WEBVTT - Harmony Samuels 0:00:02.000 --> 0:00:13.200 And money. Well, thank take valiche. We are the authorities 0:00:13.800 --> 0:00:19.400 all things, and ladies and gentlemen, what's going on? My 0:00:19.480 --> 0:00:22.960 name is Tank and this is the Army Money Podcast. 0:00:23.040 --> 0:00:29.560 The authority. Oh all things are and b yes, yes, 0:00:30.480 --> 0:00:34.080 because we have a man in the building, a prolific 0:00:34.479 --> 0:00:41.839 human being, well studied, well first, successful as well as gifted. 0:00:42.520 --> 0:00:45.800 He's a monster and he getting to the money ladies 0:00:45.840 --> 0:00:53.120 and gentlemen. Army producer, hip hop producer, dance hall producer, 0:00:53.680 --> 0:00:58.720 AfroB producer, a super producer and songwriter. I think he 0:00:58.800 --> 0:01:02.400 got vocal suit in the building. How many eight money? Sam? 0:01:03.640 --> 0:01:11.720 What's kind of what's that? Listen? Actually sound like the drop? 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:15.280 I got to talk to him about this. Remember how 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:18.119 publish people fall out about this kind of stuff. Um, 0:01:18.360 --> 0:01:20.720 first of all, I don't like you. Let's start there. 0:01:20.760 --> 0:01:23.080 We're gonna start right there. I mean, the first time 0:01:23.080 --> 0:01:26.199 I heard about you, I heard these two Chris Brown songs. 0:01:28.280 --> 0:01:31.640 Who did that? Who did that? And why did you 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:34.400 do that? Why did you do all of that? I 0:01:34.440 --> 0:01:36.440 could have left some of that shot out, could have 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:39.360 left some room for other people to produce more songs 0:01:39.360 --> 0:01:46.000 on the album. Your songs clearly by far stood out 0:01:46.120 --> 0:01:49.920 on that album as something completely different and something we 0:01:50.000 --> 0:01:54.200 hadn't heard before. I was upset because I only get 0:01:54.240 --> 0:01:57.240 upset when it's some ship I wish I could have done. 0:01:57.920 --> 0:02:00.200 I wish I would have done. I listened to it 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:02.360 and it was so so much information. I said, funk, 0:02:02.400 --> 0:02:05.200 I just gotta find I can't do it. Snow wouldn't 0:02:05.200 --> 0:02:07.000 bear to do it. I gotta I gotta find him. 0:02:07.080 --> 0:02:12.880 That's crazy. You are super, super duper appreciate that gifted. 0:02:13.080 --> 0:02:15.080 You know what I'm saying. This is a flowers this 0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:18.040 is a flowers pod, this is a flowers space. So 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:19.640 I had to get the hate out of my heart first. 0:02:20.840 --> 0:02:22.679 Remember when I first met you, I had the same 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:27.120 kind of expression, but for a reasons though, so prior 0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:31.320 to my success. Chris Brown, he was standing outside I've 0:02:31.360 --> 0:02:34.080 been in l a maybe like a month, and he 0:02:34.160 --> 0:02:36.200 was standing outside the rucks. He had just tore the 0:02:36.240 --> 0:02:40.120 rucksy down and he was just standing outside and I'm 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:41.720 looking at I'm gonna side out there after he does 0:02:41.720 --> 0:02:44.160 it show Yeah. So I'm looking at I'm like, why 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:48.640 is type just standing out here? Like yeah? So I like, yo, bro, 0:02:48.800 --> 0:02:50.960 He's like, oh it's that man, You're good, and I 0:02:51.040 --> 0:02:54.200 was like, I don't like you. So it's the same 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:57.080 kind of ine, all right, so so and he's like 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:00.880 what I said, not in a bad way, but in 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:05.360 a bad way. Sex, love and pain too messed up 0:03:05.400 --> 0:03:07.800 my relationship. And he's like, what do you mean? He said? 