October 29, 2025 • 60 mins
This week on R&B Money, Tank and J Valentine sit down with Singer, Entertainer, Actor and Author, Omarion. In Part One of this Two-Part episode, Omarion will take us back in time through his journey in Los Angeles, booking a Pops commercial as a teen, teaching himself to backflip and going to his play-auntie's house party that resulted in the formation of the Legendary B2K. O will discuss the origin of his name, his beginnings as a rapper, the feeling of rejection, the triumph of success, the Power of Choosing Joy, childhood friends parting ways, moving forward and ultimately, Reflection. Listen and Enjoy the Young Legend, Omarion Part 1
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
R and B money.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
We are thanks take we are a Tardi on all
things R and B.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Ladies and gentlemen, what's going on? I am tank Valentine
and this Yeah, this is.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
The r VY money podcast, man Lord on all things,
all of them, all of it.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Let's go R and B Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Yeah, oh man, Yeah, this is rare organic or ghanic
r B. Yeah, alkalaina alkaline R and B.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
H you you're getting your fruits and beggies? Yeah? Are
you getting your fruits and water melons? You got? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Very few people go from child star, child superstar. You're
grown man, grown superstar. And this man has done it
in all sectors, uh, TV, film and music. Ladies and gentlemen,
our brother, our friend, I love one, mister Maria.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
Day, Valentine, thank you for having me, Thank you for
having me. Man. All is well, All is well in
an alignment.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, yeah, you're using words, using words.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Listen.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I want to do I want to do a little
promoting off the top, promote, off the top, off book, yes, unbothered.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yes, the power of choosing joy, the.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Power of choosing joy out right now. Yes, indeed, just
give me, give me a couple of bars on that, man,
how did you just what what what made you take
this road?
Speaker 1 (01:52):
And upon completion, how.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Do you feel with all of this, all this good
stuff happening around this Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:57):
So you know, my experience, you know, with love, uh,
in certain instances have been very public, you know, So
my life truly inspired this book. You know, there is
real power and you know, not allowing outside forces to
(02:18):
you know, cripple your mindset and your perspective. Hence the
you know drop title Choosing Joy. And you know, the
fans dubbed me unbothered, mister unbothered, you know, they gave
me that name, they gave me that title, but it truly, uh,
you know, gave a name to a posture that I
feel like I've been holding my whole life, you know
what I mean. So it's journal prompts in there, it's meditation,
(02:43):
it's affirmation. I'm really speaking from my personal experience and
going through this business and sharing the importance of you know,
being the master of your destiny, you know, choosing you
know what's best for you. And because I went through
the things that I went through, you know, which was
(03:03):
pretty intense, seeing the value of being able to step
back and not allow you know, people to control my
behavior is a powerful thing. You know. I feel like
the culture really needs, you know, some focus on emotional intelligence.
You know, we all speak about mental health, but it
really truly starts with one step, you know, and that's
(03:26):
you deciding, you know, to be where you are value,
to be, where you are appreciated to you know, uh,
be unbothered.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah, because a few bars for you.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
I think that my brother Window got Restle of Soul,
used to tell me, don't let nobody.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Put you in motion. M m.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Don't let nothing or nobody put you in motion.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Facts.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
And in the beginning, it started with you know, oh,
these promoters are saying we gotta or the people at
the radio saying we gotta said no, no, we'll move
when it's time to move.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
We don't have to react.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Yeah, well, we'll.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Let them do what they're gonna do, and then we'll
figure out what we're going to do. And then that's
what we'll do, not based on anything that's going on
around us. But when when you adopt it into your
into your spirit, into your everyday movements, it's like the
choices you make dictate how you live your life, you
(04:28):
know what I mean. So the choice that the underlying
choosing joy is a real choice that you have to make,
you have to want to make. They always called me
the glass half full, because that's how I choose to
see everything right. There is a reason for this, and
within this there's growth. There's going to be learning. You
(04:51):
Understandre's something in here for me, even if it's only
one little thing. I want to grab onto that and
make that the reason why I'm experiencing.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Whatever they say is so man, I.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Applaud you, thank you, man.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
You've seen the congratulations. Yeah, congratulating, Yeah, you graduate, graduating hair,
your hair, your hair is nice that you just you
just did you for the pot?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
No?
Speaker 5 (05:21):
No, no, actually, yesterday I was on a Black Lady
Sketch comedy show.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Did that you that ball?
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Man? Aren't they amazing?
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Ball?
Speaker 1 (05:35):
You'll see it, don't don't you?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Yeah? Did you go crazy?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Of course? You know, when you get to be yourself.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
People don't get We get an opportunity in that space,
and I think I think those ladies for that where
we get.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
To just have fun straight up. A shout out to Robin.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Yeah, Scott, Robin, we should get to let our hair down.
Gabrielle get let her hair down and have I mean,
you let your hair down. I'm working on mine. I'm growing.
I'm it's some stuff under here. I don't think. I
don't think I ain't got you know what I'm saying.
I don't think I ain't wavy. But all right, so listen,
(06:16):
we've known you when, but you know, we always treated
as if there's somebody watching for the first time, straight up,
and they want to know where did Omarion come from?
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Where? When was the first time somebody said that boy? Good?
Speaker 2 (06:34):
When was the first time you said in your mind, oh, ship,
I got something?
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Yeah, take us back to Inglewood, take us back, take
us yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Yeah, Well, well, you know what, you know, Inglewood was
a special place. And you know, when you're from California,
you know, back then, gangs didn't look like what they
look like now, you know what I'm saying, like gang
gang and did it looked like that? It looked like brotherhood.
It looked like being accepted in the neighborhood. You know,
you know, elders or OG's looking after you, you know
(07:08):
what I mean. So I was just an inner city kid,
you know what I mean? That love to you know,
discover things, you know what I'm saying. I went to
the Boys and Girls Club. You know, I would say
it started for me at this this fine art school
called LAFA.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
That's where I went to.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
And when I went to LAFA for the summer program,
every day we did something different.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
You know.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
We did like seven or eight different dance styles. Uh,
singing was a part of it as well. But that's
when I booked my first quote unquote gig as a performer,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
I came in the game Community program.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
No, actually through an audition that was happening at the
dance studio I was at, Okay, Yeah, and that's actually
where I met ro Rod for the first time too,
you know what I mean. On this audition Cliff and
Ed Moore. You know what I'm saying. So before you know,
I came even into my artistry. You know, I was
(08:09):
very much just you know, an inner city you know
kid that just you know, had the biggest smile and
you know, would try anything, you know what I'm saying.
That's when I was thirteen, I booked my first commercial,
you know what I mean, My pop's commercial, which was
shot at Dorsey, which is the high school my mom
(08:31):
went to you.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
When you're from La you know, it's it's a lot
of places, but it's real small too, you know what
I'm saying. So my mom actually was a hairstylist and
she worked at a lot of the prominent you know,
she worked at Millennium. She used to work at this
other shop on Hollywood and Vine called Afro's of Hollywood.
(08:53):
So yeah, man, I was just an inner city kid,
and you know what I mean, I just you know,
after my pop commercial, you know, I got into B
two K, you know what I'm saying. And okay, so
so at the time, one of the managers was married
(09:13):
to my play aunt. So my plate aunt invited me
to a New Year's party, and of course, you know,
everybody was there. You know, this house on Cold Facts
actually right here in the valley, and everybody would be there.
It's actually before B two K even became who we were,
(09:34):
you know what I mean. We performed for Destiny Child,
Desney Child, used to come through Black, used to come through.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Seven O two. You know what I'm saying. All of
the girls, yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Before you finished them for the white people, can you
explain to them what a plate aunt is Okay, black thing,
I know what you mean. Yes, I would like for
you to explain to them what you know your mama home.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Let me break it down. Let me break it down.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
So my play aunt was actually okay, well I have
to take it back because my nana, which would be
my grandmother, was cool with her mother, and you know,
they used to run this hair salon back in the
day right off of Crenshaw.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
So that's how.
Speaker 5 (10:29):
My play aunt, you know, and my mom they were
around the same age, so they essentially grew up together.
So you know, my mom had me at sixteen, so
she was like a child having a child, so they
grew up together.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
I grew up with him, So that's how that's my
play on.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
She's not literally blood, but you know she grew up
with my mom, so that's the play on.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Yes, it's important.
Speaker 5 (10:53):
I mean I could start so far back, you know,
with this, but really, you know, the highlight is is that,
you know, I was just one of those type of
kids that was excited about life. You know, I had
no fear virtually. I could go anywhere I wanted to go,
and you know, I wanted to entertain, I wanted to
be seen.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
I would.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Jump that you that you just can remember that you
were just that kid that like was dancing for people when.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
You lift anything with you, that kid that, oh, come
downstairs and do the flips.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
I was that kid. And also yeah, I was that kid.
Oh do that dance? Shut up, oh Mary, you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
I was just I have so much energy, so you know,
it was just bound to happen. And also too, because
my mom was a hairstyle and she used to uh
do God's Properties hair.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
She threw a lot of.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
People in the industry hair, so I would be around that,
you know what I'm saying. So yeah, I was always
like an entertaining I grew up in the entertainment business,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Shout out to your mom.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Shout out for.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Really giving you your first platform and believing in it,
because a lot of times people's parents they don't and
it's just something that that happens that people don't speak
about a lot. A lot of entertainers were annoying kids like,
let's just be real.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
Wait a minute, that's hilarious, that's hilarious, that's true. When yeah,
that's facts work shut that shut that shut out.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean. So it make
no money.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
So parents you sing saying they worked and make no money.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Ain't right? All these singing, all these damn songs, ain't
making no money.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
But but shout out to the parents though, Yeah for real?
That that let the kids be creative, yeah and make noise. Yeah,
but the neighbors, you know, tolerated, ain't tolerated, you know,
because that it's a lot of people's dreams.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
That get shut down.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
That's true because sometimes the parents are the surroundings may
not even understand it.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
I can do so exactly like a lot of us are.
Just think. It's just as bad ass kid that won't
shut up with in actuality.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
This is a kid that could grow to work lives.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
It's work and and and again back to this first
generation thing. It's like my parents looking at me, sit
in my room all day and make beats and sing
and write songs.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
You know what I mean. It's kind of weird and
not eat. It's weird. Weird.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Did you eat today? Like you know I'm gonna eating?
You know what time it is? What time is it?
It's eight pm?
Speaker 4 (13:43):
You haven't eaten all day? I still have I just
do on my wake up clothes. I'm in my draws, right.
But I was so consumed with something. I didn't know
what it was. I don't know what to do with it.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
I just knew that I had to make a beat
and I had to write a song and I had
to sing. That's all I knew. Yeah, I was making noise.
I had real amps, you know what I'm saying, Like
somebody my mother come in and kicking the door and hey, hey,
my nigga, but.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
They got you those amps.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
They bought them for me. So it was like it
was like listen. They didn't know how to support it,
but they also knew not to get in a way.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
He's working on something.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
I don't know what he working on something.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Let him do his kids? Be creative? Man, you get
him to be two k Yeah, what is that? What
is that conversation?
Speaker 6 (14:37):
Like?
Speaker 1 (14:37):
How does that conversation go?
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Easy?
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Moms was like, Yo, do you want to be in
a group or what? Because you know, we was at
the New Year's party and you know the other three
boys they start dancing and I'm like, oh, they look
like you know, they're doing their choreography, you know what
I mean. And they're like go ahead. Oh you know
what I'm saying. I sing and then I dance and
then I hit my backflip, and they like back flip.
(15:00):
I got to hit the backflip.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Now, how old are you? Just that?
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Well, you know what.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
I taught myself how to backflip, So I want to
say I was well in my double hand backhand spring vibe.
But I was like maybe fourteen when I met there. Yeah, fourteen.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Only try to backflip once? No, no, it didn't go away.
Never did it again. No, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
The front flip, though, I can get that, which don't
mean ship men't mean it doesn't mean it's with no hands.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
It means it doesn't mean anything. Did you have hands?
That's called a dive. Bro. I'm about to show you
these both of these hands in the to what y'all doing?
