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, Univiews.
[00:00:08] Speaker A: We have a special guest in the studio. A friend of the family, a native, a LA legend. You can put whatever respect you want to put on this name, this man's name is T. Fly. Welcome to the show, brother.
[00:00:20] Speaker C: Man. Welcome, man. Thank you.
[00:00:22] Speaker A: You welcome me to my show?
[00:00:23] Speaker C: Yeah, thank you for having me, man.
Nice to meet me.
[00:00:27] Speaker B: You welcome.
[00:00:28] Speaker A: You welcome for me being a lady, nigga. Nice to meet me.
[00:00:30] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:00:31] Speaker A: Do you accept that now? Cause I remember early on. Well, not early on, but I remember years. A couple, few. Not even a few years ago. Years ago, you would fight against that, like, the LA Legend thing.
[00:00:42] Speaker C: I mean, I still got a lot of work to prove. I mean, and I'm not dead. I feel like when, you know, like.
[00:00:48] Speaker A: You could be a living legend, I.
[00:00:50] Speaker C: Mean, that's what y' all say. I just feel like it's a lot more to.
To being an artist than just some guy that put out a few dope records and, you know, you got a couple fans and fan base and all of that. I feel like Legends is like, what Chris Brown is doing right now. That's legend work. You get what I'm saying? So I'm not taking away from my artistry or my creative, you know, mindset or whatever for music, but I just feel like once I, you know, once I'm done and I hang it up, then I become.
[00:01:25] Speaker A: Then you accept.
[00:01:26] Speaker C: Yeah, I accept that.
[00:01:27] Speaker A: I can see that.
[00:01:28] Speaker B: Well, you're an icon.
[00:01:29] Speaker C: Of course I'm all that. Don't think it. Don't think. I don't think that. I'm just saying.
[00:01:34] Speaker A: Don't get it fucked up.
[00:01:35] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm just saying, like, you know, we. We tend as artists to, like, accept the praises instead of, like, putting in the real, real work. There's plenty of people.
[00:01:45] Speaker B: You put in the work, though.
[00:01:46] Speaker C: Yeah, I put in a lot of work, but I still feel like I got a lot more to contribute to the game. It's a lot more that a lot of people haven't experienced from, you know, T Fly and that, you know. You know, having minor setbacks with the drinking, the showing up late to shows and going crazy on people, messing up relationships, that could have potentially helped me. You feel me? Now people can see like, man, all right, he clearheaded. He doing his thing.
So I'm just riding away right now of all right, what could we do right now? It's not about what in my eyes, it's not about what you did, it's what you doing right now. I can see that, you know.
[00:02:23] Speaker A: Well, let's start there then. Since you said it like that. I wanted to, I want, I definitely. We gotta talk about some of this music and these projects.
[00:02:29] Speaker C: Yeah, sure.
[00:02:30] Speaker A: Cause it's some classic shit. Yeah, but let's start there. As far as where you are now, you clear? You level headed?
Are you sober? Like, what's the status of T5 right now?
[00:02:39] Speaker C: I mean, for me right now it's just proving to myself that I can do it again. You get what I'm saying? Get back to that, that top level.
Just to respect from my peers, you feel me? Everybody that I came up with, even the young cats that I talked to, you know, Kalen, I spoke with him. True Car.
I got a good rapport with a lot of these cats, but I be just trying to school them on this stuff and like the mistakes that I made, so, you know, they don't make the same mistakes that I made. Like taking pictures with DJs, taking pictures with fans, showing up for DJs. Just not like having them play your records. Like let, let them see your face as being a supportive member from, from, you know, just a family orientated person. You get what I'm saying? So with me, I just, you know, I drink off a camera like at my house or some, some shit like that. But I don't, I don't really want to drink in front of nobody because I don't want them to get the wrong idea, like, oh, he back on that, or whatever, you feel me? Because, you know, a year ago around this time, I was burying my big brother. You get what I'm saying? So I had to really dwell with that. I had to face the pain and all of that. I'm not saying that I'm completely over it, but I kind of can like move forward and kind of accept what's going on, you know, the pain is always going to be there forever. But it's just certain things that you just got to wake up and just be like, all right, you got to grow up now.
[00:04:11] Speaker A: What was the thing that made you want to make that change? Like, what was this? If there was one thing or series.
[00:04:15] Speaker C: Of things, we had did the show, like me and Dom, we had did the Noble at.
Yeah. Shout out to Dom K. Shout out to Dom. Big bro. We had did the Novo in September last year, right? And I was battling with myself, like, damn, I haven't been on this big of a Stage in a long time. I wonder how they gonna accept me when I come out. What are they gonna say to me? How is this gonna be accepted and all of that. And I mean, when I came out, it was like. It was love. So it was. It was dope for me. You feel me? And it didn't just happen at one show. It happened at both shows. And that's what really let me know, like.
Cause not only Dom, but, you know, once you hear from somebody else, you can hear from, like, certain people. Like, my brother stayed on me, the one that just passed away, shout out KS Rest in peace to ks. But my best friend, Western, a couple of my old heads, my big cousin Baby Sino, my mom, my grandma who was in the music, gospel, entertainment business as well, they stayed on me about not drinking in front of certain people and not break, you know, not messing up your relationships because these people is looking for you to come in and do your job.
And then I also learned that they would rather deal with somebody that's not even better than you, but that can still get the job done and come in and do that, do their job, and they don't have to worry about babysitting you. And is you drunk or is you gonna. You feel me? So, yeah, shout out to Dom. Because Dom was really on me about the drinking. I mean, a lot of people was on me, but I'm just saying, like, those was the main.
