Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Speaker A: Yo, it's effective immediately. I'm DJ Head.
[00:00:06] Speaker B: What up, Hip Hop Nation? It's your favorite homegirl, Gina Views.
[00:00:08] Speaker A: Welcome to another episode. We got the world famous, the world traveler, the artistic artist himself from Inglewood, California, D Smoke is here.
[00:00:16] Speaker C: What up, what up, what up?
[00:00:17] Speaker A: Welcome to the show, brother.
[00:00:18] Speaker C: Thank you for having me.
[00:00:19] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? Welcome to the. To the new digs. This is, you know, a change of pace a little bit.
I see, you know what I'm saying? Had to switch up the scenery a little bit, but congratulations on the new album.
[00:00:29] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:00:30] Speaker A: New project is out right now.
Oh, I forgot to introduce you as a three time Grammy nominated artist.
[00:00:37] Speaker C: Hey, man, for those who care about that thing.
[00:00:40] Speaker A: No, no, you should, bro.
[00:00:42] Speaker C: I care, bro. Okay, but I'm saying. Not everybody does. You know what I'm saying? Hey, but if it matters to you.
[00:00:47] Speaker B: It matter like a motherfucker.
[00:00:48] Speaker A: No, it matter, bro. Matter clips, nigga. Push a T set right there was like, oh, no, we want ours.
[00:00:55] Speaker C: I'm gonna go ahead and say I'm gonna get mine.
[00:00:57] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, I like that proclamation, you know what I'm saying?
[00:01:00] Speaker C: Yeah, but leading the introduction with it is the part that be like, well, yeah, let's do that.
[00:01:06] Speaker B: Sometimes you gotta remind niggas, though.
[00:01:08] Speaker C: You do, you do.
[00:01:09] Speaker A: Sometimes y' all pop out and it's.
[00:01:11] Speaker C: Funny that it's funny, but see, were you Grammy nominated before the Grammy noms came in, you know what I'm saying? Like, what does that mean? It means you just fucking.
No, no, no, no. Were you that caliber or were you great before they called you great, you know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, we been like that before they said it. Before they said it.
[00:01:31] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:01:31] Speaker C: You know what I'm saying? So in that sense, like, cool.
But some people don't get it till you say it. So let's let them know.
[00:01:38] Speaker B: Is it on you or in you?
[00:01:39] Speaker C: It's in me. Me. It's in me. You know what I'm saying? Maybe we should wear it then.
[00:01:43] Speaker A: I should wear it then. There you go. Super.
[00:01:45] Speaker B: He's still barring shit up right now.
[00:01:47] Speaker A: Right there.
[00:01:47] Speaker B: It's crazy.
[00:01:48] Speaker A: He don't turn it off either.
[00:01:49] Speaker C: He don't.
[00:01:49] Speaker A: I'm just saying, he. I remember going to his house one day and can I tell about that? The duality of deep smoke. I'm trying to remember in the Bench.
[00:02:01] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, go for it.
[00:02:02] Speaker A: Okay, so the duality of D smoke is I go to his house, he's like, I play you some shit. So I go, like, all right, for sure. So we pull up.
We go to, like, I don't know, whatever the penthouse was or whatever. And he got a piano so he could, like, play music or whatever. Cool.
[00:02:19] Speaker C: Classical music.
[00:02:20] Speaker A: Classical music. And he got some nice vinyl collection. He got all the classical, beautiful shit going on. And it's a device for projectiles. That's just sitting.
[00:02:33] Speaker B: Blower.
[00:02:34] Speaker C: That blammer. No, and it's not just one blammer.
[00:02:37] Speaker A: No, I know, but it was just sitting there.
[00:02:38] Speaker B: You got a collection.
[00:02:39] Speaker C: No, it was.
[00:02:40] Speaker A: It was in the little.
[00:02:40] Speaker C: It was in the piano.
[00:02:41] Speaker A: It was in the piano.
[00:02:42] Speaker C: It was just sitting out on the counter. Look at her face.
[00:02:45] Speaker B: Wait, where it was at?
[00:02:46] Speaker C: It's in the piano bench. You know how you could lift up the top of the piano bench?
[00:02:49] Speaker B: That sound like when Kevin Hart was telling the story about how.
[00:02:51] Speaker C: Gun compartment.
Exactly. Exactly.
[00:02:55] Speaker B: You'll never guess it's here.
[00:02:56] Speaker A: Yeah. He's like, gun compartment. Nah. But I was like, damn. Okay. It's so funny because people love to. The reason why I brought that up is because the COVID of your album, you know, I know. It's. We gonna talk about Mama Farris, too. I'm sorry, Mama Gooche, but you got the doves and, like, you got the, like, it's always beautiful, serene shit. And then when we go places, like, oh, man, I love your music. It's beautiful. Like. Yeah, but he'll beat you up, though, man.
[00:03:26] Speaker C: I'm peaceful, bro. It's like, I'd rather be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. You know what I'm saying? I hope to never have to use, like, the blammer ever. I don't want to have. I don't. I even say that in a.
In a. In a rap. I did, like, you know.
You know, I feared that I would have to pull it out. You know, I can't even count the times with pistol in my belt. I feared that I would have to pull it out. It jammed no hand to hand. A fearful man to put a bullet in your mouth. Like, who wants to be in that situation? It's not cool. I'm at good days.
[00:03:59] Speaker B: It's funny you said the duality, because I saw a member.
It was on Twitter. I forgot who it was, but it was a couple next to you and your wife, and somebody walked up and hugged a girl, picked her up. And niggas on Twitter, like, they knew not to do that to these folks.
I forgot what that was.
[00:04:18] Speaker A: That was.
That was Jonathan Majors.
[00:04:21] Speaker C: You know, and they're friends of ours, you know, Jonathan Majors and Meagan Good, aka Mrs. Majors, and it was Michael Ealy. All of these are good people and they're part of the same. What people didn't see is that, you know, of course the editor gon pick it up when he hugs her, not when he starts off greeting Jonathan with respect and all this thing. And they got a history and stuff. So, you know. But yeah, I did get caught in a crossfire there. Like we. But, you know, it was just funny the way they was.
[00:04:50] Speaker B: Like, he knew not to pick up these smoke wipes.
[00:04:53] Speaker C: Hey, man, I let you just sitting there. Like, I let the Internet do what they do. Like, you know what I'm saying? It can take on a whole character of its own. But that situation was so blown out of proportion.
[00:05:05] Speaker A: It wasn't even that.
[00:05:06] Speaker C: It was love.
They talk, we all talk. You know what I'm saying? But it was fun.
[00:05:10] Speaker B: The good thing about those type of situations is, like, how you said, everybody's friends, so obviously you guys know that it was something cut. But that wouldn't. Between the friendship being that y' all know what's going on. It's like, fuck what they saying on the Internet.
[00:05:23] Speaker A: Right.
[00:05:24] Speaker C: They probably laughed about it together, you know what I'm saying?
[00:05:26] Speaker B: But you was the star of that clip.
[00:05:29] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:05:29] Speaker C: Looking lost and innocent in the mud, like, hey, I don't know.
[00:05:34] Speaker A: So this project, first of all, let's set the table real quick, because people don't know how the music business works before we dive into the intricacies of the album whatnot. I know it's a collab between Woodworks, which is you, and then Death Row, which is Uncle Snoop Dogg.
[00:05:50] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:05:51] Speaker A: So can you elaborate on the collaboration? Because it's not like you signed to here and you, like, you're an artist under this label or, you know, but people are. People don't know how the music business works.
