WEBVTT - Black Music Month: James Poyser Part 1 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:06.200 Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. Here We Roll. 0:00:06.760 --> 0:00:10.319 Oh Lord, I'm with it all right, Good luck James. 0:00:11.520 --> 0:00:17.360 She on the other side, James, Here we go. I'm 0:00:17.400 --> 0:00:18.159 better this. 0:00:19.360 --> 0:00:25.840 Supremo Supremo Role, Turn up the music, Brema su Supremo, 0:00:26.079 --> 0:00:33.520 Roll Call Supreme, sut Suck Supremo, Roll Call Supreme, bring 0:00:33.600 --> 0:00:34.280 my Role. 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:38.880 He Tickling CD, Brother Fentoin Statue Prize and number fight 0:00:38.960 --> 0:00:45.680 time n provided yesterday in front of the song Supremo. 0:00:50.479 --> 0:00:51.559 My name is Spante. 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:53.560 Yeah, I'm in my zone. 0:00:54.000 --> 0:00:55.720 Yeah, my favorite poison joint. 0:00:55.920 --> 0:00:57.600 Yeah, I love of my own. 0:00:57.840 --> 0:01:05.640 Roll Call Supremo Supreme, Roll Supremer, sir Son, Sure. 0:01:06.480 --> 0:01:10.680 My name is Sugar Yeah, the roll call Master. James 0:01:10.760 --> 0:01:12.520 poisons here, Yeah. 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:22.960 Bremer Supreme, roll Call Wait a minute, my name is 0:01:23.080 --> 0:01:25.560 Sugar Quest keep this loop on. 0:01:25.959 --> 0:01:27.319 Yeah, I'm glad you're here. 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:28.440 James for. 0:01:30.920 --> 0:01:34.160 Suprema Suprema roll. 0:01:37.600 --> 0:01:42.680 Roll Yeah, and James in Town. Yeah, what a lot 0:01:42.720 --> 0:01:45.840 of songs. Yeah still Charles Brown. 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:54.559 Supremo, supre Roll Supremo, So Supremo. 0:01:53.640 --> 0:01:57.120 Role, Thank you Quest Love, Yeah for this and that? 0:01:57.920 --> 0:01:58.840 Yeah, thank you. 0:01:59.040 --> 0:02:01.360 Notes and make Poison. 0:02:01.160 --> 0:02:09.839 Laugh Premoo roll Came Bremo so premo role. 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:13.480 My name is j P. Yeah, the Lord is blessing me. 0:02:13.919 --> 0:02:17.520 Yeah, Layla's I dressing shapsty. 0:02:20.200 --> 0:02:26.880 That's how you need who come Sprivapremo, Rome. 0:02:26.840 --> 0:02:32.079 Supremo, Supremo, Supremo sou. 0:02:33.560 --> 0:02:33.760 Roll. 0:02:36.040 --> 0:02:38.840 Wait as a pseudo Jamaican? Can we talk about your 0:02:38.919 --> 0:02:39.639 Jamaican accent? 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:40.240 But I got. 0:02:43.200 --> 0:02:45.160 James already know what I said, and that's. 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:48.120 All I can listen some of the textas that he 0:02:48.240 --> 0:02:48.600 sends me. 0:02:50.960 --> 0:02:51.560 You just get it. 0:02:51.600 --> 0:02:57.040 Listen, I get it, understand. That's all the matter. That 0:02:57.280 --> 0:02:57.960 was Jamaicon. 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:01.919 Yeah, that was great. And Steve with a double but 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:08.000 never heard before the SoundBite that none of these joints. 0:03:09.480 --> 0:03:11.520 Wait where was where did you dig that up? 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:15.239 These were from Philly in the studio session. 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:21.160 Ladies and gentlemen, another episode of Quest Love Supreme. I 0:03:21.280 --> 0:03:23.600 you know it's Quest Love. We have teams Supreme. We 0:03:23.720 --> 0:03:26.959 are live in New York City, and by live we 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:29.080 mean we're just in front of each other. We Seachi 0:03:31.520 --> 0:03:34.880 in person. Yeah, how's it going? A new bill? 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:35.839 Wait? 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:38.640 Where was your new title? I gave you? I forgot yours. 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:42.080 I was unpaid well for the record. I was White Bill, 0:03:42.120 --> 0:03:43.520 which was a wonderful moniker. 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:45.680 I was a Bill for. 0:03:49.360 --> 0:03:53.240 Then recently I was morphed to Boss Bill for what reason? 0:03:53.440 --> 0:03:56.440 I don't remember what. No, not for that, No, no, no, 0:03:56.720 --> 0:04:00.200 because you're Boss. I'm happy. I'm just a bill up 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:02.880 climbing up this hill. That's what. All right? Well, you're 0:04:02.960 --> 0:04:05.400 just Bill. I think I think that's the perfect Just 0:04:07.040 --> 0:04:09.880 just Bill. You're just a Bill. I'm like a silky shampoo, 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:10.640 just Bill. 0:04:11.800 --> 0:04:13.320 Well take that right. 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:14.920 Yeah, how's it going. 0:04:15.240 --> 0:04:16.640 It's going good, it's going. 0:04:16.720 --> 0:04:20.400 I feel like we're gonna have some time not laughing today. 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:22.720 It's gonna be full of laughs and good times and 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:26.280 long overdue conversations with a big head. 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:35.960 It's gonna be a battle, so much fun going around. 0:04:36.360 --> 0:04:39.240 Be great and fickel. I'm good, Man, good, got some 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:44.200 rest so I'm good. Okay, cool, I'm sorry, Steve, how's 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:46.720 it going? Everything's great? Man? This and how you say it? 0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:49.159 You've been waiting for episodes for a long. 0:04:49.040 --> 0:04:50.839 Time, Steve anticipated episode. 0:04:51.160 --> 0:04:51.400 Yeah. 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:54.040 I kind of want to be jumping in because I 0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:57.800 want to know how James and Steve became friend of me, Like, 0:04:58.480 --> 0:04:59.560 what's your first musical man? 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:01.880 Well, theiest thing is that James is the one who 0:05:01.960 --> 0:05:05.119 got me hired originally when I came down to Philly 0:05:05.200 --> 0:05:07.160 in two thousands. 0:05:07.200 --> 0:05:12.799 It every day, all right, ladies and gentlemen, Our guest today, 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:15.240 of course, the needs no introduction. He's been in front 0:05:15.279 --> 0:05:19.040 of the show. Yeah, pretty much all those moments that 0:05:19.120 --> 0:05:23.240 you take for granted. You know, music can help facilitate 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:29.240 a mood when you're watching television or you're watching movies. 0:05:29.800 --> 0:05:32.960 And our guest today, of course, is no exception to 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:40.720 providing colors, synesthesia to graphics and scenes and makes life better. 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:52.880 He's done, let's name it professional, being very professional, very Saidstesia. Alright, 0:05:53.000 --> 0:05:55.840 sorry you said James makes life better. 0:05:57.400 --> 0:05:57.919 I don't know what. 0:05:59.400 --> 0:06:02.680 You got the wrong guests. All right, let's let's go 0:06:02.800 --> 0:06:05.120 through our know we we used to celebrate our guests 0:06:05.160 --> 0:06:08.560 to come on the show. I mean well, friend of 0:06:08.600 --> 0:06:13.080 the show, wires, problem areas. We also got Harthorne. That 0:06:13.240 --> 0:06:16.480 was a Jada show correct, Yeah, okay, the break with 0:06:16.600 --> 0:06:19.840 Michelle wolf a friend of uh, you know, of the Circle, 0:06:20.240 --> 0:06:25.320 the Equalizer, starting with our good friend Dana Blackish. He's 0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:28.840 done music for Blackish. Yeah, and of course you know 0:06:29.160 --> 0:06:32.320 classic season two and season three of The Chappelle Show 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:36.960 Award winner his name, all the artists. There's Erica, Yeah, 0:06:37.040 --> 0:06:44.800 there's Mariah, Anthony, Anthony, Eric John Legend, Rihanna, music music, 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:49.880 so child a common Kareem Bailey, Ray my youth choir 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:57.359 below he never heard of him, Yeah, Randy Watson and everybody, 0:06:57.520 --> 0:07:03.520 man Ship, everybody, James done everything, Al Green, Astero, Angela 0:07:03.640 --> 0:07:11.160 q Jo, Joe Scott Legend. Damn all right, and we 0:07:11.600 --> 0:07:15.720 saw his work yesterday, so that was awesome. What was 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:17.400 just what damn man. 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:20.400 We saw yesterday? 0:07:20.960 --> 0:07:21.160 Yeah? 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:22.720 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:33.520 Yeah would have been happened yesterday. Motherfuckers. The clips is 0:07:33.560 --> 0:07:37.280 already the worst. I missed that. It was a big 0:07:37.360 --> 0:07:40.640 head joke. You, of all people should know that. I'm sorry. 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:43.200 I'm relegated to Charlie Brown and his friends. I'm sorry. 0:07:43.280 --> 0:07:45.400 Ry Wow, welcome to James bod. 0:07:49.240 --> 0:07:51.320 That was a good one of your actually in retrospect 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:52.640 like that was funny. 0:07:53.800 --> 0:07:57.720 Yes, wow, I know my fun Anyway, how are you? 0:07:57.840 --> 0:07:58.560 How are you? James? 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:04.240 Shut up, Steve, I just needed to get I'm great, man, 0:08:04.320 --> 0:08:07.800 I'm happy to be here amongst family and friends and I. 0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:08.720 Mean step. 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:15.880 All right, So yeah I kind of knew you. So 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:17.720 this is gonna be really hard to do. 