I'm Fresh and you are now listening to the Breaks podcast. These are highlights from our Saturday night hip-hop show on KUTX 98.9 in Austin, Texas. My co-host Confucius Jones and I are native Austinites and we love talking to hip-hop, Texas hip-hop, hip-hop history, and what's going on right now. And just so you know, the opinions expressed in the podcast are our own and do not necessarily reflect the position of KUTX in Austin, Texas.
We here to talk over the airwaves. No matter where you're from or where you stay. 98.9 you in the place to be. Wake up, wake up, wake up this is the Breaks. You could be anywhere in but you ain't. So let's proceed with the wave. 98.9 You in the place to be wake up wake up wake this is the Breaks. Yep yep yep. So once again we have finally won best Radio Show, the Off the Music Awards. We pick up our award tomorrow. Yeah, yeah.
At Antone's. The official Austin Austin Chronicle's Austin music awards. Yeah. Unfortunately, we won't be able to get on stage. Of course, the year that we win. Yeah. They change. They start changing it up. You know, we can't get on stadium. So I think I told somebody we had won because we found out we won like the week before last. But we're not supposed to say anything but now the cat's out of the bag. And I told somebody about that. They said they trying to Grammy-me out.
Boy, I didn't even think about that, man. Yo! I should say Usher because leading up to the halftime show, he was saying that he's an eight time loser at the Grammys because he's won, but he's never been able to go on stage and accept them, he's always won them off air. That's cray - but you get to go up there like even if it's after you go on stage. In some no. Oh. That's trash. Is I remember I remember Destiny's Child won their first Grammy.
They were in the dressing room getting changed because it was. It was like that, remember, diary? Yeah, it was that. And so. Trash man. But not I didn't I didn't think about that. I didn't think about, like, yo, we not even going get to be on stage. And that's the only thing that gives me solace is that it's all the industry awards I can see. They're like, yeah, just, you know, select categories. I would, I would, I would raise hell yeah.
No. So nobody when it's you wasn't getting it's only the music side of. And I don't think it's every a music award category either. Yeah. So we're gonna get out. Thank you. That the way. Yeah. You know thoughts on it? First off, I want to say when I first heard we'd won, my mind went automatically to what? Two things. The journey it took for us to get to that place. Because at our desk at KUTX, we have those damn comic book guys. What little flyer. In. The post and the poster?
And I remember we we used to sit outside in the cold and record episodes. Bad podcast episode in the front seat of a car. In front seat of a. Car at. The park. We've got a first apartment. It was one bedroom we recorded there. We didn't, you know, struggle. It really was a struggle. And then eventually we would come to KUTX. And one of the first people to embrace us at KUTX was Elizabeth MacQueen, who is now one of the producers on the breaks.
And to see that whole journey, because now it's, you know, Jack Anderson and Zahra helping us out. Like I don't imagine the breaks without those people. Look at that full circle moment, man. Like none of this happens without these people being involved. And of course, KUTXs, the whole KUTXs, its infrastructure here. I tell you, a friend of mine told me once, he was like, the reason why y'all are so successful now, because y'all are good at it, is because there's a team of people, which is
true. It is a team of people. And we're just good at it. I'm not taking away from that. We are just good. But yeah, I can't thank them enough for their contributions to it. You know, like the reels and putting the show together and all that. It's a lot. So, you know, I wish we could get multiple awards because everybody deserves one when we get one. So yeah. I, we can't even do that. We've got to leave it here. Yeah. That's not what I thought when I first, when I, when I. Believe it.
You told me that we won because apparently the email went out. And you just didn't check it. Like on a Monday, and it went out after I had closed my computer for being done with doing social media work. So I had logged out of my email account and just closed my computer. It was like I was, now's the time to get ready to be on air. I don't check my email while on air. I or any of that. I do, and.
I think I did day I was the day it was announced, I was feeling, the day the email was I was filling in for Lori. So I definitely wasn't on my computer, like checking emails and on 1 to 5 I. Was be nice. I was not checking. But when you texted me and told me, I was just like, bro, we won. And then in my head I was like, won what? And then it clicked. I was like, oh, so now we won? I didn't say snap, though. I definitely did not say snap. And that is the very family friendly
version. And then I was hype and then I started they, you know, it's me. I have a chip on my shoulder. I can admit that I'm a bit braggadocious and arrogant. You can bet I thought it was dead obvious. I immediately started thinking about everybody who didn't believe, who didn't see the vision. I let that go, man. I don't that's the that's the fuel. You are not your trauma. Is the fuel. That is the fuel. That is what pushes me.
I immediately started thinking about that and then started thinking like, yo, we finally, finally got it after seven straight nominations. Like Leo. Leo finally got it for The Revenant. And think about what he did before that. And I and I just kept thinking about how it took so long.
When you look at the breaks, I don't, I'm saying this whether it's an opinion or effect or not, there is no other radio show that pushes a scene in this city or impacts a scene in this city the way that the breaks does no other show. I dare you to fly one. I dare you to fire one. There is no other show that has impacted a scene. A lot of y'all know a lot of these artists that are rising up out of hip hop and R&B, partly, and due to the breaks, partly in due to us.
A lot of y'all were not hip to Jake Lloyd before the breaks. A lot of y'all didn't care about the title or Mike Milano, or a Desi Brown or an Alicia Loni. The way that y'all do post breaks. Not saying that we are 100% responsible for their rise, but hey, y'all could name them before post break. Before the breaks. Y'all couldn't like y'all wasn't trying to go see them perform like that. Stop it. I know y'all was.
The impact has just been shown, which is kind of why I think we've looked at it like it'd be nice to win one, but we don't really need one because everybody else sees the impact. Y'all just don't see the impact. And now you do. Yeah, I think that that statement just leads into consistency because we're on every Saturday.
We said it before that in the past hip hop was keeping one kind of it stagnant was that there wasn't a major show consistently pushing it in, like the case y'all had hip hop, had a hip hop show and has been on the hip hop show in the city. We're definitely not the first and hopefully not the last, but I think coming to a station like ATX, which is every year growing and getting bigger and having more influence over the city, us coming here was the perfect combination.
