R and B Money.
Honey, we are.
Thank take Balati. We are the authorities on.
R and B.
Ladies and gentlemen.
My name is Tank and this is the Army Money Podcast, the authority on all things.
Are and behind technical.
I am am articulated, are you?
I'm being very very technical about being intentional because the gift UH is at a high level, high level. There are prodigies here excellence that starts damn near the womb what uh. And we're going to get into the conversations of what that excellence and the tutelage and that learning and that gift has brought the pass ladies and gentlemen, songwriter, producers, musician, extraordinary Brian.
Man tea in the back to have t when you're excellent?
You got little doughnuts? How you doing, brother, I'm blast man. It's been a month of Sundays.
Good to see you. It's great to see you.
The only thing I know about you is that you're an awesome human being, beyond kind hearted and your gift is.
Out of this world. Thank you, not a not a not a bad.
Nothing ever on your name ever, which is tough in this space, especially when you've had the kind of success you've had because you could have easily turned into anything.
I was like, I know his parents, they weren't going.
Bringing the crazy cring and disturb yond Conkybie should be here and five.
Y'all.
Wow, man, that's crazy though, that's real, like, but I mean, it's just it's the it's it's the unfortunate nature of the business where the access can take you if you are not grounded in something solid. And even when grounded, man, they can get you're telling me, you know, I woke up many and many and many a bed roommate. Who else is it? Like? This baby is there?
What it's not? It's you can't have babies that.
Yeah, that's hilarious. Man. Look, I'm going to kids to make some food. You want some.
Don't ever be a nigga who spent the night making food when the kids wake up.
Never been that guy the baby's home, I've never.
I've never been. Oh, bro speak Brian, Yes, sir, let's let's let's let's go back to the beginning. Up man barbecues. Yes, yes, absolutely.
Is it a church house somewhere where they say brought up boy right there?
Boy?
You got that one. Oh my god, you can't see Missouri obviously grew up, I can't city. My parents had an old beat down piano. That's where I started. Uh it's old Steinway that was in the house and that's probably like four or five man, and I was see it and so I was intrigued by it. I just started banging on it. My parents like just give them
lessons like that, you know. I was going to church obviously, as we all do, and I I was always intrigued by the drums first, and then I got to the piano, had some lessons and the teacher was like, yeah, he's not focused enough. And my brother was taking lessons with me, Kevin, because he's more calm, collected and more just he's more you know, strategy wise. And I got kicked out the pan lessons. Bro, that's my first got kicked out. It was like, I don't think it's for him to the
point to where he's like he just doesn't focus. And then after I got kicked out, I started going to church again, started playing. I was like, oh, I'm listening to the radio some Brian miannight or I'm hearing things like yo, I can play that star. I started just picking the part and I was like, if I can figure out at a young age, I knew, if I can figure out how to eliminate every wrong on this, I can only get it right. That's not my mentality. So I started just every day she started banging on
the piano. I was like, one day, this is gonna sound like something crazy, and then more I started doing it, and then moro, I started practicing. The marrows started feeling it. And keep in mind too, I got you know, our brothers listened to like rap, my sisters listening to like some Kenny g My dad's mom listened to Temptations, So it's always like some musical pharaoh. Faris will of like
just different inspiration. And then they started clicking droude. And then at the church, I was like, young man, you know your gift serve the Lord. I was like, how much is this I'm gonna get favorites or not? You know type of thing you wanted to know that early well, because I always figured man, because I've seen people gigging. I knew a gigging was. I'm like people getting getting paid.
How old were you at this point, I like eight eight nine.
I knew that at a young age.
But what what you got on on my on my nerve set, because you know, I'm seeing people, you know, getting a little money here you don't money.
But because I knew, I was like at this at that time, I knew, I was like, I want to be a musician for the rest of my life. I want to do something. Then immediately because I was like, I just love it too much, And I discovered a way when I was playing to feel something more than just like the the excitement from no no no, I would actually get spiritually like I'm like, man, I feel like, dude, I'm hearing the music, I'm feeling it, like getting like like this is crazy that this does that, you know.
And then like you know, friends down the street come over, and I remember one time it's a little girl right down the streets to my friends from school came in. I was like, let me play something. I'm playing. I'm playing a piano and brose, she just started crying. I'm like, dude, what the hell just happened. I'm like, what does this even me? I'm like, you cool with what happened? She's like, she's the way you play type of thing, and I was just like, Yo, this is something more deeper than
just being adult. For me, it was never about like musicianship. I love musicians, I love being part of the musician community, but I just can't It's an ego that comes with that that I just can't identify with. So that's why I started taking like more contemporary and I still do costom stuff too, obviously in church, but I was like, I don't do something like Bruce Hornsby or George Winston Route. But when when I saw that, I was like, well, I can get If it's her, I get one hundred
more hers and I sell a CD. Then we popping. And so I started a little jazz label that's like twelve one Team.
Yeah, that was was It's not because I seen the CDs.
I started this is wow. I did my album at his house because I want my money. What Yeah, I was like, man, I want to do this for real.
So what was was, was anybody in place to kind of give you any type of direction on how to get to all of.
That that he coming in He was like, okay, so all right, I see you got your music stuff going on, and so what is your plan? Because he always gives us like tapes on stocks and stuff that I didn't care about that, at least the way he was presenting it, because he would read every day and he was just more of a j know was my dad. He's more of a like dadda. He was like, Yo, get up, you're gonna do this. We're gonna the Joe Jackson vice.
But mine is getting you know, beat up anything we don't allegedly allegedly sorry, I'm sorry, my bad, sorry, allegedly I got it. Allegedly got it cool? Edit, Okay, like hold on, man's good. But now he would sit down with me and be like, all right, if you're serious about this, I want you to practic every day, and then became repetition and I was like, damn, I want
to practice, and he's like, now we're gonna go. So I took some UMKC college courses when I was in middle school to learn the theory of it because my ear is much faster than my eyes.
Okay, so here's what I want to say. What I want to say to that because I experienced that as a kid trying to take lessons. The thing about when I was in there taking lessons is that it wasn't what I heard that made me excited about playing the piano in the first place. When I got there and they put me in you know, middle C with both my thumbs and we started playing whatever this classical basicness was. I was like a classical basics. I was like, no, no, I want to.
Yeah, have you have you heard Charlie Brown? Yeah? I want to.
How do we you have to start here? But I don't want it? And it wasn't that what we're learning now. It wasn't that you didn't have the attention span to learn. They didn't know how to get your attention.
They didn't promote the creativity.
They didn't know where to meet him.
Like my son when he started his piano lesson, the first thing his piano teacher asked him was what do you like? And he was like, I like, what's supposed to the thing with the kids be flying in the rooms and ship?
Uh Harry Potter. I like Harry Potter.
She was like, Okay, let's learn Harry Potter's tight and here's the theory behind Harry Potter, and here's how you played. This is what And he learned Harry Potter learns how to read it and play it, transpose it.
See a teacher at a rusting lady was like if you was in my country with chop your hands. I was like, yo, yeah, this is like this is in middle school. So I'm now I'm in middle school doing my thing. And then I'm like yo, and she's being super She's like, you have potential. And every time I would do something like that, they couldn't process. It was like what is this? What is this junk is? I'm like, yo,
this is this sounds like something. I'm like, I'm like, man, what And then I just started So I started just watching her and I just learned and started playing. Some men learn to play this, so I can just pass this class. So I became passive learning, so which gave me the ability to recognize how fast I can learn music, and I want to transfer that to like a business.
I was always trying to get to and not for the sake of just game, but just like I want to because I knew at a young age is like I gotta, you know, prepare for life as much as like I don't know why. I'm like my dad had to go.
I'm trying to figure out who you are early but my early businessman.
Yeah, like my dad, you know. He was just like, yo, this is no businesses. You know, you know, chores and you know. So it wasn't it wasn't a do or dim mentality. But I was just always fascinated, you know, And I always one thing my parents do often will take us open houses when we were young. So we live in the inner city, you know, a nice house, middle class. Now it's like popping all the way, but we would go out to like North Kansas City and look at these big mansions. So at a young age,
I was like, yo, I won't live like this. One day my dad was like, for sales, it don't say for sale for who, so if you want it, you gotta work hard for it.
