John Brown

R and b's money.

We are.

Thank you, take valotility.

We are the authority on all things R and B.

Ladies and gentlemen, what's going on.

My name is Tanks and this this this, This is the R BE Money Podcast, the authority on all things R and B.

Straight up.

And sometimes you know, it's not just a guess, it's not just an artist. Sometimes it's just family along with all of those other things, you know. Top tens, a few albums, a bunch of shows here and there from Detroit, but R and B through and through, make some noise with my brother, mister.

John bro Yes, sir, thank you, thank you, thank you. Appreciate that shaded fellers chilling, chilling.

Yeah, come on man, listen man, we are happy to have your home, my brother.

Thank you.

You're like a little brother of me. You know what I'm saying.

Thank you, man.

And it's crazy, like like running back into you in Dallas, yep, because we hadn't seen each other in fourteen years. I'd have been fourteen, fourteen fourteen.

Since the session we had done fourteen yeah, Lee, And when I saw you it was a meeting. I was like, what are you doing here? What's on there?

Right, like I'm opening. I was like, no one told me this, right right, but I'd always remembered you and was like.

That was my guy, that was my little guy. That was we did some work together.

We did, and then sitting down in that room and having a conversation with you, you know, just about how you felt about where you were and and what you needed moving forward. And from that point on, you know, my vow to you was, hey, man, whatever you need, I got you straight up. And the first thing we're gonna do, We're gonna get you a record. Yep, we went and damn it got you and got you.

I mean.

Definitely.

But listen, man, let's get into the you know, Army Money podcast is about getting into the history of of a of a of a guy, of a gal and understanding where it all comes from.

Right you can say, oh thanks man.

That's that's the one thing you can say.

Look right now, we got some dynamic singers, right, yeah, come on, you got to bring when you're.

You can sing.

And I want to get into the history of kind of where it all started for you, and not just from a business standpoint, but even just developing and honing your craft, Like where did that start for you and when did somebody say you got something or when did you feel like you had something?

It started my dad's church in Detroit, so rest in Peace with my father, Pastor Brown started there was playing an organ, doing some of everything, and then from there progressing to talent shows, you know, just the same stuff we all pretty much did.

And then from there I think, like I got to deal with Universe Republic. That's when we first cat moving fast.

How did you? How did you get a deal with Universal Republic? And did somebody say, hey, man, you need to come see this guy that's singing and all these talent shows in Detroit?

All right? See me that? All right?

So how I got to deal with Universal? There was a guy in Detroit who heard me sing foind me on my Space and he's like, man, I know a guy who's in a radio business. He can get you. I was like, man, whatever, man, this is Detroit. Cat talking no offense to Detroit. I love Detroit, but you know people talk, you.

Can talk about it.

So I'm like, man, you know he playing.

Maybe two months later he introduced me to my manager, Maurice Harley, and so from there he was like, man, I'm a radio guy, and you know, I want to try to help you out put a few songs out.

Then boom, it just started to grow.

And that was it, and they just called you.

They just called me, like, well, four labels called me, but then Universal I decided to go with them.

So for for you as a young artist at the time, and you just kind of looking at you know, these these offers being on the table for you, what makes you at that age say this label makes the most sense for me.

That's a good question because I'm gonna say, honestly, I can't even say that was really my thought process. I think it was more so like I finally have a deal, so let me roll with it, you know, versus me really strategically figuring now if this was like the right thing for me. I was just more so excited that somebody wanted to sign me.

So so they excited you the.

Most, you know, just in all honesty, brother, because.

The money, y'all know what time it was more money, So I was like, I'm gonna go here. But yeah, it was an experience.

So now, in hindsight, with that situation not working out, in would you do would you go to that same label over these other three, because it's four altogether.

When you look at your artistry, are you trying to start something? Not even that I'm trying to start something. I'm trying to.

For the for the kids that are watching and them having an understanding that every team don't match the player facts. Right In in sports, you can't really pick who drafts you. In music, you can unless there's only one and you just chasing that. But if you have multiple offers, you now have the opportunity to say this, an R has done such and.

Such, Maybe that works with what I do. You know what.

They have no one up there that that does what I do, and that can help. But maybe that could hurt me because maybe they don't know what to do with.

Me, and I think artists don't. We don't. We don't stand.

Back and assess, just say, oh shit, y'all offer me two dollars, they offer me two fifty.

So I'm gonna roll with this.

I'm go with that extra extra. That's a couple extra sandwiches where I'm from, you know what I mean.

So that's why I asked, because we try to be as formed as informative as we possibly can exactly, you know, to the listener who either they don't know the music business, are they're coming up and they want to be in the music business. We want to give that to them so they can have an understanding of how to look at it, you know, when you're coming in.

That's that's true.

I mean yeah, So, I mean when you put it that way for the listeners, I think, in hindsight, I should have more so just maybe figured out if there was better situations out versus rushing into you know what I mean, y'all make sure y'all just know what y'all getting y'allselves into before y'all get involved in it. Not to say that it was a bad deal, but I think if I would have just waited a little bit longer,

I think the I think the hunger for the deal as an artist, I mean, it's just it's just a real thing that's unavoidable because you feel like that is the validation that is a stand.

