EYL #171 2 Chainz on The Metaverse, Owning his Masters, & Entrepreneurship

An illegal alien from Guatemala charged with raping a child in Massachusetts. An MS thirteen gang member from Al Salvador accused of murdering a Texas man of Venezuelan charged with filming and selling child pornography in Michigan. These are just some of the heinous migrant criminals caught because of President Donald J. Trump's leadership. I'm Christy nom the United States

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Before you have money or get to rent all you want. It's a million dollars, that's all you want. You're not signing for that, you're not doing, but in your mind, in your hood, you just feel like that's just what every like that's to go. So if somebody says sign this by some sometimes you don't. You just know that you're trying to get a million dollars. Then you get a million dollars and you realize not enough label. Man, I'm supposed to have more than this.

My graduates from my school being false backdrop backdrop or Mike drop backdrop drop.

All right, guys, welcome back, e y l. This is gonna be a dope episode if you know what you know. We're big fans of the music interview. Some of the brightest stars. Shout out to my man Tip, shout out to Rick, shout out to call it missing anybody. We met a bunch of style, my brother Jim, My brother Jim.

But today we have the honest speaking with Tony.

Breathing, Yeah, breath to change man, one of the dopest lyricists but also a very interesting person when it comes I was doing some research businessman, entrepreneur, investor, father, husband, first and foremost of course, So this is gonna be thepe episode. He has a new LP that's dropping. Congratulations ship eighth one, right, seventh, seventh.

Can I just say this real quick, Nigga alert who got said.

Said so, first and foremost, thank you for joining us, my brother, I appreciate it. Thank you for having me. No, we're good man.

So let's get into this. I want to talk about the business. But let's talk about the music first. Your new album, Dope don't sell itself. What's the inspiration by that title?

If you if you substitute dope for you know, for ideas, it's just basically about.

You know what, what keeps the world going around?

Man?

You got something that people may need to want, you need to you know, you have to get out there.

And sell it. Knocked on your door exactly.

Man, you got a good idea, you're sending it at home on the sofa and you're not you know, you're not putting it out there. You're not planting the seas, you're not building a relationship. So that's the same thing. You know, I come from the trap, I come from the hustle. So so that's why it got such a little edge to it because where I come from. You know, Dope didn't sell itself, so you literally had to be you know, and it was everybody doing the same thing too.

You know what I'm saying.

I got money Bag, you know, beat Keen, Little Baby, my.

Hearty, Sleepy Rolls.

I got Dirt, I got you know, young Boy, I got Swede, le Stove God, I got a symbol. So it's well rounded, it's very concise, and this adhd Approved is only twelve songs.

When you were coming up with the people you wanted to collaborate with, obviously baby hot, but like when I saw a symbol in there, I'm like, this dude is hot, and if you don't know him and like get familiar with, like this dude can really spit Oakland for Oaklan. Yeah yeah, Wild just had the feast that was ridiculous. So what was that process? Like you said, I got some of the established artists, but I want to introduce the world to some some new heat.

What was that problem?

Well, you know, like this is is like it's not my last time doing trap music, but putting it out in one in one one place. You know what I'm saying, and so it was important that I tapped in with the upcoming artists. But like most of these artists, they already cemented themselves in the game as far as like Little Baby, Righty, Rich money Bag. You can see them having,

That's what's going on on this album.

Yeah, so you said this is your last trap album, So where we're going to musically from here?

Like we're going, well, no, it's just nah.

I mean I think just you know, having a heavily eight aweight driven project, you know, I'm still gonna have that, but I just like to express myself in different ways. You know, I got to college Growth two coming shortly after this drop, and when I do stuff with Wayne, it's just, oh, that's my dog.

It's always you know, it's always.

Trying to set the bar high and you know, go to the next level and be lyrically competent and competitive and just you know, all of those things.

So I'm just looking forward to to what is your as in store for myself. So let's get into this conversation. A lot of artists always can play on Twitter about not getting paid royalties.

Masters. I understand you own your masses a couple of years.

Ago, right, Yeah, renegotiated.

What was the process of when you renegotiate your contract that, you know, getting your masses?

Well, when I first signed with Depth Jam, I had a lot of leverage when I got my solo individual deal, and a lot of artists were signing three sixty deals, which I didn't have to do, and a lot of other artists were signing five, six, seven album deals. My first deal was only four albums, so I literally been out of my contract and I kind of took the lebron approach or an athlete approach, right, and yeah, I

I built a lot of relationships.

But you know, it was very amicable, you know what I mean, depth gen You know, it's just like when you work for a come, you do stuff, you pay bills, you got a good relationship, they listen, you know, it's it's not that's what it's about it.

