SHWAYZE - Marinara Melodies

Hey, guys, welcome to another episode of Eating While Broke. I'm your host, Coleen Wit and today we have very special guests, recording artists actor Shays's up in this building?

What's up? Are you good?

How are you?

I'm fantastic. Thank you for having me. I love this concept.

Yeah yeah, and I love that I'm going to be eating lunch with you.

Absolutely.

I have breakfast and now I'm gonna have lunch. Fortunately it's a broke dish, but broke dishes on this show taste great. And I always have a saying, the broken the dish, the sweeter the story.

Wow.

This entire day of filming, all the dishes combined came to less than twenty dollars. So today's going to be a great day for me and you are the highlight of my day. So what are you gonna be cooking for me?

Well, I'm going to cook my favorite broke dish.

It's just it's just spaghetti and pasta, but I spice up a little ground beef on top of it.

Okay, Okay, here we go, here we go.

So you know, you can just do the regular old pasta in the water and the sauce, but.

You know, what I'm saying, like cut an onion.

I like how you were specific about the purple onion. So he has just so you guys know, Marinara sauce. He has the beef, the garlic. He specifically asked for a purple onion. I actually don't know the difference between onions. I know one is sweet, and I don't know what the purple onion is.

I'm not going to hold you like I don't know all the benefits. But I just grew up knowing that this was supposed to be a little better than the white onion.

Oh so you were like a little racist.

So I just kind of like, you know right there, Oh your.

I believe you. I actually believe that about you. He even brought his own water. Guys, you know what I'm saying.

I don't know.

Look, we live in a time where we have a lot of information, so I like to, you know, do what I can.

I'm not perfect.

I perfect, no, you know, but where I can be on point, I try. So what I'm doing is very easy. I'm spicing up my sauce a little bit, and I'm putting a little bit of onions in the sauce.

Right now, are.

You gonna find like chop them. Are you gonna be like chunks in there?

No? No, no'm an die sec is that is there?

Is that the reason why you specifically asked for just the marinara sauce? Yeah, so you like it like playing, so you can work it up exactly and I can really judge your spaghetti right now.

Well, look, this is again the broke me. I've evolved. I can make my own pace. Believe you've evolved, but it broke me. Yeah, It's like it started off with just pasta sauce and spaghetti.

But I was like, this is boring, and then I was like, okay, well I can actually like put some little veggies in here. I forgot to ask for mushrooms. There's some mushrooms in here. The whole thing and the cool thing I like about this dish. This is why this is the best broke dish. Ladies and gentlemen, this is very versatile. Okay, ground beef, some veggies chopped up. You can do a lot of things. You can make that a stir fried. You put rice under it, you

Into meatballs and make a meatball sandwich. So this is just the base of a lot of meal.

I feel like you really do cook.

You know what I'm saying.

Okay, okay, okay, we see you. Okay, take us back, man, take us back to what was going on in the time of the spaghetti. And by the way, I was thoroughly impressed how you just turned that dish into like a quadruple threat. So I know you know what you're talking about.

I just think it's important for us young people and people just in general to get back into cooking for ourselves.

And like I fall victim to it all the time. Uber eats or.

Uber eats.

Oh so you have this show, you'll be eating five times you don't even know you.

I love how you sit here thinking like, oh, she is she living on every successful person's broke this for the rest of her life. Just thirty days of a week. You think I'll be in broke dishes.

I saw the schedule. You got breakfast and then you got lunch. She got dinner dialed in tonight. Look she bringing left over his home.

Look, yo, let me tell you something. Let me tell you something about this show. Though some of the dishes on this show are really good. The last dish I ate, I'm telling you fire, that was fire. I'm going home and I'm making it for me and my daughter.

For there is.

Some dishes so good on this show that I have literally went home, ordered the dishes and tried to recreate it. Never as good as the talent has created it. And you and I used to lie to my husband and I would tell him like, I came up with the dish, oh wow, be careful, yes, and then and then he eventually caught on. And so now if he sees me come home with tupperware after a day of shooting, he'd be like, what's that. I'm not eating it. I'm like, what,

I was struggling to doing this, I mean, look, it started off probably when I was going to junior college.

I was out in junior college. I was going to junior college out in San Diego, and I knew.

I wanted to be in entertainment. I knew I wanted to do music. I knew wanted to be an actor. Actually, I really wanted to be an actor as a kid. But until then, I had some like little weird jobs.

You know. I literally worked everywhere. I was the kind of person I was. Just I went at Jamaican, I had like twenty jobs.

Are Jamaica.

No, I'm saying, like a Jamaican you got twenty jobs.

I thought we had something else in common.

Jamaicans do think that I'm Jamaican, as my dreads that I don't know.

Nah, I didn't think you were Jamaican until you said it. But then I was like, no, he ain't no Jamaican.

Jamaican you are.

Yeah, I like that, but go on.

So, yeah, this is just like college broke shway, you know what I'm saying. Like I was working. I was working at this music rental shop that rented out like speakers, and I hated the job, but.