That was like one of the main times that it really set in with me. Because at the show, my brother was basically like, man, you look good. Like, look, you sound good. You clear headed. Everybody's saying, like, you good right now. Like, and the very next day, he got killed. So it was like, for me, it was like, all right, man. You know, if I do owe anybody that kind of respect, it'll be first myself. But my kids, my family, and that's my blood brother. Same mama, same daddy. You get what I'm saying? So just losing him, it was just like a wake up call. Like, this is, you know, you don't always get these chances, especially in music or just in life, period. But you don't get these chances like that. So of course I had to clean up a lot of. A lot of stuff, like the hurt, the pain, just, you know, because I'm from South Central, so my first thing is to go with, all right, let's get down. Or, you know, and just from the growth and the element of, you know, what I was taught and just coming up in church and everything, I just had to let you know, let the devil have his little. You know, and just keep pushing forward and trusting God, you feel me?
[00:07:15] Speaker B: Would you say that you were occasional drinker or were you at the point?
[00:07:20] Speaker C: Nah, my shit called it steals my liquor. Nah, I was never. See, that's the thing.
I would have times where I knew that I was doing too much. You get what I'm saying?
I would have times where one time, don't nobody even know I went cold turkey for six, seven months, not drinking. I just never told nobody. I was just like. When my mind tell me something like, oh, I need to chill out right now.
It could just be me just being drunk and faded and I do something crazy. And I know that that ain't how I want to be perceived as Christian or T Fly or whoever you feel like I am, bro. A cousin, a family friend or whatever.
I just.
I know when it's. I'm pushing it to the limit. I know where I'm doing too much.
Like, and Nip was one person that could tell me that. You feel me? Nip always stayed on me about drinking. But like they say, you don't. You don't come off of that until you really wouldn't come off of doing that.
[00:08:18] Speaker A: So.
[00:08:19] Speaker C: So, I mean, shout out to everybody that stayed on me about doing it, but it wasn't gonna happen until I really wanted to do it.
[00:08:26] Speaker A: Was there a specific relationship that got really impacted by it specifically, like, with an artist? Because I remember there was a back and forth with you and Mustard online.
And I remember, and he was. He was and not me. I don't like when. I don't like the world seeing us do that. Yeah, just. Cause on some California shit, like. Yeah, no, I don't like. But the point of me bringing that up was when he said something, it was some real, like, it was some homie shit. To me. It was like, bro, when you get it together, then let's holler.
[00:08:58] Speaker C: Let's figure it out. That's what you took from that.
[00:09:00] Speaker A: That's what I took from the part that I only saw a piece of it.
[00:09:03] Speaker C: All right, maybe you should have went and I should have.
[00:09:05] Speaker A: So the piece that I took from it was like, when you get the drinking together, then let's have the conversation offline type shit. But was there a specific artist I'm.
[00:09:15] Speaker C: About to explain to you?
[00:09:16] Speaker A: Okay, good.
[00:09:16] Speaker C: Sorry with that situation.
Now, when I first.
Everybody know me and Mustard, we make good music together. I called me and Mustard Batman and Superman. You feel me? That was my thing. I felt like we was the dynamic duo, because we was.
But when it came to me putting in the work that I did for them, I felt like I wasn't really even getting the. The credit or, you know, the cause and all of that from them. And it was like, man, look, I could have took these songs and put them on certain other artists that was booming in the city and let them rock with it. And then, you know, money became the root of all evil when it came to not. Not. I'm not disrespecting them. I want to choose my words, right? Because this is a tough subject that we talking about. And by the way, me and Mustard is cool now. So shout out to DJ Mustard. But the truth is the truth. You know, when we got signed, when I signed the deal to Epic Records, I got signed for 1.2 million, right?
And I got hit up immediately. Like, man, mustard charging us $50,000 for this deep beat. Mind you, this D is not even on my album, the star album. It's not even on my album. So then I'm like. I tell the label. I'm like, man, hey, give him that money. Give him the money. Cause we working together. So I'm like, all right, maybe this gonna help him know, like, at ain't playing. He gonna. He gonna handle it. Boom.
So a few months later, Charisma comes to me. She like, look, I need another record. I need a record to keep. Keep the buzz going. So I get in there, I do 24 hours, right? We do 24 hours.
Now, I'm thinking that bro was gonna, like, at least, like, cut. Cut a n some slack. Like, bro, we working. We boom. I'm doing songs for you as well as you doing songs for me. So I think that we like you scratching my back. I'm scratching your back.
And so one thing I learned when at a young age in the music game was whatever you don't discuss in.
In the meeting, when you having these meetings and these record deals, don't go look back and get mad at nobody. Cause you didn't discuss it. Facts, you feel me? Whatever. You don't negotiate, you don't get, right?
So everything that I negotiated was clear on the table. I let them know where my stance was. I let them also know that I really wasn't even gonna take the deal with Epic Records, so I was gonna sign a Mustard before I ever signed to anybody. I felt like he was the dope producer. I had the chords, I had the right sound of musicians around me and all.
So it was home team, right? And I Get a call. Like, man, he's charging us $80,000 for the 24 hours beat.
So I immediately I hit him. I'm like, look, bro. Like, 80. That's crazy. Like, boom.
Mind you, I had to pay two changes for the feature. The feature. So I'm like, this is both of our songs. This is the sound. It's our sound. We just did fireworks. Now we. We signed. We both moving in a cool direction. I feel like 50,000 could be cool for you, bro. I was not.
I wasn't against paying him. I just felt like, all right, now, 80,000 is a little steep. Come on, bro. Like this what I got signed for. Boom. But I felt like people was in his ear.
Just like. I'm quite sure he thought people was in my ear. But one thing about T Fly, is T Fly going to do whatever he want to do? Let's just start right there.
And so when I had to pay him the $80,000, right? I paid him the $80,000. So that's 50. 80. Y' all do the math. And then we turn around, and I'm like, why am I getting paid for the 24 hours, right?
