R and B Money.
Honey, we are.
Thanks take valotie. We are the authority on all R and B ladies and gentleman.
My name is Tank Valentine and this, yeah, what is it.
It's the R and B Money Podcast, the authority. Come on on all things R and B. Whatever it is, you gotta be good at it. Absolutely gotta have a level of skill mmmm to go along with your conversation. And then sometimes you from a place, you from the water, call that v A. I know a little bit about that. I was raised out there, So we got VA, we got skills. You put all that together and you get.
Mad skills in the Yeah, come on, man, how y'all doing?
Man? Man, bro Skills is such an underrated word.
Yeah.
And when I hear you and just and and watch just the things that you've skilled, if we can just say that, it's like, what the fuck is that?
Yeah? Man, I come from a magical place, you know.
A well studied place, and you know, I think I think you being here speaks to the idea of really dialing in to your craft, like really dialing in.
Because how many rappers y'all have, maybe like a couple.
Not many many? Problem on ot ot on.
Not a lot.
I think that's saying you.
And ship yeah five rappers, I take it, I will take it.
But you represent a generation of you represent skills that paid the bills.
And it's just the writing, right, Like the writing and obviously because you know, we have our people just like, well, he's not R.
And B and once again he's R and B.
I'm R and B. This is R and B money, And we're going to have everybody that we believe should be on this show so that people can learn from them. With the fact that, oh, yeah he's a rapper too. Yeah, my bad, my bad, Like you can't do this with mad skills. You know, he got his break battling. What I'm saying that as a battle rapper, I will slide him a couple hundred dollars make yours real quick, taking mad R and B money versus oh my god.
I'm just saying on my streets in the hood of Milwaukee, bat.
I felt like turning a super high.
I did go oh my god.
But just the fact of just the writing, the level of writing should be studied. Yeah, seriously, what you've done as a writer and the things that you've written and the things that you've been a part of that people wouldn't even understand.
YEA, that needs to be highlighted here.
I appreciate type of platform, man, and that's why we're so happy that you showed up for us, man, because this is amazing.
Listen to y'all, my guys. Man, there's no way I wasn't going to accept that invite. You know what I'm saying. I'm happy to be and let's let's get into it.
So is is mad skills at birth?
Or notice that journey start for you where you're like, this has to be this, this has to be mad skills.
I say the first time I heard I remember hearing my mom played music around the house. Of course, so you know, cleanliness was next to golliess. So on the weekends, you know, I'm hearing Frankie Beveny and mays O Jays and James Brown, and you know, I saw her connection with music. So she and she had this little thing and it had a little RM morning and when she put that thing on top of those little black things they went around, they made noise. I was enamored with
this machine that she had. So I remember hearing all these songs and she was always in a good mood when these songs were playing. It wasn't never no go go do this because boy, y'all playing too much, stop slaying on my door. It was never that when the music was playing and my aunts and uncles and people being around, and I remember them arguing over when the sugar Hill Game came out. So when Rappers the light came out, it was I don't know if that's really music.
It's like, ah, but it's but it's it's jamming. So I remember it being a big conversation from the difference between the songs that I had been hearing to this one particular song, and I was like, what is the difference between the two? And then I saw it, Okay, they not singing, there is no don't you know that I'm not hearing that. I'm hearing niggas talking. And I'm like, okay, that's interesting, and I'm young, you know what I'm saying.
I'm young. And then I remember how big of a deal it was in my house and then I saw I remember hearing hard Times by Run DMC on the radio with that hard crash and I was like, oh god, what is this? And then I saw them on TV. And when I saw Run DMC on TV, it totally my life, Like Run was the skinny, cocky nigga with the side burns and this is my motherfucking house like his whole aura. And I was like, damn that I
could see myself in them. And that's when the music journey started to at least to the hip hop thing, you know what I'm saying. I was already music heavy in my house, but that hip hop thing spoke to me directly. No I can't. I can't sing a lick at Oh yeah, listen, listen, me and my engineer shout my engineer in Jay right here, Jay Wright's he a big fan of the podcast, Me and him, Me and
him have we in a group together called Noticing Noticing. Yeah, when we sing, when we when we sing our references, we notice it, you know what I'm saying. Like, So, yeah, no, man, can I can? I can write my ass off, but I never could sing. So once auto tune came along, it was like, oh, I can still get this idea, yeah for sure, and send it out, you know what I mean. And that's how that's how it happened.
This thing makes sense.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was hip hop man affected me in a way that it just changed my life from day one, Like, I don't know where I would be without it.
I don't know whereout music did You start writing immediately though, like right after.
That, immediately immediately in school, writing all day, not failing test. I ain't listening to nobody. I'm trying to write these little songs. And once I could distinguish what a hook was from a verse, like, oh, the part that keeps coming back that somebody told you that. No, No, nobody told me. I'm in ship fifth grade.
Self discovery though, self.
Discovery, you know what I mean. So I'm knowing that it's like that, and that's the way it is. That's the part they keep saying. I keep coming back to that. So once I started writing songs, man like I want to say, my first song was about it, so fucking goofy. But you know girl in class, I like her, of course, you know, And that was the thing. We send the notes back and forth, you know.
Check check yes, check out play from the start, I.
Might have been a player from way way back, my dumb ass. I write the box with yes and no, and then maybe because I don't want to get let down. I don't hard no. So I wrote a song called maybe maybe not, and I could beat box the hook with the rap, so it was maybe or maybe not, Maybe maybe not. And I'm talking about I wrote girls girls, girls before, way before it was a thing. So it's three different girls and they all gonna tell me maybe maybe not. That was the hook of my song this
fifth sixth grade. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, man, real.
Talk, Well, she tell you.
One told me yeah, okay, the other one told me no, and the one the other one told me maybe. I went with yeah, Right, that's it. Y'all lost time your life?
What was what was like?
Would you say a turning point into it into it becoming serious? Like at this point you're a kid, you love it. It's you know, I can speak to that being a kid hearing certain music and it's just the vibrations and whatever it is, it's doing something to you don't know what it's doing, you don't know why it's right. At what point did you discover the why and maybe where it could go from there?
