. I 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:11.640 should feel exhilarated, proud, and excited, but I'm preparing for 0:12:11.679 --> 0:12:16.360 the worst. Something bad will happen, something will ruin this 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:19.400 moment for me, or maybe I'll ruin it for myself. 0:12:21.000 --> 0:12:25.160 In a weird way, I want that to happen to 0:12:25.240 --> 0:12:29.240 take the pressure off. I know that on some level, 0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:31.400 the real reason Marco insists that I joined him on 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:33.520 this adventure is because he wants to have a reason 0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:36.920 to keep hanging out. My parents arranged for a transfer 0:12:36.960 --> 0:12:41.679 to a stem Magnet school booker t Washington High when 0:12:41.720 --> 0:12:44.880 school starts. Marco and I don't want to lose our friendship, 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:47.920 and keep telling myself tonight doesn't have to be about 0:12:47.960 --> 0:12:51.319 anything bigger than that we arrived closer in the Vedas 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:55.120 green room, Marco little ship that he is locked size 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:57.840 and smiles at those who aren't getting access backstage like 0:12:57.920 --> 0:13:01.240 we are. We're being treated like v I peace and 0:13:01.320 --> 0:13:05.640 it feels electric For a short shining moment, I don't 0:13:05.679 --> 0:13:09.440 feel like a snowball careening downhill. I feel all the 0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:14.720 way up, like fat Joe and Remy my. The door 0:13:14.800 --> 0:13:18.080 opens and the publicist woman needs Marco went out into 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:21.120 the green room and I swallowed the rise and pit 0:13:21.240 --> 0:13:25.360 in my stomach. Novella. Great to see you, Marco, Joseph 0:13:25.440 --> 0:14:00.360 Ruben Robinson, we're here for the interview. Holy shit, there's 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:03.360 that adrenaline rush. When the ride a home. Marco can't 0:14:03.360 --> 0:14:06.160 stop help the photos of us. When the he writes, 0:14:06.200 --> 0:14:09.880 teasing captains to read a night to remember and new 0:14:09.920 --> 0:14:14.440 project coming soon. Marcot was crazy. I'm happy you had 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:16.920 a great time, but I'm just trying to save her 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:19.560 every bit of day. Endorphin high and filing after that interview, 0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:26.200 but as we get back to town and head back 0:14:26.240 --> 0:14:29.760 to Marco's place, I feel sad. All of a sudden, 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:34.040 the closest we've ever been tonight. But what if this 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:36.960 is the last time it's like this? What if changing 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:40.720 schools changes us. It's like on the trip home, I've 0:14:40.720 --> 0:14:44.400 been able to fly all the stresses and fixations that 0:14:44.560 --> 0:14:47.400 was lashing onto in my panic. I left them way 0:14:47.400 --> 0:14:50.600 down below me on the ground. All those issues seem 0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:54.120 so small and manageable. All of a sudden, the thing, 0:14:54.840 --> 0:15:00.920 the actual thing, the interview, We got it, but I'm 0:15:00.960 --> 0:15:04.640 coming back to earth. Marco and I both knowing but 0:15:04.760 --> 0:15:06.720 not saying that this is the end of an era, 0:15:08.200 --> 0:15:11.840 knowing but not saying this podcast it's our best shot 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:15.120 to make this the start of something new and great instead. 0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:19.800 Marco may be in Internet sensation, but I'm the one 0:15:19.840 --> 0:15:23.280 getting into a private stem school starting next week. He'll 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:26.520 still be back in public school in some ways. He 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:29.680 needs to pop more than I do. You know, Marco 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:32.800 is addicted to every hit on his social media accounts. 