Why Should I F*** Wit You? with Dj Hed

this this brother's expansion. I don't want to say shift because that's not what it is. It's an expansion of his world and what he's doing. It's just it's just so dope to watch. Uh. First of all, ladies, gentlemen, it's don't boy DJ head say what's something? Man? Hey man, welcome, welcome to the ship show. I appreciate everybody for rocket with me, um, you know, staying supportive through my what you say, evolution or your expansion, my expansion. Yeah, speaking away,

shout out to the fire Factory studios. Yeah, man, look at this this food. Look okay, see that's that I'll see. This is one reason why. I was like, now, you ain't gotta come over here, because you know I would. I would have pulled it up on you. I know you wouldn't. I know you would have. Man, Like Man, I just want to make sure you know what I'm saying. Like that, the the the aesthetic standard that I know you would already have would already be there. So I'm like,

I don't won't need to create nothing, he's gonna already have. Now, I would have pulled it up on you. Bro, you know what it is that's got some good video tacos. I know you're good on this side too. I love tacos. That's what I'm saying. You can't not. I'll be meeting people and they don't look they don't with tacos, And I'm like, Bro, I don't know if I could trust you like that. Just don't understand. Yeah, I'm like, how do you live anywhere but specifically here? It literally doesn't

make any sense to me. Bro. I like, honestly, I feel like between a taco and a burrito, I'm like, these are the two. I feel like it's I mean, it's gonna be a big statement, but I feel like it is the perfection of I just feel like it's it's perfect food because it's like it's all your food groups and you can eat the plate it's on, bro, because it's wrapped. You can eat it like you could eat it's wrapped in a burrito. It's wrapped already. Bro.

Come on, bro, I'm trying to tell you, like the thing is when you look at Okay, for instance, us here in US here in l A. Right. First of all, let's be clear, this is Mexico. Facts. White people pulled up and stole this ship from Mexico to Mexico. Just de's what they did to the world. But this is Mexico. It's a Los Angeles right now, and I don't know how to rolle my tongue, so whatever you're there. Yeah, so this being Mexico, like, I'm fully indulging in the culture. Bro.

I want all of it, all of it. I want all of it. Bro. See you see I hope you all already here. Why this nigga is on my show right now because he's already too wed he got to it yet. So look, so if you guys aren't familiar, uh DJ had, one of the co founders of Homegrown Radio, uh, and you know, we'll get into a little bit more of that later, but just ultimately like just the they have in the most sort of diligent and kind of humble,

like hungry but not thirsty. We talked about that often on the show to like the difference between the two way have solidified themselves as being kingmakers, like like taste makers, like in a way that's not imperialistic, if you will, Like it's just like these are real dudes, real folks that love the music, that are authentically friends and believe in what's going on here and have in ways that a lot of people haven't. Y'all's co sign is not

as transactional as others. Like sometimes it's just a trans this is just it is what it is. You gotta do the you gotta do the rounds. You're drive an album. You gotta do the rounds. You know what I'm saying. But like this is different. It's like it's like, no, you want them to like you know, I'm saying both times, I'll give you at all, but it's like I want you all that tell me why it's it's what We're gonna get into the red for the rest of the show.

It's the authenticity of it all. Like everybody, Okay, so background for listeners who are not in the industry. Me as a as a podcaster and an artist, I get both of these emails. You get these for me. I get these like book decks. So a publisher will send me this cold email with their list of authors and um new books coming out, and it's in the whole

for me to interview those people. And I've never I've never said yes to any of them because I'm like, I don't know y'all like y'all say, and I have no emotional tie or connection, and because I want my yes to matter. If I just say yes to everything y'all send me, then my yes don't matter. It's transactional. You're just gonna know, you know what I'm saying, you know. And as a musician, it's like I get cold emails for features, you know, and they're like, well, you know, um,

we'll pay you this much. You know, how much do you charge? YadA YadA, And like I could say beyond, I could say in a certainty, for the thirteen years i've been a professional artist, I've never charged for a feature because because you can't pay me enough to be on an album. I don't like to do a song with somebody I don't respect. There's no there's no dollar out for that. But then there's also no dollar amount that my homies could pay me. Like now I believe

in you, like I want you to win. You know. Of course I got my our PaperWorks right and everything on the back end, so I'm getting my point to my royalties and stuff like that. But but that's because that's how that's just how the business works. But like, I'm not gonna be like, yo, five bands, I'll come do this song? Are you kidding me? Like that's if my dog, Like why would I do that to him? Like spend that money, Go get that, Go get that Anderson feature. You know what I'm saying, Go get that,

Go get that big name. Yeah yeah, yeah, you'pend it on that, like not not on me. Fam Like go promote your record, it's cool. So I feel like with with Homegrown, it's like this is an outlet. You can't buy their support. I can't have my publicists send y'all a email and be like, Yo, this this is this is the campaign. That's what we do. It's not gonna happen like it's like y'all have to believe in it. So when you set up something like that, it's like

then that value shoots up. At least that's my opinion. Well, the thing is, um, I agree with you first of all. Second of all, thank you. Um. Third, I don't believe in that ship, bro. I think that's how the culture got ruined, like where it became, where it became monetized and transactional and stuff like that. And I feel like I'm gonna tell you something I never told him nobody before.

I've never said this before publicly ever. So Um, something happened where like I got an opportunity, big opportunity to do something right, and there was somebody who I forged the relationship with it. It was it was both personal and professional relationship. And I remember when she put me in position to do this amazing thing that I was able to do and they paid me handsomely to do it right. When when it came down to it, she was like, hey, you know I want a percentage of

what they're giving you. Wow, the thing that you know I'll put you on, Like I feel like it's only right, Like it's you know, a guy for me and it wasn't like a lookout for me, like because like hey, like I really need it right now. It was more like, like, bro, you owe me this because yeah, like I told and I told her the truth. I said, well, well, actually, you know, Salace end up telling her for those who

are no Salace my manager, my business partner. We've been together almost fifteen years, no paperwork, yeah, and Salace, And I'm telling her will like, I don't know if you know or not, but that's not really how head it is, Like it's not a transactional person like that. So what you're doing is you're monetizing the relationship. And that's OK, it's fine. But now I know if we have a monetized the relationship, that's cool. Then the then the then

the entire relationship is transactional. What's in it for me at this point? Right? So, um, what I had to explain. She was very very upset at and I told her the truth. You know me, I'm a straight shooter. I told her, say, look, at this point, I want to discontinue the friendship moving forward, like we just it's transactional at this point. And she really had a problem with it, and I was just like, bro, you monetize the relationship by telling me that I owe you these funds because

of something you did for me to look out. Yeah, And I'm like, you're right, dude, because like at that point, I would be like, Okay, well, this is the last check you're getting for me because and I gave her.

