1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: Quest Love Show is a production of iHeart Radio people. 2 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: What's Up? This is Quest Love And last week we 3 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: brought you part one of my in studio conversation with 4 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: Samara Joy. At the top of the month, she'll be 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: competing for two Grammy Awards, all right, including Best Vocal 6 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: Jazz Album for a Late Selpe Portrait. If you haven't 7 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: heard already, to make sure you spend time with that album. 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: And with part one of this interview, this is where 9 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: I really got to learn her story and dig into 10 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: her craft. So part two we're gonna have a little 11 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: more fun. We talked about her time in the studio, 12 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: her ensemble, and yes, where she gives her Grammy Awards. 13 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: She's already one, all right, enjoy What was your first 14 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: job ever? 15 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 2: I was a cashier at shopwrite part time? 16 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: Okay? What album have you committed to Memory from start 17 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: to finish? No Skips, perfect album. 18 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 2: The Audience with Betty Carter. That's live with John Hicks 19 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 2: on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, in Kenny Washington on drums. 20 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: And he was actually my professor, but he was eighteen 21 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 2: years old. 22 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: Kenny Washington. It's nothing like I Got Gods with me. 23 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 2: I mean, he was an incredible professor but also an 24 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 2: amazing musician. I've gotten to play with him. But that 25 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 2: album Betty Carter, she does things, the arrangements, the songs, 26 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 2: the compositions. 27 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: I love it, Okay, So it's kind of mad libby. 28 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 1: The singer to whom everyone compares you to is. 29 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: Saravon. 30 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: However, the singer that you really pattern in your style after. 31 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 2: Is Oh my gosh, Carmen McCrae. 32 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: I'd love you say that if you can ever find 33 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: there's a rendition she does of a song called The 34 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: Mystery of Man. Got to look it up. It's devastating 35 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: to hear, like just the way that she emotes in 36 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: her voice. But what is it about Carmen mc Honestly? 37 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 2: I think it's that, like she she's not necessarily mos 38 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 2: acrobatic of singers. She comes from the school of Billie Holliday, 39 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 2: as she says so herself, like that's one of her 40 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,239 Speaker 2: main inspirations, and so I think she just kind of 41 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 2: gets right to the heart of a song, you know, 42 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 2: And that's something I feel like I need to learn. 43 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 2: It's like, as I'm learning the possibilities of what you 44 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 2: can do with your voice. There's also something to be 45 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 2: said about having taste and knowing when to withhold and 46 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 2: knowing you knows more. Yeah, so I just in some cases. 47 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 2: And so I feel like I listened to her over 48 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: and over again, and I find something new every time, 49 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 2: even if it's the simplest, you know, idea or riff 50 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 2: or And she was also pianist too, So I admire 51 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 2: that because I feel like she could pick out the 52 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 2: pretty notes to improvise on on a melody that still 53 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 2: go along with the chords without you know, maybe disrupting. 54 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 2: But her rhythm was insane too, So yeah, I think 55 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 2: her the way that she improvises on a melody, the 56 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 2: way that her feel is like rhythmically interacting with the bank. 57 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:01,119 Speaker 2: And that's what I love. 58 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: What other instruments do you play? 59 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 2: I used to play bass electric. 60 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: Used to, I mean like you forget after I used to. 61 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 2: I used to because my dad he got me a 62 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 2: Fender jazz bas for Christmas, along with our brothers Johnson 63 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 2: Record and a couple more so, I was like learning 64 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:22,399 Speaker 2: their songs. Actually, host Johnson is like my I love 65 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 2: his playing to the point where I was I looked 66 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 2: up like an educational video that he did from the eighties. Yes, 67 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 2: and I started off with I was like, Okay, I 68 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 2: think that's time for me to put it out. Actually, 69 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 2: but I play piano now, but I used to play bass. 70 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 2: I miss it. 71 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: Okay. Uh, name me an artist that we would be shocked. 72 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: Is an influence on you or that we didn't see coming? 73 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 2: I don't know if I'm non jazz predictable. 74 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: You know, how's your Metallica history? How's your I. 75 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 2: Feel like I'm so predictable. I don't know. My My 76 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 2: origins are pretty clear. Hmmm. As far as lyricists, do 77 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 2: you know of a lady named Margo Gierian. No, she 78 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 2: only released one album to her name, but she's from 79 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 2: Long Island and she is She was a vocalist. I 80 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 2: can't remember what the name of the album is. I 81 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 2: think it's like sing a song or something like that. 82 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 2: But she's a really dope lyricist. And I've been learning 83 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 2: how to write lyrics to jazz compositions and she did 84 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 2: that a lot. 85 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: So yeah, I was going to ask you about your 86 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: vocal least game because I'm realizing that y're like. 87 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 2: She wrote lyrics to an ornate Coleman composition called Lonely Woman. 88 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,920 Speaker 2: It's unbelievable. So she's one that I that I look 89 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 2: up to that might be unexpected. 