Marques Houston

he goes. He danced it and then he get on the screen and he acted, Okay, yeah, this boy always has a fresh hairline, doesn't studying it for years working on mine. Giving up. Brother, I'm glad to be here. Bro, I mean your family, so you know it's good to see you. Thank you for being here with us. Then, um, I want to go into a story. Kick right off. I just started doing R and B music, not singing it but producing it and writing it. Um for um

my ex wife sisters. Um. They had a little girls crew and it's three them sing sing They tails off, right, And so I was like, okay, I'll try, you can try to produce a little R and B and I used to do little Rmby music for him. And their manager at the time was a guy named that that is Edwards, who was like you know roal manager at first Winning Fire Ussher like you know, big guy, right, So he was like, I got an opportunity for the

girls to open for Immature, right, so at the Baltimore Arena. Right. So at this time, I'm like, Okay, that'll be cool. Open up Immature. That's gonna be straight. I had heard of you guys, but you know, I'm a church kid. I'm you know, church musician. You know who. I got all that. I got all this stuff with me. You know what I'm saying, whelujah, I got all that with me. I had no more different. So they're like Immateur. I'm like, yeah, they cool, you know straight. You know I'm saying, be

good opportunity for girls. Good opportunity for girls. So I make my little show track for the girls so they could perform, and they do some original stuff and then they do the s w V color like all good stuff, right, and so you know they opened, they do they do awesome because you know, we're from Maryland. And then one of one of the one of the little girls fallon. She was actually from Baltimore. So they got mad love, major love, right and so um at this point, they're

singing in front of the curtain. Yeah right, because you know, I had never done an R and B show. I've never done a big show like that, so I didn't know what that untail. I don't know why that was, but I knew that there was a curtain right there, and then they had space to do that and it was the major Yeah, I didn't know, but but I was happy that they had the spaces they had, and I was like, I wonder what's behind the curtain anyway, So they performed and I'm like, all right, well let's

get out of here. Girls, good job, and they're like, you don't want to stay for immature? One of them. I was talking to one of the band members and he was like, man, that's a quid school little track, you man track, just things I did. You know, I work in churches here, local churches, you know, pretty big in the church circuit. Church game. Yeah, you know, they mean appreciate what you guys gonna do your stuff out. Yeah, we're gonna we're gonna do a little something. You like Immature?

Is that I don't really know the guys, you know what I mean, I'm kind of into some different stuff, you know, John P. K. Kimbarel, those people, you know, those people. I'm being a few full port ers, right right. Yeah, that's that's what we all areas like that. And so like one of our biggest markets, they love but they do it. So that was one of our biggest I

was there, Yeah, that sold out? Yeah? Absolutely, um, And so we're trying to leave and it guess it's you know, it's so much commotion in that in that back parking area. We're blocked in. So we're like, who's blocking us in? It's a sold out concert, ain't no telling who's blocking this? Yeah, So we literally they're they're trying to fare out who's blocking us in? At this time We're like, all right, well we'll just you know, might as well just watch

the show while we're sitting here blocked in. Oh what have you? And and the intro starts hmm and was I think the first song was the first song? All right? The girl was that? Was that? Was that a thing? All right? Love is groove, love his groove? That was that the first one? Yeah, the first song of the first song, I think we intro with Yeah, that's crazy, he still remembers, and listen. I'm sitting there and I'm just I'm listening to the intro. I'm like, oh, that's big,

that's a big intro. Start getting crazy. I'm looking at the musicians like, yeah, why is this sounded? And then all of a sudden, booze explosion, the curtain falls. Three these three niggas come running out. The crowd is going crazy. Nise niggas do niggas just stepping this niggas singing. I'm like, these little niggas is awesome. These little Yeah, I don't know their songs, but I'm sitting here like this. Yeah. I remember. And at the time, I had a gospel group,

one of the biggest gospel groups like in that area. Yeah, And I was watching y'all perform and sing and dance and your showmanship, and it was so cold that I was like, as good as we can sing, as important as our message is, because we were a gospel we couldn't. We would we would never be able to follow you. We would never. And I said, guys, I went back to my guy. I said, guys, I just saw immature and They're like, you don't get it, you don't get it.

We have to change this up. Yeah, we gotta, like our entertainment value has to go up, Like we have a great message. Why can't we talk about Jesus the way they're talking about what they're talking about. I can't our showmanship or our sound. Why can't it be like that for Jesus? You you because we was you can't you think don't know about the Pelvicts thrust. You don't think that God invented the pelvits to be able to thrust and that he would get the glory in that

in some way shape before. Yeah, let's get to it, huh. And they looked at me like I was crazy. It was like this. It was like, that's the flesh talking. It's not the flesh. So but you got you kicked out the out of the group. Look whoever. We tried it and then it did. I had dancers tracks, everything we tried. You know, that was you know, that was a blessing in disguise because now you know, well, at the time, I'm like, you guys, don't see it what

I'm trying to do. And guess what happened? So you know, I think I feel like I kicked them out of the group, but it was just me who was not in the group. No more so, maybe I gotta whoever, whoever's the group. We're practicing it tomorrow. I'll see you there. It was the only one in practice. So yeah, maybe it just a mutual It was a mutual decision, we'll call it. It wasn't. I saw I was solo there on my own, but that pushed me to the flesh want to be. It pushed my flesh, flesh, It pushed

my flesh one. But guess what, as I'm saying, I wanted to do all of that when we talked about this before. Then all of a sudden, here comes Kirk Cranklin. Yes, and I'm like, I told you. I told you because I was a GP fane. I said, I told you that the Lord deserves that. You know, it's entertainment. You guys pushed me to that. You guys pushed me to develop in that way, to be entertaining. And then I

went and bought your music. They started listening to your songs, and I was like, Okay, first of all, I feel like they're adult. They're adults, they're midgets. Because where the little people. The little people because people because because those were grown records, you hadn't no business that's singing those records because those were sexy records. You you know what it is. It was crazy because when we um, when we started as immature, we were signed virgin records were