I gave her, I gave her the dollar amount she asked for, and I moved and she's no longer and yeah, I've never mentioned and and and it would have been this is this is exactly why I had you on here, because had she been a real one, it would be like I would continue to mention this person's name in all these rooms. I've been a you know what I'm saying, because now because she looked out, you know what I mean,

without without yes exactly, that was the pla. I was with a big I was with a big organization at the time. They're big, the biggest companies in the world that does they do. And I was going to put her in the room like, hey, she does these things and I need to hire her. But at that point it went out the window because it's like, oh, you monetize the relationship. So now it's transactional. I've done with that, but that's not what I thought we were doing exactly

as dude, see, yes, bro, all this wisdom you drop in. Okay, now, okay, you already you've already you're already proof of concept. So what I wanted to do with this show, why had was what you're hearing right now is because I feel like I dm them to tell him, like he what where he's at right now? Is this is what I'm trying to build in our culture is people who are

authentically who they are. Because you ask anybody, whether it's music or streets or anything, like the head is certified like he's authentically who he is um and understands business, politics, economics, all these other things. He's both. And the point of this show from day one was to show people like us, where are melanin and a little bit less whatever it is people who come from the equator, people that watch their legs, people that season their food, to show us

that these people are not smarter than you. It's just a different it's just a different vocabulary. You actually know what you're talking about, And I'm gonna show you that you know what you're talking about. You know what I'm saying, and I want you to step into that power like we we did it. We did an episode on lobbying and canvassing. When it when it comes to like when

you're campaigning you're to to run for office. And there's a term called astroke turfing, which is essentially when you're throwing a rally like foods be I mean it's a Craigslist ad like come, we'll pay you a hundred dollars, come cheer us on, make these signs and show up at at this event, right to show that we have support from the community. Right, that's astro turfing because you pay them to be there. Right. Uh, real political power is. And this is why I want of the hommies to understand.

If you shot a text right now that was like, Hey, I'm gonna hit the dilmma mall, We're gonna do a little a little pop up. I mean it's at least a hundred people coming at least you know what I'm saying. That's real power. You know what I'm saying, Because you on a text can bring people to a place. These politicians pay for that, you know what I'm saying. So and I and I bet you anybody who's like really from here and really out here could could do it.

You could get fifty people to a block party. That's real power. I think that's I think that's important though, mobilizing your people, and it's important to leadership. I feel like I'm a leader because I leave by example, and I think that that's something that well, I tried to. I'm not perfect, but I try to lead by example and through um the actions and the and the things that I do and say, I try to stand on it.

Not not because like, oh I feel like I'm that nigga and you gotta come to me, get your records and funk all that, but I think that mobilizing is an art that's a skill in itself because you know, it's certainly like the way you gauge it, and it's you'll relate to this because it goes back to the music, right. I remember my big honey Pool telling me. He was like, if you do a show and you know everybody at your show, you don't got no fans m hm. And I was like, and I thought about that. I've been

thinking about that ship for the fifteen years. I'm like, damn, that makes because what happens is you think you're mobilizing people. Oh, my name is, my name is probably probably I'm gonna do a show and you know everybody there. Did you really mobilize people or did you just invite everybody to your function? So it's like, you know what I'm saying, there's a difference to it. So I think that the way to gauge it is quote unquote hard ticket sales.

What the baby, the baby is doing right now, right where they're coming. The baby aligned for by one, get one free, um um for his ticket sales. But at the same time, it's like these same morons are complaining about high price ticket sales like that. It's like you gotta pick and choose. A struggle, my nigga, either you want either you want a deal, like people are literally complaining about a deal. Yeah, think about that. Imagine Cadillac was like, you know, we're doing by one and get

one free. Nobody would be like kind of like fell off niggas to be getting them cattle. Yeah, and if and if and if the Cadillacs is like two, you would be like, let's people lined up down the block. If they if gallons of gas was free, come right now, would you be making fun of Arco like know what it what you should be seeing the mentality of that, And it's just a whole bunch of nigga ship going on, not be like bro. So anyway, to some of my point,

there's an art in mobilizing people. The reason why you buy Jordan's is because Jordan's have been marketed to you to the point of relevance. And now at this point it's become a cultural thing and now that's how you infuse. But at some point Jordan's was just a prototype that was one Jordan's and Mike Mike and white people are Nike, and they were like, this is the thing, okay, and now we have to figure out how to mobilize people

do and consume the thing. And it's like, that's how art, bro, That's a whole skill in that you go to school, but eight years to learn how to do that. Yeah, and you learned in high school, which I'm finding like, go into already know you learned the high school. So look, uh so let's let's look. I got a few questions I want to ask you, but you've already like again, hit a lot of the gems. I was gonna try to come to you anyway. Uh So, first of all, shout out also shout out Salads. You know, we went

to high school together. I didn't know that. I didn't because I never put it together because Salads is his last name. We knew him as money, and y'all called him. He's a few years older than me too, but like y'all called him salas money. I called him money, Salas the money that is lame but good for you. But that's what I asked when he was it was he was, that was his nickname. That's what I say. He was

introduced to me. He was an upperclassman and they all called him money and and I mean, in his defense, the boy could shoot. He had a great jumper, you know what I'm saying. So I don't know what it is now. I haven't seen him since high school, so like, I don't know the jumper like now, but the boy. It's crazy because Chuck text me and he was like yo, because we were trying to get y'all out for real ones and Chuck's text me and he was like, man, yeah, man,

you should talk to Brian put out the yearbook. I was like, what he was like yeah, that was high school together and then it all came together and I was like, man and so like, I mean so many stories like that. I know he could certify for us. Like I mean, I was like, I was a backpacker, freestyle lass nick. You know I'm saying, just in the back of the bus, bench warming on the basketball team. But the nigger kar rap, That's that's who I was.

