R&B Money: Trina

R and B Money.

We are take about Chi.

We are the authorities.

R and B.

Ladies and gentlemen.

My name is Tank and this is the R and B Money Podcast, the authority on all things R and B, the Miami and the You come to Miami, you better pull over?

Whoa why are you pulling over? Listen?

You got to tap in with the soil, the originator.

Yeah, we begin where it all begin. Y'all talking that ship. Now, she's been talking that ship, give it up, been talking it.

Hey, guys, you've been you've been doing.

This, been doing this, being done that.

How does that feel like watching, you know, watching this new generation just kind of like pick up the pieces that that that you've that you've just kind of inspired and and just run with it in such a way and be recognized in such a way because you were you were a standalone you were by yourself talking like this, and now it's like it's it's common.

This is what you're supposed to do now. Yeah.

Yeah, it's just like I just look back and I just see all the new artists, the girls and stuff, and I could see like the form of inspiration or like the drive, the hunger, like the sassiness.

I want to be the boss. I want to get my money up my bags.

I see all that you know, and you know every day it's just constantly a new generation of it growing every single day.

It's wow, do you do you do?

You get those calls and hit those des like you inspired me?

I get it all the time. I get it all the time.

Yeah, I get some of that. But it's like the way they start the sendence is like unk. I'm like, I thought you embraced No, I embraced it now, But in the beginning it was like, oh g.

You know what I'm saying. I was like, man, I'm still coloring my hair.

You know what I'm saying.

With the rewind with the rewind the time, I'm still trying to I'm at the poor party and they're like this, hey, how did you get in here? Like the older section is, first of all, thank you so much, thank you so much for coming. We like we appreciate and value your time for you are still cooking in these streets as we are on the show later on this week together. Yes, and I'm it's dope to be on the show with you.

In the beginning before even you guys knew me, I knew that, you know, I just kind of came up like that. I came up around a lot of women that were entrepreneurs, hard work and successful women.

You know, my aunt owned the bank.

Your aunt owned a bank.

Yeah shit, yeah, my sister she owns the bank. So she passed away. This was years ago.

I was young.

So I just kind of grew up in like the surroundings of just women like always leveling up, you know, businesses, just seeing women be really profound, like taking care of themselves always.

You know, I didn't see like you know, I need.

I didn't see like that. I didn't see like the women I grew up around. I didn't really see them sit around and wait for anything hat. No, it was they were the hands. They were the hands that was handing out, you know. They was the bosses. They was the you know, the women in the nice cars with the nice business the nice home. This is the stuff I saw growing up all the time, all around me. So all my friends, this is what we aspire to be, Like these women, how can we have our own money?

But I already had that vision.

Like when I started doing music, I fell in love with the women that were like, oh my god, this is you make me you know happy?

Or that song did?

It got me through my heartbreak and I wanted to just kill my husband and I just listened to you and I just so much of that. And I used to be like, you know, like wow, you know, like my husband cheated and I gave him a chance. I'm not giving them more chances. So I was the one that was like, you know, wow, more power, the strength, the hugs, the love and the energy, the attitude, the you know, the determination to be able to walk and stand on your own. And I just that was how

I tell them that, like it's all fun.

You go out, you know, you got your wanes, you in the club, you pop in bodies, You having a good time, and you're supposed to have a good time. You're young, you live in life, and we only get one life. But you need to be really precise, ideal, and strategic about your business, making sure that you are setting the ground for yourself, making sure you have for yourself, making sure you don't run into a brick wall, and everything.

The door is closed and you're like, what all happened? The whole start went away?

No, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta understand that this is still a business, even though for us it's still it's a it's a craft. It's art and people adore it, you know, and you do it for as long as you feel until you say I don't want to do.

It no more.

Sure, And that's still like running a business. I work for self. Guy is self employed. Die must get up for self and run and handle her business. So that's just now I kind of started.

So as you as you talk this boss talk, I love it. I love it, which is very exciting.

You.

You you you had the foresight in terms of understanding, you know, to make sure the business was taken care of, to be on top of your business. But I feel like also you would unders you understood all levels of the music business even before you even kind of embarked

Because I felt like I was a star.

