Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Speaker A: Yo, it's effective immediately. I'm DJ here.
[00:00:06] Speaker B: What up, Hip Hop Nation? It's your favorite homegirl, Gina Views.
[00:00:08] Speaker A: We got a special guest in the studio. I've been waiting on this one for a minute. It's been a couple years, actually, when I've been trying to get this man in the studio and have a conversation with him. The legend himself Depend, Mr. Sean Garrett, has joined us on effective immediately.
[00:00:22] Speaker C: Hey, town, what's up? You feel me?
[00:00:25] Speaker A: Thanks for being here. Thank you. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, somebody of your status don't really do interviews, I guess you could say. Yeah, because it's usually. You usually talk to the artist. I mean, you're an artist yourself, but you usually talk to the artist and you get to hear their perspective on stuff. So I'm anxious to hear your perspective of the things that you've done in your career and stuff you're working on now from a perspective that's not the person that they're always talking to. You never really hear that. But thank you for the skin compliments as well. I appreciate you.
[00:00:55] Speaker C: That boy on that cmos.
[00:00:56] Speaker A: I'll be on the cmos. Shout out to our dietary resolutions.
[00:00:59] Speaker C: Got it going. One of my folks, too.
[00:01:01] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, that's my guy, Isaiah.
[00:01:03] Speaker C: Absolutely, man. Man, that boy, he start talking and you be thinking, he be talking music. That boy be talking that talk. Yeah, he gonna get you right?
[00:01:12] Speaker A: For sure. I wanna start first by, you know, congratulating you for being in the game this long. Because as we see in the streaming era, I like to say, you know, people are here today, going tomorrow. It's a lot of microwavable shit. You don't really see longevity anymore, really. The staples that have been here are still here, but I don't necessarily know who the staples are going to be from this era. It's going to last another 20. So from your perspective, when you first started. I want to go back when you first started. Was that your intention coming in the game? Like, I'm going to be here for 20, 30 of them, or like, yeah, man.
[00:01:49] Speaker C: Thank you all for having me, first of all. Yeah, I mean, my whole intent was like, you know, I mean, hands down, you know, I feel like I'm the greatest songwriter, producer of my generation. Like, hands down, like. And I came in to do that, you know what I'm saying?
Just had like, my 56 number one record. Got like 18.
[00:02:08] Speaker A: Say that again.
[00:02:09] Speaker C: 56.
[00:02:10] Speaker A: You say you just had your 56?
[00:02:12] Speaker C: Yeah, like.
[00:02:13] Speaker A: Like five, six.
[00:02:15] Speaker C: Five six.
[00:02:15] Speaker A: Like after 55.
[00:02:16] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
[00:02:17] Speaker A: Number one record.
[00:02:18] Speaker C: Yeah. Like, I got 18 hot water, man.
[00:02:20] Speaker A: Loan me $20.
[00:02:21] Speaker C: Hey, man, you know what I'm saying? You got to talk to my kids.
[00:02:25] Speaker A: Hey, niggas, go straight to the kids when you ask for some money.
[00:02:29] Speaker C: Now, I got kids, nigga, you got eight kids. I. The kids and them boys be hungry. I love my. My boys, man. Shout out Chris and Cruz, you know what I'm saying?
But, yeah, you know, so my. My whole plight, man, was, you know, one. I wanted to be the greatest songwriter producer live.
I think I'm there, humbly speaking, talk your. You know, but it was a. It was a. It was a. It was a crazy journey. Um, because, you know, some people, like, some people was like, yo, do you feel like you.
Do you feel like you were slighted a little bit as an artist versus being a hitmaker? And it's like, no, like, I always wanted to be a great hit maker. I like making other people's lives better. You know what I'm saying? Like, I really enjoy love. I love people. I love doing interviews. Like, I don't know, some artists be complaining and stuff, like, you know, the work. But I love to work, you know, and hopefully my, you know, hopefully my work has spoken. Definitely. And my. And. And how much integrity I have with. With. With my consideration of people, my consideration of being thorough, my consideration and my love for my community.
I really took that very seriously, you know what I'm saying? That has not do with my parents and how I was raised and, you know, But I loved it, man. I love it. And so now, you know, I get a chance to, like, do my own album finally. Cause, like, my first number one record was Breakup, which I. That was a lend too. Yeah, it was a Len, you know, Like, I wasn't really trying to flex, but yeah, that is a flex.
[00:04:17] Speaker A: That's a flex.
[00:04:17] Speaker B: That's a flex.
[00:04:18] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure.
[00:04:19] Speaker B: You got a lot of those, though. And I want to give you your flowers because a lot of the songs that you wrote are actually from my favorite projects. Destiny Fulfilled, Confessions, Sierra, Chris Brown. Like, so that's amazing to even be here to be able to give you your flowers and, you know, talk to you.
[00:04:38] Speaker C: And my skin look good?
[00:04:39] Speaker B: Your skin look good.
[00:04:41] Speaker A: Oh, did you compliment my skin so you can get a compliment?
[00:04:43] Speaker C: Nah, I was complimenting you. Cause I know that skin talk. I call it skin talk.
[00:04:48] Speaker A: Okay, bet.
[00:04:49] Speaker C: You know what I'm saying? When you look at a person and.
[00:04:51] Speaker A: It'S crisp, I just didn't want to Miss my cue?
[00:04:54] Speaker C: Nah, bro, I gave that to you. You gotta wear that. My boy.
[00:04:58] Speaker A: Go ahead. Sorry.
[00:04:59] Speaker B: No, I was watching the Super Bowl. Of course, Usher performed at the halftime show. He brought out Jermaine Dupri. Lil Jon came out. Yeah. Comes on. When Ludacris starts to perform, you kind of hear freak a leak up under it, but you don't really hear it. Like, if you one of those people that pay attention, you can hear freaka leak. So I hopped on Twitter. People was telling me I was tripping. Everybody in the room like, gina, that's not freak a leak. And I'm like, I know I here frequently. Okay, okay, so can you tell us now?
[00:05:24] Speaker C: She doing her back. See? See what I'm saying? See what I'm saying?
[00:05:27] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:05:28] Speaker C: So now she getting into it.