And so, yeah, I think that's what kind of helped it. But it does feel good to finally we and of course we still a lot of work to be done. The job's not done in my Kobe. I knew I was. But I just asked. I know what Frisco will say, right? What I say. And of course, you know, just got it. You know, like I say, we can say thank you. Everybody got to thank the parental. My mom, my dad. Yeah, for. Sure. I think my mom. I know my mom. I put my mom through hell. But hey, look, I, I want something.
She's really, you know, enjoy seeing me get on a roll in elementary school. That's what stopped. But, you know, hey, mom won. And then shout out to my dad to support me. He remember my dad. My step mom came to the first year we were nominated and we lost. That's awesome. And we left. Yeah, exactly. So also taking my step mom like second mother to me. My siblings, Michael and Nicole, who passed away. Natalie, Devin, Justin. Love all y'all and my kids.
Malik little saying I know y'all do what scientists. Boys don't do, but okay. But, well yeah. Shout out to my moms, man. She moms. She believed in me every single step of the way. She don't listen. I'm not listening to you. Don't listen. But if I told. Right now, I. I thanked you on the radio. She's like, all right. She believed what she believed. She believed man. May my grandmother rest in peace. She believed man. My cousins, my brothers, my sisters.
I gotta thank Matt Riley, accounting Matt Riley because Matt Riley answered the email. He answered the call when nobody else did. When we were kind of shafted by another radio station, Matt Riley answered. Took the time to sit down with us, then guarantee anything, although confusion was going to be. Oh, I wasn't going to pick man up here, but I might come back up with this one idea that was not coming back. But shout out to Matt Riley for giving us a chance.
Me and it panning out because I think man, confused to talk about all the time that this could have either went 1 or 2 ways, this could have been really successful as it has been, or it could have just been just another thing taking up space on the cut as roster and nobody really cared. What was interesting to me when I look at the category is the shows that we beat out to win are all kind of similar. They kind of fit a similar Austin esthetic.
We're the only one that really just plays hip hop like that. And they not happy about it out there. Oh, here we go. Okay, now they mad at the hip hoppers one. They are mad at the hip hoppers one. And I find it funny because I told y'all I told y'all this city, the city has an issue. It will not allow something that is different to push forward and be the face and be front facing and be what people see and is presented to the city. They want one particular image. Yeah, but they are mad
to that. Mad that the guys got it, man. Yeah, but we but we still won. Because you can't stop greatness. That's what I'm saying. So you can you can I like it but you see it still pushing through. Can't stop this train baby. It's like when you use speed. It's like when you go to Taco Bell, it's going to come. It's going to come through at some point as wow. A wow, it's going to come through so you can fight it all you want to. It tastes good, but it's going to come through it.
That is a crazy analogy. So that's how I feel about that. Like, yeah, I mean, they have to like it, but should they? Taco Bell? So you. Got to. Me. I'll be honest with you, I'm more shocked. They confused. As reserved as he is about the haters knowing him. I try to work on my anger. Being somebody that has lived with him and been around him as long as I. Have got exposed. Me like that ain't who he really is. I'm shocked that I'm.
I'm not shocked that I'm the one to do it or to say these things, but I'm just. That's why I say that fuels me, man. You hate. I'm just going to show you. As I said before, one day on Instagram, you can hate. You can not believe, you can be in disbelief. You can not like the end results. But you gotta watch us be great. You gotta watch us be in the monthly. That's gotta watch us be in the Chronicle. You gotta watch us get this war. That's what I'm saying.
There's a lot I could say, but I mean, I. Say for. You. Nothing. Nothing louder than success. I'll say it for you. And I'm, you know, holding word up and shaking it around. And that's got hurt more than anything else. I had to. Say it, and clearly it is. So now we just got to repeat next year. Yeah, man. Y'all continue to listen, continue to support, continue to vote for us when that time of the year come around and continue to become new members.
Because it is we are in the midst of our spring membership drive up here acts and we cannot the breaks cannot continue and can cut cannot continue without your support. So head on over to cut that org and become a member. Today I will say the only thing that would have made this win so much sweeter is if the Eagles would have won the Super Bowl. Boy I know. Man, I know that I. Really would. But y'all didn't believe. No, I didn't think we could do it.
It's about the break stuff about the Eagles, about the Eagles, about me. I really would have have written it right. Oh what. They said we could do it again. Again it's fight that win. Hey what about that. What. We won the Super Bowl. Maybe next year. Maybe next year. I mean maybe next year. Maybe around if we.
So if I ever officially told you the story of kind of how I was able to figure out that music was the path for me outside of me trying to rap in middle school, that I, I think we all had rapper aspirations. I did, but no, I don't think I've ever heard, like the official story of how like, you got on the path of music. So there's two people. That's Deuce, Deuce Malone. I had to do something and congrats once again, congratulations. Congratulations. You got married today?
I worked at KFC. He came through the drive through. That I've heard that's. To hand me a mixtape. And I contacted him on that same mixtapes guy named Black Mike, who produced on Lisa a lot of new album. The Legend. And, Black MC was dating girl with High school with. She linked me up with him. I started running around him and he got introduced to the music scene. At the time, it was a lot of different people running through the city. Rapping.
Rick was around the time bass with lames, around the time he's 35 was around, casino was around. Shout out Big John. E30 had just seen him recently. Oh yeah, she had me, John and You know, all those people played a significant part in me acclimating myself in the scene, right? So fast forward 2024. We're doing the brakes, award winning brakes. They put Grammy Award winning photo artist. They award winner. Look, man coming in. The bio change. Is on the way.
But. I also have a small part in one eight bookings now. Like I said, small part Deidre got is that is all. And all her. That's all. Her. That's her baby. I just she's making her sandwich. I'm just adding the pickle. That's all I'm saying. But what I have found is it seems like. Artists who have been in this city for a minute. A lot of artists who were from here. Don't grasp how far the scene has come. Had I started where I did when I was 17. And now at almost 37.
Not gone to places I feel like I should have. Maybe that would have pushed me in a way to not fully understand the change that are happening, because you're still caught up in what could have been. And I say that to say that. It's sometimes disheartening to see artists who have been here that we know, we know, know these people not fully embrace the different avenues that they have. Going through KUTXs is a big step. I'm not saying that because I work here. I'm telling you because I know.
