QLS Classic: Al B. Sure (Part 2)

In part two of this special series, R&B singer Al B. Sure! reminisces with Team Supreme about working with legends like David Bowie, Diana Ross, and Al Green.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Of Course. I Love Supreme is a production of I
Heart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team
at Pandora. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to q l
S Classic with I'll be Sure. So many stories about
him coming up from Mount Vernon from an international superstar,
rubbing elbows with all the great Quincy Jones, to uh

(00:22):
showing Diddy Combs to Heavy d to working with Joe
to see and Timberland, you know, just everybody, so many
crazy stories. I hope you guys enjoy Part two of
q LS Classic with the great I'll be shooting the

(00:43):
rapping tip Rapper five times? Okay, private times in the
whole nine all right? So why I did like that
would have been a single? Do? Okay? Why was it?
Why was it? Why wasn't that a single? And why
did they go with misunderstanding as the up temple rather
than had enough? Or uh was the side too that
was had enough? You excite me? Like those just for

(01:06):
the moment, Like those were the records? Like what well
at that point, um, because of the success of an
effect mode, Um, what happens is the building becomes really
smart all of a sudden, suddenly we have the end
we know. Wait, even before you give that answer, did
you have a relationship with Moe Austin at all or actually, actually,

(01:28):
you know what I did phasing out? No, no, no,
I had great relationship with my Austen, Lenny Waronker and
and all the executives at at Warner Brothers and great guys,
Michael Austin, brilliant record guys. But I don't think they
wo were necessarily involved with the day to day. I
think they just kind of looked at the budgets and
so and so forth. So it was Benny your wall, Benny,
Benny was my guy, and Benny Benny was actually Benny's

(01:49):
a smart record guy. To like, Benny's a an organic
kind of like he can see. He's like no tadamas,
you know, he's got the he can kind of he
can see, you know, what's in front of him. And
he's always been that brilliant cat. But in terms of UM,
in terms of the the record selection, um again, almost

(02:09):
the same concept of what happened when we all went
to Motown. You had a lot of chefs on this
stool and a lot of stuff, people trying to make
certain decisions like um, so yeah, and so with you
to answer your question, it was obviously I had different
ideas about what I wanted to do and what singles
to release, but you know, you've got to kind of

(02:30):
roll with the Red Company because you know they did
support you and and say again that that's the politics
of of the record industry with you know, with uh,
you know, them really getting behind and pushing a record,
and you know you're in the in the trenches making
this record, so you're so close to it. So sometimes
as an artist you kind of want to step away

(02:51):
from it and you just have to be able to
have those around you you trust their ears, um, and
you know for the most part, you know, obviously I
would trust Andres years and but I know that they
would go back and forth as well in terms of
you know, exactly what you just said about which single
should be released and the other because I know Andre
probably wanted this record, and Benny wanted this record, and

(03:13):
then the staff wanted this record. Um, so those things,
you know, again, that's the roll of the dice. You know,
it's like a crapshoot. You just don't you don't know,
and you know in your heart, you know you feel it.
You know which joint should be out and then then
what was your joint of the album? Like if you
could have had to pick, like what would you came first? Special? No,

(03:33):
that was the jam that was there. That's the one. Okay,
all right, fire question, my my and my mind. The
greatest contribution. Well, I just want to thank you for
this record along with You by Tevin Cambell, do dude, Okay,
Casey and Joe Joe. How was because they're singing background
on at least in the credits it says they are. Yeah,

(03:54):
that's that's that's so we'll talk about that session. Wow.
So at the time, we were, oh, interesting story. So
we were working on I think we were doing some
of the stuff I guess working on the Jodac project
as well. And so my demo singers again, the reason

(04:16):
some of the production sounded so magical, very specifically as
you know, you know, whether it be Usher or whether
it's Tevin Campbell, because those are my my demo singers
is faith faith, you know. So I'm just coaching them saying, Okay,
we're gonna sing this, these are this the melody, then
they will bring so much flavor to it. So if
you listen in fact, I'm going to give you a

(04:36):
copy of Confused. Um, and it's all. It's all in
the box, every every everything is right there. And and
uh what it is is so I remember us cutting
the demo. So we cut about four or five songs.
We cut Confused, Goodbye Alone with You, Alone with You, um,

(05:00):
and then and then we did Lately by Stevie Wonder
not mind You Casey and Joe Joan had never heard
this song before. Wait, so this is where we're going.
I didn't hear until they covered it because Aunties that

(05:22):
had how did it July? But the only one that
got played was master Blaster and um, what was the other?
All I do Happy Birthday? Well, yeah, of course that
was the happy birthday for Martin Luther King. But no,
my first time here in Lately was when they did it. Okay,
so right, so the story is. And so I remember

(05:46):
at this point when we were cutting, I built the
studio because I was trying to hide away. Um, So
we built a studio. I brought my mother house in Dumont,
New Jersey, and we had a little room set up
in in this little room and we put you know,
I had sp twelve and then all the keyboards. He
set up all the keyboards and we were programming and stuff.
So that particular day we had cut all these demos,

(06:09):
tracked everything because and actually me and Kyle and I
this is the Kyle and I record, So it wasn't
me and DeVante at that point, um, but Casey and
Jojo was singing the demos. So we got to the
song Lately because I thought it would be a perfect remake.
So we did the songs. We did all songs, sent
the cassette to Quincy, had Tevin's study everything, and then

(06:31):
we flew out to l A to think Lara By
or something. And then because you know, it was myself
and Prince and not to Michael Walden and Mike Monty,
you know, the collective effort of t and Tevin's record.
So that's how serious they were about this debut record
of his. Like yeah, because Quincy when he was actually
like yeah, Quincy hand picked He killed the caban, you know,

(06:53):
baby face, so he hand picked him. So so then
I remember us doing the song, and then I got
the news that they weren't going to use the Lately song. Now,
mind you, it was funny teaching them because they were
singing farmer frequently wear so we got the whole thing
down Pat Boon when it was like, yo, the song
is dope. We found out that Quincy wasn't going to

(07:17):
use lately, and I was given a few different stories.
But it's funny. I don't even asked him, but I
kind of figured out because he didn't own the publishing
so he did. Why have him to do somebody else's
song that he doesn't know? Quincy Quincy Quincy is the
genius publisher. You know, he is Westinghouson you know um

(07:38):
but uh you know so, yes, So they didn't use it,
and so the song was just there. Now mind you,
I am somewhere. I think I'm in the house in Jersey.
I'm watching television oncomes m t V unplugged. Oh body
is wait a minute? With exact arrangement everything that the

(08:03):
whole and DeVante but obviously did. First of all, Big
Shotow did an incredible job and then with them doing
it live, which become became one of their signature songs.
But that's the identical song we did and producted on
production that we did on Tevin Campbell. Actually, so the
question the video version, because there's like a studio version
that was used for the video version? Is that what

(08:23):
the original version? No, I didn't do that. What I
did was I taught them the song we did it
on Tevin Campbell, which it's in your box, you'll have
it and but yeah, but when I turned on the TV,
I was remember the big old you know, I remember
these had the big screen TVs with real I was
sitting up flo when I was watching the MTV Unplugged
and mm hmmm, I was like, now, mind you. Initially

(08:54):
I was just happy because like, oh wow, that's dope.
But it was the exact arrangement that we did, which
neither here nor there. The point was that they did
a brilliant job on it, because that's that's my mentality.
Did a brilliant job. But later on everybody's like, you know,
didn't didn't you did do that on the tip And
I said, well, now, mind you. It would be great
if it was an original song by me, but no,
it's a remix. I have no claims to it. But

(09:16):
they killed it and they smashed it. I love the
fact that they just they really made it their own. Okay.
I just thought about something seven and it's just yeah, album.
It was not one right, Tevin's whattensive video cute? You

(09:45):
know you got Luke No. But the thing is is
that if Joe to see is demoing for Tevin Campbell,
who still has a young voice, Like, wouldn't you to
have either a female or someone that's in Tevin's range

