#146 - Mario

us down. Our guys. The legendary company known as odd Socks, Man, that's all we fuck with is odd Socks. They got the flyer socks, the most comfortable socks, and they started just doing the draws too. So they got odd Socks basics, which is like, if you're into like just just comfy walking on Cloud's basic dope socks, that's for you. If you want to get kind of crazy, they got all the licenses. You could get some goddamnches It socks. You can get some breaking bad socks. You can get some

stone Cold Steve Austin socks, some Haul Cogan socks. Whatever you're into, they got it. So go to odd socksofficial dot com. When you're over there, use the promo code bootleg keV. That's one word boot leg keV, and you're gonna save twenty percent off at checkout. Save twenty percent off odd socksfofficial dot com. Go over there, get you some socks, get you some draws, get you some slippers, whatever it might be. Man, they got it one more time.

That's odd socksofficial dot com. Plus we got a shout out to our good folks and my Bookie. Yo, my bookie is where it's sat. Go to MyBookie dot ag right now. Man, they got their double deposit bonus. That means when you sign up in my Bookie using the promo code bootleg one word boot leg. Use that promo code, they're gonna double your first deposit up to one thousand dollars.

That means free money. If you put one thousand bucks in, they're gonna give you another one thousand dollars to gamble with. You put two hundred dollars in, they're gonna give you another two hundred dollars to gamble with. Whatever it is. They're gonna double your deposit. So what are we doing. It's NBA season. Maybe you want to bet on who's going to be the MVP this year. Maybe you just want to bet on the nightly slate of NBA games, the motherfucking All Star Game coming up. Whatever it is,

they got it. So go to my bookie. That's right, MyBookie dot ag. When you sign up, make that first deposit, use the promo code Bootleg and you will get free money. They will double your deposit. All right, let's get into the Mario Interview bulet caps show special guests in here. My guy, the legend, My guy's good, Mario. Well, yah, sir, welcome. How you being. I've been great, Bro, long time, it's been a minute. Yeah, you got this new record out

with Chris, which is crazy. Get back, Bro, appreciate you. Like what's been going on in your world though, Man, for people who ain't been paying attention, man a lot man. Of course, the singles out right now. You know, we just want to do something iconic for R and B. You know, we're working on shooting the video, getting that all the way right, setting up the summertime. I got

a couple of other singles coming. Really just focusing on singles for this summer, you know what I'm saying, and then project probably end of the year, top of next year sometime. In my world, bro, I've been creating a lot, creating a lot, writing and writing a book right now, working on some other business. Is the book kind of like your life story? Nah, it's not really a life story.

It's more of like a memoir. It's more of like a balancing your personal spiritual space conversation, you know, this conversation having with myself that I'm kind of bringing the world into. You know, I feel like I've been in the industry so long, and I've also just been through a lot of different things and different dimensions of my life. I needed an outlet. You know. It's kind of like therapy, therapy in a way, you know, So it promotes mental health,

it promotes spiritual awareness, it promotes social awareness. You know, it's got a little bit of everything in there. You

have had a pretty wild ride through just life. When we think about things that have happened in your personal life, your career has always it's got peaks and valleys, and you know, anytime you're a creator and you're under the microscope, it feels like, you know, sometimes we forget that, like you're a human being, and yeah, I mean, you know, you have to train yourself as like you know, as

you as you get older. I started so young, but as you get older, I think you get these pockets of like growth, spurts of spiritual intelligence, emotional intelligence, and those are the things that you need to tap into if you're not distracted enough too much by the lifestyle, you know, And I always I've always been aware of that. I mean I had my moments while I was super distracted by it, but like for the most part, I've always been self aware just because of the where I

grew up. You know what I'm saying. I've seen all the craziest stuff in my life earlier on. So this was just kind of like, Okay, this is more like human behavior, you know, psychological, energetic. How do you navigate that? That's what I feel like the industry is more so you talk about mental health, like, yeah, how like because you've, like I said, you've been You've dealt with stuff that a lot of people haven't had to deal with in their life, even and as a star, you know what

I mean, which is what's even crazier. People deal with certain shit, no one knows who the fuck they are. You're dealing with a lot of shit. You know what it comes to what happened with your mom, you know, moving back to Baltimore when you were already on you know what I mean, Like, do you feel like you know, I think sometimes we look at artists and we're like, you know, if we think of Mario, We're like, Okay,

what's Mario been up to? Do you feel like you've had to like kind of battle through any like personal depression or anything to kind of break through, like to

where you are today. What we call depression. I mean, this is just like my perspective, but what we call depression and you know, stress and just those immense, deep moments of like where you feel like your life is over, the world is over, is triggers for us to work on things that are unhealed, that we're not walking a path that's true to our purpose sometimes, you know what I mean. So for me, it was like I have moments of depression, but I didn't sit them in them

