Johnny Gill: Entertainer’s Key to NYC, Addresses Personal Life Rumors, New Tour, Facing Racism +More
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh, what's up?
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Its way up at Angela Yee and a legend is
here with me, Johnny Gil welcome the way up at
Angela Yee.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Yeah, old legend.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Huh No, you're not look at you. You're a young player,
you know what I oh yeah, you right, yeah, you're
getting the Entertainer's Key to the city this weekend.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
Oh my god, let me just tell you. I'm so
excited and I'm so grateful. It's funny because you think
forty two years later, it's like it's kind of like,
hey man, you didn't have it all and done it all.
But it's I never take any of this stuff for granted.
I mean, it's just like the thing. A funny thing
is that older you get, the more you appreciate. You
have a great appreciation for all these things. Because we
was younger, it was like everything is damn near blurred
(00:42):
to me, you know, because you were just living and
you just in the moment. But now it's like when
these things come and seeing people give you the flowers,
and for me, it's not about my ego. It's just
a confirmation that we've been doing what I'm doing and
that your work is not going unnotice.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
So for me, it's gratitude.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yes, yes, you know, you've had a longest story career.
Even thinking about thirty five years since the first solo album,
Johnny Gil was out, that's this year.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Yeah, well that was the big one, that my album,
but even before that, there was the duet album.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Would say say album, I'm gonna talk about.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
This, So that was It's been forty two years.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Forty two years of you in this business.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
If it's just weird, how did that happen?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Well, you did start young, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
And you know what's interesting you your brother's here with
you today, One of your brothers is here. And it's
just funny because I was thinking about how as a kid,
because you are the youngest of four and you guys
had a group coming up and you were the one
that was just.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
They pushed me out there, they kept punking. I was like,
get out of there. It was yeah, my voice is
so high.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
At one point, remember Daddy was talking about telling me
about singing low because my voice was so high, and I,
hey man, it just dropped one day, like all of
a sudden, it was just no longer high.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
But I was like, are you doing?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
You know, sometimes as a kid when you can really sing,
because I remember, this is my brother's gonna kill me
for this. But when we were young, my brother could sing,
but he had like the little high Percy voice. But
once your voice undergoes like that transformation, you might lose
that ability.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
What was that like for you when your voice dropped?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Well, it didn't bother me actually, because I was I
always kept in my mind, it was burned to my
brain of what my dad always talking about, you sing.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
It to hi. And I was probably because I was
influenced by my mom and my mom had a.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Pretty, you know, high voice. So I don't know, but
it just happened like that out of nowhere. But I
was happy when it happened. But I didn't really even
notice it. He was a kid, Yeah, I was a
kid because.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
When you singing like love songs too, just al gospel songs, okay.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
And then as I got older and got that contract,
well actually in elementary that's when I started singing in
the glee club, and that's when they started making me
sing a few love songs.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
And I was like, oh, this works, It's all right.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
You're like, I don't even know what this is about,
but I'm singing it.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Yeah, I had a couple I had a showing a
few girls and I was like, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Stop it.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
But you truly have like the iconic voice. People look
at you as like that voice is interesting to me. Also,
how like you said when you first started off as
Stacey lattisov right, and you guys were definitely a perfect combination. Yeah,
and you know, I saw the stories about how you
guys dated.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
But then her family was beat into you.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah, and they've they've disputed that, like it's not true.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
I'm sure they would, But I mean I've often say this,
and we've all know this to be a truth. It's
like my truth might not necessarily be yours, but I
can only tell you what my truth is, and you
have every rights too. And listen, it's not like it
was in the world it killed me. As a matter
of fact, it made me stronger, it made me better
because I had I really had a complex of being
dark as a kid younger, and you know, but it.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Is what it is.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
But I've often said, even when we talked about that,
was that I've never experienced anything of any level of disrespect,
any level of any of that stuff being around, you know,
So I just had to deal with it, and I
dealt with the fact that I had a manager and
uh Henry Allen, who was the president of the record
label at the time. They all was putting it in
my head about yeah, I don't like you, but they've
(04:19):
never she's never treated me anything less.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
It's crazy because Bobby Brown had that story about Janet too,
kind of like how the family had an issue with
them dating.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Yeah, and you know, he has his story and she
has hers, and I know both of them and they
don't match very well.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And that's what happens, like and they're the truth.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
It's interesting because nowadays I feel like and for quite
some time now that chocolate is in though you have
to say.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
I appreciate it now, but back then it was really
like I was like, you know what, there was always
the light scanners versus dark skin, and I hate I
hated the part when the.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Bar came out. I was just like, ah, man, they
just was tearing it up for a while. But then
we dark chocolate came back in.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Yeah, and it never left.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
It was.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Never left, you know.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I do want to also talk about like, because like
you said, you grew up singing gospel music. There was
no secular music in the household.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Oh yeah, they didn't play that.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
The only time we heard cecular music is when we
had cookouts and in the yard they would be playing
Marvin Gay and all that other stuff. But most of
them doing that our time that My dad was a minister,
so that's all they had. The radio on was on
on gospel gospel station.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
So and sometimes that's tough though, when you go off
and you start doing you got a record contract, how
was that received in the household?
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Well, to be honest, growing up, you know when you
second music was the devil's music, and it just reached
the point at one time I was like, what, I
guess it's me and the devil.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Oh my gosh, I made it back. Yeah, what was
that like?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Getting like because then you did that, but then for
your family to be to embrace that and to know
that it's.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Not Yeah, but my dad and my mom listened. My
dad was a minister, but he lived vicariously through. My
dad was excited just as much as my mom was
getting the record deal and taking off to go and
do what I was, you know, to go off to
a record and you know, cause back in the day
getting a record deal was it that was huge? That
was like, you know, not everybody could get a record
(06:27):
deal at all. So it was one of those things
that all my family always supported me. But it was
just growing up in church that was always just considered
second music was always the devil's music. And as I
got older, I began to understand too that the Bible
was looking and I was searching. I never saw in
the Bible as a certain beat as to be the
mixic song gospel and mix it inspirational. It was just,
(06:49):
you know, it's the message about more than anything. So
you learn as you get older.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
But it was just as a kid growing up, or
you don't know any better, you're just like, oh, so
I was like, man, what happened when when I tell
him I signed to deal with the devil?
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Like that?
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Even just looking at people who are because I felt like,
and I saw you on Jennifer Hudson, oh yeah, you
know amazing, And then I couldn't tell if you said
you really were, because I know you've said you planned
to do a gospel album.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I am actually okay, so that's really it's.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Really gonna happen. It's so funny that a friend of
mine came by and we talked about actually about getting
the starting getting started on the gospel album that's gonna
be dedicated to my mom of course into Whitney. So
I'm going to get it done. And it's funny. I
think I'm gonna beat Stevie. Stevie won because Steve he's.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Been trying to do one for oh about a good
twenty years after his mom passed, and he kept saying
he's gonna do one, He's gonna do one.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
And we both started saying, oh yeah, I'm gonna do one.
We're gonna do one. But I think I'm gonna beat him.
I do really believe.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
I am man, You're don't expose Stevie Wonder.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Oh see.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Think Stevie Wonder, you have to actually get on stage
and be like I know there is these rumors.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Said he'd be all you on in air hockey.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Oh he beat od Is that sure did.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
And I remember I need to see some footage.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
I remember telling my buddy Keith, this guy, Keith j
On he was we were doing backgrounds and stuff, and
I remember he beat us so bad and we was
all sitting there talking, going yo.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Don't tell nobody. You can't tell nobody, because I was like, man,
and I kept telling him.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
I was like, you can see, I don't care what
you said, you see, because he was he.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Tore us up.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
You know, another legendary moment you had recently was this
cookout that everybody was commenting on it. And I saw
that you said, and by the way, at this cookout,
you all was singing, oh, you know, everybody was there entertainer.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I mean, who who was in the building for that cookout?
Speaker 4 (08:51):
And oh, Stevie, it was Anthony Anderson and Tita Campbell, uh,
Jeffery Osborn, Ken he more, who else it was? Oh
my god, it was a bunch of people. But I,
as you could see, it was a red cup. I
started at two thirty, I had finished about ten thirty.
(09:14):
I remember most of it though, but listen, we had
so much fun. And I kept saying, why is it that?
Because I do that at the house all the time.