So you get lawyers for so you can negotiate certain things like that. So it wasn't that hard when you said you had more leverage. What made you have more leverage than a regular artist when you negotiated your first contract?

Because once I started taking my solo, when I started taking my individual meetings to get a record deal, my thing was to really see what kind of I was really trying to see what type of employees they had that could tap into the international market. I was already a domestic superstar before I signed my deal with DEPV JAM.

I was doing shows, I mean from Merriworth, from.

Adahola to South Dakota. I've been to all of these places. I'm not just capping, So I was already like becoming a household name. So I needed somebody that can really make me an international you know what I'm saying, superstar when I get off you know, Emirates or whatever, they know who I am.

You know, you have to deal with Depth Jam right on your masters after you renegatiated. But your own record label is with Atlantic.

Yeah, that's another little hustle I got.

Yeah, So what what made you say?

I I already have a foundation here at Depth Jam, but let me build my own independent situation here of Atlantic.

What was that process like for you?

Well, I'm sure it's business man. You know.

I didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket. And also I always wanted to work with Atlanta. They have people that are known for a very long time. I have a very high respect for and so when approaching this situation where I want to just you know, put somebody else on, I feel like that to that to complete my legs, I need someone else with my DNA to be very successful. So that's that's what the

So we interviewed your partner, Snoop. Shout out to Snoop, that's career. Yeah, that's dope.

We do an event, that's the We did an event of a basketball the fact, that's all. I think. You actually came.

Afterwards say damn smoking.

So we had just left.

We was like leaving, you was coming in. I kind of remember that now you said, I kind of remember that. Yeah, Snooper is shut up. My partner, she's she's super you know, business minded exactly.

That's the homie.

So so anybody not Familiarsketball lounges restaurant, you have two, two restaurants we have we have three.

Going on three four.

Yeah.

So Escobar is uh, it's you know, two words, It's Esco Escobar and we've been open for five years, just a lounge restaurant, you know, has all the vibes, you know, music,

And now we're working on Esco Pizza, which would be.

Like our late night spot, hangout spot, and this should be you know, opening and within the next sixty days.

That was what killing Oh yeah, killing Mike. Yeah yeah, we went to his barbershop. Yeah no, man, that's the edge. Well yeah, yeah, yeah, you're killing Mike. Got this stuff together too, So what made you want to get into that? As far as like, we've always had a restaurant. It's like one of the hardest businesses. It's one everybody wants. It's like a barber shop. Everybody wants to have a restaurant, but until they actually.

Get one, Like yeah, bro, yeah, I mean we all went do that because you know, we won't do the necessarily.

We don't do the necessary due diligence.

Yeah, we don't do it. We just be like, man, I won't want like what you're gonna do. I'm and be shut down in the year. I'm just blessed and fortunate enough to have a partner that has a very high IQ when it comes to hospitality, and I have a very high queue when it comes to like ideas and marketing. And when we teamed up, it just was like it was a perfect situation because I had other you know, other relationships I can bring in, you know

Yeah, that's what she said when we interviewed her.

She said that when y'all like linked up and she was like, you know, like the business did you was like, yo, I got these ideas and I know the people I'm too chaining.

It was like a perfect marriage.

Talk about like the benefit of partnering because a lot of people don't fully understand like the benefit of actually having a partner, so you don't go through everything I think you should. I think you should have a partner with everything. I don't think you should do anything by yourself.

There's enough money, enough splits, enough everything for everyone, I don't think. And you know, I never understand that. I don't think you should do anything by yourself.

I think you should find somebody that's very passionate in whatever feel that you was looking that you're looking for.

I'm a great talent scout. Everybody that's around me, they they they do what they can do at the highest level. Whatever I need them for, you know, engineer to security to photography, whatever.

Is around me, they need to be doing at a very passionate high level. Do you have visions of scaling it outside of Atlanta? We're thinking about going to other cities.

Well yeah, you know, it's really interesting because you know, Esco has been internally franchised the last five years. You know what I'm saying, we're going on fourth place, So now we're about to start publicly franchising and so other people can't you know, and it'll take some of the relief of every day you know, off of us, but we'll still be getting you know, our percentages.

So we'll be doing that.

We'll be kicking in that phase, you know, really soon too. That's dopee. So you had the lounge, right, basketball lounge and tapits, but you also got into is it Pampa nel.

Salon or your Pampers right down the street from.

Is that they Pamper That might be the new slogan. I know she she was doing a beautician salon right above one of the lounges. So did y'all did you have that vision from the idea that she already created. That's something you had always wanted to do? Anyway, it was something I always wanted to do. But I'm actually about to transform into her business model. You know what

I just think it's a really good idea.