And so I get a call again after I leave Epic Records. They like, well, we might have to shut the album down because we're getting sued. Now, my first time ever ending up on TMZ was due to the fact of him not doing the full beat.
So not only did I just give you the money for the beat that you supposedly had made, and I'm not against sampling, right? But if you gonna sample a record and you got somebody that, like, I know how to play keys. So if I would have played the stuff over, we would never got sued.
So now I'm worried about my relationship with 2 Chainz. I'm worried about, all right, where's this about to take me and you? And so for so long, I sat back and I allowed a lot of stuff to go down. Like, if you listen to Mustard beats, I don't take nothing away from Mustard because I feel like he did help me a lot. And I'm very grateful. I'm very thankful. I would never let that go past nobody. Like, I tell everybody, if I see Mustard fighting right now, I'm jumping in like, you gonna get jumped. You feel me? But for me, it was more so. Like, all right, I showed you I'm broke. Like, I'm home team with you no matter what. If I went and signed this deal or whatever, I'm still coming through for you. I'm pulling up Boom. I just felt like they used to my weakness, which was the drinking, to, like, sabotage my character.
And we all know, like, come on, bro, we know for sure. I didn't have nobody writing my songs. I was writing everything. I could have lied to you and said, hey, I wrote this song. But nobody came back to you and said, hey, T didn't write that. But they came back to me and said, we getting sued for $10 million right now. I done lost the epic record deal. Things is going down adrigity for me right now. I'm seeing people walk away from me, all of that. And it was like I hit him on some, like, man shit. Like, look, bro, when I gave you that $80,000, I knew for a fact that you did the beat. But now we getting sued, so. Which means you really didn't do that beat.
So either do fireworks or just give me 40 bands back.
That's where the argument start popping.
[00:15:34] Speaker A: Oh, that's where it's.
[00:15:35] Speaker C: Mind you, I was not out in public. I was literally in my house. If you come to my house, I got stud video equipment everywhere. I recorded my house. You feel me? So for him to say, oh, you. You high. You drunk.
It made me go up there and attack him and yg, which YG really didn't have anything to do with it. But I said, I done seen you niggas get low too, on some, you know. And I told people exactly what I was on. You feel me? I told them, pop, that Molly, now your eyes is rolling. I'm talking about ecstasy, pills, all of that type of shit. All right, cool. But you ain't never known me to snort nothing or do the lean or none of that. So I felt bad about going to the Internet, but also I had to make sure, like, niggas not playing around with me, because it could have really went straight.
If it would have went straight, who knows who would have survived? You get what I'm saying? But I just felt like the, like, don't get it twisted. My people was mad at me too. Like, my brother, he didn't talk to me for damn near a whole year. Like, people was really on me. But then when he put out the record, like, instead of arguing on live, I should have prayed with T Fly.
Now you got everybody that was on me saying, I apologize, bro. You was right. You was. I know I was right, nigga. You feel me? But now if you listen to his music after we did fireworks, it sounds melodic. You get to do songs with lma. You get to do songs with Chris Brown, Omarion, all of that. If I don't do fireworks with you, you don't even be heard as a producer that can do that kind of music.
You get what I'm saying?
[00:17:09] Speaker A: Well, I think that's a stretch, though, because.
[00:17:11] Speaker C: How?
[00:17:11] Speaker A: Because I think.
[00:17:12] Speaker C: Name me one song that he had a singer on there.
[00:17:14] Speaker A: No, no, before me. I'm not talking about that. The initial start of it. I'm just saying producers naturally. Like, you gonna. If you good. Like. Like, if T Fly is good.
[00:17:23] Speaker C: That's here and there. Look, look, what I did was when my brother Ax Mustard, he said, straight up, this on Big Bro. So he said, what we doing? What are we? We all in the room. He like, man, I want to do R and B music. T Fly got that.
T Fly want to jump on rap beats. I got that.
That was the start of me and Mustard. You feel me? That was the whole start of me and Mustard. Mustard didn't even realize that I can do beats and all of that. Like, I let him put all his tags on my beats. It still beats that we. I've never got credit for doing. You get what I'm saying? But I felt like we was together. We was coming up together. So it was like, all right. I'm always have bro around, so cool. Use the tag. You feel me? All right, cool. I couldn't play some chords on your beats. You just give me a couple drums here and there. You feel me? It all worked out.
Yeah. It was almost brotherhood shit. It wasn't like I felt like I was better than him or he was better than me or none of that. I felt like we was like the dynamic duo with Shaq and Kobe. I felt like we was like, bro, I ended up getting signed. You feel me? I always wanted to be signed to a major deal. So it was like, once that happened, it was like, all right, cool. Then when he went and did the stuff with Roddy Ricch, I'm like, I'm just hearing piano sounds. I'm hearing guitar sounds. I'm hearing. Now you say producers advance.
[00:18:51] Speaker A: I'm saying, you, too, like artists, and that's cool.
[00:18:53] Speaker C: But, look, I came in with this style.
You feel me? I came in with this style from Jelly Roll teaching me how to layer my bass lines. The real bass, not the synth. And all of that from the computer and all of that. I'm talking about real bass, real keyboards, real drum sounds, real, like, players, like guitar players, all of that. And I just felt like once I start hearing my sound on certain things, I was Like, I can't take this shit no more.
You feel me? Somebody gotta say something. Because it was to the point where if I see you, then I know it's gonna be like, boom, what's up with you? Like, and then my demeanor is gonna automatically make you feel like, oh, we about to get in. Or this. Woo, woo, woo. But.
[00:19:38] Speaker A: And it's not even that.
[00:19:40] Speaker C: No, it was at. At some point. I can't even lie. It was that.
[00:19:43] Speaker A: No, I'm saying for me. I'm saying for everybody else, niggas just doing music. Yeah, but you, like, intern. It's personal.
