Yo, what's up? This is High Tone and I'm right here with Bootleg keV. Make sure to check out that new episode.
Ooh all right man, Yo, Bootleg cap podcast. We got a specially look, I got your No Lame shit in here by the way, damn Bootleg Cat Podcast special guests. My guy high Tone is here.
Boom, what's up?
What's up? I just was on your podcast, the No Lames podcast?
You were How are you been doing that since January? So?
But it was already a podcast before you were official.
Yeah. Yeah, And I got new year, new new things. They wanted to kind of like just bring in like some new talent, new hosts. And I've known Rocky since for fifteen years now, so he's always told me, Bro, try a podcast. Try And I'm like, Dog, I just got so much on my plate that I didn't feel like I could do it alone, right, you know, So just jumping on board with two homies, I felt more comfortable.
It's been cool learning experience, Like I come into any situation, I don't really know too much about it, and I'm just soaked the game up? Dog in is it?
Uh? Once a week Thursdays.
Every Thursday, live on our YouTube channel, And Yeah, I think the hardest part, BRO has just been juggling everything dog because I you know, with the tatting and the music and you know the things that I do, like setting another couple hours aside Bro to do that at night. It's it's that's been the difficult thing for me. Uh.
Obviously you've always tattooed. Would you say because we kind of talked about this a little bit, you kind of like I did. I don't. I'm gonna say you took all the way to step back from music, but I feel like you're a lot more active like ten years ago maybe right, Yeah, I mean, I mean you just put an EP out with Steels.
I've always I mean I've been consistent, like yearly putting music out. But yeah, I mean there was a there was moments in my career where I would drop three four albums a year.
No, I'm saying there was like a point in time where you were super super pressing the gas. Would you said, what would is there something because I feel like you got the itch again to like really go go in like that because I just saw you were shooting content with Gee Perico and yeah, would you say that, like, what would would be the biggest uh inspiration, that kind of because you say, we're going to talk about it on the air.
Yeah, So I mean we you know, we were on the podcast and you were like, you're not like, you know, you didn't say it consistent. You're like, you're like, you know, you're.
Not consistent most other artists.
Here's the thing. I have twenty albums out on Spotify. There's not too many artists that is even doing music right now, Bro, that is in that category of consistency and dropping music. You can't sustain that and withhold that pressure for twenty years, dog for fifteen years. I mean it's unheard of too, you know, drop that much music.
So when my foot was on the gas, Bro and I was dropping three four albums a year, it was just a stage in my life, Bro, where I felt like music was the only thing on my mind and that I could make money off of. And as I got older, BRO, and realized the music game is pretty much trash when it comes financially.
Yeah, you're really not gonna make any music. The catalog's cool because you know, it accumulates and then you get that nice monthly residual, but like in terms of like, what streams actually pay you.
You're not gonna You're not buying a crib, You're not not for sure. So as I got older, Bro, I was like, man, like, I need to have my hands in different baskets to accumulate one big part of the month. Dog.
So that's why most people should like, I think every artist, no matter how big or small they are, should have that.
One thousand percent dog. And that's what I'm getting to like. It may seem like I'm not as active musically, but I just figured out how to do multiple things at the same time. And when you do that, one thing's gonna slack a little bit, whether that's tatting music. So I'm making music money tattoo money.
But you also, like were slacking on the tattoo and when you were full.
Of You're never ever gonna be one hundred percent into one thing unless that's all you do.
Bro, And then like the tattoo game for you is very very uh, it's lucrative. It's lucrative. Yeah, right, I mean you're great at tatts, dude, Like thank you, Bro, And like most people will be like, yeah, tattoo and I'd be like, do you But.
I mean I was. I came from some of the greats, Bro. I was able to be molded and and really learn how to tattoo from the greatest out there. Bro. And I mean I don't take that for granted. And it was just another hustle dog to help me create music independently.
Bro.
I took that tat money and put it into rat money.
Right were you did you have to go through like that whole Like what did they call it when you're coming up as a tattooer.
Oh, you're the bitch of the shop.
What did they call it? Though?
Apprenticeship?
Yeah, apprenticeship, So you had to do all that, Yeah, tattoo oranges and shit.
I mean back then, dog, it wasn't even about the tatting. They wanted. They wanted to run you through the mud and see if you it even surviving the game. Like you're cleaning up piss and throw up from fools drinking, you're dealing with the drunks that come. You're not learning how to tat right away.
Right, They just got to see how serious you are about wanting to be around it. There it is, Oh and then maybe we'll teach you some share it is right.
There, So I went through the gut or Dog.
Are you would you say your specialties like black and white.
Black and gray, realistic? Yeah, you know, it's a It's a big form of art now, Bro, you could see everyone doing it. Dog. But you know, from learning back then to learning now nowadays, dog kids got Internet, kids got Instagram, kids got TikTok Bro. You can sit there by your ship and be in your kitchen and learn how to tat in a couple of months.
Dog, guys, people pull up because they found you on TikTok it.
It's so different, Bro. Back then there was tattoo conventions.