I say, I say, I might have been about fifteen, And of course I'm immersed in hip hop, so we're doing everything cool. We got the shell toes, we got the canos anything, ll got the hat. We getting the fucking hat. You know what I'm saying, the shoes whatever. And then I started I was, I was at this point. I'm an advanced songwriter. You know what I'm saying at this point as far as rap, so I'm for you to know you're in advance. Yeah, I know I'm better than my peers as far as when it comes.
To you quarter or anything.
No, just no nothing. I just know when you come.
Up again, when y'all start rapping in the cipher.
Because my thing was because I'm easy, I'm easily. I'm a battle rapper at heart. Because it was about competition, so you got you know, I'm in the you know, I'm watching my friends. They playing basketball, to play football. It's all competition. So this thing that I'm doing now, where we get around the lunch table and we battle, it's like competition. So my thing was when I rapped, this ship had to be over when I was done. I ain't want nobody to feel confident enough to go
after me. When I say my last line, this ship is all right, dog man, we got We're going back to beautiful class that nobody. I don't if you even think that you can start rapping again after me. Were about to have a problem because I don't think you're not You're not better than me. My name is like, it's my name. So we going back and forth in these ciphers, and I'm starting to realize. I was like, damn,
I'm really good at this ship. I mean, I'm doing the other stuff to a kind of ratching on the turntables, whatever, you know, I mean, break dancing, spinning on my head, writing in my book. But I'm getting a response from this rap thing. And people are saying, like, yo, he's good. You don't want to fuck him on that. So we battling and I'm you know, I'm really going at it. And then I left. I was in favor of North Carolina. I moved to Richmond, Virginia, and I moved to Richmond,
Virginia late late eighties, close to the early nineties. And I'm coming from military town and I go to Richmond, Virginia and it's like it might as well have been New York.
To me, are you a military band?
No?
No, but you're you're just not out there.
I just happened to be out there. So I get there and I'm like, Okay, this is dope. They got a fucking city bus, they got a skyline. That shit feels like it's like a baby New York City baby DC. You're like, oh, DC's on your hour fifteen minutes. I'm like, oh, the cat like it's a big thing. So I made that my home. And that's when the dots started connected as far as like, oh, it's people that's really doing this,
like this this music thing. And what I would do is I would just connect myself with people that was doing it, and it just started steamrolling from there.
Was it people like with studios or people who had like it.
Was people with studios. You know, we recording and were recording on a DATS and you know what I mean, four track recorders.
So had Teddy Riley come down to Virginia yet he came down, right.
Teddy came down. I want to say it was ninety two, right. So I just graduated high school and where I'm from the beach is an hour and fifteen minutes towards the water, right, So imagine I'm at high school and we at the lunch table and somebody's talking and they're saying, like, yo, I heard Michael Jackson is in Virginia.
That doesn't even make sense.
What do you mean? No, no, no, no, no, Michael Jackson. And they said they they said Michael Jackson was recording studios today in Virginia. I will drive all the way. What do you mean I walked, Yeah, I walked there. What are you talking about here? So they're like, yeah, nah, you know you know Teddy Riley Man, Teddy right New Jackson. I'm like, of course I know. Teddy Riley is like he made the fucking show when he was fifteen years old. We listen to that song is ten years old already,
damn there. So I'm like, he got a studio here. So then maybe, like the way you said, this thing called Greek Greek Week or whatever, and we would all go down to the beach, everybody showing off their cars and ship and you would ride by, you could ride by future and you're like, oh, ship, the lamp, it's a lambo outside, It's a fucking it's a Ferrari outside.
We never even seen these cars in real life. We've seen these cars of Magnum p I. We never seen these cars in real life, so outside, so you're you're sort like like this, I think this is real. So Teddy Riley came to Virginia in the early nineties and changed the landscape of what music could be in the state. You know what I'm saying. We didn't have no identity before that, like not that we were proud of, you
know what I'm saying. So early nineties, you know, we're doing our thing and it's little studios here and there, four track recorders, people starting to make cassettes, and it's this big city wide talent show that everybody was in. All of the schools in the district had you know, we had we all conjoined for this talent show. See this, this guy, this talent show. He went to Huguenot, when
to Hugo and High School. He behind the keyboards, he's playing a fucking savant like savant singing, singing Teddy Riley song, singing our Light groove me. And this is Michael Archer who turns into no Way Yes facts. We used to do the same with the talent shows together. Michael Archer and Precise was the name of the band.
That's crazy and he's doing Teddy Riley covers.
Yes, not even knowing that this man is set set up shop an hour that.
Way because he's a full church kid, gospel.
You know what I mean, like and not even supposed to be doing this. But when I tell you, like, amazing to see him that early, that young, and we're like, yo, man, he's amazing. Like and then three years later, you know what I mean, it drops and we're like, oh shit, he made it. He's fucking DiAngelo, you know what I'm saying. Brown Sugar out of nowhere, first first artist that I ever looked up, and I was like, Okay, he made It's it's possuzle to make it out of here, D'Angelo.
Yeah, And what is your mission at this point now that you've seen the brown Sugar go insane?
Because I'm watching it in real time? Backtrack? I had already connected with Q Tip from a trip called Quest, so he had kind of helped me out early.
How was that I met?
I met Q Tip at Jack the Rapper Jack, Rapper at a Jack, the Rapper Conn Jack, the Rapper b R E R all the conventions. See, y'all don't know. We used to. We didn't. We couldn't just upload our ship out right, dads, and go away for a weekend. So I met q Tip at Jack the Rapper Uh and he was downstairs in the in the in the Atlanta hotel with a box and cipher around him. He's playing a LAS beat and it's all these dudes rapping, and I'm like, that's fucking c Tip like ship, like
one of my favorite rappers of all time. I'm a tribe. I just identified with that whole native tongue thing. I go downstairs. I can't get in. It's too it's too many niggas in the circle. I can't get through the circle. And it's like it's this big ass tree. It's almost like a tree in the lobby of a hotel. I crawl up the tree, go over top of the branch, and I'm over top of this nigga's ear. He looks like, way is this nigga in the tree? Somebody rapping but
my cipher skills kicking. No, no, you not about to rap for Q Tip. I'm about the rap for q Tip. Boom. I start rapping and he looking like I'm rapping, dude, cut me off. Oh we got a problem now. Oh now it's a battle oh oh, y'all think I'm playing. I've been training for this. Bam cut him back off in his career.
