1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:10,120 Speaker 1: Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio, Ladies and gentlemen. 2 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 2: What's Up? 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: What's Up? 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 3: This is your host, Quest Love of Quest Love Supreme. 5 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 3: How y'all been doing? I hope y'all been doing fine. 6 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 3: So we're doing it a little bit different this year. 7 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 3: We're recording some special QLs episodes this season, and in 8 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 3: order for you guys to get more familiar with anyone 9 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 3: on this show who's not me, which is always a 10 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 3: good thing in my opinion, I decided that I wanted 11 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 3: each member of the Supreme team to get their own 12 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 3: rogue episode and interview and do sort of a one 13 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 3: on oneish. And we kicked it off, of course with 14 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 3: Sugar Steve with his dream interview, his epic two part 15 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 3: conversation with Elvis Costello, and they recorded at Electric Lady Studios. 16 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 3: One of the first in person QLs episodes, it's the 17 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 3: Pandemic back in March of twenty twenty. So this particular 18 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 3: go round, we are passing the microphone, if you will, 19 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 3: to our brother Fontigelo. 20 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 2: Fontigolo, what's up man? Yes, indeed, what's up man? Congratulations. 21 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 2: It's the first one since. 22 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 4: Right, it's the big whim everything that's right changed. 23 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 2: Yes, everything, the price is going up. Yesterday's price is 24 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 2: not today's price. I love it. 25 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 4: Yeah. 26 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 3: So similar to sugar, Steve Fonte's guest is a gentleman 27 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 3: that he has worked closely with, actually that I've actually 28 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 3: collaborated with as well. And this particular Quest Love Supreme 29 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 3: guest is none other than mister Eric Roberson. And he's 30 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 3: Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, producer and music industry og. And 31 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 3: I just want to welcome him. Please welcome him to 32 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 3: Quest Love Supreme. 33 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 5: What's up, Eric, honor to be on here, man, congratulations 34 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 5: as well, first chance to get to tell you that 35 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 5: I appreciate you'all having me on here. 36 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 3: I'm kind of hello jealous of your background right now. 37 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 2: His zoom, I think it's only second to Will Smith's zoom. 38 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 2: Yes you will Will zoom was like that ship looked 39 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 2: like hggd. 40 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, you look like you're in the Garden of Eden 41 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 3: right now. Like what does this represent? This particular background. 42 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 5: This, this background is part of just my basement and 43 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 5: what I've learned during the pandemic. Man, I wass doing 44 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 5: virtual shows. I teach class sitting here as well. I 45 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 5: got I got sound effects and all kind of you know, 46 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 5: all kind of stuff here. 47 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 4: Uh you know, I love it, you know, whatever we do. 48 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, before so before you got on, before you 49 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 2: came home with me, he was talking to us, and 50 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 2: he's gonna be the one to kind of help us 51 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 2: get roll called back because he got some tools, you know, 52 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 2: how to deal with it. 53 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 5: No latency, yes, yes, yeah, so there's several different things 54 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 5: that we can get fixed. But yeah, I told Laya, 55 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 5: let's let's talk and tim because when the first pandemic started, 56 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 5: the first thing I started doing, I made the album. 57 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 5: But the second thing I did was like how do 58 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 5: we do shows? And then I probably spent shouts with 59 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 5: my boy DJ Molski in La, probably about a month 60 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 5: or two months, standing up all night just trying to 61 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 5: all those things figure out. Latency, figure out like looping 62 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 5: things back, like playing things from a computer, hearing it 63 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 5: and then sending it back into the web. All that stuff. Man, 64 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 5: we crashed and burned on it. So yeah, let's let's talk. Afterwards, 65 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 5: I got. 66 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 3: Forget the interview. Let's talk now. Now I'm gonna leave 67 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 3: y'all to it again. Thank you very much for doing this, 68 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 3: And I hit it fante Yo. 69 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 2: All right, man, so listen though, Like I'm sitting here, 70 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: and as much as we work together, there are just 71 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 2: very I think crucial things in your life that me 72 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 2: and you have never talked about. That's creat Like when 73 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 2: we was on the phone the other day after the 74 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 2: Fred Hemmert interview and you were telling me about like 75 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 2: what commission it meant to you, and like how something 76 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 2: as simple as just seeing gospel singers on an album 77 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 2: cover with jeans on. Yeah, you know, for you know, 78 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 2: for even like me, that was nothing, you know what 79 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 2: I mean? But nah, man, yeah, talk about you know 80 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 2: how you got started, Like what was your first kind 81 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 2: of introduction into music. 82 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 5: My dad plays guitar and sings. My sister. I have 83 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 5: an older sister, my sister Alisha, lovely, and and you know, 84 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,160 Speaker 5: I think all my introduction really started from that just 85 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 5: being a little brother. Had to follow her around and 86 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 5: she was the one who actually had a band in 87 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 5: high school and then she did theater and was making 88 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 5: clothes and all kinds. So whatever she was doing. As 89 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 5: the little brother, I went to the piano lessons, I 90 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 5: went to dance recitals, I went into the theater classes, 91 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 5: went to her band rehearsals, and I think a lot 92 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 5: of it just rubbed off on me. Of course, were 93 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 5: singing at church on Sunday, we got choir two days 94 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 5: out the week or whatever you choir, mergency choir, whatever 95 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 5: we was, whatever were in and of course then of 96 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,599 Speaker 5: course you know we we boomed backing on the on 97 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 5: the cafeteria table with our friends, freestyle rhyming, dreaming of 98 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,479 Speaker 5: being utfo or whoever. So I mean, you know, I mean, 99 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 5: I'm from Jersey. It's just like a I was born 100 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 5: in New York, but I was raised in Rawway. Yeah, 101 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 5: And and I think just when it came time to 102 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 5: do music, like what do you do? Like you know, 103 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 5: it's like do you do guys with music? Do you 104 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 5: do house music? Do you do rap? Do you do 105 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 5: R and B? Do you know? 106 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 4: I was really struggling with that. 107 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,719 Speaker 5: But I will tell you that, you know several moments 108 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 5: that was really impactful for me. I remember when like 109 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 5: going through my dad's vinyl and realized that this was 110 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,119 Speaker 5: somebody's job, like somebody they do this for a living. 111 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 5: Like I remember taking Stevie Wonder record like so he 112 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 5: wrote this stuff and like he call he put this 113 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 5: together like okay, this is a job. I couldn't tell 114 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 5: how old I was, but I remember that being really impactful. Like, 115 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 5: I know, my dad goes to work. This person goes 116 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 5: to work and they do this right, you know. And 117 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 5: my dad would come home and pick the guitar. But 118 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 5: we had a guitar like in every room. 119 00:05:58,600 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 4: You know. 120 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 2: But your dad did he have personal did he have 121 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 2: like aspiration of being a professional musician or was it 122 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 2: just like a hobby, just something he did, just. 123 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 4: A hob just a relief. 124 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 5: Just really I think when my dad and my dad 125 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 5: was kind of late in joining the church. When he joined, 126 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,919 Speaker 5: he joined, you know, he became a powerhouse in that 127 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 5: in that church as a vocalist. My whole family was 128 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,919 Speaker 5: in the church before, mind you, my grandfather as a pastor. 129 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 5: My dad's brothers were pastors, my mom's brothers were all deacon. 130 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 5: So everyone had found church before my dad. My dad 131 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 5: was very reluctant when he found it. Boy, he founded, 132 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 5: you know. 133 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 4: And I remember telling me. 134 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 2: I think it isn't like some of your people. I 135 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 2: think it is your grandfathers. Like don't you have some 136 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 2: times in North Carolina? I think either your mom and 137 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:43,479 Speaker 2: dad to. 138 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 4: My mom and dad. 139 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 5: My mom and dad are both from uh from North Carolina. Yeah, 140 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 5: so a town called Greenville and a little town called 141 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 5: Stokes is where my family my family. 142 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 4: Greenville, North Carolina, and Stokes, North Carolina. You know. 143 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 5: So yeah, and everybody's still there for the most part. 144 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 5: I had, you know, some family on my mom's side 145 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 5: moved up north when when my parents relocated, came up 146 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 5: north and some of that, but for. 147 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 4: The most part, most of my family's in North Carolina. 148 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. 149 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 5: So when I first heard a commission we won, I 150 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 5: think my parents got a tape, a commission tape from 151 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 5: the family reunion, and I was ironing my clothes and 152 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 5: I put the tape and I was like, oh, I'll 153 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 5: just put this tape and listened to some music. I 154 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 5: didn't know what it was, right, I didn't even catch 155 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 5: the album cover yet, but I remember I was ironing 156 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 5: my clothes and I just looked down and my clothes 157 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 5: are wet, like there was drops of wetness on my 158 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 5: on my clothes, and I didn't realize that I had 159 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 5: started crying on my clothes. I'm probably like twelve eleven, twelve, 160 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 5: thirteen years old, and the music was like punching me 161 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 5: in the chest, like you literally punched me in the chest. 162 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 5: I remember this day like it was, Yes, said, I 163 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 5: remember I saying whatever that is, like point at the 164 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 5: point at the radio, like whatever that is. Want to 165 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 5: do that, Like I want to do whatever that is. 166 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 5: Because it was the most impactful moment. And from that 167 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 5: moment on, I was like, all right, learn everything I 168 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 5: can about commission, learned everything I can about who's this 169 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 5: for him? Guy, I'll learned everything I can about him. 170 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 5: And uh and then like I said, you know, up 171 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 5: to that point, just keeping really one hundred. You know, 172 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 5: a young kid growing up at church. You had an 173 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 5: excuse when you see I'm not even about the name church. 