WEBVTT - Coco Jones 0:00:02.000 --> 0:00:13.880 And Money. Well take vala. We are the authority on 0:00:14.120 --> 0:00:17.520 all things ladies, and tell me what's going on. I 0:00:17.560 --> 0:00:20.079 am taking in ton and this is the R and 0:00:20.120 --> 0:00:26.600 B Money Podcast, the authority on all things, all things 0:00:26.760 --> 0:00:31.360 R and B. Who's the day in the building? Uh 0:00:31.440 --> 0:00:35.879 we we We talked about um new addition going from 0:00:35.960 --> 0:00:39.480 boys to men. This young lady has gone from young 0:00:39.560 --> 0:00:43.120 lady to grown woman. Um, right before our very eyes. 0:00:43.560 --> 0:00:47.760 She is gifted, she is beautiful, and she is none 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:59.320 other then miss Ko. Welcome girl, girl? Did you hurt that? 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:04.560 That was a good I just it just the lord. 0:01:06.400 --> 0:01:10.839 It is from me being a rapper before we get started. Um, 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:15.520 tequila to you. Um. You went crazy on the Soul 0:01:15.600 --> 0:01:27.319 Training Awards. The Michael Michaels did nickas Mike's be off whatever? 0:01:27.400 --> 0:01:31.520 Oh this is delightful? Is this it's it's it's support 0:01:31.560 --> 0:01:35.080 of life that you know most privy tips to die 0:01:35.200 --> 0:01:39.240 you all is good? Yeah, because normally sequila comes with 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:42.560 the side of burn, but this is good. It's comes 0:01:42.560 --> 0:01:51.480 to sneaker. Here comes with that is co cou You 0:01:51.480 --> 0:01:54.400 went so crazy on the Soul Train Awards. And I 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:56.200 hate to start right here because we're going to go 0:01:56.240 --> 0:01:59.120 back to the beginning, right, But you were going so 0:01:59.200 --> 0:02:00.800 crazy and I actual so you didn't get to see 0:02:00.840 --> 0:02:03.560 the show because I was doing so much running around 0:02:04.120 --> 0:02:07.880 and I sat and watched the show on TV and 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:12.919 you started singing, and I was like, that's singing. Yeah, 0:02:13.200 --> 0:02:17.080 that's that's R and B music. No, that's how you deliver, 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:23.480 Mike on. Okay, you're giving them face fit. You know 0:02:23.480 --> 0:02:27.800 what I'm saying. You drip everything. You're giving him the 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:31.520 whole thing. That again, you're talking about my hair, be la. 0:02:32.400 --> 0:02:35.280 The hair was late. I mean, write that down so 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:38.120 you know that next the hair was late, not dripped, 0:02:38.320 --> 0:02:42.079 because then drip was I mean, I just wanted to 0:02:42.120 --> 0:02:47.600 say dripped from head to talk. That's fine. Wanted to 0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:55.919 be just adding to your Lord, Jesus Lord. The last 0:02:55.919 --> 0:02:59.639 supper was out there. You know what you can say. 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:02.040 I was eating like it was the last supper. You know. 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:05.760 It makes me like you wrap two you can say that, Okay, 0:03:05.880 --> 0:03:10.280 you do you wrap? Can you wrap? I'm not even 0:03:10.320 --> 0:03:12.240 going to speak on that because the girls who really 0:03:12.240 --> 0:03:16.080 be rapping really be rapping. But sometimes I do surprise 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:18.519 myself with a little bar. But I just don't see Baddy. 0:03:18.600 --> 0:03:23.280 I surprised myself too in my earlier days. Everything Okay, 0:03:24.000 --> 0:03:27.880 MC hurricane, I was, I started, I started, I was 0:03:27.919 --> 0:03:30.280 a terror in the hood? Was it really empty? Hurricane? 0:03:30.320 --> 0:03:34.080 Hurricane in the hood? I battle? You know, this ain't 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:43.680 about you. It bothered me, and and and something you 0:03:43.720 --> 0:03:46.920 said that was really dupe before we started, Like you know, 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:50.320 you're hearing you sing and you getting into that moment 0:03:50.400 --> 0:03:57.360 and delivering, and then the announcer the commercial comes up 0:03:57.400 --> 0:04:02.640 and starts talking while you're singing, and I get it. Um, 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:04.880 you know, I guess in terms of the format of 0:04:04.880 --> 0:04:07.360 the show or whatever they have to do to promote 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:11.120 and all these cool things. Okay, well I look at 0:04:11.120 --> 0:04:15.600 it like this, right, That's why I said how much respect? 