1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: Yeah, let let's just keep a real straight shot with 2 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: no Jason. I'm gonna get a little bit roughly. I'm 3 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: here for it. Those who really believe in the American process, 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: all of us. Straight shot, no chaser. What's your girl? 5 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: Tesselam figurer on the Black Effect podcasting that word that work. 6 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: What's happening everybody? This is your girl? Tesla figural straight shot, 7 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 1: no chaser here another week to sit down and chop 8 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: it up with Mr James Worthy himself worthy with a 9 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: nice name, with a nice name to have that says 10 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: a lot about your name. I'm gonna get into that 11 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: and talk about how that name itself, carrying that name 12 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: means something to use for a self worth, self value, 13 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: and so forth. But he is a Grammy nominating musician, 14 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: songwriter and recording artists. We had an opportunity to connect 15 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: on social media and I was very um enlightened. I 16 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: guess would be the word to see you be such 17 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: a young to start in the game so young, and 18 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: to work with so many different icons like Houdini, and 19 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: I didn't even know if people even knew about The 20 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: Men in Large, one of my favorite groups from back 21 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 1: in the day. But looking at you work with such 22 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 1: a variety of talent across the board, not just in music, 23 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: but in television as well, with bt V, H one, 24 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 1: a number of different things that you've done, huge platform 25 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: that you have on social media. So thank you so 26 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 1: much for joining me today. I want to get into James, 27 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: tell me a little bit about your career. You know, 28 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: how you started, how you got into the game, and 29 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 1: how you've been able to maintain, not just with COVID, 30 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: because for a lot of the hustlers, to me, COVID 31 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: was like, it's always being grind, hustle, grind, hustle, grind, 32 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: It's always a COVID. To me, it's always a shooter's 33 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: gonna drop, it's always a rug that's being pulled out 34 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: from under from under my feet. Before a lot of 35 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: folks in entertainment business, you know, things were literally halted, 36 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: so it stopped the grind literally. People couldn't go on movies, says, 37 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: people couldn't record, people couldn't go on tour, and a 38 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: lot of folks kind of got, you know, hell back 39 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: a look, kind of got I guess shocked for the 40 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: first time ever. So walk us through, Mr Worthy, and 41 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,799 Speaker 1: I love that name. Walk us through you know a 42 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,679 Speaker 1: little bit about yourself to kind of inform the listeners 43 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: who you are. And then let's talk about, you know, 44 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: how you've been able to maintain yourself as an entrepreneur 45 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: and how you you don't found yourself worth in that. 46 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: If you will, I want to. I'm gonna use your name. 47 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna play off your name a lot during this interview, 48 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: so just be prepared because I like the name and 49 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 1: I love metaphors and analogies. But um, tell them the 50 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: listeners a little bit about yourself. Well. First off, thank 51 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: you for having me on your platform. I really appreciate 52 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: the love and support. As you said, I'm James Berthy. 53 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: I'm from Queens, New York. I've lived so many different places, 54 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: so you know, sometimes it's hard for me to even 55 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: say what I reaped nowadays because I've been all around 56 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: the world from me age. But I'm I'm from New 57 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: York and uh, you know, just growing up there. Um, 58 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: you know, early on, I was just always a part 59 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: of music. It was always around me. I feel like 60 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 1: it was always in me because it was just when 61 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: I was born. I was just around music in different 62 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: genres and different styles as well. So I think that's 63 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: why music has always been a huge influence in my life. 64 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: And um, even past that, I've always been around musicians 65 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 1: and the artists and just the arts period. So I think, uh, 66 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: those things were just kind of like would always say, 67 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: the inevitable of me just being in the entertainment industry, 68 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: let alone the music industry. So you know, that was 69 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: really the first foundation and me just being a music lover. 