Stokley

so man, I watched. They were ingredients that I've stolen from this man that I am not going to give him back. I have taken these ingredients. I've gone on to fort a career of my own. Ladies and gentlemen. Uh, one of my heroes in the building. Man, that's the best I can say. Get up a stoke top of the top. Want oh you want to say? Have you heard bro? Let me tell you something, man, I mean going back to like being in at the Fine Arts building in Howard University. You know what I mean? And

like it? Alright? Yeah, I was. I was. I was a baby like she didn't go there though I didn't go there. I skip skip school. I was skipped school and come up to Howard and see guys with I see see two drum sets to two guys going back and forth, two drum sets in the room, in the rooms in the basement, the people at the piano going crazy, and I like it. It like started there, you know

what I mean? And then bro, you came out singing like I had never heard before, and it had a texture where it was like Stevie reminiscent, but it was completely something new m And I was a hundred enamored with it. Every day, Wow to church, drop my mom off, picking my sister, drop my cousin off at boy stay every day every day and people like, how do you say like that? I wouldn't tell everybody for a long time, Like where'd you get that from? No? Guy, right, I wouldn't.

I wouldn't tell everybody for a long time and take it back to the church. Yeah, but like what did what did you get? Because they of course they knew if they knew if John, you know what I'm saying, They knew I love John, They knew of Fred, they knew I loved Fred. They knew, Um, Mitchell Jones, they know I love Mitchell Jones. They didn't know about that stokely wow to be mentioned with them. First of all, it's it's crazy. Oh yeah, no you you're in a

heavy room and that's that's very heavy. You know, come on, heavy room. Um we we what we like to do, right, I hate it. I just wanted to start off there and just give you just a perspective on just what you mean to me, because it's it's it's very real and it's a very big deal, you know what I mean. So I want to say thank you. I think every time I see you, I tell you, tell you this. But I'm not gonna stopped telling me every time I

see you. Know what I'm saying, Man, your vocal, I'm gonna say you every time because I just I just think that even for our platform and creating this, you know what I mean, we want to make sure I said something earlier that that that the guys who are well studied, the even the women who who did this that way, like we couldn't skip no steps, no, not a one. Like I'm pretty sure you guys recorded you recorded on two inch Oh yeah, absolutely, you were two

inches right, and then finally the task. Finally the ada came. Oh yeah, I used to actually cut take that. Yeah, that's right, you know what I'm saying. One button? No, no, it was the real Yeah, it wasn't nose the first the bast actions sound good. We might as well fly to base actions, right, are you sure you got it's a commitment and take a lucky right, it'll take a lunch of fun background, right, and you could have run out of trucks right right, You can run out. You

could run out. So you have to be amazing right in here. It's like your planning's got to be on point, you know, way before pitch correction. I'm gonna I'm gonna let you talk, but I'm still celebrating you right now. Way pitch correction, all though, tune and what's the other one? Meladon right? Right? You just gotta do it ten more times, which is a little bit of extra rehearsal. You got

a little practice and then there and then there's stack. Yeah, he came from the era of eight to ten hour rehearsals. That's how he grew. Yeah, not by choice, man, but it made you the man. I thank that the school of my better work. You you I've survived, brother, and those are the things, those are the differences that are

Sometimes it's hard to articulate the why. But you know when when when the rubber meets the roll, those instincts of what you've learned and what you've really had to um, where you've really been battle tested, that's where that that just kicks in you. Yeah, you float right all right, Stock, This is about you, Um, it's about us. First of all, standing ovation. I'm standing up right now, Jay Valentine, Tank, thank you for doing this. People got to know this

is an amazing I've watched your show. I mean it's a cross section of people, olderness like you are bringing it all together. Man. We need this form, We need this kind of platform to tell us stories, to share, you know, the pass on, you know, because this is you know, the younger generation. It's a different They're they're they're great, everybody's great, but there's some information that that's that's missing. This is like a bridge, sir. Thank you man, sir.

That's why that's why we're here. That's absolutely here. The s um Stokely were like we are historical pod Historical were like we don't get into the archives of of of stokely like the beginning, when was it identified that place that Minnesota, Minnesota, Yeah, Minnesota boys, but it's some cold things too, Minnesota slept on. Shout out, shout, shout out to brother window Muhammad's passed on. We were riding

through Minneapolis one day and it was below zero. And I don't know how this is gonna come off, what I'm gonna say to me, oh man, but we were we were riding through Minneapolis and there were ladies of the night m on the street corner Wow at fall below, walking the walk and talking to talk getting it in the brother. I'm gonna saying it said, a woman with that kind of dedication, Wow, could run this country. That type of dedication. It's a it's a different kind of cold,

it's a different kind of art. We were counting before we got out of the cars. Okay on three on three, we're gonna get out and tell them, open the door, tell them so take us back, take us back, take us back to where you first found it or at first found Oh man, it's um. It's one of those things.

My um my parents seventies, but my parents are educators, so we talked about history and my dad's you know, his history teacher, anything to do with black folk, you know, loving on black folks that kind of whether it be sports, politics, you know, entertainment, etc. And my mother English all that stuff. So I grew up a little bit different. So I had my father had all these people around him, and when I was like three or four, they would go back.

They started going to Ghana, going to Africa, back and forth. So they'd bring all these things back and they trade clothes and then you know, commune Africans would give them, you know, stuff back, and he had some father had some bongles on the wall. I was about three, and uh, don't know how I got up and got him off

the wall. Whatever's much as silver mystery to me. I don't know somehow I got up there and started playing their sleep And as my father tells me, because I don't really remember it, he said, it sounded like you like somebody knew what they were doing. They're and actual patterns, and uh, it's like what is that? No one is they're both asleep. You hear that, like I don't hear anything about Mom was like I don't hear nothing, and they got up. He was like, wow, this dude is

in here. Plane. So he had a friend who had this African dance Troop Aberdeen game. It's rather from Panama and uh he said, I you know, I don't know him. It's that I don't know if this is good or not. You let me know. He said, oh, yeah, dude, it's good. I'll take him with me. So three at about three, so it actually knows about I was about that was four. I was four, actually, yeah, it was four. So um, because there'sn't there's a whole thing in the paper, local

paper at home. My first gig was First Bank of Minneapolis standing on these steel you know, folding chair playing congers with this African dance troupe. And that was the beginning of it all from Major Yeah, my little dice Chiki and my little half from Yeah, I was in it. Yeah. So from there, man, that was just kind of mine thing. And then at that time too, there was a lot of groups like that. You know, I was playing and ended up playing for a lot of poets. It's like that.