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:37.040 That's just the world he lives in. I always tol 0:15:37.120 --> 0:15:39.840 him that this goes well, and as if he's reading 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:43.760 my mind, he turns to me and says, hey, Ben, 0:15:44.440 --> 0:15:47.320 thanks for doing this with me. Thanks for pushing me. Man. 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:52.360 When we get back to Marco's house, it's at it 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:55.720 in time. It's pretty late and his parents are already asleep, 0:15:55.760 --> 0:15:59.160 so we raided the catchen for snacks, takis and prettzels 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:01.720 and the red Bull. Each we rush up the stairs 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:04.040 to Marco's room so we could dig into the Neva interview. 0:16:04.640 --> 0:16:07.600 Keep on riding that high. Yeah, and it's the last 0:16:07.600 --> 0:16:09.880 weekend of the summer, so if we want to, we 0:16:09.920 --> 0:16:12.920 could stay up till dawn and sleep tomorrow away. I 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:14.880 was turning the interview over in my head on the 0:16:14.920 --> 0:16:17.160 train ride back while Marcot was on his phone, So 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:21.160 once we're safely in his bedroom, we immediately snapped back 0:16:21.160 --> 0:16:24.880 into mind. Mailed Mark, just leaving some of the casual 0:16:24.920 --> 0:16:28.320 stuff on either end. Help things feel real intimate. Oh, 0:16:28.360 --> 0:16:30.400 we're gonna want to score the opening and closing with 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:31.840 the tight beat for now the job. On the girl 0:16:31.920 --> 0:16:34.080 group question, she really opened up about her mom, and 0:16:34.120 --> 0:16:39.080 I'm bringing the closer we get to complete in the pot, 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:42.280 the more I start to feel my anxiety return, just 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:47.720 bubbling up from within me. Oh shit, I just realized 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:50.520 I forgot to take my meds. I've been so distracted 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:53.280 that it didn't even cross my mind. And to be honest, 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:55.120 my Clopin could put me to sleep, which I've been 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:58.160 too busy for. While the audio file renders, I pulled 0:16:58.200 --> 0:16:59.720 the pill, bought a lot of my bag and duck 0:16:59.720 --> 0:17:07.760 out to the bathroom and wash one down. When I 0:17:07.760 --> 0:17:10.560 step back into the room, Marco was pulling the microphone 0:17:10.600 --> 0:17:12.480 from his closet and hooking it up to his laptop. 0:17:13.880 --> 0:17:16.600 What are we recording? You've got to introduce yourself to 0:17:16.600 --> 0:17:18.640 the masses. Bro queue up the interview with an intro 0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:23.719 in a sign off. Damn, he's right. I've been so 0:17:23.760 --> 0:17:26.199 focused on the interview itself. But there's another part of this. 0:17:26.280 --> 0:17:30.360 I hadn't thought through the big picture. I don't want 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:32.720 to tell my parents, but if I'm the face of 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:35.280 this project, then it gets the audience we want. I 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:37.200 can't keep pretending this is just gonna be a fun 0:17:37.280 --> 0:17:40.879 amateur poty with my friend. If it hits, we're not 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:43.840 gonna be business man. We're gonna be a business man. 0:17:44.920 --> 0:17:48.320 I can't hide that from my parents forever. The combination 0:17:48.359 --> 0:17:50.560 of the long night in the city, the head trip 0:17:50.600 --> 0:17:53.360 of success, the lack of sleep, and Miss Mad's it's 0:17:53.400 --> 0:17:57.000 got me tripping, and without thinking, I blurt out, can 0:17:57.040 --> 0:18:02.080 we disguise my voice? Marco throws some serious I what, no, man, 0:18:02.119 --> 0:18:04.199 We have to lay effects back over the whole interview. 