Mike City

his own sound. The man got his own sound man, the man with messiment, oscillators and stuff to make these sounds. Ladies and gentlemen, we have in the building super producer brother Mr Mike s like y'all having um. This clows this claimed I mean, okay, I know these guys, so they you can look him up. Yeah, I don't know. You should know. Um. I thought I had a single one day of hollis there. We'll start here and then we'll go back right to I want to go right there.

I thought I had a single, you know, and uh and Dreano came and picked me up and price something for something. I think it was the band bands By. Yeah. Yeah, he came and picked me up and he was like, He's like, he's like, you do you do a smash records? You know what I'm saying, You're doing crazy records, brothers, But we're going with this MC city record. I said,

what what are you? What are you talking about? He sounds like like your record is not the one because he sounds like just like we're going to City Record. It's a spec it's just you played that. And I was like, it's just smash. But I'm just sad. I you like three of mine, You're gonna throw when you learn with the difference between it's matching the hit. Bro listen because it's a record that could be a hit,

but it's it's record that scene and you reminds me off. Yeah, so I think nights how I used to beat it up? We know, Oh my god, isn't it crazy how back then beat it up was almost a problem. It was almost it was you know what I'm saying, it was having a problem for me. But you're not saying as far as radio on platforms, you know it was from then to now, I think that was racy. It was aggressive. It's and you know, we and I remember Steve irt was saying, like did that boy say beat it up?

Did he say? He was like, and he sang it, and he was like, Okay, we're gonna play it. But he's saying beat it up now like the nights I used to beat it up. Yeah, I would do it again, but I can't. Everything is different. Okay, let's talk about it, because I would love to talk about we're gonna start normally. We'd like to start at the beginning. We're gonna start here, then we're gonna go back. Come on my city, let's

talk about it. So he was there, so I think at that time, if you remember, Day was dealing with something with his wife. He at the time, I said, David, try to write something to help you stay up in the marriage, like to stay whatever this is. And I think what. I'm not sure at the time, but she was cool, you know what I'm saying. And I was like, we're gonna I'm gonna come on with this. And at first he was like, I don't know about that city because we had other joint. I said, come on, Dave,

youve me a try, give me a try. So I played for Gerald Busby was like, oh, not only are we cutting this the first single before we cut it. We was at west Lake on Bella. Not only are we cutting it as the first single, and he got the album done, like in two weeks. Gerald had got his MS, The Child at Night, the whole not so what I did. And I was just telling J. I said, Dave, we ain't gonna you ain't gonna be you ain't gonna preach on this one. You're gonna sitting there, You're gonna

be in the booth. You're gonna be allowed singer. I don't know what he had, he might have a single more, I don't know what he's He's like, it's so fun. They just moved it all the way out. And then getting back to our constant conversation, we got to the bridge. I said, Dave, you're going commission. He's like, yes, do, let's do it. And we went commission. And you know what,

I don't know one. I don't know one legit, R and B artist or group who's ever lost on commission if you can talk about one twelve, I don't know one who ever lost. They've never lost. You. You gained the audience from that lesson. That's just what it is, and take it still do. Army Records years later because he's still got the commission lessons before we go. I don't know if I want quick question, did you write that record top to bottom? Because that should be Yeah.

I don't like your attitude a man that walks in the studio and says, here goes a song completely, that's a different breed. No, no, it's just it's a different breed of creative. I want to go back, Okay on my drink champs rant Okay, I want to I want to go, I want to back. I want to because no, he dropped the jewels back away from and add another person to the hundred percenters. I omitted you in that. No, no, no, no, no you Mike City is a hundred represent with smashes smash.

I'm no you should. You should be saluted and celebrated for that, because that is not an easy feat. Like there are guys who can really write songs, There are guys who can do great beats, there are guys who can produce Those are all separate things. But for someone to be able to bring all that into one's an amazing feat. Man, Because and and and so many people have tried it are so many people have said they were those guys and put their names on it, like

the ghost Everywhere, Ghosting everywhere guys. But it's the crazy thing about it is, Like the crazy thing about it is I never really it's all fun to me, right, So I never really kind of know what I'm gonna do until I sit down and do it. I'm not sitting down practicing, no court, I'm not even a keyboard player. I came up playing the drums in the base. But that principle allowed me to figure out whatever I need to figure out to get what I gotta get done.

So it's like I don't even sit down and just be like I just sit down and be like, Okay, what what do we have today? Like what I'm saying. So it's like just like even um working with Brandy. I started the track and okay, let's stop there because because you're going there, Okay, let's go back to the

We're gonna get the Brandy to the beginning. Okay, North Carolina, Okay, Okay, Okay, So what is the moment or when is the moment where Mike City is is in the headspace of I'm I can I can produce, I can actually do this, Like this is a this is a real thing. You know what I'm saying outside of being what church musician, because for sure, I mean my father was in the Highway. QC is big Gospel with my on to play for the Mike clause of Jordan, your brother played for the Mighty. Yeah,

so it's you. Yeah, listen, listen. Somebody had a pistol. Yeah, put you in the even respect that. Yeah, you gotta you gotta respect. You gotta have any money you have. Jola got the money. I can't play with them. Somebody somebody had a piston Yeah, what somebody's gonna have your brother? Yeah, my brother. You know what I'm saying. So it's like and then like when I was young, like um, because my father background, people like um, what's one man? Um?

Johnny Taylor is to come by the house friends of my file. I don't know where they are. They just older dudes, because come and kill you, pops. My pops is cool with um, Like um, um, what's my man name? Anthony sounded like what's my man name? Because I know his doorter here trip um Anthony Hamilton. Yeah, what's what's her name's? Father? Frank wax father? Just um Jeffrey No, not not Jeffrey m. The old lou Raws like Lou Raw and Ros will just come by the house, you know,

people with lou Raws. Um Um Glenn Jones. Remember seeing glim Jones in my house and I was little. Yeah, Like, you know, my brother went to school with My brother went to high school with um, what's her name? West Philly High with um. I think she's selling shame Evan the Champain King. My brother went to high school. Like, so this is all around me coming up anyway, right, I'm just soaking up the energy. So by time, you know, I'm still doing and I'm going around playing and acquiring

and churches and stuff like um. I think there's an advantage to that because I was talking to like Keith Pells are produced on different you know, floortry and different things. Like we was young going around playing different church and everything. And I'm sure I ran across dram you down and them we all. Yeah, I'm in Philly books, living in South Jersey, which is right of the bridge. You know, I got you know, my pops got us out there.

I mean we had a station wagon, stole one week, got another and stole another one in Westfill, like consecutive weeds like we're going to South Jersey. Here we are, right, So all that energy is helping, you know, breathe, like confidence in doing what you do. Now. When I went to college, I started as a business major. Right, I heard boys the Man Why Yate stepmom was my home teachering on high school. I was like, Oh, it's musical, but it's just it was just too much. I was like,

I can't run from what I'm supposed to do. Like I'm trying to run from it. I'm supposed to do music, so I supposed to music, and you know, that's when I was like, I gotta do this. And really the whole thing was I was like it was always the show like my boys and my people like I could do that. I would hear stuff like I got something that I could do that, But right, I have my own sounds. So I was like, where do I fit in because I don't sound like that. I don't sound

like that. It's not really always R and B is not allay. It's a merger of everything that I am. It was like, I mean, I just say when I first heard you, as you get into like you starting to create that sound. When I first heard it, it was like it was like aggressive drums but retro musicality almost Stevie wonderous. And that's what I'm saying, Like that everything goes to who put all of that together like that? And that's that's just what I hear, you know what

I'm saying. So it's like I hear and I hear bridges, and I hear all that stuff, But I want to hear who under it. I want to hear the trip what I'm saying, I want to hear dream under it. So that was my music was aggressive. It's still aggressive, but and aggressive. No, but I'm saying even when you first, when you first came in it started that it's just like it just hit it just I just just I just like it's like I always wanted to give it

that bounce. So that's why I always say I come with the bounce, because it's like, no matter if I did it, I did a track of the day when I was in the right kid, it's sounding like I did it in two thousand two because I know how to go right there because I always that's a happy space, you know, and I never you know, it's like I never had to chase, trap or anything else. I just do what I do, not do trap for TV and

film and different things. But I always just do what I do because I'd be like, it's gonna it's gonna last. It's just gonna last. And I always feel like if it lasts, not try to tell. Like a lot of young producers, just do what you feel good about. And that's why it's like to feel good and everything, because you know, when we do these music like we R and B, you don't want to you don't want to threaten the checks. You don't want to threatened women. You

want the beautiful women to stay around. Don't be too threatening. You know, Andre Roy just said, don't threaten the women. You know, I'm saying, like, keep the women. Don't threaten the women. They gotta be all right, and you gotta have that energy like you don't want to threaten them. As long as the pretty girls and everybody having a good time, We have them a good time, and that's what it is. The first the first piece of equipment you started producing, d X one d a little the

little keyboard, and I had a Yama Hydru. I had that in college. I had a d X one hundred, the little version of the d X seven. I couldn't afford the d X seven. I bought an a s R attendants that are behind the car. I needed a car, but I said, I need to get at this point, I just got out of college, I said, but I needed I need to get right. Once you got to that, yeah, I was like, I was like, I need to get right. So I'm gonna you know, chicks could clumb me with

my bummy car. They want to, but I'm gonna have a laugh because I'm gonna get right. So I got the s R ten and I got to, you know, do my ten thousand hours in. Because I always could write, I had to get to produce. I could write whatever, but I had to. Yeah you know what I'm saying. I was the producing out of necessity. Yeah, because I wanted.