0:04:16.240 --> 0:04:20.440 But at the same time as a fan anger and 0:04:20.480 --> 0:04:23.440 when somebody getting busy, like the other young fellow cue 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:28.880 getting get busy to go to fucking commercial. Okay, guys, 0:04:29.120 --> 0:04:30.640 First of all, it's a whole show, and they got 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:33.680 to fit a whole school show into the lineup. They 0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:36.400 cut something else, not the singing. What they're supposed to cut. 0:04:36.839 --> 0:04:43.279 I don't know something I don't right, And then we 0:04:43.320 --> 0:04:46.680 gotta figure out, Okay, if there is a commercial then 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:52.160 let's set aside. Let's find a moment to where that 0:04:52.200 --> 0:04:54.480 can be because it's going to be re aired, right, 0:04:54.960 --> 0:04:57.880 so let's find a moment for that full performance to 0:04:57.960 --> 0:05:01.760 be televised. That's a performance is available for people to watch. 0:05:01.800 --> 0:05:04.359 It's just not on the entire show. And they had 0:05:04.360 --> 0:05:08.240 already told me that before I even did my performance. 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:10.880 But here's why I said humble beginnings, because a year 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:14.040 ago I was watching it mad as hell? Why am 0:05:14.040 --> 0:05:16.280 I not on it? So now I'm there, and then 0:05:16.320 --> 0:05:18.200 I'm gonna be mad that they cut my performance a 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:21.400 little bit. No, I know, it's just a start. You 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:23.960 are doing it the right way. We're gonna be angry 0:05:24.000 --> 0:05:29.000 for you. Thank you. I'm gonna custom that's how I 0:05:29.040 --> 0:05:33.640 live my life because we are so oh you. He 0:05:33.720 --> 0:05:36.800 won't have my performance, said, he's not gonna get the 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:39.160 fool me, then I'm not. I'm not coming. I haven't 0:05:39.160 --> 0:05:45.920 screamed one day, maybe one day. I just got here. Okay, 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:47.880 I'm just happy to be here. You're gonna be here. 0:05:48.040 --> 0:05:49.960 You're here, You're gonna be here, and we want we 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:55.479 just we are celebrating. We are in the space of 0:05:56.080 --> 0:06:00.359 motivating and encouraging those kinds of moments. Those are the 0:06:00.400 --> 0:06:06.159 moments that are going to continue to inspire the next generation. 0:06:06.160 --> 0:06:07.800 As you are the new generation of R and B, 0:06:07.960 --> 0:06:10.719 but the next the kids coming. You know what I'm saying. 0:06:10.720 --> 0:06:13.479 When I was a kid seven years old, you already 0:06:13.480 --> 0:06:15.120 had a record deal of anyway, when I was a 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:20.200 kid seven, eight, nine years old watching amazing performers on television. 0:06:20.279 --> 0:06:21.719 You know what I mean, those are the things that 0:06:21.800 --> 0:06:24.520 inspired me and so that you know, for me, your 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:28.880 entire performance I felt, you know, wasn't necessary in that, 0:06:29.120 --> 0:06:36.880 but I digress. It upset us. Thank you and we'll move. Yeah, 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:50.120 you doing this for me some training to um uh 0:06:50.560 --> 0:06:56.080 letkoko umleko ko man. You've referred to you as this. 0:06:56.279 --> 0:07:06.760 A few say it is they throw throw. Um Let's 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:12.760 go back too, as you say, humble beginnings, the very beginning, 0:07:13.320 --> 0:07:18.040 Like when was the first time somebody said, oh, that 0:07:18.120 --> 0:07:23.360 baby right there got it? Or