like eight nine years old. We had the crazy hands that that was. That was the flop. You know, we had the kid half pint. Hold on, hold on, okay, because I like where you're at, go back before that to even how you get there? How do you get to being signed eight or nine years So here's here's exactly what happened. I did a talent show um at my school, and um, you know Chris was looking for a group to like kind of mirror ABC. So you know he was he had produced for like BBD. He

was friends with new editions and stuff like that. He can't because you know, Chris came up in the in the entertainment business. So Chris Stokes, he was he was saying he wanted to do a group kind of like ABC, Jackson five, that whole thing. So he found me at my talent show. He had already had wrong and um, we were looking for another member. We went through like a couple of other members or whatever didn't work, and I had um half punt. The little Asian kid that

was in the group. He went to school with me. So I was like, you know, I got got a kid, you know, one of my boys, you know, went to go to school and me. We put him in the group, put him in the group, and I met My dad took me to meet at Chris's studio. So I was a huge ABC fan. Another backgrader. You couldn't tell me nothing about ABC. So I went got a bucket hat. I told my dad like, I gotta, you know, dress like ABC. This is my chest. I actually I don't know why he was. I was a kid. I thought

I was gonna be in ABC. So I'm like, I'm gonna be in ABC. This is my chance. So I went get a bucket hat, got the mismatch shoes and the backwards overalls. Met with Chris is the studio. He asked me, you know, can you sing him? Like NA, not really, but I could dance though, busting my dance moves, did a little bit of singing, but I wasn't really that good. And he was like, okay, you know, he talked to my daddy. He was, I can put together

the group. Whatever, fast forward, I'm in the group. We immature, cut to we signed in Virgin Records. How do you just get signed? It was just his relationship was, yeah, Chris relationships with with the Darryl Sudden. He was over at Virgin Records at the time. He signed as the Virgin and it didn't work. You know, we tried a lot. We did. I did the movie Baba's Kids because Chris was actually friends with the casting director Ailie Knight got me the job or got me the audition and playing

like the main baby kid. Yeah. I was so that that that with, you know crazy that along with we did a soundtrack to Baba's Kids and then Jamae Dupre We worked with Jamae Dupre uh and you know, we got to do all these things, but it just didn't work. First album didn't work. That's why I call. I'm like,

that's the flop album. And what happened is we we lost our deal with Virgin and then Chris believed in us and half point his parents were like, you know, well we're used to him being in school seven or six days a week, in the Philippines. That is how they do it. So they were like, you know, they wrote us a letter, or wrote Chris. The letter was like, if he can't do a school six days a week, actually go to school, he can't be in the group. So of course we had to take him out of

the group. And that's where we found. I always wanted how how y'all lost the Asian niggas yep, because the Asian Hey listen, I'm black Asian. That's what happened. They were like, you know, they wanted him to go to school. It was like, we don't want him to be you know, if he can't make six days a week in public school, and we like that, you can't do my protitutor. So they took him out. And I'm like, well, my neighbor the right down the street from me can play the drums,

and that was Ldbow and we put Kelton. He was he was a drummer. It actually in our band because we had a kid band and we had like the whole immature the Virgin Records day. It was like big, we get our cells. He was in the band. He was he was the bass player or no, no, he was the guitar player. RAYJ was the bass player. Who was ray J was a bass player. Brandy was the background singer. Ray J is always gonna find his way into the story. Was the background singer. What we break

that down one the time? So so we get this right in the immature band and the immature band and that was the guitar player. Ty's dad was the orchestrator. He was the production manager of all of it. Okay, he did all the like band stuff. Ray J was the bass player. He didn't play bass though, I don't think definitely was the gimbick and he would he would we we would perform and we would be like ray J on the bass and he would hit this note and he would like and he would do this run

like yeah yeah something like that. That was his moment, and Brandy would do her thing. So Brandy was a background vocalist. Ray J was the bass player. Ty Doller was a guitar player, and Kelton was the drummer. Yeah. So then when when uh, but kell would always get in the front of the pictures and he would like, you know, you could tell you when to be in the group. So I was like, you know, Kelt just naturally step into to place. And then Chris put his

money together and recorded a whole album on us. And that's the album the I Don't mind Never Lie all those yea, And we took it to Arnie Singleton an NCA and we got signed and shout out to Arnie Singles. Come on man, come on man, what year is this? This is ninety two? I think I was twelve? Yeah, yeah, what was the was was was? I don't what was the first single? First single was never Lied? Never Never Lied? One? YOUNI is in like a tree or so Yeah, it

was a tree with the like a tree. I remember it was recording song christ you gotta give me more feeling, you gotta give you more feeling. At that point, I'm like, I don't know what I don't. Yeah, but record even the grown record a lot of you again, this is line of twelve right the girls, so you do it twic. I didn't. I didn't know a lot of girls yet I was still telling the truth in his army. Yeah, yeah, I ain't. Wasn't for the color, wasn't How did they know?

How did they do they know? Them? Not lying anymore? And yeah, like literally going from like us trying all this stuff and not really being successful and it never lie hits and we played it and the we we debuted in DC WPGC, Washington, DC, and it lit up, blew up, and from there it was just it was pandemonium, pandemonium. And so at this point you're Batman. Yeah, yeah, why are you Batman? Well there's another story to that. I got stories great, so I used to, Right, So we

went to convention BR. So we went to the BR you conventioned this is the Virsion days. And I'm in the hotel room and you know, our image was wild, we had like you know, before a TLC. It was us. We was wild and crazy all this like crazy big hats and stuff like that. So I'm in the room and play. I'm getting dressed and I put on my beatie right, and you know, I had my uh my pair of Batman draws. I used to love Batman draws.