[00:05:29] Speaker A: You feel me?
[00:05:30] Speaker C: Like, that's a real. Like, she good at what she do. Thank you.
[00:05:34] Speaker A: The best.
[00:05:34] Speaker C: I had to go Atlanta real quick, you know what I'm saying?
You know, she done went to it.
There we go. I actually wrote yeah. To the Freak Elite beat. If you go online and you like all of the Little John parts, shout out to Lil John. That's my brother. I love Little John. He the greatest.
But, you know, I actually, that was an idea, you know what I'm saying? That idea was I had just, you know, I might have been 20 years old, and I was trying to figure out how was I. I had just signed my deal shout out to LA Reid hit Cold Music Publishing. That's where I first did my publishing deal.
I had just lost my mom a year to the day that we leaked. Yeah.
And my life was just like a. It was just on a whirlwind. I actually was.
I actually was mourning my mother's death, you know what I'm saying? All through this time, and really, what reason why I was working so hard. I just was trying to bury myself in the work, so I just couldn't. So I just didn't think about it, you know what I'm saying? But it was. It was so funny that at the time, you know, I was going through pain and at the same time, I was giving the world love. So that's how I was dealing with my life. And so I signed my deal with Hiko in September 30, I think, you know, 03. And then.
And so I was trying to figure out, like, how was I going to. Because at that time, it was like publishing was like, you know, you get 12 months and then you go into suspension if you don't really, like, if you don't make your money back, make the money back or you don't deliver on your quota. And so I was like, hell with that shit. I am not finna be locked in here. So anyway, so I signed my deal September 30th. Man, you know, my idea was like, I'm gonna put a Michael Jackson song on a crunk beat.
And so that was my idea. And so I was really trying to get some of them crunk tracks from Lil Jon, but Lil Jon's people was not responding to me. They was, Little John don't do no R B music like he do. He do crunk music. I was like, exactly. So, you know, in my mind, I'm a producer. You know what I'm saying? Like, I produce music. I produce songs, I arrange, I take tracks, change them around, create songs, write songs, sing songs. Just sing different things that don't necessarily sound like anything else to create something new. And so my idea was like, putting. I know if I put Michael Jackson energy, love, passion, feeling on a crunk beat, maybe I can change the world. And that was kind of like the idea. So I ended up doing this. If you go online, you type in Sean Garrett.
Type in Sean Garrett. Yeah, you'll hear my actual demo. So all of that screaming, and I was doing Lil John.
And then when Lil John heard, he was like, I want to change that shit.
[00:08:37] Speaker B: The demo was on Freaka Leak.
[00:08:39] Speaker C: Yes, you can pull it up right now.
[00:08:41] Speaker B: Oh, we gotta hear that.
[00:08:42] Speaker C: But no, what's crazy to get back to what you were saying is listen to my demo real quick, okay? It's gonna blow your mind, because she wasn't lying. You're gonna hear my actual demo.
[00:08:53] Speaker A: I want. I want to ask you a question before we play that.
Trying to get a little vi.
Keep it down on the low key. On the low key. To me, that. That's. To me, when I heard that.
When I heard that right now you have me this a long time ago. But when I heard. Trying to keep trying. Is it trying to kick a little.
[00:09:12] Speaker C: Or trying to get a little vip?
[00:09:13] Speaker A: Okay, Trying to get.
[00:09:14] Speaker C: Trying to get a little vip, really?
[00:09:16] Speaker A: Trying to get a little vi. Keep it down. So to me, that was a rap bar.
[00:09:20] Speaker C: Yeah, it was really trying to get a little. Like. I was trying to get a little. A little vip, you know what I'm saying?
[00:09:26] Speaker B: But keep it to the cracking and vip.
[00:09:28] Speaker C: I was trying to get a little VIP from her in the vip, you know what I'm saying? But keep it down. On a low key, you know what I'm saying? Cause you know how it is. I saw the show that she was checking up on me before the game. She was spitting in my head.
[00:09:40] Speaker B: You think that she know me, But.
[00:09:43] Speaker C: I decided to chill. Conversation got heavy, you know what I'm saying? She had me feeling like she was ready to blow. Ready to blow in the vip. Got it.
[00:09:51] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:09:52] Speaker A: All right, so look, so when you came up with that, right? To me, that was a rap lyric.
[00:09:58] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:09:58] Speaker A: Cause it's a bar. Like, you have to know. You kind of have to know to know, Right? So it's a little witty to me. When you. When you. When you. I guess when you came up with that, were you in your real R and B bag, or was that, like, let me slip this in here.
[00:10:12] Speaker C: Like, I'm really R and B and hip hop, y'all. Like, if you listen to any of the records that I've done, like, Soulja was hip hop. You know what I'm saying?
[00:10:19] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:20] Speaker C: If his status ain't hood, I ain't checking for him Better be street if you're looking at me I need a soldier Stand up for me Knowing they carry big things, if you. You know what I mean? All of my songs, all of them. Like, I remember when I did ring the Alignment, Beyonce was like, who going to be screaming like that? Wait, wait, wait, wait.
[00:10:38] Speaker A: That was a flex.
[00:10:39] Speaker B: But no, we got to get into both of those.
[00:10:42] Speaker C: I got questions for both songs. N. You just going to skip that? I mean, I'm just.
[00:10:47] Speaker B: We getting to it.
[00:10:48] Speaker C: I swear.
N. Just kidding. But that's.
That's why.
[00:10:54] Speaker A: Go back to the Beyonce.
[00:10:56] Speaker C: So. Oh, which one? The soldier.
[00:10:58] Speaker A: You said, she said what?
[00:11:00] Speaker C: So screaming like. So I was like, feed me alone. I've been through this too long. But I be damn if I see another bitch on you. Oh, she gonna be rocking, too. So I was like, I be. That's hip hop. She gonna be rocking Chinchilla Cozy if I let you go Pinterest.
[00:11:14] Speaker B: Yeah, that bitch ain't finna get all my shit.
[00:11:16] Speaker C: I'm saying, no, ain't no. That ain't no. That's not no motherfucking R and B.
[00:11:20] Speaker A: That's why I was saying, like, you slipped the hip hop in your.