And I was like, I don't say for sale for who, it just has for sale.
And I was like, do you think I can get a BMW in high school? He was like, now, maybe if you can afford it. I never got it, But the point was I was just highly motivated, and then somewhere along the way I just started feeling the passion of it and then just getting into like this life of it all. And so then the business kind of doing it away a little bit. I just started focusing on just loving music and being normal.
Did you go to that uh what is it called?
For sale? For Sale High School?
That's the that's the music school.
Yeah, yeah for sure. So you went there too, Yeah, that's that's how they running. Okay, yeah, for Sale high School.
Man.
And it was a class called applied Technology. It was room two twenty two, mister Ransom, And I was like, what is this class as opposed to taking another class?
Look at these niggas that remember the classes they took.
Oh? Man, it was crazy. It was master tracks. I said, what is master tracks? My boy Charles was like, you play piano, dope, But he's like, when you make beats, it's crazier. I was like, man, I played piano, bro I'm a concert beats concert piano doing at the Milan Theater.
So he was late.
He said, trembling make it. I was like, well, I like trembling stuff is dope. And I was like, wait a minute, let me So I went in there started remaking beats. I started making Michael Myers flips and like and then Take nine obviously is still killing it. And that was the goal and that was the mark, that was the focus. I was like, let me start making beats, and every day I was to get better, and I was like, this is dope. We're making beats on this
thing called master Tracks. It was a black and white screen, so it was like edit like it was just master tracks, this program do and and my boy had a castio that make beach too. So at this point I'm getting obsessed. And then it's like the simpler machine some in there just like cool and so the same. So you already know Ronnie, me and him was in the same class and he's making beats and he's telling me like the Triton, bro, because he was working with Done and we had it
and then can't city. We was like, look, we about to turn this whole thing up. And he was like, we gotta get the Triton. That's what if you ain't. Because Ronnie always had the fly stuff.
Man.
He always lived aund the corner for me. So I'm like, dam I need to try it too. So I tell my dad, I said, the Triton is uh like five thousand. I just hyped it all the way up. I know at some point my dad was minest, but he was a business until he did real estate and he had his stuff together and so I figured if I turned the price up on him a little bit, and he was like, whatever, I got cars. All my courses cost
that much money. And I was like, well, maybe one day a year ago by and I'm like, it's on stuff for twenty two. He said, twenty that's a good deal. I was like something I said, I for I wait long enough. I got to bring it down. You always shoot higher and then you lett on where you want to know, no negotiations, negotiating.
Yeah, he was.
Like, let's get it. I was like yeah. I was like cool. I was like, Charles bro got this track, were gonna bro. I made beats all day, all night. I was obsessed making tracks. Man. I started a label. You don't even know. Man. I had an alias because this is the business. This is a business motel. I was okay between this black range, that black range. My dad is also doing construction and so he's doing construction for at Ye Boys. So he's like he's a rapper.
He's a rapper. I'm like, oh word. And so master P was always the mode, right, So I'm like, hey, man, you should do the master P thing. Like what would you think I can do this? I'm like, yeah, I'll give you a deal on some beats, like, let me let me throw all your tracks for you, get you a label, bro. I didn't convince like three of these dudes. How much was you selling? Beat fifteen hundreds, beat fifteen dollars? Beat you in high school? High school? My dad took it.
He was like, all right, man, he built the studio with it. Throw. He was like, I said, do a song deal. I'll give y'all. Matter of fact, I usually do fifteen. You know, I'll be out there working with Donald. I said, you know what this dude, maybe we do like fifteen songs, twenty songs. He was like, I got that. That's nothing. I said, man. I was like, he's about to go down. He said he's about to make Diamald's bag. I was like, okay, I mean, I'm all the way. I'm all the way in with this, and my dad
was like, give it. I was like to put some of church go tied. I said, all right. That was kind of hard for me to do. The time. I was like Jesus two thousand. I was like, man, you need all two thousand. I got this left, went to this place called Landing, got geared up. I gotta look like a producer. Now I'm making beats. I gotta let people know. Hey about here place said you went to the church with the landing, the land the landing bro air force ones, I got the man. It was on
pro producer be Unique? That's today who be unique?
Be Unique?
You know?
Was it?
I was like beat for sale Now I'm out here for real, like got the equipment. Hearing about it.
I just off your name.
Your beats sound weak. He's gonna say that. No, that was hard bro, I had.
I don't know if I'm buying ten beats from be you need you right?
That's an R beat, that's an That was an R and B sock. I still want to had R and B. I'm not something like baby here on. Yeah. That was it man. It was like I was like what could I do? I was like, right, all right, cool and it went down though I had had people rotating in the basement, and then my dad was like, rather than be in the basement where I can hear all them, all of them, versus being out because all the everybody from the block was just like he cool because it
was always activity, like a lot of activity. They was like, y'all see him he's cool. He got a future, so we're gonna protect that. So every time I come to that, all right, So.
They got you on one block and Ronnie around the corner, like four blocks away.
Is he doing b too? Is either man Ronnie killing it killing? Ronnie had like three or four drives like look, but obviously always say he's like, bro, we gotta go, we gotta work. I was like, what's the urgency? Say it's urgent, gotta work. Bro. I was like, all right, cool, I'm working because I always done my own little thing anyway. But uh yeah, yeah. He had a couple people of it, and I had the same thing. I was like, it was either little Ronnie, little r productions be unique. I
was like, come over here, man, it's prolific productions. And I also had my jazzing going, so I will actually go like the Beverly Hills of Kannas City and do a piano concert real quick. And so I had this whole like on Brian Kennedy, I'm here to perform my music and you want to be unique, and then I'll be unique. Switching, bro, I was switching, I was like, but I was keeping it. I will always say I'll say what I say anywhere, but were just how I said it. And I was like, all right, let me
be cause I would actually study this ship. Then I would literally go to the plaza and I would sit back and I would want to get this gig at Norsetroums. I'm like, I want to be the pim player who plays at Rshales whatever reason another and put it on and do this. So I went over there and no, sorry, it was this hotel, the Hyatt, my bad and uh And I was like, I'm playing piano. They had a lot. He was like, oh yeah, no, you have to get hired, get on the schedule, to in the resume. They had
a lot to do. It was like no. I was like, okay, cool, So back to the landing. Got a suit, put a suit on, put a little square so church shoes on, had a little book. I just sitting there every day, just studying and looking at the pim players and I can kill this dude and the guys like I help you all. My das's in town on business doing real estate. Just here a composer. But I'm just enjoying. Oh you should play okay, yeah, yeah, you look like the bunny.
I started playing bro swear the whole hotel. Everyone was like, what is this. I was like, I just study a little kid started. I started playing like, uh was it Bruce Hornsby? All these different songs that I knew they would know. They didn't know what to do. They was like, yo, this is I'm here once a month, we travel often, we travel often. Yes, you know who you like? Now remember the movie Catch Me if you can?
Yeah?
Yeah, he was a kid to kid tell me he's a pilot.
He was.
He was everything. Dude, you're giving me catching me if my sister VICKI and she started catching on. I mean she's always being a supporter. She was like, you, dope, you actually got some going on, something to help you because's always moving around, traveling, no people and stuff. And she was like, all right, we're gonna hit this gig. And she's like, less your own concert to start building our concerts. And I started using the grand piano and then to try and making beach to throw and do
this whole spectacle everything and then to fast forward that. Man. I was like, all right, cool. I did my jazz concert and it sold out, and my little sister Charlie was like, man, that was a good concert, like your what was it shoulder pads and your little square tal I was like I looked at him here like this can't be it. Bro, I saw my future for my eyes. I was like, I can't be it. I'm not going down.