I'm we witnessing. Exactly CT programs, music at the airport. To me that is huge. That means that your song and its local music, we're not playing Dua Lipa. Even I love to a label. I'm just still leaving. It was kind of do a libido Black odyssey. One time I think tweeted that they heard this song at the airport. I think you might tweet back in or whatever, but what I have noticed it mostly you can attest to this because you have more dealings with them than I do.
Newer artists super embrace the opportunity. I think for them it's because. They aren't jaded by 15 years or ten years of not getting to where they want to be. I think that's what it is. So they're like, yo, any opportunity you give me, I'm all for it. I'm not going to squander this. Which is why sometimes out of town artists are able to move so freely through here. What are your thoughts? I think you hit it on the head. When you say natives have been here.
They can't see the progress, or they refuse to see where the scene where the music scene is now versus than where it was when they started. And you've had these X amount of years of being jaded with things not being so professional, and now you're at a point where you run into some things now that are moving really professional and you don't adapt to that, and they haven't adapted to that. And I think that's just what
happened. Like I talk about management, I think a lot of people grab a manager before they even actually need one. Yeah. And then when they need one they feel it's still feel like, oh, I can do this all by myself. I can still do this by myself. In the end, not realizing that, yo, you are lacking some professionalism or as I like to say, some of them,
I won't say some of y'all. I don't want to make it sound like I'm taking anybody or making it personal, but some artists burn the bridges before they even know they need it to get across, or burn the bridge before they even know if they needed to get back across to the other side. Yeah, like and I don't I don't think they realize it or they realize it and just don't care. I would say it's disheartening because when we got here, we had in our mind a good
list of artists. We felt like, okay, these are artists that best represent the scene, right? And for the most part, 99% of them rose to the occasion, from the disease to Jakes. Hell, even at least Iolani, they, you know, they came through and we were saying like, these are the best representation of hip hop, R&B, these are the people, but also have been some people where and this is where I get frustrated and disappointed. I don't say
frustrated. Frustrated. Anger. Disappointed. Because if I tell a Dedra like this artist needs a one day, this is somebody we've been playing and I think they're talented. Let's get them there. And we try to plug them into that and they're like, no, I'm cool. Then it's like, oh, well see now. No, I look stupid. And it's already hard enough for hip hop and R&B to be accepted. Like you just said, there's people that are not happy with the fact that we won for the Radio award.
For every DC, we need 5 or 6 more for every, I don't know, knowledge. We need 5 or 6 more because one person can't do it all. And like I said, it seems like sometimes these older artists who've been around, mainly I, I hate to say I'm be honest, it's artists that know us, know us. Yeah, I know us before this. And I think we spoke on that before. I think that's a thing of how well I know how they're going to look out for me. They're going to hold me down. But yo, bro, I got a job
to do. Yeah, I can't necessarily be in here showing favoritism. Yeah, I know, y'all hear me say, well, I'm biased. I don't really care about my bias, but that's me doing things in my own realm. That's me doing things off as fresh as me doing things with new Fresh City. When it come to cuts, y'all, I got a job to do. Yeah, I can't just look out for y'all because I know y'all. And I think that's how is perceived there. Oh fresh person there. He got me. He going to get me like
yeah. If the song is the music is good. And I think it's good and I think it fits rotation. Yeah, I'll send it out to the music, our music director, Rick McNulty, and I'll send it to Jeff McCord and they'll do what they see fit with it. But like, don't expect me to do that every single time just because I know you. It's a song. Not a good song, not good. And I think that's just what it is, man. Is that.
We are people that a lot of these artists know, and we are now in a certain position and they they feel what to saying it a sense of entitlement. That that's fine. That we should be helping them simply because we know them and simply because they are from Austin. But as we said before, that's not how the industry works. That's not how things go. They not doing any New York. Matter of fact, New York to New York. Artists continuously complain about that.
Well, yeah, I think there's a JD in this in it. So definitely is it's so imagine. Throughout your dating history, you date people that aren't good people. One, Lil Duval said on Twitter. He said, don't be the first good man a woman means you'll be an example. Are you? Be the lesson. So taking the gender out of it, if somebody has been dating less than savory people, by the time somebody comes around who really wants to, you know, take care of them, there's going to be some apprehension there.
And it was yeah. In my opinion they don't hurting themselves because a good person can say you know what I'm not dealing with this. I'm not putting up with this thing. Go on to the next thing as opposed to you sitting there letting your trauma define you. A lot of these artists have trauma innocently makes you like that, to be fair. I can understand they're jaded in this because it's not fair. How can you opportunities that you should have had, you didn't get awards you should have won, you
didn't get. Like I said, we were nominated seven years in, didn't win. But trust me, when you finally get that opportunity, take it. We could have easily got on here and said, you know, screw the the music awards. We should have been won. This none of this. We're not going to nothing there. And I mean, they got on the freeway but they exit it real quick. You know, I'm saying so. Which I have seen artists do that. But trust me, when you finally do get the recognition you feel like
you deserve, take it. And when we come, we first come to you and say like, hey, I like your song. I'm going to put on a playlist. I want to, you know, try to get in rotation. Send it. Off. I come to you and say, hey, I want to get you part of studio one. A please, please take it seriously. And I hate to be that guy, but I'm going to say it, these white people are not playing with y'all. Please stop doing it. They do not care. And I'm not saying they don't care about the scene. They do.
They just don't care enough for you excuses. Because at the end of the day, the train keeps on moving, not just in all parts of the city. Y'all can talk all that. Oh, also, no, I told you, I don't. I'm not worried about being known in Austin. Yes, you all could. You wouldn't complain about it. It's going to feel real good. Because when y'all get signs downtown. Are y'all on the cover? The Chronicle I see it all over Instagram and Twitter, so y'all definitely care what Austin thinks.
And trust me, we're trying to help you get acclimated. Austin, please take it. Please, please. I mean, Confucius said it the best, and I think they just asked the point. I, like you, said those who come from somewhere else and they land in Austin and they are doing music. That's why they take full advantage of it, because they get here and realize, well, it may not be the best infrastructure for a music scene, but they recognize the infrastructure.