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:11.760 My eggs girlfriend said she used to feel uncomfortable when 0:03:11.800 --> 0:03:14.519 I would play the album in the house. I said, 0:03:14.560 --> 0:03:19.760 my nigg you'd be sucking my go that. You know, 0:03:19.840 --> 0:03:21.600 I'm sorry, And I was like, I can't play the 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:24.280 album no more. I would play every once in a 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:27.079 while when I needed to try and get freaky. Yeah, 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:29.280 but yeah, I didn't like him for that because I 0:03:29.320 --> 0:03:34.320 was like, every time I would play, I was right, 0:03:37.040 --> 0:03:40.240 you get in there, you work that, you change positions. Now, 0:03:40.280 --> 0:03:43.200 this is a good time in between songs. Yeah, get it. 0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:46.640 Like the porn start announcer, that's what my music done. 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:50.560 Do they have, No, they don't, But that's what my 0:03:50.680 --> 0:03:54.240 music done. I'm gonna be real. I'm would be real. 0:03:54.520 --> 0:03:58.000 Your records are the records that people I go to anyway. 0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:03.840 Just you, my homie. It's about pregnancy. My music. My 0:04:03.960 --> 0:04:07.760 music is about skin on skin relationships. You understand what 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:10.840 I'm saying, if you are putting anything between you and 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:14.800 that other body, you are disrespecting the music completely. Just 0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:18.760 skin on skin whatever could roll the dice when my 0:04:18.880 --> 0:04:23.600 music come on. Okay, this podcast is not brought to 0:04:23.640 --> 0:04:30.600 you by whatever kind of what are though? No, no 0:04:31.040 --> 0:04:37.200 listen I kind of brands. I'll promote you, Okay, I'm not. 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:42.960 I will not. You will not suffocate me. What people 0:04:43.000 --> 0:04:49.680 gotta breathe. He should be breathing. Man, man, it's to 0:04:49.760 --> 0:05:00.040 be here now I've listen. It's a blessing. I'm on 0:05:00.160 --> 0:05:05.360 you both a decade plus easy and I would say 0:05:05.480 --> 0:05:10.839 some of the most uh influential mentoring. You both mentored 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:15.839 me in different ways. We used to share studio grounds. 0:05:15.960 --> 0:05:18.960 We would each other's room all the time. Um, I 0:05:18.960 --> 0:05:23.279 think I think certain relationships UH off for a season, 0:05:23.320 --> 0:05:26.159 and in certain relationships they last forever. Whether we talk 0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:29.080 every day or we don't talk at all, it's like 0:05:29.920 --> 0:05:33.040 it's like we never left. And and you know, I've 0:05:33.120 --> 0:05:36.440 learned so much from your both your careers and your relationship. 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:41.440 Because that's another thing. Y'all been tight friends, brothers, business partners. 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:44.120 It's hard to find people who can stick together through 0:05:44.120 --> 0:05:46.039 it all. You know what I'm saying, and uh, and 0:05:46.080 --> 0:05:49.280 I think that that's been a big, big influence on 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:52.240 me man, both of you all. He he he made 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:54.240 a play in my life that to this day, I 0:05:54.279 --> 0:05:56.320 sold up. I was able to sell a million records 0:05:56.360 --> 0:06:00.160 independently because this man made a phone call. You know 0:06:00.160 --> 0:06:02.640 what I'm saying, which was Major's why I love you 0:06:02.800 --> 0:06:07.279 and I always appreciate you for that to a million 0:06:07.440 --> 0:06:13.560 shout out anything anything that's hard, especially with R and B. Listen, 0:06:14.040 --> 0:06:17.040 R and B and a person no one knew, absolutely 0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:19.599 for you to have a platinum record with a new 0:06:19.720 --> 0:06:24.080 artist in R and B music, amazing, amazing, amazing. But 0:06:24.279 --> 0:06:26.560 he and you made that call. He came to the studio. 