too long. I'm more so spent more time just studying and understanding my history, understanding you know, my purpose outside of just music, and it just gave me more more of a of a purpose and foundation when it comes to me as a human being, and that helps with everything else. Once I figured that part out, and luckily I started young enough to whear those five six years where I was just like not really doing the music

thing and just kind of focusing on myself. Luckily I started so young, you know, because now it's like I have all of that knowledge to kind of like apply to by now, which I was gonna say everything. Bro, do you think starting kind of having to be forced to grow up fast? Right? Yeah? Do you think that

that kind of helped prepare you for life? Like you know, I had maybe you gone through some of the things you went through at eighteen or nineteen years old without having to have been kind of a superstar, and you know, b Mario, do you think that that kind of helped prepare you for some of the things you did go

through later on? I think, like I said before, just coming from Baltimore, being exposed to so much at a young age, like you know, being in the house full of eighteen with eighteen people as uncles, cousins, mom's, boyfriends, aunties, boy like, it was just you know, it was one of those houses. Like when we lived in Emerson Village, it was like remember that scene on Men, It's a society and beginning to open the scene. I wouldn't say kids was exposed all the way, but it was it

was close to that. Like you know what I'm saying. We didn't know what was going on, but we knew, you know what I'm saying. So, being that I saw so much and I was exposed to so much, I had already been prepared mentally for inconsistencies in dealing with things and dealing with people, dealing with certain and so I didn't as I got older, I didn't like like

attach it to a reality my mind. It was like, Okay, this is my reality, and the reality of the space that I'm in is this, this and that, Like you know what I'm saying. So, you have a house full of eighteen people you grow up in in Baltimore. Shout to Baltimore, by the way, total coincidence. I'm wearing a white shirt. I see resting piece of the rest in peace. But uh, you get on as a teenager, Yeah, I

mean you're like super on. You're like running one of six in park, Like you're like the next R and B sensation, Dude, the house full of eighteen people start looking for you to like start handling some things as far as bills or was it not? Never like that? Nah, It wasn't like that, bro. Like my family was very supportive. I left Baltimore for like four years when I was like fourteen, you know what I'm saying. So it was more about who'd you go up to Jersey? Okay, Okay,

you know what I'm saying. So it was more about like it was more about like missing my family and just like them understand like that transition between me being just Mario but like the Mario the artists, like you know what I'm saying. It wasn't like like that later on it kind of in some cases, but like it was, my family was never like like that. My family was always supportive. My family's real, like real people, like you

know what I'm saying. Yeah, you talk about how you took like a four or five year break from music as far as like just having that be like your main focus. Yeah, I always think it's like you as somebody who doesn't get enough flowers for just kind of like your legacy, like some of the records you've put out some of the bodies of work you've had, and like just in general, do you feel like that four to five years was necessary even though it might have

maybe hurt your place in the game. Yeah, definitely it was necessary for me. It was necessary for my personal growth. Again, it was also necessary for me to like not like attach my value to success or whatever success is perceived to be by people to be. You know, for me, I redefine what success was for me. So success for me was a healthy mind, a healthy spirit. You know what I'm saying. Success is very subjective man, longevity, bro let's be let's keep it a hondred. Like we live,

you know, these lives. You know, we have twenty four hours in a day. You know, when you become an artists, there's so many other things that people don't realize, the responsibilities and the stress that come with being an artist, Like it really can take a toll on you. So if you're not like preparing yourself for the next ten years, then I don't think Like for me, I feel like artists have to learn how to prepare themselves for the next ten to fifteen years. Like, what's your retirement plan?

Like you feel me because like you know, this shit music come and go. I've been blessed enough to come out in a time where like music was really about classics. You know what I'm saying, this is true. People be like, yo, you are you making a comebacks? Like, nah, it's not really a comeback. Let me love you streams two million times every day and a half. That's so crazy, you feel me how to breathe? Like, my hits still go crazy, sure,

as if they just came out. So it's like for me, it's just more of a rebranding thing than it is a coming back thing. Yeah, I think like you said, man, I think like when we think of success, like success is defined it every everyone's personal like happiness. Yeah, life,

for sure, I'm not you know. I think that there's like if you if you're if you're in the industry and you're known for being an artist, there is definitely certain milestone, certain milestones and certain things that comes with Like somebody can view your success as an artist in terms of the numbers and in terms of like there's there's no you know, but in terms of like personal success, that's that's something that you have to that has to be your own personal virtue, you know what I'm saying.

But I think that success comes with happiness comes with success. To me, it's like if I'm not happy, whether it's a relationship, a business, working partnership, like if we're not enjoying the process of this, and I think the pandemic shure that's all that, Like, Yo, are you enjoying what

you do? Like who are you really outside of just what the world knows you for or your public perception of that way during the way, Yeah, you know, so, so success has to go for me, true success has to run hand in hand with happiness and peace and enjoying what you're doing and enjoying the process whether you're making money, are you Are you enjoying what you do while you're making this bread? Like you know what I'm saying.

