November 9, 2023 • 49 mins
Victoria Monét is a tour de force. This summer, Sacramento released her debut LP Jaguar II, and later embarked on a sold-out national tour. Not to be outdone, she plans on taking her talents across the pond and South America. Here, Victoria speaks on her latest album, Kelly Rowland, motherhood, "On My Mama", Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour, and much more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You used to rap rate our podcast. My name is
beat Out.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Elliott Wilson.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Elliott the Butcher has come.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
He cockered, hero conquered. Yes, he has def GMOs is
a check beat Out. You know what I'm saying. We
was the rollout man put Betty in position. Man, I
love it, Ben. The episode came out, Uh the Big
Dog record with Lil Wayne. People see the luck.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
They like it, man, they like it right, b I
love when the stars come together.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
And this wasn't planninged though, you know, like, yeah, it
just happened serendipitously, and I love it.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Man.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
The record is fire. The conversation was fire all. It's
off to Jeff jam now though. Man, they got to
release the project.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yo, no pressure game but to gi all the wonderful
people over there. But yeah, be You know what I'm
saying is beat Out talking to mess He said this
is one of the best albums. Beat Out so critical.
But the way he's praising this Benny the Butcher album,
he heard stuff we haven't heard. What's going on with
Beata's critique of this Belly the Butcher album.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I give props when they do. It's so weird when
people say things like that.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I'm like, like, yo, I give people their flowers when
it's the right time, you know, when it's appropriate.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I guess I guess my critiques allowed in my praise.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
I feel like your critics are like curveballs, like they
don't know what it's coming. They don't know how It's
like they know you throw strikes, but they don't know
what it's coming. They're like, who's gonna get it? Who's this?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Anybody?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Anybody could get it.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
That's anybody could get it. And I feel like, you know,
if I'm a Rat fan, you definitely got to run
that rapp or our podcast back with Benny because I
feel like, you know, like we said, we heard a lot.
We were a blessed shout to chase out to this team.
We were blessed to hear early versions of some songs,
and you know, things may change in the final mix,
but I feel like we gave a lot of people
the information about the album in advance, and Benny's ecstatic
(01:40):
about it, and you know, I just think it's a
Rat fan, It's it's like it's rare when you get that,
because nowadays everything kind of comes out at one time.
You know what I mean, so I think it's dope.
It's kind of like a puzzle, right to see, like
one ends up really making a final record, right.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I think the version that we heard, for the most
part is what's going to be sent to the masses,
and hopefully it is because I think this is the
project that rat fans want and you know, the Griselda
fans have been asking for. So I'm looking forward to
to its release.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Benny the Butcher Man, Yeah, sert Man, Griselda Man. Somebody
said you this is your eighty fifth interview with Griselda.
I was like, yeah, man, what the fuck stop hating?
Speaker 3 (02:15):
No't be hating, man, what's the rap rate our podcast
without a Griselda conversation?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Man, I'm saying it was a completed thing too now,
because we had Westside Gun by himself, We did Conway
by himself. We had had to get the Butcher by himself.
You know, we had to make this a complete Its
the only way. And you know, think about us beat out,
We go out and get the stories. Man. We never hesitated.
We've been many exotic places. We've been a Budapest, Hungary.
We've been to uh Canada, Toronto, Canada, we're gone. One
(02:45):
time we went to where do we go? We talked
to was it take? Keith went out to him.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
For one day?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
What was he in Memphis? What was he?
Speaker 1 (02:50):
I think he was in Memphis.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
We just will go anywhere. We'll get in the plane,
We'll go anywhere. Yes, it's the first time to raperate
our podcast episodes taped in a fine place doing this Sacramento.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
California, Sacramento and sacked. Hewn told dB yes, but he
had the pleasure of talking to the lovely talented Victoria Money.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Man.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yo, I'm not I wasn't even that up on Victoria Money.
I would hear her name in passing through the years,
and I know she kind of built like a cult following.
But then I put that Jaguar too on. Man, I'm
not mad at it. Man. I was like, yo, I
get it now, like I'm starting to understand, and it's
just dope. I see like her emergence as an artist
and her performance and stepping her game up, and I
was just like, when you hit me about it, was
y'all idea to do it. I was like, yeah, I'm
(03:32):
all in because I feel like it's just dope to
see an artist kind of like growing to that position
and kind of feel like it's her time right now.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
You know absolutely. I love the fact that you said
like she feels like a new artist in a conversation.
She's almost like a seasoned rookie. She's been in the
game for almost a decade, over a decade, and like
now she's finally getting her props and her flowers. It's like,
Victoria Manet is the hottest ticket in town. I told
she's the hottest name in R and B because it's like,
if you're going to see her show, you're coming away
feeling fulfilled, like yop, she's dead.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
She sings, she has crazy breath control, like she's she's
a she's a double threat for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, and it's dope because the people so critical R
and B, but that actually is good R and B
out there man, and that all my mama. Man, that's
a smash manlet's get that's getting bigger and bigger. I
feel like that's the records not even at the highest's
going to reach it. It's it's still growing. As much
of it's already established it. I feel like that record's
still bubbling.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yeah, for sure, it's one of those songs that when
you first hear it the first time, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
It's going to be a hit.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Yeah, and video of course is exemplary. Man, it's so fire.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yeah, what's the dude I Look Good at? Charlie Boy's
name is Charlie Boy, Yeah, Dolley Boy. Yeah. He made
that record in you know, the one of six and
Parker hip Hop, that I Look Good record. That shit
was like a smash and like, you know, it's dope
that her pay homage to it but take a new
direction and she put him in the video. He was
all super geeked to be in the video. You can see,
like it's just dope to see like that tie in
and her represent the culture like that. You know.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, it was good to talk to her about about that.
And of course she's hitting the rope. Actually the tour
is about to be over, but she's about to go
over see soon, first time over sit Yeah, yep, touch
the people over in Europe and Brazil.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
And of course we talked about the album Motherhood. We
left no stone on turn.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
I was gonna say, man, I think if you're a
Victoria Monday fan and then there's a lot of them
out there with super cold fans. I hope, hope this
reaches her true fans because I feel like I feel
like it's her best interview. Man. That's why, that's why
these artists. Man, you can't front of the Rapperate our podcasts. Man,
you're gonna sit in front of us, gonna sit in
front of me and beat out. You're gonna get the
best interview to really tell your story. Man, this is
the platform. Man. Don't try to play no games. Man,
(05:28):
it's us Man.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Best interviews or your money back guarantee.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
I don't know about the money back, man. Best interviews though,
best interviews. Man, you don't get your art needs to
be critiqued. Man, let's stop making such a big deal
about these interviews. Man, just sit down, man talk.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Man, you had a good conversation with Victoria, So that's
all that counts.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
That's all it counts.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Man.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
You know, and we ended in the fourth quarter right now,
the season two of the Rapperate our podcast is winding down.
We got a couple more slots were about to hit
you at the end of the year, you know, beat
Outs cooking something up. We got our fingers crossed. You
know what I'm saying. We gonna see see what we
could pull off. Man. You know what I'm saying, right
be you still feel good about that he was telling
me about. Man, he's still feeling good.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Listen, it's the knife, end it, man, bottom of the knife.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Guess how you're gonna crack man?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Exactly man, the rapp right up? Boys, what it gonna crack? Man?
We apply pressure, man, We don't let the pressure get
to us. Man, we apply pressure. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
But let's get into it though.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Right The loveliest talented man Victoria Monet V Monet, Yes, sir,
and the rap rate on podcasts, Yeah, rap right up? Podcast.
Elliott Wilson's name is beat I I what's up baby?
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Looking good? Elliott?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Feeling good? Man. We in Sacramento. Yes, I'm all away
here to see this lovely lady.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Hey Monette, I just name an R and B.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Man.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Oh my gosh, thank you, thank you so much. Welcome
to sack Town.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Absolutely Sacramento. Like we just got here. What's going on
with Sacramento?
Speaker 4 (06:51):
You know what? So much has changed since I moved.
I moved away in two thousand and nine, so I'm
learning a little bit today. Like you are, but Sacramento
is really really cool. Growing up here, it was awesome,
lots of diversity, great musical taste. There's also like left
of center, very eclectic people here. We called the City
(07:12):
of Trees, so there's lots of weed, like kind of
hippie style people. So I love it here and it's
really beautiful, like lots of greenery.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
And do you think the environment kind of spurred your creativity?
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Definitely? Yeah. I mean the crew that I was rolling
with shout out to Boogey Monsters, But I was in
a dance group called Boogey Monsters here in Sacramento, and
they shaped a lot of my style because they were
all wearing like Jordan's dunks, like baggy pants, and they
shaped a lot of my musical taste by introducing me
to music that they were choreographing too that I hadn't
(07:43):
quite heard yet. And then they play a lot of
mainstream radio music here, so I was introduced to like
top forty music, and then my mom was listening to
like Boujiu Bontan and like Elvis Crespo, like random different things.
So I think it all melted together to make my
musical taste.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
It seems like every city you're in you're owning right
now this year.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yeah, we all to congratulations on the success of the tour.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
You an now sit back in September, the tickets sold
out in like thirty seconds.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Oh my god. I got cussed out so bad online.
They were like we were the tickets were in our
queue and then now they're gone. I don't say how
I added it to my car. You need to do
bigger than I'm getting cussed out. My team's getting cussed
out for it. But I'm just very thankful to see
the reciprocation because it's my first headlining tour, so we
really didn't know, you know, so we had to time. Sure,
(08:35):
I'm going to do it again.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Were you anticipating the fans to show out like that?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
No?
Speaker 4 (08:39):
No, no, no, no, not at all. I thought, you know,
we put the tickets up for sale. I want to say,
like a month ahead of time, if I'm remembering correctly,
So I thought, yeah, maybe by the first date of
the tour, like things should be sold out, but not
in seconds. You know. You were like, oh okay, so
we see what's what's up and gone to upgrade.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Accordingly, which been your favorite seed to performing?
Speaker 4 (09:05):
You know what I get. I just get surprised every
night at how much people know. I put the album
out two weeks before I toured, so it's just been
really cool to see how quickly people are learning the music.
I'm performing songs that had just come out, so of
course they know the other older songs, but to know
a new album that quickly, I feel is really impressive.
(09:25):
But I have a show here in Sacramento tomorrow, yes,
so like that's how I'm ending the American leg of
the tour. So I don't know, I'm gonna save my
favorite to see a Sacramento you know, tops everything.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
What do you think it's gonna be e motionwise for
you tomorrow? Is it gonna happen?
