Rap Radar: 38 Spesh

Yoh, it's the Rap Raid our podcast. My name is Beatott Elliott Wilson.

What a week we've had Elliott every week is special. Man.

But I saw y'allut Atlanta. Man, he's out there getting your revolted. I'm mad Revolt. He was a vaulting Yeah. I was out there for the Revolt world. It's not the Revolt summits Revoke world.

This year, I had hosted the panel on the Greatest Rappers of All Time. It was called a Great Debate. It was with myself, Trina Simba, and the homie Rob Markman and it was a great time.

Man.

I heard, Yeah, Symbol was out here criticizing emdem Man. I went to get a white boy to credit man, come on, man, Wasshington mathis man.

Yeah, you know, I think I believe the eminem hate that you know he's been receiving late. It's just the internet thing because when Simber made those comments, the whole crowd it was a packed through maybe about five hundred people or so, everyone like gas that started jeering him. Really, I mean, I think I love it now. The fourth video is gonna come out soon, but it was it was a great time.

Man.

You know, I love a spirited conversation about hip hop, so yeah, simbls my guy.

But I definitely, you know, I hate the.

Bandwagon of trying to bash him and them and all that type of stuff. But it's funny, like, so basically your list, thing that you've created years ago because continues to get the people going, and they literally gave you a platform on the Revolt stage to bring your madness, your list to the to the.

Forefront for debate only in America.

Did we land on the same thing that Jays is the greatest MC of all time?

And we land on that?

Yeah, that was the you know what's funny, It was almost unanimous. But Trina through a curveball that had someone else that's her number one? Uh oh she had she had Missy Elliott. Oh wow, I saw Tierra Wack was big up Missy too, So yeahs So it was again, it was a great conversation. I had a great time in Revolt, met a lot of people, a lot of rap rated off fans out there. So we still hot out there on the streets, were still hot. Yeah, they still fucking with us. Elliott, did your.

Fuck with Drake though? What was Drake on this list man speaking of one of the big ones out there. Man, what is usually Drake fit on this list?

Everyone had their individual list, but I think I had Drake at like number six or seven or something like that. Gotta check, but everyone had him on their list at some point.

Okay, what do you think of Drake's to some man?

I heard Leonard I got challow it doesn't like it, man, look at Drake is Chalot Shalaby trying to take the heat off meat out. He's going back at it with Drake again a little beef.

I love it, Yeah, I mean I don't. It's not really for me. I couldn't really connect with it. I think it's okay, but I don't know if that's going to make the final cut for the Dogs. But I'm looking forward to the album as a whole.

So I'm not gonna.

Slimming you out. You know that's slimming you out. You know into that that's cool. But you know, I'm not the biggest proponent of R and B Drake and he knows that.

You know.

I like it when Drake goes in on my time stamp records, you know, when he's popping his shit, like middle of the Ocean though that's my version of Drake I like, but I do like records like Jungle. That's like my favorite version of that R and B chamber that he has. But I'm looking forward to the album. It's always an event when Drake drops. So it sounds like you might have started shotowing me up in that chat, y'all.

Be on.

You know what I'm saying.

You had that group chat, group chat, that group chat. You had the group chat, tell him it's a rap.

Like I said, a lot of people was fucking with the episode, man, and they also loving uh the Teaso touchdown when I was in.

Yeah, shout out was a good one for us.

Man. I thought he's real cool like you said he was. He was, he said the people in the comments and his I G was sending the link to the interview. He was so proud of it. I appreciate that, man. That was a different level of promo. Man shout to him and as his manager. Yeah, man, that was great. It's funny everyone that keeps having the same question like how does he sleep with his hair?

Nails? The hair?

And I'm like, yo, man, he does what he has to do. But you know, I think It's funny. You can't judge a rapping by his appearance, I guess, because you know, at first when you see him, it's like, oh my gosh, it was this pin head looking guy, right, but then we listened to him, he's like really articulate, thoughtful and like he's, like he said, pretty seriously, he's the studio of the game.

So yeah, it's definitely a cool juxtaposition. Yeah, it's not a character.

You expecting me some type of character, but he's actually a road since here a person and explaining how to explain himself and very articulate and tell it's very you know, very earnest and like smart and you know, definitely was impressed by him. And the hard thing was we did the railway right be that we did a back to back. We take that the same day as today's episode.

Man, it was a special episode for thirty eight Special Man. You know, he showed love to the underground and the overground man.

Look at the rage, Man, he's a touchdown at thirty eight special Man. I didn't think he could be done. Man, look at the reach.

Yeah thirty eight specially, he's been doing this thing for a long time. I got hip to him maybe about two thousand and eleven maybe yeah, yeah, And you know, he's probably one of the most prolific artists out in the game. He released his albums like almost every other month, give or take if he's not wrapping himself with producing.

So he's he's earned stripes. And now he has his new album with Conway.

The Machine.

Yeah, Specially was a special machinery.

Special Machinery Special Machine.

Like that title.

That title is very smart.

Yeah, I didn't know.

Specially went back to like Greenland and discovering the man, back to like ex excel days. He started rapping and stuff. But he continues to grow and gets better man. Like you said, I mean I think that like when we did Like Ransom, I felt like, yeah, we're gonna do special one day. And he obviously wanted to be on the program for a long time, but I feel like finally the timing was right.

