Mister Jesse in the Neighborhood

founder of this new children's company. This focuses on story time, entertainment, merchandizing. You name it, Mr Jesse. That's the name of his program, I shall say, or his brand, his brand, his name Mr Jesse, And it's an entertainment company. Phil with so much joy, happiness, and so I happ't with me today and I'm gonna interview former Leak's Bookshelf. How are you doing, Mr Jesse Campbell? I am doing exceptionally well. Thank you then, Mr Meleik, I appreciate that very much. So good, good,

good good. It's a pleasure to be able to interview you here on Leek's Bookshelf. And so um I gave a short version of Mr Jesse your brand, But I want you to go in more depth, in detail about this wonderful brand that you created. Full of life. Yes, well hey, it's called Mr Jesse's Reading Journey on YouTube YouTube kids channel and please go check it out and be sure to click the like and the subscribe, And please know when you subscribe, ain't nothing you have to

pay for. It's just something whereby you would be notified whenever there's another Mr Jesse posting. But the umbrella company is Mr Jesse LLLC. Well, this is a children's entertainment company. What is basically about edutaining because it's educational aspects to the entertainment, So any and everything's got to do with Mr Jesse there will be a learning element to it. So that's like the basics of it. But I started

with the Mr Jesse's Reading Journey YouTube kids channel. And how that came about was when my daughter was in a preschool and throughout the early years of elementary I would partake in their Dr. Seuss nights and I would read books to rhythms, so we do things like hop and pop said come with the hop on five Hop five, So they would do things like that, right, So we have a small community where my daughter there's like four girls that's been together really about six but four of

them really uh hung tight, that's been together since preschool, right, But they grew up in the same little community lad Era. So bottom line is, when the pandemic hit, I thought, what can I do to assist our small community of parents and teachers? Uh in shifting to the online learning? So I said, why not go back to doing some reading to rhythms. So bottom line is that's what became

Mr Jesse. And it has grown and grown and grown, whereby we now have merchandise, you know, we have you know, the toys is a part of it, and then we also have animation, and then we have an app and all of this is a part of what's to come. But here's the gist of Mr Jesse. It's all about

assisting in the evolution of generational thinkers. Because as I began to look into how I can assist in this online learning process, I come to find out that Rockefeller once said I don't want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers. And I'm like, what are you kidding me? I can't believe. But as I dug deeper, and deeper. I come to find out that it's like the entire educational system of public schools has been created to create slave mentalities, to create workers for the factories,

and and there's many different elements. Think about the bell ring and thinking about folks lining up, you know, think about the permission that you've got to get to go here and there. So a lot of these things. I'm like, Wow, this is incredible. So what can I do to contribute to the evolution of generational thinkers? So I thought to use my talents of singing, voiceover's, animation, acting, and other things.

And now, as a result of me having to do everything that you'll see when you look at the YouTube channel, you'll see the progression of work that was created from the very first video up until the most recent video. I had to learn how to do all of that, all of the editing, all of the audio everything. That was one of the questions I wanted, Yes, well, I know, I know, you do the singing, because you know that part easier. Yeah, he did. I wish everything else came

as easy as the singing. But man, it was a working process. There were times, man where I would literally grown man crying because I could not get this computer to work and do what I knew it could do. But I come to find out that it was just a four gigabyte MacBook Air and it cannot handle it. So I eventually got what I needed to do what was done, and yeah, absolutely, And as a matter of fact, I just kept doing what I knew to do. And

through it all, I was constantly praying. Through it all, I was meditating, and I would get these visions of how I wanted things to do, how I wanted things to to to be, and uh, I didn't know exactly how I was going to do it. But then things begin to happen. But as I reached out to help

someone else in different areas, whatever it was. It could be driving down the street and I saw a homeless lady who was barefoot, taking forever to walk where everybody's going to hornet, and I'm like, what is the issue? And I see this elderly lady and she had long tonails, but she was walking bare feet. Her feet were hurting, and she was taking a time. So I went to the store, turned around and went about two miles away, bought some shoes, found her, put them on her feet.

You know what I'm saying. And then there was another guy who called him one of vocal lessons, so I assisted him and giving vocal lessons, and so he called one day He's like, hey, UM, can we do the lesson as such and such a time. I was like sure, that's fine, that's fine. It's like, well, well you're okay, and I was like, I'm a little tired because I was up trying to figure out what's work with this computer.

