Miguel

This week on Thanks Dad, Ego sat down with Grammy award-winning artist Miguel! Ego shares how she’s been a fan since her Myspace days, and they talk about how Miguel’s wonderful parents have shaped his approach to raising his own son. With everything from a tribute to D’Angelo to memories of getting whooped as a kid, we cover all! Finally, Miguel gives some advice to Ego and a lucky caller.

Get tickets for Miguel's global CAOS tour at officialmiguel.com

Want some advice from Ego and her guest? Leave a message at ‪[phone] (THX-DADS)!

Follow Miguel

Follow Ego

Follow Thanks Dad on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
You know what's been on my mind lately, people asking
no invite? Where's my invite? Did my invite get lost
in the mail? Okay, I guess I'll answer in order
no invite, Yes, where's my invite? Does not exist? Did
it get lost in the mail. We both know it didn't.
We're not sending paper invites out. You didn't get invited,

(00:29):
and it might have been an oversight. But I'll tell
you what, asking any of those three questions is probably
going to mean you're not invited to the next thing.
Cuz be chill about it. Have some I want to
say dignity and then I kind of want to say decorum,
and I feel like both are work fine. But love
yourself a little. You didn't get chin up, baby, You

(00:51):
didn't get invited. That's okay. You don't have to be everywhere. I,
for one, am like I want to be at home.
Most times I like being as well, but mostly I'm like,
I want to be at home. If you didn't invite me,
that's one less thing I have to leave my home
to do. But that's just me personally. But if you
didn't get an invite, guys, let it rock. Let it rock.

(01:12):
Say you hope it was a good time. Maybe you'll
get invited to the next one. But like cornering a
person who was throwing an event and being like, where's
my invite and being confrontational about it, even if you're
trying to be cute. See you know that's I think
that's not cool. I don't think it's cool, and I
have a feeling the host doesn't either. It's a lot
of pressure to throw on, throw an event, put on

(01:34):
an event, throw on an event, throw on an outfit,
put on an event, throw an event, and then have
people coming at you like you didn't do this thing
for me and why was I not included? There may
have been some thought that went into it, even like
wedding invitations and being like mad that you weren't invited
to someone's wedding. I've never had a wedding, but I

(01:54):
imagine it's very hard to decide who to invite to
the wedding because it costs money, and some of y'all,
I don't want to be buying gifts for the bride
and the groom and the groom and the groom and
the bride and the bride, and what's that about? Some
of you guys aren't playing your way and still want
to be invited, so it's very hard to narrow down
the list. So I understand, and you got to give
people some grace and just be cool. You don't have

(02:16):
to be invited to everything. And I did recently say
to my friend Heidi, whereas my invite, but only as
a bit because she knew I didn't want to be
at the thing that I wasn't at and we were
both on the same page about that. But yeah, no invite,
no invite, question mark, yes, no invite, and it's okay,
and the world goes on. So let's be cool about

(02:38):
it out there. You don't get invited to something you
weren't meant to be there, not this one, maybe the
next one, maybe not the next one, but it's all okay.
I think that's my piece of advice for everyone today.
You didn't ask for it, but someone out there needs
this advice, and you can thank me later or you

(02:58):
can debate about it in the comments. I don't know,
but that's what that's what I think. Anyway. Today, guys,
I'm talking to someone I invited to be on the podcast.
They said yes, and I'm so happy that they did.
Miguel is here and we have an incredible conversation ahead.
I'm just so excited to talk to him because I'm
a Miguel megafan and you'll see, You'll see because I'm

(03:20):
going to be gushing. I'm gonna gush. I'm not going
to be able to maintain my cool when I meet Miguel.
That's just honest to God truth. So I'm so excited
to talk to him.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
In a little bit.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
You've inspired me. Before you got here, I was like,
what will I talk about at the top of the episode,
and I was like, the honestly, the thing is top
of mine right now is how I'm tweaking because of
the coffee I have, and I want to talk about
how it's drugs, drugs, but we're always putting drugs in
our bodies right, which reminds me one of your songs.
Do you like drugs? Yes? Of course?

Speaker 2 (03:55):
Do you I love drugs?

Speaker 1 (03:59):
Would you say, is it fair to say that the
DARE program didn't work for you?

Speaker 2 (04:03):
It didn't work, but I did good in the course.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
You did okay, But you're like, no, I'm gonna try
these Druggs and I'm about to do this ship, favorite drugs.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
Favorite drug I'm a shrooms. I mean I like everything. Yeah, no,
I like everything. There's a time and place for everything
for me.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
What a good time? Michel? Did you bring drugs? Don't
tell right now? Okay, come on streets. That's the only
reference I know.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
I've never had. If you have any please let me, Okay.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
Reach out. We have a hot line people can call,
by the way, it's a real number. Call call and
leave a message and say you've got some colutes from
a go. Okay, my next guest, My next guest, because
it's rolling. My guest is a multi platinum award winning
artist whose album is out right now, newest album, Cows Cowse.

(04:54):
You like how I said that?

Speaker 2 (04:55):
I love it?

Speaker 1 (04:56):
Okay? Did I a good job?

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Perfectly?

Speaker 1 (04:59):
Because it's means chaos?

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Anyway, y' all, Miguel is here.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, yeah, I'm so happy you're here.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
Thanks for having me. I'm happy to be here. I'm
so happy to meet you. Finally.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
Wait, I'm really happy to be a.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Fan like I am a massive fan.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
Thank you we girl. So I have to tell you
I am a huge fan of yours, and not in
the way people say that's like polite. I'm so happy
when you said yes to doing this podcast. You have
to know I was over the moon because I have
to tell you this, and I brag about this all
the time, so now to get to tell you. I
like to feel like I discovered you. He's like, I

(05:35):
feel like I'm the A and R. So shout out
to whoever did Let's go. I like to feel like
I'm the A and R who discovered you my space. Wow,
I'm gonna say the year is two thousand and seven,
early two thousand and seven, okay, maybe two thousand and
eight my space. You are the song on my MySpace

(05:57):
sure thing? Yes, okay, yeah, the og shorre thing that
you probably like recorded with your own coin.

Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah all right, exactly in my bedroom.

Speaker 1 (06:06):
Right that is on my MySpace. You send me a
message that says thanks for the support. Yeah, I flipped out. Okay,
so also I have spread. I was, like Miguel said,
thanks for the support, because I don't I feel like
I discovered your music on my space. So I didn't
really discover Miguel. Guys, I'm not that cocky, but you're incredible.

(06:27):
But I think I discovered the music or found it
for myself on MySpace. I was like, this is the
sound of my dreams, your voice, the production on that.
You did that in your bedroom. You did the beat.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
No no, that's happy Perez Okay, habby Perez, like long
longtime family, you know, through music, Okay, and incredibly successful
in his own on his own, and before meeting him,
he was already successful more on the independent hip hop side.
He was behind a lot of the No Limit stuff.
But he's from I'm Texas.

Speaker 1 (07:00):
Okay, I might get this wrong, Okay, that's all right.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
He might have been back and forth to New Orleans,
so he might be New Orleans and then by way
of New Orleans went to Texas. But when I met him,
it was more of it. He was like Texas and
he was that's where he was from.

Speaker 1 (07:16):
And yeah, he.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
Was kind of like making his way to Los Angeles
and really starting to branch out. And we met through
Baby Bash.

Speaker 1 (07:24):
Baby Bash. I don't know Baby Bas the artist. Yeah,
oh my gosh, okay, yeah, that's Baby Bash is a
friend due man. Oh.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
Yes, he's known me since I was like seventeen eighteen.
But we met through, you know, just on the grind. Yeah,
and I met Happy Happy gave me a BEATCD and
I made that song.

Speaker 1 (07:41):
And incredible made it to Space. It's like the equivalent
of being on the top eight on my Space.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah that was yeah, that was prestige, right, that.