[00:06:02] Speaker C: Absolutely. So, yeah, I didn't sign to Death Row. I signed with Death Row. Like, we have a collaboration that allows me down the line to retain my masters, have creative, you know what I'm saying? Freedom.
But, you know, I only choose to do partnerships where there's already a lasting relationship. It's like in the music business, the worst place to discover how much leverage or how much love there actually is is from within a contract. Right. So people who, like, Dawg does great business, like, it's always been my experience that. That it's like one.
He never asked me for anything. Like, you you know, what's up? Like, Dog, he, you know, I wrote his song for Banda m? Ese, his Spanish verse, you know, he said this on interviews. This is no, like, you know, it's no secret that, you know, when he wanted a Spanish verse, he was like, hey, I gotta call D. Smoke. Hey, cuh, can you come? You know what I'm saying? Like. And so we was in the studio having a good time.
He came out to Inglewood for the Gasparianga shoot. Didn't, you know, like the equivalent of Dog's time, You know what I'm saying? It's like a hundred grand, like, for like 30 minutes.
[00:07:17] Speaker A: Yep. I already know. I know.
[00:07:19] Speaker C: Be on time too. And it start, you know, when he show up. Immediately, if you're not ready, you already get in charge, you know. But he show up, didn't charge me nothing. Just off the love of, like, he seen something in me since day one.
So when we.
I forget whose idea was initially, but I already was like, look, we can do some dope business. Because one, when I did rhythm and flow, he was one of the only people that didn't try to sign a nigga. Like, nah, let me come out, let me help. You know what I'm saying? Because from his standpoint, he like, you ours. This is West Coast. You. You represent us. You belong to us. That was same thing Battle Cat did. He didn't ask for nothing. He was like, here, let me give you this. Let me connect you with these people.
So it was always that.
And it was so organic that it wasn't a conversation about, like, if we do it, it's like, what's the timing?
Because, you know, he's still Snoop. You gotta catch him, you know what I'm saying? He everywhere.
You see him one day at the compound, be like, yeah, cub da da da da. The next day, you looking at on tv, at the Olympics live. And my nigga, you know what I'm saying? So making it happen with somewhere it had. We had to align timing.
But, you know, when it finally came to it, I think part of it was us being like, hey, we ready? Ready? You know? And then he was like, okay, let's do it. A couple months went by and I'm like, we're dropping singles, you know what I'm saying? So we were into the rollout before we actually locked it in, but we had been several times. He was like, look at me in my eyes, like, we gonna do this. You know what I'm saying? I got you and it. And then went around the world came back, you know what I'm saying? So when it. Finally. When it was time, it was partially because, you know, it was partially because we're like, hey, this is gonna. We're gonna do this release.
I'm sure we'll do business.
Maybe it's not this one, but we're moving forward. And he was like, nah, it's this one. Let's go, you know, and in the future, let's go from scratch, too, you know? So we worked it out super quick. He was a man of his word. And, you know, we've had experiences where people was like. We told him, like, hey, this. These are notes on what the deal should look like when you send out a draft back.
[00:09:32] Speaker A: It's crazy.
[00:09:32] Speaker C: Hopefully it's something like that.
They give. They send it to us is wild. I'm talking wild. Wow.
[00:09:38] Speaker A: Like.
[00:09:39] Speaker C: Like. And they send it to you damn near as a test of your intelligence. Like, well, if you sign it, we got him.
Which is trash. You know what I'm saying? It's an insult, you know, and so.
And. But it wasn't nothing like that. When we got it back, we had, like, one thing of notes, you know what I'm saying? To clarify. And then we was. We was running. And mind you, what they. And this is a note to other artists, too. What they love and respect is that by the time we got at them, I'm like, the album's cleared. I paid the producers already, you know what I'm saying? I paid everybody, you know what I'm saying? We shot multiple videos already, so now it's a matter of, like, what can we do to enhance this? And also, both of us know that side by side is stronger than any of us individually, you know what I'm saying? So there's a certain level of respect that Dawg has for me, and I respect the legacy enough to be like, there's no Death Row shoes. I could really walk in, but I could take that. I could take that history and add something to it that Death Row hasn't seen, you know? So I'm like, you know, we bringing life to Death Row. I'm not, like, I'm not Tupac.
I feel like there's some elements that overlap in that. Him being a revolutionary, him having a genuine love for black people, love for the community, authenticity, his acting ability. I think some of those are there, but it's also, like, it's a different time. So me trying to be something I'm not ain't gonna work. But I do believe in Myself enough to be like, look, this shit is in good hands if y' all put that on my back. You know what I'm saying? Cause, you know, other than the greats that we've seen, like, corrupt and, like, it's no lead rapper on Death Row right now. You know what I'm saying? And now there is one thing that.
[00:11:22] Speaker B: I appreciate about you. Cause even in the album, you say things that are.
That I can relate to. Not in the sense of actually going through it, but just being from here. So you have a bar, you say something on the album.
Even your family can still love thy neighbor or something like that.
[00:11:41] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, you can love your family and love. So that's the LA Inglewood.
[00:11:45] Speaker B: Like, exactly.
[00:11:45] Speaker C: That's Crenshaw and Manchester and Crenshaw and Slauson. That mile between. A whole lot of things change, you know what I'm saying? And, like, I'm right there. Like, everybody that I do music with is, like, more Crenshaw and Slauson than. I'm talking Battle cat. Crenshaw and Slauson. Corrupt. Crenshaw and slots 1500. They. You know what I'm saying? So Terrace.
But I've known Terrace since I was, like, 10 years old. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He did that intro, you know. You know, that's where the Terrace, Martin on Slauson and me on cmt. Crenshaw, Manchester, you know, so.
And even before that, it was, you know, give him that gas. Better check my emissions. The Inglewood, nigga, that's still good in the ozone. The O's, you know what I'm saying? Like, that's a LA reference, you know, So a lot of that shit going.
[00:12:34] Speaker A: Over people's head, though.
[00:12:35] Speaker C: It's okay. It's okay. They'll find it later.
[00:12:38] Speaker B: Those. It's a lot of lyrics here I wanna ask you about, but that one specifically, like, I was saying, like, I can. I resonate with the lyrics because I'm from.
We all from here, so.
[00:12:51] Speaker C: And what's funny is I've.
You know, when I say I'm good over there, I'm not stupid. You know, I make phone calls. You know what I'm saying?
It's somebody listening right now, like, oh, you good, cuh? Yeah. Who said it? Like, no, who said. Right, right, right, right. Exactly. Every hood got somebody that don't care.
[00:13:09] Speaker A: What Nigga that don't care. Exactly.
[00:13:11] Speaker C: So if you catch me over there, I'm with one of your homeboy, you know what I'm saying? Like, so I respect the game. Like, I Call ahead, give my little escort. But it's homies over there, like my nigga Ray Ray.
It's people that's like, look, I'll squabble with my own homie over being dumb enough to fuck with you. You know what I'm saying? And I got people that's like that, too. Like, if Ray come to Inglewood and these youngsters is tripping, I'm like, y' all need to get in line.
Because everybody know it's not black and white. It's not.
It ain't been so in a long time, you know what I'm saying? Because everybody got a family member from somewhere else, you know, so.
[00:13:52] Speaker B: But back to UN So on rhythm and flow, there's a moment when you on stage and when I tell you, I felt this in my soul. Like, I just felt it. Cause I'm like, I know what he's saying, and I know what he's saying, but the world don't know what they said.
[00:14:09] Speaker C: Some of them, where.