I mean with my front flip?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Man, just let me come out self taught. Flippers are
damaged individuals. Our bodies are mess Uh.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
One time I did twenty hands springs in the road
at Sherman Park on the grass.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Oh my lord, I'm going.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
You're still paying for it. To about about fixed your feet.
I flipped off of garage once over rotated and landed
(16:26):
on my neck.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Oh yeah, I was the daredevil too, off of anything. Yeah,
that was anything.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Come on, like that was that was life though?
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Straight up?
Speaker 1 (16:37):
You know what I'm saying. They got you in the group.
It just broke his damn neck. You were actually stunching
my group. It's supposed to be six to six man,
that was real. This ship.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
You see this monkey all off the back cliff, Wait,
this is out of control.
Speaker 5 (16:56):
That's crazy six crazy.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
So yeah, now you're in the group.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Get in the group.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
That's so that's literally your audition parties. Yep, the party,
like we got it.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
We got a young fella, we need him. Yep.
Speaker 5 (17:12):
Come on you you want to be in the group.
Oh you want to be in the group. And I'm
like thinking to myself, like, dang, this would be dope.
You know, I actually was working on, you know, some
solo stuff. I was rapping. I actually did this song
called I Want to Be Like Puff and I actually
got my name. Yeah I want to be like Puff.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
I was rapping.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
Yeah, I started, I started rapping and did you have
a rapp n Yeah, I actually got my name from
I used to be in this rap crew with with
all adults called the Wild Kingdom. And there was this
dude named Ruckus that was in the group and he
named me on Marion. He was like, your name of Marion,
And I'm like, oh, biddy, what's the science?
Speaker 3 (17:51):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
And the Eon King for Evan, you know what I'm
saying with Marion King for even.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
So really it's just going back to your roots at
this point, is what you're telling us.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Yeah, this is where it starts.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
What my name wasn't cool.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
It was just hurricane. It didn't have it didn't have
no kings and queens, it.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Didn't have no motherland, no sense of origin, just a hurricane.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
So that's where your name comes from.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
And then my mom, you know, the the guy that
she was with at that time. You know, he used
to like manage producers and stuff like that. So early on,
you know what I mean, that machines, planet fact, all
of that.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
I was exposed to, all of all the plane, remember the.
Speaker 7 (18:54):
Planet, every rack you could think of, come on, come on.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
So it was all around you as fourteen twenty years
this stuff.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Because I'm trying to figure out I feel like I
met you a word, I met you in ninety what
did what did you do in the group? Did you
join the group?
Speaker 3 (19:19):
It was like it was like ninety eight ninety nine
somewhere around there.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I met you ninety eight ninety nine. Were you working
with Dave Scott?
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Then? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah, we played basketball together?
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Oh word at the park? Oh wow, I don't remember this.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
We played basketball at a park close to More Park.
I think, yeah, something like that, because he was telling
me that you were in a group. It was I
think it was an another somebody else from the group's like, yeah,
they dope. I'm working with him. He's super dope. And
I was like, oh, okay, cool, you know, because I
was just trying to do my artist thing. But I
was fresh off the tours singing backgrounds with Genuine and
(19:56):
he was dancing with Genuine. Me and him got rid
of close.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Oh that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Yeah. We played basketball.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Wow, that's crazy at a park before.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
I think it was like a holiday or something. I
was out here for like a Thanksgiving.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Yeah, by myself. Yeah that still wow, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
So now you're the new lead singer? Yes, the group?
And do they have a deal yet?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
No, we don't have a deal.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
You know, this process up leading up to us getting
a deal was you know, the schooling in which you know,
there has been that gift that has constantly you know,
give to me, you know what I mean, like the drive,
like working with Dave because I you know, I had
took some dance classes obviously, you know what I mean,
but I never really worked with an individual you know,
(20:42):
like Dave, you know what I'm saying. And he really
helped me develop as you know, in that in that space,
you know what I'm saying. So, uh, it took like
two two, two and a half three years of us
just really being together and like you know, every day,
you know, besides us being in school, it was like
all right for the weekend, we're going over here.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
All right, y'all practice all right.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
As soon as y'all get up, anybody came through the door,
it was like beato, K perform, you know what I'm saying.
So we really heard a lot of work. Yeah, we
put we we were developed, We were developed.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
You know what I'm saying. So that's missing though, it
is it.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Is because you guys, you guys, you guys were ready. Yeah. Yeah,
the first time I saw you I was like.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Real far yo cooking.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Yo.
Speaker 5 (21:25):
We did that a gazillion times, you know, like and
I attribute you know, even my staying power and being
able to continue to transform my art and having that
that essence, you know what I mean, that that that
that you know, that beginning time for me where it
was like, Okay, no, it ain't about getting it perfect,
(21:45):
It's about doing it over again.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
I do it again. Now do it again. Now do
it again. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
And I feel like, you know, all artists, you know,
have a knack for you know, a type of perfection,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
So yeah, that's what we was doing. Man, we was perfect.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
I mean we went to go see pretty much all
the labels, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
We seen La Read. I speak about this in my
book too.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
You know.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
That experience of you know, being denied or being told no.
And then you know that last meeting was with you know,
DAVEI Fishing and poly Anthony over at EPIC and it
was like, Yo, they had that conversation with us like yo,
if y'all don't get signed, then you know, like we
pretty much can't help y'all.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
You know, what I mean.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
So we was fourteen fifteen, you know, years old, dealing
with all right, you know, if y'all y'all gonna make
it or not, you know what I'm saying, Or y'all
gonna do the best performance y'all ever had or not
y'all want this dealer or not. And obviously we got
the deal and then that was it.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
So every other label turned y'all down.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
Yeah, yeah, every other label. You know, La Reid flew
us out. You know, that's the first time I ever
been to the fourth season.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
I put on the road, but we that's where you
used to take its meetings, yep.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Flew us Outh were like, oh we're signed, We're signed.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
Oh yeah, La read you know what was what was
the label called at that time?
Speaker 3 (23:08):
The face? Yeah, they was on fire, you know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (23:11):
We was like, yeah, we're home and it was like no, sir,
no sir, La repassed on your So.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
At fourteen fifteen, how does that feel?
Speaker 4 (23:22):
How does that feel when you feel like you went
in front of someone and gave your all, gave your best,
You didn't do like you said, you didn't practice this
a gazillion times, and you like this is my moment.
And then you get the phone call or after you perform,
you see the reaction, you're like, oh, I don't think
this is it right? Like what is that feeling like
for you for a fourteen fifteen.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Year old kid?
Speaker 5 (23:45):
Well, you know it kind of for me at that time,
you know what I'm saying. It kind of just went
in one ear and went out the other, you know
what I'm saying, just because you know, I don't think
that you know, we focused so much on like, you know, failure,
you know what I'm saying, Like, you know, we were
(24:06):
kind of built in the you know space like all right,
let's you know, dissect this performance. Now, what could y'all
have done better? You know what I'm saying, Like what
you know what I mean? So every performance was kind
of like that. It wasn't like it was the end
of the world, you know, for us, It's more yeah,
it was just like.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Okay, yeah, well well they didn't want to you know, and.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
You know what I'm saying, not really realizing or recognizing that,
you know, the business was going to be hinged on
the people that were representing us, not understanding that as
a kid, you know what I'm saying, yeah, you know
what I mean, but knowing like, yo, I'm coming here
to get him all So okay, well he didn't take us,
that's fine. Well we all want more meeting, right, all right? Cool,
Well we about to yeah, we you know, we was
(24:50):
jumping on tables. That's really how we got signed, you
know what I mean. Like when we were performing, we
was like at you you know what I'm saying, We.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Jumping off this doing it. You know what I'm saying.
So that's what essentially I felt like I got ideal.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
But to answer your question, I think it just felt like,
all right, well whatever, you know what I mean, Let's
keep it going.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
And that's a that's a great mindset. That's a great
mindset to not let these things knock you down.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Yeah, you know, because you just at.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
The end of the day, it's cliche, but it's truth.
You just need one the right yes, yeah, just just one,
just that one. And y'all got that.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
And from that point, when you guys get signed to Epic,
how long until the debut album?
Speaker 5 (25:30):
Well, we we immediately started getting into recording, so they
fast tracked. Yeah you know what I'm saying. They see TC.
We went and got our diamond chains about.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Yeah, we didn't got the got the diamond. We got
the locksmith. You know what I'm saying. We went to Jacob.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
Guys, that was the first check that.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
Did you know you were blowing it? Did you think
this was just oh, it's just part of it?
Speaker 1 (25:57):
There gave us. Now you know what, are you count
your money yet?
Speaker 3 (26:01):
No?
Speaker 5 (26:02):
We kids, man, We just like we want that. Okay,
here you go, Oh, y'all want this? Okay, well I'm
gonna get this. And then you know, he like, I'm
gonna get this one right here.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
So, you know, just having access to that, we weren't
thinking about like, hold up, I need this to stretch.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
Okay, I need this, I need it, you know. Yeah,
we didn't know nothing about.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
That first stretch.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
Yeah, because you think you're coming out tomorrow. You think
you think I was coming out tomorrow. This is itching me.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
I gotta get I gotta get this.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
I gotta I have to show right, I have to
let everybody know.
Speaker 5 (26:39):
Okay, I'm up, I'm up.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
What's good?
Speaker 1 (26:43):
I mean rims?
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Yeah, and a chain is my name on it exactly
just in case they don't know who I am.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
So do you go to Fox Hills immediately after you
get your chain?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
No?
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Actually, hear them all. We were.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
We were in New York. You know what, Jacob was
my first my first jeweler, you know what I'm saying.
So you know, we was, Yeah, we was introduced properly,
like all right, y'all boys, go over here. Now we're
gonna get y'all in this outfit. We're gonna we're gonna
put y'all up here right here, and then y'all gonna
do this. And then we was like, okay, we lit
and it's funny. Uh, just to give you this little nugget.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
We we.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
I think we were staying at the Hudson Downtown, New
York and we get on the elevator and who's on
the elevator?
Speaker 3 (27:28):
I was about to say, ain't.
Speaker 5 (27:30):
No way, l a re we hot we most successful group.
We get on the elevator, you know, he like, hey,
what's up, guys? He was like, hey, congratulations man, y'all
doing great. And it was like, oh boom, and that
was a full circle moment for us. So that was
that was that was happening back then and continues to happen.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
All Right, so let's let's I want to get to
I want to get to a song. Okay, I want
to get to I want to get to gos to
be Okay, you just gonna jump over? Yes, I mean,
I don't mind going. We can go back to Bump Bump.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Okay, all right, because that was my joint. You got
to be my favorite. That's been my favorite too.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Got to be as like, you know, as a church kid,
as a as a you know, as a singer and
a vibe artist, got to be it was a grown man.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
He was grown period.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
I knew y'all was serious when I heard that record, Yeah,
because I hadn't met you yet.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Yeah, I knew y'all was serious at that point. Is
that yeah?
Speaker 5 (28:35):
Yeah, for sure, for sure, going for the hits, going
for the number one spot.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
It was such a record for kids to have.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
But like Pandemonia, it felt like pandemonia, but it was like,
oh yeah, it's about to turn all the way for.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
It was like listen, digital boys, these grown women ain't
gonna be able to contain themselves with the vibrations that
are connected to this gospel.
Speaker 7 (29:05):
Beer record, right, come on, this is a problem. Yeah,
was it a problem?
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Yeah, listen listen, I want to manage you.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
And that's what. Come on, yeah, I want to.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
Hear me.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah, that's facts. That's facts. And we was talking that
talk and we was walking that walk too.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
We was yeah, yeah, yeah, listen.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
I was a young I was a young player out
here at that time, and y'all was definitely.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
The little valace. That's what they're doing. Okay, Like like,
how was it? Like?
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Okay, we got bump bump ump going crazy? You got
to be going crazy.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
How is it? Going back to Inglewood? How is it?
Speaker 3 (29:52):
Man? It's so much love, It's so much love, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (29:57):
But all y'all wasn't from Inglewood though. Everybody everybody from
diff parts of.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
La yep, yep, different parts of La Na, but everybody
well not La. You know, some's from Content, someone's from
West LA. And then yeah, I guess you could say La.