Speaker 1 (07:52):
Was a big deal. Somebody's top eight, Like I'm in
the inner circle, Like fuck close friends, Yeah, the top
eight there's no close friends is unlimited. But my Space
would have to make you be like, who are your people?
For real? Eight? And that's it?

Speaker 2 (08:09):
And that song. But when they when they when they
rolled that out, it was like you could have a
song on your page are And it was.

Speaker 1 (08:16):
A perfect sound, short thing, the original. So even when
I hear the version we all know and love now,
I'm like, but I heard the original, sure thing, and
then I got that message. I mean, so my friend
and I in college used to like kind of debate
playfully about who we thought was going to be a
megastar or not. And I was right about you is
basically what I want to say. We would go back

(08:38):
and forth. I won't say his name because I didn't
want any he and he was rich too, I should
bet real money. He was rich. I went to USC
rich like, and I should have bet money that is
a regret of mine, so we should have put some mistakes.
I actually hit him up today. So there was an
artist who I won't say because we don't want to
bash anybody, okay, And and then there was you, and

(09:00):
I was in the Miguel corner and he was like,
I think this person's going to be the mega star.
And I was like, you don't know what you're talking about,
this man right here, let's go anyway that Strawberry Amazing.
I remember being in Chicago visiting my sister listening to
Strawberry Amazing. Quickie. I thought you were from Portugal at
one point because you speak Portuguese on there. What is that?

(09:20):
Can you say with you? I'm like, a real fast
we're not even talking about the podcast right now. Getting
to fair Girl, you spell Portuguese on that track. Can
you remind me what you said?

Speaker 2 (09:31):
Yeah, cattle fugi, which is like I want to flee.
But see I had I had a very sarcastic Brazilian
friend and she was I was like, Yo, how do
I say I'm trying to fuck? She's like, she was like,
cattle fuji and she knew. I just said. I was like,
that's how I said. I said, I'm like checking in.
She's like, yeah, just like that.

Speaker 1 (09:49):
And that's not really what it means. It's like getting
one of those tattoos where people would get them in
the Chinese and it's like.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
That and it says like my dog peace on me.

Speaker 1 (09:57):
Yeah, that's not what I mean. I thought this meant
in this two shop, but in many ways it could.

Speaker 2 (10:02):
Yeah, it worked out. It worked out.

Speaker 1 (10:04):
It did work out on the track because you spoke
in Portuguese and you said you have baby. That was Portuguese,
and I said, yeah it is. I don't know what
he said Portuguese. It's not I want to fuck, but
it is Portuguese.

Speaker 2 (10:15):
And it worked in the in the context of the
song where it's like let's get out of.

Speaker 1 (10:18):
Here comes So you know, anyway you've your career has
been incredible. It's been fun to watch and I am
happy to be an early adopter.

Speaker 2 (10:27):
Miguel No, it was really like my Space was a
big part of the journey in because when I did
get sign and the song came out, everyone who supported
on MySpace was really like, c yeah, we did that.

Speaker 1 (10:40):
That's what it felt like. It was really like. But also,
you are an incredible talent, like that voice of yours
and what you're capable of. When did you know that
you had it for real?

Speaker 2 (10:56):
I mean when you're a kid and you're just the
greatest thing about being a kid and people like believing
in you, it's like you just go with it. Yeah,
And I got lucky and I had enough people around
me that were like, you can you know, and and
so I never believe anything else. It was more of it.
I was like, this is what I'm here to do,

(11:16):
and this is what I'm going to do. And I
didn't realize what the odds were, you know, it was
there was no sense of I have no connection, no,
no one in my family is connected to the industry
or then it was much. It was different. You know,
it's very different in our generation to be discovered, so

(11:36):
to speak. Just it required a whole other, a whole
other kind of uh connection and network what have you?
And I just believed it. Yeah, I was delirious. I'm sorry,
I was delusional.

Speaker 1 (11:53):
Delirious. Now we're both a littleious. Delirious, Yeah, but you
were delusional in that way, and I feel like you
have to be in order to achieve the success that
you have or to do one of these unconventional sort
of career paths. It requires that in a way that
is undeniable because when you do start to think about

(12:13):
the odds, if you do start to think about the odds,
it's kind of evident that it's so unlikely that you
will achieve your goals. That's that's what most people would
tell you. But if you're like, I'm not thinking about that,
or I am aware of it, but I think it's
gonna work out for me, because that's kind of how
I felt. I was like, it'll work, It's gonna work,
that's it.

Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, it's as simple and complicated and challenging as that.

Speaker 1 (12:34):
Yeah. Yeah, did you strategize in any kind of way
that felt unique to you? Or like, how did you strategize?

Speaker 2 (12:42):
Not strategize? I really had a weird, just unshakeable knowing
and like a faith.

Speaker 1 (12:52):
Yeah, and.

Speaker 2 (12:54):
I knew that somehow, whatever happened in any decision I
would it would lead to something else that got me
closer to where I wanted to go. Yeah, And so
I just trusted in that, and inevitably, you know, it did.

Speaker 1 (13:09):
Right, it really did. It did?

Speaker 2 (13:11):
Was it like that for you too, or was it
a strategy, and I feel like I'm.

Speaker 1 (13:15):
Like a strategist a little bit. I mean, I don't
know if so much. Now I feel like I did
have what you are describing, that delusion that was like
it's gonna work out. So I the reason I went.
I went to college in La. So I went to La.
My whole plan was I just got to get to La.
I'm from Baltimore, so I was like, I just need
to get to La where the TV happened. Yeah, it's

(13:35):
so crazy and first generation Nigerian and my family is like,
you're going to be a doctor, that's what we know,
and like, yes, because it's prestigious if you will, but
it's also because it's a stable career, like you're always
going to need doctors and people, and that is a
career where you will always be able to get a.

Speaker 2 (13:51):
Job and anywhere in the world.

Speaker 1 (13:53):
Anywhere in the world right, people are going to need doctors.
But I was like, I will study biology, be pre
med and I just to get to La to see
the lay of the land and be like and then
I'm going to figure out how to get to do
this acting thing that I really want to do.

Speaker 2 (14:06):
You're distracting them. You're like, cool, I'm gonna go a promise.
It's like it's biology.

Speaker 1 (14:11):
Website, by the way, and there I like people talk
about how I have a biology degree. I'm like, I
do have a biology degree, but I need you to
understand my grades weren't good. Like, let's talk about the
grade they gave me, the degree, the grades.

Speaker 2 (14:22):
The data you might produce may not be completely reliable. Correct.

Speaker 1 (14:27):
Don't ask me a question. Don't ask me to do
CPR on you because and I'm I'm CPR certified. But
if you asked me to do CPR on you, I
hope you have a will in place, because it's not gonna.

Speaker 2 (14:38):
It's easy to forget that CPR stuff though it's crazy.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
It's really easy if you forget the minute you walk
out of the class.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
You ever like, yeah, like push here and like with
this kind of like pressure, and you're like if it
was to happen, yes, and you're like panicking, exactly, it
could really go bad. Yeah, I don't know that.

Speaker 1 (14:55):
To recall every and like push this way, and if
it's a baby, do it this way, and if it's
an adult, do it this way. I'm like, I'm too
I'm too scared to.

Speaker 2 (15:03):
Do all that.

Speaker 1 (15:03):
But I got out to l A and I was like,
my strategy is to get there and then I'll get
to see what this industry is even sort of made up.
So I even interned at a talent agency, like a
now defunct talent agency. But I was like, maybe I
can learn the business side and figure out what is
effective or what doesn't work for people Like I was.

Speaker 2 (15:22):
Just came, your parents are college.

Speaker 1 (15:25):
One only one parent? I mean, I guess I have
two ones dead. This is the premise, is all.

Speaker 2 (15:29):
Well a parent and you know, yeah everyone.

Speaker 1 (15:33):
Has do you think this is for everyone has a dad?
But not everyone has a father?

Speaker 2 (15:38):
That's the right way of saying, that's okay.