For sure, they're coming back. They're coming back because my boy just performed a one.
Yeah, they and they are coming back. But it kind of was a dying kind of an event, you know, for the last like eight years. Bro. You know, Instagram came over and was like, Bro, that's your portfolio now. Before Dog, when I was dropping my original first mixtapes, me and Nipsey would be doing the same thing. Dog. We'd hit a tattoo convention. He'd have homies put mixtapes in his backpack. I'd have homies put mixtapes in my backpack. And we were like the only rappers in that scene.
Dog.
Actually every boot you would see, you would see a nit hustle and a high toned mixtape on every single tattoo booth out there, like it was the start. It was groundwork.
Yeah. No, I mean it's crazy too, because like that world is like super it's like a niche world. But dude, there's money in that shit. Like I've had homies who've like made good money just you know, once or twice a year. They're going to do their tour, but they're also going to do some tattoo convention and some random
city and pick up a bag. What are your thoughts of just like when you first got in to now because I feel like you with the people you would work with, some of the artists that you would be around, and shots of Steels too, who's been killing it as a producer. I mean that's how I found him through you. Yeah, but I always felt like you were a dope rapper
who just happened to be Latino. And it feels like nowadays like that is a positive when it comes to like how the music business perceives artists, because it feels like being a Mexican artist is hot right now, quote unquote, the scene is growing a ton. What is your perspective on what it was like getting into the game when you did to just kind of seeing where we are now in twenty twenty.
Four, it didn't exist really bro like it there. You know, you had your your groups or you know, your your your groups that were like Latino based or you know your Cypress heels, your lighter shade of browns, your things like that.
But when there was the other end, it was like, you know, like record well.
Then you got you know, your little robs, your capone these things like that. Yes, the industry didn't know how to break a non Chicano rapper that wasn't from a hood, wasn't rapping gang ship like, there was no real market for that dog, I.
Mean is cap G. Atlanta Records had no idea what to do a cab G.
He was. He was the first of its kind, bro and you know he even had he had people like FORU like co signing and had a lot of ouzzy and bro like he was crossing that bridge. Even though Atlanta is a little different, you know, or a lot different than Southern Cali or La Bro like, different politics, different situations, but the industry did not know what to do with it, Bro, and it was it was an uphill battle for me, Dog, Like I I fought that every single day of my life. Dog. I mean, I've
had meetings with no Id, Bro. I had people that were really, really, really really fans of what I was doing. And even then, Bro, being that much of an influential producer, you know, someone like no Id, Like, there was not there was no gang plan.
For it, Bro, we don't know what to do.
We just we just don't, like, we don't know, you know. And then it gradually. I think it just social media, Bro, And just like there's a ton of Mexicans out here, Dog, and talented ones. So I think it was just about the world being able to see there was not just a certain type of Mexican that the movies portray. Every character in the movie is gonna be a similar character. Like we had that stampoint.
What's the name of the actor, what's the name of that actor who plays? Oh, he plays in every type cast to do the ball, Dude, is it fast and Furious and Hector Hector?
Yeah, it's it's He's Hector and every Yeah. So that was that thing that we it was like we had a hole that was created for us to try to dig out of. And I think it's kind of here now. Brolight.
Also, like when we're talking about like the fastest growing population in the country, if we're talking about like you know, I think to like the younger generation of Chicanos or Mexican population, they also like they grew up like like now they're growing up listening to everybody, right, and so I think they're like I feel like back in the day, like you know, there wasn't for whatever reason, it was just hard to have certain artists get embraced by that community.
I don't know what it was. I don't know if it was like I just feel like nowadays, like people are showing up, showing out like there's like fool, there's like a full there's a wave dog, it's a wave, and it's like an infrastructure where you have like blogs that are big, you have food community, you got food's gone wild and and you know even on the corrido, shit like that shit taken off. And I think for the top five streaming Latin artists are bad bunnies one
of them. The other four Mexican artists.
Yeah, Basol probably.
Pesol Pluma for the junior h and I forget the other one. But it just shows you, like yo, it almost like on a grand scale, world scale, like Reggaetone was the most consumed Spanish music even in Mexico at times. Right, So it's like now it's like, okay, well you know, now you got these groups that are doing traditional corrido shit, but they look like rappers. Yeah, so the young kids are embracing that shit. They're like, this is dope.
If you can make people want to look like you, bro, you're already on the right path for sure. You know the images everything, bro, Like it used to be traditional, the boots and the button ups, and it was like some different type. Now, Bro, you wouldn't know if he's a rapper for sure or or for sure you know, in that genre of music, like right for you.
Being like where you're from, Like obviously Roddy Rax has been doing this thing just the whole SGV is. I feel like having a moment, you know, Lefty yourself, we just had we just had Roddy racks up here not long ago. You have it, you guys put a dope record out too or no, no, no, I've heard it. You said to me, Oh, wait a minute, are you texting it? Yeah, but I don't know if I was supposed to say that.
But you no, you're good. Yeah, that's coming out in the next three four weeks. I got five albums done. I worked all last year for this year.