Are you still on the tree.
I'm off the tree. I'm still in the tree.
Balance. This is nice.
I'm in the tree. I kill this other dude killing other dude. Security comes yo, yo, yo, y'all break this music off the you know, get off the tree. Come down, my man. And so people are walking up to him because this is the this is the summer of ninety three, so award tourist out right, and he's like he people walking up, Yo, I gotta tape, man, I manage an artist from something. And I see him signing and stuff.
He's looking and stuff, and he keeps looking in my direction like like I just want to make sure he's still over there. And I see him put his hand up like hold tight, like hold tight. I'm like, was that for me? Ship he comes over. He's like yo, yo, son, Yo, what's your name?
Son?
I was like, maxkis you like yo? So you ill? Son? Yo? You so just like like yo, what you about to do? I was like nothing? And he was like you want to go to this radio station with me? And I was like hun, he's like, I gotta go to Georgia Tech. This is radio station. Like, yo, you're trying to roll. And I was like yeah, so's He's like, all right, fuck you come come upstairs with I gotta change. I'm gonna go upstairs quick. So I'm like, all right, cool.
We go upstairs and the door open. This first time I've ever seen the sweet. I never knew hotels had a D I've never seen it. It's a hotel room, right, So I see the hotel, I see the sweep. He walks in. He's like, yo, I'm a change real quick. And he hits a button on the CD and I here, like the Midnight Marauders starts playing and he's like, yo, this is the album's son. And I'm like, I'm listening to drop calls this fucking album before it comes out.
It's amazing.
Right, this is summer. It don't come out to November. It came out the same day. It's thirty six Chames Wu Tang Clan. He comes back. I only heard like four tracks. I'm like, this album is about to be crazy. I go downstairs. We take a picture. I had the little Kodak disposable yellow and black picture. We take a picture and I get in a van. I get in a van in the middle seat, and he gets in the front and he goes. He turns around. He goes, Yo, Son, niggas so ill Son, and I look behind me and
it's passed and Macio from Daylight so ship. And I'm like, you're in the native tongues. What the fuck do you mean? I'm really, my life is changed. I go, we rock out. I go, I go, we do the thing and he I give him my number. I go back home from Jack the Rapper. A week later, my mother. I walk in the house with my mom goes, Yo, you got a phone. You got a message on the phone. I was like from just like, I don't know somebody named
Boo Rip. I don't hear what it is. I was like, what she said, somebody ain't rip, just hit the things. So I hit the button and I hear his voice, Yo, Son, you know saying the skill this tip. You're trying to get skills? Yo. Yo, I want to know, man, how far do you live from u v A. We got to show a uv A like, Yo, I want you to pull up son, And I'm like, my life could chake and it did it totally changed. I go to the show Dayla Soul Trap CaAl Quest. They let me rap.
At the end of the show, I'm working at a parking deck in in Virginia. I've already had it, like I'm working in the parking deck. Like I go back home. Nobody believes me. I'm like, y'all, I was rapping on Q tip then yeah, whatever, like Nika whatever. They have another show in Hampton, Virginia.
He calls you again, cost me again?
Yo, how fuck you live from Hampton. I'm like it, don't I'm going. I go to Hampton, go on stage, spit the verse. This time, I take the camera because now I gotta take this this take these pictures back from fucking to the drug store and get them developed.
I go.
The show's over. I walk outside. It's me and my man walking into my car, and this dude grabs hit me on the shoulder. I turn around, I go, what's up. He's like, yo, when you just on stage with Q tipping them, I'm like yeah. He's like, so you got to introduce me to him?
Dog.
I got to meet them, and I'm like, I said, yo, I don't I think they I don't know. Bro. Like he's like, no, no, no, he gotta hit my beasts. Man, you gotta introduce me. Cute tip, Bro, you have to. And I'm looking at the tour bus at the light with the blinker on and I'm like, I said, Bro, that's the bus right there, like they about to they going to they going to DC. Like he like he was about to cry. That was Pharrell. That's how I met Pharrell.
Nowhere.
I met Pharrell in the parking lot of a trip Call Quest concert. Me and Farrell are probably the biggest Tribe Call Quest fans in Virginia. He looks like he was going to cry when I said they're leaving, and he's like, I said, yo, I said what you do? What's your name? He's like, I make beasts. I rap. I'm like, like, what's your name? He's like magnum verb.
Lord, that was just magnum the verb.
Lord, I'm so.
Magnum verb.
He was like, listen, you won't talent all the talent.
He starts rapp. I start beat boxing. He starts rapping, and I'm like, Dan, he is dope, you know what I'm saying. This was ninety three, ninety four six months later, maybe maybe a year later, I hear the s the double, the U, the VV. I'm like, yo, that sounded like Magnum.
True story. He had already connected with magn Teddy who came to Virginia and he's I always say this, he's probably the only super producer that birthed two other super producers three really Neptunes and tim You know what I'm saying, because none of us knew this ship was possible until fucking Teddy came to Virginia Beach. Real shit.
I want to ask him that one day too. I gotta ask Teddy, like, what made you go to Virginia Beach.
He said that his brother had just got killed in New York and the level the ship that was going on in New York was just too much, and they used to always come down during the summer for that Greek. I like it out there, shut up shop down there.
And nobody else was dead nobody. Yeah.
I didn't hear about Virginia Beach until I didn't hear about Virginia Beach until Timberland.
I didn't hear about it too, Teddy Riley, I heard about the Timberland. I wanted to know where the rough Shake video who had been I mean, I was a young nigga man. I was trying to figure out what the Roughshakers was church still.
I was still in church, hadn't quite. I wanted to know who was blowing on that hour.
And her name was Tammy. She used to hairy. And it's funny because when they did something in the water, they brought her out. No, no, not shot my man Boogie, my man Boogie. We was watching the show and Teddy's on stage performing with Black Street or whatever, and my Man Boogie said, he said, skills. Do you realize that Teddy is performing at a festival doing the rap that is written by the guy that he put on on the same beat that they shot the video at in
nineteen ninety three. And I'm like, god, damn, that's a six degrees of separation that he's standing on this beach and they shot Rupture at the festival now put on by You're young, your young boy crazy, who is totally eclipsed anything that you could have ever imagined as far as production wise, you know what I'm saying. So yeah, this early nineties when I met Pharrell.
