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All right, guys, welcome back to Earn your Lisia United Masters of this Year. That's our partners Select Con. Shout out to the good folks at United Man.
Shout out to Dave Christine holding it down over there.
Appreciate you, good people. Good people.
So today's going to be an exciting conversation. We have two dynamites that we're gonna talk about, you know, the world of music, the world of business, financial, all of that, all of that stuff. So first up to bat for the introduction. Toby Wigway, no Wig.
Now, did I get it?
I ain't mad at I A'm mad.
I'm sorry. My name is my name is Rasha Valau. So people people mess up my name all the time, so I'm hyper sensitive. Whenever I don't I never wanted to know.
He usually just goes you do it, and I'm like, I'm about it.
They call me Rashid. They call me all kinds of stuff. So I'm sorry.
Her way more uh way worse uh in a leave with substitutes.
And say cool kaylen uh Kaitlynka.
So say Cool is the head of the Advanced Black Pathways at Chase, a managing partner Chase main director at Chase. He's been with Chase for fifteen years and he's been the banking industry for twenty years. And Toby is one of the hottest artists in the game right now, one of the most dangerous them seeds coming out of the A Leaf swat.
We learned about that I'm doing, I'm doing Yeah. So Toby.
Toby is really dope because he he has a really interesting backstory. He's Nigerian. He went to college for I think four years. I believe he used to be an athlete and he told his family that he wanted to be a rapper, and they were like, why do you want to be?
What is this?
But if if you follow him on Instagram, he's he's like a very eclectic kind of guy because he's from Houston. But it's it's like you might see him with gold teeth in his mouth, but then he has like live instruments and then he does a lot of political activism. So it's like a lot of different flavors.
It's like a.
Gumbo making it himself, branded it himself.
He's putting this guy is a dynamo.
He's a dynamo and it's no wonder that he's working with United Master's because he's independent. So that's the conversation that we're gonna have. So Toby, first and foremost, thank you for joining us. I want to start with you. Then say who I'm gonna go to, I'm gonna go
to you. So, Toby, you come from, like I said, an interest in background as far as like you know, being an athlete, going to college and then wanting to be an entertainer, So taking an independent route, Like is that something that was taught in your household as far as you know having African parents, we all know that I think Nigerians have the highest level of college degrees I believe out of any ethnic group in America something
like that. So so was that something that you know you kind of you think how to had to head start as far as the business standpoint at in your house.
Absolutely not. That's a strong, strong Hell.
Now, my mom wanted my parents want me to do something extremely safe.
They wanted me to.
Do the due to the natural uh Nigerian stuff doctor lawyer, engineer.
So when I told him I was gonna be doing what I was.
Gonna be doing, uh and it all started from like a nonprofit, my mom looked at me like what, like, you know, Nigerian's master the art of over dramatic negative encouragements. Like her first reaction to me being an entrepreneur and starting the nonprofities, Oh my god, why, how's God for sake on me?
What have I gone to this?
This type off costs you know what I'm saying.
She just couldn't understand like how it was gonna work out for me because like she, she and I had to take it with a grain of salt, because most Nigerian parents, especially for the first generation born kids UH in the US, they feel like, look us, doing what we had to do to get here was risk enough. Get into something that's gonna give you, give you something right now, get you some ends right now, and don't do nothing else risky. We risked it all you good.
But once she saw like all the you know what I'm saying, accolades and everything that that came with me being an independent artist, an entrepreneur, business owner, all that type of stuff. Today Chappelle to Beyonce, playlist, Michelle Obama stuff like uh, she she's relaxed.
Well, we can't let that go over our heads. Like those are those some prominent names.
You just said, hell of an accomplishment.
We we we real blessed in this season.
So I got a quick question when it comes to being independent, I know there's a lot that comes with everything is on you. Has there been a time from the beginning where your artistic vision actually collided with your financial reality?
Oh? Yeah, when I first started, you know what I'm saying, I.
Was broke exactly.
You know what I'm saying.
I have a vision for what I wanted to do, but what but why? What it made me do was master the art of being resourceful. So so I like, I'm mastered being able to do stuff with absolutely nothing, no budget, no, no, none of the extra stuff. So everything that I do now, in my mind low key is a luxury. So I could I could do I could do much with absolutely nothing.
