1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 1: R B Money. We all take valut. We are the 2 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: authority on all things R and B ladies and generally 3 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: what's going on. My name is Tank, I'm Jin and 4 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: this is the R and B Money Podcast, the authority, Yeah, 5 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: right on all things R and B. Yeah. Oh my 6 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: god in the building Gumbo himself. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, 7 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: go ahead and mix that thing out. Oh you all 8 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: the ingredients? Oh man, And that's all I'm gonna say. 9 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: Gordon Lady to be my god. You know what I'm saying. 10 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: You're so cold, like like cold cold, Like there's levels 11 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 1: to cold, right, Cold is like Donny Hathaway. Cold is 12 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: like Stevie wonder Man. Cold is like Eric Dawkins. Yeah, 13 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:32,839 Speaker 1: you're like all of that. We've into one human being 14 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: with a beanie on. It's sick. Yeah, man, coming from 15 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: from you, who is you know code? I mean you 16 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: know you know because because I mean a cloth of it, 17 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: and so now I appreciate it, man, I appreciate it 18 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: just being in the same room. You know, I don't 19 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: know if I were if I told you, I feel 20 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: like I told you when you when I was doing 21 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: the show during the pandemic, when I was doing uh, 22 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: the game show whatever. But I met you at a 23 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: super pivotal time in my life. When I my freshman 24 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,679 Speaker 1: year of more House, I moved to Atlanta. My boy 25 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 1: Chuck took me the noontime. Took me the noontime. Jake 26 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: q is his brother, that's his older brother. John Ta 27 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: was there. Jaz Fade was there, you know. B Cox 28 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: was there. Donnie Scans, who became my man, was there. 29 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: And I walked in there and said, since she shakes 30 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 1: for dollars, I don't like the holler. I was like, wait, 31 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: what I mean that night and it feels like one night. 32 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 1: I don't I can't remember if it was one night 33 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: or a time frame, but me walking through noontime literally changed. 34 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 1: It changed my life because I was coming from New Orleans, 35 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: where there was a bunch of music, but there was 36 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: no music industry. And I was saying, these dudes, every 37 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: room when you went in, you were you heard music 38 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: and were inspired and you were the first artist. I 39 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: walked in and and I was like, oh my god, 40 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,519 Speaker 1: what are we doing? This is how this go? You 41 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying that you might have had maybe 42 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: I deserve it that you might in that era. I 43 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: don't know but it was that vibe. It was no, 44 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: you weren't out, No, no, you know I'm saying I 45 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: might have heard that record, you know early on. I 46 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 1: did it in nineties when I did a record like 47 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 1: eight or something like that. So I got before I 48 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,519 Speaker 1: got to before I got this in bro. Yeah, yeah, 49 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: I wrote that record, Shakespeare Dollars. It is a noontime classic. Yes, yes, 50 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: time changing my life by the way. We shared that 51 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: right special and Scans became my man became yeah, so cool. Yeah, 52 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, like that became Scans. Guy, 53 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: that's my that's one of my sins. Sate listen, bro. Yeah, 54 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: that Shakespeare Dollars record came about from me going to 55 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: Atlanta strip clubs right for the first time with with 56 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: all of sixty dollars because it hadn't started raining then, 57 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, So so so working those ones, 58 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: it was had none of that, not sixties, This was 59 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: this then it was it was so my thirty ones, 60 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: like it looked like something you know what I'm saying, 61 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: Friday turn the money overs had to make this work. 62 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: And I saw it in goose Bumps that I was 63 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: in love with Wow, like I like you, and I'll 64 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: be back tomorrow. I'll be back tomorrow with another thirty, 65 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: with another hot when it's under the hunt, it is hot, 66 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: it's hot, and I'm hoping, I'm hoping that our conversation 67 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: about her goals and aspirations and my goals and aspirations 68 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 1: can lead to us somehow being together. And if somehow 69 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: her goals and aspirations still, you know, the designs are 70 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,039 Speaker 1: still for her to be in this place. That's fine, Yeah, 71 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: that's fine, Free Nation. I'll drop you off, I'll pick 72 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 1: you up. Yes, just will just be with me. Keep 73 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:36,679 Speaker 1: from that. Since you started with that damn record the place, man, Yeah, 74 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 1: that sounds like true love, man, sound like true love. 75 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:44,360 Speaker 1: I used to fall in love in the strip had 76 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: a song called I always seemed to fall in Love 77 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: in the Strip Club, that is, And I didn't. I 78 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: just I don't know what it was. And it wasn't 79 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,479 Speaker 1: like I'm in the strip club and I need to 80 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 1: get something out of here and tap it up and 81 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: what I'm saying and be on like some some some 82 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:09,559 Speaker 1: some ogre savage type. No, they was dancing and throwing 83 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: hips around exactly who you are. And I was looking 84 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: at the eyes. Followed Diamond home and I saw that 85 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: your eyes just have to look at I thought about it, 86 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: but I following home. Don't be him. We didn't get 87 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: jealous though, when when it was he was jealous when 88 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:33,559 Speaker 1: he had to go to the next nigga who morning 89 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: and I was kind of watching, Oh my god, I 90 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: gotta I gotta figure out the nigger giving him more. 91 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:47,719 Speaker 1: And she gave that can't be the love of my life. 92 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: It can't be. Can't be, that can't be, not my 93 00:06:52,279 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: my lady, not mus not musing, can keep He told me, 94 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: what is a really sentiment? Right? The girls come over 95 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: and asked me about it. There it was like, no, 96 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: I'm here with somebody I'm taking. You were taking taking, 97 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: were taking that crazy man, Yeah right right. But that's 98 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: when we that's when I met you. That's when I 99 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: met you. That is Crushman in college and just figuring 100 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: it out. What a time in Atlanta though at that 101 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: tall Man, it was special, bro, special, it was special. 102 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: I just fell right in it and shout out to Noontime. 103 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: I gotta give I gotta give Noontime a special shout 104 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: out man, because just in terms of how they were 105 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: making their records, the amount of talent that they had 106 00:07:54,320 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: up there, um sharing and collaborating, true, you know what 107 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: I'm saying, Like true collaborations like this was the first 108 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: time I had seen producers share sounds like this. They 109 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: was like, Oh, you gotta get this new new stick. 110 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: I I was crazy. Everybody passing the disc around this 111 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: new kickoff, this new that's the new Time saying on 112 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: that right there. I had them all, Yeah, the stick 113 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: from the planet fact, that's the new Time stick. Like 114 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: they were they were they were making this magic together 115 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: and creating an identity that it was noon very motown 116 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: ish because you could that's what I'm saying if you 117 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: were stuck. You go in another room and it's like 118 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: you're hearing something that you know what I'm saying, that 119 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: was special, Like everybody had their own things. So for me, 120 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: that was brand new because when I was growing up, 121 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: I was the only person I knew like me, you 122 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying, Like wanting to make records that 123 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: we're gonna be on the radio. You know, it was 124 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 1: like either you wanted to be in jazz in New 125 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: Orleans or you know, a rapper. I wasn't either, so 126 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: I just didn't really you know, find a place there 127 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: until I got to Atlanta. Wow. Yeah, Um, let's let's 128 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: go back to let's go back to the let's go 129 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: back to the beginning, because because they had to, somebody 130 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: looked at you and said that boy there got it. Man, 131 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: he can do it, and he got it. When was 132 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: that and when was the time that you actually felt 133 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: like that? Um? Well, I'm preacher's kid, you know, and 134 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: not just a preacher's kid, but I was. My father 135 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,440 Speaker 1: was a singer, is a singer, like a for real, 136 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 1: for real singer, no play play and um, so our 137 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:42,439 Speaker 1: church was very musical, like um, the musicians he brought in. 138 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 1: I mean it was like top not she was like serious, 139 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: we started making records like in the eighties, you know 140 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. Um, And so I had a lot 141 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: of it around me. So my family was the family 142 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: that pushed you. If they saw it, they're like PJ planning, 143 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: you know. My dad said he prayed over my hands. 