PJ Morton

to cold, right, Cold is like Donny Hathaway. Cold is like Stevie wonder Man. Cold is like Eric Dawkins. Yeah, you're like all of that. We've into one human being with a beanie on. It's sick. Yeah, man, coming from from you, who is you know code? I mean you know you know because because I mean a cloth of it, and so now I appreciate it, man, I appreciate it

just being in the same room. You know, I don't know if I were if I told you, I feel like I told you when you when I was doing the show during the pandemic, when I was doing uh, the game show whatever. But I met you at a super pivotal time in my life. When I my freshman year of more House, I moved to Atlanta. My boy Chuck took me the noontime. Took me the noontime. Jake q is his brother, that's his older brother. John Ta was there. Jaz Fade was there, you know. B Cox

was there. Donnie Scans, who became my man, was there. And I walked in there and said, since she shakes for dollars, I don't like the holler. I was like, wait, what I mean that night and it feels like one night. I don't I can't remember if it was one night or a time frame, but me walking through noontime literally changed. It changed my life because I was coming from New Orleans, where there was a bunch of music, but there was

no music industry. And I was saying, these dudes, every room when you went in, you were you heard music and were inspired and you were the first artist. I walked in and and I was like, oh my god, what are we doing? This is how this go? You know what I'm saying that you might have had maybe I deserve it that you might in that era. I don't know but it was that vibe. It was no, you weren't out, No, no, you know I'm saying I

might have heard that record, you know early on. I did it in nineties when I did a record like eight or something like that. So I got before I got to before I got this in bro. Yeah, yeah, I wrote that record, Shakespeare Dollars. It is a noontime classic. Yes, yes, time changing my life by the way. We shared that right special and Scans became my man became yeah, so cool. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, like that became Scans. Guy,

that's my that's one of my sins. Sate listen, bro. Yeah, that Shakespeare Dollars record came about from me going to Atlanta strip clubs right for the first time with with all of sixty dollars because it hadn't started raining then, you know what I'm saying, So so so working those ones, it was had none of that, not sixties, This was this then it was it was so my thirty ones, like it looked like something you know what I'm saying, Friday turn the money overs had to make this work.

And I saw it in goose Bumps that I was in love with Wow, like I like you, and I'll be back tomorrow. I'll be back tomorrow with another thirty, with another hot when it's under the hunt, it is hot, it's hot, and I'm hoping, I'm hoping that our conversation about her goals and aspirations and my goals and aspirations can lead to us somehow being together. And if somehow her goals and aspirations still, you know, the designs are still for her to be in this place. That's fine, Yeah,

that's fine, Free Nation. I'll drop you off, I'll pick you up. Yes, just will just be with me. Keep from that. Since you started with that damn record the place, man, Yeah, that sounds like true love, man, sound like true love. I used to fall in love in the strip had a song called I always seemed to fall in Love in the Strip Club, that is, And I didn't. I

just I don't know what it was. And it wasn't like I'm in the strip club and I need to get something out of here and tap it up and what I'm saying and be on like some some some some ogre savage type. No, they was dancing and throwing hips around exactly who you are. And I was looking at the eyes. Followed Diamond home and I saw that your eyes just have to look at I thought about it,

but I following home. Don't be him. We didn't get jealous though, when when it was he was jealous when he had to go to the next nigga who morning and I was kind of watching, Oh my god, I gotta I gotta figure out the nigger giving him more. And she gave that can't be the love of my life. It can't be. Can't be, that can't be, not my my lady, not mus not musing, can keep He told me, what is a really sentiment? Right? The girls come over and asked me about it. There it was like, no,

I'm here with somebody I'm taking. You were taking taking, were taking that crazy man, Yeah right right. But that's when we that's when I met you. That's when I met you. That is Crushman in college and just figuring it out. What a time in Atlanta though at that tall Man, it was special, bro, special, it was special. I just fell right in it and shout out to Noontime.

I gotta give I gotta give Noontime a special shout out man, because just in terms of how they were making their records, the amount of talent that they had up there, um sharing and collaborating, true, you know what I'm saying, Like true collaborations like this was the first time I had seen producers share sounds like this. They was like, Oh, you gotta get this new new stick. I I was crazy. Everybody passing the disc around this new kickoff, this new that's the new Time saying on

that right there. I had them all, Yeah, the stick from the planet fact, that's the new Time stick. Like they were they were they were making this magic together and creating an identity that it was noon very motown ish because you could that's what I'm saying if you were stuck. You go in another room and it's like you're hearing something that you know what I'm saying, that

was special, Like everybody had their own things. So for me, that was brand new because when I was growing up, I was the only person I knew like me, you know what I'm saying, Like wanting to make records that we're gonna be on the radio. You know, it was like either you wanted to be in jazz in New Orleans or you know, a rapper. I wasn't either, so I just didn't really you know, find a place there

until I got to Atlanta. Wow. Yeah, Um, let's let's go back to let's go back to the let's go back to the beginning, because because they had to, somebody looked at you and said that boy there got it. Man, he can do it, and he got it. When was that and when was the time that you actually felt like that? Um? Well, I'm preacher's kid, you know, and

not just a preacher's kid, but I was. My father was a singer, is a singer, like a for real, for real singer, no play play and um, so our church was very musical, like um, the musicians he brought in. I mean it was like top not she was like serious, we started making records like in the eighties, you know what I'm saying. Um, And so I had a lot of it around me. So my family was the family that pushed you. If they saw it, they're like PJ planning, you know. My dad said he prayed over my hands.

