Questlove Supreme: Macy Gray

Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to another episode of Quest Love Supreme. I mean, here's Quest Love. I mean we have Team Supreme. We have the one and only Sugar Steve. You should be Stone Steve. What I think you need a new moniker? I mean.

I thought you said you should be Stone right now, Steve. I was like you my mission accomplished that.

Yeah, now, Stone Steve.

I think I'm giving you Sugar Steve. It's a brand now, she's.

Made a brand out of it. If like a hold the way of life?

Yeah, ain't work. I'm good.

As long as you're still living. That's that's that's all care about.

You know, I'm living.

Uh unpaid bill. It's also in the house. How's it going? Fantastic? Life fantastic? All right ya? How are you yo?

For real?

I was real calm, but then I saw her face and I got really happy. Okay, I'm like, I'm excited, Like we've missed that face.

We missed the ship album? Absolutely Fonticolo, How are you.

I can leave leaving come back?

No, you guys, get all excited.

Again, just for the for the whole hour and a half. Just come back and come back in ladies and gentlemen. What can I say our guest today, Well, for starters, she's sold over thirty million units of her albums, and in the last two decades, I believe they're ten in total. But besides all that she personally, I will say that she's one of my favorite voices in music, and thank you.

Gray, Hello, sweetheart?

How you doing?

Hey? You brush?

Right now?

I'm in my bed in Los Angeles, California, sitting on my bed. The internet in my house is best in my room. So when I have stuff like this, I get in the bed.

I see, well, yeah, we're we thought we were all in our beds. But wait, before I ask anything, this is what I have to know. So I'm I'm I'm getting my first, real, real, real house hooking up right now.

Wow.

And the one thing that the one idea I'm stealing from you is the idea of the chocolate room. When I first went to your house, you had a room dedicated all brown, all chocolate. Which do you still maintain that in your house? It's been a while since I've ever been back to your crib. I'm just asking, Mike, is.

I got a chocolate room? But you have to. It's very important.

You have to get the paint suited or else it'll just look like dude to brown. You gotta get like a proper painter and tell them you want it swayed.

Wow.

That sounds a yeah, okay, okay.

Yeah, So I was about to say, damn it. It's been so long since since we wrapped to each other, you know. I now I feel like I'm really we're reintroducing ourselves to each other. I mean, of course, in your circle, I always heard people call you Nata Nat, but I know, yeah, that, uh Macy is stage. How did you How did you get that name? I never asked you, like, how did you get the name Macy Gray?

I saw it on a mailbox. I guess there's there is a real Macy Gray.

So you know in Ohio, you know how, like back in the.

Day, so everybody used to make up their name, like now everybody.

I know when I.

Was when I was coming up, everybody had a fake name, right, mess it man, everybody.

And so I thought I had to make up a name.

So I just I saw this name on a mailbox and I was like, you know, that sounds good, you know, I mean I saw it on a mailbox when I was much younger. But when I decided to make up my name, I went to that name.

Wait, have you ever looked up the actual Macy Gray? Yeah, I mean the one from the mailbox.

He lived across the street.

So somewhere your neighbor has told that story.

Least Oh my god, a mail a hundred.

Times that she's named after me.

Yeah, I like, I knew who he was, but it didn't like resonate. So I saw it that spelled out on a mailbox.

It was kind of like you remember in a Boogie Nights and he goes Dirk Tiggler. I saw. I didn't like Dirk Tiggler. It was kind of like that kind of moment.

Bookie Nights.

Yeah, you need to go steal that mailbox just chocolate room.

Is he still living?

No, he passed a few years ago. Lives on the name lives on.

Oh Wow okay, and like have you has he seen you since you christiened yourself? Basic?

No? I never ran into him after that.

But you know, he lived on my mom and dad's street and then and then they moved, but they were they were never like friends or nothing, but you know, he was just a guy across the street's older across the street.

So I believe you were born in Ohio, Ohio. Okay. I was going to say what city was it and what type of town was it?

So Canton c A N t O N okay. It's most known for the Football Hall of Fame is in Canton.

That's a sport of mirror.

Yeah, oh okay, I get it.

Okay, okay. So I went to school with Marilyn Manson. He's from Canton. Wow O. Jays are from Canton to the Barges.

Lebron's from from Akron, Act is like twenty minutes away. It's like, you know, it's like the next little city over. And then a bunch of people Steph Curry's from Akron. Trying to think who else oh Hio.

I don't even know if it's quietly, but it's it's definitely the heartbeat of America. Like yeah, for okay, okay, So Steve's blame the sports to me? Why why why are all the Hall of Fames of sports in Ohio? I understand why the rock and Roll Hall of Fame is there because allegedly Alan Freed, they claim he coined the term rock and roll, but I tend to think that he just stole it from whatever black person was

Is well, Cooperstown's in New York.

That's how much I don't know about the sports. But I don't know the actually right now, Like Bill, I don't think I've ever embarrassed you more. You're poundering your future on this podcast based on that last question, and I just, yeah, Cooperstown is very much in New York. That's okay, Hollows. That's how much I don't do the sports. We know, we went. I went to a baseball game

How can you don't like sports? Why don't you watch sports?

No, it's not that I don't like sports. I just joke that, you know, you can't worship two gods. And for me, there's music. People stick to music and sports people stick to sports. And then some people get really really defensive when I say that, well, I like sports and I do music, And then behind their backs, I be like.

So you dedicated your life a little harder to music than most a mirror.

So that's not healthy to just love one thing only you know, like, come on, experience a little bit more than that.

But do you meditate three hours a day? I played play ball when I was a kid. I played kickball, played dodgeball. None of those are real kickballs a.

Thing I'm saying. They're not professional.

Kickball and roller skate. Yeah good at ping pong, Ping pong dominant.

Space tag king ball is a real sport.

People get people get serious on site, they get upset.

Have you guys? Are you are you guys keeping up with the now that they have the space tournament on the Poker channel.

Shut up.

Yeah, just get it real now.

Yeah, ye, talk about that later.

I wonder what, okay, if you know they're now starting spades tournaments.

On the my game, can you win money?

Yeah, they're playing professionally.

Yes, it's about respect play.

I played one spade game in my life with with Jill and lizel and I did horrible and that was it. That was my.

He plays played like chess, checkers and dominos.

See after watching Queen's gambit, I was going to try for three days. I was on fire about chess and then I lost that fire, so I'll stick to Yeah, but staxis, like I played ghetto version, not the There's so many ways to cheat it. There are so many ways. I'm sorry. Okay, we're never going to talk about Macy's career.

That was a triples all day son.

Yeah.

Yeah, they tried to, like you know, the Twitter account of you know, try to correct me and I had to send them and blacks would have shut that ship down. Yeah, I can't. We took over that game. I'm sorry. Anyway, what was your first musical memory?

My dad whooping my ass because I wouldn't practice my piano, getting my ass beat because I had to practice a half hour every day, and sometimes I would like, wait till he fell asleep, and I'll think you'd sleep and then and then I would say, yeah, I practice it, and he would Then I would get a whooping if I if I didn't.

Practice, if you didn't practice your skills, yeah, man. So wait, how old were you when you first started playing piano?

Seven?

Was this like a church requirement thing or like just something to do to pass the time or no, it's my mom.

