Full Transcript for Rob Markman

how you kind of know the errors, was there a particular DJ from like Brooklyn that was like the big DJ in your section? 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:34.639 Was uh, you know, because even if it was a local guy, because a lot of times it'd be like, you know, DJs, you know, yeah, DJ Flowers or or you know, it didn't have to be Herc or Flash or one of those guys, it could have been like a local guy. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:39.680 Yeah, for for us, I mean, one for my block, it was my man Kevin. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:51.759 I don't even know what he DJ'd around or my best friend Damien, his older brother Kevin was a DJ, and mostly spun a lot of reggae, because I, you know, I'm from Flatbush, Brooklyn, so so you know, it's it's just West Indian culture. 00:04:52.800 --> 00:05:06.639 And Kevin was the one who um I don't even know what his DJ's name is, but he used to bar his microphone and rap over instrumentals and try to make all demo tapes and just seeing him do his thing kind of turned him out. 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:12.240 A man um there's another local DJ named OS from Washington. 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:17.040 Who was uh my other best friend was his cousin, uh Orlando Saba. 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:22.639 And and he actually he gave me my first technique turntables and eight crazy records when I was like 15 years old. 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:23.839 So we looked up to him. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:28.800 But as far as like known people, um, us it was it was C probably, and Mr. 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:32.319 C was from Best Side, wasn't from Flatbush, but I mean Mr. 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:42.399 C was probably like the first cat to me that I was like in terms of DJs go that was like, oh, he represents Brooklyn, like that I recognize, right? 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:51.759 And and from looking at, you know, in the back of um, you know, he was on the back of the Big Daddy Kane cover, and they had the stat sheet, the nasty African, and they had all of his stuff. 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:56.240 Then from hearing him on the radio and just his voice and and the way he represented it. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:01.519 So, you know, there's definitely guys that I came up with who are DJs that I respected that the world doesn't know. 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:04.480 But being from Brooklyn, for me, it was Mr. 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:04.959 C. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:09.519 I'm from that errand, and C was the one who embodied the whole borough for me. 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:10.079 You know what I'm saying? 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:11.040 So rest in peace to Mr. 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:11.519 C. 00:06:11.839 --> 00:06:12.240 Absolutely. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:14.800 C was a good dude. 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:15.759 I liked him a lot. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:19.759 Um so tell me about how your first sparklet for the music. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:28.480 Like, I mean, you know, obviously like seeing it around, but there was a was there a particular thing, or who, you know, what what kind of set off to be like I really this is my this is me. 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:29.759 A couple of things. 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:35.040 First of all, just being in school, six, seven years old, again, being in the school, y'all going to the school with Slick Rick. 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:37.600 It was Slick Rick and Dougie, it was Lottie Dottie. 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:43.279 That was the first song that I remember learning all the words to and being very deliberate. 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:53.600 Because yo, when we go to school, like we used to rap it and we used to have competitions of who could get through, because it's just one long verse, like who could spit the rhyme from beginning to end, and then who could beat box. 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:58.079 So like I remember just being in the schoolyard, just like rapping Slick Rick. 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:02.480 So Slick Rick was was my Slick Rick was my first goat before I knew what a goat was. 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:04.319 He was just my first favorite rapper. 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:08.879 And and it's so interesting looking back at it now because Lottie Dottie, first of all, it's a it's a dirty song. 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:12.720 Nothing about anything Slick Rick was doing that time was was was clean. 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:18.720 But the way children's story, like the way he presented it, it sounded so palatable for kids. 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:19.839 Like, you know what I'm saying? 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:23.600 Um, so that was the great juxtaposition and the artistry of Slick Rick. 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:32.079 Um, man, and then I remember you know, writing the lyrics down in school to like trying to learn like nice and smooth hip-hop junkies. 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:37.439 Like it was always just a song, whatever the song or the moment was, it's like, yo, you gotta know the lyrics, you don't know the lyrics to this. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:42.160 If you can't rap this at the lunch table, and then it transitioned in '92. 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:48.480 For me, I wrote my first rap to Pete Rock and CL Smooth, they reminisce over you. 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:51.199 That was the first like Troy instrumental. 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:54.319 And yo, let me get my hands on this and let me see what I could do. 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:59.519 And that that was probably the first record where I became really enamored with songwriting. 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:00.160 Okay. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:08.319 Especially from a rap perspective, because that that that song was so dope, and obviously it was something about that beat, just one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time. 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:16.399 But at a young age, I was able to recognize that CL, and CL to me, I think, is an amazing and underrated rapper. 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:23.040 I don't think CL gets the flowers that he deserves for being in pocket, like the pockets that he created, the shit he was rapping by. 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:27.279 CL was rapping

about Chris Style and Fly Versace Silks. 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:32.639 Couple years before, big, couple years before Jay, like C L, and that was that Mount Vernon shit. 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:35.279 That was all Heavy D influence because Heavy D was Fly too. 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:42.320 But going back to CL and that Troy record, that was such a big record, and it was it was CL just telling his story. 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:48.240 We didn't know any of the people he would talk he was talking about besides Troy on the third bird, right? 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:52.720 Yeah, yeah, I want to run my own business like my Aunt Joyce. 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:55.039 If we're talking about cars, Uncle Sterling got the latest. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:09:02.320 Like there was no reason for us to care about that record because of all the detail that he went into about his own family. 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:06.320 But there was a magic in that record, is that we can all change the names. 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:09.279 I didn't have an Uncle Sterling, but I had a I had an uncle like that. 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:10.720 Like it was just so relatable. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:14.559 And it was like, yo, we shouldn't care about these rec this record because it's so dialed in. 00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:15.840 Why do we care about it so much? 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:22.559 But it was the feeling that he admitted of telling his own story that made us all relate and being like, nah, I know exactly what he's talking about. 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:24.879 I know exactly the type of people he's talking about. 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:30.720 And I recognized that at a young age, and I was like, damn, like even more so than writing about how dope I am. 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:34.559 And and those were my first rhymes anyway, about how dope I was and how ill I was. 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:39.279 But it was really like, yo, you could really make somebody feel something through these records, through these lyrics. 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:43.039 So Troy was the first time I took my hand at like trying to write something. 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:50.639 So before we move on, I'm so glad you brought up Slick Rick because he's definitely on my uh my rushmore. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:10:03.200 And I think it happened so long ago, but it's tragic that he only basically made one album because he got into some legal issues and he was never able to get like as that first album is so incredible to me. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:17.200 I'm like, what would the second album have been if he was like free and clear to do like you said, the way he rhymed and how visual it was and the melodies and the nursery rhyme things to it, and you like you could close your eyes and literally see it. 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:20.080 You could see Veronica Place right near near children. 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:23.519 Like I could see, I got you know, you could see everything he talked about. 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:29.360 He he if influenced to me so many people, including Big E and others, like with the visualization. 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:35.440 He was uh well, he I don't say he was because he's not he's still alive with it, God bless, but he's just um amazing. 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:38.320 Um quick story, quick story before we move on. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:42.399 So in that era, I was just starting in the music business. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:45.360 Um, so two things from that song from children's story. 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:47.039 I remember going to Bentley's, right? 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:48.240 That's how long ago this was. 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:49.759 I heard about Bentley's. 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:50.799 I've never been to Bentley's. 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:53.279 I was like, but Friday night was the night. 00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:55.120 Friday night, but Bentley's was the night. 00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:57.039 Saturday night too, but Friday was the night. 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:02.159 And I remember going to Bentley, and I think these girls had to be either from Harlem or Queens. 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:04.159 They was fly, they had the furs on. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:12.799 And I remember when they put on children's story, these three or four girls, they just yelled that song, you know, all the way through, like in the corner. 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:14.080 Like they knew every word. 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:15.679 Like you said, you had to know every word. 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:24.000 And I remember being like, this record is like way bigger than I even thought it was because this, you know, the don't you dare laugh that like everybody was yelling the song. 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:28.399 And then the second thing was um I used to run into Eric Sadler a lot at parties back then. 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:29.440 The legend. 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:32.639 We start, yeah, we started communicating and you know, talking and kicking it. 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:33.440 Could we see each other? 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:34.480 Yo, what's up, Erica? 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:37.440 And I remember I like pause, I guess. 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:41.440 I cornered him and I was like, bro, tell me about Slick Rick. 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:45.279 And he broke it, because you know, they they have the bomb squad produced that album. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:52.240 And he broke down everything, how Rick rhymed and and like his style and like what how he did it in the studio. 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:54.399 He said Rick would like leave these open parts. 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:57.440 He was like, This is a funny so okay, take me back. 00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:01.039 And then he would just fill in these other parts and where he would chop it up. 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:03.919 And um, yeah, but anyway, I'm gonna I'm this is about you. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:07.200 I but I just I wasn't gonna know that's about hip hop, man. 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:07.840 This is about us. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:16.080