0:06:26.560 --> 0:06:28.440 That record was the first Leston. That record was the 0:06:28.440 --> 0:06:32.279 first lesson. I couldn't leave the studio without being some 0:06:32.440 --> 0:06:34.600 part of something, you know what I mean. You knew 0:06:35.920 --> 0:06:38.080 he said what you want to do? He's like, how 0:06:38.080 --> 0:06:40.000 can I help you? I said, I've been to every 0:06:40.000 --> 0:06:43.080 record executive. They don't want it. They don't want him here, 0:06:43.480 --> 0:06:46.000 you don't they loved the records. They want him, you 0:06:46.040 --> 0:06:48.320 know what I mean? And I was like this this 0:06:48.320 --> 0:06:52.800 guy called Gazi, he was like that's my boy. You 0:06:53.120 --> 0:07:02.320 drinking called in shout the juice friends, shouting out everybody. Yeah, 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:11.360 oh yeah, shout out. Today is today's promo. Yeah, I 0:07:11.640 --> 0:07:14.800 got I have a juice bar. Man. It's called Urban Juice. 0:07:15.480 --> 0:07:20.320 Shot juice. Congratulations, brother, I had. There's a juice called 0:07:20.320 --> 0:07:24.800 the Valentine. Yeah, it's the one is you know you 0:07:24.840 --> 0:07:28.600 want to get you so back to hold my juice. 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:36.680 He really got his own juice on man um. You know, 0:07:39.080 --> 0:07:41.760 flowers was gonna get you flowers keep flowers. I heard 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:43.200 there with gifts for us, you know, I heard that 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:48.320 some form of a flower. Yeah. I think it's disrespectful 0:07:48.400 --> 0:07:51.520 to come into the homes of people I look up 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:54.760 to without gifts. And so just like he got your 0:07:55.120 --> 0:07:57.800 juice bar. You know, God bless me to you know, 0:07:58.160 --> 0:08:00.480 invest in some things. And now we own a tequila 0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:07.760 cool Willow Willow f v U E l o UM. 0:08:07.800 --> 0:08:10.040 I pondered up with them about three years ago. We've 0:08:10.040 --> 0:08:12.280 been working on this brand for a few years and 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:14.840 now we were killing it. We're killing it. We just 0:08:14.840 --> 0:08:18.480 won one of the biggest competitions in California and I'll 0:08:19.080 --> 0:08:23.760 REPRESENTO and yeah hoo for you. Ye give it in. Okay, 0:08:24.320 --> 0:08:31.000 check out the brand switch because one is light. I 0:08:31.000 --> 0:08:34.360 don't want to say it. I'm gonna give it the 0:08:37.800 --> 0:08:45.000 Compson in. You give it up. Let me just look 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:48.120 at it. Yeah, just so thank you guys for having 0:08:48.160 --> 0:08:50.320 me on this. You know what I'm saying, Guys, go check. 0:08:51.400 --> 0:08:54.480 I don't know what does that help? That's a real 0:08:55.000 --> 0:08:59.000 that's I'm gonna. You know what's phony tequila. It's we're gonna, 0:08:59.040 --> 0:09:03.839 We're gonna, We're gonna, yeah crack that one tank is 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:07.480 the kind of source. So I'm whatever he I'm rolling 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:11.440 with y'all. I'm rolling with y'all. Yeah. No, But but 0:09:11.480 --> 0:09:13.559 back to back to our homie man, back to back 0:09:13.600 --> 0:09:17.920 to major, back to major, and you believing in that, 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:20.480 you know what I mean, in his project and believing 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:24.520 in him as an artist and fighting for him because 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:26.520 that that just doesn't happen all the time in this 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:31.480 industry where you know, we get to a point right 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:33.800 where we all have to deal with a lot of nose. 