QLS Classic: PJ Morton

here we go. Su Primo roll call, Surema, su Premo role called sub primam roll call, Soma roll call, tenants pool Yeah, Rocket Simmons shoes signs from the heaven above. Ye, some water. Primo road call. My name is Fonte. Yeah, I'm kicking my game. Yeah where everybody, Yeah knows my name. Prima road call, some Prima Prima road here whole Yeah, and you know I'm no sucker. Yeah yeah. Oh that hurt like a motherfucker. Some Primo road Sorry you Prema

road call. My name is Sugar, Yeah, yes, please, yeah, won't you come? Ye put it down on me. Cama road call. Some Prima road call. It's like yeah, and I'm all of that yeah with my boy PJ. Yeah who that who that din me tell you you have to do this? My name is p J. I could just scream yeah, I finally made it quest love to bring something roll roll. So wait, so let me get it correct. You knew what you had to do on

this theme. Yeah, so it's it's taking us one hundred plus episodes to get someone on the show that listens to our show, I mean the first twenty and so we can excuse him because you know, no, it's just usually what what what listeners of our show don't know is that no one is warned, you know, and they don't listen. And PJ is actually like the first person who actually listened. I take that we might have our first music nerd. Actually the wait, we've done over a

hundred and this dude don't know what ordered roll calls in. Okay, sorry, seems it seems like we was just going around in the circle. Yeah, because that's how we always deal with Well, you shouldn't have sent me in the seat, you should have sent me where you were sitting. You got here early ones like oh I'm the boss, I'm boss, Steve Clear you're gonna bos'n that. Wait, you know what not Sugar Network? Right? One year? Got a year? Right? One year?

Like a month ago? Yeah? Month? Yeah? Yeah, congratulations Steve, thank you. So what what developments have occurred in the Sugar Network? You know, the same as usual. We just continue to grow, thanks to thanks. I saw some weird last night. Yeah in grep Times. What was that? As an electric circus? Was so dope? Yeah, one of the one of the Sugar celebrities, Soldier, made that for network to celebrate the first year. It's very cool graphics. It was dope. It was it was everybody else on the

team except me and that I know. You want to Bill that wasn't there either. You guys got to participate more. Those are like the major select that hit him alive, don't I'm I'm on social media completely now, So how's that going? How's your social media fast? Is it? Because on the group chat I made a reference to a few things that you didn't know about, And you know what, I have no no fear of missing out. I don't care, really,

I don't care. Hopefully really hopening up to the world these days, then I guess hopefully more people will follow the suit, you know, actually get stuff done on time. Now you know that I can actually sit through a television show and know what's happening. I wonder, but you don't get tempted or all to look at trending topics or no, I don't give a ship. That's why I quit. That's why I quit in the first place, because I

looked at all this and I was like, I don't care. Wait, back in the December, you told you just dropping your Facebook. It was you think I was gonna drop everything once and then you know, have shocking and go out and steps like, actually, the way you're looking right now, that's why I'm sitting because like, yeah, it was like, okay, I quit Facebook because that was easy to do because most most people, you know, I know everybody I keep family on Facebook. I don't even keep family on Facebook.

That would have been too much, y'all would have y'all would have unfriended me a long time ago. Um, But you know, Twitter I hardly ever used, so it was easy to just hit the delete button on that. Instagram was probably the hardest. How do they do they delete? Is it like are you sure click? Are you really sure click? I mean I I downloaded all my information, so you know, if I get all missy eyed for the days of Twitter your I can go back and read some bullshit. Okay, so wait it lets you download.

You can download you you can download everything, really because it saves everything. It saves everything. It's the Internet. Nothing is deleted. You can download what Twitter and Instagment and Facebook and Instagram. You can download all that ship Okay, I would like to revisit my old m hmm. Maybe I need to do that, mm hmm, just in case. Yeah, I mean, if you want job number twenty five. Yeah, exactly, That's That's what I mean. Sort of make sure I'm straight.

I caught out there, not caught out there. Um wait, did you want to, oh, tell me something? I had a story. I don't worry, sir, Like you should know the drill since your fans jump in. This is something that as soon as it happened, I wanted to tell you, but I was like, Yo, we're taking a show tonight. I need to put this on the air. Oh no, what did I do? Wait? Did I do something? No?

You were just on television and my mama wasn't was watching. Okay, my phone rings okay, junior, what's this let's see on television with quest Love and his daughter? Who is his daughter? What? Mom? He ain't got no daughter. He he's he's on here getting helping her get her wedding dress for her wedding. I was like, Mama, that's his sister. First reactions like congrat Don Thompson, who is unless you lead the older sister. But you know, we don't know. I'm looking. I'm a

quote big brother three hundred plus. My mom thought your sister was your daughter. Just thanks, I appreciate that. Thank you? When did she? When did you get married? Three times ago? We shouted six seven years ago, right ago, seven thousand fourteen. My dad was still alive, so made me like yeah, two December two thousand fourteen. Yeah, oh wow. He also said, shout out guarantee of more. Uh yeah, that my daughter. Apparently I haven't laughed that hard and so long like me,

and like you had. We had a conference call right afterwards, and why I got on the phone. I was still laughing. She really meant that. Damn. Then I look that old. I don't know. Oh here's a killer. And she's like she had one more thing to say and you know what, he had the nerve to be at that winning with that dog. Don't pick in his hair. Older people should haven't adjusted to that. Yeah, that's a prep and you that's a part of your fit. Apparently you know Cindy

Lou at work, Steve the other job we have. Yeah, her mom about rest in Pisa. People die, no, no, no no. Her mom says, uh, she always calls it a fork, keep that fork. And I gave her the fork for Christmas, just you know, because she's not a new girl. Yeah she's Yeah, she's Asian. Okay, uses waiting for the other one. Yeah, black black, I forgot it's been i'ven't seen you guys. And you should have dropped Bill's match it a minute ago because he was angry. Yeah,

sorry about that anyway. Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to another episode of Quest Love Supreme. We are we are here. We gather it here today. We're here with no Orlans Nolan Zone. Can I say no Orlans Sure you can't? Okay by Nolan Zone, Grammy Award winning, winning, winning, we will we will say the hot sauce to Maroon five take a salad gumbo wearing in the Mustard Greens too. Yeah, I say, I'm the only Marone in my road. So my dad have you. Yeah. I was like to say,

has anyone ever said that to you? Oh? My dad look like you? When they said yeah, yeah, that was Oh no, it didn't come from No. Ladies and gentleman, please welcome from the show. And apparently, uh lover of the show, our first one, p J Borton. I talked

to him. I talked to Gregg filling games today and it was because of the show that I knew, you know, his history, and he was from the Stevie School and I'm doing something with them, and I was like, he was playing first be game while I was on the phone my song and he was saying, I told him I went to the Stevie School. Indirectly he went to the real Stevie School. But yeah, that was this show

that connected me to that. Yeah, like that that great episode is probably I mean, we we all hold the Jimmy jam episode in highlight, but I'll say that the Greg episode probably my second favorite. Yeah. It was a lot, a lot of show of art. Yeah, it's edgy mccational and he got great energy energy. It's crazy. Yes, great natural energy. So wait, I gotta ask uh having won that Grammy and that's your first grand because that's my first. Yeah, well yeah, this this is funny. I actually didn't. I

thought I want to Grammy. We're doing a performance and said a song No. I wrote on ind i re S album. My first major placement was in college when I was at Moorhouse and um bet she won Best R and B Album and and for years I thought, because I wrote and produced on that album, man, that I was a Grammy Award winner. And it wasn't until I became a governor of the Memphis Chapter and I was that they were like, yeah, you know, you haven't actually yeah a little yeah, I got the but this

is my first trophy, you know, but I didn't even know. Yeah,

good night, or at least you learned that way. I learned in front of all radio city music all oh no, all right, you So you remember the night when Old Dirty got on stage and wu tanks for the children, a lot of money, a lot of money and the the the Sway Bomb Bob Dylan Knight wasn't and Aretha Franklin taking over for prop um so Erica had one album for bobois m And we didn't realize that with the non main categories, even though they even have a

pop category, with the non main categories, that there's amount of goal post moving that happens and the worst. I mean, a lot of these rules were established because of the amount of samples and writers, you know, like again like if if uh, I remember last year when Kanye was up for him for all day, all day, like Paul McCartney and all these other people, Like even then you're only limited to uh, I think only seventeen are allowed

to officially grab one. But whatever the case was, like, I didn't know that the people can win one award well for when the big ones right, like album or something, Well for uh, I'm about to say, I don't want to insult him by saying, Mr Kylie Jenner, Uh, Travis Scott, I'm sorry. This is the only way I could have said.

I couldn't say it's that Rocky. I don't know. Wait, I don't know if you guys been knowing, but TMZ has been trolling asap kind of hard, like wherever he goes, then they have a camera, like hey, Travis Scott, publicism just you know, tip them off. No, literally, like the fun of following TMZ now on social media. I know you're off that now is watching tmz uh post up another a SAP guiding movement. Yeah, it's they found something viral that works. Okay, Yeah, so they're gonna overdo it

all right, I got it. Of course, you know TMC the entertainment industry. But with Travis Uh, there were over thirty writers for umio mode, but they have to figure out the sevent um. Everybody's Sicko Mode is actually technically four songs and Malcolm maated into one. All that publishing you ain't getting listen. Yeah, like the Drake part of the beginning. I know you probably never heard of single mode,

No I haven't, okay exactly. The Drake part of it was a whole another song that was done by like six people. And then because well and also because someone I don't get about modern hip hop, where even if they give a reference to a song, has it just turned into the literally just says give me the loop, and all of a sudden like Biggie and all this stuff. And then he made uh a tribe reference and all of them got from that song, and then what like a k Luke right, Yeah, I stop getting get it

or not right? So literally, literally somebody just needs to come to all these cats, stop giving your publish in a way, come up with something originally, or you're gonna be broke for the rest of your life. It's like a hip hop but Himan Rhapsody, but without like just a few writers writing. Are you guys telling me like, basically hip hop is now the modern day brill building even Yeah, well I'm not. I'm not. I'm talking where you got basically just a whole bunch of people writing

ship songs written by committee. Oh no, that's exactly what it Yeah, that's exactly what it is. Yeah, it's very few people you'll see that actually work by themselves with small groups like everything. Whenever you hear like or whatever. Yeah, yeah, check the credits. I will, but I'm just going gott to buy the album first. So Jimmy Jimmy Jan was basically saying, it's problematic trying to figure out which one

of the seventeen will get an award. The killing killing the business, that's not no, they're killing their own business. Ye just fine, yeah, because they wanted that. How many writers on the Casey mustgraz is album gonna look that up, like just okay, I didn't even get my point out. So my point was when Erica one yeah, and they were like down, They're like, and I was like, but produced this record? You one? But you didn't. Yeah. Well

I was headed on the stage. And then that's when they told me afterwards that um, we would have to produce yeah, because I think that's the same thing ninety seven. And then after hip hop really took over the Grammys, then it was like, yeah, so statues got got expensive to produce. Huh right, right? Can I ask you all the question? And this might not be politically correct, see and it's Doe PJ just coming off a fresh whim, But was Drake right, like are the Grammys becoming not?