She has three of them, and you know, I've had Pamper going on two years and it's a really cool laid back nail you know, nail spa that offer different services. But I could I just see the bigger picture with maybe doing doing the sweets.

Guys can go, we can go too. I know they be like, yo, I get I don't know.

First of all, I'm not worried about what nobody say, especially nobody that don't know how to do nothing.

Yeah, I'm just I feel like you just sensed yourself.

Yeah, I definitely did.

Yeah, Yeah, my feet rubbed, Like what's not gangster bout getting your feet rubbed like that?

Not.

I would never let anybody touch my lead.

I'd be getting my petticure, you getting my manicured, be my restaurant right next door, I be having them folks frame me a coss amigo margaarite.

Now that's because she actually was talking about that, like the sweet So it's like if you go to a barber shop to the public, like some barber shops they have like the model with it's different like corners, and it's like each barber it's like responsible for that their own.

It's like a.

Business within a business, like they rent the chair so you don't have to micro manage it. It runs a lot more efficiently than having like a bunch of employees. Everybody's really entrepreneur and then it's like you have the whole overarching thing taking portions of everybody's.

The other advantage is that now if you have sweets, you have a one stop shop, so you get your hair done next door. You can get your nails done, right, you get your pedical then the next week gets your eyelashes done. You got all those things in the same place, you don't have to go anywhere.

Yeah, I do.

I have all those.

We gave the business plan apologize.

I mean, it's one of its necessarily everybody is one.

It's not a lot of black owned no salon anyway, I don't care where you are, hardly any of them. I've never really seen a lot of black owned salon places, mostly all Asians.

So yeah, definitely it's.

Good to you know, we're gonna go there, mos well own it. It only makes sense. So talk about Pineapple Express dispensary.

Yeah, so Pineapple Express is a is a dispensary that just opened on Hollywood and Buying in California, prime location down the street from Capitol Records. And I'm the second largest shareholder. This is this is dispensary and it's gonna be uh, very detriment to to to my future passive income, you know, once it starts picking up traffic, you know, to kick out these you know, monthly dividends, and once I get my money back that I invested, it'll be all profit from there.

How they approach you or was it a situation where you were looking for somebody to partner with inside the space.

Oh man, I'm gonna be honest. Man, man, I can't. I can't even.

I can't. I can't.

I can't even run from money like I can't even. And this is seriously man.

You do it all without breaking a sweat, and you do it all in style, from being a boss exec to getting the kids ready for school, checking homework, family dinners, lunches and brunches with your day ones, trips to the salon, and we can get aways at anything but a getaway. That's why Infinity fully reimagine the QX sixty to help

I get approached by so many things every week that literally, if I just tried to like run away from the money I eat a chase it, it feels like it's it's chasing me.

So I wasn't actually looking for anything.

It chased me.

I don't chase money, money chase me leverage. You know, said that, shout out to murder Mace hip hop historian. That's a fact.

We really are three dates to cer, but we'll go to another day.

So let me ask you this about the let's going back to music for a minute.

What is some of your advice for young because, like I said, I mean, we see every week it's a different artists on Twitter complaining about their record label, complaining that they don't own their masters, complain that they've never received money from music ever in the history.

Of their career. And this is like very established artists, like some of the most popular artists.

So let me start you that you gotta think, man, A lot of the times when artists end up going to Twitter with this, they started to educate themselves. They started to learn themselves, and they start to have money. They have money when they're ranting on Twitter, then before you have money or get to rent, all you want it's a million dollars, that's all you want. You're not signing for that, you're not doing, but in your mind, in your hood, you just feel like that's just what

Label.

Man, I supposed to have more than this because I you know a person, you know, I ain't have nothing. This person gave me one hundred thousand and took my pub man, took advantage of you know whatever it is. But it's really like it's really two things. It is people that's taking advantage of somebody being gullible and hungry and thirsty to get their fame.

It is that that.

It is that, But then it's the person that don't mind it because they want to be on. They want like I signed this, gonna you're gonna pay for my big like people not even thinking. I don't know what artists think of, Like, nobody like you that much to pay for your video, buy you a car, buy you clothes, buy you dury, and don't want nothing out of it.

It's just not that it didn't.

I don't know what world is it? Nobody your daddy, your daddy don't won't do that for you.

Your dad.

Won't pay for your video, buy your car, your clothes. So you think this regular dude or executive is going to do that without getting some out of it. It's really not as hard as people making the same.

So, speaking of your dad, because you're arrest in pc of that, you said that when you got your first million, you said, I'm gonna get this house. So I'm wondering was the financial literacy because what you're speaking of, is that something you learned or was that something that you have been educating yourself before you stepped into the game.