So that was like a thing. You go on the park, you see brothers playing congers in the park. You know that kind of they had like a little baby in love Joan. Yeah, you know, that's pretty much pretty much man, Revolutionary Chad. You know. So you say, you say Congers, it's really Conga, but brothers in the Hill you say Congers, it's really Congress. Okay, so I'm from DC. Yeah we say congos. Oh that's right, say congos. He's saying. I'm like, I know what he's talking about. We put oh, but

spelling in my head. I'm like, I don't spell that, but I'm looking at the spellings in my head. I'm like, it is Congers too. Yeah, yeah, Congress, and it's like Congers in Bongo was in few so it's like Congos longos you know. Yeah. So we was like decent, like yeah, uh go go Mickey on the Congos he killed. Yeah, yeah that was Yeah. We had a little tribal yeah yeah, yeah, we was like Congas, like where are you? Ain't in it? So yeah, yeah, man, but that was that was the beginning.

So I had, you know, with the Aberdeen Gay Group. Later on, there was another um group I played with instrument in my development, Black Arts Midwest. In this place there was a space where they would have all these kids coming to the the neighborhood and it was a place called Inner City Youth League. So they had they had a studio in there, they had where they teach like art class so you know, I was involved in that, martial arts everything. They had people speaking, just teaching all

kinds of classes there. So it was a place for young kids to go and just kind of get right, you know. And later on there's another group with Charlie Dances. We played at the Renaissance Festival a lot, you know, so I pretty much that was all those I called africanisms was instilled to me very young, you know, I was and and the the percussion side is really developed.

Yeah at this time too for you. Yeah, absolutely, so that was there was instilled to me very young, and I was you know, I was halfway home school and didn't know it. But you being paid too. Did you make some money to get a couple of dollars? Oh yeah, a little bit. Yeah, yeah, you know, I mean right now now, my pop my first it was Remember it was twelve dollars and seventy five cent. Remember that's that check. Get it? And I was like, yeah, get a whole candy,

Like what the what account? I was like how much candy I get with that because I didn't get paid frone of my street performance. But get whatever twelve seventy five, what they said Fisherman's warf owes me Now, oh but goodness, yeah, man, So you're playing You're playing Congos, Congas, congas, three of those until about what egg So that started at four and then um, I was let's see ten, eleven, twelve,

Are you putting in years? Yeah, so that's when that was being a kid playing sports and all this stuff in between, of course, and at the same time, there's so many things happening at the at the same time. You know, how you go through life and you go through phases when your kid and go through sports and

football and basketball and track and all that. And so at the same time, I'm listening all these records, you know, my dad, I've hear Malcolm X, you're not here, Etha Franklin, You're not here, Ella Fitzgerald, Serif on all these different things, you know, just all the branches of three of black music, you know, all these genres that we've created. And I'm like, wow, I putting you know, it's just it's in you hear music and I didn't know that how it's affecting me.

My my aunt was the musical director and the church, so I didn't. I never sang in church. I played, but so I mean I was you know, my ear was pretty good even back then. I was like man, I so that spirit just never left. And you know how that is, it just gets in you, and that just that whole spirit of it. So all that did anyone know you could sing? No? No, So the singing came.

So the singing I was always I was a mimicer as far as the cat who did it for me was Al Green vocally, that was like twenty different people in one side of one body. He's just the cat. So I was always mimicking and you know that kind of thing. So, but it wasn't until I got to high school and we were talking about your friend who went to high school in Minnesota. I don't know if it was We went to a central so in Central had it was something called a Magnan Arts program. So

I would liken it to like the LaGuardia Performing Art. Yeah, you know, so it had a little bit of everything and then had a studio in there had a still drum orchestra, which that guy ended up being my a great mentor to me. Rest in peace, calif Alexis Senior and those things really helped shape me. And so what I did I took there are two classes you could take for the studio session. One was more engineering and the other class was they put you with different people

played different genres. So the arm by dudes would be, you know, we put you with the rock door just so you can kind of expand your mind a little bit. So like I didn't want to plass, Like I want to learn how to actually push buttons when the knobs on the engineering side, so then I can record my own stuff. And you know, the big his dream was like, I mean, I just want to four track a keyboard little drum machine. That was just that was a dream,

you know what I mean. And so had a little task AMP six eighty eight got in there and started making it's making beats, making stuff, and it was just like and to be honest with you, uh, stacking vocals and that kind that's really what helped me sing I felt like hil high school. Yeah, that's I felt like I met myself for the first time hearing that. Oh why me? So I get just stacking. It's just okay, wow.

So not just to sing it, but learning the process of creating you all the frequencies, all the things you can do, you know, bouncing, you know you got four tracks, you do three tracks, bounce it was three to the four and then you know all that kind of stuff. So it's really that process helped shape me, you know what I mean. And then you know, all he had all these instruments around and not a yeah, more of an ear player if I can, you know, pick stuff

up keys or guitar basing and that kind of stuff. Um, but that's really the thing that really helped shape me with the records and then so it was it was an amazing time, you know. And then, like I said, my mentor, but little bit of theory that I have, Cliff Alexis, I learned off of steel pan, you know, and that was just that instrument. It just blew my mind.