So you're you're friends with Tip now you meet the young Pharrell's getting crazy.
Whenever I'm in, I'm in a I'm a group member.
When is your shot coome?
I get on in ninety I get on in ninety three, I get a record in ninety four, work on the record for ninety all year, record, don't come out to ninety six. It Shiit sat for like a year. So by the time, like Craig Calvin, I'm signed the Big Beat A land at Craig Calman, Fucking Mike Hearn's an intern Big Beat Atlantic, and it's me. It's me and this is this group called the Artifacts, and they had a group called a Double x Posse. They had a big song called I'm not Gonna be able to do
it right. So I come out and I'm thinking I'm gonna change the fucking world like I'm when I come out, you know, nigga, when I come out rap, I come out moderate hits cool, but it's so old, the song so old to me because they've been sitting for a year. I got plenty more shit now it's ninety six, second single come out. I'm living in New York and they're like ah, And then the shiny suit era happens. So it's like, fuck, biggiest, biggiest biggie. He's brought the East
Coast back. It's Jiggy World, our backpack. Niggas. I don't know. Listen, it's I go back home, like I gotta refigure this ship out. I go back to work at the parking deck. I'm literally writing songs every day.
Wait, so what what was it with this parking lot?
Man? It was just where I worked that and I used to Here's the thing. I worked there, but it was so easy. I was right next to the college, so it's plenty of, plenty of I.
Can't They're gonna need somewhere to park.
They're gonna need somewhere to park. Yeah, oh, you got class on Friday twice. You have to. You can't find a spot of street, you know what I mean. But here's the thing. My video is still playing on BT, so niggas coming out of the parking deck like and I'm like, yeah, too fifty and they're like, oh, ship, nigga, I just saw your rap city.
What the fuck?
I'm like, you know, I'm.
Like, how do you I'm how are you handling that?
I always tell niggas if it was now, Oh, I would have been a meme. E. That's a sweets shot. I would have been a meme. But I just had a kid. I know. I know a little bit about the business. Now somebody, Oh, nigga, I need these health benefits. Like, I'm not this record. This record deal, shit is real fucked up? Right?
This work for hire?
Right, it's work for hire. Biggie Biggie is going. I'm on the same label as Junior Mafia. So they're like, that's where the money go the money is. I know you've seen me on the video. True, that's where the money went, right. So I'm like, all right, call, I'm into parking. I'm like, I gotta figure this shit out. People starting to notice me. It's just breaking my soul. But I'm in there every day, right right. I go to Virginia Beach No, the Irony Puff Daddy in the
Family tour comes to Richmond, Virginia. I go to the show. I'm a huge thing into the locks, right, I knew them from back in the day. We're kicking it. I go to the show. I got it's my town. Everybody know me. I'm front bro. I gotta pass and everything I see Magoo rest in peace magoo. I see Melvin. Melvin say, yo, what's up man? I said, what's up? Man? What you doing? I said, I came to see the show like everybody else. Hey, man, when your next album coming out? Man A man that last year you dropped
me and they slip on you doll that shit. It's so hard dog. In my mind, I was like, I can't tell him, I guy dropped. But something said, Man, tell that nigga the truth. And I said, gool man, I ain't got no album. I ain't. I ain't got no situation right now. You ain't got no deal. I said, no, how the fuck you ain't got no deal, nigga. You the first nigga. Only reason niggas no bother Virginia hip hop is because you. You ain't got no deal. I said no. He said no, No, you got me tilling dog got
meet you to tell them you got to come with us. Man, you about to be with us? Fuck that. I'm like, all right. So he walks me over to town. Who's sitting with Missy and Tim You know, with the with the light that this nigga.
I love the light handshake.
Crazy.
The legend of his death, The legendary Spaghettian hand bro.
It's so so weak. I don't know if he just don't want to give you a dap or what.
What it was?
So Tim is like, it's the equivalent to Michael Jackson's voice.
So Magoo is bigging me up to Tim, like, no man, he'd have want him tell you his pen dog You finished?
Though, I gotta admit something. I've met the man a few times. I purposely have not shaken his hand, just because because I just know I'm not gonna be feeling that that legendary death.
So I always whenever somebody's like, yo, this Jay, what's up?
Man? You know he's different now.
I don't know if he was a German for with what. So Magoo Magoo is bicking me up to Tim and Tim like I come to the studio tomorrow, which is Virginia Beach, our fIF team minates where I'm from. I go to the studio with Tim. We do six songs the next day right which in turn two of them turned into Tim's Tim's bio which is his first ship, which Ludo was on Fat Rabbit. I think I had had two songs on there, and then I started working
with Tim. So I'm in there with Tim, his brother Sebastian, everybody I meet, Blackground, Joe, Mo what I'm saying all of them? And then uh, I hear are you that's somebody mm hmm, and I'm like, this record's out of here, Like this, this record is crazy. So I hear the song, I'm like, Damn, why ain't the why rap over this shit? The flow is there, Like Tim, I was like his verse cool, it's cool. Baby girl's cool. But damn, like why he ain't let me on me? I would have
game a killer verse. So in my mind, I'm like, all right, man, whatever. Like so I go back home and now I'm trying to get a couple of my homies in. So it was the DJ in the city from my say. His name was DJ Reese and he was working on a mixtape and a good friend of mine who I was in a group with named Danger Mouth. He rapped on the Leear remix. So when I hear it, he bodies it twenty four bars. I'm like, like this nigga rapped way too long. But I'm like he killed
the shit. So then we send it to another homeboy and he like, shit, I'm getting on that nigga. So I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna get the squad on it. So then I get on it, go back to Tim like play him the remix and I'm like what you think? He like it's cool, it's cool, say y'all, cal Yeah, it's dope. It's dope. So I'm like, play the ship for Joe Moo. You're like, nah, this is crazy. I go back home like, yeah, now I'm giving this ship to my man at work at the radio station. They
start playing on the radio station. This is the first unofficial like every niggas Brodie day. Way two months later, plaques in the mail. They call us like Aliyah wants you all to come out with her at the tunnel in New York, Nissan and all them raps, and I'm like, bat, we go to the tunnel and perform with with Aliyah, Midliney, Bat dangermin Like we had a crew called the super Friends, and that was the introduction where I really got in
good with the camp. You know what I'm saying. And then Missy goes, yeah, I want to take you on the road because you remember everything. Like what you mean? She's like, you know, Missy ain't never want to be on the stage. Mona's like, oh, you gotta do this show. You have to do jay Leno, you gotta do it.