But yeah, going back to Inglewood, man, you know what
I mean? Because you know, I was definitely tied to
the soil on like my best friend you know, still
(30:23):
in Inglewood, you know what I mean? So I would
be there all the time until until I realized, wait
a minute, I'm sitting out here on the porch. I
need to go back in the house, you know what
I'm saying, because you know there was a time, you
know what I mean, when when La just got real violent,
you know, as far as the gang culture goes, you
(30:43):
know what I'm saying. So I was going back, but
I wasn't you know, like processing that. It's like, yo,
you know, you got some shows in a couple of weeks,
right and you know anybody could come over here and
start shooting right now.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
But you know what, when you grow up, Yeah, in
that element, it takes a minute. It's hard to process
that you're what you're what you're really growing up in.
These are the same streets out and ran up and
then they tag flipped off of that, I.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Know, and they were at an age where friends start
going different ways like that's that that teenage fourteen thirteen, fourteen,
fifteen is when your homeboy. When y'all was ten and eleven,
y'all was just homies. Now he from a different side
of the street, are from another block a block away,
(31:39):
ye different and now and then La, y'all have a
whole nother culture with the colors, you know what I'm
saying of like, yeah, and people don't, like most people
don't realize, like you went to school with.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Nip Yeah yeah, junior high school John.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
Joe Pottner growing up, you know what I'm saying. So
I'm sure he's probably seen and you early on like, yo, damn,
that's my homie as he jumping off the porch.
Speaker 5 (32:05):
Though, that's facts, that's facts. That's facts, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
So it's just like you're saying, like that experience for
you being at home where you're seeing you fifteen, sixteen
whatever at that point, yep, you're like, damn, the homies
is really out here.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
Active now, straight up, straight up, and.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
From different sides.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
Now, that's facts. That's facts.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
You can't even pick a side, you like, Yeah, I
might just have to get out of here.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
Yeah, I mean, it definitely was fun though, you know
what I mean. Pulling up you know what I'm saying.
All my whips in the hood, they like.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
Whoa, what is this?
Speaker 1 (32:36):
You have to do that?
Speaker 3 (32:37):
What is this? I'm like, come on, we out, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (32:41):
You have to yeah, yeah, yeah, what's the first whip
what's the first, what's the first?
Speaker 3 (32:48):
My first whip? I bought myself Coe five hundred three TVs.
Y'all remember how we used to do it?
Speaker 1 (32:57):
You know, did you go to Globe Times?
Speaker 5 (32:59):
No, I was, I was at three ten th I was. Yes,
she had full sounds, you know, swayed headliner you have
to have or with the crown in the headliner, you
know what I mean, swayed on the seat. You know
he swayed on the floor. Oh yeah, eighteen eighteen eighteen, yeah,
(33:21):
eighteen out of control?
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Yeah for real? Playing jay Z. Excuse me? What's your name?
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (33:30):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, shout out to my pot.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
Chris Mills and three one he's.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Car all that, all the whips.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Chris Mills was the coldest to ever.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
That facts.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
That's I've never seen nobody flip cars like him ever.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
That's facts.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
And he was in a different one every day every
That's fact.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
God, that was my Yeah, just the first guy saw
the first guy ever saw take off his shoes, his sneakers,
put him in the in the Lambeau trunk which was
in the front front, and then put on his house shoes.
Speaker 4 (34:15):
Yeah yeah, yeah, to drive his car.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
I'm not just student.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
Watching him, I was like, that's different.
Speaker 5 (34:24):
To try that that that.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
You have to.
Speaker 5 (34:33):
Team bro see honey, yeah, see five hundred man. And
but car has always been a part of my journey.
You know what I'm saying, I have so many whips.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
You know what I'm saying. Cars are his whips. You
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
I don't even got to have nowhere to live.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
Make sure that whip is pull up.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
All I care about. I don't care somebody gonna let
me spend the night with.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
You don't know where I'm going spend the night.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
I used to pull let go up to that townhouse?
Like ya like trying to back am I am?
Speaker 3 (35:15):
I clothed, hilarious.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Yeah, so well yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
Now with the success, with all of the success, what
is the inspiration or or what in fact makes you
decide I'm going solo? Is is solo?
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Before you?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
It's solo a thing that's like in the beginning, right,
It's solo a thing like let's get these solo projects
off and then let's get back to business.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Or what's solo a thing where I'm like running's course?
Speaker 5 (36:00):
Right, So it was like it was two phases from
my personal perspective and experience, you know. And one was
that we all were doing separate covers for the Pandemonium album,
and you know, we all kind of felt away, you know,
(36:20):
different about that. You know what I'm saying, Oh, I'm
gonna have my cover or you're gonna have your cover.
Oh okay, we all gonna have covers. This lit you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
Oh, I'm about to go solo. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (36:31):
That was kind of the conversation, you know what I mean.
But it was a it was all it was all supported,
you know, up until the time that the group separated.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
And that was for me.
Speaker 5 (36:44):
It was not initially my plan to be a solo artist,
you know what I'm saying, because I was already a
solo artist.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
I already was developing myself in music, you know what
I mean. So once I got in the group, it
was a conscious decision that it was something that it was,
you know, I'm a part of this is z it.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (37:03):
Yeah, you know, but right up until, you know, it
was like a lot of the business was super convoluted.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
You know, people had to pick size.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
You know.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
The boys was basically you know, like on.
Speaker 5 (37:13):
The other side, you know what I mean, And it
was like you coming with us, and I'm like, oh
I am and I'm like, okay, well I roll with y'all,
So I guess I gotta go back with y'all, you
know what I mean, literally in the car, you know
what I'm saying, and then it kind of just unfolded
from there, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
We went through a lot of.
Speaker 5 (37:35):
I guess unnecessary you know, tumultuous things because it was
people in the middle, you know, really kind of architecting
you know, our our differences, you know what I'm saying,
and putting putting them against us.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (37:53):
So you know, yeah, and I mean like yo, as
soon as as soon as as soon it was like,
you know, we had the situation that separated us. That
was pretty much like yo, oh was going with us,
y'all do whatever y'all want to do, you know, which,
in hindsight, I didn't know what created animosity towards me,
(38:14):
you know, from them, you know what I'm saying. And
then I'm like in the studio and then I'm hearing
these niggas is on, you know what I mean, the radio.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
Station and they this in me. So now I'm like,
fuck y'all, niggas. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (38:26):
I'm finna get on my ship, you know what I mean.
And that's why, you know, not to go super fast forward.
But that's why the Millennium Tour was so special, you
know what I'm saying, Because in hindsight, there was a
lot of people in the middle of conversations that you know,
we should have had, you know what I'm saying, We
should have you know, dealt with you know what i mean.
(38:47):
But we were kids, you know what I'm saying, So
we didn't know how to articulate, like, Yo, what's up?
Speaker 3 (38:52):
You know what I'm saying this, Ya didn't really have
a voice? Hit Nah, we didn't.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
And and you know, I would say that like my
experience with the group, it was almost like it was
really a lot of outside voices controlling what was going
on in the inside. But you know, in the inside,
it was up to us, you know, to have that bond,
you know what I mean. So we didn't know how
to be responsible, you know, with each other, you know
(39:18):
what I mean. It's like you gotta brow, you know
what I mean. But in hindsight, it's like your bro
lives in a separate household, so his values and the
way that he deals with things is completely different from
your growing up and your experiences. And if you don't
get an opportunity to reconcile that, you know, that's what
essentially created the you know, the you know, the headbutting
(39:41):
and you know, the disrespect and you know all of that,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
So, yeah, I think, like you know, it's difficult to
backtrack in those type of situations when so much, when
so much has happened, Yeah, to lead up to Yeah,
the bad energy.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
It was because it's like because you say, with the with.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
The with the architects, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
That were trying to that had their own agenda exactly
and needed to do whatever they needed to do to
make sure that things happened their way.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
It it created so much distance to where without those conversations,
without that communication and without that understanding, that that distance
was filled up with so much, so much hate, negativity
back and forth and things that nobody knew if they
really meant, but I gotta say something back or I
(40:42):
got to feel something back. You know what I'm saying,
What what they say? What do you say? What exactly?
Speaker 3 (40:48):
Exactly?
Speaker 2 (40:49):
And and and not one not at one time? Did
were you able to? Because here's here's what happens. When
you watch The Godfather and and and the Godfather is
talking to Michael, and he says, whoever comes to you
and tells you about the meeting, he's the trader. So
(41:10):
nine times out of ten, whoever the person is coming
to you saying hey man, they were.
Speaker 5 (41:14):
Saying yea, yeah, yeah, yeah right right, yeah, well yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
It's more than likely helping to orchestrate or continue to
orchestrate the divisions. Yeah, between you, between you and or
between them and like yeah them niggas is ain't many
wanna rock with you?
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Like that?
Speaker 1 (41:35):
Like that got you though?
Speaker 3 (41:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (41:36):
With us?
Speaker 5 (41:37):
Fact Yeah, And you know that's been a large part
of my experience even in maturing in business. You know
what I'm saying, Like, you know, just other agendas, you
know what I'm saying, and things being convoluted and not
communicated properly, and you know, no real space to have
those important conversations you know what I'm saying, and then
(41:58):
in hindsight, you know, like being a man now and
having a child and seeing you know, my son, and
then realizing, you know, when kids are young, how it's
really like, you know, your responsibility to make sure that
you have that environment for them to feel safe and
for to be protected to learn, you know what I'm saying.
And yeah, man, that's largely been my you know, experience,
(42:22):
and that's why I've always you know, continue to just
take responsibility for myself and you know, my endeavors and
what I say and what I do. You know that
is important to me because not always have I had
the opportunity to set the record straight, you know what
I'm saying. And also too, you know, just just looking
at my journey, you know what I mean, I'm like one,
(42:43):
I'm I'm I'm the only artist other than Beyonce. You
know that is like Michael Jackson that comes from a group,
a shared space, a shared experience on stage. You know,
that's different from being a solo artist or deciding that
I'm a solo act. This is all about me, you
know what i mean. So you know, I feel like
(43:05):
my experience is unique in that way. You know what
I mean, Like where I come from, you know, the group,
and now I even share the stage with my dancers,
and it's a different experience for me as a solo artist.
Speaker 4 (43:17):
And I love you, but I'm not gonna let you
forget Bobby Brown. Okay, you're gonna have to mention.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
But but but you got to.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
Mention but but Bobby.
Speaker 5 (43:25):
But Bobby still was in a closer error than than Mike.
You know what I'm saying, Like his error was still closer,
you know what I mean, He directly influenced you know, Bobby.
You know what I'm saying, Like, yeah, you know, we
come in generations, you know, at least two or three
down generations.
Speaker 3 (43:42):
You know what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, for sure, show
you gotta mention. You gotta mention.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
Bobby on the street.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
You might try to, like I had to break up
a fight between.
Speaker 5 (43:55):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (43:55):
I don't want that to happen.
Speaker 5 (43:58):
We we definitely, we definitely. But I mean even his
experience was a little bit different.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
You know, he was in the group, and then.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
That's true, that's true, that's true. Well, yeah, I don't
know the full, So I don't.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
Know the full, you know, he played. We couldn't let
Bobby go.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
We thought he was a major talent, Like, we felt
like we could do something.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
With this kid.
Speaker 2 (44:31):
He was a special kid, and we gave him an
opportunity to go solo.
Speaker 5 (44:35):
So so because of that experience, you know what I mean,
Like my me stepping into uh being a solo artist
was completely different from you know, Bobby and a my
a my and my personal uh you know experience, you
know what I'm saying, Like b two K you know,
(44:56):
not up until you know the docu and this last
fifteen year you know, reunion that things feel like, okay,
it's not undone. You know what I'm saying. Okay, you
know we can perform. This is this is about us.
This is not about you know, any outside business people.
It's up to us, you know what I'm saying. And
that was something that you know, I felt like, you know,
(45:20):
was unique to me, you know what I mean, because uh,
you know, I guess you know, Justin you know is
one two. Justin is one two now that I'm thinking
about it, Justin as one two. But yeah, you know,
stepping in the solo start, you know, into that it
wasn't planned, you know, it wasn't something that I remember.
