1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: Quest Left show is a production of iHeart Radio. I'll 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: never forget it. Sorry forget it. Sorry, that was a 3 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: rough day. Okay, So what should we speak on? You 4 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: wanted to know about agis and well, not so much agism, 5 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: more like aging. Okay, like I was, I am. 6 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 2: Still like some part of me is still dealing with 7 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 2: like by power passing. Yeah, and yeah, for transparency's sake. 8 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, you had given me his contact 9 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 2: and I had been talking to him about being the 10 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 2: next guest on what had happened, and like you said, he. 11 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 1: Was having me pitching on it. He was having me, 12 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: and it was tough. It was tough. 13 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 2: He didn't want to talk about He felt like I 14 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 2: was asking him to tell other people's stories. 15 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: No, he has his own story. That's and that's what 16 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: That's the conversation we were having. And of course he 17 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: passed away. 18 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: And much like your platform, what it happened was was 19 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 2: really all about giving people their flowers. But obviously we're 20 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 2: not going to be able to give everybody their flowers. 21 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: People don't want that half the time. But I don't 22 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: understand why that is. I know, for me, like I 23 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,479 Speaker 1: used to see, now I'm to the point where I've 24 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: to even watched my words. I can't say I hate 25 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: D D, because then it'll happen. I think we are 26 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 1: trained to think and live small again, despite the primitive, 27 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: exotic package here. I hate attention, despite everything on my 28 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: outside beeing like look at me, look at me, I 29 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: have the things to get out of my hair and 30 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: a bunch of legover my heart, and you know, like, 31 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: but I think that maybe if we avoid compliments. You 32 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: heard this when you were a kid, Like I don't 33 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: want you to get big headed, or I don't want 34 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: you to get a big head. I think it's the 35 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: fear of separation or the idea of you being alienated 36 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: because your light shines a little brighter than someone. 37 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 2: The trouble I have with wrapping my head around that 38 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 2: notion is the amount of ambition it takes to do 39 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 2: a lot of the stuff that we want to give 40 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: people flowers for. Like you're stepping up to the plate 41 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 2: to hit a home run, and you hit it, so 42 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 2: why would you not want to hear the people cheer? 43 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:34,239 Speaker 1: Sometimes I think people are from the ground wul double 44 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: or just a trip or getting walked. 45 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 3: But usually people don't get flowers for getting walked. I 46 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 3: will tell you that I went through a four year 47 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 3: period where I was absolutely happy. Look Midsummer Soul maybe 48 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 3: seven months before the Oscar. 49 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: I'm gonna see the point where I was having my 50 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: management contact Disney to take us out of the road 51 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 1: to the Oscars is paved with at least forty to 52 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: fifty other smaller well not smaller, some like you know 53 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: the Sundance thing, or if you went to can or 54 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: like other award things you have to do, film festivals 55 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: and whatnot, and you know coming out the gate first 56 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: of all, I mean timing is what really helped Summer Soul. 57 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: I had content when other people weren't prepared to have 58 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: their content because the world shut down. It just happens 59 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: that I finished my film right when the pandemic started. 60 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:42,839 Speaker 2: I mean, to a lesser degree, that was the same 61 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 2: kind of time and network for what had happened was 62 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 2: at the same timing. 63 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: It just you just had something to entertained people. And 64 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: you know, again, had it been released at any other 65 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: time period, it would have just been like, oh that 66 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: was that was a nice little thing you did. Like 67 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: I've done three other things that didn't get that level frenzy, 68 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: but I understand the times that we were in and 69 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: when it was award time, an award season, I mean, 70 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: we just started drinking everybody's milkshake. And after like the 71 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 1: thirtieth plaque comes in my house or whatever, like I 72 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: started to feel like the Grinch that stole Christmas because 73 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: versus like, oh, and there's like request love, you know, 74 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: And then I started feeling bad, and you know, it 75 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: was to the point where I was just like, you know, 76 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: I've heard of situations before where people will take themselves 77 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: out of getting nominated or whatever because they don't want 78 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: to stand out or whatever. So and it took a 79 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: long time. So there's a whole other deserved this thing. 