December 25, 2024 • 61 mins
In Episode 135 of the R&B Money Podcast, Tank and J. Valentine welcome the sultry and soulful Teedra Moses to the conversation. Known as the Lioness of R&B, Teedra shares her journey from penning hits for others to stepping into her own spotlight with timeless classics like Be Your Girl. She dives deep into her creative process, the resilience required to stay true to her artistry, and the stories behind some of her most beloved music. Prepare to be inspired by her passion, grace, and unmatched talent.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
R and B Money.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
We are.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Than take valotized. We are the authority on tall thing
R and B.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
My name is Tank Valentine.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
This is the R and B Money Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Why are you doing?
Speaker 1 (00:23):
I don't know, I under saying the authority on all
things R and B. You're about to be acted. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Let's seehere this is going.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
We got some of that, yes in the bills. You know,
when it gets elegant, it's very you know when it
gets sexy and saxony, you know what it gets.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Brown Claire is here, so pro woman in the building.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You're the set. I'm saying, real singing.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Yeah, real black woman, real writing. Yeah, huh yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I don't want to label before you long or no
intro because I want to talk to teacher about because
I want to talk to I want to talk to him.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Ship.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, you're going to turn it on even Thursday quick.
I just think I just think that you're just dope.
(01:38):
I think that you're just awesome, and I think that
you're it's I don't even think you even have to
do anything. I think you just have a presence about
you and a disposition that it's.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Just like.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah, that's that's what it's supposed And it's like when
those comparisons happened from the tiny desk, it was like, oh.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Do you see that?
Speaker 1 (02:14):
What?
Speaker 4 (02:14):
I don't see it?
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You don't see it, not at all.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
They used to tell my mother she looks like Claire
hu It was like, what.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
If Claire Huxtable could say Claire, probably can't you think
about it? Probably Claire is probably in the choir.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Yeah, she has songs out.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
You know what fair comparison? Listen it was, it was
it's a.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Thing, but we all have someone that people think.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
But again it goes back to that energy.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Yes, that's the thing. It matches.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
It's all that you're doing right now, Claire.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
But we're not about just Claire Hexley.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Let you talk about Shah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
First of all, you know, I'm I'm sure they didn't
whooped a couple of girls from them too, But.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Don't do that.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah, you don't tell somebody something about themself. I know,
I know what you don't do. Let's go back to
the beginning. Can we go back to the beginning, of course,
can we like get into where where where all this starts?
Fatigra Moses? Who who points this out? Who tells you
or affirms you if you have a gift.
Speaker 5 (03:36):
You know, my mama did. My mama used to and
I wasn't even thinking about singing. My mother used to
tell me these songs I should sing when I make
my album, you should cover this song. Or she would say,
you know, make sure you don't get all those cavities
in your mouth, because it is so disgusting when those
ladies be on camera and they's singing and opening mouth
and all that black stuff is in them mouth. I
(03:57):
wasn't thinking about any of this stuff.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
I wanted to rap. I wanted to be a rapper.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
But I think a lot of the greatest songwriters they
have that, especially of our era, have that thing in
them where you kind of like can just come off
the top of you here. So I wanted to rap,
and when I first started doing music, I wanted to
do it more aggressively than what actually came out.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
But shout out to Paul PAULI he just smoothed it out.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
He smoothed it all out for me and made it
a little bit more sensual and less raw as I
actually was at that time.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
So who does where's your discovery moment? Where? Because I mean,
I'm obviously singing in church.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
No, I missed all of that. My mother's sing gospel.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
Yeah, but I was like too shy, you know, in
a Southern Baptist church.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
If you not.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
Belting out and like really getting busy still, I don't
even think you can sing, you know. And my voice
was a little too sweet. I just kept it to myself,
sing in a shower.
Speaker 6 (04:51):
You know.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
But then I met a guy by the name of
Paul Pauli who produced my first album, majority of it
with me, and he was a producer for my children's father, Razkaz,
and he he introduced us and we just kind of
crafted this sound. I came in with crutches. He was like,
where is she going? She has crutches, she got a
(05:14):
broken leg.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
What are we gonna do with this?
Speaker 4 (05:17):
I came to the studio and crutches.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
How did you.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
I had?
Speaker 5 (05:21):
I used to do wardrobe styling. So we were on
a set up a video and I was going down
the hill, just you know, going down the hill, and
all of a sudden, the momentum started building and I'm
going and I'm going, I'm going, and I jumped over
a boulder and my female bone just.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Breaks you jump over because I mean, yeah, it was
taking me.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
You're young, you just got jump.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
I'm gonna politely just jump it.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
And so this is this is where my knee is,
and this is what my my leg is doing.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
And so it was all broken.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
And after that, I couldn't do wardrobe style anymore because
that wasn't my thing anyway. So it's like it's time
for me to figure out this music thing. And I
asked my children father to introduce me to producers. One
was a guy by the name of Khalil Khalil that
produces here in Los Angeles. I can't think of his
last name, and really dope and Paul Pauli. And Paul
Pauli lived in Glendale, I lived in Pasadena. Great little
(06:13):
you know. Yeah, So we just started cooking and that's
what happened.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
And is it the music that that creates the discovery
on the next level or are you performing somewhere?
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Are you starting to You had done no shows, nothing,
You just like, you know what, I.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Want to do it?
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I want to do it. I was like I always
liked as.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
A rapper as a singer at this point.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Initially it was like I used to do.
Speaker 5 (06:43):
Like talent shows, rapping. My mother would take me to
the clubs and all these different stuff.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
You know, this is New Orleans, this was.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
I was in LA by the time I became an artist.
I moved to Los Angeles area about fourteen, originally from
New Orleans, Louisian an area called Kenna right outside of
I hear.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
So many things.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
What you hear?
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Yeah, it was the thing.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I was from New York.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
I was just about to say, you got some New
York on you.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Yeah, because once I got here it started shaving up.
Speaker 5 (07:09):
But I'm living back in New Orleans again, so scrabably
coming back out of me more. But yeah, like when
I first got here, I started, you know, just kind
of like dibbling and dabbling. But I didn't do my
first show until I already had an album. I was
signed to TVT Records.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
So hold on, hot, how do you skip these steps?
How do you get straight from demo to deal to show?
Speaker 4 (07:32):
I don't know. I just was honest at the time.
I was just so honest.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
I just was doing what I could, you know what
I mean, Like it was just pouring out of me.
And believe it, my first show, if I was to
show y'all video. I had so much energy how you
was talking about genuine jumping out there, That's how it was.
My energy was so on tin and I had to
like hone my energy in and learn how to really
perform because I was just hella excited.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
But you know, we smoothed it out.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
And what was so in your mind? Like if in
your mind at that time when you were like, this
is the artist I want to be right, what did
that feel like like if it's if it's comparing to
anyone or never thought.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
About it, never thought about it. All I wanted to
be was tjer. I wouldn't even put weave in my
hair in the beginning because we had hair. You know,
I'm from the South. We pride ourselves for having hair
and all these things. So I didn't even put weave in.
Then I tore my hair up and have to start.
But yeah, like I we just were very natural girls.
I didn't want to do anything that wasn't the One
thing I knew in my mind is I wanted to
(08:33):
be relatable. You know, we come from an era of
like big stars. I didn't really want that vibe. I
wanted to be touchable. I wanted to be somebody that
was extremely relatable. So I that's all I had in mind.
And when I made an album, I wanted.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
To feel like Aliah's Rockaboat. That's what I wanted.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Album itself to feel like that record. Yes, that's a
great start.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Gray Star.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
Yeah, I wanted it to be something that and cause
I love eighties R and B was just always so
sensual and like, you know, grown, and that's what I
wanted my my album to be on. But as far
as what kind of artists I wanted, I didn't know
how I wanted to dress anything. I just wanted to
be myself and I hone that over time, and that's
why I'm glad that that big thing that happens for
people didn't happen for me right away because I probably
(09:17):
wasn't ready because I didn't even know what I wanted
to present to you because I was just being myself.
I didn't want to become anything. I just wanted to
be myself. And as I grew as a person as
an artist, I became more clear on what that was,
what that was.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
So you were signed to T TVT in the beginning, Yes,
that's like the label they had, like Little John right.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Yes, little John ying Yan twins people and me and
I used to roll with them too.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Of course, because that's how that goes. Though people don't
know that.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Like right too, you know what I mean. I'm I'm
I can be around men drinking and smoking and I
can play those games.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
I can play those games and walk out with my heels.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
And yeah, tell me, I see it. I see It's
okay your first album. As you're going through these motions,
what are some of the things that you're discovering that
you know early on and just from your experience, like
the things that hit you immediately that you were like, oh,
I don't know that. I got to figure this out.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Here's the thing.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
I was blessed to have Neo in studio every day
as I'm recording these songs, and I think that he
is one of the greatest.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Of our time.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
You said Neo Neo.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
I called him chaffer at the time, but he became
near absolutely, and he is one of the greatest vocal
producers of our time. And I was blessed to have
that when I knew nothing about this. All I knew
about was singing my lead lines, and I put a
little you know, three part harmony here and there.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
And he taught me how to paint.
Speaker 5 (10:57):
He literally taught me how to paint with my vocal
and I think that was the first thing I realized,
I have to tighten up here. This is where I
have to learn to really make complete records. That's the
first thing I thought of. My writing came natural. It's
more so like it would just pour out of me.
I have never taken a pin in written anything down,
because I don't think that's how it goes for me.
(11:20):
I just kind of stand in the mirror and look
at myself and start singing to myself, you know, and
it starts to pour out whatever's going on. It starts
to pour out. I just sing it over and over again.
But I would find when I go to the studio,
I would get stuck when.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
It was time to paint the vocals.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
And that was the first thing I realized, I have
to get very strong at that. And I've gotten much
better over that time, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Oh yeah, so he worked on the whole first.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
The only song that he didn't vocal produce and arrange
vocally arranged was Caught Up. That was the first song
I ever wrote in my life. Ever recorded, ever did
ever and that one was he but then we got
to the next one. I was just getting stuck. So
they called him because we want the same production company.
(12:05):
I think it was called Bridge Kid. We were both
stigned to the same production company and we would cook
every day, me Pauli and Neo.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
That's crazy, that's really great because I remember early Neo Yeah, yeah,
me too, least work with Vig Tang. Yeah. And he
was like, I'm telling you, this kid is dope. Man,
Like you got to go. And I went over there
and they started playing songs. I looked at this little
nigga said, I said, I wanted yeah, yeah, he had
(12:32):
a smash for me. That that Uh, this is the
first time that I had heard that a writer wanted
in advance.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Okay, okay, gold Neil.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
And I was like, I was like, get a nigga
the money. Well, my label was I was like, no,
we don't pay no writers. I'm like this, listen to
the song.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
The song, and let's say this too.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
A lot of these tracks without the song, it's just
and then you put that personality, you put that that
you put the record on the record, Yes.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
And why you're not gonna pay that person. Why would
you not pay.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Because traditionally the advance was always allotted to the.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Producer, So why wouldn't the producer? I got bills to pay. Baby,
My kid's tuition is to you can't throw me something.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Because in our genre of me, not even just our
genre of music, but our sector of music and black music,
it became where we just had more beat makers more
than even producers, because a producer could have been either
side of that in the beginning, right, and then they
share the wealth as they see fit if they didn't
pin the record or they didn't do the beat. But
(13:55):
then when you said that a beat maker was the producer,
it just.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Side you know what I'm saying. And they were like, oh, ship,
that's that.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
That's they.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
They said, I'm just I'm the producer because I've been doing.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Cool. The first person I ever heard of like kind
of taking that energy back was Missy Elliot.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Absolutely, yep, Absolutely, she.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Was a person where it was like she's like, I'm
taking this from Okay, you brought it the beat, which
which takes us from A to maybe G but from
g on that's me, that's right, And without g on,
that's sitting on the CD. I'm the producer and this
(14:48):
is my fee. And so, like going back to Neil
early in his like this is before he's neo. I'm like,
pay this kid. I don't know he's getting ready be neo,
but I know this right here what he's doing and
special and we need to figure that out. And you
know it wasn't figured out. We didn't figure it out.