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:18.680 Like you don't. 0:08:19.280 --> 0:08:21.680 I thought James was the Philadelphia born and bred. Now 0:08:22.600 --> 0:08:23.360 where were you born? 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:27.680 I was born in Sheffield, England. My parents Jamia con. 0:08:27.840 --> 0:08:28.920 I thought you're gonna say Jamaica. 0:08:29.360 --> 0:08:31.760 No, no, no, my parents are Jamaica and they immigrated 0:08:31.800 --> 0:08:34.440 to England, you know, the win the Russian generation. 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:36.840 And where is Sheffield? 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:39.400 Sheffield is like two hours north from London. 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:41.719 Okay, So even then I thought you were from like 0:08:41.800 --> 0:08:45.360 South London where all the all the cool people. Jamaicans. 0:08:45.880 --> 0:08:50.040 I mean, listen, Jamaicans is everywhere, bredwand everywhere. So I 0:08:50.200 --> 0:08:53.080 was born there, lived there for nine years and then 0:08:53.120 --> 0:08:53.959 we moved over here. 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:57.760 Did you at once had a UK accent? I did? 0:08:58.080 --> 0:09:01.200 And it was weird, like to school, like speak English 0:09:01.240 --> 0:09:03.120 to me and I'm like I am speaking. 0:09:03.559 --> 0:09:04.880 Do you know where? 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:05.880 They wanted to hear the accent? 0:09:05.960 --> 0:09:07.719 And you know, I got tased quite a bit, you know, 0:09:08.000 --> 0:09:09.920 so you purposely lost your accent. 0:09:10.280 --> 0:09:13.160 He hasn't lost it, though. It's certain words that come through. 0:09:13.200 --> 0:09:14.719 But all right, so talk talk with you. 0:09:15.360 --> 0:09:17.079 It's not the type of thing I can fill on 0:09:17.280 --> 0:09:24.720 like certain words if I say digital digital, But yeah, 0:09:24.760 --> 0:09:26.600 you don't grow up in West Philly with an English accent, 0:09:27.559 --> 0:09:29.680 so I had to lose that trying to quick. 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:31.120 Girls thought that was cool. 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:31.880 I was nine. 0:09:34.920 --> 0:09:37.240 I have a question, like, so, when was the first 0:09:37.280 --> 0:09:39.600 time you actually went to Jamaica at all? 0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:43.520 When I was a baby, we went over, I don't remember, 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:47.000 but after that, I think I was fourteen thirteen and 0:09:47.160 --> 0:09:49.520 we went to the town where my parents was from. 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:51.920 It was like one dirt road up in the mountain, 0:09:52.200 --> 0:09:56.360 like literally like five six blocks and it was like, 0:09:56.559 --> 0:09:59.280 you know, the bathroom in the outhouse and chickens running around, 0:09:59.520 --> 0:10:04.880 and I had was great back then. When I've gone 0:10:04.920 --> 0:10:08.199 back recently, I'm like, where's. 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:08.440 The risk calling? 0:10:12.120 --> 0:10:14.000 Oh, I got I got one? Because we always used 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:15.480 to tease James about being a p K. 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:17.960 Yeah, so I'm. 0:10:17.880 --> 0:10:21.040 Curious, like, was your dad always preacher's kid? 0:10:21.440 --> 0:10:24.079 Actually? Can I add on to that? Because I also 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:29.439 know that the usual scenario of Christian household with music 0:10:29.600 --> 0:10:33.360 and secular household with music. I'm very curious as to 0:10:33.520 --> 0:10:36.880 how did secular music seep into what I would think 0:10:37.080 --> 0:10:42.719 was an unpenetrable household as far as like what you're 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:45.040 allowed to listen to not allowed to listen to all. 0:10:45.000 --> 0:10:47.839 Right, So grow up in church in England. My dad 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:48.640 was a pastor there. 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:52.840 Now, the way it works immigration was my mom had 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:56.920 to move to America, had to she well to set 0:10:56.960 --> 0:10:59.200 it up. She had to come over, you know, work 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:02.520 out our job and whatever and set up. So for 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:04.120 a couple of years I was just with my dad. 0:11:05.000 --> 0:11:07.880 And one of the earliest memories I have was coming 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:11.760 home from school, maybe like six or seven, and there 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:14.599 was this woman dancing in the living room to this 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:18.199 Are Crouch record and I was like, Oh, that's my 0:11:18.840 --> 0:11:19.480 that's my mom. 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:22.400 I mean, these are the type of things you gotta 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:24.080 go through, you know, that's your mom's record. 0:11:24.240 --> 0:11:27.000 Yeah, So it was these are Crouch records, and you 0:11:27.040 --> 0:11:29.280 know when we moved over here, those are kind of 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:31.719 things that were in now some are Crouch records and 0:11:31.800 --> 0:11:33.839 James Cleveland and all that kind of stuff. And we 0:11:33.960 --> 0:11:35.760 had a stereo system and I would sit there with 0:11:35.840 --> 0:11:38.559 my headphones on listening to that stuff because that's all 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:42.719 that was allowed in the Bishop Poiso's household. But I 0:11:42.840 --> 0:11:45.400 had an FM and radio upstairs in my bedroom too, 0:11:47.600 --> 0:11:49.640 so you know, I was listening to all the stuff. 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:51.719 You know, you walking through the streets of Philly, going 0:11:51.760 --> 0:11:53.880 to school and being around you're going to hear anything sound, 0:11:54.440 --> 0:11:57.400 so you know, it's funny hanging, you know, hanging with 0:11:57.480 --> 0:12:01.040 a mirror. You know, all these years, there's certain things 0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:04.400 that I realized I missed, you know, just because of 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:07.480 that kind of thing, like street, Sesame Street. I never 0:12:07.520 --> 0:12:10.280 grew up with Sessimon. So there's times he referenced, you 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:13.040 don't remember this, and I'm like, bro, I don't know. 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:15.400 Love for breacanteen and milk and stick of butter. 0:12:16.000 --> 0:12:18.480 Was like and hosehold. 0:12:18.559 --> 0:12:19.360 No, No, I was not. 0:12:19.760 --> 0:12:22.439 I was in England, so I was so when I 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:24.679 came over here, I was like, bugs, bunny. 0:12:25.080 --> 0:12:29.520 Yeah, was piano your first instrument? 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:31.880 No, I grew up playing drums in church. We moved 0:12:31.920 --> 0:12:35.319 over here, a small storefront church, and there was a 0:12:35.320 --> 0:12:37.599 little drum set there and nobody to play, and I 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:40.839 was like, I won't play now. You gotta remember, I 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:43.480 grew up playing on pots and pans with my mom's 0:12:43.559 --> 0:12:45.959 knitty needles when I was a little, little young one. 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:49.920 So yes, you know, started playing drums first, and then 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:53.439 I moved to bass guitar, which is still my favorite instrument. 0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:53.760 Really. 0:12:54.080 --> 0:12:56.400 Yeah, because you have a few of them, right. Do 0:12:56.400 --> 0:12:58.319 you have a few bass guitars the house? 0:12:58.360 --> 0:12:58.560 Yeah? 0:12:58.600 --> 0:12:59.000 Yeah, yeah. 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:01.400 I can't play bass, but that's like my that's what 0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:04.040 a base I played. I played bass a little bit. 0:13:04.080 --> 0:13:05.360 I play based on record before. 0:13:05.440 --> 0:13:05.600 Yeah. 0:13:05.679 --> 0:13:08.160 Yeah, But I can't really do any gigs. You know, 0:13:08.200 --> 0:13:10.080 I'm a pino Mark Kelly. 0:13:10.600 --> 0:13:13.480 But I'm saying that is the muscle memory thing or 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:14.080 I just don't. 0:13:14.160 --> 0:13:16.199 If I practiced on it, maybe I would, but you know, 0:13:16.240 --> 0:13:20.000 I'm still trying to practice on this piano breach. 0:13:21.000 --> 0:13:24.720 I see. Okay, So you came here at nine. Which 0:13:24.760 --> 0:13:26.720 school did you start? 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:32.000 I started off at Anderson Where's fifth grade? That's sixtieth 0:13:32.120 --> 0:13:35.679 in Creek. I went to a West Philly school, Yeah, 0:13:36.280 --> 0:13:38.720 sixty I started there, and then I went. 0:13:38.640 --> 0:13:39.520 To Turner for a year. 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:40.720 Where's Turner? 0:13:40.880 --> 0:13:45.040 Turner is fifty ninth from Baltimore. And then I went 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:48.040 to Hamilton and where he is? Hey, what to call 0:13:48.080 --> 0:13:50.880 it from your crib? Fifty six and Spooce. So you 0:13:50.960 --> 0:13:53.240 went to all West Villy high schools? Well this was 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:56.079 on high school high school. I went to engineering and 0:13:56.160 --> 0:13:59.560 science for two years before and then. 0:14:01.559 --> 0:14:04.160 School. See what happened was Steve? 