I'm really I'm really in this ship, you know what I'm saying.

I'm professional now, I got this paperwork, I got this contract.

You know what I'm saying. It's got it's got terms and conditions on it. You know what I'm saying.

And you know I got to build and I can go to where they know my name?

You think you can go to that too? Do you think you can go? Do you think who? Do you think they know your name?

Who? If you call, I just gotta sign here. If you call.

Debbie, is your dad not asked for the chairman? Does his name Debbie mean anything? Nab Debbie, Debbie, Debbie Reynolds, wieb Wire. So hold on, let's go back at sixteen and what age? What age is this? Were you getting the universal thing? That was.

Nineteen? Okay, so lets eighteen.

Let's go back a little bit. Yeah, fellow, at sixteen, aren't you signing the White Cleft?

Johan?

Is that? Is that? What happens there?

Yep?

Sixteen signed the Cleft and he came through Detroit. No, so right, you know that ain't happening. So somebody knew Cleft's cousin Jerry Wonder Jerry one day Jerry. Jerry was like god, yeah, yeah, And so they wanted to audition my boys, and I like, well, my group and I and so we drove from Detroit to New York did the audition, like immediately want to sign us. So that's how that deal kind of went. Moved to Jersey boom.

It was an.

Experience, you know, yeah, it was an experience. But cleft shout out to cleft man, great dude.

How long was you in Jersey?

Like two years?

Oh oh, y'all was really getting into it.

Yeah, yeah, we were recording.

So when you're going to school high school?

Yeah, man, I transfer my senior year. It was crazy we eleventh grade?

Did you actually do school work in Jersey to No?

I did it?

The truth?

Well, you know, you moved this group from one place to another city we've never been to.

We were trying to have fun.

Man.

You know, young folks getting in trouble.

Enrolled in the New Jersey high school.

Only me.

Everybody already finished, okay, yeah, so when they're still hanging out, you're supposed to go to class.

Exactly, so you are new time. It was it was like, man, this do they hang out all night? I'm trying to study, Like, just come on, man, chill is. I'm like, all I forget it. It wasn't a good experience in terms of not doing my work, But overall it was a good experience.

You know, what did what do you feel like you got from that experience or or got from Claff because were you'll working with Jerry at the time.

Yeah, we're working with Jerry now y'all where y'all at Platinum Sound Sound and Booker Basement and hold on what year two thousand.

One? Two? Okay? Three?

Yeah, yeah, okay, so you're working with the guy? Yeah, yeah, And so what do you feel like? First of all, what did you get from that? And what do you feel like was the part that didn't where it didn't add up and it ended up dissolving.

I think that what we learned from CLAFF was more more so just just staying focused.

We were young and it's a new experience. So when you take said these young kids from one environment to the next, it's like, Okay, we just want to have fun. But Cleft wanted us to just focus. Yeah, and so some of us did, and some of us wanted to run around and do our thing and not really focused. So ultimately Cleft cut a few members, chopped them down, you know, got rid of them, and then from there we just try to read regroup and get a new group,

E two G?

What does that mean?

I don't even remember elements two thousands something like that. I had. I had no say something that.

E two G. Right software coming.

To kids.

It wasn't my joy, it wasn't listen to.

That's probably one of the worst names.

Yo.

You know who came up with that name?

What' me?

So that's what old.

Got coming to an Android near you?

E two G.

These apps are off the chain, right, You.

Got that new yout g on your phone?

The update is crazy t G update like.

It makes the worst.

One of the group members got that name tattooed on him, So I yeah, sorry, brother, if you're watching this, man, I ain't trying.

To play you with you.

Damn, what do we come on?

Let's come up with some good let's feeling then.

Get out of here, man, get out everything, just.

Everything to get uh uh evolve together together.

Yeah, evolved up together, eat together, Eat together together.

That might work work.

No, it didn't work. We tried.

So E two G falls apart for obvious reasons. Started that name.

I can't sign nobody eat G. I can't walk up in no company telling them, is you EAT two G network home? You ain't signed on the heat to the eat G that's got the most band wid All right? Man? E two G? This band and and what you go back home? Went back home, back to Detroit.

So you ain't been home in two years?

Two years? You just pop back up, back up. So how does that go to?

Though?

When you leave Detroit at sixteen, you leave your senior year and you're like, man, I'm going I'm signing the cleft.

I'm out y'all because niggas in the hood is waiting to see you on TV exactly.

So I knew what she was alluding to. It was let's just say we hit our faces. Yeah I know I did. I was like, Yo, I'm not even like I disappeared, man, really, because I.

Mean, you're going back home. People think you know you from the D so it's kind of like people think you made it. Once we get back, it's like y.

Why y'all back, Like you know how I go.

I'm just here for a second and two until the paperwork because it's a new paper.

Yeah, man, it was yeah, because.