Yeah, absolutely, you know, Tomming is everything, and you know, I saw him at Soob's a couple of months back, and you know it's like, Yo, you know, we gotta do song really, you know, Trus trust, I'm like, yo, you know, when the timing is right, we're gonna get to it. You know, he dropped an album early this year, but you know, with us having a great conversation on Conway, I think it's only right that we talked to him now.

Finally, finally man for the maw core fans Man special Man. Like we said, we cover all, we call all sides of the culture. Man do the underground main street.

I mean it's only right. Man.

We got rained kid except except female fcs. But we can't get sexy read on the proce sea. I feel double down the ig love beat out man with the sexy read out.

Here, come on man, Jesus Christ.

And on that note, the producers in you years has right now we have to change the topic here and on that dope man, get ready tap in thirty eight Special, thirty eight special.

Trust Man, trust me to got the best podcast out here Man trust on the rap rate of podcast.

Yeah yeah, wrap right up podcast.

Elliott Wilson's name is beat out that what's up?

Baby?

Gotta trust the process man.

Finally time, Yes, Sir, thirty eight Special the Rap Right Up Podcast.

Let's it go Man, It's like it's been a long time coming.

Definitely been a long time man. Definitely happy to have you here?

Man? Happy to be here, Man, word up.

But it's for a good occasion because we have this new album. Definitely special machinery. You and Conway the machine. Great title over the title.

Shout out to my boy Jordan Commando. Man, he like handle all of my internal stuff for the label. That was his idea. Oh no, okay, team Yeah, shout out to the team.

When did you realize that you and conw we need to lock in for a full album?

Yo.

To be honest with you, man, me and Kan been working for a while, and shit, you know what I'm saying. It's just it was time for us to lock back in. It's a minute to go back. And like I say, probably like over ten years ago, we was out in Atlanta and recorded a bunch of songs and I ended up losing the computer that them songs was in.

We had.

Yeah, seriously, we already had about ten songs, and shit, we was locked in for a little minute, and I always knew we had to revisit and shit, we always you know what I mean, So that was doubt about.

We got back together and put that together. What happened to the computer? Long story? Man moving around a lot? Man, you know what, I'm any of the boss not one ball man for real.

Yeah, that'd be crazy because when I record, I don't really like take the music with me to memorize it. I keep it in the computer so it stay new. You know what I'm saying.

Damn, you don't write the bars downsall the year basically for.

The album debut at number one on iTunes too.

Right, definitely up to the fans and the supporters. How beautiful was that for you? That was fired?

That was my first time number one on iTunes? And shit, you know I was number.

Two last year with seven shots. You know what I'm saying, we're number one now we're playing on staying there. You know what I'm saying.

But you don't a lot of collaborative projects, like what do you think is a secret? Like when you get with like a fellow spiter, like, what's what's the what's the secret to.

Make that secret? Is this man?

Listen to all the producers out there, y'all never gonna get what I get out the rappers because the rapper know that it's thirty especially behind the Balls.

That's that's recorded, okay, produced by Dirty Best, the special char So you.

Gotta realize when I'm standing there lockering in with a rapper, you know I'm nice. These rappers know I'm nice, so they coming with their best, you know what I'm saying. So whenever I sit and I'll collabor with a rapper, y'all could expect them to bring the ship, you know what I'm saying.

Did you and Conwic could record together? Because I know you did Son of g Rapp with Cougie Rapps.

So what happened with this project is that I had locked in when conn and had them record all his verses except one, the last joint that he's saying, which as the title track. So I was sitting on all those Conway verses. There was actually the different beats. We recorded this like four years ago, so he wasn't sure how this album was going to turn out, you know what I'm saying. And then I went in revisited it, you know what I'm saying, and reproduced everything, you know, and here we go.

He said it to him, He was just like you, yeah, hell yeah, So he gotta trust you.

So it's more like you leading the whole process of Definitely I curated the whole project. You know what I'm saying the whole sound of it.

Like I said, when he recorded, he recorded verses and it was all over different beats at the time, So you know, actually the intro to the track, we wasn't even going back and forth. I cut up one of his verses and then wrote in between it and made it connect.

A scientist man, I'm like, yeah, in fact though, because it feels like you was in both.

I felt like we was back and forth, but and I had to get creative with it, you know what I'm saying.

So I actually chopped up his verse.

And then I just rolled in between the connected like a puzzle. Yeah, that's why that's special to me.

You've done albums with Conway now and Benny the Butcher.

Shout out to Ben definitely, like you know, the whole Upstate movement, you know what I'm saying.

Me and Ben started off a while ago. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.

So, hell yeah, Stabbing Shot Me and Ben got part two still on the way, y'all.

You know what I'm saying. Yeah, and that's still on the way.

They seen Special Machinery and they think I forgot about Stabbing Shot. Now that's coming, Okay, that's something special for y'all. Trust me, y'all gonna appreciate that when it comes.

Are the similarities of differences working with Conway and Benny.

It's similarities then it's difference to see, you know.

With with with Ben, me and Ben, I say, got more of a chemistry we step in, We kind of like one you know what I'm saying, Like it's like, you know, our chemistry is like we've been working together so so much, you know what I'm saying that our chemistry is a little more like one person when we get.

Together, you know what I mean. Me and Conway, we just got like a dope, you know, dope as recording formal and.

Shit, you know what he speaks to that foundation with Beny for people that may not know, like how you signed him.

And then before it kind of the result of thing really took off. Well yeah, back and on.