My mom had this thing for signing me up for activities so she could go do what she was gonna do. That was like my babysitter. So if I was at the y MCA all day, then you know I was coming. That was just like after school. I went to piano and then she would drop me off and she would like go grocery shop like that was her, Like you know that those were all my babysitters.

But but I learned, you know, I learned how to play the piano and she had me an archery, swimming. I could do anything when I was little.

You guys didn't have the white the white mom just dropping you off on Saturday.

Yeah, boys and girls summer time yeah yeah, basketball, gymnastics, yeah, everything, I know.

Gymnastics that was good.

Forward road get dropped off with the wire and.

School on Sundays.

Yeah, schools our wife.

Really yeah, we had that.

We had a Jewish center and I had to go to that too.

Why'd you have to go to that?

Because they had what class did I take?

That's why cleaner? Why a cleanery I took?

I took. That's why I put swimming lessons.

I think you're right, that's funny. Yeah, because it wasn't those swimming pool that was.

Nice like that.

Yeah. I couldn't go to the fifty second Street. Why I could go to the Jewish whye on Broad Street but not fifty second Street? You get you ask the second Street? Why that's really? Do you remember the first album that you purchased.

The bot with my own money was Purple Rain Huge Prince Friends, And that was your first record, first record I bought with my own money. I mean, you know before that, I was just listening to my mom and dad's records all the time.

When that okay, so even before then, there wasn't like a large record collection in the household.

Uh no, my god, it was a huge. All he did all day was play eight tracks. But you know, I just listened to that.

That's what I grew up on my mom and stuff was your dad listened to?

He was a huge James Brown fan. He thought James Brown was just everything, and you know, the Isley Brothers, and my mom was really into Gladys Knight and all that, you know, mostly soul music. And my mother was a huge fan of Elvis Presley, So I knew a lot of Elvis Presley fan I mean songs, and I knew a lot of Frank Sinatra.

She really liked those two.

But other than that, it was all like that old soul stuff, you know, you know, grown, grown people's stuff.

Did you bring Purple Rain back to them? Like, did y'all listen to it together?

No?

I didn't. I didn't.

I kind of so I got really into Prince when MTV came out.

When was MTV.

Nineteen eighty one eighty four? Oh yeah, the TV was good between eighty one and eighty five.

Yeah, so that's when I got really into like all different stuff. That's when I really got in a rock and roll. I was like a big Poison fan. I like thought it was Van Hale and Reconds, and.

I got really into Prince.

I painted my room purple and I saw the Night I Saw Purple Rain I watched. I sat there for three three shows. I sat there yep in a row.

What a time to be alive when you would have to sit and watch a movie over there again, thinking you would never see it again as long as you live.

I was obsessed with that. Wow. So after so that was like, you know, my big fanatic is Prince. Prince.

So I mentioned at the top of the show, mhm that the the texture of your voice is probably the most even when you talk, it's a it's a melodic it's a melodic sounding voice. Like did you always have this texture in your voice even as a child? Like, was this always like something that stood out from anyone else that was speaking.

Yeah, I always had a unusual voice. And then when but you know, when you're little and the kids make funny so I stopped talking. I mean I know, I didn't stop talking. It just made me really quiet, made me shy and like I was. I didn't want to speak because all the kids would start laughing, you know, So I didn't talk much.

Outside of maturity. What's the difference in your voice then than now?

Like what it was?

It just way different or has it evolved into something? Had it evolved in something different?

Well? Yeah, I grew up with me. I mean it's changed for sure.

And then, uh, probably a lot of singing, you know, because I took up vocal lessons for a while and then and then you know when you go on tour, that's like that's like practicing. That's like a two hour vocal lesson every night. So oh so it's it's definitely changed. But but yeah, I've always had a you know, funny voice.

They call it okay beautiful.

Who was the first Do you remember the first concert you ever attended?

Okay, So, my mom took me to see Michael jacks So when I was super little, but on my own. It was a Prince concert took me to see and I remember Michael Jackson running through the crowd and everybody, the little girls jumped on him and my mom grabbed his.

Cheeks really like the bottle on his.

Face, on his face. But let me tell you how funny life is. So what was that last thing he did? It was like a big m t V. It was like m TV ten or something.

Well he did something for that uh all of his album titles.

Yeah, Invincible, I know it was like talking about the movie.

But no, it was a MTV remember that type his bodyguard to beat up, beat up that guy.

Oh oh god, that's my favorite moment. The dude from is he is he from paulp at the World? Okay, at the at the at the World, you know that award show where it's like the World Music Awards. It feels so like staged. While he was performing, he was performing earth song, I think Jarvis Cocker. Uh is he

Got beat up really bad, but they him up anyway, after walking through you welcome, he's walking by.

He has fifty bodyguards and I took my mom and she reaches in and grabs his cheeks and he goes hey, He goes hey Maids's mom and then he walked away.

Nurse.

No, I'm just glad the bodyguards didn't didn't beat up your mom.

You know how moms are, Like bodyguards don't mess with you know, mom, They just don't go to them.

What what Prince tour was? The was your first concert tour? Was that? Okay?

I memorized the show. I knew all the moves.

What you wear, what you wear?

Oh, I know, I did my hair, I had my you know, like you know the mullet, mullet put my hair over one side.

I don't remember what I wore, but I was trying.

To get that hairstyle when they at least Oh yeah, who was the first prince tour that you saw?

Question?

Okay, so.

Wait, this is a pretty simple question.

Yeah, questions, the first, the first, the first two princes. I had to wrap it up some previous ship that I haven't I haven't yet to admit to my parents yet.

So it's okay, you're fifty.

The sow anyway, Yeah, technically technically the Love Sexy Show. But I saw him in ninety three somewhere.

How old were you? I'm telling miss Jackie? How old was he?

Shut up away? Yeah, okay, so what what would what do you? What would you think you're come to Jesus moment? Was as far as you wanting uh to sing or like did you form a band in high school or any of those things? Like?

Uh So, So I went to USC and I used to hang out with all the music majors. I was in a film school, and and I just gravitated to the musicians because that's you know, I know how to pray and uh so, you know, in college, we I would, we would form bands and stuff like that. So so I met this kid, right, he had a four track.

I'm giving away my age again. He had a four track and.

He used to write songs and he was super cute and he was like, I told him I wrote songs because I, you know, just so I could hang out with him.

You know, I was trying to get it.

Yeah, So the.

Way I got attached to it, I started like writing songs, and I you know, I really liked like you know, and so you know, when you write a song, you have to kind of sing it, uh so the person knows.

How it goes.

Yeah, for him, Yeah, I was writing songs for his tracks. Okay, so you know how so we had all these little recordings of me having melody ideas on his songs.

And then one of his friends had every.

Sunday, uh like little brunch gig down at the Ramada Inn down by usc downtown LA, and and he needed a singer and we would all get we would all get one hundred dollars every Sunday. And I had no intention of being a singer. But when he told me I would get a hundred dollars, I was just like, yeah, I'll sing it. And so I started doing a brunch every Sunday money. I couldn't, you know, I didn't know anything about singing. And then he gave me all these

I like it so not not one person until that moment. I saw you as a lightning in a bottle moment because like, again, the texture of your voice is like that's a music producer's dream to capture something that unusual and unique for singing. Like it's just like no one had heard your voice. It was just like Jesus Christ, like we got to get you at least in your teen years up up until you went to college, not not once the moment ever occurred.