that you saw and 0:07:23.520 --> 0:07:29.440 felt that moment happening. He was like, ship, that's so 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:32.679 funny that you asked that the first time somebody noticed 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:35.720 that I could really sing? I don't even think I 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:38.600 was two years old. So basically, my mom had her 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:41.280 friend over and her friend was a violinist and they 0:07:41.320 --> 0:07:44.520 were talking and I was just watching Barnie. Literally they're 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:47.200 talking and the ladies like, hold on, I'm sorry, she 0:07:47.280 --> 0:07:50.320 just stopped talking. My mom's like, what what, She's like, 0:07:50.680 --> 0:07:54.360 your kid, they're singing everything back in perfect pitch. Your 0:07:54.440 --> 0:07:58.280 child has a perfect ear. And my mom was like, okay, 0:07:58.320 --> 0:08:00.840 like period, when I tell you from then on, I 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:05.280 literally have never stopped making sounds, singing, humming, like in 0:08:05.360 --> 0:08:08.280 all the baby videos. It's all I'm doing at all tonight. 0:08:09.280 --> 0:08:12.720 Literally it's crazy like I'm always making some sort of music. 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:15.640 And that was the first time it was noticed, the 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:18.880 first time I felt it was like I would come 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:21.440 from athletes. My dad played professional football, so I know 0:08:21.480 --> 0:08:24.080 what it's like when you like score and everyone reacts 0:08:24.080 --> 0:08:26.160 to the score. It feels like you ate that. You 0:08:26.200 --> 0:08:28.160 know what I'm saying. You feel that momentum, You feel 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:30.320 that energy in the house with Mike Jones. When Mike 0:08:30.360 --> 0:08:32.720 when like Nick's just running around like going Mike y'all. 0:08:34.240 --> 0:08:37.079 First of all, but he's not the rapper one like 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:43.120 the name Jones. Okay, like's not that one, but m Yeah, 0:08:43.120 --> 0:08:46.520 we'd be outside doing drills in the summer I'm like, sir, 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:49.120 I'm in third grade. I don't know what this has 0:08:49.160 --> 0:08:52.800 to do with much, but okay, here we go outside 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:55.200 with like. But I was also very competitive, like I'd 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:57.640 be the one on flag football, like dodging all types 0:08:57.679 --> 0:08:59.520 of dudes and then like I'd go and score and 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:04.280 then I like hose and they'd be like were period. 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:06.840 Like I was always so competitive, so I knew that 0:09:06.880 --> 0:09:09.240 feeling of like doing something good and seeing the reaction. 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:11.600 And I remember I had done like this little Broadway 0:09:11.640 --> 0:09:14.640 type show with my school like young kids, and I 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:18.040 had a little solo and I remember seeing the reactions 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:20.000 and I was like, this is the same reaction as 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:22.839 when I score. I was like, what is this? It's 0:09:22.840 --> 0:09:26.000 giving everyone's cheering, so I'm like, what does this mean? Um? 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:27.439 I say that was like the first time that I 0:09:27.520 --> 0:09:29.360 really noticed it really young though. All of this stuff 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:31.880 was really young. You from the south, right, I'm from Tennessee. 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:35.520 Was it country at first? For you? Was it country 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:38.800 music or no? You know what's funny? It was definitely gospel. 