You hear like, oh man, y'all got a whole newspaper that's free. Just put here helium pushing the music, saying, oh, y'all need to be on it. You're not going to eat. You know, how many people are mediums asking, do I know somebody else? Can't, you know, somebody right at the Chronicle, you know, you know the Chronicle. They want to be in that. They want. And like like Confucius said, I understand a native artist is apprehension
in the jade. In this the yo man, I've been working X amount of years and I ain't never been in the Chronicle. And this do come or this artist come and they make it in there. The first, the first Monday. I don't know why the third wheel fell out of the guys. That ain't never been about you. You're gonna throw me off, man. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just I back to city. Oh, they didn't. He said, walking around. Money.
But like Confucius said, I get the jaded like the city makes you like that with the constant over look, I definitely get it. But somebody else come here. You don't have that same jade in this. I mean, they pushing and they move it and they trying to get they foot in face and music in every single door window crevice that they can find it in. When I say, hey man, somebody come here from. Duluth, Minnesota. And they got a good song. And I said, hey, man, I like this.
How many can you send me that they send it, they send it. They don't shuffle their feet. They don't say, oh, it's going to cost too much money to get a clean verse. Do I got us into clean. I bro walk when I ask you for songs. Because they just take advantage of what is being presented. It like confuses it. We want this for y'all. For a native. I want it for everybody, man. I want everybody see everybody. We're so yeah, not even just cut when opportunities are present it.
Take full advantage of it and be ready for it, man. Like, just. That's all I can really say. And I say this once we get out of here and move on to the next thing. When I go through my email of music submissions, I can't. This is my e-mail. I can't speak to Freshies. A lot of the submissions from people out of town a lot. So the things that you dismiss and take for granted in the city, other people from outside of looking at it like a gold mine.
So don't be the person that leaves, you know, gets out of a relationship because I don't like the way they chew the food. Next thing you know, that person ends up becoming successful in a great party scene and lonely by yourself chewing in silence. So. Yeah. Yeah, I'll be cautious of that. We're taking a quick break. Be right back. Hip hop fix. Yeah. Everybody's favorite time of the show. Yeah. Cause we all learn. We all learn at the same time. I'll go first. I'll say I'll go first. I'll go to.
Work. Yeah. So apparently I just watched this movie earlier in the week. He got going. Great movie. Yeah, great. One of my favorite spike Lee joints. He got. Game. Please explain it Indian to me that the fact. No. Good. If you don't know the movie is loosely based on the life of Stephon Marbury. Grew up in Brooklyn, New York in the Coney Island section. Stephon Marbury says that he was supposed to be in the movie or he was set to be in the movie.
He said spike Lee wanted him to audition, but Stephon turned it down and said, I'm not auditioning to be me. This movie is basically about me, and I'm not auditioning. If you want me, then just tell me you want me. But I'm not auditioning. I shouldn't have to audition to be me. So. Spike Lee was like, all right, cool, I'll go get another NBA All-Star. And he went, got Ray Allen for the titular role of Jesus Shuttlesworth. And he got game. Okay, I've heard it was based off Stephon Marbury.
You answered the question of always ahead of why did Stephon Marbury want to be in it if it's based on him? But I've also heard that he has Kobe, but Kobe is not covered. That, but. Kobe was like, bro, I play, I play bass. Kobe knew his place. I played bass whenever I'm not doing it. I heard I've heard that as well. I've heard that as well. And so you eventually got to Ray Allen, who? In hindsight. Love. He got game. Love it and put that out there right now. One of my favorite spike Lee movies.
Brotherhood Made Act. I know Stephon. Marbury could have been no worse in reality. I'm sorry. He could have been no. Worse item nook. And I like it. I love that movie, but boy, he is lucky that everybody else was acting their ass off. Good boy. Really quick. I'm glad he'd been nothing else. I think. He I think him and now's have to be the worst Black performance I've ever seen in a movie in my. Life. I don't. Know what's. Up with I. Got. Shot.
I gotta win a movie, I gotta, I gotta think about my future. I'm like, oh my God. Yeah. Right. Rare like 25. In that movie. But yeah, that answers your question as to why Stephon Marbury was not in a movie. He just didn't want to audition. I just and I think. You. Might as well put him in there. I mean. It probably was explained to him, they're like, yo, this is kind of just par for the course. The role is basically yours. You're right. Like this is based off
of you. But this is kind of a formality thing. I want you and then we're like, yo, I'm not auditioning. I don't oh, if I gotta audition, I want to do it. Then I can see spike Lee saying, well, all right, I'll go get Kobe. And then Kobe. Like you say, Kobe nose's play lo, we go, we like. I mean, I just who never played basketball, you know, was. Not a bad actor as a basketball player, like a top level basketball player. Rick Fox didn't know where you were going with that. A top level.
And I come off the bench. I know you're saying Shaq no. Anthony Edwards and Adam Sandler movie on Netflix. That was good. He did good. He did. I think that's because he was just playing himself. But yeah, that's pretty good name. You better at it. Rick I'm not saying come off the bench. I'm talking about all star bro grew up. Revolve was an all star. I think you didn't get. An all star appearance for me to look at. A I don't think he was.
But anyway, my first fact, the song steady mobbin Gucci Mane and Lil Wayne. We beat any man in Okemos. I mean, maybe about 80 in Miami. Yeah. So two Chainz was supposed to be on that so. I could hear that. Lil Wayne apparently reached out to the producer and said that, you know, he wanted to work Gucci because Gucci was big on us and have worked together, but he had no ways to him. So producers basically like what I know somebody knows it. Grow, two Chainz, Domino.
He was going by, a Teddy boy to play a circle. And so. We connected Wayne and Gucci for the song and recorded a verse with Bruce Wayne. Heard Gucci version like Gooch kind of going crazy on this. I want to keep rapping. Do you mind, take two Chainz out there. Sonny Jim Jones said. Cameron said people verses get deleted every day. Yeah. So yeah. Rick Fox with an all star. Dang. I'm sorry. Rick. All right. What else. Do. They got? Three rings, though. But. But yeah, two days off.