144 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: So eight years old is when I got when I 145 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: started playing, like when I felt like I was playing. 146 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 1: Fourteen is when I remember saying, Okay, I'm like I 147 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 1: can play. I didn't want to sing for for a 148 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: long time. That was keys was kind of like my 149 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: comfort zone. So yeah, singing during this time, you know, 150 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 1: not really. I had a solo probably at you know, 151 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 1: ten years old, humble yourself, you know, with the youth choir, 152 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 1: you know, but like I didn't want to sing. Once 153 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:28,199 Speaker 1: I started playing, I was like, na, this is all 154 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,199 Speaker 1: I want to do. And um, the way I started 155 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: singing was, um, I wanted to hear. I started hearing 156 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: harmonies and stuff in my head and I'm like writing 157 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 1: these songs at fourteen and fifteen, and I was like, 158 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:44,439 Speaker 1: I just want to hear him, so I will go 159 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: to the studio and like just record him. I had 160 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: an s Y eighty five and I started sequencing on 161 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: that Yamaha joint and I took it to the studio. 162 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: Remember I would pay my own money. Literally, I didn't 163 00:10:57,040 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: have any concept of placing songs. I didn't know how 164 00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: to industry work. That just wasn't around. And I let 165 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: my best friend here one of those songs. Uh. Kenneth 166 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 1: and his brother Brian was in ministandard years old, and 167 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: he was like, you should let Brian here that they 168 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 1: just started a group because they were on the road 169 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: doing sneaky Um, yeah, I was. I didn't know where 170 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:22,319 Speaker 1: R and B songs weld play, so I didn't let 171 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: nobody hear those at that point. I was right though. 172 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: I thought I wanted to write for Brian McKnight, and 173 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: I'm like, I don't, I don't know, but I think 174 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 1: I can. Yeah. That's why I was like I skipped 175 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: because Stevie was the first thing that came to me, 176 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: like really you and I became obsessed. Like at thirteen, 177 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,560 Speaker 1: I became obsessed, so I wasn't necessarily listening to what 178 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:41,439 Speaker 1: was popular at the time. So now I listened to 179 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 1: the kid groups that you didn't want to write for them. 180 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:46,719 Speaker 1: I think Brian, I think I could do you know 181 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. That had no idea with that confidence. 182 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:53,319 Speaker 1: But but Ken let Brian hear that song and they 183 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 1: recorded that on It Feels Like Rain album. So I 184 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: was fifteen. I remember I had to bring the CD 185 00:11:57,920 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: to school because they didn't believe me. I'm like, YO 186 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: wrote a song for a real person, and I brought 187 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: the CD cover there to show them that. Yeah, And 188 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 1: then I got to check and I was like, wait, 189 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:13,599 Speaker 1: I could do this and get a money like it 190 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: No I didn't know. I didn't know at all. I 191 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: was like, they want to do my song? J Mark 192 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 1: Pajam was producing it. P D A and J Mass 193 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 1: they produced it. And I always tell this story. It 194 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: is funny because my s Y A D five would 195 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 1: cut out if it was overload, like sequencing right, so 196 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: you go from the hook to the verse and sometimes 197 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: if it's too many sounds at the at the one, 198 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: it would drop out and P D A and then 199 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 1: they dropped out. They did a break and I said 200 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: in my fourteen year fifteen year old brain, I said, oh, 201 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,679 Speaker 1: I'm a producer, like they did my mistake over you 202 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. And that was it. Man, I 203 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: was like, I was like, and so to your point, 204 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 1: gospel music was the lowest hanging fruit for me. That's 205 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: what it was around me. Like I said, my dad 206 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: was making records all that. So I was writing for 207 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 1: the church and stuff and until I moved to Atlanta 208 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: in college and that's my junior years when I linked 209 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: up with in Dr Red and places. That's my first placement, 210 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: like mainstream placement when she was on Motown. But so 211 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:18,560 Speaker 1: I guess fourteen was like when I started playing the 212 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:21,959 Speaker 1: House of Blue, Sunday brunch, playing for different groups. Again, 213 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: wasn't singing singing was like not mom, I was too 214 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: shys to shake. My dad asked me to singing church. 215 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: My hand to be shaking. I didn't want to be 216 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: in front of people. I tried to be in the 217 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 1: back for so long. Still worth singing at four nah, 218 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: just to myself, but not not out, not out to people. 219 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:42,199 Speaker 1: Now I was. I was terrified, man, until my dad 220 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:45,719 Speaker 1: asked me to sing a solo and I was, I 221 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: did it for him, you know, And then I kind 222 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 1: of I was like, I liked, I like this. I'm 223 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 1: just scared, you know what I'm saying. But when I 224 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: went to college, I got to kind of re reinvent 225 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: myself for seeing myself in a different light because I 226 00:13:58,080 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 1: was just Paul Morton's son, you know, in the world. 227 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: So I was just it was huge, it was a 228 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: huge shadow. So like I got to just restart in 229 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: Atlanta's when I started to like think about being an 230 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:14,679 Speaker 1: artist at all. You know. Yeah, that's at fourteen. That's 231 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 1: nice grade, right, yeah, eighth yeah, ninth grade. I sang 232 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: in front of them girls, I say that gospel song 233 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: in front of them women yeah, and went to that 234 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: howard he no, and they started screaming at just something. 235 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 1: I said, this is a different homely spit this w Yeah. Yeah, 236 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: that was playing to me. But the singing I just 237 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: was not. I didn't care at that point. I was 238 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 1: I was, I was playing that. You did none of them. 239 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 1: You didn't none of the talent shows, nothing, you do 240 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: any of those things in high school and I skipped 241 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 1: all of that stuff. I mean, my dad's church was 242 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: such a popping like that. It was almost like I 243 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: was in the middle of all of it anyway, Like 244 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: all the musicians will come to my dad's church Sunday 245 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 1: nights and sit around and around the musicians, and so 246 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: I was like I was in it. It It felt like 247 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: a professional already. Yeah, I did, because that was like 248 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 1: that was a professional job. Like if you if you 249 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: got a job as a musician, and my dad's church 250 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: that was like you were really were really somebody. Yeah 251 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 1: you're one of them. Like I'm really, I'm really puzzled 252 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: by you not singing it, still not singing it fourteen 253 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: fifteen years old, because like in your mind as you're 254 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: going through the progressions of becoming a really dope musician, 255 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: Are you also in your mind developing yourself vocally and 256 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: just nobody knows? Yeah, just behind just kind of behind 257 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: the scenes, like like even I remember my mom saying like, yeah, 258 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,000 Speaker 1: you don't think about the writing song, you know, but 259 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 1: voice was changing probably just like no, this ain't it 260 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: for me, you know, and playing fulfilled me so much, 261 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: like just being in the band fulfill that was my 262 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: biggest dream. I just wanted to play for an artist 263 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 1: who performed on the Grammys, Like that was it. That 264 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: was my dream. No records, no writing. It was like, yo, 265 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 1: I just that's it if I could get in this 266 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: person's band, you know what I'm saying. So um The 267 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: singing though, for me, was like behind the scenes. I 268 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: started to, like I said, around thirteen is when Stevie 269 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: and then probably one of my earliest records I bought 270 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: CDs I bought was like Brandy or something, you know, 271 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: and I started seeing like okay, because I always felt 272 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: like what was current wasn't singers in my mind, you know, 273 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: as a kid, I was like that ain't really what 274 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: I That don't move me. So I didn't really want 275 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: to be like a current singer or anything like that. 276 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: Uh So I never thought of it that way because 277 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: then it it fast tracked