Yeah, that's important, that's important.
You know, it's interesting, especially like we're from New York, but I always admired the South. I was always a
big fan of the South. And one of the things I always aminded about the South is that the business acumen of a lot of the guys from the South early on, even from a J. Prince master P, slim Baby, it seems like down South they was they was ahead of that wave as far as like independent and and like selling music out your trunk, where the bigger artists in New York at that time was signed to death.
Sign the day.
The day and age that we in now right where it's it's like you don't technically need a label, but a lot of artists are still signing to like the big the biggest artists in the game are still signed to labels. So like, how do you you got well?
I was saying, I don't.
I don't necessarily believe that everybody don't need to be signed to a label. It And this is my thought process because at first I was like, bruh, what are y'all doing? You know they getting all your money blah blah blah blah blah. You could you could do this all yourself, but everybody don't got vision, Like that everybody can't like don't know how to brand themselves, market themselves, write their own stuff, direct their own videos. And I think because it comes, some of that stuff come like
not necessarily easy, but natural to me. I'm thinking, like, yo, y'all should be able to do this too. If y'all just you know what I'm saying, put the grind for it.
But that's not how.
Everybody not built like that, and everybody some people do need people to like brand it all up, market it all up, package it all together for you. Get somebody to write your stuff, get somebody to direct your video. You don't really got no vision of how you want to put your stuff out, you know what I'm saying. So I used to be on everybody should be independent. Now I really don't mean I promise you I'm fifty.
Fifty, but so yeah, so well go ask is like you as as an independent artist coming up right? Like how important? Cause we talked to business owners a lot on the podcast. We talk about systems, like creating systems, but I feel like for artists you have to have systems in place as well, like as far as like like you said, your merch your video, So when did you realize that you have to actually have systems in place, and how was it actually putting systems in place to
actually run your music like it is a business. So like, can you talk about that for like an aspiring artist that may want to be independent, but they just they don't really know how to run a business and they're not really sure about like the best way to go about it.
Yeah, Well, I realized I need systems in place when I was about to when I was about to burn out and die trying to package all the stuff, write all the songs, help produce all the songs, direct all the videos and the merch thing was. It was real tough for me, but I had to get But choosing like a specific type of person in a specific group of people to help me with the stuff that I'm.
Doing was extremely key. I need a specific type of person.
You got to be good people, and then you got to understand that we independent, like there's nothing whatever.
Needs to be done, we gonna have to do it.
And I had to get people that had the mindset and not the like nine to five stuff should already be taken care of type of mindset.
So six, I want I want to bring you in no, got it, got Toby Toby.
No, no, No, that's basically it. I just had to get a specific type of person.
And you know, I'm real family oriented, real relational, so you know, I do all of this with my family. And like I said, I'm mastered the art of being resourceful. So I literally chose to do this with people who I do life with and not that they were just like extreme experts and nothing like that, because they weren't. My wife ain't no nothing to like nothing about none of this industry. Nel was literally just starting to make beaks when I when I started to rap. So she
wasn't like Timberland Swiss. She wasn't like, like no crazy reducerr like that. The majority of the stuff that she was seeing me was like poo cheese.
Try y'all gonna grow together.
We got to work this way. When you're coming up. You can't like be like, oh, let me get up there. Now, find somebody that's on your level and then everybody come up together.
Yeah.
That's something we stress a lot, is like look look sideways, man. You always have to look up to find somebody who's doing it the best. Like a lot of times if you look to the side you can grow together. So that's definitely important. Sake y'all want to bring you in because we're talking about financial literacy and how it affects artists, and I want to know how ABP, because we learned through music, we will admittedly talking about that a lot, like we learned a lot of our lessons to music.
I want to know what the role that ABP is gonna be playing. And in terms of getting that financial literacy financial growth to our community, well.
It's a quickically important question.
So Advancing Black Pathways we launched in twenty nineteen, really to focus on strengthening the economic foundation of the black community. And the key part of that is the financial health because too often people make the mistake and thinking is how much you make, But it's not what you make, it's what you keep and grow. And so talking about financial health, which has been a taboo topic.
In our community. Right, My parents didn't.