So when you are you working with Steel? I mean, obviously you just dropped the epeople Steels, but are you kind of keeping it like the same team is that we've kind of known you to be with everyone knows.
Yeah, when it comes up producing typically it Steals is producing ninety nine percent of my shit just because it's you know, other's dog like we don't we don't got to go in there. And what do you no, Bro? This how I'm feeling boom This how it's gonna feel like, you know, it's plug and play with us?
Is everything gonna be solo stuff or is it any other collab stuff?
Because nah, yeah, I got a couple. You know, I'm down to, you know, continue like collaborating with like collab project like drop the Calabby p Steals in Young Alb. But there's not really no other like with another artist, bro.
Just you know, and you were just with ge Perico. Was it in Palm Springs?
Yeah, Bro, we got this crazy airbnb fucking mean Steals LB just you know, it was for Stell's birthday and it was dope because we got to hang out, Bro outside of the industry. Dog, you get to really get to.
Just talk, bro, Like we're not here for anything except just to kick it.
Just hang out, bro, and you get to really like know what people are on. Dog, Like some of us have the same issues, complaints, same problems, same you know, you just don't get that when you're in the studio trying to cut records, you know, And I mean I think that should be a little bit more done more often with artists. Bro, everything just seems to be work.
You know what, though, I think it takes a guy like Steals to bring people together. Yeah. Hey he's a producer for a lot of people. Hey, I'm doing a birthday ship. I'm gonna bring Yeah, he brought Yellow, you know what I mean. It's like, you know, you kind of need a catalyst to sometimes rappers aren't going to just hang out on their own for the most part.
It's Yeah, it's just weird, Bro. It's because it's always like some weird a competition competition thing.
It's like, dude, it's not that serious. Like, bro, people like steals are needed. Yeah, one thousand, So you have five albums done, done, and so what's the plan.
Here's the thing, Bro, Now in my career, I get to do whatever the fuck I want.
Are you going straight? Distro Kid too.
I'm still an Empire Okay, I got a distro with them. I'm not in recoop, don't owe them no money. So it's pretty much just like a distro.
You're like one of the og Empire guys too.
Yeah, I would assume. I mean I brought that Tory Lanes record to them when they.
Were was the twenty fourteen Yeah.
Twenty fourteen to fifteen. But uh yeah, I'm just with them because we've We've done a lot of business, broke a lot of bread and souper. We're cutting dry, dog, Like, when I want to drop something, you drop it, and if it does numbers and I need support, I can always ask them for support.
Dog.
That's what I've what I've earned with them.
Though.
You know when you go to dishtro Kid, when you go to Gentry over there, which doesn't gentry is Yeah, you know, manage me for for some time and still manages still, so everything's still there. The thing is is, I don't have the pressure no more.
Dog Like like, I'm doing this because I want to do it.
Because I love it, And when I don't do it, there's an empty piece in me that's missing, dog and that will affect my you know, being a brother, being a husband, being a you know, a friend, Like I something in me when it's when I'm not doing music, I'm just not a happy person. And it doesn't need to be I need to be the biggest artist in the world anymore. Dog Like. I'm doing it for the reasons because I because I just want to now, bro, and enjoy it.
Explain to me your fitness journey, because you've gotten like fucking you know, you're in good shape now. Yeah, Like I feel like you were never like a fat guy, you know, but I was.
It's crazy because you don't think you're sloppy until you have something to compare yourself with. You get me, a this car looks clean, but then when you wash the car next to it, it looks dirty. So it's all I did, Bro, I was sitting here like, man, I'm getting I'm getting older, Bro, I have the things that you know, a lot of people wishing dream for a dog Like I want to be healthy too, Bro, you
know what I'm saying. And my boy Triple Og was just like, dog like you got everything, Dog, Like, you just need to get yourself right, take some time for you. Tone like everything is always about business or this, or take care of yourself because that's your vessel. Dog, And I think that's what everyone misses here. Bro is like, no matter, Dog, if you get a Lamborghini tomorrow, do you gotta service it, Bro, the oil, the tires, things gotta change, bro, or else it's going to fall the shit.
It doesn't matter how expensive it is or what you got, It will fall apart if you don't take care of it. Yeah, you know. So when you put that in my brain, Dog, I was like, Ahi, Bro, I'm gonna try this. Dog. I've tried everything else in my life. Like, let me try to like get like in shape, right, because I was always one of them fools Like, hey, Bro, I don't really do this to get in shape, dog, I
just want to feel good. Like, but when you start to see the change, your whole entire life changes, Dog, like your confidence everything around you starts to get better.
Yeah, I feel like people will attempt to get into shape, and it's usually the people who see the results who stick with it, or at least they they started long enough to see the results. Because once you start seeing results, it becomes like I would maybe a little add and so it's like, but most people don't make it to that point exactly. They're not disciplined enough to realize, like
Rome wasn't built in one day. And you know, I think with fitness and even a diet dude to me, because the hardest thing.
Is d eating right.
And so it's like, if you could just stick with a diet for like ninety days a month.
If you just do it, see thirty dog, You're going to see it.
Yeah, for sure, you know.
And that's like that's anything thing.
This Like I've lost thirty pounds since probably May Wow, just doing keto and I work out every day and like I'm like getting like defining and getting a little you know, I'm like fucking working out every day.
But you begin to enjoy it.
But it's funny too because then I also like psych myself out because I see the results and I'm like, damn, I'm kind of getting like defined and like, but I also I'm like, fuck, I still got a little bit of that belly still hanging dog, you know what I'm saying. Like last night, I was in my garage, like because I have a full little gym at the crib has in my garage, like lifting wights in the mirror, and I bent over to pick up a weight and I looked over, I saw my belly and I.
Was like, fuck the hardest.
I I got more shit, I got more work to do, you know. And then I was like damn, like because I don't eat sugar anymore or carbs, and I was but I do drink a ton of energy drinks and I drink but I have like at least at least five diet cokes a week. Okay, but I feel like but I feel like when I'm looking at my belly, I'm like, man, maybe I just need to go straight water dog for like six months, Like I gotta stop fucking with these energy drinks and maybe I just need
to just do water. I'm like, that belly shit bothers me because I'm like, damn, I've been doing so yeah, And I'm like you know, I'm getting a lot stronger, like you know, but but but it's always there's always work to be done. So what did you do? And obviously you change your diet? Right, But then the triple og guy who I got to meet, he's got a big fitness page. He's like in the backyard doing burpes, like,
don't be a fucking pussy yelling at you. And so what was like your regiment that you started to do that?
Like, it's it's not even the workout, dog, it's back to the diet food. It's that if you can cut out you're already cutting the sugar out, the carbs out, it's the it's the fats with it too, in the amount of protein that you're getting. It's a science. Dog Like, once he broke it down to me, everyone always goes, dog, I don't want to go on a diet because I
don't want to lose my strength. Well, bro, the minute you go on a diet and lose your body fat is then when you could start becoming to look really union, you know. So it was just about cutting out my fat, dog Like, I went from probably twenty four percent body fat to five point four percent.
And that was you like you were still being able to eat carbs though, like brown rice, so.
Very little, very little, you're talking about it maybe a cup of.
Day, right, But and so from there you would high protein.
High protein, low calorie, low carb, low fat, done bro, no sugar. It's that simple, bro.
And then what about what about your like how many days.
I'm working six five, six days a week and it's really just high intensity, low weight, high rep bro, Like none of this. I'm the strongest in the gym, bolt, none of that, Bro. Just your heart needs to keep You.
Got to keep your heart ring for sure, Like I always will do like if I'm working out I'll do jump rope in between each set because I'm in my garage. I don't give a fuck.
Yeah it doesn't. You're not in the gym.
Yeah, I'm not in the gym, like, hold on god. So like in my garage, I'm just killing you know what I mean?
Yeah?
So you and I see you do burpies and all that.
Yeah, so it's like if you're doing curls, bro, do your curls and that thirty second break, dog, do burpies, do pushups, do sit ups, do jump.
Keep your heart and then really, if you do that.
You really need to do thirty minutes, and you can do that cardio, because that's cardio.
If you can do that thirty minutes straight and keep your fucking heart rate that high for thirty minutes, Bro, there's no excuse. You got the time you're yeah, yeah, no, it's crazy. So when are you going to start? Obviously said in a few weeks you're gonna drop the record at Rowdy're like, what are you going to start rolling out some of the new stuff?
I just rolled out the last project without being stills. I'm going to wait about three four weeks, dog drop the Rowdy single, drop this project off of the Rowdy single, and then boom.
Now that Rowdy's dope. Dude.
Oh yeah, he's very very talented. Yeah, man, bro, and not only just the rapping bro, he's a very smart, humble, and intelligent person. When we got him on our podcast, you can just tell.
Bro no, when we when we had him on the show, I don't know what to think of the guy. You know, I just liked him as I heard the record he had with Dres and the record he had with Sugar Free, and I was like, I like the way this dude raps like he's fire. But then talking to him, I was like, Oh, this dude's like like you said, he's like a he's got a really great career ahead of him.
He does Bro, and good people around him, Bro, for sure. You know he's got old trow Bro, he's got his you know, his team. You know, Triple Og is from that same cloth, in same hood. Like, there's a lot of good people that you could look up to. Bro. That's the difference. That's how people are gonna excel and go to the next level. Who's around you, who's helping you navigate through this? Fuck the bullshit? Bro?
Would you say that because you're kind of an og? Now? Yeah? I feel like it's like you and yb out there are like the ogs of the of the SGUV. Yeah do you feel that?
I mean I do because of how I move around my city.
Dog.
It's it's not about age, bro, because I know forty five year olds that look twenty five, you know, yeah sure, And I know twenty five that look forty five for sure. Like, it's not about it's about how you move and what have you been putting out? Dog, I got multiple businesses in the city. I've employed kids that were going to college. I've done it all there though, So when you think of high tone, you think about OG because of what I've done in the city, right, you know, And that's
what I consider an OG to me. Like, for sure, someone that's just paved the way.
Bro, I'm thirty seven, and there are people who I'm their OG, but they're like ten years older.
Because they're learning something from you. You brought something else, sure, you know, So whoever's listening dog OG and age dog, It's about the wisdom you have, who you surrounded yourself with, and what accolades you have that that keep your name and last name strong. Dog. It ain't how dope you wrap it ain't, bro, it's what does that last name hold? Right when you're gone, Bro, what are they gonna say about you?
Right? You know? Yo, you were one of the earlier artists. I remember being pretty vulnerable on records when it came to like your addiction with pills. Yeah, depression, depression and mental health and all that.
No one was doing that.
Nobody was doing that. And like fast forward to twenty twenty four and like the issues that you were dealing with have become obviously a fucking nationwide worldwide pandemic, right Like, this is like kind of like the fuck covid, Like that's the real pandemic of our time is fucking opiates, you know, And so I wonder just for you, like is it is it? I mean, obviously you stopped doing drugs at the right time because fetanohl. Oh yeah, fetanyl hadn't hit yet.
I probably Yeah. The amount of drugs, bro, that I've done in my life. Bro, Like if the fentanyl you know, epidemic was was then, Bro, it would be a fifty Like it's.
To Yeah, It's like we're playing roulette with your life.
Every time and even still to this day, bro, Like that ain't nobody perfect. Dog, there's times where you know, you fall back into some of the things you said you were never gonna do, dog in just it's just Russian roulette right now, Dog, for sure.
I was gonna say for you though, like do you feel like your you know, like you said you were kind of one of the first artists that I remember kind of talking about that outwardly. Is any of the new music kind of touched on any of that? And I'm sure you've dealt with people close to you maybe losing their life or being wrapped up in what's going on right now.
Yeah, I mean I have a sister that's you know, in and out of addiction, you know, rehabs, things like that. I mean, I've had family members, I've had homies at.
Od like I feel like everyone has now.
It's it's very more common than it was back in the day. Dog. You know, it just is. Bro. I don't know what that why that is, but you know it's just. I mean, I touch on it all the time, Bro, I even touch on it when I say, man, I'm doing this and I know I'm not supposed to. Dog Like. That's how real and honest I am with my music, Like Homie like, I still fuck up right, I still do things that I shouldn't be doing, dog Like. I still fall back into my old ways, Bro, But that's life.
Dog for sure.
That was perfect. I ain't nobody perfect, dog, And I hate to, like, you know, say, hey, Bro, I did that in twenty sixteen and I stopped and I never did it again. Bro, that's just not gonna be it.
Right.
It's something in me, Bro, like you know pop soules an alcoholic bro Like, it's sometimes just in you, bro, And thank god, I'm not the type of person that gets easily addicted to things. And I know that when something gets a hold of me. Dog, it could be as simple as this, And I do this every month, Dog, something that I feel that is taking control of me. I nip it in the butt and say, you're not doing that for a whole month. So it could be a fun it could be poorn. Dog, I can be like a dog.
Like I watch a lot of porn.
I'm watching too much, like what something's not right too much?
And people don't, I mean, people don't admit that's a thing that can you. I mean it can affect your relationship one percent. So then I'll sit here and go, Okay, I'm doing this a little too much. Dog, tone you're not, don't. You're not even allowed to do that for thirty days.
Yeah, And when you start like building your life around that way, like it could be a coffee don't control me either, dog, I'm not going to have an energy drink for five days.
Dog.
Like you challenge your mind every week, Dog with something that you think is controlling you. And if you can like master that, your life will be a lot easier. Bro, because there's nothing that's going to control you, not real you're like training your own problems.
Like and it's almost also even if you feel like you're going down a certain path like mentally like figure out like try to be self aware enough to know.
Well, that's the start of everything. Dog, if you actually sit here and go, I have a problem, that's the number one start to everything. It's being honest with yourself.
Holding yourself accountable. There you go, yeah, because you go. As you know, most people who are bad with drugs, family members get frustrated because you're telling them, But it doesn't matter if they are not acknowledging it themselves, you know what I mean, Like you're just talking to a fucking brick wall. At that point, you.
Know they will never get help, bro unless they want it.
How was getting married and how is being married change your life?
I mean I've been with her what eighteen nineteen years? We were together?
Yeah, but when you put a ring on that thing, it changes things because they what you guys get Because look, man, I've been in relationships, a specific relationship where we were married for a very long time and then motherfuckers will fight and then well once you fight, you could leave, you know, go fuck off. Now once you're married, it's like, well we can't go nowhere.
Well yeah, and you're not really gonna go and say, you know, but it I think it just holds your you know, you'd be way more responsible, bro, like you think about Hey, bro, this isn't just my chick, this ain't my lady. It's my wife.
Dog.
So with that word husband and wife come with a lot more responsibility. Doesn't mean it's going to be pretty and easy, dogs, you know.
Never it is. But everyone you know, marriage is one of the hardest things in the world.
I think it. You're absolutely right, dog.
And people don't understand it. And and the thing is is it's supposed to be hard. Hey, you're making it as a musician. Was hard. Anything that's worth it, it's hard. It's not supposed to be easy, dog Like at the end of the day, like it is what it is like.
But I trip out on that, like you just said, Like, the fools that I look up to and the fools that I get a lot of my wisdom from are homies that are married, dog, that have been with their ladies fifteen years man, Right, why do you look up to older people that because they know what you're about to enter and what you're gonna go through. They've already been there and did that. Sure, And it's most of the time it's a married couple because they've learned so
much during that time. Bro. And it took a lot of fight to stay together. Bro Right, because this world nowadays, Dog, I see a girl on Instagram, she's at dinner on a trip. Three days later, you know that the pictures are deleted. She's on a new trip. Oh, Like you're talking recycling all day long. This is just the new generation. Bro.
Oh, Yeah, it'd be tough, dude. If I wasn't with my wife right now, I don't even know the amount of like just fuck shit I would be participating in. It would be it would be maybe terrible, honestly, you know, And like that kind of shit feels like it's like low hanging fruit shit, Like it's cool, but it's like I can only image imagine what the shallow brained women that our generation is producing. And I do mean that
with all due respect. Not all women are shallow brained, but not all A lot a lot that the algorithm feeds you. Yeah, you're like, there's no way every bitch has a BBL.
But but that's what in your clone.
You're like, Jesus damn, why do these girls get money to go on all these tricks? Oh, they're all just glorified.
Prostitutes, bro, glorified. Bro.
It's like you're you're a prostitute. You just don't want to say it, and that's fine.
Yeah, it's just it's it's not in your bio yet.
Yeah, but like you're a prostitute and it's okay, But that's what you're doing.
Bro. It's just it's the music. Bro, It's the way the world is working right now. It's unbelievable. Dog, Yeah, it's unbelievable. Bro. It's it starts from the music the movies, like and you can't get away from a dog because we knew what we were watching as kids. But you realize why things are going the way they are.
You know what, when we were younger, it was a lot easier to turn it off, right, Bro. You didn't have a cell phone like this, That's what I mean. Now it's you can't turn it off. Like I just saw you posted that you turned your phone off.
Yesterday For the first time in my whole life, like that for real?
How was that? It was for twenty four hours.
I literally text Stills on the way I say, hey, homie, have you ever tried that? He's like nah, But I was disgusted with my phone last night too. I'm like, Bro. For some reason, when I opened up the Gramm in the morning, and I don't know if it was because I had drank the night before or I was a little hung it was disgusting to me, doog And it was like the weirdest thing that every five minutes in the movie, I would go and look at nothing. But I'm so trained to just go like.
This tells me I do that shit all the time.
And it was like, bro, shut it off. I put it under the pillow, Bro, And I'd like, and if.
You really just just look at your screen time every day like that shit will really make you be like fuck, Like I spend more time looking at this than I do anything else in my life. Life.
That's sad, bro, But it's it's just how could you get away from it? Exactly?
Yeah, it's it's crazy, but but it is an addiction. The algorithm, the swiping, Like what on board? I'm just gonna open Instagram because that's what I do like this, Yeah, or Twitter, whatever.
Whatever it is, it's called Twitter. Yeah, you can barely go on that anymore.
Twitter's a wild place. I had to unfollow all the porn stars because my Twitter, I could never open it in front of my.
No, it's your suggested feet is straight porn.
What mine isn't anymore?
Mine still is.
But dude, dude, I used to get to the point where I would open my Twitter like I'd opened up my laptop and I open Twitter, and I was like, I can't. I can't open Twitter in front of my wife because she's gonna judge me, because it's just bitch is getting fucked all over my feet.
Bro, this happened to me last night. You know, I'm trip the fuck out. So we got lit. She left her phone in the car and went upstairs and fell asleep, right, and we had an early day movies or started drinking whatever. We're home early eight o'clock. She had woken up about midnight and she was fumbling around for her phone. Right, I'm knocked the fuck out. She gets my phone to call her phone, opens it up, and I had just so happened to have Twitter on when she had knocked out,
so it's a wide open dog. So she was like, babe, wake up, I need to find my phone whatever. And then she found her phone, and right when she settled back down, she goes, and why do you have all kind of porn on Twitter? I knew you were a creep.
Bro. I remember one time I was out of town. I was in Miami, and you know, my wife is she doesn't go through my phone, and but but she she went on my I don't know, she was tripping at the time. It was one of them time.
Yeah, it just happened.
Yeah, And so from wherever we were, she went on my Twitter and looked at who I was following. Yeah, it was my Twitter, and she saw I was following like hun of porn stars and she was like, yoh, what the fuck is wrong with you? Like who are you? And I was like, yo, you gotta understand, like I've probably been following most of those the cows for like ten years, and like you know, when you get a Twitter, you just follow all the porn bitches like trying to go through a cleanse all of my.
pH and got it. I gotta do that, bro.
No Twitter is fucking wild.
Bro, I gotta do that, bro, because and then the.
Other thing is like getting in the habit of like when you're on Instagram, Like, dude, Instagram starting to feed you wild shit even if you're not following them, Like dude, you've seen like they're pushing porn pages on you on ig like bitches with their camelton. I'm like, yes, I'm blocking that.
Now there's nipples now, it's crazy.
It's crazy, and I'm like, yo, I don't even follow those. Like if you look at my explore, it used to be just women women right now it's it's it's it's literally cars, podcasts, uh, wrestling, no bitches, Like there's no bitches, but it used to be.
So you can actually like like cleanse your algorithm.
I've done it.
Yeah, So that means deleting, unfollowing, unfollowing the things you really want to see.
You just got to stop following these bitches. Dog, It's tough, but like, you got to stop following these bitches, man. Like at the end of the day, you don't want to double tap. You want to double tap, but you can't, man.
I'm legendary for double tap.
I bet, but you can't because because then this is what the algorithm feature. Bro, I'm telling you my for you was only whores for like a decade and now it's just you know whatever.
Bro, You're on a good path right now, bro, dog.
Yeah. So it's like so it's like now it's like my Twitter's like that too. So my Twitter's like new ship sports news, you know, fucking the far left and the far right at this point, Like fuck, when I'm on Twitter, I'm like, Jesus, I just feel like I'm while, yes, but but I don't see porn really on Twitter anymore.
Yeah, I got it. I'm gonna I'm gonna do a little thing is a cleansing you. I'll start on my Twitter, Yeah you got.
I mean yeah, that's the place to start. Twitter's fucked for sure.
I don't start.
So for people who like, like, do you have a tattoo shop or do you tattoo at the like appointment only? Like what do you do?
It's a it's appointment only, bro. We have our our shoe store and clothing store in the front, and then we have two private studios in the back. I've been with my boy King Lazy for damn near a decade now. We've been working together he has his own room. I have mine. He could watch what he wants. I could listen to what I want. Our clients are separate, what.
Kind of like a consignment sneaker shop or kind of everything.
Yeah, we do all the like consignment, bisle trade. You know. It used to just be all TFC for about seven years. Dog was just my brand in there. After COVID, I went to online own made it a lot easier for me Dog you know.
Yeah, I noticed there's a guy from Glendale named Armeene. He's an Armenian rapper and he has he had a store in the line, but he was like after COVID, he was like, we still have our stuff here, but like we want to start selling sneakers. We got to expand the business a little bit, you know, because there's only so much you could do with your fans facts, you know.
And luckily bro I was able to create some that that didn't really like. Yeah, people know my brand from my music a lot of it. But then there's people that just know your brand, don't even like rap that have the pyramid tattern on it right because of what it stands for. Like, I was able to to create something that's bigger than rap, bigger than high tone, bigger than the SGV, bigger than It's a state of mind?
Bro, what you working with Tori? What was that like and that what are your I mean, I still don't think we know exactly what happened that night with him, But you know, I had a good relationship with Tory still do. I talked to him while he was in jail. I don't know, maybe months ago. Uh. I know him to be a good guy. Yeah, but you were working with him pretty I mean, I mean he's he's in for people wh don't know. He's a fucking quadruple G. But that was around the time it started to kind
of turn for him commercially. Yeah, he did that record on that on that Ygy.
Album, And I mean we caught him just at the perfect time, bro. You know, like even when we were going to radio because that I went to radio with that record, bro, and it wasn't like having a crazy big like people weren't like, oh we're playing this record because you got to like fairly nude. Bro. It was like it was almost like two new artists on the same record, right, you.
Know, are you on the road with Brian Sampson at all. Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I went in and out of fucking dog his damn bro.
What was it like being on the road with that fat Filipino. Fuck?
Yeah, there's there's there was, there was some you know, there was some good times.
Brian manages my radio show.
I don't fucking I have a bad taste when it comes to radio. Dog. It's I've lost a ship ton of money dependent money dog life.
You're talking radio because you think.
Hundred thousand, you know, six figure cash, bro, that I've with my own money.
About radio, right, is a couple of things. One, if you're independent, don't worry about it, don't even try it. It's expensive. Two, it is the final step of your career. No, it's a final step of like let's say you got a record and it starts to go crazy on TikTok and final stream. The last thing you worry about in that equation is radio. It's the very last thing. It is a very competitive business. You are competing in every
whatever market station it is. You're competing for a spot on that playlist with whoever is hot at the time, and it's it's just it is. It is an important step in the process. If you want to be a superstar, if you want a number one on Billboard, you gotta have radio play. But it is not necessary. And if you're an independent artist, if someone tries to crack you upside the head for thirty grand to work a record of radio, take that thirty thousand dollars and shoot fucking twenty music video.
Yes, hey, man, bro do literally anything.
Huh.
I've ran. I mean, I'm glad dog that I've had the opportunity to like understand it, because most don't even understand broke. A regular consumer listener, they have no idea what radio is. Most artists, bro don't really know how radio works.
And most artists think that like if someone plays you one time on like a Sunday night at like PM, it's not going to change their career. And it's like, dude, like that's not how the shit works anymore. Now, maybe you know, fifteen years ago, ten years ago, radio had a lot more I would say fifteen years ago, radio had a lot more ability to break an artist. But now we're the last step in that development. Yeah, you know.
I like how you said that last step though, because I think people need to hear that artists need to hear that like the last step to worry about because fans, bro, like the first thing they do is go, man, bro, like, your music is so much better than what's on the red. Like you don't realize, dog, it's not what you think it's not.
And you'll know if it's time to go to the radio it because if your shit is that hot organically, you'll probably start getting some love locally, actually if it. And and that's because you're going to force that. And then and then you're like, okay, well maybe we need to explore this. But even then your ROI as an independent artist on a radio promotional run, it's just not there, dude. Look at the end of the day, a million streams
is thirty eight hundred dollars and some change, man. And and you know, if you're not using your music as the vessel to monetize everything else outside of what is uploaded to disjoc kid or em buyer whatever, then you're fucked. Because it can't just be the or unless you're a high catalog artist, you know, but it can't just be I put an album out and then I'm hoping that lightning strikes and it goes crazy.
No. I mean, if there's any advice BRO to people out there that are, you know, just starting out music even been in the game for a few years, still trying to learn the business. Like you're building a brand, Bro. If you can't build.
It and then you can monetize the brand, If.
You can build a brand and businesses around your name, then it Then the music is the It's the driving vessel because when you're hot and when you're.
Doing you know, it's like it's the vehicle.
But you gotta your hands, gotta be indifferent.
You gotta start businesses, you gotta go on do shows, you gotta there's just it's got to be the vessel to everything else exactly. And like you know, you might win the lottery and catch a real hit and then it's that's.
Good too, that's amazing.
So your EP with LB and Steals is out, and then you have you say, the new record with Rody Racks coming out two or three weeks.
Yeah, you got to we're just trying to shoot the video for that first, because I've always I've done that, bro multiple times. Or you drop the record, Oh, we're gonna do the video and then the video don't happen for three four months and now it's over.
Then it's over.
Yeah, you gotta have the assets in your hand nowadays, dog, because the attention span is so so just quick.
And then the album's coming soon after.
Yeah, I'm just doing once you hear the first single to whatever project, the project will drop in four weeks after that.
And then the podcast is on.
Thursdays, No Lames podcast, g Money Rocky.
That g Money guy's hilarious.
He's a food that he's got a stand up coming up. He's gonna open up for George Perez. We're also locking in the date for another sold out Laugh Factory show.
Yeah, you did that as a podcast.
Yeah, we did three back to three shows, sold out. Kind of did something that no one's done. Bro Cup comedy podcast and music, and I always performed the set off.
I think it's cool too, because you guys really have your You guys really have your fucking area on lock bro, like your community supports the fuck out of y'all for real.
Over there, I'm actually opening up a new business with my wife on the same street of Lap Factory in downtown Covina called the South Caro Lounge and it's it's a med spall. We're gonna be doing medical weight loss, We're gonna be doing ivy drips, We're gonna be doing body contouring, lashing. I mean, we're doing it all there.
Bro.
I've been working on it for the last six months. Construction got done this week and we're gonna start cosmetic next week and we should be open like second week of September.
Bro, congrats, dude, that's what you gotta do. Hey, By the way, that street was kind of lit. I went there to see concrete the night after I think we did the pod of Oh yeah, but yeah. I didn't realize like it was such a big biker area.
They put a lot of money into it.
No, because like you go to the bars and there's like signs that say, you know, bikers.
Oh no colors, and I was like, oh ship.
I didn't realize it was so lit over here with the biker culture.
It's it's pretty lital Covena is lit because it's the only city in the SGV that really has no solidified hood, So Covina has no hood. That's where people West Covina does went the Bassett because everyone goes and then the problems because there's no one that's like a it's kind of open.
Ah.
So growing up in that area, I've always navigated through those situations, dog, you know, like I tattooing, No people from every hood in the SGV, like Covina. It's just been my my city, dog, and I've been able to just navigate and you know, play both sides.
And you're from Covina as like that's your city, that's Kobina born and raised. That's amazing, man. Well look, new music on the.
Way, Yeah, new music on the way. If you need a tattoo, tattoo, you know, I might need to get tatted from you.
Man. All my tattoos are under my shirt. I need to get my back finished the real way.
That's to hurt though. Yeah, but yeah, tats music, you know, new businesses. We're just trying to elevate, bro, That's all I'm trying to do, man, Stay healthy, elevate, live a good life, pay some bills, have a little fun, bro, And that's well you're doing a good job buddy. Thank you, Bro.
I appreciate you pulling up man. I look forward to the new music and I look forward to the five albums coming.
Who ones already, so we got four four.
Four more left.
There.
It is my guy, high Toned boule Cab podcast boom