Episode 291 w/ Alicia Keys

Would it good? Be hoping? What it should be? This? This is your boy in o R? What up is dj e FN? This militatate crazy wall? Yall be our drink Chaps. Y'all be yaur now yeah, yappy happy. We're are happy today. In case you don't know right now right now, UM, I had so much joy Google in this person ninety million records sold, fifteen Grammys. I've never even been nominated for a Grammy, like so like I

got person to beef with the Grammy. But you cannot have personally because you got fifteen and the mother um countless movies, countless, staying relevant, making the best music and continuing to make the best music. I'm gonna tell you what. I listened to the new album twice. I'm gonna tell you the joints that I really really loved. One just hit me off top all of them. I mean, you still are fine wine. You are fine wine. You are getting better with time, You're getting better with subject matter.

Everything about this this is how did they say it in Spanish? Blackuena Atlanta is whatever? This is the time on the top. We can't go no further out of this, and hopefully this makes us to be more female orientated because we need more females. It's not the case. You know who you're talking to about. We talked about the impeccable Markable. By the way, just say you know, we've been doing drink chats for six years. My friend Garcia has only been hit three times where he walked in,

Paul said. Paul said, he didn't even come to my son's birthday and my girl and so you so off, Tome. I want to ask, I heard this is a rum by that you okay drinks drinks a drink. We found out. We found out that you like hallapeno to killer. That means you are gangster. Are going to be honest. Okay, just get her drink. Let's get her. But let me ask you. There's a rumor that you and your home girl to nasht y'all, no, no, not to not share

the artist. But it was in a group and y'all was Nicia you know, my my, yes, you know, either she was Ray and I was Ghost or she was Ghost and I was ready. It really depends on the day. So y'all was in a rap group and y'all was calling yourself right and go. No, we was in a singing group, but y'all were rapping on the wrap she rhymes. Okay, you know I did a little that that that and the point was we love Utan. So officially, that's hip that Rain, that's she's Ray, I'm Ghost, I'm go, She's Ray.

Who's ever the loudest at the time, it was usually her, It's Ray, And whoever is like the cooler one, which is usually me, it's Ghosts And that's the vibe. Yeah, and that would do show. You know. It was just like a personal you know, like that farmer that you put on when you need to just get your thing. Ghost. Notice. I think Ray might know it because Swizze knows it.

And for one of my birthdays, he had Ray come and I was like, big, I mean, I love love love Ray and Ghost and woo and and so he ended up coming, and so I was able to kind of explain to him some of that so he might know it. Okay, you know, did you make your purple tape? Nobody can make the purpose there's only one. Hey, okay, that's so let me ask you another question. Let me

ask you a question. Why is your microphone down? That's to tell you gotta keep your because we just everybody does supposed to come over and tell you to keep it down. Came over and I said, wait, nervous. We're all nervous at least making English now, So I gotta ask you. How mad was you, a little mama when

she sunked up your performance? All right? The truth for the truth first of all, you know, because I had to watch it again, and let me just be honest with you, as me watching it again this morning, it seemed like you didn't even see her. The truth seem that he was eating it was in his face. All I know was on that stage, Jay was here, I was here. In my head, I was such a gorilla at the time. I was my eyes. I was like, this is what's happening is I'm going to destroy this

record tonight. That's all I had in my head. Somehow, however, she got over here. I didn't even bear witness to the whole show. I was ice so focused on making it amazing. I went backstage and Jay was like, so you ain't You ain't see that, and he was like, no, you ain't. Just see what just happened. And I was like, yeah, we killed it, that's what and he was like, you ain't see and I was like, what are you talking about?

The whole time my sister was standing right there, and I had no idea that I had to watch the playback myself. I had no idea. So so honestly, that's been. That's been some time. She's super big. Love to her. No, she's good. She's super good. She has you know, sent her love, apologies the whole thing. I think she was just inspired, inspirational. I got on the stage too, because you know what, it's funny, because it's something real New

York kids like. She could have really started like a trend like other people have been, Like yo, like maybe a fat Joe jumped on or somebody because everyone is filling the same New York spirit. Yeah yeah, but go on like that because I looked at his face again today and I said that man was he was not happy? So so you go back home and didn't you don't know to after? That's crazy. I was actually crying. I was cracking to me. It was hysterical. I thought it

was the most funny. I just couldn't believe that I was on that stage the entire time and I just did not see that. Like that's how focused. Diane went out performed. But like you've seen the meme, they put her everywhere. Now they put her girl every single where? Did this cup right here? She right there? She created the memes like the first memes that was like it right,

you feel like she started at me. I think she started this meme is the motherfucker thinks she gets I think you right, I think little mama, I'm still okay, get over the way and goes think I'm trying to picture you as a way. But on the new album, Let's start with only you? Is that is that? You know, you know, the one that really got me. I wanted to make love to my wife immedia, Okay, this is what you need to do. But I love when you called my name that that one was that I was

like the in the gamest of me left. I was like, holy shit, you're going. First of all, I want to tell you, I get my sage just to shot day right, And I feel like this album that you got is my first time getting shot out of my tape that even though it's not a tape that you'll just starts worthy every one. I love her so much for you to just say hold on, that's a very big deal, do you know, like you're the new version hold on because that's my big sister in my head my head

shot it is my big sister, like for sure. And have you ever Yeah, we met, We definitely, we met. She actually performed on the show with me. That was crazy. I had to you know, fix my mouth to ask her to come out and perform, because you know, she's like a she's like so ethereal she's she's like the print she just disappeared and she's just like and then she reappeared and it's like that. It's like that, so

so she uh. I met her in London and we connected and at the time, I was doing my organization, Keep It Out Alive, and we did something called the Black Ball, and so every year we had really powerful performances, and so I asked her to be a part of it, and so she told me yes. And when I tell you, I left the room. I was like, thank you, sister, you know, big love and to see you soon. I

left the room. I went around the corner as fast as I could get and then I jumped up and down like like I was super And then her assistant walked by, some acting crazy. That's like, good to see you. So let me ask Let me ask you, because you've also met Prince and Michael. Correct, how is it? How is it? First of all, we love stories from both of them, So whichever way you want to start prints Michael Prince um Man, you know, he another one. He called me a lot. He would check in on me

a lot. And I don't even know how he got my number, Like he's I don't understand. Tell you how the Prince got your number. He's another mysterious. He's another one there he come back and and and by the way, if you ever want to get him on the phone, listen whole different situations. I feel like, Prince, what's a gangster on the phone? Is that true? I'm just walking out. This is just my imagination. He was definitely very directs,

very very direct, you know. So he would he would call me on the phone like after you heard you don't know my name? And he was like, you don't know, you get checking it out of me? Called me it's like I just heard your new record. And I was like hello, and you know it's him because he's the only one that sound like that, and so he so he was like, I love what you're doing. I love that sound that you're doing. I love how you're producing all your records, Like this is powerful. Keep doing what

you're doing. So he would hit me like that and I said, so, what did you say his name as in your phone? He always called me from like some old to call it back, you can't And I wasn't trying to be so it wasn't really I don't. I don't you know if I called him, I would, you know, call through somebody Lake minnto, some weird crazy definitely somewhere crazy, said scare. And then he would pop up on my shows and and then you would just know that like

Princess here right and everything he turned purple purple. It definitely had not. So you don't really want to know that Princess at your show, because yeah, you don't want to be performing when Prince is at your show. And then Prince called you later and be like you didn't hit the high note like he's the voice like that, I'm sorry, he's wrong. He will he'd like, your sound was sucked up this show, and I'd be like, he never told you that you sound. Your sound wasn't right.

Your sound was sucked up. And I was like, so you think it was? But he he tried to work through with it. He was like, I think I think it's a little bit between the speakers that have happened. It's a little bit between how the mixer's treating it. And he would actually like big brother Vicus, properly tell me some truthful ship. But you really won't get from most people, you know what I mean. So he's amazing. A lot of people said that he was like an

artist artist, like like pro artist everything. Okay, But about Michael Michael, I only met him one time. What's Bubbles the Monkey? I didn't meet the book. I didn't meet the monkey. I met his kids, so that was cool. And then he was just cool as hell. Man. It was so cool. I mean, always saw spoken, always that you know, that energy, and always like so curious. I remember it might have been March and there was still a Christmas tree up, so I remember I was like, wait, yeah,

it was definitely not near Christmas. Course I like Christmas tree too, so I get it. It's good. It's good. So and he was a Reagan thing. You mean, other people do this, see because you never take your I don't never put it up. Holy, so Michael had this Christmas tree in March, so they had like that, you know. So anyway, everything is like kind of whimsical and kind

of just like dreaming and everything. And I remember he was like giving all these this information about Thriller and he was like I had all these memories, and that big gass plaque that had like four hundred thousand times platinum was on the floor. It was like on the floor in the corner. So it was. It was so good. He was just so full of love and he was super sweet and so loving and who would have ever thought that was the last I mean, you know, I

only met him one time. But he's amazing. I love him. Who don't love Michael? Which is why you love love when you call my name? Because I sound like like a little Michael vibe. There was just one song on the album that it didn't have a feature, four Umla produced by Mike will that's crazy crazy Else is on that record? The latest s? Oh yeah, I didn't. I don't know what type of thing you. I feel like like three records and that's good. The ain't trust me,

I ain't gonna lie. Let me just tell you something. This is probably the most important. I felt as doing an interview when they sent me the album early, because you know, we're really not journalists, but we're journalists, right. We have to take that that that meaning. But no one's ever done that for us. No one's ever sent us the album offered. No one of them offered it. No one like you guys are really perfumptional because thank you for he like the taking clan. It's like fifty

five of them right now. They just came out, everyone masked professional who No one said nothing, just walked through. Everything was focused. I like it. This is not rapping, not rapists all over the place. Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is not. So do you consider yourself a soul artist because you're more than just R and B. I love that question definitely. I mean I feel I feel like i'm genre list. I don't feel like I'm undefined. Well,

I don't get defined what I do. But but if there was ever a definition, I think it's so artist. It's perfect because I think who was So? I think Nirvana is soul. I feel like, you know, soul is just something that hits you and moves you and you feel it in a way that you know you can't describe. So I like that. I'm gonna go for that. But everything you do is still very hip hop no matter what you do. Yeah, you mean it's just in me. It's in me. Hip Hop is soul. Hip hop is soul.

I mean like it's in me. New York born and raised. You can't get it out of me, No, don't try. I've seen two during One say that you're from Harlem, and one says he was born in Hell's Kitchen. Yeah, okay, so Hell's Kitchen. One is true. So Hell's Kitchen, well, I mean yeah, born in health kitchen is right, and raising House kitchen and also Harlem Hell's Kitchen is downtown. For people that don't he was Kitchen is like no Elis is further down. At least it's like twenties. He

was kitchen. It is like midtown forties, so it's almost sixtees. But west side like where it was crazy. I don't know where you were more from Queen. You were more Queens, so you probably did even come to forty second Street. That M just have to get you got your I used to go to peep shows there, how I was going, yeah, yeah, yeah, that was up. Friends. I never said I had good friends. At least we don't. We don't know if you know.

But our show is about giving flowers, you know. We we see so many artists and they want to praise them, you know, after they're gone. We wanted to change their narrative. We want to give people, literally, they flowers while they alive. So we didn't make that statement up, but we're making it famous and we're keeping it famous. So we literally wanted to give you your flowers so you can know that. Let's make a noise. You give this to everybody coming.

Just but you're the first one of the purple all right, this is the first one that's an exclusive one, right, Yeah, this is golden. Yes, we got the beautiful They're gonna last. And I don't know about that purple one. I don't know. And the purple one. I didn't even a purple tape. Purple tape, and you don't know that. I love purple. I love the purple tape fire. I love this much. So okay, so we didn't get only you. Let's let's get to only you on a new album. Yeah, alright,

what made you go on? So, first of all, the album is called Keys, right, and and it's the double album, and it has two sides. The first is called Originals and the other one is called a Lot. So Originals is like that classic a K piano songwriter. Those vibes was one you could sing at the type of your LANs. And then Unlocked, which is the other side, is the one me and Mike Will connected and we sampled the originals and made a whole another record out of dolts.