That going home, going home after because everyone at home and at home is everywhere for everybody, right, going back home after this quote unquote breakthrough. You know what I'm saying. It's the hardest, hardest lesson man to learn from and get over. Like for me, I was never going home when I got to l A.

That was it.

I'm never going home. I was filling up a stolen uh Lincoln town car with pennies from the ash tray. But I was not.

Going That's called determination, man, ever.

Damn but that you know, there's a different lesson than that. I ain't go home, but I went to ranch a Cuckamoka.

Helped me out with that one. You see you see next Friday. Oh, I'm the cave. But I wasn't that bad. He wasn't in that part.

And I definitely want the can. I was walking around, he wasn't. He went over there. Did I have it but a two bedroom apartment? Trying to figure trying to figure it out, right, because things do fall apart and so at that time, you know, I was on the outswip with my label and all of that. Like that was right before me and Jay and when Jay met me, like I was, I was riding riding in the town, uh, in a four door for that escort crazy manual would roll down windows nuts. Yeah, but I wasn't going home.

Uh, you're still young, you you know.

I was preparing to go to college at that point. Wow, yeah, yeah, I said, at this point because again we thought this was a major deal.

So it's like it didn't happen. So it's like, all right, what's the next option?

School?

So I went off to Grambling State and that was that.

But I kept singing what he went to Gramblin?

You singing that Gramblin.

I was singing that Grambling that did Oh it did something. It did something, man, I'm gonna tell you it was. It was an experience.

You a bunch of youtub gf there. Yeah, man, get you a bunch of you could use.

Everything.

Yeah yeah.

And so Gramlin State and then Universal are you doing music there at all? Are like in the band up there?

Now?

You just talent shows? But you doing talent shows shows.

And Gramblin Booze the bad. But I became popular after singing your records. And that was that what you say slow?

No?

I said, maybe I sing maybe I deserve and I sang.

Slowly. That's crazy.

Yeah, they didn't get boot. No, they talked about that to this day. No way, I promise you. It was like the best performance they've ever seen in Gramlin's history from a student.

Yeah.

Probably, Yeah, he would probably have a problem with you saying that because he went there.

Oh man, well I'm a singer disregarding side.

But no, that was it.

And then from there a guy was working with Jahim. He hit me up.

He apparently he worked at Gramblin. So I went out to Jersey. I started doing work with other people who work with Jahim, and yeah, man, from there, it just kept focusing on my dream.

But then coming back.

To school, just trying to stay busy with music because again I'm a singer.

We're all singers. We want to keep doing it to.

Kind of keep that, you know, keep ourselves polished. Yeah, so I kept going.

So when did you get into the space to where you came to see us? What time was that? That was?

That was two thousand and nine, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So I had a lot of time elapsed between that.

Right, Yeah, yeah, a lot of time. So in other words, you asking what happened?

Right?

So from there I was just on recording still talent shows. And that's about it.

Were you're working?

I was working? Where were you working? You really want to know that? Absolutely? Yeah, because the people people want to know.

I'm gonna tell you, I'm how thing go chicken?

You gave me the hook up? Yeah?

I would because I used to go to the popeye'es and they would give me extra tenders and extra fries, and.

The bus the same one, the same one. You just knew that they was gonna get at it.

Up the street from my mama house.

Wow. No, I love Pope, Yeah, oh yeah, they love They.

Treat me right, Oh yeah, they will the right person with that, with that Marty Crown mustard, that must have got your thing and they want to people be talking about the other.

They got a good fact. Nobody messing with that.

So you're you're at Popeye's before or after the Universal deal, after after the university.

So that's how it really gets. You may think you're about to make it. Yeah, but you're back to the streets, back to the streets in Detroit and the d mm.

Hmm shout that you want to shout that Pope is out.

Many know, y'all eight miles and you know what you do what you do giving away free food your ass to I know you would have.

I'm trying to run a business here what I'm trying.

To hook up my people? You know that made enough money. It was a late night hour at there's a lot of biscus. There's a lot of biscuits. It's a lot of a lot of biscuits.

No, but still the man still, you know.

And how did you get out of Popeyes? Of course they fired you. But how do you get from Popeye's to to come and to see us?

So what record coming to where you are? When you came to Republic? Universal Republic? He said, He said, Pope's is after Universal Republic.

No Universal was before before? Okay, okay, the Republic is after you get okay, right, that was the white Cleff situation when we came back home.

You go to Popeye's after why cleft? Yeah?

Well yeah, yeah yeah, don't judge me right now.

It's a little nobody listen. You gotta listen. You have to work, You gotta take care of yourself. It ain't. People get too caught up.

Emphasis on caught up facts with what kind of job or where you like?

Bro do something to take care of yourself?

Yeah, man, it's important.

Are you gonna sit in that sale and wish you would have done something else? Fact? To take care of yourself? A fact?

You know what I mean, because we've all faced it at some point in our life where it's like.

What what what the else is going for?

How much? Tell me how? What exactly do I gotta do?

I take the bag, you know what I mean?