[00:14:10] Speaker B: He said, where you from? You said, I'm from Inglewood. He said, no, where you from? And you said, I'm from Inglewood, period.
[00:14:17] Speaker C: No, no, no.
[00:14:18] Speaker A: That shit was.
[00:14:18] Speaker C: No.
I don't know.
[00:14:20] Speaker B: I think you said Inglewood.
[00:14:21] Speaker C: What you suggest? Like. No, I said Inglewood. The same thing twice, but I didn't. I'm from Inglewood, as in, like, I didn't. I'm not that element. I wasn't saying I'm not from that element by any means. It was just. You asked me the same question.
[00:14:36] Speaker B: You saying I'm answering the question.
[00:14:38] Speaker C: Answer me. And the people that know, know.
And I've never. And it's been my history in the city that I don't have to rep the way they do. Because my greatest contribution to the Wood is to represent a different way. The G's respect me more because of how I did it, you know what I'm saying? Because they've done that before. It's nothing new, you know what I'm saying? It's been happening since 80. What? You know what I'm saying?
So it wasn't so much. I'm not.
I wasn't by any means saying I'm not from that, you know.
[00:15:16] Speaker B: No, I'm not saying it like that.
[00:15:17] Speaker C: Yeah. Ultimately, whether or not I pushed that line or did it the way they did it, like, what he was basically saying is, the energy that I feel from you is familiar, and that's a salute, you know what I'm saying?
Everybody there is from la.
[00:15:33] Speaker A: You know what I never asked you. Did y' all have a conversation after that before?
Like, y' all built a real rapport or relationship?
[00:15:40] Speaker C: Not till after the show.
[00:15:42] Speaker A: Wow. Did y' all ever talk about that moment?
[00:15:44] Speaker C: All the time. All the time.
[00:15:46] Speaker A: The first conversation, what was that?
[00:15:49] Speaker C: Hey, he was just proud. I just saw it. Like, he was like, nephew, I'm talking about, like, proud, proud. But I did hear there was people who knew him while I was still on the show. And it was later in the later rounds, and they was like, dog, keep asking about you. Like, hey, how's the youngster from Inglewood doing?
[00:16:05] Speaker A: See, I didn't know that. There is a skit on the album where I think you getting banged on.
[00:16:14] Speaker C: I didn't write a count your blessings.
[00:16:15] Speaker A: Probably it was right at the end of. I mean, yeah, it was at the end of something or the beginning of something.
[00:16:20] Speaker C: Oh, you talking about going in the chin up.
[00:16:23] Speaker A: Going in front up.
[00:16:23] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:16:25] Speaker A: So I'm listening to the skit, and I'm like, oh, like, okay, we all know, like, you were just speaking on that element, right? We all know what that feel like for sure, whether it's male, female, whatever. Like, you. If you. From certain sections, you kind of understand what's going on in the skit for sure. The question, though, is, do you think that the politics interfere or hold hip hop back in general? Because I like the messaging in Chin up, right? To me, reminded me of Omar Gooden. I want no.
[00:16:52] Speaker B: All right.
[00:16:52] Speaker A: I don't want no smoke Omar. But they reminded me of the. Was it Baby boy?
[00:16:58] Speaker C: That interlude was a reference to that.
[00:17:00] Speaker A: No, I know that, but I'm saying that's all I can see. I'm listening to the music, and that's intentional. Okay, bet.
[00:17:05] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, this little nigga got heart. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's the chin up, chin up.
[00:17:09] Speaker A: But all I could see is that, like, that one moment, it just kept playing over and over and over in my mind, right? And so I guess the question is, do you think that the street politics interfere or hold hip hop back as a whole? Does it enhance it or do you think it plays the middle?
[00:17:25] Speaker C: I wouldn't say it holds hip hop back, right?
Without the street politics, you don't get the. You don't get the level of just, like, pride and grit. That west coast, like, we just got that. It. Something different. If you ask me, I'm completely biased, I admit. Right? But on the west, there's something completely different, like, than the Other coast, everybody, you know, we all, as a people, we hood, we in the inner city, we get that element. But something about the west is just like.
Is seasoned in a different way by having to navigate.
I think we have to, you know, grow up in a certain way, you know what I'm saying, to understand how to navigate these things. So when you. My thing is when you rise to the top in la, sure, it might keep a group of people down, like, hey, man, I ain't messing with this culture. I don't know how to do this right.
[00:18:18] Speaker A: I don't know how to navigate.
[00:18:19] Speaker C: But the cream of the crop on the west is, to me, different than the cream of the crop in other places. And it's because those elements force us to.
Force us to mature in different ways. Like, so I wouldn't say it's holding it back. I would say it's holding like, gang bang. Culture needs to evolve, for sure. For sure. People need. And that's why people need to see more of the like, bro, people are getting money together, you know what I'm saying, Across different hoods.
What is the common value system?
What's the overarching thread that whether you red or blue, people are discovering once they become OGs? Why do it take niggas a long time to mature past the like, oh, you from there. I don't mess with you. Cause as much as we know better than to fall into that trap, it's still youngsters just like, nah, they from og, you know what I'm saying? So when can that die? That part is like, forget hip hop for the youth.
That part is trash, you know what I'm saying? Hating somebody cause they from somewhere else. And although we not used to that no more because we see people shaking hands, dog and game and all that stuff that don't mean at the base level in these streets, these kids is on that because some of them are still on. Some like you from over there. I don't. Heck no. Even when I shot my video for Rhythm and Flow.
What is it called? Let Me Go. Yeah, you know, I had like blacks, Latinos in there, you know, Bloods in there. We was in the Crip neighborhood shooting a video with Bloods on the lawn and Latino and then.
But One of the OGs, one of the Bloods was like, hey, bro, you know, I ain't tripping, but you can't have me standing next to no Mexican in the thing. And I'm like, bro, really? Oh, even still, even still, you know what I'm saying? Just. Cause they don't want to be seen, like, to their hood, it's gonna look like, oh, you know, what you doing? You know, so that element still exists. And that's the part where it's like, it puts a black eye on the game that we can't, like, see past that. You know, Some of us do. But let's just put that in the forefront where it's like. Like, it's normal to organize, be who you are from where you from. But soon as you look over and be like, well, they whack. Cause they over there, that's whack.
[00:20:32] Speaker B: I think we need more people doing things like what you did. Like you said, I did the music video. I put this person next to this person because I feel like the younger generations, they do look at the hood politics as something that will keep them from working with other people. But then you got somebody like you or how we seen YG and Nip who are working together. And like you said, Game and Snoop that are showing, like, no, we could do this without it being any, you know, tension. So I think it's up to not even just you, but it's everybody to be that example.
[00:21:06] Speaker C: Nip is. When I was on Rhythm and Flow, before Nip passed, Nip was the one I wanted to work with for that reason. Like, ooh, if we get Englewood and Lawson and Crenshaw District, that'd be incredible. You know what I'm saying? And then, of course, me and Dawg did something similar to that, you know?
But no, absolutely. That's what they need to see.
[00:21:29] Speaker A: My favorites off the project, of course, is Na Na Na. I like the video, too. I thought it was bright. I thought it was dope.
I like so good.
I like Wake Up Super.
[00:21:39] Speaker B: That's my favorite one.
[00:21:40] Speaker A: Wake Up Super. Yeah. You know what's interesting I'm starting to notice is y' all niggas are starting to put dope intros on your albums. Not that they. Not that they haven't been dope, but I'm starting to see the first track. The first tracks be like, fire. And I'm like, what did N start?