(15:10):
He didn't he didn't sign with us, I didn't get
the record. Next thing, you know, so Sick is out
and I told you.
Speaker 5 (15:18):
No, next thing, you know, what's the Mario record?
Speaker 1 (15:23):
You should yea and just went so disrespectful. I feel so.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
It happens.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
I saw one day. I was like this, I got
one one, Neil. I've known you for so long. One
please sure God damn.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Next day, when we see the nigga and you produce, we.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Jumping on eat you seed you to start it? You
just did you? Did you? Did you know that you
were you? You were in a space style wise that
was very unique when you were when you started creating
with me and all these guys, and you started hearing
the product, like once you started listening to the body
(16:12):
of work and listening to your voice and how you
how you? Uh?
Speaker 5 (16:16):
I didn't think I could sing very well. You don't
have to remember I came from Southern Baptist church, you
know what I mean. The girls in there sound like.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Franklin.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
So I didn't think I could sing very well, and
it took a while for me to like it. It
took a while for me. I think once people started
liking I gave myself great.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
I was about to say, what was the yeah, what
was that moment or in terms of, like, you know,
the validating moment in a sense to where you you
you you finally accept Yeah. I think it.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
I think when people and this crazy thing is I
don't need people to validate. That's not my personality. But
I think at the time, I just it was new.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
I was extremely new.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Like most people had a lot of things that they
did before they started. I was extremely new, so I
was kind of insecure in the sense of like, I
don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
I would always tell them I don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
But even in me not knowing I was doing, I
was gonna stand on what I like and what I
didn't like, you know. And I think that by the
time I started going out on the road. That's I
think for any artist, that's the validation when you realize
you got something because you start seeing the energy that
it brings out of people. And I think that's when
it happened. It took me getting on the road and
seeing people sing my songs.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Did you did you immediately have good reactions.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
On the road, Well, immediately, there was no one there first.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
You know.
Speaker 5 (17:37):
It was the first tour I went on was a
Seagums Gen tour and it was myself, Tweet and Sel,
which is a really great show, but they weren't there
for me to like about somewhere around Houston and it
was like two people and they were rocking. This is
why now to this day, I still turn around and
play with my band like we jam out together, because
(17:58):
I start off with nobody there, so we get into
each other, two people. Then it started going and going
and going, and it eventually happened, but it started with
nobody and we were just rehearsing them and listen.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
And it's a real thing because as a as a
new artist, you have to decide how you're going to
approach that moment if you really want.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
This, because if you're doing it just to see them
do that and nobody's up there. Are you just gonna
be like up there just bullshitting you know, because nobody's
up there.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
No, you're gonna go.
Speaker 5 (18:27):
You're gonna still give that energy because you're enjoyed it
with your band at this point and from that day
till now.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
I love when people out there enjoy it.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
You know, it's a totally different thing now everybody's enjoying it,
but we're enjoying it.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
There it is, we connected, we locked it.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Yeah. I've had many a show where I can't tell
you what we call the shows trick, I'll tell you
all five uh many a show where fine, okay, let's
(19:03):
eat because I had never imagined that I would be there.
Like when I started singing backgrounds for Genuine, I thought
in the LEADU, I said, oh d I'm doing this
forever Genuine I was like, no, no, you gotta go
(19:25):
do your thing. I said, no, I don't.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
This feels good.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
I can see, yeah, this is great. I see backgrounds
with you. You take your shirt up, then I take
my shirt off, and then like this is this is great?
So why would I want to leave? You know what
I'm saying I thought having fun carrying Genuine's bag, remember
the time of my life. And he's like, nah, bro,
it's gonna be you like you gotta do your thing.
(19:51):
And when they pulled me off the road with Genuine,
I almost cried as a grown man, you're taking mind
you you're killing me right now.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
And because as you left, you go to a new
space where's no crowd.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
It's no round because Genuine was introducing me. So when
I sang, there was motion. It's like that's Genes got girl.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
To this day, he still sings background.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Don't matters going to start singing. I sing backs, give
me my park, my mixtop, playing with me. But when
I started singing those those two of those three, those
four people like again I come from that Baptist church.
You better sing. And sometimes when you're singing during devotion,
the people ain't came in the church yet. People are
still drinking, trickling in. But the spirit gotta be there
(20:49):
when they get when they when they the spirit better
be there. You ain't ushering in no spirit. They move you,
they move you along. You won't get devotion. No more
emotion was a big deal.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
The devotion there you go and.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
So liked that experience of singing in front of those
ten those twenty people. Like that's what made me yeah,
because I'm like, oh no, i'ma I'm gonna I'm gonna
kill y'all so crazy, y'all gonna go get twenty more people,
promise you. And I remember the day when I walked
(21:24):
into a building and I said, I got to do tonight.
Sold out? Yeah? How many? How many people here? Like
eight and fifty? What? Oooh it's your you? What what? Yeah?
Oh my god? And they were screaming. I was genuine,
(21:56):
And you know, it's like Jay said, it's like those
are the moments that make you make a real decision
about how much of this you really want.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
But see, I think it's also according what you're doing
it for, right, I was really doing it for me.
I like this.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
I love it, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
I like this, so I want y'all to like it.
But it's only a couple of y'all here. I'm gonna
give it all I got to you. But whoever comes
to my show just know I love you dearly. But
I'm up here enjoying myself, you know, And I pray
that that spills into you like the energy transfer, you know,
but I'm not paying enjoying myself.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
I'm gona talk how I want to talk.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
I'm act you are now in my living room, you
know what i mean, Even if I'm at somebody else's house.
I mean, I'm opening up for somebody. We're still in
the room they gave me to stay in.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
It's like, I'm gonna give myself and if you like it,
I'm glad you like it. But I'm not as much
trying to win you over as much as I'm just
giving myself to you.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
And how you.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Take that, you take that, because I can only give
you me, not back.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
To the validation things. But when you feel that connection
of your lyrics and the people.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
And you're like, oh yeah, yeah, that's that's really feels good.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
That feels really good.
Speaker 5 (23:14):
Because I'm a very honest writer. I'm not poetic on purpose,
you know what i mean. I just write what I
feel at the time. And when I'm saying things like
everybody's worried about tomorrow when they see tomorrow, I'm just
trying to get mine off today and everybody's looking at
me like yes, yes, singing these words like they came
from their own brain. That's a really awesome feeling, because
(23:35):
you don't feel crazy when people are like relating to
you like that.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
You feel like we are a little crazy.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
We are insane, we are delusional, and we are insane.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
We are freaking insane. But I'm not by myself, you know.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
I feel like, you know, yo, all these things I've
been fitling, Yeah, all these things I've been feeling.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
They feel it too.
Speaker 5 (24:05):
Men, women, gay, straight, you know, you name it. People
are relating and that have always related to my my lyrics.
I really appreciate that because I was a weird o
child that always felt like nobody else understood.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
What was the first song that did that for you?
Speaker 5 (24:21):
The first song that did that for me was in
Baltimore on the same the first tour I went on
the Seagums Gen tour.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Baltimore, sing every word for word.
Speaker 5 (24:31):
They started with no more tears, just kind of like
some singing some of it. But of course by the
time you got to be your girl, they're just singing
it out, singing it out, you know, And I just dropped.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
The fucking bike. I just dropped the mic and.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
Just was standing there like I had to like get
myself together to start back singing with them because I
was blown away.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
I was blown away.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
I could not believe that those people, we had done
a whole tour, nobody, you know, people starting to get
into me knowing, you know, but now we're here in
Baltimore and they're going up for me.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
It was crazy.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Did you have.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
A hit record as a writer first? Did that record
come out first? Did Dipplo come out? Because I mean
for people, I mean, we know, but y'all, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
She wrote Christina? Did that come out before?
Speaker 4 (25:25):
I'm trying to think.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
I think that we were almost simultaneous, simultaneous. I think
I think it was around the same time. Yeah, I
think maybe my album came.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Out about it dropped out.
Speaker 5 (25:38):
Let me just tell you I was I was, Oh
she was first. Yeah, I think I think Diplo was first.
But either way, I'll never forget. I used to sing
it like it's mine.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Oh you put in your show too, And no.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
They didn't do it back then. Back then, nobody did that.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Back then, you weren't really singing the songs you wrote
for other people.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Tank, it.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Wasn't happening but.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Used to do that with Babyface because about such a thing.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
And I'm saying I wish I would have been doing
that back then. Y'all heard that, y'all heard this.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
That's all me every radio station because you know I
was underground. So I want you to know, like what
I do works when it has some support, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Wow, do you I've had this moment before? And I
want to know if you've had this moment as a
as a singer and a songwriter where you write this song,
whatever song this is for you. You write this song
and you tell this story, you tell this truth, and
(26:49):
you get it off and you send it out into
the universe and one day you're singing this song where
they're singing this song back to you and you finally
you realize what this song means.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Yes, for sure, what song is that? I think that
would probably be No More Tears, That's it. And I'm
really stuck in my first album right now because I've
been touring this thing right now and that's like really
where my head is, and I think that's the one,
that's the one, And this is when those experiences happen
in the very beginning, you know, like, like I said,
(27:26):
I was just speaking honestly when I was writing these records,
and I'm seeing.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
This chick crying, singing no.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
More tears, which is kind of an oxymoron, but she's crying.
She's like so intensely crying, like these were her last tears.
She was gonna cry. And I was like, Oh, that's
what I was on. That's what I was on, Like
I'm really not about to be around here sad.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
No.
Speaker 5 (27:49):
I'm gonna get all this out and I'm not gonna
be sad no more. And I think that's the first
time I really saw the reflection, like the mirror of
what I really was on when what's writing that record?
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Yeah, I was. I was singing maybe I deserve one
day mmm, and I didn't. I got lost, like to
the point to where the song and I started tearing up.
I was like, I was like, I'm getting ready to break.
I was like, oh no, And they're singing there, singing
(28:25):
it back, and I'm realizing what this song is sang
from a perspective that I hadn't really looked at before.
I just I don't know why I had that experience,
but I was just like, this song means something so different,
and it's those people in the audiences. Is the dude
singing it to his girl maybe yeah, and it's the
(28:45):
girl like you? And I'm like, I'm watching it, you know,
as it sounds destructive, I'm watching it repair. Huh. You
understand what I'm saying. Because having a moment, they're finally
they're finally having a real moment of accountability. And through
(29:10):
that accountability or through that truth, people can make better decisions.
Like I feel like women, as long as they know
the truth, they can navigate anyone.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
If you give them the truth, then they got all
the pieces to really work with.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
A woman can navigate. Okay, cool, So that's okay, cool.
Just let me be able to walk in there with
my head up.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
Oh no, I'm not walking in after you tell me
I'm going in another direction.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
But you gave me information for me to be able
to make that decision.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
That's I'm appreciative and I love you forever.
Speaker 7 (29:43):
Goodbye. Let me have the car.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Oh no, you got first. I'm teaching. I am right.
Oh look, yeah, I'm teaching mostly I don't I don't
even know what the fuess you got going on? Oh yeah,
the truth to set me free. I'm out, you.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Know what I'm I'm tired of you already.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
I was gone somewhere. Where do you feel? How did
you feel from a success standpoint with your first album?
How did you feel?
Speaker 5 (30:33):
I didn't feel any success. I'm under I'm an underground artist.
