Cliff Notes: EYL, Radio Row Interviews at The BET Awards

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All right, Eyl Queen Naja, thank you for joining us. Appreciate it.

Thank you for having me.

I appreciate it, Yeah, for sure. So my first question is how has this journey been for you. I know it's been a short period of time, but it's been a long period of time as well. So you now you're an a list, everybody knows you, everybody loves your music. Is it still moments where it's kind of surreal to you? Or are you, like fully caught up in a moment right now.

Honestly, I never really get to basket the moment. I'm trying to learn how to, So I can't say it's really surreal because like just not right now, Like it's a blessing, but I'm trying to learn how to just I'm always like Russian, Russian, Russian everywhere, but I never really just get to like bask in a moment.

But it's been a it's been a journey. I feel like.

It's been a time where I was super down. I thought everybody forgot about me. But now I'm back here again and I just bounce back and I'm happy. So it's a blessing.

Yeah.

Yeah, So this weekend you're presenting at the Awards. Obviously Mary is performing. I know that you're a part of the tour.

He talked about heart and influence and what it means to be a part of it. Mary, Yeah, marry' Jay.

First of all, the first song that I ever sang that came out of my mouth was You're All I Need to get by with methad Man. I was three years old, and it's really full circle to just be in this same First of all, I'm going on tour her. Yeah, so I'm really really excited and I feel like if she can see something to me to share her stage, then I'm gonna be around here for a minute.

They don't name Nia, so I was looking at of it basically translates to like the new Nigeria you understand me or the music of Niga. Do you find Nigerians or people out there in Africa tap in with your music?

Okay? So my first name is Queen.

My middle name is Naja, and it has nothing to do with Nigeria, and a lot of people get that mixed up. My name is Naja because my father's name was my father's from Yemen, his name was Mohammed Nijeb and my mom just instead of she put an a on the end, So Naija and Niji. So a lot of time, the way she spelled it was like the Nigerian and I didn't learn that until like on Twitter recently.

But yeah, it has nothing.

To do in Nigeria, but I think it does work for me because like when they see my name, they gravitate towards me, and I love Nigerian artists.

I haven't been there, but if it works for me, it just worked with me.

So I feel like it's on a job training when it comes to success, and especially the music business, and a lot of people make mistakes because there's no blueprint or there's no roadmap to follow. So learning the business side of it, how has that been for you? Have you had mentors that's like teaching you the dudes a adults? Is it just like experience? How have you learned the business side of music?

Well?

I was blessed to have a really really good support system around me, like a small, solid circle, and I'm learning from that circle. I didn't know a lot coming to I mean, I didn't know nothing coming to the industry, honestly.

But I'm still learning as I go.

It's a lot of things I've had learning experiences where you have to experience something bad first and then learn from it. So that's just like an everyday thing with me. So yeah, I'm still learning.

Yeah.

So one of the things, especially in business and obviously in music, it is collaboration. What's the process like for you when you're looking for somebody to collaborate with? Obviously we know the dirt and I've been showing record is incredible.

Thank you.

What's that process, like when you're trying to collab with somebody.

So usually like I'll all right, Usually i'll build. I'll build, sorry, build beats from scratch. But if I don't. If I like a song, regardless if I building or not from scratch, I think of a concept to it, I'll go mumble and like some cadences, and then I'll create the words and I'll say, oh, this person would sound really good on this song, Like I can hear the voices on there.

You're making the record yourself, you're producing it.

You can say I'm part I'm partially producing.

I don't press the buttons, but I tell them, use this instrument, make this beat, make this cadence. I just don't know how to do all the technical stuff, but I know what I want when it comes to music, and I have a really really good ear for it. So yeah, and then I just get the whoever I want. I DM them. I don't really have to label do stuff because I like for it to be genuine, you know. But if I don't get them, I'll just wait.

I'll just wait.

And if it don't have and it don't, what's the future of your brand?

Like we see Rihanna become a billionaire for having her beauty brand. And I feel like, especially when you got like a solid consolidated community, you can really start pushing out products and that's when you really hit you out your jectory.

So what's the future of expansion for you.

I'm not gonna lie. I do want to put out some products because that it'd be more money in that than the music. Okay, I just want whatever product I put out to represent me and my brand.

I know.

I really love to be comfortable and I love to lounge around the house.

So like one of the things I wanted to do was like on ess, like loungewear, and like I'm big on like hygiene, so like kitty.

Kits, like for the girls.

Yeah, kitty kits.

Very important. But yeah, I don't know.

Maybe I'll come up with something else later on, but I still like still trying to balance out this life, so.

Hopefully that comes about, like later on.

I feel ideas though, I feel like the greatest artist, whether it was DMX or eminem or even nas, like they always told their life and you felt their pain, you felt they was going through and it's a gift in the curse because your fans feel like you're your family, but you're also letting people know what you're personally going through. Yeah, so how do you balance that because I know that's like you know your story you how do you balance that?

Story of my life because I definitely used to overshare a lot. Like overshare, it's I've groomed to be a little bit more conservative, but now I think I'm a little bit too conservative. So like I'm an extremist, I'm either here or here. I'm trying to find like a medium because at the end of the day, the reason why people love me and how I came about was

So I just have to find a medium.

Still, I think I'm gonna get back on my YouTube channel.

Yeah, coming back.

Yeah, y'all heard it.

Head.

So obviously the coaches Big as Night Sunday you're presenting, is it somebody excited.

To see I'm just really excited. I'm just excited to be here. It's not like I'm excited to see everybody.

Yeah.

So let me ask you last, how do you balance because you know, you got family, you got a career, you got tour, you got a relationship.

Do you meditate, do you take walks? What's your mental health?

Luck?

What we're doing, I just pray.

Honestly, I grew up in I grew up in church and stuff. So like, honestly, I just ray, I need to do.

A little bit better that. But to be honest, I think I need to do a little I think I need.

To find I still have to find something. I still have to find something like uh that puts me at peace. But I know one of the main things is like car rights studio sessions. That's where that's when I write my music and go to the student. That's my therapy. I do have a therapist. I talked to a therapist and it helps a lot. But I want to find a hobby, like, I want to find something to do outside of music that I just really really enjoy.

Yeah, I gotta find it.

That's it. Well, thank you. The one last question that I have is we talked about R and B, and I feel like we're in a good space for R and B right now. Who is your biggest R and B inspiration?

Biggest R and B? Oh, that's hard.

Who was your favorite all top favorite? Whitney Hughton, Whinney.

Houston, Mary J of course Mary J for Real Monica and a lot more. But I grew up listening to them.

So yeah, I would we appreciate you coming. Make sure y'all go check out the tour Queen nazi Ya.

Yes, yeah, thank you here with Joey. Dad asked Joey, thank you for joining us, bro, I appreciate it, your sir, Yes, sir.

So we had we had for b TV ninety y'all with the mice in your hands was like.

Mike, so, Joey, you you're very interesting to me because you represent a nostalgic era that we grew up on nineties, but you also are new school and you got that and your multi talent, so you act rap. So it's like a gumball. Where do you get where you get your inspiration from?

Like?

Where do you get your inspiration from? And how do you stay freend with the times?

Well?