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:41.280 My mom was like, you are going to serve the 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:44.600 Lord with this voice of yours. I was like, okay, 0:09:44.960 --> 0:09:48.120 She's like Courtney you will serve the Lord with this voice. 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:50.440 That's my mom. And I was like, okay, I'm nine, 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:51.800 so like whatever you want to do, that's what we're 0:09:51.840 --> 0:09:54.160 gonna do. Like what am I going to object? So 0:09:54.360 --> 0:09:55.839 my mom was trying to get me in all these 0:09:55.880 --> 0:09:58.360 gospel lanes and it just wasn't happening. It wasn't panning 0:09:58.400 --> 0:10:00.560 out like I was supposed to join the one Christian 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:03.079 group like pure in RG help. You guys are a 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:04.559 group right now. If you are, I'm out side. I 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:06.560 hope you're doing well. If you are. It just like 0:10:06.640 --> 0:10:10.200 wouldn't work, Like the doors would just keep closing, and 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:13.040 the doors that would openly wanted to pose. I did 0:10:13.120 --> 0:10:16.320 want to you for Christ you can post. Don't even 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:18.760 do that. Don't put yourself in a box. Do what 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:26.160 the post for crisis. It's like this, you not need 0:10:26.160 --> 0:10:29.880 to cross. I don't think that's gonna work. You know, 0:10:30.080 --> 0:10:34.200 it's it's the heart. He didn't work. Now it works. 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:38.080 It didn't work for a media. I think it was 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:41.200 just like God had a different plan for how I'm 0:10:41.240 --> 0:10:43.960 going to impact you know, because you can be in 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:47.559 the gospel category and be a light, and you can 0:10:47.600 --> 0:10:50.080 be in the secular music and be a light. It's 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:52.880 about your actions. It's not about like what job you do. 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:55.040 You can be a postman and be a light. You 0:10:55.080 --> 0:10:56.920 know what I'm saying. It's about what you're caring, what 0:10:57.040 --> 0:10:59.640 you're bringing to the world, what you're what you're offering, 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:02.319 what you're talking about. So it just wouldn't pan out 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:03.800 like that. But the doors that would open would be 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:07.120 like like Kids Bob or like a commercial about like 0:11:07.160 --> 0:11:09.839 a broccoli cereal and I'd be like, I do it, 0:11:09.920 --> 0:11:11.800 and it would happen. And that's just kind of how 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:14.600 it panned out. And you're doing this from Tennessee. Yes, 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:17.800 I would um audition and they'd have like cattle calls 0:11:17.800 --> 0:11:20.600 and things like that, and I would do music there 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:22.679 like as much as they could offer me. I mean, 0:11:22.720 --> 0:11:25.040 but I was also just trying to figure it out. 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:28.280 Like my mom made this ghetto little EP on her computer, 0:11:28.640 --> 0:11:31.280 and I was like talking about basketball and singing about 0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:34.079 like sleepovers and stuff. But you know it was really dope. 0:11:34.320 --> 0:11:37.960 Was I would do all these live performances like if 0:11:38.080 --> 0:11:41.719 you want to pause there, sleep over something, I want 0:11:41.720 --> 0:11:45.480 to know what, you know what the basketball friends and 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:51.160 they come over and then it starts. It's sleep. You know, 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:54.280 stop playing with me because it would be giving soul. 0:11:54.760 --> 0:11:58.040 This one, this one about basketball, it was like, uh, 0:11:58.200 --> 0:12:01.600 it was like jump ball, Hey, kicking it to me, 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:06.520 watch