[00:21:53] Speaker B: The first tracks on N albums ain't Been Fired, not yours.
[00:21:57] Speaker C: But I'm trying to figure out what album you thinking now.
[00:22:01] Speaker B: Cause even we was just. We was just this off subject. We was just talking about Chan's album, but his first track is Fire Eclipse. First track, Fire. Like, so I'm listening to this. I'm like, damn you. Yeah, it's starting off like that.
[00:22:13] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
[00:22:14] Speaker B: This how you coming?
[00:22:15] Speaker A: I think.
I don't know. Like, I just. It never stood out to me before, to be honest with you. Like, as far as, like when I'm listening to. Because I like to put an album on and listen to it how you intended for me to listen to it. And then I go back and start picking. What, Cherry picking my shit. But, oh, I think. What was the other one?
The oh stomp with Miles Minick. Of course I'm biased, but I thought that was dope. Oh, you popped out to the glow fest too, in the bay, man, that was big for him. He was so.
[00:22:44] Speaker C: Miles was incredible, bro.
[00:22:46] Speaker A: Miles was so excited to have you, bro. Like, he ain't gonna. I mean, he probably show gratitude, but he ain't gonna. He be so excited when y' all mess with him. Look, I said it, Miles, so you can clip it. Yeah, but like, when y' all mess with him, he be so excited, bro, like, because he just. He gets a lot of backlash from his world collaborating with our world. And this goes back to what you was just saying, as far as. No, we can collaborate and still bridge the gap.
[00:23:11] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, even biblically, are we supposed to be fishers of men?
You ain't gonna get no fish if you stay on land, you know what I'm saying? He's supposed to be out in the ocean in the element, you know, with us facts, you know what I'm saying? And me and him got the same background, but we just have a different approach to it. So anybody, any of the church people hating on Miles, they got it backwards, like. Cause otherwise, if he not messing with us, he only preaching to the choir. And what use is that? You know what I'm saying? So big, shout out to Miles.
[00:23:39] Speaker A: And then the last one that stood out to me was Good morning. Shout out to Mike and Keys and my guy Mars. Shout out to 1500.
It's a long ass song.
[00:23:49] Speaker C: It's long.
[00:23:50] Speaker A: That motherfucker is six minutes for sure. And I was like. I was like, okay. I was like.
So, you know, now people are playing the algorithm game. They doing short. They doing short songs. They doing 30 track albums, one minute each type shit. This album is not that at all. It's a full meal, right?
[00:24:07] Speaker C: For sure.
[00:24:07] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? Where do you get the courage? Not courage, but how do you navigate the new climate? Just doing you. Do you not care?
Are you not tripping?
It's for who it's for.
[00:24:19] Speaker C: Yeah, I.
I make music with some of the greatest people to ever make Music like when you talk about the mars and you talk about the mike and keys, these people are from a different cloth, I'm from a different cloth. So it's like we don't have to follow they rules, we don't. If you put on a six minute song that don't got the elements that we putting in there, it's way too long, you know what I'm saying? Nobody was saying, and I'm from gospel, nobody was saying a Fred Hammond song was too long. That must go, you know what I'm saying? So we know what we do and we know how to do it. You know, people, people will sit down and we'll, you know, we'll zone out to something. Six minutes ain't that long if it's what you need, you know what I'm saying? They go by fast, so, so, you know, I don't worry about them rules, you know what I'm saying? That's for people just trying to, you know, we not shortcut takers, you know what I'm saying? We here for a long time, we've been here a long time. It took a long time to get it. So we're going to keep it a long time like so I, I be looking for music that I can listen to and just need it for that long, you know.
So that song is long, you know. I think it's other songs that, that last that are journeys though. Like we need to make music. That's, that's an experience. Biscuits is an experience, you know what I'm saying? Some of this should read like a book, you know. So I be waiting for an opportunity to break the rules, do this. Oh, we going the other way, you know what I'm saying? Because the rules in music aren't made by music makers.
They're not. And they're not really made by music listeners either. They're made by the people who capitalize off of musicians at the expense of the musicians. So what fuck I look like following they rules, they wasn't made for me, like, you know what I'm saying? So that's what hip hop is about, breaking the right rules so that we could do for us what, you know, what really makes sense. Like so I don't give a shit.
[00:26:12] Speaker B: I feel like you have some lyrics that can be used as daily affirmations. Specifically biscuits, Biscuits. Oh you said Lord, bless my vision, bless my feet Carry me from insanity to living life and align with your peace.
God bless my mother, long live her dreams God forgive my sins and make my pockets Obese. I feel this, how much I fuck with it. I can't tell the camera what I'm doing. But as you can see.
So this is what I'm doing.
[00:26:46] Speaker C: So I added it. Hey, I added it to that. Then it's another one at the end of Energize.
[00:26:52] Speaker B: Oh, I got. Oh, I bet you already got it. Hold on. Don't even say it. I bet you already got it right here.
[00:26:58] Speaker C: Because, I mean, this is. This is.
[00:27:00] Speaker B: I'm everything.
Yeah.
[00:27:02] Speaker C: Oh, I'm all of it.
I am love. I am all I'm saying. I am fly. So I am pilot. I am crash and start again.
I am real. I am child of God. I am Jesus twin.
You know, So I already got it. That's that. I mean, man, I just.
I come from a family of gospel musicians. So if that element isn't incorporated in there, then I'm not being true to myself, you know? They was gospel musicians who also, you know, wasn't no pushovers. My mom then came up to my school banging on the whole administration.
Cause they gave me the wrong grade, you know what I'm saying? Like, this nigga got straight A's in every class. And he the only one who can play classical music. And you gonna give him a C in band. What's wrong with you? Like, I'm talking about going up. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And so it's just. It's that marriage between, like, you know, having a real heart for people and wanting to plant seeds that turn into fruit. You know, positive fruit. But also knowing that that element out there sometimes don't care. And you gotta have a side of you that's, like, not defensive, but ready, you know? So that's the line I try to walk in the music. Like, we like that, but we love y', all too, you know what I'm saying?
[00:28:19] Speaker B: You have one of those pins. Like, one of the skills you have. Cause you have so many. One of the skills that you have is you're able to paint a vivid picture for the listener when you're writing.
Do you see the picture as you write in for the song, or do you see it after it's already finished?
[00:28:37] Speaker C: I see it as I'm writing it.
And my thing is, I be trying to put more details in there, you know what I'm saying? I listen to audio books and I listen to Will Smith's book. Oh, it's incredible. That shit's incredible from the beginning to end. And it's the details you're able to Put so I be trying to fit it in 16 bars, bro. You know, and so when I, for example, on Count yout Blessings, I picture myself on Shout out to Jane Hancock. Yes. I picture myself on Crenshawn Arborvita, heading down that street to the Darby park entrance by the gym, you know, because you can enter on 90th or you can enter on Arbor Vita. And. And so because that's where me and the homies, you know what I'm saying, used to be on foot. You know, we didn't. Caught the bus and you know, on foot to Darby. And so when you say now, here begins the history of Mr. E and Mr. I don't give a. About them street. They started off in the Darby park, hardly walk without stopping to look around for cops and street killers. They dressed in balance, fresh enough to catch your average hoe with a big old fatty on her backside. And then you got the commentary like, oh, look, look. Damn.
But not too flashy, though. Them jackets be out on. They act right. Most things, the faster they come, the faster they go, you know, but it's just like from my head, it's like, damn, did I put enough details in there to really put them there?
[00:29:59] Speaker A: Yeah, fool.