Talk to me about money, right, so if I then enter like the work world, these things you know, weren't firsthand to me and working in banking. So for us, we've launched a number of initiatives to really promote, you know, the dialogue and show what tools you can leverage so that you can.
Actually grow and build wealth. So it is important. And about the music.
One thing that's interesting to me is the evolution of materialism or the finances and the music. See, I remember when Dougie Fresh was talking about I'm in a Cherokee and cheerwheels in Aaliti, Right, and then you go along and all of a sudden you got the lamboas and Brigatti's Like something happened in that time frame. But yet we don't hear the focus on the assets that actually, you know, grow that enable you to build wealth and
appreciate versus depreciate. So just getting people to really anchor on you know, how do you build and grow wealth?
So all right, it's so coming from a corporate background, you're in the corporate world, right, So you guys have three different, uh I guess pathways where wealth creation, careers, and education. Right, So can you talk about each one individually? Because like, I think one thing, like we talk a lot with entrepreneurs and stuff like that, but as even Toby said, everybody's not gonna be an entrepreneur and that's okay,
Like some people are just not cut out to be entrepreneurs. Right, So I'm interesting to hear your idea about careers because we know, like even I think black women own get college degrees at the highest rate, but they're still underpaid.
They still.
Yeah, absolutely, and they get venture capital at the lowest rate. And you yeah, so yeah, how do we how do we how do we how do we make this right in the corporate world.
So what we're doing from advancing black pathways is one supporting the entrepreneurship.
But I'll get to that.
But the education piece for us, you know, we made a commitment to hire four thousand you know, black students, right and put them on pathways where they can earn you know, you know great, you know, have a great career and earn again a lot, a lot of money.
And so that was important for us.
And then the first year we hired over a thousand students, but really giving them that pathway and showing them the art of the possible, but also you know, overlaying financial health. So we did this at Howard University and we're doing it at all schools, but but to try to at an earlier stage, you know, make sure we're highlighting the importance to financial topics because and you may appreciate this.
Our generation, we used to talk about keeping it one hundred, which meant keeping it real, and I want to get people talking about keeping it seven hundred, meaning keeping your credit score above seven hundred so that you can access the banking industry. And so that's where we have to shift the dialogue and really talk about as we're thinking about education in our career, focus on financial health earlier and the importance of entrepreneurship.
That's where wealth is created.
Black entrepreneurs have twelve times in that worth of black non entrepreneurs, right.
So that's why.
We've created this program to truly get access to capital, content advisory services for black entrepreneurs, because that's the only way we're going to really create jobs and grow and strengthen our community. Entrepreneurship has always been the way for black folks when there was no corporate path, right, and so entrepreneurship remains critical for our wealth building in our community.
I'm thinking now, like, especially from an artists standpoint, like, could there be some type of financial service company that comes along and decides to partner with an artist or a brand like United Masters to give them give people a training, right like I know that, you know, twenty one Savage is doing financial literacy and I love with with Killer MICA's doing, and obviously we're trying to do
for the community. But in other professions, like even in the NBA, like they have a rookie camp or you know, something like that prepares them for what's about to happen when they come into money. I'm wondering what you think the benefits of that would be, Toby. You can answer that and say cool. You can answer from from the financial service standpoint the benefits of that and why we haven't you know, come to form a coalition that that would facilitate that.
Well, I think it'll be phenomenal because I feel like there's so many there's so many artists that don't have a clue what's going on in the industry when they get involved. And I'll be honest, when I first started doing music, I didn't have a clue. I just I just had the talent and the vision to do what I was doing. But I had to get with some people who were well versed in the industry that could give me game.
I got with you know what I'm saying, Steve Stout gave me a lot of.
Game when I first went to with him in his office and let me know, like, hey, just keep doing what you're doing, like you're doing all the all the things that you need to do and you really don't need no label.
And in my mind I was like, shoot, I might.
Have to get the label when I first started, but it's because I didn't have any fore knowledge of the industry. So I think financial literacy and then just literacy of the industry. If a coalition could be set up for artists, uh in that vein, it'll be monumental and labels would be hurt.
Yeah, I agree, And I think, you know, taking away the shame, like no judgment, no shame, like sometimes we don't want to talk about, you know, as it relates to least financial services, you know, some of these topics because we may not know, but anything else we would you would ask you. If I'm visiting Houston, I'm going to ask them, Hey, where should I get my haircut? Like or where should I pick up something for to night? But I'm not asking you, hey, how'd you get your mortgage?