But two Chainz obviously was cool with him a little. Wayne I've done numerous collaborations. Two albums together. Right, right. But yeah. Wayne like a good guy going crazy. They keep going. I don't know. I was not familiar with your game. Go ahead and take chains off. Do it. So let me hear the version. That song got there with two. But the producer, they he just muted him. So it's a version that that was huge about it. Yeah. And it was about myself I want to I want to hear that verse.
Me too. It's a lot of man look, don't get me started. Hip hop. What else I still to hear that. Want to follow the Cee-Lo version? I never want to hear that. I never want to hear that. My second fact. Speaking of soulful CeeLo. Soulful. You know, man, I say, I know. Thank you, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson offerings. Great songwriters you gave me but can't help it, right? That's my fact, man. Oh, God. Oh my back. Oh, I didn't know it. You. Well, I mean. You could explain them.
Right all on that one. I feel bad. But yes, yes, yes, the the song can't help it, but Michael Jackson. And. On his. Thriller. Album was. Like you were singing for the show. You put it in my head. I would that's my that is my fault. It was a it was originally Stevie Wonder originally wrote it for himself, and then the video that I saw or not necessarily video the video, I I'll just play the demo version, which Stevie Wonder had in the Michael Jackson's version of the
song. So I imagine that Michael heard it and liked it, and Stevie was there, good friends and kind of came up through Motown getting together. Stevie was like. Stevie was the God. At Motown? No, boy, he was. I imagine Stevie was like, oh, you own it. All right, you gotta go have I don't I don't really have anything anywhere to play. Stevie save. You heard my album, I don't I Don't Need. You song. If you want to. Yeah. Go ahead and have it man. So like. Yeah, man I've heard.
Have you heard the version of him. My word. Yeah. It's just Stevie mumbling. It sounded like it wasn't a complete song. He just had the idea that he wanted to be, so it wasn't that hard to give up. Yeah. So that song and the other version, I've heard that. I've heard the two chain so Young Blood. Fan of Young Blood Dragon. Yeah. I'm feeling well. You. Hey what is that big a song? I would say. Damn. Sorry. Who produced it? Lil Jon. Is that their first collaboration?
No. Would for the life of me, I can't think of what the first one was. 85. I had no idea Lil Jon produced that. I didn't either. What produced that song. During your new name? I know you in Vernon. It won't be long, shadow. Thank you guys. I love that song. I would argue it might just, in my humble opinion, that that song's better than damn to me. They're both great songs, but no argument. 85 the perfect. Song. Riding dirty on 85. All right, Peter could be any anything.
But yeah. Little Japanese. I did not know that. Would tie in a. Video. See, I was he was at the beginning of. All right. Yeah. He was in quasi. Yeah. Okay. So yeah Lil Jon, Lil Jon people are produced. I know for those of you also know b boys these are the t produce a lot. So he produce he produced a lot on our cast album. Yeah they learned the game recording and we kept moving. But yeah. Chad oh man, that's a great fag. I had no. Idea. Yeah I forgot I saw to that but yeah.
Oh well I know, I know what we're going into after this. All right man, my third and final fact. Now I'm going to say this, but I am going to confirm this at some point. I'm going to confirm it before tomorrow at the award ceremony. But. The brakes. I believe we got the first hip hop show to win best radio show at the Austin Music Awards.
Out of all of the elder statesmen that I know that have done radio or that have been around long enough, been around just as long as the Austin Music Awards and every iteration of it, from it being at Moody Theater and happening during South. But I've never heard anybody say that a hip hop radio show won an award. But I will confirm that before the war show Sunday. Let me, I think I don't know that, to be honest, I didn't start keeping up until we start getting. I'm. I'm saying.
So it could be a straight run of, you know, Black shows, but. I don't know. I mean, that's my final fact, dude, that we finally have one. Regardless, we're the first hip hop Jordan to it. We are, we are, we are, we are. I can guarantee that eventually. That now I'll say this. I'm now I'm rooting for the DJ shinies of the world to get one for sure. And old school dance party. I hope Hanson's one one. I know that. Yeah, man, I sure hope y'all see Hanson and y'all gush over him. I sure hope.
Everybody wants a picture and shake his hand. I definitely hope he is one. I know he's been nominated since we've been up here. I really hope he has one. He really don't. I know his thoughts on Saturday. Handsome man. We have way up here with some, like legends in the game. Jody Hill, John L Hanson, junior man. Johnny D in a. Motor setting. D.J. anyway, unpopular opinion time. Yes yes yes yes yes yes. This is going to be controversial with the people who are in the industry. Which is you.
I say artists in the. Industry. To artists. The call is coming from inside to have this. Unpopular opinion. Let's get right into it, man. The music industry doesn't need to change. And this is. I know all y'all don't guess me. Like. How could you say that? What about the artist in there? And they hell, they get paid. Hear me out, hear me out. I was scrolling on Instagram and for some reason, Lil Russell, who's from somewhere in Northern California, I'm not
sure. I think he's from the Bay area, but for some reason he is now like my algorithm on my explore page. I decided to click on a video, and he was talking about how he was talking about his experience in the music industry and how he navigates it. And he made a point that I rather agreed with. And his whole point was that. The music industry doesn't need a change as artists. You just need to figure out how to work within the industry to your advantage.
His whole argument in it was which, once again, I rather agree with is that the music industry is not going to change, is not going to change those in power. Those executives, those who set it up some, what, six, seven, eight decades ago is set up the way that it is for a reason. It's set up to be in their favor, and they are not going to let just anyone come in and change it, because artists feel like it's not beneficial to them.
I don't think it ever was supposed to be beneficial for the artists. It was always supposed to be beneficial for the label and those running the label now. It does not mean you cannot find success within the industry, because the industry is not simply you being signed to a label. Lou Russell is an independent artist, and from what he says, makes quite a bit of a great living.
Man. Once said he sold like five albums and made like $100,000, and he just took that hundred thousand dollars and put it back into what he was already doing. He was just like, when I do things in the industry, I do what I feel works for me. I do it, and then I go back to doing whatever it was I was doing in my independent grind. I only do things in the industry that work for me. Now, with that being said, I agree.