[00:11:22] Speaker C: Yeah. So it was like, I really, like. So my. My mom was like, my inspiration. You know what I'm saying? Like, shout out to my dad. Dad, you know I love you. I ain't saying, but my daddy is like, so I had an interesting life. Like, I'm a military brat, you know what I'm saying? So my dad did stuff like go kill Bin Laughton and shit like that. Like, he was.
[00:11:38] Speaker A: He was on the team.
[00:11:39] Speaker B: Another flex.
[00:11:40] Speaker C: Yeah. My dad's like.
[00:11:41] Speaker A: He was on Seal Team 6.
[00:11:42] Speaker C: Kind of like, you know, he be on that type of time, you know what I'm saying? Where are you? So my dad.
[00:11:48] Speaker A: My dad for Beyonce and Kilo. Osama bin Laden in the same family. That's not.
[00:11:52] Speaker C: My dad did that, you know what I'm saying? My mom worked for the government, so it's like, I'm a military kid. So I grew up in Europe. People don't really know that. Like, I'm from Atlanta, I'm from Cameltown, but I really grew up in Europe, so my perspective is all. And I'm an athlete, too, you know what I mean? So I had, like, in my household, like, it was very structured, you know what I'm saying? It was very loving. But my mom was a sweetheart, but she from Perry homes. Anybody from Atlanta, you know what I'm saying? You already know what's going on.
But my mom, like, 13 brothers and sisters. So, you know, like, my mom was not. My mom didn't play the radio, you know what I'm saying? And my dad's from Philly. Chester, you know what I'm saying? Shout out to Chester.
So my combination in my life was kind of like, I had to be strictly about that, whatever it was, you know what I'm saying? And so I got a chance. I love hip hop, but I also love R and B and I love singing, so I was able. But I grew up in Europe, so I used to wake up in the morning, listen to, like, AFN radio, you know what I'm saying? Like, but I'm still from. But I'm still from Camelton, you know what I'm saying? And so my mom would sometimes be playing Patti LaBelle or the Whispers, or sometimes we'd be listening to let's Get Physical, you know what I'm saying? It'd be. It'd be a whole mesh of different things that I would hear on the radio or what my mom be playing and stuff like that. So it's just like I have a mesh of, like, all of that in my life. And so from that, whether it be competition, competitiveness, or like, you know, militants, you know what I'm saying? I'm a little militant, some people would definitely agree, but it's like all those different things is like a combination of my mindset. And so I Was. And my parents was, like, very, like, forthcoming with, like, making me believe I could do anything I wanted to do. You know what I'm saying? Like, my parents made me feel like I was a superhero. Like, they were so encouraging. They was always like, there's no limits to life. There's no limits to winning. There's no limits. And so when I came back to America, like, people used to be. I think I was crazy, like, because I. I be talking like, no, I'm really do that. Like, no, I could do that. They'd be like, what? No, you can't do that. Like, like, they thought. Yeah, they. They, like, people hate it. Yeah.
[00:14:08] Speaker A: Didn't Usher. Because I had Rico on the show. Shout out to Rico, love.
[00:14:11] Speaker C: Yeah, what's up, Rico?
[00:14:12] Speaker A: Shout out to my bro. And Rico's told me the story about you writing that yeah. Song and how you and l. A. Well, l. A Reid really kind of pushed, like, forced Usher to sing. But did Usher tell you? He said, I'm never singing that record.
[00:14:25] Speaker C: He told Rico that, But I knew he was. I knew he didn't want to sing it, and I knew he hated it. He made me wait down.
That's my brother.
[00:14:36] Speaker A: Nah, that's all good.
[00:14:37] Speaker C: Nah, that's my dog. You know, I love him to death. Um, but. And he's a. He's a constant. He's a constant professional. Cause I'm gonna give you the. I'm gonna give you what he didn't like, and I'm gonna give you what he did.
But he hated that song. He was completely not messing with it. He made me wait eight hours down the studio. I'm telling you, like, I was. I came out here. I forgot we cut that song at.
I forgot what studio we cut it at. I'll think of it in a minute. But I had to wait downstairs for eight hours. He was upstairs, and he would not come out.
[00:15:13] Speaker A: Did you get something to eat or you just sat there?
[00:15:14] Speaker C: Hell, no. I waited right down there.
[00:15:16] Speaker B: Shit, you did a shift, man.
[00:15:18] Speaker C: I was right down there cooling, chilling, just like when my dad.
[00:15:21] Speaker A: Cause you knew.
[00:15:22] Speaker C: I knew it, bro. I was like. I was like, bro, this gonna change your life. But shout out to Ms. Janetta. Boy, she was not effing with me. She did not play. She was like, boy, she sent me, yo. She summons me to her house two times.
Hey, man, my mom wants you to come out to the house. Came out to the house. She's like, boy, I don't know you, but you finna ruin my baby's Career.
[00:15:48] Speaker B: What, off a year?
[00:15:49] Speaker C: She was hot. Wow.
[00:15:50] Speaker A: She was mad about the song or you?
[00:15:52] Speaker C: She was mad about me and the song.
[00:15:55] Speaker A: She thought you were bringing an element to his life that he. That she didn't want around him.
[00:15:59] Speaker C: Yeah, because. Because, you know, see, the way I grew up, I grew up in pop music, you know what I'm saying? I grew up from, like, in my mind. I won't say I grew up in pop music, but pop music is. Is. Is instilled in my mind. Meaning, like, pop music is mainstream music for everybody. It's almost like California, you know what I'm saying? It's like, it's all. It's a mixture of people. So it's just like. I'm like, yo, he Michael. Like, he has the. That's Michael Jackson. Like, ain't no way. Ain't no way. Usher is not Michael. You know what I'm saying? Like, not making him. Like, he not Usher and he Michael. It's just. He has the essence of Michael. He's a performer. He can really sing. He has Fred Astaire. He has all of that Sammy Davis Jr. In him. I'm like, that's Michael Jackson. You know what I'm saying? So, you know, music is really the idea. It's just like beating a person to the idea of it and actually being able to execute the idea. Like, if you really like, not to speak on Beyonce, like, but, you know, she is a replica of something or a couple of things. Of things that we.