I was just trying to stay immersed in music. I was trying to act like I was doing school, but I wasn't getting any credits. Like I was basically just flunking out of class. And that's kind of when I wanted to, Like, I was just really focused on just trying to figure out how I was going to get.

The entertainment thing going, you know, primarily acting.

Acting, But in college I kind of was giving up my acting low key and like transitioning into music and like that's where in San Diego was starting to like I was on Craigslist looking for bandmates and shit like that. And yeah, after a while, I quit going to school in San Diego and moved back to Malibu where I grew up.

And I know it sounds like I grew up in a.

Rich ass town because I was about to come get you. What's the Malibu situation? The heck, let me tell you. I already know your story is going to be interesting. Okay, your music is different as a tras, No you could just let's just just put it right here.

We don't have any trash cans. We don't have any trash cans at this time.

Take me back to Malibu. So you you were back home to Malibu, Okay.

Freak, it's like first Prinson Bell there and stuff, like I moved to Malibu, uh, to live with my grandparents when when I was five years old.

So I lived, lived in on the beach and stuff. They lived close to the beach, the beach, but very close to the beach. We lived in a mobile home park. But in Malibu it's like really glamorous and ship.

You put me in a mobile home park and mallible, I'll take it.

Look and this mobile home park there are a million dollars mobile homes and shff like that.

But my grandparents were just really fortunate and they and they.

They bought into Malibu in like the seventies, so sheep, So we kind of got grandfathered in no intended nice you did, you know what I'm saying. So, yeah, I grew up in Malibu, but I grew up, like, you know, in the very lower middle class in Malibu. And you know my grandma, which in itself gave me some drive. It's because all my friends were hella rich, you know what I'm saying, And I was. I was in the mobile home park, you know, doing my thing.

But no, honestly, growing up there, I couldn't have picked a better situation like living by the beach my whole life.

So you went to live with them at five? Where were your parents?

So my mom was in Florida at the time.

But I love how you're handling this meet. I didn't know you was gonna do all this. I would have got you plastic gloves.

Or something, plastic gloves, growth the hell.

Just so because you're gonna tell no, no, no, my.

Hands are clean. I just washed them right now in the bathroom. Okay.

No, I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about you touching the MIC's. Eventually everyone does that. They'll touch the me on this show if you guys are listeners, and at some point they'll go like this, and at some point they'll move there here out of their face. I've literally had to pull crown beef out of girls here, okay on the show like Home. Still, girl, you got a piece of If I get.

Grabbed beef in my head, to leave it, just leave it right. They don't even tell me.

Okay.

But yeah, So I grew up, So I grew up in Malibu with my grandparents. Not not many people of color out there, you're gonna mean. And I grew up with not tons of money, but I grew up with mad love. And my grandparents were amazing because my grandparents, again, they weren't rich, but they I never saw them work for anybody. You did what I'm saying, Like like my grandparents, my grandfather, they were both in the arts. So my grandfather,

Like how I can be creative and find my way in this world.

And yeah, were your parents like what happened where you ended up with them? Though?

My parents told me when they were young, so I guess at the end of the day that this couldn't really raise me. You know, my mom I was having some drug and alcohol problems when I was living with her in Florida, and she ended up like in the hospital or something. And then one of my aunts got in touch on my grandma and sent me out to go live with my grandparents, which I thought was just gonna be a temporary, temporary thing. But when I got here,

And my grandma took me in, you know, and and changed my life. Yeah, and my grandfather as well.

You know, they both what's beautiful about them is they were done raising kids. They were in their you know, fifties and sixties, Their kids were all grown, and they were like chilling in their little mobile home park moving their life doing their acting stuff, and then here I come, so thank y'all for taking a second chance and decided to have a whole nother life with me, because yeah, it really helped me out obviously.

Yeah you know what I mean. But beautiful when you add that to the malleable part of the story. Yeah, so you went back after college, You went back to and you had did you have to tell your your grandparents that you were flunking out of school?

They knew it was messed up too, because I was getting all these grants all like you know, like kind of like financial aid type shit for the books and all that, and.

I would start strong week one.

I was killing them with the organization, was turning in homework and it was just yeah, we just I went.

I went. That was my second college. I went to Pierce College in I know, Pierce in the Valley. I went to Pierce in the Valley. First I did I did music theory and I did like I took to a couple I took a few classes just to get my credits. I played basketball for PEERCE for a little bit.

I couldn't hang So where'd you go? And say you went to a four year in San Diego.

Or another junior college.

Why did you even do that?

Because I was just you know, no, it was the whole thing, like, you know, my grandparents are old school, so it's like, go get your education, get out the house. You know, you graduated high school. You got to get you can't stay here. So I was all right, cool, So Pierce didn't work. So then I was like, all right, maybe if I go somewhere, like, you know, kind of

To be honest, that San Diego little house, and yeah, I don't know.

I think those two college situations let me know that college wasn't for me, but at least I got the experience of it.

In San Diego.

I purposely chose that college because it was right next to San Diego State. So I didn't go to San Diego State, but I was party, but.

I was getting the I was getting the experience of. So I got my college experience.