No, so I'm somebody that learns off all my experiences, and I didn't even know I learned from my experiences. My mom was a loan officer when I was a kid, so she was always kind of in real estate or in that in that realm, or being a around real estate type of dudes. My daddy has always been a hustle. He's never had a job since I known him, you know what I'm saying.

He's always been a hustler.

And the house that I have that I ended up getting, I had when I first got my record deal in twenty I want to say eleven or something like that, going cold Turkey from the streets, right, So I had a lot of liquid, safe money in safe and so the first thing I did before I even got my record deal was by my mama home. Now granted, at this time her home was on It was only like one hundred thousand dollars, but.

I bought it.

It was a foreclothes home, an ex NBA guy mom had and something happened and the bank took the house or whatever, so it was customized kind of.

It was a nice house. They had a pool and everything. And I bought the house from my mom, right, and then.

I still had a lot of cash, and my dad, me and him were like super you know, one hundred. I started going into this neighborhood that wasn't far from where we were, and the houses were like seven hundred thousand and all this stuff. Now, keep in mind, I think I might have had not even seven hundred, maybe close, right, And so my dad don't know how much money I got. But he's asking me, like, if you get this house, how you're gonna furnish it? And I didn't even think

Me and my daddy go.

He breaks in the house. Like when we break in to look at it like this, You're like, yeah, man, and we spiritual people. We prayed on it, and I was able. I was able to do that. I was able to buy the house. Then I don't do things like that anymore. My mentality has changed. But early on I would try to buy things because I was afraid that if something happened to me, or if I went broke, at least I got mama house, own mama house, own this car, you know. But I don't really do things

It's like, damn dash you're talking about.

Yeah, I put it back in the street.

That's very stressful though it's always but it's it's it's man, I don't know how to say this.

Man, you need that.

I don't know, like for certain hustles, when I think when it's so much cushion you're comfortable, I think it can make one lazy, you know what I'm saying, just

This worked me, so you know, I kind of like that. I like being on the edge a little bit because I know how to get it.

So this is and we spoke about this before, but like setting new lows, right, and so like when you said it gets low at that point, you're probably like somebody's low might be if I had two thousand in the bank, if I had ten thousand, if I had one hundred thousand, youse might have been like around that area six figures. It's like that's low, but still there's still a sort of a cushion or you like, I'm grinding this thing down.

To like you know, no, no, when I started getting long on the millions I'm talking about, because that's different. You'll go through those things I had, Man, I have, I have a lot of things that I take care of. True, so literally a million could literally be going in a year or something.

I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna blow my money like that. But when you're taking care of everything, and it could could it could go. I know people like a million, but it can.

In fact, so you said something like people approach you all the time, side what's good what's not, because that's a lot of like athletes, entertainers, they lose a lot of money by investing in friends businesses that fail or you know, so how do you how do you personally decide like this is good, this is a dub.

I listen very well.

I'm not investing to any company unless the person themselves is investing into it. You have to have some kind of teeth in the game. You have to believe in yourself of your product. I don't care how rich or how cool you are. I'm not putting anything into it, so I know you put something into it. I listen and I try to see if it's just disruptive to whatever market is getting into, Like is it like what you know, what you call it?

Got this? Is it that? Or is it a good idea? You know?

And then you know, I go from there.

I have a really good team of people that when things come across the desk I get I get a peek at it too.

You know.

And I've been blessed to be a part of multiple you know, raises and vcs and couple of SPACs and things.

You know.

Yeah, I think like that's the part right there. We had two chains talk about mental capitalism. We talked about specs. I know one of the things you invested in recently was Helo Gin, which was a spac well spack investor the Solar Energy Company to talk about that in the role Phyllis Newhouse and who she is and the role she had.

Miss new House is my mentor. It's one of my mentors. We've known each other for quite some time. We actually met on a flight.

Wow.

Yeah, I don't.

I sleep really good on airplanes for some reason, and normally when I get on them, I go to sleep, you know what I mean. And I've met three people my whole life, and I've been flying along. I'm a Diamond Medallion member. I've been flying a long time. And I met three people that I two of them I'm in business with. And he just reminded me of some two of them I'm in business, but one of them, you know, helped get one of my daughters in school.

I feel like.

She'll break in that thing. She don't need to, you know what I mean. Just you know, she just checks all the boxes.

Man.

She's she's black female. She was in the military.

You know all the minority, but she's just very strong and positive and wants to bring people up and educate them at the same time.

And my other guy, Ernest, what's up.

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An illegal alien from Guatemala charged with raping a child in Massachusetts. An MS thirteen gang member from Al Salvador accused of murdering a Texas man of Venezuelan charged with filming and selling child pornography in Michigan. These are just some of the heinous migrant criminals caught because of President Donald J. Trump's leadership I'm Christy nom the United States

Will be protected.