[00:30:00] Speaker C: You know what I'm saying?
[00:30:01] Speaker A: So what you, bro, you wanted to, like she said you one of the most vivid picture painters like that to do it. You know what I'm saying? Speaking of which, I know it's super sensitive, but I gotta pay homage to Ms. Jack because Jackie's triumph, bro. I didn't.
I didn't. Okay, so I'm gonna give you my perspective. I want yours. When everything was going down with moms, you know, I didn't. I purposely. I'm avoidant by nature. Just some. I don't. Because I don't have the. I don't have the intellect, the emotional intelligence to help or to be there for people, right? I just. I'm there like, hey, my nigga, like, you need a ride to the house? I got you. You need, you know, a bill paid. I got you. But when it comes to, like, being there emotionally, I don't really know. I'm not good at that type of sh.
So when everything was going down, I'm like, I purposely just avoided the whole situation, just. Which is fucked up as a friend, right? But nah, nah, I think I called you.
I think I FaceTimed and we talked or whatever, but the picture you painted put me right there.
And it made me feel like it was like my mom. And I was like, oh, I don't know if that was the intention. I know you were just kind of scoring the scene of what happened to mom. And, I mean, everything from what the nurse was saying to, like, you remember all of that shit and for you to, like, be able to paint that picture vividly was very eerie to me, but it was also, like, breathtaking. Like, it was creative as fuck. And I ain't never seen nobody kind of document their experience in that way, like, on a record, right? Like, that was like, my first time ever hearing some shit like that, to be honest with you.
[00:31:32] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, it was just real.
I didn't want to put out an album without putting people right there. Like, some of the music was before her accident and then after it, we hadn't put the album out yet, and the world watched us go through it, you know what I'm saying? We. We like, hey, pray for us. She was in an accident, and it was months before she passed. So they, you know, we was calling the prayer warriors, you know what I'm saying? And Snoop was online like, hey, prayers up automatic. Like, you know, so there's artistry is about.
To me, you know, not everybody wants to do that. Some people like, hey, we gonna keep this over here. When I put on artist mode, you know, I'm. You know, I'm that guy.
But to me, it's like, nah, we gonna share what we dealing with. And then that song in particular was when we was pulling for her. Like, you can hear it in the song. Like, you gonna be good.
[00:32:27] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:32:27] Speaker C: You know, and she heard that song.
[00:32:29] Speaker A: Even her responses like, that shit was crazy.
[00:32:32] Speaker C: She heard that song, you know what I'm saying? And I watched her listen to it with tears in her eyes, like, oof.
And so, yeah, that one is. I feel like the irony of it is that's some of the best rapping I did on the album. To me, you know what I'm saying? Because that was. If I'd ever painted before, that was the one. And because that time was so intense that every detail is just ingrained in your mind.
And I don't even go to that place all the time. When I hear the song, I'm like, oof. Cause it's like, to keep it a buck, it's inspirational, but it's dark, bro.
And people be in dark times too. So it's like, you're not the only one going through it. The beauty of it is when you listen to something like that and you in a hard time, you're like, damn, Put stuff in perspective. This is part of the human experience for everybody. Everybody either loses a parent or they're the one that causes their parent the pain of losing a child. It's one or the other. It's one or the other. And I wasn't aware of how many people are walking around with that weight like, I've lost a parent. I was about to tell you that, like, now you. Now they be like, welcome to the club that you never wanted to be a part of. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's like that, you know, of course, mom was young, 62 too early or 61 too early, you know, and so. But we gave her her flowers while she was here. There were some beautiful experiences that happened where we didn't know we was gonna lose her. But now we like, damn.
Her send off started long before the accident. Like, Stevie coming to her birthday party. Snoop pulling up, sending the message to the birthday party. Tyrese singing at her birthday party, her in the studio with me and Stevie, like, pinch me, like, playing songs for him on two pianos back to back. Like, just God rewarding her for, like, being like, you're just. You're mine. You know what I'm saying?
So. And ultimately, the reason I'm able to share with the world is because it's like, as sad as we get sometimes to this day, you know what I'm saying? Like, my bro, Deontay Wilder, to this day, as sad as we get sometimes, we are only that sad. Cause we were fortunate enough to be that close to somebody as humanly incredible. Not just impressive.
That's a great perspective, you know what I'm saying? Like, as good of a singer and minister of music and piano teacher and, you know, writer, like, world renowned gospel songs, writing for other people, sang with Michael. All this stuff, she's.
That she's even more of a mother, you know what I'm saying? And me, sir, and Davion are evidence of that. And what makes that impressive is it's not just, oh, what we've accomplished, it's what we accomplish in the context, you know what I'm saying? The kind of music that we make, the line we're able to walk in, however popular we are or are gonna get while still staying. That true. That's a hard road, you know what I'm saying?
It's harder to navigate that some niggas make it to the top and are still searching to try to make it mean something, make it count for something. Like, yeah, you got success, but what did your music do? You know what I'm Saying, so for us to do it, that. Choose that path the whole way, that's remarkable. And especially given the circumstances, especially growing up in Inglewood and not coming from money, you know what I'm saying?
[00:35:56] Speaker A: So that came. That shit really, like, resonated because my mom named Jackie too dope. So, like, it was a Jackie's triumph when it came on. I'm listening.
[00:36:03] Speaker C: I'm like, damn, not Jackie. My God. Wait, not her. This.
[00:36:07] Speaker A: Bro, when I tell you that shit was crazy. Yeah, man.
Other. The other one, like, for me, obviously, like, we talked about the intro, but you mentioned count your blessings.
And I think that's also a perspective record.
Like, you know, whether. Whether you in the hood with the homies doing whatever, it's like, it's always a blessing to be able to have these experience. I thought the. The overarching. I don't know if. Just correct me if I'm wrong, I thought the arc of the album was being grateful to have these experiences ultimately. Right? Which is obviously, wake up super. Like, wake up grateful or wake up super grateful. And I don't know, maybe you can touch on the theme or the thesis of the project, but that's what I took away from it.
[00:36:51] Speaker C: Absolutely. I mean, there's definitely the gratitude as an overarching theme.
I think the journey is you can hear the project going from unconsciously walking through your experience, like, just observing it and narrating it, to consciously choosing how you move through it, how you navigate it, and then it becomes intentionally more spiritual as you go through the end and then.
And more vulnerable as you get to the end. But, you know, when you start talking, like, we start off early on with, you know, records, like, no Passes, where it's like, this is just narration, no judgment one way or the other. Like, this is. I'm putting y' all in the mindset of somebody coming up, making it through it, you know, two times for the full time. Slept on many cows Got out the house to chase them croutons Niggas new to this like a udon without introduction I pull up and they know just who I is Nigga before money, you know, so it's more like. It's more like talking that or like you referred to the intro. Like, you get to see, like, without judgment, what it feels like to be, you know, in Inglewood, from Inglewood, you know, navigating that. And it's not just Inglewood, you know, Inglewood is my experience, but it's that it's so representative of greater LA and hoods all over.
[00:38:16] Speaker A: No, I was gonna ask. I was gonna ask something else about something else.
[00:38:18] Speaker B: I wanna get into some lyrics.
[00:38:19] Speaker C: Go ahead, let's go.
[00:38:20] Speaker B: I don't really have a question for these, but I just like them.
[00:38:23] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:38:25] Speaker B: I used to think I could hide my dirt until I flipped the rug, right?
[00:38:29] Speaker C: Perform my liquor, life part and sip it. Oh, yeah?
[00:38:33] Speaker A: What were you hiding?
