Relationships Worth More Than Money Podcast
Conversations about relationships being valuable and worth more than money! its a heartwarming podcast that delves into the profound value of connections, friendships, and love that transcend the monetary realm. Hosted by Tweezy & a diverse range of guests, including athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, engineers and everyday people, each episode explores the immeasurable worth of relationships in our lives. Through compelling stories and thought-provoking discussions, the podcast inspires listeners to cherish the bonds they share with others, reminding us that the wealth of a meaningful relationship is far more precious than any currency. Tune in to "Relationships worth more than money" to discover the true treasure in life.
Relationships Worth More Than Money Podcast
Making Connections: The Real Currency in the Music Industry
Become a Relative & send some love
In this engaging episode, we delve into the invaluable intersection of relationships and artistry. Music goes beyond just creating beats; it's about the connections we foster along the way. Our insightful guest (Shon Ski) reveals that relationships in the music industry can often outweigh monetary gains. We discuss how networking isn't merely exchanging business cards but cultivating meaningful relationships that lead to collaboration, creativity, and personal growth.
Listeners are encouraged to reflect upon their own experiences—how building a community of fellow artists and friends can influence their creative journey. The conversation shines a light on the importance of self-care in the fast-paced music world, demonstrating that taking time for personal healing directly impacts our art.
Through shared stories, our guest offers listeners a glimpse into navigating the industry’s challenges while promoting a supportive network among creatives. With an emphasis on vulnerability, the importance of truly feeling one's emotions becomes a focal point.
The richness of the episode encourages listeners to explore their own relationships within their creative fields, connecting the broader message of self-preservation and community to long-lasting success. Join us in this meaningful conversation and discover the essence of what connects us as artists—beyond just the music. Be sure to subscribe, share, and engage with us as we navigate this journey together!
Relationships Worth More Than Money by Tweezy Kennedy & Marcus Alland
available on all streaming platforms!
Instagram: @rwmtmpod
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RWMTMpod
Get RWMTM MERCH HERE!!!!! https://streamlabs.com/tweezydabeatterroristkennedy/merch
Boom, we back, we back. We are back with another. Relationships Worth More Than Money podcast. I am Tweezy, as y'all all know who I got to the writing Sean Ski, and A Place To Be. Yo, we met what two years ago? Yeah, it's been that long right.
Speaker 2:Hasn't been. It might be three. It's crazy. I think it's probably been about two. Oh, it's crazy.
Speaker 1:I think it's probably been about two oh 2025.
Speaker 2:That means 2023.
Speaker 1:We met at the event. What was the name of that?
Speaker 2:event. I know it was like free, it was house and free space. But it was a different curator. But that's where I remember meeting you, yeah, yeah, because I know her as Noe.
Speaker 3:It was a different curator, but that's where I remember meeting her?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, because I know her as Noe, but her artist name is Honey Electric. Okay, yeah, so, and then I met all of y'all, kent Black, everybody there, and Kent Black he was. I was supposed to be the DJ that day.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I wasn't tripping, though, because he was playing some joints.
Speaker 3:I never heard, so I was like yo keep doing your thing bro I'm just here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nah, it's like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I met you and I heard your music and that was the whole thing. Like I'm always good at like being in spaces like that, but like just hearing new music, new sounds, I think that's what really catch my ear Like, and I was like yo U-Fire, what was the other girl's name?
Speaker 2:Nai, nai was there.
Speaker 1:yeah, nai is crazy, nai is crazy, and there was a couple of other artists that I was like yo, I want to work with y'all, but you know, you know, life be lifin'.
Speaker 2:It do, and then you know some people.
Speaker 1:That's how you know when people are really serious or they just scared to get out their comfort zone. It be a lot of both of those things sometimes Because I you know, I just played some beats and you was like yo, I need that. And to this day I'm still trying to figure out what beat it was.
Speaker 2:I don't even remember Like I wish it was like some more footage from that night Right, and nobody, nobody got the footage. Nah, not that I didn't get any, I would have, I would have.
Speaker 1:I would have. I'm trying to figure that joint out. But yeah, other than that man, talk to me about Shonski, like where you from. You know, let's take it all the way to the beginning.
Speaker 2:I'm from Baltimore. I'm from East Baltimore, to be exact, east Baltimore, you know.
Speaker 1:What's the difference?
Speaker 2:So it's always been a thing about East and West. I feel like I was too young to really know what the thing was, but when you go outside in Baltimore, they always ask you from over East or you from over West? I'm from over East.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, that's like Detroit, like what side you from, east side West side, true, you know what I mean, but it's you know other. North side Southwest, but it's always East-West. That's the first thing. Like they ask you you from Detroit, what side are you?
Speaker 2:All the time they really say like East-side niggas is like crazy, like in Baltimore.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like retarded crazy. But you know that's not true.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:East-side of Detroit, everybody crazy, you know know, I feel like.
Speaker 1:East side, west side, everybody, everywhere is crazy. I think me personally From being from the east side but living on the west side when my dad Stayed off Grand River. It's like certain pockets On the west side that's like you don't wanna go.
Speaker 2:I feel you.
Speaker 1:East side is like Yo, wherever you at, you know what? I mean Depending on where, except for, like, where I'm from.
Speaker 2:I'm from East 8 Mile, so like that was the high quality ghetto okay, so that's kind of like how like Rice's town is and Baltimore type shit is it like nice areas? Yeah, it's a little like when you start getting like Gwendolyn Maryland, like it's like grass, like it's like kind of Grass, green grass, you know.
Speaker 1:Everybody cut their yard. They take care of their yard.
Speaker 3:Exactly Everybody got driveways, I feel it and you can get a porch you know, what.
Speaker 1:I mean Because, like you go like six miles you know what I'm saying when my middle school was from like some people ain't have porches, ooh and grass, like they just the dirt, yeah, you know. Go through the side door, okay. So yeah, we ain't, we ain't really, it just depends where you at.
Speaker 2:I feel it. It just all depends where you come, yeah.
Speaker 1:Baltimore Eastside. What?
Speaker 2:else More about me. I've been doing music for as long as I can remember. As a kid I liked to perform for my family and their friends. When they came over I would go get my karaoke box and be like yo, you gotta let me sing for you, you gotta let me do something for you. So I always liked to entertain people. I started getting into music I would say elementary school. I did the shows, you know what I'm saying. I was into stuff like that. High school same thing, you know, like I sing at after school programs and that's kind of how I got introduced to like serious artistry, like actually going to studio recording. In high school I met this guy named Marcus and he was an engineer and he was like, yeah, like I'd be recording myself all the time that you should come through, all the time that you should come through, came through, started recording and I just kind of fell in love with being in the studio and I kept wanting to do it.
Speaker 1:What was? Is it his own studio, like kind of like my setup it?
Speaker 2:was kind of. You know what I'm saying. It was back in the G, like we fresh out of high school so we was in, yeah, but the sound was there. Yeah, the sound was there.
Speaker 1:He definitely has an ear for sure, you still keep in contact with him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, still, what's up, marcus? I still keep in contact with Marcus. He's still singing. He's still engineering, doing his thing. What?
Speaker 1:do you feel, like you said, high school Was high school, like when you really took it? The artistry series?
Speaker 2:Nah, like I feel, like I wanted to but, at the time like my family was real into me getting a trade and me having a real career, like that wasn't real to them. So I was trying to figure it out and it just got to a point where it's like I can't, I can't run away from this, like it's everywhere. So I'm going to do it. And I decided when I was about like 18, 19, like all right, I'm really going to do it for real, okay.
Speaker 1:What was it like in your childhood? What was like the typical day coming up in your household Like was it like because I'll tell you, like my grandfather played music and stuff like that, like what inspired you as far as music-wise or theater, or whatever.
Speaker 2:I come from a big family. I wasn't like a theater kid or anything like that, but I come from a big family and music was always like. They always had music playing Like my aunts and my mom, my mom was like that mix of R&B, neo-soul, but she liked her rap music too. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? My dad, same kind of bag and when I would go with my cousin, my aunts, that's where I got all the gangster rap music from and I fell in love with gangster rap. You know, being a kid.
Speaker 1:Okay, Side note. Rest in peace to Angie Stone. She passed away today.
Speaker 2:I just saw her. That is terrible. Car accident, that's terrible.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying? That's crazy.
Speaker 2:I can't take all these legends just like passing away, like this, just like that.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. But yeah, for you. So you had the melting pot of music.
Speaker 2:It was just music everywhere, everywhere, everywhere.
Speaker 1:And then, when you started taking it serious, what made you go, because I both heard singing and rapping what made you go both ways, as far as sticking with both instead of just sticking with one?