though, because yeah, it had 278 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: to happen quickly. Yeah, yeah, in terms of once you 279 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: come out into decided to get the confidence to sing 280 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:04,399 Speaker 1: like this, just don't come out of nowhere, right. So 281 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 1: I tried to start a band in college and I 282 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: was still trying to be the background. But I wanted 283 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:12,400 Speaker 1: the Beatles. I wanted a black Beatle so bad. Like 284 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: the Beatles. I was a huge fan, and I'm like, yo, 285 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:18,719 Speaker 1: it was dope because they all were sweet at singing 286 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 1: and those harmonies were crazy. So I'm like, I'm gonna 287 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 1: be the keyboard player and sing, you know, in the back, 288 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: and then there's gonna be a lead singer. And I 289 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: couldn't get anybody to commit. And that's when I was like, 290 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 1: all right, man, I'm gonna just sing these songs. It's 291 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:35,439 Speaker 1: gotta be me. Like it just was. It was purely necessity, 292 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:37,159 Speaker 1: though I was, it was not because I wanted to 293 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: be there. And then it went fast and then my dad. 294 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: I remember my first show. My dad came to Atlanta 295 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 1: and little five Points at this place called Seven Stages 296 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,359 Speaker 1: I was opening up for. It was me and algebra 297 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: and and my dad saw me perform and I was 298 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: like talking and like He's like, who was this person 299 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:09,440 Speaker 1: that's like looking like they're comfortable on stage? Atlanta is 300 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 1: what Bradney like as one hundred percent as a writer. Everything, 301 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,679 Speaker 1: Like Atlanta was really the place that the developed me 302 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:19,679 Speaker 1: in that it's just always been so many dope people 303 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: in Atlanta always, and it's it's musical and it's probably 304 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: because there's so many churches in Atlanta, Like you can 305 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:33,640 Speaker 1: you find a real diamond in the rough down there 306 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 1: that has no idea what they are in one of 307 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:41,920 Speaker 1: those open just just monsters. And I'm telling you it's 308 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: it's church, absolutely as church. When people ask me about 309 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:49,920 Speaker 1: R and B in the state of R and B, 310 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 1: I said it it changed when grandmothers stopped making these 311 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: kids go to church. That's when R and B changed. 312 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,440 Speaker 1: And get it at for saying, I didn't get it 313 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:04,159 Speaker 1: till I moved home, because when I came to l A, 314 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:07,640 Speaker 1: I adn't really go to church, you know, it wasn't 315 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: really the same culture of like what I'm saying, and 316 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 1: so I lost some of it, Like I didn't realize 317 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: it until I moved back to New Orleans and I 318 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 1: was in my parents church and I'm like, oh, this 319 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:21,960 Speaker 1: is where I used to write them songs like it 320 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: used to just hit me. I mean in R and 321 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 1: B songs, you know, like my dad those, I'd be 322 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 1: on the organ behind them while are you talking? And 323 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 1: you know, and I'm wrong, I'm back there writing songs 324 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,439 Speaker 1: because something about the environment and like the spirit of 325 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:39,719 Speaker 1: what was going on was just inspiration NonStop. And that soul, 326 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 1: that same thing you needed to move church is the 327 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 1: same thing we need to move in R and B audience. 328 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: It's there. It's no different. It's what comes from the heart. 329 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: You know, what I'm saying reaches the heart and so 330 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 1: like when you're in that environment, I just I mean 331 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:55,679 Speaker 1: that that that schooled me. Man, it schooled me. And 332 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: I agree with you, like that's where we lost some 333 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 1: of that soul in R and B. When but when 334 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:05,879 Speaker 1: the church things started to change, you know, yeah, absolutely so. 335 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:09,359 Speaker 1: So how long are you in Atlanta before he said 336 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:11,639 Speaker 1: you got your first place? Man? How long are you 337 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: in Atlanta before you get your break where it's like, Okay, 338 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 1: I'm I'm really like this, I'm a professional. Yeah, this 339 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:18,880 Speaker 1: is what I'm doing Did you finish that more house? 340 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 1: I finished that more house. I got my degree in marketing. Nice. Okay, 341 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:26,160 Speaker 1: so it all makes sense then, okay, all right, okay, 342 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 1: yeah that really came into play. Like you know what 343 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,400 Speaker 1: I'm saying. I'm so happy I did that. Um when 344 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 1: I graduated. UM So, when I was in school, I 345 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: would get these calls to like go on tour because 346 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: I was a keyboard player and people knew that, but 347 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,199 Speaker 1: I would just I was like, let me just finish school. 348 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: But right out of college I went on tour with 349 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,679 Speaker 1: Erica badu Um as her keyboard plays. First was my 350 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 1: very first tour, very first. How did you get to 351 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:55,239 Speaker 1: er Did you look in the eyes? I did, and 352 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 1: it was it wasn't good. It wasn't. I love Erica 353 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,159 Speaker 1: but not feel I was scared. I was kind of 354 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: like the first rehearsal, she just came and said, you know, 355 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: if you need anything. I was just like, I didn't 356 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: want to. I appreciate you know what I'm saying, But no, 357 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 1: it was. It couldn't have been a better first tour experienced. 358 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 1: Oh so uh. The guy who gave me the cassette 359 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 1: tape with Donnie Live on it and gave me a 360 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:24,159 Speaker 1: cassette tape with I Ain't Ever dream You're Leaving Somewhere. 361 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,120 Speaker 1: That put me on my Stevie Geno, I go heart. Um. 362 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 1: His dad was my best My dad's best man in 363 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:33,879 Speaker 1: his wedding became Erica ba Dudes music director. When I 364 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 1: was at Morehouse and he was like, pe, you want 365 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:38,680 Speaker 1: to come out, and I'm like, man, I just I'm 366 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: in school. And it came back around right when I 367 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:44,159 Speaker 1: was graduating and Gino took me out. Man And it 368 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 1: was like my first time on a tour bus lo keep, 369 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: my first time missing church, like like missing the Sunday. 370 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: This is college after yeah, and I didn't know what 371 00:21:57,320 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 1: to do on a Sunday. Like I was like, you know, 372 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,439 Speaker 1: so we it's one of the buses going to church, 373 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: or like it's one of the it's one of the 374 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:09,719 Speaker 1: it's a group. It's a group of I'm gonna I'm 375 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: gonna sitting in the window seat on this literally because 376 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 1: through college, just to have a job, I played. I 377 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: played at the church all throughout college. I mean I 378 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: really I played at a church until Maroon five. Like luckily, 379 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 1: to be totally honest, Um, I always kept a church job, 380 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 1: you know, helping my dad out at that at that time. 381 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:34,879 Speaker 1: But um, I didn't know what to do on a Sunday. 382 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 1: I was just like, all right, we supposed to and 383 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 1: they're like, no, it's just it's a it's just a 384 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: show day. Just the lower rest of them and your 385 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 1: whole life. Sunday is church. Sunday's church. My literally, Mom, 386 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:49,919 Speaker 1: you're and you're playing in church, so you're you're there 387 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:52,920 Speaker 1: the entire day. Oh no, I'm like, I'm yeah, I'm 388 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,960 Speaker 1: fully a part of what churches on Sundays. So that 389 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:58,880 Speaker 1: was the experience. But by dude, man, she is ah 390 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: and I think about it out because everything connects. But 391 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,440 Speaker 1: like the way I became a touring artist, Like I 392 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 1: couldn't afford radio at the beginning of my career and stuff, 393 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: so tour was my radio. Like that was the way 394 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 1: I got two people. But now that I think about it, 395 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:16,680 Speaker 1: that's by do and that's why she worked forever, current single, no, 396 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,760 Speaker 1: current single, whatever. She has developed her audience, you know, 397 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: to know that she's going to be on the road 398 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,640 Speaker 1: and they're gonna have this experience with her every year 399 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 1: or every other year. And I mean I got paid 400 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 1: on time. I mean, like shout out. It was a 401 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: really solid like watching her as a true artist. It 402 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:41,399 Speaker 1: put me on my path, you know for sure, because 403 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:48,679 Speaker 1: she's like, she's so different and special in the ownership 404 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: that she has. With that ownership and the confidence of 405 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 1: there's only one one on one man, it is different. Yeah, 406 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: just in just like when you walk up to her 407 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: and just even start talking to her, it just starts 408 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:08,920 Speaker 1: getting different. It changes immediately. The energy. Yeah, she's she's powerful, man, 409 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: She's she's got like like we were talking earlier, she's 410 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:15,360 Speaker 1: got the cult. Yeah. I did the show Erica. Yeah, 411 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: they followed. They they enjoyed my set. They were, but 412 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:24,320 Speaker 1: they weren't there right at all, there for their leader. Man. 413 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:29,200 Speaker 1: They were different. Man. I was like, I was like, 414 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: I know, when I take my shirt off, it's gonna 415 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 1: get real crazy here. It's like you ain't got no instance. 