70 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: I always wanted to learn about how to make music 71 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: and what it took and what was the the ins 72 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: and outs of actually crafting a song. So I remember 73 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: I used to always go to Record Stories every weekend 74 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: and buy a new album that I never heard before 75 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: and actually read the credits on the bad can inside 76 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: of the sleeves, so I can actually learn about the 77 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: musicians and the songwriters and you know who did what, 78 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: and you know, just really learned about it. And then 79 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: once I decided that I actually wanted to start making it, 80 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: Scott was a limit after that And how how old 81 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: were you at that time? Well, when I started really 82 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 1: really songwriting first, because before production, I was talking that 83 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: you no like going back when you would look at 84 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: the back of that, because I would go look at 85 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: the back. I never looked at who rode in and 86 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: who did I was focused on the performance of it all. 87 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: So I'm just curious. How old were you when your 88 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 1: mind was getting that technical into what makes it become 89 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: an album? You know what I mean? I probably said 90 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: about a round ten. Yeah, okay, that's interesting. When I Yeah, 91 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: when I was at age, I knew who I wanted 92 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: to be and what type of performer you know that 93 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: I would want to emulate, But I didn't take the 94 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: time to see how does this all put put together? 95 00:04:57,520 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: So I just found that interesting. It says a lot 96 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: about how your mind is made up. Um. It's what 97 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: I do in politics now. I don't want people to know. 98 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: I did a post yesterday while I was saying, it's 99 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: important to know how we got here and why we 100 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: stayed here. It's not enough to just and the same thing. 101 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,160 Speaker 1: In music, It's not enough just to hear the song 102 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 1: or to enjoy the song. How do you know who 103 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: did what? Um? And one thing I love about music 104 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: is pulling apart different samples and so many different samples 105 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: and different things that you hear that you had no 106 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: idea you know, have been used before, and how it 107 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: all comes together. So I was just curious when your 108 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: mind first started thinking that way. So you started with 109 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: that really young, then you went onto your career and 110 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: then you were getting ready to proceed. I just wanted 111 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: to put a pen in that part. Yeah, for sure, 112 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,840 Speaker 1: for sure. Um, you know, songwriting was like the first step. 113 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,279 Speaker 1: So you know what, even me being super young like 114 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: I was always deal with words and just putting words together. 115 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: And once I started learning about different musicians and songwriters 116 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: and actually how to you know, arrange a song from 117 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: top to bottom, from you know, core progressions to an 118 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: actual verse to a pre pre hook to a chorus 119 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 1: in etcetera. Um, that's when I started getting better at 120 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: actually writing. So once I did that, that's when production 121 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: came because then I felt like, okay, now I need 122 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,280 Speaker 1: music behind these words to put the whole puzzle together. 123 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 1: And then that's how um you know, I just started 124 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: climbing up that ladder. That's another thing I'll point out, 125 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: like most one will say most people, but I can rap, 126 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 1: I can free style, but I don't know how to 127 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: put a song together. And even the one song that 128 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: I did, an R and B song, it still wasn't 129 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: technically you know it was just in the studio plan 130 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: you know, did a chorus and did whatever. But all 131 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:37,239 Speaker 1: of the things that you just mentioned were you self 132 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: taught or did you learn that in the schools or 133 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: how did you know? Um, initially I was self taught, 134 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: So so everything I just kind of learned, you know, 135 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: by triling era and really before all of that, um, 136 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:51,600 Speaker 1: you know, at the times when I was going to 137 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: these different record stores and just buying albums, I remember 138 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: before but before I even got to that point, I 139 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 1: remember my dad he gave me, uh, the first album 140 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: that I technically ever bought, which was a trip called 141 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: Plus Midnight Marauders, and that was probably like uh still 142 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: to this day, I really don't know why I connected 143 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: so much with that album, but I did. And that's 144 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: what made me a huge Trap called Question fan and 145 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: a huge Q Tip fan, you know, as a producer, 146 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: and you know, that was like the bar for me 147 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: to start really really like you know, learning about just 148 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: production and writing and etcetera. So that was like the 149 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: first album that I really really took everything from. And 150 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 1: we had a chance to talk previously before this, and 151 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: you've talked about, you know, being an entrepreneur, what does 152 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: it mean to be I think most people may think, 153 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 1: you know, producers come with record labels and the assign 154 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: a producer on and and you get whatever. But you're 155 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: saying you're an entrepreneur. Does that mean that you have 156 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: to aggressively find your you know, your clients and uh 157 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: your relationships to get into the studio with folks like 158 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: to explain what that is is if someone has literally 159 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: no clue on when you say I'm an entrepreneur, Like, 160 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: what does that