Mike Gardner

R and B Money, Honey, we are.

Thank take valotized. We are the authority on all things R and B. Ladies and gentlemen. Money is tank. This is the rmy Money Podcast, the authority on all things R and B.

H When you when you do music, you need a place to go, yes, you do. You know you need a venue. You need proper venue.

You need proper promotions, You need proper promoters.

You need your money on time.

You definitely need your money on You know, you need.

Proper people in place to make sure that there are platforms in place for you to go and the people to go to celebrate you. And that's what this man has provided for twenty plus years. And were about to get into the magic of how he's doing it and now he continues to do it do while living all give it up for my garden.

That's that's an amazing man. I've been looking forward to this one. That amazing.

How we have the rmvy Money Podcast and not have Mike This makes sense. Oh, we do too many good things.

Just been a fabric in everyone's lives in this music Listen.

Some of the greatest nights of my life, you know, some nights, some nights that ended with you know, everyone knows this conversation.

If you you in a relationship, what happened to you last night? I don't know. I was that. That's the last thing I remember party a bachelor party was at list? How about that? How about that? I mean a funny story about that too, I been.

I don't think you understand, like you know, we're family now, but I don't think you understand the lengths that I would go.

To to get here on a Sunday, like it was, yeah, tanked. The event ain't till like Wednesday.

Yeah, yeah, but I want to go in a few days early. So you want to be there on Sunday for the event there's Wednesday.

Yes, I do, Yes, I do. It's I mean, and you've been doing that? I mean, what do you say? Fifteen years?

Wow?

Thinks successful years.

I like that because that's different, right, because I mean, of course there are hides and lows to everything, right, and I think there are there are levels to the highs and lows. Sometimes when those lows get really low, you can.

You can't get into livet.

You know, that's what you know, the lows the lows is really low. You know what I'm saying, it's like you used to get in for the loves. I am gonna need that two hundred from you, baby. You know what I'm saying. It's but it's never been like maybe what you consider a low is different than what we consider a low, since you know you're you're you're dealing

Absolutely no, it got its It definitely has its lows, like because for fifteen years, it's nothing is consistent for fifteen years. But you're right, the low may be different for y'all it's and for me it's a little different.

And so you know, you may get someone that come there maybe.

Twice a year, and it's popping those two times they come to in their mind is always always popping. It's the greatest part of every but you know, to be honest, we have our moments where it's not ass popping.

It's just that the people don't see it.

The wrong artist was booked or or there wasn't an artists and it's just you know, because now they have the people have come. They so used to seeing someone there now and it's one of those situations.

Like who's there, who's there? And that's not really what I like.

As the promoter. I wanted to be about the party. It's not about who's going to be there. And once the point of time it was like that where they was coming to live on Sunday because of living on Sunday because they didn't know who was going to be there and who's going to get up on that stage.

I think that's where it real you.

Int we got taken, So like I want to, I definitely want to continue to expand on it because I think what you've done with this is legend legendary, completely legendary. Is there a backstory to even how you get into this space, like going back to the beginning, to your hometown and being like I want to be the curator of of legendary musical moments. The basketball mind.

Well, I was gonna say, t.

It's a thing in the industry, hey man, And I've never even hooved with it, but I know that, Yeah, you know, I gave them.

I was gonna say, no, this wasn't something I wanted to do. This just happened.

It wasn't that I wanted to be a promoter, I wanted to curate this or that it just ended up happening.

And always said this over the years.

I feel like I've been blessed to bless others because this wasn't something that I wanted to do.

I wanted to be a ball player. I wanted to I wanted to be MIKEE. But it just didn't bad. It just didn't go that way.

So where were you playing?

I actually came to Miami from Chicago.

I came down here and I was playing the University of Miami. I started as a freshman sophomore.

The biggest.

I said was there with Jack Jack, I'm a little older than What we're not going to do is disclose our age.

But I'm older than Jack.

Oh, okay, okay, older than Jack.

I'm a little older than Jack, though, But nah, I was down here playing and I don't want to say too much about it because I got this documentary coming out. It's going to tell the whole story. What you know, I was down here ball and I came and that's what got me to Miami. I came down here. Uh, they kids, he got in trouble and go ahead, Yeah, yeah, I got in trouble. I got got in the little trouble. It's a great learning experience. See it on the documentary

You finish school.

I finished Illinois and yeah, I finished. I got the degree in at the Paul. So congratulations, than you show you know me there? So y'all want me here?

Cool? Good luck?

Yeah, So it's all good.

So I ended up after I got my degree, I was in Chicago doing absolutely nothing and my cousin he had a barber shop called Hell and his barber Shops.

Uh.

So I end up coming down here because he said, look, man, we grade open up one hundred and fifty barber shops in every corner like Paul Mitch, and I was like, okay, cool. So I came down here and we couldn't get one open, and I was like, damn, I'm just down here doing absolutely nothing. So steady going over to um pursuing my whole dream, working out me, Tim hardaway everybody. I'm still got my pool dreams. But I ain't had no place

And I was like, that's cool, let's let's do a party. And he was like, why don't we do a player's ball? You know how? You know you in Chicago? Man, they got all the pimps and players and all that. And I was like, all right, cool.