I mean, I love jazz, respect to it. Yeah, I can't be on some nineteen twenty year old jazz thing. I can't do it. And by that time, Ronnie, me and Ronnie always keeping contact and he was like, bro, I'm out of La now. He was catching if you can, brocause I'm at home still on kans Citt. I'm in Atlanta now. And then he's like producer so so deaf. I'm sitting there. But he would always call me and be like, man, you got to get to La now. I was like, what's going on? He was like, man,
I'm telling you it's popping out here. We out here. I was like, man, I'm getting the ticket where you live. Man, We're good. She's like, yep, I gotta play, so, you know, saying with my boy Jay I said Jay j He like he cooled me. He's like, come on, let's go. But but hey, but he definitely was like I'll give it to him because he was like, bro, you been home, ain't gonna do nothing for you. So went out. I went to the house. It was nice. I like the I like the house. It was this dude man like
I'm in the house. I don't know what happened. He's like, I'll be back or something. But you cool, he said, I'll be back. Yeah, okay, I like cool. I like it might be it might as well be a pool outsize of palm trees and stuff. You know, I can't sity nice but still on the palm trees. I'm out here. I'm like on the phone like yeah, I'm at this house, chilling man. And then I go into the room on the piano. Bro, I said, I said, room in here, the keyboard. They shouldn't do that, you know. I'm on
the keys. Then I hear the door. I was like he's like what up? Like what up?
Bro?
Like, who are you? Was like, I'm Jay, Like, oh, nice to meet your Boston. He was like yeah. I was like, this is his house, this is his keyboard, said to you. He was like I was like right, and he was like okay cool. I was like making beats. I was like Tama whole joy just like not friendly, but he was measuring the temperature. Always always come in hot, nigga. I was like, I said, George cast you Ronnie or nigga will ever be nice? Nice?
But he was like these niggas don't know these niggas. You're my balance, bro, motherfucker, you're my balance. But you have a nice smile.
God damn. But didn't feel it felt like he was just okay. He assessed it. So I'm like, okay, I think you know some weird ship.
I was like, no, because I said it before we spoke about you on the podcast before. It's not a niggas gonna break in your house and play the piano like the first time, almost like.
A damn food.
Yeah, like, I don't think a nigga gonna break in the house and play piano. But what it was it was that the door was unlocked.
Mm hmm.
And I'm sure he didn't know that now we were talking about it in hindsight, he didn't know that. But it's my studio.
Everything, everything is in there, and I don't this was my studio house. I don't live there, so I'm think I go to put the door and I'm like open, So now you got his gun ready, I can legally kill you in my property right.
That was the young man was playing piano. Man, it sounds so good, don't you agree? You know what if this nigga you know what, he played good, I ain't gonna shoot his fingers.
Becomes that very moment. Like not long after that, he was like, yo, you said you got beats. I was like, he said, uh, you know, I was like do I Yeah. He was like, he's coming through the night. You're sitting there with us. I was like, mom, I think you made it. I mean, I turned. I was like, bro, this is crazy, Like I can't believe this. I'm sitting here. He's like, Yo, this is shying this. I'm sitting back to me, I'm like, y'all, don't under stay in the level.
And then Ronnie is like, like working on these tracks to me, this is something I've been wanting to do my whole life. Soon as because for me, it's opportunity. I'm taking it, you know. But the same time, I got to be be respectful. You know what I'm saying. Jay was always like always being just like, yeah, let me talk to you. Literally, bro. When I we first had like he was like, let go have grabbed it or whatever. Dude had a receipt. He's like for my
account and I said, for yo, who my account? Said? He knows business? This person I should have made a long time ago. But it's always just been like on some brother shit bro like legit like never ever been anything where. Because he connected me with Ethiopia, he was like, I need to connect you with and he was like, look, this is what we're gonna do. She was like, don't make no sort of moves and he was like, you always say stuff that I would just pick up on
because I had manager management at the time. And then on a E played her stuff and she was like, hold tight, I got an ideal for you. And it just started slowly but surely happening, you know. And then there was another time you're Ronnie went up and then you went up to the underdogs. I was like, we're gonna wear you might just said Heaven for me because that was like for Knox to get into You can see the gate the car when usually dropping somebody off like man, man, dude, I got in the elevator.
You.
I was like, this is be cool about it. Don't don't trip you know because my tea whiz you know. Started. I was like, bro, we do this right. We could be underdogs soon, so this could be this could be the booth but no, but on Surreal he started, Uh Troy now, Troy knuckle Is started interning up there as an engineer, so he snatched on those demos and so we would listen to him at like and I was like, this is the mark, this is the moment, this is
what we need to do. And I just started studying, studying, and I already had some kind of a musical identity based on what I heard, but I've never heard production so clean. Bro, Oh my god, the background, the vocals, the writing. I'm like, and Jay I wrote this song, it's a Mario song. I was like, you wrote this song? Bro, Like you're gonna just tell me? I act normal? Possible? Are you?
So?
Why are you so calm? My name? Was like, I told you, nigga, this is real out here. I was like I'm here and uh yeah, man, and it just started. I remember the defining moment was I was working another producer. He had me go to the studio and I ran into Sierra and I didn't know. I didn't know her. I just like, you know, I mean, come from I can't see me.
You didn't know you didn't know her?
Well I didn't. I'm like, oh, I know you. I'm sorry I thought I know you. But she's celebrity, you know, I didn't met her. I'm like, I know you. How you been? She's like who are you?
Like?
How are you being? Like, I'm like, good to see you. So I didn't know I didn't know her, Like, oh, I don't know you. You're Sierra. Got you? Well, well, since you're Sierra, I have a demo, bro. I would put almost brought demo today. I was like, bring my laptop just the case. I'm like, never mina stop, chill out. I'm always like ready for opportunity. I just gave her a CD and I was like here's I left the studio and he called me. He was like, yeah, what
did you do at the studio? I was like, okay, damn. She's like no, no, come back. Candice Nelson and Sierra's writing something to one of those tracks.
Wow.
And that day. A couple of days before that, man, I saw my dad. I was like, man, la is hard. Obviously, I'm like this is getting a little tough. I can't afford it. My dad would help me when he could. And they was like, we want this song for the project. Bro. I was like, yo, my first placement me and tiz I was on Cloud whatever. What song is that? My love number eight off the Evolution album. Wow? Yeah? And I was like I didn't know you did that? Yeah? Me and me and is like we did. We literally
changed everything. He was like, yo, I'm gonna get you locked in. Did the deal. From there, I was still tapping in other producers, doing a play for hire thing because now I got my show out here once a week at mynt Rose and it was like a jazz night or live music night, and that's popping off, like baby Face show up to that, David Foster polo is your show? What do you mean? Yeah? Like Brian Kennedy. So I did this thing where me and my friend Titus uh the j on the bass, Tracy on a guitar.
So at the time, Uh Tom was like, yo, this is the place. My boy Keith Belcher was like, you should do like this wine bar where you do once every other Tuesday. Just performed like Brian Kennedy jazz the Because I was still popping off as a musician in Kansas City, and we went out passed off flyers and sure enough it was nice elegant. I said, this is Mark, I can I can do something with this. You know,
I was having Brian Kennedy. We got to play some jazz and we ain't here playing my boy DJ killing it, Titus on the drums, t Whiz on another keyboard, and it started going off. So I was doing that and producing. So I'm like, Okay, I got a hit. I got not a hit out, I got a hit project, you know, Tierra.
And were you making money off of that when you were doing that?
Were you making any money off of that enough to no, not really survival survival, enough to just get a little something going on. And I felt like, yeah, it was survival, but the homie Keith was like you know, and then Tom parlated something different, so it was more like, you know, getting out there, but.
You didn't have to go get a ninety five.
No, I didn't have to get that five. My parents and my dad would help me like monthly, like I take care of your when when he could. No.
Because the other thing that I remember when I didn't shoot you.
Was you had CDs. Oh you know you had CDs. You had had a jazz project. And that's the other thing.
I was like, I also can't shoot a jazz nigga either. You know what I'm saying, Like it's jazz, bro. It's like, yeah, how do I even talk about that in the whole tank?
Put you into your phone, man, this little jazz niggas playing on my house man, and I shot him no, bro, right, So but I remember you had the jazz CD and that's when you were and we start talking and it's it's right when everybody has their side of how the conversation winning out, you know what I mean, what they perceived from it. But what I saw was a young man who was very entrepreneurial. M because you were like
and correct me if I'm wrong. You were like, yeah, because I hooked up with the Hallmark people and I'm we're Hallmarked people. He like, you know the ones do the cards? I said, how do you know the Harrormark people here? Like, well, in Kansas City, they are you know, like the richest families in Kansas It's like the Hallmarks. And you know me taking, I'm like, oh, business, business, business, I'm just hearing, I'm like, Okay, I like where this
young dude is going? And then what he I'm like, who thinks to do a jazz project with the people from Harrormark because they can obviously press it up for you.
