Larrance Dopson

This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Peace to the planet. I go by the name of Shala main, the God. And guess what? I can't wait to see y'all at the third annual Black Effect podcast festival. That's right. We're coming back to Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, April 26th at Pullman Yards. And it's hosted by none other than Decisions Decisions, Mandy B and Weezy. Okay, we got the R&B Money podcast with Tank and Jay Valentine. We got the Woman of All podcast with Sarah J. Roberts. We got Good Mom's Bad Choices. Carrie Champion will be there with her Nekka Sports podcast and the Trap Nourage podcast with more to be announced. And of course, it's bigger than podcasts. We're bringing the Black Effect marketplace with black owned businesses, plus the food truck court to keep you fed while you visit us. All right. Listen, you don't want to miss this. Tap in and grab your tickets now at blackeffect.com slash podcast festival. Valentine. We are the authorities on all things R&B. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Tank. I'm Jay Valentine. And this is the R&B Money podcast. The authority on all things R&B. Yeah, they better have our money. Up this. They better. Nothing's happened. I'm talking real gift from the trenches. Yeah. Musicianship. That shit. Songwriting. Yeah. Education. Love it. Huh. Facilities. What you doing to get back from the mud? Yes, sir. Hmm. I'm talking about the world, Craig. Yes. We do this shit from the hood to the world. Straight up. One of the colas. Right now. Yes. Right now. Rats 1500. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, whatever. Yes. What up? What up? What's up? What are you doing? Yeah. Hey, nigga. Long time, bro. You know what it is. Like, you know, it's like when you see like, when you see like, when you see niggas, it's like, from where are you from? Straight up. Like that type of soil and you see them not only take it to a level of being successful, but then taking that success and figuring out a way to be impactful. That's different. Like we can rest on a lot of people's success that have come from where we come from. Right. But the ability and idea to say, OK, let's not just stop here at us. Let's give it back. That right there, my brother, is commendable and absolutely impressive. Thank you, bro. And I haven't been down there to teach a class yet, but I would love to. Everything that's said on tape is binding. For real. You will be there. Hold a nigga to that. Come on. But like seeing what you what you guys have built. Again, not only on the success, but on the on the premise of giving back the academy. Yeah. Academy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Take before we do the deep dive. Give me the thought process of not just stopping at your success, but then saying, what can we do with this? Man, bro. Bro. Well, we lived a crazy life being from LA, like really being from the trenches, from like the streets to the church to educational world. So I've literally been able to be around every single type of emotion to know how to make the get everyone to their higher self through whatever I can do. You know what I mean? So even with the school, man, I was literally me and James built a curriculum off of all the bitch ass niggas we dealt with in the music business. So literally every time it was a problem where it was if it was a studio session where I would say somebody was playing the headphones too loud, why someone was trying to talk. I'm like, oh, yeah, he's fucking up. He he'll never come back here. So what we'll do is go to the curriculum and put that in the curriculum. So every everything that we hate about everything in the music business and with the solution, though. Yeah. So, you know what I mean? And we literally worked on that for literally three, four years straight before we had a school. And and I was one of the parts of the manifestation because when people are asking me, I'll just say, yo, I got a school. They say, yo, you've been working on your music. I'm like, yeah, I'm working on this school. But then I got 100 people that now is talking about our school that we haven't built yet. And I got 100 more people that does bringing their resources from our school. So that was literally, you know, just word of mouth and just speaking it to an existence, speaking it to an existence is really was really the trick. But it really came off of us dealing with, you know, me and James, we've been through literally the trenches in every type of way from from the streets to the music business. So we just wanted to be at a blueprint to really show the culture. Yo, don't go this way. Go this way. You know, they're training us to be unemployed. Well, employees. So our school teaches you how to be an unemployable nigga to where you can license our thoughts before you get to that point. You got to understand the behavior, the brand laws, how to do our assholes, how not to react to people, how to get into the minds of the hearts and the minds of the consumers through words and through body language. And it's all these secrets to make at the end of the day to be a service and make people feel good and to get them closer to God. That's the whole point. But through with the school is you're just getting so much swag because 90 percent of teachers are famous, you know, we had everybody from Nipsey Rest in Peace, one of our first teachers from Kendrick to Justin, the Bruno, the, you know, heads of Fortune 500 companies from tech, fashion, film, music and sports. You know, I'm, you know, I'm on the board of a company, a company called Boat that's evaluated at $14 billion right now. So the last two years, I had to learn everything about RSU, stock options, 409A, vestings, corums, Delaware law. So now it's like we're taking that and showing the culture. It's just how it's hit words and phrase that pays the music. There's phrase that pays us to get becoming tax write offs for billionaires and how to get in the hearts and minds of the consumer through words. And that's, that's really what I'm on now and content building our content academy. Because we're just in the future. We have like the new Disney and Eaglewood, by the way, you got to come by. It's pretty crazy. The new Disney and Englewood. The new Disney. Yeah, it's not the sound academy either. I just wanted to say it a third time. Yeah. You know, three is, three is powerful. Absolutely. Yeah, serious. It's just unbelievable. You got to see it. We partnered with this company called We Play, where they're a Ukrainian company where they came out here, they do like American, they do all the biggest shows, but they came out here and just believing they were going to go fight the war or come here. They landed in Play and Dough Ray met them guys. They do. They got the craziest screener where you could do the Mandalorian, the Dome movie, motion capture, VR, AI, I mean, AR to where like you could do a podcast and I can be talking to a cartoon next to me in motion capture. Like that's the next army money for the future. You know what I mean? So like it's unheard of. It's really Disney at the highest level where the business model we're changing everything from modern day slavery. We're not doing it. We're changing the models. People are going to own this shit. And, you know, we're just we're just creating the right models for people to really get to their higher self because it's too many niggas signing W9s, man. We employees, we need stock options. And you got to know about that shit too. You know, we got to we got to take this journey, bro. We got to take this journey from from the streets. To the future, because everything you just said is the future. Well, it's the future. And it's right now for a lot of people. It was French. Yes. Yes. Yeah, you just you spoke you just spoke another language. You're talking and the fact that you're willing to take the time to break that language down to teach people what that is. Yeah. Yeah. And the work that you're doing to make sure you understand. Oh, yeah. If you can't teach, you don't know it. You got to know the teacher. Like you're you're in it. You're immersed in it. Oh, yeah. So we got to we got to figure out how we get from from the hood to a 14 billion dollar evaluation. Take me take me take me to the beginning. Rants like like little rants. Like what is what is what is little rants thinking? What what what part is it? You're from? I'm from Los Angeles, point of race from LA, but my family is from Chicago. OK, I found Chicago. My dad was in a group singing group they'll sign to the Delphonics. So they came out here, you know, wanting to be a dream. Yeah, the dream. Yeah. I'm glad he did because I was probably with a show been for Vice Lord, the GV. Yeah, I'm with you. They came out here and my whole family, my sister and I was I was raised right on like Western Adams, 24th Street School. So I did, you know, the whole LA thing. And from there, we always was the first day of me. First day was our home church. So that's kind of where I really start getting into like the church music, too. Because, you know, my dad played the piano, my whole family is like the black man hadn't transferred. If you don't know, man, man transfer is look him up. You know, you know, so it's like I had to learn all the Motown. I had to learn everything about music from my family. And then we were the family in a complex. It was called the complex. It's in a hood where everybody just lived. But we were like the only family where I had a mom and a dad. So everybody came to our house for food for birthdays. Every day we planned to piano singing. I'm telling you, we did never heard this is when babies as kids, my sister, my sister was in a gospel group called repent and Shep Crawford and my brother and I were all in the group together. Even my to Jordan, I don't know if you know, but he was in a group called Prodigy. He did this. That we do it. They was all in the group together. So like I was raised off of just church, you know, playing the church and being in the hood. So it was it was either or. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, so I mean, from that, from even the, you know, I had, I joined a church fraternity that changed my life too. It's called Jesus by Christ. But we put I'm in it. I'm in a Christian fraternity. Really? You know, your Greek alphabets? Of course. I'm better than Gavin. Does that last anything out of the camera? Yeah. Yeah. Come on. So we had to go through. Like I got pledged. Not pledged. Everything about God. And the full line, we were the first line. We were the first line. I'm number two. I'm number five. Yeah. Really? Okay. This is another like a QA. Yeah. Alpha. Alpha. Alpha. I see. Fraternity incorporated. I'm trying to tell you what it is. So it really is called Eclipse. No. You know what I mean? I mean, honestly, we was pledged by Capas, Alphas. Exactly. So same month. Yeah. See? See? I was in Maryland. So it was Capas. It was Omega's. And it was Q's. And it was Alpha's. That's crazy. All that. So we, our line incorporated. We used to go around the city. We used to go around the city, stumping at all the church events. I was that master, bro. We're gonna have to battle. Wait, wait, wait, wait. That's something that nobody knows about me though. Like you dogs? Like, bro, I can't be doing a step because I'm not part of it. All of that. The shimmy that the Capas got? All of it. Because we had, we were, we were a collection of all of those guys who were, who were, you know, church guys who would save guys and wanted to start something for the church. Yeah. And that's what we're a product of. That's crazy. We were like, I was all he was. We were like, come on. We were like, come on. I still got friends when I tap in and each time I go back home, we still hit the shake and do the whole thing. I've known you this whole time. I didn't know this. No, you just didn't believe me. You did. You did. You did. You did. Big ass attorney. And that's how you, that's how you like. I didn't disrespect you. I just didn't think you were in one. Okay, we okay. This is a great place to school. I've never seen this. Yeah, so other than that, we was... Am I too old to join? No, no. Nah. But yeah, we was literally a church band. So we was the band at church. Your family? Well, my family was always singing in church. You know what I mean? But my sister, Shereen, was, and my brother-in-law, Tony, was like the real ones that had us really in the church scene. What's your brother's name you say? Tony. Tony, yup, yeah. But from there, I always wanted to have our own band. You know what I mean? So do you know how we got our name? No. All right, I'll give you our short story. Then I'll tell you about James, because it's the whole... Okay, okay, okay. But we got our name by, we're a church band. We was playing for Bobby Valentino. We did a church convention, by Bobby Valentino, right? When he did that slow down song. Gotcha. And at that time, we broke his foot. And we were doing all these rehearsals for free. And then him and his manager, Poon, was like, yo, we doing this Def Jam show, and we need y'all to help us get our deal. I'm like, look, nigga, we broke. Like, you gotta give us 1500 and nothing. And he was like, all right, well, shit, what's the name of your band? We was like, shit, 1500 and nothing. You gonna pass or what? Correct, correct. And he was, you know, from there, we started a musical gang. Everybody had to, you know, we was, we had to play every instrument. Everybody was their own Voltron, but you had to be a cold nigga. And you couldn't be a buster. That was just, That was those were the rules. Yeah, it's like mob rules. Like it's really family rules. Like you can't do no, no. No weird shit. And if you do it, consequences. So you were just saying, nigga, 1500 and nothing. We ain't sure we ain't doing nothing. We're a family. It's a family. And then he was like, all right, well then what's going to be the name? You was really just standing on 1500 and nothing. I don't want to get past this conversation, nigga. 1500 and nothing, what you doing? We need that bread. It was part of the negotiation. Yeah. And that was the first time and only time James Fonleroy, it's a whole story. Okay, good. So is James in the band at this time? So James, so James was a 1500. I met James battle rapping at West Angeles. He murdered somebody. And I was like, wow, who's this guy? You, okay. At church? Battle rapping like at church outside, murdering somebody. Church battle rapping or street battle rap? Outside, he said outside. Everybody at Burge. No, no, no, no, this is, you catch that part, he said outside. It don't matter where you at. Outside of church battle rap. In the church in the basement, it go down. But James only half the, that's like, I've seen James, we used to have this thing called the pit where James battle rap, I mean, it was like disaster and all these real battle rappers and James won. I was there, no cap, look it up. I'm not gonna fight it, don't doubt it. Yeah, that's his cheat code, bro. He's literally one of the closest out of his life and then he just happened to listen to Kimberl. And then, and then, come on now. That changes everything all the time. Cheat code. So when you meet him at West Angeles, what's the first move for you? Met him a couple of times, but we had, it took a couple of other times for us to get really cool. So met him at church. We, he was battle rapping. I was like, yo man, you gotta be a part of our band. 1500, you know, coming rehearsal. Cool, came. But before that, we met him. It was a long story, but it was end up being a shootout in Northridge with a bunch of our friends and there was a bunch of crazy stuff to happen. So we're literally on the street handcuffed because our car is in the middle of the shootout. And I'm just like, this is stupid. We gotta do some, we gotta do some, we gotta, can you cut a rehearsal? So y'all on the opposite side, y'all on the same side? We're on the same side. We came together, but at that time I was, you know, I'm from LA, so I was, you know, I was outside. You was in the mix. I was in the mix and I just happened to bring him and bam, my drummer did something with you guys to something that was in the mix. But James is a, James is a, he from Biggs. Absolutely. Yeah, but we- Biggs was scared, Biggs was just- Yeah, he was scared, but- Biggs was just, he shouldn't have been there. He's a musician. Yeah, he shouldn't have been there. Yeah, he shouldn't have been there. We was thinking about that when we were sitting outside for four hours and- Four hours and cost. Bro, I couldn't even get my car to the next day. It was a real shoot, it was a shootout. Like it was over, this is a true story. And after that, we decided this was stupid and he came to rehearsal for Byvin' Valentino, but he ended up being so good at rehearsal. Can't cap guys, like they end up firing James. James got, they tried to fire James because it was their rehearsal. And, you know, after our rehearsals, we, the band, we can't wait to just play our show. Just cook. So, you know, the tension got, it was tricky. So that was the only time I seen James get fired. And after that, he has been the richest nigga I know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Unfireable. Yeah, unimplevable. What? Yeah, yeah. I never knew that could be a thing. And- Won't be in too good? On the male side. Well, though, you know why that, you believe that though? Or why it's a reality for you? Because you came in the game with someone like Genuine. Genuine don't have, he don't, he loves to promote. Right. Right. Like, rick and red now, cold blooded. Like, they sang it. He wanted to. He already had our band. He wanted to smoke on stage. He wanted to smoke. Everybody don't want to smoke on stage. Yeah. I want to smoke. I want to smoke! That's the only way it works. You gotta be like, you gotta look to the side and behind you. That's what you're doing. Right. Niggas have Luther Vanjara singing background. Digging. Like, some gotta make, some gotta push you. Yeah. Real shit. Mariah Carey's singing background for people. Some gotta make you want to chop. Like, that's the only way, that's the only way you get better. Yeah. Yeah. And have real moments is to have them real motherfuckers on stage. Bro, me and you both had, you've had Lonnie singing background. We both had Luke James singing background. Oh, the goats. Yeah. And when he sang background for Tank and when he sang background for me, we found a space. Like, hey man, go ahead. Go crazy. Yeah. Go crazy. That's what you call not being a bitch and a nigga. That's what you call not being a bitch and a nigga. That's it. It's both niggas. Bro, because you gotta think about like, when I saw you earlier, I was like, man, I loved, I love to see my nigga shine. Yeah. I love it. I'm like, no matter how distant the communication, nigga, I see it. Yeah. It was. And I'm like, niggas, just cookin. They cookin. They cookin. When I'm on the road, I talk about it. Yeah, but you don't know about 1500. No, that's real. For real? Them niggas, them niggas doing it. They got everything. They're doing everything. You know what I'm saying? OK, James goes crazy. He he's doing the thing. He now he's, you know, but then finally you guys are 1500 and nothing. Right. Yeah, we're 1500. And then the first person to get his opportunity was Snoop. He actually Teddy Riley. I guess I'll tell you Riley. So this time James broke his foot and we had. I had a session with Teddy Riley, but James car, something happened. We was raining and he liked to ski in the car. So I was like, yo, just call me. So he called me to record one of the studio, Ali's studio that he got now. That used to be Teddy's. And I'm like, yo, just say you my cousin, nigga, you my cousin. So I walk in there and tell you my cousin Lonnie was actually there. And it's a song we did called I know you remember me that James wrote. And we were in the studio, Mars, Mars, they're doing a beat. And he just was playing the beat. Teddy just walked in and said, I know you remember me. And then James James just finished the song on that guy. That watch you, Chris Tyler Hennessey. And it was it got crazy. And then I was like the introduction of like Teddy Riley realizing he's seeing James is going to be a genius in the beginning, though. Like, all these things had contracts for us. I just couldn't do it. It was crazy, crazy. Because so how are y'all avoiding the contract? We were just because I was still getting work. Yeah, the thing is we we I think if we were like only working with one person, that could have we could have probably made a desperate decision. You know what I mean? But the fact that like I'm working with Teddy, I'm working with Snoop. We we teenagers. I'm 17. I got my first hit like so now when I was like 17, 18, you know, what I mean? So we was always moving in the fact that we're everybody's band. That was that was a she called to. So it's like if the production slow, I'm on tour and I'm only going on tour to to be close with the the artist and to meet the person that pays them after the show. So now I'm just building on my relationships with all the owners, all the promoters, all the club people, all the people that got the weed. I, you know, I'm literally. So who gave you that insight, though, with coming from a situation where your father had already been in the music business. And like you said, had already they was rocking with the Delphonics back in the day. We had given you some of this information already or were you just winging it? I mean, because you know, it feels very it will not. It feels no. It's very because I was going to ask you in this in the same spirit of that question. It feels very Nissan and Rapture. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, it was that, bro, they got realized that didn't think it's could have signed this at one point. I wouldn't have worn the size of one way. We was we were young and just looking at and watching and paying attention. Yeah, yeah, with money and pulling up with go playing the church and having a song on the radio. I had examples. That's we had examples. So we. So I was just like, OK, one thing I do realize is that musicians are they don't treat musicians like they should because we're like some of the smartest people on the show that brings the show from background singers to dancers that don't get respected the most. So I always want to be the most expensive band in the world. So I wear the most expensive band in the world. So if it's a no, it's OK, you know what I mean? Because we're not for everybody. We're in a choir taste. Yeah. It's not just regular musicians. It's producers that understand space at the highest level, which is a cheat code that only comes from God and practice. So it just sounds different. I mean, yeah, yeah. So, you know, because that's like. So my first band was was Rapture is the empty Craig. Come on, bro. Nissan. Charlie. What's my guy on base? Eric Seed. Well, no, no. Dante. Dante. Come on. That's the game, right? Come on. So their take on it was different one because they were doing some of my records, producers, some of our records, of course, but then they're all producers. Right. And that's of course the cheat code. And so every band I've had, even to my band, I have producers in it. It's produced all producers and singers. Yeah. Riders. And writers understand space. They understand it. The less fingers you use, the more money you make. OK, depending on what genre. Come on. They watch at least words you say is the more impactful you'll be if you say the right four words with the right tone. And if you and if you can believe it. Yeah. So that's that's the secret, man. Just by understanding all the rules to break them. No, don't don't think niggas can play all their fingers and play jazz and do everything. But it's like when you try to make a human behavior songs, where you're talking to the subconscious mind when we're just talking and we're hearing a beat and we're doing this, not even realizing it. That's what we're doing music for. We're talking to the subconscious. So it's like you got to stay in shape. Are you really a teacher, man? It's really a teacher. Man, as an Academy. Professor Rains, man. Academy. Yeah, you know, the only person I know in an academy. I don't know. I don't know. It's been no academy. You got an academy. You know, having an academy. Maybe you can talk to me. Wait, my partner. No, no, no, no, no. I ain't going to respect it. Where your academy at, nigga? Where you building? Talk. Know your tone. That's the Academy tone. You don't have a first of all. First of all, know your tone. This is all known the words you say. I'm going to take it as disrespect. The greatest, the greatest thing. The greatest company seen in movies. Yeah. So you saying you said your first hit record, 17, 18. Yeah, man. I mean, what record was that? Shit. Well, we did. I think our first song, my first placement ever was by Valentino album, Gangsta Love. Who? And I was you, Swift and Mars. We were, yeah, I was. Actually, my first album was my first place. It was Keith Murray. Keith Murray. Shout out to tears. Tears, the whole another story of how he changed my life, too. That's my nigga in real life. Where I was this driver and I got on Snoop Dogg. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Yeah, I have a driver for the last 13 years, but I was tears driver. Let's be clear. He was tears driver. Yeah, man. I was tears driver at the time, man. He had a little case in a. He couldn't drive himself. He couldn't drive. And he asked me, he was like, you know, I got to do this show. You know, the keyboard player might not show up, but I need a rise in Lancaster. I was just like, all right, so Snoop. He's like, you know, I might get you on the gig, but I don't guarantee. So I'm like, fuck it. I'm going. I listened to Snoop. You know, I grew up off of this music. So I don't do that shit anyway. So keyboard player, I'm waiting 20 minutes. The keyboard playing is showing up. It's six keyboards with thousands of people, right? And then tears like, you know, you know, you're going to play. I'm like, fuck it. Murders of case. Come on. I didn't know Snoop. I don't know. Nobody. You hadn't even met him yet. Didn't even meet him yet. No. No, I'm literally I'm playing the keys. Bro, I played murder of the case. I feel like I was I feel like I helped produce the song. I was so in it, bro. And I was dancing. I was crippling on stage. I'm going up, nigga. You know, you can smoke on stage. So that time I mean, I just felt too comfortable. And right after that, Snoop asked me to go on tour. And that's what I was going to say at any point during the show, though, the Snoop look back like, look back. Yeah, exactly. Because I was turned. You couldn't bro. 17, 18 Snoop Dogg. I got left West LA. I went to the college for too much. But I was smart in my teacher. He did music and he was asking me for answers. So I knew that wasn't it. And tears gave me that car to be the driver, man. And that had me lit. Did three. I got three filled passports from touring off of just starting off. That night off that night, just literally. But you were. Wow. But you were ready. I was ready. Wow. That's the part that I don't want to skip over. Right, right, right. You didn't get up there and show. No, you was you were ready. But tears put me in it to like, I mean, to the point to where it was nothing but, you know, gangbangers and OGs around Snoop that don't, you know, you have to know them, nigga. So I'm over here, like just standing up at tears like, no, this is my nigga. He he he could, you know, he looked out. So ever since then, then he was my nigga forever for them. But then I want to be a producer. So I was going over his house and I seen him make a beat for Snoop in like 15 minutes, him and my homie Marlon Mar-dog. And then that next week, I was at First Amy Church with him and he showed me a fifteen thousand dollar check from the same beat. I just seen him do. I was like, OK, I made my final decision of what the fuck I want to do. Yeah. Take me to Guitar Center. My dad took me to Guitar Center. Right now. He had him, Sput, the key word player come look, show me how to play this MP. And after that, I was out of here, bro. Which which guitar son did you go to? Now, we went to Sam Ash. Sam Ash. He went to Guitar Center in Hartthorne. You know, you know, man. And now it was over after that. You couldn't stop me. At that list. And what age is this? I was a I was the I was like 17, 18. At that age, a trip to Sam Ash or Guitar Center is like it's like going to musical heaven. Oh, man. Did you learn from music? Like lost in it. And not just going in there because we would go. We would we had this place on in Maryland called Chuck Levens and all these places where we would go and just as musicians, we would shed in the store. Yeah. You know, you know how I like to shop anyway. Yeah. I just like to buy. Full out. Yeah. We couldn't afford none of it. Yeah. Couldn't afford none of that shit. Yeah. I never went in and talk to the Ford. Shadding the bus and they drums and shit. Yeah. I don't think I ever bought nothing from there. And I don't. I don't shed in my whole life. Literally, I used to have my cards, put the keyboards in, make my samples, take it out. It was. Hey, and then when you finally get a bag enough to go in. I got to say this. Shout out to my to Cliff and Jerry. I'm not going to say how these things were purchased. The streets. I'm just going to say they took me. To get what you need. The same as you can touch and got me the pieces that I needed to be great. Yeah. And that day, my mom's got me the first keyboard to peeve. That taught me everything on my little nine tracks because I had to figure out how to do everything on just nine tracks. That's where the creativity kicks in. But then at MPC comes home. And that XP80 comes home with your world opened up. And that and then Mackie board 32 channels comes home with it. Oh, it's time to work. Oh, it's time to work. Life changing. Yeah. You couldn't get me out of that unfinished basement. Ah, bro. Bro. Like think about the hours that you put in with that with that first set of equipment that you had. No, you forget to eat. Right. Because you're ready to wake back up. I'm talking about that all the time. Yeah. This is the same nigga. Yeah. Yes. I was 145 pounds. I would wake up, hear something, get right on it. I'm thinking I'm working on this for a couple hours. Nigga, it's nine at night now. Bro. Because you was in your mama basement too, right? I was first I was in my mama's, I was in my room upstairs in my room. Damn. Then when we moved to the other house, I was in the basement. They probably tired of hearing that shit. For myself, unfinished. You can dust everywhere. Dust everywhere. But I had to have it. Yeah. Yeah. It's people that don't understand music. You know, it can fuck up families. It can fuck up relationships. Yeah. Shit is like. It builds them too, though. It's like, but you know, when we big bodies are, I say either you're the weather reporter or the weather changer. Either you're the person signing W-9s or you're the person that's controlling the culture. Somebody made what we're sitting on or we're going to sit on it. So it's like, you know, and but it takes sacrifice. It takes that lost time that you forget about. Bro, it's the producer, Michael Jackson. It's the Jones. It's the Quincy Jones effect. We talk about it all the time. Yeah. Where Quincy was so dedicated to the craft. Like the way his that his type of dedication, it costs you things on the outside of it. Yeah. Yeah. And when you said families and stuff like it, anybody that's great in this, that's connected to your story. But you also in this is not even in the the legal term of it, but you have to marry understanding. Everybody that is connected to you has to have understanding of what you are and who you are as a creative. Right. Or they can't be around you because they will dim your light. They will they will they will they will stifle. They will stifle the creativity. They will take away from who you were put here to be. And some people don't understand that. And that's fine. Don't come around us. Right. Just leave me alone. I know I look like a shiny toy. It's cool. You won't hang out. You think it's going to be fun. And then you're going to realize like, oh, this guy has a mission. Purpose, bro. And a purpose. And I'm I'm going to need to write some songs. And then I'm going to need to write a book. And then I'm going to need to go film my podcast with my best friend. And then we're going to have to go to go do some shows. And then and then it continues. It continues. What do you say in the movie? And then. And then. Hey, you talking that shit, bro. But it's the it's the real bro. I think that people from the outside, especially if they don't fully understand what this thing is and what it takes to be truly successful in this thing that maybe one percent. Maybe if we go if we're going to be generous, we could say three percent. Yeah, I actually get to really reach your apex and get to and get to a pinnacle in a space that is really successful for them. And they don't have to do anything else with their life, but what they love to do. There are not many creatives that get to do that. I've never said this. Don't really tell too many people this, but I really feel like God has me on Earth to get, of course, give people to their higher self. And he gives people like us. That's a light. All this swag shit. We don't care about like durian dimes and all this type of shit to attract the people that needs to hear what the fuck we