The Batman was my favorite superhero. Don't ask me why I had my Batman draws and why I put them over my beattie, but I did. I'm like this is this would be just crazy, you know, over my Beatie playing in the room like hi, Hi, We go out and it was like everybody was like looking that we had caught a lot of attention because we was little kids and I got Batman underwear in my head and they're like, hey, you know, what's your name? And I'll just be like Batman. That's how I started. I don't

ask me why I did it. I don't know why I referred to the draws as my name, but I was being funny. But it worked. Batman was great. It was that's when that was the beginning of the Batman. Okay, so what what's the first major show you do where you see the effects of um, I will never lie. It was Constitution Hall watching the Boy talking to Right Talk. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we sold our show. Who I was on it? I don't even remember the opening act. I know we did a tour and we had Usher as an opening act

on one of our tours. We had Drew Hill as an over and act on one of our tours. Monica like all these these people that are just huge because if you were if you were either a teenage our young kid act, you had to go yeah, and if you mean because you knew that's where all the kids

were going to be. All the Kids was going to be so and we did Constitution Hall and the level of it was just crazy, like people was fainting and it was just like I remember when we when we were in Immature, the first when I was like nineteen, we first got in the Mature and when we're going to the grocery store. I grew up in the hood, you know, Baldwin Hills, Crisshaw applies that I was like my hangout spot. I would go over there like whatever.

So I went. I would go to the grocery store and I was like, I wonder if I'm gonna get noticed today? Never got noticed that whole time. I would go to the grocery store and I'm just like, wait on. I would wait like for somebody to be like can the autographs? I'm just like looking like, yeah, never happened, you know? If do you know? But after Never Lie came out, after that album, I couldn't go nowhere. So did y'all ever because I know you wanted to be

in a group, did y'all ever get to perform with ABC? No? We actually had beef with ABC. Oh Man. So the thing was because we worked with Jermaine and the whole criss Cross. Yeah, yeah, it was. It was like you know what I'm saying, It was natural. So then we did we did a video tear it up for the baby ass kids, and we tore up the mental side because I think BIV and everything BBD and yeah that was like yeah mental right, So we was that was those like our big brothers, Chris Cross. We was close

to Chris Cross because Jermaine or whatever. So because of that, I think ABC didn't really like us. So yeah, we chose. So we did this thing and I remember were kids and ABC was they was bad, like there was another bad creation was not just their name like they were. They really wanted to smoke. So now we do this little function somewhere and they banging on us, like we walked to the car and they're like we was like what, Oh,

I got Batman's draws on my baby broo. After Playground, I did the playground and the show play grab come on it. So we just never you know what I'm saying, We never connected with ABC, so you know, it never got to do that show that did show that would have been a crazy showmagine it would have been ABC Immature and Chris Criss Cross. Yeah, you know that could have sold out. They had a meeting with us to be on SIS when they were doing a pilot, but

it didn't work out. So they were like, you know what, it doesn't work for the whole group to be on the show, but we want him to read for the role of Roger. Made it all the way to UM Network and I got the role of Roger. And then I seen Darlene. She on my way into the audition. She was like, I put in a good word for you, so you know, yeah, so I think she might have put in a good work. Yeah, I hope she did. I don't know she did that, but you know, Darlene, thank you if you did put in a good work.

I ended up being Roger. How many seasons? I did four seasons and then I left the show, okay, because I just didn't want to be uh you know. It was it was difficult to to to be here with this huge, successful group and we're running things with the ladies and and this and that, and then I have

to come get this to set and be Roger. It was mentally it was just kind of it was like I really got yeah, I mean, but I mean, me and Tia had a little a little something you know, behind the scenes, you know, but uh, I just felt like I didn't want to be old and be Roger, Like I didn't want to be like Jalil White was what I felt like, you know. I was like, I don't want to get to a point where I'm eighteen

nineteen and I'm still playing Roger. And then I went to the executives and I was like, you know, do you mind writing me to be a little bit cooler. So then one one season that like they had the cool Roger and it didn't end up, it didn't really work, and it was just like it was just too much with that kind of how with with family matters. Jalil went in and wrote step yeah exactly, and I wanted to do that, but it just didn't work with such

a just couldn't work out, you know. So it was just like I left the show because I didn't want to keep I didn't want people to remember that and I know where I was going musically. That's what I wanted first. That was my first love and that's what I wanted to do, and I felt like it was getting in the way of my music. So now you're

back immature, full time, YEP, and what's the movement? We did another album, it's a big album, and then we kind of got stuck in that you know, adolescence age where it was like my voice was weird, it was changing, and you know, we were kind of like growing up. But then we were like, you know, didn't wasn't really kids no more. So it's not like the wow factor being oh, these kids are talented. Now they're teenagers and it's kind of like what are y'all gonna do now?

So that album didn't really do well Journey and it's like, we want to kind of do something different. We want to change the name, and I thought, I think that might have been a mistake because Immature was the brand, and we didn't realize that the name Immature was the brand. It's like boys two men, you know, and we changed the name to IMAX. They came in the whole MCA stabbing. Okay,

we love Imax. You know, we thought about like I'm mature or this and that, but you know, it changed the Imax and then we put out State to Night, so we kind of crossed. That was our first time really crossing other than never lie crossing into like you know, crossover crossover pop. That was a huge pop single State to Night and it was working. So it was like, okay, we we we weathered the storm, we figured it out. We figured it out. Gold single, you know, did really good,

were crossing over. The whole label gets fired, everybody, everybody gets canned, our album gets put on the shelf. No more singles, and we ended up leaving MCA at that point, and then we did another independent album. That's when we did House Party four. Then it did another independent album which was uh we did. We came up with the first time I'm not gonna I'm not gonna let you breeze over house Party for though. House Party four no, no, no, no, no,

