WEBVTT - Ant Clemons 0:00:01.320 --> 0:00:04.760 Hello, everyone, Welcome the inside the studio on iHeart Radio. 0:00:05.000 --> 0:00:08.280 My name is Jordan Runtag, But enough about me. My 0:00:08.400 --> 0:00:11.560 guest today is one of hip hop's most incredible success stories. 0:00:11.800 --> 0:00:14.120 A few years ago, he quit his job at Red 0:00:14.160 --> 0:00:17.000 Lobster to chase his dreams in l A. For a while, 0:00:17.040 --> 0:00:19.440 he slept on a friend's couch. Within a year, he 0:00:19.520 --> 0:00:22.360 was on the mic with Kanye West recording the track 0:00:22.480 --> 0:00:25.119 all Mine for the Rap Legends two thousand and eighteen 0:00:25.160 --> 0:00:28.680 album Yeah. He immortalized the moment in his song June one, 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:31.680 which commemorates the date that his breakthrough track was released 0:00:31.800 --> 0:00:35.680 and his whole life changed. Since then, his career skyrocketed. 0:00:35.800 --> 0:00:39.360 He's worked with ty Dolla, sign Timberland, and Pharrell Williams, 0:00:39.600 --> 0:00:42.760 and written hits for Camilla Cabello and Tana Taylor. His 0:00:42.840 --> 0:00:45.560 first solo EP is called Happy to Be Here, which 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:48.400 gives some indication for the gratitude he exudes for all 0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:51.479 of his hard won success. In December, he released a 0:00:51.520 --> 0:00:55.520 collaboration with Justin Timberlake called Better Days. It's an uplifting 0:00:55.560 --> 0:00:59.560 anthem that they performed at President Biden's virtual inauguration bash. 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:02.680 On his latest song, story of my life, he tells 0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:05.959 his own epic tale. It's a song that definitely needs 0:01:05.959 --> 0:01:09.480 a big screen adaptation asap. I'm so happy to welcome 0:01:09.560 --> 0:01:11.720 Aunt Clemens. I was going to join. It's a pleasure 0:01:11.720 --> 0:01:13.680 to be here. I hate to be cliche, but I'm 0:01:13.680 --> 0:01:16.319 really am happy to be here for a bit. Oh yeah, 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:18.440 I believe me. I know that is if that is 0:01:18.480 --> 0:01:20.480 a theme with you. I mean, dude, you've had just 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:22.800 such an incredible year and so this is just the 0:01:22.800 --> 0:01:24.920 beginning of it. And you have just the most epic 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:27.360 backstory and you lay it all out in your new 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:29.880 songs Story in my Life. It's such a personal song. 0:01:30.000 --> 0:01:32.240 Can you tell me how that track came together? Oh? 0:01:32.240 --> 0:01:34.920 It actually came together from a challenge from one of 0:01:34.920 --> 0:01:37.760 my friends and the people I just care about their 0:01:37.880 --> 0:01:40.560 musical opinion. Justice from l v r N. I was 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:42.759 having a conversation with him and he said, Yo, bro, 0:01:42.840 --> 0:01:45.000 we love you. And anytime anybody says they love you, 0:01:45.040 --> 0:01:48.960 here comes to bring it on. I'm like telling me, 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:50.480 He's like, bro, we love you, we just don't know 0:01:50.520 --> 0:01:52.240 who you are. Like, what do you mean? He's like, 0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:54.800 happy to be here? Was cool? I loved all those songs, 0:01:54.800 --> 0:01:57.280 but I don't feel like I learned Aunt Clemmens was 0:01:57.560 --> 0:01:59.480 and I feel like if I didn't know you, like 0:01:59.600 --> 0:02:01.560 just being a fan of you out of nowhere and 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:03.640 was like, hey, who is this guy? I don't think 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:06.000 there was any song on that project that properly described 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:08.200 you the same way that I know you to be. 0:02:08.720 --> 0:02:11.200 I was like, okay, And I literally was on my 0:02:11.240 --> 0:02:14.079 way to a session with my brother Blake and Nick 0:02:14.160 --> 0:02:17.760 Mirror from Internet Money Amazing session. We were just chilling 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:19.440 and I was telling them I was actually heated. I 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:21.799 was like, just as just said, you don't know who 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:24.359 I am. I don't blame you. I don't know. I 0:02:24.680 --> 0:02:26.720 disagree with that too, by the way, but I feel 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:29.200 like I'm a son, I'm a king, and I'm a 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:34.560 best friend. And literally it started like from a place 0:02:34.600 --> 0:02:37.560 of just in my head, a fake competition, but it 0:02:37.600 --> 0:02:40.480 turned into the thing that I kind of wish every 0:02:40.600 --> 0:02:44.120 artist had. What's your your Calling Cards song? What if 0:02:44.160 --> 0:02:46.640 