This is the main thing is the main So I just I always felt like that, you know, like I was just always the leader of the pact. Even with all my friends, my girls, I'm the person in charge. I'm making sure everybody outfits look a certain way. We're going to this spot, We're gonna sit in this section. Everybody got that was me, organized organization. All the girls got to be looking this way like that was my thing.

A are you do?

You go as far as like, yeah, you're not gonna be to sit with us with that with that on, that's not going.

Oh yeah, no, look you know what tonight, this is not that my we're like all black affair, you're gonna have to change.

No, it's it's respect.

Like I just know you look right. I don't want you to look crazy. Everybody knows that about me. Maybe you sure with something else, like what's the option?

Or you look beautiful?

This is it? Like that's just me. Everybody was an all black affair. Everybody's wanting black. Don't come in here with your sob story about while you have one yellow. We're not accepting them coming here with your organization formation.

Yeah, we're not doing that.

So I just kind of structure like that because I just like to be organized and just this whole little you know thing.

There's a listen, there is a there's a certain sexiness to order. You understand what I'm saying and when it looks certain because you know, we can speak from the God's perspective when we look at the at the section and this and the section is curated the right way.

We want to we want.

To send some some flowers and some and maybe a couple of bottles to that section and you tell them that they doing.

The right ship over there.

That's a good section section right there.

You never want to have to tell one of the homies. You know, you gotta take one for the team. You see the one in.

That yellow.

With the with the side story. You got to take one for the team and that dog.

Check. We need you yellow. We wanted that shoe. We're gonna focus on all.

So let's get to these records, right, so you're you're curating your section and homies and y'all moving a certain way.

And then oh my god, so now the.

Record is that the first rap song you recorder? Are you already?

No?

That was the first rap song I record? That was That was kind of like me doing a favor for Trick. It wasn't really like it turned into a record, But that's not initially what it started out as started out, as you know, before I even heard the record, Trick was like kind of on the phone, kind of like just talking, rapping whatever he was going to say on.

Can I go back to you? And Trick getting on the phone. How do y'all meet?

Is this?

I met Trick when I was in school, like way younger. We was in school, but Trick ended up going to jail, so I've never seen him in more until he was out of jail.

He was growing.

But this was way years later, and I think like six seven years after. And then he always will say he wanted the music. He wanted to rap so bad, and like all of our girls, he will always be rapping and stuff. We'd be like, okay, already shop a deal. We're not a record label like already, and so once he got out of jail, he really like all the raps that he was rapping up in jail or whatever.

He brought it a lot.

And then he went directly to Luke to go do music and he did a song. He did his whole thing over there, and then after that he got signed to stip in Slode Records, and then it was like, okay, you elevate.

You moved from one thing to the next.

And then he had put out an album on slip and Slide, So we just already knewm so we always would support him, go to the videos, you know, me and my girls just hang out and just go show him love. And because he really got out of jail and did like I said, I wanted the music. And then so now it's the second album time. And then he just called me one day. It was me and

That's me.

I'm always who's all over So he was kind of staying over there.

So it wasn't a lot.

So we was like, what do you want, Trick, and then he was just like I want you. I need you trained to come, like talk on this song. Needs you just come get on this song. I was like, get on the song and do what and he was like, I'm gonna let you hear it and he just started saying it on the phone and I was like, what are you singing?

You don't know? Naw like what? He was like naw man?

And I was like now I meaning like nobody. Now, nobody's better than you, like now, like nothing is better. And then he was like yeah and I was like all right, we'll see. So we came over and when I got to the studio, he played the record and I was like, what in the hell is happening here?

It was no, it wasn't. It was just like whoa Like he was just talking.

You know, you guys heard the record he was, and so mind you it was just him on the hook and just saying it and then he was like verbally

We laughed. It was just a whole production this day in the studio.

And so when it was finally done.

He had left trick Love study, so it's just us.

So I saw me and my girls an engineer and so when it was done, we called him and told me it was finished, and he came back and heard it, and then he called the label owner from the Slipping Slide Records and then he heard it and he was like, that is not Trina and then we was like, yes, it is, and then the rest is history. I got to deal with Atlantic Records from.

The song and so you weren't even trying me.