Like, that's the beauty of these conversations, is is yeah, we learn more about maybe each other personally, but we uncover stories again that we all relate to. 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:16.879 It's the Troy thing. 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:25.200 It's like, okay, this might be my story, but it is something highly relatable to somebody else remembering the first time they fell in love with Help Hope, the first thing that struck them. 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:27.519 So I don't mind these tangents at all, brother. 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:29.360 Like, I think that's the beauty of these conversations. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:35.759 And with Troy, funny shit, me and Ciela have the same birthday October 8th, and I was born in Mount Vernon. 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:36.240 Wow. 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:39.600 I know, I knew what I was born up the street from where they shot the video. 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:41.360 Like I that's Columbus Avenue. 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:41.840 I know that. 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:44.159 Like, so anyway, we'll we'll talk forever about that. 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:45.679 So, anyway, I'm back to you. 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:47.279 So, you college. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:49.440 You tell me about your college experience. 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:52.639 Yeah, my college experience was a lot like my high school experience, man. 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:55.759 I'm I'm from Brooklyn, New York, so I went to Brooklyn Tech in high school. 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:58.799 Um, and then I went to Hunter College in college. 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:00.080 I never left the city. 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:02.960 Yeah, you know, I never had the desire to leave New York. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:14.720 We're leaving high school, all my friends, they might go to a SUNY, some might go to HBCU's, like, and they leave in the city, and and you know, I felt like the beginning of doggy style, you gonna give all this up? 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:16.399 You got a flat screen TV. 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:18.559 You got are you crazy? 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:24.320 But that was I I just had no desire that it never crossed my mind that I would ever leave New York. 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:32.240 So going to Hunter, I was commuting on the train just like I was going to to um high school. 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:36.799 And um, you know, I was working and and I was living on my own. 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:40.240 I had left my parents' crib at that time, but Oh, yeah, you're on space by that point. 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:40.559 Okay. 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:41.200 Yeah, yeah. 00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:44.320 Me, me, me, me, me and my now wife moved in together. 00:13:44.559 --> 00:13:44.879 I left. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:46.720 By the time I was 18, I left my crib. 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:47.200 Okay. 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:53.039 Um, and and just so I'm holding down the job in the mailroom and I'm going to college. 00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:55.279 I'm I'm I'm a media studies major. 00:13:55.440 --> 00:13:57.200 So I'm very much in the media. 00:13:57.360 --> 00:14:01.440 Um, and I'm still trying to make music happen as like a rapper. 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:04.480 So I'm doing open mics at the New York Poet Cafe. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:09.679 Um, I'm in the studio, I'm in front of Hot 97, handing out mixtapes to Mr. 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:15.360 C to Angie, to Kanye and Ray Quang when they would come do interviews, whoever would come through. 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:17.679 And and so I'm doing that whole thing. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:22.000 But I was a media studies major because I liked media. 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:22.720 Like, I don't know. 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:26.799 I, you know, I was buying source magazines and double XL magazines and love film. 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:28.559 I took it because I liked it. 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:30.320 I never knew I could have a career in it. 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:33.120 I never envisioned my career taking off in media. 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:38.720 I was just doing the things that I loved, and I wasn't thinking too much about where it was gonna lead me. 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:48.000 And, you know, uh little did I know at the time, I was preparing myself for a career in music on the media side, and it was just really just because I enjoyed media. 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:51.039 But yeah, I'm in I'm in college just trying to figure it out, man. 00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:57.200 Um, you know, again, it took me six years to graduate college because again, I'm I'm I'm working full time. 00:14:57.279 --> 00:14:59.279 I'm like sometimes you couldn't get the classes you get. 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:00.480 I failed a couple classes. 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:09.840 So my my trajectory wasn't like that of a lot of my friends and my peers, and a lot of people, you know, they they would kind of laugh at me or dance bro, you still in school? 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:10.879 Damn, what you gonna do? 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:12.399 Oh, like where you gonna work? 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:13.279 Like, you know what I'm saying? 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:16.639 Like this and that, and everybody is is maybe have their path set. 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:19.840 And I ain't had my path set, but I just kept following my heart, you know what I'm saying? 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:21.519 And let me where I needed to go. 00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:25.919 So, so I'm I read you were you did a lot of free uh we're gonna get to the artist part. 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:27.120 Don't think I'm trying to skip the phone. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:28.399 No, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:36.399 Yeah, but I read you did a lot of uh uh a lot of freelancing at first for no bread, just kind of honing your craft and like you said, doing what you love. 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:37.360 So talk about that. 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:41.120 Yeah, the the freelancing, I I was actually getting paid for a lot of it. 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:43.679 So so I I graduated

college in 03. 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:44.399 Okay. 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:47.840 So I'm in college from 97 to 03, so it took me about six years. 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:55.279 And then in 2004, um, a brother by the name of Tim Hotet, you know Tim who was an old friend of mine. 00:15:55.440 --> 00:16:01.759 We went to high school together, um, really, really close friends, um, you know, especially during those years. 00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:07.440 And he he was working at Complex Magazine when Complex first started as a print magazine. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:10.399 And they were looking for writers, and we went to school together. 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:22.080 He knew my passion for hip hop, he knew I knew a lot about hip-hop, he knew I could write, and um, you know, I guess he just wanted to put his man on to give his man a shot, and he gave me a shot, and um I never let it go. 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:25.200 My first album review was Jade Kiss, um, the Kiss of Death album. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:25.360 Wow. 00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:30.720 XL, and I got paid for that. 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:38.399 Um and so I'm working full-time in the mail room, and then now I'm freelancing, and I'm getting paid a couple hundred dollars to do album reviews for Complex. 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:42.080 So after Complex, the Source Call, Vibe magazine call. 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:44.240 Eric Parker um gave me my second. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:47.519 It was a ghost face, it was the um pretty Tony album. 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:48.080 Okay. 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:49.440 So I'm reviewing that. 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:51.039 Is that the album with Run? 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:53.039 Yeah, Run was on that. 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:53.279 Yeah. 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:57.919 Run! So I wrote that review for the Vibe magazine. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:06.240 Eric Parker was was the was the editor, uh taught me a tough lesson then, but but with a great lesson in just writing and and stuff like that. 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:12.079 So I'm writing and learned to I mean he basically rewrote my whole review. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:15.279 Like I turned something in and it wasn't good enough, I guess. 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:18.640 Like it just wasn't, you know, like this was the third thing I ever wrote. 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:20.400 My first two, I knocked it out the park. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:20.960 It was good. 00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:24.960 The the third one, I guess Eric was like, man, this needed work, but he was also on that tight deadline. 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:31.519 So I remember picking up the vibe issue looking, and my name is on it, but I was like, damn, these ain't all my words. 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:33.599 Like it kind of got rewrote. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:40.799 And but and me, me and Eric never really talked about, he just did what he had to do with the piece to turn in his deadline. 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:44.720 But me being me and wanting to soak up game, I wasn't mad at him, I was disappointed. 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:48.640 I was like, damn, damn, maybe I'm not as good as I thought I was. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:49.920 You know what I'm saying? 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:51.839 I was feeling myself at the two joints. 00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:58.640 So I took what was printed in the magazine, and I took the copy that I turned into Eric and I just compared the two. 00:17:58.720 --> 00:17:59.759 Okay, what did he change? 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:01.200 Like, where can I strengthen up at? 00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:03.279 So I took lessons everywhere I could get it. 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:04.720 Started writing for the source. 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:12.480 That that was the part where it was like writing for free because this is when the source, the benzino day maze era as it's winding down, the bankruptcy. 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:15.440 So I was writing for the sauce, and uh man, them checks wasn't coming. 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:16.799 I wasn't getting paid after a while. 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.559 So they racked up, I racked up, you know, quite a bit. 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:25.839 Never got paid for I got paid for some of the source stuff, but it was like$10,000 worth of shit that I didn't get paid for. 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:28.400 And you know, it was a lot of money at the time. 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:28.720 Yeah. 00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:30.319 Shit, it's a lot of money today. 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:31.119 Yeah, yeah. 00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:32.400 That's that's real bread. 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:33.759 But that experience was priceless. 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:39.200 So, so you know, I say I never interned anywhere, but I tell people all this freelancer for the sauce was my internship. 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:45.920 So wait, so was there is there a particular story that you wrote in that era that you're like super proud of? 00:18:46.079 --> 00:18:49.920 Like it's something that you wrote that's like, you know, man, I killed this. 00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:52.319 The sauce era, uh, wow. 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:56.720 And just the writing, that era of writing, source, double XL, all of it. 00:18:56.880 --> 00:18:57.359 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:18:57.599 --> 00:18:58.319 Writing for Don D. 00:18:58.559 --> 00:18:58.960 A lot too. 00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:00.480 I never want to forget Don D. 00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:00.880 Va, man. 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:08.319 Um Tiffany and Kevin Chaz really put me on, gave me like my opportunities to write cover stories when everybody was writing album reviews. 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:12.079 And everybody told me like there was people in the business who were like a little more stuck up. 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:13.680 Like, yo, don't go write for Don D. 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:13.920 Va. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:15.359 That's not real journalism. 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:15.680 No. 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:16.960 Hey, man. 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:28.400 That Don Diva experience, the way Tiffany and Kevin took care