So eight years old is when I got when I started playing, like when I felt like I was playing. Fourteen is when I remember saying, Okay, I'm like I can play. I didn't want to sing for for a long time. That was keys was kind of like my comfort zone. So yeah, singing during this time, you know, not really. I had a solo probably at you know, ten years old, humble yourself, you know, with the youth choir, you know, but like I didn't want to sing. Once I started playing, I was like, na, this is all

I want to do. And um, the way I started singing was, um, I wanted to hear. I started hearing harmonies and stuff in my head and I'm like writing these songs at fourteen and fifteen, and I was like, I just want to hear him, so I will go to the studio and like just record him. I had an s Y eighty five and I started sequencing on that Yamaha joint and I took it to the studio. Remember I would pay my own money. Literally, I didn't have any concept of placing songs. I didn't know how

to industry work. That just wasn't around. And I let my best friend here one of those songs. Uh. Kenneth and his brother Brian was in ministandard years old, and he was like, you should let Brian here that they just started a group because they were on the road doing sneaky Um, yeah, I was. I didn't know where R and B songs weld play, so I didn't let nobody hear those at that point. I was right though.

I thought I wanted to write for Brian McKnight, and I'm like, I don't, I don't know, but I think I can. Yeah. That's why I was like I skipped because Stevie was the first thing that came to me, like really you and I became obsessed. Like at thirteen, I became obsessed, so I wasn't necessarily listening to what was popular at the time. So now I listened to the kid groups that you didn't want to write for them. I think Brian, I think I could do you know

what I'm saying. That had no idea with that confidence. But but Ken let Brian hear that song and they recorded that on It Feels Like Rain album. So I was fifteen. I remember I had to bring the CD to school because they didn't believe me. I'm like, YO wrote a song for a real person, and I brought the CD cover there to show them that. Yeah, And then I got to check and I was like, wait, I could do this and get a money like it No I didn't know. I didn't know at all. I

was like, they want to do my song? J Mark Pajam was producing it. P D A and J Mass they produced it. And I always tell this story. It is funny because my s Y A D five would cut out if it was overload, like sequencing right, so you go from the hook to the verse and sometimes if it's too many sounds at the at the one, it would drop out and P D A and then

they dropped out. They did a break and I said in my fourteen year fifteen year old brain, I said, oh, I'm a producer, like they did my mistake over you know what I'm saying. And that was it. Man, I was like, I was like, and so to your point, gospel music was the lowest hanging fruit for me. That's what it was around me. Like I said, my dad was making records all that. So I was writing for the church and stuff and until I moved to Atlanta in college and that's my junior years when I linked

up with in Dr Red and places. That's my first placement, like mainstream placement when she was on Motown. But so I guess fourteen was like when I started playing the House of Blue, Sunday brunch, playing for different groups. Again, wasn't singing singing was like not mom, I was too shys to shake. My dad asked me to singing church. My hand to be shaking. I didn't want to be in front of people. I tried to be in the

back for so long. Still worth singing at four nah, just to myself, but not not out, not out to people. Now I was. I was terrified, man, until my dad asked me to sing a solo and I was, I did it for him, you know, And then I kind of I was like, I liked, I like this. I'm just scared, you know what I'm saying. But when I went to college, I got to kind of re reinvent myself for seeing myself in a different light because I was just Paul Morton's son, you know, in the world.

So I was just it was huge, it was a huge shadow. So like I got to just restart in Atlanta's when I started to like think about being an artist at all. You know. Yeah, that's at fourteen. That's nice grade, right, yeah, eighth yeah, ninth grade. I sang in front of them girls, I say that gospel song in front of them women yeah, and went to that howard he no, and they started screaming at just something. I said, this is a different homely spit this w Yeah. Yeah,

that was playing to me. But the singing I just was not. I didn't care at that point. I was I was, I was playing that. You did none of them. You didn't none of the talent shows, nothing, you do any of those things in high school and I skipped all of that stuff. I mean, my dad's church was such a popping like that. It was almost like I was in the middle of all of it anyway, Like all the musicians will come to my dad's church Sunday nights and sit around and around the musicians, and so

I was like I was in it. It It felt like a professional already. Yeah, I did, because that was like that was a professional job. Like if you if you got a job as a musician, and my dad's church that was like you were really were really somebody. Yeah

you're one of them. Like I'm really, I'm really puzzled by you not singing it, still not singing it fourteen fifteen years old, because like in your mind as you're going through the progressions of becoming a really dope musician, Are you also in your mind developing yourself vocally and

just nobody knows? Yeah, just behind just kind of behind the scenes, like like even I remember my mom saying like, yeah, you don't think about the writing song, you know, but voice was changing probably just like no, this ain't it for me, you know, and playing fulfilled me so much, like just being in the band fulfill that was my biggest dream. I just wanted to play for an artist who performed on the Grammys, Like that was it. That

was my dream. No records, no writing. It was like, yo, I just that's it if I could get in this person's band, you know what I'm saying. So um The

singing though, for me, was like behind the scenes. I started to, like I said, around thirteen is when Stevie and then probably one of my earliest records I bought CDs I bought was like Brandy or something, you know, and I started seeing like okay, because I always felt like what was current wasn't singers in my mind, you know, as a kid, I was like that ain't really what I That don't move me. So I didn't really want to be like a current singer or anything like that.

Uh So I never thought of it that way because then it it fast tracked though, because yeah, it had to happen quickly. Yeah, yeah, in terms of once you come out into decided to get the confidence to sing like this, just don't come out of nowhere, right. So I tried to start a band in college and I was still trying to be the background. But I wanted the Beatles. I wanted a black Beatle so bad. Like the Beatles. I was a huge fan, and I'm like, yo, it was dope because they all were sweet at singing

and those harmonies were crazy. So I'm like, I'm gonna be the keyboard player and sing, you know, in the back, and then there's gonna be a lead singer. And I couldn't get anybody to commit. And that's when I was like, all right, man, I'm gonna just sing these songs. It's gotta be me. Like it just was. It was purely necessity, though I was, it was not because I wanted to be there. And then it went fast and then my dad.