Speaker 1 (15:41):
Yeah, So but my mom was incredible and is like,
is so shout out to my mom? Yes, and your
mom shout out to all the moms. I know this
is called thanks dad, But can we shout out to
the moms to specifically?

Speaker 3 (15:55):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (15:56):
Yeah, because what they do is incredible and sometimes their mom.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
And dad in a lot of times and a lot.

Speaker 1 (16:02):
Of times they're that, and so we do want to
shout them. We do want to shout them up. Okay,
Michael can ask who you want to say thanks to?
Who are what you want to say thanks to? Oh,

(16:24):
could be anyone today?

Speaker 2 (16:25):
Sure, yeah, today I want to say thanks to DiAngelo.

Speaker 1 (16:30):
Okay, yeah, I want to say thanks as well.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
Yeah, I'm still kind of it's it's still it's real
hard to imagine that these days, I think it's important
to remind myself that I have an opportunity to wake
up and be my own hero. But there are musicians

(16:54):
that really just will always be my heroes and and
di'angelo is one of those ones that I never I
never thought in a million years we would lose this soon.
You know. It was someone that I I look forward
to with so much hope and faith in terms of

(17:16):
like what music could be and should be and how
it could sound and feel. I just imagine that we
would get more. And yeah, so I want to say
thank you for the music that we did get, because
the world won't sound the same without him.

Speaker 1 (17:29):
I think that is an accurate and beautiful way to
put it. His music and his artistry just otherworldly, really
really really otherworldly. One of my favorite songs of if
people ask me I say one song, I say Salt
Shaker by the Ying Yang Twins. But then my actual, really,
my actual real favorite song is nothing even matters Laard

(17:51):
Hill of D'Angelo just a beautiful song that every time
I listen to feels different to me or means something
different to me. And his voice on that track, the
everything about that track is like perfection to me. And
then also send it on, so I spent a lot
of time listening to send it.

Speaker 2 (18:10):
Yeah, but nothing even matters as one of those ones.
Mm hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm very small nothing even it's just like a man. Also,
the timing of that is crazy. The two of them
on that song is like just I think the thing

(18:31):
that we forget about with music is that it's the
timing of the music that makes it even more special. Yeah,
but but the timing of his music, you know, in
terms of what him and the and a collective of
the collective of sol Aquarians and just that that time,

(18:52):
I think, I just well, it's just one of those
very special times.

Speaker 1 (18:57):
I always want to say thanks to I'm I mean,
that was a remarkable time. And even that album Miseducation
of Lauren Hill, she gave us that one perfect, flawless
body of work that has now just transcended time and
like has remained relevant. I think I saw. I mean,
I did see years ago that it was put into

(19:19):
the Library of Congress, and I was like, rightfully, so
that is correct. Some things are correct and that is one.
And I'm like that album is perfection top to bottom.
The kids on the interlude talking about what's live, I'm like,
the children are the babes are wise? I know, well,
you know, here's my tough thing about interlude is because
when an interlude is actually musical and say it's not

(19:41):
talking or it's not a voicemail, I'm like, I always
end up wanting the interlude to be a longer song.
I feel like on albums, interludes end up being maybe
some like among my top three favorite tracks on any
given album, that interlude, Why would you give us that little?
And then I'm like, I want artists to then release
a whole track of that, like on a bonus album

(20:01):
or something like, I want to hear the whole. I
have a I have a playlist on Spotify that is
songs that should have been longer. They are all songs
that are like two minutes long or shorter.

Speaker 2 (20:11):
I feel like, as artists, we should just do albums
of interludes. Oh that's what.

Speaker 1 (20:16):
I absolutely a banger if I could be a producer
on one of yours. And by producer just mean I
mean sit in a studio session. I genuinely I'm like,
there's so many interludes, and I'm like, they need to
be longer, made a full playlist. It's like, now that's
the only way I've been able to make peace. And
I posted the playlist once and I was like, this
is how I've made peace with the fact that these

(20:36):
tracks are so short. Combine them all into one playlist
that feels Satisfyingly, I want you to make an album
of interludes. If I have get to do one request.

Speaker 2 (20:45):
I might actually you might have to an r this project.

Speaker 1 (20:48):
Like I'm down and I really want somebody to put
me on an album. This isn't me pitching. I just
want to like talk shit on an album. It doesn't
need to be yours.

Speaker 2 (20:55):
I actually would love to have. Here's there's a point
in this and making this album, Kyles that we're putting out.
I was I was thinking of who I could call
just to like for different things to talk through, and
of course the album kind of evolved and it felt
like it was more of an introspective kind of thing.
And yeah, but it's always like I've never done that. Yeah,

(21:16):
and I would that would be so.

Speaker 1 (21:18):
Dope, just a little like d Ray got to be
on Kanye. I mean, I wish I could be an
album or like, uh, you remember the DJ tags like
rash smooth, oh boy DJ in the world. Yeah, I'm like,
I want to be that voice just one time. It's
on my It's on my bucket list.

Speaker 2 (21:34):
Any of the DJ drama early drive and oh.

Speaker 1 (21:36):
My goodness, so good. So this album free, So.

Speaker 2 (21:40):
We got a spot for you on the next Yeah,
the next one.

Speaker 1 (21:42):
Thank you, Miguel. I'm gonna I'm gonna make you proud.

Speaker 2 (21:45):
You gotta do that.

Speaker 1 (21:46):
Thank you proud.

Speaker 2 (21:47):
As long as you make everyone laugh, it's good.

Speaker 1 (21:48):
Okay, okay, easy. Yeah. Can you see how when you
went to you saying nothing even matters, I sat back.

Speaker 2 (21:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (21:54):
I didn't try to take Lauren Hill's part on because
I was like, I'm not gonna be able to do that,
so I'm letting you. I was tempted, and then I
remember this is a podcast.

Speaker 2 (22:01):
Do the same thing out the way, just run it.

Speaker 1 (22:05):
And I just know what my skills are, and in
the face of a real singer, I'm not gonna even
pretend we're gonna do it.

Speaker 2 (22:12):
I feel like you could actually sing though.

Speaker 1 (22:14):
You know what, I think I probably my vocal coach
says I can. But I'm like, and I did do
it with Dion Warwick once, so I want to be
very clear. Yes, on SNL it was really beautiful and
and kind of emotional. Frankly I missed that, but it was.
It was really special. What the world needs now is love,
sweet let and see I'm talking it now.

Speaker 2 (22:34):
We're not warmed up, but people don't know how important
it is to warm up though.

Speaker 1 (22:40):
If there's a whole thing. My vocal coach, who's like
a legend, I haven't seen her in a little while,
so she's probably like, please keep my name r Yeah,
that's I'm not your coach, girl, I'm not your coach.
Don't put don't put that on my name. But because
she would probably also tell me I'm speaking incorrectly right now,
she's like, yeah, but.

Speaker 2 (22:58):
You here, do you think.

Speaker 1 (22:59):
I'm speaking incorrectly? Honest to god, if you were my
vocal coach right now.

Speaker 2 (23:04):
I'm hearing a little nasal. I'm hearing a little nasal,
or maybe from.

Speaker 1 (23:09):
Your breast, I asked, So I appreciate the honesty. I'm
getting read right now. I don't know she really tried
to help me. Okay, tell me.

Speaker 2 (23:17):
It makes a difference, though. What do you do to
warm up? Yes, mostly rope work, like jump rope really,
because the muscle memory of using your diaphragm to breathe
will take the thinking out of of like projecting and control. Okay,
so once you're kind of in that, in that mode,

(23:39):
you're you'll sing from your diaphragm more naturally. Okay, but
I also do like natural, like the boring ones like.

Speaker 1 (23:47):
Okay, yes, do you what does she? Goodness? Sometimes you
can cuss. I cussed so much. Functionhit motherfucker, god, damn
all of it. Everything you need is available to you,
just pick from the bin. In fact, if you don't
cuss on this episode, I'm gonna feel some kind of
way Okay, cool, Okay, yeah, wonderful. Right, that's one. Okay,

(24:09):
we do fine at the end, all right, Yeah, there's
a cussing. There's a cussing bin over the dollars hundreds
bills for everyone, So I just made a hundred appreciate you.
And by the way, I don't tell people the terms
and conditions till after they cuss. I encourage them to cuss,
and then I'm like, that's what I pay for that.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
That's what It's a scheme, I say.