Speaker 4 (09:43):
I think I'm gonna be a mess, like before the show,
during and after the show, because I think I think
back to two thousand and nine when I was telling
my family that I'm gonna move. We had a going
away party at Golden Corral, yes right, and they and
they were giving me money to like, you know, just
(10:03):
like say you know, best of look and to now
have them be able to come to a show and
see the reasons why I miss some of those birthday
parties and some of those Christmas gatherings, and like the
emotion that'll be surrounded, you know, surrounding me, just seeing
me accomplish some of my dreams. I think it's going
to be a lot. Oh my god, Yeah, I think.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
It's to you. I get one.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
Hey, yeah, you know what I'm saying. People are people
are in the DMS. Okay, but I remember me right, Yeah,
like you're dark gray, but I'm so. I'm just happy
to be home.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
It feels really good to be home, he mentioned. So
that's this major turnpoint in your life. Two thousand and nine,
you moved to LA. I want to make, you know,
we want to make it. Want to be a star,
I want to break into the business. Yeah. We are
now fourteen years later, and it seems like you finally
are getting the success kind of the way you foresee it. Like, yeah,
Like what do you attribute that to?
Speaker 4 (10:59):
I think I have to say it's like determination. I
think when people discover that I'm a tourist, their first
thing that they say, oh, you're a bullheaded, you're bullheaded,
you're stubborn. But I think another way, I like to
look at taurists is that we're very determined. Instead of
looking at it as stubborn, it's like we are very
(11:19):
driven to get exactly what we want. And so there's
been a lot of no's. There's been a lot of
times where I should have been like packed it up
and moved back to Sack. But because of my bullheadedness
and my determination, and I think a lot of tenacity
and everything that surrounds someone who just really wants something
really bad, that's why I'm still going for it fourteen
(11:40):
years later, China, and it still feels like the beginning,
which is crazy new artist, right, Yeah, I just found
out today that I'm nominated for Soul Train Awards in
one of the categories is best New Artists. It's like,
you know what I mean. Yes, it's really awesome.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
With Kelly Rowland, she said that you forced everyone to
step the fuck up. That's not like something Kelly would say.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
She has been Oh my gosh, she's been such an
amazing role model and sister figure. And it's really crazy
to even be having conversations with her because she's someone
that I looked up to buying albums here in Sacca
when I was in a girl group early on in
my career, like we just were singing Destiny's Child covers
(12:28):
and like, you know, looking up to them to just
have her pour into me and have conversations about how
great my heart is, or like how just any compliments
that she gives feels like a real privilege and dream
come true to just hear that from an idol, you know.
So it's really awesome, but it's true.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
I think anytime someone's talking about Victoria Money, it's like
she's such a great live performer. Like that's like one
of the first things people say, how did you become
such a great live performer?
Speaker 4 (12:57):
You know what? I attribute that to sach. It first
started in Sacramento. I went to Sheldon High School, which
is a performing art high school in Sacramento, and after
school I was in the dance program, so I was
rehearsing there. And then after that I would go rehearse
with Bogeymont Stars and from like eight pm to two
am because they were already out of high school, so
I was rehearsing late hours. I actually got kicked out
(13:19):
of my house for this because my mom was like,
you are not about to come to my household at
two am, and I was like, I just want to dance.
It felt very much like like Sister Act, I just
want to go to this thing. So like it's been
building the performance ability and agility has like I've been
working on it for a really long time, then adding
you know, more vocals into it, like singing on the treadmill,
(13:41):
like just making sure that I'm training like an athlete
and going to the gym and taking things seriously, drinking
the right types of water, you know, like taking everything
that I should be doing and just like combining it
and making sure I'm consistent with it. So I think
I've just been working a lot behind the scenes, and
now that it is time for the curtains to open,
(14:03):
I feel like since I've been working on it for
so long, it just seems like, oh, people will comment like, oh,
she's new, but it seemed like she must have been
doing this for a long time, and I'm like, you're
not wrong. It's just been working on.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
It for long, even like with like the Fallent appearance, right,
like that's a TV show, but it feels like, yeah,
we could have been at a show, like we could
have paid money this same. Hey, you know what, I mean,
and I thought something cool too, like you came out,
you said your name, you said the song like sometimes
my time you see artists perform like new artists, I
always say, like they don't say who they are. Really
claim your space. I feel like your whole presence, besides
(14:36):
the great dancing is you really know how to claim
your presence in your space.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Thank you, Thank you so much. That means a lot.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
I appreciate absolutely. The breath control was crazy. I saw
the clip that went viral last year at Soul Balloom.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
Yeah some cutdown.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Yeah, I think I think you were either doing that
or performing ass like that. And I was like, no,
I can hear all the words and it's like real time,
it's not no background vocals. So I was really impressed
by that.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Thank you so much. Someone commented that I should just
just get the mic so I can free up that
other hand, the old school nineties mic. I'm like, that's
not a bad idea.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. You have
a huge hit record, yes, it's called My Mama. Like,
talk to me, like, like, what is it like for
you to have your own hit? This massive hits?
Speaker 4 (15:25):
It's really crazy. It's really really special. It was, to
be honest, when I wrote on My Mama, I had
just had my daughter, and I was feeling like I
wasn't good, Like I was a little bit outside of
(15:46):
my body and my head's face was not good. I
was dealing with postpartum bad and I wasn't sure with
the pandemic and everything like how things would come back
to like for me. And I think that some of
that was a little bit of an old way of thinking,
because early on in my career it was ingrained that like,
you know, performing artists don't have boyfriends, they don't have babies,
(16:09):
and they don't like they're not old, they have to
be young. So like all of those thoughts come up
when you make a life change, like have a baby.
So going in the studio, I didn't know what much
else to write about because I was just breastfeeding, like
you know, like I don't know, I don't know what
to say anymore. And so My Mama just was a
(16:29):
concept that came and was something that I needed to
hear and be able to use affirmations to say good
things about myself and just felt like a fun record.
So it's almost like a gift to myself that it's
such a big song now because it's like because you
were determined and because you still put it on, recorded
(16:50):
that idea and kept going, I'm going to reward you
with this being the biggest song because you know, I
would have thought it was songs before this before, you know,
because I recorded that at a time where I was like,
I wasn't thinking that I had it anymore. I was like, dang,
I don't know. Maybe I'm not a good songwriter, not
a good artist. So it just have you ever seen
(17:11):
that there's like a I don't know if you would
call it a meme, but it's like this guy who's
like digging for gold and he starts to stop right
where the gold is and he turns around. But if
you just like kept going that a little bit more
than you would have hit the gold. And I feel like,
my mama and this era was that little bit more
for me. So I'm just like, oh my god, So
(17:34):
I'm really grateful.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
When did you start feeling that it was It was
one of those ones that it was. It was impacting.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Probably tour really like just to see people sing it
back to me, and actually also the response to the
music video when people started to yeah. Yeah, the feedback
from the album and the video, so like the culmination
of all these things feels like the tumbleweed is rolling
right now and it's just gathering so much so, but
(18:03):
in the past few months, I feel like I'm realizing
a lot about the importance of having done these records
at this time. So it's like perfect timing, Like everything's
happening now.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I was saying that the guy was a Charlie Charlie Boy.
I look so happy in the video.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
He killed it.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
He's great that you don't paid him home is putting
them in an individuals.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
I'm so glad he was able to join and he
came out from one of the tour stops to join
me on stage to do it too, and we did well.
He killed it. Yes, he was singing, and I was like,
someone said, uh, Charlie Boy turned to Charlie Wilson. Really yeah,
he killed it. So it's been awesome just to have
(18:47):
the love, genuine love from the original artist and from
Texas Southern culture, and like, it's just been really amazing.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
How your mama feel about how your mama Oh she she.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Literally was like, oh, you want this song about me.
You know, the first time I played it for her,
she was like, yeah, she loved it. So when I
asked her to be in the video. She was in
one of the last scenes of the video. It was
like probably two or three am. Finally her turn. And
so when we got her on camera, she was like, oh,
I don't know what to do. What do I do?
I was like, let me just dance. You got it,
(19:19):
And so the camera turned on, she goes and she
just starts hitting a.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Bunch of people.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
I'm like, who is this? The dancers were all shocked.
It was just such a great moment. And then I
also had my daughter in the video, so it just
seems like a multi generational, really good feeling that we
have on film that can like a home video but
for the world. You know.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
I think the moment that everyone loves is that part
where you take off the jackets and oh.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
My god, that's so fluid.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, Like, how many takes did y'all do to get
that one right?
Speaker 2 (19:47):
One?
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Literally one we had one take. When you get start
to get in production, it just people start moving fast
and we have to be out of the venue at
a certain time, and like you just start to cut stuff,
but you plan to film, and that scene was one
that was going to be cut. I was like, we
gotta let's just hit it one time. So we just
had to nail it and get it done. And I
(20:08):
thought originally it was going to have like more angles
and stuff, but it just worked out exactly how it
was supposed to be perfect. I'm trying to see if
someone can figure out how to do it, like if
a TikToker, if somebody can like get it right. I
haven't seen it yet.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
What that we haven't seen it? How much closer are
we all to the makan A Stallion on My Mama remix?
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Oh my god, you tell me, because I really have
been like trying to manifest that I did hang with
her the other night for Halloween. Didn't mention that. I
feel like it wasn't the time and place, but like
that's the one, like that's the one feature. Well, there's
a couple, but definitely her, definitely Beyonce. It would be
like obviously dream Renaissance. Yes, I just it just makes
(20:53):
so much sense to just being that they're both from Texans.
It's Texas and just such a cultural thing, right. But
I would be honored if it's not that just doing
anything with me because people say that we're twins. So
we were talking about it. We were like, we finally
proved that we're two different people.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Oh, you hadn't met. That was the first time.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
We've seen each other in passing it an award show,
and then this was really the first time we had
a full conversation. Yeah in costume, in costume, yeah, well
on Halloween costumes. It was fun.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Sticking on a wrap though. You know, although, like I said,
you're the hottest name in R and B, your producer
d Mile you said you're a rap on the low
for real, for real punch lines, be punching. I love
the line on O Mama you say, I'm so deep
in my bag like a grandma. Wouldn't a peppermint?
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Visual always hip a peppermint?
Speaker 4 (21:46):
Yes, isn't it true? That's that church?
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Yeah? But do you join inspiration from like rappers and
hip hop?
Speaker 4 (21:52):
I definitely love hip hop so much and just being
a dancer, dancing to hip hop you always get. You
listen to the music a lot, learning the choreography, so
you get to hear some lyrics over and over again
and try to get dissect what it means. The cadences
are super cool. I feel like they just be talking
shit so much and it's really fun. So I like
(22:14):
to try to do that in my music. Just talk
a little bit, but make it pretty and melodic, but
also just like have fun, fun with it.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
How did you develop as a songwriter?