I remember my first show. My dad came to Atlanta and little five Points at this place called Seven Stages I was opening up for. It was me and algebra and and my dad saw me perform and I was like talking and like He's like, who was this person that's like looking like they're comfortable on stage? Atlanta is

what Bradney like as one hundred percent as a writer. Everything, Like Atlanta was really the place that the developed me in that it's just always been so many dope people in Atlanta always, and it's it's musical and it's probably because there's so many churches in Atlanta, Like you can you find a real diamond in the rough down there that has no idea what they are in one of those open just just monsters. And I'm telling you it's

it's church, absolutely as church. When people ask me about R and B in the state of R and B, I said it it changed when grandmothers stopped making these kids go to church. That's when R and B changed.

And get it at for saying, I didn't get it till I moved home, because when I came to l A, I adn't really go to church, you know, it wasn't really the same culture of like what I'm saying, and so I lost some of it, Like I didn't realize it until I moved back to New Orleans and I was in my parents church and I'm like, oh, this is where I used to write them songs like it used to just hit me. I mean in R and B songs, you know, like my dad those, I'd be

on the organ behind them while are you talking? And you know, and I'm wrong, I'm back there writing songs because something about the environment and like the spirit of what was going on was just inspiration NonStop. And that soul, that same thing you needed to move church is the same thing we need to move in R and B audience. It's there. It's no different. It's what comes from the heart. You know, what I'm saying reaches the heart and so like when you're in that environment, I just I mean

that that that schooled me. Man, it schooled me. And I agree with you, like that's where we lost some of that soul in R and B. When but when the church things started to change, you know, yeah, absolutely so. So how long are you in Atlanta before he said you got your first place? Man? How long are you in Atlanta before you get your break where it's like, Okay, I'm I'm really like this, I'm a professional. Yeah, this is what I'm doing Did you finish that more house?

I finished that more house. I got my degree in marketing. Nice. Okay, so it all makes sense then, okay, all right, okay, yeah that really came into play. Like you know what I'm saying. I'm so happy I did that. Um when I graduated. UM So, when I was in school, I would get these calls to like go on tour because I was a keyboard player and people knew that, but I would just I was like, let me just finish school. But right out of college I went on tour with

Erica badu Um as her keyboard plays. First was my very first tour, very first. How did you get to er Did you look in the eyes? I did, and it was it wasn't good. It wasn't. I love Erica but not feel I was scared. I was kind of like the first rehearsal, she just came and said, you know, if you need anything. I was just like, I didn't want to. I appreciate you know what I'm saying, But no, it was. It couldn't have been a better first tour experienced.

Oh so uh. The guy who gave me the cassette tape with Donnie Live on it and gave me a cassette tape with I Ain't Ever dream You're Leaving Somewhere. That put me on my Stevie Geno, I go heart. Um. His dad was my best My dad's best man in his wedding became Erica ba Dudes music director. When I was at Morehouse and he was like, pe, you want to come out, and I'm like, man, I just I'm in school. And it came back around right when I

was graduating and Gino took me out. Man And it was like my first time on a tour bus lo keep, my first time missing church, like like missing the Sunday. This is college after yeah, and I didn't know what to do on a Sunday. Like I was like, you know, so we it's one of the buses going to church, or like it's one of the it's one of the it's a group. It's a group of I'm gonna I'm gonna sitting in the window seat on this literally because through college, just to have a job, I played. I

played at the church all throughout college. I mean I really I played at a church until Maroon five. Like luckily, to be totally honest, Um, I always kept a church job, you know, helping my dad out at that at that time. But um, I didn't know what to do on a Sunday. I was just like, all right, we supposed to and they're like, no, it's just it's a it's just a show day. Just the lower rest of them and your

whole life. Sunday is church. Sunday's church. My literally, Mom, you're and you're playing in church, so you're you're there the entire day. Oh no, I'm like, I'm yeah, I'm fully a part of what churches on Sundays. So that was the experience. But by dude, man, she is ah and I think about it out because everything connects. But like the way I became a touring artist, Like I couldn't afford radio at the beginning of my career and stuff, so tour was my radio. Like that was the way

I got two people. But now that I think about it, that's by do and that's why she worked forever, current single, no, current single, whatever. She has developed her audience, you know, to know that she's going to be on the road and they're gonna have this experience with her every year or every other year. And I mean I got paid on time. I mean, like shout out. It was a

really solid like watching her as a true artist. It put me on my path, you know for sure, because she's like, she's so different and special in the ownership that she has. With that ownership and the confidence of there's only one one on one man, it is different. Yeah, just in just like when you walk up to her and just even start talking to her, it just starts

getting different. It changes immediately. The energy. Yeah, she's she's powerful, man, She's she's got like like we were talking earlier, she's got the cult. Yeah. I did the show Erica. Yeah, they followed. They they enjoyed my set. They were, but they weren't there right at all, there for their leader. Man. They were different. Man. I was like, I was like, I know, when I take my shirt off, it's gonna get real crazy here. It's like you ain't got no instance.

