บทถอดความฉบับเต็มของ Book II: Chapter XXXVIII ft. Nate Austin - Bet On Yourself & Know Your Worth

Man. You see the title Bettering yourself and know your worth. Part of this The reason I wanted Nate on h Man because he has such an incredible story and I got to see it firsthand. Just you know, Nasan artists. We won't get into the full details yet, but Nason artists and one of the most talented people like self taught talent and I remember in college we used to be telling it like, bro, you ain't got to work for nobody, Like you got enough talent. You got that guy given talent. It's almost like being an athlete and just knowing you're going to the league. And that's how Nate was. And I don't know, and we'll get your perspective, Nate, how seriously you took yourself at that age and when things clicked and the whole nine. But being able to see that and see where you are now. Man, I'm proud of you on top of everything. But last week, I want to just touch on this real quick. We don't really have to talk about this. I just thought it was funny. It's funny how the algorithms rhythms work. We had portrayal on last week first Friday, we talked about some masculinity stuff post. Now this is a this is the internet. This is a meme, y'all. This ain't me saying it. The internet post is said the top forty gayest things a man can do. The sponsors were hilarious, y'all. I gotta read and get y'all get your on this man, all right, mick, because MA can't do shit. That's what I was. That's what I was trying. That's what I was trying to say last week. I wasn't caping. I was just like, man, we got to hold some space for dudes to be able to do something in this world. Because the first answer here hearing me crying, nigga, have a twin brother, be your own man, a twin beyond men. 00:07:05 Speaker 5: It's gay to have a twin. 00:07:07 Speaker 2: Yeah, scream screaming When the DJ tell everybody to make some noise, Oh that's. 00:07:12 Speaker 5: I agree with that. 00:07:15 Speaker 1: Where my daddy's at? 00:07:17 Speaker 2: What when the fellas that hold talk about talking about the DJ saidhere the fellas that you can't say. 00:07:25 Speaker 1: Ship the DJ, bro, everybody fellas where you all at? Then I'll be like, all right, man, you off time to man tell you to speak? 00:07:37 Speaker 5: Yeah? 00:07:37 Speaker 2: Is that when the DJ tell you everybody. 00:07:40 Speaker 1: Who's the DJ? 00:07:42 Speaker 5: You know matter? 00:07:43 Speaker 1: Man ain't speak? 00:07:44 Speaker 5: Man, Yeah, I ain't doing that. 00:07:47 Speaker 3: I ain't throwing my hands. I ain't throwing my hands in the air at the come. I ain't doing none of that, Bro. 00:07:53 Speaker 1: I put a lot of in the air. 00:07:54 Speaker 4: Like, yeah, I throw the phone camera up whatever. 00:07:57 Speaker 5: I ain't I ain't doing the side where are your side? 00:08:00 Speaker 1: Side? 00:08:00 Speaker 2: Wouldn't like. 00:08:02 Speaker 1: Jay Z saying wake your hand in the air? 00:08:06 Speaker 2: Nah, hold on, chill bro hold on man, I have been a plenty. I keep it cool. I keep it cool. Man said, being a junior, be yourself. I'm a junior in Nate to a second. So we can't even do that. We didn't even choose that. Yeah. Yeah, having it having a small. 00:08:21 Speaker 3: Dog, I fuck with small dogs. But I can see that. I can see it having. 00:08:30 Speaker 4: Small like a little what's little doodles? 00:08:34 Speaker 5: The little dude? No, no, no, it gotta be like. 00:08:36 Speaker 3: It's like maybe ten to fifteen pounds, Like that's like a yeah, like I ain't doing the chiaia. I ain't doing it like a little bag dog. 00:08:48 Speaker 2: Oh using your picture as the profile picture. It's supposed to be some kind of avatar or some sort bro. It's just it was just hilarious when I saw something like that. 00:08:57 Speaker 1: We can't right there now, I'm good. 00:09:00 Speaker 2: Yeah, man, we can't do ship man. So I just thought that I was twenty this time and of it compared to what we talked about last week, especially having a twin brother, because I'm like, damn, that's wild. Can't know the zodiac signs have a birthday countdown. I do think it's I do. 00:09:14 Speaker 5: Think it's balid that's valid. 00:09:16 Speaker 2: When I see birthday counting or when I let me ask you all opinion on this, because I'm just curious. When men put the cash app on their birthday it's my birthday cash up. I just think that's wild. I think that's insane. 00:09:28 Speaker 1: Come bless your boy, yeah, bless your boy. 00:09:31 Speaker 2: Come on man, y'all need. 00:09:32 Speaker 3: To chill man, unless you do like streaming or some shit like that where people like do already offer you money in those spaces like if you're a random nigga teboy and you put your cash up after your birthday. 00:09:45 Speaker 5: That's disgusting. Yeah, yeah, that is disgusting. 00:09:49 Speaker 2: That's insane, man, that's insane. You shouldn't do. 00:09:51 Speaker 3: That, like y'all wouldn't walk around with the pinon. Would y'all walking around with the people when people exactly walking around pinning? Need of me because I'm like, it's my Burt nigga out. 00:10:03 Speaker 2: Of here wearing a sash. Shit like that. Nah, man, I ain't doing none of that, man, But uh, enough of that. Man, here we are, Chapter thirty eight. My good brother, Nate Man, I'm glad you're with us. I'm glad you're here joining us. Shout out to Mo too. If you listened to the last last week's episode, you might have noticed, not on YouTube, but if you listen on podcast format, notice that the music was back More volunteer his producer services and say, hey, man, if y'all record a little bit earlier in the week, then I'll go ahead and put the music back and kind of change the element a little bit. We appreciate your Mo for looking out for us this week, scheduling schedule him could not record, go ahead, go ahead. 00:10:42 Speaker 3: I just want to say that stem from the episode, just to make sure the book Warms are staying fully involved that stem from the episode, and we talked about when you ask people that are

doing stuff like not only what you see from them, but how can I help you? And shout out to Mos, one of the most solid brothers I know after listening to that episode, like he put in the group text with me and riches like how I. 00:11:04 Speaker 5: Can help this way? 00:11:05 Speaker 3: Like I don't even need y'all to tell me how I can help, but I can help this way if y'all can make these adjustments. 00:11:11 Speaker 5: And that's where that came from. 00:11:12 Speaker 3: So make sure y'all still are putting it into commission, like reaching out to your brothers that you support what they doing and asking them, how can I. 00:11:20 Speaker 5: Help you, bro? Because I love I love what you're doing. 00:11:25 Speaker 2: Even going further, absolutely right, this week won't have any music just because we're recording a little bit later in the week. Too quick of a turn around for MO. We ain't gonna ask them to do that, but we have moved our recording date so we can't get that back in there. Love y'all, feedback, book Worms, let us know what you think. And in that same vein Man I could say the same about my brother Nate, because I remember just chilling one day literally and just had a random text like it wasn't even hello, no nothing, it was just an image a logo for the coach guard I'm the one that we're currently using that He just sent something like, Man, I was just at work and thinking about some stuff and bull I was like, damn, that's dope. Like I showed Rachel, he had like three different options. We chose one. It's our current background right now. So those moments, man, people don't know how much they mean when somebody's thinking about you while you're chasing your dream, following the passion. You know what, let me see what I can do. I have this talent. I can go and help you in this way. Definitely appreciate you, Nate for that. Just to give a little bit of background, So y'all know, Manny is an artist. How would you describe yourself as far as what you do, Nate? Because you are artists like actual sketches and things like that, But how would you actually describe yourself? How are you an artist? It seems a little bit too simple. 00:12:34 Speaker 1: Like you asked, like what what do I do? 00:12:37 Speaker 5: Or like who am I both both? 00:12:41 Speaker 1: Okay, I'm so. I I think I would consider myself just a dad, a husband, just a regular black man in America who happens to have a little bit of talent, so I can put my thoughts just like everybody else has my thoughts on on campus. So I do a lot of acrylic painting. These days, I do a lot more crilic painting than I did. We're really painting. Ever, I never really did a lot of painting. Everything was drawn, you know, from since childhood. So now I'm a little bit more into a crylic painting. So these days that's really all I do, uh, two dimensional stuff, paintings, portraits, concepts, conversations about whatever is going on in America, my thoughts on what's going on in America, how I feel

