1 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: Well, Jake Valachi, we are the authority R and ladies 2 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: and gentlemen, what's going on? I am Tank, I'm Ja Valentine, 3 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,319 Speaker 1: and this is the R and B Money Podcast, the 4 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: authority on all things are and being thank God. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 5 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't do my bird man hands too often. 6 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't. I don't run them together too often, 7 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 1: you know, because you know, I'm kind of legendary. But 8 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: when the legend, the legendary gets deeper than my legendary, 9 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: who get different? You just don't listen to what people 10 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: say they don't know about about you and may get 11 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: it out your mandus, y'allless see they don't know about 12 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,680 Speaker 1: this here this man said that you make some noise 13 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: for Mr John Fildon. First of all, thank you, thank you, 14 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: thank you. You know what I mean, thank you so much. 15 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: I remember I remember back in the day listening to 16 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: um one of my favorite artists of all time, baby Face, 17 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: and I remember a record coming on and I'm like, man, 18 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: baby facing, add a little yeah, add a little thank 19 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: to his vocal and they're like, that's not baby Face. Yes, yeah, 20 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: that first nome we wanted, we wanted to you know, 21 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: kind of play with him, play with him. And when 22 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: we saw they saw you that video, that video, the 23 00:01:55,960 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: girls was like, yes he is. All black women said, 24 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: yes he is, Yes he is. Um, you've been killing 25 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: for a long time. Man. Like what we like to 26 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: do is we like to start at the very beginning, 27 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: like you know, from the first time you felt like 28 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: or somebody told you that you had something. You know 29 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: what I'm saying, because these gifts for us start earlier. 30 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: They started church and they started all these other places. 31 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: And so we want to we want to go down 32 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 1: memory lane, get get some real history on you, and 33 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: then we want to get into the nuances of the 34 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: winds and the losses. You know what I'm saying, as 35 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,839 Speaker 1: you as you continue to take this journey the shore. 36 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: So at the beginning, when did when did you know? Well, 37 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: when did somebody tell you? I think it was the 38 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: eighth grade Talent show, talk about it, eighth grade Talent 39 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: Show and Elliot Junior High. You know, I'm performing, you know, 40 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: first of all, to be able to make it into 41 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: the talent show, to audition, and you know, to to 42 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: get chosen to be Okay, you're good. Let's we want 43 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: to see you made it. So now here's your chance. Boom, 44 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: You're on stage, You're performing in from your friends for 45 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:10,519 Speaker 1: the first time. All your friends are kind of okay, 46 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: that's what's up. John kind of can sing all right, 47 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: you know. So it was the first time that I 48 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: ever really had that that sense of fearlessness on stage 49 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: that this is what I do and I'm happy to 50 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,399 Speaker 1: share it with you guys. But it's really not about 51 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: what you think, because I'm up here because I love this, 52 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. It's the first time I 53 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: ever getting the flex really, you know. But you have 54 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: been singing though, I have been singing and playing. So 55 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: I was programming all my songs on this you know, 56 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: this keyboard that basically was like a workstation, you know, 57 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: and I could just record everything. I had like a 58 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: little four track. So I was making demos fully like 59 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: you know, by the time it was middle school, high school, 60 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: well at the end of uh my eighth grade years 61 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: when I started really really produced. Yeah, I was basically 62 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: my my eighth grade year was when I started making 63 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: my first demos. So by ninth grade, I was fully 64 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: and so who gets you the studio? So my my 65 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: pops loaned me the money to do it. Yeah, he loaned. 66 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: He told me, you're gonna pay me every single okay, 67 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 1: okay at what age? Now, So this was probably around well, 68 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: I was basically like every see I come from a 69 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: family musician's okay, so for like gifts, you know, every 70 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: maybe three or four years, they would say, what do 71 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: you you know? What do you what are you into now? 72 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 1: As far as your music? What do you what are 73 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: you trying to do? And I would say, I don't 74 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: really want to do the drum set, you know, like 75 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: that it's too loud. No, you can't have a drum 76 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: set in the house. But he thought, you know, let 77 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: me go ahead and take one step. I hear, you know, 78 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 1: he sees me trying to sound the chords out on 79 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: the piano and trying to you know, because my mom's 80 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: a piano teacher, so as I was always like watching 81 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: her and just kind of I wanted to teach myself though. 82 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: So I was playing by and he saw that he said, 83 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: let me bind him his keyboard. So he got me 84 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 1: my first little cassio guy, you know what I mean. 85 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,679 Speaker 1: And that was how I kind of cut my teeth 86 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,359 Speaker 1: with playing. You know, you're in the house with a 87 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: piano teacher. But you don't want lessons. Didn't want lessons. 88 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: I wanted to kid, you know, I wanted to hear 89 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: what I wanted to play, because it wasn't I wasn't 90 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: being taught, Like if I was going to study with somebody, 91 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: they weren't teaching me how to play the way I 92 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: wanted to. So I was learning by listening to like, 93 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: you know, Jimmy jam Terry Lewis and baby Face and 94 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: know what I mean, and the songs that they were 95 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 1: right when new addition, Bobby Brown and all this. I 96 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: was sort of playing these chords trying to figure out 97 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: how to play them at least. So yeah, but um, 98 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 1: the you know, the eighth grade, you know, making all 99 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: those demos and playing it from my friends and getting 100 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: their approval. I think that was really what made me 101 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: kind of go all out. You know, by the ninth grade, 102 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 1: I really didn't want to do it on my own. 103 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: So I started forming these groups, these R and B groups. 104 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: I was like, I swear we were coming me bad. 105 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: Before coming, we had a black guy, Filipino guy, the 106 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: United Nations, and it was it was it was, it was. 107 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: It was a less situation where harmony. You know, it 108 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: was um my first time really even having like a 109 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: group of guys I went to church with, you know, 110 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: you know found you know what the church vibes wasn't 111 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: the gospel choir and getting into gospel choir and um 112 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: in high school joining the gospel choir. I think that's 113 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: really what pushed me vocally forward. Was they were like, 114 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: all right, you know, John, come out, you know, come 115 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: out that throat, get get into that chest. You know 116 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: what I mean. You showed me a lot about that. 117 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: When you know that I told you that. You know, 118 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: it's it's so much influence in this game. You know 119 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: that has taught me so much. I'm a I'm a 120 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: fan of this music. I'm a study you know, I 121 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: study this music um with with a passion and uh 122 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: and a love for it. You know. It's a true 123 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 1: love for for what I do and for what other 124 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: others do. It's it's no really getting it wrong. It's 125 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: just like certain stuff you love a little bit more 126 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,280 Speaker 1: than others, you know. And I want to go back 127 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 1: and touch on stuff you said when you said, you know, 128 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: as we as Jay jumped into not having the lessons 129 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: and because they weren't teaching you, you know, the music 130 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: in a way that made you feel like you were 131 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: learning the things you were here, right, And so you know, 132 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: I was. I was in the same vote where you know, 133 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: they would try to send me to this music teacher 134 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: who was trying to have my hands resting on middle 135 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: C and I'm like, I'm like, but you don't hear 136 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: what Chucky Booker is doing. You uh, you know, you 137 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 1: don't hear what the Mississippi mass quire I just did 138 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: with like that's that's not in here, right. And and 139 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: so with with teaching music at that point, still being 140 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: so structured and you having to come from a classical foundation, 141 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, Like, I love what's happening today, 142 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 1: like we have. I'm actually teaching my son and my daughter. 143 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 1: They learned at piano, but they're learning things that they 144 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: want to learn, right, And so they're learning theory from 145 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: you know, the Harry Potter song or you know, from 146 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: the Spider Man something or in the there. That's how 147 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: they're learning their theory, you know what I'm saying. And 148 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: so but when we were growing up, nobody was teaching 149 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: theory like that. The songs that you heard nobody was saying, 150 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: well let me show you what that looks like on here, 151 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 1: because that would have been a that approach right there 152 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: would have sent us into a completely different space, you 153 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying, and understanding how to really like 154 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: we can play you know what I'm saying. We have 155 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: our ear and we can feel in all of those things, 156 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: but if we could score it, oh yeah, right, like 157 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: you know, Tim Carmon, I've heard of that. Tim Carmen 158 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: is uh to Karman is nothing short of amazing. He 159 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: was Eric Clapton's empty for the longest. Probably steal this, 160 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: but Tim Carmen can feel it, he can read it, 161 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 1: and he can write it. Yeah, it's amazing man, He's 162 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: I mean, and it's very it's rare that guys can 163 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: do both. Yeah, right now. I I kind of straight 164 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: away from being taught stuff because I kind of I was. 165 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:27,679 Speaker 1: I had a really short attention span for for um 166 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 1: for learning things that it was much more of a 167 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 1: hands on type of person. And let me you know, 168 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: I started my first core was a fifth um and 169 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: so I'll probably like middle C or something like that, 170 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: you know, and the G and just kind of combined 171 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:42,599 Speaker 1: those and kind of go all up and down. You know, 172 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: I was five or six years old when I was 173 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: doing this, and so combinations of different you know, fifth 174 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: and so and you know, and these were my first 175 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: ways of being I was five years old man. So 176 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: they watched me and he said, we can't show you 177 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 1: how to do that. That's something that we can't show 178 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: you how to do. Improvisation is not something that you 179 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: can really teach somebody. It's like it's it's just it's 180 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: like having the charisma as an actor as well, you know, 181 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: like you can't be shown that. I mean, you can 182 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: see somebody act and do a really great job and 183 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: say yeah, like that, but in terms of being shown okay, 184 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 1: this is how you show charisma. It's like when you 185 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: kind of comes from inside, see will, it just looks 186 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 1: Brad Pitt. It just I'm just saying, you know, it's 187 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: a trip. Because no one showed me how to how 188 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: to come from inside like that. It was more I 189 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:41,959 Speaker 1: feel like, if that was a secret, how did they 190 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 1: do that? I wanted to reverse the engineer how they 191 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 1: did it. So my my whole thing was having templates 192 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 1: for songs that were my favorite songs and trying to 193 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: approach the music the same way, like how did that? Okay, 194 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: let me find that chord. Now that I got that chord, 195 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: where does that sound come from? I out of sound 196 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: is similar. Now where's that bass sound? What's the snare? 