Well no, he's writing a lot of ways. Well I think yeah. I think his point was it didn't define you, which I agree with the reason I wanted to Grammys because all my heroes one grand it's a personal thing, doesn't validate me. I'm still doing what I'm but are they going not now? But I feel like maybe the next two years is it going to be the same status situation that it is? Absolutely? You know, what. No, I'm gonna say no, and I'm gonna tell you why.

Get on Wikipedia right now and type in list of Grammy winners, and it's going to tell you how many people have won Grammys, how many they've wanted, how many times they've been nominated, And you're going to be disgusted by some of the names you see the top, and some of the names you see at the bottom, like from we never won one because we like a Sealers number one one. I think like Marley, Bob Marley number one one, Like Marvin Gate has like what two? Yeah

that sexual and Beyonce have like forty like combined active. Yeah, just looked it up yesterday. Beyonce has like yeah, I looked up to Wow. But seventy seven nominations, jay Z sixties six? How many times were for guest bots on other people's records mainly yeah, when we like when we were up for Gramm sping screw Yes, I like that. Yeah, well we were, we forest, we were nominating and we lost and it was like okay, and then I realized that Ashanti at one one in your category. I was

good yet one one not category. But it was just one of those things where it's like you know what, Yeah, you can't, Like you said, you can't let it define you can't. You know, it's just accepted for that motherfucker. That's how I tech. I'm cool with never winning one again. To be honest with you, that was a personal time out. Yeah, time out me all right, I'm your Jacob Marley. Yeah in the future. Yeah, you might want to be careful with that quote. I'm just saying that it is possible.

I don't think there's no artist on earth that's not insatiable. Yeah. And when I won that first Jordan you want more then I was, I was like, cool, I'm cool with that. Well, an example is I want I want mine in the pretail before and I knew I was up for R and B album on TV, but I was happy as I could be on TV. Just like man, I don't care if I lose. I'm probably gonna lose. But I was this as a goal. I just I just wanted that.

I do want to win more. But I'm cool that I did that, and I'm straight never if I never do to me Like the best Grammy story and I don't know if it was ever confirmed, but allegedly daft Punk. When they won, sent other guys up there in the in the suits. Yeah, and they watched. They watched from the audience. Yeah, Like I thought that was like the ship maybe to watch yourself get a Grammy. Like I've seen one of those guys without this man, dude in the purple gave you your award, right, the guy the

purple jacket, Jimmy was towards the end. Okay, okay, So what was what was the feeling in your stomach when you heard your Well, I heard tie first. That's what they said in gentlemen, we have a tie. And I was like, I was like, come on, man, so I've been it's been ten nominations, right, So I used I used to playing parties and stuff. What I used to be like, hey man, we about to turn up. I lost those. I lost those few times. I'm like, man, we ain't. I ain't playing nothing, not this year. I

ain't playing nothing. So I'm just like when you said tie, I'm like, oh man, what's about to happen? And it was me and Leon Bridges. But once he said my name, so he said your name last. Yeah, he said my name last. Yes. I was like and Leon, Yeah, no, it was a crazy feeling. I'm gonna tell you something funny about that. So my manager was in was at Fallon the first time you sat in with us, right okay, and he said to me, he says, yo, I'm gonna

tell you something. He's like, on the low the way y'all did it on stage, you need to approach him now and do that ship. That's just gonna be a Grammy Award winner. This is Rich saying this, no, no, no, this is we we we we did. How deep is your love? And like we hooked it up? All right? And he's like, I'm telling you now the second that ship he called that one from my phone, like what did I tell you? What did I tell you? What

did you say? I? Alright, we weren't ready even you know, we weren't in the no, I get it the headspace to record. Then how much different is it now? Because I'm like, he just did it every jam. And it's funny because it's it's weird that that song like turns the party out, even though you know it's a it's an O B G song, but it's like feel new when you do something. Yeah, Yeah, it's just it's just interesting because everything you know, somebody can remake a song,

and that don't mean everybody's gonna jam to it. But I didn't expect that that was the last Like when I did on the studio version, it was like last minute. I knew I wanted to do a cover. I had always tried to do a cover on albums and just never worked out. And um, so we had a contest and I was looking up songs and I looked up the top twenty songs of all time, I think, and then I saw that one. I was like, oh, I love how deep is your love? Anyway? And I figured

out last minute and handed it's always the afterthoughts. It wasn't a grand plan or not. It was just like last minute cut it not even in the studio where I did the west rest of the record, just all different. And then we toured and I just saw how crazy was going and that's why I said we had to record it live. And then I mean, here we are. Whose idea was it for you to collaborate with? Yeah?

But yeah, but I um, I saw her singing my version on Instagram and I was like, that was last minute too, because we're playing that basically, I'm like, who is she? Why is she so fantastic? Was on Instagram? I asked her and she was like, yeah, I'll do it. She lived in New York. Grahams were in New York last year and she came and year too. I did it because that was before she was on it. We recorded it that same weekend, the day before I did

the Rust Jam lash. Yeah, damn yeah, you all up in this story because if you think about I was doing the mathterday and I was just doing my my PJA research and I was saying, I saw that Adam Blackstone kind of introduced you to the Room five, and I was like, well, that's that's your our first day. That that that's how we are. Yeah, yeah, that's okay. Yeah.

So for those who don't know the background story, I guess after I'm plugged with jay Z, then everyone else starts calling like put my band together, and Eminem and pauling them call said put our band together, YadA, YadA, YadA, And by that point we had just started failing. So I couldn't the attention that I gave jay z s band I couldn't do for everyone else because now I quote have a day job, so I I gave that

to Adam Blackstone. So Adam had hit me up, Adam Levine, Hi Levine Vine because wait, no, no, no, no, it's only because I because a few months ago on folon Avril, Levine was on the show. You said opposite of that, right, Okay, so it's Levine, Adam Levin, Yes, hit me up about uh, advil Levine? Is that? Sorry? Adam? Adam hit me up about uh putting their show together, and I was like, you want me to put a Room five show together?

And I agreed, but they're not. You know, someone's like, yo, dude, just take Adam with you, have them carry the weight and just be out there to babysitting. YadA, YadA, YadA. So that day that we came out, that was your first day with him. That was yeah, after I had add and my first rehearsal was the day you were in there. I had had that video of you like playing this love to show him a different groove to this love. It's kind of weird, like I didn't want to.

So I was. I was brand new. We were all brand new. So me and Adam Blackstone, you had just brought him in and he brought me in and so we were that was so I'm known black I don't know forever. I don't even know where we met. It's like Franklin Bridge days. And I knew him when he was in Franklin Bridge, so it was probably before then. I don't remember how we met. Maybe he was remember no, no, no, it was a TV show on ABC that did a national Battle of the band. It was like bands. Oh wow,

okay about that. I don't know Blackstone just kind of as far as I remember, Like, I don't remember meeting him. I didn't met all those Philly guys that want was the tie and those guys all the band show. No, it's a small world. Yeah, so you you were born in New Orleans, born and raised? Okay, we're part I was, uh grew up in the East. I'm confused because I lived there. Now I moved back, but I grew up in the East. My whole life New Orleans eas So what are the can you describe for most? For me? So?

So East, I guess in the eighties was considered like the new town, like New New Orleans and um so like I had where I grew up doesn't didn't really look like up. It doesn't look like New Orleans in that way. I had a palm tree in the front of mine. It was like they made it like the New suburbs, right, So that's where I grew up. There's also a rough part of the East, which is why the Katrina took them forever. It took like eight years for them to even start to work on New Orleans

eas But um, I grew up in the East. Then you have Uptown, which is where my dad's church was, And then you have Downtown, which is kind of where the super Dome is and Convention Center and all that stuff. So away from when tourists come there, of course, we come to the French Quarter. Yeah, that's downtown. So is that the equivalent of you hanging out? Like? Not really, that's I mean low key Bourbon Street is that? But the French Quarters. What I love about New Orleans is

kind of like the Tories. The stuff overlaps with the real stuff like that, where are you hanging? Um? I mean I'll go down there. Are you holding a wall? Guy? Are you like? But I'll go and play and listen att on Frenchman Street. I'll listen to music on Frenchman Street. I never go to Bourbon. Should you do Frenchman mayor? Is that a bourbon? Because that's what I was told to by New Orleans natives, like if you're gonna do a street inversion, I mean I rarely do bourbon. Yeah,

I mean bourbon is a sitist. I do it when people are visiting, you know what I'm saying, because it is something to see that that is on. I mean, it could be a random Wednesday night, you know, and it's full, it's packed, just like like it is during Marty Grass something, you know. So as far as like seeing bands and are there still an abundant especially in the wake of Katrina? Uh, which okay, I guess we're years thirteen years later. Um, are there still an abundance

of musicians and band members there? Because I know that there was a mass exodus. Oh yeah, a lot of people got out. But there's a there's a new generation now too of musicians and it's a bunch of it's it's still a bunch of musicians. Now, how are they

with tradition? Um, the young guys, I mean they still have to play in the quarters, they still have to come up there, so it's almost like they go through that little school of all right, I gotta know how to do a shuffle, or I gotta know how to do a second line be you know, because you have to come through there to get to you can't really skip that step unless you play in church, you know. And even still when you want to go from Chi, I just was lucky enough to leave and go to

school and start to write and stuff. But if you want to stay a musician in New Orleans, you kind of gotta go through that scene and play on bourbon and stuff. Because I don't know if any place in the United States or even the world that hanks so

tight to a tradition, probably Second Broadway. It's probably the only other culture I know that's so stuck or like post tim pan Alley, you know, Gercewin era jazz that that I would love to just pry their hands off of and have them start a new But yeah, that's what I'm about since I've been back home too, you know.

But how is is New Orleans a place where some people feel as though we need to eve of Like are there people that just start straight bounces as a musician, like I'm gonna start with or even now bounce is like tradition. I mean the idea of Drake doing fifth word webby type songs, yes, is old old school. So you know, is there any space for trap culture in Yeah, it's a brand new way. It's a brand new wave

in New Orleans. Now. Um of artists that I'm seeing that are totally I mean they respect that history and know it. But I think what I've been preaching since and I've been back home three years, and um, kind of what started me off Buddy Bolden's house, who is attributed as the originator of jazz music, right, like Louis Armstrong credits King Oliver, Buddy Bolden. Yeah, see I thought

King Oliver's right, he's King Oliver credits bit Buddy Bolden. Right, So they say Buddy is that he lost his mind when he was like twenty six and and and and lived his life in a hospital in a hospital for the rest of his life. But we the house is like ten steps from my dad's church, and after Katrina the my family bought up all the real estate around there, not knowing that they bought Buddy Bolden's house, his childhood home.