I was like, why so you just took like a fifty five gallant oil drum, cut it in different shapes and sides, and you're gonna make a cello voice, You're gonna make a guitar voice. I was going, As you're talking, I'm like hearing all of the influences. I'm hearing all of it. Yeah, through through all the things, all the instruments, and all the places he's been. I'm hearing the song, hearing the interludes. I'm hearing all of them. Like because I because a lot of it was gonna be why now,

I said, you get it? Okay, okay, get it. It was all that stuff, and it's you know it just and that continues, and like, man, I'm still discovering all that. You know, the older you get, you're like, oh, that's what that was. You know, how many instruments are you into at this point? I mean basically it was, of course, all the percussions stuff I started. I had some piano instruction, you know, off and on um, but that was basically the guitar and stuff, and that came later just from

thinking around and in the basement. You know, every band that I played in that was pretty much the youngest guy, a lot of a lot most of them payed drums, always played drums, but all the every band played with, most of the bands would rehearsing my parents' basement, so all the instruments were left honor, you know. So I was like, what was that he was playing earlier? You know, yeah,

what was that? But you know, I would just get on the next thing, and then the next thing, you know, I you know, I started picking up different phrases and you know, I just started expanding my vocabulary. Your parents opened up your home to it took I don't know how they did that because it was loud and some of it was wrong. Yeah, I remember my dad told me one time. I was like, yeah, it was this song and I was like, oh, ugly music. So I

have to switch to the beginnings of infancy stage of men. Okay, so this is after high school, trying to figure out what they are we gonna do. I went to Northern Illinois University just to see if I wanted to go because Cliff alexis my mentor, was going to teach there. And I was like, Okay, maybe not. I'm gonna take one year and you know, see what I can do. So I was working and that kind of thing. So in between that we meant put together, we put together,

I think, and we had I wasn't singing. I was playing from us. There was this other guy who was paying for the space, the rehearsal space, that we had and he was singing, couldn't really he wasn't a singer, you know, but he just know the whole prince thing was going on, and he had this long weave. Nothing the rest of it was just affro and that's like all of a sudden, just weaves. Anyway, another story. And he was breathing. He was breathing, breathed the way I was,

you ain't, Yeah, breathed all the way. And but he wasn't you know, he could screamed like princes and all that thing. But something it at some point where it's like, you know what, you guys got it. I was just keep paying for the plane, for the space, and you know, y'all just keep you know, just come back and get me when you know, when y'all make it. That kind

of thing. So that's what he said. That's what he said, And I guess I don't know, And who's gonna saying we needed singing that kind of thing, And you know, I said, well I'll do it. You know. It's active foods, pretty athletic, that kind of thing. And that's where it started. And that was like nineteen hundred and nineteen hundred and eighty six, you know, So that was the beginning of that was the beginning of you singing league. That was the beginning of it, of singing league. That was the

first time. And so were you singing from the drums? No, I went up left to drums. We got another drummer from high school. His name was Kenny Young and he yeah, it was the drumming. I went up front and we just started putting it together. Man, I know how drummers are. Were you better than him? At that? We were? I was nice then, I mean yeah, I mean it was we was. We was coming up together at that time,

the tales of your nice. But I had I had a few different gears just because I wasn't like every other drummer just starting from percussion in the background of Yah. They were always like where are you pulling that from? Right? You know what I mean? And it's like I could name some of the rhythms that there's just and everybody just plays it. But I'm like, I could I know what that is? Man, that's as mine, Johnny, that's okay

whatever that you know, Look what was it? So I had a different It was just different, Yeah, better, I don't know, that's for somebody else to say, I don't, I don't know it was, but it was working it he was doing Yeah, he got the job done. And so I went up front. And at that time, you know, it was very you know, the whole prince thing was going on. You know how many outs thing. It was very competitive. So what you see like preper reynoss that

was actually happens as a real thing. You know, you better kick down, you know what I mean, kick your ass down. You know, you bet it sound good. So everything was like you had to play and you had to step you call it stepping already stepping you know what I mean, like a little choreography with it. So it's like all three things. It's like, there's no wasn't the keyboard player performance perform. It was the show and that's where we learned how to put on the fools.

Like you the artistic thing came together because it was always like that age old are you going to be an artist or an entertainer? You know, so I yeah, there's a difference, but I think I was always definitely into the art of it. It was like why can't you kind of why are you putting that together? You know, that's from showmanship too, to keep people's attention, you know,

and that's where all that came from. And in Minnesota, it seemed like like a lot of the audience that we never thought we were It's like, man, we're not doing enough because the response there, I think it was just it would go over people's head. We play all this music and shit, and it was just like, are we not doing enough? So okay, maybe we need to do something visually, you know, to get some kind of feedback.

And we didn't realize that we were doing more than enough until we got outside of the you know, going to New York in Chicago, like oh this is great, you know, Oh okay, so we had this actually means something that we're putting together. But it actually really worked. Really thankful that they didn't give that immediate love back to us because it helped put together the show. It helped put you know, just like developed in a different way,

you know what I mean. And yeah, man, so all that really was just it was it was a pivotal moment, you know. The first the first main condition gig I have to say, So you've been to the Mall of America. Yes, So I wrote a roller coaster there say that there was a place called the Carlton Celebrity Room and that was our first gig, first show, and that's where the mall it's right now and the Wings of Fire at the mall? Where was the spot the Wings is fired? Bro,