80 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: I don't think as humans we really have dealt with 81 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:48,239 Speaker 1: do we deserve love? 82 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 2: Which is an interesting question given how much you have 83 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 2: to fight through that same thought to make something like 84 00:04:57,760 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 2: It's not like it's not like you roll out a 85 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 2: and make a masterpiece album or a great documentary. 86 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: It takes so much work. People are not honest. People 87 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: are not honest on what it is that they really want. 88 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: So one of the exercises I went through with therapy 89 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: is this writing exercise where I have to write the 90 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: twenty things that I went for my life right, and 91 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 1: wrote down the twenty things, turned it in, looks at it. Nope, 92 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: hey you what it's like? Those aren't real dreams? Like 93 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: do it again? All right? And this happened like seven 94 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: or eight times, and I was like, why do you 95 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: keep making me do this? And the person pointed out 96 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:46,600 Speaker 1: of those twenty things, none of those things were for you. 97 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: You wanted to fix your moms sink. You wanted to 98 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: buy your banda da da da. You wanted to give 99 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: raises to all your staff. You wanted to da da 100 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 1: da da da da. She's like, it took you eight 101 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 1: drafts before you actually said the basic things like oh 102 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,039 Speaker 1: I want to like myself better or love me. I 103 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: didn't even think about because I think we're just trained 104 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: to be so self sacrificing, so people aren't honest. Like 105 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: when people ask me like yo yo, I just want 106 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: to get your feedback or what you think. Sometimes I 107 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: have to just straight up ask them like okay, because 108 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: I don't like that whole Simon Cowell on the Spot, 109 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: you watch me as I do demo nod whenever you 110 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 1: do that, that then that means like oh, this is 111 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: a very awkward moment and yeah, let me hear whoa Okay, Okay, 112 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: Like when people start doing demo nod, it's not authentic 113 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: and so like I know there's an idea of the 114 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: quest love co sign. In my mind, I think it's 115 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: also a curse. Like if I say, like shied away 116 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: from doing that often because I don't want to jink 117 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,840 Speaker 1: someone's project or whatever. If someone thinks like I'm tired 118 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:58,600 Speaker 1: of seeing them, at least in my mind, I think 119 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: that's the thing that happens. I'm tired of seeing them thing. 120 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 1: So I mean, yeah, every day we wrestle with that. 121 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 2: Some of that seems to be about perception, I guess, 122 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 2: tudo right, Like you don't want to be perceived as 123 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 2: winning too much or perceived as getting too many And 124 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 2: I don't mean you specifically, but I mean a person 125 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 2: shying away from receiving compliments or accolades or awards for 126 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 2: their very real hard work. 127 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, but there's a lot that comes under that. Okay, 128 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: So where we are politically right now, I know, like 129 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: there's some I don't know if I should call them 130 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: political pundits or people that give commentary on what's happening now. 131 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: But you know, the general belief is that the and 132 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: the whole revenge of the nerds, like nerds versus jocks thing. 133 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: I think we're now realizing that, like everyone that's running 134 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: stuff now, we're definitely the nerds. And I definitely had 135 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: my moment where like, you know, oh, girl breaks your 136 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: heart and you're in the bathroom mirror like looking like 137 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: I'm gonna show them. Like literally, I willed this character 138 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: named Questlove Delight because of like some girl breaking your 139 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: heart and it didn't work out the way you wanted to. 140 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: I've done big stuff out of Spike, yeah right, and 141 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: literally like the whole joker way, they get a little 142 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: to me thing, Like I think the first four years 143 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: of The Roots was just based on that. And first 144 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: of all, I had to totally rework that whole thing 145 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: because if you don't rework that, I believe that what 146 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: ends up being made isn't as effective at the end 147 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: of the day, it won't resonate as much if it 148 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: comes from like this kind of broken and selfish place. 