Gifts?
And he started talking about all that, and at this point.
You might have been what nineteen, Yeah, yeah, I just I turned twenty that summer, and I'm.
Like, Yo, this is a this is a young dude who not only is he super talented, but he always he already has his mind on his business and where he wants to take his career. Because it's because even the stuff he started today, I didn't know that, you know what I mean, Like you was saying when he was eight and he trying to figure out about gigging it. Man, But it all makes sense now, you know, twenty years later.
Was to have this conversation here and me be like, oh, that's exactly what man, That's exactly what this guy was.
Back then.
And that's how it was surviving in LA because I saw a thousand sees for ten dollars and that's how I was able to bust to move. And then I made a whole Christmas album at your spy. I was like, I'm here, he gotta try. You had a Triton in one of those rooms, and I was like, I'm working on the jazz project. Started making. Man, how much you make off down I think it was a negative. It was a negative about.
I don't know if I don't know, I don't know if you guys are watching. But he got his pumption, got he got his first place. Yeah, he would have never messed her even though he thought he met her.
Jazz residency. Uh, I'll come back right now.
The money, the money start, you know my mind.
But watching watching you know, just your maturation in the business, bro, and like how you were going about your career was always and also something that I just always admired about you, just seeing because we and Tank can tell you, we see so many talented people that I don't really know where they're going though. That's they jump on that hamster wheel Man and it's tough man, and it's like and
and I and I have empathy sometimes for that. You know, Tank has more than I because I'm just like, Bro, you just at some point your land's got to get tired of running in the same place. But but to see you and to see that you had a clear view of like, Okay, I'm trying to do this to get to this, to get to that was really cool because I just seen so many talented people, bro, and
it was just it was just it would hurt. It would hurt to watch it sometimes, like damn, Bro, like nigga, you still, yeah, I ain't figured this shit out.
I'm at that place.
You still ain't hit the pivot, because that's the other thing in this business. You gotta be at a pivot. It may not just be a record deal, like people literally get caught on one a deal.
Yeah, that's real. You taught me. In fact, you told me that. Two things you told me that switched the game for me. One time you were like a man play the piano, Like you can't play the piano. I was like, what this dude to tell me? Like he's like, no, simplified. You did a lot of work with me, bro, like I know you added it up sore, but he was like, yo, just simplified and don't put too much energy on it. And then you said something else, and I remember it
was probably like a can City placement or something. I was like, this is the song something something he was like, hey, man, don't fall in love with one song. I was like, what do you mean. He's like, just don't. It's many more songs. Youre gonna have some songs that go left to go right. But just that day, I'll just keep it moving all right, next next that triggered something. Whatever you said trigger that moment.
But now I've only fallen in love with one song and I bring it up all the time on this podcast because it didn't make his album.
That's my one song I fell in love like it's for real, you know, it's crazy.
My my young partner, djb Easy hit me and he and he just randomly sent me a text and he said, Jay, what's your favorite song you've ever written? And I hadn't even thought about that in years. And the first thing popped in my head was Injured Reserve right, And he was like, where's the record? I said it's probably on the internet somewhere, and he found it and he hit me back like, Nigga, this song is incredible.
But I was like, yeah, I.
Think it's from when your ship got Everything got You still got your version, Eric, my Eric Dowkers might have somebody has my version somewhere. But I say that to say like that was the only record for me out of all the music that I've written that really was just like I really like, I really love love this. And the song never went anywhere, damn partially because of him because he held on to it for two damn long.
But that's whatever, no it, But I had to learn that lesson early, like, as great as I think it is, as great as multiple people think it is, it may never come out.
That's literally the energy in the conversation. And I was like, Huh, how do I prepare myself for this? It's not easy, No, not at all. But that's when I started switching gears. I'm gonna start doing different genres. I've always did different genres, and along the way of all the success that I was having, it was going up.
So let's talk about the success. Though.
We're not gonna we're not gonna brush over that, you know what I'm saying, because absolutely your story is extremely important and and we're going to continue to go into that.
We also got to give them the bars.
Tocha'll let you flex? Okay, you know, after you get your first placement, do you do your publishing deal right? After that or do you wait it's it's already emotion.
It's emotion.
Yeah. OK, so I do my first one with the with the scope of that being the cut, not not not predicting was around the corner and I was in motion to do a said production deal with someone and I was like, I don't know, I kind of want to take my own route.
And it was like, man, so a bigger producer offered you an opportunity.
Yeah, I had. I had a fortunate to have a couple opportunities from different producers or not. And I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna just have a choice I have to make. Either I'm gonna do it, I'm not gonna do it. And I was like, I just wanna just wait a little bit longer, even though I felt it was necessary to have someone bigger to help opportunities. But that song came out, so I was like, let's
just see what happens. And I remember that day that I was like, I'm not gonna do this particular deal. I was like, man, something else gotta give. And I was like, I'm gonna turn this up a little bit. And and me and Te Whiz were still working we're still building and have a pub deal. So I was like, I'm gonna do I'm gonna'm gonna be on some Kansas city ship. I was like, I'm gonna get apartment way out somewhere. I moved out to, like Valencia or something. I just got in the corn Agor's rope. It was
like for lost, like five five. I was like, what is this is a little quiet area. I said, I'm I'm a little live over here. I'm gonna just duck off and just build and create. And and I remember at the time, I'm still working with Polo Chris Dre married Rabbe and so I'm going back to the student I think it was there was a record plant and now I'm from Valencia. From Valencia. Now, I keep in mind there's an underlying health issue that I'm dealing with that I don't know i'm dealing with yet, and so
I'm tired, I'm frustrated. I'm like, yo, man, work in the studio late takes a toll because I'm thinking, like I'm young, so I don't there's definitely nothing wrong with my health. And so I was always like sleeping or I fall sleep in the studio or I'm like, people like, yo, BK, that's not normal, bro, you shouldn't be I'm like, I'm just tired, y'all taking too long type of thing. Yeah, y'all need to hurry up. You know what I mean? In my mind, I'm like, I could have done this
a long time ago. But I but that's also not egotistical. But it's a very I've done this for so I've been making music for I've been writing songs at five or six years old. So I understand so many different variations. Not from a standpoint of like I'm a consumer. I like to observe, but I also understanding this stuff, like like left and right, and so I fall asleep on her Rihanna was in the studio. I was like, what how did I miss? Ranna? Like, I'm telling you why
you're sleep sleeping? Yeah, next to the games.
Don't fall asleep in the studio.
Don't fall sleep in studio. I'm just sitting next to the games and the record playing. I wake up and he's like, you missed it. I was like, I never missed another session. I'm gonna stay up. And sure enough, the next day she put up. I meet her right, I'm in the studio at this point working with Chris a little bit, and I'm like, she's sitting over there because we always been on her own just she just cares her own energy. And I was like, I'm gonna
go talk to her. I'm just gonna just to walk up to her and like, hey, do I know you? Nice to meet you. I thought I knew her. I knew I knew her somewhere you'd be like, man, just pleasure. And then I just like I heard you looking for a new sound where I was like, oh, here you go. Did you randomly say to it he's looking for a new sound because he was working on a single reloaded single for her project. And I was like, yeah, I
got I got a sound for you. And uh. I was like I took her phone out of her hand, bro, and it's like I'm just put my number on your phone and just here and she's looking at me like okay, and that just and and now my mind, I'm like this is mortifying, bro, I'm embarrassing myself. This is crazy. It's like, who the hell is this dude? So I
give her back her phone. It was like it just just hit me anytime or and we little blother to Chris Brown looking studio, looking at the speakers and stuff, looking crazy as hell, man, and I was like, I'm about to head out, uh and just playing my life and that Chris is like, yeoh, play the keys before you leave free. I want you to. I want you to play for I said, oh yeah, you won't play field for her? Okay, So I got it.
The motive, boy, I said this been I woulda play for my life, you know, a five heartbeats when the dude is running.