I didn't know who Buddy Bolden was until I moved back home, and they were like, Yo, we're about to do something with this house. And people were coming from Europe and lining up and making pilgrimages to to this place. And we didn't know what it was. And when I got home, you know, um, but it made me start

to like think about that history. And I think that New Orleans and the reason I left, the reason why a lot of us leave, is because we focused so much on jazz, jazz, jazz, like we started this, this is what and and I think what needs to be more focused on with New Orleans is innovation. Right. It was Buddy saying, I know y'all playing Dixie, and this is how I want to play my horn, and it's gonna be different from everybody else. And that's what created that.

That's what created Bounce, was us not caring New Orleans could just a bubble in that way, was like, I don't it was on the radio, I don't care what this is our what we're doing. But I think that is what makes us special, not the actual thing, not jazz, not bounced, but the not caring, right, and the gift of that and the innovation of that. So I think a lot of the generation now and the and the generation coming up they're thinking that way. But it's still

that same I don't care attitude. I mean, you still have the I mean I would say that the not necessarily the entire Marcella's family, but definitely is head, headstrong, purist. Yeah, but he's also not in New Orleans. It hasn't been for a very long time. You know, uh, more New York than anything. Yeah. Yeah, he been in New York

for a very long time. So I'm saying, as far as the scene is going, that's that's cool, And that's what happened, by the way, like that jazz went came to New York and the jazz we know now is that right? Our jazz turned into R and B and like Fats you know, in rock and so like that. That's the extension of us more than preaching jazz is how we know it now, you know. So are there funk bands that we're in the tradition of the meters? Like, are there still people that I don't really? Not? Not really.

I mean you got like Galactic. I was gonna say Galactic it take the jam band, yeah sort of thing. So Galactic is now the the steady groove, that's the standard funky jam band type thing. Yeah, if you're if you're a musician in New Orleans. Um, and let's say, how were you when you first started? I was like eight, Okay, So what's the first thing that you're taught? Is it a boogie woogie? Like, what's the what's the what's the top five? Like stuff that has to be in your

DNA or for you get respect by. So to me, it was like two different worlds, right. I didn't. I didn't really get into that French court of world until I was older. My dad was I was. It was all church for me. That's where all my music came from. I'm a preacher's kid. Your father must have a rather large church, right, because your father is very known in the community, correctly. Yeah. Pre Katrina, we had like twenty members, So it was like a huge church. Brought up a

lot of said, you brought a lot of property. I want, yeah, but but yeah, so my my dad was kind of like the premier church you know in New Orleans pre Katrina, and that brought through a lot. But my dad's from Windsor. My dad's from Canada, right, so he and his father was a huge pastor. The first pastor to have a church in Detroit and to have a church in and Canada, so that connection. My dad grew up with the Clark's

sisters in the Windings and all of them. So when he when he came to New Orleans and started a church, he brought musicians from there. My my heroes were like this guy Joey Britain from Detroit and guys like that that he brought down. So the flavor was totally different in our church than outside of the honest so I was I came up with. I didn't get the New Orleans training early, and it's probably why I was so different.

You know. Ellis Marcelle's wanted me to saw me play when I was like ten or twelve and wanted me to go to NOCA, but I wanted to go to this high school saying, oh you know what I'm saying that was known for his margin band. So I was a little different, which is kind of why I always felt out of place kind of growing up. You know, it was like I'm not really that New Orleans guy in that way. How lenient as a PK. How lenient

were your family on music outside secular music? Yeah, it was it was it was strict, strict, yeah, it was. It was a balance because my dad was from Detroit, like, I mean, he loved Anita, he loved certain things right, and my dad was a singer and a real musician in that way. So he always appreciated the Stevis and stuff, you know. He tell me stuff. Yeah, my uncle played

on some early some old town things back then. I used to play for cl Franklin right, so like, and they tell me stories of Stevie coming in and doing a show at the church, you know. So it was always a line. I remember we couldn't listen to the secondar stuff on Sundays, but but you know, it was only gospel music on Sundays. But they were pretty I mean I listened to Michael Jackson growing up and even strict. Yeah, it wasn't crazy like that. I think his childhood was

so strict I was. Yeah, and what your people like you said, he was from Canada, so where y'all people always I don't know why. I always think the Canadian black foles have like a lot of Island influence on them and whatnot. But were they yeah, I think there was some with my grandparents, well not my grandmother. She was like from Missouri. So they both passed away. Before they passed away, my dad his father when he was twelve and his mother when he was nineteen, so way

before me. But I think my grandfather had some West Indiana, Missouri. They went up. Yeah, he found her somewhere. They found each other somewhere. Yeah. So he your father was initially preaching up in the d and then yeah, so he why why what was this decision to come down to? He said, God told him to move to New Orleans.

That's that's the only reason I've heard. And he said he went and did a revival in Cleveland, and when when he knew it was time for him to move, and somebody stole all of his clothes out of his car and everything. And he said, after he got robbed, he moved. That's that's when he finally moved. Yeah, my dad's got it's a crazy story. Yeah, because Hap with Trek and Michelle first moved to brought their sprawling Uh

they would house it everything. Yeah, Tike came home and packed all of the ship like me and to go to pull the opposite each other. So every outfits reet weears like worth like billion dollars, so you know, it was like first day of school for like all of his good clothes. He's he's packing his car, his Porsche of ball things like he's packing off his stuff in the car and like four, I guess four in the morning, Like someone just came and took all of two weeks

skills out of his car, out of the car. A lot of people ate off of him clothes, you know that a lot of people smoke. It's almost like it's almost like I think he wanted to stay an extra week before that, you know that coming to American scene where like stop let them stress ten thous dollar e vs. Jeans. I know it was you, uh but yeah, no, he said God told him to go and he didn't know

anybody in New Orleans. He said his first job was like he was like a gas attendant around the church and one of the guys invited him to the church. What is the time span from that to ye maybe six or something is when he got to New Orleans something like that, and it was, um, I don't know, it was up to twenty by the time before Katrina so oh four. Were you a part of your father's music outreach or were you part of the gospel. Yeah, I was like the music director for a while until

I went to college and the choice. Um yeah, actually that's what my friends were. My friends, my musician form my drumma right now is still is the guy that I used to play with. So for me and my church, it was fun and the music and my friends was all I needed. You know, I was a preacher's kids. I was doing what I was doing. Whatever I was doing, I was have been fine, but that was my source. Really. Like I said, I wasn't on this New Orleans scene.

So all my musician friends were in church. See that. Okay, Now it makes sense because I didn't know this backstory. See, whenever it's jam session time or when you sit in with us, it's always well, you know, like we always go there and do these right, get the gospel, go straight church. That's why it's it's fun and authentic to do that with for sure, because that's why I get

it when you when you say it. So any of course, I think I don't know if there's any soul singer alive that doesn't long to do a gospel record, But yeah, is that in your future eventually? No, you know what I started out as a songwriter, and so I've written gospel songs for people that have done well. Like I wrote this big gospel song called let Go Let God, this guy Dwayne was did and it was like seventy two weeks in the top ten. So um, I want

to yeah, like a Stellar Awards, maybe a Dove. Um. But if I do anything, it'll be like my songbook and other artists singing. But I don't. I have no desire to do a gospel record at all. No. I feel like my my soul, my r and stage a couple months ago. Yeah. But but but but we were doing my song sticking to my guns, you know what I'm saying. Like, I feel like when when Stevie wanted to to talk about God, then he just did, right, then I have to go and make a gospel record

to do it. And that's that's kind of my That's what kind of with Marvin. If he wanted to reference God to talk about guy Donnie, you felt even if he wasn't talking about God, it felt like church. So I get that same thing, whatever that is that you want from that. One of the things I really like, like my how I first got onto you, I mentioned in my road call My Home girl. Carlita Durrant. She's a young singer. She's in uh from Durham. And so she we were this is man, this is like a

decade ago, it's like teen years ago. She was like, yo, um you up on p J. Morton. I was like nah, I was like the preacher. She's like, no, this's his daddy, like his dad, he has a son. I was like, oh ship. Yes. So she was like, um. So she played me the first thing I heard of yours. It was it was a live show and you ended with the cheers things where everybody yeah, like dude, but he does it like he turns. Yeah. Oh god. She was like, yo, you gotta hear him. He got three background scenes to

sound just like him. And so we played this ship and so I could hearing you. Now I could understand how to find the church and whatever you see the same feeling, it gives me the same whatever that is. You know what I'm saying, um, which is why I just never say I would never say, Okay, now here's the gospel record. It's like, now it would be sprinkled in there. If I want to go there, you gotta find it. You gotta get to it. Let me find you rather. What's the name of the gospel choir your

dad's church? Um? What was great to St. Stephen's Mass choir? Okay? Did they have records and some records? Yeah, my dad had some records, like Your Tears was a big song that he did. Let It Rain was later on, but that was a big song. It was like purple Rain and Okay, how do we hear this gospel version of cheers out of here? Um? I saw on his record I did called Live in l A. Yeah, where everybody knows as Yeah, but it felt that that's the way we ended the shows for like eight years or something.

There was a period we I think we ended we stopped doing it. One time I did it, Samuel Jackson was in the audience and he was looking like huh. And then I think we dropped I think what term and just started doing like TV themes at the end. Yeah. I did it in Europe or Asia and they were looking like I was like, I don't want to do it anymore. That's what kind of stopped me from doing it. Just shout out to the jazzy because I used that's how they used to close their set at the Black

Lily every Tuesday. Oh really yeah, really yeah, they didn't tell was that you was on what they gonna tell you? I wonder where they got that idea. Who did it first? Question? Who did it first? Gary Portnoy did it? I got that forty five. Yeah, that's like, that's such a good song. Yeah, I love that song. I'm trying to figure out if there's a full album that, like a Gary Portnoy album. I never did the verse, but I love the verse. Wait, Gary port knew there's two verses in the real Yeah,

I've heard it. Yeah, Steve song, Yeah song, I like when you sing alone. Shout out to Gary Portnoy. You know he doesn't he doesn't get enough nobody talks about I know, man, did he spend his check? But he did he write that song? Or did he just sing it? I don't really know. I'm not sure. I'm not sure you acted like you knew Steve would know the history of it. But I'm just being honest. Oh yeah, no, I don't. I don't know he wrote it along with

Judy hart Angelo. Well, since you're one of the few or first leaders of a gospel choir church, I gotta know how how how First of all, what's the membership? What's the size? And yes, um, and I don't know. I was, I was young. I don't visually maybe people that's my worst nightmare. Yeah, I mean I already shaky as an empty of my own situation that I actually created. But how how are you able to maintain the respect

and the attention of over two hundred people? Now, I've seen it that I never so as music director I was, it was just banned. I didn't I never had to deal with choir members. That's a whole that was never about to be my jam. Yeah. No, I've seen that. We've seen the wrangle the choir members and stuff. But no, it was always the band. Okay, So I don't know. Yeah, Now you went when when did you go to the house? Um? I went nine graduating? No three, that's the one thing.