(10:08):
see see Yeah, But what you're saying is yeah, but
see Tevin. His nickname at which I gave him was
eighth one of the World. This child can sing a
parking ticket. He could sing anything. And what happened was,
so as I was doing the stuff, I would have
Casey and Jojo interchange. So if you listen to Tevin's versus,

(10:29):
you'll hear Casey and you'll hear Jojo. So they did
bridge verse half verse and then me singing you know
so uh and me talking ship and everything. So you know,
the King of Talks show. You're right, So, oh my god,
I'm glad you Yeah, I forgot Okay, I gotta ask

(10:49):
a question about the soldier in awards. Okay, So so then, uh,
you know, for the most part, it was I mean
I wanted to make the again my approaches, make a movie,
make a four minute movie. How do we do this
the for minute movie, and I wanted to make sure
those records are that strong, now, mind you. The funny

(11:10):
part was this, So we get in the studio and
I think, like Dada and rashid it all hanging out,
you know, just trying to keep him all festive. And
you know, Katheran, girls around you, this is a nice
and the kid, you know, we put the track on
and the kid gets in booth and he sings it
identical one time down and what song is this? This

(11:35):
was alone with you now, mind you? Just okay this
one up. He studied to the point where he did
every Joe Joe run and every case he runs Joe
Joe and Casey went to the pay phone, yeah, I

(11:56):
said it, went to the studio pay phone, call their
mama and Charlotte and Monroe excuse me, mama. This little
boy did all of our runs, both of them, both
of us. They were so impressed by his vocal ability
that and then he was, okay, what's next, what do

(12:16):
you do next? Like he did so obviously I made
him do it again and I'm giving different inflections. And
then I wanted to comp the vote, you know, I mean,
technically I wanted to comp come to vocalan but to
get them, you know, to get the maximum performance out
of him, to see, you know, to make sure it
was right. But the kid sang both of their parts
by himself, one time down and nailed every run. Now

(12:37):
mind you, nobody's doing Casey and Jojo runs in. I
don't care unless you unless you're Fred Hammond or you
are you know, Donnie Hathaway or Stevie one of himself.
To the point where I remember watching our senior Hall
when when they went and did Lately and Stevie came out,
and then Jojo got Stevie. I don't know if you

(12:58):
ever noticed that Stevie did something just something crazy, Joejoe.
So every time I see Jojo, I said, you know,
that was your magical moment the entire career he made
Stevie went go. But you know it's amazing, I mean,

(13:20):
just an amazing time. But just to see this this
kid and then and then basically what we did was
as we gave him these demos, you know, he would
he would be so prepared and ready and he would
just he would knock these vocals up. But then what
happened was I didn't want to be. We had such
a magical like the demos came out so magical. Then
again we ride around the hood playing these demos and
this Casey and jose In minded and the Jodice record

(13:42):
wasn't out yet, I don't think so. So it was
just sounded so crazy with the harmonies in this and
it was basically even what we tried to do with
the Jodice record. It was basic. It was the gospel
gap pan because the entire Jodesee record. When I would
drive to the studio to Unique studios or too Hit

(14:02):
factory from growing on the huts into the city every day,
I was listening to a group called Commission, So all
I wanted to hear that. So, so that's if you
listen to the influence in terms of all the harmony
and the structures and the and the harmonic structures and
all of those progressions harmonically, that's what I was being
influenced by. So all I'm listening to is the windings

(14:25):
and I'm listening to Commissions. So that's why it sounds
like a gospel super like NERD question, what reverbs were
you using at that time? Because they y'all had you
always had like the biggest, brightest sounding fucking verbs, like
the way y'all put on the background because you made
their vocals sounds so big. I had the privilege of
working with the jail. What happened was I called Quincy

(14:46):
and I said, I said, I got this new group
and I need an engineer, like can we use Bruce
with Dean back? So you just laughed at there. I
tried to go there. Damn well, I didn't know. I
just said he's the best in the business. That's what
I need. So that's the mount Verne encouraged. It's so
so I asked in Quincy was like, I have somebody

(15:07):
I slow downing, I'll be slow down. So but but
what happened was, but he made a recommendation for me
and he says, I want you to do. He gave
me a recommendation to an engineer and that's in an
asthmas that well, what you know, what has he done?
He said, uh, he makes earth win and file. That's
the one I wanted because because it was vote, because
because he wanted to know what kind of what is
its vocals? I said, yah, I said, God as vocal heavy,

(15:29):
as as harmony, as this, I need this, I need
frequencies I need I need forty hurts and then also
I need this top end and I need a middle
and I just explained Mick Gazowski and we went out
to Conway Studios in l A And they just got
the brand new flying faders board as a cl straight
from London and so it's a whole brand new thing.
But long story short, it was amazing because, um, me

(15:55):
having the background of engineering and understanding frequencies, this was
a perfect time me because I was learned so much
from this guy. To answer you a question. Mitzowski had
toys like you would not believe. Like he had this
reverb that would sit up. It looked like my mother's
furnace radiator that would you know, like back in the
day with real cold and you put it near the

(16:15):
windows so the draft from the window didn't make you cold,
and it was like and then he had something underground
and there was a reverb that was underground that would
it was so he had all these you know, it
wasn't even about rack mounts at that point, outside of
the SEC base and whatever else we're using. But it
was just more of a just these TC electronics and

(16:39):
and just all type of look like Jurassic Park and
they're like electronically you know, and just and he would
just create this stuff. But his his arsenal was so
brilliant to the point and then when I listened to it,
it was so clean. I was like, oh man. So
when Mick would leave the studio, go back and I

(17:00):
would turn up the big turned up the all the
kick drums, I would that would that would move it
and did write it and then lit it right and
it so so basically he mixed it sonically perfectly. And
then I address the US keep working with him for
the Sexy Versus album. Yeah, yeah, and then I started
working with him begin Um, but let me tell you

(17:21):
how this went about. What happened was so the guys.
So once you know, they got signed and they started
working on the album. Um, I remember I get a
call from Andre Andrew said, yo, I need to meet
with you. I was like, okay. DeVante was so amazing
on the production, like you know he and it's funny
because Joda see didn't want to be like a guy

(17:46):
Joda see DeVante that wanted to be like bb D.
That's all. That's all. I used to talk about BBD,
but obviously DeVante had a Teddy Riley esque style and
field to him. Um and I remember, I mean in
a brilliant, brilliant musician. Uh and I remember so Puff
and Dre came to the house in Jersey. Was sitting

(18:07):
on the green leather couch. I think that's let the
plastic on the couch came over. They were like, listen, okay,
listen to Fellas. You know came up with the stuff
and it's alott You know, it's Alottle. You know it's
not there, He's not ready yet, but to all the ideas,
everything is right there. He said, I need you to
take this ship and do that Quincy Jones ship. You do,
He said, take the Masters, and I want you to

(18:28):
go to l A and I want you to flip
this whole thing. So what I did first was I
grabbed Davante, brought him to the house in Jersey, locked
up everything, and we sat there and reprogrammed the entire album.
Did everything you know from scratch. I took all the
everything and know all that. That's why if you listen
to it's the same sounds on on the Tivin Campbell album.

(18:49):
It's the same kid, that's all jealousy thing. So I
just used the same my same disc, my floppy disc
from the SP twelve and so oh you did. Yeah,
we used the SP most of that stuff too, like
come and talk to me and all that, because all
that stuff is the sample. Now, I just took the
nine of nine kit and the eight away kit and
combined them and then made my own sounds like taking
a bat like the one on right now, like it's

(19:10):
a it's a bat hitting the tree. And then I
just drunk d yeah. So yeah, because right now when
alone with you were like pretty much right. And then
if you think about it, the Ussher record too and
many so so now what happened was so when Puff

(19:31):
and Drake came over to listen, you know, take this
stuff and you know, do that Quincy Jones thing to it,
and you know went down, you know, like I said, printed,
you know, did all the stuff like that, took it
to Hipactory, Times Square, printed everything may show was you know,
this was my thriller. I took this so seriously because
this was my thriller. This was my opportunity to show
myself as a producer. And I wasn't necessarily thinking like that.

