Kosine

he's a super producer, super super producer. Also in our teeth. There are very few people that are who sensitive about the sensitive about this ship. Ladies and gentlemen, our little brother in the building, give it up a coat Signmano Felsio sad Well you know the lord I see by the Miami right that. Yeah, come R and B sexy five, you know, sexy sexy bo bos All, blooding glass. Valentino. No, no, no, no, no, no, I'm like okay, no, y'all, Niggs, come on back, real

is back on end Um. First of all, man, thank you brother for pulling up. Man. This is a necessity. Um, you know it wasn't a matter of if just a matter of when we get the we get the bro hand. What what I tried to do was to not be too thirsty. Right as soon as I've seen it, it was like it was like coast, calm down, gotta get Jamie out the way, coast overwhere? So what you think you're thinking next week? Like what you're thinking? Like, tell me exactly the time the time front. Yeah, I had

had the real and back. Not be so thirsty. Let it happen and shout out to my sister who you know. She saw a couple of guests and it was like, Okay, it's time now they he told you, they didn't got She's telling me who he got? Eric been on there, I've seen hit make on. It's time. It's time that you called take yet and then sent me pages of talking boards shout out tonight, my sister not. I rocked with that. She told me down. She's a huge fan of the podcast. Huge what's her favorite episode? I think

her favorite is Steve Mackie. You know what I'm saying. I think she just loved the insight, you know what I'm saying? And great, yeah, yeah, but with you brothers, man, I gotta give your brothers y'all flowers to first because being an l a transplant. You know what I'm saying,

It's all about choosing your friends wisely. And the divine brotherhood council that has come from both of y'all down through the years has been clutched, you know what I'm saying, because historically I've been a wild cowboy, you know what I'm saying, and sometimes sometimes unassuming, but a wild cowboy, especially when I think about my brother Jay Man demand didn't talk me off the ledge so many times. Man.

And then when I think about then Rique Dragon here, when I wanted to get out there as an artist, the encouragement to let it fly, let it fly, let it fly, man, you know, wanted you to be the dragon uninhibited. Man. They got a new show about you now d House of Dragons too. May or may not be a ghost writer on that show. You know what, They got Black dragons bag real dragons again. But now I just wanted to put that on record, and just I said, I appreciate you brothers, man, because man, you know,

even y'all showing up to the wind, thank you singing man. Man. I could go on all day, you know, yeah, I know I get more than thing I was thinking about, like trying to figure out some type of invoice for for what I ended up having to do. You had to wing it. We have some some technical difficulty. It was technical difficult. People didn't show up, man, Like, So where's the DJ? What DJ chords was missing? J that's supposed to do? You think you can? You know what?

For my brother? I absolutely can. What's the going out song? Oh? You don't have them? Alright? Cool? Give me the microphone again. Do the thing. We'll figure it out. You know what I'm saying. I had to usher the people into you know that, did you usher? But then you gave him a few bars walking in which was always played in Chicagoy. You know what I'm saying, people walking back. I feel like he gave Jeff a few months and snacks, snacks and snacks. Don't nobody's singing snacks but me. You know

what I'm saying, yo. And it's so funny because listening to my family prepared to come to l A for the first time, right, it's a lot of Panamlians that came to Los Angeles for the first time, and they like, you know, we have to get ready to dress like potato salad because this is our really celebrity wedding mardical. We're coming and this is that really celebrity. We're ready. So it's just like, guys, you gotta dress like oh yeah, you know that's slay. That's Panamanian slang right there. Man,

what does that mean? I mean you fly if you dress like salad? Oh man, you like, yeah salad. We wouldn't come dressed like slid modicle. I'm like, okay, I'm to use that. You know. I think I'm gonna let your have I'm gonna let your guy man what you have on. You know, I had to potato salad, you know that I had with the freshly cut, hard boiled eggs on top of a little little Papa Rika has said, you see where you're gonna go. Wait, he'll turn into a full song all right, man, um your family to us.

But that's not how we rock. Um. We want to we want to dig into the beginning of of co sign. We want to dig into the beginning of modicles, the beginning of the modic, the beginning like where was the day in time where you either made the decision that this is what I want to do or somebody told you, hey, this is what you should be doing. Mm hmm. And and to add to that, to give you some more talking talking space, what was your influence to even get to the dang man? I gotta say the influence. Man,

I got made fun of for this, bro. I got made fun of in high school for this man, I mean know in college. Uh. Well, first, it's all credit to my mom, the late bed a Lie Celestine Johnson. You know what I'm saying, man, little salute man. We definitely moms held it down for real. Um, single black mother, west side of Chicago, Maywood, brav you to be specific. Um, originally from Panama and my main't play no games. You know what I'm not gonna do is lose my son

to gang violence. Um, I won't raise a disrespectful child. And she just really instilled education and practice. Those were like cornerstone. So so was she a musician? Wasn't a musician? My grandfather used to sing solos in church, you know, pops, he's originally from Jamaica. We call him uh and um. But it was just like the way I can I can protect my child is to always keep him busy.

So it was saxophone, it was piano, it was baseball, basketball, it was gone too, right, which is Panamanian dance class on the weekend, they have Panamanian class in Chicago. What the name of the club was called? On my peck right? And I used to be have to be in parades like I used to be my mom, Mom, You're gonna they're gonna beat me up there if I'm doing like you was doing car involved in Chicago. What you hear

that music? Come on fifth the fifth there behind your back on the Yeah, yeah, what what you wanna do? They want to go? You want to go party? Right now? It was a little club called the Fuego Fuego, I know what that means. It's on fire, yeah, okay. And I remember being at them parties, man, and it might be like twelve one am and the kids section we'd already did our dad, so that we're just on the side, sleep tired, and it's just really your Southland going on.

You know what I'm saying that you see pants with the sides opening me my, you know what I'm saying. It just like yeah, bro, So she really was big on the culture. You will know about your panaman your roots um and be well rounded as well. In eighth grade, I started playing the drums at church. I was the third string drummer. You know what I'm saying. Happened so so you got man like like sports. Yeah, absolutely, you know what I'm saying, and really use the backup, backup

drummer like th quarterbacks. So you got the sanctuary choir, the youth choir, and then when the kids quire come up goes they'd be like, oh, all these blessings come from God. It's either it's either it's either the junior choir or before before the praising worship was a big thing as it is right now. You know what I'm saying. You would do like the beginning of service. You know what I'm saying. That's what the third string guy was. But one service started getting serious, then the guys off.

Everybody here, Okay, buddy, come on, buddy, come on now. The best part was when the lead drummer uh and the second drumming is And this only happened a few times in the lead second they ain't there. Now baby, you get play for the for the big choiring off beating loud. You see the quiet director. Just I'm trying to find it grade eighth grade. I'm thirteen thirteen this time, and so yeah, I'm playing sacks, I'm playing drums and playing keys. And then high school was like all of

them kind of coming together. I was I was rapping. I was in an R and B group and we had no lead singer. What y'all saying? Union? I think the group probably only lasts about ninety days, okay, because it was one guy that just every week was just selling wolf tickets is what we call them. And it's like, yeah, we're gonna be shooting a video. We gotta we gotta

auditions for the video. Girls coming. He was in the group where he was the man in the group, and oh but he was managing too though he was selling y'all wolf tickets. Yeah, selling us the wolf tickets. None of the things that he ever talked about ever came in the group. What you're selling the wolf ticket? And it was just just another nis just like everybody now here in the group and kind of and kind of

is claiming lead singer. But I can't give him that because you can't see none of us, none of us get really, you know, I'm trying to be noticing. I'm trying to be you know, Cosavante in the group. You know what I'm saying, producer in the back, and so yeah, that I was a disaster, but it was shots up. All of this stuff was just getting shots up. I went to a Catholic all boy high school, same school

at the Isaiah Thomas went to St. Joe's. Evan Turner as well, and uh Man, I played in the Lassalian Instrumentalists. I want the Louis B. Armstrong Jazz Award. So I was cutting up man, I was playing at youth services, starting to get a little little is all for you? Just being a purist in terms of just being a musician and just loving it and just doing I'm having a good time. What I noticed was rapping. I wasn't a huge fan of the attention because Chicago they will

fry you. The jokes that my friends have were so lead though that getting on that stage and the spotlight was a little hot. So it's like, how can I be close to it but not all the way into producer? And when I saw that, that made me just want to just know all of the different aspects about music, you know. And so so it was your mother, your first investor because obviously, as being a producer was for sure got to have equipment. My mama bought that PM

for keyboard PEV. Yeah, so for the keyboard. Uh, I kind of just gotta just lead that off. How I got my first keyboard. That ain't nobody being, uh, what you want to tell us? You know what happened? You know what I'm saying that you have to sell, you have to sell something. I had to sell nothing, but you know I just laid something down to get it. I had to get a creative right to get that. Yamaham, you had seven to Yeah, yeah your shirt, I see your shirt. You did something? Yeah, did you get the