So what I ended up doing was I told him, uh, he said that I needed a new computer or a different computer, and he started looking at things that I needed. Long story short. The next day, I'm driving to the car and I get a text message and it was from best Buy saying your computer is ready for pickup, and I'm like, what are you talking about. I get there and they bring this big, old giant Mac I Mac twenty seven inch computer out and I look at

it and it was from that Vocal client. The vocal client bought me and I know you put it in the heavens and it blessed absolutely, just the direct desire. And I believe that the universe will conform things and UH, to meet you where you are to get you. We're supposed to be so now, uh, there's so much more I can say. But what now, you got the equipment, you already had the ability, uh gifted singer. I've been singing for how long? Oh gosh, over thirty years? Over

thirty years. Ye yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah, and that that that just comes natural, It's innate. And so now we we're bringing forth the creative elements around Mr Jesse. So we have the hardware, we have the talent, and so now you're doing the creativity. You get the software and the sore yes, yeah, you know, and you know, just bringing all of these elements together. And what I will say is that early on in my career I would actually I passed up on a lot of opportunities

in the past because of what I didn't know. Like I have major contract on one of the most known record companies in the world. I had a contract to do voiceovers and animation with one of the top talent agencies in Los Angeles, California, simply because I didn't know what I know now you know what I'm saying, So therefore I gave it up. But what ended up happening was because I gave it up for you know, heartfelt reasons.

You know my ignorance. It was bliss, but it was risk because I lost those opportunities, but because I reached out to God as like I don't understand, and he said to get understanding above all things. And as I began to search and and and get this understanding, I come to realize that God works in mysterious ways. I put God in the box. It's like, God, I need you to work this way. And when God was trying to say, hey, I gave you the gift to be

a light to the world. So even the Bible talks about the fact that Jesus said that these works in greater works, and you shall do so, I put this in the box. So by online is now as a result of the pandemic and being forced to be alone in the house by myself, and I come to find out that all of the things that I gave up are now being used to confirm this world of of of of a situation that would be able to assist

our children. So my point is I used the singing voice, overs, animation, and acting to bring universal content to life that paints pictures for the hearts and minds of our youth as to what the fullness of life can be. Kids aren't born racist, kids are born hated. They're taught that. So my thing is, let me flip the script and create a world of generation on thinkers and not just the workers. Come on, come on, come on, yeah, yeah, yeah, but the only two how many years of your life to

get to this, But that's the that's the journey. Then we all go on. You know, sometimes we live in life like we're in the belly of the whale, you know, meaning that you know, we're bumping off walls, we're not doing what we're going to do, only to find out decades and decades later that we found that true road, that true calling. And it seems that when the pandemic hit and things slowed up and the world got quiet, Mr Jesse was able to formalize his brand and now

bring it forth where you you're getting funding. You have it on YouTube, Mr Jesse on YouTube, and you have the merchandizing components, and so you have all these elements and it's such a beautiful character. It's an up temple, high energy, exciting and very very entertaining character. Yes, thank you, thank you. I should have made. You brought your beanie so you can transform. I hear you, and I appreciate that, and thank you for noticing all of that. But you said,

you know, saying something about funding. I got some funding that's gonna help me get to the next level. You know what I'm saying. But there is a need, and the need is great. But just like I said, how God met my need with that computer, He's going to meet my need with the funding. So I'm just going to continue to move in the direction of desire, knowing that the divine is going to conform the things of the universe to meet me where I am, to get

me to where I'm supposed to be. So with all of that, now, I just gave you the nutshell version of what Mr Jesse is. But I gotta tell you it's all about reading. Yes, and where am I? Yes, I'm here with Malik of Malik Books two locations, Black Own in Los Angeles. Man, and I shout the world to know all about this, because when I came in here, I was in need of black content. And then when I walked back, I was like, what in the World's

like the choir begin to sing? Heavens opened up and it's like and I was like, oh, I gotta walk in here, man, and books everywhere speaking to the kind of beautiful uh content over there. You get beautiful uh paraphernally, you got something everything that anybody could ever want pertaining to black content. And so I come in there is come in here as Mr Jesse, and I see shelves of black content for kids. And that is what I bring to life for these children. So these books that

I get from you here, it brings life. It shines light upon their lives and the dark places that they experience. And that's what I love about it, man. And I appreciate you for even allowing me this opportunity to share with the world what God has given me to do. I appreciate you. I appreciate I wanted to tell us in terms of some the books that you've read on, Mr Jesse, Well, one of the biggest is called A