But anyway, I feel like from what I've been able to gather from what you've put out publicly as far as like your origin story, where you're from, you know, and uh how you got exposed to other things, I feel like it's it's really similar to mine because in the sense that I may have went to high school way out there with Salas, but I didn't live out there. I got I got busted, you know what I'm saying,

Like my my parents split. I was born in South Central, but I grew up on my point there West Kovenia with the Vatos, Like that's where I grew up. So when when my mom went and got this house in the i E, I was like, I'm not living out there, you know what I'm saying. So um, but I went to school out there it's a better school. So but that really for me, I like I can't be more

thankful for that experience. You know, you just see so even even between South Central and and like went there in West Covenia because like it was a different world and you just wont you It's almost like you become trilingual, if you will, Like you know, we're from the east Side, like this is sixty seven to sant Pedro, like we're from there, and then learning to speak vato, and then learning to speak suburbs, you know, and just learning all

those things. I feel like it it made me a weirdo, you know what I mean to the armies, you know what I'm saying. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. And I feel like you got some of that, So like what is that? Where did that come from? How did how did you become such a hybrid um? Because I was raised by Mexican people, bro, Like I'm from I'm from the East Side, right, So my mom's family is from Compton, my dad family from Livingwood. I spent

a lot of time in Lynnwood growing up. I'm a house and my dad, my dad's side of the family is from Lintwood too. And they all lived in Lynnwood, so I spent a lot of time on the East Side. It's for I was like, I'm like, I'm a Womington baby, Like if you look at it, like wuh. So for me, black and brown has always been my thing. It's a lady named you know, Julie and her family pretty much watched me while my mom, you know, go to work

and ship like that. And they was teaching me Spanish when I was two or three years old, and so I learned, you know, let is one of the first words I learned. Um. And having that cultural nuance um being from I think it's I think it's unanimous. The black and brown experience just in l A in general is a mixed pot of you. But for me specifically, all my best friends were Mexican. I didn't even have black best friends. So I got to high school. Yeah,

that's a true story. Like even like I didn't even know what it was like to have a lot of lack friend until I got to middle school, high school, I didn't even know. I thought everybody was Mexican. So even when it came into like the N word like that, right, I didn't know it was weird. For Mexican people to use it until I got to become a grown ass man because I didn't it was normal to me. All my friends said it like, so I didn't even know

that it was a difference. And so that's something that I think is unique my life specifically versus a lot of black voices or whatever they want to call me in the culture, because they be on me like, oh, you didn't check, you don't, you don't you didn't check soon, So for saying any word, I'm like, bro, that wasn't that was normal to me. I didn't know the difference.

So like for me specifically, right for me specifically when it comes to I just say Latin culture, I'm fully immersed in it, Like I love Latin specifically, Like I didn't know what a fucking Dominican was until I saw Sami So so nigger, I didn't, I being honest with you, No, I didn't know what that was. I'm like, why is he? They was like, no, he's he's lacking. I'm like, bro, he's not. He's black, That's what I'm saying. And they're like, I had to learn these things because that wasn't something

that we were taught and you know, full transparency. The reason why I grew up so bad, um poor and ship is because my mom, my mom, like my grandmother rest in peace, loved her death like you know, she just passed last year. This year. Um, my mom left home with me because my grandmother had some biggotry going on. You know what I'm saying, Like she really working with that black and brown ship my grandma from my grandma from the South bro. So she was you know what

I'm saying, So she didn't Mexican people like that. And my mom left the house with me because she was like, you're not gonna teach my son the way you was taught, like you. So we had to struck a lot because my mom left home. And so I attribute a lot of my who I am and and and and the DNA of what I am too one my mother and and another part is heavily influenced by Mexican people. I grew up with Mexicans. I love Mexicans, like Mexican food more like soul fool. If I'm being honest with you, yeah,

you know what I'm saying. Yeah, And I know like and you was telling that like explains like why you funk with me so much because I was raised in the Mexican hood, raised by Mexican men, you know what I'm saying, Like it was for me. I had a Julie. She was Julie Zarragoza. That was literally her name, and it was their family yo yo, yeah, Julie. It was Julie. And there were two families. It was the Brumins and Zaragosas, and those were the two families, uh that you know

raised me. I was telling the story to like Saturday mornings, eight am, getting knock on the door from Alex. Right, Alex. You know, I can't give his last name because you know I go but like you know, threp throws like you you know what I'm saying, like came out of prison. You know. It was my Sunday school teacher. No less, you know what I'm saying. But like you know, he was like very certified. You know, he would just he woke. He would wake us up Saturday morning, knock on the door,

like tell my mom, hey, hey is Jason ready. He's got to come late concrete with us. So my work ethic, people ask me all the time by like my work ethic and my pace and I'm like I was raised by toughest nails. Mexican men. Men just you just work, like I don't know, that's their answer. Men work? What

are you doing? You work? You know, all these all these things stuff that it made it into songs like leave a place better than you found it, like all this ship that came from these Mexican men, like men work. You know what I'm saying, You can't take care of your family, You're not worth nothing, like just autists. These gems that gave me why I live, Why I'm so comfortable and boiled heights like I lived like I'm fine, you know, saying it's because like, man, I've been around y'all.

You know you also, I remember when I first went to go meet my wife's family and Acapulco, Uh you know that southern Mexico, right, So her grandfather's sister. We go up the street, grandfather's sister. I'm around the corner and I'm looking at her and I was like, Babe, who is that And she's like, oh, it's Mikes, like my grandfather's sister. And I was like, that's a black woman. I don't care what you say. That's a black woman. Joe said, and she was like, oh yeah, she's like,

come to think of it. Then she starts showing me pictures of her grandfather and I was like, he's black, your grand I don't care what you say, y'all Afro Mexican, like he's black. And what I love about like you you you what you're hitting on is on the episode actually that came out today on My Feet is Black Love, Brown Pride, you know. So it was about the Luis

Martinez and stuff like that. Like but just when you think about l a culture at least with with when it comes to like black and brown and like Mexican stuff, it's like at some point our cultural exchange becomes so intertwined. Like I don't like who bore the quartets first? I don't know which one of us had dickies first. I

don't know the penalty. I don't know, you know what I'm saying, Like we just you know, like y'all low writer music them like that's all the old these is just black soul, Like y'all listen to the black soul and your cars, you our cars, like that's one that lowered your car? Wanted me gel what I'm saying like wanted me, Gail put your system in you right, So I'm like you just I don't know who did it first.