So music wise, now, you obviously put the new record out with Chris, which is dope to see you guys on because you guys kind of had like I guess, kind of from the same era a bit, right, Yeah, I mean I came out a few years before. I'd say you came out first, but like you know, kind of you know, similar eras, Like I feel like what also came. He is crazy because the first time I ever seen him he came out on tour. I was on tour with Beyonce and he came out on stage

and did I think he did run it? That sounds about right, And I was like, Yo, this kid is out of here, like he's a superstar. Like it was just which Beyonce tour was at. It was Destiney Show Tour. I forgot the name of it, but it was so you were on tour with Destiny's Child World tour with the world to it is crazy. I had to be wild. Wow. Bro, So this is before Beyonce went solo every every continent. Basically, this is pre Beyonce going so alone. Pretty crazy in

love Yeah oh wow. Yeah. So that was like that was a special time people were forgetting Destiny's Child like as a group and like how crazy they were, Like it was they had a lot of hits and they had a lot their fan base was just versatile and just you know, I think they came out a time where like girl groups and groups in general was still like, you know, popping, and it was it was important to

the culture. They were kind of like the last great female group who really think about it, like when it was like the last time there's been an amazing like female R and B group that really like, I can't really think of one bro like that. Nah. I feel like they were the last of their they were kind you know, and even R and B groups in general, and the last who everybody kind of branched off and did their own thing and put out like actual independent

projects that had success too. You know. I just think of like, you know, when I was a kid, it was like Drew Hill, there was Jagged Edge, There's one twelve, and like now I don't like, is there an R and B group that I'm forgetting that? I'm just like, I feel like it's been so many like on and off. But now as far as girl groups, I can't remember any.

Did you kind of did every one kind of know when you were around Dusty Shop back then that Beyonce was like, you know, okay, there's something special about of course, be like, you know, she's of course, yeah, you know what I'm saying, she a superstar. She a virgo like me, he shout out to the verb said Virgos do it the best. Michael Jackson a lot of great Now, I think I think it all goes back to work ethic bro like she was. She was training Bread for it,

you know from from a young age. You know, think about Michael like he was training Bread for it. You know what you focus your attention and awareness on. It's going to continue to to to magnify, you know what I'm saying, and be more magnetic, so in polarizing. So you know, it's crazy because I think when I think of BT and one O six in Park, I think of you, I think of bow Wow, I think of a few artists. Do you remember the first time you went on One of six and Park and like who

was hosting? Yeah, A J and Free was hosting. That's the see that's the ogs, Like AG and Free is like, that's how I remember One O six in Park. There were so many other you know, incarnations of the hosts of the show, but AJ and Free were the ones, the original, you know, they the original man in the in the whole team over there. Like I see some of them still on different production sets, movie sets, war shows. You know, everybody still It's crazy. You see people AJ's

on like Entertainment tonight. At least he was like I'd be like Entertainment tonight was I'm like, yeah, I don't watch a lot of TV, so with no but yeah, Ag always was doing his thing. Yeah no, that's crazy man. Yeah that's so. Do you remember how many times you actually ended up going because you know you were on there a lot. I can't remember offhand, but like I would say probably least like ten times or more. That's huge, ten times that many. Still, I think I think we

definitely got to bring something like that back. I think the Call to You Will Miss I think YouTube kind of killed the Video Show, if that makes sense, because I think they've tried to bring back t r L before and it just didn't. I just think you think, I think the digital Crusade in general did it. Yeah. Like it's like, so there's so people creating their own podcast on this, they on that that is like it's just some go where they want to get there. It's

it's a different It's definitely just everything's just different. Like I'm working on something crazy in that space kind of but bigger right now. I can't talk about it all the way, but it's gonna be it's gonna be super crazy. Like I'm working on some cool stuff. Would you ever do like a show like the Mass Singer if they asked you, yeah, I'll do that for fun for sure. The Mass SERI has been kind of lit, low key. I do that for fun. It's like certain people like

Whiz was on there. I want to say, Tiger was on there. Obviously Tiger did it? Did it? That's great? T Paying one, t pain one, Yeah did Yeah. I would definitely do it because I think it's I think it's because I would be able to show people like the other sides of my voice, the other textures and tones that I because it's like R and B is like I haven't even people haven't even touched, like seen or experienced like the magnitude of where I can go vocally.