No, they were trying to sign me for a couple of months, like three four months to the label.

I was like, no, I'm just doing a favor. I don't know.

I was like no show no at first, Yeah, I was like no. I was like I'm just doing I just went to talk and do a favor, like you know, just talk my Todd, like you know, you hear songs and you a girl somebody in the background. Theyre arguing she's not actually an artist, she's just somebody in the background and somebody you know, your friend and she's just and then they were like no, and the Atlantic Records is like who is that?

And it was like I kept saying no. They were harassing me days and days and days. Yeah, So I went to perform.

It was Trick's birthday party right after, and they was trying to release the record, and they come to his birthday party.

I was like, okay, cool, I'll come. So I go to the birthday party.

I know he's going to perform and do his thing, but I'm just here in full support, me and my friends. And as we're there, they played the way he was going to perform and they stopped playing his records. He stopped playing some songs, and then I remember the record came on and they told me, well, we want you to come out on the record. I was like, absolutely not, Like it's not gonna happen. It's just not It's not gonna happen. And so I remember it was like it

I didn't open my mouth and say nothing. I was just.

Standing there looking like what And it was That's how it just started. That's exactly how it happened.

Was that the bug was that the thing that.

Said no, it was one more after that was the one thing. So then after that, Naddy invited me. This was a performance.

This was like the first performance of Trick's new album. It's at the College Times in Tallahassee. Fam you so we're gonna go to Tallahassee. So we all excited like okay, we'll go, let's go. And that was the bug that was the one because it was like this is a big venue, it's a big stage, and I mean the song it's one divert like one the bar. So by the time Trick he had like he didn't really do a lot of songs from like the previous project. He had did a couple songs from that and maybe it's

I'm looking peeking.

And so by the time I came back at this time, I had came with like my friends, some dancers, everybody, a whole full production. And then we came out and I did the song, and I don't know, I was like, what it's going on?

Like what did I create? I'm talking.

I mean, I literally didn't have to say nothing. They said the whole song like I couldn't even I was like I was starstruck, like looking at them like what And then that's that was it?

And you still don't have a deal yet, are you at this point?

Now you have the deal? Have you given in?

And actually don't think I had the deal at the Tallahasseee thing. I think right after Tallahassee, I did the deal.

I did the deal. So were you able to since yeah, right after that.

So now you have this hit record that's out, you kind of playing cat and mouse with the label. Are you able to create a bidding war or do you say I'm still going this way though?

Well, it wasn't obitting where it was just Atlantic.

They just came through with that pressure like this is what they want to do. This is the deal they going to merge with slipping slide, this is the deal coming through this trick and train of record X y Z And it was a great deal and we just I did it. And then immediately well because this was nineteen this was a ninety eight. Then a the record came out, and then we went on like all these different tours like right after for the whole straight year.

It's like you were just having a good time. Yeah, you're just having fun and stumbled on.

And you were able to in a sense practice with a hit record.

Yeah, because no nobody gets to do that.

Usually people go.

Out there on nobody know, they don't know your pa.

And then I had, in the midst of that another thing because right when that we did, now, I had did What's Your Fantasy remix with Ludacris, so that record was so I had two records, and so I would go on the road with Ludacris, going road with Tricks back and for It back and for It back, and yeah, kind.

Of happened real all.

This is before I put out my first single, my album, So I had both of those records.

Like out the gate, Are you doing any shows by yourself? Are you just like, okay, I'm gonna just do their shows with you.

No, I just did the shows with them.

I didn't do no shows by myself until my album came out, because then it was all me, okay, yeah, so you waited, yeah, because I was, and why I was doing it. I had just got the deal signed and then Atlantic was like requesting I put the album out like right away, like you know yes, and so I did it.

Within the year I was on the word working with that deal.

We like to ask you get your check, get your check, you buy it.

I didn't buy anything, actually nothing, no, I actually, this is just funny.

I didn't buy nothing. I gave a check to my mom. Actually, and.

My mom well, I had introduced my mom into like buying properties, buying stuff, flipping it, and you know, buying selling whatever. And so when I first got the check or whatever, it was like I was already working and I was good. I was making money, so I didn't really need the check. So I just gave it to her, and here I go. My album came out. The first year we worked on the album, I'm doing videos, I'm traveling to them, whatever. The second year came, I'm still

I didn't you know what I mean. I didn't really need.

