LARREN WONG - High Stakes & Mashed Ambitions

Hey, guys, welcome to another episode of Eating While Broke. I'm your host, Coleen Wait and today we have very special guests Laren Wong in the building, recording artists. Laren Wong is in the building promoting his fourth EP or long and fourth, Long and fourth, fourth and long, fourth and long. We gotta throw it back to fourth and long. We have to throw it back to the NFL, of course. So what are you gonna have me eating today?

I'm going to have you eat the Laryn Wong Classic, the Laryn Wong Struggle.

Special, the Struggle Special.

Yes, ma'am, aka steaks.

Steak and taters. That's what that is. You're gonna cut those things.

Up, oh for sure. Steak and mashed potatoes.

Oh okay, okay? And then what are the ingredients for your dish?

So here we have a cut of steak, baby spinach, butter, salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, olive oil.

And then what is the heavy cream?

Heavy? I'm sorry, heavy cream as well?

And what's that for?

Put the massed potatoes?

You put heavy cream in there? Okay, we learn it, we learn it. He's a real cook, guys. He came also with his handy dandy device. What is that right here?

Is a weight? I call it a meat pressure. But this makes sure you get an even sea or on your steak.

Okay, now, do you eat your steaks medium rare? Or is it gonna be bloody on the inside?

It depends how you like it? You got to mal you like it?

How do you eat it?

How do I eat it? It varies. But sometimes the blood. I know you're not supposed to be eating blood, but sometimes it makes it taste better. So medium, medium, well sometimes sometimes medium rare. Just depends on the cut.

I was scared you're gonna say medium rare. You look like a medium rare. Okay, go ahead, get in the kitchen.

Okay, get you. But in the kitchen, let's see. Let's see what we got here. So we got the pre boiled potatoes. Let me check on the consistency of them. Let's see this.

Go for it like that. We already started to boil, guys. I know there's not a chance on earth that they already.

It's okay, just watch this. It's another thing too, when you throw it in there like that. I didn't throw these potatoes in here.

Like this, y'all, No I did.

I feel, and I appreciate you for that, But it's a good teaching moment right here. When you throw it in like that, it's not going to cook that fast because there's not as much surface area for the heat to even you know what I mean? So boom.

Well they actually didn't do so bad either. You may know, how do you know all this cooking stuff?

Because every adult should know how to cook, period. Okay, come on now, that's.

Like you don't see a lot of men knowing their way around the kitchen like this, No disrespect.

That's like a dependency thing, you know, mm hmm. Don't you want to be able to sustain yourself? Yeah, so why wouldn't you know how to cook?

So who taught you how to cook?

My mom? But also just myself. I taught myself how to cook a lot of dishes. Okay, YouTube, that's what I'm saying. People be acting like you so hard you be looking it up on YouTube? Yeah, before like all these other options, I was on YouTube. I learned how to do everything on YouTube. Okay everything.

Do you ever see a recipe on like Instagram where someone cooks it and then you go and you save it and you actually try to make.

It absolutely TikTok. Yeah, like the foody TikTok foody Instagram has has definitely up my culinary career.

Is that something you're really into though? Like, are you into like cooking and all that?

For sure? Sure? Maybe not something I would do, like actually pursue it right now, but just I enjoy doing it at home, like trying new I like a challenge, a creative challenge, just like art. Cooking is art.

I one hundred percent agree. I absolutely love cooking, but I love watching other people come up with creative recipes and stuff like that. But I have a bad habit of cooking something really cool, plating it well, and then not taking a picture.

Need that you don't got to take a picture of everything.

I want to though I want to show people I can I can do it.

You should only take a picture of it when you master it. I mean, I mean, if you want to feel good about me personally.

Hey, every plate, it looks good.

Okay, Okay, I believe you.

I'm a plater, you know. I like the whole presentation.

Right so right here we got this steak. Thank you for paring this. I remember I used to cook steaks all the time. And be like, damn, I can't never get it right. Why can't I get it right? The reason was it wasn't dry. Really, you got to pack the steak dry.

That's how you get That's why you're so anal about it.

Yeah, that's how you get the proper see like proper crust. That's how you get the proper seer in the crust on the steak.