(19:54):
Then it was just more of this project. It's so
important to me because I want to make them into im,
make a group, you know, and we did it and
then they said okay, then they shipped me out because
they didn't want nobody suppose, so they told me go
to l A. So, you know, the guys are mad
at me. They hated some Elvy Short because they were
mad because I went out and and it was so

(20:14):
funny because outside it was like a celebrity tournament because
every day in the studio, you know, I'd be in
the mixing, and then outside in Colma, you know, you
get the little basketball court outside, so it was Mike
Tyson and Martin Lawrence and Chris Rock and you know,
it just like the whole family that Christopher Waite, everybody
just hanging out playing basketball, coming and out, Jamie Fox
and and it was just fun. It was just a

(20:36):
great time. But it was so important. People don't realize
put yourself in the right environment when you're doing a record,
like don't put don't isolate yourself, because when your record's
gonna sound isolated, keep yourself in your your environment. Okay,
So I have a question, Short, leads back to Tevin
and actually connects to you, and I'm at it. I'll

(20:57):
feel Printing there as well, Um what I mean, as
as diplomatic or as explicit or truthful you want to
be with it? What was going on with Warner between
two and that, I feel like the expectations that were

(21:19):
there for Tevin Campbell to be the next God, Like
I mean everyone basically just said like okay verse specifically
because he came from Quincy, right, there's our new Michael Jackson.
So even though yes, he had hits and made classics
and all that stuff, I felt like the expectations for
him to be God whatever exaggerated things that I mean,

(21:43):
I guess the perception and I don't know if Warner
dropped the ball to push it further, but on the
second album or well, just I mean that was yeah,
that was that was after Graffiti. Yeah, but even with
print complaining about Warner Brothers, like what what was happening

(22:03):
with Warner at the time that a lot of black
artists on that label between the first half of the
nineties were sort of like kind of like we learned
excellent question, we learned what an urban budget is and
a pop budget is Black music department. So the Black

(22:30):
Business Department was an incredible department, and we would you know,
pretty much we were paying the rent as well, and
we're doing it, um, but the budgets were just a
little different than Madonna. And you know, as soon as
it was so even and my only honestly my I
enjoyed working with Benny so much because we rocked together
in terms of just you know, we're traditionally on the
same page in terms of musically and things we want

(22:52):
to do. But um, the probably the only complaint that
I would have m even as the artist who was
all the attention and was paid to, you know, very
specifically because of the exists of the first album organically, UM,
and I don't even think they knew what they had
outside of that. Um, they didn't really even with my records,

(23:13):
they didn't push them pop, just like you know, I
wasn't in that right space for the pop records because
Night and Day did it on its own. But just
even like right now, there's no reason why Night and
Day off on your own, girl, where it's not an
a T and T at Verizon commercial right now, you
know what I'm saying, So maximize on the moment on
the moment um. I remember I used to sit in

(23:34):
there and I would go in in a sales meeting
and I would say, hey, listen, um, you know, I
saw there was a new commercial out and it was
it was for deodorant, and I would say, well, you know,
products and music should go hand in hand in fashion,
because remember we came from a school of Puffy, so
everything was you know, how do you put this song
with this sneaker and this You know, it's a branding thing,
but we were always thinking that anyway, so I wanted

(23:56):
to you got it. So I was like, now, now,
mind you if you notice in the opening of the
video of Rescue Me and when the two guitar plays
beside me and we were rocking, do you want to
do boom? And right in the beginning of video the
first thing I had them do as well, oh his hands, yeah, me,

(24:19):
thinking that they're gonna see that when you run DMC,
I'll be sure you said the show to his my
Idida's moment or his local j M plug moment with them. Okay,

(24:40):
wait real quick, I gotta know when you guys are
performing the Secret Garden at the Soul Train Awards. What
was going on between Barry White and El de Barge?
Do you know? Can you divulge? You like you something?

(25:01):
All right, here's the deal. I don't know what was
going on in between Barry White and that debars. But
this is back in the day when I used to
videotape everything and watch it like ten or twelve eleven times.
If I were a betting man, I would say that
something tense was happening between those two because there's a

(25:24):
look that Barry White gives l De Barte that I'm like,
I thought, maybe I'm reading into something. Was something? Alright,
just answer yes or no? What's something happening between them
two that I don't know about? Well, I can't not know.
Well I can't say too much because Uncle Barry's not
here too to verify. But so I was onto something.

(25:46):
But I would think very specifically, like any great superstar,
don't sing over me, yo ie. If you were to
look for you're brilliant. If you were to look at

(26:09):
the VHS tape I had like that. You know the
lines to the cracking, there's this, there's there's just a
three second moment where I saw a looking frustration. The
only person I knew I could even lead to that

(26:31):
was at the time like Allen Leeds was was toward
managing bar White, but he couldn't. He's like, yo, dude,
it could have happened, but he couldn't verified. But I
knew something was up with that performance. But don't sit
right with me. But I remember, first of all, that
was probably for me again, one of the scariest times
on planet Earth, very specifically because now mind you he's

(26:54):
from yeah, oh absolutely, and Uncle Barry was gangster. I
think Uncle Jim to Jim Brown and Barry White, those
two and and Dick Griffy, that's that's those are those
are my Those are my uncle's big big brothers, uncle's
godfather always been stories. Dick Griffy first of all. Um,

(27:18):
his widow is like my other mother. She lives in
Vegas and and uh and and Carolyn Griffy as well,
who's like my sister. She's in London right now. So
I'm very close with family. And I have the last
and only interview of Dick Griffy when I was doing
Secret Garden over there the other yo. Seriously, yeah, and
I got I got all the traps. We have so

(27:39):
many Griffy stories. All the artists that have been on
this late on this on the show, I'm really trying
to convince a Smith to do a Dick Griffy unsung
or a solar On song because that's one. Again, that's
another one of the stories that is untold, like enough
to no no. So the closest they got with Lamar

(28:00):
Yeah yeah, but but again that was his, that was
his baby and and uh something that did Griffy lived
by There was a documentary on a VHS that he
just created on his own called Slaveship to Ownership and
this was that entire That's what I was telling people
about doing that anal part of Donald Parmer type of
business as opposed to just being the face of something.

(28:22):
You know, have an equity stake have, you know, be
a part of the excess strategy of whatever that thing
you're endorsing, that product you're endorsing, so that you know
you it's worth your while. Come on, Michael Jordan, Nike,
you know it is what it is. Okay. I got
a question party tonight, where are they now? And how

(28:45):
did you discover them? Um? They were actually again little
Tone and Brian and all the guys they were in
the mix already. They were kind of but they were.
They were working with my cousin Joe, Joe Brim and
Jimmy Jimmy may This who now manages Salt and Pepper.
So I was brought they were brought to light by

(29:06):
Jimmy Manus and Joe Joe and then in that camp.
And then I had an opportunity when I just got
a deal at Motown to bring them in to be
able to do that whole, you know, put their project together.
That project, if you ever have an opportunity listen to
that project was my second job, my second coming of
Joe to See. And what I and this is probably
the most thing I can say about it is it

(29:26):
was so well crafted in terms of because I had
practice doing Joe to See figuring out you know, vocalists
that way I mean. And then after I start working
with Dave Hollis and fair so when I took those
young men and put that project together, and again there
was so many chefs in the stewart at Motown that
we didn't even get a chance to release it properly
because that they would have been the next Joe to
See for lack of better terms, you know, they were

(29:48):
their own. I got a copy of that CD somewhere
I got when I was working at Universal, and there's
a big circle that says archive copy, do not remove
from office, and now it's in my house cart there. Okay,
So we talked a little bit about, you know, you're
doing the voiceovers for one song. But I learned something
today that I didn't know. You did a TV pilot. Yeah,

(30:11):
we uh Private Times in the Whole Nine, which was
produced by the late George Jackson UM and also Henry
Douging and Henry George Jackson and UM and also also
Eric Van Lowe, who was, you know, producer of The
Cosby Show. You know here's of the Consby Show as well. UM.