got to say. And just just being examples of how tight God is. So that's literally what we're here for. But what's that God? Yeah, that's that. That's fire because people don't. When I was growing up in church. It was. You are you want like one thing we should try to preach in my past, Tyrone Petty is like, no, it's cool to do this. Like, no, you supposed to have a good time. No, you supposed to eat the finest food. You supposed to want a nice car. Yeah, you supposed to. And that has always been my mindset for representing. The higher up. Come on. If we I mean, if we talk in streets of gold and in mansions and carrying on and he talking about he came so I can live life and life more abundantly. Well, I need that abundance. Him. Yeah, I need that. And and let people know that it is attainable this way to it really works. It's it's attainable this way to you. You can get it the right way. Right. That's something he said earlier that I would love to expound on. We can do this without being bitch ass niggas. You're right. A bitch ass nigga to me is someone who's selfish. I'm that only thinks about their selves because you get what you give, bro. You got to like my attention every day. People don't know this, but I wake up every day thinking about how much money I could make everybody around me. That's how it works. You're supposed most people think about their sales, but it's like, you know, you can only make money doing this. You got to be outside. You got to make money with people that don't look like you. But what are you? What is your service? You got to just be a service. The trick is just having one up on everybody as far as being a service. Either I gave you some advice, gave you some weed, gave you a free beat, gave you a free one. My services drove you to the show. I drove you to the show. Yeah. Yeah. But this just comes along with branding. Like when you're when you're brand, when you leave the room, your brand stays. So it's like, what was the experience I gave you? You know, yeah. And that's that's how it just keeps going. You're investing. You're constantly investing. Yeah. My first year relationship is nuts. That is what you're giving it. Yeah. And I don't ask for much. I just do. I just ask once a year for 1500. Other than that, I'm a. Sir, I'm on deck. I'll do it. But the return is organic because. Because. The weather, whether the person. Or the universe. One way or another, that's going to come back to you. Yeah, man. Tell us, tell us about 1500 a. Because. We. Bro, we try to make it every year. We always. So I was coming back from Atlanta. I think I already know. And I was like, and I was like, I don't want to commit to it because I don't know how I'm going to be after Atlanta because I'm getting smoke. Smoke kills me. Oh, yeah. Like in a, especially in a low, low, a ceiling environment. Yeah. And. I knew it as soon as I walked in the club, as soon as I still on the top rope. So it was still on top rope. Everything started burning. And I got a commitment to sing two or three songs. Yeah. I mean, I can feel it during those songs. By the time I get to song three, I'm cooked. Yeah. Oh, there's no way I would have been able to do that show. Not the way I wanted to do it, especially my first time being there. Oh, yeah. Tell us about it, though. I mean, we listen. This is this is something that you set up. This is an institution. We know that you're going to have it. We're going to we're going to be there. Tell us about it, though, man, and the people about it, about this thing that you do once a year in honor of your company. Yeah. Well, we we had our 20 year anniversary for 151500. Twenty years, man, for all the services together for 20 years. Yeah. Twenty years, man. And we know so many people we lost to shout out to uncle Chuck Carlos for us to be GI Nip moms. Like all these are people in 1500. A major part that even when they left gave me the superpowers to keep going. You know what I mean? So that's it's it's a special day, but it's really a celebration. Shout out to the city of Los Angeles actually gave us our holiday five years ago. And so we're saying and it was just for all the hard work that we've done for the community and just, you know, what we've done. And like last year, we had at the Sound Academy where, you know, Dave Chappelle got on the mic. Angela Bass, Natasha Smith, we had every year we have 30 or 30 artists performed. So it's a baby festival from 12 to 12. In the beginning, it's like we had this year, we had all of our students, 20 of our graduate students perform. They did a melody of all of our hits. I got it. Yeah. So y'all got to check that out. And then after that, you put that up online and everything. Oh, it will be. You can check all these things out. It will be. Yeah. It will be. Yeah. We're going to put that out. But I'm using that. I'm about to take over a tiny desk in colors. I'm just wondering on now it's called the bitch. Morning, y'all now. I'm telling you, I'm going to be called the big stage. Everybody wants to get on the big stage. Our stage is bigger than everybody's. With LED lights. I love it. I love it. It just is. So everybody wants to go to the big stage for Ted talks, everything. So it ain't no traffic in our lane. Yeah. I love that. I love the big stage. Come on. That's you. Give me some laser lights in the LED wall. You're going to do real expensive. Exactly. Graphics, everything. He can't wait. You got you got some you got some extra curricular shit there for him that he can be like, hey, hey, and then I'm just going to peer through the screen. That's because I feel like if Michael Jackson can do it, I can do it. I need a toaster. Come on, friends. Give me a toaster. That's his favorite thing. I want a toaster. Forming McDonald's. If you've got a toaster to pop out of the machine or something. I have yet to pop out of a toaster. It is coming soon. Look at the show near you. I pray it goes well. Don't miss. I'm a I'm a I'm a flip up out of the toaster and twist my ankle also. I know it's going to happen. Toaster. It is. Let's let's talk about these records. Let's talk about some of these records, bro. Like the box. Man, shout out to Roddy. Shout out to the homies, man. We are. Yeah, that's. What is it? 11 10 11 million. Yeah, it's a diamond record. Yeah, the box with diamond. Shout to Maluma. Work on that. So how does how does that how does that record come about? Roddy was when I first met Roddy, this was before he was famous. This is like three, four months before he started getting famous. And I was hearing about him a lot because he's from LA and he's from the culture. And, you know, anybody from LA got to got to come home. If they really want their album to sound expensive. So he came and his engineer gave us all the sessions. And we literally went through each session from intros and outro's, putting them together and just off of us doing the intro and outro that ended up we end up getting on the box because it's like a whole 20 seconds of just our music. Yeah, you know what I mean? So, but we literally we do that for albums, man. It was such a success, man. And I remember sitting with with Dallas, Dallas Martin, and he was like, I'm going to play you something. And just before he got his new studio, I forgot to he's got another he's been at the Atlantic. Yeah, yeah. And he's he's like, man, I got this artist named Roddy Rich. And I'm like, I think I met him. We had a Warner Party at a Warner Music Party. And I think he pulled up in like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. And Tank was like, I, you know, take no. You know, I don't like who's the nigga that just jumped out of the limbo. Whatever that is. Like, hello, he called. And it no records are out yet, though. And he pulled up in the limbo. Yeah. So I'm like, OK. And he says his name. And obviously it just I remember his name. So when I'm sitting in the studio with Dallas, Dallas, like, I'm going to play you my new artist named Roddy Rich. I'm like, was he at the Warner Party with the Lamborghini? He's like, yeah, yeah. I said, oh, Tank knew him. Yeah, he's like, yeah, he the one. Yeah, he plays me through like three records. One of them was the box. Yeah. And he's like, what you think about this? I said, no, no, it's something you play with that. And that's what I do. Which ever got the. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you play that again? Yeah. I'm like, nigga, it's a smash. He was like, fuck with that one. That record crazy. Right? So when it would come out, it was like, yeah, you know, then it can delay. What? Well, you know, we're going to put out this for you. And then we go. I was like, that's the one. That's the one. What do you do? To eat her record? I don't know the name of it. Yeah, that body of work, that whole body of work. But he told me he was like, I got 1500. They don't was if you hear the transitions. He was like, because and he said it to me, he's like, right, he's a musician. I didn't know right. He know what he fired. You know what I'm saying? Like, I didn't know none of that at the time. And he's like, yo, you know, he can play the whole he got the whole thing. So we got 1500 to come in and really do like, you know, like I said, the transitions for the album and the really bringing musicality to it. So it's really the human behavior aspect. It's to the point to now where people have come to us to where it ain't just the just the music, it's really a marriage. Like people got to know when to stop. That's really the secret to these hits, you know? You just explain producing. It's like, yeah. Take that out. Yeah. No, because at the end of the day, the objective of a customer is to got to keep and create a customer. That's the whole objective of the business to keep them. It's like, if you're saying a thousand words, you're saying all these things. It's like, I tell artists all the time, let's write a song. Is if we're writing it with our audience, I got a part. Yeah, because if you give the hype, if the hype man got as many parts as you got, you got a good song. But if you can do this, how you do all the time. And I do this, that's that's gold. You know what I mean? It's so many human behavior, secrets people don't understand. That's why we got the school. Because it's a lot of lot of secrets that I feel like that'll help so many songwriters. It will. And it's it's. It helps. It helps music. In general, right, right to, you know, as we're talking with Smokey Robinson and we're talking about, you know, the reps, the things. Flags are new. I just walked past. My God, that's our new flag. That was crazy. That is what I was talking about. Smokey Robinson. Yeah, I just call it Smokey. I just call it. We partners. I call it Smokey Joe. You know, because I know when he was little. Yeah, yeah. No, you don't. Hey, you know what I mean? Because we tell me that when I meet him, when I meet him, you don't remember you. We use little. No, I never. No, you do not. But the the the the way they would give each other critique and and and compete and and conversation to elevate the level of play. Was how they built a dynasty. Yeah, with no egos. Listen, because here's what I just here's what I what I what I what I used to try to tell people. I say you have