We were almost almost classmates. What is that the house? I almost went there? You almost went there almost? Now I went there to classes. Wait, I want some spelling knights, And where would you go? No, you didn't go to spelling I'm just saying, no, she just went to more house. I love. I was saying I had some spelling knights in my class. I didn't have any Clark students. Okay, alright, well I did you over there? I was over there. I did some Spellman's ones too. You might as well

paying for it. It's when Spike was on the show. We didn't get into it. But what what is it like at Morehouse? And was it? Is it as prestidges as it's as the folklore of it, I'll say that it it does instill some pride, like you know so so so when I was in New Orleans growing up and I was the flat preacher's kid, right who could play and all of that, um, it was like one

of me kinda right. Then you go to more House and you know what I'm saying, and it shows you like, okay, well I'm not alone in that, and it it kind of demands you to want to have a certain level uh and some of the history there and the way they teach you about that history and make sure you know it, um, you know, and who went there too, you know from the mL case y'all lifted up a mail more House man like and make sure that pride is there. Um. So whatever you do after that, and

you at least you have that. You know what I'm saying. Really, yeah, don't you don't get mad like I do when those alumni emails come through and you're like, no, where I went to me? I went to a small state school Indiana, but only because they paid for everything. So that's what was where I went to Flying the Central University, graduated in oh one Steve, the University of Maryland, Yes, Clark

and Morgan State. Damn, I'm the only motherfucker college. But every time, all right, O, man, I want to go to college. Man, they give you a degree, you know, they just give you one. We had to go there, and it's true, it's I'm sure you've been offered many. I just got my degree from Princeton University and what back back in February without going to one class I've taught. Yes, I got my honor so you can call me doctor Love now. Yeah, I'm doctor Love now. Congratulations. Weird in enough.

They want me to teach there and give lectures there, but you know, I don't know if I could actually have the jobs to that's certificate. But you don't keep that in the bathroom. In the bathroom, keep everything in the bathroom. I gave out the plone with my MoMA. I gave it. I just I've never even seen mine. I don't know where mine is. That's fun, mine's box stuff.

I'll sell your mine. Got to love. No, But I'm just saying that from watching, from watching a different world, and you know how sure, yeah, that's that's not but it was. It was fun man, and and it's your people. And so the whole school days and all that wasn't a thing much more Greeks against you, goddamn individuals g D I s. So in that way, that's what we called ourselves. I was a g D. I was you not a g D I Bill, I know you was a g D. I I was, but I never heard

that term. I'm mad. I didn't hear in twenty years. Yeah, yeah, he had an album. Yeah, I never wait, he was real not he was real? He was a real No. I know, I just saved me find me when they asked me what I was pledging as I also remember Mousa moved, but that's because I watched too much BT back into the college hits from the streets and when he went around in the he went to Howard and when I went to high school, he's working the store across street was over there, and he would entertain us.

He was funny. Yeah. Yeah, we didn't have the I mean we had the for terms of course, but I mean I played football, so I turned. It wasn't g D it was it was severe play football in college. Yeah, my first time. Yeah, I didn't wanna do that ship. I was tired. He gave a job. Like, nigga, you like that ship is your life, Like you were on a football scholarship. No, no, no, I was on academic

scholarship and then I just walked on the team. And so hey, guys, okay, yeah, yeah, that's the thing in college football, like they don't really well, at least at our school. You didn't really make cuts, so to speak. So like if your grades was on point, you could come out for the team. But by the time you get through workouts, between injuries, between niggas, that's ineligible. Somebody didn't got his girlfriend pregnant by the end of the

summer workouts, some space, that's who left. You can make it. It's like it's like you made it. You on the team. You didn't quit, you didn't you didn't flunk out whatever. So yeah, that it was crazy. So we just call people civilians, like if you didn't playing like when I stopped, when I stopped playing ball, all the boys like, you're about to go live civilian life like Seville, Like that's

what it was. So between civilian life and the AUC and then the whole hierarchy of the Moorhouse Spellman Clark and then at the time Morris Brown wasn't there when you were there. I think it was on its way out. Okay, So yeah, that was a whole. That was a thing too, a little thing, but not as much as it was on the movie. Because my first girlfriend went to Mars Brown. Good for you, I jumped over freshman a year. Freshman year. You brought her outside? What does that mean? She was

outside of What does that mean? Because I tell him the phrase, PJ. You what you married a spellman? You know, don't you know? The phrase you married the whole phrase? But but basically, yeah, unfortunately, there was a hierarchy. You married Calman girl, you cheat on her with the Clark girl and then the Morris Brown one, you know, the moors Browns to jump off. Yeah, wow, you brought her outside? Yeah, I will say unfortunately to to help the stereotype, the stereotype.

She just had to come to Morris Brown for the first semester because the spell and stuff was late, and then she went second semester spelling. So you cheated. That ain't a real more brown girl. Hey that I was over there on that campus and it was like what you're doing over you know that what I'm doing over there? They locked the gates spellman in like eight o'clock a night. So that's the thing. So that's the thing. So in the black straight up, I mean, because I remember you're

in the Bible Belt. So coed visitation is like that's like a thing. So what you would have to do, like in our dorm in Chile, like you would have to sign in your guests, but like niggas never wanted to sign in because you don't want other people. Yeah, so you could just sneak a john on the side

or whatever, like you sneak joints in. And so the first sign like we came and we went to the first time we parted at you and see Carolina Chapel Hill, which is like the big white school like fifteen twenty minutes down the road, and like we saw how they lived over there how like it was like two girls. It's like four girls in a suite and it's just open. Just come. Is you different? Way different? No? No, no

she was because the thing was like she was. It was she was black, but like she had like white home girls and ship. But the thing was like Central. So I guess the hierarchy, the whole hierarchy in the triangle was, I guess you marry a duke nigga, if you could get one, you catch you can catch your duke because he got this white girl. If you get

your dukee nigga. But like, but like Central, we had the reputation for just being just cool and like we was just niggas, like just so like all the chicken they like they used to funk with us because we just didn't care. So we go to Carolina, like you know, we're like many digs corny, Like we used to take all they hold but their food in their good cafeteria. Right, different countries, being representative ship they had when you got

to the white school. Because I have friends that went to white had a friend and went to w and have a friend and with the pits around in California and that life was just like it opened my I was like like one of my boys, Like he moved in over the he was like living with a girl in the house that was the dorm Aeron house. Like he was Damn, I'm like, nigga, where you being? You know what I manto And this is pre Instagram, pre like fake soul. Ain't no track in your moves, man.

But I would not trade I can and I'm sure PJ. I'm sure I would not trade my black college experience, no way nothing. It was so good. And if you got caught where this was the rumor, if you got caught leaving Spellman's campus too late, they the security had rubber bullets ship so you would have to run like it was Vietnam duty. I never experienced it, but that was the that was the folklore. They put them tricks on pedestals too, but they was always falling off. Still better,

that's that's now. Benett was like that too, and well now they've saved. Been in college in Greensboro. But I grew up down the street from Bennett, and it was the same thing. Like if you saw a Benet girl the eight lots at a certain time and you gotta get up back didn't get a clock girl any time of the day we're here. Yeah, they like girls. Clode girls were cool, though. I like cloth girls because they were used to the guys being around. It wasn't too crazy.

They were always a little more chill. All right, So now, all right, I always wanted to do this question, no, because for from an outsider point of view, especially going to Atlanta a lot in the nineties and which booty clubs were, Like, yeah, you know, it was the thing to do, but I also know that there's a certain amount of bawling you have to do in order to do that. But on ya, every fun out on the college level, like how is that possible? Like house the

spelling in a different world? The rich suck a mirror, like I transferred from Morgan State, right, I'm telling you right now. When I walked on that campus, I was like what fun freshmen were like BMW's and Benzses and ship like you see, his daddy had twenty thousand people in the congregation and he was the broke one in the Like alright, Well, I was a musician already, so I was working myself, so I did alright, Uh, but but I wasn't a big on strip. So I was

trying to I was a nerd in the censeer. I didn't mean. I'm just saying that the things that I know Atlanta for is falsely culture is concerned. I mean I kind of think that in order to really experience the Atlanta that's always shown to me in TV and movies and videos, you always gotta I'm and I'm being very I'm trying to be those guys. You need two d really my mind, I'm thinking, yeah, you need about seven thousand dollars too. I don't want you to make

fun of Mese. Not a magic sitting listen. I never had it, those dudes. That's why I should tell people, PJ, why are you paying for dance when the dude beside you was right there with the chick, just look like, go ahead, man yourself. And then Atlanta at that time, because this is when when I was there, Trip club culture was like really starting to pop. It wasn't all the wait at his head, but it was like really starting to pop. And them dudes, I couldn't understand it.

They won't even be looking at the chicks like it's a status thing. I guess, but I could never wrap my head around it, and I'm like, I like money too much, but they just talk throwing. I'm like, it's it's a networking thing. Like it's almost like yeah, it's yeah, like you don't I mean, you go for the women are there, but it's almost they're just like decorations. But yeah, accessories. I mean I got that when I went with my friends and and we would just be hanging out for

birthday or something. But I don't know this dudes that did that a lot, you know what I'm saying, And I'm like, man, I don't have it like that the first time. I when when like make it ring culture is like really just starting to the point where they keep they would keep score of I think, ah, what is everybody in the club getting tipsy? What was right? He was the chance like they keep a high score.

I guess the point is that who can throw. Well, it wasn't that it was based on It was based on when the last dollar would drop to the floor and then they would stop the climate. Right And after a while what's his name took me, Chris Robinson took me and I said, yo, I said, they're not They're not you know, he was still doing outcast videos or whatever.

But at one point I was like, wait a minute, why do I get the feeling that they're not even paying attention to that said, yeah, they're not, like they're not here to trick off of the women or whatever. They're here basically to let each other know my money stronger than yours. At the time I was there, it was Chuck. I guess it was a I a I versus and I forget who. It's some football player or whatever.

There was a bank in the basement. It wasn't Magic City, but it was like whatever is whatever it was popping in two thousand and five. It wasn't this the other one I remember that. I think that was the first one I went to making certificate, getting certificates of the posts after right, No, it was it was it was just like players Club, like some some they gave them, they gave them whatever, and then they came they will back a big gass uh will barrow of like twenties here.

So here's the thing. So AI threw his his his drawings up right and they fell down. One of those twenties wins right between my afro pick in my afro. I swear to God, I literally and the guy the guards stopped me. I'll get that for you, and wow, because that's her money, dude, b it was you know how slippery a cheesecake factory is, like with all the oil on the ground. Why are you laughing? Have you ever walked in a cheesecake factory only with you? It

is noted. I think that. Look, listeners, if you listen out there, please verify. And he gets this far in this conversation. Deep down, I'm telling you cheesecake factories have the slippery ist marble floor. That the collection of grease, the collective grease on the floor. It's like ice skating.