So that's definitely one that I would do. Like, how do you feel about the current state of R and B, Because it's definitely a lot different than ten to fifteen years ago as far as just like you know, I feel like I feel like R and B has changed so much, even just like you know, we talked about the digital era, I feel like artists are so like they have to be more transparent now as to where maybe when you know I was a kid and you

were a kid. You know, every R and B artist had this like image, right, they were like sex symbols. They had polish. It was very polished. Nowadays it's like you could just be a normal dude and like the fans almost like that more now, Yes, I think it's getting back to no point, it's in it. It's getting back to the rawness and connecting with your fans and connecting with people and jamming, you know what I'm saying,

jam sessions. Getting back to just you know, working with people that you vibe with on a creative level and making music that you love and hopefully having a label that supports that. Do you like it? Do you like

the artist? Now? I think the hardest part about it is finding a machine that's willing to get behind, even if it's independent, because independents are now like the new labels, like you know what I'm saying, like the process, you know what I'm saying, getting them to also believe in like because it's so much in the marketplace, you know, so rmb tends to take longer to built, you know, unless you're just one of those phenomenons like a Russ who like figure out how to you know, do your

well you know, Yeah, what Rust did is what I just advise a lot of artists to do. It's like, just keep putting up shots, especially if you're independent. Yes, but you gotta understand that's a psychological part that comes with that. And sorry, I'm moving around a lot. You're like very like it. It's a psychological part that comes with doing that. Like when you're when you're trained to okay, one single here and then album, like you gotta like

retrain yourself. I've been retraining myself because you're thinking, like, Okay, I got a song, we got to make sure there's a budget behind it, the video, Bro, the vergo, like, I think so meticulously my they'd be like, Bro, you over think. I'm very like the colors that this got a master. Even when I did my independent project, I was shooting my videos, I was doing I was so meticulous versus just throwing out music and just seeing what stick.

You know what I'm saying. So I'm training myself to kind of find a balance between being overly creative and like, you know, everything's got to be perfect to just yo, do what you love. Are you currently independent? Yeah? Okay, that's a good place. I got a partnership, so me, Dre London, great guy, he's a maniac. I know that guy. Shout out to my manager Andy. You know, we you know, we just we partnering it and we got a lot

of great things on the way, you know. I think it's done a really good job of being like kind of like a traditional R and B artist, but also adapting to the way people can sue music. As Eric Bellinger, Yeah, because Serk has has he's got so much catalog. Yeah,

I mean he's putting out two albums a year. Yeah, And I think that's smart for him, though, I think I think it's it's very it's very like, you know, he's like one of the guys who I see who's like a traditional R and B artist that could have existed in two thousand and three for sure, and has figured out kind of like how to do it independently in a way that like, you know, just keep putting up put He's just feeding his fan base, you know,

for sure. That's that's the I think like for artists who came out in this particular error, I think it's smart. For me, it's more about like still making classic records, even if it's you know, it's like it's like it still has to have a certain energy and vibe to its whereas though it stands out from everything else. You know what I'm saying. I'm not just like throwing anything against the against the board. I don't have an enemy

to do that. But I definitely will say to the fans out there watching, see the people out there, like this is probably gonna be the most music but within this next two years that I put out in a long time, that's actually quality of music. Have you? You know what was dope about the pandemic is we get all these verses battles. Yeah, and the Scott Storch one. You know, he had to bust out there and let me love you, yes sir, remind people, uh you and

Storch get back. I mean Storch is super active right now. He's doing the simmon thing. We definitely we wrap it up. We've been chopping it up, so it's always it's always a time and the energy thing. It's gonna be crazy. I actually got a record that I want him to do some production on. It's already written. Fire got a feature on the Fire. But I just hear his touch. Man, he's Scott is one of the most prolific producers. He really understands musicality and he just he gets it. Bro,

he's talent. You you can't take you During the Let Me Love You air, did you like ever go party with him? When he was like on his like you know what do you mean? Of course? This is like legendary guy and the party stories are crazy. Listen, this is to Miami. Okay, Scott introduced me to Miami, like the Scott storchway. You feel me? Like, so yeah, Like we just keep that with us. Hey, we know we gotta stop the podcast real quick. Shout out to my

bookiey man. Listen. If you know anything about me, you know I like to gamble on sports and I've been using my bookie for so long. Go to my bookie dot ag. Check it out. They're doing them my Bookie double deposit bonus. This is how this works. You sign up, you make a deposit, you use the promo code Bootleg, and you're gonna get double your money. They're gonna match your deposit up to one thousand dollars. There's so much action right now to the NBA season is going crazy.