I didn't get no credits, but I was out there partying and doing my thing and having fun. And then I moved back to La started my band up. You know, it was a little mix between hip hop and rock. A big inspiration for me was, you know, Pharrell and Nard in Search of It still my favorite albums ever. And so it was cool for me to see Pharrell because you know, like I told you, I grew up in an all white neighborhood, rich ass neighborhood.

So my style as I was growing up, I was just trying to figure out what it was. You know, am I a skater?

As I got older and started playing basketball, I would hang out from more black kids from the city who would clown me like, Yo, what the fuck is.

Up with your hairline? Like how you talk? Crazy? Like?

So once I had that, I had to like figure out like what my style was or how I fit in. And then Farrell came out with fucking the rock shit the trucker hat. He grew up on the beach town, so I really connected with for I was like, oh shit, okay, I see this vibe. Yeah I can do this. Yeah, And so you know I kind of started inspired me to start this little rock band that I had, and

And were you the one that was responsible? You're the one that put together the group, so you were the one responsible for booking the shows.

Yeah.

Wow, So you're like the leader of the group.

Like I told you, Like my grandparents are all little hustles. My grandmother is like a producer. I've watched her my whole life, like put on events, on golf tournaments, put on fundraisers.

So I just I love that. I love putting things together.

Oh we gotta you need to book some shit, all right, I'll holler at them, you know what I'm saying. So yeah, that has always been like something that I love. All Right, to the dish. We got the ground beef, we got the onions, yea, and garlic right, and the garlic.

It's simmering.

Oh my god, you're talking like a shift.

Do you hear me?

You're hilarious.

It's simmering.

And guys, this meal is cheap at shit, one dollar and fifty cents probably for this since since you know what I mean, you go to like Chick fil a, you spend ten, thirteen, fourteen dollars on this.

It's crazy.

So you might as well come home and just you hear me. After this, we'll do a whole other cooking shit on all other shit.

You're hilarious. By the way, we always invite if you're like a creative and you do cooking, you're more than welcome to use our studio and take advantage of it because we're the only cook top studio in Don't.

Tip me because I'm gonna be here like trying to cook some little YouTube for I.

Meal prep every just so you know, I know you think I live off eating one broke dishes. I meial prep every Sunday and Wednesday. Okay, I eat all home cooked meals. That's why I don't uber eat buddy, So.

Sunday you only meal prepper two day. Sunday, Monday Tuesday meal prep the whole week.

But every once in a while, like if I have friends come over, right, I give them a meal prep my neighbor whoever, and trust me that meal prep will dwindow real quick. But I meil prep every meal and I eat I basically what I make for my daughter, like her meal. Her lunchbox is super impressive, but mine is like half impressive.

It's hers, So I like that taking care of how old your daughter three? So yeah, congratulations mama. Okay.

So after I had my band for a while, we were playing a lot locally, like all over California, like from this place, a legendary location called the Malibu in which is located obviously in Malibu, and so that was the place we were playing a lot. We would play all up and down the coast from coast to Mesa, San Diego, just building a vibe. I ended up meeting this Cisco Aldler, who is the son of Blue Eldler, legendary producer. Cisco also lived in Malibu and had like

I wasn't like a I wouldn't consider myself a traditional rapper at this point. You know. I was very like inspired by like the red Hot Chili Peppers and rage against the machine, like rock shit.

But I couldn't sing, so I would rap you did what I'm saying, So I would like musically and and texturally, I was into.

The rock stuff, but I was rapping. Yeah, So then I'm at Cisco.

But I love how you were like very authentically true to you, like you see it play out but gone continue.

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Now you can interrupt me for a comliment anytime you want. But so, so you know, I went to a show at the Malibu And which was the place we all kicked it, like this was the place where anyone who had a band in Malibi would go play. And Cisco's band of the time was a popping band, White Star, and all the girls would go to the show.

So I was pulling up to the White Star shows for sure, all the chicks were.

There was a fire situation, and before he went on stage, I hopped on the mic and I started freesing down. I was like, I'm the only black kid in Malibu, blah blah blah, the k the crowd and crazy, which which then allowed me to like link up with Cisco because he saw me do my thing and we made

So and we were both from Malibu. So I think that both of our separate stories from Malibou.

Kind of coming together, you know, like made like a really cool sound, you know, and we're kind of from two different kind of things in Malibu, but bringing our stories together, bringing his melodies and his experience with my rawness, I.

Think it kind of just complimented each other and right away.

It's like one of those things where when you have something that's fired, it kind of shows itself right away, Like you know, the fourth song we ever made together was was one of our biggest songs and kind of the one that kind of sept the tone of our vibe. And back then it was my Space, remember my Space? Back then it was my Space And what was cool about my Space is.

You know I was like how much time? All right? All right? All right? She got an internal clock. Ladies and gentlemen, real cook, uh.

No, tell me tell me talking about are we talking about? What's the name of the single that we're talking about?

Oh?

So, Buzzing was the first song that that we made that we were like, ooh, this is fire, like this is this feels interesting. The first thing I would do is I would send it to like all my homegirls locally, because for me, it's like I'm making music for the girls. At least back then, it was very specifically like if the girls aren't happy, then I'm not happy, Like does this sound good?