about it. But I try to put all that kind of stuff onto a campus. So essentially I'm all around visual artists. I'd say, yeah, just exploring, trying to trying to find a way to get better better at it. 00:13:45 Speaker 2: Let me let me ask you a question, man, because you're about to push me off already. What I do a little bit of talent? Like, do you really think you only have a little bit of talent or you just trying to be home. 00:13:56 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think when it when it comes to I don't think I've ever really been like, uh, like arrogant or like. 00:14:04 Speaker 2: Do you have to be do you have to be arrogant to admit that you are talented in a certain state? 00:14:09 Speaker 1: I never really been like when it comes to that, I never really liked the brag. I feel like the areas of my life where I feel like I'm the strongest, I never really liked to, you know, to be like, yeah you see me, like you know, I'm like, it's work speak for itself, you know what I'm saying. But I also don't like who lot of praise either, so like that's my person. 00:14:27 Speaker 3: Not even not even being like you see me though, but just from a like you said, you're a black man showing up and feeling like ain't nobody fuck with you? 00:14:37 Speaker 5: Do you feel like that often? 00:14:39 Speaker 1: I always feel like that. I also like, I mean like I always feel like that in my mind about how I f on myself, but the way I express it sometimes like I try not to be try to be a little humble about but. 00:14:50 Speaker 5: You will say that, but you will say that to yourself with me. 00:14:53 Speaker 1: It depends though, it depends because I feel like lately I've been in rooms with artists and I'm like, nah, like a little bit of talent. So it really depends on who's in the room. Sometimes you the big dog in the room and sometimes you do the little fish. 00:15:07 Speaker 2: Let me ask you, how how important is that to make sure you're staying in these different rooms to where because I'm sure there would be something there where if I'm always a big dog, then maybe that that. 00:15:19 Speaker 1: Might Yeah, that's that's that's something I had to I think. I think in the last two years, I would say I started started realizing a little bit more like so when I first started, I'm like just trying to trying to get yourself to a point where you kind of, I don't know, you kind of feel like all right, like my skill level is getting up to the point where I'm good. But mind you, like, since you know, majority of people that you interact with a probably people that on social media or day to day people or people like you, you know what I'm saying, on the regular basis, if you're not surrounded with buy it or immersing the art culture, sometimes you see me and you be like Yo, you want it the best, bro. You you nice nice. So sometimes you if you if you're always around people who even other artists, if you run other artists who are and sometimes operating on like a plateau and something you know, in a sense where you feel like you walk into the room and you feel like, yeah, like I just killed that. You feel like that too often? Then I feel like sometimes you may be staggering your own growth until you get into the U, into the room with the big dogs and realize, oh snap, like you know, there's more competition out here. It's like, you know what I'm saying, being like a star athlete, like you play you know what I'm saying, football in high school, so like just magic being like like really really talented, but you're playing with like a bunch of lanes on the regular basis, and it's like you're not getting exercise. But like man k Kinen going to the league, but then you start practicing with other kids and you and stuff like that, he's like, oh no, like I ain't I ain't really as talented as that talent. But you know what I'm saying, it's not it's not under pressure. So I feel like that's That's kind of where I'm at right now, is like learning being those the rooms and being being okay with being uncomfortable in them rooms. Yeah, just just so I can eventually learn to to you know what I'm saying, be more comfortable because I feel like I deserve to be there for sure. 00:17:14 Speaker 3: What does an artist look like for you, like me, like from a professional standpoint, Like, is it I do graphic design and logos for people and that's how I make most of my money. Or is it I do my paintings and I have an art gallery where people come buy them, like from you mentioned being in the rooms, and this made me think about it, like what what what does being an artist mean for you? 00:17:37 Speaker 5: Like professionally, Like how do you. 00:17:42 Speaker 3: Get people to one find your art and two how do you benefit from it? 00:17:47 Speaker 1: I think, uh, lamely, I would say social media is probably one of the Social media is probably like the biggest art gallery you can have. That's the way you can tell your you know, your own gallery and people can come to you anymore from all over the world and come see just by clicking something. So social media is kind of way I get my stuff out there. I think, Uh, that sense where most people see my work. I don't really work with galleries as much as much as I should. I should say, because sometimes I feel like galleries the art game is, our game is is kind of wild, like y'all in the podcast game. So I feel like when y'all first started off, y'll probably like, oh man, I just I just have a pure love for you know what I'm saying for for podcasting. But then as long as you go, you know, you go on and on and on, you start learnning the game and you start being like, that's that industry. Yeah, So like with us, it's like everything. You got to be a smart person to be an artist. You gotta be a smart person. You actually got to be street smart to be you know what I'm saying. You gotta be able to read people very well because there's a lot of people, Oh my god, what is that. There's a lot of people

who will try to take advantage you, whether it's it's somebody saying, like a gallery saying, hey, I spent I don't know, twenty five thirty hours on a painting, you know what I'm saying, put my heart and soul into this painting. And then gallery says, all right, cool. I could put it on my walls. I want half of that, and it's like you got and that's that's standard. You know what I'm say. The game like that's all standards is a gallery saying well we'll we'll sell it, but we'll sell it for half. Well, it's like selling a half just because you know some people. And I could do that for myself, you know what I'm saying. Uh, you know what I'm saying on Instagram or something like that, or somebody trying to find a way to take your artwork and flip it. So like, hey, I bought something for you for the low, all right, cool, and then I'm gonna turn turn around and sell it to somebody else for three to four times that much. So it's sometimes it's weird like that. 00:19:49 Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, we'll talk about we'll talk about somewhere. We'll talk about copy writing refrigements, because I got questions for you when it comes to that, because all right, I know you're familiar. But even going back to the social media aspect, because I know you said that's your that's your art gallery. I remember not too long ago, maybe a few months ago, little Duval posted one of yours and it was the thing I love most about that was all the people in the comments who know you personally making sure that you got your credit. This is Nate, This is art by Nate Austin. This is you know what I mean. I thought that was the best part man, And I know that reached a lot of people. And even when I think about where you are, So if you're if you're listening to us, Nate's Instagram is art by so aar T b y Underscore Nate Austin, n A t e a U s t i E once again art by Underscore Nate Austin. So that's gonna be the Instagram page. And you had forty one point six thousand followers. I don't know when it jumped to that, Like, I don't know when that happened, you know what I mean? Because you've had this page for how long you got your personal page? How long did you When did you start this art page? 00:20:57 Speaker 1: I started the art page. I want to say maybe twenty nineteen twenty, nineteen twenty twenty, so actually know twenty twenty twenty twenty. I started it. To my wife, Nicole told me that it started the Instagram. But even when I was in LA when I went to LA to do some artwork out there. 00:21:17 Speaker 2: We're gonna were gonna talk about that. We're gonna talk to you about the whole LA experience being ye know your work part. 00:21:23 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it jumped in. I mean I looked like ten ten thousand or so and then jumped. I think I had one viral moment, almost viral, I should say, one of my New Year's reels. Normally every year I do like a real to kind of say like, man, you know, just be because I'm truly appreciative, but I just like a reflection on the whole year, all the stuff that I did. And then you know, for some reason, that one just picked up like out of nowhere. I'm like, boom, twenty thousand view, thirty thousand views, a hundred, two hundred, three hundred. Then it just kept going to like, you know, almost almost a million. So that was that was when things started picking up. More and more and more start getting like the celebrity starting to follow me, or celebrities are retweeting my stuff or you know what I'm saying, not retweet but you know, reposting my stuff. So eventually it started becoming and I think it started to grow from there, Yeah, I think, and the naturally grows. You know, some people got her buying followers, buying them followers that you can always tell when you look at the comments, you be like, nah, people ain't really. 00:22:22 Speaker 3: One comment got a thousand and fifty likes, but it's one comment. 00:22:26 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah in boxes. You know. 00:22:30 Speaker 2: It's funny because I'm looking and like, there's people that I know personally that follow you that I didn't even know knew you, you know what I mean. So that's always dope. What was that like? So you start your you start your rpage in twenty twenty, coach says, you really need to get on top of this. And that's one thing I know you've told me personally. 00:22:48 Speaker 3: Man. 00:22:48 Speaker 2: You was like, hey, man, like when you get a good woman and we get a good woman in your corner, like everything that you do is going to grow tenfold because they're really going to motivate you and push you and put you in that right direction. So wouldn't speak on that, speak on that conversation you had with me in regard to that, Like how important was it for you to have or do you think you would even be where you are if you didn't if you weren't married or didn't have cope. 00:23:12 Speaker 1: I think that I think that at some point I may I may have gotten there. I don't know, but I think that of the largest part of my success has probably been my wife from Jump because my mind, you're like, you've known me for years. So I was always a person who always told like maned bro, like you should do S, Y and Z, and I'm like, yeah, you know, And I didn't think much of it because art wasn't necessarily something that seemed like a lucrative business. It seemed more like just something that you did because you just like to do it. But I didn't really see, especially people who look like me in the same color, making money. So I associated art was just being either two people say you're gonna be a Starbuck artist or you got to wait till you dead to make some good money. So for me, I'll I was like, you know, that's one of the reasons why I didn't really want to do it. And I'm like, man, let me go ahead and try to force myself to be in a career some kind of way so I can make this kind of money, because that ain't gonna be it, especially you know, at the time, I was selling paintings for like three hundred dollars and I'm

like, man, if I could sell three million of these, then I could probably have enough to live off of. So I'm like, that's that's that's not living. But eventually, from social media, I was able to start seeing, you know, people who making money and stuff like that, or people who look like me who are are excelling in the industry, who are doing really well. But that came because my wife plugged me. And so at the time that was my girlfriend. We were we had just started dating, like our second That's how I knew she was the one, like our second or third date, third, third date. We went to the Columbus Comes Our festival. It's like real big and Columbus, like thousands of people outside just walking around and it's like pack jam packed. She's like, yo, you want to go? Like yeah, on the Sunday we went, and you know, I'm just like a person who wasn't taking art seriously at the time. I was just like, that's something I just did. I doodled here and there, but I wasn't taking it seriously. I feel like I had the talent, but I wouldn't push to really do well, so you know we have to fess on. Walking around, I'm just like really inspired because I'm just feeling like, man, like this could be me if I like really like, you know what I'm saying, invested in myself, I already tried. So I go over to one of them booths and mind you at all, out of the guy knows hundreds and hundreds of black one hundreds hundreds of artists there, there was like a handful of maybe like ten or fifteen black artists. So I seen one of them. You know what I'm saying, young black man. I'm like, hey man, I'm asking him questions about his art I'm just in the booth talking to her. Mind you like, she's not even my girlfriend yet, so I'm like just having a conversation in the booth, talking to him and his girlfriends. His girlfriend is sitting down or wife, I don't know who that is. She was sitting down, you know, kind of like helping him. Man in the booth, but I'm talking to him about his word, Like, hey man, I'm asking all these art nerd questions. You know what I'm saying stuff that everybody else be like, what I'm talking about the whole time I'm talking to him like, man, how did you do this? How you do that? In my peripher I can see Nicole talking to the other woman and the call. It's like hey, and I can hear her. So I'm literally hearing two conversations. I'm literally know what he's saying, but I'm hearing her ask questions like so, so how do you set up the tenth so when you have so many applications? So when is the needy deadline? Like? Ask all the distical questions. And I'm like, dang, and mind you, Like we ain't been talking that long. So I'm like, man, this girl really she's really invested in me, Like she cared about me enough to like want to make sure that, like the next time is rolled around, that I had the opportunity to be a part of something that meant a lot. So I'm like, wow, But to your point that you said, man, so since I've been his being with her, I feel like God has only done nothing but multiply and increase whatever I've had going on, because I do truly do feel like, you know, when you have a good wife, you have a good woman in your corner. Man, God just favors that. Man. It's a gift. Something about something about women bro especially black corners, but something about them that, like you, wherever you put your hands to give to them, they will multiply that for you, you know what I'm saying. So that's that's that's what Nicole did for me. You know what I'm saying. She pushed me away. It's like I didn't have a website in twenty twenty, you know what I'm saying. I didn't have a website. She created a website for me, like on a whim, and then from there we built off of that and then from me being like all right, you gotta take it serious now, like all right, you got a website, you got a Instagram, all right, cool? She created the logo that I have a logo brand that I have the NFA. That's her, That's all her. So, like you know what I'm saying, she pushed me in that in that direction, but every time, I don't know, so I credit her a lot for that. But I definitely feel like, you know, we have a good woman. And then on top of that, man, a good woman kind of forguate hope hopefully ain't rambling. 00:27:43 Speaker 2: But a woman, a. 00:27:45 Speaker 1: Good woman will like really inspire men. I kind of feel like men like we need we need to be needed, and we need inspiration. We need to be needed, but we need like a we need a purpose. We need to purpose to feel like like I'm doing something, Like everything's worthwhile. You got a good woman, that woman that like you treat like when you meet that woman, you'll know, like yo, like I can't let her down, Like I can't let her down, you know what I'm saying. Kids stuff like that, like the same feeling you have it, I can't let them down. You know what I'm saying. That's I don't know, saying some God putting me in to feel like yo, like when you meet that one and she inspires, and mind you, she ain't never came in me like you know what I'm saying, Like you got to be successful, but something about makes me want to to strive to be better. You know what I'm saying, to make more to to to you know what I'm saying, to give her the life that I think she deserved, because that's how she inspires me. Like that's my way to give back to her inspiring me. So I think that's, you know, just having a good woman. 00:28:41 Speaker 2: Definitely, yeah, should man, because if you if y'all, I don't know them, they are the first time I met, I was all Nate Mary like they that couple that they're that like the best friend couple, like the not we've just been together for a long time. They genuinely best friends, enjoy time with each other. So it's one of those things that's made complete sense. It's like a hand in the glove. I don't know if you're gonna say something, Spike, I was. 00:29:08 Speaker 3: I got a lot because that was good. A lot of times we teeter around the topic of relationships