So it's it's sick. So only You was one of my favorite songs. But I'm trying to figure out if you got both sides, because you just got you. I got Scott got best at me I got La La, I got nack King Cole, is it insane? Come from me with khalil? Which was I forgot? How good khalil is? You reminded me it's old memories love when you called my name daffa dolls when daffodil you do think, I was like, I don't want to google that. That's when they ask you that you'll be like diagnosing yourself on Google.

I'll be messing up when I Google. I'll be getting confused and just give up. A lot of daffodils are Actually the firstest I just learned is recently it's the first flower that booms after the winter. And so the life is that you know you you you can come back after a dark time, you know what I mean. So that's what Dapford deals is. And it is a flower. Okay, it is a flowers, y'all. I was you know you got this? Yeah? Yeah, So I'm bouncing all over the place.

But one of my favorite joints is when you sample O D B. That is my sample Brooklyn Zoo and it was for girl girlfriend, yes exactly. So what made you go into that zone and you actually like song? Like you know what I mean? Like, what made you just say you know what? Because that's like, you know, it's so hard to recreate a classic record that's already classic, and then so many people are going to judge it because they're gonna say, well, it's not as good as

Brooklyn Zoo or this is good. What makes you take on that task? I just had no idea at the time. I didn't even know. I didn't even know people was gonna give a funk or not to be honest, because it was my very first record, Like I said, I love you very much so that that piano was so dirty, but it was the piano that I'm so heavy and so hard, and for me, it just was ill as a as a singer to be able to end who play the piano, who take to take those two and create a song around it. To me, that was just

like some brilliant ship. So the last thing I was thinking about was was whether I was messing up with a classic or anything. I just didn't even know how that went yet. You know, it's like at a certain point, you don't even have any limitations. There's nothing inside your head that's telling you can't do it. You're just gonna try. You know, yeah, you just tried, and I was like, whatever, they're gonna tell me that's a classic. But how did

that get in your head? Because I hate it now, Like when people do my record sover, I'll be like, I'll be like, people will be sending me record. So they were like, look, I think your record over Like I didn't get men MC. It's gonna be different, as different as an MC to tackle another MC's records. What I'm saying, well, but did that's even that's even more hard. There might be more creative liberty if you're singing over

the joint, Yeah I would. I wouldn't mind someone singing over my joint as opposed to rapping and trying to wrap. That's yeah, I think I think that's what it is. It's easier for that. It's just different. So okay, but we spoke on Empire State earlier, but we spoke about the incidental performance. How is this record even put together? Jay calls you and he goes, I got to pi in tell us just like that. I don't know why

I keep caging these words. I'm doing all with job by the way, but honestly kind of sounding like, so does he have the record? Do you have the record? Are y'all and Sony? What's going on? In this particular case, he had the record. He um, he was reaching out for me to do the record for a minute, and he was going through you know, he was being respectful, going through the proper channels at the time, and for whatever reason, the people that represent me at the time

did not tell me about the record. I don't know why. I don't know what if maybe they felt another thing or I don't I really don't know. So finally he called me and he was like, man, I've been trying to get you this record, this record, this special, this is it's called Empire State of Mind. I want you to hear it. It's about New York and obviously nobody can do it, but you know you were married, Like there's the only two that could do it. I need yeah, yeah, yeah,

that's true. It wouldn't make sense, right, yeah, right exactly. So um So, anyway, I was like, I couldn't believe that it didn't get to me, and it definitely created a whole new thing for me to make sure that I was like in front of my ship because so many people, you know, you trust them to handle your stuff and do do you do their thing for you and you don't know what's coming back to it was

not coming back to you. And sometimes that's crazy because could you imagine that empire never got to me when you heard the record? Did you know this was immediately a monster? Or you was like because you know what it is? Sometimes when we make regional records, and although New York is is a big market, I'm sure when um, people you know from gare making a I Love New York record and a lot of people get critiqued of us because they you know, they say that we're cocky.

New York is where cocky? So was there any time when you thought like damn, because it is a regional record, although it's a global record, but it's regional because if you're really not from New York, you're not gonna have that little mama spirit to jump on the stage. You understand I'm saying she was correct because she felt the spirit. You know what I'm saying, That's exactly what you wanted. It's just not on the stage at that stage. But you know what I'm saying. But that's what I'm saying.

When you first heard it, did you know that immediately that this is gonna because I believe they change Frank Sinatra record. They took it out, and this is the new New York City. And did you know that when you heard it? I don't think I knew all that. I didn't know all that. I definitely felt it. You could feel it. You could feel it had a spirit. You could feel the way the chord has changed. You could feel that that the beginning of that chorus was already kind of in the space. You can start to

feel what it what it felt like. So I already I only operate from an emotional space. I don't really know how to go from a place where I'm like, this is a smash just I don't I don't work like that. I just don't even know how to think like that. So it was emotional for me, and I felt it. It's my city. I loved it, and I just felt attracted to it, so so I went forward. I actually had to record it a couple of times. The first time I recorded it in l a and

the ship just didn't work. I thought it worked, I thought it sounded good, but he called me. He was like, um, you think he's gonna be able to do them vocals again and I was like, what I put my vocus my vocus a fresh? Yeah, I don't don't. I don't know if I want to call you. I'm pretty sure he didn't really want to go on. But to be honest and to be fair, I was sick, and you know, I was trying to turn the record around for him.

He asked me for it by a certain time. So I was sick and I went in and I did it, and you could he when he called me, I was like, I was mad, and I was like, what you mean? But then I agreed. I agreed, and he's like another thing. You know how the record joys be like, oh yeah, could you do that? Could you do that on there? So he has requests. So I went back in. I did it in New York. I was feeling better than right. You can't do a New York record in l A.

That's just like, yeah, that's kind of crazy. This is like you can't be at Circle House. And my Ami even corded, no, you can't. I don't necord. So yeah, now that was so that was the vibe and then I flipped it did it again, and it was it was what it was. It is what it is right now. So but now that it is literally the not only New York record. But I'll never forget the biggest moment for me was I was in Paris and it was the first time I was performing the record. Is the

first time that I performed the record by myself. And if you remember, I did a version of the record that was just me on piano because I was like, I'm not gonna be able to do this jay thing every time, Like I'm never gonna be able to perform it, and so I did a broken down version of it. And that's actually when we talked about ease, and we talked about original and unlock. We would call the broken down version of Empire my original, and we would call

the original version of Empire my unlocked version. That's kind of the concept of what unlocked and keys come from. And so anyway, when I when I did when I did my version, I was in Paris and I was about to perform, and I was like, I didn't know how it was gonna go over. I'm like, first of all, they speak another language, are they even gonna understand me? And then I'm like New York, New York, and we're in Paris. I'm like, I don't know what's gonna happen.

All I know I went out the entire audience top of their loan every word, and I just that was one of them records that came out and I knew that all the words the same day, like I knew, like I was, like I mean, because it was a problem, Like I felt a little Mama spirit. Like I'm not saying that like being funny. I'm actually like I was, like I did too, Like I was like I wanted I did in my mind, like I told you I did in my mind. It's just one of those like

in fact every Winner. It's like my tradition. I go back to New York, where I'm from, and I have to hear that record. I have to hear that record going down stret Like I cannot complete my winter without riding down thirty four Street. For some reason, I'm pretty much and when I'm in New York, I'm pretty much incognige. Rob try the truck. I'm probably in the truck. Yeah, But it reminds me of you know, home Alone and these these Christmas spirits, you know, songs that you have

to hear it, like Christmas. Yeah, it does, it does. Did it come out around christ I don't know, but you know why, it's just that perfect snow record when it's snowing. I just want to hear that. And you know what I google to you today, um that all of your albums like you're lea Google got OBEs of money, but you're really a big dog. Like you know, when I was making records, they would keep me in the summer because it's easier to push the artist in the summer.

All of your album October I told you record point, but you really only your albums came out within November. It's only two of your albums that came out the first ye And I'm gonna get each other one maybe here and all of the other one. Fourth quarter was fourth quarter. And what I used to the big, the big, the big CEOs to tell me, you can't come out fourth quarter? You do, You're gonna say you're asking the summer time. I never got orfered and I'm looking at

I said, damn, oh, it was fourth quarter. Because you know what that means that when they drop you a fourth quarter, they means that you are the your shot for them to make all their money back, so they push you J D. M X and all of you guys to the fourth quarter because y'all are short shot. You know, I happen to be aware of that, of course, you know. Yeah, man, that's a big deal now. But honestly, it's kind of it's kind of wild and I putting out putting out sounds that I'm a minor. That was

my first record in the summer. Man, it's something that feels so good about the summer record. You got, the festivals, you got, the parades, you got I remember being in the Puerto Rican Day parade. You can go. You have some claiming on time. My godmother, it's for the weekend. So we rode him with that. That's just that's that's all right. We got Leicia. Yeah, but you and I loved it. There was something so good about the summer. You could go. You know, there's a different energy in

the winter. You like trying to figure out where you're gonna performing out freeze, it's just different. Everybody's kind of rushing to be home. It's it's a different vibe. I feel like the summer. So my point is, even though maybe you wanted to be off in the fourth court, I think the summer was like right, yeah, but you was a short shot. I don't mind moving on. What was your first acting movie, because like, you have so much movies to like Holy Molimo. Yeah, so like and

they said you were signed at twelve. You was making music at twelve, and I had a record at fifteen. My first record deal was I guess it was right out of right out of high school. Graduated high school early, so I was about fifth. I was about sixteen. I had a record deal, and I did I had a record deal. I was. I was signed to Columbia Records, and I was accepted to Columbia University. And I just knew that was some ship. I was like, Columbia Record, Colby,

it's me. Somebody knew in me something you so in my total when you was in Columbia at the time, it was Donnie. I know, don I think Tommy had already maybe not, something had transitioned with with Tommy was going through it. You know. At the time, I ain't know about that ship. I was like no, no, no, you know, and then you got to work with Clive Davis and then Columbia fucked it up, and and I know that I know they're killing themselves to this day because they did it with me, and they did it

with Aretha Franklin. F y damn. I'm sorry. I didn't know what they did to Areta. What did they do to her? They didn't know what to do with her. They didn't know how to Like she didn't start having her She's had her records that didn't really blow on Columbia and then she you know, she went on and then she started getting those big records. So so they just didn't really know what to do with the real

artists and with an artist that was different. You know, they so many of these places they just marketing and they just commercialism, and they just don't know how to think of nothing new. It was a blessing for them, Like it was definitely. Did you see the can versus Auntie? Got a little heard her? Auntie was right there. She was drinking car. Yeah, I got I think it was.

I thought they called the Soroka Con. There was so but she is a legend and the genius and her parents with Stephanie Mills, was like one of the most incredible parentings ever. And what I loved from seeing the playbacks, I love the sisterhood, like you could see how you know certain certain times, and I think sometimes artists don't don't necessarily connect so so powerfully, although you do meet people that you do connect with, but it's so separate.