I was. At this point. They couldn't send tracks tracks like you know, sending the emailing the NP three over just somebody who lives in a whole another country, like it's it's funny, like now you it's a kid. They'd be like, oh yeah, this little rapper got a producer. He in Germany. Right. Even even crazier now is the guy in Wyoming did the guitars, the guy and did the kids, and the guy in Russia did the drums. Like that's how crazy it is. It's just crazy. So I had to get on the answer. I tend to

me it was a one hitter quitter. I know a lot of people using that. Yeah, that's the the MP. I was like, let me get on the sock and playing my keys and everything and do all this stuff and everything and just and just go from there. And it just that's how I just came. And my first major placement was wrapping fourte my first major place. Man, I told you what I had you one day. RBL Possumb was my guys. I was out with your guys. I didn't know that so I met. I think it's

it's fly tying guys. I met all them. Yeah, I met them and and I met I met um telling them to RBL. So you know what I'm gonna do At this point, I'm going to say that my neighborhood Filmo started, Mike Filmo started Mike City. My first major places a legend, that's a legend, that's a fact from our neighborhood. He had the first platinum record out of San Francisco. For a rapper, that's the Players Club. You know what I mean. If you ever you know you want to feel like a player, listen to the club.

That's crazy. Because I went to the Gavin Sessions just to get in the mixed. I was like, yeah, yes, my my big cousin used to be one of people put on the game. I went to just getting the mix and I started just just getting in pocket with people and r B all came up. Boy, I'm out there, Black Black Sea and Rest in Peace. One. I didn't know him at hit Man Man. Hit Man was with all of them out there and we was all out. Dear um in Anty, I'm out the anti aquat. You

know what I'm saying. I'm just I'm just I'm just getting on in. So this is like how the Bay Area. Bay is very inclusive. You're like, if they feel your vibe, you're good. If they don't feel your vibe, you gotta god. You know what they is? They different like that wife from the band, you know what I'm saying, Like the Babes, Like if they feel your vibe is it's inclusive. If you mind being right, get up out of here, like

when you're playing with you. So no, so that's so doing that, you know, and it's like that jumped it off and everything. The first placement, If you don't mind me asking you, what do you charge for your first placement? My first placement, I think I might have charged two jeans or something. I charged twenty. I tried send me fine if I wish, but I kept my publishing. Yeah yeah, with the hands though, with the heads. So how between those two records, because obviously that's where we wish was

your second record? I wish because because I said, where we all found out about Mike to me, here's the here's the thing. At first, I didn't really like what R and B was going, so I was like, I should be a hip hopatis I just do beats and just whatever it is. And I had that that record laying around, and then you know, Tough, Tough, m Tough. I go up with Tough in Jersey him and calling most people. He's like, you're the record. He's like, let me, sure,

you let me? He said, you ain't got He's like, I know you got the record when he played for Carl. So at first, it was just the track, just a song I had it. I already had it, the song was done. I added the bridge. You know what, you don't do that, let's expect that. Man. What happened was so they played it and Carl loved it. Right. So then um calling told um puff about it, and I'm up in At this point, I'm in yonkers with DN Want and roughly I'm about to get down with them

because my boy was signing them and I like hip hop. Yeah, so I'm like, but you got this R and B. I got some R and B stuffy sod is this record this point? I probably wrote I wish and it comes out with like ninety nine didn't nine nine? Okay, so I probably did the beat Ninette nine nine is a true story, straight up. You wish you never met her. Take it so bad, not to get take it so bad. I went back to him. I went back to vote one time because my license was still in North Carolina.

I saw it from a distance. I was about to get out again. Didn't don't ever walk down that path again. Then real talk. So yeah, so we're throwing all that and everything. So um Karl got puffed. Um No, you know, listen to the record, I guess or whatever was going on. But this is right around the time when the free locks campaign was going on. Yeah, this is important story.

So they called me to the studio. Carl come to come to go give to Daddy's house to go give a puff, not knowing I'm up there with the rough rider. So me, my man a g and this dude, Roger. I think he don't know a rough rider. Sure, so we get to we get to daddy's house. We get in the studio. Now now I know all these people later, but it was like Puff, Hard, Conrad, maybe Bobby a few other people. Then Puff was like, ye know, who's all these things up in here with the studio? Blah blah.

Y'all know I'm trying to get it. Kicked his out the studio. I got kicked out of the daddy's house. One hunt it before you ever played the record, fly I. I couldn't even play the record. I kicked out the daddy's house. I was like, all right, I'm going back to Yonkers. A week later, Tough call meus like puff her the record. He love the record. We won't cut

the record. He was like, yo, meet me in the Bronx because you know the Yarnkers is Wow, He's like, meet me in the Bronx, Come meet me in the Bronx, and we're gonna go to So I went from getting kicked out his daddy's house to being up at sound on Sound Electric Lady Um Hit Factory within a matter of a week. I was at this point, I'm just trying to get on the album. Was no single one like he was like, yo, just you can start writing and producing people and we will move around like that.

I'm just trying to get on the album. So we do that record everything. And then I had another record that they wanted for Tanya Blunt that she was on the label two right, car her the record. He's like, give me that record. I'm cutting that record. He took the record and that's you ain't right. So that's the the record of that guy that got an album called took the record right. So we're just trying to get

on the record, right and that. But during this whole time, by all this time happening and stuff already got Sunshine tucked away and we're starting to work on Yeah, and that's when I'm coming over. I went to when I was getting out of college. She was coming in college. So we've known. I've been kind of grooming her since the mid nineties and and I was gonna have a production deal with Capital Records back then, but they shut down the Black News Department, so that kind of got

forward and everything. So but she was in DC working for the government. Like y'all, it's telling to go. We go in to l A. That's how I'm out here. I wasn't supposed to be here, like we came out here to work on an album. I started learning my where of my I was like, hey, I kind of like this is all right. And the weather. I was like, now I'm married with two kids, and you know, likefriend, you know what I mean. Yeah, so so so everything

is just happening at that time. And um, and it's crazy because I wind up doing uh I did crawling. We recorded I wish I want to say, June. Here's another sidebar. You know, I was living in Durham, North Carolina front the time, right because most people think that you're from North Carolina because I went down I thought you were from North Carolina. I went down there and stayed after college. So that's how you know, I got

associated with that and marks watching them now in North Carolina. Right, so so so, um so run this time Dune in June nine, Um, Corey mcgetty and Elton they my guys, they playing that. Dude. I was supposed to with a draft in d C with Elton. I couldn't because I was in New York doing I wish it's fair trade. I mean, obviously heber one, go do your work so that you can become another It's right, you know what

I'm saying. Right, so you know what I'm saying, Like because because I remember he told me, he told us he was coming out. You know what I'm saying. He had broke his foot the year before and he would Player of the Year. Remember the draft was in DC that year, so I was in New York doing that. So everything coming together. I was like, oh, my man's draft at number one. I'm doing a record on puff label.

You don't saying like this could be cool? Like I'm starting to move around that fall September October when I did it. Um before that was in the same ye the same year. It was just and I did that with Paky and Sunch. You know what I'm saying that, So we started doing all that then everything so it seemed like everything still happened the same time. But it was like I was kind of already, but you don't have an you don't have a deal for Sunshine at this No, we didn't have a deal yet came into

the door. We have to straight up because no question because Anthony, Anthony was supposed to come first, because Anthony had already had a deal before Hamilton. You know what I'm You're supposed to come first. That record went so crazy. It was out in l A a whole year. Remember before it came out, everybody in l A new the record. It was playing that praise those in different club so we kind of seated it a whole year before it

came out. So it's crazy because it's like after Karl came out, that's when I got with Day, But I had already had Sunshine in the can, just sitting there the whole time, just waiting, just waiting a turn everything. So it's like it's like everything happened, but you gotta be prepared when it happened everything, And for me, I was like, man, I know what it's like not to have, so I'm gonna be I'm gonna be prepared. So my sessions.