on this podcast, and you said you listened to a couple, so you know, and Rich and I being both single men, it's refreshing to hear what you said in the sense of it sounds like you had somebody that supported you from jump. It sounds like you meant like your soulmate. And I'm wondering you said you knew very early on. How did you convince her Because most females or ladies out here today, if a nigga told you, oh, I. 00:29:50 Speaker 5: Do art, they. 00:29:52 Speaker 3: Gonna scoff at that. It's like, man, nigga, Like, what the fuck are you? Like you said you thought about contemplating towards a career or whatever it may be. However, your wife and the lady that you man, she was like, no, I'm this nigga good. 00:30:06 Speaker 5: I'm doubling into it. 00:30:08 Speaker 3: And I think that's a lot of the struggle that most men have, like their dreams are the things that they want to really do. Not being in corporate America, not going this place is selling myself out where oh i will make two hundred and fifty three hundred thousand dollars a year because I'm going to being this completely different person than I am at home with my wife. But that's what's required for us to maintain a relationship because I know what she needs. A lot of the things that you spoke on, you were able to convince her that, no, I'm good at this. And if you buy into this dream being a beautiful being that you are as a black woman, and how you're able to pour into me, Like if you buy into this and you giving me your blessing to go ahead and do this, and you not gonna judge me because sometimes may be low like you said, struggling artists and sometimes maybe high with the different rooms. 00:30:56 Speaker 5: That you talk about you being in. 00:30:58 Speaker 3: What do you think it was that you did that was able to convince her that like, nah, this nigga is he got this, he can do this. 00:31:06 Speaker 1: I really don't think it was nothing. I dead. I don't think it was not not dead for like, there's a lot of men struggle with that though, a lot of me struggle. 00:31:14 Speaker 2: And I want to I want to thank me my dream. 00:31:16 Speaker 3: She ain't like she wants me to go be this other different nigga and I want to do this. And the lady looking at it like nigga, that ain't gonna make us no money. I want the house over here, I want the car, I want the bag, I want these things. So a lot of ladies don't look at it like that, but it seems like you, you you got a very good deal in the sense that like she was looking at you like he got it. 00:31:39 Speaker 1: Yeah. 00:31:39 Speaker 2: I think before you go, Nate, I want to give some context, real, just real quick, because you I know this was it the first day, second day? When did you tell her she was gonna be your wife? 00:31:48 Speaker 1: Uh? First first day? 00:31:50 Speaker 4: He told her as soon as a John we had John. 00:31:55 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't think. I don't think. I really don't think I had to convince her. I think that it was like so like mind you, like I always I still do. I still have a full time job. So like I've always, I've always maintained a full. 00:32:05 Speaker 5: Time is it in the artistic world? 00:32:08 Speaker 1: Like yeah, it's an education. The thing is is like sometimes like I put it this way, like so like if you to a black woman, like it was depending, I can say that it depends on what your level of talent is and like how serious, like they could see the potential in it. So like if you tell her like, hey, man, I want to be a rapper and she's like all right, cool, and she listening to raps and the rappers trash, then it's like yeah, she might be like hey bro, like you might need what I'm saying, but like yeah, supposed yeah, but when she saw when she saw work, she's probably like mind you. Then I feel like my work was trash compared to where it is. You know what I'm saying now, or like you know what I'm saying. Six seven years ago I was looking at her work and I was like yo, like you know what I'm saying. But like when she saw her, she's like, oh wow, like you you really do this. But like for her, it wasn't much convincing, like she just she just trying to push me in the directional like yo, like whatever it is that you want to do, like I want to be a supportive person for you, And that's kind of like the the person that she is, like yo, like whatever it is. And like for her, it ain't the money. We started discovering that that art is way more lucrative than all these jobs when you start seeing these people getting auctioned off, auctioned off innings and stuff like that for millions or actual artists that I know, like black artists that I know that I like by name that they selling. The art work was sixty thousand a piece. It's like in mind, you like if you make enough money to where you tell if I made enough money to why I tell my wife, Yo, I'm not selling this six thousand dollars. I just made this. I ain't selling this. That's how much money you bring it in the year, Like it's very lucrative business. But she didn't. I don't think she ever looked at it as like like now, like you ain't making money by blah blah. Like she's just like, yo, like this is what he's like to do now. Mind you, if it was the I don't know. If it was the only thing I was doing and it was like hurting us, she probably still was the support because we have these conversations. I'm trying to transition to do our full time and like sometimes you got some months where I'm bringing in ten thousands of dollars and one month next month it's like, you know what I'm saying, maybe two three thousand. It's like, man, this ain't this ain't it? So? So for us it's like it's an up and down situation. So it's like the stability is having a job the whole time, health insurance, all that kind of stuff. But for her, I'm like, yo, she's having a conversation now, like how do we transition? You just do it full time. Whether we got to pick up the slide and about the down gray a little

bit, we gotta figure it out. But like, I think you should chase this, you know what I'm saying. 00:34:37 Speaker 3: She was like, at least take up great one, that great one, brother, because most women not wanting to do that. Yeah, most women are not willing to do that like that that there's they they're supportive to a point. And I feel like, just from my experience is that if you don't got the plan all the way together, or if you ain't like all the way understanding how to figure this out and make this amount of money, and it's like, well, when you're gonna stop doing it because it's a hobby And I understand from you just having this brief conversation so far it's not a hobby for you. 00:35:11 Speaker 5: It's a passion. 00:35:13 Speaker 4: It's the same thing like doing podcasting. 00:35:15 Speaker 5: For me. It's like I could meet women and tell. 00:35:18 Speaker 3: Them what I do and they'll be like, Okay, that's a cool hobby, but they don't understand the extent of the work that I put into And it sounds the same. 00:35:25 Speaker 5: Way for you, and that that's a key. 00:35:28 Speaker 3: That's a pivotal thing for someone you have a relationship with, like really them understanding like, nah, this is what I do. 00:35:35 Speaker 5: I'm doing this corporate shit. 00:35:36 Speaker 3: So me and you can be good and have food in refrigerator and our kids straight or whatever it may be, and make sure that we ain't out here struggling. But this over here, what I do in the past time or the same time, this is actually what I do, and I think we have a hard time getting them to buy into that. So hearing your experience is a refreshing thing. 00:35:57 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think I think back on my day days, Man, I feel like I've always had some type of support, like they're be like, oh snap, like let me let me come to your shows and stuff like that, because like, like the difference I said, the difference between podcasts and in the art business is like if I if I'm good enough, like y'all are good, but like people have to talk to me and watch your show in order to see that you're good. Whereas for me, it's like instant gratification. So like you automatically in the spotlight. So if I if I, if I create something dope and I'm at to show somewhere when people walk by, they're like, oh my god, who did that? And then you as a woman, get to be attached to the guy who's getting So it's something out type thing. So I've always experienced like the oh, like I want to be next to the guy or I want to be associated that who's at the start of this, you know what I'm saying, cause it makes him like everybody, Oh cameras is all out for him. I want to be next to that. But I feel like them type of them, them type of women, it's just just just not the ones that usuld be, you know what I'm saying. Invested in and a man really in gality. 00:36:58 Speaker 5: Man. 00:36:59 Speaker 1: They I don't know, man, I'm like, it's a lot of good women out here. It's a lot of good women out here, but like it's a certain type. We really care about the lifestyle. Like there's a certain type of lifestyle they want to live based off of social media and all that kind of stuff. So they care more about the bag about everything, and like, I don't know, I don't think that's like that's that's wild like that it's like Portoo dreams, Like you know what I'm saying. 00:37:21 Speaker 2: Absolutely, I want to go back a little bit. Nate, we talked about I met you when I was nineteen years old, you know what I'm saying, And uh Medden instantly hit it off. First time I met met and he was playing a piano like self talk just knew how. I just taught himself a how to play the piano. Man, It's always been an artistics dude, and I want to pivot just a little bit. We'll get back to art. I want to talk about that accountability portion that I talked to you about and get an idea where that comes from. I don't know if you remember when we lived together at the Bunker, there was a time, man, I was in the living room, bro, and still to this day, no one's ever talked to me like that, but you let me have it. I don't know if you remember this moment, but you let me have it. 00:38:04 Speaker 1: Bro. 00:38:04 Speaker 2: You was like, Bro, what are you doing? And you doing X, Y and Z, like you know what I mean. I was. I was at a place in life where. 00:38:11 Speaker 1: I think he was a dark time. 00:38:12 Speaker 2: I was just in a rut like I was just I didn't know who I was. I didn't really know where I. 00:38:16 Speaker 5: Was a little bit more like where was this sat? 00:38:19 Speaker 2: All right, So this is is in Toledo. This is in Toledo, living together. This is about to y'all in the same frat. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, gotcha. 00:38:28 Speaker 5: Yeah. 00:38:28 Speaker 2: So this is in Toledo. This had to be about two thousand and nine, twenty ten. Oh are you at that point? I'm twenty two okay, twenty two to two thousand nine. Yeah, we lived in the household on that's when we moved in and I had I had a girlfriend. I just had a girlfriend. Like that was really dope, right everything. Yeah, she was really dope, really dope, man, just because of where I was the wife and living. No, No, she was just dope. She was just dope. She was just dope. She's still cool people. 00:39:01 Speaker 1: I mean, good person all around. Everybody loved her, Scholly like love the Lord. Just a good person. 00:39:10 Speaker 2: Nate always slayed. So Nate's the one that always tells me bred like, you dated a lot of wives. You call me good luck, Chuck said, all the women that you date, they end up being the gage the next dude they. 00:39:21 Speaker 1: Mess with, Like, that's a lot. You have a lot of wives. You you didn't. You didn't dated a lot of wives. 00:39:28 Speaker 2: And I can't. I can't say you're wrong, I have to, you know, I'm just you know, I feel. 00:39:32 Speaker 1: Like I feel like most of the women we dated, and especially in college, bro, they were wives. They