But them, like you could see her like she was there for her, you know, she was she was not gonna leave her. She was gonna be with her the whole time. She was gonna like make it the energy beautiful. And I just thought that that sisterhood was really really really beautiful. And you know what, that's a big show. Like people you get nervous, you know what I mean, and you definitely might need to try to feel like you calm down, But that doesn't take away from her

legendary status. She's so crazy. I see. I was so scared to get up and say hi to him right because she's gonna she is gonna cut in l A A. I'll forgot who I was what I was like, can you see if I could see hot to us? By the time they came back, she had already left, and I was like, I just gonna take a loss. I was just gonna take the loss with the hell, like you know, I'm so you watch versus obviously, definitely obvious. I was there at the inception. It's part of the family. Yes,

I was there. Okay, what was the inception of that. Let's let's just go there. Well, this is my vision of the okay, my virgin. The inception was. I went down. I went down to the to the garage and I walked in and and and you know, he's over there on I. But I'm like, ship, if I walk over there, he's gonna make me get on the camera. So I'm like, I'm gonna stay were here. So I was watching him, and he was like, I wonder they do it? Who's he talking to? But if I go over there, he's

gonna make me get on the camera. Don't want to be on the cameras late. So I went upstairs. Next time I come back downstairs, Um, he's going And so I was like when we went so I got to sleep three in the morning. Bag never gonna believe what happened. I'm like, what happened? I was just on I g with Tim, me and Tim we went crazy and I killed him. I killed them for sure. I'm telling you. I said, what was happening. He was battling like he

was playing the record. I was playing the record, he was playing why, and then everybody was just coming to the spot. It was crazy. I started to lose you, suption, so I had to go up the street finish in the car because I'm like, you finished in the car? Yeah, And I killed him in the car. I was like, I was like, okay, all right, that's fired. That sounds sick. I went to bed and that was literally the beginning of versus. Like that transformed into all that you need

a versus? Are you okay? Because you do? So you know where I'm going? You know what? The next question is, Google, go ahead, would you do versus? He ain't go all that. Oh yeah, but y'all was so friendly. I wanted you to do. You need to be a little bit more. I totally forgot it, though, Google. I do think that I personally need another another verses. I think we gotta do who I want you who? Who would you want to battle? Who y'all think I should be with? He

said Elton John sucking John. He just said Elton John John. H um mary on No, definitely, but el John has like sixty years in music, Like sixty years. I got a lot, But like that's a lot. Wow, But Eric about did Joe Scott, which was one of my favorites that was like one of my fast Mariah Beyonce Orihanna Orihanna. That's hard. I like that me be a ready yeah, so um uh we should leave. We had Carye on here right and he uh, that's this Sunday Service. Have

you ever attend this Sunday Service. I have been one Sunday Service and I also have watched Sunday Service, and I really love I love his vibe with Sunday Service. I think it's really really special and he's like the only one that could do it, you know, just in the way that he does it that makes it such a visual experience and then kind of an emotional experience. So yeah, okay, blood At, I'm gonna name your albums, and I want you to say something about him as

I name them. Tell me where you was at when you were making of what I was feeling, where I was at, what was happening. You know, you jump around a lot. I love that. Yes, I gotta keep I gotta keep up with you. We ain't even a creeptime. Yeah, it's gonna give me. Okay, songs in the minor. First of all, it's a minor. My g oh, yes, I don't know. I'm sorry. Dyslexic, that's okay, that's okay, don't worry.

He's gonna use dyslextive songs and a minor. A hundred thirty five between Fifth and Lennox, one six ft walk up, one bedroom apartment, no heat blazing, MMG cafe, what's the cafe that sampans? Yes, in the closet with a blanket over recording vocals, listening to the records for hours and hours,

trying to figure out how could I produce them? How could I make them sound as good as Isaac Hayes and Mary and and and and like you know, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye and like those joints that was timeless forever and never went to sleep singing at the top of my loans. Dude on the corner called me, hit a high note every time I walked back to the spot. Hit a high note. What I heard you last night? That's songs and name the Diary of Alicia Keys,

The Diary of Alicia Keys. I had just moved to Jersey. I thought I was thought I was big time, I thought I could get me a little spot. I just wanted a little spot of like a little house, like a little thing. All of a sudden everything kind of turned around. I didn't really have that much money that I thought I couldn't make the rent anymore for the spot that I was renting. And I got and I was stressed out, but I knew that it was gonna

work out. And I promised I would never live in Jersey ever again, because I was never gonna pay to get anywhere. Don't charge me to leave or come back again. And I never saw went okay, So I went somewhere I could get a free bridge, and I ended up in Queens Queen, Okay, Jersey. Do you remember the first time? Honestly, it was such a blur. It was like such a bad time. I just didn't even remember. You was at in Queen's Rosedale, Rosdale. O, my first house, Queen's Rose

From Where are you from? From Left Fra City? Goddamn it makes no noise of me? O, holy shit, soft from Rosdale? From around there? He's from Roxdale, Rocksdale. Stuff that don't add up? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, So let me finish to finished on the albums Okay, Yeah you took me there. I was lost as I am as I am. I had a major breakdown. I didn't know how to handle all the things. I felt like I was supposed to handle everything and I was supposed to be perfect. I didn't know how to do it.

I didn't know how to be it, and I felt like I was sinking and I had to leave. I just like I couldn't take it anymore. And so I left. And it's the first time that I went on like a trip from ey Ey. That's when I went to Egypt. I actually went to Egypt and Italy. You know, I'm half black and half Italian, so I didn't even realize when I picked those two there was like a home coming in a way, like a you know, like a like you know, like a trip for me that was

going to mean something. And so when I came back from that, I started changing everything. I started. I had a bunch of fake friends. I had people that I just they weren't fake, but they just they just wanted what they wanted and it wasn't in line. And I had to kind of babysit everybody, and I just cut off all the excess energy, and I remember, I just decided, like I can create what I want to create. I don't have to I don't have to do anything that

don't feel right for me. And it was the first time that I really like expressed my own individuality and I and I and I made major changes and it changed everything's fire, business managers, lawyers, all these fake as people steal from you. And it was finished. It was a big, big shift that record, which is why I sound like that okay, the Element of Freedom, which is kind of ironic because you kind of like describing that like leaving that album, so it makes sense that you

went to the element of freedom. But I want you to say, to your word, the element of freedom. Yeah, I know when I think about it, I felt so empowered naming the album element of Freedom. It wasn't until I looked back on it that I realized, what an element don't make no damn sense. This is a tiny little bit, like an element is a tiny bit of freedom. Him Here I was thinking, I was like having all this freedom, but the words I was choosing was small, and so that's kind of at the time. I had

to break out of thinking small. I had to break out. Although Element is where Empire was, Element is where I try seeking with a broken heart was. Element was like a big European record for me to like, Europe went crazy over Element of Freedom, and um, it was like my. It was like my. It was like my coming out of my beginning, of coming out of anything that I had maybe held onto before and like leaving it behind. But I needed I still needed a lot. I still

needed a lot of transition. You know, he's gonna get so deep drink Yeah yeah, yeah, So that brings me Girl on Fire? Oh, girl on Fire. You couldn't tell me ship. I remember people was like, you got a little bit nervous that you're calling this album girl on fire. I was like, why I'm a girl on fire? And I didn't even get what they were talking about. They were kind of saying, like I guess they were saying, if you call, if you say a girl on fire, but if it don't end up being that hot, what's

gonna happen to you? Oh? I thought they was talking about like the Richard Prior type of fire. I didn't know why didn't mean it like that. Yeah, I just want that said, I thought you said. I thought you said, you said, that's why people like you. Oh though I did throw my brother like his I got a younger brother and I threw him like his eighteen birthday and and it was fresh. And we went to the um

the gold car spot, you know, the racing spot. We were in the racist s and I surprised my brother, like his friends from or wherever the family was there. We rented it. How I felt like I was doing it big. It was crazy. He was so happy, he was so excited. We were in the back of cheers, brother, I love you, boom and I went back like this and there was a candle behind my hair and then my ladies know when you put like the hair, spraying

all this stuff in. So you was a girl. And all I know is that God Swizzy was with me. He was like bab bab bab baby, and it was on fire. So that was during that album. And to your point you wrote that I should, oh my gosh, the girl on fire was on fire. I had my first baby. I got rid of a bunch of negative motherfucker's that needed to be out of my life. It was about removing a toxic bullshit. And I was on

fire for real. There was you know, I felt myself and I was like, I had a space for myself, and nobody could tell me some ship that wasn't right because I knew for myself. You just said that title was hard, but but this title is harder to me here because it's just like to me, that's being cocky without being cocky, because because you're saying here and most people say I'm here forever. So I think camp with those words in your mouth, what were you saying by saying,

I remember I was gonna name here king in New York. Okay, I wanted I've said I'm the King of New York. I respect that. I ain't gonna say. I deserve to be considered the king, not the queen, not the princess, the King of New York. I want to. So I started to kind of bring some of the other kings in New York, and I was, you know, building with nas accuted jay and and I was just like, you know, how do you feel about this? I want to call it King of New York. People have such an adverse

reaction to it. It was so interesting how that rubbed people in a certain way. The other kings of New York though, and they didn't. I don't feel they It was more like they were kind of considering it for me, you know, like as a brother, like to their sister. More like that, not like they was hating they was, you know. Um anyway, So I decided to call it here because I realized that that was even more powerful to what I was feeling at the time. And that record,

to me, is one of my most undiscovered jewels. To me, that record is my Purple Rain. Like that one is one of my most special important records, and it was a big transition for me. It's my love letter to New York. You really hear it. You hear it in every skit. My our brother Pick was on that record before he passed. There is a whole energy that's in

there that's so real and um. And so I decided to call it here because not because I'm here, but because I'm present, Like I'm here and I'm experiencing myself in this moment and I'm being honest with everything that I'm going through and feeling, and so I'm here and that and that's the way I looked at it, And so I love that record. That's one of my favorite that's like one of my favorite records, my baby. So then you self titled the album Alicia Alicia? What made

you do that? Alicia came because I realized that I started to really know who I was and who I am, and Alicia is a very complicated individual. We're all complicated individuals. We all got all these different sizes of us. And I remember I was having a conversation with my husband and he was like, you know, I haven't tell anybody with Italian And I was like, what, why don't you tell anybody that you're Italian? And I was like, people know what I'm Italian? Were you talking about? He was like,

I asked anybody, but you don't know your Talian? And I was like, huh, what is the point? He's like, I just feel like you like not fully sharing everything, that there's so many ill parts to you and you don't share all of it. And that was the first time that I really thought, well, maybe there is stuff that I'm holding back that I didn't realize. And so Alicia was really about uncovering, like who is Alicia? On

multiple levels? Who are we all on multiple levels? Like we feel like we have to beat this one side or this one type or it's one version, or this person makes you happy, someone be like that, and this person makes my girls happy. Someone be like that. But like, who are you? And that to me, that's like that was mine. Yeah, that was my steak in the ground, like this is who I am? And then the last one key and it's a double album. I've never got that much thought process. It cut off after d I'm

fucked up, so Keys. It is really about, like, listen, there's two sides of me. There's two sides of all of this. There's many sides of all of us. I got. I have my original me, I have the one that you might expect me to be on behind the keys. I got the music, I got the soulfulness, and I also have a whole other side of me that you probably not expect. And I want to blow your mind with both of them. They're going to be all about the piano, They're gonna be all about the ship. Only

I could do this is my world. You can't do what I do, and you're gonna love it because it's this experience that's just like pure and real and honest, and you're gonna feel it right here. I want to buy the album. Now yes, original a K unlocked a K original nor unlocked. Holy ship you got me hype girl. All right. So look now we were just time in the game. We're playing quick time with slie. Where's the slie? Okay, no, no, it's no, it's no slides Why because that's the word

I made it back in the day. Okay, Look, this is what we do. So you can pick one of the other one of the other, and it's it's nothing. But if you pick both, or you pick you want to be political. When you say neither, then you take both of you. Okay, okay, well I pick one already. Other if I want to be political, yeah, if you want to be shot, okay, you can pour a shot in there. Yeah yeah yeah, And I'm gonna drink Japanese whiskey. Holy sh what's what's what's your drink? He's whiskey obviously.

Spaces Major. We love space. What do we like it? This is one of the best champagne on the planet of that space. And we also we also promote rock like we all here. Don't drink that please, May Mama Wanta Dominican Mama one. What is that? He's just likes to be crazy yeah, they're gonna kill you. Yeah, you're not gonna make any more your interviews. Yeah, yeah, that doesn't be playing. It's no herbal okay, the herb shop. Get you do crazy? You could do ceremonies. You have

a teck Google, don't choose. Oh yeah, we retired, we retired Tiger up. That that's the latest. No, we ain't been getting the Middle Garden bogy since on COVID because it came from China. So they they shot of ship down. Yeah, and then we just never conneftence. He was got a little scared, like, wait, but what do you do? You get a shot. I'm doing what we all dream were drink. If I choose the middle ground, if you're really correct, then we're drinking. Okay, and I feel like you're gonna

be this is unlocked, ak unlock Okay. Cool. I have a lot of friends. I don't have a lot of friends. I love everybody. This is what it is. Okay, we're still friends. We're gonna start out. We're gonna start out. I don't know what. You have a drink everybody, you can do, it's gonna be you can you can start shot in the poor shot in the poor. You can shot in the poor, okay, Drake, Oh Wayne, Wayne scared face ice cube face out cast them off, deep o cast. I know you just work with car hard one I

just spoke to was working with Car in New York. Kane. You're asking, he's pretty easy. She's not drinking it all right, push your teeth. I got the wrong one. Oh Ship, I'm so sorry. Well great, great who answered that one? Yeah? There? Question is thank you? I'm so sorry. There's the questions. That was okay? Okay? Was that hard crafted just for you?