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:14.839 Wait? Did you know bubbles. Everybody where's she working? I'm no, 0:14:14.960 --> 0:14:17.040 yo would have graduated the same the same year. 0:14:17.120 --> 0:14:20.200 No, I'm not sure. Okay, but and then I graduated 0:14:20.280 --> 0:14:25.160 from West Catholic. West Catholic. But turn it down. Didn't 0:14:25.160 --> 0:14:26.520 you live around the corner from Hamilton? 0:14:27.160 --> 0:14:29.760 I did? But all right, so explain to me, because 0:14:29.760 --> 0:14:32.800 the thing was, is that now that I live in 0:14:32.840 --> 0:14:38.200 a time in which you know, posts Facebook, you know, 0:14:38.480 --> 0:14:42.520 uncles that like put up like weird random websites of 0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:46.200 things that are not like you know, mark being our threads, 0:14:46.440 --> 0:14:51.440 Like it's not CNN, it's like some other So I'm 0:14:51.560 --> 0:14:56.160 now wondering if the picture is that adult figures painted 0:14:56.240 --> 0:15:01.440 to me, which was basically like every every school in 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:03.240 West Philadelphia. 0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:06.600 Is mine as will be like a prison now. But 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:09.720 then back then, I mean, yeah, I had some drama 0:15:09.960 --> 0:15:11.960 in school. You know, I got I got guns pulled 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:13.920 out on me. I literally on the corner waiting for 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:16.520 bus and these dudes rolled up on me. One dude 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:18.320 punch in the face. I got upraidy to fight, and 0:15:18.360 --> 0:15:19.560 he pulled a gun and put it in my head. 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:21.280 He was just messing. 0:15:21.360 --> 0:15:25.080 This was in seventh grade, just messing, just messing with me. Yeah, 0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:26.240 I've seen. 0:15:26.160 --> 0:15:29.360 Dudes on the on the playground. You know, I'm my 0:15:29.440 --> 0:15:31.120 boy on the playground. This dude came and pulled a 0:15:31.200 --> 0:15:33.720 knife on him. We're on the playground, seventh grade. This 0:15:33.880 --> 0:15:37.280 older dude, he had to be in eighteen nineteen, a 0:15:37.400 --> 0:15:45.120 big machete, like a Jamaican machete pull. So yeah, you know, 0:15:45.680 --> 0:15:47.720 I ain't no fuck but you know I've been. You know, 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:49.880 you see that stuff. You experience that stuff growing up, 0:15:50.640 --> 0:15:50.800 you know. 0:15:51.000 --> 0:15:53.920 Oh okay, so it was real Yeah, never mind, Wait, 0:15:54.080 --> 0:15:56.000 engineering science. Where was that located though? 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:59.560 That was like liberties or no, this was a cease 0:15:59.560 --> 0:16:02.480 will be more like right on Temple's campus. 0:16:03.240 --> 0:16:04.320 Okay, I see that. 0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:06.600 Are we not going to talk about why you you 0:16:06.680 --> 0:16:07.440 didn't finish there? 0:16:07.880 --> 0:16:14.560 See what happened was bong hitch. I was. 0:16:14.680 --> 0:16:16.640 I was the class clown and I was goofing off. 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:18.520 I don't be believe that. 0:16:19.720 --> 0:16:21.640 I don't believe that at all. Yeah I was. 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:23.480 I was a bit of a class clown, goof through. 0:16:23.720 --> 0:16:25.680 I don't believe that at all. I was. Are there 0:16:25.800 --> 0:16:28.680 is a mirror you get you get kicked out for that? 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:29.440 Yeah? 0:16:29.840 --> 0:16:33.440 My my grades, my grades, because it's like it's a 0:16:33.560 --> 0:16:38.240 really school. Yes, the school to maintain a certain ye. 0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:41.360 Smart kids schools, you know. 0:16:41.480 --> 0:16:44.520 And of course my immigrant parents were very they weren't 0:16:44.560 --> 0:16:46.120 having that, so. 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:47.720 They put you in the strict Catholic school. 0:16:47.800 --> 0:16:49.880 Well I was going. I went to BArch them for 0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:52.920 like a week experience like twenty. 0:16:56.360 --> 0:16:59.800 Oh see that's it wasn't without Philly. 0:16:59.840 --> 0:17:01.640 I lean on me, oh Joe. 0:17:02.040 --> 0:17:04.919 It's now a beautiful gentrified building with lots of shops 0:17:04.960 --> 0:17:06.480 and they have rooftop parties on it. 0:17:06.640 --> 0:17:09.560 Really is now like let's go. 0:17:09.760 --> 0:17:17.000 Yeah, it got artists and pickled and got flower grass. 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:19.720 Am I think you dj? They are like about five 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:21.360 on the roof. 0:17:21.760 --> 0:17:24.480 I know I DJ'd on the roof of what. 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:29.119 Oh it's it's not Barto's good, it's Bob. You're right, 0:17:29.160 --> 0:17:32.520 I'm sorry, Thank you Joy. 0:17:33.400 --> 0:17:37.879 Aren't you from Hens? Ain't you from Pittsburgh? Yeah? I 0:17:38.160 --> 0:17:40.840 did not know that. Okay, So cousin Jake has revealed 0:17:40.880 --> 0:17:43.280 he's in Philadelphia. I did not know that. I tell 0:17:43.320 --> 0:17:47.520 you straight, Pittsburgh. Okay, maybe we should start interviewing like the. 0:17:47.720 --> 0:17:50.160 Actual it's funny. 0:17:50.160 --> 0:17:50.520 It's funny. 0:17:50.520 --> 0:17:51.800 As we're talking to James, I'm like, this is the 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:53.720 moment where Amir gets to know the people that he's 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:54.800 been loving for thirty years. 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:56.480 Just like when we discovered about. 0:17:56.720 --> 0:17:59.960 I didn't know that. I did not know that James 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:05.560 was a juvenile Delincoln. It doesn't come across as one. 0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:08.280 I will say that. So were you part of any 0:18:08.800 --> 0:18:11.600 because the way that I got into the circle, like 0:18:12.240 --> 0:18:14.560 when you meet the people that we see now, the 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:18.119 little John's of the world and the carving and you know, 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:21.280 all those guys, Dre and Vadoald all that stuff, were 0:18:21.359 --> 0:18:26.080 you ever part of like all city? None of those. 0:18:26.720 --> 0:18:28.760 I wasn't part of that whole thing. I was playing 0:18:28.800 --> 0:18:31.200 in church, you know, but I wasn't part of the 0:18:31.720 --> 0:18:33.399 you know, I wanted to part of me wanted to 0:18:33.480 --> 0:18:35.720 go to to Caper at the time, but you know, 0:18:35.840 --> 0:18:37.879 I was on my smart I was an engineer and 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:41.080 major in college for the first two years, you know, 0:18:41.160 --> 0:18:42.680 finished up with my degree in finance. 0:18:43.240 --> 0:18:46.520 So you know, it was that kind of immigrant thing, 0:18:48.400 --> 0:18:49.280 Jamaican thing too. 0:18:49.720 --> 0:18:53.000 So your parents wanted to do engineering, yeah, all I 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:55.040 wanted to do music. 0:18:55.280 --> 0:18:58.840 Yeah what'd you wind up doing? 0:18:58.920 --> 0:18:59.160 James? 0:19:01.600 --> 0:19:03.960 So I went to Drexel for two years for engineering. 0:19:05.000 --> 0:19:07.680 I actually went to Roman hause he took us on 0:19:07.720 --> 0:19:10.280 a field trip to see what engineers do, what kind 0:19:10.320 --> 0:19:15.280 of engineering? I was chemical engineer, and uh, I was like, 0:19:15.359 --> 0:19:16.200 I ain't trying to do this. 0:19:17.240 --> 0:19:22.240 That real, I am not trying to do this. 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:25.200 At any point did you think of doing sound engineering 0:19:25.400 --> 0:19:27.760 or no? No, no, no no no. 0:19:28.080 --> 0:19:29.760 I was just like, okay, let me I'm going to 0:19:29.800 --> 0:19:32.399 graduate and get a job in a bank. And that's 0:19:32.400 --> 0:19:32.840 why I went to. 0:19:32.840 --> 0:19:34.040 School for fun with Richmond. 0:19:35.119 --> 0:19:37.119 When you were in church, was it plactical training or 0:19:37.160 --> 0:19:39.080 it was just like you're learning by listening classical you 0:19:39.160 --> 0:19:41.119 know what I mean? But like you ever did you 0:19:41.160 --> 0:19:43.080 ever take lessons or was it just like listening? 0:19:43.280 --> 0:19:47.800 So it started off I taken They had a little 0:19:47.880 --> 0:19:51.480 lamb lessons with this piano teacher, mister Costa, and I 0:19:51.560 --> 0:19:53.520 didn't like going over there because she had these two 0:19:53.600 --> 0:19:56.919 chihuahuas that you know. I'd walk in and take lessons 0:19:57.000 --> 0:19:58.560 and they were cool, but when you're walking out, they 0:19:58.560 --> 0:20:00.879 would always like bite me on the back of you know. 0:20:01.119 --> 0:20:03.359 I hated going to those lessons. They will freaking me out. 0:20:04.200 --> 0:20:05.920 So I stopped and I was That's when I was 0:20:05.960 --> 0:20:09.320 playing drums and bass, and I remember we went to 0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:10.800 this church, and this guy that was the same age 0:20:10.840 --> 0:20:13.240 as me was playing keyboards, and I was like, oh, 0:20:13.320 --> 0:20:14.040 I want to do that. 0:20:15.520 --> 0:20:17.760 And I took a cassette tape of that song. 0:20:17.840 --> 0:20:21.520 It was a simple progression to five three six progression 0:20:21.640 --> 0:20:25.159 whatever whatever, And I studied it for a couple of 0:20:25.280 --> 0:20:28.480 months and then transported and all the keys, and I 0:20:28.560 --> 0:20:30.200 was like, oh, I can go play in church. 