Speaker 4 (45:50):
I remember like obviously we were yeah, the first people
you can first. I remember just us building our bond
and me seeing you hurt, like you were hurt by that. Yeah,
if I can say that, you know what I'm saying,
Like a lot of people think that it's just like oh,
you know, he got a new deal and now he's
(46:10):
just he forgot about it, he up and and no.
But it's like it's a brotherhood connected to that. There
are you know, there are family bonds there, you know
what I mean. There's just it's more than just music.
And I remember just meeting you, right I think ship
it felt.
Speaker 3 (46:26):
Like it was right there. Yeah, it was. It was
right there, you.
Speaker 4 (46:29):
Know what I mean, And and us having those conversations
and you just really been like, well like I'm here,
but it's my dog though, you know what I'm saying,
Like this my guys, and now I gotta do this album.
And literally it was like you just got thrown into
it fast, facts fact quick, and from us, from the
from the creative side, from the writing and producing side,
(46:52):
with with with us and the under dogs. It was
more so like Okay, how do we help this young
fellow man.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
Moving to this new space.
Speaker 3 (47:01):
Yeah, moving to this space.
Speaker 4 (47:03):
And the craziest thing identity that you probably don't know
what niggas didn't have no records for you?
Speaker 5 (47:12):
Oh okay, No, I did know that y'all made them
right there.
Speaker 4 (47:17):
Yeah, but it wasn't like it wasn't even no real
prep for you, right, No, Because I think now looking
back on it, since all that was happening so fast,
you got thrown into the sessions that we were already doing.
There were already projects that we were working on that
the building the.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
Machine of the Underdogs is working on.
Speaker 4 (47:39):
And then it was just like damn, there Marion is
coming almost on some favor shit Like oh shit, y'all
know the young fellow right from the group, Like it
was that And the craziest thing, bro, you know, twenty
years later we can have a full conversation, is ye,
niggas wasn't trying to do record for.
Speaker 3 (48:00):
You a word? That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
You're looking at the two niggas who were who ended
up doing them.
Speaker 4 (48:08):
That's facts on on on an All Star Weekend. We
talked about it before on the you know what I mean.
On some on some prior podcast.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
We didn't.
Speaker 4 (48:16):
We didn't go in depth because we knew you were coming,
so we would have the real conversation with you here.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
Now that's amazing, And you know what, that makes sense.
Speaker 5 (48:24):
That makes sense because I was there when the underdogs
broke up. I remember, okay, I remember the niggas was
about to fight. Yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (48:37):
Got the intense remember, and you know, I got a little.
Speaker 4 (48:49):
Come on, mister Rogers, this is.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
Come on, my naghbor. Come because because because Mario was coming. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (49:03):
And you don't understand what working for you, working on
your project.
Speaker 1 (49:14):
Did for me at that time. That was your oul.
Speaker 2 (49:22):
Was my first sign of freedom, of being free, being
back able to create, not being bogged down with the
pressures and the you know, I was going through a
thing and I could not make songs. I could not
(49:45):
make a beat. Nothing was landing. And one day I
had to be honest with myself. I said, this isn't
working for me.
Speaker 1 (49:54):
I'm out. That's what came from it. The same day mm.
Speaker 3 (50:06):
Hmm, we knocked that wall down together.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
Yeah, sir, let's go there.
Speaker 2 (50:18):
The sound girls going through your body say, oh come
on now, don't say my name girl.
Speaker 1 (50:28):
I'm glad king so you can say in the morning,
in the night, yeah, saying on me.
Speaker 7 (50:38):
Come on, this, this is this. That's all represents so much.
I was free.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
These guys made me at the studio and we was
like on the weekend it was just us, dark, empty.
Speaker 1 (50:51):
Only Dixon, Eric Dawkins, Tank in the Valentine.
Speaker 3 (50:56):
That's facts.
Speaker 1 (50:57):
It was like listen.
Speaker 2 (50:58):
I was like, listen, this is this is it?
Speaker 1 (51:00):
We just then it was then it was a.
Speaker 6 (51:08):
Yeah, yeah, he was just like the day, yay, come.
Speaker 1 (51:28):
Tell us nothing.
Speaker 2 (51:31):
That.
Speaker 1 (51:37):
Come on, Jack, It's like.
Speaker 2 (51:40):
Day.
Speaker 1 (51:42):
I was still around. I was stilling around, my mom around.
I was still not see from being the reason.
Speaker 4 (51:52):
We turned out this way to act like I want
to be with you, man.
Speaker 3 (51:58):
Why come on, come on, come on. It was going down.
Speaker 1 (52:03):
It was going down that Yeah, I was back in
my bag.
Speaker 3 (52:08):
Come on, come on.
Speaker 2 (52:10):
I was not in my bag before then. I was
hurting before then. And that was those sessions. Working with you,
working with Jay, working with Tony, and working with Eric
that one weekend put me on a wave.
Speaker 4 (52:27):
And the crazy thing is, bro, I don't think we've
ever told you this. Ultimately, that was our first sessions together. Yeah,
those are our first records. Writing because you know, I
think you know the original Underdogs were Damon Harvey and me.
Speaker 3 (52:48):
No, I don't think I knew that.
Speaker 1 (52:49):
Just three we started together. I made up the name Swag.
Speaker 4 (52:54):
First record is Tyresse, I like them girls, first ever
underdog record.
Speaker 3 (52:59):
And I left.
Speaker 1 (53:01):
I left the first time.
Speaker 4 (53:04):
They didn't want to make me a partner, which now
I understand as I got older what I meant to
them At that stage, all I really brought was sweat equity,
you know what I mean. I'm kid, I'm like eighteen
nineteen years old when we make up the Underdogs. And
when I came back, Damon had called me and we
just wanted me to come by the studio. I had
by this point, I had went done and sing, I
(53:25):
got cracking, I'm doing my shit and this nigga's there and.
Speaker 1 (53:30):
This is all literally in the same week or two to.
Speaker 3 (53:36):
Come on to you show up.
Speaker 4 (53:39):
So those were the first records that Tank and I
worked on together.
Speaker 3 (53:44):
Wow, that's crazy, yo album.
Speaker 5 (53:47):
It seemed like it wasn't that long ago though, because
I remember being in the studio, you know, even with
just you and I. It was some sessions where it
just was me and you. Yeah, you know what I'm saying,
recording records, you know what I'm saying. And I remember
coming to see you in the back room, you know
what I mean, Like, Yo, hold up, let me go
see this nigga tank done.
Speaker 3 (54:04):
You know what I'm saying, Because it.
Speaker 1 (54:06):
Was just like we clicked. We clicked, you know what
I mean. We laughed about it.
Speaker 2 (54:09):
Man.
Speaker 1 (54:09):
I don't know if you remember, nigga, you remember like
we shot Dice? Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, me and
you and Little Roddie. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:18):
And I kept telling you not this, nigga, I told.
Speaker 3 (54:22):
You, Oh yeah. I was like, no, that's right real fast.
Speaker 1 (54:28):
It was like, this is what I do now, I said,
let me get that, but it is no, no, this
is a wild ship. And we all young niggas at
the time.
Speaker 4 (54:37):
Bro, I think you're like eighteen nineteen years old, so
I'm making me maybe twenty one, twenty whatever. And you
had just came from doing the B two K shows
by yourself.
Speaker 3 (54:49):
Oh and you.
Speaker 1 (54:50):
Flost me, did floss me. It was it was like.
Speaker 4 (54:57):
And he was like, yeah, you know, because we're talking
about shooting Dice. I was like, you got, I said, nigga,
what you got on your.
Speaker 1 (55:02):
Nigga, that's you. You like, I don't really got no cash,
but you know I.
Speaker 4 (55:05):
Got this and the check was for a honey bump.
I said, nigga, your money good.
Speaker 3 (55:15):
Oh yeah, yeah. I was acting up back then.
Speaker 2 (55:18):
Oh your money is good, nigga, I got this cashiers
right here? Yeah yeah, cash open?
Speaker 3 (55:27):
Oh my good.
Speaker 1 (55:28):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (55:28):
Yeah, I was definitely. I respected it with a snapper and.
Speaker 1 (55:34):
He still rolled the dice and said, don't do this.
Don't with him.
Speaker 2 (55:38):
I don't know how he does it, but he always win.
Kick your ass lesson.
Speaker 1 (55:47):
Listen. It was this funny ass picture.
Speaker 4 (55:50):
I gotta find it somewhere because nigga, we had been
shooting dice all night and got late.
Speaker 1 (55:56):
You just left, and you left a couple of your rings.
Speaker 3 (56:00):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (56:01):
I put them motherfuckers around.
Speaker 4 (56:03):
Like a like an OX cord, like like an ox cord,
and rode on his sign.
Speaker 1 (56:09):
I want my fifteenth thousand and two dance moves.
Speaker 3 (56:14):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (56:16):
Oh you'll never see a ring again.
Speaker 3 (56:21):
I need to see that.
Speaker 2 (56:25):
Here's a part that that was really awesome to me
and within your artistry. Roilroad to me at that time
was like god dancer. It was like he was like,
I just thought he was the best thing since since Cheese,
you know what I'm saying, since the Patty Milt.
Speaker 1 (56:47):
I was like, you're You're different. And I tried to
do his choreography. I don't know if I don't know
if everybody told you he choreographed, choreographed that video, the.
Speaker 2 (56:55):
Freaky video, don't look that up. They don't look But
I did. I did well. I did well. Song didn't work,
but I did well. Something about me dancing the songs
don't really anyway.
Speaker 3 (57:07):
YO, So he's not you.
Speaker 2 (57:12):
And and I used to always watch roll Rod do choreography,
and I would always watch the dancers do to choreography
and I'd be like, it just didn't it didn't catch,
it didn't match, it didn't. And then I saw you
doing Roros choreography and I said, he's roll Ro.
Speaker 3 (57:38):
Yeah definitely. I don't know how you Ro is one
of my bands morphed.
Speaker 2 (57:43):
Into that, but I haven't seen. You were the first.
You were the you were the you. You, you did
it the most, you, You you absorbed the style of
the most. Then there was Jacob Lotimore.
Speaker 5 (57:56):
Yeah, yeah, who really shout out to JA was Jacob.
Speaker 2 (58:02):
He's tough, but you were the first person I've ever
seen be able to absorb that style, like like Nuance
for Nuance, it wasn't just the moves.
Speaker 1 (58:13):
You had a sauce.
Speaker 3 (58:14):
You gotta yeah, a sauce.
Speaker 2 (58:17):
Because I used to listen, we used to I'm from
Record Plant to the Underdog.
Speaker 1 (58:23):
I used to watch you give mister Chris Brown a
lot of business and Chris is so competitive, like he
was like, fuck, he do.
Speaker 2 (58:37):
That, and then he canna work on it, you know
what I'm saying, and if he come back with more.
Speaker 1 (58:45):
Fun you.
Speaker 3 (58:51):
That was a time.
Speaker 2 (58:52):
That was a time I was watching two titans crazy
added especially at Record Plant. Y'all was in the hall
about hours.
Speaker 3 (59:03):
Record Plan. That's true, it's crazy, that's true.
Speaker 1 (59:06):
That's true. And that was earning sharpening iron. That's sad.
Like in those moments, Gate put Chris on a mission.
You know that.
Speaker 2 (59:16):
That put Chris on a mission, like I'm going to
get him. Yeah, I'm going to get him.
Speaker 1 (59:21):
It wasn't about nobody else.
Speaker 2 (59:23):
And I'm like, we'll ask him personally, did anybody else
make you mad?
Speaker 1 (59:28):
You made him mad? Sh him the dancer he is today?
Speaker 3 (59:31):
No shout out to CB.
Speaker 5 (59:33):
I just saw some interview that he did and he was,
you know, definitely complimented me about my dance and my
journey so solute to c.
Speaker 4 (59:47):
R and B Money is a production of the Black
Effect podcast Network. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit
the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows. Don't get to subscribe to and
rate our show, and you can connect with us on
social media at Jay Valentine and at the Real Tank.