just might not have been ours, but they was wife and we just didn't treat them like that, but they was. They was. 00:39:43 Speaker 2: Going back to set this up. So I just broken up with her, messing with this woman and that complete downgrade. Uh really wasn't going to classes, didn't have a goal, didn't have nothing going on. Oh and Nate the same way, because we would get on Nate a lot. But we're very similar as far as personalities and just certain moments where we can probably slack, Like right, you know what I'm saying, we bullshit sometimes, especially if that is we were bullshit be cause I was looking Nate like, Bro, you got all the time on what you're doing, like while you're worried about this second and third so your or And he would always tell me, brother, you gotta get for speaking like you need to do something with that like he would. We would always say that, but we never do anything. We just saw it in each other. I don't think either one of us kind of knew exactly what that meant. And I don't even know what led to it. I just remember it was me and it was Ralph in the living room. Ralph didn't really say nothing, and Nate was just letting me have it. And and it's if you know Nate, you know it's because like, bro, you my brother, I love you like I can't sit here. I'm not gonna be the friend that sits here and lets you crash out, like I want to let you know how much I think of you and that you bullshitting right now. And I remember getting a little hot with him, but then realizing like, nah, that's absolutely right, and that's what I needed to hear, and that's actually what kind of sparked my whole return back to Cincinnati. I'm like, I ain't doing nothing up here, like I stayed like an extra year. I ain't doing nothing here. But even years later, that happened in twenty nine and twenty twenty five years later, that conversation always resonates with me because nobody had ever been that blunt and upfront with me about you wasting your talent. Bro, You're wasting your life right now, and I don't understand why, because you have everything, all the tools and resources that you need, but for some reason, you just in this dark space. What was it? Not just about that time, but just in general about who you are, because it's not just me. And they does that when they will do that with all of us. He'll do that. Anybody calls a brother, they will call them out on they bullshit. You might not like to approach sometimes and sometimes you might not be in the mood to hear it, but it's always something you need to hear, and that you've always been that way, you always held people accountable and we've all been better because of it. What you get that from or where's that? Why is it so important to you to make sure that you're heard in that way? 00:41:55 Speaker 1: I don't know. I mean I feel like, you know, my parents are kind of like that, like they were boring, like they'll just fly out, you know, black family man, Like I don't care if I hurt your

feelings, like tough love deal with it. So that's kind of that's what kind of where I came from. But you know what I'm saying. 00:42:12 Speaker 2: Do you remember that moment? Do you remember that moment? What I'm talking about? 00:42:15 Speaker 1: We mean, uh, I ain't lie. I feel like nah, Like I feel like I think I remember talking to you about it, but I feel like. 00:42:23 Speaker 2: You weren't talking. You wasn't talking, Yeah, talking too, Yeah, But I. 00:42:29 Speaker 1: Considering the time, like this is a time where like like like you I don't know, like like when you see a friend of yours or your brother, somebody you truly love, like you want to see them doing the best and and your vision for them. Like when I see my friends and the brothers people I care about, I have my own imnder. Sometimes I'm guilty that that's that's also a bad thing. Sometimes I create a reality of who I believe that they have the potential to be in my own head, and I hold them to this great esteem. Like, yo, I think that you here, like you could be doing this, this is not and then like in mind you, like I ain't perfect either, so like but this was the point where it's like, yo, like Karen not even on the thresho, he's not even at the plateau. He like below, he below his average, Like he's below people ow his mediocre right now, Like you know what I'm saying, like like just going to work, coming home, locking itself in the room all night, you know what I'm saying. Not really like and I'm like, yo, as talented as you are every time somebody talks to mind you, it's not even like it's not even like a I was like man like I did like a deep you know, you know, analyzing his life or something like that, but like he naturally has a gift so whenever you talk to people, people like to hear what you got to take. People like to talk to you. People feel comfortable talking to you. That's a natural gift. Since since I was a freshman, you know what I'm saying, you were the DSU. People like to talk to. People gravitated to you. You know what I'm saying. That's a natural gift you had. When we start talking, you get up there and you start job jacking about something, people just like, okay, I'm saying, like, and people believe you. You know what I'm saying. It's it's a it's a gift that that that you have to do something like that. Back then, I remember telling you, like, yo, I think you should do some motivational speaking or something like that. You know what I'm saying. I didn't know how it was it lambs. However, it was talking to people no matter what, and you're doing it now. 00:44:17 Speaker 2: But no, I don't. 00:44:17 Speaker 1: I don't know exactly when I became that type of person. I don't know. Sometime I gotta check my approach because I'll be you know, sometimes I feel like i'd be a little too crazy just saying. 00:44:30 Speaker 2: Well, that depends on the person too. I always appreciate it, but you know we that's my personality. I can take that blunt feedback. I know

what has gotten you. I know personally it has gotten you into some back and forth because people don't like your approach and how you go about it, because like I said, there's no sugarcoating. It's straight to the hey, bro, you bullshit and stop playing. 00:44:50 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not even sometimes I'll say majority times if I if I say something, if I come at you crazy, it's because everybody's thinking the same thing, just ain't nobody saying it. And that's the crazy part about it. It is like like I love my brother, but like why would I sit up here let him drown because I'm afraid of hurting his feelings, Like I don't care, Like I'll tell you what it is, and you know what I'm saying. You know that you know me enough to know that, Like I love you and I care about you, like I'm not trying to hurt your feelings. But like if I'm saying something that that's beating you down, but without telling you, like I think you better than like you know. 00:45:23 Speaker 2: What I'm saying. 00:45:23 Speaker 1: So like for me, anytime I ever did one of them like, hey, no, I think you're wrong. Grow blah blah blah. It's like ten times out of ten these are probably private conversations or we all looking like that ain't cool. But I ain't saying that about it, you know what I'm saying. 00:45:36 Speaker 2: So I just not for that. 00:45:37 Speaker 1: And maybe I think I think I have a I think I think I have a strong, like a moral conviction. I just say, and sometimes again that that also could be negative because I kind of I tend to hold everybody to my moral standard and I'm trying to learn how to release people from my moral standard. 00:45:55 Speaker 2: Yeah, I just wanted to let you know just publicly, man. I appreciate you, like ever since I know you, man, and I appreciate you for that because we talk about just you know, this podcast is for black men, man. It's a space for these conversations, and a lot of times there aren't enough people to be honest with their friends, and they just yes, men, or they look at it and maybe not with a bad attention. I don't think when I say yes, man, I don't mean like, oh I'm scared to say something. It's more so is this my place? Yeah, I don't care enough at it. That's a grown man. He gonna figure it out. And you kind of hit the nail on the head and they when he was like, hey, man, like why y'all quiet? Now, y'all was just talking about how this is an issue, and now when it's brought up, nobody want to say that. Well, fuck it, I'll say something. This is what's going on, this is what people are saying, this is how people looking at you right now. And I always appreciate that because it always just like you said, and there was never a time where we fell out or there was an issue. It was always love. You give your point off, I agree, I disagree, and then ten minutes fifteen minutes later, man, it's always not I love you. Man, I appreciate you saying that, And it's always the moralist has always made me every single time. It's always good. Maybe step back, get some perspective, and keep moving forward in a positive direction. 00:47:06 Speaker 1: And likewise, though, likewise, and like I'm like the super accountability person. I feel like everybody's all we do is hold each other accountable. You know what I'm saying. 00:47:14 Speaker 2: That's important. 00:47:15 Speaker 1: You are way more tactful in the way that you do it. Sometimes I'll just be like, but like, I think we hold each other accountable, man, And you know what I'm saying, I think that's a beautiful thing. 00:47:28 Speaker 3: Sure, that's what these these conversations mostly about accountability and and and having those conversations with each other and saying, like, I get what you're saying. 00:47:38 Speaker 5: I wonder how long have you been married? 00:47:41 Speaker 1: Three years? 00:47:42 Speaker 5: How many kids? Do you say? 00:47:43 Speaker 1: You have? Two? So I not not with my wife? And then I'm a little girl, how old are they? So? At eight and one just turn one yesterday on the fifth, two days ago, birthday. 00:47:59 Speaker 3: Happy, they tell the little I'm wondering from what Karen, what Rich just said. You being the head of your family, seems like you're well respected amongst your wife and your kids. Do you handle those situations in the same way being ahead of your family, Like if you're addressing stuff with your wife, if you're dressing stuff with your eight year old, is it the same way? The Rich remembers like, it ain't no nonsense. I want you all to understand what we need to be doing and fall in line, or do you find yourself because are your kids boys and girls? 00:48:43 Speaker 1: My eight year old's a boy and the little one is a girl. 00:48:46 Speaker 3: Do you find yourself trying to tiptoe around I want to be more harsh than this with my wife, with my eight year old son, but I gotta dial it back a little bit, just because I know dain equipped for what Rich may have been equipped for. 00:49:03 Speaker 5: When in the frass like how does that work? 00:49:07 Speaker 1: I think I think that's I think that's fair. I think that you know what I'm saying. I think maturity and just having you know what I'm saying the emotional intelligence allow you to be like, all right, this I can package when I'm the truthful what I'm about to say, I gotta package it differently for everybody. And I think that's something that I learned even more in our relationship, is like, okay, Like I can be as blunt and as honestly as possible, but at the same time, I also have to realize that there's another person on the other end, Like my invessage can be the truth and real, but there's another human being who's received Still consider the way you receive it. I'm not allowed to just blurt out however I feel about stuff, even whether I feel like it's the truth, and I'm not gonna do that without realizing that another person want to receive the end of that. You know what I'm saying the same way that someone I