mean? How? How are you an entrepreneur 161 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: self employed or running your own business? Um? In the 162 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: producing space, well, in the production space, just speaking for 163 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: me personally, UM, I've always been uh hands on with 164 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: everything since the beginning, you know, even from being in 165 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 1: indeed so to speak to you know, working with mainstream acts. Um, 166 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: I've always been that that self employed person to where 167 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: I never went through a major label to get to someone, 168 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: never went through a manager, never went through an agent 169 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: or anything like that. Everything was just really relationship based 170 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,959 Speaker 1: or just being at the right place at the right time. 171 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: We're just creating some type of footsteps to get to 172 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:01,439 Speaker 1: the next place. And it's always been like that. It's 173 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 1: it's like that even now, which I prefer it that 174 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,199 Speaker 1: way because you know, sometimes when you start putting people 175 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: in the middle and this and that, things get lost 176 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 1: in translation. And sometimes it could work or it may 177 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 1: not work. But I never wanted to take those chances, 178 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,439 Speaker 1: and and I've always wanted to deal with the artists 179 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: directly versus But how do you do that? You before 180 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: we talked, you talked about giving some gems on how 181 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 1: people survived during COVID and how they grind and hustle. 182 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: So you want to share some get like how I 183 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: hear what you're saying, Like, oh, I want to deal 184 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:35,079 Speaker 1: with the artists regular but most people can't deal with 185 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: the artists directly. How did you get from starting in 186 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: the game to dealing with some of the most you know, 187 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: iconic artists through various generations? You know when I told you, 188 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, you worked with some some heavy hitus. 189 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: How did you do that? Like? How did you grind? 190 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: You want to get the people the gems or you 191 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: want to hold it back or like like give the 192 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:56,959 Speaker 1: gems on how you were able to do that? And 193 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: did those relationship? How did they How did you show 194 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:01,959 Speaker 1: your value do your words to these folks? How did 195 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 1: you get in and how did you stay in? You know, 196 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: especially during COVID when there were ways that you had 197 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: to figure out the ground. Were you not doing music 198 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: during COVID? What were you doing during that time? So 199 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: I'll start from the beginning, so uh fresh in the game. Um, 200 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 1: it was always hard to get to the major artists 201 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: because again you had to go do a label or 202 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: some type of representation to even get to the artist. Right. 203 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: So with me me knowing that, um, just by soaking 204 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:31,839 Speaker 1: up the game from all the people that I've always 205 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:35,319 Speaker 1: been around, UM, I said, well, let me just find 206 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: an artist that I believe in and they understand my sound. 207 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,200 Speaker 1: Because again, even when I was trying to work with 208 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: other mainstream acts in the beginning, they didn't understand my 209 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,439 Speaker 1: sound or they didn't understand you know, if I told them, hey, 210 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: this track is I think would be hot for you, 211 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: let's let's do something different, but blah blah, I didn't 212 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: really understand that, and the label didn't understand that. So 213 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: what I did was I took initiative of finding an 214 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: artist that did understand where I brought to the table, 215 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 1: and we created something uh fresh and something new that 216 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: you know, eventually, if that sound would work or took off, 217 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: then you know, the industry is all about you know, 218 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: what's in at the time, so of course they would 219 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: want a role with that. So that was the initiative thing. 220 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: The second part about that was publishing. Now, publishing is 221 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 1: a whole different ball game. So I remember at the time, 222 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: this is when Twitter first came out, and I used 223 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: Twitter as I guess you would call it a promotional tool, 224 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 1: but also a networking tool. So I was big on 225 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: networking and building the relationships. So what I do was 226 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 1: I met u an artist by the name of Young Bird, 227 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: and at the time he was he was just early 228 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: on Twitter as well, and he was doing a mixtape 229 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,959 Speaker 1: series called Twitter Music and really just reaching out to 230 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: different artists and you know, telling them, hey, you know, 231 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: I'm such and such I produced a songwright you know, 232 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: I would love to work with you. And it was 233 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 1: really that, Um, he gave me an opportunity to be 234 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: on his mixtape. I produced a song for him on 235 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: that on this specific project, and that was like the 236 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:20,199 Speaker 1: catalysts to climbing up the ladder to work with other artists. 237 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: But even still, when you're dealing with companies, right or conglomerates. 