(01:00:07):
For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot com or
slash R and B Money
R and B money.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
We are thanks take we are a Tardi on all
things R and B.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Ladies and gentlemen, what's going on? I am tank Valentine
and this Yeah, this is.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
The r VY money podcast, man Lord on all things,
all of them, all of it.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Let's go R and B Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Yeah, oh man, Yeah, this is rare organic or ghanic
r B. Yeah, alkalaina alkaline R and B.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
H you you're getting your fruits and beggies? Yeah? Are
you getting your fruits and water melons? You got? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Very few people go from child star, child superstar. You're
grown man, grown superstar. And this man has done it
in all sectors, uh, TV, film and music. Ladies and gentlemen,
our brother, our friend, I love one, mister Maria.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
Day, Valentine, thank you for having me, Thank you for
having me. Man. All is well, All is well in
an alignment.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, yeah, you're using words, using words.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Listen.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I want to do I want to do a little
promoting off the top, promote, off the top, off book, yes, unbothered.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yes, the power of choosing joy, the.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Power of choosing joy out right now. Yes, indeed, just
give me, give me a couple of bars on that, man,
how did you just what what what made you take
this road?
Speaker 1 (01:52):
And upon completion, how.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Do you feel with all of this, all this good
stuff happening around this Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:57):
So you know, my experience, you know, with love, uh,
in certain instances have been very public, you know, So
my life truly inspired this book. You know, there is
real power and you know, not allowing outside forces to
(02:18):
you know, cripple your mindset and your perspective. Hence the
you know drop title Choosing Joy. And you know, the
fans dubbed me unbothered, mister unbothered, you know, they gave
me that name, they gave me that title, but it truly, uh,
you know, gave a name to a posture that I
feel like I've been holding my whole life, you know
what I mean. So it's journal prompts in there, it's meditation,
(02:43):
it's affirmation. I'm really speaking from my personal experience and
going through this business and sharing the importance of you know,
being the master of your destiny, you know, choosing you
know what's best for you. And because I went through
the things that I went through, you know, which was
(03:03):
pretty intense, seeing the value of being able to step
back and not allow you know, people to control my
behavior is a powerful thing. You know. I feel like
the culture really needs, you know, some focus on emotional intelligence.
You know, we all speak about mental health, but it
really truly starts with one step, you know, and that's
(03:26):
you deciding, you know, to be where you are value,
to be, where you are appreciated to you know, uh,
be unbothered.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah, because a few bars for you.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
I think that my brother Window got Restle of Soul,
used to tell me, don't let nobody.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Put you in motion. M m.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Don't let nothing or nobody put you in motion.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Facts.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
And in the beginning, it started with you know, oh,
these promoters are saying we gotta or the people at
the radio saying we gotta said no, no, we'll move
when it's time to move.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
We don't have to react.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Yeah, well, we'll.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Let them do what they're gonna do, and then we'll
figure out what we're going to do. And then that's
what we'll do, not based on anything that's going on
around us. But when when you adopt it into your
into your spirit, into your everyday movements, it's like the
choices you make dictate how you live your life, you
(04:28):
know what I mean. So the choice that the underlying
choosing joy is a real choice that you have to make,
you have to want to make. They always called me
the glass half full, because that's how I choose to
see everything right. There is a reason for this, and
within this there's growth. There's going to be learning. You
(04:51):
Understandre's something in here for me, even if it's only
one little thing. I want to grab onto that and
make that the reason why I'm experiencing.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Whatever they say is so man, I.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Applaud you, thank you, man.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
You've seen the congratulations. Yeah, congratulating, Yeah, you graduate, graduating hair,
your hair, your hair is nice that you just you
just did you for the pot?
Speaker 3 (05:21):
No?
Speaker 5 (05:21):
No, no, actually, yesterday I was on a Black Lady
Sketch comedy show.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Did that you that ball?
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Man? Aren't they amazing?
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Ball?
Speaker 1 (05:35):
You'll see it, don't don't you?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Yeah? Did you go crazy?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Of course? You know, when you get to be yourself.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
People don't get We get an opportunity in that space,
and I think I think those ladies for that where
we get.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
To just have fun straight up. A shout out to Robin.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Yeah, Scott, Robin, we should get to let our hair down.
Gabrielle get let her hair down and have I mean,
you let your hair down. I'm working on mine. I'm growing.
I'm it's some stuff under here. I don't think. I
don't think I ain't got you know what I'm saying.
I don't think I ain't wavy. But all right, so listen,
(06:16):
we've known you when, but you know, we always treated
as if there's somebody watching for the first time, straight up,
and they want to know where did Omarion come from?
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Where? When was the first time somebody said that boy? Good?
Speaker 2 (06:34):
When was the first time you said in your mind, oh, ship,
I got something?
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Yeah, take us back to Inglewood, take us back, take
us yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Yeah, Well, well, you know what, you know, Inglewood was
a special place. And you know, when you're from California,
you know, back then, gangs didn't look like what they
look like now, you know what I'm saying, like gang
gang and did it looked like that? It looked like brotherhood.
It looked like being accepted in the neighborhood. You know,
you know, elders or OG's looking after you, you know
(07:08):
what I mean. So I was just an inner city kid,
you know what I mean? That love to you know,
discover things, you know what I'm saying. I went to
the Boys and Girls Club. You know, I would say
it started for me at this this fine art school
called LAFA.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
That's where I went to.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
And when I went to LAFA for the summer program,
every day we did something different.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
You know.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
We did like seven or eight different dance styles. Uh,
singing was a part of it as well. But that's
when I booked my first quote unquote gig as a performer,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
I came in the game Community program.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
No, actually through an audition that was happening at the
dance studio I was at, Okay, Yeah, and that's actually
where I met ro Rod for the first time too,
you know what I mean. On this audition Cliff and
Ed Moore. You know what I'm saying. So before you know,
I came even into my artistry. You know, I was
(08:09):
very much just you know, an inner city you know
kid that just you know, had the biggest smile and
you know, would try anything, you know what I'm saying.
That's when I was thirteen, I booked my first commercial,
you know what I mean, My pop's commercial, which was
shot at Dorsey, which is the high school my mom
(08:31):
went to you.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
When you're from La you know, it's it's a lot
of places, but it's real small too, you know what
I'm saying. So my mom actually was a hairstylist and
she worked at a lot of the prominent you know,
she worked at Millennium. She used to work at this
other shop on Hollywood and Vine called Afro's of Hollywood.
(08:53):
So yeah, man, I was just an inner city kid,
and you know what I mean, I just you know,
after my pop commercial, you know, I got into B
two K, you know what I'm saying. And okay, so
so at the time, one of the managers was married
(09:13):
to my play aunt. So my plate aunt invited me
to a New Year's party, and of course, you know,
everybody was there. You know, this house on Cold Facts
actually right here in the valley, and everybody would be there.
It's actually before B two K even became who we were,
(09:34):
you know what I mean. We performed for Destiny Child,
Desney Child, used to come through Black, used to come through.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Seven O two. You know what I'm saying. All of
the girls, yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Before you finished them for the white people, can you
explain to them what a plate aunt is Okay, black thing,
I know what you mean. Yes, I would like for
you to explain to them what you know your mama home.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Let me break it down. Let me break it down.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
So my play aunt was actually okay, well I have
to take it back because my nana, which would be
my grandmother, was cool with her mother, and you know,
they used to run this hair salon back in the
day right off of Crenshaw.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
So that's how.
Speaker 5 (10:29):
My play aunt, you know, and my mom they were
around the same age, so they essentially grew up together.
So you know, my mom had me at sixteen, so
she was like a child having a child, so they
grew up together.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
I grew up with him, So that's how that's my
play on.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
She's not literally blood, but you know she grew up
with my mom, so that's the play on.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Yes, it's important.
Speaker 5 (10:53):
I mean I could start so far back, you know,
with this, but really, you know, the highlight is is that,
you know, I was just one of those type of
kids that was excited about life. You know, I had
no fear virtually. I could go anywhere I wanted to go,
and you know, I wanted to entertain, I wanted to
be seen.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
I would.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Jump that you that you just can remember that you
were just that kid that like was dancing for people when.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
You lift anything with you, that kid that, oh, come
downstairs and do the flips.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
I was that kid. And also yeah, I was that kid.
Oh do that dance? Shut up, oh Mary, you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
I was just I have so much energy, so you know,
it was just bound to happen. And also too, because
my mom was a hairstyle and she used to uh
do God's Properties hair.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
She threw a lot of.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
People in the industry hair, so I would be around that,
you know what I'm saying. So yeah, I was always
like an entertaining I grew up in the entertainment business,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Shout out to your mom.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Shout out for.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Really giving you your first platform and believing in it,
because a lot of times people's parents they don't and
it's just something that that happens that people don't speak
about a lot. A lot of entertainers were annoying kids like,
let's just be real.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
Wait a minute, that's hilarious, that's hilarious, that's true. When yeah,
that's facts work shut that shut that shut out.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean. So it make
no money.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
So parents you sing saying they worked and make no money.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Ain't right? All these singing, all these damn songs, ain't
making no money.
Speaker 4 (12:41):
But but shout out to the parents though, Yeah for real?
That that let the kids be creative, yeah and make noise. Yeah,
but the neighbors, you know, tolerated, ain't tolerated, you know,
because that it's a lot of people's dreams.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
That get shut down.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
That's true because sometimes the parents are the surroundings may
not even understand it.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
I can do so exactly like a lot of us are.
Just think. It's just as bad ass kid that won't
shut up with in actuality.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
This is a kid that could grow to work lives.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
It's work and and and again back to this first
generation thing. It's like my parents looking at me, sit
in my room all day and make beats and sing
and write songs.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
You know what I mean. It's kind of weird and
not eat. It's weird. Weird.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
Did you eat today? Like you know I'm gonna eating?
You know what time it is? What time is it?
It's eight pm?
Speaker 4 (13:43):
You haven't eaten all day? I still have I just
do on my wake up clothes. I'm in my draws, right.
But I was so consumed with something. I didn't know
what it was. I don't know what to do with it.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
I just knew that I had to make a beat
and I had to write a song and I had
to sing. That's all I knew. Yeah, I was making noise.
I had real amps, you know what I'm saying, Like
somebody my mother come in and kicking the door and hey, hey,
my nigga, but.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
They got you those amps.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
They bought them for me. So it was like it
was like listen. They didn't know how to support it,
but they also knew not to get in a way.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
He's working on something.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
I don't know what he working on something.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Let him do his kids? Be creative? Man, you get
him to be two k Yeah, what is that? What
is that conversation?
Speaker 6 (14:37):
Like?
Speaker 1 (14:37):
How does that conversation go?
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Easy?
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Moms was like, Yo, do you want to be in
a group or what? Because you know, we was at
the New Year's party and you know the other three
boys they start dancing and I'm like, oh, they look
like you know, they're doing their choreography, you know what
I mean. And they're like go ahead. Oh you know
what I'm saying. I sing and then I dance and
then I hit my backflip, and they like back flip.
(15:00):
I got to hit the backflip.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Now, how old are you? Just that?
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Well, you know what.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
I taught myself how to backflip, So I want to
say I was well in my double hand backhand spring vibe.
But I was like maybe fourteen when I met there. Yeah, fourteen.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Only try to backflip once? No, no, it didn't go away.
Never did it again. No, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
The front flip, though, I can get that, which don't
mean ship men't mean it doesn't mean it's with no hands.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
It means it doesn't mean anything. Did you have hands?
That's called a dive. Bro. I'm about to show you
these both of these hands in the to what y'all doing?
I mean with my front flip?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Man, just let me come out self taught. Flippers are
damaged individuals. Our bodies are mess Uh.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
One time I did twenty hands springs in the road
at Sherman Park on the grass.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Oh my lord, I'm going.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
You're still paying for it. To about about fixed your feet.
I flipped off of garage once over rotated and landed
(16:26):
on my neck.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Oh yeah, I was the daredevil too, off of anything. Yeah,
that was anything.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Come on, like that was that was life though?
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Straight up?