197 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: That's the snare sound? Let me let me sample that snare. 198 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: You know, it's just you just kind of like you 199 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: learn to. I learned to try to really personify the 200 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: people that I admired so much. And that's kind of 201 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: the reason why we, you know, we went so hard 202 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: while I went so hard with them showing the influence 203 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 1: the baby face had for me on it, because don't 204 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: go don't go there yet. I mean that's what you 205 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: you know, you brought that up originally with me sounding 206 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 1: just liking on that that that's someone to love record. 207 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: So that's that's really the main thing, is to be 208 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: able to come so far having so much admiration for 209 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: the art, but not only the art, the people who 210 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: are the best at doing it at at the time creating. 211 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: You're paying the most attention to them. It's like that's 212 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:52,080 Speaker 1: your dream list of people that you want to get 213 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: to and then you you make that move and it's 214 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:58,199 Speaker 1: not even that you think that it's not gonna happen. 215 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: It's just some more like I gotta make that happen. 216 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: That's somebody I have to So was that before you 217 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: get to that? Did you win the contest? Yeah? I know, 218 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 1: it's so crazy. This was so crazy about when you 219 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: said Chucky Booker. Guess who was the Talent show judges 220 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 1: Pasadena's own troop the group Truth by Chucky Booker not Yea. Yeah, man, 221 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: So you know they were there. They were I remember 222 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: they all had white on and they're all sitting there 223 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 1: and like I'm I'm performing in front of them, just 224 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: like okay, I'm feeling good, right, and it's like, all right. 225 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:43,200 Speaker 1: The winner of Best Vocal Performance is John that's so 226 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: your first contest middle school? Yeah, judged by the legendary 227 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: the legendary Trip Polished and we're from the same town. Yeah, 228 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. It was really special to 229 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: have that in, you know, in my archive of reason, 230 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: you know, as far as just something I can pull 231 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: back every time I see Steve Russell. You know, I'm 232 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: just like, man, come on, you were the first one 233 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 1: to really believe in me. Man, you know what I mean. 234 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,599 Speaker 1: So even before baby Face I appreciate you, you know 235 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 1: what I mean. So so now you have now you're 236 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: making demos, Now you've got groups, championships, you got a championship. 237 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: Like you're shaking the moving in terms of your development. Now, 238 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: when do you get that first look, for that first 239 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: call from you know this this place that's getting ready 240 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 1: to become a major. How do you get to baby? Like? 241 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,559 Speaker 1: What are these steps? I was, I was my senior year. 242 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: Well you know, I hadn't really I was recording and 243 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: producing and building up my um my you know, my 244 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 1: my archives are all my music um and I was 245 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 1: also producing local talent around the area. So I had 246 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 1: kind of built my name up in the industry in 247 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: terms of being somebody who was you know, up and 248 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:06,199 Speaker 1: coming and you know you should got here. This guy's 249 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: got tracks, you know what I mean, writes and produces 250 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 1: on stuff and these things. And so you know, I was, 251 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: I was dropping my my you know, CD and cassette 252 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: at the time off at Motown, m c A at 253 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: Warrener Brothers, and I had some interests ruined. So you know, 254 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: you kind of get that buzz and our get to 255 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: talking and different people start getting talking, so you kind 256 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: of you hear from people. Um, I had a guy 257 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: who was helping me kind of walking my music around. 258 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: And I remember I was still in high school. I 259 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: was still in my senior year of high school, and 260 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: I was checking myself out of class because I was eighteen. 261 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: So I was like, all right, I gotta go. You know, 262 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 1: I'm officially, you know, an adult now. So so I 263 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 1: sign myself out of class and I go straight down 264 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: to Hollywood and I'm like, I walked into this little 265 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: hole in the wall office because they told me, you know, 266 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: they wanted to hear my music. And it was baby Face, 267 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: but it wasn't the Face. It is actually his his 268 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 1: new label that he was gonna try to do with 269 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: his wife, called Evan's Record Group. So yeah, so they 270 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 1: they heard it and it was it was a rap. 271 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: I mean it was like as soon as he heard 272 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: the music, he was like, is that you? And I 273 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: was like, yeah, that's that's my voice, you know, that's 274 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:19,160 Speaker 1: that's I did all the music. I will, you know, 275 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: you know, program the drums, played, the chords, did the 276 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: baseline arrange, the backgrounds, The whole thing is on me. 277 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 1: And he was just like he's like, you're trying to 278 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 1: be an artist. And I was like, no, no, no, no, 279 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: you didn't go in there will be an artist, I said, 280 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: I said, not necessarily. I was like, I'm not trying 281 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: to be famous. I was like, I just want to 282 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 1: be a part of what you do. Can I be on? 283 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: You just want to go on the staff? Could not 284 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: be your Darryl Simmons, Yeah, yeah, yeah, I saw these names, 285 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: you know what I mean on the credits. I was like, 286 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 1: I just want to be one of the team. You know, listen, kids, 287 00:15:54,280 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 1: they used to be this thing. It's called credits. I know. 288 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: You guys just download things now you don't know who 289 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 1: the broke, but we used to actually buy the c 290 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: ds and open them up. You look at the pictures 291 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: with a who who whoever. They were thinking like, oh, 292 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: that's probably his girlfriend. The way he said that he 293 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: wrote the songs, yea, And that's for you to go 294 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: in there and mention other amazing writers to him, like 295 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: that doesn't even really happen that. I was so excited 296 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: to meet like people that I had had so much 297 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: admiration for. I met Dwayne Riggins from Tony Tony, Tony 298 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: and Low Town. He was working as an n R 299 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: at the time, and I dropped my CD and stuff. 300 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: He was really into it. I met Benny Medina, you know, 301 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: interess in the industry, um, and he was really trying 302 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: to sign me. I mean he was meaning all the legends. 303 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: So it was crazy, it was. It ended up being 304 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: a bitty war between Bennie and and Sony Epic and 305 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: baby Face. You know it's his his label over Epic. 306 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: But I knew, you know, my heart was with working 307 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 1: with the people that I wanted I had always wanted 308 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: to get with, you know, as far as not only 309 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: just baby Face, but everyone that he has worked with, 310 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: like Tony Braxton. What I mean, the list goes on. 311 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: So yeah, my one of my first things he said, 312 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: put a list together, everybody that you want to produce, 313 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 1: and I want to see all this suside like after 314 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: seven New Edition coming back, all these people, Tony Braxton. 315 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: He literally put me in the studio within you know, 316 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:37,159 Speaker 1: a year or two, um, with every single one of 317 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,159 Speaker 1: those groups, and I was able to produce records for 318 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: all those people. Yeah, man, TLC, I mean that's incredible. Yeah, 319 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 1: it was really really uh, I mean the first year 320 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:51,680 Speaker 1: of my of my career. N I had tour of 321 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: the entire world. I went on a world tour. I 322 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,639 Speaker 1: wanted to all the way Southeast Asian went down to 323 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 1: you know, you're up all of you know. I didn't 324 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: go with Face. I went as a sony Epic Artists, 325 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:11,159 Speaker 1: and they wanted me to be internationally before the record 326 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: after this, right after Um some of those love had 327 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: come out and Pretty Girls the single yeah right. What's 328 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:25,919 Speaker 1: the first record that you in Face did together? Was 329 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: that somewe That was the first one. Actually, the first 330 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 1: song I believe was um, pretty Girl. We recorded that first, 331 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,640 Speaker 1: but but it was it was just recorded first UM, 332 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: and I couldn't believe when you know, I called him, 333 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: It's like I got something, I got mine for you, 334 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: check it out, And so he played over the phone 335 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: and then he just started to sing the melody for me, 336 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: and he the lyrics he had the first verse, and 337 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: I was just like, oh my god, that's my song, 338 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:02,199 Speaker 1: Like it's the keyboard that I'm used to hearing, you know, 339 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 1: on all of his and so I'm just so hype. 340 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 1: I'm like, are you kidding me? This is for me? 341 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: You know. I was a big fan of Tevin Campbell too, 342 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:16,199 Speaker 1: you know, so like production. Yeah, you know, so his 343 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 1: production was was all baby Face at that time that 344 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:20,919 Speaker 1: can we talk big record, I'm ready. All that was 345 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: was Kenny. So this kind of had that same, that 346 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 1: same swag to it, you know. Um For me, it 347 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: was a really romantic, sexy record, but it was minimal. 348 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 1: There wasn't a lot to the track. It was. I 349 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:37,159 Speaker 1: was really surprised on how simple the track was, you know, 350 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:40,479 Speaker 1: almost reminded me of like Prince. The way the drums had. 351 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:45,639 Speaker 1: The drums was like like some Prince type ship. But 352 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 1: if anybody knows Face or Kenny, my baby Face, you know, 353 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 1: all of those, all those things. He's very heavily influenced 354 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: by Prince. He loves Prince. Oh yeah, red Light specially. 355 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,680 Speaker 1: He loves he like he loved Prince record Red Light Special. 356 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:04,119 Speaker 1: That's what I was waiting when I was you know, 357 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: I watched Kenny work with Michael Jackson, so I've seen 358 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: that happen, but I really and I was incredible and 359 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 1: we're not We're not just gonna be but he would 360 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:14,120 Speaker 1: not just gonna jump over that. I never saw Princeton 361 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 1: and baby Face work together. Okay, okay, wait, wait, you 362 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:24,640 Speaker 1: were there during the Michael Jackson Baby Face sessions. Um. Actually, 363 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: I was living with Kenny at at his house. He 364 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 1: had me move into his house when I first signed 365 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: to him. He's, yeah, I'm gonna show you the power 366 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 1: of Sony epic. And you know, we fly on the 367 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: lead Jett out to New York and meet Tommy Matola. Okay, 368 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: and you know, I'm I'm out there. I'm just like 369 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 1: why He's like, when we get when we get back home, 370 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 1: you're gonna move in. And and so I was able 371 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: to work with him on Madonna. I was working with 372 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:54,679 Speaker 1: him on Michael Jackson. I mean, it was crazy. And 373 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: then he's like, and then you're gonna work with my brothers. 