It's like a lawsuit waiting to happen. And I'm still going to spot I mean you godamn anyway, Yeah, you can't get out of there with nothing less than like two thousand colors, like like it was in the Eat this dot net Eat This not that book and like I bought and they were just like basically like never eat here. Yeah. They was like, yo, this is a never and she can't get to it because after you finished,

you're done. Yeah, the portion size is a huge, But the point my point was that My point was that a half hour after making it rain. It's just literally just twenties on the ground and um. But then just like the Players Club movie, like someone presses a green button and then all of a sudden, like twenty people coming out with with uh brooms and dust pans and garbage bags and put the money inside. So then how do they so, how did they determine who gets the twenties?

Like how it's a trust system. There's one club that I know of in which the owner actually pays them. I think their system is more like a like a contractor. Yeah, yeah, it's a contracted thing. Um, and there's a pre arranged thing so like none of the tips have a minimum. Yeah, so wow, that was a major rabbit might be the most random rabbit hole of history. Slippery cheesecake back. I looked that up on Google and a lot of people ask the same question about the floor. It is noted

that Cheesecake Factory has the slipperyest floor ever. Yeah, like I would you could if you really want to take off a petty lawsuit. How do you know what I was thinking about doing this weekend? Oh wait, we're recording this. Damn my back? Wait, damn, this is even fundamental do you have any siblings? Are you the only Yeah, we put you in college in the strip club. I got two sisters, older and younger in the middle only boy, are they in the arts at all? Or? Um? My

oldest sister is a singer. Well, she doesn't really sing that much anymore, but she's she can sing. My younger sister is like a dope graphic artist. Actually, okay, okay now, And no one else in your family's musically inclined and no I mean my dad, yeah, my uncle. Um, did your wife sing? She's a hair stylist. Yeah. Not. I used to date musicians all the time, like singers. I'm like, I want you to understand it, but I don't. I don't want you to be in it. That's a no. No.

That means y'all all know how difficult it is to date yourself. Absolutely, Yeah, you can't. That's why I don't know for real. Yeah, there's there's only one Mike in this house. Actually, they're yeah, what'slow superior and not be appropriate? Yeah, the artist artist relationship, that ship is not not. Yeah, I mean it's good theory when you think theory, has it ever worked? Beyonce? You know I said you was going down, just like the elema I got you, I

got your artist artist relationship? What uh do Angela and Courtney Beans? Yeah that counts. And I'm saying I believe that. I feel like musicians are a different level of thinking. If you knew how before he was famous, of any

I think actors can do it. But hmmm, because even when like people are like, hey man, why don't you take no no no, no no no, and I know how crazy no no no, no, no no no, yeah, all the people that people imagine me getting paired up with, it's just it's you know, a matter of fact, weren't you with me? Uh? Did you go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Uh? With us? The year I don't know if I inducted Hall of Notes. Maybe it was the year after, remember n w A got

uh inducted in Chicago. Yeah, but there was there was a there was an incident, a meltdown incident with a well done. If you ain't gonna give us no names, don't we tell him us no story? Come on now and give us us. Let him finish what he's saying. They maybe we can figure it out anyway. So p J No, I'm world famous for not dropping. That makes Fonte angry. I'm gonna figure out because Hall of Fame that night and I can't remember. I'm sorry. No, no, no,

she was. I mean she was my date. But it's weird. I was too busy trip. I was sitting next to David Burns. You were there with I was at that table, right, Yeah, they got inducted a year because I was cracking up because it was nine eleven, like nine eleven when they when they got inducted. What year? Who was was Bonnie right there at all? That night? I don't think so. Steve Miller was there, Okay, okay, okay, No, this is the night where uh Linda ron Stat and the Eas

Street Band was. I wasn't there that so maybe that's the year before. Yeah, I was seeing someone notable in R and b uh during this time period of genre we're near right now. She she was known, she was known. She you know, she she had love one. She she might have one of the six in park Love you know,

okay of that, um n. Yeah. But it was just weird because in that particular environment, which you know, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is is uh you know, presented by Rolling Stone magazine and the kind of old boy network. Okay, yes that means you mean white people with mirror Yes, exactly why people? Right, So it wasn't she wasn't that known to them, and so it didn't make a difference. But then I've been in situation was with her where it's like, but we would know how

she has way more followers than I do. Yeah, and so um yeah, that that night was really weird with the red carpet thing, because you know, I felt like, well, you could take photos on your own red carpet, huh. But because let's see what Getty talking about. There isn't photos of us together because Getty got it, get it, get it. Might be it might be out of the let me see what I am is talking about. Really, guys, Okay,

just helped though. It's probably if there's some random R and B that wasn't supposed to be at this all that it's supposed to be. It's just that not less like that wasn't her scene necessary? Right, That wasn't her scene, and I think she wasn't used to it would be that I'm really like to shanty, but I'm just saying that I missed it. I'm missed it. I missed it. I had to be quick. Um no, no, she's on me. But I'm just saying that. But did she miss that? Anyway?

My point, my point is that because of this environment, this person wasn't that known. It was a little problematic, and um, for that person, it's a problemating the people don't know who that person was. For her, well, you know it's it's it's an ego blow. It's an ego blow, and so it comes out in other ways. And you know, I'm just waiting the next year. You tell us you at Chef's house with lam. Where are you trying to say? Teams? Yeah, I think she really really, I don't know. Are you

trying to start rumors? No, no, I wasn't. I just you just check it on Google see if there's anything first before you start putting stuff out on it. So that's a compliment. I know nothing about her other than just that song. So I just don't even know. The song sounds just like the other one testing trying with it, called to testify, bowed back up. I'm bowed up again? Okay, so joy, Yeah, yeah, so I was creous. So did you learn to play? Were you formally trained just by ear. No,

it's all ear. Yeah. And my mom was from the old school and really wanted me to learn how to play, and you know I wanted to, but I was like playing stuff on the radio and TV show things and that after that is when she put me in lessons. And then I went back to and I was like, I can't so what was the first thing to discipline? Where's the first song you learned? Uh? I thought it was something I wrote. Then I realized it was something

that existed already. Yeah, I used to play this this thing and see I don't know what it's called, but um, like the first song I can really remember. Um maybe like like those were the days like all in the family, which but yeah, like real songs. So I used to play little things, you know, uh, little like pieces of things, but I don't know if they were actually songs because so in church, you know, with the talking music and stuff, right, like like the guys sitting on the organ plane. Yeah,

I was playing person in the entire church. That was my favorite person in Yeah, so I would learn things that weren't actually songs, but they would just pieces. Yeah. I remember people used to walk up to me, like what you're playing and I'm like, I don't know, I just I just playing it. Yeah yeah, but All in the Family was one like and well, that's watching the end credits or the beginning ones, because oh yeah, because again the end credits or we learned that all that family. No, no,

at the end, you're talking about what's happened. That's what's happening. No, no, no, at the end of at the end of talking about the beginning right, right, So at the end of All the Family, when the credits are growing up, it's more of a Dixie Land. Okay, No, I didn't know. I didn't. I didn't play that parts. You know, it's still the same it's it's still the same field, right, but it's piano in the Wait a minute, me and light ye are the only ones that recognize all the families. The

other things I wasn't really annoying. What what you mean that I wasn't I watched. I wasn't watching. I wasn't allowed to watch All the Family. But I still know that that part was. I mean, I know the theme song, those were the days, you know. I'm knew that. I don't know if I really watched it like, I don't know, because I was later on exactly that she would come

on like, well, we're watching it. Yeah someth maybe I heard that first ever get it just like it was time to go to bed with Masha the Mash want to tend. I don't know, I don't know. I know it was dead when I came on. Yeah, but I was watching addicted to it in syndication. Used to always come on at ten o'clock. Yeah, it was time to go. Yeah, I was gonna say that. Yeah, I only know mash Fords theme and it's in credit. Yeah, exactly, brought to you by you know, like but literally never seemed Mash

and always wanted to know what made it so great. No, I never watched that show either. I wasn't a lave in the seventies doing a fet not more so be able to really give you a good answer for that not relevant content. So what is your what is what is your your your practice riche or your creative rituals? Like, um, I'm sure, I'm sure it's more than just learning TV themes and you know what, I used to ask people how to practice. Okay, So since I didn't know that,

since I didn't learn formally. Um My, my practice was playing what I knew right until I made a mistake. And a lot of times my mistakes would lead me to like whatever the next thing is, and I'm like, oh, that's how they played that. But I didn't have a practice regiment, and I was playing so much because you had you know, you had Sunday and then you had like rehearsal on Tuesday, and then you had like mid

day on Wednesday. So I felt like I was that was more of my practice was like on the while I was playing with my friends, as opposed to I didn't know how to practice, which sounds weird. Are you the first I mean winner that I didn't have that You weren't under the tutelage or the thumb of a drill sergeant Joe Jackson esque figure. No, like doesn't mean

my dad. My dad knew how to play like one thing really well, and I thought he could really play when I before I could play, and I'm like, man, show me that, and I started to pass him up. He was like, you don't want to learn from me. So I didn't have anybody who was like I really just wanted to do it, you know, So nobody had to push me. Once I got out of lessons, Once I got out of like somebody trying to teach me how to play, it just was my That was That

became my basketball once I stop growing. Yo, I gotta know what your dad said the day you told him you got the MA Room five job, because I feel like he was like, huh, well, I don't know if my dad knew who He didn't at what point did he feel? At what point did he know? And then was like, oh, I guess this is probably one of those war shows. He's like, boy, you been all right? Boy, see you up there. I saw you on that go probably the Grammys or something. You know. I was playing.