Probably twenty fourteen, when I was first starting the Trust movement, I signed a bunch of talent from the area, the people that was the best in the areas upstate, yeah and up there. You know, I kind of like had that area, you know, in a smash and me and Ben prior to that already had a relationship from me recording out of DJ Shade Studio, So you know, I told Ben it just made sense that he, you know, joined the team and then we just started, you know,

Provide and of a way.

So with that, you know, then he always kept working regardless of whatever situation it was, and I credit him for that, and you know that's how he was able to you know, take off when he got with the Griselda movement because he never stopped working, you know what I'm saying. And then I came back like, yo, I'm ready to work, and then that's when we did stab and shot, and then I never stopped working from him.

I know, like from twenty twenty to twenty twenty two, you didn't put nothing out because fact came back twenty twenty two, fat like you hit your career arc right there.

Like, yeah, that was crazy, Yeah, that was crazy, And shit, I did take a little break during that little COVID shit. You know, year twenty and twenty, I put out like fourteen albums and shit that I actually produced and wrapped on and shit. So you know, after that, I you know, I took a little break, and then I came back with Seven Shots, and.

You know, people responded to that.

You know what I'm saying, what he did was about that project that really kind of took you to another level.

I think it was time and climbing the music and actual me really displaying my lyrical ability, you know what I'm saying, Like it was able to really be displayed during that climbate of music.

You know what I'm saying.

Now people really see like, you know, like I was like the underdog, underrated, you know. You know, now they see like, oh shit, you know, this guy might be better than everybody.

But that's the buzz beyond, because I feel like I grew up to the era where it's like the as the rappers got older, they kind of fell off. Right now, it seems like guys get Sharper the boss.

Yeah, that's crazy, that's really what it is, man, And I see that with myself.

You know what it is.

It's just come more experienced, more understanding in yourself, learning how to actually express yourself more.

When you're young, you're still learning yourself, you know what I'm saying.

So we get sharper as we get older with the kind of music that we make, because the kind of music that we make is for grown folks, you understand. So you know that's what we do. When I take little breaks, I take little breaks to live life, to gain content, come back and you know what I'm saying, because we're speaking from real life experiences.

You know what I'm saying, really taking no breaks this year because this is your second album.

That's a fact. This is the second album Smoke. Yeah, shout out the gun Smoke, Smoke intro. Yeah, that's my ship, right, I love gun Smoke.

Man. It was like a surprise project for me.

I just hopped in the studio and just recorded it like in a couple of days and put it out and I got good responses for it. You know what I'm saying. I'm very proud. I'm proud of every project that I put out. You know, I'm passionate. I'm giving a piece of my life in every project. So it's you know, you could get to know me more more, you know every project that you know I put out.

You know what I'm saying.

I know you're really proud of this independence. Like even on the intro of a special machinery, you say independence is.

A true reward. That's a fact, you know.

And I read that you made over a million bucks independently in less than a year.

That's what they said.

Independent is the way to go. Man, I realize it. Man, ain't nothing like freedom.

You know.

A person can't give me no amount of money to take away my freedom. You know, it ain't even about me how much money I make. You know that saw a relative. It's about me being able to actually do whatever I want to do when I want to do it, and be able to support myself.

But how did you do it? How are you able to maintain this lifestyle?

Dough?

Independence actually just fighting out who I'm talking to and completely providing them. I provide a service to a certain demographic and I just feed them. It took me a while to figure out who they was. See, that was the problem. I was rapping for everybody at first, because I like all music. So if I heard this music from this you know area, and I was vibing to it, I would rap on those kind of beats. If I heard it from over here, I would rap just because

You know what I'm saying.

What do you consider that sound? Is that sound like an East Coast hard or underground sound?

It's more, it's a mixture. It's definitely East Coast, you know what I'm saying. Lyrical with a mixture of pain and just believability, you know what I'm saying, Just authenticity, you know, so they you know, like for my fans that's been following me. You know, they see me go,

Know what I mean?

Talk about dealing with life in one of your standout tracks, venting, right, you say, you like you like you lost a lot dealing with this business, having to sell your jewelry back to your friends and things like that.

Fact, can you talk about that journey, that struggle.

That's that street shit, like you know, some shit that happens in the streets, like you know, we we we run around in the streets.

We acquire things that's never really all the way off.

Like when we in the streets, everything that we have can be taken away from us. I'm a person that you know, been outside for a while, experience a lot. So you know, the Venting track is just a testimony of you know, me going through things and overcoming it.

You know what I'm saying.

That seems to be like the signature signature songs like you have Venting Venting two.

Is it gonna be a venting three.

Evening three is coming because you know, life keep lifing, you know what I'm saying. So you know it's those things problem.

Yeah, I got this some kind of problems now, you know what I'm saying. But definitely been three coming, man, you know what I'm saying. Facts. But what's going on Upstate? Man?

Between you, Griselda Stove, God Cooks, shade the wall. It feels like Upstate is really having this movement, this movement in this moment at the same time, like.

Man, it's just due man. You know, we from rapping motherfuckers. Man, Like we wrap like you know what I'm saying, and bring the best out of each other and ship and you know, we just stay true to that ship and like I said, you know, it's just providing that service. Were the ones you gotta come to for it now, you know.

Isn't that crazy? Because we grew up like about the Burrows, right, Like, was that competitive to you? Coming out? All that was competitive? Man? The Burrows thought we had coyles and horses.