I'm slowly, twenty years later, people starting to know me more,
you know what I mean. I came from doing wardrobe
for big labels, big budgets, all these things. I went
to a record label called TVT, which was Indy, and
we were thugging it, you know. And also, let's be clear,
(30:58):
the Indy is so celebrated now. It's oh my god,
that Indian. You know, it's India's Indie, Indian doing this Indy.
We were not celebrated, right.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
I'm from the Bay Area, so you know, everything independent.
Speaker 5 (31:10):
Yeah, yeah, that's different.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
But I'm saying our mindset is already where you are
with it. But like you said, it's so celebrated now.
But we were independent because you didn't have any like from.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
The Bay and it was no industry in Oakland, yeah,
you know, and you would have to come to La
to become Everybody had to go to these big cities
to come.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
It was not like it is now. We all know that.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
But so when you're indy and you're not, these platforms
aren't really.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
Checking for you.
Speaker 5 (31:40):
These I remember, I'm not going to say his name,
that's my baby. But were real cute, cool, and he
was like, you know, she's too skinny to put up.
You know the smooth magazine used to have with the
girls and stuff like that, She's too skinny. Every time
I see my swing my ass in front of like,
I'm too skinny.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
Huh, I'm too skinny. You said, I'm too skinny her.
We have a laugh.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
But these are the things.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
You got that big.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
So it wasn't easy.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
So when you talk about success, it's like.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
I didn't. I didn't pay attention. I just didn't really think.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
About you at least.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
I mean I was getting money as a writer.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Did you feel like I wasn't.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Even thinking about it? If I was seeing or not,
I was Can.
Speaker 5 (32:20):
I keep it g with you? I was working hard
to take care of my kids. I couldn't worry about
all of that. I just had to get what I
was getting and be grateful for it and keep I
have twin sons, twin sons.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Oh really, Oh my god, Oh fabulous. So they're part
of it.
Speaker 5 (32:37):
Before you go on, I have to tell everybody, very
amazing part of a group called Coast Contra that's really
really dope doing very true hip hop music.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
And yeah, that's my babies.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
So Chefferless is oh okay, okay, and.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
That's been my homie before she had a restaurant. Okay,
so when she opened a restaurant, you know, I'm going
through there and I just keep saying these these these
these young fellas, and I'm like, at first, yeah, I'm
hold on.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
And I have twin brothers.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
I have brothers that are twins, so but my brothers
are fraternal twins. But it's always you know, it's a
thing when you see twins, especially when you see identical twins.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Right, And they was.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Just the nicest guys. Literally, you did an amazing job.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
The nice when I say the nicest dudes, bro, just
you know, cause you go to restaurants and it be
bush it sometimes and even when it because I used
to go a lot too, so you know, I would
see them all the time. And they never said anything
about music, right, And obviously I'm a music guy and
chef knows that and the whole thing. So one day
she was like, you know who their parents are, right,
(33:49):
And I was like, we've never they've never said anything.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
And she's like, y'all come here, you know, she.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
Do her thing, my sanitary sister.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
And they came and they and they were like, yeah,
you know, but our dad is is uh Is Razskaz
and our mom is teacher Moses.
Speaker 8 (34:05):
I'm like, oh, as the R and B guy, and
they were like, yeah, you know, we're trying to put
together our music and we're doing this, that and the other.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And I just watched the progression and of them just
killing everything when they do their freestyles. And those guys
are so talented in the group as a whole. Yes,
it's super super talented. And listen, the generations is going
for you because that that is that's.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
Special what they do.
Speaker 5 (34:41):
Yeah, I think that. You know, when they first started,
I didn't know that they wrap. I knew nothing about it.
And a friend of theirs was coming up. We lived
in Miami at the time, and a friend was coming
over and he would come by and he be like,
it's most as you have to hit him rap And
they'd be like, no, no, mom, we don't rap.
Speaker 4 (34:57):
We don't.
Speaker 5 (34:57):
And I don't know why they thought I didn't want
them to do this. I don't know why they thought that.
But when they I finally did, they finally get get
around to saying it. Just listen, just be good, just
be good at it. And that's what they told me.
We didn't want to tell you before we thought we
were good enough because we knew you would tell us
that we were horrible if.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
We were, and I would, Yeah, yeah, you have to.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
I expect excellence from my children. I told them ever
since they were younger, you're great, and it said they
had to figure out what they were great at, because
I'm like, you gotta you're great.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
It's in you.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
You just got to figure out what it is. Yeah,
and they figured out this was what it was. But
I was not gonna be I see these people that
do music and do it.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
Really well, and then they have.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Kids, what are you doing, friggy business?
Speaker 5 (35:36):
Sit them down and have to talk. I didn't do
all of this for you to take us all the
way back there. Don't make me look crazy, and my
kids don't, thank god, thank god.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Put in too much work.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
Yeah, now cents.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Yes, my two cents been my two cents in a minute.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
And it's funny because they were probably didn't.
Speaker 5 (36:03):
But you know, that's how it was as a wardrobe stylist.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
No one knew I was saying. Do you know when
my music.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
Came out, everybody, producers, people that would be around. I
would be in so many spaces, and I was very quiet,
probably didn't smoked out, and just in the corner, high
as hell, you know what I mean. And I never
talked to anyone. But by the time it started going,
people just came up to me frustrated and disgusted with me,
like you did this all this time, and you told
no one I was there doing this. I was just
(36:28):
there doing this. I'm doing what I came here to do.
If anybody asked, I would have told them.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
It's just I mean, because you know, from adding adding
mom to it, like, people don't understand how difficult that
in itself is, because you know, men and women are
completely we operate completely different in that space. Man men detached.
(37:03):
As soon as they leave a house man out may
throw a phone call the two D, but he out
in the field, he working. I gotta do what I
gotta do. A woman is calling back to the house
pulling out of the driveway. Yeah, and to be able
(37:24):
to to mentally make sure this is in the space
it needs to be, but also be of service to
the people who are coming to see you, people who
want to interview you, people who are spending money on you.
Any but like, great.
Speaker 4 (37:42):
Job, thank you, And to do it as a single parent.
Let's make that clear.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
Great job, thank you.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
How old were they when you first went out on
the road.
Speaker 6 (37:54):
And like seven something like that, but they were good,
Like we would have these conversations about how like listen,
weird team.
Speaker 5 (38:06):
Okay, don't be the weakest link because if you mess up,
that messes up for me. If I messes up, that
message up for you. We have to all be strong
in It's like I raised them to understand we're doing
this together. It was very much so what you see
is what you get. Ain't nobody, no fairies dropping off,
no money here. You know, I'm out here hustings. How
I get it out the damn clad.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
I was conversation with my daughter.
Speaker 5 (38:34):
Yes, I kept a gem from like five years old.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
They knew.
Speaker 5 (38:36):
So these conversations made, you know, made it different and
I remember once we were on the road, my son
started going to roll with me. After they got older
and started doing music, I would take them to the
UK and stuff like that.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
They were performed before.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
Me and the band asked them when your mother was gone.
We knew y'all would have parties. You know, y'all would
have parties at the house. And they were like no,
and they're like, nah, y'all had parties. No, they were
why didn't you have parties? Because we didn't want to
make it any harder for her.
Speaker 4 (39:02):
That's real teammates, Jim saying what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
You about to cry.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
It's getting really motion.
Speaker 5 (39:15):
That's man, that's real teammates, right and til this Sunen,
that's my I mean to this day, my sons are
my best friends, best best friends. We did it together,
like and that's why you know, even now with their stuff,
they'll call me and I'll tell them my opinion out
in myself. You know.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
We just teammates teams.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
That is so cool.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Yeah, it is you.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
I want to do that, Tomates. Don't make it hard over.
I'm quite and I'm like, turn that thing up.
Speaker 5 (39:55):
No, listen, I'm into the parties too. But don't do
anything that I'm going to have to rush home.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
Absolutely absolutely because I'm gonna kill you.
Speaker 5 (40:03):
Yeah, and that's really why you're not doing because you
know you're gonna die.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
What could happen? I'm all about that everything you said.
I love it. My wife is more like that. I
was like, I mean, the whole wall ain't burnt.
Speaker 5 (40:24):
It's just has to be balanced though two of you guys,
it's just did you die?
Speaker 1 (40:30):
But you know what, my trauma is different because I
was like everything for me coming out of that Baptist house,
in that church and that grandmother, great grandmother, great grandfather,
mom and dad, everybody being there like Auntie Betty and
(40:50):
own nit because I said, so, yeah, you know what
I'm saying, and so.
Speaker 4 (41:00):
I get to and I never said it. I would always.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
Explain yeah and I and you know, like I grew up,
asked my father Jack, can I go outside? And having
to sit there, well, he smoked his cigarette.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Still that's are you still waiting to answer right now?
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Still waiting to go outside? Wide?
Speaker 3 (41:35):
That's why you like outside.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
I would have to literally wait at the door sill
for like ten to fifteen minutes and then just walk
away and then later on he come walking out. You
all your friends go out by yourself. All I have
(42:07):
to say was that trauma that kind of forced me
in a hard way in the other direction to number one,
not my kids to be able to I think we're
kind of teammates because I let them communicate.
Speaker 4 (42:19):
That's important.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
I let them say it how they feel it, and
then we can we can make the corrections, we can
make the alterations on how that should be communicated and
and get into the wise of the feelings that they're having.
Because I know I felt some things as a kid
growing up. You know what I'm saying that I would
(42:40):
love to have shared with my parents, but I didn't
totally know how to articulate it. These new kids, sheesh,
they're talking and articulating my nine year old his daughter.
Speaker 5 (42:53):
It's also because they feel safer to do it. When
you come from the era of like, yeah, do what
I say, shut up and do us, it's a safer
space to be.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
I love that teammates. Shout out to my teammates, you
know what I'm saying, get them rapping or something. Get
you were Grammy nominated songwriter.
Speaker 5 (43:19):
Yeah, I can't even remember what song that's crazy, right,
because I'm trying to think because it happened a couple
of times. She does know to me, and what song
was Grammy nominated?
Speaker 1 (43:34):
You said that because it happened a couple of times.
Speaker 5 (43:37):
I remember about below them damn checks. So I was
like homeless, me and my kids didn't have anywhere to stay.
We were like kind of just going from political posts.
I just went out on that tour something about and
I didn't have no money, and we were going to
do this and I wasn't going to sell my publishing.
That wasn't my thing. So we're going to do this,
admitted administration two point fifty. It was gonna give me
(44:02):
to do twelve percent, okay, And they told me they
give it back to you and you go somewhere else.
Speaker 4 (44:06):
Okay. Cool.
Speaker 5 (44:06):
So I still own it, and my lawyer it was
like December, you know, everything closes down, and she's like,
but there's some jargon in the in the contract that's
just not right. And I'm gonna get back to it
in the new year, what cause I'm homeless.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
I need to way, I'm gonna get back to it.
Speaker 4 (44:28):
We'll get back around to the new year.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
But God talk about.
Speaker 5 (44:32):
It must have been like my kids, somewhere around like
the second or the fourth. My son's birthday is on
January fourth. I got a check for like three hundred
and something thousand dollars home more more my see what
I'm saying. Wow, that's what I remember about dipping it
(44:52):
pick it up slowly. Yeah, it was like, you know,
that's when I that's to what I remember. That is
the moment that I said, oh, you will never own me.
I'm gonna own all of me every time. If I fail,
I'm anna fail owning me. If I win, I'm gonna
win owing me. Because that changed everything, I just do
(45:24):
want to say thank.
Speaker 4 (45:25):
You to the people that have held me down for
all these years.
Speaker 5 (45:28):
Like I said, I've been underground, but it's been consistently
growing the entire time, and I'm grateful for that.
Speaker 4 (45:34):
And yeah, just thank you. I'm grateful. What's your playing
over there?
Speaker 1 (45:40):
Brother?