Like everybody, our community, mention our community. Man, it's it's always this this quick fix, this easy way out, and it's actually the easiest way in.

They gonna lock.

Your ass up. Inevitably, if you keep going, they're going to lock you up.

And sometimes you don't even make it to the keep this feelings out here that got Oh man, I just I just had it. I was hustling for about a week and also robusted. Yeah, so it's like, bro, I respect it. Appreciate that absolutely, I respect it.

Yeah.

The sad part is some people don't respect it.

Taking care of yourself is a real thing, right, And so what you learn about, you know, doing this doing music is that it's creb. We just had this conversation, Like doing music under duress is way different than doing music because you love to do music, and so most people go through this duress process where they're under pressure. For them, they put the pressure on the music to perform. It has to perform in such a way in order for them to survive, which is a tough space to make music from.

You know what I'm saying, Like.

Having that job to make sure your bills are paid will give you less time in the space. But when you're making the music, making money is not on your mind. Making music is pretty much when you get in front

All of these things hit you hard, man.

So you you make you you writing songs like your life is on the line. And most of us are from that fire, from sleeping on floors and all of these things. We're built in that fire. But something happened when we were able to just really do this because we love to do it. Something special happened. And don't shy away from that. Don't shy away from that foundation or making sure that people understand that part of the story, because Pope's chicken is important.

Yeah, for real, it got me to this point. Yeah, it was an experience. So you go to Republic and how do you get to us?

I can't remember her name, but I would always say. She would always ask who's your favorite artist? So I'm like, man, I say.

Tank said, who else?

I'm like, Tank, who else? Tank was like, you gotta be somebody else. I'm like, well, I like James Brown, you know, voice to man, of course. But she was like, but who really inspirted Tank? So I ain't just saying that because you hear it, man, nonybody knows when they know, it's the truth. So she was like, oh, that's interesting. I'm gonna see if I know him. I'm gonna see if I can figure. I'm like, what, you know, you definitely know who he is. She surprised me, went over to

What's his name?

Again?

I woke up?

Man, I was knocked out because I mean you quite frankly, you took a while.

You ain't you ain't come on time, but it's all right.

You came.

And then when you got there, you were singing like who's this John Bryan?

Who's the joint?

I'm like that voice aren't familiar? And you started doing runs. I'm like, nah, I ain't no Tank, and it was you and that.

Was that was it?

That right, I think I think the floor.

Did you know it was at the studio with us.

He was there in the room like he was in the weighting room or something like warming up some food.

I woke up, like Steve, that's my dog.

He was in there. He was like, yeah, you know. Of course, I'm like making you do the article and all that.

He's like, nah, you did I promise. But I'm young. I'm young, man. Don't don't judge me. Don't judge judge that.

Don't judge me.

Man.

Listen, Listen to people.

It's a truthful moment.

But listen people when you see don't never do it.

When you see people that you you know you love something that they've done or that you know you respect it, just tell them that. Don't ask them like, don't run up on Carlton talk about can you do the car our files.

That were bare right, and asked him to do the call to.

Don't run up on Julio White and asked him to do the Earth Yeah.

You do it.

But he was cool about it.

He was just like him a good day, I believe. So I wasn't expecting that because this was my first time really in La So I'm like dang what people are really around When you came to the steps, I'm like, yo, this is nuts.

And that was that. Yeah, what did we work?

What was the song? What's that song? Hustle Hard?

So hard?

That one?

Uh man, we did like four of them.

I got him somewhere too. I got those right, you got full of those up, I got right. I know hustle Hard was one of them. He was absolutely one of them. Yeah, yeah, but.

Yeah, I was excited. I was there, man, that was my whole thing. Like I'm working with my idol.

So and so at this point you're still living in Detroit, but you just flew into the sessions.

Yeah.

True, what is what? What came with those sessions in terms of like the ones with you with the labels, like your Journey recording those records.

Nothing happened with those records. Something should have happened with those records. But I think people wanted to take me in a different direction. And so yeah, that was that asked me to deal ended, though I feel like we had to write music during that time.

It would have been a little more sustainable.

So that deal ended too, unfortunately. Okay, Yeah, yeah, sounds like me. I went from deal to deal man, like we're done over here.

Yes, it was a rough one.

So what's the next So what is the next deal? How do you get to the next place? And when do you start putting out records? And let's get to this top ten space.

The next deal happened after that. I stopped doing music. I was done after after the university university public. Yeah, man, depression set in, and it's real, you know, it hits you. Man, at some point when you just figure out, okay, is this really for me? You psych yourself out.

Man.

I was basically at war my ulf at that point. You know.

The deal in this was like where do I go from here? You know, because the focal point is music. So it's like, if you're not focused on school, you're not focused on working what comes next? So I was just working a whole bunch of odd jobs after that pretty.

Much for how long? For a minute?

For years, years, funeral homes, all sorts.

Of stuff, the funeral home, like like with the bodies, like in bombing the bodies.

No, but I was like an apprentice in a sense, so I was there doing the process and everything.