Needs guys? Come on and a Dominican. Those two guys, Okay, this this is more like Queen Latte or empty like la But I love them both, but laugh I said that second. Okay, Foxy a little Kim Kim. This one. You're taking a shot. Are you ready? Okay, evil Missy take a shot. I want to shoes. That was too big. Okay, I'm gonna smaller next like that, No problem, cam or Mace all taking a shot now. I just want to think about it for two seconds. All I'm love you

too much for big. I'm gonna say camp Okay, it's funny. What Swerland, The fact that even put that you know, next we should drink it for that. Okay, that's w B or skate us as the devil to the V I was just talking about Coco, okay, O, d B or Biz Markey shot. That is a hard one. You go poke in your shot. I need a major BOTHO. I'm gonna say Biz because he's classic and he's that it is hard classic to take a shot take alright, this one were taking a shot? Yes, I'm I'm sorry.

That's big you. This one right here, I don't know where you're gonna go with it because it's girl power and these are two of the most irrelevant female rap artists right now, Cardi B or Nicki Minaj. They both got your bone right there. How long this game going, don't worry gets easier. I'm not to come with it this one. I don't know where you're going with n Wa or you wo Tank. It's gonna be because I told you, it's like my mom. I respect that. Brandy

or Monica, I'm cold. I'm gonna go for Monica. Okay, Whitney or Janet. You have a question, is that drinking? I'm going for Whitney. Okay, I'm going for Whitney Okay, rest in peace? Yes, what Biggie or big Al? I'm gonna just love with my child off. That was hard. There's no choosing between big and big Al. No, I don't think you should period. That is the right correct answer. Mariah or Mary Jane Mary Okay, Okay, I think I know what you're gonna pick on this one at a

Miami even though we're in Miami right now. That's hard New York. I'm taking the shop of that that should be think I'm taking this. Listen, how much do you draw? How many days for a week? Is this show? This is the second time that they're worried about us. You got him? Got you? Chris Brown or Usha Ure that was Deep Trey Songs or Jeremiah Tray Okay, this one it's very tricky, meant to be tricky, DMX or tupap.

There's no choosing. Yeah, I agree with you and agree. Yes, I definitely don't know what we're gonna go with this one. Jordan or Lebron Okay, I don't know where you're gonna go with this one, neither. This is pretty funny. Salt and Pepper or The City Girls. It's pretty uny. I like this one. You gotta go Pepper, you got I feel like you went to Halloween that salt Pepper. Once as the whole group went to what like Halloween, you dressed up. I think next year, I feel like, yeah,

I need that. Yeah, I never did that. I never got into Halloween like that. First I dressed up, but I don't go crazy. Not everybody going bananas. I'm like, Jesus is like a major thing. That's a scarface. I was, Yeah, he went to scarface. I went as a dodgeball guy once. Feel like that was believable that I could play dodgeball. Yeah, that's what I said. One show wasn't one video, No, I went, I wanted it for thirty minutes and I said, let's get it. I took it off. So I did

dress up one year. I'm gonna try to get into it because even jay Z and then I see fabulous dress. I said, it's really every the only bows yea, I gotta get into get into it. And I'm gonna get Halloween. You know what it is. And nobody dresses up as Norrie for Halloween. I don't like it. I've been looking at your pictures. Nobody wants to be me dressed, Like, how could they be when they hold this habiki in

their head and say they're just let me google. I know what you're gonna say for this one, but I gotta actual You don't know the locks of the me Goes. I mean, Jada is one of the greatest of all time period and the story so is chic. Okay, even though I actually this earlier, I'm gonna reiterator just make sure you still um with the same decision for Brello. Kanye Ya you said that earlier. Yeah, Okay, what do you think I'm going for? You know, I love Kanye as a person, and I'm about to be down with

don dust media. I'm about to be with that. But I can't erase my history. You know what I'm saying? Okay, Friday or house party Friday? I love my love did throw me a house party, but that was after I threw him to come into America. Party. Who won coming to America? Or house party? You know? You know I got your back? Okay, all right? This is getting great nineties or two thousand any criteria of hip hop. You want two thousands music in general nineties or two thousands

nineties or two thousands, nineties, I think nineties. Okay, coming to America or Hall of Nights, that's hard. I'm gonna going for Hall of Nights. Yeah, thank you, coming to America. I'm gonna go home nights. I actually, now that I think about it, I was gonna come into America. You said that, but because you know why everybody's in Harlem, everybody that is crazy. Yeah, I actually agree with you. Okay, ye ill Matic or Ready to Die. Didn't we ask

you that in a different way? Yeah? No, didn't you know? We didn't say bigger n Nope. Let me just think about this. Illmatic already to stay both first two albums. It's too classic to pick. Yeah, classics, the classics. You're really trying to do me. We're joining you were Now. I'm just gonna sound like the same question, but it isn't. Now, don't ask me some backwards question. It's gonna it's gonna actually sound the same question, but it's not. Nas or Jay.

You just got you got ready, just like they both got your number. You've got to people, literally correct, you have to who's so hot? Ok? This must be over soon? Yeah? You three? You three crasses left on only three more pages. Kiss or push your teeth. I didn't expect that reaction. I am not drinking again currently, so I'm going for push your teeth. Okay, well over kiss. This is different flowers. Okay,

that's true. She's balanced podcasts or radio podcast I mean, we're using that for a drop, giving me that against somewhat a trick question, but it's a very simple way to answer this. Loyalty or respect. I love this question. It's a highly debated question here. Technically you can't have loyalty without respect, so then that means it would have to be respect. Okay, yes we should. Yeah, we're gonna drink this everything, yes, yes, yes, yeah. So let me

ask you. I love that game. I see the slime when the camera, we got it up in the camera. Tell me who quick time? It was just it. You want to bro they deserved they did it in they were about dot X them all owed them like this. We called Lamar after the show. He was throwing up so much that we didn't even use it. But he did talk on the show. No, he finished the show. He could believe it was such a g he threw

up and then continued the interview. Now, I do think that you want to missing some buckets like yeah, yeah, we know, but I really, I really just I want to let you know, like Swiss is my brother, Like me and Swiss, I've been down with Sin. I was the first record outside of Rough Riders, you know that that he worked with. It was, you know, because all of his first early music was just with Rough Riders.

And I was down with Swiss so long that they used to call Swiss Dee's nephews, like he technology didn't even have a name, and um, like that's how you knew him? Yeah, I knew him. That's that's what they said. They said, the nephew. And I remember Swiss coming to the studio and him playing band from TV and I never let the beat drop. The beat has you know, so it's a loop. And we were too thirsty, like

we were starving m sees. And it was crazy because Nature came, he laid the verse, Cameron came, No, Pun came. Pun came and laid the verse, and I went downstairs to smoke a cigarette and Pun just laid a verse and I was just mad at point. I was just like, yeah, I'm erasing that. He's like, you're gonna erase that and then this is the classic cam. And then I always say this to people and I say, Swiss me and Swiss made that. Swiss is still mad at me to

to this day. Nothing that everything men. And he was like, you know, we live. Let the beat drop because what I rhyme knowing was the loop that to live from. He never drops. So whenever I put somebody on or wherever I try to, like you know, uh, you know, put somebody onto game, I say, I go, look at Swiss and I showed him. I say, look, this is my friend. We're really friends. And he's still mad at me. Look, never dropped, never really dropped. Never, he said, the engineer looped.

So the beat never dropped to the beat, never dropped. He's never forgetting. Don't get it twisted. We're friends, but never never never. That's yeah, it's just a loop. Yeah all that. Yeah, I keep on my card. This is your right. I say that to say, how passionate he is, like, you know, me and him, we moved on. We have successful careers. We had, you know, so much beautiful thing happened in our lives in our career, and he'll still

tell me, you know, I didn't like it. Imagine how that felt for him as a producer early on too, that you didn't even run to the beat, like when you just moved your face. It's just like so so sorry. And I was just like, get him, why did you like the face you made? Just that was like only ship. I just felt fucked up, Like imagine earlier was his career. And He's like, I'm gonna give my il beat. I think you didn't even do Really, do we have a version with the beat? Because the beat is I got

it some rais, I got it somewhere. Listen. I also have all right. By the way, this was from TV was a record because I made on the firm album. I made I'm leaving on the Firm album and that was Nature session. So I wanted to repay Nature back but put him on my record. So he kept coming to the studio Swiss and I knew it was. I knew Swiss was the guy wanted to make this record. So Swiss would play a beat and Nature would just standing there, and you know, Swiss cells to ship out of.

Swiss can play you mouse's screen and you will buy the record. Like the little guy Swiss me look at it, and he won't make eye contact. He just looked at you. You like this, he wills it and listen. I've done I've took beat tapes home. I knew beat was it mine? But he just like that, Normy, you need this and that's what I can't rb bow you got me. He's like, you didn't like you liked it at the studio. I said the way you popped your head. Disagree. So now

he says that he's the most passionate person. He's persuasive. Yes, that's what virgo, y'all, Virgo is a virgo virgos of fight. I loved how he was proud. That's how Virgo. That's pretty proud. Sweet, one day you'll connected, what's your son? A query is the best song? A curious your what's the clarious? She's your wife? Your wife is in a cy She's a Gemini the Gemini, Yeah, criminal, criminal, Penny has anybody even on a Gemini? Kanye West, it's it's Kanye,

he made it known andres and Gemina. Ken drink is a Gemini. Biggie's a Germinie, not a Germinie. No, just fectary. But there's a difference between jun and major. I'm a major and I'm biggie, I'm big, okay, amazing, a little different, like a little little gentler around the edges. We didn't respond to go crazy, so let me ask right because um, and this is I just want to just keep it on you and Swiss beautiful relationship, Like you have a

beautiful relationship. I admire that. And you're live in Tony Stark's house is sucking fantastic, not to big confusied ghost face, not to confusing like this, just take it from that because we've see like white living. Oh that was called architectural excuse me, that's okay, so and so, because this is a really like a dream come true, like like like I heard Swiss tell the story I forget where interview he said, he said that he wanted this house

became available, and this is like his dream house. This is your dream house as a family, and y'all live on the beach and it's Tony stuff. This is iron man. The kids always asked me, is Tony Starks suit in the house. I was, yes, beautiful house. Listen, listen. I grew up with my single mother, who raised me, who prayed for my survival, who hoped that I wouldn't get trapped in the streets, and like we all did. Yes, And here we are today. You're giving me flowers, we

have a toast, we drinking Dominican herbal excellence. We are celebrating the greatness that we've created. We have been able to make it out of the mouth of the harshest jungle. And so when when I'm able to and my husband and I are able to be in a home that really represents our wildest dreams, to me, this represents our beautiful, our blackness, our excellence, and what we all have. We all have this endless ability to create anything that we can imagine, and so and so that's what I believe,

and that's what that represents to me. It represents to me, this this possibility that all of us have. And there's nobody that can't tell if they try, they try to make us think we can't, we won't, we shouldn't, we don't deserve whatever this bullshit is. That narrative is old, is fake, it's not even whatever. We can imagine, whatever we dream, we have the capacity to create, and I

feel blessed that we get to represent that. Let let's be let's be honest here you seen the picture of you when you were young in your room with all these with my headphones on, and like the works for it, like you worked for it. You were how young you? How old were you in that picture? Do you know the one with SP behind her SP SP twelve hundred which I program personally. Wow, So you were learning how to make beats on all those machines a machine and

had an a SR. We had the aid that. Then I transferred to the MP and then I got to the three thousand. I'm still one more than envision it. Just to think about it. You applied yourself my ask. There's a there's a big different that. You're right, you definitely have to work for it. For sure. There's nothing that's gonna come easy for nobody. You know that. You know that, y'all all know that. You know what I mean.