no one knew who you were? What's the record that 0:02:46.680 --> 0:02:49.000 describes you that you feel like, oh, yeah, this is 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:52.120 me and this will will be the thing that will 0:02:52.160 --> 0:02:54.200 introduce you to my world that I want to draw 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:56.519 you into. And I was just super excited to tell 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:59.120 my story just from where I was at two, where 0:02:59.160 --> 0:03:01.359 I was at presently, like in the third verse where 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:04.680 I'm talking about working with Kanye and doing the song 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:07.960 with Farrell on the last project, and like talking about 0:03:07.960 --> 0:03:10.720 the app based off the song Pharrell. It was so 0:03:10.800 --> 0:03:14.000 cool to really snapshot in real time like where my 0:03:14.040 --> 0:03:16.600 life loved. And the next day I played it for 0:03:16.639 --> 0:03:21.960 Justice like this is me. Oh man. He was like 0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:25.160 you listen, Like man, you listen on but he was like, now, 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:27.839 I really love this song, and I appreciate you being 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:31.400 open to the perspective, but yeah, you wouldn't be a 0:03:31.480 --> 0:03:34.160 person I care about. I didn't do that, you know. 0:03:34.440 --> 0:03:36.320 I mean, I love the video for the song because 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:38.240 it's it's something that I feel like must go down 0:03:38.280 --> 0:03:40.320 a lot in real life. I mean, people struggling, Your 0:03:40.360 --> 0:03:44.119 character struggles to balance his relationship with with dreams of 0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:46.040 of of making it in music. How much of that 0:03:46.120 --> 0:03:50.040 was was autobiographical for you? It was all autobiographical. It 0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:54.320 was so weird that it was in the timing of 0:03:54.360 --> 0:03:56.440 it was odd because it was like I was going 0:03:56.480 --> 0:03:59.240 through what I was acting in the video in real life. 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:01.360 It was such a cool process because I had the 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:05.760 amazing scenario who was a phenomenal singer and just missed 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:10.560 December last Playboy, Like she's the ship and she was 0:04:10.640 --> 0:04:13.320 like so beautiful, and I'm like, I gotta be mad 0:04:13.360 --> 0:04:18.520 at you. How I can't do this like stretch. I'm 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:21.400 just I'm not trying to imagine I'm upset with you. 0:04:21.720 --> 0:04:23.320 But it was it was so cool. She had me 0:04:23.360 --> 0:04:28.000 feeling super comfortable, super professional, and it was the coolest 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:32.400 experience ever. And like City James and Darren, like the 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:34.920 producers and the directors of the of the video, like 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:39.279 just their willingness to be open to transfer what the 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:41.520 song was to them and their interpretation of the song 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:45.560 to film. I loved their interpretation of the of the record. 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:47.880 Like when we got the treatment back, it was eerie 0:04:47.880 --> 0:04:51.480 because I was going through a relationship situation in real time, 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:56.039 so I was like, get out of my life. Yeah, 0:04:56.080 --> 0:04:57.880 it's it's it's a part of my biopic. I talked 0:04:57.880 --> 0:04:59.559 about that a lot, like I can't wait to actually 0:04:59.600 --> 0:05:02.400 have like a of biopics later in life, and this 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:05.120 is like kind of me acting in my biopic. It 0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:06.920 was it was, it was fun. It was really fun. 0:05:06.960 --> 0:05:09.200 I love the whole experience. I mean, speaking of autobiographical 0:05:09.240 --> 0:05:11.080 there's a new song on the on the one year 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:13.760 anniversary edition of Your Your First TP Happy to Be Here, 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:16.520 called June one, very big day for you. Tell me 0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:20.120 about the significance about that date. It was the culmination 0:05:20.360 --> 0:05:25.120 of hard work, impreseverance, like June one was the day 0:05:25.160 --> 0:05:28.080 that God said, you know, it's your time. Like for 0:05:28.120 --> 0:05:30.960 me it was I was in a bad deal and 0:05:31.360 --> 0:05:33.520 I had got released from that deal on May thirty 