You know, you can't be up in here, no, and then you ain't gonna be a paining wasting the time. We gotta get it the work done. We're gonna have fun, but we're gonna get the work done. I gotta be a finisher now that I'm in the game right now, I gotta be a finisher. We gotta get it done. And we got And that's what mindset, because that's what you know, We've we've talked about this, you know, many times on the podcast at this point, like that's truly

what a producer is. I gotta be finished. We gotta we gotta get finished. We gotta get these vocals out. We gotta do this that in the third and I mean, I'm singing on Sunshine, I'm a lot because I had to get her motivated to go on, let's go, let's go, let's get in the move, let's go, and you know, you push those right buttons and you get it to go and everything. And it was like a lot of female some female artists who were big then they wanted and labels wanted to get that record. He hell, I

was like, no, I can't do her. Like they were trying to take the record, and they was trying to take that. Yeah, they were trying to take the record. They're trying to take the record. Was like, no, I can't do that. And you know it was heard it all before. Um from an experience you might have had in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area. I go even deeper. I know something I knew her old boyfriend. We didn't have to reach for the story we talk. I pulled

the whole thing. But I'm talking about I'm talking about musically, No, yes, go go without a question, a question, without without a question. There's a large percentage of go go and hurt because asked swing. When you hear the go go version, I've heard it all before. Yeah, that's without a question, without a question. I wanted that. I wanted I wanted that go work, no question from Scott and not argue to

hot in here with Nellie. It's just work, work and do something to you when that when that's man, listen, rest in peace of my man. Grandmaster Slice. He had one of those. He had that beat on a bat tape. He had lect your slide joint back in the day, and it went crazy and he ended up being on a drive and he had that beating the B tape and he he reminded me of it. He was like, yeah, like I did always like the record. I was like, he's like, what you're gonna do it? I said, I

give me a Minut'm gonna playing for Sunshine. I see if she liked it. So I played it for and obviously she was just coming from living in d C. She was like, yeah, city, let's do that. So I was like, you know what, I want to do her all before and I knew her story because it dude that she was with. So the first day you meet, her and Pinky were sitting there and we came up the hook. Pinky don't show up to the session the next day. That's why she's not that she's a writer,

but she probably have had more. But everything happened for a reason. So we got that together and next thing, you know, I was like, I didn't know. I wish it was gonna jump off. I knew her that before. It had a winning spirit. The song just had a it had it had a spiritual like you can't hear that and not react, and and and and if you're a woman, they're gonna, they're gonna that's gonna resonate with women. Heard it all before and everything, you know, so we

we we had and everything, and I'll never forget. We was in New York and meet one time and me a tough week. I had to go get a charge of something. When I came out the store and Jazzy Joyce was playing it a tough look that me. He said, it's about to be a problem. He said, New York is gonna go crazy with this record. He said. He said, I knew it's crazy here in the studio, but hearing the blast not of New York speakers, I know what

this is and it's like just so crazy. It was crazy because I remember D from because once I had had a relationship with the Rough Light. D call me, No, why called me? He said, you know, um, just gonna get on this remix. You know what I'm saying, hold on before the sun shone joint. And I'm thinking, like, wait a minute, I think Fox he supposed to be on the remix of that. You know what I'm saying Like that, We had talked about team today, We had

talked about it. Yos put his own remix out. He just put his and how that he said was playing his remix. He was like and he when I saw He's like, City, I had to what you expect? I had to, you see, how to beat this movie? I just I mean that's what I do. So was Sunshine through your production company? No, it was it was through Um Sparking Um and Chris Dawley. I grew up with Chris like trip, like like a lot of relationships with

people I went to school with. I was in fifth grade with Chris, Like, we go back to that, you know what I'm saying. Didn't he always start? It wasn't my deal. I always thought that was through you deal with Mark Spark and Chris Dawley soul Like, you know what I'm saying. So, um, yeah, we go back. And then he started, he got and he started managing like nicest mooth and he got older and everything, and obviously

sparked this shoot from Salt Pepper. So like you know, with with with with all that stuff, Spark was just showing me through the through the ropes somemember one time weeks in New York recording and he was like, Um, see City called me, see you see you? We were going to l A. I'm like what he said, yeah, we're gonna. We hopped on the t W A t W the t W at night listen. We app. I said, Yo, ain't got no call. He's like, are We're gonna get some clothes? We get there. So we went up. We

was uptown. We know, we got some like boxers, socks and all types of stuff to go to l A. We get some clothes, we get there, we get here. I think we go to Bedlely Center where we get some clothes, and we get here. We go to Enterprise Studio. We just touching down. Remember Dana Dane. He's like, yo, He's like, took me the fat burgers, like Dana all my marrier. He's like, you don't even say my way around.

I had been here before, Like my first time here was back in the day with Malik Levy when I'm supposed to do the deal with Capital A G and everything. But I hadn't really started to be going to studios

and everything yet, you know. But my whole journey is crazy, like like honestly, when I got when I when I first came to l A. The next day, I met Aaliyah and Brandy at the Hollywood Roosevelt on on a whim just I was standing there and the was downstairs doing something on a whim right, didn't at night, I end up The first people I met was probably Ian Raining and Regina King. I'm end up. I end up

at their house. The first night I'm literally in l A. I Don'm like, okay, you know, just touching down with people. And then the next day, I mean with ras like these these people I just know since it's like ninety five, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, And I first came up, I first came to l A. The first time I came to l A is when the Chargers in the forty nine playing in the super Bowl that weekend, whatever

weekend that was, whatever weekend it was. I mean it was, you know, when the nine is one, we want a super Bowl because I see, no, no, this is no kind of central egoeah yeah yeah, yeah yea. So you know, like just just the whole just the whole experience and everything, and it's like, you know, but I always just I try to have fun and everything because it's like it's a blessing. Man, we ain't gonna be It's so me talented people they don't know where they're starting everything, but

the one thing you will you gotta do. If you don't put in the word, you're gonna start going backwards. So let's go back into something you said. You said, you said you got paid for I wish, but you kept all of your publishing. Yes, I did, And so back in those that puff me a person to check. So back in back in those days, people are even labels for that matter, or you know, the the bite

out of the publishing. It was a real thing. It was a real thing, you know what I'm saying, And trying to hold on and maintain that it was a fight for your life. Here's here, here's what my blessing was. Though I used to cut hair, so I didn't have to do that record, meaning what meaning I go back cut hair and just do what I got a gig. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. So it's like and um

and hocking tough. They ushered me through and everything, and they basically said, um, he's gonna give me on the publish and if he don't get a check for us, what is it. We're gonna take the record some wor else. But but I didn't me and Carl was already cool and it was so that wasn't gonna happen. But but PUFF respected that though, and he was like, you know what, he wrote a personal check out of his own thing.

I should have took it. We didn't have camera phone back then, but he wrote me a personal check back then, you know what I'm saying. And I remember the first thing I did. You know, back then, I went and bought some more like drums, Like I was like, let me get some more drums and sample drums because as a producer you always want to, you always wanted to. You did with your first check. I didn't spend the office on it. But I M but look, you know, but back then, put back then, it gave him something

more to right about me? Back what right? The real the Low and Heart ld ones on the GS three hundred Latinum edition Black Old Black floating through l A man, that's how it helped. I pulled up to the strip clubs. Oh me but man, and I knew. I knew it went from just getting on the album to oh, this record is a real record. Right. So then I remember one time I had caught the bus back to Jersey, my mom and Dad's living down in South Jersey. Um and they called me back up to Daddy's asset the

bus bus from where to where? From port authority? Yeah no, no, no, no, what happened? Yeah, yeah no. And this is when we're still getting everything together for the album. I'm catching it back to Jersey. But by then I get a call from I think the A and R Bobby Springsteen, and somebody's like, how you come back there? You're gonna through an impromptu listening party for Carl. I catched the bus

right back, get a hotel room up there. So I get up there, and that's not That's when it really became real to me because I remember, um remember jay Z pulling me to the side. He was like, Yo, this record feel like when I was when I was a young and rotten with my mom and a bus, Like this is giving me the stop to you right now,

you know what I'm saying. I was like, and you know this is like uh n j D. This is right in the middle of jay I mean not that that slowed down, but this is right in the middle. I was like, Wow, this is you know what I'm saying. I'm like, okay, And then the next thing, you know, they getting everything together and I think they were going to come with emotional first. Who did emotional Mario? Yeah,

you hear, Yeah, there's Cody emotional first. And then he was doing the sampler and everything, and it was like they switched it up at the last minute. Now by this time, I'm living in l A. By Tom Carl really comes out right. So I remember, Um, I had met Jilil White. Yeah, my god, yeah, and he and he and he verified. So Jelil came and I said, you lit, I'm working to the jail, I said, with Carl, and Carl was, I said, but he's on a bad boy. I said, I think it's gonna jump off and everything.