Speaker 2:When I started recording with Marcus, I was just singing. He had me singing, he was writing all the music, producing the songs and stuff. So I was singing and it felt more comfortable because I kind of always did that. I did that more Right, but I liked the rap when I got by myself, yeah, and I wanted to get good at it, because you know, people always be like oh you don't, let me write for you, let me. I just be real funny about people writing raps for me. So I kind of had to sit with that and I would say like during that time, my brother had like discovered this producer on YouTube, like he was. You know, he's fire, he's still fire. His name is Fresco Stevens and we started, like you know, listening to his beats and going through his catalog and I found this one joint Mind you, this is probably like 12 years ago or 10 years ago, when it wasn't really like that when it wasn't really when it wasn't really like that, and I wrote and I recorded my first rap song, right yeah?
Speaker 1:so what was the name of it?
Speaker 2:Super, cool, super.
Speaker 1:Cool.
Speaker 2:And it's actually Going to be on my new project.
Speaker 1:See, I'm about to ask Like where is it?
Speaker 2:You know I slept on it For a long time Because you know I didn't know when I wanted to go with that particular sound.
Speaker 1:What do you feel like if you can put yourself as tell my age, like Voltron? You know Voltron, kinda All right. So like so, voltron, you had the head, the arms, the body, the legs. Like what would you put yourself as like if you were to build an artist like yourself? Like who would be like the top? Who would be your head?
Speaker 3:Hmm.
Speaker 2:That's a good question. My head would probably It'll probably be Pac, for sure Pac. It'll probably be Pac, for sure Pac. It'll probably be Pac. That's crazy. I got a Pac shirt on.
Speaker 1:I'm under this one. Okay. So Pac is the head, the arms are Penn. Who's your Penn?
Speaker 2:My Penn.
Speaker 1:Penn. I would say it's like a mix between like bone and currency. So bone thugs and harmony, mm-hmm. Okay, all right, bone thugs and harmony and currency.
Speaker 2:All right. Who the legs? All right, it's two legs, so a whole lot, so a whole lot, all right. So the two legs, so a whole lot, so a whole lot, all right. So the legs would have to be Lauryn Hill Fire, and I'm going to go ahead and give it to Kendrick. Like, kendrick's been a real big inspiration. I've been following him Crazy. I've been following him forever you know what I'm saying and to see where he is now, like I'm so proud of him. But he's always inspired me as a lyricist.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, so the Legs, kendrick and Lauryn Hill, lauryn Hill, All right, who's the body?
Speaker 2:The body Nas.
Speaker 3:Nas, nas, that's nasty, that's nasty.
Speaker 2:Nas is the body.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's nasty.
Speaker 1:So all of those artists are like your foundation of what you listen to and what you think is what inspired you.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like, how do you go into every song or every album with having that Voltron, that makeup of who you were inspired by?
Speaker 2:You know, I try to really approach the instrumentals. You know off of how I guess I feel and like I had this question asked to me in another interview and it was like they never heard nobody say like you know, beats or instrumentals kind of like inspire or influence the words that's going to come from a song, but for me I just kind of feel like the beats just tell a mood. You know what I'm saying. I listen to a lot of jazz music and a lot of music without words, so it's like you kind of have to find that feeling inside of it, right?
Speaker 1:So yeah, and I'm glad that you say that. You know me being a producer when I start. That's my main, that's my love. Engineering is my thing too. But I feel like you the first artist that said that, like you know what I'm saying. That's wild, Like it's crazy, because I used to always like get into these back and forths with artists and I'd be like yo, take the beat away, go ahead, let me hear you rap. You know what I mean, because your rap ain't going gonna be the same feeling.
Speaker 2:That you? Yeah, it's like the rap, it's like more of a compliment To the beat and um, yeah, and we need each other For real.
Speaker 1:Because sometimes I be like yo. I would've never thought of that Exactly Cause you know Me being a producer. A lot of people don't know I was rapping, for you know what I mean. I was trying to rap.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:And I couldn't. Me personally, I didn't want to fake it till I make it. Yeah, talk about all the stuff that I don't got. I feel you. You know what I'm saying. I feel you, but I respect people that do it and come up with the words and the stuff and I'm like doing it, not knocking. But for me I'm like my boy, ko he. Um, I used to go to the studio in detroit and he was the first person I ever seen like had a studio in his house in the basement. But it was legit, like you had to. He had to put in a passcode just to get in the door in the basement and I'm like, yeah, open it up.
Speaker 1:He had his own section for like the engineering and production part of it. Then he had the other section of where, like you know, the recording was yeah, and like I used to talk to him and it just made me realize like yo, I want to be on production side.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:And I'm like I don't want to do all of this, I just want to produce it and help somebody else. So, yeah, you saying that like that's, I mean it's just a compliment to each other because, like when we making beats, I name all my beats and sometimes I know artists that just go off the name of the beat.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I'm like you don't got to go off the name, just go off what you feel, because I've known people, that you know artists that that can hear something different. Yeah, and I'd be like I never thought of that. So for you saying that that's like super, super dope, because it's like yo, people really do sit back and listen to instrumental. Yeah, you have to. Yeah, so that's that's dope, that's dope, what? Um? So that's part of your process just sitting, how many songs do you probably go through before you be like that? That's that, that's the one.
Speaker 2:To be honest, like sometimes it's just like you get a pack, like I used to get packs probably like 10, 15 beats in it.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And going through it can be crazy, but I always would try to like sit some time aside, like you know. All right, I'm about to roll up you know smoke, so this would be a perfect time. Just kind of go through the beats. Yeah, nine times out of nine. It's probably only two in a pack that I'm going to pick Right. Nine times out of nine.
Speaker 1:So, you got a 20% chance 20%.
Speaker 2:And you know, because a lot of times, like people, like a lot of producers, really like to stay like, like within what's current, which is it's cool. It's cool, obviously you know for what it is, but I really I'm the kind of artist I really like B size, like when I listen to albums. I like the deep album cut songs, yeah, and a lot of times the production on that you'd be like all right, I see why this a B cut. You know what I want to diversify my catalog versus every song just sounding like the same thing that you hear and that's like. You know, that's what I be getting from PAX. So that's why it's always a 20% chance 20% chance.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Okay. So for the producers out there, if you send in Ski Sean, you send her something. Just know two of them might, Two of them might.
Speaker 2:That's why Currency's one of my favorite artists. Do they normally?
Speaker 1:send ten or are there more Sometimes?
Speaker 2:Sometimes, like sometimes they might send one. If you send one and it's not good and I don't reply back, it's because I'm not really feeling it.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:You know, and Currency's One of my favorite artists, because you can tell when he go through packs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he pick the beats that they can't rap over like nobody I love the fact that he he really like he he goes through and do a whole album with just that one producer I know, so like he don't have to go through the full process. He's dealing with just one producer, all right, I'm getting all of these beats from him, absolutely because they can kind of put together like a style and a sound and you know like I've I've explored with that and I see you know.
Speaker 2:I see you know like I've explored with that and I see you know, I see why you know artists like himself do that. But when you can really lock in with a producer and y'all just dare you know what I'm saying, that's golden, because Currency and Alchemist together, honestly Alchemist and anybody together- is insane.
Speaker 1:Alchemist is so. Fire what. Listen. It's like the more he drops, it's like he's going up my top producer list. Yeah, because he's always been one of my favorites.
Speaker 3:I feel it.
Speaker 1:But for me as a producer, it's so many producers that I like that. I love you know what.
Speaker 1:I'm saying Because, just from hearing the music, the instrumentation, I remember he I think he might have been the first producer that came out with an instrumental tape Like back in like the early 2000s, and I'm like yo, this shit's crazy that is crazy, you know what I'm saying, and nobody was doing it, and I'm like this dude dropping instrumentals and like, of course, like back then, I would try to write to him or whatever, but you know me, I was too busy on the 36 mafia way I feel it and you know what I mean, and just cash money and no limit, Like, because that's another question too like. But that shit was just crazy because, like you know what I'm saying, like we had an era 2000s was, it was a time, it was a time.
Speaker 2:And it's like come on a lot of the influence, like OutKast for me is a huge influence.
Speaker 1:Big influence. What the whole Dungeon family? The whole thing, the whole Dungeon family, the whole thing, like all of them, and then you know, like for me it's like you listen to all of that and then you come back. So now, like with my daughters, what I try to do is I will when they I really would. I go back and play somebody that did that same beat, because I'm like yo.
Speaker 1:This is not Polo the Don, this Polo the Don beat so then I go back and play that song and let them hear that one throw some D's on it and then I go back to the actual original sample exactly so they can understand like hey, music always gets recycled, they just create it in their own way, which I still think is dope. It is dope Because 30 for 30 is so simple. It's so simple, but look at it Like it's up there. So, yeah, yeah, that music, like we could talk all day about it I know right, music be getting me.
Speaker 1:Every time. I just you know what I'm saying, I be hype about it because it's like so much you know what I mean. But yeah, for you what you think like as far as, like you said, you talking about Kendrick, but what you think, how you feel about the hip hop atmosphere right now.
Speaker 2:You know it feels like real interesting right now. You know it feels like real interesting right now. Right now it feels like that a lot of things can like resurface or like a new sound can come about, because everybody kind of got open mind Right. I feel like right now is wide open. It's just a feeling that I have.