0:20:30.320 --> 0:20:32.680 And I went. I went to church and couldn't play 0:20:32.680 --> 0:20:34.480 because I you know, I just didn't have the experience. 0:20:34.600 --> 0:20:36.280 But I figured it out. 0:20:37.400 --> 0:20:38.840 Was that your warfare. 0:20:43.080 --> 0:20:47.440 That came a little later, that's on the end of 0:20:47.720 --> 0:20:48.439 most of the records. 0:20:49.520 --> 0:20:53.520 Like James, one of the people that will you know, 0:20:53.920 --> 0:20:59.960 we've made fun of like the level of snobbery on stage. Well, 0:21:00.080 --> 0:21:02.840 laugh at each other, make fun of each other, and 0:21:04.280 --> 0:21:07.320 we make fun of it so much that it actually 0:21:07.400 --> 0:21:10.920 winds up becoming the fiber of what it is now. 0:21:11.400 --> 0:21:14.920 Like James used to like playing the wrong chords of 0:21:15.080 --> 0:21:20.440 a song and it'd be funny, But now like that's 0:21:20.480 --> 0:21:24.440 all we wanted. I don't want nothing sounded normals. I 0:21:24.520 --> 0:21:25.879 want it all wrong chords. 0:21:30.680 --> 0:21:32.200 Wait, so how long did it take for you to 0:21:32.680 --> 0:21:33.719 get it on the piano? 0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:36.000 I'm still trying to No, no, no, we're not doing that. 0:21:36.280 --> 0:21:38.919 How long okay, I'm a rephrase. 0:21:39.040 --> 0:21:40.800 How long did it take for you to feel confident 0:21:40.880 --> 0:21:42.680 enough to go into the church and play the piano 0:21:42.720 --> 0:21:43.800 and people were like you can stay? 0:21:44.440 --> 0:21:48.040 It took a while, you know, like almost close to 0:21:48.040 --> 0:21:50.440 a year until you know, and again, my church is 0:21:51.000 --> 0:21:53.240 very West Indians, so it wasn't all of the stuff 0:21:53.280 --> 0:21:57.800 that y'all Yankees do. It was really one four five 0:21:58.280 --> 0:21:59.160 playing a reggae beat. 0:22:03.080 --> 0:22:05.040 Oh, then we played the Calypso stuff now too. 0:22:05.000 --> 0:22:06.200 I've never heard cllips go. 0:22:10.359 --> 0:22:14.359 That's like one one one you've seen that video with 0:22:14.440 --> 0:22:15.320 that dude said. 0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:18.440 They did then snl sketch on them. 0:22:18.600 --> 0:22:24.040 Yes, yes, yeah, that's like my church iday. 0:22:24.440 --> 0:22:28.200 So did you already have the rhythm part down because 0:22:28.200 --> 0:22:29.919 of the drums and bass experience? 0:22:30.280 --> 0:22:30.480 Yeah? 0:22:30.840 --> 0:22:33.240 I think I had it just because I was listening 0:22:33.359 --> 0:22:36.080 so much too stuff, you know, I was listening to 0:22:36.160 --> 0:22:39.200 so much music and going to record stores and not 0:22:39.280 --> 0:22:41.680 having money and just standing there reading the back of 0:22:41.720 --> 0:22:42.760 album covers. 0:22:42.680 --> 0:22:45.440 You know, just to learn the names and yeah. 0:22:45.760 --> 0:22:46.639 Studios and what that. 0:22:46.920 --> 0:22:48.520 But when did you make the change. Where'd you go 0:22:48.640 --> 0:22:50.600 from drums piano, like, this is it. 0:22:50.680 --> 0:22:54.520 I ain't going back right after that experience I told 0:22:54.560 --> 0:22:56.480 you about, I just kept practicing and practicing. 0:22:56.560 --> 0:22:59.360 I was like, okay, this is it. Okay, so walk 0:22:59.480 --> 0:23:01.480 me through the Can I backtrack just a little? You 0:23:01.480 --> 0:23:03.399 gotta remember too, my older brother played. 0:23:03.400 --> 0:23:03.760 Right, Okay? 0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:04.040 Thanks? 0:23:05.320 --> 0:23:07.240 I know my older brother, Steven, who's now the bishop 0:23:07.280 --> 0:23:09.200 of the church, he was the one that played. And 0:23:09.320 --> 0:23:10.560 I was trying to, you know, trying to be like 0:23:10.640 --> 0:23:13.359 my older brother. So what did he play? He played everything? 0:23:13.400 --> 0:23:15.240 He played, keys, played bass, played druones. 0:23:15.359 --> 0:23:15.720 Is he good? 0:23:16.240 --> 0:23:17.160 He was good? 0:23:17.280 --> 0:23:17.320 No. 0:23:20.240 --> 0:23:23.000 If he says it I taught, he'll say he taught 0:23:23.080 --> 0:23:23.600 me everything. 0:23:23.680 --> 0:23:23.879 I know. 0:23:24.640 --> 0:23:25.920 He taught me everything he knew. 0:23:26.080 --> 0:23:30.080 You know, all right? That makes sense? 0:23:30.280 --> 0:23:31.000 Like is he listening? 0:23:31.119 --> 0:23:31.159 What? 0:23:32.600 --> 0:23:35.480 So, even though I haven't seen it with my own eyes, Like, 0:23:36.119 --> 0:23:39.720 is it generally correct that because of lack of venue 0:23:39.760 --> 0:23:42.359 structure in Philadelphia that the Black Church was like the 0:23:43.280 --> 0:23:46.640 prime spot where every musician could get a chance to play. 0:23:46.920 --> 0:23:48.000 Absolutely And as. 0:23:47.840 --> 0:23:51.240 A result, if there are five keyboard players waiting to 0:23:51.280 --> 0:23:53.760 get on, and four bass players waiting to get on, 0:23:53.920 --> 0:23:57.280 and twelve drummers ready to get on, that they're going 0:23:57.359 --> 0:24:00.159 to try to outdo each other absolutely, all right, can 0:24:00.200 --> 0:24:02.159 you walk me through that process? Like, is this the 0:24:02.280 --> 0:24:06.240 inspiration for gospel chops? Yes, Like the reason why most 0:24:06.280 --> 0:24:11.359 black musicians overplay is because they have some evil to 0:24:11.440 --> 0:24:15.920 make an impression. That makes sense, right, Like you can't 0:24:15.920 --> 0:24:17.800 play like if you play like me, then it's just 0:24:18.160 --> 0:24:23.600 like old people will like it. No, but that's the thing, 0:24:23.760 --> 0:24:28.680 Like myfrow is like I want to make the musicians 0:24:28.720 --> 0:24:31.480 sound good, so I'll just play down the middle is 0:24:32.200 --> 0:24:33.760 least the less I play, the. 0:24:33.800 --> 0:24:34.240 Better it is. 0:24:34.359 --> 0:24:35.960 Change. You never took a mire to church, and just 0:24:36.080 --> 0:24:37.040 like I would love to. 0:24:37.040 --> 0:24:45.440 See that church before church, Like I purchase drums for them, 0:24:45.480 --> 0:24:50.159 but that's church. Even hired a drummer. There's one. 0:24:52.280 --> 0:24:52.440 Church. 0:24:53.840 --> 0:24:56.760 Actually I have played in church. But the church that 0:24:57.600 --> 0:25:02.200 I went to was all right, it was a weird 0:25:02.320 --> 0:25:06.720 kind of non denomination. Wait, why did you already have 0:25:06.920 --> 0:25:08.160 the I'm. 0:25:08.080 --> 0:25:10.199 Already not here, Like I'm not when you say non 0:25:10.280 --> 0:25:11.040 denomination like. 0:25:12.560 --> 0:25:14.320 Church too, I mean I did it. I had a 0:25:14.400 --> 0:25:18.879 Pentecostal church. What was the w wzz D? So I 0:25:19.600 --> 0:25:24.080 actually I did play drums in Pastor Charles something. He 0:25:24.240 --> 0:25:29.080 was a known preacher in Philadelphia, Like I did that 0:25:29.200 --> 0:25:32.240 for like maybe like three years, because it was also 0:25:32.320 --> 0:25:36.639 paying the ass of packing my drums at home. And 0:25:36.720 --> 0:25:39.480 then you gotta do a double trip, like uncle Bud 0:25:39.960 --> 0:25:44.040 and Dad have to come and and put it in there, 0:25:44.119 --> 0:25:45.760 you know, and then it's like you gotta break the 0:25:45.840 --> 0:25:47.920 drums down the church and bring it back home. I 0:25:48.000 --> 0:25:51.720 got lazy with that. But yeah, once, once I discovered 0:25:51.760 --> 0:25:55.040 we discovered a church that let us wear regular clothes, 0:25:55.880 --> 0:25:58.320 which is like a game changer, like wait, I can 0:25:59.160 --> 0:26:02.040 wear jeans in it T shirt in this church. And 0:26:02.160 --> 0:26:04.560 they were very hipofyed like Tarik thought was the most 0:26:04.600 --> 0:26:09.000 hilarious thing ever because you know, like praise like praising 0:26:09.080 --> 0:26:13.840 black church. But these people would just like do hands 0:26:13.840 --> 0:26:17.680 across America across the church, like they were just like 0:26:17.960 --> 0:26:21.800 someone would start a conga line, and that was the thing. 0:26:21.840 --> 0:26:25.960 It'd be like a seventy nine person conga line. 0:26:26.119 --> 0:26:27.560 It sounds like midsommar. 0:26:28.240 --> 0:26:31.240 This sounds yeah, I mean. 0:26:31.359 --> 0:26:37.800 It sounds like a white person church, right, I mean, 0:26:40.920 --> 0:26:42.480 once I can say something. 0:26:42.359 --> 0:26:44.560 Believe it or not. It was actually drawn down the 0:26:44.600 --> 0:26:50.040 middle like it was equally black white and uh uh Hispanic. 0:26:51.119 --> 0:26:55.479 Well yeah, so that was the drummer. 0:26:55.600 --> 0:26:58.720 So what the fuck I want to ask you about 0:26:58.760 --> 0:27:00.960 to that point, James, about you know, we talk about 0:27:01.040 --> 0:27:02.920 the Black Church and it pretty much being kind of 0:27:03.040 --> 0:27:06.160 like the breeding ground, like the training ground for musicians. 0:27:06.560 --> 0:27:10.840 So now with the Black Church, what what do you 0:27:10.920 --> 0:27:12.720 think is the role of the Black Church in the 0:27:12.800 --> 0:27:16.879 musical community, because now it's very much you see the 0:27:17.040 --> 0:27:18.880 rise of you know, I guess what they call CC 0:27:19.000 --> 0:27:22.600 and contemporary Christian music, which is you know, it's not 0:27:23.000 --> 0:27:24.560 it ain't Notre Crouch, you know what I mean. 0:27:25.000 --> 0:27:27.520 So does a Black church still have that role in 0:27:27.640 --> 0:27:28.119 the musician? 0:27:28.240 --> 0:27:29.560 Are they being trapped down church? 0:27:29.880 --> 0:27:33.040 Absolutely? Man, they're doing stuff. I mean again, I'm older now. 0:27:33.119 --> 0:27:36.840 So some of the things that my question I was 0:27:36.880 --> 0:27:39.600 like like trapp and drill in church now or like 0:27:40.560 --> 0:27:42.960 oh you hear that kind of stuff, like if they 0:27:43.040 --> 0:27:46.360 do it now in your your brother's church. One time, 0:27:46.400 --> 0:27:49.680 I try to play Peter Piper, like I just told 0:27:49.720 --> 0:27:53.600 the percussion player just do this, and I played it, 0:27:54.720 --> 0:27:57.440 and one elder who is like the youngest elder who 0:27:57.600 --> 0:28:01.399 like knew what I know what y'all doing, Like, they 0:28:01.480 --> 0:28:04.560 called me to the principal's office. It was like because 0:28:04.560 --> 0:28:08.560 the kids started whopping and on, so it's forbidden. I 0:28:08.600 --> 0:28:13.760 couldn't play anything that made them morning starting listen. 