(30:32):
But just it was an amazing time. It was myself, UM,
Chebb Rock, Martin Martin, Lawrence Michael Michelle, Michael Wright. So
it was a nice ensemble and it was my debut,
uh screen test for Warner Brothers. What was the premise
of um, two kids trying to make it out of

(30:55):
the hood following their fathers the uncle's foot footsteps and
there was a club like the Cotton Club downtown in Harlem,
and we just wanted to get a chance, because if
you get a chance to play there, you made it.
And uh, we're just on a hustle and grind and
written by Barry Michael Cooper. Is that name again Small World?
Because now Michael Michael, I say, Michael Michelle's Michael Michelle,

(31:18):
Michael Michael, Michael Michelle. She's in the show with Quincy
on star on Empire. Yeah really yeah, I mean same director,
the same creator Daniels situation to genius Lee Daniels. Um,
I've I've sort of an off the wall question. Doesn't

(31:38):
have anything to do with you, but it has to
do with Quincy. And you mentioned how he was sort
of a publishing um icon. Yeah, okay, I guess that's
that's one way of putting I think part of what
you were saying so well, we interviewed him up for
the show about a year ago or something. But um uh,

(31:58):
And I'm like a humongous fan of the We Are
the World project, right, So, um what I noticed about
forty five of that is that the B side is
a song called Grace and it's written by Quincy Jones.
And I know that everybody on the project for the
out for the Way of the World Album, donated a
song for the record and donated the proceeds. I don't

(32:22):
want did they donate the publishing, because here's my question.
That's a question because if Quincy, Quincy puts his own
song like he did with Strawberry Strawberry Letter, instead of
uh Stevie wonder, Um, he puts Grace on the back
of a forty five that he knows for sure is
going to sell a gazillion copies. So now unless he

(32:46):
donated not only the song but the publishing to USA
for Africa, then he's then he's kind of pulling a
fast one there. So I'm USA for Africa was damn well.
I'd like to I'd like to call it. I'd like
to call it innovative business. Please fix this because you know,

(33:14):
I love Quincy and I'm not trying to think poorly
of them, not like but think about it. No, listen,
it's the same concept as the Godfather who put this together? Me?
Who do I trust? Me? Who wrote the song? Me? No?
But it's just you know, it's a smart move because
what happens is very specifically, as you know, with you know,

(33:36):
the B side and um wherever that travels, the B
side must go. Well, he could have put the instrumental
if We're the World, or it could have you know,
uh and and Grace, but Grace is not on the record,
on the full record with all the other songs. It's
only on the B side of it becomes a commodity. Look,
I don't know what it is. I'm trying to figure
out what's going on, you know, like because he should

(33:58):
you know, he's uh no, I mean, it's just I'm
just curious from a publishing standpoint what he did. Both
from a publishing standpoint, it's a smart move because let's
let's just say that from the standpoint of it not
being released as a single per se, it probably made
a shipload of money anyway, So it becomes a valuable aspect,

(34:22):
like any of that intellectual properties, it becomes valuable through
the roof so um, just like you know with the
Tevin Campbell situation with him doing Strawberry Letter, which is
his composition. Um, it's just a smart move. And and
knowing now what I know, I wish I would have
taken the bull by the horns even more so because
there's so many songs and so much production that I've

(34:44):
assisted in that I didn't take credit for it because
and I'm not mad. I'm not the angry rapper right
now where I'm you know, I should know. So I
got it, and I understand it. I have enough publishing
to the point where I'm happy and related, but not
understanding how important that intellectual property is at this moment.

(35:05):
You know. Back then, Um, yeah, okay, but USA for
Africa was a charity organization, you know. Can I share
something with you about the United Nations? Okay? So do
you realize that there are certain organizations that everyone eats
and gets paid before the starving people who are supposed
to get this stuff? Uh? You know, so there's certain

(35:28):
organizations that operate in that capacity, and that's you know,
that's a travesty to me. Yeah. Uh, but I don't
necessarily think I think that um Quincy's philanthropic footprint is
so tremendous glue. I don't want to. I just don't.
That's something I just don't want to know. You can't

(35:50):
talk about Quincy really. I had a question regards to like,
because after Sexy Versus ex Versus was like ninety two
and then um, after that, you didn't come back again
until oh, eight or nine. It was oh nine and nine.
So how did you support yourself financially through those years?

(36:11):
You know what I'm saying, like, what do you? Because
I admire like cats that can do that, that you
can walk away from the game and just be like,
you know what, I need some time for whatever, and
you know, you know you you still can eat and
future family. Yeah, but you know what, I am the
king of believing in entular revenue stream. So um so,
besides still right, besides doing people and people trying to

(36:33):
figure out why you're doing radio, Well, let me share
something with you. I'll just give you a small example.
Let's say Tom Joyner, right, and I'm being I'm being facetious.
Obviously Tom Joyner, you know put maybe he was netting
ten million dollars a year sitting in his bedroom during
the morning show. You know, um so, I learned the

(36:54):
syndicated radio game. In addition to I probably made one
of the most lucrative deals at Motown um um with
my attorney then um Mr London, I had five deals
that Motown had an executive deal and artist deal, a
production deal and label deal, in a publishing deal and
so love me long time so the Motown that was

(37:21):
during the Andre Herrel years, Yes, okay, and and and
and and for the most part, I mean, I think
it was a great opportunity. Um, the kind and generous
heart that Andre Horrell has. Uh, and that's why you
could never say anything bad about Andrea told to me.
I mean, he he made sure that everyone eat, um,
everyone eats at the table. And uh. You know. Now,

(37:44):
the only issue I think I had with the entire
Motown circumstance and opportunity is that because of that, um,
there were too many chefs in the kitchen in terms
of there was a hundred A and R s and
it was a hundred you know so so but again
it was Andres kind of heart making sure that all
of his folks, everybody ate, everybody was in the kitchen, everybody,

(38:06):
you know. So, but it was just so many opinions
and so many that it just became a little bit convoluted. Uh.
And to the point where after a while, you know,
and no record companies people have this veil and they
really feel like it's just a red company and some
vinyl but their shareholders to answer to. As it relates
to budgets and things in the nature. So you know,

(38:27):
after a while there the numbers when they don't start
to balance out and you can't you know, you don't
have an answer for you know, we spent close to
eighty million, I think eighty million dollars without a release,
Oh my goodness. So I think it was prior to
any releases, any official record releases in terms of the

(38:49):
marketing and the chair and the sweats cigar and so
so we you know, I believe that. And don't quote me,
but I think quote me, but I think it was
somewhere in the realm of eight and dolls. It relates to,
you know, just the overall he had to add in
the source where he was in the chair and like
you know, the cigar and ship. But no records ever
came out. When did you know that radio was an

(39:11):
option for you? Um? It was the second nature. I
believe only because anytime I go and do radio, it
was always a joke with people would come to me
and say, how the hell do you sing so damn
high and you sound like Barry White's uh you know,

(39:35):
DNA and UM, And I said, I don't know. I said.
The only reason I saying highs because I was just
emulating Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gay. So I would practice
and and and like the stylistics and stuff that I
would practice those songs and I learned to develop a falsetto. Um.
I just had a great conversation with Maxwell, and I

(39:56):
was so surprised when I'm I'm surprised to hear when
I hear these things when I speak to artists who
I truly admire and I look up to and you know, um,
you know he was telling me about how, you know,
how much of an influence I was on him. Um.
And I think Maxwell's falsetto is just genius. I mean this,
this cat is just brilliant. Um. See that's my figured.

(40:18):
A few falsetto folks that must have reached out to
you at some point. There are so many derivatives, from
Adam Levine to Jason. I mean, of course Michael too,
well with m Adam Levine. Come on, man, whatever, we'll
probably the most impressive story for me because obviously anyone

(40:40):
who knows me or anything close to my circle that
I'm the biggest Michael Jackson appreciator on planet Earth. Because
it's not about just being a fan of a fan
you know, obviously, but the appreciative of his craft and
his technique and his recording technique, and and and then
the way Quincy would you know, it's just this there's
a certain just organic nature to what he what he did.