So you like Brown pe Valley, I've never seen pe Valley. I heard this story.

Yeah, what do it do? Is we work?

He like?

He like we working at Yeah?

Man, I was just trying to make ends meet man at the funeral home.

And here's and here's there's a question going back to the you know, the real conversations. What are the people at homes sang that know you can sing that know you've had these stills.

And I mean I've heard stories no one really saying thing to me. But you know how it goes like, oh he fell off. You know, it's overform. He had a few records, same stuff we all probably heard before, you know. But again, man, it takes a toll on you, you know, once you realize like, I'm not where I want to be, you know. And so I mean I would assume that's how some of the stories went, people just talking crap about you.

But that's how it goes, you know, And what gets you back into it the love for music. Man.

You know, my manager hit me up and I was like, man, you want to get back at it. I was like, nah, I'm cool because you It's like is it gonna happen right? You know, based on those previous exper previous experiences, so I'm.

Like, am I'm straight.

He was like, man, let's just give another try. I'm like, nah, I'm cool.

Go to New York, quught a few records, and I had a top ten record within like the next five to six months really after recording it. Yeah, who did that record?

I don't know.

That's a good question. Good but I just record.

I don't know.

I don't know who wrote it. Someone else wrote it. I sang it, and then uh yeah, he.

Just put it out.

Richard started doing this work in his magic Sunrod sunset.

And this is after how many years.

Off, twelve to fourteen.

Yeah.

Yeah, so performing.

Everything, I was just like, yo, I can't do this, do none of it. Nothing, nothing, just worked.

Just worked.

Yeah.

Man, I was depressed. Man, it was tough. When I say tough, it was tough. So by the grace of.

God, man, I just.

Got that.

He brought me back to it. Yeah.

So that top five breathed the different life thing to you though. It did.

Man.

But then of course there's you still has the tennis like we're doing it independently, which by the way, is a great thing, you know, but still, you know, I still have these you know, these preconceived notions like will it happened?

You know?

But then after that we had another one, and then another one, and then another one, then another one, and then I had one with my bro so five top.

Ten records, name them name the top ten red So.

Sunrise Sunset was the first. Give It to You was the second.

Vibe.

No Moon was the third, Vibe was the fourth, Don't rush?

What's the fifth? So far?

Yeah, I get a little excited. So I missed, you know, I'm miss calculated. Don't judge met.

With it was.

It's funny because I think we've all I've never taken a fourteen year off, but I was. I was at five you know what I'm saying, where I have to try and figure it out straight because it was like yeah, and I was at the point where I didn't even want to go to seven yep, wow, Yeah, I didn't want to give nobody no music. But I was like, what else am I going to do?

Right?

I've gotten fired from every job I had. I'm no good at nine to five? Yeah, man, am I gonna train people? Like? What am I to do? You know what I'm saying? And then I go into this space to where you know, you know, I'm working with Fox, and then you know, I meet the underdogs and then meet Jay and then we just you know, the music just starts flowing in that way. And finally I wasn't the person that got me back into being an artist. Wow, Harvey looked at me and say, hey, man, we should

Your focal point, which is writing at that prod that's all I had.

Label, label wouldn't wouldn't blink at me, insane, you know what I'm saying. And so you know, an album like sex, Love and Pain comes from pain, from really all the pain I was going exactly during that time.

But also freedom also freedom too.

Though because you, like you said, you worked, Yeah, you stayed working right, you found another space, which is tough for a lot of artists as well, to say, especially someone who's had success as an artist first to say, you know what, I'm all these great songs I'm writing, I'm going to give them away. I'm gonna give all my babies away to everyone else, and then I'm going to watch, you know. I remember going to the Millennium tour, seeing multiple songs that I wrote crazy, you know what

So what did that do to you? I?

For me, you know, I enjoyed it because I was I was never a uh, I was never.

A artist who looked at it from the space of.

These are just my songs and I can't don't touch my I never looked at it like that. I never had that that mindset so for me, but I had also not had my own records at that point, you know what I mean That that we're that were moving and I, you know, he had already seen the world and been performing these records everywhere. For me, yeah, I had deals and I you know, I was working on different stuff, but it wasn't like I knew that they would scream different if I sang them got.

So I just I just embraced it.

But I'm like, damn, this is crazy, Like these people fuck with right, I wrote about some situations, you know what I mean, It's.

It's crazy, man, so I think.

But but having the freedom of being able to like you said do it without distress because at that point, during that point, we was having such a good time at the dogs. Yeah, I mean we was having a ball at the underdogs. It was really I didn't even have a lot of money either, but it's a good time.

I was having a good.

Time, which made things.

Yeah, I mean, it just was. It was fun and like back to but it was there was no the rest, there was no pressure. We had enough for White teas. We had White teas and Air Force one. I don't know where they was getting these Air Force ones from, but they were coming boxes off the boat, y'all. And we had we called the Marshmountains.