But that doesn't mean that we don't have a tenacity, the genius, to brilliance, the possibility, to the potential to work for what we want. And I love what you're saying because that's true because people do think, well, it's supposed to fall in my lap, because why, you know what I mean. So we definitely do have to work for our ship, and we work hard to this day.

I work my ass off and I but I believe in what I do, and I love what I do, and I love connecting with my people, and I love being able to share, and I love being able to write songs that means something to somebody in fifty years down the line, that means something to somebody. That's what I'm here to do. And I'm and I'm never going to jump out my lane. This is my lane, and I'm gonna always, you know, bring more to it because that's how I believe in it, you know what I mean.

So I love what you're saying with Little Wane. The song is so why did you wanted to name it Na King? So? Na King Cole? Can you explain to people who don't know Naing? Which is so fire because like even my kids they they mommy, who's Na King Cole? And a lot of people won't know who that can call this And obviously he's one of the greatest singers,

you know, black amazing singers that ever existed. Rivals Frank Sinatra, you know what I mean, if there was a if there was a rival to Frank Sinatra, to me, it would be Nacking Cole and his song is called Unforgettable, one of his big, big song you hear that Christmas. It's like one of your favorite songs. You might not know you love it, but you love it. And Unforgettable it's such a sophisticated, elegant song. And unforgettable is the

is the title of it. And this the concept of keys, is that we get to be almost majestic, magnificent version of ourselves. Nobody can make us be small, nobody can make us not be incredible. And so this side of being unforgettable, we are unforgettable. We're amazing. Look what we create, Look what we do, Look what we have been through, Look what we've come through. We are unforgettable. And so that the hook is be unforgettable like that, King Cole.

And that's why I called it that King Come. Yeah, it's a beautiful thing to learn about who you might not know, or who you might forgot or you know, because time passes and people forget. But you gotta remember that's part of why we do drink champs, to be honest with That's that's a really important thing, you know

what I mean. So you've got records a little way nah, jay Z, is there ever somebody you tried to work with and said told you know, well, I'm pissed that I ain't get to that I didn't get to perform with with Prince. I'm pissed, you know what I mean. I just I just feel like we was meant to perform together. He came on my shows, he loved me, supported me, and I'm you think it's your fault to not invite him on stage. Maybe I think maybe I

was shy. You know a lot of times you feel like you don't deserve because he's infamous for impromptu stuff and he called me to his his Okay, in that case, you're right, because we did have one where he asked me to be at one of his kind of after party things. But I wanted us to have like a Grammys. I want us to have like a moment we deserve, the moment in history, you know what I mean. But I gotta say we had we had an unforgettable time and when his kind of like secret joint switches, which

was mine, but I have pictures from it. It's crazy, um, but but that one, I still feel like me and Lauren are meant to know what I mean, yes, why has Lauren not come up in this comment? Because she is greatness personify, So me and her, there's something that there's just such an emotional energy as she brings, and I feel like we could have something really really crazy.

Has anybody told me, no, no, fantastic because we had had the same teeople and the only person he said that did front on him was friends, and he said it wasn't because he didn't want to do the record with him master because didn't own his masters, and he he was real like that. No. He I had the song that I had called like You've Never Seen Me Again, which is one of my favorite songs. It does have a progression very close to Purple Rain, and I had

to go see him. I flew out to London. He was in like this hotel and had to find it. Like this is never an easy thing when you look at for friends, So I had to find him. I had to sit with him and I said to him, like, I love this record. It's so powerful. I wrote it for my grandmother. It's about like taking seizing the moment and not letting it go and loving the person like you might never see them again, because you know how

the short life is and so he felt it. He was good and he was like, Alicia, I'm not sending these people's children to college. All my ship, it ship is deep. And he said that to me, it was like, how could I argue? You know what I mean? Like, how could you? I was like, And so he was like, I don't know what you need to do. Flip the cords up, change them around, make him like close but not quite. And I promise you I will be fine with it, but but I can't. I can't. We have

to we have to own our ship. He was he was way ahead of his time. He was way ahead of his time, Like I feel like he would have flourished now now it's now, it's his time, you know what I mean? You know what I mean? Because he was about this forever we're finally getting around. He'd been there.

I mean, I kind of I feel I feel like it kind of started with Jay with like you know, claiming its ownership thing, and it made us like, you know, even with us with drink chaps, like we love being a revote because vote allowed us to be who we want to be. You understand what I'm saying. And they do it so um, was that something that changed you? Here? And Prince say that like you know it was big. No, I definitely think, you know, as a young artist, because

Michael wasn't as vocal as that. Michael owned the Masters, Like I heard, Michael's buying other people's published. He was like catalogs of different type of publish type, like some type of grazing ship. But even Michael was passive aggressive. I would say he didn't want to rattle to the boat, but Prince was not. Prince was asked out and everything was like maybe Michael didn't care about that portion of

the business. He's like, all right, whatever the record, but he was buying up Michael, he was buying up other people's publishing. So in his don't owned like Elvis publish. I think he about the Beatles. Yeah, yeah, in his mind he's like, that's the way I'm gonna take back. Yeah, exactly. He was a silent act of it, you know what I mean, like a sign activist where he just move. So let me ask you something, where do you put your Grammys at? Like? Why was that not without expect him?

So for the for the longest time, I didn't even want them. I just I just I just the way that I am. I'm such a real person. I don't want a bunch of fake statues to represent some something that's not real. What's real is you know your passion. What's real is how much you put into what you do. You yourself said you haven't got a Grammy. You deserve a grammytminated. There's so many people who deserve a Grammy.

I'm so good of good in life because other than that, I would be a hater, like I would be hate does And so for me, I didn't even want them to to to to be a value of value, you know, a sense of value for me. So I didn't happen. For the longest time. My manager had them all in his house. And finally my engineer, who's amazing, she's as bad as woman who's a who's just like she runs the whole world. She's incredible, she said, where's your Grammys? And I was like, oh, I guess they're over at

that person's. She was like, I need you to get your Grammys. Okay, I'm saying you forgot what your grammys is that. I just love that floor, So I just love that. I love you can see them over pill right back there, because I've seen Jay one time he posted his Grammys on the floor. Okay, do you ever have those type of moments where you're just like, I'm gonna I'm gonna just use my ship as an ass tray. I mean, Swizzy did the dude things where he liked I was there. Kanye said he pissed on this. He

went to Good Luck I did. He say, you want to crazy as that boy ship? So what were you call working on in New York? Oh man, we was working on a zone okay, whole You know, I work all the time. I worked to the last minute. I keep writing records. Regardless the record drops December tenth, It's going to be so crazy. And even after that, you know, there's more songs that come. I just I just love music. So we were working on a vibe that may or may not make the record. We don't know because I'm

that spontaneous. But he came through. He loved the record. Actually that only you record it, really, it really takes him to that. He had to rubber boots. I couldn't tell if they were rubber or leather. Are the rubber or leather? But they were high. I'm gonna drink to that, so, Alicia, because I mean, honestly, this is probably the only question I can ask you or bust the rhymes like in a real in a way, what are you love more making them? I gotta say bust up? First of all, Yo,

can we please give him his flower? I mean, okay, but I just want to get the way that he cultivates energy is out of this world. Out of this world. So what's my my favorite? Is making the record or

performing the record? D That's such a good question. I feel like making it, you have this personal experience with it that really feels magical because it's like you're by yourself, where you're with three or four people, and there's something about it that you're like, I really feel something in this. You don't know, you don't know if you're gonna like it, and you're gonna like it, you like, you have no idea, but there's something magical that exists that you feel like,

I feel like there's something special with here. When you perform it and you get a chance to see how people actually connect with it, it's it's mind blowing you. Like this thing was invisible six months almost like sen the gun that you bought because you don't really know, is that? Yeah? I kind of like, I'm sorry. I mean, because you know some people, you know, you buy a gun, How did you really know if this work? Like shoes, shoes and the shot and then shoot? You like that feeling?

Like that feeling, because that's always I always felt. I mean, that's the best anality of her in my life. I'm sorry. I was always trying like a motherfucker no that I got it, because you know, you're excellent performer, thank you. Like I've always watched your performance at these shows. When you come out, you got the piano on, I said, piano on you. But like you've never had a lame performance. That's why I hear you like the Buster rhyn I've

never seen Buster have friends. He just performed for Dave Chappelle and he just he just did for twelve minutes and I don't know what he did. Yeah, gone, holy ship. He said that he never headlined a tour, you know, And he told me he never rehearsed. Did you believe that? I was like a legend. He literally is the best, potentially one of the best mcs that ever ever ever, And the fact that he's still could spit just like that right now, because you know why motherfucker is scared

to go after Boston. Oh and you can't go you know what. That's it, that's the reasons exactly. That's what he should headlined the tour. Yeah, but then anybody never come back on Tuesday. He carries on Tuesday. Everybody gonna listen. Let me tell you something. I did a show. I'm gonna I'm gonna ship. I did a show. This is real talk, This is real, real talk. In San Francisco, Don o'mar came to the promoter and said, if I

go after North, I'm giving them money back. What what he didn't know at the time, Donald War was he was bigger than me in this Latino market. But people were so scared of that ship. Was smashing ship, he told. So he made the promotera make me go, so you had to go after him. I had to go after him, and so I couldn't come after dollar was that ship he had? What the funk? I didn't want to perform. It's the whole fantasy he did. He got me, He

got got me. It's okay, but okay, I realized, how crazy is there anybody who was scared to perform after you every everybody love at least it's going in how your live. Like. One of the things that the Locks pointed out when they their Bottle with Dip set was that there were certain records that they were they were going over. You never you never lip sync. Mm hmmm.

That is a disrespect to your craft, I feel, you know. Also, you know, I'm very very serious about auto tune too, Like I'm like, I feel that a lot of I just personally me, I'm gonna sing the record and I'm gonna sing it until it's right, and if it's not right, I'm gonna keep singing it. I'm gonna practice it, I'm gonna fix it, and I'm gonna come back and sing it.

But the but to me, I feel like a lot of people who use auto tune are actually thinking of an instrument called the vote colder, which is which is which is where it's an instrument that you play and you sing into the microphone for it. And um, I think Confunction used to use it a lot Like Confunction was the way it goes on love Chain. Okay, then all the West Coast joints period in the story what a what a what a jew when you play there all scared to come on? Mr Leading could come in.

You're the producer, come anybody. I don't even know why I was up, so now you're gonna. But but the vote quota is like a son a sonic, it's a sound. So I feel like a lot of people that I use them. Um, I want to try to the exaggerated version, which would like to clear we're trying to say that people that use oral tone really can't sing. I'm just I'm asking that's what you're saying. That's definitely what I actually am saying, is that I think that people want

to use it's like a sonic. And so now there's a certain sonic that is created and it actually is mimicking an instrument called the vote quota, and I think that's what's actually fresh. People are discovering what the original, which is like making a completely different instrument of your voice. Exactly what you're saying is and this is what it is, the original auto tunes. You never you never heard auto

tunes being used. It just it made Yeah, it helped their vocals like match the beat or what you would better, you would just make you more on pitch. But I actually don't think people are trying to be Yes, they're trying to be on pitch to a degree, but more it's like a sonic. It's a sound. It's part of how it's used. Now nobody heard it at all exactly and now it's like intentional, you know, because it's a sonic at this point. But it really made the vocoder,

which is the Roger trout like sonic. Which is fine. So let me ask you. We had tricked Daddy here and tried dad that he thinks Beyonce is a great performer, but she can't sang. I disagreed with him, and totally I think he said a little differently though what he actually said, I think I disagree. No, he didn't say it that way. He said in comparison to the great But what do you hear when you hear things like

that and then people compare you to the greats? People say, Alicia Kasan San You know, first of all, there's a lot of we were talking about some of the singing singing singers. We were talking about Whitney obviously as a destructive beast monster I did. She was a friend. She was a friend, and I really really really loved her, and she really came to see me and check on me and make sure I was good and visit me and like real ship, which is rare. Um. So she's

definitely a singing sing before. We're talking about SWV Coco Coco with I mean, I feel like Coco was singing so many people to the day under the table quick fast. She's amazing. We're talking about Jasmine Sullivan. I think she's like she had those vogos out are so crazy, Fantasia ridiculous, you know. So there's a lot of amazing singers. I actually, I actually do feel that b is one of those singers. If she shipped it all. But she happens to be a show woman as well as showman, you know, so

she does show. You know, she she's visual, so she likes to really show how she's expressing. But if she sat or sat next to a piano and you and I played and she just sang, sing, sing, I do believe that she can absolutely hang with the greats. Like she has a voice that backs up everything. Like really, if she stripped it all back, you would you would really hear it, you know what I mean. So, um, I think She's one of the greats for sure, Big Love.