Laren, Just so you know, I've been with you for less than like thirty minutes. You have to be one of the most polite people I've ever met. Really, Yeah, does do other people say that to you?

No? Okay, all right, all right, you're from New York though, so that's not really saying much.

Okay, So you got to make it extremely dry? What greed? What are you doing next?

So right here, I'm going to classic classic steak. That's how I prepared. You know, a lot of people got their ways. It's my way right here. So boom, patted it dry. I hit the steak with the salt, not too much there.

Just make sure it's a healthy coating.

A healthy coating. Mix it around a little bit, ingratiate the salt into the fibers of the muscle, you know what I mean. Boom. Then I throw some pepper on there, and that's up. Yeah, I'll be busting. I'd be busting down a little bit.

I always see people seasoning with your salt and pepper, and I'm always fascinated by it because I use so many seasonings.

It's like, okay, you know what, I will compare that to what that's like somebody in music who isn't really confident in what they actually do, so they feel like they gotta put hella stacks and harmonies and just everything everywhere. It's like, not just let it be. If it's a good cut, let it just compliment it and it will shine on its own.

We've had chefs on the show that say similar. They're like, just simple so you could taste the flavors of the meat, right for sure? And then why is time such an important ingredient in this?

I use time. I typically don't use time, but you know, I'm on eating while broke, so specially cadence, So I gotta just garden it up a.

Little bit, okay, And then are you going to do both sides?

It's okay, So I do both sides. Put it on there, flip it, repeat the process. My layer is salt order operations. I go salt, pepper, and then anytime or rosemary that I might add.

Now, do you have to make sure that the oil is hop before you place it?

Yes?

By the way, these are all genuine questions because I rarely ever, ever, ever, ever ever cook steak, never ever to learn today? Are you using?

But I mean something I was gonna use better? Typically, I like using avocado oil.

There's avocado oil right there.

I know, but I'm gonna try it better. I'm gona try to better because I'm gonn want to baste it and all that.

I love butter. I use butter and everything.

But the reason why I like avocado oil is because it has a higher burning point. You could put a higher temperature on it and it's not gonna burn and get smoked.

Oh really, Oh we need to do that because we have sprinklers.

In the building exactly, So we're butter. That's what I'm saying. I'm gonna just keep it at a low temperature. Okay, but actually you know it, I'm gonna just use the butter for the spinach. I'm gonna do that. Yeah, right here, let me test this see where we at.

I feel like it's gonna be ready just based on everything you just did.

Is it almost so? I could do that? Time? Put that right there? Yeah?

So is olive oil have the same process over avocado. It's just avocado's better.

Avocado specifically has a higher burning point. You see what I'm saying.

I'm learning, chef, how do I You got it? Don't get ill turn red? You'll see it. We have a producer. She's gonna hate it every time. Every time someone does something remotely like this, I have to tell the story. But we asked if we had told her to be careful because the stove was hot, and I swear to god, she put her hand like directly on it.

And we see how I just went. I love it. I wouldn't do that. She did it, she put it. I was like, that's why I signed. That's why I signed that waiver. Exactly got you.

I'd be like, yo, guys, insurance, it's fake here, Okay, LARRYN. Wong was able to cook the entire meal for us. We did shoot it all. But now we're going to start the interview a little reverse backwards, so let's get into it. So go ahead, and play our beautiful meal. Do you want me to help do some of the plating?

Sure be? Could you just put the potatoes on each plate?

Okay, I want to do that. This is and these are from scratch mashed potatoes by the way, guys screach and I already sample them. They're really good. I feel like I'm on a date, like a real nice date, and then I think it's only because of the meal you cooked. Do you want more mashed potato?

Yes? Please? Actually gotta say something for the team.

No, we're not going to save any for you because they they only had your back and you know what was it?

Crew?

Crew? Stick together? Shout outs to your crew. Okay, so we're gonna do. Do you want me to play the spinach?

Yes? Please?

Do you mind if we use my fork?

No? I don't care.

I don't care.

I am not of course or not.

Okay, So take me back to what was going on during the steak and mashed potatoes and spinach era.