way to get I got the seven? I got to seven. But it was crazy because I remember my mom being like, Michael, how did you get that? And I had to tell one of my homies to say that he bought it from me. You know what I'm saying, like like my mama, because I was like, I was one of the guys in the group, was a producer, and so I told mom. I was like, mom, he got a deal. And because I've been spending that time in the studio with him,

he just got me my own keyboard. So she was like, oh my, really, Michael, I have to I have to at least it call him so I can say thank you shot. So I had to finesse called him and say hey, act like you got me. Yeah, Mom about to call you can say thanks for the keyboard. This is senior year of high school. Make seventeen, senior year in high school? A little what did you do? Man? I can't talk about it. I mean, the statue of

limitations is probably over. Probably over. Huh, you've grown out, go to jail for something you did from high school and high school. But but I but I gave back though. This is what I did. I gave back to the organization, organization. I get back to the organization that he took him for, the boys and Girls club. He's stolen church. Church, there's

still the churches. Gave onout the church. But it was it was it was something I'm not because it's funny because I was talking to somebody and I was thinking about that, like wait, how did that? And I was like, oh my god, that was a one time in my life where I got active. Oh my god, I had to have it, had to. And and so I think about how sometimes in the past I've been judging on how people get to it, not really putting that mirror on myself and really looking at my story through a

fine tooth comb, Like you have to do some hustling too, sir. Yeah. And I was like, alright, cool, I gotta relax. H Um. Yes, you kind of poked a hole in the kindom he's gonna. He's gonna do that throughout throughout the whole, just for yourself. This is before this, before he's gonna everybody. This is before we started getting up, started getting moisted, it slippery. But so you start making your first tracks that motif. Yeah.

And then I got an MPC two thousand right after from a mentor of mine, got by the name of the Sick One. Um. And it's funny too, because I just knew he was gonna give it to me. It got a four thousand, and I was just like, oh, the two thouars of mine and he was like, not, it's a thousand, and I was like, sir, please, He's like nah. So that's when I started shouting to que biller Man as a guy west side q billing Man. He bought my first track. He bought three of them

for two hundred dollars, six hundred dollars. I think my mama might have gave me the other Yeah, you know what I'm saying. So three bats for two hundred dollars to Q Builing and man the rest was hitting once that MPC and that motif was together in that basement. Oh we are so listen before we before you can go any further, we have to take a shot. We're gonna take a shot, and this shot is too. Not

disappointing the investors. Your mama, your mama, my daddy, this is just my my listen, my o G. Bill Haney, father of Devin Haney, world champion. This is his saying, do not disappoint the investors. Straight up. This is why we're This is why we're here. We did not disappoint the investors. Your mama gave you that extra poe, man, the extra poe like I used to drive my mama crazy. Yoh, like I would be as an only child. I'll be

in my room. I remember one time I got out the shower and I supposed to put my clothes on and come outside to my family was in a living room. But it was like, ain't nothing stopping me from going to the NBA. And I had a little ram in my room. Wait just you just talked about a whole bunch of instruments and playing instruments and now you're jumping out of hoop dreams while it was life. So I was on my all start and they all started elementary school and so so at that young age, I remember that.

I never forget that day. I came out the shower and said, I'm going to leave through my tower off and started training but ass necking in my room. Asshole going to funk off. And my cousin walked in the room. So like my cousin, I remember seeing her, like, yeah, my cousin, Jazz cousin. Y yes, I remember seeing her and I just instantly started tearing up because I knew

she was gonna tell and I saw. I was like no, no, no, and she was like you you're playing basketball, but brow Marcus and my family called me Marcus markets here playing basketball next year. I'm oh, please, no to get so distracted and then get engulf you know what I'm saying, Get distracted and getting golf, man, that's worth in leon and above the basketball without the ball bro the only child.

The only child life is so crazy because you're so lonely. Bro, You're so lonely, You're so in your head, and it's like you create this world of just like being by yourself, you know what I'm saying. And you got your imaginary friends and the reasoning, you know what I'm saying, work Where your imaginary friends that you were whooping, were they naked to they were work. And then so my mom would hear me doing Goddos one in the room and

shut it down. And that's when practiced being because she's just be like Monico, sit when the last time you practice piano, you're not jumping around. And we lived in an apartment, so you have people that would call the police and do all kind of wild ship because they heard and then you know, pick up piano or saxophone the next you know, two three hours ago by and I wouldn't even really think about it. And she was a head nurse of a dialysis unit a Loyola hospital

and she would do her schedule. She always had to do that weekly schedule, so that was a good time for her to zone out and knock out the schedule for everybody practicing, you know, what I'm saying. And then the Disney movies came out, so I always had the play alongs to all the movie. So Steve Mackie was talking about doing the Disney movie. I was like, why can't I relate? I don't want to have to be able to relate to this. But I remember that I had my horn like dee do dee do do do

do do? Just be like I said. That was the early years and her favorite uh for one of her favorite musicians was Kenny g So I'm in the in the crib. That was my style. Black women love Kenny. They love Kenny Ken, John b Yeah, what's the uh. Michael Bolton and Michael bow Yes, and Michael Bolton love at Michael bo So when I got to fam you and there's sixties freshman Michael McDonald, don't leave you. We will not leave out my movie. That's a very so oh my god. He was cold. He was cold in

real life. Oh my god, Oh my goodness. So I used to So I was in a program called Upward Bound and that was the college prep local program at the community college Triton College. That it was for the poor, smart kids, right, and because my mama made too much money for me to be in the program. I never got stipends. They used to get stipends every week. But my cousin, she was in the program, and she her people, my uncle, they get put in a good word, threw

me in there. It's just like, you can be here, but you can't get paid. Mama be cooking, yeah saying. And we used to do college tours all around. So I've seen Duke, and I really wanted to go to Duke for a second till I got there and it was like, oh, y'all tightened ass. I love a basketball team, but y'all live tighten ask. But what I'm looking for coming from St. Joe's, which is like Catholic all boy, you know, turned up, I need it. I need to be dipped in black again, you know what I'm saying.

I went to black from preschool to aid grade and then my high school is pretty diverse. But then there's like, I need black again, and so and I know, and I knew I needed music too, and he's like, well, you're talking about the best black band in the country. You're talking about family. You are you sure that's the best? A kick that off? Not because they don't want to smoke. I'm just asking. No, I'm just I'm just asking. I mean, because human juke pak No, I mean they're cute, They're cute,

you know what I'm saying. He was Sonic Boom or something like that, right, and look their dancer girls pristine. Hey, but when it comes to talk to sound talk to you know what I'm saying, it's the Marching one hundred and so y'all who they made the movie of course, and our band would have been in the movie, but they wrote in the script that we lose and we don't lose. So fun that movie, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, that drumline what not in real life, but that's how

our band director felt. You know what I'm saying, We don't lose, we don't lose. Script, You're not going to create that, no, you know, telling people that, no, no, no, that's not the energy that you're gonna put out about us, and that then they rewrote it and made it a tie, and it was like, oh yeah, think it's a game, and me being I'm like, god, I want to be the movie so bad, like band director please, when I was really so there were and there were a lot

of players from our band. That's a couple one offs that they use, like the sticks. The actual nick cannon Hands in the band was one of our drummers and fans Hands was one of them, so they're still were And then I think they ended up using Southwestern Cow but their band director is from fam you you know what I'm saying, saxophone player too, So yeah, it was

it was deep. It was really deep, and I really was happening because you're talking about two one so band is damn their gangs what and there's gangs inside of every section too. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, you know what I'm saying. So of course you got the white T shirt on crab, you know. And on top of being a crab, I was the weakest link out of sixty freshman saxophone players. And I'm just like, also, y'all didn't play football and

basketball and had girlfriends and just played instruments. Y'all just really was about that. So that's where I learned about even practicing, Like coach, you don't practice for I didn't even I didn't even get a scholarship the first semester. My scholarship didn't happen until the second semester, so I really had to get my ship together. But it was a cultural for me because I just was the man at home. But then I get to fam and these guys are playing fly to the Bumblebee? Where I at?

Where am I at? And I'm there's Nicki Minaje. Anaconda does not happen without fan bum Yeah you're still poor, but still we're still poor. But then I was a that was a forward flash of how that happens. Because I learned about arrangement, I learned about blend. You know what I'm saying. I learned so much musicality just being there, being in the jazz man beating a symphonic man. You know what I'm saying. Having a teacher say, yeah, you're playing saxophone, but I wanted to to hit me like

a French horn. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. So that's a different mouthpiece as a different armiship is. It's the real training. I'm taking class piano, taking voice, I'm taking brass techniques. I was a music education major while I was at FAN to force semesters of theory with dr horn. So this is like damn the music rocket science yea and it's the best shot ever. And after my sophomore year, my mom gets diagnosed with cancer. After my freshman year, my mom gets diagnosed with cancer. After

my sophomore year, my mom passed away from cancer. And that's when I moved back to Chicago from Tallahassee. And that was just such a crazy time because I never really wanted to go to college like that. College wasn't really my twist. I wanted to be a rock star, go to the league, or definitely not school. But that was my mom's first and last wish. She said, Marcos Monico. My job as a parent, it's done when you graduate college, Monica. And even though I won't be there with you in

the physical, Monica, please this on her deathbed. These are last words. So I registered for Columbia College Chicago September nine, and my mom passed away September ten, and I remember reading her my schedule and that's how I know. She was like, all right, cool, he's registered for school. He going to school. I'm out. And three years later, I'm in my uh my counselor's office, and I'm like, I cannot believe I'm about to graduate. I can't believe it.