So it was special and I was That was the first time I ever had writer's blocked, um because I thought I was about to be writing mad songs. But it was like all these new experiences happening all at once. It was like almost just too much. And as soon as I got off tour, that's when I start working on my first solo album. Um and uh, I'm gonna get to your break question because I don't even know where my break was. It's like it was different, it was different times. I feel like I had so many

of these and then coasts and then these and then coast. Um. Uh. But when I got off of bay Do, I started writing my solo album. But then I wrote a big gospel song right after that called let Go Let God for Dwayne Woods and it was like number one for like seventy two weeks, seventy two weeks, like and in the top ten for seven two weeks. And um, that song really changed my first award. I wanted like a stellar I think I was twenty something, you know. Um, and that was a break. Um. But then I went

to Jermaine Dupree. After I got off the road with Bad, I went to j D School basically, and this was after Bi Cox said him and Bi Cox head they went crazy and the stream yeah yeah, mass like the biggest albums about you know, Confessions and you know, Be Without You. It's like you know, um and um uh, I well be Cox was busy, you know what I'm saying, and j D needed another keyboard player. So I came in as that guy and wrote for Monica and Jaggeted and you know, even John Tay was working on the

album at that time. And for me, so it was it was it was breaks and that, you know what I'm saying. Um, But for me, and I think this is you know why I'm happy I'm talking to y'all because my journey has been so non traditional. You know what I'm saying. It's like, people wonder how I'm able to maintain and you know, we just want the fourth Grammy, you know what I'm saying this year. You know what I'm saying. But but but the way I got there was so non traditional. It's not you know, I didn't

have a huge hit record or anything. You know. I heard somebody say like I had to hit life, you know, like it's been, it's been. It's been like um, it's been a combination of things that has allowed me to do that, and part of that was touring UM and me really understanding that there was another way. I tried to sign everywhere, you know what I'm saying. I tried to I tried to go to traditional route and Young Money was your first Young Money was my first major,

first and only major deal. Um, yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's just weird. It's just weird. So so Young Money was the year after I joined around five and us story that I've never met, but we can share the same kind of name. I think we at one point met him go out to fight, I tried, well, So so Young Money had way more history than people know. Me and McMahon went to the same high school in

New Orleans. It wasn't just um, you know random. Uh. And at that time when I got signed, Wayne was just getting out of jail and uh, they were trying to pivot as a label, like just do different things. And I think Mac, who is a huge fan of music in general, he's a music guy. Um just you know, was like, p you want to do this? And this. They were on fire. I mean this was this was

this was Drake was dope. Yeah, he like just and so what was beautiful and what is beautiful about Young Money in general that probably isn't said enough is they leave their artists alone. They just like let them go. You know. They don't say, oh, well we signed Drake, so let's I know you've been with forty. But now let's let's go get him and let's go get you know, this producer. And they're like, na, y'all, just keep doing

what you are doing and we're gonna put steroids on it. Nikki, Oh, you like doing different voices and what, just keep doing that. They don't feel the need to. They signed things that they believe in already. So like I literally they didn't hear my record until it was mixing master, you know, and it was just support there um uh and uh. I mean that was that was my first Grammy nomination as a solo artist. But that was even random. That was that was random. You know what. My first official

album was after Erica Badou. So it was years. This is years, this is five, this is oh five when I released my first independent record, and that's after I couldn't sign to any major label. So I had to figure it out. I didn't know that there was another way. I had to study, like you do the white rock bands. Did you do the run? Did you go to every label? And oh man, I did all the showcases because we need That's the thing at R and B Money. At R and B Money podcast, we like to give all

the information. We liked it. Let them know that this isn't an overnight thing. This is this is a life thing. Like you said, you're trying to have a hit life, and these are the things that sometimes are are are just looked over. People don't really tap into that disappointment that going to our somebody said they got an uncle that work at such and such label, and maybe they can get me a meeting. Dreams. It's a constant dream and there are so many dream sellers who are actually nightmares.

Word word no. I I mean I don't. I literally went to every label, Like me and my turning we went to I think every label. I mean I remember sitting down with just about everybody doing showcases, people saying, yo, man, I love his music. I just don't. You don't think it's gonna work, you know, and like, uh, you know, like it just it was too musical and all all I've heard I heard it all, you know, And so in my mind I was like that market. In mind too,

I'm like, okay, what does this mean? Like how can I get my music direct to people? Uh? And like it was way before independence was like cool even anybody knew what that was. Yeah, when you were in they at this point. It was because you couldn't get a deal, you know what I'm saying, and so and I didn't even go to an indie label. I said, Okay, how do I do it? So it was CD Baby, it was my space. It was like, you know what I'm saying. My first tour was based off of my sales for

CD Baby. I said, well, I'm gonna go to these cities and the promoters this is a funny story. But the promoters didn't know who I was. And they didn't know who I was because I was like underground famous, right, But I knew I had fans. But since they did, and I said, don't just pay me off the door, you don't have to pay me anything. I'm gonna bring everything. And I borrowed my mom's bus. I just signed my

first publishing deal with Famous Music. The Famous too is my Yeah yeah Billy Billy Billy signed left Yeah Yeah, BC signed me and then he went somewhere else. But that's my guy. He's the first to believe that way. And I literally had an open door policy, you know what I'm saying. Um and looked out for me. But I took literally my whole events and said, I'm I'm not trying to be a writer like that. I'm an artist,

and I took my whole band on tour. I'm took my horns fourteen people, with the publishing money, with the publishing money, investing yourself. Dog. Yeah, Like I've always been a maniac because if I if I think about that now, it's like, Yo, what were you doing? But literally, those fourteen places I went, I could go for the rest of my life, even today. But I didn't couldn't afford the tour bus. My mom had a women of Excellence bus that was the women's ministry at the church. Took