I'm saying house Party for it was a classic. You know, it's fucking classic. And Bernie Mack Yeah, that's Tucker. No, that's three. No no, no, when Burnie back Chris Tucker, that's three. So that was three. Yeah, yeah, that was you had already done three. We had already done three, yeah, because three was like when we were still virgin days. Okay, oh wow, okay, so that was before because it threw me successful back to it Asian nigga in House Party. Yeah,

he's a house party. Yeah yeah, yeah, same time, man time, Man, I don't know you. And what was the sexiest a weapon? Sex? Sex is a west sex is a weapon. Yeah. So yeah, House Party three was before we actually no, no, no, you niggas actually went and made your own house party at our part. Yeah. Now it's now clear. Hell yeah, it took the movie. Yeah, so we just you know, and we were signing. New Line Records came out with a couple of records, and that did where we're like

as a new line. Simitar had a record label, Ye Records. So that's how y'all was able to negotiate the movie. Yep. So New Line Records put out put out. Oh yeah, y'a I've been doing business. Yeah yeah. That was the beginning era of B two K. That's where they started coming into the to the picture. So what most people don't realize you were a part of the label. Yeah, like, yes, you were Marcus Houston Batman from Immature in Imax, but

you were also an executive. Yes, you were instrumental in discovering as put together, putting together projects and this whole thing at what eighteen nineteen years Yeah, about we produced, we had our our producing team platinum status. We produced all of B two k's music. You know, we had a couple acts that, you know, we produced on Destiny Child like it was we were going into that, you know, going into the production aspect of things, and we put

B two K together. They were kind of like, you know, they were actually and we did a song called Clap your Hands for the soundtrack of House Party and they were in the video that was like, they're like introduction, introduction. So we put them out. They took off so fast it wasn't even funny. So I remember so immature we were. We were the King's right. We were like, you know,

it's smature. I MX. Now you know, we're going on tour, big guys, We're going tour B two K. The first show, it's our tour, right first night they performed and shut it down. We were last. We tried to go, We tried, we tried to go, We tried, we tried to go last. And that was the last night that we went last. The first night, the first night turned into the B two K tour. They completely took up. We was just like just kill y'all, scream y'all, y'all do down screaming.

Hell y'all screamed out, yea, I was Enjodan on the Wizards. Yeah yeah, so yeah, they're going on and it took over that whole you know, so we had to But we businessman, you know, hell yeah, we own it. So the bigger you guys are great, you know, so we went with it. That's the I think that's the other part about your you guys dynamic and network that people don't really pay attention to, right because everything you guys do is in house. Yeah, literally everything everything everything. Yeah,

Like at one point Kelton was the road manager. Yeah, for was wrong, was wrong? No, DJ, I don't gonna get nobody else. I was like, you know what, listen, that's what I was at Motown. I'm like, waiting, it's cool, but this is how we're gonna keep the bread. That's right, turning and circulate. Yeah, you are now a role man. Okay, you assist man the exactly game and everybody was like this cool, let's work. Yeah. I remember I was Max Goose come to a photoshoot b twok was having a

photo shooting. I was ironing their clothes and Max looks at me like, what are you doing? So I'm learning the clothes. What do you think I'm doing? This? These these boys is about to be huge? You know, I'm this is this is this is my group. What do you expect me to do? And he was so appalled by that, and he was like, but you're you know, you're I'm like, that doesn't matter, you know because at the end of the day, you know, we all knew what a B two game was gonna be. So it

was just like everybody hands on deck. I mean, you can either you can either watch the train just go on without you, or you can jump on a tram. Part of it. It's just being of service, bro. Yeah, there's always a way to be a part, to play your part. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, checking your ego at I listen, I will do anything when it comes to music. Yeah, just what y'all need to keep

no problem when you passionate about something, that's it. But the way you guys set your business up at whatever high or whatever low you were in that you were figuring out a way to keep you in it and keep money in little pocket that keep you growing, keep you evolving. So now that shoot, probably by twenty years old, you know every facet of the business, every every facet everything. I mean, I could do it all. It was very much like the Winds. Yeah, absolutely absolutely, always a grip

with that same last name, producer. Beware it's gonna be away. And we we me and me and uh because Drell's my cousin, Jay Buck, He's that with blood cousin, so we we Uh he works, he still works with our company and everything. So we've another day. And we were saying, like how we was like the Wayne's like coming up. We was like them, you know, to the ways of music. Yeah, you know that's kind of like what we were. And

people hated that. You know, people would always hate you know, people always be you know, in their ears saying oh ye'all, do you know what I'm saying? People hate person. Yeah, they love to hate what they don't understand, you know, and they want to break it up. And I felt like that us be two k that whole powerhouse could have been so much bigger. Have they not broken up? Definitely? So well. I mean we still have to get to a classic classic film. We can get to that classic film,

can we can? We I got a funny ass story too, Can we got a funny you Got served? Can you Got served? As story? You go first? Please? So you got served? Please? This time I have a production partner. His name is Wade Robson. Oh being Way didn't sync together, right. So he's like, I'm a part of a movie, but I'm not part of a movie, right, So I'm like, what, okay? Right? So yeah, you get this side of it, right. Yeah.

So at the time, Wade was trying to get in film and television stuff, and I guess he had met some high level executive whoever whoever, the guy who green lit the movie randomly, and when they introduce him to Wade, he's like, you know that somebody else introduce him. I'm like, oh, you know, this is Way Robson and he goes, oh wait, you're in my movie, and Way goes I Am. So him and him, an executive, had the conversation. He don't

he don't really know what he's talking about. But he's like, listen, this is the head of a movie studio. If he says I'm in this movie, I'm in this damn movie. Right. So he's like, but I don't know what's going on. So I'm trying to figure out how to ask what the movie it is? What out put it on? I don't know what movie talking about. So two sides of you got served. Let's let's just go to you. First

of all, thank you, because yeah that movie. So so how that started is he started writing scripts long time ago. House Party was this first movie that he'd actually directed. He was like, I directed all these music videos. I want to direct House Party for it when we did on our own. So yeah, we stole that give album. Yeah, y'all give us that movie. So um. He wrote a movie called Dance that was for Aliyah, Dave Scott and Genuine, which is why my name is Elgin's name Dave and