We played my first year. I think we did like a Beach Boys tribute, and he and my dad probably deal how did that come about? How did you come and get into the band? So that that is quest that was basically, um, um, thank you. They were looking for a keyboard well, unbeknowns to me at that time too, the original keyboard player was planning on leaving the band,

but I didn't know that. I think they kind of had conversations about it, which is how I was able to come in because after Matt like the drummer, and said he was like, man, we didn't want another player, like we didn't want anybody else in the band. This

was kind of Jesse's idea in a way. Um um, and shout out to Jesse, because he just he's the most loving person, like he wanted another keyboard player with him, right, So the first two years, Um, well, so they called you and you couldn't do it because you just got foulon. This was almost nine years ago, and black Stone came in and they asked him if he knew anybody who could play and sing, and so black called me. I canceled the rest of my tour. I had like three

days left on my tour. I'm like I was tired anyway, because I was just on that same little little carousel. I went to l a audition for them. It was my first audition in life, you know, um, And it was their first audition, like they had been a band since eighth grade. So they brought me in the first day. I auditioned first, and I could just feel like maybe it was my ignorance of not auditioning before, but they just want me to learn. Sunday morning, I played that

and they were like, well, what else you know? And I was like, I know a little bit of what. So we started just jamming and it started to feel more like friends. I could tell they were the cats. They were one of the guys you know. And um, so they had another guy there waiting and they were like, we knew already, but they just let him audition. And they had a second day of auditions that they just canceled, and I was they told me the next day and

that the rest was history. And I guess that next week is probably when you came in and we actually started rehearsals, and um, what album was that you came in on? So they just had finished this album hands all over. Um so just before his Boy and this is before moves like Jack. We always call it post moves like jaggering and pre moves like jagging. So was that was that the records? I mean, I know, but I don't know, like that was moved like Jack of

the one that really kind of took them to the other. Yea. So they had this love and she will be loved. That was they were big, right, and then there was like a plateau kind of period. Uh, it was when I came in. I felt like Billy Preston coming in. Yeah. And and but then we toured that album hands all Over, which was kind of first record that they did the same way, all writing in the room together and um.

And then I remember when the voice call came man and this song moves like Jagger, and it was kind of a you know, kind of a conscious effort like all right, do we want to you know, be big just here or do we want to be big big? You know? And I think I think it was a conscious effort to like turn a corner. And that's when moves like Jagger came in. And and then we did Overexposed and that was pay phone and it was like five number ones in a row usually uh are or

was Maroon five? Ambracive of these new shoes that they were about to wear, because usually if you get hits that easy and that I guess palatable to to America's ears or whatnot, a lot of times out of ten people will shy away from that. You know. I've seen I've seen about ten artists have something so captain obvious that it's just like this is gonna be it for them, and I'll find that they will figure out a way

to get out of that situation. But with these guys, especially once um overexposed happens and stuff like h like, was it even hesitgency? Like what was the feelings of, Okay, well, I'm gonna do this reality show and this month? I

think there was there. It was hesitant initially just for the show, right, just because at that time, I guess moves like I mean, the voice was like a Dutch show or something like that, right, and it it had been kind of successful, but nobody knew what it was gonna be here in the States, so they were like, man, reality TV, you know, we're a band, blah blah blah. We don't know. And then that ended up being like a huge blessing for us, like we premiered every single

on there that went number one. You know what I'm saying, I got more out well straight up, I always say that the coaches are the winners. Yeah, yeah, who's the Kelly Clarkson of a voice? Who's the It was your boy Noel what's his name? That peach back And he came one like the second year Adam. He was one of Adam's winners. But he actually had a record out like ten years before the Africa. I know you're talking

about you can Eat for Hours. Yeah, yeah, he won the voice like second year, I think, yeah, because yeah, see one, but I know you're talking about but not Navier had a record out before. Yeah, Okay, I'm gonna figure it out. I didn't know it because I know that the Peach for Hour dude toward with Us he was, Yeah, it was on Raucus Smokey Robinson. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, but I think, um, at least I mean for for Adam and Blake, it really like put it put a you know, a battery in our backs and like the

only reason why I know who Blake shot us. Yeah. I remember Adam saying who was going to be on the show that first season with c Christina, him and Blake. He and I remember us calling him the country guy because we didn't know, you know, he was like, this is some country guy. And then but a year later, Blake, I mean, and he was already huge in that world, but we just didn't didn't know, you know, kind of

a natural fit for television. Yeah, he actually I think after sitting after sitting in with Us, Adam said in with the with Us on a particular day that whoever is the showrunner or the voice happened to be at thirty Rock and saw it was like, oh, this guy is charismatic whatever, and then at the commercial break they that's when they actually pitched it. Like, I think it

was great for him because that was the thing. Nobody knew his personality and he is a cool, fun person, so it was kind of a perfect fit for TV. And there's just something to be said about being in people's houses three times a week at night. It just

starts to you three times a week. Yeah, once they get into those live shows and the competition and the it's a lot of you know what I'm saying, um, And that's just I mean, if even if you're I mean think with Cosby Show, even if it's one week, one day a week, you know what I'm saying, you start to know those people. And it just really helped because now as being an artist, you know, it goes way beyond the music. It's like, oh I like him, so I'm gonna support So they felt start to feel

like they knew Adam in a different way. You know, my mom knows him now, so that's how I know it's official. Yeah, I bought my wife a car, and this guy who's selling me the car was like, oh the voice my name is Ruthy Rute. So how does that So how does that work in terms of I mean in terms of your life, because you know, you're part of this you know, huge band, but you also just you like, are you able to still go to the grocery store and just in peace? Yeah? I think

that's one of the benefits. I mean, well, now I'm you know, I've started to have my own thing because of my my records and stuff, and some of the stuff is happening. But I think one of the coolest parts about like Mickey, you know, the bass player, is they've they've they've been equal partners for years, you know, like I said, since eighth grade. And he can walk anywhere, you know what I'm saying. So have the same life, but but but not the not the fame. There's something

to that that's kind of cool. Me being the only black guy. I think James long hair guy and then me black guy. They're like, okay, you know what, yeah, yeah, but um, I think that's kind of a I knew he I know he enjoys that, you know what, I'm saying, because he's got that same life. Um, but for me it's not as bad. Not unless we go to like South America something like what they really know you Asia, you know, and they're like, I'm I'm waiting for PJ.

How okay? So how are you able to split? How are you guys able to divide h Adam voice time with Maroom five studio and recording time and p J Morton studio recording, songwriting, producing time. It took me a minute. So maybe the first couple of years I just was trying to figure out how to be in Maron five. You know, so how long just how long have you been in the band at this point nine years in July. Yeah, So so that first I just had to figure it

out and I wasn't doing anything. So, like I said, when they called me, I felt like it was a prayer being answered because I was burnt. I was kind of burnt out, you know what I'm saying. So I'm like, it's cool, I don't need I don't want to focus on me for a while. So that first little while was just like me just being in the band. And then um, but when I started to get back into my stuff I signed a young money, like my second year being in Maroon five, And that's when I'm gonna

how are those baby checks? Just that smile right there, it tells me you got stories finished that I've never seen the baby check. I knew that anyway, but um but but so so when I started to get him to my artist thing, the voice came right and it was kind of a help because then on our calendar, I could see like, oh, he's got live shows right here, he's taping right here. So it kind of allowed me to like do my stuff in these gaps. I mean, it made me busier than everybody, but I just used

those gaps. So I hired us here, high us there. We're gonna take three weeks off here. And because like before the voice, rehearsals would be called just out of the blue, like hey, y'all, let's rehearse that. You know what I'm saying. But then when the voice came, it was like everything started to be structured, structured a little bit more because it had to be so I could play stuff. Yeah, hey, can you just describe did you have a relationship at all with Jordan's Yeah? I did. Yeah,

what was what was he like Jordan's. Um is uh Jonah Hill's brother who used to manage five and passed away. Yeah, Jordan was so so so Jordan's has been their manager since the beginning. Um and they probably could tell this story better. But the reason he that what separated him because he was a young man. He's probably just a year older than them. Um. He bought the whole band cell phones. He was like, if you let me manage,

I buy you all cell phones. And literally until I was in the band, until Jordan passed away, we got new phones every time a new phone came out. So I think that became a tradition man of his management. But Jordan's was like a kind of a silent genius. He was. Yeah, he when I when I talked to him about strategy, When he started to talk to me about strategy and how he would roll out things kind of blew my mind, you know. But he was very quiet. Wasn't the buddy buddy manager, even though he was a

year older. It was he was like, not buddy buddy. It was like business, you know what I'm saying, which is kind of you know whatever it was. I had to get used to that part and understand who Jordan was in that way. Um, but man, he was. He was a silent, silent killer man, you know in his planning. Um, I saw how his brain worked, Like one time when he we were talking about my stuff and he was saying how he saw and I was just like, oh, that's why you're Jordan's Felstein, Like I get it now,

like you Yeah, that was a lost man. Time was a cool cat MANI. Um, So with where you are now in your career and you know, I'm I'm really curious on the moves that you make because me also being a multi tasker and different things. Um, should your situation elevate? Do you still see it as a way where you can do both at the same time or yeah? I mean and we kind of had that. So so when I when I signed a Young Money, when that record came out, Um, and what you was that was that? Uh?

That record came out? Ok, and um, they let me open up a tour, they let me open up. It was me opening up with my soul band and then Kelly Clarkson and then Maroon and then we went to Europe and it was me Robin thinking Maroon. UM and Adam told me in the beginning, like, bro, if you get as big as us, then we'll just have to

co headline or something. You know. So the support is there now you can't leave, But I don't see a reason, Like I don't feel a need to leave, just because I think people leave for not being appreciated, right, And they showed me like we support you. Like the whole joke this time around at the Grammys was Pj's up

for three Grammys Maroons up for one? You know what I'm saying, But that was a joke in the chat, like at least, at least PJ can win a Grammy around here, you know, yeah, they won three early on. You know, Grammys really liked songs about Jane that error, right, yeah, but once yeah, I mean the best New Artists. They

beat Kanye for Best New Artists. But like so early on, But I think the support is there, and if the schedule remains like because to be honest, we've we've started to tour less um for the same amount, you know what I'm saying, like have the same impact. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. So I toured more than Maroon did last year, you know what I'm saying. I went all around the world and Maroon we did like two US runs last year, so it's allowed me to to

to get my space. So um, there definitely have been a couple of conflicts in the past. I had to pass up some big things that I thought But in the grand scheme of things, it's just it hasn't seemed worked it to me yet to like have to leave I'm cool, you know, yeah, I like I like both. Just to rewind a little bit, can we talk a little bit about the Was there an adjustment period for you when you joined the band, because like, you're coming into a unit that's been Yeah, like that's already formed,

you know, it's been together forever. Now there was there was what was cool. That's why I kind of liked when the voice happened and moves like Jagger happened, because up until then, like the two the first two years, I felt like the outsider and a little you know, everything, because they had done all of this stuff. I'm hype. I'm like, oh shoot, at first, my first blah blah blah. But then after that, yeah, they're like, yeah, cool you

it's so cute. PJ. You like you like that? Yeah, it's like I look at pj enjoined but um, but after Jagger and the voice, it was new to everybody, like everything was new. Was like, oh dang five number one they had had, um, you know, like how they see number one's a lot, you know, was used to that, but like a hot one hundred, you know, like real number one. Um, it's a whole different thing. And we

started to see. So then we became closer because we were experiencing all this stuff all together, you know what I'm saying. Um, But musically, because I was, I was curious in that way with Bill asked, I'm like, musically, did you always feel comfortable giving your full stuff where you're like, Okay, I'm at a job. I know what they expected me. I'm not going to give them all this church That's now. I wasn't. I was. I was coming off of your question. That's that's what I was