Nothing like that except but to just live, like wake up and get the album done.

I'm glad you didn't buy rims like Tank.

I had first of all in l A, you know what I'm saying. And in l A.

The if you got a rim she was in Miami. If you got to the culture was different.

They got.

All that down here. That's a big thing for us.

But as a boy, I had to show up with that ship on my car and when they gave me my first check. No, I didn't have nowhere to live, absolutely not. So you didn't double yours, not in double mind. But I doubled up on them rims. I promise you that I put them low and hard ld ones on that GS three hundred.

Black on black, then pot them edition and they saw me.

Go ahead, look at the cameras.

I wasted mind.

Yes, kids, please don't buy rims because you know you go because they come with rim. You go through a tire a month, and and don't go to all the strip clubs. Pick one, just just pick one. You try to be an informative pie. But I had fun. Shout out to the next gold club, Shout out to Legs, shout out.

To Michelle, Triple X and Trish. I'm just shout out to Peanuts.

Get out of there, man.

Okay, okay, anyway, So so.

Give me, give me your give me just your disposition and how you're feeling going from okay, yes, I'm just jumping on stage with Trick, I'm just jumping on stage with Luda. Now it's now it's just your name on the marqut, it's just you. How are you feeling at this point because you all, from what you say that you've already felt bossy, right, yeah, but now this has to take your boss level to.

I was out of control. I was out of control.

Now I just felt I really it just really like separated me, you know, from what I was already doing to what I just already wanted to do myself like I'm in charge, this is the ticket.

It's about me.

So everything that's I'm bringing to this show and to this platform, I'm doing it on my own. Like I'm calling the shots. I want the sound to sound like this, I want the stages like this. I won't dances. I want you know, like Trick ain't really have dance and stuff. He was just like he's just a good damn rap. I wanted a production, so I want to turn it different, And yeah it was different.

Did you hire from within, like as far as from Miami or did you like do the whole who's the biggest choreographer or you know what?

I did it kind of here first because we have a lot of like we had a lot of great dancers, a lot of grants.

I mean great dancers.

You know, they travel, they dance here, they dance Atlanta, they dance California, like all the you know, artists, videos and tours and stuff. So I already came in with that, Like Miami is a big known place for dance scenes and dancing, so that was easy to find. That was easy to get that. So yeah, I kind of constructed that desk like right here, that's dope.

I love that. And your first solo tour is with who.

Oh Myself. It was myself, but.

You didn't have to really, so you didn't have to do the promo run though.

I mean as far as.

Like, hey, but you did that with which with tricking with Lulak. I'm saying, once your project came, you were already getting paid to do shows.

Yeah, but I still did promo though. I just still did a lot of yeah, no, no, no you promo. Definitely, I definitely did promo. I definitely did those radio dates. I definitely did those, you know, go to the radio station, show, loved every whatever they needed. I did that also because then again when it was my album and then you know, I did my single and then I had my single with Kelly Rowland, and so it was definitely mandatory for promo.

Yeah.

Sometimes, so I'll do a show, two shows in one city, or two shows and one citay and another show after party somewhere else, or a show here and a show somewhere else, fly here or drive here. So it was kind of like every day, you know. So I added promo into that with radio like kind of on the run. I didn't have a problem with that though.

I think, like we were talking about, you know, just younger artists and artists who who've kind of in this new generation have more subscribed to online promo versus in person promo.

Like there's a difference in touching the people.

In those artists who've actually gone to all those B and C markets and left their mark there. Because I can tell I know for a fact, you can go anywhere.

Anywhere down South anywhere and.

Get a full you can go anywhere and get a bag. And that is a result of those promo runs. Man, just going to touch the people doing those luncheons, showing up I have shown.

Up to to to what they what they're doing their hair to the hair salon did this.

We had a we had a in Chattanooga. No what't not you Charleston, South Carolina. Fill up your tank with tank and and I.

Was pumping the gas.