You know what I'm saying, Like the flannels, it don't at this point, it don't matter, you know what I'm saying. It don't matter. We are one, you know what I mean. So like so I've always been about that too, and I think that that's what makes us so, you know, uniquely able to speak about broader issues because like you've experienced something else, you know. I agree? Yeah, man, I love it dig so so similar. Man, So did you go to school in Wilmington's or would you? My mom

with my home school was Banning. I'm from card Okay, yeah, I'm from Carson. So my mom, uh my mom wouldn't let me go to Banning. She couldn't. When she was going up there to get my paperwork done and stuff. That was literally interested, She's like, yeah, you're not going here, Like the cops were literally walking people walking two dudes out of the out of the campus in handcuffs. That was me and Workman. That was me and Workman. High right there at that was me and Workman. Same thing. Yeah,

So she got my transfer paperwork. I went to go our high school in Cerritos. Oh words, so that's where that's how you So that's the noise all that world. Okay, yeah, black Filipino, mostly white Asian, A lot of Asians um over there in Cerritos. But but I really I really appreciate my It was hectic. I ain't gonna lie to you, like my upbringing with because we moved a lot, because we was poor and ship like that. My mom didn't have a lot of help, so we had um. I

went to five elementary schools. Yeah, and so like, it just was hectic. But I really appreciated because it gave me a broad spectrum of life. Also later on in life, it made me understand the value of education. When we was in the hood, when I was going to school and then Wood, I was in the fourth grade, I was honor role principles, honor row three point five g

p A. I'm killing ship right when we moved. We moved to Lakewood, and I'll start going to the white schools, seeing the seeing the average, and that's what led me. So like as I as I got old, I'm like with our education in the hood, some bullshit, because I'm going up over there. I'm I'm I'm I'm in the Gate Program, Honored Student Honors. Every every every month, I'm honors. And I go to the white school and I'm struggling. I'm feeling yes. So it's just certain things like that

that taught me nuance. And I'm really grateful for having that nuance because I'm able to speak to both sides of the spectrum. When I go to the s and I talked to these kids, that's so dope, bro, Like man, it's it's just blowing my mind because like, yeah, I went to three elementary schools and it was like and but my mom's attitude was like and she's even said it, she said it many times. She was like whatever and white kids get, my baby gonna get. She's like, I

don't I don't care what we're doing. I don't care how hard it is. And so for us, like our homes was they where she showed me in a lot of ways the value of like it's not that we don't have money, it's what we're spending our money on. And so for her, she was like I will break bread for this, like will not have you know what I'm saying, Like I'll drive you across town. You know what I'm saying. You know, I'll find you this good school.

You feel me so like and and yeah, like I went from same but it was the other way around. So I started off because when I was really young, my parents were still together so we had considerably more income. When they split, I had to go to the public school. So for me was when I noticed it was. I remember specifically it was the transition from third to fourth grade.

When I went to fourth grade in my neighborhood, I was like, this is all the work I did in third grade, Like I had already done all of it, and then yo, here's the real ship. My teacher, I remember moms pulled up. My teacher gave me straight B pluses right, and my my mom was like, what is I don't understand what is this B plus thing? And she was and he was like, well he earned a's, but I want him to still have something to work for. And my mom was like, okay, time out. Like as

she lit that, man, I never forget it. I had to leave the room because she was like, you are not gonna deny my son one of the few black boys here. Because now this was all Mexican school, you know what I'm saying. So now I'm the only little black boy at this school. So she like, you're not going to deny my son. If he earned it, You're gonna give it to him, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, so that's a crazy anyway, we could talk for hours. All right. So you go off to college. You go

to the Long Beach, Domingus. Now I go to Cerritos College, but the Cerritos Okay, so you got to Cerrito's. I know a little bit of this because because of money or because of Brian Writo's college, and I signed up for the So when I first when I first went to Cerritos College, I went there and I was on some ship like man, and I really want to do you know, radio. And what ended up happening was, uh, you know what happened was I got I knew I

wanted to do radio. When I got to Cerrito's College, you know, it's the it's the registration day, so the QualiTest pack all everybody here, and um I heard music coming from across the campus on the things. So I went to I walked up to the speaker. I literally walked up to a speaker and I'm looking at the speaker like I want to do this. So in the in the radio station. It was the building right there, and I was like, Yo, how do I get on the radio? That's dope, bro at Serrito's radio is dope.

I just walked in the radios. I was like, how do I get on the radio. They was like, oh, you gotta go. You gotta talk to Professor Bright. Got to Mr brad Man. So there was like, you gotta talk to Professor Bright. And I'm like, well, where did Yeah. They're like, he out there and at the at the radio tent. You gotta go out there. So I went out. It's a big, tall, white dude with glasses, big big as smile like and they was like, that's him. So I walked up to him and he's tall as ship bro.

So I tapped him on his back because I'm sure back. He turned around. He's smiling. He's like, hey, I said this. I literally said this to this white man. I said, I'm dope. Put me on your radio station. Love it real ship. Yeah, he just he just started laughing and cracking up. He's like I like you. He's like, take my class and I don't think about it. So I signed up for radio broadcasting. And then um, I signed up for radio broadcasting, took the whole course, learned everything

about that ship. Um me and Mondo Fresco, you know, in the same class, my boy, um T, my boy Hollywood T. The next semester, I was on the radio and Sarrito's, and then a lot of a lot of people took the opportunity to like really dive into like the minu ships of the radio ships. So they was doing they was just doing turned down ship to keep it a bluck like they was reading P. S. A. S Oh today in the student help center, get your

flu shots and yeah stuff. I knew I knew a lot of the promoters in l A because I was I was out, I was at the clubs and everything. So I'm going to them, like, yo, give me, give me like four tickets to give away on my radio show. So because I knew everybody, um, I was getting the same gets that big boy had to give away on the radio. So wait, so back up, back up, back up. How did you know everybody already? I had just been I've just been going out, me and my board outside,