Speaker 4 (22:25):
I do it a lot. I feel like ten thousand
plus hours really, and then also sharing space with other
people that you are inspired by can really help. Listening
to different types of music. I think one thing that
helped me is like, instead of always listening to what
is being played right now today, I'll go back and
(22:46):
still listen to like seventies music, or like sometimes just
like motown, or listen to like Brazilian seventies music, like
just trying to like change it up. Listen to Shot
for a little bit because she's very poetic, just switching
it up and drawing inspiration from things that aren't at
(23:08):
maybe mainstream right now, so that you can differentiate yourself
from maybe what is.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Like trendy, you know, And although you've written songs and
hooks for others, like, are there moments where you want
to keep them all to yourself?
Speaker 4 (23:20):
No, I really enjoy writing for other people. I think
that my voice everything is not for my voice and
not for my style and not for my my I
guess my message. Like there's so many different ways to
express myself when I feel like being a songwriter allows
me to jump into someone else's world, Like what if
(23:42):
I wanted to write a country song and Victoria Monet
as an artist is not at that place right now,
So like it's cool to just be able to like
spread ideas across and like, you know, have conversations with
people that maybe bring their ideas to life. Like if
I sat down with a country artists or like of
(24:03):
death metal artists or its something like, and they tell
me what's going on with their life, I'd be able
to express that completely differently than how I would say
it in that same situation in my own song. So
it's just like being a painter and having different colors
to use, you know.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
How do you view a Victoria Monais soon, Like what
are the elements in there that I assist that you think?
Speaker 4 (24:22):
For Jaguar Era, it's definitely horns. Music's very horny. Yeah, yes,
lots of horns. I love live music, live instrumentation. I
feel like That's another element sonically that I really stand by.
It's using live musicians. I also love just being a
little bit playful, and that since I write my own music,
(24:46):
it maybe flows a little bit easier, just because I
don't have to consult, I guess, with anybody to say
like do you like this idea? Should we say this?
It's just all in here, so like it's just kind
of a little bit more free, free flowing for me.
But yeah, the goal in any session of writing any
song is just to make the best song possible that day,
(25:07):
with whatever tools that you have that day. I feel
like ideas are like things that blow in the wind,
and if you catch one, you're lucky, and if you
let it go, it goes to somebody else some different time.
But it's unlimited. So like if you go on the studio,
you're gonna get whatever you have. You know, if your
hands are open, something will land.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
And I read one of your interviews when you said
sometimes you almost have to just get the bad ideas
out if it isn't clicking right, and just stay in it, just.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Go yeah, yeah, just just it's kind of an exercise,
like I guess, you know, if you practice seven days
a week. One of those days might not be as good,
but then maybe the seventh day is the game. But
if you didn't do the sixth day that was bad,
maybe it'll end up being on your game day. So
(25:52):
it's like you just gotta keep working.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Or a year ago, you said you wanted to make
a classic love song that Anita Baker would be, Yes,
you feel like you've done that yet, Well.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
I'd have to hear from her. I'd have to hear
from her, but I I feel like, yes, that's the one.
I feel like. Would would uh, I would guess she
may be proud of But I am going to see
her in December. Yeah, I'm going to go to her show.
So if we ever get a chance to speak, and
if she's even listened at all, I would. I would
(26:23):
hope that I've made her proud because she's inspired me
so much and just brought so many moments, so much color,
so much more color with her music.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
So it's funny you mentioned how does it feel, Elie?
I love the way that song bleeds into all my mama.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
It's crazy, right. There was a there's a composer named
Puranahead out of Detroit who did that transition. And he
has this orchestra called the Soul Chestra, so it's his
own string players and people that played live to make
that transition happen. And we thought it was sick. D
Mile orchestrated that situation. He knows Barana had very well. Well,
(27:00):
he also Parana had. Did I did an album live well,
not last year, the year before of orchestral arrangements of
Jaguar and Paranahead did all those arrangements as well. So
shout out to Paranhahead one time out of Detroit. But yeah,
he killed that transition.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
And D Miley he spoke of he spoke of you earlier.
What do you make of him?
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Like?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Why is he a go to guy? Like? What makes
him so special as a producer?
Speaker 4 (27:23):
Well, I think our relationship goes beyond production. When I
moved to atlant in two thousand and nine, like I
was saying, he was someone who let the girl group
that I was in stay in his home. He had
a three bedroom apartment with two other guys, and it
was there was like eight of us staying in his
home because they opened their home to us. We didn't
have any place to go. So our relationship started there
(27:47):
that's my brother for life. Like whether or not we
do another song, I just know that he's a great
person and he cares about people, and he loves great music,
and he bases his collaborations more so on that than
who's got the most streams or who's popping. Like he'll
go if you have one listener and he thinks you're incredible,
he'll you knowsional session and get inspired. So I just
(28:12):
love him so much. I think we have a great
thing going sonically. But again, even if we never made
another song, like that's my bro.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
I love the fact, like on the album on Draguar two,
you don't stick to traditional formats, like one of my
favorites is all right, and like the verses are real short.
Yeah you have like three choruses and stuff like that.
Ain't have like a rap kind of flow too.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
Yeah, I just love changing the cadences up a little bit.
I do love like rhythm. Maybe that's something that I
got from dance too, because when you're choreographing hip hop,
you can dance in between certain rhythms and you like
pay attention to cadences of lyrics. So like some of
the syncopations and stuff the switches are nice to have
(28:57):
and song. Yeah, I feel like I try, I know
the traditional formats of music, but then it's like you
learn all the rules and then you forget them. You
can break them, right, Yeah, So I guess that's what
I try to do a little bit, is just switch
things up. You know, how does it make you feel?
It's not a normal, normal time signature. It switches from
(29:21):
three four to four to four. So it's like, that's
another fun thing, you know. Stop asking me for shits
like random. It slows down me to like talk and
shit Like, I feel like it's just fun to kind
of just stir stir it up, mix things up.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Well, stop asking me for inspired by true events.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Not specifically true events. I think it's just like in general,
you want you to put your phone on to not
to start, you know. I felt like a very relatable concept.
And it actually came about because I was writing another
song with DMA on the room and for some reason
the lyrics to stop asking me for shit came, but
(30:04):
it wasn't to that beat that was that was looping
in the studio. So the next day they made a
beat and I was like, huh, I don't really like it,
and then the third day, I said, can you just
play that beat that you guys played yesterday and it
will stop asking me for shit. But then I just
put the lyrics I had to that, and just like
(30:24):
it just worked. So you just never know how stuff
ends up happening for the better good.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
You know, since we talked about Jagua too, it was
supposed to be a trilogy, right, yes, why'd you scrap
that idea?
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Well, Pandemic. I didn't expect there to be three years
in between these albums. It was going to be like,
you know, my original plan was just to put three
projects out so I could microdose people into my music.
And so I know, attention spands are super short, and
I just wanted to it not overwhelm. I had a
(30:58):
lot of music to give, but not overwhelm them and
put it all in one project. So I was like,
let's just split it up. But then when I started
splitting things up and I just picked the very best
songs I had, then I was like, I feel like
this project is not done. And so once I finished
that it became Jaguar two. I was like, I feel
like I've completed the sentence that I wanted to say
(31:19):
with Jaguar so I didn't feel it necessary to do
a third. I mean, technically there kind of will be,
because I want to do a Deluxe, So if you
want to look at that as a third, it could be.
But I just felt like Jaguar two, I made the
statement that I wanted to make you.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Know, You've been even very precise with the rollout throughout
the whole year, like what made you start with Smoke
the Lucky Day collaboration.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Between Jaguar one and two. I felt like Smoke was
the most consistent with the sonics of Jaguar one. So
I kind of wanted to usher people into the new
era and give them something familiar but still new for Victoria,
and then go into the other eras the other pages
(32:04):
of Jaguar two, because then I went into Party Girls,
which is a more like Island, you know, a Jamaican vibe,
and then we went to a nineties early two thousands
vibe with All My Mama, So it kind of journeys
you through seventies into like nineties like reggae, into like
(32:26):
early two thousands Victoria.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Also, like those promo skits you shot around smoke and
stuff like that. Yeah, acting's fun.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
It's so fun. I'm just like crossing my fingers on
SNL like. But I have such a great creative team.
We have a creative group chat and just so fun
to just throw ideas out there and see what sticks
and what we can accomplish, how much it's gonna cost
to do, you know, pull all these ideas together. But
(32:54):
it's really fun to just kind of dabble in the
acting world but still make it. It's still involved with
my music because one day I do want to like
separately act and also write scripts for sitcoms and you know,
use my pen in that way. You know.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Yeah, I know the visuals are really important to you
because you're not afraid to do bro for a video
like a body Girl at the Jamaica moment. You did
that in South Africa. Yes, so the budget don't make
mean nothing.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Well, you know what, you don't have to climb the
pole for smoke.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Hey, you know what I did?
Speaker 2 (33:28):
I worked.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
I worked really hard for that. There was also another
music video for that I originally pulled danced for for
Freak and it's just like high respect stripper so much.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Good God damn say it will stop me from spinning
us up.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
I was on the spin poole and I was like,
I finally got this move. And the tighter you are
to the pole, the faster it spins. So it's this
move where I had to be tight to the poles
and I finally nailed it. I was like, yes, I
was like I don't know how to stop myself. So
that was that was a time, my god. But now
I have been to Magic City since and I'm like,
(34:05):
oh my god, oh my god. Crazy. It's like it's
a different style, but it's just like so much core work.
They are athletes truly, It's like it's insane. So shout
out to shout out to y'all.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
But what was it like meeting Bouja BoNT On in
Jamaica doing the video experience.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
He is.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
Incredible. He's super powerful. The way he speaks to you
when he wants to say something important, how intense. He
looks into your eyes and he's like serious. It's almost
like big bro, like I'm telling you this and I'm
dead ass, you know. But when I first was talking
to him, it was through WhatsApp because I hadn't gotten
(34:47):
to Jamaica yet, and so he had to like break
some things down from because his acts and I was
like what, so he would just like take his time
with me because he knows something I didn't completely understand.
But it's really amazing to have someone like that, Like
your mom was listening to is.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Your mom Caribbean?
Speaker 4 (35:09):
No? Okay mobile Ale.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Yeah, because when I heard that vibe yeah that she
listened to Bouju like till Shallow was one of my
favorite albums for him, and I'm like, okay, that's very specific.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
Yes, I'm like, why did you? I want to know
who introduced her to But she was also listening to
Uncle Luke, so like she just had maybe some cool
friends that had great musical taste and just put her on.
But it was in those moments where she was like
in a great mood and wanted to clean the house
and like just vibing. So I just feel like I
(35:43):
have a really cool moment.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Yeah crazy And that song, it's like he just gives
you a no.
Speaker 4 (35:50):
Yeah, well we gave it. When we first gave him
the song to rap too, it was like still the
production from the first part of the song. So when
he gave he gave us his verse back, we were like, oh,
we got to take it to Jamaica. So then a
producer named Drettie came in and recreated the beat under
his verse, so it felt more like his world. Oh wow,
just like it turned it all the way up. So
(36:12):
it was just like such an amazing back and forth
process of making that that record and then the video too,
Like I'm like, dang, maybe I need to make I
need to make a song that where I can go
to Greece, you know, like specifically so I can travel
to do the video there. But yeah, it was really
awesome mixed me.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Then you returned to favor you on his album Yes
Touching Body, Yes.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yes, it's swap.