But I thought originally I thought he was talking about with the athletes, but he was talking about with the real So I reached out to Bishop Don, Magic Wand and then he kind of gave me the connect for Iced Tea, and my very very first party was a player's ball with Bishop Don, Magic Wand and Iced Tea.

That was my first party.

Pretty much, what you're saying is that Dave's your pails, stole your idea.

Tea.

It sounds like the same party.

Man. Hey, I guess so I ain't gonna say, well, I won't say sold it.

But she happened.

So the party though, the party was a disaster. It's a disaster, listen, man.

This ballroom held about fifteen hundred people, and maybe fifteen people showed up. And that was like me, the cashier, It wasn't absolutely, it wasn't a soul that showed up.

Man.

I was so disappointed. I was like, maybe this ship ain't for me. But nobody showed up because in my documentary I showed it. This is because I didn't have any tutor to show me how to promote or nothing like that.

I had a flyer. It didn't even have the location of the party.

No, So I think that's I know, man, nobody didn't invite nobody, nobody, and nobody noticed.

That location disclosed soon man.

So it was terrible.

Man, it's crazy.

It was terrible.

I got a picture of the fly and I think that's I need to frain it because that was my my very first party. You gotta they didn't have no location, no party here, Nobody noticed it. I'm passed off these flyers. Nobody stopped me and said, Mike, where did the party at? Nobody said ship.

They just didn't come super humble.

So when did it become When did it become a thing? Did you open some more barbershops first? And then nah?

So after that, after that failed, I used my relationships like with Tim Hardaway Lines the Morning, and then some of the guys that that played at UM that was playing at with the Dolphins, like You're till Green Jason Taylor's at Thomas. They let me do a player's ball, another player's ball, but this is with the athletes, and they didn't charge me. So because of the hype of

Me use, let me rock and it was a success.

So I tasted that success and then that gave me some more confidence, like, shit, I can do this because that player's ball I was. I thought I was gonna be one and done, so they let me do it, got some success, made made some money, and then I was like, maybe I can do this.

And then ironically, Peter Thomas, he.

Had a club called Bark Cole, and he's like, Mike, why don't you come on and start doing this weekly party. He was the first person to let me do a weekly party and it started from that back in two thousand and one.

Now he thought, okay, here's a question, because there's always the Peter Thomas question or what he what he kind of stands on, and I think you can validate this is he the first black promoter to bring black parties to South Beach.

Him and Luke him, and let me let me just say what it is him lose. Everything starts with un and we're not going to discredit them. But Peter, Peter had a spot on Fifth Street that he opened up, and it was called Fifth Street and it used to be where cross the street where Play was, remember play, So Peter had a spot across the across the street

I didn't know that.

Yeah, they they wasn't allowing black people to really to come out on the beach unless you was a worker or if you had an ID card.

Saying that you was working out here. Like it's a it's a deep story of leak Miami Beach.

Man, it's crazy. Gotta might want to do some history that. It's kind of like, let me see your hotel room, let me see your hotel.

Make Miami Beach great again, make Miamy these drives listen, they don't.

They don't at this point, they don't care.

I guess the just you know, in this life saving the adventure, when you got that Miami Dolphins Miami heat uh player's ball with no overhead.

Correct that had that had to be very substantial.

It was, and that's what gave me the confidence and like I can do.

This, and the funding to move on to your next thing. Would making up for the first party.

Making up for the first part because it was a it was a it was a ball player that played with you, and he had just got drafted, so he had he had some fresh money. He had a couple of million dollars had I ain't gonna say who he is, but he signed a multi million dollar deal in the NFL, and he gave me the money to form my first party,

And I just kept doing them and stayed with it. And then Peter, like I said, gave me.

A chance to do a weekly party because he was like, you're putting in all this this work for one party.

Just keep it going. And it started to beat that.

So was it under the Headliner Monica?

Then now it was under.

It was it was still called Headliner, but I called it, uh, it was under Professional Businessmen Association because I was having problems getting in the clubs, you know, as far as like you know, because back then a lot of people was using entertainment or this group, that group. So I went in thinking that I was going trick. I'm like, oh, this company is called Professional Businessmen Association.

They want to do a party. But it wasn't working. Man that it wasn't working. None of that was work. And then and then when when you walk in and see okay it's headlined.

Then and because of my cousin's barbershop, I just uh, I just I just ran with that. But I put the spin on it by saying Headlina Market Group got it just went from there.

Okay, I don't want to steal too much out of the documentary, but I gotta know how how you stumbled into We gotta know how you stumble in to Live on Sunday.

We gotta we gotta know how you get in there.

Well, I mean, I'm gonna tell you so.

And then they when they can it can be validated with the doc so they can see it in the dock and they because I got a lot of content and a lot of footage on how this happened and how it played out, So how I how I end up getting in too live. Me and Louis Oliver was doing Soul Kitchen Sundays.

Yeah, you know.

So we had a nice little four year run over there, and Live was about to open up, uh in the found Blue, So mow Garcia.

Mo was a was a staple and Live for He.