That's the question.
[00:38:35] Speaker C: What was I hiding?
[00:38:36] Speaker A: You said you used to hide your dirt until you realized you couldn't flip the rug.
[00:38:40] Speaker C: Man, do we want to get into that?
You know what I'm saying?
[00:38:44] Speaker B: Like, tell us the lesson.
[00:38:46] Speaker A: What's the lesson? That's what I'm trying to get to.
[00:38:47] Speaker C: The lesson is just be. Be honest. Even when it's difficult. You know what I'm saying? When it's difficult, you know, there's certain things about this experience that, you know, that I find myself having to reflect on. Like, you know, fame. I had to reflect on that. You know, there's a part of you that wants to be perfect. And then when you realize you're not, you gotta tell yourself, you gotta look at yourself and the people around you, be like, hey, guys. Yeah, I still fuck up now the world don't see you.
[00:39:16] Speaker A: I'm not perfect.
[00:39:17] Speaker C: I'm not.
[00:39:17] Speaker A: I'm not your savior.
[00:39:18] Speaker C: I'm not. No.
You know what I'm saying? So being able to accept that and be like, And I won't be, but I'll be better, you know what I'm saying? And the people closest to you are the ones that gotta. They gotta do it sometimes. My team, I be like, man, this. I know for y', all, it might feel like an episode to get em to the Greek, you know what I'm saying? Like, but the world don't see it. They see prepared smoke. And I'm prepared. But it's like the process of getting there, you know? So.
So, yeah, I used to think I could hide my dirt to the flipper rug for my liquor, light brown poured and sip it up. She said I'm fly. I told her, zip it up when she finished, you know, this is just the shit I navigate. And then the next line is, the plight of our flesh can never diminish the height of our best. Like, despite what we navigate.
[00:40:05] Speaker B: I gotta add that one.
[00:40:08] Speaker C: Carnally, you know what I'm saying? It doesn't take we are not our mistakes kind of thing, you know what I'm saying? So if you decipher it, if you pick it apart, then you'll see the tidbits in There I don't have to be like, hey, one time I did this shit and that fucked up and I won't, you know what I'm saying?
[00:40:25] Speaker B: What about when correction come, we hardly listen. When connection come, we shine and glisten, pray for protection.
[00:40:32] Speaker C: Yeah, so when correct, you know, that's in the intro.
I'm trying to go back the line before it.
[00:40:40] Speaker B: The line before it is.
Got wisdom, still ain't acting right. Subject to the appetite of the flesh.
[00:40:47] Speaker C: Got wisdom, still ain't acting right. Subject to the appetite of the flesh. But when correction come, we hardly listen. Like we knuckleheads, you know what I'm saying? But when connection come, we shine and glisten. When we finally lock in with each other, you know what I'm saying? That's when something special happens. So it's both.
I mean, it's self explanatory. Shine and glisten, pray for protection. Running wild on missions.
Give him that gas. Better check my emissions. Ingle with nigga, that's still good in the ozone. You know, all that is just like if. If you pictured where I was. Because the I I referenced Prairie in Manchester was barely a man, but heaven got hands on me. I pulled up and I was in a. This years ago. I was in a Honda Civic, a 2000 hatchback Honda Civic on 17S. It's a small car, so them 17s look like 20s, you know what I'm saying?
And it's late at night. I'm coming from hanging out with a friend and I had on a hat. My back windows was tinted, but my fronts weren't. So you could see me. You see I was wearing a hat. You can see the car, look, you know, it's dark, so you can't tell who I am, but you can tell I got a hat on.
I pull up and it's a car already at the light and they ain't got no tents. It's like an old Cutlass or something, like a tan Cutlass, like, you know, gangsta ass car when you see 1.
There's four niggas in the car.
And so I don't pull right up next to him just as to not challenge the N. But I guess because I don't pull all the way up and it's space for a whole nother car in front of me. They like, what's he on? What's he on? So I see them getting worked up, pointing at me, all this stuff, man. They put they car in reverse and roll the windows down, right? And so I Look both ways. Smash through the like. And you see n reaching all this stuff. I'm seeing the whole thing like, this is not good. Smash through the light, you know what I'm saying?
And I remember that night. I also remember, like, I used to have a gauge. You know, we're just gonna call it a gauge called Bethany. I used to have Bethany and I used. You know, I'm a musician. I'm a college student at the time, but I had a gauge in the guitar case behind the guitar. If I'm out somewhere by myself like that, you know what I'm saying? Now, of course I'm not gonna ride dirty and be like that. I got license, registration, proof of insurance. This is my name. I'm solid. Hello, officer. I know how to 10 and 2, you know what I'm saying? What we doing? But it's there, you know? And so.
But it was that kind of experience that made me like, look, jail is a whole lot better than being left where you at? You know what I'm saying?
[00:43:20] Speaker B: So when did you discover hiding the guns with instruments?
[00:43:25] Speaker C: I never said gun. I said, I'm trying to gauge whether or not. I'm trying to gauge whether or not I feel safe. Gauge.
You look at the gauge, it's like a compass, right? I never said gun.
[00:43:39] Speaker B: I'm picking up what you put in.
[00:43:40] Speaker A: There with a lot of court shit.
[00:43:41] Speaker C: Going on, you know what I'm saying? I never said. What are you talking about?
[00:43:45] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying?
[00:43:46] Speaker C: What?
[00:43:46] Speaker A: Next thing you know, you be mentioning the UMG shit. Who said that?
[00:43:49] Speaker B: Oh, he said that.
[00:43:51] Speaker A: Go ahead.
[00:43:53] Speaker C: I don't know what you're talking about.
[00:43:54] Speaker B: Another one. It's off the same song.
You said how playful nature plus mistakes led to gun charge. One day a mother lost her baby in the front yard. She was only playing. She was only playing. But the stray bullet hit one heart and broke many. Crazy how tragedy take the wind out the whole city.
[00:44:13] Speaker C: I mean, what do I say?
[00:44:14] Speaker B: That gave me chill bumps listening to it. Because that's one.
A bullet do take the wind out the whole city.
[00:44:20] Speaker C: The whole city.
It had been days where it's like, are these new clouds like you feel em? You know? And so, yeah, but the line where it was like, crazy how mistakes playful nature plus mistakes lead to gun charge.
Everything we learn, we. We already doing it before we realize how bad it is and the consequences like. Like my brother, we before. So my grandmother's been in inglewood since the 60s.
We moved. We inherited that house. So the family hub was Inglewood for 40 years, 50 years. But the.
You know, when my dad was locked up, when we was with our mom, we moved around. So there was a time where we lived in the 30s, right? Went to King elementary, played baseball at King park, took karate at King Park. But so over there, everybody cuss, right? We didn't. We thought it was like, dude, bro, right? So my brother Davion. Mind you, my brother Ron. Ron grew up at my grandmother's house when my pops was locked up during his teenage years. So all the things that we had a father for, he didn't. So when it's street stuff, he's like, oh, yeah, this gangsta blood, you know, that's older brother.
So, you know, Holiday come around and rah, rah, pull up. You know, he big, bro. We look up to him. So Davion takes it on himself, thinking, like, he just greeting his brother like, hey, what's up, cuz? Right, bro? When I tell you in an instant.