I just remember where I was. The shrimp is nice to Buffalo Stramp. I know you Buffalo Trump who does Virginia But it's really nice. But yeah, so that's where the mall sits. Now. That was the first That was my nineteen eighty six, that was my first singing show with men and that was first ment's first outing where you guys called yeah men condition Yeah from the rep from the rep. Yeah, we got put the names in there and you know, trying to figure out what we

want to you know. And the group was created in high school first. Yeah, so it had a couple of different iterations. Um, but we're saying, you know, nineteen eighty nine was really the core, really got it going, you know. Then, Uh, the guy Kenny the drummer, he was in the Hunters, another Calf from Milwaukee who played bass and who am I'm forgetting? Don't kill me? Now spend a minute? Um oh, and of course Roger Roger Troupman. So Roger Lynch, he

was thirteen when I met him. Amazing, ye had Roger Truman. Yeah, Roger Lynch resting pieces has passed on, but yeah, he was amazing talent, amazing talent. So um he went off to do some stuff with his father at some point, so we had lost him and the two gentlemen coming behind him, you know, Kenny. Something happened to Kenny too, so we lost the drummer, you know you and often did whatever. And Carrie and Jeff Kerry Lewis and Jeff Fallen were the next one. They were younger than that's

by the year two. And when't we just get them, you know and just scarry doing some amazing stuff. When the students all coming through the school, all coming through that same same Paul Central. Wow, So there's a lot of talent there, a lot of people doing an amazing things. So that's what we call a core fromin condition as we know it is. The world knows it. And yeah, that was that was the first How did you feel your for your first time singing lead in front of

how many people? To three hundred people? Well, the first time that first show was that was probably eighteen hundred people. Oh you jump right into the first show. It was whatever we had. It was a big room. Yeah, yeah, it was a big room. I think that. And we only played like maybe ten fifteen minutes, like three songs. It was a blur, you know. I think I was so hyped, and there's footage of it. It's my curl and everything else. I was breed too. I had the

asymmetrical cutting back and yeah, all right. Our outfits was crazy. I mean it was we was real breed, so we had it's there, but it is, yeah, I mean, it's it's it's how we all got here. So it's outfit. It looked like something from Star Trek. Black and Goal had like these uh fringes cut one looked like it was this foul leather. The other side were just net.

For some reason, I don't know, some of the shirts that did Jamaicans we were one of Lake was net a net leg and then some reason some of us was like alsasua all away man no drawls, no, no, no, no, that's not where I thought this is. It's like we went we went when cold Minnesota, so I had no I mean, it's like we're just going for it, trying to trying to find the edge, trying to find the ledge. I mean, everybody at the time was you know Jesse Johnson,

remember the Jets had big, a lot of people. Man, it was just like you know, I just remember we started with art. It was just back to the audience. It was just a thing out there in Minnesota. It was just like how far can we push it? How far? What I mean if you if you think back to this was happening everywhere. Everybody had it was on another level because again for sure with me in the chapter me like y'all, y'all, y'all took it there, took us close off, y'all, y'all, y'all want to go see right

right right here? Bring the horse? Was there was there pressure in a sense in Minnesota like this is what we own that I'm from Minnesota. It's like if you was from California in the eighties you had a cherry curl, Yeah yeah, it's yeah, yeah, everybody had to have curl, you know what I mean. Like, so that's that's what That's what I'm saying by that, like with being from Minnesota is just like, well, because you even said it

in the first performances, it's like, are we even doing enough? Right, yeah, because they pushing the lemits out here. Yeah. Yeah, but that that was more when I said I felt like we weren't doing enough. It just seemed like what we were doing the applause didn't match. It was like we felt like I had a little shot yea, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

I think that. Yeah, yeah, that's what it was, probably like something else, you know, I don't even know how it was just going there and at the time too, so, um, the person who made if you look at the Rude Boyd how Prince had it was it was one of the outfits that he had on was at the Controversiy album. There was a lady who actually made his close. She

used to actually manage us, so she sold those. Uh and that was that's Andre Anderson Andrew Simone's sister Sylvia and shout out Sylvia and uh yeah, so it was we were going there, man, it need to get her on the podcast. Yeah, that was made Prince's clothes and management condition. Wow you are a leg Yeah, she was something else. It's amazing. So yeah, that was that was that was a moment and looking back at that foot

and I'm like, oh, what was on? It was? Yeah, it was it was you guys are signed to Jam and Lewis. Shit, no, so check it out. They were in the audience at that first show. They were there the first show Jam and Lewis in the audience. That's right. I mean this you're talking about who's who in Minneapolis, the whole thing. And mind you, at that time, Minnapolis was so hot, like people were coming from everywhere, you know, to La New York Shire. They were coming and I'm like, wow,

this is crazy, man. So yeah, they're there. And I remember Um Sylvia manager at the time, had asked Terry Um, well what do you think you know, I always tease terrybody now like and he was like, well, they need work. I was like, okay, yeah we thought we was. I don't know what we thought. It was, like I said, it was a blur to me. It was just like I was just so hyped and it was like it was just let's just go out here and do it. And that was it, you know, just leave it alone.

Those notes is gone, can't do anything. Don't think about it or I shouldn't did this is yeah? You know, that was it. So yeah, it was, it was. It was something, man. So the footage is out there, no no, no no where. It ain't hard. It ain't hard to find. It ain't hard to find. So how do you get from how do you get from? They neque work too, we should sign it whatever. Well, um, so from there, um,

there are a few things that happened. I'm still I was always very active, playing different bands and one time I was maybe in eight nine different bands one time just love playing yeah, you know, and playing drums that kind of thing, and we're trying to put together demos

and that kind of thing. It was interrupted and I was seeing the nineteen eighty eight, eighty seven, eighty eight, I had gotten a call from a friend to do this tour with opening for I was playing for this guy named George Pettis, and uh, we're gonna be opening for Whitney. And it was an expansive and just just

a huge tour in Europe, Moment of Truth tour. And so that took me out for about I don't know, three four months, whatever it was, and that was an amazing experience just get to really see on that level the world, to see not only the world, but just to watch her, to watch the musicians. He's gonna get to this was like eighty seven, eighty eight. Yeah, she was all the way up. Yeah, it was. It was the Whitney that week, knowing love and all of that,

and it was it was. It was amazing, you know, still thinking about it, and now I have some vivid memories, so you know us and at the end of the tour singing with her that kind of just jam session kind of thing. And so many people that I met, you know, some people I see on TV that are executives. Now I'm like, wow, people moving this industry, and like,

it's amazing to see that. But m that was a great experience for me just to see how it's done, you know, how they're moving, how the business and backup because I was always very aware and keen on that's like what are they doing? Okay, after you get off stage, what do you do? How do they you know what I mean that kind of thing. So it was just really really great time. So there is that comeback to Minneapolis, Saint Paul and we start putting it together, put together

a demo four songs. Pretty Roney's was one of them, and that was one of the songs was one of the songs. Yeah, actually all four songs were on the first album. But the funny thing is, like a lot of executive he took him in the MCA, We took him to you know a lot of different labels, and matter of fact, we came out here in Actually, I need to back up. This was before the chore that, you know, so with Kenny Young and you know, Roger Troutman,