0:28:14.119 --> 0:28:17.119 I was playing this kid, I played the changes to 0:28:17.560 --> 0:28:22.720 on Broadway. One of the looked at me like no, no, no, no, 0:28:25.760 --> 0:28:29.159 I like changes exactly. 0:28:30.320 --> 0:28:31.439 So, so how is it now? 0:28:31.520 --> 0:28:33.280 Like how was playing? 0:28:33.600 --> 0:28:35.480 I don't know if you saw this thing a few 0:28:35.520 --> 0:28:38.440 months back through this church in Georgia, he played the 0:28:38.520 --> 0:28:39.440 actual record. 0:28:39.360 --> 0:28:40.320 Walk it Out, I walk. 0:28:40.960 --> 0:28:44.040 I think I played the minister and played the verses 0:28:44.080 --> 0:28:47.640 and everything old churches of Dancing, and I was like no, 0:28:49.200 --> 0:28:50.040 I stopped watching. 0:28:49.880 --> 0:28:56.600 The video was like, but yeah, the influence is definitely there. 0:28:56.640 --> 0:28:57.600 The stuff they're doing now. 0:28:57.800 --> 0:29:01.880 You know they're playing to tracks, you know, so it's 0:29:02.120 --> 0:29:06.680 extremely the church that's extremely musical. You know, those guys 0:29:06.680 --> 0:29:09.560 are still playing and playing beyond you know, it's like 0:29:10.720 --> 0:29:12.280 Todd rises and then it just keeps. 0:29:13.280 --> 0:29:17.920 So, I mean church has got orchestras now, yeah, it's. 0:29:17.680 --> 0:29:19.520 I think it's less religious. No, what about guys like 0:29:19.600 --> 0:29:22.560 Corey Henry and p J. Morton, like like, it's still 0:29:22.680 --> 0:29:24.960 church based, but it's not religious. 0:29:25.840 --> 0:29:28.920 Would you consider to Triviat was he kind of in 0:29:29.040 --> 0:29:29.760 that same lane? 0:29:29.840 --> 0:29:32.400 Yeah, Todd, I think Todd helped change a lot, you know, 0:29:32.440 --> 0:29:34.400 because him in the band sound check, they were just 0:29:34.440 --> 0:29:37.600 doing some things that were like, wait, what is that? 0:29:38.240 --> 0:29:38.440 You know? 0:29:38.800 --> 0:29:40.520 I mean, Ale, you can attest to that, you know. 0:29:41.080 --> 0:29:44.240 Yeah, I mean I don't know. It's it's to me, 0:29:44.720 --> 0:29:50.320 like I still am, I like the the cranky old 0:29:50.400 --> 0:29:58.760 guy in the corner that everyone's already bopping their head. Yes, yes, no, 0:29:58.960 --> 0:30:05.200 but it's it's for me. I feel like the overdoing 0:30:05.280 --> 0:30:08.080 it of it all, yeah, frustrates the shit out. I 0:30:08.160 --> 0:30:11.480 mean because like I don't know, like I feel like 0:30:11.600 --> 0:30:14.160 the less if you act like a team like you're 0:30:14.200 --> 0:30:18.080 now boring. All Star games are for basketball because just 0:30:18.160 --> 0:30:20.760 like everyone's just taking leaps and everyone's dunk in offensive 0:30:20.760 --> 0:30:24.320 shootout right, And that's where I feel like gospel chops 0:30:24.360 --> 0:30:26.720 are now where it's just like, all right, we know 0:30:26.800 --> 0:30:28.680 you're amazing, but like, what do you guys like as 0:30:28.720 --> 0:30:29.120 a team? 0:30:29.480 --> 0:30:32.920 Right, But it's again I would not argue with that, 0:30:33.000 --> 0:30:35.240 but well I would argue that from that point of view, 0:30:35.360 --> 0:30:38.440 like that's the level of musicality that's risen to. Now 0:30:39.200 --> 0:30:43.080 that's the norm. So they just expressed it on getting 0:30:43.120 --> 0:30:45.240 more musical and more musical you know what I mean. 0:30:45.240 --> 0:30:49.280 It sounds like I mean the stuff that we listen to, 0:30:49.360 --> 0:30:52.120 fusion stuff, that chick career, electric band and all that stuff, 0:30:52.720 --> 0:30:54.360 which was special and different. 0:30:54.640 --> 0:30:55.680 That's the normal church. 0:30:58.240 --> 0:30:59.800 Do you ever do be power. 0:31:01.960 --> 0:31:06.440 Is amazing, Gospel was amazing, his whole his whole family. 0:31:07.960 --> 0:31:09.840 You are old or no? Now? 0:31:10.000 --> 0:31:13.440 Yeah, he's called Doob is a monster, dude you but 0:31:13.600 --> 0:31:16.360 it's very uh d o O b I E. But yeah, 0:31:16.360 --> 0:31:18.080 but it's very music like changes. 0:31:19.560 --> 0:31:20.280 Yeah, it's real. 0:31:20.600 --> 0:31:23.040 You said fusion. It kind of like Vegas changes or 0:31:23.200 --> 0:31:24.840 like nah nah na. 0:31:27.040 --> 0:31:28.000 Nah, he's not he's wrong. 0:31:28.160 --> 0:31:31.440 Do me the truth. Yeah, send it to your mir Okay, 0:31:31.880 --> 0:31:32.720 why are your school me? 0:31:32.800 --> 0:31:32.920 Now? 0:31:33.840 --> 0:31:35.360 No, I just always like to keep up with everybody 0:31:35.400 --> 0:31:36.160 on this show. Y'all don't know. 0:31:36.200 --> 0:31:38.200 I'll be sitting here looking up everything y'all talking about. 0:31:38.240 --> 0:31:39.760 So I might as well just send it to you too. 0:31:40.040 --> 0:31:43.640 I see, thank you. I appreciate it, all right. So 0:31:44.680 --> 0:31:49.120 what was the period that told you like, Okay, I'm 0:31:49.160 --> 0:31:53.280 going to take the serious and pursue my dream of 0:31:54.040 --> 0:31:55.040 playing music. 0:31:55.680 --> 0:32:00.840 When I was in college and after the Chemical Engineer 0:32:00.960 --> 0:32:06.840 and thebacle Peter and uh so, I left Drexel. 0:32:06.960 --> 0:32:10.880 I went to community college for two years and was 0:32:11.000 --> 0:32:22.000 working at Strawbage and Clovia, and I started getting gigs. 0:32:22.840 --> 0:32:26.960 And I started doing local gigs around town with different 0:32:27.040 --> 0:32:31.520 choirs and different club things, and then started doing some 0:32:31.640 --> 0:32:35.120 things with some national artists. You know, some national gospel artists. 0:32:36.520 --> 0:32:38.840 There's a choir called New Jersey Mass. I was working 0:32:38.880 --> 0:32:42.000 with them. There's a gospel singing name Vanessa bea Armstrong Yes, 0:32:42.920 --> 0:32:46.800 then Walker okay. So then I started working with the 0:32:46.880 --> 0:32:48.520 white Head Brothers, went on tourter. 0:32:48.320 --> 0:32:48.680 Europe with. 0:32:52.000 --> 0:32:53.920 That's why is that when I meet you when you 0:32:54.000 --> 0:32:56.840 are a Philadelphia International? Is that how that happens? Because 0:32:56.880 --> 0:32:59.040 that's when I met James and Victor Is at Philadelphia. 0:32:59.160 --> 0:33:01.200 Well that was after after that, that's when I met 0:33:01.680 --> 0:33:07.000 Jeff Okay, the that's just Jeffrey Jazz. I mean Jeffrey Towns, 0:33:07.160 --> 0:33:08.320 Jeffrey Jazz town. 0:33:09.640 --> 0:33:09.880 Jeff. 0:33:10.120 --> 0:33:13.040 Wait, you're you're skipping over very crucial things. I want 0:33:13.080 --> 0:33:15.640 to know about. Who is your longest gig with as 0:33:15.680 --> 0:33:17.520 far as like National Gospels concerned. 0:33:18.000 --> 0:33:21.040 Bruce Parham, he was a Philly guy and I worked 0:33:21.080 --> 0:33:24.200 with him. So it was Bouce as a Kywalker. Then 0:33:24.240 --> 0:33:24.680 I played with. 0:33:24.800 --> 0:33:27.400 Try try City with Donald Lawrence. 0:33:27.680 --> 0:33:32.000 Oh wow, all right, so guy Walkers call him up right? 0:33:32.960 --> 0:33:36.320 No, no, no, no, that's just no, that's right. That's 0:33:36.360 --> 0:33:36.840 keep fringle. 0:33:37.080 --> 0:33:38.840 All right. So here's the all. 0:33:41.920 --> 0:33:44.160 Right now the. 0:33:44.240 --> 0:33:49.080 DJ Rogers one make it anyhow? That was Tarik's first 0:33:49.120 --> 0:33:54.000 got that saying serious. Oh no, yeah, like you know, 0:33:54.160 --> 0:33:56.720 like the special Sundays were like you're gonna get annointed 0:33:56.840 --> 0:34:00.680 or something like that, like Tarik was for one week Threek, 0:34:01.120 --> 0:34:10.440 It's going to be like Aaron Hall, like seriously, handkerchiefs 0:34:10.480 --> 0:34:15.560 everybody this evening singa. 0:34:15.800 --> 0:34:17.640 So does the gospel community do they feel like you're 0:34:17.680 --> 0:34:18.680 secretly theirs? First? 0:34:18.719 --> 0:34:20.600 Like they look at you when they see you in 0:34:20.640 --> 0:34:22.399 the streets like come home. 0:34:22.440 --> 0:34:26.840 But I mean like but like you can leave, you 0:34:26.880 --> 0:34:28.839 can leave them, You could really just be with us, 0:34:28.960 --> 0:34:29.160 you know. 0:34:29.360 --> 0:34:32.040 I mean it's changed up so much. It's like where 0:34:32.040 --> 0:34:34.400 would I start going back to do some gospel records? 0:34:34.440 --> 0:34:37.080 You know, I mean, I'm do them my way, but 0:34:37.880 --> 0:34:39.440 the way they're doing them now, you know what I mean, 0:34:39.520 --> 0:34:39.799 it's like. 0:34:39.960 --> 0:34:41.120 It's like super advanced now. 0:34:41.400 --> 0:34:41.600 Yeah. 0:34:41.760 --> 0:34:45.080 Man, so wait, you're saying this is like eight degrees 0:34:45.200 --> 0:34:45.800 way past. 0:34:46.040 --> 0:34:51.040 Uh Commission Commission so there's way past commission now, yes, 0:34:51.320 --> 0:34:53.800 and I mean commission was just so cut measure. 0:34:53.920 --> 0:34:56.640 Yes, that was like the foundation almost like yeah, so. 0:34:56.840 --> 0:34:59.000 But there's still you know, there's still growing. There's a 0:34:59.080 --> 0:35:01.920 lot that gods are doing that. You know, Like you say, 0:35:02.000 --> 0:35:04.440 the music level is too high, dude. 0:35:04.239 --> 0:35:04.880 Like Kim Moarell. 