Okay? We got a bang?

Okay? So I love the you know what I mean?

I mean, what am I doing here? I liked them on the guys thing too, but you know what I mean. I'm back then I was focused on that. So I was sent all the girls and right away they'd be like, you know what I'm saying, like I love this, and they would put on the playlist and stuff like that. And back then on MySpace you could put songs up for download, like we would make a song. I put it up from my Space the same night, not mix nothing,

So excited, like playing my ship right now. So that's that's why I did for a good year with Cisco, we make a song.

I didn't remember my Space had that feature, but.

Yeah, yeah, as a as a musician, on the music pages. Yeah, yeah, you can put your you can put your music up and you can have your little thing in the new songs and.

You can have it for download. And that changed everything because then I would go to every every hot girl.

I would go on her page and post my thing, just like I was sitting there all day and just post the post post and started a building. Then before no on, I'm selling out shows and we're doing all this kind of you know, all these big shows like locally and stuff like that. And that's really how it happened MySpace and just like constantly dropping songs and then we got an opportunity to have a meeting with someone and we ended up getting a record deal.

Wow, And yeah it was cool. By the time we were already sold.

What was your first record deal? Good?

It was good. It was good.

I have to ask because I hear horror stories.

You know, I lucked out, like you know, because again, like the deal overall was good. The only problem with the record deal was nothing wrong with the actual deal part of it. But when they didn't like believe in it, they didn't push it anymore, you do know what I mean? Like the first thingle they pushed second thingle they kind of pushed and then they never pushed anything else.

So it's like you're under the kind of control of their motivation.

If they're hyped on you, if they're a fucking gung hole and they have the whole engine behind you, then life is beautiful.

But did you when they didn't push, did you find the motivation to push harder? Or did they limit was their limitations?

We spent our own money, got our own independent radio team once the major label radio wasn't like getting behind it, but it just didn't hit the same and you know, who knows, maybe the single wasn't as good or who knows what the reason is, But you just feel the energy shift if they're not really on you, Like when we first came there on us, you know, we had to show on MTV we all this shit boom, We're popping. So then I think we were still putting out great music.

Wow Okay, So don't hate on me. I'm trying to ship right now. M that's ready. So you didn't even tell me.

Do you want to know something? I like about how you did that. You look like a real cook. When you did that, you look like a real cook. You didn't throw it. You could have been like, I'm gonna put it on the table, so he just sticks. I like, I like how you did that, though he threw it in his mouth. How does a mug?

I was like, gee, I'm growing on her, ladies and gentlemen.

As he burns the whole table trying to pour it.

Careful, careful.

By the way, you didn't notice this, but you touched your beard and there's beef in there. No, there's no beef in there. But I was thinking, why is the people do this on the shore? Everyone has to touch their here. Okay, So when you guys went independent, what kind of mouths, like, what kind of pivotal moments did you hit?

And it was cool because, like, you know, it took me back to like when I was a kid in out selling the ship on my trunk, Like I like having being a part of every single bit. Once I got on the record label side, you know, there's a million people working for you, so you kind of like back up and there's people doing this kind of ship, like i'mproving shit.

Yeah cool, but like not so much hands in the fucking dirt.

But how was the recooping on that, like on.

The on the first album, on the first couple, Yeah, it.

Wasn't stressful because they're spending all this money, but you kind of have a say, but you kind of don't and then you have to pay for it all.

No, Luckily we did have a say and all that stuff I had, like the you know, experience of all these other people who've been signed before me and having all these horror stories that we were kind of coming into a hip, Like we didn't go crazy on the events and we didn't go crazy all that shit.

Okay, you know what I mean.

But independent, you do feel the money quicker. I mean, look, there's pros and cons when you're independent. You get all your money, you know what I'm saying, But they might be able to market you a little better. But at the same time, you just gotta look close to get the contract because everything comes back and you got to recoup it before.

You get your money.

Do you think that your deal was really good because you had built a loyal fan base and they knew no matter what they were going to get majority of their money back.

That and I'm not going to hold you Like my partner at the time, Cisco, like his dad is a g in the industry. So I did get the benefit of like having some of their experience and like their protection a bit going into the deal, you know what I mean. But yeah, I think that even still with all that, you know, they lost interest Loki and I think that you know, our second the album. When I go play that live, it's people some people's favorite album, you know. But you know, they lost singer John Matt.

But it was blessing in disguise because it's like I was able to go and do this independent thing.

This is pretty much done, and it smells done. It smells so good. It smells really good.

She acting surprised. You know what I'm saying.

You know what sucks is that, like I'm gonna risk eating this beef because it smells good. I'm gonna take a little bit, but I'm technically not allowed to.

Oh you can eat a little bit. It's grass fed too.

I can't digest beef. Okay, guys, so I never eat.

It on the show. Tell your husband I'm sorry. In advance.

Well, it's actually my future.

I thought you would flirting a little bit at.