90 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: Okay, I'm skipping now because since she brought it up. Okay, 91 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: So in portrait of course, you know, every jazz artist 92 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: does the American Songbook, you know, and they'll choose the 93 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 1: safe ones. They'll choose autumn leaves or whatever. But you're 94 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: like the you lay the gauntlet down, like you're choosing 95 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: like Mingus' craziest period, even with sun Rot, so with 96 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:11,119 Speaker 1: Mingus alone. And I have an obsession and a love 97 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:15,919 Speaker 1: for jazz vocalise and you know, name it King Pleasure, 98 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 1: Eddie Jefferson, Lambert Lambert Hendricks and Ross like all of 99 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 1: the for our listeners. Vocalist is where I guess the 100 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:32,719 Speaker 1: rule is basically, you add lyrics to an existing jazz 101 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: song and do you have to follow the pattern of 102 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: what the solo is. 103 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 2: You can, And I started off doing that, like writing 104 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 2: lyrics only to the well writing lyrics to the melody 105 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 2: and the solo. But now I just kind of write 106 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 2: lyrics to the melody because the solo can be a 107 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 2: little hard, a challenging when people doing triplets and sixteenth 108 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 2: notes and stuff like that. 109 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: So have you ever heard the grand Royal of all 110 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 1: jazz vocalist posse cuts? Have you heard Freddy Freeloader by 111 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: Yes Farren? 112 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 2: Yeah? 113 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, all right. So during the pandemic, that was one 114 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: of my favorite exercises. I would DJ like five hours 115 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 1: online and I think one night I read the comments 116 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 1: where someone was telling me that there's a story of 117 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: how Hendrix like literally micromanaged Bob McFerrin, George Benson and 118 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: Algio to follow the Coltrane Miles solos on the original 119 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: Freddy Freeloader, And I was like no, and I stopped 120 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 1: the record and I put both albums up and played 121 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: them and realize, oh god, they're literally they left no 122 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: stone unturned. So with vocalists, gee, and you started on 123 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: the highest mountain, you started only Mount Fiji. How did 124 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: you even decide for that particular song? Like because Mingus 125 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: is frightening to conquer? 126 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, it's a blessing to have memusicians around 127 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 2: you who put you on, for lack of a better word, 128 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 2: like musicians they like I didn't listen to Sun Raw 129 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 2: or Mingus before the band that I currently work with 130 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 2: and so they're you know, listening to songs on their 131 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 2: own time. They're listening to Mendelssohn and Revel and all 132 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 2: this kind of stuff, and I'm just listening and absorbing. 133 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 2: And so when I heard Reincarnation of Lovebird by Mingus, 134 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 2: I realized that even though the melody is complex, it's 135 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 2: still melodic, it's still lyrical, and I had the crazy 136 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 2: idea to put words to it. And you know, standards 137 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 2: one of I guess, or the bedrock of jazz music. 138 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 2: You hear so many musicians, Max Roach, Bennigolsen, Miles playing 139 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 2: standards and adding their own flair while also writing their 140 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 2: own composition. So there's merit to doing it. But I 141 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 2: guess they all learned form, they learn harmony, they learned 142 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 2: ways to make the songs their own, and then wrote 143 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 2: their own composition. So I guess that's how I tried 144 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 2: to do it, as learned standards, learn you know. 145 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: That's literally the best way to learn jazz is vocal wise, 146 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: Like walk me through the process of I listened to 147 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: the original and even as far as your lyric phrasing 148 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: and whatnot, Like how long did it take. 149 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 2: You to Oh, it took me like to learn the song. 150 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 2: It took me at least six months because there were 151 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 2: certain parts of it that I just couldn't I had 152 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 2: to like slow it down because I couldn't hear like 153 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 2: the exact pitches, and I need it in order to 154 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 2: be able to think of words. Yeah, I have to 155 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 2: like internalize the song and be able to sing it 156 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 2: without the recording. And of course the arranger at the 157 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 2: time had the idea for me to sing it completely 158 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 2: acapella before all the music. 159 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: That's what I say, and like, what the hell, you know? 160 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 2: And it took me. It took me another couple of 161 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 2: months to write the words to it because it's such 162 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 2: a deep song. I wanted the words to kind of 163 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 2: reflect that and be a compelling story that doesn't take 164 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 2: away from the melody and take away from the story 165 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 2: the melody is already telling. So yeah, it was a process, 166 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 2: but I love singing it and now I feel like 167 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 2: I've added another layer, you know, And I'm able to 168 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 2: sing complex melodies that might not be written for voice, 169 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 2: but you know, I can if it's in a certain 170 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 2: key and in a certain range, I can make it happen. 171 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: So will you try to conquer old Faris Sanders or 172 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: Don Cherry or like, when you get into free. 173 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 2: Jazz, maybe there's a vocalist, the one who sung Lonely 174 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 2: Woman by Ornat Coleman, Jean Lee. She does she's like more. 175 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 2: I guess she's classified as avant garde or free and 176 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 2: she played with this pianist called Ran Blake, and so 177 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 2: listening to her music and the stuff that she does 178 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 2: with Anthony Braxton and stuff, I'm like, there's there's something here. 179 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 2: I don't know quite yet. I'm still digging, but who knows. 180 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 1: God damn, I never thought I'd mean someone who outschools 181 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,079 Speaker 1: me my own podcast. I want to know more sitting. 