the church bus. I took a charter bus that was purple, pink and white. They thought a women's conference was fulling up to the clubs. But I didn't care though I literally didn't. I didn't care. I had to get to it, that's all I knew. I'm like, I paid my boys nice. You know what I'm saying. I was like, Yo, y'all we on tour. You know what I'm saying. We don't don't talk about how long I didn't eat from that,

you know what I'm saying. That's why I always kept a job where I could be flexible playing at church and as a producer and a writer. That's why I was still in that game, was because I needed to fund what I really cared about. But we went on that tour and literally like those markets Atlanta and Birmingham and like Charleston, I can I still go to those places and have a following because of ten plus years ago when I when I kind of like invested in myself,

you know, uh, for better or worse. It was just like, you know, it really got me to walk to this place how many people? Oh my god? I can remember us playing Columbus, Ohio and it was like twenty people, you know what I'm saying, Like, and I was like, whoa this is because we're at least Atlanta. We had a yeah. Yeah, so I lost. I took I took a loss on that um and then some some of the rooms were two hundred people, you know what I'm saying.

On a hundred people and we we put on the show like it was thousand people, had three background singers, that hell, three horns in the crowd. Yeah my band was bigger than the crowd. Yeah, facts like the but but but I did not man It's so crazy how I didn't care at all, Like I didn't care at all. I didn't care that I was spending my money. I just really felt sure that if I just stayed here, you know, it would click. And and so that that's kind of that kind of has has been the story.

So I was on the on the tour of mine for another album called Walk Alone, and Adam Blackstone called me and was like, yo, maron five looking or a keyboard player, singer, you know. I told him, only no one like you. I just threw your hat, you know, your name in the hat, and I was like, um, okay. I literally they wanted me to audition. I canceled the last three days of my tour and came to l A and all they did was asked me to learn Sunday Morning. I was like, okay, is falling? Were you

familiar with the group? Yeah, I was a fan. This love and stuff. I feel like that was mine maybe not like freshman year a college or like sophomore years. So I knew I was here too. This his taking this. I was like, these these boys are nice. So I knew that, right. I knew Sunday Morning, and but I had never auditioned before. This is my first audition in life, because people it was always word of mouth. They like, right, these guys didn't know me at all, and so Blackstone

was just vouching. Um. And so I came to l a place Sunday morning and then we just vibe. I kind of knew I had it imediately because because of the vibe, not because anybody could play. Yeah, and they was so we start jamming. It was like what else, you know, I was like, and we went too long and they had people waiting, so we had to stop

people with the audition. And then they had a second day of auditions that they ended up canceling and called me that night, you know, and it's been Yeah, it'll be thirteen years in July, you know, like twelve plush years that I've been with Maroon And that really changed my life. But it also freed me up to really make the art I wanted to because I didn't have

to sell I don't have to sell records. Yeah and um, and so Young Money was my last kind of attempt at the normal way, you know, like I was like, all right, let me try this one more time. And when Young Money didn't necessarily fit, you know, uh, and on that on that, on that Young Money album, I did double duty with Maroon. I opened up from Maron five Kelly Clarkson, you know, was before Maroon, and then I closed with my Room five and then we did that in Europe, I opened Robin Thick and then I

closed with my Round five. So those guys, and I think the reason I'm still there is because they've always fully supported me, like fully like what like whatever, like you know what I'm saying, true friends, and um, so I told them, and we told each other, you know, if I never have to leave, I don't. I don't why, you know, like we family at this point. But that really allowed me to, you know, like beat myself and

fully make it without any pressure allowed me to. And then so um, I left l A and went to move back home to New Orleans. Maroon had played jazz Fest in and I started seeing my city way different. I'm like, oh, it is kind of fly, like I didn't remember it, Like it was just a totally different perspective. Had been around the world at that time something like that.

It looked like South of France, like you know what I'm saying, Like I get it, and so that planned at that seed and then um, yeah I decided I was leaving. Um this was right, I think. I don't know if that was your room, but North Hollywood, you remember at that studio next to you off of Magnolia. Was that your actual room? I didn't remember. Yeah, yeah, I was next to you for for like a year probably, I guess that was my little room. Yeah, I was.

I was right next to y'all. Yeah you know what because I brought it up as in joking form about about James Valentine, but you actually were instrumental in us figuring out um a p R O mishap because like somehow ASCAP was getting James Valentine and Jay Valentine mixed up and was holding up both of our money. And you're you were the only person that I that I

even knew remotely that could get to Maroon. Remember I stopped you one then I'm like, hey, I know it's about to be some different ship, but yeah you can tell yeah, yeah, yeah, it's crazy. But in that room, I started writing Gumbo, like my album Gumbo, and I was like, I knew I was gonna leave Alto and so, but in their room, I remember writing this song first beginning. That really kicked off everything. So I moved home and

I didn't want to do music at all. I'm like, yo, I'm I'm straight, I'm cool, I'm in maron five, not bad, you know, Okay, I'm right in life, Like you know what I'm saying. It's like we tried to sing, you know what I'm saying at that time. It's like I said, oh, five, So it's like at this time, you know, it's probably seven years in eight years in of trying if you

count my group in O two in college. Then we're talking about like a long time trying, just trying, just keep like getting knocked down and saying, you know, let me go back. You what I'm saying. And um so I was like I'm done. And then I got back to New Orleans and it was like no expectation and I'm like, you know what, I'm gonna just make one more thing and I'm not gonna worry about radio. I'm not gonna worry about I'm gonna just make what I

want to make. And that was supposed to be the last album that was Gumbo, and that kind of changed everything, kind of everything everything. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, No, it's it's gotta be strategic. You know, I think we talked about the dreams so much, but sometimes you gotta have an actual strategic plan to make that happen. And that's

for me. You know, I was blessed enough to have like a church gig while I'm playing once a week, so I couldn't move around, or being a producer a writer, and you know, finding some success in that and being able to you know what I'm saying, cushion that. But but I put all my money right back in. You know what I'm saying that I need people to understand.