Maybe you could do a future, right, Who you think is gonna win the MVP? I don't know. Is it gonna be honest? Is it gonna be Devin Booker? Is it gonna be Yokic? Certainly ain't gonna be motherfuckering Russell Westbrook. Crazy odds that ain't gonna happen. That's just burning money. With that being said, there's so many different ways you can bet. You could bet on your daily games. You

could do the parlay. I like doing moneyline parlays. I like to just do three or four heavy favorites on that NBA schedule, throw them all on one ticket and just try to hit you know what I'm saying. Whatever you're into my bookie, you could bet on it anything. Go to MyBookie dot ag. They got the double deposit bonus right now. This is important. Sign up for an account, make a deposit and they will match your deposit, double your money up to one thousand dollars right now. That's

free money. So what are you doing? Use the promo code Bootleg when you sign up and you can double your money. Get in on some of this NBA action. Man, It's NBA season All Star Games this weekend. So much. I mean, you could bet on the three point contest, the motherfucking dunk contest, whatever the fuck is going on. Who's going to be the MVP of the All Star Game. I don't know, but you could bet on it. You could bet on anything. So make sure one more time

that's my bookie. Double your first deposit up two thousand dollars using that promo code Bootleg place your bets. What are we doing? Bet on anything anytime anywhere with my bookie, motherfucker. Let's go. Also shout out to Scott who's totally clean now. He's got a drug rehabby Cones with Steve Lobell. He's doing some great thing, doing his thing, doing his thing, great things, and he's just a great dude, man, great father, amazing,

amazing guy. Yes, So you say you're putting on more music in the next two and you've ever put out? Is this like, do you already have like a body of work put together? Are you still are you just constantly recording? Like? Nah, constantly? Well, I wouldn't say constantly. I'm very I don't just record just to record. It's an energy thing for me. When I go in the studio, it's like while it depends on who I'm working with.

Like sometimes I work with writers and I'm like, we vibe, Like I'm gonna go ahead and get this producer to come in, this producer come in, and you know, we just go in and go crazy on some you know what I mean, on records because the vibe is there. If the ViBe's on there, we just cool, we kick it whatever, whatever. So I'm just finding out out who speaks my language right now, you know what I'm saying, who how we can affect the culture together there it is.

We were talking about The Wire a bit. I got the Wire shirt on. When you watch The Wire, did you ever Obviously, being from Baltimore, that show was probably came out right around the time you probably started to Like I don't remember the year came out, but I do remember, like when I first saw it, I'm like, Yo, this is how realistic was it to the city, Like, because I've heard a lot of people say it was pretty spot on. It's bro it was really on, man.

Baltimore is a super raw city. Like, you know, what you see is what you get, you know what I mean, And if you go deeper into it, you're gonna see you know, it's like so many different levels to it, but like it was definitely spot on, you know, from what I've experienced on what I've seen in my life growing up characters, you know, the Yeah, it was in the city, bro, it was looking black. It was all of the houses I'll see, Like it's a lot of the actors too, were just like just they found them

in Baltimore, like Snoop. Snoop was just in Baltimore. Like it was real, man, it was real. It was one of the best depictions of like if you're shooting that side of it. I think there's a lot about Baltimore that hasn't been shown though, you know what I'm saying from the maybe the positives, the positive aspects, the politics, how it's grown. You know, I'm working on some projects there right now too, to like bridge music, intellect and mental health. So yeah, man, it's gonna be passionate about

about making sure you make your impact back home. I am. I don't feel like I've done enough enough to be honest, right. Yeah. So this year next year, like that was just my main focus on outside of just like music stuff and business stuff. How did you end up linking up with Dre London? For people who don't know, Dre's a fucking mogo in the business. But he also you know, I've known Dres since twenty fourteen. Yeah, but he works with post Malone, you know, he's yeah, he manages post Malone. Yeah,

he's a great business dude. Like I've met Dre through through my manager Andy, who I've known for like thirteen years. We've been homees for years and he's been doing his thing, and you know, it was just a conversation bro about music, about culture, about you know, about black music, and uh,

it was a note bringer. You know, we just we got the same vision when it comes to like, you know, how to impact the culture from an R and B standpoint, and also me just stepping back into my my independency, but also doing it with people who've done it on a certain level. I've done it on a certain level already, so I have to work with people who understand that, but who also understands the boss part of it, in the independent part of it. You know, it's a lot

more responsibility when you're independent artist. As you know, it's crazy because you know, with what you went through with your mom obviously passing away. I feel like today there's a lot of kids who are probably going through that specific ordeal because of just the where the world is with opiates and fetanol and like, there's a lot of kids who are dealing with their parents that are addicted

or dealing with losing their parents to overdoses. What would be some advice You've lived it and unfortunately, obviously the absolute worst thing came true for you, but you got through it. You're here today. What would be some advice for someone watching this who might be dealing with someone who they loved that's going through something like that that you could give them that maybe you know, you lived it for them, kind of counselor talk to somebody, you know.