Speaker 1:So if you want to be experimental, now is the time to be experimental in my opinion, and it's crazy that that beat that you heard that day I probably made that beat like five for real prior to that and, like you said, like you listen to the beats and sometimes people don't be on that they're not on that wave with everybody else on which, like I can make what everybody else can, but I don't like to go and experiment different sounds. If it sounds dope, I feel like somebody can jump forward to it. So, yeah, it's definitely interesting. I just seen something earlier, like everybody, that beef with Drake, like all of their songs, is like either 10 times, 9 times, 8 times, eight times, seven times, six times, like five times platinum, like you know what I'm saying, it's like I just seen ASAP, his joint seven times platinum, the song he got with Drake and I'm like yo.
Speaker 1:Why would y'all like? Why y'all y'all? I don't understand it. You know what I mean? Because for me, I'm fully, I'm a full Drake fan, I'm a full Kendrick fan, I'm a fan of music, right. So when I heard the battle, I'm like, yes, this the Jay and Nas that we getting. You know what I'm saying? That everybody else before us got.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:So I'm like all right, cool. So I'm like all right, kendrick Drake 1-1. And then it's like back and forth right.
Speaker 2:And then when Kendrick dropped them two, and I'm just like, yeah, nah it was honestly I kinda felt like that when Drake did the, the AI joint yeah.
Speaker 1:I didn't think it would be received. Well, yeah, I'm like why'd you do that?
Speaker 2:yeah, I said the same thing and I'm like it could've been hard. But first just the Pac thing. You already like I love Pac, so Pac okay, cool, but Snoop is alive.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:You could have got him to do it. Snoop is alive, but he knew Snoop was doing it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, snoop wasn't doing that, and that's what I love about the West Coast. The West Coast, they don't normally side with somebody else, and that's why I like the unity that they got with Kendrick, I feel it Because the West Coast and I always tell people Texas and the West Coast, literally California. You can literally go platinum or go big and be a household name and nobody know you everywhere else.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying, yeah.
Speaker 1:Especially in those two states. Word so like for them to like all back him. Yeah, I'm like for them to like all back him. Yeah, I'm like damn even like the Bay. Everybody was with it, but I don't know, man. It's just like how did it get there? You know what I'm saying? That's my only thing is like, bro, what happened? Y'all was on tour together. Drake put you on.
Speaker 2:What happened?
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:You know, it's like you never know, industry stuff can get real wild right and listen, I done seen the wildest of the wildest.
Speaker 1:I believe you and people like you know what I mean. And I'm not even I'm just like foot, like at the door. You know what I mean and I just seen just like people backdoor you, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nah, it's every man for themselves most of the time and it don't make sense. It don't, because it's like room for everybody for real.
Speaker 1:And I always said that, like it's enough food for everybody, like ain't nobody eating off the same plate, it's enough food for everybody to get their own plate. I hope this year they'll drop some more music, because the new Drake joint with Party is dope. Yeah, it's fire and people are like, oh, this joint trash. I said dog, the song is called Sexy Music. It's for you to do something with your lady or your significant other.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying so I'm like why y'all tripping over it Like this joint fire? But I didn't like like you threw the little quick, little jabs in there on the one song. It's like, bro, like you could've did that for your album.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nah facts.
Speaker 1:But it's cool, I'm still a Drake fan, still a Kendrick, always gonna be a Kendrick fan. Both of them Can't beat them. You can't beat them, yeah, nah like.
Speaker 2:I mean, you don't have to agree with how Drake approached this beef, but you know he's still Drake. He's still Drake, it's still going to be songs that come on. And you're going to be singing and rapping it right with him, because it's like that.
Speaker 1:Facts. You spoke about Lauryn Hill. Is there any other female artists?
Speaker 2:you know I mean of course, uh, erica badu, I love badu, I love jill scott, um, I just, I really love neo soul. It's just like so many women in the neo soul category that I could. You know that I can get into and I've really been getting into like international artists too, Like I love Eni. Love Eni. She's from London, she's a rapper, she's dope, I love Lay.
Speaker 1:Full Stop. She got that hard London accent.
Speaker 2:It's really hard. You know what I'm saying and I believe, like maybe she might be Nigerian too, like you know, but dope so, so like you can check her out, I like Lay Full Stop and I don't. You know, I kind of really Just been into A whole lot of Different music Lately, like lately. It's just I can't even name to you, cause if I hear Something I like I'm just straight Adding it to the playlist.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's how I was At the Free Space joint Cause Kent was playing man, what's that girl? It was a girl rapper, she from Baltimore area. She got like colorful dreads See man, what's her name? It was like that joint was hard but Naya knew it and Kent was just, you know he was jamming out to it. I'm like yo, I got to ask this?
Speaker 3:Who is this?
Speaker 1:But she's dope so that's how I like me. I like to interact and see what's out there.
Speaker 2:I do too.
Speaker 1:I don't be outside like that I'm about to be 40 this year. I feel it. You know what I'm saying. I don't be outside to the point where I'm in the clubs, but I definitely go out to just listen to some dope music.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean? No facts. I like some good music now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if I go to a. My thing used to be the open mics.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:The open mics. You're going to find some fire in there. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Most of the time I feel like, you know, the open mic scene has become I don't know. I don't feel like it's the same, like it used to be.
Speaker 1:It's like pay for play now, yeah definitely, definitely that.
Speaker 2:But you know, when you really get into the underground stuff, like I went to an underground party last night at the Biddle, shout out to K, shout out to Reem. But I said it. So, is it? It's in Baltimore. It's 1 West Biddle Street.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And yo, they just had DJs in there like going off man, it was cool.
Speaker 1:You definitely gotta come through. It was fire. Definitely gotta come through. Yeah, cause yeah, that's the thing. It's just like I love to hear new music and then work with the artists coming up. Yeah, cause, um, sometimes you might, you might, work with an artist and they feel like they, they, they, they met, their, their match, or they, they hire they just go off and then you just out. You know what I mean. You just like out the window whatever, but working with like an artist from scratch to me is like the best if.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna work with an artist.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna work with them.
Speaker 2:I agree. I agree like a lot of artists, like we need the direction. Sometimes I feel like we think we might have it all figured out. Yeah, once you take the songs outside that's the real test.
Speaker 1:That's the real test Because you can be. That's what I be trying to tell people. You can be in a studio or whatever with your people and they turning up. But if you ain't, if ain't nobody be like, I don't know about that.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm saying and go into places and spaces where people do not know you at all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's for me, that's like our validation too for producers, uh-huh. So, like you know me playing those beats and everybody like yeah.
Speaker 2:Yo, that night was that night was crazy. That shit was crazy. I didn't hear a beat that I didn't like.
Speaker 1:My brother Luke. So, luke, I didn't know Luke was coming either.
Speaker 2:Like me and bro been together for the longest.
Speaker 1:We part of Sound Cartel like a production company from my boy, shotta. I don't know if you know Mark Shotta. He's from Be More Too, from Baltimore, and like his production is crazy. So like he, you know him, him, him. South it's a bunch of us Production producers or whatever, and I ain't think Lou was going to be. I ain't know Lou was going to be there.
Speaker 2:I just be like what you doing here, like oh, what's the name of vitamin?
Speaker 1:Oh, makes sense. Yeah, nah Because that's how we met Me, him, noe, noe and her dad were all in a beat competition like years before that. That's tough. You know what I'm saying Like years.
Speaker 2:Like I think 2018.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know what I'm saying and we've been in communication and contact ever since Mm-hmm and ever since man, like her and her dad, like I'm, like yo, that's dope, like granted, if my daughters want to make beats, that'd be dope. That is so tough it's just crazy, like they were in it together. Like you know what I mean going against other people and I'm like this shit, crazy. Nah, I feel the same way but being in there in that event, in that environment, and then the food was busting it was you know what I mean it was everything you know.
Speaker 1:The vegetables was good you know, it was very good it was tasty yeah so just saying I'm he's tired you know what I mean, and it's good like yeah that's one thing about me I never hate like you need help with something or you need like like uh, assistance on like how to do certain things because, I'm the same way, like how you do that I don't play no piano, but people be thinking it.
Speaker 1:You know, I just have a ear like I can cut things up. Chop things up, I can, you know. I mean play a chord here and there. See that's that's needed.
Speaker 2:You know it's needed it's like.
Speaker 1:But when I, when I hear new people, I'm like that's fire, let's work. I mean let's, let's, let's, let's link and let's do something. You know some people, like you said, it'd be both they'd be scared or they just be in their own way, or yeah, it'd be so much of that. It'd be both they'd be scared or they'd just be in their own way, or they don't want to get out of the environment it'd be so much of that.