I was like even when you saw me, even at a point where people may have thought I was successful in the sense of oh you man, you're touring, you're going crazy. You yeah, you see my band and my this, Yeah, it's going right back out. And I understood that. That's why I kept another thing, you know what I'm saying, And I tell people, and this is actually what every part of your team and every part of your career.

Because some people think I gotta go to get an agent, I gotta get a manager, I gotta go get prs, Like what do you what do you publicize, like you don't have nothing to feed them, you know what I'm saying, And you want to spend this a month, so like slow down and do everything you can. I say, the biggest blessing with me not getting a major deal and all of that stuff was I had to learn everything I had to learn. I mean, I drove the van I you know what I'm saying. I came up with

the merch you know what I'm saying. I figured out the door deals, you know, and and understood how that, how that? Oh yeah somewhere. Yeah, I gotta gotta get you out. Yeah, I gotta get trip tripping, y'all being supposed to have that. Um. But like it made me

learn every aspect of the business. So people couldn't just tell me anything once I was Once I was there, so it's like I say, don't add this agent until you know what your agent is supposed to do and know why you need the agents something, because they think if I get an agent, they're it's done. No, No, that's not how it works. These people have to want to see you. Yeah, so we we really got to educate. Man.

I feel like I was the last generation of like some people still giving game, you know what I'm saying, and this and this and this newness, but I think we gotta get that, we gotta just kind of teach it. Well, that's why I appreciate this, man, y'all really here, I mean you, I'm really hearing game when I listened to this, to this podcast. Man, I appreciate you all. And I think it's no accident that it's like taking off at the speed it has because it's like when there's a

when there's a need that's not being met. You know what I'm saying, People like, oh, shoot, I was just waiting for the whale. You know what I'm saying. And y'all, yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure, bro, Yeah yeah you sound you loan something up? Man? What's she doing cleaning your throat? I see I see red lights coming on? Top five? Oh my god, your top five? Pas, top five? Your top five? All right? Top five? Oh, y'all? Top songs beyond your top five? Mm hm m m man. Just

take my time. Time, I got time to night. Just get out there. You don't want me near. Okay, old artists, Okay, Stevie um uh read the Franklin Um Michael um and Prince was everything, but Prince you know, um who would be my fifth R and B artists, because you know it was like soul music from you know, it was like the soul and R and B different sometimes for me. But I had to say Joe to See probably from my from my yeah, because just because of how it come on and talk to me, I knew it. Why

do you do? I understood it immediately. I was like what I mean? I said, oh, that's yeah, I know what that is. That's church. Yeah, that's what I think. I'm in the video. That was your church. That was what Yeah, the first time, that's what they did the first time. Because I heard Joe to See before I heard commission ch okay yeah, and I'm like that Jodis,

I like yeah. But as I as I like studied it and I really dove into commission, I'm like, oh my god, yeah, blue print, it's still originators of jo to See and so many these I was mad, Yeah, man, I got her commission story dog, I was nine. I was nine and they came to my dad's church, but they had but commission. And I told you I had my dad at the pop in church. My dad was from my dad's from Windsor, from Canada, so his dad

was a big bishop in Canada and Detroit. So like my dad grew up with the Whinings and the Clark sisters, their families grew up together. So it was that, right, man, Like my dad's first solo record. Do you remember Thomas Whinfill he produced my dad's solo record. Commission sang background

on my dad's first solo record. So like it's that's right, okay, okay, they came dog and I'm talking about Commission came through like this must have been the first album because I was, uh, this was this was like uh uh uh I'm going on and then yeah, all that stuff right, but it had to be thumbed. Dude, dude, dude, so they must have been there. What was that? I just hear the music right now. But anyways, all they had stacked amps like rock and rock. They came through there like rock stars.

It was the loudest I've ever heard music. Man. When I tell you, they smashed. It was like seeing my favorite rock band. Like I remember standing by my dad's office because I guess that had to be the dressing room back that's where they was changing and I stood there waiting for the autograph stock. This is how this is how deep it was. But man, commission bro commission man,

Mitchell Jones, Mitch, Mitch. I had him on the I brought him back from my gospel album at Mitch and Carl and Fred on this gospel court in the PJ album. I did, what, how do you describe Mitchell Jones his vocal? W what was that? Because it was it was kind of Stevie ste So when I got to so when he I mean, I gotta literally the song, but like it's Mitch, it's Mitch being Mitch, right, And he told me the reason they like me and stuff is because

Donnie had the wait was like really influential. And I think Mitch was just like a combo of I don't really know. He was so quick. I don't really know, but he still got had patterns. They didn't have normal patterns. No, I think they like and the and the and the crack. He had the baby face crack within his patterns. That hard Yeah, that was like manufactured hard in that was like the crack. I couldn't figure. I was obsessed. They reinvented singing though in a way like they they you

know how I say, it's a few of them. It's like, you know, commission. People started to sing different after that as w V. Like I remember when all girls, all the girls wanted to be Coco, right absolutely, um, you know it happened with Kimbrell, you know, when everybody wanted So sometimes that just comes along. But like Mitch fred Keith, that thing was like people started singing on the side of it, like they changed it. I mean, you know, I'm saying they changed it. Bro. We wanted to beat them.