Like like what process did you go through?
Right?
And when he can create.
Those dialogues and the way that again makes the information readily accessible, and then we're promoting those dialogues within the community, like Steve Stout could put you on game and not only about as an artist, but more broadly how he's navigated. And so I think that's what's needed in this time more than ever, that the information has to be shared right, And so that's through advancing black pathways what we're trying to do. Like I don't care if you bank with
JP Morgan Chase or not. You should know your credit score. I'll tell you how to get it free. Credit Journey had Chase is not about Chase. It's about the black community and making sure we have these tools readily available where people can access it and learn.
Yeah.
I think I was watching Drink Champs one day and Noriega had actually said that rappers should have a union even like actors have the SAG And it's like, you know, even here because Beanie Sieguel is one of our favorite artists and when he was like, I can't eat off one hundred grand, no dental plan, you know, I sy, It's like you don't even have benefits. As so it's a lot of stuff that young aspiring artists don't fully understand,
but say, who have a question? And actually I would love to get Toby's and put on it as well.
So I'm in the financial services industry and the disconnected that I've seen, and I think one of the reasons why Earn Your Leisure is so popular is that in a black community, there's been a lot of initiatives, but I think the messenger is extremely important, like who's relaying the message right, because it's like a lot of times, especially young people, but even older people, they feel disconnected, disenfranchised with traditional institutions and people the delivery of certain people.
So even if it's good intentions, it's like if you don't have a credible messenger or a relatable messenger, then it kind of just goes over people's heads. And like I said, I think that's one of the reasons that people really like our podcast because they see us it's just regular people, and we just dress like regular people. We're not like if we don't have ask Scots, we're not the most polished as far as our diction is concerned.
That was good. So how will you, guys, Chase, how will you? Because I feel like, like Troy said, we earners what's up.
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He learned from rappers, honestly, like we we learned. We learned more from Jay Z. He's our guy. We learned more from Jay than we learned in high school. And I even feel now like I feel like for Meek Mill to make financial literacy cool, it's even more powerful than you know, the Secretary of Treasury. Like nobody even knows.
They can't pronounce his name, they can't spell his name, they don't know.
They're going to do a worse job butchering the name that I did earlier. So who who?
Who? Does Chase have to relay this message? First? For you?
Say cool and Toby? For you, how important is hip hop and being responsible? And because you guys have a tremendous voice, like you put that Breonna Taylor video out and.
It gets millions of views.
A hip hop artists, I think have a tremendous voice responsibility, but if they're not educated themselves, then they can't, So say cool, who's the messengers that Chase is gonna was to get this message of financial literacy out to the community.
He's really quickly because jay Z I agreed the story of oj that lyric about Dumbo. I could have bothered two million dollar building and that then so for twenty five million, how do I feel, Dumbo?
I mean yes, like the if people have the.
Insights, they can absolutely incorporate it, you know, into the music in terms of like the messenger that becomes critically important. You know, Blacks for good reason don't trust a lot of large institutions because our history in this country, some of these institutions have not served us well quite frankly, and so that's why we work with the Board of Advisors.
So I work really closely with Kevin Hart, for instance, and one of the meetings, Kevin Hart was like that what you just said is exactly what he said that he wants to he's involved with advancing Black Pathways because he wants to reach the community and have people here from his mistakes. And I took him around a Harlem children Zone and different schools in New York to talk to these students about his money mistake.
So when you thought he was making money, he.
Would tell you I was dead broke, right and so, and here's the mistakes I made along the way. And so I think, unless you have credible messengers, right and well, and I'll give you the best example of a credible messenger. The CEO of Chase Bank is a black woman. To shun the brown ducket, she runs the largest bank in this country, the actual CEO of the banking side Chase. The fact that we have a black woman running the largest bank in this country, it is unheard of, right, and so again you and.
She can leverage that same intentionality.
So as we've built all these new branches across the country, we've built these branches, some of these branches in you know, black and brown communities, right, and so we could be intentional about how we reach, how we hire, who we hire, because that's the way you could truly reach people in the community. So, while not perfect by any means, but that is at least a start where you to your point. If you don't have the right messenger, like you're gonna
lose me at from the get go. So so that is, you know, a very critical point, and we're very mindful of it, and that's why we want to hire, right, That's why.