(41:02):
So Teddy was working on Michael and I get a
call from Teddy one day and Teddy's saying, Yo, You're
not gonna believe this. And I was like, what he says?
You know. So We're in the studio and Michael says
to him, um, can we have like, you know, one
of those Albie Short type songs? Now you know, I
didn't passed out, I said, Teddy stop lying. He says, yeah,

(41:28):
I swear. He said he wants to you know, like
that night, and you know, he started singing it and
I was so, oh boy, good boy. So you know,
so so then I'm good. I can just put beyond
the novacaine whatever. But yeah, just you know, but stuff
like that, I mean, because with me, I've always maintained

(41:49):
a this side of defence viewership of what music is
in terms of being able to appreciate it because I'm
a fan of of of the craft first and foremost,
and I'm a fan of the music and then innovative
music even more so. So you know, i'd like one
of my favorite artists on Planet Earth is sting um,
you know, including the Police as well, but just you

(42:10):
know his work there. Um, you know Greg filling Games.
You know, there's certain cats who were just who were cats.
That's what we call them. They're just cats who were
just Rochelle Farrell, you know obviously Layla Layla hath the way, um,
you know those things. Harmony with herself, you know, Um,
you know a certain exception of Lettacy. You know, like

(42:30):
there's certain the vocalists that are you know, just have
that thing, um that special you know, Faith obviously, you know,
just like when I tried to bring it was so
funny because when I was working with Faith and and
then this is I can share this because this is
in her book. Um. And then at that point, I
think Faith was on section eight. She was going to

(42:52):
church in Jersey, so on and so forth, and I
used to have her come down. I used to just
pay every day to put some money in the pocket
and come sing demos for me. And she's probably one
of the few artists who never forgets it. I mean
when I when she saw I was in the hospital.
Boom Her and Stevie J. They busy running around t MC,
chasing around whatever, and they call me at home. Hey,
you're right, big bro. Everything good. You know, I saw

(43:13):
you and I whatever. You know. It's like, but she
always she's always been that the most wonderful, most talented
artists that I've been around. Like she was my Whitney
Houston for lack of better terms. And she's strictly my sister.
Like you know, I love like there's a special spiritual
love affair between myself and Faith Evans, like meaning we

(43:36):
in the Mutual Admiration Club, meaning like I love that
woman as a person, China and the god I'm a godfather,
you know, like just you know, the daughter China. So
I just think, but she's just such a talented and
cool from the bricks, you know, just just organic and
and and just she's a prodigy and she's so humble

(43:56):
with it, like she just in her nickname. If you
ever see Faith that and just called the doctors, you know,
he's like, where's the alb? Yeah? So is that why
she was on all the backgrounds for Ushers? Yet that's
still my favorite us Your album thank you, Thank you
very much, appreciate it. And and and I enjoyed working
uh you know, love was here here and that's the

(44:19):
same thing we did with you know, and and again.
But that was the whole purpose. The reason I got
that called because puff would call me to do all
of the you know, like so one I did once
was first record, and I did Ushers first. So those
are Puffy projects. So puffic for the bad boy? Did
you once we have you did this is Your Day? Yeah,
and we did some other and then I have a
duet with Faith in one twelve two that was never

(44:41):
at least I said, I'll put that in there. Just
remember those stept Tony put him in the drop write
it down like yeah, we need that, um. And then
we did it. We did a song called make You
Sweat with Tony Thompson. So's it was on the sixth season.
Was only solo album, right right. That was the last
song we recorded. Yeah, and um Cassis soul. What a

(45:02):
talent did you talked about the vocalist too? That was
another one that kid right there. When you got signed,
How did the deal come about with Hidden Beach? Um?
How did how did you sign with that before you
before you get to that was was there anything after
Sexy Versus? Like? Was there? Like I remember, I feel
like I had seen something on the release schedule at
some point in like maybe yeah, you know. What what

(45:25):
happened was after Sexy Versus Um, Warners did a major shift,
an executive change, and I didn't have what's called a
key man clause in my contract, which one guy left
and right like if there the head executives who signed
you leaves, you know you can go with him, you know.
So there was nothing like that. But I really enjoyed

(45:46):
working with Benny medina Um and just his professionalism and
his understanding of what entertainment is. Obviously now as you
see with old J Low's whole career, like what what
this man can do is it relates to sculpting and crafting,
taking a budding diamond and and shining and just creating
something and creating a miracle. Um and he you know,

(46:07):
so at that point I think they makes they just
started moving stuff around executives and Benny was was going
at that time, and they hired a lawyer to be
the A and R person, And so I got dropped
like hot potato because what happens is, as you know,
when new executives come, they bring along their own regime,

(46:29):
and I wasn't a part of that. So I literally
was like, you know, when we were getting raised out
the new album, I couldn't get anybody on the phone.
I was like, wow, I said, I generated close to
a quarter of a billion dollars with you know, my
production and my record sales and all. You know, just
one of my guys of Wall Street kind of did
an analysis for me just in terms of, you know,

(46:50):
all this stuff collectively. But but mind you, I sold
a significant amount of units for for Warner Brothers at
that point, and you know, you look at it now
out and you you know, like I said, I'm never
going to be the bitter Artists or anything else like that,
because you know I do. I do okay, you know,
I'm okay and very okay. But but but at the

(47:10):
end of the day, what has happened is, you know,
when you realize as an artist how much revenue you generate.
I mean that's why you know, people to understand with
these three sixty deals because basically it's just an insurance policy.
If I'm investing you, I need to be a party
of merchandise and social media everything you know, and and
if you're in a position like like with Quincy when

(47:33):
he was working on when he start first started to
do his deal, um is for television stuff. Um, there
was no involved only because he wasn't He's not in
a position to have to give up all his music
rights and its publishing because you know, they wanted to
own everything and he don't have to do that. So
thank you for coming out. God bless and let's let's
make it nothing then he he he's very patient. There's

(47:55):
no nepotism involved. He consults with me and Sean and
you know, his his surrounding team. Um. But you know,
he's a very smart businessman. Um. And it's it's it's
significant too ah to to watch the the navigation that
he's kind of creating on his own as well. Obviously,

(48:16):
Um yeah, around the time, because you got when when
you left, like after Sexy Versus, there was a period
of time where Warner they just didn't get black music
like they was like they were just putting out bullshit.
Well they had that rep where it's just like if
you saw Warner Brothers record, if you were like a
head and you saw Warner Brothers logo, like you just
knew it was gonna be whacked. Like that was kind

(48:38):
of the thing. Again, that's the switch show when my
you know, Benny and that whole regime left. Um, you
know we were we were that clue and that melting
pot that that created because remember we had club new vote,
we had you know, Tevin myself, Um, I was about
this post time or is this this is? But do

(49:01):
you know the real story of what the entire thing
with Prince was because what people have a little bit
of a misconception. The only way the reason that came
about is because of Again and I don't want to
go to business, but intellectual property is everything, and if
you're an attorney or you're a lawyer, you understand that.

(49:23):
So Warner Brothers basically felt as though they put a
tremendous amount of money behind Roger. They put you know,
they put all this money behind Prince and made him
who he was. Now they didn't give him credit that
he made him who he was, but he did the work.

(49:43):
But it's it's almost kind of is even like how
the Disney machine works and so and so forth. You know,
when I was doing radio for many, many years. I
started a show call a Secret Garden, and and I
waited nine months to get paid because of the negotiation,
because they wanted to own Secret Garden. I was like,
you can't only secret No no, no, no, no, but no,

(50:04):
not even that. It's just more that what had to
do with these are our airways. It's the most valuable things.
So this is our product. And you know I had
to tell him, no, that's not. This particular works because
if you live, this is a brand that we built,
you know, Quincy and you know so. But going back
to it, um related to Prince because Warner Brothers felt

(50:27):
as though that they made Prince into who he was.
We've invest we made this investment. You can't just walk
away with our investment. So you can leave, but just
leave the name. Uh yeah, And people don't understand. So
I got it conceptually, but it made no sense because

(50:47):
just like any trademark, you can say you don't you
can't say, just like in Vegas, right now, you have
all these Michael Jackson shows, right the Tribute to Michael Jackson,
you can use that because it's not Michael Jackson. The
Tribute to Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson presents, you know, like
you can attend to derivatives of it, but at the
end of the day, the intellectual property and what do what?