We had a cack to You gotta imagine it's ten at least ten guys up there that are just working were we were a full machine. We were a full machine. And it's this is what we're doing every day. So like we had the people that would bring us to white teas and they would bring them in fifties. Yeah, they would bring White teas in fifties in a bundle of fifty, and then you would bring Air Force ones in a.

Bundle of twenty or third.

Everybody come get they want or two pairs that week or whatever.

Did you have to pay for them?

Yeah, it was, but it was just it was delivered.

It was delivered its place bro like like the Edmonds Building legendary, man legendary. It was legendary.

It was.

It was a good time and you know, people were just being able to be creative and you know, ultimately either get themselves back, keep that ship going, you know what I mean, like come through there like whatever it was, it was, you know, it was just a it was a great moment in time. It's a great moment in time. And look at you on the still yeah.

Still, but have a lot of fun, have a lot of fun. Yeah, ultimately have a lot of fun.

You know what I'm saying, Like we get to uh, we get to now create moments. We're cultivating a really cool moment with this right you know, run into you my brother and say we need to do something. We need to create a moment.

You know.

Taking a record that was for me, I'm.

Like, oh yeah, I'm still surprised at that this.

Will work perfect for John Brown. I like that record a lot.

I know you did. I was like giving me this when Travis sent it to me, I was like he played it for me.

He was like, you know, I know you're still working at just want to play because you know Travis is real modest, play something. You know, it's just a vibe.

I don't know if you feel if you're gonna be on it like that, but you're gonna play for your player.

You played, I was like, I was like, I was like, it's something in there. I was like, the vibe is crazy. All you have every melody we need in the song. It's just changing the structure just a little bit. I said, yeah, I need this, and then I was like, no, I don't. John Brown needs this. Wow, John Brown needs this. I called you straighter, I said, we got one.

Yeah, pretty much verybatim based on what you just said.

We got one and just you know, seeing you and more walk in the building and like it was like for you if for you, it was like when mom was.

Like, Okay, this is really happening.

We're really gonna do this, and it felt like maybe a bunch of people said they were going to do some things. So maybe a bunch of people said some things were gonna happen and we were able to actually come through for you.

Yeah, So shout out to you. Man, let's moment.

Did you clap for yourself depend as well?

For the moment?

I'm happy we were able to come through through for that. It's crazy we shooting that video and I got sick on that video.

Yeah, man, it was it was gone.

I had food poisoning for the next days.

That's nuts.

I was. I lost thirteen pounds in like four.

Days and still managed to record it or feel it rather.

I mean, I think we got enough, but I was that was a lots.

I was considering how you were feeling than you.

Brother.

Man.

It's gotta be there for my brother.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So what is after your fifth top ten? What is your movement now? What? And how do you feel now coming from all of these deals that you've been through, coming from a twelve thirteen, fourteen year layoff, coming back to now starting to you know, really pick up some momentum in the space that you've always wanted to be in.

The move now is to keep going.

You know, we got my new album out, Chapter in Versus doing pretty well, so shouts out to my team, you know SRG, you know version, you know we're making some traction. You know, we just dropped the deluxe version, so it's been doing pretty well. Now we're working on a new album, so it's just putting out music, man, But prepare for a new single.

So do you continue to try to keep things in the market, like, because you're working from an independent.

Sense basically, right, So obviously you're not waiting on you know, release schedules and that whole.

Thing, are you or do you have like for you like, Okay, I'm gonna put something out every six months? I got you know this content this like give us a breakdown of how your business works of.

So, I mean I would say like every six months, you know, because it takes six months for a record.

Well, I guess it depends on the life one for sure.

I mean we could say say six months and give you something.

I would say every six months is constantly putting stuff out because consistently is the key.

Right.

So I think at this point, considering we've had the success, the only way to do it now is to keep moving. So we're just putting our music.

Man, how's your road life?

It's looking good?

You know, it's there, not all the way there, but it's there. You know, I'm happy, you know, it's it's it's definitely a it's a process, man, I say that, you know, but in terms of road life in general, doing this thing, and.

How do you how do you feel like the fans are responding to the music? You know what I mean? Like when you sing your top five, your top ten songs, do you see the do you see the excitement? Do you see the word for word?

And I do?

I you can hear the mic out there and let them do the rest. How does how does don't Rush feel? That's a good question because I haven't been out there for don't Rush.

Yeah, yeah, that's the one. So it's a great feeling. And I tell you that now that you can really I think don't rush. No, I know, don't rush. It's like that defining record and considering you on the record with me. So like now when I perform people singing it with me, it's.

Just like do you sing his part? I stay away from it. Hey man, it's your song.

Man, you know what.

I just did a show on Buffalo and I attempted it. I mean, I'm not gonna say at tempted it.

I did it.

But sometimes you get in your own head. But I made it work. Man, it didn't work or I just get a mic to the audience and they just sing it.

So who's going to show you? You did it?

In Buffalo?

This young lady named Mayvies. She's a dope artist. She's from like North Carolina. She's really dope, so shouts out to Maybe she's pretty dope. But it was just her and I basically some guy named Dudley, old school calf from LA but dope.