would want somebody to How do I hear things? And sometimes that sounds like disrespect to me? My life can do say I'm gonna save by all blah, and I'll be like, yo, no, that sounds like disrespect to me. I hear disrespect. So like you can say what you guys say, it's the way you do it. So like I'm learning to get better with that. But I feel like when men is different, like you know what I'm saying, like, well, even want my son, Like with my son, my son is autistic. He's on autism spectrum. So like when I have conversation with him, that's another layer that teaches me how to adjust because you can't just blurt at a at an autistic child about stuff because like they don't process stuff. Social cut and on process stuff the same way. So you gotta adjust the way you communicate there. Just like when I'm talking to my wife, I adjust the way I community. Mind you we blunt with each other, you real blunt. She'll be like, yo, you fact, Like all right, it is like you know like you know what I'm saying. We talk to each other like like it is what it is like. But but when when it's a serious conversation, like y'all like somebody, there's a way you approach it so that because the goal of the conversation is to have a good outcome, it ain't just to be like yo, like I see blah blah blah. I said, I kept it real, Like the result is I want? What's the result? 00:51:05 Speaker 5: What's the resolution? 00:51:07 Speaker 3: How do we come to a resolution about how I feel or how you feel? How the men you get on the same page and make you feel like okay, gool, I get what you're saying. 00:51:17 Speaker 5: Here's what I'm saying. How do we move forward? 00:51:19 Speaker 1: And how do I get the best results? How do I get the best results from what I feel? Is if I'm coming at you, I ain't about to getting like that. 00:51:29 Speaker 2: We talked about episode part of it is Better on Yourself, and I talked about how in college we knew it right away that you were extremely talented. So Nate was the person and we didn't go to a small school. So this is a The black population might might not have been the largest, but it was a decent amount of people as far as the attendants right enrollment, should I say in Roman rate and Nate would be the person that, Hey, we need this sketch done for the poster this or we're doing the Martin Luther King celebrates and can you draw this? When we talk about bettering yourself, because I remember when you started really making art and displaying it for yourself when we were adults at that point, out of college and everything else. Man, what was it that made you turn this on? Because if I'm not mistaken, you always wanted to be an artist from the time you were a kid. Yeah, yeah, what what was What wasn't that change for you? This is even before cold What wasn't that change for you to say, you know what, let me actually start putting a little bit more effort into this. 00:52:32 Speaker 1: Honestly, I I it's always a part of me. Like I mean, you're a creative person too, y'all. You know what I'm saying y'all here because y'all created. So there's a part of you that's always going to feel incomplete unless you're doing that thing that you called Dude, that's a part of your purpose. So it's always itch, it's like and that's what I'm talking about, the depression and stuff like earlier, like if you don't, If you don't, it's bottle up in you and you don't express it, you don't chase after it had started eating up. So I think that for me, like even though I took years off from you know, I'm saying doing the work my job. As a kid, I always wanted to be artists. Man. I feel like every kid wants to do something wild, creative man, until the world doesn't, they can't. But like you know what I'm saying, growing up, I always wanted to do it. In college, I kind of wanted to do it, but I didn't think it was realistic. Didn't know that it was even possible to do that because everybody I took to our classes, but everybody, what good? 00:53:30 Speaker 5: I just want to know, was art your major? No? So I was. 00:53:34 Speaker 1: I was at first. At first it was it was education, then art education, and then it just went to I'm just here taking classes because I'm just in college. Just college. Fact, I always took our classes because I enjoyed it, Like that's the only classes, you know what I'm saying, aside from a few, you know, culture classes too, but art was like the classes I really love. 00:53:55 Speaker 2: Yeah, I didn't mean to cut them off, but I have to ask for this because I suffered through the same thing. And you know this. You talked about art and not being realistic, but you had a slew of people telling me, like telling you the same way you talked about you told me about what I should be doing. We were all telling you. And it wasn't just your inner circle. It was strangers like, oh, you need to do something with this. Why did you still feel it was unrealistic even though you had all these people telling you and in your ears saying, yo, this is the path. 00:54:23 Speaker 1: Because I was because like there's there's no there's no I mean at the time, that there's no pathway to success when it come art, Like there's no there's no ladder. There's no corporate ladder that you can climb, you know what I'm saying. To be successful, like to be something in our business, you have to be skilled and known. That's really the two you got to be. You had to have both of them. And for me at the time, when I'm you know what I'm saying, doing some artwork for somebody, I spent all this time, you know what I'm saying, two thousand and ten, twenty eleven, when I'm I'm painting something more drawn, something up for somebody, and I looked back I saw an old post Bro two thousand and nine that I made an ad where I was like selling art or drawm stuff for people for one hundred dollars, you know what I'm saying, felt like I was making it. I was like, I'm doing something like to me, I'm like, yo, like that's not

that's that's good. But like in order for me to make it a career, you know how many times I gotta do this. I gotta do this so many times. So it didn't feel like it was something realistic to me until you start to see that like the other players in the game. So like for me, I say, I always going to the museum, and when I was in Toledo, everybody in the museum was dead. They were white and dead, So like where are the people who are making a lot of money? Or if you go somewhere you see the prices on this stuff and it's like this is whack. Until I found out that the artist in Toledo business Aaron Bibbins, they was like, Yo, I saw some of his artwork and I'm in the same show as him one time in Toledo, and my homegirl she was like, Hey, you know, he's selling this piece of artwork for ten thousand, and I was like ten thousand dollars, Like that sounded crazy to me. I'm like, what ain't no way? And this is back in like maybe twenty eleven. I'm like, hartway sounded wild to me. But like just being able to be exposed to the other players in the game or people who are supple and just realize that it's possible that that kind of changed it, because you know what I'm saying again, at the time, you're selling two three hundred dollars for some artwork and that's all you're doing, is like, man, I'm just working just to give my stuff away to people. And then you realize that at some point now there are people out here who are really making them living and living, you know what I'm saying, off of their work. That's that's the that's a that's the benefit, man. That's that kind of what changed a little bit. I should say, yeah, man, yeah, you're having to see it. You have to see that it was real you know what I mean, versus trying to be the first person to do it and all the other stuff I want to ask you. 00:56:52 Speaker 2: Let's let's talk about this is one of the most fascinating things that you and I've ever discussed, Nate, And that's on your worst because there is no you set your price, you set your value right, And I want to talk about the story of when you kind of this kind of took for you first dizzy. Okay, So for those who don't stizzy So stizzy is a dispensed Yeah s t I I z y. 00:57:20 Speaker 4: You probably heard it. 00:57:21 Speaker 2: It's a dispenser. So it's a we rand Okay. I don't even know how how did it lead to that? How did you get in contact? But how did they get in contact with you? 00:57:30 Speaker 5: Like? 00:57:31 Speaker 2: What year you do the mirror for them? 00:57:32 Speaker 5: Like? 00:57:32 Speaker 1: What what? Because I'm gonna ask you a great question from connect you from college? You know what I'm saying. My boy from college reached out and was like, hey, he's working there. He was like, ah, okay, we're gonna plug you in. You know what I'm saying. We need some work done. I'm like, I never heard of this place, but in my mind, I thought it was like a new little. 00:57:50 Speaker 2: STI still mad at you to this day. For those who don't know, if you go to la you can fly back for the up to one ounce a week. Yes, I remember when he was going out here to l A and I said, Nate, man, bring me back to Flower Bro. They was giving him so much ship and he. 00:58:06 Speaker 1: Don't like good like that. That ain't my lane. 00:58:10 Speaker 2: I was like, and I told him specifically, I said, Nate, you can take this on the plane and I said, give me an hours of flower that giving you stuff. He did bring me back to disposable pins, which I appreciate you for. 00:58:21 Speaker 1: I forgot about that I did. 00:58:23 Speaker 2: Yeah, you definitely gave it. You definitely brought that back for me. But I definitely wanted that, bud. 00:58:29 Speaker 5: Bro. 00:58:29 Speaker 1: I'm telling you you know how much I was sweating off them pins, just thinking about like, man, here come the dogs, Here come the dogs. Bro. 00:58:37 Speaker 2: I'm still sawy by Nate for that. But either way, my fan not to interrupt. So you thought it was a mom and pop shot. 00:58:43 Speaker 1: Yeah, I thought it was. I thought it was a mom pop shot, Like you know what I'm saying. I'm like, at first, I was like a dispensary. I'm here we go. I was like, you know what I'm saying, mom, pop shot until like I should some research and I was like, oh, oh, this is like a warehouse. I was like, oh, this is huge. And then when I got out there, I was like, oh no, this is this is crazy. But he reached out like hey man. First it was, uh, the owner wants for the owner wants four pieces of like l a icon. So it's like Kobe, Nipsey Easy and I don't remember who the third fourth person was Ian cut. I don't remember who the fourth person was. It was for four icon Kobe that says there is four I don't know who the fourth person was Pop Tupac even though. But anyway, but yeah, so I did those for him. You know, that was a whole little thing. Discussed the price with him and at the time, how did he find you? I mean that was that was my boy from college. Like he always knew that, like I did, you know, I did art. And then at the time, because of my wife, I started like picking up my No, I didn't even have an Instagram, man, but he just knew what I did. I was posting on like Facebook or something like that what year was this? 01:00:05 Speaker 2: Its like, is this COVID or writing for it? 01:00:08 Speaker 5: This is this is COVID. 01:00:09 Speaker 1: I was out there with a mask on yeah, twenty twenty, but yeah, it was It was cool and then you know, but yeah, So I did the four pieces and I shipped them out there and he was like, hey, man, he needs to do a mural, so like how much what's your price? So I'm like all right. So I'm like, mind you at the time, I'm probably selling artwork for like I don't know that, maybe like twelve hundred and fifteen hundred dollars. So I'm thinking I'm doing something then, so I'm like, man, let me Sometimes. I don't know y'all experienced that, but you ever you ever had somebody ask you to do something and you give