0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:36.719 one and found out that I was a part of 0:05:36.760 --> 0:05:39.279 Kanye West on mine song like that. My vocals were 0:05:39.320 --> 0:05:42.000 still on the record on June one at twelve o'clock 0:05:42.360 --> 0:05:46.400 and my life was changed forever. And it's I'm eternally 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:49.760 grateful one to God for allowing this to ever happen, 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:52.160 but just that Kanye West is the person that changed 0:05:52.200 --> 0:05:54.560 my life. Like I've been a Kanye family entire life, 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:57.719 and to think that one he knows who I am 0:05:57.920 --> 0:06:00.280 and we have a song together with Tyd dolisign out 0:06:00.360 --> 0:06:02.839 like it's it's it was like, oh, wow, dreams do 0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:05.359 come true. So that's kind of what the significance of 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:07.599 June first was for me. It was my reminder of yeah, 0:06:07.640 --> 0:06:09.760 all those nicely stuck on the floor, all the nose 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:12.719 that I got, I finally got to my yes. Like 0:06:12.760 --> 0:06:14.880 I tell everybody, look for you to look for the 0:06:14.920 --> 0:06:18.040 nose like gold searching for nose because like the closer 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:19.640 you get to your nose, you're the closer you'll get 0:06:19.680 --> 0:06:21.400 to your yes. That's for you. It sounds almost like 0:06:21.400 --> 0:06:24.719 a second birthday in a way. Yeah, it was the best. 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:27.400 What was life like on June second? How did that 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:30.360 experience just completely Like when that song hit with with 0:06:30.360 --> 0:06:33.040 with Kanye, how did that change your life? So on 0:06:33.160 --> 0:06:36.120 June sewod, I actually had I was scheduled to go 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:38.400 home because I just needed a break from l A. 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:41.000 So before the song ever came out, I had no 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:43.279 clue that it was coming out. I had just planned 0:06:43.279 --> 0:06:45.760 on going back to Jersey. So I flew home on 0:06:45.880 --> 0:06:48.159 June sewod, and I always tell my friends I feel 0:06:48.160 --> 0:06:50.480 like I never went home because on June one and 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:54.039 Clemens came home and it was like, oh wow, people 0:06:54.160 --> 0:06:56.240 perceived me as like the guy with the song with 0:06:56.320 --> 0:06:59.480 Kanye as opposed to Anthony Clemmens. Junr that you've known 0:06:59.520 --> 0:07:02.120 your whole life. It has been an interesting space, but 0:07:02.160 --> 0:07:05.240 it's it's so cool. It's been such a cool journey 0:07:05.279 --> 0:07:08.159 so far. One of my my favorite tracks on Happy 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:10.120 to Be Here. I think it's the opening track. Mama 0:07:10.160 --> 0:07:12.720 I made it total tear jerker for me. Tell me, 0:07:12.920 --> 0:07:16.360 tell me about that piggybacking off of off of June first. 0:07:16.440 --> 0:07:19.280 What does that song mean to you in a perfect world? 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:21.440 And I'm happy that we was able to put June first, 0:07:21.560 --> 0:07:23.840 like at the beginning of the project, those would be 0:07:23.880 --> 0:07:28.400 the same song and in my perfect world because Mama 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:33.320 made it was continuation of the the blessing that God 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:35.680 gave me on June first, and I was that was 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:38.960 me calling my mom and just saying, hey, like all 0:07:39.000 --> 0:07:41.640 those nights I was on the floor paid off, Like 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:45.960 all those things that you prayed for, It's happening right now. 0:07:46.120 --> 0:07:48.480 So Mama made it is one of my favorite songs. 0:07:48.640 --> 0:07:52.320 And I felt crazy selfish dropping it on my Mother's Day. Well, 0:07:52.400 --> 0:07:54.800 it's sweet, it's a gift to her, it's but it's 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:56.920 to her, but it's about me. It's like really noxious 0:07:56.920 --> 0:07:59.880 list because like I'm telling my story, but I'm telling 0:07:59.920 --> 0:08:04.640 her that it's cool. But it's also like because I'm cool, like, oh, 0:08:04.720 --> 0:08:15.760 it's such a cool way to look at Like, tell me, 0:08:15.800 --> 0:08:17.440 how did this journey begin for you? I mean it 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:19.280 sounds like music was always a part of your life. 0:08:19.280 --> 0:08:21.640 I mean back to your your households, growing up with 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:23.200 with your parents. Tell me a little bit. It sounds 0:08:23.240 --> 0:08:26.600 like you you were