And she was like, yeah, and it's crazy with you know this year being on Mother's Day. Wow. Three years later. Wow. I walked out the office, walked to the President's office for the first time in three years of being at Columbia. See the lady there, I say, ma'am, um, hey speak to the president. She said, the President's book through the summer. I said, well, you're about to watch me sleep on the floor in this office until I talk to him.

And she had a headset on hispanic lady. I remember her taking her head set off, like, what you're not gonna do is sleep in the office. How can I help you? And I told her everything and she just so happened to be a single mother. Hispanic over still where I was coming from, and I said, I need to speak. I need to say something in graduation. I

know I'm not the validatorian. She cried her eyes out, asked me to leave, made some calls to this day, I'm the only person to speak at Columbia College graduation not be the validatorian. I dedicated that degree to my mama. That was my first grammy. Come on, man, come on, my first grammy. Oh he's still flossed into that's my first Grammy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. It's not a floss that I never want to gramm me. I got nine nominations. Oh you think no one? Yeah, I got

nine nominations. I got nine nominations and a win people, Jennifer Hudson one. Therefore, I want you. Did you did R and B album up the year? Sure? We got damn grabbed. Then I'll show you the certificate. I could show you my driver's license to hate on it was hating. You got to change now though, they change the rule now, So now R and B album can get if you are, if you're a part of it, you can. That should be retroactive. Should that should be retroactive? Make the call,

you know I am make the call. You can go right there next to the R and B money thing. Until then you don't respecting that's what you're doing. Cool, Jake bro At least you should. That's crazy. I went through college, I graduated, I dedicated that degree with my mama. You know what I'm saying, Like now I'm making mix tapes in the basement hood hood you and now you're doing street music for paper bag money and teaching Look and teach him to so the head of my department.

I brought him three contracts. One was to I think red Zone read something might be like tricking them in that line. The other one was Barry Hankerson. I forget who the other one was, but I brought him all three contracts. Right. I still had that basketball mentality, like all right, tiping when you go to the NBA. And he was like he kind of saw the thirst on me a little bit and was like, coach, don't feel

like you gotta run to l A right away. If you want to stay home and get your stuff together, you know, get your house in order, you can do that, you know, and and if you want, you can teach here. I was like, teach what he said, I've never had a student like you make up a class left out his office because I was like, he might take that back. He only think you know what he said, left out

the office. Took my favorite three syllabus from all five years of college and wrote a curriculum called hip Hop Beat Making and then Out of Tune at Columbia University Columbia College, Chicago. So just lean away this. Jeremiah Kanye is downtown and uh. He made a couple of edits and they offered me another class, and you know, I want you to teach my other class, Producing Recording Music three,

and I'm gonna teach four. So I taught two classes hip Hop be making and Producing Recordings three for two years and you're what. And I remember the first day of class. It was at the Rhythm Cafe, is a studio in Chicago where we had the class, and they hadn't opened it up yet. So the students are there. I'm there, but I'm dressed like how it was dressed last semester. And they're like, man, where the fund the

teacher at man, how the fund this? They ain't open up the building, blah blah blah, man this is and they're just going crazy and I'm sitting there looking like and then the guy comes opens the door and they were like, oh, man, what's your name. I was like, yeah, I'm the teacher, and y'all cuting my class. You're gonna get a f you know what I'm saying. And it's and it's normally on the first day because I don't

like y'all attitude. How we walked in on their gass and every week I used to play all the beats I made all week and just punch them in the nose. They'd be like, Professor, you did this this week because I was man, I was to You're not though, It's not like you can teach your beat this week. You want us to wrap over this. Not only is the Beast not weak, but I'm inviting Damn. They're all the

guests from Kanye College dropout to because it's Chicago. He comes GLC and Loupe Fiasca comes, uh Prolific, you know, brin Fest. I'm bringing all of the guys to my class and we had a mixtape at the end of the semester, like it was. Mikey Rocks from the Cool Kids was in my first class. So to this day, mighty be like Professor co Sign, like a lot of people know me as professor. No, no, he was a student. He's my first student too, Professor Professor Cosign still to

this day, you know what I'm saying. So, yeah, I think that that's where I really put together that. I think that's where I got the formula. You know what I'm saying, might have been you might be our first professor. Yeah, we've had on the show bro right right, we've had a sir. We had to serve personal sides. I'm a doctor Church, so a doctor of music. Oh you got the honorary doctor doctor Church from where harvest? Harvest? Okay, Hey Dallas, I'm sipping one more time. I'm sitting one

more time to the well schooled church. It's just us in the streets. Now, you know what, I feel safe around you with me. You know you've been in the streets with me. Man, that's crazy. So you're the professor with the fire beats, completely tapped in, completely immersed in the Chicago culture, music culture. M hmm. What does the break? Where does the break happen? Because from everything you've just said, like you're ready, You're ready for the big league, You're

ready for the NBA. When does someone recognize your potential? And I'm moderating a panel at school, right, and so we have guest speakers that come in and talk to the students. One of those guest speakers was a guy by the name of c l And he had a DJ pool called Digi Wax Wax and so on the panel he was talking that ship. I'm like afterward, I went up to him, like, Yo, you were talking to this ship man, how long are you in town? You're like, I'm just here for the night man, and I'm like, well,

it's cool. I want to take you to the West Side. Give you some Uncle Remus chicken. I don't know if you had Uncle Remus, but that mouth sauce is crazy. I know we know him for Heralds, but as a West Side er Uncle Remus, you know what I'm saying. And then my studio was on Sacramento. Drove h the Uncle Remus drove him to the studio, played them some beats. He said, all right, cool. So on that panel, I know I said I got DIGIAX, but I'm actually partners

with MS. And he's coming off of this is why I'm hot Global Smash smash, and we don't need the big producers that the labels are introducing us to. We need just something different. I'm not looking for the name. I just want a different sound and Yo, Ship is different. And so I'm gonna fly you to Atlanta to work with MS. I'm like, oh, Ship, you know what I'm saying. So the next day my homie comes to the studio and say, you ain't the hottest producer in Chicago. Bro,

It's another nigger. That got you, and I said the next day, next day, one of my homies, I said, all right, okay, we'll play me to beat that says that he's nicer than me. He played the beat in the light bulb went off on my head. I said, Oh, he liked the beat because it's a hook on it, and I don't put hooks on my beat. I just be making. I'm a beat maker. I said, look that

beat that you love. Put that on my on my desktop in the studio, and tomorrow'm gonna come in here and make that beat, daddy, okay, because you got me fucked up. Came in the next day, made the beat, daddy, but then set a hook on there. Move if you want to, if you want to, if you want to move, move, if you want to, just put something there. Sent that to At least he jumped right on it. That's my

first goal. It's my first goal record. Wow, it's my first competitive You don't don't come in here and tell me I'm not the nicest in are you? Yeah? Are you stupid? He dumb? He's stupid, He dumb. I was so offended. Took a Jordan and that netflix. I took the fence to that. I took offense to that, say that bro and went crazy bro. And then I ended up executive producing the album. I didn't know that. I like seven records on there. Wow, I'm gonna tell you how I do. I'm another past are shout out to