to know the difference between a negating and and constructive criticism. Right, because there there's a difference. Right. Constructive criticism. I welcome. I welcome it. Yeah. Tell me how this should be better. Right. Tell me where I can make this more. Tell me to dial that vocal back. Right. Because it's given a little too much. Right. In here, because I can go there. Right. I can do that. Right. And so we need more of that where people understand how who their audience is. First. First. Got to know the audience is. And. And what they're able to do. Hmm. Can they can they sing that? Can they? Yeah, exactly. I know exactly what to say when you say it ain't worth. And I go telling a lie. Come on, man. Then you bring it back. See, you cry. I'm from church. Calling response. That's the cheek call to hit. Sure. Yes. Yes. Jesus is real. Jesus is real. That is literally the same. You say repeat. Oh, yes, he is. Oh, yes, he is. Oh, yes, he is. Three hooks. Oh, yes. Act like you've got to say more words in the verse. It should just be three hooks and let everybody pick their favorite hook and let the man, you know, it's more simpler than it would be. If it was less, what in the wild, the hook. Everybody gets bored at every eight bar. So make sure there's a bold something that's going to make you turn your head every eight bars. It's like you could take the cadences of anything, any song that you've ever heard and use it for your own cadence for a melody. You could take a base cadence and change the concept and change the melody. It's like, you're right as black if you're lying. So just tell somebody else truth where don't lie. I tell yours. Yeah. Give me another song. Give me another song. What, Buddha? Oh, yeah, Buddha, These Walls, Nipsey's album. Talk about, talk about, talk about, uh, Victor. Yeah, Victor. I took us about 12, 13 years. Yeah. What it feels like we did that in 2011. And I'm gonna try to get Nip. Nip never, he ain't gonna ask nobody for no features. You know, that's just, he's just humble like that. But I will. So I've been sitting at this, this song to Guru forever and trying to get Jay on trying to get Jay on. And it was the perfect timing for what it feels like. So I'm for the movie and right after he wrapped on it, I knew Nipsey was smiling. Cause I, you know, that was something he always wanted. This is a song with Jay and especially with the music where the drums and like shots of Mike and keys and bars and this was, I don't know if y'all know what this song had. I had like 13 of superstar singers on it that know that you, if you listen to the end, Jay Jay Jay, he said he wanted like a seven minutes song, but I'll play it for you. But we got everybody from her, BJ, and Clemens, uh, all like, you wouldn't believe it. I don't, I'm gonna let y'all listen and see if y'all can catch these voices. But I literally caught everybody. So yo, seeing some on this for eight bars and send it to Marchand brochures, everybody, they just give me eight bars and I put all that shit in and just, and just made it. So it was tight. It was tight. It's crazy. Yeah. So y'all relationship with Nip, right? Because that's how ultimately I had a chance to really kick it with him one day. Was that Sound Academy? Yeah. When y'all were shooting the show, uh, Tina Davis. Yeah, sure did. And, um, him and I just end up in the green room. We came to make ship green. Yeah. I mean, motor and vegan food. Yeah. Talking about books. Yeah. Like literally in there, we in the tub. And it was, it was me. Cause Tank was filming at the time. Put me, I mean, me, Nip and Pooh Bear in that room. And, um, what's the white kid that worked for Nip? I know you talking about. Marathon John. Marathon John. Yeah. Yeah. And he was in the room with us and we just, man, we started talking about touring agencies, books, vegan foods. Like we just, and got a, and I had, I had a chance to really like get some real insight to his thought process. Genius. And what he was on. And I told him, and I'm glad I had that chance to tell him how much I respected what he was doing. And y'all facility gave me that opportunity. Yeah. To do that. Yeah. It was always inspiring each other, man. Just, you know, just being from that area. Yeah. But, um, one of the smartest niggas ever, ever, bro, when it comes to just understanding, I mean, shout out to the homie, big Bob too. He was one of the people that like, was coaching us on understanding the branding laws and human behavior. And that kind of, when he got a hold of that, it changed Nip's whole mind, bro. Literally, when literally, I mean, from just understanding the brand and like, I think every artist needs to know the brand laws. I don't even work with artists unless they know, like 10 things I know. And the branding laws is one of them. I can't even fuck with nobody if they, because you got to know who you are. It's like every one of the laws is every, uh, every new brand must own one word in the hearts and the minds of the consumer. Right. So if you're an artist, that's your name. But then under it, there's called a brand promise. The brand promise is, why do we give a fucking, where are you going to do for us? Right. So if you say FedEx, their brand promise is overnight. So what's yours? If you're a business, if you like labels, they self promote, you're not so supposed to self promote. Only promote when the average, when the, when the brand is already healthy after 10 years. Never supposed to self advertise it. It's called favorable publicity. Favorable publicity is how do you get other niggas to talk about how tight you are. So I rather take my $100,000 marketing budget, give everybody a hundred, like tell everybody I'm tight if you're just not that tight. You know, like, that's just where a nigga that has no swag. But, you know, God gives everybody swag. So you just got to find everybody I'm tight. But that's like, you know, it's just a different way of just understanding humans, how to get them to. Well, because, because. There are only. There are only a few leaders. Rest of followers. All right. And not in a bad way, because we all have a role to play in the ecosystem. Right. And so we were in the circle. Right. We all need each other. Right. Mm hmm. But the way you're articulating it is that in order to get the mass attention, there is a formula. There's a formula for the mob. That works every time. For messaging for the world. Absolutely. The message you have to put out through people, through God. We know the secrets, but you can't abuse it. You can't abuse it, though. Yes. Like viral is the. You can turn into a. Conversation. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, it's viral. Yeah. But that's why we, you know, we really wanted you on the show, though, to give. His tanks said this earlier. You, you are able to give the information, but break it down in the layman term. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, you know, you, you make it digestible for everyone. Right. And that is a gift in itself. And thank you. That a lot of people, like you said, even if they can't teach it, they still teach it in a certain way. That the average person who really needs it, they don't really know how to take it. They're like, that's not weird. Right. You know what I mean? Really, they're just saying, could you explain it? But you know, especially where we all come from. Yeah. We've all been through those public schools and understanding or not understanding something and the kid that's sitting right next to you. He don't want to say nothing, but he not learning anything because it's not being properly teach to him for him. Right. Yeah. What our coach needs to know that the words that you say that will change the trajectory of your life and the conversation you have with people, bro. Like it's so important to understand certain words. Like you can go up to somebody and be like, uh, yeah. So they take, they can be talking about their business and you say, yo, what's so what's your 409a? You buy you knowing what the fuck a 409a is. I look it up and just what's your evaluation for your company and working value that other than to say how much your company worth. Right. Nigga, what's your 409a? Right. This is this literate is these two small things like, they're going to receive you different. Like ask that. Go up and ask somebody. What are you, what are you most excited about? What are your superpowers that you're going to give to the world? Throw niggas off to make them know that you're different. Like, don't just say, what's it, what'd you be up to just working? That's the most low vibration broken nigga talk. I can't stand it. Working on what? I hate that shit. Please don't say you're just working around me. Give me your biggest intent. Give me your biggest goal that ain't happy yet. So I could try to help and. Yeah. Cause I know what your intention is. Where's more water? Yeah. About to take him grab. Yeah. Yeah. All right. We're looking. Unless you want the gin. Snoop gin. It's still early. I was waiting. It's still early. It's the Snoop gin. Dr. Dre and Snoop. Come on, the ghost. Courtesy of the dog, father. The dog. That's big bro, man. Yeah, Snoop dog, man. I love Snoop. I don't give a fuck what nobody say. He has done my whole career. He can do no wrong. Snoop in my book. He has changed my life. Thank you, Snoop. Lyrid the opportunities and the people he's had me around from just kings and queens to presidents to all type of just the hood, different cultures all around the world just to be able to experience life. How long did you tour with? I've been I've been on I'm I'm 40 right now. My birthday is February 1st too. But it's maybe I'm not sure. Snoops maybe like 20 years, 22, 22 years. Like on and off, you know, like it had to come to a point where I was on on tour so much to where like I had an opportunity to get our studio in Inglewood. Shout out to my homie, Kavi. He gave us a studio in Inglewood right on the middle of the hood. Kavi, Kavi are. That was black. Yeah, I'm sure you're talking about. So he I've seen him and I'm a drag outside and they moving out. Ball and all blue. I'm like, hold on. Y'all first of all, Inglewood go inside. But what y'all doing? They like we about to move out. I'm like, hold on. I went to that house like pops, give me some money. I'm about to give it up out of here. I need the studio. This is our family studio. Mom's sister outpainted. It's our family literally came our family studio and we call it LeBren. Larry Brenda, that's my mom and dad name. And from there, that's where. That's I mean, YG had. That's where YG and Nipsey met, bro. I tricked both of them to literally to come to the studio because, you know, Nipsey knew about YG, why do you know about Nipsey? But I had to literally come to my studio and not tell them that they were going to be there. And they end up doing a song together that my nephew produced. You know what I mean? So that was Terrence had a studio there. That was literally like the hood spot where we were really got the culture. Sometimes if you're too far out, right in the mountains and the valley, you don't get to breathe culture and hear the words that these, you know, everyone's saying. And, you know, you know, we get our hits from conversations from normal people. You know what I mean? Yeah, you just think a melody to it. That's it. What do you where do you get your most fulfillment? Would it be would it be as a musician or as a producer and a songwriter? Oh, I have a teacher now. No, I'm a student teacher because I need to go say. OK, I need to go. Producer, songwriter, musician, music. I'm more into songwriting now. Yeah, I was. I thought he was going to say the stage. Oh, I mean, that's autopilot. Like, like, I don't that's just that's just autopilot. But the thing is, the only thing about being a musician, you have to do standing in lines, you have to do a luggage, you have to do a travel. But they don't skip all that. No, you can't. No, no, no, no, no. Like, it comes back. But what happens is that. Like all the things that you go through once you get to that stage, you do. OK, so I'll work in front of 10,000, 15,000. OK, if I don't have to count on that other shit, I don't. Yes, and it will be playing on stage because that's literally it's a certain feeling you get where like, bro, we didn't been on stage for like 50,000 people and I'll just play like two notes just to fuck with them. And there we go. So it's like understanding like what notes, what sounds. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What emotions make them feel a certain way and you can just fuck with them and then take it right back to the studio because you understand what already worked. It's like kind of reversing, you're doing a reverse. Of course, of course, will work. So it's like, I'm telling you that it's too many words because the crowd can't sing them any words. They can only sing, so called, so called, so called legato. And if you don't understand, so called, so called, so called, you can't do we're going to wait for the woo woo woo. You know what I mean? So it's like understanding that. It takes you to a whole other level in life. Do you have a favorite show? I mean, because I know you've been on so many stages. So many, so many. But do you have like that one show that stands out like, Hey, bro, we was in Glasgow. Oh, we did Glasgow. I mean, I like, we live eight was the like, I was like the biggest show you could ever do with them and you. So live eight was fun. And like how many people are there? Like he was like 100,000. And people like ants, everybody like ants, but it was so much fun. That and then I have fun doing our Beyonce show in Dubai. That was like, are you doing that show? Yeah, I didn't know you did that show. I've only heard of that show. Oh, yeah. Our band is the band. And we know that the most expensive band in the world. For a fortune. Tell me where you are popping. The most expensive band in the world that's called 1500 or nothing. Yeah, I got 1500 on me. Tell us. You're family, bro. We tried. We tried. You got to tell us about that. Beyonce and Dubai. You have to tell us about that. It was amazing experience. I'm sure it was set out amazingly for the whole show. Like just even where y'all stayed everything. I hope I know it was. Well, the cool thing is what Beyonce, first of all, she's just amazing. Everyone, her team was great. And it's just all love when I got the call from Guru and put them on the phone. It was pretty fucking crazy. She was just explaining to me that, you know, going to Dubai and in a short amount of time, but we need this and a string section, a horror section, all this type of stuff. So I feel like most musical directors is just one person that just wants to get to all the, you know, it's just just one person. But I feel like for Beyonce, she needs like three musical directors. So what I did was at our first rehearsal, I took Damo, who's the coldest nigga alive. And I'm Kyrie. He's also, he actually worked on the box for me too. I had a go around. OK, OK. And I said, hey, we're your musical directors. And I'm telling you this because you need, if you have, if you have a request, it'll get done in two minutes, why literally two minutes. So then somebody walking over to tell him is like, with the way 1500 is structured, we don't like to rehearse forever. So the way our structure is, we really know how to get shit done. If we need to change something in pro tools, why we got somebody changing something. But soon as she said, Kyrie's teaching a band and we like literally calling out the numbers in the parts about time. She already rehearsed in two minutes. We got it. You know what I mean? So that's that's that was something self, a self move that I wanted to do to actually just give, you know, kind of like Kyrie's been the one he just did the halftime show. He got like our band is they did the, you know, they're they're lit, you know, but I just a blessing. I could be a vessel by, you know, a company of guru and a rock and J and everybody licking out because that came from J. J we did four four four tour. Right. You know what I mean? So that was it all. If you do good work, people talk. And if you could close, you'll keep getting more you keep getting more opportunity. Yeah, for real. Yeah, that band that band is different. Yeah, it's fun. You're going to some amazing stages, bro. Yeah, it's a blessing. I was I was on tour when I did the genuine overseas tour in 98. I was like, I'm playing keys and singing. He needed to consolidate. I was like, I was like, well, I just put the keys for you. He's like, he's like, all right, cool. See, brought my drummer, one of my drummer guys in buggy play for backyard DC. My guy was Stacey Bates. I think they stay the basis on base. Like I branded Rod Naxx and King's big Bob Terry guitar. And. And you talk about a time like it was. I was sad. To go to stop being on the road, being a musician, singer. This nigga, Tank didn't want to quit. He talked about that all the time. I was sad. He didn't want to become tank. I was having. That's fun. Of my life. It's fun, bro. Like that stage is for that laminate was doing so much work. That all access. That all access laminate was having so many conversations that I didn't need to have in Germany. Oh, man, Dortmund. Laminate was like. He just started blurring. Oh, man, Berlin. Dormin, Germany. He's one of my go home, bro. You just got cities over there. That's just your spot. Hey, bro. Yeah, bro. Respectfully, bro. I don't even have to hold it. It was just it was dangling in the neighborhood. It was like, oh, my goodness. You. As you threw the chain around your neck, you say, oh, me. It's just the time of my life, bro, of being a music. Like I really I really carried a double tier stand, two keyboards and a PV amp, like in one take. That was that was my life. Like that's why my love and affinity for musicians is the way it is. That's why I value musicians, I value the dancers, I value the LD, I value my music, my my my my sound, man, my I value them so much. Because I know what it takes to do that. And I know if one of those things is not cared for properly, it does everything. Band one sound, baby. Yeah, no, he really lives by that because just like you said it earlier. A lot of times the band is disrespected. Yeah, depending on who the artist is. Yeah, right. Right. And depending on who the artist team is, like for me, I always knew. Tank takes care of his band like he takes care of himself. So when people will be trying to like, oh, you got a dissident. And I'm like, well, it's probably I'm telling I'm telling promoters. I'm telling different people. I'm like, well, it's probably not going to happen. Well, yeah, you know, we got this. I'm like, listen, my artist and partner is a musician himself. So he is not going to just say that we don't need that or we don't need this. I'm going to just use what you got or the local musician in your city. That the worst thing you can say when you call me about this man is houseband. Listen, bro. Listen. Promoters. That's the word. That's the word, correct. If you call me and say that word, houseband. I guarantee you, no matter how much you offer him, he's not going to do the show. He's not. He's loyal to who he's loyal to, who rocks with him. Like, yes. And you know, this has a musician. Some things are track shows and some, you know, some venues are just for that. And I got to get in there and knock this little quick thing out. But houseband. He ain't rolling. He is not rolling. Listen, I don't do like, and I, everybody has their own way of like traveling their crews, you know what I'm saying? Whether it be a crew, B crew, C crew, or, you know, the, the A's are here. And then the B's, we're going to get them over here and the C's. Well, we know what, you know, they're going to, that's the days in, right? Yeah. No. My, me and my band and my people, we are in the same place. That's love, bro. We eat in the same food. That's love. We, after the show is over, y'all want to hit, y'all want to go hit something? Hit a spot, grab some food, grab some. You know, I got this, I got this hosting. Hey, y'all want to come with us? We go. Let's get enough vehicles because everybody can go. It's like, man. Like, yeah, because as musicians, bro, like. We need each other. Oh man, we need each other. And you know, and you know how much better I played and sang because I knew Genuine had my back. He might take you to men's land with you. He's going to give me a silk shirt too. Huh? He was going to send a few letters my way. Hey, listen, as Terry said when he said in that same seat, you can't forget about the cats. Can't forget about the cats. Can't, man. Can't forget about the cats. You guys are the ultimate cats. Learn from it. Look, y'all understand we learned. We was watching y'all, bro. The underdog days. We was at Tyree studio first. That's what I wanted to get to. Y'all be on that second floor and I was feeling like, who is the niggers? Bro, Tyree's at that time. He had everybody. He could have signed us all for 10 bands. He had no idea. The eyes. I mean, I don't think anybody had. I don't think anybody had. I don't think anybody had. I won't blame him. The Ivy's. Ivy's. Ivy's. Because to see what you guys have become, that's different. No one could have forecasted that. Your talent, absolutely undeniable. But just the business acumenity. The business of what you guys have built though. I would have never thought that. I would have never thought not that you couldn't do it. I just didn't see that. I saw some niggers that was like me. Some hood gangsta musician niggers. We ain't fucking around. But do this music on another level. I saw that and I was like, man, them niggers. I rock with them. I like them niggers. But now you niggers are some mogul type shit. I feel like though, and I was going to say maybe in his defense, but not even in his defense. I feel like Tyrese is just always wanted to be a vessel. I don't think he really, I don't think he was looking to hold or sign. He wanted to sign. He just opened in his door and let this come in. I've met so many talented people through Tyrese. That's my god. You know what I'm saying? Like I said, the Ivy's bro. They had all the Tyrese's. The Kenyan Dixon. Everybody. All of them. See y'all. See y'all. Like the people that you could you go to Tyrese house and just meet somebody. Somebody's just there. That's very fucking talented. James was Tyrese engineer. Do