basically a young young Jackson five 0:08:26.800 --> 0:08:30.120 in your household, like we aspired to be like the Jackson's. 0:08:30.400 --> 0:08:33.200 I just literally was heartbroken every time I think about 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:37.560 the Jackson story because Michael was number five, and if 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:39.480 we based it off of the Jackson's, I would be 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:42.719 the Jackie like I'm the oldest, and I'm like, I 0:08:42.960 --> 0:08:45.280 want to be Jackie. I want to be Michael, like 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:49.679 I want to be a little one, but I'm just 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:52.199 the oldest the two little sisters. Music was always in 0:08:52.240 --> 0:08:54.199 our house. My dad was always singing and my mom 0:08:54.280 --> 0:08:56.600 was trying to sing, but she wasn't like the best, 0:08:56.600 --> 0:08:59.600 but we loved her because she's my mom, So we 0:08:59.720 --> 0:09:02.320 were always singing in the house, dancing. My mom could 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:04.800 dance stuff, so my dad not being able to dance 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:06.920 made it up for my mom being like the dancer, 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:09.320 which is and we all got the best of both 0:09:09.360 --> 0:09:12.000 worlds like I'm able to dance the same U. Amber 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:14.200 was like the dancer and actually was the little singer 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:17.240 than it switched, but it was it was a Cosby 0:09:17.280 --> 0:09:21.160 Show like environment. It was literally we dressed up the 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:23.680 same when we went out. We were that family that 0:09:23.840 --> 0:09:26.720 my parents drived for us to get compliments when we 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:29.560 were out at restaurants for being well behaved. Like that 0:09:29.679 --> 0:09:31.200 was the thing. You know, we can get ice cream 0:09:31.240 --> 0:09:32.640 if somebody comes up to us and said, you're all 0:09:32.640 --> 0:09:36.920 so well behaved. That's a powerful motivator ice cream. Yeah, 0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:39.880 you're just smiling at everybody, Please tell us. I mean 0:09:39.920 --> 0:09:42.000 you were also doing like I know as a kid, 0:09:42.040 --> 0:09:45.320 you were like basically Michael Jackson impersonator. Did you do 0:09:45.360 --> 0:09:47.760 talent shows and stuff? I did talent shows and I 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:51.160 would do birthday parties. Anybody that needed like a Michael 0:09:51.240 --> 0:09:54.160 Jackson the personator, I would show up. And I actually 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:57.760 remember vividly dancing in second grade. My my teacher set 0:09:57.760 --> 0:09:59.839 it up to the kids actually like Michael was in 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:03.480 the school and they cut the lights down and I 0:10:03.520 --> 0:10:06.199 was in second grade. They moved all the tables into 0:10:06.200 --> 0:10:08.400 like a circle and they played Billy Jean and I 0:10:08.800 --> 0:10:11.280 did dance Billy Jane in the middle classroom. I remember 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:13.880 being a little scared, but I never really get afraid 0:10:13.920 --> 0:10:16.600 when I'm dancing or thinking about Michael Jackson songs. And 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:18.880 it's been like that since I was a kid. May 0:10:18.880 --> 0:10:21.679 did you do like Motown era stuff? So I did 0:10:21.720 --> 0:10:24.520 Motown era stuff, but it was really like Motown twenty five, 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:27.920 like the the Moon, the Moonwalk, the Billy Gene like 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:30.040 it was. That was my favorite era of Mike, especially 0:10:30.080 --> 0:10:32.640 growing up. That is so coold. Who else were your 0:10:32.920 --> 0:10:36.400 your musical influences growing up? They were, It's very so. 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:39.559 It's some days with Stevie Wonder, some days it was 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:43.600 our Green from the Red Hat. It was obviously Marvin Gay, 0:10:43.960 --> 0:10:47.240 Kanye West, jay Z, Biggie Smallest fifty cent and Gene 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:50.760 Unit my diverse. We grew up listening in the radio 0:10:50.840 --> 0:10:54.680 Disney and Power ninety nine sm so it's I would 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:58.600 get the full spectrum of every Disney movie, every Disney 0:10:58.640 --> 0:11:02.920 song growing up. I love musicals, but then I also 0:11:02.960 --> 0:11:05.640 give you every rap record that was going on and 0:11:05.880 --> 0:11:07.600 every R and B song that was on the radio. 