LaToya Lucky. I produced a song with LaToya and M's called Love roller Coaster. Yeah, actually you didn't. Did you did what you didn't? I didn't because I did her vocals. And this is how I find out who the interns are, because listen, LaToya, I love you. She wasn't going in the studio with some new guys. She had never heard of it. And this is when we're doing Regret and ye good good to me. Yeah, this is the same

exact time. She's on Capitol at the Times as well, and I remember was it was, and I remember he came in there and he's like, Toya, we needs you on this man's record and blah blah blah blah, and I need you to go in with the producers who did it. Their name is the interns. And she's like, oh yeah, And I'm literally a fly on the wall, like because we're doing we're doing her altum and she like, I do JA do my vocals? I'm like, what, it's not my song. I don't know that that. Yeah, you

didn't have to do it. You know tanks on tours. You know what I mean tanking. We did our work and tanks gone and I end up cutting the vocals. That's crazy. So that's how I who Yeah, I credit for that. Neither. You won't give me some that's you. She should have gave you that out of her piece. She should have gave you some pub out of her She should have gave your fire something. Some things we do for the coaching man. This is how I find

out who these guys are. Many and that was enough pipeline to um do a publishing deal with only a TV and Vincent Herbert has signed an artist from Chicago by the name of Fieve. Him and Barry Hankerson. And it's crazy, but I say Barry was like he was the churches to come on, man, come on man, so uh shouting, yeah, I got some man. Barry Haggison, he's

the first Ergin. I remember being in his office two days after graduation and he said, so, I heard the track stars wanted to sign you, but I don't understand. Why would you want to sign to some niggas that signed to me. Why woun't you just want to come home? Why don't you just come home? I s all right, what I'm saying, like wait what and no, no? This after me him, So maybe I'm like twenty five now, and uh I remember him playing, playing him some beats

and and some songs, and he was listening. He was like, you're real talented, man, it's just you'll beat a little light in the ass. And when I tell you about one of my ribs cracked when he said, you know, say like nothing like that. It beats a little light in the ass. But don't worry. Don't worry. I'll get you with him. I get you with him, man, and

then get that together. But that was the beginning of me formulating the disrespectful away because you're not gonna tell me my beast is light in the ass man, that she used to haunt me. And heavy from now on, Heavy from now on. I'm saying, yeah, you took everything personally, it's looked like nass. He told me. I wasn't a producer. So you're you're song right, You're you're a good songwriter. You're an amazing vocalist, You're an amazing singer. You're a

good songwriter, but you're you're not a producer. So we're gonna get this. Maybe I deserve produced the right way. I just watched you at Love Records in full tank tanky production mode. I don't know if you realized how much you was in your bag last week. I wasn't even Bro, that was until you said it, and then Stacy called me. Stacy Barth called me and was like, I mean like he said the same thing you said.

You were just quarterback is it's chaos. It was absolutely you saw that there was a leader that needed to be somebody need to lead. And how you lead that set you got lucky day, you know what I'm saying, Camper, Camper, Tim Kelly. It was it was a zoo in the room. It was a zoo and I was like, Nana, I gotta and the orchestration and then because people have so much respect for you the way, everybody just kind of fell in line. Bro. I just it was real general

ship though, and I grew as a producer. You hit me the next day. I was like, uh, I agree, I didn't because you and it your business in your natural habits, set living life. But it's like Barry Hikerson telling me I'm not a producer. That's crazy. I'll take that personally. I wanted to beat Camping Yes you did, Yes you did, and the song he told me that wasn't good for production that production state. Yeah, and it ended up being the song that was the foundation of

my career. Shout out listen, shout out to Bara Hankinson for applying the pressure absolutely, applying the pressure absolutely because if you don't have somebody, because all he's doing is telling his truth, right, if you don't have somebody that you know that. One of my favorite proverbs, iron Sharper is iron. You know what I'm saying, You don't got somebody. And that's why I feel like Jay is a cheat code.

You know what I'm saying for you, because Jake gonna talk that ship and goddamn trying to tell you down without I'm not without love, but the words would be like, you gotta have tough skin, you you gotta be, you gotta down, you gotta have tough alligator skin, you gotta have Detroit gator skin to deal with. I love it. I love it. It's perfect. But but I'm I'm a product. You're a product. You're a product of tough teachings. Everything

was tough love for me. Nothing was nothing was cuddling and coddling and and and oh this is because I love none of that, straight up, none of it. The Interns formed in college, right, so now I'm alone, you know, to have a three bedroom home, to bathroom, a couple of cards. My mom really set me up while she was here, and even after she was here, my mom set me up, bro and I paid off the house. I paid for my tuition, and I put a studio in my basement, and I changed my major to music

business with a concentration and production. And in this art of entreprene newership class, I incorporated this company, the Interns, because I met An A and R through a guy by the name of Kevin Sean A and R in the city name too to to Clark and shout my brother man, because he was the one that was like, n we don't We're not gonna sign to Barry Hankerson. Now that's not the that's not the play. The play is let's build it from scratch on our own, out

the mud. I've always had an idea for the interns, and I just thought that name was perfect, especially being in college, like hell yeah. And so I did a business plan on that company in college when we said we were going to produce, manage, and market, and so too was the manager. I was the producer. And then we shared the marketing. We should throw parties and ship like that. In Chicago, we shared that together and after MS, after we moved to l A, one of your l

A parties. I left early. I got about it there. It's a good time Chicago. Niggas wild Bro, the niggas wild Bro. It's a good time. First days, they do that rain dance. They do the rain dance. Chill. I think it's called like footworking. Yes, yeah, Footwork's telling footworking the rain dance. She is a monster because it has a rain see and you gotta and if you really footworking, abody has to do this to you. This is when you go hypermode when you're dancing and your foot working too.

Ski ski and you feel somebody do this, then you go fast, get me, you got me? Old feel that happens if body grab your shirt in the party. Oh man, So y'all throwing parties y'all produces, and y'all managing some people too, too, started managing feed that the artist I was signed the bell, you know what I mean. And we uh, we were doing sessions out here, like as soon as we get this sony, they just started putting

us on the blind date. Y'all living in Chicago still, No, we moved in uh oh nine, so after Him's happened, I see it. We got about it there, moved to Woodland Hills. Um. I moved family and my mama's house so that I could just come home and kind of, you know, go back and forth. And I remember one of our first sessions, not our first session was with the Jackie Boys too, yes, sir, and they was like

it was a session with us. They had to leave early because they had to go work with Shaun Kingston and it was burnt out there, like yo, even on the Shaun Kinson album. I have no more ideas, Coach, please come with us to this session. And I was like, why y'all want me? You know what I'm saying. You got Benny Blanco as the producer. You know what I'm saying, I'm a producer, and no, you're a writer, coach, and even if you don't feel like writing, at least just

come and talk have fun. So I go there, they pull up the song and it's like it's almost like a look. You know, Shaun Kingston kind of had like a little Caribbean twang too. So I'm just making making jokes like she's indecisive, luking my eyes. Girl, come up with the closa. I'm like just like doing wild ship, just cracking jokes that the jokes turned into Shaun Kingston featuring Justin Bieber, Any Meeting shot any Meani might need more love. Yo, that's my first co wrote it with

the Jackie Boards. It's my first multi platinum plaque. Wow, just by the homies saying come and crack jokes, come crack jokes with us nicking. The song is called any Meeting, So I mean, I get it, I get it. It's I said, she's in decisive. So I remember thinking that I was supposed to be cool now, like on a whole another level because I got MS, I got Justin Bieber and a gold plack, got a platinum plaque. I should be the nigga out here. I wasn't I know,

I've gotten you into the club. I was struggling. I'm still struggling. Hurry up, so we're about to walk in struggle okay, coach fixing the jacket and shirt and ship, still trying to get across the street coast. Hurry up, you're not gonna get in. Get in, coach. Once we're in it, you're done. So like, it was like trying to get over the hump of why don't you let me in the club? Off my face? Car? Why is it not? Why is this not enough? Because A hunting

niggas with the placement. Man, it's true. So at the time my manner, it was Troy Carter and he had Lady gott got signed. So I'm like, all right, that's it man, I'm gonna get on this guy album. It's a lay up. And I started making the beats right all right? I do. I call him glow stick music. There you can glow stick. I started. Yeah, I started trying to because it's like floor, Yeah, your tank sets for on the floor because you know he's a it's gonna step about front. When you hear that, you think

Nix is coming out of nowhere. All right, it's time for me trying to leave me on my birthday Vegas. After our meeting. I took him. I took him. It was a bunch of us we went. It was we left at his house and went to this club and it was fall on the floor and it was jumping because it's New Years New Year's Path, and and they're sitting there. I'm having the time of my life. First of I'm a little hot, and these things sitting let's go mad, go with me, come out? Why don't your party?

And Jay, it's good. I was sitting just like this, just listen to So I never got a really gut guy. I never got the studio with what I'm saying. I never even got in the studio with lady. Did you meet her? I met her? Big all the little cool that don't do speak on and So Katie Welly, Katie Welly, Katie shout out a couple of times on this podcast because Katie Welly is the reason why I can't let

It show. Katie has something to do with kat let it show because of the sample sample helping us get to Kate Bush, Katie Welly, big John, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we wanted a mad dash Katie Wow. Katie Welly had one of the most uncomfortable conversations of her life because I saw her struggling trying to tell me what she wanted to tell me. She was like, CO signed. It's when we signed you guys. We were hoping that we would get some of that like Chicago ghetto bounce, like

the Boom, like the aid. Like. I was like, you want some you want the ship ship huh, you want the boom, Katie? She couldn't. It's tough when you gotta make white people talk like that. This is snickering, but she was. She was trying to it's your fault. I like, given her what she signed you for. I wasn't. I was not. I was not. She had our logo in her office, and I was just She mentioned us in her thirty for thirty under Billboard. That touched me. I was like, Yo, we just met you. You don't had

to drop our name and Billboard. That was a big look for us, for her to for her to drop our drop our names in her article. And so she was like just trying to expe ass like I want the old you back. I don't want the Lady Gaga

chaser after broke that. Bro, that's when you can tell the motherfucker, Like, stop chasing that lot of take it right there, because a lot of times in this business, we choose our business partnerships by who people work with or for thinking they're gonna get us in those rooms or put us in and it's like, that's not your path,

that's not even what you do. Why are you chasing like, man, I've watched so many um you know, being politically correct as I am never um urban artists, go get white management. There you go the funk are you doing? Funk are you doing? Get with the people who understand what you do and be great, know where to take and be great. Relax, Relax. You're not getting on those projects and you're not getting

in those rooms. And if you get in that room, in that room, it's going to be what you call it earlier, the photo op and other ship that's not going to touch that does not touch your bank account. Straight up. So man, big shout to Katie for this conversation of like, yeah, after she says, get back to you. One of my partners from Chicago dialer, Man, you know what I'm saying. He worked with Dirk Oh TF you know what I'm saying. He was He was a role managing Big Sean and he introduced me to him and

I remember playing him some beats. And this is before I started smoking weekly. I used to be allergic. That's a whole another story. I want to touch that before stay and you were allergic to it were past tense that used to be allergic to weed, and way like, what was your reaction? Like hitch, Like as soon as I tap it, my whole face is Sweller in real life.