Speaker 1 (24:28):
Exactly, little little scheme, scheme, plot, plot. Okay, I need
to hear about this album, but I also need to
hear about you have a child now, which is so exciting. Congratulations,
thank you, thank you.

Speaker 2 (24:41):
Why I need.

Speaker 1 (24:42):
Coffee okay, because you were up all night.

Speaker 2 (24:44):
I mean, you know what, he did really good out here.
He's here in the city with me, and these blackout
curtains are going hard crazy. I'm like, man, twelve, he slept.
He slept for like nine hours the other.

Speaker 1 (24:58):
Night game change.

Speaker 2 (25:00):
We have black out curtains though, so I'm like looking
behind the whose like what is it?

Speaker 1 (25:05):
Yeah, I don't think like that. So you think, I mean,
so he's a good sleeper when the setting is correct
for him.

Speaker 2 (25:11):
Apparently, Yeah, he's been going. He's like he's thirteen months now. Okay,
so he's getting and he kind of like he had
he got his teeth like really fast. I think, like
abnormally fast. Okay, but now his his like canines are
coming in, so that's kind of messing with this sleep.

Speaker 1 (25:31):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (25:31):
But maybe we had like a first wave of like
a lot of pain and now he's just this is
the most boring thing.

Speaker 1 (25:37):
No, I'm here for it because this is we talk
about parenthood. No kids, right, no kids that I know of?

Speaker 2 (25:42):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (25:43):
Is that crazy that women don't get to say that.
Women don't ever get to say, like, no kids that
I know of. Men get to say no kids that
I know of, but no kids that I know of? Yes, okay,
all right, noted, nothing has come up.

Speaker 2 (25:55):
Nobody's popped up out of like, no, you're my mother,
you owe me, you owe me.

Speaker 1 (26:00):
And that's why I'm doing the collection bucket over there, just.

Speaker 2 (26:02):
The case insurance is important and just the.

Speaker 1 (26:05):
Case some some child comes out of the woodwork talking
about your mom. I understand that, and that would be
but no, I have no kids, and just to contribute,
please thank you say something now, yes, yeah, yeah, oh
that was a couple of art. Thank you, But did
you answer you wanted to be a parent.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
I always wanted to be a father. I knew I
wanted to be a father. I had to I had
to really dope dad, have an amazing dad, and he
just was Yeah, I just always wanted to be a dad.

Speaker 1 (26:35):
Yeah. What made your dad so dope?

Speaker 2 (26:38):
I think his his sense of humor, and also he
was he was always really supportive anything anything. He always
said I could do anything, We could do anything. And
and he was he was encouraging and kind of like
would push but just enough, you know, he knew how to.

(26:59):
He knew how to really like he was kind of like,
hold you to your to your what you want to do.
You say you want to do it, all right, well
you're going to have to do this, and you push,
but never too much, you know, just enough where and
he was very understanding and how are you gonna make me?

Speaker 1 (27:17):
It's it's beautiful though, That's that is so rare, because
I wanted to tell you that, it's so rare that
I get to hear anyone, even in conversation with friends,
be like my dad was amazing. I think that's so
I'm having a contrary to that. Yeah, and I'm genuinely
having a moment where I'm like, I need to hear
more about this amazing individual, because.

Speaker 2 (27:38):
Yeah, I got lucky.

Speaker 1 (27:39):
Yeah, do you have siblings. I do.

Speaker 2 (27:42):
He's my best friend. His name is Nick Nonchalant Svant.

Speaker 1 (27:45):
Okay, Nonchalance Sant. Is that his Instagram handle?

Speaker 2 (27:47):
Yeah, it is, actually, but we just call him nonchalant
because that's really.

Speaker 1 (27:52):
Your parents did, not a nonchalant kid in a music
I'm like, what they did, do a great job. Wait,
can you tell me a little bit more about them
and their background?

Speaker 2 (28:03):
Your parents, my parents they met in high school. They
met at Inglewood High. A lot of my family on
my dad's side still is in Inglewood, but yeah, they
met at Inglewood High. My mom is a beautiful black
woman from La. My dad's family is from Samorda, Michukhan.
He came here when he was three, and before he

(28:24):
came my nine. Now, my grandmother rest in peace, came
three years ahead of that, I'm sorry, two years ahead
of that and kind of like live with her sister,
worked at the hospital and did other odd jobs to
basically make enough money to start bringing our family over.
And I think it was over the course of a
few years that everyone from my dad's family, because it's

(28:47):
eight of them total, were in the States and they
made a life in Inglewood and my parents met in
high school, but they weren't really seeing each other until
after high school.

Speaker 1 (29:00):
And yeah, not a real life meeting, by the way,
rare also these days. Yeah, like we're high school sweethearts
kind of even.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
It was like they just knew each other and each
other maybe flirtations, but never really hung out until afterwards.

Speaker 1 (29:14):
Okay, that's that's what you unders said. Do you know
like the did you know the nitty gritty details of
that and like them getting together?

Speaker 2 (29:20):
Like, no, I don't, but I know I was conceived
sometime around Valentine's You did the mak good at math.
We've all done the mask.

Speaker 1 (29:37):
January exactly, June in my case, Yeah, it was June. Summer.
Summer is a good time.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
It's a great time.

Speaker 1 (29:47):
But your your dad, you say, is an amazing.

Speaker 2 (29:49):
Dad, Pops is incredible.

Speaker 1 (29:51):
Where do you think he got the tools to become
such an amazing father? Did he have an amazing father?

Speaker 2 (29:56):
I mean, my dad had a very he had a
child ranging time with his father. My thought though, was
a very stern, no games kind of kind of man.
Also two generations ago. It's a very different culturally. Every
culture I think has evolved in you know, just just
with the times. And I thought though was a very

(30:19):
yes stern man. You did it his way and that
was it. So my dad had a rough time because
he's also you know, he's I'm like him in this way.
We like our freedom and can be hard headed at times.
So my dad, but it heads with my grandfather a lot,
and I think there was a lot of contention there,

(30:40):
and I would attribute his approach with us to the
things that he wanted to get with his dad.

Speaker 1 (30:49):
You know. So that's incredible because you either sort of
become that person who raised you, whether you enjoy waited
or not, or want that to be the case or not,
or you I think, do a lot of work to
be like I'm going to be so unlike that if
I can help it. And it's remarkable that he was

(31:11):
able to do that and that you love him so
much that it warms my heart.

Speaker 2 (31:14):
Yeah, I mean the ship, Yeah, my dad's ship, mister
p He's.

Speaker 1 (31:17):
A teacher, okay, he is what grade what subjects.

Speaker 2 (31:21):
He taught all through all grade school and in his
tenure he's kind of wanted to be more impact. He's
basically like I would rather be able to like make
an impact earlier early. So's he's like second grade, he's
been having fun in the second grade and this is
this is his last year, so he'll he'll retire this year.

Speaker 1 (31:43):
Are you guys gonna throw a party for Yeah?

Speaker 2 (31:45):
Yeah, he'll throw a party for himself like that.

Speaker 1 (31:49):
He's a good times I wish, mister B. But my
second grade teacher.

Speaker 2 (31:52):
Man, there's so many kids that I've that I've ran
into after shows and be like, your dad's my favorite teacher,
mister P.

Speaker 1 (32:00):
Yeah, yeah, that's got to feel really good.

Speaker 2 (32:02):
Yeah, it's cool.

Speaker 1 (32:03):
Okay. And what's your approach now with your son in
terms of parenting? Do you plan to emulate your dad?
Are there things that you feel like you didn't get
that you you wish though your dad was amazing, you
could have gotten more of.