y'all know that? That part I didn't know. I didn't know he was engineer. What? James was engineer for Tyrese. That's why James so cold. Wow. What? I didn't know he was his engineer. Downstairs. He's engineer for Tyrese. James is engineer. James different. You just try to use Johnny's that break. I remember right when I left the underdogs, it was like I met James and it was like because a few of us had shook. So it was just like, okay, well, I mean, you know, I guess they'll figure it out. They always do. Yeah. And we heard James was there. It was like, guess they're going to be all right. He gave him enough. He gave him a run for the show. He gave him enough. I'm going to be fine without a stove. They'll be good. And it was like Damon was so excited about him. I'm talking, he was bouncing off the walls. Like, I'm telling you, and when he nicked the scene, he got a pitch bend in his throat. This nigga don't even go note to note. He bends the notes. He's like the airbender. I remember my brother came at the time I had a studio house. And I remember my brother came back to the studio house and he was like, I met one of the co-dice niggas ever in life. Damn. It's like in life? Like, we didn't mess with co-bad niggas, man. We hung out with Michael Jackson. And he was like, Jay, this nigga is special. He's different, bro. He's like, he is special, bro. The records he's writing, just his vibe, he's like, Jay, he wanted them won. You just got too much information. You talking about a nigga that watches every anime. That's where every book on religion, psychology, and philosophy. So he's scared with you. He's like, ghetto is fucked. That's more weed. You know what I mean? But he does everything. He understands, he has a full understanding of the world's ideology in one whole thing. And also understand how to write songs. He's got a frame for anything. He's got a scene or a frame for anything. And seeing that frame makes it so easy to write from. Like, I would always, if I was writing, I would say, I would say, I need a scene, I need a scenario. And once I lock in on the scene, oh, let me just write it frame by frame. Got it. Cool, we're good. And that was my cheat code. That is my cheat code to writing songs. It's like, I envision the argument. I envision the encounter. I envision the meeting, the handshake, the hug. I envision how it happens word for word. And I don't just say what happens. I give you adjectives to give you the feelings within the moment. I give you the smell within the moment. I give you the intent within the moment from both sides. Like, it's, yeah. That's, I don't miss that one. Did you get that? Shit. That's, that's writing life. That's turning life into music. And as long as you can do that, because there are at least, I always say, there are at least a million people that feel how you feel. That's really all you need. If you get 10% of that, say five. Right. No, that's real talk. And it's finding your customer. It's finding your people. It's like the guy who has the specialty store. That eventually other people tell other people about. It's really that simple, bro. Like, And publicity. All these things. The branding laws, right? It's all these things just come back to keep it simple. Keep it simple. You know what I mean? Keep it simple. And I was, I was, I was saying the one thing too that, that I've learned. And Tanki and I talk about this all the time as well with consistency. Yeah. We know why our podcast works. We don't miss our, we don't miss our time. We don't miss our week. Like people, they know what time that we do the live, you know what I mean? When the live podcast drops, they know what time it drops on, you know what I mean? On the streaming services. And if any hiccup, man, my DMs will go crazy. Yeah. Because they're programmers. The highest level. You know what I mean? And I think that that's another thing with creatives, right? Because we have so many creatives that are just like free flowing and they're, you know, their birds, they land when they want to land. But while the deflug gates have been open to the world of creatives, it's so many other creative people now that they will go to, if you don't have consistency in your brand and what you're doing. Right. You know what I mean? If you don't have a landing spot for them. You only have one or two times for them to go to your channel and they don't know it. Right. They're going to stop going. They're going to stop going. You know what I mean? So for you to come here and you're like, yeah, so yeah, we got, it's not just the Academy no more. Oh yeah. Now we got. You gotta be the news, bro. The news is every day. So it's like, just like Kanye, it's he's selling some fucking shoes and he's selling some clothes and not album and he's taking out and back and it's like, you gotta be in no minds every day. And that's, that's one of the things that we really got to make sure you were doing enough in our life. It ain't one thing music just ain't enough. No, I mean, it's the lifestyle like niggas need to understand the why. We got glasses, man. We got R&B, man. We got water, man. Cheers to this man. We're doing water cheers in a day time. Come on, man. Come on, man. Cheers. Step on success. Yeah. It's in the 1500 or nothing, man. It's all money. Come on. So as you, as you, I mean, this Disneyland in Inglewood, this just sounds, just sounds crazy. What else? Right now. I mean, because you were consumed with. Yeah. You got shit on your plate, brother. Yeah. I'm still a producer musician. I still like that. Did you put the Rose Royce in the Academy? Maybe you're going to put the Rose. Hey, you think I forgot about that? You're going to put the Rose Royce in there next to like the SSL. So I was like, okay, Rance, he's just over balling at this point. I'm chilling now. No, you're going to put the Rose Royce. All right. Cool. My goal, man, is just try to inspire and give access to know why these are the dream that they can have. You know what I mean? It's to the point where like, I might do a TV show to where I got students and people and they'll come and say what they need. Like, yeah, I want to be in tech. I know so many people in Silicon Valley and Y Combinator and all these companies where I can make a phone call and be like, oh, here's, this is what you need. Yeah. I just want to be the access to people for the culture to where they don't have to deal with all the bitch ass nigga activity to where they can, I could just help them get straight to the money. But that's why we have our schools to make sure you're qualified. You're qualified. You know what I mean? Because you can't connect foolishness. Yeah. Then it's only, then I'm the father. Exactly. Everybody always like, yeah, what's up with your boy? What's up with your boy? Listen, that's the worst thing to hear. What's up with your boy? Is your man? Nah, not on my watch. Who's man's is it? Who's man's is it? Is that your boy? Man. Yeah. But now we really just, at this point, I'm tired of modern day slavery and how labels and all these companies are just modern day slaves. And we're about to change that. We're changing the models. The problem is there's creatives, like two problems. The industry needs to have CFO CEOs like a normal business. We're getting tricked. All this shit is cap. Like with the N.R. That shit is cap. We really need to, it's a real business. So if you understand, learn Delaware Law. And that'll help you understand how corporations, Delaware Law is the best for corporations. We really want to teach people how to own their own shit, how to build their shit. But we, of course, we need help. So that's why we got the Disney Inglewood. We got the company we play that's given opportunities to where like, you can come to me and say, yo, Renz, I want to do a new version of Price is Right with the culture. They can do that shit in two days and have the set built, have everything built. Like you literally just say, y'all want to do a cartoon like the Doom movie, the Mandalorian movie. You could do that. And the models that they're doing is fair for us to where if you try to do that with somebody or any other company, you're going to have to sign your whole life away. And you want all shit. This is like, it ain't going to be like this by next year. I'm just letting y'all know now. It's going to be great games where he had to do the other ones to finally make some bread. But right now we got the opportunity to really be able to own IP and build shit that comes from your brain that can really come into real life with this right company, with this right group that can handle this shit. That's the trick. Of course it's a venue. It's not a stadium, but it ain't a club. So it's lit. We do boxing stadiums. We can do boxing matches, fashion shows. It's that large, like it's huge. But the main focus is promotion, cashier, VR, AR, virtual reality. One of the owners created, one of the owners of WePlay created virtual reality. So their screen is better than any screen in Hollywood. So it's four movies. So like, I look at y'all like, Walt Disney, y'all think it's a songwriter's bro. You're storytellers. But are we just going to do it in songs for three minutes? Or are we going to do it in a movie? Or are we going to do it on cartoons? Because we got eyes and ears. We can't just hear it. Yeah. It's like, but who's going to be the first five niggas? That's my homies. That's going to really see this opportunity. Like Nick Cannon and all these other niggas and take advantage of it and really help the culture. So it's the time, guys. You ain't got to let us be late. Don't be late. That's something I want to ask you too. It's something that, you know, my father was very instrumental in my career, right? And pushing me into, you know, what, what, what I do and what we do. That I didn't know that your father played such a heavy role in what you're doing. Oh, for sure. Probably, I hired my dad 10 years, eight years ago to work at the school. He teaches at the school. He, I mean, he does, him and my sister teaches everybody vocals. So they do vocal coach, all the vocal training for celebrities to students from the age of schools, to, you know, all around the world. Like they know how to really get you to understand your insides, understand the power that you have inside and gives you the confidence. And then my sister, when it comes to the studio, she's like female Kukaril. Like I don't even let no nigga, she has to do all the vocal production. I have to work with my sister because she knows all the rules to break them. Like literally she's been around her and we've all been in the same school. So it's like, but it's a real family thing, you know, but pops has been, I mean, he's been on deck for, it was just his birthday yesterday. Oh, yeah. So happy birthday pops. But that's where I get my swag from, man. Yeah. And that's how I learn pool. Anybody want to play pool and willing to invest in yourselves. I'm taking cash up crypto cash. I play a little pool. I know. He was through there. He did that on purpose. But I mean to it. Yeah, this is all memory I said. I see what he's doing. Yeah. Cause he be posting like trick shots. He be doing it. I got a podcast car. I'm like, what did you get that? I'm a need