I have New Year's Eve parties. I'm just gatherings and
that's how it goes at the house at my parties,
and everybody's just always having a good time. And then
this one actually went viral because I allowed everybody to
use cameras. I mean to go ahead and take pictures,
(09:36):
do the videos and stuff. But I was trying to
figure out what connected with everyone, and then I realized
there's so much that's going on. People were just reminded
of what it's like to just be around people that
you know and love and just we were just having fun.
We didn't it wasn't nothing behind it, but just having fun.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
And it was a blessing. But we had so much fun.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
I saw you said, it's like the only time you
ain't get no negative.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Yeah, episode people have something.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Yeah, it was the most.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
It still blowing my mind because most of the time, yeah,
people got something crazy or stupid to say. Everybody was
just talking about I want to be there, and if
I can only tell how many phone calls I received.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Exactly, I'm talking about when is the next one? But
I am going to do it. But I was like,
I'm not telling all of y'all.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
But it feels like this also could turn into something more,
because when something like that happens organically, doesn't everybody like
maybe there's something to this.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Yeah, and everybody's been saying, hey, man, you really should
consider it. I'm going I just thought it was just
a one time thing. And you know, with this social
media stuff, the craziest thing is people shoot content all
the time and trying to put it and release it
for it to go viral. I just think it just
happened because it just happened. I'm not sure if I
did another one that would it would actually happen again.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
So I'm just like it was just us having fun.
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
It's interesting to me because I look at you as
a person who you've been around, like we said, over
forty years doing music, and in spite of everything that's happened,
like it doesn't feel like you've ever had no crazy
moments that we know of. No, it's just and that's
a hard thing in this business to not like crash out.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Ever.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
Yeah, it's for me, It's just I've lived. But my
like I was saying earlier, my dad was was a minister.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
I grew up.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
That don't mean nothing, you know them, I.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Know this not you know I was.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
I was a little bad Johnny at the point. But
my dad would be the worst for me probably, and
bad would be probably well, I think any other kid.
I was what fifteen, sixteen years old and chasing girls.
That's that's might be the worst thing that you know,
breaking hearts and eventually got mine broken.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
But I learned from that. I was like, this don't
feel good.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
But was that your first heartbreak with Stacy Lattison?
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Would you say I would, Yeah, I would. That was
the first.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I would say that was the first. I haven't had
too many more since then, but I have had a few.
I had a few, but you know, for the most part, though,
but that that might be the only thing.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I'm not an addict. I've never done drugs. I'm not
I don't steal.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I don't that's comenable.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Somebody keeps going, well, I can't wait to hear your
story and to write a book or do whatever, and
I'm like, you don't want to want me to write
a book because you're going to be asleep after the
first I don't.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Know, because I feel like business wise, Look, one other
thing about you that I feel like is different is
the groups. Like you're a person that's been solow, but
you've been in several different groups and different iterations. And
I feel like your story and I remember we talked
about this right with the new edition story.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
We didn't get to really see.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Right that how my story and I feel like there's
a lot of things you've probably held back on telling too,
because I also look at you as the type of
person who is not like giving us all of that.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
But maybe there's a time for it when.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
You evident when I'm dating girls, if somebody says something
or mentioned something about dating and it's like you gotta go,
I don't. I don't want it because my personal life
is my personal life. That's why so many people who's
always question what is he doing easy gay? Because I
don't listen. That's my life over here. And one thing,
especially for relationships, when you're in this business and everybody's
(13:22):
got an opinion, it turns into a number of things
where you know you want to be able to save
something for yourself. And I think you have to build
a strong foundation when you go out and decide you're
going to put your relationship out there and you're going
to be doing I mean, because it's a lot comes
with it. So I prefer to keep something for myself
and that's my life.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
I saw you The only time I seen you really
go in was recently over these rumors.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
And it's interesting you say that because how do you know.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
I feel like you've done a great job of not
even bothering to address it.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Some time I'm just like, but this.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Particular time, you were like, Okay, now this is enough.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
And sometimes people feel like, man, I wish I would
have been addressed this so it wouldn't keep coming up
because we try to take the high road right and
say I'm not going to say anything, but then it
just continues because people take your silence to mean it's true,
or if you say something that like, oh, he's protesting
too much.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Yeah, but no, listen the dumb rumors. I don't have
a problem with that. That's so stupid that it's been
going on for how many years? So the rumors is
not that's one thing. But when you lie on me
and say you saw something that you didn't see, something
I've never done in my life, that's where it becomes
a problem. And that's when I got with the lawyers
and they say this is defamation, and bro, man, you
(14:32):
know it's coming.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Oh so there really is a lawsuit. It's coming.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
I'm kissing.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
You could call me, say whatever you want to say.
But when they reach a point when you're talking about
you're lying to say you've seen something that I've never
done in life. It's like at that point, all bets
are off, you know.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
It's interesting to me. Also, I remember I think it
was an article that you did around Father's Day about
being a father.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Yes, And I was like, okay, we don't hear it.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
So your son is now how like n you know, okay,
nineteen years old in college? Is their son know growing
up what that his father was famous? But did he
realized he had a famous dad?
Speaker 4 (15:08):
I think he realized he had a famous dad. Actually,
he might have been about five four or five. I
remember I had to sit him down and and his
mom says, he's going through this stage where he's going, you.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Know my dad is you know my dad. I had
to sit him down.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
I said, listen, son, everybody don't like daddy. So we
got to keep things kind of low key because you know,
sometimes people can be mean and they might say things
that might be you know, So I tried to explain
that to him. But it's like, you know, and plus
we want to keep you safe. You know, sometimes there
are a lot of crazy people out of here, and
if they know who your dad is, you could you know,
(15:44):
be in more dangerous, so we want to just lay
low and not tell everybody, Okay, deal.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Okay, And he understood that.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he sure did.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Yeah, yep, all right. Now, I also saw you know,
and we saw the New Addition movie.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
And we've talked about this like numerous times, but I
always love to make sure because sometimes people still act
like it's the first time they heard it. But even
with you joining the group, you were really put there
to replace Ralph Tresvant, but then he didn't end up
leaving the group, and people thought that it was for
to leave to replace Bobby Brown at the time that
you joined, but then you ended up in a group
with them, which is interesting.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Yeah, it's I didn't know what was going on at
the time.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
I had no idea that when he was even asking
me about coming into being into the group, they told me, well,
it's just gonna even be the the fifth We want
to go back to a five member group because the
choreography is a lot more effective about it blah. So
I'm thinking, okay, I didn't realize until I got there,
we got into Minneapolis, all the madness that was going on.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
I was like, what damn, Okay, all right, but and.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Then you know, of course Bobby and Bobby and I chocolate,
chocolate on chocolate. So the first thing you think, oh,
he came in to replace Bobby, and it was like, no,
I really didn't.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Yeah, and listen the day that you tell your stories
from everything that we haven't had a chance, you know,
to hear, because I feel like also just thinking about
like we said, you were in LSG.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Yes, you know as well, and the whole another heads
of state. That's what I say. You ended up in
a group with them.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Anyway, Now tell me how that even happened heads of state,
because that.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Is an unusual situation. I mean, I guess there was.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
The group and it was always the Republicans against the Democrats,
and so uh, I'm just I'm independent, I'm on the
side who's right. But and at the end of the day,
it was always that myself, Bobby and Ralph that was
always sitting one side of the fence, Mike and it
(17:45):
was sitting on the other side of the fence with stuff.
And it's just crazy when you look at our lives
and our relationship today, I'm a gambler man. Out of
all of us, I think I gambled the most of
someone that said, you guys are going to come to
a place with our brotherhood that's going to be like
so unique and like no other. And if you told
me that, I lost everything I own. But I look
at where we are today and I wouldn't have. I
(18:08):
couldn't have. Who would have imagined that that.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Could be where we are?
Speaker 4 (18:12):
I mean, our relationships are not like it's just business.
We're on phones talking each other, but the kids are
talking and there's no business to be talked about.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
It's just what are you doing? Where you at? What's
going on?
Speaker 4 (18:22):
It's like all of us and it rotates from everybody,
so it's kind of like you look back and you
just go, wow, who would have ever thought, you know,
six of us would have that level kind of a relationship.
You know, but growth, that's what happens when you come
full circle too.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
How was it doing? Had to stay with you, Bobby
and Ralph?
Speaker 3 (18:41):
That was fun?