I was gonna say, you look exactly like you did when I met you.

No, he's got a team of people working on that.

Yeah, I got a team work. Wait a minute. Your family's last name is McIntyre.

My mom and dad. My last name is Haines. I was married.

I mean I'm not married anymore, but I was married. I didn't change my name back. But my mom and dad are McIntire's.

Yeah, good Irish people. And what yeah, because my family is mcintires. Are they from any of the Carolinas or yeah, my dad's.

From the south uh huh Wish of Georgia, Florida. I don't know if they're from the Carolina, but I know his family is in Tampa.

Is what do you know who won the Super Bowl? Quest Steve No, She asked.

You, Yeah, she asked you.

Yeah, I knew who won the super Bowl as it was Tom Brady wanted the super Bowl, Tom Brady and the Weekend one the week den he lost the super Bowl.

Yeah, I didn't like the Weekend at the super Bowl. I thought it was cool.

I wasn't thought I was tripping.

Great means out of it.

Oh yeah, exactly.

That's all I think at this rate. If you can get a good meaning out of something like that's a win, and yeah it's a win, it's like what magical point you know, seven seconds can you take from this moment? But yeah, that Jack I just found out that jacket he wore, that red line stone jacket that costs three million dollars. What Yeah, that that that Ryan's red Ryan Stone jacket. It's like hand stitched.

And I know he gave that up to feed somebody. I know he did.

Would that be three million dollars he gave so he did something with.

That uh uh? Made of I think made of rubies, not run.

Made. And it should have cooked.

For him and and and exercise every day and had a pigs for him.

Three million dollars.

Well, he worried every thing that he's promoted so far with this record.

That jacket.

Okay, the red jacket, that's you know, it's very expensive jacket.

What do you think of artists having to pay to do the Super Bowl?

Artists were paying to do the same.

Wait a minute now, I'll break the news. Now, what are you saying that? What's going on now?

You have to pay to do halftime?

Well, you pay for your own show, which is cost him about five million dollars.

I don't think he paid. I don't. I think you're responding to did he pay to do it? No? They they still have to come to you. They organized that rocket. They came to him.

I get that part.

Yeah, but you know what what you want to do to it depends on how deep your pocket took.

They don't have a budget for a show, butch your What Jesus said was there is no budget for the show.

It's like, you can come. I would invite you to come and then you can figure it out.

Right, Well, there's a limited budget, but if you want more than that's coming out of your pocket. So yes, in addition to those what two to three million dollars just for that jacket, I think he paid an additional seven million.

What's the.

That? Remember? Okay, so did it used to be like that?

Though it started with Katy Perry was the first one to pay to do halftime?

Wow?

That three years ago? Yeah?

Wow?

Well you got to make an impression and if you you know, sometimes it works for you.

Like what's the return? What's the return? So I was about to say, what's the return on?

Well, I mean it's.

You.

I mean, if you if you know you're going to make twenty million dollars that night from streaming people streaming your music or something like that, and you spend ten million, you know, it's.

Probably a scait of money. Don't make none situation. So I think I think at the time, maybe he agreed to do it kind of thinking that it was going to be a victory lap. But I don't think he was expecting to get shut out at the Grammys this year, so that kind of made it, uh man, that sort of thing.

But you know, you should have taken the weekend off.

There you go. See, this is where I would press words of wisdom. It mays, I know, I know often I can tell when critics are lazy when they start bringing up Billie Holliday, because I actually think your voice is closer to Esther Phillips. Was she at all an influence on you? Like the range and the tone of your voice and the texture of it is more closer in my opinion too, Esther Phillips then Billie Holliday. But you know, not many people know of know of Esther

You know, I think when you're into music, you listen to a lot of different singers, and.

You know you can learn so much.

So Billy Holliday is, uh, what's so magical about her is you can you can understand every word she says. You know, She's not like she's not gonna get with Houston and bulk out some crazy note.

But so I learned from her to get my words in there, you know.

And then uh so, like from like like I told you, I liked uh, what's his name, David Lee from Van Halen, and like I.

Learned from them. I learned from him. Yeah, but I can scream because also.

And then you listen to like hip hop like Biggie, like you learn to sing on rhythm, like learn to hit the beat, you know what I mean.

So there's all these lessons and I'm still learning.

You know, I'm trying to think Chaka Khan, you know, or somebody like Uh. Fritz is interesting because he did so many things with his voice, Like he could go wow, wow yo big well the picture and then he could do a falsetto. So I learned from him to try, you know, experiment with my voice and and and and hit high notes and stuff like that.

You know, do you prefer singing in a lower range or falsetto range?

No? I learned what else?

You know, there's a head voice your chest voice, and I've learned to not have to use my so I got all kind of voices.

It's okay. Is as a non singer, I'm gonna ask this question, is that really important? Like I know, uh, vocal trainers or whatnot are real big on like sing from your diaphragm, singing from your diaphragm. But why why why are most people that teach people to project, be it acting coaches or singers, why are they so insistent on singing from your diaphragm and not your.

Throat because it takes the work off of your throat because your your vocal cords will wear out a lot faster than your stomach.

You know, a proper singer, I can can sing from like I can sing from my cheeks.

I can I can do all kinds of stuff.

But yeah, the idea is to use your throat as as little as possible because your vocal cords can wear a lot faster. There's a lot of canceled shows stuff like that.

I was going to ask if you're when you were actively touring, like how how much damage would have to occur for you to cancel a show? Because even if you have a slightly hoarse or slightly scratched, sort of goes into what your tone already is.

But no, I've only I swear, I've only canceled two shows in my whole career because of my voice. Okay, one show I missed because of you know, a couple of shows I missed because of the weather.

But my voice I got, Like I call myself super.

Vocals because I like and and and when I when I canceled, it was it was all karma against Seal. It really wasn't my fault, Like he was so off with me, and I think I messed my That guy just reached down and it's like you don't have to take the ship and it Seal.

Samuel see Seal.

Yeah that's a seal, the seal in the ocean. No, but I opened for Seal for a couple of weeks and it didn't go well. And that was the only tour that my voice, my voice ever punked out at me.

Why didn't go well?

He's just, you know, just we just didn't connect. You know, it wasn't you know, we want you know, I didn't go like that. Well you know, when I when I opened for the Roots, that wasn't great. How was it that was my first my first tour you guys the roots?

Wow?

Yeah, shout out to doing back. When's the last time you wrapped it? Doing or? Steffie formerly known of Star sixty nine one, used to be in the Jazzy Fat Nasties before they went down to a duo. But the one was the one that put me onto you.

Oh really?

Oh she she stalked. She stalked me like I gotta let you. Because the thing was, I was so over the over the top excited for when the Jazzy's were on Tommy Boy as a foursome, when Jay Swift was producing them. It's like the next to slum Village. That was like the demo I was the most excited about ever hearing no offense. I love you too. I want to hear this demo. Yeah, so uh, I think knowing the the excitement I had for the Jazzy's, she like hit I remember her hitting me at like it was

But the year y'all talking about is that when the tour was two thousand and four tour it.