God, I feel like everything that I do is a spiritual experience, you know what I'm saying. Like if it wasn't for me feeling purposeful and the things that I do, I don't think I'll be able to do them properly, you know what I'm saying. So I would say that's definitely my that's my jump start, you know what I mean. It comes from spirit, It comes from the soul. That's why I find my inspiration. And apart from now, it's

Award winning actor, what I said, award winning, let's start there. Obviously you will stand out and the power series. So when did the love for acting come about?

Somebody? Was that something you were formally trained in Or.

I was always entacty, So.

To get into my high school, I went to Edward all Murow in Brooklyn, Bosky. I went there Adam Yacht from the BC Boys, Little Mam majority badass, and uh, they had a theater program there. I'm trying to get into like Laguardie and stuff like that, but because of my attendance, I couldn't.

I couldn't go.

Yeah, They're like, nigga, you live in Brooklyn and your attendance is bad. In Brooklyn, it was like.

Stay at roke here.

So I ended up going to end with all Mother and I was in an apartment for about two years. It's kind of like a culture shock for me because my first signs going to school like white people and stuff like that.

So it was kind of hard for me to keep up and I d' getting kicked out. But h you know, music was always my first love. I always have music like just here with me, and I figured I learned quickly that you know, trying to.

Make it as an action in New York City, he's like trying to find a needle in a hat stack. So I doubled down on music as my main focus, and I figured that in the future, I'll be able to use it as leverage into the acting business.

With this session with ideas, let me ad she mean, I know a lot of people utilize like law of attraction and shit like that, and I could tell you know, you deep into the esoterics, you understand symbolism, the power of it, so I know you tap into the different universal laws and intelligence.

I like the you know, the law of.

Confidence or the law of focus. Which one you tap in? You feel me when you want to go to that next level?

Which one?

Which one is a principle that you.

Apply between the law focus and the law of confidence.

Whatever law the universe you utilize.

Well, I'm big on faith, you know what I'm saying. I'm going be faith based.

So like.

I got, I got a way of thinking where you know, you can tell who's praying who's not, you know what I'm saying. Usually the people who are frustlating with life and h you know, blaming other things, they probably could pray some monk.

So like me, like when I think they want to double down take things to be like I mean, I pray every day off top, but when I really want to double down take ing CBS level, I turn the socks, you know what I'm saying, And I turned into my faith and age Dad alone feels everything.

Else feels my focus, It feels my confidict.

Yeah, fuse, you.

Know whatever it is that I need to make it to that next loving at that.

Getting point, that's the law belief. Whatever you believe crystallizes and becomes real for sure.

So acting or rapping, which one do you prefer? Like, what's what's the number one for you?

I mean, listen, man, I tell people all the time like it's like it's like two women that you love, you know, Like I ain't about to explicitly say which when I prefer, but I tell you this, I couldn't survive without music. You know.

That was my first love. That was you know, my first baby mom.

Whatever anetic to her. But they both make me better for each other, you know what I'm saying. It's like then for a while, come back to music. It's like a new level of freedom because I'm like, oh, like I.

Don't you know this music. I don't gotta rely on music, no more shame thing with acting. I go over there and it's like I ain't gotta rely on this either. So you know, they both leto keep each other man in his life. I wouldn't. I wouldn't have traded once for the art. I need them both.

So tell them about the music. The latest project. I know, with some delays, what's the update on it? When we're gonna say, like what show.

The new album?

New album two thousand. It's coming next month in July. I actually have the date, but I don't. I'm not gonna share it yet because you know, I don't want to have to change the shit again. You know what I'm saying, Like, what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna just announce the pre order and that's when Montherfuck's gonna know. Okay, the date is lot, it's official. You know what I'm saying, Like, Yeah,

You know what I mean.

Like, whereas when I was independent, I just pressed the button like I'm ready. If I say June seventeen, it's June seventeen, that's when I'm uploaded, you know what I mean. So there's a lot of things I was out of my control. But listen, when I'm on that stage, it's just Joey Badass. I ain't got no time to point the finger at nobody and everything, like, I just take accountability.

And you got out in front of it too. That's a power of social media.

As soon as you know it was a delay, you hear everybody up on ig it's gonna be a delay, and that ain't.

No exactly, you know.

I feel like the game needs Joey Badass, mostly because I think, you know, I do high level conversations.

I feel like your music high level.

And plus it's in a lane where there's a lot of shit that's out there, but it ain't nothing to allow you to kind of you.

Got a masculine energy feeling. I think you bring that to the game.

And you know the music is is high energy, which if you're talking about something, what's you believe that you representing the game?

Know as Joey Badass, I think.

I represented call the higher consciousness. You know what I'm saying.

I represent open mindedness, I represent unity, and I represent you know, yeah, just broad a thinking man, higher level shit, you know what I'm saying.

Like we we about expansion over here, you know what I mean.

Like my whole experience as a musician, as an actor, I've seen them try to marginalize us as a people, as a culture, and you know, I'm here to double down on the fact that we oceans.

We ain't swimming pools, you know what I mean.

We've asked and unpredictable, you know what I'm saying, and there's no limitations to what we're doing.

So my last question from a business standpoint, you being independent going to a major What made you do that? And how has it changed as far as the business dynamics is being an independent artist in on a major label.

First of all, great question, you know, because my whole foundation is built on independence, you know what I mean. That's that's like my call of fame right there. So my decision on going with a major was me getting to a point in my career where I created enough leverage where I was able to find a partner and be able to ask for the things that I want and that I deserve, where you know, it didn't slight me.

You know what I'm saying. I didn't.

I didn't have I wasn't giving up the lion's share or anything like that, so you know, and also also as independence as creatives, this there's this bust, so much we could do until we reach a glass ceiling. It's like being a painter, you could sell all your your artworks right out of your your photo studio, but eventually it's just word of mouth. Whereas you go partner with a gallery or something like that, and it's like now your works is getting out there some more and shit

You know what I'm saying.

Are you studying Web three?

Any?

You said what Web three? Where?

No, I'm not. I'm not too big on the Web three NFT game. Like you know, I like to live real life, not even.

Talking about just like utilizing the platform, because when I think about independent artists, that's gonna be the best platform. The blockchain, you understand me. It's gonna expand what you're gonna be able to do. It's basically will allow you to circumnavigate having a label because you're gonna be able to take those same things. They got an operation and automate it for shure you feel me so on the show.

Right up. Well, I mean, you know, to be honest, I got to catch up a bit. You know what I'm saying.

I got I gotta catch up a bit like pandemic. I'm out here living real life.

You know what I mean.

I got my baby dough at home. I haven't really been diving too much into it, you know what I'm saying. But I'm with you on that and with you on that, but I appreciate that.

My last thought is, all as you're talking, who's your biggest music influence not named Jay Z? Because when I'm here, I got a guy in mind. I'm like, I know that, I know that I'm here. I'm like, yo, I feel like there's a Rock Kim influence here.

For show for show. I love Rock Kim, you know what I'm saying.

For me, what I love about Rock Kim is more like the energy and the spirit and the embodiment of just you know what I'm saying, being high level and being like focusing on your dean, you know what I'm saying, and not having a It's about intequity over success, you know, because that's what I value, you know what I mean?

So yeah, for sure, but I was apart from Jake, I gotta get it to life.

Nah, I can see the early ellmatic Ye see that, I can see.

You know nothing.

That's my big bunk for with you know. Yeah, Like I'm great for that out of relationship with him, you.

Know what I mean?

Like I literally call him the city.

Appreciate it.

Brothers, My dog days are coming over.

