1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: Wake that ass up in the morning. 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 2: Breakfast Club Morning, everybody in st j Envy, Jess, hilarious, 3 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 2: Charlamagne the guy. 4 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 3: We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest. 5 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 2: In the building icon a legend, royalty man, Ladies and gentlemen, 6 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:18,959 Speaker 2: we have MC light Welcome. 7 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: Thank you. 8 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 3: How are you feeling this morning? 9 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: I feel good. I feel energized. The weather is really 10 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: giving me New York. 11 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 3: Yes, it's New York. Horrible, horrible. It's the first time 12 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 3: you've been on Breakfast Club. 13 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 4: No, No, how do you feel when you hear that icon? 14 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 1: You know? 15 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 4: Legend, it's all true. Pioneers is another one you should add. 16 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 4: How do you feel because you look a little taken 17 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 4: aback when you heard it? 18 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: No, actually, that's not what I felt coming through the hallway. 19 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: I didn't expect big and a big style. 20 00:00:58,240 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 3: You know. 21 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: It feels good, I guess, yeah. I feel like I'm 22 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: still doing work, you know. And I think there's also 23 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:11,119 Speaker 1: a whole host of people that really don't understand why 24 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: other people say that. 25 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:13,199 Speaker 5: Well, one of the reasons. 26 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,919 Speaker 4: You are the first female rapper to release a full 27 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 4: solo album with Light as of Rock back in eighty eight. 28 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 4: Did you even understand the gravity of that. Did you 29 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 4: even know what that meant back then? 30 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 1: Absolutely not. Yeah, No, I went in. As a matter 31 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: of fact, I can look at it now and see 32 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: that it was an audition. But when they asked me 33 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: to come to Staten Island to meet with the record label, 34 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: I just was going. I had my little rhyme book. 35 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: I asked my mom could I go? I think it 36 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: was on a school night, and so I met the 37 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: guy that really I grew up in hip hop with. 38 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: As a matter of fact, I write my rhymes the 39 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: same way that he taught me how to write my rhymes. 40 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 5: Wow. 41 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: And so I got on the ferry. I went all 42 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: the way over there, and you know, I had my 43 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: rhyme book. I pulled it out. I said my rock 44 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: milk was like, say something to this, okay, And I 45 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: say something to that, you know, And literally that's how 46 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: I crammed understand you and paper thin and light as 47 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 1: a rock and all of that was born. But No, 48 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: I just felt like I was I was just doing 49 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: what I loved. 50 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 3: What got you into to rapping back then? Right? 51 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 2: Because everybody thought back then it was gonna be a trend, 52 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 2: it was gonna be here for a little bit and 53 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 2: then gone and growing up in Queens. What got you 54 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:28,399 Speaker 2: into saying I want to do this and what made 55 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 2: you say I'm gonna take it serious to make this 56 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 2: a quote unquote career. 57 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: Right, Well, I grew up in Brooklyn, Brooklyn. 58 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 3: I don't know why. 59 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: It was just a little different, although I did spend 60 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: a lot of time in Queens, in far Rockaway, that's 61 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: where my grandfather lived. I think after listening to Mellie 62 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,119 Speaker 1: mel with the message and sequence and you know, all 63 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: of the cold crushed brothers, and spending time in Harlem 64 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: with my grandmother and all of my cousins over there, 65 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: it wasn't until I heard Salt and Pepper, And then 66 00:02:57,800 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: when I heard them, I was like, oh, wait a 67 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: minut in it. I think I might be able to 68 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: do this. And then at that time I felt like 69 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: I had something to say, which was I kram to 70 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 1: understand you, you know, the drug scene and seeing crackheads 71 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 1: in Brooklyn, seeing heroin addicts in Harlem. It was like, Okay, 72 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: I got a message from my generation. 73 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 5: Didn't you. 74 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 3: You lived in Brooklyn for a second, right, No, I 75 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 3: was born in Brooklyn. 76 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 4: Oh, somebody told me that y'all lived like a block 77 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 4: away from each other between Rutland between ninety first and 78 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 4: ninety second in Rutland Road. 79 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, my grandfather lived there, so I would go there 80 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 2: in the summers to see my grandfather. 81 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: We see, I was on the summer in the summers, 82 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: I was with my. 83 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 5: Grandfather in Queens. Yeah. 84 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: That's why, because people always seen you in Queens and 85 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 2: people always see me in there in that in Starres City. 86 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 2: So I have a grandfather in on over there, and 87 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 2: then I had one in Starres City. So back then, 88 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 2: what your parents did in the summer time when you 89 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 2: off for school, there was no camp. They drop you 90 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 2: off a grandpa's house and then they pick you back 91 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 2: up on Friday. So I would I would spend a 92 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: lot of time. 93 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 4: In Brooklyn because you was ea East flat Bush between 94 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 4: each flash Butch on the borderline of Brownsville. 95 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, New Lots, Sutter Ave and I think once 96 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: you crossed that train track you was in Brownsville, which 97 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: I shopped in Picking Avenue. That's where you get the 98 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: cheap sandals, jellies and lees and things that you needed 99 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 1: to look cool. In what I call the Caribbean part 100 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: of Brooklyn. I'm a fake in Jamaican too. 101 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 4: Yes, how were you able to clear like all the 102 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 4: violence that's them from like that the crack era? 103 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 1: Oh I don't. God, you know, I've seen, matter of fact, 104 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: all of the guys that I grew up with, the 105 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 1: olde of Roughneck to all of the guys that I 106 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: grew up with are no longer here. 107 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 3: Wow. 108 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, they all died by the hand of violence. 109 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 2: But you know, looking at how you grew up in Brooklyn, 110 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 2: you know, I always say that the same thing with queens. 111 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 2: I always used to say that even though selling drugs 112 00:04:55,200 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 2: were bad, there was some type of I would say, 113 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 2: they would control the streets right, so you wouldn't see 114 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 2: a lot of the crime that you see now. Back 115 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 2: then you would see a lot of drug dealers shooting 116 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 2: each other. But now it just seems like there is 117 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 2: no nothing. It just seems like people are running wild. 118 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 2: Did you notice that back then, where it was like 119 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 2: it was rules like you don't mess with older women. 120 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:18,159 Speaker 3: You don't rest with the kids. 121 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 2: If the kids were doing something wrong, the drug dealers 122 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 2: would actually tell them, no, no, you got to straighten up, 123 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 2: or this, that and the other. 124 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:24,280 Speaker 3: I don't see that anymore. 125 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:26,559 Speaker 2: And I feel like, as fed up as it sounds, 126 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 2: I feel like that's why the streets are a little 127 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:30,799 Speaker 2: messed up. There is nobody out there controlling the streets 128 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 2: and making the kids do the right thing. 129 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:33,479 Speaker 3: Did you see that as well growing up? 130 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: You know, I hadn't thought about it, but now that 131 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: you put it out there, it does seem a little lawless, 132 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: like if anything goes and very much no rhyme or reason, 133 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 1: you know. So yeah, I think back in the days, 134 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 1: it's like, no, leave that one alone, that's not it. 135 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 1: Or you know, like I've heard stories from pac and 136 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: different guys that said they wanted to go that route, 137 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: but the guy said, nah, this ain't for you. Stay 138 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: over there. We're going to support you in that area 139 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,479 Speaker 1: and not try to tempt you over here. So yeah, no, 140 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: I don't think. I don't know if that exists. It might. 141 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 4: You said something else to you said, you want to 142 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 4: go audition like those they had auditions back. 143 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, but I didn't know it was an audition. 144 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 5: Ok. 145 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 1: It wasn't until later I was like, yeah, I guess 146 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: I was auditioning, you know, because they wanted to see 147 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: what I had. The guy that I grew up with 148 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: writing rhymes with or whatever. He called me up. He 149 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: was like, there's a record label they're looking for a female. 