Then moved and down He's now running being a face out in Vegas at the Farm Blue out there. But Mo reached out to me like he knew my history, he knew what I was capable of doing because he I've done parties with him, and so he was one that wanted me to come and to live. They was like five months into Open and Live, and he was reaching out to me about doing a Thursday party at Live because I was me and Lewis was at the Forge on Sundays already, but so he was reaching out

The forger is right around the corner from the Found Blue. It'll be an easy thing.

But one of my reservations with it was the Forge was like a dinner party first, then it turned into a club.

It was amazing, experienced, man, it was. It was amazing. I can't lie it was amazing. It was.

It was.

It was amazing.

But when we went over to Live, Live had just just while it wasn't a restaurant or intimate dinner party that turned into a club.

It was just like this massive club. But I said to Louis, like.

If we do come to Live, we do know what it's going to do, because think about it, they wasn't. It wasn't like Live waited until they was going on there downfall and like, all right, let's let's.

Let these niggas in here. And you know what I'm saying.

They was they were gonna fresh, They was ready, they was opening. And I think that was one of the things that played a great success in the Live because it was new, and you know, we always feel like, you know, in the stigma of being in Miami, we couldn't go to these type of venues.

We couldn't be in these type of venues. So to be in the Found Blue, that was.

One of the biggest accomplishments because even thinking about back in the day where when you had Sammy Davis in the Rad Pack and all that going over the Found Blue, but they couldn't stay at the Found Blue. They had to go into Overtown to stay in the hotels there. So it was a big thing of us going into the Found Blue. And then when we signed that deal, it was like, oh shit, it's gonna happen for real, real, and you know it was. It took a minute. It

Do you remember who the first artist you had, the.

Very the very first person on the that we did was Making Good. I had made a good host a party and Megan was was my first host.

I lived and uh and a DJ and it was a chick DJ named DJ Kiss Making Good and djis.

I got the Fly Party got oh sure, I had a first in Miami. Did I was the I was the first artist to host King of Diamonds.

I know that's right. She want to throw that out there. Uh, shout out to Pops and everybody who brought me in.

The Monday night who as as Wayne would say King of Diamonds.

Who gave me the money to give back to him. I didn't manage that well. The girls look so yeah, it's so good.

I've been. I've I've been with you. Man.

When they when they hand when they hand you the money for the strip club and then you give it back to the strip club, I'm like no.

Then they asked me like how much of this do you want? In once? I'm like, how much can I get? And then it turns into Jay, what you got on you?

I'm gonna give you. I'm gonna give you like me walking in to live and sing all of Cash Money in Young Money and.

And I was like.

And sing the venue itself. I hadn't seen a club like that, and I literally walked in. I was like, what the fuck is this? And when I say it was up, I got there when it was up. So I didn't you know, as you say, you had the humble beginnings even in that spot. I never I never saw that. When I got there, it was.

Scrag me too.

It was like every LA party all in one. It was like guys and dolls, colony, everything all in one room.

Wow. I was like, I have to be here. Now here's here's a question for you. Did you start? I mean, did you start the hip hop residency.

Got We started from scratch and there was nothing before us. It was it was, it was, it was Yeah, from day one.

It was us.

Did you hear that, folks, the first hip hop res see We'll say it figure dog ain't gonna need you got to tell you who?

It was? Right here? Yeah, right here. I felt that though.

I appreciate that because then it started moving about and everybody now has residencies with you know, Zaid rappers had singers and all that stuff. But I remember specifically that you had some fixtures in there that made sure that every time we went to live it was an experience.

Go ahead.

I don't take that credit due, but now you should sure.

First time I saw it exactly remembering clubs all over the world. First time I ever saw something consistent where it's like, oh they're they're the DJ. He's that Like all of that was fixed I knew what I was getting when I came to live for sure, and if there were any extras, And it was like that fixture was so ginormous that it made everybody I want to want to fall in line. Right, I kind of equated this, and this is gonna be a weird analogy.

Uh.

There's a spot I used to eat that in Maryland called the Chesapeake Based Seafood House. And at the Chesapeak bas Seafood House, there was all you can eat menu, right, and at the top of the all you can eat menu there was the crab legs, the most expensive item on the on the thing, but if you got the crab legs, you can get everything underneath the menu.

For All you can Eat.

Your fixture was the crab legs, the most epicsive thing on the menu. So at that point, everything underneath the menu would fall in line with the top of what's on the top of the menu, of course, because you at the top of the food chain already in the building. So everybody else under all you can Eat menu was like, we have to be in there. We have to because we want to be on the play too. We want to be part of All you can.

Eat is it working.

No, it's not. It's not. It's not I want it to work. It wasn't my guy and I wanted to work. I don't know how live in crab legs.

I want to get down to the business side of yes, right, because the reason why you're here obviously you're our guy, and we you know, we want to celebrate you in what you've done in this game, but we also want you to give the information to like these young promoters or even even promoters that's in it that might not be doing it right, Like how do you get to this space? What do you feel like are the important or just a couple of the important keys to being a successful promotion company.

M h.