So show I mean, no, it was my I was like the headliner.

But yeah, headline, say a headline, you.

Know, shout out the Buffalo.

Because here's the thing, right, you know, I think success, right, it can be defined differently for for anybody that you asked this question. But the fact that you are doing what you love to do again and that you are finally having some some real success with it, you know,

Yeah, it's stand on it. Yeah, you're right.

You went from from a fourteen year layoff to five top tens.

Yeah, do you feel like you can look at it and say this is my career?

Now? Have you had that?

With all the great questions? Man, that's a really tough one.

Good.

It's funny you mentioned that because I thought about that yesterday.

I don't only look like a my rash right right?

Who do I look like?

No?

From fucking that's funny?

Seriously.

Yeah, yeah, I say no, I can officially say it's a career. Yeah, I've arrived in a sense. Yeah, since But I can say it's a career now, you know, because.

People get caught up in.

Thinking it has to be a certain thing other than this is something that I love to do, takes care of me, takes care of my family. I get up and do it, and I can go find a gig and I can go perform and you know, I mean, I got records on the radio and you know what I mean.

So that's why I asked.

No, that's a great question.

No, I can, like I said, I talked about this the other day to a few friends, and I'm like, man, I honestly can say that it's a career.

Now you have a career music that record, don't rutch, I think that really.

Made it pretty much.

Yeah, so thank you manap again.

No, no, we gotta get on stage, you know, you gotta be somewhere, and then I just gotta when you when's your next show?

My next show? New Year's Eve?

Oh yeah, that's not gonna work.

That would have been dope. He's like, no, I'm already locked down enough.

I got a gig, man, stay working. No, I got it. And New Year's Day is my birth me and my son's birthday.

Yeah. Oh wow. So you know we always find ourselves somewhere tropical. That's funny.

Which one for your birthday? Which want your birthday?

More?

More?

More more beanies, that's what I want.

Give me some different colors that.

Multi pack.

On the side, multi pack. Here's the funniest question. Here's the funniest thing. So on on the plane on this plane headed to Paris, when the kids went to Paris, it was my plan, don't and and this young lady, this little girl shout out to my guy Albie is his daughter, right, And she has to be, you know, one of them little kids that just just is a star. And she's not even trying. She's smart, eloquent, uh, beautiful everything.

She's like, do you like beanies? Yeah?

I think, she said, Wow, you have any other colors? I said no. She's subliminally like, she's like, I mean, since you like them a lot, you should probably get a.

Lot of colors.

I could see you in like a blue, white, maybe a green. What do you think, like what I'm enjoying the black beanie.

I have out here with a white bean like part of snow patrol boy said, I said, listening from a town where we just we wear dark colors, keeping you know, the grays black.

You know, we stay around.

From the town.

She's like, you should do that.

You should get more beanies.

I like the beanies on you, And so for the rest of the trip, she said, hey, beanie. I think one time we got on the bus somewhere said still rocking the beanies.

I was like, that's she sounds funy.

Maybe I want some beanies for my birthday. All right, where'd you listen? Let me know where you're gonna be after that and I'm gonna pull up.

All right.

I'm holding you to that.

I believe you know, you know if you said you're gonna do it.

I can't wait to pull up, man, walk out there on that stage. I will now, I'm still you can't manage my turn up man and his show?

What you mean?

I was asking? Go ahead?

Do you do push ups in between? Man?

Man?

That what they call it?

In and out? It's it's still calling different. It's a tough one.

It's a journey. It's a journey, man, it's a journey.

All right. Listen, man, I want to get into your R and B mind. Oh yeah, we'll get into your R and B mind. You know you sing the R and B. You got you got to try to records in the R and B. But do you really know R and b?

Mm hmm.

Let's get into this top five segment. Oh, there'll be theme music soon, So.

I figured I was waiting. I was waiting for it.

Is that the same Music's got a lot of porn on it, a lot of Ron Jeremy on that shout out to Pinky.

I grew up on Pinky. Pinky was Vanessa Dale real amount of time.

Wasn't that a time obsession? Anybody want to talk too far? We're getting in the top five? Is my brother? Who's your top five R and B artists?

All right?

Before I say this, don't take no offense to it. You mean to the viewers you're five top no specific order.

Though, right the order your world?

The top five.

Teddy Pendergrass.

Strong, Oh sure you got to do that? Genuine the wine my guy r Kelly? Yes, it are we four right now?

Four? Four?

Tank and tank round it out? It's tank. Yeah, it's helpfulest helpless.

I mean that's my five.

You had the beanies on from.

The multi pack multi is gonna fit.

Like on side bad word?

Roll up after the second man?

All right?

Top five R and B songs? Oh dang.

Does the matter of the year?

No? Top five?

All right?

Uh b BC? All right bye? Is that before six A twelve? In my opinion? Six A twelve by Brianny Knight. Oh wow, that's one of my favorite records. Uh guy, why am I forgetting the name of It's gonna help me out?