So I gave him the sampler. He went on the ski trip when he because I never get hit me. When by time he got back from the ski trip, all here in the radios, I wish and he hit me. He was like, yo, so I'm listening to the thing and you're telling me it's gonna be all right. And by time I get back from the ski trip, it consumed the radio. And it's like even with Big with

Big John I met, I met with John. Um I think I when I say, um, how can I be down on one of those conferences in Miami a year before UM Carl came and I told him, I said, I didn't even know who he was. I just happened to sit next to him at the conference. I was like, and they said he's a publisher. I say, I said, Yo, man, you know what I said. I don't. I don't think I'm ready for a publishing right now. I said, I

just did a record on Puff label. Gonna come on next year, but I don't think I'm ready for it yet and everything. But you know, when I'm ready, I think i'll be able Hot Tree. So next year came wrong with vig John. He said, Yo, I can't believe you told me last year you did this record. He said, I can't believe. He was like, I'm not ready, but it just did you do your first deal with John? No, I actually did my first deal with UM with Warner

because John, I'm supposed to actually go to Warner. He was actually supposed to go to Warner because he and my buddy he kind of he and Art Brandy Project and y'all would do that. Yeah, people that people that people are ninety people didn't know, but people don't know how many projects he's been instrumental in UM from even an a and arsen he's known as like the the greatest publisher. That's that is what Big John is. No,

but people don't realize he's behind major projects. From an arsense, he is and UM and it's like, um, I remember one day we had a conversation. He said, City, write me something happy for Brandy. Brandy meeds something happy. Just give me something happy and everything. And that's how I got full Moon. I mean I was I said, okay, what what kind of doing everything? And I just didn't know if I wasn't there cooking and I just started so, um, I wrote it. But but that didn't just come to me.

It took me two weeks. Right there, record let me let me go in so so we so we're doing that, right, I'm doing that and I'm working on the track. And she went to the Beverly Center. I want to say we was at the City used to be question, it's not like that you might need just nine yeah, she said, sim since since All Star Weekend when Being Meth was throwing hundreds of said in the same since thence since

probably two thousand three. That was like the last time it was cracking, cracking, cracking when being math made it rain like it was the strip club at Beverly Center. I never seen anything like that in my life. I'm sorry, it's all good. So she went. So she went to um, she went to Beverly Center and I had it going everything, so I thought she came back. I had went to booth, you know, do a little like dim or than. I ain't even gonna So she was like she came back.

I was like, you know, she she when she gets to work more, it's like it's worked more. She's not playing around. She'd belone to the booth. She knocked out the hook and I was like, I'll work on it. So for two weeks I worked on it because I didn't want to. You know, she was coming off and never say never. I wanted to make sure I had it right. So we got it done. It was crazy,

and then we had other joints done. And the next thing, you know, when the time for her album came wrong, they was taking all these songs off the record, and they was trying to take everything off the record right, and even full Moon. Now I have other people want to buy a full Moon. What is Brandy? She's different, He's different. So she does a gangster move. She calls a meeting and she names the album full Moon, just so they can't take this play with the record I love.

Named the album full Moon so they can't take it off of She's like, I had enough. Yeah, she named the full Moon record. What a record? You know what I'm saying. So and I'll say that like, um, just working on her. It just lets you know, like this level said you know what I'm saying, like, because it's all levels, like like crawls a crooner crawls, like you know what I'm saying. He's like, uh, that King Cole, he pronounces every world clear and everything. I mean, John,

letend come from Carls know what I'm saying. Thomas walked Yeah, yeah, you know we're not gonna lit the first I missed the first time because he got he got into the groove of um, I think he got into the group with Will I Am and whoever else. They finished it, but ka people, John threwe we chopped it up for the first time. We're supposed to work. But yeah, he

walked on. He can from right, and then you know you have Dave Well, David's commissioning though I know what when he when he went there, like Davids, you know even know what that is. Brandy is an alien. It's something else happening. No, seriously, like it's it's something else. It prepares you for anything because it's like or or that. Yeah, because because because you get so scruwed, he'd be like, yeah, I don't want to do it, un that's it's on this.

But you know, so it prepares you and our work ethic and it just it prepares you, like you know, it's like a little susting. Like she would do a hundred a hundred tracks of vocals and then say she don't like the intonation or something, and I already choke her out because you know, we didn't spend three hours doing that, and she's like, no, I want to do all over and then she hit you with the the city. It's my it's my voice, star, it's my it's my instrument.

I know, and I gotta respect that because it's like, I mean, she's been putting four and five ammaz on the board since she was seventeen eighteen, so you got you know what I'm saying, Like she'd give and take a little bit but I always got you. Speaking of which, which they did the show and they did the hurt Um whatever it show. It seems like it was the

hottest day ever in Calabasa. I don't know what was going on to day when she did her own TV show, when she when she was on Pregnance a RAI, it felt like the sun was it felt like the equator. I don't know what happened that day, but you know what I'm saying, Like even that album, it would platinum, but it got it kind of got cut short because she couldn't do all the promotional run from everything. But no, I mean like she raised a whole generation of singers

for sure. What do you feel like as ship, producer, songwriter? Do you feel like I wish was was the breaking point for you? For sure? Where you felt like because you would you just said you were you were hip hop, That's where you were going. But the thing about it is it's still in my production, like even that record. That's why I feel like that, But you're able to do it. From a bottom standpoint, they let me do it. I'm like, they let me. Oh they're gonna let me

do this? You mean I could, really I could really put like I could get on some Lutanian Lutheran like you know what bridges, let's get technical. Is it four bar loops, eight bar loops or six teen bar loops? It depends. It depends because like you know how when you go on the loops, when you do them, you might want to ask something here, ask something there, So it depends. You might want the base to turn around, you know what I'm saying, make it feel different, or

you want to invert in everything. So it depends. But it felt like to me from a technical standpoint that you would because what I would do the same as you is I would do either a fully blown out eight or a fully blown out six teams and then you start scaling back, start scaling back, and then at bill pieces and all of these things. And then what I stole from Davante was I would make certain things happen in a certain part of the song that would never happen to the little air candy that right, is

it gonna do? To gain we got we gotta want? Like I stole that from Davante. But you I felt like like the reason why I really zoned in on you and your production is because it was banging so crazy. It was almost like Dr Dre doing R and B music, Like, maybe that's why that's why, because it is bang and even at that though, even after that's why the producer community is so close knit. Right, even after I already had hit records, I go check, I'm sitting Dre with

Slobby some drums. He'd be like, slow with that, you know what I'm saying, even after because he knew that's what I was on a loss, super you know what I'm saying. You made jay Z have memories of the childhood. He told me that I couldn't believe that Right's personal checks, personal checks of his nation's bank account. Dr Right just

casually slies you drums. Let me see what you can do. Yeah, because because I think you're great, because he's not slide drum sounds just you yeah, you know, you know, it's just to be the vibe and everything. But it's like, and it's funny because rest in peace, um um your man who roll them hit for for Leah static mad Right. I had that contagiously before Staddy. I didn't know what to do with it. I'm sure what's still on my ru I mean, mom, I had that beat before he

wrote that record. Wow, it just it wasn't wasn't that wasn't my awesome. So so were you at one point a higher gun from that side as far as as as just your pin just your lyrics, because I did. I never knew that. I always looked at you as Mike City does Mike City Records. I never looked at it like, oh Dr Dre, DJ Quick whoever uh producer is sending Mike City Records to right top line too. Here's the thing when you when you're around greatness. The good thing about when nice to do all that stuff.