Speaker 2:It'd be so much of that. And it's like I've definitely tried to seize as many like opportunities or, you know, chances to network and connect with people as much as I can, because us, as artists, don't realize it's hard out here. Yeah, you know it's really difficult. And if you don't know you like, develop some soft skills, you know, yeah, start talking to people, because you need producers, you need studios, you need engineers, you need photographers, you need videographers, you need all of those things right.
Speaker 1:Everybody work together Exactly, but that be the thing too. It's like for us. It's like certain areas, people want to gatekeep and it's like, wow, you know what?
Speaker 2:I mean.
Speaker 1:Really, for no reason. There's no reason. Yeah, just want to gatekeep Because you go to Atlanta. They all like, hey, here, let's do this, let's do that. I've heard that so much. You go to Cali, cali, the same way, even though all of the you know the gang bangs, you gotta know where you at. True, you know what I mean. But other than that, they still working. Same thing in Texas too, in Dallas, in Dallas, for sure, I've been in the scene and I'm just like yo, like I know a few people, and I'm like yo, this is dope.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I gotta get down there yeah, I know somebody that's from Dallas and he's doing this thing down there. Shout out 91, because you know, seeing people's like growth over the past five years is crazy. It's super crazy.
Speaker 1:It's crazy. And you'd be like damn, like I remember when he was just doing this, and that's the dope part about it too is like you really see people grow and they still. They're still human beings. They're not better than you. They're not acting like they're better than you Actually some people be trying to bring you with them.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:If you pay attention. But you know some people, you know it's that two-sided thing. Like somebody somebody might be scared and somebody just might be in their own way. But you know, I feel like, for instance, the DMV hella gatekeeper.
Speaker 2:It's definitely a lot. I'm not even gonna hold you Y'all.
Speaker 1:don't call yourself the DMV. Some people don't.
Speaker 2:No, baltimore, don't we Baltimore.
Speaker 1:Yeah, y'all Baltimore, we Baltimore. You know what I mean. But we down here and it's like the gatekeeping is crazy.
Speaker 2:I've honestly witnessed so much of it and you know, I'm not going to lie it's discouraging because you want to collaborate as an artist. A lot of times you really need collaboration and some people look at it like, oh, you're not about to jump on my wave or I ain't looking for no new friends, and it's like I feel you. But I'm just trying to grow out here. I'm trying to get from this point to that point and sometimes people don't even know if you're coming to them Like I don't mind paying for whatever services that I'm asking you for but you don't even want no money.
Speaker 1:Like what's going on and that's the crazy part Like it's like it can be a business transaction or it can still be a friendship transaction. You know what I'm saying? Like it can be both or it can be just one Mm-hmm, but let's connect and let's build. And I think that's the issue that I see day in and day out. A lot of people follow Mm-hmm and then, after they followed the person for so long, they follow somebody else and then now they're getting a different direction from them and then it's like well, this person was telling me that, now you telling me this, but I'm still in the same place.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying Exactly. Instead of just building and building. And I always tell people, man, this joint is a grind, like I started making beats in 04. Mm, you know what I'm saying. And I started taking it serious in 09.
Speaker 3:Yeah so it's like you got to grind? You definitely do, and you never know my pastor.
Speaker 1:he said something a couple weeks ago. He said don't be discouraged when you see your friends getting on. He said what that means is you're right around the corner. Your blessing might be right around the corner, but if you get discouraged and want to start hating on, your friends and people that you know that's making it in life. You about to push yourself back Absolutely Further down the block to be right around the corner waiting to drop you off yours.
Speaker 2:It's a real unfortunate thing.
Speaker 1:It happens so much it happens so much and I don't be understanding it. But it's like I see it so much and now it's like I see it so much and like, now it's like me, I'm in a position where I just sit back, I don't do too much talking. If you want to work like, come on man, let's work. You know what I mean. I'm always about building rapport, I'm always about listening to the artist. But once I see like. Once I see like a little caution sign, a little caution tape pop up.
Speaker 2:I'm getting better with that now, like I definitely had to grow in my journey. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, because discernment is for real and you really need that in this world. Okay, and it's like people always show you.
Speaker 1:The signs are always there, it's there, you just got to pay attention, and if you don't, you're just going to keep stumbling, keep stumbling and keep stumbling, and you're tripping over yourself, not even paying attention to what's right in front of you, you know what I mean and that be the problem a lot of times. But yeah, other than the gatekeeping, I love the scene Like I love the music scene. It's like you got busboys and poets here. I don't know too many other spots. I forgot my man that, do he?
Speaker 2:do like open mics.
Speaker 1:I think it's like Open Gym Okay yeah, shout out, open Gym, yeah, open Gym. I did an. Open Gym show back in October yeah and he's an artist too, so it's like I respect him, for you know what I mean trying to open up the door for other artists such as himself too.
Speaker 2:Ah absolutely, I've definitely seen him. You know before, talk about, you know, share his grievances as well, just about the scene, and a lot of times it's like you said it's just the people getting in their own way, or them being afraid, them not really understanding or seeing the opportunity of it all.
Speaker 2:And a lot of times I know like this is artists to artists, right, speaking to other artists you can't expect for people to do everything for you for free and you can't expect for people to fully, like, flush your vision out Like you have to. You're the master of your ceremony, of your vision. If you need help with it, you have to tell people how they can assist you. They can't figure it out for you and that be a thing. That be a thing that you know. Sometimes artists go through and you know, I myself was also in a space where it's like that figuring out, like sometimes you gotta sit with yourself and be still yeah, if you don't know what you're doing or why you're doing it or what you want from it.
Speaker 1:Right, that's a fact. That's a fact. Artists need to. The most important thing in life to me is not only listening, but it's communicating. And artists don't communicate. Produc artists don't communicate. Producers don't communicate.
Speaker 1:engineers don't communicate it's, the whole family, it's the whole bubble, so I can't blame one, not the other. Okay, it's all you know. I mean, photographers don't communicate. Yeah, videographers don't communicate. They automatically assume, like oh man, I'm, I'm going to just shoot for you, I'm going to shoot for you and like yeah, like everything is going to cost Everything, like this costs you know what I'm saying, Exactly Like everything costs.
Speaker 2:That part is like, once you start to like really make the investments like the investment, the first investment is time. Okay, I'm really going to do this. You know I'm really going to do this. You know what I'm saying. Then when you start investing your money because you got a plan for something, everybody not charging you because they just want to take your money, like you said these things, it costs, it costs. So we all kind of have to keep it. We got to keep it afloat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you got to keep the cycle going. You know what I mean, because all it is is you scratch my back, I scratch yours, and then vice versa, and then it's like all right, this is your price. Cool, I respect that. Let me see if I can afford that, if. I can't let me find somebody that can do something like you.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean and that's why I don't ever get mad when artists be like hey, man, my files, I'm at the studio, yeah, they're your files. I tell people that all the time, when you either record with me, I engineer something, I'm sending you all your files. Why? It's because, you never know, you might hit me up and be like hey, tweez, I need this, I need that. I'm like it's already in your dang on Google Drive, Like I got it. Like if it ain't in there, let me know. So I try to do that because life be life, and sometimes I might be somewhere and you can't get to me. Yeah, and vice versa, that's true. So it's like I always ask people hey, what all do you want? And I'll send it.
Speaker 2:Like you know, I mean I learned from you know, working at the studio and being around different engineers like hey send them.
Speaker 1:Send them a performance track yeah, definitely, we be needing that for sure. Dj track you send a couple bar, four, four, eight bars more for the dj if they doing a show, send them a show. You'm saying Like, send them like three to four different ones, send them the instrumental, you know what I mean. So they can just figure out how they going to do things and boom, because that's normally what the EPKs are, the press kits, absolutely, it's all of that. So if you do that ahead of time, engineers, you know what?
Speaker 2:I mean, it would help so much wouldn't it?
Speaker 1:It would help so much. Oh, and label, label your stuff. You know what I mean. Oh, my goodness, I can't stress it enough.
Speaker 2:Listen, I can't stress it enough, like I've gotten things from engineers. You know what I'm saying 80 audio files, none of them named. That's the worst that is insane.
Speaker 1:Like why is it this many files? Yeah, i'ma send it back, cause that's why, like, when I hit you, what I was like hold on, you got the beat label. Everything is labeled. That's crazy, right, that's crazy.
Speaker 2:And then it's like audio one, two, three, four, and I've been getting on him about that, because my biggest thing is, like, when you set your session up, right, like I'm going to set my session up, that's the most important, and I'm going to name. I'm going to name all because the vocal tracks people just seem to freak. They just fall into the abyss. They just have vocals, all right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because that's what I said audio one, audio two, audio, yeah, you know, what I'm saying Because, like when you asked me, that I know the difference but, like, some people label In-N-Out to ad-libs differently. So I'm like I know what In-N-Out more than likely is for the verse, yeah, and the ad-lib could be for certain parts of the song, but it's probably going to be for the hook. I'm like In-N-Out that's crazy work.
Speaker 1:All right, let me listen to this. And then I'm like what's the BPM, what's the key? I swear when I make all my beats.