We had coyles and horses and ship, you know, which is understandable because when you hop on them expressways and you look over and you think this.

Is what these other cities look like. Yeah, not knowing these other cities as crazy as fuck. Right, you know what I'm saying.

I'm just happy we were able to get a chance to tell our story, you know what I'm saying, because I.

Didn't realize it was all the way back to fellow Rochester native.

Green Landing right like from nine. I'm still a double excel like you was doing it then.

Yeah, back then, I used to carry Green crates in the club. I see, this is how it started with Green. Shout out to Green like Green heard a beat I made at sixteen years old and was like a sixteen year old mad that beat. I need to meet him. He got a great here, he got a great Yeah.

I saw you tweeted once you say you started rapping at seven, producing at fifteen. Facts, I started selling crack at eleven.

This is a fact.

But you wrap it at seven. You remember your first round?

Yeah, my first run, man, my first run and shit, yeah, man, you know I don't spit it before man on another joint. I ain't gonna spit it again because it's kind of dated and ship. Shout out to my older brother and shit, he was the one that you know, helped me scribe it. I used to look up the older brother and I'll rip p and shit the older bro. You know what I'm saying, Love a boy, but love a boy helped me write my first rap at seven years old, me wanting to be like big bro. From then on, it

So I used to watch him, you know, have his dates. Sometime.

He would bring me in my bro with him to his gigs and shit, let my bro if it's a younger crowd, hold it down and shit. You know, he kind of pruning us to be DJs and shit. But you know I took the music shit to somewhere else, right, right.

So that was kind of like your foundation, your dad just exposing you to all these different styles of music.

Yeah, well it was really my brother with the writing.

My Pops just had a place that we could go and cultivate it, you know what I'm saying, right.

But producing at fifteen, Like when did that come about?

Shout out to my homie DC Man. I started out me going to different studios back in the days. The older drug dealers knew I was talented. They would pay for studio time and have me come there and I would teach them how to like count.

Their balls and how to fam out a song and daring me doing that.

I got introduced to the NPC, and you know, I started making beats on it at like fifteen, and I still make beats on it machine to this day, the same one, not the same one, more upgraded version.

But I'm an MPC guy. That's your weapon of choice, that's my choice, you know what I'm saying.

Yeah, so yeah, I started young with that shit. I started young. I always had the talent, but it was a passion thing. It wasn't like nothing about no money. Just was passion, you know what I'm saying, And no way to really exploit the talent because we're so far from anything with opportunity, right five six hours away from a big city.

So it don't matter how nice you was, you know what I'm saying.

And you know you use it to get out of trouble because I read that you was on house arrest. I definitely was at fifteen. That's when you started, really, that's when I started.

That's when I learned how to actually like play with keys and orchestrate notes. That was before the NPC, you know, at about fourteen fifteen, when they had me in the house for like five months on house arrest.

I had a keyboard and then.

I used That's when I started figuring what notes and what sounds go with, what how.

To orchestrate sounds.

I learned sequencing when I got my hands on the NPC, but I already was familiar with chords and sounds, you know what I'm saying. So by the time I was sixteen and green Landard heard a beat I made, he was blown away.

The facts has been more events than Yeah.

What producers were you like looking up to?

Definitely Primo, you know shout out the prem back then, and shit, man, I was just Blaze Bank definitely. You know what I'm saying. It was always a Bink fan and shit, you know Dre from the Chronic era. Man, you know, I just love good music, man, Yeah, I just love good music.

I heard the rumor that you and Binker are doing something together too.

Definitely, Man, we got some music in the stash, man me Bink and Ran So we got some music in a stud.

Ash You heard that might be Kevin Durant related, Yeah, man, k you heard the same room behind man KD been wearing his executive hat. Man, you know he got an ear though. I was gonna say, is there a bigger Dirty eight specch fan th Kevin Durant out here?

Man be a bigger one?

Yeah, he fuck with me, hogged Man.

No good music, So he got a good ear, you know what I'm saying, like a real good It surprised me.

How how how you know how in tune? He is? What did your first connect ship man?

Sometime after I dropped seven Shots, but he was already a fan.

Ran had told me.

Ryan had told me because they was talking and he was like, Yoka, the fucking with you hogged And I'm like, oh word?

And then so he do Ransom first?

Yeah, I guess I don't. I don't know how. Yeah, he was already talking to Ran. He was already in touch with Ran. Yeah, and I guess he you know, Ran told me like, you know something, fuck with you heavy, you know what I'm saying. And then that's how that ship started, you know, shout out to my boy Ransom.

But it might be a business thing where you guys figure out how to yeah you up and make something special for the culture.

Definitely, you know, we putting some players together, you know what I'm saying, definitely shout out to Shout out to k d Uncle, my boy vdo that whole team over there, you know what I'm saying.

Definitely another basketball player, Lebron James.

Shout out to Lebron.

You might be number two, Kevin Dur number one, Lebron's number two.

Yeah, that's fire, right, I started that. Yeah, that's that's kind of fire. Yeah, shout out to Lebron James.

Man.

Yeah, he just I don't know if he just got got put on or something then or not, because he it was one week he posted me four times, four times. He was going crazy. Wow, he posted me like four times. Listen to and a whip he was working out. I'm like, yeah, you know, he was in a whip a couple of times. The last time he had this, he spit word for word. He's up to seven shots again and it's crazy because he spit something from twenty nineteen.

Wow. Wow. So with that video, y'all see Lebron rapping my shit.