just starting with your I was expanding. But was there a period for that too, like when you felt like all right or did you always just feel like this is me and I'm gonna just be me and I think with anything? And my my take was always what what what do I bring to the table? You know it wasn't. It wasn't a selfish thing of like I want to I want to make sure I put PJ in there somewhere. No, I was just wondering because of your background and might be different than their especially musically

because of that church background. Like when that came into a fact, I think what I started to what I started to realize what it was. There was like less different about us, Like they listened to whatever rock music that was going, right, But then I didn't. I hadn't listened to a lot of that stuff. I mean I was a big Beatles guy, big James Taylor guy, So I had listened to a lot of music. But um,

what I realized was that That's what I'm saying. That first audition, I was like, Oh, we're kind of the same, Like we could they could play, like Adam could play. You know what I'm saying. Those guys can play. So I I just felt like, oh, it's just musicians. Kind of gotta say I didn't know that he was a shredder. Yeah, I'm saying all that was new to me once. I

was a fan of this love and all of that stuff. Right, I watched TRL when you know what I'm saying I was a fan and still and I knew the music was cool, like those diminished chords. But I'm like, okay, but this is a record, you know. But when I got in that room, I'm like, oh, this is like what I'm used to. This is like the Homies. We can all play, so, you know, And so there wasn't a big adjustment. They had to be three for me there, you know what I'm saying. I was doing what I

do and I related to that stuff. Um, I think with Maroon because so they were a punk rock band initially called Cares Flowers and then they added another member, became five and after they had listened to Stevie Wonder and kind of said, Okay, I'm gonna mix all of this stuff, and you know their version of mixing it Timberland and Missy Stevie and all this rock stuff that

we grew up with. Right, So when I hear Maroon, I hear the more of the soul stuff the side that side, And they probably hear a different way, but for me it was like it translated to me, you know, it was meant to be. So how how are songs written? Is it jam sessions? Is the sound check is it? Yeah, that that was before I got they're really like the jam sessions, the together thing. Uh, it became a little more of a machine businessman. Yeah, um post post jack.

You know, I'm just saying, like a joint, like girl like you whatever, Like is it like you all jamming one day and say hey, let's do that or was it like a song that someone written. Yeah, that came in. That came in from a songwriter and we we kind of just put our things on it and Adam usually with those people, what about like wait, the new the weight, like the jam? Wait, how did that? Man? Yeah? I love way to Yeah that's the only joint I could

do this too. Yeah yeah, yeah, exactly right. So okay, I'm gonna go there all right, Yeah, let's let's get it. Come on, I'm ready started. Well, I didn't know what angle you was going for, but I was just gonna say that I would like to have seen you more on that's both stage. I told him that when I saw him in person, I was like, you were the only black man they didn't really show too much of But that's that's not what your point was. I knew.

So wherever you was gonna go with your super Bowl you know, soun like his or because for me, I was like, PJ is going to be on the Super Bowl half time show. I ain't supposed to be watching this ship, but PJ is doing it, so I'm gonna watch it. Right. So that's when I was like, well wait, wait, yeah, oh wait is that an orange hat? Wait? How how nervous? I mean I'm certain that you know, it's it's hard to you know, too ignore you know, whatever social media dictates.

But how nervous where you guys are worried about rocking the boat with the unpopular decision of doing the halftime show. Um, there were a bunch of phases of it, right, like my initial I remember when, and these were hardly my decisions, right, I'm I was, I was gonna be rocking. I was gonna be back there playing my keyboard, you know what. But but but um, there were phases like I remember the initial when Adam told me pace time me and say, bro, we got the super Bowl. I was like, I've been

on the Super Bowl. Everyone's dream, you know what I'm saying. So that was my initial thing. Then I say, ah, damn, it wasn't this season. Between those two thoughts. How much time in between? Um no, that was probably like the next day when I was like, oh shoot, but that and then um so then there was the phase of like, man, I don't think we don't think we should do it, you know, once the soft announcement came, the leak whatever that was. Once that came and I saw him like, man,

it's not worth it. We we got a great career, blah blah blah. So we went there. Then the petition came. There was a petition. There was a petition for us not to play. Oh wait, not even the artists and they won't play. Just I got the thoughts on the artists saying they wouldn't play. I don't know, yes, I don't know that. As many artists were presented the opportunity. It's easy, course you would say no if you're not right. It's easy to boycott fucking Gucy when you can't afford it.

So so I can't really speak on that part. But there was a petition for us not to play. And then that's when I turned right, because this is me, so I'm a cap supporter, right. I didn't watch football all season when my Saints was bawling out on everybody. And I love, Yes, I hate the refs. I don't hate l A. I'm like, look l A like so Maroon and all of them l A. They were they were apologizing to me. I felt bad for them because they were in the position like what are you gonna do?

Overturn that? Give them the ball? Yeah we did, but so I didn't watch. Yeah, that's what James would say. I'm still um so so so when the petition came, I'm like, so, I'm boycotting football, right, like for cap um. First, CAP isn't telling me anything. I'm not hearing anything from CAP, like as leadership, right, and I'm looking. So when Eric read get signed to the to the Panthers, I'm like, all right, what are we doing? Are we happy about this?

Eric Reid was the guy who kneeled next to him and also and also got black balled, right, but what was was a superstar right and needed to be playing football signed to the Panthers. And so then I started getting confused on the cherry picking of Okay, so he can work, he can play for the NFL and support CAP, but I can't. But I can't play one game and support CAP and also also we're we're boycott is so Cap can play for this corporation that you don't want me to play for. Y'all need to find a god

damn agenda. So what I'm saying, right, So like certain things, you know, I mean social media, it was just like a lot of cherry picking, right, So, like you know, people saying they're not playing the super Bowl, but then they play super Bowl parties but they do super Bowl commercials or like, so I'm like, okay, and then even even Jay asking Travis not to perform, but then Chloe and Halley perform and it's in the whale House, so I'm like, beautiful. They did great. By the way, they

really did. What I'm just saying was trying to get you out to place so we could get read it or on the bill or something. You know that she's still signed the Rock Nation. Didn't she think she got out of it? Well, I still have no idea. But anyway, so that's when that's when I started to feel like, Hey, I love everybody, but like also forget everybody, you know what I'm saying, because ultimately, and this is what I felt like, because I think it's about disruption, right, what

would actually disrupt. It's not me not playing the super Bowl, because if we say no, then somebody else is gonna come and play, and it's gonna like even even the like, the closest thing I can um like compared to was that Trump inauguration thing, right, and we don't really yeah exactly what Crossette and you know, but but but she fucked she is. But my point is you don't remember

who turned it down. They're they're not remembered, right. It's to please a certain group of people, which I didn't agree. I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have I wouldn't have played the Trump inauguration. But what I'm saying is you don't remember those people, So why not just have that platform and be able to speak as loud as I can to Yes, that particular aforementioned person wants to come on

qors conversation. We've got some good conversations. Yeah, but wait, so let me ask you this then, because we know that we didn't get the press conference that we usually get because whatever, we don't want to be asked the questions. And we know that in that press release it was like marooting five is gonna give you. We're gonna show you what we're gonna do in our performance. So my question was, as watching that performance, is is that gospel in that Travis? Is that what y'all showing me? That

is that how you feel? Is the gospel and the Travis Scott like the we gave y'all how we feel. I'm not sure. I didn't see that interview or whatever. It was a press release instead of them actually and Steady all actually doing the press conference, which both half times that yeah, and the last the first time a press conference. But so they sent out and they sent out a press release and basically it read inflammation that we're going to show you through our performance how we feel. Well.

I think I think the group's um position was we're just gonna play music, you know, like we can't get caught up. And also I think that is just to to feel woke, you know what I'm saying, but not actually be it's performing performing I'm doing I'm doing that. Well, No, I think that's what he wanted to do. I think that's just what he wanted to do as a performance. Um, I don't think that was a statement or anything, because you know, we would think it would be a statement

if you didn't make a statement. He said the statement was gonna be on stage. So I'm looking at the stage like choir and I barely see p J. That's all right, that's a statement. I think that was a director cameraman thing, not like, yeah, I feel you. I listen. Yeah, I got a cut a cut of rehearsal that I saw. I was. I was on a little bit more so I was surprised when I looked back, I was like, oh, word, like it's something my hat had listen I played the

Super Bowl. You didn't admit that the NFL is worse than crack because niggas just can't be quitted no matter what to dune. Because that's how I feel my well, for me, it's I think, I think the NFL is something that it's gonna be. It's gonna be interesting to see how it develops over the next ten fifteen years, because what's happening is you're not seeing a lot of kids playing football no more like even like with my keys,

I kind of helped my son basketball and baseball. That's it, and really more even more so basketball because baseball, I mean, basketball is like social so it's like, you know, they want to. You know, they can put their ship up on I G or whatever. Like my sons they love basketball, but football, like that's like some kind of like barbaric ship. But it would be fun. I mean not for nothing.

I see what you're saying, like it might die because it's barbaric, but not because they're just treating niggas like we don't give a fun. No. No, I think this is gonna have to die out a little bit. I think I don't think. I think it's less about that. To be honest, I know it is. Yeah, it's less about what I'm saying. I know it is because how many times they have to tell you you don't matter to me, Like I don't know, They're do it in so many different ways. You can't even own a team, nigga,

you don't match. I mean, at least they fake about them. I mean I want did I'm gonna say more for that than the NBA had the same situation with old boy from Sacramento the coach or the owner. Right. I think the NBA does They do a good job as far as even just dealing with them in the office. Even Chris Paul and like the people who like it's a different maundset. My thing is just like when I see niggas get on that ship, I'm just like, look, man,

you motherfucker's, live your life and let me live. Mind like, don't speak for other motherfucker's because you don't know what they're putting up. So you're asking p J. Morton and Moon five don't play the super Bowl. You don't know what this band is doing with his super Bowl check. You don't know how many other people you're supporting. You don't know what the gonna have a revolution with that way of thought, are just any time in your bank account.