It's too much fun over here, too much fun. By the way, it's slazy travels with a dog. And it was just sidebar just to give you guys a full like background of how he is. But like he was even hinting that his dog stay in the studio. But his dog breathing was so loud that we had to say, excuse me, because your dog breathes. But look how beautiful it is now. See like if you were like, look, I'm gonna make it look better. That's how they do

I watched the first season. I got tired of the yelling, but yeah, first season was great.

See that's how I know you didn't grow up in a too much traumatic childhood because people that have like traumatic childhoods like shameless torture, bad parenting, you know, like Bill burn Sebastian. I like my favorite comics because they grow Did you burn yourself?

Not at all?

You know, I don't have insurance right forbid them all? Ever hears this show?

Nope, Nope, I never heard nothing. No, look, great show. I'm kidding, great job, great show. Three seasons of a lot one was perfect. Yeah that I'm staying there.

But yes I did.

I will admit the second, the whatever season. This is the beer. I'm not really, I'm not really.

I'm like, I gotta change.

You had a good Yeah. I'm happy that you had your grandparents. Okay, I'm used to it. I'm like numb to it.

Don't play by me.

I'm like past, that's okay. Let's try this amazing dish. Everybody, Okay, plated. Man, I wish this was like impossible.

Me next time. Now I know.

Uh, this is how you know I respect and care about you and wanted This is how you know that I wanted you on the show because I didn't object.

Today.

Let's go get here, we go, smell so good, nice and easy, broke me, ladies and gentlemen.

Not only did you do that, the whole irony is you did a phenomenal job on the spaghetti. Like you you boiled it without a timer? Are you impressed with that? You had an internal clock because you naturally went in there without a reminder.

Right right. I was like, oh, there it is.

It was actually the most properly boiled spaghetti in the history of this show, because people always.

Overtook the because you don't want it too soft, you know what I mean, Like it's then it's a whole different things.

Uh.

The Italians like a dente, so even like lowki hard.

But I'm gonna tell you you'd a great job the spaghetti. What old glimer, Thank you. We need to hang out where you just let your little internal clock. Now do you trust yourself more.

Now to hang out and cook for you? I'm gonna shove it over you. I cook cook. We ain't broke no more. Baby, you see me, sit up, you stay, I'm a wheel now.

I was really excited, actually, I mean the way I was looking at it as we just had a big machine pushing us for two years, and so we had a lot of eyeballs on the on the project. So I thought that independent we just take all those people and just keep it rocking.

And it did what it did work like that. I mean, we have a lot of that first album back.

I did one album with Cisco, I did one more album with him and then we broke up. But that next album I think did great. We did we did like a massive national tour. Yeah, no, it was all positive. I think that there was just a little There was a time after that, after that third album where I was like, all right, you know, what do I want to do musically? Like what are my goals personally? You know, one thing about being in a group is you always tart to think about another person.

And it was like being in a relationship, right, It's like being in a relationship. I have to ask, though, why did y'all break up?

Honestly, it was just we were together all the time. I mean, imagine like it was before we got signed. You know, I was in there and music all day.

I think it was just.

Time to try something new, low key, like we made three albums made probably like I don't know, a hundred songs, and we were butting heads in some weird little ways, and and yeah, I just think at that point I was like, all right, I kind of want to work with different people, and that kind of didn't rub the right way with everyone, and so it was a time where I'd be like, all right, like let me break away.

From this completely.

Are you guys still cool?

Yeah, we're cool.

You know, Like my man has a beautiful family, great son, he's a great kid. His son and my son are friends. When we see each other, it's all love. I've actually never even spoken about.

This like this in a way like that.

So but because I'm sure everybody wants to know, to be honest, yeah no, literally.

People always say that was there something like like and honestly not, there wasn't like anything. Just like any relationship, there's arguments. Yeah, there's argument and disagreements and this and that and more or less. I just I think we're both alphas, you know, and oh yeah those but we're both alphas. And I was kind of getting stuck in a place where I was only rapping the verses, you know, which is fine.

You know, he was singing the hook. I roped the verses.

But like I'm a Gemini, I like I get I get bored with things, and I want to be able to like sing the hook.

I want to produce a song. I want to work with this person.

And so if it feels like a hindrance to do like anything like that, it becomes an environment where I'm just like not having fun.

And if I'm not having fun, why am I doing this?

And as an artist, I think it's like a natural part of evolution, right, if you've like kind of mastered this one angle, you kind of want to just at least feel.

What they try it out, Like, let me see if I can do some harmonies. It might sound shitty at first, but I'm gonna get it, you do what I mean. So, I just wanted a space where I could grow and as an artist, grow and just feel fulfilled, you know. And a lot of times, you know, other people's feelings are a factor sometimes, but I just felt that it

Which is hilarious, you know what I'm saying.

How do you feel when they respond like that positive?

The fact that anyone likes any of my music?

I feel blessed, you know, so, like you know, if you're stuck in that era and that's and you haven't followed Shwayz past any of that all good, like think, I'm thankful for you, But I would say.

Does it ever make you want to rekindle? Though it sounds like a real marriage, relations doesn't make you guys.