When I go on Dre, I ain't got to produce. You got Drey and you got all these right right, so almost relaxed for real, you know what I'm saying. I could write just all right cool, So end up writing on the game record on Baby, don't worry about it. I'm gonna be right here. That was That was game featuring Brandy first we got married on at the last minute. M that was gave you know what I'm saying. So it was like, I show up what we're doing because

it's the community. Dr Dre ain't gotta come here and producing and and I'm gonna learn something. I'm gonna see what you How are you tweaking? I told him last week, I'm trying to come over there and see and tweak something so I could because I'm learning. That's what we do. He was the first person whose house I went to. You can't I'm about to tell your story about on him though, that had an SSL board. No it was, it wasn't it was baby face had it's the um,

it was the euphonics. It was the old many many, it was euphonics. You had a big in your house here. But here's its crazy though, this is crazy, so look, take take care to catch a flight. One day when he was cutting the record. He literally shows up on the way to the airport and cut a record in the hour, and I mean like top the bottom, Like yeah, he's antien too. But I knew that though, because you remember I used to stick my head in sometime and um the underdogs, and I always would tell I told

him I was like Dawkins and take out there. The placements went up went up, because are you hearing that? When artists hearing that, even if they can't get to that level, they'd be like, I need to try to get to that level. I want that recorded, great selling point, thank you. I mean it might have been could have been smack. I'm just saying because I saw it left and right, ste Evils there there you had a machine of umm boom boom boom. I mean, I mean, you

know what I mean. I mean, I saw it. So another piece that you spoke about earlier that we didn't get to, that we haven't gotten to yet is not only are you doing you know, records hit records for artists, there's also a space that you know which is new to most songwriters and producers, which is the TV and film side. Yeah, you know what I mean, I got it. I got my first taste of that working with the

Underdogs doing dream Girls. I was like my first like intro to like you like and that was a different kind of dog that was like that was like zero to a hundred, you know what I'm saying. There was no intro to prepare you for dream Girls, which became like a year process. Right, But can you can you speak to even making the decision to even go in that direction, to even do that, like what prompted that, Well, we kind of talked about before, like basically you're kind

of lasting more. Heagans. Label started starting to R and B. Right, we don't want to do this in the third. Just then the third I was like, I found somebody to use my services. Right, I don't care what want me. I'm not. I'm blessed. I don't went platinum. I have had no one records and you know this that in the third, I don't need to chase that, you know what I'm saying. I just want to be comfortable and doing doing, have fun doing and everything. So a TV and film want to rock with me and what I

do and everything, so be it. I get to just go have fun and create. And when y'all want to come back and see me, y'all want to hollerand what I do Other than that, I'm at the gym where I'm walking. I'm trying to preserve myself, you know what I'm saying. So I'm trying lutive. If you can tell

the producers and writers, it depends. Now it's a steady grind, So that could be if you do a lot, it could be looking at it, or if you if you get into the right agencies, there's actually more lucrative than records. Because some agencies when you're doing um ads and different stuff depending on who you get with, it's like a budget, like like umum budget, you're saying, because they're paying off of that and everything, so you gotta ride the way.

But it's like I could have every day and I do this down the third like you know, Autumn fifty shows you hear me on if you're hearing something, you feel like some boom back whatever might be me might be and you say you have a specific agency that represents you for no or not, it's just your relationships, my relationships if I give the agency and we're talking right to be cool, But yeah, I know I got

I gotta um. I just did a theme song for a Disney thing on Munchlands character they just released last week. I did that with a company and hopefully that go big and everything. I'm spitting bars and everything. But the thing about it though is that's like if you could sing, of course you can spit a bar. I mean like

not being it's not even discrediting rappers. You know, how hardest you know, people sing thank you like people don't realize how hard it is to sing and sing on thank you city, you know, it's just not being funny, thank you, because what I'd be trying to tell Ja is he continues to hate on the original, you know, on my origin SMC Hurricane. You know what I'm saying.

He hates on that, And I tell him because I was able to wrap so good, you know, the way you could translate it and can translated into R and B and then I'm able to get my wrap off sometimes. I was working on some of the TV and film

a few years ago. They was gonna do a reboot of of m New York Undercover something like that, and um, I wasn't there with your little proje Luke, I know about and Jasmine and I was saw in the jas In mind because I know jas In mom from church when I was going up and you know my brother. So she's like, Mike talked to Jasmine try to get a motivated to doing something. I was like, look, I said, jas what you're doing? And She's like, And I think jasm just probably felt like she didn't know where she

fitting and she went through what I went through. Yeah, I don't know what she fitting, what's going on everything, But I knew one thing though, I knew our c a wasn't dropping her because she's a generational talent. They was gonna wait for whenever the album got ready, because there's some people that got it, and she just got something else. Like it's just specially she sounded, and when

she was fourteen, she sounded like she do now. Like I'm sure she's more season now, but I can't really tell because she had it all that day, you know what I'm saying, Like one of her demos, just like she had it. She literally had it all together. Let me tell you how ill she at the beginning. I was in London one time doing I was doing some work. I'm just walking down the hall got a lot of London flux on you too, because you're not be going

with doing house music and different stuff, you know. I'm like, I catch your fibe right right. So I'm here somebody walking down the hallway from a distance crazy and I'm I listened to that. This is a world class singer because I can hear it from fifty ft away. It's Jasmine. I'm working, like Chaz, what's good? She's like, oh, she said, I'm doing a promo tourn every day, but like this is fifty this is down the Hall. I'm hearing somebody mumbling something. I'm like, whoever, that is a problem. I

know what it is. I heard some people at the songwriting camp. That's a problem. That's why I think I think we got a shot. But you know what I'm saying, like, I just feel like if they want to get the lessons, I'm here for. But you know, if the labels want to, you know, they gotta they gotta, um, hey for our expertise to They got invested. You can't play around with that. I just we've lived life. I prayed that their nurtured. Yeah, my my own selfish love of R and B. Like,

I pray that they're nurtured. The love R and B. Man, I'm just saying from the from the just from the it's in your blood though anyway, the cultural sense of you know, was being delivered because yeah, it's it's some good songs out there. Um, it's some it's some good artists out there, but those generational talents between what they need to be, they need to be nurtured because they you know, they don't come around and you just can't just microwave them and just throw them out there. It's

like things have to happen. Things have to be developed. Jasmine needed to be developed, her need to be from Gabby. He's a development incredible you know what I'm saying, Like that is but the keys being dropped with those same same songs, same so it had to be developed, though it had you know, I mean, like it just wouldn't have hit the same way. Like it's man, they give up, remember that quick. I heard that, Donnyanna. I said, Alicia keys and and Um Schaeffer, who's neo were two words,

two of the worst artists in each time. You know, you know what I'm saying. He wasn't up in the tunnel. He wasn't up in the church when everything was going You know what I'm saying. You know, he wasn't He wasn't there when takes six first came out traveling the van. You know what's going around. You know what I'm saying. I was in. I was in high school. I mean, commission came in singing my high school. I was in.

The Other point that I make is that we don't have we don't have any true gatekeepers in those offices. We don't And is that by design? No think about it. When is the last time you. Mike City super Producer said, Hey, I'd love to be um head A and r VP at your label and help you develop your army talent. I'm saying anybody on the podcast that yes, y'all know what it is. Y'all know what it is. Y'all know

what it is. Yeah, that's what if y'all want to get it right, you listen, If y'all want to get it right, we'll have it right because because production styles change, so if it varies, so whether you got trapp, aren't trapped or whatever we was doing or whatever, But that's that sound and that cohesive singing and everything. A field of us really know what we're doing with some understanding. A few of us need to do the work. We've

already put in the work. We have the information we have to get in position for our work to work for us, that's the truth, and to help build the genre back to glory. That's the only way, because it's going to work because you're right, because not that's not that it's necessary. But I'm most Anais can't jump into how many with us things they don't know it. They

just mean I actually think it is necessary. I'm going I'm going to I'm going to do to get it back right back, because to fight them, talk to talk every every person in there they did right sing play, you know what I'm saying, up and up into the founder who was a song the A and R who was smokey rock, smoky like. At some point somebody got to be up there with some understanding listening, coming in singing.

Somebody should be able to harmonized with Tank at least. Yeah, it shouldn't be a whole label trying to do R and B with no R and B singer, songwriters and producers involved. It can't be. It can't be. Listen, I'm with you because you gotta touch down. You gotta touch down with the people and everything. And that's honestly why as a producer all those are I mean, I'll work with you, you know, Leylon, because they know they get them. They you know what I'm saying. Um Me and music

song never came out. But when I first been to Music Music, like do you need to do album? The first thing he said was like, why don't you do album? I was like, I gave my songs away. That's like, I mean, this is my calling right now to do

what I'm doing. But it's like somebody got to be able to understand that, or or the real gifted artists gonna look at the beat meager producer like, uh, go ahead, because you gotta have some type of understanding and to taking the top level I've seen in my own two wise if I go peep my head on the DRE. I made a poster about with me, him and Bluetooth before. I like this new group because I know he understand

can sing something he's saying better than people. Probably no, he not, but he understands where the noting things know what I'm saying. There's a reason why he's been able to do what he might be shy by it. He's never going to release a singing record, but he knows more about notes than people think. He'll sit down and play at the po and You've be like, you've been practicing, you know what I'm saying. So it's like like that you know exactly. So it's like, you know, where's that

in the labels? Because honestly, I wasn't seeing that what I was doing. No, no, that when I was on the Yeah, yeah, but you had a chance to do it. Yeah, But been I've been. I've been that artist that has asked an, are you ever wrote a song before? Not even know it is? But no, but I'm talking about when it get when it get dirty. We're having a conversation about this song, ain't it? And I'm like, you wrote what? Have you written one before? Have you written anything?

Because you need to have a placement because you know, you know what you know. No, I'm just asking because you're telling me did you break dance? Did you dj? Like? What did you do something in this industry that was creative? And now y'all see why do more music for TV and filming these days? Yeah, but I don't let you do what you do. But but I'm gonna tell you this though I'm not saying, I'm not saying you're selfish.