We're hiring people across the bank. That's why we're hiring black financial advisors.
That that understand us, that can give us messaging that really is appropriate as well. So so it's a great question, and that's the intentionality we have with Advancing Black.
Path Toby, how do you feel about hip hop's role?
And because we see hip hop taking a stance on police brutality and a lot of stuff, but financial literacy, I feel like it's I feel like the reason why our podcast is successful is because a lot of artists Rick Ross, jay Z, Nipsey, Hustle Yes have have taken a stance on financial literacy. So what is hip hop's role in relaying this message?
I really, I really think home on real quick, my best be going out of our mind.
Her I'm doing the conference, that's us.
I got too underwe Wow, I got what I'm saying. Yeah, my back to back game is stronger than Drake.
Ain't gonna tell.
You all right, So but this this is what I would say.
I think it really depends on the artist.
And I had to learn this myself because I am very conscious of every single thing that I put out, and I want my stuff to my stuff as far a specific group of people who come from where I come from, who didn't have anybody to give them game, similar to what y'all do at earn your leasure. You're literally trying to give game to the people who who you know, ain't gonna get this information too many other places. So that that's me specifically, But everybody ain't get involved in.
Music to do that. Some people just got music to get money.
Some people just got the music to uh for whatever reason. But it ain't to literally empower your people. You understand what I'm saying. Some people got into to flash to to some people would very lane growing up and they won't get chicks now and like and that's what this is their means to, you know what I'm.
Saying, feel that void that they got in their life.
So I I hold artists to a completely different standard, and it.
I I I.
Would hold them accountable to whatever it is to the financial, literary literacy stuff, if that was UH somewhere embedded in their goal for when they were in their why or their reason, but was starting to do music. If that ain't really what you got into it for, I can't really hold you accountable that I could do, you know what I'm saying. I could just be like, well, you're really kind of working against the grain and it really working against my message.
But why I got in ain't why you got in?
So so it j I. I think it really just depends on the artist. I think it was. I think they should pall us. It's something like uh uh in times of crisis or in one of his stand ups or.
Something like that.
It was like, the last thing you want to hear is uh, what does joll Ruth think on?
You know what I'm saying?
Why why y'all rule? That's like the fifth time he says something about you.
But I understand what the joke was.
Like, It's a lot of stuff going on right now, and John I ain't never put yourself out there and the person is going to be the go to person for black Trump he's on sportsperson.
Sorry, another point on that, And I was listening to Yo Got as a song out Recession Proof, which which again captures basically the cycles we've seen that whether it was the NBA lockout in ninety nine where you had cats selling their watches. What he talks about in this lyric, like if we don't incorporate this financial literacy early on, people don't realize.
As you begin to make money, like you can hit recessions. It could be COVID nineteen.
And so that's why, like if you're learning these concepts early, and you're saving, and you have a liquidity or rating day fund, then you can navigate the storm.
Because then what happens is like you know, you we get can't one.
We're starting with less, you know, given structural inequities in this country.
You know too, even the businesses or the artists.
You know, you may have less cash on hand. And so if you're not managing that, like you could be right at your breakthrough. Uh, but because you haven't been able to navigate the storm, you have to make decisions that don't ultimately you know, prepare you to continue to capitalize on your talent. And so again I think the creative mindset, like you're an artist because you're great, right, and so we still have to marry in that that financial health. It doesn't have to be your main thing.
It just needs to be a part of how you navigate your personal life. That's not about your artistry as much as it is about maximizing what is done from your artistry.
Yeah, Tek really quickly, and I'm happy you said that we have to start early. I was wondering, a BP, are we going into schools? Are there educational programs, mentornships, internships because that was something that our podcast was founded on. Was like we were dealing with team kids who had nothing to do over the summer, and we were giving them internships and paying them. I'm wondering if Chase is doing that. Is that part of the initiatives as well?
Yeah? Absolutely.