I'm always willing to to share that that information, so it ain't no secret. Like for me, I've always said to those who maybe reach out to me in DM or they'll stop me in the middle of the club or whatnot, I always say, man, it's just being humble, because you got to understand that in this.

Game, we need the people. The people don't need us.

It's not like I'm selling gasoline or power, Like where you need me, they don't need me. They can go to any other club, any other party they want. So it's just just main maintaining the level of humbleness and being yourself. Like I this night life can get you caught up, man, Like it can get you caught up.

Were you ever one of the promoters who would jump on the mic.

No, because I wouldn't jump on the mic.

I don't even know if me and this brother got a picture like that was never my thing though, But that's interesting.

I've never thought about it.

But I'm trying to I don't know if we I don't well whatever I say that to say, like, just just being you and not getting caught up in this game.

Because this this this night life, it's.

It is what it is.

It can be full of. See, it can be full of.

When you mixing alcohol, ego, money, celebrities, women late night. If you don't be humble and stay grounded, it'll tear your ass up, like because I've seen it. I've seen it with so many different people and a lot of promo some promoters, I ain't gonna say a lot of them. Some promoters come in this for the women. Some of them come in it for the hype. Oh I can get you into this party. I can get you in

Like I try not to get caught up into the the hype of it.

And that's why I say, like, sometimes I very seldom take pictures like I got this little funny story real quick, like it was a it was a I ain't gonna say how long ago it was because I don't really I vaguely remember, but I remember one time I had went to give Future his money.

Now I've done.

So many parties with Future up until this point, but me and Future never really met. So it was one time when I end up having to take him his money myself. And when he's seen me, he was like, you might I thought you was white, And that shit blew my mind because he couldn't he couldn't see a black man. The done live like on the on the level and we talk about it right now, so it ain't no big secret.

But and that kind of.

That kind of made me be like, well, wait a minute, am I doing something wrong or do I need to let it be no more because it can't affect the business when people don't know who's really doing it, because that opens up the door for others to come in and the like.

It being you a black man gives give valid gives validation to other black men coming up correct trying to do that.

It's very much important that they know it is you are.

And and something to and something to look up to and something to aspire to, right because I'll speak from the business side, right of the business, from from their artists standpoint of me dealing with tank and dealing with artists that I've worked with.

And having to deal with promoters. It is usually.

The hardest part for us because it's very it's very seldom you find real businessmen and business women who are about their business right that who handle their business who the money is never funny. You're not chasing this promoter throughout the club. They're not drunk, you know what I mean.

They don't.

They don't come to your room smelling like we trying to drop off the money that looks like you don't know where it came from, like seriously, like because as black people, we also have to we have to audit ourselves, and a lot of times we try to get past.

That of like, nah, man, that's just a no. Business is business.

Business is business, and we should handle ourselves accordingly and we should like in my phone, I would listen. This is something I've never said before, but in my phone there is a do not do business section. Oh wow, I literally have people in my phone that I will not do business with HM. And we've had that and Mike, you know me, I am an upfront person. If they call me, I tell them that now we can't do

Yeah, that was Bro.

We can't do business no more, right because I don't want to have my business partner in those type of situations. I don't want him looking for the promoter and Jay, did you did you talk to and did they? Because we already know for three or four times because it hasn't just been some people where it's just like oh it's a one time thing. You show grace and we have.

Listen.

I don't know if it's because it's a party. And sometimes you know, people get confused that, oh it's they thinking it's just a party. They don't think it of it as business. They don't look at it as business, and they think that they can just handle it at their own pace time like, and I try not to do that with y'all, man, not just with with Tank, but with everyone, because there's a level of consistency that

They don't look at it as a business.

Like the liquor got to be paid, the lights got to be paid, the DJ got to be paid, the waitresses, the security, those couches.

Ain't free, like.

Somebody got to pay. Somebody got to pay for it.

But it's it's, it's it's I don't complain though, man, Yeah, but I'm happy. I'm in a good space.

Man. I'm blessed and thankful for the opportunities I have, man, especially and be surrounded and acknowledged by brothers like y'all.

Man, I definitely appreciate.

It that that they can see that they can expand outside of the club, outside of business, because I want to say, like to both of y'all man, like you know, as the promoter, sometimes we don't we don't get the just due of like, not only are we promoting the artists, we're paying the artists.

It works for everyone.

But I want to commend y'all forgiven me this moment of this because it says a lot, man, especially when I've been doing this for twenty two years. This is the first time I think that I've ever had a real.

One on one.

Publicly with someone that I've been doing business with for so long. So I want to I want to thank y'all for this opportunity.

Man.

Straight absolutely, let's speak about expansion, you know, because.

Before we go expansion, I'm gonna tell you when I realize, all right, I can make some things move get I get a text one night and this is this is This is interesting too, because this is when you kind of realize, you know, you've had an impactful relationship with somebody, sometimes without even knowing. Years back years years back, I get I get a text. Young lady text me it's one of those weekends in Miami and it's crazy and I'm not in Miami.

And the text says, hey, you think you can help me get in to live? What a text? Right?

And I'm like, and this is literally just just a homegirl. What no, no, nothing had I could have I could have completely ignored her. But I'm like, she' the homie. She cool people.