Speaker 1 (16:37):
You know what I'm saying. They got you in the group.
It just broke his damn neck. You were actually stunching
my group. It's supposed to be six to six man,
that was real. This ship.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
You see this monkey all off the back cliff, Wait,
this is out of control.
Speaker 5 (16:56):
That's crazy six crazy.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
So yeah, now you're in the group.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Get in the group.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
That's so that's literally your audition parties. Yep, the party,
like we got it.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
We got a young fella, we need him. Yep.
Speaker 5 (17:12):
Come on you you want to be in the group.
Oh you want to be in the group. And I'm
like thinking to myself, like, dang, this would be dope.
You know, I actually was working on, you know, some
solo stuff. I was rapping. I actually did this song
called I Want to Be Like Puff and I actually
got my name. Yeah I want to be like Puff.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
I was rapping.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
Yeah, I started, I started rapping and did you have
a rapp n Yeah, I actually got my name from
I used to be in this rap crew with with
all adults called the Wild Kingdom. And there was this
dude named Ruckus that was in the group and he
named me on Marion. He was like, your name of Marion,
And I'm like, oh, biddy, what's the science?
Speaker 3 (17:51):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
And the Eon King for Evan, you know what I'm
saying with Marion King for even.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
So really it's just going back to your roots at
this point, is what you're telling us.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Yeah, this is where it starts.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
What my name wasn't cool.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
It was just hurricane. It didn't have it didn't have
no kings and queens, it.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Didn't have no motherland, no sense of origin, just a hurricane.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
So that's where your name comes from.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
And then my mom, you know, the the guy that
she was with at that time. You know, he used
to like manage producers and stuff like that. So early on,
you know what I mean, that machines, planet fact, all
of that.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
I was exposed to, all of all the plane, remember the.
Speaker 7 (18:54):
Planet, every rack you could think of, come on, come on.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
So it was all around you as fourteen twenty years
this stuff.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Because I'm trying to figure out I feel like I
met you a word, I met you in ninety what
did what did you do in the group? Did you
join the group?
Speaker 3 (19:19):
It was like it was like ninety eight ninety nine
somewhere around there.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I met you ninety eight ninety nine. Were you working
with Dave Scott?
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Then? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah, we played basketball together?
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Oh word at the park? Oh wow, I don't remember this.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
We played basketball at a park close to More Park.
I think, yeah, something like that, because he was telling
me that you were in a group. It was I
think it was an another somebody else from the group's like, yeah,
they dope. I'm working with him. He's super dope. And
I was like, oh, okay, cool, you know, because I
was just trying to do my artist thing. But I
was fresh off the tours singing backgrounds with Genuine and
(19:56):
he was dancing with Genuine. Me and him got rid
of close.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Oh that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Yeah. We played basketball.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Wow, that's crazy at a park before.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
I think it was like a holiday or something. I
was out here for like a Thanksgiving.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Yeah, by myself. Yeah that still wow, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
So now you're the new lead singer? Yes, the group?
And do they have a deal yet?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
No, we don't have a deal.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
You know, this process up leading up to us getting
a deal was you know, the schooling in which you know,
there has been that gift that has constantly you know,
give to me, you know what I mean, like the drive,
like working with Dave because I you know, I had
took some dance classes obviously, you know what I mean,
but I never really worked with an individual you know,
(20:42):
like Dave, you know what I'm saying. And he really
helped me develop as you know, in that in that space,
you know what I'm saying. So, uh, it took like
two two, two and a half three years of us
just really being together and like you know, every day,
you know, besides us being in school, it was like
all right for the weekend, we're going over here.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
All right, y'all practice all right.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
As soon as y'all get up, anybody came through the door,
it was like beato, K perform, you know what I'm saying.
So we really heard a lot of work. Yeah, we
put we we were developed, We were developed.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
You know what I'm saying. So that's missing though, it
is it.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Is because you guys, you guys, you guys were ready. Yeah. Yeah,
the first time I saw you I was like.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Real far yo cooking.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Yo.
Speaker 5 (21:25):
We did that a gazillion times, you know, like and
I attribute you know, even my staying power and being
able to continue to transform my art and having that
that essence, you know what I mean, that that that
that you know, that beginning time for me where it
was like, Okay, no, it ain't about getting it perfect,
(21:45):
It's about doing it over again.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
I do it again. Now do it again. Now do
it again. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
And I feel like, you know, all artists, you know,
have a knack for you know, a type of perfection,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
So yeah, that's what we was doing. Man, we was perfect.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
I mean we went to go see pretty much all
the labels, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
We seen La Read. I speak about this in my
book too.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
You know.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
That experience of you know, being denied or being told no.
And then you know that last meeting was with you know,
DAVEI Fishing and poly Anthony over at EPIC and it
was like, Yo, they had that conversation with us like yo,
if y'all don't get signed, then you know, like we
pretty much can't help y'all.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
You know, what I mean.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
So we was fourteen fifteen, you know, years old, dealing
with all right, you know, if y'all y'all gonna make
it or not, you know what I'm saying, Or y'all
gonna do the best performance y'all ever had or not
y'all want this dealer or not. And obviously we got
the deal and then that was it.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
So every other label turned y'all down.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
Yeah, yeah, every other label. You know, La Reid flew
us out. You know, that's the first time I ever
been to the fourth season.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
I put on the road, but we that's where you
used to take its meetings, yep.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Flew us Outh were like, oh we're signed, We're signed.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
Oh yeah, La read you know what was what was
the label called at that time?
Speaker 3 (23:08):
The face? Yeah, they was on fire, you know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (23:11):
We was like, yeah, we're home and it was like no, sir,
no sir, La repassed on your So.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
At fourteen fifteen, how does that feel?
Speaker 4 (23:22):
How does that feel when you feel like you went
in front of someone and gave your all, gave your best,
You didn't do like you said, you didn't practice this
a gazillion times, and you like this is my moment.
And then you get the phone call or after you perform,
you see the reaction, you're like, oh, I don't think
this is it right? Like what is that feeling like
for you for a fourteen fifteen.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Year old kid?
Speaker 5 (23:45):
Well, you know it kind of for me at that time,
you know what I'm saying. It kind of just went
in one ear and went out the other, you know
what I'm saying, just because you know, I don't think
that you know, we focused so much on like, you know, failure,
you know what I'm saying, Like, you know, we were
(24:06):
kind of built in the you know space like all right,
let's you know, dissect this performance. Now, what could y'all
have done better? You know what I'm saying, Like what
you know what I mean? So every performance was kind
of like that. It wasn't like it was the end
of the world, you know, for us, It's more yeah,
it was just like.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Okay, yeah, well well they didn't want to you know, and.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
You know what I'm saying, not really realizing or recognizing that,
you know, the business was going to be hinged on
the people that were representing us, not understanding that as
a kid, you know what I'm saying, yeah, you know
what I mean, but knowing like, yo, I'm coming here
to get him all So okay, well he didn't take us,
that's fine. Well we all want more meeting, right, all right? Cool,
Well we about to yeah, we you know, we was
(24:50):
jumping on tables. That's really how we got signed, you
know what I mean. Like when we were performing, we
was like at you you know what I'm saying, We.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Jumping off this doing it. You know what I'm saying.
So that's what essentially I felt like I got ideal.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
But to answer your question, I think it just felt like,
all right, well whatever, you know what I mean, Let's
keep it going.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
And that's a that's a great mindset. That's a great
mindset to not let these things knock you down.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Yeah, you know, because you just at.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
The end of the day, it's cliche, but it's truth.
You just need one the right yes, yeah, just just one,
just that one. And y'all got that.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
And from that point, when you guys get signed to Epic,
how long until the debut album?
Speaker 5 (25:30):
Well, we we immediately started getting into recording, so they
fast tracked. Yeah you know what I'm saying. They see TC.
We went and got our diamond chains about.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Yeah, we didn't got the got the diamond. We got
the locksmith. You know what I'm saying. We went to Jacob.
Speaker 5 (25:49):
Guys, that was the first check that.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
Did you know you were blowing it? Did you think
this was just oh, it's just part of it?
Speaker 1 (25:57):
There gave us. Now you know what, are you count
your money yet?
Speaker 3 (26:01):
No?
Speaker 5 (26:02):
We kids, man, We just like we want that. Okay,
here you go, Oh, y'all want this? Okay, well I'm
gonna get this. And then you know, he like, I'm
gonna get this one right here.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
So, you know, just having access to that, we weren't
thinking about like, hold up, I need this to stretch.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
Okay, I need this, I need it, you know. Yeah,
we didn't know nothing about.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
That first stretch.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
Yeah, because you think you're coming out tomorrow. You think
you think I was coming out tomorrow. This is itching me.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
I gotta get I gotta get this.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
I gotta I have to show right, I have to
let everybody know.
Speaker 5 (26:39):
Okay, I'm up, I'm up.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
What's good?
Speaker 1 (26:43):
I mean rims?
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Yeah, and a chain is my name on it exactly
just in case they don't know who I am.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
So do you go to Fox Hills immediately after you
get your chain?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
No?
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Actually, hear them all. We were.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
We were in New York. You know what, Jacob was
my first my first jeweler, you know what I'm saying.
So you know, we was, Yeah, we was introduced properly,
like all right, y'all boys, go over here. Now we're
gonna get y'all in this outfit. We're gonna we're gonna
put y'all up here right here, and then y'all gonna
do this. And then we was like, okay, we lit
and it's funny. Uh, just to give you this little nugget.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
We we.
Speaker 5 (27:20):
I think we were staying at the Hudson Downtown, New
York and we get on the elevator and who's on
the elevator?
Speaker 3 (27:28):
I was about to say, ain't.
Speaker 5 (27:30):
No way, l a re we hot we most successful group.
We get on the elevator, you know, he like, hey,
what's up, guys? He was like, hey, congratulations man, y'all
doing great. And it was like, oh boom, and that
was a full circle moment for us. So that was
that was that was happening back then and continues to happen.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
All Right, so let's let's I want to get to
I want to get to a song. Okay, I want
to get to I want to get to gos to
be Okay, you just gonna jump over? Yes, I mean,
I don't mind going. We can go back to Bump Bump.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Okay, all right, because that was my joint. You got
to be my favorite. That's been my favorite too.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Got to be as like, you know, as a church kid,
as a as a you know, as a singer and
a vibe artist, got to be it was a grown man.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
He was grown period.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
I knew y'all was serious when I heard that record, Yeah,
because I hadn't met you yet.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Yeah, I knew y'all was serious at that point. Is
that yeah?
Speaker 5 (28:35):
Yeah, for sure, for sure, going for the hits, going
for the number one spot.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
It was such a record for kids to have.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
But like Pandemonia, it felt like pandemonia, but it was like,
oh yeah, it's about to turn all the way for.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
It was like listen, digital boys, these grown women ain't
gonna be able to contain themselves with the vibrations that
are connected to this gospel.
Speaker 7 (29:05):
Beer record, right, come on, this is a problem. Yeah,
was it a problem?
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Yeah, listen listen, I want to manage you.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
And that's what. Come on, yeah, I want to.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
Hear me.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah, that's facts. That's facts. And we was talking that
talk and we was walking that walk too.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
We was yeah, yeah, yeah, listen.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
I was a young I was a young player out
here at that time, and y'all was definitely.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
The little valace. That's what they're doing. Okay, Like like,
how was it? Like?
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Okay, we got bump bump ump going crazy? You got
to be going crazy.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
How is it? Going back to Inglewood? How is it?
Speaker 3 (29:52):
Man? It's so much love, It's so much love, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (29:57):
But all y'all wasn't from Inglewood though. Everybody everybody from
diff parts of.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
La yep, yep, different parts of La Na, but everybody
well not La. You know, some's from Content, someone's from
West LA. And then yeah, I guess you could say La.