This is it, I said, I'm leading, this is it. This is because every moment that I ever, I always knew had the ability to understand that this is not a normal moment. But I have to normalize this moment at the same time, which is a hard thing to do because it's like all of it or nothing at the same time. So I was like, okay, start playing, start playing. You can just see her demeanor. She's like, Okay, nope,
sorry man, catch all later. I got to email that night, bro, She's like, I love your energy, your spirit, your music is incredible. Bring me what you got. February fourteen, two thousand and seven, dog, I got up six am and made the track to disturb you like that. And I was like, this is it. I got my mom in the car, I have my little shoe, just me on the track, just undred percent, not trying, but logic at this logic because you know I went to the training. Yeah, yeah,
I went to the training. Was then on logic and I made my parents get up. I was like, yo, I made this beat for Rihanna hopping the car with me. We're gonna just ride around and Valencia and just I was like, this is gonna be here. I just I was like, this is it. This is the big day've been waiting for. Get to the studio. Later that day, walking in the studio, there's another producer there. He was like, what you doing here? I was like, I'm just I got a session. You know, you know some ree I
got this track. He was like, let me hear the track. Play the track. He was like trash. He was like, what is this? I was like, okay, ship now what so I'll walk out. I'm walking down the hall, Dre mayor, Chris Robe. They all walking in and Chris is like, oh, that's a CD. It's a demo. Just to get out my hand. I said, all right, I'll be back later. I'm gonna go. I got to do this downtime day thing. We want to see the color purple my mom and stuff.
And I was like, and the one Nigga already made you feel like your track might.
I was like, yeah, today, well today I knew that life would change in my mind. I'm dramatic like that. And then uh so I'm leaving. I'm like, all right, whatever, dude, So I'll drive home. Let me do the color purple thing and Chris, hey, come back. She's loving this song. She's loving it like we got an idea for it and we can make the studio that dun dun Dune started playing it. Dra got on it. Chris started writing to it and she's like, Yo, this is my single.
And I was like, what would you just say? I was like I was like, keep it cool, keep it cool, and she hit me and no. Jay Brown called me like two days later. It was like, yeah, I'm Jay Brown. I was like I heard about you, man, like I know you. Jay Brown to calling me, I was like, he's how much your church your tracks? I was like twenty thousand. He was like, hey man, that's expensive. I'm like no, just like yo, check yourself. Bro was like, well you asked me. I answer. He said, look, man,
res paying for this out of her pocket. What can we do? Twelve? She wrote a check for twelve thousand. She's like, look, my budgets depleted because she did all these other tracks. But she a and north that herself. She said, I'll give you twelve, and you and they come back publishing that song.
Dude, that's a lot more than a little fifteen too.
That ship skyrocket is so fast, but no, not fast. Six months seven months later, sorry, and then forever right because I tapped in with Polo on Fever on the Chris Brown record, and so that's already going up in a sense, and I remember it. Sorry just to continue that that day I wasn't feel one hundred percent, but anyway, knocked that track out. So all right, here we go. There's a Chris Brown single, cls come out, and there's a Rihanna single coming out. But it goes quiet, Like
you said, it's like, what will it not happen? Is happening? I go to Kansas City. My brother Kevin is my number one A and R to this day. He's here. Now I'm like, we've got to LACU shit about to go crazy now. And he was like, uh, plenty of demos. Bro let me hear what you got A planned to start played disturb the demo. He was like, oh, this is gonna go. This is your biggest hit. I was like, man,
I ain't heard from him or nothing. He was like, man, this is your had Jay Brown called me that same night. Where are you at? I mean, can't sity that needs you in Denver tomorrow? We couldn't disturb you do? Went to this this Denver did the Glowing a Dark Tour. Watch it. Rihanna got a studio cut that mup. That shit came out. It's guy Rack at number one, number two. The phone call started happening, and I was like, let's go all the phone calls.
I called you? You remember that?
Yeah? I remember? No.
So I called him and it was funny because I could tell the phone calls were coming, you know what I mean? I could tell, and it was it all was.
It was.
It was also funny to me because and you can tell me if this is true or not. I think at first he thought I was calling him on some you owe me that's crazy and I wasn't. And I literally was calling him just to tell him how proud I was.
I remember that day. I was at the boomer room. You had number one and number two hot one hundred at the same time. I remember that day and I called him and I could tell on the phone he like, is this niggabout depressed me? Right? I was like, hold on them, this calculated real quick? How does this work?
And I really just wanted to tell them congratulations.
I remember that there.
I remember it's because you having that and I've never had a high one hundred number one. You having that, I felt like was me having that with you no.
Money. I was just like, this is the same kid broke in to your house and Blader broke into my house.
And played the piano.
They got the number one and two songs in the world at the same damn time. That was nigga, congratulations, thank you.
That was crazy. I remember it, dude. Like I went to like call my count and I was like, so, what's this. What's this supposed to mean? Because I heard about this, I heard, so now what and then my deals I'm leave my deal now, Like so I'm literally went to Cobalt did an admin situation and I was like okay, we we all the way and that I started doing collor parks. Now keep in mind, just to be fully honest about it, I was just started and this is now at this point, like now my headaches
are coming in and you probably don't remember. I remind you something too. But I started getting these migraines and they started getting a little like damn. I'm like, okay, I gotta see what's going on. I thought my wisdom teeth needed to be pulled, so into the dentist and they brought a blood pass machine out and it was like I just put on you. It was like two sixty over, like it was just crazy. He was like, the machine's broken. Machine here.
They told the machine was broke.
It's broke. They say, it's the defect. To get another one in here. They brought another machine in there. The dude looked at it because at me. He said, I'll be right back. He came back with a nurse. This is the dentist's office. They was like, look, we're gonna write you a letter and we need you to leave here and go to the mergency room right now. I was like, what's happening. He's like your blood pressure you should go to the mercery room now and told my sister.
At the time, I had like an assistant. I started doing something that had somebody took me to. He's like, get him to the hospital right now. So first I didn't take it serious. I'm like, I'm cool, I just go later. Come my mom. She's like, man, if you don't get to the hospital right now. So I went gave them my letter. Like two or three doctors came in, came out from the back immediately and was like, we gotta drop your blood pressure. We gotta sorry my back,
he said, we gotta drop your blood pressure. We gotta mit you. You're pretty much a walking struck right now. While they're doing this, like can you see can you literally? Like are you alive? How are you?
Like they was how you functioning?
How are you functioning? What is what's what's what's going on with the have not taken your meds? All these different things like when I'm mad or nothing. I was like, I'm straight. And they put the ivy drip and they dropped my blood pressure and I was looking at my text messages and the words fell off. So I was going like a little mini stroke episode and I was like, yo, I don't. I don't feel good at all, and so my dad, you know, next time, my mom and Dady
flew up. But before and then the doctor that I was working with a first was harassing me like why are you here, like while you're at this hospital, like you're just talking like Google, you might have this, you might. I mean literally, I was like, dude, this is kind of hostile. But at the time I didn't know what it was. You know, my dad came the next day and he's like, we gotta do a bop see because something's up. And so we did a BOBC Monday and
I tested. It was a reno kidney failure. FSGS is the most rare and effective and dangerous kidney disease, one of them ten percent function.
Bro.
Literally, they was like, yeah, you gotta switch to gears right now. We're gonna get Yournallasis. We're gonna do this. We're gonna do that. I'm sitting back like, no, you know, I got a session in a couple of weeks. In my mind, I'm like yeah, in my mind, I'm like no, I didn't come this. I'm like, hold on, is this so this is the price of success? Like I have to is this really what comes with it? And I was like I manifested everything, but who I wanted to
be when it happened. And my dad alway said, they said, don't worry about making it, worry about who you are when you do make it. And I neglected that. I thought, you know, the industry is like you gotta come studio late, pull up, you know, just you know, like eating what you want to eat. You guys had a good regimen. Throw Jay always been cool. Man, He's already been chilled. Like he was like, you never I feel like you never let this shit affect you in the same man,
I'm pretty sure you probably went your thing. But I always when we had a conversation, it was definitely necessary because that's when I was going through a manic episode. So when you called me, he was talking to me. I was not even I was kind of like, dude, you know some money or I probably had a hospital point. Man. I was feeling jittery from the steroids and like all these different medications they put me on, and so now
I'm like a zombie kinda. So I started putting the mask on and be like, all right, I'm gonna still kill it. And so I have my doctor's appointments every other week. I had my session, so I just scheduled my session, so Hits Hospital, Grammys Hospital, blah blah blah hospital. And then I just got really depressed and I started feeling like I don't feel nothing like my whole life I did this, I don't feel I feel nothing. How's
that impossible? You know? I'm getting calls. Kelly Clarkson was working on the Pink Monster media and all these things I ever I thought was supposed to be was supposed to be, didn't feel like nothing to me. I said, I'm moved to Nashville. I'm out. I'm gonna go to Nashville, get a little place still to go, stay in the TP or stay somewhere off in the cut and just a TP something get away from the ship. I'm gonna go to Nashville, get a TP and just dump off.