why Jennifer's name is Lea Wow. And the opposing team was Wade and Max, so it was actually for Waye Robson. Wade choreographed our videos. Way but we did a Good Burger soundtrack. I was in the movie Good Burger. We did a Good Burger soundtrack Washing Dogs Childhood, so way without knowing you, yeah, Wade choreographed our video. He was our choreographer. Dave Scott, who choreographed B two K, was also our choreographer. So that's wh wrote the movie dance

for Cut to seventy that didn't happen. I don't know, you know, he reached out to gen u Y and way it didn't happen. Cut to seven years later. Um, you know, b TWOK was with Sony Records, and Sony was like interested in doing the project. They sent him to screen Gyms, which is executive um over at screen Gyms to do the movie. They're like, we want to do the movie. I see you on the screen Gyms and start a subsidiary company that does these budgets. We're

gonna make the movie happen. The executive and this is this is a story even B t K weren't aware of back in that time. So because I wasn't supposed to really be you know, the character Elgin. But the executive said he Chris showed in my video to that girl because it all a dancing. He's like, this is kind of how I want to do it. And you know, he was like, who's that? I want him to be the start of movie. So I'm like, oh, okay, cool. Right away he was like I want whoever that kid is,

I want him to be starry movie. So that's how I got the role of m Elgin and then so we did it as a project with all of us B two k Omar of course chose David buz Rico. We did all the characters and everything like that. But like I said, originally that movie was for Dave scott Alia and Genuine and Wade. So we took it to Wade when we were doing it with Sony and Chris was like, you know, I want you to do this movie. Uh, you got served and played a bad guy, and I

guess he didn't really want it. He didn't want to do it at that point. I don't think he was trying to act or whatever. So he turned it down. So we actually got Chris Jones with the spiky hair to be the way way this. Yeah, yeah, you know. So so that's how that character came. And then we did the movie and so they were like, okay, Sony, you guys did this subsiderate movie with these kids who cares nobody thought it was. They was like okay, so whatever.

So Chris went in and said, okay, Look, he negotiated deals for all of us, for him, me and all of B two K for box office Bumps and box what a box office Bumps with people that don't know, if a movie hits a certain number, you get it. So at ten million, every ten million, he negotiated its astronomical number that we would get at ten million, and they said yes because they were like this movie yeah, yeah, yeah, it saw fifty so five times, five times we got paid.

So it was so when it and it was, it was it was just you know, it was crazy because when the movie we went to the premiere, that's when the group broke up. We went to the premiere of me and Oh had to go to the premiere by ourselves, like the group they came with, like Bower or something like that. It was like, you know, it was two k broken up by the time the time when we came out, it was it was whacked because we had to go to the premiere and we couldn't really all

enjoy the moment together. And you know, it came out and I mean just huge. No one expected an number one movie debuted like sixteen million back then. That was like crazy. How much did the movie cost? Eight million was a production budget, so the movie ends up making over fifty dollars. Wow, So we was just like it's great business. It was. It was a craziness. It was was it was, and I'm sure all of the uh all of all of the business was leaning in you guys'

favorite again because there was no belief somebody believe. I think it was it was like some really big other movies that was that was coming out. Nobody knew it was going to be big, and it just it came out and was just astronomical, and it, you know, started all these other dance movies and yeah, and the Way did a cameo. Yeah, and Way ended up doing it.

Came and he played a judge in what the movie? Yeah, the movie, And it was it was crazy because we uh so the final scene, the final battle scene, it was crazy because we we had rehearsed. We you know, Chris hadn't seen it yet. He's seen a couple of rehearsals, but like Dave and we all kind of got together, so we was like, okay, cool, We're about to shoot the scene or whatever. Everybody's like damn for the scene. It's like the final battle. We're like, whoa, it's about

to go down. Because you know, everybody was still battling in their own right, like we was still It was a real thing. Like, even though it was scripted to who lost and who won, it was still real. So we do the final battle, Chris says cut. He walks up to us, said, Dave came here. He was like, that was horrible. That was trash. I can't end my movie with this. So he said, y'all figure something out because it has to be better than this. So we was like, oh, okay, because we thought we killed it

just now. But we was like, oh, I guess, I guess it didn't work. So then a couple of dancers, you know, God, we get together. Dave gets together. He was like, all right, I'm gonna put this piece. So that ending battle ended up being real because neither side knew what we were to do. So it ended up being a real battle. And that's why I was so explosive at the end because it was that was real. So we was like even like the SlowMo party, dude came to us. He was like, all right, I got

this idea I always wanted to try. And he was like, so when I do my cartwheel or I'll do my hands and I'm gonna go slow motion, and everybody just starts moving slow motion. So he told us to do that on the fly. So all of that stuff was like that was all like, you know, it wasn't really some most some of it was choreograph and most of it was like just you know us kind of like

some monster dancers and all the monsters were in that everybody. Yeah, yeah, yeah, And I think that's what really really drove it, the the authenticity of Yeah it was because everybody everybody, because it's like your peers were like, oh no, that's that's the real thing. Yeah, things are really had absolutely naked. Okay, story time, let's good too. Oh yeah, I'm in the background. Okay, you go first. Okay, So it so we uh, I'll

start with the the US. UM. I did my first solo album, So I am X. We broke up on tour, actually broke up on tour. We broke up. It was the last show in Miami, was on tour B two K and you know, the Fellas just kind of wanted to, you know, do. Kelton was more like, I just don't want to be entertained. I just I want to be regular. I want to just do regular stuff. I'm tired of the entertainment. Rome was like, you know, I don't really I'm you know, I want to more do more rap.

You know, I'm not really interested in like being an R and B singer anymore. I want to rape you. I'm like, don't we want to be with the R and B normal. So so it was like, you know, I was a little salty at first because I was like, you know, a year prior, I, um, you know, j D wanted to do my solo album and this was right after Imax, the New Line album, and I said no. So I was loyal to the guys. So I was like, yeah,

I don't want to go solo. I was sitting in the group cut two years later like I don't want to do the group. I felt like, well, y'all can me solo album? Y'all told me that then Now I can't go back, Jamie, we can do it now anyway. So did the first album come down to the second album? First albums? Was it did well? You know it it was independent, Um no, it was on electric, but it reintroduced me as you know, uh you know solo artists. It did well, you know, it was it was good.