174 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 5: People that might not have came off so cool. They 175 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 5: sounded great, but they didn't come. 176 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 2: Off so who. They were always like three four years 177 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 2: behind what was going on. 178 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 5: Hey, you have to be in the church because you 179 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 5: kind of corny. You know, you can't, you can't be 180 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 5: in the clubs. Maybe that's why you that's why you 181 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 5: singing this, because clearly if you wasn't in his corn 182 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:45,319 Speaker 5: he maybe you be singing with guy and singing the 183 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:49,199 Speaker 5: comminisip came out, they had gumbies and jeans on they 184 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 5: look like they looked fly And I was like, why 185 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 5: they singing this? There must be something impactful to and 186 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 5: plus it already kind of blew me away and stuff 187 00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 5: like that, and it was, it was, It was a 188 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 5: really monument thing. But it really more strengthened my pen 189 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 5: game and made me say, like, really write something true 190 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 5: that could be penetrating to somebody. And I think that 191 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 5: was the first, like first time I got on that 192 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 5: course of doing that. 193 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 2: Man, I want to talk to you, or wanted you 194 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 2: to talk about your parents. You know what I'm saying. 195 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 2: I mean, you know me and you we been you know, 196 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 2: we go back. God let me shit, it's almost twenty 197 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 2: years at this point. You know what I'm saying. But 198 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 2: you know, man, your parents. You know, I just in 199 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 2: the time that we work together, and I will always 200 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:36,079 Speaker 2: see your parents always there like supporting you, helping you, 201 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, pulling up its shows your 202 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 2: dad and I don't even know if we ever talked 203 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:42,839 Speaker 2: about this. I know I've never talked about this public. 204 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 2: But the day that we shot the picture Perfect video, 205 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 2: when we shot the Picture Perfect video and in Brooklyn, 206 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:51,719 Speaker 2: I don't even know, if me and you ever talked 207 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 2: about this, this is one of the worst days of 208 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 2: my life. 209 00:09:58,160 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 4: We have not talked about this. 210 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 2: Wow, Okay, okay, bro listen. So that morning I flew 211 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,200 Speaker 2: into Philly and then because we were shooting in Brooklyn, 212 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 2: so I flew into Philly and your dad came and 213 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 2: picked me up from the airport. So this is like, 214 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 2: oh God, maybe we shot it on like a They 215 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 2: say we shot on like a Friday or something. I 216 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 2: don't know, but anyway, we shot it on a Friday. 217 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:25,560 Speaker 2: And literally I think that Tuesday that was when my 218 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 2: divorce started. That was when, like me and my you 219 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 2: know period, we separated. So the day of that picture 220 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:37,839 Speaker 2: perfect video shoot, I am a fucking wreck. 221 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: I do. 222 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 2: As as much as I had, as much as I 223 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 2: wanted to do it, and as you know, as much 224 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 2: as I love everybody involved. Man, that shit was a wreck. 225 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 2: But I was riding in the car with your dad. 226 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 2: Your dad came and picked me up from the airport 227 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,720 Speaker 2: and then he took us to Brooklyn where the shoot was, 228 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 2: and so we were sitting in the car, bro and 229 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 2: you know, and your dad is me Pops is Pops. 230 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 2: He was a going on young man, what's happening. Let's 231 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 2: talk about you know, he's just on and I just 232 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 2: broke down crying and he was just like yo, He's like, man, 233 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 2: you hight And I never forget this. I asked him myself. 234 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:14,719 Speaker 2: I said, I said, look, I just got to ask you. 235 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 2: I said, you know, have you ever you know, thought 236 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 2: of a time where can you ever remember ever thought 237 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 2: you know, in all your years of you know, being married, 238 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 2: he ever thought that like marriage maybe wasn't for you. 239 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 2: And he was like, he said, oh that's strong. He said, 240 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 2: that's tough right there. 241 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 4: Why do you go to a science bro? 242 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:41,719 Speaker 2: I never forget the ship loongs I lived. So I 243 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 2: was like, damn, He's like, oh that's tough right there. 244 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 2: And I never get He gave me some of the 245 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 2: most like timeless, just most perfect advice that has been 246 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 2: just like a guiding like you know for everything, you 247 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 2: know what I mean, just in my career and just 248 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:55,840 Speaker 2: you know, whenever I have to make tough decisions. And 249 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:58,680 Speaker 2: he just said, he said, well listen, man, he said, look, 250 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 2: no matter what you choose, no matter what decision you make, 251 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 2: it's going to be the right decision because it's your decision. 252 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 4: God Lee. 253 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:11,679 Speaker 5: No matter what decision you make, it's gonna be the 254 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 5: right decision because it's your decision, because it's your decision, 255 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 5: so much like that man bro. 256 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 2: So yeah, so that was so that was My life 257 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 2: was changed in like an hour and a half ride 258 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 2: with this guy. What impact did your parents have on 259 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 2: your You'll speak to the impact on you as. 260 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 4: A First of all, why why did you fly to Philly? 261 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 4: Why did you fly in Philly? We shot in New York. 262 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 2: I think I can't remember what it was. I think 263 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 2: we were because I think you're if I'm not mistaken, 264 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 2: I think your parents were bringing your clothes or something. 265 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 2: They had to drive up to Brooklyn anyway, so I 266 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 2: think it just made sense. It was like, all right, 267 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 2: just flying to Philly and not just ride up with pops. 268 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 2: I think that was the logic. 269 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 5: But you know, even before I even answer your question, 270 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 5: the interesting thing is, maybe the reason why you flew 271 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 5: into Philly is because you needed that time, had that conversation. 272 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 4: Reasons amazing how things work out. 273 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 5: But you know, it's, first of all, I've been very 274 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 5: fortunate to have the most amazing parents in the entire world, 275 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 5: just the most supportive, supportive, parents from day one to 276 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 5: just even today, you know what I mean, Like just 277 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 5: really And that answer is so funny. I always joke 278 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 5: to say that my dad has never given me a 279 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 5: straight answer ever in life, right. 280 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 4: My dad. 281 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 5: So when I walk to my dad, I'm like, you know, 282 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:34,360 Speaker 5: heartbroken out of what say, Dad? But did you ever 283 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:37,679 Speaker 5: go through whatever his answers are, usually that answer is 284 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 5: so him, whatever decision you make is going to be 285 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 5: the right decision because your decision right. So so, for example, 286 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 5: my dad's a junior and he was hell being on 287 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 5: making sure I wasn't the third reason why. He's like, yo, 288 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,479 Speaker 5: I need you to go your own path. And and 289 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 5: so Fiver said, like, Dad, you like this outfit? He'd 290 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,679 Speaker 5: be like do you like that outfit? He's like he 291 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 5: never just goes yeah, it's dope. Not It was my 292 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,960 Speaker 5: entire time of knowing my dad, not one time. Dad, 293 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 5: you like this hat? I love the hat? Keep rocking. 294 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 4: He'd be like, Dad, you like this hat? Are you 295 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:11,559 Speaker 4: wearing it? How does it fig you feel? You know? 296 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 4: Going the way that hat? 297 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 5: Right? It's like, what the But what I did notice 298 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 5: is that throughout my life when I go back and 299 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 5: like reflect back on the life. He would never give 300 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 5: me an answer, he'd never give me a direction, but 301 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 5: he was always like little nudge, Okay, he's a little 302 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 5: off clothes. No answer, but nudging back again. Like it 303 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 5: was just putting up, putting up guard rails, putting up 304 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 5: guardrails throughout my entire life, through all the failed record deals, 305 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 5: throughout you know, the tough times, trying to struggle going 306 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 5: back to college and whatever. And my mom was more 307 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 5: like the I remember when I had left school, you know, 308 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 5: I did the Warner Brother's thing and I went to 309 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 5: the Island Records and I was out of school for 310 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 5: like a year and a half. My mom was like, so, 311 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 5: what's up with the record deal? And I was like, 312 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 5: I think it kind of dried up. She like, you know, 313 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 5: you got your scholarship still, right, You need to go 314 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 5: to a building like listen. 315 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 4: So I went. 316 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 5: I went there the next time and they didn't like 317 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 5: offer the scholarship. They were like, I was like, my 318 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 5: I went back and it was like they were like 319 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 5: nobody was like bringing it back up. 320 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 4: She said, you need to go in there. 321 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 5: You need to sing, you need to sign sign autographs, 322 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 5: you need to hug every single person and you need 323 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 5: to do whatever you need to do. But when you 324 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 5: walk out of a building, that scholarship needs to be back. 325 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 5: And I was like, okay, cool, I walk back. 326 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 4: I love you. You know you give me a singature 327 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 4: bar miss for whatever. It's like. 328 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 2: Meet. 329 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 4: Yeah. 330 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 5: So she was she would be the one who was like, 331 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 5: you know, I'm gonna give you some direction, this is 332 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 5: what you need to do, you know whatever, whatever, And it. 333 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 4: Was the perfect. They're the perfect. I tell you that. 334 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:50,920 Speaker 5: The two most impactful moments in my childhood my mom 335 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 5: when I was I think a freshman of high school. 336 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 5: I remember her coming home and she had quit her 337 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 5: corporate America jobs she worked for AT and T and 338 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,120 Speaker 5: she was like, I can't do it no more or 339 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 5: I'm done so on, I'm just unfulfilled. I'm done with it. 340 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 5: I remember he wasn't talking to she were talking to 341 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 5: my dad and he was like, okay, all right cool. 342 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 5: And she equit her job to start a business in fashion. Wow, 343 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 5: And that was really important, like I own my own business. 