(51:10):
You know, they what they own. This is Michael Jackson.
So again, Prince was allowed to leave. That was his sacrifice. Okay,
I'm going to leave Warner Brothers, but I can't take
my name with me. Okay, so I'm the artists fumerly
known as Prince. Isn't that crazy? Conceptually? Is funny because

(51:32):
if I'm an attorney, Yeah, it works if I'm a human,
you know, if I'm a human buying records, you know,
just how long you take for him to get his
name back. He had to wait till his publishing deal
with Warner expired. But but again, you know, it's not
like you don't recognize them when you see him. But
you know, so I was all right, and and and

(51:54):
and to be honest with you, it was just a
part of the mystique of Prince. And you know, I
mean he was. He's a genius as it is. So,
I mean, you know, there's certain artists you just can't
hold back that you know they're going to be who
they are. And I guess the misconception that was that,
as at least for me as a fan, I thought
Prince had made that like a creative decision, like I'm

(52:15):
going to stop using that. But that was like the
public explanation, which which is which is great because you know,
every it's just like anything with art, we all see
it differently, so it's just like, okay, yeah, this is
what happened. Then the room was starting, you know, yeah,
so how did you? And I don't know if it
was anything you want to ask, but I was going
to hit the beach, So yeah, how did that deal
come about? Um? So after the you know, the three

(52:41):
albums with Warner Brothers and you know, doing the executive
thing in Motown and so and so forth, and that
kind of ended around nineties six. Um, I remember working
with um my I call him a brother, um David
memorand Savage Records. That's how I start working with David Bowie,
and I just wanted to go to another level and

(53:03):
really just take this obviously my core and my sweet
spot as it relates to my my my I call
it friend base and I don't like to use the
word fans, So my friend base, um and those who
are supporting me or now in social media, my followers,
my albs, big shout out to all of my alb's.
I got but love for you, babe. Um. You know,

(53:25):
so what happens is it was, you know, quite a
step away from my core audiences. It relates to you know,
because that's all I've ever wanted to do. I wanted
as much as I was. I'm a straight hip hop
head from Mount Vernon. All I wanted to do was
work with Diana Ross and Al Green and and Smokey
Robinson like that was what I grew up with. And

(53:46):
Stevie Wonder. So you and I A Green, you'all got
it which together? And then oh oh I love you
because I thought it was good just be to love.
And then what and what I did was and what
I did was I remade um, spending my day you
know for the I'm still love with you now. Now

(54:11):
What's what's crazy is that So I've read in so
many different places, um that I was nominated for three Grammys.
It's actually four, and I want a Grammy because that's
a duet I did with Al Green. It just again,
I just never said anything. It's a duet with he
and I and it's not it's not a catalog that way.

(54:32):
So I got a Grammy for producing the gospel record,
which is as long as We Together, and I was
nominated for the others, so it's actually four. Um yeah,
what was what was working with Diana Ross? Like, like,
were you guys in the same studio? Was absolutely I

(54:53):
have an affinity to fabulous. I have an affinity to
class too, mature women. Yeah you no matter what I

(55:14):
was thinking about some other but you know, um and
so so, but but very specifically, Um, Diana Ross was
just everything to me, I mean just growing up. So
the first opportunity that I had to um work with her, no,

(55:43):
just you know what it is when you grow up
and and and let's just say this, as much as
I loved Michael Jackson, I love Diana Ross. So it
was just, you know, all jokes aside. It was just
such an honor and privilege like just and then what
was really cool was Diana Ross was so cool that

(56:04):
I remember studio I think maybe we didn't hit factory
or maybe yeah, And I remember, excuse me, Mrs Ross
coming in the door and guess what she had on
the denim and the halls and the gene she was
looking like the working overtime she had the day. But

(56:29):
but yeah, just I mean just an incredible, incredible talent
um and um just she represents so much as it
relates to just music, and people don't realize how important
Diana Ross is like to the whole frame of you know,
like to be honest with you love me some Beyonce.

(56:51):
I was just about some Rihanna. But they wouldn't exist,
right with those artists, you know, they would exist, but
they just but there's a certain well, you know, just
like anything else we learned from our predecessors, you know,
the art before us. You know, we're influence. Um and
it's just like the closest thing too bad and class

(57:15):
and fly but still gotta is B because B keeps
it one two eighteen, you know. But she's so incredibly
classy and she's got the whole package and the whole thing,
and her and Jay's movement and navigation is just crazy
just so you just like to see it. It's like
the King and the Queen, you know, just tell me

(57:36):
Diana had a gutter side to her. Well, you know,
but I'm not, but I'm not and I'm talking about
because what happens I'm talking about just like just the
homie like she's cool, like just like you really like
what was was there a moment you had with Diana
Ross Like I'm really we're talking about this, I'm doing

(57:56):
this with her? Mm hmmm, well going to this reut
never mind, you know what, let me tell you that. No,
first of all, just I mean she's just one of
the classiest, like just beautiful, classy, and just I love
hearing a voice unless she talks. He just got this.
She's you know, you can't even call her an artist.

(58:19):
She's more of an icon. And and and just there's
no title for her, you can't. She's the blueprint for
all of the girls following and women and just all
of them. I mean, I don't and and and take
nothing away from you know, greatha Franklin garrest Soul, take
nothing away from the other iconic female artists. But Diana

(58:41):
Russ exuded I'm gonna make up my own word, exudable.
Just he was just, you know, just she just had
that every she had everything. She had the grace, the style,
the class, you know, um, her exudability was off the charts,
stop playing and you know and it is what it is.

(59:03):
So so again, my dream and my goal was to
work with the greats Um And a lot of times,
you know, my peer group wouldn't understand that. In my
perier group, they're like, yo, what are you working on
this and this person? Ever? And I'm like, no, you
just don't get it. I said, this is these are
my dreams. I'm gonna I gotta dream it to you know,

(59:23):
dream to fruition. So who who uh proposed the collaboration
with David Bowie one black tie UM actually the president
of Savage Records, Mr David Memoran, UM, very prominent businessman
and my big brother is like a big brother to me.
That's that's the first time I learned that. Um. The

(59:47):
private jets came in the size of seven seven you know,
I mean just just phenomenal, but the most kind and humble,
you know, just knowledgeable, just I mean just amazing and
and and gave me such an opportunity because he saw it.
And then this is the gentleman who also was someone

(01:00:12):
who was concerned about me because what he did was
he looked at he took the time to get all
of my contracts and was looking through all of the
stuff and said, no, this isn't you know he speaks
friends and said, this is not right. This is none
of the publishing. And then he went and tried to
help me fix all of that stuff from the past
so that I would have something in the future. So
I attribute a lot of the that, you know, being

(01:00:35):
able to maintain, you know, just my publishing. And there's
all this stuff too to uh to him and just
and then he just gave me an opportunity because I
guess he saw as well that I was positioning myself
as a citizen of the world, so he would give
me um opportunities to work with Richie Sambora and with

(01:00:55):
you know, you know Taylor Dane just the artist that
just just just so we had a nice staple of
of artist um um that just you know, it was amazing.
And then spending that much time and then I moved
to Switzerland and legends stopped and you know, and just
working with David and uh and people don't realize, um,

(01:01:19):
you know who produced that record, who produced black Tie
White Noise. There's a gentleman who plays guitar on a
song called good Times. I just now Rogers, that's a
bad man. That's a bad We gotta get him. Yeah,

(01:01:40):
we had him. We interviewed him like it's been a
minute ago. We just started. We had finish it. But yeah,
so so you know now Rogers and you know, and
this it was just great because spending it was more
of an experience. Like we did the record together and
I did. It's funny because okay, so we gotta get
the remixes. So Kyl and I did the R and
B remixes to the record. In addition to we had

(01:02:05):
so much more fun because David and Dimond taught me
to ski like stuff like that. We'd be out on
the slopes in Switzerland and just you know, and it
was funny because I'm every moment, I'm always thinking if
Mount Burning could see me, that that makes sense everything

(01:02:28):
I go. I'd be somewhere on the planet and I
would find myself with the King of so and so
in some foreign country like and you know, just what
severe wealth and seeing and this is what made me
understand because the way to achieve anything of that nature