Roger Lynch. I should saying we actually came out here before. It was like it was eighty six. So the year after graduating, in search of a deal, and we had these songs and they're like man, this is uh, this is good stuff. Man, with everybody would ask us, well why are you here. We're like what do you mean everything's happening back in Minneapolis, you know, because it was like wow, but this is La So and uh yeah, but um, you know he probably need to go back home,

and you know, it's like wow. So that was kind of crazy. So we stayed out here. We were in Altadena. You know, I'm staying with a friend of a friend, and I got my wallet stone and everything. We just like had the this is a mess and so I had to mention that just because uh, that trip here we were knocking on A and M stories actually saw Jam and Lewis, so, Jam um out in west? What's the coed West? It's a place by UCLA Colton. What's what?

What's what is? What's what? Okay? Yeah, And it was kind of you know how you see somebody in a different place and you're like, I know you. Yeah, yeah, so he knew. We say, hey, Jam, blah blahlah, you know, we out here trying to search your deal was like okay, yeah cool. It just kind of like the little brush off thing with me. He meant well, but he was just like my hand. And when we got home, he was like, we've seen him beginnings, Like I knew, I knew, y'all.

I was like, I'm sorry, you just were out of place. It just didn't you know, it didn't put it together. So yeah, we're knocking on the endems doors seeing Jam and then out here and then so fast forward to getting back to creating the demo excuse me, and we had those four songs and everybody's like, well, you know, we don't hear a singer. We don't hear it. We don't hear it. That kind of thing. So we started singing pretty and at that The demo is still for me,

still better than the actual album. It's like the demos like eight minutes long. We were all the weight. It was just like really really spiritual. It was just yeah, it was I remember having the lights off and the little o're herstal space and it was just yeah, it was a thing. And so we uh you had those four songs were on there, man, and we decided to put together like a little package and then we invited people, invited Prince out, somebody from MCA, Jam and Lewis, and

we played at First Avenue. It said, you know, the club made famous by purple ring Prince, and so we did that and we used to start to start to show off with Praddy Browns because it was just one of those things that capture your attention like yeah, yeah, you know, I almost scare you, yeah yeah, and a parent that yeah, and then it started off and that was um that was in. We did it. It It was a showcase. And then that was oh so that was

a gentleman by the name of Michael Bland Prince drummer. Yeah, yeah, so he was in. He was actually supposed to be a part of the group. But you know, Prince and asked him at the same time, so he went to go do the new part generation with princes so many there's so many things that you know, So that was

we only in a rehearsal session. So Lawrence, Jeffrey and myself, Yeah this and he just started humming no nah and just one of those things just kind of the lyrics comedy was really simple, and you know, just kind of as we kept playing it started adding parts and making it more dynamic. So by the time we got to the studio, it was you know, it was almost like you're bringing to the stage, bringing the stage to the studio, you know, instead of a lot of times you recorded music,

you know, you know what I mean. So I think with recording that is a more honest way from uh in the essence, that's what you're trying to capture a moment, trying to capture a performance. That's where recordings came from. I think m capturing somebody alive, you know, And now we do it in a more contrived way. We try to perfect a great moment over you know what I mean. Father would say as backwards yeah, yeah, school, but I mean that's what that's what we do now. So I mean,

that's what we captured. And I think that's even we actually went in and did it in the studio, it's still captured. There was something with that about that song, about the vibration of it, the notes, the chords, just the emotion of it, and just it transcended, you know, it was definitely much bigger than us. So the effect that it still has impacts, so I'm really thankful for that,

you know, an amazing impact. Yeah, man, every night. Wow, Yeah, that's I mean, you don't matter where you at when that record comes on, you stop if it comes on while you're listening to the radio. Yeah, you do not change, you turn up, turn It's it's one of those. It's it's crazy because I was like, how do you feel when you were as you know, I wish I knew it's gonna sound weird? What I sounded like? I hear me Sometimes I can't explain it. I wish people I

knew what people here because I don't. Well you should probably look on the internet and see you see him trying to see it. That's what they hear, but it ain't and I hear it's like, I wish I knew what they were here. When they hear the stor challenge coming, I'll take care of it. Yeah, yeah, and you will see. Yeah. And I didn't mean to throw you off from from where you know you were you were talking about the showcase. Yes, I definitely I got to hear the full story of

how that got prints in the house. Yes, what what he brought? He brought a representative, so he did. He said, UM, bring the tape back. I'd rather see them than here, because you know, he's definitely about visual And I remember at the end of the performance, I was walking through my car across the street. I see jam and Lewis and they were like, hey, stop, great job, we'll talk

next week. I'm like, I can't even think anything of it, because at that time it was like, you know, people say stuff, and you know, I'm just glad that they came out, you know. And about a week or two later, we're in Flight Time Studio and in the conference room, like, you know, what do y'all want to do. It's like, we want to make records, and you know, we'd like to produce at least half the hour, isn't They're like you guys can do the whole damn thing if you want.

We're like what we okay, yeah, but I'm sure they knew what it was coming from a band. Being in a band, want to express your stuff like we get it, we got you. And that was the beginning of the whole Were there other offers from that night or were they were the only offer? Prince as he thought, He's like, they were really good, but there wasn't you know, he had so much going on at the time, you know, I think so we didn't really hear anything back, uh MCA.