But what I'm saying is that what I'm saying is that you have the gift and the information and relationships. I'm not and the relationships, and they're tucked away, hiding in your vault. And while we're screaming for more heads and more executives and more people with that information to be in charge of that musical space to help us get us, get it, get it back, You're somewhere doing TV and enjoying yourself, enjoying it through your TV and film,

feed your family. I get it, A gautiful family man. You know, I love it. I love I respect it. But R and B's greatness and glory, it's tied in to the people who do it, who do it, yeah, and who've done it and who have done it on a level you are. You are necessary in that space. What you do on the on the drink chat, that's

profound though. Are they afraid of our love? That's profound though, because top down, you know, what I'm saying is like I mean, not being funny like you said, just just the relationships to be like, you know, just the people I can just get to, yeah, and what I do and what I knowed to do. You would think they would be like, you know what, he help us get right if we want to spend and that they don't they want to dump down. I feel like I think

they are afraid of our love. We're not We're not right. So ultimately there's something that Tank and I have been been talking about behind closed doors about what we see and what and what I believe is that we should all be doing this mhm. We all need to become partners with each other in some form of fashion. We need to become partners with the artists. We need to become partners with the writers. We need to become partners.

It's these things we need to create a strength in numbers where it's like, hey man, I'm not trying to take from you, I'm trying to collaborate with you and build with you, and we split profits. We figure it out like hey, hey, new artists, I'm an established such and such such and such, so I'm going to give that to you and add to the pot for you. But okay, this is my percentage of it, and let's do projects together and anything anything I need to own my own I p but then we don't have to.

But then we don't have to. We can we can do good business. We can be economical with it because because exactly because an artist can now eat off of off off of their project even if it doesn't sell, doesn't need to wrap it out of here. And so that's gonna yeah, that's gonna make more people do it once they see the company is called R and B

Money for a reason. We'll put in your face we make money doing if you would like to make money doing R and B music, come to R and B money And before I forget it, amvializes you name club Quarantine. That's incredible, hey man, d Nice I told him it's his pivot. D Nice shot the album cover when when me and Karl did it on independent album too, he shot the album. Wow, he was the photographer. He was

the photographer. Wow. That's crazy, like just the way his whole like he's one of our advocates and to see him, to see this he put R and B. But he put R and B and he put made international again. He put it in front of the world and then put out an R and B record with him and he oh that was great. And then another pivot. Remember Jason knowing that dream Works. Yeah, got fired. Listen got fired. I was I think I was there today. He got fired. It was not good. It was like it was like

to walk out good. No, it was to walk out. It was a lot that went on up there. A lot of guys have been walked out. Wasn't good? Became something great? I ever get a job out so you can have that. You had that in my box. Yeah, what I've seen I've seen that in movies where you get all your kid you know, because you know, you know, you know, because Gerald and Gerald was gone by that, so you know Gerald was I got he was my guy too, right, So Jerrold was gone by then. And

to see him, I think he was. I think he went to MTV after that and the next thing, you know, I should see him on the day Fasada, you know, getting the lessons, getting the lessons and getting the lessons. And now he's Jason. He didn't know song structure. He was just he was a and R that didn't no song structure. He's probably one of those guys I would have custed out earlier. Absolutely, but he recognized greatness. It was such an awesome guy, and he recognized let them

do what they do. He know what he did, Yeah, he said, let them do what they do. Just just just do what you do. Man, do what you do. You know what it is. Come on, let's call you know what. Right. So to see that, and then when I saw when he had when he got that Rhanna thing,

that went crazy. And it's been ever since then. So I'm just saying, like people pivots, like you know, you can do different things it's like you're saying in two thousand two, because I'm remember that used like I don't even know if I want to do this no more because she's like, I don't what is it? What am I doing it? You don't know if you want to do it? You will find you something, you know what

I'm saying. So it's like with me, I was like, I'm not going to chase these records and everything, you know, seeing my d do it? Do you know? Let me do what I do? Did I found I could do this all right? Cool? I could do have fun because I gotta have fun of doing what I'm doing everything. You know what I'm saying, And it's like peace of mind. There's no price to what I'm saying. So it's like I don't want to be um everything that's going on right now. I don't even want to be around a

lot of energy like that. I didn't want to be reminded. Then. You know, I've been in some stick situations before, but it's like, man, we just left the studio and then that happened. Come on, man, you know what I'm saying, Like it's just I'm claiming the pivot. Uh, you back in charge? Of some R and B space in some way, shape or form, let's go. I'm claiming that it definitely need to solve, and you, you know, you stand in

front of it. I got a question too, though, and it's it's is there a difference between R and B and soul or it was just to get together? I think I think the lines are very blurred, and you know the difference. I think it's the difference between hip hop and rap music is R and B and soeld to me, you know what I'm saying, Like because because it seems like they walk in the same so it's a little more pure, it's more the purest deal with the soul the same way. And for rap, hip hop

is more of it's pure. It's more pure than rap. Like R and B can can can be auto tuned up. You can't auto tune, so yeah, you can't auto tune, So you can't auto tune hip hop all the tune rapt you Okay, Okay? That yeah, Because I mean that's the question. I wanted to act so like a soul singer because you can't auto tune. Casey, Well, here's the thing about it, Anthony. But here's here's the thing a soul take could be a soul singer r and be. It just depends on that. But that's the development of

my gifts. What I'm saying it you want to do that, but me, But me, me being little way can be a rapper or are hip hop. He can't. And so it's just about the development of theft. I had to learn the space. J I was a soul singer first, and then I learned how to be alright, Okay, I learned and that you know what I'm saying, which is a hell of a learning curve coming from So yeah, I know what you're saying. No, because it's like you're right, like like like fantastic. She's gonna have some holy ghosts

in her singing, she taking her shoes. Yeah, that's just that's what that is, man like. And she can't help it, can help herself. That's and and and Anthony is high in southern soul, not like complete, but I'm saying, like, you know, like it's a southern soul movement going on. I actually I'm working on man a g We're doing a southern some southern soul stuff. He getting shows and everything, and it's like that's my guy like like you gotta you gotta remember there's there's a guy. Uh uh, what's

what's Calvin's last name? Kid a man boy Richard. That's what he does. That's what he does. What he does. He down there doing it as we speak, two shows a week doing it, no question. I'm about to get my man a G on that circuit like straight, you know, like like a G. That's my guy, like out of our whole thing. He had to deal first, he was signed the Capital n Wow. That's when I came out here with him in he was sign a rough Friday. That's why I went to New York messing with him.

Now he was on Platinum, Um compilation, Gold Compilation, but he never got his dude. Now he's doing something so he's getting booked crazy. Yeah. So I'm like, okay, I know what I'm saying, and you know, but see you got you know when to turn that one the crowd. Okay, I see what you're here for. Women still put money, they bras. You better believe it. You better believe you know what I mean, and we'll offer you some of it and a home cooking meal. They still put jay.

They still put money in their bras baby, they will offer you a meal. You're trying to figure out what I am. You want to come to my house? Something is they called exotic nicka ex So you're not saying but you right, Calvin basically been doing back. You know what I mean? You know what I mean. So no, so Calvin been basically doing this says more than a woman getting those things. But it's a whole movement going on.

But I say Anthony is high end Southern soul because he had the chance to have the backing of the label and everything. But the way he did it shout yeah. I mean because Anthony was with us as Soul Life Soul Life disbanded. I got Anthony with um Nappy Roots. Wow, I got you did, Yeah, I got you did. Because the song that I did with Anthony, yeah, you know Anthony. We all family, right. So when such Sean had an album coming out, first I said, I gotta get Anthony

on this album because that's Anthony Hamiltons. So I put him on the song with Sunshine and my man Dolo Pacino and I was working with Nappi Routs. I said, Yo, we gotta get Anthony over here to do this. So the song that I did. Anthony actually didn't come to the second album, but he ended up doing another song um on the first album that went crazy. But I don't know who. I don't know if um Jazzy who

did it. But you know, it's all our relationships coming together because that's what we supposed and exactly and that's what we hold on to. And let me charge you for this, my man, that's my god community, right, you should do I need you over here for that. You should do that. And then the first first we we we build it by the dropping the ego and you because because now like you gotta like by you doing

your tours, your feeding families, Anthony's feeding families. You know what I'm saying, Like, you know, people, this this is this is this R and B stuff. If you do it right, you can be a collective. Yeah, you feed families. It's got to be a collective. Definitely, back to us. We gotta get back to five and six R and B X on the road as a tool, the mown the motown review, Like, we gotta get back to that.