But is it funny when they compare you to the to the singer of singers like like and I can read the like you know, like like the like classic. I just feel so grateful to continue on that legacy, you know, that legacy of that songwriter, that that individual. Unique artists, you know, like a Nina Simone, you know, like these these artist that really they had something to say,

They had a perspective that they operated from. There wasn't backing down for nobody like they wasn't fitting in anybody's box. It wasn't trying to be commercial. It wasn't about that. It was about like what do you want to say? Who are you? And how do you express? And so for me to be compared to artists like that, he's a lot like means a lot. And I don't take that for granted. That's a that's a that's something I appreciated. But let me ask, are you so bad? I know

how you started with the scratch? You know, yeah, because it's about the because you Swiss and Drake got this kind of awkward kindly relationship Swiss Drake and her. Yes, you didn't recerenspection. You didn't red Drake. One thing that's missing on the tables. Water Yeah, drink your water. We got a drink chance water. It's water. It's like it's okay, thank you, with a shoutut Tequilas, just like so yeah,

because you guys did a record three of us. No, I'm talking about you and you, you and Drake right the record we did unthinkable, okay, and then Swiss and Drake did a record they did which was out of this world. Both of those was out of both of those was out of this world. But we have Swiss on here. And this was when we was in New York and he said something about Drake. We edited it out, we didn't use it. But I was supposed to say

that I don't know we're gonna back. No, it's because and this is when I was learning how to be a journalist. I was learning how So when Swiss asked me, I said, no problem. But I knew that when you put energy that get that into this world, it comes back. So what happened was he had put this energy out and I guess he expected Drake toler back and say

something back. That never happened because we edited it, and I told you, as I said, your listen, I would never put you in the predicament where I would get you in trouble. So I wanted to use it. But it wasn't crazy. But it wasn't crazy when he said he was put together. Then two months later because he put the same energy out, he didn't and then he was on Live with Bust the bus and it was like I called him immediately. I was like, I told you,

let me use this ship. You would have never said what you said on the bus to live if you want to, just let us because because we were literally had Drake signed up for like the next two weeks or something like that on the next two months. So we was we didn't that's go crazy one because that's my brother and to like, we're protecting our old prayer. So then that's that's that's this comes out. I see, I'll see Swiss. I call him. I say, yo, bro,

this was a little weird energy. It's because you're happy at it. He agree with me. It's me and him. But what I'm saying is it's sent a relationship in a bad sort of sort of energy. You're in his relationship. No,

I'm talking okay, okay, Swiss and drinks. You know, I'm saying Swissen and dricks because because it's sent where it made almost look like Swiss was attacking him, and they didn't have the backstory of what happened with Fancy or what happened you felt was more explained on drink chairs. You basically salty. How he feeling about it didn't get me back. I was sent there. I I said that, but you know, I don't know if you could ask with it was that morning that came out and I said, Swiss,

this is what I told him. He said, no, us right, I should have just left it. And I said that you do not want you to do because the next morning after the Bosster thing, what a lot of people were saying was, oh, Swiss is hating. You can't hate. You can't hate if you up. There's not a up hater. It's not really so on losers, there's not really so winners. Excuse me, there's not that word. Thank you. You understand

about dylexia. You are you are connected with me, but they can't be really so when it's so, you know that said Swiss, can you to be a favor and he goes, what's up. I said, post your beautiful wife, post your beautiful cause, and post your beautiful house. And they don't even a dress it. And I think he actually listened to me. But the thing was it sent this relationship because all of your three very famous people.

What is your take on the direct situation? My sake on Swiss is that he is the most real human on the planet. Ask anybody, there's not he's on the phone with people that he loves at three in the morning, come to bed. But he's on the phone with people because they need him, because they're going through something and they need somebody to listen. I probably definitely name of name name. He shows up for everybody times a million.

I've never seen a loyalty or respects being a loyalty to respect like him that people people love him in a way that I never experienced before. There's a real connection. He can call you tomorrow, he can call anybody and say my brother blah blah blah blah blah, and it's a real thing. There's some fake industry bullshit because it serves you at the moment. He's one of the v

realist person I've ever met. So so my perspective on him is that he's always going to speak his truth because whatever he's saying, there's their validity behind it and beside it. He is absolutely the most genuine person and he's he's thorough. You know, he's the realist of the real He tells me, the realists of the real can go out without a dollar in a pocket and be good. And that's who he is. That's that's so um. Hold on,

when do we get to go to the back? I'm going right now, like should we should we be rapping up so I can go three? You can take a little bit, a little bit, a few more, I got more ready. You're really trying to get me chose up a little late. I was just be clear, and you know what I bet. Let me just say so we all let me. That's gonna be honest with you. We all said we do this for heavy artists, and we said,

is Alicia gonna be late? Every one of us said she was gonna be on time except for one person him right there, boris right, he said she's gonna be I was a little late. So he's the only one that the only everybody's believing me, thank you, especially me. I was like she she's going on time here two hours earlier. You can go to the bathroom. Yes you can't. Please, let's make sure you're good. Get back. Gonna fill up you because you we we realized your drinking is do

so we're gonna fill you up. Get you got some some hallo pegos. You're gonna get you some hollee feneos and we're gonna m h. And now for my next number, I'd like to return to the class. You want to give people they flower. So when you hear people saying giving their flowers, and we made that, you made up a statement. We made up making that face because we wanted to look at in their faces, tell them how great they are and not be ashamed. Flower. I love this,

by the way. I love that this is your house. Any time you want to promote, anytime you want, you wouldn't do anything. But um, was this intentional for the video? You don't know my name when you was the way the waitress and you didn't have the name Tad You see? Is that very simple? Really? Yeah, because we got to picture of it, I just didn't have a name. Because is that the reason why I didn't know your name? That you know what Chris Robinson direction video. It works. Well,

I'm gonna say that that's why they hit it. My name Name done. You're right, you got something miss let's up to. But again, when I'm listening to the new album, I'm as a person that's a veteran, as a person that's seasoned in this game, I sit back and I want to find ross. Sometimes with people that's been in

this game, what did you say? Ross? Like? I want to find something like Sometimes when I look at a person that's done incredible albums back to back to back to back, I want to say, all right, cool, well let me listen to this and let me see where you're starting to fall long where and don't have that? How? How how do you develop that type of like, I'm going to make the most incredible product again after all these years you've been fifteen, you know, Grammys, ninety million records, soul,

How do you still have that hunger? How do you still have this? You know? Um, this this this this classic material with meat and potatoes where it's like it's it's exactly what's needed to be heard right now? How how do you maintain that? First of all, thank you, thank you for recognizing that, because that takes effort, you know, and care, and so I really appreciate you recognizing that. Um, you know, I feel like I feel like I've always cared about the art. You know, I've never even really

been here to be It's never been. I don't want to be famous, you know. I mean, I don't want to be like you know. I don't want you to know me, just because you can't even realize the reason why you know me. I really want what's good. I'm so glad look at you. We got big vibes. Nothing but real love, nothing but real love. Nothing but thank you, brother, Thank you so much. I'm so happy to see your face. That made me smile from real like that was a

real smile. I didn't expect that. That was a sweet surprise. I love it. And they're trying to get me twisted over here. But but I'm a champion. They don't know, they don't even know. I love you, brother. I'm so happy to see that's fired. That's fired, you know, to piggyback off of what he's asking you right now. Yes, I knew I was being a parent. Now how do

you balance creativity being a parent? Now, you know, I probably during the pandemic is when I really learned that like I needed, I needed to have to carve out

time for myself. And you know, you get so worried about everybody else and you want everybody be good, and the world is so strange and we don't even know what's exactly what and what's tough from bottom or what's gonna happen tomorrow or whatever and so um, and so I just realized that it's just that's important for me to make sure that they're good is as important it is for me to make sure that I'm good, because if I'm good, then they can be great, you know

what I mean. So that's something that I think for us as women, especially because we offer all the caretakers and we're the ones that's really putting the most time in and everybody, you know, creates the energy around the family. But I think that it's important for us to know that we have to make sure that we're good too,

you know what I mean. So that's something that I learned recently and just was reminded of, especially with the pandemic, and especially when kids was out of school and you was trying to be the teacher and the mama and my kids were so mad at me. That's like, you're so mean, you know. It's like, I'm not me. You are trying to play me, and I need you to get good done to the pandemic and the way was a blessing in disguise for a lot of people. I

think so. I think so for sure, regards to time, in regards to appreciation, and regards to really recognize in the real you know, we get so lost, we get so lost, and the fakes ship ever, it is fake, it really is. There's nothing about it that's actually real until you realize that people that actually love you and will actually they don't have any profit that they're gonna gain from you. They don't have any you know, anything that they're going to get from you being good, you know,

except that you're good. Like that's the most precious thing. So with the kids and with the family and balancing that, you know, it's hard. I leave and I feel like and they're like, mommybody have to leave, and I'm like I'm trying to make sure it's worth it because me being without them, you know, it's hard, you know for any parents to leave their kids and you go to work, you going to school, you're trying to put your extra

work in. It's it's hard, but if it's worth it because you you have something to say, and you've got something that you represent, and you've got something that you want them to learn and see, then you know, then it then it feels good. And that's what I can tell them. I can tell them going to bring like this energy, you know what I mean, so people can feel it, so that so that we could keep rowing, you know, all of us. Did you find any any

writer's block moments? Yeah, I couldn't write shit. I was like, oh my gosh, no, the same so much. I mean I would be on these because you know, I put out the Alicia albums during the pandemic, and at first I was like is this right? Is it's not put out a book too? And I was like is this right? I mean, people can't even pay the rent, Like what am I doing? Am I going to ask him to

buy a book? But I believed in the book, and I believe that it was about finding who you are and choosing who you are, especially now we got to choose who we want to be. So anyway, I'd be on these interviews and maybe like, so aren't you just so creative Alicia? I mean, my gosh, You're like, yeah, all this time at home, you must be writing a song, and I'm like, hell no, I can't write now one song. I don't know what to say. I'm stressed out. I don't know what I feel. That ship is crazy. I

don't know what's happening. I was not only creative, no, like not even in the littlest bit. I was grateful that I finished the record because I actually just had the records already that I could, you know, connect with. But like if I was supposed to write new records, I was like, I couldn't can remix and say this diapers on fire and that wouldn't work. That's not gonna work.

So now, But I definitely felt like confused about how I was supposed to be creative and how I supposed to find time for myself and that type of thing. Do you still feel like that or you feeling like you're kind of getting a one year old and a three year old. That's just the majors. What's hard of being an artist or being a mommy, being a mother and be a mother? Yeah, why I think that you know, like you know, like you are creating and raising a mind,

a spirit of being a person. Multiple people who need who have from ways of experiencing life. They you know, they depend on you to help them equip themselves with what it's gonna take for them to survive, you know what I mean. And and and that's a real thing, you know, you know what I mean. That's a it's a real thing not to be taken lightly. And I feel like, you know, it's everything I say I'm reconsidering. I'm like, should I should have talked to him like that?

I was too hard on him. I should have like explained more. Dang, why am I? Why am I so upset? When he's laughing, you know, and I'm and I'm piste off because he's talking about like this nasty ship because he's a six year old boy and they talking about all types of crazy ship and I'm mad. But I shouldn't have been mad. I should just laugh with him, like I should just laugh who cared? You know? And sometimes there's so much that you're thinking of, like, yeah,

like am I doing it right? And my giving them what they need? You know, is it right? And I think we're doing our best and doing our best. We don't know everything. We boys don't clean their wrong Let's be clear, they're gonna clean that wrong clean. You're not gonna be some sloppy as boys not having it you you'll be check because it's one year old. Side. He still don't well he did that, that's his fault. We got someone one to three over here. It's so good.