I think was more you know, they're like, well, there were so many groups like that at the time, that

kind of Minneapolis kind of vibe. You know, though I could tell that there's like, man, there were so many people who had that out if you think about the eighties from my perspective, at least, it was like like when you heard I was listening to face talk about the influence the Minneapolis thing, you know, and being breathing that kind of thing, you know, and just there was a sound you know, the Oberheim DMX drum machine, the keyboard staff that you know, all these there was a

moment and I think mini Apoleis had, in my opinion, a lot to do with that just how I think. I think as it pertains to the area, it was absolutely more so an influx of it. But as it pertained to the industry from outside looking in, there was no man condition. I had never seen anything like making it there was. You know, I feel like I've seen a lot in this music business. I had never seen the main condition me personally at all. It's interesting still,

I feel like y'all want on one. Yeah, to this day, I think so it's um. When we were coming in, you gotta remember it was changing because people were trying to be more cost effective. So bands were on the way out. We're the out of ball out. So Joe to see Voice of Men, you know, it was a moment because I remember all these radio stations people go to. Their thing was can we sing for you? Can we sing for you? Was like it was that was the thing?

Because I think it was who was it. Michael Bevins was telling the story of how a group of somebody's like, well how did you guys got put on what they sang for you? That kind of thing. So everybody started doing that, you know, and but we were like, Okay, we're a band, we do they have this whole thing, you know, So we kind of got caught up and that until we started distancings, a distancing ourselves away from

you know, the rest of the pack. You're like, all you guys are actually saying, but your actual band, you're self contained, you know. But that's what we saw, you know, growing up. That's what we wanted to be seen. How players you know, earth Wind EtuH six, the business of

that work. Well, the best way to me and for all of us because we've seen you know, the great bands, the things that broke those bands up with economics of course, we've seen horn back, the great horn bands go from ten to eight to five to three, and at some point, you know, just time moves on and it's just you can't compete with that, the economics of life and you know, the things that you need and if you shit ain't hidden, you know, that's yeah, that's so um so the best

way to split, Yeah, and I'm lucking know what, it'll work itself out and jail. I mean, we just really committed and at that time we were really artists, right, you know what I mean for an art section really he's really wanted and everything will take care of yourself. We just really cared about the music. Anybody you want to get into your mind? Oh boy lord, your top five? Oh lord, don't top five, don't do it. You got top five, don't do it? Do top five? Who is

your top five? Top lord? Y'all just dead or alive? Dead are alive? Top five R and B singers dead are alive? Yeah, y'all. You know, y'all the new meme of the two R and B niggers trying to each other. Yeah, you know exactly what I'm talking about too, when they got like the comedian did that, y'all? Yeah, oh man, oh lord, this is always people's come on, this is in the moment right now, just because whoever, I can't think of this? No, yeah, um man, Joel LeVert, come on.

Joe LeVert is definitely and think I've spent some time and he's just yeah, the teddy bear roll around on the ground, but he's he can. And why I say that too, just because I've seen him perform so much and he what it's like. He's always consistent, you know, I always no, And I remembers one time backstage he was doing something. He had to show together something. He's like, oh man, I'm tiring, man, let me go on here, roll around on the ground. And he did. I was like,

oh wow, that's yeah. I mean it's yeah. So yeah, Gerald, uh you gotta put Steve in there. Yeah, yeah, you know, um you did so much. Luther's another one tone placement, articulation. I mean, just classic vocal, classic vocal, you know, tuxedo vocal. I'm just gonna say, I like the carpenterice m You're like pop mart you know it was Yeah, if that's kind of like maybe a side m a subtitle, it's like a garnish Yeah. Look, yeah she called him cilantro good.

A lot of people don't like cilantric yes, but yeah, you know if you listen to the I mean what they do pieces in there that are like, oh man, just crazy, got you? Yeah, I mean Karen Carpenter drummer too. You know, she played drums that. Yes, there's smoke footage o. Um who else? So how do you even young Michael? I mean, I love you get what I'm saying, wrong, Okay, you know, yeah, but that was what we grew up on.

That's that was the influence. That was just so how how young was Michael when he's saying right right, whose soul was that? Who do that? Who does? He's too young to do that? Note like that? Like you'd been through he thought he powdering with his note? He do about powders? Who are you doing? Attitude like his attitude from Paul. You've been in a relationship before it wasn't no pro tools. Yeah, yeah, that's tough right now with technology. I feel like he I feel like he dumbed it

down as he got older. He made it. He made it fully digest well, and I want to go step further. He abandoned being a singer to become a stylist, hm, to create a style of singing, because had he just been a singer, You've been a great singer. But everybody's a singer. There are very few people who are stylists who actually creates something so unique that if anybody else does it, it's like you're trying to be like Michael Jackson. You do that right, there's no way, dude, Like there's

really good at this huh right? And pretty pretty flawless. Yeah, I do. Sometimes I can't count over them. You count you counting up you Absolutely right though, absolutely right. Yeah, And it was the genius in him to do that, like to beat too as a purist of completely abandoned being one of the best singers out there, I mean, arguably Michael Jackson and Stevie one of the best kids singers of all time? Are you kidding me? Right? Yeah?

Campbell and Jasmine m I can't, I can't. Jack Selim was fourteen singing like that, so he was already grown men. Come on, Yeah, that's a that's a different that's a different league they are, but they all they all stayed true to their vocal Mike, Mike, he veered off. I mean he's an alien. I mean you have to figure I mean, just his upbringing, just the time that he was born, everything. There's nobody like that ever. I just

want to know why. I wish man I pray because that is like the day we were supposed to go see him. M That's when all and and he had invited Jamie to go out there, and we were rehearsing with Jamie is supposed to go out there, and I was like, I hope I get to ask him why, like why me God? And sing? Right? Yeah, So much passion in that. Man, I'm percussion very much. He so much,

very much in that. Why very much do that? Because I remember I remember Genuine I was singing we're doing TDT and Harvey was in there and he was like, yeah, just just ad libine I was going. He said yeah, and jeh. Harvey was like, what is that? And so he stopped. He's like, He's like, man, like, what makes you do that? And and Genuine didn't get it. He was like, man, that's just why. I say, Man, what