I wish I would have started sooner. I just actually started mental health counseling, childhood trauma counselor, and I'm okay speaking about it because it's something that you know, when you're a strong person and you're able to take the world on your shoulders and perform under pressure, oftentimes you train yourself to think that you don't need, you know, counselor, you don't need to talk about things that really bother you. Like it isn't until something really triggers you that you

realize you ain't here. And I've had those instances in my life and I've ruined relationships because of those types of things. So I was like, you know what, let me do this for myself so that you know, I can have a family one day, so that I can be a father one day, so that I can be a better brother, so I can be a better friend. Like you know what I'm saying. It affects every part of your life as you get over older, because those things don't just leave, you know. For me, it was

definitely a driving force. It taught me how to be numb. It taught me how to be perfectionist. It taught me how to just focus on work, work, work, but it didn't teach me how to heal. So I had to take that upon myself. So I would say, man, mental health is a real thing, and it needs to be you know, if you know and you're dealing with something and something's bothering you, you get triggered and you see yourself being affected by this specific space in your life,

then you got to talk about it. You gotta get helpful. Yeah, I think it's important for you to talk about that because it lifts the stigma. And I think that the stigma started to get lifted. But like when you're somebody who is the head of the household, who so many people depend on, you're a leader in your in your group, your life, it's like who do you talk to? Right? Like? Who you got to be? Somebody trust? You got to be somebody you trust, trusted source, and you gotta feel comfortable.

But definitely don't push it under the rug. You know, you can't force someone to stop using. You can't force you know, someone to see how they hurting you. Sometimes they don't know because there is a disease. You know, Addiction is a disease man, And it's like it's it's something that that attacks people physically and spiritually. So it's a it's a large karmic part of it that comes

with It's so much spiritually that comes with it. You know that if you're if you you love somebody or you're close to somebody that's experiencing that, it's important for you to also, you know, get help for yourself while you're still loving them through whatever they're going through. That's that's right, man. Yeah, sure you said you were working on the video for this Chris Brown record. Yes, sir, are we getting all the details together now? You know?

And Andy they're chopping it up, getting the getting it right. How many do you have the next thing already ready? Or you just think I got it? I think so yeah, I think I got it? Okay, So who have you been? You don't tell us who you got songs with? It, just who you've been working with, Like who you've been in the studio hanging out with maybe of course my bro a one and then you know me in London about to get in learning on the track, so that's going to be a movie. Hasn't been working with d Mile?

Mm hmm. I would just say those are d Mile of London on the track, Like those are the two producers I'm really excited about. Like working with D Mile is just a genius. Man. He's just a musical genius, and he really loves music, and he really loves storytelling and he really loved just like creating, you know what

I'm saying. So he's somebody always wanted to work with and I feel like he just he gets music in a way where he's like a quincy where he could work with you this artist and that artist and give y'all all three what's specifically for you? You know what I'm saying in a space where it's also classic and relevant. It's crazy because London has kind of been the architect of like some of the R and B that we still kind of like, oh, this is actual R and B,

which is obviously Summer walker you know Summer Walkers. Yeah, yeah, London is crazy, or some of the R and B acts that are new or that like inspire you or that you're just like, yeah, this is this is some like this is some shit. I can actually really the fuck man. Lucky Day Bro, Lucky Lucky's fire. I say Lucky, I would say I like siss a lot. I don't know if y'all still consider consider her new, but I think female artists wise her paying she's crazy. I like

Queen Naja. I got a crazy record with her. Oh fire, Yeah, she just put out a new record that's crazy. Shout out to her. She's shout out. Shout out to the Queen. Victoria Monet. Been knowing Victoria for years. She's an incredible right, incredible artist, incredible visionary when it comes to creativity. Who else It's a few yeah, bread Fires is not too far from you. Blast Blast. Todd Dollars is still one of my favorite you know, got something crazy on his project.

Coming ties of prolific artists. I feel like we don't give tied into flowers. I'm like, bro, this tie is a fucking he's him, he's him, dunk he really he really wanted them guys. Man. Yeah, shout out to you got something with on tis new album. Yeah, yeah, we got it crazy and hopefully and make it on the project. It's this crazy joint. Okay, it's gonna be a good year for R and B for sure. We got stuff the podcast, man, real quick. Appreciate y'all for watching. Really

mean it. Subscribe, like, leave a comment, even if you're one of those dickheads who leaves a comment, you're always interrupting the guests because it's my fucking podcast, and I don't know i'd like to talk to anyway. Hey, shout out to odd Socks man, they've been our sponsor from day one. We go hard for odd Socks always, man. Literally go hard for my wife and I go hard for odd Socks in different and same kinds of ways. You know what I'm saying, because sometimes I go hard

in odd socks. They do make boxers. You feel me anyway? Listen, they got the ill licenses, they got the breaking bad, they got the WWE, they got mountain dew, they got fucking Swedish fish, fucking kool aid pez you know, Cheech and Chong? What are you into the odd socks? Basics are the boys though? That's my favorite? You know, you get yourself a nice pair of just base. They're comfy. It's like walking on clouds. All right. So you can save twenty percent off if you go to odd Socksofficial