374 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: After seven, He's like, there's like five or six I 375 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:02,719 Speaker 1: want to use the yours for them. I was like 376 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 1: five or six songs. I was like, are you kidding me? Yeah, 377 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 1: we all became like brothers. And Kevon and yeah, my god, 378 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 1: shout out to Cavon. Kevin did me too, greatest favor 379 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 1: of all time. When I first moved to l A, 380 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 1: I was working with Face as well early on and 381 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: through Damon Thomas and you know what I mean, and 382 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:33,680 Speaker 1: met Kevan and Kevin was one of my mother's favorite singers. Yeah, yeah, 383 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: he could see Kevan sang Happy Birthday for my mother. Yeah. 384 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: I will never ever ever forget that that range and 385 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 1: you don't miss up there, don't miss you stopped it 386 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:53,160 Speaker 1: with the range. Now huh oh man, you can go 387 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: you can go there. I can cheat, I can stretch. 388 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 1: You're like trying to touch the rim, Like, yeah, I 389 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: know how to cheat my rage. So all of this 390 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: is in your first year, the couple of years. It's crazy. 391 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: It was so crazy to experience so much Grammy nomination, 392 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 1: off someone to love and everything. It was I'm a 393 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: baby and I don't I don't know that this isn't 394 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:30,360 Speaker 1: it's not normal, but it's like I didn't know how 395 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: to process it all because it was all happening so fast. 396 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: So the main thing that I really knew that I 397 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: wasn't gonna do was become Hollywood and fake and be, 398 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 1: you know, worried about fame and letting that control what 399 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: I wanted my goal to be because I was still 400 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 1: the musicians, still into the craft of songwriting and producing. 401 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:06,480 Speaker 1: So even though they wanted me to be an artist, 402 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: now okay, now we got we got this. Look I 403 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 1: want you to put this on. We want you to 404 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:11,640 Speaker 1: talk like you know, we want you to not talk 405 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: like this, but we want you to speak with these people. 406 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:16,199 Speaker 1: We want you to have this type of They put 407 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:20,120 Speaker 1: me with an interview coach and all this, and you know, yeah, 408 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: you have a whole thing, and yeah, yeah, you learned 409 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 1: it all very fast and quickly, you know, and it's 410 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: just a lot to do at eighteen. You know, I 411 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 1: was only eighteen, And so did you even finish your 412 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: year at school or did you were you? I was, 413 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:38,639 Speaker 1: so did you get on the road? So actually I 414 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 1: was probably nineteen to come to think of it, because 415 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:44,679 Speaker 1: you're right, I was, because this happened, um the summer 416 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 1: of after I graduated high school. This is when it happened. Summer. 417 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:51,399 Speaker 1: It was crazy because my my pops told me. He 418 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: was like, you know, you know, um, what college is 419 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: you been thinking about? I was like, oh, no, I'm 420 00:23:57,320 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: getting a record deal, you know, I'm not going to college. 421 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:02,239 Speaker 1: And he's like, I hope so, because if if you're 422 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 1: living here, you're going to college if you don't get 423 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: a record deal. And I was like, oh no, don't worry. 424 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,879 Speaker 1: So I came home after meeting Kenny and Tracy, and 425 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 1: I was like, I got a record deal, Dad, I'm 426 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 1: not going to college. And that was wasn't an easier 427 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:19,920 Speaker 1: conversation because you came from a family of musicians, you mean, 428 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: because that's a tough conversation for some Yeah. Yeah, yeah, 429 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:24,959 Speaker 1: because I mean honestly that it's sort of like the 430 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: NBA for for musicians. You know what I mean. You 431 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 1: just got drafted in the NBA basically, you know what 432 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:34,160 Speaker 1: I mean, signed to Sony Epic through Baby Facing. Yeah, 433 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 1: it was. It was a real deal, and I mean 434 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 1: it was an interesting thing because I did it on 435 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,440 Speaker 1: my own, which felt really really good. It felt very 436 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 1: which is really rare. Yeah, it was. I mean, it 437 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: wasn't a high power manager. I mean, you're talking about 438 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: the homie who just was with me for moral support, 439 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:50,959 Speaker 1: walking in there with me, you know what I mean. 440 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: We were working together, but it wasn't like a you know, 441 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:55,840 Speaker 1: he was still cutting his teeth in the business. So 442 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 1: I was like, you know, we're both trying to get 443 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 1: on you mean, so yeah, it's a beautiful, beautiful time 444 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: and I gotta get to this. I want to get 445 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:13,200 Speaker 1: to this nuance and there's someone to love record, such 446 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 1: an important record because you know, listening to this record 447 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 1: as a baby Face fanatic, yeah, you know, as this 448 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:30,640 Speaker 1: song is happening, I'm like, man, it sounds like sound 449 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: like baby Face guessing even I just took all the 450 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:38,199 Speaker 1: base out, my boys, my baby Face got some new Hi. 451 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,159 Speaker 1: What's you know? What he would do with me? He 452 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: would say whenever I tried to thick him up, because 453 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: I have a bunch of different tonalities I do with 454 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:48,359 Speaker 1: my voice, and when I would try to go thicker 455 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:52,399 Speaker 1: with the scene, he said, no, no, no no, no, just 456 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: make it like make it real sweet, like just make 457 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,880 Speaker 1: it sweeter, you know what I mean. I'd be like, okay, 458 00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:01,399 Speaker 1: you know, like easy, and I'm just like okay, So 459 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: he left you to interpret what that man, what that 460 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 1: did for me was baking. Okay, I'm gonna do show 461 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 1: him how I do him because it's like I was 462 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:18,679 Speaker 1: impressing the girls and that school. So so you know, 463 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,879 Speaker 1: here's my chance now to show that, you know, I've 464 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:25,199 Speaker 1: retained some of that sauce that you you know, you 465 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:26,680 Speaker 1: showed me how to make, you know what I mean, 466 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,120 Speaker 1: and so like, yeah, that's just show him a little 467 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:32,119 Speaker 1: bit of what what he already you know is about 468 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 1: and I think that all of the great, the great 469 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:36,880 Speaker 1: artists that have worked with baby Face, they all did 470 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: that baby you know, Johnny Gil was able to do 471 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: that um. And so to me, I picked up on 472 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:51,200 Speaker 1: the theme behind so that his his swag was baby 473 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:53,440 Speaker 1: Face has a certain box. Since it's it's abo, it's 474 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:56,639 Speaker 1: a certain box to baby Face. Yeah, well I what 475 00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: I got. What I got very similar thing that Print 476 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: had um In terms of his he um, he almost 477 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:11,880 Speaker 1: spoke his his words before he sang them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 478 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 1: what you know what it was like the beginning of 479 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 1: yeah you you know what I mean? Sn yeah, and 480 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 1: and it brings you, it brings you in. So what 481 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: he did with me was when we did pretty Girl, 482 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:29,639 Speaker 1: he was like your lips, you know what I mean, Like, 483 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: let's make that first line the line that makes people 484 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 1: want to listen to the song. And yeah, he taught 485 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 1: me so much. Man. It was like little things that 486 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 1: I I didn't know that would be so affective that 487 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 1: ended up being like defining factors and how I produced 488 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: and from the way I stacked my vocals and things 489 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: like that too, you know, harmony and melodies and yeah, 490 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:53,439 Speaker 1: it's just it's weird, like I feel like we're related 491 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: in some sense because I'm I've we both got you know, sprinkled. 492 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 1: That's that that similar thing. Yeah, yeah, it's called not 493 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:07,199 Speaker 1: many of you guys out there. Yeah you know what 494 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 1: I can. You know, I'm gonna let y'all toasted a man. Yeah, 495 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:20,040 Speaker 1: you know you you wait till we get to what 496 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: you have done for me man influence wise, my gosh. 497 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 1: So the first album, first album, first album, Bro, what 498 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 1: a kicking in the door. And what's crazy is that, 499 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: you know, black people are really protective of R and 500 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 1: B music, or of soul music culture, of the culture 501 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 1: culture for sure. And it felt like to me, at 502 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: least from my standpoint, you were welcomed with open arms 503 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 1: because from work at one I was like, he got it. 504 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:10,400 Speaker 1: Oh man, thank you, And that's just not me, Like 505 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:15,560 Speaker 1: that's that's the culture. It wasn't interesting time, wasn't it, 506 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 1: Because there wasn't a lot of of my template as 507 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 1: an artist, you know what I mean, There wasn't a 508 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: lot of that going at the time. I mean, we 509 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: had George Michaels, and we had pop popular versions of 510 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: soulful esque kind of guys. I think that the one 511 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 1: person that makes me think so R and B who 512 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:36,840 Speaker 1: wasn't black was Team Marie. Of course, you know she was. 513 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,560 Speaker 1: She's staple in R and B music, and growing up 514 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: hearing her really kind of sealed the deal for me 515 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: in terms of like really realizing that music is music 516 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: and if we love it, we love it. It It doesn't matter. 517 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 1: You know, you can love it and be whoever you are. 518 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: And but it's about like how much do you love it? 519 00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 1: You know, I can't fully get the work my knowledge 520 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 1: about To my knowledge, you are the only R and 521 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 1: B artist with a Tupac feature. Yeah, I don't know, 522 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: Like he may have actually done some other stuff that 523 00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: may have never come out. Maybe something that's gonna say something. 524 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 1: I was on death row shout out to Danny Boy. 525 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:23,560 Speaker 1: Amazing artist, amazing singer. You had a Tupac feature, bro, 526 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,880 Speaker 1: and so you got you got. It's my badge of honor. 527 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 1: Really is man, it's something to feature. It's it's it's 528 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 1: it's something that is so so you know, amazing in 529 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 1: my heart, but it's at the same time it was 530 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: it was a very sad thing to experience to know 531 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 1: him as a person, you know, and to shake his 532 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 1: hand and to be in the studio and have the 533 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: comaraderie that we did and smoke together and drink together, 534 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,479 Speaker 1: and and and talk about our relationships in our life, 535 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 1: you know, and put that in the record because how 536 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 1: old are you at this point? And I'm you know, 537 00:30:55,440 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 1: probably one at that point, two maybe, so, Yeah, he 538 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: was really putting the once again. Someone was sprinkling that 539 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:06,560 Speaker 1: that magic on me and I was just like, wow, 540 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: I can't believe this. This is amazing, you know, because uh, 541 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 1: I was already a fan and I met him. How 542 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,080 Speaker 1: do you want a video? Shoot? He did, invited me 543 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: down to that. How do you want how you want 544 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 1: a video? How do you want it? How does it 545 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 1: fit Joe to see? Yeah? What is Johnny? J Casey 546 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: and Joe? Joe? I remember it was swaying Tech from 547 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 1: you know, yeah for the you don't for the bed. Yeah, 548 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 1: Tech was on the bus and the two parks on 549 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: there and he wild and he had the Hunters. There's 550 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:45,960 Speaker 1: this Python stakes. It's all kinds of work for y'all 551 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:52,920 Speaker 1: who don't do this? Boy, don't you don't know? Don't 552 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 1: you act like that, I don't know, shout out to 553 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 1: have the hunter? Yeah, matter when I was eighteen and beyond. 