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:11.920 I grew up in a really cultured, really hip hop 0:11:11.960 --> 0:11:14.760 culture household that was cool. It wasn't a whole bunch 0:11:14.800 --> 0:11:16.400 of custom in the hip hop were listening to and 0:11:16.520 --> 0:11:19.360 so we got a little older, but definitely a hip 0:11:19.400 --> 0:11:21.640 hop culture. My parents were like the fun parents. When 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:23.760 did you go from being a fan of music to 0:11:23.760 --> 0:11:25.640 to making it yourself? When did you start? Did you 0:11:25.720 --> 0:11:27.440 learn that yet you could you could write it? Trying 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:30.439 to remember because realistically, I probably have always been making music. 0:11:30.520 --> 0:11:32.559 We were always singing and making up songs as kids. 0:11:33.200 --> 0:11:35.480 I can remember like one of my first songs when 0:11:35.480 --> 0:11:37.720 I was like the third grade, but I can't remember 0:11:37.720 --> 0:11:40.080 taking it seriously. In high school and my parents were 0:11:40.080 --> 0:11:42.000 going through a divorce, it was just an outlet I 0:11:42.200 --> 0:11:45.240 could use to, you know, tell my story and tell 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:47.360 talk about what was going on at the post, like 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:49.880 just holding it in or crying. And once I kind 0:11:49.920 --> 0:11:51.920 of got through that, it was like, Oh, I like 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:55.640 writing songs because I'm able to tell stories and put 0:11:55.679 --> 0:11:59.000 myself in the shoes of others. There's a really cool 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:02.120 quote you gave Reese where he said songwriting is literally 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:03.959 looking in the mirror every day, and I wanted to 0:12:04.000 --> 0:12:06.080 ask you more about that's somebody who can't write songs. 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:07.800 I that was really intriguing to me. I want to 0:12:07.840 --> 0:12:10.520 ask you more about that. So I believe that you're 0:12:10.559 --> 0:12:14.120 you're looking in the mirror every day like when you're songwriting, honestly, 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:17.320 because you're you're kind of just looking at the things 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:20.520 that are you, that make you you and trying to 0:12:20.600 --> 0:12:24.800 identify them with what people go through every single day. 0:12:24.960 --> 0:12:28.160 Like songwriting, I feel like it's selfless, but it's super 0:12:28.600 --> 0:12:31.439 selfish the way you have to go internally to pull 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:34.480 what someone else needs to get through what they're going 0:12:34.520 --> 0:12:37.600 through in that period of time. Sometimes songs are escapes, 0:12:37.960 --> 0:12:41.520 sometimes songs are guys to get you from one place 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:44.600 to the next. And with looking in the mirror at 0:12:44.640 --> 0:12:48.240 yourself and having that that level of vulnerability, you're able 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:51.280 to have a perspective of open heartedness. You're able to 0:12:51.280 --> 0:12:53.839 look at the world and not really see the world 0:12:53.920 --> 0:12:57.320 as people taking, but you know what you can contribute 0:12:57.320 --> 0:13:00.680 and what you can give to I least, I I 0:13:00.760 --> 0:13:03.240 like thinking about it that one. This is sort of 0:13:03.280 --> 0:13:05.200 a famous part of your backstory of how when you 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:08.319 moved to to l A, you stayed with friends, rent 0:13:08.400 --> 0:13:11.319 free in exchange for writing a song every day, and 0:13:11.400 --> 0:13:14.000 that just as somebody who can't write music. That just 0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:17.520 seems like absolutely craziness to me writing a song every day. 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:19.440 What is your process like for that when you just 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:22.320 sit down and write a song? So it evolved. So 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:24.559 I started writing. I think my first few songs, I 0:13:24.600 --> 0:13:27.760 would write them down in a notepad, and then I 0:13:27.800 --> 0:13:29.679 grew up looking at little Wayne and day Zy not 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:32.000 write anything down. I wouldn't be cool too, So I'll 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:36.080 try to go on the studio and memorize my bars 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:39.680 and my rapt before I would spend on practice freestyle 0:13:39.720 --> 0:13:41.880 and just so that I couldn't do it. I wasn't 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:44.200 really good at it when I first started, but you know, 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:50.480 with practice everything kind of evolves. And honestly, I'm cracking 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:52.440 up as