150 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: M see, do you want to go out there? And 151 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: literally it hinged on my mother saying yes or no, 152 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: so she was like, you know what, okay? And at 153 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,039 Speaker 1: that point I had been going to Latin Quarters and 154 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: I had already recorded with Clark Kent because he was 155 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: a friend of a girl that used to work at 156 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: chi Che's Mexican restaurant, because that's where I work. And 157 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: I met him and I said I had this rhyme 158 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: and he was like, come to Brooklyn. You know the 159 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: innocence of it all here. I am going to this 160 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,239 Speaker 1: guy's basement in Brooklyn, and like it could have ended 161 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 1: so many different ways. However, I laid the first rendition 162 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: of O Kram to understand you down on there. So 163 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 1: by the time I got to Milk and Them, I 164 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: had already been with George Lucy and who was Full 165 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: Force's father. He would come over. I would rehearse with 166 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: the brush in the living room and get my chops 167 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: up sand salt and pepperonns and actually a much more 168 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,119 Speaker 1: comfortable speaking like this, But because I've always been taught 169 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: to come from the diaphragm. I'm always on extra. So 170 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: when I talk like this, people like, what's wrong, I'm 171 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: just talking. 172 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 2: Do you remember when you got your first deal and 173 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 2: how much the first deal was, how much you got paid. 174 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 1: I don't even think. Well, I got an advance which 175 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: was five thousand dollars Jesus, and I took that five 176 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: thousand dollars and I put it on my Jetta like 177 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: the whole thing, like, oh, yeah, that's all I need 178 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: is a car. But then when I started touring, when 179 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: I started making money, and then I got a house, 180 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: and then without budgeting or anything, by the time I 181 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: furnished the house, I had nothing to cover my windows 182 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: with and so I had to. 183 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 3: Put sheets and blind I had to put sheets. 184 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: Up in the window and have my manager stop buy 185 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: and be okay with that scene. And it wasn't until 186 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: I went out on the road the next time that 187 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: I could finish the house. So, you know, there's so 188 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: much more money being made in this business, and I 189 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: can only hope that the youngins are doing the right 190 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: thing with it, because there are ebbs and flows. 191 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 5: Absolutely, were you in high school in your first single? Yeah? Wow? Great. 192 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: I was in the Great. No, I think I was 193 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: in my last year of school. 194 00:08:57,600 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 5: With a whole single out. 195 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, single came out in the winter, and so 196 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:05,839 Speaker 1: I was in school and I wanted to grad. I 197 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: wanted to get out of school early, so I took 198 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: extra courses at Boys and Girls High the summer before. 199 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 1: So I was out by January and I was headed 200 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: to Norfolk State University. I already put my money in. 201 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: I was gonna be a well, like I'm a Sigma 202 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 1: Gamma roll soro right now, but I was headed somewhere else. 203 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 1: So in any case, I went and decided I needed 204 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: a job until I was gonna I was gonna save 205 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: my money up, and so I went and became a messenger, 206 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: so I know every street. 207 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 3: In New York City. 208 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: And so I did that, and yeah, I was in school. 209 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 3: So you never went to Norfolk. 210 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:47,839 Speaker 1: I never made it to Norfolk State University because I 211 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: got the record deal and my mother was like, this 212 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: is just too much. You can't go away and do 213 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: this and do that. 214 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 2: Because most parents would be like no, no, no, forget this 215 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 2: rap I'd go into that wanted. 216 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: To be separated, and because it's just she and I 217 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: and so I went to Hunter for two days and 218 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:12,599 Speaker 1: on the second day they said, there's a tour in Copenhagen, 219 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: you the Youngsters and Audio two, and that was it. 220 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 2: And you went out there. Did you get any money 221 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 2: from because you sold millions of records? Did you get 222 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 2: any of that publishing royalties anything back? 223 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 3: Then? 224 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: Slightly slightly, but nothing like you should I should have. 225 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 5: Yeah. 226 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 1: I mean this is a treacherous game. And what's interesting 227 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: is on the internet now is like every nook and 228 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 1: cranny you can see truth being told. 229 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 5: Which is really true. 230 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:47,439 Speaker 1: Well, yeah, you got some people that are just like, look, 231 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:49,680 Speaker 1: this is how the record deal works. 232 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:50,680 Speaker 3: Yeah. 233 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 1: No, which I think is really admirable of those people 234 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: to kind of speak their truth. 235 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 4: You mentioned Audio two. We all related the room that 236 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 4: was Matt Robinson of the Yeah. 237 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: I mean it wasn't It wasn't something that other people 238 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: came up with. It was the story that we told. Yeah, 239 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: And it was because you know, Nat Robinson, who was 240 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,719 Speaker 1: my manager, basically took me on as one of his 241 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: children and he had to sit down talk with my 242 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: mom and she was like, Okay, what's happening here. He 243 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: was like, We're going to take care of her, and 244 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: literally when I would get off of the stage, I 245 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: would be right back in the hotel room. There was 246 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: no room for me to mess around or mess up 247 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 1: and have you know, stories being told about mc light. 248 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:42,439 Speaker 1: So I thank him for keeping me safe. And because 249 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 1: of that, his children became somewhat like my brothers. 250 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 4: Wow, So that's interesting record. We hear all the challenges 251 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 4: that female rappers face now, so I can only imagine 252 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,880 Speaker 4: how it is when you're the first person over the hill. 253 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,199 Speaker 4: The first person over the hill takes all the shots. 254 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 4: So I was gonna ask, how did you just? 255 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 5: I guess they protected. Was it because of people like that? 256 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely because of that Robinson? And then also because 257 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: of security. When I think about back in those days, 258 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 1: I had three security guards with me at all times, 259 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: simply because we just didn't know what would happen or 260 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:18,559 Speaker 1: could happen, and you don't want it to happen. And 261 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: then you know, it's almost like leaving your bag in 262 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 1: a car. You don't why leave it in the car. 263 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 1: Then you're gonna have to chase down how you know 264 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: who has it? How can I get it back? So 265 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,320 Speaker 1: we didn't want anything to happen and yeah, I paid 266 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: three security guards and. 267 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 3: That was that. Your mom's idea, was that the label's 268 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 3: idea or. 269 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: No, it was management because we didn't want to take 270 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,960 Speaker 1: any chances. And I think it wasn't until maybe I 271 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 1: was twenty five I took my first trip alone, which 272 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: was really enlightening because I felt like all that time 273 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: I had I couldn't see because they was in front 274 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,679 Speaker 1: of me. So once I was like, oh, wow, did 275 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 1: you go this is life? It might have been Kona, 276 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:07,320 Speaker 1: it might have been Yeah, what the hell's ConA Hawaii? 277 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 3: Hawaii, Hawaii? Like he knew it was. You didn't know 278 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:10,679 Speaker 3: what corner was. 279 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 5: I didn't. 280 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 4: I was just going to later. But did did your 281 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 4: life change in high school? 282 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 5: Like? Is that when the startom first kicked in? 283 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 1: Uh? Yeah, I guess it was when people started to 284 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: recognize me. Oh but you know what because they knew 285 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: I told him I was coming out with a record. 286 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: But while I was doing messenger work, is when I 287 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: went to deliver the package to the is it the 288 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 1: great building? The Grayson Building is somewhere on off the 289 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: forties on the east side, And I went into the 290 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: mail room and this guy say yo yo yo, and 291 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 1: he called some people from the back. He said, that's 292 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: empty light. 293 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 2: I was like, oh, how the hell, I. 294 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,960 Speaker 1: Said, what do you know? He said, I got the 295 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: magazine and it was a picture of k Rock and I. 296 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: So it was like, oh shit, my cover is blown. 297 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 5: Did you quit? 298 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: Not yet? 299 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 3: Okay? 300 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:12,680 Speaker 5: Right? 301 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,920 Speaker 1: I was waiting for uh well, I still lived at home, 302 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: so I didn't really need the check. But I wanted 303 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: the check because I was going to school, I was 304 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: going to get ready to go to Norfolk, and so 305 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 1: I wanted to stack my chips up. But no, I 306 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: had to wait for that day for my management to 307 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: tell me that we had the record deal and I 308 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: could quit. 309 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 4: How has it been watching the evolution of hip hop 310 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 4: from eighty eight to now? 311 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: It's been great. I mean literally, we have taken this 312 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: gift from God and blown this thing all the way 313 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: out out of the hemisphere. Like I would have never thought, 314 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 1: first off, that I could support myself, support my mom, 315 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: give jobs to you know, that's my niece right there. 