554 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:09,840 Speaker 1: You know it was. It was very interesting here in 555 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: l A. And you know, you could talk for a 556 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 1: little bit because I've never gotten that car service she 557 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 1: tried to send me. But you know what it was. 558 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:20,120 Speaker 1: But it's a crazy It's a crazy day, man, it's 559 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: a crazy day. I met him. I met him. We 560 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,200 Speaker 1: played him some bets freestyle right there in front of me, 561 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:27,400 Speaker 1: and I knew we was going to do something. I 562 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 1: was like, we just if I get in studio with him, man. 563 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: So two weeks later he hit me up and it 564 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 1: was at Canam Studios. He always worked at this one studio. Yeah, 565 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:43,040 Speaker 1: and we actually had a room there years after only 566 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:47,720 Speaker 1: Studimarion album there. Yeah, only studio I've ever seen who 567 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:49,960 Speaker 1: They had metal detectives before you got in and a 568 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 1: security guard at the thing need the guns at the 569 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 1: front and the safe. I was just like, okay, like 570 00:32:56,560 --> 00:33:00,760 Speaker 1: it's still blass and there. Yeah, I mean place I've 571 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: ever seen. Did you Did you produce that one? No? 572 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:05,480 Speaker 1: That was Johnny J god rest his soul. Man, he's 573 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 1: amazing producer, producer. She doesn't really get his props like 574 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 1: he should, you know what I mean. So That's why 575 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:13,760 Speaker 1: I make sure to always mention Johnny j Man, you 576 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,479 Speaker 1: know he's and also Ronnie King is part of that too. 577 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 1: There's a lot of great players on that that song. 578 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:25,680 Speaker 1: Johnny Taylor. To me, it reminded me of Marvin Gay record. 579 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 1: When I heard the track, it reminded me of like 580 00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 1: the Midnight Love era when he was doing sexual healing, 581 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:37,160 Speaker 1: and it was like it had that you know, you 582 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,280 Speaker 1: know that that the rim coming back at you like 583 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:45,320 Speaker 1: get like reminded me of shot there or something that's 584 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:48,760 Speaker 1: you know. It was. It just it was so smooth 585 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 1: to me. It was interesting because I was so you know, 586 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,680 Speaker 1: um amped to work with him. I wanted him to 587 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,239 Speaker 1: to you know, I wanted to blast off on one 588 00:33:57,240 --> 00:33:59,840 Speaker 1: of my songs, on one of my tracks. So I 589 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 1: played him some songs and you know, it was like, 590 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 1: all right, cool, then let me see what you have, 591 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 1: you know, and then he played me that track and 592 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 1: it was, let damn what I was talking about. I mean, 593 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:12,120 Speaker 1: I had all the gear ready to produce and NPC 594 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:14,000 Speaker 1: and then and all the you know raps and all that. 595 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:17,960 Speaker 1: Damn all this equipment. The track is ready, let's go. 596 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:22,080 Speaker 1: So we put that down on the reel from the Dad, 597 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 1: just the two tracks, and I started just bobbing behind 598 00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:32,480 Speaker 1: the board and all that, and I'm just like, like 599 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 1: I started immediately going with that melody. He was the 600 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 1: one to fill in the words it's all right baby, 601 00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:42,960 Speaker 1: because because it's there in your eyes, like he was like, 602 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:45,360 Speaker 1: he went full RB. He went full on it. And 603 00:34:45,360 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 1: then when I forgot how the melody went because I 604 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:51,279 Speaker 1: was kind of going doing other things, how'd I go? How? Then? 605 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:54,200 Speaker 1: How the help go again? I was like, I don't know, man, 606 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:56,239 Speaker 1: how did it go again? He's like, girl, list all right? 607 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:58,879 Speaker 1: I was like, okay, that's going to booth lay the hook? 608 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:01,759 Speaker 1: Forget how the hook? This? How goes? Man? Now? That 609 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:04,600 Speaker 1: ain't right? Girl? And something right? I'm like, So he 610 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:09,880 Speaker 1: produced the box and then when I started doing too 611 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:12,680 Speaker 1: much now, I'm hey, hey, hey, hey, I need you 612 00:35:12,719 --> 00:35:14,880 Speaker 1: to feel this. John Man like go back to the 613 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:18,000 Speaker 1: top and I just want you to feel it. And 614 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 1: then some podople walk in the room and disturb the 615 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,960 Speaker 1: energy or something like that. He would be like, yo, man, 616 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,719 Speaker 1: sit down, man, you know that's it that that that 617 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:29,319 Speaker 1: isn't there and that's y'all being there. And like I 618 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:32,360 Speaker 1: just was like are you kidding me? Like he showed 619 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:36,439 Speaker 1: me like so much love y'all, Like it was man 620 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:45,719 Speaker 1: on time one time for two time, Yes, yes, yes, 621 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: producing vocals, remembering the hook, singing the hook and believe 622 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:53,280 Speaker 1: it though, he was because he was that kind of passionate. 623 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:57,080 Speaker 1: It was passionate he was. He's like, you want to 624 00:35:57,080 --> 00:35:58,839 Speaker 1: hear after we got our song done, he was like, 625 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 1: you want to hear something else I'm working on. I 626 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:03,360 Speaker 1: was like, oh, let's let me check it out. He 627 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:05,239 Speaker 1: takes me right over. He's got the other room book 628 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 1: right next door, and he's in there and he already 629 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:12,440 Speaker 1: laid one verse of California to live and die in 630 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:16,560 Speaker 1: l A. And then he's gonna just take his lyrics 631 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:19,960 Speaker 1: and he goes in there and he p's the second 632 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:22,319 Speaker 1: verse on on me and I'm like, right in front 633 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:23,839 Speaker 1: of me, he just does it, And I was like, 634 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:26,960 Speaker 1: did that just happened that you just did that right now? 635 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:30,040 Speaker 1: And he's like yeah, man. I was like. Then he 636 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:33,359 Speaker 1: goes he does another track and does it exactly the 637 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:35,120 Speaker 1: same tour. It was like, you know how when you 638 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:37,319 Speaker 1: double your vocals and you you just stick it, it's 639 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:40,920 Speaker 1: just exactly. It sounds like one vocal. That's how he 640 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:44,360 Speaker 1: doubles his vocals, bro the pitch. Everything that was perfect. 641 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:48,280 Speaker 1: So yeah, he there's nobody like Tupac. I still believe 642 00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 1: if he was alive today, the industry would be different 643 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 1: like it would there would be a lit There was 644 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 1: a lot of soul that he brought, a lot of 645 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:01,239 Speaker 1: um spirituality that he brought. It didn't have to have 646 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:04,160 Speaker 1: a religion connected to it for it to be spiritual. 647 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 1: It was it was about a human thing. And he's 648 00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:09,120 Speaker 1: gonna test you to the core who you are as 649 00:37:09,160 --> 00:37:11,319 Speaker 1: a human by the things he says and the things 650 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:13,960 Speaker 1: that he stands for. So if you don't like it, 651 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:16,359 Speaker 1: that's okay. But this is where he stands and this 652 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:19,319 Speaker 1: is where he's at. So meet him over where he's at, 653 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:23,200 Speaker 1: and you're gonna be transformed. Because ever since I met Tupac, 654 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:25,799 Speaker 1: I was transformed. I was. I think he puts he 655 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:27,799 Speaker 1: put some stripes on on the side of me, you 656 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:31,360 Speaker 1: know what I mean, And he fully decorated like soldier 657 00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:33,840 Speaker 1: ready to go into the world and represent the culture 658 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:36,600 Speaker 1: and do everything. I'm I've been doing that for twenty 659 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:40,000 Speaker 1: seven years, you know what I'm saying. Um, So I'm 660 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 1: just I'm so blessed man to have had that experience. Real, 661 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 1: I don't ever take it for granted that yeah, that's crazy, 662 00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:50,680 Speaker 1: but we got the we got the Devil, Yeah yeah 663 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:54,560 Speaker 1: we did. Man. Let me tell you this guy, how 664 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:57,440 Speaker 1: influential you are. Let me give you your flowers more 665 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:00,400 Speaker 1: than because I'm telling you. When I first smit you, 666 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:05,279 Speaker 1: I just thought, what an incredibly humble guy who's a 667 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: one stop shop, you know. And I relate to that, 668 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:10,200 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. I relate to someone who 669 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:14,280 Speaker 1: has a personal feeling that they can express themselves, whether 670 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:17,719 Speaker 1: it be a beat maker or a lyricist or but 671 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:20,920 Speaker 1: you do it all, you know. So it was really 672 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 1: it was really humbling for me to have you like 673 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:27,960 Speaker 1: what I was bringing to the tables, dig the track 674 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:31,040 Speaker 1: and dig the everything. You were like, yo, let me 675 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:33,000 Speaker 1: get on that. And I was like, bro, like this 676 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:35,919 Speaker 1: is crazy. So we did. The song Stronger, Stronger every 677 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:39,560 Speaker 1: Day back in two thousand four ended up being the 678 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:43,560 Speaker 1: title track of my album. Um. Basically that that that 679 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 1: that was like represented the strength that I was trying 680 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 1: to show at that time as an artist to be 681 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 1: resilient through whatever the industry was gonna tell me. What 682 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:55,600 Speaker 1: is it? Whatever, don't kill you, make you stronger, right, 683 00:38:55,600 --> 00:38:59,400 Speaker 1: you know, so to have you assist me on that 684 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 1: like that Lately the first single from the album Lately. 685 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:07,440 Speaker 1: Everybody heard that and it was so hip hop and 686 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:13,000 Speaker 1: it was so that that was done by Brains the 687 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:15,400 Speaker 1: building all the time building. He used to see you 688 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:17,799 Speaker 1: all the time up there with the damon and then 689 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:20,520 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. So I was like, all right, Tank, 690 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:21,960 Speaker 1: you know, all right, I'm gonna see you. And then 691 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:27,399 Speaker 1: Jeromee you you you actually sold your truck to my 692 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:30,960 Speaker 1: manager at the time. Um, you actually you let him 693 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:32,640 Speaker 1: take over the least or something like that. You remember 694 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:36,800 Speaker 1: that when you said it was crazy, It wasn't you. 695 00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:43,719 Speaker 1: It was a dope ass Burgundy that it was a 696 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:47,799 Speaker 1: street truck for sure. Yeah it was. It was like 697 00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:54,040 Speaker 1: you have to call somebody, they come pick up. He 698 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:56,560 Speaker 1: had the Burgundy. John. I was like, I got that 699 00:39:56,640 --> 00:39:59,640 Speaker 1: custom pain. Yeah, that's nobody had that. It was a 700 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:05,600 Speaker 1: street truck. I said, my cousin, he's gonna bring the 701 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:07,600 Speaker 1: car to you and then you just get him the payments. 702 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:11,920 Speaker 1: I was like, okay, I don't ask no questions. Yeah, 703 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:15,360 Speaker 1: this guy is cool, you know, what I mean, so, 704 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 1: because you know, that was my family and everything. He 705 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:20,040 Speaker 1: was helping him out. So that was dopen and I 706 00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:22,600 Speaker 1: hadn't even met you yet. And then we did. We 707 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: did uh Lately, and I heard, you know, the vocal 708 00:40:26,680 --> 00:40:29,759 Speaker 1: you stacked the vocals and you I mean, you're that's 709 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:32,640 Speaker 1: his voice voice on the whole hook of Lately. I 710 00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:35,640 Speaker 1: didn't even want to stack over him because they didn't 711 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:39,279 Speaker 1: want to. I didn't want. I wanted people to know, 712 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:42,480 Speaker 1: like this is the background, like he's featuring on here 713 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:45,239 Speaker 1: with me basically, you know, and it was it just 714 00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:47,120 Speaker 1: worked so well. And then when baby Face hurt it, 715 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:49,759 Speaker 1: He's like, I gotta get on there. I gotta help 716 00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:52,400 Speaker 1: right the bridge. Let me get the bridge, and so 717 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:54,319 Speaker 1: he put his backgrounds on the bridge. So I got 718 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:59,759 Speaker 1: baby Face, come on, man, if you and loving you 719 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:02,799 Speaker 1: can't I been you gotta understand what that means, Like 720 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:07,520 Speaker 1: that is that's a that's a heavyweight moment for me. Um. Yeah, 721 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:09,520 Speaker 1: So you're on two songs on that. Where did you 722 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:11,600 Speaker 1: where was it was? Was it an album release you 723 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:20,600 Speaker 1: had in Hollywood? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah, remember that that 724 00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:23,279 Speaker 1: was a good time. I mean, you were just you know, 725 00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:26,719 Speaker 1: it was it was it was easy, you know what 726 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:28,560 Speaker 1: I'm saying. It's like when you tap in with like 727 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:32,080 Speaker 1: minded people, it's just it's just easy. He was like, 728 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:34,560 Speaker 1: he's like my cousin, you know what I'm saying. Like 729 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:37,600 Speaker 1: like we had like we had been doing it spiritually. 