[00:17:02] Speaker A: I've heard, Aretha. I've heard, like, a bunch of different.
[00:17:05] Speaker C: I won't tell no secrets, but if I told you two things or two people, it'll be like, pow. And that's how I think. So when I create music, that's why I say I'm a producer. And people don't understand that because they're so traditionally formulated in their mind to think. If you're a producer, you do beats. Yeah. No, I make hits. I'm a hit maker.
[00:17:27] Speaker A: Talk to Em.
[00:17:28] Speaker C: So I have to let them know what I am. I don't need them to define me. I am defining myself. That's the whole part about life and culture and growing and being who you are. You have to know yourself. If you don't know yourself, you can't even explain to a person who you are. Right. And so that's the misconception. As black people, we have always been defined by someone else. And I was taught to define myself. So I'm never gonna let nobody define me. You know what I'M saying. So if you don't understand, you will get to know.
[00:17:56] Speaker A: Did she. Did she. When did she end up warming up to you?
[00:18:00] Speaker C: Who, B.
[00:18:00] Speaker A: No, Esther's mom. Yeah.
[00:18:03] Speaker C: Shit, when them checks came in, when.
[00:18:06] Speaker A: She got that new crib.
[00:18:07] Speaker C: Nah, nah, I was just being funny. But I mean, you know what? She's a beautiful. You know, I love Ms. Jeanetta, actually. She actually reminds me a lot of my mom, too. She just didn't play by her kid, you know what I'm saying? She didn't play by her child, you know what I'm saying? And I respected that. You know, a lot of times, people feel like opposition sometimes is a bad thing, but I actually think opposition is actually interesting. I find things. I find when people don't like me, I find that to be pretty interesting.
[00:18:32] Speaker A: Me, too.
[00:18:32] Speaker C: You know what I'm saying? It's like, oh, dag, you probably just don't know me, you know what I'm saying? But if you had a chance to kick it with me a little bit and understand where I'm coming from, then maybe I could understand you, and then maybe we can come to a common ground, you know what I'm saying? Because that's all life is, just trying to understand each other and communicating and sort of like, you know, having a perspective of just understanding. And I think that, you know, people are so, like, stubborn at times about how they sort of like what they're stuck on that they don't even give themselves an opportunity to have open their eyes, you know what I'm saying? And my eyes were open very young, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, and then I also find it to be interesting that people find your confidence to be, like, a threat. Correct. You know what I'm saying? So it's just like, shit. Since I've been in the business, they've been like, man, Sean, crazy. Man, Sean this, Sean.
[00:19:21] Speaker A: I have heard that you crazy.
[00:19:22] Speaker C: Yeah. I'm like, shit, I am crazy. Crazy about this motherfucking music, you know what I'm saying? I get down, you know what I'm saying? And ain't nothing you could do with me. Ain't nothing you could do with me.
[00:19:30] Speaker A: Cause you the pen.
[00:19:31] Speaker C: Yeah. I ain't finna like, about to let nobody, like, I'm trying to win, you know what I'm saying? If I let you convince me that I'm not who I am, but you finna stop what the possibilities are, you know what I'm saying? And I'm getting ready to not be Possible. So ain't nobody stopping that.
[00:19:49] Speaker B: You gonna discourage me?
[00:19:50] Speaker A: I'm getting ready to not.
[00:19:51] Speaker C: My mama say not.
[00:19:53] Speaker A: I'm finna not be possible. I ain't never heard some shit like that.
[00:19:57] Speaker B: Can we go back to Ring the Alarm real quick? Cause I've always wondered, just, like, to get in the mind of the writer who doesn't necessarily have any association to the subject of the song, right? So, like, if, like, how you said she gonna be rocking chinchilla clothes, I let you go. That song is about a woman being fed up with her relationship and is not gonna let the next bitch take her man.
[00:20:19] Speaker C: And that was. See what? People don't even understand the reason why I'm the greatest songwriter, producer of my generation. Do you not hear them lyrics? Do you not hear that?
[00:20:27] Speaker B: That's crazy.
[00:20:28] Speaker C: Today y'all got to put some respect on the boy name. Like the Autumn, or let me Autumn Piquet. You switch your neck tie the Purple label, then people don't even know what was going on.
[00:20:38] Speaker B: You wanna know what?
[00:20:39] Speaker C: So the, like, what's happening?
[00:20:41] Speaker B: There's a clip of Upgrade. You going viral right now, and the headline says, we've been going viral.
[00:20:45] Speaker C: Just see what I'm saying.
[00:20:47] Speaker B: The headlines say Beyonce letting you know right here that she didn't want to relate to none of you bitches.
[00:20:51] Speaker C: Man, listen, man. And the boy talk to the boy. You feel me?
Come on, man. And I'm the best person in the world to write for Beyonce.
[00:21:02] Speaker A: Why?
[00:21:02] Speaker C: I'm just. Cause. Did you hear them records?
[00:21:05] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:21:06] Speaker C: Like, come on. I. Girl, I wrote, girl.
[00:21:09] Speaker B: Let's talk about that.
[00:21:10] Speaker C: Is she the reason. That's she the reason you don't. What is y'all talking about? Well, y'all better stop playing with the boy.
[00:21:16] Speaker B: When you listen to Destiny, y'all better.
[00:21:17] Speaker C: Stop playing with me. I swear on God, black people. Hey, listen, if you watching this shit right here, y'all better stop playing with the boy. I'm him.
[00:21:25] Speaker A: I'm him.
[00:21:26] Speaker C: Nah, I'm. No, no, no, no, man. 112. Ask no questions, boy, y'all better stop playing with me.
[00:21:31] Speaker B: Was it intentional for when I. Because, like I said, Destiny Fulfilled. That's one of my favorite albums. If not Confessions and Destiny Fulfilled, those my top two favorite albums.
[00:21:40] Speaker C: Destiny Fulfilled. Best Destiny's Child album.
[00:21:42] Speaker B: That's the best R B album.
[00:21:44] Speaker C: See what I'm saying?
[00:21:46] Speaker B: Was it intentional?
[00:21:48] Speaker C: Microphone. Why y'all not telling people what's going on?