On It does a little bit, but it really is a relationship, you know. Bro, I wish my bro Cisco all the best. And I've been looking at his stuff recently. He's doing his thing and he's very talented, a really good dude, and so I wish nothing but the best and if the right situation where I felt good about it and it felt really easy. Of course I'm down, But if I'm being honest right now, I'm just I just feel so inspired off the new music that I'm making.

I mean, I don't know I have a new album coming out.

Actually, how did the Whiz Khalifa collab come about?

Yeah? So Wiz I've rubbers shoulders with for years, Like I just bumped into him.

Always been a fan of his and the vibe he puts out, you know what I'm saying, always positive.

So I kind of just reached out on this album.

On this album, I was just kind of like I had most of the songs, you know, eighty percent done, and I was just trying to figure out features, and I was like, damn, Wiz will be fun, and it's a you know, I do want to keep my fans happy. So you know, sometimes fans will be like, go work with the old Eye again, and I'll be like, but like, what are you gonna make a song with? When are you gonna make So that was just one that fans

As a artist, you're harding yourself out. It's just weak out. And now I'm just like, I want to put out everything because.

I never know what, like who's gonna be in what mood or like where they're gonna be in the life, and it might help him. So yeah, like the people who love the old stuff and love the nostalgic of the old stuff, I'm so stoked on it. And then people now I think ten years from now, to look back at this time and be like, yo, Shway's been making hits now.

You know what I'm saying, I'm blessed to.

Love creation and I'm not running out of ideas anytime since. So I just want to keep my rocking.

Do you think the secret to being a great artist is that vulnerability? I personally think that, Like I think, like what helps me be in love with and you heard me talk about it before he came in, Like it's something about like you living your life and being like unapologetically you and where you're at at all times.

Gay I love it.

But you know what I'm saying, I feel like that was the one artist for me that I was able to like and I started listening to him really young, but I was able to go okay this point. There was albums that I absolutely hated of Jason Absolutely it was like trash be like you're retarded. I'd be like, oh, you are retarded. Or when Jay had a lot of money, there was one album he put out where he was talking about all these labels.

I was like, I can't relate this.

I don't know what you're talking you know, I never even heard of this, you know what I'm saying. But do you think that's the secret to being a great artist? Is that willingness to go there? Or are do you find making music in hopes of people liking it?

Is the key?

Like keeping up with the times? That's a genuine question.

Yeah, No, it's a good question. I think.

I think that is a big key, just being honest. The audience is very smart, you know, so if you're being true to yourself, then I think there are things that are more relatable. Like if I were to go out and talk about like, you know, like I don't know, some gang shit or some hood ship, I just think it.

Would just be like, no, But if I'm talking about the beach or I'm hanging out.

With some of the chicks, like Barbie all right, that sounds like and tick to him, And when I'm in that mood, I can relate to that.

So I think being true to yourself is more relatable.

I think that's why, uh you know, that's why some people like my records at one point and they don't because maybe they can't relate to where I'm at.

I mean you said that, you said it really well.

It's like us artists are humans, so we're gonna grow, and as we grow, we're gonna report.

How we feel and what we're feeling. So you might not be in the same exact mindset that your favorite artist is in when he puts out an album, but give them time, you know what I'm.

Saying, Like play it like in a year when you're sad or some share when you bring up with your man, or like you know, or when you're on the beach, in my case.

On the beach, on hey, on the beach. But I think it's also like when you have a favorite artist and you know they're talented, Like you know, okay, I rocked with you for I know your talent, right, It's like respecting that, Okay, I know that I'm gonna like it. Either eventually you know, like I said, the life cycle or what have you.

I love fans like that too, because I over the years, like I see who my fans are, Like I you know, of course there's something I don't see.

But the people who've been consistent, like been hitting me up, like.

Some of them, it's right with me, no matter what pro I got. And I'm like, you know what I'm saying, Like it makes you do feel good because you do have those artists are those fans who are fans of the person they get to the point and I think that does happen through vulnerability. And I'm even trying to get better at that with my social media and stuff like that. And that's why I'm here doing this kind of stuff. It's like, you know, the more people know you,

Yeah that was good. Now. I feel like being a mixed person, I have a little bit of a race. I have race I was called race issues, you know, inter racial issues. You being black and being with your background and putting out the music you do, do you ever feel pressure or hear slack from in the black community.

It's a really good question. It's a really good question.

It's a real honest question. I was painful. It's hard to ask him.

No, really good question. The answer is no. But I don't get any flam slack from it. I only love.

But I was so insecure about it at first. My first album I was I was like black music, I hate this ship. Bro Min was like this kid talking about this beach ship. I'm not like a rapper rapper, like that's why when that's that's when like Wayne was killing it and like you know, Drake just came out and I'm like, what are they?

But they had the paral era that kind of helped.

But no, like when I.

Like now looking back on it, and like I meet people now, like people the black mun like anyone who does know my music and the black man, they say, I love it, And I think there's a subculture of black kids who grew up in rich towns who weren't surrounded by black people, And like a lot of those kids come to me, they'll be like, Yozy, I grew up in a white down to a fucking love you dude, like you like I like, and I'm like fuck, yeah, you know what I'm saying.

But then I guess it goes back to living your truth.

You live in your truth.