238 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:31,679 Speaker 1: It's never gonna be easy, uh with that, because there's 239 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: always stipulations of Okay, this person is signed to this person, 240 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,920 Speaker 1: they may not have um free reign to go work 241 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 1: with whoever they want to work it because of the 242 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 1: infrastructure that's already been put in front of them in 243 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: the sense of okay, they already have these producers at 244 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: the label was signed to them, They already have this 245 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 1: recording studio that they work at it and only the 246 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: only these people are accepted to go in there, and 247 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,959 Speaker 1: and and X, Y and Z. So with me, I'm 248 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: sure that I have my own studio. I made sure 249 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: that I have my own engineers. I made sure that 250 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: I had my own songwriters that have worked alongside me. 251 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: So whatever artists that I feel connects with me and 252 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 1: I feel like our sound compliments them, whether they're big 253 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: artists or not, I make sure that they come to 254 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: me directly and we'll present the product to the major 255 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: label and then go from that. So what do you 256 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: I guess, So what it sounds like is relationships is 257 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,439 Speaker 1: really what you know sustained you, you know over that 258 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: time and once people know who you are, you know, 259 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:35,719 Speaker 1: people do but I always say people do business with 260 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: who they know, and so being able to get in 261 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: that mix that sustained you through COVID. What is the 262 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,599 Speaker 1: next move that you're trying to because I know a 263 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:44,679 Speaker 1: lot of people are listening to saying, wow, what is 264 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: he doing on testment show? Because even though I will 265 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: interview folks from time and time in the entertainment space, 266 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 1: we normally kind of sent our conversations on politics. So 267 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: what are you looking at to take the game to 268 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: the next level? Do you see yourself during more than 269 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: producing or you know, more behind the camera, more on 270 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: the camera. You've done a lot, you know over your career. 271 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: What is your objective and where are you trying to 272 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 1: go now? Well, of course it's always about, you know, 273 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: expanding the brand as much as possible. But you know, 274 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 1: my biggest thing moving forward is focusing on ownership as well, 275 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:23,359 Speaker 1: because you know, a lot of creatives and also artists, musicians, etcetera, 276 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 1: we don't have a lot of ownership in our work 277 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: and and our artistry. So it's it's an uphill battle 278 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 1: it's always been. But you know, my biggest thing is 279 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: just making sure that we own what we do and 280 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: what we have and also creating that legacy and that 281 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 1: that generational wealth to pass it down from what we created, 282 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 1: which is why publishing is so important, because that is 283 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: what your ownership is, and if you sign that way 284 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: or etcetera, that's that's a whole different thing. Yeah, well, 285 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 1: how do you feel about that then? Because I know 286 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: earlier this week, I believe to our recent I don't 287 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: want to miss quote him, but he has said, you know, 288 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: he he's gonna be owning all his masters here soon. 289 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: I don't want to misquote him, just paraphrasing, But the 290 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: conversation was about ownership. And we've seen that a lot 291 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: now with people going back and asking for ownership or 292 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: things that they signed away in the very beginning. What 293 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: are your thoughts on that, on going back, because from 294 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 1: a legal standpoint, once you sign, you signed. But what 295 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: are your thoughts on people going back and saying, you 296 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 1: know what, I didn't really like that deal and I 297 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: felt I could have gotten a better deal. Do you 298 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: think that's fair or do you think it's enough information 299 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: out there now at this point that you really shouldn't 300 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 1: be signing bad deals. And if you do, it is 301 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: what it is. What's your thoughts on that. Yeah, I 302 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: think there's um a sector of information that's available for 303 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: anyone to make the right decisions. Um. I think those 304 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 1: that just signed anything just to get whatever. Um, it's 305 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 1: just at this point, it's just it's just dumb to do. 306 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: You know what I mean. UM, it's it's always good 307 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 1: to just have someone in your corner that you can 308 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: run things by. Uh. You know, of course, some type 309 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 1: of attorney or some some type of legal representation of 310 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 1: really help you read the business language and understand you know, 311 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 1: which you're looking at and what you're reading. You know, 312 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: that's that's the first party. But what about the old 313 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: school artists that are going back now and because even 314 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: if they understand, hey, I'm getting you, you're getting an 315 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: advance and I'm hoping I'm going to record X amount 316 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: of you know, records, uh, sell x amount of records 317 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: to get the advance. So even people that have the 318 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: best people in their corner and they believe in their product, 319 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: and they still get caught up in this. Well, I 320 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: think I often think that I think that's some people. 