316 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: And what other people have been able to do for 317 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 1: their families. And the breakfast club and the you know, 318 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: the clothing lines and the podcast and the I mean, 319 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: it just goes on and on. It's a dream for 320 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 1: all of us to really do what it is that 321 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: we love. 322 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 2: When did it start to slow down for mcla because 323 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 2: growing up, I mean it was you name it, it 324 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 2: was Chi Chid Child, the records were flowing. Then it 325 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 2: seemed like there was a switch in hip hop a 326 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 2: little bit. And I would say, maybe that's when Kim 327 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 2: and Foxy that ever started to turn around. So when 328 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 2: did it start to slow down and why was it? 329 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: I think, like many many times, there's maybe a song 330 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:46,239 Speaker 1: or an artist that comes in and switches the whole situation. 331 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: I think Naughty by Nature did that, and then I 332 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 1: think Biggie did that, and you know, on and on, 333 00:15:54,440 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: and for me, I think what happened was in seven 334 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: or ninety eight, specifically, I had an album that I 335 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: really worked hard on without the help of an R 336 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: because they were doing LSG. And I'm talking about Merlyn Bob. 337 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: You know, he's a really good friend and I respect him. 338 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 1: He did a lot of things for me during my career, 339 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: but during this time, once I finished the album, he 340 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 1: came back and said, we need to take some of 341 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: these songs off, and I was like, what, Like at 342 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: that time, I let my ego, you know ride, And 343 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: I was like, you can't tell me what to take off. 344 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: You wasn't even here for this, you know. I was 345 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: too emotionally attached to working with the track masters and 346 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: working with LL and Beanie Man and Pharrell and Missy 347 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: and Total. And I had this jam packed album with 348 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: way too many songs, and so I think the focus 349 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: wasn't there. And then they asked me to go back 350 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: in and work on a new album, and I was like, 351 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 1: I just got out of the studio working on a 352 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,959 Speaker 1: new album. And after that point, or during that point, 353 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 1: Will Smith had started a record label. He was like, light, 354 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: if you ever want to come over here, let's do it. 355 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: So at that time my manager was like, you know what, 356 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:19,959 Speaker 1: maybe we should take him up on his offer. And 357 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: we did, and as soon as we did, he lost 358 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: his distribution, which was with Interscope Overbrooke, Overbrook, Yeah, And 359 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: I was just like okay, and I was getting a stipen. 360 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: You know. 361 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 2: It's like Will Smith had the bag at that time. 362 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 2: That's when every movie was popping. He had what kel 363 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 2: Spencer at that time. He still got the bag now, 364 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 2: but that time was one of the highest though, and 365 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:41,400 Speaker 2: he was just it was a lot going on. 366 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: And kel Spence was one of the people that was 367 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 1: riding with me, and so once he lost the distribution, 368 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:51,199 Speaker 1: I was sitting there getting a stipen and I was like, Okay, 369 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: I don't want them to make the call that the 370 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: stipend is over. Let me make the call and say, 371 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: you know what all I need is this the songs 372 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: that I've done already and one more stipend check and 373 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 1: then I'm gonna go make this thing happen. Because they 374 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: were just sitting and James Lassiter was like, I don't 375 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 1: want him thinking about nothing but Ali right now. And 376 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: so we're waiting for him to talk music with us, 377 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,679 Speaker 1: but they don't want him to talk music because they 378 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: want him to win this Oscar, which is you know, 379 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: I gotta respect that. And so that's when everything was 380 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,440 Speaker 1: just like, okay, what I'm gonna do now? Dammit, I 381 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:29,680 Speaker 1: should have went to Norfolk State. 382 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,119 Speaker 5: How does that not affect like your personal relationship? Door right? 383 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 4: Because I've read read Jada's book and y'all like the 384 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,679 Speaker 4: best of friends, so clearly there's a family vibe there. 385 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:42,040 Speaker 5: Y'all are family. How does that affect y'all? 386 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,119 Speaker 3: You know personally when you feel like. 387 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 4: Well damn, we Bob thought we suposed to be doing 388 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:48,679 Speaker 4: this professionally, but I need to think the move a 389 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:49,120 Speaker 4: certain way. 390 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: What's up? Yeah, I don't talk to Jada about Will stuff, 391 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: and I don't talk to Will about Jada's stuff, especially business, 392 00:18:57,840 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: you know, because I. 393 00:18:59,160 --> 00:18:59,880 Speaker 5: Talk about you and Will. 394 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: Oh, Well, what would happen is I would call Will 395 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: anyway and then he would tell me what he wanted 396 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,880 Speaker 1: to do. But he can't do what he wants to do. 397 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: He has to rely, like many of us, on other people. 398 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,399 Speaker 1: So I consider all of us to be the quarterbacks. 399 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: And once we throw the ball, somebody got to take 400 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:22,679 Speaker 1: it down the field, and if they don't want to 401 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,440 Speaker 1: go down that way or they don't want to play 402 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,479 Speaker 1: on that field, you're kind of subject to what it 403 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,360 Speaker 1: is that you rely on them for. And so James 404 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,359 Speaker 1: was like, clear, he didn't even want us talking to 405 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: Will about music. So I was already going against the 406 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,679 Speaker 1: grain by calling him saying, okay, what we're gonna do? 407 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,600 Speaker 1: So yeah, I mean, it's just one of those things 408 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,479 Speaker 1: where all of it went different. Sylvia Rohne was like, 409 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: what are you doing in La? I need you on 410 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:54,399 Speaker 1: the streets of New York City. People need to see you, 411 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 1: and I'm like, oh, I'm trying to act, you know. 412 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: So when it came the one thing that Nat Robbinson 413 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 1: said to me, and though he said many things throughout 414 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 1: the years which helped, but the thing that I remember 415 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:12,959 Speaker 1: most is We're gonna make you popular independent of a 416 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,959 Speaker 1: hit record. And once he said that, that gate that 417 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 1: allowed me to dream bigger, to see, Okay, I need 418 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: to prepare myself for all these other moments. I want 419 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: to do voiceover, let me go to coaching, I want 420 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:28,239 Speaker 1: to act, let me go to class, and so that 421 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:30,199 Speaker 1: kind of opened up the spectrum for me. 422 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:32,920 Speaker 4: It's interesting because all of y'all had those opportunities that 423 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 4: seem like early like you saw you clean the teefa 424 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 4: and ice cubes and the wheels. 425 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 5: Was that like a thing? 426 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 1: No, it really was, and why my route went differently. 427 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: As I left William Morris very early, we had gotten 428 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: some word that some shows for me had gone to 429 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,639 Speaker 1: other people. Promoters were complaining that they were trying to 430 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: get me and they couldn't. And so my manager said, 431 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: you know what, we need to go to a performance 432 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 1: agency that just does performance We tried to keep theatrical 433 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: at William Morris, but they don't break it up, and 434 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,879 Speaker 1: so at that time I wind up going with another 435 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:15,400 Speaker 1: agency who was spectacular. I worked all through the nineties 436 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:19,160 Speaker 1: to this day. If you look on Spotify, I've got 437 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: more listeners in Germany and you know, France and Spain 438 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,159 Speaker 1: than I do in some of the states in the 439 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 1: United States of America, which is really odd to me, 440 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 1: but that's just the way it is. I spent a 441 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:35,680 Speaker 1: lot of time over there, and so while they were 442 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: doing their shows, I was out touring, and so I 443 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:43,679 Speaker 1: didn't do my sitcom until you know, two three years ago, 444 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: which was fun too because I was really present for it. 445 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: Most of the twenties went by in such a flash, 446 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,160 Speaker 1: like I think, you're blessed enough to have a second 447 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,440 Speaker 1: chance around so you can actually see it happening. 448 00:21:58,119 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 5: And you know, another reason you're a pioneer. 449 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 4: You're the first solo woman rapper to receive a gold 450 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:04,880 Speaker 4: record with Roughneck. 451 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:06,360 Speaker 5: I didn't feel to get a. 452 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:08,120 Speaker 4: Gold with that record because you said that was old 453 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,160 Speaker 4: to like the people around you right. 454 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:14,200 Speaker 1: Honestly, at the time, it felt good to be acknowledged 455 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: for any record, but I guess that's sort of like 456 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: you know how it is. They say Denzel gets recognized 457 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 1: for training day, it's like, roughneck, that's really okay, I'll 458 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,360 Speaker 1: take it. It was great. I remember we were on 459 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 1: tour and they had the phone in the bag, the 460 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:37,120 Speaker 1: big box phone, the big box Bowe and my manager, 461 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: you know, we were pulled over on the side at 462 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:44,920 Speaker 1: some road in or whatever getting food and he walked 463 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: up and he said, you've been nominated, and I was like, okay, 464 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 1: that's great. So they read it off at Radio City 465 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 1: and of course I come out the year deep Cover. 