That's a song that came out in twenty nineteen with me and Fred the Golson called empty Place.

I go get that that.

Let y'all know empty Plates, So that let y'all know you know, stay true to your ship, see it, don't follow trends. Good music, Like I said, I made that four years ago, prior to Lebron rapping it.

It's good music, you know what I'm saying.

So you know that that just show you know, just because the song ain't get heard yet or it ain't take.

Off, does it mean that it ain't good.

You know, when it gets to when a person hear it and it's good music, they're gonna appreciate it.

So it's just about keeping making good music, all right. Have you connected with Lebron yet?

Nah? I ain't connect with Lebron Yoh man, you know I'm a catching No, I'm catching this shit, Lebron Holler at me.

Man.

You know, but back to the substance ement, I'm like, you're still not afraid to be like not critical of the kind of the state of things right like outside of what you guys do the spit, it's like there's not enough of a balance.

I guess you feel it's a culture right now. Of course, you know what I mean. I love all music. I know that music.

You know, it's all about mood, and I don't feel the same way all day. Sometime I might want to feel like going to the club and I need somebody to provide that service. I might be with my lady and I want somebody to provide myself that service. So you got to realize, like I love all music, I just know the service that I provide.

You also provide a lot of great advice. Man, You're the reason why Ransom came out of retirement.

Shout out, that's what he told us. Hey, man, that's the truth.

Man.

You know what I'm saying, Like it only took it only took one conversation. It wasn't like one conversation. Ransom was back one hundred miles perower.

But what made you put that bug in his ear? Though?

Because he was too good of a rapper not to be putting out music. And I knew why he wasn't putting out music because I went through those same type of you know, you kind of get frustrated with the way that this industry was, especially not being able to monetize off your talent.

So that'll discourage you.

So I had to spread the word that it was ways we could monetize just off doing what we do, you know. And it was a few guys you know like fred de gossoon Rip. You know, I pulled him into the movement. You know, we was gathering to get things together and it's just like sharing information. I see a guy that's dope, he don't know something. They don't take away nothing from me to be able to be like, you know, this is what's going on out here now.

You know what I'm saying.

Facts, What do you think that shift happened as far as music goes, like the sound of music being to monetize it the way.

You The shift started to happen when it started to get more noticeable on our side, when the Grisela movement came, you know what I'm saying. That's the shit that helped me like get away from the streets, like because I seen it was people from our area that was able

Because at one point, I remember when I got tapped into you. It was on Invasion Radio putting out the mixtapes. You got like a little buzz at least violently, you know, on the blogs and stuff like that.

Then you kind of went back to jail, right definitely, Like how.

Discouraging was that moment? Did you feel like it just stalled momentum?

Of course, Like when I came home from jail, music changed. Nobody cared about lyricism no more. Before I went in. You remember I was on the spot with young Christians when I first got tapped in, you know that, and I was dumping and I had balls. When I came back, nobody cared about balls no more. Everybody was like, you know, clubbing. That's where the discouraging part came in, because it's like, okay, now if you want some recognition, nobody don't care about

And talent more and more.

And then once I seen that people was appreciating talenting again, the doors start opening, like okay, I might have a shot. I think all of that changed once, you know, people start realizing like, you know, a lot of those like big battles helped to like push a t Drake and you know shit like that. You know it may motherfuckers be like, okay, got to know how to rap.

We want to hear what he has to say this person.

You want to hear some some some some some lyrics and ship you know. And it's like, oh okay, you know, and that started helping with the shift as well, you know.

What I'm saying. And now I see kids.

Man, I was riding with eight and nine year olds the other day and they was listening to Tupac hit them up wow wow word for word, saying it word for word, and I realized that's what I was saying around that age. So I'm like, yo, okay, they starting to you know, want to hear lyrics again, which is you know, a beautiful thing to me.

That's funny about this record.

You don't look at the lyricism aspect of it, right, You get into the beef and the distance, but it's really the cleverness of the bars off side. It's the key element to winning a battle or anything that goes on, you see. You see even with the with the with the battles online, with the kids things.

Definitely talk about your brand though. Man.

The TCF Trust come first is the movement, man, Trust the chosen Few. The Chosen Few was how it started, man. And then you know, shout out that my boy rock life familiar with my cousin. We came up with a bunch of acronyms and shit for TCF and he had trust come first, and that shit stuck with her. And you know, I've been screaming trust for over ten years now, man, and.

Scream trust after every got them for every verse.

I gotta let it be known.

It's just about the brand, man.

You know, hey, man, and they screaming it when they see me, they know they know, like you know what I'm saying, and uh yeah, Man, it's a strong movement.

It's starting to you know, just grow by the day, grow by the day.

So you're gonna bring us some trust hoodies and stuff.

Now next time, I got y'all, y'all gotta get me some sizes, man, get y'all right.

Real, when you say trusted, like you have emphasis behind it, like is it more to it than just an acronym?

Like you know, man, it means a lot, man, you know that's what man? You know, man, that's just the foundation for everything, you know what I'm saying. And then not just that though it's a a lot for a person. It says a lot about a person character that's able to scream trust for ten twelve years and nobody questioned it. That says a lot. You understand. That mean everybody that I came across has some sort of level of trust for me.

You know.

That's that's an honorable person, you know. So I like to stand on that, you know what I'm saying, And that's what it is.