And I say that, you know, not only to myself, but to all high level R and B artists, Like if we're R and B. Let's do R and B let's and you know what, and don't be ashamed or afraid to do it. Do it and let's put it in these big things. Do it because you know what, people want to feel good, man, People tired of getting shot at the shot that energies. Let's get that energy. They want to feel good, tired. And I posted something my g yesterday, um like, uh shout out to Melvin right,

I mean, like buddy for the world. We came up. Then we had slow jam tapes, man, like if you didn't have the right slow jam tape, chicks was looking at you sideways like you was getting the last hour and a half at any party, no question. It was time for you to work your wiggle, work your magic. And these dudes today I don't know what that is because they'll get a charge because they don't know, Like, no, you gotta fines, you gotta talk to her, right, So you know what I'm saying, Like if we can get

back to that, I think we can. I think you know what I'm saying, Like, because these kids got the lesson from their parents. Now you're always gonna have but what but they don't they don't. So we we have to become like I said, and our our word is a different word. It's respected differently because we we've done it. We've done it, look at it different. They'll look at it different. You understand what I'm saying. And that's how we rebuild it. That's how we we have to be.

We can't be disconnected from the next generation of R and B superstars. Man, listen the other day when I found when I when I heard this girl that was going crazy. My man runs publishing or what am I called him? There? Sean Brown is there? I said, you have more talk? He said, you said you need to sew her next week. I said, not like there's not nothing you should play. I'm telling you what this is. Don't play with this like I don't get excited about stuff.

Like I'm telling you what this is. Bro, you need to sign her next week and let me we we get it together. But she wanted to do with the real thing, you know what I'm saying. And she's so and the girl I was working when she's so talented, she don't even know how dope she is. She she don't even know because she hasn't. But but it's like

I'm down for all that and everything. You know what I'm saying, Just like how you've always maintained and nurture of the relationship with Chris because he respect that when you. When he came up, he had to go see y'all that he felt that pressure from you and error. That's pressure, singer, go see none the Dolls and Eric Dawkins and takt that that's pressure. Maybe that's a lot of pressure. Like I hear this demo that sounds like a real radio

radio record. That should be all right, Now, that's pressure. So you know what I'm saying, Like a lot of these kids can't handle pressure up. That's the other thing we're dealing with too. That caught him. We don't come from everybody get a We've diagnosed everything. Everything's everything needs help in medication. Listen, I went through a lot as a kid. I had to get no medication. I didn't get no help. Keep back up. I got my asswhip and in some punishment and figure it out and get

it together. It was but it happened, but it happened here and I'm a monster, and listen, I am still here. I wouldn't I wouldn't have had my mom and my dad and my grandmother, my great grandmother, my auntie Bed. I wouldn't have them raised me any different. It was. It was it was a tough you know what I'm saying. It was a man like you are laugh, Like like my parents bought me equipment. But I remember when I was a freshman in high school, I couldn't try for

a basketball team. You know why. I had to go to prayer meeting and man, I've never said that publicly. I had to go to my I had to be revival. It was I had. I couldn't try for basketball because I had to go to revival with my parents talk five nights a week. I had. It wasn't no not going either. I had to go. You're punch in your eye. But in turn, in turn, in turn, well me equipment. You know. He wanted me to keep on and stuff and he helped me nurture your mind, you know what

I'm saying. So I was like, what was really supposed to be doing? Right? So I was like, I had this. I wasn't going to college playing ball anyway. He was like he's like I said, He was like, you can go to the and that's what speak about that when I when I speak to these young artists coming in, I tell him straight up. I was like, Yo, this is the league what we're dealing with. It's the league. It's the pros. You're on that bench. You're gonna get in the game is to lead, you know what I'm saying.

I was. I was doing a record with Kelly Price one time. I walked the girl out to the car. I came back. She's halfway done the record, like literally, just you know. She had started. See I'm going here and messing around on something at the record player. I go out to what is it? I walked somebody out of the car and I'll never forget it. I walked somebody out to the car. I think, I'm out there talking to Januine and Okyo, we out there, you know,

chopping it up. I get back to my session. Kelly got a song popping going and she hit a little know. I checked her throat. I was like, you you hit that, though. But I'm saying, this is these are beast you know what I'm saying. These is professional snipers that we're dealing with. And if you want to play in the league and be and get that respect, you gotta be a sniper, you gotta, you gotta develop because these people have been you know, they've gone through the wringer, and it's like

there's a whole another thing we're dealing with. You know what I'm saying, Like Crawl waiting a long time to get that shot and he wasn't gonna blow it. He definitely didn't blow blow you know what I'm saying here? Yo? All right, So listen city, Okay, we R B Money Podcasts. I appreciate you all having me. We're gonna talk about R and B, which amen. Um. I want to get some information from you, Okay, I want to know your top five R and B artists male or female all time,

all time. M h get tricking, mm hmm. Donnie and Stevie gotta be on that. Want to came out? Oh yeah, killing me right now? I'm scared because I put some females in there. Wow. Absolutely? I mean, can you really deny eath you cannot know me? You better not? Can you better not? I mean I mean you better not. Okay, if I come with that, that's three. I'm really stone. Who who would be froming five R and B? So Sam Cook, j I mean, yeah, he did. He Brandy, I gotta give it because she she raised the whole

generation of singers. Now could I could say Whitney, but Brandy took what we do. It's almost like she did like commission did the whinings. Because since Brandy did, I want to be done. I knew I wanted to work with her. I didn't know how it was gonna happen. I knew I wanted to work with her. I didn't have no plan. I didn't know what it was like. But that's what she's doing. I didn't know how. I didn't even know she was a girl from THEA. I

had no idea. I just knew something magical about her voice. And you know it's like lay is crazy too, and these people are my friends, man, Like I got I got tough because because she's said he studied. Yeah, like you know what I'm saying, Like she has all of it. Yeah, she's like and the stuff that she can do with her voice, I've never heard any human Yeah, like she

can harmonize with her Yeah. And the only reason why I just didn't say her because I said her Yeah, like you know she's got but like like people like not not being funny, like not like and I love Monica music, but she wasn't Brandy. Brandy was like Monica was great. Brandy was she was the bar that was set. Like people tried to immulate Brandy. I think Brandy was just more of a vocal blueprint. Yeah you know what I'm saying. Monica was more soulful. So that's that soul

R and B thing, right. Monica had that grit. Monica listen, white shoes. She said she came without the white shoes and she was never meant to know what I'm saying. And we Brandy was was she just it was just a technical She's a sniper. So that's why the boys Marvelly works so well anyway, because it was just the opposite of what I'm saying. But I'll never I'll never sleep. I mean, Monica had bangers, bangers, bankers, just like and the thing with Late is she didn't per se have

those bangers. But everybody that knew knew what it was. If you knew singing, you knew what that is like. You do you know what that is like? You don't have to Okay, baby, you didn't go platinum, but we come to that concert she goes to land on d C. It's so it's an experience. Top five R and B song, Wow, Top five R and B songs. Um, yeah, killing me right now. So Donnie have to wear a song for you. I just can't escape that pain. Yeah, I just I can't escape that pain. Um um man. Trying to get

the singler songs, staple things. Let's do it again, the staple singers, Let's do it again. Making nil. I mean like I mean, like, I mean, it's never going away, and that's not something that's just somebody. No, you gotta yeah, gonna be versed. But I hear you're popping that. You see what I'm saying like that here like that. It's like, um, let me see and I'm trying to I'm trying to nail down the single artists too. Mm hmm. Just just songs that I played out, random songs that I played

me on. Marvin got something. I mean, y'all killing me right now, Marvin Gates. You want to say, we're not gonna you know what I'm saying, like, mm hmm, could you go wrong with let's get on? I mean, I mean, like just for what it is. I mean, the first win we I mean you because you're going wrong. Let's try to find some that's three. Let's we're something for the ladies that she's y'all killing me? Man, I got a name. Five. Yeah, absolutely, you died leaving this room

as some micro punched holes in your tires. Come on, you give me my five songs that I just went crazy over. I'm trying to take it back to the day to Yeah, it's just like give me an Earth from the fire I was going crazy over. I used to hear it from the fire so much from skill. I thought they was from Philly. I just thought they were just coming radio just uh reasons, of course. I mean that just resonates. Let me slide a moment up and here R and B songs. You know what, I'm

gonna throw a curveball. I got love for women, but y'all was talking about it lately. Um I played I played this song out, John B. They don't go, they don't don't listen to what I played. I played that song out. I told her. I was like, I mean, and Brian got some songs to s w V. I couldn't. I mean, but I literally it's hard to pick. But I played I played that song out. I flat I yoh, ain't ye. Nothing's going on from him? I mean nothing. I don't care what I just wanted. Nothing's gonna make