I text Mike.

And at this point like, me and Mike cool, but you know, and you've said it Mallyon times, I don't really come outside as much, so sometimes they don't even know I'm the actual manager, right, So because there's some guys who say they managed Tank that don't manage Tank.

So Mike kissed me back. I text him. I'm like, like, you know, I can tell he busy, you know what I mean? But he's like, what's her name? What she looked like?

I said my picture of her? Right, He's like, all right, cool, I got her. He go out to look for the funniest shit. He go out to look for he can't find her. I text her back, I'm like, my guy's looking for you, blah blah blah. She text me back she's already walked into the club, which said basketball player.

You know what.

I text Mike back, high girl summer. I still like it's the funniest.

But I was like the fact that the fact that Mike would do that for me though, I was like, he really rock with me. He really rock with me. You know, I made an impact. I'm good in my hand. Now let's talk about expansion.

Expansion.

You know, I'm in my mind, I'm like, I'm the general of R and B.

I am I am. I am part of the revolution. You say in your mind.

Who you are?

No, I'm saying this ship for you.

I'm going back to the time to where he was expanding, and I'm like, I am R and B. I am him at its core, and we are you know, we are just kind of you know, spotting doing R and B parties and DJ and stuff like that. And I've seen something come across my uh you know, my algorithms do wop, Who's.

Doing this, Who's doing.

Who's and what does it mean if you and Mike him be like like, listen, man, you got to pull up to I do man all day? R and B party is something you need to see. I said, it is something I need to see you in my area.

And I remember was that the around the time he was doing drink chaps that you did? Was it for that?

But it was at it was at a spot, yes, yeahfore and so I can't remember what day it was.

I just happened to be there and it was a due up going on, and I said, Mike, I'm pulling up and about I'm coming over.

He said, don't worry about nothing. We got you.

And you know, the car stopped short line is crazy, you know, like what is this? He's like, come on, I got you. Were walking in. I think you walked me through the front. He walks me through the front of the club, just to make sure I see what's happening. Woll this ron Eisley.

Song is yeah, and that time the club anyway, I'm walking, I'm like, this is a B party. He's like this. I said, cut me in and cut it out. Hey man, you were so excited. I want to be in. What do you need me to do?

Yeah?

Fly, I play some of my songs. I'm singing tonight. I was off, but I'm willing to work.

And and I just you know, and I appreciate you because you know that is that is your thing. That is that it's something that you guys created and put together that I just thought was so amazing that I just I just jumped on the truck. I just I just said, man, I'm getting in the car, Man open up me in And I just jumped in the car and I'm just along for the ride. And I appreciate you allowing me just to be along for this do

I I mean after doing Live and Story and all these parties for so long, I mean, we get older. And that's what happened with me. I got older and to the point to where especially Live on Sunday became just live on Sunday. It's this business. And not saying that I didn't enjoy myself there still, but it just I wanted something different, especially fifteen years later, and what do I do at home?

I listened to R and B. I drink my wine. I listened to I want to have a good time.

Now You're Chicago bro like that people Chicago and R and B music like it's a real thing.

You could be the most gangster nigga in.

The world from do I got the wild Huntings of Chicago and you're still gonna be playing.

Some R and B music that it just is what it is.

It is what it is, man, And I think that's just in me because I was I was born in in in Centralia, Illinois. And I know you're from Milwaukee, right, that Midwest because I used to live in Milwaukee too. I was living in Milwaukee for a couple of years I lived and they know how you a couple of years. My mom was like a she was like a rolling stone for real. But so I got that that Midwest inmy It's embedded in me.

But I'm gonna get your.

Get him now because you have to Milwaukee now.

Time man, Clippers, it's crazy Clippers lebron stand Okay, it's just okay.

Time Jersey on the way here.

Heavy statement, but I say that.

I just wanted to create something that I can enjoy and and then give it back to the people like you. You you came to my Overtime Music and Arts festival, and that festival it was free to the community, but it was really arm be Overton and just to see the joy on people's faces.

Man.

And this was back then, and so I wanted to create that in a party setting, and I've tried it in the past, but a lot of the club owners they wasn't They wasn't buying it, they wasn't hearing it. They didn't want to If I ain't doing these live numbers, then it didn't make sense to them.

But my man Angel over a racket. He gave me a shot.

He was like, I'm gonna let you come in and do it so and I told him it's gonna work. It may take some time, but it's gonna work. But that first night, man, that first that first day, because it was a day party, because I know with us being older and those that I felt that would come out, let me get you in here earlier. If you have a good time, you can go home like you ain't missing shit. You ain't got to stay out until three

Because you came in and you stamped it.

Man, I appreciate when y'all talk about it on the show, even when I'm not here.

Y'all you y'all support that do wop. So I man, I'm thankful for y'all.

So he is the.

Unofficial official founder president of the So he was like, shit, it ain't nothing.

I can't. I can't do it without him.

So he if it's something that he say, ain't Mike, Man, we're gonna make this as a du wop.

I'm almost gonna have to do it. Like I can't say no to him. I can't at this point.