We had clubbing that was That was a single off that album, and I did really well. Kelse you know we he had his run and I was part of that run with Clubbing. So the second album was like, all right, where where are we gonna go? So we sit down. Omari was actually in the studio with Underdogs recording with Underdogs. He had also went solo. So now there's this. I don't want to do nothing like my brother. I want him nothing like I'm aory. I want him to have his own lane and I want to have

my own lane. If we do anything alike, it's gonna be like, you know what I'm saying, I don't even want that. So Chris is like, but are you sure the Underdogs are dope? You know what I'm saying. I'm like, no, I don't want to work with Underdogs only because I always working with him. It had nothing to do with the talent of the Underdogs anything like that. Loved Damon and Harvey. I don't know use over there at that point, but you know, I was like, cool, I don't want

to do nothing that I'm alreadys doing. So a couple of weeks later, he comes back to me, He's like, Okay, I really think that you should go in and work with them. I was just like I was like, all right, I'll trust you if you feel like as long as they can, you know, we can do some different stuff. I don't want nothing like oh, so I want to do some different stuff. I want to do some nasty stuff.

Then so I get on the phone. I think I got on the phone with Damon and I was like, these are three titles that I want to do naked sex with you and like one other title something like that. He's like, all right, cool, I got you. So go to the studio and was it. Oh, I see the fun that's the strip club. That was the first song they played for and I recorded it, but I was like, that's I don't go to the strip club. I've been the one strip club in my life. Like, that's not me.

I don't I want to be authentic. I don't go to the strip club. But it just really wasn't working for me. And then they played me the the the one yeah, and it was naked Yeah, and the tank was in his room, you know, he had a little room in there and it comes out and plays it for me, and I was like, oh, that's what I wanted to record right there. That was it, and you know, and left your vocals on there too. Listen, I don't mind. Yeah, but yeah, that's that was That's how I was. I

was never gonna work without the dogs. And you know, Chris just kept convincing me, like you, I feel like this is you know what you need And it ended up being what I needed. And then you guys go on the road. Was that a screen tour? Ye? Yes, that was a screen tour. That was a screen tour. And and You're on a screen tour the box and and I'm like, I didn't know how old you were at the time. I never know how old you are.

I've never I've never I felt like you've never turned an age or like somehow I've never known always been forty one. I feel like he's always been eighteen. Like just that's it. Just that's it. That's eighteen Peter Pan type shit. And so when he was going on a scream too, I was like, but how does he I understand how old he is? Yeah, I don't get it. Yeah, so you're going to scream tour? What city did you

go to? I went to a couple of SETI I went to I of my Klan story after and uh, and I'm standing there, I'm like, oh, he's about to do naked. I wonder what he's gonna doing naked, you know what I'm saying, Like, I mean, it would be crazy if he got naked, but I'm sure he's like naked in front of all these kids and he's getting naked.

But he threw his draws all in the crab. So yeah, we had the naked box because the video I was naked, ye, so we wanted to recreate something kind of like the video came up with the naked box with the little mate hiding whatever, and uh yeah, I was like, you know, throw the draws off, saided getting new pair of draws every uh every show through the draws off? Good did you did you go like did you go the the economical route and like go to target and grab the

draws or did you like go get designer? Now we target was strowing target draws. I was stowing target draws, and and they just want I have a story. Okay, of course, just this story of this is not a good story. So I was not. So you know, when you go on tour, there's pranks. Yeah right, there's always going to be a prank. So I bought for the most part, every show I had a brand new pair of draws. But there was this one show that the

draws were not brand new. Okay, so I would actually get dressed in my backstage with the rope, get dressed, put the draws on, then throw them off right, it had something else under it though obviously I wasn't button naked on stage. So the one so one day I decided to prank my dancers and prank whoever caught the draws. So I was in these draws all day and when it came to do the naked song, so I'm sweaty, just whatever, they had draws my real draws. When play

the game, oh no, we was. I was all over the place before the shot. I was all over the place before the show doing everything I could possibly done, draws out. I don't even remember what city was, but I threw my real draws. So then and then my two dancers will come in and put the robe on me, so they came into surprises. Normally I would have on like the little draws under the draws. That was I was free balling. So they came in like, oh okay, you really, So whoever whoever got those draws the real

real sorry, draws. I don't know then was the play. I didn't want to throw them back all bad bro. So yeah that's Oakland, give me Oakland. So Oakland. Yeah. My sister caused me and she's like, I easy to take all the kids to the screen to it all the kids said, of course, all of it. At this time, I had the City Boy Van is what we called it, because I was a name of my label, City Boys Music, and we had a van at twelve. You know, I didn't bought the full We didn't wrapped wrap on it.

The whole ship, right, Me and all little girls and all my nieces and their friends the screen and we get to the show and I'm like, I want to give them the experience. So I called, oh oh, make sure we were straight with everything. Got us all the meet and greeds, got us all everything we need. These they wanted to they wanted to do it. They wanted to do it right. So we get there early, the whole ship. By getting there early, we catched the opening act.