You can't be trust if you're a person's you know, talk about your background in Rochester, right, you said that you had to move out of your city, you know, because you get the most hate from there on South's Pizza.

Hell, yeah, man, do you feel like it's still like that now?

I think for every rapper, you better get the fuck away from them places that you grew up in before they kill you.

Yeah.

Her, this ain't no if ends or bust about it, especially if you had any ties to the streets and shit. You know what I'm saying. Like me, I'm just happy to be alive. Man, I had several attempts on my ship. You know what I'm saying. That's documented. Y'all back home know what time it is. And I'm happy to just be away from all that shit. And you know that shit ain't nothing pretty about that street shit.

You know.

That's why I give y'all both sides. That's why I make songs like Venting and things of that nature. I motivate y'all to get y'all money, but I also motivate y'all to get the fuck.

From out of the streets.

You know what I'm saying, really deep in the streets, because like I'm listening to like Eye on the Money. You say you were rated at fourteen years old.

Yeah, I caught my first self charge at fourteen years old. Wow, you know what I'm saying.

And yeah, I've been and drew in our systems just a kid so you know, I experienced it, you know, being incarcerated as a child and as an adult. You know, That's why I'm real proud of the lifestyle that I live now, of being able to really like be all away legit. I take pride in that because where I come from. You know what I'm saying, it's not normal.

YEA saw something you were saying that once you've realized you could make money go to music, you had to give everything else up. You want to be greedy or felt like it was gonna go negative if you tried to keep everything.

Yeah, that was a fact.

Once I started to be able to pay my bills off of me, I ain't want to do nothing else.

I felt like if I was doing anything else, it.

Would be being greedy. I knew all the shit that I wanted I would eventually get. I got everything I wanted at one point in time from the streets and lost it off. You heard, by the time I made a transition, I had to make a transition, and like I had to make a decision to try to go and get.

Everything back or just say fuck it. Caught my blessings.

I decided to say fuck it and caught my blessings, gave my all and my same you know hustle to my passion, and I ended up getting everything back tenfold.

When do you feel like things started to click for you?

Things started to click for me once I, uh, after stabbing Shot and Son and g rat. After those two projects, I was able to pay my bills.

That was it. I said, oh shit, projects pay my bills. I'm putting up.

With the year after that, I put out the wholesale.

I wasn't playing once, I I said, I put out two projects one year, and then it was paying my bills. That following year, I put out five year either I put out fourteen I ain't, you know.

And if you're telling them what directed consumer like on the website at a certain price, yeah.

At first at first I was, you know, direct the consumer and shit.

You know.

Then I started partnering up with different distributors on the physical side, physical meaning like vinyl and zds and things of that nature. Always had you know, my digital partners and shit, whether it be you know, E One Empire or you know Orchard or whoever. You know what I'm saying.

But uh, yeah, that's what it's about. Man.

Once I realize that it is about it. S is about building catalog for your rappers out there. It's about building fans. You know, you don't need a million of them, building a few of them that fuck with you, and keep feeding them, you know what I'm saying. Keep feeding them, man, that's it. Every time you put out a project, it's an asset, you know what I'm saying. And you just keep stacking those, man, keep stacking those.

So you feel like you kind of know your fan base, like this core group, and how to mobilize them.

I know them exactly when I go in to boo if I know exactly who I'm talking for.

To the point, I don't even care about everybody else I know. I know. I don't make music for everybody. I know. I make music for for.

Something I guess if they come, they come, they just gonna come if they come. But the person I make music for, I know exactly who I'm making music for when I step in the booth, and that's the only person I care about.

So they don't.

Even advise me to make these records or these records because I make music for those people, and those people take care of me, and they looking for me when they want to hear the ship I provide, So I'm not gonna do what the other people provide. That's like you know, I don't. You don't go to KFC looking for burgers, you know what I'm saying. So in fact, y'all, you know, every time you pick up especially, you know what you're gonna get.

You know what I'm saying, trust or I remember?

So you perform at s OBS shout out there.

Yeah December that.

Chunky and definitely packed.

Man, it was crazy. That was a movie.

It was I was in at That's Fire, Big, That's Fire.

I'm glad it was in the building. Man. So you get to see me get busy. See how the people.

Respond, you know what I'm saying, See how my people respond to me.

Man.

You know when it's a diverse crowd, you know, like do I've been on different tours with different artists and ship.

The people that was in there, it was like really from like the streets and ship see a lot of light activity. I saw a couple of ladies too. There was a few ladies there.

Thanks for highlight.

They don't know females coming. Thanks, thank you for highlights. A nice lady different.

You know, you know we bring out the different kind of ladies that like, the different kind of men that they and stuff.

You know what I'm saying, What was your favorite moment for that show?

Honestly, this crazy part is that it was when I've seen an Asian lady saying my joint word for word, and I passed the microphone and she sung along my mind out.

Yeah, you have such a diverse catalog? Is it hard narrowing down the setlist for Hell yeah?

Hard?

All the time? Man, they be telling me why you ain't do this? I can't just to hear this. That shit be hard as hell.

Man.

I put out a lot of music, man, you know, I try to switch it up a city, stay with the main joints, but it's hard.

Do you go back and listen to your old stuff?

Yeah? From time to time.

From time to time, I got certain songs that I always listen to from out the catalog, but from when I'm on the road trip, I might breathe through the catalog.

Yeah, there's a court group like three to five songs. It's essential for every set list that you definitely.