730 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:40,080 Speaker 1: We had probably already been connected, you know what I'm 731 00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:43,719 Speaker 1: saying in an alternate universe, just already prepping us for 732 00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:45,840 Speaker 1: the moment, you know, in this phase. Like it's the 733 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:49,480 Speaker 1: same way with me and Jay, Like it was just easy. 734 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:51,319 Speaker 1: Like but the vo first song we wrote together was 735 00:41:51,320 --> 00:41:55,200 Speaker 1: a hit your your voice. There's no one like you, man. 736 00:41:55,600 --> 00:42:01,080 Speaker 1: And I've heard people try to sign don't like you, 737 00:42:01,080 --> 00:42:03,400 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, And right away I'm going down. 738 00:42:03,760 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 1: He's trying to sound like Tank, you know. And that's 739 00:42:06,120 --> 00:42:09,359 Speaker 1: something when you have your own thing that you've put 740 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:14,080 Speaker 1: your stamp on, you know, singing. Baby Face has got 741 00:42:14,080 --> 00:42:16,399 Speaker 1: his own thing. So when I started to sound like him, 742 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:18,520 Speaker 1: you knew I was trying to sound like baby Face, right, 743 00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:21,279 Speaker 1: I had to form my own style and and and 744 00:42:21,320 --> 00:42:24,719 Speaker 1: really you have a yeah, time you got to that 745 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:26,960 Speaker 1: second album. By the time you got to that second album, 746 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:29,120 Speaker 1: That's why I asked about the first one. Yeah, the 747 00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:32,080 Speaker 1: second album, I really found my legs. But it's interesting 748 00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:34,120 Speaker 1: because this is how it ties into tank. Is that 749 00:42:35,239 --> 00:42:38,240 Speaker 1: moving on past the second album, in the third album, 750 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:42,560 Speaker 1: still singing in that kind of thinner texture quality. I 751 00:42:42,600 --> 00:42:46,160 Speaker 1: hadn't really filled my voice out or played with the 752 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:50,360 Speaker 1: whole idea of taking it deeper into my um, sticking 753 00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:53,160 Speaker 1: out the tone a little bit instead of being so 754 00:42:54,239 --> 00:43:02,720 Speaker 1: then and breathy when h h and then put vibrato 755 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:05,680 Speaker 1: behind it. This is a whole another voice, and I 756 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:09,480 Speaker 1: found that voice in my live show by singing out. 757 00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:12,839 Speaker 1: But when I heard him singing, I said, this guy 758 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:15,719 Speaker 1: he's because when I heard Johnny gil for the first time, 759 00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:18,400 Speaker 1: it was a thick tone, right, and he's one of 760 00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:22,279 Speaker 1: my favorite all time singers of all time. But when 761 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:24,920 Speaker 1: I heard your voice, I was like, here's a thicker tone. 762 00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:28,400 Speaker 1: But this guy could really sing. This guy can really 763 00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:30,640 Speaker 1: like I mean, he could sing Mary had a little 764 00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:34,160 Speaker 1: and it'll be like he just you know, his tonality 765 00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:38,440 Speaker 1: is just so I know that you are the catalyst 766 00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:43,440 Speaker 1: for artists like you are the number one influence for 767 00:43:43,520 --> 00:43:48,839 Speaker 1: Sam Smith. I mean number one influence for I mean 768 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:52,200 Speaker 1: for me. I You're up there in my top five 769 00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:55,960 Speaker 1: all time favorite singers. Bro Like, honestly, um, when I 770 00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:59,319 Speaker 1: when I heard you, I started to try to play 771 00:43:59,360 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 1: with that little it, you know, in terms of like 772 00:44:01,360 --> 00:44:06,480 Speaker 1: let me because when we did um, we did lately, Um. 773 00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:09,799 Speaker 1: I don't think I approached that with the same tonality 774 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:11,560 Speaker 1: that I did the other records. I was like a 775 00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:18,239 Speaker 1: pitty young thing, sexy younger. I mean, you know, it's 776 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:22,640 Speaker 1: a little bit more in there. And then started playing 777 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:24,360 Speaker 1: playing with it even more. And then you know, you 778 00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:26,759 Speaker 1: hear that album and you're like, okay, John, John's growing 779 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:29,879 Speaker 1: up a little bit. You know. Yeah, But I think 780 00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:32,040 Speaker 1: that that's really cool when you and you can find 781 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:34,840 Speaker 1: yourself and others or something that you relate to and 782 00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:37,439 Speaker 1: others and then that ends up being a strong point 783 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:40,840 Speaker 1: for you. That's that's always been the gift of music. Really. 784 00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:43,840 Speaker 1: It's like, you know, knowing that we have other things 785 00:44:43,880 --> 00:44:45,960 Speaker 1: to do, other things to learn. There's more to it 786 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:49,120 Speaker 1: than just where we're at right now. Like somebody, you know, 787 00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:51,920 Speaker 1: I'm still learning today, like the young kids are teaching 788 00:44:51,960 --> 00:45:10,319 Speaker 1: me too. Sure the tracks, how we can innovate still 789 00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:17,160 Speaker 1: single page is a lot of the you know, the 790 00:45:17,239 --> 00:45:19,759 Speaker 1: cultures that have always sort of done this kind of 791 00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:22,920 Speaker 1: these kind of rhythms are now like the African and 792 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:25,880 Speaker 1: the Latin and all that is aging now it's like 793 00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:29,480 Speaker 1: it's all. It's all like if if you had to 794 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:34,920 Speaker 1: have a proudest moment in R and B, if you 795 00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:36,719 Speaker 1: have to just pick one, like let's I'm sure you 796 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:38,399 Speaker 1: have many, but if you just had to pick one 797 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:41,040 Speaker 1: just for just for the sake of the show, I 798 00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:45,080 Speaker 1: will say, you know, the moment that I was performing 799 00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:48,360 Speaker 1: very recently, I think it was two thousand eighteen m 800 00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:52,279 Speaker 1: at the Soul Train Awards when they allowed me to 801 00:45:52,320 --> 00:45:54,360 Speaker 1: play someone to Love and they don't know, back to 802 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:57,160 Speaker 1: back and then I brought out Donald Jones and he 803 00:45:57,200 --> 00:46:00,400 Speaker 1: did his thing, killed it and um but that Foremans 804 00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:04,399 Speaker 1: particularly was I just saw something in myself that had 805 00:46:04,480 --> 00:46:08,920 Speaker 1: never really seen a maturity, a seasoned kind of veteran 806 00:46:08,960 --> 00:46:11,400 Speaker 1: that had really kind of been waiting for that moment. 807 00:46:11,480 --> 00:46:15,040 Speaker 1: And here's the moment. And there's so many artists I 808 00:46:15,120 --> 00:46:17,040 Speaker 1: know that have so many of those moments. They can 809 00:46:17,080 --> 00:46:19,240 Speaker 1: look back, look at this award show, look at this award, 810 00:46:19,239 --> 00:46:20,680 Speaker 1: so look at it. I don't have that, you know 811 00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:23,880 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. My award shows have been very you know, minimal, 812 00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:26,279 Speaker 1: So it's like when I got my my shot like that. 813 00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:29,080 Speaker 1: The other one was in two thousand thirteen. I did 814 00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:32,719 Speaker 1: it with Bobby Caldwell. That was an you know, to 815 00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:35,440 Speaker 1: be on the stage with him someone it shares the 816 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:38,640 Speaker 1: same walk, but very earlier, you know, a lot a 817 00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:40,960 Speaker 1: lot earlier. And I think that was even it was 818 00:46:41,040 --> 00:46:43,640 Speaker 1: very telling. Like getting back to what I said about 819 00:46:43,680 --> 00:46:45,759 Speaker 1: white artists doing R and B music, it wasn't really 820 00:46:45,800 --> 00:46:51,839 Speaker 1: accepted yet. So do you feel like do you do 821 00:46:51,880 --> 00:46:57,360 Speaker 1: you feel like to a certain degree your music was 822 00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:01,560 Speaker 1: to R and B to be fully like, you know, 823 00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:05,759 Speaker 1: maybe moved into a pop space cross stole like which 824 00:47:05,800 --> 00:47:08,680 Speaker 1: is the reason why I was no longer on Epic Records, 825 00:47:08,719 --> 00:47:10,960 Speaker 1: because they tried to put me with David Foster and 826 00:47:11,040 --> 00:47:14,279 Speaker 1: Diane Warren and do the song there was a bilingual song. 827 00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:17,400 Speaker 1: Maybe we could get an international kind of more of 828 00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:19,560 Speaker 1: an appeal type of things. A song called to a 829 00:47:19,640 --> 00:47:22,080 Speaker 1: more you know what I mean. It was beautiful record, 830 00:47:22,640 --> 00:47:25,320 Speaker 1: but it's not my wasn't one of my choices for 831 00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:28,040 Speaker 1: the album. That was I was we here doing records 832 00:47:28,040 --> 00:47:31,720 Speaker 1: with nas and you know, producing records with with with 833 00:47:31,719 --> 00:47:36,120 Speaker 1: with with you know, O dB and just blaze and stuff. 834 00:47:36,160 --> 00:47:39,080 Speaker 1: So I was in a totally different energy, you know, 835 00:47:39,200 --> 00:47:42,280 Speaker 1: than than than than that. So they tried to cross 836 00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:44,560 Speaker 1: when they when they tried, I said, okay, I'll go 837 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:47,799 Speaker 1: to the studio with David Foster and Diane Warren. But 838 00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:50,680 Speaker 1: you know, it's the kind of hangar it's like, oh gosh, 839 00:47:50,680 --> 00:47:57,000 Speaker 1: you're so black, you know, it's just like it's like 840 00:47:57,040 --> 00:48:01,640 Speaker 1: that I thought you were like a black guy. First. 841 00:48:04,680 --> 00:48:06,680 Speaker 1: I was like, you work with earth Wind and fire 842 00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:11,840 Speaker 1: work with did not expect you to be on that 843 00:48:12,760 --> 00:48:15,200 Speaker 1: Like honestly, that was a disappointment when I when I 844 00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:17,200 Speaker 1: when I met Dan Dyane Warren and she said that 845 00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:21,200 Speaker 1: to me, I was like, that's not that's not soulful 846 00:48:21,360 --> 00:48:23,839 Speaker 1: like for to say that to someone, it's just not. 847 00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:27,440 Speaker 1: So next time Dyane Warren, I see you, you're probably 848 00:48:27,440 --> 00:48:30,160 Speaker 1: gonna be like, yo, I don't like that. You told 849 00:48:30,200 --> 00:48:33,279 Speaker 1: people about that about it, that was that was what 850 00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:37,680 Speaker 1: you said on Twitter. I'm on the wall. It's like 851 00:48:37,680 --> 00:48:41,319 Speaker 1: a quote of she's a soulful but you know you 852 00:48:41,360 --> 00:48:44,960 Speaker 1: said that, you know, you know you said and I 853 00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:47,799 Speaker 1: kind of I was just kind of like, okay, but 854 00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:49,400 Speaker 1: you just want to stay stay true. You wanted to 855 00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:51,480 Speaker 1: stay true with just the music you love. That's it. 856 00:48:51,560 --> 00:48:54,200 Speaker 1: And I don't want people to like really bring that 857 00:48:54,280 --> 00:48:56,160 Speaker 1: up anymore. Like the fact that I'm like like I 858 00:48:56,600 --> 00:48:59,719 Speaker 1: I that's something that actually is a very annoying thing. 859 00:48:59,840 --> 00:49:03,319 Speaker 1: Was something makes that seem like that has anything to 860 00:49:03,360 --> 00:49:06,960 Speaker 1: do with anything. It's like, let that go, because now 861 00:49:07,120 --> 00:49:09,839 Speaker 1: it's be twenty seven years of doing this, Like, let's 862 00:49:09,920 --> 00:49:14,160 Speaker 1: make music. I have nothing to prove anymore. I already 863 00:49:14,200 --> 00:49:17,560 Speaker 1: proved it, so there's nothing to do anymore excepted show 864 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:19,720 Speaker 1: people I still got it and I still make music. 865 00:49:20,120 --> 00:49:22,640 Speaker 1: My music now if you give it a chance, it's 866 00:49:22,719 --> 00:49:24,680 Speaker 1: just as good as it was back then. If anything, 867 00:49:24,719 --> 00:49:26,759 Speaker 1: I think I'm doing it better just because I've learned 868 00:49:26,800 --> 00:49:29,319 Speaker 1: so much and there's so much more to me as 869 00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:32,359 Speaker 1: a as a as a as a man. Knowing what 870 00:49:32,440 --> 00:49:34,000 Speaker 1: I want to say and how I want to say it. 871 00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:36,000 Speaker 1: Now I can kind of like really lean into the 872 00:49:36,040 --> 00:49:39,920 Speaker 1: curves and really, you know, I'm I'm I'm you know, 873 00:49:40,960 --> 00:49:43,799 Speaker 1: controlling the narrative, you know, and I always have been. 874 00:49:43,800 --> 00:49:45,880 Speaker 1: But I think that for a lot a lot of times, 875 00:49:45,880 --> 00:49:48,880 Speaker 1: it was a lot of pressure just stay within this 876 00:49:49,000 --> 00:49:51,719 Speaker 1: perimeter of what we felt was what they felt was 877 00:49:52,960 --> 00:49:56,440 Speaker 1: you know, appropriate for someone of my my racial background, 878 00:49:56,440 --> 00:49:59,920 Speaker 1: and ultimately, did you lose your deal off of that? 879 00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:03,120 Speaker 1: I went. I went against the grain working with Tupap. 880 00:50:03,239 --> 00:50:06,920 Speaker 1: I went against the grain working with Guru, and I 881 00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:09,400 Speaker 1: work with the people that I had admiration for. I 882 00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:11,440 Speaker 1: was like, I knew who to go to. Whether it 883 00:50:11,520 --> 00:50:14,799 Speaker 1: was a successful move, They're like, that's not commercial rap. 884 00:50:15,040 --> 00:50:16,840 Speaker 1: That's like, why don't you get with l L or 885 00:50:16,840 --> 00:50:18,759 Speaker 1: something like that'd be cool too if L else down, 886 00:50:18,760 --> 00:50:21,399 Speaker 1: I do it, But right now gurgles down. And I'm 887 00:50:21,440 --> 00:50:24,440 Speaker 1: a big Gang Star fan, So you know, I know 888 00:50:24,520 --> 00:50:26,879 Speaker 1: it doesn't mean anything for you for me to work 889 00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:29,280 Speaker 1: with Just Blaze, But Just Blaze is a hot producer 890 00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:31,319 Speaker 1: right now making all the you know, the Rocket Feller 891 00:50:31,400 --> 00:50:35,240 Speaker 1: stuff and and everything else. So why not work with Juice? 892 00:50:35,560 --> 00:50:37,239 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. The Joe Budden record, with 893 00:50:37,320 --> 00:50:40,759 Speaker 1: the jump Off record, I was like all all over that. 894 00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:43,400 Speaker 1: So I wanted to be in the studio with those guys. 895 00:50:43,400 --> 00:50:46,440 Speaker 1: And so if I had a budget, I was gonna 896 00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:49,399 Speaker 1: spend the money the way I wanted to. I wasn't 897 00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:52,560 Speaker 1: working with the people that they they didn't see the 898 00:50:52,640 --> 00:50:55,760 Speaker 1: vision of me working with tripal requests. You know, I'm cool, relaxed. 899 00:50:55,840 --> 00:50:58,600 Speaker 1: I had to show them this is this is how 900 00:50:58,640 --> 00:51:02,080 Speaker 1: we're gonna move at least head mohammed about powers like 901 00:51:02,120 --> 00:51:05,600 Speaker 1: these guys they this is real hip hop. They if 902 00:51:05,640 --> 00:51:09,840 Speaker 1: people see that this is authentic, they're not gonna question it. 903 00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:11,399 Speaker 1: It's not gonna be about my race. I'm not gonna 904 00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:13,320 Speaker 1: be about all that. It's gonna be about the music. 905 00:51:13,719 --> 00:51:16,319 Speaker 1: So let's make good music man. You know. But I 906 00:51:16,400 --> 00:51:18,680 Speaker 1: kind of had to show him because when I first 907 00:51:18,719 --> 00:51:20,719 Speaker 1: turned in the you know, they are you still down 908 00:51:20,760 --> 00:51:24,919 Speaker 1: with Tupac and all that? How are you gonna? Oh 909 00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:30,080 Speaker 1: my god? They fought They don't know. Huh. You see, 910 00:51:30,080 --> 00:51:31,879 Speaker 1: they're they're getting mad at me now and they try 911 00:51:31,920 --> 00:51:34,479 Speaker 1: to like tweet and be like on something like John, 912 00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:37,080 Speaker 1: that's not true. We loved. They don't know we loved. 