Neil, Welcome back, Welcome back, brother. First of all, this is a reunion. Last time we saw you with invest Fest VIP nighted today for the stage down. So I want to I want to formally thank you for that, man, I was so for me.

I had a great time brother. Indeed, indeed appreciate you having me no problem.

Man.

So you as like a legacy artist at this point, which is crazy because I grew up on your music. So now it's like you're a legacy artist. How do you how do you maintain your your relevancy? And almost what twenty is in the game fifteen?

We almost at twenty. Yeah, we almost at the twenty mark, you know.

Man.

For me, it's it's always been about acknowledging the trend, but not following it, you know what I mean. Like, I think a lot of these young casts don't realize that trends are meant to come and go, and if you attach your artistry, if you attach yourself to that trend, once that trend leaves, you kind of leave with it, you know what I mean. So I've always tried to attach myself to things that aren't going anywhere, up to sound going anywhere. Sound of a guitar is never going anywhere.

I think I'm glad you said that, because that's one of the many talents you started as a songwriter, became a worldwide success.

As an artist.

But at these times, now do you go back to the original talent, like I see it as an artist out there, they could be great.

They need that Neo Penn is.

That I I mean that.

That may not, that may not be the mind state as to why I do it. But at the same time, I've I'll never not write, you know what I'm saying. That's that's that's therapy for me, you know, if it's I've always been better putting it down on paper as opposed to even saying it out of my mouth. So, you know, whenever I get into that place where I'm Superman in my family, right, so whenever Superman needs saving,

Now, do you think we headed to a place where because R and B is one of those genres that it's forever needed. Number One, we're very love for society. We ain't got enough love in the culture. You understand me, And I think R and B is probably something that we need to listen to even more. And recently we sing Drake and Beyonce do like house music and a lot of people in dance music and a lot of people were saying, well, this was actually a good thing because it's a break from what we get. A lot

You understand me?

And specifically, like, what's your intention you put in the music as far as what you want to spread?

Well, I mean I've been I've been about love from the very beginning, or should I say the black, white and gray of love? Because you know you can't appreciate the highs of love if you can't acknowledge the lows of love, like they both exist for a reason.

It's like Yin and yang, you know.

So I'm trying to make sure that anybody going through a heartbreak or anybody going through anything like that, knows and understands that they're not alone. You don't nobody you going through it, but it ain't just you. I'm going through it too, you know what I'm saying. That's what the song says to them, and what the song also does is give them a soundtrack to what it is is happening. You know, I'm depressed, I feel bad right now. I need I need a song that's gonna pull me up.

That's what a neo record is.

So when did you let me ask you this? As far as balancing business and music, right, a lot of people say they get turned off from creating because they have to deal with the business side. Did you ever have that experience and how has your experience been navigating being a creative and being a businessman at the same song.

So this is a new way to segue into the new album.

It's July fifteenth, self explanatory and now the album.

I've been writing on this album since twenty eighteen, since before the pandemic, and a lot of the reason aside from the pandemic, a lot of reason why so long is because I fell into that place where it was like, all right, this is a good song, but is it rhythmic enough, is it popping up? Is it urban enough? And then I'm looking at like I'm looking at the format. It's like, all right, the sounds changed. I ain't getting

That's not what I do. Record label sell records, I am not a record label. I'm an artist. I'm a writer.

I'm a singer. My only obligation is to put my heart and soul into this music.

That's it.

Once I got back there, the songs just pour it out of me. So I got back to that. I got back to a good place. The business side of this will steal the joy of the side if you let it.

Now at the same time, to do this and not know that it's a business, it's just stupid.

That's just no one.

Understands that there is millions upon millions upon hundreds of millions of dollars made with this, So you can't ignore the fact that it's a business. But what you don't do is take the business into the studio. You don't go in the studio and all right, today we're going to write a pop song, y'all. Because it'll never happen like that. You got to go in the studio and do what your artistic integrity lets you do and then let the people that do that figure out where it's

At least that's been my philosophy of it.

Yeah, so you said this, I mean it's only on twenty years, Like, yeah, we grew up on the music.

Yeah, but it has changed.

And so I wonder now, is there artists that you listen to that inspire you the music and say, like, I like this all right, I can hear what they're going with, Or when you're getting in that process of writing for the new album, did you go back in time to eighties or seventies sounds to be like I needed that to inspire me.

I can honestly say a little bit of both, a little bit of both, because.

Again, you can't you can't ignore what's happening right now, Like you can't call yourself a music person and ignore what's happening right now. But at the same time, you also can't try to transform yourself into what's happening right now, because it's happening right now, you know what I mean, Like, I'm forty two years old. There's some things that are being said in some of these records that it's just gonna sound stupid if I say I'm aware of that.

I acknowledge that, And I ain't even mad at that. You know what I'm saying.

I'm I'm always gonna give you the metaphor that's gonna make you think a little bit to get to where that to get to where you got with that, you know what I'm saying. That's always gonna be my thing. But at the same time, I can't. I can't say that it's not young cats out here doing it like the boy Blue, he's making moves. I cannot acknowledge that, Lucky Day making moves. Give you on making moves.

I can't. I can't ignore that, you know.

So I listen to these cats and and and I kind of I'm almost kind of taking back to my beginnings, Like I know where you're at right now.

I know the excitement you're feeling right.

Now, Hotel. I'm thinking like that's one of the records.

Shout out to that boy by the way, give I love his tone.

You see, don't sound like.

What's I kind of got a two part question.

First part is do you recognize the metaphysical aspect of music, You understand me, Like you know we water beings. So music as a frequency and trage you like once you put a motion, emotion into something that gets stuck into a person as they listen to it. Like a person may listen to your words and your voice and your energy a thousand times. They may listen to our podcast or media once or twice.

You understand me.

Do you recognize that power metaphysically that music has as you're going into it with that intention? And then too, do you plan on in the future utilizing like NF teen's Web three blockchain to really monetize your music in a different way to go direct to consumer.

Gee two parts. So yes, I'm definitely aware of that. I'm definitely aware of the music's power.

You know.

Uh, sound is frequency, frequency is vibration, and all of these things affect us, affect ourselves, affects us on the inside. It ain't just I listen to this song and I like it. It's I listen to this song and it does something. It affects me. I get goosebumps or whatever the case may be. It's because of vibration, frequency things. So I'm very aware of how powerful that is. I'm aware of how some cats have used it the wrong way.

I just crave, I just crave, I just crave. Well, what do you crave?

I'm trying to get you to music that's going to get you to crave the right thing that's going to get you to crave that thing that's gonna make yourselves move the where they need to move, you know what I mean.

That's that's what I'm always shooting for.

And as far as NFTs and all of that stuff, I'm definitely in that world, not as heavy as I would like to be, And it's mainly just a standpoint of sitting still long enough to get the information, to get together the knowledge.

But I see what that is. I see the potential in that.

You know, right now, NFTs is something that you can't even touch, you know, it's it's it's intangible. But in a minute, you about to see houses as NFTs, You about to see whole records as NFTs like it's it's about to that's what's that's where we're about to go.

I see it happening.

So last question before we wrap, I will actually I want you to tell people about the new music, because yeah, like I said, I grew up on it, the old music, but I'm looking forward to the new music. So what can we be looking forward to on a new project?

Gopy that so self explanatory is the name of the new album, and I called it that simply because the music speaks for itself. It doesn't really need much explanation. On top of the fact that I've been here almost twenty years, I feel like y'all should know me at this point.