0:35:05.880 --> 0:35:09.040 Yeah, yeah, it's just very it's very technical, like the 0:35:09.120 --> 0:35:11.839 gospel singers because I mean I work with a lot 0:35:11.920 --> 0:35:13.920 of singers and the thing that you have to that 0:35:14.040 --> 0:35:16.640 I notice with a lot of gospel singers or have 0:35:16.800 --> 0:35:19.640 to have that background getting them to understand the difference 0:35:19.680 --> 0:35:24.200 between being a singer and being a recording artist because 0:35:24.280 --> 0:35:28.280 they just want to sing. Like the run it's runs 0:35:28.600 --> 0:35:32.040 every two minutes. It's like fam, you can just sing 0:35:32.120 --> 0:35:33.920 the melody and it's okay, you know what I mean. 0:35:34.680 --> 0:35:37.400 Very Yeah, it's that like you said, like it's always 0:35:37.480 --> 0:35:41.280 that very flashy you know what I'm saying, but technically brilliant, 0:35:41.440 --> 0:35:43.920 you know what I'm saying. But it's like if you're 0:35:43.920 --> 0:35:45.840 singing a song, you kind of got to give the 0:35:45.920 --> 0:35:49.080 audience some room to you know, to sing along with you, 0:35:49.320 --> 0:35:49.839 you know what I mean? 0:35:50.120 --> 0:35:52.520 Right, So yeah, but but they be saying the ass 0:35:52.600 --> 0:35:55.520 all though it's funny. Back back in the day there 0:35:55.640 --> 0:35:57.560 was one or two singers that could do that kind 0:35:57.560 --> 0:35:59.600 of stuff. There's one of two musicians that could do 0:35:59.680 --> 0:36:03.400 all of you know, now everybody does that stuff, and 0:36:03.520 --> 0:36:05.360 it's like, let's go back to. 0:36:05.880 --> 0:36:06.720 Keeping it kind of simple. 0:36:06.760 --> 0:36:08.800 But it seems like approach. 0:36:14.840 --> 0:36:21.400 Take me through a typical week of this circuit, gig wise, 0:36:22.440 --> 0:36:28.880 like what rehearsal wise? What what what required? Dress code? Traveling? 0:36:29.960 --> 0:36:33.000 Yeah, so rehearsing doing like you're you're Morgan Freeman and 0:36:33.680 --> 0:36:40.040 this is a shawk. So we're rehearsing at some church, 0:36:40.200 --> 0:36:43.960 some small church somewhere. Okay, you know what day, like 0:36:44.280 --> 0:36:46.920 Tuesday nights sometime during the week, it doesn't matter, you know, 0:36:47.400 --> 0:36:48.400 Funday night, Tuesday night. 0:36:48.600 --> 0:36:50.000 Is it always organ or is it piano? 0:36:51.040 --> 0:36:53.520 It's uh piano, keyboards whatever was there? 0:36:53.600 --> 0:36:55.480 You know what, do you get a concept versus what 0:36:55.600 --> 0:36:58.600 you're going to learn or you have to know it already. 0:36:58.840 --> 0:37:01.399 But some things with some of the choirs, some things 0:37:01.440 --> 0:37:05.080 are just like standards that everybody would know, not like 0:37:05.840 --> 0:37:09.799 we were just people that know you you always you always, so. 0:37:09.880 --> 0:37:13.520 You know what everyone knows? Okay, Pactice of stuff. 0:37:14.000 --> 0:37:14.520 Go do it. 0:37:15.360 --> 0:37:16.839 Go do a gig. 0:37:16.960 --> 0:37:19.759 You know, there's a there's a gospel concert with like 0:37:19.840 --> 0:37:21.239 forty people on it. You go up there and do 0:37:21.360 --> 0:37:24.960 two songs. You know, you gotta have the d X 0:37:25.080 --> 0:37:27.320 seven or you share. Sometimes you bring your stuff in 0:37:27.440 --> 0:37:30.000 or sometimes you share. And sometimes people didn't want you 0:37:30.040 --> 0:37:33.960 playing and stuff. You know my settings don't don't don't move, 0:37:34.040 --> 0:37:36.480 don't don't don't don't change the transpose on this or 0:37:36.600 --> 0:37:39.160 the drummers, don't change the symbols around. Drummers bring the 0:37:39.200 --> 0:37:42.480 snares in drump. I've seen drummers walking with a snare 0:37:42.760 --> 0:37:45.240 and some sticks and walk out with the snare symbols. 0:37:50.440 --> 0:37:51.920 How much pack? 0:37:52.640 --> 0:37:57.800 Oh man, I got quite a few cheese steaks and listen, no, 0:37:58.600 --> 0:38:00.680 not even thirty five bucks, Like yo, let's just go 0:38:00.719 --> 0:38:01.399 get a chef steak. 0:38:01.480 --> 0:38:05.760 Ye and I had to split a chief steak pay. 0:38:07.920 --> 0:38:08.200 Damn. 0:38:08.400 --> 0:38:10.279 So your strawbridges money is your real money? 0:38:10.520 --> 0:38:10.759 Yeah? 0:38:11.040 --> 0:38:11.080 So? 0:38:11.280 --> 0:38:15.960 But is but also like are you in units? Like 0:38:16.160 --> 0:38:20.640 is it the goal to show out? And yeah, like 0:38:21.040 --> 0:38:23.799 we going to that church? Yeah, all of that, all 0:38:23.840 --> 0:38:23.960 of that. 0:38:25.160 --> 0:38:26.879 You know, I was you know some of the bands 0:38:26.920 --> 0:38:29.640 I was playing, and you know, I was always blessed 0:38:30.160 --> 0:38:34.560 to have the greatest drummers to work with, so little John. 0:38:36.239 --> 0:38:36.920 Laura, you know. 0:38:37.719 --> 0:38:39.759 So you know we go do these gigs and show. 0:38:39.800 --> 0:38:42.760 You know, everybody was more excited for Brian and John 0:38:43.040 --> 0:38:45.480 than me because you know, they they was putting on 0:38:45.520 --> 0:38:48.480 the show and I'm like, I'm just holding together with 0:38:48.560 --> 0:38:49.520 my two cords. 0:38:51.000 --> 0:38:55.200 Broadway, all right. So what was your first foray into 0:38:56.239 --> 0:38:58.920 the professional world that will take you to where you 0:38:59.000 --> 0:39:01.319 are now? Like, what's your what do you consider your 0:39:01.360 --> 0:39:05.640 first I got hired by Richard Timple's field. 0:39:06.400 --> 0:39:10.840 I said, White, Okay, what was this? 0:39:11.120 --> 0:39:13.279 The love is the one? Eight seven? Was this that one? 0:39:13.480 --> 0:39:13.920 Or was it? 0:39:14.480 --> 0:39:19.359 What was the record they had Feel Your Pain? Oh 0:39:19.440 --> 0:39:20.360 my god, my memory. 0:39:20.480 --> 0:39:23.520 So it's gone right now. It's just the white Head. Forget. 0:39:23.560 --> 0:39:24.520 I was a g it was it. 0:39:24.560 --> 0:39:26.400 Don't forget I was a gink Yeah that was what 0:39:26.520 --> 0:39:26.759 this is? 0:39:27.040 --> 0:39:29.400 White? That was the white had that kid the kid the. 0:39:29.440 --> 0:39:33.279 Son, Yeah, I forget forget. I was the g was 0:39:33.320 --> 0:39:34.920 the that was the one that was on the Jason's 0:39:34.960 --> 0:39:37.200 Lyrics soundtrack. That was like ninety five. 0:39:38.200 --> 0:39:41.040 We went towards Europe. You know, I'll never forget this. 0:39:41.160 --> 0:39:43.680 We played London. This guy opened up for us and 0:39:43.719 --> 0:39:48.120 everybody was laughing at him. Just do It's terrible, Mark Marrison. 0:39:55.080 --> 0:39:57.560 No, he was saying, I. 0:39:59.320 --> 0:39:59.560 Met you. 0:40:00.040 --> 0:40:02.399 No, this is in London. I meet you in London. 0:40:02.800 --> 0:40:07.000 I mean you know what I mean? Questnesia like, never 0:40:07.080 --> 0:40:12.440 heard that before, loved that. How many times I meet 0:40:12.480 --> 0:40:13.000 you before? 0:40:13.040 --> 0:40:15.800 I'm like, oh, Bill, well you thought it was your accountant, 0:40:15.840 --> 0:40:18.759 like seventeen exactly. I'm pretty sure you still think I'm 0:40:18.800 --> 0:40:19.839 your account right, That's fine. 0:40:20.120 --> 0:40:23.759 No, No, you're consistent in your accounting sheikh right now. 0:40:23.840 --> 0:40:26.759 I love it. No, No, but I remember I was 0:40:26.840 --> 0:40:29.920 hanging out the Apollo. Who are the white Heads opening for? 0:40:30.239 --> 0:40:30.279 That? 0:40:30.680 --> 0:40:33.760 Was it black Street at the Apollo? At the Apollo 0:40:33.960 --> 0:40:37.400 in London? It was black Street? Okay, we were over 0:40:37.640 --> 0:40:40.120 from the Foot Did I meet you? That's when I 0:40:40.280 --> 0:40:45.320 remember that's James Poyser. That's when it registered, because you're like, hey, Philly. 0:40:45.560 --> 0:40:46.960 I was like, huh, really. 0:40:48.200 --> 0:40:49.759 You remember something? I don't mind. 0:40:51.640 --> 0:40:55.680 This was Black Street and the white Head brothers came 0:40:55.760 --> 0:41:00.440 to the Apollo. I think around December nine, December of 0:41:00.520 --> 0:41:03.560 ninety five, I decided to not fly home for Christmas 0:41:04.160 --> 0:41:06.600 and just stay at our apartment everyone went home for 0:41:06.719 --> 0:41:09.759 Christmas and I stayed at our apartment in London and 0:41:10.160 --> 0:41:12.520 I went to go see Black Street. I think you 0:41:12.600 --> 0:41:13.919 are there three nights in a row or something. 0:41:14.080 --> 0:41:14.560 That's cool. 0:41:15.040 --> 0:41:16.640 Yeah, I don't remember that. 0:41:17.000 --> 0:41:19.120 So wait, then, how did you hook with White Hair 0:41:19.200 --> 0:41:19.759 Brothers then? 0:41:19.840 --> 0:41:23.520 Because yeah, how did I just really? 0:41:23.800 --> 0:41:26.040 I know, I know? But then did that? 0:41:26.239 --> 0:41:28.040 Was that what lead you into like being because y'all 0:41:28.040 --> 0:41:29.480 were kind of like supposed to be like the cannon 0:41:29.640 --> 0:41:31.440 for for p I R. 0:41:31.520 --> 0:41:33.080 For a minute, it felt like no, no, just wait 0:41:33.160 --> 0:41:34.000 this way before that. 0:41:34.160 --> 0:41:36.600 This was a little bit before p I R. 0:41:36.760 --> 0:41:41.080 This was right when I met Jeff okay and became 0:41:41.320 --> 0:41:43.399 and you know, he took me in a touch of jazz. 0:41:43.560 --> 0:41:44.520 Have you met Victor yet? 0:41:44.800 --> 0:41:45.000 Yeah? 0:41:45.160 --> 0:41:46.840 Jeff and Vick I met at the same time. This 0:41:47.000 --> 0:41:49.959 was Vic with the blonde head. Y'all remember that phase, 0:41:50.160 --> 0:41:52.640 this before this is grand Master. 0:41:54.360 --> 0:41:57.520 At one point Grandmaster Vic was probably neck and neck 0:41:57.680 --> 0:41:59.680 with like jazzy Jeff as far as I cut. 0:41:59.600 --> 0:42:03.040 The straight talking about a different victims Victor. 0:42:02.920 --> 0:42:05.720 Yeah, Grandmaster Vic, Grandmaster Vic exctic. 0:42:06.440 --> 0:42:13.000 Yeah, that was Grandmaster vict exotic Don and Jeff and 0:42:13.000 --> 0:42:13.680 the first print. 0:42:14.400 --> 0:42:17.160 Different Back then, blond okay, because I was working, because 0:42:17.160 --> 0:42:18.600 he always because also a Mary didn't. 0:42:18.600 --> 0:42:20.399 He started wearing a turban and he did some locked 0:42:20.600 --> 0:42:21.759 like you know, went through. 0:42:21.640 --> 0:42:27.880 The hes, going through the sealed thing. Yea. And according 0:42:27.920 --> 0:42:33.240 to vict he saw Daphne play the fine as Playboy 0:42:33.360 --> 0:42:37.320 model of I believe that she was at Tower Records signing. 0:42:37.520 --> 0:42:39.319 This is like a week before Things Fall a part 0:42:39.360 --> 0:42:43.040 came out. She was at Tyro Record signing like a 0:42:43.280 --> 0:42:46.719 I tens for the new like Playboy DVD or v 0:42:47.040 --> 0:42:54.600 HS thing and I went in and got autograph. She 0:42:54.719 --> 0:42:57.000 and her thank you, Like how did y'all get that? 0:42:57.600 --> 0:42:59.880 Was that my eight ten? That singing in your studio? 