Now, you as the manager, you may be like Hey, hold up, Mike said, you can't say no, so ship his birthday January first.

Man, I gotta be careful how I say that. But no, Man, that that due Man. I love that due Man Me and fly Guy.

It's just something Guy, It's just it's amazing, man like and being able to go back and seeing some of the footage. Man, and you genuinely was just having a good time. It wasn't about nothing like and I'd use the clip a couple of times in the promotion where you was like, listen, man, I just came to have a good time. But if you play one of my songs, I may be compelled to. And it just took off, man,

The only time I.

Really do a host is in a large enough space, but when I'm in a small intimate spot, it's just a do wop and they come because they want to have a good time.

It's always a good time.

You.

You are a busy man. We appreciate the time. We appreciate you pulling up. But you know, there's there's a little more information I think we need from you right before you get out of here. As you as you say you listen to this R and B. That's what he said, you know, he said when he goes home Wine. That's what he says. That's a mixtape that we do together for the Wopping Wine and R and B send it by the do Wop. I'm just spitballing him.

Okay. We gotta have a genius wine. You know, we just spitballing. Okay, Mike Gardner, mm hmm. Who are your top five R and B artists?

Listen, man, that's an easy question, and it's it's a little bit more than five. So if you're on mind, let me just say who they are. And I'm gonna start out number one with you. Then I'm gonna say Neil. Then i'm gonna say Mario. Then i'm gonna say Trey Yeah, say Chris yeah, and you know, more recent, I also gotta say Jamie yeah yeah. And then i'm gonna say Brent, and I'm gonna say bryceon Taylor.

You really want to know why I say those?

Look, I say those because they all participated in the doo and they support me, so I'm gonna support them.

So those are my top R.

And B top eight eight. Yeah, I don't know how many, It doesn't matter. You know my calculator, you know what I mean? Those gates, those are my those are mine.

So I got I just gotta, I just gotta put that out there. But you know, I am a I'm a I'm a I'm a big Kelly fan, I'm a big Marvin Gay fan.

And uh, I just but those are my top Okay, I appreciate that.

I don't want to I don't want to dumb it down. Those are my top.

Yes, sir, that's your world, your world. Top five R and B songs.

Top five arm B songs.

I thought about this because I've been asked this question so many times over the years since doing this du op and it's genuinely hard to say. And I know I gotta answer it because you're asking me. But it's hard, brother, it's a hard thing. So like off the top of my head, like i'm a let me, let me, nah, man.

That's gonna be hard. That's gonna be hard. That's gonna be hard. You have to hear women say that again.

Five songs that you have to hear at the opper.

You're gonna go and text somebody or go literally cut somebody out because you record you was looking.

For Okay, So if it's if it's if it's like that, let me let me, let me say it then. So my top five songs that you gotta play at the duop. You gotta play Yearning for Your Love. Come on, Yeah, I gotta hear My Life for Mary Jay. You gotta play Usher Superstar, Yes, I gotta play R Kelly. Seems like you're ready and you gotta play when we.

Ah man, Yeah, you like, I don't know if you know what. I made two lists today. Just you know, good things are happening on the horizon. You know, I don't know what I'm gonna do after this, you know, hang out on the beach yourself. You know.

That's that's how I'm feeling.

Right, I know that's right.

I love all those songs too. And and I've been there when you've when we not only made the request, but you pressed the button. Now now, oh my wife, because about about to play, Let's do a Vultron. A Vultron is your super R and B artist, The R and B artist that you make. We want to know who you would get the vocal from, who you would get the performance style from, who you would get the styling from, and who you would get the passion of the artists from you're making your super R and B artist.

Does it?

Does it matter if they living?

Just mix it up whatever you want to do.

That's a tough can we just can we can?

We can?

We say male, then female? Because I got my vote tron men. Then I got my vote tron women.

I like your style.

Let me let me, let me let me say my my men. I like Neil hm hmm yeah vocally and I'm going with current.

Whatever you want to do, Neil. Okay, now performance style.

Performance style, c B yeah, yeah yeah?

Who you feed? Young man?

Uh?

Styling?

Styling you okay?

Alright, silky. I say that.

A lot of the shows I've gone to that you have been to, I mean that you participated in and some of the others that I've seen, You're gonna make them appreciate looking at you, and I say that humbly. I'm a grown man, so I can say it ain't it is what it is so the styling of it. And we're not talking about colorful costume performances, hats, and it's just your you're flying this with it?

What else? Passion?

The passion, I don't know about that one.

That's a tough one because because because I see I see so much passion and a lot of the and in these artists man, like especially with R and B. Now, if this was hip hop, I will tell you I can't answer it. I'm because of I don't see that. It's just I don't want to say the wrong answer.

Right, it ain't wrong. It may be a wrong answer to me.

No wrong answers. It's just today. It may change tomorrow, you know.

Yeah, Hey man, that's a tough one. Man.

Did somebody you know that really mean it?

Somebody you notice up there sweating and somebody working hard that you.

Like, you know what?

He he deserved this spot, that he because he really wanted this. Oh then I'm gonna have to say, Tank Brown, Tank Brown.