Was too ninety nine two thousand. Wow, it came out in two thousand and one, so I'll say ninety nine.

Yeah, you're right, because it was before my I told with you before my record broke. Wow.

Yeah, she did you remember the time? You remember the time you uh, I don't know. Maybe you were on tour with Dave Matthews. It was in Boston, Yeah, and you were drummerless and yeah.

I was thinking about that yesterday.

You called me on a whim and I tried to get up there, but it was like the weather was was just hard. Did you did you do a drum less show that night.

No, no, I forget what we did, but I thought about that yesterday.

I was like, he was so cool, he was gonna fly out and do my show because you were on tour.

Too, right, Yeah, I just never casually. I mean, that's the first time where it was just like hey, I'll be like going out to get cigarettes, like hey, I'll be back running the Boston real quick to play for Mac at the stadium. Then.

Yeah, but see that was like before I knew how, you know, how everybody was and how the music business was. So I didn't think it was you know, I'm used to being on the streets in La playing the rock seat, and you know, I'm used to saying, hey, will you play drums for me tonight?

So I didn't know like that.

Was a big request, you know, because you asked Quest to come fill in for you.

Are you? I was like, I mean, but I didn't know.

You know, that's the type of person I am. I like working.

Can we talk about lessons because because Mazie you said that your first time going on tour was with the Route, so like, yeah, of course we know their ultimate showmen and whatnot, But so what were some of the lessons or things that you learned since that was your first experience.

Well, it was my first like real you know run and uh we watched The Roots every night, so my band was really I remember my band was really fascinated with the Roots and they wanted to have that kind of synergy.

And I remember that. And then I remember partying a lot. You partied a lot because that was my first time and now just went crazy?

Why not?

Yeah?

And I remember, you know, I remember drinking a lot and just having a really good time. I don't know if I was focused on learning, but my band was like did you.

Totally like we actually know it was.

It actually taught us how to tour, like because that was my first tour that I.

Learned how to go from city to city and get on stage every night, and and uh, you know, you learn you have to learn how to how to talk to your crowd.

You know a lot of artists don't get that you really have to have a conversation with because if you just sat up there and sing.

And they're not engaged with.

Yes, I remember, uh, really learning about being with different crowds because you play in New York, it's a different crowd and when you go play and I don't know Saint Louis, you know, so I.

Remember learning how to adjust.

I remember that was because that was my first time I ever had to do that.

If I recalled correctly, Yeah, I think is did you tell me that not that Epic wasn't your first choice? But you you had a record deal before you signed the Epic.

Yeah.

I was on Atlantic, uh like three years before my Epic.

Deal, but that never came out. Vow what was his name? No?

No, no, Val didn't sign me. He was the president at the time. But the guy who signed me was Tom Caroline.

Okay, I was thinking, and who's our guy social justice? Craig Well not Craig Helman. Bred about Jason.

I met Jason. I met with Jason.

He turned me down. I met with him when he had lava. Does he still have lava?

He still has lava?

Yeah, he called me in though. He Jason was my first record label meeting ever. Okay, okay, he heard he got my demo tape.

So what what what happened in the Atlantic situation that didn't work out that led you to Epic?

I got pregnant, I had and I and they didn't know, and and and my A and R came to the studio and and and then I got dropped like right after Yo.

Remember they could not they could do that, but I can't believe that for.

Decades, Like remember in the fifties and said, oh god no.

But even in the music world, like why why is life over? Once? You know, I'm saying, like why would life be over in terms of the record label saying, well, let's.

Drop because men, because men run labels.

There you go.

I mean, still most most artists have babies way later. Actresses you know, a lot of girls don't want to mess their body up, though it's not always true.

And why do they want to mess their body up when they why is that?

That's just crazy to me that I mean, was that their exact reason or did they make up an excuse? I assuming they made up an excuse. Oh okay, that's what you mean. That's they just told you like, okay, well you're pregnant, so this is over, goodbye. That's the label.

They can't work you as much as they could. You know that that's the thinking, you know what I mean. They once you have a kid, it's like, oh, well, whatever we had planned for you to touring and the studio and the running back and forth just all the time.

You can't that's no longer a possibility.

Yeah, But sir, if you just had a kid, come on, let's go, because you know, you ain't got.

To stay home, you got to eat. Yeah, you got to make that money. Exactly. So did you get when you arrived that epic? How much control were you given as far as the direction you wanted your project to go?

Not a lot.

I mean, I had we had written the songs, most of the songs on that first album.

We were on my little demo tape that they heard and then but they hired this producer and Andy Slater.

Oh Slater, okay, Yeah, So his.

Concept he wanted to do because my my, the demos were strictly like beats and and you know, with you know bass program, you know, so he wanted to do His concept was to do an R and B record with live instruments. And I had no idea what that was all about. But I was just, you know, I went with the floor. We had a lot of fights. There was a lot of fights, me and him because because I was used to things the way I wanted it like I wanted a.

Tuba on one song and he had a fit. But really, yeah, he just.

You know he I think he had a really clear vision and and I think he felt like he knew what he was doing. So it was very you know, draining for me making that record. But once it was done, you know, I liked it.

And then and then it grew on me. I really I really liked it, you know, much later.

I'm really dismayed that they didn't put a lot of muscle behind uh do something, because I always felt like out the gate and again I heard do something that her her cover of Outcasts get up, get out and get something. I instantly heard that. I was like, oh, this is gonna be across the board hit like this is I can't I can't miss situation. And was it just that, I mean they didn't know how to market it or properly work it, or even get Outcasts to

Yeah, that was an interesting time because uh, okay, so someone got that. Someone I don't know who put it all together, but they felt like it was really important for me to go or to go to the urban audience first. They felt like if I if I skipped over and went straight to I Try, I would I wouldn't have that base or whatever. Like I said, this is the time I knew nothing about the record business.

Wait to get on I Try.

So I don't know if they didn't give it the time it needed or it was just you know, just kind of set me up and get me in all the papers and stuff, and then and then they went on the I Try, and then that was that was that, you know. So I don't I don't know, like I didn't know, Like I said, I didn't know what was going on. They were like, you know, show up on forty second.

Street and I'll be there. I was. I was just having fun, you know.

Yeah, well, I'll say I Try. Well, now that it's two decades old, what is your relationship with the song do you? Is it a thing where it's like, okay, I dreaded having to still do this this long into my career. You are you comfortable with still people coming up like, oh, that's my song or you know.

No, I love that song.

I just hate that. That's some people only know me for that song.

I hate for that.

Yeah, I hate that. But no, you know what though, you guys, I still don't get it.

I know it sounds stupid, but like I do my shows and people like still scream on that song.

They still get up there.

Not every word, every ad lib, every beat, we still have to do it on the end. So you lost your song because I still don't get what I buss is by. I mean, it's a good song, but I still don't get like classic song from twenty years I had no.

If I wouldn't have ever put money on that.

No, my theory on I Try was in this Rich, my manager, Rich and I had this conversation and we said, if I Try as probably the best song that Al Green could have maybe recorded or attempted to do in the arts in ninety nine two thousand, if you were allowed to like it, just it was a very I don't know, it's like an authentic kind of you know it was it was drifting, sort of an authentic soul cloak that I think resonated with a lot of people, and you know it and it took off, Like was

Like?