Sponsored by the United States Department at homeand Security.

Rashean I put them Williams.

Yeah, yeah, so I put them together, and you know, it's just been a lot of beautiful things coming out of these relationship relationships.

So they approach you about the helogent situation, and you like, all right, this makes sense something that could be happening in a few Yeah, because.

It's it's crazy that but you know, I mean, we're living in Web three, we're living in the.

Future right now, and these people are, you know, reusing energy, you know, repurposing the sunlight. The sun which is like a source that you just you know, you can't plug it up, unplug it, you know what I mean. And so that's what helio jen is. It's a solar energy and you know, you you know, the cars are about to start being a lit You just can see the trajectory of what's going on. So I invested in into that and then yeah, they got bought by back. Yeah that I was a part of ERNs.

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How you feel you're talking about what three point? Oh? How you feel about the Metaverse? Yeah? I just saw something.

I just yeah, Yeah, I had a residency in the met.

Was it true?

Were you really in there for twenty four hours straight?

No?

We had the Oculus? Yeah, I got the Oculus.

No, but I was tired as hell when I took it off. That thing makes you tired, like the Metal Verse or were you out so much stuff to do? But yeah, yeah, I had a show in there, and then I forgot. I did a show for the Metal Verse because it was like when Pandemic first started, and it's like why people gonna pay me all this money to perform in front of nobody?

You know?

And I go to a like a real venue and it's nobody there. They just got like cameras and I got a band of DJ. I'm like, this is you know, I had to like act like people was here, but god, I did it.

Just forgot. I did it, man.

And I going to Metaverse and I see big old billboard like the ones in Vegas like twos, I'm like, what the hell hell are you doing it here, not coming that thing. I'm doing the whole show. I'm like, yo, you want to see your concert. I want to see my own concert.

It was packed a lot of people.

It was like, man, you know, it's like when you go in those concert halls, it be like a little balcony. So it was probably about oh man, maybe twenty some people, you know, but you know these little heads be walking around, you know, you like give a little pound one person.

Did they know it was you?

Like?

No, because I had all my friends oculus. You know, like when you look in the mirror, it was.

The other person.

It was the other person.

I'm like, nom, I'm looking.

I'm like damn, and you know he ain't got no hair.

He's like you know.

So then I go into the you know, the portal, and that's when when I come out to the portal, I it was right there. I didn't have to search it. I probably would have never found if I had to, like sir, But I went in there and I'm looking up and I was like, right for a buddy is And I go in there and it's like I'm performing, and I was like, what the hell?

This was just it was really cool.

It was it was.

It was grat That must have been crazy to see yourself performing and you want to different persons like Avatar and.

I'm playing till the camera like I don't know, I guess that day. I just was, you know, in one of the silly moves and I'm in them like you know, and I'm just like, yo, you know Tony, you know, bro, you.

Know me just trying to be a whole fan, like like yeah, and I'm.

Talking to people, you know, and I'm just like, because I think my voice is kind of distinct, you know what I'm saying, And I'm just wonder that people like it's just too change.

But do they know it was you?

Because I'm looking like a whole nuther.

Yeah, that's like.

Telling me, just like, but how do you feel? Like to me, it's amazing, but it's also kind of scary kind of too. It's I don't know, it's a lot of great area, Like what's your personal thoughts on like how we're moving into this virtual world. You can't slow it, you can't do nothing about that. You know that you can't do nothing but play the game.

Yeah, you just got to be part of it.

So that that's the that's the key to because I don't want any artists, especially artists right like you said, you got paid to do this, right, Like they paid you a long time ago and you're just watching it now. So what is your advice to artists that are trying to like ignore the space and not really familiarize themselves with it.

I mean, you just let people, you know, catch up with it when they do.

Tony say, you're gonna take all the concerts until you're already.

Man, I'm sure these are theists smart enough to if it involved paper, I'm sure they'll put up figure it out.

It's not turning no money. I didn't I didn't understand it when I did it. Yeah, yeah, I couldn't tell.

You and I did it. Man.

It's like I did an interview and they telling me talk to you know, talk to it basically, talk to this. This is people, you know, trying to fathom that before this even comes out. You know, you talked about changing your name. He was titty Boy at first two chain. Tony, you say something that was very interesting. He was, like, you know, most businesses they rebrand themselves after a couple

Well, actually that's something I learned from his new house. So I be like, I be injecting my music career with stuff I be learning in business, you know what I'm saying. And you know, businesses rebrand themselves. When we're talking about the metal verse, Facebook just changed their name like they one fact Facebook, you know, of course my mama was them. Still say Facebook, it'll take a manut of the transition over. But some of the biggest companies ever, Man,

On Apple, Like Apple Apple, it's just.