This isn't gonna be doing damn you, Chris Babs, you know, you know, you know you know what I mean?

Answer now? You know me and me and Chris Brown, we work together, yall.

My guys man as well.

You mean, listen, he means it so much.

He's so dedicated to the crimean it's it's so in his heart. He can't stop, right, he won't stop. I just hurd thirteen new song thirteen. I know, man, he picked those thirteen from one thousand. I'm just telling you, like that he did in two weeks.

He means it. We do. Okay, let's go. Let's go to the to the to the.

Young lady, to the young lady. Yes, yes, vocally, I'm gonna go with Whitney. Yes, I think I can.

I think I can say that performing style, performing style. I think I can go with b Yeah. Yeah, the styling.

And and it ain't my style, but I know she that's her thing and it's a what's the word connected style. I would have to go with Erica.

I think I thought that. I've just seen a video of her performing the other day. She had the chicks out, shout.

Out, and then the passion.

And I thought about this because you know, and I felt like this would be a question which which who has the passion in regards to the women.

We're gonna go with Mary Franklin. With frank Franklin.

I think you're the first to create two hybrids. Bro, that's fire. Come on. Yeah.

So before we let you go, yes, we got to get to this important part. Uh brought to you by the valance.

Smell so beautiful? Don't you agree? It won't blow out just watching lines? It wasn't here at the beginning that episode.

I got a text for management that's here. Put your goddamn can on the table. But we got this very important segment of the show. It's called I ain't saying no names. You tell us a story funny or fucked up? Are funny and fucked up? The only rule to the game is you can't say no names.

That's that's a that's I got many of those. Yea. I'm gonna point this one now because and because you can't say the name. Okay, okay, it's be up to the to the gear of the person who hears this. Yes, man, I seen this guy. Damn. I already gave a little bit of it the way by saying it was a guy.

But I seen this guy man physically assault another guy, another artist.

It was fucked up. I leave it at that.

For no reason.

Nah, I mean, we we all know what the reason was. I think the public knows what the reason was. But I'm just going along with this game, y'all playing what was the center?

What led to it?

Outside? Yeah, I lead that lead right here. You said funny. It wasn't funny, it was fucked up. It was fucked up that it happened.

Now a funny one, then get off that because it's silent in here, man, making me nervous.

Man, I got to like.

You're talking about I can think of.

Talking about silent.

Man.

That's that's that's too silent man. But funny, Let me let me get a funny one out.

Man.

The funny one I think is saying no names. Guy trying to get up on the stage and live, and he took a tumble.

That was funny.

It was fucked up that it happened, But it was funny because of the guy who somebody took.

Yeah, trying to get up on that stage to do here's a hard thing, sing took a tumble.

The question is, yeah, did they tumbled back into the djo they take the.

Long tumble down to the Now they took the tumble back into the booth. I think they missed that step. So as they got up the Yeah, they tumbled backwards because that tumble to that tumble to the different would have been definitely way different. That would have been different.

It would turn the funny to fucked up complete after the ambulance.

Yeah, here's my question, because every time I'm like sitting in the booth, I'm looking at those stairs and I'm like, those stairs are fire hazard for anyone who's had two to three beverages.

Has anyone taken that long for you fall all long?

They didn't make it all the way down, but they I've seen it, and it's now that's funny because it's fucked up.

It's funny.

And this one particular female, man, it's she took the tumble and and a little bit of that hair got got caught up in that stair, and it was it was coming off.

Has she got down a few more, it would have been off. She was able to the stairs held it. Now, that was funny. If it would have came off, it would have been sucked up.

We got something though, and this is something that I was Man, I almost did not bring this up, almost forgot to bring it up. One of the greatest parties I have ever been to Jamie Fox's fiftieth birthday.

Oh, Jamie Fox.

Birthday, live on Sunday, not at live on Sunday. And what I mean by that, people is somehow these men, these amazing men, recreated live on a studio lot in Los Angeles for Jamie Fox's fifty birthday.

I will never forget that night. Absolutely, I had a time. I had a time. Man.

Can you please see the idea was coming up when it was talking about the idea, Yeah, And I said, Brie and shout out to Bri. I said, Brewn, you know you gotta call Mike already. So you gotta you gotta call Mike. You got you know you gotta call Oh no, we are.

Right now, I said, because there's no way there's to live anywhere in the world without my card. There's no way, there's no way. By I literally recreated the club man.

It was amazing and it and what he's saying is true because I got him in just in the dot mm hmm. That scene is a scene in the documentary where he was telling Brionn like.

Hey man, listen, Fox called me.

He's saying he was thinking about we're gonna do live in l A And he said, I told Fox, I said, I don't think you can do live with ourt headliner.

I'm gonna be forever and then to you, brother, forever. So to see him recreate that, man, that was.

That was one of those moments where I was like, do I open up my shirt and shoulder ass on my chest from that one because that was that was like, man, he recreated a whole party and it was amazing, man, and the borderline kind of looked like Live Man, Little Spider.

Ship in the sky. It was.

It was everything, man.

It was the two levels, the couches in the middle of the DJ booth, they even had the makeshift stairs.

It was that shit was dope.