Once you hit jackpot, It's amazing.

You know, you get to see the world and everybody's you know, sweating you and giving you free stuff, and you know, you say boom and they get all excited, and.

You know, and you make a lot of money and you know, people look up to you. It's cool. I don't.

I know, people complain about same, but I refuse.

Because I enjoyed it. I mean, it's there's other stuff, you know.

That was the first time I like, you know, did mushrooms and you know, stayed up for three days. I mean a lot of stuff goes along with that. But you know, I did a lot of shopping things I couldn't buy it.

Before I had bought what's life like?

I was gonna ask you, if you talk about fame, what's life like for you now? Is it still you know, like crazy like that? Or are you able to go to Trader Joe's in peace?

You know?

Uh?

Yeah?

You know what I find is when you roll out alone, nobody really bothers you. But when people take out eight bodyguards and they.

Say, oh, you're drawing attention.

Yeah, but when you roll out, especially now in a mask, even though it's crazy, people recognize me with a mask, I don't get that.

So so but yeah, I'll go to the store all.

The time, and I mean it's cool, it's not. No, it's not nearly as crazy as it used to be.

But I still tour a lot, and I love touring. That's like my heaven.

How did you manage to maintain all of that and then still be mommy to three babes?

Oh? You know, I just lock them in the closet when I'm gone.

And I'm afraid to ask this question. How old is Happy now?

Twenty three?

Yes?

Is that your oldest? Your youngest?

My youngest is twenty five, remember Ni bel.

Like in my mind your kids are still three.

Yeah, she came home one of the drum set.

Happy is like a past college now.

Yeah, she has one more year. She she took some time off she's a photography major and she got an internship and then and now she's going back to.

Finish and and it's online. It's such a drag. I feel so bad for her. For students, so glad I'm not in school, but they're.

Old old I'm sorry that threw me for y'all. I wasn't ready for it, say, like fifteen fourteen, like, oh yeah, happy, he's about to start in high school.

Have they been around during this COVID time? Like, are you guys in vicinity close vitinities each other?

Yeah? At first when I first started, my my mother was here.

My mother has cancer, so everybody was extra careful not to really do too much. But now I don't know, I don't know. It's hard to, you know, keep that up. It's been a year, hard to sit around the house again.

And you know, you got generations z babies. I know they were just like I'm going out.

Yeah I did.

I did tell them no company, you know, But now you know, I've come home sometime and it's a little you know, straight straight people.

Okay, So okay, Now I have a question mine of your catalog And I'm not being biased like the I was always my favorite, and of course I know about the do you do you subscribe to the to the the nine to eleven Jinks of of all those records in case I don't know, like there were at least seventeen albums that were released between uh September eleventh, two thousand and one and uh like the subsequent week like September seventeenth, of which you know, because of where the

That was the Tuba track?

Dude, I don't want to get back to the Tuba track I was telling you about.

That is my all time I still play shed in my DJ sets now like shed my ship. But it was a hidden track, So like, why why did they at least try to revive it or did they just say, like, look, just go back in the studio and start the what was the next one? The trouble with being myself like to start on that. But what was the what was the situation at the time.

Yeah, I think I think the label was disappointed. Like I said, I was still chilling, you know not, but people forget I sell most of my records overseas and I sold four million copies that I Reckon in Europe and the UK. But I know here there was kind of a you know, what do you call it? Not a letdown but anti cloud whatever, you know.

Because they hyped it up.

There you go, they hyped it up and it didn't do as well as as they they wanted it to, but.

It did well.

I think if it weren't for nine to eleven, it would have been a different story. But yeah, I always rec Yeah, wait a minute, it just hit me. This is what I always wanted to know. Okay, So when you were promoting when you were promoting the id MHM, there was an interview and Vibe magazine. Do you guys remember this at all?

Give me more. I'm waiting for it.

Yeah, like that it was. But I feel because the thing was because there wasn't because it wasn't social media, you know, even though it was two thousand and one and we were like definitely living in uh social media esque times. But I just remember how people responded. I think Marco Marco Watson.

Who I cannot believe you remember that. That is insane, dude.

You know what my obsession is. I remember every attempted takedown article of any black artist that I ever, you know, loved or that sort of thing. So aux right M A R G E A U X. Well she I think she's a music executive now, but back when she was a journalist, I mean she did a Q and A with with Masie and Vibe, and I think that people were just like thrown off by the interview you and.

But that she screwed me because she wasn't a cut and as she came over with my house, we hung out for two days. Right, I thought she was like my best friend by the time.

It was.

Yeah, So I thought I'm telling.

Her like like I just told y'all, you know, I went over. I did mushroom, you know, you know, I'll kissed somebody, you know what I mean. I'm talking to her like she's my girl, even though she wasn't. I was that could have been my mistake, and then she put it on in the article and I just I didn't know that she would do that. So that's just something I learned the hard way. But you know, you just can't be telling people stuff like that. But I

I see, like she says, so have you ever blah blah blah, And I said, girl, you know.

Right, it would have been like her talking just to you like you so but I could have been sister girl by thing. But instead, you know.

But in her defense, she sent me the actual article that she wrote because I called her right away, and her whoever the editor was at the time, totally just picked out those parts because the article she wrote wasn't that bad like the things that were, you know, not so right, you know, so godly she.

I know the editor too, and I got beef with her too, But I'll.

Be nice, Yeah, she totally.

I don't know why she came after me like that, but it it wasn't.

All Marbo her article. I wish I still had it, I think I do.

But her article wasn't that bad. Like if her article has been published, it wouldn't have been that bad, right.

I see now. I always wanted to know, like what, because I knew like people were thrown off and then like you didn't hear anything about it, But I always wanted to know what you felt.

Yes, So I begged my label to let me speak on it, and they thought if I if I said anything, I would bring attention to it. But I was like, everybody read it already.

I don't know more attention.

Would y'all just random question now that you said that, I'm like, would y'all trade coming out then to now in a social media error?

No?

Okay, because I mean, if it was social media, you could have just said what you needed to say, right, But yeah.

No not.

Because back in the back in the day, we made we made a lot more money. We had a lot more fun sitting here all that word about that posh like we was out partying, you know, having fun, selling records, you know.

But I also think I don't think that there was anything that scandalous in the article. So I think in this particular case, if Twitter were a thing in two thousand and one, it probably, you know, probably could have been cleared instantly, whereas like because there was no explanation of it and just it was left out there in the you know, kind of there in the in the atmosphere that it just caused a lot of confusion at the time.

Yeah, it was that that really hurt me. That was I was down about that for a long time. It took me a while to get over that. Yeah, because you know, it's not always just she was like when your mom reads it, you know, right, and your family and and they're looking at you sideways, like girl.

During this time period, you were you know, getting your your acting chops on. Mm hmm, especially with like I think you did Idle Wild, uh like a Want of Blues, you did Spider, then you did training especially training day. What was what was training day?

Like?

It was wild because Uh, okay, so I'm in the studio and that's my manager said, Antoine wants to stop by and meet you.

Mm hmm.

I didn't really know who he was, and uh, I was like, okay, whatever, and then he goes, you know, I want you to be in my movie. So I thought, you know, someone was wrong with him because I don't have any acting background.

I had no interest in acting.