Speaker 4 (36:37):
Yeah. Yeah. He was like, do you have any songs
that that you think I could write on in the end,
So when I sent that, he was like like, basically
just wait till I send you back this record. So
it's just so cool, like some of the things that
you think of as a kid that seems so distant
that you just got to let time do its thing,
(36:58):
you know, and they come to you.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
Speaking of that, how do you get earth Winding Fire
on your album?
Speaker 4 (37:04):
I will never get over it. But my manager is
a beast. She knew that The inspiration for Jaguar One
was Earths Winding Fire and listening to their music and
you know, hearing the horn arrangements and their strings and
how it made people feel to listen to their music.
I was listening to a lot of that when making
Jaguar One, So it was an idea, like we wanted
(37:28):
to have them on the project, and she made it
happen and they were down, like they were very receptive
to the music. I got a call from Verding White
the other day. I'm like, it's my life. He just
he said he saw me on fallin he you know,
he knows the tours going on, and it's just really crazy,
(37:49):
Like my life is just changing so fast, and I'm
trying to be present and like take it all in
and like because a lot of the things that are
happening are things that I had written down before, like
wish for before, and I'm also writing more things and
wishing for more things right now. But I don't want
to get to ahead of myself and just try to
enjoy the things that are happening now, you know what
(38:10):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Well, I love about that. So in Hollywood, is that
the hook you say, you say you're dreaming bigger than
I ever should. Yeah, what were some of those dreams
like early on?
Speaker 4 (38:19):
Well, well, I feel like when I say that lyric,
it's more so I'm kind of like, you know, when
you come from a town like this, You're like, yeah,
I want the lights and I want you know, I
want to leave my mark on history, and I want
the fancy car that I see on the TV. And
I want the big house by the Malibu beach, you know,
(38:41):
these like physical tangible things and then having my daughter,
and it's also writing just about more important things in life.
You just realize that like you don't need any of that.
It's really more so about genuinely being happy with where
you're what you're doing, like pursuing things that make you happy,
(39:03):
saying no to the things that you don't, saying no
to the people that don't make you happy, and surrounding
yourself with people who you truly love, creating a legacy
through your bloodline or through who you can help. And
so the record just kind of challenges all of the
things that I say, you know, maybe people move to
La to get and just takes you back to the
root of it all, which is happiness, family, quality, time
(39:26):
and those things. So that's why I put my daughter
on the record with them.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
Yeah, I think you're doing an amazing job with that,
and I sold one of your Instagram dedications. You also
made a point of saying how it's important for your
daughter to have a front row seat to see all
the hard work. Yeah, Like, why do you think that?
Why do you want her to be seeing everything going on?
Speaker 4 (39:45):
You know what, I saw my mom do it too.
My mom was a single mom. She got pregnant at nineteen.
I know a lot of people have a similar story,
but I saw her working three jobs and I saw her,
you know, want to go back to school and finish
school and try to provide the best life for me,
make changes in my life and sacrifices in hers. One
(40:05):
of the things she made sure made happen was the
fact that I went to Sheldon High School, which is
a performing our school. We had to change our address
to do so because we didn't live in the area
where they accepted my you know, accepting me as a student.
So like she had some finessing going on just to
make sure that I was raised a certain way. And
I saw and did what I needed to do, and
(40:26):
I think that I'm trying to make those same efforts
with my daughter, and I think just the same way
that I do, she's gonna she's gonna take those characteristics
and apply them herself. She's watching everything. She's watching my
show and she probably shouldn't anymore. She's like doing the dances.
I'm like, no, no, no, no, singing the lyrics. She knows stop.
(40:48):
She knows smoke like I'm like, okay. One time we
were at a restaurant and we were listening to I
believe I was listening to the mix of smoke in
the car. And so she's in the car and she's
we get into the line, the food line. We were
at Porthos, shout out to Porthos and we were in
the line and she's in her stroller. She's like, Mama,
(41:10):
I want to go go back to the car. I
want to go smoke. I'm like, what, I want to
go smoke? What she meant is what she wants to
go back to listen to smoke. I'm like, you were
going to get me arrested. The people are going to
figure out here smoking with me. But it's just like now,
it's just at that age where she's two and a half.
She's listening and watching everything. So as much bad things
(41:31):
that are out there that she could see, I want
to be the good things that she could see and
the good examples that she could apply to her young life.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
You said, understand the sacrifices.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Yeah, so that you tweeted, you said, she said, I
want to be Mama on stage.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
Yes, she said it literally. She said it again this morning.
I said, what do you want to do today? She said,
I want to sing like Mama, Like, oh.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
My god, my heart.
Speaker 4 (41:56):
She really really knows how to just grab it and
hold it. But yeah, yeah, she's starting to be vocal
about what she wants to do. She's in the mirror
doing her own baby shock dances and everything. So hey, kids,
bop us up.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
Victoria. She is on Hollywood. I don't know if you
have the money for the feature for the next time.
Speaker 4 (42:16):
I know, I know it's expensive, very expensive feature, but
she does. I gave her her pub on Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
So so well, Hollywood, why did you get so deep
at there? What do you live for? What do you
what do you be for? Damn? Victoria questions?
Speaker 4 (42:28):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
It's okay, music can be therapy too.
Speaker 4 (42:34):
It was there. Music has been definitely very therapeutic for me,
just to express whatever I'm holding and just write it
and like release it.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
You know, so is going to be on any more songs?
Speaker 4 (42:47):
Shoot, I think she's ready for her own album intro. Yeah, yeah,
but I would love to do more with her. I
actually want to do like have you guys ever heard
of Gracie's Yeah, like something like that with her, like
her have her own world so I can make child
appropriate music because she can't keep singing party girls like
(43:12):
oh no birthday party girls. You know, party girls a
party training song. Let's change the lyrics. Yeah yeah yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
You also take your talents across the pond in a
few weeks, right, Yes, it's they your first time headlining
a show over in Europe?
Speaker 4 (43:29):
Yes, wow, yeah, first time before the last time I
was there it was opening I was on a tour
opening for Ariana Grande there Dangerous Woman tours. So I
haven't actually performed there since. I've been back once once,
So like, it's definitely time to go to London and
like see the town and all my mom is being
(43:52):
received really well there now too.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
So yeah, so much so you had to put a
second date to Yes, there's.
Speaker 4 (43:59):
Two shows in and then I'm going to Brazil. Oh man, Yeah,
South America. Here we come.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Get the passports.
Speaker 4 (44:07):
Come on, round it up. You already came to Sacramento,
so you might as well fly.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
You know what I'm saying, Go where victorious?
Speaker 4 (44:14):
Yeah, let's go.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
But speaking of Ariana, I saw some article someow you
had two of her biggest hits right, two number ones,
and then that was kind of the main point of
where it's like I could be looked at as this
person who's songwriter, extraordinary. Everybody comes to me at that
moment you pivoted and really went for it and made
this happen.
Speaker 4 (44:35):
Yes, yes, you know, it's kind of a scary thing
because at the time you get you're getting all these
calls and you're not sure if it's the right move.
But the instinct was there, and I had a crazy
discussion with my team about it, and you know, everyone
was on board and pushing me to like, this is,
you know, one of the biggest decisions of your life,
you know, because it could change everything how you navigate
(44:58):
right now could really just be the foundation for everything
that you've wanted. So we got in the studio and
you know I think that now looking back right move.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
Yeah, congratulations, absolutely, thank you so appreciate you. Thank you
for taking the time.
Speaker 4 (45:17):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
You guys want you to tear it down more at
the hometown. Shall go?
Speaker 4 (45:21):
Are you guys coming? I'm out of here. I'm only
here for this, okay, you know what.
Speaker 3 (45:31):
I might have to stay a little bit longer.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Come on, it's only like twenty four hours.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
I think you're right that that's not that Also, isn't
that bad? When you saw Beyonce you tweeted that she's
the greatest performer live. No debate about it, yo.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
Don't ask no questions like it's true?
Speaker 2 (45:50):
What are you doing?
Speaker 4 (45:52):
I saw her in two cities that are in l
A and Houston.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
I saw in London. I saw what so did you
in London?
Speaker 4 (45:59):
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (46:00):
It's her best tour though, I think it's crazy. She's
killing it.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
I saw it on Instagram, knows.
Speaker 4 (46:10):
Well, you know what. You could see it in theaters. Hey, yay,
So she got your back. You see how byance is
so great? She just she thought of you. So I'm
excited to see because I know she has so much
other footage of how the process, and so I'm always
inspired by her as not only an artist but a mom,
(46:31):
a mother of three, like navigating a whole world tour,
sixty something shows and more because she's not just touring,
she's doing other things in between. Just got some perfume out,
you know. And so I watching Life as but a Dream,
or like documentaries where she's talking about the personal size
and like balancing at all as a mom, or even
(46:53):
the Coachella doc. You know, it's all been super inspiring
and just real like it's something that you don't even
realize you feel until you actually experience it. So you
become a mom, you can't really prepare for it, you know.
So it's been really cool to just get an inside
view on one of the biggest stars in the world,
(47:15):
but also the human element of you know, still holding
together a family with the.
Speaker 2 (47:19):
Soul illness even you know, also in your music, how
does it feel with all my mom and how it's
become sort of this empowerment, right, yeah, how well receive
other women are taking in famous women? Right? You know,
women we don't know that cutting these videos and just
a sort of organic connection to the song.
Speaker 4 (47:34):
I couldn't dream of anything more. It's like what I
got from other artists is what I wanted to give
to people. And I feel like just seeing these videos,
I feel like I'm, you know, at that point where
people are, you know, I want, I want to inspire people.
I want to live in this, live this life, to
inspire others, to give all that I can give to
(47:57):
other people and just make their lives happier, better And
within the three minutes they're listening to my music or
the hour they come to my show, or you know,
just whatever I could do to be of service to
like the world. So I think with on my mama,
seeing the reaction is like a really great start.
Speaker 2 (48:17):
Absolutely, thank you, Victoria Monet.
Speaker 3 (48:22):
Podcast rap Radar is The Interval Presents original production from
hyper House, produced by Laura Wasser, Hosts and producers Elliott
Wilson and Brian b. Dot Miller From Interval Presents executive
producers Alan Coy and Jake Kleinberg, Executive producer Paul Rosenberg.