of me, the way they they regarded me, the way they nurtured me, the way we were really in the streets talking to real people, it was incredible. 00:19:28.480 --> 00:19:29.920 A lot of that made me who I was. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:32.240 So shout out to Tiffany and Kevin for the opportunity. 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:33.039 Shout out to Don D. 00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:33.839 Va for the opportunity. 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:35.279 They don't get a lot of credit, man. 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:39.519 During that era, I got pretty tight with the guys from Feds. 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:42.720 You know, because we're all living uptown, we're all in home. 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:46.559 So same kind of energy, like, you know, like those magazines. 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:52.000 For those who don't know, Feds and Don D.Va were magazines that were street driven, for lack of a better description. 00:19:52.079 --> 00:20:01.119 I can think about guys who maybe, you know, were in the streets and tried to who guys who just came home, women who maybe, you know, cleaned up, people cleaned up. 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:03.759 Maybe she owns a beauty parlor now, or whatever it was. 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:07.200 But like the stories were really compelling. 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.799 Because these are like you said, these are like from this is literally from the ground up. 00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:16.480 You know, there's no airs, and it was very in and like you said, and the people were really cool, you know. 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:18.640 I'm saying nobody ever treated me funny or something. 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:23.519 Like, matter of fact, once they knew I was like cool with those guys, like I was it was love, it was all love, you know. 00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:27.440 I think people were intimidated by the access that they used to get. 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:36.640 But the fact of the matter is is that hip-hop and and so much of the rappers were basing their lyrics off of these real life street stories. 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:44.559 So Don D or Feds says, yo, well, let's talk to the real people, let's get kind of the real story based off of Kevin's history. 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:53.200 And and you know, I I don't know too much about the group who started Fez, but you know, Kevin had has a real history that he's talked about and he wrote a book or made a lot of sense. 00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:58.400 And I think a lot of people in the industry were intimidated by that and and the run that they had and the power that they had, man. 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:02.400 But they they accepted me um and they they they took me under the wing. 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:04.000 I learned a lot, so it was amazing. 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:18.720 But tell me, is there one I don't I hate to use the word crazy because I don't like that word, but is there one kind of spicy story with writing for Don D.Va, they get to go meet somebody in the block or whatever, you know. 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:23.759 And again, no no don't incriminate nobody and no name, but just like a you know, because it was a different energy. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:30.480 Not not really, because they didn't always they also knew I was the music guy, so so I was the bridge between like street and music, right? 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:33.039 Um I was working on a BMF story for them. 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:33.680 Wow. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:36.960 When at the time when everybody was getting rounded up. 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:42.079 So I think I might have got the assignment before the indictments came out. 00:21:42.480 --> 00:22:05.680 But right after I forget, I forget the exact, but I was working on a BMF story and not just interviewing people, but doing real journalism research for people who remember the the Lexus Nexus database and and looking up, you know, um um arrest records, court records, um local articles from Detroit newspapers about things like I I still have I gotta find it. 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:09.200 I still have the folder of research that that I was doing was like this. 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:13.519 And we're working on this BMF story and then one day they was like we're gonna kill this story. 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:15.279 I think we're gonna chill on that one. 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:16.240 We're gonna chill on this. 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:17.440 But that was crazy. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:19.839 I did and and it might have been the first. 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:30.799 If it wasn't the first it was right around that time but Irv Gotti I interviewed rest in peace Irv Gotti and um and Chris Gotti interviewed them right after they beat their case. 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:38.799 Oh wow murdering case so so you know I I was driving around with Irv all night and just asking him all types of questions and and and stuff like that. 00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:43.440 So so I was particularly proud of that story working on that story for Don Diva and getting the chance to do that. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:23:06.000 So yeah I was I was proud of that um other stories from that era that that I was proud of um Rick Ross I did a Rick Ross show improved for double XL in 2006 this before Port of Miami can't came out that was a big article for me because I I believed in Ross then everything Ross said I I remember that night and in that article this is before the first album this is like he had just signed the Def Jam. 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:33.039 Like I think he was in New York and he had just signed his deal because he was talking to me about meeting LA Reed for the first time and all of this and um everything Ross said that he was going to do in the music industry that night when I was in his hotel room and we were doing this interview he accomplished wow and so I was I was proud of that article too because I I felt like I captured exactly like who Ross was and what he was setting up to do and I feel like a lot of that came to fruition. 00:23:33.279 --> 00:24:20.960 Wow what what else

in that time wrote an article on plies okay that I was real real real proud of um it was a bunch of stuff man it was a whole bunch of stuff um you know I I I'll find things um anniversaries will come up like like the Beanie Seagulls be coming I think just celebrating an anniversary and I wrote that album review for one of the magazines and and that like people posting online like oh shit Rob wrote this yeah so um also during that time I was writing under a pen name this was funny uh 50 has beef with the source at this time he's not fucking with Benzino because of the MM thing and and whatever but the source still needed you know they wanted to still review G Unit albums like the G Unit is the hottest shit in the industry so they but they couldn't go to the listings. 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:28.319 The labels wouldn't let these albums available to them for the Lloyd Banks album the Young Buck albums you know what I'm saying? 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:40.880 Yeah things of that nature so I was a freelancer I wasn't necessarily just writing for the source I would get access to these albums through Interscope and be able to review these albums for the source and I would just do it under a pen name so I wouldn't get in trouble. 00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:44.559 Like they found out I was writing it for the source they wouldn't fuck with me anymore. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:47.839 So you know I was still like kind of writing G Unit stuff for the source. 00:24:47.920 --> 00:25:03.519 And to the source's credit and to the editorial staff's credit they didn't have a beat with G Unit they were all fans whatever was going on with Benzino and all of that they they were just like man we just want to cover this music so nobody ever asked me to slant my review a certain way or anything like that when it came to the G Unit stuff. 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:04.400 So that was cool too. 00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:05.920 Never got paid for it but that was cool. 00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:16.400 And we'll be right back ready to launch your podcast Merit Studios offers comprehensive services from concept development and seamless production to strategic marketing and monetization. 00:25:16.640 --> 00:25:22.079 Let your story take the mic visit meritcreative comstudios and let's get to work. 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:32.720 Master the art lyricism of Pendulum Mink, the first school for rap learn elite techniques through immersive lessons, real world exercises and guidance from hip hop icons. 00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:36.960 This is where MC sharpen its skills and glow boldly on the mic. 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:41.119 Ready to level up visit pendulummink.com and start your journey today. 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:42.559 And now back to our show. 00:25:42.799 --> 00:26:27.519 Before we move forward to your uh artisting and some other stuff please mention your uncle and your cousin oh yeah yeah um so my uncle technically my great uncle my grandmother's brother this was something that that you know music has been in my family but uh my great uncle is Willie Bobo is is is a is a famous Latin jazz musician who who has played with all of the great I mean Tito Puente Dizzy Gillespie I remember one time being somewhere I think we were on vacation somewhere and we were staying in the same hotel as Dizzy Gillespie and I was a kid then and um my mom walks up to him and says yo I'm I'm I'm Willie's niece and so Dizzy just shows mad love. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:48.319 I'm like seven or eight so I didn't really I knew Dizzy Gillespie from the Cosby show from the episode of when he was on the Cosby show and he blows up his cheeks oh that's the guy from the Cosby show that's crazy you know I'm not and then obviously Dizzy Gillespie plays the sacks like yeah I always mess with Greg when I see him and he said that. 00:26:48.559 --> 00:26:53.599 But and then so I remember being seven eight years old like meeting Dizzy Gillespie was like super cool. 00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:58.640 But it was just seeing the admiration that all these OGs have for my uncle and what he was doing. 00:26:58.720 --> 00:27:58.240 So Willie Bobo is my uncle my grandmother's brother but he he passed away I was like three when he passed away I I don't know if I ever met him I don't remember meeting him but I've always just had his picture hanging on the wall in the house and in my grandmother's crib like his records always played and then his son Eric Bobo is my cousin you know he always lived on the west coast we lived on the east coast you know he would come by every once in a while but he hadn't been playing since he was a kid so he was always playing his father put since five six years old Eric was playing live gigs but when he starts against with teenager and starts coming of age now he's touring with the Beastie boys and then um he joined Cypress Hill and he's an official member of Cypress Hill that he's not like part of the band like you know Muggs took a step back you know this around the time when Muggs after the first album when Muggs like didn't want to tour I guess and I'm not sure the politics around that but Eric is touring with them and then but also made an official member of Cypress Hill. 00:27:58.480 --> 00:28:13.519 I mean I remember watching him the night is this my cousin was like oh they about to be on SNL and the night that they they light up the joint and now they're playing from SNL the funky my first rap concert ever was a Cypress Hill concert you know I'm saying so so so that was highly influential for me. 00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:25.519 Cypress one of my favorite groups yeah I mean they you in my opinion very underrated even though they've had mass success and all I still like they don't get mentioned enough to me for like yeah what they were what they did. 00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:34.319 And even even for me just bias aside right because obviously my cousin is a part of it so I'm a huge fan but I was a fan because he wasn't with them in the beginning. 00:28:34.960

--> 00:28:44.480 Yeah he wasn't with the first album officially it wasn't till Black Sunday dropped that he joined the group I copped the first album in real time as a kid because just Cypress Hill was dope. 00:28:44.559 --> 00:30:36.960 And then so they was already I I was bumping that first album then the second album came out and actually and then my cousin was like oh yeah we're coming to New York we turn I'm like what like yeah nah nah miss Cypress Hill I'm like this crazy I was already fucking with him you know what I'm saying yeah yeah yeah now they're they're amazing um so let's talk a little bit about your um your your career as an as an artist you're still making records sometime and still putting stuff out you know uh independently so let's talk a little a little bit about that I mean look my my my whole thing was when I since I was a kid you know since CL Smooth and Pete Rock I wanted to rap I wanted to be an artist and so Cyphers battles battles and fat beats shout out to Destroy Destroy just posted like footage of me battling when I was like 17 years old and fat beats like real DNA in this shit doing open mics at New Eurekan poet cafe um my first um studio session ever was with Plain Pat um who went on to do shit with good music this is before good music playing path yeah he produced my first joint ever I I hope he never releases it it never needs to see the light of day it's terrible but so I've always just had a passion to do music the media stuff took off first and and this is how I actually get paid and make money so and I love media too but I was doing both for a while and and I'm just happy doing music to express myself and you know that now we're up to the blog era and I'm on the blogs I got records on that right and two dope boys and you know what I'm saying like you know it and it's cool and I'm happy but then came a point where I had to make a decision because I'm working with double XL and they're like it was the way it was put to me is like oh they see this as a conflict of interest and man if you don't stop rapping they gonna they gonna let you go in my mind I was like I get how it could be a conflict of interest but I wasn't doing nothing wrong it wasn't like I was trading features for spots in the magazine or anything like that. 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:52.480 Yeah so I had to make a choice at that time and I had two young kids I'm like well you know I can't go back home and tell them yo daddy want to be a rapper so you know I got fired from my job like you know I'm saying like that that was irresponsible. 00:30:52.559 --> 00:30:54.640 So I just did it on my own. 00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:56.720 I didn't put nothing out for years and years and years. 00:30:56.799 --> 00:31:18.480 And then once my media career got to the point you know I turned around in 2007 rest in peace to to my brother Hovain he was like yo you know we could put something out right like you want to put this record out like we could put some shit out and