And then he goes, you know, let's so he hung out at the studio and then he said, let's go to a dinner tomorrow. So we went to mister Childs and he's sitting there. He's telling me all about his movie and then he says, you know, yeah, and uh, the guy who's playing this characters is Denzel Washington. So I was like, what you know? So then so then I got all into it. You know, then I was

So that was all heart, you know what I mean?

That shining through.

I really I really enjoyed watching you as as an actress, and I always wanted if you had plans to do more, because you really you really pop on screen.

Thank you. But he's cool.

I went to his trailer and he gave me some advice and he was very I forget the name of his character.

What was his character's name, Scary, No, not Lonzo, it was Fronte is the most memorized, like walking I am d b every actor.

For every character, but he was very much in character. He was like, it was like in his eyes it was kind of scary.

What was his advice?

He said, just if you don't know what to do, just just be you doing your part.

It's what he does that's hilarious.

So he had the same character that whole time to not break it.

Or Yeah, he was in the trailer like he had this look in his eyes. I'll never forget.

I thought like he and he was watching Ken Burns documentary on was it on Felonious Monk And I think he.

Felt like that.

I think that's what his character would watch. But he had the whole set and he was just watching documentary at the documentary and his channel, which.

Now which my relationship is based on Felonious Monks. Kim the Kim Burns Stalone's documentary.

By the way, Yeah, that's wild because that's that's what he was watching.

Training day was project number what for you?

That was my first movie.

Can I ask you about filming and Philly and doing shadow Boxer and their role and working with Lee Daniels. Yeah, that role that you played even in Dying.

Just no, yeah, yeah, can.

You talk about that and how that came about and what was it like doing Bad Way?

It was the same Lee. Lee came to see me and that you know, that.

Was Lee's first directing he had he had he had produced Monster's Ball, but that was his first directing.

And what's that the one he worked on with Damon Dash Yeah.

Okay, Damon gave him the money. Yeah, and so.

I've seen the clip I went.

I went to a party with Lee and Lee is like he'll just walk up to people and say, I'm making a movie. This was way back when he was starting out. I'm trying to make this movie. You got their money, like seriously, like.

All day.

Yes, the original.

Door he was me.

He wouldn't care and I've never seen that before, no fear, and he raised the money.

But that is very much a d Daniel's thing.

That's my favorite.

Yeah. Oh really wow, I just yeah, so we hit it off and then I did the movie.

It's cool, but you didn't answer if asked, are you are you planning on getting jumping back into a little bit of acting. I know you've got an album you're working on and whatnot, but what about the acting.

Yeah?

No, my record's coming out, and then I'm doing a movie in October, and then I got a horror flick coming out in April.

I did my first horror movie, really really with who assist this new girl? Her name is Jess Farley, just Varley. She's only twenty six. It's the first movie.

Okay, I got a sick mind.

It's actually pretty good a shot, really really good, Mace.

I totally forgot one of my all time favorite moments with you in any medium. M you gotta tell me. I don't even know if you remember this or I don't even know if you know what how how viral this moment was. But do you have any memories whatsoever of the New Year's Eve night of twenty thirteen, that whole Jamie Kennedy thing with Bone Thugs and Harmony and you and whoever else was on that show. Have you guys ever seen this clip at all? This is a hell of a setup.

If you don't remember what yeh? God?

Yeah, And there were midgets and like, no, you guys don't this you know again, was this two thousand? I think it was twenty eleven, twenty twelve, whatever it was. If the only way I can describe it is if if the white version of Funky Finger Productions from a living color, if they were allowed to throw Dick Clark's Rock and New Year's Eve Special, but kind of with

You don't even know my band got robbed wait that night, Yeah, that's not even yeah, I.

Was going to say it. Just just google Jamie Kennedy New Year's Eve Special, Los Angeles and I'm good right now. It's one of the greatest. I think the version that's on the internet now is sort of a condensed like maybe six minute version, but the entire production is and like Macy counts down to midnight and it's still like maybe like eleven o four. She's like, it's like three two one, and the producers are like, no, Macy's not even midnight. He said, well, so just act like it's

It's called a fail on a couple of the videos.

Yeah, you got it, you gotta watch it. I mean, I think I discovered after seeing if there were any more busy bone moments that need to be witnessed besides his uh, I'm saying this lightly his drunken rant, but box it wasn't alcohol.

And they had us in the same dressing room.

Well it was like a big room, but the room and there was like a little divider between us.

So you weren't aware that this was like a highly viral movement for the internet.

No, we are.

First of all, we were super drunk. Everybody was drunk. But I didn't know.

I've been drunk on New Year's even done shows great. I didn't know it was gonna go.

Yeah, it wasn't the drunk part. Yes, there was a lot of drunk parts, but it was just like the the production was horrible. Everything was shanky, the you know, the jokes weren't landing. The host didn't know where he had to be, Like, it was horrible.

It was horrible. I can't believe you remember that.

It's my favorite thing to watch, Like I'll be say, three times a year, three times a year, I'll watched that ship. Do you have do you have memories of of doing the fail Out Project with us?

I do.

I tell everybody about that. That was another time and you just called me up and you're like, hey, come down, and you know, you know nowadays when people say that you gotta call your manager and you got to.

Your assistant hester but it was just like okay, and I came down and we did it. And that's the night I met the Angelo, and I'm.

Now considered that the last night of Voodoo, Like, yeah, that was close chapter of it. But he was really impressed, like he knew he knew of you. But you know, I think after the session, when you and him did

But yeah, but then I never heard from him again. He was like, yeah, there's too someone and I never heard.

Yeah, well, you know, his next album came out fifteen years later, so.

I'm not.

I've never talked about that.

Can you talk about working with why did why did you choose Dallas Austin when you did the trouble with being myself out and like what how was your working relationship with him in the studio?

So that was that was different. That was the first time, like Polly poly Anthony, she was ahead of the label and I know probly passed.

Poly Anthony.

Yeah, wow, I.

Didn't know that ship. Oh damn, I didn't know that fun. Yeah, damn, I'm sorry you hear that. No, was the chance like the last of the last of I won't say the Mohicans, but definitely the lasted damn.

So she had me like meat producers, like, because my first two albums, I just decided who I wanted, and well Andy kind of came in. But but it wasn't a choice, she said, and he's going to produce your record. And then I was like, okay, so, but this is the first time I like set with producers and they played me.

Stuff and.

On this record with Andy, No, No, I mean, he's a great but we just fought. It was too much like Firelight far all the time. So I met with Dallas, and Dallas was like he just kept talking about how much he loved, you know, the songs that.

I had and blah blah blah. He's kind of juiced me up and I felt for it. It's like, okay, that was it?

Was it? Was it not?

Was it not a pleasant experience or were you not pleased with the outcome of those songs that y'all did together?

No, we we have fun. He's hard to it's hard to get him to sit. You know, he's very we were much.

Younger at the time, so we both just had a lot going on and so it was cool we got it done, but I think he got.

Upset with me because some of his ideas I didn't like.

And you know, there's always a first So that was like the first time I had been in with.

Somebody like him, and and I didn't you know, like now I would handle it totally differently.

And also thing with single choices, man like for that album like Come Together, I felt it would have been the song.

And you know, oh my god, the fact that you know that song is so.