Missing I fuck that. I just want to be in the studio on her like, no, well, we gotta do Hot nine seven summer jam, and and Sylvia wants she and she's like, skills, just come because you can remember. I don't remember this ship, so I knew when I was when Missy was rapping. If she turned and looked at me, that was finish line. So now I'm Missy's hype man.
Hold on, yeah, I remember that.
I see him.
Yeah, get your freaking all that ship. I'm missus hype man.
You just graduate right into it. Just not not even audition for.
Not even audition for it. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and I'm Missy's hype man. Missy's at the studio and now I'm seeing I'm seeing this ship in real time because it's like, oh, Chris, of course I know about the Illiad records.
She's right for everybody, everybody, and.
She don't want to be an artist. She don't even want a record deal. And they're like, yo, we'll give you a label if you put a record she had already put our superduo fly Ship went what happens? And and I'm like, I'm watching her create these songs that she don't even want to be an artist. But it's literally a purple Lamborghini outside, and I'm like, I gotta start paying attention to this other shit because I tried
to be in front of the camera. That got me back at the parking day, so speaking, and try this other ship. And I started paying attention to her and tim and crafting records and melody and and that's what the pen turned into. And that's how it started. So now you're talking ninety eight, ninety nine, get your freaking on one minute, man, and all that shit, right, And I'm you know, I'm running around with the black Ground camp. I'm out here at the Hotel Nico and all this show.
You know what i mean.
None of you know what I'm saying. But I've never been to La like that, you know what i mean. And I'm out here in all these studios and yeah, and I was like, yeah, okay, this is different.
I like this.
I go like being behind the scenes, you know what I'm saying?
It what is was it a shock for you though, like in terms of like coming to the I don't know an understanding or realization that, you know what, maybe.
This is more of what I need to do.
You know what I understood early writing those songs in those parking decks and then watching them go those little verses here and there. I understood earlier. I was like, oh, people like what I say, even if I ain't saying that right. So for me it was like, all right, cool, I'll do that, but not even knowing what I'm really doing. And then one time I was in New York. I'm in New York. I'm writing for my shit be cause
timn gotta be back on. I'm on z Man Records, you know what I mean, which never fucking turned into nothing. But I'm writing and it's DJ from New York comes in and he hears the hook and he's like, Yo, this shiit fire, Who this for it? I'm like, it's for me. He's like, Yo, this shit doe. You should let me get it for my project. I was like, yeah, like let me finish it. He like, now, just let me get this. I'm like, nah, but I'm a rapper nigga, like let me put a verse. Let me get at
least get one verse on. He's like, no, just let me take this. I'm telling you, just let me get this. And I'm like, all right, man, Like I give it to him. And then they tell me a month lady of the record coming out. I'm like, what fucking record? What's he talking about? I hear the record with my hook and these three other rappers on it. I already I had already did filled out. I don't know what the fuck I was feeling out. They're like, yo, you own.
I'm like, yeah, all right, whatever, and I'm still thinking it's fucked up. Man, they ain't put me on the song. And then the fucking song comes out, and then the check comes and I'm like, oh, yeah, I could do this. I can't tell you that.
That's why he was noticed.
A good ghost writer never reveals all his clients. And that record came out and I was like, oh yeah, I could do this this and I was like okay, they and then my name started going around like yo, who the fuck wrote this? No skills? No skills from VA used to be Missy. Oh yeah, pull that nigga, don't pull up. So my name was in rooms that I wasn't in yet, you know what I mean. And
that helped me too. I always and I'm from Virginia, so we always got a chip on our shoulder cause niggas don't never really give us the respect I feel like we deserve. It's like me and us us in Philly was always like the red head step child of It's like New York and the niggas is bounced straight to Atlanta. So I'm like I always, I'm like, nah, nigga, I'm gonna write ten verses, you know what I mean? Oh oh, he wrote two, Nigga, I'm right ten. He
go ten different versions of this fucking song. You're gonna like one of these motherfuckers. And that's how it started to happening. Was I would o D because I'm like, I can't go back to that parking.
Den and it was office set, all of it.
So that's where your mind went where it was like, listen, I'm just going to put records on everybody because you got that purple Lamborghini in your head.
Because I won't.
And in my mind then when I did get the bag, because you always talk about what you do with your first check, I got the bag I got got when got a red BMW right red BMW. So I didn't even know that when you have a red car, your.
Insurance insurance is way higher, right.
So I get it. I got the red Beamer, got the red Beamer. And I'm still at the crib or whatever. And then I'm realizing I will go out and people be like, yo, what you as so and so apartments last Friday night? And I'm like, dad, I can't even move. So now I get another card some specific where I could just move without you know what I mean. And I come from a beautiful city, like I love everybody in my city. They love me like it's a beautiful thing. But this is early on when I'm still like building.
So it's like I saw him on TV. I saw my so and so. You know you got the ran car. You know you get his haircut at.
So and so.
So It's like I'm moving weird. But yeah, man, that was.
It's like people track you but don't realize what they're doing. You know what I'm saying right and giving that information.
And early two thousands, you know what I mean. One minute, I'm on spring Bling and with Missy and Little Mogga I mean, and then the next minute I'm at you know what I mean, this this hot ninety seven or whatever, because Missy was really like, no, mony, skills gotta come. I ain't doing the show. Un let skills come. And I'm traveling with Missy doing all these shows and ship and just learning the business. Man.
I want to I want to ask you this because when I was singing backgrounds with genuine, I thought that that was going to be my job for life. And I was so happy to carry those bags, right and to sing those bags. I said, I can do this forever.
Right.