466 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:57,120 Speaker 5: Is out. 467 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: Damn yeah, and I was like, damn, that was quick. 468 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:02,719 Speaker 4: You know, like you're one of the reasons that men 469 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,880 Speaker 4: are so toxic, you know, between the hardcore era hip 470 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 4: hop and you saying that when a lady want. 471 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 1: A rough neck, right, oh yeah, that's terrible. 472 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 5: That's how we got to be. 473 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:15,920 Speaker 1: I'm sorry you. When I perform now, I'm like, where 474 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:20,880 Speaker 1: all the rough Okay, where's all the reform? I'm sorry 475 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 1: about that. 476 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:22,880 Speaker 3: You ever go back and look at that You said 477 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 3: you were on a tour. 478 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:25,399 Speaker 2: Do you ever go back and look at some of 479 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 2: the horrible places that you stayed and the disgusting places 480 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,479 Speaker 2: that you ate, But back then it was normal. 481 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:36,119 Speaker 1: It was. Yes, I when I think about the days 482 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: in and how all of us was like rammed up. 483 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:42,680 Speaker 2: In a room, it was normal, Like it was five 484 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:44,520 Speaker 2: of us in room. When somebody slept on a bed, 485 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 2: somebody stepped on the floor, somebody was on the couch, 486 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 2: red roof in holiday inns. 487 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 1: And you know, it's not until you've lived a better 488 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:56,479 Speaker 1: life that you can look back and say, oh my God. 489 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: And even in the midst of it, like after Rough, 490 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: you know, I toured on those Budweiser fests with all 491 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 1: the R and B people like so I was the 492 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:09,359 Speaker 1: only hip hop artist with Keith Sweat and BBD, and 493 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: the way they were treated. They had full meals, they 494 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:21,360 Speaker 1: had warm rooms that were furnished, totally and completely different 495 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: from a hip hop tour with ten different you know, 496 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 1: rap artists, and then let alone touring with Janey that's 497 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:31,880 Speaker 1: a whole nother situation. But what it does is it 498 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 1: teaches you what you should expect and and what you 499 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:42,200 Speaker 1: should make people responsible for. So yeah, it was. It 500 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 1: was definitely a learning curve. 501 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:46,199 Speaker 5: You know. One of my favorite versions from you was 502 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 5: on self destruction. 503 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 4: But even back then, you always had socially redeeming messages. 504 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:54,679 Speaker 3: In your in your in your in your music. 505 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 4: Why did you feel the need to address social and 506 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 4: political issues back then. 507 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:03,680 Speaker 1: Well, I attended an African school as a kid called 508 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: wait wu see shoe lay and excuse me. There were 509 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: certain values that we just learned, and I felt like 510 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: I needed to use my voice for something important. And 511 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:20,359 Speaker 1: because my mom worked at North General Hospital in Harlem, 512 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 1: and when I would go see her, I would get 513 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: on the elevator. She was on the seventh floor, but 514 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:27,399 Speaker 1: I think on the third or fourth floor was the 515 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: rehabilitation center. So sometimes getting into the elevator, I would 516 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 1: see heroin addicts that had decayed veins and holes, and 517 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:42,440 Speaker 1: I just was like, what a rough life. I need 518 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:45,440 Speaker 1: to say something to my peers in hopes of them 519 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 1: never going this route. And then aside from that, I 520 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: saw Ford apache the Bronx really early in life, and 521 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:54,280 Speaker 1: I was like, oh my god, they put her on drugs. 522 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 1: They made her a drug addict. So no, you don't 523 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,640 Speaker 1: need to be anywhere around that. So I think that's 524 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 1: wherehere it stems from. 525 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 4: You think you think artists now have a cultural responsibility 526 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 4: to use their voice for advocacy and just to spread messages. 527 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 1: I would think so, but that's not the story that 528 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 1: most of us tell. I do think that there is 529 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:19,160 Speaker 1: room for everyone, and I always have to use what 530 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: it is that I know. Heavy D wasn't that, but 531 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:24,880 Speaker 1: we still loved him. He promoted love, which I think 532 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:29,639 Speaker 1: is one of the most portant important aspects of life. 533 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: Will was never that, but we love him still. He 534 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 1: made us feel good and feel confident and strong. So 535 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,640 Speaker 1: I think it's room for it all. But I do 536 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 1: think it shouldn't be ignored. 537 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:43,639 Speaker 2: You think that's missing in hip hop now, like the 538 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,639 Speaker 2: self destruction type of records, people coming together for good, 539 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 2: because you don't really see that anymore. I don't think 540 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 2: you can get a self destruction type of record now. 541 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:56,120 Speaker 1: I think we could if someone who is. I think 542 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,080 Speaker 1: if Kendrick said we're going to do it, it would 543 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 1: kind of been you gotta give the power to those 544 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:06,280 Speaker 1: who have it at this moment. And if they decided 545 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 1: that that's what they wanted to do, I'm sure what happened. 546 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 3: Who put self destruction together? 547 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 2: Arrest one Karis won and he called everybody and said, 548 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 2: let's do it in everybody blah, absolutely, and. 549 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 4: You haven't put out album in ten years, but you 550 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 4: got new I'm coming out called one on one. 551 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, and why are you getting back into this crazy game? 552 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 1: L L challenged me. He did, Yeah. We did a 553 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: Leading Women define as one of those annual events Deboraly does, 554 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:37,120 Speaker 1: and so I did a fireside chat with him, and 555 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:39,120 Speaker 1: in the midst of it, you know, he says, I'm 556 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:41,160 Speaker 1: putting out new music. I was like, oh, that's great, 557 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:43,879 Speaker 1: he said, when you putting out music, and I was like, well, 558 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: I don't know. He's like, stop being scared. I was 559 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 1: like scared once he said that, and I was like, Okay, 560 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 1: I gotta get to it. And I had been working 561 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: on music, but I had been working on music so 562 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 1: long at that point it was just like, Okay, I'm 563 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:03,359 Speaker 1: just working on music with no real plans to do 564 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:07,680 Speaker 1: anything with it. And then finally I said, now's the time. 565 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:11,880 Speaker 1: In twenty fourteen, I did a really great record called 566 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:16,640 Speaker 1: Legend Yeah, and the guy, the executive producer, was not 567 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:18,719 Speaker 1: such a good guy, and he took advantage of the 568 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:21,919 Speaker 1: producers that were on the record, and I just was like, 569 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:24,119 Speaker 1: I don't want to get into that hell, and so 570 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,440 Speaker 1: I'd rather give it away than get into the game 571 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:30,880 Speaker 1: of the promotion and marketing and involving these guys who 572 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,120 Speaker 1: really weren't being taken care of in the right way. 573 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:35,560 Speaker 1: And so that kind of fell by the wayside, and 574 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:37,440 Speaker 1: I think that took a little bit of theme out 575 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:42,960 Speaker 1: of me as well. But this new one I really 576 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: enjoyed making it. 577 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 4: You got a song of King King with Queen Latifa, 578 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 4: where you're uplifting and honoring good men. Is that your 579 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:51,960 Speaker 4: way of a toning for roughneck? 580 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: Sure thing? 581 00:28:58,280 --> 00:28:58,520 Speaker 3: Yeah. 582 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 1: You know what's so crazy is I guess so emotional 583 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 1: when I see, like the winning team, that moment of 584 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:11,120 Speaker 1: vulnerability when they've won and they're showing one another, you know, 585 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: the respect and the love and the honor, and you 586 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: can see all of the turmoil that they've gone through 587 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: for the whole season. But also I see a lot 588 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 1: of young guys who have found the woman that they 589 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 1: want to be with, but perhaps they're not with other 590 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:34,680 Speaker 1: guys who have made that step into what it really 591 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 1: takes to enter into manhood. And so it's like, nah, 592 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 1: she ain't the one, or you know, you've got to 593 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: be able to decide who is good for you, And 594 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: so I just wanted to, you know, uplift those who 595 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 1: have made those decisions in hopes of the younger on 596 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:57,240 Speaker 1: the way to being king can say, oh, that's a 597 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 1: good thing creating and creating the spotlight for the role 598 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 1: model so that they can become what it is that 599 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:09,959 Speaker 1: others will look at and say, I can be that. 600 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 5: I wasn't being back in the studio with Queen La Tiefa. 601 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 5: Just spending that time with her. 602 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 1: It was great. You know, we send we spend a 603 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 1: bit of time together preparing for her shows. So we've 604 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 1: done maybe about four shows with her this year. And 605 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 1: when I say we, I mean myself and Yo Yo 606 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: and Money Love, Money Love tours with her all the time. 607 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 1: But when she calls in the pack, we all come 608 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 1: in and we get to spend a couple of days together. 609 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:37,600 Speaker 1: But this it was so funny. I was in the studio. 