0:18:04.240 --> 0:18:07.720 The sun's coming up. It'll be worth it. Maybe it's 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:11.400 part of a stage name, a persona. The anonymity could 0:18:11.440 --> 0:18:14.359 give us a little mistique. Okay, okay, that's interesting what 0:18:14.480 --> 0:18:18.160 you're having in mind. I scrambled for an idea, jittery 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:21.320 winging it, I suggested this out of panic, But now 0:18:21.359 --> 0:18:23.480 I gotta keep my nerves about me and back it up. 0:18:26.480 --> 0:18:29.600 How about mask on like a play on futures. Mask 0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:32.240 Off could be a play on Corona culture too. I mean, 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:35.880 you know all right, it has potential. If I start 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:37.720 on divorce distortion as soon as we lock down the 0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:40.399 intro on autro, we could still post it today. And 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:43.080 I gotta record the central and noutre before that climb 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:45.600 up and kicks in the fact I fell off my 0:18:45.640 --> 0:18:47.680 med schedule on his own and starting to freak me out. 0:18:48.080 --> 0:18:50.679 You can throw off my mood for days. Not what 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:53.440 I need right now. I got a family dinner celebrateing 0:18:53.440 --> 0:18:57.680 Mynday school tomorrow. Marcos starts to take with a tap 0:18:57.680 --> 0:19:02.639 on his track pad. Okay, mask On, step up to 0:19:02.680 --> 0:19:05.679 the mic. We'll so we's set out there, podcast world. 0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:07.600 We are coming at you, fresh from the van of 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:10.800 Joel Show at the Brooklyn Bowl after wrapping up an 0:19:10.800 --> 0:19:14.040 interview with one of the hottest new artists in the game. 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:17.479 She's fly too. That's what we do here and here 0:19:17.520 --> 0:19:20.280 comes to break. You get used to that. I'm your 0:19:20.280 --> 0:19:23.199 host mask on, and that's what those earbuds in and 0:19:23.320 --> 0:19:27.480 enjoy our exclusive interview with Nevea Jolie. I don't know 0:19:27.520 --> 0:19:30.560 where it comes from, but I feel way less anxious 0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:33.600 and more confident behind this PERSONA killer first take and 0:19:33.640 --> 0:19:36.920 I'll try to outro. That's our interview with the Veta. Hey, 0:19:36.920 --> 0:19:40.879 the show was amazing. Showing some love like follow and 0:19:40.920 --> 0:19:44.560 subscribe to the artist feeds our feeds links in the description, 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:47.600 I'm mask on. This is your place for the hottest 0:19:47.640 --> 0:19:51.000 and breaking new artists. Ready or not, here it comes 0:19:51.000 --> 0:19:55.040 to break. Oh you're a natural. We don't have a 0:19:55.080 --> 0:19:57.560 second episode lined up. The plug you worked around it. 0:19:57.640 --> 0:20:00.840 Don't sweat it for now. I'll here comes to break 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:04.480 official accounts, cross posts on my accounts. We'll have artists 0:20:04.520 --> 0:20:06.960 coming to us once we hit some real numbers, and 0:20:07.040 --> 0:20:09.080 until then, we just gotta step up our hustle going 0:20:09.080 --> 0:20:17.040 out to shows rollsoving me like a wave. This thing 0:20:17.240 --> 0:20:21.320 is real. Now the thought scares me. It's rattling around 0:20:21.320 --> 0:20:24.840 my brain, throwing the elbows and the climb up and 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:27.800 still doesn't feel like it's kicking in. Suddenly have a 0:20:27.840 --> 0:20:32.720 panic thought and check my book back again. Shit, I 0:20:32.800 --> 0:20:36.240 brought the wrong pill bottle. This is my adderall I 0:20:36.280 --> 0:20:38.920 took an adderall by mistake. Oh, there's no way I'm 0:20:38.920 --> 0:20:40.760 getting any sleep. Now, I'm going to be up all 0:20:40.840 --> 0:20:44.000 day and walking in the family dinner tonight with raw nerves. 