me you work. I'm jumping out of the gym. 0:12:07.360 --> 0:12:10.280 It was fire. It was fire. And then I had 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:15.160 this other one about like doing char excuse me, don't 0:12:15.160 --> 0:12:17.199 play with me because I always was giving soul now 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:20.440 and they had like a cute look. It was like 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:27.760 funky like anyway because all that was like all these 0:12:27.760 --> 0:12:31.280 like older muic muic and guys like that's what they knew. 0:12:31.320 --> 0:12:33.640 They didn't know hip hop like always put the old 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:38.520 niggas world. It's just so funny that that always happens. 0:12:38.559 --> 0:12:40.839 And it really did give that. Like this guy that 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:42.880 was a judge at a talent competition that I won, 0:12:43.360 --> 0:12:45.280 he was like, I'll work with you for free until 0:12:45.559 --> 0:12:47.719 until when I saw he saw the talent so it 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:49.800 would be him and like he'd be like Courtney, you're ready, 0:12:50.040 --> 0:12:54.680 I'm like here we go, rob jump out. I felt 0:12:54.679 --> 0:13:04.800 like I was personally eating a stop. Wait, why is 0:13:06.840 --> 0:13:15.680 what side is that it's actually giving that? Okay, I 0:13:15.720 --> 0:13:19.520 still don't like it. I don't care because if you 0:13:19.640 --> 0:13:21.280 listen to it, you'd be like, Okay, this kind of 0:13:21.280 --> 0:13:23.320 has a little sleep. I'll send it to you. I'll 0:13:23.360 --> 0:13:29.120 find don't I'm gonna find it. They always act everyone. 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:30.600 My mom has every song of that. This is my 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:34.240 camera right here, Mama Jones, Mama Jones, can you send 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:37.000 this jump ball? Jumball? Is that what it's called. I 0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:38.760 don't know what we're gonna call it? Jump off? It's 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:40.840 the basketball song. We need to hear the backs, the 0:13:40.840 --> 0:13:43.280 basketball song. My mom would also help me, right, I'd 0:13:43.320 --> 0:13:45.240 be like, thanks, girl, but you want to know something crazy. 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:47.360 When I was also a rapper because I used to 0:13:47.360 --> 0:13:50.640 sing a rap as well. My brother, my older brother, 0:13:50.640 --> 0:13:56.800 would write all my raps about the sleepover, different ones. Okay, 0:13:56.840 --> 0:13:58.880 I'm trying trying to flash. I'm trying to put two 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:01.080 and two together. That's all. That's all I'm trying to do. 0:14:01.280 --> 0:14:03.360 There were other songs. It was what I was going 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:05.840 through in my life, not doing chores, my best friend 0:14:05.920 --> 0:14:09.959 moving away, basketball sleepovers. I mean, I don't know that's 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:15.760 what I'm actually with it. I'm what it is supposed 0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:19.760 to be. There. At that age, you were writing your life, 0:14:20.160 --> 0:14:22.560 which is crazy because that's when we preach right, you 0:14:22.600 --> 0:14:27.880 were literally like writing the very nuances and it sounds funny, 0:14:27.920 --> 0:14:32.080 but the simplest things those are hit records. Okay, sleepover 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:35.000 record right now, my son will sing the mess out 0:14:35.040 --> 0:14:37.120 of a sleepover. That's what I'm saying. But we need 0:14:37.160 --> 0:14:41.160 those records again, we actually do for kids. Like when 0:14:41.160 --> 0:14:43.280 we we had Ray Parker Jr. On here and he 0:14:43.320 --> 0:14:46.040 talked about Riddy missed a telephone man for a new edition. 0:14:46.600 --> 0:14:49.120 Obviously you don't even need a telephone many more really, 0:14:49.160 --> 0:14:52.160 but in that when he wrote that record, when I 0:14:52.200 --> 0:14:54.560 was a kid and I heard that song, it connected 0:14:54.560 --> 0:14:58.200 to him. So we actually do need that again. We 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:02.200 need younger artists, especially if you're you know, preteen or teenage. 