dot com. Use the promo code bootleg cav. It's one word bootleg keV. All together at checkout twenty percent off odd Sosofficial dot com. Go show us some love and let's get back to the interview. Have you gotten in or hung out with postmal nitals? Obviously now that you guys have dre's like a comedy. Yeah, we hung We definitely hung man. We definitely a different guy to kick it with. Huh bud light, cool bud light. He's been Did you play beer pong? Nah? No? Nah's he being

his own man. He's a man, good energy, but no for sure he's the best man and he's still humble as fuck too. It's crazy you wouldn't even be like, Yo, you're the biggest streaming artists in the world. But I think that's what it is though. Man, When you vibrate on a certain level, it's like you're grateful for your accomplishment, but you're likely literally living in the moment. Bro. It's

the best feeling ever. That's like, the greatest feeling ever is being able to live in a moment and truly enjoy what you're creating and the energy that you're cultivating and like the people you like. That's what it's about for me now. It's like we all enjoying this process because I know we're gonna get to where we're trying to go because we're focusing. We all great, but we enjoying it. Bro, are you enjoying it? You know what I'm saying. You say you don't watch a lot of TV.

What are you doing in your spare time? What are your hobbies like? If you're not recording, if you're not being an artist, what do you do? Man? I want my dogs, uh, literal literal dogs. I got two pits. Okay, you know what I'm saying, uh, traveling, writing my book, uh, creating other business opportunities. I'm working on some things in the NFT space as well. Oh, I just saw you posted that NFT thing. But but not like on some like quick money grab shit, like really on some I'm

creating the projects that I'm really passionate about. And then man business, other business adventures that I have. Like so, I saw you just posted one of the monkey things. Does that a trillionaire or some shit? I don't fun, you know, there's so many different lot of I don't know what's going on anymore. I'm totally hip to that. It was a gift. I'm not hip to that space whatsoever. I mean, it's it's you know what it's. It's a

if you're if you like art. I like art, like I collect art, so I have art in the house, physical art. But like, if you are into art and you're into storytelling, I think NFTs can be a fun investment, you know, if you want to just do like quick flips and stuff, he's definitely got to learn about it, right. If you have a storytelling and you're into art, I love you throw the oculus on and look at your NFTs that way. I don't funk with the oculus I have. I don't even have one. Oh you don't have one.

I don't have. Pretty crazy the oculus is, uh yeah, I could see you ever see the movie Ready Player one? Oh? You got to see it? Crazy, it's the oculus is. I could see people getting like sucked into that ship just like never coming back. Wow. It's like you put that ship on and you're just in another world like virtual reality. Yeah, but it's like you could like you choose what kind of house you live in, Like I mean, I think I think it's cool in moderation, you know

what I'm saying, in moderation. And that's the key, because I could see some some I don't know, man, imagine like when they have called speaking bro, like all right, that's cool. Like I think stuff like Instagram and some of these other things are just as bad, bro, if you do it too much, you know what I'm saying, Like, if you're like it's so easy to spend so much

time and wait so much, specially TikTok. I think TikTok is the one app that people been sucked into just this swiping that algorithm just feeds you shit, it's hard to put your phone down. It's all about balance, man, you know. I think right now we're at the end of the era going into a new era, you know what I'm saying on so many different fronts, you know, from economically, socially, spiritually, energetically. You know, right now there are things being set in place that's going to affect

the next thirty forty years facts. So I think it's really weird because, like, as a conscious person, I'm looking at both sides. We're both very much so unaware as we are aware of what's happening. Yeah, it's kind of like every day you're giving the red pill with a blue pill, and like some days you take the blue pill, some days you take the red pill. But at the end of the day, it all comes back down to survival because that's the two things that that are people

are ran by. I think we're gonna look at that like survival and like now and be like that was like a really crazy time where the world was changing and like we kind of knew it, but we also didn't really realize how much it was changing exactly. Kind of like when the Internet first came out like ninety six exactly. It's like kind of like where we are right now exactly, and there's like so many different ways.

Like you're like, oh shit, the world's changing, and that means there's ways to make money, but then there's also ways to lose a lot of fucking money, because if you don't know what the fuck you're doing in this web three point zero, in this metaverse, you might fucking end up. There's been so many scams and all kinds of crazy on. It's a lot of stuff. Man. You got to connect with people who are really passionate about what they're doing and who really think about the long

term thing. But what I was trying to say is that in general, it's just like right now is the time to invest in yourself the most. I feel like that means making sure that you spend time out of your day getting to know who you are, getting to know what your strengths are, what your weaknesses are, maybe some gifts that you haven't discovered, you know, because you want to make sure that you are a well rounded person. You know what I'm saying, it's unlimited. What you can

do is unlimited. So it's just a matter of making sure you're a well rounded person, or you know yourself and you're not driven by the outside world too much. It's very hard because it's so easy. It's also very hard to disconnect from like the ground seats yourself. Oh yeah, yeah, for sure. Everyone's always just working, work and work and working. You know. I feel like it's hard to just disconnect