Slow, let's chill, let's chill. Love that monster record. Maybe I deserve mm hmm records.

Okay, right, one who sings that.

Start treating different?

Nope, Nope, I don't want to say that one.

You can if you want to.

Your body's calling me R Kelly. Great record, great record. Did already say R Kelly before he did? Type of artists? I'm bad, you're good?

What that song is?

Just dope? Yeah, h sweet lady.

Great R and B record, Great R and B record written by a young man, young man fifteen sixteen, a young man who John also was a kid when he was like fifteen that record. Yeah, he was a kid kid when he about that record.

All right, that's he's a monster monsters monster song.

That's nuts. I never knew that.

And no offense, but I mean obviously I know, but I'm just saying I didn't.

Know that you got joints.

He'll surprise you crazy, he's surprised neo versus mm hmm.

He was like, you did that.

That's nuts. Just drank his wine, right, humble, Yeah I did that? Yeah, all right, Okay, we're not done. They're gonna put together RM both trying mm hmm.

Right, and.

Who are you going to get the vocals from performing style, styling and passion of the artists who are you going to get the vocals to build your RMB.

Artists one artist, one artist, thank you.

Whatever happens, gonna say this, I'm gonna keep it on with you, like so you're gonna learn to respect them.

So so I'm not just saying that because I'm on their podcast.

I'm just being brutally hones.

That's just his podcast. On that side, I ain't saying.

We're gonna we're gonna do a merger right now, but but vocally, I feel like you would definitely know where to go.

So I've been trying to get some respector Ryan for long.

I know I could get some better snaps, some cheesus ain't really.

Who are you? Who are you getting the performance style from?

Bobby Brown?

If you could do that, boy, boy boy, they're lucky.

I can't do with Bobby Brown.

Bobby is crazy?

You kidding me?

Okay, thank Bobby?

Who you who you're getting the styling from? What do you want the artists to look like?

That's a good question.

When you look on stage, we'll be having that ship.

A lot of people can dress man. That's a tough one.

Mm hmmm.

Keep sweat yeah, yeah, I mean sweat crazy or yeah, sweat.

Sweat is the gentleman on stage.

Yeah, you know I'm gonna lift I'm gonna lift my foot, baby, so I can see these red.

You know, you see it. You know you know once I kicked Miami, it's time.

I'm changing three times. I know I'm the only changed twice. They know I got it on me right. And then who You're getting the passion from the heart of the artists.

Jeller Bert Mmmm yeah, one of my favorite performers and singers.

Yeah, little verb. He didn't miss no the god. No, he didn't miss crazy. He did miss Yeah, he didn't miss m hm.

He got the same reaction with his clothes on, better reaction with his clothes on. My clothes off.

He's crazy, He's crazy.

Usually you got man, he's just a guy.

Yeah, facts, it's a guy that's a great volt run and it's pops oh man.

Yeah, it's over.

Yeah.

His dad is yeah, insane Eddie Eddie.

So we got another segment, another, another very very very important segment.

It's called I Ain't saying no names. You know what I mean?

And you've experienced this business, are you know? Are the streets of Detroit either.

One potentially get me I don't know, brother, I don't know stuff.

You know what I mean?

You tell your story how you won't tell your story? All right, it's called I ain't saying no names. And the story can be either funny or fucked up or funny and fucked up. The only rule is you can't say the names of the people in the story that maybe did the ship to you?

Are you know?

For you whatever? Mm hm, no name. The other participants cannot be named. M hm.

So this right here is John Brown's I ain't saying no.

Names one person.

But in the industry, your world, do what you do, all right, no rules, I ain't saying no names. Start off like that. I wasn't the one who slept with your girlfriend, flat out, that's it.

I was the one slept with your girlfriend after that show.

Yeah, now we.

All know who did, but you know I wasn't the one.

Good.

That's actually pretty good.

It wasn't the story.

It wasn't me.

It wasn't me.

It was not me. No, if you're watching, they definitely wasn't me.

It wasn't me.

You think it's me, he still do, And it wasn't me. You asked, was it you?

No?

No, no, I've never been that type of dude. Okay, we know who did it though we know you know.

I don't know what you're talking about it. I wasn't on that to it.

But no, that was that that Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, we'll look here man. And of course you are brother man, you know you, you your family, you know. Having you here goes without saying, there's more for you, man, thank you. It's more. It's more for you to do and really aggressively get to it. Yeah, don't let don't let these moments pass you by without taking advantage of every single part of it and inserting yourself if no one is willing to insert you into whatever conversation or position,

My god, take what yours, my brother, My god, I'm gonna take it, man, I believe it.

I'm ready.

Be sure.

I'm positive.

I'm here. You have me here, y'all, I have me here. I'm here. There is we want to see that you gentlemen.

My name is Sake, I'm Jay Valentine and this is the R and B Money Podcast, the authority on all things R and B.

The This thing is about a journey, and just when you think the journey is over.

You can start all over again. It'd be top ten, plady and gentlemen, thanks to John Yes.

R and B Money.

R and B Money is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 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