416 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,159 Speaker 1: So it was special and I was That was the 417 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 1: first time I ever had writer's blocked, um because I 418 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: thought I was about to be writing mad songs. But 419 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: it was like all these new experiences happening all at once. 420 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:57,679 Speaker 1: It was like almost just too much. And as soon 421 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,440 Speaker 1: as I got off tour, that's when I start working 422 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:05,920 Speaker 1: on my first solo album. Um and uh, I'm gonna 423 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 1: get to your break question because I don't even know 424 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,600 Speaker 1: where my break was. It's like it was different, it 425 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: was different times. I feel like I had so many 426 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:17,719 Speaker 1: of these and then coasts and then these and then coast. Um. Uh. 427 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 1: But when I got off of bay Do, I started 428 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 1: writing my solo album. But then I wrote a big 429 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:27,200 Speaker 1: gospel song right after that called let Go Let God 430 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: for Dwayne Woods and it was like number one for 431 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:35,159 Speaker 1: like seventy two weeks, seventy two weeks, like and in 432 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: the top ten for seven two weeks. And um, that 433 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 1: song really changed my first award. I wanted like a 434 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:44,640 Speaker 1: stellar I think I was twenty something, you know. Um, 435 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 1: and that was a break. Um. But then I went 436 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 1: to Jermaine Dupree. After I got off the road with Bad, 437 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,280 Speaker 1: I went to j D School basically, and this was 438 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:58,120 Speaker 1: after Bi Cox said him and Bi Cox head they 439 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:02,399 Speaker 1: went crazy and the stream yeah yeah, mass like the 440 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: biggest albums about you know, Confessions and you know, Be 441 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: Without You. It's like you know, um and um uh, 442 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,359 Speaker 1: I well be Cox was busy, you know what I'm saying, 443 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:18,880 Speaker 1: and j D needed another keyboard player. So I came 444 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: in as that guy and wrote for Monica and Jaggeted 445 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 1: and you know, even John Tay was working on the 446 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,879 Speaker 1: album at that time. And for me, so it was 447 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:29,879 Speaker 1: it was it was breaks and that, you know what 448 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 1: I'm saying. Um, But for me, and I think this 449 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,400 Speaker 1: is you know why I'm happy I'm talking to y'all 450 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:41,680 Speaker 1: because my journey has been so non traditional. You know 451 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. It's like, people wonder how I'm able 452 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:49,679 Speaker 1: to maintain and you know, we just want the fourth Grammy, 453 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying this year. You know what 454 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 1: I'm saying. But but but the way I got there 455 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 1: was so non traditional. It's not you know, I didn't 456 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 1: have a huge hit record or anything. You know. I 457 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 1: heard somebody say like I had to hit life, you know, 458 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: like it's been, it's been. It's been like um, it's 459 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 1: been a combination of things that has allowed me to 460 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: do that, and part of that was touring UM and 461 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: me really understanding that there was another way. I tried 462 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:23,880 Speaker 1: to sign everywhere, you know what I'm saying. I tried 463 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 1: to I tried to go to traditional route and Young 464 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 1: Money was your first Young Money was my first major, 465 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 1: first and only major deal. Um, yeah, that's what I'm saying. 466 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 1: It's just weird. It's just weird. So so Young Money 467 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:46,640 Speaker 1: was the year after I joined around five and us 468 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:53,639 Speaker 1: story that I've never met, but we can share the 469 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:55,280 Speaker 1: same kind of name. I think we at one point 470 00:27:55,320 --> 00:28:03,200 Speaker 1: met him go out to fight, I tried, well, So 471 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:06,359 Speaker 1: so Young Money had way more history than people know. 472 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 1: Me and McMahon went to the same high school in 473 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: New Orleans. It wasn't just um, you know random. Uh. 474 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:16,040 Speaker 1: And at that time when I got signed, Wayne was 475 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:19,160 Speaker 1: just getting out of jail and uh, they were trying 476 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 1: to pivot as a label, like just do different things. 477 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 1: And I think Mac, who is a huge fan of 478 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:28,879 Speaker 1: music in general, he's a music guy. Um just you know, 479 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 1: was like, p you want to do this? And this. 480 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:33,399 Speaker 1: They were on fire. I mean this was this was 481 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 1: this was Drake was dope. Yeah, he like just and 482 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: so what was beautiful and what is beautiful about Young 483 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 1: Money in general that probably isn't said enough is they 484 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: leave their artists alone. They just like let them go. 485 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 1: You know. They don't say, oh, well we signed Drake, 486 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 1: so let's I know you've been with forty. But now 487 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: let's let's go get him and let's go get you know, 488 00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:59,719 Speaker 1: this producer. And they're like, na, y'all, just keep doing 489 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: what you are doing and we're gonna put steroids on it. Nikki, Oh, 490 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 1: you like doing different voices and what, just keep doing that. 491 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: They don't feel the need to. They signed things that 492 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: they believe in already. So like I literally they didn't 493 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 1: hear my record until it was mixing master, you know, 494 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: and it was just support there um uh and uh. 495 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 1: I mean that was that was my first Grammy nomination 496 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: as a solo artist. But that was even random. That 497 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 1: was that was random. You know what. My first official 498 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 1: album was after Erica Badou. So it was years. This 499 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: is years, this is five, this is oh five when 500 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 1: I released my first independent record, and that's after I 501 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 1: couldn't sign to any major label. So I had to 502 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:44,600 Speaker 1: figure it out. I didn't know that there was another way. 503 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 1: I had to study, like you do the white rock bands. 504 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: Did you do the run? Did you go to every label? 505 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 1: And oh man, I did all the showcases because we 506 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 1: need That's the thing at R and B Money. At 507 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 1: R and B Money podcast, we like to give all 508 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 1: the information. We liked it. Let them know that this 509 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 1: isn't an overnight thing. This is this is a life thing. 510 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 1: Like you said, you're trying to have a hit life, 511 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 1: and these are the things that sometimes are are are 512 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 1: just looked over. People don't really tap into that disappointment 513 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 1: that going to our somebody said they got an uncle 514 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 1: that work at such and such label, and maybe they 515 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: can get me a meeting. Dreams. It's a constant dream 516 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 1: and there are so many dream sellers who are actually nightmares. 517 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:38,120 Speaker 1: Word word no. I I mean I don't. I literally 518 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 1: went to every label, Like me and my turning we 519 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: went to I think every label. I mean I remember 520 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 1: sitting down with just about everybody doing showcases, people saying, yo, man, 521 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 1: I love his music. I just don't. You don't think 522 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,480 Speaker 1: it's gonna work, you know, and like, uh, you know, 523 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: like it just it was too musical and all all 524 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: I've heard I heard it all, you know, And so 525 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,920 Speaker 1: in my mind I was like that market. In mind too, 526 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, what does this mean? Like how can 527 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: I get my music direct to people? Uh? And like 528 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 1: it was way before independence was like cool even anybody 529 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 1: knew what that was. Yeah, when you were in they 530 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 1: at this point. It was because you couldn't get a deal, 531 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,600 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, and so and I didn't 532 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: even go to an indie label. I said, Okay, how 533 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 1: do I do it? So it was CD Baby, it 534 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 1: was my space. It was like, you know what I'm saying. 535 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:31,080 Speaker 1: My first tour was based off of my sales for 536 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:32,920 Speaker 1: CD Baby. I said, well, I'm gonna go to these 537 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:36,240 Speaker 1: cities and the promoters this is a funny story. But 538 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 1: the promoters didn't know who I was. And they didn't 539 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: know who I was because I was like underground famous, right, 540 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: But I knew I had fans. But since they did, 541 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 1: and I said, don't just pay me off the door, 542 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:48,479 Speaker 1: you don't have to pay me anything. I'm gonna bring everything. 