and decompress. Like but in order for you to actually, I don't know, for me, in order for me to see what I'm actually doing, sometimes I gotta take a step back and look at everything, like, okay, three months from now, I got to look at the contacts, the relationships, the people who I've invited into my I'm doing step back, How is that what? Because sometimes you could just be moving and moving and moving, and then other things that can be shifting your trajectory of where you started or

what your original vision. So sometimes you gotta step back and look at the progress and give yourself time to see the progress. Like all right, cool, Like we're still on the track, you know what I'm saying. Like, I don't know. I think it's just because it's so easy to just especially living out here, It's like you know, la is it's always the grind and always. I ain't say it on grind. You gotta hustle. You know, if somebody tell you don't get no money, get away from them. Yeah,

because we gotta survive for sure. But it's definitely like living in La is like you're always on your toes here, if that makes sense. It's like, you know, it's like whatever you're doing, it's like, Okay, I'm gonna go out to eat. Well, shit, I'm in LA so I can't just go out to eat. I gotta put something on. I gotta you know what I'm saying. It's like there's so much that goes into just I mean, I think

it's less. I feel like it was crazy like that before the pandemic, like everything had to be But now it's like I think people have relaxed a little bit when it comes today ego in certain ways, and also the pandemic checked a lot of people's a lot of people were struggling. It's like, you know, yeah, got real, so you're yo, let me love you you say. Uh. We just had a an artist named Kyle on the

show recently, you know, super Duper Kyle. He had a song I Spy Yeah yeah, so he uh he was talking about how he has a song called I Spy which is about to be diamond, right. He's like, he's like, that's a I think it's eight times platinum. He's like, uh, this song has changed my life financially. It's got me in a place where, like, you know, yeah, it's so it's so big that I could kind of do what I want now. That's that's a gift and a curse. But it's also like he's also the I Spy guy.

Now you're not You're not to let me love you guy, but let Me Love You is one of those songs that is so massive, between the remix the original, it is one of the most iconic R and B songs of all fucking time. Yeah, what is the first part of that for you? Because we know what the gift is.

I think the curst part of it is easy. It's just, you know, having that level of success again with another record because I was so young when it happened, and it's like, I haven't had another record that big, even though I've had other hits right since that record, you know, And I think that's the curse. But I think every artist has, well not every artist, Some artists got eighteen

twenty number ones. Right, But that's you know, if you're so lucky to have that and to have that type of system, Man, God bless you, that's amazing, you know. But I think that's the curse, man, Just like trying to trying to beat it out, you know what I'm saying, trying to are you with another like obviously every time? I mean, that's that's that's the fucking your biggest record. Are you tired of performing it? After all these years?

I feel like sometime I'm gonna get tired of performing it, And then when I perform it it feels like the first time every time. It's but it's because of the fans, man, It's because of the people. It's because of them. It's like when you're on stage and you see like it's a connection, bro, because you just records. They they they're like they're like time in the flesh, bro. Like this this is like, I feel like recorded sound is time

in the flesh. You literally trap some time into a sound and you're able to relive it over and over and over and over again. So in some cases, yes, it could feel as if you're not moving forward. But when you see a record transcend so many generations. And you see, like I see tiktoks of like babies or like toddlers singing let me love you. I'm just like Bro today. Yeah, of course, such a blessing man. It's

obviously the first record I'd ever heard of. Yours was Just a Friend, which sampled Bismarcky BISMARKI recently passed away Rest in Peace man. Yeah, as a young kid, like, what was it like, you know, connecting with Biz sampling his I mean, did you know much about Biz before he ended up cutting that record? Like, what was what was he like as a dude? Shout out to Warren Campbell,

my brother, hell lily man Biz. He really I feel like anybody who meet him or feel like he liked they uncle, Like he was very much so expressive, very thoughtful. He didn't hold his tongue, you know what I'm saying. If he saw something, he had always hit me to check up on me, like even if we talk for years. I see him out at an event, it was always love. When I was on tour last so at the Millennial Toy he came out at my bottom one show, Oh do he surprised me and pulled up like, man, just

a good dude, good dude indeed, Yeah, good dude. All right, So we got more music coming this year, definitely more music film stuff as well, you know a lot of great Yeah. Well, I don't know if I'm gonna put that out this year. Man, I'm really taking my time with it, but it's definitely coming for sure. But tour, just more more sauce. Man, what's the tour? Talk about the tour? What what are you doing with the tour? Well, we're planning it, you know, we're planning it for like

probably later this year. It's it gonna be you and like some other people hopefully. Yeah, that's the plan to put a nice package together, like you know, that makes sense. So I just put it out there, like you know what I'm saying. So it's like tour, more music and just more me man, more more Mario for the fans, for the people, like just you know, putting a stamp on R and B where it need to be and continue to do carry my carry my legacy on