In an instant, I'm looking down at my brother on the ground like, this nigga disappeared from my side. And I'm like, what just happened? I thought this was a loving greeting. It could have been me, you know? And then Ron was like, nigga, don't you ever say that shit to me, you know? So when we say. Funny how playful nature plus mistakes lead to gun charge. Like, some people get into gang banging when it's just basically like, hey, this my homie. Y' all not gonna mess with him like that. And they into it already, you know, I was fortunate enough to have both parents at home, so I could make that distinction between, like, nah, this is an option. This is not a necessity. Whereas other people is like, I'm not letting you go out there like that, you know? And so it's just. That's the history I seen happen so many times.
[00:46:41] Speaker A: Like, I wanna. I got one more thing that I wanna tell you that I'm envious of you for. But last thing for me, oh, we traveled together, we've done business together. I wanna say this on record, Smoke is a solid business person.
You know what I'm saying? Like, we went on. We went on across. Across the big ocean and did some stuff, and we came back, and you. And you looked out for me for sure. And I was like, damn solid.
[00:47:05] Speaker C: And I don't need no reminders. When it touched down, it's gonna touch where it's supposed to go.
[00:47:09] Speaker A: That was solid, though. I just thought about that right now, bro.
[00:47:13] Speaker C: But that's also because you did the Same. You know what I'm saying? You was like, hey, Smoke, it's something that you might've benefit from. So in my head, it's like. It's just keeping your word and shit. Like, in my head, it's like.
[00:47:25] Speaker A: But people don't get down like that, so I just want to.
[00:47:27] Speaker C: That's unfortunate.
[00:47:28] Speaker A: It's true.
[00:47:28] Speaker C: I'm not from that world.
[00:47:31] Speaker A: Two times is the last thing I got to say. Two times. I've been envious of you. The first time was when you. I think you bought a crib and we shot a video in your backyard, and it was you and your wife, and you had. You had a wife. You had. You had. I think y' all had just got. I don't know if y' all had just gotten together or something, but you had. Got a crib, you had the wife, and you had a dog. I was like, this nigga beat me to it. I was lucky. You know what I'm saying? Not that. Not because I know the other smoke, too.
[00:47:56] Speaker C: Shout out to Kobe.
[00:47:57] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying?
[00:47:57] Speaker C: Oh, you do know the other smoke.
[00:47:59] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? I know the other smoke, too. And the other time where I was envious of you is when you got to tour with Alicia fucking Keys.
[00:48:04] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:48:05] Speaker A: And I was like, ain't this a bitch like you from Inglewood?
[00:48:09] Speaker C: So tell me, what was you gonna do on tour?
[00:48:11] Speaker A: I don't know.
[00:48:12] Speaker C: I didn't even know that.
[00:48:13] Speaker A: I can't.
Ain't play no Keys, nigga. I'll figure it out. I'll do security, sell T shirts. I don't know. But can you please just. Like I be seeing pictures of you and your wife and then Swizz and Alicia, y' all be standing there like, this nigga, this nigga Inglewood nigga.
[00:48:29] Speaker B: I told y' all he was a hater. I've been telling y' all this shit.
[00:48:31] Speaker A: Every week that this nigga just said, I've been envious. I'm envious that you got just.
[00:48:36] Speaker C: Is it envy when you admit it's just like cleansing your soul? I mean, I'm jealous. All right?
[00:48:41] Speaker A: Yeah. But can you at least give me some insight on what that was like and maybe a lesson that you got from. Cause Alicia is one of them ones. I don't like R and B. I love her all time.
[00:48:49] Speaker C: Great.
That's the interesting thing to say. I don't like R and B. We gonna let that slide. Cause that's.
[00:48:54] Speaker A: No, no. We talk about it all the time.
[00:48:55] Speaker B: He Hates R and B.
[00:48:56] Speaker A: It's too emotional for me. But like the greats, like, it's something about what. I don't know what they putting in they food, but I fuck with Alicia Keys, bro.
[00:49:05] Speaker C: Me too.
Alicia Keys, man. I don't. I think she caught wind of my artistry because her and sir had connected, you know, they did. I want to say she was on his colors or he was on hers. They had a song that they collaborated on, and I still don't know where I quite fit in. You know, I was the only. She brought a lot of R and B singers out, you know, Pink Sweats, like different people. But she took me on like seven different shows in Europe, you know, and incredible experience. We was in stadiums the whole time. We was in a core stadium in Paris, and that's my second time in a core stadium. I also went out there and performed with Ibrahim Malouf, incredible trumpet player, you know. And so that. That was an incredible experience. And just one big shout out to her. I had. We. I made the mistake of going to hookah in Europe while on tour, mind you. You already straddling that fence of like, I'm not getting enough sleep when the quality of sleep is trash, bro. That hookah dried me out so bad, I'm half voiced it like 50%. And you know some of my lyrics. This is war and wonders music, so, bro, this is lyrical. I'm every night.
And I hit Alicia like, hey, what's the code to like, reviving your voice? She said, give me 30 minutes. So then she came over, her and her assistant, she pulled up, pulled up. I mean, her dressing room, she got the big huge one, I got the medium sized one, you know what I'm saying? She pulled up, she was like, okay, here's the steamer. Like, you do this for a certain amount of time. An hour before your set, you eat some, you make sure you got some protein.
Here's some vitamin C shots.
Here's one more thing. I forgot what it was. And then she was like. And shut the fuck up.
No talking. The only talking you doing for the next couple days is when you on tour, if you got a clipboard, whatever.
No, don't talk. She put me on voice rest, gave me the whole regimen and was like, all right, do your shit.
[00:51:14] Speaker A: And so wait, you said a steamer.
[00:51:16] Speaker C: It's like a steamer. Like, if you damn near, like you're walking around with a little portable steam room. You know what I'm saying? Not too vain. Like, I think it had this. But she.
Yeah, it Came with specific instructions. Like she told me, like, do this for a certain amount because, you know, you don't want to damn near burn your shit, you know what I'm saying? But like, moisturize your voice for sure.
[00:51:40] Speaker A: Understand?
[00:51:41] Speaker C: And so that's fire.
[00:51:43] Speaker B: So a steamer protein.
[00:51:45] Speaker A: Cause Gina be losing her voice.
[00:51:46] Speaker B: Yeah, I lose my voice a lot.
[00:51:47] Speaker C: An hour before it. You gotta use it. Protein, vitamin C, you know what I'm saying? So your shit can heal, you know, and rest.
[00:51:56] Speaker A: And shut the fuck up.
[00:51:57] Speaker C: And rest.
[00:51:58] Speaker A: She good for shutting the fuck up, but she ain't good for like.
She'll turn her phone off, nigga won't hear from her till next Thursday.
[00:52:04] Speaker B: Cause I be needing my voice.
[00:52:07] Speaker C: It's your biggest asset.
[00:52:09] Speaker B: You tweeted, you said when you stop chasing success and external validation, you're attracted.
[00:52:16] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:52:16] Speaker B: So two things. Why did you stop chasing it and when did you realize you were attracted?
[00:52:21] Speaker C: Um, I just. I just. I'm of the belief when it's your time, if you doing. Because you know it's hard for me to talk about my journey without talking about God. Right. If you are, God only gives you your immediate next step. He gives you the dream, which is the long term vision of what's gonna happen and your immediate next step. Right. Um, the rest requires faith because you do have your own plan of how it's gonna go. So you do plan it out, but you don't see all the obstacles you encounter and all that stuff.
But when you lock in on what this vision is and what you about to do, you kind of get that. You get that reassurance that, okay, I'm in the right place, I'm lost.
[00:53:08] Speaker B: You cooking though?
[00:53:09] Speaker C: That's the original question. I'm trying to see how. What I was doing.