321 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: You know, let's just for a point of reference, you know, 322 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 1: the older artists and even the new artist I think 323 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: a lot of people just didn't understand what an advance 324 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 1: or some people maybe didn't didn't think that ship was 325 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: gonna be selling too. They played a huge factor because 326 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: but you know, you know, because in advance kind of 327 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: clearly it literally I mean, well advanced even in the 328 00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: world itself, it means advanced. So so but you know, 329 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: you you also got the people that think that they 330 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: don't have to pay that back or they don't they 331 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: don't feel that the labels gave gave them all this 332 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:13,760 Speaker 1: money and they're they're huge artists and album blah blah blah, 333 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: and that money it's just money that was just getting. 334 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 1: You know, that's real strange though in two thousand twenty one. 335 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: You know, I I would even say it's strange in 336 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: the nineties or two thousand if we're talking about and 337 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: I'm saying that because Attorney Crump is one of my 338 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 1: clients that I work with, and he's working on a 339 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:33,960 Speaker 1: lawsuit and you know, all of that with George Clinton 340 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 1: and Sony Music, and that made sense. You know, that 341 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: was in the sixties and seventies, so that made sense 342 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: where people didn't know and people were destituted, and you know, 343 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:49,359 Speaker 1: but when you started talking about the two thousand's and 344 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: last year and two years ago. Now, I mean it's 345 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 1: been enough information out there to know that if you're 346 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:59,880 Speaker 1: motivated by a car or jury or any of those things, 347 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: and I realizing, yeah, you kind of gotta pay it back. 348 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 1: And we don't know if your music is gonna be 349 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: what you say it is, but we're investing in that. 350 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 1: In addition to that, as you know, labels don't put 351 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,360 Speaker 1: the support behind you like that. And that's not even 352 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: just in music. That's in selling books, that's in podcast phase, radio, television. 353 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: A lot of your grind is on what you do, 354 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: which is why you're here, you know, grinding yourself, making 355 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: yourself available. What you don't see producers really doing, to 356 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: be honest with you, you usually see where you see 357 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:31,639 Speaker 1: him now doing it. But that brand has even changed 358 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 1: with producer. Remember when Puff first came out and it 359 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 1: was all in the videos and why is he all 360 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,119 Speaker 1: in the videos? But he even showed how producers can 361 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: be on camera as well. And then you see the 362 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: Djitkalin's and you know, who are changing the whole look 363 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 1: of a producer. Why is a producer even interviewed in 364 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: the first place, there was a time when that wasn't 365 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: That wasn't it. But what what it sounds like, James, 366 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 1: if you you have learned and that sounds like what 367 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,480 Speaker 1: you literally said that you have a brand in it, 368 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 1: have a brand just yourself and what goes with that 369 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:06,960 Speaker 1: brand is also marketing and promotion and social media and 370 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:09,920 Speaker 1: building a brand and all because all of that is 371 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 1: what brings you worthy, you know, to be paid X 372 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: y Z. What do you bring to the table? I'm 373 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 1: trying to sum up what it sounds like. You know 374 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 1: what you've been able to learn, what listeners can get 375 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:25,439 Speaker 1: from even if you are a producer, a writer behind 376 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 1: the scenes, what do you bring to the table? And 377 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 1: everybody has to show what they bring to the table. 378 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:32,400 Speaker 1: And because I have folks that listen to me politically, 379 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,120 Speaker 1: I want to put this gem in and then spin 380 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: it around the same thing when we talk about with voting, 381 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 1: what do you bring to the table. The candidate has 382 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: to bring something to the table. They have to deliver 383 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,400 Speaker 1: and if it's not being delivered, then you can't get 384 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: mad because nobody want to buy your record. That's the 385 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 1: bottom line. You can put as much in it as 386 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 1: you want to and say, oh, it's the best record, 387 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: the best whatever you've ever heard. But at the end 388 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:56,399 Speaker 1: of the day, people have to want to buy it, 389 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 1: they have to want to stream it, and in music, 390 00:19:58,320 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 1: they have to want to hear it over and over 391 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 1: and over. And what has happened in politics is we've 392 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: heard that same brecond broken record over and over. But 393 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 1: I'm really a metaphor genius, Ain't it just said the 394 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:23,679 Speaker 1: drip breaking? I got some good damn analogies. People are 395 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: tired of hearing that same record over and over and over. 396 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,959 Speaker 1: And one thing I love about music is it probably 397 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:32,400 Speaker 1: is the one thing that you know, I can hear 398 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: a song and listen to it over and over and 399 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 1: give me the same feeling he gave me the first 400 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: moment you know that I heard it. When you and 401 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:40,879 Speaker 1: I connected, I was like, oh, you worked with Men 402 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: in Large. I remember being young and having a crush 403 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: on somebody in middle school on a Men in Large record. 