0:20:44.040 --> 0:20:46.200 The big celebration to me starting a book of t 0:20:46.440 --> 0:20:48.960 and I'll be lucky if I'm a zombie on type 0:20:48.960 --> 0:20:51.360 of line to them about why was tonight? Now I'm 0:20:51.359 --> 0:20:54.159 gonna have to cover up my exhaustion and adrenaline and 0:20:54.200 --> 0:20:56.520 they're gonna see if right through it. Oh, the voice 0:20:56.520 --> 0:20:58.640 whispers inside of me. Oh no, here it comes all 0:20:58.680 --> 0:21:02.200 my anxieties. They're coming together, and that big familiar blob 0:21:02.359 --> 0:21:06.800 of fear. Now, Yo, Reuben, it's time to work. I 0:21:06.880 --> 0:21:10.560 step up to the mic. Adrenaline anxiety coursing through me. 0:21:11.520 --> 0:21:17.280 Let's screw it. Here calms the break. We'll be right 0:21:17.320 --> 0:21:37.120 back and now back to the show. In an industry 0:21:37.119 --> 0:21:39.440 that is constantly trying to define artists, can you tell 0:21:39.440 --> 0:21:42.320 our listeners in your own words? Who is Novea Joe 0:21:42.400 --> 0:21:49.840 Lee h Who is Novejoli Novego Lee. I am an artist, 0:21:50.359 --> 0:21:58.119 a full on creative, crazy person, singer, songwriter, actress, future entrepreneur. 0:21:58.920 --> 0:22:01.800 I do a lot, but I'm still defining myself every day. 0:22:01.840 --> 0:22:06.679 You get my own words. Wow wow okay, okay. You 0:22:06.680 --> 0:22:09.560 know every artist has that when they step into a room, 0:22:09.640 --> 0:22:12.959 when they walk, the way they dress, speak, sing. How 0:22:13.000 --> 0:22:17.280 do you maintain to develop that? WHOA? My number one 0:22:17.359 --> 0:22:20.040 role is to always keep it playing, so you know, 0:22:20.320 --> 0:22:24.840 I gotta stick to that definitely, and just being yourself 0:22:24.880 --> 0:22:28.520 as an artist. The goal is to be entertaining, but 0:22:28.640 --> 0:22:31.560 the goal is also to be able to express yourself 0:22:31.560 --> 0:22:34.880 and the best way you can. So if people are 0:22:35.119 --> 0:22:38.480 digging it, they're gonna dig it. You just gotta be 0:22:38.680 --> 0:22:43.200 you keep it playing. Okay, Okay, I feel I feel 0:22:43.200 --> 0:22:44.879 you and you go right. And so you were eight 0:22:44.960 --> 0:22:47.280 years old, So tell me what road is writing playing 0:22:47.320 --> 0:22:52.920 your life? Writing is my expressions, my voice, pen and paper, 0:22:53.560 --> 0:22:56.720 just typing it out and my notes is it's getting 0:22:56.720 --> 0:22:59.879 that emotion out. It started off with a little colone 0:23:00.480 --> 0:23:03.760 little songs. Since I was eight, I carried around a 0:23:03.920 --> 0:23:07.119 journal and I just whenever I thought of something, I 0:23:07.240 --> 0:23:10.200 just wrote it down. It's kind of like just a release. 0:23:10.720 --> 0:23:13.400 If I have built up energy, I can't sit on it. 0:23:13.560 --> 0:23:16.199 I need it to get out of my system. So 0:23:16.240 --> 0:23:20.359 I write every day, just trying to express myself. Did 0:23:20.400 --> 0:23:24.680 you view it as a film a therapy? Definitely? Definitely. 0:23:25.600 --> 0:23:29.080 It's processing. It's ways to get out an emotion you 0:23:29.080 --> 0:23:31.919 you have and you can't necessarily say it, you know 0:23:31.920 --> 0:23:35.000 what I'm saying, Like, I'm not the best at articulating 0:23:35.200 --> 0:23:38.480 my thoughts, so I'll have to write it out. I'll 0:23:38.480 --> 0:23:42.600 have to because I'm better with that. The switching gears here. 0:23:42.640 --> 0:23:46.399 How how have you built your following, especially on social media? Well, 0:23:47.240 --> 0:23:51.200 it's been it's been, you know, going up these past 0:23:51.320 --> 0:23:56.159 like two years, and I've just been building relationships with 0:23:56.240 --> 0:24:00.440 my plays and it's dope. It's dope. I really just 0:24:00.560 --> 0:24:04.400 try to stay true to myself, try to post relatable content, 0:24:05.040 --> 0:24:07.240 just try to reach out to people, talk to people, 0:24:07.400 --> 0:24:10.919 go live and just really use my platform to not 0:24:11.040 --> 0:24:14.240 only advertise my music and advertise what I'm doing, but 0:24:14.359 --> 0:24:17.560 just to be there for people, you know, and to 0:24:17.600 --> 0:24:21.160 connect about current events like Black Lives Matter. Yeah, that's 0:24:21.200 --> 0:24:24.080 what that's That's what it's there for. Definitely speaking about it. 0:24:25.040 --> 0:24:27.320 Tell me, how how are you personally coping with all 0:24:27.320 --> 0:24:30.960 the civil own rest. Well, it's always been there and 0:24:31.000 --> 0:24:34.960 always been a problem. It's literally one of my only 0:24:35.000 --> 0:24:38.560