And if you want to be a part of the full blown machine and be signed to a major label, by all means go at it. Everybody is not meant to be an independent artist, just like everybody is not meant to be an entrepreneur. Everybody not meant to do it all by itself. And everybody don't want to do it all by himself. And everybody can't do it all by themselves. So if you are still wanting to be signed by a major label, know what comes with that and. Go forth into the darkness. And live that dream.
And isn't that. And that's not to say that you cannot be successful. We yes, we've heard all the horror stories about the music industry, but we've heard a lot of success stories do. It is possible for you to be that success. Now what? All that being said, I just don't think one person is going to come in the music industry and make this grand change and tear it all down and burn the industry to the ground and start anew. Because power doesn't work like that.
Nobody just openly relinquishes power, and nobody gives up power without a fight. And those that end up seizing power. Kind of just do the same thing that their previous oppressor was already doing. I'm starting very slowly. I'm just saying. Those not to. There's no track. A man who is in a lot of controversy right now. When you said that, my mind went to so many people. Let's see if I can go through it. Right. PTT PTT is the head of Bad Boy Records.
Although I regularly learn more who signed over there. Still, they know that's not s. This is a rhetorical question. Rhetorical question? You don't have to answer that. You don't have to answer that. But pretty, I think, upon starting. Bad boy looked at how Uptown Records worked since he was an intern there. He worked. His mentor was the late, great Andre Harrell. Think he looked at how Uptown worked in real life and thought to himself, I can do this
too. I can run a label and I can run it similar to Uptown, and I can give these artists a fair cut and do this and that. But that's not really how it went with bad boys. And we've heard horror story after horror, story after horror story with bad boy artists mainly coming from makes. Made it come from base. Mainly coming from Mason about how he's owe money. He signed a raw deal this and that in the third date.
He has been somebody that has been ridiculed about how, you know, you should have been looking out for the artist, you should have been looking out for what a person, but you just followed the same old industry standards. When people complain, did he just say, well, they deal with the standard in the industry like most record labels are given this. But if everybody is looking for you to do something that is not the standard, but. He got the power and didn't do anything different with it.
Just did the same old thing. Instead, he had people signing the same old contracts. Now. French Montana would tell you that Diddy gave him everything that he said he was going to give him and everything that he asked for. I don't know French. I would have to look at the contract. No matter how. Much money he got. The French show was on the show. Anthony Anderson had family show up. Last night I saw a French doing on him. oh. What is the one Anderson doing with his mom?
Yeah, well, you figure out who somebody related. I'm cool. I'm cool anyway. Dwight Howard. Dwight Howard, I. Get Dwight Howard. He ain't doing them. What French Montana. Doing? Oh, okay. I thought you said enough anyway. Anyway, let's throw me out. Throw me. Out. But yeah, he has been a person who has gotten the power and just pushed the same old industry standard. And you see that time and time again. When somebody does try to do something a little different. Yeah. I don't support his jersey.
Now, granted, I'll say this about hope. He should never be the front facing guide to roll out anything. I'm sorry. Get rolled out. He's horrible at rollouts. Whether it be title, the initiative would never fail. He's horrible. Stop letting that man talk publicly. Yes, please. Go. Take a page out of his wife's book. Yes. Stop letting Jay-Z talk publicly and roll out a product. Because I think him talking and rolling out title when he bought into it and was revamping it.
I think that's what killed it. But title pays out the most and still pays out the most in any other streaming service yet. People complain only complaining about Spotify, and they never push that title link. If they put their music on title at all. So when somebody is trying to do a little better, y'all don't really support it. And with that being said, it doesn't get the support that it needs to kind of make this revolutionary change in the industry.
But I just don't think the industry is going to change and is meant to change. Because as I say, those with power don't just relinquish power. And they and they are going to fight tooth and nail to keep it a record. Isn't going to say, oh, well, we need to just we we can take less. The label can take less publishing the label can take less money off the record and give most of that to the artist is not going to happen. That is not going to happen.
And I think if you continue to walk around bright eyed and bushy tailed about it, you kind of are hindering yourself. You don't in 2024, you don't need the label, and you can work within the confines of the industry that work for you as an artist and be highly successful working for a lot of people. Chance made a lot of money off selling hats. I don't know what Chance the Rapper is now. Oh yes I do. He's on The Voice, which I'm trying to figure out. Yeah, he got big egos.
Yeah. Did he get sued by his manager? And he canceled a whole tour. But anyway, that's neither here nor there. But yeah, that is my unpopular opinion. The industry, the music industry doesn't need to change. You just have to work within the confines of it. That works for you. Does that make sense? I don't agree. Give it to me, Paul. You know. The music industry changes anyway. I mean, yeah, it adapts. Whatever.
Because if you're saying, like, you don't want to go into the MAGA side and be like, you know, I've messed with the music industry, like, disgusted with what went down with the now Disenfranchized Disenfranchizing Black artist. It needs to change only because as time goes on, it's becoming more clear that major labels. What is needed is before they are needed for the things of like infrastructure, right?
Like you said that every artist needs to be an independent artist, but labels need to stop this whole I'm going to take as much money as I can crap, because you're going to force more arts, realize I don't need you in the first place. That's why I like these deals. Don't be a slammer. Back in the day, you heard, like, L.A. couture had to be a Def Jam for 13 a.m..
But now you hear all this having to sign for, like, 4 or 5 albums, but they're still taking the same amount of money that they would have taken 20 years ago. They need to change, too, because there's way too many horror stories, man. Way too many stories about people getting taken advantage of. Granted, I am in the body of you should kind of know at this point the hip hop horse. I mean music industry horse stories as old as time. If you want a sign to label, get a
lawyer. Don't take the labels lawyer, get your own damn lawyer. Understand what you are reading. Don't just let your lawyer read it for you. So it just needs to change for the better. I think it needs to be more favorable to the artist. And I also agree, like with Jay-Z said, you know, if I sell you your masters back, what are you gonna do with it? Criminals ought to know they're going
to do it. Yeah. Me, my mom having a discussion about Michael Jackson State, you know, half of it was sold for 1.2 billion to Sony, which is. That's a pretty mess right now. I'm actually gonna buy back from what I bought it for when I'm dead. But my mom was like, yeah. So, like, how did Catherine and Michael's nephew deal with his estate? I tell my mom, I said, I highly doubt Michael's elderly mother and his grown nephew are running in his entire state. That is a that's a team of.