[00:19:49] Speaker C: I mean, well, see, this the thing. He knows exactly how I am. So when he would, like, try to play it cool and play it smooth, that's what really, really did it for me. And then my thing was like, you don't even gotta give me no money. Just do fireworks, too.
So when he screamed and yelled, no, we ain't doing fireworks, too, and woo, woo, woo. I'm like.
At the time, I'm like, well, fuck us then. Like, that's just my natural reality.
Like, that was just.
[00:20:16] Speaker A: That's your default song. You just revert to that.
[00:20:19] Speaker C: Yeah, well, default. But I'm just. No hose bars. When it comes to that type of, like, respect level. If I got respect for you and I'm respecting you, I'm doing everything. I'm writing all of these songs, like, boom.
I could see if you had all of these people in pocket to do these songs with, right? All of the singers. I'm talking about Trey Songz, Chris Brown, everybody, right?
If you had that all in pocket, where was they at before we did fireworks?
[00:20:46] Speaker A: So my question is, as far as stars, you got Chris Brown on your album? Like, your album kind of like, I.
[00:20:50] Speaker C: Danced behind Chris Brown.
[00:20:52] Speaker A: Your shit was kind of packed. If I'm cueing the butt when your shit came out, I was like, bro, how you get all these n on this album? Hey, 2 Chainz, Chris Brown, like, your shit was packed.
[00:21:01] Speaker B: That's the label.
[00:21:01] Speaker C: You gotta. No, see, look, I built a lot of.
Look, I did the Rise movie, right?
[00:21:07] Speaker A: Facts.
[00:21:07] Speaker C: So I built a lot of relationships before I even started singing. You get what I'm saying? I started singing at 17, 18.
I did a lot of, like, with Omarion Chris. The list goes on. You feel me? Like, but it was just like, oh, I know. I ain't stupid.
I know this sound a little gospel y. Because my church, my chorus could get a little gospel, y', all, to where I would have to go back in there. And make it sound a little R and B ish, right? Or street wise or whatever. And so when I wasn't getting the hey, woo, woo, woo, come play on this or come, hey, come right for this, you feel me? It was like kind of crazy because I'm like, damn, like, bro, I'm the real reason that these singers even respect your drumming.
And it was like I would do the whole beat and then you just come in and just put your drums over the beat. But my chords and everything is still there.
So it was just like a. You know, and I was still young and still like on my little tip, you feel me? And just being in the hood so much and just being a part of the gang culture, I wasn't gonna let it go, you feel me? And certain things, I should have let it go, you know, it's just the.
[00:22:25] Speaker A: Way you went about it.
[00:22:26] Speaker C: It was the way I. Of course it was the way I went about it. I felt like if had I not went to the Internet with certain things, I think we could have fixed it a little more better, you get what I'm saying, than just me wilding out on them. But like I said, that's my natural reaction is like, I don't care if you beat me up. If I win, lose or draw, I'm gonna squat with you. That's just the way I was born. That's just the way I was taught. You feel me? I'm not running from nothing. Cause I never really had nobody to run to. So, you know, when I would get into certain situations, it was either like no holds bar for me. You feel me?
[00:22:59] Speaker B: There was something that you said that I want to touch on the excuse my liquor.
[00:23:03] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:23:04] Speaker B: With all the experiences, everything that you've been through, when you look back, do you regret glorifying alcohol?
[00:23:11] Speaker C: No. Hell no.
No.
[00:23:14] Speaker A: Look, made a lot of money off this.
[00:23:16] Speaker C: Yeah, well, that too. But no, for real, it was like music. A lot of people don't know. Music is my therapy. You get what I'm saying? So when I am drinking and I'm like coming up with all of these songs, don't nobody got to say, right? The majority of the time that I was around these. So when started talking crazy about me saying like, oh, he like, bro, I don't seen y' all do crazy. That ain't nothing for me to even dress.
But just me.
Like, I done made dope music with y' all being off of ecstasy pill or being on liquor, right? Y' all never seen me do nothing else. And I spoke about it on these albums and stuff that we was doing, right?
So for you to get up there and try to insinuate that I do something else other than what you know me for, and then you want to bash me when we not getting along at the moment, brothers fight. I'm not saying I hate you or anything, but I'm not about to go up there and tell what y' all be doing right? You feel me? And it was like, don't kick me while I'm down. And you the one, you probably like the reason of why I'm down right now, because they're gonna look at you and say, oh, well, he not on that. Or woo, woo, woo. But nobody ever came to me and said, hey, T Fly, stop taking that shit or stop drinking because we just got. We just got this song. It's banging. We just got a song with such and such. We just got a song with this per. Like nobody ever came to me and said nothing. So why do you want to speak out now against me? That was my only thing. You get what I'm saying?
[00:24:57] Speaker B: I was looking through your catalog and I didn't. I guess I just never even thought about it. But the Annie Are youe okay?
[00:25:05] Speaker C: The ten year.
[00:25:07] Speaker B: My bad. Okay.
[00:25:08] Speaker C: Yeah, it's all love.
[00:25:10] Speaker B: We grown now.
[00:25:10] Speaker C: I thought we were saying all our words.
Nigga, we not 19 no more. Yeah, nah, I feel you.
[00:25:17] Speaker B: But next year is the 10 year anniversary of the release of it. And I remember when that motherfucker dropped. I remember how it felt outside. What is your favorite memory about or favorite moment about the LA music scene during that era in particular?
[00:25:36] Speaker C: I just felt like we always hungry, you know? Like, I had the studio with DJ Quick, that's a bar, Highland and Delon Pre. We had the.
Me and him, we shared a studio with Mike and Keys, you feel me? And we basically like formed a new Death Row.
Dom was at my studio every day. Nip was at my studio every day. Mustard, YG was at my studio every day. Rj.