I was like nah no I can't because I'm in media and then I looked around and I was like oh who gonna tell me I'm not the same kid I was at double XL you can't just fire me. 00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:24.720 And and I was at genius at the time they were a little more understanding they they got it and they weren't full support of it. 00:31:24.880 --> 00:31:52.559 And so yeah I put officially put my first album out in 2017 man rest in peace the whole bang yeah congratulations man thank you so talk to I was that's funny you I'm I'm glad you brought up because my next question was tell me about the double XL experience it was great working at double XL man um I learned a lot I got there right after like immediately after Elliot Wilson was fired in in that whole drama. 00:31:52.799 --> 00:32:00.160 Oh wow the funny thing is that Elliot called me because first I was working at Scratch magazine. 00:32:00.319 --> 00:32:02.559 So I left the mail room and I'm working at Scratch magazine. 00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:09.839 Scratch magazine for those who don't remember was the sister magazine under Double XL and Scratch magazine was to focus on the DJs and the producers. 00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:41.759 Yep when he brought me into Scratch they said listen man this thing is on its last legs we're really trying to save this mag but it might not last another three months so we're gonna hire you we're trying the job is let's turn this shit around they couldn't turn it around the magazine went under and I was let go and Elliot was like yo as soon as something opens up at double XL I'm gonna give you a call I'm like alright but I'm still working I'm hustling I'm doing me three months later he's like yo I got a spot for you let's meet on Monday and I'll tell you all about it. 00:32:42.079 --> 00:32:43.599 That same Monday he got fired. 00:32:43.680 --> 00:33:27.680 But Elliot I always say um kept my name in the air or something because a couple of weeks after they still needed to fill the slot plus now they had an editor-in-chief slot they needed to fill so I got hired at double slinessa satin was the one that hired me okay Dayton was the editor in chief for a while but I'm mostly the years that I was there worked under Vanessa um so those were the years when the freshman covers really took off so you know I was there at the ground floor for that that freshman cover like the one with Mickey Fax and Cuddy and Asha Roth and Wale then we did the next one with um Nipsey Hustle and and Rest in peace and Jake and Big Sean and Freddie Gibbs and then did the one after that with Kendrick and Rest in peace Mac Miller and Big Crit and Meek Mill and Yellowwolf was on that cover. 00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:39.599 Munch people was on that cover so I I had kind of did refreshment covers with them but it was cool I got there I started as the assistant music editor and by the time I left I was the co-deputy editor so just right under the editor in chief. 00:33:39.759 --> 00:34:08.719 Oh wow it was

tough it was tough but um definitely underpaid tough but I I learned a lot man that that's really kind of where I made a name for myself was was at double XL so I'm grateful for that experience and everything I got I'm gonna ask you the same uh kind of question again any spicy story for double XL era again you don't have to say names you don't have to incriminate nobody getting trouble you know it's all good I'm trying to think there's plenty. 00:34:08.880 --> 00:34:15.519 Yeah I'm sure that's why that's why I asked it what what what can I talk about? 00:34:15.599 --> 00:35:09.119 I mean I think you know what I didn't like there's a lot of shit but um there was a Rick Ross cover okay where he was wearing some fake Louis Vuitton glasses or some modified Louis Vuitton glasses of this yeah even in the story Ross is a big guy so so even in the story the writer went with him to uh he was going shopping or whatever so he's buying like silk Versace shirts but Ross is so big he had to buy two of the same shirt because they didn't fit it they didn't make it in his size and then he had to take two of the same shirt take it to a tailor who would stitch it together and make something so so he was modifying all of this high-end stuff right and on the cover he's wearing Versace glasses that I think the base model was real and they just modified it to fit his face they might have tricked it out and added some on it you know bust it down or something like that. 00:35:10.960 --> 00:35:25.679 And Louis Vuitton had written a letter to Double XL like I don't know if they were gonna sue or whatever but basically wanted us to print like a retraction or something or somehow say we don't we don't stand by counterfeits or whatever. 00:35:26.239 --> 00:35:28.159 And we kind of threw Ross under the bus. 00:35:28.480 --> 00:35:54.400 Damn and I wasn't with that from the beginning I didn't understand in my young mind I'm like well again thinking about hip hop thinking about how much power we give to these brands like Louis Vuitton like yeah they'll be Louis Vuitton they'll still make money without hip hop but it's like fam you know how we elevated this shit and Louis Vuitton don't spend a dollar in advertising with double SL or anybody in our culture. 00:35:54.480 --> 00:36:08.480 Why are we picking Louis Vuitton's side over Rick Ross but but we did in the net the next issue we had to print a thing of saying hey you know whatever we didn't know and and we didn't I don't think anybody on the staff knew that they weren't like real glasses or whatever but just how we don't support counterfeit shit. 00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:11.599 So we got like put under pressure by Louis Vuitton I thought that shit was whack. 00:36:11.679 --> 00:36:14.320 I thought we should have still with Ross like that's whack. 00:36:15.760 --> 00:37:01.840 You know freshman cover shit was always cool it was always cool to see those was there anybody that you guys picked for the freshman cover that didn't do

it for some reason like didn't show up or turned it down or whatever in that era I believe if I'm not mistaken I'm almost I'm like 98% sure I gotta ask Dwan about this but um as he was the end in chief at this time but we wanted Jay Electronica for the cover for the one with um Ash Roth Wallet BOB Cuddy Mickey Fax Jay Electronica was invited to that cover I believe and but I believe this was like not long after Katrina I'm not sure what his reasons for not doing it was but for whatever reason they they they didn't do it. 00:37:02.159 --> 00:38:03.760 Wow wow yeah um I think Ace Hood ended up getting that spot and and Ace was a controversial freshman because he didn't fit in with the rest of them they were all kind of blog era they all and and Ace was maybe more of a traditional sign to a record label kind of blown up through the record label system and some people rejected that but I love that Ace Hood pick man Ace Hood was was I mean he had plenty of he had like I don't he had gold singles like he had records that that were absolutely moving and the freshman cover was was before a lot of those records I think he had cash flow and that was it when he did the freshman cover but Ace went on to to really have some success be influential in in in the way um you know his flow was something that was copied a couple of times and Ace could fucking rap yeah could rap so so uh I think Jay Electronica would have been legendary I wasn't mad at at Ace Hood. 00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:04.320 Okay. 00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:08.480 Um you know what else who else didn't make it or who else turned it down? 00:38:08.639 --> 00:38:11.199 Yeah that that was the one I remember that was the one that sticks out. 00:38:11.519 --> 00:38:11.760 Okay. 00:38:12.239 --> 00:38:19.840 So after X Double XL you went to Genius I went to MTV after double XL MTV okay and what were you doing MTV? 00:38:20.079 --> 00:38:26.239 I was the hip hop news editor is is what I came in as so I was doing writing on on the digital news side. 00:38:26.480 --> 00:38:28.000 And how was that that experience? 00:38:28.239 --> 00:39:26.800 Yeah MTV news that was great because look at this time Vibe magazine had folded and maybe they just came back the source wasn't what it was you know print took a hit print was dying late in my XXL years like there was this thing for print writers at the time there was a stigma against online journalism and didn't feel like the same quality and quite frankly it wasn't online was built for speed so you know we would write an article and and and it would go through a copy editor go through a fact checker or go through several rounds of edit like you would really curate that thing ready for print and the internet was was built for speed there were a lot of writers who who who just were unwilling or unable to see or unable just to make the transition to a digital world and in my last days at double XL I started working on the website more I started you know before anybody was hiring a social media manager I was like I was the one who actually started the double XL Twitter. 00:39:27.360 --> 00:39:37.119 Like I started the account and the way we did it because nobody had nobody had a position in their organization for a social media manager. 00:39:37.440 --> 00:39:40.960 Like you weren't hiring somebody to manage your social media like that. 00:39:41.760 --> 00:39:51.519 And I remember I was like okay we're gonna start this account and every week a different editor has to fill it with content so and just tweet stuff out. 00:39:51.599 --> 00:40:13.920 So week one is me week two is whoever week three is whoever we and we were working cycles because it was really nobody's job but we felt like we needed a presence but I started seeing digital being important and when the MTV opportunity came shout to Ramon Dukes Ramon Dukes me and him started talking and he brought me over to MTV so I'm doing writing I'm doing journalism is just digitally I'm just it's just not print anymore. 00:40:14.079 --> 00:40:49.360 So I went over there for that and about two or three weeks into me being there you know I I didn't have plans of being on camera I didn't think that was like a thing that was going to happen and and Sway kind of was like yo I didn't know Sway before that but once me and Sway got to know each other about two or three weeks he was like yo you're gonna get an opportunity he said I'm not gonna say when or where but he was like man I like you you're gonna be good on camera we're gonna find an opportunity for you just be ready and then I started developing that side so so MTV hired me to do four articles a day. 00:40:49.440 --> 00:40:51.679 I had to write four articles a day for the website. 00:40:51.920 --> 00:41:05.199 Okay they didn't have to be original I could interview somebody and do an original news piece I could do aggregate reporting I could do but the the the the quota was four a day I was doing seven to eight articles a day I I was on my fourth article by lunchtime. 00:41:05.360 --> 00:41:41.840 Wow I man I just fit fit into a groove we had such a great team and it just became so easy I'm like nah I'm like man I'm gonna pump this shit out so it was partly my work ethic um just kind of my demeanor around and whatever but I did very well at MTV man a lot of people really supported me over there and Sway and Ramon Dukes Whitney Gail Benter was part of it on the show Rebecca Thomas like they really really set me up for success but but Sway helped put me in front of that camera and show me a whole different side to this and open up a whole different side of my career which I'm grateful for. 00:41:42.159 --> 00:41:47.920 Wow wow and how long how long were you at MTV for four years I was there from 2011 to 2015. 00:41:48.480 --> 00:42:16.880 You were there for a little run yeah yeah we had a run man and and you know was doing mixtape daily something that was created by Rahman and Shaheen Reed and and so you know I was