Speaker 2 (32:16):
Man, My my approach, I really don't know. I think
he's at an age now where I'm learning, I'm learning
him and overall, I would say my approach is to
remain a student and to remind myself that i'm i'm

(32:36):
I get to nurture that it's a that i'm you know,
it's it's a nurturing, you know, and that it's like,
I want to give him the best that I can,
but without acting like I have all the answers. Yeah,
you so so far. That's the that's the plan. We'll
see what happens. We'll see what happens. Because he's he's
already started saying no.

Speaker 1 (32:58):
You're like, hold on what you say not you have
an opinion. It's not supposed to be like that.

Speaker 2 (33:02):
Oh it is crazy when you're like, what you mean no?
And right now it's no with kind of a question mark.
He's like no, Like I do I say no here?

Speaker 3 (33:11):
No?

Speaker 1 (33:11):
Here?

Speaker 2 (33:11):
So he says no for everything.

Speaker 1 (33:12):
Now, uh huh Okay, he's learning boundaries quick. Yeah, he's like, yeah,
I'm gonna practice saying no. People get bad at saying
no as we get older. Right, crazy, it's really really wild.
And I think about therapy and how so many people
in therapy and myself included. What you're learning in therapy
is how to be yourself again and to assert your
own boundaries and live in a way that is aligned

(33:36):
for you. And that's what like so much money spent
in therapy being reminded how to be yourself just.

Speaker 2 (33:43):
To get back to square one. Yeah, and that's the
I think that question. You're like, yeah, like I don't
want to be the kind of parent I would like
I would see this is what you're learning therapy.

Speaker 1 (33:54):
Okay, Okay, let's hear.

Speaker 2 (33:55):
We don't talk about what we don't want to be,
right and what we do want to Okay, yeah, we're.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
Gonna focus on what we do want to be, all right, Okay, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
I want to want to be the kind of parent
that reaffirms and re like what is that like like
bolsters whatever the natural like his natural rosters reassures and
also enforces outwarthy on his behalf, his own personality and

(34:25):
his like I want to protect whatever the thing is,
like just just be that, you know. I do think
that like a lot of it is is sort of
trying to like conform a child to to work in
society and like to fit and like, yes, there's a

(34:45):
there's an educational part of that, but also like I
want to want to preserve like preserve it.

Speaker 1 (34:51):
That's the way in my mind exactly so when I
have a kid, because again, none out there to my knowledge,
unless somebody rolls up on me. Was like, mom, which
would be I mean, if they were to roll up
on me and be like mom, I'd be like, well,
at least I didn't have to do like staying up
late part. I will take you on. I'm not gonna
ask any questions how this worked without me being aware,

(35:13):
But my hope is that I also would foster in
my child the or just encourage them to be themselves.
And basically, like what you're saying to that is a
matter of like parenting is shepherding this young person into
who they already kind of are and affirming who they

(35:35):
are and then offering some guardrails, which, by the way,
sounds really lovely in a vacuum until you're like it's
real life and it's a Thursday and you're stressed out
and you're tired, and you've had and you've had a
long day, or you know, like I can everything sounds
really lovely in a vacuum, and then you're like in
real life and you're like, I just need this person
to do what I say, and then I need them

(35:55):
to not ask me why, because I was a why kid? Why?
I was like why, I need to I'll do that
thing you asked me to do, but I just need
to understand why.

Speaker 2 (36:03):
How did that? How did that work? In a Nigerian household.

Speaker 1 (36:07):
You know, I think because I was raised by a
single mom. I think I've said this before on the podcast,
but I didn't get spanked really as a kid. And
someone was like, I can tell it wasn't a compliment.

Speaker 2 (36:21):
Oh yeah, yeah, no, wonder yeah and.

Speaker 1 (36:23):
It all makes sense. Uh huh, but my mom.

Speaker 2 (36:26):
I still haven't decided a spanking is or is not
what I'm going to do.

Speaker 1 (36:31):
Okay, this I am curious about this.

Speaker 2 (36:33):
I thought I would be for sure a spanking parent.

Speaker 1 (36:36):
You thought that up until when as long as I thought,
when did you, like, when did you stop? When did
you start to be unclear as to whether you would
be a spanking parent or not? Like the minute he
was in your hands at the hospital?

Speaker 2 (36:49):
Even now I think it's I'm like considering everything, and
I'm like, is this the time? Because he's also like
it's not now, But I can see where it's going
because he's he's already a little shit like he's like
he's like he'll he'll be like no, no, no, We'll

(37:11):
be he'll like go to touch something that he shouldn't
and be like no, no, no, and he'll look back
and he'll go no, no, no, and then he'll like,
he'll like, but if I did, he'll grab something and
then he'll it won't be him touching it. He'll use
the thing to touch it.

Speaker 1 (37:27):
He said, I didn't touch it. I didn't touch smart. No,
he's smart.

Speaker 2 (37:31):
He's thirteen months and he's already like speaking, and I'm like,
he's yeah, it's crazy. So I'm anticipating that there's going
to be a moment where it will be a Thursday,
I will have had a long ass day and it's
going to be he'll be testing, you know, And in
that moment, I'm like, am I gonna oh the one
thing I'll say? Though, I also pret and this is

(37:53):
another shout out to my mom. She never spanked us
angry when she was mad.

Speaker 1 (37:59):
Yeah, she will wait okay, which is.

Speaker 2 (38:01):
Kind of like it's even worse because then you think
you got off.

Speaker 1 (38:03):
You're like, okay, you forgot about She forgot about it.
She's in a good mood now. She would wait, I
owe you a spanking.

Speaker 2 (38:11):
Four five days go by, not days days, Miguel, in
some cases a week or two.

Speaker 1 (38:17):
No, see, that's that is worse, not not fourteen days later.
Mama comes up to you like, so, so remember.

Speaker 2 (38:26):
Two weeks ago, we need to talk, come meet me
and you walk into the room and she got the
belt and she does that, but.

Speaker 1 (38:36):
Then she said we need to talk. But then it
was like, it's not a conversation.

Speaker 2 (38:39):
You know, she it would be a conversation.

Speaker 1 (38:41):
She was during can you explain paint the whole picture
that the belt goes, yes, that's a gun.

Speaker 2 (38:47):
Well well, first, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, but
but yeah, essentially that's what it's the same kind of
it strikes the same kind of fear. Okay, it really does.

Speaker 1 (38:56):
So she would say that you're like the belt. The
belt would speak. Then she would say.

Speaker 2 (39:02):
Well, okay, if it was one of those times where
it was a wait till and it took some time,
it wouldn't be the belt first. It would be we
need to talk. Sit down, okay, I told you this
and this and that what happened, and walk me through.
She'd want to understand, and then she would walk through.
I mean, if it needed some like principles, she would

(39:23):
pull a Bible out and she would go by, now,
you know, a B and C and the scripture says
this and that. My mom was you know, she was
she was not playing when it came to principle and
where it was coming from. And she was very pragmatic
about it. I mean, she would remind us that we
would be disciplined without anger. So she like, you know,
at the time, it really upset me, It really hurt

(39:44):
my feeling. Is this and that? And and she would
be like, so you know what you did was wrong? Yes?
Why was it wrong? Because and she would make you
walk through the whole thing. Then the belt would co.

Speaker 1 (40:00):
Oh after to let the less make the lesson stick.

Speaker 2 (40:03):
I lay your ass down. She wouldn't say, asked, okay,
put that in the bucket.

Speaker 1 (40:07):
Yes, I'm making I am making money today. Okay, So
she would say, lay your ass down, sit down, sit down, okay.

Speaker 2 (40:16):
You know, lay down whatever.

Speaker 1 (40:17):
Down.

Speaker 2 (40:17):
How old are you? And by your age.

Speaker 1 (40:20):
That's how many Ooh I want to be five so bad.
I don't want to be older than five.

Speaker 2 (40:27):
Oh my goodness, yeah.