344 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 5: My sister owns her own business now. And I think 345 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 5: it comes from that day to my mom exactly. But 346 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 5: then the other part was I think like the next 347 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 5: day my dad had this Lincoln mox seven white with 348 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 5: a blue rag top, sweet gorgeous car, and the next 349 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 5: day he put a full sale sign on it and 350 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 5: it's sold within hours, like somebody drove by and bought it, 351 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 5: like boom, And he went and bought this big, old, 352 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 5: old gray vand to drive my mom's clothes around. So 353 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 5: it was like the moment was an entrepreneurship and then 354 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 5: like support your partners. 355 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, true sacrifice and support. Yeah, that's right. 356 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 5: And I think, you know, I think I'm an example 357 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 5: of entrepreneurship. But at the same time, you know, I 358 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 5: if you anybody knows me, and my wife is like, 359 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 5: that's how we I'm driving, she holding the map, she 360 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 5: dropping holding the map, like all right. 361 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 4: This the turn, you know what I mean. 362 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 5: So I'm constantly trying to figure out what's the gray 363 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 5: van in my marriage, you know what I mean? 364 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 4: And doing that, and it's it's completely. 365 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,880 Speaker 5: Watching watching my parents, you know, give everything to them, 366 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 5: you know what I mean. 367 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 4: It's enormalcy, supportive. 368 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 5: What I'll tell you, my dad, you know, you know, 369 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 5: he know by pop everybody calls him pop, and most 370 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 5: of my friends unfortunately did brow up with dads. You know, 371 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 5: for whatever reason whatever, And my dad was not just 372 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 5: my dad. My dad was the dad to my community, 373 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 5: to all my up So it's like he earned it up. 374 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:44,159 Speaker 5: He earned that term pop, like to not just in 375 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 5: high school, not even just college, but then all the 376 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 5: bands that played from all the musicians that played for me, 377 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 5: all the times, all the cats he picked up from 378 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 5: the airport or dude might have been going through a 379 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:55,879 Speaker 5: hard time, you know, he's he's like, for real, if 380 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 5: anyone's ever earned that term pop, there's one thing to 381 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 5: be a dad, you know, and he's been a great 382 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:02,879 Speaker 5: dad to me, but he's been a pop. 383 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 4: To like the music community. 384 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 5: Like these stories I hear all the time because he's 385 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 5: taking time to invest in everybody. And what's crazy is 386 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,160 Speaker 5: they live ten minutes down the street from me. People 387 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 5: will go see them. They called they come to see 388 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 5: Pop and Mama come to see Pop, you know what 389 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 5: I mean. And I think that that speaks vious, you know, 390 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,120 Speaker 5: for how amazing they are. 391 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 2: I wanted to go back to one of the things 392 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,879 Speaker 2: that we that I noticed when we first started working together, 393 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 2: particularly when we would do videos together like we did 394 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:44,919 Speaker 2: Picture Perfect and then we did we are on the 395 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 2: move and you know stuff, you have a very much 396 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:52,639 Speaker 2: uh kind of like a a theater presence, you know 397 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,400 Speaker 2: what I'm saying. Like you the thing I noticed when 398 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,880 Speaker 2: we were work is in videos like you use your 399 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 2: whole body, like you use your hands, you use your 400 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:04,639 Speaker 2: leg like you do Like I was like, Okay, he's 401 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 2: like really a performer. And one of the first times 402 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:10,160 Speaker 2: we went, we did a show together and I remember 403 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 2: at the end of the show, I was just sitting 404 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:13,480 Speaker 2: on the side watch him. And at the end of 405 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 2: the show, you was like, you know, you're like, yo, 406 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 2: my name is Eric Roberson and it has been my 407 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 2: great honor to perform for you tonight. And that is 408 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 2: just something that that really resonated with me and and 409 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 2: I you know, I never forgot that because it's something 410 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 2: that I think a lot of artists don't really take 411 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 2: and understand the importance of giving a performance, you know 412 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,119 Speaker 2: what I'm saying, of using the stage as you know, 413 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 2: as your place to really perform and express yourself and 414 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 2: give the audience an experience. And I have to think 415 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 2: that a lot of that came from your experience in 416 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 2: Howard in the musical theater department, and I just wanted 417 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 2: to you know, touch on that. 418 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean because my sister I grew up doing theater, 419 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 5: really got heavy into it in like junior high in 420 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:01,119 Speaker 5: high school, and then I got a scholarship to Howard 421 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:03,639 Speaker 5: and going to my parents saying, hey, I want to 422 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 5: I want to if I could have majored in R 423 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 5: and B out of major in R and B. 424 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 4: You know what I'm saying. 425 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 5: If I could have majored in commission, I would have major, 426 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 5: but obviously that didn't exist, so there was a musical 427 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 5: theater major. I went and saw a performance of dream 428 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 5: Girls before five went to Howard. I was blown away 429 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 5: by like just the talent day. I was like, oh, 430 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 5: I gotta get it together. And I'll tell you it 431 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 5: was a blessing going. You know, first of all, I 432 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 5: was around just killers. The teachers were great, the students 433 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 5: were great. Just you saw the future of theater, the 434 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 5: future of acting, the future of everything in that in 435 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 5: that department. The third floor is the music department, the 436 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 5: first floor is the theater department. And I probably learned 437 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 5: more about music on the first floor in theater because 438 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 5: theater was talking about like character development and like you know, 439 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 5: if you say, but it's true. 440 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:54,119 Speaker 4: Well, what is true? 441 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 2: Mean? 442 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:56,680 Speaker 5: What's true to you? And we might talk ten minutes 443 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 5: about just the word true. So let's back it up. 444 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 5: What's the first time you ever heard true? Where were 445 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 5: you at the first time you ever heard that word? 446 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 5: I heard it when I was in kindergarten? Okay, was 447 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 5: it true then? And then you know it's like the 448 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 5: teachers would dissect it. Now say it again. Now you're like, 449 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 5: so is it true? If I can even say it 450 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:13,200 Speaker 5: tears falling out. I mean, it was like dissecting it. 451 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 5: Now you talk about like trying to write songs and 452 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 5: things like that, What if I bring this into that area? 453 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 5: What if I bring feed or into these It's all. 454 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 4: Us as singers and rappers, we're just characters. The songs 455 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 4: are just scripts. You know. The music is just the 456 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:30,920 Speaker 4: scene and read the stage is the scene. It's like, 457 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:31,159 Speaker 4: you know what. 458 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 5: So it's like, how can we bring this to another 459 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:37,880 Speaker 5: another level? And for me, whether it's in the studio, 460 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,160 Speaker 5: whether it's on stage, whatever, Yeah, it's like, how can 461 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,640 Speaker 5: we bring this this character? Not not just that if 462 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 5: I'm sad, the bass player needs to be sad. 463 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:49,200 Speaker 2: I can't. I can't he just pouring my life to 464 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 2: be telling the same story. 465 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, we all gotta be telling the same story, so 466 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,360 Speaker 5: the drummer can't be happy, like and I'm sitting here 467 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 5: like how could you let me Dad? 468 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:58,399 Speaker 4: Or vice versa. You know. 469 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 5: So I think I think a lot of my friends 470 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:06,200 Speaker 5: from Howard are surprised I didn't follow a career theater, 471 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 5: but when I also feel like I fulfill my my 472 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 5: theater needs in my music, in my writing and my performance. 473 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 2: As Welle, you know. 474 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 5: And I think the choice a lot of it came 475 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 5: for my desire to write, like sure in out of 476 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 5: auditioning and then rehearsing and probably not doing my own material, 477 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:26,719 Speaker 5: I'll be taking on other characters. With this one, I 478 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 5: was like I could write about you know, I could 479 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 5: really dive into it, and it worked. I think when 480 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 5: people listen even to my music, if not every most song, 481 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:39,680 Speaker 5: you're gonna find a song on every album where it's 482 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 5: like it's musical theater, you know what I mean? 483 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:44,160 Speaker 2: Now You Had You was a record I forgot which 484 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 2: album was on. It was called The Magician. I think 485 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 2: where you like when speaking from the aspect magic and 486 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 2: I was just like, man, I would never do a 487 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 2: song like that. I would be so scared to do 488 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 2: a record like that. I don't know, it's just I was. 489 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 2: I just thought it was just a really bread choice. 490 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:02,439 Speaker 2: But you always took those kind of choices where you 491 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:05,160 Speaker 2: would really like embody a character. I mean, it's one 492 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 2: thing to rap as that character, right, It's one thing 493 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 2: to be Secrick and like you know, you know the 494 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 2: cops shot to kid, you know, like to do all 495 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 2: the voices, but you don't really see that in in 496 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 2: R and B as singers. And I always thought that 497 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 2: was really admirable and just always admired you for taking 498 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:22,679 Speaker 2: those kind of choice, those kind of chances and your stuff. 499 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 5: I appreciate it. I appreciate it. But you know I 500 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 5: learned I learned a lot from your pen. You know, 501 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 5: if I and even say this, you know, the first 502 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 5: time I ever witnessed it a person writing a song 503 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 5: without writing it down was watching you when we did 504 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 5: be in love. And remember it, yes we did have 505 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 5: been in love. You were having a conversation with my dad. 506 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:45,439 Speaker 5: I was setting the music up and my dad was talking, 507 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 5: and you took my dad's conversation. Remember this day was yesterday, 508 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 5: the exact conversation, and you made it rhyme and you 509 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:54,920 Speaker 5: you were like the beat was ready and he was like, yeah, 510 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,880 Speaker 5: I'm ready, and then you just walked in and took 511 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 5: everything that y'all I were talking about and just rhymed 512 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 5: it down. It blew me away that somehow you processed 513 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,959 Speaker 5: all that in your head without putting on paper. 