Beautiful Blackbird. Every all of the birds were all colors of the rainbow, and they all had a little something, but nobody had as much as blackbird. Blackbird was such a blessing that all of the other birds wanted to touch off into black and he just got a little bit of coloring and put it in his medicine gourd and tapped a little bit of black on each one

of them in a different kind of way. Because the whole point is we are all individual, but it's nothing like when we come together and be a collective of human race and it's all about unity. So that's what a beautiful book there. And then there's other books and stuff like that, but I just wanted to point out that book because that is the book that has reached the most people because people want to know about Beautiful Blackbird. But man, I thank you for having it. You gotta

get some more up in there, you beautiful blackbirds. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a good thing. Then then Blackbirds sank I penned Plannic plan it planting here the gods now empty, empty empty, the birds surrounded blackbird and sang or colors part badl or touch off black close all a beautiful black ha ha ha blas builder a. Yeah, Oh my goodness, wasn't that fun. We live here at Malik's Books with Jesse Campbell, the creator and founder and owner of Mr Jesse. You

can listen and here Mr Jesse on YouTube. Yes, and then you go to YouTube, type and Mr Jesse and uh you you can you can type in Mr Jesse's reading journey pops right up. But then also there's a Mr Jesse a website, but then the other social media

sites all of that. It should be up by the time of Black History Month throughout the black so you can reach me there and just be on the lookout because there's so much more to come, so much more to come because you've done about how many different books have you read and sang and animated on Mr Jesse so far? There's probably about a good fifteen to twenty books because I learned to do everything, so it takes time. It takes a lot of effort, but they're there, and

there's more to come, you know. So there's like something because I've seen just recently you did one on the zoo l a zoo. Yeah, yeah, that was a holiday absolutely, So there's that and um and and and a whole lot more just different to things. It's all about the city. So you're gonna see a lot more of that. Yes, yes, I want you to share the character Mr Jesse on release bookshow because this character is fun, is energetic. I need you to get into character right now when Mr Malik,

I am really happy to be here. I am Mr Jesse and Mr Jesse is a reading journey channel for kids on YouTube. So your children from the ages of two to seven years old and from preschool to second grade and even older on up to your age, Mr Malik, the kid in you, that would be so awesome. So when you come to Mr Jesse on YouTube channel, you get to read experience me bringing books to life using singing voiceovers, animation, acting and illustrations and things like that

to bring the books to life for your children. So if you have children, or you have nieces and nephews or cousin in that age range, oh, you should be sure to come and visit Mr Jesse. But you need to click the like button and more importantly the subscribe button. Yes, who have been some of your inspiration as you developed this character, Mr Jesse, Well, Mr Rogers, back in the day when I was a kid, Mr Rogers, I loved it when we were right, Mr Rises and then reading

Rainbow Lave Our Burden and another person Willy Wonka. That's so much as to the reading, yes, you better believe it. So those were big influences and that's what Mr Jesse is. It's all about, uh having a community of supporters that would encourage reading and thinking, because it's all about encouraging the children to think, to be thinkers, to be dreamers, and to go after those dreams. You know. I asked the children questions and and and and and things like

that that would evoke curiosity and things. So that's what Mr Jesse is about. So yes, and and um, as you developed this character, Mr Jesse, Um, what aspect of it would you say is uniquely part of you? Oh? The kid, the kid, the child. Yeah, the playful, fun, happy, go lucky, not letting much of anything get to me, you know, just letting things roll off and just go on about my business in an okey dokey way, you know,

because you've learned this way. No. How I did parent, which I'd like to bring a problem across in the in the in the videos and things. It's I gave my daughter choices. The one particular situation she'll never forget. So she was around eight years old, maybe nine, and we were going to a park and sun was out, but you know, it was a little cool. So I said, what,

baby girl, don't you think you should get this jacket. No, I don't want that jacket, Daddy yet, but it's gonna get cooler at nighttime because the sun is gonna go down. So I teach her about, you know, things like that, the weather and stuff. So I teach her to think. So she didn't want to take it, so okay, Well, so what I did was I packed it away in my backpack. And so later on in the evening, she's like, I'm cold, daddy, And I said, oh, wow, what I

would have happened if you would have brought that jacket. Huh? She said, yeah. I said that as I was pulling it out, and she just grabbed the jacket put it on. It was so sweet because she just said, thank you, daddy. You know what I'm saying. It was just a lesson learned. So you gotta think. And that's kind of how I raised my daughter. But I would always have fun though I was always goofy and and cracking jokes and stuff like that. But she also knew where not to cross,

you know, the line. Okay, now this is not a joke. This is serious business. Need to understand. Yeah, So that's how I raised my daughter. I want her to know that there are options. I want her to weigh the options, find out what they are, and make the best decision for you. And she turned out all right, Yes she did.