But I was very nervous about myself coming out initially on the black community side.

I was I wasn't sure like it was gonna be accepted. It was be loved.

But it's kind of cool to hear you say that you were thinking about it, because yeah, because yeah, even when you watch the videos and you see all the white girls, you'd be like, yeah, of course, trust me, I get it. When jay Z puts out videos and there's too many white girls and he shooes water and all the black girls, I get a little mixed feelings.

Come on, man, No, I was a little sensitive too, because I mean, like I've always had to kind of like you know, growing up in Malibu. You know, my experience mostly with the black community, like my own community, is when I was like playing sports, because like that's when I would separate and I'm like, okay, because I was pretty good at basketball.

I was pretty good a shit, so I would I was playing varshally and you know, going into ninth grade, so.

Those damn you were good.

So so those city kids that were on the team in Malibu because we did have a little black section in Malibu. Oh, but it was clown your boy like but in a good way, like like they were like, you know, I had never got a lineup before. And then I went to middle school for the first time. I got clowned a few times, and I found someone to line me up.

I had no idea.

By the way, I don't have a lot of right now. I'm still going back to my old school shit. I'm a raggedy nigga, but I like it.

It's like, ready, you know what I'm saying.

But so so I was a little nervous.

But again that was all kind of like washed away because as soon as I came out, like the people who gravitated towards my music, they gravitated towards it.

And you know, it's not like a color thing. It's more just like a feeling. And you could be.

The cool thing about my music is people tell me, like, you know, they'll grow up in Detroit, grew up in like New York, but like when they put my music, they're like in a summer location at the beach.

Yeah, that's how I feel about your music.

So you didn't hear my music before. So so yeah, that's pretty.

Much say that. You just can't get away with saying that.

Shit.

Sorry, no heart fail there.

Not true.

All right gone, But yeah.

Yeah, so that was a great question. But I was nervous.

But I've gotten pretty much other about love. I mean, yeah, I mean, some people hate, but some people hate no matter what color they are, Like, my music isn't for everyone, and I'm okay with that.

Yeah.

Yeah, because you're an artist, you're a natural artist. Now, at any point in your career, did you ever think about quitting and doing something different?

Well, I mean yeah, I mean when my son was born, I was like, I remember, I remember he was.

A baby and I left. He wasn't walking. I came back from tour this long as and he was walking, so I missed. I was missing things, and so I kind of changed the way I toured for a while. I changed everything, Like you know, I was no longer doing long, long tours, just doing the spot dates.

So I could be home. And at that time I was thinking like, hmmm, like I don't know, maybe I could do something else. But I love doing this.

I love making music, I love entertaining and I love creating, and I love the response I get from people after like even a meal. It's like it's a different type of art, but still I get to make something. I get to create it, I get to see the reaction of someone, but the food is gone afterwards, but still just out like the feeling I love.

So I don't know.

I thought about different things. I thought about real estate, I thought about uh but I don't know.

But what were those driving? So your son was a pivotal and I like that you said that because you don't hear men talk about that a lot. Your son was an interesting pivot point. What are some of the other things that make that make you think about other options? Like what are the triggers?

Just other loves like music for me, I'm by I'm by no means as as like good as I can be.

Like I don't think that I perfected music by anyway, ship or form.

Still learning every time I try to write something, but like when I'm on a movie set, it's just something so new and I feel like I was a kid of when I first was writing. So things like that, like other interests like if I were able, if I were able to book a show or like book like a couple of movies and stuff like that.

I would put music on the backgrounder for sure.

Okay, and then do you do with imposter syndrome at all?

No?

Okay, that was it. That's it. That's all my grilling.

I feel like I understand you. I really like you.

I like you too than you like I told you this is a beautiful platform. When I got the email and I did some research and saw some things, I was like.

This is so cool.

Feel like I'm gonna live up the best spaghetti.

No, I wish that I.

Could do it, but I broke me and I was like, let me, let me, let me, let me dumb it down. So sweet did this but even still now as a quick thing like the stir fry, I still make.

But anyway, thank you.

So you know, when I'm lazy, I do the Trader Joe's hack, And which is have you been a trader?

Does I shop the Trader Jose constantly? But I'm gonna tell you be careful, tell me you're gonna.

Say no, tell me no, no, tell me tell me what the heck is first.

Let's see, because I might not have to. I'm not trying. I'm not trying to man explain something.

To the thing about Trader Joe's is like it's good, it's affordable, but it's basically microwavable dinners with some with like some options for fresh fruit, which their fresh fruit isn't really to meet the best fresh fruit. But that's what I was gonna say. So, like on a lazy week, like say I've cooked too many like because I'll do meal prep like it's like almost like the same food

But the skin or the actual you get a skinless and you trim the Yeah, why how do you do it? No wrong way? I didn't eat that fat. Oh yeah, you.

Sound like a Jamaican, but you ain't.

Jamaican.

Was here, she'd been like, suck up that fat and we eat all the bone marrow good stuff in there, and like you pay for bone marrow. My mom would be like, suck the ball marrow. My girl we go to rustaurant, She's like, what did the bone ma room?