[00:21:50] Speaker B: No, no. I'm in my living room on the wall. She got it I have confessions and. And destiny fulfilled on my wall in the. In my living room.
[00:21:58] Speaker C: J.D. you know what I'm saying? You feel me?
[00:22:00] Speaker B: Was it intentional, though, to tell a story on the whole album? The way that the track list is set up, it's like, it's.
[00:22:06] Speaker C: I gotta give a lot of respect to Beyonce, though. She is, like, a great.
She is very, very smart. And this is not no cap. Like, this ain't Kyle. You know what I'm saying? I ain't here just. But I love b. Cause, like, she really smart, and so she's a good coach. You know what I'm saying? It's like me and her was like, we were just a great team. I don't care what. No, I am dream. Who. What? Like, no, like, I really.
I really get her. You know what I'm saying? And we get busy. Like, we just get busy. But sometimes it'd be so many people in your ear sometimes, or just be, like, how the world changes or moves or things like that just, you know, changes the climate at times. And then you have different aspirations of, like, what you want to do. And that's why, like, you know, she's went on to do other things, and I went on to do other things, and it's just like, how she met me and how I met her was like, shout out to Shakir Stewart, who, really, I think if I'm not mistaken, Shakir made the call to put me and Beyonce together, too.
But I just love her because creatively, it was just, like, just incredible. Like.
[00:23:22] Speaker A: And where do you go? Sorry, I don't. I want to stay there. But where do you go in your mind to, like, Gina said to write for a woman, especially a woman like that. Like, where do you. How do you do that?
[00:23:31] Speaker B: Because that's passionate.
[00:23:32] Speaker A: Because I don't know how to put. I can't relate to women I date, let alone put myself in their mind and create from her perspective.
[00:23:39] Speaker B: And it's so relatable. Both those. All the songs that we're talking about, there's such relatable tracks.
[00:23:44] Speaker A: Like, where do you. Where does that shit come from? Like, where are you going in your brain?
[00:23:47] Speaker C: My mom, bro. It's like, I'm passionate about life, period, and I'm passionate about love. Like, if I care about you, I really do, you know?
[00:23:53] Speaker B: Did you pull inspo from anybody else's situation? They say that Confessions is really Jermaine Dupree's story.
[00:23:58] Speaker C: Yeah, that's. Yeah. But I don't. I just be it. Be that person I'm talking to.
[00:24:03] Speaker B: You know, is there a woman asking you, is she the reason you don't call her like you used to fall through?
[00:24:08] Speaker C: Yo. One of my ex girlfriends, though, one of my. Every girl that I ever dated, always feel like these songs about them. It's so crazy. She was like, you wrote that song because of me then. Cause I was just talking to one of my. One of my ex girlfriends, and she's like, most of the girls that I have dated, we're still really good friends. And now my current relationships do not. They hate that. But I'm just like, that's, like, stupid. Like, it's like. It's like, if you love somebody, you just love them. You know what I'm saying? Like, how can you love me? For a period of time, I'm just with you. And then when. If something happens with us, then you just. It's like, fuck you. Like, how is that. Because that means you never really cared about me. So I'm just like, for me, if I love you, I love you, and I love you for life. I love you for everything that you are, whether we agree or whether we disagree. Because agreeing with somebody ain't love. You know what I'm saying? To me. So these songs are like, if I'm talking to Beyonce, it's like, I'm gonna talk to her from the perspective of where she's at in her life. And all those songs were about where she was, you know what I'm saying? Now she's so intelligent that she might ask me something or she might say something to me, and I take what she says to me, and I. And I. And it gives me an idea, right? And so I would present that idea to her, and it would. She would either get it, or she. Or she don't like it, right? And it's not that. It's just. We were just in such a zone that it was just clicking, you know what I'm saying? Like, we did whole B day album in, like, two and a half weeks.
[00:25:39] Speaker A: That was a flex.
[00:25:39] Speaker B: B day album, too.
[00:25:41] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:25:42] Speaker B: Oh, my God.
[00:25:43] Speaker A: That was a flex. Yeah, I knew that.
[00:25:45] Speaker B: But so are you the reason why.
[00:25:46] Speaker A: The amount of time is a flex?
[00:25:48] Speaker B: Are. Are.
[00:25:48] Speaker C: Are you. This is when you clicking? Like, when you clicking. And you know what? You know, I'm sorry. I mean.
[00:25:54] Speaker B: No, I'm sorry.
Because. Okay, so we've had this R and B is. I'm. I love rap, but R and B is my favorite genre. R and B, girl.
And we're seeing a decline in R B. Music.
Is it Because Sean Garrett is not.
[00:26:12] Speaker C: Writing for these new artists, man, they better stop, man. I keep telling y'all, y'all gotta tell these people what it is, though. See. Cause it's like, the truth of the matter is.
[00:26:22] Speaker A: That's a great question.
[00:26:24] Speaker C: I just got tired of playing with the business of it, to be very honest, you know what I'm saying? It's just like many people be playing with us.
[00:26:32] Speaker A: And in what way, though? What do you mean?
[00:26:34] Speaker C: Well, whoever the pot. Like this. Look at. Look at life. Now, this is all about podcasting, talking and communicating, right? It's important. This is very important. But you know what's more important? For you guys? To keep the greats alive. For you guys to tell the truth. And if y'all gonna tell the truth, y'all gotta do your homework. Not saying y'all, but people gotta do their homework. And people don't read. You know what I'm saying? People don't read. And I just. And see, me personally, it's almost like I gotta wait five years for them to even understand that I did what I did already. And it's like. Well, some people's like, why you wanna be an artist? I was an artist before I even did. Yeah, right. You know what I'm saying? It's just God had. He ordained my life to be what it is, you know what I'm saying? My job is to help people. That's who my love. My flex is helping people. My flex is loving people. But sometimes people don't love you, you know what I'm saying? They just want what you got. And I don't really like. It's just like, that's cool. And I don't mind being used.