913 00:51:37,560 --> 00:51:41,680 Speaker 1: Are you still down there? Became you loved it with 914 00:51:41,719 --> 00:51:45,240 Speaker 1: no shade throne. Honestly, this is just the way it happened. 915 00:51:45,520 --> 00:51:48,920 Speaker 1: When we turned that record in. It wasn't nobody calling 916 00:51:48,960 --> 00:51:51,840 Speaker 1: me talking about this is a hit. When he died 917 00:51:52,920 --> 00:51:56,120 Speaker 1: two weeks later, God rest his soul. He passed two 918 00:51:56,120 --> 00:51:59,279 Speaker 1: weeks later after the record comes out there two weeks later. Bro, 919 00:52:00,640 --> 00:52:02,719 Speaker 1: the last thing my man said to me when I 920 00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:05,600 Speaker 1: was leaving was he's like, all right, brother, don't waste 921 00:52:05,600 --> 00:52:07,680 Speaker 1: your time. Don't don't waste your talent. Now, if you're 922 00:52:07,680 --> 00:52:10,719 Speaker 1: not doing three songs a day, you ain't really doing it. 923 00:52:11,280 --> 00:52:13,719 Speaker 1: So because I watched him literally get down like that 924 00:52:13,800 --> 00:52:17,839 Speaker 1: and just like, okay, man, all right, bro, love you man. 925 00:52:17,880 --> 00:52:19,839 Speaker 1: And it was like three in the morning, I'm driving 926 00:52:19,840 --> 00:52:24,760 Speaker 1: from Tarzana back to Pasadena after drinking and smoking by myself. 927 00:52:24,800 --> 00:52:27,080 Speaker 1: I'm sitting there crying with the window down, like because 928 00:52:27,120 --> 00:52:30,319 Speaker 1: I'm so happy, you know, and so like to to 929 00:52:30,400 --> 00:52:32,120 Speaker 1: get that news when I was in the studio two 930 00:52:32,160 --> 00:52:36,160 Speaker 1: weeks later that he had got shot again. I was like, well, 931 00:52:37,760 --> 00:52:39,759 Speaker 1: he's gonna make it because he's Tupac, you know what 932 00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:42,440 Speaker 1: I mean. And so he wasn't here and he was 933 00:52:42,480 --> 00:52:46,400 Speaker 1: still on life support, and uh yeah, we just we 934 00:52:46,520 --> 00:52:50,120 Speaker 1: just we had just such a all the air of 935 00:52:50,160 --> 00:52:52,719 Speaker 1: wind just taking all out of everything that was doing, 936 00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:54,239 Speaker 1: sucked out of me, you know what I mean. So 937 00:52:54,280 --> 00:52:57,560 Speaker 1: it was like now, what so now the labels like, oh, 938 00:52:57,640 --> 00:52:59,800 Speaker 1: let's put the Tupac song out and I'm like no, 939 00:53:01,960 --> 00:53:03,640 Speaker 1: and so you know what I mean, and then all 940 00:53:03,640 --> 00:53:05,360 Speaker 1: of a sudden, no, we believe in this party. We 941 00:53:05,400 --> 00:53:08,800 Speaker 1: think this is gonna be a record. So it was 942 00:53:08,840 --> 00:53:12,040 Speaker 1: almost like a cool yet year of having that like 943 00:53:12,719 --> 00:53:14,759 Speaker 1: and so it had to get leaked. It was it 944 00:53:14,800 --> 00:53:17,359 Speaker 1: was a DJ who out of Atlanta, I remember who 945 00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:19,719 Speaker 1: played it without asking No, He's like now they got 946 00:53:19,840 --> 00:53:21,840 Speaker 1: to hear it, and as soon as they got leaked, 947 00:53:22,360 --> 00:53:25,319 Speaker 1: it was just like it was all and they had 948 00:53:25,360 --> 00:53:27,520 Speaker 1: to put it out. But ship wasn't giving up the 949 00:53:27,600 --> 00:53:29,640 Speaker 1: rights to Tucacs, so I had to go to a 950 00:53:29,680 --> 00:53:33,680 Speaker 1: phoene and uh, Phenie stuck up for me. She's like, no, 951 00:53:33,840 --> 00:53:36,680 Speaker 1: my son played me Are You Still Down? He loved 952 00:53:36,719 --> 00:53:39,400 Speaker 1: that song, and you know it was it was one 953 00:53:39,440 --> 00:53:41,879 Speaker 1: of his favorite songs that he did because he didn't 954 00:53:41,880 --> 00:53:44,920 Speaker 1: play me a lot of his music and he played 955 00:53:44,920 --> 00:53:46,920 Speaker 1: me that song. He was proud of that. So she 956 00:53:47,040 --> 00:53:50,799 Speaker 1: named his first album that she put out after his death, 957 00:53:50,880 --> 00:53:52,759 Speaker 1: are You Still Down? It was like a compilation of 958 00:53:52,880 --> 00:53:55,399 Speaker 1: a lot of records because that was the last song 959 00:53:55,440 --> 00:53:58,680 Speaker 1: that he did. So yeah, man, that was to have 960 00:53:58,840 --> 00:54:00,440 Speaker 1: that kind of like hit me like that. It was 961 00:54:00,800 --> 00:54:03,960 Speaker 1: a lot to inherit that, you know, in terms of 962 00:54:04,120 --> 00:54:06,200 Speaker 1: the burden that that would represent. He wasn't there to 963 00:54:06,280 --> 00:54:08,959 Speaker 1: vouch for me anymore. It's like putting out a song 964 00:54:09,000 --> 00:54:12,440 Speaker 1: with you really record with it studio, right, you know 965 00:54:12,719 --> 00:54:15,719 Speaker 1: where's Tupac John? You know it's like what I mean, 966 00:54:16,520 --> 00:54:19,439 Speaker 1: So it's it's been a lot, but it's nothing better 967 00:54:19,520 --> 00:54:38,440 Speaker 1: on the great moments. We've got some rm B questions 968 00:54:38,480 --> 00:54:42,600 Speaker 1: for you, Jim. You're thinking, I think I need a refill. 969 00:54:44,520 --> 00:54:49,400 Speaker 1: You like it. I think I've never had that before. 970 00:54:49,440 --> 00:54:53,000 Speaker 1: That's like vanilla. So I've always want to notice before, 971 00:54:53,080 --> 00:54:55,880 Speaker 1: you know, before we can get to that. What's the 972 00:54:55,960 --> 00:55:00,960 Speaker 1: b oh Man make me go country y? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, 973 00:55:01,000 --> 00:55:03,480 Speaker 1: never another reason why somebody knows what the V stays for. 974 00:55:03,719 --> 00:55:08,200 Speaker 1: My last name is Buck, like the dollar bill. Okay, yeah, okay, Bucks, 975 00:55:08,640 --> 00:55:15,680 Speaker 1: that's that's yeah. I could have been that Johnny Bucky. 976 00:55:15,880 --> 00:55:17,799 Speaker 1: You need something you need? You would have definitely been 977 00:55:17,840 --> 00:55:20,879 Speaker 1: a country singer. If you're da Johnny Buck, John Buck. 978 00:55:21,239 --> 00:55:27,040 Speaker 1: My real name is Johnny. Your real name is yeah right, yeah, Jonathan, 979 00:55:27,040 --> 00:55:31,200 Speaker 1: are you john? I'm Johnny Johnny, Yeah, I'm Johnny Jonathan, 980 00:55:31,280 --> 00:55:35,120 Speaker 1: I'm Jonathan H. J O n Ah, Yeah, makes sense, 981 00:55:35,200 --> 00:55:37,960 Speaker 1: makes sense. Okay, Now I'm back man, so good to 982 00:55:38,000 --> 00:55:49,279 Speaker 1: see you. Yeah, the big man. HM. So come on, chief. 983 00:55:49,280 --> 00:55:53,279 Speaker 1: What you got for questions? Questions for it? Looks for 984 00:55:53,320 --> 00:55:55,120 Speaker 1: this R and B. I'm in the zone. R and 985 00:55:55,160 --> 00:56:01,440 Speaker 1: big guy right here. He's a guy. Guy, he's a guy. Um. 986 00:56:01,760 --> 00:56:07,680 Speaker 1: Top five favorite R and B artists all time, all times. Well, 987 00:56:07,719 --> 00:56:12,680 Speaker 1: I mean, here you go, okay, um, okay. Well let's 988 00:56:12,719 --> 00:56:20,279 Speaker 1: say Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, you know, Michael Jackson. That's 989 00:56:20,280 --> 00:56:27,280 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. And I gotta I gotta mention Stokely. 990 00:56:28,239 --> 00:56:30,560 Speaker 1: I gotta say Tank you know what I'm saying. I 991 00:56:30,600 --> 00:56:33,880 Speaker 1: gotta say that's that's, that's that's you made John B 992 00:56:34,040 --> 00:56:42,319 Speaker 1: stop five B. Yeah, he's been cooking. I mean, I mean, 993 00:56:42,680 --> 00:56:45,600 Speaker 1: and the reason why I say top five is because 994 00:56:45,640 --> 00:56:48,439 Speaker 1: if this is sort of the order that I discovered, well, 995 00:56:48,480 --> 00:56:52,839 Speaker 1: you know what I will say, even before Stokely though, 996 00:56:53,040 --> 00:56:55,520 Speaker 1: it is Johnny Gil. I mean, it's it's a hard 997 00:56:55,560 --> 00:56:59,479 Speaker 1: toss up between Stokely and Johnny Gil because Johnny Gils 998 00:56:59,480 --> 00:57:03,120 Speaker 1: had to discover very legendary career Johnny Girl discovered first. 999 00:57:03,160 --> 00:57:06,200 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna lie before breaking my heart. It was 1000 00:57:06,480 --> 00:57:10,800 Speaker 1: my mind. What I'm saying, put on that red dress, 1001 00:57:10,880 --> 00:57:14,520 Speaker 1: some on, put on that race. I still I still 1002 00:57:14,560 --> 00:57:16,720 Speaker 1: do that both of those songs in my set, like 1003 00:57:16,760 --> 00:57:20,440 Speaker 1: I have to show to show the the lineage and 1004 00:57:20,480 --> 00:57:23,280 Speaker 1: where you know where it comes. Yeah, okay, alright, that's 1005 00:57:23,280 --> 00:57:28,120 Speaker 1: a that's a great list I appreciate. And that's where, 1006 00:57:28,200 --> 00:57:31,479 Speaker 1: like I said, when I found my tone, that's when 1007 00:57:31,520 --> 00:57:33,680 Speaker 1: I when I heard your voice. Brother, That's what I mean. 1008 00:57:33,760 --> 00:57:38,120 Speaker 1: So I gotta give you a flowers were not uh 1009 00:57:38,400 --> 00:57:50,640 Speaker 1: top five R and B songs? Oh okay, Well, that's 1010 00:57:50,760 --> 00:57:53,400 Speaker 1: always been a hard question from me because there's a 1011 00:57:53,400 --> 00:57:56,320 Speaker 1: lot of eras of R and B. So I have 1012 00:57:56,360 --> 00:57:59,200 Speaker 1: to go back to my favorite era, which is which 1013 00:57:59,240 --> 00:58:03,840 Speaker 1: is the the eighties and nineties era, but like mid 1014 00:58:03,880 --> 00:58:08,120 Speaker 1: mid eighties and um, I would say Kenny Stand the 1015 00:58:08,200 --> 00:58:10,240 Speaker 1: Rain is probably my number one of my favorite R 1016 00:58:10,320 --> 00:58:21,040 Speaker 1: and B song. Um and Never Keeping Secrets by baby 1017 00:58:21,080 --> 00:58:24,440 Speaker 1: Face is one of the best written songs and produced 1018 00:58:24,520 --> 00:58:26,800 Speaker 1: songs like it's it's just such a great it's just 1019 00:58:26,880 --> 00:58:31,200 Speaker 1: the one he wrote. That's when I basically came into dude. 1020 00:58:32,960 --> 00:58:34,880 Speaker 1: Do you know that that was my entrance to the 1021 00:58:34,960 --> 00:58:39,000 Speaker 1: music industry. I got to play that little part dude, 1022 00:58:38,440 --> 00:58:44,040 Speaker 1: no face, but that was my first job for him, 1023 00:58:44,200 --> 00:58:47,000 Speaker 1: was to play behind him in his band. Okay, so 1024 00:58:47,400 --> 00:58:51,640 Speaker 1: like what dude, but he got the Soul Train Award 1025 00:58:51,680 --> 00:58:54,880 Speaker 1: that year for that song and you and he allowed 1026 00:58:54,920 --> 00:58:57,960 Speaker 1: me to play that that said. Uh so you know 1027 00:58:58,000 --> 00:58:59,919 Speaker 1: there was a there was a whole year of being 1028 00:59:00,160 --> 00:59:02,520 Speaker 1: part of his squad that I didn't wasn't you know, 1029 00:59:02,560 --> 00:59:05,280 Speaker 1: it wasn't even John B. I had Jonathan B was 1030 00:59:05,320 --> 00:59:07,320 Speaker 1: my name at that point on my on my demos, 1031 00:59:07,400 --> 00:59:10,760 Speaker 1: Jonathan I still hadn't dropped the the you know, the 1032 00:59:10,960 --> 00:59:14,440 Speaker 1: half of my name. But yeah, okay, so let's get 1033 00:59:14,440 --> 00:59:18,200 Speaker 1: back to the rain. Never keeping secret And this is 1034 00:59:18,240 --> 00:59:20,160 Speaker 1: just kind of off the head of I said, never 1035 00:59:20,200 --> 00:59:23,160 Speaker 1: keep it secrets because, like I said, that's the whole story. 1036 00:59:23,440 --> 00:59:28,320 Speaker 1: Me cut my teeth in the industry, um um breaking 1037 00:59:28,360 --> 00:59:33,080 Speaker 1: my Heart uh in condition absolutely one of the greatest 1038 00:59:33,520 --> 00:59:39,040 Speaker 1: songs from the arrangement the music never going Away live 1039 00:59:39,120 --> 00:59:42,440 Speaker 1: band music And when was that ever, like other than 1040 00:59:42,520 --> 00:59:45,040 Speaker 1: Earth Went in Fire and and and stuff like that 1041 00:59:45,080 --> 00:59:47,960 Speaker 1: in terms of ballads. But it just like you know, 1042 00:59:48,000 --> 00:59:53,320 Speaker 1: how reasons It's like, yeah, it's just just got that 1043 00:59:53,400 --> 00:59:59,200 Speaker 1: horn thing and it's very memorable. Yeah, I mean, everybody 1044 00:59:59,240 --> 01:00:02,640 Speaker 1: start going crazy. You're spilling drinks. I mean exactly as 1045 01:00:02,640 --> 01:00:06,320 Speaker 1: soon as I do that, they know right away, Oh 1046 01:00:06,360 --> 01:00:09,880 Speaker 1: that's pretty brown. Yeah, that's up there a big time. 1047 01:00:10,720 --> 01:00:12,720 Speaker 1: I mean, why not say my my mind because it 1048 01:00:12,840 --> 01:00:15,520 Speaker 1: is one of the like, it is one of the 1049 01:00:15,560 --> 01:00:23,160 Speaker 1: greatest written songs, and talk about uh person to find 1050 01:00:23,200 --> 01:00:26,400 Speaker 1: what it feels like to be grown even though I 1051 01:00:26,480 --> 01:00:30,280 Speaker 1: was so young. That's a very grown up, very grown 1052 01:00:30,360 --> 01:00:33,520 Speaker 1: up of that. The way that it sounds, it's very direct. 1053 01:00:33,880 --> 01:00:41,720 Speaker 1: The drums track on that is so I mean, it's 1054 01:00:41,720 --> 01:00:48,880 Speaker 1: so just the m is that ken, it's so classics, 1055 01:00:49,320 --> 01:00:53,720 Speaker 1: like you know, and it was and it was I 1056 01:00:53,760 --> 01:00:58,480 Speaker 1: won't say a life saver, but it was the defining 1057 01:00:58,600 --> 01:01:02,840 Speaker 1: moment for Anny Gil coming out of new edition because 1058 01:01:03,040 --> 01:01:06,400 Speaker 1: rub you the right way. We were gonna we were 1059 01:01:06,400 --> 01:01:08,880 Speaker 1: going to accept it because it was Johnny Gil. It wasn't, 1060 01:01:09,400 --> 01:01:16,680 Speaker 1: but it wasn't. That was a hell of a stroke. 1061 01:01:16,840 --> 01:01:22,640 Speaker 1: What would you say, stroke? You have the dad Rod 1062 01:01:27,160 --> 01:01:31,680 Speaker 1: the man. It was like, I was like, we'll accept it. 1063 01:01:31,760 --> 01:01:36,640 Speaker 1: But then when that I want to be your fan friend. Yeah, 1064 01:01:38,520 --> 01:01:42,880 Speaker 1: you do this to me when time aging yeah, Okay, 1065 01:01:42,880 --> 01:01:47,280 Speaker 1: that was hot. Okay, I got I got one for you, Okay, Alexander, Ohneil, 1066 01:01:47,360 --> 01:01:52,040 Speaker 1: don't you do it? Sun Show, Sunshine, sun Touch, be 1067 01:01:52,400 --> 01:02:02,600 Speaker 1: with Day with Sunshine. They knew had them things, man 1068 01:02:04,040 --> 01:02:07,880 Speaker 1: knew had them things. Man, I can never give myself away. 1069 01:02:08,560 --> 01:02:14,080 Speaker 1: Who's with him next to her? Those movies beaching now 1070 01:02:14,640 --> 01:02:25,200 Speaker 1: for my love? When that's why, that's why. Okay, So 1071 01:02:25,280 --> 01:02:27,800 Speaker 1: let's do this. Let's make up, let's make up. Let's 1072 01:02:27,800 --> 01:02:30,360 Speaker 1: make an R and B voltron. We just we just 1073 01:02:30,400 --> 01:02:33,080 Speaker 1: got a new nuance added to the to the arm voltron. 1074 01:02:33,160 --> 01:02:36,080 Speaker 1: So this is what we're gonna do. It's it's vocals, 1075 01:02:37,840 --> 01:02:43,840 Speaker 1: it's styling, it's it's what do we call it? Emotion? 1076 01:02:45,000 --> 01:02:49,560 Speaker 1: We got emotion now and performance. We're gonna take these 1077 01:02:49,600 --> 01:02:52,960 Speaker 1: four things and build an artist. We're gonna start with 1078 01:02:53,000 --> 01:02:56,640 Speaker 1: the vocals. Who are you taking the vocals from? Oh 1079 01:02:56,760 --> 01:03:05,200 Speaker 1: my god, that's so hard. Um, Marvin Gaye, Marvin Gaye's vocals, 1080 01:03:05,280 --> 01:03:10,640 Speaker 1: Marvin Is it can be someone that's that's not Marvin's. Yeah, 1081 01:03:10,640 --> 01:03:13,160 Speaker 1: I think that's honestly my favorite vocalist because I think 1082 01:03:13,160 --> 01:03:16,600 Speaker 1: it was the subtleties of his swag. It's just like 1083 01:03:16,640 --> 01:03:22,080 Speaker 1: Michael Jackson was a very rhythmic person. All that stuff 1084 01:03:22,080 --> 01:03:26,280 Speaker 1: along with all that the smoothest girl, closure run very 1085 01:03:26,400 --> 01:03:29,720 Speaker 1: just He's got so much texture to his voice. But 1086 01:03:29,800 --> 01:03:32,360 Speaker 1: I think what made him so amazing was the rhythm 1087 01:03:32,360 --> 01:03:36,280 Speaker 1: behind it, what made Marvin so its a very similar thing, 1088 01:03:36,880 --> 01:03:40,320 Speaker 1: but he was not as not as much of an 1089 01:03:40,400 --> 01:03:44,280 Speaker 1: aggressive rhythm person as much as almost accompanying himself like 1090 01:03:44,800 --> 01:03:52,360 Speaker 1: an instrument. There were multiple songs the guitar. Yeah, yeah, 1091 01:03:52,400 --> 01:03:55,160 Speaker 1: it's like like like a part do the horns and 1092 01:03:55,640 --> 01:04:00,800 Speaker 1: oh you know, just be like he's doing the horn 1093 01:04:00,840 --> 01:04:03,200 Speaker 1: parts and he's doing so you'd hear a vocal on 1094 01:04:03,240 --> 01:04:07,600 Speaker 1: the left side. It's almost like that. He was the 1095 01:04:07,640 --> 01:04:10,800 Speaker 1: first one to do that, right, I mean, and now 1096 01:04:10,840 --> 01:04:14,480 Speaker 1: that's all over our music now. Yea, So those equivalents, 1097 01:04:16,000 --> 01:04:18,280 Speaker 1: that's one of my favorite things that you do. I 1098 01:04:18,320 --> 01:04:21,280 Speaker 1: love your answer tracks. I love your main vocal that 1099 01:04:21,280 --> 01:04:24,960 Speaker 1: you're doing, but all these these answer things flying, yes, 1100 01:04:25,160 --> 01:04:30,400 Speaker 1: the flying just the compliment. Nobody sings like that, telling 1101 01:04:30,440 --> 01:04:33,720 Speaker 1: you man, Nobody sings like that. Bro. When I first 1102 01:04:33,720 --> 01:04:36,800 Speaker 1: heard Sam Smith that, I thought, there's a tank fan. 1103 01:04:37,600 --> 01:04:45,520 Speaker 1: There's a thing you know, spit me. Come on, man, 1104 01:04:46,560 --> 01:04:48,440 Speaker 1: you don't even sing like that no more. I got 1105 01:04:48,440 --> 01:04:51,440 Speaker 1: so many calls and tweets he doesn't. He kind of 1106 01:04:51,480 --> 01:04:53,680 Speaker 1: went away from a female now you know. They thought 1107 01:04:53,680 --> 01:04:56,640 Speaker 1: that that was my record. Everybody thought that, oh, Tank 1108 01:04:56,640 --> 01:04:58,520 Speaker 1: out a new record. That. Oh. I was like, I 1109 01:04:58,560 --> 01:05:00,640 Speaker 1: do oh a couple of and then when I heard 1110 01:05:00,640 --> 01:05:05,080 Speaker 1: the record, I was like this, yeah, yeah, you say that. 1111 01:05:05,120 --> 01:05:07,040 Speaker 1: He sent you a text. It was like we talked. 1112 01:05:07,080 --> 01:05:11,240 Speaker 1: We talked on man and man. Do you know who 1113 01:05:11,280 --> 01:05:13,640 Speaker 1: I recently made a mean acquaintance too? That was just 1114 01:05:13,720 --> 01:05:16,320 Speaker 1: a huge I should have mentioned him because he's a 1115 01:05:16,360 --> 01:05:19,280 Speaker 1: huge influence as well as Maxwell I met. I met 1116 01:05:19,360 --> 01:05:22,800 Speaker 1: him very researchly at the Diddy party in Vegas, and uh, man, 1117 01:05:22,800 --> 01:05:25,000 Speaker 1: it was a really special moment to just shake a 1118 01:05:25,080 --> 01:05:27,120 Speaker 1: hand and look a person in the eye and be 1119 01:05:27,200 --> 01:05:30,920 Speaker 1: like yo, man, you thank you. And likewise it was similar. 1120 01:05:31,000 --> 01:05:35,160 Speaker 1: He's a fan of music. He knows like as much 1121 01:05:35,160 --> 01:05:38,520 Speaker 1: as you, as much as Maxwell looks kind of like 1122 01:05:38,600 --> 01:05:41,560 Speaker 1: he's in his own world and kind of separated me 1123 01:05:41,600 --> 01:05:43,880 Speaker 1: because I mean, I think for for me growing up, 1124 01:05:43,920 --> 01:05:47,960 Speaker 1: Maxwell was always like this mystical character, you know what 1125 01:05:48,000 --> 01:05:51,680 Speaker 1: I'm saying, Like he had our brushed. He just brushed 1126 01:05:51,680 --> 01:05:56,080 Speaker 1: his tea. He was just set that all he was 1127 01:05:56,160 --> 01:06:01,240 Speaker 1: just in a difference. You know, I'm gonna brush my 1128 01:06:01,320 --> 01:06:07,840 Speaker 1: teeth beautiful song. Was you think that like he's just 1129 01:06:07,960 --> 01:06:10,400 Speaker 1: offen to his own thing and doesn't need to worry 1130 01:06:10,440 --> 01:06:13,200 Speaker 1: about the rest of the world. But he knows he's 1131 01:06:13,240 --> 01:06:16,800 Speaker 1: paying attention. He's paying attention. He's a fan of music, 1132 01:06:17,160 --> 01:06:20,280 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. That's what I appreciate producers. 