And so that was I remember in high school. I gave it a try and my mama being like because I wasn't allergic to anything, you know what I'm saying, and my mama being like Medicael, and I was like, man, I went to Long John Silva's. It was the fish at Long John Silva's. You know what I'm saying. She's like, Minicael, you have to stay away from that. I don't. I've never taken you there. Why are you figured that? The

whole time? Mr Weed? And it wasn't until I broke up with my first baby Mama that I was on some real depression. And I also was working with James Foller Roy a lot. So between the depression, between the depression and the curiosity, and he's gonna make it look fun too. I just stayed in the house and built up a tolerance, like my face would be swollen, and I just fought through it. I fought through it until my body knew it's gonna to kill me. So my body was like, all right, we got it. We got it.

Like the kid who eats dirt, really what that is. It was a lot of ship happening to my body, and I just was like, we can get through this. Nigga conditioned himself to smoke weed. You can't get through this. You like the Chronicles of Riddick. No, bro, you are wild, insane. So you meet Big Sean. So I mean Big Sean. He hit in the weed and he stopped and said,

am I high? Or are these beats really good? I took offense to that, you know what I'm saying, like because I don't even know what that even means, Like you mean, are you hot? And I remember leaving, I was with my homie, Aaron Michael Cox, alright, my my younger brother, and dialer was like, yo, look man, calm down, I'm gonna have him come by your studio. Came by

the studio and I was working on the track. The first track that I was working on was a little like light in the ass, like what Barry was saying. And then um, he kind of stopped the session and was like, all right, what hold on? If I got to beat in my head though, I got an idea in my mind, can you make something to something I have? I'm like, yeah, go for it, like what you got that man said ass ass ass ass ass ass as as as as as as as as as as as

as as as stopped. I make that motherfucker Hammertime in roll And in the moment I was like, yo, that is I started clapping. I remember myself clapping like so poetic, you know what I'm saying. I wanted the keyboard like you know what I'm saying. Then I thought about him saying make that motherfucking hammertime. I said, oh, let me

get that guy damn hammer download. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I remember in Hammertime when he said now broke it down, now, didn't I remember that it was a time where the record went somewhere else because he said now broke it down.

That so when we said make that motherfucker hammertons Barry James Brown as I had to go to that piece of the sample when he said break it down that in its inn dropped that bitch right there, my eight oh eight that said Mr Barry Hackerston, you don't know me, Katie, Katy, this for you baby, And now man, we now we now we double platinum. Now we're in the club finally feeling what we want to feel in the club. I felt felt like I made it with you. You had that.

I was like, hols, my young nigga did Dad would come on? They got great? So yeah, that was that. That gave me the feeling I was. I was, man, I was looking for that feeling. And then Nicky jumped on the remix and said, in the Islands of Wikiki, it's like, oh, we're going again. We're going again more. And this was like the beginning of the fucking the run, bro, This was the beginning of like those guys got it, you know what I'm saying, So give us a rundown

of that. And then with that, what that turns into what the what the records that come after the like how does how this plays out? When you get those phone calls now that are like I need that because that is a that's a very real thing in this industry. They don't want variety, they want that. They want what's proven. And you into found a space, this proven space for the interns where y'all niggas cooked and made a lot of money and had a lot of success. So after

ask give us yeah, I mean, that was it. It was just like one. It was like all of the political the fight that we was trying to get just literally scooted to the side. Like it turned into I didn't even care who I was working with. Every day, I knew somebody popping was gonna be at the studio, and I knew he was going to deliver. I looked at my ask cap uh the other day and it's three hundred seventeen joints in there. Three seven. My goal is six hundred, So I'm halfway home, you know what

I'm saying. But a lot of the beef was in this era. So after that, I remember having a meeting wood Karen Quak, dropping off some beasts to Karen what she gave those beats too. A good friend of hers by the name of the Dream. The Dream was on tour with Rihanna and going through beats wrote her a song.

The last song on her album. He wrote a song called Kate Kate, Kate, Kate, Kate Kate, And I remember when I made that bet because I originally made that beat for Christina Aguilera and Eric Belinger wrote the song. It's a song called Mary Go Around. And in typical like industry fashion, you do a record that you love and they don't pay for it. It never comes out. And I'm just like, you know what, man, I'm about to start moving these beats around. You won't pay me

for the beat. I'm giving it to somebody else. That somebody else was Rehanna, and that's a good brod. I remember when we first got the news that the song was going on the album. They told he it was an interlude, and me and to him, we got into a fist fight because I was so mad that we finally won the Rihanna Sweepsteaks and they were talking about we weren't gonna get publishing because it was just the interlude and you know, we will pay your feed but and I'm just like, come on, man, like this is

this is one of these is it? Like? You know what I'm saying this one? And I remember to being like, but you gotta relax, man, this is the best on the album. All this ship is gonna go like chill like he knew, knew the whole time. He was like chilled. I'm like the funk that man sick at it, you know what? Full and he was he was like a little trade with with dope. Boy. Guys, why are you being in my head like that? Why are you just getting say the joke before me? I'm trying to get

to the world. What are you talking about? Swing trying to knock the air out? Because I was Coast so well, like, listen, guys, Coast Coast is the nicest guy ever. He doesn't want to fight, he doesn't want to do those things. So to get him to that point, man to really make it mad and and he's still gonna just punch the air. That's it. So I'm swinging trying to knock the air out, you know what I'm saying too, like trying to call

me down. And then like a few weeks later, I'm in Greatstone and I hear the DJ say like we got Rihanna in the building, blah blah blah BLAHM Like yo, I'm on this lady album. She got me as an interlude. I ain never even met this lady, and I saw Chris and a coute. I'm just like Chris Man. I just heard the DJ saying Rihanna was here. I produced birthday cake and I never even met her. He's like, oh, you ain't never met Rihanna. Come on, man walks me

over there to the section. Bro c we re. He says, Rihanna, this is CoA signed from the interns. They did. They did a birthday cake for you. She said, Oh my god, you did? You did? I love that song? Dive into my arms. I've seen the pictures flashing. I envisioned myself on media take out as her new boyfriend. I knew they was going right. Who was the mystery man with Rihanna? So I'm I'm actually holding onto the hug a little longer so that I can have this moment of her

new nigga. You know what, I'm saying that happy and we're happy, and we're happy and we have this funny because the media takeout article that I ended up getting was with Angela Simmons and they named they put somebody else name on top of man. They didn't put my name. It was like a basketball player it was like Angela was such a such she just like, guys, we're supposed to do this for Rihanna man and actually used my name. But anyway, she said, I have the idea. Though, I

have an idea. I think I'm gonna put Chris Brown on the remix. So I want you to come by because my fans are asking for the Rihanna Navy wants the whole song. I'm just like Chris Brown on this, y'all back to y'all going to get back together for this. So I'm not your boyfriend. So I'm not your boyfriend. But the people for me to take out any ship, they don't write this up because I'm not. Because she can get why and yeah, she called Chris and that

remix came out and went to number one. And when I tell you, I had never got a performance check different. It's different the performance when it's on radio, when the song performs, when performed, every song does not perform. Every song. Don't dance for you. Yeah, so don't dance for you now watch this though. It's crazy because to this day, that version of the song is not available in iTunes

or Spotify and it's never been sold. So I've had this conversation with Dream a few times, like, bro, like, how much money didn't we get because we never sold it and people can't stream it. He was like, it ain't nothing crazy, goes like four or six million? Nothing crazy though, he's too rich, he's too rich. Understand because he understand. He to understand where no, no, no, no, he understand. He understands. It's I respected slapped you upside

your head. It's nothing crazy six million like you like you're like, but then, yeah, there was a there was a there was a different thing that that went along with that record. So I get it. I get it, But I will say that record couldn't come out. I will say if at any point because this year is the tenuere anniversary of talk that talk of that album tenor anniversary this year two she ever puts that version up in the streaming UM until my wife's packard ship

we moved them removing that day. It's out of here. Sound the upgrade. Any point you want to put that song up in streamings, streamings, streaming for the fans to listen to. Chris Brown and Rihanna. My family greatly appreciated the pilocios is I would love that. So, yes, that's telve Is. I can't I can't believe I really did get it into All my songs come from a fence.