Editing is sound design by Dylan Alexander Freeman, recording engineer
(48:43):
Jeremy Ogletree. Special thanks to Charlotte Jenkins, Tammy Kim and
Jasmine Sanchez, Operations Lead Sarah Yu, business development Lead Cheffie
Allen swag and Marketing lead Samara Still. Make sure to
follow rap Raator or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music,
or wherever you get your pop cast
You used to rap rate our podcast. My name is
beat Out.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Elliott Wilson.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Elliott the Butcher has come.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
He cockered, hero conquered. Yes, he has def GMOs is
a check beat Out. You know what I'm saying. We
was the rollout man put Betty in position. Man, I
love it, Ben. The episode came out, Uh the Big
Dog record with Lil Wayne. People see the luck.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
They like it, man, they like it right, b I
love when the stars come together.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
And this wasn't planninged though, you know, like, yeah, it
just happened serendipitously, and I love it.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Man.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
The record is fire. The conversation was fire all. It's
off to Jeff jam now though. Man, they got to
release the project.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yo, no pressure game but to gi all the wonderful
people over there. But yeah, be You know what I'm
saying is beat Out talking to mess He said this
is one of the best albums. Beat Out so critical.
But the way he's praising this Benny the Butcher album,
he heard stuff we haven't heard. What's going on with
Beata's critique of this Belly the Butcher album.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I give props when they do. It's so weird when
people say things like that.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I'm like, like, yo, I give people their flowers when
it's the right time, you know, when it's appropriate.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I guess I guess my critiques allowed in my praise.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
I feel like your critics are like curveballs, like they
don't know what it's coming. They don't know how It's
like they know you throw strikes, but they don't know
what it's coming. They're like, who's gonna get it? Who's this?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Anybody?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Anybody could get it.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
That's anybody could get it. And I feel like, you know,
if I'm a Rat fan, you definitely got to run
that rapp or our podcast back with Benny because I
feel like, you know, like we said, we heard a lot.
We were a blessed shout to chase out to this team.
We were blessed to hear early versions of some songs,
and you know, things may change in the final mix,
but I feel like we gave a lot of people
the information about the album in advance, and Benny's ecstatic
(01:40):
about it, and you know, I just think it's a
Rat fan, It's it's like it's rare when you get that,
because nowadays everything kind of comes out at one time.
You know what I mean, so I think it's dope.
It's kind of like a puzzle, right to see, like
one ends up really making a final record, right.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I think the version that we heard, for the most
part is what's going to be sent to the masses,
and hopefully it is because I think this is the
project that rat fans want and you know, the Griselda
fans have been asking for. So I'm looking forward to
to its release.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Benny the Butcher Man, Yeah, sert Man, Griselda Man. Somebody
said you this is your eighty fifth interview with Griselda.
I was like, yeah, man, what the fuck stop hating?
Speaker 3 (02:15):
No't be hating, man, what's the rap rate our podcast
without a Griselda conversation?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Man, I'm saying it was a completed thing too now,
because we had Westside Gun by himself, We did Conway
by himself. We had had to get the Butcher by himself.
You know, we had to make this a complete Its
the only way. And you know, think about us beat out,
We go out and get the stories. Man. We never hesitated.
We've been many exotic places. We've been a Budapest, Hungary.
We've been to uh Canada, Toronto, Canada, we're gone. One
(02:45):
time we went to where do we go? We talked
to was it take? Keith went out to him.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
For one day?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
What was he in Memphis? What was he?
Speaker 1 (02:50):
I think he was in Memphis.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
We just will go anywhere. We'll get in the plane,
We'll go anywhere. Yes, it's the first time to raperate
our podcast episodes taped in a fine place doing this Sacramento.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
California, Sacramento and sacked. Hewn told dB yes, but he
had the pleasure of talking to the lovely talented Victoria Money.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Man.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yo, I'm not I wasn't even that up on Victoria Money.
I would hear her name in passing through the years,
and I know she kind of built like a cult following.
But then I put that Jaguar too on. Man, I'm
not mad at it. Man. I was like, yo, I
get it now, like I'm starting to understand, and it's
just dope. I see like her emergence as an artist
and her performance and stepping her game up, and I
was just like, when you hit me about it, was
y'all idea to do it. I was like, yeah, I'm
(03:32):
all in because I feel like it's just dope to
see an artist kind of like growing to that position
and kind of feel like it's her time right now.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
You know absolutely. I love the fact that you said
like she feels like a new artist in a conversation.
She's almost like a seasoned rookie. She's been in the
game for almost a decade, over a decade, and like
now she's finally getting her props and her flowers. It's like,
Victoria Manet is the hottest ticket in town. I told
she's the hottest name in R and B because it's like,
if you're going to see her show, you're coming away
feeling fulfilled, like yop, she's dead.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
She sings, she has crazy breath control, like she's she's
a she's a double threat for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, and it's dope because the people so critical R
and B, but that actually is good R and B
out there man, and that all my mama. Man, that's
a smash manlet's get that's getting bigger and bigger. I
feel like that's the records not even at the highest's
going to reach it. It's it's still growing. As much
of it's already established it. I feel like that record's
still bubbling.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yeah, for sure, it's one of those songs that when
you first hear it the first time, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
It's going to be a hit.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Yeah, and video of course is exemplary. Man, it's so fire.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yeah, what's the dude I Look Good at? Charlie Boy's
name is Charlie Boy, Yeah, Dolley Boy. Yeah. He made
that record in you know, the one of six and
Parker hip Hop, that I Look Good record. That shit
was like a smash and like, you know, it's dope
that her pay homage to it but take a new
direction and she put him in the video. He was
all super geeked to be in the video. You can see,
like it's just dope to see like that tie in
and her represent the culture like that. You know.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, it was good to talk to her about about that.
And of course she's hitting the rope. Actually the tour
is about to be over, but she's about to go
over see soon, first time over sit Yeah, yep, touch
the people over in Europe and Brazil.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
And of course we talked about the album Motherhood. We
left no stone on turn.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
I was gonna say, man, I think if you're a
Victoria Monday fan and then there's a lot of them
out there with super cold fans. I hope, hope this
reaches her true fans because I feel like I feel
like it's her best interview. Man. That's why, that's why
these artists. Man, you can't front of the Rapperate our podcasts. Man,
you're gonna sit in front of us, gonna sit in
front of me and beat out. You're gonna get the
best interview to really tell your story. Man, this is
the platform. Man. Don't try to play no games. Man,
(05:28):
it's us Man.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Best interviews or your money back guarantee.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
I don't know about the money back, man. Best interviews though,
best interviews. Man, you don't get your art needs to
be critiqued. Man, let's stop making such a big deal
about these interviews. Man, just sit down, man talk.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Man, you had a good conversation with Victoria, So that's
all that counts.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
That's all it counts.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Man.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
You know, and we ended in the fourth quarter right now,
the season two of the Rapperate our podcast is winding down.
We got a couple more slots were about to hit
you at the end of the year, you know, beat
Outs cooking something up. We got our fingers crossed. You
know what I'm saying. We gonna see see what we
could pull off. Man. You know what I'm saying, right
be you still feel good about that he was telling
me about. Man, he's still feeling good.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Listen, it's the knife, end it, man, bottom of the knife.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Guess how you're gonna crack man?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Exactly man, the rapp right up? Boys, what it gonna crack? Man?
We apply pressure, man, We don't let the pressure get
to us. Man, we apply pressure. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
But let's get into it though.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Right The loveliest talented man Victoria Monet V Monet, Yes, sir,
and the rap rate on podcasts, Yeah, rap right up? Podcast.
Elliott Wilson's name is beat I I what's up baby?
Speaker 3 (06:35):
Looking good? Elliott?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Feeling good? Man. We in Sacramento. Yes, I'm all away
here to see this lovely lady.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Hey Monette, I just name an R and B.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Man.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
Oh my gosh, thank you, thank you so much. Welcome
to sack Town.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Absolutely Sacramento. Like we just got here. What's going on
with Sacramento?
Speaker 4 (06:51):
You know what? So much has changed since I moved.
I moved away in two thousand and nine, so I'm
learning a little bit today. Like you are, but Sacramento
is really really cool. Growing up here, it was awesome,
lots of diversity, great musical taste. There's also like left
of center, very eclectic people here. We called the City
(07:12):
of Trees, so there's lots of weed, like kind of
hippie style people. So I love it here and it's
really beautiful, like lots of greenery.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
And do you think the environment kind of spurred your creativity?
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Definitely? Yeah. I mean the crew that I was rolling
with shout out to Boogey Monsters, But I was in
a dance group called Boogey Monsters here in Sacramento, and
they shaped a lot of my style because they were
all wearing like Jordan's dunks, like baggy pants, and they
shaped a lot of my musical taste by introducing me
to music that they were choreographing too that I hadn't
(07:43):
quite heard yet. And then they play a lot of
mainstream radio music here, so I was introduced to like
top forty music, and then my mom was listening to
like Boujiu Bontan and like Elvis Crespo, like random different things.
So I think it all melted together to make my
musical taste.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
It seems like every city you're in you're owning right
now this year.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yeah, we all to congratulations on the success of the tour.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
You an now sit back in September, the tickets sold
out in like thirty seconds.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Oh my god. I got cussed out so bad online.
They were like we were the tickets were in our
queue and then now they're gone. I don't say how
I added it to my car. You need to do
bigger than I'm getting cussed out. My team's getting cussed
out for it. But I'm just very thankful to see
the reciprocation because it's my first headlining tour, so we
really didn't know, you know, so we had to time. Sure,
(08:35):
I'm going to do it again.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Were you anticipating the fans to show out like that?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
No?
Speaker 4 (08:39):
No, no, no, no, not at all. I thought, you know,
we put the tickets up for sale. I want to say,
like a month ahead of time, if I'm remembering correctly,
So I thought, yeah, maybe by the first date of
the tour, like things should be sold out, but not
in seconds. You know. You were like, oh okay, so
we see what's what's up and gone to upgrade.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Accordingly, which been your favorite seed to performing?
Speaker 4 (09:05):
You know what I get. I just get surprised every
night at how much people know. I put the album
out two weeks before I toured, so it's just been
really cool to see how quickly people are learning the music.
I'm performing songs that had just come out, so of
course they know the other older songs, but to know
a new album that quickly, I feel is really impressive.
(09:25):
But I have a show here in Sacramento tomorrow, yes,
so like that's how I'm ending the American leg of
the tour. So I don't know, I'm gonna save my
favorite to see a Sacramento you know, tops everything.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
What do you think it's gonna be e motionwise for
you tomorrow? Is it gonna happen?