Yea.
I was like a TV, like just a place to get away.
Yeah.
So to me, I was like a TP on an acreage and it still does music. I'm about to kan City, but I don't want to go back. They'd loved it too much. They've been like he's back he's back. I'm like, how many years I gotta do to make people know that I'm for real? And then and then also I've been top lining I'll be keeping it cool man, because I just you know, I was raised to be modest and be humble. But I be like, y'all don't have no niggas, don't know like what this is for me
and what I understand it to be. And so that I moved to Nashville years ago, and the Ryane was on that too. Uh So I like the new Nashville Surgeons. But I'm like I kind of helped get that started, you know what I'm saying. I was working the Dan Hut th Rascal Flats Canty Chesney.
That's just the one name you would always say, can no Rascal Flats.
Yeah, that was at that time when you first talking about you like, man, change it Rascal Flats. I'm like, yo, okay. I told this guy, I said, I'm coming in. I'm Nashville. He's like, you're a writer.
I know.
They got these big records. And I remember at this I was at this function where I was playing the piano and universal function, and these two guys came up to me. It was Pat Hayden and Can't Rolls. I was like, hey, man, you you do country music. I said, yeah, yeah, I do country music. He was like, when you come out to Nashville, look us up. Man. I was there, had about about a guitar and everything. I put the hat on. I'm cool on that. Like's yeah, I figured
out all the way. I said, on the way four chords. I'm like. I was like, here we go. I'm here, I'm there. Four chords. All the country hits this, four chords. They say the boards, get to the chorus. I'm like, cool, let's go. So I started imitating bors get to the chorus. I started emulating songs. I started playing and singing and I would joke, but they would be like, that's really good. I was like, yeah, you're thinking so. And I said, you know what, I'm here to do pop music with y'all. Yeah.
How many people here want to do pop music? It was like we my daughter love I work Rihanna. You know they got they got. They're not about the money, it's just you know, you just have a good time working. Rhianna and Chris Brown and Christopher out to be You're amazing to work with. Him. So I started working on pop songs with them and give them their community, like you know, collaborations. And I was like, and they was like, we should do country music. I'm like, you don't. I
don't care. I'm like, y'all, don't don't let me do this because I'll do it for real. And so started doing it. Rescual Flats girl named Maggie Rose got on her project Kelly Clarkson did Mister Notales, hitting both genres pop in country. And then at the time, my health started getting worse. So I'm now I'm in Nashville, got a whole new life. And then I just like, I'm done. I can handle the pressure of trying to maintain that energy and have a headache. And I started thinking about suicide.
I was like, I was half I found a new thing, and then that ain't complete it. I'm like, yo, what is this? Why can't I get around this thing? And I just was avoiding it. Man, I was just not paying attention to the rules. And it's not like for you know, I was drinking. I was somemore gonna do anything, taking away as girl I was. I thought I was being a good samaritan.
Man.
I was like, I'm gonna just be here. I'm like, so God, I'm I'm confused about while I'm in this space and you put me and get me to talent and uh And it was until lifegu life moved on and I met the person home with now you know what I'm saying. And I was almost seeming like seeing through a people. You see energies and people. And Jay's
always been a constant and every time I saw you tanking. Actually, after I got out the hospital, I saw y'all I think a rock Nation Frinch or something and I was skinny of it whatever, and You was like, we need you to hear me. We need to hear bro you're good. I was like, yeah, it was y'all together. He was like, we need you hear Come on, man. I was like, thank, appreciate it. But I was fresh at the hospital. That's
that's when I seen you. It was brief. But you always make sure y'all tap One thing about y'all is like brothers, y'all make sure y'all tap in, and that don't it's not happened like that. And I use that
now when I meet. When I have I measured someone's energy, I try to be intentional and be present about it, because I was all the other shit man, people turn up studios all that, that's cool, But it's like RO, It's deeper than that, man, because once you understand the deconstruction of life itself, and from my experience, it's like none of this really matters other than like Western Mission. And then I remember thinking to myself like, man, I got hits by needs of heal, and so what does
that look like. I was like, I want to go from making hits to healing. Didn't make a hits and so I created a nonro profit called Hits Dealing, where we reach, we teach, we connect the medical with the community, pharmaceutical with the foundation because there's a whole bunch of misconceptions about how communication works within the space of medical
in our community. Because they all hit me up after my surgery and was like, we would love for you to be the frontman to this or to that, and I was like, I don't think I'm capable of doing that if I don't have the information. So I posted my story online and the comments were going up and people would hit me up and I was getting messages like yo, I have kidney failure. But what would you suggest for clinical I was like, WHOA, I don't know. I just shared my story and I was like, Okay,
if I'm gonna do this, I gotta educate myself. So I quit how quit music again? I quit music like four times. By the way, I was still doing it for fun, Like I quit again. This is it, this is the moment. Everybody's quitting again. I'm like, he's gonna quit. New Revolution, the Revelation and I started teaming up with the National Kidney Foundation recently and then neft KRE Kidney Foundation,
Northwest Kidney Center, America Art Association. I started looking at their you know, their their messaging and it was similar to my messaging, but they had the power and the understanding and the connections. And so I started working with them closely. And how did you even get to them? Were no check this out? I was on a high profile list and like it on my transplant, but I didn't know about that. And so a pharmaceutical company reached
out to me. So what does that mean? That means that they they h they just put you at a certain tier, right, didn't know that. I was like, this is wild, Like you know who you were I went too some system whereas like he is, this is accomplished. Yeah, because they need it. They need that, they need because they for their funding, their collaborations. But with the truth be told, man, it's a lot of people want to help. They want to build. I don't know how. I don't
know how and don't know. And I went in a couple of It was one particular organization that I didn't like I was working with, and the messaging was just I was like, hold on, I read an article and I was like, first of all, yall, y'all crop somebody else's dusty hands on the piano keyboards like Brian. I was like yes, man. I was like, yo, man, I've taken my hand. It's my hands, like you got to like you. I can just give you a picture playing the piano. And it was like hypertension comes from blah
blah blah smoking and it was just too close. My face was too close to let all the drugs and all the things. I was like, yeah, that that's not why. And so I had to call them and within like an hour, I was on the phone with the whole entire in it from this this division, that division, and I was just telling them like I think it's a lot of tone death energy going on, and it's like, what do you mean? It was like, you're not communicating with the community. I can tell when these commercials come
on that they're commercials. I can tell when there's no content build around health equity. What'd you do? I said, this is what I do. I started a media company and I started telling my own stories scoring It's doctor it up, man, I do want to do my shows. I play it before and people were just like, oh my god, it's human. It's the human experience. And that's what I've been up to, man, Like I mean, I'm
still making hits, but my attention behind it. It's hits and using music as a activation to get people interested, but really tell my story and help other people tell theirs. And also, we ain't got to kill ourselves for music, you know what I'm saying, Like we know this already, but not everything comes from pain, you know what I'm saying, Like, there's happy moments that we can take and utilize. And so I've been scoring movies and stuff and building in out.
But I've been tied to some in my first sorry, my first grant was come from the Giant Rocket Feller front too, and I got to my homiead On. He was just like, yo, like I'm loving what's going on. Have our conversations and there's a lot of people who want to help, and I'm like, cool, let's go. And so now that I have that going on and music and then also ip in between, so I'm trying to understand back to the business. I'm back in my business.