149 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: I think that reflects in the product. So the question, 150 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously with your music, like your music is 151 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 1: so transparent and so of the moment of the present 152 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: of how it is that you feel like, I'll say 153 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: right now, like I as far as like my hip 154 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: hop consumption, Quelli, Chris, you of course a gene as well, 155 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: you know, some sort of whatever, the best of the rock, Marciano, Griselda, whatever, gritty, underground, 156 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: the drum less, the drumless period of what we're dealing 157 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: with hip hop, which you know, I mean, I'm very 158 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: selective in what I take in. I mean, for you though, 159 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: like you're the voice, You're definitely the voice in my head, Quelle. 160 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: Also for him as well, like a lot of that 161 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:40,680 Speaker 1: what I deemed nerdy hip hop were kind of done 162 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: by voices that didn't look like me. So you know, 163 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,439 Speaker 1: I'm finally, like, finally, like the people that I relate 164 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,959 Speaker 1: to or who I see myself in are now speaking 165 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: for me. So that's the thing though, Like I believe 166 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: that at the end of the day, yes, this is 167 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: a business, you are surviving on it, but I know 168 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: for you that this is a therapeutic, healing, cathartic process 169 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 1: of just you as a human being. Right that to 170 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 1: me is authentic. I think that ninety five percent of 171 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 1: the participants in music now, especially in Black music, is 172 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: based on survival sick. But who am I to judge 173 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: that because I too used to live fifty second to 174 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: No Sage Avenue, dreaming of the day where I don't 175 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: have to look to the left, look to the right 176 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: outside my to make sure that you know, said bully 177 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: is not anywhere in proximity. I gotta get out of 178 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 1: here by hooker crook. So a lot of us are 179 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: are kind of in that survival still the residue of 180 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: survival or. 181 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 2: But even even in that, right, I mean, I'm assuming 182 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 2: you're talking about even the early Roots album still having 183 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 2: that sort of energy of trying to get out of 184 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:09,960 Speaker 2: your situation through making this music. 185 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: Because of the pureness of how the Roots really started. 186 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,839 Speaker 1: Of course, you know part one was just me lying 187 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,199 Speaker 1: to a girl in school. Oh right, right, I'm in 188 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: agree with him, like that was the first seven years 189 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: was just you know, yeah, we're a group, just so 190 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 1: that we can we wanted to get girls phone numbers, 191 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 1: like you know, but just the whole the way that 192 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 1: the dominoes fell on, that whole college audition that led 193 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: to a girl thinking we were in a commercial that 194 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: we weren't in. Hey, let's try it. Like I'll put 195 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:50,559 Speaker 1: it this way, I'm about to embark on a really 196 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: big presentation with jay Z for the Roots Picnic, and 197 00:11:55,920 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: the way that I'm sweating overthinking every song, every segue, 198 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: and the fact I'm very shocked that we did what 199 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: we did as a shrug. You got a bucket, Yeah, 200 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 1: I got a bucket. My grandma got a bucket. All right, 201 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: So what three thirty, I'll meet you in South Street? Cool? 202 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: Like it was so casual as a matter of fact, 203 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 1: it's no overthinking, no, none of that stuff. And that's 204 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: the level of what we need to get to. But like, who, 205 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 1: like do we even see this as an art or beauty? 206 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:35,320 Speaker 1: Do we? Who's the we? It's participants? Like is it 207 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,560 Speaker 1: a means to an end to get out of a situation? 208 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 1: To get see? 209 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 2: Okay, So this is and this is kind of where 210 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 2: I'm getting at right cause you're asking that question. I 211 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 2: developed in the wake of your art. Do you know 212 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 2: what I'm saying? And you see the way I do it? 213 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 2: And I can sit here and tell you that part 214 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,679 Speaker 2: of how I do what I do is inspired by 215 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 2: what y'all did, even though you were still asking that question. 216 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: Well, you are now literally the back to the future plutonium. No, 217 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: I'm not lying to you, Like right now the main 218 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: people are asking what is the hold up? I want 219 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: to feel the way that I feel when I hear 220 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: your thing, Like right now, the beats are incredible, the 221 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 1: musicianships up there, Tarik is at ace level of game 222 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 1: spitting like all the parts are technically there. But I 223 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: still I still think that we lack we feel emotional 224 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 1: because so adapting Phyla's warribly kind of sense of rhythm 225 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:50,559 Speaker 1: makes it feel human. I think that the frequencies from 226 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: certain patches we use the Fender roads like, it feels human, 227 00:13:55,640 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: So that is what gives the illusion of human this. 228 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: But I don't think that the roots have created much 229 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: in the way of Yeah, I relate to that because 230 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:12,679 Speaker 1: a lot of it is rhyming for the sake of Riddomly, well, 231 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,079 Speaker 1: am I breaking your art? Right? No? No, no, you're not, 232 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: You're not. 233 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 2: But I'm like, I'm like, now, see, if these mics 234 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 2: were on, I would ask you a bunch of different 235 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 2: questions that I'm not going to ask right now. 236 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 1: I ask questions, and the most diplomatic where you get ask, 237 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: I mean the most I could do is not answer. 