(01:02:49):
is to see it and to be around it. And
then I started to understand it. Man, every time there's
a level, there's another level. There's Lebron James. And then
there's the guy that pays Lebron James, you know, like
like meaning like I'm so proud when I see Lebron James,
like just that guy that brand. He's about his business,

(01:03:14):
his family, Like that's that makes me so happy to
see that existing in this day and time with all
the the demise and separation and all of the chaos
and turmoil going on in the world with you know,
with politics and things in the nature, and tend to
see this young man from very humble beginnings thriving at

(01:03:38):
the highest level with no bs and giving and and
and and not just he's walking the walk, he's running
the walk. He's marathon and the walk. You know, so
kudos to Mr James and his family and just it's
a blessing that he's able to do this and he's
he's doing it at the highest level. Are you one
of these rare individuals that technically you have created it

(01:04:00):
with all of whom you consider right great? Like mostly
like who is no one is anyone left? Yeah? I
did so many that I I mean, I want to
work with you know. It's so funny because even with
my new album, I wanted huh, And I told Mr Quest,
I said, uh, we need some of his rhythm breaking

(01:04:20):
with the President. I voted for Shirley chiselm you know,
like like this is gonna be the Alby Show, Kyle West,
you know, Chaos, Okay, bring Pete Rock. What I'm doing,
I'm doing an EP with maybe six, you know, six
songs the most six seven, maybe eight songs. Like maybe
that's whole album, I guess, but but I just want
to do, you know, an EP and just make six

(01:04:42):
movies meaning you know, I want to do like a
joint request. I want to do a joint with Chaos.
Who want to do a joint with Pete Rock. I'm
going to do a joint with Kyle West, Dave Hole, Um,
you know, just easy mobi like all the cats I've
ever worked with. And it's not about features and having
every rapper, none of that. Just I want to do

(01:05:03):
an organic record, but with with my journeyman who are
who were from the beginning and iconic. And this is
what I told them all. I said, listen, what I
need from you. Don't try to make anything new. I
want you to go into your archives and find that
one record that you said, yeah, this is a ship,

(01:05:25):
and and take that, take that particular song, and let's
develop from there. Let's don't tell a clean anything newde on.
I don't even want you to think about it. Just you.
There's a joint you got in your on your debt
somewhere on a cassette. Have they been receptive today? Absolutely? Yeah,
So you know I'm looking forward to that. And then
slowly I'm collecting, you know stuff, and I've been talking
to Pete and so I told Pete, I just want

(01:05:47):
to straight give me some horns with but give me
that groove so I could just make that, you know,
and uh and yeah, and then and then the exciting part,
especially working with Kyle West again because he is breaking
it down. Man Dante always breaking it down for real.

(01:06:12):
Speaking of Davante, the first time I ever heard Davante
was on Private Times in the whole night with touch You.
So how did how did they? Were they already signed
to Uptown before when that happens? Yeah? So, um, like
I said, after the any Heartbreak tour experience and then
going to Uptown and um getting signed and you know,
started doing some work in production. Now mind you people,

(01:06:36):
you know obviously this group here knows, but Davante came
with a plethora of organic musicians and artists. You know.
Every the reason the labels were so producer intense for
time periods because what happened was this is where the

(01:06:56):
N R became obsolete because the producer, let's it's Germaine
dupri or, let's say it's uh, you know, DeVante Swing
or Albie Shore. You know, what happens. What happens is
the producer who's creating the music, finding the artists, bringing
the entire package. We become the A n R. So

(01:07:16):
what happens is we are now you know, so DeVante
in the camp, Missy elliotte um static and uh, the
players smokey, yeah, black and everything. And so so what
happens is, you know, the A and R position became

(01:07:38):
obsolete because boom, you give Teddy Riley a label. Teddy's
gonna have the artist. All the artists want to work
with Teddy. He'll find the best of the group, you know,
so it'll be you know, and then you know, obviously
you dressed them and you do the whole thing, and
you do so it's it became very significant that the
artist became and that's sold when the whole Artists Executive

(01:08:00):
came out. That's where Puff thrived so well, because you
know Puff was an artist himself, you know, period, and
but he just his grind was like none other. I mean,
as it relates to his navigation. He was gonna figure
it out. He was gonna figure it out regardless, I
don't care what else was going on. He was gonna
make it happen. So who found Joe was? It was Andre?

(01:08:24):
They found him. You know, I will that they came
in audition for me, because then I have to give
you the credit for this. You changed like the state
of black music, because as we've noted, you know, it
was it was you. And then you found Davante, and
the Davante had Tim and Missy well they had they
had they already had a group. There was the Haley Brothers,

(01:08:44):
you know, the gospel group. They put the Josie together
and they put them together in the Carolinas. I just
happened to come about them because they came in audition
and then I made the call, and so I wanted
them to go see Andre. But so this as you
did this, you know, I just have such I you
know I have you know, maybe it's just me. I
just have such a problem saying I discovered anything. I

(01:09:06):
understand what. I understand that, but I'm a Barry Michael
Coopers say, but like if you trace it back, it
goes back to you, and like everything that's happening now
is is a direct response. But also but I have
to say Teddy Riley too, because so so so it
takes a village. I'll just say that. So so this
is like our own version of twenty three and me

(01:09:33):
so just a question note because I wanted to. I
think I might asked you this in private, but it
was a moment for some of us who were watching
pose when we watched that episode and it was all
about these guys auditioning for this album. I just wanted
and that that quote that you gotta get the quote

(01:09:53):
the Marvin Gay. Mar be sure it is Marvin Gay
of our generation. See, I didn't even put the old
that's crazy. But this is what's And again this is
where I'm far beyond honor to even hear something like that.
But it's been happening so much to the point where
I'm humbled by the association. But now that, like I said,

(01:10:15):
you know, I've been doing this whole mind, body, and
spirit thing. I would love to interpolate his story on
the big screen to be able to do that, and
because I think I'm prepared enough to do that, and
I'm I'm the biggest Marvin Gay appreciator out there. I mean,
he's one of the outside of Michael Jackson. Marvin Gay

(01:10:36):
is that you know. But what did it feel like
watching that episode and seeing it being celebrated in that way? Well,
it was funny. It's Quincy sent it to me on
my what'sapp He says, you know, Bobs, they're talking about
you again, so so and and it's like four or
five different So it's either it's funny because we'll have
Tony send you. Also, so the clips everywhere, there's always
a reference, whether it's Light's getting currently here, you know,

(01:10:58):
have the show looking at or or something related to um.
You know, it's like I'm watching ESPN and uh they're
referencing they calling Steph Curry or that's the Albu short
the NBA or or this whole Drake situation, which I'm

(01:11:18):
the major major Drake fan, um, and they were you know,
I see it all over you know, No, no, just
talking about he's the Albis remix. But I don't, you know,
I don't look at it like that. Look like yo,
that's the that cat is incredible and he keeps coming
with the heat like you know. But but again, you know,
just because of the generations and the light skinned thing

(01:11:39):
and is it. But you know, like I'm a big
I'm a fan of the music, like I'm a fan
of the work. I'm a fan of you know. So
you know, I don't get caught up. I don't you
don't get caught up in all this stuff I read
and stuff like that. But I just think it's I
am on and I have to give you this too.
I am on eighty something hip hop Records, Trap called

(01:12:00):
Crash the Roots Trap quest Uh rock him? Who you
had on your record? Yeah? Oh man? Just what a
what an honor? Again, like I said, the great, I
just wanted to be I wanted to be around and
and just work with. I got a couple of final

(01:12:24):
questions from me. Um, Let's take it back to sexy
versus real quick. The song died for you. She's not
credited in the liner notes. Who was singing with you
on that song? Tabitha Brace, thank you for answering that
been trying to figure that out for twenty six years.
Tabitha brace Um and she's also in the group. Yes, yes,