And we launched the ABP Apprentice program to reach college students earlier, so freshmen and sophomore so it doesn't matter if you didn't come from a corporate background. We want to get you earlier so that you can navigate and
see you could be successful. And one of the things we did that I was proud of this summer is that even though we had to do this internship virtually and shortened it, I'm paying these students for the entire summer right because I don't want them short change because of COVID nineteen and we're still going to make sure they have access to again the content, the tools they grow their careers and are able to still perform well. So yes, we have to create these opportunities, these internships.
Another one of the things we did this year that was proud of it is we launched a hardship fund because forty five percent of black students come for poverty zip codes, so we launched the AVP Hardship Fund to ensure that students don't have to drop out because they
have a financial hardship. I remember cats that like you know, oh, the Burscher's office five hundred dollars, so they couldn't like graduate or couldn't register for class, right, and so then that's the worst of all worlds because you end up dropping out, you have the student.
Loan debt and no degree.
So we're using that hardship fund to help these students stay in but also look to then hire them and provide financial health. So yes, we're starting with students and try to incorporate it and make it part of freshman orientation for as many schools as we can.
Toby, I have a question.
You are Nigerian, but you grew up in the Swat, which I'm assuming is a predominantly African American neighborhood. So I did some research and you said you got the both. You got experiences from both sides of the coin, from the Black American experience in the African experience. So my question is, like we're in the day and age with afrobeats,
is really you know the vibe right now? And even like you know, going back to Ghana was a big thing last year, how can we how can we bridge the gap between the different cultures between African Americans and people on the continent in Africa for not just economic development, although that is important, but just culturally and just different things in that nature that you you have a unique
perspective on that. So I think that that's one of the things that can actually drive the needle as well if we do more collaboration across continent.
So have you thought about that?
Yeah, one hundred percent. And I feel like I lowkey am designed to like be a portion of the bridge.
I feel like every firstborn generation uh Nigerian, Ghanean Kenyan whoever, like the first generation born here who went to school and had a full like black American experience and it came to the crib and it was like he was in the village like you like you.
Are white, I'm being sited like you wire different.
So like I like, I literally so this this all right?
So and I said this one time when I did a little.
Interview at Harvard and uh some of my uh uh uh Nigerians who's still in Nigeria, they got a little offended.
But I'm telling you, like, we got a real like unique perspective.
So when you hear somebody in Nigeria trying to rap like do like pure hip hop, like you can tell in somebody from Nigeria trying to do hip hop, You're like, bro, I promise you, I see what you're trying to.
Do, but it really don't boom like you know what I'm saying.
You know.
But but if you heard them doing like what.
Uh with wiz kidding and like when you hear them on some approbat stuff, you're like, oh, okay, yeah, that's the vib and then like black Americans hear.
That like oh I'm trying to you know what I'm saying, like and they and they want that piece.
But it's like so so when I when I when I do hip hop, it's like I don't sound like a Nigerian trying to sound black. I'm a Nigerian who had a who had a pure black experience and had a pure Nigerian experience. So when I when it comes off, it comes off as authentic and like unique in itself to where like somebody like while they can do the same thing, to where he could play like simple uh oh man. I don't even know if y'all know the song like that sweet Mother sweep ma.
I ain't really Nigerian like that.
But say yeah, yeah, that's all.
I'm saying.
But like we are, I think like it's people all the first generation boring people in the in the US and abroad or whatever, whether you're in the UK or whatever. Like I feel like we are perspective is specifically designed to be a bridge for everybody to go back and do what we're doing here there. But it just it comes with, you know what I'm saying, nations doing like what Ghana is doing, Like Ghana is making it so live to just want to go back. Ghana make it feel like you going to Wakanda.
You know what I'm saying.
They had when I.
Saw all the videos and stuff and everybody being there. I'm like, Yo, that's really what I wish everybody was on. Let's take what we're doing here, go set up shop over there and like really flourish, Like that's really the dream.
And I feel like eventually that's what it's going.
To get you on the law.
That's a fact. So they just let us know. We got one more question, So stay cool. Chase to change is the slogan I believe that you guys are going with. So, yeah, you know, we in the time right now where a lot of companies have different initiatives and solute everybody that's making,
you know, a point. But what is the last thing that you want to leave the people with that that will you know, solidify Chase's commitment to the black community moving forward, not just you know, this year, but in the next decades to come.