Speaker 5 (45:41):
I got songs? Why does that sound like sometimes it
snows in April a little bit?
Speaker 4 (45:59):
The beginning of it.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
I don't know what that is.
Speaker 5 (46:05):
Press press no time, the neighborhood.
Speaker 3 (46:09):
On the way though he had a principle.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
I love Prince, you know, I'm talking about like in
real life, like you knew Prince you.
Speaker 4 (46:16):
I didn't know him, but I met him.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (46:18):
I feel like Prince met you too many times.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yeah, teacher, the people are concerned about some information that
they need from you. All the singing and all the
touring and all the shows you've done, there's been some
(46:42):
musical influences they would like, they would like to know
who inspired we do all of this. And it's segment
(47:03):
cold far You're top fa.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
Mm hmm t far.
Speaker 9 (47:20):
Your top pat I beasings, come on all and me songs.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
We've got to move then though, you call there all
you you more you you Yes, right, you're.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
Tap f.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 5 (48:18):
Okay, So you want to know my top five R
and B singers singers, I would start with Anita Baker.
Anita Baker because I think she gave birth to a
whole generation of singers. I think that uh, Donnie Hathaway
(48:39):
has one of the greatest tones I've ever heard in
my life. Jasmine Sullivan is the greatest singer of her generation. Uh,
let's see singers.
Speaker 4 (48:56):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 5 (49:00):
Let me see who else tank mm hm. I'm not
just saying that because you're here, not for real. I've
heard you sing live. Yeah, I'm not playing with you, bro,
I've heard you sing live. Really, I've heard you sing live,
and I've heard you pull it out of your spirit
(49:23):
on them at the moment. I'm always amazed by that.
I can't do that like that. I gotta go with
her civilian figure it out. Would my last person be?
And I mean this as a singer because I think
just because you can do all the acrobats doesn't mean anything.
Speaker 4 (49:44):
Can you sing the song? Can you just sing the song?
Speaker 1 (49:48):
I feel man, you're talking about feeling something.
Speaker 5 (49:52):
And if you've seen her live, you know it goes
just like the record.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
You know, I never seen that.
Speaker 1 (49:57):
I said it. I need to see. It's just different. Yes,
it's different.
Speaker 2 (50:05):
I'm gonna find out if I can go find her
in one of them castles that she lives in the castle.
I don't know that, but I think I know that.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
Castle for sure. I want to hear it saying.
Speaker 5 (50:18):
Yeah, it's like her on stage is everything her music is,
you know it is it is.
Speaker 4 (50:27):
It's so good. She is probably one of my really
top artist period.
Speaker 1 (50:31):
Of all time. I would I love that she don't
have to move, she.
Speaker 5 (50:35):
Just and there's no other of her.
Speaker 4 (50:38):
No, there's no more. I don't think that ever be okay.
Speaker 1 (50:43):
Top five R and B songs.
Speaker 4 (50:47):
Adore You by Prince Greatest Sex R Kelly.
Speaker 5 (50:57):
What a song you can close your eyes and see everything?
Speaker 4 (51:00):
He sang.
Speaker 1 (51:01):
I was so angry I heard that song.
Speaker 4 (51:05):
How did you get to anger?
Speaker 1 (51:08):
Because in my mind I was always competing against him,
even though I wasn't at that space yet, and I
was like, he's still so much better.
Speaker 4 (51:23):
Let's see what else do I have? Stronger in pride?
It's one of my favorite songs.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (51:32):
Beauty?
Speaker 1 (51:34):
True?
Speaker 4 (51:34):
Hill?
Speaker 1 (51:35):
Real? You mean absolutely? That song angered me too.
Speaker 4 (51:41):
That was a good one though.
Speaker 1 (51:42):
Signed. That's when I was signing the Cliff and Jerry
and it just got off tour with him and they
dropped that song, and I think it was Jerry, look me,
you ain't make sure like this. I can. That's how
you motivated. Ain't making sure like that? Get your ship together?
Speaker 5 (52:01):
Beautiful songs. To this day, I listen to it and
it just makes me feel so good as a woman,
Like you know, I I love that there are male
artists out here singing for women, but that's like one
of those key songs. It's like, if you as a woman,
if you just want to feel good, you put that
record on. I don't know, I think that might have
(52:22):
been three or four. Crush Jeanne hmmm, yeah, I love them.
By the way, I was a third member of that group.
We all have a group that we were shout out to,
the Baylor Project because jean from Jean Nay is with
her husband. They're still getting nominated for Grammys and yeah,
doing their thing. And then my last one, I think
(52:43):
we're at five now, would be Marvin Gaye's when Did
You Stop Loving Me? Because you know what, no structure,
just a really good song until you don't get to
the hook of it all until the end.
Speaker 4 (52:58):
He just see he just tells his whole story.
Speaker 5 (53:00):
Like visit you here, my dear, my dear, and that
that's the one, that's the one. And I was in
heavy heartbreak when I listened to that. He was just
like talking about her calling the cops on. It was
just he ran the whole thing down. It's really really good. Yeah,
so that would be my top five.
Speaker 1 (53:19):
Dear.
Speaker 9 (53:20):
Wow, I ain't saying no next, I ain't saying no names.
I ain't saying no names. Saying no names.
Speaker 2 (53:30):
You was.
Speaker 1 (53:33):
What you did, don't say? She said.
Speaker 3 (53:48):
So we had a very very important part of the show.
Speaker 1 (53:50):
Pivotal, very very pivotal.
Speaker 2 (53:54):
He would say, segment of the show called I ain't
saying no name? Okay, will you tell us a story?
Speaker 1 (54:00):
They or fucked up?
Speaker 3 (54:01):
Are funny and fucked up?
Speaker 4 (54:02):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (54:03):
The only rude to the game is you can't say
no name.
Speaker 4 (54:07):
Okay. I got a few of those.
Speaker 5 (54:14):
So when I first started out, was going on tour,
and I told you I had never really done a show.
So going on tour, and let's be clear, my sisters,
my management, we've been like this for the whole time.
We both with New Booty. We knew nothing going on.
So the label gives us money to put together a
(54:36):
band and everything. There were certain people that were pretty
you know, well known for doing it at the time,
putting together bands, mds, you know all this stuff.
Speaker 4 (54:46):
There's this guy.
Speaker 5 (54:49):
That we gave the money too to put it all together.
I ain't gonna say his name, but this nigga took
my money and just left it, just took the money.
We had rehearsal. He just did not show up. One
person in the band that he put together came. I'll
(55:14):
say his name, mister Wild Jones, who's an amazing arranger,
producer and MD.
Speaker 4 (55:20):
He came and he.
Speaker 5 (55:23):
He kind of like helped me put a real but
I had to go get some more money, yeah, because
they took the money.
Speaker 1 (55:28):
Right.
Speaker 5 (55:29):
So then he goes and gets people. It's my first
time going out on the road. He goes and get people,
pull together a really great band. But the day, but
maybe two days before it was time to go out
on the road, the guy that we didn't rehearse with
all this time. And keep in mind, I don't know
how to just pull thing together things together like I
(55:52):
can now, you know, I'm.
Speaker 4 (55:53):
Just new booty, right.
Speaker 5 (55:55):
And so the guy goes to jail, one of the
guys the band. Yeah, he goes to jo but we
gotta leave tomorrow or the next year or something like that.
I can't really find somebody else to replace him. So
I go bail him out because that's what I thought
(56:15):
I would have I was supposed to do. Now I
wouldn't do that, but back then, that's what I thought
I was supposed to do. So cool, So I got
him out. Now we go and we do the first
show we're doing a song produced by Rafael Sadik in
which he is playing bass. What kind of bass does
Rafael play, you guys, regular bass? He doesn't play key bass.
Speaker 1 (56:36):
It's time.
Speaker 4 (56:37):
There's like this boo bas thing. I turn around.
Speaker 5 (56:41):
It's my first time, maybe my fourth time ever being
on stage, first show of the tour. I'm in front
of these killers, right. I turn around and this nigga
is then forgot his bass and he's only playing key base.
I want to throw the whole experience away.
Speaker 4 (57:00):
I have my money. So he got fired never and
he's my friend. He knows who he is. He's my friend,
still my friend to this day.
Speaker 5 (57:08):
But this was my This was the beginning of me
having experience of like going out here on the road
and having to deal with band members and and music directors.
And I was green and I was a mark and
they got me and y'all know who you are. And
when one of them, one that took my money, see
(57:29):
me act like.
Speaker 3 (57:32):
Oh, you never got that money back, never got the
money back.
Speaker 7 (57:36):
Yes.
Speaker 5 (57:36):
I saw him at the homing house one time, because.
Speaker 4 (57:38):
He'd be with them.
Speaker 5 (57:42):
So I see him at the house and he goes,
he goes like he's talking to me like everything normal,
and I'm like, okay, cool. As soon as they let
you know that nigga stole my money, right, like that
nigga stole my money, and like it's like, do you
did you do this so much that you forgot everybody
you stole? Probably I want my money back, Yeah, I
(58:08):
want all of it with interest.
Speaker 4 (58:10):
Yes, stole my mom. I mean, it was just ridiculous.
Speaker 5 (58:12):
My start out was just like this is pure hell.
Speaker 4 (58:15):
You gotta you gotta know you want it, because I
was like, this ain't fun.
Speaker 3 (58:21):
It's not cool, it's not funny. Mean over here, over here,
it's not fun, and people are mean.
Speaker 4 (58:27):
People are mean.
Speaker 5 (58:28):
But you know what great experiences that taught you. You know,
how to be a shark with the sharks, you know.
Speaker 4 (58:35):
They got me.
Speaker 1 (58:38):
Well. First of all, thank you, thank you for coming.
Speaker 4 (58:41):
Thank you so much for having this was so much fun.
You are not.
Speaker 3 (58:46):
Like so I ain't coming on there.
Speaker 5 (58:50):
You are.
Speaker 4 (58:51):
I feel like you' the crazy one. You to calm.
Speaker 1 (58:58):
It's perfect and we switch sometimes, yeah, but it ain't
good if we switch.
Speaker 3 (59:05):
If he crazy, craziest, fun my craziest, My crazy.
Speaker 4 (59:09):
Is dangerous, somebody might get killed.
Speaker 1 (59:10):
Yeah, you're not trying to nobody.
Speaker 3 (59:16):
That's why I try to say okay, good good, good good.
Speaker 1 (59:19):
I like that. Yeah, it's about if we're both crazy.
Oh man, God bless a child. But you I love
everything about you. Like I said in the beginning, you're
you're super dope. Your energy is is very much needed,
(59:40):
almost required in a sense, you know what I mean.
Those stories and those things that you've been through, and
in the amount of time that you've put into this
and and the way you're still standing in it, like
people need to hear that. People need to see that
period and that's going that that's going to continue to
inspire generation.
Speaker 3 (01:00:01):
So we're happy that we can help people see it.
Speaker 5 (01:00:03):
Yes, thank you, thank you, and thank you all for
what y'all doing.
Speaker 1 (01:00:07):
We appreciate you anytime, the safe We're here for you.
Whatever you need. You're going to nowhere, new music, yes,
new album.
Speaker 3 (01:00:18):
Yes, all that.
Speaker 4 (01:00:20):
I'm gonna come school on between.
Speaker 1 (01:00:22):
Come on, yeah, maybe saying a little bit. My name
is and this is the R and B Money Podcast,
the authority on all things R and B just don't
just essence, you know, just all of elegance. Yeah, sexy,
(01:00:45):
just fly and talented.
Speaker 4 (01:00:47):
Thank You.
Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
R and B Money is a production of the Black
Effect Podcast Network. For more podcast from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe to and rate our show,
and you can connect with us on social media at
jy Valentine and at the Real Tank. For the extended episode,
(01:01:17):
subscribe to YouTube dot com, forward slash, R and B
Money
R and B Money.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
We are.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Than take valotized. We are the authority on tall thing
R and B.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
My name is Tank Valentine.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
This is the R and B Money Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Why are you doing?
Speaker 1 (00:23):
I don't know, I under saying the authority on all
things R and B. You're about to be acted. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Let's seehere this is going.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
We got some of that, yes in the bills. You know,
when it gets elegant, it's very you know when it
gets sexy and saxony, you know what it gets.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Brown Claire is here, so pro woman in the building.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
You're the set. I'm saying, real singing.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Yeah, real black woman, real writing. Yeah, huh yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I don't want to label before you long or no
intro because I want to talk to teacher about because
I want to talk to I want to talk to him.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Ship.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, you're going to turn it on even Thursday quick.
I just think I just think that you're just dope.
(01:38):
I think that you're just awesome, and I think that
you're it's I don't even think you even have to
do anything. I think you just have a presence about
you and a disposition that it's.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Just like.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah, that's that's what it's supposed And it's like when
those comparisons happened from the tiny desk, it was like, oh.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Do you see that?
Speaker 1 (02:14):
What?
Speaker 4 (02:14):
I don't see it?
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You don't see it, not at all.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
They used to tell my mother she looks like Claire
hu It was like, what.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
If Claire Huxtable could say Claire, probably can't you think
about it? Probably Claire is probably in the choir.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Yeah, she has songs out.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
You know what fair comparison? Listen it was, it was
it's a.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Thing, but we all have someone that people think.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
But again it goes back to that energy.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Yes, that's the thing. It matches.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
It's all that you're doing right now, Claire.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
But we're not about just Claire Hexley.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Let you talk about Shah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
First of all, you know, I'm I'm sure they didn't
whooped a couple of girls from them too, But.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Don't do that.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah, you don't tell somebody something about themself. I know,
I know what you don't do. Let's go back to
the beginning. Can we go back to the beginning, of course,
can we like get into where where where all this starts?
Fatigra Moses? Who who points this out? Who tells you
or affirms you if you have a gift.
Speaker 5 (03:36):
You know, my mama did. My mama used to and
I wasn't even thinking about singing. My mother used to
tell me these songs I should sing when I make
my album, you should cover this song. Or she would say,
you know, make sure you don't get all those cavities
in your mouth, because it is so disgusting when those
ladies be on camera and they's singing and opening mouth
and all that black stuff is in them mouth. I
(03:57):
wasn't thinking about any of this stuff.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
I wanted to rap. I wanted to be a rapper.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
But I think a lot of the greatest songwriters they
have that, especially of our era, have that thing in
them where you kind of like can just come off
the top of you here. So I wanted to rap,
and when I first started doing music, I wanted to
do it more aggressively than what actually came out.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
But shout out to Paul PAULI he just smoothed it out.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
He smoothed it all out for me and made it
a little bit more sensual and less raw as I
actually was at that time.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
So who does where's your discovery moment? Where? Because I mean,
I'm obviously singing in church.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
No, I missed all of that. My mother's sing gospel.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
Yeah, but I was like too shy, you know, in
a Southern Baptist church.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
If you not.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
Belting out and like really getting busy still, I don't
even think you can sing, you know. And my voice
was a little too sweet. I just kept it to myself,
sing in a shower.
Speaker 6 (04:51):
You know.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
But then I met a guy by the name of
Paul Pauli who produced my first album, majority of it
with me, and he was a producer for my children's father, Razkaz,
and he he introduced us and we just kind of
crafted this sound. I came in with crutches. He was like,
where is she going? She has crutches, she got a
(05:14):
broken leg.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
What are we gonna do with this?
Speaker 4 (05:17):
I came to the studio and crutches.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
How did you.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
I had?
Speaker 5 (05:21):
I used to do wardrobe styling. So we were on
a set up a video and I was going down
the hill, just you know, going down the hill, and
all of a sudden, the momentum started building and I'm
going and I'm going, I'm going, and I jumped over
a boulder and my female bone just.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Breaks you jump over because I mean, yeah, it was
taking me.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
You're young, you just got jump.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
I'm gonna politely just jump it.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
And so this is this is where my knee is,
and this is what my my leg is doing.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
And so it was all broken.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
And after that, I couldn't do wardrobe style anymore because
that wasn't my thing anyway. So it's like it's time
for me to figure out this music thing. And I
asked my children father to introduce me to producers. One
was a guy by the name of Khalil Khalil that
produces here in Los Angeles. I can't think of his
last name, and really dope and Paul Pauli. And Paul
Pauli lived in Glendale, I lived in Pasadena. Great little
(06:13):
you know. Yeah, So we just started cooking and that's
what happened.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
And is it the music that that creates the discovery
on the next level or are you performing somewhere?
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Are you starting to You had done no shows, nothing,
You just like, you know what, I.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Want to do it?
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I want to do it. I was like I always
liked as.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
A rapper as a singer at this point.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Initially it was like I used to do.
Speaker 5 (06:43):
Like talent shows, rapping. My mother would take me to
the clubs and all these different stuff.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
You know, this is New Orleans, this was.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
I was in LA by the time I became an artist.
I moved to Los Angeles area about fourteen, originally from
New Orleans, Louisian an area called Kenna right outside of
I hear.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
So many things.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
What you hear?
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Yeah, it was the thing.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I was from New York.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
I was just about to say, you got some New
York on you.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Yeah, because once I got here it started shaving up.
Speaker 5 (07:09):
But I'm living back in New Orleans again, so scrabably
coming back out of me more. But yeah, like when
I first got here, I started, you know, just kind
of like dibbling and dabbling. But I didn't do my
first show until I already had an album. I was
signed to TVT Records.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
So hold on, hot, how do you skip these steps?
How do you get straight from demo to deal to show?
Speaker 4 (07:32):
I don't know. I just was honest at the time.
I was just so honest.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
I just was doing what I could, you know what
I mean, Like it was just pouring out of me.
And believe it, my first show, if I was to
show y'all video. I had so much energy how you
was talking about genuine jumping out there, That's how it was.
My energy was so on tin and I had to
like hone my energy in and learn how to really
perform because I was just hella excited.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
But you know, we smoothed it out.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
And what was so in your mind? Like if in
your mind at that time when you were like, this
is the artist I want to be right, what did
that feel like like if it's if it's comparing to
anyone or never thought.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
About it, never thought about it. All I wanted to
be was tjer. I wouldn't even put weave in my
hair in the beginning because we had hair. You know,
I'm from the South. We pride ourselves for having hair
and all these things. So I didn't even put weave in.
Then I tore my hair up and have to start.
But yeah, like I we just were very natural girls.
I didn't want to do anything that wasn't the One
thing I knew in my mind is I wanted to
(08:33):
be relatable. You know, we come from an era of
like big stars. I didn't really want that vibe. I
wanted to be touchable. I wanted to be somebody that
was extremely relatable. So I that's all I had in mind.
And when I made an album, I wanted.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
To feel like Aliah's Rockaboat. That's what I wanted.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Album itself to feel like that record. Yes, that's a
great start.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Gray Star.
Speaker 5 (08:55):
Yeah, I wanted it to be something that and cause
I love eighties R and B was just always so
sensual and like, you know, grown, and that's what I
wanted my my album to be on. But as far
as what kind of artists I wanted, I didn't know
how I wanted to dress anything. I just wanted to
be myself and I hone that over time, and that's
why I'm glad that that big thing that happens for
people didn't happen for me right away because I probably
(09:17):
wasn't ready because I didn't even know what I wanted
to present to you because I was just being myself.
I didn't want to become anything. I just wanted to
be myself. And as I grew as a person as
an artist, I became more clear on what that was,
what that was.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
So you were signed to T TVT in the beginning, Yes,
that's like the label they had, like Little John right.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
Yes, little John ying Yan twins people and me and
I used to roll with them too.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Of course, because that's how that goes. Though people don't
know that.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Like right too, you know what I mean. I'm I'm
I can be around men drinking and smoking and I
can play those games.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
I can play those games and walk out with my heels.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
And yeah, tell me, I see it. I see It's
okay your first album. As you're going through these motions,
what are some of the things that you're discovering that
you know early on and just from your experience, like
the things that hit you immediately that you were like, oh,
I don't know that. I got to figure this out.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Here's the thing.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
I was blessed to have Neo in studio every day
as I'm recording these songs, and I think that he
is one of the greatest.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Of our time.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
You said Neo Neo.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
I called him chaffer at the time, but he became
near absolutely, and he is one of the greatest vocal
producers of our time. And I was blessed to have
that when I knew nothing about this. All I knew
about was singing my lead lines, and I put a
little you know, three part harmony here and there.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
And he taught me how to paint.
Speaker 5 (10:57):
He literally taught me how to paint with my vocal
and I think that was the first thing I realized,
I have to tighten up here. This is where I
have to learn to really make complete records. That's the
first thing I thought of. My writing came natural. It's
more so like it would just pour out of me.
I have never taken a pin in written anything down,
because I don't think that's how it goes for me.
(11:20):
I just kind of stand in the mirror and look
at myself and start singing to myself, you know, and
it starts to pour out whatever's going on. It starts
to pour out. I just sing it over and over again.
But I would find when I go to the studio,
I would get stuck when.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
It was time to paint the vocals.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
And that was the first thing I realized, I have
to get very strong at that. And I've gotten much
better over that time, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Oh yeah, so he worked on the whole first.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
The only song that he didn't vocal produce and arrange
vocally arranged was Caught Up. That was the first song
I ever wrote in my life. Ever recorded, ever did
ever and that one was he but then we got
to the next one. I was just getting stuck. So
they called him because we want the same production company.
(12:05):
I think it was called Bridge Kid. We were both
stigned to the same production company and we would cook
every day, me Pauli and Neo.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
That's crazy, that's really great because I remember early Neo Yeah, yeah,
me too, least work with Vig Tang. Yeah. And he
was like, I'm telling you, this kid is dope. Man,
Like you got to go. And I went over there
and they started playing songs. I looked at this little
nigga said, I said, I wanted yeah, yeah, he had
(12:32):
a smash for me. That that Uh, this is the
first time that I had heard that a writer wanted
in advance.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Okay, okay, gold Neil.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
And I was like, I was like, get a nigga
the money. Well, my label was I was like, no,
we don't pay no writers. I'm like this, listen to
the song.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
The song, and let's say this too.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
A lot of these tracks without the song, it's just
and then you put that personality, you put that that
you put the record on the record, Yes.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
And why you're not gonna pay that person. Why would
you not pay.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Because traditionally the advance was always allotted to the.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
Producer, So why wouldn't the producer? I got bills to pay. Baby,
My kid's tuition is to you can't throw me something.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Because in our genre of me, not even just our
genre of music, but our sector of music and black music,
it became where we just had more beat makers more
than even producers, because a producer could have been either
side of that in the beginning, right, and then they
share the wealth as they see fit if they didn't
pin the record or they didn't do the beat. But
(13:55):
then when you said that a beat maker was the producer,
it just.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Side you know what I'm saying. And they were like, oh, ship,
that's that.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
That's they.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
They said, I'm just I'm the producer because I've been doing.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Cool. The first person I ever heard of like kind
of taking that energy back was Missy Elliot.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Absolutely, yep, Absolutely, she.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Was a person where it was like she's like, I'm
taking this from Okay, you brought it the beat, which
which takes us from A to maybe G but from
g on that's me, that's right, And without g on,
that's sitting on the CD. I'm the producer and this
(14:48):
is my fee. And so, like going back to Neil
early in his like this is before he's neo. I'm like,
pay this kid. I don't know he's getting ready be neo,
but I know this right here what he's doing and
special and we need to figure that out. And you
know it wasn't figured out. We didn't figure it out.