Speaker 4 (09:43):
I think I'm gonna be a mess, like before the show,
during and after the show, because I think I think
back to two thousand and nine when I was telling
my family that I'm gonna move. We had a going
away party at Golden Corral, yes right, and they and
they were giving me money to like, you know, just
(10:03):
like say you know, best of look and to now
have them be able to come to a show and
see the reasons why I miss some of those birthday
parties and some of those Christmas gatherings, and like the
emotion that'll be surrounded, you know, surrounding me, just seeing
me accomplish some of my dreams. I think it's going
to be a lot. Oh my god, Yeah, I think.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
It's to you. I get one.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
Hey, yeah, you know what I'm saying. People are people
are in the DMS. Okay, but I remember me right, Yeah,
like you're dark gray, but I'm so. I'm just happy
to be home.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
It feels really good to be home, he mentioned. So
that's this major turnpoint in your life. Two thousand and nine,
you moved to LA. I want to make, you know,
we want to make it. Want to be a star,
I want to break into the business. Yeah. We are
now fourteen years later, and it seems like you finally
are getting the success kind of the way you foresee it. Like, yeah,
Like what do you attribute that to?
Speaker 4 (10:59):
I think I have to say it's like determination. I
think when people discover that I'm a tourist, their first
thing that they say, oh, you're a bullheaded, you're bullheaded,
you're stubborn. But I think another way, I like to
look at taurists is that we're very determined. Instead of
looking at it as stubborn, it's like we are very
(11:19):
driven to get exactly what we want. And so there's
been a lot of no's. There's been a lot of
times where I should have been like packed it up
and moved back to Sack. But because of my bullheadedness
and my determination, and I think a lot of tenacity
and everything that surrounds someone who just really wants something
really bad, that's why I'm still going for it fourteen
(11:40):
years later, China, and it still feels like the beginning,
which is crazy new artist, right, Yeah, I just found
out today that I'm nominated for Soul Train Awards in
one of the categories is best New Artists. It's like,
you know what I mean. Yes, it's really awesome.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
With Kelly Rowland, she said that you forced everyone to
step the fuck up. That's not like something Kelly would say.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
She has been Oh my gosh, she's been such an
amazing role model and sister figure. And it's really crazy
to even be having conversations with her because she's someone
that I looked up to buying albums here in Sacca
when I was in a girl group early on in
my career, like we just were singing Destiny's Child covers
(12:28):
and like, you know, looking up to them to just
have her pour into me and have conversations about how
great my heart is, or like how just any compliments
that she gives feels like a real privilege and dream
come true to just hear that from an idol, you know.
So it's really awesome, but it's true.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
I think anytime someone's talking about Victoria Money, it's like
she's such a great live performer. Like that's like one
of the first things people say, how did you become
such a great live performer?
Speaker 4 (12:57):
You know what? I attribute that to sach. It first
started in Sacramento. I went to Sheldon High School, which
is a performing art high school in Sacramento, and after
school I was in the dance program, so I was
rehearsing there. And then after that I would go rehearse
with Bogeymont Stars and from like eight pm to two
am because they were already out of high school, so
I was rehearsing late hours. I actually got kicked out
(13:19):
of my house for this because my mom was like,
you are not about to come to my household at
two am, and I was like, I just want to dance.
It felt very much like like Sister Act, I just
want to go to this thing. So like it's been
building the performance ability and agility has like I've been
working on it for a really long time, then adding
you know, more vocals into it, like singing on the treadmill,
(13:41):
like just making sure that I'm training like an athlete
and going to the gym and taking things seriously, drinking
the right types of water, you know, like taking everything
that I should be doing and just like combining it
and making sure I'm consistent with it. So I think
I've just been working a lot behind the scenes, and
now that it is time for the curtains to open,
(14:03):
I feel like since I've been working on it for
so long, it just seems like, oh, people will comment like, oh,
she's new, but it seemed like she must have been
doing this for a long time, and I'm like, you're
not wrong. It's just been working on.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
It for long, even like with like the Fallent appearance, right,
like that's a TV show, but it feels like, yeah,
we could have been at a show, like we could
have paid money this same. Hey, you know what, I mean,
and I thought something cool too, like you came out,
you said your name, you said the song like sometimes
my time you see artists perform like new artists, I
always say, like they don't say who they are. Really
claim your space. I feel like your whole presence, besides
(14:36):
the great dancing is you really know how to claim
your presence in your space.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Thank you, Thank you so much. That means a lot.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
I appreciate absolutely. The breath control was crazy. I saw
the clip that went viral last year at Soul Balloom.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
Yeah some cutdown.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Yeah, I think I think you were either doing that
or performing ass like that. And I was like, no,
I can hear all the words and it's like real time,
it's not no background vocals. So I was really impressed
by that.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Thank you so much. Someone commented that I should just
just get the mic so I can free up that
other hand, the old school nineties mic. I'm like, that's
not a bad idea.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. You have
a huge hit record, yes, it's called My Mama. Like,
talk to me, like, like, what is it like for
you to have your own hit? This massive hits?
Speaker 4 (15:25):
It's really crazy. It's really really special. It was, to
be honest, when I wrote on My Mama, I had
just had my daughter, and I was feeling like I
wasn't good, Like I was a little bit outside of
(15:46):
my body and my head's face was not good. I
was dealing with postpartum bad and I wasn't sure with
the pandemic and everything like how things would come back
to like for me. And I think that some of
that was a little bit of an old way of thinking,
because early on in my career it was ingrained that like,
you know, performing artists don't have boyfriends, they don't have babies,
(16:09):
and they don't like they're not old, they have to
be young. So like all of those thoughts come up
when you make a life change, like have a baby.
So going in the studio, I didn't know what much
else to write about because I was just breastfeeding, like
you know, like I don't know, I don't know what
to say anymore. And so My Mama just was a
(16:29):
concept that came and was something that I needed to
hear and be able to use affirmations to say good
things about myself and just felt like a fun record.
So it's almost like a gift to myself that it's
such a big song now because it's like because you
were determined and because you still put it on, recorded
(16:50):
that idea and kept going, I'm going to reward you
with this being the biggest song because you know, I
would have thought it was songs before this before, you know,
because I recorded that at a time where I was like,
I wasn't thinking that I had it anymore. I was like, dang,
I don't know. Maybe I'm not a good songwriter, not
a good artist. So it just have you ever seen
(17:11):
that there's like a I don't know if you would
call it a meme, but it's like this guy who's
like digging for gold and he starts to stop right
where the gold is and he turns around. But if
you just like kept going that a little bit more
than you would have hit the gold. And I feel like,
my mama and this era was that little bit more
for me. So I'm just like, oh my god, So
(17:34):
I'm really grateful.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
When did you start feeling that it was It was
one of those ones that it was. It was impacting.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Probably tour really like just to see people sing it
back to me, and actually also the response to the
music video when people started to yeah. Yeah, the feedback
from the album and the video, so like the culmination
of all these things feels like the tumbleweed is rolling
right now and it's just gathering so much so, but
(18:03):
in the past few months, I feel like I'm realizing
a lot about the importance of having done these records
at this time. So it's like perfect timing, Like everything's
happening now.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I was saying that the guy was a Charlie Charlie Boy.
I look so happy in the video.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
He killed it.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
He's great that you don't paid him home is putting
them in an individuals.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
I'm so glad he was able to join and he
came out from one of the tour stops to join
me on stage to do it too, and we did well.
He killed it. Yes, he was singing, and I was like,
someone said, uh, Charlie Boy turned to Charlie Wilson. Really yeah,
he killed it. So it's been awesome just to have
(18:47):
the love, genuine love from the original artist and from
Texas Southern culture, and like, it's just been really amazing.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
How your mama feel about how your mama Oh she she.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Literally was like, oh, you want this song about me.
You know, the first time I played it for her,
she was like, yeah, she loved it. So when I
asked her to be in the video. She was in
one of the last scenes of the video. It was
like probably two or three am. Finally her turn. And
so when we got her on camera, she was like, oh,
I don't know what to do. What do I do?
I was like, let me just dance. You got it,
(19:19):
And so the camera turned on, she goes and she
just starts hitting a.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Bunch of people.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
I'm like, who is this? The dancers were all shocked.
It was just such a great moment. And then I
also had my daughter in the video, so it just
seems like a multi generational, really good feeling that we
have on film that can like a home video but
for the world. You know.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
I think the moment that everyone loves is that part
where you take off the jackets and oh.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
My god, that's so fluid.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, Like, how many takes did y'all do to get
that one right?
Speaker 2 (19:47):
One?
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Literally one we had one take. When you get start
to get in production, it just people start moving fast
and we have to be out of the venue at
a certain time, and like you just start to cut stuff,
but you plan to film, and that scene was one
that was going to be cut. I was like, we
gotta let's just hit it one time. So we just
had to nail it and get it done. And I
(20:08):
thought originally it was going to have like more angles
and stuff, but it just worked out exactly how it
was supposed to be perfect. I'm trying to see if
someone can figure out how to do it, like if
a TikToker, if somebody can like get it right. I
haven't seen it yet.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
What that we haven't seen it? How much closer are
we all to the makan A Stallion on My Mama remix?
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Oh my god, you tell me, because I really have
been like trying to manifest that I did hang with
her the other night for Halloween. Didn't mention that. I
feel like it wasn't the time and place, but like
that's the one, like that's the one feature. Well, there's
a couple, but definitely her, definitely Beyonce. It would be
like obviously dream Renaissance. Yes, I just it just makes
(20:53):
so much sense to just being that they're both from Texans.
It's Texas and just such a cultural thing, right. But
I would be honored if it's not that just doing
anything with me because people say that we're twins. So
we were talking about it. We were like, we finally
proved that we're two different people.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Oh, you hadn't met. That was the first time.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
We've seen each other in passing it an award show,
and then this was really the first time we had
a full conversation. Yeah in costume, in costume, yeah, well
on Halloween costumes. It was fun.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Sticking on a wrap though. You know, although, like I said,
you're the hottest name in R and B, your producer
d Mile you said you're a rap on the low
for real, for real punch lines, be punching. I love
the line on O Mama you say, I'm so deep
in my bag like a grandma. Wouldn't a peppermint?
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Visual always hip a peppermint?
Speaker 4 (21:46):
Yes, isn't it true? That's that church?
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Yeah? But do you join inspiration from like rappers and
hip hop?
Speaker 4 (21:52):
I definitely love hip hop so much and just being
a dancer, dancing to hip hop you always get. You
listen to the music a lot, learning the choreography, so
you get to hear some lyrics over and over again
and try to get dissect what it means. The cadences
are super cool. I feel like they just be talking
shit so much and it's really fun. So I like
(22:14):
to try to do that in my music. Just talk
a little bit, but make it pretty and melodic, but
also just like have fun, fun with it.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
How did you develop as a songwriter?
Speaker 4 (22:25):
I do it a lot. I feel like ten thousand
plus hours really, and then also sharing space with other
people that you are inspired by can really help. Listening
to different types of music. I think one thing that
helped me is like, instead of always listening to what
is being played right now today, I'll go back and
(22:46):
still listen to like seventies music, or like sometimes just
like motown, or listen to like Brazilian seventies music, like
just trying to like change it up. Listen to Shot
for a little bit because she's very poetic, just switching
it up and drawing inspiration from things that aren't at
(23:08):
maybe mainstream right now, so that you can differentiate yourself
from maybe what is.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Like trendy, you know, And although you've written songs and
hooks for others, like, are there moments where you want
to keep them all to yourself?