Shit but crazy now because I'm understanding, like I want to build, reach, teach, connect medical centers, and help us as a community understand that it's preventive health care. We got a genetic test. We got to know, like just like we know stats. We got to know our health and that's important. So for me, you know, I slip up sometimes and just like don't be on it like I should. But I check my blood, pursure, I drink
my water, get my sleep. I check in, you know, and I make sure I'm on the up and up. But for the most part, man, this is the new chapter for me. It's not like the it's not like the big conversation in our community. Just getting checked.
Yeah, like.
Like to know where you I mean, I went through a similar thing where I felt. I thought I felt amazing. I felt amazing, I looked I looked great. But that blood work, dude says something totally when I say different.
They was asking me. I was like, so, are you depressed like you? I was like, are you having problems here?
No?
I was like, I work out twice a day, I perform on weekends. I was like, They're like, how are you doing this? I was like, I don't know. Am I not supposed to? And they started reading off the charts and I was like, no, you are not.
Wow.
And if we don't, we don't. We don't know how long whatever you own or whatever it is, is going to last. So we got to get you right from the inside.
Wow.
And that and this is this is this is me at forty something years old, just discovering that. Of course, you go get checked from your doctor and all of these things, but there's so many other answers and questions that you need to ask. That's it, because that's it they're gonna treat you for. They're gonna treat you for what's happening now.
And such does this hurt?
Yep?
Cool, let me fix that. Let me give you something for that. But most of the time, they're not warning you. No, the things around the corner prevented it.
Because now because you gotta realize it's like for some it's smart as clienteles. It was like come on back, come on, come back, you know, and it's like experiencing that as wild because I never did diallass. I turned it down. I was like, you didn't do it, you never did. I was like, I'm good, I'm so glad you did. I was just like, and I would you know, I will always say, do your research, talk to your doctor. No, I'm not going to work for you what works for you.
And for me, I was like, man, what I'm not about to do is take my travel restrictions away. I didn't came up here and did all this stuff.
And you have to decide in your mind how hard you're going to fight to not have to go on diallasas. Yes, that's a different fight, Yep, that's a different clean up. Yeah, one hundred percent. And that's that's literally what I was doing with and then I'll go back. I was in and out of like binging, like in out burders. I'm like, I don't care no one like then, But I was like you know, water workout.
I had had a got hired a chef, and then I started had a trainer, and I was doing all everything I thought I was supposed to do. But I was like, I'm not doing it. He's like, there's there's ones you can take in your house and look, I'm like this not sexy to me. I'm like, I'm not doing this. And maybe it was a moment of where I was like, I don't want to inconvenience of having to be somewhere else, Like if this, if I'm going out, I'm going out the way I always imagine doing music
and being free. I didn't. I didn't come in here to like to be in a jail in a sense, but you know, some people don't have the choice, and so yeah, you know, so I still I still work with other organizations that's tied to Dallas's, but for me, I just want to go and accept it. I was like nah. And then it's almost like the therapist was like, but you are you depressed? Like he said, are you depressed? Like I'm like, nah, should I be? It's like, maybe
you should be depressed because this is that. And then I just had my support system, my brother, and my sister Biggie Victor Charlie, all my parents stuff is like all right, cool, but I was still like, still feel isolated though, because they would never really know because no one is checking on you for your medications, like taking medications. So I said, it was a battle. It's and and it's and it's ongoing. My my transplant is a treatment, not an actual care. So I'm still say it again.
The transplant is just a treatment, but it wasn't a cure. It's not a cure, not a care at all. So my brother is lifespan, but the fact that my brother was an identical match, it was crazy. And so I still to take care of it the same way I would, you know, any other thing. You know what what percentage is is I'm fully functioned now fully functioned. Yeah, he definitely gave me. I was like, good looking, thanks for that for sure.
He was dancing with at the super Bowl.
He's back, moving back, moving man, for real? I got was I was kidding dude? For sure? I started walking more. I was like king and I'm like, oh in So my thirties was way more and I feel better now than I ever felt my twenties. Wow, and that's when I and that's when I always felt like, it's your plan, and then there's the plan that guy already has for you.
And then also it's like not trying to control too much because if I had in my mindset, if I never went through that because my mom was on the business, I was alridy about to flip half of the city. I was like, I'm gonna get this house. I mean, I was already on this whole monopoly thing. I was like, had this vision. But God was like, nah, that's not the vision I got, Bro, You're about to sit down. You're about to take it. And so it took away my ability to care about things that I thought I
should have cared about. So it kind of slowed me down enough to realize that I had to go come back to the beginning. So this is actually living at the beginning again. However, hits were still being made, you know, things were still being going on the residuals, right, and so I was able to take that and utilize that and started focusing on the future. But uh yeah, straight up, man, that's I feel every day I'm alive. I'm like, it's a blessing, dude.
So where is it that people that are maybe going through some of these certain things, where would you suggest that they look into, like what are some good organizations?
For sure? Yeah, hitstealing dot org. That's what it is. Yeah, because what it is is well that and is anything that's related to their actual disease. Where are they going through there is an organization that's so if it's kidneys and it's like all these kidney organizations, if it's you know, heart's heart organizations, which is high pretension. But for sure, what we're doing and his stealing is just creating more
accessible and relatable content and conversations. Because the problem with I always say doctors are like musicians, Like when musicians jam, they're doing it for each other and not the people. And doctors are talking to each other, not the people. And so for me as a even as a pianist, as that correlate. When I play, I want to pour into people. I don't care about esthetically, what you brought.
What you up.
I'm like, man, you're going somewhere, bro, it's cool. I just want to I want to make sure who, including the if we affected by it, then I did my job. My god, stel freaking enough to say it going. That's going down. Man, I've been writing, I've been like composing stuff. Everyone's I want to see the magic. I want to see it like you feel it. I can't see it,
you gotta feel it. And by the time they realized it all right, like you know, so that's why I'm all right now and just doing the whole thing like that. Cut me in and cut it out. Started out there.
Yeah you know my.
Okay, I know y'all talking crazy going on. They cut me in, Okay, I better ja, I better have a song.
He Jacob closed that door.
Stopping there.
We about to start singing this murder dance.
We want to.
Come on play that murder Man. Real about a demo here today? I was like, man, for two seconds and me get my laptop.
I was like, is that where murder Man starts right there? Ye oh that's great, that's great. Yeah, yeah, they got the piano players in the bid.
Yeah.
Brian Kennedy, that is affluent that you are on this this thing. But I feel like you've you've played and heard a lot of music in your time. We've come to a place to where we all want to know your favorites. Man, we want to know the music that inspired you.
Man. This section is a special section for us because I don't know where I'm going with them. But what I want to say is that the people to know you're top five want to know your top five jam, top fire. Your top five are the easeing alry me songs. Go to your phone where you.
Want to know it.
Don't god us in saying Louis no moon, He's home.
We go.
Yeah, Wow, that's crazy, ring ring it a home?
Fine, yeah, yes, up, nice all nice, got a little got a little Disney, little Disney.
Vibes, Man, Frank Kennedy, your top five R and B singers, Man, Stevie Wonder, Wow, bridey Night.
You're gonna pick off everybody could play the piano, uh Brandy?
Yeah, boys to man yea, yeah those are if young man, How are you? I'm forty, you're forty forty?
Now are you a man? I was at your fortieth birthday. I just thought about that. Yeah, yeah, I didn't put up on.
Your yeah water, Yeah, that's crazy. What's the spot that the verse at manny spot?
Yeah, manni verse.
Yeah, let's just shout that out too.
Oh my you been. That's what we just at for for for our guys. Grammy party, oh DJ camp.
Camp Yeah yeah yeah, fire vibes in there, crazy and the sound is vibes. That was That's what we had summer. Okay, about five R and B songs. Okay, I wrote the damnse if I can remember for obvious reasons anytime Brian Night. Also, uh, back Street Don't Leave Me, Brandy the way You Touch Me? Come on Son, yeah come wow. That song is Whyzy. Oh my god, the production on that, that literally gave me a whole era of inspiration. I was like, what is what am I hearing music?
What?
Yeah? That's wold what for sure? And then uh, I want to know Joe. When I've seen the Wood soundtrack, I was like, what is this like? Then that was crazy? And then you're remind me I made the first time I heard it, I was I kept my mind. I heard, I heard, but I was like, okay, I'm just beat. Something is up. So I remember hearing that on the school bus.