543 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: And I borrowed my mom's bus. I just signed my 544 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 1: first publishing deal with Famous Music. The Famous too is 545 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:04,600 Speaker 1: my Yeah yeah Billy Billy Billy signed left Yeah Yeah, 546 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 1: BC signed me and then he went somewhere else. But 547 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:09,520 Speaker 1: that's my guy. He's the first to believe that way. 548 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 1: And I literally had an open door policy, you know 549 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. Um and looked out for me. But 550 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 1: I took literally my whole events and said, I'm I'm 551 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 1: not trying to be a writer like that. I'm an artist, 552 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 1: and I took my whole band on tour. I'm took 553 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:27,640 Speaker 1: my horns fourteen people, with the publishing money, with the 554 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 1: publishing money, investing yourself. Dog. Yeah, Like I've always been 555 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:34,959 Speaker 1: a maniac because if I if I think about that now, 556 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 1: it's like, Yo, what were you doing? But literally, those 557 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: fourteen places I went, I could go for the rest 558 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:46,000 Speaker 1: of my life, even today. But I didn't couldn't afford 559 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 1: the tour bus. My mom had a women of Excellence 560 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:52,640 Speaker 1: bus that was the women's ministry at the church. Took 561 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:56,280 Speaker 1: the church bus. I took a charter bus that was purple, 562 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:59,480 Speaker 1: pink and white. They thought a women's conference was fulling 563 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: up to the clubs. But I didn't care though I 564 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 1: literally didn't. I didn't care. I had to get to it, 565 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:09,800 Speaker 1: that's all I knew. I'm like, I paid my boys nice. 566 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. I was like, Yo, y'all 567 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 1: we on tour. You know what I'm saying. We don't 568 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:19,080 Speaker 1: don't talk about how long I didn't eat from that, 569 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:20,680 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. That's why I always kept 570 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 1: a job where I could be flexible playing at church 571 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 1: and as a producer and a writer. That's why I 572 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:28,960 Speaker 1: was still in that game, was because I needed to 573 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:31,640 Speaker 1: fund what I really cared about. But we went on 574 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:35,440 Speaker 1: that tour and literally like those markets Atlanta and Birmingham 575 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 1: and like Charleston, I can I still go to those 576 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:42,160 Speaker 1: places and have a following because of ten plus years 577 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: ago when I when I kind of like invested in myself, 578 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:47,560 Speaker 1: you know, uh, for better or worse. It was just like, 579 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 1: you know, it really got me to walk to this 580 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:54,280 Speaker 1: place how many people? Oh my god? I can remember 581 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:59,880 Speaker 1: us playing Columbus, Ohio and it was like twenty people, 582 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:02,400 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, Like, and I was like, 583 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:05,040 Speaker 1: whoa this is because we're at least Atlanta. We had 584 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 1: a yeah. Yeah, so I lost. I took I took 585 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:13,400 Speaker 1: a loss on that um and then some some of 586 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:15,839 Speaker 1: the rooms were two hundred people, you know what I'm saying. 587 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,960 Speaker 1: On a hundred people and we we put on the 588 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 1: show like it was thousand people, had three background singers, 589 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:27,799 Speaker 1: that hell, three horns in the crowd. Yeah my band 590 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:31,719 Speaker 1: was bigger than the crowd. Yeah, facts like the but 591 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 1: but but I did not man It's so crazy how 592 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:37,239 Speaker 1: I didn't care at all, Like I didn't care at all. 593 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,239 Speaker 1: I didn't care that I was spending my money. I 594 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:43,640 Speaker 1: just really felt sure that if I just stayed here, 595 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:48,680 Speaker 1: you know, it would click. And and so that that's 596 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 1: kind of that kind of has has been the story. 597 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:53,560 Speaker 1: So I was on the on the tour of mine 598 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:57,480 Speaker 1: for another album called Walk Alone, and Adam Blackstone called 599 00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:00,120 Speaker 1: me and was like, yo, maron five looking or a 600 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 1: keyboard player, singer, you know. I told him, only no 601 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 1: one like you. I just threw your hat, you know, 602 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,440 Speaker 1: your name in the hat, and I was like, um, okay. 603 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 1: I literally they wanted me to audition. I canceled the 604 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:15,120 Speaker 1: last three days of my tour and came to l 605 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:17,759 Speaker 1: A and all they did was asked me to learn 606 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:22,320 Speaker 1: Sunday Morning. I was like, okay, is falling? Were you 607 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:24,920 Speaker 1: familiar with the group? Yeah, I was a fan. This 608 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:27,879 Speaker 1: love and stuff. I feel like that was mine maybe 609 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:31,640 Speaker 1: not like freshman year a college or like sophomore years. 610 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:36,239 Speaker 1: So I knew I was here too. This his taking this. 611 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:38,800 Speaker 1: I was like, these these boys are nice. So I 612 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:42,320 Speaker 1: knew that, right. I knew Sunday Morning, and but I 613 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:45,399 Speaker 1: had never auditioned before. This is my first audition in life, 614 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 1: because people it was always word of mouth. They like, right, 615 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 1: these guys didn't know me at all, and so Blackstone 616 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 1: was just vouching. Um. And so I came to l 617 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:57,920 Speaker 1: a place Sunday morning and then we just vibe. I 618 00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 1: kind of knew I had it imediately because because of 619 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:05,600 Speaker 1: the vibe, not because anybody could play. Yeah, and they 620 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:07,200 Speaker 1: was so we start jamming. It was like what else, 621 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:13,759 Speaker 1: you know, I was like, and we went too long 622 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:17,760 Speaker 1: and they had people waiting, so we had to stop 623 00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:20,479 Speaker 1: people with the audition. And then they had a second 624 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:23,640 Speaker 1: day of auditions that they ended up canceling and called 625 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:26,560 Speaker 1: me that night, you know, and it's been Yeah, it'll 626 00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:29,640 Speaker 1: be thirteen years in July, you know, like twelve plush 627 00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:32,400 Speaker 1: years that I've been with Maroon And that really changed 628 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:35,080 Speaker 1: my life. But it also freed me up to really 629 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:38,239 Speaker 1: make the art I wanted to because I didn't have 630 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:41,920 Speaker 1: to sell I don't have to sell records. Yeah and um, 631 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:45,360 Speaker 1: and so Young Money was my last kind of attempt 632 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:48,960 Speaker 1: at the normal way, you know, like I was like, 633 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,320 Speaker 1: all right, let me try this one more time. And 634 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:55,600 Speaker 1: when Young Money didn't necessarily fit, you know, uh, and 635 00:36:55,719 --> 00:36:57,600 Speaker 1: on that on that, on that Young Money album, I 636 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:00,560 Speaker 1: did double duty with Maroon. I opened up from Maron 637 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:04,759 Speaker 1: five Kelly Clarkson, you know, was before Maroon, and then 638 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 1: I closed with my Room five and then we did 639 00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 1: that in Europe, I opened Robin Thick and then I 640 00:37:10,239 --> 00:37:12,759 Speaker 1: closed with my Round five. So those guys, and I 641 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:16,080 Speaker 1: think the reason I'm still there is because they've always 642 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:19,600 Speaker 1: fully supported me, like fully like what like whatever, like 643 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:22,719 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, true friends, and um, so 644 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:25,080 Speaker 1: I told them, and we told each other, you know, 645 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:27,759 Speaker 1: if I never have to leave, I don't. I don't why, 646 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,680 Speaker 1: you know, like we family at this point. But that 647 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:35,600 Speaker 1: really allowed me to, you know, like beat myself and 648 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:38,600 Speaker 1: fully make it without any pressure allowed me to. And 649 00:37:38,719 --> 00:37:42,080 Speaker 1: then so um, I left l A and went to 650 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:46,480 Speaker 1: move back home to New Orleans. Maroon had played jazz 651 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:49,920 Speaker 1: Fest in and I started seeing my city way different. 652 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:52,400 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, it is kind of fly, like I 653 00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 1: didn't remember it, Like it was just a totally different perspective. 654 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:58,080 Speaker 1: Had been around the world at that time something like that. 655 00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:00,560 Speaker 1: It looked like South of France, like you know what 656 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:03,000 Speaker 1: I'm saying, Like I get it, and so that planned 657 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:06,719 Speaker 1: at that seed and then um, yeah I decided I 658 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 1: was leaving. Um this was right, I think. I don't 659 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:12,880 Speaker 1: know if that was your room, but North Hollywood, you 660 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:16,239 Speaker 1: remember at that studio next to you off of Magnolia. 