Speaker 4 (23:20):
No, I really enjoy writing for other people. I think
that my voice everything is not for my voice and
not for my style and not for my my I
guess my message. Like there's so many different ways to
express myself when I feel like being a songwriter allows
me to jump into someone else's world, Like what if
(23:42):
I wanted to write a country song and Victoria Monet
as an artist is not at that place right now,
So like it's cool to just be able to like
spread ideas across and like, you know, have conversations with
people that maybe bring their ideas to life. Like if
I sat down with a country artists or like of
(24:03):
death metal artists or its something like, and they tell
me what's going on with their life, I'd be able
to express that completely differently than how I would say
it in that same situation in my own song. So
it's just like being a painter and having different colors
to use, you know.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
How do you view a Victoria Monais soon, Like what
are the elements in there that I assist that you think?
Speaker 4 (24:22):
For Jaguar Era, it's definitely horns. Music's very horny. Yeah, yes,
lots of horns. I love live music, live instrumentation. I
feel like That's another element sonically that I really stand by.
It's using live musicians. I also love just being a
little bit playful, and that since I write my own music,
(24:46):
it maybe flows a little bit easier, just because I
don't have to consult, I guess, with anybody to say
like do you like this idea? Should we say this?
It's just all in here, so like it's just kind
of a little bit more free, free flowing for me.
But yeah, the goal in any session of writing any
song is just to make the best song possible that day,
(25:07):
with whatever tools that you have that day. I feel
like ideas are like things that blow in the wind,
and if you catch one, you're lucky, and if you
let it go, it goes to somebody else some different time.
But it's unlimited. So like if you go on the studio,
you're gonna get whatever you have. You know, if your
hands are open, something will land.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
And I read one of your interviews when you said
sometimes you almost have to just get the bad ideas
out if it isn't clicking right, and just stay in it, just.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Go yeah, yeah, just just it's kind of an exercise,
like I guess, you know, if you practice seven days
a week. One of those days might not be as good,
but then maybe the seventh day is the game. But
if you didn't do the sixth day that was bad,
maybe it'll end up being on your game day. So
(25:52):
it's like you just gotta keep working.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Or a year ago, you said you wanted to make
a classic love song that Anita Baker would be, Yes,
you feel like you've done that yet, Well.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
I'd have to hear from her. I'd have to hear
from her, but I I feel like, yes, that's the one.
I feel like. Would would uh, I would guess she
may be proud of But I am going to see
her in December. Yeah, I'm going to go to her show.
So if we ever get a chance to speak, and
if she's even listened at all, I would. I would
(26:23):
hope that I've made her proud because she's inspired me
so much and just brought so many moments, so much color,
so much more color with her music.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
So it's funny you mentioned how does it feel, Elie?
I love the way that song bleeds into all my mama.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
It's crazy, right. There was a there's a composer named
Puranahead out of Detroit who did that transition. And he
has this orchestra called the Soul Chestra, so it's his
own string players and people that played live to make
that transition happen. And we thought it was sick. D
Mile orchestrated that situation. He knows Barana had very well. Well,
(27:00):
he also Parana had. Did I did an album live well,
not last year, the year before of orchestral arrangements of
Jaguar and Paranahead did all those arrangements as well. So
shout out to Paranhahead one time out of Detroit. But yeah,
he killed that transition.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
And D Miley he spoke of he spoke of you earlier.
What do you make of him?
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Like?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Why is he a go to guy? Like? What makes
him so special as a producer?
Speaker 4 (27:23):
Well, I think our relationship goes beyond production. When I
moved to atlant in two thousand and nine, like I
was saying, he was someone who let the girl group
that I was in stay in his home. He had
a three bedroom apartment with two other guys, and it
was there was like eight of us staying in his
home because they opened their home to us. We didn't
have any place to go. So our relationship started there
(27:47):
that's my brother for life. Like whether or not we
do another song, I just know that he's a great
person and he cares about people, and he loves great music,
and he bases his collaborations more so on that than
who's got the most streams or who's popping. Like he'll
go if you have one listener and he thinks you're incredible,
he'll you knowsional session and get inspired. So I just
(28:12):
love him so much. I think we have a great
thing going sonically. But again, even if we never made
another song, like that's my bro.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
I love the fact, like on the album on Draguar two,
you don't stick to traditional formats, like one of my
favorites is all right, and like the verses are real short.
Yeah you have like three choruses and stuff like that.
Ain't have like a rap kind of flow too.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
Yeah, I just love changing the cadences up a little bit.
I do love like rhythm. Maybe that's something that I
got from dance too, because when you're choreographing hip hop,
you can dance in between certain rhythms and you like
pay attention to cadences of lyrics. So like some of
the syncopations and stuff the switches are nice to have
(28:57):
and song. Yeah, I feel like I try, I know
the traditional formats of music, but then it's like you
learn all the rules and then you forget them. You
can break them, right, Yeah, So I guess that's what
I try to do a little bit, is just switch
things up. You know, how does it make you feel?
It's not a normal, normal time signature. It switches from
(29:21):
three four to four to four. So it's like, that's
another fun thing, you know. Stop asking me for shits
like random. It slows down me to like talk and
shit Like, I feel like it's just fun to kind
of just stir stir it up, mix things up.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Well, stop asking me for inspired by true events.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Not specifically true events. I think it's just like in general,
you want you to put your phone on to not
to start, you know. I felt like a very relatable concept.
And it actually came about because I was writing another
song with DMA on the room and for some reason
the lyrics to stop asking me for shit came, but
(30:04):
it wasn't to that beat that was that was looping
in the studio. So the next day they made a
beat and I was like, huh, I don't really like it,
and then the third day, I said, can you just
play that beat that you guys played yesterday and it
will stop asking me for shit. But then I just
put the lyrics I had to that, and just like
(30:24):
it just worked. So you just never know how stuff
ends up happening for the better good.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
You know, since we talked about Jagua too, it was
supposed to be a trilogy, right, yes, why'd you scrap
that idea?
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Well, Pandemic. I didn't expect there to be three years
in between these albums. It was going to be like,
you know, my original plan was just to put three
projects out so I could microdose people into my music.
And so I know, attention spands are super short, and
I just wanted to it not overwhelm. I had a
(30:58):
lot of music to give, but not overwhelm them and
put it all in one project. So I was like,
let's just split it up. But then when I started
splitting things up and I just picked the very best
songs I had, then I was like, I feel like
this project is not done. And so once I finished
that it became Jaguar two. I was like, I feel
like I've completed the sentence that I wanted to say
(31:19):
with Jaguar so I didn't feel it necessary to do
a third. I mean, technically there kind of will be,
because I want to do a Deluxe, So if you
want to look at that as a third, it could be.
But I just felt like Jaguar two, I made the
statement that I wanted to make you.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Know, You've been even very precise with the rollout throughout
the whole year, like what made you start with Smoke
the Lucky Day collaboration.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Between Jaguar one and two. I felt like Smoke was
the most consistent with the sonics of Jaguar one. So
I kind of wanted to usher people into the new
era and give them something familiar but still new for Victoria,
and then go into the other eras the other pages
(32:04):
of Jaguar two, because then I went into Party Girls,
which is a more like Island, you know, a Jamaican vibe,
and then we went to a nineties early two thousands
vibe with All My Mama, So it kind of journeys
you through seventies into like nineties like reggae, into like
(32:26):
early two thousands Victoria.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Also, like those promo skits you shot around smoke and
stuff like that. Yeah, acting's fun.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
It's so fun. I'm just like crossing my fingers on
SNL like. But I have such a great creative team.
We have a creative group chat and just so fun
to just throw ideas out there and see what sticks
and what we can accomplish, how much it's gonna cost
to do, you know, pull all these ideas together. But
(32:54):
it's really fun to just kind of dabble in the
acting world but still make it. It's still involved with
my music because one day I do want to like
separately act and also write scripts for sitcoms and you know,
use my pen in that way. You know.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
Yeah, I know the visuals are really important to you
because you're not afraid to do bro for a video
like a body Girl at the Jamaica moment. You did
that in South Africa. Yes, so the budget don't make
mean nothing.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Well, you know what, you don't have to climb the
pole for smoke.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Hey, you know what I did?
Speaker 2 (33:28):
I worked.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
I worked really hard for that. There was also another
music video for that I originally pulled danced for for
Freak and it's just like high respect stripper so much.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Good God damn say it will stop me from spinning
us up.
Speaker 4 (33:43):
I was on the spin poole and I was like,
I finally got this move. And the tighter you are
to the pole, the faster it spins. So it's this
move where I had to be tight to the poles
and I finally nailed it. I was like, yes, I
was like I don't know how to stop myself. So
that was that was a time, my god. But now
I have been to Magic City since and I'm like,
(34:05):
oh my god, oh my god. Crazy. It's like it's
a different style, but it's just like so much core work.
They are athletes truly, It's like it's insane. So shout
out to shout out to y'all.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
But what was it like meeting Bouja BoNT On in
Jamaica doing the video experience.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
He is.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
Incredible. He's super powerful. The way he speaks to you
when he wants to say something important, how intense. He
looks into your eyes and he's like serious. It's almost
like big bro, like I'm telling you this and I'm
dead ass, you know. But when I first was talking
to him, it was through WhatsApp because I hadn't gotten
(34:47):
to Jamaica yet, and so he had to like break
some things down from because his acts and I was
like what, so he would just like take his time
with me because he knows something I didn't completely understand.
But it's really amazing to have someone like that, Like
your mom was listening to is.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
Your mom Caribbean?
Speaker 4 (35:09):
No? Okay mobile Ale.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Yeah, because when I heard that vibe yeah that she
listened to Bouju like till Shallow was one of my
favorite albums for him, and I'm like, okay, that's very specific.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
Yes, I'm like, why did you? I want to know
who introduced her to But she was also listening to
Uncle Luke, so like she just had maybe some cool
friends that had great musical taste and just put her on.
But it was in those moments where she was like
in a great mood and wanted to clean the house
and like just vibing. So I just feel like I
(35:43):
have a really cool moment.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Yeah crazy And that song, it's like he just gives
you a no.
Speaker 4 (35:50):
Yeah, well we gave it. When we first gave him
the song to rap too, it was like still the
production from the first part of the song. So when
he gave he gave us his verse back, we were like, oh,
we got to take it to Jamaica. So then a
producer named Drettie came in and recreated the beat under
his verse, so it felt more like his world. Oh wow,
just like it turned it all the way up. So
(36:12):
it was just like such an amazing back and forth
process of making that that record and then the video too,
Like I'm like, dang, maybe I need to make I
need to make a song that where I can go
to Greece, you know, like specifically so I can travel
to do the video there. But yeah, it was really
awesome mixed me.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Then you returned to favor you on his album Yes
Touching Body, Yes.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yes, it's swap.