me and my Boyfat Dad. We was hitting it. We was at We was in the club five six nights a week. Okay, comedy shows, showcases whatever, I'm going to the Laugh Factor, shot to my dou Um, Big Teflon Ben and Um and and even young He. They used to let me come to the laugh Factory, let me in for free because I didn't have money like that. So it would let me come to the laugh Factory and I'll be in there and I'll be Red Grant, Derek Ellis, all these comedians. I would see my Mugg

come on my radio show. I got Red Grant to come on my radio show or Cerrio's College College Radio Bro two thousand four Bro listen, and that was like the hype bro. Like we was making our rounds, you know, because y'all because like in Cerrito's radio is dope, because y'all have such to connect with with Stax Vinyl, you know, and if you did, if you did in stores in there, at some point you could get on the radio or Serritos. I did a couple in Stories and Stacks, so I doe, Yeah, no,

that's a good That was a good time. Man. So I was just making my rounds and doing that, and my ship just kind of blew up and we end up. I end up playing some I was playing two thousand one Dr Dre because you remember it's two thousand four, so like nink a game just came out like it's booming, right, So I'm like, bro, it's up. I'm playing all of this ship on the radio. I'm just playing playing it and they're like, bro, you can't do that, Like you just can't do play what you want to, like you,

but here's the way. I didn't know. And then again this is ignorance and lack of education. Rito's College. It's not just internet radio. They also have a signal on. Yeah, so it's still governed by the FEEC. Yeah. So if you just go and play some ship that ain't they cursing and ship Dr Dre. I'm playing all that playing its owns. Bro, they're getting in trouble. They I got the school find like fifteen bands. I got kicked without let's go um And it was just you just didn't know.

We was crashing the server because I was giving away tickets. And that's that their internet serving, their internet radio station thing isn't designed to handle that kind of band with two thousand four, so like we didn't have that kind of band with I'm editing music on cool Edit Pro Bro before Adobe bought it, before audition. It was cool atit Pro. I edited games three hundred bars in cool Edit Pro. I literally did that. I edited myself so

I could play it on radio. And it took me hours hours to edit games because games drop three hundred bars. I'm like, Bro, this is amazing. I want to play it. I can't play it if it's not clean. I cleaned it myself. So like those are the things that I was doing in two thousand four, Bro, two tho five, two thousand and four toout the five. I'm doing these things, and I'm going to the Laugh three every Sunday for Chocolate Sunday so I can scout comedians to come on

my show. I'm going to every showcase you could think of, Like it's just up and my show kind of blew up. And then one day this dude name Poll hit me up and he was like, Bro, I want to get my artists on your show. He fun with Black wall Street's name is Glasses Malone, and I started working with Pool and then they was and then he came on the show. We we hit it off and they was like, bro, you're smart, Like well you want with you? And I'm like, I'm I don't what do you want me to do? Yeah?

And I would just Pool thank um. You know, I love Pool for that. He just took me under his wing, start showing me things, taking me on the road with them, and he was like, look right for now, you're just gonna be our own personal host. Wherever we go, You're just gonna introduce g So I was introducing them. They

would take me to trips and stuff. And then once we got a record deal and ship start booming like um Glasses was like one day he was like hey, because because what ended up happening was I was standing behind the DJ shout to Nick Bean. I would stay behind the DJ and I would be telling him no, drop out right here, drop out, bring back around like I to where I'll just start ended up working in a fader. I didn't know how the DJ. Oh you wasn't even DJ And at this time I wasn't even

a DJ at this Wow, Okay, I wasn't. I didn't even none of my handles were DJ nothing. Because I didn't earn that. I felt like that that needed to be earned. And then one day um Glasses like, hey, because you're gonna be my DJ, and I'm like, bro, I don't know how to DJ. Mind you had always been intrigued by because I've been around. I came up under DJ Dance d J, d J Kelley, and so he was like, us gonna be my DJ. And I'm just like, well, he was like when you could learn,

you just you. You wanted the smartest things I know. So I was like all right, So I took a year to really learn how to d J home Vinyl like no surrounding. Yeah, I didn't have no, no craze. I didn't have no my own nothing. And you know, by the grace of God, um DJ cally b A d UMDJ, they would let me. I would be in there fucking the ship up in the club before the doors opened, like let me just learned. Yeah, I learned. I had to learn and real that's what I'm intelligent

as hell, that's my superpower. But I had to learn fast because I didn't have my own equipment. I couldn't afford him. So by the time I really start picking up steam and learning really how to the craft of DJ and I'm carrying my homies turntables and like, please let me open up for you. And you know, Callie really looked out for me and bought my first mixer, my first needles bro. I wonder if that. I mean, obviously it's like I don't want to get to woo

woo on it. But it's something in the water down there in Cerritos with DJ's like, I don't know what it is about that area, but it just produces some of the most talented I I don't and and actually it's like the Carson to Cerritos corridor that like I don't know what it is, but I'm like, man, Curtis King did that. Uh, I see Ice did that? Like they did this Carson to Cerritos and I don't. I don't know what it is about that time. We used to I used to cross parties down there, mainly because

like I was into Filipino girls. So you go to Creto Philipino cross which is I'm I'm incredibly married now, but at the time it's really outside. Uh, and there was man, it's so interesting to know that like that was a part of the story and shout out glasses man like was he in Signal Hill at the time. Then this is before the Signal Hill ship. He didn't have none of that. He didn't have the deal. He didn't have none of that. Like the first deal, the first deal we got was with Mike Lynn when when

Mike Lynn went and started his own entertainment company with Tony. Yeah, Mike signed Game to dress Um aftermath, but Mike Lynn signed classes and it was the biggest deal ever on the West Coast. Yeah, man, Okay, yeah, So I didn't know nothing about because I know, you know, I like I didn't realize that was Glass's house when it was in Signal Hill like as many times times as because it was just always people there like so like and he would his whole shows, like little radio shows and

stuff like that. So I came a couple of times with like Ta Kwan and just these different people just and then somebody to Actually it was Noah James who told me later. He was like, that was Glass's house and I was like, wait where. Yeah, I never put two and two together. I mean it was that was a studio that we had, but that this was all the way before all of all that, before all that, Okay,

dang oh man. All right, that's incredible. So so we see a background story, your origin story with music, the hustle. You know, you're not waiting for nobody to tell you how like you won't figure this out yourself and do the work to earn every slot you got. My next question would be about like this expansion into because there was like it was a visible shift in you, like at least from my perspective, and being like, hey, look I know this rapper, you know, and that's my social media.