But yeah, going back to Inglewood, man, you know what
I mean? Because you know, I was definitely tied to
the soil on like my best friend you know, still
(30:23):
in Inglewood, you know what I mean? So I would
be there all the time until until I realized, wait
a minute, I'm sitting out here on the porch. I
need to go back in the house, you know what
I'm saying, because you know there was a time, you
know what I mean, when when La just got real violent,
you know, as far as the gang culture goes, you
(30:43):
know what I'm saying. So I was going back, but
I wasn't you know, like processing that. It's like, yo,
you know, you got some shows in a couple of weeks,
right and you know anybody could come over here and
start shooting right now.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
But you know what, when you grow up, Yeah, in
that element, it takes a minute. It's hard to process
that you're what you're what you're really growing up in.
These are the same streets out and ran up and
then they tag flipped off of that, I.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
Know, and they were at an age where friends start
going different ways like that's that that teenage fourteen thirteen, fourteen,
fifteen is when your homeboy. When y'all was ten and eleven,
y'all was just homies. Now he from a different side
of the street, are from another block a block away,
(31:39):
ye different and now and then La, y'all have a
whole nother culture with the colors, you know what I'm
saying of like, yeah, and people don't, like most people
don't realize, like you went to school with.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Nip Yeah yeah, junior high school John.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
Joe Pottner growing up, you know what I'm saying. So
I'm sure he's probably seen and you early on like, yo, damn,
that's my homie as he jumping off the porch.
Speaker 5 (32:05):
Though, that's facts, that's facts. That's facts, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
So it's just like you're saying, like that experience for
you being at home where you're seeing you fifteen, sixteen
whatever at that point, yep, you're like, damn, the homies
is really out here.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
Active now, straight up, straight up, and.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
From different sides.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
Now, that's facts. That's facts.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
You can't even pick a side, you like, Yeah, I
might just have to get out of here.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
Yeah, I mean, it definitely was fun though, you know
what I mean. Pulling up you know what I'm saying.
All my whips in the hood, they like.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
Whoa, what is this?
Speaker 1 (32:36):
You have to do that?
Speaker 3 (32:37):
What is this? I'm like, come on, we out, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (32:41):
You have to yeah, yeah, yeah, what's the first whip
what's the first, what's the first?
Speaker 3 (32:48):
My first whip? I bought myself Coe five hundred three TVs.
Y'all remember how we used to do it?
Speaker 1 (32:57):
You know, did you go to Globe Times?
Speaker 5 (32:59):
No, I was, I was at three ten th I was. Yes,
she had full sounds, you know, swayed headliner you have
to have or with the crown in the headliner, you
know what I mean, swayed on the seat. You know
he swayed on the floor. Oh yeah, eighteen eighteen eighteen, yeah,
(33:21):
eighteen out of control?
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Yeah for real? Playing jay Z. Excuse me? What's your name?
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (33:30):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, shout out to my pot.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
Chris Mills and three one he's.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Car all that, all the whips.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Chris Mills was the coldest to ever.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
That facts.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
That's I've never seen nobody flip cars like him ever.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
That's facts.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
And he was in a different one every day every
That's fact.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
God, that was my Yeah, just the first guy saw
the first guy ever saw take off his shoes, his sneakers,
put him in the in the Lambeau trunk which was
in the front front, and then put on his house shoes.
Speaker 4 (34:15):
Yeah yeah, yeah, to drive his car.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
I'm not just student.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
Watching him, I was like, that's different.
Speaker 5 (34:24):
To try that that that.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
You have to.
Speaker 5 (34:33):
Team bro see honey, yeah, see five hundred man. And
but car has always been a part of my journey.
You know what I'm saying, I have so many whips.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
You know what I'm saying. Cars are his whips. You
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
I don't even got to have nowhere to live.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
Make sure that whip is pull up.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
All I care about. I don't care somebody gonna let
me spend the night with.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
You don't know where I'm going spend the night.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
I used to pull let go up to that townhouse?
Like ya like trying to back am I am?
Speaker 3 (35:15):
I clothed, hilarious.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Yeah, so well yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
Now with the success, with all of the success, what
is the inspiration or or what in fact makes you
decide I'm going solo? Is is solo?
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Before you?
Speaker 2 (35:45):
It's solo a thing that's like in the beginning, right,
It's solo a thing like let's get these solo projects
off and then let's get back to business.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Or what's solo a thing where I'm like running's course?
Speaker 5 (36:00):
Right, So it was like it was two phases from
my personal perspective and experience, you know. And one was
that we all were doing separate covers for the Pandemonium album,
and you know, we all kind of felt away, you know,
(36:20):
different about that. You know what I'm saying, Oh, I'm
gonna have my cover or you're gonna have your cover.
Oh okay, we all gonna have covers. This lit you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
Oh, I'm about to go solo. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (36:31):
That was kind of the conversation, you know what I mean.
But it was a it was all it was all supported,
you know, up until the time that the group separated.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
And that was for me.
Speaker 5 (36:44):
It was not initially my plan to be a solo artist,
you know what I'm saying, because I was already a
solo artist.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
I already was developing myself in music, you know what
I mean. So once I got in the group, it
was a conscious decision that it was something that it was,
you know, I'm a part of this is z it.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (37:03):
Yeah, you know, but right up until, you know, it
was like a lot of the business was super convoluted.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
You know, people had to pick size.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
You know.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
The boys was basically you know, like on.
Speaker 5 (37:13):
The other side, you know what I mean, And it
was like you coming with us, and I'm like, oh
I am and I'm like, okay, well I roll with y'all,
So I guess I gotta go back with y'all, you
know what I mean, literally in the car, you know
what I'm saying, and then it kind of just unfolded
from there, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
We went through a lot of.
Speaker 5 (37:35):
I guess unnecessary you know, tumultuous things because it was
people in the middle, you know, really kind of architecting
you know, our our differences, you know what I'm saying,
and putting putting them against us.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (37:53):
So you know, yeah, and I mean like yo, as
soon as as soon as as soon it was like,
you know, we had the situation that separated us. That
was pretty much like yo, oh was going with us,
y'all do whatever y'all want to do, you know, which,
in hindsight, I didn't know what created animosity towards me,
(38:14):
you know, from them, you know what I'm saying. And
then I'm like in the studio and then I'm hearing
these niggas is on, you know what I mean, the radio.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
Station and they this in me. So now I'm like,
fuck y'all, niggas. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (38:26):
I'm finna get on my ship, you know what I mean.
And that's why, you know, not to go super fast forward.
But that's why the Millennium Tour was so special, you
know what I'm saying, Because in hindsight, there was a
lot of people in the middle of conversations that you know,
we should have had, you know what I'm saying, We
should have you know, dealt with you know what i mean.
(38:47):
But we were kids, you know what I'm saying, So
we didn't know how to articulate, like, Yo, what's up?
Speaker 3 (38:52):
You know what I'm saying this, Ya didn't really have
a voice? Hit Nah, we didn't.
Speaker 5 (38:55):
And and you know, I would say that like my
experience with the group, it was almost like it was
really a lot of outside voices controlling what was going
on in the inside. But you know, in the inside,
it was up to us, you know, to have that bond,
you know what I mean. So we didn't know how
to be responsible, you know, with each other, you know
(39:18):
what I mean. It's like you gotta brow, you know
what I mean. But in hindsight, it's like your bro
lives in a separate household, so his values and the
way that he deals with things is completely different from
your growing up and your experiences. And if you don't
get an opportunity to reconcile that, you know, that's what
essentially created the you know, the you know, the headbutting
(39:41):
and you know, the disrespect and you know all of that,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
So, yeah, I think, like you know, it's difficult to
backtrack in those type of situations when so much, when
so much has happened, Yeah, to lead up to Yeah,
the bad energy.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
It was because it's like because you say, with the with.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
The with the architects, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
That were trying to that had their own agenda exactly
and needed to do whatever they needed to do to
make sure that things happened their way.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
It it created so much distance to where without those conversations,
without that communication and without that understanding, that that distance
was filled up with so much, so much hate, negativity
back and forth and things that nobody knew if they
really meant, but I gotta say something back or I
(40:42):
got to feel something back. You know what I'm saying,
What what they say? What do you say? What exactly?
Speaker 3 (40:48):
Exactly?
Speaker 2 (40:49):
And and and not one not at one time? Did
were you able to? Because here's here's what happens. When
you watch The Godfather and and and the Godfather is
talking to Michael, and he says, whoever comes to you
and tells you about the meeting, he's the trader. So
(41:10):
nine times out of ten, whoever the person is coming
to you saying hey man, they were.
Speaker 5 (41:14):
Saying yea, yeah, yeah, yeah right right, yeah, well yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
It's more than likely helping to orchestrate or continue to
orchestrate the divisions. Yeah, between you, between you and or
between them and like yeah them niggas is ain't many
wanna rock with you?
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Like that?
Speaker 1 (41:35):
Like that got you though?
Speaker 3 (41:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (41:36):
With us?
Speaker 5 (41:37):
Fact Yeah, And you know that's been a large part
of my experience even in maturing in business. You know
what I'm saying, Like, you know, just other agendas, you
know what I'm saying, and things being convoluted and not
communicated properly, and you know, no real space to have
those important conversations you know what I'm saying, and then
(41:58):
in hindsight, you know, like being a man now and
having a child and seeing you know, my son, and
then realizing, you know, when kids are young, how it's
really like, you know, your responsibility to make sure that
you have that environment for them to feel safe and
for to be protected to learn, you know what I'm saying.
And yeah, man, that's largely been my you know, experience,
(42:22):
and that's why I've always you know, continue to just
take responsibility for myself and you know, my endeavors and
what I say and what I do. You know that
is important to me because not always have I had
the opportunity to set the record straight, you know what
I'm saying. And also too, you know, just just looking
at my journey, you know what I mean, I'm like one,
(42:43):
I'm I'm I'm the only artist other than Beyonce. You
know that is like Michael Jackson that comes from a group,
a shared space, a shared experience on stage. You know,
that's different from being a solo artist or deciding that
I'm a solo act. This is all about me, you
know what i mean. So you know, I feel like
(43:05):
my experience is unique in that way. You know what
I mean, Like where I come from, you know, the group,
and now I even share the stage with my dancers,
and it's a different experience for me as a solo artist.
Speaker 4 (43:17):
And I love you, but I'm not gonna let you
forget Bobby Brown. Okay, you're gonna have to mention.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
But but but you got to.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
Mention but but Bobby.
Speaker 5 (43:25):
But Bobby still was in a closer error than than Mike.
You know what I'm saying, Like his error was still closer,
you know what I mean, He directly influenced you know, Bobby.
You know what I'm saying, Like, yeah, you know, we
come in generations, you know, at least two or three
down generations.
Speaker 3 (43:42):
You know what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, for sure, show
you gotta mention. You gotta mention.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
Bobby on the street.
Speaker 4 (43:48):
You might try to, like I had to break up
a fight between.
Speaker 5 (43:55):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (43:55):
I don't want that to happen.
Speaker 5 (43:58):
We we definitely, we definitely. But I mean even his
experience was a little bit different.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
You know, he was in the group, and then.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
That's true, that's true, that's true. Well, yeah, I don't
know the full, So I don't.
Speaker 1 (44:16):
Know the full, you know, he played. We couldn't let
Bobby go.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
We thought he was a major talent, Like, we felt
like we could do something.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
With this kid.
Speaker 2 (44:31):
He was a special kid, and we gave him an
opportunity to go solo.
Speaker 5 (44:35):
So so because of that experience, you know what I mean,
Like my me stepping into uh being a solo artist
was completely different from you know, Bobby and a my
a my and my personal uh you know experience, you
know what I'm saying, Like b two K you know,
(44:56):
not up until you know the docu and this last
fifteen year you know, reunion that things feel like, okay,
it's not undone. You know what I'm saying. Okay, you
know we can perform. This is this is about us.
This is not about you know, any outside business people.
It's up to us, you know what I'm saying. And
that was something that you know, I felt like, you know,
(45:20):
was unique to me, you know what I mean, because uh,
you know, I guess you know, Justin you know is
one two. Justin is one two now that I'm thinking
about it, Justin as one two. But yeah, you know,
stepping in the solo start, you know, into that it
wasn't planned, you know, it wasn't something that I remember.