Speaker 4 (36:37):
Yeah. Yeah. He was like, do you have any songs
that that you think I could write on in the end,
So when I sent that, he was like like, basically
just wait till I send you back this record. So
it's just so cool, like some of the things that
you think of as a kid that seems so distant
that you just got to let time do its thing,
(36:58):
you know, and they come to you.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
Speaking of that, how do you get earth Winding Fire
on your album?
Speaker 4 (37:04):
I will never get over it. But my manager is
a beast. She knew that The inspiration for Jaguar One
was Earths Winding Fire and listening to their music and
you know, hearing the horn arrangements and their strings and
how it made people feel to listen to their music.
I was listening to a lot of that when making
Jaguar One, So it was an idea, like we wanted
(37:28):
to have them on the project, and she made it
happen and they were down, like they were very receptive
to the music. I got a call from Verding White
the other day. I'm like, it's my life. He just
he said he saw me on fallin he you know,
he knows the tours going on, and it's just really crazy,
(37:49):
Like my life is just changing so fast, and I'm
trying to be present and like take it all in
and like because a lot of the things that are
happening are things that I had written down before, like
wish for before, and I'm also writing more things and
wishing for more things right now. But I don't want
to get to ahead of myself and just try to
enjoy the things that are happening now, you know what
(38:10):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Well, I love about that. So in Hollywood, is that
the hook you say, you say you're dreaming bigger than
I ever should. Yeah, what were some of those dreams
like early on?
Speaker 4 (38:19):
Well, well, I feel like when I say that lyric,
it's more so I'm kind of like, you know, when
you come from a town like this, You're like, yeah,
I want the lights and I want you know, I
want to leave my mark on history, and I want
the fancy car that I see on the TV. And
I want the big house by the Malibu beach, you know,
(38:41):
these like physical tangible things and then having my daughter,
and it's also writing just about more important things in life.
You just realize that like you don't need any of that.
It's really more so about genuinely being happy with where
you're what you're doing, like pursuing things that make you happy,
(39:03):
saying no to the things that you don't, saying no
to the people that don't make you happy, and surrounding
yourself with people who you truly love, creating a legacy
through your bloodline or through who you can help. And
so the record just kind of challenges all of the
things that I say, you know, maybe people move to
La to get and just takes you back to the
root of it all, which is happiness, family, quality, time
(39:26):
and those things. So that's why I put my daughter
on the record with them.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
Yeah, I think you're doing an amazing job with that,
and I sold one of your Instagram dedications. You also
made a point of saying how it's important for your
daughter to have a front row seat to see all
the hard work. Yeah, Like, why do you think that?
Why do you want her to be seeing everything going on?
Speaker 4 (39:45):
You know what, I saw my mom do it too.
My mom was a single mom. She got pregnant at nineteen.
I know a lot of people have a similar story,
but I saw her working three jobs and I saw her,
you know, want to go back to school and finish
school and try to provide the best life for me,
make changes in my life and sacrifices in hers. One
(40:05):
of the things she made sure made happen was the
fact that I went to Sheldon High School, which is
a performing our school. We had to change our address
to do so because we didn't live in the area
where they accepted my you know, accepting me as a student.
So like she had some finessing going on just to
make sure that I was raised a certain way. And
I saw and did what I needed to do, and
(40:26):
I think that I'm trying to make those same efforts
with my daughter, and I think just the same way
that I do, she's gonna she's gonna take those characteristics
and apply them herself. She's watching everything. She's watching my
show and she probably shouldn't anymore. She's like doing the dances.
I'm like, no, no, no, no, singing the lyrics. She knows stop.
(40:48):
She knows smoke like I'm like, okay. One time we
were at a restaurant and we were listening to I
believe I was listening to the mix of smoke in
the car. And so she's in the car and she's
we get into the line, the food line. We were
at Porthos, shout out to Porthos and we were in
the line and she's in her stroller. She's like, Mama,
(41:10):
I want to go go back to the car. I
want to go smoke. I'm like, what, I want to
go smoke? What she meant is what she wants to
go back to listen to smoke. I'm like, you were
going to get me arrested. The people are going to
figure out here smoking with me. But it's just like now,
it's just at that age where she's two and a half.
She's listening and watching everything. So as much bad things
(41:31):
that are out there that she could see, I want
to be the good things that she could see and
the good examples that she could apply to her young life.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
You said, understand the sacrifices.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
Yeah, so that you tweeted, you said, she said, I
want to be Mama on stage.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
Yes, she said it literally. She said it again this morning.
I said, what do you want to do today? She said,
I want to sing like Mama, Like, oh.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
My god, my heart.
Speaker 4 (41:56):
She really really knows how to just grab it and
hold it. But yeah, yeah, she's starting to be vocal
about what she wants to do. She's in the mirror
doing her own baby shock dances and everything. So hey, kids,
bop us up.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
Victoria. She is on Hollywood. I don't know if you
have the money for the feature for the next time.
Speaker 4 (42:16):
I know, I know it's expensive, very expensive feature, but
she does. I gave her her pub on Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
So so well, Hollywood, why did you get so deep
at there? What do you live for? What do you
what do you be for? Damn? Victoria questions?
Speaker 4 (42:28):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
It's okay, music can be therapy too.
Speaker 4 (42:34):
It was there. Music has been definitely very therapeutic for me,
just to express whatever I'm holding and just write it
and like release it.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
You know, so is going to be on any more songs?
Speaker 4 (42:47):
Shoot, I think she's ready for her own album intro. Yeah, yeah,
but I would love to do more with her. I
actually want to do like have you guys ever heard
of Gracie's Yeah, like something like that with her, like
her have her own world so I can make child
appropriate music because she can't keep singing party girls like
(43:12):
oh no birthday party girls. You know, party girls a
party training song. Let's change the lyrics. Yeah yeah yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
You also take your talents across the pond in a
few weeks, right, Yes, it's they your first time headlining
a show over in Europe?
Speaker 4 (43:29):
Yes, wow, yeah, first time before the last time I
was there it was opening I was on a tour
opening for Ariana Grande there Dangerous Woman tours. So I
haven't actually performed there since. I've been back once once,
So like, it's definitely time to go to London and
like see the town and all my mom is being
(43:52):
received really well there now too.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
So yeah, so much so you had to put a
second date to Yes, there's.
Speaker 4 (43:59):
Two shows in and then I'm going to Brazil. Oh man, Yeah,
South America. Here we come.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Get the passports.
Speaker 4 (44:07):
Come on, round it up. You already came to Sacramento,
so you might as well fly.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
You know what I'm saying, Go where victorious?
Speaker 4 (44:14):
Yeah, let's go.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
But speaking of Ariana, I saw some article someow you
had two of her biggest hits right, two number ones,
and then that was kind of the main point of
where it's like I could be looked at as this
person who's songwriter, extraordinary. Everybody comes to me at that
moment you pivoted and really went for it and made
this happen.
Speaker 4 (44:35):
Yes, yes, you know, it's kind of a scary thing
because at the time you get you're getting all these
calls and you're not sure if it's the right move.
But the instinct was there, and I had a crazy
discussion with my team about it, and you know, everyone
was on board and pushing me to like, this is,
you know, one of the biggest decisions of your life,
you know, because it could change everything how you navigate
(44:58):
right now could really just be the foundation for everything
that you've wanted. So we got in the studio and
you know I think that now looking back right move.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
Yeah, congratulations, absolutely, thank you so appreciate you. Thank you
for taking the time.
Speaker 4 (45:17):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
You guys want you to tear it down more at
the hometown. Shall go?
Speaker 4 (45:21):
Are you guys coming? I'm out of here. I'm only
here for this, okay, you know what.
Speaker 3 (45:31):
I might have to stay a little bit longer.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Come on, it's only like twenty four hours.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
I think you're right that that's not that Also, isn't
that bad? When you saw Beyonce you tweeted that she's
the greatest performer live. No debate about it, yo.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
Don't ask no questions like it's true?
Speaker 2 (45:50):
What are you doing?
Speaker 4 (45:52):
I saw her in two cities that are in l
A and Houston.
Speaker 2 (45:55):
I saw in London. I saw what so did you
in London?
Speaker 4 (45:59):
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (46:00):
It's her best tour though, I think it's crazy. She's
killing it.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
I saw it on Instagram, knows.
Speaker 4 (46:10):
Well, you know what. You could see it in theaters. Hey, yay,
So she got your back. You see how byance is
so great? She just she thought of you. So I'm
excited to see because I know she has so much
other footage of how the process, and so I'm always
inspired by her as not only an artist but a mom,
(46:31):
a mother of three, like navigating a whole world tour,
sixty something shows and more because she's not just touring,
she's doing other things in between. Just got some perfume out,
you know. And so I watching Life as but a Dream,
or like documentaries where she's talking about the personal size
and like balancing at all as a mom, or even
(46:53):
the Coachella doc. You know, it's all been super inspiring
and just real like it's something that you don't even
realize you feel until you actually experience it. So you
become a mom, you can't really prepare for it, you know.
So it's been really cool to just get an inside
view on one of the biggest stars in the world,
(47:15):
but also the human element of you know, still holding
together a family with the.
Speaker 2 (47:19):
Soul illness even you know, also in your music, how
does it feel with all my mom and how it's
become sort of this empowerment, right, yeah, how well receive
other women are taking in famous women? Right? You know,
women we don't know that cutting these videos and just
a sort of organic connection to the song.
Speaker 4 (47:34):
I couldn't dream of anything more. It's like what I
got from other artists is what I wanted to give
to people. And I feel like just seeing these videos,
I feel like I'm, you know, at that point where
people are, you know, I want, I want to inspire people.
I want to live in this, live this life, to
inspire others, to give all that I can give to
(47:57):
other people and just make their lives happier, better And
within the three minutes they're listening to my music or
the hour they come to my show, or you know,
just whatever I could do to be of service to
like the world. So I think with on my mama,
seeing the reaction is like a really great start.
Speaker 2 (48:17):
Absolutely, thank you, Victoria Monet.
Speaker 3 (48:22):
Podcast rap Radar is The Interval Presents original production from
hyper House, produced by Laura Wasser, Hosts and producers Elliott
Wilson and Brian b. Dot Miller From Interval Presents executive
producers Alan Coy and Jake Kleinberg, Executive producer Paul Rosenberg.
Editing is sound design by Dylan Alexander Freeman, recording engineer
(48:43):
Jeremy Ogletree. Special thanks to Charlotte Jenkins, Tammy Kim and
Jasmine Sanchez, Operations Lead Sarah Yu, business development Lead Cheffie
Allen swag and Marketing lead Samara Still. Make sure to
follow rap Raator or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music,
or wherever you get your pop cast
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