That was the time in my life where I was just trying to get my money right, moving around La, trying to see where the studios are, trying to meet people, and I was very patriotic at the time, because e b T because eb T. Yeah, the government was giving me four hundred dollars every month for groceries.

Okay, So growing up were you middle class? Poor?

Rich?

What was going on in your home life growing up?

I was?

I feel like that's enough cut steak.

Okay, but I'm I'm not sure. Yeah, you're right, you're right.

That's you're not worried about your crew. Right now, I'll take some.

Okay, I'll give you this to back end.

It's done so well. Okay, my goodness, guys.

That look like something.

It looks so official. I hope this look at.

This like a referee whistle.

And you don't need a gravy, gravy or anything on this, use this knife. It's it looks tender, has the seer. Okay, here we go. Looks official. You're gonna you're gonna sit down with me. Let's try this. It's gonna be the best meal I've ever had on this show. I know it.

Cheers t B E in the E T B or e B T e B e B T t b E the best ever.

Going crazy, right, I'm gonna eat the whole thing, and I hope, please God, please please please protect my stomach.

Be a right.

Oh my god, the searing on this, it makes a big difference on it. Laren Wong, you can really cook. How do we not eat this whole thing?

I'm about to do it? Then?

All right, take me back. Do you want to break to eat?

Okay?

Take me back to your parents, your home life, growing up rich?

For So I grew up, oh say, middle class, middle class. M My father was you do it for himself? My mother was an accountant at NASA and NASA.

And what did your father do?

My father worked in law enforcement?

In law enforcement. Okay, I wrapped the po pose, but you know I had to go there. Okay, So you started doing musical interestments at a young age. Where did that come from?

So? My grandpa was a jazz musician and he gave the music bug to my dad as well. My father was a producer DJ. Never got a chance to spend too much time with the instruments, but they gave it to me. And that's where the music comes from.

Wow. And then how many instruments did you end up picking up before you were graduated high school?

For high school, I pick up the guitar, piano, bass, guitar, electric guitar acoustic like computer software production, and you.

All started doing that in school while you were at home with your parents while you were young.

Yes, so from like sixth grade to high school is when I learned how to do all of it.

And then while you were doing all of that, where does football creep in?

It was there the whole time? Yeah. I started playing football when I was eight in the second grade, and yeah, never it was kind.

Of just now was it a love for it or was it like you were just god gifted in football too?

No, early on, I was forced to play football. Why you say four, I was forced. I didn't want to do it and forced my dad. My dad forced me to play football, and I'm glad he did because there are certain qualities that football kind of drills into you, like what like overcoming adversity, like especially for me. When I started playing football, I was a big kid, so it goes by weight limits. So I was playing with kids, I'm eight years old playing with kids that are like eleven and twelve.

So was that because you were bigger?

Because I was bigger. So I'm just the youngest one, but I'm just as big as them. So like my mind, just my body development and everything wasn't even there. So football teachers you to stick with it and overcome challenges even though it might be hard. Just understand the just process. It taught me like.

Process, okay, and discipline.

And discipline, commitment, team working within the team, leadership, all the intangibles.

So then you were about to graduate high school, and where do you start to I guess envision you going into the NFL. How does that whole play come about?

The NFL wasn't even initially my goal. My goal in high school was to go to college. Okay, yeah, I wasn't even thinking that far.

Honestly, Where did you go to college?

Northwestern in Chicago?

And then what did you major?

In? Communication studies?

Okay? So you're doing communication studies and you're playing football? Yes, okay, So then what happens from there?

So then I'm playing, I get to Chicago sign up for I wanted to do pre med actually, but it was class was hard hard. I ain't gonna lie hard like that organic they make you do a prerequisite for pre med is like organic chemistry. I don't know if it's because I have a good foundation in high school chemistry, but that wasn't it. That was so I said, I'm gonna do communications because eventually one day I could become a master of the art of communication, you.

Know, and of the art of communication. Really you thought.

About that, you know what that is, right, master art of communication. I'm mac that's a that's a cent went over her over my head. Not supposed to get it. We're not supposed to get it. It's okay, But yeah, I was just communications, being able to transfer ideas and everything.