Speaker 4 (18:42):
That was fun because we didn't record, We just used
our catalog and it just started going crazy, like I mean,
it really went bananas where we just was enjoying that
until we had gotten to the point where were talking
about this, you know, the opportunity of this whole new
addition coming back together. But we used to, we used
to have a blast.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
I remember when I was in college intern at MTV
for Fred Jordan and he took me to a New
Edition concert. I was so excited because he was like, hey,
you know, I got a ticket. We're gonna go see
a New Edition. And that was like the most amazing
show I had seen up to that point in my life.
And I want to say, but then there were all
these like everybody has a separate bus, everybody's doing this.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
They're not getting along. They had to come back together
just to do the tour.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Wow, it was crazy.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
And now because we had to finish a tour, a
tour that we ended up that was a nightmare. It
was like everybody was just all.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Over the place.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
And you know, once again I was you know, I'm
the oldest, so it's always I'm always sitting there trying
to figure out how to make it, pull it all together.
And uh, it's a blessing to be able to see
how we all have come together, you know, learning how
to listen to every individual, given everybody a voice, making
sure everybody has has feel a sense of value and
(19:58):
that means what I agree to disagree with your ideas
sound crazy as hell. We still got to hear from
everyone and figure out what we feel is best. But
when you to do that allowed, I think us to
really grow because it allows everyone in here to not
feel like they don't know where they belong and having
a sense of value for this group and in this
group because it takes TeamWorks makes the dream work, and
(20:19):
everybody is important and have contribute to why this group
is what it is today.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Everyone, what would you tell a young Johnny gil Now,
you know with the wisdom that you have and like
you said, you could have never imagined you guys would
get to this point to where all six of you
could be together doing shows again.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Well, looking at where I am in the position that
I play within my guys, my brothers, and how people
have always said to me that you're an old soul,
like you've been here before, I stay here that all
the time, this kind of language that I speak, this
message that I speak, I've been talking like this since
I was eighteen nineteen.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
You has to sell. And that's why I've always hung around.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
Older people simply because I just just always said that
they're like you're like an whole soul.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
And to this day, that's just what I found that.
It's like my story hasn't changed.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Looking at life and looking at it in different perspectives
and understanding that there's you know, these things that we
do we have to recognize and understand and put life
in perspective has always been a goal and has been
something that has been an awareness for me that I've
had for I don't know how many years. Learning how
to talk to people, learning how to respect people, being
(21:35):
conscious and aware of what you're doing, how you're going
to say what you're going to say. That didn't just
start when I reached this age. It started early early on.
And most of my friends I've had since last probably
I just turned fifty nine, and I've had most of
my friends all my life. The ones that come in
my life, it's very few that have gone unless they
passed away.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
But we don't ever hear no bad Johnny Gil stories.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
Because it's about I'm such a true believer in treating
people the way you want to be treated. Even my friends,
all my friends that I've been knowing for years, I'm
still conscious and aware that even if I'm going to
say something to them. I think about what I'm going
to say before I say it, how I'm going to
say it, and I don't take it and use as
a crutch.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Y'all know me. You know what I mean by it.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
If I've said something that's going to be offensive or
offend you, I need to we need to have a conversation.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
That's rare.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
Well, people keep saying, but everybody keeps saying, yes, I
have the twenty second But everyone, anybody that knows me,
they'll tell you he's not your typical Gemini.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Everybody says that. Everybody says that, But I don't know.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
I get in my moods like anybody, but I just
learned how to handle them. I don't put him on everybody. Yes,
I can have these mood swings, but you probably won't
know it because I'm so conscious of just making sure
I treat people with the you know, the respect and
try to treat people with the way, you know, the
way I want to be treated.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
But I don't. I just always been like that. I've
always like that.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
You know.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
And Jennifer Hudson, you talked about the fires, and you
were talking about having had it all and then lost
it all, but then having to get it back again.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
What was the time that you lost it all back?
Speaker 4 (23:10):
When doing that home again, the home again tour with
all that stuff went crazy, with all of us got sued.
It was like we got in a taxis. It was
a freaking nightmare. I had to summon home and it
was the worst I tell you that feeling. I wouldn't
wish on my worst enemy. But it was something that
I had to go through, and I had to go
(23:31):
through it because I had to learn from it.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
I look back and I thank.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
God for that moment, for that time, because it taught
me that if I ever had to go through that again,
that life is more important more than those those are things,
and I didn't at that time. When you're young, you
put value into those things. Those things had more, you know,
meaning to you than life itself. And because I want
to keep up with the jones, we all want to
(23:55):
have and show off and be out, you know, yeah,
all the whole nine. But it's like these things. Once
you go through that in life, and you realize when
you come back, if you're fortunate enough to come back
full circle, there's nothing that I've purchased, There's nothing that
I own that I'm not willing to part with besides God.
And so when I purchased, I just bought a new home.
And when that fire, the fires was going off and
(24:16):
it was right over by me, and the only thing
I did was took a little roller bag and.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
It was like, hey, it could possibly hit here. I shoot.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
My friend of mine said his buddy was looking. They
came by and he goes, is it me? Oh?
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Does he look like he really don't care? And he says, no,
he don't.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
It was just my attitude was like, if it's going down,
thank you God for the time for it and the time,
a little short time.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
That I've had in it. I appreciate it all.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
But I'm like, long as I got my life, I
always and I'm good. My health insturant, I'm good. And
all of this is just things mean nothing to me.
It's just things.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
You know, what did you learn from that when you
did lose your home and had to sell it and everything?
Because I also look at you, like I said, I
know you're big into collaboration, but I think you've always
known that you also can go out by yourself and
get it as a soul.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
It is yeah, yeah, I've always understood and said even
during the times we was having those having issues with
each other, I've often said, and that's what I've said
for years. I'm like, thank God, I don't need permission
to put a mic in my hand, and I know
if I can get a mic in my hand, get
me to the mic, I think I'll be all right.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Right, I think I'll be all right.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
So it's just one of those things that I've always
felt like that God had blessed me with, and I
was always I've just been a true believer no matter
how much you've seen me, you know, collaborate with other people.
The truth of it is is that I've always been
a true believer in not allowing any one person to
control my destiny. And I've always been one that has
(25:43):
been understanding, understood learning the business as well as dealing
with my talent, because talent is just a part of it.
But you know many have come and gone that it
was just as talented as me, if not more, And
truly it's about understanding the business and realize and that
that's a major part of also longevity.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
So you know what I wanted to ask you too,
because you have such iconic songs that really bring us
back to a space. I mean when I hear it,
there you go, and I think about the movie, like
movie soundtracks was it too. I feel like there's some
that hit the same now like that are, but I
feel like it's not like it was, you know, back then,
when the movie soundtrack was like its own standalone, and
(26:23):
it was.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Very important for the movies back then too to have
great solid soundtracks for the movies, and they did wonders
and helping the movie as well as the movies helped
them so.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
And then we hear put on your red dress.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
You know how many people were like, that's the standard,
right now, you got to put on your You don't
how many guys bought a red dress for their wife
or their girlfriend.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
And later on the bed it was like we're going
out tonight.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Y'all welcome. A lot of babies made.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Some of that.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
But then also you have really great songs that have
at that have a faster tempo, right yeah, rub you
the right way?
Speaker 1 (26:59):
And what do you prefer to perform.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
Both because I'm not a guy that feels like I'm
old and I want to sit around and sing love
songs all night I love a love song, but I
like to get I like to get loose and have
fun and.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Party a little bit too.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
As you can see, look at my cookout, y'all see
me with that red come to my head.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
I was feeling real good.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Cookout. Put me on the list.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
I'm doing another one. I was just like, everybody kept
calling me, when are we're doing the next one? You're
doing the next one, I'll fly in. Call me.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
I need to be at the next one. I'm just like, yeah,
I'm gonna do it. But I was like, we'll figure
that out.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
What was it like having a Vegas residency too?
Speaker 4 (27:41):
It was it spoiled me, but it was fun and
it was oh my god, go upstairs, come back down
and not have to go from.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
City to city.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
That's what I was thinking. That money goods and have
different people come to see you.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
It was like, I was like, I almost had a
tear on the last night. I was like, yeah, I
mean it's real. I mean I can come back.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Listen. But another tour is happening, right.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
You're getting ready to make the announcement. It's a big one.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
You like that. I know that already. Yeah, how you
know because I began to like the little inside it sucks.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
Well, she made the announcement, y'all, I.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Didn't get this key to the city. Make this announcement.
What are some things that are still on your bucket list?