This is fixed in the morning, but it's a line as hours I can see, and I am pumping gas. I'm shaking hands and there's no babies this early morning, but I'm shaking hands and giving hugs at the gas station. And I think, you know, for us coming up in those times, I think that's been a saving grace and the difference in us being able to stand the test of time because we're connected to people, We're not just

No, I love the way that you've that you've embraced all the newer artists who that have come along, you know what I mean, because everybody isn't always receptive of you know what's coming. But I feel like it's done nothing but continue to push you higher up because you just move in such grace. Yeah, it's really cool to watch and really cool to see and see, you know, all the artists that have come after you celebrate you.

This is little kids in there.

Ye.

Everybody's having a good time. That's a great feeling.

You know, Like we got a chance to perform that record at the halftime for the Dolphins game.

Right doing that before the Super Bowl and.

You know, like you said, it's like, you know, it's just kids, everybody. It was just one of those records that everybody's having a good time.

They just listen to the beat.

They just listening to the whole harmony and us just talking and you know, and it's just a fun record.

I think that's like a universal record.

It's the record you can put on the party, a barbecue, you know, a game, a kickback, whatever you want to put it on. And it's just one of those records that has still been standing all these years.

Hey you got you got so many hits though, looking at the club to thank you.

And it's one of those.

Things you kind of like if you pull up on a girl she's playing training, you don't really be like, Okay, she is she on one of the talk ship records?

What did do today?

You know what I mean? You figure out how to go. We don't make a vote. We're gonna make your super R and B artists.

And you got to put this artist together with artists dead or alive with these qualities. Who you're going to get the vocal from, the performance style from, the styling from and the passion of the artist, the heart of the artists. Who out of all the artists you love and know, are you going to get the vocal from to make your super artist one vocal?

Yeah?

Yeah, top tier the voice Okay, Who you're going to get the performance style Okay, Well then if you know you know, you know I went to Okay, the styling we put your.

Man, I'm gonna go with she gonna a clean, nice clean one.

Mm hmm, easy easy.

My grandmama used to make me watch Patla Bell. You see how the hair used to be out doing the thing like I had.

And the passion of the artists, the heart of the artists.

Passion, passionate heart, passion. Oh, I'm gonna go Fantasia.

She's gonna kick off the shoes and get sweat. Yeah, she's gonna get into it.

Five minutes and she's.

Gonna get right into it. Yeah.

I cried in Fantasia one American idol.

Yes, like she deserved that.

Yes, like she got she did something to my soul.

She deserved it.

That just doesn't happen. I crab when he was on tour, it was on tour together. Now just cried, all right, here we go. Yeah. Let you notice I have theme songs, full lot of this ship. Okay, I ain't saying no name today. I ain't saying no names. I ain't saying no names. I ain't saying no names. Where he was, who is with what you did? Don't say she I ain't saying no names.

Yeah, so we're here.

Now we're here, Now you're here.

Special segment special of the show. It's called I Ain't Saying no Names. Tell us a story funny or fucked up? Are funny and fucked up? The only rule to the game is you can't say no names.

Okay.

We are in Los Angeles, California. It is my birthday weekend, and we are about to turn up. I am with the hottest chicks in the industry. Legend Superstar one is so big, it's.

Just iconic.

Okay, Okay, I decide to go out with my friends. I'm calling everybody up. They not answering everybody. I'm thinking, like, you know, I'm they you know, nobody's reaching back out to me. We all up here. I go shopping with my friends. Me and my friend go shopping. We go a couple places. We go to the store, we go Rodale Drive, We go to Mail Roads. Were your fool? We walking around with shopping. We leave, We come back to the hotel. All my stuff is all over the

And I'm like, what the hell is that?

And some of my friends are you know, they drink and they just vibing on the balcony, have a good time. So I'm like, hey, somebody's the door. Somebody's door and they go to the door like hey, it's like security. I'm like, what the hell, what's going on? Like, you know, So I say, we'll open the door.

I'm in the room.

I'm hiding in a room or whatever. And they come to the door. It's like two like police guys and like another guy looks like the hotel owner of security or whatever, and they go they're asking for my name, and so my friend is like, yeah, she's here, what's the problem. And so I come out the room. Beck I come to the door. They're like all standing right here. I go to the door and they're like, hey, are you such and such or whatever, and I'm like yeah,

And I'm like, the fuck that's going on. So we look and I'm like, yeah, this is what happened. He was like, were you with someone today shopping? Today? Out shopping? I was like, yeah, I was shopping. He was like, where you got shoplifting?