661 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:22,080 Speaker 1: Was that your actual room? I didn't remember. Yeah, yeah, 662 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:25,000 Speaker 1: I was next to you for for like a year probably, 663 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:27,960 Speaker 1: I guess that was my little room. Yeah, I was. 664 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:31,440 Speaker 1: I was right next to y'all. Yeah you know what 665 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:34,920 Speaker 1: because I brought it up as in joking form about 666 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:42,759 Speaker 1: about James Valentine, but you actually were instrumental in us 667 00:38:42,840 --> 00:38:49,000 Speaker 1: figuring out um a p R O mishap because like 668 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 1: somehow ASCAP was getting James Valentine and Jay Valentine mixed 669 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:57,360 Speaker 1: up and was holding up both of our money. And 670 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:00,800 Speaker 1: you're you were the only person that I that I 671 00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:04,880 Speaker 1: even knew remotely that could get to Maroon. Remember I 672 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:06,799 Speaker 1: stopped you one then I'm like, hey, I know it's 673 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 1: about to be some different ship, but yeah you can 674 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:15,160 Speaker 1: tell yeah, yeah, yeah, it's crazy. But in that room, 675 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:18,800 Speaker 1: I started writing Gumbo, like my album Gumbo, and I 676 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:22,120 Speaker 1: was like, I knew I was gonna leave Alto and so, 677 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:25,680 Speaker 1: but in their room, I remember writing this song first beginning. 678 00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:29,320 Speaker 1: That really kicked off everything. So I moved home and 679 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:31,279 Speaker 1: I didn't want to do music at all. I'm like, yo, 680 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:35,120 Speaker 1: I'm I'm straight, I'm cool, I'm in maron five, not bad, 681 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:38,400 Speaker 1: you know, Okay, I'm right in life, Like you know 682 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:41,480 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. It's like we tried to sing, you 683 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:44,360 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying at that time. It's like I said, oh, five, 684 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:47,160 Speaker 1: So it's like at this time, you know, it's probably 685 00:39:47,239 --> 00:39:49,400 Speaker 1: seven years in eight years in of trying if you 686 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 1: count my group in O two in college. Then we're 687 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,840 Speaker 1: talking about like a long time trying, just trying, just 688 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:58,799 Speaker 1: keep like getting knocked down and saying, you know, let 689 00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:01,279 Speaker 1: me go back. You what I'm saying. And um so 690 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:03,359 Speaker 1: I was like I'm done. And then I got back 691 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:06,840 Speaker 1: to New Orleans and it was like no expectation and 692 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:08,960 Speaker 1: I'm like, you know what, I'm gonna just make one 693 00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:13,600 Speaker 1: more thing and I'm not gonna worry about radio. I'm 694 00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:15,400 Speaker 1: not gonna worry about I'm gonna just make what I 695 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:17,560 Speaker 1: want to make. And that was supposed to be the 696 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:21,680 Speaker 1: last album that was Gumbo, and that kind of changed everything, 697 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:32,560 Speaker 1: kind of everything everything. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, No, it's 698 00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:35,000 Speaker 1: it's gotta be strategic. You know, I think we talked 699 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:38,120 Speaker 1: about the dreams so much, but sometimes you gotta have 700 00:40:38,719 --> 00:40:42,439 Speaker 1: an actual strategic plan to make that happen. And that's 701 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:44,800 Speaker 1: for me. You know, I was blessed enough to have 702 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:46,759 Speaker 1: like a church gig while I'm playing once a week, 703 00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:49,879 Speaker 1: so I couldn't move around, or being a producer a writer, 704 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:52,440 Speaker 1: and you know, finding some success in that and being 705 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:54,640 Speaker 1: able to you know what I'm saying, cushion that. But 706 00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:57,800 Speaker 1: but I put all my money right back in. You 707 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying that I need people to understand. 708 00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:03,960 Speaker 1: I was like even when you saw me, even at 709 00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:06,400 Speaker 1: a point where people may have thought I was successful 710 00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:08,520 Speaker 1: in the sense of oh you man, you're touring, you're 711 00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 1: going crazy. You yeah, you see my band and my this, Yeah, 712 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:15,839 Speaker 1: it's going right back out. And I understood that. That's 713 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:17,640 Speaker 1: why I kept another thing, you know what I'm saying, 714 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:21,719 Speaker 1: And I tell people, and this is actually what every 715 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:23,640 Speaker 1: part of your team and every part of your career. 716 00:41:23,719 --> 00:41:25,799 Speaker 1: Because some people think I gotta go to get an agent, 717 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:28,680 Speaker 1: I gotta get a manager, I gotta go get prs, 718 00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:32,000 Speaker 1: Like what do you what do you publicize, like you 719 00:41:32,440 --> 00:41:34,480 Speaker 1: don't have nothing to feed them, you know what I'm saying, 720 00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:36,480 Speaker 1: And you want to spend this a month, so like 721 00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:39,080 Speaker 1: slow down and do everything you can. I say, the 722 00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:41,840 Speaker 1: biggest blessing with me not getting a major deal and 723 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:44,600 Speaker 1: all of that stuff was I had to learn everything 724 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:47,759 Speaker 1: I had to learn. I mean, I drove the van 725 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:51,000 Speaker 1: I you know what I'm saying. I came up with 726 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:53,319 Speaker 1: the merch you know what I'm saying. I figured out 727 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:56,279 Speaker 1: the door deals, you know, and and understood how that, 728 00:41:56,760 --> 00:41:59,920 Speaker 1: how that? Oh yeah somewhere. Yeah, I gotta gotta get 729 00:41:59,920 --> 00:42:03,440 Speaker 1: you out. Yeah, I gotta get trip tripping, y'all being 730 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:05,960 Speaker 1: supposed to have that. Um. But like it made me 731 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:09,920 Speaker 1: learn every aspect of the business. So people couldn't just 732 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:12,279 Speaker 1: tell me anything once I was Once I was there, 733 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:15,479 Speaker 1: so it's like I say, don't add this agent until 734 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:17,640 Speaker 1: you know what your agent is supposed to do and 735 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:20,839 Speaker 1: know why you need the agents something, because they think 736 00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:25,800 Speaker 1: if I get an agent, they're it's done. No, No, 737 00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:28,200 Speaker 1: that's not how it works. These people have to want 738 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:31,319 Speaker 1: to see you. Yeah, so we we really got to educate. Man. 739 00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:34,040 Speaker 1: I feel like I was the last generation of like 740 00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:37,080 Speaker 1: some people still giving game, you know what I'm saying, 741 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:39,719 Speaker 1: and this and this and this newness, but I think 742 00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:42,239 Speaker 1: we gotta get that, we gotta just kind of teach it. Well, 743 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:44,840 Speaker 1: that's why I appreciate this, man, y'all really here, I 744 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:47,480 Speaker 1: mean you, I'm really hearing game when I listened to this, 745 00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:50,200 Speaker 1: to this podcast. Man, I appreciate you all. And I 746 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:54,560 Speaker 1: think it's no accident that it's like taking off at 747 00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:56,400 Speaker 1: the speed it has because it's like when there's a 748 00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:59,680 Speaker 1: when there's a need that's not being met. You know 749 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:01,840 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, People like, oh, shoot, I was just 750 00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:05,799 Speaker 1: waiting for the whale. You know what I'm saying. And y'all, yeah, yeah, 751 00:43:05,880 --> 00:43:10,759 Speaker 1: for sure, for sure, bro, Yeah yeah you sound you 752 00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:13,279 Speaker 1: loan something up? Man? What's she doing cleaning your throat? 753 00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:30,760 Speaker 1: I see I see red lights coming on? Top five? 754 00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:43,279 Speaker 1: Oh my god, your top five? Pas, top five? Your 755 00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:52,000 Speaker 1: top five? All right? Top five? Oh, y'all? Top songs 756 00:43:53,680 --> 00:44:08,160 Speaker 1: beyond your top five? Mm hm m m man. Just 757 00:44:08,239 --> 00:44:12,239 Speaker 1: take my time. Time, I got time to night. Just 758 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:33,600 Speaker 1: get out there. You don't want me near. Okay, old artists, Okay, 759 00:44:35,040 --> 00:44:49,520 Speaker 1: Stevie um uh read the Franklin Um Michael um and 760 00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:54,439 Speaker 1: Prince was everything, but Prince you know, um who would 761 00:44:54,480 --> 00:45:00,640 Speaker 1: be my fifth R and B artists, because you know 762 00:45:00,719 --> 00:45:04,520 Speaker 1: it was like soul music from you know, it was 763 00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:08,480 Speaker 1: like the soul and R and B different sometimes for me. 764 00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:11,520 Speaker 1: But I had to say Joe to See probably from 765 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:15,320 Speaker 1: my from my yeah, because just because of how it 766 00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:34,000 Speaker 1: come on and talk to me, I knew it. Why 767 00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:39,960 Speaker 1: do you do? I understood it immediately. I was like 768 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:43,120 Speaker 1: what I mean? I said, oh, that's yeah, I know 769 00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:45,719 Speaker 1: what that is. That's church. Yeah, that's what I think. 770 00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:49,360 Speaker 1: I'm in the video. That was your church. That was 771 00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:52,440 Speaker 1: what Yeah, the first time, that's what they did the 772 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:54,360 Speaker 1: first time. Because I heard Joe to See before I 773 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:59,920 Speaker 1: heard commission ch okay yeah, and I'm like that Jodis, 774 00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:05,200 Speaker 1: I like yeah. But as I as I like studied 775 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:08,040 Speaker 1: it and I really dove into commission, I'm like, oh 776 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:11,960 Speaker 1: my god, yeah, blue print, it's still originators of jo 777 00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:19,040 Speaker 1: to See and so many these I was mad, Yeah, man, 778 00:46:19,080 --> 00:46:24,360 Speaker 1: I got her commission story dog, I was nine. I 779 00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:27,800 Speaker 1: was nine and they came to my dad's church, but 780 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:30,920 Speaker 1: they had but commission. And I told you I had 781 00:46:31,040 --> 00:46:33,440 Speaker 1: my dad at the pop in church. My dad was 782 00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:36,279 Speaker 1: from my dad's from Windsor, from Canada, so his dad 783 00:46:36,400 --> 00:46:39,520 Speaker 1: was a big bishop in Canada and Detroit. So like 784 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:42,000 Speaker 1: my dad grew up with the Whinings and the Clark sisters, 785 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:45,879 Speaker 1: their families grew up together. So it was that, right, man, 786 00:46:47,239 --> 00:46:50,160 Speaker 1: Like my dad's first solo record. Do you remember Thomas 787 00:46:50,160 --> 00:46:53,640 Speaker 1: Whinfill he produced my dad's solo record. Commission sang background 788 00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:57,800 Speaker 1: on my dad's first solo record. So like it's that's right, okay, okay, 789 00:46:58,480 --> 00:47:02,279 Speaker 1: they came dog and I'm talking about Commission came through 790 00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:05,359 Speaker 1: like this must have been the first album because I was, uh, 791 00:47:05,480 --> 00:47:10,480 Speaker 1: this was this was like uh uh uh I'm going 792 00:47:10,640 --> 00:47:15,960 Speaker 1: on and then yeah, all that stuff right, but it 793 00:47:16,040 --> 00:47:19,600 Speaker 1: had to be thumbed. Dude, dude, dude, so they must 794 00:47:19,640 --> 00:47:23,600 Speaker 1: have been there. What was that? I just hear the 795 00:47:23,719 --> 00:47:27,400 Speaker 1: music right now. But anyways, all they had stacked amps 796 00:47:27,480 --> 00:47:30,320 Speaker 1: like rock and rock. They came through there like rock stars. 