Speaker 3 (28:25):
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
I think it's all about bucket Listen, rock and Roll
Hall of Fame been nominated for a couple of Grammys,
haven't won one yet. Look, I hope that one day
that will happen, But if it doesn't, I'm listen, I'm
not living for that. That's not what I'm what I
do I do this for. It's simply because those things
just being given to you by your peers and being
recognized and you know, acknowledging my my my work. It's
(28:49):
all that really is about for me. But it means
nothing else for me. And it has nothing to do
with feeding my ego to none.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
Of those things.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
Like I said, those things are just things that encourage me.
And you have to put those things in perspective. And
there was a time, you know, when you're a little
younger and your buck while yeah, all that stuff has
you know, mean a different type of meaning to you.
But when you get older, it's just like, yeah, these
are things that we still want to accomplish, but it's
not the end all tell all. It's not like if
it doesn't happen, I'm sitting here going, boy, I didn't
(29:19):
have a complete career RCT.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
No, you certainly have and still making music that I
think sounds just as fresh like for today.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah. Yeah, I'm just enjoying it.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
This is what I love doing and it's not like
somebody's forcing me to do this. So I'm a musician,
I'm a I create, I'm a singer, and so I
all these things are part of my being and I
believe this is my calling, this is my destiny. So
I just want to continue to do it until I
can't do it anymore. I just want to have fun
(29:51):
with it. And now as you get older, I really
have a great appreciation for doing this. I used to
hate recording, but.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Now really I would never think that.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
Let me tell you, if I in my way, every
song would have been recorded one thing it's like thank you.
I used to hate going over stuff that no, you
gotta pronounce that right, that's that's not and I'm I
would just be sitting here going just let it be
what it's gonna be. But you know, when you deal
with perfectionists like Jimmy Janit, Terry Lewis, Babyface and some
(30:20):
of it in l A and them and those guys,
it was just like, no, you gotta. But they taught
me something and taught me how to record and taught
me also how to go into and learn how to
to do it and be able to still be find
enjoying it and find some happiness in doing that. Now,
when I record, I record when it's I'm feeling it,
when it hits me, the creative mood hits me. I
(30:43):
stop when I'm not feeling it, or if I'm tired,
or if it's not where I don't feel like I'm You
gotta hurry up and get this on this done because
the studios costing time, you got to pay the records
company back, and it's all this other stuff that you
started carrying, all of these these uh you know the
dad's when you know, dealing when dealing with a major label,
I don't feel that level of pressure anymore because I
(31:03):
record it at home. I can start when I want
to start when I want, And so it allowed me
to have to enjoy the process.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
Of recording now what a luxury. Oh my goodness, especially
because you know what it used to be like.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
Yeah, yeah, so it's a blessing. It's a blessing, you know.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
I was thinking while we were doing this interview about
how when we talked about the New Addition movie and
how they didn't explore as much of what was going
on in your personal life. But then you also kind
of maybe don't want to show that because I know
about one heartbreak, I don't know about any others. I
don't know what Johnny gil was doing behind the scenes.
But would that have been something you would have been
willing to even dive into if they wanted to.
Speaker 4 (31:41):
Yeah, absolutely, I think there's some things that absolutely would have.
I was a daddy's boy. I didn't feel totally safe
until my dad would come home. There was times too
of just going.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Back to when we were poor.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
When we were we never lived in the hood, we
never lived in the projects, but we were still poor.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
I didn't have a clue that we wasn't that we
were we were poor.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
I mean, shoot, my mom was getting we was getting
cheesed from the school, were having at the school. We
had to get shoes, Yeah, had to get this getting
shoes from the school, supporting us to get shoes and
things because I was missing a lot of days out
of school and things.
Speaker 3 (32:21):
That was going on. It was a journey. It was
a journey.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
And my mom, who who raised four boys that has
been you know, did it all. I mean, I've watched
my mom working two and three jobs and never complain,
never complain. And it's like to see that and to
see what type of woman and look at how we
all turned out, all of us. What you see when
you see me, you see an extension of my brothers
(32:44):
in the same everybody has that same the same type
of energy and aura. And it's just my mom was
just an incredible, incredible woman who did an amazing job.
But all of us and part of the reason why
I am the way I am to day. Even when
I was as a kid, I was still doing kids stuff,
you know, hanging out and chasing girls.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
And all break out hearts.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Like you said, what's the worst way you broken women's heart?
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Any o? That's it?
Speaker 2 (33:12):
That's not? I mean, is there anything that you actually
honestly feel bad about? Like, man, I wish I would
have did things a little differently, apologize to her right now.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
Yeah, there was there was one that was I you know,
that was really a really serious relationship and uh, and
we had some issues because it was not just me
dating her, but you know, she was she was an Indian,
so it was just a whole nother culture.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
It was one of probably the most brutal relationships that
I had ever been in.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
And I didn't know. I heard about racism and you
know that it exists.
Speaker 4 (33:49):
I had no idea till we started dating and how
it put us to a point where we weren't arguing.
It wasn't no infidelity, it was none of that stuff.
But I remember she used to spend so much time
with her parents and that her parents used to come
to see her on the weekends.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
They would drive up to see her.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
And I would never forget when we started dating and
she moved out with me, moved to LA with me,
and her parents found out finally and he was our
dad was like just living and he was like, if
I die, don't you come to my funeral and bide.
It's like wow, And I didn't know. I was the
first time I ever experienced that. And I'm going, I'm
(34:30):
a good guy. Whatever but never got to meet them,
just knew about them and heard about them, and then
watching her just completely just start to wither away, just
losing weight and watching her between because it was you know,
they're very time in the family, and just watching her
just going through that whole process, and my goodness, my goodness.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
At one point, I was just like, I gotta gotta
let it go. We gotta let it go.
Speaker 4 (34:57):
They say if you love someone that you have to
set them free. We both agreed that it was just
like I had reached that point where it was just like, man,
this is crazy. I was so messed up. And probably
I mean I've been through that maybe.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Three times in my whole lifetime in relationships, but that one.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Was as far as bad breakups.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Yeah, just breaking up period.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
It was like it was because it's one thing to
break up because you're dealing with in fidelity and you're
dealing with someone lying to your cheating and cheating or something.
It's like, give me something I think that actually helps
you when you have to move in your you know.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Is the real reason, Like you messed up.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
I'm not taking it back, but when it's out of yours,
it's just not like that was.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
It's like, yeah, it was a tough one to get
to get over.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Yeah that was.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
I'm sure that was hard for both of you, but
for her man, Like you said, whether I just don't
understand how people could be.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
That hateful, Yeah, I didn't to your own family.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
And for the longest, when I would see Indian people,
I would get a not in my stomach because I
thought every all of them was like that. Until you
start to meet other people and they hanging out and
you start realizing that, yeah, that they were still still
from that old school. But it's like, for years I
would see Indian people in my I would just get
(36:15):
a nod in my stomach.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Wow, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Well, listen, I know this weekend is a big one
for you, you know, the key to the entertainer's key
to the city. And then you aren't you also performing
doing New York City Rise or.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
Yeah, I'm singing all my songs and everybody else's song.
Y'all got any requests, I'm taking them.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
Out. That's exactly We're just gonna party.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
That's a big deal. I'm excited for that.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
I'm excited too, and I just I'm so grateful for it,
and so many of my friends are coming out, so
it's just gonna have fun, like surprise friends or just
no friends.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
I don't know if they're surprised, but.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Friends, okay, I know.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
I can't wait to see what's going to happen. And
I appreciate you coming through. You know, it's always all
the time. I told you, Like, I was just on
vacation with my friends and I told them, I said,
you know, I'm gonna be interviewing Johnny Gill, and everybody
was so excited. They're like telling me, said, but it's
just so like nostalgic for me too. And then to
see that you still are, you know, here doing great
music and doing your thing.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Are you still a game changer?
Speaker 3 (37:20):
Thank you still in the building.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Thank you so much, and congratulations again, well deserved having.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
Me, and congratulations to you. It's like I've watched your journey.
I've seen you how we all go through to the
next level of our lives, and we see sometimes going
through the process, you'd be sitting there going, God, what
are you trying to do?
Speaker 3 (37:41):
But when you look around and you see it, you
go I get it.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Yeah, it's a blessing.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Yes, yes it is.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
God is good.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
It is.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
Congratulations to you, Thank you so much and always gonna
support you.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
I appreciate that. Let's keep that, Let's keep that. Okay,
it's way up in
Oh, what's up?