238 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 2: What it's got me thinking about is what do y'all 239 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 2: even think of the roots music in twenty twenty six 240 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 2: as trying to have a conversation about something? 241 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 1: All right, this is what I do know, I think 242 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: because of my attempt to try to be all things 243 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: to all people, because this is what I'm thinking about 244 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: when I'm thinking about the roots today. What I'm thinking 245 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: about the roots today is Number one, everyone worth a 246 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 1: damn is dead. Anyone who's really worth a dam is dead. 247 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: So that's for starters. So let's say I already lost 248 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: half my collaborators that way. And I don't mean like, 249 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: oh the gods are dead. I mean people I actually know, 250 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: brilliant people. They're dead. So that's number one. Number two 251 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: is all right. So a plus for us was the 252 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: idea of being a band. But even for us to 253 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 1: be a band and get to where I am right now, 254 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: where I can sit here and talk to you, we 255 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: had to leave the United States to move to Europe 256 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: to live for four years just so that we could 257 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: survive as a band. So there's no bands. Were one 258 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: of few black bands with a deal. Well, I mean 259 00:15:57,560 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 1: having a deal now is not the same cachet as 260 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: well in the nineties. So being a black band that's 261 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: viable in today's society. The idea of a group, the 262 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: idea of more than one person presenting something. And then 263 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: just like you know, jamming, the idea of jamming, Like 264 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: there's four or five or six things that are passing 265 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 1: dangered species that's not left. So thus when we do 266 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: that two hour show, I'm thinking of all right, there's 267 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: people that neither backscratch for a classic hip hop that 268 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: they miss. There's people that neither backscratch for tarik'spitting lyrics. 269 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: There's people that miss dancing to music that's good that 270 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: doesn't feel like a wedding band, like to be a 271 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,880 Speaker 1: good musician in a wedding band where I'm not overplaying 272 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 1: none of that shit. Like there's so much missing. I'm 273 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: so busy checking off the marks that maybe perhaps the 274 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: roots have lost their identity. 275 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 2: Well, I mean cause the question and if you're checking 276 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 2: all of those boxes is much like the conversation you're 277 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 2: talking about having with your therapist. It's like, when does 278 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:06,359 Speaker 2: it get to what you want? Like what music that 279 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 2: you want to be in the world. 280 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: And this is why this is a ten year wrestling 281 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: match with this record, because one the most glaring part 282 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: is that Richard Nichols isn't here exactly. So this means 283 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:30,200 Speaker 1: that Tarik and I have to really one as individuals grow. 284 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: So there's been a lot of therapy just individually between 285 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: he and I, but then also he and I have 286 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:43,479 Speaker 1: to do our kind of level of couple's therapy or 287 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,439 Speaker 1: that sort of thing. You know, this is thirty eight 288 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,680 Speaker 1: years behind this, and so a little. 289 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:51,199 Speaker 2: Bit right there, right, you're talking about a thirty eight 290 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 2: year relationship. To me, it seems like there's a ton 291 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 2: of conversations to be had about that, and you're talking 292 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 2: about not necessarily feeling like what's on the table right 293 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:09,199 Speaker 2: now is relatable outside of the instrumentation, but it's like 294 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:10,239 Speaker 2: that's where it would be. 295 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: Right. So I came under you know a lot of 296 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 1: stuff I have to like, wait a minute, why am 297 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:27,199 Speaker 1: I in therapy again? Wait a minute, I think this 298 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: is what our fan base was complaining about. Tell me 299 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:48,920 Speaker 1: about Project Blude, Man, what the fuck I think? Watching 300 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 1: the way that my dad did business growing up, there's 301 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:59,159 Speaker 1: always unsolicited advice that either a parent or uncle figure. 302 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:01,160 Speaker 1: It gives you that this is always in your head. 303 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 1: And what I learned was if you build a business, 304 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: do not build it with your relatives or your friends. 