G was like, now you gotta go do your own thing. I was like, fuck my own thing? Like you got going on, like you got going. I like what you're doing. How did that feel?
Like?
Bro, you're you're standing side by side with Missy.
And the crazy boys. You gotta think I came out first, right, So it's like I came out and it turned into a synergy of or m v A niggas stick together, you know what I'm saying. Because he was the first one. Then he was the first it was di'angelo, you know what I'm saying. But it was weird because when DiAngelo dropped he dropped. It was critically he claimed it was amazing, but it was that he never really said where he was from, you know what I'm saying, and niggas in
the city, niggas in the town. He was like, man, that nigga don't be he don't be represented. I'm like, nigga, he sing R and B, Like, what the fuck you wanted to do? He's supposed making a song called Cruising in Virginia, Like what the fuck? Like, what are you supposed to have a Virginia jersey?
Right?
But I'm like, the hood wanted that, and I'm like, all right, I'll be that, you know what I'm saying. So it's like to see us all together like Missy tam Leah Seanna, you know what I'm saying, like everybody like,
and we all sticking together and doing these shows. It's like I almost was like, we're like a real like the Avengers, you know what I'm saying, And you forrell of them hadn't even really made an impact because Teddy had no clue what the fuck to do with them niggas, you know what I'm saying, right, But they're making in in you know, ninety four, they're making songs that sound
like twenty twenty five. So it's like, I don't even know what to do with this shit, and it sounded futuristic then, so he just had to let them do their own thing, and they found their way, you know what I'm saying. And between Tim and Pharrell, they basically changed, you know what I mean, they changed the whole landscape of music, you know what I'm saying.
So, and then you and then you have Chris Brown, yes, and then you have Trey song yes.
Like I'm from a magical place different.
And then when you start and then if you can pile it and do the whole D m V thing.
Now, your niggas.
Is always say, I always say, the reason why we were so original because we knew what we couldn't do. We couldn't make bass booty music. Atlanta and Miami already did that. DC had Go Go, Baltimore had fucking house house music, Baltimore, New York had to boom back. L A had the g funk Ship, Houston, Texas had the chopping screws. So when you go in the studio, you know exactly what you can't do, so you're gonna fucking sample Godzilla or a baby, you know what I'm saying.
He was just ill for that though, he was just out of his mind.
Because I've never seen anybody beat box exactly what they want to make and then go over there and make it. I've never seen the motherfucker just like, nah, that shit gonna go boo boooo and then go over there and do it. And it sounds exactly like you know what I'm saying. So I'm watching him work, you know, with fucking Bill Petaway there, Bill, you know what I mean. Goddamn girl, you know it's true, Bill Petaway ass, you
know what I mean. So it's like I'm I'm around this ship and I'm watching it happen, and I'm like, yo, that this ship is crazy. These niggas are really changing, and it's like everything is dropping. And then fucking Farrell comes out, the Neptunes come out, and it's like he's a savant, you know what I mean, Like he hears it different. And then you get Chad to come in and he put the bells and whistles on this ship.
And then the next thing I know, fucking Justin is in this studio doing Senorita and Nori's in this studio doing nothing, and I'm like, damn, these niggas got a to Virginia. Right then you add in the bink bink you know what I'm saying, and knots you know what I'm saying.
So it's like in your contribution, Yeah, this R and B thing. Yes, hold on, hold on, hold on because Tank don't know this. I know this because it's the reason we know each other. You taught Harold Lily how to write songs?
Yes, yes, nowhere.
How about that? Tank?
Yeah?
Now you now, you fucker want to know why he really?
No way?
Harold Lily was in the ninth grade. I was in the twelfth grade. I used to pick him up and I used to take him in the car we go driving. So I get in the car with Harold and I'm playing Harold Jobsy. I'm playing Harold boys the Men and he like this my o G. I'm playing him Wou Tang Clan. It's this new nigga coming out of New York named Notorist big Is. It's his record called Flavoring
Your Ears. You gotta hit the shit. I'm playing him all the new shit because I'm getting all I'm going back and forth to New York every fucking weekend, try and get on. So then Harold's watching me and that's my younger. And then he see me on TV and he's like, oh shit, this nigga made it between him and fucking Michael Archer. I got I gotta figured out. I got videos of Harold singing dedication dedicated at the
Talent show. You know what I'm saying, like little Harold Lilly, which we I knew it because he was so good at such a young age, and he was he was studied. So when Harold first came out here, shit, Harold came to I want to say, Harold came out in like the two thousands, you know what I mean, And he had no clue what the fuck he was doing because Missy had everybody, and that everybody signed the deal. And then Harold was like, I don't know, man, my mama said,
I don't know. And then and then this other nigga called him named Big John, and he like, man, my mama said. So everybody was mad at Harold because Harold ain't take the deal, but he took something that went down with Big John and that turned into way to turn away. Harold got his first check. He tried to fucking catch it at the check cash his bock. He ain't what the doing. I ain't you know, he ain't have a bank account. You're gonna give away like so Harold,
you know. And then and it was like when he came out here, when he came to La, it was like we didn't know. He just had his head down. He was working. Because Harold's a reader. Harold read because he's like, when I came to LA, I ain't know nobody. So you know who was my friends, my.
Book the books.
So Harold will talk you. So when every time I walk into a room, Harold will tell you, like, soon we walk in the room, it don't matter who in the room. Hey, this is the nigga that wrote me songs, thog. This nigga showed me how to write. And I'd be like, come on, bro, come on's Swiss and Lisha bro Alicia. Yeah, this this is my old g This this who showed me the way. Come on, man, Like I'm just you know what I mean?
They like, who is this one of the greatest humans on the planet.
Yes, I love him. I just saw I love him to death. Man, he's still one of the most inspirational people I ever met in my life. He still inspires me to this day. Love her Lily.
Yeah, that Virginian thing.
Man. You know, I'm just and that's why we're so in the back.
This ghost rider thing has just got me. Like, you know, I'm reeling right now, you know what I'm saying. I've seen so many pieces that I know you've written, and now I know that there's so many pieces that I don't know.
I'm itching, you know what I'm saying.