610 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 1: I told her I'm gonna be in the studio from 611 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 1: two to two. She shows up at midnight. She's like, yo, eMac, okay, 612 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 1: I'm here. And she shows up and I'm like, I 613 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 1: play it for her and I'm like okay, and she 614 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: goes okay, and she goes into the studio, and so 615 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 1: my promise to her is do this and I don't 616 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 1: want nothing else from you. Well with this song, right, 617 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 1: And so that makes it easy for her because she's 618 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 1: got a lot on her plate. And so if I'm 619 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,080 Speaker 1: expecting her to do this and that in the video 620 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:13,880 Speaker 1: needs to show up for this this this is like 621 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 1: like she's not gonna wind up doing the song. So 622 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 1: I'm like, just get in there and do it. This 623 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 1: is all I need right now. And so she just 624 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:22,360 Speaker 1: went in. 625 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:26,240 Speaker 5: There's something about you, Queen and tea for Salt and Pepper. 626 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:31,440 Speaker 4: It's like we celebrate y'all, but it's like I don't 627 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 4: feel like you're celebrated. 628 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:34,920 Speaker 3: The way you you properly should be. 629 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 5: It's like we have a way of. 630 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:39,280 Speaker 4: Doing it with the guys, like you know, the holes 631 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 4: and the naves and all them, that we don't do 632 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 4: with the women. 633 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 5: And I don't I don't know if I know how. 634 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 3: You gotta go back and error too. 635 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 2: You said you gotta think when you talk about Queen 636 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 2: Latif for MC light Salt and Pepper, you gotta go to 637 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:55,000 Speaker 2: slick Rick because that's that same eraror and they don't 638 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 2: do it for. 639 00:31:55,240 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 5: Those I talk about the women, but you talking about. 640 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,760 Speaker 3: Artists in the two thousands, which is a different age group. 641 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:04,560 Speaker 5: What are you talking about two thousands. 642 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 2: Two thousand, Nas, jay Z, they trans they transcended to 643 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 2: where they transcended to the two thousand tens. You gotta 644 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 2: think mc light was more slick, Rick ll cool J 645 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,560 Speaker 2: and those type of artists. 646 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 4: In the ninetiesne with the nineties, keep on keeping on 647 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 4: with the nineties. 648 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 5: I don't want to be down. 649 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:26,560 Speaker 2: Remix covid Ton sit it the twenty ten era. The 650 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 2: two thousands to two thousand's. 651 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: Just lasted all the time. But I think to dabbling 652 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: that for a minute because I don't I don't know 653 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 1: that I have the right answer, but it's spawning a thought, 654 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:47,800 Speaker 1: which is you you only really need a one powerful champion, 655 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: and Will has had that, LLL has had that, jay 656 00:32:55,360 --> 00:33:00,080 Speaker 1: Z has had that. Nas was able to garner that 657 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 1: after the beef with jay Z. So you have to 658 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 1: have a champion that sees the worth, which really comes 659 00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:17,480 Speaker 1: down to helping you, you know, get to the dream 660 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: or the goal. But it's also a business. It's about 661 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 1: making money. So if they see a way in for 662 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,640 Speaker 1: everyone to be able to benefit. Then they spend a 663 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 1: little time and energy there. It would take someone who 664 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 1: people respect to say this is the one to pay 665 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:40,600 Speaker 1: attention to. And I guess I was on my way 666 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 1: to that with Will saying come on, you know, join 667 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:46,440 Speaker 1: a label. And during that time I did a record 668 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:50,719 Speaker 1: with you know with him that was multi platinum. I 669 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:57,040 Speaker 1: showed up on the soundtracks, you know. So when you're 670 00:33:57,120 --> 00:34:02,120 Speaker 1: able to really diversify is when you can see some 671 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,479 Speaker 1: level of success. But I do agree with you that 672 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:09,280 Speaker 1: it could be more more done. 673 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 2: I feel like the eighties artists had a tough time, 674 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,560 Speaker 2: and I feel like we don't celebrate those artists enough 675 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:17,120 Speaker 2: right where we talk about lights. 676 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:19,640 Speaker 5: And I mean eighties artists though. 677 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:23,440 Speaker 1: Well I started in eighty eight, I got one off 678 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:27,239 Speaker 1: in eighty eight, but even the early nineties. Yeah, but 679 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:31,319 Speaker 1: most of my success is in the nineties. But what 680 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 1: I can say is Soda Will Soda ll Nas was 681 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 1: shortly after he came in ninety two, said I wasn't 682 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:39,360 Speaker 1: too even ll I. 683 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:42,360 Speaker 2: I don't feel like Llll gets the love and respect 684 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 2: that he should for what he has done. Like, if 685 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 2: you really think about it, people talk about top fives. 686 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:50,719 Speaker 2: LL should be in that conversation. A lot of times 687 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 2: he's not, which is crazy to me. You think about 688 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 2: what LL did and what he trans send it to 689 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 2: what he is. I feel like he doesn't necessarily get 690 00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:00,200 Speaker 2: the love that he should get. Big Daddy came the 691 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:01,280 Speaker 2: same way. 692 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:03,600 Speaker 3: Who else in that same error. 693 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:05,759 Speaker 1: I guess I'm in the circle that gives the love 694 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 1: so and I see the respect. And now with his 695 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:13,800 Speaker 1: new brand and the new platform that he has, I think, 696 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:16,919 Speaker 1: you know, for me, success is tied to how many 697 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:19,799 Speaker 1: others can you help? Or are you lifting up? Who 698 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 1: are you reaching back to pull up? And he's definitely 699 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: been able to do that and put a lot a 700 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:30,400 Speaker 1: lot of people to work who who haven't been to 701 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:31,359 Speaker 1: work in some time. 702 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,120 Speaker 4: So when you say champion, do you mean like like 703 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:37,080 Speaker 4: managers are executive from a label? 704 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:42,279 Speaker 1: It could be just association, you know. I think Fat 705 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:48,279 Speaker 1: Joe flows a lot of power to Remy and you know, 706 00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: back in the days, we needed that, right, So every 707 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:54,839 Speaker 1: female kind of came through the ranks through some men 708 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:58,800 Speaker 1: who were who exuded some power at that point. And 709 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:02,000 Speaker 1: now today is like women are popping up all over 710 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:05,160 Speaker 1: the place, not really needing a co sign from anyone, 711 00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:10,799 Speaker 1: but from the era which we held it. Everyone that 712 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:14,279 Speaker 1: you name sort of outlasted the posse that they were 713 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:18,920 Speaker 1: a part of. But yet, what's the next what's the 714 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:21,840 Speaker 1: next space, what's the next spot? And a lot of 715 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:26,600 Speaker 1: I think a lot of agents kind of want to 716 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 1: be those guys, you know, so it's like, how can 717 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:33,640 Speaker 1: I help them? Now I'm associated with them, So I've 718 00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:38,279 Speaker 1: got this machismo thing going on, and they've held on 719 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:41,880 Speaker 1: to their agents for really long. I'm probably one of 720 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:45,960 Speaker 1: the I'm probably one of the artists who has kind 721 00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:49,360 Speaker 1: of skipped around a lot. And it's not that I'm 722 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,239 Speaker 1: not loyal, it's just that, Okay, what are we going 723 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:57,200 Speaker 1: to do now? What is the next level up? And 724 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:00,600 Speaker 1: So throughout my career, I've had three managers, one for 725 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:03,719 Speaker 1: thirteen years, one for thirteen years, and now I'm with 726 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:08,799 Speaker 1: this one for about fourteen years now. I've moved agents 727 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:12,400 Speaker 1: because I'm not gonna stay with someone who doesn't believe 728 00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:18,520 Speaker 1: in what it is that I'm doing and your vigor 729 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:21,439 Speaker 1: for me can't wayne. I need to feel like we're 730 00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:23,880 Speaker 1: in this together. And if you telling me to go 731 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 1: do a new record and I just did one, it 732 00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,400 Speaker 1: just doesn't feel good. So I'm gonna go where the 733 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:30,960 Speaker 1: love is. 734 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:34,279 Speaker 4: The reason I bought y'all three yep, queenitin for the 735 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:37,480 Speaker 4: Salt and Pepper and yourself because y'all are like the 736 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:41,560 Speaker 4: prototype for every single woman rapper that we've seen. That 737 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:44,719 Speaker 4: there's something every single woman rapper, every type of woman 738 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:47,520 Speaker 4: rapper we've seen, from the rapt das to the making 739 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:50,640 Speaker 4: the style. Think whoever it is, there's something from one 740 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:51,520 Speaker 4: of y'all in. 741 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:52,320 Speaker 5: All of them. 742 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 1: And I am, you know, clearly from Salt and Pepper, 743 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:02,640 Speaker 1: you know, and Shy Rack. And it's so funny because 744 00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:04,879 Speaker 1: Dougie talks about this hip hop tree. Have you ever 745 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:07,640 Speaker 1: heard him talk about this? It's like this hip hop 746 00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:11,360 Speaker 1: tree with these four branches, and everybody sort of stems 747 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:15,480 Speaker 1: off these of these branches. And so I'm clearly from 748 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 1: the Shahrock, Salt and Pepper, and yeah, I see it. 749 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:24,640 Speaker 1: I see it in Rhapsody, I see it in Tierra Wack, 750 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:31,239 Speaker 1: I see and many others. But it feels I mean, 751 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:35,239 Speaker 1: I think everybody in the same instance as being themselves, 752 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:38,920 Speaker 1: and so I think that's important. I Missy as a 753 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:46,279 Speaker 1: matter of fact, feels like MC light and Salt and 754 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:51,000 Speaker 1: Pepper and like, she's this wonderful amalgamation of all of it, 755 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 1: including you know, Mary included. 