I shouldn't have to explain who I am, what I am, what I do. On this album.

You will find acknowledgment of what's going on right now with my spin on it, and but you will also find, you know, that song for the diehard fan, that person that's been there since stay and the vibe and energy that they look for. I'm always trying to please all the people at the same time, and I know that that's virtually impossible, but damn it, I'm gonna keep doing what I do for who's listening and who cares?

And and uh yeah, yeah that's what it is.

Brother hedio record, Uh put you on the spot.

I mean, so sick is up there, but uh sech and love problems such.

And love good taste, good taste, Miss independent.

Indeed, I appreciate that love rump and shot.

Come on, man, it's certain songs that made me think I could sing.

That's why you know it's a good record to do you see like you feel?

Might sound good?

Right man?

Somebody got Neil for me?

I'm throw one back at you. Best swing that neo rope ah.

A little bit for there's a couple of you got one?

How about this?

I do we saw one of the guys before in that record last night last night, I wasn't there.

Damn, let's refrain.

You saw the winner. Talk saw the winner that replaced the versus the.

The Marrio joints to this is replaceable, but it's not replaceable.

But let me love you irreplaceable irreplaceable?

Wow, which one is your favorite?

Damn?

I mean they both equated to really quality Christmases. I will say that really good Christmas is off of both of those records.

Still it is Day, It is Day. Yeah, my kids love those songs.

If I had to choose one over the other, probably probably irreplaceable, only because it was a learning experience for me, you know what I mean. Like I wrote the song with the intent to keep it and learned that certain lyrics, the the person delivering the message matters.

Sometimes.

For example, I can have another you in a minute, matter of fact, she'll be here in a minute. From a man, sounds a little mean, limosogynistic, but for a woman to say I can have another you in a minute, matter of fact, he'll be here in a minute, every woman in the world is gonna rally behind it, like that's my girl, you know what I mean. So that's that I learned that lesson through that record. Super Big Daddy is a boyfriend for that record. Michael Jackson, Prince,

Tell you.

So I learned how to sing mimicking Michael Jackson, I learned how to perform Mimiican Prince and I've had I've had moments with both of them before they passed. I got to actually write with For Michael Jackson, we didn't get to record the records, but like talking to this man regularly and him critiquing the records that I'm writing for him, like that was an experience. And then Prince my Libra Scale It's probably my worst performing album, and

I was.

I was beat up. Prince liked the album to hell with anybody that didn't like it. Look tell what all, y'all, I.

Gotta give you credit before we go.

Your versus Battle probably the most slept on but absolutely Classicpreciate that class.

The reason I was there last night with there's some some things is in the works.

We're having some discussions, some discussions about some possibilities.

Yeah, that's that's talking about it.

We got to see you.

You know why y'all are here. Okay, So if I was to do it again.

Who who I want to see you against?

That was because that's the main thing right now.

Doing something that nobody would expect.

No, you go first.

I'm gonna say Jamie FOXX. I'm gonna say Jamie Fox.

I like that.

That's that's I'm actually not mad at that unexpected.

I'm gonna start.

You can't say, are you gonna say? No?

I want to mix it up?

I said, Jamie was so such a good answer, I wouldn't go top it.

I think you would mix it up Maxwell.

If you if we were talking jess A, R and B Battle, I think that I think that might be a move.

I think it might be a moved.

So you're going.

But if I pull out any of the pop records, you can't do the records.

That's why Jamie Fox would be good.

But they got wrapped because he got twenty of the thing.

Yeah he got twenty, Jamie twenty. Jamis he got features twenty. Now you got twenty including features? Yeah, yeah we have Yeah, that's that's what you know we're talking about.

All right, He'll be radio zoom te weekend.

The total Goodes night is upon us, our croppy head man, the legend himself made mentality.

Thank you for having me. Man, come on man, y'all all legends right here. So to sit down right here, to be included in this, this conversation, in this couch, it means I did the work, truly.

That's really so.

I feel like you reinvent yourself. Can you use use things that's trending to reinvent yourself? So we gotta talk about this versus. When did you decide Okay, I'm a remke this flip it? And did you think it was going to go viral? Like people so many verses. I don't watch the verses. I watched his recut.

Yeah that's a mussy listens and shout out to my brother's spice Adams Man like without him and when the honeys we connected and just did it organically. But to your point of reinvention, I want to talk about that for a second because we're in a room full of artists right and twenty years ago this same type of room existed and it was a whole new set of it's a whole different set of artists. They come and

It just does it on it. The Guard would be highly disappointed.

About Come on, keys want to represent the light skin coalition with pride. You know, I don't need to get.

No lighter We got together exactly. One of the things that I think people don't really give you credit for.

Maybe they'll know is how you've turned the business of comedy into an actual business or braining content licensing.

Owning it it. He talked about that a little bit.

Yeah, for sure. I I've always heard not to spend your own money, right, And it made sense at first until I keep getting my tax bill at the end of the year, right, and so I'm like, hold on, I'm sending money to dudes who wasn't with me shooting in them, and I don't know what they're doing with that, and it's a lot of that that I'm sending out.

Let me ask you, man, during the time of the verses, you also took some of that same energy and put it towards Kevin Samuels.

The rest of peace.

Kevin Samuels, he's no longer here. But when you got the news of his passion, you know, because he talked about high value man and you know how he spoke upon women. How did that affect you? You understand me and your platform, like, did you get any feedback on that? What was the actual thoughts about Kevin?

So the main feedback because and I've had to I had to talk about this a couple of times, obviously, But the character that I do, doctor Devin Fonteined, is a mix of people. I used to do this character ain't fintained ten years ago about the flamboyant brother that we all know in the hood that ain't comfortable with it saying what it really is, right, So I always did this. That's why the voice is so like exaggerated

When we talked about the business of comedy, we talked to Steve Harvey, he was like, you know, when he first started, he never understood business. It was just go and tell jokes, and then he understood the business later on. But we see a lot of comics now on Instagram, but I'm still not sure if they fully understand like that comedy it's like music business, right, Like comedy is a business. So when did you realize that comedy was

I knew it was a business from day one. I went to college for business. I have a master's degree in business. So even back then, when I was a broke college student at an HBCU Fable State University shout Out, I knew that I was going into the show but the entertainment industry, I already had the talent so I didn't waste my college years taking up theater. And I

Yeah, so we're here be Et Weekend.

The awards it coming up on Sunday, talk about the importance of having a space where we can celebrate each other. The points of this episode is brought to you by P and C Bank. A lot of people think podcasts about work are boring, and sure they definitely can be, but understanding a professionals routine shows us how they achieve their success little by little, day after day. It's like

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This weekend, I'm trying to say this to your first what does this mean to you? This year?

I was saying this earlier Black excellence. We always run to the other side to give validation, and if we could just put uside all the competition and all the bickering and all all the nonsense that black people do, namely black men who don't sit down when we have an issue who have a difference in Me and his brother don't even have the same religious beliefs, right, but me and his brother break bread. We talk offline. We

You know, stories is more powerful than knowledge, man, and I think comedians a lot of times get the opportunity to tell stories.

In a way where you're teaching lessons. You understand me that.

At the same time, medians have been heavily censored. Nowadays, they understand me. But I think that it's important to allow comedians to go into the dark spaces because that's where you bring people out, that's where you get to have real conversations and we get to push the curture forward. So what's your take on do you censor yourself in fear of the so called council culture where nobody actually gets counseled.