So Anthony Sele comes to the studio. He was partners with Troy Carter and managing no still manages Naza this day, and he said he came by to just trying to figure O, all right, what you know what's next for the interns, Like what y'all what y'are working on? And I'm like, bro, like you are manager, Bro, like though something off the glass? You know what I'm saying? What you got? He was like, it's crazy because I was just about to call here boy and seeing him these

NAS vocals. Man, I'm just like looking at too, like, who man is this? Bro? Who man is this? Because he in our studios about to send somebody else. He's our co manager. He boy, just he fresh off niggas in Paris, signed to Kanye, my Chicago hero bro. And so he was like, oh, you know what, my bad man, I'm seeing that. I'm seeing the fouls coach I got. But it's it's not that much though. It's just a vocal from Nas, a baseline from Salam remy and sample that heavy D. Gave us a late heavy D. Alright

pete and salute to the legend. Absolutely, so he gave me that pro to a session with those three sounds in there, and I remember talking to Fab about it, like, man, you know what he said he was gonna do? And she said, coach, but it's Nas though, right, and you know your beats are kind of shiny. Mm hm. You've been You've been offended twice the time and just on one song, I said, mhm mm hmm. I went through my hard drive to find the filthiest, dirtiest fun they

can put up. What give me the dirtiestre What is the dirtiest snare that I owned? You can't that thing? Thing? I'm going through the hard drive. And that's how NASA don comes about. New York girls know my dude, not another man if she doesn't give me that your beats of shiny pep talk. And I remember sending the beat to Anthony Sile and recording him the first time he heard it and he was just like, shit, you know

what I mean that. I remember being in the studio with Nas right like now we're building doing other records, and I remember this man. I remember him being the coolest man I have ever met. Yo, because I'm funny bro and I'm cracking jokes and people are laughing, but nos w and be like hilarious laughing. That's how he laughed at me. He laughed cools, a little scratchy, little hilarious. I'm just like, come back to the beach, Get back

to the beach. And then uh um Astrid was on our management team, Astrid and she called and said, Nicky want to I want to work with y'all. And we got up with Nikki and Nicky was like, I need a song that makes my dancers feel like how they felt when ass came mouth, because I remember being on tour and I remember just watching them going, I need I need one of those, you know, I need my own ass. I'm like, I got you, Nikki. And so she had a verse in this sample idea um the

boom boom boom boom boom from Polo Polo down. And so she was like, I have this idea that I like, and I like it a lot. I know you can make me love it. I was like, all right, So we got in the room. The first thing we did was listen to the whole so makes a lot of sample. Just listen to the whole songs. Vibe to the song for a second. When he got to that part where he was like, my Ana Conda, don't won't none it, she was like, that's how you need to start the

ship if you're gonna do. If I'm you and I'm making it me, I'm starting with that. You say less than me, You say less than me, You shut your mouth while you talk to you my anda kind of bom my and the kind of boom and that's what I was saying, smart as bam, you thunk like the arrangement of the that it was like an opportunity for me to do this track and then pay homage and then put the school bell usually to put the school at the beginning. I'm putting the school bell every time

that break happens. I'm over at school bell this mother player. So people know, you know what I'm saying that this is me. You know what I mean Because even on the NOAs the Dog song, I feel like Jason Josh would turn my bill down in the mix and it was like in the second verse area, it's like you turned my bill down, So shout the Jason Joshua, because that's and that's who makes the ask and the gang of my records man, Jason Joshua got it. But he turned your bell down. He turned my bill down on

the nods. I don't know why he did that. It was too shiny. No, it's too shiny for the it happens. Jason knows, he knows. He took the lead on it. He'll take the lead to the league. He got me. He took the lead on one of our songs, remember keeping one hundred and And we walked in the studio and he starts playing keep It one Hunting and I'm like, as soon as it starts, I'm like, what I make his face right and he says, wait for it, wait on it, nigga, Oh my god, oh my doing started

over even that suspense for you. You know what, Jason's right. He's gonna make sure you know that he's right. You're gonna make sure you know a hundred times over. You guys gotta funk with me. You funk with me and funk with me only bro that ship. I was like, you are amazing, Yeah, because Jason and Jason and hits you with a little bit of like co production on your mix. No, it's not like, it's not like, it's

not like Jason is definitely producing Nigga's record. Absolutely listen when we send a Canada the show and Cana the show is done. Like just do what you do. Get a mix I got, can't let a show back with a snare on the hook. I was like, did you He said, absolutely needed it. I like it. I like it. I like it a lot, like it a lot. Thanks me, thank you, sir. You know, Jason called me before he makes asks. It was like, what you want the basis

sound like? I was like, I want to sound like a distorted bass guitar the rumble on that motherfucker that he put on that bitch so um so. Yeah, we started a conda off with that Maana. So that's how he even got the name. It wasn't called anaconda, it was called an kind of after you know what I'm saying.

The intro happened, and I just remember that song like going to the Moon, like that was the most intentional hit that I had had where it was just like, okay, nikky, this, I know that I'm recognizing in the times that this is about to be a lot of things are going to be different after this. Brian had another proud moment for you. We're in Seattle, Jamal Crawford's wedding tanks performing and who's there? Who else is going to perform? Seattle's own Sir mix a lot? And I'm like, Yo, my guys, right,

my guys did that? Man? He got a lot and I had it for that m he took a lot of that pub you start the song off with it, you mean you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, but no. It was a really proud moment being able to just be like, man, miss my guys, that did that right, and he he was like, man that I love it. Man. I was a moment. Then next year we're nominated for the Rap Song of the Year, bro, and you know, to me, that's the coolest award and the rap song

of the year like ship Man. And I remember being so hype and then like lying to myself saying, I don't care about if we winner lose. I'm already a winner. And then we lost. I wouldn't do a deep depression to move back. We lost, I funked up the bag, then went back to my auntie house. I just see myself right now in the backyard. I'm in the backyard crame because I know that as many times as people have been like, your mother must be so proud, in

that moment, she was not proud the bag. I was out here whiling, having way too much fun, indulging in things that don't happen in my local neighborhood where I'm from, and the Hollywood sauce had gotten to my bloodstream. But I needed a real time out. You put yourself on time No, I fought it, but when you definitely the rent I'm asking, I'm just asking a few work. I wasn't strong enough. Now, how did time out happen for you? Because I can tell your time out happened for me.

Family members flew in town two just paid to put my whole house and storage and they were just like, come on, come on, buddy, for intervention, come on and look. It was wild because what I didn't realize was people didn't understand what I was going through. But I was having a moment of not really all the way dealing with moms. In the midst of all of this, I had an artist that I got a pub deal at Universal and was about to do his artists deal at Colombia.

They had just signed Adele, and Columbia was like, this is our mail Adele. And then he passed away a testicular cancer. A brother by the name of Aaron Michael Cox. He was twenty two years old, extremely talented, extremely talented, and it just it shook my world, you know what I'm saying, Like it literally shook two blocks away from like the studio. I'm like, wait what And and then my son's mother and I, you know, we are broke up, was like official. Our breakup was official. So I just

was in. I was in Shamble's brother. I was not doing the self work, you know what I'm saying. And I remember going home and I remember my family just being so confused, like and I remember my cousin the older sisters, and my cousin Jazz, that's the one that

seen me playing basketball. But her older sister drove me to a rehab center and I was just like so taken back, like wait, this is what y'all think I need if you don't get me out of here, you know what I'm saying, Like, And then I realized, like that was how I realized that the energy were Damn, this is motherfucker's think I'm full on strong outbout this

bit like oh ship. And I remember being home and feeling so low, but the love that I was getting at the crib was so rejuvenating but confusing at the same time. So I could think of his one brother. I used to be on the corner man, my next door neighbor. His name is Toriano, and I remember growing up for my mom everybody to be like, you stay away from Toriano. You know you yang banging and I don't want to see you on the corner with him.

And now with all the decorations, for the first time in my life, I'm in Maywood on the corner with Toriana hit the weed. I'm telling him about got there, Micki, minajs Rihanna, And he telling me, Bro, when I was locked up and you was doing your thing, do you know they didn't believe that I knew you, man, And I'm telling them, that's a little bro right there. Man, I'm telling him, I'm like, man, y'all better get out

of here, and that's a little bro. And it was just like, damn, they told me to stay away from me my whole life and here I am with you, and this is the love that you. I didn't I didn't, I didn't know. I didn't even know. You know what I'm saying. He had been locked up while the room was happening, you know what I'm saying. But the rejuven nation of Chicago love bro got me together that because I turned effected to come from too. Were you live?