No to the point where like Tank was like I'm going to the stage and I'm like I'm not. I'm just gonna watch.

I literally just stayed at the table and I was just like, Yo, this is insane. The craziest sh it is. This was at the same time that Snowfall had just come out. Around the same time Snowfall just come out, and it was the kid Dampson Damnson and then the easy,

Man.

It was one of the moments and I'm thinking to myself, I'm like that nigga became the biggest thing in the world.

This show became you know what I mean.

All this was at this Jamie Fox lived fiftieth birthday and I'm literally just I'm watching the stage from from our from our table, and I'm just I'm just a spectator.

I'm like, I'm not going up there.

Man, I'm gonna stay here and I'm gonna enjoy the show and all the shit that's going on around.

It was dope and and how it was curated.

It was like Live on Sunday, like where all the artists get on stage and you don't know who performed.

Because even for me at that party, I've never.

Seen ice Cube perform at the club. And when ice Cube came out, man, I lost my mind, man.

And it was it was it was cute, man, It was that was no that party was crazy.

And I think that's just again, that's just the testaments to the support that the people give. And you know him, you know, whether he wanted to do it or it was an idea, he still went through with it and made it happen. It was it just, man, that type of ship be meaning a lot to me.

Well, brother, Mike, you are.

You are the curator at the highest level of making sure that the music has has has a beautiful place to live, man, and has a beautiful place to live.

Did you hear what I doing right there? You wrote a song with you and you're like, oh, it's just roll just you know, but then you.

But then you expanding and growing into that R and B space. Man, I can't thank you enough. I can't thank you enough for that. And like I know you see the pod, but even off of the pod, you don't know how many R and B singers we tell or producers, Hey.

You need to get to that.

Du I told baby baby Face you better get down to that. Do I'm telling you, Charlie Wilson, you better get to that. Do Walp I'm trying to take you, like just letting everybody know, you know, like there is a place, there is a place, a magical place where our music is. King and Queen, I promise you, and and you've done that, man, so we thank you. Yes, sir, you know, of course it's always home for you. This

Right next to the canto we.

Got because it's my turn. I like that.

I do want to say though, like you know what you say in regards to the R and B and you can just let me get forty seven seconds to clear this up. Like I never I don't feel like we started the R and B parties when we started to do because I was doing the R and B party back in two thousand and five. But it's what I think has happened though, which is great for everyone,

I'm just stamping my my my place in it.

What the beauty of what your of your R and B party is that it's it's really an R and B party. And even even though the party lives on its own, when you when you book artists for your R and B party, you book actual R and B artists because.

There is a difference.

You're right, and I want to encourage you know, everybody is doing these parties, you know, all the all over the world all over the country as you're getting to this space.

Book of the R and B artists, Yeah, there's nothing wrong with Carling l de Bars to pull up and ke baby Face to pull up, you know what I mean, And getting Charlie Wilson to company.

Yeah, it's cool.

Like listen, we love all the new young artists too, and absolutely booked them. But don't forget about the legends in this game. They start that can pull up and get busy, Johnny Gil coming that mother fucking crazy, you know what I mean. So it's like, why y'all booking these parties and why y'all putting together this whole R and B space for the party? Think about that because I feel like a lot of times within the hip hop party, a lot of the four files of hip hop,

We know what that do at the club. So we need.

Yeah, we're looking for.

Looking for break it down. Come on, break it down. We need John b the next ques. You know what I mean.

John is one of my top two.

Because as well Stephen Trup in there. You know, I mean, turn that thing up, jacket, come on once well a.

J John, Come on listen these things and these people still got their pipes and can still sing. It's gonna show up for you and have a good time, y'all throwing like this is what we need to start seeing this around the country, around the world.

Y'all don't got to book the same five artists. I don't have five artists.

I like that. I like that.

So you know, look, and me and my man, we went to because what you said is true, man, book up, book up R and B artists. We went to this again, say no names. We went to this one party, man, and it was called R and B such and such day. And we went in there, man, and they weren't playing no R and B.

And he said to me, no, it was. It was an R and B party. It was wrapping bitches. I was, man, I was like, damn, that's cold. He said, it was just rapping like.

Ship.

Hey, but.

That was my first time hearing that. I've heard ribs and barbecue party was.

Make sure the party is rhythm. And for the love of God, we appreciate you, brother, very point blank. We thank you for coming. Man.

We know your time is precious. Man.

You are continuing to uh to build and and and do what you do. Man, We we pray for We pray for as many years as you want. You know what I means, as many as many more years as you want to be successful. That's what we pray God gives you, man, and We're going to always be here to support and champion how you however, you know what I'm saying. You know, anytime, you know, we want to get back on that basketball court. I've been out a little lot this guy, but I feel like I.

Still been trying to get him to come back. And don't do that because I got hurt. That's exactly why I stop hooping.

That's possible.

But I'm already back. Oh he back hooping. He ain't learning. I'm going out the way I came in.

And this is the Everybody Podcast, the authority on all things R and B. And we have a place, we have a home we have a curator. We got a boss man Headline Entertainment Man, shut up.

To Mike, R and B Money.

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