job next. I'm going to talk about how to help the culture. And I'm whooping ass on pool and saying, did you get that in your face? I love that. I dabble. I love that. See, that's the shark right there. I got love something at the house. Oh, shit. Little table. Oh, I got to watch out. Take one of them. Okay. Yeah. The little work on. You know, brother rats. Your top five. R&D singers. Singers. Yeah. Oh, people. Oh, Sam. They're not going to be mad at him. Sam cook. Sam cook. Sam cook. What would you know about boy? Young fella. You know about that. Brandy. Yeah. Five. So R&B singers. Damn. Michael Jackson. Yeah. The Prince. The Joe. I like. I like this. Good balance. Great. Great textures. Great textures. That's a really tough list. Tough list. Yeah. I'm saying cook. I'm going to go with the guy. I'm going to go with the guy. I'm going to go with the guy. I'm going to go with the guy. Yeah. I'm saying cook was really. Yeah. It was really different. You got to tell me you started with a monster. Come on. Um, top five R&B songs. Oh, um, um, all I do is think about you. Stevie Wonder and fun fact. That's Michael Jackson and Gerald Lavert singing the background. I knew Michael Jackson was on there. I knew I see it. I see it. He was like. I'm like, what the heck is that? It ain't okay, but it still feels right. It's out of scale. But he's like, I just had to fuck with it. I said, nigga, you're a demon. You're a demon vocalist. Oh my gosh. Tweet come to my place. Woo. Yeah. We love Tweet. Love Tweet. Tweet, we waiting on you two. We waiting on Tweet. We waiting on Kamal Tweet. I see Tweet all the time, Tweet. Kamal Tweet. The Black Street album, anything from Black Street. Anything. That album was so tough. And Teddy, Teddy. He's different. He sounds a little different. Thank you for starting our whole career. Thank you, Teddy Riley. Shout out to Teddy Riley. We listened to that Black Street album as a unit. I was signed to a production company, Cliff and Jerry. All of us, we sat and listened to it. We just listened to it. As a unit. Yeah. It was like, it was a proving ground for him at that point. Because he had already done such great things, but it had been a little bit, little minute. And then he came back with Black Street and it was like, this shit is incredible. It's different. You're re-referencing that for everything. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah, now Black Street was special. Where did they mix this shit and outer space? What is this? Okay, all right. Okay, I see you, Rance. Did he have two more? No, no, no. That was it. Okay, here we go. Let's make a Voltron, Rance. You're Voltron, you're a super R&B artist. Who are you gonna get the vocal from? The performance style, the styling, the passion of the artist, and who's gonna produce for this motherfucker? The star girl, what's the first one? We start with the first one. Vocals? What are you gonna get the vocal from? One vocal for your super R&B artist. Jasmine Sullivan. Damn. Yes, sir. The world knows how I feel about Jasmine Sullivan as a singer. She knows. Love you Jasmine Sullivan. Yeah, she's fire. Rance D. We was just walking around with Jasmine Sullivan's songs in our laptop before she was even a thing. That's crazy. See? Just like, do you hear this shit? Yes, she's different. Young lady. Performance style. Performance. On stage. Performance style on stage. Mike. Makes sense. Makes sense. Styling, the drip of the artist, uniform. For real. Ooh. Yeah. You hear it. I think it's for real fly. For real, that's swag. He's fly in so many five year stretches That's right. To where he'll shift it. Did I ever tell you the first time I ever seen him for real in person? I didn't know who he was because they wasn't, they would, at this time I think they had just got like a song deal at Electra. And our label, whatever they were at Electra, it's my sign to Electra Records. And I remember I was in New York. It's my first time as like an adult by myself in New York, going to take my little label meeting. That nigga have a fur with no shirt. Early. Coming out of a record label. Oh yeah. I'm like, who the fuck is that? That's right. Who is the Asian partner? He's different. First time I ever seen him. Yeah. Yeah. Mink on. No shirt. I said, oh yeah. And I remember I, you know, that's one of those things. And we know that like, if somebody, you gotta make people ask who was that? Yeah. It's the first thing I did when I got here. So I was like, yo, it was some dude with like a fur coat on. And they was like, yo, that nigga beats and he's got a nigga song right. He crazy. See? His name is like Pharrell or something like that. I'm like, yeah. That nigga. Yeah. I never forgot it. I never forgot it. He shifts it every five, six, seven, eight. But it's futuristic and relevant. Yeah. At the same time. That's very tough. Tough to do. Very, very tough to do. Cause you can look crazy trying to be futuristic. The passion of your artist. Who's, who, who mean it? Mmm. The passion. Oh, Nipsey. Absolutely mean it. Absolutely. I heard the record one. Come on, man. He mean that shit. That's it. Mean that. Yeah. I said, I'm in on just that alone. You believe him, man. Man, I believe. Yeah, if I can believe you. Whatever he on. Come on. We marching this much. This much. Nipsey, we marching. Let's go. Come on. Um, and who producing for this artist? Shit, if I did, it would be crazy. Come on. You gonna be the music director too? Are you gonna be the music director too, bro? I can do it. We a band. I got friends. We gonna collect all the money together. 1500 and nothing is the producers of the band. Let's go. Let's go. But have it no other way. Come on, nada. Look at this shit. Yeah, so we have that very, very, very, very important part of this show. Mm-hmm. Will you tell us the story? Mm-hmm. Funny or fucked up? Or funny and fucked up? Mm-hmm. The only rule to the game is you can't say no name. No name. Can't say no name. Can't say no names. And I can't say no name. I don't want no fix to the case. Well, I got... All right, you know. Listen, you want to tell us a couple stories? Go ahead, man. Yeah, I'll start off with... It's a super producer that inspired me because he didn't want to teach me Ableton. OK. And to the point to where I was like, damn, how you get your drums to go, like, keep going and you're not doing nothing. I walked over there and Nick Slid is computer-tooled. I'm like, oh, shit. I've never experienced a real-life hater in my life. Is this really happening? So I couldn't do nothing but respect it. And from there, I went to learn. I learned Ableton. Then me and James started school to teach Ableton. And we've made so much people money from Ableton in respect to that bitch-ass nigga that I'll never say his name. Respect you, my guy. But he made you. But you made you inspire me to learn Ableton. That nigga did. No, sir. And I'll try to leave one of them and then he just... I'm like, oh, this is sick. But thank you. He knew what she was capable of. Yeah, you knew we was going to... After we figured that out, it's over. Because Ableton, at that time, it was just DJs on Ableton. Like, the culture of black people didn't figure out that you could... That could change the trajectory of your life if you really understand this program. Yeah. And he knew that. Is that what y'all are on now? You motherfucking right. Hell, yeah. It's like that? It's life-changing. I dare you. It's like, I dare you. It's a dare. I ain't dare to grow a man in a long time. Trust me. Yeah? Trust me, bro. It does things that you can do for sure. It does things that you can't do, that you possibly can't even think about. Like, and it's fast. Like, I spend more time with the family. I'm just faster. If I need to come to school and learn Ableton. I dare you, bro. We got the... Our school is a school that she holds. Our two teachers at the school are the Ableton masters, the only Ableton certified masters in out here. What? Like, it's everybody's, bro, just come hang out. We gonna have some fun. We got certified Ableton masters. Yeah, it's serious. It's serious. I'm coming. That's who you should learn from. The master. I'm coming to take the class. Come on. On my mama. Come on. Oh, that's great. That is great. Yeah. Nigga leaned his computer and made a monster. Our one nigga. And made a monster. He changed our whole shit. I remember with Tommy, it was a N.R. He's another weird nigga. But me and James, well, actually I was playing some music and he was like, it's two West Coasts. He'll never make it. It's the same thing, the homie. Told us that our songs just wasn't good enough. Not knowing that this nigga already had hits. That was the funny part. But he told me that. Three years later, I seen him again and I charged him so much money he had to tell me, no. I did it on purpose. Because I wanted a bitch ass nigga. I was a bitch ass nigga. You always let him live, even for publishing. Some of y'all niggas know y'all don't deserve the publishing that y'all get. But y'all want it that bad? You can have it. And I just won't fuck with you no more. Because you realize what your value is. Yeah. Nothing's that serious to do some weird shit to fuck up your future with the next situation, with the human. Nothing's that... So never make desperate decisions. I always make decisions like I got a lot of money in my pocket. Even if I didn't. Well, brother, we proud of you, man. Shaw-Fa, thank you. You coming in? Thank you. Hey, we started off teaching you. Now you teaching us, nigga. Shit. Now we got to come back to your school. That's how it's supposed to be. That's how it's supposed to be. That's how it's supposed to be. That's how it's supposed to be. We're humble enough to say that. Man, I appreciate y'all, bro. We salute y'all and every you and you all and everything that you guys are doing. We salute it, we support it, and we celebrate it more importantly. Even when y'all not around. Celebrate it. For real, bro, conversations that we have, Tank can tell you, he said it earlier. We can't wait to talk about how the homies got this or that. Them my niggas. And what they nailed in. Like, that is what we're supposed to be doing. All of us, we're supposed to be celebrating each other even when we're not in a room. Right? Right. Somebody tell me, man, I ran the rent. He was telling me how he was excited to do y'all podcasts. That means helping me. Oh, yeah. We're the mob for good people. That's what I call it. God, listen. Mob for good people. I say that all the time. I say evil has an army. Love needs one too. Come on. Yes, sir. Yeah, we wouldn't kill for ours too. Say that. That's it. For real. Shit, man. My name is Tank. J Valentine. And this is the R&B Money Podcast, the authority on all things R&B. All things. Singer, songwriter, musician, producer, performer, publishing. BR. BRAR. BRAR. Mocap. Brand laws. Yeah. Mocapola for education masters. It was Delaware Law. Delaware Law. Listen, man, rhythm and business. Rhythm and business. It don't got to be blues no more. We don't got to be living the blues no more. Rhythm and business sitting right here in the hot seat. Our brother rents 15. Come on. Yeah, yes, sir. Who said y'all, man? God. Yeah. This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.