May see, I'm an actual fan of yours, Like I'm not just like, oh yeah, I know her and she's singing as I try, like, I know your entire discography, trust me about stuff. Well then okay, so what I well, first of all, shortly before she pat well, I mean she passed in twenty sixteen. But what was it like working with Natalie Cole? I know that she was on you used her on the big album? Yeah, what was it like? But even more than that, I gotta know, what's it like working with Ron Fair? Like in my

He's very you know, precise, and you know everything is really big orchestral.

And thought out and stuff like that, and you know he's run fair.

He was always really nice to me. I hear a lot of horror stories, but he was always really nice to me.

I don't know, but you know I did. I Will did that.

Label. I didn't know how much he produced it. There there's one joint on there that I there's one joint on there I loved called okay, And I always wanted to know if the Neptune had anything to do with that or.

Justin Timberlake wrote that song.

There you Go Okay. I felt there was like at least a one degree to Pharrell and then by the way the bridge sounded and all that, I was like, you know this, but you know, because we were past the CD era, I never once looked up the credits and whatnot.

So Masie, I wanted to always to ask you about the song love Won't Wait off the Black Eyed Peas first album that was. That was my favorite song on that album and I loved your performed song. Do you have any memories of doing that song?

The session for it? It's always honest.

In your mind.

Do you have memories like the favorite Cowboy collaboration moments though, because you've done so many, I mean even a mere asking for about Nighty Cole, I forget, Like I forgot all about that. But are there some memorable ones in your head to stick out the most?

Stick out the most?

Probably I was I did a record with Robin Think and then he left to go out to dinner and he never came back.

Speaking of.

Record, and y'all never spoke after that ever.

I mean I run into him, but okay, and it was it was a Ryan Fair record, which supposed to do and it just never came back.

Oh record you you you gave? I think you you gave.

Uh.

He gave hip Boy one of his first looks, like how did you How did you cheer him? Especially before you know, his his blow with niggas in Paris and all the other stuff that he did.

Yeah, he was.

At the record plant.

I was.

I was at the record plant and he was with I forget, but he came in my room and he just said, hey, you know, I'm a producer and you know, blah blah blah. And then I'll call him to see what he had.

And we worked together, you know, Okay, he was just hustling. But I always I keep my EyeT for like, I listened to everything, like people come up to me and because you just never know, you know what I mean, So people want to play me stuff. I said, then, and listen, you just.

Said that out loud.

You really mean it because you know, I mean so she just said that out loud. So I mean, if it wasn't happening before, now people are listening like, okay, cool, I feel comfortable just handed me.

But that's how I met for Pharrell. Actually, and I did a record with Farel.

He was nineteen and nobody knew who he was, not really he did.

It was me and Guru, I could call it.

It was on the it was all I said. It was all I said. All I said, I forgot one the streets, so three of the streets Soloe it was the one was certified.

I was about I forgot you were on that record.

Yeah.

I was like, they were like, there's this new kid, and I mean, you know, and I went to the studio.

And it came out cool. He was out but not like he wasn't frail yet.

Yeah, just he still had the mustache. Yeah, yeah, still the mustache. I always wanted to know this, and I've never heard this before, But how what was the what was the idea of covering the entire Talking Book album by Stevie Wonder? Whose idea was that?

That was? Okay, you know how how Wilner, he's the he's I know, yeah, me too, I love him. So he had this idea. He was like, nobody's ever covered the whole album, and and then he had some ideas and one and then and Talking Book is like the one album I know backwards and forwards. I know every word, every beat.

Mm hmmm.

So we did that when I was on this little label and I could do whatever I want, So we just we just won the seal dance. But then you follow the house though everybody's plugged in, and.

But then you followed it up with another cover album, Like, what was the the logic behind that just get covered? Was at least half covered? Was covered? All covered songs?

Or just no, it was all It was all covers, Okay, some.

That were obvious hit singles and some that were like cool album cuts.

And yeah, I was on this little label and and my manager didn't think I should give them any big records or something. I mean that I probably shouldn't have announced that book.

The whole goal was to shoot your shot, like no matter what.

Yeah, no not in some In some cases you should shoot your shot. Not always. But but.

There was this little label and and my my manager didn't think they were capable of, like, you know, properly promoting a song, and so he was like, it's just too covers and then let's get up out of there, and so we'll just covered. But some of my favorite songs of mine are on are on that record. I know I shouldn't have said that.

No, it's it's just honesty.

I take it back, I take it back, give me another excuse.

Still talk some good songs. It don't really matter, it's like good. I was like, I'm going down on this covered. I didn't even know about that.

No cover, some good records on it.

Of your canon, what's your favorite out them?

Uh, probably definitely my first one to d and then my last one I love.

I did an album called I Think It's Yeah, Ruby's good album.

Someone called that returned to four. Is there anyone that you've yet to work with that you would like to I.

Actually got the song on my new album, I want you to play, and I was gonna send it to.

You, send it to me, give her your emails.

And is that the one that I think Susie sent us to Spotify?

Is that it's not it's not a it's really actually like a like a breakdown in the song and you kind of.

Just do some solo ship.

Okay, it's out right right, Mae, it's out the song you talk.

About, No, not the song for a quest.

But there's a song okay, so everybody listens stream a song called thinking of You, and then there's a song out called Deer America.

Because we're setting up my album, because is this.

The first time you're doing it? Correct if I'm wrong a jazz record.

No, I've done a jazz record.

This is at my first minute. So my I've been with my touring band for about five years. So we decided to be official so called Macy Gray in the California Jet Club.

Go ahead, ask.

Where did that name come from?

It's really boring. So we all live in California. We fly a lot's club.

I don't know, I didn't come up with I would have came up with some way better. No, it's cool, but so yeah, thinking of you. If you go on Spotify, you look up Macy Gray in the California Jet Club.

You guys would love Dear America. That's my favorite. But it's a good record.

Okay, damn you know what? I did have one question about whose idea was it to do the stripped album the way you did it? Steve? What's what's the technical term I'm looking for? Do you remember.

By normal?

How did you know before I even ask? Because nevermind, forget it, this is why we quest love supre But yeah, what was the what was the decision to make it by a normal? Which I assume that it was basically two strategically placed microphones in the room? Oh, just one microphone. The Cowboy Junkies first did this idea? Correct? I believe were they infamously went to this church to record this album.

We did out of church in Brooklyn.

Okay, it's like an audio version of Dogma ninety five, Like it's it's it's a challenging sound to achieve. But was that your idea or just your producer at the time.

Or No, there's a Cheskey Records. Do you know nor I mean Cheskey, No, I don't.

He owns a jazz label called Cheskey Records, and he does most of the albums on his label like that, okay, because there's no there's no mix, of course, and you get it all done in two days, like you go rehearse and then you go and.

You cut it.

But it's back in the day, I mean one of the most of the old records cut like that alone. Yeah, no, but I love it, love the way it sounds, and I love the way that record sounds. But yeah, we all got in kind of a what do you call it, like a U shape around the mic, and we cut half of it one day and the next day we cut the other half. I'm sitting there thinking I'm gonna go back and do my vocals over so because I wasn't like it just didn't hit me like you.

This is it.

Oh you didn't know it's final.

It was. It's really final.