Everybody was coming to my studio because this little kid, T Fly, we gotta get a song with it. Name me one person that came out when I came out that didn't have a hook for me.
Hell, I even got on a song with Kelly Swag District, so don't worry, I'm waiting.
[00:26:20] Speaker B: Yeah. Was it ever an issue for you when Artists was using Tory Lanez early on during that time, you never felt away or anything?
[00:26:28] Speaker C: No, I never felt.
I never felt no way about no Artists because I knew my impact. I knew for sure. Like, look, in order for them to come, like, they gotta go through me. You get what I'm saying? They gotta go through me. I just felt like me and bro, we just didn't.
I can't even just blame. I can't blame Mustard because I was wrong. You feel me? I take accountability for what I did.
Yeah. I can't just place the blame on him. I mean, hell, a lot of times, yeah, I was wild. Like, I wanted to fight. I'm cussing people out, I'm dissing you. I'm going up and you know, once they get me to calm down, we have a good show. But that's still in people's minds. Like, damn. We had to basically babysit this nigga to get him to calm down and this and this and that. But it was never no ill will intentions towards him. I felt like I was able to help everybody. You feel me? Some of my idols, people that I looked up to growing up, like, you know, I got to do the song with Omarion. Writing for Omarion, that was dope. You know, Brandy pulling up to my crib and me recording Brandy, you know, stuff like that. So I'm, you know, I'm at an all time high. Nobody can see me. Yeah, nobody can see me at this point. But it was just like, I don't like the narrative that people kept trying to like, made me go against Ty and you know, me and Ty was cool. You know, I had knew Ty before I ever met Mustard and yg. You feel me?
[00:27:55] Speaker B: But it feel like though the R and B artists that were.
It seems like you mentioned a Ty and then we can even go to Nate Dogg or these days Blast Bryson Tiller. It almost feels like the R and B artists that are used for the hooks for the rappers, it's only like one person at the moment. At a time that everybody is going to versus with rap, it's a bunch of niggas that people are doing features with.
Crazy.
I never ever talked to you about this, but I always wanted to know if it was ever any paperwork, business issues or anything with using the Annie. Are youe okay?
[00:28:33] Speaker C: Nah.
[00:28:34] Speaker B: Assuming Annie is not a real person, it's a playoff of Michael Jackson.
[00:28:38] Speaker C: It was. I mean, look, all right, so a lot of people don't know. Like, I grew up listening like Jodeci, like, like Casey is one of my favorite singers.
The Dream Kels.
The list goes on Prince. I listen to a lot of them, Mike.
But my thing was just like, if I'm gonna come out and I'M gonna represent la. I want to, like, have my own swag with it. I don't want to be saying shoddy and shorty and all of that. And I was listening to the Dream one day, and, you know, he did a song about Nicki. You know where he got Nicki from? Prince.
You feel me?
[00:29:18] Speaker B: I didn't know that.
[00:29:19] Speaker A: Yeah, I didn't know that either.
[00:29:20] Speaker C: Yeah, he got Nicki from Prince.
[00:29:21] Speaker A: Dream is so underrated.
[00:29:24] Speaker C: He one of them, man. He's the best. But then I'm like, all right. He took that from Prince or. I listened to Mike. He said, andy, are you okay? I listened to.
I listened to it for, like, damn near, like, two hours. I told my brother, I'm like, hey, how many times did he say Annie in all of his songs? He like, that's the only song he said. I said, I'm taking it.
I'm taking it. I'm saying, I'm not gonna say Annie, Are youe okay? But I'm gonna say Annie, are you okay?
[00:29:53] Speaker B: Where does the. Okay. Where does that come from, though? The o tay part?
[00:29:56] Speaker C: Like, just the.
[00:29:58] Speaker B: It's just a plan.
[00:29:58] Speaker C: Hood politics. You don't say, okay.
[00:30:00] Speaker B: All right.
I should know that, huh?
[00:30:03] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:30:03] Speaker C: God bless you.
[00:30:06] Speaker A: Yeah, it's a couple of. It's a couple. Couple of sessions that I wanna know about. Specific. Just as a fan. Right.
[00:30:11] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:30:11] Speaker A: Keys to the City. Keys to the City. Two for Victory Lap. And then do it to youo from my crazy life.
[00:30:20] Speaker C: Yeah, see, that was crazy. Was when we did Do it to youo, we wasn't me and. Me and Bro wasn't on the Best of Odds either. It was like, you could tell on a Sprung video that I really wasn't feeling it, like. Cause I was supposed to come in with white.
Like, everybody had on white. I'm the only one that was like, nah, man.
[00:30:43] Speaker A: Oh, you showed up. No dress code.
[00:30:45] Speaker C: I'm like, man, fuck that.
[00:30:46] Speaker B: Who else did that on Ladies Night? Was it Mary J. Blige or Left Eye?
[00:30:50] Speaker A: With the Ladies Night, though, they just showed.
[00:30:52] Speaker B: She showed up in the color she wanted to wear, but everybody was the same.
[00:30:55] Speaker C: Nah, I just. All right. So my thing was just like.
It was. First of all, I had just did a show and we coming back from the show, so I really couldn't really stop and do nothing. But I agreed to come in and do the. Do the.
[00:31:09] Speaker A: Do it to you.
[00:31:09] Speaker C: Yeah. No, I'm talking about Sprung then.
So we end up doing the do it to you. I remember it was just me. Yg and one of his boys in there. And so I do the Do it to youo record.
And for the record that I did with yg, we was supposed to have a swap, right? So that mean I get on your album? You get on my album?
[00:31:30] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:31:31] Speaker C: Right.
YG ain't on my album.
[00:31:38] Speaker B: Did you send them something to get on?
[00:31:39] Speaker C: Hell, yeah.
Yup.