514 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 4: And it took me some time. 515 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 5: But you know, probably I haven't written a song down 516 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 5: probably for the last ten years, probably. 517 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 4: Like you know. So a lot of it is like 518 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 4: seeing what you did. 519 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 5: Of course hearing what Biggie's doing and hearing jay Z, 520 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:22,239 Speaker 5: but then seeing what you did, and then for me 521 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:26,359 Speaker 5: applying like theater background. For me, my first thing is like, 522 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 5: all right, who do I want to be in the song? 523 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:30,719 Speaker 5: What's the character? The more the more developed the character is, 524 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 5: then I just hit record because now I just gotta 525 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,440 Speaker 5: make a rhyme. The objective is all there, the character's 526 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 5: all there, and then and it just make a rhyme. 527 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,760 Speaker 5: But a lot of it was sparked from like watching 528 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 5: you do it. I was like that's I was like, yo, 529 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:48,239 Speaker 5: did this cat just literally first of all, not just 530 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 5: like did you wrote a song in your head? But 531 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 5: you wrote a song in your head while talking to somebody. 532 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,439 Speaker 2: That's I mean, yeah, I mean that was just that 533 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 2: was again just your pop man, like that was Pops. 534 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:00,399 Speaker 2: He just you know, would just come in and just 535 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,119 Speaker 2: drop these jewels and he just start talking and all right, 536 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 2: yong man, well tell me about let me talk to 537 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:06,360 Speaker 2: you about this, and he just be talking and I'm 538 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:08,480 Speaker 2: just soaking this shit in. I'm like, man, And so 539 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 2: I just went in and did it. And the crazy 540 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 2: stuff now is like kind of the roads are reverse 541 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 2: because you don't write down and I'm constantly like writing 542 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 2: prompts like in my phone. Like I think. I think 543 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 2: for me what change was the process because at that 544 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 2: time we did been in love. Man, that was shit. 545 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 2: That was damn old five six some of that. And 546 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:31,280 Speaker 2: so at that time, that's when we were recording at 547 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 2: the studio, and so that was just kind of my process. 548 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:35,479 Speaker 2: I would just turn a beat on, just crank it up, 549 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 2: and I would just walk around pace just kind of 550 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:40,360 Speaker 2: just you know, run it in my head, just kind 551 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:42,479 Speaker 2: of write the verse in my head with the music up. 552 00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:46,359 Speaker 2: But then around like oh nine, that was when and 553 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:48,239 Speaker 2: it's in the studio, it's in we're in some we're 554 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 2: in the studio. So you know, time is money. We 555 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,080 Speaker 2: just want to be efficient. So that was how we learned. 556 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:55,480 Speaker 2: Just in those early Little Brother records, it's like, all right, 557 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 2: get in, get out, you know what I'm saying. It 558 00:25:57,359 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 2: just had to be you had to be on it. 559 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 2: So around like oh nine, once we moved back to 560 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:03,959 Speaker 2: when I built my studio at the crib, you know, 561 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 2: I mean, my kids are here. I can't be just 562 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 2: cranking to three in the morning, you know what I mean. 563 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 2: So my process changed, and so that was when I 564 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,880 Speaker 2: kind of had to go back to just like actually 565 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 2: writing either on paper or you know, sometime my phone 566 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 2: or whatever, but just going there. And so from the 567 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 2: time when we were working at first, it just my 568 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 2: whole thing was just like one take. I gotta get 569 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 2: it down. It's just one take, one take, Jake, just 570 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 2: is what it's got to be. But once I got 571 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:32,159 Speaker 2: home and uh talking to another co collaborative, our was 572 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:36,719 Speaker 2: fall Manch talking to him, and he had a completely 573 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:39,840 Speaker 2: different approach, and he would say, he said, Man, when 574 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:42,880 Speaker 2: I go to the booth, I treat it like I'm 575 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,639 Speaker 2: a director, you know what I'm saying. He said, So 576 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 2: I look at my verse like Okay, I'll do a take, 577 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 2: but it's like, hmm, the and in that verse, I 578 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:55,359 Speaker 2: may want to stick that better cause that'll lend and 579 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 2: I'll just go in and get just the and you 580 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 2: know what I mean, Like he is surgical with this ship. 581 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying. And hearing that approach, I 582 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 2: was like, oh my god, you know what I mean. 583 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,479 Speaker 2: And so that was kind of where I'm at with it. 584 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 2: Now it's much more a lot more kind of methodical. 585 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 5: First of all, you know, listen this can you already know? 586 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 5: You know what I'm sayings know, I think ahead, I 587 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 5: put my money on anybody. 588 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,640 Speaker 2: Come on, just god, come on, what were talking? 589 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:31,600 Speaker 4: You know, just such a you. 590 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:35,360 Speaker 5: You always had such a unique approach and it's so interesting. 591 00:27:35,359 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 4: But like I said, the process changes. 592 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 5: I'm a I'm a fan of people's process is one 593 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:41,920 Speaker 5: of my favorite words in the time. You don't hear 594 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:45,359 Speaker 5: me saying several times even in this interview, but I 595 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 5: and people always ask me, like, who would you love 596 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:47,479 Speaker 5: to collaborate? 597 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 4: I said, I love. I just love to watch. 598 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:51,840 Speaker 5: I love just be in a room when Pharah Manch 599 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:54,159 Speaker 5: is working or when Eric ab i Do is work. 600 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 5: You know, when Fante's working, like just so I can 601 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 5: see the process of how somebody's putting something together. 602 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 4: It's amazing. And guess what, it always works differently for different. 603 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:06,640 Speaker 2: And it's always different. That's the thing. Everybody's thing is different, man, 604 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 2: And it's just yeah, I remember, like you know, when 605 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,359 Speaker 2: we were working and you know, and I would see 606 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:14,720 Speaker 2: just kind of you know, because you would I would 607 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 2: tune into the process like your your you know, your 608 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 2: your platform, and I was just again, it was just 609 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,199 Speaker 2: one of those things, you know, for for for people listening, 610 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:25,640 Speaker 2: you know, ero, he has a thing. Is it still 611 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 2: on Patreon? Is it still still Patreon? Yeah? I called 612 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:33,960 Speaker 2: the process where you know, he pretty much just netflixed himself, 613 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. But he was ahead of 614 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 2: Curve you I mean, you did this ship then ten 615 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 2: years ago. But you know, but he has a thing 616 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:44,719 Speaker 2: called the Process where you can just tune in and 617 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:48,480 Speaker 2: watch him create songs. And that is just again just 618 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 2: one of those things where I'm just like, dude, I 619 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 2: would never like, never, like, oh my god, like having 620 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 2: cameras in the studio while I'm like, bro, that is yo. 621 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:01,400 Speaker 2: I would rather you have a camera in the dressing 622 00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 2: room while I'm like trying on sweatmans or some ship 623 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 2: like camera in the studio while I'm creative, Are you 624 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 2: fucking kidding me? Like, I just, I just I can't 625 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:12,400 Speaker 2: do it, bro, I just it freaks me out. 626 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 5: I learned this quickly with you. Me and you have 627 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,200 Speaker 5: done a million songs. But when we decided to take 628 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 5: Ale album right when we did the Man album, it 629 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 5: was very obvious to me, Okay, I am one who 630 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 5: wants to go through it to figure it out. You're 631 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 5: one who wants to figure it out before you go 632 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 5: through it. It was to me exact we were so 633 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 5: exact opposite that we actually were the same in some 634 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 5: form of fashion, right, And it worked out, it complimented. 635 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 4: But it was like, you know, I'm definitely one who's like. 636 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 5: Put cameras on me, like I'll do it, like I'm 637 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 5: down to like just go against the wall. 638 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 4: Like whatever you like. 639 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 5: Nah, bro, we ain't throwing nothing against the wall, you know, 640 00:29:53,160 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 5: shot to the head, And I think, degree, you know how, 641 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 5: maybe I was there to pull you a bit off center. 642 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 4: That's absolutely. 643 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 5: I had a beautiful thing about the conversation about collaboration, 644 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 5: How amazing the collaboration it is. But it's like you 645 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 5: were able to pull me off center and I was 646 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 5: able to pull you off center, and that's where the 647 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:19,520 Speaker 5: magic of all that, you know, laid that right there. 648 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 5: But yet we had we definitely had two different type 649 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:27,200 Speaker 5: of theories when we came in to do that album. 650 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:29,200 Speaker 4: You know what I mean of just stopped. 651 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 5: Throwing stuff against the wall because this is not that's 652 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 5: not gonna work. He's not gonna understand like this, he's 653 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 5: not only we ain't just throw it some against the 654 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 5: wall like No, we planted out our shots and we're 655 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:40,400 Speaker 5: going with ten for ten. 656 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:41,440 Speaker 4: It's gonna be ten for ten. 657 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 2: Listen, man, listen. 658 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 4: Nah. 659 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 2: It was so informal because I just had never because 660 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 2: I had I was never that person that you know, 661 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 2: and I always admired you know that, and that was 662 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:54,040 Speaker 2: something working with you in a lot of ways, it 663 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 2: kind of reminded me of working with Pooh, you know 664 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:59,440 Speaker 2: what I'm saying, NLB, because Pooh was like that coming up, 665 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 2: like Poo who was the guy that who would just 666 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 2: record non stop. He would just go in and just 667 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,240 Speaker 2: bang bang rap gang and he was way more prolific 668 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 2: than I was. And you know, that was something that 669 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 2: I always admired, you know what I mean, because I 670 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:14,920 Speaker 2: just was never like that. It just always felt like 671 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 2: I was wasting people time. I'm like, yo, if I 672 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:18,320 Speaker 2: ain't really coming with no heat, like I'm gonna just 673 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 2: shut the fuck up because I ain't you know what 674 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 2: I mean, I ain't. I ain't trying to be. I 675 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:23,680 Speaker 2: had just experiment and like when I show up, I 676 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 2: wanted to be for real. And so we were working 677 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 2: on that album. First off, you know, for everybody listening 678 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 2: at home to this day, I have no idea how 679 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 2: we finished that record. Idea that was at the time 680 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 2: because I think you were were you about to have 681 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 2: your third son at that time or had he just 682 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 2: been born? 683 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 5: He had just been born, so so so me and 684 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:46,479 Speaker 5: I decided we're gonna make an album. And we had 685 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 5: been talking for about two years about planning to straight up, 686 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 5: you wait till you went on. 687 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:55,440 Speaker 4: Tour and you call. I remember a phone call. 688 00:31:55,920 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 5: You said, E I'm ready, let's start. Let's start it. 689 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 5: At that point, we weren't called to. 690 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 2: Have a title. 