I'm figuring about it because it's like my 0:13:52.520 --> 0:13:55.800 process now is very much this freestyle, the thing I 0:13:55.880 --> 0:13:59.960 had like a really really hard time with before. I 0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:02.040 kind of have an idea of a concept. I trying 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:04.640 to get the concept before going to the book. But 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:07.840 a lot of it is just removing myself and allowing 0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:10.320 just what the song is to be the song, so 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:15.240 not allowing my ego to prevent me from getting that 0:14:15.520 --> 0:14:19.560 message that someone actually needs across So I'm The process 0:14:19.600 --> 0:14:22.480 is it's kind of just freestyling until I get the 0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:24.680 thing that I that I like and piecing it together 0:14:24.880 --> 0:14:27.720 over time. It's it's sped up. So my process is 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:30.360 a lot faster than it's been in the past. But 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:32.600 you know, you do anything every day, it gets a 0:14:32.600 --> 0:14:35.480 lot better. First, a few songs every single day. At 0:14:35.520 --> 0:14:37.840 that point in my career, I had already been doing 0:14:37.840 --> 0:14:40.120 about five and six song to day anyway, So someone 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:42.120 telling me all you need is one song to day, 0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:45.880 I'm like, I have a million one song today. I'm 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:48.800 so ready for this and I can't do anything but 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:52.560 thanks at least Scott and Grey for opening their house 0:14:52.800 --> 0:14:55.640 to me, because they never had to do that. And 0:14:55.720 --> 0:14:57.680 I can't imagine where I would be without that, that 0:14:57.800 --> 0:15:00.560 one blessing, that one door open and allowed me to 0:15:00.560 --> 0:15:03.200 open up doors for them and for others. And I'm 0:15:03.200 --> 0:15:15.240 just super appreciative. Your hustle is unparalleled. I mean you 0:15:15.240 --> 0:15:17.360 you were working at Red Lobster, flying back and forth 0:15:17.360 --> 0:15:19.280 from New Jersey to l A for for a while. 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:22.160 Do you have any advice for people who are struggling 0:15:22.160 --> 0:15:25.200 to balance the day job with with making their dreams happen? 0:15:25.520 --> 0:15:27.960 My advice would be to keep going. And I hate 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:30.960 how appreciate that sounds. I've been given the same advice. 0:15:31.240 --> 0:15:35.000 I really hate how cli siate that sound. The hardest 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:38.480 game is to start something and stop something. So for me, 0:15:38.880 --> 0:15:41.240 with persistence, you'll get exactly where you want to get to. 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:43.040 So just keep going. You're not where you want to 0:15:43.080 --> 0:15:44.840 be what you're exactly where A guy has you for 0:15:44.840 --> 0:15:47.760 a reason. Great advice is it's cliche for a reason. 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:50.160 I mean that's it's true, it's truth. I love your 0:15:50.160 --> 0:15:52.080 ear optimism, I mean just talking to you now, and 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:54.320 it comes through in so much your music. And I 0:15:54.360 --> 0:15:57.360 love your track with Justin timber like better Days. How 0:15:57.360 --> 0:15:59.000 did how did that one come about? How did you 0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:01.960 two wink up? That was a page out of my 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:04.440 Wildest dreams, But that's how it happened. It was just 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:06.200 like you know what I wrote down in my Wildest 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:09.400 Dreams book, A song with Justice timber La that's actually 0:16:09.400 --> 0:16:12.080 been on my vision board every year since about two 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:13.880 Guys A nine. I wanted a song with Justin timber 0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:16.120 Lay and I told my team. I was like, hey, 0:16:16.160 --> 0:16:18.520 I want to work with Justin, and during quarantine he 0:16:18.560 --> 0:16:21.120 was just open to songwriters and I can't. I'm pretty 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:24.120 sure it was Jody from UNPG and I love her 0:16:24.160 --> 0:16:26.640 to death. She put the word in and told Justin 0:16:26.720 --> 0:16:27.920 you know, hey, you know if you should work with 0:16:27.960 --> 0:16:31.760 Aunt Clements and we got connected via zoom and our 0:16:31.840 --> 0:16:35.720 very first conversation it was during the shift in the 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:38.720 world where