182 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: You were born in Castle Hill? Yeah, right, all right, 183 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: So that's not exactly the South. When I hear the Bronx, 184 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: of course, I think of like, oh, well, hip hop 185 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: started the Bronx projects. Isn't exactly the South Bronx. So 186 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: what are your earliest memories or your fondest memories of 187 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 1: growing up in Castle Hill? 188 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 2: Well, it was my grandma's house. She bought it. She 189 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 2: was from Virginia. She moved to Philly and then she 190 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:18,199 Speaker 2: bought that house. I want to say, in the sixties 191 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 2: maybe late fifties, early sixties, because she wanted a family 192 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 2: house and she wanted to be able to host people 193 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 2: and have family and just have a place where we 194 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 2: all could kind of settle. And so I grew up 195 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 2: in that house. I grew up with her, and I 196 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:32,679 Speaker 2: grew up, you know, being friendly with the neighbors and 197 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:36,960 Speaker 2: my brother. You know, they're playing basketball outside my grandma, 198 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 2: you know, making food, salmon croquettes and all that kind 199 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 2: of stuff. 200 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: So you're saying that, technically you should be a Philadelphian. 201 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 2: I know, there's so many connections leading towards that. I'm 202 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 2: that's adjacent, that's home. 203 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: And then there was just a migration to the Bronx. 204 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know how it happened. 205 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:57,840 Speaker 1: Got it? Okay? Do you still have family in Philly? Like? 206 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, all spread out. God, my grandfather still lives 207 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:02,959 Speaker 2: in West Philly. 208 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 1: All right, So what TV show would best describe your childhood? Great? Now, 209 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: I feel another like. 210 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 2: No, I actually did watch Saturday like cartoons and stuff. 211 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 1: Okay, so cartoons still existed when you in your memory back, 212 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: So what TV show best describes your childhood? 213 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 2: This is not a cartoon, but that's a Raven. I 214 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 2: guess maybe that's still new school. 215 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: No, that's old school now, Okay, Raven's forty. 216 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 2: My uncle used to also burn CDs of like Looney 217 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 2: Tunes and The Jackson's Variety Show and stuff, So I 218 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 2: used to watch that too. 219 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: Man, it's so dope. All right, who's your first celebrity crush? 220 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. It was probably from some Disney Channel movie, 221 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 2: maybe like zac Efron or something. Probably gotcha, which means 222 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 2: it was ultimately Corby and Blue as well. So I'll 223 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 2: say those two. 224 00:11:57,960 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna pretend I know what those are. 225 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 3: What's the. 226 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 2: The style of cooking? 227 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: I know, did posters adorn your childhood bedroom? And if so, 228 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: who was there? 229 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:23,599 Speaker 2: I had a mix of posters. See, we would go 230 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 2: to Blockbuster. I went to Blockbuster. I did rent DVDs 231 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 2: You were. 232 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: You was so born in. 233 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 2: And so they would have like I think it was 234 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 2: like Tiger Beat, like teen magazines, and my mom had 235 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 2: a standing subscription with Jet in essence, and so it 236 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,840 Speaker 2: was a combination of like teen magazines and you know, 237 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 2: black magazines that were on my walls. 238 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: Got it, Okay, So I'm kind of placing a position 239 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: as a musician where I'm judged by pop rules and 240 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: hip hop, so everything's circular, looped and whatnot. And often 241 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 1: I'm told, like, just keep the song as simple as possible. 242 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: What is your process for writing original composition? Like what 243 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: ritual do you have? Do you need to be in 244 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: a space alone with your thoughts or is it you 245 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: and someone else riffing and figuring out what it is. 246 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 2: I don't write as much original material as I should. 247 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: Eventually, you will say. 248 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 2: I would say the one that I have that's on 249 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 2: the album Peace of Mind was written and inspired by 250 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 2: an Abby Lincoln record called straight Ahead. And there's a 251 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:40,199 Speaker 2: song on the album called in the Red and the 252 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 2: composer and trumpeter Booker Little he wrote it to and 253 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,199 Speaker 2: he like, there's no defined time on the song. It's 254 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 2: all like conducted, but it's like kind of slow and suspenseful, 255 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 2: and he wrote it because he wanted to mimic or 256 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 2: mirror the suspense that people feel when they're broke and 257 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 2: when they're in the red. And I just thought about 258 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,040 Speaker 2: that tool, like that musical tool of like, oh so 259 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 2: I didn't I didn't realize you could do that and 260 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 2: express that kind of feeling through music. And if I did. 261 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 2: I just didn't know it consciously. 262 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: I'm totally channelling you out right now. 263 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,079 Speaker 2: And so with my first song, there's no defined time 264 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 2: because it kind of came after the Grammys and I 265 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 2: was feeling a little bit uncertain. There were people kind 266 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 2: of projecting what they felt I should do. You have 267 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 2: this attention, you can do anything, you can sing anything, yeah, 268 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 2: or make the same record that you did that you know, 269 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 2: and so I was just like, I don't want to 270 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 2: do that, which is not a new feeling. Every artist 271 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 2: has had to make that decision at one point or another, 272 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 2: and so I was feeling that, and that uncertainty matched 273 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 2: the suspense that I heard on that song, and so 274 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 2: I wanted to write something that was dissonant that eventually 275 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 2: had a constant resolution, which is Dreams Come True by 276 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 2: Son Raw. But that feeling of being uncertain, of wondering 277 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 2: what decision to make, of feeling like I'm trying to 278 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 2: stay grounded by my life is just changing so much, 279 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 2: and so I wanted to present that in the song, 280 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 2: and so that was my inspiration for songwriting. At the time. 281 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: I guess, uh, do you have siblings? Are you the 282 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: only child? 283 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 2: I have four siblings. 