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:36.600 But then we get to a level in this game 0:09:37.320 --> 0:09:41.320 where it's more yes than though. This guy's crazy, where 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:43.760 it's more yes than though. So once you get to 0:09:43.800 --> 0:09:48.520 that level, a lot of executives and producers walk away 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:50.800 from things that they that they get told no on 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:55.200 because they don't want to be associated with the no. 0:09:56.760 --> 0:09:58.000 You know what I mean, you want to be that 0:09:58.040 --> 0:10:01.080 guy that can walk anything through at anybody. You know, 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:05.560 whatever you bring through the rolling where sir? So, what 0:10:05.640 --> 0:10:09.760 was what for you? What was the motivation uh to 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:12.800 keep you going with an artist that you were being 0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:18.360 told no about? Um? Firstly, I'm a builder like uh, 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:22.480 as a creative. Everything I own I built, you know 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:25.240 what I mean. I built my studio, I build beat, 0:10:25.679 --> 0:10:29.240 I build records. And because I'm a builder, that means 0:10:29.240 --> 0:10:32.400 I have to find things that need building, right, I 0:10:32.440 --> 0:10:36.120 have to find artists that need help being built. You 0:10:36.160 --> 0:10:39.440 know your d M is about to go crazy. Build me, 0:10:40.640 --> 0:10:47.120 build me your blood, um and so, but that's always 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:49.439 been my thing. You know what I mean? I mean 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:55.959 your company b O E Empire. But show you let 0:10:55.960 --> 0:10:59.080 me get let me get on this. I mean, shout 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:02.080 out to this beautiful last Lord Mercy and put some 0:11:02.120 --> 0:11:11.760 ice in that. I mean, yes, sir, And this is 0:11:11.800 --> 0:11:16.880 a nice podcasting, nice glasses to look out for. Vibe 0:11:16.920 --> 0:11:19.840 is so beautiful, it's all beat something say that again, 0:11:19.880 --> 0:11:23.560 that's R and B and everything R and B is 0:11:23.640 --> 0:11:26.920 like differently, I'm not doing this at you. I'm just 0:11:26.960 --> 0:11:29.800 I'm just in your direction. No, I got you, Bros. 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:31.480 R and B. And that's what got me into R 0:11:31.520 --> 0:11:33.760 and B. You know what I mean, just the flyness 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:35.319 of it all, you know, I mean it were the 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:39.240 coolest genre. Yeah, it is the coolest genre. Other people 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:41.880 might be, they might be more shiny to the point 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:44.319 where hip hop has now turned R and B. But 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:47.280 that's a conversation for later. We can talk about you. 0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:49.920 You're burst and all of it. You do all of it. 0:11:50.559 --> 0:11:53.600 That's a conversation there. But we've major back to major 0:11:54.040 --> 0:12:02.240 when I met him, right, I got some on it. Yeah, Alien, 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:09.720 give it to me, give it to come on, come on, 0:12:10.840 --> 0:12:16.200 what you're talking about? It all is what we do. Yeah, 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:18.920 I got extra one for you in the car. I 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:26.360 got you, got in the car, got you and it's well, well, 0:12:26.880 --> 0:12:29.800 look at me learning Spanish. That's not even that's not 0:12:29.840 --> 0:12:35.640 even the big one. Extra and my brother, yes, sir, 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:43.800 my brother, yes, sir, this is exceptional Tequi. We appreciate it. 0:12:44.640 --> 0:12:50.479 To my boy Breven, he's the brains behind this is exceptional, sir. Tequila. 0:12:51.200 --> 0:12:54.160 It stands in line. This is the sits at the 0:12:54.160 --> 0:12:59.760 table with the tequilas with the mine that I drink. Yes, sir, okay, alright, 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:02.800 and listen. It's not a big table. I don't know 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:04.840 about to keep it. But it's a drink that tastes 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:07.400 good to me. It's a small taste, not that big. 