Yeah, that's what I thought. You meant. The joke obviously went over my head. Okay, So you're going to school, you're doing that, and then where does the NFL opportunity come along?

It comes along. I start thinking NFL, probably towards like my second year there, third year, just because every year we have guys trying their hand at the NFL, like the seniors of every year. So I just seen it, obviously desired it. It's a lot of money. So yeah, it came into the picture towards the end of my time there. So I'm in my fifth year there. I spent five years in college, I spent four years undergrad and then the last year I did a master's in

Okay, and then how long were you there?

I was in Seattle a couple of months. I was in Seattle a couple of months. I played a couple couple of games there. Then after that I went to New York. I lived in East Rutherford shout out East Rutherford. My girlfriend at the time went to Columbia Med School. So it's right across the GW Bridge. So I was in like Washington Heights like every day. So that was a good time. Got cut from New.

York And what was that roller coaster ride?

Like?

Can you tell me the highs and then the lows?

For sure? The highs are what you could expect being an NFL player. I'm young, I'm attractive, I got money in my pocket like girls, girls, status like all that. So it's what you could expect from that.

You know, did you get a lot of instant gratification during that year.

For sure. It's a mix. Though, it's a mix because you're only there because you've put in a long time working on what you do or getting good or building your body up or whatever, you know, So it's like a mix. It's a mix. It's an interplay between like the long term and the short term.

What was the downside?

Downside of what football? Football? Oh man, it's a lot of It's a brutal game, you know. I feel like it's normalized football. We see, you know, family football day, Like, well, if you were to see what's actually going on in the trenches and like in the game, it's so vicious. People are really trying to hurt you and take your head off, and it's like, actually, the I like hurt.

Really, who is a dangerous game? It is so you you're riding this roller coaster. But while you're riding it. Music is still prevalent. Yes, okay, so now you leave the league now carrying me through this area and this is where steak and mashed potatoes kind of start to come in, right, yes, okay, take me through that transition.

Okay. So after I stopped playing, I was a kind of decision by me. I could have kept training and waited for a call, possibly got called. I just decided

That's got to be hell, it's.

Crazy, it's crazy, but shut up. But I know a lot of people who have done that. So the commitment and dedication is something like I respect for sure.

So you're waiting and while you're well, I guess in the waiting, you decide, Hey, I'm not doing this anymore.

I'm right that I mm hmm.

That food is good.

It was after Canada, I'm like, I got cut from camp from Canadian football. No disrespect to Canadian football, but I'm like, maybe this ain't maybe this ain't really my my my path.

So when you come to that epiphany, what's your next play? No pun intended, but all.

To find out how to get this scheddar coming in immediately.

Because at this point your money's run now, or.

We can say that.

Okay, So so you leave Canada, you go where I go back home to the Bay Area. Okay, yes, ma'am.

And luckily for me, my aunt has a she's doing well for her stuff, but she has an import export business. She brings in a bunch of food and beauty products. She's a bunch of stuff from Asia and she wholesales them to a lot of your seafood cities, just Asian markets throughout America.

So you start working for her. What are your parents saying during this whole all these transitions.

They just always believed in me.

They just did they welcome you back with open arms or were their restrictions open arms?

Yeah? My parents, me and my parents have never were always.

Really good and they're still married.

No, oh okay, yeah, my parents split when I was a kid. But the relationship, even their relationship is like, dang, it's kind of cool. Like if I were to God forbid, I ever, I don't want to be divorced, but I would like to carry it like how they do.

Are they like good friends divorced or they like just never talk bad about each other?

Divorce this cordial? I don't know. Yeah, I can't speak to how much they communicate, but just every time I see them interact, it's like I've just seen some other Yeah, I've seen some other other.

So I've heard horror stories from people or like trauma stories from shop where you're like, you know.

But it's a lot of growth because I remember when they were like thirty thirty early thirties, that's around the time they split, and yeah, they were tripping. It was many, It was many. How I was I could I don't know. It was a baby, not a two. I was walking around but not I don't can't.

You were like probably around five is tighter, yeah, type, but you remember like there was there was a.

Bunch of clothes everywhere, and yeah, I remember I remember, I remember, I remember.