I'm cool with being used, you know what I'm saying? As long as you pay me. But you can't use me and disrespect me. Disrespect is just like the cutoff, you know what I'm saying? And so sometimes they like to call you crazy or, like, call you this way or that way when they can't disrespect you. And it's like, you're not walking over me. My mama didn't walk over me. You understand? So I'm cool. Like, I can go out here and create. I can make some money anyway, you know what I'm saying? I ain't just. I'm just. I'm just not good at music, I could think. You know what I'm saying? So I'm. I can do whatever I want to do because I love my people. I got friends. I got relationships with people. And as long as my friends need my help, I'm going to be okay. And that's the way I look at it. I don't look at it. It's like it's all about me. I like sharing. I enjoy sharing. You know what I'm saying? People don't understand how to share. To me, it's like people ask, well, where's R and B? Or why are some of these artists you did great records for? Why they ain't. Why y'all ain't still working together? Yeah, ask them. They got these ego issues.
People just be egoed out. It's just like, do you remember how you got here?
Have you took a. Have you looked at your profit and loss sheet? And I'm not talking about just making money. Because making money is one thing. Making history and making classics is something totally different. And you gotta understand that. But if that's not your understanding, that's not your consideration. Hey, that's fine with me. Cause I don't. I've made my history.
I got like, 18 Hot 101s. 18 of them. You know how hard it is to have the number one song in it out of a hundred out of everybody that make music?
That's not bragging. See, and that's another thing. I'm not bragging.
I am God's child.
[00:29:13] Speaker B: Sometimes you gotta brag, though. Cause motherfuckers will forget why you got.
[00:29:16] Speaker C: Like my mama used to tell you, let a motherfucker know.
[00:29:20] Speaker A: So here's the thing, bro.
[00:29:21] Speaker C: Excuse my French, but just the truth.
[00:29:23] Speaker A: Here's the thing. Nobody was saying Lil Wayne was the greatest rapper alive till he said it. Nobody was calling Tip the King of the south till he said it. So you. I just want.
[00:29:32] Speaker C: I just want to.
[00:29:32] Speaker A: I just want to hit the ball back. I just want to hit the ball back. While you giving us that where we. It's our responsibility. It's also you to get out of the. Get out of. Get out and say, put your. Poke your chest out and be like, no, I did that. That's my work. I did this. This is what I'm doing now. But I did that, too. I did that because by you saying it and it's coming from you, you control the narrative. And now it's up to us to then disseminate that narrative.
[00:29:55] Speaker B: That's a lack of knowledge.
[00:29:57] Speaker C: But that's the whole point of, like, even me as an artist, though, you understand? Like, you don't like, that's when I'm disappointed in. And I'm gonna say this, and I mean this. And people could take it. These people could take it however they want to. Why are the people that I was helping have the biggest song in the world not shouting my name? You know why? Because that's insecurity, and I think that's very unfair as us, as black people. White people do it. They don't mind.
A country artist will get on stage receiving the biggest award of their life, and they will bring every songwriter that helped them do that song. Right. I don't understand our people.
[00:30:35] Speaker A: Well, do you think it has something to do with the hip hop nature of black music? I'm gonna say R and B, but listen, black music in general is more of, like. It's personal. It's. Whatever.
[00:30:46] Speaker C: This is Cap, bro.
[00:30:47] Speaker A: It's Cap.
[00:30:48] Speaker C: That's fucking Cap. Okay, man. Just be a human being, bro.
You know what I mean? Like, you're not taking this shit with you. Ain't none of us taking this shit with you. I don't give a fuck how big your house is. You can have a damn house big as this whole. This whole street. You're not taking that shit with you when you up out of here. So you can't share that. Someone loved you enough to give you their heart. You can't share that. What does that really say about you?
[00:31:12] Speaker A: I agree with you.
[00:31:12] Speaker C: It's like I just be amazed. Like, guess what? I keep my shades on so I don't cry because it breaks my heart. That's the kind of person I am. But if you don't know me, hey, to know me is to know me. I'm no better than anyone else. I just take the love that I get from one place and I put it in another place. And I keep trying to share that love and keep being excited about life. I'm excited about life because this is all I got. An opportunity to have a better day tomorrow. That's all I look at. I look at it like love. I love people. You know what I'm saying? I ain't no fool, though.
[00:31:47] Speaker A: Do you feel slighted more by artists or the industry in general? Like, the infrastructure of it?
[00:31:51] Speaker C: I don't even feel slight about the point I just made. And you know the hard part about giving your heart to an interview is I hope y'all just do me right and don't put one statement in a place that I didn't mean it to be. No, I feel that, you know what I'm saying? I can only speak how I can speak. And I'm just disappointed. And I'm hoping that you know. Yeah, you right. I gotta say it. So I'm hoping that all the artists today learn from what I'm trying to say. That heart that somebody poured into you, you should appreciate it. You blessed. Because that one song you able to perform every day is help feeding your kids.
I did Chris Brown's biggest record, his life. I don't give a fuck what nobody say. Run is the biggest song of Ushers. I mean, Chris Brown's life. That's a fact. That broke Chris Brown.
[00:32:37] Speaker A: It broke me.
[00:32:37] Speaker C: And I love Chris Brown to death. You know what I'm saying? I don't give a fuck how cool I am to Chris Brown. I give a fuck about how much I love Chris Brown. And I'm in his corner no matter what because I care about his heart. And I know when I met him who he was, and I know who he is in his heart now. People grow, people change, people get influenced, people do whatever. But he's like one of the greatest entertainers I've ever seen.
[00:33:02] Speaker A: Me too.
[00:33:04] Speaker C: Usher, greatest entertainer I've ever seen. Beyonce, greatest entertainer I have ever seen. So it's like. It's a beautiful. It was just a. It's a beautiful union. And we got to look at. You know, we keep talking all this, you know, I mean, I could go on and on, man, but we want to talk about the presidency. We want to talk about our community, we want to talk about our culture. Why we can't take care of each other like we should take care of each other by showing. Just showing each other love and just showing each other compassion. I don't need nobody to pay my bills. I don't need you to come hang out with me. But you can at least. At least acknowledge me on your big stage. And listen, I'm not saying this. Cause I need the acknowledgement. I'mma hold me down no matter what. And I got people and friends that do love me. You know what I'm saying? But I have put in. The reason why I put in so much work and didn't care about saying nothing is because I knew in God's world, your work will speak for itself. And at some point, that's why I love y'all so much. I loved the community. I love my community. You know why? Because they. Y'all show me so much. I don't care where I go. I could be at Chipotle. I could be at Walmart. I could be at Target. But somebody gonna come up and say, sean Garrett, I love you, and I love what you have done for our community. And most people say thank you. That blows my mind.