you're saying? Like he thought he was he was this, I said, I said no, no, I said, gee, he's like enamored by the fact that you have your own ad lib. Yeah, like that nobody else. He's like, Harvey was like, what made you do that? What made you create that? Like I love that? And I was like, I was like, he's our stylist. I was like, that's why we need That's why I was like when I was when I was in with Harvard we were formulating the background structure, I said, I said, Genuine has to

lead because he's our stylist in the group. He's the guy that's gonna make us recognizable, right right, you know, what's what I'm saying, like you're styless? Yeah what it call it? Sonic icon? Sonic icons, Yeah, sonic icon. Thank you? Something just stole that. Yeah yeah, this is Stokely's sonic Icon. That's an award. Yeah yeah, yeah, right, yeah, that's an award. Yeah you will, you will receive first and then wow, okay, I gotta say too. As far as Beyonce, I love

all stuff. She's done something. The way her voice is now after the kids, because you know when when the voice after Lemonade, Beyonce got different. Man, the tone of yeah, you know, it's just just so much. It's more season. It's more season. And I think you know you she was, she was, she was. She's a pristine and curated artist, you know what I mean. It's so amazing with a lot of big artists, like things are protected and things are like, you know, let's just you know, let's keep

it here. You know what I'm saying. It's very and I think that Lemonade album she let us in, Yeah, absolutely, and let her hair down. Yeah you can feel that, you feel all the other stuff was great because we knew when she was younger, Like I remember hanging out with I don't know where we were prints a matter of fact, you like she was still on the come up kinds like we're talking about something. I just remember him saying, yeah, didn't you hear that Beyonce? I remember that?

Just that, So you know that's gonna be something special, you know what I mean? It's that Beyonce and I think people I have this argument all the time, like I'm like, you guys don't know the half of what Beyonce is capable of. I get that you got way more in her bag. Oh you don't you know it? You know it? You know because because we know the instrument, we can hear her. That's right. It's build it correctly. That's right, because if she really let loose when she

did that out of James. Come on, so y'all, now you're gonna get a glimpse, just a taste, but this one. Okay, here we go. I don't know no songs. Many do, Yes, you do? You got you gang up too? So your green steal in love? Okay? Quick? Quick? Was you know vocally that? Uh? And my stuff will be kind of all over place. Test of the task at Ella Fitzgerald, Wow, because yeah, he's one of my favorite um house is not a home Luther. Yeah, just we know what that

does for me. I do like Princess beautiful ones. Mm hmmm, that's yeah, something the emotion and that it just took me somewhere still. Um Freddy Brown Ice Man, I was waiting, Yeah, I was. I sang it even though I sang it. So know what I mean. I gonna I'm gonna invite you just I'm gonna invite you to a dude whop. Invite you to a dude whop my gardner fly guy, go around the country and do some of the craziest R and B parties all night, R and B all

night for five hours. Whoa, and you will see what that record, What that record does, Wall wall every time, every time. Wow, you don't miss Hi, Come in, Tank, how to song? Come in? What are y'all doing down there? Oh lord? Oh my god, you better shut up? We got next. We're gonna do R and B voltron Okay, So I need to know who you're gonna get the vocal from, who you're gonna get the performance style from, who you're gonna get the styling from, and who you're

gonna get the passion of the artists from. So let's start with the vocal. Whose vocal are you snapch y'all? Rough? Yeah, yeah, trenches, I love it money yeah yeah. Okay, so the vocal, that's the first one. First one, God, man, I can't do a hybrid because you know, oh man, okay, you stokely man. We let you, you know, we you can live if you want to do a hybrid of if you want to, if you want to blend. Brother like, we're not arguing with you about no saying I'm gonna.

I would just say just so I can cover all of it. H uh. Stevie Van Stevie Van Draws. That's other to be some new rappers like who yeah, Stevie Van Drop Van Draws, Steve Steve iced uff grilling, iceduff, grilled per signing. He's like signing. He's like a big worm with a rapper. You have principalities, right, that's the vocal. Yeah, that's great hybrid. You know I could get the tone, you get all the other stuff and musicality. Yeah, who

are you getting? The the performance style? Prince Davis, Prince and Sammy Davis. Mmm, he's really making a hybrid. Vote think about it, because you talk. You talk about performance. You know what Prince did, He's great. Sammy Davis is the template, He's he's one for everyone. Trumpet, drums, vibes, piano, comedian, dancing, yeah, everything, Yeah, yeah, but more, come on, He's the first Jamie Fox styling

the show drip, who got that? Daiki Washington be killing, yeah, becoming. Yeah, I'm just gonna go with a classic and again I gotta go with you're from Minnesota. Huh, You're from Minnesota expecting something wild? I mean the oppostion somebody gonna say prints or something. Yeah, I mean that's that's like there are parts of that that I do like, some stuff I probably wouldn't work with. But yeah, um, I don't know what person that would be. I guess he would

be in some ways. Yeah, But then I have the just classic side, like a Sammy Davis as well. I do like that suits just well tailored, you know what I mean. You talk about R and B, you talk about like how James Brown is like they had a certain way, certain air about them. You know, suits suit

it up. Yeah. So so maybe maybe I'll say James Brown because I think he embodied a lot of that, a lot of the pride mixed all of that, even even things that Prince true Yeah Chile, Yeah, so ja from Yeah yeah, James Brown was Yeah, he was out there with it. Yeah for sure. Who are you getting the passion from? So m I gotta go back to Mike again when I think about intention and passion and

just everything we talked about, just like feeling it. You can see it in his face intense that you know what I mean, Just why he was singing with you know, so he fired a nigga while he was singing with a what are you going to and what are you gonna do? You gonna do like you fired? That was great. I wish Edd would have been out right back. That was great. We got a very important segment of the show. Yeah, him up the piano saying, it's kind of ain't saying

on that. I ain't saying no name. Where you've been, who you with, what you did, and what you ain't so in this second, as you've seen on this show, because you watched the show, Yes, tell us a story funnier fucked up about something that happened to you, you know during your time in this business. Not only thing ain't no name, ain't no names everything else? Do you mean? Listen? You can, you can. You can identify things and people, you just can't say their name. They must remain nameless.