And then what's the importance of comedians being able to narrate? And you know, and the king, the court jester was able to say anything he wanted to. You feel me.

He can talk about the king, he can say he's a tyrant and everybody laughs. But that's necessary to decompress and you know, click that valve of pressure in society.

So what's your take on that.

I don't do anything out of fear. I don't respond to fear. I said what I said. At the same time, if you know me as a human being, I'm a very tactful, compassionate guy. I'm very empathetic to people. So I'm never trying to talk about anything on stage or in my in my humor, that's gonna make somebody feel like it's affecting who they are as a person or affecting their soul. But there are such things as truths. There's some there's some ugly truths out there that we

So you ain't worry about getting slapped on him. You're not worry about getting slapped on him.

You know me. You know what I mean too.

You know what I study.

Say that I can't be touched.

I touched back every man is you know, we're able to get to be touched, but is how you respond to the touch.

My last question for you, like being a comedian and everybody knows you you're you're a very you know, outgoing person. As far as your personality, people come up to you, they tell you jokes. Do you ever get tired?

Does that ever?

Like?

Yo, bro, I'm not right now is not the time.

It's like yo, when people come to you'll ask your money and my portfolio. Yeah, it's psycho.

You're like nigga.

I just want you to walk like about crazy theories of the world right now, so you get questions, Yeah, time, and you gotta you gotta explain the plight of the black man on every tripatory everywhere you go.

Brother, that's so key. So let me let me ask you this. They say that black men on the phone to getting diabetes. Do you think that beat? This is directly connected to what poorn we watch because them booties be sweet you like nigga.

I just tell you to tell you to tap into yourself. I appreciate you all man, some good questions. Keep asking yourself that right?

Yeah, I don't.

Yeah, you know. I love that people show the love and they're aware of what I do. But it ain't always appropriate. You and walk up to Mike Tyson like, hey, you a boxer, punch me and my goddamn face right now?

In fact, would you do that?

Could you do that?

So?

Nah, man, I just be chilling.

That's what's up. That's what's up.

Man.

I appreciate you, man.

I appreciate y'all. Man must respect to y'all. Like this is a it's a great, a great conversation I've been waiting to have with all of us.

Definitely connect off, let's do it, please do all right? So we had this, Like I said, this is what I'm most excited about, my god symbol. So I'm a big fan of the music and the era that we came from is very nostalgic to us, sir, and a few people give me that feeling. I got a chance to meet Benning the Butcher and I told him that and simple and I don't even know if you know this, but like I mean your comments like fire, yeah, yeah, yeah,

Man.

This is like a breath of like fresh air. Like you said, that music that we grew up on. When we heard that sound, it was like automatic, like well what was that?

What?

No, that was the whole point, bro.

It's like I just was sitting back like a few years ago, and I'm just like, I'm trying things. I'm experimenting. I'm doing melody music, writing pop songs and APG writing for Scooby Doo album, and I just had to sit down like man who and Maya as an artist, you know what I'm saying. And when I think about it, always go back to my uncle's, my mama, you know what I mean. They come from that era. So I'm really a reflection to them, you know what I mean.

So you know, I'm from the Bay, I'm from Oakland, and I know I always tell people I'm from Oakland.

That's why I'm so well spoken. Exactly understand me exactly. It's a certain energy.

It's any not on the area.

You understand you're gonna do it a little different.

And I feel like that's what I get in your music as well, because there's a lot of sucking shit that go off.

Yeah, but your music is like anti sucker and you call it out.

You feel me so, But at the same time you be at your edge where it's like I'm not afraid to stand right here.

You feel me and I'm gonna do a fearless man. Where you get that from?

Like I say, bro, my mama, you know what I'm saying, Like my uncle's bro. Like I come from a family bro where it's like, I'm supposed to be in jail, right. I was born in jail. My mama had me in jail. My Auntie went to jail, My uncle Ronnie did ten years in jail. My uncle Speedy told on my uncle Ryan to get out of jail. My favorite cousin went to jail. So it's like, technically jail was supposed to be part of my story. But always seen where they would go wrong growing up, you know what I mean.

I ain't on that.

You know what?

I mean, I ain't Finna just be spinning because somebody punched my little nigga in the face.

You know what I'm saying.

It's like you gotta really do something to me to make me want to physically harm you. You know what I'm saying. So I just always put that into music. You know, it's wrong, it's uncut. It's how I feel most people scared to say how they feel. It's just how you gonna help somebody get through life if you can't communicate what you going through.

You know, I feel like it's a thin line between like the type of music got you making. So it's so nostalgic to me because it's like, Nah's my favorite rapper of all time, right, and Na's always he was always like a positive vibe, but he was never a positive rapper, Like you know what I'm saying. He's still a street dude, but he could always get a message of positivity where it's like some of the like more they put you in a box. It's a positive rapper, it's hard to ever get out that box.

You.

I kind of look at like that like like it was written, like you know what I'm saying. When I listened to your music and it's like Big Farmer do some more dope than Big Niche. You know what I'm saying. It's messages.

It's a fact though, but it's vibes.

Like you know what I'm saying, it's vibe.

You got the Cardier frames on. It's it's not ultra preachy do that on purpose.

So I'm front like, Bro just said, we're from the Bay.

Bro.

You know what I'm saying. We from the Panthers.

You know what I'm saying.

We were gonna have some information. But at the same time, this shit in us, it ain't on us. It's it's Is'm Bro. I grew up knocking women playing ball.

You know.

I was that nigga in school. I didn't get hot in music and became cool. I was always cool, you know what I'm saying before I was doing music, you know what I'm saying. So it's like that has to be shown in the music. And that's no offense to you know, the spiritual rappers or the conscious rappers, because we need them too. But at the same time, Bro, it's a lack of cool niggas you know what I mean in the industry, and we all just can't be

You know so so that that moment that La leak is freestyle, I feel like that's when the world was put on noted.

For sure, that sure I was coming for sure?

What was the more?

How did that more feel to you? Like you've been working at this right and you've got this moment to Sean and if exploded? What was that moment that what it feels like to you at that time?

About damn Tom, I've been out here both Bro, I didn't look at my big brother, small big.

Brother right there.

Hurricane yeah, bay area.

So you know, be having a black cloud on it, you feel.

I mean, yeah, there's a lot of talent in the Bay, but it don't really get shown to break out, what you think, because but now I'm saying, you know, individuals such as yourself, LaRusso, and I feel like the internet allows you to navigate that black cloud you feel when you was in then coming out of the game Number one, who did you look up to in the Bay Area and did you feel like being a Bay Area rapper you was gonna have that cloud and not be able to.

Expand on For sure. That was the reason I moved out.

Like I grew up on Short forty, Max dre Keithy, Sneak turf Talk, you know what I mean. Like I grew up listening to Bay music. But my mom, my mom bury business minded. So my mom was in the real estate early, so she had homes in Texas, Vegas, Atlantic City, and I would always move around as a kid. I know this Bay music wasn't being played in these places, and then when I would play it, people wouldn't get it, you know what I mean.

The tempo might beat you fast or whatever it may be.