Look at me. I'm with this rapper. Okay, alright, great, you know what I'm saying. Sure you know too, I'm interviewing the mayoral uh candidate. Joe said, like and about like, hey, I'm learning about stock markets and finances and how economy works and like late stage capitalism, all this ship that I the same thing that I nerd out over. But I have to be very careful who I talked to

about because Nigga's with just eyes with glaze over. So again, which was why I tried to perfect what we do in this podcast, is like, well, well let me learn how to say it differently. You know what I'm saying, because again, Nick's need to notice and too. It's actually if it if explained, well, it's actually very interesting, you know what I'm saying, and it's something that you need to know and probably would be good at, you know. So tell me about that transition. What sparked it? Was

it always there or like? But what what made you decide to like kind of turn up things that happened. It's always been there in mind tregue with money, um, with finances and stuff has always be there because I never had it. I've been two thousand and fourteen, I was broke. Mm hmm, I just got financially stable in two thousand and fifteen. Yeah, I was broke thirty one years. I'm I'm pretty. I'm thirty eight now I'm not one of the people. You know, weird people be like O,

don't tell my age, that's just weird. Yeah, um, I've been. I've only been fin actually stable for seven years. The whole rest of my life I was poor or broke or a combination of the two, either I financially or in spirit. But the I used to look forward to help poil loco because it was like, damn, if I if I have a good if I have a good week or two week run. I could treat myself oil loco. That's really what That's really what was reality up until and so it's always been there. But the real spark

came from a couple of different things. One salas mm hmm. When I was when I was broke living with my mom, he used to tell me stop worrying about the money. And I'm like, what it. Yeah, I don't understand what you don't worry? Yeah, You're like, bro, just work work on purpose. The money had come and I'm just like, bro, my phone is literally cut off. Ye like yeah. So anyway, that it was one of that was a bigger, a big pivotal transition for me to learn that the art

of manifestation of attraction positive thoughts. She liked that um. And then also the next thing was this girl. It was it was a girl. It always look, I'm not mad at you. That's how I got in the poetry. This girl was like you'd be good at this. It's like, okay, yeah, I'm laying in the bed with this girl and she doing something on her phone and I'm like, what are you doing? She was like, I'm checking my stocks. I

was like, bro, that's white people ship. You got stocks and she was like, yeah, that's that's the way I've been brainwashed. White people ship. She was like, well, I'm into it. I'm like, what are you doing like and she's like, well, I'm right now. I'm saying I'm trading my stock. I'm doing shot. So she's like, I'm buying more stock and I'm just like, I was like, explain that to me, and she was like, well, she said what she did. What she This is some nigger ship,

but it made sense to me. She said every time she would get it, she would like get a bonus at work or get some money or whatever. She would buy herself something nice and nice wallet and nice belt and I bag some shoes whatever, and some designer brand ship and high fashion ship. She said, Now what I do is I just go on the website and buy stock in that company instead of I buy stock. And so when I go to the club and I see the girls with the ship, I'm like, they're looking out

a bitch. I appreciate you, and I'm just like it just made sense to me. Politics. That's exactly it that made that ship makes perfect sense. That is the stock market, that's it. But when I tell you, that ship fired off so many different nots nerving things in my brand. Bro, in my life hadn't been the same sense, so I wouldn't on this worm She put me on the robbing hood. It's like, She's like, it's easy. It's just like using your bank app. She put me on the robing hood.

And I just went down to this wormhole of stocks and learning about that ship. And then I went into this thing where the goal, the goal for me, for the for my entire adult life, want to buy my mom my house. And I was just like, Bro, that's that's all I've been, that's all I That's all I ever wanted to do. It's two things that I wanted to do. I'm at my house and and be able to eat whatever I want for dinner. Those are my

only two. Those are my only two goals. Bro. I just want to be able to eat whatever I want for dinner. And I want to buy my my house. I know there are two opposite extremes. Yeah, no, it makes perfect sense to me, but I just couldn't. So anyway, we grew up in welfare and ship so and I remember us leaving houses. I'm like, I just want to buy on the crib. So so we ain't never got to really go through that no more like we don't like my my grandma. We lost my grandma's house keep

in our community. So um, in twenty five is when I start setting up, like I'm a buying my mom house. In two years, I started saving, I got my credit together, I started doing all these different things. I start learning real estate, and I started learning finances and ship like that where um my mom her crib and that's what's starting my my real estate journey. And I was just like,

this ship is really obtainable. It's not it's not out of reach, like yeah, and um, I know rappers and ship like that who blow five thousand dollars in the strip club And I'm like, bro, for them nights, you could buy a five hundred thousand dollar house. Yes, you could buy five our house right now with dollars. Yes. And it's just like and and and then they never think about it like that, right, So long story short, And I was living in the studio apartment at that time.

I just saved up my money and I was able to bless my mom and that way, and then um, after after that happened I saved up. The next year nineteen, I bought my house. And that's kind of what made me start going on his wormhole, like, man, this is really possible. Look like niggas can really do we keep in a car, me and my mom slipping a car bro saying we was. I was on welfare until we was until I turned eighteen. They kicked me off. I was on E d D, I was on unemployment all

of that. I still got the unemployment car right now. And it's like it's a mind state thing. And so with starting my real estate thing. Really is when I got my house and I started understanding the game. Shout to my dude, Matt Lou looking through the whole ship in my reality robbed and they just really put me on game about a lot of stuff. And once you learn the game, you can't un learn it. Now I can't even fathom doing it another way. I don't know. It doesn't even make sense to me. And I haven't

mind you to this day. Literally as we speak right now, I've never bought a new car. Yeah, I've never driven. I've never bought a new car. The only car that I've that I've driven is the one I'm driving right now, and it was a brand new car. And that's only because my mom wanted on. The price is right, it has to be a whole other side story. But the whole story that's amazing. I drove a Nissan CenTra right now. Uh huh. But I got two properties working on three. Listen,