them a stupid answer just so they can go away, so so they can be like, all right, I'm good. But I was like in my mom I was like yeah, I'm like yeah, let me uh and I'm gonna just tell you the prices. I was like, yo, he's like how much for that mural? I was like, let me get I think the murror is five thousand dollars. I was like, me, get flopped out off of it was like a huge pain, like huge canvas, and it was like all right. I was like, dang, I was all right, I'm mind you. I'm like at the time, like all right, cool, you know what I'm saying. But mind you. I felt like I didn't I wasn't really ready for it, but I just I just, you know, took the opportunity anyway. I was scared. I was like, man, I ain't never did this. And then we could do this live too, in the store so people can see. You still kind of not knowing what it is until I got there, and when I when I went in there, I'm just like, oh my, like that's like that that place was like that was huge. But you know, again, I get to working and then that's when I started having a conversation with the people. I'm talking to people all the time, like people locals coming up, Hey, what's good, bro, where you from? And you know, and the more I talked to them, they're like, hey, man, you know my how many time I had a conversation man, hey man, how do you mind me asking how much you charged them for this? I was like, man, five thousand. 01:01:56 Speaker 2: It was like, well, what it was the big dogs that you heard. You overheard the big dogs kind of be like can you believe you only try? Yeah, that's what. That's the part that always fascinating me. And that's that. 01:02:08 Speaker 1: And that's the part. And like everybody looking at me, mondud, this is this is just locals. They're just looking at me like I'm crazy, Like yo, like you did all this for five times dollars net me get your card, bro, And I'm like wow, And in mind, in my mind, I'm like yo, like I thought that, you know what I'm saying, I priced myself off. But somebody else they're like yo, like that's pennies, that's pennies. You know what I'm saying. Especially what I did, I still feel like I ain't get my just doing that. 01:02:36 Speaker 2: I'll tell you right now. 01:02:37 Speaker 5: You did not What was it that made you think that there was a surprise you need to charge and like. 01:02:44 Speaker 3: Not stepping into I'm gonna bust these niggas head because I know I'm cold, Like what was it being. 01:02:51 Speaker 1: On a real like you know what I'm saying, Sometimes like when you ain't when you're a habit like that, like mind you money was coming in and it was DC in twenty twenty, Like we ain't have a whole lot going on because you wasn't going to restaurants, you weren't going on days like that. It was just y'all just wearing a mask and sitting around the house all the time. So like we wasn't doing a whole lot of outside activities like that. So I wasn't spending nowhere there as much money. But like when you when you're an artist or in

general, like sometimes you have an opportunity that comes across and you not and you like, yo, like I don't know if I have Like why would I pass up this kind of money? Like I feel bad and I'm passing some money, you know what I'm saying. Like that, that desperation sometimes will make you be like yeah, let me let me just I'm scared of I'm scared of being going too high, and they'd be like, nah, I'm good, Like you know what I'm saying. Then you're like, dang, like you know what I'm saying. Missed out watching Joe Budd podcast and he was talking about that He's talking about another artist, same situation. He created a painting for the Joe Bud podcast. It was a dope painting and Joe reached out like, hey man, how much and he was like, yo, let me get twenty thousand four And Joe like, nah, I'm good. Then he didn't have left my red and dude hit back, wait, whoa, whoa, whoa whoa, I'll give it to you for three team and you like nah. And at that moment you value yourself like when you do stuff like that. But it's a desperation that makes mele be like nah, I don't want to pass up on this opportunity, Like you know what I'm saying, Like, if money's on the table, I want to be able to take that money. I'm scared that you may think that I'm not worth it and then you want to keep money for it, or I'll be like I'm out of it. I'd rather have five thousand dollars in my hand than no money at all. 01:04:26 Speaker 3: That's the thing that we struggle with as creatives, Like you know, if you are heavily you researching the game, and you know what people got to do, you know how much the price is for it, but still you don't want to price yourself out when people look at you. 01:04:44 Speaker 5: Like, oh, this is crazy. 01:04:46 Speaker 3: Yeah, so now I get this nigga crazy versus I can make five thousand dollars. 01:04:53 Speaker 5: Like, it's a thing that you got to deal with in our industry, especially when you set your own prices. 01:04:59 Speaker 3: And it ain't that's podcasts, that's artists and editors, whatever it may be. It's like, I know what I'm worth, but I also know that people don't understand the value that I add to this. 01:05:12 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that's that's the hard part is the connection between I know I'm not my worth, but you know, as a creative in order. 01:05:19 Speaker 4: To survive, thank I need exactly they. 01:05:24 Speaker 1: Gotta believe in your worth. And you know what I'm saying, and you set that standard. You set that standard. You know what I'm saying, because like I said that, Like she would always say that even when I was young, when I was in high school, you know, I was doing art work. That's how That's how I paid. I ain't have no jobs. That's how I paid to the prom. 01:05:39 Speaker 5: I was drawn and. 01:05:40 Speaker 1: Sign artwork teachers to get money to pay for prom. But she always say, like, you know what I'm saying. Hey, she like, son, make sure you set your price, and your price is your price. And you don't come down for nobody, because the moment you come down and you give somebody a little price, they're gonna go to their friends. Hey go hit him up. He'll do it for this, and then that's what's gonna be known. You're gonna be known and this is where he is. If he tell you anything outside of that, he's tripped. So you call yourself based on where you place yourself. 01:06:11 Speaker 3: That's a good point to some of the point being in this game. For I've been doing a podcast for fifteen years, and their conversations that have had was like, I'll give you this, and you're. 01:06:25 Speaker 5: Like, nah, I'm not. I'm not. I'm not doing it for that, Like they ain't, no way I do it for that. 01:06:31 Speaker 3: But you also price yourself out because people look at you in a different aspect. Just like what you're saying, I know what I bring to the table and the value that I add, but at the same time it sounds crazy to you because you ain't familiar with his space. 01:06:45 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean that's the reason why so many artist signed three six deals. It's these crazy deals because like, man, like, when that money, the opportunity right in front of you, if somebody walked up be like, hey, man, I give you a man dollar. You know what I'm saying, signing bonus, You're gonna You're gonna be a slave me forever. That maion dollars right now when you and your family like as a creative, like like like there is no real there's no real value like actual tangible value to what we do side. 01:07:14 Speaker 5: From it don't make sense for what I do, what you do, what I do, It don't make sense. 01:07:21 Speaker 1: Yeah, it don't make sense. So like what we do is intangible. It's intangible in mind you Like I create a physical thing, but like the art is it's just like what you see on the canvas is just a reflection of what's here. Like my hands don't do the work. It's this So like the same with y'all, y'all sen here, have a conversation, y'all speaking, this is what's working right here. So like how do I just pay for what my thoughts are? Because like my hands only do what my mind tell it to do. So like how do I get paid for doing that? And that's like thin air, Like I'm getting paid for my thoughts. I'm getting paid for it. My mind thinks so how do I how do I convert that into like an actual like standard, like this is how how much I should get paid for doing y It's a hard thing to do, but you got to you know what I'm saying, Like you really have to really have to better on yourself. And then eventually you go from plateau to plateau, like all right, cool. 01:08:10 Speaker 3: Like first I was like, when you get to a certain point and it's sounds like you're at that, it's only a couple of niggas in the world they can do what I do, Like y'all y'all trying to dismiss this, like, oh, I can get this person and this person this, but no, it's only a couple of niggas that can do at the level that I think that, like what you just said with your mind, it's only a certain.