756 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:55,480 Speaker 4: You know. 757 00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:58,839 Speaker 1: I think once upon a time the Source had a 758 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:02,239 Speaker 1: magazine where they had all the female MC's and they 759 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:05,600 Speaker 1: named us all and she was the innovator and so 760 00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:08,520 Speaker 1: and I think that captures her because she's able to 761 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:16,239 Speaker 1: create what's not there and like like a comment, you know, 762 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:18,360 Speaker 1: and just throw it into the zegeist. 763 00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:20,439 Speaker 2: Now when they called you to be the voice, because 764 00:39:20,480 --> 00:39:22,600 Speaker 2: now I feel like you're the voice of award shows now. 765 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:26,239 Speaker 2: And yes, when they called you, did you first say yeah, 766 00:39:26,239 --> 00:39:27,680 Speaker 2: I'm gonna do it, or did you say I don't know 767 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:28,440 Speaker 2: if I want to do that? 768 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:30,880 Speaker 1: Oh? Well, you know what, I had done it for 769 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:35,000 Speaker 1: VH one Hip Hop Honors. I was backstage interviewing people 770 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,360 Speaker 1: and doing stuff and then I guess one of the 771 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:39,880 Speaker 1: producers that also works on BEET said we need to 772 00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:42,239 Speaker 1: get her over here on this one. And so to 773 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:45,000 Speaker 1: me it made sense. I was ready. As a matter 774 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:47,279 Speaker 1: of fact, I was going to Norfolk State University to 775 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 1: major in communications to do radio because I heard Carol 776 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:52,319 Speaker 1: Ford and I was like, oh, her voice kind of 777 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,279 Speaker 1: sounds like mine. It's kind of raspy. Maybe I can 778 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:58,440 Speaker 1: do that, and so here it is full circle. I'm 779 00:39:58,480 --> 00:39:59,480 Speaker 1: able to use my. 780 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:01,279 Speaker 4: Voice any voice of the work you've done that we 781 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:03,839 Speaker 4: don't know about. You're playing a cricket or something. 782 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:10,400 Speaker 2: I don't know, no, but you know what it's. It's 783 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:12,080 Speaker 2: it's funny listening to you do voice of work. It's 784 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:13,640 Speaker 2: live right when you do voice of work. 785 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:14,120 Speaker 1: Most of it. 786 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:15,959 Speaker 2: How do you go in and out? Because sometimes something 787 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,320 Speaker 2: happened on stage and you have to have a straight voice. 788 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:20,200 Speaker 2: All right, I'm saying, like, how does that? 789 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:25,479 Speaker 1: The bumpers are already pre done, so so I don't 790 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:26,400 Speaker 1: have to worry. 791 00:40:26,120 --> 00:40:29,640 Speaker 2: About that any awkward moment when you're like, oh, oh shit, 792 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:31,080 Speaker 2: I gotta get this on right. 793 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:36,359 Speaker 1: No, I think the most the most thing that's kind 794 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:41,720 Speaker 1: of out is when I'm doing perhaps the Emmys, where 795 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:45,440 Speaker 1: I'm unfamiliar with the pronunciation and so it has to 796 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:47,799 Speaker 1: take a little bit of time. And I'm from New York, 797 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:51,160 Speaker 1: so I'm always putting the accent on the wrong thing. 798 00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:54,920 Speaker 1: So I have to rehearse to make sure that I 799 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:58,360 Speaker 1: properly say people's names, because that I mean when someone's 800 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:01,600 Speaker 1: getting an award or no, I'm an the least you 801 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:03,680 Speaker 1: could do is say the person's name correctly. 802 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:06,279 Speaker 4: Yeah you mentioned somebody, did you say, Sylvia are own 803 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:07,800 Speaker 4: that told you to get back to New York. 804 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:11,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, Sylvia. I was her first signing as a as 805 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:16,120 Speaker 1: an executive, and so yeah, she wanted me back in 806 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:20,080 Speaker 1: New York. And at that time, I was appearing on 807 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:23,440 Speaker 1: Yvettley Bowser's For Your Love, so I had a recurring, 808 00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:26,560 Speaker 1: recurring character and I was in acting class and I 809 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:31,759 Speaker 1: was like this the next this, the next move. But yeah, 810 00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:33,880 Speaker 1: she wanted me back in New York. She felt like 811 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:36,440 Speaker 1: it was really important as an MC and being in 812 00:41:36,520 --> 00:41:42,640 Speaker 1: hip hop that I not lose my grounding, which eventually 813 00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:46,240 Speaker 1: I did because people didn't see me here and probably 814 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:49,080 Speaker 1: felt like it wasn't important that I didn't see that 815 00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:55,400 Speaker 1: it was important enough. And yeah, no, I was, well, 816 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:58,919 Speaker 1: I mean, people see what it is that you put 817 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:02,680 Speaker 1: into it. So if you're aware everything is happening, then 818 00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:05,960 Speaker 1: it's like, okay, committed to the process. But if I'm 819 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,799 Speaker 1: in California, which everybody thinks is La La Land in 820 00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:11,640 Speaker 1: the first place, it's like, okay, how serious is she 821 00:42:11,719 --> 00:42:14,279 Speaker 1: taking this? Especially the record label and the people that 822 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:16,840 Speaker 1: work at the label, because I'm sure it wasn't just 823 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:19,279 Speaker 1: her who wanted me back here. It probably was the 824 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:23,200 Speaker 1: marketing people and the radio people and everybody else. And 825 00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:25,680 Speaker 1: so I stuck to my guns and was like, no, 826 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:28,280 Speaker 1: I'm in La to learn. I was in acting class 827 00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:31,000 Speaker 1: for two years, acting school for two years, and I 828 00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:32,760 Speaker 1: was ready for that next step. 829 00:42:33,280 --> 00:42:35,000 Speaker 2: Well, back then, it was no social media too, right, 830 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:37,560 Speaker 2: So you would see everybody like you would see ll 831 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:41,200 Speaker 2: you know on Jamaica Avenue. You would see, you know, 832 00:42:41,320 --> 00:42:44,960 Speaker 2: Big Daddy camee downtown Brooklyn or Harlem Halem. I seen 833 00:42:45,080 --> 00:42:46,960 Speaker 2: run DMC the first time at TSS. So you would 834 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:49,239 Speaker 2: see your local artists around and the fact that they 835 00:42:49,239 --> 00:42:51,319 Speaker 2: didn't see you. There was no social media to be like, 836 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:54,080 Speaker 2: I'm here still, you know, right right, people. 837 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:55,440 Speaker 4: Still see things and they remember things though, Because one 838 00:42:55,480 --> 00:42:56,880 Speaker 4: of my homies told me to ask you about an 839 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,720 Speaker 4: Italian made white truck that you had in the nineties. 840 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:01,080 Speaker 4: Oh and then he was the only one in the 841 00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:03,840 Speaker 4: States with it. Well, it was like what kind of 842 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:04,400 Speaker 4: truckle do that? 843 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:08,240 Speaker 1: It was a Laforza and there were thirty five hundred 844 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:12,200 Speaker 1: in the United States, and I got it at an 845 00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:18,000 Speaker 1: auction in California, and I had it driven here and 846 00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:21,400 Speaker 1: then somebody broke a window and it took forever for 847 00:43:21,520 --> 00:43:23,719 Speaker 1: me to get it. It was one year. It was 848 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:29,520 Speaker 1: made in nineteen eighty nine, and it was Fiat and 849 00:43:29,719 --> 00:43:34,759 Speaker 1: Maserati and Ford got together and made this car for 850 00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:37,760 Speaker 1: one year, and so I wound up giving it to Milk. 851 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:39,279 Speaker 1: It was a pain in the ass. 852 00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:40,920 Speaker 3: I was about to ask, you don't still have it, right? 853 00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:41,839 Speaker 3: And I needed for my car. 854 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:45,359 Speaker 1: He might still have Milk. 855 00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:46,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. 856 00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:48,719 Speaker 1: I tried to ask him a question about it. Years later, 857 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:51,239 Speaker 1: he was like, don't ask. I was like, because I 858 00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:54,200 Speaker 1: think he thought I might want it back, and I 859 00:43:54,239 --> 00:43:56,759 Speaker 1: gave it to him out of convenience because I was 860 00:43:56,840 --> 00:43:58,360 Speaker 1: moving and I didn't know what to do with it. 861 00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:01,160 Speaker 1: I was just like, he had take it. But it 862 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:04,759 Speaker 1: definitely was one of those that people looked at. When 863 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:06,680 Speaker 1: you rote down the Black, It's like, what is that? 864 00:44:07,360 --> 00:44:11,320 Speaker 1: It was fun for a while, but it wasn't properly made. 865 00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:13,400 Speaker 4: And you got another song on your album called Change 866 00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:17,319 Speaker 4: Your Ways? How important is self reflection and accountability? 867 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, it's everything. It's your whole experience, And 868 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:27,000 Speaker 1: you know, I've learned so many things throughout the years 869 00:44:27,040 --> 00:44:31,080 Speaker 1: about me still learning about me what it is. People 870 00:44:31,080 --> 00:44:33,239 Speaker 1: will tell you what you like before you even know 871 00:44:33,280 --> 00:44:37,160 Speaker 1: what you like. And so for me, I think the 872 00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:42,480 Speaker 1: move to LA actually allowed me to claim my independence 873 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:48,839 Speaker 1: and my independent thought. And so, yeah, self reflection and 874 00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:51,520 Speaker 1: you have to quiet. You have to have things quiet 875 00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:55,880 Speaker 1: enough to even be able to really understand what it 876 00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:58,399 Speaker 1: is that you can do to be better or how 877 00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:04,239 Speaker 1: it is that what you do just said wasn't okay. 878 00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:07,919 Speaker 1: This life of an entertainer, everyone is always telling you 879 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:14,400 Speaker 1: how good you are, how right you are. Taking case 880 00:45:14,440 --> 00:45:18,960 Speaker 1: in point, I remember being told at an early age 881 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:22,680 Speaker 1: you shouldn't work with women because they're too emotional. Well, 882 00:45:22,719 --> 00:45:26,719 Speaker 1: what I found out was for me, I don't have 883 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:29,840 Speaker 1: to be emotional at all working with guys. This is 884 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:34,040 Speaker 1: the what I taught myself. As a matter of fact, 885 00:45:34,080 --> 00:45:36,879 Speaker 1: I could say whatever to you, do that, please get 886 00:45:36,880 --> 00:45:39,759 Speaker 1: that done. Yeah, but you know, no emotion at all, 887 00:45:40,440 --> 00:45:43,960 Speaker 1: not really understanding that it affects men when you talk 888 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:47,919 Speaker 1: to them like that as well. But more importantly, I 889 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:52,120 Speaker 1: wasn't ready to be responsible in my tone and how 890 00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:55,080 Speaker 1: it is that I communicated what it was that I wanted. 891 00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:58,040 Speaker 1: And with women, you ain't getting away with that. You 892 00:45:58,080 --> 00:46:00,480 Speaker 1: ain't just saying something any old kind of way. It's like, 893 00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:04,239 Speaker 1: excuse me, can you say that in a way that 894 00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:07,279 Speaker 1: I can have it? And so it just made me 895 00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 1: more responsible for how it is that I communicate, because 896 00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:13,840 Speaker 1: to me, it's not being mean. It's just straight to 897 00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:15,680 Speaker 1: the point, this is what I'm looking to have done. 898 00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:19,520 Speaker 1: But when you're on the receiving end of that, you go, oh, okay, 899 00:46:19,520 --> 00:46:22,560 Speaker 1: wait a second, I could put a little bit more 900 00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:26,680 Speaker 1: heart into that, a little bit more love into that, 901 00:46:26,920 --> 00:46:28,560 Speaker 1: And so yeah, self reflection. 