talk to him, Listen. I drove. I bought a truck in two thousand three and I sold it in the pandemic, like I drove it almost twenty years for the same reason because I'm like, I don't there's nothing wrong with this, and that's a depreciating value. Once somebody told me, you mean to tell me this the one thing that if I get it, it loses the second it's mine, it loses its value. Then this is a stupid investment. I'm

just gonna like yeah. So like and I and and I had to get another because I got two kids. I was like, we had to get another about paid cash. I was like, this isn't this is it? Like I'm going to drive this because like you said, and I'm like, I got my house. There's a rental property in the back. I rent in the back, and I'm like, if if if renting exists. If there are such things as landlords, there must be one that would understand the type of

upbringing we had. And it's going to give somebody a break, you know what I'm saying. So yeah, so I was like, so I rent in the back, but I rent well below market because I'm like, I understand, save your bread and get out of my get out of renting out my backhouse so that you can go get your own. But this is just us being different because we've been through ship that we've been through. So so my thing is that's when it really started my real estate thing.

And I just went down a wormhole of learning this ship and understanding it and doing the refive cash I refile like um, just learning the game and it's like, oh, that's why they got all the money, Like that's why, that's why they got all of the money. That's why white people were rich at fun all that ship. So my tho is when when you look at certain pds outside to um. Actually, Salace said that one day he was like, as he said, that's why he went to

school and got a degree. He wanted to know why they got all the money and we don't, right, uh huh. But My thing is when I started my real estate ship, it wasn't to make money. It was to really tell people like, hey, this ship is really possible. It's really not that able to acquire these things and it's not out of reach. So that's really what that's really what it what it was, man. So I feel like it's

probably like the last question here. So I feel like what we've seen in like hip hop, you know, and in the grand scheme of things, it's still a young genre. It's only we're stilling it's fifty years old. That's like you're not even on you're not even on Social Security yet, you know what I'm saying. So like it's it's a it's a young genre. So we don't have you know,

generations of like elder statesmen. Like the closest is like a jay Z, you know what I'm saying, who's like, But we've seen the transition from rapper to entertainer to actor. We've seen the transition from you know, rapper to business mogul. Like we've seen that. And I think a lot of that has to do with the combination of understanding hustle and hard work because of what we came from and the value of what it takes to make a dollar,

coupled with learning how the system actually works. It's like when you take this like really understanding like how much a dollar actually costs, you know what I'm saying, and put that with the knowledge base that you have, it's like, there's weird we would take over the world, you know what I'm saying, because because we have that piece, you

don't have what we haven't seen. And I would argue, like one would some would say like Chuck D and Public Enemy were like you know, or early versions of going from rapper to politics, but they were just activists. And I'm like, we've always had that in hip hop. Somebody like Killer Mike, where I'm like, Okay, he's becoming a politician, you know what I'm saying, in the in the best way possible. What, Yeah, we haven't seen that.

I feel like he's the first to like really come from authentically hip hop and then move into policy making in the way that he has understanding finances, understanding all these things. But like like in the way that jay Z moved into business, Killer Mike moving into politics, and I'm excited about ship like that, you know what I'm saying, because the more you understand about finance, the more you know, you have to know politics because they are not they're

not separate, you know. Um it's like we're seeing it in in local politics now, like I don't care how successful your businesses. There was a young man, um I forget home his name, but like he was gonna run for District nine, which is like my district. No, no,

not not District nine. Uh lower east Side, so like South Central and watts on the east Side, right, So he was he was gonna run for district or he was a Mexican dude, and the elder statesman of our city council was like, hey, you can't like the other Mexican leaders, was like, you can't run here. He's like what He's like, It's where I grew up, is where I'm from. It was like we agreed that we were going to keep the East Side black m so you can't You're not allowed to run here. So the fool

couldn't run for office because of the way power brokering works. Okay, how much money you got, Like you have to understand power, you know what I'm saying. So I I am so intrigued at y'all adding that aspect to what you're doing. So tell me a little bit about that that understanding of Like all right, we're to say when a big time election and we need to talk about politics. Yeah, I think we just need to utilize our platforms to

do different things. Um, if I can, if I can have uh Skinny from the nine on my show talking about why he's justified and using an inn word, and I can have you know, being talk about selling drugs, well, I can't have Aaron Bass talking about what she's talking about, or Marquis Harris Dawson talking about destination Crenshaw or facts or renaming the Slawson Crenshaw and Nipty House a square

like things that to the community. I just that's what my whole video thing was about today, is like talking about ship but don't do nothing. Like I think that people just need to get involved. It's all of these people that complain about ship. I won't do nothing. But it's not not willing to learn new processes of doing things want they want and it's not willing to do ship and not just not how That's not where I come from. Like, if you got a problem, address the

problem directly. Don't straight up up tweet. Don't like you. You call somebody, or you get involved. You get involved, join the Boys and Girls Club, you joined the Grammy board, You get onto on the radio station, you get on television, learn any inner workings of how things go. You know what I'm saying. I had a whole television show that I was co hosting UM for Harvey Levin. Okay, Remember, yeah, I'm somebody that's looked at and this is the thing

that that was told to me. I'm somebody that's looked at as somebody that has an authority in this city with a high level of integrity. And I was on TMZ Hip Hop m right, and it was like I was told that, oh, this is gonna hurt your brand, This is gonna hurt No, it's not because I still instead I'm not. I'm not the one that's like, hey, let's let's blow this whole building up full of these meeting full of these racist people. I want to go in there and have a conversation with them. Nig they

might got a point, ye know what I'm saying. Like, it's just it's certain things like that that I feel like needs have told me me and Chuck and our teams collectively, We've never been one to not have the conversation. Whatever that conversation might be, Like, that's something that um, I always wanted to do. But now that now that I'm a little free, it was figured out. I'm a little free to to do the things that I want to do. And I'll be dragging Chuck into some bullish it,