Story funny? Are fucked up? Are funny and fucked up? I don't know. So it's funny to me. I have a weird sense of humor. We all do. You may not be funny somebody else, but in the moments of me or this is the legends, the legend stokely man condition, Minnesota's own. I ain't saying on that. Oh man, uh, I wasn't prepared for you. And I watched the show and I shit and told this was coming. They want

to have something together. I'm just I'm trying to think of something dynamic because I've had so many great cameras, digits. You'll have had some great moments cameras in digital. Yeah, and then like his segment was whacking, are they gonna be on you if you don't give us? That's what I know? What I know didn't give us nothing. We know Prince stole one of his girl. Oh man, um tried um um. I don't know nothing too. This ain't

really yeah, this ain't really. I remember being we you know how you get to it, there's still this this um competitiveness with you know, certain people space if you don't know them and you know they I think, folks, there's an air bottom if they don't know you, you know, or they think they haven't, I wouldn't have an air or something like that. And uh, this gentleman we were on tour with, or had a couple of shows with, and um meant black Men days. We just got the

vibe that it was just just real. They're just being real kind of fucked up, you know, like not giving their on doing the sound check and whatnot, and we're just waiting and it was like a theater and just waiting, you know, the kind of thing. And the thing about us is like the more it fucked up, you treat us, he'd be like, okay, that's one, that's two. We just you know, we just counting it up, like okay, just

oh this is good, this is good. And so you could see that this dude was just he's seen us out there, you know, waiting for the sound check, right and it's pretty much dumb, just waiting, just sitting around and talking, sitting down and uh, which started up some music is like h well, who's next, Sue. Sue's coming up, and he knew We're sitting right there in front of him and like, yeah, I don't know, man. He let me do another song. It's like really, okay, doors about

to open, you know, that kind of thing. And uh so wait after at some point he just like, whatever, okay, just get the other band up. Now. We'd had some hits up at this point, so put the other band up. We just took that like okay, yeah, he said all this over to mic, over to mic. Yeah, so it was amplified, yeah, and it was amplified. But to us we were like okay, you know. And at that point

we were so rehearsed. We would rehearsed everything. We rehearsed, like sometimes we were gonna do this that sound check, and we were just tied as a drama. Would do one little thing, we just like it would stop over, getting your dynams, would go up and down, all kind of stuff. And so we did something like that that we'd rehearsed, and then that pretty much changed the energy in the room, you know, and I just it was like, I thought that was interesting because after that all that

ship came off, all that artificial post writing. Yeah, I know all that, you know, so it was fucked up to me, but it's you know, you may not think, but it was. I remember that. Like, but again, no names. Some of the men fellas probably no sau Sometimes you gotta you gotta show improve yes, like you think, oh yeah, right right, sweet, you don't know, right right right, Yeah,

somebody didn't tell you. And that's kind of where I was, because it's like we were younger and hongry just like okay, and had that you know, we're going for the edge, you know, we had the net shit on. Man was that I said, I was hoping that y'all birth though, yeah, way after Yeah, but we had that mentality to it's like, okay, we ain't going over the edge like that, no more,

but putting it inside the music. And so you know, anybody who's coming like that, it's okay, all right, I've been there, and it's just you know, it's just like, okay, listen, you got your song is harder than mine right now. Yeah, it's okay. Don't think that I'm not him right right. And we didn't care. We didn't care about like record, We could not have anything. Is her thing was like, we're just gonna get you off of what we do,

performance to do. That's it. You can know not know who I am, and I still try to perform like that to this day. It's like even if you don't know, it's like, you know, I don't care if it's five people, ten people, you know, fifty people, you gotta get they came here, they paid their money. Yeah, that's the kind of thing, you know, you know, the thing you gotta have going forward. I call it. You're gonna remember the night you played the Titans. Mmmm mm hmm, you're gonna

like that. M I don't care what I don't care what's going on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean that's the other part too, about being a musician and being in a band. She's too many cheat codes, too many minutes, too many che hit them all kicking the exactly. But then y'all got the singer it's just not cool. Y'all came out saying it's not cool, it's not cool, it's

not cool. Um stokely my brother. Man, we got to say thank you, bro, and we got to say thank you, you know, not just you know, not just in this moment, man, but for all the work that you've put in you have you have been absolutely an inspiration. You have been study material, wow to all of us becoming who we are, you know what I mean, and being able to take advantage of opportunities and to be in this business. Man, as long as we have, I'm telling you, like you've

you've helped You've helped us do that. Thank you, you know what I'm saying. And every time I've met you, every time I've been able to shake your hand and share energy which you share space with you, It's always been amazing energy. And you know, I learned that from genuine and from genuine and it continues through guys like you that continues to remind me that that is the right way to be. That that is that is correct, and that's how we're gonna keep doing it. Absolutely that.

Thank you for having me. This is amazing. I'm tell y'all keep doing what you're doing. Man, This is really more amazing than what y'all know. It's like you're gonna start seeing residuals, not money, but I mean it's bigger than money. It's what y'all are doing. So and that whatever I got, man, I'm giving everybody out here and just we gonna keep shying y'all. Keep doing what you're doing. You inspire me. You know, I see you out on the road doing stuff. Man, here your records and just

everything y'are doing. Man, it's you know, it's this is, this is I don't be money baby. Hey, well then don't no life. This is the only Money podcast, the A thirty on all things R and B and in the building, we've had someone there special to our hearts. Man, be amazing, comfortable, say go fine goney. R and B Money is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe to and rate our show, and you can connect with us on social media at Jay Valentine and at the Real Tank. For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot com, forward slash, R and B Money