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Its way up at Angela Yee and a legend is
here with me, Johnny Gil welcome the way up at
Angela Yee.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Yeah, old legend.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Huh No, you're not look at you. You're a young player,
you know what I oh yeah, you right, yeah, you're
getting the Entertainer's Key to the city this weekend.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
Oh my god, let me just tell you. I'm so
excited and I'm so grateful. It's funny because you think
forty two years later, it's like it's kind of like,
hey man, you didn't have it all and done it all.
But it's I never take any of this stuff for granted.
I mean, it's just like the thing. A funny thing
is that older you get, the more you appreciate. You
have a great appreciation for all these things. Because we
was younger, it was like everything is damn near blurred
(00:42):
to me, you know, because you were just living and
you just in the moment. But now it's like when
these things come and seeing people give you the flowers,
and for me, it's not about my ego. It's just
a confirmation that we've been doing what I'm doing and
that your work is not going unnotice.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
So for me, it's gratitude.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yes, yes, you know, you've had a longest story career.
Even thinking about thirty five years since the first solo album,
Johnny Gil was out, that's this year.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Yeah, well that was the big one, that my album,
but even before that, there was the duet album.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Would say say album, I'm gonna talk about.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
This, So that was It's been forty two years.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Forty two years of you in this business.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
If it's just weird, how did that happen?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Well, you did start young, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
And you know what's interesting you your brother's here with
you today, One of your brothers is here. And it's
just funny because I was thinking about how as a kid,
because you are the youngest of four and you guys
had a group coming up and you were the one
that was just.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
They pushed me out there, they kept punking. I was like,
get out of there. It was yeah, my voice is
so high.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
At one point, remember Daddy was talking about telling me
about singing low because my voice was so high, and I,
hey man, it just dropped one day, like all of
a sudden, it was just no longer high.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
But I was like, are you doing?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
You know, sometimes as a kid when you can really sing,
because I remember, this is my brother's gonna kill me
for this. But when we were young, my brother could sing,
but he had like the little high Percy voice. But
once your voice undergoes like that transformation, you might lose
that ability.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
What was that like for you when your voice dropped?
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Well, it didn't bother me actually, because I was I
always kept in my mind, it was burned to my
brain of what my dad always talking about, you sing.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
It to hi. And I was probably because I was
influenced by my mom and my mom had a.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Pretty, you know, high voice. So I don't know, but
it just happened like that out of nowhere. But I
was happy when it happened. But I didn't really even
notice it. He was a kid, Yeah, I was a
kid because.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
When you singing like love songs too, just al gospel songs, okay.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
And then as I got older and got that contract,
well actually in elementary that's when I started singing in
the glee club, and that's when they started making me
sing a few love songs.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
And I was like, oh, this works, It's all right.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
You're like, I don't even know what this is about,
but I'm singing it.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Yeah, I had a couple I had a showing a
few girls and I was like, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Stop it.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
But you truly have like the iconic voice. People look
at you as like that voice is interesting to me. Also,
how like you said when you first started off as
Stacey lattisov right, and you guys were definitely a perfect combination. Yeah,
and you know, I saw the stories about how you
guys dated.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
But then her family was beat into you.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah, and they've they've disputed that, like it's not true.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
I'm sure they would, But I mean I've often say this,
and we've all know this to be a truth. It's
like my truth might not necessarily be yours, but I
can only tell you what my truth is, and you
have every rights too. And listen, it's not like it
was in the world it killed me. As a matter
of fact, it made me stronger, it made me better
because I had I really had a complex of being
dark as a kid younger, and you know, but it.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Is what it is.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
But I've often said, even when we talked about that,
was that I've never experienced anything of any level of disrespect,
any level of any of that stuff being around, you know,
So I just had to deal with it, and I
dealt with the fact that I had a manager and
uh Henry Allen, who was the president of the record
label at the time. They all was putting it in
my head about yeah, I don't like you, but they've
(04:19):
never she's never treated me anything less.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
It's crazy because Bobby Brown had that story about Janet too,
kind of like how the family had an issue with
them dating.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Yeah, and you know, he has his story and she
has hers, and I know both of them and they
don't match very well.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And that's what happens, like and they're the truth.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
It's interesting because nowadays I feel like and for quite
some time now that chocolate is in though you have
to say.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
I appreciate it now, but back then it was really
like I was like, you know what, there was always
the light scanners versus dark skin, and I hate I
hated the part when the.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Bar came out. I was just like, ah, man, they
just was tearing it up for a while. But then
we dark chocolate came back in.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Yeah, and it never left.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
It was.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Never left, you know.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I do want to also talk about like, because like
you said, you grew up singing gospel music. There was
no secular music in the household.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Oh yeah, they didn't play that.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
The only time we heard cecular music is when we
had cookouts and in the yard they would be playing
Marvin Gay and all that other stuff. But most of
them doing that our time that My dad was a minister,
so that's all they had. The radio on was on
on gospel gospel station.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
So and sometimes that's tough though, when you go off
and you start doing you got a record contract, how
was that received in the household?
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Well, to be honest, growing up, you know when you
second music was the devil's music, and it just reached
the point at one time I was like, what, I
guess it's me and the devil.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Oh my gosh, I made it back. Yeah, what was
that like?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Getting like because then you did that, but then for
your family to be to embrace that and to know
that it's.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Not Yeah, but my dad and my mom listened. My
dad was a minister, but he lived vicariously through. My
dad was excited just as much as my mom was
getting the record deal and taking off to go and
do what I was, you know, to go off to
a record and you know, cause back in the day
getting a record deal was it that was huge? That
was like, you know, not everybody could get a record
(06:27):
deal at all. So it was one of those things
that all my family always supported me. But it was
just growing up in church that was always just considered
second music was always the devil's music. And as I
got older, I began to understand too that the Bible
was looking and I was searching. I never saw in
the Bible as a certain beat as to be the
mixic song gospel and mix it inspirational. It was just,
(06:49):
you know, it's the message about more than anything. So
you learn as you get older.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
But it was just as a kid growing up, or
you don't know any better, you're just like, oh, so
I was like, man, what happened when when I tell
him I signed to deal with the devil?
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Like that?
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Even just looking at people who are because I felt like,
and I saw you on Jennifer Hudson, oh yeah, you
know amazing, And then I couldn't tell if you said
you really were, because I know you've said you planned
to do a gospel album.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I am actually okay, so that's really it's.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Really gonna happen. It's so funny that a friend of
mine came by and we talked about actually about getting
the starting getting started on the gospel album that's gonna
be dedicated to my mom of course into Whitney. So
I'm going to get it done. And it's funny. I
think I'm gonna beat Stevie. Stevie won because Steve he's.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Been trying to do one for oh about a good
twenty years after his mom passed, and he kept saying
he's gonna do one, He's gonna do one.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
And we both started saying, oh yeah, I'm gonna do one.
We're gonna do one. But I think I'm gonna beat him.
I do really believe.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
I am man, You're don't expose Stevie Wonder.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Oh see.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Think Stevie Wonder, you have to actually get on stage
and be like I know there is these rumors.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Said he'd be all you on in air hockey.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Oh he beat od Is that sure did.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
And I remember I need to see some footage.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
I remember telling my buddy Keith, this guy, Keith j
On he was we were doing backgrounds and stuff, and
I remember he beat us so bad and we was
all sitting there talking, going yo.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Don't tell nobody. You can't tell nobody, because I was like, man,
and I kept telling him.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
I was like, you can see, I don't care what
you said, you see, because he was he.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Tore us up.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
You know, another legendary moment you had recently was this
cookout that everybody was commenting on it. And I saw
that you said, and by the way, at this cookout,
you all was singing, oh, you know, everybody was there entertainer.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I mean, who who was in the building for that cookout?
Speaker 4 (08:51):
And oh, Stevie, it was Anthony Anderson and Tita Campbell, uh,
Jeffery Osborn, Ken he more, who else it was? Oh
my god, it was a bunch of people. But I,
as you could see, it was a red cup. I
started at two thirty, I had finished about ten thirty.
(09:14):
I remember most of it though, but listen, we had
so much fun. And I kept saying, why is it that?
Because I do that at the house all the time.
I have New Year's Eve parties. I'm just gatherings and
that's how it goes at the house at my parties,
and everybody's just always having a good time. And then
this one actually went viral because I allowed everybody to
use cameras. I mean to go ahead and take pictures,
(09:36):
do the videos and stuff. But I was trying to
figure out what connected with everyone, and then I realized
there's so much that's going on. People were just reminded
of what it's like to just be around people that
you know and love and just we were just having fun.