This guy, you know, in the sense off limits of your entire life for the streets is watching as they say, absolutely they are. And I'm sing there, I'm grown that you know it can't Nobody telling me I can't and now and I got the weed now And then he goes still down. So I'm and my cousin was there, and my cousin used to be cool. So we were on the corner. Bro, I'm on the corner in May, I'm on the corner. I know, on the coner because

me and this fool used to be on the phone. Well, I mean you the reason why I ain't back, you know what I'm saying. Like it was about it was about a good nine month time out and I remember Jay hit me like, man, what's something checking in? And I remember trying to tell him that everything was amazing. I was trying to paint Chicago to be the greatest thing that ever happened. Yeah, you know, I'm downtown with the sole Who membership at Columbia and you know they

won't be doing tear talk man. You know I bed. He was like, hop's time to come back. What you what you doing? Bro? Come back to l A. Man, what are you doing? I was like, I'm coming. I was saying, came back. It's a little deeper than that. But I leave out because because our podcast is very real, and our podcast is cautionary at times, and you know in the information that we give and how we give it, and you know you're my brother. I lave you to death.

I called you a loser ship. I left that part out, but I had to. Yeah, I had to because you had got into big fish in a small pond mode. You went home with all your accolades, and he was flossing into everybody on the corner and everybody at the Soho House of Chicago about what you had done in l A and how you you were in my I this is my opinion of me. Looking at it, I'm like, oh, he didn't win back home and not told him why

he at home. He didn't went back home and say, you listen, the projectal Son is back and I'm cracking and black when I definitely didn't tell people why he was back right now, which I get it, I get it.

But the people who know and the people who are there for those moments when two is getting your place packed up and your family is trying to have an intervention, and like, I was literally a part of all of that for you, and and so when you've given me the gloss over story about what was happening out there, and and I'm like, nah, nigga, you're You're a loser. You quit. Quit, you quit, because there's a thing like I respect the guys who do it what they're from.

I respect y'all. If you can, if you can, if you can accomplish the great things that you can accomplish in major cities like New York and Los Angeles when it comes to music business in Atlanta now obviously, um, if you can accomplish those things and smaller cities and in places that the music isn't um put on a on a major scale every single day. Even though Chicago has amazing talent, has amazing people that have come out

of Chicago and are still in Chicago. But for someone who had went and came to Los Angeles and made it for themselves to go back home and not on something. I'm just going back home, and I'm I'm cracking. I'm going back home because I got to. I'm like, na, bro, you can't. You can't let them push you out. Now. If you're gonna go back on your own and you're gonna open up a school of music and you got a label going and you got you signed an artist,

salute to you. But if you're going home right because they took your basketball with your pockets, who you've lost? And I hated having to have that conversation with you, but I knew I couldn't get off the phone with you that way. I knew I couldn't get off the phone with you that way, and I had to, at the very least at least tell you how I felt. I had to offend you as you as you as you know how we do an R and by fashion, we have to get into your R and B mind.

You know you spoke a lot of musicianship and a lot of creative genius um that is in you. You know it's in your blood. Um, I need to know your top five R and B artists, any era, of all time, of all times. Michael Jackson, m Stevie, wonder Ship. I'll be scared of the three. I don't be scared of the three. Let's do it, Just do it, do it. R Kelly Chaos. Uh, that's just as Chicago is just so unfortunate. And that's a whole another you don't even have to explain. Um, and ya got me on the spot,

like Stevie, roh, this is gonna be a curveball. I might lose a lot of people here, but I gotta just beat music. Sold job Bronna lose nobody, no one that you didn't lose nobody in this room, cold bloody. And I'm putting my brother to Tank number five. Let's go, come on, come on, if it was a fifth, we all beat close it down with my motherfucking brother, motherfucking right.

Let me tell you, Let me tell you that I can't explain to you the like the the shock that I feel with people when they're like thinking, you know Tank in real life, that's a thing that's a thing all in together in itself and that love and respect that you have the true fans of R and B. Bro blesses me, bro that blesses me dog. And it doesn't. It doesn't allow me to take this for granted. You know what I'm saying for real, Appreciate, appreciate Top five

R and B songs, all time songs. Now Donald Jones where I want to be? Kick it off? Kick it off? He left his bag? Oh my god. Tough message. You don't have to message. This is a curveball, but I gotta put it in here. Um when we're deep in the crevices. This is um music, soul child, previous cats, right. I know that's like a way what are you talking about? But it's a good orientation song for relationships and reminding people to love like you've never been hurt because people

bring a lot of baggage in the relationship music. So chat on that song. First things, First, girl recognized who is with you now? Second thing, you can't blame me for how you were treated before I came, So it really pushes towards that song was musically yeah, previous can't love like you've never been heard UM songs and I'm not I'm not gonna overthink. I'm gonna go Dave Hollister. Seeing you reminds me of Wow, all the nights that

you still beating it up, man, get it. Yeah, come on, then I'm gonna go to my O. G. C. T. Carl Thomas. You have me on some Mike right now. Shout out to the guy, the guy, and let me tell you about my God. To tell you about Mike Cities. Because when I was a when I was in college at Columbia, they sent me out here for six weeks in two thousand and five, four the semester in l a program and one of my big homies out here.

It's like, y'all want to take you this show. I want you want, I want you to introduce you to somebody. It was damn there and make a wish kid. He got a lot of moments, bro, They snuck him into the program. He was supposed to being like man a while too. It's got a while too, b because that the same teach you that hired me the project, the same teach that high I definitely get fired. But when I first got there, he was so mean. Bro. This man said, I don't know why they do this to me.

Every semester and put a hunted students in this class. When I'm gonna fail eighty of you, and if I'm lucky, two years from now, I'll be able to send one of you to l A to represent the school. But what I won't do is let anybody in here embarrass the school. Two years later, I was the one Wow. And so when I came out here and make a Wish Coast Wow. When I came out here, they took me a Mike City studio and this is when Jojo died.

Jojo was going and so I remember Mike planning about five records in in a row that made me want to stop producing. So I was like, oh never, Bean looks good. Yeah, and looked. Then he played one that was like kind of I and it was so encouraging. You know what, everyone makes mistakes? How to do that? I was like, I got I gotta be second dude. Wait, so you're not perfect, so it's possible and it you know what I'm saying, let me know, like the law averages how to go. So anyway, so yeah, shout to

Mike City for real, for real? Four now, one more, one more r and b mm hmm mmmm uh let's suppose some to Joe to see in there. Take my money, my house, not card for you. You can't have it all, babe, because make it. Tell me, dude, this girl is worsting toru what because I'm an addict WU and you know that I can't leave you on you got me? Man? My god? Yeah him him, my god, sex him. Okay, Okay, I'm gonna do that's great. That was really good with that one. Yeah. Yeah, oh my god. Who bro he

was a master. He was a master master producer. That's why I start calling myself coach like he's my hero. He's a man. He was a master for producer. Okay, we're making a voltron, making an R and B votron vocals style, performance, style and passion. Who you getting the vocals from Mike Michael Jackson? And if Mike wasn't available in Whitney, m you can't do that. But that's fine. I'll let you do that. It's fine. Um style what you want your artists to drip? Like? Who like a

fashion stamp? Yeah for sure? Yeah, what's the aesthetic? Throw it on? Come on, man, Wh're gonna put it on April? May you know what I mean? You know, you know who's gonna put yeah, but who's so what are you looking for? An artist? Artist? That's a style that you artists. We shot out some stylis and you know who behind the drip, but who's gonna put it on them? It's I don't know if this is gonna work, but I gotta throw it out there. Rick James, Oh, absolutely work.