284 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: Where do you fall in the. 285 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 2: Second to last? I have three older siblings and one younger. 286 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: And are they also artistically inclined? 287 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. My eldest brother, he was like in the early 288 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:23,520 Speaker 2: two thousands, he was like writing for Genuine and work 289 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 2: with doctor Dre and all these different people. Is Antonio Okay, 290 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 2: Antonio McLendon. My sister not so much. She sings when 291 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 2: she's like around us, but she's more of a she's 292 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 2: more of a business woman. My second oldest brother, Daniel, 293 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 2: he was the one who put me onto Voodoo and 294 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 2: you know he was he was listening to Kanye like 295 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 2: he was listening. Sorry, I don't want to mention all 296 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 2: these names out here, but but he was listening to 297 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 2: a lot of stuff that I just hadn't seen or 298 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 2: hadn't really been exposed to, Like Ryan Leslie. I had 299 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 2: never listened to Diamond Girl and was like, I was like, 300 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 2: what this is crazy? On ye sure, it was like, 301 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 2: oh iTunes. I never I don't have my own laptop, 302 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 2: so I don't know what that is. And my younger 303 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 2: brother's into it too. But I think I think we're 304 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 2: all musically inclined to one way or another. But they 305 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 2: all influenced me in. 306 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 1: An I gotta know what is it like recording at 307 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: Van Gelder's studio. And I have to say, of the 308 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: ten albums of Note that I know that we're recorded 309 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 1: there in the last five years, yours is the only 310 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: record that I feel really takes advantage of why that 311 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: studio is so important. 312 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 2: Thank you, because thank you so much. 313 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, because the thing was I listened to it and 314 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: when I got to the fourth song, I stopped it, 315 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 1: and then I went to my boys record and I'm like, wait, 316 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: this sounds like this smooth jazz, like this is me. 317 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: And I was just under the impression I always wanted 318 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: to go there to record, but after nine or ten 319 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,080 Speaker 1: records where I'm like, well, wait a minute, besides the 320 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: physical space like different is it like? And I was 321 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: just so that I've been recording all my joins in Brooklyn, 322 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: where the dap Kings are and whatever where it feels, 323 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: and when I heard your record, I was like, wait 324 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: a minute, it's possible, So what gives. 325 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 2: I wanted to match the chemistry that my band shout 326 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 2: out to my septeent, that my band had built on 327 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,159 Speaker 2: stage and the setting that we have where it's me, 328 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 2: then the horns, and then the rhythm section. I wanted 329 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 2: we've built this chemistry of playing together and matching each 330 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 2: other's dynamics and stuff on stage. I didn't want that 331 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 2: to go away and have to hear everybody through headphones. 332 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 2: So I had the drums in the room. Rudy van 333 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,480 Speaker 2: Guelder is perfect. Shout out Maureen and Don Sickler. It 334 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 2: was an incredible, incredible and Brie Lynch it is an 335 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 2: incredible room. It is an incredible room and it's perfect 336 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 2: for acoustic music. Drums in the room, horns in the room, piano, 337 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 2: I think the only thing no base was in the 338 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 2: room as well. I was the only one who was 339 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 2: isolated because I make mistakes and I want to fix them. 340 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:07,440 Speaker 2: But other than that, I wanted to capture the same 341 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:10,919 Speaker 2: acoustic sound and that feeling that we get when we 342 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:13,639 Speaker 2: play together. And so everything was like two to three takes, Max. 343 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: What you talked? You serious? Yeah, Well how long did 344 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 1: pre production take? 345 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 2: I mean pre production was touring, so we were on 346 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 2: the road for two years. We went into the. 347 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: Studio, but even when you're in a room together, they 348 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:28,640 Speaker 1: have to place things perfectly. 349 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 2: Once we got adjusted, though, two to three takes eighteen 350 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 2: songs three days. 351 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 1: Are you ever going to return to that studio? 352 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 2: Yes? 353 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 1: Absolutely, Okay, we're friends now. Before I give them my business, 354 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 1: I just want to witness this happening, because I refuse 355 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 1: to believe that I was just on the impression that 356 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: it'll never sound nothing will sound as good as any 357 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: of the blue note stuff that he did, or any. 358 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,720 Speaker 2: Of the and they have so many great Mike's too. 359 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:05,159 Speaker 1: Yes, amazing, That's what I'm saying. How did you figure 360 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:08,160 Speaker 1: out the code that no one else figured out? 361 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:10,879 Speaker 2: The thing is Maureen, she's the only one. She's the 362 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:14,160 Speaker 2: only protege of Rudy van Gelder, and so she knows everything, 363 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 2: the radar system that they use, all the buttons and stuff. 364 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,119 Speaker 2: They're all named in sort of an unorthodox way, and 365 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 2: she's the only one. Like, nobody's allowed. 366 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: Behind Yeah, are they preset or they're not? 367 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 2: I think she sets them, but nobody's allowed behind her 368 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 2: and behind the board. You can't be behind the board. 369 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: So okay, one of those studios. Yeah, what is these 370 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 1: significance behind the dear Beverly name for your imprint? What's 371 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 1: the story behind that? 372 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 2: My late aunt Beverly was a pianist and a vocalist, 373 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 2: and the only time I met her was when I 374 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,360 Speaker 2: was just born. I was born on November eleventh, and 375 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 2: a couple and a couple of weeks later was Thanksgiving 376 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,239 Speaker 2: and she was sick, and so she was kind of 377 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 2: she was a little bit weak physically, and she got 378 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,239 Speaker 2: the chance to hold me a couple weeks after I 379 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 2: was born, and that was the only time I ever 380 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,639 Speaker 2: met her. And since then, everybody says that I sound 381 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,440 Speaker 2: like her, and I even look like her sometimes. 