404 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 1: You know that, that's what it brought to me. I 405 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 1: remember driving, we would drive and hang out at the park, 406 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: and you didn't work on that particular record, but there 407 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: was something that went along, you know, with that group, 408 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 1: And so those types of connections. It's what music does, 409 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 1: and it's actually when I trained politicians. People don't know this, 410 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: but candidates are trained to kind of make that connection. 411 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 1: So it's very similar. And that's why I wanted to 412 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: draw those parallels so people can see when politicians are 413 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 1: out and talking to you and they're doing the meu 414 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:19,640 Speaker 1: us was this the format of a speech. They're making connections, 415 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: just like in in um in music. In a record, 416 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 1: they're making you remember something. They're making you remember old 417 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: Grandma that passed, that didn't have healthcare, or my cousin 418 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,359 Speaker 1: that went to jail they didn't Music does the same thing. 419 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: But the best part about it is James, that I 420 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: love doing is showing all of the pieces that go 421 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:40,680 Speaker 1: into making the record that we call politics. It's not 422 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,880 Speaker 1: just the artists, meaning, it's not just the politician. It's 423 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 1: the people behind the scenes, the communicators, the crisis managers, 424 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 1: the political directors, all of those things. And when people 425 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: tell me, oh, why don't you rump off of you 426 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 1: make a great candidate, I'm a better producer. I love 427 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:59,159 Speaker 1: putting together what it looks like. It's not that I 428 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: can be a politician, but I love, like you said, 429 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: when you look at the back of the record and 430 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 1: wanted to figure out who did what. When it comes 431 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,359 Speaker 1: to this space, I like figuring out who did what, 432 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: and I know where the power is, and the power 433 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 1: is in the ownership of those that put that politician together. 434 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,480 Speaker 1: Just like in the record business, who's owning what? Who 435 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,399 Speaker 1: does what in this production? And it's not always the 436 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 1: artist that gets the most money. They may get the 437 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: most fanfare, but they're not the ones that have the 438 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 1: most power or control. And that's the same thing in politics. 439 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: It's not the politician that has the power in control, 440 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: it's the people, and the people are on the back 441 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 1: of the record. Who go ahead, girl, I'm t I 442 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: am a beast come to discommunication. I mean, I'm just 443 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:44,920 Speaker 1: gonna go ahead and say, but no, I did. You 444 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 1: don't want to make that connection because those are the 445 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 1: type of metaphors and analogies that I try to connect 446 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:54,360 Speaker 1: every guest that I sit down with that can come 447 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 1: talk to me about something that has nothing to do 448 00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:58,639 Speaker 1: with politics, And I love being able to show that 449 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:00,440 Speaker 1: what you have to do at he has to do 450 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 1: with politics, and how we connect it, you know, randomly 451 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: or you know, reaching out on social media, people wouldn't 452 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: know why you're sitting here because I don't, you know, 453 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:13,119 Speaker 1: even though I quote them quote him a spoken word artist, 454 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 1: I can seeing, I can wrap. That's not my primary thing. 455 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: My primary thing is connections and really knowing where people 456 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:22,639 Speaker 1: are UM and and what is it they're trying to 457 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,399 Speaker 1: bring to the world. So you have done that as 458 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 1: a producer and knows that's an important role and there's 459 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,359 Speaker 1: production that we need when it comes to our people's business. 