carrying on a lot of the legacy that that they you know I just took the ball and ran with it when it was my turn um we had a show called Rat Fix Live that I was helping to produce and and I had some on air time with man I was really like shattering with Sway we we were doing hot SMCs at that time so so that was cool. 00:42:17.519 --> 00:42:43.360 Those roundtables yeah controversial about that people hated they loved it and they hated it man they loved it more than they hated it man but we I was in that category love hate you know I'd be on I'd be screaming at the TV like what the fuck you know but I mean it made good TV it made for good viewing that's for sure controversial at times my my thing was I I could stand on anything I said right or wrong I I'll stand on it. 00:42:43.440 --> 00:44:01.199 I remember one time one year French Montana didn't make it people thought French deserved to make it that year and he didn't make it and the day it aired the same day French had a show at SOB's so I go to the show because I'm I'm a I'm a French Montana fan I said man we go check this show out people looked at me like it was and I walked in Dolo everybody looked at me like like yeah but I'm like fuck that but it was all by the end of the night it was all love it won it wasn't no it wasn't no situation I you know I I think um I think even when people didn't make it you I I I was was grateful to get the respect of of people even when they didn't make it because I gave respect it wasn't like it wasn't about shitting on people to me I remember one time one year Pusha T didn't make it and and this is how me and Pusha kind of really got cool pusher didn't make it and he he was overseas in the UK I think he might have been with Semtex okay doing an interview at Semtex if I got it wrong my bad but you know they they were advocating for him yo man you didn't make that high SMCs how how could you not make that God those guys over there are bozos da da da da da da da da da so you know we started getting it as far for the course it comes and and push it during his interview was like hold up He was like, yeah, I didn't make it. 00:44:01.280 --> 00:44:03.440 And yes, I deserve to be on that list. 00:44:03.679 --> 00:44:06.559 But I'm going to stop short because those guys know what they're talking about. 00:44:06.719 --> 00:44:10.239 He was like, guys like Sway and Rob Markman and put my name in it. 00:44:10.320 --> 00:44:19.280 Guys like Sway and Rob Markman, even if I didn't get chose, I still respect their position and their opinion and what they stand on. 00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:23.519 Yes, they got it wrong, but man, I still got the ultimate respect for them. 00:44:23.679 --> 00:44:25.679 And I was like, damn, he ain't had to do that. 00:44:25.840 --> 00:44:26.159 Yeah. 00:44:26.480 --> 00:44:28.559 He ain't had to, he ain't had to do that at all. 00:44:28.639 --> 00:44:35.760 And that that that that kind of like really sold to me because you see what media is now. 00:44:36.239 --> 00:44:39.039 Hey, say the nastiest thing about somebody to get clicks. 00:44:39.119 --> 00:44:43.199 I could say I don't like something or I don't agree with something or this is my position or something. 00:44:43.360 --> 00:44:45.360 And I don't got to be disrespectful about it. 00:44:45.440 --> 00:44:46.079 You know what I'm saying? 00:44:46.159 --> 00:44:50.000 Because at the end of the day, I don't live solely online. 00:44:50.239 --> 00:44:51.679 Like we are of the culture, Jeff. 00:44:51.760 --> 00:44:53.679 You know, you be outside, you're talking about Bentley's. 00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:56.079 Like you have a DNA, you have a history in this shit. 00:44:56.159 --> 00:44:58.800 You go outside and shit, you live and breathe in this shit. 00:44:59.519 --> 00:45:05.440 It's a certain way to move, and we can still have our opinions, and I most certainly have my opinion, but I'll be outside. 00:45:05.519 --> 00:45:06.159 You know what I'm saying? 00:45:06.239 --> 00:45:08.639 And I get respect wherever I go, whatever city, man. 00:45:08.719 --> 00:45:15.440 And and and so that was just validation for me to keep doing my thing and keep treating this thing with love and the respect that it deserves. 00:45:15.679 --> 00:45:16.000 I see. 00:45:16.079 --> 00:45:25.519 I I um we ain't gotta get deep into it, but I definitely see the the vitriol, for lack of a better term, you always get about the Kendrick and Drake. 00:45:25.760 --> 00:45:26.000 Yeah. 00:45:26.239 --> 00:45:28.239 People thinking you're picking sides and it's not. 00:45:28.400 --> 00:45:41.679 I see, but again, that that comes from the new wave of social media and media where it says it's gotta go at people crazy, you gotta say crazy things, and you gotta, you know, try to get people to retweet and blah blah blah. 00:45:41.920 --> 00:45:44.239 It's like it's it's annoying. 00:45:44.400 --> 00:45:46.159 But I understand it's it's the way of the world. 00:45:46.239 --> 00:46:09.760 So I'm not trying to say, you know, I'm I'm it but it's annoying sometimes because uh someone like yourself, like you said, and you know, in in in some cases myself, as well as other people, we have like real knowledge of this stuff, you know, from from the history of it, and from you know, we have people that we can call, like or how might I have inside information, so we have a different skew on how things go. 00:46:10.079 --> 00:46:27.599 And so when you when you you know, obviously you only give away your inside information, but we're telling people that you really understand this shit, and then you're like talking to some kid respectfully from Kansas City who's 18, and they're trying to tell you it's like, bro, like what are we doing, bro? 00:46:27.679 --> 00:46:32.880 Like, you know, so why don't you why don't you just be quiet and listen sometimes instead of always having to come back, you know? 00:46:33.280 --> 00:46:39.920 That that that's just where we're at now, where everybody