it was just the George Floyd incident had 0:16:38.760 --> 0:16:42.000 just happened. So although I was excited to meet Justin, 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:44.960 it was a weird time in the world. So we 0:16:45.040 --> 0:16:47.560 our conversation was what can we do to bring our 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:50.880 talents together to be a part of the change that 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:52.120 we want to be a part of that that we 0:16:52.120 --> 0:16:55.440 want to see. And from the first conversation, I went 0:16:55.680 --> 0:16:58.040 and I called my brother Bongo and was like, yo, 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:00.240 I just got the phone just timperlation. He is like, 0:17:01.280 --> 0:17:07.439 and I was like, I'm like, he's from Memphis. You 0:17:07.480 --> 0:17:10.920 know you love Sam Cook. Let's do our best to 0:17:10.960 --> 0:17:13.840 give him something that feels like where he's from but 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:18.240 can speak to today. Is gonna come? Vibe, Yeah, we 0:17:18.240 --> 0:17:20.639 we we we We tapped into the change is Gonna 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:22.840 come and like what's going on? Marvin Gay. It was 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:25.080 like we were trying to get the essence of what 0:17:25.240 --> 0:17:27.480 made those songs powerful is that they weren't afraid to 0:17:27.480 --> 0:17:32.000 speak about the time. They were actively pursuing and speaking 0:17:32.040 --> 0:17:33.919 to the life that they wanted to live as opposed 0:17:33.960 --> 0:17:36.680 to the oppression and what was going on around them 0:17:36.800 --> 0:17:40.000 that was keeping them glow. So I sent the first 0:17:40.000 --> 0:17:43.600 little idea, like a probably a course idea to Justin, 0:17:43.720 --> 0:17:46.080 like the first verse to the court, and he lost 0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:49.879 his mind. And from then every time we communicated, like 0:17:49.880 --> 0:17:51.440 when the world started open up a little bit, we 0:17:51.440 --> 0:17:54.240 started getting the physical session. We do one song too 0:17:54.320 --> 0:17:56.080 solid and then turn around and you know, we got 0:17:56.119 --> 0:17:59.240 finished better days. And as the election started coming up 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:03.679 and the how and saying the everything was in the world, 0:18:04.119 --> 0:18:07.679 it just showed us everything how how important it was 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:10.360 that we had to, you know, stop what we were 0:18:10.400 --> 0:18:13.880 doing to finish this thing for the world, as opposed 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:17.520 to like, you know, just staying in this place of entertainment. 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:19.560 We can get right back to that, but like, let's 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:23.199 just address was happening and be the change that somebody 0:18:23.280 --> 0:18:26.040 might need right now. So Justin tells me, he's like, 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:28.159 hey man, how what if we did better days for 0:18:28.200 --> 0:18:33.120 your product? And one thing leads to the next and 0:18:33.520 --> 0:18:36.800 I'm in a room looking at Justine to record his 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:40.480 Verse to Better Days, and I'm losing my mind. And 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:44.440 one day we're adding beatboxes and then he's a shakers 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:47.440 and I literally watched the song grow and evolve over time. 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:49.400 Now I feel like I'm still dreaming as I'm talking 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:51.240 to you right now, that this is actually a reality 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:53.439 that I have a song with Justine Temberlake. Like I 0:18:53.440 --> 0:18:55.480 grew up a huge Instinct band, And if I was 0:18:55.520 --> 0:18:57.639 home right now, I would be showing you my Insinct 0:18:57.640 --> 0:19:00.520 dolls that I have in my house. Does he like 0:19:00.600 --> 0:19:03.240 in the studio? I mean, it's just the creativity coming off. 0:19:03.240 --> 0:19:05.399 It must be just off the charts. He's one of 0:19:05.480 --> 0:19:08.960 the coolest people I've ever worked with, And it's really 0:19:09.000 --> 0:19:11.080 kind of scary because it's like an older version of 0:19:11.119 --> 0:19:13.159 myself when it comes to the energy, Like he's so 0:19:13.359 --> 0:19:16.760 open to anything, but this is me, this isn't me. 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:19.440 But let's still let's still go, Let's still try and 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:21.280 and and try to figure it out. We push each 0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:26.840 other and he's phenomenal to work with. I love. I 0:19:26.880 --> 0:19:29.280 gotta ask you about the inauguration. How was that a 0:19:29.440 --> 0:19:33.639