Like, you know, the Apple got a little bite, a big bider, you know, it's just like everything, you know what I mean. And these are billion dollar businesses. What makes me think, my trillion dollar trillion dollars? What makes you think my regular ass can sit up here and be regular forever not change.

I'm not rebrand to do something like that. So that's why you know I come back with something else. Exciting every chance.

I get how you adapt with music because the sound of music changes so much, whether it was trap music, drill music, like crunk music back in the days. Like, do you feel as an artist that you need to just stay true to your sound or do you feel like you need to change your sound as new music starts to evolve. I think it's important that I grow with the music, But I don't just become trendy stay in my life. Yeah I don't. Yeah, I definitely don't

I'm not.

Was that part of to find that balance? You know?

Was that part of the conscious awareness of having Lebron as an an R on the from uh the two albums Ago.

Yeah, Raper, go to the League, so what have where?

That was?

First of all, Lebron is a very good friend of mine. Two, Lebron loves music very well. Three he's Lebron James right, let's stop right, Lebron James right, Lebron. And what he also does that all the other people that he gets compared to on the court. Didn't do was loudly support hip pop and black artists, like he do this back of the made.

Bad Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, you know back of it maybe.

But like the stories and all.

Yeah, but like like you know, Lebron's working out to Young Dolph, you know what I'm saying, like a Memphis independent rappers in fact, like he ain't doing this in his headphones, like not trying to let.

You know he fucked with you, Like yeah, he lets you know he fucked with you. You know what I'm saying.

So when I do the album called Rapper Go to the Lead, he got the same kind of initiative that he pushing called more than an Athlete, which is kind of like the same like it the lines, you know what I'm saying, because I'm saying like in my album, I'm trying to say, like they saying, the only thing we can do is like drillble or come up with a sixteen. But in the album, I tried to talk about us being able to do more, and even with the rollout, and I think somebody.

Told him he couldn't come in on some just dribble, shut up.

And dribble or something.

He telling them, folks, bro more than an athlete, the fuck is you're talking about, you know what I mean? So that connected that idea, and then the a and r idea became because I let him hear the music early.

Then I let him trim some of.

The fact and just listen to his ideas because he riding around listening to listening to the listening to the music, you know what I mean. And so yeah, it was one of my you know, genius rollouts that I liked.

I mean, this rollout is incredible to I wanted to talk about that, but like the end of Lebron thing was crazy, Like Brudle World is probably one of my my favorite joints.

You got got thank you that amy Ree sample, which was crazy.

So the process of getting these rollouts, man, Like, now I just saw you took over a restaurant in Atlanta, Like, who are you coming up with all the ideas for these campaigns.

I saw that the tank was out there.

Yes, it's my tank. Let me use your tank for your idea.

Yeah.

Man, Well, first of all, I just announced that I'm I'm head creative marketer at Crystals, which is a very identifiable restaurant now South. They just need some revamping, some credibility, some new things on the menu, some redesign and restructure, and the dude that owns it cool as hell and gave me an opportunity to do that and spread my wings.

Fast forward to my album dropping, and I need this. I need somewhere to do.

The activation right I got. Like my album cover is a shoe box, which I like to call my first bank account. It's where I learned how to save money, stash money. It was literally my ATM when I went in my shoe box late at night. And sometimes I feel like, damn, you know, you ain't supposed to be doing this some somewhere gambling.

I'm somewhere I'm messing up my re up money. So when I put this box up, it was my hope that it related or it just caught a bunch of hustlers attention and made him feel a certain nostalgic way about when that's all you had was a shoebox, Like if somebody took that shoe box, it would be curtains for your lights out. Yeah, so I have a life size one that I'm selling merch out of playing the album out of and that's in the parking lot that I got the tank in front of and all of

Maybe we could do this, you know what I'm saying, Maybe we can do that.

So talk about I want to talk about like the fashion and all that, because I feel like rap is very synonymous with like entertainment or like even wrestling in a sense where it's like growing up, you had your favorite wrestler, but it wasn't so much how goold of a wrestler he was.

It was like what he was doing was guy.

I like British Bulldog. Okay, I like British Bulldog, but I thought the British it was two of them.

Though we had a partner that it was Attack it was British Bulldogs. I thought he was Attack team partner. I think it was his brother.

Yeah, I think I thought it was called the British Bulldogs. Though I thought.

The British Bulldogs is like a real dude, because I'm an ultimate.

Watch your man Randy Savage. Also, oh yeahg.

Elizabeth Cogan, obviously these are doing was one of my guys, saw Michaels.

Yeah, but yeah, so they all like, you know what I'm saying.

So I feel like rap is the same way like you got you got you got rappers like Snoop who you know what I'm saying, that's his persona, Snoop jay Z.