01:08:31 Speaker 5: Amount of niggas that can do this. Then you got to pay me for that. 01:08:35 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a skill, man, it's a skill. And then like and then also like it ain't cheap, like y'all, materials and stuff ain't cheap like I've been seeing y'all, especially seeing Kinen. Man Kinen first started. 01:08:47 Speaker 5: Off bro. 01:08:49 Speaker 1: Like, like his his screaming looks like mine, like like an upgrade equipment. You know what I'm saying. I see a microphone. I do got headphones and he's, you know what I'm saying, the street your app like, he's you know what I'm saying, it's a whole lot going on that it takes to a ball and he's this is this is still like where he's gonna go, where y'all gonna go. It's like it's still here. Y'all gonna go so much further and you're gonna grow and then it's gonna become bigger and bigger and bigger. But it's expensive, bro, it's expensive to follow that that creative you know what I'm saying, to follow follow your dreams. Bro, it's expensive. So let me ask you you'd be compensated for it and. 01:09:26 Speaker 2: That same vein. So how did that? How did that moment in la recalibrate your mindset on what your worth is and make you look at things different? Because I know it's got to feel a way when you got the head to people who made the deal looking at you work and saying over, we got over on this dude right here, How think that we calibrate what your worth is and like get you with a good space and just out of curiosity. If that same offer came to you today, same location, same offer, what do you think you would charge them? 01:09:54 Speaker 1: Oh, I'm probably like quad tripling that for sure. I'm quite tripled. If not, I probably hip for for a thirty piece the same thing, Probably a good thirty piece for sure. I still think that's jump Change. I still think that Jump Change can in compare them to the millions that they bring it in. If you have seen, if you would have seen, like it's like I don't know how the sprint trees are and Ohio, I never been in one, but this place was like it was the size of a Walmart, but the lines is wrapped around going in and out the products that they was giving me for free, Like here, man, Traida is here, take this, try that, And I'm looking at how much it actually costs. And these people were coming in weekly, they were coming in multiple times that it's my third time being here this week. I'm like, dang, bro, that's how much money was coming in. So imagine doing something that stays in their establishment for it's still up there right now. If you go there for years, that's an investment for them. They stay there for years. That's a staple for them that they when when they come in people are taking pictures and taking selfies with it. That's that's that ass as to your brain, that's something that that thirty thousand is nothing. You may say more than that in the day, you know what I'm saying, Like, you make that way more than that in the day. 01:11:09 Speaker 5: But here I am like. 01:11:10 Speaker 1: Thinking, I'm doing something that you know what I'm saying. So, yeah, I think I would, I would, I would try. 01:11:15 Speaker 2: I always get so proud, man, when I see pictures of it still, I see people going in and my brother did that mural. It's just so dope to see that because I remember that was just being a big moment and I just never forget that story. But going back to the other question, just how did that recalibrate you? What did you do or what did you change to say, you know what my price is my price? Because I know that that can lead to even we talk about it all the time, man, so I say, the least support your friends, support your family the same way you support these celebrities. And we talk about how I always say, I know Spikes feels the same way. I'm never gonna ask somebody who's creative or doing something, or if they make shirts or hats, whatever, I'm not going I'm never gonna ask them for a discount. Yeah, that's what they do. I wouldn't go into a regular store and ask them for it. Felt like I'm not gonna do that to my brother who's trying to do something with my sister. I'm trying to do something. How does that work? And how does that keep you? Because there's people, you know, we talked about college, tons of people talking from college that probably hit you up and think like, oh, I know Nates Is back in the day, they gonna cut me a little deal, and you gotta be like, nah, bro, it's gonnaga my talent that got out that price range. I'm out of here. How do you stick to that and still saying true to who you are? Man? 01:12:26 Speaker 1: Ain't a lie? Man, I don't know. It's one of them situations where it's like you gotta be okay with people, uh not being okay with you, because if you're knowing what your work is worth, Like I know a little bit about art history, and art history is in the history of art, especially in just around the world. Art is not something that the common man had access to. The common man did not have an original painting on the wall or artwork at all in their home. That wasn't common. You had to be an exceptional elitist to have artwork in your home, especially for somebody who was known so because of how expensive it was. And you know what I'm saying, in that world, art was was revered. These days, now we have TJ. Max, we got Ai, we got almost it's easy to just put some on the wall, so you know what I'm saying. So sometimes people do value it, but I don't know. I feel like as far as people who know me man and the discount thing, man, the thing is, Man, I think a lot of times what I deal with the most is people who reach out knowing well not knowing that they can't afford it, but or people who reach out expecting like yo, like look out for me for the low or people who just want a discount, Like the discount thing is the wild thing. And I don't think I've ever had for a discount for nothing. If you got you said, if you got something going on, I'm gonna

support it. But I kind of for for years, I would do like I'd rather give something to you for free than to ask me for need to need to low ball myself on it. But like for years, I started I started being like, all right, man, I guess treat my artwork like it's something important, Like yo, I don't come down on my price for nobody, friends or family and nobody. This is what it is. And if you can afford it, cool, If you can't, that's what it is. 01:14:16 Speaker 2: That's why you sell Prince Ye Original Peace. 01:14:20 Speaker 1: Yeah, even that has had you know, moments like you know what I'm saying. The reality is like, man, like you just I don't know, Like I don't know. 01:14:33 Speaker 5: Question was I got two questions? I had two questions off that. 01:14:37 Speaker 3: One is somebody that respects your talent and they reach out to you and they say, this is what I want. 01:14:50 Speaker 5: What's the average ticket price for that? 01:14:54 Speaker 1: It really depends on what they're what they're looking for. You described as a commission commissioner say hey, can you paint a portrait of my family or something like that. I don't like doing stuff like that because it feels like it feels like shackles. It feels like it was creative shackles. It feels like like, uh, I'm forced to do something I really don't want to do, Like I only like doing come to in fact. 01:15:24 Speaker 3: Okay, so what if that reach out to you and say, I fuck with your brand. I see what you're doing. I just want the next thing that you're doing care. 01:15:35 Speaker 2: I don't need you. 01:15:37 Speaker 3: I don't need you to make it catered to me from creative space. The next thing that you do, I want that. 01:15:45 Speaker 2: What's the ticket for that? 01:15:46 Speaker 1: Right now? I'm probably between thirty five and four thousand right now? Okay, in mind you when I saw the other artist, they be like, yo, that's nothing. So like I think that it comes with time and all the whole about you know, to knowing your worth all kinds of stuff. Sometimes you have to learn it over time, you know what I'm saying. Because it was a time where I was selling my or for five hundred dollars and I thought that I was doing something and I felt like I'm getting my work. And then I started selling for fifteen and I was like, I'm crazy with it, you know what I'm saying. So eventually it takes time to get to that point, Like, you know what I'm saying, because you talk to any artists, they'll tell you, Yo, I was not out the gate, coming out like Boom with twenty thousand and thirty thousand for my artwork. You know what I'm saying. They started off the same way. So in then for cheaper. I even talked to one of the artists, like the guy was telling you about who who who? You know what I'm saying, Who's making sixty seventy thousand dolls for his originals? He's like, yo, I was selling art for less than what you was selling your for when I first started off, you know what I'm saying. So like you

know what I'm saying. I think it comes with time. But if somebody reached out like yo, like I want to do X, Y and Z, you know what I'm saying, especially if the offer is like reasonable or they the idea is something that I want to do, like so sometimes be like, yo, I don't know what it is, but I got a concept and I want you to if you can just create this kind of concept, I'll pay you whatever. That same sounds more like something would be interested in doing or somebody being like, hey man, my auntie passed, can you do my Auntie. I'm like, I really don't want to because I don't know you or your aunt Like, you know what I'm saying, I'm not invested in I'm just sitting in here like you know what I'm saying, Like that's not what I'm not passionate about it. I don't like doing stuff that I care about. And then you can tell in the way it looks based on, you know what I'm saying, how much passion I have for it. 01:17:29 Speaker 5: Who's your favorite artist? 01:17:32 Speaker 1: I would say it's a few of them, a lot. I would say my favorite artist, I'll say Kevin Williams are by whack so like if you we probably seen his r or so much but probably don't realize it. So like you know, and you know the alpha fans that they had with the dude who did like this all kinds of stuff, all of the Greek pictures that was him. Yeah, that's him. That's what I'm talking about. Frank Morrison. Frank Morrison, obvious. See the pictures were the black men playing basketball with the super long arms and they dunking the ball and playing basketball at Frank Morrison. That's another black artist that I'm a big fan of. Kendall Wiley's in All the Museums man that he does a lot of the neo classical type uh some some some reend science style type pains, but he inserted black bodies into him. What I'm saying, he could be a dude or a do rag, but he's like posing like something like you know what I'm saying. So though those are probably some of my favorite artists. 01:18:36 Speaker 2: I got two questions for you to last. Two questions I have. The first one is you talked about it a little bit. I don't know about have a personally ask for this. What how do you find your motivation? Like how do you know what that next piece is gonna be? Do you ever go through lows? Because I know you went through what maybe last year you just weren't motivated to work, you didn't have any you weren't inspired. What keeps you inspired? And how do you find that? Because I'm always fascinated by your pieces because they're very distinctive. 01:19:07 Speaker 1: I appreciate motivation. I think that it's a it varies, Uh sometime I could be out. I think one of the first things that inspires me all the time. It is like y'all like seeing people who create always inspires me. So like if I'm if I'm out somewhere, especially music. If I'm out somewhere and I see a live band and by that time I was anat Cincinnati. Stuff like that, people who are creative getting their bag and they doing anything. It always makes me think about myself and be like yo, like I don't know why. And for some reason, live music always does it. If I go somewhere and I listen to a live jazz band of Neil Soul artists, I'm like, man, it makes me think about creating. And then like in my mind, I start seeing like I can see paintings like I see fool, I see stuff like you know what I'm saying. I can see it, but it's like it's just here. I can see it, dang all they start flowing. So I say music, but just watch other people create and seeing other people in their bag with their creative bag, that that inspires me. And then I don't know just how I'm feeling it. Sometimes they can hit me. I've been watching a TV show and I don't play like boom boom boom boom, there it is, and then like you know what I'm saying, So it really varies. Sometimes I can see something that inspire me, a color to inspire me, or a thought that come to my heart, or or a conversation, whatever it is, you can inspire something. And then you know from Americans creating. 01:20:26 Speaker 2: You just said something, and I just want to ask you this real quick, just before I get to my last question. How do you deal with burnout? How do you deal with like, Yo, I just don't have it, or I don't feel like doing this, or like maybe this isn't it? How do you deal with burnout? 01:20:38 Speaker 1: A lie? I don't know how to deal with that. I feel like I was just talking to cold about that. That's just yesterday. I was talking about that. I said, yo, like sometimes I feel like I'm burned out, especially when you know what I'm saying. I was in the mode where like I was just creating just to pay rent, I'm creating just to make ends me. I'm creating just to we need s Y and Z or we got to this event coming up and we need blah blah blah, Like all right, cool, you're gonna't hustle up, you know what I'm saying. But like that idea, it drains your creativity it drains when you when you're creating a survival mode, you're doing something survival mode, it drains the creativity, the true passion for it. And eventually I was just like bye bye bye, just cranking them out fast. But then I started being like, why am I doing this? You know what I'm saying. So, like, as far as how to handle burnout. 01:21:26 Speaker 5: Don't mean nothing to me, I don't I don't know how to handle means don't mean shit to me. 01:21:31 Speaker 1: Yeah, I manage that because I feel. 01:21:34 Speaker 3: Like being being a creative in the same spot like you do that ship to just pump it out is like it don't mean ship to me, and I don't care. 01:21:43 Speaker 1: Yeah, and mind you like some something I truly do. I truly do, Like, oh I really like that. But like eventually, like we're going to burnout, bro, Like I don't know how to sometimes I don't know how to chill, Like you know what I'm saying, Like, if I'm doing something I really care about is the piece that I'm passionate about, there is no burnout for that. But if I feel like I'm creating so that I can make sure