(01:12:48):
So actually we talked about this a little bit earlier.
Um off Mike, but um yeah it was Key West,
like were they supposed to have an album? Yeah, they've
had an amazing, amazing project. In fact, it would be
a dressing if you talk to Kyle, because Kyle is
another one who just he's I called him the Silences
ass and he, you know, he doesn't like all the
fan face. He said, he loves He's like I love
doing what I do and and you know he doesn't

(01:13:12):
want to be famous. It's gonna be inty of day.
He's just, you know, he loves just creating. He just
loves being creative. So I mean, does he know how
much people are willing to pay for the Girls album
on CD? Trust me? I saw a copy on eBay
is like five. Like I'm holding onto my tape tight,
like that ship is never gonna leave like crazy. Yeah.
But okay, last question to have is it's a true

(01:13:34):
or false question? Okay, did you date Omar Rossa? Is
that is that real? Is that real? I know I
know one of your sons was on the one of
the shows, a reality show that she hosted. Now was

(01:13:55):
me that was you. Oh you did the single weight
the single Donald Trump's Ultimate Merger, the derivative of got It. OK.
So what happened was he put together twelve moves and
shakers from different entities, you know, commodities, broken lawyer, singer,

(01:14:19):
NFL baseball player, and he wanted to create this ultimate merger.
And then they bring in m Rosa and then it
was almost like, uh, they're you know, looking for no look, no,
just looking for you know, someone to uh you know,
is there anyone that she actually, you know, really likes
and that that she would want to court and to

(01:14:40):
date and so and so both it was. It was
It was actually a fun show to do because I
said no to every reality show that you know, they
have color, just it's not my thing. But I thought
it was a great It was a great format only
from the standpoint that I was able to show the O.
G side of how to handle things, because you know,
you had some cats jumping the hot tub and get

(01:15:01):
naked and all this, and you know, I'm like, I'm
little was just later just you know, I just laid
lay in the cut and just kind of, you know,
I handled it differently. Everybody's you know, hunting and you know,
it's like it. So so it's just nice to see
just all the you know, the different and in fact,
that was probably the highest way to show on the
network that year, and they tried to do it again
and it failed miserably. Um. But but well no, no,

(01:15:25):
I mean because it went into what it's called soft
scripted um, in terms of just setting up setting up
the scenarios. But but the the dialogue, the dialogue was natural,
like the exchange, the courtroom scenes, all the other stuff,
and it was it was it was interesting. It's very interesting, uh,
show to do. Did I have a date Amarosa? No,

(01:15:49):
We've actually been friends for a very very long time,
and that's why it was a little strange when we
were you know, when the show was brought to my
attention to do it as though you know, we were
going to be together. Um um and uh yeah, so
it's very interesting. Um, what's it been like? This was
like seeing her in the news all this lately? Should

(01:16:12):
we let her back in? Okay, hold on, let me
let me tell you something. Let's let's have this conversation.
Just recently, I've been contacted by a number of news
outlets and to talk about this thing because they know
that I've I've did the show with her, and you know,
I went to the end and so on the worts
and and I've known Mr Trump since I was a kid,

(01:16:33):
uh many many years ago, when he was just doing
real estate in New York. None of this was going on.
Well you know what I'm telling you, Like I said,
I didn't know this side of any of it all.
All I knew was that, um uh, he was a
he was a cool cat. You know I need if

(01:16:54):
I needed some advice or on something like there was
a time I think my oldest was acting out, you know,
in school, and I gave him a call and I
asked him, I said, what is that the school? You know?
And he suggested King's Academy. So I put my kid
in King's Academy. So that type of stuff. So so
it was just more of a And I think I
did my twenty one birthday party on his yacht. So

(01:17:17):
he is so he's acting. I don't. I'm just because
you know, I don't know. The only thing that I
can say about this entire situation is this. I don't
get involved with the politics of of of any of it.
But what I will say is, because you know, I've
been there's been several requests for me to speak on this,

(01:17:37):
and my concern is my five year old grandson. I
don't have an opinion either way as it relates to, um,
who I like or who I don't like, But I
love my grandson and what I don't want my grandson
is to be to live in fear. I don't want
my grandson to see turmoil, distress, separation. I don't want

(01:18:02):
to see those things. I don't want that to be
the example division. UM. You know, so whatever is transpiring
right now, I don't I'm not happy with my grandson
and hopefully he's filtered and and and sheltered from seeing
the divisiveness of all of it as as a as

(01:18:25):
a whole, because it's got to be scary for someone
not to know what their future is or what's coming next.
So that's my opinion about it. But my opinion is
just is directed to my grandson and what he's seeing
and feeling, and because he's a little prodigy, but he's
also very intelligent, and I don't think that. Um, I

(01:18:47):
don't think necessarily that children are ignorant. They're very smart.
And I don't want I never want him to feel
like he doesn't know what's going on tomorrow or he's
in fear of not knowing his future. I want him
to feel very solid within his future and what's going
on with him moving forward. And I trust that this

(01:19:09):
will come to fruition when when, when it needs to
come to fruition, don't don't tell him about that, Quincy
Jones b side, that's bad news, bad news. Anyway. I
want to thank you for coming on the show. This

(01:19:30):
has been an eye opening experience and a dream of ours.
Please give it up? Yeah for album? Sure ours will
come true, very very thank you. Yes, yes, And do
you know what I would like to do though, I

(01:19:51):
mean ended off the right way, um, being that I'm
now in shape, body, mind and spirit and in sync,
I would love to play Marvin Gay in the movie
is that they have? But I'm telling you that's meat
who put this together met for a minute. It's been

(01:20:15):
in development. Hell like I've seen the previous to it,
but that was like eight years ago. Yeah, yeah, I
mean you know Ramba State, and that's what happens when
you have like twelve states. Because there's another one. There's
another script that focuses just on his time in Belgium,
right with him living with the nuns. Yeah, just the

(01:20:35):
Columbia stuff. I think that would be interesting though, just
him singing to them none. Yeah, which are are you
gonna do? You know, it's interesting. A lot of layers
in that story. It really is um and it's great.
Is his sister, uh Ciola is a dear friend of
mine who lives in Las Vegas as well as I
see her weekly, you know, until I come off the
road on the weekend, I go listen to go to

(01:20:56):
a little jazz but at Tilly Village, and that she's
always there and it's nice and nice, but he's I
just love it. And and the reason I was saying
that is because for some reason in the last few years,
I've seen very significant references to Benny said it also too,
I think on the end song, and then I think

(01:21:17):
Andre and said that I left um a signature signature
that marked time very specifically, like what Marvin Gay would leave.
And when I heard that, I was very touched because
obviously I don't put myself on that level of that
skill set at all, but my passion is in that
skill setting that level. So that's something I think that

(01:21:39):
I would do justice to in terms of being a
true fan and appreciating someone who's actually that I mimicked
and tried to copy because it was between Smokey and
Marvin and and all. You know, any of that Falsettle
was like, have any speaking of that, speaking of mimicking,
have any of these young Falsetto brothers and others had
any moments with you when they reach out to you

(01:21:59):
in a way I hear. Let me tell you something
that the greatest thing is just hearing you know, you
know the references to the Bruno Mars and and and
you know, just honest of that nature or just how
that influence like every even if it wasn't just about
the i'l be sure um campaign, um, when even when

(01:22:20):
I was doing the Jodasie campaign, every record company wanted
a Joda see, so it said something. It said something
in terms of we're in the right path, We're in
the right you know, so we're we're being were We
didn't know we were trend setting at the time, but
now you look at it with the we're trailblazing at
that at that moment, But it was just just this
organic feeling of just you know, let's let's let's make

(01:22:42):
something new, let's make something different, or let's interpretate this
from the history of what we've learned well from your years.
I hope that happens anyway. Thank you all for doing
this show. I appreciate it. Thank you so much. We
have a team Supreme. Yeah, if I take a little
about EA unpaid Bill Boss Bill and Sugar Steve CEO
and founder of the Everything to to That network. Yes,

(01:23:04):
you are, you are everything. This is Quest Love. This
is Quest Love Supreme, only on Pandora. We'll see you
on the next ground. Leads and Jumping m What's Love
Supreme is a production of My Heart Radio. This classic

(01:23:27):
episode was produced by the team at Pandora. For more
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