But it's like you have to, like there's a certain joy that comes along with, you know, being able to sit back and watch your work work. Yes, I remember when in the beginning of my career, like I didn't want to write or produce for nobody. I did out of necessity, But once I got on, I ain't want to no more my music just for me. And I got in, you know, I got into a little beef with the label with burying them, and you know, I got put on the shelf and I was cold, and
I was like, fuck, how am I gonna eat? And so I just kind of started peeking my head into like writing and producing. End up at the Underdog building end up meeting this guy and starts going down this journey of writing hit records. And my first time like having that true satisfaction of seeing my work work. I was watching No Mario on stage wrote that, Oh and I'm sitting back at the sound booth. I mean because normally that's me, right, you know what I'm saying, But
it can't be. And it's like I walk in the buildings. Man, it's it's it's not even it's not even a thing anymore. I'm not even tank walking, like you know what I'm saying. I don't nobody want to autograph, maybe like one person when you get a picture, but.
Your mean moment, I mean for me right right right.
At this point, I'm pulling up in a in a for that escort stick shift, rolling wind or nothing like this right now, you know what I'm saying. But I'm watching my work work. And that was the first time I had ever gotten true satisfaction.
For where I was like, I can do.
This what you got over the champ, Come on, champion.
That's I gotta display my skills. Mad skills is what they call them. Yes, and your journey's your musical Josey. It hasn't just been hip hop. That's where the love began. But during those clean up sessions, you heard a lot of rms' also written.
Some R and B m hm.
And on his journey, you've you've you've discovered that you have some favorites I do. We don't want to know all your favorites skills.
Because he's not mad anymore.
I'm still madking.
You're back, You're back to mad skills.
We just want to know.
Your top five.
Yeah, your top five?
You know how your fun.
Top five?
Hey, your top five RB singer winning alre this song, this is a shoe. Please want the no steals on the pool.
We got the gore. We're going.
Yes, your.
Fuck amazing, amazing.
Yes, sir, mad skills. Yes, your top five R and B singers. Mm hmmm mm hmm.
I wrote them down.
I know you, We know you right, That's what we do now, I'm a writer.
Number five is Stevie Wonder off the Red Start the start there. Number four, it's a little sister of the bunch. That would be Janet mm hmmm. Because niggas never put her in texture.
You gonna feel.
Then we're going to nippy huh. Whitney Houston, The Voice, The Voice, Number two, Prince mm hmm, I'm on, Prince, are you? And Colorful Purple be exact the nineties girl Purple Brunch number one all time, Mike.
Come on, come on, Joseph High Yeah, Jacks Yeah.
It's so many mics too, Like it covers all the ground.
Every all the ground I've never and I hate the set of debates now where people are like, oh yeah, oh Drake that no no, because y'all want a round. When we were y'all didn't see grown men faint and get carried out.
Your top five R and B songs.
I wrote those down to because I'm a writer.
For yourself and others.
Okay, five hands down?
Love it.
Doom dude, mm hmmmm. Ass Stevie Wonder probably one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard in my life, Like it automatically changes your mood when you hear it. Right, that's five four I Got, I Got the South Side, Richmond, Virginia. How does it feel? Come on? Did' angelo Raphaelsa Di.
Pemo Life Changing record? The changed that record, My life.
That record alone, Pright that record by itself? You know, you know how it's only a few niggas that can disappear totally from the face of earth, from the face of music, and come back whenever they want to.
He's one of them.
He's one of them. If that nigga announced right now tomorrow yo, I'm doing it in the form tomorrow night.
We were all going going.
How does it feel, Maxwell? Anytime you come outside outside, were outside.
The Angelo, How does it feel? I want to shout out to the A n R. Who said we have to do another single. Yes, that was single number three.
Yes, I think the first one was Left and Right methods. Yeah, that one, I can't remember what The other one was Left Devils was off for there. I remember they shot a video for us send it on. It was a live video that was Anthony Hamilton was singing backgrounds then with paint on his face.
Somebody said we have to get this record before it because it wasn't It wasn't it wasn't nothing, It wasn't.
Connected right, No, and then it all changed.
And then when that.
God, damn that snare and that fucking and that it's almost one of the ones where it's like, damn, I wish, I wish, I wish when people always ask me and I and I always think it's like they'd be like, what records if it wasn't a record, what record did you wish you wrote with skills? I'm like, my first one is always Happy Birthday, Nigga, Happy Birthday. I wish I wrote Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday Nigga who.
Wrote Happy Birthday didn't make no money off Heavy.
But I'm just I wish I were a time when I lost Happy Birthday and I always loved those are always my two right, So that record, it's like hearing how does it feel? Always you? Just like I just wish I could have been in the room. Yeah you know what I mean. I wish I could have been in the b room next door just to hear that.
So, and I'm a musician. What they did with that musically, Yeah, they were high.
No, it had to be.
That's got to be an LSD record.
Had to be. So that's that's four. Three is a tie. Three is two two records, you're artists. Three is Real Love Themix Real Love number two because it never goes away. It's it's synonymous with us, and it's certain. It's it's a certain thing about having records that they just click. So anytime you hear mm hmm, bro before I let go. Is the perfect It's so it's so perfect. Here's the thing. It's so perfect that we're not even paying attention to what he's saying.
Yeah, no, he's a professional at this, a professional this right here.
I ain't saying no nick, I ain't saying no names.
I ain't saying no name.
I ain't saying what you didn't saying no name.
Oh ship, Oh god, come on, come on, come on, skills.
You know you know what this is.
You come on, you you've been quoting already something the ship we be saying on the show.
So I know you watched the show.
You know what I mean.
So you know what this part of the show is.
You know what this segment means, all right, and you know you can't disappoint in this segment.
Man, we know already.
Okay for me, for you start, I got to introduce it though, you know what I mean, I can't.
I gotta give it to you the proper way.
Man.
Pause, then to get out of there, Get me out of there.
It is what it is, the Boss Show. So right now you are here on the r and b Money Podcast. Very important segment that I Ain't saying no names portion, Will you tell us a story? Funnier fucked up in the Journey of Mad Skills Skills VA the ship. You've seen shit, you've experienced.
The only rule to the game. You can't say no name.