So it kind of put me in the mind frame of, like, yo, wait. Like, what a. Wait a minute.
You know Nipsey. Nipsey. When?
Before I even did Keys to the City, I was around Nipsey for, like, four weeks, five weeks straight every day.
[00:31:59] Speaker A: Well, y' all got a couple of them.
[00:32:00] Speaker C: We got. Man. I still got songs that ain't even.
[00:32:03] Speaker A: Being released, But I'm talking about, like, the fan favorites.
[00:32:06] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. But Nipsey got on me, like, bro, what's taking you so long to get on the album?
[00:32:13] Speaker A: Like, on his album.
[00:32:15] Speaker C: On his album.
[00:32:15] Speaker A: Oh, shit.
[00:32:16] Speaker C: He like, n. I got on your first album, right? Like, then you gotta be on mines. I'm like, all right.
That same night, I did 10 songs. You feel me?
I tried to preach for him to do one of the songs. Me talking to the girls and, you know, singing to the girls or whatever.
Bro heard Keys to the City was the last song that I did. He would sleep on the couch. When I cut the music up and I banged it out loud.
He woke up. He went straight to the bathroom. I'm like, oh, shit. I'm like. I'm thinking he about to be like, nah, man. Do something else, dude. Whoa. Mind you, I'm up the whole day. The whole day. He locked the whole studio out for me.
So I'm about to go to the first song that I started on and play them all 10. He like, nah, go back to that.
This is Keys to the City.
He comes out the bathroom. He goes in the studio. He likes, I got the key to the city. I'm like, oh. I'm like, whoa. Mind you, I never even heard the first Keys to the City.
[00:33:21] Speaker A: Oh, for real?
[00:33:22] Speaker C: No, I never had heard that song.
[00:33:24] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:33:24] Speaker C: And so when he heard me, like, say that I got the keys to the city. You feel me? All of that. He was like.
He like, yeah. No, he like, all right, just record me right now. So I ended up recording his verse, and he later on, went back and cleaned it up, and, yeah, that was the history.
[00:33:42] Speaker A: That's crazy. So, okay, let's get to the newer shit.
[00:33:48] Speaker B: But, yeah. Cause what inspired everybody listening, I thought that was a diss track, bro. When I first listened, I'm like, is this a diss track?
[00:33:55] Speaker C: What you mean?
[00:33:56] Speaker B: The way you started off, you was going up on everybody listening.
[00:34:00] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. You talk about the one with Yellow Hill.
[00:34:03] Speaker B: I don't know who on the feature. I was just listening.
[00:34:05] Speaker A: It's on your project.
[00:34:06] Speaker B: It's on the new project.
[00:34:06] Speaker A: It's on the Lamont project, The one.
[00:34:08] Speaker C: You dropped in August. Everybody's list. Oh, I know which one you talking about. With the 50 cent sample. All right. Yeah. No, nah.
[00:34:17] Speaker A: We pay attention.
[00:34:18] Speaker C: N. No. All right. So, like. All right. So I just know. Cause I'm from my area. Like, I've been from my area since a young age or whatever. And I don't like when people, like, throw out the snitch allegations and stuff like that over.
If it ain't on black and white, you gotta keep it rolling. You feel me? And that was just the thing that stuck with me at the moment. I really was gonna sing something else, but it was just like, hey, this go. But, yeah, it started turning into like. Yeah. I mean, I'm just letting you know, if you come over here with the bullshit, you better come correct. Cause my mouth foul. And God's still working on me. You feel me? So just make sure that you got everything.
[00:35:03] Speaker A: I'm taking that. Yeah, I'm taking them.
[00:35:04] Speaker C: Cause I'm just being full, fully honest. Like, I just feel like, first of all, y' all sound the same. Everybody sound like each other.
You know, when you hear a R. Kelly song, you gonna know it's a R. Kelly song. If you hear a Michael Jackson song, you know it's a Michael Jackson song. If you hear a Luther Vandross song, you gonna know it's a Luther Vandross song. Even the Dream, the Dream, T Pain.
These guys didn't make it that far with having people say, you sound like this person. You sound like. No, you know, nobody could ever say that I sound like anybody. Cause I got my own sound.
So that was just like. It was like, yeah. If you want to take it as a diss, then, yeah, it's a diss. But I'm really just speaking from hood phase.
Like, get y' all shit together. Cause N is weak right now.
[00:35:54] Speaker B: It's the politics that was happening at the time.
[00:35:56] Speaker C: Yeah. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
[00:35:59] Speaker B: Regular shit.
[00:35:59] Speaker C: Yeah. Week, you know, the weekend on Friday.
[00:36:04] Speaker A: What's your.
[00:36:05] Speaker C: What?
[00:36:06] Speaker B: No, it don't.
[00:36:08] Speaker A: The weekend on Saturday.
[00:36:09] Speaker C: Technically. No, it's Friday.
[00:36:13] Speaker A: Maybe I'm literal.
[00:36:15] Speaker C: That's when the weekend.
[00:36:16] Speaker A: No, I know what you Said, what's your favorite song off the project? And what's your least favorite?
[00:36:23] Speaker C: I love the whole project.
[00:36:25] Speaker A: You don't have a least favorite, though.
[00:36:27] Speaker C: My least favorite would probably be, like.
[00:36:30] Speaker A: If you had to take one off, I wouldn't. You wouldn't?
[00:36:34] Speaker C: Fuck no.
[00:36:35] Speaker A: Okay, so what's your favorite one?
[00:36:37] Speaker C: My favorite one would have to be.
I got a lot of them, but I say, like, uncomfortable. Shout out my dude feet. Hey. He love you, Gina. Oh, God.
He told me to FaceTime him when.
[00:36:52] Speaker A: I was the nigga want the FaceTime niggas graduating from the picture to the FaceTime.