has a voice, everybody can get on camera, and it's not even it's just it is what it is now. 00:46:40.159 --> 00:46:42.880 Yeah you can't put the lid back on Pandora's box. 00:46:42.960 --> 00:46:48.400 Yeah, with the Kendrick and Drake thing, hey man, maybe I know some stuff that y'all don't know, you know. 00:46:48.800 --> 00:46:50.960 And I do on both sides, right? 00:46:51.119 --> 00:46:53.039 And there's certain things that I haven't said. 00:46:53.360 --> 00:47:03.119 People get mad at me on both sides too, because they'll be like, Oh, just admit it, like every because every time I make a video, I'm like, yo, me personally, not like us is an amazing song. 00:47:03.199 --> 00:47:06.559 I think it's the greatest this song of all time at this point. 00:47:06.719 --> 00:47:09.760 I think this is the greatest battle that we ever seen at this point. 00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:10.960 Love the record. 00:47:11.199 --> 00:47:18.320 I personally do not think Drake is a pedophile, it's it's a great rap lyric, but I personally get Kendrick fans mad at me. 00:47:18.639 --> 00:47:19.599 Look at all the evidence. 00:47:19.679 --> 00:47:20.320 Like, how do you know? 00:47:20.639 --> 00:47:21.039 What evidence? 00:47:21.599 --> 00:47:23.679 And I'm just like, hey, that's cool for you guys to do. 00:47:23.760 --> 00:47:26.000 I I would never I would say Drake lost. 00:47:26.079 --> 00:47:29.760 I would say Kendrick got the better record, Kendrick had the better strategy, the better lyrics. 00:47:29.920 --> 00:47:32.639 I'm not gonna call this man a pedo. 00:47:32.800 --> 00:47:33.440 You know what I'm saying? 00:47:33.519 --> 00:47:38.400 Like, because it's cool to do it in a rap battle, but I'm not battling him. 00:47:38.480 --> 00:47:43.199 And I'm not, you know, but let me not say it's cool to do, I mean it goes in a rap battle. 00:47:43.519 --> 00:47:45.599 Like, like in the lyrics, anything goes, man. 00:47:45.760 --> 00:47:47.519 But I'm not gonna get up here and say it. 00:47:47.599 --> 00:47:51.440 Or to that point of them not understanding the game, you know, we talk about this a lot. 00:47:51.679 --> 00:47:54.559 It comes up a lot with like Dochi, and it's like, oh, she's an industry plan. 00:47:54.800 --> 00:48:00.639 And it was like, you guys don't know the way the the music thing works. 00:48:00.719 --> 00:48:04.880 Like, industry plan is something that we put on where we don't like an artist. 00:48:05.199 --> 00:48:08.559 And what what what is TDE and Capital supposed to do? 00:48:08.800 --> 00:48:31.199 Not market Dochi's record, not put her in a position, but but then the uh the other side of it is when you have an artist that you really love that's signed to a label and it doesn't work, let's say for somebody like, and God bless her, because she's made it work independently on her own, somebody like Tanashe, okay, who everybody loves is everybody's a fan of, but when it doesn't work on RCA, oh, it's the label's fault. 00:48:31.280 --> 00:48:33.679 They didn't do enough, the label failed her. 00:48:33.920 --> 00:48:36.239 When when it when it doesn't work, the label failed her. 00:48:36.400 --> 00:48:39.760 When it when it works, oh, they're an industry plan. 00:48:39.920 --> 00:48:43.760 It it was like, guys, like sometimes it's like, yo, just be a fan. 00:48:43.920 --> 00:48:46.960 Like like trust, like, like the inside baseball is not really working. 00:48:47.119 --> 00:48:48.880 Like, let's let's just talk about the music. 00:48:48.960 --> 00:48:49.519 Be a fan. 00:48:49.679 --> 00:48:50.480 Yeah, yeah. 00:48:50.639 --> 00:48:56.559 So wait, so the podcast that I was on that you did for a little bit with the RB stuff, what was the name of the it was for the record? 00:48:56.639 --> 00:48:57.360 Was that for the record? 00:48:57.519 --> 00:48:59.280 Red Light Special was Red Light Special. 00:48:59.519 --> 00:49:00.000 Yeah, man. 00:49:00.239 --> 00:49:00.639 Yeah, that was. 00:49:02.559 --> 00:49:08.480 You guys are ahead of ahead of the curve with that, I feel, because you guys are discussing um a lot of RB music. 00:49:08.639 --> 00:49:10.320 I had a great time being on there, by the way. 00:49:10.480 --> 00:49:26.480 And um it's kind of it's almost like, yeah, you were just ahead of the curve because I think if you were doing it like closer to now, you know, with all the RB stuff that's come out, and RB's kind of catching a wave now of new stuff, it's kind of like you you guys are just ahead of the curve, but it was it was a great podcast. 00:49:26.639 --> 00:49:28.320 Yeah, thank thank thank you for that. 00:49:28.400 --> 00:49:31.760 Um shout out to Kristen, who is my co-host, Chris Kristen Carl. 00:49:31.920 --> 00:49:32.719 I fucked that up. 00:49:32.800 --> 00:49:36.239 I just had so much on my plate, I just couldn't handle it. 00:49:36.400 --> 00:49:40.559 You know, I that that that was coming out on Loudspeakers Network. 00:49:40.719 --> 00:49:45.119 So rest in peace to Combat Jack, rest in peace to Reggie and Chris Murrow. 00:49:45.360 --> 00:49:47.760 They gave us that opportunity to do the podcast. 00:49:48.079 --> 00:49:51.199 Chris used to tell me all the time, yo, you just ahead of the curve. 00:49:51.280 --> 00:49:57.519 You know, I started getting to the point too where I wasn't like seeing the results that I thought I should be getting for what I was putting into it. 00:49:57.599 --> 00:49:59.519 And not even money, I'm just talking about traffic. 00:49:59.840 --> 00:50:00.960 I got you understand. 00:50:01.119 --> 00:50:01.360 Yeah. 00:50:01.599 --> 00:50:05.920 And Chris is like, Chris used to tell me all the time, and Reggie too, yo, you're ahead of the curve. 00:50:06.000 --> 00:50:08.159 There's nothing out here like it, just stick with it. 00:50:08.400 --> 00:50:10.000 And I just had a lot on my plate. 00:50:10.079 --> 00:50:10.639 I had that. 00:50:10.800 --> 00:50:13.440 I had just joined Genius at the time, so it was a new job. 00:50:13.519 -->

00:50:15.760 I was getting used to new responsibilities. 00:50:15.920 --> 00:50:19.039 Then I had signed a deal to put out my first album. 00:50:19.199 --> 00:50:21.440 It was a lot going on, and I had to pick and choose. 00:50:21.519 --> 00:50:28.880 And then the other mistake that I made is I built that podcast to be based on getting a guest. 00:50:29.199 --> 00:50:33.760 So I will have people cancel all the time, and then when they cancel, then you don't have a show. 00:50:34.000 --> 00:50:34.639 Yes. 00:50:35.360 --> 00:50:46.400 I should have been more forward-thinking of and more belief in myself and Kristen that hey, we're the personalities, and maybe with a couple other friends can kind of really talk about this music in a meaningful way. 00:50:46.480 --> 00:50:48.239 That way we don't need a guest to show up. 00:50:48.320 --> 00:50:50.559 I just didn't have the foresight, and that would have fucked up. 00:50:50.639 --> 00:50:53.199 If I could get a duo, I would love to like fucked up. 00:50:53.440 --> 00:50:55.519 You learn, and maybe you'll do it again at a later date, you know. 00:50:55.760 --> 00:50:57.199 Talk to me about genius. 00:50:57.760 --> 00:50:58.320 Yeah, man. 00:50:58.400 --> 00:51:00.800 I joined Genius in 2015. 00:51:00.960 --> 00:51:04.320 Um, shit, I it'll be 10 years in August that I've been there. 00:51:04.400 --> 00:51:06.159 It's the longest I've ever been anywhere. 00:51:06.480 --> 00:51:10.400 Started out as the head of artist relations right now, I'm the VP of content and music. 00:51:10.559 --> 00:51:10.960 Wow. 00:51:11.199 --> 00:51:18.960 Um, you know, if I'm being real, Genius was a different company before I came in and after I came in. 00:51:19.360 --> 00:51:20.000 In which way? 00:51:20.159 --> 00:51:20.559 Tell me. 00:51:20.800 --> 00:51:29.119 Culturally, um, you know, the guys who who started it, and they have since sold the company uh Tom and Alan and I love those guys. 00:51:29.280 --> 00:51:31.119 You know, I think they had a great idea. 00:51:31.199 --> 00:51:36.639 I think the community who works on Genius, like it was a great tech idea. 00:51:36.719 --> 00:51:40.800 It was a great they didn't have the cultural cachet. 00:51:40.880 --> 00:51:50.239 They they they the way they were kind of moving in the beginning, and because they were very front-facing, was just like, you know, outsiders in in this thing, in this culture. 00:51:50.400 --> 00:51:54.320 And people questioned, well, you know, who are these guys really? 00:51:54.400 --> 00:51:55.199 You know what I'm saying? 00:51:55.280 --> 00:51:57.679 And and and and what are they doing playing in this space? 00:51:57.760 --> 00:52:00.159 And you know, me coming over added that cultural. 00:52:00.719 --> 00:52:09.280 You gave me credibility, the credibility and the creativity and and and the foresight to help develop content out of it. 00:52:09.440 --> 00:52:16.400 Hey, that this doesn't, you know, when when I first sat with them, because they called me to come work for them, they didn't even have an open position. 00:52:16.480 --> 00:52:19.119 They was like, yo, we just want to work with you, we'll figure out the position. 00:52:19.280 --> 00:52:24.000 I was at MTV at the time, and I was like, damn, I want to make genius the new MTV. 00:52:24.559 --> 00:52:31.119 Not necessarily a cable network, but MTV when we were coming up was the place where you would go and and it was just music all the time. 00:52:31.280 --> 00:52:34.639 And I was like, I want to build that because at the time that didn't exist. 00:52:34.719 --> 00:52:38.000 At the time, and shout out to TMZ, it's not a shot. 00:52:38.079 --> 00:52:39.280 They've been successful about it. 00:52:39.360 --> 00:52:40.719 Shout out to my man Trent over there. 00:52:40.800 --> 00:52:43.440 Everybody was following the TMZ model of journalism. 00:52:43.760 --> 00:52:48.159 Even when I was at Double XL, even like when I was at MTV, it was like, how can we get clicks? 00:52:48.239 --> 00:52:49.519 How do you get the headline to click? 00:52:49.599 --> 00:52:50.159 How do you get this? 00:52:50.239 --> 00:52:50.880 How do you get that? 00:52:51.039 --> 00:52:56.800 So artists would come around, and the storyline around artists were about everything but their music. 00:52:57.599 --> 00:53:05.280 That click and yeah, so I wanted to build a place where artists can come and talk about their music and feel safe doing that. 00:53:05.360 --> 00:53:07.679 Like, yo, you just could just come here and talk about the music. 00:53:07.760 --> 00:53:12.639 Like, we ain't gotta get into all the other I don't care who you're dating, unless you wrote a song about it. 00:53:12.800 --> 00:53:13.360 You know what I'm saying? 00:53:13.519 --> 00:53:14.480 Like everything, yeah. 00:53:14.719 --> 00:53:23.840 Um, you know, and and and I I'd like to think not only with genius with the content, I feel like we've also affected people around us. 00:53:23.920 --> 00:53:32.719 I think after the success that Genius had early on after I got there, I think it started to inspire a lot of other places to like, hey, let's focus on music a little bit more. 00:53:32.960 --> 00:53:35.119 You know, now the streamers got it. 00:53:35.199 --> 00:53:38.800 Now it's all about streaming, and it is back to mostly bullshit. 00:53:39.039 --> 00:53:40.000 Yeah, yeah. 00:53:40.239 --> 00:53:41.199 Yeah, yeah. 00:53:41.440 --> 00:53:43.519 That's the way the pendulum, that's the swings. 00:53:43.599 --> 00:53:44.239 But it was great. 00:53:44.320 --> 00:54:08.320 So, so you know, I think me going there was like a domino effect because there were amazing people who came in after me who helped to elevate the brand as well, like Brendan Frederick, who's now at Complex, and and um my man Opie, and and and uh I mean, I'm gonna start naming people, I'm gonna forget people, but yeah, yeah, what I'm not saying it was me alone, but me coming in was definitely the the signifier of a change, a