you falling. I'm a wife that s like clean every time your sins have been forgiven, even before you've committed it to me, to me, to me, you brand new to me. And the way to the way to get tar was man in the pocket. I don't care where you've been, dude, m boom, because that's the by the amount of time. I was like, I gotta get my production chops up. Whatever you do. Because timmy Bob was applying pressure. Oh major, they've been pressure applying pressure, pressure

all right, Tim, Tim was there when I do. Tim was the first person to tell me full Moon was going to be He walked into the studio when I was He was like, he don't get hype over much. He was like you know what he's like. He was like, he was like, you go crazy that because I had it going on. He was like, he said, and you know, Brandy's like he said, oh my god, but those are a fun time. I'd be in the studio him to be here for real and being all let we're just

a community, everybody just having fun. I remember, um what's her name from? No Doubt used to be around, Um what's her name? Um Billy singer. Yeah, everybody would be coming in as rehearsing with all of them. Okay, I need, we need, we need to build a volt run. Okay, I want to know who are you gonna get the vocals from, who you're going to get the performance style from, who are you gonna get the island from, and who you're going to get the passion from. Let's start with

the vocal. If you're building your you're perfect your R and B singer, Who you're taking the vocal from? Donnie Away? What fast, fast, no deliberation he had got in his voice. Man, it was something's going on just his whole He was made in his image with his vocal because Stevie got a little Donnie when I was you know, like he'll tell you it was something going on don Like it was some special going on with him. Donnie was definitely

the originator. And like you said, Hiss had a different type of spirituality connected to a different kind of awe as we like to say haunting oil. Yeah, yeah, like sprinkle Okay, styling, styling, who don't get to stop fly or performance style, we'll get to stop first. We don't get the performance because it's weird because Martin, I mean like, I mean, you know what, I always fly always, I mean always had that ship up. Yeah, performance style like

who the king of quindon stage? Can you quindon stage? Are both? Maurice White? Oh? Hey Earth from the fire? He no, no, no, no, no no. The way he was, you know, frustrating. I mean, I mean a lot of people to orchestrated. K White was going on baby, and who are gonna get the passion from? Who are you gonna get the heart and soul? David Ship putting a temptation without David Ruffin looking for Davi because Sam Cooke was smooth, but David, David just had he was. I'm sorry,

but you know David had to he was. He just had. Yeah, he had his whole He influenced a lot of people to it. They're gonna be up there. But while they're up there, just I need you to put that spotlight on me while I walked down this owl real quick. Some people just lead singers, Yeah, you're just leads. Lead. He was a leading he was lead singer and he knew it. He knew it with it all, with all his being and just just to fly and scruffing lf

his voice. It's just like, you know, whenever we get a chance to interview Robert Townsend, I want to ask him did he make Eddie came m off a day? And he had to? But I need to know for sure, you know someone who just loves Robert. We need to see you. Yeah, the greatest, greatest R and B movie

of all time. Oh my god, it's like you. It can't come on and I don't watch if perfectly the perfect movie, absolutely, Kevin, even a comedy because as you can tell with our podcast, RB has some funny as moments. So yeah, and the Gangster Ship, all of it. That was great. That was David. He's white. I can't argue. I don't you're going there today. I love it. Here. We like to go into a segment it's called I ain't saying on that because you know we amunch your

many travels, the amazing people you've worked with. I know you've got some stories and in this game it's funny. Are fucked up? Are both? Mh? The only rule is you can't say their names. It could be funny, are fucked up? Are funny and fucked up? I just can't say their names. This is Mike Cities. I ain't saying no names. Let me see, I know, let me see. H m hmmm, I don't know. Man, Like I'll tell you this. One time I hung out was somebody that you used to kick it with. That person's dude, and

I'm sure I'm the only one who knew it. And then we all hang out together, right, so you were the one person who knew about the whole situation. Yeah, but were you messing with this girl too? No? I just was sitting there like, oh, this is interesting, and everybody's working together. Though now we're kicking in the club together. Every single person that's involved. It was left right. I'm here like, how does this? How does this workout? You know what I'm saying, Like, who did you? Who were

you friends with? All off? And I didn't you know, there's nothing like And then that happened and I was like, uh so was it two couples? No, there was one girl, two guys, two girls that I knew. Uh did that mess with the same man? High level? Yeah? I mean and they knew it. I knew it. You knew it. Everybody's high level of this conversation to high level. And this guy's hanging out with all of them. I'm sitting there with with Did he bring them on purpose? No,

I'm sitting there with them too. He wasn't there, but I'm the only one who knew about. But they're those two are they're hanging out together their friends? Yeah, high level. What you probably didn't know is they was probably together. Maybe I might even known somebody just at whatever. Anyway, the world of R and B. Oh Man, the world of R and B. You were uncomfortable. It's just it wasn't not because it wasn't my deal. But I was sitting there like, you know, how does this work out?

How this go? Because this is quite serious now and this is not you know, this wasn't that long ago. We're all gonna sit up here and drink our drinks and listening. You don't have to call something whatever. Meason, No, he went out. Definitely, No, he definitely yea because saying that, well, ladies and gentlemen. Um, First of all, let me say this man, Mike City, Um, you're absolutely amazing. I appreciate

the love. Haven't been that way for quite some time. Um. You are absolutely necessary for the resurgence of R and B music. Your information, your gift, your understanding of how this ship goes absolutely necessary. Um. So, first off, it was good to see you the other night. Running into you. It was like because I saw Says running into you because I had to really quickly get that in because it was crowded, like we had to really. I was like, oh, oh, guys are here like cities here, this is this was

a real call um. But again, you're necessary, brother, um to the to this R and B fabric man, and we we need to see and hear more of you right now, not later, right now. So that is my charge to you, R and B Theologian that I'm tired to just running to you at the street fair. Sick of it. Can we miss it this year? I think it comes to Halloween, doesn't it. Think it's it's Halloween stuff. But so, um on behalf of the Army Money podcast man and my brother Jake Valentie, and we thank you,

brother for giving us your time. I appreciate you. You know, you your family, your friend, but your time is valuable. Brother, and your music is expensive. Man, listen, I'm glad to be here. And like you said, army money. If people want to get the information everything, these guys they've been doing it forever and everything. And I hit you, I said, um when I entr on that, I'm like, he went right back to commission once again. You cannot lose doing

that commission just magic and whatever that is. If there is magic in there, I'll always be there. And it's transferable, like you like you like you can put it. You can put that ship on everything, and each voice can has it have, each voice can have like before we go. Um, see, now that I found the love of my life, I don't have to trick no more. I told Dave this is what we're doing. He said, yes, we're doing this and that was a big part of that song because

we broke the monotony of everything else. It let Dave be Dave again for a minute, and then we got back off into being allowed singer. You know what I'm saying. So I just feel like and it's more, but people just get to get the lessons and study the great study the older generation everything. It's not that the older generations. Hey, nah, you gotta get your craft up. You gotta get your your ten thousand hours gotta be spent right or just ten thousand hours. You can't just spend ten thousand hours

saying I practiced. I did not. But if it ain't spent right, you need ten more thod hours. And that's just what That's what it is, you know what I'm saying. Like he torn with everybody singing background making it doing this every third, I'm being a printed I'm doing this. I remember one when I first met heavy D. He didn't know what I did. While I was up he was running motown up to that. He said. He looked at me, sad, I don't know what you do. You're

gonna make it. He said, you got a certain energy, but you just minding your business. You're just soaking up the game. And I was sitting in the corner like when my time comes, my time would come and I'll do it. There guys and artists, but amazing executive who loved R and b MutS loved it. Man really helped. He did, you know what I'm saying. So it's like he you know, it's just just stuff like that. And when he got out here, you know, it's just funny stuff.

I used to go box with him and Andreirol just working on everything, and O'Neill will be there, just all funny stuff. But it's just a community of people getting together, like minded with for the for the calls and everything. You know what I'm saying, It's like, we gotta get back to that, and the young gotta they gotta want the lesson too. They gotta want it, or we gotta find the people who want the less because there are

people who want the lesson everything. But you know, just just with the songs, you don't need to use a million words. Space it out, baby, give the person a chance to learn the record or keep the person a chance to learn, understand what it is and break it down. We don't want to hear five thousand. I don't want to have every then you know, on one record, but I want to hear it. So don't mumble it, eive. I want to hear it. Let's hear it and so we can so we can absorb it and take it in.

You know what I'm saying, Like, listen to the old stuff and do and and modernize and do what you do, but use those principles because you're still touring twenties down the line. Are these R and B artists gonna be over tour? Was it two and two thousand forty two? Are they gonna be over tour? They're gonna be like, I'm cool. That's the real thing they got to think about. Well, I know him to close out there and be money podcast, but Mike City just did it for us, ladies and gentlemen.

I'm take and this has been the R and B Money Podcast featuring my brother Mike. That's having me