You mean I tried to dress like Rick James wants you gotta be Rick James, addressed like Brick James. This. He was hurting for like a week, hurt he performed what what show was that? What's that show called? He perform this? Rick James? No, no, no, The brother was hurt for like at least a couple of days performing eels bro in the boot, in the in the high boot tights, the whole nine. And it was only Rick can do Rick? All right, you realize that's rock star ship. Yeah? OK,

I like that, Mike, Rick James, Jesus Christ. I see where you're going. Not in the ro who you want to get like on stage? Who do you want to take that front? Performance style? Style? Performance style. The quick answer, quick and dirty is going back to Mike again, because from a performing standpoint. Yeah, but for the sake of this and moving around Chris Brown voice like Michael Jackson,

close like Rick James perform like Chris Brown. That's all over the place, because Yeah, I love it, backflip in the bus with no problem with and with whose passion? Yeah, who's passion? Whose hard passion? James Brown? Hey, this is a killer James Brown. This is a killer is well huh you know, yeah, all of that. I need that stink. I need that holland ugly. I need to yeah him as a music director, because that's like damn in my new twists, right, like bringing my musicians in and really

getting into the live show. I feel like, you know, being in the studio all this time, never being on tour and never really getting a chance to like really just share and get my musician bag. I'm studying James. I'm about to do a whole case study on James Brown and that performance in the band and the hits and that musicality. I need that. He was the only one. I need that. James was one of one, even musically, he was one of one. Nobody's ever even thought to that,

Yeah he thought about it. You gotta leave all of that alone. This man woke up one day and said saying loud, I'm blocking, I'm proud like music. That the thing about this music is just gonna outlive us. Bro, that's the part that's gonna outlive us. So the responsibility that we have to do what we need to do during this very short period that we have this opportunity to go ahead and and and tap into what legacy is gonna look like for our family tree, Bro, talk

about it. It's a huge, huge responsibility. Bro, sot have a little balance, you know. But that's I'm glad you said that. Though I'm glad you said that, I'm super glad you stop, because Yo, it's so funny. We had the show last week. We had a show this week last week, and I prayed before the show, and when I was done praying with the musicians before the show,

feel smarter. As said, So you said you want people to see and feel God after we play ass ass ass And just like he mumbled back, because he was like walking to the keyboard, I was like, come on, come on, but but you're right. Look. I put out my my debut EP as an artist last year called Truth Serum and Hello World, Hello, world. But look King's

right featuring Interest Elbow. And when I when I was approaching the artist album, I was thinking about Assid Kakekake Cake and one Time for the Birthday Bitch and Little Booties Matter and all the whole ratchet department. You actually have records that are going to play forever, forever, One time for the birthday and time for it dud Trap back dude, Monster Production, And let me tell you something. That song was done. Trap came to the studio and was like, yeah, I got this song I did with

my homie. It's just could you could you put the beat on steroids? Did you put the beat on steroids for me? And he played the song for me and I was like this, I did the same thing when you played it for me. I was like, man, what man? That man? It's your birthday again? One time to play a birthday every single day, because two times for the birthday didn't fuck it up. If it's your birthday, bitch, I said, bro, do you have to file for that? I could not work on that track fast enough. And

that man brought his first platinum record to Jacksonville. Man shout out to track backum man, that's just person Platinum. I know you've done enough good in these streets. Man, It's it's gonna be all right. It's gonna be all right. It's gonna gonna be all right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Your balance is good. But while we're you know, we're here and we're talking about the goods you've done in the streets, we also have this important segment of the show.

It's very important. It's card I ain't saying on names. And for the people who have just tuned in for the first time, it's a story that you tell us that gonna be either funny, are fucked up. Are funny and fucked up. The only rule to the game is you can't say no names. Cool cool, This is co signs. I ain't saying on name. I ain't saying names. Um, back to the state where you are, moment um. You're

gonna put us in it where you are. So I wrote and produced that record, but the inspiration behind that record was me being in the studio, how having a TV on and seeing a young tender. You know what I'm saying that I used to I used to see, we used to, we used to date. Now she's on Jimmy Fallon and the first thing that I wanted to do what's called her because she was with the fake congratulations, yeah, because you live on another level. I was just I was just you know, I just wanted to make sure

you knew. I always knew you was gonna make Jimmy fay. And she used to smoke weed before I started smoking weed, So I want to tell her, and you know, so if I beat the allergy, so so if you want to smoke together, you know, I'm here and I'm going through all these emotions looking at her her glory, and I said, nope, you know what, turning over a new leaf. Stay where you are. And that's where that line just keeps shining in my face, Like coach, it's certain. There's

certain moments that ain't no going back. It was a moment in time I see shining baby, drive me crazy, and it's but just keep shining baby, riding up on some real player. I kept it. That was not pushing sand, you push pushing. That's a great collaborative, you know what. To a lot of the fellas out there, that's some real grown man ship. You missed your beat, Yeah, you just missed it. And after you stopped fucking with her. She was able to. She glowed up. She glowed up.

She's to find it. Then you have to respect that from afar because if you get too close, it might do something to you too, especially if I'm a new nigger. You bet not you know what bad not pushing. This is part two of not saying no names. Right. So, uh, there was a situation where I did get too close. Of course you did. There's another situation. Another young lady was now because my sister said that ship. She was like, it's crazy. It just seemed like all women just glow

up once they stopped working with you. I was like, you know how you you know how your sister just get that offend, hurt, hurt. I couldn't even say that back. There was no fight back from me. She laughs, crazy cursing. So anyway, I see this young lady, she's in her glow, and in my mind, I'm like, enough time has gone past to where you know what I'm saying. And look, And it wasn't even like I was trying to leave her alone, coach. I just was gonna give her hug

and say congratulations. She pushed me because she punched you. She pushed me. She pushed you at the Awards series. Are you really try to go in for a hub? You said, because you when you say it, don't go too close. I was like, oh yeah, because because I wanted to go out thinking about it. She gave you that, and and so immediately I just started scanning the room to see if anybody. So immediately it was like what I'm saying, just walking, just walk. It's not sweet. It's

not sweet. And I'm still mad. Dress off. I'm saying it. Stay where you are, stays you are you are, don't pressing, coach, don't pressing, don't press in. Would she go up? Oh? Ship, if he go up? Right? It is what it is. Let it be. You understand what you're saying, because it's it's it's probably better without you. Life, it's probably better without you. Oh my god. Everybody ain't for everybody. Everybody ain't for everybody. And some relationships are just for a season.

The season you get what you needed that you get, you get your harvest of that season. They get the harvest of that season. You take your you know, you take your harvest and you go with it, keep it and whoever whoever that's supposed to feed next, that's what that is. Yeah, thank me for that. Yet somewhere enjoying the goodness. Welcome. Make sure you make sure you're telling them because if you find, if you find you a good one man, they do some good things for you.

Those are new things, just like whoever taught you that. Come on, thank you, Come on, come on, nan man. You ain't gotta say it out loud. Just you seem to see me in the club by this man. Because you know what, though I can say this though honestly in relationships, I can't handle the truth of your past. So what that means is, let's just say hypothetically, you know, I use use my wife as an example. Say we go to dinner somewhere and there's a guy that she

used to do everything with. I want to know my mario is, let me enjoy my steak, Let me enjoy, Let me enjoy. If we're cracking jokes, let me and let me go home and sleep and let me live and die. And I don't because in past situations, think about this situation, this young lady, and I can't. I gotta be light on the details. But let's just say once we was good and and in it we had

an honest conversation. We were in the park. We're in the park, and I instantly had to boo boo when I heard when she starts the truth, noticed right away I was in the park lot in this because I remember the parks of I couldn't just be like, I'm going to bathroom. I remember being outside like wait, how how old were you? And how old was he? And you did what? And you were spending and all the details, bro the details, and I can't you can't go back.

So a lot of brothers, y'all, these relationships with these ladies, worrying about the wrong fucking things. You got to know. It's just your turn now telling me. So I'm gonna previous cats, pous cats. I just think that don't walk me in Nowhere Blind. I want to be blind. I want to but he with the lady. I want to, like what the movie, Don't walk Me in Nowhere black, because because the past doesn't doesn't bother me. Just don't

just don't let the past be be used against me. Yeah, I'm gonna need to know why I nigger shook my hand that way? Yeah? Period? Yeah, why do you keep staying over here? That was a different kind of embrace. Yeah, don't let trouble beat you up. Yeah yeah, I don't care, but the's gonna change no dynamics. So let me get

this right. No Name, Part three three, first ever on the Rybody podcast Keep going three names right Um talking to uh this young lady about a situation that had just occurred, right, and it had threw me off because the handshake, the greeting, everything she's speaking of. Because I was going to ask you for an example what you're talking about, But now I realize what the example was. So I'm telling her just like, yeah, you know, he was. He was with his homies. They was laughing, and I

just didn't understand, Like that's crazy. I've been knowing him for some time. And she goes, Marco's it only happened once, And what I tell you, I'll tell you that is the farthest thing from my mind. I'm venting about my day in life. This is just my day marks It only happened once, alright in it it's not like how many you are. I was like, wait, wait, she told herself like the niggle House and Dragon she told on herself. Wait, I said, wait, you did what with hem? Yo. I

was boiling. Oh yo, yo, I had to get out of here. Bro, I had to to get out of there. Man, no more, no nation. It's three and I feel like, did you keep telling these stories? I don't want you to go back down. Yo, you're traumatized. God, man, it's a great way. Oh my god, Oh my god. Bro. Listen, um ship I don't know my name at this point. Oh Ja Valentine and this and this has been the Army Money podcast. This has been interesting. Um listen, listen,

man um for for lock. What is the blowback? Oh, this is gonna be People will be trying to figure out the characters. The only thing I can say at the end of this, my brother, is that we love you. You are really our famis and that's it. We love you and we will always appreciate you. And you already know the where I love I love you brothers more. There, I love you brothers more. Thank you for having me. Man. This has been R Money Money. R and B Money

is a production of the Black Effect podcast Network. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the R heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you're listening to your favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe to and rate our show, and you can connect with us on social media via at R and B Money podcast or at the Real Tank or at J Valentine