0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:04.480 You should be singing about that. You shouldn't be singing 0:15:04.520 --> 0:15:06.920 about you know, we're growing up. We should not be 0:15:07.000 --> 0:15:10.000 a club in your song. Yeah, but you know what 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:12.280 they do. They had kid clubs when I was young. 0:15:12.520 --> 0:15:15.000 I don't know, you never you could go outside. I 0:15:15.040 --> 0:15:17.720 went to a kid club. He went outside. You couldn't go. 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:23.560 Oh he was religious. They had a bang called Black Saturday. 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:31.400 Who boy. Okay, okay, mine was not giving your manager. 0:15:34.800 --> 0:15:41.320 She's from the bank should interesting. Yeah, yeah, but back 0:15:41.360 --> 0:15:44.960 to Coco Jones writing the songs about basketball, Oh my god, 0:15:46.160 --> 0:15:51.800 trying to install. I did play for a really long time, 0:15:51.840 --> 0:15:54.400 and then when I started singing, I was missing practice 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:57.520 and stuff and I couldn't balance them both, and I 0:15:57.560 --> 0:15:59.680 just chose singing, all right, So we went to missing 0:15:59.720 --> 0:16:02.920 preg this is and so apparently at some point things 0:16:03.000 --> 0:16:08.200 started getting crazy. When was that? What? What? What time 0:16:08.200 --> 0:16:10.360 period was that where you just felt like there was 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:15.000 an influx of demand for what you what? What's your 0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:19.840 gifts were? Um? Around twelve? Around twelve is when I 0:16:19.920 --> 0:16:23.280 did Next Big Thing, which is like American Idol, Disney's 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:25.600 version of that. Actually Chloe and Highy were on it too, 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:29.680 but I did that. And then once you kind of 0:16:29.960 --> 0:16:32.960 become one of the people that they go to, they 0:16:33.240 --> 0:16:34.600 send you out to a lot of things. So I 0:16:34.680 --> 0:16:38.120 was on tours, I was performing, doing our shows. I 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:41.320 was getting into it. Yes, I was doing shows, and 0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:43.680 then I would be auditioning at the same time for roles. 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:46.120 My acting was real, real crusty at that time. They 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:48.960 say I wasn't getting a lot, but I was getting 0:16:49.000 --> 0:16:52.480 better and better with time, and I just would always 0:16:52.480 --> 0:16:54.800 be in l A and every summer I'd be like, 0:16:54.840 --> 0:16:56.800 all right, y'all, I'm gonna go be Hanna Montana. I'll 0:16:56.800 --> 0:16:58.680 see y'all. I don't know when i'mnna seyall again, but 0:16:58.760 --> 0:17:03.360 you know, you can definitely come to show. Whatever I was, 0:17:03.480 --> 0:17:05.239 I was just I knew I was going that way. 0:17:05.280 --> 0:17:07.159 I was like, is this for me? I don't know 0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:09.359 about job? So twelve years old, you get your ears, 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:15.040 you get you get your you get your Mickey Mouse ears. 0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:18.520 I mean that's when I was really really working with 0:17:18.920 --> 0:17:22.280 um Disney Channel a lot. And I mean that's like 0:17:22.320 --> 0:17:24.399 the perfect place to be at the time, you know, 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:27.200 because you want to be doing me personally. My mom 0:17:27.280 --> 0:17:29.000 is not a stage mom. My mom was like if 0:17:29.000 --> 0:17:31.760 you're not trying to work, I'm going home. I'm tired. 0:17:32.160 --> 0:17:33.800 So I was always the one like, Okay, what can 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:36.320 I do more of? Like I was hungry for it 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:38.480 this whole time, you know. So for me, it was 0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:41.359 like the perfect scenario, like I'm doing these guest stars 0:17:41.440 --> 0:17:44.080 and then I get this movie and it felt like 0:17:44.119 --> 0:17:47.719 a dream to me, Like it was just like a dream. 