Speaker 2:But no, as you should, because I've worked with engineers also. That's great with that. They send all of that stuff in advance.
Speaker 1:For one, it keeps the ease of the transaction and it helps them when they go to somebody else, absolutely, and that engineer might not know how. To you know what I mean? Because what I did was I threw the beat that I had already mixed into a program and it told me the key.
Speaker 2:Wow, and the BPM, I like that.
Speaker 1:But I just wanted to make sure that it matched what you told me. So I'm like all right, cool Bet, we good.
Speaker 2:But you know what I'm saying, like some, some engineers, might not know that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, it's true, it's definitely true.
Speaker 1:And it's like man, just label your stuff, because if you prep your session previously, you're going to have a great session, absolutely, even if you have a bad session. Guess what.
Speaker 2:All this stuff is right there, exactly when she messed up at where he messed up at
Speaker 1:whoever it is, boom, it's right there and I was just like you know what All right cool, the fact that she was even communicating with me. I'm like, oh yeah, this is going to be easy. It's going to be easy Because I'm serious man, I have people and I hit them up and they'd be like, oh, let me get back to you.
Speaker 2:Let me get back to you and then I don't hear from you cause they yeah, cause they could be, you know, having to hit the engineer up. So like, yeah, I went to school for engineering. So you know, I'm tech, you know and I understand the language, but I'm also an artist that's outside. So it's kind of like me I had to pick my battles and that I've been blessed to have people engineer things for me or just working with other audio engineers and getting knowledge from them. But man, having to go and ask somebody, that's why a lot of it was to a point where I was just recording myself and if I needed to, I'll send it off.
Speaker 1:If I send you stems, I promise they're going to be labeled hey, but shout out to whoever who's the engineer.
Speaker 2:Barney Lutalo is the engineer. Yo, barney, yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, I saw the beat and I was like, did Barney make this?
Speaker 2:He did he did Barney fire man? Barney was one of those guys. Yeah, no, he got it At the Free Space, barney fire.
Speaker 1:Audio one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven In and outs. I'm like yo, that's funny, yeah. Because I'm like who did this? Because I seen the beat and it had him and like again, everybody's process is different, like even with the production, the way he did he had the kick drum and the snare together. I never seen that Word, yeah. So I was like why did he do that? But I'm like I can't really make the snare cut through, like I wanted to, and then turn up the kick drum, like I wanted to.
Speaker 1:I definitely get it, so I was just like all right, let me find out ways I can still make it sound good. And I did, and I was just like, OK, cool.
Speaker 2:You definitely listen. It definitely hit Like I'm man. I'm getting so excited about this project.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying. That's going to be on the project.
Speaker 3:This is going to be on the project.
Speaker 2:It's going to be on the project, and what I love about it is this is the first project of mine that I dropped, where I have multiple producers and engineers. You know what I'm saying. So it's, yeah, I like it, though I do I really like it.
Speaker 1:See if you again, if you got a good form of communication with your people, yeah it's all gonna come together perfectly Facts, but when you got people you like, yo I need this verse, Yo I need this. I need that. Yo, they're not getting back Exactly. It's like the tension starts forming and when it don't need to be. If you can't do it, just like yo, I can't do it.
Speaker 2:Just let me know that. Yeah, For a while I didn't like collaboration, you know, because of the communication part.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:And it's like, if I'm going to show up to something, I want to show up to something, and if I can't, I'm going to let you know that I can't.
Speaker 1:You know what it is too. It's the intimidation. I hate that Like. Why are you intimidated?
Speaker 2:Like I hate that. Don't ask me for no verse, because you know how many verses I've sent to people and I ain't ever heard no song. And I'm not knocking it because it could be life, it could just be life, but still like Like no communication, nothing About nothing that's going on, at least saying hey, yo, I'm putting this on this album.
Speaker 1:It ain't coming out to this, right, it ain't coming out to that Cause. That's it happens. It do In the actual industry, like yo, like Bro.
Speaker 2:Like where this thing at, but sometimes life just be life. And you know, like a lot of the songs On this project, I made From A span of 2021 To now, a span of 2021 to now, you know. So it's a mix of all of the years. It's a span of that. Yeah, and yeah, I had to keep in touch with all my people. They just like yo, what's up, it's coming. But everybody, everybody, you know, shout out to everybody that's going to be on the project, because they communicated well.
Speaker 1:I got all of their. When you work in that environment, I think that's what keeps the creative flow going, because sometimes you might get in a rut.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nah real bad. You know what I?
Speaker 1:mean Like I had beat blocked for a minute you know what I'm saying and all it took was for one of my bros, swim or S like that's why I just released something. My boy, swim, just released something. Or just hearing one of their artists or somebody that they're working with, drop, and because hip-hop lately ain't outside of Kendrick.
Speaker 2:Right, it ain't really been hip-hopping Like I feel it.
Speaker 1:I was saying that a previous episode I was like yo Freddie Gibbs album dope. Of course Tyler joint was crazy, of course, yes, you know what I mean, but outside of that it wasn't a lot of. I wake up to this day still. I think I'm going to do that forever while I'm living. Every Friday it's check who dropped you know what.
Speaker 1:I'm saying At midnight and I do that and I be like it ain't. It's not. You know what I mean. So just seeing that, like you know what I mean, some people might get in that rut. Once you get out of it, it's like I'm just creating. Like me, I'm working on an instrumental album. Me and Swim Pose be doing like a joint. It's like an old school instrumental. Like I had a T-top cutlass back in the early 2000s.
Speaker 1:I like that, and you know, young 18-year-old on 20s, you know what I'm saying. And Cali Mm-hmm, and he loved the El Camino.
Speaker 2:Okay, so you know it's like— that's a nice one too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's like we trying to figure out the perfect name for it, Mm-hmm. Because we already like all got enough beats. I'm just like create some, and I'm working with gospel artists too.
Speaker 2:I love that.
Speaker 1:And it's crazy because it's like they want the same type of beats For real. Yeah, they don't want me to go Like I sent them some like churchy like vibe type beats with, you know, like hip hop, but they still want the trap music and stuff. So I'm like all right, cool, and they want the chops in there and all of that. So I think that to me it helps your creative flow when you hear like your homies out here doing music.
Speaker 1:When I heard this, I'm like oh my God, and that was the first thing. I'm like yo, when you gonna drop this? Like when is this dropping? Because this joint crazy If this is what's going to be on the album. I can't wait to see what it is. Oh man, I appreciate it, you got the name of the album.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it's called Miss Don't Play. So it's like a spin off of.
Speaker 3:Miss, don't Play yes Off of Project.
Speaker 2:Pat, yes, I listened to a lot of.
Speaker 3:Pat when I was a kid Like literally a jet.
Speaker 1:Okay, remember, I told you Three, six Mafia. Yeah, I feel it Me, you here with it.
Speaker 2:I was listening to Three, six Lord Infamous Project Pat, all of them, all of it Le.
Speaker 3:Chat.
Speaker 1:Le Chat, gangsta Boo, like all of them, and it was like and that's the thing too, it's like, you know, our music is kind of the same, our club music, so ours is more raunchy, but it's the same type of beat, okay, so like when I had went to, I think I was stationed here in 09. I went to Baltimore I forgot the club, but it was like in like a warehouse district, okay, and they was playing the beat and I'm like yo, this sound like back home.
Speaker 2:You probably talking about like the docks home. You probably talking about like the docks that's not like probably where the docks used to be at.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was like in a warehouse district Close to downtown.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm like yo, this sound like back home and I'm like, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:It do like ours is just raunchy though Like it's words in ours that is oh my God, that's what I'm saying when you come now and hear what they doing now with the clubs, Like. What I do love, like what I love about Baltimore is, you know, our club sounds and our house sounds, yeah, and I love how, like, every generation has kind of been like recreating, like you know, putting their own thing onto it, Yep, but what I also love about the underground in Baltimore is it's so diverse. You know what I'm saying. It's so much bigger than just the club.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And house and the house, like. You'll be very impressed, I feel like, with the lyricists and the singers. You know what I'm saying? It's just so many artists, and that's the thing.
Speaker 1:I got to come up. My cousin live up there too. He be like to himself so much, like, much, like I don't even bother, but yeah, I gotta come up there because it's the scene is is musically fire and that's like what does? What is it going to take for somebody to get the ear to like the, the big labels up to baltimore?
Speaker 2:we got a few artists, it's a few it's a few, but you know, somebody had asked me something the other day and they were like you know what is it?
Speaker 2:What is it about Baltimore like that, Like we haven't really kind of like pop you know, what I'm saying and it's like so many dope people that came from our city, but just as a whole and I'm like I just kind of feel like that a lot more of the music that's in the forefront is not Baltimore as a whole, because it's like we known for our club Right and as much as I love it, it's still I feel like a certain type of music that's pushed and it's it's just so much more than just that, that style of music, but that's that's.