Have to hell yeah, man, hell yeah. Empty plates is wondering that shit Lebron was spitting. That's one of them. I'll be having to do that and ship. You know what I'm saying.

It's a couple of them on there that I have to do. Sunday school. Sunday school. You heard that's a must?

Acting like I ain't kill everybody on Sundays respectfully. Man, Yeah, I know that, man, Like damn, Man, come on, man, I was versus a decade man talking about that ship. Man, come on, man, you rememb when you came up with that verse. Yeah, man, I made that verse after rite.

Believe it or not.

I recorded ten songs that night and then Benny sent me that verse. I'm like, damn, what I'm gonna do to this because he rapped for like three minutes. But I knew that this project was gonna be a big project for Bruh. And I said, I'm about to smoke this ship because I knew people was gonna hear me. So I smoked it sent it to him. He was like, yeah, you smoked that shit. I'm waiting for kiss this. I'm like, oh, kiss about the hop on? It was like I said, and I don't care who about to hop on it.

They ain't gonna be able to do what I did hear.

I think you and Ransom at some point I do last gas on in person got.

To got to I'm glad you said that. Ran, you heard that. The people want to see us do that. Ran don't like to leave the house. Ran ain't with that.

I see him on vacation all the time these days.

Now, Ran stays on vacation. Man, stay out the cut. Yeah, that's the fact. Rap life is good for these other pedic trying to tell you, it's like, come on, come out of America. I'll sit with you. I'm like, word, that's how we're doing it. Facts.

But yeah, you were and Ran, like Elliott was about to allude to you, I haven't done that project.

Yeah don't.

You had a full project And maybe I'm just imagining it.

It's coming, it's coming, and ship we we we we were.

Putting that together. It's definitely coming and it's gonna fuck y'all up. There's no combo like me and him we rapping.

Yeah, I know the fens are also on your hid top man, because that nineteen ninety six tape. Where is that at, y'all?

It's coming. I'm in a year with it. Man on the loan that's the one at the end of the year, the last one for the year.

I really enjoyed those those tapes where you're just jacking these other people beats and.

Yeah, that should be fun. Yeah, that should be fun.

Matter of fact, you did in box me after I dropped, like, yo, it was fucking with.

You had one line he was like, stop wearing it was thirty six mill of me the Wii.

Yeah.

I was like, okay, yeah, hell yeah, nah, I respect that beat out. You've been supporting for a minute though, you know what I'm saying.

Yeah, the time had to be right, you know, we finally get to sit down.

Hell yeah, man, Hell yeah, man.

I'm just glad, you know, y'all, y'all see the work being put in, you know what I mean.

Yeah, I mean, I mean obviously you put out two projects this year. But you know, we had a set back a couple months back with your with your brother passed on level definitely. You know, he lost life to gun violence. How did that affect you and the family?

Man? That shit was something that was very that was like, very very hard to deal with. This shit.

Man.

You know, when you never know how much you love something until it's not dead. We take for granted people and shit, we think they're gonna be there forever. That fucked me up because, like, you know, that was like my first best friend, that's my big bro's you know what I'm saying. And uh, at the end of the day, though, I know what he wanted me to do, so I'm just staying staying focused and shit, you know what I'm saying,

To deal with, right And how problem was he of your success?

He was proud as hell.

It was crazy because he's seen you know me, you know, doing my thing, like right before, he's seen seven shots come out.

Matter, do you know what I'm saying?

So seven shots came out, he's seen KD fucking with it and shit, and you know I shouted him out on one of them interviews and Ship and he was on the block playing that ship in the loud speaker. Her that was that's crazy. That was dope though, you know, so yeah, hell yeah. He was proud, very proud of little bro.

I know you have your daughter too, and she has to be your biggest fan.

Biggest fan. Man.

She keeps asking her come to the concerts. I got a wait time at like some type of kid friendly venue and Ship, and I'll be telling her one of these days, you can't come in these places with me, like no, but yeah, she's my biggest fan man.

You know. It was like, what's side guns? A daughter? Word up?

I got her playing instruments and ship though she gon she got yeah, you know, I got all the kids is musically inclined. Y'all got to do something. Yeah, I'm like Joe Jackson, I gotta do something.

Like said his kids got.

To earn it. Ship. So yeah, you know, we're getting busy. Expect some family music coming back. This album in Fireplace, Man, you decided to go so long that thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I needed to get some balls off.

It was a couple of joints, like the joint before that, I wasn't one, So that's why I was like, yeah, let me just give him a you know, a nice verse and ship, you know what I'm saying.

Because you're not in the one with foul you know that one? On that one either that one. I ain't want the song to be too long, man.

It's like once once I start getting in it, after like three minutes and shit, it's like, you know, I don't want to It's like it might be a little too long. And shit, you know three people three minutes for nah we you know what I'm saying.

Plus they did what they had to do on that, and you got another Queen's wrap on on the album. Lloyd the Banks shout out the Banks man. Yeah that's the homie joint. Yeah, that's the homie man. Banks.

Banks was one of the first ones to support me too, back when you know, motherfuckers ain't really knowing shit. He shouted me out on Twitter like you know, I was one of his favorites and shit, you know and shout out the.

Banks ecosystem is dope because it's like you might catch them on your project. You might catch Banks you on Banks's project. It's like, yeah, it's you know, he's showing each other camaraderie.

Definitely definitely expect some more of that too. Facts.

I was on Yayo last year too, though, Man shut out to yyo too.