but I really want to do that. I want to have those conversations like what's going on with the Jewish community. I want to have some money explaining ship to me. Yeah, I know's going on, you know what I'm saying, or yeah, but I think that that's what needs to happen. You know what I'm saying. I think those things need to happen. Running away from it and complain and that ship is wet, I'm not working with that, and that's like like to

bring it full circle. I feel like number one, this is why the homegrown radio co sign matters is because you are willing to do ship that everybody's not willing to do, you know what I'm saying. And number one and then number two, I feel like the you you you brought an authenticity to TMZ hip hop It's not like you're gonna go in there and you're gonna let them hand you a list of people you're supposed to interview. You know what I'm saying. It's like, no, you're gonna

go in there and be it. You know what I'm saying, Which is what I saw. I'm like, he's himself everywhere

he goes, you know which is what? Which is again lines up with the whole authenticity of it, and why when you interview somebody like a Karen Gass, Karen Bass or anybody, none of us should ever question you because and not not in a sense to like take whatever you say is whatever, but that the fact that like you've already shown like, yeah, I'm as real as it comes, you know what I'm saying, Like, and I'm down to

have the conversation. If I think you full of ship, I'm gonna call you on it, you know what I'm saying. If I think you make a good point, I'm gonna let you make a good point. But I think, lastly, again full circle to the point you was making in the beginning about the story you never told, is that I think people really need to understand that, you know, politics, it is transactional, like Karen Bass, ain't my friend, like you know what I'm saying, We're not homies. You're applying

for a job. These people are applying for a job and I get to hire you. That's the type of power we have. I'm interviewing you. Tell me, tell me why I should give you this type authority. This ship is transactional, it's symbiotic. You only have the power I give you. And when I walk in two day, today's November eight. If I walk in today and check your name on this check your name in this box to make me, you know what I'm saying, earn it, show

me what you got. You know what I'm saying. And I feel like like the point you was trying to make is like we don't have to be friends. Aren't to like you. I could change my mind at any moment. You only got two years on it. You know what I'm saying. If I come back two years, you're back on the ballot. I'm like, oh no, you wouldn't who you said you was. You know I'm saying, I'm done. I don't owe you anything. You're saying energy and everything we always everybody, everybody in my life has to earn

a position all the time. Yes, my mom, Yeah, who give you gave birth to me. I didn't ask to be here in my naked I'm saying, yeah, my dad asks sacked like, you know what, I want to be a Capricorn, get out there, January twelve. I didn't. That wasn't a that wasn't a thing. So you gotta earn it. I gotta earn your your respect. I gotta earn your I gotta earn your friendship. I gotta earn your Whatever

we're doing, you gotta earn that ship. So I don't treat politicians any different than I treat people in my family. It's people like right now, verbally, when is the last time I spoke to you at the interview like you almost a year ago? Yeah, I already talked to you more than I talk to people in my family. See. Yeah, but the nigs don't earn it. I don't give it like I don't care. That's really now. I feel you, So that that's where I'm coming from. So I don't

treat politicians any different than I treat my own family members. Bro, you why why should I funk with you? That's the question. Yeah, I know you sunk with me, But why should I funk with you? See? I see that it should be the name of are like political, So why should I funk with you? Like when you when you when you do when you launch that wing of head interviewing congressman, that's got to be the name of it. Why should I funk with you? I don't know if they let

me do that? You independent? Now only Y's said yeah, but I'm still you know, Chuck still yeah yeah, yeah yeah. Anyway, well head, thank you for your time. Man, I hold you too much longer. Man, I appreciate everything you're doing. Man, if you can't like drop your socials and networks, let everybody know where to find you. Man, my socials right now is at home Grown Radio. Let's go you see what you said about this thing. Let's go plug the squad. Okay,

everything is homegrown Radio. And I do I got I think I got two interviews on y'alls archives over there. But like, man, this is really just one of like like legitimately give y'all y'all flowers. Man, you guys have built such a great thing. Um. I love everything you do, like Chuck is like salt to the earth. Obviously like salace, man, I'm actually looking forward to reconnecting with him more now that I was able to put two and two together.

Like when I tell you a million years, I would have never put I would have never put it together million years until maybe he walked in the room and I would be like money, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, no, niggas. Niggas is here. You was here the whole time. I just got here. You know what I'm saying. I had to do it. Nig was here the all time. I can't stare y'all. Yeah, well look look that then what that proof is? I'm I'm as real as it gets.

I don't talk weird about niggas when they're not around. You know what I'm saying. What I say to you a person, Huh, I wouldn't let you yeah, true, true, true. But what I'm trying to say is what when I don't know you in the room. This is how I talk about y'all. I really do respect and love everything y'all doing. Appreciate you, bro, Yeah man, now, I appreciate you all. Man. I wanta hold y'all up much longer. Uh shout out, Chuck say it was stuff real quick, Chuck,

since you're there. You that's Chuck Dizel shout out, Brian Money Salas and I just talked to Courtland yesterday. Where Courtland's another friend from high school. I know none of y'all know what that is is that nigga's chest still gorgeous. I don't speak on nigga's chest. You can speak on Courtland's chess. Come on, that is uniquely Listen, hey, y'all, okay, listen, listen, Chuck head. We was in high school. This nigga Cortland was doing like a hundred push ups a day, and

I remember, because we look like children. I look like a child. I didn't really grow facial here until I was in college. I look like a child. This nigga Cortland looked like a grown ass man. And I just remember being like this nigga looked like an adult, like this crazy. I just didn't know if if he gained weight or nothing. Do we look the same or what? That's the question. Looked the same. He just can't grow here on his head the same. Okay. Anyway, all right,

we're rambling now. I appreciate your time, head, alright, I appreciate you everything, y'all doing all right, y'all? Yeah? This is his Thing was recorded by Me Propaganda and East Low Spoil Heights, Los Angeles, California. This mug was mixed, edited, mastered, and scored by Matt Ososki. I can totally say his name, guys, it was. It was a stick. He's won by Matt now again because he got to legal situations with the

name head lights. Y'all know, comment used to be called common sense, you know, tippy t. I was tipped The Times That Happened Executive produced by the one and only Sophie Lichtman for Cool Zone Media and the theme music by the one and only Gold Tips Gold Tips d J Shawn p. So y'all just remember listening time you check in. If you understand city living, you understand politics. We'll see how next week