So she is, Yes, she is in college. She's uh, she's got uh, she's studying for a sustainability because she wants to, you know, help to sustain you know, humanity and life on the Earth and the planet itself, you know, because I'm like, look, we need to create a generation of thinkers so that we can planet hop you know, we need to be jumping from planet to planet. So

that's kind of like the mindset. But there's so many you see the head y'all can't see it on the podcast, but this is a big cranium that I had here, and there's a lot going on there. Yeah, at some point you went bold and just had to okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, hair had to go. I don't know why people hold on because you know, the ball is it? Yeah, as it is? And yeah no, no, no, no offense to those who choose to die and be into each zone

with me. I want this wisdom. I've been through some things and I've come to some things, and I want to share these things with the world. But I like to do that by sowing seeds of this wisdom in the hearts, in the minds of children, so they can grow up and be the strongest pillars of our world. You know, we always say here in books as children are one of our future. And that's why we specialize in a lot of children books, because if we want to make the best impact for a generation of change,

I think we start with children. Yes, and reading. Yes, Reading is fundamental. It is it is anything about it is we knowledge is passed down and when we put them in books, they can read these books. And it's great to have the videos and a different stimulation because you know what I let me say this, it's like if we go to hear a great orator, you know, a great speech or a great sermon or something like that, it touches us, you know, but you know, after so long,

it kind of fades away. But when you couple that message with music, and a good melody is not going to easily be forgotten. So that's who I am. I bring the reading and the music and the message altogether and visually presented to the children to stimulate them, but at the same time give them just enough whereby they get the message. Music is so universal. Yes, so a couple of the music and their reading, it's a it's

a win win situation. So that's Mr Jesse. So please come visit me in my s T E r j E S S E on the YouTube channel the site there, And uh, I mean, how can people support what you're doing besides just you know, going to see your episodes on YouTube? You know, I appreciate that because because this has to be a movement. This has to be a generation of change. So that means it has to be

a movement. And so how can people find you, support you and do other things to help Mr Jesse become just as successful Sesame Street, uh, Mr Rogers and so many other children uh entertainment UM programs that are out there. This could be just as big. This is monitoring, this is on the day's time, my brother taking his skills and making these books come to life, animation, music and just the positive energy trying to create a generation to change. We want to make sure we ain't. Mr Jesson Yeah

that's my elm A. Yeah, he gets excited. You know when people talk like you with that much energy, Yes, it comes out you got to Yeah, but I appreciate that. Yeah, but you can got to come out dot com be better believe it. Yeah, you got LM want to come out in the midst of this beautiful bookstore at the Cover City. Uh what do we call this mall? What's phil Cover City? Phil Covi City Mall for those of us back in the day. Uh, Fox Hills Mall. You know what I'm saying. But yeah, you got it to

come out. But I'm excited to share this because the vision is so great, the business plan is so big that it's got to be done in steps. And the biggest thing that anybody could do right now is to support the YouTube channel by subscribing and sharing the links to the videos that you like, post them on your social media sites Twitter and Instagram and Facebook, uh and and and TikTok, share a little piece of the videos with him with your followers, and that begins this uh

viral effect, Yes, the viral effect exactly. So these things go viral. Then it helps to capture the attempt attention of potential investors and networks because I can only say so much, because the rest is preserved for those investors in those networks who would like to add their you know, uh, two cents or whatever amount they would like to invest. It could be at their three million, you know what I'm saying. And I would be like when you bring

your your ideas, I welcome them. But yet and still it's got to be done the way that I feel the divine is leading me to, because it's not about the money. This is about really point pouring into the hearts and the minds of our future and that's our children. So that that's the best way you can support me and um in addition to subscribing and sharing it and asking people to subscribe. To subscribe, go to the website

Jesse Campbell dot com. Uh. Mr Jesse dot com. Those are two different sites, but it's all me and it's all the same and it's all for our children. Well, brother, I appreciate you taking the time out share with my audience at Belief's book. Brother, this revolutionary kids brand called Mr Jesse by Jesse Campbell and then Meek because of

what you've done here and making this available. Just being here, I see the response of people when they walk through and they're like Wow, They're like oh, and that's all the one lady is like oh, because this is, and it's encouraging to us. And even if if people are not readers, you know, they can still come in here and find something to inspire them in your podcast. It's so great and it's so encouraging because people are really

being up lifted. Man, So thank you for being a staple in the community and being careful in Los Angeles and around the world. Via the Meliek Books website. Thank you, thank you, thank you well. That concludes our interview with Jesse Campbell. My name is Milik Mohammed and I hope you appreciate this episode of Jesse in the Neighborhood. Mr Jesse in the Neighborhood. Yes, thanks for listening to Melik's Bookshow, where topics on the show our books, culture and community.

Be sure to subscribe and leave me a review. Check out my Instagram at Milik Books. See you next time.