So when I started doing music, I was like, damn, I want to be the person that keep that bait authenticity in my content but still make the sound of it universal enough to where the world could get it. And I feel like in the Bay the reason we got that black cloud is because we got a limited amount of black people in California, you feel me. So when you going to South, you got black restaurant owners, black hookah spot owners, black car washes, which gives black music more platforms.

Right over here we got very minimum of that.

So I feel like a lot of artists feel like it's a certain amount of seats and success or when somebody else win, it like they took your spot.

When it's like, nah, we all could win.

We just got to ask questions and communicate with each other to figure out a way to help each other get to the goal.

Yeap, I rock with up.

Your mom was in real estate? Are you invested in I'm getting into it. I'm getting into it. My mom been on me about it for years. I just been so psycho with this rap, just driven, just tunnel vision, you know what I mean. I ain't want to do nothing else. But now that you know, my finances is growing and I'm getting a lot better, my mom put me in position to do a lot of shit. I'm actually trying to get a duplex right now, you feel me.

What it's about, That's what it's about.

So obviously the freestyle goes crazy, the goats that goes out going crazy to shout out to that, we all go, yeah, how have the business opportunities been a coming to you? Like how people approach you? What's your status of independent? Where what's going to come here?

So I'm on a major, I'm signed to Atlantic, but I move like I'm independent, you know what I mean. We actually getting ready to start my label. I don't like calling it a label, but that's how most people can understand what it is. But we're getting ready to start our company and it's called Majority Rules, and the

Now, I think what you represent is very important because, like you said, it's like I can just regular people in the music business. Everybody's a drug addict, everybody's a killer, but it's like the majority of people aren't like that. And when I hear you speak, you sound sober, and that's something that is rare. That's rare.

I'm saw stup on the tequila right now, by the way.

But even when I say sober, I just don't mean from drugs. I mean yes, humility, just yeah. You just sound like you got common sense, like you know what I'm saying. And I appreciate that. I think a lot of times we talked to artists and it's like, damn, bro, like, just speak to me like a regular person.

But it's like some of them don't know how you know what I mean, Like some of these kids where you gotta think you have a little TOUTO from Jacksonville, Florida, right, and he made a song in his closet with his homies about some issues they was having with some niggas from up the street, and some little suburban kid posted this on TikTok and it went viral and the world found out about it, and then labels started calling them. They flying him to La, they throwing him in these

Man, you didn't been on a lot of platforms, man, Jimmy Kimmel.

People like, it's interesting because I feel like, kind of like myself right when somebody's seen me on the platform, it's like something that's not supposed to be there.

It's an enigma. You feel me, and somehow you challenge that and navigate. Like I feel like we're in an era where it's a glitch and a matrix.

You feel me, and it ain't even really a question more so about you know, maintaining that integrity that you got.

You understand me just along that path, because I could just see the future.

Are you growing and see the brand developing and people really rocking with that, and you're creating a whole new archetype that people can follow as a blueprint.

You understand me.

People love Nipsey because of what he represented. You feel me, and then you got that same representation.

So half of the shit I'm speaking on and how I was able to find out about this information was from Nipsey. I met Nipsey in twenty twelve and eight three Sea Fence in Atlanta. And this is when the wee cookies that just came out right, and we was the only niggas with cookies in the bay. So we got something to the eighth right. We was in the club club compound smoking and I feel somebody tap me. He like, hey, bro, y'all got some of that for sale with y'all smoking, you feel me? I'm like, man,

You feel me.

He talked it up that night. He gave me his number. He said, man, whenever you in La, hit me. I lied to the nigger. I say, I live in La. I'll be there Monday.

You feel me?

He like, all right in me.

I flew back to the bait, got my car and drove to La.

You feel me?

I ain't have a.

Hotel room nothing. I just drove out there and I got to the Grapevine. I was like, bro, I'm in LA. I just got back where you at. Twenty minutes later he sent me an address. He said, I'm at the studio.

Pull up.

I went to the studio. You had a studio downtown. Went to the studio, uh, and we had a conversation. He gave me his book, The twenty two Immutable Laws of Brandon Right, and that book taught me how to stop looking at myself as an individual and how to grow my identity as a business.

You know what I mean.

So everything that I'm speaking on majority rules, The reason I stuck in that one lane and just rapping it comes from that book that Nip gave me.

So rest in peace to.

The goat man.

That's a fact. So the album is on the way, sir. They always say you got your whole life to make your first album, that's sir, at three months to make it second?

Sir?

Do you feel any pressure for this debut?

Right, because obviously we come up, we know Ellmatic and we know we know these debuts obviously get rich of not trying.

What what's the emotional building up to this moment.

Man, My thing bro is just really it ain't even about like trying to go platinum or like impressing everybody. It's just more so fine and where more of my fans are, you know what I mean? Knowing what they like to drink, knowing what they like to eat, knowing where they like to shop. That's really what I'm most excited about. So I don't really feel no pressure because I don't get into other people's expectations of what they feel I should be doing, you know what I mean.

So I'm I'm I don't.

I don't feel no pressure at all. I'm just really excited to get the music out more than anything.

All Right, we got, we got, we gotta rap. But it's just one last thing I want to say. Not even a question, it's a request.

Okay.

I met all three of you now, and I'm glad that I met all three of you. You were actually how I thought you would be. I would like to see this collaboration Toby, Benny and Simba.

Easy call Benny my brother. I just was with Bennie last night, gotta be.

I never met Toby, but I'm a big fan of super Bowl through Humble, big fan of his big put it together. Appreciate you.

We're gonna make sure we link back up too.

Not for sure, I'm gonna keep going forward to move, but I like that.

Listen, all right, We're here with the lovely beer. Thank you for joining us. Appreciate it, appreciated vibes. How you how you how you like the BT experience the weekend? This is your first time coming?

Actually yeah, this is my first real This is actually my first real time coming. It's my first time being nominated. So it's a different it's a different vibe.

What's that what's that feeling like when you heard the news that something that you created is now being recognized from people that look like us, a platform that's built by us.

What's that feeling like?

When you know you watched the BT Awards your whole life and I've always been an artist, It's like, when am I gonna get on the BET Awards? What am I gonna get on the BET Awards? And now it's just like it's just surreal. It's like it really happened. I'm like, it's crazy. God is great man for real.

I'm imma ask you something a little different. I've been lately saying it's.

Something called soft life, where it's like, because you got a very soft voice, but at the same time, in command's presence, you understand me. And the soft life is about like black and brown women not needing to be displayed like tough, but they can be softening, feminine energy and like show joy and laughter. You feel me what you feel about that.

I love that you say that.

Nobody ever says anything like that, and I'm glad because you know, I grew up in an era where it was like the nineties, early two thousands, it was very like Aliyah, and you know, it was just a different vibe. It was very like Flag Girls, and you know, just a different vibe. So I've always felt like, as an artist, I just want to be myself and whoever that translates with is who it translates with, and just not have to fit into a mold that people wanted me to

That's beautiful.

I love it.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

So how was it like working with Coole? I was like working with j Cole.

Oh, Cole is amazing.

Man.

Cole's actually like my favorite artist to this day, like just because of who he is as a person and like not only how talented he is and the way he pushes his pen, Like he make me every time I go in the booth. Now I'm like, I got to push my pen for real, like j Cole is watching me.

I can't lett J Cole dew.

That song is dope, The video is dope. The whole London vibe is dope. What inspired that?