1133 01:06:20,360 --> 01:06:22,720 Speaker 1: I mean, come on, that shows a lot of tastes 1134 01:06:22,720 --> 01:06:25,040 Speaker 1: and a lot of Already. Okay, so we got the 1135 01:06:25,080 --> 01:06:29,160 Speaker 1: vocals from Marvin. Now we need to get the styling. 1136 01:06:29,480 --> 01:06:30,880 Speaker 1: What do you want your artists? Who do you want 1137 01:06:30,920 --> 01:06:35,400 Speaker 1: your artists to look? It's time to get fly. It's 1138 01:06:35,400 --> 01:06:43,400 Speaker 1: time to get fly. Oh, I mean it's who I mean? Wow. 1139 01:06:45,080 --> 01:06:49,480 Speaker 1: Let's let's say just because for me, it's kind of 1140 01:06:49,520 --> 01:06:56,160 Speaker 1: like I kind of uh, I stole a lot from 1141 01:06:56,280 --> 01:07:02,840 Speaker 1: what was baby Face and a hit, you know, the 1142 01:07:02,880 --> 01:07:05,040 Speaker 1: door kind of a little bit of that vibe, and 1143 01:07:05,080 --> 01:07:08,520 Speaker 1: then the clean essence of like wearing kind of like 1144 01:07:09,280 --> 01:07:13,000 Speaker 1: cleaner kind of upscale clothing. Back then, I loved I 1145 01:07:13,040 --> 01:07:15,200 Speaker 1: loved the deal style. I love baby and I was 1146 01:07:15,280 --> 01:07:18,920 Speaker 1: very GQ, very g Q and It wasn't what we 1147 01:07:18,920 --> 01:07:21,800 Speaker 1: were afraid when I saw him live. It was he 1148 01:07:21,880 --> 01:07:24,720 Speaker 1: did three suit changes in his show, and I thought 1149 01:07:24,800 --> 01:07:27,360 Speaker 1: it was very fitting. It just it just worked how 1150 01:07:27,400 --> 01:07:29,360 Speaker 1: he hit it with swag. I was like, that's how 1151 01:07:29,400 --> 01:07:36,760 Speaker 1: your voice. And they faced Tony Braxton show. You know 1152 01:07:36,800 --> 01:07:40,680 Speaker 1: what I mean. I'm sitting here, I'm watching Tomorrow Braxton, 1153 01:07:40,680 --> 01:07:43,760 Speaker 1: little baby, sixteen year old Tomorrow Braxton singing backgrounds for 1154 01:07:44,440 --> 01:07:46,840 Speaker 1: you know, and I'm going, wow, okay, this is I'm 1155 01:07:47,360 --> 01:07:49,320 Speaker 1: then I see her grow up to be this artist, 1156 01:07:49,320 --> 01:07:53,040 Speaker 1: you know. But I watched them. That whole thing happened 1157 01:07:53,040 --> 01:07:56,600 Speaker 1: like from the very beginning. I caught the end of 1158 01:07:58,120 --> 01:08:01,360 Speaker 1: I caught I caught the riding, the way of breathe, 1159 01:08:01,560 --> 01:08:05,160 Speaker 1: breathe again. He was writing his I watched him make 1160 01:08:05,240 --> 01:08:11,000 Speaker 1: waiting to exit. Come on, man, champagne. And here in 1161 01:08:11,040 --> 01:08:13,680 Speaker 1: the next two year or has he poured it off? 1162 01:08:13,960 --> 01:08:17,400 Speaker 1: Poured all the champagne first? Mike Jackson, Madonna has watched 1163 01:08:17,479 --> 01:08:19,880 Speaker 1: him and watched him. Do I mean you know I 1164 01:08:19,920 --> 01:08:22,639 Speaker 1: could watch him more With Elder barn Did you ask 1165 01:08:22,720 --> 01:08:26,440 Speaker 1: him what secretary was, because that's not an actual sec occupation. 1166 01:08:26,920 --> 01:08:28,760 Speaker 1: I know a secretary is, but I don't know if 1167 01:08:28,760 --> 01:08:34,360 Speaker 1: a secretary secret is an actual occupation. Of course I 1168 01:08:34,360 --> 01:08:39,200 Speaker 1: would ask this secretary what the fund is a secretary? 1169 01:08:39,479 --> 01:08:42,679 Speaker 1: And then you just you just gotta make a few words, man, 1170 01:08:42,800 --> 01:08:50,040 Speaker 1: you know face like, yeah, styling's very very early R 1171 01:08:50,120 --> 01:08:53,599 Speaker 1: and B g Q from Baby Face, vocals from Marvin Gaye. 1172 01:08:53,760 --> 01:08:57,280 Speaker 1: Who are you gonna get your emotion from? When you 1173 01:08:57,400 --> 01:09:00,639 Speaker 1: get your heart from? Well, that's oh man, I wish 1174 01:09:00,640 --> 01:09:02,920 Speaker 1: I would because I'm gonna get baby dropping down to 1175 01:09:02,920 --> 01:09:05,080 Speaker 1: their knee. Come on, man, that's no. But I mean, 1176 01:09:05,160 --> 01:09:07,880 Speaker 1: Kenny is the greatest songwriter ever bro Like, I'm gonna 1177 01:09:07,920 --> 01:09:10,920 Speaker 1: give him all the props right now, just because there's 1178 01:09:10,920 --> 01:09:14,040 Speaker 1: nobody else who can make you believe them with a 1179 01:09:14,160 --> 01:09:20,519 Speaker 1: love song sad happy. I mean that I'm talking about 1180 01:09:20,680 --> 01:09:23,679 Speaker 1: in the nineties like there was in the late eighties. 1181 01:09:24,280 --> 01:09:27,840 Speaker 1: I mean, when you think about tender Roni, you think 1182 01:09:27,880 --> 01:09:30,559 Speaker 1: about On our Own, Bobby Brown, you think about can 1183 01:09:30,640 --> 01:09:33,759 Speaker 1: we talk? My mind? Can't we talk? It's having Campbell 1184 01:09:34,680 --> 01:09:39,439 Speaker 1: the man. I mean, was it uh the end of 1185 01:09:39,479 --> 01:09:45,240 Speaker 1: the road? Um? Like defining moments in my life growing 1186 01:09:45,360 --> 01:09:49,640 Speaker 1: up and having you know, uh girlfriends and breaking up 1187 01:09:49,680 --> 01:09:53,839 Speaker 1: and having songs that were reconciliation songs getting back together 1188 01:09:54,040 --> 01:09:57,760 Speaker 1: to you know, songs that were kind of you just 1189 01:09:57,800 --> 01:10:01,120 Speaker 1: have playing in the background when all that debate, it was, 1190 01:10:01,320 --> 01:10:04,040 Speaker 1: it was how I cut my tail, Like as an 1191 01:10:04,160 --> 01:10:08,479 Speaker 1: R and B guy, there's nobody that I would want 1192 01:10:08,479 --> 01:10:15,559 Speaker 1: a song from emotion written. Write to your point, bro. 1193 01:10:17,439 --> 01:10:25,800 Speaker 1: I remember being at the Underdogs and and baby Face 1194 01:10:25,880 --> 01:10:30,840 Speaker 1: having this song that he recorded on this group. We 1195 01:10:30,960 --> 01:10:34,040 Speaker 1: had a hell of Phi singer in the group. No, 1196 01:10:34,080 --> 01:10:37,000 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna say a group hell of Phi singer 1197 01:10:37,000 --> 01:10:41,000 Speaker 1: in the group who sang the hell out of the song. 1198 01:10:41,320 --> 01:10:44,760 Speaker 1: Baby Face song sang the hell out of it. And 1199 01:10:44,800 --> 01:10:48,639 Speaker 1: I was like, mm hmm. It was, you know, trick tricking, 1200 01:10:48,760 --> 01:10:52,880 Speaker 1: a bunch of twists and turns and athletics. See what 1201 01:10:52,920 --> 01:10:58,040 Speaker 1: I'm saying in the vocals, right, And he's like baby 1202 01:10:58,040 --> 01:11:06,640 Speaker 1: Face like and then baby Face sang the song, not 1203 01:11:06,800 --> 01:11:11,639 Speaker 1: all the acrobatics, not all the twist and turn, all 1204 01:11:11,680 --> 01:11:17,280 Speaker 1: the fields, all all the fields. It was like, it's 1205 01:11:17,280 --> 01:11:19,720 Speaker 1: a great artist to pick from. Oh my god. It's 1206 01:11:19,760 --> 01:11:22,479 Speaker 1: like the way that you express yourself even when you speak, bro, 1207 01:11:22,560 --> 01:11:25,320 Speaker 1: It's like you you're a very charismatic person. So it's 1208 01:11:25,360 --> 01:11:29,760 Speaker 1: like there's there's a lot of um emotion behind what 1209 01:11:29,920 --> 01:11:33,519 Speaker 1: you say because you're not afraid to say how you feel. 1210 01:11:33,880 --> 01:11:36,760 Speaker 1: Because you're able to express how you feel, people get 1211 01:11:36,800 --> 01:11:40,479 Speaker 1: where you're coming from and they received that. And that's 1212 01:11:40,600 --> 01:11:43,960 Speaker 1: that's a gift man, because um, that means anything that 1213 01:11:44,040 --> 01:11:47,679 Speaker 1: you say, you know it's going to turn that statement 1214 01:11:47,720 --> 01:11:52,000 Speaker 1: into something else. It could be something the smallest little statement, 1215 01:11:52,080 --> 01:11:55,880 Speaker 1: but um, the way that you say it now all 1216 01:11:55,880 --> 01:11:59,400 Speaker 1: of a sudden is is what makes it so special, 1217 01:12:00,040 --> 01:12:01,880 Speaker 1: you know. So I feel like we all have our 1218 01:12:01,920 --> 01:12:05,120 Speaker 1: own little fingerprint. We could put on those those statements, 1219 01:12:05,120 --> 01:12:07,599 Speaker 1: our own way. We should have that, you know. But 1220 01:12:07,920 --> 01:12:12,160 Speaker 1: just there's certain ones that just stick around, like you 1221 01:12:12,240 --> 01:12:14,280 Speaker 1: can't get that. You can't even wash that off the wall. 1222 01:12:14,360 --> 01:12:17,280 Speaker 1: I think you know what I'm saying, just because it's 1223 01:12:17,280 --> 01:12:19,840 Speaker 1: so it's just he just put the stuff. He just 1224 01:12:19,880 --> 01:12:25,479 Speaker 1: puts the stuff on it. Fourth piece of the four 1225 01:12:25,560 --> 01:12:29,320 Speaker 1: pieces performance, who are you taking the performance? Well, I 1226 01:12:29,320 --> 01:12:34,200 Speaker 1: mean Chris Brown's me. You can do all that and 1227 01:12:34,240 --> 01:12:38,880 Speaker 1: then you can back and that you can temple people 1228 01:12:38,880 --> 01:12:42,559 Speaker 1: who can fly across the stage not be winded. And 1229 01:12:43,680 --> 01:12:46,080 Speaker 1: I mean the most I think if there's gonna be 1230 01:12:46,080 --> 01:12:49,640 Speaker 1: a Michael Jackson of our you know, of our in 1231 01:12:49,680 --> 01:12:53,760 Speaker 1: this era, he is our Michael Jackson. You know, I 1232 01:12:53,800 --> 01:12:56,479 Speaker 1: would give it to Usher because he's been just as 1233 01:12:57,120 --> 01:12:59,880 Speaker 1: resilient of an artist to be withstand all of the 1234 01:13:00,760 --> 01:13:04,599 Speaker 1: just all the things that the times and how everything's changed, 1235 01:13:04,680 --> 01:13:09,480 Speaker 1: and he's changed with it and he's involved another incredible 1236 01:13:09,479 --> 01:13:14,559 Speaker 1: influence on me as a singer. So yeah, I mean 1237 01:13:15,280 --> 01:13:24,320 Speaker 1: your yeah, baby Face, Kenny and Chris Bryant, Lord Jaysus. 1238 01:13:26,000 --> 01:13:27,439 Speaker 1: I don't know, I just can't think the look thing 1239 01:13:27,560 --> 01:13:29,479 Speaker 1: kind of shoot me because I don't really know what 1240 01:13:29,560 --> 01:13:31,800 Speaker 1: an artist should look like. But I just remember when 1241 01:13:31,880 --> 01:13:36,320 Speaker 1: I first started as as an artist, I was paying 1242 01:13:36,320 --> 01:13:40,120 Speaker 1: attention to the slickness of what was happening at the time. 1243 01:13:40,400 --> 01:13:43,000 Speaker 1: And I think it's really okay to get back to that, y'all, Like, 1244 01:13:43,080 --> 01:13:45,160 Speaker 1: let's get back to because in the nineties we will slick. 1245 01:13:45,439 --> 01:13:47,920 Speaker 1: He was not afraid to put on you know what 1246 01:13:47,960 --> 01:13:50,600 Speaker 1: I mean, fabric field. That's what bad Boy was. The 1247 01:13:50,680 --> 01:13:53,960 Speaker 1: party shirts party because you put on a nice shirt 1248 01:13:54,040 --> 01:13:55,920 Speaker 1: to go. You can't get in the club with just anything. 1249 01:13:56,160 --> 01:14:00,240 Speaker 1: Oh you couldn't get no T shirts allowed. Put Yeah, 1250 01:14:00,240 --> 01:14:03,000 Speaker 1: but don't your ship. Sure a b will say put 1251 01:14:03,040 --> 01:14:09,400 Speaker 1: that ship. Yeah, so I got I got a special segment. 1252 01:14:10,439 --> 01:14:14,400 Speaker 1: It's called I Ain't saying no names? Will you tell 1253 01:14:14,479 --> 01:14:20,520 Speaker 1: us a story? Funny? Are fucked up? Are both? Okay? 1254 01:14:20,800 --> 01:14:24,439 Speaker 1: But the only rule you just don't say their name? Okay? Oh, 1255 01:14:24,560 --> 01:14:29,559 Speaker 1: I could have done that with the Diane War. I 1256 01:14:29,560 --> 01:14:36,320 Speaker 1: mean to put you out there. Um, all right, mm hmm. 1257 01:14:37,800 --> 01:14:42,559 Speaker 1: Who do I want to expose? Right, it's your segment, 1258 01:14:42,600 --> 01:14:51,920 Speaker 1: my brother? Oh man? Um, you know it's it's always 1259 01:14:51,960 --> 01:14:54,599 Speaker 1: crazy because you go through the business and would learn 1260 01:14:54,720 --> 01:14:57,760 Speaker 1: one definitely things that I learned in the business. It's 1261 01:14:57,800 --> 01:15:01,000 Speaker 1: one thing to be in the corporates side of the industry. 1262 01:15:01,000 --> 01:15:03,280 Speaker 1: And so I grew up kind of backwards where it's 1263 01:15:03,320 --> 01:15:07,439 Speaker 1: like I got the most credible, powerful manager from the 1264 01:15:07,520 --> 01:15:09,920 Speaker 1: very beginning. As soon as I signed to baby Face, 1265 01:15:10,000 --> 01:15:12,800 Speaker 1: all assigned to Gallen and Morey, which was Matt Michael 1266 01:15:12,880 --> 01:15:16,080 Speaker 1: Jackson's management firms. You know what I'm saying. So I 1267 01:15:16,120 --> 01:15:20,439 Speaker 1: got Michael Jackson on the same you know management firm, 1268 01:15:20,600 --> 01:15:23,240 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, managed by his manager. It's 1269 01:15:23,280 --> 01:15:27,280 Speaker 1: like insane to start from that. You know the names already, right, 1270 01:15:27,520 --> 01:15:30,920 Speaker 1: and then go that's fine because I'm I'm a traverse. 1271 01:15:31,439 --> 01:15:35,360 Speaker 1: That's not that's not who I'm but but one thing 1272 01:15:35,439 --> 01:15:38,000 Speaker 1: is for sure. It's like you know, when you experience 1273 01:15:38,080 --> 01:15:41,880 Speaker 1: that first and then you no longer have that management 1274 01:15:42,640 --> 01:15:45,519 Speaker 1: and you move on to other managers and managers are 1275 01:15:46,560 --> 01:15:52,920 Speaker 1: they come in all kinds of different statuses. They got 1276 01:15:52,960 --> 01:15:56,639 Speaker 1: the super powerful, high end managers who every label would 1277 01:15:56,640 --> 01:15:58,439 Speaker 1: answer their phone call, and then you've got guys who 1278 01:15:58,439 --> 01:16:03,959 Speaker 1: are on the come up. Growing up in the music industry, 1279 01:16:04,000 --> 01:16:07,559 Speaker 1: I didn't know who to be loyal to in terms of, like, 1280 01:16:07,680 --> 01:16:10,439 Speaker 1: you know, do you stay corporate or do you just 1281 01:16:10,520 --> 01:16:13,719 Speaker 1: take people at face value and trust energies and vibes 1282 01:16:13,760 --> 01:16:16,719 Speaker 1: from people. So I was much more of a truster 1283 01:16:17,280 --> 01:16:19,280 Speaker 1: rather than a person that was just take your word, 1284 01:16:19,280 --> 01:16:21,559 Speaker 1: Oh this is who you need to corporate blah blah blah. 1285 01:16:21,560 --> 01:16:24,479 Speaker 1: It was much more of like industries like Biden with guys. 1286 01:16:24,520 --> 01:16:25,920 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying. So if I if I 1287 01:16:25,960 --> 01:16:28,000 Speaker 1: like your energy, I might work with you, and you 1288 01:16:28,080 --> 01:16:30,240 Speaker 1: might not even have on your anybody on your roster. 1289 01:16:30,640 --> 01:16:34,720 Speaker 1: You might just be a totally independent manager. Anyway, I 1290 01:16:34,800 --> 01:16:37,840 Speaker 1: ended up working with some some guys during the time 1291 01:16:37,880 --> 01:16:42,240 Speaker 1: that I met you um for that project, and it's 1292 01:16:42,360 --> 01:16:46,120 Speaker 1: really was not the move to make because what happens 1293 01:16:46,120 --> 01:16:49,160 Speaker 1: when you sometimes when you work with people who aren't established, 1294 01:16:50,080 --> 01:16:52,840 Speaker 1: they use you as like like almost like the main 1295 01:16:54,080 --> 01:16:56,320 Speaker 1: thing to base off everything. I mean, I had light 1296 01:16:56,400 --> 01:16:59,800 Speaker 1: bills put in my name and in cars and things. 1297 01:16:59,840 --> 01:17:01,800 Speaker 1: You what I'm saying I found out about later on 1298 01:17:01,920 --> 01:17:06,280 Speaker 1: like dollar like being why what is this I'm paying 1299 01:17:06,360 --> 01:17:09,280 Speaker 1: for this over here and this and that. It's basically 1300 01:17:09,320 --> 01:17:12,120 Speaker 1: just a reason a check. They're just getting a way 1301 01:17:12,120 --> 01:17:13,960 Speaker 1: to be able to make money and just living off 1302 01:17:14,000 --> 01:17:16,280 Speaker 1: you and not not really bringing anything to the table. 1303 01:17:16,760 --> 01:17:18,600 Speaker 1: They'll be like, oh, such such wants to get at you. 1304 01:17:18,640 --> 01:17:21,120 Speaker 1: It's like, all right, cool, do I need to pay 1305 01:17:21,120 --> 01:17:23,439 Speaker 1: you for that? Like you know what I mean? Like 1306 01:17:23,479 --> 01:17:26,080 Speaker 1: it's literally you just told me now I have to 1307 01:17:26,080 --> 01:17:28,599 Speaker 1: go do the work, right, so I have to pay 1308 01:17:28,640 --> 01:17:31,760 Speaker 1: you for that, right? All right? So that's right there, 1309 01:17:31,840 --> 01:17:34,479 Speaker 1: you know, off of whatever check that was to you 1310 01:17:34,680 --> 01:17:37,439 Speaker 1: for just giving me that phone call, which is I 1311 01:17:37,439 --> 01:17:39,840 Speaker 1: guess it's it's it's fair, but it's not to me. 1312 01:17:39,880 --> 01:17:44,280 Speaker 1: It's like what what constitutes management? What is management? You 1313 01:17:44,320 --> 01:17:46,960 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying in terms of like what's the 1314 01:17:47,000 --> 01:17:49,559 Speaker 1: work that you're gonna actually do to bring to the table? 1315 01:17:49,600 --> 01:17:55,120 Speaker 1: What isn't already there? Because this is my table. It's 1316 01:17:55,160 --> 01:18:00,920 Speaker 1: not our table. This is my table. You're person sitting 1317 01:18:01,240 --> 01:18:04,760 Speaker 1: at my table, So what are you going to put 1318 01:18:04,880 --> 01:18:08,439 Speaker 1: on that? We're eating food right now, right this is 1319 01:18:08,439 --> 01:18:14,200 Speaker 1: my table. We're eating dinner. I'm having some food prepared. 