Okay, all right, so you come back home, you start working for your auntie and are you and then that's when your next place starts to transition to crypto.

Yeah. So the whole time, even in the NFL, I'm just researching crypto, just understanding the four year market cycle, and we invested at the bottom. I have a group of buddies from college. I talked to these guys every other day, but we just got together and put our resort, put our minds to it, and just figure out how we're going to make some money off this this crypto. Because I've seen other people do it that were in very close proximity do it, so no reason we couldn't.

Then that's when you finance your move to transfer to Los Angeles. Yes, okay, okay, Now you go to Los Angeles with the intent.

Of making a career out of this music, making great music, yeah, or making great music. I feel like I was already doing that. I just wanted to make it a living off.

Of it, like get a return on it for sure. Okay, So how are you? How are you doing so far? Really good with what getting a return on your music?

Absolutely? Absolutely, I'm getting a return. It's not even and what I'm realizing is the return the biggest returns don't even be financial with this. Yeah, So it's just learning more about what even there is to offer. Has brought a lot of good things into my life have nothing to do with money.

I like that, is it therapeutic? And the fact that you get to do what you love every day? Is that some of the things?

Yeah? Yeah, but it's just people people like very thankful for the people that I've met through music and how music has strengthened the bonds with those people. Yeah, just come and come and come and love for music gave me a lot, and it's we've got money off it too, sure Okay?

Okay? And then can you talk about Fourth and Long?

Sure?

Tell me about the project.

Fourth and Long is my latest EP. I tottled it Fourth and Long because I made it at a point in my life. Where are you familiar with football?

A little bit?

Okay?

So I got a lot of the positions.

Got you do you know any type of like first down, Yeah, first and ten and not that much. Okay, so the last so fourth, fourth down, fourth and long. That means you have a long way to go on your last opportunity to convert before you transfer the ball. That's a that's like the most critical situation in football, the most back against the wall position. So I made this project at a time where that's how I viewed my life and my career. So I just started fourth and long. It's very fitting.

That's perfect fitting. Yeah. Wow, How does the Danny Lay Tour come about?

The Danny Lay Tour came about through my friend Chelsea Chelsea Blath at the time, she was working at Death Jam and her and my management at the time had a relationship before. She's from the Bay Area too. She put that out there to the area. But then you needed an opener relationships. We were just happening to be top of mind. We qualified or just had the we were able to even go on tour. So yeah, even we went on fifteen cities. Woeah, fifteen cities. But that

You got another question, So is there still a passion in you for crypto? You seem like a good business mind when it.

Comes to that, sure, but that's my issue. Like that was the first investment I had made. I had invested in crypto before stocks or anything. So now my goal with investing and stuff like that is to just be diversified. I was putting all my eggs in one basket and just happened to a hit, got lucky. But if it didn't, is.

It really lucky though, because you were studying it for quite some time.

Yeah, it's kind of lucky.

Okay, Yeah, it's.

Kind of lucky.

What are some of the business business lessons you've learned in being in the music business compared to the football business.

It's cliche, but you need it's really a team. It's really a team. It's a business. You can't forget the second part of it, music business. So you look around and people like, how do I start in the music business. It's like, what does every other business do? They have a team of you know, they delegate responsibilities, clearly defined roles, stuff like that. They have a create ethos, mission statement like treat like a real business.

Yeah.

So that's what I've learned so far.

Has there been any painful lessons in the journey so far?

Absolutely? Absolutely?

Can you share some with me?

One of the most painful lessons from doing music, here's a painful lesson. It was painful, but I don't even look at its painful anymore. But at the time, it was painful. When I give this situation. Look, it was one time. I ain't gonna say no names, but I had a show back in the Bay. This is when I'm just back in the Bay, trying to do like shows and play in public stuff like that. So I get booked in Oakland. Me and my homie had been rehearsing. He was playing the bass, I was playing the guitar.

Comes, Oh my god, I'm scared.

Though. The day of the show comes, we just hell the people there, so I'm ready to go on. I get my feet on, like it's like twenty minutes fifteen minutes before the set, I'm like where's Bread, Where's Bro? Where's Bro? Like I finally see him. He looked like he's seen a ghost.