My thing is petition all the players, petition all the players to not play, and then we don't have we don't have a super Bowl. Right. But again he goes back to my point of NFL is worse than crack. It's an addiction, and who's going to do with that. It's not those guys. Those guys are doing a job and they get paid in the in the higher three, they get paid the least. So it is that too. It's like the injuries to pay and what the NFL versus the in the MLB and the fucking NBA. It's

just totally different game. The money game is different. No it is yeah, no, no no. And the treat the treatment is different. I mean, NBA, if you get hurt, you're gonna sit on that bench and still collect your check. I get that part. But sometimes that's when I heard somebody talk about it, and they talk about the injuries, even I think, uh my boy from Oakland, Um, But but when he was like, but if this is my shot to take care of my family and do all of this, let me let me do that. How do

you fight that? How you can't? I tell you how you do it? You blame a round five and say y'all shouldn't play that halftime. So you know what I'm saying, because because then, because because because you don't have you don't have it in you to be like, don't play football, don't do your job, don't feed your kids. So hey, big band that's playing the halftime show for twelve minutes, y'all be the ones to disrupt this old thing and and boycott nevertis just paying all this money to put

it out on the show. We're not going to boycott you. But talking about PEPSI yeah, you're I don't care what we do is it. I don't care if t Linty owned slaves. Now we are not boycott. I don't know. It's like it's like Specier ship and the clear thing with the brown top. Yeah that's what it was called neither. I never knew how pronouncing the fancy with Yeah, that's something. But I pray they don't do nothing wrong. Yeah, no, it's listen. I guess my thing is just like, look,

we live in America. This America was founded by racist white people that felt like you niggas ain't ship worked for us. So anything you do, any industry you work in, whatever you do, it goes back to the original sin so asked niggas the boycotting look nigga like. But that's the thing. I was in a weird position because I

was boycotting and still didn't know what to do. I didn't still did Colin didn't call you, He still didn't say, like, listen, when Eric read signed to the Panthers, I'm like, it's kind of over. I'm like, what do we what are we doing? Apparently every time it comes out that they say he doesn't really want to play, I see people come out. My buddy Shaun King saying that is not true.

He wants to play. He's working out every day. So to be honest with you, I'm kind of confused, you know what I'm saying, Like genuinely, as a supporter of the movement, I didn't know where to go, and I'm like, what are we doing? Like so rees playing, we congratulate that. I saw people congratulate him from making a stand and

coming and coming back and he still kneels every game. Yeah, I'm just no disruption really yeah, you know, I mean cap Is is the face of the movement and you know so, but people aren't gonna be happy until the face has got a job. I know. But what I'm saying is cap tell me what to do after air Reed get signed, like he didn't need to say or somebody.

There's no there's a lack of leadership there. And I'm saying that as a supporter like that was That's why I got offended because I'm like, oh, you're petitioning me. I bet you've been watching football every week. I've been sacrificing not watching football, and you want to petition me, you know what I'm saying. So it was it was let's not forget it ain't all about him neither, because it was all about what he was really nailing forward to what you got past that? Right, So what I'm saying,

But what I'm saying is I could. I could do my job and be against police brutality and be against and before peacefully protesting. I can support. I can do both of those contain multitudes, niggers. I can do all that ship at the same damn time. Yet if everybody just logged off social media, it's that I'm waiting, Yeah, we damn can we can we have a chance? Can I do this? No, you can't do it. You can't do it. You got you too addicted. You are too addicted.

Excuse me, challenge accepted. What we're really saying, what we're saying, I'm saying your stories be like Michael X the movie saying the babies. So what we're saying is that you're going you're gonna know how important Rodney Allen Rippy was not that. This is what you're saying is you're not going to be on social media till this episode air's Is that what you're saying. I don't think he can afford to do that. So I waited at the break while I canna be working on an album. I did

like a month and all of that. When it is time to I guess you get you can get your people to It doesn't feel the same though, I'll tell you this much. I only do it really a majority of my interaction. It's during the show when I'm bored my computers. Partly, what's a part of the problem with social media is just having access to people's thoughts all the time in your pocket and just be digging in your pocket all time, just reading some random motherfucker thinks

any time of the day. That's not healthy. You don't need that ship in your life. You don't like there's like a psychological I think like some scientists like broke this paper is like basically like we only have the capacity. I think it's something around like it's like thirty to fifty people. That's like the most that your brain can handle. It's not even that, it's just mostly people are just full of ship. Can you give them a platform where

they can say whatever? The option to freeze our accounts. You can deactivate, man, don't you You could just be off just don't race it off your phone and like a freeze option. No, you don't. You don't. You don't have to do it. Doesn't like whet a social diet, that's what you do. Just delete the app from your phone and don't log on your on your computer. But then who's going to I wanted this to be a want this to be a QLs challenge. Dude, it's not

gonna happen. You do it for a month, wen, I'm like two months deep already, so I don't have any friends in the I can do it usually usually when I get in trouble. Usually when I get in trouble, I can freeze. You can tell when a mirrors in trouble. Usually you don't see a post from me from like a week and two. I gotta So I don't think I take a quit Twitter. I don't think he could. I mean, I listen, I want to quit all this ship,

but I gotta. I got out to sale. So like ship loll off, you ain't got to interact with them. But I don't interact as much as I used to for the very reason that you visit like we've all slowed down significantly. Yeah, pick up stick. Wait wait, this leads back to the very beginning of the show. I saw something very weird on the Sugar Network yesterday. I was singing Barry Manolo again. No, I'm just saying that it was knowing no this one time, not even yesterday,

but back in February. Great, great word right, one of the Sugar Network dude was out. I swear to It was cold as hell, it was icy, it was cold, it was like sleep outside, and like he opted to do his his own network under your network or whatever it was. Wait, you're really in the network, yeah, Robbie let Yeah, I don't know if that's what you're talking about, But can he just continue to tell that woman, I

didn't even know that you knew who come twice? No, that's I realized that when he'd rather stand outside like twenty degree freezing weather instead of staying inside the warm where you know Shakeenheimer. You m yeah, Like that's what I knew that this is bad. People on the Sugar Network will walk to the ends of the frozen earth for Sugar Steve. That's what I love it. Man. Okay, My closest question, what do you what do you what

do your future players wait before anything? Yeah? What was it like we're doing with your hero Stevie wonder Man. Um So, like I said, I worked with him on the Young Money album, but that was kind of like so much money question to ask you, So just young Money wasn't as random as it. Young money not cash money.

It's the same thing. Yeah, all my everything. You still had any issues east So mcmahin the president was we went to high school together, the president of Young Money that yeah, um and was all throughout that whole Drake Nikki, but we went to high school together and so he was like a fan of mine. And when Wayne was locked up, when we started to talk about it and

you just got out. But I think they were in a way kind of trying to open it up, you know what I'm saying, and make it your prestige exactly. You know, they were trying to diversify, and um so I was in an effort to do that. Um and I managed to release an album in a year, and you gotta add out for mcmaintie. For a lot of people, weren't the last two albums on yeah yeah. Um, anyways, I don't remember why I went back to Young Money.

Oh oh Stevie so so that song, but we we didn't really connect and it felt really real this time Christmas when I did his show, because I really played with him the toy opening. Yeah, but we we we like actually we actually sang and I played on his piano.

He was on the on the road, on the on the keyboard, and it's just, I mean, he's literally the reason I'm doing it, you know, the reason I wanted to do this right, and and so you know, I used to kind of like shy away from the Stevie and me right because I didn't want people to be like, yo, he's trying, he's trying to copy Stevie. But I listened. I went on. I was obsessive when I was thirteen, and I would go to the Circuit City and buy in chronological order, every CD, every Stevie CD a week,

every issue. Yeah, I just three is easy to go. Top three intervision music of my mind, um, with the classes where I'm coming from probably um. But so, so I was listening, and this is before I was writing any songs, before I was really really playing. And then once once I started to write, I just started I was doing stuff like Stevie. But for years I kind

of tried to mute that a little bit. This last run is when I was just like, man, I'm gonna just do what I feel, you know, And I think that authentic me is part of the reason why, you know, things things started to look up this time around, you know. And then when Stevie gave me a stamp of approval, Stevie just told me he wished he wrote my song. First beginning, well, he played They played Crazy on his

station too, Yeah, yeah, they've always supported yeah. But but when I played it, he walked up to me, he was like, man, I wish I wrote that song. So when when Stevie and then being on my record, you know, he's not on a lot of people's records, you know, so when he gave me the stamp, I was like, I don't care about these other people, like I'm gonna just beat me. I'm his son in a way. You know, it's no different thing speaking of Stevie on other people's records.

I heard of rumors that if you asked Stevie to just play harmonica on the record, he'll do it, no questions asked, just because he wants to hear more harmonic on the radio. Maybe because he played harmonic on my record, he didn't sing so so maybe so yeah, the uh if you want to know a funny story, you gotta look up Rick James speaking about uh, Mr Policeman the last on side one of Street Songs cursing out Stevie

Wonder over the harmonica solo. Very hilarious story. So now I'm gonna ask, what what is your your your two thousand nineteen plays your goals? Well, I moved back to New Orleans like three years ago, and um like I told you about the Buddy Bowden House, but also I started Morton Records, and it's kind of because I saw the same business music business infrastructure that didn't exist when I was there, and the reason I had to leave

was still kind of there. And um so I've started to focus on that focus on some New Orleans talent and some outside my background singers though more's I'm about to put out a record on all yeah, um so, a lot of it is is me focusing on some acts outside of me. There's just rapper three D Nat in New Orleans too that I'm about to do a record on and um yeah so so and I'm gonna do another record this year, but that's that's my main focus is trying to get more than records. I mean, shoot,

my little indie labels got up a Grammy already. You know what I'm saying, we did already. Yeah, so I'm just trying to keep that going and really build the city. I'm I'm about to um open up this compound in New Orleans, uh Gumbo Studios, and you know it's gonna be a couple of rehearsal studios in there. When is that we're gonna because we need to do some New

Orleans shows, you know when this is. But but whenever y'all come hit me up already Yeah, Okay, maybe as has New Orleans whatever it was weird, has New Orleans

totally recovered from it's post Katrina. I think it's just turning that corner right now, like I feel like thirteen years, I think it's just starting because part of the thing that makes New Orleans is like the people, the energy from the people, right, and so the people were gone for so long that and it was just shell shock, Like yeah, it's hard to explain that experience, like of having to leave your whole city and seeing everybody gone.

I think there wasn't enough attention on the mental aspect of that kids. My little sister like in her senior year in high school, having to go to Atlanta and go to another school and leave all her friends and then want to go home to New Orleans so bad that she goes back and her friends aren't even there. So then she finished. So it was this trauma man, you know. Um, but now I feel like it's just starting to turn the corner and we're getting back to us.

It feels like that now, you know, yeah, crazy well you know, ear's ears to you rebuilding the city and bringing it back, trying to do my my my little part. All right, that's all you can do, all right, brother Morton, We thank you for coming on the show. Thank y'all. Thank you man. Like I just wanted to just just

from you. Man, I've seen your grind like i've seen I mean, like I said, you know teen years ago that was presor just salute to you man, just what you just the way you've been able to move just going from like I know how hard it is, you know to reinvent yourself and do like so no, no brother, just respect, salute you must love and thank you man, appreciate that and thank you for going back home, because if more artists went back home to their hometowns and

built it up, and you know, we have some better cities, build it up, build it, I build it. I built it out, thanking a gamble, damn see the sun. That came to my mind was we built this, Oh God, Indiana, and now it's solid anyway. It's like Fonte and and Sugar Stephen Boss building unpaid bills somewhere children, Grover's smoking a split on Sesame Street, cussing up a store. P J. Morton, thank you very much for coming on the show, and

we will see you on the next go round. Of course, Love Supria Course, Love Supreme is a production of My Heart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. For more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.