902 00:46:28,280 --> 00:46:30,400 Speaker 2: Is really I always wanted to know when when you 903 00:46:30,440 --> 00:46:34,560 Speaker 2: were out in Foxy and Kim and Trina and Kaya 904 00:46:34,680 --> 00:46:37,120 Speaker 2: came out, what was your thoughts at that time, because 905 00:46:37,120 --> 00:46:40,200 Speaker 2: that's when hip hop changed a lot and people were 906 00:46:40,239 --> 00:46:41,200 Speaker 2: going at them so heavy. 907 00:46:41,200 --> 00:46:46,960 Speaker 1: What were you What were your thoughts? I remember we 908 00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 1: were on tour and I got on the bus and 909 00:46:51,640 --> 00:46:56,480 Speaker 1: someone had music played and it was something bitch, the bettop, 910 00:46:56,600 --> 00:47:00,640 Speaker 1: the deep bitch, but the bee bitch, and I was like, 911 00:47:01,239 --> 00:47:04,480 Speaker 1: what is this. I said, you gotta turn this off. 912 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:08,200 Speaker 1: I was at a club in Los Angeles and I 913 00:47:08,239 --> 00:47:11,399 Speaker 1: heard the guy say something something bitch. I went over 914 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:14,400 Speaker 1: to the DJ, and I said, can you turn this song? 915 00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:17,880 Speaker 1: And he said, okay. How different of a world that 916 00:47:17,960 --> 00:47:20,200 Speaker 1: I would even ask a DJ to turn that and 917 00:47:20,280 --> 00:47:23,560 Speaker 1: he would turn it off. Now, that would never happen. 918 00:47:24,320 --> 00:47:28,680 Speaker 1: I'm from the East Side going anywhere. None of the 919 00:47:28,760 --> 00:47:35,480 Speaker 1: male rappers called women bitches. None of them, not cares one, not, 920 00:47:36,320 --> 00:47:41,160 Speaker 1: will not LLL. Not anyone that I had ever heard 921 00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:44,360 Speaker 1: on the East Coast referred to a woman as that. 922 00:47:44,920 --> 00:47:48,360 Speaker 1: So it was completely out of the stratosphere for me. 923 00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:54,640 Speaker 1: Even seeing Biggie and Puffy in a jacuzzi with women, 924 00:47:54,719 --> 00:47:58,120 Speaker 1: I was like, Oh my goodness, what's happening here? So 925 00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:01,680 Speaker 1: things were changing very quickly. I didn't really know how 926 00:48:01,719 --> 00:48:06,560 Speaker 1: to feel about it, except this is crazy. What do 927 00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:07,360 Speaker 1: we do now? 928 00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:10,560 Speaker 5: Do you feel like it was systemically done? 929 00:48:10,760 --> 00:48:15,279 Speaker 4: But I asked that about rap and television because, as 930 00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:17,040 Speaker 4: you said, the. 931 00:48:16,800 --> 00:48:18,239 Speaker 5: Rappers weren't talking like that. 932 00:48:18,600 --> 00:48:20,719 Speaker 4: Then all of a sudden it was just an abrupt change, right, 933 00:48:21,160 --> 00:48:23,160 Speaker 4: same thing with TV. We had all of these positive 934 00:48:23,160 --> 00:48:24,840 Speaker 4: images of black people that it was just an abrupt 935 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:25,959 Speaker 4: change reality TV. 936 00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:28,360 Speaker 5: Do you think that it was systemically done? 937 00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:31,680 Speaker 1: Just now? When you said that, I thought of it 938 00:48:32,360 --> 00:48:35,799 Speaker 1: really starting on the West Coast. I think it was 939 00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:42,120 Speaker 1: maybe NWA. I would really like to note who used 940 00:48:42,160 --> 00:48:47,440 Speaker 1: it first in a record. I think it was different culturally, 941 00:48:48,480 --> 00:48:52,400 Speaker 1: and what was happening in New York wasn't necessarily happening 942 00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:55,960 Speaker 1: in the South, and wasn't happening on the West coast. 943 00:48:56,320 --> 00:48:59,880 Speaker 1: And I think once we began to merge all of 944 00:49:00,160 --> 00:49:04,439 Speaker 1: these cultures together is when it became okay to call 945 00:49:04,520 --> 00:49:08,040 Speaker 1: someone a dog. I remember being in the airport and 946 00:49:08,120 --> 00:49:11,160 Speaker 1: somebody from somewhere else said something to my dancer and 947 00:49:11,239 --> 00:49:13,600 Speaker 1: was like, what up, dog? And my dancer was like, dog, 948 00:49:13,719 --> 00:49:17,600 Speaker 1: who the hell you calling dog? But it wasn't a 949 00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:20,799 Speaker 1: bad thing. It meant you, my dude, you min egg, 950 00:49:21,239 --> 00:49:24,480 Speaker 1: you know, with the way that we reference, you know, 951 00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:30,160 Speaker 1: perhaps someone that we have affection for or in that case. 952 00:49:30,680 --> 00:49:38,280 Speaker 1: So I just think it's it's different culturally systemic. I'm 953 00:49:38,360 --> 00:49:44,319 Speaker 1: not sure I have entertained this conversation before, like what 954 00:49:44,520 --> 00:49:47,160 Speaker 1: is the brink? Is it the door that has now 955 00:49:47,239 --> 00:49:51,640 Speaker 1: opened to you can say anything that actually happened with 956 00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:54,560 Speaker 1: the sitcom? You know, I had them tell me, you know, 957 00:49:54,640 --> 00:49:56,760 Speaker 1: we can curse in this. You can say whatever you want. 958 00:49:57,000 --> 00:49:58,959 Speaker 1: Because they kept looking at the scripts and they didn't 959 00:49:59,000 --> 00:50:03,280 Speaker 1: see anything, and I said, no, this is how I wanted. 960 00:50:03,440 --> 00:50:06,359 Speaker 1: I remember sitcoms where you didn't need that, and I 961 00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:09,120 Speaker 1: wanted it to be wholesome. I wanted, but they kept saying, 962 00:50:09,640 --> 00:50:12,640 Speaker 1: this is streaming. You could say whatever you want. Thanks 963 00:50:12,680 --> 00:50:15,080 Speaker 1: for letting me know. We're gonna keep it right here. 964 00:50:15,600 --> 00:50:18,879 Speaker 1: So yeah, I think the flood the doors opened and 965 00:50:18,960 --> 00:50:21,600 Speaker 1: it was just whatever, however do it? 966 00:50:21,680 --> 00:50:23,560 Speaker 2: Did the label have ask you to change at all 967 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:26,720 Speaker 2: and say sound more like this, or do this. 968 00:50:26,560 --> 00:50:29,240 Speaker 5: More weight, let's clothes exactly get sexy? 969 00:50:30,760 --> 00:50:34,359 Speaker 1: Never because we were too early. They didn't know what 970 00:50:34,400 --> 00:50:38,799 Speaker 1: to tell us to do. And it worked, you know, 971 00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:41,799 Speaker 1: And it wasn't until a whole new thing came in 972 00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:44,720 Speaker 1: which you had to you know, growth is what happens. 973 00:50:45,239 --> 00:50:48,279 Speaker 1: But I do remember doing a photo shoot and I 974 00:50:48,400 --> 00:50:50,680 Speaker 1: must have been about twenty one, and I was ready 975 00:50:50,680 --> 00:50:53,840 Speaker 1: to think I was a little sexy. Was something tight on? 976 00:50:54,680 --> 00:50:57,719 Speaker 1: And Sylvia saw the photo shoot and she called me 977 00:50:57,760 --> 00:51:02,160 Speaker 1: and she said what is this. I was like, oh, well, 978 00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:05,480 Speaker 1: I'm growing up. She said, no, you're not. You're gonna 979 00:51:05,480 --> 00:51:09,400 Speaker 1: stay as young as possible for as long as possible. 980 00:51:09,480 --> 00:51:12,520 Speaker 1: Put your genes on and get out in the street 981 00:51:12,640 --> 00:51:16,560 Speaker 1: and take a photo and show your youth. And that 982 00:51:16,719 --> 00:51:18,480 Speaker 1: was the cover of Act. Like you know, so we 983 00:51:18,560 --> 00:51:23,479 Speaker 1: did a whole new shoot and you know, I thank 984 00:51:23,520 --> 00:51:24,080 Speaker 1: her for that. 985 00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:27,600 Speaker 2: You still speak to Sylvia and I do. 986 00:51:28,040 --> 00:51:30,480 Speaker 4: Did it bother you watching all of your personal stuff 987 00:51:30,880 --> 00:51:33,480 Speaker 4: play out so much on social media or just online? 988 00:51:33,520 --> 00:51:40,480 Speaker 1: Like right, I don't know that it bothered me so much. 989 00:51:40,600 --> 00:51:44,360 Speaker 1: I just love having the opportunity to get them told. 990 00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:48,200 Speaker 1: So at that point, you've said whatever you want to say, 991 00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:51,440 Speaker 1: I get to say whatever I want to say, which was, 992 00:51:51,719 --> 00:51:54,640 Speaker 1: you know, really difficult back in the day to be 993 00:51:54,680 --> 00:51:58,080 Speaker 1: able to give your opinion very straightforward. We had no 994 00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:03,080 Speaker 1: platform that we could technically use, and so yeah, say 995 00:52:03,080 --> 00:52:04,839 Speaker 1: what you want and then I'll say what I want. 996 00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:07,239 Speaker 4: Really so like they wouldn't like you say something like 997 00:52:07,239 --> 00:52:08,640 Speaker 4: this happened back the day. They wouldn't set up an 998 00:52:08,640 --> 00:52:10,359 Speaker 4: interview with you on. 999 00:52:10,440 --> 00:52:13,960 Speaker 5: Radio, our magazine or I remember. 1000 00:52:13,680 --> 00:52:15,200 Speaker 3: Those headlines like such and such in my own in 1001 00:52:15,239 --> 00:52:17,640 Speaker 3: their own words, right, you know what, right? 1002 00:52:17,880 --> 00:52:22,120 Speaker 1: Right? Possibly, But then it would be some back and 1003 00:52:22,160 --> 00:52:25,280 Speaker 1: forth and you'd have to Now you can just write 1004 00:52:25,280 --> 00:52:27,640 Speaker 1: what you want to write, put it up and people 1005 00:52:27,680 --> 00:52:30,520 Speaker 1: can have it. So when when the whole divorce thing happened. 1006 00:52:30,560 --> 00:52:33,239 Speaker 1: I just saw all of this stuff that says he 1007 00:52:33,360 --> 00:52:37,160 Speaker 1: was trying to get this or she got to keep her. 1008 00:52:37,480 --> 00:52:40,080 Speaker 1: It's not she got to keep He was never trying 1009 00:52:40,200 --> 00:52:42,520 Speaker 1: to do that. We had a prenup. He's got his 1010 00:52:42,600 --> 00:52:47,080 Speaker 1: own stuff that I'm sure he was happy that I 1011 00:52:47,080 --> 00:52:49,640 Speaker 1: didn't want any part of it, and so we made 1012 00:52:49,640 --> 00:52:53,200 Speaker 1: an agreement very early on that we'd have a prenup 1013 00:52:53,239 --> 00:52:56,440 Speaker 1: and that would be it. So I didn't. I just 1014 00:52:56,440 --> 00:53:00,240 Speaker 1: didn't like the turn that they were taking. But it's 1015 00:53:00,280 --> 00:53:02,920 Speaker 1: not like I didn't expect it anything to get a click, 1016 00:53:03,239 --> 00:53:05,720 Speaker 1: you know, people will say. So I just was happy 1017 00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:07,399 Speaker 1: that I was able to set the record straight. 1018 00:53:07,920 --> 00:53:10,640 Speaker 4: How challenging had they been for you, you know, if 1019 00:53:10,680 --> 00:53:14,960 Speaker 4: at all, to constantly have people assume you were gay? 1020 00:53:15,600 --> 00:53:17,000 Speaker 5: Can I remember when they announce you would do what? 1021 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:17,440 Speaker 5: Everybody was like? 1022 00:53:17,560 --> 00:53:20,759 Speaker 1: I thought, right, yeah, I remember Jess hilarious. I think 1023 00:53:20,840 --> 00:53:25,320 Speaker 1: she posted something that was like what and in the news, 1024 00:53:25,719 --> 00:53:31,640 Speaker 1: you know, and you know, to me, it's just when 1025 00:53:31,680 --> 00:53:35,760 Speaker 1: I said, people will say that you like something before 1026 00:53:35,800 --> 00:53:37,200 Speaker 1: you even know what you like. 1027 00:53:37,600 --> 00:53:37,840 Speaker 3: You know. 1028 00:53:38,320 --> 00:53:42,440 Speaker 1: And my biggest thing with the young with the younger 1029 00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:47,520 Speaker 1: generation is don't be so prepared to put yourself in 1030 00:53:47,560 --> 00:53:53,080 Speaker 1: a box. You're learning your you know, life is what 1031 00:53:53,120 --> 00:53:56,239 Speaker 1: it is, coming out of teens into your twenties. You're 1032 00:53:56,280 --> 00:54:00,200 Speaker 1: seeing things I had to learn much later on in life. Life. 1033 00:54:01,040 --> 00:54:06,840 Speaker 1: Everything you think, does it need to happen? Right? It 1034 00:54:06,920 --> 00:54:10,879 Speaker 1: can be a thought and stay there. Everything that you 1035 00:54:10,960 --> 00:54:14,680 Speaker 1: see other people do doesn't have to be the life 1036 00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:19,480 Speaker 1: for you. And you know, growing up as an only child, 1037 00:54:19,920 --> 00:54:22,799 Speaker 1: things are impressionable. It's like, oh, okay, that must be 1038 00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:24,799 Speaker 1: the thing. Okay, wait a minute, hold, okay, we're not 1039 00:54:24,840 --> 00:54:27,879 Speaker 1: doing that. Okay, And so for me to be able 1040 00:54:27,920 --> 00:54:32,600 Speaker 1: to choose my life for myself is extremely important. So 1041 00:54:33,080 --> 00:54:37,440 Speaker 1: did it bother me? Perhaps in the beginning, but then 1042 00:54:37,480 --> 00:54:40,920 Speaker 1: it just became oh okay, well that's how you want 1043 00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:44,239 Speaker 1: to feel. That's great. And that's not saying that those 1044 00:54:44,280 --> 00:54:47,239 Speaker 1: types of things didn't happen in my life. But that's 1045 00:54:47,320 --> 00:54:51,320 Speaker 1: not all. That's not all of who I am. 1046 00:54:51,440 --> 00:54:54,799 Speaker 5: And so oh so the rumors did stem from somewhere. 1047 00:54:54,520 --> 00:55:01,680 Speaker 1: But when you're young, especially in this business, it's like, okay, 1048 00:55:01,840 --> 00:55:08,719 Speaker 1: you think it, Okay, let's make that happen. Conspiracy theory, well, well, 1049 00:55:08,760 --> 00:55:12,600 Speaker 1: the sad part about it is. Many people get stuck there, right, 1050 00:55:12,719 --> 00:55:16,279 Speaker 1: and so they're stuck with what it is that other 1051 00:55:16,400 --> 00:55:19,719 Speaker 1: people want them to be or are comfortable with them being. 1052 00:55:20,400 --> 00:55:23,480 Speaker 1: You can't possibly look like that and want to do that, 1053 00:55:24,200 --> 00:55:28,880 Speaker 1: or you can't you can't possibly look like that and 1054 00:55:29,080 --> 00:55:32,359 Speaker 1: want to be with a man or find men attractive, 1055 00:55:32,640 --> 00:55:37,719 Speaker 1: or me getting married. First off, I'm way more traditional 1056 00:55:37,760 --> 00:55:41,960 Speaker 1: than anybody would ever assume. So me getting married was 1057 00:55:42,040 --> 00:55:46,400 Speaker 1: because I believe in the sanctity of marriage of partnership, 1058 00:55:47,080 --> 00:55:51,400 Speaker 1: and it not working was devastating for me. But it 1059 00:55:51,440 --> 00:55:55,040 Speaker 1: also called to action, me being responsible for the way 1060 00:55:55,040 --> 00:56:00,600 Speaker 1: that I speak, for the way that I behave, and 1061 00:56:00,719 --> 00:56:09,359 Speaker 1: being accountable for someone else's feelings. And so now they 1062 00:56:09,400 --> 00:56:11,920 Speaker 1: say you call in who it is that you are. 1063 00:56:13,920 --> 00:56:18,000 Speaker 1: I'm a much better person. So who I have called 1064 00:56:18,160 --> 00:56:22,479 Speaker 1: in is a reflection of that. And I love him 1065 00:56:23,000 --> 00:56:27,160 Speaker 1: And so are we in a hurry to get married? No, 1066 00:56:27,360 --> 00:56:30,040 Speaker 1: he's been married in divorce. I've been married in divorce. 