So my biggest part is like, why are the people that received the music can say thank you, but the people you gave your heart to can't even say thank you?
That's heartbreaking at times. If there's anything that really broke my heart, and when you ask about R and B music that broke my heart.
[00:34:53] Speaker A: How did you recover from that?
[00:34:55] Speaker C: Or are you still man, you know, it's an everyday. It's an everyday journey.
Hurt is a pain. You can't. You know, you can't. You can't define hurt. You just have to embrace hurt.
You know, I just embrace love and hurt at the same time and try to make myself feel better about my own efforts, so it makes me work harder.
[00:35:24] Speaker A: So then where do you get that confidence or that strength to then venture into your own like. Like your own records and keep going? Where do you pull that from?
[00:35:30] Speaker C: Just. Just seeing a person in need, you know? Every day you see another person that needs something. It inspires you to be better. You know what I'm saying? It's like, shit, I could work with this person. This person would appreciate my heart, you know what I'm saying? It's just like dating, man. It's like, some people just ain't gonna love you. I had to accept that, man. You know what I'm saying? Some people just do not know how to love you, man. It's like if you think a person. Like, love is not like giving a person everything they want. Love is just a care, you know what I'm saying? But what somebody taught me a couple months, somebody said something that taught me a lesson, like a month ago was like a woman.
Well, I ain't gonna say that, woman.
Respect comes before love.
[00:36:21] Speaker A: I feel that. I know we gotta rap soon, but I do wanna talk about the new project that's coming later on. But you did drop Baddie with the king of R and B, quote, unquote. Jacques. Is he the king of R and B?
[00:36:35] Speaker C: Is he still using that in his mind? His mind.
[00:36:38] Speaker B: Do you have A, R&B, Mount Rushmore for the man?
[00:36:42] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. It's simple. Go ahead. But it's hard, too, at the same time. But I want to address that king of R and B thing, Jacques. A lot. Shout out to my boy Jacques.
[00:36:54] Speaker A: I had him on my show too, and he loved. That's what he said.
[00:36:57] Speaker C: It. His energy. His energy is like yeah, his energy is like. He just believe in himself. And there's nothing better than that. You gotta believe in yourself. Nobody else gonna believe it. And you, man, listen, like, right now, I get doubts all the time. I get. I always get doubted. I like being an underdog. I swear to God, I love when somebody hate on me. I swear, I love it. I can feel it, too. I can look straight in the eye, be like, boy, I appreciate you. Because. Because all you're gonna do is make me go cr. I'm gonna go crazy.
[00:37:30] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, we gonna revisit this.
[00:37:31] Speaker C: Well, I'm gonna save every nickel I got, boy, to make sure. Sure that this door will be open at some point. Cause I'm gonna remember you. I'm gonna remember.
[00:37:41] Speaker A: Is there somebody in your mind when you think about that? Not. Not you.
[00:37:44] Speaker C: Don't.
[00:37:44] Speaker A: Don't say it.
[00:37:44] Speaker C: Oh, grudges. No, no, no. Yeah, there's definitely some people in my mind. But you know what's funny? A lot of them is the same people you done help.
[00:37:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:37:54] Speaker C: You know what I'm saying? It be like, people. I'm like, bro, I know I helped change your life, bro. I know you was an A and R. Hey, you don't remember. Oh, you thought, okay. Because, you know, I do know. You got to get the record. I don't care what your job title say. You got to get that work, bro. If you cannot go get that product, bro, it's gonna be a closed door for you. So what's interesting to me is, like, oh, you got this shit confused. So that's what really, like, motivates me. It's like, when people do not respect you enough to appreciate your heart. You know what I'm saying? You don't gotta be in the biggest position. You ain't got to be in the biggest position. Yo, you go. That's what life is about. Positioning, growing. Evolution is real. Like, you might be the person that's an intern one day and be around and running a company next in years to come. So I always look at things as being positive.
And we are talking about my music. I just want to be clear about this. We are talking about my music, but we're also talking about my heart. And these are my songs. The pen is not a pen. I never wrote a song ever. This is the pin.
This is the pin. And this is the pin.
So when Jay Z named me the pen and shout out to the big homie hov. Because I remember, it made me. I was mixed with emotions because I was like, man, dag bro, Damn. Like, what I owe you for this, man. He was like. He just laughed and said, just make me proud. You know what I'm saying? Like, my man didn't have to. Like, man, I just. I just had a blessed. I've had a blessed journey and all these wonderful people that I got a chance to meet and work with. It's just. It's just been a. It's just been. It's just been the most amazing time.
[00:39:40] Speaker A: I know. I know. She has one more. But my last question is because you brought up HOV and him naming you the pen. I know that's that story, but what was that dis. What was the actual thing where he called you that? Like, what was the determining factor where you have arrived and now HOV is knighting you as the pin? Like, what was that moment? Because a named Byron named me head.
Pause. You know, the homies at high school, the basketball team, they would call me head, you know, make fun of me. But Hov named you the pen. What was that? Determination.
[00:40:12] Speaker C: It's just one day I walked in, bro. He just. The pen. And it was just.
[00:40:16] Speaker A: Oh, that was just. It was there a song that you had just.
[00:40:19] Speaker C: Cause we were in mode. I had already worked on the Destiny's Fulfilled album. You know, it had went crazy, and B would just. You know, what's so crazy is that so casual.
[00:40:30] Speaker A: You was there.
[00:40:31] Speaker C: Like, she would just. She would just give me opportunities that would just be like.
Just wow. Like, one day, you know, she was like, for Check up on it, she was just like. This was. We did Check up on it in those Destiny's Child sessions, you know what I'm saying? It was like the last song from.
[00:40:49] Speaker B: Is that Kelly really singing under one of those verses? I don't know if you've ever seen on social media. They were saying that it's like Kelly under one of the verses on Check up on It.
[00:40:58] Speaker A: I don't remember.