Speaker 1 (40:28):
Oh my goodness. Were you ever seventeen?

Speaker 2 (40:31):
No, because by the time I got to like thirteen,
I would I just stopped reacting. It was it was
I think I think it was thirteen when she was like, Okay,
you're not going to cry it's not going to be
like a thing, and I would he's just clinching. You
just take it and it hurt. But yeah know, okay,
you're like trying to be.

Speaker 1 (40:52):
That's and then she was like, okay, well then I'm
going to stop doing this because it's not Yes, right now,
this is not having the same impacting.

Speaker 2 (40:59):
Yeah, transitions to taking things away that you really want
to do and people you want to see and all
that kind of stuff.

Speaker 1 (41:05):
But yeah, I mean what and I feel like you
turned out Actually I just said it to it seemed
you feel like it worked for it, you feel like it.

Speaker 2 (41:11):
That's the dilemma because now I'm like, well, I can
see where this is going, and this is gonna there's
going to be times where it actually might be justifiable.
The one thing I will say is that if I
do decide which I would, I would say it probably will.
I know that there's going to be some times it's
like he's not going to understand anything else but to

(41:33):
have a And this is this is me speaking before
I get there, But I do believe that it's important
done correctly. I can think back to times when I
would have just.

Speaker 1 (41:46):
Kept doing what you wanted to do whatever. Yeah, oh yeah,
that's kind of who I am. Yeah, I'm gonna you
know the way you described your parents so incredibly principal.
Mom's pulling out the Bible to be like this says
this in the Bible. Oh yeah, but then also, you
like drugs, So how's that right to geim?

Speaker 2 (42:07):
Right?

Speaker 1 (42:08):
Yeah, what can he say? That's true?

Speaker 2 (42:10):
And now I'm thinking about this because my son will
probably come watch this.

Speaker 1 (42:13):
He will, but he'll probably be like fifteen, yeah, because
he's probably not I feel like your son's not going
to take much interest in well, it could go be
the right. Yeah, he takes a ton of interest in
what you do and who dad is, because I think
Dad is a corel or he's like I want to
forge my own path and I don't even want to
be influenced by that. And he watches randomly at fifteen
because someone else is offering him drugs, or like did

(42:35):
you see your dad?

Speaker 3 (42:36):
Your dad?

Speaker 2 (42:36):
Your dad said he likes drugs.

Speaker 3 (42:38):
Whatever.

Speaker 2 (42:38):
The one thing I will say is that I didn't
do drugs until I was I was an adult. And
even my dad, this is the cool shit about my dad.
My dad was like, now, son, if you ever do
decide to do drugs, do them with me. He was like,
because then you'll be safe and I can make sure
you're okay. I'll tell you everything you want to know
about what it may make you feel and how it
may make you feel. But at least I'll be able

(43:00):
to see if anything goes wrong. I'll see you through, right,
you know, and I got you. You can, you can,
you can trust your in safe hands. Yeah, of course
I didn't do it.

Speaker 1 (43:09):
But so you didn't do it with him at all?

Speaker 2 (43:12):
Hell?

Speaker 1 (43:13):
Yeah, okay, now you have.

Speaker 2 (43:14):
Oh yeah, okay, And honestly, I would say it's so
much more fun to do anything like your drugs, drinking,
whatever with family.

Speaker 1 (43:22):
As far as parenting is concerned, again, there are so
many things that sound good and idealistic in a vacuum,
and then like your perfect world and scenario and then
it's like, okay, real life hits and we're describing that Thursday,
or your son comes to you at an age you
may not have expected, asking you to do X, Y
or Z, and it's like, how do you actually handle that?

(43:44):
I have a lot of grace for parents who have
maybe not handled some of these moments well, because you
have to have the tools, yeah, to be able to
be a good parent. How you get your tools very varies,
but I'm like, it's just when.

Speaker 2 (43:56):
You're giving and some you earn Yeah you know, or
you don't.

Speaker 1 (43:59):
Yeah you don't. And everyone is kind of freestyling as
far as parenting is concerned, and most people trying their best.
I would say, I don't know if everyone is, but
are trying their best, yeah, I would say yeah, And.

Speaker 2 (44:12):
I just I'd like to imagine that most parents are
trying their best.

Speaker 1 (44:15):
I like that world too. I would like that.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
But I actually heard something more recently that was that
that's like, sometimes it's not that the people that love
us are trying there. They're not doing their best. They're
doing what they can, which is just it's like a
very small distinction, but it is different, and sometimes we
don't know that we can do better.

Speaker 1 (44:37):
That's real, you know.

Speaker 2 (44:38):
It's like sometimes it takes seeing it or it being Yeah,
it takes seeing it or experiencing it or being called
out or I don't know, making a mistake to see
it to know that you're like, oh, no, I could
have done it, you know, or it could have been
done better. Because we all learn differently, But but I
didn't mean it's just a thought. It's just a thought.

Speaker 1 (44:59):
What would as a child, for you be most effective
in making you self reflect or change your behavior having
your parents say I'm disappointed in you, or I'm really
mad at you.

Speaker 2 (45:10):
Oh disappointment. Oh when when your parents is I'm so disappointed?

Speaker 1 (45:15):
Yeah, what is it about that? Though? Because I've heard
that answer before, But I'm like, what is it about
you're disappointed in me? That is so effective and impactful.

Speaker 2 (45:25):
Because it insinuates that they thought differently of you and
that maybe they now see you differently. Right, It just
kind of is it's kind of like, man, I thought
you were better than that. It's like feels like that.

Speaker 1 (45:38):
You're like, oh, okay, I haven't ever gotten that clarity
from someone that's yeah, I could see that because I
imagine I feel like the number of times I've heard
people send texts to people their dating and be like
I thought you were a different person than that, and
how that's like you'll get a paragraph and that part

(45:59):
of the paragraph being the one thing that really like
that hits, that hits it's like, you're not who I
thought you were.

Speaker 2 (46:06):
I thought you were, but see when you're like, I'm
not the person you thought I was. I'm trying to
tell you.

Speaker 1 (46:14):
And it's like you wanted me to be something I'm not.
And that is a very different conversation.

Speaker 2 (46:19):
Yes, oh yeah, that's a different one.

Speaker 1 (46:21):
That's a different kind of conversation.

Speaker 2 (46:23):
Hopefully you don't get to that point with anyone.

Speaker 1 (46:25):
You shouldn't. Let's know, hopefully there's no conflict, unhealthy conflict
in any of your relationships. That's what I'd like to
hope for for everyone. Because this is an idealistic podcast,
we're just saying our wishes for society and ourselves. That's
always you were here today. Do you have a favorite
track on the album?

Speaker 2 (46:44):
Favorite track on the album? I think the soul of
the album. You can hear it and yeah, that's the
I think that is the song that holds the album together.
And that's a song about It's like a self reflection
also kind of train of thought, kind of song that
goes from like an introspective like, wow, let me think

(47:10):
of all the things I had to sacrifice to get here,
and yet I'm so proud of who I am and
what I am. All of that wrap into one, you know.
It's kind of like wow, like it's it's a it's
a looking back, it's a looking at now, it's a
looking forward In that it I think resolves in a

(47:32):
I've been through a lot, but I'm my soul is
still standing.

Speaker 1 (47:35):
Yeah that's beautiful. Yeah, do you I've been. I was
listening to the album today and hearing how much Spanish
is spoken on the album is really really cool because
again the first track where I heard you speaking at
foreign language it was Portuguese. Yeah, Portugal, He's Brazilian. I
don't know. It's so cool to hear you speaking Spanish

(47:58):
in that way. Was that something you you were wanting
to do on this album or you know, how did
the album come together in that regard? Is it like
these are tracks where I feel inclined to be speaking
Spanish or I want to make sure I'm speaking Spanish
in this on this album? How did how did that
come together for you?

Speaker 2 (48:13):
That's I mean, the what happens. What happened for me
was in these last eight years a lot of like
trying to figure figure out if I wanted to do
this anymore, like on a professional level, if.