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:13.600 Of only three tequilas, not that big. Yours is number three. 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:17.640 It's up there, Bro, it's up there. That's a big 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:20.079 that's a big. Doors is up there with a five 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:25.200 hundred dollar tequila. Sir. The only sits about this big, Sir. 0:13:25.440 --> 0:13:29.040 I know exactly what we're not showing out. I don't 0:13:29.040 --> 0:13:32.559 know those I don't know those people. I'm not shouting. 0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:38.360 Yeah yeah, let's get it, bro, appreciate that. Oh my god, 0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:42.120 don't endorsement money, Like, what are we doing? Do you 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:45.280 need brand ambassadors? Of course we do. That's why I 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:48.040 brought the buttloover so we can have that conversation after 0:13:48.120 --> 0:13:52.440 the podcast. Like it. I like it. Back to the music, 0:13:52.480 --> 0:13:56.800 Back to music, back major. You know. One of the 0:13:56.840 --> 0:14:00.839 things about so, me and Tank, we all we all 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:02.680 three of us come from the church background, so we 0:14:02.800 --> 0:14:10.199 understand how okay, you give me church vibes differ just tabna, 0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:12.960 that's right. Church. I don't even know what that means. 0:14:13.000 --> 0:14:16.679 But give me God vibes. I believe in. Give me God. 0:14:16.679 --> 0:14:21.800 Believe there's a there's a thing that that works with God, 0:14:22.400 --> 0:14:25.280 faith and what you believe in right when you're working. 0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:28.760 And so when I met Major, I had no desire 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:31.640 to sign him as an artist because we were just 0:14:31.720 --> 0:14:33.320 I was playing at one church that was the music 0:14:33.400 --> 0:14:37.200 director there and Major was on the washer team. But 0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:41.560 he would sing his butt off and sing like he 0:14:41.600 --> 0:14:44.080 would sing and I would just see people like emotional, 0:14:44.120 --> 0:14:46.080 and I was just like, I'm the one that you 0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:49.600 playing the piano, thinking this can't be where it ends 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:51.880 for him on on the church stage. He got it, 0:14:51.920 --> 0:14:55.160 there's more to this. And God was like, yeah, you're 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:58.320 gonna help him get there. And I was like, I 0:14:58.400 --> 0:15:01.240 was like, I that was a me requesting. I was 0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:08.200 just saying and so and then I was like, no, 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:10.760 it's on you. And so he put me on that 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:13.800 path and then you know, we started working together. Yeah, 0:15:13.880 --> 0:15:16.280 we got knows from everybody. I mean it was like 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:19.160 there was people who play games with us. There's people 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:22.200 who you know. It was like, we'll take the songs, 0:15:22.240 --> 0:15:25.240 but it was just always something. And the worst part 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:27.840 was I was succeeding as a music producer, so I 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:32.040 was doing on the grand day, I'm working with Christal. Yeah, 0:15:33.000 --> 0:15:35.400 I was working with a lot of people, and so 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:38.480 it was weird for me that I couldn't, you know, 0:15:38.600 --> 0:15:43.119 cross him into that space. And then then I realized 0:15:43.160 --> 0:15:45.840 like we had a problem. The problem was we needed 0:15:45.840 --> 0:15:48.880 a song that would identify him because he was new 0:15:49.560 --> 0:15:51.560 and the one