Speaker 1:The question that I ask is what is it going to take for somebody to grasp the Baltimore sound and and and broadcast it to the world? Because that's my thing, like music, travels it do, and it's just crazy to me now that, like people really rocking with Detroit-style beats, mm-hmm, you know what I mean and I'm like I've been listening to this all my life and y'all ain't.
Speaker 2:It take people time to catch up sometimes. Yeah, y'all ain't rocking with us for for real.
Speaker 1:But once we got somebody in the door it's like like hell of a, shout out to hell of a. That's one of my favorite producers. He literally opened the door for everybody because, like he, I'm talking about he doing songs with Meg, he doing songs with everybody, that's so dope and it's like once he did that, everybody started grasping. T-grizzly popped out. You know what I'm saying? That everybody just took a hold of the Detroit sound, which I love it.
Speaker 1:I'm not hating on nobody that. Use it because I love it, because it's expressing your version of what you hear from us, and you know what I mean. And the thing too is like Detroit and the Bay has a. It's like we're cousins. The Bay area, their artists sounds like that too. Nah, facts, facts. You know what I mean Facts. So it's like when you hear it, it's like okay, it's cool, this is fire and they been, I think. I don't know who started it, I'm not gonna say, but all I know is Detroit sound, the Bay sound Are very similar.
Speaker 1:Yeah, nah it is Everybody's using it. Now I even heard like Even in LA are very similar. Yeah, no, it is Everybody's using it. Now I even heard like even in LA, artists using it, which is fire, yeah, but for Baltimore, too, it's like same thing in DC, like it's like what is it going to take for people to actually grasp that sound? Because go-go music to me, like I always tell people, like I always tell people, I hated go-go music at first really, I always liked it but I'm gonna tell you why it was the like my ear right.
Speaker 2:The sound like it wasn't engineered right yo, that's, that's a real thing, though you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:that's a real thing like when you out cause, I used to bounce, so when, I used to bounce at Layla like um, I'm like man, my head is hurting, I'm walking around, I'm in the place and I'm like this is not engineered right. Or this might not be the right venue for y'all to be doing that.
Speaker 2:Sometimes that's the case too. Because it definitely be crouchy in the DMV, yeah because when I went to throw social and.
Speaker 1:CCB was performing.
Speaker 2:I'm like oh, this shit sounds so good.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, you know what I mean and I'm like okay, cool, I'm with it now. So that was the only reason why I didn't like it. I just felt like it was just banging and banging and it wasn't no like sound, no sonic sound. But once I heard the engineering being engineered on their music, I'm like okay.
Speaker 2:I just feel like too, and maybe for Baltimore, like sometimes I listen to, like certain artists from my city and it'd be like, okay, like the lyricism, I like that, I like even probably the style of beat and stuff that you chose, but like the mix and it's even like past mixes from my own, like my projects Cringe, cringe, and it's, like, you know, for the reasons of me myself, you know, have gone to Full Sail. It was a time where I wasn't as confident in my engineering skills. For the reasons of me myself, you know, have gone to full sail. It was a time where I wasn't as confident in my engineering skills. And then, when I started working with other engineers and, like you know, all different kinds, like people are super professional, people are, like you know, just kind of getting started, Right, it's like, once you really learn how to convey to them what they want, but it's like, okay, can you execute? Because I thought it was just like a language barrier sometimes.
Speaker 1:Right, that's not always the case, did you go down to Orlando or you did it online?
Speaker 2:I did it online. Okay, yeah, I did it online.
Speaker 1:Shout out to Full Sail. Hey, listen, I wanted to go to Full Sail straight out of high school. I want to do it online. My boy, actually my boy, Crazy Fingers. He from Baltimore, Shout out to Crazy. He's in full sale now.
Speaker 2:Nice, yeah, what's up? Well, you'll be alum soon.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so he like bro do it. He like just do it, just do it, that's what I did.
Speaker 2:I was like man, I'm going to just do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because Full Sail also gets you in those doors. Oh yeah, you know what I mean oh yeah, like you, connected to that network for life once you're an alum, Once you're an alum, you get in those doors and I think to me, like you said, it be that sound.
Speaker 2:It be that sound, it be that sound. And I feel like that. That's why, in my opinion, I I partially, I guess I'm partial I feel like that's probably why, like it hasn't like just bust out of Baltimore yet because, alright, everything else might be there, but the sound and it's like sonically. You know what I'm saying. People have to be able to like resonate, like actually want to play it on the radio.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Actually want to do the things to keep it going, because it's like if the mix not there, like a lot of times people not going to get past the first 20, 30 seconds.
Speaker 1:That's a fact, because if the music is good, like if the, you got the artwork, you got the look, you got everything, but if that sound is not right, it's like next. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:And I took some time away after, you know, dropping my second project and I was happy with the way that everything turned out, but I still feel like it was. You know, I was missing something as an artist. I still felt like I was missing something as an artist and I wanted to really take my time because I didn't know how to do that. Like when I was dropping, when I first started dropping, I was like no, I just want to keep dropping and I want to be consistent. But when you start to like, look at the stuff that's important, okay, like is the sonic quality there With the projects too, is this the reason why it's not really hitting Like I would like for it to hit? And then two you know learning marketing. You know what I'm saying Learning how to go out and really sell the project.
Speaker 1:That's my realm.
Speaker 3:You feel me. That's what I was in school for. I was in school for marketing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, marketing is. I tell people all the time that is like the backbone of any business. It don't matter what business, you got to have a marketing officer, somebody in your realm that understands promotion placement, product placement. You know what I mean. Digital media, social media. Nah for real, because those things, if you don't have that, it can set you back, because I know we live in a world of visual now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you got to think.
Speaker 1:Back then our visual was going to go get the CD or the tape, absolutely. And then read in the book. Now it's all digital, exactly, you know what I'm saying. So you have to go on like YouTube or whatever. What is the Vimeo to watch? The video or whatever Like you know what I'm saying, but it's still visual TikTok, whatever. So you have to like market yourself in a whole nother realm, which is dope. I just hope they make sure they start taking care of the artists.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah, that's the issue. Yeah, for real.
Speaker 1:Like you said, it's very discouraging sometimes when you be like damn, I'm doing all this and ain't nobody.
Speaker 2:Ain't nobody streaming it. You know what I'm saying. It ain't hitting I be sending it. I ain't heard it on any college radio yet.
Speaker 1:So you know what I do now. I look at all of the statistics.
Speaker 1:Even like with my podcast. Like my podcast is doing so great and I didn't think that it would Like I got people listening all across the country, right, that's so dope. And what I've noticed is that people, people want to see and listen to me, mm-hmm, and I'm like why me, me? And I'm like, why me like? And then I think about it. I start doing the you know the analysis of everything. So I look at the same thing with music. I can point out all of the issues why this, this, this and this? But it's like what are you doing at that? So that's the question. I feel like every artist, every engineer, every producer should ask themselves what are you doing to stop that from being one of your reasons on why this ain't going, why my streams ain't going? Are you promoting it? And a lot of times.
Speaker 2:the answer to that would be no, it'd be whole no and for whatever reason, like life start happening and you just kind of forget that that's your job, Like that's on you. You did all this investing, yeah, and you posted one time, two times, maybe even three, and you think that that's it and it's like it's not. Though. It's not, though. This is my experience that I'm sharing.
Speaker 1:It's not, it's a lot. So that's why with me, like even on my, on my label, page 10-0, like I post one thing on there but then the story I'm going to go in and post some stories more. But it's more of like visually getting me and that's why I started the podcast because people didn't understand. Bro, you quitting music? I'm like, no, this is another avenue to get me in the door with music, Absolutely Because you need media too, because they're going to be like damn, you do podcasts, what else you do?
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm a producer, oh, I'm an engineer. Oh, for real. Oh, yeah, I do this, I do that. Damn, I ain't know. Now, you know. So it's just using your avenues, opening up the doors for yourself. If you can't get in this way, you got to avenue another way. But yeah, they have to find the nose on why they didn't do these things and start closing those doors and making it happen.
Speaker 2:I like that, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Once you do that, even when I be riding listening to instrumentals, I ain't do that. You know what I mean? Damn, All right, I'm about to go home and do this. I'm gonna do that. I'm gonna do this and it be like me. I be doing it all the time, but I literally just started this year doing I did a 21 day fast of social media how was that?
Speaker 1:man, it was great, it was great. I ain't gonna lie like it. It helped me realize like great, it was great. I ain't gonna lie Like it helped me realize like I could be doing way more productive things when I wake up. But the first thing you do, you roll over and you get on your phone.
Speaker 2:That's a fact.
Speaker 1:Granted, you do gotta check messages and stuff like that, doing music, whatever you're doing.
Speaker 2:But the doom's rolling. That's what be getting you it be and the next thing, you know, it's midnight. Exactly. It's noon and you're like damn, it was just nine o'clock Exactly.