305 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:18,400 Speaker 1: And I think I had a fear that our friendship 306 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 1: issues would be key in the demands of the group. 307 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: And I think in my fight or flight mode, it 308 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: was what do I have to do to never return 309 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:35,479 Speaker 1: home metaphorically home to West Philly, tail between my legs 310 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: and defeat. The group is over and now here I 311 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:42,439 Speaker 1: am as a thirty eight year old without a degree. 312 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: I dropped out of Kylee to do this. What am 313 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: I going to do? Now? You know? And trust me 314 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: the amount of my hip hop peers that I now. 315 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 1: I mean, there's a hip hop hero of mine that 316 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: came up to me reaped like last month that was like, yo, dog, 317 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,199 Speaker 1: let me tell you something. And I thought, like, you know, 318 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: a compliment was coming, like about my music or whatever. 319 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 1: And he's like, yo, man, you're the greatest. And I'm thinking, like, oh, wow, 320 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 1: he listens to my music or whatever. I said, Oh, 321 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 1: thank you, and I'm really shocked at like, oh, I 322 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: never thought you'd listened to the roots whatever. And he 323 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: was like, yo, man, you are when I tell you 324 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:27,440 Speaker 1: you're one of the best uber eats tippers I've ever 325 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 1: had in my life. And I tried not to get 326 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: but no, it's real to feel like that. It's real. 327 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: Some of our heroes have to get sneaky, theay jobs whatever. 328 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 1: And that was kind of a Jacob Marley moment for me, 329 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: like that's my worst and again it's not me shaming 330 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 1: someone for doing that. Look, I'm still doctor nine jobs. 331 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:51,399 Speaker 1: One of these jobs is being in the roots I do, 332 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:56,439 Speaker 1: but you know those are my passions. But when he 333 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: said that, it instantly brought me back to man like, see, 334 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: this is why I got to keep business, business and 335 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 1: friendship separate. But you know, but I also know that 336 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 1: we need each other as humans. So we are slowly 337 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 1: when I mean slowly, trying to get back to the 338 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 1: space because I do envy when I watch Daylight Soul together. 339 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 1: Every time I ask pos, I'm like, damn, like you guys, 340 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 1: are you guys are really friends? Yeah? And they're looking 341 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 1: at me like are you shocked? Like I'm really Jimmy 342 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: jam and Terry Lewis, I asked them like, wait, why 343 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: are you guys still acting like you like each other 344 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 1: after fifty one years? Like not one argument, I have 345 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: to rewrite the narratives of I've learned that any relationship 346 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: where you don't argue, someone's not communicating right, and so 347 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: I just have to read to reprogram all those things, 348 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:54,879 Speaker 1: which this is what I'm doing. So we are in 349 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 1: the very slow process of getting back to the same 350 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 1: fifteen year olds that loved hip hop back in eighty seven. 351 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 2: I mean, I think these those conversations between y'all, those 352 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:10,119 Speaker 2: conversations that would end up in the music even you know, 353 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 2: whatever conversations may come about the riffs, the challenges that 354 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 2: y'all have had to deal with over the course of 355 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 2: the years. Like again, like there's another generation coming behind us, 356 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 2: and there's no instruction manuals for any of this shit. 357 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 2: So it's like we need those lessons, like we need 358 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 2: those like we need to understand how to be in 359 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,760 Speaker 2: high stakes organizations with people we don't necessarily agree with 360 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 2: but are both good at the thing. 361 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: So this is why I am also just very meticulous 362 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 1: in terms of representing whatever creative moves come next. This 363 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 1: is why I'm doing the movies so that way that 364 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:00,919 Speaker 1: you know this particular group means something for other reasons. Besides, 365 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 1: they were money makers and for us, I you know, 366 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 1: I really want to be exemplary in terms of walk 367 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: it like they talk it, show the growth. So yeah, man, 368 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:18,920 Speaker 1: there's a lot of you know, we're both in our 369 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: mid fifties and there's just a lot of personal work. 370 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: We had to do a lot of partner work that 371 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 1: we had to do. And to do this in wake 372 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: of a two apocalypses, you know, are we depressed now? 373 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 2: I mean, look, aging is a tough subject to talk about, Okay. 374 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: Okay, So in your world, in your ecosystem, at one 375 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:49,880 Speaker 1: point you came to this in form of a group. Now, 376 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:53,120 Speaker 1: I don't know if you do collaboration projects just as 377 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: a one