Law, a team of lawyers, probably more than 30 running that, probably. The entire Florida law. Firm. Exactly. Running it. So I imagine somebody like, you know, I was gleeful saying, like, I just, you know, control my own masters. I mean, Grant, I don't know Wizard's business, but is he capable of controlling that? When you hear this, say, I own my masters. I mean, trust me, there's somebody behind it running that they're not just in there answering phone calls. Are you up?
I want to be in a commercial. I to me, it just needs to change in terms of just understanding the times. The music industry is notorious for being slow to the changes that are happening when they would suing the crap out of Napster and all the streaming services before they were streaming service, illegal streaming services. What ended up happening in a way I assume was gaming took over. And innovation. Now we just have streaming services, you know? But anyway. And now. It's time.
Fuck if you just read the news. News time. Educators. My brother. Sasha. My mother. Madeline. My mother. Death. She. I've met her. I have way too many conversations about her reading Facebook and Instagram comments. But you know it is what it is. I enjoy the news. I enjoy giving it to you. I don't know if you know this, but Kate is one half of another side, which is Katie, which is all news, so I don't work with Katie on that. We're gonna slide it in there.
Bobby, the world's oldest dog, died at the age of 31. But that title has been stripped from him following a review by the Guinness World Records organization. They announced that this past Thursday, the organization said, quote, no longer has the evidence it needs to support Bobby's claims as the record holder. Imagine you're at home, right? You and Bobby say that for argument's sake, you with the partner, and y'all have Bobby. You telling everybody the
neighborhood? You know, Bobby's oldest dog in the world, right? And that's the song in your house. Because Guinness World Records back in Black and all that. It didn't. The Guinness World Records pull up in advance and say, you know that back through you and your dead dog. You liar. Give me a run. All that back. So wait, did another dog. Was another dog found to be odor or did they just say that?
Mark McKinley, director of records at Guinness World Records, said in a statement that the company takes tremendous pride in verifying verifying record holders, also following concerns raised by vets and other experts, both privately as well as within public commentary and the findings of investigations conducted by some media outlets. We felt it important to open a review into Bobby's record. So was he not 31? No, he was not. With the additional veterinary.
Veterinary statement provided as evidence for Bobby's age, also citing his microchip data, were left with no conclusive evidence, which can definitively prove Bobby's date of birth. So I don't definitively know. He wasn't 31, but it could have been 31. Guinness World Records said. We don't do assumptions either. You are you not? They had his work. We have been inside libraries for 60 years. School libraries. We are not going to lose that reputation. Oh my goodness. But but but fun.
Not fun fact. Well, just to let everyone know, 31 years in dog years is 217 years because you times about seven. Anyway here all that man and early whatever. I think that's awfully a lot for a dead dog. Oh, happy Bobby. I guess. Bobby, I'm just trying to be fed. I don't know what y'all talk about. A lot of people doing over here. Something that, I feel affects me. Not as much as the person in this article, but I do think about it. Discrimination in movie theaters.
Now, before I finish, I'm not talking about the discrimination you think I am. I've talked about people who can't hear that. Well. So a deaf moviegoer and often call attention to theaters lack of captioning technology. According to kvue.com, Nicole Bonds has been living with profound deafness, making it difficult to feed her passion for film. In 2018, though, it was required for movie theaters showing digital movies to provide closed captioning at a patrons seat.
Bringing Barnes back to the movie theater for the first time in ten years. Congratulations to her. But at Alamo Drafthouse on Anderson Lane. The village. 20 minutes into the movie, the manager brings me a piece of paper saying, this isn't going to work because it's an older movie with Romeo and Juliet, and we didn't get the correct caption files from our distributor, Barnes said.
I just want them to take a little bit of accountability in making it easier for deaf people to know anybody with a hearing disability to know, hey, this movie's going to be a great experience for you or this one's not. I did not know that was an option. I live by closed captioning. I could not hear without my closed caption. I did not know that was an option. I don't care if it inconvenience the whole movie theater, I can't hear. Look, listen, before you get in this, I saw them all a movie.
They spoke patois. That whole movie. I don't know what they were saying. It's like what happened? I'm just go about context. Oh, he's yelling at about his affair. Oh, okay. I don't know what they. Can you imagine seeing shot to there at the closed captioning? Yes I have. Also look. Shout out to Christopher Nolan. Oppenheimer was amazing. But me and for our interstellar, I don't know what type of volume he had on that movie. That movie was like that. Definitely.
I said, what are they saying in this movie? I need my closed caption. Interstellar was mixed horribly. I did not know that was an option. I'm mad. About it. Is it an option for everyone or just those that are hearing impaired? What the hell? You know how happy? Go check me. Oh, go check me. Boom! You don't know what I can hear or not. If I can get some hard. Yeah, that's I. I don't I don't think they've got. It on the screen. It's said they like it's at your feet. So I gotta look down.
I don't know how this works, man. I just I didn't know this was a being either, to be honest with you. I always wondered how, like, deaf people went to the movie theater. Can you imagine? I didn't I didn't know this was a thing. I'm learning. I didn't know. That you'd be in a movie theater. And somebody said, hey, ma'am. I can't today working like yo. That'd be me. Considering we almost got kicked out Alamo Drafthouse there for y'all. Get. And that exact Alamo. Exactly.
I did not know that was an option. I didn't either. I don't get me started. I thought I was being. I was all I needed. That's all I needed. Hey, y'all did that lady wrong like that sassy Romeo Juliet. Captain. Straight man. Hey, player. Come on, man, it's a book to come on. Don't do that in music news. Got a Black, got out of jail and was throwing rocks. At a at the news reporter. Yeah. It might be something really rude. That brother.
There was little boy's name in Five heartbeats when I was on drugs were bad. Oh, Eddie. Kane. Eddie Kane it Kane junior. That's got a Black boy, he added. Still on it. I saw the news report, the news reporter said. Hey, man, we were trying to greet him as he came out of the jail and he immediately started threatening to punch me in the face and start throwing rocks at my cameraman. I saw the footage and it was dark.