It's crazy because we love London and I think Jake Cole actually spent some time in London too, like extended period of time. So when we had a show out there, so we were just gearing up to go to London and I was like, all right, I'm getting in my London bag and I just like to have fun when I'm in the studio, and that's what that song was. I wasn't even expecting Jake Cole to get on it, like, to be honest, I just wanted to play it for him.

What about Crypto, I've seen you do the collaboration with the crypto actually did like a little remix to it because I love that fact. Could I always say, you know, I say crypto in your person, not in your wallet.

Right, That's how I teach it to women.

So what do you feel about the industry of women actually understanding this new age financial technology and stuff.

Well, I just feel like as a woman, the more things you can put your money into, the better, Like whether that be real estate, whether that be a makeup brand, whether that be a salon. Crypto, Like, for me, crypto was so scary at first because I'm like, I don't know much about stocks, but it's actually like a lot easier once you get your foot in and you just try it out more. People need to just like do a little bit of crypto and then take it a

You got some tips.

Anything I should anything I should invest.

In while I'm here?

What are you invested in?

Like random stuff? But like stocks that like people will tell me like, oh, you should invest in this. I might go get a couple of those, but really stuff that like I use in the long term, So like I have a lot of like long term stocks.

And like just stuff like that about say, we're not investing in bout tago.

Actually I haven't.

I haven't.

They got to like pay me for me to invest in them.

For so obviously being a newer artist, what's it been like for you being accepted in this industry?

Right?

Like, I feel like we came in with such a heat rock. It was like who is this girl? We love her? What's it been like for you just over this past year?

Well, most people know I'm not a newer artist, like I've been out for like ten years. It's just I was like shelled. I had like a situation that wasn't right for me at the for a while, so nobody really knew my music like that. People just knew me, you know. So now I'm at the point where people are able to attach the face with the music and now they see like, oh, it's a real person.

It's been a glass so ten years, yeah, they didn't know And now that what is that experience been?

Like?

Yo?

Finally it feels like hard work pays off and it really just feels like you can never stop the motion, like it's always gonna be up and down motion.

You just gotta find your motion.

How is life for you these days? I know, like once you get up and running, everything comes at you and so many people hitting you up. It's hard to answer text messages like are you enjoying that? Because I already know you going through it because we go through it.

Yo, is a question you just asked.

That's a great question.

Join out you feel guilty about Like that's the.

Hardest part for me. It's like finding that balance of like I'm so busy and I love being busy, Like I would never not want to be as busy as I am now. But it's like finding sleep, find and eat, finding family, like those things are not being able to respond right away because it's like people think that I'm at the dispos on my.

Phone and I do not have my phone nine times out of ten, so.

You know, people take it's like everything gets people take it way more personal and they don't know what it's like on this life.

Yeah, yeah, on everything.

Absolutely, pleasure get into you.

Thank you for joining us, bro appreciate it. I said, thank you for joining I appreciate it.

It's fun again, I ain't something like this, you know, in a minute. Even bringing the culture together the dude, you know, the pol taking the culture is different.

So so we see you at a lot of different events. What's the what's the power of networking? A lot of times people artists, entertainers, entrepreneurs, they don't fully understand, Like even this room right here, right going around, you probably might not even want to do this, But what's the power of networking getting out there, making relationships, shaking hand things to that?

Na shuld I think there's a simple beauty and collaboration, you know. However you can imagine that.

Man.

I feel like everybody's passion is like a puzzle piece, you know, so everybody gotta like somehow come together we make the picture, you know, and you never know who you might meet on any given day, you know. And I feel like, you know, obviously, bringing people together in one room, it's almost like a free for all, you know. So it's really about what you do with it. You know, you got to be a people person. You can't be you can't be shot, you can't be.

Quiet.

You know, speak up, you know, speak speak your truth, you know, speak your story, you know, and the rest is history.

Yeah. Yeah, one of the things you spoke about is passions and so we've seen you with the music.

Obviously that's one of your passions. But I think people have underrated you in the acting field. That's one of the things that you know, seeing you in power.

What did you discover the power the passion for acting.

I think growing up being exposed to so much at a young age, and that's just like traveling so many different places, being exposed to so many different cultures, like culture shocks, you know, which ultimately allows you to grow at a young age early, you know, and you're able to really like become a chameleon, you know, and so on top of who I am and my personality, you know, my mom always you know how they say, boy, you're a character. You know, like you say that every day

You know.

Back then when she was telling me, So she's all about growing.

You know what about legacy?

Man? I feel like your family as a family of brothers, each one of you all have your own individual presence, but collectively y'all represent a legacy.

You understand me.

And I was just looking up some as far as like, you know, y'all do the dances and dancing it's one of the most spiritual rituals known to man. And y'all like bring energy and joy at the same time. And y'all representation. You understand me, y'all bring people together. What do you feel like just as a collective and as individual, what y'all represent for the culture as a family of like black men putting out that energy.

You know, family is everything.

Not to sound cliche, but you know, growing up you realize that importance, and you realize the unity and that and the power and that and where that could go. And then next thing, you know, friends become family, and then next thing you know, you know what I mean, it's that effect and nothing beats that. And I feel like whatever we want to do and apply that factor, it's a no brainer. You know, it's almost like an

I feel like you're very talented with the music, acting through fashion. How do you know what to focus your energy on, because sometimes you can spread yourself too thin and be like all over the place. So how do you personally know? Like, this is what I'm doubling down on right now.

You know, I'm big on timing, you know, And I feel like who I am as a person, who are who we are as people. We we go through different stages and where we want to get off what we feel like, you know, we want to put out, you know, into the world. And I feel like with me doing the act and me doing the music, sometimes it is hard to juggle. I like to say it balances itself. One doesn't really occupy the other. But then at the end of the day, I'm trying to bring it all

For sure.

It's funny.

Well, Kes, you brought up legacy, so I wonder sometimes you do you feel the pressure like obviously the siblings we know the family business, but do you feel pressure to continue the legacy.

Or you more on that lane where you know what that is a legacy? I need to create my own step in this world? Is the pressure?

There By default, I'm contributing to the legacy, you know, And I feel like that speaks volumes in itself. You know, I'm not running away from the legacy, so therefore it's only adding to it. And I feel like the extension of my brother and my sisters, even you know, they gonna go into a whole different industry that we ain't never seen.

But it's not gonna be a separate legacy.

That's gonna be an extension that's gonna just continue the legacy overall. So I think that's a beautiful thing about the family, Like you said, the unity and all and how we really pushing the culture and putting that first, you know what.

About I'm saying what Snoop doing with his son and everything in a Web three space and the NFTs and everything. Do y'all have any projects y'all working on? You understand me? In that space to push things for it.

We definitely been having all types of zooms, the log the knowledge behind it all, you know, especially with my Pops.

You know, he really wants to know it, you know.

So it's a constant learning experience, I think for him and all of us because he comes up with questions sometimes might stump us and we got to go back and you know, uh find two three different you know, variations of the answer, so he can really understand it.

So it's just not one sided.

And I respect him because he's made me like step my game up and then learned about the space too, because you know, it's very very very interesting. But until you can really grasp it, you know, that's when he really wants to then step foot in. We're definitely definitely he dodn'et cop the couple, you know, he cop the ab, he doesn't cop the punk, you know.

So he's he's slow but sure in the space.

And you know, we all are, like I.

Said, about to become active.

Yeah, yeah, before.

Before we rap, I just want to ask you, what's your plans going forward? What's on your five year ten year vision board.