We didn't it wasn't nothing behind it, but just having fun.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
And it was a blessing. But we had so much fun.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
I saw you said, it's like the only time you
ain't get no negative.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Yeah, episode people have something.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Yeah, it was the most.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
It still blowing my mind because most of the time, yeah,
people got something crazy or stupid to say. Everybody was
just talking about I want to be there, and if
I can only tell how many phone calls I received.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Exactly, I'm talking about when is the next one? But
I am going to do it. But I was like,
I'm not telling all of y'all.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
But it feels like this also could turn into something more,
because when something like that happens organically, doesn't everybody like
maybe there's something to this.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Yeah, and everybody's been saying, hey, man, you really should
consider it. I'm going I just thought it was just
a one time thing. And you know, with this social
media stuff, the craziest thing is people shoot content all
the time and trying to put it and release it
for it to go viral. I just think it just
happened because it just happened. I'm not sure if I
did another one that would it would actually happen again.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
So I'm just like it was just us having fun.
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
It's interesting to me because I look at you as
a person who you've been around, like we said, over
forty years doing music, and in spite of everything that's happened,
like it doesn't feel like you've ever had no crazy
moments that we know of. No, it's just and that's
a hard thing in this business to not like crash out.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Ever.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
Yeah, it's for me, It's just I've lived. But my
like I was saying earlier, my dad was was a minister.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
I grew up.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
That don't mean nothing, you know them, I.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Know this not you know I was.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
I was a little bad Johnny at the point. But
my dad would be the worst for me probably, and
bad would be probably well, I think any other kid.
I was what fifteen, sixteen years old and chasing girls.
That's that's might be the worst thing that you know,
breaking hearts and eventually got mine broken.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
But I learned from that. I was like, this don't
feel good.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
But was that your first heartbreak with Stacy Lattison?
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Would you say I would, Yeah, I would. That was
the first.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I would say that was the first. I haven't had
too many more since then, but I have had a few.
I had a few, but you know, for the most part, though,
but that that might be the only thing.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
I'm not an addict. I've never done drugs. I'm not
I don't steal.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I don't that's comenable.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Somebody keeps going, well, I can't wait to hear your
story and to write a book or do whatever, and
I'm like, you don't want to want me to write
a book because you're going to be asleep after the
first I don't.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Know, because I feel like business wise, Look, one other
thing about you that I feel like is different is
the groups. Like you're a person that's been solow, but
you've been in several different groups and different iterations. And
I feel like your story and I remember we talked
about this right with the new edition story.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
We didn't get to really see.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Right that how my story and I feel like there's
a lot of things you've probably held back on telling too,
because I also look at you as the type of
person who is not like giving us all of that.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
But maybe there's a time for it when.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
You evident when I'm dating girls, if somebody says something
or mentioned something about dating and it's like you gotta go,
I don't. I don't want it because my personal life
is my personal life. That's why so many people who's
always question what is he doing easy gay? Because I
don't listen. That's my life over here. And one thing,
especially for relationships, when you're in this business and everybody's
(13:22):
got an opinion, it turns into a number of things
where you know you want to be able to save
something for yourself. And I think you have to build
a strong foundation when you go out and decide you're
going to put your relationship out there and you're going
to be doing I mean, because it's a lot comes
with it. So I prefer to keep something for myself
and that's my life.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
I saw you The only time I seen you really
go in was recently over these rumors.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
And it's interesting you say that because how do you know.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
I feel like you've done a great job of not
even bothering to address it.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Some time I'm just like, but this.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Particular time, you were like, Okay, now this is enough.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
And sometimes people feel like, man, I wish I would
have been addressed this so it wouldn't keep coming up
because we try to take the high road right and
say I'm not going to say anything, but then it
just continues because people take your silence to mean it's true,
or if you say something that like, oh, he's protesting
too much.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Yeah, but no, listen the dumb rumors. I don't have
a problem with that. That's so stupid that it's been
going on for how many years? So the rumors is
not that's one thing. But when you lie on me
and say you saw something that you didn't see, something
I've never done in my life, that's where it becomes
a problem. And that's when I got with the lawyers
and they say this is defamation, and bro, man, you
(14:32):
know it's coming.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Oh so there really is a lawsuit. It's coming.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
I'm kissing.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
You could call me, say whatever you want to say.
But when they reach a point when you're talking about
you're lying to say you've seen something that I've never
done in life. It's like at that point, all bets
are off, you know.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
It's interesting to me. Also, I remember I think it
was an article that you did around Father's Day about
being a father.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Yes, And I was like, okay, we don't hear it.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
So your son is now how like n you know, okay,
nineteen years old in college? Is their son know growing
up what that his father was famous? But did he
realized he had a famous dad?
Speaker 4 (15:08):
I think he realized he had a famous dad. Actually,
he might have been about five four or five. I
remember I had to sit him down and and his
mom says, he's going through this stage where he's going, you.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Know my dad is you know my dad. I had
to sit him down.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
I said, listen, son, everybody don't like daddy. So we
got to keep things kind of low key because you know,
sometimes people can be mean and they might say things
that might be you know, So I tried to explain
that to him. But it's like, you know, and plus
we want to keep you safe. You know, sometimes there
are a lot of crazy people out of here, and
if they know who your dad is, you could you know,
(15:44):
be in more dangerous, so we want to just lay
low and not tell everybody, Okay, deal.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Okay, And he understood that.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he sure did.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Yeah, yep, all right. Now, I also saw you know,
and we saw the New Addition movie.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
And we've talked about this like numerous times, but I
always love to make sure because sometimes people still act
like it's the first time they heard it. But even
with you joining the group, you were really put there
to replace Ralph Tresvant, but then he didn't end up
leaving the group, and people thought that it was for
to leave to replace Bobby Brown at the time that
you joined, but then you ended up in a group
with them, which is interesting.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Yeah, it's I didn't know what was going on at
the time.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
I had no idea that when he was even asking
me about coming into being into the group, they told me, well,
it's just gonna even be the the fifth We want
to go back to a five member group because the
choreography is a lot more effective about it blah. So
I'm thinking, okay, I didn't realize until I got there,
we got into Minneapolis, all the madness that was going on.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
I was like, what damn, Okay, all right, but and.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Then you know, of course Bobby and Bobby and I chocolate,
chocolate on chocolate. So the first thing you think, oh,
he came in to replace Bobby, and it was like, no,
I really didn't.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Yeah, and listen the day that you tell your stories
from everything that we haven't had a chance, you know,
to hear, because I feel like also just thinking about
like we said, you were in LSG.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Yes, you know as well, and the whole another heads
of state. That's what I say. You ended up in
a group with them.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Anyway, Now tell me how that even happened heads of state,
because that.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Is an unusual situation. I mean, I guess there was.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
The group and it was always the Republicans against the Democrats,
and so uh, I'm just I'm independent, I'm on the
side who's right. But and at the end of the day,
it was always that myself, Bobby and Ralph that was
always sitting one side of the fence, Mike and it
(17:45):
was sitting on the other side of the fence with stuff.
And it's just crazy when you look at our lives
and our relationship today, I'm a gambler man. Out of
all of us, I think I gambled the most of
someone that said, you guys are going to come to
a place with our brotherhood that's going to be like
so unique and like no other. And if you told
me that, I lost everything I own. But I look
at where we are today and I wouldn't have. I
(18:08):
couldn't have. Who would have imagined that that.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Could be where we are?
Speaker 4 (18:12):
I mean, our relationships are not like it's just business.
We're on phones talking each other, but the kids are
talking and there's no business to be talked about.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
It's just what are you doing? Where you at? What's
going on?
Speaker 4 (18:22):
It's like all of us and it rotates from everybody,
so it's kind of like you look back and you
just go, wow, who would have ever thought, you know,
six of us would have that level kind of a relationship.
You know, but growth, that's what happens when you come
full circle too.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
How was it doing? Had to stay with you, Bobby
and Ralph?
Speaker 3 (18:41):
That was fun?
Speaker 4 (18:42):
That was fun because we didn't record, We just used
our catalog and it just started going crazy, like I mean,
it really went bananas where we just was enjoying that
until we had gotten to the point where were talking
about this, you know, the opportunity of this whole new
addition coming back together. But we used to, we used
to have a blast.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
I remember when I was in college intern at MTV
for Fred Jordan and he took me to a New
Edition concert. I was so excited because he was like, hey,
you know, I got a ticket. We're gonna go see
a New Edition. And that was like the most amazing
show I had seen up to that point in my life.