Speaker 1:So that helped a lot. Like I don't do it as much Like I'm on the phone. I'm off the phone but I'm also figuring out hey, what else can I do? Like even me, like I the video editing, the audio editing, I throw it right in the Pro Tools after this. You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 2:I'm doing it all.
Speaker 1:So that's what keeps me going. And then I always go back, just like how you said, with the songs. I go back and Pet words it's like. So I say, how can I fix this? You know what I mean. And that's what makes me Like more intrigued To like do the next, do the next episode, do this episode, do that episode, so I can fix everything. And it's okay to say like, it's okay to say um, but I don't like it To where it's, at a point where it's like Every yeah, it can get real redundant, yeah, yo.
Speaker 1:I just be sitting there like why did I say that?
Speaker 2:I definitely had to do the same thing, just like with myself I do say like a lot, I know I do, but you know, watching myself like interact with the crowd as an artist and like seeing, okay, how can I get better at engaging the people? And I just try to approach it like a conversation, like I'm just and that's the best way.
Speaker 1:Because when you can actually talk to your people, and they feel what you're saying, they're going to laugh, okay, yeah, yep, I'm listening. I'm listening Because sometimes I just sit and I want to hear what the artist got to say and once they say something, I'm in the back of my head like what's next? What you going to do next? Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:You kind of have to reel it in and you know like having friends to be there along the way, I've had a lot of friends always encourage me to like show my personality more, because, especially rappers, we want to rap you to death. Just rap, rap, rap. Oh God, more rap, and it be be like when do you show who you are as a person?
Speaker 1:and that's the social media part. Right, you don't even gotta rap on your social media, just be a regular person that's what I'm saying, and then be like oh yeah, forgot, I rap. You know what I mean. Check this song out, you know what I mean. But that drives people to your page when they see that you're actually a human being. Because when you just yo son da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da.
Speaker 2:Just all rap all the time. It's kind of boring in my opinion, because it'd be like, okay, you can rap.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what else? What else can you do? Can you cook? You know what I'm saying? Can you fix a computer? Like you know something that can show? Hey, I'm not just a robot, you know what I mean? Because, yeah, yeah, I like when people just themselves, if they silly or whatever, just be yourself. Like I seen an artist the other day. She's from DC, like she went on live and just started crying and I'm like dang, she's so emotional. In my head I'm like girl, why you doing this? But also in my head it's like yeah, she's so emotional. In my head I'm like girl, why are you doing this? But also in my head it's like, yeah, let it out, let people know that you're a human.
Speaker 2:It's like that duality of like all right, this could be bad, or you know what I'm saying. It could be a way for people to connect with me on a human level. Right, because I've done that before too, and it was at a point where I didn't know if I wanted to keep rapping to the capacity that I do and like I would take stuff outside that I'm working on, and I was just like, whatever I got asked to do a show, whatever you know, so I get paid to do this little show, whatever I'll do it, and you know, so I get paid to do this, this little show, whatever I'll do it. And when I would perform the music, you know, people would ask me for it.
Speaker 2:And I got so emotional because I just had a lot of personal stuff going on. That kind of was like you know, it was getting in the way. You know a lot of a lot of personal stuff. So it's like I want to give, you know, y'all the music, but I don't want to give you anything either. And because that's something that I'm battling with myself as an artist, feeling like me, I'm not showing up as my best self, listening to projects and not being satisfied with the mixes or the way that I marketed it and all of the stuff it's like. No, it just wasn't enough for me to give to y'all. So I got real emotional Cried about it and what that made me see was that people actually like me as a person.
Speaker 2:They actually care about the things that I have to say outside on by the great drive oh, I have this product that I'm I'm selling to you and all of the stuff it's like. It's nice for people that say, yo, you good, yeah, are you okay? How was your day Not? When you performing again Fact. When the next time you driving Fact.
Speaker 1:Because then when you feel like that, it's more of like damn, I'm just a robot to it, I'm just, it's all. You know me as Exactly, and it's like you don't care about nothing else. But you also, when you get into your spells of feeling down and things of that nature, you tend to forget Just put it out.
Speaker 2:Exactly, just put it out.
Speaker 1:Because if you don't, you're going to keep critiquing, keep saying fix this and fix that.
Speaker 2:It's just a perfectionism.
Speaker 1:Just do it and then, when you do it and then it drops, man, now it's like you dropped it, now you're second guessing why you dropped it. Just leave it, because a lot of those imperfections in the music, that's what makes it fire.
Speaker 3:People fall in love with it.
Speaker 1:Because there's been a couple songs now that it can go back and fix it quick. I've heard songs and I'd be like what I think it was. Whose song I think it was it was. Was it Kendrick's Mr Morale and the Big Stepper, I think? Like Kodak verse? Was it sounded off? No, it was. I think it was that one, but the latest one was the joint with Lil Wayne and Jello.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, and I heard Wayne's voice and I heard his verse and I'm like something sound off and I think they fixed it like the next day, because I'm like this, they fixed it like the next day, Right? I'm like this don't sound like the same verse I heard, Like it sounded like offbeat and everything. Oh man this Wayne.
Speaker 2:Yeah, people make mistakes, sometimes real bad, you know.
Speaker 1:But that imperfection, I still remembered it and I was like all right, Song sounds good.
Speaker 3:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:I rock, Other than the music. You got kids right. Yes, how many kids?
Speaker 2:Three.
Speaker 1:Boy girl.
Speaker 2:I have one son and I have two daughters.
Speaker 1:Who the oldest?
Speaker 2:My daughter.
Speaker 1:Son the youngest.
Speaker 2:He's in the middle. In the middle, mm-hmm how is he?
Speaker 1:He's eight? No, how?
Speaker 2:is he?
Speaker 1:Oh he's great he's Cause. You know, the number twos is something else.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know. So I would say like last year last year when he was up here with me, because now he lives with his dad yeah, he was having a very difficult time in school and I swear it's so funny to me now. It wasn't funny then. Yeah, but him and his teacher had beef because he said that his teacher be acting like his mom and she not his mom.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I understand it wholeheartedly, but he didn't feel like that. He was being, I guess, like paid the attention that he would like if he needed help. She would just always like you know, you know, figure it out, figure it out, and it's like, okay, a part of me get it. But he's kind of used to like the coddle, right, you know that he get from me, right. So yeah, but it was bad. Yeah, it was bad, like he was taking his paperwork and ripping it up, stomping on it, like he did not get along with this woman.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:So me and his dad decided like, okay, maybe it's time for him to go with you and you know, you just have your time with him and see, like if it turns around and it has.
Speaker 1:He's doing good.
Speaker 2:He's doing great.
Speaker 1:Is he still in the state or?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, he's still in the state. He's in Virginia.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, so he's not too far, no, he ain't too far.
Speaker 2:He love it over there. He like it though.
Speaker 1:How the girls.
Speaker 2:They're doing. My oldest is doing a lot better. Her transition Into high school it wasn't. It wasn't the best, yeah, but I get it, you know. So I'm glad that she's just In a space now when she's doing better and Her friends Ain't affecting her mental. You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that be like she's 16, so.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Mine just turned 13 last week. Yeah, yeah, and I be trying to tell her, like, why you be letting people get in your head.
Speaker 2:It's such a scary age for girls, because they go through that you know and I understand, because I went through it too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but now, being on the other side, I be trying to know, I be wanting to know, though.
Speaker 2:Like it's not whether you have like male figures in your life or not. I don't think that men understand like the magnitude of influence that women just have in general, even over other women.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I think that's why a lot of women be beefing with each other for a lot of the times like it'd each other for no reason.
Speaker 2:A lot of the times Like it'd be for nothing. It'd be for nothing, It'd be for nothing.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, I'd be like what's wrong with y'all, like what my thing is, like, look, if it don't harm me, if it don't bother what I got going on yeah.
Speaker 2:I ain't worried about it. Yeah, like they be worrying about it. They just be having too much time. This is quick. Yeah, they be having too much time.
Speaker 1:Oh, she said something about my nails.
Speaker 2:She said something about this and I be looking at Lana and I be like it's like parts of me get it because I'm a woman. But it's like this it's okay to feel a type of way because we all got feelings, but it's not always okay to react on those feelings. You know what I'm saying? Everything don't need a response.
Speaker 1:Yeah, see, my second, my 2D, 2d, she the second. I'm a second child, so I know she reacts yeah, and I be trying to tell her on my own be proactive, not reactive. Mm-hmm, you know what I mean, because sometimes and my oldest, she's very proactive she's going to try to defuse situations before she pop off.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I was like she should have swung. You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:For real.
Speaker 1:Like she had an incident last week, man, and I'm like if that was your mama and Tootie, they would have swung.
Speaker 2:My oldest is definitely going to swing. She's going to swing, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I think it's like me. I just like I just pray that she knows, she just understands, like how life I be trying to give her the game man, I really do, and I just hope she just understands it, Because she get it from both of us. Literally we live right up the street from each other.
Speaker 2:That's so.
Speaker 1:Dope Literally, that's so dope Five minutes within five minutes, I mean.