1067 00:56:30,120 --> 00:56:33,680 Speaker 1: So being married isn't exactly the thing that we're all 1068 00:56:33,800 --> 00:56:38,680 Speaker 1: jumping in to be in once you've experienced it, but 1069 00:56:38,800 --> 00:56:44,680 Speaker 1: it is something that we're working towards. And he's so 1070 00:56:44,960 --> 00:56:46,680 Speaker 1: totally different from a rough. 1071 00:56:46,480 --> 00:56:49,719 Speaker 5: Neck, I would hope. So yes, when. 1072 00:56:49,600 --> 00:56:54,760 Speaker 1: My family you know, met him, as like, oh my god, 1073 00:56:55,840 --> 00:56:59,960 Speaker 1: and he's really a ray of sunshine and so different 1074 00:57:00,200 --> 00:57:05,120 Speaker 1: from any type that I've ever been with. And so 1075 00:57:05,280 --> 00:57:10,160 Speaker 1: I had to learn that that's okay. You know, he's 1076 00:57:10,200 --> 00:57:14,680 Speaker 1: from Philly, so he's got the swag. Does it necessarily show? No, 1077 00:57:15,000 --> 00:57:17,960 Speaker 1: But you know what, I love everything that's happening on 1078 00:57:18,000 --> 00:57:20,520 Speaker 1: the inside, and he feels the same way about me. 1079 00:57:21,120 --> 00:57:23,760 Speaker 1: So many men would be like, oh, well, I've heard this, 1080 00:57:23,960 --> 00:57:28,520 Speaker 1: and you know, I'm not sure, but he can get 1081 00:57:28,600 --> 00:57:32,800 Speaker 1: past all of that and see who I am and 1082 00:57:32,920 --> 00:57:34,960 Speaker 1: just love me for who I am. 1083 00:57:34,880 --> 00:57:35,840 Speaker 3: Which is most important. 1084 00:57:36,120 --> 00:57:36,320 Speaker 5: You know. 1085 00:57:36,520 --> 00:57:38,360 Speaker 4: I'm going to ask too, like when y'all because I 1086 00:57:38,400 --> 00:57:39,880 Speaker 4: feel like all of y'all are so blessed to find 1087 00:57:39,880 --> 00:57:42,760 Speaker 4: your tribe early, Like I feel like you and Queen 1088 00:57:42,800 --> 00:57:44,840 Speaker 4: the Teeth and Jada all y'all found each other very 1089 00:57:45,320 --> 00:57:48,520 Speaker 4: very early. When somebody like Jada is writing a book, 1090 00:57:48,880 --> 00:57:50,600 Speaker 4: does she call you and say, okay, like I'm going 1091 00:57:50,640 --> 00:57:53,160 Speaker 4: to share these stories, Yep, I'm going to talk about this. 1092 00:57:53,160 --> 00:57:54,400 Speaker 5: I'm going to talk about that. So I want you 1093 00:57:54,440 --> 00:57:56,480 Speaker 5: to know that this is out there, Okay. 1094 00:57:56,320 --> 00:58:00,440 Speaker 1: That's what sisterhood is, and that's why we're friends. Because 1095 00:58:00,560 --> 00:58:02,440 Speaker 1: had a book came out and I was in it 1096 00:58:02,480 --> 00:58:05,480 Speaker 1: and she had said nothing, I'd be like, Okay, what 1097 00:58:05,480 --> 00:58:09,000 Speaker 1: what's up? Oh I didn't get a chance. No, we don't. 1098 00:58:09,000 --> 00:58:15,520 Speaker 1: We don't have those those discrepancies where for some reason, 1099 00:58:15,800 --> 00:58:19,120 Speaker 1: something happens in the other one. If if her name 1100 00:58:19,240 --> 00:58:21,880 Speaker 1: comes up in an interview, yo, check this out. I 1101 00:58:21,960 --> 00:58:23,600 Speaker 1: was at the such and such and this came up, 1102 00:58:23,640 --> 00:58:25,360 Speaker 1: and this is what I said. I don't want you 1103 00:58:25,440 --> 00:58:27,880 Speaker 1: to you know, I don't want it to come to 1104 00:58:27,960 --> 00:58:31,320 Speaker 1: you any other kind of way. We take care. And 1105 00:58:31,320 --> 00:58:35,400 Speaker 1: in these types of friendships, you gotta take care because 1106 00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:39,520 Speaker 1: there are so many areas where people are careless that 1107 00:58:39,680 --> 00:58:42,960 Speaker 1: if we're gonna depend on one another in a true friendship, 1108 00:58:43,480 --> 00:58:44,400 Speaker 1: you gotta take care of it. 1109 00:58:44,600 --> 00:58:48,280 Speaker 4: Because in the books she addresses rumors of y'all being together, 1110 00:58:48,360 --> 00:58:50,439 Speaker 4: and I'm like, well, what if people don't know that? 1111 00:58:50,880 --> 00:58:51,080 Speaker 3: Now? 1112 00:58:52,000 --> 00:58:54,640 Speaker 4: Now and now when light and somebody does an interview, 1113 00:58:54,640 --> 00:58:55,680 Speaker 4: they're gonna ask that question. 1114 00:58:56,000 --> 00:58:59,040 Speaker 1: Well, I think the point is it never was, never 1115 00:58:59,120 --> 00:59:01,240 Speaker 1: was right. So she can bring that up, it would 1116 00:59:01,280 --> 00:59:04,120 Speaker 1: not be an issue at all. And for her, I 1117 00:59:04,120 --> 00:59:07,880 Speaker 1: guess it was important. Maybe people addressed her with that 1118 00:59:09,000 --> 00:59:12,360 Speaker 1: more than they did with me, because I've never been 1119 00:59:12,400 --> 00:59:17,600 Speaker 1: approached with is that, you know? So yeah, I'm happy 1120 00:59:17,640 --> 00:59:19,560 Speaker 1: for her that she was able to get all of 1121 00:59:19,560 --> 00:59:22,680 Speaker 1: what it was that she was feeling out in the 1122 00:59:22,720 --> 00:59:28,680 Speaker 1: book and also celebrate our friendship, you know, and because 1123 00:59:28,720 --> 00:59:33,800 Speaker 1: it is true that we have a sisterhood, if it 1124 00:59:33,920 --> 00:59:37,800 Speaker 1: only feels right that it would be reflected and spoken 1125 00:59:37,840 --> 00:59:40,760 Speaker 1: about in the book, and if that were removed, it 1126 00:59:40,800 --> 00:59:44,000 Speaker 1: would it would sort of be like, really, don't we 1127 00:59:44,080 --> 00:59:46,480 Speaker 1: have a friendship? Not that I needed to be in 1128 00:59:46,520 --> 00:59:51,360 Speaker 1: the book, but when you're evaluating truth and what is 1129 00:59:52,280 --> 00:59:53,640 Speaker 1: I would expect that it would be there. 1130 00:59:53,640 --> 00:59:55,200 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, you were in the books. She speaks so 1131 00:59:55,280 --> 00:59:59,480 Speaker 4: highly you like you want her pillows. How important is 1132 00:59:59,520 --> 01:00:03,560 Speaker 4: it to have the people in this business? 1133 01:00:04,920 --> 01:00:09,880 Speaker 1: They it's not many, So it's it's extremely important someone 1134 01:00:09,920 --> 01:00:13,280 Speaker 1: that's gonna understand and the and the truth is too 1135 01:00:13,600 --> 01:00:18,040 Speaker 1: with Jay when we talk and there's a few friends 1136 01:00:18,040 --> 01:00:20,360 Speaker 1: that I have that are like this. We can go 1137 01:00:20,440 --> 01:00:23,480 Speaker 1: from topic to topic without an announcement that the topic 1138 01:00:23,600 --> 01:00:27,800 Speaker 1: is about to change. Some people are razzle dazzled, be like, 1139 01:00:27,880 --> 01:00:30,479 Speaker 1: oh what are we talking? About now, next thing, Keep up, 1140 01:00:30,680 --> 01:00:35,080 Speaker 1: keep up, you know. So we're able to to converse 1141 01:00:35,120 --> 01:00:39,840 Speaker 1: about so many topics from here to there. Nothing is 1142 01:00:39,880 --> 01:00:44,480 Speaker 1: too trivial, nothing is too high brow, and that's what 1143 01:00:44,520 --> 01:00:46,880 Speaker 1: you want. I have a lot of virgo friends. 1144 01:00:46,600 --> 01:00:49,280 Speaker 3: You know, by the way, and be nothing wrong with 1145 01:00:49,280 --> 01:00:49,800 Speaker 3: a good virgo. 1146 01:00:49,880 --> 01:00:52,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, nothing wrong with a good virgo. My man is 1147 01:00:52,240 --> 01:00:52,840 Speaker 1: a virgos. 1148 01:00:55,000 --> 01:00:59,240 Speaker 2: Watch he's had a couple of done him dirty, the 1149 01:00:59,240 --> 01:01:00,040 Speaker 2: ones he picks. O. 1150 01:01:00,160 --> 01:01:00,600 Speaker 5: Is that right? 1151 01:01:01,240 --> 01:01:02,440 Speaker 3: Don't say it like that. 1152 01:01:03,480 --> 01:01:05,040 Speaker 5: Now, you got a new children's book coming up with 1153 01:01:05,120 --> 01:01:05,680 Speaker 5: a band band? 1154 01:01:06,080 --> 01:01:11,200 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, well we'll say that because we're coming 1155 01:01:11,240 --> 01:01:14,520 Speaker 1: at the end of the year when we're back with that. 1156 01:01:14,640 --> 01:01:20,080 Speaker 1: Well sure, but Van Van is such she's so special. Yeah, 1157 01:01:20,080 --> 01:01:23,560 Speaker 1: she's with our management firm. She's so special, you know. 1158 01:01:23,680 --> 01:01:26,800 Speaker 1: Sometimes talking with her, I'll forget. Matter of fact, we 1159 01:01:27,280 --> 01:01:30,440 Speaker 1: had lunch with them not too long ago, and there 1160 01:01:30,520 --> 01:01:33,200 Speaker 1: was something that was written and she said, what is that? 1161 01:01:33,680 --> 01:01:35,560 Speaker 1: And I said it? And she said what is that word? 1162 01:01:35,600 --> 01:01:36,800 Speaker 1: And I said it. I said, do you know what 1163 01:01:36,800 --> 01:01:38,320 Speaker 1: that means? She says no, And then I tell her 1164 01:01:38,400 --> 01:01:41,320 Speaker 1: what it means. And it just dawned on me that 1165 01:01:42,080 --> 01:01:49,800 Speaker 1: she doesn't read because she's just entering into kindergarten years old. Right, Yes, well, 1166 01:01:50,280 --> 01:01:53,200 Speaker 1: she has full on conversations with. 1167 01:01:53,120 --> 01:01:55,920 Speaker 3: You handling our contracts. Oh I need. 1168 01:01:58,040 --> 01:02:00,720 Speaker 1: Let me tell you. She is so on top of 1169 01:02:00,760 --> 01:02:05,240 Speaker 1: her game. I'm so excited about her career and her 1170 01:02:05,320 --> 01:02:11,160 Speaker 1: life and what's ahead of her. And it's really a 1171 01:02:11,200 --> 01:02:14,800 Speaker 1: blessing to be involved with her career at this stage. 1172 01:02:14,880 --> 01:02:18,800 Speaker 1: And her family are so loving and they're both educators. 1173 01:02:19,160 --> 01:02:22,040 Speaker 1: And you know, when I look back at MC's and 1174 01:02:22,200 --> 01:02:25,560 Speaker 1: who have had parents as educators, there's so many of us, 1175 01:02:26,600 --> 01:02:35,680 Speaker 1: from Heavy to Law to Common and Kanye, and it's 1176 01:02:36,080 --> 01:02:38,600 Speaker 1: quite a bit of us. So I think she's got 1177 01:02:38,640 --> 01:02:40,480 Speaker 1: so much going for her. I'm excited. 1178 01:02:40,600 --> 01:02:41,600 Speaker 5: And what is Sunny Girl Ink? 1179 01:02:42,520 --> 01:02:45,479 Speaker 1: That is the management and production firm that we have 1180 01:02:45,720 --> 01:02:49,880 Speaker 1: got you, doctor Lynn Richardson, and I matter of fact, 1181 01:02:49,920 --> 01:02:52,560 Speaker 1: Sunny Girl was just a loan out company in the beginning, 1182 01:02:53,120 --> 01:02:56,680 Speaker 1: and it wasn't until she came on as COEO and 1183 01:02:56,760 --> 01:02:58,200 Speaker 1: asked me what did I want to do? And I said, 1184 01:02:58,200 --> 01:03:00,920 Speaker 1: I want to make this a full fledged management company 1185 01:03:01,480 --> 01:03:04,480 Speaker 1: and she said okay, And so we've worked at it 1186 01:03:04,560 --> 01:03:10,960 Speaker 1: and it's one of my proudest moments to be involved 1187 01:03:11,040 --> 01:03:13,440 Speaker 1: with the career of others. 1188 01:03:13,920 --> 01:03:17,920 Speaker 4: Has the mc lighte story been properly told you? 1189 01:03:17,920 --> 01:03:21,440 Speaker 5: No? Do you want to tell it? Sure? 1190 01:03:22,480 --> 01:03:27,000 Speaker 1: I've had some documentarians, you know, We've taken meetings and 1191 01:03:27,040 --> 01:03:30,080 Speaker 1: stuff like that. So I think when the right person 1192 01:03:30,240 --> 01:03:34,480 Speaker 1: is there, I think it'll all kind of flow. Westbrook 1193 01:03:34,640 --> 01:03:38,720 Speaker 1: is looking at doing the scripted version, so I don't 1194 01:03:38,720 --> 01:03:39,840 Speaker 1: know what might come first. 1195 01:03:41,040 --> 01:03:42,200 Speaker 3: Are you performing this weekend? 1196 01:03:42,960 --> 01:03:46,320 Speaker 1: I'm performing this week on Saturday. We've moved the show. 1197 01:03:46,720 --> 01:03:50,520 Speaker 2: Is this when you came back to New York's disgusting? 1198 01:03:50,640 --> 01:03:55,919 Speaker 1: See? I do. I did have a really great day 1199 01:03:56,000 --> 01:03:59,320 Speaker 1: yesterday the sun was out. But in any case, we're 1200 01:03:59,360 --> 01:04:02,440 Speaker 1: going to be a Cony Island amphitheater. So I'm excited. 1201 01:04:02,480 --> 01:04:05,439 Speaker 1: We got some folks in the house. The god rock 1202 01:04:05,520 --> 01:04:09,760 Speaker 1: Him is coming through, and Tretch and low La Brook 1203 01:04:09,920 --> 01:04:12,240 Speaker 1: is gonna show up. We had a chance to meet, 1204 01:04:12,520 --> 01:04:19,920 Speaker 1: uh maybe a year ago, I think, yeah, yeah. And 1205 01:04:19,960 --> 01:04:22,760 Speaker 1: then we've got oh E. P. M. D Is coming 1206 01:04:22,800 --> 01:04:24,680 Speaker 1: and we've got a couple of surprises as well. So 1207 01:04:24,720 --> 01:04:27,480 Speaker 1: I'm excited to be in New York specifically, b K. 1208 01:04:28,240 --> 01:04:30,400 Speaker 4: Who ows you like when like when you walked into 1209 01:04:30,760 --> 01:04:33,880 Speaker 4: I literally bowed to you like, who who who makes. 1210 01:04:33,720 --> 01:04:34,640 Speaker 5: You feel like that? 1211 01:04:36,160 --> 01:04:37,040 Speaker 1: Who bows to me? 1212 01:04:38,560 --> 01:04:42,360 Speaker 3: I to you? But who makes you feel that like. 1213 01:04:42,320 --> 01:04:51,480 Speaker 1: I want to bow? Always rock him? He's so he's 1214 01:04:51,520 --> 01:04:55,480 Speaker 1: so who he says he is, which I can appreciate. 1215 01:05:01,920 --> 01:05:15,520 Speaker 1: Kress One. Will, Yeah, Will and Will and Jada have 1216 01:05:15,720 --> 01:05:23,240 Speaker 1: been so supportive of my career. And I remember there 1217 01:05:23,360 --> 01:05:26,400 Speaker 1: was a time, like after the divorce, I would talk 1218 01:05:26,440 --> 01:05:30,680 Speaker 1: to Will and he was like, light, just just keep 1219 01:05:30,760 --> 01:05:35,200 Speaker 1: being that well of goodness, Just keep being that well 1220 01:05:35,240 --> 01:05:40,000 Speaker 1: of goodness. And then I'd say, Oh, what am I 1221 01:05:40,040 --> 01:05:43,440 Speaker 1: gonna do? What am I gonna do next? He was like, 1222 01:05:43,960 --> 01:05:49,320 Speaker 1: just sit in silence, it's gonna come to you. Just 1223 01:05:49,320 --> 01:05:53,720 Speaker 1: just keep evolving into the best you that you can be. 1224 01:05:55,360 --> 01:06:01,479 Speaker 1: And you know, not too long after that, I got 1225 01:06:01,520 --> 01:06:06,640 Speaker 1: the sitcom in the middle of the pandemic, and I 1226 01:06:06,840 --> 01:06:09,439 Speaker 1: just was like God, you know, God is showing up. 1227 01:06:10,240 --> 01:06:15,120 Speaker 1: But they have definitely been there to remind me of 1228 01:06:15,160 --> 01:06:18,560 Speaker 1: who I am and the power that I hold. 1229 01:06:19,080 --> 01:06:22,640 Speaker 3: M like the album let's play something off the album 1230 01:06:22,640 --> 01:06:23,200 Speaker 3: what you want to hear? 1231 01:06:25,120 --> 01:06:26,720 Speaker 5: King King k King King King King. 1232 01:06:26,840 --> 01:06:30,160 Speaker 4: All Right, Queen Latifa, we appreciate you, we love you, 1233 01:06:30,280 --> 01:06:32,920 Speaker 4: we value you, and we appreciate you MC like you 1234 01:06:32,960 --> 01:06:35,160 Speaker 4: are an icon. You are one of the reasons that 1235 01:06:35,160 --> 01:06:37,960 Speaker 4: we're even sitting in this studio because it's foundation that 1236 01:06:38,000 --> 01:06:38,560 Speaker 4: people like you. 1237 01:06:38,680 --> 01:06:43,240 Speaker 3: Las one comes out in September. Yes, and make sure 1238 01:06:43,240 --> 01:06:45,360 Speaker 3: you go pick it up and thank you again. It's 1239 01:06:45,400 --> 01:06:47,840 Speaker 3: the Breakfast Club. It's empty light, wake that. 1240 01:06:47,880 --> 01:06:50,600 Speaker 5: Ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club.