691 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,480 Speaker 5: Let start the album. And I said, oh, that's that's great. 692 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 5: I'm in the hospital. My wife had a baby, and 693 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 5: you was kind of like that's dope, but this is 694 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 5: the window, Like this is the window, like this. 695 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 4: Is I was like literally holding the child, like. 696 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 5: Okay, if this is the window, then let's go now, 697 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 5: mind you you know, to help out one thing. This 698 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 5: is my third child in you know, in probably six years. 699 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 5: So we we were having a child like ten at 700 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 5: little break sae like a three year break, and then 701 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:40,960 Speaker 5: we had another child. 702 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 4: Right, so. 703 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 5: I've been recording with kids in my hand, you know, 704 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:50,080 Speaker 5: like for the last seven years pretty much last five 705 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 5: years whatever. 706 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 4: So I was, you know, okay, all right, cool. 707 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:56,280 Speaker 5: But literally the next like two days later, we were 708 00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 5: we were cutting and I mean ninety percent of that 709 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:02,720 Speaker 5: record was cut literally with that kid like I hold him. 710 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 5: I said it in one of the songs. 711 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 2: Yeah. 712 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,840 Speaker 5: So we were like but then you were like, like 713 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 5: I said, you were in a different state. I feel 714 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:13,720 Speaker 5: like it was in a different state every time you 715 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 5: sent me something. We at no point we would ever, 716 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 5: we didn't see each other. What's crazy style, bro? Like 717 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,080 Speaker 5: it was straight up justly album cover. 718 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 4: Everything was just hilarious how it all came together. 719 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 5: But yet as locked in, we could not have been 720 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:33,040 Speaker 5: anymore locked in. And I think that's the that's the 721 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:35,840 Speaker 5: magic of it. You know, I think, which is which 722 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:37,720 Speaker 5: is really really special. When I go back and listen 723 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:41,360 Speaker 5: to songs, you know, they were they were amazing. I 724 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:44,000 Speaker 5: mean it was a blur because it was really crazy 725 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 5: little blur. 726 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, but that record, man, listen, I mean that record 727 00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 2: made me just a better musician all the way around, 728 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:53,719 Speaker 2: just you know, better singer songwriter, because it was just 729 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:55,480 Speaker 2: it was very much for me. It was just to 730 00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:58,280 Speaker 2: thing of just kind of iron sharpening iron. And you know, 731 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 2: I've just always just been a believer in you know, 732 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:05,320 Speaker 2: when you're collaborating with people that you respect, you know, 733 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:07,920 Speaker 2: you just always want to you want to be on 734 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:09,800 Speaker 2: your best behavior, so to speak. You know, you always 735 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:12,000 Speaker 2: want to make sure you show up as the best 736 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:14,120 Speaker 2: because you know, I knew like you just had a kid. 737 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 2: Twenty sixteen, that was when yeah, I lost my dad 738 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,640 Speaker 2: and my man. Yeah, the night we did I think 739 00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:26,520 Speaker 2: the night we did Atlanta. It was like shortly after that. 740 00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:29,840 Speaker 2: I can't remember it was. This was twenty it's twenty sixteen, 741 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:35,319 Speaker 2: but yeah, I lost like my my granddad died on 742 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:38,360 Speaker 2: like Tuesday, and then my dad died on like Sunday, 743 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:40,440 Speaker 2: and all of this shit was happening while We're in 744 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:41,879 Speaker 2: the middle of the record, you know what I'm saying. 745 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 2: And so I knew that you were showing up. I'm like, 746 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:45,920 Speaker 2: he just had a kid, Like I got through what 747 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 2: I'm going through, but man, fuck this, like I you know, 748 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:51,440 Speaker 2: I'm staying in this. We're gonna finish this, you know. 749 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:55,359 Speaker 2: And uh And I always admire just you know, your efficiency, 750 00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:58,600 Speaker 2: just because I knew working with you, I'm like, I 751 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:01,280 Speaker 2: know this will get done. I know to get done. 752 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:04,760 Speaker 2: And I just always, you know, wanted to just maintain 753 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 2: that trust. It's like, yo, if Erro sent me something 754 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:08,600 Speaker 2: he knows is I'm knocking it out and it's over with. 755 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:11,479 Speaker 4: Yeah, we we have. I mean, we've had a great 756 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:12,840 Speaker 4: relationship over music. 757 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:15,560 Speaker 5: It was it was it was time and we of 758 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:18,440 Speaker 5: course we showed up with We showed at the right time, 759 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:20,680 Speaker 5: but it was it was the craziest. 760 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:23,080 Speaker 4: Time that it was crazy to do an album. 761 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 5: But you know what, it was even funny though, like 762 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 5: the whole how we take Alero, we said that as 763 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:34,359 Speaker 5: a joke, as a joke, like that was the way 764 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:35,239 Speaker 5: we send it to each other. 765 00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:43,120 Speaker 4: I could have Lero and you said the verse and eventually. 766 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:47,720 Speaker 2: Like said, it's the album, like why you bullshit? 767 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:51,560 Speaker 5: And this might be she might be to that, you know, 768 00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:55,320 Speaker 5: so listen, man. But once again, that was the happy 769 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:59,480 Speaker 5: medium of like going through it to see if it works. 770 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:02,600 Speaker 5: We see it works before we go through, kind of 771 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 5: like you know, because at no point we was committed, 772 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:06,879 Speaker 5: were just having fun, but eventually was like. 773 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:09,279 Speaker 4: That took a lot of card job. 774 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:11,960 Speaker 2: Actually, yeah, a little bit. I'm not tired of it, 775 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 2: Like I keep saying it, you know what I mean, 776 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:16,719 Speaker 2: like this might be it so fun time I want 777 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,400 Speaker 2: to I want to ask you, man, so back to 778 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:23,920 Speaker 2: your your days at Howard and your first deal on 779 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 2: Warner Brothers. First off, you have no idea how excited 780 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:35,080 Speaker 2: I was to find out that you wrote the Moon, 781 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:38,440 Speaker 2: that the Moon was your song. I mean the Moon was. 782 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:40,440 Speaker 2: I mean, man, the Moon was one of those songs 783 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:44,239 Speaker 2: that I literally remember hearing it one time on the 784 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:46,840 Speaker 2: radio when I was probably like I don't know, twelve 785 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:48,919 Speaker 2: or thirteen or something, and I was like, oh my god, 786 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:50,880 Speaker 2: like who the fuck is this? This shit is amazing, 787 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 2: and never heard it again, and so then you know, 788 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:57,520 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, fifteen, have many years later, I'm like, oh, shit, 789 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 2: you know what I mean? How did you get that 790 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 2: that Warner Brothers deal? What was that process like of 791 00:37:03,239 --> 00:37:04,359 Speaker 2: signing with them? 792 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:09,000 Speaker 5: So my sophomore year, the group Shi who also was Howered. 793 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:14,759 Speaker 5: They had a big song. So they met adj right 794 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 5: and they sung the song for him two weeks A 795 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 5: week later, they were on the radio with him. 796 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:19,919 Speaker 4: Two weeks later Senior Hall. 797 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 5: Two weeks after that, they were millions of copies later. 798 00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:25,840 Speaker 5: You know, it just went, it just exploded, and it 799 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:27,680 Speaker 5: was crazy because all of us were singing and doing 800 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:29,840 Speaker 5: stuff on campus, but we were at that point, I 801 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:31,480 Speaker 5: was just trying to be the dopest on campus. I 802 00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:34,239 Speaker 5: didn't even think this could be something outside of this, 803 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:36,520 Speaker 5: And that was big. But the bigger part of it 804 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:39,080 Speaker 5: was also like, what, here's my demo, Like just when 805 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:42,920 Speaker 5: you get to LA just passed it to somebody. 806 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:45,720 Speaker 2: And these were songs that you were recorded previously before. 807 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:48,920 Speaker 5: They just like my demo at that time, my demo 808 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,680 Speaker 5: at that time, which was just I want to say, 809 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:55,799 Speaker 5: the moon was probably on it. No, no, that's not true. 810 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:58,680 Speaker 5: Let me think for a second. No, So all right, 811 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:04,800 Speaker 5: So Derek, who was a member of uh of Shah Carl, 812 00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:07,160 Speaker 5: I'm sorry, remember of Shot introduced me to his brother. 813 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,160 Speaker 5: His brother was in the group and he had some 814 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:13,040 Speaker 5: producers that were under Teddy Riley, and they sent me 815 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:15,759 Speaker 5: the track and that's what I wrote, wrote the Moon, 816 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:18,239 Speaker 5: and then of course the phones at that point. At 817 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:21,239 Speaker 5: that point, now I'm doing class and every weekend I'm 818 00:38:21,239 --> 00:38:25,040 Speaker 5: pretty much like flying out to uh take meetings and stuff. 819 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:29,040 Speaker 5: Medina met with Little Salas before he passed and uh, 820 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:31,680 Speaker 5: just running past label at the label at the label 821 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:32,840 Speaker 5: and what was a. 822 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:35,080 Speaker 2: Little Solace like? Man, he's this very time. You know, 823 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:37,160 Speaker 2: we don't really we get few people out here that 824 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:38,960 Speaker 2: I have worked with him. But what was he like? 825 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 2: He was the guy for everyone listening. Little Solace Junior 826 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,480 Speaker 2: was the he was guy over at m c A Records. 827 00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:47,360 Speaker 2: You know, he played the you know, big role you 828 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,920 Speaker 2: know new edition. Uh he formed Solace Records like Shante 829 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:54,120 Speaker 2: Moore more like he was he was kind of one 830 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 2: of the one of the old Jesus. What was he like? 831 00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:58,439 Speaker 5: I just had one meeting with him, but I remember 832 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:00,200 Speaker 5: he was shooting straight from the hip. But I her 833 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:03,080 Speaker 5: from him was he said, uh, and this was interesting 834 00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:06,560 Speaker 5: because when I look back, so he's like, uh, listen, 835 00:39:06,719 --> 00:39:07,880 Speaker 5: I just want to take a meeting with you. I 836 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:10,000 Speaker 5: think you already decided. You know, you're going through the 837 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:11,759 Speaker 5: Warner Brothers thing. But I just wanted to meet with you. 838 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:11,880 Speaker 2: Man. 839 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:13,479 Speaker 4: I like your music this and that and whatever whatever, 840 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:15,120 Speaker 4: and I was like I appreciate it, you know. 841 00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:18,680 Speaker 5: And I was kind of like why you like, why 842 00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:19,920 Speaker 5: do you think? I like, why am I here if 843 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:21,600 Speaker 5: you think I'm already going to Warner Brothers. At that point, 844 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:23,400 Speaker 5: I really was going to Warner Brothers. I was deciding. 