Well, you know, with the space of TV, film and music, I feel like that's the timeless industry that I want to just explore from a to Z.

I haven't even activated anything.

In my artistry shows, uh, touring, you know, so that's on the lighter end of things. But I want to travel more, you know, and really you know, step outside the box of you know, what I've done. I feel like the pandemic taught me a lot and there's a lot to be done, and it was a learning experience, you know, for me and a lot of people. But I think this next five is probably going to be the most exciting five years of my life, you know, especially you know, I'm thirty third level, you know, so

The coaches biggest night. Who you most excited to see?

Man, I'm excited to see it because my pops has not let us come to rehearsals, and so I'm excited to see what.

My pops, you know, cause he's in on some he's not in on some, so but we ain't in on none.

So I mean that last question because your pops is interesting. He stays connected to what's going on. And I think I seen him one time it was somebody that was popping. It was like, well, I don't know about them, you understand, Mean, what's that process like of making sure, like do y'all bring people to him? His attention to make sure, Like, Yo, you got to stay interconnected so you don't lose grip of this.

Absolutely. I like to say I bought him Drake before Drake dawayne Uh, he.

Didn't get it.

But beyond that, it's it's all about timing, you know, because sometimes he could be having a great day and you show him something and he like it, and it could be a bad day. You show him something great and he just not being the move for it. But it'd be something just as great as you need to hear.

So I think we're just.

Consistent on what we're passionate about, you know, putting in front of him. We know we ain't about to bring him no bs, or he knows we ain't about to bring him no bs, so he tries to take that into consideration first, like the saint, like listen to my mixtake.

Listen to my mixtape. It ain't one of those.

It's like, look, it's a reason I'm bringing this to you, pops. And I feel like he respects that. So we always on him, you know what I mean? He on us too, you know what I mean. He be putting us on like yo, you know this person, and we'd be like, wow, he beat us, he found him first.

Yeah, yeah, now that's what's up.

I work with my pops, like we'll do video content together and if people love it, and just that demonstration of like a son being able to work with they father, it's like legacy in the present, you understand me, not like let's remember what happened. But I think that's probably one of the most powerful demonstrations y'all have as a family.

I appreciate that.

We gonn promise to continue to keep that going most definitely, that's what it's about.

Appreciate it. Thank you for the time we met a few times in passing, and one thing I'll say, your humility is definitely infectious. You just kind of get a vibe for a person. That's every time that I met you. You've just been super humble, super down the earl, super relatable, and that's something that you know we appreciate.

So I appreciate y'all. I'm sure we don't have many more running.

Too, so again, respect y'all. Taraji p Henson, thank you for joining us. I appreciate you for having me so icon it in the game, A true legend. How have you been able to navigate Hollywood and state relevant for almost for twenty years now, a little.

Over twenty years.

I haven't gotten rid of my real ones. I still have them.

I have an incredible family that keeps me grounded, and I just understand what this is about, Like this artist bigger than me. It has like God gave this gift to me to share with the world and change and touch lives and that's what it's about. So for me, it's not really about the vanity. I mean, I like to be cute and stuff like that because I'm a girly girl. But at the end of the day, I understand my purpose and I know why I'm doing what I do.

Let's talk about why we're all here BT Awards to celebrate us, to celebrate us, and they got the right person host, I think, so, yeah, So this is not your first time hosting in a debt, what can we expect from from the.

Show this weekend?

I think y'all gonna love this year's thing. So last year we focused on the queens, but you know, we ain't nothing with our y'all. So this this, yeah, because I know thise like a lot of times we like to make little jokes and stuff about the men, and I'm like, we can't do that. You know, they get beat up on enough in the world, right, So what

Looking for another country to move.

I feel like that's perfect because I feel like that's the balance.

Like I was talking with b about this earlier, so young black women put me on call soft life for women representing themselves softer instead of the images of women having to be hard and.

Tough, and it's like, no, you deserve to just laugh and being your joy.

And I feel like by lifting up men, they stand in that position so that women can be soft as they want to. You understand me what you feel about that, cause I feel like that goes into what you do with mental health.

Well, you know, we are all carrying generational trauma that has been passed down to us that we don't we're not even aware of, and until we get the help and the healing that we need, we will be operating dysfunctionally until we pinpoint our past traumas and a lot of that stuff we don't even understand, cause it's just like I said, it's been handed down. Like I wondered one day, I'm really claustrophobic. I don't like being in tight spaces.

This is before COVID.

Now I really don't like I'm crazy, and I'm like, I get you out here, but I'm very clusophobic.

And I remember I had to play a sledg runaway slave. You ain't a star unless you played one. But I remember they had to put me in this little compartment under a wagon, a horse wagon, and I just remember my body from Bulson. That's nothing that I that's not speaking on anything that I've experienced in my lifetime. That was clearly generational trauma from slavery. Cause what space have I been in to provoke that kind of feeling, you know?

And I love that about us.

And it's unfortunate that we are oppressed, but that's the reason why we are because nobody can tap into this joy like we. It's in us. No matter what you try to do to us, we gonna make you feel better. That's a gift that we have, you know, And I think the enemy is mad.

Let me ask you this. We have the VT awards, we can you're hosting. How is it How important is it for us to support DT Awards, Black Awards as opposed to BOYCOTTI and complaining about other awards and always saying that we're left out, we're not recognized, Like instead of focusing that energy, they're how important is it to focus our energy here?

It's very important to focus our energy on us because we alway have but at the end of the day, we always need. Like that's why I did my deal with b Et. I'm sick of begging and can you please this story they need? When I brought my first story, Queenie the Godmother of Harlem, that nobody knows about but you know about Frank Gaston, you know I'm not Frank Lucas, and you know about Bumpy Johnson, but you don't know they came from her and she didn't even sell drugs.

They don't care.

And for me, I don't really care about the number or the money. I care about the story because some little black girls, some little brown boy needs to see themselves, you know, and needs to know this story. We need to know our history. They already taking it out of school. So that's why I signed with BT, because I'm sick and tired of begging and we don't need to beg Look at where we are, we have all about.

Why are we still begging?

And worried about what the Grammys and the Oscars and all of them do.

They never wanted a thing.

Anyway, except I mean, that's it. That's the freedom we're talking about.

So at this point now, is that more of the focus writing stories that are authentic to us as opposed to acting in stories that you know, wy.

You do what you gotta do to get where you need to be, and then you start making your own choice. You stop being a ball us and so that's you know. I'm at the position now where I create my own doors to open, I create my own scripts, I create.

Jobs for other people.

So I hope that's what everybody's paying attention.

They're gonna watch you do it. I hope it becomes the inspiration.

Yeah, I hope.

So the last one was yours.

It wasn't a question just wanting to give your flowers because I love what you're doing and everything you show your exercise, you show your mental health journey, you show your joy, you show the ups and downs of the pain.

I think you showcased like a real person. Understand me. It's not one side, and I think that people need to see that. Understand me and so not.

Like that's why I'm saying, it's not a strong black woman's a soft black woman.

Understand me. And then that softness is your power. So I appreciate you, thank you.

And I'm not afraid to be vulnerable because that's where the strength is.

Being strong. I said, No, what I'm is when I'm really.

Being strong because you're not afraid to identify.

And that needs you to write me in a movie.

I care.

I ain't never been in a movie. You feel me, ain't never seen that la I got to too much shot.

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