797 00:47:31,440 --> 00:47:34,799 Speaker 1: It was the loudest I've ever heard music. Man. When 798 00:47:34,840 --> 00:47:38,400 Speaker 1: I tell you, they smashed. It was like seeing my 799 00:47:39,040 --> 00:47:42,640 Speaker 1: favorite rock band. Like I remember standing by my dad's 800 00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:44,480 Speaker 1: office because I guess that had to be the dressing 801 00:47:44,560 --> 00:47:47,000 Speaker 1: room back that's where they was changing and I stood 802 00:47:47,040 --> 00:47:49,320 Speaker 1: there waiting for the autograph stock. This is how this 803 00:47:49,520 --> 00:47:54,080 Speaker 1: is how deep it was. But man, commission bro commission man, 804 00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:58,279 Speaker 1: Mitchell Jones, Mitch, Mitch. I had him on the I 805 00:47:58,360 --> 00:48:00,640 Speaker 1: brought him back from my gospel album at Mitch and 806 00:48:00,760 --> 00:48:04,440 Speaker 1: Carl and Fred on this gospel court in the PJ album. 807 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:09,320 Speaker 1: I did, what, how do you describe Mitchell Jones his vocal? 808 00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:12,760 Speaker 1: W what was that? Because it was it was kind 809 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:19,040 Speaker 1: of Stevie ste So when I got to so when 810 00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:21,440 Speaker 1: he I mean, I gotta literally the song, but like 811 00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:26,880 Speaker 1: it's Mitch, it's Mitch being Mitch, right, And he told 812 00:48:26,920 --> 00:48:29,719 Speaker 1: me the reason they like me and stuff is because 813 00:48:29,880 --> 00:48:33,840 Speaker 1: Donnie had the wait was like really influential. And I 814 00:48:33,920 --> 00:48:37,319 Speaker 1: think Mitch was just like a combo of I don't 815 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:40,800 Speaker 1: really know. He was so quick. I don't really know, 816 00:48:41,040 --> 00:48:46,040 Speaker 1: but he still got had patterns. They didn't have normal patterns. No, 817 00:48:46,480 --> 00:48:49,520 Speaker 1: I think they like and the and the and the crack. 818 00:48:50,120 --> 00:48:54,279 Speaker 1: He had the baby face crack within his patterns. That 819 00:48:54,480 --> 00:48:57,880 Speaker 1: hard Yeah, that was like manufactured hard in that was 820 00:48:58,600 --> 00:49:02,040 Speaker 1: like the crack. I couldn't figure. I was obsessed. They 821 00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:05,120 Speaker 1: reinvented singing though in a way like they they you 822 00:49:05,200 --> 00:49:07,719 Speaker 1: know how I say, it's a few of them. It's like, 823 00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:11,440 Speaker 1: you know, commission. People started to sing different after that 824 00:49:12,719 --> 00:49:14,759 Speaker 1: as w V. Like I remember when all girls, all 825 00:49:14,800 --> 00:49:18,040 Speaker 1: the girls wanted to be Coco, right absolutely, um, you 826 00:49:18,120 --> 00:49:22,160 Speaker 1: know it happened with Kimbrell, you know, when everybody wanted 827 00:49:22,440 --> 00:49:26,520 Speaker 1: So sometimes that just comes along. But like Mitch fred Keith, 828 00:49:27,640 --> 00:49:32,319 Speaker 1: that thing was like people started singing on the side 829 00:49:32,320 --> 00:49:40,440 Speaker 1: of it, like they changed it. I mean, you know, 830 00:49:40,520 --> 00:49:43,319 Speaker 1: I'm saying they changed it. Bro. We wanted to beat them. 831 00:49:43,480 --> 00:49:46,080 Speaker 1: We wanted to beat them. Um. But that was just 832 00:49:46,160 --> 00:49:47,800 Speaker 1: my quick commits. I just made me think of that 833 00:49:48,440 --> 00:49:50,920 Speaker 1: because I forgot it didn't before my church, but we 834 00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:52,880 Speaker 1: used to always go to all the churches in the city, 835 00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:57,000 Speaker 1: and they were wherever they were, Oh no rock stars. 836 00:49:57,239 --> 00:50:00,200 Speaker 1: And the first time I've ever heard a track okay 837 00:50:00,640 --> 00:50:04,480 Speaker 1: playing like with with with them. Yeah they were head 838 00:50:04,560 --> 00:50:10,120 Speaker 1: man were head it was. And then when I'm like, 839 00:50:10,200 --> 00:50:12,960 Speaker 1: why did that focal sound like that? Because they're singing 840 00:50:13,040 --> 00:50:16,000 Speaker 1: I am here and it sounds like it's all it's embodied. 841 00:50:16,200 --> 00:50:19,920 Speaker 1: They have background tracks on the npiece. Never what is 842 00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:24,960 Speaker 1: happening in here? A church group? Yeah? Never? Okay, game change, right. Sorry, 843 00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:30,320 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, so I did my five top five songs. 844 00:50:31,719 --> 00:50:34,360 Speaker 1: You can do it, um, because it could just be 845 00:50:34,440 --> 00:50:41,000 Speaker 1: for today the ones to all right, So so let's say. 846 00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:43,440 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm just going all the time. So Donnie, 847 00:50:43,600 --> 00:50:46,160 Speaker 1: since were something one Donnie had the way I think, um, 848 00:50:47,080 --> 00:50:49,480 Speaker 1: you know, a song for you? So for you? I 849 00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:51,680 Speaker 1: mean when I heard that, I was I got chills. 850 00:50:51,719 --> 00:50:53,719 Speaker 1: I was like, I was like, I was almost like 851 00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:56,279 Speaker 1: scared too. I was like maybe I knew his story too. 852 00:50:56,320 --> 00:50:59,160 Speaker 1: I was like, this just feels it haunting. I was 853 00:50:59,239 --> 00:51:02,480 Speaker 1: like it was almost like he predicted, you know, Um, 854 00:51:02,719 --> 00:51:07,839 Speaker 1: so song for you. Um, Stevie, there's so many songs. Um, 855 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:14,160 Speaker 1: I'd probably say an unknown joint um either ordinary pain 856 00:51:14,320 --> 00:51:17,600 Speaker 1: or the song called Summer Soft, that song songs a 857 00:51:17,719 --> 00:51:20,759 Speaker 1: key of life. I got so many though, Stevie, so 858 00:51:20,880 --> 00:51:26,359 Speaker 1: that but I just I'll just say, Stevie, um, um 859 00:51:27,800 --> 00:51:31,920 Speaker 1: shoot R and B songs. If I'm just saying, Joe 860 00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:37,560 Speaker 1: to see come and talk to me. Um shoot l 861 00:51:37,600 --> 00:51:40,680 Speaker 1: de Barge or the barge, come on, come on, come on, 862 00:51:40,680 --> 00:51:46,680 Speaker 1: you love I sweitch. Even though what I'm saying I 863 00:51:46,760 --> 00:51:52,120 Speaker 1: know the brother was killing before, but all this love, man, 864 00:51:52,360 --> 00:51:56,880 Speaker 1: it still works today, still works today. I wear them, 865 00:51:57,080 --> 00:52:02,920 Speaker 1: wear them if I feel R and B SA, Oh 866 00:52:03,040 --> 00:52:06,680 Speaker 1: my god. So I'm the dummy who watches you'all podcast 867 00:52:06,800 --> 00:52:11,719 Speaker 1: and say, don't think of yours, like, don't prepare. I 868 00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:14,320 Speaker 1: don't like being prepared? Did I feel stupid for doing that? 869 00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:21,359 Speaker 1: But um um um, let's say can we talk? Yeah? 870 00:52:22,320 --> 00:52:26,959 Speaker 1: I remember that, I remember that time all time. Okay, okay, okay, okay, 871 00:52:27,040 --> 00:52:29,640 Speaker 1: you did good, you did good. Um, we're gonna build 872 00:52:30,520 --> 00:52:34,719 Speaker 1: R and B voltron Okay, we're gonna build your R 873 00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:38,560 Speaker 1: and B artists. We're gonna need the vocal from somewhere, 874 00:52:38,880 --> 00:52:43,239 Speaker 1: the performance style from somewhere, the styling from somewhere, and 875 00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:46,919 Speaker 1: the passion from somewhere. Who are you getting the vocal from? 876 00:52:47,000 --> 00:52:49,359 Speaker 1: What artists are you snatching the vocal from to make 877 00:52:49,440 --> 00:52:54,720 Speaker 1: your R and B artists? Um? I feel like Stevie 878 00:52:54,800 --> 00:52:59,640 Speaker 1: is too easy. I'm gonna say, let's say like Whitney. 879 00:52:59,800 --> 00:53:02,560 Speaker 1: I just feel like I never heard Whitney saying a 880 00:53:02,680 --> 00:53:07,520 Speaker 1: bad I mean like it was. It's like she's the voice, 881 00:53:07,640 --> 00:53:13,719 Speaker 1: you know. So I say I say Whitney. Let's say Whitney. Yeah, um, 882 00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:22,160 Speaker 1: performance style on stage? I mean Prince Man. I saw Prince. 883 00:53:23,000 --> 00:53:27,880 Speaker 1: I saw Prince a few times and did you ever 884 00:53:28,920 --> 00:53:34,719 Speaker 1: I saw him once? Yeah, yeah, yeah right with the 885 00:53:34,760 --> 00:53:39,680 Speaker 1: same Yeah, now Prince for I mean, like performance wise, 886 00:53:39,719 --> 00:53:41,640 Speaker 1: I just used to study them and and and then 887 00:53:42,640 --> 00:53:45,920 Speaker 1: as a you know, like de'angelo was an extension of 888 00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:48,640 Speaker 1: that for me. But like I saw the mind James 889 00:53:48,760 --> 00:53:52,960 Speaker 1: was really all of them, but like Prince. Yeah, it 890 00:53:53,080 --> 00:53:59,200 Speaker 1: was something about how Prince was this like urban rock 891 00:53:59,320 --> 00:54:02,759 Speaker 1: star most but also pop rock star, like all the 892 00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:06,880 Speaker 1: same kind of thing. It's like everybody. Everybody just understood it. 893 00:54:07,000 --> 00:54:09,680 Speaker 1: Everybody understood for some reason. Yeah, he just got to 894 00:54:10,200 --> 00:54:14,080 Speaker 1: everybody whatever sensibilities they had. He had somebody that made 895 00:54:14,160 --> 00:54:18,560 Speaker 1: sense to them. He could they dancing okay, yeah yeah, 896 00:54:18,840 --> 00:54:22,560 Speaker 1: who are you getting the styling from, like like the vibe, 897 00:54:22,640 --> 00:54:28,919 Speaker 1: like the look? Yeah, use use prints, But no, I don't. 898 00:54:28,920 --> 00:54:31,040 Speaker 1: I don't want to wear what Princes was wearing necessarily, 899 00:54:31,160 --> 00:54:33,320 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying, because not as confident in my 900 00:54:33,440 --> 00:54:37,200 Speaker 1: cheese and my chicks. Yeah, I'm not as confident in 901 00:54:37,320 --> 00:54:40,080 Speaker 1: my cheeks. So I wouldn't want We wouldn't want it. 902 00:54:40,120 --> 00:54:45,480 Speaker 1: He would want to do that time, isn't wonder At 903 00:54:45,520 --> 00:54:55,319 Speaker 1: the same time. Cha can't do that, So we don't. 904 00:54:55,360 --> 00:54:58,560 Speaker 1: We don't don't want that, We don't want that. Who 905 00:54:58,680 --> 00:55:05,400 Speaker 1: was just smooth? I say, mar let's say Martina with 906 00:55:05,480 --> 00:55:16,080 Speaker 1: the baby Yeah yeah, okay. And the passion, the heart 907 00:55:16,120 --> 00:55:18,840 Speaker 1: of the artists, the passion I had to say, Donnie 908 00:55:18,960 --> 00:55:21,840 Speaker 1: had the way I mean conviction. Bro. It was like 909 00:55:22,760 --> 00:55:25,759 Speaker 1: when I heard Donnie live and I heard them people, 910 00:55:25,800 --> 00:55:28,680 Speaker 1: I'm like, wait, they are they in the club? Are 911 00:55:28,719 --> 00:55:30,960 Speaker 1: they in the church? Like I heard him. I couldn't 912 00:55:31,000 --> 00:55:34,239 Speaker 1: understand it. And I think about my live albums now 913 00:55:34,360 --> 00:55:37,560 Speaker 1: and stuff like that that are really connected. And it's 914 00:55:37,640 --> 00:55:41,480 Speaker 1: all that's where that that came from me understanding that 915 00:55:41,600 --> 00:55:44,120 Speaker 1: you could still have the same conviction even if you talk, 916 00:55:44,200 --> 00:55:47,440 Speaker 1: you're singing a love song or you so like hands 917 00:55:47,560 --> 00:55:52,400 Speaker 1: down Donnie man like passion you felt it even make 918 00:55:52,440 --> 00:55:54,759 Speaker 1: me want to cry everything anything he say. You know 919 00:55:54,760 --> 00:56:08,440 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, Yeah, yeah, wow trump Yeah yeah. Oh no, 920 00:56:09,200 --> 00:56:18,879 Speaker 1: that's the that's the Reaper, ain't it? Oh smokey, are 921 00:56:19,040 --> 00:56:22,959 Speaker 1: saying no, I saying no name. I'm saying the name. 922 00:56:24,640 --> 00:56:39,840 Speaker 1: Who was? What we did? You know? I do? I 923 00:56:40,080 --> 00:56:45,600 Speaker 1: stup right down? Still you get the same down? Okay? Yeah, 924 00:56:45,680 --> 00:56:50,000 Speaker 1: listen to help me the story right, funnier fucked up, 925 00:56:50,560 --> 00:56:55,160 Speaker 1: are funny and fucked up in the travels of p J. Morton. 926 00:56:55,719 --> 00:57:00,359 Speaker 1: The only the only one thing you can't do. Yeah, 927 00:57:01,440 --> 00:57:04,840 Speaker 1: it's say the name right. You can't say no names. 928 00:57:04,920 --> 00:57:08,359 Speaker 1: You can not put a face with the case. Yes, 929 00:57:08,880 --> 00:57:16,400 Speaker 1: this is p J. Morden. I ain't saying all right, dang, 930 00:57:17,080 --> 00:57:20,240 Speaker 1: I don't have I'd be by myself so much. I'm 931 00:57:20,440 --> 00:57:23,080 Speaker 1: such a loner that I haven't had a lot of 932 00:57:23,160 --> 00:57:28,680 Speaker 1: experiences with I had somebody threatened to kill me before. Yeah, 933 00:57:30,640 --> 00:57:34,000 Speaker 1: I was saying no name. He was like, yeah, I 934 00:57:34,280 --> 00:57:36,120 Speaker 1: kill I'll kill you. I didn't. I think I was 935 00:57:36,160 --> 00:57:38,919 Speaker 1: a little green. This ain't really my story. But maybe 936 00:57:39,000 --> 00:57:45,040 Speaker 1: this works because this guy is in the industry, and um, 937 00:57:46,040 --> 00:57:49,960 Speaker 1: I he was trying to work with another artist, and 938 00:57:50,080 --> 00:57:51,920 Speaker 1: I was like, I didn't know him that well, but 939 00:57:52,000 --> 00:57:54,720 Speaker 1: I'm like, you know, I heard something, I heard some stuff, 940 00:57:54,760 --> 00:57:56,640 Speaker 1: but I was just really trying to help out a friend. 