That's the only thing that would be cool for the roots, though you guys would kill that.

Oh God, something you'll haven't done.

I would love to, but I don't know sonically we can achieve that.

But you know, I mean no, there's people that the people that know how to do that with will hook it up for you.

Steve Let's real engineer would would know how to do that.

Before before I.

Wrap up, yes, we got to talk about my goods.

Yeah, the charity.

Can I get that question out?

Okay, we beat you to the spot, right, that's a sports term, the spot to the spot.

Thank you.

I have a question. I have a question. What is that on your shoulder that's driving me crazy? What is that for me?

Steve shoulder? That is oh wow, Dean Ricky. They make those lego hearts for me. Now they're making a Donuts line.

But did the jacket come like that and you put that on there?

No, No, I just put it on the jacket because this is green and the jacket's green.

So you know, forgetting to go to the Instagram page. Okay, every time.

I thought it was I thought it was too No, it's a Donuts.

They dope brothers though. Yeah, I'm glad to be a rock dad.

They make awesome brooches.

You should rock the bagel one bill.

Saying.

They just they just hit me three weeks ago. They're sending me a locks and bagel. They they actually paired up with uh, some high end Brooklyn deli to do locks and bagel. So they're going to send me one. So I'll rocket for you, or or I'll ask you permission rock and rocket. Yeah, but what what I was asking you, Mace, was about my Good dot org. Could you explain sort of the process of you starting this foundation?

So My Good is, Uh, what we do is we support the families who've lost loved ones due to police violence. M that we come in and help with funeral costs, a lot of medical bills, mental health services, a lot of families, you know, they get sold down and depressed, they lose everything. So we've had to get a couple of moms, uh housing. It's I think, you know, people get all into their opinion of it and you forget that someone's actually living the death, someone's death. You know,

A lot of.

Families fall into like addiction and stuff like that. So so we're just there to help people get back on their feet and help them get through it.

And people can go to it's my good dot org m y g o O D dot org.

Yeah, you go there, you donate, or you can go on the email if you want to be a part of it and just support and stuff like that. But we're doing good.

I mean it's new, so so it's just coming together, but we're doing good. We're gonna make a documentary and we have our own shoe coming out.

Your own Shoe.

Yeah, we're gonna sell shoes to help raise money for the foundation.

They're pretty deep.

Yeah, nobody sells yo.

Yeah, they like sneakers or they like a little slippings.

Yeah, okay, Yeah.

The website.

I wanted to ask you. I saw the the interview you did on on on Oprah. Oh god, I wanted no, no, no, no, it was it was. It was amazing to see that. But what I want to know is, in sort of in the pandemic, how how have you been handling uh staying clear and staying focused and kind of well sober. I guess you could say, how how have you been handling it?

I haven't. I'm sucked up right now. I'm just kidding, okay, so let me see.

Let me send the show.

But my mother was here that kept me in line. I mean, not that I don't have h I got.

I got away from that, so I'm proper healthy and a lot more mature now. But my mother made us all be good while she was here, that's for sure. And then and then I started working on my record, so I was always in the studio. And then you know, like that binge watch like everybody else, and I learned how to cook and all that bullshit.

But it wasn't that OR learned other things to cook.

I can I could cook better. To put it that way, I like, like I got all.

Into my spices and my season and stuff. Stuff I had never really worried about before.

Seasons and spices.

You know, before you just make a hamburger. You flipped a couple of times and put some barbecue sauce. Now I'm all into, you know, leming them and put a little of this because it was nothing. Yeah, the rubs. I didn't even know what a rub was before, ye know.

You like, I've been paying a lot of attention to the spice cabinet, way like, way more than I normally have, you know, yeah, cinnamon and lemon pepper to reach word.

But I bought some black garlic the other day.

Let's go damn salt.

Everything, treffle oil, garlic oil, all the oils, all the everything.

Yeah, because there was nowhere else to go but the grocery store. Everybody got into like, you know, let's get some black garlic.

I ain't yet, but you know it's there.

Let me see what this is. There's some rub over there.

I started, like, you know how they have the self checkout, you know before I was way too boogie for that, Like I'm not checking out?

Are you kidding me?

Now?

I just go to self checkout. This is something that is an hour just bagging my little grocery just like the highlight of my day. It's horrible a.

Self self checkout question. Ain't nobody ever just you know, not put it across the.

Bar, like yo, okay, Steve looked me right at that point in my life, Steve, I'm ready, I'm looking Steve, look me in the eye right now, he'll know we're now fourth floor?

How honest are you.

The way.

Fourth floor?

Steve?

Thirty?

No, I know, I know what you're talking about. That vending machines there were food in them.

But I've now it's a level of trust on the floor, a thirty rock that I've never seen.

It's so that I purposely like, don't tell me more, just to not just to offset the niggas is still.

Yeah, yes, because on the fourth floor there's just a complete, like grocery store that's just isolated, Like if I wanted to, I could just grab like sixteen yogurts if I wanted to or whatever, and.

A lot to carry.

And I'm like, wait, they trust us to do this, Like I could literally just walk out here with an entire refrigerator of how do you pay for it?

Aren't you supposed to pay for it?

No? You're paid. They they trust that you will be honest and paid for it, which I know they're not watching.

Oh actually wow, But.

Yeah, I just wanted to know if you ever have the temptation to just like it, you know.

And target every once and again.

Well, I believe in. So that's why I'm not done.

Y'all get on my nerves, dude.

It's real, right, You're right, right, it's real. It comes back.

I'll take those earrings back.

Anywhow may see you're man.

I was gonna say for you wrap a mere Basically, there's a connection I have, Well, you have with two bandmates of mine. I sing in a band called the Foreign Exchange and one of my bandmates that I sing with, Carmen Rogers.

She did a this is back in two thousand and one.

She was working for a high end like this high end design firm in Dallas or whatever, and they had like a Christmas party or whatever, and they her boss thought it would be a cool idea for her to imitate Macy Grey, because she does she still does, like a really good Macy Gray personation.

Yeah, and so her boss was like, Okay, I think this would be cool. You know what I'm saying.

Do it.

So at the time, Karma had a big red fro and she went and they go into the party whatever, and they really thought it was her, so people start.

Crying and hypervent leadership.

They eventually had to rush her out the fucking building because they really thought so. She just wanted me to just tell you that. Hell and also and also a very a very dear friend, Cy Smith.

You, she just told me.

She was just telling you to tell you, say what's up. She said, it was a blast to one with you and she just wanted me to see you some love.

Yes, well, sEH, I thank you for thank ye, thank you for for doing this with us.

Your patience is amazing. Thank you, thank you.

Don't forget to check out. She was here.

She was here at like six thirty.

She telling people like y'all arete the gold, tell them to wrap this ship.

Like you know, she just roll with us.

I appreciate that's what's up, okay, keeping us hons No, yeah, but thank you, thank you for doing the show. And we we appreciate and we're fans of yours and we love you on behalf of Laya and Sue, Steve and paid Bill Fine, take a little my name is quest Love and another episode of quest Love Supreme. Thank you very much. See I'm the next an yo.

What's up?

This is fante.

Make sure you keep up with us on Instagram at QLs and let us know what you think and.

We should be next to sit down with us. Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast, all right.

DC.

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