845 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:24,680 Speaker 5: He's like, I wanted to meet what you kind of 846 00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:26,480 Speaker 5: talk with you? And before I left the room, he 847 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:29,840 Speaker 5: was like, so good man, hey man, the music's dope. Man, listen, 848 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:31,880 Speaker 5: if you want this you know something over here and 849 00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:33,560 Speaker 5: just let you know, man, I don't know why you're 850 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:35,040 Speaker 5: going to Warner Brothers because Benn ain't gonna be here 851 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:35,359 Speaker 5: for long. 852 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:37,839 Speaker 4: That's the last thing he said. As I walked out 853 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:41,000 Speaker 4: the door, like I was like, okay, all right now. 854 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:44,359 Speaker 5: I walked out the door like whatever, And sure enough 855 00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:46,960 Speaker 5: I signed the deal and Benny was out the door. 856 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:49,640 Speaker 5: Benn and Denny was like focus on Fresh Prince of 857 00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:52,520 Speaker 5: bel Air like after and I was like, well, he 858 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:54,680 Speaker 5: leave I'm leaving. But but I never thought of like 859 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:56,920 Speaker 5: I didn't even think. I just didn't even put and 860 00:39:56,960 --> 00:39:57,920 Speaker 5: two together, you know. 861 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:00,920 Speaker 2: And yeah, that's something that a lot of artists I 862 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:03,480 Speaker 2: even talked to like now just about how like you know, 863 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:06,480 Speaker 2: it's signing to a label. That's just one of kind 864 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:08,480 Speaker 2: of the pitfalls you can have where it's like you 865 00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 2: can have your guy or your girl, your person that's 866 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:14,799 Speaker 2: really riding for you that you might sign to or 867 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:18,920 Speaker 2: whatever they'll get you signed, but if they leave, you 868 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:21,080 Speaker 2: kind of lose your advocate, like you ain't got nobody 869 00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:23,520 Speaker 2: fighting for you, and you just are back and square one. 870 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:27,680 Speaker 5: What I will tell you was almost almost immediately I 871 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:30,839 Speaker 5: got signed to Island Records. And the interesting was when 872 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:32,960 Speaker 5: I went when I signed with Warner Brothers, I signed 873 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:35,000 Speaker 5: in LA and it was like stop. 874 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:37,200 Speaker 4: Today, everybody is that robertson day? Hey? Right? 875 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 5: And then when I went to when I showed up 876 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:41,680 Speaker 5: to Island, I took the train in New York. When 877 00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:43,680 Speaker 5: I got there, it was like just a lawyer in 878 00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:46,880 Speaker 5: the n or my boy Leois Clibborn shot out to Liotis. 879 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:48,840 Speaker 2: It was just the two of them. It's like a 880 00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:49,800 Speaker 2: lawyer Liotis. 881 00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:52,640 Speaker 5: I was like, where's the cake, and like where's the 882 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:55,359 Speaker 5: you know, it's a five straight business. They were like, 883 00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:58,839 Speaker 5: it's just it's quiet day. I was like, oh, okay, 884 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:02,239 Speaker 5: all right, signing ever, took pictures, whatever, and then I 885 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:04,600 Speaker 5: think I got back on the train. I might I 886 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:05,920 Speaker 5: stay to day in New York and then like the 887 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 5: next day I got home. But when I got back, 888 00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:11,759 Speaker 5: I remember my manager called me and going, yo, Hire 889 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:14,720 Speaker 5: Micks just got signed as President Ireland. 890 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:16,920 Speaker 4: And I knew immediately what that meant. 891 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:19,239 Speaker 5: It was like, so, why the hell do we just 892 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:21,640 Speaker 5: signed there, because he's gonna come and wipe every wipe 893 00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:23,560 Speaker 5: everybody out, and sure enough he did. 894 00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:24,000 Speaker 4: He came in. 895 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:26,920 Speaker 5: Was like Leota's lost his job. Then it was like 896 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:29,319 Speaker 5: contracts just and she just wiped the whole thing out. 897 00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:32,040 Speaker 5: And it's crazy because you know, initially you heard your ego, 898 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:33,399 Speaker 5: you know, because at first it was like yo, listen 899 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:33,799 Speaker 5: to the music. 900 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:34,960 Speaker 4: First he's like, I don't even care. No, I got 901 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:35,960 Speaker 4: my home, I got my whole team. 902 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:39,399 Speaker 5: I'm bringing he didn't jail and yeah, he's like, I'm 903 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:42,120 Speaker 5: bringing my whole thing in and and then later I 904 00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:44,240 Speaker 5: ended working with Hiring. It was it was fine because 905 00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:46,200 Speaker 5: when I worked, when I was at this point years later, 906 00:41:46,239 --> 00:41:48,280 Speaker 5: I'm like, let's get this money. Like I'm not even tripping, 907 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:51,239 Speaker 5: like you not even up, you knowing worried about that, 908 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:54,759 Speaker 5: Let's get this money. But but you understand that, Like 909 00:41:54,760 --> 00:41:57,279 Speaker 5: that's how it was. President come in, They're like, I 910 00:41:57,280 --> 00:41:59,960 Speaker 5: don't care what was here before. I'm bringing my guys. 911 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:02,120 Speaker 5: I do that, I'm bringing my people in and this 912 00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:04,000 Speaker 5: and that and that, and I had to learn that 913 00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:06,240 Speaker 5: was the biggest lesson for me, that like my music 914 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:08,800 Speaker 5: can't save me, Like you got to be on point. 915 00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:11,279 Speaker 5: You gotta be on point because like you can't sing 916 00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:13,279 Speaker 5: your way out of this. This cat didn't care what 917 00:42:13,280 --> 00:42:15,080 Speaker 5: the music sounded like. He was like, let's get out, 918 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:17,279 Speaker 5: like you out of here. So that's when I really 919 00:42:17,280 --> 00:42:21,520 Speaker 5: started learning. And another thing was really important too, So 920 00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:27,600 Speaker 5: Beni Madina's office had this wall of like CDs and 921 00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:31,680 Speaker 5: tapes and that's from ceiling to floor, the entire wall, 922 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:35,000 Speaker 5: like it's missions of just music period. 923 00:42:35,239 --> 00:42:36,040 Speaker 2: Was just music period. 924 00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,440 Speaker 5: And I've been in this office probably like ten times 925 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:42,000 Speaker 5: right just over the last two months or whatever it was, 926 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:46,080 Speaker 5: and there's like a whole row of prints. There's all 927 00:42:46,120 --> 00:42:48,640 Speaker 5: the other names I don't know, I mean just music, music, music. 928 00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:51,960 Speaker 5: And then when I got signed, I think they said, well, 929 00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:54,040 Speaker 5: what do you want to do next? You have had 930 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:56,000 Speaker 5: enough time to catch some food or whatever. I said, 931 00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:58,080 Speaker 5: I want you to change my flight and give me 932 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:00,560 Speaker 5: some headphones. I want to listen to this wall. It 933 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:01,719 Speaker 5: was the first time I felt like I had the 934 00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:03,680 Speaker 5: right to say that. And I stayed there that night 935 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:06,520 Speaker 5: just going through, like just pulling every CD, every tape, 936 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:09,040 Speaker 5: every day out and just listening that whole wall. And 937 00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:11,479 Speaker 5: it was the most amazing musical night in my life, 938 00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:14,120 Speaker 5: hearing Prince songs I never heard for and then like, well, 939 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:16,320 Speaker 5: who's this cat? Oh that's the new day we signed? 940 00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:17,560 Speaker 5: Is ALM supposed to come out whatever? 941 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:17,879 Speaker 4: Whatever? 942 00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:20,160 Speaker 5: And then you never hear that and his people are here, 943 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:22,960 Speaker 5: who could clearly be the next Prince, But it never 944 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,040 Speaker 5: saw the light of day. It was just like this 945 00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:29,719 Speaker 5: wall was crazy wow. But it never left me that 946 00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:33,000 Speaker 5: like what happened to all those people, Like what happened 947 00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:36,080 Speaker 5: all that music? Like you know, And I think one 948 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:38,319 Speaker 5: of the reasons why I kind of went like the 949 00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:41,279 Speaker 5: whole independent route was like I never wanted to be 950 00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:43,160 Speaker 5: one of the people on that wall, like it just 951 00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:44,960 Speaker 5: that that scared the hell out of me, Like, yo, 952 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:48,319 Speaker 5: this this is life changing music up here that's never 953 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:49,200 Speaker 5: going to be released. 954 00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:50,880 Speaker 4: It's never going to see a lot of day. 955 00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:53,000 Speaker 2: And the only reason I'm hearing it is because I'm 956 00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:54,320 Speaker 2: actually signed to these. 957 00:43:56,800 --> 00:43:59,440 Speaker 5: Right right, the only reason I ever heard it. And 958 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:01,840 Speaker 5: then you know, we we were writing songs and producer 959 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:04,120 Speaker 5: songs for people. We've we've done whole albums on people 960 00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:05,560 Speaker 5: and the albums never come out. 961 00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:06,960 Speaker 4: So you're like, you're. 962 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:11,080 Speaker 5: Like, you know, I remember like wanting to be an 963 00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:14,439 Speaker 5: artist but yet having a career as a songwriter and 964 00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:17,720 Speaker 5: seeing an artist get signed, see them flying in, getting 965 00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:20,640 Speaker 5: put into some glorious hotel and recording for a month, 966 00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 5: and you think, Okay, it could really pop for this person. 967 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:26,080 Speaker 5: And then whether it's the president, label, the A and 968 00:44:26,200 --> 00:44:29,319 Speaker 5: R department, marketing team, whatever, they're like nah, And then 969 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:32,200 Speaker 5: that person is back and it's just over doing hair 970 00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:35,600 Speaker 5: or structured with It's over. It's like, how wait a minute, 971 00:44:35,640 --> 00:44:38,200 Speaker 5: how is it that never set right with me? You know, 972 00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:42,399 Speaker 5: like how is it just over? So the Island Warner 973 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:44,440 Speaker 5: Brothers thing was really really tough after that, Like so 974 00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 5: I went back to school, and I was tough because 975 00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 5: you got to think out during the moontime. I was 976 00:44:49,239 --> 00:44:51,520 Speaker 5: in school, So I was in class while that song 977 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:53,360 Speaker 5: was playing on the radio and the video was playing. 978 00:44:53,600 --> 00:44:55,239 Speaker 5: And then I was like, well, I'm leaving to go 979 00:44:55,360 --> 00:44:58,040 Speaker 5: focus on the album and blow up show off the 980 00:44:58,080 --> 00:45:01,200 Speaker 5: next one, you know, And and then the deal started 981 00:45:01,239 --> 00:45:03,040 Speaker 5: falling apart, Like as soon as I left school, it 982 00:45:03,080 --> 00:45:06,520 Speaker 5: was like pooooo, Like life really hit and and I 983 00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:08,239 Speaker 5: had to like really, But so when I went back 984 00:45:08,280 --> 00:45:10,399 Speaker 5: on campus, it was like what you're doing back? 985 00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:14,040 Speaker 4: What is that? You know? And it was humbling. It 986 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:15,440 Speaker 4: was really really humbling. 987 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:17,719 Speaker 5: But my pen wouldn't be what it is today if 988 00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:20,080 Speaker 5: it wasn't for that time going back. I became a 989 00:45:20,120 --> 00:45:23,720 Speaker 5: better student every like the person you know now it's 990 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:26,960 Speaker 5: that person who show back up at that school like learning, 991 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:29,200 Speaker 5: like oh I need more, I need to know more. 992 00:45:34,160 --> 00:45:36,880 Speaker 2: When you when you were with Warner that was was 993 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:38,680 Speaker 2: that an album deal or was it just a single 994 00:45:38,719 --> 00:45:39,640 Speaker 2: deal for the moon? Like? 995 00:45:40,640 --> 00:45:41,759 Speaker 4: So it was it was. 996 00:45:41,760 --> 00:45:44,759 Speaker 5: A single deal. Uh, it was a single deal. And 997 00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:46,799 Speaker 5: before we could even go into the song was thirty 998 00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:50,080 Speaker 5: three on the charts. And then Benny left, so it 999 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:52,720 Speaker 5: was like wow, and I think we were moving towards. 