[00:53:12] Speaker B: When did you stop chasing success and validation and when did you realize that you were attracting it?
[00:53:17] Speaker C: Okay, at the time when I realized I was about to blow and this before they hit me for rhythm and flow, I was playing drums for 150 bucks a week at this church on 54th in Van Ness.
I was substitute teaching.
I was substitute teaching or I was teaching at a school called High School for Recording Arts for like four grand a month, untaxed. So I was. I had to pay that back, half of that back, you know, And.
And I was shooting my own one minute videos for running subtitles. You've seen those.
But I was also en route. I was in audio books listening to messages and all this stuff.
And you could just feel it like, okay, I'm in the right place.
[00:54:08] Speaker A: You could feel it.
[00:54:09] Speaker C: You could feel it. And I feel it now.
Like, I feel it all over again.
So. And it's when you lock in like that, and it's just a season, you know what I'm saying? When it turned. When it's no longer winter, you could just feel it. And to keep it a buck, sometimes it's harder than other times to get that focus, you know? So it's both like, the wind is at your back and you doing what's necessary. So I can't take full credit for it, because the circumstances of that time made it lock in and made it a little bit easier to be locked in. Sometimes it's like I be fighting the focus. Like, I would front with you and be like, you know, but.
Yeah, you got to. But as long as you chase, anything you chase is going to evade you. Like, anything you resist persists. I forget whose quote that is. But when you. When you lock in and.
And of course, I'm. I'm always gonna do the work. Like, I can't. Niggas be like, what's the secret? Like, it's all these things, plus, you gotta do it. You can't wait on nobody to do it. So that part is a given.
But.
But it's. As you're doing the work, the assurance that you're different.
You got it.
And that belief, that healthy amount of delusion damn near attracts it. You know what I'm saying? It's me. Cause people could feel that on you. Like, why you. Nigga, you make 150 bucks a week playing drums. Why you. So why your chin so high? Like, n. Cause I'm me already.
And that's what I was referring to when I was talking about the Grammys. Like, you know, I was mad at the game for a second. Like, why? And not the rapper of the game. That's the homie. But why?
Why y' all ain't found us yet? We the best at this shit. You know what I'm saying? We feel like we. And then. But then when niggas like tde get on, then you feel like, all right, for sure. Cool. At least somebody who I believe is like, that is doing it. You know what I'm saying? Like, I couldn't have been more proud before I even met them and come to find out, Sergey signing him and all that stuff.
[00:56:08] Speaker A: So that's what's up, bro. Well, look, I'm always appreciative of your time. I appreciate, you know, you pouring into the culture and the art. I Appreciate what you bring to the game, you know what I'm saying? And you're not one of them niggas who arrogant like, you know what I mean? You got your confidence, but you'll call and ask a question if you have a question, you know what I'm saying? So I appreciate that about you. Wake up. Super is out right now. Go get that. Go cop that. Go stream it. All that stuff.
[00:56:34] Speaker B: And don't rap yet.
Cause I gotta tell you something. Okay, okay, okay. Y' all got a picture that went triple platinum in the group chat. You in the gym with your brothers. It was the perfect.
[00:56:49] Speaker A: That went triple platinum in the group chat.
[00:56:51] Speaker C: Triple platinum in the group chat.
[00:56:52] Speaker B: Triple platinum in the group chat.
Respectfully.
Respectfully. You niggas look good.
[00:56:58] Speaker C: Thank you. I'm trying to figure out what picture.
[00:57:01] Speaker B: Oh, I got it. I'll show you what picture it is y' all got. Y' all chest out for the record.
[00:57:07] Speaker A: Oh, it's not in the.
[00:57:08] Speaker C: Davion posted probably.
[00:57:09] Speaker B: Uh huh.
[00:57:09] Speaker C: Cause Davion is the one that.
[00:57:11] Speaker A: Oh, Davion. He be topless. He be thirsty.
[00:57:14] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:57:15] Speaker C: It's funny that you said topless.
[00:57:16] Speaker A: He do be topless.
[00:57:17] Speaker C: It's supposed to be shirt off, but.
[00:57:19] Speaker B: No, you n was topless.
[00:57:20] Speaker A: Nah, y' all was topless.
[00:57:21] Speaker B: We was topless.
What? Let's just take it all off.
[00:57:26] Speaker C: She said we was topless. Why are you the group chat? How are y' all topless in a group chat?
[00:57:30] Speaker B: The chat, the chat, the chat.
[00:57:33] Speaker A: She really pulling the picture.
[00:57:34] Speaker B: It was a. It's the. This picture is the perfect example of. Do he got a brother like this that. You know what I'm talking about? Because you. Nate, you know, we'll be like, what's up with this friend? And then the friend look like my big toe.
[00:57:47] Speaker C: Oh, no.
[00:57:48] Speaker B: You know, but y' all look good. I can't find a picture right now. It look like he archived it.
[00:57:52] Speaker C: It's Dave. It's on Dave's, though.
[00:57:53] Speaker B: And you done archived everything on your page? Cause I was looking for it over there.
[00:57:56] Speaker C: I didn't share that one, though.
[00:57:58] Speaker B: You didn't accept that collab?
[00:57:59] Speaker C: No. Oh, hell no. Daviona's in the collab too. Like, no, bro, I'm not. I mean, I collab on most stuff with Dave, like, but not. Not the thirst traps, you know what I'm saying? Like, my thing is you can always. You can always do that. You can't undo.
[00:58:14] Speaker B: There it go.
[00:58:15] Speaker A: Look, she just lit up. She just lit up. Don't show it to him. Don't show it to fucking.
[00:58:20] Speaker B: You know what it look like. They need to see it.
[00:58:25] Speaker C: Am I still there?
[00:58:27] Speaker B: No, you ain't on that one.
[00:58:28] Speaker C: No, I'm in. That's me in the middle.
[00:58:29] Speaker B: It's not on no. Your page though.
[00:58:32] Speaker C: No, I'm just saying I'm looking at my physical results. Do I still got that? I don't know.
[00:58:37] Speaker B: Oh, the stomach.
[00:58:38] Speaker C: The stomach. I'll eat. I work on abs and then eat burritos.
So it's like. We'll see.
[00:58:45] Speaker A: That's what my problem is.
[00:58:46] Speaker C: Burritos. A burrito will keep you from a six pack for show.
[00:58:50] Speaker A: Word.
[00:58:51] Speaker C: The tortilla burritos.
[00:58:53] Speaker A: And I'm kombucha'd out. I'm sugar and chocolate and donuts.
[00:58:58] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. Oh, Donuts is the one. It's the bread and the sugar.
[00:59:01] Speaker A: We not gonna get into that because I got fitness goals and. We'll see. I mean, every year, but whatever.
Thank you for coming through, bro.
[00:59:11] Speaker C: We gonna go out.
Shout out to Davion.
My brother is incredible. Davion started all this shit to keep it a buck. He was the lead seer at a lead singer at a young boy group called N3D that got signed to DreamWorks as kids. That was me, Davion, Daniel and Daryl who with Ser Darrell.
[00:59:29] Speaker B: So I can't seen that bedroom performance he did. Which one, baby? I just.
[00:59:34] Speaker C: You know what I'm talking about, my brother. Yeah, I'm sure I have, but I'm trying. I don't know if your performance of it gave me the.
[00:59:41] Speaker A: It was in a different key.
[00:59:42] Speaker C: Oh, got you. Okay.
[00:59:43] Speaker A: Shout out to Woodworks Records.
D Smoke is here. Go get that Wake Up Soup. And now it's effective. Immediate.