382 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:16,399 Speaker 1: The genetics, Yeah, that's where it comes in. 383 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 2: And so I wanted to name the imprint in honor 384 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 2: of her. 385 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: How did you choose the ensemble that worked with you 386 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 1: on these and even with their producers? I know, Brian Lynch, like, 387 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,439 Speaker 1: how do you go about choosing this album? 388 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 2: Was our first time meeting and working together. He's arranged 389 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 2: and he's played with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, 390 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 2: but he also arranges and composes in his own right. 391 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 2: And because this band disorted my first my first time 392 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 2: playing with a larger ensemble with horns, how many pieces 393 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 2: seven four horns, trumpet, alto, sacks, tenor sax and trombone, 394 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 2: in rhythm section. I wanted to have somebody who had 395 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,920 Speaker 2: an ear for that music, but who also didn't try 396 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:00,720 Speaker 2: to come in and assume themselves as higher us, because 397 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:02,720 Speaker 2: we were the ones who I mean, the writers in 398 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:04,639 Speaker 2: the band are the horn players and the pianists, so 399 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 2: they're the ones who are writing and we're the ones 400 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 2: who are shaping it. And so I think he came 401 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 2: in with an attitude, in a mindset of helping us 402 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 2: and supporting us and not necessarily overtaking or anything like that. 403 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:18,399 Speaker 2: So I don't know, it just kind of came about. 404 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 2: The band came about through multiple connections. I met the 405 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 2: trombonist and tenor saxophonists in college, and the tenor saxophonist, 406 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 2: Kendrick McAllister went to He has friends who went to 407 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 2: Frost School of Music, University of Miami, and he also 408 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:36,159 Speaker 2: went to high school with them, and so that's how 409 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 2: I met the alto saxophonists and trumpet Jason and David, 410 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:41,879 Speaker 2: and the rhythm section I kind of just met on 411 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 2: the scene on the New York scene, jam sessions and whatnot. 412 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 2: So it was multiple connections. 413 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:50,679 Speaker 1: You said my band a few times, like do you 414 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 1: plan on keeping this unit or because oftentimes with jazz 415 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: musicians it's almost like you meet who got called for 416 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,239 Speaker 1: the gig. Sometimes that's a weird I don't know if 417 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:03,720 Speaker 1: I could live that life. Like I love the fact 418 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:07,359 Speaker 1: that I played with the same people because we know 419 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: each other, we know where we're going. 420 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 2: And I plan on keeping this ensemble because we've grown 421 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 2: so much in the years that we've played together already, 422 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 2: and now recently we got the chance. They got the 423 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 2: chance to write for orchestra for the first time, and 424 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 2: so now we have stuff on the books with Atlanta Symphony, 425 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 2: Chicago Symphony, New Yorkville, and I just feel like we've 426 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,879 Speaker 2: grown and we've developed and we've learned each other. But 427 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 2: there's so much more to learn. But now it seems 428 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 2: like they can write and not necessarily think of something 429 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 2: for piano or something for trumpet, but it's for the 430 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 2: person and for the range that they can handle, in 431 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:43,639 Speaker 2: the style and the attitude they can write for people. 432 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,879 Speaker 2: So yeah, we've learned each other to a point where 433 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:48,720 Speaker 2: I think it can grow even more. 434 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:54,879 Speaker 1: Is there a desire to ever record sound? Weird? Saying 435 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: a modern sound modern for what you know period, a 436 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: modern sounding LPI to pull in algio to do a 437 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,720 Speaker 1: soul album or whatever, like something outside of jazz. Do 438 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:13,239 Speaker 1: you have space for that yet or you're still just 439 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 1: one step at a time. 440 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 2: I think one step at a time. But a way 441 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 2: that I try to explore and express that side is 442 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 2: with my family. And so I recorded the full Holy 443 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,439 Speaker 2: Night with them right with my grandfather and you know, 444 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 2: with my cousins and my dad and uncle. And it 445 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,160 Speaker 2: was such a great recording with Sullivan Fortner on the organ. 446 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:34,280 Speaker 2: Incredible that hopefully we get the chance to do an 447 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:37,160 Speaker 2: EP because my dad has like he has an arrangement 448 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 2: of Mary did you know in Silent Night that we 449 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 2: did on the last tour. That's really cool. We wrote 450 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:42,159 Speaker 2: an original song together. 451 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: Nice. 452 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 2: So yeah, maybe a holiday EP at some point. We can, 453 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 2: you know, make it a little more fusion. 454 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 1: I guess I feel incorrect in saying this since you 455 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: are of the Elmo generation. Wow, actually you're younger than 456 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: tip me Almo. Do you know this thing called tip 457 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:02,960 Speaker 1: me Elma? They came out there. Wait seriously, no, wait, 458 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,480 Speaker 1: I was kind of joking, but now he just stabbed 459 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:07,639 Speaker 1: Explain it. 460 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 2: Explain it? Maybe I do. 461 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:11,679 Speaker 1: I'm just remembering, you know, Elmo was a character on 462 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: Sesame Street, yes, which I was leading to. Was it 463 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:16,119 Speaker 1: like being on Sesame Street? Oh? 464 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:19,920 Speaker 2: Sorry, it was in the recesses of. 465 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: My But I also realized that Tickle Me Elmo came 466 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 1: out in ninety six, and that was that was okay great. 