direction for for that company. 00:54:08.480 --> 00:54:11.280 Um, and then you know, we're in 2025 now. 00:54:11.360 --> 00:54:26.079 The company was was bought, was acquired in 2021, and and and you know, it's about continuing to develop and build towards the future to to to um fit into this changing landscape and not just fit into it, but lead in this changing landscape. 00:54:26.159 --> 00:54:28.159 So um that's the mission I'm on right now. 00:54:28.320 --> 00:54:31.440 And and we have um we also have a distro arm. 00:54:31.679 --> 00:54:33.280 So, you know, I've been signing artists. 00:54:33.440 --> 00:54:33.760 Okay. 00:54:34.000 --> 00:54:36.639 And I've been working with World Star, and we've been signing artists over there. 00:54:36.719 --> 00:54:43.360 So wow you know it's been cool, man, to kind of have our hands in all kind of facets of of music. 00:54:43.679 --> 00:54:46.960 Is your is your next project coming out through through that that distro? 00:54:47.280 --> 00:54:48.239 No, no, no. 00:54:48.719 --> 00:54:58.239 Because and and they asked me, they was like, yo, you know, distro through genius, and and I was like, nah, because a couple of reasons. 00:54:58.400 --> 00:55:00.800 One, I want to keep what's me for me. 00:55:00.960 --> 00:55:04.960 My my music is really expression and it's a therapy for me. 00:55:05.199 --> 00:55:07.920 I've been so blessed in the media space to really make a living. 00:55:08.000 --> 00:55:10.800 I don't need the music to do anything for me, but exist. 00:55:11.039 --> 00:55:12.079 Of course, I want to be successful. 00:55:12.239 --> 00:55:18.800 Of course, like I'm not in this to do bad business or lose money, but I measure my music by different metrics. 00:55:19.039 --> 00:55:19.920 You know what I'm saying? 00:55:20.079 --> 00:55:28.880 And then two, I don't want to be on the same label as artists that, you know, when I when I sign an artist to distro, um, I kind of make a promise to them too. 00:55:29.119 --> 00:55:30.000 You know what I'm saying? 00:55:30.159 --> 00:55:34.159 So I don't I don't want to put myself ahead of the artists that I signed to. 00:55:35.679 --> 00:55:37.679 Yeah, I just think it's it's bad optics. 00:55:37.760 --> 00:55:40.800 And people know my intention, and I don't think anybody would take it like that. 00:55:40.960 --> 00:55:45.039 But while I'm at, I pitch for the artists that we signed. 00:55:45.440 --> 00:55:47.519 I pitch for them more than I pitch for myself. 00:55:47.599 --> 00:55:48.639 I put them in position more. 00:55:48.880 --> 00:55:54.000 There's one producer, I won't say whose name, but there's one artist that I have that was like, yo, I want to work with so-and-so producer. 00:55:54.559 --> 00:55:56.880 And in my head, I'm like, shit, I want to work with so-and-so. 00:55:57.119 --> 00:55:59.280 Like, matter of fact, I'm not even thinking about that. 00:55:59.360 --> 00:56:00.079 I didn't get there yet. 00:56:00.159 --> 00:56:02.639 But they were like,

yo, I want to work with so-and-so producer. 00:56:02.800 --> 00:56:05.760 So I reached out to so-and-so producer, yo, can we get something going? 00:56:05.920 --> 00:56:07.840 And started that conversation. 00:56:08.079 --> 00:56:13.039 And then it dawned on me, I said, damn, I I done had so-and-so's number for a long time. 00:56:13.119 --> 00:56:14.320 We know each other, we have a relationship. 00:56:15.039 --> 00:56:16.800 I've never reached out for myself. 00:56:17.039 --> 00:56:24.239 I want, I want one too, but it it hadn't occurred to me to advocate for myself in that way. 00:56:24.320 --> 00:56:30.239 It was more, it was very, it was easier for me to advocate for somebody who I had signed to. 00:56:30.320 --> 00:56:35.840 And it wasn't, it wasn't a lack of belief in myself or a confidence thing or nothing like that. 00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:39.440 It was just like, man, my music is so deeply personal to me. 00:56:39.679 --> 00:56:43.360 It's not the first thing that I think of who can I reach out to, what feature can I get, whatever. 00:56:43.440 --> 00:56:45.519 But when I'm in distro mode, I could put that hat on. 00:56:45.599 --> 00:56:50.239 Oh, we can align so-and-so here, we could do this, and it allows me to be a better advocate for the artist. 00:56:50.639 --> 00:56:51.119 I got you. 00:56:51.280 --> 00:56:52.960 So tell me what's next. 00:56:53.199 --> 00:56:55.280 Or what what's new next? 00:56:56.320 --> 00:56:56.880 Genius. 00:56:57.119 --> 00:57:00.800 Um, you know, working on um, you know, I want to build some new series. 00:57:00.880 --> 00:57:05.599 We have our verify series, which is classic, yellow background, you know, where artists break down their lyrics. 00:57:05.679 --> 00:57:06.480 We're gonna keep doing that. 00:57:06.559 --> 00:57:06.960 It's amazing. 00:57:07.519 --> 00:57:07.760 I love that. 00:57:07.920 --> 00:57:10.719 I think we're about 1600 episodes in. 00:57:10.880 --> 00:57:11.199 Wow. 00:57:11.360 --> 00:57:13.760 Like, like we've done a lot of those. 00:57:13.840 --> 00:57:18.880 Um, we also have our open mic performance series, which is amazing, and I love it. 00:57:19.199 --> 00:57:23.840 A lot of people just recently um we did the Dochi and the Israel and put them together for open mic. 00:57:23.920 --> 00:57:34.800 And shout out to my man Andres, um, who who helped put that together on the genius side, really kind of came up with the idea to put that together and and and put that in motion. 00:57:34.960 --> 00:57:35.760 It was amazing. 00:57:36.000 --> 00:57:47.199 And then um, so we have those two series, and but you know, this year it's a goal of mine to start adding more series back, you know, to to do new innovative ideas, way of storytelling. 00:57:47.280 --> 00:57:50.800 So that's one of the challenges that that we're gonna accomplish this year. 00:57:50.960 --> 00:57:53.280 We're working a lot with brand partners and stuff like that. 00:57:53.360 --> 00:57:55.360 So we got something by the time this comes out. 00:57:55.440 --> 00:57:59.920 Like we just did like something really fun with Lupe Fiasco and Panda Express. 00:58:00.079 --> 00:58:00.480 Dope. 00:58:00.559 --> 00:58:00.800 Dope. 00:58:00.960 --> 00:58:03.599 And it totally ties into Lupe, who Lupe is. 00:58:03.679 --> 00:58:07.840 It's not like it's not just like sticking somebody with a brand to get a check. 00:58:08.000 --> 00:58:09.119 Yeah, just not for the check. 00:58:09.199 --> 00:58:09.440 Yeah. 00:58:09.599 --> 00:58:16.320 Like, like when people see it, they're gonna be like Lupe and Pandey Express, and then and then like his fans are gonna be like, ah, okay, I get it. 00:58:16.400 --> 00:58:17.039 Like, you know what I'm saying? 00:58:17.440 --> 00:58:18.960 It makes perfect fans, you know. 00:58:19.360 --> 00:58:21.599 So, you know, do a lot of brand partnerships and business. 00:58:21.679 --> 00:58:23.840 Um, looking forward to to signing artists. 00:58:24.000 --> 00:58:29.760 Um, and um, you know, we just signed this artist named Saki, um, who is dope, and another artist named Mashu. 00:58:30.000 --> 00:58:33.360 Um, win is coming this year on Genius Distro. 00:58:33.440 --> 00:58:38.639 Um, we have another artist, 17 years old out of Florida, and so now looking forward to that. 00:58:38.880 --> 00:58:41.119 And then um me putting out my own project too. 00:58:41.199 --> 00:58:42.239 Okay, you know what I'm saying? 00:58:42.320 --> 00:58:45.599 Um and and continuing, you know, I'm gonna put out a project. 00:58:45.679 --> 00:58:49.039 I got a couple joints with Justice League that I'm working on. 00:58:49.119 --> 00:58:50.239 Um, shout out to Pete Rock. 00:58:50.320 --> 00:58:51.599 I'm trying to lock in with Pete Rock. 00:58:52.320 --> 00:58:52.880 Good luck. 00:58:53.039 --> 00:58:54.000 I love Pete. 00:58:54.079 --> 00:58:54.800 I love Pete. 00:58:54.960 --> 00:58:56.400 Pita, I call him Pita. 00:58:56.880 --> 00:59:01.440 Yeah, it's it's tough to lock in sometimes with Pete, but you you'll make it happen. 00:59:01.599 --> 00:59:05.920 Which is a dream of mine because I told you where I first started was Dave Reminiscence. 00:59:06.159 --> 00:59:07.119 Full circle, full circle. 00:59:07.519 --> 00:59:10.239 I also told you how it's hard for me to advocate for myself. 00:59:10.400 --> 00:59:12.559 Like, I just don't think to advocate for myself. 00:59:12.719 --> 00:59:14.400 Pete reached out to me one day. 00:59:14.480 --> 00:59:15.599 He just he just hit me. 00:59:15.760 --> 00:59:17.920 He was like, yo, we gotta get one in, bro. 00:59:18.079 --> 00:59:20.320 Like, what when and where? 00:59:20.719 --> 00:59:26.880 Yeah, I I dropped, I I dropped my album on December 30th, and he was like, Yo, I was supposed to be on that joint. 00:59:26.960 --> 00:59:27.280 What's up? 00:59:27.360 --> 00:59:28.000 We gotta get one in. 00:59:28.079 --> 00:59:30.400 I'm I said, bro, don't threaten me with a good time. 00:59:30.639 --> 00:59:32.480 Like you say, say when and