powerful thing that Major has, as we 0:15:51.600 --> 0:15:54.080 all know, is his voice. So I was like, we 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:58.080 gotta find and a year prior to that, John Legend 0:15:58.080 --> 0:16:00.400 had just gone number one with all of me m M, 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:03.560 and I said, we gotta do something like this that 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:10.280 highlights your voice and nothing else. Right, think you're sexy 0:16:10.920 --> 0:16:13.400 because you think he's said sometimes be doing that. He 0:16:13.520 --> 0:16:19.280 been trying to highlight the ship. Me, Sean, my brother, 0:16:19.960 --> 0:16:28.240 my brother met Hey listen, listen when when he started 0:16:28.320 --> 0:16:31.640 getting R and B money yeah came out no, no, 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:37.160 but everybody almost we're gonna amost see your belly. Bro. 0:16:37.280 --> 0:16:44.000 He's like made was like when get up from Man, 0:16:44.040 --> 0:16:51.920 I got that made Major. You can send me a 0:16:51.920 --> 0:16:55.080 customer shirt man helped send me a customer shop. Right, 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:58.280 you should get a customer sho custom You got the plan, 0:16:58.400 --> 0:16:59.720 got him, he's got to get a new one. I 0:16:59.720 --> 0:17:01.520 gotta black, they gotta give me. I got to go plan. 0:17:01.600 --> 0:17:04.760 You got the platinum plack now, all right, so let 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:08.600 me let's do this. And I think that this the 0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:12.360 major story, um, along with the building of your empire, 0:17:12.600 --> 0:17:16.040 is going to play a big part in this conversation. 0:17:17.000 --> 0:17:19.240 But I really want to go all the way back 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:25.879 to the beginning, right, Um. I hate your accent, but um, 0:17:26.000 --> 0:17:28.199 I just wanted his accent, like you know, you know 0:17:28.240 --> 0:17:37.360 what I could do with that accent aition in the world. 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:45.159 I'm scared of you. I think you too confident a 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:47.480 little bit, just smell just a little bit. I don't 0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:50.000 think you would even live in You don't think I 0:17:50.080 --> 0:18:03.199 would know. I don't know where you would live. He 0:18:03.320 --> 0:18:08.560 tired me already. We just started many h money, Samuel's 0:18:08.640 --> 0:18:10.639 We like to go back to the beginning, Yes, like 0:18:10.720 --> 0:18:13.879 where it started? Where did what was the moment? We 0:18:13.960 --> 0:18:16.240 also like the snack and ship. Yeah, you can eat snacks. 0:18:16.240 --> 0:18:20.080 You don't one to Mike Ruben hate that all right? Um, 0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:22.000 We want to go back to the beginning, to where 0:18:22.680 --> 0:18:26.879 you said to yourself, oh shoot, I got something, or 0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:29.600 somebody said to you, I got something, boy, you got 0:18:29.640 --> 0:18:33.520 something something. There's a few, there's a few moments. But 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:39.200 um born and raised in London by Nigerian parents who 0:18:39.200 --> 0:18:41.879 were strict to ship. I mean they were so strict, bro, 0:18:42.080 --> 0:18:46.040 Like I had bad checks in the morning, you know 0:18:46.040 --> 0:18:48.480 what I'm saying, And like when y'a was leaving to 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:52.840 go to school, everything's in here, what's in your back? 