1000 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:54,439 Speaker 5: It was moving towards like we're gonna do a whole 1001 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:56,600 Speaker 5: album deal. And then I did an album deal with 1002 00:45:56,600 --> 00:45:59,279 Speaker 5: with Ireland and then like I said that one, that 1003 00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:02,080 Speaker 5: one wiped out as fast as you possibly imagine. But 1004 00:46:02,520 --> 00:46:05,439 Speaker 5: I remember, like the song the Moon was doing great. 1005 00:46:05,480 --> 00:46:07,359 Speaker 5: It was doing great for me. It was growing, it 1006 00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:10,760 Speaker 5: was climbing, and then it was like, blessed move because 1007 00:46:11,160 --> 00:46:13,759 Speaker 5: it was it was a great song. Yeah, clearly was 1008 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:15,360 Speaker 5: about to have it here as bad, like you know, 1009 00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:18,960 Speaker 5: and and it was just a whole little president hop 1010 00:46:19,040 --> 00:46:21,520 Speaker 5: for for a nice man. It seemed like a year, 1011 00:46:21,719 --> 00:46:23,399 Speaker 5: you know what I mean, just trying to go from 1012 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:24,600 Speaker 5: one of one label to another. 1013 00:46:25,239 --> 00:46:28,279 Speaker 2: Man. Please tell the story as much as you want 1014 00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:33,120 Speaker 2: to tell. Please tell the story of doing your promotional 1015 00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:40,600 Speaker 2: tour with l de Barge all Varner Brothers. This is 1016 00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:43,360 Speaker 2: one of the greatest hour you told me this story. 1017 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:45,200 Speaker 2: I never get. We was at the Guy, We was 1018 00:46:45,239 --> 00:46:49,120 Speaker 2: at the damn Bob Evans somewhere in the middle of Jersey. 1019 00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:49,640 Speaker 4: I don't know where. 1020 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:52,080 Speaker 2: I remember we was at the Bob Evans like one 1021 00:46:52,080 --> 00:46:53,200 Speaker 2: morning show. 1022 00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:56,080 Speaker 5: So there's so many levels of it. There's so many 1023 00:46:56,160 --> 00:46:58,560 Speaker 5: levels of the story. But what I would tell you 1024 00:46:58,640 --> 00:47:01,880 Speaker 5: and just respectfully, I remember I remember one thing. I 1025 00:47:01,880 --> 00:47:06,120 Speaker 5: remember one thing the rep, the Warner Brother's rep said, 1026 00:47:06,760 --> 00:47:09,800 Speaker 5: if if Elle ever calls you even five o'clock in 1027 00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:12,440 Speaker 5: the morning once to play pool, go play pool with him. 1028 00:47:12,719 --> 00:47:14,239 Speaker 5: You know, He's like, go play pool. If he ever 1029 00:47:14,239 --> 00:47:16,040 Speaker 5: needs to talk, he needs to hang out, Like this 1030 00:47:16,080 --> 00:47:18,080 Speaker 5: is one of your main reasons for being on this tour, 1031 00:47:18,280 --> 00:47:22,120 Speaker 5: is like if he ever needs you, like follow through 1032 00:47:22,440 --> 00:47:24,839 Speaker 5: answer the call. And you know, we all know that 1033 00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:28,000 Speaker 5: El the bar just had some some substance issues whatever, 1034 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:29,640 Speaker 5: and this was doing his clean period, so I think 1035 00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:30,680 Speaker 5: that what he was talking about, it's like, you know, 1036 00:47:30,680 --> 00:47:32,480 Speaker 5: if you ever want to play pool, he needs to 1037 00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:33,400 Speaker 5: go out and play pool. 1038 00:47:33,480 --> 00:47:34,160 Speaker 4: Let me whatever. 1039 00:47:34,680 --> 00:47:39,800 Speaker 5: So you know, we became fast friends that in that time. 1040 00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:44,760 Speaker 5: And he was just so amazing man. Like every hotel 1041 00:47:44,800 --> 00:47:46,200 Speaker 5: we showed up, he went and set at a piano. 1042 00:47:46,280 --> 00:47:49,719 Speaker 5: He almost do a whole concert in that lobby, like 1043 00:47:49,840 --> 00:47:52,200 Speaker 5: just waiting for our rooms or just just he was 1044 00:47:52,239 --> 00:47:52,920 Speaker 5: sitting at a piano. 1045 00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:56,000 Speaker 4: Every time. He was just so musical. We would do 1046 00:47:56,040 --> 00:47:56,480 Speaker 4: a show. 1047 00:47:56,600 --> 00:47:58,240 Speaker 5: I mean we did a show I think in Connecticut 1048 00:47:58,280 --> 00:48:00,480 Speaker 5: and the sound system was just horrible. He's still on 1049 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:03,400 Speaker 5: the stage and he waited and the sound was just trash, 1050 00:48:03,680 --> 00:48:06,359 Speaker 5: and he waited let everybody crash and burn, and right 1051 00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:08,759 Speaker 5: before the open doors, he said, hey, brother, can I 1052 00:48:08,920 --> 00:48:12,080 Speaker 5: just come over there? He talked exactly what he said. 1053 00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:15,440 Speaker 5: He's saying, come over there and just just look at 1054 00:48:15,440 --> 00:48:18,280 Speaker 5: the mixing board if that's all right, And God was like, yeah, sure. 1055 00:48:18,920 --> 00:48:21,520 Speaker 5: In like probably ten minutes, he took the mic back 1056 00:48:21,560 --> 00:48:25,680 Speaker 5: there and he started turning knobs and he cleared all drama, 1057 00:48:25,800 --> 00:48:28,760 Speaker 5: like all clouds just clear. And the sound sounded enormously 1058 00:48:28,800 --> 00:48:32,080 Speaker 5: incredible that night. And that's just how he was. He 1059 00:48:32,160 --> 00:48:35,040 Speaker 5: was like he knew how to work everything. He was 1060 00:48:35,080 --> 00:48:37,960 Speaker 5: a concert professional. He had been through everything. We were 1061 00:48:38,040 --> 00:48:41,080 Speaker 5: driving one time and I told him said, Yo, man, 1062 00:48:41,080 --> 00:48:42,040 Speaker 5: I really like your album. 1063 00:48:42,080 --> 00:48:43,320 Speaker 4: The album is great. 1064 00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:47,440 Speaker 5: We were going they were taking a limit from Connecticut 1065 00:48:47,480 --> 00:48:49,320 Speaker 5: to Boston. I think it was something like that, driving it, 1066 00:48:49,880 --> 00:48:55,720 Speaker 5: and he says, man, I was this Alams a money album. 1067 00:48:56,680 --> 00:48:59,240 Speaker 2: I would never forget this out, the money out because 1068 00:48:59,239 --> 00:49:00,799 Speaker 2: you had told him, because you had told him it 1069 00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:02,440 Speaker 2: was a good He's like, Yo, this is a good album. 1070 00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:04,440 Speaker 5: He was like oh no, this a money This ain't 1071 00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:06,840 Speaker 5: a good album. This is a money album. He said, 1072 00:49:07,280 --> 00:49:09,040 Speaker 5: I'm doing my money album so I can get a 1073 00:49:09,120 --> 00:49:11,839 Speaker 5: chance to do a good album. And he was like, 1074 00:49:12,160 --> 00:49:15,040 Speaker 5: he's like Marvin Gay did money albums till he was 1075 00:49:15,040 --> 00:49:18,280 Speaker 5: able to do a good album. By Marley did money albums, 1076 00:49:18,640 --> 00:49:19,920 Speaker 5: He's able to do it. He just ran down the 1077 00:49:19,960 --> 00:49:22,239 Speaker 5: line and then he just said, so this right here, 1078 00:49:22,600 --> 00:49:24,960 Speaker 5: that's just a money album because I'm getting ready to 1079 00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:27,839 Speaker 5: do a good album. And he just went just wandered off, 1080 00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:30,360 Speaker 5: and I just love me figuring like I need to 1081 00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:33,000 Speaker 5: do my good album, a good album, right. 1082 00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:35,680 Speaker 4: You know. It's like every I mean, he just had. 1083 00:49:35,719 --> 00:49:37,600 Speaker 5: I could have made a T shirt off of everything, 1084 00:49:37,680 --> 00:49:41,080 Speaker 5: he said, you know what I mean. You know I 1085 00:49:41,080 --> 00:49:44,680 Speaker 5: remember we were at his birthday party and uh and. 1086 00:49:45,239 --> 00:49:47,400 Speaker 2: Was this the don't don't fall in love man? 1087 00:49:48,719 --> 00:49:50,960 Speaker 4: He saw he saw my eyes were glistening that night. 1088 00:49:51,360 --> 00:49:54,879 Speaker 4: He was like, he said, hey, man, don't fall in love. 1089 00:49:55,800 --> 00:49:59,799 Speaker 4: Just don't fall in love. I was like to like. 1090 00:50:02,120 --> 00:50:06,200 Speaker 2: The wisdom of LSD I make a whole album, or 1091 00:50:06,280 --> 00:50:08,359 Speaker 2: the wisdom of l But it was just it was 1092 00:50:08,760 --> 00:50:10,879 Speaker 2: to learn like a constant professional man. 1093 00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:15,840 Speaker 5: His showmanship on and off stage was just you know, 1094 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:17,880 Speaker 5: he was just tough and it you know. 1095 00:50:17,920 --> 00:50:18,920 Speaker 4: And also I was a person. 1096 00:50:18,920 --> 00:50:21,160 Speaker 5: It was probably the start of I was a person 1097 00:50:21,160 --> 00:50:23,520 Speaker 5: who always had vocal issues. I mean I got horse, 1098 00:50:23,680 --> 00:50:26,440 Speaker 5: I mean, mind you, I was like two songs in 1099 00:50:26,440 --> 00:50:29,280 Speaker 5: the show and then got the Way and those two songs, 1100 00:50:29,360 --> 00:50:31,879 Speaker 5: I was struggling to maintain up. I was getting horse 1101 00:50:31,960 --> 00:50:34,680 Speaker 5: and stuff like that. So to see somebody who sang 1102 00:50:34,960 --> 00:50:40,240 Speaker 5: all day on stage off stage, it really it really 1103 00:50:40,239 --> 00:50:42,880 Speaker 5: blew me away. And it was probably on the steps 1104 00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:44,680 Speaker 5: of like how do I get to that point? How 1105 00:50:44,680 --> 00:50:46,000 Speaker 5: do I get to a point where I can get 1106 00:50:46,160 --> 00:50:47,800 Speaker 5: more health like really healthier. 1107 00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:51,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, And that was the start of it. Like and 1108 00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:54,160 Speaker 4: I was. I was nineteen really so I was. It was. 1109 00:50:54,200 --> 00:50:56,600 Speaker 5: It was crazy, but it was a good learning lesson 1110 00:50:56,600 --> 00:50:58,279 Speaker 5: for me, Like, yo, this is this if you're gonna 1111 00:50:58,360 --> 00:50:58,919 Speaker 5: learn from a pro. 1112 00:51:00,040 --> 00:51:03,160 Speaker 4: The third from bag Other Bars was esoteric. 1113 00:51:03,480 --> 00:51:08,440 Speaker 2: Was that your first independently released well not inventy? Was 1114 00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:10,080 Speaker 2: that your first album period? Like that? 1115 00:51:10,200 --> 00:51:15,759 Speaker 5: Actually, yes, first album period. So uh, what's crazy is 1116 00:51:15,760 --> 00:51:21,520 Speaker 5: that I moved to Atlanta and I eventually eventually ran 1117 00:51:21,520 --> 00:51:23,640 Speaker 5: into ran into touch of jazz. So that was like 1118 00:51:23,760 --> 00:51:26,080 Speaker 5: life changing moment was like working at a Touch of Jazz, 1119 00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:28,280 Speaker 5: and then I moved back. I went back to Atlanta 1120 00:51:28,320 --> 00:51:30,640 Speaker 5: to just get my stuff because I for the moment 1121 00:51:30,640 --> 00:51:32,160 Speaker 5: I met Touch of Jazz, like the moment I went 1122 00:51:32,200 --> 00:51:33,080 Speaker 5: to Jazzy Y Studio. 1123 00:51:33,200 --> 00:51:35,959 Speaker 4: It's like I just never left around. 1124 00:51:36,040 --> 00:51:38,640 Speaker 2: Still one of my favorite like records, just I. 1125 00:51:38,640 --> 00:51:42,160 Speaker 4: Love Yeah, yeah, I mean you know, like I said, 1126 00:51:42,480 --> 00:51:43,120 Speaker 4: meet and Jeff. 1127 00:51:43,200 --> 00:51:45,640 Speaker 5: Meeting all those brothers at a Touch of Jazz was 1128 00:51:45,719 --> 00:51:48,839 Speaker 5: like that was graduate school for me. That was like 1129 00:51:48,960 --> 00:51:52,239 Speaker 5: the life changing moment for me. But when I went 1130 00:51:52,280 --> 00:51:54,680 Speaker 5: back to get my truck and like move out of 1131 00:51:54,680 --> 00:51:59,600 Speaker 5: my apartment, I had a session with Joe and Uncle Sam. 1132 00:51:59,719 --> 00:52:03,080 Speaker 2: I was working at noon one Teddy Bishop. 1133 00:52:03,120 --> 00:52:09,600 Speaker 5: Teddy, Bishop Teddy, Bishop, Jazzy Faye, Brian Michael Uh, Brian Cox, 1134 00:52:10,600 --> 00:52:15,000 Speaker 5: I mean just killers and it's down there, and I 1135 00:52:15,000 --> 00:52:17,759 Speaker 5: think Joe had a concert. So when he went, He's like, 1136 00:52:17,800 --> 00:52:19,520 Speaker 5: I'm gonna go to my concert and I'm gonna come 1137 00:52:19,520 --> 00:52:21,319 Speaker 5: back and finish the song. So I went to take 1138 00:52:21,320 --> 00:52:23,200 Speaker 5: a nap at a friend's house and left just but 1139 00:52:23,239 --> 00:52:25,120 Speaker 5: mind I'm leaving the next time, dropping back up to 1140 00:52:25,200 --> 00:52:29,080 Speaker 5: Jersey and someone broke into my truck and took just 1141 00:52:29,160 --> 00:52:31,080 Speaker 5: took the bag out the front seat, and that bag 1142 00:52:31,239 --> 00:52:34,719 Speaker 5: was every song I recorded up to that point. So 1143 00:52:34,760 --> 00:52:38,360 Speaker 5: it's like everything in high school, everything in college, everything 1144 00:52:38,360 --> 00:52:39,680 Speaker 5: at Warner Brothers, everything. 1145 00:52:39,440 --> 00:52:40,680 Speaker 4: In Island all gone. 1146 00:52:41,080 --> 00:52:44,600 Speaker 5: And in just a snap, like I come out to 1147 00:52:44,640 --> 00:52:47,040 Speaker 5: the car and it's just glass everywhere the truck or whatever. 1148 00:52:47,520 --> 00:52:50,560 Speaker 5: And uh and that was like that was really like, 1149 00:52:51,280 --> 00:52:53,520 Speaker 5: oh snap. So I mean it was like really starting 1150 00:52:53,560 --> 00:52:54,280 Speaker 5: over starting. 1151 00:52:54,480 --> 00:52:56,000 Speaker 2: I say, it's a full reset. 1152 00:52:55,920 --> 00:52:57,280 Speaker 4: Completely full reset. 1153 00:52:58,239 --> 00:53:00,919 Speaker 5: And then I went I was still working out of course, 1154 00:53:00,960 --> 00:53:03,200 Speaker 5: working on Touch of Jazz, and then I just started 1155 00:53:04,320 --> 00:53:05,560 Speaker 5: I started just working on Esoteric. 1156 00:53:05,640 --> 00:53:06,520 Speaker 4: And then it was like. 1157 00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:10,640 Speaker 5: I didn't have a deal, you know, And it was 1158 00:53:10,640 --> 00:53:12,800 Speaker 5: like at that point, I'm Eric Roberson, a songwriter. Like 1159 00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:14,640 Speaker 5: I'm proud of myself. Every room I walking out, I'm 1160 00:53:14,719 --> 00:53:15,720 Speaker 5: Eric Roberson, a songwriter. 1161 00:53:16,120 --> 00:53:18,640 Speaker 2: And did you had you signed your deal your songwriting 1162 00:53:18,680 --> 00:53:20,759 Speaker 2: deal with ian My at that time or was this 1163 00:53:21,120 --> 00:53:21,800 Speaker 2: prior today? 1164 00:53:21,920 --> 00:53:23,279 Speaker 4: I had my publishing deal. 1165 00:53:23,880 --> 00:53:26,319 Speaker 5: I had a publishing deal with ian My at the time, 1166 00:53:27,200 --> 00:53:29,200 Speaker 5: and things were working for me. I mean, as a songwriter, 1167 00:53:29,239 --> 00:53:30,839 Speaker 5: I couldn't have been happier, you know what I mean, 1168 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:33,759 Speaker 5: because at this point I talk about the music, Soul 1169 00:53:33,800 --> 00:53:37,040 Speaker 5: Child stuff, the VV and Green stuff, everything's working, but. 1170 00:53:37,040 --> 00:53:39,440 Speaker 4: I just wasn't satisfied. And I had it. I got it. 1171 00:53:39,480 --> 00:53:42,200 Speaker 5: I actually had a bad like a bad breakup, and 1172 00:53:42,239 --> 00:53:44,239 Speaker 5: that's what really sparked it. Like I was like, let 1173 00:53:44,320 --> 00:53:46,640 Speaker 5: me just start, just close the studio door and just 1174 00:53:46,680 --> 00:53:48,279 Speaker 5: start working. That was the only way I knew how 1175 00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:49,960 Speaker 5: to get back to neutral. 