460 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: So I encourage you to keep talking about ownership because 461 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: ownership across the board, uh, you know, applies we have 462 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:39,879 Speaker 1: to own more. In fact, you can go pick an 463 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,160 Speaker 1: argument with glasses alone. I was listening to his live 464 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 1: yesterday and he was talking about ownership and he said 465 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 1: some things I disagree with um, but I think there's 466 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: some good conversation that needs to be had about that 467 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 1: UM on what ownership means, what it looks like, and 468 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: being away, being able to have the discipline to walk 469 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 1: away from things instead of just thinking. I was just 470 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: talking to my producer Marcy right before this started on 471 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: a contract opportunity that I had the Cable News, and 472 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 1: I walked away from it. I didn't accept it because 473 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 1: it wasn't for me. I didn't know that there would 474 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:18,040 Speaker 1: be another opportunity down the road. This other BNC who 475 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:21,359 Speaker 1: I'm with, they literally just popped out of nowhere. So 476 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:23,960 Speaker 1: there there's not a lot of options in the cable 477 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 1: news space. There's only three. So most people will say, well, 478 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: there's only three, Like imagine if there's only three record 479 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:31,400 Speaker 1: deal you know, record labels. Most people, if they get 480 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: an offer, they're gonna go with one of those. But 481 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 1: for me, it really was about aligning my brand, like 482 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 1: you mentioned, with the right organization, even if that organization 483 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: doesn't exist. And I think in the end, yeah, I 484 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:45,920 Speaker 1: think in the end, it's that type of consistency and 485 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 1: character that will carry you through COVID or any other 486 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: situation because your brand and your character has everything to do, 487 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:55,479 Speaker 1: you know, with how people deal with you and how 488 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 1: you survive. So if you want to give some closing thoughts, UM, 489 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,080 Speaker 1: I want to thank you for allow this is your interview. 490 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,359 Speaker 1: But I obviously went on a little soapbox. But I 491 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: want people to, you know, kind of make that connection. Um, 492 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: But I'll I'll leave you with the last work, you know, 493 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,680 Speaker 1: I just want people to leave with, you know, continue 494 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: to do what you want to do in life. You know, 495 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 1: it's not up to anyone else, anyone else's trajectory of 496 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:22,440 Speaker 1: what you should be doing or thinkings, etcetera. Uh, you know, 497 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: I lead by example with my heart, my soul and 498 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: what I want to portray within my art. You know 499 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:31,120 Speaker 1: what I mean, And that could be in different aspects. 500 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 1: But as long as it feels good to me and 501 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:35,960 Speaker 1: it's authentic to me, that's all that matters. And also 502 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 1: to you know, for new listeners and new potential fans. Uh. 503 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: Next year will be my debut album. So I'm really 504 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 1: really excited about that, just in the sense of, um, 505 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 1: it's it's a story that you know, I've been wanting 506 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 1: to tell for a while within this entire body of work, 507 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:58,159 Speaker 1: just in different aspects. Um, it's a concept project, but 508 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 1: it's really really detailing different things, uh, personally about me, 509 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 1: and I'm just excited to share that. Show still on 510 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: you want to look out, Well, this is your promote. 511 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:10,120 Speaker 1: You started early, planning season early, then that's that's why 512 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 1: you hear planning season early, which is always good. Doing 513 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:16,399 Speaker 1: your own media rounds in addition to whatever you know 514 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:18,920 Speaker 1: the label's doing, but really taking in upon yourself, and 515 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: so I want to leave you with the In fact, 516 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:22,880 Speaker 1: I literally just had the same thing too. It's great 517 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:26,639 Speaker 1: to be with our Heart and Black Effect and Charlottagne 518 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 1: will be a great friend of mine, great personal friend 519 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: of mine. I still have to take ownership in my own, 520 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: you know, making sure that people know me and my 521 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 1: brand and when I'm offering, and I have some plans 522 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: to next year in two so y, so we're gonna 523 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:42,399 Speaker 1: keep grinding. We're gonna keep getting it like only a 524 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 1: hustler and a grinder knows how to do. Thank you 525 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: so much, no other way, baby, Thanks so much for 526 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 1: joining us. James Worthy please look him up. Where can 527 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:54,919 Speaker 1: they find you? Yes, all social media at King James Berzy. Uh. 528 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: You can also go to my website James Wading Music 529 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 1: dot com and our YouTube dot com backslash James Radio 530 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:05,399 Speaker 1: Music too, and um yeah, just stay tuned to the journey. Alright, 531 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: we'll stay tuned to the journey. We will stay in 532 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 1: Thank you so much everybody for listening to another episode 533 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: of Straight Shot No Chaser with Tesla Figuo, Mr James 534 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:17,120 Speaker 1: Worthy piece. If you like what you heard on Straight 535 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: Shot No Chaser, please subscribe and drop a five star 536 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:22,119 Speaker 1: review and tell a friend. Straight Shot No Chaser is 537 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:24,639 Speaker 1: a production of The Black Effect Podcast Network and I 538 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 1: Heart Radio Tesla Figure and I'd like to thank our 539 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: producer editor mixer, the one and only Marcy Dpina, our 540 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:35,199 Speaker 1: mixed Master Dwayne Crawford, and our executive producer charlottage Na 541 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: Good For more podcast from I Heart Radio, visit the 542 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:41,400 Speaker 1: I heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get 543 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:42,159 Speaker 1: your podcasts.