We haven't such a good time. It's amazing, you know what I mean. I'm loving it. They're really trying to get me to do all these toasts and drinks. He knows, he knows, he's been three, he said. I look a little bit. He does know me, but you know what, I'm still elegant queens, so it doesn't even know. He's so sweet to call he over here? Have people called you? You're all happy? You know happy? How did they drink like this every day? This is a live Should we

send him to the spa? I'm going whatever he said, whatever were going to He's going, how are you doing? You're so brilliant, You're so genius, making me about to cry? Good? Everything great, We're definitely having fun. My favorite part was all the questions he asked me. I think he caught me out there with outcasts and mob deep. That was a really hard one. Somehow women don't casts. I don't feel like I heard him the same mob deep until

after I said outcasts, which is fine? Are they both great? Yeah? Hold on, Swiss, I'm telling I'm telling something. She pushed, she picked, push her t over kiss though kids earlier. So you're gonna get some phone calls. Get what you said, push your well, she's a fat This is dope. Thank you so much for my brother. You know I love you man. I'm told the story how long we know each other, how you've always be my brother. But I also told the story that you never forgave me for

not loving to be drop? Do you have the virgin where the be drops? Can we find that? Yeah? I got it somewhere. You have to I got it somewhere, Indi or someone. The greatest thing is I'm great old. I never even realized I'm great with all perfectly, perfectly crazy. So I want him to find the version with the bee dropping. I'll sing you you better find him. I'm gonna make it up, make it recreate. He don't let the drink. I'm gonna go back in the studio. Thank

you for everything, my brother, thank you so much. Man. You're gonna get me back in the studio for real, because I wanted rather I can't the next album that's my and I know has and SCRAMs here and I love y'all want of my like not last album that people do um swiss and p. Yeah, I wanted my last. I don't know I'm gonna do it. The two of my my, my two producers who curated me. I used to work here. I just learned that work by the way, Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was about to ask her about the no commission?

Is a no commission coming to art Basil? Not this year? Not this year? Why? Because like I didn't really know that. You know, you gotta plan ahead, you gotta you gotta plan a head. So I didn't know how COVID would would act, you know what I'm saying, and like to put all that working for them to shut it down. I definitely got Oh, like I'm in Saudi, man, putting up all of the um all of the artwork for the different artists, you know, on on the F one

track and stuff like that. So that's pretty big. So like, you know, let me give it a break for this year. Let's see how the COVID play out and make sure you're gonna come back strong. All right, Well, well, thank you so much for calling this Swiss. We know I love you, my brother thinking so much. Oh my god, the queen is doing the queen head and she's gangster, my brother, thank you so much. Really, let me just tell you, I don't want to give you your flowers please.

I like them, I really do. I don't have a box made, but I just want to tell you, but I want to tell you that I'm super super proud of you, like thank you. I know you, and I've watched you and I've racked to your music. I've turned it up in my six to six on me like it's a real thing. The first time the super thunk drop and I was in the the damn gas station and I'll never forget, I was like, what what? What? What? What was this? And that's how I felt? What what?

And anyway, I just want to tell you I'm super super proud of you, and I'm grateful for you. And I see a trajectory and it's unlimited to super powerful. You are incredible. I see what you're doing. You're consistent and you and I love what you're saying about giving people their flowers, why they're here. It's supposed to thank you so the way, thank you so much. And um, let me just be clear. You know, we just looked at this game as it's terrible that people have this

word washed up. Like ten years in this game, people will say you're washed stuff like there's no word like that in Rock and Rolled up. There's no word like that in Jet Jazz, Like like what you're gonna say. You're gonna say Sam Cook is washed up? How can Sam Cook be washed up? So we wanted to change it. And you know, the more that you've done in this game, we want to praise it, we want to salute it,

we want to do that to your face. We don't want to do that when a person that's passed away and you're hands down the biggest artists female artists that's ever stepped here. And let me just tell you something. Although we're friends, I love your husband all that this does not go without warranted. This does not mean that.

It doesn't it means less because we're friends and were family and where were This means more because you really could have did Oprah like I'm going to your husband earlier, and he was like, you listen, you know my wife could have did Oprah. And I was like, I got to hang up right now because I was like that

it's actually true. I might have picked open over to y'alla, Like you know what I'm saying, Like when you would have picked up over you, I said me, Oprah, Nori maan fuck Nori mean And I come back to them later.

You know what I'm saying, I might have been and and this is crazy because I have to thank artists like you, Karanye, you know the naz Is, and you know who's sitting around and says, you know what, I'm gonna go to the hip hop media and I'm gonna visit that because you know, in the honestest and the honest way, when the video, when the interview was so great, they take our bits and pieces of the interview anywhere. So you don't have to kind of do fifteen different outlets.

You could do one powerful, great interview and it brings the power to I don't want to say black Latino. I want to say hip hop because it's bigger than a race. To me, It's like it's bigger than just claiming to be black or Latino or even white or whatever whatever. Remember it's wherever hip hop conversation, a conversation one of completely thank you and and and it's so professional you did it because, like I said, this is

one of my best friends. And you could have just just hit swears, but you did a professional You had management the public. I felt so special. I was like, they sent me now. And by the way it took me twenty five minutes to download this ship that she was the most complicated, by the way I could not fold it to nobody to say welcome Nori, I said, oh, this is mad, but I appreciate your team. I appreciate

I really, you know, thank you. You know what I'm saying, because, um, the one thing about us is we have a great platform, but it kind of seems like a boys club. And this is not a boys club. This is as much as your show as anybody. I mean, I mean, this is yours working. This is a club. And I'm so glad that you chose, Like I really, like, I was so happy, Uma. I studied you so much, like I can't lie to you, like I'm you right now, Like it's gonna take me. Yeah, it's yeah, yeah, it's like

two days. Like I'm just like I was calling Swiss. This was just like what kind of christis? We were plotting on you And that's why I knew. Like I was like really in, I was like, he's plotting with me, said, she's bringing the ice out today, normal and SI, you can't ice down, You're ready to go, so let me let me just say something. So we got the new album, Yes,

what's next? After we conquered movies? Um. I had a friend say to me the other day, he said, Yo, I conquered or my bucket listen, And it sucked me up because if you conquer your bucket, Liss, where did you go from? I'm gonna actually that did you conquer everything? When your bucket listen? You know, I always feel like there's more to learn. I always feel like a student. I always feel excited about what I could bring, what new I can experience as well. Um, there's a lot

of things up my sleeve, for sure. I got a lot coming and a lot of amazing ideas coming. I definitely every day I'm learning more about myself and who I want to be in the world. You know, and it and it shifts and it evolves and it changes. So I'm definitely having conquered my bucket list. There's like a lot of dream and left. So what's on your list that you have a cocket? I want to do a really incredible Broadway play like writeing and performance perform

right create called Alicia. I'm gonna tell you the name. Actually, I'm gonna tell you the name. You're the only person that knows it. Yeah, I don't worry about these people here, I know you will. But it's such a good name. It's called Hell's Kitchen. Killed that killed that. Nobody will ever know that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, way play. I really want to focus on generational wealth. I feel like that

there's a lot to learn for all of us. You know, a lot of the times we don't have the tools or the information that allows us to really get ahead.

And I really want to focus on that, like in a in a major way, so crafting and creating ways that that happens and everything I do, but in everything that the people that I partner with, in the ways that I think a lot of people are open to really equalizing the scales and and that we understand that that there's been years of of incorrectly done ship and inside of fixing, you know what I mean. So I'm

really into that. So I really I'm learning about that and I'm figuring out how to crack that code and really make that a real thing. So that's deep. Um, you know, I feel like there's so much to don't want to have a lot of fun too. I just want to I want to live and I want to be president. I want to be president my kid's life. I want them to know me, you know what I mean. I want them to be like, oh yeah, her who was always going you know what I mean. I really

want them to know me, and they do. I'm good at it. I'm really good. I see you doing a great job. Crypto are you? Are you in the crypto? I am. I'm just getting my wallet, that's what you call because they told me get my wallet. I'm meant it. I think that I think we just have to diversify.

I think we have to understand everything. You know, we're about to release our cards Culture Fire, So that's like the like the Amex that like's it's gonna be like trading cards, like n f T trading cards, and you can create your virtual record label, shout out to culture cards and we're part of that. It was definitely we were talking about the meta and all this virtual ship that's happening. It's major, it's major, But how do you feel about it? Like does it freak you out? Because

it's kind of freaks me out a little bit. I need to understand what freaks you out? I think what freaks and maybe it's just I just want to make sure that we keep being actually in touch with each other. You have to be freaked out, you know what I have to know. What I'm saying is that ship actually exists? Huh whatta you gotta relax you And and the n f T is Netflix. Yeah, yeah, I don't get it. Dude, that was Dominican. Here's a question. Can I please taste

that dag on you to? Oh, I'm gonna take another shot in another you just take a show. I'm gonna have a with that. Wait, why why aren't you frecking in? And I'll tell you why. I'm concerned about the metaverts. I don't think do you remember when everyone was dying and Dominica listen to these guys in my cheer But I was in the medic with the head Dominican, wasn't we in the Medica where everyone was dying? It's what you describe with the tiger bone. No, it is not sweet.

It's not it is. It's very sweet. I can tell you drinking. Do you drink Jaine's whiskey? Sometimes? I like whiskey. I like whiskey, like McCallen. McCallen, that's American whiskey. Oh that's Irish whisky. All right, that's what I likes. Very that's very the best pussy come from. I I like, yes, we could tell thank you don't cheap ship. Don't gonna be no cheap ship when I get there. But you also you also like Delion too. Ye, He's like, are we doing this? You are Swiss? Lusk Swiss. Y'all are

too cute? You like, you're so scared that Kanye smoke you run off some dreams. I mean, I don't know the question that I'm wondering. They told me you big who WHOA Like? I opened it and there's morning. I don't know. We don't worry. I got your back. I got your back. You don't got to do all that to get the weather, all right, So here's the question, what is this part? It's called would that be tobacco? It's called your back on because it's fake tobacco. That's

a vegan tobacco. Tobacco. I don't know what I'm saying, but I think it's true. And then and then what great or strange right there? It's a great smoke Champs strain. It is called grown in the Mountains of Austria. I would prefer the Medican Republic road Roadman Republic next to the Mama Hauna Brandon. Now, I do appreciate the wooden filter. Yes, we would like for you to a spar that. Because Kanye smoked the prototype. This is the actual one, that's the real ship. So you will be the first one

that ever smoked that on smoke chairs. So I'm not going to be called finishing. I don't even be calling. I don't want to whatever. Whatever. Whatever, Yeah, my god, is it going on? Can we play? Yeah, let's make sure I'm not gonna cough. No, you ain't gonna We're gonna we edited that. We have a don't worry me and Swiss is edited in this episode. Anyway, don't worry about it. We got your back I heard, I heard, I heard you're a big time smoker. That's what they

said on the low. So this is actually the awkward question. Do you tell me if it's awkward? Would you ever think about making a reggae album? Oh my gosh, I love. I feel like I have a lot of reggae records that I've made that it's natural for me. This back to the soul vibe that we were talking about. It's such a soul that it's such an energy there. No one had a crazy reggae remix. You don't know my name at a crazy roots remix. There's so many songs

that I have that I feel like that's natural. I actually think a reggae record would be like a zone for me. So are you going to change your name like Snoop Lion? What would be? What Tiger? It would be Alicia Panther's. Yeah, for sure, I'm buying the album already, Panther. Let what's pretty smooth? What is your ultimate thank you? We ourselves? If we canna work with anybody dead or alive, who work with anybody? Who would it be? Let's pick three?