1176 00:53:50,080 --> 00:53:51,640 Speaker 4: Was like just right. So I was either writing in 1177 00:53:51,640 --> 00:53:53,080 Speaker 4: the journal, I was writing a song. 1178 00:53:53,120 --> 00:53:55,840 Speaker 5: It was like back and forth, and then the album 1179 00:53:55,880 --> 00:53:58,160 Speaker 5: was done, and it was I really was like I 1180 00:53:58,200 --> 00:54:00,719 Speaker 5: was just unwilling to sell these songs because they were 1181 00:54:00,760 --> 00:54:04,440 Speaker 5: like they were way too personal, way too much. 1182 00:54:04,280 --> 00:54:06,080 Speaker 4: And it was like I'm just gonna I'm just gonna 1183 00:54:06,080 --> 00:54:06,560 Speaker 4: put it out. 1184 00:54:07,239 --> 00:54:09,360 Speaker 5: And I remember, like really the homies like all laughing, 1185 00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:11,000 Speaker 5: like what you mean you're gonna put it out? 1186 00:54:11,040 --> 00:54:12,319 Speaker 4: You're gonna put it out. I was like, I think 1187 00:54:12,360 --> 00:54:13,480 Speaker 4: I'm just gonna put it out. 1188 00:54:13,600 --> 00:54:16,560 Speaker 5: Like you got a record now now, like we'll just 1189 00:54:16,680 --> 00:54:19,480 Speaker 5: figured it out, just put it out. And that was 1190 00:54:19,560 --> 00:54:24,440 Speaker 5: it just started. This is two thousand two or two thousand, 1191 00:54:24,560 --> 00:54:28,520 Speaker 5: two thousand and one, and and mind you by no 1192 00:54:28,640 --> 00:54:30,040 Speaker 5: means was out a first. But I know means I 1193 00:54:30,080 --> 00:54:33,120 Speaker 5: remember Dwelly had Rise, I knew of I knew of 1194 00:54:33,160 --> 00:54:35,920 Speaker 5: a lot of artists who were independent and in different 1195 00:54:35,960 --> 00:54:37,000 Speaker 5: states and everywhere. 1196 00:54:38,080 --> 00:54:40,319 Speaker 4: Shout out to fertile ground. Who was the first. 1197 00:54:40,120 --> 00:54:45,640 Speaker 5: Queso putting out music like independently putting out music and 1198 00:54:45,680 --> 00:54:46,440 Speaker 5: selling records? 1199 00:54:46,640 --> 00:54:47,959 Speaker 4: So I know means the first. 1200 00:54:48,480 --> 00:54:50,959 Speaker 5: If anything that was different from me and anyone else, 1201 00:54:51,239 --> 00:54:54,360 Speaker 5: I remember, like I remember Carl Thomas being an independent artist. 1202 00:54:55,640 --> 00:54:57,160 Speaker 4: I remember Kim. 1203 00:54:57,280 --> 00:55:02,040 Speaker 5: I remember Kim before before Motown signing John Legend before 1204 00:55:02,719 --> 00:55:04,680 Speaker 5: uh before he was John Stevens. 1205 00:55:05,239 --> 00:55:07,680 Speaker 2: Stevens had we had Kobe, he had had the Kobe haircut. 1206 00:55:08,239 --> 00:55:10,920 Speaker 4: Yes, yes, So I remember. 1207 00:55:11,080 --> 00:55:13,520 Speaker 5: The difference was like, you know, once you sold a 1208 00:55:13,520 --> 00:55:16,160 Speaker 5: certain amount of records independently, the labels come scoop you up. 1209 00:55:16,400 --> 00:55:18,279 Speaker 5: That's how that was a normal thing. And I was like, well, 1210 00:55:18,280 --> 00:55:20,160 Speaker 5: what happens if you if you don't sign with them? 1211 00:55:20,160 --> 00:55:22,080 Speaker 5: What happens if you started sell a certain amount and 1212 00:55:22,120 --> 00:55:24,080 Speaker 5: then just keep going. 1213 00:55:24,920 --> 00:55:26,000 Speaker 4: What will happen then? 1214 00:55:26,600 --> 00:55:28,719 Speaker 5: And I think that if anything is different, that's that's 1215 00:55:28,760 --> 00:55:30,480 Speaker 5: the part where we got to the We got to 1216 00:55:30,520 --> 00:55:33,800 Speaker 5: the point where we could have went to a deal 1217 00:55:34,000 --> 00:55:35,400 Speaker 5: and and and worked. 1218 00:55:35,239 --> 00:55:35,759 Speaker 4: Their stuff out. 1219 00:55:35,800 --> 00:55:37,720 Speaker 5: We had sold enough records, we had got enough attention, 1220 00:55:37,760 --> 00:55:39,440 Speaker 5: and then guess what, most of the labels, because of 1221 00:55:39,440 --> 00:55:43,280 Speaker 5: my songwriter stuff, knew who I was and for whatever reasons. 1222 00:55:43,560 --> 00:55:46,359 Speaker 5: If there was situations, which we did have, some they 1223 00:55:46,360 --> 00:55:49,040 Speaker 5: didn't work out. But for the most proble like, let's 1224 00:55:49,080 --> 00:55:51,040 Speaker 5: just push through, man, Let's push through and see what happens. 1225 00:55:51,040 --> 00:55:51,920 Speaker 4: And it worked out, man. 1226 00:55:51,960 --> 00:55:54,560 Speaker 5: I mean be honest with you. 1227 00:55:54,560 --> 00:55:56,160 Speaker 4: You sit here and there I had a master plan. 1228 00:55:56,280 --> 00:55:56,640 Speaker 2: I didn't. 1229 00:55:56,680 --> 00:55:57,480 Speaker 4: It just worked out. 1230 00:55:58,239 --> 00:56:02,480 Speaker 2: Really, And when you with your label Blue Soul, was 1231 00:56:02,680 --> 00:56:05,480 Speaker 2: that like how did you assemble? I guess the team? 1232 00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:07,319 Speaker 2: You know? Was it? You know you go to your 1233 00:56:07,360 --> 00:56:10,160 Speaker 2: parents and say, hey, I need some help. Is it 1234 00:56:10,239 --> 00:56:13,000 Speaker 2: just homies you worked with? Like? How did you work 1235 00:56:13,040 --> 00:56:15,239 Speaker 2: those steps of figuring out what you needed as an 1236 00:56:15,239 --> 00:56:16,040 Speaker 2: independent artist? 1237 00:56:16,480 --> 00:56:19,040 Speaker 4: The first part was the fans challenged me to take 1238 00:56:19,080 --> 00:56:19,720 Speaker 4: it more serious. 1239 00:56:19,760 --> 00:56:21,560 Speaker 5: They wanted more music, and it was like, okay, if 1240 00:56:21,560 --> 00:56:23,160 Speaker 5: we're gonna because I thought I was gonna put album 1241 00:56:23,160 --> 00:56:25,160 Speaker 5: out and then just go back to songwriting and producing 1242 00:56:25,239 --> 00:56:27,440 Speaker 5: for people, but they were like, we want more, we 1243 00:56:27,480 --> 00:56:29,279 Speaker 5: want more. It was like, okay, how do we work 1244 00:56:29,320 --> 00:56:32,120 Speaker 5: that out? The biggest difference. The first step was my 1245 00:56:32,200 --> 00:56:35,799 Speaker 5: dad retired, and I remember it. He came into the 1246 00:56:35,800 --> 00:56:38,600 Speaker 5: studio one time, and at that point I would do 1247 00:56:38,719 --> 00:56:41,319 Speaker 5: like I would record all night, and then I might 1248 00:56:41,560 --> 00:56:44,560 Speaker 5: go to the gym for like a couple of hours, 1249 00:56:44,600 --> 00:56:47,960 Speaker 5: and then I would from like twelve to four, we 1250 00:56:47,960 --> 00:56:50,760 Speaker 5: was just like packing CDs up and like just making 1251 00:56:50,840 --> 00:56:53,120 Speaker 5: printing packages. And I would spend that time at the 1252 00:56:53,200 --> 00:56:55,480 Speaker 5: post office. And then when I finished the post office, 1253 00:56:55,480 --> 00:56:58,160 Speaker 5: say five o'clock, it was back recording from five to 1254 00:56:58,640 --> 00:57:00,760 Speaker 5: four o'clock till I just couldn't stay up anymore. 1255 00:57:01,120 --> 00:57:01,920 Speaker 4: And I repeated. 1256 00:57:01,960 --> 00:57:03,600 Speaker 5: And my dad walked in one day when I was 1257 00:57:03,640 --> 00:57:05,799 Speaker 5: like preparing stuff, he says, what you're doing here? I 1258 00:57:05,840 --> 00:57:07,359 Speaker 5: was like, I got to ship all the stuff off, 1259 00:57:07,440 --> 00:57:11,279 Speaker 5: like ship the CDs off, and he's like, you need help. 1260 00:57:12,280 --> 00:57:13,520 Speaker 4: That's how I was like, like you need to help 1261 00:57:13,520 --> 00:57:13,799 Speaker 4: with that. 1262 00:57:14,080 --> 00:57:15,759 Speaker 5: And I was like, if you could take this as 1263 00:57:15,760 --> 00:57:17,640 Speaker 5: a post office that that would be a lot of help, 1264 00:57:18,200 --> 00:57:19,800 Speaker 5: and he was like, yeah, cool. So then I was 1265 00:57:19,840 --> 00:57:20,960 Speaker 5: at that point I was like, okay, I can just 1266 00:57:21,000 --> 00:57:24,240 Speaker 5: focus on music. And to be honest with you, you know 1267 00:57:24,360 --> 00:57:27,120 Speaker 5: Jarell who has been one of my best friends. 1268 00:57:27,240 --> 00:57:28,320 Speaker 4: He has managed me off. 1269 00:57:29,760 --> 00:57:32,960 Speaker 5: You know, he's been around, and I think Jarell kind 1270 00:57:32,960 --> 00:57:36,080 Speaker 5: of watched for a while and he was like, eventually 1271 00:57:36,080 --> 00:57:38,120 Speaker 5: stepped in, was like, how you need help, let's whatever. 1272 00:57:38,800 --> 00:57:41,600 Speaker 5: And then the rest of the truth he told. The 1273 00:57:41,640 --> 00:57:45,280 Speaker 5: rest of it was like fans. I think sweet Locks 1274 00:57:45,480 --> 00:57:48,640 Speaker 5: was around and she was around and was like, what 1275 00:57:48,680 --> 00:57:52,000 Speaker 5: do you do? I like, hey, join me, let's you know. 1276 00:57:52,040 --> 00:57:57,200 Speaker 5: It's like Select eventually joined on, Demo eventually joined on, 1277 00:57:57,600 --> 00:58:00,000 Speaker 5: and she eventually joined on. It was really, I mean 1278 00:58:00,040 --> 00:58:01,800 Speaker 5: and that mind you. I don't want to not evenly 1279 00:58:01,800 --> 00:58:02,480 Speaker 5: think that they were. 1280 00:58:02,360 --> 00:58:03,400 Speaker 4: Just like fancyeah. 1281 00:58:03,480 --> 00:58:05,560 Speaker 5: It was more like these are people who also had 1282 00:58:05,640 --> 00:58:09,120 Speaker 5: desires in the industry. They were around, and the more 1283 00:58:09,160 --> 00:58:11,680 Speaker 5: we talked, it was like, well, I'm trying to do this, 1284 00:58:11,720 --> 00:58:12,240 Speaker 5: what do you do? 1285 00:58:12,600 --> 00:58:16,080 Speaker 4: You know there's a mutual win here, there's a mutual win. 1286 00:58:16,360 --> 00:58:17,120 Speaker 4: There's a mutual win. 1287 00:58:17,240 --> 00:58:22,120 Speaker 5: Like even uh, Demo, I think he was he sung 1288 00:58:22,200 --> 00:58:24,520 Speaker 5: background for me on a show, like somebody linked me 1289 00:58:24,560 --> 00:58:26,240 Speaker 5: up and he sung background. At that point, it was 1290 00:58:26,240 --> 00:58:28,440 Speaker 5: a house band, show up whatever whatever, and then we 1291 00:58:28,480 --> 00:58:31,120 Speaker 5: started picking up a band and I think he camera said, 1292 00:58:31,200 --> 00:58:33,720 Speaker 5: if I show up to a show up to a show. 1293 00:58:35,160 --> 00:58:37,880 Speaker 5: Can I do the gig? I was like yeah, sure, okay. 1294 00:58:37,920 --> 00:58:39,920 Speaker 5: I was like, the next show in Toronto, candidate. He's like, 1295 00:58:39,920 --> 00:58:42,040 Speaker 5: all right, cool, he was in Toronto. The next show 1296 00:58:42,080 --> 00:58:44,000 Speaker 5: was in La. He was in La And the next 1297 00:58:44,000 --> 00:58:45,680 Speaker 5: show is in Atlanta. He was in Atlanta. So now 1298 00:58:45,680 --> 00:58:47,720 Speaker 5: I was like, how are you getting here? Like he's 1299 00:58:47,720 --> 00:58:50,200 Speaker 5: a well you guy then figured this out. So now 1300 00:58:50,240 --> 00:58:53,240 Speaker 5: I remember like, so can you get my band tickets 1301 00:58:53,280 --> 00:58:56,600 Speaker 5: like that? He's like, yeah, yeah, do that. And that's 1302 00:58:56,600 --> 00:58:58,800 Speaker 5: how he started booking. That's how he started. He started 1303 00:58:58,800 --> 00:59:01,920 Speaker 5: like he's been like the row manager, the background saior 1304 00:59:02,000 --> 00:59:05,640 Speaker 5: road manager ever since, you know. And I remember like 1305 00:59:05,720 --> 00:59:08,320 Speaker 5: Aunt shea who now is a powerhouse in the booking 1306 00:59:08,640 --> 00:59:12,240 Speaker 5: she's booking everybody shows. But I remember we were there's 1307 00:59:12,240 --> 00:59:15,720 Speaker 5: probably six seven years ago. She was already in the staff. 1308 00:59:15,800 --> 00:59:17,480 Speaker 5: She was rocking in the staff, But I need more 1309 00:59:17,520 --> 00:59:19,760 Speaker 5: help in the booking area. Can someone move over? She 1310 00:59:19,800 --> 00:59:22,640 Speaker 5: was like, I moved to booking. She probably already had 1311 00:59:22,680 --> 00:59:25,440 Speaker 5: some insight on it, but then she she moved over 1312 00:59:25,480 --> 00:59:27,360 Speaker 5: there and like just started rocking. 1313 00:59:27,480 --> 00:59:31,120 Speaker 4: So it was really just a community of people that were. 1314 00:59:31,000 --> 00:59:34,920 Speaker 5: Trying to grow, trying to be better, and I was 1315 00:59:35,000 --> 00:59:38,240 Speaker 5: fortunate they joined up with me to join it with 1316 00:59:38,280 --> 00:59:42,040 Speaker 5: my company. And it's great because now they have their 1317 00:59:42,040 --> 00:59:46,360 Speaker 5: own businesses and their families and their own successes, but 1318 00:59:46,400 --> 00:59:48,480 Speaker 5: yet can invest in Mind as well. 1319 00:59:48,600 --> 00:59:49,680 Speaker 4: So it's been great. 1320 00:59:49,920 --> 00:59:52,560 Speaker 5: The history, I mean, the history of just who's worked 1321 00:59:52,600 --> 00:59:54,760 Speaker 5: for me, who's played for me, is probably one of 1322 00:59:54,760 --> 00:59:56,880 Speaker 5: my proudest, proudest things. 1323 00:59:57,000 --> 01:00:02,960 Speaker 2: Like just Man Man, Yeah, Killers, Killers. 1324 01:00:02,480 --> 01:00:03,160 Speaker 4: I'm honored. 1325 01:00:03,240 --> 01:00:06,840 Speaker 2: I'm honored to see ye demo Man, Demo, I got 1326 01:00:06,840 --> 01:00:08,480 Speaker 2: a shout out. I mean, just first off, I mean 1327 01:00:08,520 --> 01:00:10,800 Speaker 2: your whole team. I mean, every time we've always traveled, 1328 01:00:10,840 --> 01:00:13,760 Speaker 2: you know, it's always been love. It's always just been 1329 01:00:13,840 --> 01:00:16,280 Speaker 2: you know you you just have amazing people around you. 1330 01:00:16,320 --> 01:00:19,520 Speaker 2: And that was just a big lesson I think I 1331 01:00:19,600 --> 01:00:21,800 Speaker 2: learned just from kind of touring with you and just 1332 01:00:21,920 --> 01:00:24,880 Speaker 2: kind of seeing the way you built out your infrastructure 1333 01:00:24,960 --> 01:00:28,080 Speaker 2: of just okay, like these are just like people that 1334 01:00:28,160 --> 01:00:30,080 Speaker 2: he really fucked with and they just fuck with him, 1335 01:00:30,120 --> 01:00:31,600 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, and they trust each other 1336 01:00:31,920 --> 01:00:35,560 Speaker 2: and you know, Demo, I got a shout Demo out. 1337 01:00:35,840 --> 01:00:39,920 Speaker 2: Demo saved my life one night. I was. It was 1338 01:00:39,960 --> 01:00:42,560 Speaker 2: after we did bro, it was after we did Chicago, 1339 01:00:43,440 --> 01:00:47,000 Speaker 2: we did Chicago, and I feel like this is around 1340 01:00:47,080 --> 01:00:48,800 Speaker 2: the same time that, like my dad was done, like 1341 01:00:48,840 --> 01:00:52,320 Speaker 2: all this shit is going on. But so it's after 1342 01:00:52,520 --> 01:00:55,840 Speaker 2: the show and uh, and it's late and I'm just 1343 01:00:55,960 --> 01:00:58,040 Speaker 2: in the lobby. I don't even I can't remember what 1344 01:00:58,120 --> 01:01:00,880 Speaker 2: it was. I was even I was outside talking to something, 1345 01:01:00,880 --> 01:01:03,640 Speaker 2: but I was just in the lobby. Demo shows up 1346 01:01:04,080 --> 01:01:07,560 Speaker 2: with a bucket. Goddamn heralds. Let me tell you something, bro, 1347 01:01:10,680 --> 01:01:12,480 Speaker 2: Demo show. He's just in a line with a bucket 1348 01:01:12,520 --> 01:01:14,320 Speaker 2: of heralds. And I think he had his kids with 1349 01:01:14,400 --> 01:01:18,400 Speaker 2: him that night. Yeah, And I was like, I said, yo, 1350 01:01:18,520 --> 01:01:20,200 Speaker 2: I say yo, I say yo, Man, I said, you know, 1351 01:01:20,200 --> 01:01:22,320 Speaker 2: I ain't try. I said, bro, Man, let me get 1352 01:01:22,360 --> 01:01:22,880 Speaker 2: one of the wings. 1353 01:01:22,880 --> 01:01:24,040 Speaker 4: He said, oh no, Bro, I got you. 1354 01:01:24,120 --> 01:01:25,960 Speaker 2: Man. Come on, I got you man. He gave me 1355 01:01:26,000 --> 01:01:29,400 Speaker 2: something to win. Bro, Listen, I said, you are the realist, dude, 1356 01:01:29,440 --> 01:01:35,360 Speaker 2: like to part with heralds in Chicago. That is the sacrifice. Like, so, 1357 01:01:36,680 --> 01:01:40,440 Speaker 2: say man, listened. I needed that wing right then. I 1358 01:01:40,480 --> 01:01:41,200 Speaker 2: really needed it. 1359 01:01:42,520 --> 01:01:45,560 Speaker 5: But that's you know what a good guy like. I said, Man, 1360 01:01:45,680 --> 01:01:47,880 Speaker 5: you know, and it's funny, you know. Now I'm a parent, 1361 01:01:48,000 --> 01:01:51,240 Speaker 5: but I watched this guy's being a solid dad to 1362 01:01:51,320 --> 01:01:52,280 Speaker 5: his kids, you know. 1363 01:01:52,280 --> 01:01:52,640 Speaker 4: What I mean? 1364 01:01:52,720 --> 01:01:55,480 Speaker 5: And you know, and I think he's a perfect example 1365 01:01:55,520 --> 01:01:58,400 Speaker 5: of everybody has had to wear multiple hats on my 1366 01:01:58,520 --> 01:02:02,960 Speaker 5: team and I love watching, like a venue manager or 1367 01:02:03,040 --> 01:02:07,000 Speaker 5: promoter watch finish up negotiations with him and then watch 1368 01:02:07,080 --> 01:02:09,560 Speaker 5: him go on stage shady jacket and get on stage 1369 01:02:09,600 --> 01:02:12,320 Speaker 5: and then like sing. They're like, yo, it a minute. 1370 01:02:12,360 --> 01:02:14,160 Speaker 5: Wasn't the same dude. It's like, but guess what we 1371 01:02:14,240 --> 01:02:16,440 Speaker 5: all had to We all had to do. We all 1372 01:02:16,440 --> 01:02:19,160 Speaker 5: had to wear different hats to make all this word, 1373 01:02:19,360 --> 01:02:21,560 Speaker 5: you know what I mean. So so shout out to him, 1374 01:02:21,560 --> 01:02:23,680 Speaker 5: mauch Yo, find Demo's music. 1375 01:02:23,680 --> 01:02:24,880 Speaker 4: You know you got a new album coming out in. 1376 01:02:24,840 --> 01:02:27,400 Speaker 5: The whole nine once again, like everybody, everybody is in 1377 01:02:27,440 --> 01:02:30,560 Speaker 5: the team is working on something. And I'm honest, like 1378 01:02:30,560 --> 01:02:32,600 Speaker 5: I said, I'm honored did they take time to bill 1379 01:02:32,680 --> 01:02:34,959 Speaker 5: with me and that they're building their own stuff as well? 1380 01:02:36,560 --> 01:02:39,360 Speaker 2: Yo, yo yo, what up? This is Sponte fakelo. Listen, 1381 01:02:39,600 --> 01:02:42,520 Speaker 2: stay tuned because Part two of my one on one 1382 01:02:42,520 --> 01:02:47,280 Speaker 2: conversation with my big brother Eric Robson is coming next week. 1383 01:02:47,320 --> 01:02:51,480 Speaker 2: We get even further into life things, some family stuff 1384 01:02:51,520 --> 01:02:55,280 Speaker 2: to get into the recording process. I'm making them Ticulario. 1385 01:02:55,360 --> 01:02:57,400 Speaker 2: We're getting all that good stuff, so check for us. 1386 01:02:57,440 --> 01:03:00,400 Speaker 2: Next week is going down on Quest Lots springs, all right, Pasty. 1387 01:03:10,240 --> 01:03:16,600 Speaker 1: What's Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. For more 1388 01:03:16,600 --> 01:03:21,120 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 1389 01:03:21,120 --> 01:03:22,760 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.