(15:10):
He didn't he didn't sign with us, I didn't get
the record. Next thing, you know, so Sick is out
and I told you.
Speaker 5 (15:18):
No, next thing, you know, what's the Mario record?
Speaker 1 (15:23):
You should yea and just went so disrespectful. I feel so.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
It happens.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
I saw one day. I was like this, I got
one one, Neil. I've known you for so long. One
please sure God damn.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Next day, when we see the nigga and you produce, we.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Jumping on eat you seed you to start it? You
just did you? Did you? Did you know that you
were you? You were in a space style wise that
was very unique when you were when you started creating
with me and all these guys, and you started hearing
the product, like once you started listening to the body
(16:12):
of work and listening to your voice and how you
how you? Uh?
Speaker 5 (16:16):
I didn't think I could sing very well. You don't
have to remember I came from Southern Baptist church, you
know what I mean. The girls in there sound like.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Franklin.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
So I didn't think I could sing very well, and
it took a while for me to like it. It
took a while for me. I think once people started
liking I gave myself great.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
I was about to say, what was the yeah, what
was that moment or in terms of, like, you know,
the validating moment in a sense to where you you
you you finally accept Yeah. I think it.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
I think when people and this crazy thing is I
don't need people to validate. That's not my personality. But
I think at the time, I just it was new.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
I was extremely new.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Like most people had a lot of things that they
did before they started. I was extremely new, so I
was kind of insecure in the sense of like, I
don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
I would always tell them I don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
But even in me not knowing I was doing, I
was gonna stand on what I like and what I
didn't like, you know. And I think that by the
time I started going out on the road. That's I
think for any artist, that's the validation when you realize
you got something because you start seeing the energy that
it brings out of people. And I think that's when
it happened. It took me getting on the road and
seeing people sing my songs.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Did you did you immediately have good reactions.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
On the road, Well, immediately, there was no one there first.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
You know.
Speaker 5 (17:37):
It was the first tour I went on was a
Seagums Gen tour and it was myself, Tweet and Sel,
which is a really great show, but they weren't there
for me to like about somewhere around Houston and it
was like two people and they were rocking. This is
why now to this day, I still turn around and
play with my band like we jam out together, because
(17:58):
I start off with nobody there, so we get into
each other, two people. Then it started going and going
and going, and it eventually happened, but it started with
nobody and we were just rehearsing them and listen.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
And it's a real thing because as a as a
new artist, you have to decide how you're going to
approach that moment if you really want.
Speaker 5 (18:17):
This, because if you're doing it just to see them
do that and nobody's up there. Are you just gonna
be like up there just bullshitting you know, because nobody's
up there.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
No, you're gonna go.
Speaker 5 (18:27):
You're gonna still give that energy because you're enjoyed it
with your band at this point and from that day
till now.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
I love when people out there enjoy it.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
You know, it's a totally different thing now everybody's enjoying it,
but we're enjoying it.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
There it is, we connected, we locked it.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Yeah. I've had many a show where I can't tell
you what we call the shows trick, I'll tell you
all five uh many a show where fine, okay, let's
(19:03):
eat because I had never imagined that I would be there.
Like when I started singing backgrounds for Genuine, I thought
in the LEADU, I said, oh d I'm doing this
forever Genuine I was like, no, no, you gotta go
(19:25):
do your thing. I said, no, I don't.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
This feels good.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
I can see, yeah, this is great. I see backgrounds
with you. You take your shirt up, then I take
my shirt off, and then like this is this is great?
So why would I want to leave? You know what
I'm saying I thought having fun carrying Genuine's bag, remember
the time of my life. And he's like, nah, bro,
it's gonna be you like you gotta do your thing.
(19:51):
And when they pulled me off the road with Genuine,
I almost cried as a grown man, you're taking mind
you you're killing me right now.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
And because as you left, you go to a new
space where's no crowd.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
It's no round because Genuine was introducing me. So when
I sang, there was motion. It's like that's Genes got girl.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
To this day, he still sings background.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Don't matters going to start singing. I sing backs, give
me my park, my mixtop, playing with me. But when
I started singing those those two of those three, those
four people like again I come from that Baptist church.
You better sing. And sometimes when you're singing during devotion,
the people ain't came in the church yet. People are
still drinking, trickling in. But the spirit gotta be there
(20:49):
when they get when they when they the spirit better
be there. You ain't ushering in no spirit. They move you,
they move you along. You won't get devotion. No more
emotion was a big deal.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
The devotion there you go and.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
So liked that experience of singing in front of those
ten those twenty people. Like that's what made me yeah,
because I'm like, oh no, i'ma I'm gonna I'm gonna
kill y'all so crazy, y'all gonna go get twenty more people,
promise you. And I remember the day when I walked
(21:24):
into a building and I said, I got to do tonight.
Sold out? Yeah? How many? How many people here? Like
eight and fifty? What? Oooh it's your you? What what? Yeah?
Oh my god? And they were screaming. I was genuine,
(21:56):
And you know, it's like Jay said, it's like those
are the moments that make you make a real decision
about how much of this you really want.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
But see, I think it's also according what you're doing
it for, right, I was really doing it for me.
I like this.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
I love it, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
I like this, so I want y'all to like it.
But it's only a couple of y'all here. I'm gonna
give it all I got to you. But whoever comes
to my show just know I love you dearly. But
I'm up here enjoying myself, you know, And I pray
that that spills into you like the energy transfer, you know,
but I'm not paying enjoying myself.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
I'm gona talk how I want to talk.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
I'm act you are now in my living room, you
know what i mean, Even if I'm at somebody else's house.
I mean, I'm opening up for somebody. We're still in
the room they gave me to stay in.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
It's like, I'm gonna give myself and if you like it,
I'm glad you like it. But I'm not as much
trying to win you over as much as I'm just
giving myself to you.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
And how you.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Take that, you take that, because I can only give
you me, not back.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
To the validation things. But when you feel that connection
of your lyrics and the people.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
And you're like, oh yeah, yeah, that's that's really feels good.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
That feels really good.
Speaker 5 (23:14):
Because I'm a very honest writer. I'm not poetic on purpose,
you know what i mean. I just write what I
feel at the time. And when I'm saying things like
everybody's worried about tomorrow when they see tomorrow, I'm just
trying to get mine off today and everybody's looking at
me like yes, yes, singing these words like they came
from their own brain. That's a really awesome feeling, because
(23:35):
you don't feel crazy when people are like relating to
you like that.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
You feel like we are a little crazy.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
We are insane, we are delusional, and we are insane.
Speaker 4 (23:53):
We are freaking insane. But I'm not by myself, you know.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
I feel like, you know, yo, all these things I've
been fitling, Yeah, all these things I've been feeling.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
They feel it too.
Speaker 5 (24:05):
Men, women, gay, straight, you know, you name it. People
are relating and that have always related to my my lyrics.
I really appreciate that because I was a weird o
child that always felt like nobody else understood.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
What was the first song that did that for you?
Speaker 5 (24:21):
The first song that did that for me was in
Baltimore on the same the first tour I went on
the Seagums Gen tour.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Baltimore, sing every word for word.
Speaker 5 (24:31):
They started with no more tears, just kind of like
some singing some of it. But of course by the
time you got to be your girl, they're just singing
it out, singing it out, you know, And I just dropped.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
The fucking bike. I just dropped the mic and.
Speaker 5 (24:45):
Just was standing there like I had to like get
myself together to start back singing with them because I
was blown away.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
I was blown away.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
I could not believe that those people, we had done
a whole tour, nobody, you know, people starting to get
into me knowing, you know, but now we're here in
Baltimore and they're going up for me.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
It was crazy.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Did you have.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
A hit record as a writer first? Did that record
come out first? Did Dipplo come out? Because I mean
for people, I mean, we know, but y'all, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
She wrote Christina? Did that come out before?
Speaker 4 (25:25):
I'm trying to think.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
I think that we were almost simultaneous, simultaneous. I think
I think it was around the same time. Yeah, I
think maybe my album came.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Out about it dropped out.
Speaker 5 (25:38):
Let me just tell you I was I was, Oh
she was first. Yeah, I think I think Diplo was first.
But either way, I'll never forget. I used to sing
it like it's mine.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Oh you put in your show too, And no.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
They didn't do it back then. Back then, nobody did that.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Back then, you weren't really singing the songs you wrote
for other people.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Tank, it.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Wasn't happening but.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Used to do that with Babyface because about such a thing.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
And I'm saying I wish I would have been doing
that back then. Y'all heard that, y'all heard this.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
That's all me every radio station because you know I
was underground. So I want you to know, like what
I do works when it has some support, you know
what I mean?
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Wow, do you I've had this moment before? And I
want to know if you've had this moment as a
as a singer and a songwriter where you write this song,
whatever song this is for you. You write this song
and you tell this story, you tell this truth, and
(26:49):
you get it off and you send it out into
the universe and one day you're singing this song where
they're singing this song back to you and you finally
you realize what this song means.
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Yes, for sure, what song is that? I think that
would probably be No More Tears, That's it. And I'm
really stuck in my first album right now because I've
been touring this thing right now and that's like really
where my head is, and I think that's the one,
that's the one, And this is when those experiences happen
in the very beginning, you know, like, like I said,
(27:26):
I was just speaking honestly when I was writing these records,
and I'm seeing.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
This chick crying, singing no.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
More tears, which is kind of an oxymoron, but she's crying.
She's like so intensely crying, like these were her last tears.
She was gonna cry. And I was like, Oh, that's
what I was on. That's what I was on, Like
I'm really not about to be around here sad.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
No.
Speaker 5 (27:49):
I'm gonna get all this out and I'm not gonna
be sad no more. And I think that's the first
time I really saw the reflection, like the mirror of
what I really was on when what's writing that record?
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Yeah, I was. I was singing maybe I deserve one
day mmm, and I didn't. I got lost, like to
the point to where the song and I started tearing up.
I was like, I was like, I'm getting ready to break.
I was like, oh no, And they're singing there, singing
(28:25):
it back, and I'm realizing what this song is sang
from a perspective that I hadn't really looked at before.
I just I don't know why I had that experience,
but I was just like, this song means something so different,
and it's those people in the audiences. Is the dude
singing it to his girl maybe yeah, and it's the
(28:45):
girl like you? And I'm like, I'm watching it, you know,
as it sounds destructive, I'm watching it repair. Huh. You
understand what I'm saying. Because having a moment, they're finally
they're finally having a real moment of accountability. And through
(29:10):
that accountability or through that truth, people can make better decisions.
Like I feel like women, as long as they know
the truth, they can navigate anyone.
Speaker 5 (29:23):
If you give them the truth, then they got all
the pieces to really work with.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
A woman can navigate. Okay, cool, So that's okay, cool.
Just let me be able to walk in there with
my head up.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
Oh no, I'm not walking in after you tell me
I'm going in another direction.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
But you gave me information for me to be able
to make that decision.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
That's I'm appreciative and I love you forever.
Speaker 7 (29:43):
Goodbye. Let me have the car.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Oh no, you got first. I'm teaching. I am right.
Oh look, yeah, I'm teaching mostly I don't I don't
even know what the fuess you got going on? Oh yeah,
the truth to set me free. I'm out, you.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Know what I'm I'm tired of you already.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
I was gone somewhere. Where do you feel? How did
you feel from a success standpoint with your first album?
How did you feel?
Speaker 5 (30:33):
I didn't feel any success. I'm under I'm an underground artist.
I'm slowly, twenty years later, people starting to know me more,
you know what I mean. I came from doing wardrobe
for big labels, big budgets, all these things. I went
to a record label called TVT, which was Indy, and
we were thugging it, you know. And also, let's be clear,
(30:58):
the Indy is so celebrated now. It's oh my god,
that Indian. You know, it's India's Indie, Indian doing this Indy.