What?

I was like?

Shoplifting? I was like, so I got very Miami shoplifting me shopping?

Do you know why I am? I just went crazy like no, no, no, I got all this stuff and how all this side or whatever? Mind you.

My friends are here, they're celebrity, they're all sitting here. So I'm just first of all, I'm embarrassed. I'm scared the police is here shoplifting. So I'm looking at my friend like there's like and she was with you and I was like yeah, and the guy goes, we have you on camera for stealing something out of a store.

So I'm here.

The guy already and came to the door and he go I looked at her and I go, are you stealing?

And she said and I.

Bustop crying, and they were like you know what, you two you guys come with us, and they grabbed us lf to the door, put our hands behind my back or whatever. And at that time, as soon as my hand went behind my back, I just heard something go boom and it was a music box pop on and the guys with the police things, I take it out.

They clothed this y.

So my other celebrity trains I at the door and the go there in the bat They on the floor in the hallway crying and laughing, screaming, laughing, And when they come in, I was so mad. I couldn't even I forgot. I didn't even realize them like starting to do the strip teasing. I was so mad, I couldn't get unmad. It was like happy Birthday. And then everybody just came and everybody's talking.

I was so mad. I was like stealing roll Dale drive. What what mes?

What?

How do you get my ID? My friend took a picture of my ID zoomed it in. It was a big plot.

But my friend, my celebrity friends. Her security was the guys that came to door as security. I never saw her security before, so I'm thinking these big guys, these are like, yeah, he's talking about It was so not.

Funny, but it was so funny.

After I was pissed off, but I had a good time after. But boy, this group here, it was a it was like one of the best birthdays ever. Yeah, I'm just waiting on Ashton cut you to pop up, like being paid, Like what's happening?

Like what person Yellow really probably sent you, Like you didn't have to do that?

Oh my god.

Yeah.

I was looking at her like what stealing, like it's my birthday weekend, like what and she went only she was like just the shirt, just a shirt.

Everybody in the room was just trying not to laugh so hard.

During the whole time. I was at the door like terrified, my hands in my back and like what and my eyes were beg I was like crying and everything. And I was just so embarrassed. And I mean when I seen them people by that door, and when I seen them once the guys came in, I see my friends on the floor. I'm talking on the hallway of the hotel flow laughing.

Oh. I was too pissed off with them. But it was a good day.

You didn't get to enjoy the I.

Didn't even came out to strip tease. I was just over. I was too mad to enjoy.

I was just like I couldn't even have fun right then because I was my heart was beating, like shoplifted, arrested, la, wait what we have to have a miscommunication? And then yeah, that's what happened. So that was like the little trick that happened to you, shop is stealing?

What appen?

All my receives my purse, my credit card, all my backs like it is my birthday, Like yeah, but that was that was That was one of the things that got me.

That a great story. That is a great great shout out to the friends. Shout for y'all pushing. They actually stole something too turned into a fight, Like.

I know how Trina, listen, we I mean your your essence is legendary as you continue to see these young ladies with more confidence, more business acumen and in owning who they are as women. You you are, You're You're part of creating that legacy for us. So we appreciate you. We we we we can't wait till I'm gonna put a date on it. We can't wait till June. You know, we can't wait till May.

I'm just throwing.

I'm just throwing months out there, you know what I'm saying I'm not trying to poind, no pressure, you know what I'm saying, Just I'm just praying.

And maybe sometime in May June, you know what I'm saying, new training. I'm just.

I'm just putting that in an atmosphere, going on tour and you want to pop up, you know what I'm saying.

You know, anytime, anytime, and if you need us for anything, man, this is this is a home for you. Whatever you need us to say, do, promote, show up to whatever it is we are.

We are there.

Thank you.

We're absolutely the police.

Not that.

Take a shut off that Pladies and gentlemen.

Money even Tank Valentine and this is the R and B Money podcast, the authority on all things R and B and this has been boss to.

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