And I want to say, but then there were all
these like everybody has a separate bus, everybody's doing this.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
They're not getting along. They had to come back together
just to do the tour.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Wow, it was crazy.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
And now because we had to finish a tour, a
tour that we ended up that was a nightmare. It
was like everybody was just all.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
Over the place.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
And you know, once again I was you know, I'm
the oldest, so it's always I'm always sitting there trying
to figure out how to make it, pull it all together.
And uh, it's a blessing to be able to see
how we all have come together, you know, learning how
to listen to every individual, given everybody a voice, making
sure everybody has has feel a sense of value and
(19:58):
that means what I agree to disagree with your ideas
sound crazy as hell. We still got to hear from
everyone and figure out what we feel is best. But
when you to do that allowed, I think us to
really grow because it allows everyone in here to not
feel like they don't know where they belong and having
a sense of value for this group and in this
group because it takes TeamWorks makes the dream work, and
(20:19):
everybody is important and have contribute to why this group
is what it is today.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Everyone, what would you tell a young Johnny gil Now,
you know with the wisdom that you have and like
you said, you could have never imagined you guys would
get to this point to where all six of you
could be together doing shows again.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Well, looking at where I am in the position that
I play within my guys, my brothers, and how people
have always said to me that you're an old soul,
like you've been here before, I stay here that all
the time, this kind of language that I speak, this
message that I speak, I've been talking like this since
I was eighteen nineteen.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
You has to sell. And that's why I've always hung around.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
Older people simply because I just just always said that
they're like you're like an whole soul.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
And to this day, that's just what I found that.
It's like my story hasn't changed.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Looking at life and looking at it in different perspectives
and understanding that there's you know, these things that we
do we have to recognize and understand and put life
in perspective has always been a goal and has been
something that has been an awareness for me that I've
had for I don't know how many years. Learning how
to talk to people, learning how to respect people, being
(21:35):
conscious and aware of what you're doing, how you're going
to say what you're going to say. That didn't just
start when I reached this age. It started early early on.
And most of my friends I've had since last probably
I just turned fifty nine, and I've had most of
my friends all my life. The ones that come in
my life, it's very few that have gone unless they
passed away.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
But we don't ever hear no bad Johnny Gil stories.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
Because it's about I'm such a true believer in treating
people the way you want to be treated. Even my friends,
all my friends that I've been knowing for years, I'm
still conscious and aware that even if I'm going to
say something to them. I think about what I'm going
to say before I say it, how I'm going to
say it, and I don't take it and use as
a crutch.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Y'all know me. You know what I mean by it.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
If I've said something that's going to be offensive or
offend you, I need to we need to have a conversation.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
That's rare.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
Well, people keep saying, but everybody keeps saying, yes, I
have the twenty second But everyone, anybody that knows me,
they'll tell you he's not your typical Gemini.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Everybody says that. Everybody says that, But I don't know.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
I get in my moods like anybody, but I just
learned how to handle them. I don't put him on everybody. Yes,
I can have these mood swings, but you probably won't
know it because I'm so conscious of just making sure
I treat people with the you know, the respect and
try to treat people with the way, you know, the
way I want to be treated.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
But I don't. I just always been like that. I've
always like that.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
You know.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
And Jennifer Hudson, you talked about the fires, and you
were talking about having had it all and then lost
it all, but then having to get it back again.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
What was the time that you lost it all back?
Speaker 4 (23:10):
When doing that home again, the home again tour with
all that stuff went crazy, with all of us got sued.
It was like we got in a taxis. It was
a freaking nightmare. I had to summon home and it
was the worst I tell you that feeling. I wouldn't
wish on my worst enemy. But it was something that
I had to go through, and I had to go
(23:31):
through it because I had to learn from it.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
I look back and I thank.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
God for that moment, for that time, because it taught
me that if I ever had to go through that again,
that life is more important more than those those are things,
and I didn't at that time. When you're young, you
put value into those things. Those things had more, you know,
meaning to you than life itself. And because I want
to keep up with the jones, we all want to
(23:55):
have and show off and be out, you know, yeah,
all the whole nine. But it's like these things. Once
you go through that in life, and you realize when
you come back, if you're fortunate enough to come back
full circle, there's nothing that I've purchased, There's nothing that
I own that I'm not willing to part with besides God.
And so when I purchased, I just bought a new home.
And when that fire, the fires was going off and
(24:16):
it was right over by me, and the only thing
I did was took a little roller bag and.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
It was like, hey, it could possibly hit here. I shoot.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
My friend of mine said his buddy was looking. They
came by and he goes, is it me? Oh?
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Does he look like he really don't care? And he says, no,
he don't.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
It was just my attitude was like, if it's going down,
thank you God for the time for it and the time,
a little short time.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
That I've had in it. I appreciate it all.
Speaker 4 (24:40):
But I'm like, long as I got my life, I
always and I'm good. My health insturant, I'm good. And
all of this is just things mean nothing to me.
It's just things.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
You know, what did you learn from that when you
did lose your home and had to sell it and everything?
Because I also look at you, like I said, I
know you're big into collaboration, but I think you've always
known that you also can go out by yourself and
get it as a soul.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
It is yeah, yeah, I've always understood and said even
during the times we was having those having issues with
each other, I've often said, and that's what I've said
for years. I'm like, thank God, I don't need permission
to put a mic in my hand, and I know
if I can get a mic in my hand, get
me to the mic, I think I'll be all right.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Right, I think I'll be all right.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
So it's just one of those things that I've always
felt like that God had blessed me with, and I
was always I've just been a true believer no matter
how much you've seen me, you know, collaborate with other people.
The truth of it is is that I've always been
a true believer in not allowing any one person to
control my destiny. And I've always been one that has
(25:43):
been understanding, understood learning the business as well as dealing
with my talent, because talent is just a part of it.
But you know many have come and gone that it
was just as talented as me, if not more, And
truly it's about understanding the business and realize and that
that's a major part of also longevity.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
So you know what I wanted to ask you too,
because you have such iconic songs that really bring us
back to a space. I mean when I hear it,
there you go, and I think about the movie, like
movie soundtracks was it too. I feel like there's some
that hit the same now like that are, but I
feel like it's not like it was, you know, back then,
when the movie soundtrack was like its own standalone, and
(26:23):
it was.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Very important for the movies back then too to have
great solid soundtracks for the movies, and they did wonders
and helping the movie as well as the movies helped
them so.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
And then we hear put on your red dress.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
You know how many people were like, that's the standard,
right now, you got to put on your You don't
how many guys bought a red dress for their wife
or their girlfriend.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
And later on the bed it was like we're going
out tonight.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
Y'all welcome. A lot of babies made.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Some of that.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
But then also you have really great songs that have
at that have a faster tempo, right yeah, rub you
the right way?
Speaker 1 (26:59):
And what do you prefer to perform.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
Both because I'm not a guy that feels like I'm
old and I want to sit around and sing love
songs all night I love a love song, but I
like to get I like to get loose and have
fun and.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Party a little bit too.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
As you can see, look at my cookout, y'all see
me with that red come to my head.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
I was feeling real good.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Cookout. Put me on the list.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
I'm doing another one. I was just like, everybody kept
calling me, when are we're doing the next one? You're
doing the next one, I'll fly in. Call me.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
I need to be at the next one. I'm just like, yeah,
I'm gonna do it. But I was like, we'll figure
that out.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
What was it like having a Vegas residency too?
Speaker 4 (27:41):
It was it spoiled me, but it was fun and
it was oh my god, go upstairs, come back down
and not have to go from.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
City to city.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
That's what I was thinking. That money goods and have
different people come to see you.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
It was like, I was like, I almost had a
tear on the last night. I was like, yeah, I
mean it's real. I mean I can come back.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Listen. But another tour is happening, right.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
You're getting ready to make the announcement. It's a big one.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
You like that. I know that already. Yeah, how you
know because I began to like the little inside it sucks.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
Well, she made the announcement, y'all, I.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Didn't get this key to the city. Make this announcement.
What are some things that are still on your bucket list?