He's mystery man. You never see him.

You got nas, you got ta how you got Little Wing two change. So was this something that you thought about, like crafting, like how I want to present myself to the public, or this is just like who you are, And it's just like I try.

I try to be as transparent as possible.

I don't want to lose that excitement when people see me when I walk in the room by being out too much, you know, overseturating myself.

I Meantesco Bar probably more than at any other place. It's not far from our studio.

We got great food, great vibes. That's what you might see me.

Other than that, I'm not trying to be at everything, every event, next to every person to get a photo op.

That's just not me.

I think I'm just preserving my brand and I know who I am, I know what I got.

So we could stay on the fashion part because like a few years ago, you had to deal with Jews. So how did that come about? Because I know it was a black designer to helped create the shoe. There's a black designer to help put the deal, to get the deal together to so what what what was that like?

Again?

What was it like?

Obviously there's a lot of brands coming after you.

Is this what you were like?

I want to create something with this brand because I'm wearing.

It, I'm sure.

Yeah, you know, this was a manifestation with and also with somebody that I know that was they got in with them. You know, you had the idea started coming to fruition with the name of the shoe and the design of the shoe, and I think he thought it would be cool. It was a duel with two people, you know, and brought me in and I met the higher ups and it was for me. The situation was for a year, it really looks good on my resume, and it piped up the brand because really wasn't doing

Yeah, So so you was on versus. Versus really made news. I think all of the people that were involved with Versus actually have some level of ownership when they got purchased. Kim that actually he said a freestyle about that. So talk about that, like your experience actually like working with Swiss and Tim and then like you know, being business part like what's your what's your thoughts on how that whole situation kind.

Of played out?

And I just think we gotta protect you know, Swiss man, he want of those, you know, he wanted the founders, a good energy man. He's my virgo brother. He always got good, good conversation, good game. And he told me personally how he him and Tim you know, wanted to give back and wanted to think outside of the box by offering people who did the versus a piece of the company once it went public.

So me and him spoke about it plenty times.

We actually speak a lot swissing myself and he's just one of those people that didn't have.

To do that. Yeah, he didn't have to do that.

Yeah, what's going on, earnest. Look at twenty six, I made one of the most important decisions of my life.

That's right.

I didn't have family at the time, but I did have a life insurance policy. A wise man told me life insurance isn't about the people who died, It's about the people who live. It's one of the best ways to secure generational wealth for your family's future, and it makes perfect sense why people get life insurance, especially term coverage, which surprisingly is affordable. Why not pay a little bit each month to secure the future of the people you

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Nobody would have liked been like, damn boy, you hear me, You should have shot me something nobody would have because it's all about really every artist always wanted to kind of like get their flowers while they hear Versus is a great way to.

Do that, and it wouldn't have changed his legacy if he didn't do it, but the fact that he did and now extend other people's legencies is vi.

I think that's incredible.

What's your thoughts on the on the future Versus being at you you know, part on of it, Like how you feel about the franchise of Versus. Yeah, I have any say so of He's just like I mean, like just like just as like what do you just think about it? Like I think it's one of the dope things that got us through the pandemic. Like I said, it gives artists their their flowers while they're here. You actually see your peers logging on. It's not as heavily.

You know, That's how I was trying to catch up with like Dip Set. But you know, when the others were happening, that's all we had to do. So now it's just the world has opened up a little bit more.

So, Yeah, shout shout the Swiss Man. We actually had the n be in front row, but that Dip Set locks battle. We were legendary. That was legend of the Kiss, the shout out to kiss. Let me ask you this before we wrap talking about it, Like, you know, that's like a second home. Shout you body in Atlanta seeing the evolution of Atlanta, not just from the music. Everybody always talks about Atlantic musically. We know that, but well,

Like somebody's just looked up like a million Nigerians at the door. But somebody's like.

To me, what did he say?

But yeah, say they got the most black owned business. Yeah, opportunities for black But it's you know, it's changing. Sure, you can see it changing. Somebody's probably somebody's fed up. The prices are going up, prices crazy. Somebody's fed up, man. You know, because this stuff has always been available. Our mindset change.

This stuff has been here like it's property and now and now when I see something for sale, I stop and take a picture of it. On this ride past, stuff just for saling for least or nothing no more. I don't care where I am in the world. And I think our programming is just different, especially in Atlanta. It's so it's just so attainable. You really know somebody that you went to school with the own this, that own you know what I mean. It's so it just

I own the dirt. I downt just own the business of Escobar. That's to get it, Escobars this business.

I owned the.

Dirt up under here. You know what I'm saying is that the bitch could be whatever I wanted to be.