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:56.080 And if there was anything outside of what was supposed 0:18:56.080 --> 0:18:59.040 to be in there, it's my ass. Like my dad 0:18:59.119 --> 0:19:01.760 was a discipline arean man. He was a strong dude. 0:19:01.920 --> 0:19:05.879 And my mama didn't play anither. So when they found 0:19:05.880 --> 0:19:08.440 out I had a musical gift, they freaked out immediately 0:19:08.480 --> 0:19:10.720 because there was like, oh hell no, no, no, no, 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:13.280 no, no no, no, no, you're not doing that. You go 0:19:13.400 --> 0:19:17.280 into school because we immigrants and we ain't got we 0:19:17.320 --> 0:19:20.120 ain't got a portupis in you ben to figure this out. 0:19:21.000 --> 0:19:23.919 And they were on me and so and I'm the 0:19:23.920 --> 0:19:28.240 oldest of four and so as I got to y'all 0:19:28.280 --> 0:19:30.040 called high school, we called the secondary school. I'm like 0:19:30.080 --> 0:19:32.679 thirteen years old. I'm playing four or five instruments at 0:19:32.680 --> 0:19:37.480 this point, so I'm playing piano, drums, bassed keys. No, 0:19:37.920 --> 0:19:41.240 it's at church the only place I could touch him. 0:19:41.400 --> 0:19:43.760 So I had to learn. Now. My parents were broke 0:19:44.160 --> 0:19:46.280 trying to figure out. My dad had too three jobs. 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:49.000 My mother was looking after the kids at home because 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:52.320 it's you know, just three of us and at the time, 0:19:53.280 --> 0:19:56.320 and um, the only time they would allow me near 0:19:56.359 --> 0:20:00.320 the instrument is in church. Now my dream. My school teachers, yo, 0:20:00.440 --> 0:20:04.200 your son is gifted. He he was singing. He would 0:20:04.200 --> 0:20:05.960 I would sing harmonies. They were like, how do you 0:20:06.000 --> 0:20:07.359 know how to do this? And I mean, I'm not 0:20:07.400 --> 0:20:11.040 even five six at this point, I'm playing drums on 0:20:11.119 --> 0:20:13.960 the table, and then I'm even playing drums in church. 0:20:14.040 --> 0:20:16.119 My parents just woke up one morning. We go to 0:20:16.200 --> 0:20:19.280 church and then there's no drummer on the at the drums. 0:20:19.880 --> 0:20:21.760 So it's kind of weird because like there's a whole 0:20:21.800 --> 0:20:23.760 band playing but no drums, and then they just see 0:20:23.800 --> 0:20:26.600 me going to drums and start playing along. I began 0:20:26.640 --> 0:20:37.320 a drummer and that's how I started playing. And so 0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:41.360 I have this thing about learning by sight. And by 0:20:41.400 --> 0:20:43.800 twelve years thirteen years old, I'm going to secondary school 0:20:44.040 --> 0:20:46.280 and I could play five instruments, and my music teachers like, 0:20:46.320 --> 0:20:48.960 how you you know I had to do that? Like, 0:20:49.840 --> 0:20:53.160 and I was like, I don't know. It's just a gift. 0:20:53.200 --> 0:20:55.639 I can hear and see like I hear it and 0:20:55.680 --> 0:20:58.040 I see it like or wherever it is. If I 0:20:58.040 --> 0:21:00.439 see you playing an instrument, I'm learning and how you 0:21:00.480 --> 0:21:03.679 are you playing? Saying I'm downloading everything and once I 0:21:03.720 --> 0:21:06.440 get my hand on it, I'm gonna figure it out. Um. 0:21:06.480 --> 0:21:08.960 And once I figured out the number system, it was 0:21:09.000 --> 0:21:13.639 cutains for everybody, um, and you know that. So thirteen 0:21:13.720 --> 0:21:17.400 years old, I go, it's my first year in secondary 0:21:17.400 --> 0:21:20.560 school or high school, and I walked into my music 0:21:20.560 --> 0:21:23.119 class and I'm like I'm excited, just like, yes, I 0:21:23.119 --> 0:21:25.040 got what's my music? She you're gonna have me do? So. 0:21:25.080 --> 0:21:27.800 She has this computer and it was called the notator. 0:21:27.920 --> 0:21:32.080 Remember that, yes right now, it's actually cooled logic now 0:21:32.840 --> 0:21:35.400 in the in the nineties was called notator. I've never 0:21:35.440 --> 0:21:37.520 seen it before. There was a notator and they had 0:21:37.520 --> 0:21:41.200 floppy disks and she had like this, she had a 0:21:41.200 --> 0:21:45.400 cassio keyboard in front of it, and she started programming like. 0:21:45.600 --> 0:21:47.320 She showed me how you're like, oh, you know, you 0:21:47.320 --> 0:21:49.959 can compose your own songs and close your music and 0:21:49.960 --> 0:21:53.919 she started playing each instrument, you know, recording as we do. 0:21:54.880 --> 0:21:56.800 I stood there because I had never seen it before. 