She got four MP she got and you got some more piano for.
I ain't saying no n I ain't saying no name, ain't saying no names, ain't saying no where you was.
What you did?
You don't say she I ain't saying no. Wow, all right, you know where we're at. Okay, part of the show.
We let's go very important segment.
So hold on, hold on, okay, okay, okay, okay.
You tell us a.
Story funny and fucked up, A funny and fucked up in the travels in the times.
Brian Kennedy b k mistif for tone? What what's the other nigga?
You was?
So? Be unique? Okay?
He sounds that sounds like what your uncle ben what he called himself? Want to see you go the song? If you're free, if you want to spend some time with be unique?
Oh man, you too, You're too young to be calling yourself that.
Bro.
Know like.
I was like hell a teenager? What like I had a hat, I had a concert everything, Bro, you want to get a cut. You should be see the unique like Nel Slaughers.
I was like, Bro, I was definitely all be unique, had to be signed a Solar record.
Yeah, lit be unique? Yo? That is incredible?
All right? What's your eyes?
The game name?
I keep it real simple there. Uh, this is Brian Kennedy BKD. Time fully hit her out in a minute. At this point, now I'm like, okay, I want to work on any everything that is available to more me to work on. So this artist got booked that I'm a huge fan of, like I grew up on some of this stuff. And my dad was coming that week with my parents. I talked my dad, Hey, man, all my sessions are like wholesome, chill, be chilling. You should
come to the studio. Man. He's like, I help you with your business, but I ain't gotta be in the studio. That's no. I want you come to this session, man, just on any giving day. Let me know. He's like, I'm gonna come to Wednesday. The artists get there, and I'm a fan. I'm like, bro, pleasure to meet you, like my dad's can come. It's gonna be a wholesome set.
You know.
I say wholesome, I just mean like chill and crazy. So I thought, and the artist is like, man, pleasures meet you, bro. I got you know. I got my dad's right next to me. He probably bigger about the patrol was like a little lot basing going on. I said, okay, no wrong that people want to get inspired, we go to the studio. He's I got some more inspiration pulling up for us. That's inspiration. He'said, hey, we need inspiration. That's so cool, bro. Two strippers a wrestler who was
a stripper, a wrestler or a wrestler strip wrestler, stripper. Yeah, that's what I said. So two strippers come in and then one was a professional wrestler stripper. Let's wrestling and uh my dad was like yeah, i'n't let you have this one. I said, I promise you all my sessions. I was like, he's like, what is it? What is this? I was like, man, who, I said, we got to cater to. And then the artist is like, yo, Dad, is he a pastor or something? I said no, no,
he cool. He said, all right, trying to start, and I was like, oh, be cool, man, we can keep it cool. I'm in there making beats. The rest are over here, got my homie choked up like this. He's like like yeah. He's like, yo, hey, stop stop that stop, let it go, Let it go. He almost stepped out. And then I'll make some beach stuff. Try to keep the innergme. I'm like, yo, I'm a fan of this opportunity. This opportunity must happen. I've been uniqu's been in worse situations before.
Not really but kind of like, you know, this got here I have Yeah, for sure. It's like I can maintain you whever this is.
So I'm making beats and the vibes are going, and it's like a circus wrestling show, one stripping and one's doing this, and then and and the artists like told you to get crazy, We're gonna were gonna make this make I was like, yeah, bro, like sure. So I was like the one of the longest, shortest sessions I've
ever had, ever had, but it was interesting. But the whole thing was my dad's supposed to witness me do my producer thing, and he was like, yeah, I don't know about this, so you can have that and then to bite me. That's how Rianna comes together because this ain't it. So it's coming when those moments. So I can't say no names, but definitely was an experience. Did you get a hit out of it?
Man?
Uh, the hit didn't come out, but the song he was doing was very, very present. It was very in that moment. In the moment he said that's how I write these songs. I was like, you don't say so.
The song is called put You in the Pressive.
Yeah, I mean they got paid, but you gotta know, yo, he legit almost choked out. I'm like, bro, don't you know you gotta have etiquette? Bro, like let them do what they do. And he just doing too much. She was like, I'm a wrestler for real. Bro, I'm gonna choke your friend. It took like three of us to I'm gonna choke your friend yo. And he was like, She's like do it and she grabbed him and he was like, I was like, this is serious and she
was litting everything. I was like, I was like, man, I think I'm just go home and make some poppy together. Man like I can't do this. But it was it was an interesting experience. Got it. That's good session with him. I need to get Ring the Wrestler, Ring Blood Wrestler. No, it was like trench coat vibe and everything. It was like it went from this to that. Fact. You know, I wasn't drinking nothing. I was always just keeping it.
I was always level, So I mean, I'm not jopping in sessions, I'm chilling, I'm not judging nothing, but I'm sober. But this is not so activity taking place. I go to the house and the hills after this is gonna get crazier. I was like, this is where I stopped. This is my It's gonna get crazy. This ain't crazy. Yeah.
So that was it on Friday drinking sessions. I'm glad you didn't partake because some of us aren't that strong. Next time you saw me was being a WrestleMania.
Where should like that Bud.
Come on, brother, buddy, brother, you know me and my whole comedian as Jean watch read him and saying the prayers brother, she wow, what you mean many? Yeah, I'm all the way ahead. He even took this nigga back to his Yeah the Greatest.
Wrestling. His interviews were crazy though, Nigga Yeah.
Rappish and Rick Rude, Jake the Snake Yo, I was the wonderful Paul Off Yo.
I'll watch rout your interviews just for inspiration. Within a ten year span, Like when I was going through, I'm like, what this dude say. Yeah, sometimes you get down, but you gotta just get back in the game. The creamp rides to the time of like this dude' hype me up and it's all fake but maybe not. Somebody's gotta get back to that, yo. I'm literally yeah, interviews is crazy. I gotta get I gotta get back to that.
You're gonna start giving inspirationalview.
I'm gonna start giving Clicho man, Randy Sadly inspiration no fight board videos. Did you know you can't just let them roll over? You could give them a nsion, now take a mile. You can't let him do what I tell you now that.
You men is never letting your slide.
You got a headache yet not.
Hilarious, never letting you slide.
He was in it for really, he that wrestler would have came to the studio. I'm just telling you, I'd have been.
In my world. That's crazy.
It was he was wrestling for sure. Well, Uh, mister, it's getting mister, get these names together. Brian Kennedy.
Aka A k A. What's the wrap on Lavone?
Mister Bouton?
Mister, yes, that's how mister Bouton is. Like I was.
It was like, it's not Louis, but it's you know, it's giving me money talks in the past, Bouton started hanging together.
Uh to be here you go? What was it again? Unique be unique you had here when you was be unique too, right like I burn or something that's right, the skinny cyburn. It was breed his baby face, it was breed.
Tourney Silver said, Tourney Silver.
Yeah, that's the name of what is.
It was that.
To Megan Hit records, man, to fighting for your life on so many fronts, to bringing an amazing you know, an amazing moment to to the pod man with this health and wellness. Man, I think that that right there is for me is the gold Like everything that you've accomplished musically speaks for yourself. You're hardworking, your dedication to the craft. But everything you've you're accomplishing and everything that you've fought through and not just survived but are thriving
through at this point in your life. Man, that's that's the gold Man. That's the gold Man. And we we salute you, brother, appreciate it, We salute you. We love you, brother, and we are we are we are better because you are here.
Wow, for real. And you know, let us know how we can be involved.
We can let us turn up someone what they call them gallus.
Turned up. Let us turn the things out man like one un Like some of you, those it's amazing. Yeah, but yeah, we do need to be in those rooms so we can show them what it is, show them how to get that information to ye to the people who need it and need to understand it.
Yeah.
God man, we love you.
And this is the R and B Money podcast, the authority on all things R and B. This has been music, and this has been health man, this has been wellness. This is this and this has been awesome. Man.
Appreciate the real giant, giantladies and gentlemen.
Thank you. R and B Money.
R and B Money is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe to and rate our show, and you can connect with us on social media at Jay Valentine and at the Real Tank. For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot com or slash R and B Money