0:43:00.280 --> 0:43:04.239 Of of that mean to play might or was it his? 0:43:04.600 --> 0:43:06.480 Because he came back and like I'm changing my name. 0:43:12.120 --> 0:43:14.239 Yeah, he said the same thing, said the same thing. 0:43:14.320 --> 0:43:17.200 She was that fine, She's fine. 0:43:17.280 --> 0:43:18.200 He changed his name. 0:43:19.080 --> 0:43:23.240 I never knew from she was in a Visa commercial 0:43:23.600 --> 0:43:26.440 that was like her first national thing in addition to 0:43:26.560 --> 0:43:29.160 doing Playboy. But she was like in a Visent commercial, 0:43:30.080 --> 0:43:33.759 fine as all hell. Yeah. 0:43:35.040 --> 0:43:37.560 I always felt sort of from an outsider. I arrived 0:43:37.600 --> 0:43:39.360 in Philly in like two thousand and four, but like 0:43:39.800 --> 0:43:43.200 he always seemed like he was somehow a crux to 0:43:43.320 --> 0:43:45.759 what had happened, Like was he at the center of 0:43:45.800 --> 0:43:47.680 a lot of the stuff that that was happening. 0:43:48.040 --> 0:43:50.160 He was there, He was involved in a lot of stuff. 0:43:50.239 --> 0:43:52.000 He was also just way ahead of his time, because 0:43:52.160 --> 0:43:55.720 I admit that I was laughing, like when James explained 0:43:55.760 --> 0:43:58.879 to me, like, yeah, you know like Victor, and I'm 0:43:58.920 --> 0:44:01.120 like Grandmaster Vic. He's a not like Victor, who play 0:44:01.200 --> 0:44:03.279 trying to like you know, he's trying to do some 0:44:03.400 --> 0:44:07.000 cool sexy thing like seal sting, and I'm like grand 0:44:07.120 --> 0:44:13.839 Master vict wants to do that type of stuff. Right, 0:44:20.239 --> 0:44:25.239 was just way ahead everybody. He was first of all, 0:44:25.840 --> 0:44:30.359 the youngest. Is that Kenny or I think it was Kenny. Yeah, yeah, 0:44:30.360 --> 0:44:33.480 it was Kenny on tour. Did he ever play guitar? 0:44:34.440 --> 0:44:38.400 Because I don't think the world knew and Philly didn't know. 0:44:39.200 --> 0:44:43.279 He was like Kirk Jimmy Hendrick the level of guitar playing. 0:44:44.800 --> 0:44:48.200 So I met him, I met Kiddy. I think it's 0:44:48.239 --> 0:44:52.640 Kenny Whitehead, the youngest, you know a street music and 0:44:52.719 --> 0:44:54.680 he was just shredding and I've never seen like a 0:44:54.800 --> 0:44:58.719 young black person shred like guitar like that. And when 0:44:58.760 --> 0:45:01.000 I heard Whitehead, I was like, all that ain't My 0:45:01.120 --> 0:45:04.400 dad was like his father, ain't no stopping this stuff now, right. 0:45:05.840 --> 0:45:10.080 But on the tour where they just now, yeah, just singing, well, 0:45:10.320 --> 0:45:11.000 we would just you. 0:45:11.040 --> 0:45:13.080 Know, I always thought that was just wrong call, and 0:45:13.200 --> 0:45:15.080 like he should have played guitar more. 0:45:15.000 --> 0:45:16.799 And like, you know, it's funny. Can I just take 0:45:17.000 --> 0:45:19.719 you saying the first time you saw him? So I 0:45:19.800 --> 0:45:21.360 grew up in West Philly. You grew up in West Philly. 0:45:21.760 --> 0:45:23.840 We didn't know what, we didn't know each other. But 0:45:24.200 --> 0:45:26.839 I see this weird dude walking around because I take 0:45:26.920 --> 0:45:29.480 the g I take the l right, and I was like, 0:45:29.640 --> 0:45:33.480 who this d And then I did a session at 0:45:33.520 --> 0:45:37.080 the studio on Delaware Avenue and you were leaving, okay, 0:45:38.040 --> 0:45:39.479 and I was like, who's this dude? 0:45:39.600 --> 0:45:40.920 He was like, Yo, you don't know him. 0:45:40.960 --> 0:45:43.600 He's wanting studios. I think it was a Cajun. 0:45:44.960 --> 0:45:47.000 He's like, we don't know this dude on drums. I 0:45:47.080 --> 0:45:49.360 was like, he plays drums. I see him in the neighborhood, 0:45:49.400 --> 0:45:51.239 but I didn't know he played drums. And then the 0:45:51.320 --> 0:45:52.759 Boys and Men video came out. 0:45:55.480 --> 0:45:55.920 I got it. 0:45:59.280 --> 0:46:02.720 That's my entry. So how did you meet Jeff because 0:46:04.440 --> 0:46:07.640 you came around he's now he's the tail end of 0:46:07.680 --> 0:46:08.800 he's DJ. I'm the rapper. 0:46:08.920 --> 0:46:11.600 But really in the beginning of and in this corner, 0:46:11.680 --> 0:46:14.719 it was little John, little John Roberts who he was 0:46:14.760 --> 0:46:16.680 playing drums at Jeff and they had a gig at 0:46:16.719 --> 0:46:20.120 the Zoo the Philly Woo. 0:46:21.960 --> 0:46:23.480 I went to hang out. I was like, yo, I 0:46:23.600 --> 0:46:24.480 want to be done with this. 0:46:26.160 --> 0:46:26.959 Performed that okay. 0:46:27.680 --> 0:46:30.359 Oh it was just Jeff DJing but with the band 0:46:30.400 --> 0:46:33.279 and he had some other musicians playing, okay, And I 0:46:33.400 --> 0:46:37.200 was like, I'm trying to know what's up. So, you know, 0:46:37.880 --> 0:46:41.960 got cool with him and Vic and uh, this was right. 0:46:42.040 --> 0:46:45.239 They just moved a studio from Delaware Avenue up to. 0:46:48.160 --> 0:46:49.360 He left Studio four. 0:46:49.440 --> 0:46:52.560 Yeah, and went up to Near City Avenue. I forget 0:46:52.600 --> 0:46:52.920 the name of this. 0:46:52.960 --> 0:46:54.520 I didn't they moved there, yeah, okay. 0:46:55.440 --> 0:46:59.439 So I started working with him there, okay, and worked 0:46:59.480 --> 0:47:02.520 there for a few is some remixes whatever this was. 0:47:02.719 --> 0:47:05.680 This was that when Jefferson always in a light doing 0:47:06.000 --> 0:47:10.359 that fresh Prince. So then me and what you're on, Yeah, 0:47:10.640 --> 0:47:13.200 I'm in a couple of episodes, really a couple episodes. 0:47:14.440 --> 0:47:16.239 I was hanging out with Jeff and I was like 0:47:16.760 --> 0:47:19.680 sitting in the back eating Roscoe's. I'm like, yo, will man, 0:47:19.760 --> 0:47:21.000 let me get on one of these scenes. 0:47:21.080 --> 0:47:21.239 Man. 0:47:22.520 --> 0:47:23.319 It will took me right. 0:47:23.480 --> 0:47:25.960 And it was a Friday, just before they're about the 0:47:26.040 --> 0:47:28.799 tape and you gotta remember those extras there all week 0:47:28.840 --> 0:47:31.160 for rehearsal, and he put me right in front and 0:47:31.200 --> 0:47:31.960 they were looking at. 0:47:31.960 --> 0:47:41.640 Me like you the cutters extras hate line cuts. Boy. 0:47:42.520 --> 0:47:46.080 So again we're working there and Chauncey Charles, my brother, 0:47:46.239 --> 0:47:48.359 was up there working with working the business with us. 0:47:48.960 --> 0:47:51.680 And then we were like, you know, we're doing this ourselves. 0:47:51.760 --> 0:47:54.160 Let's go off by ourselves and do our things. 0:47:54.840 --> 0:48:00.720 So we're working at vix apartment doing nothing, and Kenny Gamble, 0:48:00.760 --> 0:48:05.799 who was a friend of Vic's mom or Chelcey's mom, 0:48:06.000 --> 0:48:09.400 was like, man, you guys, come, I'm gonna teach you 0:48:09.440 --> 0:48:10.279 all what's going on. 0:48:10.920 --> 0:48:12.359 So that's where I had the room. 0:48:12.800 --> 0:48:14.880 If that's when that's where we first met you and 0:48:15.000 --> 0:48:18.799 Keith too, Yeah, Keith, Keith's working there yet Chance brought 0:48:18.880 --> 0:48:21.680 Keith down to like help handle little books or whatever whatever. 0:48:22.120 --> 0:48:27.000 Keith mcpheie Keith McPhee started at Philly International. 0:48:26.760 --> 0:48:29.680 Because I think he had just quit this jan did 0:48:29.719 --> 0:48:31.279 he quit m TV at the time, and he wasn't 0:48:31.320 --> 0:48:32.359 trying to travel too much? 0:48:33.040 --> 0:48:35.759 Uh yeah, yeah yeah. 0:48:36.600 --> 0:48:38.600 And then right after that, that's when he was like 0:48:38.719 --> 0:48:39.719 back on the road with y'all. 0:48:40.000 --> 0:48:43.200 Yes, Keiths who called me earlier, interrupted me. 0:48:43.320 --> 0:48:46.719 They'll get to write songs for Damon Keith Williams all 0:48:46.800 --> 0:48:46.960 of that. 0:48:47.440 --> 0:48:50.920 Okay, So what was your day to day at Philly International? 0:48:50.960 --> 0:48:54.239 Because I always heard of like Philly Internationals opened back 0:48:54.320 --> 0:48:57.960 up and everybody worked at Philly International. But did anything 0:48:58.080 --> 0:48:58.480 come out? 0:49:00.200 --> 0:49:00.319 Man? 0:49:01.520 --> 0:49:04.160 You forgot no question, rumber, no question the group. I 0:49:04.280 --> 0:49:05.720 don't care what your mama. 0:49:05.920 --> 0:49:12.560 Yeah, y'all okay, I remember Wow, yes, but but but 0:49:13.400 --> 0:49:14.279 didn't respond to it. 0:49:14.480 --> 0:49:16.080 I was like, I just got big. 0:49:16.920 --> 0:49:19.040 This is an R and B group, can take I 0:49:19.200 --> 0:49:22.560 take it. I's no questions. I mean that kind of Yeah, 0:49:24.280 --> 0:49:26.279 they steal their own faith. But you're right. 0:49:26.840 --> 0:49:28.080 I'm sorry, you're right, You're right right. 0:49:28.400 --> 0:49:30.480 So we go down in the morning and just work 0:49:30.600 --> 0:49:35.120 until like ten forty five, And that's when Zog who 0:49:35.280 --> 0:49:37.880 was mister Huff's right hand man, and Zog played drums 0:49:37.960 --> 0:49:40.200 on Curtis mayfield Superfly album. 0:49:40.560 --> 0:49:42.160 Wow Okay and be. 0:49:42.200 --> 0:49:43.080 Like time to go. 0:49:44.280 --> 0:49:46.480 So we were like, yo, gams Man, can we stay later? 0:49:46.600 --> 0:49:51.000 And Gamseling ain't no flophouse, y'all leave it out of here. 0:49:52.840 --> 0:49:54.040 You wouldn't let y'all work late. 0:49:54.239 --> 0:49:59.320 No, make sure close close the doors and send the 0:49:59.440 --> 0:50:03.640 old But it's crazy. I had Linda Creed's. 0:50:03.239 --> 0:50:07.720 Over them, the Creed who wrote people all the records. 0:50:07.800 --> 0:50:10.320 Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was so had the psychedelic carpet 0:50:10.360 --> 0:50:10.719 on the wall. 0:50:11.280 --> 0:50:13.560 It was crazy, all the original stuff and. 0:50:13.760 --> 0:50:16.759 Just being there in sessions and louver All's being it's 0:50:16.800 --> 0:50:18.640 crazy like the old louver Balls. 0:50:18.640 --> 0:50:20.879 They were finished up Phillis Hymon's album at the time. 0:50:20.960 --> 0:50:22.319 Did you play on any of those things? 