All right? If it was anybody that are alive, I feel like it would be Kurt Cobain, I can see that. Nina Simone, Marvin Gays what an amazing wait wait I changed it. You go five, okay, Nina Simone, We're gonna go high five Marvin Gaye, big Gil. I feel like that would be so crazy. And Nipsy she's going Boba beyond, she's killing it. That's because I was late. That's fine, You've got me so coldly ship. That is a great

that's a good list. That's all. And you know I was gonna say, but I felt like it was obvious. But I feel like Bob, Bob is so special, Like how can how can one person be so pro thinking, like so willing to share the truth? You know what

I mean? And and and the thing about this is related to you because like it's certain records that you can drop at any moment, like you don't know, my name can drop right now and they'll be saying real like you make timeless like transcend yeah, like like like like when I listened to you, and I really did a study because, like I said, Jimmy ko Swiss is

your husband and he's my friend. I didn't want to do my I wanted to do my due diligence, and I wanted to go, and I'm asking them questions, is how I got the the the you would rate kwon being that I'm going in, I'm going in and I'm going in. But it's like, um, like you really make timeless music. So as I'm going through, because we had

the at least the keys are centrals. This is the list of just your hits, and it's like when we listen to it, because that's what we do before artists walk in and we sit there and we're sitting here and we're all listening to it because we've all set up at three o'clock, so we all set over here three. Yeah,

we're here at three. But it was like, damn, your music is really timeless, like you could have there's certain of your albums you could drop right now and it's still relevant, Like how the fund did you do that? And now are you doing it on purpose? Or I just like kind of what we kind of left off on it what you asked me. And I think you know, I'm not chasing anything. I'm not chasing a trend, I'm not tracing a sound, I'm not tracing anything. I'm I'm

chasing the truth. You know, I'm chasing my truth, I'm chasing my honesty and just following that. So I think that that's what allows it to just be honest. When someone's honest, you can feel it forever. You know, it's like it don't matter. It's just like that was that person's feelings in that moment. So I feel like that's what it is. But I appreciate you saying that because that's actually a really big accomplishment. I didn't know that then.

I realized that now, like when people can actually be six years old, twenty years old, thirty five years old, sixty five years old, and they can all relate to the same music, that's like, that's something. So I don't take that for granted. And let me just tell you something. Your fans are very nice people. Yes, yes, yes, but I you know, I was so open when on Twitter. Yes, I was open on Twitter, and um, Twitter is the most evilest people in the world. So I go on

Twitter and I say, we got Alicia. You know, you're the only person. That's why I said your fans, you're the only person with no negative comments for people were first off telling me I was lying, like you ain't got ever, and there was a leak there was you have a fan page on Twitter, it's like Alicia fans. And then they said it's rumored that she's gonna be on Drink Chams and everyone's like, yeah, you're fans this I know. No they real listen, I'm gonna tell you

who else. It's Kanye and Little Wayne. Little Wayne has nice fans too. Yeah, they asked for permission, like they asked. They like, when's the next part of it? Dropping like, okay, you're fans, Like, no, no, you're fans. When I put and I popped the bottle of Asia Spaine and I said, we gotta be prepping for Alicia and I'm playing your music in the background, and they just hit me on the d M, like, yo, y'all her fans. Yes, they I mean in my mind, just let me ride my story.

They were just like, yo, that's crazy that you got. And again, it's just like, I want to reiterate what your husband said. It's just like you're really that status where you can go do Gail King, you can go do Ellen Degeneral, you know, you can go do whoever the hell you want, but you picked drink Chick. I believe. Let me tell you something. I'm gonna say something this is. This is gonna sound weird, but just robbing me for the story because my mom's my mom's had never asked

me to ever meet anybody in this game. And my mom's asked me to meet Big Pun and I told her, I said, mom, that will always be around. And I never did it. And I never got a chance to beat my mom's the Big Pun for this. It's another thing. My wife never asked me to be any artists, and she asked me to be Alicia and I like that, and I never got a chance. Look she's blushing over there. I never got a chance. I went to um there

was an art basil show. I know, I pronounced our basil and you had just performed and he was in the back and I didn't get a chance to to do that. So today is my day of my wife and my girl came to and she if a girl come out for nothing. She was here and she wanted time to roster. Girl came out all the females because we really this is really daughter. Yeah. Randy AKA came out and he was managing and by the way, he was made a little mama. At that time, he was

managing a little mama. I called him so much, y'all, what's going? But I called hippify million times, like with mad jokes I had sent to every men that ever was sent to me. I was like, not, this is the look this like, honestly, I'm gonna be honest. Yes, please, I have done those shows multiple times. I just have to say this is like, this is the vibe. Is this it's a real thing. I'm gonna take a shot to that. Yes, but Atlicia, let us just say something

one more time. I really appreciate you showing us this love because again, it's bigger than a race thing or something like that. It's hip hop. Hip hop is to me its own race. I actually want to I actually want to get a job, Like I don't. I don't need a job, but I want to get a job. And they'd be like, what race, Chill, relax, it's my career, Relax.

I'm gonna get a job. And when they asked for the box to check, I want to check hip hop, like, because there's certain people we should started just doing that, started to push that that that's maybe white, there's certain people that that but then just as hip hop as me.

But you know when when Michael Mex would say so called, so called, so called white man, so called black man, so called, I really that means something to me because it is a so called that's a name, that's names we've been given by whoever didn't care anything about us, any of us, whichever so called we became. So that's not so called human. Let's come on, let's just go back to the basics. That's for sure. I love that. Let's go, cheers, Let's go. What is that is that?

I actually went back to this one just for safety. Mama wanna will take care of you. Trust Now, I gotta taste delicious. I just wanted to sake. The mixing is because I gotta act. I can't drink tequilla. I love tequiller. It's just so smooth, especially with the right good tequilla tequila that you need to stop. Okay, tell me, tell me example of a wrong tequilla. Julio. No, no Julio is great. I like Don Julio, I likes I like Causto meges and I like I'm getting a little nervous.

A cast of me goes because every hoody person. I know. They're not. You're a mega at a bottle. The worst people in the world I know is broken around with a bottle of cast of meges. It immediately makes me not want to drink back. This one definitely has. You know, it's it's it's become universal. Yes, yes, so and look congratulate to them. Yes, because a lot of people getting money and so you recommend no Cassams, No, that's not what I said that you did. This is what we're doing.

I'm not sure what he's doing, but nonetheless, that's the tequila that I like it when it's you know, when it's high quality, is smooth, and it doesn't it can't feel like it burns you and hurt you. If it hurts you and burns you is the wrong kind. Okay, And have you ever mixed your tequila. I'll do soda, but I don't like to mix it with like a bunch of fruity juices and ship We noticed you put halapeeno like a spice margarita. Margarita has too much sugar

for me. But the halapenios you need to try it. You should try it's slowly I'm going to take a little bit more vegan. But but it doesn't take a little bit before you end the show. Yes, I wait for you and when you come back. He he just takes random bees. He just does He just does it. He just he loves it. He drinks, he drinks blonde ale. That's the thing about guys. Yes, yes, yes, it is. But I like that you invited the ladies into the zone. I like that I'm able to represent ladies in his zone.

I love that we can talk about different space. You see, it's like a protect this safe space. You're treating me super queenly, kingly and you know, let me just tell you something. I was going to have two females throw roses at your feet. You walked out, and I was trying to do to come into America right right right, And at the last end, they was like, but that's might be too much showing favoritism to the Yes, okay, okay, I was wooded. I was going. I was going with it.

But then it was like, all right, they wage tones down. But how I see it, it's never too that's never too one. Live boldly, bravely and share shower people shower bold bravely, b B. I appreciate the thought no, I swear to God, you can not to do it. No. By the way Kanye gave his glasses to hed been the same sense it shower, don't want to know. Go ahead, it's okay, it's okay. No one told me not to do it yourself doubting. No. I just was like, yo,

you're sure. And then people was like, you know what, maybe don't make it too much because yeah, and that's the reason why I sold. But it's okay, you know why, because we really and you really said the president. I know I said that word a little wrong that you said that President. Yes, but you said want we want more female orientation. We understand that we have a lot of men. It's because you know, I'm gonna layal man and I don't have female numbers. It's just that that's

a nationally thing. But it doesn't mean we don't want females to participate. You understand what I'm saying, that we want females to participate. And you you set, you set the motherfucking want. Let me be the example. Yes, you was so open. I'm still open. I'm still excited. Um. Like I said, we have people that's our family that never come out and they came out. That's for you in here today. I feel like the rest you are really feel do you take it on the shot you

got Wanda left over? Alright, It's just this is this our cheers to this is the classic show because you gave us everything we needed. We definitely take pictures and promo because I don't have people do when they drunk. That's the show. By the way, you're I'm not yeah, I'm actually okay. I'm gonna go out and get some dinner or some ship. But Alicia, I'm so thankful. I'm

so grateful. Um you know, I'm thinking of this jay Z Biggie Small skit where he said you could have been anywhere in the world chose to be here tonight. We'll never forget this moment. Like I said, my wife is so you know, she's so not industry, so the opposite, so much about you. She's so not industry and like you're literally the only person said I would gotta meet to me, and it's like, I remember what I messed up with my mother. My mother asked to meet Big Pump,

and I would never make that mistake again. I love it, you know what I'm saying just because I'm close to someone doesn't mean I shouldn't, you know, answer to the duties of the duties being done. And tonight I would like to introduce you to my wife. Let's go, I would, but before that, I would like to thank you face to face. I know how important you are, I know how big you are in this industry. I know how you can change a person's life. And you sitting down with us, and we had to be worthy to a

certain extent. But the fact that you chose us and we really respect that, We really love that. I want to tell you to your face and you're making us worthy because, like I said, at any time you ever want to promote anything, if you want to promote your your little toe pink you want to promote that, paint it for you. Don't worry about it. We're paying it for you. And we're promoting the ship out of this motherfucker. We're gonna sell a little pink toe nails, n n

that motherfucker. We really thank you, We really because you're empowering us and that's what the culture needs to do. Is you know, we're part of the culture. This is a DJ, this is not um. You know a lot of people who don't understand that his name is DJ e Fn, and people misunderstand the DJ park. This is a real DJ. This motherfucker will take He doesn't DJ because he loves Vinyl. He's really like he's stuck in the ways, and that's a beautiful way because that's real

hip hop. Like I know for a fact that if I asked him the DJ my birthday party, he's coming with Vinyl, you know. And I love that. I love his integrity and it's we're really the new Arab B and rock him and we're trying. Yeah, yes, yes you want to Yeah. So so I really want to thank you. I really want you to know how much you mean to us. And like like we said, we're learning on the job where we're not journalists. It's a DJ. We have no idea what we're doing. We have no idea,

but but we know what we're doing. We have no idea, but we know what we're doing. And when we have opportunities like this, we ain't never gonna go this unguarded, unloved, and you know what I mean. We wanted you to know that we really appreciate appreciate it, right and We're gonna go hard. Come on, Wenna. That's why I hate the chairman, you know, I hate puff Daddy. And I said, and I said, Yo, listen, this is the biggest female artist we ever had. This is the one of the

biggest artists. We have artists, not just female. This is one of the biggest artists I've had. He said that. He faced time me immediately he said, do you know that's my system? You know, like he turned it about, he turned into it. He was like, your motherfucker, I write the way you just told to me. And I was like, don't think, said Jesus Louisa. But that's how important you are to the country, to the culture, I said, to the country, but the country in the world, because

you did get political one time. You would like hillaries man a little bit in the Cuban goodbye. That was a tabit of a stretch. But you know what, I'm the people sit manou. That was real. That was real. So that's all. I really thank you, thank you, We really appreciate it. You made my whole. You my whole. We've been doing this for whole six years. I've never seen this this cool smile. It's only positive smiling, everyone's smelling good. I got the good perfume more on today.

You know what I'm saying. Anybody got the air done? Yes, yes, yes, yes, anybody so we gotta. I'm gonna take a one more show. I'm sorry you don't work. We're gonna take it for you. We're gonna take it for you. Over your cub goodbye, but let's do it. That was a very very beautiful about Congratulate right here, f Congratulations, I love you too, dog delivering the biggest d you got a government on. Hello.

Thanks for joining us for another episode of Drink Champs, hosted by Yours truly, d J e f N and n O r E. Please make sure to follow us on all our socials. Let's at Drink Champs across all platforms at the Real Noriega, I g at Noriega on Twitter, mine is at Who's Crazy on I g at d J e f N on Twitter, and most importantly, stay up to date with the latest releases, news and merch by going to drink Champs dot com For more. Podcast from my Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcast,

or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. H