467 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 2: I was not born back get it? 468 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:29,919 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, you get it. 469 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 2: You were in first grade when songs in the Key 470 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:34,239 Speaker 2: of Life came out. That is I'm still on that. 471 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 2: But anyway, Sayesmey Street was amazing. Sayesmey Street was so dope. 472 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 1: Did you find yourself talk? Okay? So my one of 473 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:43,359 Speaker 1: my former co hosts of this podcast, Unpaid Bill, he's 474 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:46,639 Speaker 1: probably the person that brought you on the show. I 475 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 1: did the show once and during breaks, I actually found 476 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: myself engaging in real conversations with the muppets, and maybe 477 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: seven minutes into the conversation, I was like, wait a minute, 478 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 1: I'm not crazy, You're the one that's crazy. I'm still 479 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: like talking to me. But they told me the role 480 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 1: that they're not allowed to put the muppets down in 481 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,200 Speaker 1: front of kids or whatever, so they had to stay 482 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:07,679 Speaker 1: in character. 483 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:10,119 Speaker 2: So it was wild. I was still looking at the 484 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:13,119 Speaker 2: people while the cameras were rolling, and so one of 485 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 2: my friends like, fixed your face to stop looking at 486 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 2: the people on the ground. You need to be talking 487 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 2: to the bumpets. And so I was like, you're right, 488 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:21,680 Speaker 2: let me smile and talk for the kids at home. 489 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 1: So it was. 490 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:24,520 Speaker 2: Enjoyable, nice, It was so much fun. 491 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 1: What's the three best concerts you ever been to? 492 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 2: My first one was Aretha Franklin at NJ Pack. I 493 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 2: was like eleven years old and I was right next 494 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:34,400 Speaker 2: to the spotlight. 495 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: That's how I was eleven years old. 496 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:36,679 Speaker 2: Those bleeds. 497 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 1: So this is twenty ten. Yeah, oh god, is this 498 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:42,679 Speaker 1: where she did Touch My Body by Mariah Carey. 499 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 2: I don't remember that I did that really? 500 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,640 Speaker 1: Oh hell yeah, Oh my god. Arena, Oh one night 501 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:54,160 Speaker 1: she like seduced Maxwell was like she was wild. Yeah, 502 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:55,200 Speaker 1: she's wild, all. 503 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 2: Right in peace. I think the second is more recent. 504 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 2: I saw the reuniontor at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn 505 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:07,920 Speaker 2: with Kirk Franklin and the Clark sisters and Belanda Adams 506 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 2: and Marvin Sapp and all these people. And the third one, 507 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 2: I actually just went to the Vanguard. I've been to 508 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 2: the Vanguard a couple of times, but McBride was there 509 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 2: for his two week residency. I've seen Chris Potter there 510 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 2: like it's always amazing. 511 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, I went last week to see him and told 512 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 1: him I think next year I'll do one with him. 513 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 1: Chris and I have a very unhealthy relationship to worshiping 514 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: James Brown and the worships so deep that James Brown, 515 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 1: I believe, is the only figure that is incapable of 516 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 1: knowing what mediocrity is. And I'm saying that you usually, 517 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: when we dismissed our artists or like whatever, it's never 518 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:56,399 Speaker 1: because it's bad songs. It's because it's just mediocre. It's like, 519 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 1: all right, we heard that before. It's nothing special. James 520 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 1: Brown will either change your life by redefining music or 521 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: it's just so laughably humorous that to me it's even 522 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: more genius. And so Chris and I kind of secretly, 523 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: even though we're the number one and number two disciples 524 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 1: of James Brown, behind closed doors, we only love his 525 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 1: horrible work. It's an obsession. But you know, like something 526 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 1: so bad it's great, That's what I'm saying. Like everything 527 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 1: James Brown does is classic, including when he fails. He 528 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:45,199 Speaker 1: fails spectacularly, like horrible songs. So we want to do 529 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 1: kind of a tribute band to only his bad period. 530 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:51,879 Speaker 1: The way to make that distinction is if he has 531 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 1: a mustache with Yeah, the mustache period of James Brown 532 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:58,359 Speaker 1: is that means the music's. 533 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 2: Not that good in loud and saying nothing, it's one 534 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 2: of my favorite songs. 535 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:06,640 Speaker 1: Well, that's that's the good size a. He's right along, right, 536 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 1: but for goodness sakes, take a look at those cakes. 537 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:15,679 Speaker 1: Is the mustache period of James Brown? So yeah, the 538 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,640 Speaker 1: titles alone, right, the titles alone, he cannot fail. Even 539 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 1: when he's failing. It's it's life change. I assume you 540 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:24,879 Speaker 1: sort of gloss the earth a couple of times and 541 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 1: touring what is the most beautiful city you've ever performed in? 542 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: What's your what's the city that you love performing in 543 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:33,200 Speaker 1: the most? 544 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:39,760 Speaker 2: I think it's a tie between Paris and Bologna. 545 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 1: Really, what is it about in Italy? 546 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 2: I don't know. Paris is obviously so charming, and I've 547 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 2: been there so many times and it still feels new, 548 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 2: and it still feels like there's more to discover. Same 549 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 2: with Italy. I haven't gone as as often as I 550 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 2: want to, but it's so charming, that people are amazing. 551 00:28:57,560 --> 00:28:59,200 Speaker 2: I feel like I can get around and learn the 552 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:02,720 Speaker 2: language a little little bit right and get myself, you know, 553 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 2: at least a cup of tea or something. Maybe not 554 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 2: a whole conversation. 