We were not celebrated, right.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
I'm from the Bay Area, so you know, everything independent.
Speaker 5 (31:10):
Yeah, yeah, that's different.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
But I'm saying our mindset is already where you are
with it. But like you said, it's so celebrated now.
But we were independent because you didn't have any like from.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
The Bay and it was no industry in Oakland, yeah,
you know, and you would have to come to La
to become Everybody had to go to these big cities
to come.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
It was not like it is now. We all know that.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
But so when you're indy and you're not, these platforms
aren't really.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
Checking for you.
Speaker 5 (31:40):
These I remember, I'm not going to say his name,
that's my baby. But were real cute, cool, and he
was like, you know, she's too skinny to put up.
You know the smooth magazine used to have with the
girls and stuff like that, She's too skinny. Every time
I see my swing my ass in front of like,
I'm too skinny.
Speaker 4 (31:51):
Huh, I'm too skinny. You said, I'm too skinny her.
We have a laugh.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
But these are the things.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
You got that big.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
So it wasn't easy.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
So when you talk about success, it's like.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
I didn't. I didn't pay attention. I just didn't really think.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
About you at least.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
I mean I was getting money as a writer.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Did you feel like I wasn't.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Even thinking about it? If I was seeing or not,
I was Can.
Speaker 5 (32:20):
I keep it g with you? I was working hard
to take care of my kids. I couldn't worry about
all of that. I just had to get what I
was getting and be grateful for it and keep I
have twin sons, twin sons.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Oh really, Oh my god, Oh fabulous. So they're part
of it.
Speaker 5 (32:37):
Before you go on, I have to tell everybody, very
amazing part of a group called Coast Contra that's really
really dope doing very true hip hop music.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
And yeah, that's my babies.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
So Chefferless is oh okay, okay, and.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
That's been my homie before she had a restaurant. Okay,
so when she opened a restaurant, you know, I'm going
through there and I just keep saying these these these
these young fellas, and I'm like, at first, yeah, I'm
hold on.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
And I have twin brothers.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
I have brothers that are twins, so but my brothers
are fraternal twins. But it's always you know, it's a
thing when you see twins, especially when you see identical twins.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Right, And they was.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Just the nicest guys. Literally, you did an amazing job.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
The nice when I say the nicest dudes, bro, just
you know, cause you go to restaurants and it be
bush it sometimes and even when it because I used
to go a lot too, so you know, I would
see them all the time. And they never said anything
about music, right, And obviously I'm a music guy and
chef knows that and the whole thing. So one day
she was like, you know who their parents are, right,
(33:49):
And I was like, we've never they've never said anything.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
And she's like, y'all come here, you know, she.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
Do her thing, my sanitary sister.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
And they came and they and they were like, yeah,
you know, but our dad is is uh Is Razskaz
and our mom is teacher Moses.
Speaker 8 (34:05):
I'm like, oh, as the R and B guy, and
they were like, yeah, you know, we're trying to put
together our music and we're doing this, that and the other.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And I just watched the progression and of them just
killing everything when they do their freestyles. And those guys
are so talented in the group as a whole. Yes,
it's super super talented. And listen, the generations is going
for you because that that is that's.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
Special what they do.
Speaker 5 (34:41):
Yeah, I think that. You know, when they first started,
I didn't know that they wrap. I knew nothing about it.
And a friend of theirs was coming up. We lived
in Miami at the time, and a friend was coming
over and he would come by and he be like,
it's most as you have to hit him rap And
they'd be like, no, no, mom, we don't rap.
Speaker 4 (34:57):
We don't.
Speaker 5 (34:57):
And I don't know why they thought I didn't want
them to do this. I don't know why they thought that.
But when they I finally did, they finally get get
around to saying it. Just listen, just be good, just
be good at it. And that's what they told me.
We didn't want to tell you before we thought we
were good enough because we knew you would tell us
that we were horrible if.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
We were, and I would, Yeah, yeah, you have to.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
I expect excellence from my children. I told them ever
since they were younger, you're great, and it said they
had to figure out what they were great at, because
I'm like, you gotta you're great.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
It's in you.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
You just got to figure out what it is. Yeah,
and they figured out this was what it was. But
I was not gonna be I see these people that
do music and do it.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
Really well, and then they have.
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Kids, what are you doing, friggy business?
Speaker 5 (35:36):
Sit them down and have to talk. I didn't do
all of this for you to take us all the
way back there. Don't make me look crazy, and my
kids don't, thank god, thank god.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Put in too much work.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
Yeah, now cents.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Yes, my two cents been my two cents in a minute.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
And it's funny because they were probably didn't.
Speaker 5 (36:03):
But you know, that's how it was as a wardrobe stylist.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
No one knew I was saying. Do you know when
my music.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
Came out, everybody, producers, people that would be around. I
would be in so many spaces, and I was very quiet,
probably didn't smoked out, and just in the corner, high
as hell, you know what I mean. And I never
talked to anyone. But by the time it started going,
people just came up to me frustrated and disgusted with me,
like you did this all this time, and you told
no one I was there doing this. I was just
(36:28):
there doing this. I'm doing what I came here to do.
If anybody asked, I would have told them.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
It's just I mean, because you know, from adding adding
mom to it, like, people don't understand how difficult that
in itself is, because you know, men and women are
completely we operate completely different in that space. Man men detached.
(37:03):
As soon as they leave a house man out may
throw a phone call the two D, but he out
in the field, he working. I gotta do what I
gotta do. A woman is calling back to the house
pulling out of the driveway. Yeah, and to be able
(37:24):
to to mentally make sure this is in the space
it needs to be, but also be of service to
the people who are coming to see you, people who
want to interview you, people who are spending money on you.
Any but like, great.
Speaker 4 (37:42):
Job, thank you, And to do it as a single parent.
Let's make that clear.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
Great job, thank you.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
How old were they when you first went out on
the road.
Speaker 6 (37:54):
And like seven something like that, but they were good,
Like we would have these conversations about how like listen,
weird team.
Speaker 5 (38:06):
Okay, don't be the weakest link because if you mess up,
that messes up for me. If I messes up, that
message up for you. We have to all be strong
in It's like I raised them to understand we're doing
this together. It was very much so what you see
is what you get. Ain't nobody, no fairies dropping off,
no money here. You know, I'm out here hustings. How
I get it out the damn clad.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
I was conversation with my daughter.
Speaker 5 (38:34):
Yes, I kept a gem from like five years old.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
They knew.
Speaker 5 (38:36):
So these conversations made, you know, made it different and
I remember once we were on the road, my son
started going to roll with me. After they got older
and started doing music, I would take them to the
UK and stuff like that.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
They were performed before.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
Me and the band asked them when your mother was gone.
We knew y'all would have parties. You know, y'all would
have parties at the house. And they were like no,
and they're like, nah, y'all had parties. No, they were
why didn't you have parties? Because we didn't want to
make it any harder for her.
Speaker 4 (39:02):
That's real teammates, Jim saying what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
You about to cry.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
It's getting really motion.
Speaker 5 (39:15):
That's man, that's real teammates, right and til this Sunen,
that's my I mean to this day, my sons are
my best friends, best best friends. We did it together,
like and that's why you know, even now with their stuff,
they'll call me and I'll tell them my opinion out
in myself. You know.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
We just teammates teams.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
That is so cool.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Yeah, it is you.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
I want to do that, Tomates. Don't make it hard over.
I'm quite and I'm like, turn that thing up.
Speaker 5 (39:55):
No, listen, I'm into the parties too. But don't do
anything that I'm going to have to rush home.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
Absolutely absolutely because I'm gonna kill you.
Speaker 5 (40:03):
Yeah, and that's really why you're not doing because you
know you're gonna die.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
What could happen? I'm all about that everything you said.
I love it. My wife is more like that. I
was like, I mean, the whole wall ain't burnt.
Speaker 5 (40:24):
It's just has to be balanced though two of you guys,
it's just did you die?
Speaker 1 (40:30):
But you know what, my trauma is different because I
was like everything for me coming out of that Baptist house,
in that church and that grandmother, great grandmother, great grandfather,
mom and dad, everybody being there like Auntie Betty and
(40:50):
own nit because I said, so, yeah, you know what
I'm saying, and so.
Speaker 4 (41:00):
I get to and I never said it. I would always.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
Explain yeah and I and you know, like I grew up,
asked my father Jack, can I go outside? And having
to sit there, well, he smoked his cigarette.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Still that's are you still waiting to answer right now?
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Still waiting to go outside? Wide?
Speaker 3 (41:35):
That's why you like outside.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
I would have to literally wait at the door sill
for like ten to fifteen minutes and then just walk
away and then later on he come walking out. You
all your friends go out by yourself. All I have
(42:07):
to say was that trauma that kind of forced me
in a hard way in the other direction to number one,
not my kids to be able to I think we're
kind of teammates because I let them communicate.
Speaker 4 (42:19):
That's important.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
I let them say it how they feel it, and
then we can we can make the corrections, we can
make the alterations on how that should be communicated and
and get into the wise of the feelings that they're having.
Because I know I felt some things as a kid
growing up. You know what I'm saying that I would
(42:40):
love to have shared with my parents, but I didn't
totally know how to articulate it. These new kids, sheesh,
they're talking and articulating my nine year old his daughter.
Speaker 5 (42:53):
It's also because they feel safer to do it. When
you come from the era of like, yeah, do what
I say, shut up and do us, it's a safer
space to be.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
I love that teammates. Shout out to my teammates, you
know what I'm saying, get them rapping or something. Get
you were Grammy nominated songwriter.
Speaker 5 (43:19):
Yeah, I can't even remember what song that's crazy, right,
because I'm trying to think because it happened a couple
of times. She does know to me, and what song
was Grammy nominated?
Speaker 1 (43:34):
You said that because it happened a couple of times.
Speaker 5 (43:37):
I remember about below them damn checks. So I was
like homeless, me and my kids didn't have anywhere to stay.
We were like kind of just going from political posts.
I just went out on that tour something about and
I didn't have no money, and we were going to
do this and I wasn't going to sell my publishing.
That wasn't my thing. So we're going to do this,
admitted administration two point fifty. It was gonna give me
(44:02):
to do twelve percent, okay, And they told me they
give it back to you and you go somewhere else.
Speaker 4 (44:06):
Okay. Cool.
Speaker 5 (44:06):
So I still own it, and my lawyer it was
like December, you know, everything closes down, and she's like,
but there's some jargon in the in the contract that's
just not right. And I'm gonna get back to it
in the new year, what cause I'm homeless.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
I need to way, I'm gonna get back to it.
Speaker 4 (44:28):
We'll get back around to the new year.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
But God talk about.
Speaker 5 (44:32):
It must have been like my kids, somewhere around like
the second or the fourth. My son's birthday is on
January fourth. I got a check for like three hundred
and something thousand dollars home more more my see what
I'm saying. Wow, that's what I remember about dipping it
(44:52):
pick it up slowly. Yeah, it was like, you know,
that's when I that's to what I remember. That is
the moment that I said, oh, you will never own me.
I'm gonna own all of me every time. If I fail,
I'm anna fail owning me. If I win, I'm gonna
win owing me. Because that changed everything, I just do
(45:24):
want to say thank.
Speaker 4 (45:25):
You to the people that have held me down for
all these years.
Speaker 5 (45:28):
Like I said, I've been underground, but it's been consistently
growing the entire time, and I'm grateful for that.
Speaker 4 (45:34):
And yeah, just thank you. I'm grateful. What's your playing
over there?
Speaker 1 (45:40):
Brother?
Speaker 5 (45:41):
I got songs? Why does that sound like sometimes it
snows in April a little bit?
Speaker 4 (45:59):
The beginning of it.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
I don't know what that is.