We wanted to beat them. Um. But that was just my quick commits. I just made me think of that because I forgot it didn't before my church, but we used to always go to all the churches in the city, and they were wherever they were, Oh no rock stars. And the first time I've ever heard a track okay playing like with with with them. Yeah they were head man were head it was. And then when I'm like,

why did that focal sound like that? Because they're singing I am here and it sounds like it's all it's embodied. They have background tracks on the npiece. Never what is happening in here? A church group? Yeah? Never? Okay, game change, right. Sorry, Oh yeah, so I did my five top five songs. You can do it, um, because it could just be for today the ones to all right, So so let's say. I mean, I'm just going all the time. So Donnie, since were something one Donnie had the way I think, um,

you know, a song for you? So for you? I mean when I heard that, I was I got chills. I was like, I was like, I was almost like scared too. I was like maybe I knew his story too. I was like, this just feels it haunting. I was like it was almost like he predicted, you know, Um, so song for you. Um, Stevie, there's so many songs. Um, I'd probably say an unknown joint um either ordinary pain or the song called Summer Soft, that song songs a

key of life. I got so many though, Stevie, so that but I just I'll just say, Stevie, um, um shoot R and B songs. If I'm just saying, Joe to see come and talk to me. Um shoot l de Barge or the barge, come on, come on, come on, you love I sweitch. Even though what I'm saying I know the brother was killing before, but all this love, man, it still works today, still works today. I wear them, wear them if I feel R and B SA, Oh my god. So I'm the dummy who watches you'all podcast

and say, don't think of yours, like, don't prepare. I don't like being prepared? Did I feel stupid for doing that? But um um um, let's say can we talk? Yeah? I remember that, I remember that time all time. Okay, okay, okay, okay, you did good, you did good. Um, we're gonna build R and B voltron Okay, we're gonna build your R and B artists. We're gonna need the vocal from somewhere, the performance style from somewhere, the styling from somewhere, and

the passion from somewhere. Who are you getting the vocal from? What artists are you snatching the vocal from to make your R and B artists? Um? I feel like Stevie is too easy. I'm gonna say, let's say like Whitney. I just feel like I never heard Whitney saying a bad I mean like it was. It's like she's the voice, you know. So I say I say Whitney. Let's say Whitney. Yeah, um, performance style on stage? I mean Prince Man. I saw Prince. I saw Prince a few times and did you ever

I saw him once? Yeah, yeah, yeah right with the same Yeah, now Prince for I mean, like performance wise, I just used to study them and and and then as a you know, like de'angelo was an extension of that for me. But like I saw the mind James was really all of them, but like Prince. Yeah, it was something about how Prince was this like urban rock star most but also pop rock star, like all the same kind of thing. It's like everybody. Everybody just understood it.

Everybody understood for some reason. Yeah, he just got to everybody whatever sensibilities they had. He had somebody that made sense to them. He could they dancing okay, yeah yeah, who are you getting the styling from, like like the vibe, like the look? Yeah, use use prints, But no, I don't. I don't want to wear what Princes was wearing necessarily, know what I'm saying, because not as confident in my cheese and my chicks. Yeah, I'm not as confident in

my cheeks. So I wouldn't want We wouldn't want it. He would want to do that time, isn't wonder At the same time. Cha can't do that, So we don't. We don't don't want that, We don't want that. Who was just smooth? I say, mar let's say Martina with the baby Yeah yeah, okay. And the passion, the heart of the artists, the passion I had to say, Donnie had the way I mean conviction. Bro. It was like when I heard Donnie live and I heard them people, I'm like, wait, they are they in the club? Are

they in the church? Like I heard him. I couldn't understand it. And I think about my live albums now and stuff like that that are really connected. And it's all that's where that that came from me understanding that you could still have the same conviction even if you talk, you're singing a love song or you so like hands down Donnie man like passion you felt it even make me want to cry everything anything he say. You know what I'm saying, Yeah, yeah, wow trump Yeah yeah. Oh no,

that's the that's the Reaper, ain't it? Oh smokey, are saying no, I saying no name. I'm saying the name. Who was? What we did? You know? I do? I stup right down? Still you get the same down? Okay? Yeah, listen to help me the story right, funnier fucked up, are funny and fucked up in the travels of p J. Morton. The only the only one thing you can't do. Yeah, it's say the name right. You can't say no names. You can not put a face with the case. Yes,

this is p J. Morden. I ain't saying all right, dang, I don't have I'd be by myself so much. I'm such a loner that I haven't had a lot of experiences with I had somebody threatened to kill me before. Yeah, I was saying no name. He was like, yeah, I kill I'll kill you. I didn't. I think I was

a little green. This ain't really my story. But maybe this works because this guy is in the industry, and um, I he was trying to work with another artist, and I was like, I didn't know him that well, but I'm like, you know, I heard something, I heard some stuff, but I was just really trying to help out a friend.

I was just trying to tell this artist, like, you know, just bell no normal normal energy, like very like not like yo, don't mess with this dude that and uh so apparently this artist told the person and they called me and um, he was like, man, you're messing up my money. I was like, he was like, I kill you. I was like it went right there though, that's the that's the immediate They said, I'll kill you, but I ain't saying no names. What did you say in response

to that? Well, I'd really see. This is the thing. It's so crazy because I've been around all kinds of stuff, like right, like I was signed the cash money like I was with baby. But what I always have done is like just remain consistent as a man. You know what I'm saying, Like I'm no and I'm the furthest thing from a from a streetcat. You know what I'm saying. But like I just was like I always felt like I could talk, Like if I just talk to you,

you don't understand you know what I'm saying. That's my that's my like innocence, right, I'm like, bro, No, I was just trying to help her out. But he I kind of disarmed him because he was like, oh, because I thought you was you know what I'm saying. I'm like, nah, man, like kill you know what I'm saying. But we did have to have a middle man who knew me was like, Yo, that's not him. You gotta you gotta relax. That's pretty good.