Who there were these four kids from Florida, four kids floating called pretty rick. Wow, I've never heard of them. The lights go out, the lights come back on, the lights are pointed at the stage of sheets. What the fuck the sheets start fucking the stage. Oh yeah, I'm like, what the Yeah? Pretty they had a nasty show. Them niggas jump up in their in their draw singing grind on, taking down six little girls here, five little girls there. I'm like, get your ass, make them go to the

concession stand. Yeah, I got it. I got a little bit. Run run them out of the building so they can go get concession. Nigga. I'm talking about, spend four five hundred on whatever you want, all the candy and poppa whatever, whatever you want, just get it into these niggas. Get off the stage. Because and Mark, I think Mario was on that tour too. Yeah, so I got Mario performing, Um,

how could you? We got a marian performing? Oh and I'm trying to so I'm like, I'm showing off to my nieces, the record, your uncles, and then we've been a part of school ship. No. Yeah, then I take them back downstairs naked box, bring your going on me? Yeah we did. I actually, um, the last last show, Michael Martin came to me and was like it was in my I think Miami. He was like, uh, if you if you if you do the naked box, you

might get you might get arrested tonight. So just we wish they would arrested your ass and just just just just tell you know, so I didn't I didn't do the whole naked box. I think I kept on a tank top or something like that. I had to do something because I was like, I ain't going to jail. As you should have went to jail that Bobby Brown, you could have got right out. I would have got right out. Legend you got bill money. Yeah, I ain't gonna go to jail, not in Miami. Had photos again,

I got some jail Miami get off definitely. Was it like little piano like hil piano, like a little a little plan like this? What should they saying when they get What should they say? There ain't never been no school beening on school he too was, but they he left, he left ear he ain't left. He left the group. He would have one it done. So we can get to immate your segments. Yeah, a segment time. Okay, what image? Top five? You're top five? Okay to five? Top five?

Holy besy, oh man, be so I then be your then be your top top your dopp do hi hi, join in no school for that. It sounds like it sounds like the top five, like one five order, no order, no order, no order. Just today a woman? How are you feeling today? Oh? Man? A woman. They could be in a group, they could be sold. Whatever are you your world? Okay? Take my top five. Ask anybody that knows me. They'll tell you that I'm Sean Stockman. Yeah.

The guys yea, why not. It's a problem right now still to this day in his full chest, I hate them, full hate them usher m h Yeah, gonna get out to Vegas. I need to Yeah yeah. Michael Jackson. Now there's no order, Yeah yeah, yeah. This is my top five. Wow, okay, feel good about yourself? Dodge Top five, Top five R and B songs. Okay, so let's seem burn Jesus. Yeah, naked, Yeah, man, come on, man, listens, gonna do come on, ship the sun, don't come on to mon, don't come on to mo.

He spread the pro he's a pro, he's a professional. Naked, Thank you, sir. Walk Away, which you probably don't know. So my first album song called walk Away, I'm gonna go back and listening because that was the joint that she was in love with Kenny Whitehead. Okay, walk Away first album, first Alba album. M m uh, I believe I can fly? Does that count as R and B though, Yeah, damn right, because I'm assuming else. That's what I thought. Flowers,

all right, that's what shit. Okay, that's for right yep on bended knee. Mm hmm. It's all time. So it's just disrespectful court structures and the damn melodies. Very give me the reason. Well, last time you've been to a Boyson main concert? Never have what? And as my favorite group of all times, every been to a contact, I hadn't been to hundreds. I just opened up for him at the Barclays, and I got as many boys in

many kinds as I can't. I did my thing. I did my set when we titties out boys, the you know what, No, no, I opened for them. They won't anyway. I'm gonna do tank tanks that. I got to get a shape. So I came out there and I did what I do. I should. I shout the crowd, shut their asses up, made them nasty, okay boys. The men fully closed and erased everything. Look listen, they had erased everything that happened before they got on Statch. Nothing else mattered.

There was an artist that was supposed to go after them. We'll talk about that. Nope, Voltron, m that's you're gonna do. So I want to know what you try to think? You're bro I know you, I know you're ready, but just you're Voltron. Who are you getting the vocal from? The performance style, the styling and the passion the heart of the artists. Who are you getting the vocal from to build your artist? Mm hm, Who's gonna be the least sanger? I would give that to Michael? Why not?

I would? Why not? Why not? Why not? As you should? As you should, that's Michael. He's gonna take that. Michael had the ability to create a style, a style of singing, and as many have tried, ye doesn't happen. I wish you nigga will go niggas that. I wish you you can't. Okay, yeah, my daughter says when she hits me, So maybe maybe he up. He's a man of the arts. Who are you getting the performance style from? I already know you want to say. You don't know what I'm gonna saying.

I do. I don't know what performance style style on stage. Yeah, who you're gonna give to your vultr artist Chris bro Oh, he didn't know that. You ain't know that. You thought it's the same. It's one A and one bat. Is he nasty? I just can't boy, Breezy is something. He's a problem. He's a problem. Um styling the trip of the artists. I will give that to Chris mm hmm. He's had some some good he's dripping. Yeah, it's good. It's good. Background with that. It's five racks of drip

in his dressing room. He refuses to be boxed in on any standpoint musically and style wise. He does it all and it all works. Ye never seen an artist like that? Yeah, all right. The passion of the artist, the heart of the the heart of the artists. M m got that shit make you do wrong? Kaals mm hmmm, Now that might be. You know, everybody y'all have R and B money talking about R and B music that heart.

I don't think there's an artist to me ever, that actually had that passionate yeah, you know, and was able to get it out dude music Colse, Who is we all trying to get it from? Cause? I like what you did there. I like what you did there, but you're not done. You definitely ain't done. Okay, you can't leave here without I ain't saying no names. I ain't saying no names, saying no names. I ain't saying no names. Where you was, who you win? What you did? Don't

say she, I ain't saying no name. So the story time, Yeah, I hate relaxed man, stay, stay ready, load the good ones, load the good one. No, no, listen, listen, give you the breakdown, give me a breakdown. Make sure it's a good one. Okay, story funny or fucked up? Are funny and fucked up your travels? It's Marcus Houston Batman, I mean Batman. There have been many in the movies, but in this community it's only been one. Batman's right, you hm,

it's right, you am. So this is Marcus Houston, the legend. Understand, understand the man we got in the building to day, this is his I ain't saying no names. Yeah, so this is a good story. Okay. So I'm in the story though, so that cannot say my name? Yea. So we say you're gonna go third person on, Uh, yeah, I can go third person m Batman group. And Batman

didn't really know the industry that well. Okay, he was a kid that was very wishful and he thought of was glamorous and he grew up thinking that it might have been real. There may have been some real people in n but he found out quick that this industry was very fake. And I'll tell you how he found that album. So everybe when I told you earlier, somebody paid for the album. We did the album, took it to a label, got signed through a guy that was the person at the label. He signed it. The group.