Speaker 5 (46:05):
Press press no time, the neighborhood.
Speaker 3 (46:09):
On the way though he had a principle.
Speaker 2 (46:12):
I love Prince, you know, I'm talking about like in
real life, like you knew Prince you.
Speaker 4 (46:16):
I didn't know him, but I met him.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (46:18):
I feel like Prince met you too many times.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yeah, teacher, the people are concerned about some information that
they need from you. All the singing and all the
touring and all the shows you've done, there's been some
(46:42):
musical influences they would like, they would like to know
who inspired we do all of this. And it's segment
(47:03):
cold far You're top fa.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
Mm hmm t far.
Speaker 9 (47:20):
Your top pat I beasings, come on all and me songs.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
We've got to move then though, you call there all
you you more you you Yes, right, you're.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
Tap f.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 5 (48:18):
Okay, So you want to know my top five R
and B singers singers, I would start with Anita Baker.
Anita Baker because I think she gave birth to a
whole generation of singers. I think that uh, Donnie Hathaway
(48:39):
has one of the greatest tones I've ever heard in
my life. Jasmine Sullivan is the greatest singer of her generation. Uh,
let's see singers.
Speaker 4 (48:56):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 5 (49:00):
Let me see who else tank mm hm. I'm not
just saying that because you're here, not for real. I've
heard you sing live. Yeah, I'm not playing with you, bro,
I've heard you sing live. Really, I've heard you sing live,
and I've heard you pull it out of your spirit
(49:23):
on them at the moment. I'm always amazed by that.
I can't do that like that. I gotta go with
her civilian figure it out. Would my last person be?
And I mean this as a singer because I think
just because you can do all the acrobats doesn't mean anything.
Speaker 4 (49:44):
Can you sing the song? Can you just sing the song?
Speaker 1 (49:48):
I feel man, you're talking about feeling something.
Speaker 5 (49:52):
And if you've seen her live, you know it goes
just like the record.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
You know, I never seen that.
Speaker 1 (49:57):
I said it. I need to see. It's just different. Yes,
it's different.
Speaker 2 (50:05):
I'm gonna find out if I can go find her
in one of them castles that she lives in the castle.
I don't know that, but I think I know that.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
Castle for sure. I want to hear it saying.
Speaker 5 (50:18):
Yeah, it's like her on stage is everything her music is,
you know it is it is.
Speaker 4 (50:27):
It's so good. She is probably one of my really
top artist period.
Speaker 1 (50:31):
Of all time. I would I love that she don't
have to move, she.
Speaker 5 (50:35):
Just and there's no other of her.
Speaker 4 (50:38):
No, there's no more. I don't think that ever be okay.
Speaker 1 (50:43):
Top five R and B songs.
Speaker 4 (50:47):
Adore You by Prince Greatest Sex R Kelly.
Speaker 5 (50:57):
What a song you can close your eyes and see everything?
Speaker 4 (51:00):
He sang.
Speaker 1 (51:01):
I was so angry I heard that song.
Speaker 4 (51:05):
How did you get to anger?
Speaker 1 (51:08):
Because in my mind I was always competing against him,
even though I wasn't at that space yet, and I
was like, he's still so much better.
Speaker 4 (51:23):
Let's see what else do I have? Stronger in pride?
It's one of my favorite songs.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (51:32):
Beauty?
Speaker 1 (51:34):
True?
Speaker 4 (51:34):
Hill?
Speaker 1 (51:35):
Real? You mean absolutely? That song angered me too.
Speaker 4 (51:41):
That was a good one though.
Speaker 1 (51:42):
Signed. That's when I was signing the Cliff and Jerry
and it just got off tour with him and they
dropped that song, and I think it was Jerry, look me,
you ain't make sure like this. I can. That's how
you motivated. Ain't making sure like that? Get your ship together?
Speaker 5 (52:01):
Beautiful songs. To this day, I listen to it and
it just makes me feel so good as a woman,
Like you know, I I love that there are male
artists out here singing for women, but that's like one
of those key songs. It's like, if you as a woman,
if you just want to feel good, you put that
record on. I don't know, I think that might have
(52:22):
been three or four. Crush Jeanne hmmm, yeah, I love them.
By the way, I was a third member of that group.
We all have a group that we were shout out to,
the Baylor Project because jean from Jean Nay is with
her husband. They're still getting nominated for Grammys and yeah,
doing their thing. And then my last one, I think
(52:43):
we're at five now, would be Marvin Gaye's when Did
You Stop Loving Me? Because you know what, no structure,
just a really good song until you don't get to
the hook of it all until the end.
Speaker 4 (52:58):
He just see he just tells his whole story.
Speaker 5 (53:00):
Like visit you here, my dear, my dear, and that
that's the one, that's the one. And I was in
heavy heartbreak when I listened to that. He was just
like talking about her calling the cops on. It was
just he ran the whole thing down. It's really really good. Yeah,
so that would be my top five.
Speaker 1 (53:19):
Dear.
Speaker 9 (53:20):
Wow, I ain't saying no next, I ain't saying no names.
I ain't saying no names. Saying no names.
Speaker 2 (53:30):
You was.
Speaker 1 (53:33):
What you did, don't say? She said.
Speaker 3 (53:48):
So we had a very very important part of the show.
Speaker 1 (53:50):
Pivotal, very very pivotal.
Speaker 2 (53:54):
He would say, segment of the show called I ain't
saying no name? Okay, will you tell us a story?
Speaker 1 (54:00):
They or fucked up?
Speaker 3 (54:01):
Are funny and fucked up?
Speaker 4 (54:02):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (54:03):
The only rude to the game is you can't say
no name.
Speaker 4 (54:07):
Okay. I got a few of those.
Speaker 5 (54:14):
So when I first started out, was going on tour,
and I told you I had never really done a show.
So going on tour, and let's be clear, my sisters,
my management, we've been like this for the whole time.
We both with New Booty. We knew nothing going on.
So the label gives us money to put together a
(54:36):
band and everything. There were certain people that were pretty
you know, well known for doing it at the time,
putting together bands, mds, you know all this stuff.
Speaker 4 (54:46):
There's this guy.
Speaker 5 (54:49):
That we gave the money too to put it all together.
I ain't gonna say his name, but this nigga took
my money and just left it, just took the money.
We had rehearsal. He just did not show up. One
person in the band that he put together came. I'll
(55:14):
say his name, mister Wild Jones, who's an amazing arranger,
producer and MD.
Speaker 4 (55:20):
He came and he.
Speaker 5 (55:23):
He kind of like helped me put a real but
I had to go get some more money, yeah, because
they took the money.
Speaker 1 (55:28):
Right.
Speaker 5 (55:29):
So then he goes and gets people. It's my first
time going out on the road. He goes and get people,
pull together a really great band. But the day, but
maybe two days before it was time to go out
on the road, the guy that we didn't rehearse with
all this time. And keep in mind, I don't know
how to just pull thing together things together like I
(55:52):
can now, you know, I'm.
Speaker 4 (55:53):
Just new booty, right.
Speaker 5 (55:55):
And so the guy goes to jail, one of the
guys the band. Yeah, he goes to jo but we
gotta leave tomorrow or the next year or something like that.
I can't really find somebody else to replace him. So
I go bail him out because that's what I thought
(56:15):
I would have I was supposed to do. Now I
wouldn't do that, but back then, that's what I thought
I was supposed to do. So cool, So I got
him out. Now we go and we do the first
show we're doing a song produced by Rafael Sadik in
which he is playing bass. What kind of bass does
Rafael play, you guys, regular bass? He doesn't play key bass.
Speaker 1 (56:36):
It's time.
Speaker 4 (56:37):
There's like this boo bas thing. I turn around.
Speaker 5 (56:41):
It's my first time, maybe my fourth time ever being
on stage, first show of the tour. I'm in front
of these killers, right. I turn around and this nigga
is then forgot his bass and he's only playing key base.
I want to throw the whole experience away.
Speaker 4 (57:00):
I have my money. So he got fired never and
he's my friend. He knows who he is. He's my friend,
still my friend to this day.
Speaker 5 (57:08):
But this was my This was the beginning of me
having experience of like going out here on the road
and having to deal with band members and and music directors.
And I was green and I was a mark and
they got me and y'all know who you are. And
when one of them, one that took my money, see
(57:29):
me act like.
Speaker 3 (57:32):
Oh, you never got that money back, never got the
money back.
Speaker 7 (57:36):
Yes.
Speaker 5 (57:36):
I saw him at the homing house one time, because.
Speaker 4 (57:38):
He'd be with them.
Speaker 5 (57:42):
So I see him at the house and he goes,
he goes like he's talking to me like everything normal,
and I'm like, okay, cool. As soon as they let
you know that nigga stole my money, right, like that
nigga stole my money, and like it's like, do you
did you do this so much that you forgot everybody
you stole? Probably I want my money back, Yeah, I
(58:08):
want all of it with interest.
Speaker 4 (58:10):
Yes, stole my mom. I mean, it was just ridiculous.
Speaker 5 (58:12):
My start out was just like this is pure hell.
Speaker 4 (58:15):
You gotta you gotta know you want it, because I
was like, this ain't fun.
Speaker 3 (58:21):
It's not cool, it's not funny. Mean over here, over here,
it's not fun, and people are mean.
Speaker 4 (58:27):
People are mean.
Speaker 5 (58:28):
But you know what great experiences that taught you. You know,
how to be a shark with the sharks, you know.
Speaker 4 (58:35):
They got me.
Speaker 1 (58:38):
Well. First of all, thank you, thank you for coming.
Speaker 4 (58:41):
Thank you so much for having this was so much fun.
You are not.
Speaker 3 (58:46):
Like so I ain't coming on there.
Speaker 5 (58:50):
You are.
Speaker 4 (58:51):
I feel like you' the crazy one. You to calm.
Speaker 1 (58:58):
It's perfect and we switch sometimes, yeah, but it ain't
good if we switch.
Speaker 3 (59:05):
If he crazy, craziest, fun my craziest, My crazy.
Speaker 4 (59:09):
Is dangerous, somebody might get killed.
Speaker 1 (59:10):
Yeah, you're not trying to nobody.
Speaker 3 (59:16):
That's why I try to say okay, good good, good good.
Speaker 1 (59:19):
I like that. Yeah, it's about if we're both crazy.
Oh man, God bless a child. But you I love
everything about you. Like I said in the beginning, you're
you're super dope. Your energy is is very much needed,
(59:40):
almost required in a sense, you know what I mean.
Those stories and those things that you've been through, and
in the amount of time that you've put into this
and and the way you're still standing in it, like
people need to hear that. People need to see that
period and that's going that that's going to continue to
inspire generation.
Speaker 3 (01:00:01):
So we're happy that we can help people see it.
Speaker 5 (01:00:03):
Yes, thank you, thank you, and thank you all for
what y'all doing.
Speaker 1 (01:00:07):
We appreciate you anytime, the safe We're here for you.
Whatever you need. You're going to nowhere, new music, yes,
new album.
Speaker 3 (01:00:18):
Yes, all that.
Speaker 4 (01:00:20):
I'm gonna come school on between.
Speaker 1 (01:00:22):
Come on, yeah, maybe saying a little bit. My name
is and this is the R and B Money Podcast,
the authority on all things R and B just don't
just essence, you know, just all of elegance. Yeah, sexy,
(01:00:45):
just fly and talented.
Speaker 4 (01:00:47):
Thank You.
Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
R and B Money is a production of the Black
Effect Podcast Network. For more podcast from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe to and rate our show,
and you can connect with us on social media at
jy Valentine and at the Real Tank. For the extended episode,
(01:01:17):
subscribe to YouTube dot com, forward slash, R and B
Money
Hosts And Creators
Tank
J. Valentine
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