Speaker 4 (45:50):
I remember like obviously we were yeah, the first people
you can first. I remember just us building our bond
and me seeing you hurt, like you were hurt by that. Yeah,
if I can say that, you know what I'm saying,
Like a lot of people think that it's just like oh,
you know, he got a new deal and now he's
(46:10):
just he forgot about it, he up and and no.
But it's like it's a brotherhood connected to that. There
are you know, there are family bonds there, you know
what I mean. There's just it's more than just music.
And I remember just meeting you, right I think ship
it felt.
Speaker 3 (46:26):
Like it was right there. Yeah, it was. It was
right there, you.
Speaker 4 (46:29):
Know what I mean, And and us having those conversations
and you just really been like, well like I'm here,
but it's my dog though, you know what I'm saying,
Like this my guys, and now I gotta do this album.
And literally it was like you just got thrown into
it fast, facts fact quick, and from us, from the
from the creative side, from the writing and producing side,
(46:52):
with with with us and the under dogs. It was
more so like Okay, how do we help this young
fellow man.
Speaker 1 (46:59):
Moving to this new space.
Speaker 3 (47:01):
Yeah, moving to this space.
Speaker 4 (47:03):
And the craziest thing identity that you probably don't know
what niggas didn't have no records for you?
Speaker 5 (47:12):
Oh okay, No, I did know that y'all made them
right there.
Speaker 4 (47:17):
Yeah, but it wasn't like it wasn't even no real
prep for you, right, No, Because I think now looking
back on it, since all that was happening so fast,
you got thrown into the sessions that we were already doing.
There were already projects that we were working on that
the building the.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
Machine of the Underdogs is working on.
Speaker 4 (47:39):
And then it was just like damn, there Marion is
coming almost on some favor shit Like oh shit, y'all
know the young fellow right from the group, Like it
was that And the craziest thing, bro, you know, twenty
years later we can have a full conversation, is ye,
niggas wasn't trying to do record for.
Speaker 3 (48:00):
You a word? That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
You're looking at the two niggas who were who ended
up doing them.
Speaker 4 (48:08):
That's facts on on on an All Star Weekend. We
talked about it before on the you know what I mean.
On some on some prior podcast.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
We didn't.
Speaker 4 (48:16):
We didn't go in depth because we knew you were coming,
so we would have the real conversation with you here.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
Now that's amazing, And you know what, that makes sense.
Speaker 5 (48:24):
That makes sense because I was there when the underdogs
broke up. I remember, okay, I remember the niggas was
about to fight. Yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (48:37):
Got the intense remember, and you know, I got a little.
Speaker 4 (48:49):
Come on, mister Rogers, this is.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
Come on, my naghbor. Come because because because Mario was coming. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (49:03):
And you don't understand what working for you, working on
your project.
Speaker 1 (49:14):
Did for me at that time. That was your oul.
Speaker 2 (49:22):
Was my first sign of freedom, of being free, being
back able to create, not being bogged down with the
pressures and the you know, I was going through a
thing and I could not make songs. I could not
(49:45):
make a beat. Nothing was landing. And one day I
had to be honest with myself. I said, this isn't
working for me.
Speaker 1 (49:54):
I'm out. That's what came from it. The same day mm.
Speaker 3 (50:06):
Hmm, we knocked that wall down together.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
Yeah, sir, let's go there.
Speaker 2 (50:18):
The sound girls going through your body say, oh come
on now, don't say my name girl.
Speaker 1 (50:28):
I'm glad king so you can say in the morning,
in the night, yeah, saying on me.
Speaker 7 (50:38):
Come on, this, this is this. That's all represents so much.
I was free.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
These guys made me at the studio and we was
like on the weekend it was just us, dark, empty.
Speaker 1 (50:51):
Only Dixon, Eric Dawkins, Tank in the Valentine.
Speaker 3 (50:56):
That's facts.
Speaker 1 (50:57):
It was like listen.
Speaker 2 (50:58):
I was like, listen, this is this is it?
Speaker 1 (51:00):
We just then it was then it was a.
Speaker 6 (51:08):
Yeah, yeah, he was just like the day, yay, come.
Speaker 1 (51:28):
Tell us nothing.
Speaker 2 (51:31):
That.
Speaker 1 (51:37):
Come on, Jack, It's like.
Speaker 2 (51:40):
Day.
Speaker 1 (51:42):
I was still around. I was stilling around, my mom around.
I was still not see from being the reason.
Speaker 4 (51:52):
We turned out this way to act like I want
to be with you, man.
Speaker 3 (51:58):
Why come on, come on, come on. It was going down.
Speaker 1 (52:03):
It was going down that Yeah, I was back in
my bag.
Speaker 3 (52:08):
Come on, come on.
Speaker 2 (52:10):
I was not in my bag before then. I was
hurting before then. And that was those sessions. Working with you,
working with Jay, working with Tony, and working with Eric
that one weekend put me on a wave.
Speaker 4 (52:27):
And the crazy thing is, bro, I don't think we've
ever told you this. Ultimately, that was our first sessions together. Yeah,
those are our first records. Writing because you know, I
think you know the original Underdogs were Damon Harvey and me.
Speaker 3 (52:48):
No, I don't think I knew that.
Speaker 1 (52:49):
Just three we started together. I made up the name Swag.
Speaker 4 (52:54):
First record is Tyresse, I like them girls, first ever
underdog record.
Speaker 3 (52:59):
And I left.
Speaker 1 (53:01):
I left the first time.
Speaker 4 (53:04):
They didn't want to make me a partner, which now
I understand as I got older what I meant to
them At that stage, all I really brought was sweat equity,
you know what I mean. I'm kid, I'm like eighteen
nineteen years old when we make up the Underdogs. And
when I came back, Damon had called me and we
just wanted me to come by the studio. I had
by this point, I had went done and sing, I
(53:25):
got cracking, I'm doing my shit and this nigga's there and.
Speaker 1 (53:30):
This is all literally in the same week or two to.
Speaker 3 (53:36):
Come on to you show up.
Speaker 4 (53:39):
So those were the first records that Tank and I
worked on together.
Speaker 3 (53:44):
Wow, that's crazy, yo album.
Speaker 5 (53:47):
It seemed like it wasn't that long ago though, because
I remember being in the studio, you know, even with
just you and I. It was some sessions where it
just was me and you. Yeah, you know what I'm saying,
recording records, you know what I'm saying. And I remember
coming to see you in the back room, you know
what I mean, Like, Yo, hold up, let me go
see this nigga tank done.
Speaker 3 (54:04):
You know what I'm saying, Because it.
Speaker 1 (54:06):
Was just like we clicked. We clicked, you know what
I mean. We laughed about it.
Speaker 2 (54:09):
Man.
Speaker 1 (54:09):
I don't know if you remember, nigga, you remember like
we shot Dice? Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, me and
you and Little Roddie. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (54:18):
And I kept telling you not this, nigga, I told.
Speaker 3 (54:22):
You, Oh yeah. I was like, no, that's right real fast.
Speaker 1 (54:28):
It was like, this is what I do now, I said,
let me get that, but it is no, no, this
is a wild ship. And we all young niggas at
the time.
Speaker 4 (54:37):
Bro, I think you're like eighteen nineteen years old, so
I'm making me maybe twenty one, twenty whatever. And you
had just came from doing the B two K shows
by yourself.
Speaker 3 (54:49):
Oh and you.
Speaker 1 (54:50):
Flost me, did floss me. It was it was like.
Speaker 4 (54:57):
And he was like, yeah, you know, because we're talking
about shooting Dice. I was like, you got, I said, nigga,
what you got on your.
Speaker 1 (55:02):
Nigga, that's you. You like, I don't really got no cash,
but you know I.
Speaker 4 (55:05):
Got this and the check was for a honey bump.
I said, nigga, your money good.
Speaker 3 (55:15):
Oh yeah, yeah. I was acting up back then.
Speaker 2 (55:18):
Oh your money is good, nigga, I got this cashiers
right here? Yeah yeah, cash open?
Speaker 3 (55:27):
Oh my good.
Speaker 1 (55:28):
Listen.
Speaker 3 (55:28):
Yeah, I was definitely. I respected it with a snapper and.
Speaker 1 (55:34):
He still rolled the dice and said, don't do this.
Don't with him.
Speaker 2 (55:38):
I don't know how he does it, but he always win.
Kick your ass lesson.
Speaker 1 (55:47):
Listen. It was this funny ass picture.
Speaker 4 (55:50):
I gotta find it somewhere because nigga, we had been
shooting dice all night and got late.
Speaker 1 (55:56):
You just left, and you left a couple of your rings.
Speaker 3 (56:00):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (56:01):
I put them motherfuckers around.
Speaker 4 (56:03):
Like a like an OX cord, like like an ox cord,
and rode on his sign.
Speaker 1 (56:09):
I want my fifteenth thousand and two dance moves.
Speaker 3 (56:14):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (56:16):
Oh you'll never see a ring again.
Speaker 3 (56:21):
I need to see that.
Speaker 2 (56:25):
Here's a part that that was really awesome to me
and within your artistry. Roilroad to me at that time
was like god dancer. It was like he was like,
I just thought he was the best thing since since Cheese,
you know what I'm saying, since the Patty Milt.
Speaker 1 (56:47):
I was like, you're You're different. And I tried to
do his choreography. I don't know if I don't know
if everybody told you he choreographed, choreographed that video, the.
Speaker 2 (56:55):
Freaky video, don't look that up. They don't look But
I did. I did well. I did well. Song didn't work,
but I did well. Something about me dancing the songs
don't really anyway.
Speaker 3 (57:07):
YO, So he's not you.
Speaker 2 (57:12):
And and I used to always watch roll Rod do choreography,
and I would always watch the dancers do to choreography
and I'd be like, it just didn't it didn't catch,
it didn't match, it didn't. And then I saw you
doing Roros choreography and I said, he's roll Ro.
Speaker 3 (57:38):
Yeah definitely. I don't know how you Ro is one
of my bands morphed.
Speaker 2 (57:43):
Into that, but I haven't seen. You were the first.
You were the you were the you. You, you did
it the most, you, You you absorbed the style of
the most. Then there was Jacob Lotimore.
Speaker 5 (57:56):
Yeah, yeah, who really shout out to JA was Jacob.
Speaker 2 (58:02):
He's tough, but you were the first person I've ever
seen be able to absorb that style, like like Nuance
for Nuance, it wasn't just the moves.
Speaker 1 (58:13):
You had a sauce.
Speaker 3 (58:14):
You gotta yeah, a sauce.
Speaker 2 (58:17):
Because I used to listen, we used to I'm from
Record Plant to the Underdog.
Speaker 1 (58:23):
I used to watch you give mister Chris Brown a
lot of business and Chris is so competitive, like he
was like, fuck, he do.
Speaker 2 (58:37):
That, and then he canna work on it, you know
what I'm saying, and if he come back with more.
Speaker 1 (58:45):
Fun you.
Speaker 3 (58:51):
That was a time.
Speaker 2 (58:52):
That was a time I was watching two titans crazy
added especially at Record Plant. Y'all was in the hall
about hours.
Speaker 3 (59:03):
Record Plan. That's true, it's crazy, that's true.
Speaker 1 (59:06):
That's true. And that was earning sharpening iron. That's sad.
Like in those moments, Gate put Chris on a mission.
You know that.
Speaker 2 (59:16):
That put Chris on a mission, like I'm going to
get him. Yeah, I'm going to get him.
Speaker 1 (59:21):
It wasn't about nobody else.
Speaker 2 (59:23):
And I'm like, we'll ask him personally, did anybody else
make you mad?
Speaker 1 (59:28):
You made him mad? Sh him the dancer he is today?
Speaker 3 (59:31):
No shout out to CB.
Speaker 5 (59:33):
I just saw some interview that he did and he was,
you know, definitely complimented me about my dance and my
journey so solute to c.
Speaker 4 (59:47):
R and B Money is a production of the Black
Effect podcast Network. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit
the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows. Don't get to subscribe to and
rate our show, and you can connect with us on
social media at Jay Valentine and at the Real Tank.
(01:00:07):
For the extended episode, subscribe to YouTube dot com or
slash R and B Money
Hosts And Creators
Tank
J. Valentine
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