off or as a hey, let's let's keep 378 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 1: this a thing. Do you like working essentially by yourself or. 379 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 2: I mean, I'm very comfortable working by myself, and I've 380 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:07,480 Speaker 2: and I'm in a group now. I'm in a group 381 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:09,880 Speaker 2: of previous industries right now, me Video, Dave, and steel 382 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:13,959 Speaker 2: Rift and we work together every week. But it is 383 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,879 Speaker 2: a different It touches on like a different part of 384 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 2: my creativity to try to filter my ideas through a 385 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 2: group of people because we're not always aligned on everything, 386 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 2: and these are and it's interesting too. Like Rift I 387 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 2: went to high school with, day If I went to 388 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 2: college with I've known these dudes twenty thirty years and 389 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 2: we have decided in the last five years to start 390 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 2: doing music together. And it's difficult. 391 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:38,360 Speaker 1: Sometimes. 392 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 2: It's difficult because we all see things a bunch of 393 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 2: different ways three MC's. I mean, you don't see a 394 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 2: lot of groups with three MC's ever, And this is 395 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 2: a part of why. It's because it's hard. 396 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:52,679 Speaker 1: To get three people to agree on anything. And I 397 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:53,199 Speaker 1: enjoy it. 398 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 2: But yeah, like when I do that, I've noticed working 399 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 2: on this group stuff, it ends up making me work 400 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 2: on my solo stuff faster. 401 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 1: It's like, in. 402 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:11,120 Speaker 2: The process of generating creativity with the with the group thing, 403 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 2: it's like it makes my own ideas even clearer. 404 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:17,399 Speaker 1: How much time do you guys devote to non musical 405 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: things together or is it like outside out of mind 406 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 1: when you're like not working, you know, not not nearly enough. 407 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 1: But that's the thing too. 408 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 2: I mean, we're all mid forties, we all got like 409 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 2: you all the same live in the same city, but 410 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 2: you know, in different different parts of the city, and 411 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 2: we all make a living different ways, and so the 412 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:39,680 Speaker 2: vast majority of our time is devoted doing what we 413 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:41,879 Speaker 2: got to do to eat because right now the group 414 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 2: isn't paying none of our bills, gotcha. 415 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:43,879 Speaker 1: You know. 416 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,679 Speaker 2: So it's that whole aspect to it too, where I 417 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,359 Speaker 2: think we've certainly to have already been friends, we've gotten 418 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 2: closer doing this, but it's there's been some strife even 419 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:56,640 Speaker 2: with the low stakes sort of sort of. 420 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 1: An environment that we've been in. It's it's still it's 421 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:04,200 Speaker 1: how they make decisions when they're this conflict, And what's 422 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 1: the typical conflict, like how many dates we can devote 423 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 1: the touring or I don't like this beat? Oh god, 424 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 1: I don't like this beat? Is the Oh my god, 425 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:14,200 Speaker 1: I could. 426 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:16,639 Speaker 2: I could run through that wall just just thinking about 427 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:21,119 Speaker 2: how many, how many difficult conversations we've had about trying 428 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:27,199 Speaker 2: to agree on beats, and there is no there's no 429 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,879 Speaker 2: compromise really on that, because like if somebody, if you 430 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:34,199 Speaker 2: got three rappers and one of them does not like 431 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:36,359 Speaker 2: a beat, do you know what they're gonna do on 432 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 2: that beat if they don't like it beat exactly, And 433 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 2: it's not even going to be out of spite. It's 434 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:44,560 Speaker 2: just like if it's not making them feel the thing. 435 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:46,880 Speaker 2: Then they're not going to bring that best to it. 436 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:48,720 Speaker 1: See, you gotta do the deal of method. Do you 437 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:51,879 Speaker 1: know how they made fantastic Volume one? So what is it? 438 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,880 Speaker 1: He just did drums high hat, just a high hat 439 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: and imagine what you think it gonna sound like, literally 440 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: a high hat. That's so wild. And they would just 441 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 1: round their ass off and then he would go and 442 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 1: add the music later. See that's the thing. We don't 443 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 1: have a musical genius in the group. So go backwards, man, 444 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: go backwards, go backwards. Well that is a mini hopefully 445 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: more to come, and I think eventually this will probably 446 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:19,880 Speaker 1: wind up being its own platform, and you never know where. 447 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: We check in, check in with each other, starting open 448 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 1: open my Questions. There you go, there you go check 449 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,119 Speaker 1: it with checking in with open my questions. All right, 450 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 1: see all that please question Up Show is a production 451 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio.