I'm a homegrow that knows a little bit about everything and everybody.
You don't know if you don't lie about that, right, Lauren can't even.
Hey, y'all, what's up. It's Laura l Rosa and this is the Latest with Laura le Rosa.
This is your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment, news and the conversations that shake the room. Now we're doing a quick little check in before we get into this artist interview.
Yes, we have an interview.
Y'all love when we do the interviews here on the podcast.
Just checking in real quick.
Coming off of Juneteenth, a day off of work sort of kind of, I'm feeling energized and ready for the weekend, more days off of work that won't be off of work for real, because this weekend I'm headed to Delaware. We are doing a galla for the HBCU week Experience. I'll be honored with Anthony Anderson. So I'll be coming back and talk to you guys a bit about that
and all the things that went down there. But I'm getting ready for that, and as we get ready, I want to I want to let you guys listen to this interview that me and DJ MV did with Honeybaby.
She is a rapper. I'm sorry, she is a music artist. She's a singer from Jersey. Music is everywhere in New York right now. But the conversation we had with her respecial because it was in celebration of Juneteenth. We did a celebrating freedom sit down at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey and this was a dope day. Like they had a small businesses set up that you could
shop from black owned businesses. They had an expungement clinic where people from the community could come and figure out getting you know, their backgrounds, expunge and have conversations with prosecutors about how to move forward once that's done. It was just a day full of us about us in American Dream uplifting black business, black community. There were relatives, they're helping people figure out I they could buy homes.
And then we brought on the music in the entertainment and Honey Baby talks a lot in this interview about her upbringing what June Team means to her, It was just fire. Take a listen, what the builds everybody really doesn't everybody, how's everybody.
Feeling right now?
Like to what ulten say? What Brother dj Envy and my sister Laura and La Rosa can we get around with?
Please?
How y'all feeling y'all?
All right, hey, y'all happy June teen? Y'all elect you slider yet to me as slot, y'all ain't none of the slides yet? This ain't really Juneteenth?
Then we're gonna start in a little bit.
So if you don't know, first and foremost salute to American Dream who does this each and every year Juneteenth, and it just gives us an opportunity to talk about June teeth, what it means to us. Do some dope panels with some dope artists talk about financial literacy and talk to different politicians and talk to different things that we need in our community. A lot of times we
don't necessarily get that. So the fact that we're in the middle of them all while people are shopping, hopefully they can stop talk and express some of their feelings. So first we'd like to discuss June teeth and what it means to eat every one of us. You know, the funny thing for me about June teenth is it was kind of a holiday that we just started celebrating a couple of years ago. Right when I was a kid, there was no June teeth, and it just popped up.
Well, Envy, we know you Dominican, so.
I am not Dominican, I'm Black, But you know, it came up something that we started celebrating really heavy in the last couple of years, and it meant a lot because you know, for us it was like, oh, a day off of school, a day off of work. But now we have to get to the meeting of what it means and why it should be celebrated. So before we get into that, what does June teenth mean to you?
June teenth to me means seasoning.
And when I say seasoning, I think about like like we joke around and say, like, okay, you eat in a black household, you feel full, you feel the seasonings, all of that. But when you think about it, seasoning is culture. It's death, there's substance, there's a feeling, a community of family. I think anytime you get a group of black people together and we're talking about like things that juneteen makes people remember, like you know, where we came from, what we've overcome.
Where we're looking forward to in the future. It feels like home. Juneteenth is that it's a day to just be like, you know what, I'm chilling to day. I'm gonna be my people.
I'm gonnag good, but I'm ann feel at home and I'm a feel community in.
Love and a big hug.
Yeah.
So if you don't know, of course, Juneteenth was the day that slaves in Texas finally found out that they were free.
Right, they were free before.
That, but that was the day that they finally found out. So for me, I like to do these events because I love collaboration, right. Collaboration, in my opinion, is way better than competition. If we could collaborate with each other, there's so much that we can do. That's so we can go a lot further, And that's what we need to start doing as people. We look at all these different communities and for them, they collaborate a lot easier, right, They spread the knowledge a lot better, And I think
we have to do a lot of that ourselves. If we know something that can benefit your brother or your sister, we need to start talking about.
It a lot more. That's why I call Laura.
And my sister is if there's anything that she's going through or I can help. I try to be there to help because I don't want her to make the same mistakes that I made. I don't want her to see the same pitfalls and the same everything. And that comes from relationship to business structure to radio and hopefully she's doing the same with her family and that's.
What we need to do. More.
So, what's one thing that you want to see more on June teenth?
I think I want to see more of Like I thought that it was interesting when they were telling me what they're doing here in the mall because I didn't even know that this happened until you invited me to come. They're highlighting small businesses, there's an expungement clinic, things like that, like things that like drip down to the people, like
everyday people. I think a lot of times when you talk about, like you know, diversity and inclusion, all these things that like affect us as black people, sometimes it's so high level that the everyday person who's just trying to figure it out in a real way, you don't feel it, nor do you have the time to stop
and care. So I would love to see more things like this where you're bringing in these small businesses you know these different resources like Nguement Clinic that actually help people that are on their day to day just walking through the mall that really need it, and it's right there at arms reach.
Yeah, I agree.
And I was actually talking to the prosecutor early and we were just talking about different things, and a lot of times we're bred to hate certain things, right, We're bred to hate, you know, prosecutors' attorneys. We're bred to hate police officers. But I tell everybody all the time, my dad is a retired cop.
So I look at it.
From two different sides. When I was talking to the prosecutor, I was telling her she was talking about expungements and doing different things, and I was like, that is great, and that's wonderful, but what would we really need to do is do more things in the community. And she said, well, what do you mean. I said, it's hard to tell a sixteen year old that if I go take that car and don't get caught, I can get ten thousand
dollars for doing it and tell him not to do it. Right, But now if we put different things in his hand, different opportunities in his hand, and says, hey, I can still make money.
But I ain't got to worry about going to jail.
Those are the things that these kids need to see, and it's not going to come from our parents. It's gonna come from us, right because they want to see it from us. It's like when your dad or your mom tells you something like you really be like ima.
Whatever, eyepops whatever.
But now you get that same information from somebody that looks like you, the same age as you, that's making this ten times the money you all, you're more likely to see it.
Yeah, I agree with that.
I also think too, when you set up things like what they have happening in them all, I think kids see that like it's important because other people care about it too. Because a lot of times, especially nowadays, but kids like my niece is she's ten years old. A lot of what she cares about and what she thinks is important depends on who also thinks it's important and
who also cares. So I think even being able to do something like this and just put any things on platforms like this, it shows kids like, oh shoot, okay, Lauren and Envy were there and all these people gather, let me at least see what this is, and then they learn about the small businesses and they learn about and even what you're talking about, right, like creating these opportunities in the community. Sometimes you got organizations that are
coming and create these opportunities. But the kids gotta they gotta want to go, So you got to. I think we have to do a better job. I know, like for myself, one of the things I try to do with even being from Delaware, just talk about being from Delaware because.
Nobody's from Delaware. But go ahead, but Joe Biden, but go ahead, and y'all don't claim.
Him, but go ahead.
Anyway, I talk about it because now you have a lot of kids who are like, Okay, when I go somewhere, I can say, oh, I'm from Delaware, and I can feel good about it. But that wasn't always a thing because we're a small state, you know what I mean, We're not in New York. But just something like that, like people seeing you care about something makes them care about it. And I think when you talk about these programs, we have to actually care about them. We got to
talk about them. We got to show up and do things like this, whether it's at a YMCA, it's at the American Dream All.
So the kids are like, Okay, this is lit, this is where I should be.
Yeah.
And I also feel like we have to feed these kids, and not feed like as far as food, but whatever they.
Want to do, we have to make sure we pull into them, right.
I agree, And I say that all the time because when I told my dad, who is a police officer at the time, that I wanted to be a DJ, he was going to smack the.
Black off me.
Why you keep giving you keep giving me the jokes, but smack the black off you.
It's not much right because but you know what I mean.
But I wanted to do it anyway, and he poured into me regardless, even though he didn't believe.
And that's what we have to do. When my son came.
To me, I would say about eight years ago, and said he wanted to be a streamer, I laughed. I was like a streamer.
He could have been constant, not right. He could have been missed.
The beast, not mister DJ envy, mixtape DJ right laughing at someone to be early on something.
But I didn't get it because I wasn't involved in it.
It didn't make sense to me.
It didn't make sense that you could make money playing video games all day. I was like, this is a joke. You're just doing this because you don't want to do your homework. But he could have been the next this, and that's what we have to start pouring. Just because we don't get it doesn't mean it's not right, doesn't mean it's not a career. It doesn't mean that it can't be something that they can do for long periods of time.
You know, Yeah, you're.
Good at that, even though you're.
The old head. You're old ahead, go ahead.
You're good at no.
You're good at like understanding, like when things are well now. I don't know what happened a couple years ago with just something, but I.
Feel like for me, like I'll have an idea or like something and you'll be like, well, let's just try it, let's just do it, and then it'll work out.
Sometimes it might not always work out, but it'll work out. But you're really good at being like no, just go ahead, go try it, go do it. You gotta try it, you gotta.
Do it well.
A lot of times I've got to invest in my friends and family then invest in something that I don't know, because if my friends and family connect, no matter what happens in this world, they always come back and get you.
You know.
Oh yeah, yeah, one hundred percent. Man, this is so beautiful. Look at us. It's Juneteenth, that's right. Did y'all listen to sounds of Black this this morning? What y'all do this morning? Yes?
You did?
Okay, I did too. I woke up like I'm black, y'all. I'm black, y'all, black, Andy, black and black lic Yes, this is so beautiful.
Now we have a special guest that we're gonna bring out and talk to.
But yeah, ready, yeah, we're getting her mic.
This is actually the first time I'm meeting this individual.
Oh, this is my girl. She put me in a music video. What, Yes, I'm a whole video vixen out here.
Yeah, so now you're a video vixen.
First of all, ben been, I just had to start dressing different when I got a job. But yes, a honeybaby, y'all know, honeybaby, Yes, honeybaby is Oh, we're gonna put her on a chair, okay, honey baby. I met her a few years ago actually talking about community and black things and all things black. So I went to HBCU Delaware State University, and one of Honeybabies managers or management team members actually went to school with me. So she came to me and was like, Yo, I'm quitting my job.
I'm about to manage his artists. And I was like, okay, what does that look like?
What does that mean? And she was like, we're gonna start a company.
You're gonna manage this artist and I'm gonna just figure it out years later, like probably like what it's been like maybe two years later. Her artist is Honeybaby. This is the artist she was talking about, and they're they're everywhere and they're moving. She's like, she I feel like when I listened to Honeybaby, she is New York. It's very she she throws a lot back to the nineties than the vibes of the nineties.
And we're gonna get into the things.
But if y'all can't tell, I'm a huge fan of Honeybaby from Jersey.
She's from Jersey, New York.
I didn't know she was from She'd give me Jersey. I did not know she was from Jersey. Oh Jersey is here to do?
Jersey?
Okay, yeah, can you play honey Baby record right fast?
Turn it up a little bit there, we go, honey baby one time.
You always look so good. Look at her, y'all? Ain't she so cute? I love the blonde over here?
Yeah?
They give you a chair, can y'all y'all got.
A mic for honeybaby?
Hey girl?
What's up? So for people that don't know where are you from this, honey.
Baby, I thought you. I did not know that. I thought you were from New York. Everybody thinks I'm from New York. Yeah, I'll be trying to claim me. I'm not from New York.
Delaware, Delaware, They're trying to claim everybody. So how did you get into singing? What got you into singing? What was your inspiration?
And every day?
I was just around music a lot when I was younger, and I don't know, I just grew an attachment to it. I was always singing every chance I got.
And how did you get your deal? What got you signed? And you got you your deal?
Me?
Hello, no, but I don't know my team. And then you know me as an artist? They like, I make good music and I got good energy, so I'm a superstar.
I was telling them before you came out here that we're talking about like just community and all things black and it being Juneteenth, and I'm like, I met you through Jamila, who works on your management team, and me and her went to a HBCU together. And that's the beauty of having community, because she came to me a while back and was like, yoa, I'm about to quit my job and I'm about to manage this artists were
about to start managing artists. And I was like, okay, bet, just let me know, Like what, I don't know what that looks like, but just let me know.
And then I started hearing your.
Music everywhere when I moved to New York, and I remember I saw her post you one day and I was like, this is the artist and she was like yeah. I was like, yo, she is so fied, like she's such a vibe. But to see her journey as on the management side, and then to see your journey on the artist's side, it's really beautiful to watch because you guys.
Are figuring it out together. Talk about that. I mean, it's a lot. It's a lot of trial and error for me and my management. It's just I don't know, like it's a lot. It's kind of just hard to explain because so much goes on behind those scenes and so many strings that are be and pulled, and you know, outside of like just making music, it's so much that people don't see. We're just going with the flow.
Do you love it? Do you love the music industry school?
I love it like I wouldn't want to do anything else, Like, no, thank you, I'll stay here. What did you when you talk about it being a lot behind the scenes. I know creatively you're really involved in like your video setups and all that. We did a video together, yea, so talk about she was a video vixen in your video? She was a left eye. Yes, she's a really good Yes. It was to the video for Leftie, which we're going to talk about. The video is about her getting upset.
She finds out her man is, you know, doing the things, so she calls her homegirls like, yo, we need to handle this. We got the house need to be set on fire. We got something you need to I'm a good crash out friend. I pulled up.
But being on that set with you and seeing how you know you and your team are so hands on.
What's the planning process for you? What's your career? What kicks off your care process? I don't know. I got a big imagination. My brain just be running rapid all day. So I just come up with ideas. I sometimes write them down, or I just tell somebody, like if like whoever the video director is, I'll tell them my idea. We share ideas and I'll make a template for them
and then I'll just have them clean it up. Like I don't know, it just it could be whatever the song is about, make the video about it, or if I want to do something different, like I just try to make it make sense, make it look good.
So we're all here for Juneteenth. So what does Juneteenth mean to you? And the fact that your community supports you so much?
Being black is beautiful, period period.
Now, the fact that you've got so much support so fast and that people are supporting you and your record is planned, what does that mean? Because it takes all the years and they don't connect, but you have been connecting and people really been messing with you.
So what does that mean for you?
That means that I must be doing something right. And I'm glad that people are enjoying my music and I'm glad that it's connecting because you know, everybody goes through a phase where it's like, what am I doing? How am I going to do this? How am I going to get people to like to like rock with me? And now it's like starting to happen now. But it feels really good. It feels really really really good.
And what artists would you love to work with that you haven't got a chance to.
Work with yet?
Drake?
Okay, all right, Drake Drake, and besides Drake.
Anybody else?
Kailani, I am a Miley Cyrus that shocked.
This one of Cyrus next tail script next no, yeah, okay, all right a.
B t awarrids. You just did the one of the pre show stages with Little Kim. Yeah, what was that like?
Because a lot of your music gives odes to you know, the nineties and the like all quiet Storm vibes and all those things.
It was crazy. It didn't like really hit me until I got to the stage and I was like, oh wow, what did I just sign myself up for? Like with all the cameras and stuff like that. But it was really dope, especially being on stage with him and like how iconic she is and not a lot of people could say that they did that. That was like really crazy. The prep four was a lot too, Like I was exhausted. I was running off adrenaline all day. I was just like, like Sonic the Hedgehog.
Now you're also performing here next weekend or this weekend coming up?
How was that for you?
Because I'm sure you grew up on summer jams, so now that you're actually performing in there, how was that for you?
I did Summer Jam last year, but I didn't like have my own set. They like had it like set up a certain way. But now I have my own set this year, so I'm so excited. I actually was never allowed to go to Summer Jam when I was younger my brother because my brother wasn't having it. Got you like, you're not going to stuff what you're doing at Summer Jam.
I'm not mad at you, I'm yeah.
So my first time ever at Summer Jam was me performing at Summer Jam. Wow? Yeah? So what was that like? So doing the last hear here? That being your first time now you're an artist, what was the whoe moment for you? Well, last year a lot of people knew me and knew my music. So that was like kind of shocking to me because I like I always underestimate myself.
Like I go out to like places or like performances and it's like so many big people there, and I'm like, oh okay, Like I'm nervous, like what if there's like what if it's just crickets in there? But I go out and like everybody's like singing and like recording me, and like I go on Instagram, like there's people like making these walky ass videos.
So yeah, I'm like, yeah, now she's out here.
We're going to open up the phone line while.
Work.
I think I'm at work. I'm always at work.
We're going to open up a little bit and ask if you guys have any questions. You just raise your hand and we'll get some questions for you guys as well.
So when is your new project dropping?
It dropped already, they thirtieth.
You ain't come by the Breakfast Club, so we end we tell you any time you want to come, anytime you want to come, I could come on Monday about Monday.
But exactly you scared of me. I'm serious, you scared of me. I'll wait to get on the Breakfast Club.
Right Monday might work. We might Monday.
I'm looking because I'm like, maybe you told her that she will she will show up on Monday and be expecting her interview. But talk about the new EP Raw Honey, right, yeah, May thirty, if your drops, yes, yes, So talk about because Raw Honey. To me, it sounds like, Okay, you're exposing yourself a bit more, giving a bit more of yourself, but you already are so open in your music, So what is Raw Honey?
Like, it's me kind of just like taking a little bit more control and being a little bit more vulnerable and you know, having a little bit more fun with it and not making it so sad like so many people don't know me yet, and the people that do, I don't think they've got to see like certain sides of me. It's always like very like slow like go to bed music and that's just not me at all.
That's not even like, that's not me at all. Like Raw Honey is the real, raw, uncut version of me, like bad or good, like take it or leave it?
Got you now in Raw Honey because one of the things that you did with some of your last projects where you were able to bridge the gap between like the Quiet Storm era and where we are today. So like that nineties vibe where we are today on East Coast Music that's a big like shoot a step.
In raw, honey. Are we singing generational bridges on this project? I mean yeah, because Lefty is on there, like Tricks for You was on there, So there's definitely some music like that. But I definitely started to go out of that box too because I didn't want to be stuck in that box. So I took the opportunity to take this project to just show people that I'm capable of more than just that.
Are you a type of artist too that like because stepping out of that box so you sing? But are you a type of artists who that will try different like ways of expressing musically like rap or no, you don't try or are there people that try to push you to because for you know, your energy gives rap artists. Yeah, yes, like your energy gives rat Girl one hundred percent. So I don't know if you've ever like tried it, that's what maybe extra that I've did.
It before, but like I don't. That's not like a route I want to go, Like I'm a singer, Like that's just who I am at heart. God didn't give me his voice for no reason. I would use this mug.
Well, let's talk a little bit about too, about any community advocacy. So, honey baby, this year going into twenty twenty six, being from Jersey, I just learned that what is community for you? And what are you looking to do in the community advocacy wise.
I feel like community means a lot, especially like when it comes to kids, because it takes a village, and you know, you want to be you want your kids to be in certain environments that will uplift them. And where I come from, it's a really small town and
it's just a lot going on. So I'm ready to give back now that I'm able to, especially when it comes to school because I remember when I was in school, like there were kids that didn't have anything, and we didn't really have like those give backs, those giveaways, like
we know, ever had that in my neighborhood. Yeah. Oh, So I feel like now that I'm able to do that, I want to start pushing more towards that and just helping the people who are less fortunate, especially from where I'm from, because again, we just don't have that out there. We don't have any of that, and it's kind of just like film for yourself tie vibe and I don't think that's cool.
Well, let's take some questions if you have a mind. Does anybody out there got any questions?
I'll go I saw one girl walk out here.
Any questions out there at all? Don't be shot next time, y'all. See, Honeybaby's gonna be ten thousand people here and you ain't gonna be able to ask one question.
So, oh, we lost her. It was a little baby girl on the green. She says she had a question. Don't know where this is at no, not at all. I think armand has a question. Okay, Oh yeah, go ahead, extra question. Okay, so you gotta stand and let them know who you are.
Hey, honey baby.
Okay, So my question is, what was the process like working with Little Kim.
It was it was pretty smooth when it came to like Left Eye, she hit us up, like she loved the record so much and she wanted to meet me, and we've grown like a really great relationship. Like she's like my sister now, like I could just call her whenever I want to, which is so fucking weird, but it's so cool. But the process of working with her definitely was like it was really smooth. It was just very like girly vibs.
Okay, can you give us like an inside joke?
You guys, share something funny that we might not know or might not get.
Oh yeah, you got one, Hi.
H I might, I'm I'm I'm I'm gonna give it. I'm gonna get back to you on that one. And you're trying to get me another question to get me honey, Baby Envy and Little Kim are really close too.
That's my homie.
That's my that's my homie.
That's my homie.
That's my homelies. We have another question. So you guys say your name.
My name is true, Hi True. I was wondering if you have any dream directors that you would like to work with.
Yes, HiPE Williams.
Yeah, are you familiar with Hajji films? Howji World?
No, you gotta put me on.
I definitely do. You should look him up. Howji World is like the hype Williams of our time right.
Now, Okay, I got to look that up. You write that down. Write that down. Williams is a great vibe for you, right yeah, because you embodied that that era very much to find me, Hi on my question, is what made you choose the name?
Honey baby, great question.
That's a good question because I'm sweet. Okay, she's very sweet. All right, thank you, thank you. That was a good question.
That was Yeah.
I got a little nervous when when she looked over and she's she's she paused, I'm like, oh, what is she about to say.
Another question?
Hmm?
Oh right here, I thought Celia had one.
Yes.
Hello. My question is for other young women and men that want to go into the industry that are looking at you now, what advice would you give them to just get a really good team and get people that you can trust and that have your best interest at heart, and people who are going to protect you from what's going on in the industry. I think that's just really, really really important because that right there will kind of what is the word I'm looking for? What is the
word I'm looking for? I don't like if you got good people around you in a good it's not like motivating, it's just like that'll set the tone. It'll set the tone for the rest of your career. Basic like how people deal with you, and like what you like, your level of like what you're trying to achieve yeah, like who's around you and what they do and how they help you and the way that they like they treat you. That will set the tone for your career. Otherwise it'll go to shambles.
What's one thing you learned from the industry? One thing that you learned from the industry.
Yep, being myself gets me a lot farther than I thought it would. Oh wow, that's a good when you realize you need to be yourself. At what point when I started being myself? When I realized that, like I didn't have to dumb down myself, Like I was getting a lot more opportunities and people were liking me a lot more. When I was just like, like, this is who I am.
All right, Well, let's get into her other record going and play Left Eye whatever you got it, you don't got the video.
Give us one time, y'all, honey baby, one time. Make sure y'all stream a supporter. Make sure y'all definitely check that out.
Okay, y'all.
I will see you guys in my next episode. The next episode, of course, be getting back to the trending topics. But I tell you, guys, all the time, you could be anywhere with anybody talking about these things, because at the end of the day, there is always a lot to talk about, and y'all choose to be right here with you each time. I appreciate you guys, Lowriders, and I will see you in the next episode.