Speaker 2:I know that it will Like. My aunt told me something a long time ago and was like you know, when it comes to your kids, even if it seems like they're not listening, you know, tell them the same things over and over again, because you never I remember my dad has said, you know, and it's going to make sense, Like sometimes life's just got to happen for stuff that people say to make sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's a super, super snapple fact. Literally, I be saying this all the time. He'll say that Right.
Speaker 2:Yep, he said that too, and you weren't trying to hear it then, but it makes sense now.
Speaker 1:Everything, like my grandma, my aunts, uncles, everybody. I be like you're right, yeah, I'd be saying it to my daughters now and they'd be like what does that mean? I'm like you don't believe fat meat greasy, do you? They just bust out laughing, like you just be saying stuff. I'm like, no, you'll see. Yeah, you'll see. Are any?
Speaker 2:of them into music. So I'm going to say my youngest likes to sing. She's always singing around the house, singing and dancing and rehearsing. Her dad is actually an instrumentalist and a producer. He plays piano and he plays the flute. Yeah, saxophone Flute hard. Yeah, you got to have some breath for that.
Speaker 3:I don't know how to do it.
Speaker 2:So it wouldn't surprise me if that's like the lane that she takes because, she already sings and stuff. So I'm thinking about putting her into something to see, like my oldest, like she danced for a while she did like step, you know, step, dance and everything. But it got to a point for her where I guess it was like and everything. But it got to a point for her where I guess it was like she kind of lost her passion for it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she's going to gain it back when she gets to college.
Speaker 2:Maybe so, let's see, because, listen, she was traveling, she was doing the things with it. Now my son, he's like more into games and gaming, which is cool because it's like it's so many lanes for that do sound design. You know what I'm saying. That's why I'm trying to get the full sale, because I'm trying to get to the gaming man Listen.
Speaker 1:Grand Theft Auto 6 come out soon and I'm like man. How can I get on this game Exactly? I just want some instrumentalist type, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yo, you can get it.
Speaker 1:I'm telling you, I just want to eat for something on the game. Yeah, no, that'd be so dope I think that's the dopest part, and I parents used to say that all the time. You ain't gonna make no money off this. The lies that was told, the lies you told Okay, because it's real money in there.
Speaker 2:It's more money than that than as an artist Than as an artist.
Speaker 1:You get way more money.
Speaker 2:That's why it's always like Just to have the education Is great Because I don't have no problem With switching. You know what I'm saying At any given time, that's what I said.
Speaker 1:I said, man, I'd rather do sync licensing Than work with artists. You ain't gotta worry about Nothing hassling you.
Speaker 2:Nobody like.
Speaker 1:Hey man, I can't True.
Speaker 2:True, true, true.
Speaker 1:This what you looking for. Oh, you looking for this type of beat at this tempo. Oh, you want this type of mood. Okay, let me go ahead and make this a signal.
Speaker 2:Listen, that's what I. All I need is that one song sing, and then I can be like what's this? I can be like Mark Morrison Boy. What? Listen?
Speaker 1:that one song just Even that like we need to figure out, like how what new like show is coming out, because what I've learned is, if you go on IMDB and find out the music supervisor for each like TV, show sometimes it tells you the upcoming shows that they about to work on. It tells you their previous shows and what they working on now, but it sometimes tells you their upcoming shows.
Speaker 3:Uh-huh.
Speaker 1:And then we can like email them and talk to them and say, hey, this is me, this is some of the music I work on and I think it fits your catalog of.
Speaker 2:You know, that's actually something I could put on my list of things to be was researching for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the music supervisors, because I'm like, how can I get synced Because, granted, you got the taxis? And different websites that you can submit to, but if you can directly go straight to the source and they actually respond, I think that's the move for me for 2025. I'm hitting up these music supervisors. That's really smart, because I really want to work with movies, score a movie.
Speaker 1:TV show video game, whatever, because those people can steer you in another direction too. Yeah, facts, if you're building a relationship, I always say relationships worth more than money, because you never know, the people that you meet can always grant you an end somewhere else if it's not the place where they at. Absolutely, if you're building relationships, building rapport, so yeah, I think that's the move for me. What about you? What you got?
Speaker 2:So I'm going to release a single first. Before you know, I release the project and I'm hoping, I'm hoping that it's going to be this month. I feel like I'm cutting it kind of close just given time. But the first single from the project is going to be high and so I'm just going to say tentatively it may drop like the end of this month, and then you know, the project is coming. So I have three singles that will be released from this project, with videos I'm excited about. I shoot the last video for the three singles in the next, you know few weeks. So that's dope. I just shot a video on Tuesday that one gonna be crazy.
Speaker 1:When is the tentative album?
Speaker 2:so the tentative album release I am going to go with June, tentatively June.
Speaker 2:Right for the summer, yeah right, right for the summer, if all of this stuff is, I guess, done in time, because now all the songs have to go into mastering, which I don't believe is going to take a crazy amount of time, and I've already been on top of copyright and all of that. So maybe May, may was the first tentative, but I that. So maybe may, may was like the first tentative, but I'm gonna say june, just to be safe, and I have everything. But I am thinking about dropping a project on even biz before I introduce it to dsps.
Speaker 1:That's something that I kind of want to like explore even yeah yeah, I want to explore with that, so so you know um, now that you brought that up, I'm glad you brought that up because I definitely said I was going to tell you I want to link you with my homegirl, troyah.
Speaker 1:She's in North Carolina and that swim. I linked swim and her together but she used to work with Shada from Baltimore, okay. So they in North Carolina Troyah went out to work out with, she went to do to the pergola with LaRussell Mm-hmm, okay, and they, they done built a relationship and she was on Good Company's like site with the. You know rapping, you know how they do the rapping, yeah, and she's still going, they still dropping music and they doing like and they doing like pay to play. You know what I mean Pay what you want.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Pay what you want, and even was I learned that from him. I'm like I need to sign up, but I'm like I'm not a. I'm not an artist, how would I I?
Speaker 2:think it's still a way you could freak it. I learned about, even through Raheem. So Raheem like talking about it, using it, he's like a really dope person and I was like you know, I'm gonna let me, let me see what this is about.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, that's, I'm gonna explore with that, yeah, even, definitely even is the most I think you can, and I think you can do the percentage thing on there too, right?
Speaker 2:I think so. Yeah, I gotta look more into it, cause I did sign up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I signed up too, yeah but I didn't release nothing yet because I'm like I got to be legit, because if I want people to actually buy my stuff and then have access to unreleased stuff, I got to get my portfolio up with the videography and all that Thanks thanks Investing in a camera, but you know, it's everything I do it definitely listen.
Speaker 2:It's worth the money that it costs.
Speaker 1:Hell yeah, it's worth the money it's definitely worth the money Before we get out of here. I always do gym class, Not pooping type gym, but you know G-E-M, what's something you can give to the community out there, like a gym to keep in their toolbox.
Speaker 2:A gem to keep in your toolbox. Yo, For me, I live with the idea that we souls having a human experience right and self-perceivation is really the key to success. You can't tell me like it's not all the fame and the money and all of the stuff you acquire, like all of that's great, but you're going to die someday. You know what I mean and you want to live a full life. You know what I'm saying. Like when you go, just I did everything that I said that I would do in my lifetime. So self-preservation is the key to success. I feel like you have to take moments. You got to allow yourself to feel all your feelings. You know what I'm saying Stay grounded and please, like, please, pray to your God. Please pray to your God.
Speaker 1:Self-preservation, mm-hmm. Yeah, I definitely agree with that. You have to find your purpose. You know what I mean, because a lot of times when you don't find your purpose, you're going to fall off Mm-hmm. If you don't have anybody to hold you accountable, mm-hmm. And if you don't hold yourself accountable. That part, that's the most important part. But yeah, self-preservation, finding a purpose.
Speaker 2:And I want to add this note too, because, like, healing is like a theme. You know what I'm saying, everybody. I'm in my healing, whatever era. What I want everyone to understand about healing and what it means to heal is, like you have to apply that healing. You know what I'm saying. After coming out of your solitude, right, your solitude, just being in solitude, doesn't mean that you're healed. Right, you have to still allow yourself to experience life and apply you know what I'm saying the areas that you feel like you healed in, to see if you really did.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So yeah, you can't just say, oh yeah, I'm good, yeah, I went. I went off for like A whole year and I ain't talked to nobody.
Speaker 1:So I'm great that's not true, nah, cause if you see that person again it might just go back to like what my crash. I'm telling you. You know what I mean. There's a lot of A lot of crashes going on A lot of days.
Speaker 2:Yo, crashing out is real. That's why I was is the key to success. Yep, we don't need no more crash outs in 2025.
Speaker 1:Must have been too many Mm-hmm, way too many.
Speaker 2:Way too many.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, I appreciate you for coming Always. We definitely got to get some more music in.
Speaker 3:You know For sure.
Speaker 1:And like that we gone Peace.