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:50.320 Like I would go to the park and I'd sing 0:17:50.359 --> 0:17:52.960 there and then I get to ride rides, no lines 0:17:53.080 --> 0:17:56.040 like this was everything. This was everything I ever needed, 0:17:56.359 --> 0:18:00.359 you know, I was very very happy. But yeah, for 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:03.240 you though, was it a choice to go to Disney 0:18:03.320 --> 0:18:05.800 Route or was that just what was available? It was 0:18:05.880 --> 0:18:08.440 it was just we didn't know anything. Like we were 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:11.320 just like going, like I'm just grateful that my mom 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:13.719 and dad had started some businesses, so they did know 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:17.680 like certain things like Coco is is my business name? 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:20.359 And I have like business you know, it's all business 0:18:20.359 --> 0:18:22.000 savvy the things that they did. But as far as 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:26.480 like we have never stuff like that and like to 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:30.160 protect me and whatnot. Um, but as far as knowing 0:18:30.200 --> 0:18:31.560 what we were doing in the industry, we were just 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:34.520 going through the doors that opened. Like your dad still 0:18:34.560 --> 0:18:36.560 playing at this time. Oh no, no, no no, he retired 0:18:36.600 --> 0:18:39.760 when I was much younger. Okay, so they were able 0:18:39.760 --> 0:18:43.000 to focus on pushing your career. Well, yeah, my mom 0:18:43.200 --> 0:18:44.760 was really the one that like would be on the 0:18:44.800 --> 0:18:47.480 road with me, and then my brother and sister. They 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:50.080 both played sports, so my dad would be like nurturing 0:18:50.080 --> 0:18:52.480 their careers, you know what I'm saying. And um, it 0:18:52.560 --> 0:18:54.640 was really just like whatever opens, that's where we're gonna, 0:18:54.680 --> 0:18:56.800 That's where we really go, you know, and my mom 0:18:56.880 --> 0:18:59.040 she did a really good job of just finding as 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:01.520 much opportunity as she could. You know, for a while 0:19:01.600 --> 0:19:06.879 she was management, agent, stylists, you know everything. You know, 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:13.119 that's crazy because it's like it's like it's so different 0:19:13.160 --> 0:19:15.240 because where I guess where we come from, or where 0:19:15.240 --> 0:19:19.080 I came from, anyway, we didn't. I just didn't know 0:19:19.160 --> 0:19:21.760 what that was. I knew I could sing, I knew 0:19:21.760 --> 0:19:23.719 I could write a song. I know I can make 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:25.679 a track. I didn't know what to do after that. 0:19:26.800 --> 0:19:29.880 My mama didn't know, you know what I'm saying. Father, military, mother, 0:19:29.960 --> 0:19:32.640 working two jobs at department stores. Did you do any 0:19:32.720 --> 0:19:36.159 like talent shows or anything? I mean, I was I 0:19:36.280 --> 0:19:39.959 was already already a professional gospel singer in high school. 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:44.359 But if it wasn't church, yeah, I wasn't doing it. 0:19:44.680 --> 0:19:46.680 I didn't. I didn't know much about it. I wasn't 0:19:46.680 --> 0:19:47.720 doing it, you know what I'm saying. So it was 0:19:47.760 --> 0:19:51.280 always choirs, and I had been introduced to John p 0:19:51.400 --> 0:19:53.159 Key and all these things at an early age, so 0:19:53.240 --> 0:19:56.239 that's you know, I still didn't know what it was 0:19:56.280 --> 0:19:59.200 on the other side of the teleged of the team stream, Yeah, 0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:01.040 I still didn't know how any of that work, because 0:20:01.080 --> 0:20:04.520 it sounds like from what you're telling us that you 0:20:04.600 --> 0:20:09.280 were the one pushing forward early, I mean finding these 0:20:09.280 --> 0:20:12.640 things to get