that we can survive, and that's what burnout comes. That's what the burnout comes. 01:22:09 Speaker 4: Man, I gotta do this. 01:22:13 Speaker 1: Yeah, So I feel like I don't know how to manage that because if I feel like we need it, I'm going to crash out again. I'm gonna do it again. So I'm not at the point where I'm like, Yo, I could just I can just sit back and chill, like because I didn't made enough money for the next four five months with the work that I just did, I could just chill and just get a mental you know what I'm saying. But I don't. I don't know how to I don't know how to do that. You ever had a piece now and it's not even art, I think it's my room. You. Yeah, I feel like I'm starting to be burned out. Not with the art. I was just like life, Like I feel like I feel like I'm like I said earlier, like when were asking, like, yo, are you feeling, I said, I'm just you know what I'm saying, because like I feel like, you know what I'm saying. When you got a kid, Yeah, the world constant needs your attention. You got a wife, you got to give her attention. You got a son, You in a house for the three people. Three people havelationships with you, and all three needs you in three different ways, and you got to show up for them. You're not allowed to. 01:23:12 Speaker 3: Just That's why I commend every nigga in a relationship doing the things that you do, like because it's it's so much that you gotta, like, I gotta, I gotta consider them. 01:23:27 Speaker 4: And when niggas like me, I'm single, I ain't gotta. 01:23:30 Speaker 5: I ain't gotta do that. 01:23:31 Speaker 3: So I know what it takes because I've been in a long term relationship and like, I know what it's like having to consider to them and firstus, I'm just doing me. 01:23:45 Speaker 2: You ever had a still I promise I can tell my last question second just kids. You ever had a piece that you just didn't want to get rid of, like didn't want to give up. You ever made something that they're like something near duty, like man, I don't want to sell this man. 01:23:56 Speaker 1: Quite a few, man, I've been a part of it. I can't lie. It happens. It happens every so often. It's in mind. Is always the ones that I'm like passionate about, like the one I take the most tim into the most thought and like I create something and then once I like, I'd be like, yo, like like we may need the cash, you know, we may need the money, and I'm like, yo, I put it out there. It's a piece I'm like really really proud of. And then I'll say a number, start a number like yo, this is that's why I you know what I'm saying. And then somebody like, all right, bet so yeah, dang, like in mind you like you'd be happy, but the money don't even make me happy for it, Like I was like, dang, like like a part of me is gone. Every time I create a piece, that's that's time of my life that I put into something. The physical thing that you could just pick up, that's hours and hours and hours of my life that I put into this piece. Each piece is hours and hours of thought and in time that you put into something, and somebody can take from you with a couple of dollars, they could take them from you, and it's theirs. It's not. 01:24:58 Speaker 2: This is a perfect this is a perfect Wait to my last question, you talk about putting hours and hours of your life and somebody just taking it. I don't even know if you can speak on this. At the moment. You have a situation going on right now where a company I won't name who they are, a company stole your artwork and printed on shirts. Yeah, what does that feel like like an artist? Is there a little bit of pride of saying, oh, I'm that dope to where somebody needs to steal, but also the frustration and the anger of how dare you steal something that I poured my life, my blood, and my sweat, my tears into to make a profit. You were gaining profit off of something that I created. You didn't even give me credit, give me anything. How How does that? How is that process doing? Because I'll be honest with you, man, if I was me, man, I'm knocking on office doors like you handled them a lot better than I would, which is obviously the legal route. But what is that like for you? Mentally? In that space? 01:25:52 Speaker 1: At first? I was you know what I'm saying, Like, you go through all emotions, Like first, you're upset in mind, you like it's a big pla. So it's like at first, it's it's anger because you feel like somebody just just violated you, like they just took something from me. It's just like somebody walked up in your house and just took something and they're now they propped. 01:26:13 Speaker 5: It off of you. 01:26:13 Speaker 1: But really will bother me in the mouse? I'd probably say, well, bother me the mouse. It's not even that they stole from me. What bother me the most is that, like I know that the people who are the heads of this big multi billion dollar company in corporation don't care nothing about black bodies, don't care nothing about black people, but they wanted to take something that meant something to people like me and exploit that. Like, bother me the most is like like like black women, black women love to see Like how often do when you go into museums and stuff like that in galleries do black women get the opportunity to look somewhere and see their reflection, to see themselves, honor them in a certain type of way, and that means something to them. So like the artwork to other culture, the something I may they may be like, I mean, it's it's a beautiful pain. But to other women, when black women see some of those those pieces with the black girls with their hair, you know, breats and all kind of stuff, for them, they're like, oh my god, it brings me back to my childhood. It brings back to that, and that bothered me because the people who don't look like me. Who knows what race they are, but I'm guaranteed you they don't look like us. These people sitting up there and they pick out this right here, I can use

it because that emotion I know that they're getting from it. I can profit off of that, and that's what bothers me. So that that bothered me. And they sees so many when you look at the comments, you see the thousands that were being sold to this, you know what I'm saying, the thousands, they sold thousands of thousands of thousands of them. And then the pictures of these these proud black women, they're like, yo, look for the culture, for the culture, and they posted this. They're like yo, and then they think they really feeling proud, but they don't realize that like somebody is playing off you, like they stole from somebody who's black to put this out here, because I know that you care about seeing yourself so much that your bodys and not realizing that you're ripping off the original person that came from. So that that's where what bother me. Man, And then seeing somebody prop it off of it. I'm like, dang, man, maybe I should have shared the whole time. I was at one point like maybe I should say you worry like dummy, Like why would I doing that? 01:28:22 Speaker 2: Man. I really hope that gets resolved for you in a positive manner, man, because that still puts me off to this game we have. 01:28:28 Speaker 1: We have a settlement settlement meeting at the end of this month, brother, So. 01:28:32 Speaker 2: That's what's up. Hope that, man. I hope you get your just due when everything else and they learn not to do that, man, because that really especially when somebody you know in love. Man, it's like, man, y'all, y'all. Obviously anytime you get the first hand seat, I've sat in the crib when they was working, Like I've been there personally, so I know what it's like and what he goes through. So to see that just getting taken just literally like we said, so i'most like somebody just coming to your crib taking your ship and bounce like bro many brother, nah, man, like what are you doing? 01:29:00 Speaker 5: This is my life. 01:29:01 Speaker 2: This might be some little company or profit to you, this is my life. 01:29:04 Speaker 1: Yeah, it ain't the only one, Like it's smaller companies like look on Pinterest. Man, I'll be seeing people and it made the book covers and they did stuff like that. I'm like, you know, like, ain't nobody like gonna give me no credit? Please shot me out like I might have you hit me up plans like hand. Man, just don't head, you know what I'm saying. But like they just take it and just do what they want to with it, you know. But also a part of me is also happy, like the art really don't belong to me for real, Like once you put it out there to the world, it's really the intent for people to feel what they feel, so like it don't really belong to me no more. So a part of me is also like, hey, man, at least they at least they enjoying the work. At least the work and make some kind of impact, you know what I'm saying. It just sucks that it's the trash way of doing it. 01:29:46 Speaker 2: Yeah, man, Nate, my brother, don't spike on if you got anything else that Nate, Man, this is an absolute pleasure. I appreciate you joining us. 01:29:57 Speaker 1: Man. 01:29:57 Speaker 2: I can't tell you all enough. Man, this is my brother. Like I said, I was on this wed and I got a key to this man house, you know what I'm saying where his family lads their head like, just to put that in perspective of how close of a relationship you have to have to trust someone. And I can't tell you how honored I am to have that trust to call you my brother, to know you've seen your growth from the time you were eighteen years old to now be in thirty seven and just being able to accomplish all the things that you have, Man, because both of us were in spots where we were like, Man, the talent's there. I don't know if we're gonna push through, but hopefully I've inspired you and motivated you the same way you've inspired and motivated me. Man, a lot of stuff. I'm doing this because I got brothers like you in my corner who are always cheering me on and always telling me that I am worthy and I'm a you know, I deserve to have these things and kind of go after these dreams Man, So genuinely, genuinely, genuinely can't thank you enough for joining us, for sharing it's part of your story with this man. You were officially a co author books. Man, you were officially a co author many book two. I always got to open invite anytime you want to talk about anything, because trust me, Nate will uh, he will debate with the best of them. That would be Nate got some Nate got a lot of mo in them. 01:31:12 Speaker 5: Yeah, uh what the mo like. 01:31:17 Speaker 2: Characteristics like where he when you say something that's right, He's gonna challenge it and there would be some good conversations for him. So you're more than welcome anytime you'd like to, even if you know you talk about burnout. When I before I was a regular, let me see me before I was a host of Another Week in the books. I literally use this as my sounding board. If I had something going on in life that I need to just get out and vent, I would just ask more'spike, Man, can I come on this week and just talk about this we talk about that? Invite extensive you as well anytime, brother, Love you. I appreciate you, appreciate all the book absolutely man, book worms. We appreciate y'all. Man, thank you for rocking with us. This is another chapter chapter thirty eight feature in Nate Offstin. Bet on yourself, know your word, keep grinding, man, keep going, I promise you, man, the light is always at the end of the tunnel until we see y'all. Let's get better this week we out