Like?

Fun out of.

We when we're broke out crazy.

I can imagine cauld You imagine like big growing up and that's what you made when he was pooring all this money on it.

My girl was sitting there like she.

Wasn't Jamaican swooping out the bone marrow. I was like, bitch, I'm not spending a hundred dollars dispensive restaurants to My mom used to beat me to eat that ship.

But the bag microwave, who it's all good. Just watch off the sea oils because those those microwavable or heat.

Up meals you're talking about. Just be careful with the sea oils. That's what seed oils. What's that canola oil? Some flower oil? Anything that, like any kind of oils like that, any.

Seed oils you mean on the back of the label.

Yeah, like you looking at it and be like canola oil or sunflower why what what happens?

Well? Like these oils I have them right hair. But you know they were first for cars, like you know forward.

Back they were using them for like engines and like they ended up finding out you could put it in food to preserve it that it's really bad.

Do you research?

Oh I was gonna say I didn't like it because I was scared it had a lot of sodium in it.

Oh yeah, that too, all that ship, all that pre made stuff. Just make it yourself.

But I but I do. I'll go through weeks where I'm like, oh, I made the same ship. I know because I usually just eat chicken fish, chicken.

Fish, chicken fish. I know that's a lot. You know, I broke the oxtails fire.

Let me tell you I make some good, amazing short rip. Let me tell you something, my short rip. You know what I'm saying.

Stop playing with me.

Okay, anyways, Yes, I can do all of the above. It's so funny because my mom's coming to town and she was asking me, do I have a pressure cooker? Do I own a pressure cooker? Do I own a pressure cooker? Did I not come out of you? Of course I want a pressure cooker. I have the Wolfgang Puck pressure cooker. Shout outs to him. It is probably one of the best pressure cookers.

I'm gonna lie, I've never used a pressure cooker don't hate on me. I know I hear hate coming through your brain. I don't even know what it does.

Okay, So when you eat really tender beef ox tail short rip pressure, it's pressure cooker. You can't cook that ship. And I mean if you I don't even know how pressure cooker is, Like what takes six seven hours? Pressure cooker is like three or two?

Oh? Wow?

Yeah it changes the game. Wow, you really don't know about a pressure cooker. It's okay. I just learned about a rice cooker. Let me I live die, but that thing, Okay, I got a little twenty dollars one from Target. Really yeah, okay, look we are going off topic.

We still recording. They're like, what they didn't even hear anymore?

The other guess is in there, like what.

Hopefully got some weak for my.

We got weak from me too. We're gonna take edibles before the next shoot, slip some sativa and what'll just saying talks behind the kite, but no shout out to Swayzy. Thank you so much for blessing us with your time and your presence and your energy. I love talking food with you, believe it or not. Like, yeah, you know if you're not on the rice cook well you're you probably have a rice cooker.

No, I don't do it. You know what I get, I get the don't do it.

Don't do it. Are you talking about the little microwavable ones.

Trader from Trader? Don't they look healthy though you get the ingredients? Yeah, the rice and the frozen the little back plastic surrounded by plastic.

I know you ain't talking about oil that goes in Oh my god, oh my god, with a girl where she has like all the accessories in the kitchen. You know when you walk in and there's like all these devices.

That's you, that's me.

You gotta have the you have to have the rice cooker, you have to have the blender juicer, right, And then you're what are you just school us on?

Uh So, I'm the kind of guy that likes to do everything just like.

No, you just said you microwave your rice? Okay, rice is like you could do blind, right, char Also this I do.

Listen, I know how to cook my rice to one cup rice to cup water. Don't ever test me, right, that's that's the right measurement.

I Have you ever had the rice with the coconut Milkan. I really want to start messing with that. It tastes so much better.

Coconut.

No, I haven't figured out how they do it, but I'm going to do a cook off. So my mom's arriving in a couple of days and my home girls mom to.

Come over here.

This is what I told my homegirl. I swear to God, this is what I said. I said, Yo, we were sitting this her mom arrived in the town. I said, Yo, go get me a place. So shows up to my house. She you know, Jamaicans we have in the bag and sandwich. She's pulling out me right and peas yep. And we sitting there and I said, girl, I got an idea. She's like, what I said, how long your mom in town? She's like, till the twenty third. I said, mine is

I know you're saying, we not include me. You told you I'm coming. I'll bring something. I'll bring some hostail just for them to cook.

Oh no, I'm with that. I'm a single mom. You can bring the b the rice and a bye bye you. You know what I'm saying. Watch make a pressure cooker on camera. Pressure cooker all right. Anyways, shout out to say thank you so much for coming through and feeding me on this latest episode of Eating While Broke. How can fans keep up with you?

You know the basic ways?

Follow me on Instagram at shwayz s h w A y z E. I'm on Facebook. I don't run that Facebook page, but I'm on their periodically.

You run your Instagram.

I do run my Instagram, So DM me holler at me. New album comes out September thirteenth. New single Whiskey for out Right Now. A lot of music coming, y'all. Much up.

Peace for more Eating While Broke from iHeartRadio and The Black Effect. Visit the I Heartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.