Okay, you all ready absolutely all right. It's early two thousands now, we already talked about my journey Missy Q tip Timberland. For real. I'm out here working writing some hip hop songs. Nice studio, beautiful day in La. I'm in here for a week. They tell me I ain't saying no name, is working out the A room. I'm like, oh shit, really he ain't here this week? Yeah, all right, cool, that's dope. A couple of days later, see him in the hallway, speak, Oh what's up man? What's up? Bro?
What you're working on? Man? You know? At this point, I'm I think I was on I might have been on Rockets or some shit. Well I wasn't. I definitely went on No A list, but I want no death jam mouthers bitch might have been Rockers or cotch right, one of them. Niggas only gave me twenty five thousand leaven make an album. So I'm making this album on favorites. We in this studio on a favor See him in the hallway. R and b artists got two smashes and one of them a ballot, and this ballot got niggas
in the choke hold. Budget is right, Videos is crispy, Chris Robinson ish and hype, you know what I mean?
Videos looking video one.
O six part every day And he said, what you're working on? Its working on some hip hop. Said I'm gonna come and check your shit out. All right, cool bet, come to the studio, listen to some of my ship. She kod me help me, man, I want to write. I want to raise some raps too. I said, yeah, sure, yeah, I'm dead serious man. I want to do some hip hop ship like you know, that's that's what my heart is really and in my mind I'm going I wish I had your career right now? You white hot? What
do you mean you want? Fuck?
You mean?
Nah?
Man, we gotta do some ship totally abandons this session. Come into my ship. He got beats, put him on a CD. What you think about this? Some cool ship? Like yeah, I was thinking that like this nigga really wanted to work right now. All right, we start working on some records. Do a couple of songs, come back the next day, do some more songs come back to the third day, we do. We damn fucking got an album. He like, yeah, man, this this is where I really
want to be. Y'all. Y'all can express y'allself in a different way. Third day that he comes in the studio engineer hit play. He goes in the booth to beat us up. I kind of mumbled out a little hook. He like, I'm I'm I think I'm I'm gonna throw some mumbles on the see see if I can get into a pocket. I said, go do a scratch oog man h check yo. For all my niggas and my bitches, all the records before this was cool, very cool. He had cursed once my niggas in my pitches. For the
pitches and the niggas. I'm like, yo, this nigga rapping like dn Max got off. He comes outside, Nah, this the one that little part right there, We're gonna make that the hook. That's gonna be my verse and my mom. I'm like, you sound like Earl Simmons. He's dad serious, this is gonna be my single. I'm like, you're putt out a rap out. Yeah, bro, you're gonna help me. I said, ship, I'm thinking about it. Ain't gonna this ain't gonna fly. The ballad that you have is so big.
There's no way you can ever say the word bitch in your life. Black women will leave you and they love you right now. You can't ever say the b word in a song. But this ship, this ship just fell in my lap. Earl Simmons on it. That's how he's saying recipes and he sound the niggas and bitches on the song and he's saying bitch like bitches.
Not a nice way.
No.
Next day, come to the studio. I'm in the studio. He don't show up. I start working back on my ship. Phone ring engineer like hello, yeah, he's right here. I'm like hello, Yeah, you have some guests out front, I said, I do. Yeah, told me who it was. I said, okay, it's his managers, Like, I ain't never met them. They coming to the studio. Yo, what's up? Man? Say what's up? Yo? And we heard the joints y'all been working on you helping him write those. Uh yeah, Hey, let me tell
you something, my nigga. What listen, he's a little off his rocker right now. I don't need you to take him serious, I said, Oh okay, I said, listen. We as management team. He got He has a whole team of people behind him, artists, he got dancers, he got a band, he got background singers, we got engineers. If you help this nigga write one more fucking rap song, you done, we gonna come see you. What said, Bro, I ain't trying to fuck up. No, no, you about
to fuck were about to go on tour. Bro with can't say her name either, were about he can't ever be heard saying the word bitchy because they think I wrote every word. If you see him in the street, she's walking, don't don't help him. You're about to help him end his fucking career. Nigga. Do you like the song? I said, Bro, I love his song. Well let's stay that way. Damn. I thought you v a. I thought you was folks, I said, I am. I love this ship. Bro, Bro, Bro,
we some dudes from we trying to come up. He don't help him, bro, I said, all right, man, fuck and that was it. He called me. I stopped answering. I couldn't do it. I was like, I ghosted the ghostwriter, ghosted artists. And when he walked in that room and said niggas and bitches, I was like, in my mind, I'm going this ain't gonna never work. But he was so passionate about it. But I was in my mom I'm sitting there going, bro, I'm on a fucking indie.
I would love to be where you at, just writing, and you want to come down here and rap about niggas and bitches. That's the music visits and shop and yeah, I ain't saying no names. I ain't saying no names. Hey man, I ain't say your name. It wasn't it wasn't it wasn't you. You have written a lot of songs that women love, written and performed. You know deep in your heart you can't never get on those stage. I don't even you feel that way. He can't never
get on the stage and say that. And that's this artist was right there.
I get it. I get it.
I don't even know what made him want to say it, But hey man, you know the niggas and the bitch has never heard it sometimes.
You be enamored, flabbergasted.
I got this bit that I do in my comedy set where I'm like, I'm like, tonight, I get to call you bitches.
She liked that.
I get to be a rapper only in the comedy bitch.
Like that that nigga said it different. Where's my bitch?
It was, that's a that's a rally call. That's a rack call.
Brother Man, skills man, listen man. The name speaks for herself.
Man.
And it is a testament to hard work and true dedication man, and and the craft the craft man. It's just being a craftsman is different. What we do serious man, and it takes you serious and and and that is where true longevity lives. It lives and taking this ship serious. And I pray that everyone watching this that they get
that message. And I pray that all of the people who are in charge and that are handling these budgets and that are signing these these artists and that are looking for these creatives and these writers and these producers, that we uh that we don't turn a blind eye to the truly gifted, the truly talented people, and we get them a shot at that Longevity Man and and and we get more mad Skills to get.
Ladies, Gentle money and Tank.
And this is the R and B Money podcast, the authority on all.
Things R and B and mad Skills, R and B Money.
R and B Money is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network.
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And you can connect with thus on social media at j Valentine and at the Real Tank. For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot com or slash R and B Money