Speaker 3 (28:25):
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
I think it's all about bucket Listen, rock and Roll
Hall of Fame been nominated for a couple of Grammys,
haven't won one yet. Look, I hope that one day
that will happen, But if it doesn't, I'm listen, I'm
not living for that. That's not what I'm what I
do I do this for. It's simply because those things
just being given to you by your peers and being
recognized and you know, acknowledging my my my work. It's
(28:49):
all that really is about for me. But it means
nothing else for me. And it has nothing to do
with feeding my ego to none.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
Of those things.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
Like I said, those things are just things that encourage me.
And you have to put those things in perspective. And
there was a time, you know, when you're a little
younger and your buck while yeah, all that stuff has
you know, mean a different type of meaning to you.
But when you get older, it's just like, yeah, these
are things that we still want to accomplish, but it's
not the end all tell all. It's not like if
it doesn't happen, I'm sitting here going, boy, I didn't
(29:19):
have a complete career RCT.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
No, you certainly have and still making music that I
think sounds just as fresh like for today.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah. Yeah, I'm just enjoying it.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
This is what I love doing and it's not like
somebody's forcing me to do this. So I'm a musician,
I'm a I create, I'm a singer, and so I
all these things are part of my being and I
believe this is my calling, this is my destiny. So
I just want to continue to do it until I
can't do it anymore. I just want to have fun
(29:51):
with it. And now as you get older, I really
have a great appreciation for doing this. I used to
hate recording, but.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Now really I would never think that.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
Let me tell you, if I in my way, every
song would have been recorded one thing it's like thank you.
I used to hate going over stuff that no, you
gotta pronounce that right, that's that's not and I'm I
would just be sitting here going just let it be
what it's gonna be. But you know, when you deal
with perfectionists like Jimmy Janit, Terry Lewis, Babyface and some
(30:20):
of it in l A and them and those guys,
it was just like, no, you gotta. But they taught
me something and taught me how to record and taught
me also how to go into and learn how to
to do it and be able to still be find
enjoying it and find some happiness in doing that. Now,
when I record, I record when it's I'm feeling it,
when it hits me, the creative mood hits me. I
(30:43):
stop when I'm not feeling it, or if I'm tired,
or if it's not where I don't feel like I'm You
gotta hurry up and get this on this done because
the studios costing time, you got to pay the records
company back, and it's all this other stuff that you
started carrying, all of these these uh you know the
dad's when you know, dealing when dealing with a major label,
I don't feel that level of pressure anymore because I
(31:03):
record it at home. I can start when I want
to start when I want, And so it allowed me
to have to enjoy the process.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
Of recording now what a luxury. Oh my goodness, especially
because you know what it used to be like.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
Yeah, yeah, so it's a blessing. It's a blessing, you know.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
I was thinking while we were doing this interview about
how when we talked about the New Addition movie and
how they didn't explore as much of what was going
on in your personal life. But then you also kind
of maybe don't want to show that because I know
about one heartbreak, I don't know about any others. I
don't know what Johnny gil was doing behind the scenes.
But would that have been something you would have been
willing to even dive into if they wanted to.
Speaker 4 (31:41):
Yeah, absolutely, I think there's some things that absolutely would have.
I was a daddy's boy. I didn't feel totally safe
until my dad would come home. There was times too
of just going.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Back to when we were poor.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
When we were we never lived in the hood, we
never lived in the projects, but we were still poor.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
I didn't have a clue that we wasn't that we
were we were poor.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
I mean, shoot, my mom was getting we was getting
cheesed from the school, were having at the school. We
had to get shoes, Yeah, had to get this getting
shoes from the school, supporting us to get shoes and
things because I was missing a lot of days out
of school and things.
Speaker 3 (32:21):
That was going on. It was a journey. It was
a journey.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
And my mom, who who raised four boys that has
been you know, did it all. I mean, I've watched
my mom working two and three jobs and never complain,
never complain. And it's like to see that and to
see what type of woman and look at how we
all turned out, all of us. What you see when
you see me, you see an extension of my brothers
(32:44):
in the same everybody has that same the same type
of energy and aura. And it's just my mom was
just an incredible, incredible woman who did an amazing job.
But all of us and part of the reason why
I am the way I am to day. Even when
I was as a kid, I was still doing kids stuff,
you know, hanging out and chasing girls.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
And all break out hearts.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Like you said, what's the worst way you broken women's heart?
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Any o? That's it?
Speaker 2 (33:12):
That's not? I mean, is there anything that you actually
honestly feel bad about? Like, man, I wish I would
have did things a little differently, apologize to her right now.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
Yeah, there was there was one that was I you know,
that was really a really serious relationship and uh, and
we had some issues because it was not just me
dating her, but you know, she was she was an Indian,
so it was just a whole nother culture.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
It was one of probably the most brutal relationships that
I had ever been in.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
And I didn't know. I heard about racism and you
know that it exists.
Speaker 4 (33:49):
I had no idea till we started dating and how
it put us to a point where we weren't arguing.
It wasn't no infidelity, it was none of that stuff.
But I remember she used to spend so much time
with her parents and that her parents used to come
to see her on the weekends.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
They would drive up to see her.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
And I would never forget when we started dating and
she moved out with me, moved to LA with me,
and her parents found out finally and he was our
dad was like just living and he was like, if
I die, don't you come to my funeral and bide.
It's like wow, And I didn't know. I was the
first time I ever experienced that. And I'm going, I'm
(34:30):
a good guy. Whatever but never got to meet them,
just knew about them and heard about them, and then
watching her just completely just start to wither away, just
losing weight and watching her between because it was you know,
they're very time in the family, and just watching her
just going through that whole process, and my goodness, my goodness.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
At one point, I was just like, I gotta gotta
let it go. We gotta let it go.
Speaker 4 (34:57):
They say if you love someone that you have to
set them free. We both agreed that it was just
like I had reached that point where it was just like, man,
this is crazy. I was so messed up. And probably
I mean I've been through that maybe.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Three times in my whole lifetime in relationships, but that one.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Was as far as bad breakups.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Yeah, just breaking up period.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
It was like it was because it's one thing to
break up because you're dealing with in fidelity and you're
dealing with someone lying to your cheating and cheating or something.
It's like, give me something I think that actually helps
you when you have to move in your you know.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Is the real reason, Like you messed up.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
I'm not taking it back, but when it's out of yours,
it's just not like that was.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
It's like, yeah, it was a tough one to get
to get over.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
Yeah that was.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
I'm sure that was hard for both of you, but
for her man, Like you said, whether I just don't
understand how people could be.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
That hateful, Yeah, I didn't to your own family.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
And for the longest, when I would see Indian people,
I would get a not in my stomach because I
thought every all of them was like that. Until you
start to meet other people and they hanging out and
you start realizing that, yeah, that they were still still
from that old school. But it's like, for years I
would see Indian people in my I would just get
(36:15):
a nod in my stomach.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Wow, that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Well, listen, I know this weekend is a big one
for you, you know, the key to the entertainer's key
to the city. And then you aren't you also performing
doing New York City Rise or.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
Yeah, I'm singing all my songs and everybody else's song.
Y'all got any requests, I'm taking them.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
Out. That's exactly We're just gonna party.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
That's a big deal. I'm excited for that.
Speaker 4 (36:43):
I'm excited too, and I just I'm so grateful for it,
and so many of my friends are coming out, so
it's just gonna have fun, like surprise friends or just
no friends.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
I don't know if they're surprised, but.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Friends, okay, I know.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
I can't wait to see what's going to happen. And
I appreciate you coming through. You know, it's always all
the time. I told you, Like, I was just on
vacation with my friends and I told them, I said,
you know, I'm gonna be interviewing Johnny Gill, and everybody
was so excited. They're like telling me, said, but it's
just so like nostalgic for me too. And then to
see that you still are, you know, here doing great
music and doing your thing.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Are you still a game changer?
Speaker 3 (37:20):
Thank you still in the building.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Thank you so much, and congratulations again, well deserved having.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
Me, and congratulations to you. It's like I've watched your journey.
I've seen you how we all go through to the
next level of our lives, and we see sometimes going
through the process, you'd be sitting there going, God, what
are you trying to do?
Speaker 3 (37:41):
But when you look around and you see it, you
go I get it.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Yeah, it's a blessing.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Yes, yes it is.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
God is good.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
It is.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
Congratulations to you, Thank you so much and always gonna
support you.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
I appreciate that. Let's keep that, Let's keep that. Okay,
it's way up in
Way Up With Angela Yee News
Host
Angela Yee
Show Links
Official WebsitePopular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.