Yeah. No, definitely, we all are out here chasing the change, and in addition to chasing that, you want to make it grow. And so we're The message I would leave is that this is despite everything going on, we're at a point in history where we are going to overcome this and have access, in my view, to greater opportunities, but we have to force that to happen.
It's not going to just happen just because.
And so I think what we're going to do from advancing Black Pathways is just to double down on our investment in the black community across all.
Of these areas.
And so financial health will remain critically important entrepreneurship. Whether you're an artist, you're artist and entrepreneur, right, So making sure we are providing access.
To the tools that they that they need so they can be successful.
And then we're also if you want to take a different route and go corporate, we really don't care what route you want to go.
We want to definitely be helping and assisting.
On that journey.
So we're going to end with this, man.
Our slogan is assets over liabilities, right And as an artist, man, I want you to think about this your best financial decision and your worst financial decision.
My best financial decision is once I pay off fast behind that accent driving it still to this to this dyke, you know what I'm saying, because I don't.
You know what I'm saying. I don't care about what nobody think. That can't get me the anger be and I'm.
Not trying to impress no, no, none of y'all. But I got me a wife, I got kids, we Gucci. Worst financial decision, I'll be honest with you. I don't really got nothing. I'm cheap and I and I still you know what I'm saying, I still maneuver like I don't need much.
So I think, hold on, let me.
Give you one just so let me force me real quick. What's a bad financial decision? Uh, this whole little towel set that I that that fact just made me buy.
And all the towels that she bought, they all like just be lined up and they just shed every single time you watch them, and they're useless.
That's what.
That's what, That's what My worst financial decision is. Put that make sure this go live. So people are so facking running.
But I like your mindset though, and he said that earlier that again he operated, you know, even without the budget, and that point you talk about the budget for you know, promotion, et cetera. And I think that if you keep that mindset, the more successful you become. Like at the end of the day, I don't I didn't grow up like I live.
I'm to be quite real on that right, I had a pail grant like you know, pree and.
Reduced lunch the whole nine. But because I kept the mentality that I wasn't going to just be a spender and have to prove to people that I'm doing well.
And that's the mistake we make. We're too busy trying to prove. Whereas you know, brother here is.
Like, no, no, I'm good because what I'm if you're not on my journey, Like why am I impressing you? Right? Like my music, my craft speaks for me and and that's how you're able to build wealth.
And I have begain three kids, he has two, Like you have a mindset shift.
When you talk about building that generational wealth for them. So the things that may have mattered, you know as a single guy, like it doesn't really matter as you're a father and you're thinking about generational wealth and what you're gonna leave for them and for their children.
Yep, gentlemen, it's been a pleasure, Toby. Keep up the great work. We we are fans and we are watching when we come to Houston after this COVID nineteen thing is over, Hopefully we can get it.
We got a lot of love in Houston. Shot the don key you know little Key, Yeah, Yeah, that's our god. That's our god, y'all.
Key Key is like legendary.
Yeah, that's our god.
Maybe maybe they't know another Kekey, No, just one.
He came to our event in Houston. We read him and we flew back to New York with him and Paul Wall shot out to Houston. We got a lot of love in Houston. We have a j Prince story too.
To act like it was somebody and see what happened. But just joke.
Yeah now, but Toby Man, when we come to Houston, we.
June fuck.
We definitely got it. We definitely got to connect Man. But once again, we definitely are fans of your music and just the whole vibe that you got. I really, I really think that it's dope. So keep up the great work and stay cool. It was a pleasure being introduced to you, and hopefully we can, you know, stay in touch and keep up the great work that you're doing.
I think that's it's great that we actually because you guys are in different spaces, but we got a highlight of a variety of different people in the black experience because everybody has a part to play, and everybody is doing it on a different path, whether it's in the corporate world, whether it's through music, whether it's through entrepreneurship, whether it's through fashion, whether it's through spoken word, whether
it's through activism. And we can never downplay another person's position. It's like, you know, a basketball team. Everybody's got their own roles to play it and no one person is more important than a team. And we're all a team at the end of the day. So thank you to both of you, gentlemen. Thank you to United Masters, the good folks.
Of the Yeah, that's what I said.
And we always stress equality and equity is important, but economic empowers the other that we have to stress and everybody here is part of that.
So I appreciate y'all brothers.
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