I don't know, it looked like he had jumped down like something, and they had the high ground and he would just started chucking rocks. He was talking a rock like a kid on the rocks in a car driving by. So he got out because he was he's been. And he's been in jail since December. He went in for oxycodone possession, evidence tampering and being in property park.
The drug charges were dismissed because they could not determine whether he had a prescription for the actual code on, as he previously claimed. He pleaded guilty to a probation violation and released on time served. It doesn't help to beat the drug allegations when you start throwing rocks at a news reporter. Especially unprovoked, because that's how a lot of people say, oh, we don't know what happened. We don't know what they said to him. I bet you he said he he wouldn't be
filmed. And they proceeded to film him. Yeah. Because they the news. They the news fool the local news. This wasn't the paparazzi who were just popping up to take pictures of him at his worst point. They were there to greet him, to try to get like an interview, to do their job. If you started chucking rocks at him. If I was police, I said this wouldn't be back here probably by next week. This will be. Look at this man. Because that is assault. Yeah. It is going to some government news.
James Comber the Republican from Kentucky. Yeah that's going to that direction. Who would it Jimmy do. He is one of the main people to trying to push the Biden impeachment inquiry into. Okay. So the credibility for that kind of fell apart because a man named Alexander, it doesn't say Smirnoff, but I really like
Smirnoff. I'm gonna call him Alexander. Smirnoff was charged last week for lying to the FBI when he asserted that Biden received $5 million bribe money from a Ukrainian oligarchy, according to the Justice Department. Smirnoff admitted after his arrest that officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in passing a story about Biden's son, Hunter, and a Ukrainian gas company he worked for.
James Comey has been writing this whole thing about this, this informant who was saying that Biden is collecting money from the Ukraine and all that and fell apart now. But for him, he's just downplaying it. He said, you know what? On an appearance on Newsmax, which is Fox News on Crack. He said Smirnoff, being one of the most trusted, highest paid informs with the bureau for over a decade. But he was an important part of this investigation because I didn't know
who he was. All I knew was that there was a 1023 form that alleged bribery. Sir. I with him, sir. But if the jokes right themselves, don't they? Bad. I don't even have. Anything to say, man. You think so? And your main witness is clearly working for Russia. You know what? I watch Oppenheimer and a part of the reason they try to railroad Oppenheimer. They said he would have communist ties because some of his family members and wife were part of it. They was on him behind it.
Imagine. Make that movie now. Wait a minute. I can't talk to Russians. Yo, I would have. Would have been an hour long had you said that. What's wrong with talking to Russians, yo! And to keep mine. I was working with back when Russia was cool with us. Because in World War Two. And they still railroaded him. So I don't know what Republicans got going on, but when your best witness is working with Russians and you still trying to downplay it, y'all might need to stop. It's pretty bad.
Might one make a pivot? Bad enough your head's into cause nobody in Moscow to interview Putin. Even Putin said this interview was stupid and you're an idiot. So I thought he had a harder question than this. But yeah, you. Know, the world we live in. Where we live. And apparently Biden is not a fan of Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu. He has a lot of different names for him, none of which I can say on the radio.
When you give money to people, it's kind of hard for them to not be aholes. I think there's a lesson. There, but Biden is. Of course, seeing that a good number of Americans aren't viewing our approach to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict favorably. Oh, it's taken them that long, I'm at the beginning. It's a lot going on over there. I will say this, and this is more opinion based. And I've said it here on fisheries news. I want humanity to prevail. I don't like the loss of any
innocent life. I don't like the loss of any unnecessary innocent. But anything in this life is unnecessary. I also am concerned with the liberation of our people in this country. And I don't want to lose what little progress we have made because we are faced with. Two of the oldest men to ever run for president. So I think about that from time to
time. I know people are really on the fence about it, but at this point, the way things are looking, if you were on the fence now, you'd probably be on the fence before. So my little brother limited that he, he's real big on like I'm never vote for Biden. That's a unit vote for the first time. So know you. Don't know what you want me to say to that bro. Like it is what it is. Yes, Biden Benjamin Netanyahu is an asshole. I've known that for a while.
It's unfortunate that what has broken out the Middle East is seem to give him an opportunity to kind of play out things he's always wanted. Once again, I hope humanity prevails because. As we all, as we all believe, hope this is this. Is going to look bad in history. Oh yeah, for most definitely. This is going to look horrible in the history books. Hopefully it's all, you know, situated in in ten years, which is how long is going to take for 35 to get back to where it needs to be.
So according to k u t you to take it all the way to the home team. Yeah, I was just stationed in Austin on NPR 9.5. They released the Ultimate guide to the I-35 expansion going through central Austin. Project is going to cost at least 4.5 billion. It's going to displace over 100 homes and businesses. And I 35. Increase capacity will bring more urban sprawl, overpopulation, climate warming gases and noise. So basically L.A as we want it anyway. We want it to be this big metropolis.
So I just play SimCity when I was younger. And I used to really be meticulous about how I would build my roads and buildings and all residential. Then it just get rid of it with a tornado or Godzilla at some point. And I just wonder has that, is that Austin's approach the most. It's like just build and see what happens from there. At some point in time, they're going to try to install caps covering parts of the fucking highway.
You know, that goes through downtown, essentially creating I-35 tunnel that goes through downtown Austin, but only if Austin and UT fit the bill. Y'all have fun with that? Yeah. I'll try to get money out of you'd you you know that gift of all that money and shaking it. Hey. Y'all money. We make this money. We work for you. We love you, T. They are not very generous with money, so we'll see how that plays out. We'll see how that plays out. But, you know, in ten years we'll
see. I, I would hope that in ten years I'm a lot richer. So I hope I'm a lot well off in ten years. And I can afford to live downtown and not have to worry about traffic like that. But we shall see. But anyway, shoutout to KUT that is Confucius. Riggs the news.
This episode of The Breaks podcast is a production of KUTX 98.9, The Austin Music Experience. You can listen to the Breaks radio show every Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.. This podcast is produced by Confucius Jones, Fresh Knight and Elizabeth McQueen with editing help from Jack Anderson. Additional production help provided by Zahra Crim. You can follow us on Instagram and Twitter. We are at TheBreaksKUTX and you can find more episodes at KUTX forward slash The Breaks. Our theme song is by Austin artist Deezie Brown.