[00:41:00] Speaker C: Unless that's something that they did. I don't know. I don't remember that being that. But if it. You know, But. But Beyonce, like, she might layer her. She might. She'll cut a song and then go, like in the middle of the night or whenever she feels like, hey, I want to bring that song up. And I might. She might layer some. So I don't know. She might have. But it wasn't that. I. You know. I know. But the cool was.
So she. One day, she was. And at that time, she was shooting movies, too, at the same time. So it was just some Old whim. She was like, after we had knocked out. We had just probably finished.
Can you keep up?
[00:41:39] Speaker A: Lose my breath.
[00:41:40] Speaker C: Yeah.
So there she was, walking out. She was like, son, I gotta go to this. I gotta go to this little movie. I'm doing this little movie.
And would you mind, like, I need a song for this little. This little movie. She kept saying, little movie. Then she said. I was like, well, what's the name of the movie? She's like, it's called the Pink Panther. I was like, jesus Christ, bro. But she was just. She just was so. It just. I swear this was a dream, y'all. Like, my life has been a dream. It's been challenging at times, you know what I'm saying? Where I had to be like. I had to turn up a couple times on some people because they was playing with me, but it's just like. It's just been a dream.
[00:42:21] Speaker A: So it was around that time when he said, you're the pen.
[00:42:23] Speaker C: It was like, yeah. Oh, no, no. Then we went into work. The one time when he seen. When he came in and heard ring the alarm.
[00:42:29] Speaker A: That's when you became the pen.
[00:42:30] Speaker C: Yeah, I think that's when I became the pen. Cause he was just like, okay, what the hell is that?
[00:42:35] Speaker A: Oh, see, I always knew he named you. And I knew, like, the backstory or whatever, but I didn't know what was. I wanted to know the moment.
[00:42:41] Speaker C: Like, them songs. It was. This songs was going. He was walking in, listening to records, like, okay. So then I used to play. I used to play video games with Hov. And I. I was just intrigued. Yeah.
[00:42:54] Speaker A: Because that's normal.
[00:42:55] Speaker C: Yeah. I used. I would just.
[00:42:56] Speaker A: What game do y'all play?
[00:42:57] Speaker C: We used to play. We used to play NBA basketball. We played basketball. Yeah. 2K. We used to play 2K.
[00:43:04] Speaker A: He played 2K with hoes.
[00:43:06] Speaker C: Yeah. And, I mean, he was whooping his ass.
He was. And he was. And he was. He was whooping your ass, too. Yeah. He be laughing at you. Yeah, yeah. Cause, you know, I play games, but I ain't. Like. I ain't. I ain't a gamer and shit.
[00:43:18] Speaker A: He used the Nets.
Who did he use?
[00:43:21] Speaker C: He might. He was using the Knicks at that time.
[00:43:23] Speaker A: The Knicks. Okay. All right.
[00:43:24] Speaker C: Bet. I don't even know if the Knicks was around.
[00:43:26] Speaker A: Okay, Bet.
[00:43:26] Speaker C: All right. For sure. But. Well, they weren't the Brooklyn Nets yet.
[00:43:29] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I got you. So he's using the Knicks. But he was going, all right, I respect it.
[00:43:32] Speaker C: Yeah. He thought it was. Yo, you know, the craziest funny. The funniest shit about Hov is just like. He just always made shit seem fun, you know what I'm saying? Like, he'd just be chilling. Like, everything is funny. You know what I'm saying? It's just like, yo, you think he go over here to be tearing your ass up? You know what I'm saying? Just like, damn. So it was always fun. Shout out to Tata and, like, J. Brown and all those guys, man, they really. Tata used to just be always on my ass or pause. He used to just be on my case all the time. Like, you ain't better than Neo. You ain't not fucking better than Neo, bro.
[00:44:06] Speaker A: I wanna.
[00:44:07] Speaker C: Bro, I need.
[00:44:08] Speaker A: I wanna dive into that, but we gotta get you back because they saying we gotta rap. Okay, but.
[00:44:12] Speaker C: But everybody in that motherfucker.
[00:44:14] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But the Baddie song is out now.
Shout out to Jacques. Yeah, yeah. The king of R B, quote, unquote.
[00:44:21] Speaker C: Hold on. Y'all can't play with me. Hold on, y'all. I'm not playing with my album. Not you, not you. But I'm just telling y'all, y'all them people. Y'all people, hey, man, my album is hot. My. My album is hot. I know y'all got to be with this new Baddie record, you know what I'm saying? I don't know if you heard it or not, but please go check out Baddie. The album is crazy. I got a whole lot of features on there, you know, R B. For real. For real. That. That, that. That. That Sean Garrett that you like is on there. And it's just my first album, you know what I'm saying? Shout out to my label, Black Girl, man. Shout out to Warner.
Just shout out to my managers. Shout out to, like, my whole team, Everybody that ever, like, showed me, all the podcasters. Shout out to y'all. Show.
[00:45:02] Speaker A: Appreciate you.
[00:45:02] Speaker C: Shout out to all the love. And, bro, I love you here, man. You always.
[00:45:05] Speaker A: Thank you, bro.
[00:45:06] Speaker C: Show me so much love and respect. You so beautiful, my dear. You know what I'm saying? It's my first time meeting you.
[00:45:10] Speaker B: You forgot my name.
[00:45:13] Speaker A: No, man, look, I appreciate you.
[00:45:17] Speaker B: You gotta come back. You gotta come back when the album drops. Because I have so many more questions.
[00:45:21] Speaker C: I know. And you know what? Somebody told me to be ready for you, too. Cause they was like, hey, she having them questions. Yeah, but thank you. I don't know if maybe I was talking too much and I ain't gave you a chance to get it off, so.
[00:45:32] Speaker B: No, you're good.
[00:45:33] Speaker C: You're good.
[00:45:33] Speaker B: You gotta come back. When the album come out.
[00:45:35] Speaker A: When the album's dropped, you be back. It's Sean Garrett's. Effective immediately. We appreciate you.
[00:45:39] Speaker C: Yo, that's a hard name too. Effective immediately.
[00:45:41] Speaker A: Yes, sir.
[00:45:42] Speaker C: That type of energy.