1320 01:18:14,720 --> 01:18:17,160 Speaker 1: What are you going to bring to the table? That's 1321 01:18:17,200 --> 01:18:20,960 Speaker 1: the main thing, because at the end of the day, 1322 01:18:21,360 --> 01:18:24,559 Speaker 1: I paid for this meal to even happen. We're sitting 1323 01:18:24,560 --> 01:18:29,960 Speaker 1: at this table with a reservation because we had reservation, 1324 01:18:32,040 --> 01:18:33,360 Speaker 1: and I have to pay for the bill at the 1325 01:18:33,439 --> 01:18:37,400 Speaker 1: end of the night. So that's the thing when you 1326 01:18:37,520 --> 01:18:40,400 Speaker 1: learn all this backwards like I did with all the 1327 01:18:40,400 --> 01:18:42,439 Speaker 1: glitz and the glamour. I mean, I'm going I'm sitting 1328 01:18:42,520 --> 01:18:45,320 Speaker 1: right next to Whitney Houston at the Grammys my first 1329 01:18:45,400 --> 01:18:48,960 Speaker 1: year with baby Face, you know, for someone to love 1330 01:18:48,960 --> 01:18:53,200 Speaker 1: because we got nominated. That's not a regular situation. I 1331 01:18:53,439 --> 01:18:55,920 Speaker 1: learned backwards, Like so I had to go from that 1332 01:18:56,600 --> 01:19:03,000 Speaker 1: to being like okay, you know, you know, not being 1333 01:19:03,040 --> 01:19:05,799 Speaker 1: invited to a lot of different awards shows and wondering 1334 01:19:05,840 --> 01:19:08,240 Speaker 1: why and being like okay, you know, and just kind 1335 01:19:08,240 --> 01:19:11,920 Speaker 1: of playing the you know, the back of the scenes 1336 01:19:11,960 --> 01:19:13,560 Speaker 1: a little bit more, you know, and just kind of 1337 01:19:13,600 --> 01:19:17,320 Speaker 1: appreciate it. But it was because of of guys like that. 1338 01:19:17,479 --> 01:19:20,320 Speaker 1: The guy I'm describing was just not in the industry 1339 01:19:20,520 --> 01:19:23,000 Speaker 1: but wanted to be, but was willing to just live 1340 01:19:23,040 --> 01:19:25,639 Speaker 1: off of me and take what was coming to me, 1341 01:19:26,360 --> 01:19:29,320 Speaker 1: you know, to kind of keep me at bay. And 1342 01:19:29,920 --> 01:19:32,679 Speaker 1: if you spend enough time dealing with people like that, 1343 01:19:32,960 --> 01:19:35,920 Speaker 1: you're you're gonna fall off. Like you, there's something that's 1344 01:19:35,920 --> 01:19:40,120 Speaker 1: gonna happen within you that will be not conducive for 1345 01:19:40,160 --> 01:19:42,760 Speaker 1: the industry. The industry is gonna start saying stuff about 1346 01:19:42,800 --> 01:19:45,559 Speaker 1: either gonna talk about either, you know what I mean. 1347 01:19:45,560 --> 01:19:48,000 Speaker 1: And so two thousand four, as I'm saying, I'm stronger 1348 01:19:48,040 --> 01:19:51,840 Speaker 1: every day, ironically enough, was the beginning of an era 1349 01:19:52,000 --> 01:19:56,800 Speaker 1: that the industry for some reason wasn't feeling me. They 1350 01:19:56,800 --> 01:19:58,880 Speaker 1: were like, well, that's cool, where's the baby? You know. 1351 01:19:58,880 --> 01:20:01,320 Speaker 1: I don't know what they were thinking, but it definitely 1352 01:20:01,360 --> 01:20:06,280 Speaker 1: wasn't like our our song, Our song Lately went Hard. Um. 1353 01:20:06,320 --> 01:20:08,559 Speaker 1: I had other records on that album that We're Dope 1354 01:20:08,600 --> 01:20:11,960 Speaker 1: as well. I worked with Kenny on that album, but 1355 01:20:12,080 --> 01:20:16,200 Speaker 1: for some reason, that album wasn't as welcomed as other 1356 01:20:17,680 --> 01:20:20,479 Speaker 1: as other albums of mine. And I didn't know if 1357 01:20:20,520 --> 01:20:22,400 Speaker 1: it was the promotion. I didn't know what it was. 1358 01:20:22,439 --> 01:20:26,080 Speaker 1: I just but I really now know that it was 1359 01:20:26,160 --> 01:20:28,320 Speaker 1: the management that I had in all the people that 1360 01:20:28,360 --> 01:20:31,200 Speaker 1: I had closest to me around me that were the 1361 01:20:31,800 --> 01:20:35,680 Speaker 1: made that whole. So I don't almost lost my house. Um, 1362 01:20:35,720 --> 01:20:38,439 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's the management. It's tough, it's a 1363 01:20:38,560 --> 01:20:41,400 Speaker 1: it's a real miracle that I still live where I 1364 01:20:41,439 --> 01:20:43,640 Speaker 1: live because of the fact that we were able to 1365 01:20:44,040 --> 01:20:48,200 Speaker 1: work everything out with with my my current business managers 1366 01:20:48,200 --> 01:20:50,200 Speaker 1: and stuff like that. But it's it was a lot 1367 01:20:50,360 --> 01:20:53,080 Speaker 1: to have to to to to bail myself out or 1368 01:20:53,479 --> 01:20:56,120 Speaker 1: you know, first, I was the divorce of a high 1369 01:20:56,120 --> 01:20:58,360 Speaker 1: school sweetheart that I'm married, you know, like straight out 1370 01:20:58,360 --> 01:21:00,320 Speaker 1: of high school, trying to didn't want my life to change, 1371 01:21:00,800 --> 01:21:02,960 Speaker 1: so I tried to marry her and that was a 1372 01:21:03,000 --> 01:21:05,320 Speaker 1: bad deal. So we you know, we got divorced. And 1373 01:21:05,840 --> 01:21:09,000 Speaker 1: right after that, you know, it was like three years 1374 01:21:09,000 --> 01:21:13,640 Speaker 1: of being sort of in this limbo place where it 1375 01:21:13,720 --> 01:21:16,439 Speaker 1: was like because of these managers, and I was just 1376 01:21:16,560 --> 01:21:20,200 Speaker 1: really I was mad at the music industry. I was like, 1377 01:21:20,240 --> 01:21:24,240 Speaker 1: I've already done. I've already sold platinums. What why do 1378 01:21:24,320 --> 01:21:26,720 Speaker 1: I have to keep proving myself like this. I just 1379 01:21:26,760 --> 01:21:29,479 Speaker 1: want to celebrate the music now and and do me, 1380 01:21:29,600 --> 01:21:32,040 Speaker 1: you know. But it was there was a lot of 1381 01:21:32,080 --> 01:21:34,720 Speaker 1: a lot of voices around me at that time that 1382 01:21:34,840 --> 01:21:37,640 Speaker 1: kind of being like, well, they're just I don't know, 1383 01:21:37,720 --> 01:21:41,040 Speaker 1: I can't really get people to fight on this. I 1384 01:21:41,040 --> 01:21:42,680 Speaker 1: can't you know, I don't know if they're feeling it. 1385 01:21:43,439 --> 01:21:46,360 Speaker 1: Promoters don't really you know, it's like, what hold on, man, 1386 01:21:46,960 --> 01:21:49,880 Speaker 1: back off. Maybe it's as soon as I moved those 1387 01:21:49,920 --> 01:21:53,720 Speaker 1: people out of the way and I will I will 1388 01:21:53,760 --> 01:21:58,960 Speaker 1: say the defining moment was when I met my wife, Um. 1389 01:21:59,000 --> 01:22:02,639 Speaker 1: I had already known her for like ten years before 1390 01:22:02,640 --> 01:22:06,799 Speaker 1: we were more romantically involved, but basically she was started 1391 01:22:06,800 --> 01:22:10,080 Speaker 1: off as a friend of mine and we kind of 1392 01:22:10,960 --> 01:22:14,200 Speaker 1: established ourselves and you know, more than that after after 1393 01:22:14,360 --> 01:22:16,960 Speaker 1: knowing each other, like even liking each other and flirting 1394 01:22:16,960 --> 01:22:19,160 Speaker 1: and all that. But it was it was the one 1395 01:22:19,200 --> 01:22:22,400 Speaker 1: thing that kind of I related to her so much. 1396 01:22:22,439 --> 01:22:24,320 Speaker 1: I was like, why don't you just try to get 1397 01:22:24,320 --> 01:22:26,439 Speaker 1: me some gigs? Like you try? You know. She was 1398 01:22:26,479 --> 01:22:29,000 Speaker 1: like all right, well cool, and so we It was 1399 01:22:29,000 --> 01:22:31,400 Speaker 1: that kind of out of necessity because we were both 1400 01:22:31,439 --> 01:22:35,280 Speaker 1: so disenfranchised with management. The whole idea of giving so 1401 01:22:35,360 --> 01:22:37,880 Speaker 1: much power to someone and then they could take it 1402 01:22:37,880 --> 01:22:41,120 Speaker 1: for grant to do whatever steer you into essentially where 1403 01:22:41,120 --> 01:22:43,800 Speaker 1: you don't want to be. Um. Yeah, So I was like, man, like, 1404 01:22:43,920 --> 01:22:46,799 Speaker 1: let's just try this. And we've been rocking together ever since. 1405 01:22:46,840 --> 01:22:49,759 Speaker 1: And I mean we turned my brand around. Man, we 1406 01:22:49,760 --> 01:22:53,720 Speaker 1: we turned everything around. And I mean everything that we've 1407 01:22:53,720 --> 01:22:58,479 Speaker 1: done has been independent for the last fifteen years. It's 1408 01:22:58,479 --> 01:23:01,519 Speaker 1: been crazy that I've been a was stay, a float 1409 01:23:01,680 --> 01:23:03,640 Speaker 1: and more than a float. I mean, I'm one of 1410 01:23:03,680 --> 01:23:13,600 Speaker 1: the hardest working men. And the beautiful, beautiful tour we 1411 01:23:13,640 --> 01:23:16,120 Speaker 1: did at the City one around was telling you love 1412 01:23:16,200 --> 01:23:19,599 Speaker 1: that venue and the fans just it's just such an 1413 01:23:19,680 --> 01:23:23,560 Speaker 1: incredible opportunity to reconnect with my fans. You know, the 1414 01:23:23,880 --> 01:23:26,200 Speaker 1: COVID took us out for eighteen months man, when he 1415 01:23:26,240 --> 01:23:28,960 Speaker 1: wasn't gigging. So it's just such a blessing. We know, 1416 01:23:30,000 --> 01:23:34,240 Speaker 1: we know he was like, yeah, you know what hey man. 1417 01:23:35,920 --> 01:23:38,679 Speaker 1: You know, I was like, I gotta get on the road. 1418 01:23:38,920 --> 01:23:40,960 Speaker 1: I was like, come on, I gotta get on this road, man. 1419 01:23:41,000 --> 01:23:44,280 Speaker 1: This is I was just I was really disappointing because 1420 01:23:44,360 --> 01:23:46,639 Speaker 1: I had just done a record with my man, don 1421 01:23:46,640 --> 01:23:48,639 Speaker 1: El Jones. We got in the studio and we did 1422 01:23:48,640 --> 01:23:51,559 Speaker 1: it song. I played the record on the road. We 1423 01:23:51,560 --> 01:23:52,800 Speaker 1: were on the road and I played it to him. 1424 01:23:52,880 --> 01:23:55,160 Speaker 1: He's like, man, I like that, and I was like 1425 01:23:55,240 --> 01:23:58,040 Speaker 1: you do. I was like, let's cut this, let's let's 1426 01:23:58,080 --> 01:24:00,840 Speaker 1: get it. So he was so cool about it. Man. 1427 01:24:00,840 --> 01:24:03,200 Speaker 1: He sent me the file right back. I was like, 1428 01:24:03,280 --> 01:24:05,599 Speaker 1: let's do this video. He came to shot the video 1429 01:24:05,680 --> 01:24:08,000 Speaker 1: with me. Man. I was like, honored, man, And it 1430 01:24:08,080 --> 01:24:11,000 Speaker 1: was really h uh, you know, an honor for me 1431 01:24:11,080 --> 01:24:14,080 Speaker 1: to work with a legend like that shout out, we 1432 01:24:14,080 --> 01:24:17,519 Speaker 1: need the that's this is where you want to be, 1433 01:24:18,080 --> 01:24:19,839 Speaker 1: this is this is where you want to mar you money. 1434 01:24:19,880 --> 01:24:22,040 Speaker 1: This is what he He's one of us, that's what 1435 01:24:22,080 --> 01:24:24,120 Speaker 1: he does. So that's why it was that. It was 1436 01:24:24,160 --> 01:24:26,160 Speaker 1: a huge blessing to haven't come blessed me on that 1437 01:24:26,160 --> 01:24:29,040 Speaker 1: that track. Understands the name of the record. I wrote 1438 01:24:29,040 --> 01:24:32,080 Speaker 1: and produced it myself and shot that video. Man, it 1439 01:24:32,120 --> 01:24:33,880 Speaker 1: was like it felt real good, like all right, this 1440 01:24:33,960 --> 01:24:37,599 Speaker 1: is something new. Put this out and then COVID HiT's 1441 01:24:37,720 --> 01:24:40,080 Speaker 1: like you know. We had another song we put out 1442 01:24:40,080 --> 01:24:42,000 Speaker 1: called Priceless as well. We did a video for that 1443 01:24:42,040 --> 01:24:44,160 Speaker 1: as well, so check them out, man, if you haven't 1444 01:24:44,200 --> 01:24:47,600 Speaker 1: checked it out, understand and Priceless are available now. But 1445 01:24:47,640 --> 01:24:50,439 Speaker 1: that kind of the whole COVID then kind of shut 1446 01:24:50,479 --> 01:24:52,560 Speaker 1: the album process down because it's like, all right, what 1447 01:24:52,600 --> 01:24:55,200 Speaker 1: do we do now? You know? Um? What I ended 1448 01:24:55,280 --> 01:25:04,760 Speaker 1: up during doing during the the the whole the Anoramic, yeah, 1449 01:25:05,520 --> 01:25:09,080 Speaker 1: was I did these online performances man, which was was 1450 01:25:09,160 --> 01:25:11,519 Speaker 1: really cool. I found a really cool venue downtown. It 1451 01:25:11,600 --> 01:25:14,599 Speaker 1: was like a loft kind of energy with like dim lights. 1452 01:25:14,640 --> 01:25:16,960 Speaker 1: We brought the you know, we brought the crew with 1453 01:25:17,000 --> 01:25:19,160 Speaker 1: the cameras and we just it was a multi camera 1454 01:25:19,200 --> 01:25:20,920 Speaker 1: set up so it was like it was it was 1455 01:25:20,960 --> 01:25:24,599 Speaker 1: shot well, you know, like moving cameras, a little movement, 1456 01:25:24,720 --> 01:25:26,680 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, a little panty and we 1457 01:25:26,720 --> 01:25:29,160 Speaker 1: had a little you know, mark audience kind of just 1458 01:25:30,320 --> 01:25:35,920 Speaker 1: maybe ten fifteen people showing um and uh. We put 1459 01:25:35,960 --> 01:25:39,200 Speaker 1: that on and every every month I got in touch 1460 01:25:39,240 --> 01:25:40,439 Speaker 1: with my fans. I was like, what do you want 1461 01:25:40,439 --> 01:25:43,040 Speaker 1: to hear this one? You know? And he was going 1462 01:25:43,120 --> 01:25:45,880 Speaker 1: direct to consumer, so it was it was a great 1463 01:25:45,880 --> 01:25:48,080 Speaker 1: way to kind of test myself too, Like all right, 1464 01:25:48,160 --> 01:25:50,840 Speaker 1: I haven't done this one a long time. Let's break 1465 01:25:50,880 --> 01:25:53,559 Speaker 1: this went out from the first album or whatever. So yeah, 1466 01:25:53,560 --> 01:25:56,639 Speaker 1: it was really really fun. And some of those songs 1467 01:25:56,680 --> 01:25:59,880 Speaker 1: that I actually dusted off, you know, dusted brought out 1468 01:25:59,920 --> 01:26:02,000 Speaker 1: of crazy. I was like, uh, I was like, man, 1469 01:26:02,040 --> 01:26:04,559 Speaker 1: I'm scared to sing this one because the range was 1470 01:26:05,320 --> 01:26:10,400 Speaker 1: when but boys like, it's good to sing those songs man, 1471 01:26:10,560 --> 01:26:12,559 Speaker 1: you know, and and bring those back and now some 1472 01:26:12,640 --> 01:26:14,760 Speaker 1: of them actually made it into my current set now. 1473 01:26:14,920 --> 01:26:19,960 Speaker 1: So it's a fun time. Brother John B Dam Mr 1474 01:26:20,040 --> 01:26:25,439 Speaker 1: bucks Man big Bucks Big that was like a game 1475 01:26:25,439 --> 01:26:29,240 Speaker 1: back in the day. No ways big Bucks, no Wammy, 1476 01:26:29,520 --> 01:26:35,360 Speaker 1: big R and b Bucks Um. One thing that you know, 1477 01:26:36,200 --> 01:26:39,640 Speaker 1: one thing that I've always been impressed about you is, 1478 01:26:40,000 --> 01:26:44,520 Speaker 1: you know, along with your humility, you're just extremely gracious 1479 01:26:44,960 --> 01:26:49,879 Speaker 1: cheers bro, You're just extremely like you know, it's always 1480 01:26:49,960 --> 01:26:53,720 Speaker 1: a smile and it's always like, well at least we've 1481 01:26:53,720 --> 01:27:03,000 Speaker 1: got water, Like you're oh, I'm I'm definitely the glasses 1482 01:27:03,040 --> 01:27:06,719 Speaker 1: have full. Like I'm definitely that. But you're like you're 1483 01:27:06,760 --> 01:27:10,080 Speaker 1: like my mirror image and you're probably step further. I 1484 01:27:10,080 --> 01:27:12,479 Speaker 1: wish you could hear the news I haven't about to 1485 01:27:12,520 --> 01:27:16,479 Speaker 1: put out it's called waiting on you. Right, man, You're 1486 01:27:16,520 --> 01:27:19,519 Speaker 1: like the number one influence for the song, and you 1487 01:27:19,560 --> 01:27:25,479 Speaker 1: are the person that is the reason why I felt 1488 01:27:25,520 --> 01:27:29,080 Speaker 1: like that. There's there's only so many people I can 1489 01:27:29,080 --> 01:27:33,639 Speaker 1: say can reflect an emotion that's similar like this, and 1490 01:27:34,000 --> 01:27:37,439 Speaker 1: I hope that's a It says how much you've affected 1491 01:27:37,479 --> 01:27:39,599 Speaker 1: me as an artist. You know, when when you can 1492 01:27:41,040 --> 01:27:43,439 Speaker 1: relate to someone so much that it's like you don't 1493 01:27:43,479 --> 01:27:47,639 Speaker 1: have to try. The grown man John By has has 1494 01:27:47,640 --> 01:27:50,200 Speaker 1: been around the tanks, you know what I'm saying and 1495 01:27:50,400 --> 01:27:54,800 Speaker 1: taking some notes and be like, nah, you know when 1496 01:27:54,800 --> 01:27:57,320 Speaker 1: you when you crow the way and you you could 1497 01:27:57,360 --> 01:27:59,800 Speaker 1: be like bent over and kind of like no, but 1498 01:28:00,080 --> 01:28:03,240 Speaker 1: you yeah, back lifted and you just know you're gonna 1499 01:28:03,280 --> 01:28:06,200 Speaker 1: get that weight up right. That's the way I'm approaching 1500 01:28:06,200 --> 01:28:09,360 Speaker 1: what I'm doing now. This is a different confidence. Has 1501 01:28:09,400 --> 01:28:13,800 Speaker 1: a grown man the muscle developed muscles well without being 1502 01:28:13,800 --> 01:28:19,120 Speaker 1: physically you can't really compare that, no, you know, but 1503 01:28:19,160 --> 01:28:21,920 Speaker 1: I will say I'm working on those things, preserving those 1504 01:28:22,160 --> 01:28:26,519 Speaker 1: you know here part time trying to man, I just 1505 01:28:26,640 --> 01:28:32,680 Speaker 1: randomly got I'm trying to John today. If it's a 1506 01:28:32,800 --> 01:28:36,880 Speaker 1: rap job to get a sixth bag I'm not doing 1507 01:28:36,920 --> 01:28:40,040 Speaker 1: We're not doing that. No. If I take my shirt 1508 01:28:40,080 --> 01:28:45,040 Speaker 1: off on stage, who never, you never ever see that. 1509 01:28:45,080 --> 01:28:47,720 Speaker 1: I think it's only you probably weren't that twite one 1510 01:28:47,800 --> 01:28:52,880 Speaker 1: or two times you got the voice music? Yeah, you 1511 01:28:52,960 --> 01:28:57,840 Speaker 1: got you got it all. Man. We have been honored, Um, 1512 01:28:58,320 --> 01:28:59,720 Speaker 1: we have been honored to spend a lot of time 1513 01:28:59,760 --> 01:29:01,599 Speaker 1: with Man. We just we I don't even I don't 1514 01:29:01,600 --> 01:29:07,200 Speaker 1: even been counting how long to talk vibe and to 1515 01:29:07,280 --> 01:29:10,320 Speaker 1: hear your story and you know, and to tap into 1516 01:29:11,320 --> 01:29:14,400 Speaker 1: you know, just hear about all of these awesome legendary 1517 01:29:14,520 --> 01:29:17,120 Speaker 1: artists that you just came in the game and just 1518 01:29:17,920 --> 01:29:22,639 Speaker 1: tackled like that's just that's not normal, man, It's not normal. Man. 1519 01:29:22,760 --> 01:29:29,040 Speaker 1: Salute to you and you're you're still your your ever 1520 01:29:29,080 --> 01:29:31,800 Speaker 1: growing career. Man. We always see each other on the 1521 01:29:31,880 --> 01:29:36,040 Speaker 1: road and it's always love. It's always a beverage always 1522 01:29:36,120 --> 01:29:39,479 Speaker 1: and and I promise you, man, that is never going 1523 01:29:39,560 --> 01:29:42,960 Speaker 1: to change from you. Don't even know what that means 1524 01:29:42,960 --> 01:29:44,760 Speaker 1: to me, Bro, to run into you like this and 1525 01:29:44,800 --> 01:29:47,840 Speaker 1: had this opportunity to reconnect with you, bro, because I mean, 1526 01:29:47,880 --> 01:29:50,640 Speaker 1: we we got history. We've been rocking together for some 1527 01:29:50,760 --> 01:29:53,040 Speaker 1: years now. I remember when you first came out. I 1528 01:29:53,120 --> 01:29:56,880 Speaker 1: was in London talking on radio like I got this 1529 01:29:56,960 --> 01:29:58,800 Speaker 1: new single I'm about to you know, because we had 1530 01:29:58,840 --> 01:30:01,760 Speaker 1: just worked. It was right not too long after your 1531 01:30:01,760 --> 01:30:06,000 Speaker 1: first first couple of singles worked and so you know, 1532 01:30:06,040 --> 01:30:10,000 Speaker 1: they hadn't really gotten you yet over in London yet. 1533 01:30:10,040 --> 01:30:12,720 Speaker 1: They were on their way, but it was just just 1534 01:30:12,760 --> 01:30:14,920 Speaker 1: starting the bubble and I was like, no, Tank is 1535 01:30:14,960 --> 01:30:18,320 Speaker 1: the future. Tank is the future. You know, Lately is 1536 01:30:18,360 --> 01:30:20,559 Speaker 1: about to be. And you know we made it to 1537 01:30:20,600 --> 01:30:23,800 Speaker 1: the top top. It was a top five record in London. 1538 01:30:24,360 --> 01:30:26,080 Speaker 1: A lot of people that don't know that that was 1539 01:30:26,200 --> 01:30:30,759 Speaker 1: Lately made it. I went to t rl MTV in England, yeah, 1540 01:30:30,920 --> 01:30:34,200 Speaker 1: to go talk about the video on the song and 1541 01:30:34,200 --> 01:30:40,160 Speaker 1: working with you and so yeah, ladies and gentlemen, I 1542 01:30:40,200 --> 01:30:42,200 Speaker 1: don't know who you get to hang out with, you 1543 01:30:42,240 --> 01:30:44,720 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying, you know, doing your afternoons and 1544 01:30:44,840 --> 01:30:47,000 Speaker 1: just kick it with and get good information from there. 1545 01:30:47,240 --> 01:30:49,760 Speaker 1: But if the Rmy Money podcast, me and my brother 1546 01:30:49,880 --> 01:30:53,200 Speaker 1: Day Bound the time we got the kicks, Mr John Man, 1547 01:30:53,320 --> 01:31:12,599 Speaker 1: please make some Lloyd's for my brothers, then R and 1548 01:31:12,640 --> 01:31:17,559 Speaker 1: B Money. R and B Money is the production of 1549 01:31:17,560 --> 01:31:20,800 Speaker 1: the Black Effect podcast network. For more podcasts from I 1550 01:31:20,920 --> 01:31:24,800 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, visit the irheart Radio app, Apple podcast, or 1551 01:31:24,800 --> 01:31:27,519 Speaker 1: wherever you're listen to your favorite shows. Don't forget to 1552 01:31:27,560 --> 01:31:31,000 Speaker 1: subscribe to and rate our show, and you can connect 1553 01:31:31,000 --> 01:31:33,960 Speaker 1: with us on social media via at R and B 1554 01:31:34,080 --> 01:31:37,080 Speaker 1: Money podcast or at The Real Tank or at j 1555 01:31:37,280 --> 01:31:37,840 Speaker 1: Valentine