[00:36:56] Speaker C: Yeah. Nah, he wanted me to FaceTime. I ain't gonna interrupt the interview like that. But afterwards.
[00:37:01] Speaker B: What's his name?
[00:37:02] Speaker C: His name? Fee. He from Chicago. He also came down here. He did a lot of production on my album as well. He phenomenal, dude. He can sing rap.
Hey, Fee.
[00:37:12] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:37:14] Speaker C: I think for me, I like the one with Jeremiah.
[00:37:19] Speaker A: Yeah, Jeremiah.
[00:37:20] Speaker C: Yeah. I like the one with Jeremiah and Ivory. Yeah, I like that one. I like the one with my brother ks.
I like the one with Flames King Liddy.
I mean, I like all of them, bro. I like insane going insane. I like, bro. I be.
[00:37:38] Speaker A: All right. This is my last. I got no more questions. This is my last request. My last request is a fan.
Are you independent?
[00:37:45] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:37:45] Speaker A: All right. Could you and Perico do like a little, like, EP or something?
[00:37:49] Speaker C: That's what we already talking about.
[00:37:51] Speaker A: I think that should be hard.
[00:37:52] Speaker C: Yeah, no, we.
[00:37:53] Speaker B: That's why I was listening to west side.
[00:37:54] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:54] Speaker B: I'm like, they need to do this because.
[00:37:56] Speaker C: See, that's what I'm saying. I like west side, too. You feel me? West side. He went. He.
[00:38:00] Speaker A: I think you and Perico compliment each other in a way. Like, if y' all did a little, like, it ain't gotta be long. Give me like a four or five song ep. I think that shit'll be hard.
[00:38:09] Speaker C: Why y'? All? Why y'?
[00:38:10] Speaker A: All?
[00:38:10] Speaker C: Excuse me? Why y' all like four or five songs, bro?
[00:38:13] Speaker A: Because for me.
[00:38:14] Speaker C: Oh. Because everybody. Attention span and all of that. I don't care about that.
Make a full damn album, bro.
Like, come on, man.
Come on.
[00:38:22] Speaker A: No, you know what I don't like?
[00:38:23] Speaker C: I don't like when n can't hold they own on songs, though.
[00:38:25] Speaker A: I don't like the 20 song, 40 song album shit that niggas but do.
[00:38:30] Speaker C: That if your songs is dope. If you actually talk. If.
[00:38:33] Speaker A: Yeah, but it'd be 20. It'd be 30 songs and, like, it don't be 30, bro.
[00:38:36] Speaker C: I put out 35 songs on any Rio. Take five, go listen to that. You can't tell me shit because Chris Brown turned around and put out 100 songs.
[00:38:44] Speaker A: That's what I'm saying. That's a lot of goddamn songs.
[00:38:46] Speaker C: All right? But look at him. He's thriving.
[00:38:48] Speaker B: I'm still on season one one of.
[00:38:49] Speaker C: That album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon, still on season one. You gotta learn how to let artists be creative. Like, and stopping us in that kind of moment now, you forcing us to be like, all right, well, we can only do this. We can only do this.
[00:39:05] Speaker A: No, there's no limitations no more.
[00:39:06] Speaker C: There's no limitation to nothing that I do because I don't have to listen to nobody.
[00:39:10] Speaker A: Yeah, that's why you Indy, because you.
[00:39:11] Speaker C: Some of my songs will be 5, 7 minutes long, but you gonna like them because I'm talking to the girls and the girls is in the mirrors, twerking and gyrating their hips.
All that type of shit. You get what I'm saying? I was just talking to my bro, Taysiana the other day. Shout out Taysiana, my boy rj, who's with me right now.
I just did some hooks for them. And, you know, I was just telling them, like, look, don't be afraid to get in your bag. Because once you in that bag, that's the bag you need to be in. That's what's gonna help you. And five songs ain't gonna cut it. That ain't gonna let them see, oh, this a real artist. Now, when you go to do your debut album, you look like shit because you got 13 songs out there. You've never done 13 songs. We only know you for four songs. How could I really get to know an artist off of 14 songs? I mean, for four songs, that's not even possible.
You feel me? Half of you niggas not even writing your shit. You feel me? Half of you niggas don't even know how to record yourself. We put you in the studio and leave you in the studio by yourself. Can you come out with records?
Me? No. I'm just saying, your favorite artist, right? Right. A lot of your favorite artists don't even know how to push record on theyself. They don't know how to make theyself sound good in Pro Tools. None of that. But they wanna be the best.
You feel me? I sit there and I learned how to layer my vocals. I learned how to do the harmonies. I learned how to mix my songs, master my songs. All of that. Do my beats. There's nothing you gonna tell me that I don't know Because I put the.
[00:40:46] Speaker B: Work in already and that's why you so great. So that shit you were saying in the be.
What, like the stuff that you said, like, you gotta let us as fans embrace you.
[00:40:55] Speaker C: I just don't want nobody to take it as I'm being cocky. I'm just confident.
[00:40:59] Speaker B: So let us brag for you.
[00:41:01] Speaker C: Did I stop you?
[00:41:02] Speaker A: She talking about in the beginning, you was turning down the flames.
[00:41:06] Speaker C: Nah, I just don't wanna be called a legend right now.
[00:41:09] Speaker B: Okay, okay, how about this? You're a staple.
[00:41:11] Speaker C: Okay, look, you could call me a legend. I'm just. I'm not gonna say it. You feel me? Like, now, one thing about me is if we having like a debate and we arguing and this and this and that, I'mma. Yeah, I'mma shit on you, nigga. I'm the motherfucking goat, motherfucker. Better put some respect on my name. Cause when I came out, everybody wasn't talking, like, the raunchy, you know, the Ratchet and all of that. Only person that I could really give it up to like that is like, Ty. But then I look at Nate Dogg, who started it off for us. Then I look at.