Speaker 1 (48:26):
I got that sense as a fan, we need I
needed you over the last few years. I needed you,
but I needed yourself too.

Speaker 2 (48:37):
But I needed to It's not that I stopped creating,
is that it's everything else that comes with creating and
releasing music professionally. It just it becomes, It takes another
its own life and its own meaning, and it invites
critique in ways that I wasn't sure that I cared

(49:00):
to be open to or to hear. Like, you know,
I just really wasn't sure that I had the energy
or the motivation, and I needed to kind of go
back and figure that out for myself. And when I
found when I found a new motivation, what it did

(49:22):
was it it pushed me to get to know myself deeper.
And I think that lent itself to a new a
reframing of my identity that made speaking Spanish really natural,
and it made it like with so much pride, you know.

(49:43):
And not that it wasn't that it wasn't there before.
It was that it didn't feel like it needed to
be included in the music. It was like, I can
be proud of who I am without it having to
be a part of my and it wasn't like such
a massive part of my creativity or my point of
view that it felt like it needed to be in
in the work. But I think because where I want

(50:05):
to go has so much to do with my audience
really getting to know me as a human being and
not just my ability. It felt really natural to include
and to just to speak in Spanish and to show
how I think in Spanish. Yeah, So that's that's where
it kind of comes from.

Speaker 1 (50:23):
It feels like listening to the album feels like, oh,
you're getting to know Miguel in a different way or
more so, I feel as a listener just having listened
at this point just one time, I'm like, oh, I
feel closer. I'm like, I feel like I as a
person who was such an early fan and I didn't
know who this artist was, but I was like, this
person is so talented. And then so many people came

(50:45):
to know and love you and the music. I mean,
I still revisit. Do you how many drinks? I'm constantly
listening you. Yeah, And it feels cool to be like, oh,
and this is another part of him we have yet
to get to experience as fans of your music. And
you said you had to figure out what the motivation
was for you to release new music over the last

(51:08):
eight years. What was that motivation? Was it for us
to get to know you or what would you say
it was?

Speaker 2 (51:15):
It was to get to know my audience and then
to get to know me more personally, Okay, so that
I could build an audience that wanted to know where
I was going and how I was growing or what
was hurting or what was worth celebrating, as opposed to

(51:35):
me trying to satisfy an audience that just wanted this,
wanted the song for them, wanted the song that made it.
I don't know if I'm saying that in the most
concise way, but I wanted my own audience, you know.
And I think when you approach what I was doing

(51:59):
before was leaning on my ability, and I think people
fell in love with my songs, you know, they felt
they fell in love with the songs, but it wasn't
that they like really were like into me. And that
for me, is not sustainable. Yeah, it's not because then
what happens is like what happens when the song doesn't

(52:19):
they don't like the songs, right, yeah, and they don't
like the songs. That means that for me, it was
it was like it's a slippery slope the song. If
they don't love the song, the song isn't successful. So
then I'm not I don't have no purpose with note
with my with the with.

Speaker 1 (52:37):
The UTIs, but that particular audience who's here for, Like
I'm here for the music this person produces without any
consideration for the actual artists. I mean it's like I
like the song, I like the production on this song.
But you know, even hearing that from you knowing that
some songs are you'll hear stories about like this song
was written or this beat was produced for this artist

(52:58):
and this song these lyrics were handed to them and
it's like this was for Rihanna, but so and so
ended up doing it instead, Right, those are just that's
so it's so interesting how that can work. It's like
this song was given to this person and somehow the
song was for the person, but it's like do we
love the person or do we love the song or
do the person make the song? It's sometimes hard to

(53:20):
discern as a listener. And when you hear those stories.

Speaker 2 (53:23):
So there are there are successful recording artists, artist, whatever
you want to call them, who are able to do that,
and they do it. There's an art in that as well.
There's an art in being able to take a song
and make it yours. Yeah, I am not good at that.
I can't do that. It's not it's not a part

(53:44):
of my ability. And it's also not I just don't
that's that's not what I wanted to do. This when
I was my son's age and I just loved music
and all through my you know, growing up my adolescents,
like the whole the thing was like, I'm making songs
and music that I want to make, the things that

(54:05):
I'm hearing in my mind, I'm making them and like
people love them, you know, and they become theirs. Yeah,
And I got to do that. And what I found
out was without without when it's just the song you're
kind of, it can be anyone. There's sort of another
part of that is like I'm a songwriter. Yeah, So

(54:27):
I can't really blame myself for approaching that way because
in the goal of a songwriter, you want a song
that could work in any genre. The great song is
a great genre song, whether it's sounds like it's a
R and B song, or it's a punk song, or
if it's great songs is like us finding ourselves and
lyrics in the details, finding ourselves in other people's details.

(54:49):
That's that's what makes a great scene. Yeah, and great art.
So I did that. And if I just wanted to
be a songwriter, that be enough, but I don't. I
want to live my life being an artist. Being an artist,
I think, is about reflecting your experience and taking the

(55:12):
emotion and that experience and giving it to people so
that we can forget our differences and remember the human
experience is an emotional one and that we are not
so different. That's why great songs in different languages can
touch people around the world from different you know, religious
beliefs and ethic backgrounds and so on and so forth.

(55:33):
Same way, fine art can make you stop and stare
and just look at it and create wonder in your
mind or pain in a way that makes you forget
the differences you have with the artists. Yeah, I wanted
to do that. That's what I did. I'm here for
you know, And it's sort of at the center of

(55:55):
the courus that we designed. We were invited to n
Yu to be a scholar and residence year. It was
a tremendous, tremendous Yeah, tremendous honor. We did our introductory,
the introduction to the course yesterday, and it was it
was one of those things that made me really proud
to say, like I had to discover this the hard
way from myself. But to build your own audience that

(56:16):
really is in love with your expression and is there
for your expression, regardless of what that means and how
it proliferates and how what it becomes is the core
of of you know, ownership and control of your work
and your career. Building that audience. So I had to

(56:37):
go away to recalibrate on that.

Speaker 1 (56:40):
Yeah, you know, I'm so glad you did because the
album is absolutely beautiful and it feels so personal. Thanks
having listened just the one time, and I'm like, it
feels so personal. I feel the heart in it, and
I love how true to your artist do you remain?
And now this time for this segment called that's nice?
But what about me?

Speaker 2 (56:56):
All right, let's go.

Speaker 1 (56:58):
I like that I asked you because I need advice,
So I but that's parenting parenting me in this moment. Okay,
So I am workshopping a one woman's show right now
and I'm trying to figure out yes, yes, and so
I am trying to figure out And I had a

(57:20):
one woman's show called Great Black Women, and then there's
me And that was in twenty seventeen into eighteen before
I had was on SNL. So now I'm work shopping
this other one woman's show, and I'm trying to figure
out exactly how to navigate the creative process now given
this whole new experience I had. Knowing that there's an
audience out there that wants something specific from me, I

(57:42):
think you can relate.

Speaker 2 (57:43):
I can relate.

Speaker 1 (57:44):
And knowing that there's an audience out there that is
expecting something they've seen me doing for now several years,
how do I bridge the gap between what that expectation
is and doing and completely figure buring out what I want? Like,
so you had eight years to kind of figure that out.
I have a little less time talking in a couple

(58:05):
of weeks. Please take less time, Okay, okay, okay, So
that's the first piece. Okay, Well, thank you, appreciate you.
What would you advise I do in the weeks. I
have to sort of bridge that gap and figure out
what feels right and true for me.