555 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 1: But if I could have a life redo. My relationship 556 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 1: to Europe is just a little bit different because the 557 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: first four years of The Roots life, like we ran 558 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: away from home, stole our budget and got a flat 559 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:26,120 Speaker 1: in London and lived in Europe. We're soon going to 560 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: do a scripted series based on our Fish out of 561 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,959 Speaker 1: Water experience and living in Europe. Wow. So like my 562 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 1: experiences in Paris is like, it's not Paris unless someone's 563 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: pulling a knife out on you and chasing you through 564 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 1: the streets. And really, oh we're staying in like two 565 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 1: star prostitute motels. I mean we're broke. You know. You 566 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,960 Speaker 1: get the pillow, you get the comforter, you get the blanket, 567 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 1: this dinner tonight, bread and cheese, like we were. There's 568 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: nothing like being a broke musician living in Europe. Like 569 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 1: I know jazz musician that would tell me they would 570 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: book you know, like the summers where you right half 571 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:11,160 Speaker 1: those cats tell me that, oh we don't even book 572 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 1: like hotels. It's like at the end of the night 573 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: they got to find somebody hook up with so that 574 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 1: they can stay at our house or literally had Oh 575 00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: I'm serious, that's how That's how bad the Brokers is. 576 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: So I love the fact that that, yeah, that you 577 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:30,160 Speaker 1: like appreciate, Like you talk about Italy, I'm like, oh, man, 578 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:33,760 Speaker 1: the time they thought we were the Nigerian drug cartel, 579 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 1: like arresting us in them in the laundry mat Oh, 580 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 1: yeah it was. We We have a lot of crazy stories, 581 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: but I'm glad that those are your experiences. What city 582 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 1: would you like to retire and if you don't retire 583 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: in your native New York, what city would you ever consider, 584 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 1: Like when all said and done, this is where this 585 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,240 Speaker 1: is my final stop, or you're in New York to 586 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 1: the bone, I. 587 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 2: Think I want to stay in New York, or at 588 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 2: least near it. With all the beautiful places that we've 589 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 2: had the opportunity to go, I still can't imagine, Like 590 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:11,640 Speaker 2: New York just feels like my home base. I will 591 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:14,560 Speaker 2: eventually probably want grass at some point, and not just 592 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 2: be because I live in Harlem now, So that's true, 593 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:19,800 Speaker 2: just a little. 594 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 1: I got a farm. 595 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 2: State, Like, there's what about those taxes? 596 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, dude, I mean, what look what we do 597 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 1: for a living. I know, I know, I get it. 598 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 2: I mean I used to visit my cousin in Poughkeepsie 599 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 2: all the time, and it's beautiful up there, so it's possible. 600 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:41,760 Speaker 2: And I love since you're Subway people, Metro North, Amtrak. 601 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: You're young, you're in the twenties, trust me when you 602 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 1: get up there. 603 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:48,480 Speaker 2: Huh on a farm. 604 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 1: I panic purchased during the pandemic a farm. Yeah. No, 605 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: it was great. It was and it was the only 606 00:31:56,320 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 1: time normally should have been that for me to purchase. 607 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 1: I'll just say this much. It just happened to be. 608 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:09,120 Speaker 1: If you remember in twenty twenty, the week that George 609 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: Floyd happened during the pandemic, that is when all of 610 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 1: upper echelon New York was like, oh, they're going to 611 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:23,280 Speaker 1: decend the right and literally I guess this couple that 612 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:26,200 Speaker 1: they were in their eighties, like if you live in 613 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:29,000 Speaker 1: this part, that's your third house, you know, like people 614 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 1: like oh, I have a house up state and da 615 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:32,600 Speaker 1: da da dah. That's not their main house. That's like 616 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: you know, they stay there a month or two. Literally, 617 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 1: like their kids are calling from the Swiss house, like 618 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 1: we gotta get mom and dad all before they destroyed 619 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: New York, you know, so thanks to the fear of 620 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 1: Black Lives matter. Literally in two days, they moved their 621 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:49,479 Speaker 1: parents out of the United States and sold me that 622 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: place dirt cheap. It's still being worked on, so there's 623 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 1: a lot of work had to be done, but it's 624 00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: I never thought that I would embrace trees and quiet 625 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:03,000 Speaker 1: and as and like I wanted to live in the 626 00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 1: city and the chaos and all that stuff. But I'd 627 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,960 Speaker 1: learned the power of silence. Ideas come to you song, 628 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 1: ideas come to you when it's dead silent. 629 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 2: And now you can just play the drums whenever you want, 630 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 2: no disturbing of any neighbor. I guess you'd do that anyway. 631 00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 1: I'm pass that drum. I'm talking about movies and writing 632 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:26,160 Speaker 1: books in the world leadership, oh drumming whatever, I'll drum for. 633 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:41,880 Speaker 3: You when things get stressful. 634 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:46,719 Speaker 1: What is your have you allowed yourself as self care routine? 635 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:49,280 Speaker 2: I'm working on it now. See the thing, when you're 636 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 2: on tour, you don't I don't really have one, or 637 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:54,520 Speaker 2: it just changes by the day. But now, at least 638 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 2: for the next two months, I've like deleted all social 639 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 2: media and if I allow log onto it to my laptop, 640 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 2: it's only to check messages. I check out and make 641 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:06,000 Speaker 2: a list of all the books that I've bought and 642 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:09,799 Speaker 2: haven't read throughout the year, and and start. I just 643 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:12,759 Speaker 2: finished Warmth of other Sons by Isabelle workers In on 644 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:17,360 Speaker 2: the Great Migration is beautiful. I put a face mask 645 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:19,360 Speaker 2: in because I bought when we went to Korea. I 646 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 2: bought so much skincare stuff I haven't used yet, and 647 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 2: so I'm like, oh, this serum, okay, in this face mask. 648 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:27,040 Speaker 2: I put it in the in the fridge for a 649 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 2: couple of minutes. 