Is that one of your investment strategies, Like I'm gonna get the dirt first and then we're gonna put something on.

Yeah, that's definitely me getting the dirt I got. I'm getting.

I get letters every month from somebody trying to need to buy or somebody telling me I need to do something with this structure because I'm playing that monopoly grab I'm playing this.

I'm buying this dirt. I'm buying this dirt.

I ain't been able to renovate a lot of that stuff, but I own the dirt or houses.

Get you the hotel, all of that monopoly.

How is it for you to see because you're from Atlanta to see house Like you said, houses used to be fifty whatever. Now those same houses on the West End or like Bama Cate's been Stadium is a couple of hundred thousand, Like, how is it to see that?

Ain't nothing a couple hundred thousand no more it used to be. So when it was a couple hundred thousand, we was taking it for granted. I was telling people. I was like, man, it's like this thing, this building four hundred thousand. I'm like, man, we spoiled. I'm like, in a minute because of like a lot I've been. I bought two or three buildings for like half a million.

Let that go over your.

They said, balk Hat is thinking about succeeding from the city of Atlanta. You heard about that, Yeah, I'll be hearing a lot about it. I think the mayor gotta be cool with that or something, you know what I'm saying. And we got a new mayror by name of Andre. He from the West side of Atlanta. You know, our last male name was Keishy. We got Dre Come to Atlanta, Come to.

They need to put your side your picture up when we into the airport. I know, I see Dominic, I see Ludacris, Lua JdE. I think we need to like this is my city.

Well, you know, they had the song called Welcome to Atlanta, so I think it's conceptual to like that song you Welcome to Atlanta.

You got loud?

Okay, Well, do you know what I'm saying that because it's a lot you gotta think Atlanta. We've been running rap game for twenty years, so it's tons of artists they can put up like for real, we piped up.

Here's why I think you should be up there right. We're gonna flip this into one of the investments. Basketball is one of your loves. College Park Skyhawks minority investor. Yeah, investor. I don't want to put minority on it. Investor, but they.

Have minority owner owner, I'm sorry owner. They have the college park. Uh, Skyhawks as one of the billboards.

When you're walking in, just say list. We got to get you in this list next time you come through that, Tony, Yeah, I mean about to call it. I'm about to call the call now, I'm about to make that happen. See something. You know, I'd be playing stuff down like it don't be a problem. But since you say they need to see my face when they coming down and escalate it, make your head. We'll talk about that. That's important. People don't might not know that you you an owner and a sports team.

Yeah.

College Park Skyhawks is a byproduct of Atlanta Hawks, GILI, yeah affiliate or the nb I've been blessed to have players on the team make it to the NBA couple games, some get contracts, So I live vicariously through that because I.

Enjoy basketball so much.

I still do and this was just a minor step and learning lesson before I am actually a part.

Of an NBA too. That's your ultimate goal.

I was thinking, like, that's what we're going with it because it's two places we can see. Yeah, we can see you at asketball. We're definitely going to see you court side at that game.

Yeah, you're definitely gonna see me.

We're definitely gonna see you that.

Let me ask you this before you're at hip hop question. Yeah, Atlanta, I don't want to say mine. Watch more top five? Your personal? Like what's your personal?

Yeah, I got asked this already, so it's real easy, and I'm not going to say me all five of them. My Atlanta top five would be Andre three thousand, It'll be t I, Jezy, Gucci in future.

Yeah, I can't all get that.

Yeah, that's all.

It's pretty bulletproof right there. Yeah, but you know, a little babies making a shortcase, so.

You know what I'm saying, Like, but I can go a little baby, I can go and not even men talking about me and go sigh high.

You know what I'm saying.

When you talk about the Prince, when you talk about migos, oh yeah, I forgot about mego.

Kavos.

We'll just put them as once.

Yeah.

But yeah, Atlanta, man, man, we got it. It's like a menu, you know what I mean.

You look at the menu and you can find something from Atlanta that like, wait, you forgot satisfied? Yes, yeah, he' be he'd be snapping too, you know. Think like I said, Atlanta.

You got that menu.

You just see what you want. You fear your appetite for the day. You know what I'm saying, Atlanta Tho you put Atlanta artists on a piece of paper or on your playlist.

You know what I mean.

You're gonna have a nice time. You put that playlist together, It's gonna be crazy.

Yeah, it's a lot of classic music came out, for sure. Shout out today, my pleasure, my brother, thank you, thank you for rocking with us. Man appreciation all right, anything you want to let the people know that you might not have spoke about anything like that.

Dope, don't sell us up, man, check it out, check me out. New things on the way.

Have it. Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you guys for rocking with us. We'll see you next week. Peace.

Peace, My graduates from my school being forced back drop drop, Mike, drop backdrop.

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