0:21:57.080 --> 0:22:00.080 I stood there in amazement for at least thirty men this. 0:22:01.000 --> 0:22:05.560 I said, Miss Ryan, how the hell did you do that? Said? 0:22:05.640 --> 0:22:07.800 You know, you just you select the track you want, 0:22:08.080 --> 0:22:10.399 you press record. You played the instrument and I said, 0:22:11.200 --> 0:22:13.600 so I can be my own band. She said yeah. 0:22:13.960 --> 0:22:20.439 I said, Nick, I'm sure you didn't say that, but no, 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:29.320 and I'm sure yeah, yeah, school bro. It was like 0:22:30.000 --> 0:22:33.399 a crackhead with a bag of coke. Ye. I lost 0:22:33.480 --> 0:22:37.520 my freaking mind, I said, okay. It went from me 0:22:37.600 --> 0:22:40.200 being at every lunch time to being at every lunch 0:22:40.280 --> 0:22:42.680 time and off the school. Then she started giving me 0:22:42.760 --> 0:22:46.159 the key. I was in that room for two years straight, 0:22:46.240 --> 0:22:49.400 so I've gone from year to year. And she came 0:22:49.400 --> 0:22:51.119 in one day and it was like eight in the morning. 0:22:51.160 --> 0:22:53.240 She was like, why are you here so early? I said, 0:22:53.280 --> 0:22:55.679 I just had to get this idea, said you've been 0:22:55.720 --> 0:22:58.639 here a lot, play me something, and I play her 0:22:58.720 --> 0:23:00.960 one of my ideas. She looked at me. She said, 0:23:01.359 --> 0:23:05.199 you made this, and I play another one. She's like, 0:23:05.440 --> 0:23:09.560 you made this, She said, Harmony, you need to really 0:23:09.560 --> 0:23:13.199 go to school for this, said you may have the 0:23:13.200 --> 0:23:17.160 ability to be a great composer or producer. I was like, 0:23:17.240 --> 0:23:20.959 who's that? And what is that? Who's there? Because I'm like, 0:23:22.119 --> 0:23:24.600 are your parents on board at this point? Now? My 0:23:24.640 --> 0:23:28.679 parents were never on board until I broke So my 0:23:28.720 --> 0:23:31.040 parents they never were at this point. At this point, 0:23:31.119 --> 0:23:33.919 they just think I'm going to school. They don't they 0:23:33.960 --> 0:23:37.119 don't know what I'm doing in school. And because my 0:23:37.240 --> 0:23:40.640 I had heard my teacher as a ally, she would 0:23:40.640 --> 0:23:46.680 always value for me. He's because so just that's all 0:23:46.720 --> 0:23:51.000 I needed, Bro, she said, go look at what the 0:23:51.080 --> 0:23:54.359 producer was. The first person I looked up was Quincy Jones. 0:23:55.119 --> 0:23:58.760 I mean it starts there and like, I'm off to 0:23:58.840 --> 0:24:01.760 the flame. Man. It's just it became my mission and 0:24:01.840 --> 0:24:04.879 in my brain, I mean, I lied to every person 0:24:04.920 --> 0:24:06.840 because I didn't want them to know that was what 0:24:06.880 --> 0:24:10.440 I was going to become a music producer. And Bro, 0:24:10.680 --> 0:24:13.159 I made track off the track and then I was like, 0:24:13.240 --> 0:24:17.960 I can put melody and lyrics. So I was just like, oh, 0:24:18.000 --> 0:24:21.320 I'm doing a hundred per centers. At this point, I'm 0:24:21.400 --> 0:24:25.400 twenty years old and I'm like, I finally someone just 0:24:25.640 --> 0:24:27.560 someone out there blue in my church. And you know 0:24:27.600 --> 0:24:36.800 I always tell people from yeah, because I mean, like, 0:24:37.720 --> 0:24:43.120 from thirteen to twenty, all I could do was create, create, 0:24:43.720 --> 0:24:47.159 because what people don't understand about London is one of 0:24:47.160 --> 0:24:50.520 the most creative places in the world, one of the 0:24:50.560 --> 0:24:53.720 only places where I see genres being made over and 0:24:53.800 --> 0:24:56.600 over again, you know what I mean, like like in 0:24:56.680 --> 0:24:58.439 my face, like oh, this is a new genre. This, 0:24:59.280 --> 0:25:03.840 you know, I mean, like from beats me so for me. 0:25:05.520 --> 0:25:08.200 But it's a trap too. It was very It was 0:25:08.320 --> 0:25:10.720 very trapped because there was no outlets for us. Like 0:25:11.560 --> 0:25:15.760 one thing you have in America is black Americans have 0:25:16.240 --> 0:25:19.440 fought to have a voice in in in the UK, 0:25:19.800 --> 0:25:22.280 we fought, but we didn't have that voice. No matter 0:25:22.320 --> 0:25:24.240 how much we tried to get one, they would shut 0:25:24.280 --> 0:25:26.199 it down. It was very systemic because it was a 0:25:26.200 --> 0:25:29.879 lot smaller too. And so we let's think about how 0:25:29.960 --> 0:25:32.520 many R and B X we had those times, how 0:25:32.520 --> 0:25:35.879 many R and B superstars. We didn't have that many. 0:25:36.000 --> 0:25:38.439