650 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:29,480 Speaker 1: How I snuck them back to the States, I don't 651 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:31,319 Speaker 1: know how, but literally, when I came from a. 652 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:35,479 Speaker 2: Full suitcase of all the same care products I could have. 653 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:39,480 Speaker 1: I had to kipling bags of just broke road masks 654 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:43,120 Speaker 1: because they never think about the beer true, so oh 655 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 1: my god, yeah they got road masks. 656 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 2: Okay. 657 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 1: I'm fighting to stay. 658 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 2: I cook, at least I try to. I like learn 659 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:54,799 Speaker 2: recipes nice and bake like I love making sweet potato pie. 660 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:57,440 Speaker 2: And I don't like asking my aunt to like make 661 00:34:57,480 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 2: them all the time, Like I have to make them 662 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 2: for myself at this point. So I'm learning how to 663 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:02,399 Speaker 2: make the podcast and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, 664 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:04,319 Speaker 2: I just sort of tap into stuff I don't get 665 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:07,040 Speaker 2: the chance to do. You got to go all right? 666 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:10,360 Speaker 1: As we wrap up, all right, what is the emoji 667 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:11,600 Speaker 1: that you overuse? 668 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 2: The crying one? But I use it as a way 669 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:17,000 Speaker 2: of life, A laughter. I was going to say all 670 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:17,440 Speaker 2: the time? 671 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 1: All right, gotcha. So most people will do a jazz 672 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:25,920 Speaker 1: album as a departure album. If you were to do 673 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 1: a departure album, what genre are you picking? Drill rock or. 674 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:36,960 Speaker 2: Such an old head? I probably want to do something 675 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:41,839 Speaker 2: like in the style of Donny Hathaway, Donny Hathaway than you. 676 00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:47,239 Speaker 2: How does that one? But I have nothing. It's like 677 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:52,399 Speaker 2: one of my favorite Donny Hathaway ROBERTA. Flack duets, as 678 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:53,959 Speaker 2: well as of course like where's the Love? 679 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:56,400 Speaker 1: And you have you ever met Leila? 680 00:35:57,040 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 2: Yes? Yes I have. She's so dope. 681 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:04,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, she's incredible. So my last question to you, what 682 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:09,080 Speaker 1: is the one thing you hope that we say about 683 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 1: you when all is said and done, when you have 684 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:18,880 Speaker 1: a full cannon under your belt? And you're in the 685 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 1: sunset of it all. What's the thing that you want 686 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:23,960 Speaker 1: us to say about you. 687 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 2: I hope that people say she's true to her music, 688 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:30,960 Speaker 2: but she was also a very genuine person. Like I 689 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:33,839 Speaker 2: never like to leave anybody, any single person, whether it's 690 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:37,280 Speaker 2: an uber driver or you know, security guard or whoever, 691 00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:41,200 Speaker 2: with a bad impression. And I always tell everybody good morning. 692 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:44,759 Speaker 2: So I hope they realized that I was authentic in 693 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:47,080 Speaker 2: my music. I never strayed for the sake of relevance 694 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 2: or popularity. I wanted it to be something of substance 695 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:54,239 Speaker 2: no matter what, whether people listened or not. And I 696 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:57,440 Speaker 2: was genuine. 697 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:59,480 Speaker 1: From the bottom of my heart. I thank you. I 698 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:02,279 Speaker 1: you know, I don't even want to do the hyperbolic 699 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:05,200 Speaker 1: like now I believe in music again, like it's all 700 00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:08,839 Speaker 1: writing on your shoulders and your shoulders only. But yeah, 701 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:14,440 Speaker 1: I really absolutely just baffled by your talent and the 702 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:18,880 Speaker 1: potential of what you have to offer and where you 703 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:20,120 Speaker 1: put your Grammys. 704 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:22,440 Speaker 2: I keep it with my parents, but they moved. 705 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:26,120 Speaker 1: Okay, Well that's that's that's good. Usually artists do the 706 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:29,280 Speaker 1: thing I used to keep them in the bathroom. Oh, 707 00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:33,200 Speaker 1: just as a I don't care Raphaels used to make 708 00:37:33,239 --> 00:37:38,640 Speaker 1: his like a doorstopper. Oh my god, John Legend broke his. Yeah, 709 00:37:38,719 --> 00:37:39,760 Speaker 1: but then I can't. 710 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:40,920 Speaker 2: Look at it. If I look at it, and I'll 711 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:43,480 Speaker 2: be like, I gotta practice today, you know, I can 712 00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 2: take a day. 713 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:47,560 Speaker 1: Well. The thing is, I used to be dismissive of it, 714 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:50,640 Speaker 1: and then I started dating someone and she was like, 715 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:54,880 Speaker 1: you're a little too self deprecating, Like these are coming 716 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:58,279 Speaker 1: out the bathroom, yeah, and we are putting them. Yeah, 717 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:01,280 Speaker 1: We're letting you celebrate yourself. 718 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:05,960 Speaker 2: So that's uh, one day when I'm actually done. But 719 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:06,840 Speaker 2: it's not done yet. 720 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,560 Speaker 1: It's never done. If I want to thank you for 721 00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:13,280 Speaker 1: doing the Quest Love Show and you're one of my favorites, 722 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 1: thank you. 723 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:14,719 Speaker 2: Likewise, thank you. 724 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:22,320 Speaker 1: Quest Loft Show is hosted by me Amir quest Love Thompson. 725 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 1: The executive producers are Sean g Brian Calhoun and Me. 726 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:34,160 Speaker 1: Produced by Britney Benjamin and Jacob Payne. Produced for iHeart 727 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 1: by Noel Brown, Edited by Alex Conroy. iHeart video support 728 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:45,640 Speaker 1: by Mark Canton, Logos Graphics and animation by Nick Plowe. 729 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:52,040 Speaker 1: Additional support by Lance Coleman. Special thanks to Kathy Brown. 730 00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:58,320 Speaker 1: Special thanks to Sugar Steve Mandel. Please subscribe, rate, review, 731 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:02,000 Speaker 1: and share the Quest Love Show wherever you stream your podcast, 732 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:07,240 Speaker 1: make sure you follow us on socials that's at q LS. 733 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:12,120 Speaker 1: Check out hundreds and hundreds of QLs episodes, including the 734 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:17,879 Speaker 1: Quest of Supreme shows and our podcast archives. Quest Love 735 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:19,960 Speaker 1: Show is a production of iHeartRadio.