0:50:22.640 --> 0:50:24.680 I think I played on a louver All song. 0:50:26.320 --> 0:50:27.320 Phyllis Nice. 0:50:27.640 --> 0:50:28.839 I didn't get to I didn't meet her. 0:50:30.239 --> 0:50:32.880 So what what years? Just so we know what was 0:50:32.960 --> 0:50:38.400 Philly International? This is eighty eight? Yeah, ok, based on 0:50:38.520 --> 0:50:39.319 his albums coming out. 0:50:39.400 --> 0:50:41.239 But the greatest thing I got from that was just 0:50:41.360 --> 0:50:44.200 sitting around listening to Gams and mister huff talk. 0:50:44.680 --> 0:50:44.879 Yeah. 0:50:45.920 --> 0:50:48.560 So I remember one time they were watching videos on TV. 0:50:48.680 --> 0:50:53.200 Some girls group was on. They all right, but they 0:50:53.200 --> 0:50:54.600 ain't let them girls. 0:50:58.040 --> 0:51:05.120 Yeah, I wanted to ask you man, talk about your 0:51:05.160 --> 0:51:08.760 process of going from being a musician, being a player 0:51:09.160 --> 0:51:11.839 to being a producer, because there's a lot of people 0:51:11.880 --> 0:51:14.680 who can play, but you know, making tracks or you know, 0:51:14.800 --> 0:51:16.520 being that it's a different thing. 0:51:17.040 --> 0:51:18.880 So at the time, I would I really wanted to 0:51:18.960 --> 0:51:20.880 be a musician, just be on the road and whatnot. 0:51:20.920 --> 0:51:24.360 And I met some guys that were constantly on the 0:51:24.440 --> 0:51:28.600 road and I saw their living situations and I saw 0:51:28.719 --> 0:51:31.920 that and I was like, remember me smart, because I. 0:51:32.080 --> 0:51:40.160 Me me smart, me kicked out of ten different. 0:51:42.640 --> 0:51:44.600 So I was like, Okay, this is not going to 0:51:44.680 --> 0:51:46.560 mount to much, you know what I mean. I can 0:51:46.680 --> 0:51:48.400 keep this is a monkey hustle. You know, I can 0:51:48.520 --> 0:51:50.400 keep chasing this. And I was like, okay, what's the 0:51:50.520 --> 0:51:53.799 next step to us? So I was like, okay, let 0:51:53.880 --> 0:51:56.080 me be strategic and start writing songs. 0:51:56.800 --> 0:51:57.040 Okay. 0:51:57.480 --> 0:52:00.320 And I wrote a bunch of gospel songs that you 0:52:00.400 --> 0:52:03.960 know it's a Walker, recorded some Bruce par Ham and 0:52:04.640 --> 0:52:06.480 you know a bunch of the So I started writing 0:52:06.640 --> 0:52:09.920 other other songs. I remember, I wrote some songs and 0:52:10.000 --> 0:52:11.680 I let this guy and feel he was like a 0:52:12.080 --> 0:52:13.440 pretty well known songwriter. 0:52:13.680 --> 0:52:15.560 Hear some stuff and he was like this is terrible. 0:52:15.640 --> 0:52:23.000 Who His name was, Spencer, Bernard Spencer, Big Spencer. 0:52:23.280 --> 0:52:24.360 I know the name Spencer. 0:52:24.600 --> 0:52:25.399 I know that guy. 0:52:25.560 --> 0:52:26.560 Yeah, I've heard it name. 0:52:27.440 --> 0:52:27.600 You know. 0:52:27.920 --> 0:52:31.160 That's happened to me quite a whit when I send 0:52:31.280 --> 0:52:34.080 music to people and they hate it. Being one of them, 0:52:36.520 --> 0:52:39.360 it is cool, good stuff I did at the. 0:52:39.360 --> 0:52:43.279 Time, I was searching, and it was it was absolutely trash. Remember, no, 0:52:43.440 --> 0:52:46.759 I appreciate you like you you ain't lying and be like, 0:52:46.800 --> 0:52:47.439 oh this is cool. 0:52:47.480 --> 0:52:48.400 You're like nah. 0:52:50.680 --> 0:52:51.480 That his wife. 0:52:53.440 --> 0:52:55.560 And I appreciate that. Yo, I love you. 0:52:55.680 --> 0:52:57.360 I'm like, yo, bro, I don't I don't want to 0:52:57.360 --> 0:52:57.759 have you out. 0:52:57.800 --> 0:53:01.560 I know, I appreciated that. I absolutely appreciate that. You know, 0:53:01.680 --> 0:53:02.480 somebody would have lied. 0:53:02.880 --> 0:53:06.120 Yeah, I still be doing some waknesste first to tell 0:53:06.120 --> 0:53:06.560 you the truth. 0:53:07.400 --> 0:53:10.440 But wait, how long ago was that because don't remember this, 0:53:10.840 --> 0:53:13.480 this is this had to be maybe early two thousands. 0:53:14.719 --> 0:53:17.600 Yeah, man, James like so with him, he and I 0:53:17.800 --> 0:53:21.000 like this was probably like, man, this is early two thousands, 0:53:21.440 --> 0:53:23.359 and we were doing this is when we were doing 0:53:23.400 --> 0:53:25.120 the Mentrol show. This whenever he was on the Mentro 0:53:25.200 --> 0:53:28.279 Show and we came up to the studio and I 0:53:28.480 --> 0:53:31.080 was just playing You records. I'll never get this was. 0:53:31.160 --> 0:53:33.200 I was just playing you records and we played the 0:53:33.280 --> 0:53:35.920 All for You record, and James just immediately went to 0:53:36.000 --> 0:53:38.959 the keyboard and just started playing over and I was like, oh, Ship, 0:53:39.680 --> 0:53:41.680 And I was just so honored that he would. 0:53:41.440 --> 0:53:43.359 Even play on one our records. I was like, ship. 0:53:43.840 --> 0:53:45.440 And so we ended up keeping it. And so he 0:53:45.640 --> 0:53:47.839 played on All for You on the Mintel Show. He's 0:53:47.840 --> 0:53:50.040 playing the keys and stuff on that. And then a 0:53:50.080 --> 0:53:52.279 couple of years after that he reached out and uh, 0:53:53.200 --> 0:53:53.879 the Fame movie. 0:53:54.760 --> 0:53:55.319 I did Fame. 0:53:55.440 --> 0:53:58.360 This was the movie did absolutely the movie. 0:53:58.239 --> 0:54:02.320 Did nothing but h maturity now and she was playing 0:54:02.800 --> 0:54:05.759 she had a role and they needed a song, and uh, 0:54:06.160 --> 0:54:07.719 James just saying he was like, hey man, I'm working 0:54:07.760 --> 0:54:07.920 on this. 0:54:08.080 --> 0:54:10.440 You think you can write something again. 0:54:10.640 --> 0:54:14.080 I'm like, holy shiped anybody? 0:54:14.160 --> 0:54:16.120 Yeah, no, straight up? 0:54:16.239 --> 0:54:16.359 Now? 0:54:16.520 --> 0:54:19.360 He and he sent it and me and my homegirl, 0:54:19.400 --> 0:54:21.880 Carlida Carlila Durant, we went in the studio. We did it, 0:54:21.920 --> 0:54:24.120 and I sent it back and I'm just hell, Mary, 0:54:24.200 --> 0:54:27.040 I have no idea, like maybe this works, and so 0:54:27.239 --> 0:54:27.960 James he hit me. 0:54:28.040 --> 0:54:29.840 I remember, I never get We was on instant Messenger. 0:54:31.200 --> 0:54:35.000 He was like, man, you show off, show off. I 0:54:35.120 --> 0:54:36.520 was like, all right, I think we got it right. 0:54:36.960 --> 0:54:39.040 So so now we did those records and. 0:54:39.760 --> 0:54:43.359 Yeah, then uh god, man, your first Place record. 0:54:43.440 --> 0:54:45.400 That was one of my first Yeah, writing for a 0:54:45.480 --> 0:54:48.000 movie that was like oh nine, and then I was 0:54:48.120 --> 0:54:49.680 and then like a couple of years after that, we 0:54:49.800 --> 0:54:53.200 did I red the phn ex Changes cover if She 0:54:53.280 --> 0:54:56.359 Breaks Your Heart. He remixed that, and he was one 0:54:56.400 --> 0:54:57.240 of your drum loops. 0:54:57.320 --> 0:55:02.239 Actually, yeah, for the rebix, this should be called I 0:55:02.320 --> 0:55:06.040 played on that two of you. Yeah, he did it. 0:55:06.160 --> 0:55:08.720 So now, man, James, he was always I mean outside 0:55:08.760 --> 0:55:10.720 of just you know, me being a fan of the music, 0:55:11.400 --> 0:55:13.799 I just always appreciated the way that you would reach 0:55:13.840 --> 0:55:15.880 out to me and just give me those opportunities and 0:55:15.880 --> 0:55:18.719 would always show up. And you know, just aside from 0:55:18.760 --> 0:55:21.480 me being a fan, like just you giving me those calls, man, 0:55:21.520 --> 0:55:23.400 that ship really meant a lot. And so anytime you 0:55:23.520 --> 0:55:25.680 call my all way, I'm like, yeah, I gotta deliver 0:55:27.120 --> 0:55:27.560 straight up. 0:55:27.680 --> 0:55:28.000 I love you. 0:55:30.040 --> 0:55:32.080 I get really nervous around poison. Also, man, he came 0:55:32.239 --> 0:55:34.439 yeah all the time he did a thing. I said 0:55:34.440 --> 0:55:34.799 it to him. 0:55:34.800 --> 0:55:39.000 I was like, fuck, listen this thing that you sent me. 0:55:39.160 --> 0:55:39.680 He was like this. 0:55:40.160 --> 0:55:45.560 I was like, what is wrong with you? I was terrified. 0:55:45.760 --> 0:55:46.600 I was terrible. 0:55:46.640 --> 0:55:50.239 I was like he shouldn't. Tru A million called me, was. 0:55:50.239 --> 0:55:51.520 Like, we're gonna do it, but James gonna be. 0:55:51.520 --> 0:55:52.360 I was like, fuck. 0:55:54.520 --> 0:55:55.160 If he has to be? 0:55:55.840 --> 0:55:57.760 Is that your instrument? Bill the piano? 0:55:58.040 --> 0:56:05.680 I mean sure, but I'm a fake. I'm a fake 0:56:05.719 --> 0:56:07.680 piano player. I can't play like James can play, but 0:56:07.680 --> 0:56:09.960 I can like I can manipulate. 0:56:09.480 --> 0:56:11.480 With Submitty magic. 0:56:11.760 --> 0:56:13.279 You know, yeah, make it happen. 0:56:13.880 --> 0:56:14.480 Family love. 0:56:18.120 --> 0:56:20.560 Okay, folks, this is where we're stopping part one with 0:56:20.680 --> 0:56:24.600 my favorite member of the Roots, James Poyser. Actually Kirk 0:56:24.719 --> 0:56:27.520 is my fave. And then Black Thought and the questl 0:56:27.560 --> 0:56:30.719 Ever kind of tied for second place, and wow, wait second, 0:56:30.760 --> 0:56:33.880 I forgot stro He's definitely in the top five. And 0:56:34.200 --> 0:56:36.560 the horn guys Dave and I and there my bros. 0:56:37.160 --> 0:56:40.760 So yeah, James would be like six No wait, Mark Kelly, 0:56:40.920 --> 0:56:45.040 Oh yes, he's my man. So James is like, wait, 0:56:45.200 --> 0:56:49.080 me and Kamal have really bonded recently. So James Poyser 0:56:49.200 --> 0:56:50.960 is like, whoa hold on a second? 0:56:51.040 --> 0:56:51.400 Tuba? 0:56:51.640 --> 0:56:55.239 I forgot tuba, my man. That's my cousin. So uh oh, 0:56:55.480 --> 0:56:58.040 bad news for James, but good news for you, our listener. 0:56:58.160 --> 0:57:01.000 In part two, the conversation about you is transition from 0:57:01.000 --> 0:57:04.160 a musician to producer continues with some deep dives into 0:57:04.200 --> 0:57:06.759 the records he's made. Come back next week or check 0:57:06.800 --> 0:57:08.200 your podcast feed for that one. 0:57:08.480 --> 0:57:10.840 See you later, James James, James James. 0:57:10.920 --> 0:57:16.200 What's Love Supreme is a production of Iheartradios James. For 0:57:16.360 --> 0:57:20.560 more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 0:57:21.000 --> 0:57:22.680 or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.