Speaker 2 (58:20):
If I could do it all over again, Yes, I
would give my audience as much context as I possibly
could on where I'm going, okay, while I continue to
be present for them. See, the big thing that I
didn't do that I wish I would have continued to
do was to stay present with my audience. I would
have in retrospect, I would have kept in much closer communication,

(58:42):
whether it's on social media or if it was that
I started building out ways to own my audience, whether
it's like through your CRM, like direct email, whatever, or
if it's through your whatever, social media whatever, finding your
direct link to your fans one while educating them on
where you're going. I would have done that. I would

(59:02):
have started that eight years ago, because come now, they
would have had so much context of all the inspiration
and also an appreciation of being included. So now retroactively,
what I'm doing is trying to educate people on well,
this album. There's a lot of anger in this album. Man,
It's not about romance and love. It's about loss and

(59:23):
growth and change. Eight years of prep would have done
so much in terms of people paying attention. So if
I could do it again, would I would build out
ways to own my audience and stand direct communication and
educate them in the process however you felt comfortable, but
specifically in the ways that they probably are not expecting

(59:44):
and just giving them insight on like yeah, I'm really
feeling this, and I know you like this, but like
have you seen this? Like this is some of my
favorite shit from this and even the dialogue for them,
I think is exciting to introduce things that they're not
expecting and then watch them talk about it is some
of the coolest shit. Yeah, because you can interject and

(01:00:06):
then and also just observe when you want as you want.
But it's the fact that you're letting them in on
the process that I think makes the result even more impactful.

Speaker 1 (01:00:16):
Thank you. I needed to hear that advice. Thank you
for that. And because this is a family oriented show,
no it's not, but we have someone else who wants
advice a listair. This is the last little bit, Kevin.
We are ready for you, Kevin my producer. Let's go Diego.
This is Anastasia Stagia.

Speaker 3 (01:00:34):
And again, I would love to get your advice on
a work situation. I'm currently at a point in my
career where I've put it in the work. I've reached
a certain level that.

Speaker 1 (01:00:45):
I've refer too.

Speaker 3 (01:00:48):
And now I'm at a workplace where I am not
valued for what I bring to the table, my experience,
my knowledge, and I feel a bit stuck. Also, I'm
in an industry that I don't have love for anymore.
So it would love to get your thoughts on pivoting

(01:01:09):
or what to do at this stage.

Speaker 1 (01:01:11):
Thank you and a stage thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:01:14):
Yeah, that's a big one, important one.

Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
Big one. I'm gonna you have had such wist stage
wisdom someone, if you don't mind, would you start?

Speaker 2 (01:01:22):
Yeah? Yeah, absolutely finished foremost Yeah, walk up to your boss,
but your boss and punch him in the face. I'm
just playing. Don't do that. Don't do that. Call him
a bitch. I heard a bitch. I don't know. Feel
if nothing else, you'll feel good about it. You'd be
like I've been trying to.

Speaker 1 (01:01:38):
Get that off, and you might feel fine after that. Actually,
I do love this.

Speaker 2 (01:01:44):
Yeah, this is great, all right. A pivot, I think
is like, is exciting, and I think there's a lot
to be said about anyone who is considering a pivot,
and I think there's nothing more powerful than a pivot
when But keep in mind that after the excitement of

(01:02:05):
the pivot and the opportunity, you're going to be met
with challenges. Yeah, do not pivot thinking that it's going
to be any easier. Yes, it's actually going to probably
be harder because you're going to be coming into something
that most likely you have interest, hopefully you have real
love for, but you're not as far along in and

(01:02:28):
you're gonna need to You're gonna need to really get
in the fucking trenches. If you have the drive, the delusion,
and the energy to really do that, I say, fucking pivot.

Speaker 1 (01:02:40):
I think that's real.

Speaker 2 (01:02:41):
But if you are not sure, I would say, really
consider looking at what you love and how you want
to feel and find out if you can't get that
from where you are. If you absolutely cannot get that
from where you are, then really look, do you have
the energy, do you have the real delusion? Do you

(01:03:04):
have the you know what I mean? Do you have
that to make the pivot and go from there?

Speaker 1 (01:03:10):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:03:10):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:03:10):
And then the resources, And I forget sometimes because I'm
such a dreamer that the resources one might need, like
just actual the money, the space, make sure everything to
actually be able to pivot. Yeah, making sure you have
that in place, But I do believe to your point
about really doing an assessment of where you are and
how you want to feel, and is that possible where

(01:03:30):
you currently are, because I do strongly believe that no
matter where you go, there you are. I didn't make
that quote up. Someone else said it, but I fucking
love it. No matter where you go, there you are.
And I think you have to make peace with where
you are right now before you pivot. It is how
I feel, because if you're running from something, you're going
to find that something at the next thing. So I

(01:03:51):
think it's really important to and I don't like leaving
anywhere angry. I mean, like, I hate this place and
I want to blow it up. If you can find
a way to have gratitude for where you are in
that experience as well, I think that's really important so
that when you do pivot, we're going in clean slate.
The vibes are right, You're right internally, but I think
focusing on how you want to feel and then figuring

(01:04:11):
out what those things are that make you feel that
way is a good way to approach this.

Speaker 2 (01:04:18):
Yeah, such a key to actually like not leave with
the energy being off. I feel like that. Yeah, I
didn't even but it's major to leave something with a
really good like just in a good place.

Speaker 1 (01:04:31):
Yeah, I understand what this was for you. Don't even
be happy. You don't even have to be so happy
about it if you're not happy, but just like understanding
some grace in your exit. So we don't want you
to punch your boss. Don't want a bit, don't do
I mean, but if you do do that, you do,

(01:04:52):
if you do call your boss a bitch, you ob
one hundred dollars and you're gonna put it in the cussing,
then yeah, that's what's gonna.

Speaker 2 (01:04:58):
Happen, affording the the unclaimed children.

Speaker 1 (01:05:01):
Exactly that, the unclaimed children. Fun for me, Miguel, thank
you so much for being here. A pleasure, a ball
with you. I appreciate you. And people listen to the album.
It's so good.

Speaker 2 (01:05:10):
Get it on vinyl like we have it on vinyl.

Speaker 1 (01:05:14):
Do that that's sexy? Yeah, okay, get it on vinyl
and drink whiskey with Mescal. Sorry, I know, as soon
as that whiskey. Yeah, and she here's the thing about
Mescal and me, we don't go together, but to Quilla,
yeah we have a fun time.

Speaker 2 (01:05:29):
Yes, yeah, yes, let's go have some.

Speaker 1 (01:05:32):
I'm down, it's early, but let's go tequila coffee.

Speaker 2 (01:05:36):
Trust me, it'll balance it out.

Speaker 1 (01:05:38):
I think that's okay, all right, thank you, all right, y'all.
That was my discussion with Miguel, And honestly, I think
the coffee cooled it, and it like it settled into
my veins and I stopped being a freak at some
point in the conversation. But if I was fidgeting, it
was the drugs, the coffee drugs. Anyway, I absolutely love him.

(01:05:58):
How wise is he? I really think you need to
go listen to the album Kyles if you haven't already.
It's very good. That voice is so buttery. I'm fucking nasal. Apparently,
do not comment on my voice. I only asked Miguel's opinion.
A professional, my vocal coach and Miguel are allowed to
comment on my voice, not you. Okay, this is the voice.

(01:06:20):
This is the voice I have, and we're all gonna
be okay with it. I probably shouldn't have asked him that,
you know, is how do I sound? Because I kind
of knew the answer, But he said exactly what I
wanted him to say, which was the truth. I hear
it too, but I don't want to see your comments
about it, because we don't need to be commenting on
people's voices unless they ask and invite, and I'm not
inviting you speak about where's your invite? You do not

(01:06:42):
have an invitation to speak on my voice. But I
love you. Okay. If you want advice from me and
my next guest, please call the Thanks Dad hotline. I'm
about to look at a piece of paper because well
it's actually five zero two Thanks Dads. That's five oh
two eight four nine three two three seven. Call leave

(01:07:03):
your request for advice. We will try our best to
lead you, possibly astray, but we're gonna lead you somewhere. Okay, Bye, y'all.
Thanks stad is a production of Will Ferrell's Big Money
Players and iHeart Podcasts. I'm your host, Aigo wodem Our
producer is Kevin Bartelt, and our executive producer is Matt
Appadaka