941 00:57:57,360 --> 00:57:59,000 Speaker 1: I was just trying to tell this artist, like, you know, 942 00:57:59,200 --> 00:58:03,400 Speaker 1: just bell no normal normal energy, like very like not 943 00:58:03,600 --> 00:58:06,840 Speaker 1: like yo, don't mess with this dude that and uh 944 00:58:07,120 --> 00:58:12,080 Speaker 1: so apparently this artist told the person and they called 945 00:58:12,120 --> 00:58:16,840 Speaker 1: me and um, he was like, man, you're messing up 946 00:58:16,880 --> 00:58:21,480 Speaker 1: my money. I was like, he was like, I kill you. 947 00:58:21,760 --> 00:58:24,520 Speaker 1: I was like it went right there though, that's the 948 00:58:24,680 --> 00:58:29,040 Speaker 1: that's the immediate They said, I'll kill you, but I 949 00:58:29,040 --> 00:58:31,640 Speaker 1: ain't saying no names. What did you say in response 950 00:58:31,680 --> 00:58:34,640 Speaker 1: to that? Well, I'd really see. This is the thing. 951 00:58:34,800 --> 00:58:37,280 Speaker 1: It's so crazy because I've been around all kinds of stuff, 952 00:58:37,360 --> 00:58:39,440 Speaker 1: like right, like I was signed the cash money like 953 00:58:39,480 --> 00:58:46,160 Speaker 1: I was with baby. But what I always have done 954 00:58:46,280 --> 00:58:49,040 Speaker 1: is like just remain consistent as a man. You know 955 00:58:49,080 --> 00:58:53,160 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, Like I'm no and I'm the furthest 956 00:58:53,200 --> 00:58:55,320 Speaker 1: thing from a from a streetcat. You know what I'm saying. 957 00:58:55,360 --> 00:58:58,480 Speaker 1: But like I just was like I always felt like 958 00:58:58,560 --> 00:59:01,320 Speaker 1: I could talk, Like if I just talk to you, 959 00:59:01,840 --> 00:59:04,680 Speaker 1: you don't understand you know what I'm saying. That's my 960 00:59:04,880 --> 00:59:07,880 Speaker 1: that's my like innocence, right, I'm like, bro, No, I 961 00:59:08,040 --> 00:59:10,280 Speaker 1: was just trying to help her out. But he I 962 00:59:10,400 --> 00:59:12,520 Speaker 1: kind of disarmed him because he was like, oh, because 963 00:59:12,520 --> 00:59:14,960 Speaker 1: I thought you was you know what I'm saying. I'm like, nah, man, 964 00:59:15,080 --> 00:59:17,600 Speaker 1: like kill you know what I'm saying. But we did 965 00:59:17,760 --> 00:59:21,680 Speaker 1: have to have a middle man who knew me was like, Yo, 966 00:59:21,880 --> 00:59:25,400 Speaker 1: that's not him. You gotta you gotta relax. That's pretty good. 967 00:59:25,400 --> 00:59:28,560 Speaker 1: I said that. I never said that, but I got 968 00:59:28,600 --> 00:59:32,560 Speaker 1: he was gonna kill I'm like, Yo, this industry is different. 969 00:59:34,720 --> 00:59:40,160 Speaker 1: You want to kill me. I'm imagine that you want 970 00:59:40,200 --> 00:59:43,600 Speaker 1: to kill me? Bro Yeah yeah, yeah, I thought I 971 00:59:43,680 --> 00:59:45,720 Speaker 1: had another one in my head. But that that that 972 00:59:45,920 --> 00:59:53,439 Speaker 1: that's music business and listen over a woman. Yeah yeah, 973 00:59:54,360 --> 00:59:57,320 Speaker 1: in any capacity, in any compacity, I've got that same 974 00:59:57,560 --> 01:00:00,640 Speaker 1: same threatening and energy, right, same threatening. I'll kill you, 975 01:00:00,800 --> 01:00:02,680 Speaker 1: I'll kill you. You want to die to night? Dad, 976 01:00:02,720 --> 01:00:05,720 Speaker 1: I don't think so like you're gonna do it like 977 01:00:06,320 --> 01:00:09,840 Speaker 1: like when you're gonna like you're gonna kill You're gonna 978 01:00:09,880 --> 01:00:11,920 Speaker 1: do it. And I'm whatever you do to me to 979 01:00:11,960 --> 01:00:16,000 Speaker 1: tell me that outside right now? Why why would you 980 01:00:16,120 --> 01:00:22,040 Speaker 1: have so many people that's sores to have that. He 981 01:00:22,280 --> 01:00:24,840 Speaker 1: was mad at me for making fun of him. Yeah, 982 01:00:25,120 --> 01:00:31,320 Speaker 1: you're gonna get a hundred for me, yo. Yeah, comes 983 01:00:31,400 --> 01:00:34,600 Speaker 1: like five yards paper. That is not like you shouldn't 984 01:00:34,600 --> 01:00:38,080 Speaker 1: have to do that just peer just on the per 985 01:00:38,200 --> 01:00:40,360 Speaker 1: just from a pure numbers perspective, that is gonna be 986 01:00:40,400 --> 01:00:42,880 Speaker 1: crowded like you. I'm saying like I was like, Bro, 987 01:00:43,000 --> 01:00:45,480 Speaker 1: I don't even just like, yeah, you're gonna. I don't 988 01:00:45,480 --> 01:00:48,680 Speaker 1: think that's any of your business. Why are you like this? 989 01:00:49,680 --> 01:00:58,880 Speaker 1: You try to play yeah yeah, yeah in here if 990 01:00:58,920 --> 01:01:01,520 Speaker 1: I give you it, just if I'm giving any opinion 991 01:01:01,600 --> 01:01:04,200 Speaker 1: on this, I got to tell that story. But when 992 01:01:04,400 --> 01:01:06,480 Speaker 1: I gotta do, I say no names, And I got 993 01:01:06,640 --> 01:01:11,120 Speaker 1: to tell that story. It is the funniest sounds. Oh 994 01:01:11,240 --> 01:01:16,360 Speaker 1: my god. If I could say the names anyway, you can't. 995 01:01:16,640 --> 01:01:21,360 Speaker 1: You can't. Brother. Um let's start with I'm glad that 996 01:01:21,440 --> 01:01:25,400 Speaker 1: he didn't kick. Oh, I'm alive. I'm alive. He's still 997 01:01:25,520 --> 01:01:30,760 Speaker 1: he's still kicking out here. Yeah, bro, you you're you're 998 01:01:30,800 --> 01:01:34,280 Speaker 1: absolutely amazing brother. And that and that is not you know, 999 01:01:35,000 --> 01:01:37,200 Speaker 1: that is not industry talk. That is not fluff. That 1000 01:01:37,320 --> 01:01:39,760 Speaker 1: we are fans of what you are fans and and 1001 01:01:40,280 --> 01:01:42,560 Speaker 1: it makes sense man. You you put in the work, 1002 01:01:43,080 --> 01:01:46,560 Speaker 1: you put in the time. Um, and and you hone 1003 01:01:46,600 --> 01:01:49,040 Speaker 1: your gift in real places, man, in real rooms and 1004 01:01:49,520 --> 01:01:52,480 Speaker 1: and real dirt floors, man, And and really get into 1005 01:01:52,520 --> 01:01:56,880 Speaker 1: the chicken, man, so that part alone, man deserves the salute. 1006 01:01:57,040 --> 01:02:00,720 Speaker 1: And as many flowers as imaginable, man like warting artists 1007 01:02:00,760 --> 01:02:04,440 Speaker 1: to understand like that groundwork is real, man, and that 1008 01:02:04,960 --> 01:02:07,080 Speaker 1: that will be the difference in you standing the test 1009 01:02:07,160 --> 01:02:09,960 Speaker 1: of time said, being able to go into these rooms 1010 01:02:10,040 --> 01:02:12,400 Speaker 1: and these whether it's a big room or small room 1011 01:02:13,040 --> 01:02:16,600 Speaker 1: meeting um and go crazy with with the gift that 1012 01:02:16,760 --> 01:02:22,800 Speaker 1: you've that you've perfected, perform in front of a gift 1013 01:02:22,880 --> 01:02:26,720 Speaker 1: that you've perfected. Thank you, man, man, thank thank thank 1014 01:02:26,800 --> 01:02:29,760 Speaker 1: you brother than thank your Grammy. So we can at 1015 01:02:29,800 --> 01:02:33,040 Speaker 1: least see, yes, we see it. You know what I'm 1016 01:02:33,080 --> 01:02:41,160 Speaker 1: saying that we know we both I've been nominated anyone, 1017 01:02:43,120 --> 01:02:45,720 Speaker 1: I lost a lot. You know what I'm saying. I've 1018 01:02:45,720 --> 01:02:51,160 Speaker 1: been nominated. Listen, I'm just saying nominated nineteen times Jesus 1019 01:02:52,040 --> 01:02:54,840 Speaker 1: counting this year. Three years. I'm nominated for three right, nine, 1020 01:02:55,240 --> 01:02:57,800 Speaker 1: sixteen before that, and I want four. So I mean 1021 01:02:58,160 --> 01:03:01,120 Speaker 1: there's a lot of I've been nominated, no times because 1022 01:03:01,160 --> 01:03:04,800 Speaker 1: so many times I've won. Well, this has to be revived. 1023 01:03:05,560 --> 01:03:08,440 Speaker 1: R and B Album of the Year. How everybody should 1024 01:03:08,440 --> 01:03:11,880 Speaker 1: get a Grammy and producer and producer get Grammars. I 1025 01:03:11,920 --> 01:03:13,280 Speaker 1: don't know why they do R and be like that. 1026 01:03:13,640 --> 01:03:16,600 Speaker 1: It's all of those, it's all of this up. That's 1027 01:03:16,640 --> 01:03:20,080 Speaker 1: not fair. It's not fair and shout out to Harvey. 1028 01:03:20,120 --> 01:03:22,840 Speaker 1: He's gonna help make that change. But that's not crazy, y'all. 1029 01:03:22,960 --> 01:03:25,080 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying like that, that that even 1030 01:03:25,160 --> 01:03:27,840 Speaker 1: that journey of like where Harvey is. Yeah, you know 1031 01:03:27,960 --> 01:03:33,880 Speaker 1: what I mean. So I technically yeah, yeah one see 1032 01:03:33,880 --> 01:03:36,720 Speaker 1: that's what happened with me. So so I would is 1033 01:03:38,000 --> 01:03:43,160 Speaker 1: out of mind. I thought I won because India Rewe 1034 01:03:43,240 --> 01:03:44,920 Speaker 1: that's Sorry R and B album for that album I 1035 01:03:45,000 --> 01:03:48,040 Speaker 1: worked on in college. So I have been telling people 1036 01:03:48,040 --> 01:03:50,440 Speaker 1: I wanted Grammy for ten years until I started actually 1037 01:03:50,480 --> 01:03:52,960 Speaker 1: working with the Grammys and knew them and I had 1038 01:03:53,040 --> 01:03:55,760 Speaker 1: to write something and they was like, oh, no, you 1039 01:03:56,280 --> 01:03:59,600 Speaker 1: you never want to agree. You just notified my Grammy. No, 1040 01:04:00,000 --> 01:04:02,600 Speaker 1: here just saying because that's what he been coming. Oh, 1041 01:04:02,880 --> 01:04:06,360 Speaker 1: I'm saying, yeah, I did what you're talking about. I 1042 01:04:06,440 --> 01:04:08,320 Speaker 1: did what you're talking about. And I do think that 1043 01:04:08,640 --> 01:04:12,760 Speaker 1: if you worked on it, you know you were you 1044 01:04:12,800 --> 01:04:15,560 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying, you'll grab me adjacent you have 1045 01:04:15,720 --> 01:04:17,360 Speaker 1: you you have your plaque. I mean, you know what 1046 01:04:17,360 --> 01:04:21,280 Speaker 1: I mean. It's Jason, you live in the hood, but 1047 01:04:21,400 --> 01:04:24,480 Speaker 1: it's close to the nice I'm saying. Now, there's my question. 1048 01:04:24,520 --> 01:04:26,600 Speaker 1: I wasn't trying to That's not what I was trying 1049 01:04:26,600 --> 01:04:32,360 Speaker 1: to do, though, because I do think that enough. I 1050 01:04:32,480 --> 01:04:34,120 Speaker 1: was just trying to help you work with them people. No, 1051 01:04:34,200 --> 01:04:38,240 Speaker 1: you always just saying work with not not not worked 1052 01:04:38,280 --> 01:04:40,760 Speaker 1: on it. And so how is it an R and 1053 01:04:40,840 --> 01:04:44,680 Speaker 1: B Album of the Year if I'm not on it? 1054 01:04:45,880 --> 01:04:50,440 Speaker 1: The whole R and B album consist of me? You 1055 01:04:50,520 --> 01:04:57,200 Speaker 1: have composition. Yeah, without that composition, it's not a whole album. 1056 01:04:58,040 --> 01:05:01,360 Speaker 1: I agree with you. But would you want me to 1057 01:05:01,440 --> 01:05:04,800 Speaker 1: do you want me to you want me to lie 1058 01:05:04,840 --> 01:05:07,200 Speaker 1: to you? You know what I'm saying. I agree with 1059 01:05:07,320 --> 01:05:13,080 Speaker 1: you what you're saying, and I agree because yes, in 1060 01:05:13,240 --> 01:05:17,200 Speaker 1: that space, yes, I'm counting on you to lead the 1061 01:05:17,280 --> 01:05:19,440 Speaker 1: charl fight for R and B making that change. Yeah. 1062 01:05:19,480 --> 01:05:21,560 Speaker 1: We just you know, they just got album of the 1063 01:05:21,640 --> 01:05:24,080 Speaker 1: Year for everybody to get a Grammy. That that is 1064 01:05:24,120 --> 01:05:26,120 Speaker 1: a part of it. So I think, you know, it 1065 01:05:26,280 --> 01:05:29,360 Speaker 1: is growing in that direction and understanding that these these 1066 01:05:29,440 --> 01:05:31,760 Speaker 1: things are collaborative. You know what I'm saying, we're calling 1067 01:05:31,840 --> 01:05:36,560 Speaker 1: Harry Monday. Well, I mean it's a busy time right now. 1068 01:05:36,760 --> 01:05:39,800 Speaker 1: Maybe it's probably wait till after the season. Yeah, I mean, 1069 01:05:39,960 --> 01:05:41,440 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. The focus. Graham is just 1070 01:05:41,480 --> 01:05:43,280 Speaker 1: a few months away. I just I don't think I 1071 01:05:43,320 --> 01:05:46,120 Speaker 1: should get into it. Yeah, I'm just let me see 1072 01:05:46,160 --> 01:05:51,840 Speaker 1: how I go for it. Let's see how I go first. Translation, people, 1073 01:05:52,280 --> 01:05:58,160 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna let yeah, yeah, I let go first. 1074 01:05:58,440 --> 01:06:09,560 Speaker 1: Let me go first. You hold on, hold on, let 1075 01:06:09,600 --> 01:06:13,280 Speaker 1: me get get past these three tech that we're gonna fight. 1076 01:06:13,360 --> 01:06:20,560 Speaker 1: We're gonna fight the power. Yeah, first thing on the docket, 1077 01:06:21,520 --> 01:06:29,880 Speaker 1: my first, my first hundred days as president. Just oh, 1078 01:06:29,960 --> 01:06:41,400 Speaker 1: y'all boys, marching, y'all boys, y'all, yo, boys, stabilizing. Oh, okay, 1079 01:06:41,760 --> 01:06:46,840 Speaker 1: y'all go, y'all, donna do that, y'all stabilizing. Okay, I'm 1080 01:06:46,840 --> 01:06:51,120 Speaker 1: gonna get with you. I'm gonna get with no man. 1081 01:06:51,560 --> 01:06:54,440 Speaker 1: It is it's a human process, you know. So it's 1082 01:06:54,480 --> 01:07:00,960 Speaker 1: like it deserves to be grown. We got to get 1083 01:07:01,160 --> 01:07:06,000 Speaker 1: in trouble with Stevens, like I'll see you. We don't 1084 01:07:06,040 --> 01:07:08,560 Speaker 1: confirm your three this year. Man, you earned it. You 1085 01:07:08,680 --> 01:07:12,280 Speaker 1: deserved than you deserve. Man. And thanks listen, man, I'm 1086 01:07:12,360 --> 01:07:15,800 Speaker 1: thanking Ja Valentine And this is the r by Money Podcast, 1087 01:07:15,920 --> 01:07:22,080 Speaker 1: the authority. Yeah, all things. We have been blessed and 1088 01:07:22,320 --> 01:07:25,880 Speaker 1: honored to be with this brother writer Man be Amazing 1089 01:07:26,400 --> 01:07:38,480 Speaker 1: Part Thank y'all, Thank y'all, Love, Love and Money. R 1090 01:07:38,520 --> 01:07:40,600 Speaker 1: and B Money is a production of the Black Effect 1091 01:07:40,680 --> 01:07:44,880 Speaker 1: podcast Network. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit 1092 01:07:44,960 --> 01:07:48,320 Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you 1093 01:07:48,440 --> 01:07:51,600 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe to 1094 01:07:51,880 --> 01:07:54,360 Speaker 1: and rate our show, and you can connect with us 1095 01:07:54,400 --> 01:07:58,080 Speaker 1: on social media at Ja Valentine and at the Real Tank. 1096 01:07:58,520 --> 01:08:03,800 Speaker 1: For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot com, forward Slash, 1097 01:08:04,160 --> 01:08:04,800 Speaker 1: R and B Money