I said that. I never said that, but I got he was gonna kill I'm like, Yo, this industry is different. You want to kill me. I'm imagine that you want to kill me? Bro Yeah yeah, yeah, I thought I had another one in my head. But that that that that's music business and listen over a woman. Yeah yeah, in any capacity, in any compacity, I've got that same same threatening and energy, right, same threatening. I'll kill you,

I'll kill you. You want to die to night? Dad, I don't think so like you're gonna do it like like when you're gonna like you're gonna kill You're gonna do it. And I'm whatever you do to me to tell me that outside right now? Why why would you have so many people that's sores to have that. He was mad at me for making fun of him. Yeah, you're gonna get a hundred for me, yo. Yeah, comes

like five yards paper. That is not like you shouldn't have to do that just peer just on the per just from a pure numbers perspective, that is gonna be crowded like you. I'm saying like I was like, Bro, I don't even just like, yeah, you're gonna. I don't think that's any of your business. Why are you like this? You try to play yeah yeah, yeah in here if I give you it, just if I'm giving any opinion on this, I got to tell that story. But when I gotta do, I say no names, And I got

to tell that story. It is the funniest sounds. Oh my god. If I could say the names anyway, you can't. You can't. Brother. Um let's start with I'm glad that he didn't kick. Oh, I'm alive. I'm alive. He's still he's still kicking out here. Yeah, bro, you you're you're absolutely amazing brother. And that and that is not you know, that is not industry talk. That is not fluff. That we are fans of what you are fans and and it makes sense man. You you put in the work,

you put in the time. Um, and and you hone your gift in real places, man, in real rooms and and real dirt floors, man, And and really get into the chicken, man, so that part alone, man deserves the salute.

And as many flowers as imaginable, man like warting artists to understand like that groundwork is real, man, and that that will be the difference in you standing the test of time said, being able to go into these rooms and these whether it's a big room or small room meeting um and go crazy with with the gift that you've that you've perfected, perform in front of a gift that you've perfected. Thank you, man, man, thank thank thank you brother than thank your Grammy. So we can at

least see, yes, we see it. You know what I'm saying that we know we both I've been nominated anyone, I lost a lot. You know what I'm saying. I've been nominated. Listen, I'm just saying nominated nineteen times Jesus counting this year. Three years. I'm nominated for three right, nine, sixteen before that, and I want four. So I mean there's a lot of I've been nominated, no times because so many times I've won. Well, this has to be revived. R and B Album of the Year. How everybody should

get a Grammy and producer and producer get Grammars. I don't know why they do R and be like that. It's all of those, it's all of this up. That's not fair. It's not fair and shout out to Harvey. He's gonna help make that change. But that's not crazy, y'all. You know what I'm saying like that, that that even that journey of like where Harvey is. Yeah, you know what I mean. So I technically yeah, yeah one see that's what happened with me. So so I would is

out of mind. I thought I won because India Rewe that's Sorry R and B album for that album I worked on in college. So I have been telling people I wanted Grammy for ten years until I started actually working with the Grammys and knew them and I had to write something and they was like, oh, no, you you never want to agree. You just notified my Grammy. No, here just saying because that's what he been coming. Oh, I'm saying, yeah, I did what you're talking about. I

did what you're talking about. And I do think that if you worked on it, you know you were you know what I'm saying, you'll grab me adjacent you have you you have your plaque. I mean, you know what I mean. It's Jason, you live in the hood, but it's close to the nice I'm saying. Now, there's my question. I wasn't trying to That's not what I was trying to do, though, because I do think that enough. I

was just trying to help you work with them people. No, you always just saying work with not not not worked on it. And so how is it an R and B Album of the Year if I'm not on it? The whole R and B album consist of me? You have composition. Yeah, without that composition, it's not a whole album. I agree with you. But would you want me to do you want me to you want me to lie

to you? You know what I'm saying. I agree with you what you're saying, and I agree because yes, in that space, yes, I'm counting on you to lead the charl fight for R and B making that change. Yeah. We just you know, they just got album of the Year for everybody to get a Grammy. That that is a part of it. So I think, you know, it is growing in that direction and understanding that these these things are collaborative. You know what I'm saying, we're calling

Harry Monday. Well, I mean it's a busy time right now. Maybe it's probably wait till after the season. Yeah, I mean, you know what I mean. The focus. Graham is just a few months away. I just I don't think I should get into it. Yeah, I'm just let me see how I go for it. Let's see how I go first. Translation, people, I'm not gonna let yeah, yeah, I let go first. Let me go first. You hold on, hold on, let me get get past these three tech that we're gonna fight.

We're gonna fight the power. Yeah, first thing on the docket, my first, my first hundred days as president. Just oh, y'all boys, marching, y'all boys, y'all, yo, boys, stabilizing. Oh, okay, y'all go, y'all, donna do that, y'all stabilizing. Okay, I'm gonna get with you. I'm gonna get with no man. It is it's a human process, you know. So it's like it deserves to be grown. We got to get in trouble with Stevens, like I'll see you. We don't confirm your three this year. Man, you earned it. You

deserved than you deserve. Man. And thanks listen, man, I'm thanking Ja Valentine And this is the r by Money Podcast, the authority. Yeah, all things. We have been blessed and honored to be with this brother writer Man be Amazing Part Thank y'all, Thank y'all, Love, Love and Money. R and B Money is a production of the Black Effect podcast Network. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, 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 Ja Valentine and at the Real Tank. For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot com, forward Slash, R and B Money