involved in. Yeah. Yeah, I was very 0:20:12.760 --> 0:20:16.000 very passionate. Like I would wear like my pajamas to 0:20:16.040 --> 0:20:17.679 the studio because I knew I had to get up 0:20:17.720 --> 0:20:20.359 for school, but like I would rather be there doing 0:20:20.400 --> 0:20:23.280 that all night, and my mom will be like like, no, 0:20:23.480 --> 0:20:26.000 my one more try. And you know another thing too, 0:20:26.040 --> 0:20:28.199 Like I would sing all the way through. It was 0:20:28.280 --> 0:20:30.600 old as equipment, so I would have to sing the 0:20:30.640 --> 0:20:35.720 takes all the way through. I feel like a lot 0:20:35.760 --> 0:20:38.719 of the stuff that I do now is because of 0:20:38.760 --> 0:20:42.200 how hungry I was and just using whatever resources were 0:20:42.240 --> 0:20:45.640 around me. Yeah, it was definitely scaring, and my mom 0:20:45.760 --> 0:20:49.119 like she saw my passion for it. My passion for it. 0:20:55.160 --> 0:21:00.679 What is the moment if you're looking around and you're like, Okay, 0:21:01.160 --> 0:21:05.000 I've arrived. We're not a national normal. I don't even 0:21:05.200 --> 0:21:18.080 using that I who N O N. But we call 0:21:18.160 --> 0:21:29.320 it l E V A N O N. My big break, 0:21:30.080 --> 0:21:33.240 My big break was definitely let it Shine. I mean 0:21:33.760 --> 0:21:39.520 that is still what people talk about and associate me with. 0:21:39.880 --> 0:21:44.840 First even with all this other stuff going on. Um, 0:21:44.920 --> 0:21:49.800 I remember like the audition process and pretty much everybody 0:21:49.840 --> 0:21:52.080 that we know was in that auditioning room. You know, 0:21:52.320 --> 0:21:55.080 all of us as little kids and young girls, young 0:21:55.119 --> 0:21:58.159 black girls, so like it would just get smaller and 0:21:58.200 --> 0:22:00.640 smaller and smaller and smaller this pool. And I think 0:22:00.640 --> 0:22:03.359 I auditioned like seven times, so that meant we had 0:22:03.359 --> 0:22:06.320 to come to l A multiple times. You know, you 0:22:06.359 --> 0:22:08.120 have to fly here to audition. Yeah. I didn't move 0:22:08.119 --> 0:22:11.920 here until I was an adult, okay, or like if 0:22:11.920 --> 0:22:14.119 it was important, important, then they'd be like, all right, 0:22:14.280 --> 0:22:18.080 let's get out. So what was the audition on their dime? 0:22:18.200 --> 0:22:19.600 Or you all had to pay for it to get 0:22:19.720 --> 0:22:23.560 got it? Got l O L got it? If you 0:22:23.600 --> 0:22:27.200 want it, you want it, come on, okay, you need 0:22:27.240 --> 0:22:31.919 to be there very much. It's giving or next. Um. 0:22:32.000 --> 0:22:35.320 So when I got that film and it came out, 0:22:35.640 --> 0:22:38.560 it was the number one TV movie that year, and 0:22:38.600 --> 0:22:41.520 I just remember the momentum like right after that, like 0:22:41.880 --> 0:22:43.520 it was like Okay, now you're gonna have this TV 0:22:43.600 --> 0:22:45.800 show and you're signed, you're at a record label. Dada 0:22:45.840 --> 0:22:48.000 da da da, Like it was just going so fast, 0:22:48.080 --> 0:22:50.920 and it feels kind of like now, you know, like 0:22:51.000 --> 0:22:54.600 all this momentum and and like building up to something. 0:22:54.920 --> 0:22:57.160 But I was fourteen, you know, and I didn't know. 0:22:57.480 --> 0:22:59.359 I didn't know that that would ever stop. So I 0:22:59.440 --> 0:23:04.040 was like, so j'all, so y'all try to play here 0:23:04.040 --> 0:23:09.199 we go so but literally, like it was all these 0:23:09.240 --> 0:23:11.120 things that were supposed to happen, and I did put 0:23:11.119 --> 0:23:13.520 out a project. It's so crazy, like Victoria wrote on 0:23:13.520 --> 0:23:17.119 my first EP. Yes, and Tommy was on it too. 0:23:17.359 --> 0:23:20.119 Tommy produced it on it too, like all the people 0:23:20.160 --> 0:23:22.680 like we you know, we are all like doing big 0:23:22.720 --> 0:23:25.760 things now. But it was like Taylor Parks was on 0:23:25.800 --> 0:23:29.800 it too, like crazy. But it all was like going 0:23:29.880 --> 0:23:34.560 like this and then it just like stopped, but not drastically. 0:23:34.640 --> 0:23:36.720 In my mind, it felt like that, but it was 0:23:36.760 --> 0:23:38.959 more like, Okay, my management at the time did not 0:23:39.000 --> 0:23:40.679 know like what to do. They didn't know how to 0:23:40.720 --> 0:23:43.960 create opportunity. They knew how to keep because they know 0:23:44.000 --> 0:23:48.160