So when the group, you know, you go to ther press day, go to New York. Gotta go to New York to gotta go to New York meet the company because most back then most companies was in New York. That was like the you know, that's how you knew Year have made it. Yeah, you go to New York. So the group goes to New York, meets one of the head guys of the label. The group's nothing yet, so walking you know, you're doing the meet and greets. You gotta walk around the company and you gotta you know,

meet this person, meet that person. Guy treats them like complete trash, like almost get out of my office trash, Like, who are you guys? Despicable? Right? We go go away, you know, hands hanging low, kind of like, wow, that was you know, headed label go away. Song comes out, group explodes, go back to New York. Now the group is big, goes to the same person's office and he says, hey, it's my son's come on in my son's how you guys doing. We was like, wow, that's what that's that's

what that's about. Huh, that's what Okay? Cool? So I never forgot that because it was it was the ft up story. Yeah, and I never forgot because I was like, you know, you treated us like dog crap, and now it's like we your sons and we family. So that just kind of just taught me a little bit about you know, just watch it a little bit. And that was early because I was said groups first hit record, yep,

so it's very early. But I learned something, you know, I learned that's how the industry is, and you gotta the people that you choose to be in your circle. Stick with that. That's your core. Let that be your corvation. Understand the rest. Yeah, So yeah, that's my story. I hope it was a good one. That's a story that they need to know in them periods, because that's a very real thing. And I have to tell people not to take it personal. That's true. That's listen. You're not hot. Yeah,

so I've been there, so you're not. We got a surprise, Okay, I got a little surprised. Man wants to bring this in tank. Oh shit, so take Durrell Tank, Babs Senior. Yeah, the Neaked album is officially certified gold. And just so you know, you gotta pay for these. Come on, so I bought my guy. Yeah yeah, just a just another plaque to copies, you know. Yeah, we sold them. Yeah

this ain't this ain't single. Yeah, this album. Yeah that's great. Bro. Congratulations, thank you, thank you, cotulations, thank you, thank you, congratulation. She said, yeah, you know I'm saying. You know, listen, I had left the underdogs by the time, damn it. Yeah, he wasn't a dog. He up started. Oh wow, I'd like to thank I'd like to thank first of all, um Marcus Houston for for being a vessel, Um for

such amazing art, being receptive. Thank you very much, um to to just what I was trying to do at the moment um just just just trying to trying to be creative, trying to be musical, um and trying not to be poor. Worked, I'm trying to be poor. Shout out. Shout out to Harvey Mason Junior um who saw the vision as well. Um, they hard without you know, help help help me finish that track and that song. And you know all of my guys up there, a little Steve and Er Dawkins, Tony Dixon, Jay was gone by

the end. I thank him anyway for he just should be thanked. He's fine, He's fine when I left, and m you know, just just a great time, a great moment in music history. Shout out to the Naked Box, Um, the Naked Box. Shout out to the Naked Box. Very disturbing on stage is throwing draws. And I never shout out to the person that shout out to you. I know you're somewhere traumatized. M g TD got the drop.

I'm just happy to be here, you know. Um, I can't think of any other place I'd rather be right now than on the arm by Money podcast Money talking to my brother Marcus since for my brother Ja Valentine. UM, hold just holding the go record, you know, so you know I'm gonna just hold this right here. It's classic. I wanted to make sure that you got it. Just came out fresh out of the box. Um so brother, brother Marcus Houston. UM, your time is valuable. Yes, UM,

we appreciate, We appreciate you coming as I appreciate you. Um. You are. You are a true legend. Thank you very much. Nobody can take that from you ever. In a million years you will. You will be talked about for the ages Batman or image. You will continue to live on. Thank you for Thank you for inspiring me. Yeah you know what I mean, thank you, thank you for giving me levels I appreciate to attain too, because a lot

of people don't. You know. It's we in an industry where people don't give credit, and I like to give credit to you as well. Yeah. You know you inspired me every day, you know what I'm saying exactly. Yeah. And when you stop learning, then you stop living, That's right, and so that's what we continue to do. Man, I still don't that while you wait, M I mean, I just you know, I just put on my piano though. My thing. Another another one of Jay Valentine's thousand ideas

In the morning, I got it. I got twenty things. You wait, I'm not going to do any of that phone I call them back. Okay, I'm gonna do the third. I'm um, So can I throw throw a little you know, just let everybody know what's going on? Please? Yeah? Please? Got a movie coming out, of course, wrote and produced, of course it started Wow why not? Uh it's called No Way Out? Yeah? Okay, yeah, So make sure I don't sound aggressive like it's it's it's it's a little action,

it's a little suspense. Okay, it's pretty dope. Me and my Boycasper Smart. Where will we be able to find it? To be young Casper? Yeah? God, Toby, Yeah, I can find it on Toby. And if you don't know, to Be's free. Had to add on the super Bowl. You know, I've seen it. I love it. I've seen it. Had people trying to figure out what you figure out what? I was trying to figure out what's going on my TV blaming Auntie Wanda because she's drinking, Like, why have

you got boat? She's like, I hate touching it, so yet shout out to me, you know, written directed by Chris Stokes. One of our twenty five I'll be expect one of the phone calls. You should yeah, you should expect. We'll be expecting phone calls. I mean, you know, Okay, we'll talk letty. My name is Tank and this has been the armby Money podcast, the authority on all things R and B and this has been one of the authorities on all things on e not limited to a thing,

but it is yeah Money. R and B Money is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe to and rate our show, and you can connect with us on social media at Jay Valentine and at the Real Tank. For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot com, forward Slash, R and B Money