But even that time, Devin, the dude.
[00:41:48] Speaker B: That time, you feel me, There weren't anybody. Cause it was like the Ratchet movement.
[00:41:53] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:41:53] Speaker B: So nobody wasn't embracing the females in a positive way the way that you were.
[00:41:57] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, my thing was just like, I wasn't gonna. My first hit song is called this Dick. Like, for God sakes, you should have knew that I was like, people should.
[00:42:06] Speaker A: Have that type of time.
[00:42:07] Speaker C: You. Yeah, people should have knew, like, man, this nigga Low Key is a porno star. Then you feel me? Like, he made porno music. But it was like, for me. Yeah, for me, it was on me. You feel me? But see, a lot of people don't know that.
I heard t. Pain do.
I'm sprung. I'm like, man, oh, man. Like, n. I'm a nigga. Like, bro, I'mma get you sprung in anything. So that's where that came from.
[00:42:39] Speaker B: No, it's a pain diss track. No, I'm kidding.
[00:42:41] Speaker C: No, it wasn't.
[00:42:44] Speaker B: Simp ass nigga.
[00:42:45] Speaker C: No, no, no, no, no.
[00:42:46] Speaker A: It's real gangster shit over here.
[00:42:48] Speaker C: But then. But then look. But then I do. That's my shit, right?
And then who comes out with a song called that's my shit, the Dream?
[00:42:58] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:42:59] Speaker C: So now I'm recognizing that these niggas is hearing me.
They paying attention.
[00:43:04] Speaker B: Well, you was all over the radio.
[00:43:05] Speaker C: Yeah, but all right, so where I come from, because I came up playing the organ, playing the drums in church, you're gonna always see somebody that you better than or that's better than you.
[00:43:18] Speaker A: Facts.
[00:43:19] Speaker C: So normally coming from out of the church that I came from up under, we had a lot of dope talent in there, but I was one of the best. You get what I'm saying? And my big brother shout out to Ryan Ward.
He always told me like, bro, like, be humble. Like, don't you know it's okay to know that you better? You know, but still when you see these guys, allow them to play, you know, invite them over to play and talk to them and tell them like, thank you for coming, shake their hand and, you know, all of that. So for me, like, I can get there, you know, I can be on my T Fly bullshit. But when I see certain artists, I'm like, hey, what's up? Like, you know, how you doing? Like you good? Like, man, hey, I love that song you put out. Woo woo. I haven't spoke to Joe Moses ever since the beginning of time.
And when I got brought out with RJ at his show, I walks off stage, there go Moses right there. We chopping it up. You know, at first our conversations was about our kids on our, you know, about our daddy, our fatherhood or whatever.
And then it, you know, just started like, man, you know, now we could possibly talk and let's see what that sound like and let's see if we can, you know, get together and do some business together. Who knows, you know, I might just get one with him, you know, But I'm not calling it off because of the arrogance or the young minded mind frame that I was in at that moment. Like, I feel like this is a new, just a new step for me, you know, I don't have my big brother here to oversee everything with me right now. So we just did a little situation with Tear It Off Records, shout out to Ali Bob Charisma managing me now. So that's more better, you feel me? And just having her in pocket with me, you know, like I said, you don't get them kind of chances again and again, you get what I'm saying?
And I'd be damned to see her put her, her name on the line for me and I fuck it up, you know.
[00:45:25] Speaker A: And well, you one of them people who like, you know, you're self aware, which is key, you Know what I'm saying? I appreciate that. And, like, I know you just dropped August.
Like, you literally just dropped. But I know you don't stop working, so we gonna be looking for that. Cause I know people, when you drop people, like, when the next one. But I don't wanna be one of them niggas.
[00:45:44] Speaker C: But, you know, niggas love a T Fly drop.
[00:45:48] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? But I appreciate you, bro.
You definite or I can see it in your eye that you, like, on a different frequency. I appreciate that.
[00:45:57] Speaker C: Yeah, man. I mean, just losing big bro, man, like that, I never, you know, that's my big brother. I never thought that I would be. I would have to experience life without Bro, you know, I always felt like. Cause we fight like cats and dogs. He one year older than me. His birthday, July 1st. I'm July 17th. So, I mean, just like I said I used to. You don't get the T Fly. If it wasn't for Bro, you know, from playing the drums to the keyboard, the organ, you don't get that musical genius that I became. If it wasn't for bro. Because Bro is the one that set me down and show me how to play the drums, show me how to play the keys. True enough. I learned from different eras. You know, Vadi, my older cousin Vadi, Elwood Bunting, Ryan Ward, my cousin Chris Hollis.
The list goes on charges to my head, not my heart. But yeah, without me being a part of those cliques. 1500 or nothing.
Lamar Rance. Rest in peace, Uncle Chuck.
Those guys like Brody, they influenced me to get better at playing and all of that. I was always taught like you. Not a real producer if you can't go to church and hold your own in service.
You feel me? Like, you not a real singer if you can't go to church and sing Amazing Grace.
[00:47:18] Speaker A: I just wanted to give you a props, like the music, just as a man. Yeah.
[00:47:22] Speaker C: You know what I'm saying?
[00:47:23] Speaker A: Because I've seen what you've been through. I've seen all of the trials and tribulations throughout the years. So I appreciate you pulling up, bro.
[00:47:29] Speaker C: I appreciate y', all, man, for having me, bro. Nice to meet me.
[00:47:35] Speaker A: And keeping it trilled over. Thank you for coming through, bro.
[00:47:37] Speaker C: For sure.
What is that?
[00:47:41] Speaker B: Confessions. You'll find out.
[00:47:43] Speaker A: You'll find out. T Fly be on Confessions next. It's effective immediately.
[00:47:47] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, effective immediately.