What do you mean?

Oh?

He got like yeah, what do you call it? Stage fright or something?

He looked like he's seen a ghost? Is I was like, what would you look like when you've seen a ghost?

That's what I'm saying, stage fright.

Something about the situation made him look like that. I don't know. Yeah, So that was kind of that was that was a painful realization, like, dang, everybody not cut cut like that? Everybody not really cut like that?

How did you guys make it through that show?

I did it?

You really did it by yourself like that?

Yeah. I'm like, you ain't say yeah yeah, one monkey, don't one monkey, Yeah they don't, don't don't stop the show? Yeah exactly.

Yeah, Okay, I like that. I like that you powered through it. You didn't beg or pleading nothing.

Damn ridiculed him like forever. You know what I mean, We're gonna do with you later, bro, I'm gonna just walk this show real quick.

How was it?

It was dope? I got footage too.

Do you think that that ended up playing a pivotal role in where you're at today. Obviously passed the.

Pain part absolutely, just because they let me know that, Like, I can't. Really, it's really all on you. I mean, yeah, you can. It's being selective of who you put your trust in. Yeah.

What are some of the collapse that you would like to do in the future.

There's so many. There's so many. Off the top of my head because I was thinking about it. I would love to collab with Isaiah Falls. I've been listening to him a lot lately. I would love to collab with Kaylanie.

Oh, I love I've known her since she was fifteen.

I love Kaitlyn k Lennie taught me how to surf what Calenie taught me how to surf?

Okay, but she's from the Bay, that's right, Okay.

Who else? Leon Thomas, I'm gonna work with Beyonce, Yeah, Beyonce, Kendrick. Yeah, we could talk. We can talk about it. Let me thinking, matter of fact, Summer Walker. I want to work with some Walker really.

Okay, So what are some of the milestones that you want to do within the next I guess the next couple of years.

I want to hit every festival. I want to hit every festival. I want to just really build out this community that we have growing right now to a point where it's it's self sustaining. It's fully flush the world out ecosystem, all the parts and the pieces and the people that play into that. So that's that's where I see it, because I feel like that's going to be the vehicle to take us wherever you want to go.

How do you deal with the social media pressures?

What's the pressure?

So like in the industry now, in all media in forms, it seems like everyone has to everyone's constantly asking what are the numbers? What are the numbers? What are the numbers? What are the numbers? Do you not feel that pressure?

I just like making music.

Honestly, you haven't heard any of that. I don't really I mean, or you just don't care.

You look at it, you look at it. But I let my team worry about that stuff. I just try and give them the most dope shit possible.

Yeah, So you mainly play on the creative side unless on the business side. Does that mean? Is that what it means?

I mean kind of kind of you could say that. It's just I just know you got to delegate to elevate.

I'm gonna steal that from you. I'm stealing that's a fact.

Yeah, you gotta look, I'm gonna let everybody be be I'm gonna put everybody in the best positions to win.

So okay, okay, well, I think that's about it. On my side, I am dying to eat this meal. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Why do you think not? It's absolutely desten you're talking. Yeah, but you know what, I think I think it's worth being sick. But I'm gonna be taking your publicists later talking about I should have never did it.

I think you'd be right. I think it's just because you just because I think that was cooked the right way.

No, you know what, though, I'm very thankful for this meal on your time, and I love how you're eating it. You're like a true man right here. You're like, forget the cameras. Oh, thank you guys for tuning in. But where can they keep up with? Well, Laryn Wong is gonna have to finish his mouthful of food before he can tell us how we could keep up with everything.

Laryn Wong's good, All right, y'all, Big Laren if y'all want to follow up with me, y'all can catch me everywhere your favorite dsp Apple Music, Spotify, social media, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, SoundCloud, YouTube, same handle Laryn Wong l A r r E n w o ng say one time, LARRYN. Wong l A r r E n.

W Ong and check out fourth and long.

Fourth and long out. Now four's up? Come on fours fours up, fourth and long. Okay, I'm forty four years old.

He's not forty four. Definitely not forty four. You can google that anyways. Thanks for tuning in.

Peace out

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