Yeah, man, is it someone that you want to work with who's on your bucket list? I feel like you're checking off a lot of boxes so far, check.

It off a lot of box.

I got a few guys that you're gonna be surprised to hear me with on my next solo coming out top of next year. But it's a few guys that I still won't work with, you know what I mean. I gotta do something with Nas. I would like to do some shit with Jay Zon me too.

Right, Like Yo ho, just pull me.

In the studio with you. I'm telling you, my nigga, I'm gonna bring back that nineties vibe. You don't think like, oh man, bring that nineties vibe man?

You know?

So yeah about hoving Nas is the two rappers I probably would like to do records with, you know, singers. I would love to do something with Mary and Ronald, Okay, you know, yeah, yeah, that's about it.

As far as production goes. You want to just work with anybody or you selective with that as well.

I want to work with the people that I grew up listening to, or people that's dope.

Okay, you gotta be dope, you know.

Or if I grew up listening to you and you have some type of impact on my ship, come on, we could sit down and I fuck with you. You know, I'm producing a couple of ships for some niggas that y'all gonna be surprised that that's gonna sound great.

You know, how do you feel about that? Giving away a beat? This? You know it's dope.

You don't hear yourself out of giving away to someone else?

Like yes, So when I'm in producer back, I'll just wear my producer hat and ship.

When I put my wrapper hat back on, I'd be mad as a bitch. I'd be just like, what the fuck.

But when I'm wearing my producer hat, I'm just trying to make the best ship and just here you go.

Then I'd be like, damn, I don't believe I gave that one away.

So when you make the beach, you're not thinking of yourself as the yards at all.

I'm just making I'm just making a beat. Making a beat be the best that it could be, you know what I'm saying.

And then, you know, but a few times I wish that I would have kept some ship for myself.

You know, because like on Graphs album, all the words, I was like thirty eight doing this. Oh, this is just all production, all production, all production. Hell yeah, shout out the graph and ship. You know we're working on another one too, you know what I'm saying. So hell yeah, me.

And Vado got an album coming to Yeah yeah, shout out the bottom. Yeah. If you in New York and come from the East Coast and ship y'all, you know you should holler at me and ship man. You know, I got some things figured out.

Man. You know.

You know how to wrap, and you sitting at home and ship, you should holler at me and ship man.

We probably could make some money and Ship. You know, trust trust trust. You buy yourself another bike? Yeah, man, you love them bikes. Yeah, I took a little break though.

Man, too many motherfuckers was falling off them ships and getting killed, and shit, I got a little scared. I ain't gonna lie. I ain't rolling bout a year motorcycles. Yeah, I ain't rolling about a year, man, But I'm about to start back. Man, that shit is calling me, oh ship, Yeah, I love them ships.

I ain't gonna lie. Word, I love it. Just a little dangerous.

It's a lot dangers. Yeah, yeah, I had to fall back from them sh just a little bit. Shout to all my bikers thought. You know, y'all be safe on them roads.

Man, there's no safety of this special machinery though.

Ain't nobody saying. Ain't nobody saying special machinery out right now? Man? Sucking ship up. We're sitting comfortable at number one. You know what I'm saying. Ship street music, street good good street music facts.

You feel like you guys, like in your own league, like your own league of spinners, like hell yeah, Like you're putting the playlist together, like these are the essential guys.

I completely feel like that these are the essential guys. You got to have enough playlist if you want to people that may not be familiar to novices out there.

Don't know se're not.

You're gonna have niggas mad at me and ship because I ain't mentioned their name, so you know me personally, I'm just speaking on my playlist. You gotta have some thirty eight special trust in it. That that that that includes you know, Ransom, you know what I'm saying.

Gotta have you some Griselda.

In there, some Ben in Coln definitely if you want to hear lyrics, definitely. My boy Banks is rapping still at an all time high and shit is starting to get blurried.

Got change the wall.

Yeah, she part of the Trust movement, all kind of they gotta uh ship damn, y'all gotta forgive me out there. Everybody that I produced the album with, y'all, y'all part of the Trust movement.

I ain't got to say y'all names. Y'all part of the Trust movement.

So you know, everybody that I produced the album with, it's in my playlist as well, you know. And I really don't listen to too many niggas man. Yeah, you know, it's people that know how to rap. But as of right now, in the last two years, it ain't too many people that made my playlist.

That's just for me to I think I saw you picked up l Russell and I like. But that's two times.

I like both of them. Yeah, I love both of them.

I haven't really dug into their catalog, but every time I come across them, I like what I see.

Y'all like what I hear. I like the way that they're doing what they're doing. In fact, we like what you're doing thirty eight man, I appreciate that. Man. How do you stay shop as lyricists? Man? Do? What's the key?

I listened to those those greats. I listened to that ship from the nineties and early two thousands. I really you know, and that's it like and people that know how to rap rap now, so I keep your pinshop man, I'm around spinners.

Ain't no slacking, world up, no slacking that we finally did this, brother, Thank you man. I appreciate y'all having me.

Man do this again, this again? Man, when they want them car rides from you to pull one of them toys and go around Rochester Street bulletproof.

Might do you ran banky kt or something?

You know what I'm saying? Yeah? Super Bowl special.

Man, trust rap parid all podcast trust Man rap Radar is Interval presents original production from Hyperhouse, produced by Laura Wasser, Hosts and producers Elliott Wilson and Brian B.

Dot Miller.

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