where. 00:59:32.559 --> 00:59:35.440 So so maybe me and Pete will get something. 00:59:35.519 --> 00:59:36.079 And shout out to P. 00:59:36.159 --> 00:59:37.280 Rod, whether we do or we don't. 00:59:37.360 --> 00:59:42.079 Um my god, the fact the acknowledgement alone means everything. 00:59:42.639 --> 00:59:44.000 So shout out, shout out to PR. 00:59:44.239 --> 00:59:47.039 Um, and then you know, building my own YouTube channel, man. 00:59:47.119 --> 00:59:50.400 You and I spoke about this, you know, as you were starting to build this series. 00:59:50.559 --> 00:59:57.840 Um, work in Virginia is very much dedicated to it, but it's 24 hours in the day, and I love having my own YouTube channel, just my thoughts. 00:59:58.079 --> 00:59:59.199 No, you you're doing well with it. 00:59:59.440 --> 01:00:00.719 I mean, uh, you know, you're consistent. 01:00:00.800 --> 01:00:02.239 I mean, that's the main thing with doing these things. 01:00:02.320 --> 01:00:04.559 You got to be consistent, you're very consistent with it. 01:00:04.719 --> 01:00:06.159 You got great opinions. 01:00:06.239 --> 01:00:10.719 Like you said, even if people don't always agree with those opinions, you can tell those opinions are sincere. 01:00:10.960 --> 01:00:13.119 You're not doing it just to get people riled up. 01:00:13.360 --> 01:00:17.760 You know, you're saying what you feel, you know, it's real, like whether it whatever it is, you know what I'm saying? 01:00:17.840 --> 01:00:19.599 So I'm not you're doing a great job with it. 01:00:19.760 --> 01:00:20.639 Yeah, thank you, man. 01:00:20.719 --> 01:00:21.519 I appreciate it. 01:00:21.760 --> 01:00:31.760 And you with this, man, I I have been, you know, you and I had this conversation when uh um and we were just kind of talking about media and then see you actually like take off and and and do it. 01:00:31.920 --> 01:00:34.320 And you know, um, man, this is great. 01:00:34.400 --> 01:00:36.800 And you know, I'm just humbled to be here talking to you. 01:00:37.039 --> 01:00:38.400 I really appreciate it, man. 01:00:38.480 --> 01:00:39.280 Thank you, man. 01:00:39.599 --> 01:00:40.960 Thank you, Rob Markman. 01:00:43.760 --> 01:00:44.800 Legend in media space. 01:00:46.159 --> 01:00:48.480 Listen, man, I come on, man. 01:00:48.559 --> 01:00:50.000 You talking about being at Bentley's. 01:00:50.079 --> 01:00:51.679 I'm talking about being inspired by Slick Rick. 01:00:51.840 --> 01:00:52.880 You like, nah, I was around. 01:00:53.039 --> 01:00:54.880 This is when I first started getting in the industry. 01:00:54.960 --> 01:00:57.519 So I was never I will never forget those girls. 01:00:57.599 --> 01:01:02.000 I don't know, I don't know them, I don't know if we can of paint, but I just remember that energy, man. 01:01:02.159 --> 01:01:04.639 And them yelling those rec those words, you know. 01:01:04.880 --> 01:01:07.119 Don't feel I just remember that. 01:01:07.199 --> 01:01:13.440 I was like, wow, it was just captivating to me

to see those girls just go that ham over that record and that. 01:01:13.920 --> 01:01:16.400 They were fly girls, they weren't like you know, rough girls. 01:01:16.480 --> 01:01:19.679 They were like, you know, but again, but again, I'm it's not about me. 01:01:19.760 --> 01:01:21.280 So no, it it is though. 01:01:21.360 --> 01:01:22.960 This is why this is so important, bro. 01:01:23.039 --> 01:01:26.159 And real quick, I won't take too much time here, but this is why this is so important. 01:01:26.400 --> 01:01:27.519 I was thinking about this today. 01:01:27.679 --> 01:01:29.519 These streamers, these people in the media, yeah. 01:01:29.760 --> 01:01:35.039 I'm about to go make a video about um the guy Aiden Ross talked about Doji. 01:01:35.199 --> 01:01:38.400 I didn't like the way he addressed us, he referred to her as a bitch. 01:01:39.360 --> 01:01:52.000 I I thought that was terrible, and it made me think of who are your OGs, and you realize on the internet with these streamers, and it's not to give him an excuse, they don't have OGs. 01:01:52.480 --> 01:01:55.039 It's not like they got put on by somebody, you put yourself on. 01:01:55.119 --> 01:01:56.880 This is the error of you put yourself on. 01:01:57.519 --> 01:02:01.519 So we respect the hustle of the academics of all you guys, the self-made. 01:02:01.599 --> 01:02:03.360 There's a part of that that I have to respect. 01:02:03.840 --> 01:02:05.599 But it's like, who taught you? 01:02:06.159 --> 01:02:26.400 You know, I the guys I came up with in my neighborhood I was taught by because I was outside, sway when I get into the media here with with Jeff Sledge and being being able being for you to be able to tap me and speak to me um on some peer-to-peer shit when I recognize that you have seen more than I've seen. 01:02:26.960 --> 01:02:30.880 Um you you have helped build the things that influence me. 01:02:31.360 --> 01:02:34.960 And and I'm able to stand on top of that. 01:02:35.199 --> 01:02:37.679 I didn't I didn't build myself up, I didn't come out of nowhere. 01:02:37.920 --> 01:02:42.000 Like a thing was created that then I can somebody can help me get into. 01:02:43.679 --> 01:03:08.400 You as as an OG and and and and I'm thankful to have OGs, I'm thankful to have people who came before me who I can learn from, who I oh, this is how you do it, this is how you maneuver, this how you and I I wish those guys for the health and the sake of our culture would learn to do better and listen to some of these OGs when we tell you, listen, that wasn't the way to do it. 01:03:08.639 --> 01:03:10.000 Yeah, you know what I'm saying? 01:03:10.239 --> 01:03:11.679 Um I agree, no, I agree. 01:03:11.760 --> 01:03:25.360 I I I under yes, I know what you're saying, and I agree a thousand percent that that that you know we could go for two hours on different examples of some of these streamers just jumping out the window and going left, and it's like, man, like what's happening here with you guys? 01:03:25.440 --> 01:03:27.280 I again, you're getting money, and I respect it. 01:03:27.360 --> 01:03:31.119 You built it up, I respect it, but like, you know, it sounds coin to coin. 01:03:31.199 --> 01:03:35.920 I know you're a comic book head, but with great power comes great responsibility. 01:03:36.079 --> 01:03:49.119 And there's certain things when you get to, you know, you're building your thing up, there's certain things you just shouldn't do because it's bad for the culture, and it's gonna affect it because people are gonna see what you did and just emulate because they think that's the way to go. 01:03:49.360 --> 01:03:49.920 Yeah. 01:03:50.159 --> 01:03:53.599 I'm I'm I want to leave something for for the I don't want this all for myself. 01:03:53.679 --> 01:03:54.400 You don't want this off. 01:03:54.639 --> 01:03:56.159 I want to leave something for the next generation. 01:03:56.239 --> 01:04:00.480 When when I when I clock out, I want to leave the shit better than when I left it. 01:04:00.719 --> 01:04:01.199 Exactly. 01:04:01.360 --> 01:04:02.320 You know, you know what I'm saying? 01:04:02.400 --> 01:04:05.519 Like somebody else, so my kids could like have a space in this. 01:04:05.599 --> 01:04:06.400 So, you know what I'm saying? 01:04:06.480 --> 01:04:08.159 So the next generation could have a space in this. 01:04:08.239 --> 01:04:12.719 But that's what culture is, and I think when you understand culture, you also understand wanting to preserve it. 01:04:12.880 --> 01:04:19.119 And I and I I think if you don't understand culture and you don't prescribe the culture, then it's just a thing, and you don't necessarily care if you burn it down. 01:04:19.199 --> 01:04:20.239 I'm yeah, like no. 01:04:20.639 --> 01:04:21.840 You just you're just hitting a lick. 01:04:22.000 --> 01:04:26.480 Yeah, you exist in the culture, so so act like it because the culture is is worth something, man. 01:04:27.440 --> 01:04:28.480 But thank you again, man. 01:04:28.559 --> 01:04:29.519 I really appreciate it. 01:04:29.679 --> 01:04:30.239 Nah, man. 01:04:30.320 --> 01:04:31.280 I appreciate being here, man. 01:04:31.440 --> 01:04:33.360 Anything you need, man, hit me up anytime, man. 01:04:35.039 --> 01:04:40.239 You can catch Mixed and Mastered on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, or wherever you get your podcast. 01:04:40.639 --> 01:04:43.599 Hit that follow button, leave a review, and tell a friend. 01:04:44.000 --> 01:04:45.760 I'm your host, Jeffrey Sledge. 01:04:46.079 --> 01:04:49.679 Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios.