Mario Is Back! Talking To Angela About Music, Spirituality, And Family

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up his way up at Angelae and Li's hair, Mario,
listen better than that. I'm sorry. I was trying not
to insult you. Mario.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
There we go.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
I love it, got to do it. I was being nosy.
I saw the baby on your screen as your screensaver.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Oh my god, so you cut it. People who see
my screen can actually see his face right now.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Oh okay, so that's purposeful, like I'm not putting out.
Did you see the back of his head?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
And yeah on Grammy, Yeah, but the.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Picture look cute from here from what I saw.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Thank you? So I mean I don't last time I
saw you were not a father yet. Yes, So how
you feeling? You look different?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Thank you? I'll tell you as a compliment. I feel
different now. It's amazing. It's amazing what having a child
and like really being there from the birth literally and
even before, right obviously, but like just being there as
he is incarnating in the world and just watching the
day by day process of him becoming who he's going

(00:59):
to be. Right, It changes you. It makes me more patient,
It makes me more appreciative of things. It makes me
look at other people, like be more protective of other
people in their kids, like in a way, you know,
because you're like, why would you leave your daughter in
the owl right here? And it's like, you know what
I'm saying, It's just it just makes you more mature
and like you look at things just from a completely

(01:20):
different perspective in terms of time, you know what I'm saying,
and patients and being present, like how important that is,
How important it is for you to you know, stand
by your word and just all those things that you're
like you would overlook otherwise.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Sometimes you know, this is really an iconic time for
you too. I mean, your first album is twenty five
years old soon and you're about to be forty.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, and you're talk about it, talk about it, talk
about it. It's all happening. Is I would say, one
of the greatest times of my life. Everything for me, mentally, spiritually,
energetically is all coming for a circle, all of it.
You know, my relationships, you know how I deal with
business and everything. It's just it's an exciting time.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
It's so funny because sometimes you are so uncensored and
the things that you say people be so tight. But
it's also just like the R and B Beef it's
hilarious to me because you know it is what it is.
I mean, Raj did say right behind him, you're right
up there.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Let me started with that with the singing.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
It's amusing. You don't get offended.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
By not at all?

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Okay, I don't.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Honestly, I don't get offended. I think people get more
offended by what you say what I say than me
get because they're not used to me just being you know.
But if you're around Mario every day, you're gonna be
like he just being him, Like you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Well, you're on tour right now with Chris Brown and Usher,
and there's been a lot of things going viral and
happening viral. I want to know what your thoughts were
when Usher pulled that woman on stage and she just
wasn't into it. I just want to get your perspective
as somebody who's on the road every day.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
So I go back behind stage, like I come out
two times on the show, So I go back and
change them right before, like I come out right after
that part, like after him and CB. Do they they think?
So I'm wide on the screen and I couldn't necessarily
tell what I'm seeing on the phone two days later,
like you don't. It didn't read like that off top,

(03:09):
you know what I'm saying. So she just looked like
she was chilling and she wasn't as turned up as
other girls.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
Like it like that them girls turned some of them.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
You never know what you're gonna get, you know what
I'm saying. But you know, it's like somebody got to
read the room for you, or you got to read
the room for yourself, you know what I'm saying. But
it'd be like that sometimes.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Yeah, it felt like she was. It was a little awkward,
so it was like, okay, let's just but I felt
like her responds to saying if it was Chris Brown,
I'm like, just enjoy the moment. You don't got to
go all out. But I did feel like, okay, we
ain't got to try to play him.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
You gotta read the room. When you get a girl
on stage, you just gotta know, like, go, I'm gonna
have to move a little different with this one, or
just you know.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
I feel like people also said that us she made
you slip.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yo, that was funny. I ain't gonna lie when I
saw how they put it together on the joint. That
was crazy.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
You think he's trying to set you.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Up, like you know, but no, it was some oil
from from like the fire shit they do the fight
and they spray the oil. Was just too much oil
on the stage to day and I usually go to
that left side of the stage on a certain part
of it's all and I just it caught me first
time in twenty five years slip and then there first

(04:21):
time on the biggest stage, on the stadium stage. Crazy.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
But so are you doing something special like for your
fortieth are you making those plans now? You know, also
for the twenty fifth anniversary of Mario.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
Honestly, I'm gonna be in between tour, so I'm really
just spending time with my son and my girl. I
ain't gonna lie to you like it's really we just
gonna spend some time. She might have something planning that
I don't know about, but we really just spending time
and just you know, taking this moment. He about to
be seven months this month, he turned seven month to
day before my birthday, So it's just you know, me

(04:54):
spending time being at that. I just that's all. I
really want nothing but us, nothing but us else maybe
just us.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
Something you were going to do that. So I do
want to ask you about that, because it felt like
you were so eager to tell people. How was it
holding that knowing that you had your first child on
the way, and then when you announced it, it felt like
you were just like couldn't wait to put it out there.
But then it's also like you're thinking something of yourself
that you kept for so long.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
Yeah, I think that it was more about just waiting
for the right moment. And I don't even know if
there's actually ever a right moment, you know. I just
think for me, there's other things that's been happening in
my life, throughout my life that's kind of like block
that experience, you know, of having a kid with the
right person, Like you know that God chose, you know,

(05:42):
me and my girl to be together in this moment
and to bring this life. Lord is a very special kid,
and he's amazing, and we have such a great just
support system, you know, and even though I'm on tour
right now, and even though it's crazy, there's so many
other things aligning that's gonna that's going to allow me
to be present with him when he's you know, five

(06:03):
six I can choose if I want to work or
not or be you know, and so it's just everything's aligned,
like and shit, and I trust god fully in this situation.
And I'm really happy and excited to be home in
two days. Honestly, even I get two days when I'm like,
you know, I get to see you know, him growing
every other week and just be a part of this
process with him. You know, I got him, you know.

Speaker 1 (06:24):
Was it hard to make a decision to go on
tour in the midst of this very hard?

Speaker 2 (06:27):
That was probably the hardest decision to me, right because
I didn't grow up with my dad, so we even
though me and my dad are closer now, those moments
psychologically you like, you don't know if you're messing up
or not because you don't you don't know you watching
the movie, but like I'm like, damn, you know, am
I gonna what? Am I gonna miss FaceTime him every day?

(06:51):
It's not the same, but it's a little bit, you know.
But yeah, it was hard. But like I said, you know,
I go home. The good thing about his store is
the way it's routed. We got like four days off here,
three days off here, so I get to go home. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
Yeah, And like you said, you didn't grow up with
your father and your life. So I'm sure that also
makes you feel like I got to make sure I
do the right thing. And you think that's part of
the reason why you waited until now because people would
be like, you know, people are shocked, even kids like,
oh what that your that's his first son.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
Right, It's like, nigga, you don't got three four kids,
but you know they're like, that's you know. I just
always been, like I told you before, I've been always
been intentional about women in my life, you know, so
I'm not surprised that people are surprised at that. But

(07:39):
for me, personally, I don't take family, kids, things that
you're responsible for for the rest of your life. I
don't take none of that, you know. I don't play
that at all. I take it very serious. Right and
on top of that, even when it comes to like
friendships and just things in life that can affect you
for the rest of your life. I think I just

(07:59):
learned from a lot of people growing up in Baltimore
what a bad decision can do, you know, personally just
a decision making with yourself, but also a decision making
with other people, and I never want to be handicapped
because I felt like I've had those moments in my
life where I was like stuck in a situation with
somebody and I'm like, Yo, I'm never doing this again.
That's your life over there. Yeah, you feel me like, Nah,

(08:20):
I'm going to live my life how I want to
live it.

Speaker 1 (08:23):
What would you say to people listening now who similarly
didn't have their fathers in their life and have not
been able to have that forgiveness and rebuild that relationship
and some people are resistant to that and aren't going
to do that.

Speaker 2 (08:39):
It was hard for me because you don't know what
you're missing right if you never had it right. So
it wasn't until my mother's funeral that I actually felt like, damn,
he was the only person in that moment when her
castle was closing that could console me, even though he
wasn't in my life. It was like losing a parent

(09:01):
and just knowing that you at least you got it
was a spiritual thing. I can't explain it. It was just
very like he was the only person that could hug me,
and it felt like, Yo, you're not alone, you know
what I mean? You did everything you could. You know,
it was just in that moment I was like, yo,
I gotta you know, recind this relationship because I got

(09:24):
one parent left, you know. So that's when for me
it shifted, right. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (09:30):
Yeah, because that's a tough one. You know, some people
will hold that and it does. You know. They always
say that type of anger hurts you more. And part
of that is like the letting go of that burden
of feeling that like resentment and anger.

Speaker 2 (09:46):
Yeah. I mean, it's not resentment or anger because I
never knew what I was missing. Like, I don't have
any resentment or anger towards my dad, you know. I
think that it's more about like being able to relate.
You know what I'm saying. I grew up. You know,
he lost his mouth when he was thirteen.

Speaker 1 (10:03):
He said, you didn't know that before.

Speaker 2 (10:05):
I didn't know that before, you know what I'm saying, Like,
there's a lot of things that I recently learned about
him in the last couple of years that I didn't know. So,
you know, I think that is a lot of times
we're more similar than we think to our parents sometimes
and even the ones that we don't spend time with.
You know, you just gottakanna. You just something has to
be there for you to ignite the relationship. Of course

(10:27):
you got to be open to it. But then after
that it's like you'll find you'll find that space where
you'll feel like yo, you know what, this was a.

Speaker 1 (10:35):
Good decision, you know, And so you know the last
project you put at was the EP. Yeah, mood swings.
Now you said having a baby has touch you more
patients for sure, So less mood swings.

Speaker 2 (10:47):
No, No, for sure. I mean it's it's Rio and Mario. Yeah,
it's I think Virgo's got We just got mood swings.
But it's because like we balance on out so many things,
Like we put a lot of a lot on it.
I was pressure on ourselves.

Speaker 1 (11:01):
You think it's a sign thing for real.

Speaker 2 (11:02):
So that's a big part of it for sure.

Speaker 1 (11:05):
What else about Virgos I would.

Speaker 2 (11:07):
Say that being super analytical, being super perfectionist is a
big thing that caused us to be like yo, I know,
I said this cool, but we got like ten momentuses
to change. It's changing and then throw everybody off, like
you know what I'm saying, But I don't do it
in situations like touring or like shows and stuff like that.
I do it in situations that are like, oh, we

(11:28):
leave in the house, I got two more seconds to
go in and put this rough mix on this song,
and now I'm late for dinner. Like you know what
I'm saying. I like that.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
Yeah, you know you started on the album, you have
the EP, you have the song home, And it made
me think about you, like being on this tour now
doing your meet and greets and having to have different
boundaries than you've ever had to have before. How challenging
is that?

Speaker 2 (11:51):
That's not challenging. My girl came to one of my
meet and greets and it was a girl in there
that knew she it was was she was still on me, crazy,
talking like I don't care if she right there, give
me a kiss. She went crazy. It was crazy, but
she ain't. She ain't tripper.

Speaker 1 (12:05):
You know, I get that. But it also is like
because because you also, what's the balance, because like I said,
you're not used to Yeah, so now you gotta.

Speaker 2 (12:16):
A very aware of my actions with women in general,
you know, because just for all the reasons, you know
what I'm saying. So for on my behalf, it is easy,
you know what I'm saying, I always have boundaries, especially
on camera, you know.

Speaker 1 (12:31):
But yeah, he said, especially on camera.

Speaker 2 (12:33):
Good with the boundaries. I know, I know, I don't know.
I know, I know my boundaries. You know. What I'm
saying is a very important thing. You know. I had
my fund, man, I have my fight. Yeah it's not
it's not much I haven't done.

Speaker 1 (12:48):
Yeah, Okay, it's like a documentary about that. You have
seen and experienced a lot. So I get it because
now it's time. Sometimes you got to get that out
the way and appreciate this new chapter of your life.
Isn't that so much more like fulfilling now to know that,

(13:09):
Like I'm gonna be real, There ain't nothing out there
like the way that it is. Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (13:14):
I mean, it's it depends on what type of life
you live.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
Because you've been famous a long time.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
There's different levels of life out here. It's different quality
of women, It's different quality of everything, just like it's
different qualities of food. There's different qualities of women, just
like it's different levels of cars. There's different levels of
there's different levels of everything in life. Close jewelry, plants,
TV plants, microphones, eyelashes here, whatever, I don't know, I

(13:46):
don't know whatever.

Speaker 1 (13:47):
Kayla's intern here, so this is she's only twenty two
years twenty two, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:52):
Let's go, let's go.

Speaker 1 (13:54):
She's living.

Speaker 2 (13:55):
I'm saying that to say that, No, I can find
whatever I want. It's just about if that's what if
that's the moment you Because I see a lot of
beautiful women all the time. You go to my meet
and greets, you're gonna see some vibes in there. And
because like R and BS is you know you're getting
You're on the R and B toy. It's the it's

(14:17):
what flavor do you want?

Speaker 1 (14:19):
Yeah? Right, listen when y'all be bringing them girls up
on stage, I'm like, Okay, she's cute. She's cute, Like
they just there. You know that.

Speaker 2 (14:26):
But it's just about where you are in your life.
You know, I'm happy, I'm focused. I got a lot
of things that I'm manifesting, and I'm you know, I'm
happy with my girl. You know, she's doing an amazing
job being in such an incredible mom. Like I hear
the horror stories from some of my friends, some armies,
Like I'm happy and I'm blessed because she's so supportive

(14:49):
and just she doesn't trip on me. I go do
my hostings, you know, I go do whatever, no matter
what time I call, Like we always tap and we communicate.

Speaker 1 (14:57):
You know, every day.

Speaker 2 (14:59):
It's you got to touch it in Chef's kids. I
ain't gonna hold you. But I did a good job
at you know, having because I also we both made
good choices with each other, so.

Speaker 1 (15:12):
It was good, well you know what too. Yeah, I
also feel like you're at a time in your life
when you were ready for that, because earlier I don't
know if that would have been the same.

Speaker 2 (15:22):
Like, in some ways you're right.

Speaker 1 (15:24):
Five years ago. I don't know if that person.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
You don't know. But in some ways you're right, and
in some ways you're wrong because I've always been looking
for love in a ways that it was organic, but
sometimes that just don't happen until a certain time. So yeah,
I think that there's certain decisions I made. I may

(15:47):
have made more mistakes, for sure, but I think I
still could have did this five years ago. I think
five years ago is not that long ago. I was
still in my thirties, like you fel I mean, like
I'm I got enough, I think, So I don't know why.
I'm curious to know why you say.

Speaker 1 (16:06):
That, because I do feel like it's timing is everything,
and sometimes you can have the right person at the
wrong time, and you know, and I'm sure that there's
probably been women in your life prior to this that
may have been because sometimes it's also a cycle, right
where you're doing things that's causing a reaction and then
it kind of turns into like a dominoes where they're

(16:28):
doing things back to you and it becomes tiffer tap.
I always have felt like guys will settle down more
at the right time, not necessarily because she's amazing, but
because the timing is. You know, I'm ready for this now,
because I don't know, were you ready to be a
father five years ago? Were you thinking about that?

Speaker 2 (16:46):
I think it's just about the person.

Speaker 1 (16:48):
And the person, yeah, connection.

Speaker 2 (16:50):
You know, if this connection and would have happened five
years ago, I think I would have been ready.

Speaker 1 (16:55):
Do you feel like you've had women in your life
that were good but you kind of dropped the ball.

Speaker 2 (17:01):
Have I dropped the ball before? Yeah? For sure, Right,
I've definitely dropped the ball before a few of them,
a few of them, but I pick it back up,
and I'm like, hold up, I'm bad, but nah, yeah,
I dropped the ball for sure.

Speaker 1 (17:14):
You now I want to ask you about also. I
was looking at what Tea Pain was discussing about selling
his catalog right, and he said the reason he sold
it was he got like I guess, around one hundred
million dollars now as opposed to with streaming, it would
have took him like a hundred years. Yeah, for sure
to make that money. What are your thoughts on just
monetizing your catalog now or hold.

Speaker 2 (17:34):
They give you? I think with anything in business, if
you have a plan and you get a good deal,
and you have somebody you're working with that's ahead of
the trend of how the deals are going, then it
can be smart. But I think if you don't do
a good deal your stuff may it may not be

(17:54):
smart to sell your whole catalog.

Speaker 1 (17:56):
You know, you know you've always been I looked at
you as a business person because you also have independently
done things and had your own label ahead of a
lot of people doing that now when it wasn't as
like widespread, because it's easier and it is easier now
the research not for sure, but yeah, with the new

(18:16):
Citizen Right label and working on that. So I'm just
wondering what your thoughts are like when it comes to
your catalog, when you're thinking about, like how am I
sending things up? Because it's also different when you have
a kid to care for now and you're thinking about
his future.

Speaker 2 (18:29):
Yeah, I'm taking my time with that conversation. I've had
a lot of offers and conversations in that space, but
I feel like these conversations, even in the digital world,
everything is still fresh. I think it's still fresh, right,
So I want to see what these numbers look like
in a couple of years. I want to see how
much artists are going to be paid in a couple

(18:51):
of years for what we're spending, because either the office
could be bigger or we could just be getting paid more.
We want to own our music. I want to own
my music for I want to pass it down to
my kids and my kids kids. So unless I was like, bro,
I'm on my lap, yeah, what we got ship getting none.

(19:14):
But but at this point for me, because of investing
in different things and and how I've moved things around,
I don't I'm not in that position.

Speaker 1 (19:23):
To financially Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (19:25):
Yeah, I don't. I wouldn't want to do it, right.
This is such a big decision. Selling catalogs is a
big decision because it's.

Speaker 1 (19:32):
Not like you can reverse that. Yeah, that's it, and
it's something you have to really a hundred million though
I could see like, Okay, that's something.

Speaker 2 (19:39):
That I'm not. Yeah, that's that's who you need.

Speaker 1 (19:42):
Pain.

Speaker 2 (19:43):
Yeah, Pain, he got records he's written for just crazy,
like yeah, is just crazy. But I think it's it's
it's it's present individual. You know, everybody's situation is different.
But yeah, I'm holding now.

Speaker 1 (19:59):
I know you are working on music since we're talking
about it, and they're very tight left about it.

Speaker 2 (20:03):
So no, I got something for you.

Speaker 1 (20:06):
So oh yeah, okay, So like I can call you.

Speaker 2 (20:09):
And play like FaceTime, even play your music.

Speaker 1 (20:11):
Okay, I know I can't, Okay, yeah, because you know, listen,
I want to hear it because I've been cooking.

Speaker 2 (20:16):
It's like I got I've been cooking. It's like, you know,
I got different textures and music for different reasons, and
I'm just decided for I'm going to come up with
a single first and then put together a nice package
for my fans and something that I can tour off
of too on top of that, and just music that matters, right,
you know. So I've been I've been some records that
didn't make it on mood Swings, still got those and

(20:39):
then other things I've been working on. So it's coming
soon though, for sure.

Speaker 1 (20:42):
And this is a real loving space for you right
now too. I mean, I guess you always have kind
of been like that.

Speaker 2 (20:48):
Even when I was in toxic spaces, I was making
love songs and I was believing me. So I don't
really oh gosh, as long as the music is good,
but no, I definitely am.

Speaker 1 (20:56):
You know, you was doing songs, but you was trying
to take people's girls and stuff like that.

Speaker 2 (21:00):
Crazy people.

Speaker 1 (21:03):
You know, when you go back and look at certain
lyrics and you'd be like, Mario was a beast. He
was about to try to take Homeboys girl, and you.

Speaker 2 (21:10):
Know it's crazy. I was just telling somebody earlier. I
was like, yo, I've been on the other side of
these songs, like it ain't just about how, you know,
the personal I've been on the other side many times,
you know how with some snipers coming after my joints, Like.

Speaker 1 (21:25):
Yeah, m a charge it to the game.

Speaker 2 (21:29):
Look at this oh wor he on that? But I
was just with Bro last night, what list man?

Speaker 1 (21:38):
And you don't say anything like I said you what.

Speaker 2 (21:42):
You can't do that?

Speaker 1 (21:43):
That's wow? Has any has anybody tried that now with
your girl?

Speaker 2 (21:48):
I think early on in our relationship. Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1 (21:51):
You think that's just because they're trying to get you know,
that's why it's war start, and that's why people really
have battles with each other because somebody how to take
somebody's girl or somebody did.

Speaker 2 (22:03):
I just feel like it's natural. It's just human behavior.
I know, you like, but it's human behavior, like you
gotta understand, Like competition, it's a lot, it's it's it's
I've been there. I'm not gonna lie like my I've
been there, So I get it.

Speaker 1 (22:21):
So you've tried to snipe somebody's girl just because it was.

Speaker 2 (22:23):
I've sniped, okay, and I'm not proud of it. It
sounds like I'm just being honest. Sniped past. I regret
high profile regrets, regret a lot of it, you know
what I'm saying. So I think it's natural in some ways,
but you know it's not morally right. But I think

(22:43):
that when if somebody don't know how serious you are
with somebody you know, and they sniping, like let him snipe, you.

Speaker 1 (22:51):
Think that it's a good test to see, like if
the girl actually responds and then you're like, well she
wasn't for me.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
I mean, it's only really a test if you know
about it, then it's a test. It's like, oh, she
passes up. But if you don't know about it, it's
like no matter. But I guess it's yeah, it's cool,
but I'm not. I'm not looking forward.

Speaker 1 (23:12):
It's not do you think about like karma from things
that you've done that you're not proud of now, because
I know that's the thing too, right where you got
to look back and be like is this going to
come back to me now?

Speaker 2 (23:22):
That question? That's crazy. I was having this conversation to
the other day. I feel like I can't like play
with karma. When I say that, I don't mean it
like is not like coming for me. I just mean

(23:42):
that my willpower is so strong that I can overpower it.

Speaker 1 (23:47):
Mm hmm, like a superhero situation.

Speaker 2 (23:53):
But do you feel like it's a science to it?
But I'm not. But I also I've done so many
great things in life. I don't feel like karma is
actually coming from I don't. I don't wake up like
I'm gonna getkarma for I wake up like I'm gonna
be the best version of myself today and I'm gonna
whatever I'm going to get, I'm going to get and
I'm gonna be the most potent in it, and I'm
really gonna believe that it's mine before you even have it.

(24:14):
So where like I don't, I don't put myself in
situations where karma has space. If you put yourself in
situations whereas like you know, then you're gonna most likely
get karma if you if you're if you're not aligned
with your goals and your visit, that's where karma is like,
oh he's slipping, let me go get them right. This

(24:36):
is my beliefs, This is how I believe, is how
I'm gonna believe.

Speaker 1 (24:38):
Whatever works for you. Virgo man, here you go, what's
your sign acorn?

Speaker 2 (24:44):
But see caps y'all, y'all, y'all are also very stubborn
and very self centered in some ways.

Speaker 1 (24:50):
We're very also, yes, but we're very loyal. We're stubborn,
but we're also really loyal and we're also really hard.

Speaker 2 (24:55):
All signs have a loyal side to them to where
they want to be loyal to and very practical. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
Yeah, that's that's how I believe myself. I do in a.

Speaker 2 (25:04):
Way like I believe karma is coming for you as well.

Speaker 1 (25:06):
I'm not really a bad person, like I ain't never
sniped nobody.

Speaker 2 (25:11):
That's not what I'm talking about.

Speaker 1 (25:11):
One of my friends is talking to a guy. He's
off limits to me for the rest of my life.

Speaker 2 (25:16):
Just in general, not even about sniping.

Speaker 1 (25:17):
And you know, I live by, uh, the way that
I live my life is I always believe that if
somebody does something crazy to me, that's something I don't
do nothing to nobody. I really do mind my business
like I never have bad intentions. I be out the way.
And so the way I look at things is if
you're a bad person and you, you know, wilding on me,

(25:38):
then something will end up happening to you, because that
ain't got nothing to do with me. I don't try
to ever get like revenge on anybody. I don't try
to put myself in that situation. I really just feel
like you just don't exist to me. And that's how
I look at it.

Speaker 2 (25:51):
I feel that, But I do think karmas is important
in some in some ways.

Speaker 1 (25:56):
Are there people you falling out with over women that
you'll never be friends with again? Or are you okay
to know something and still be cool?

Speaker 2 (26:04):
No, not of a woman though that I would never
be friends with.

Speaker 1 (26:08):
What about business? Like? People also snipe you in business?

Speaker 2 (26:11):
Absolutely? Definitely. In business, for sure.

Speaker 1 (26:15):
You've had situations where people have tried.

Speaker 2 (26:17):
To I've had all types of situations. I've had money stolen,
I've had people go behind my back, I've had I
think that's just natural. When you in the in the
field with sharks, you gonna have shark fights.

Speaker 1 (26:27):
Yeah. Money causes a lot of damage to relationships.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yeah, I mean I think that is. It's necessary though,
for you to learn, you know, when you go through things.
It's necessary for you to go through those things with
people that are super snakes or super evil. Sometimes when
you're in a space that can yield you so much
financial freedom, you're most you're more likely to go through

(26:54):
those types of situations.

Speaker 1 (26:56):
And the tattoo right there too, I'm wondering what that
represents on your arm.

Speaker 2 (27:01):
Just to this balance, you know, it's king Kobris represent wisdom, balance, sacrecy,
you know, transmussion, all those types of things. That's all
they like my little protectors.

Speaker 1 (27:16):
Okay, we have a food dogs. That's what we use.

Speaker 2 (27:19):
Food dogs.

Speaker 1 (27:20):
Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. They're like these
little Chinese food dogs. You're supposed to put them to
kind of like where they are bad, but you put
them at the answers of your home, nice business, and
it kind of gets the spirits that doesn't.

Speaker 2 (27:33):
At your juice shops and crib.

Speaker 1 (27:35):
Yeah, have them at my house. That was a big
thing for me. I felt like it works.

Speaker 2 (27:39):
It works, so you never feel like this. You never
feel like you let a sniper in your house by mistake.

Speaker 1 (27:44):
Not lately, you know. I have to say, And I
had this conversation over the weekend. One of my girls
that I've been friends with a long time, is like,
I really like that you got rid of a lot
of people in your life that were kind of weighing
you down and that had negative energy. And I feel
like I'm in a better space because I feel like
earlier in my life, I was allowing a lot of

(28:04):
people to be in my space that shouldn't have been there,
that was like kind of a dark cloud. But now
I feel like that's gone, you know, And that's a
growth because sometimes you have people around you just for
the sake of oh, we're going out, we're doing this.
People will like leach onto you too as well and
want to just like get these benefits. But they're not
really bringing any type of like positivity to you.

Speaker 2 (28:26):
Nah, for sure, especially when you're in the public eye,
even though you've being you know, in the space that
you in. For sure, you put it and you put
some people on too, like even the lip service, like
you put a lot of people on.

Speaker 1 (28:36):
Yeah, and I enjoy it too, And I listen, I
don't never like want nobody to do nothing. I just
want you to be cool, like, you know, because people
will dog you if you say no one time. And
I know, I'm sure you know.

Speaker 2 (28:46):
That these are all growth, you know, grow growing pains.
It's very necessary. I think it's a battlefield, you know.
It's listen, we fight just as many battles internally as
we do externally. It's it's a part of it, you know.
You just gotta really, I think all of these things
in life. To be great, especially in this realm, you
have to have a certain amount of pain. You have

(29:07):
to have a certain amount of will power, you have
to have a relationship with God, and you have to
be able to take your pressure. Take that pressure, you
have to find a way to transmute it. Everybody's way
to transmitt pressure is different. But once you find your
way that actually works for you and you can do
that at will, then that's when your real journey starts's way.

(29:31):
I can't talk about all my ways because they won't
make sense to everybody, but I will say that because
you know, no, but I will say I'm just telling
you the basics, and I know that people are waking
up right now to everything that's happening. And those who
know know what I'm talking about. You already know, y'all
feeling in y'all spirit because I know. But what I'm
saying is like, when you find your way, you take

(29:54):
that that's one science, right, and then you continue to
just remember. It's just about remembering. Then once you remember,
everything else becomes it's like okay, you just see it coming.
It's like okay, you know, you know how to protect yourself,
and then you just yeah, and then life gets better.
I think life gets better. No, matter how much chaos
is happening.

Speaker 1 (30:13):
Life gets better. So tell me about this new project somewhere.
Is this gonna be released? Like, tell me what the
rollout is like? Is this independent? Is this? I know
you had a distribution situation with Empire Orchard, Okay.

Speaker 2 (30:27):
Distribution situ I have a lot of great distribution relationships.
Ghazi is I funk with Ghazi Heavy. You know he's
my first I released my first independent project with him,
and as I'm now, I'm still with Empire. You know
we were rocking. I don't have a roll out yet.
I don't have a roll out yet. You know, we're
still deciding what the next conversation is musically. But I

(30:48):
have a lot of great music and potent music right
That's that I feel like is just gonna be something
that's needed in R and B at the moment when
it comes out. But it's coming, so you'll be one
of the first to hear it.

Speaker 1 (31:02):
Oh good, I remember you said that.

Speaker 2 (31:04):
Sure? Well, Yo, this tour is going crazy right now. Man.
Shout out to the homie c B for having me
on his set and you know, bringing me out and
just making a great armby moment with me, Eric Tank
and just giving the fans what they want, man like,
giving the people what they want. It's such a blessing.

Speaker 1 (31:19):
Because everybody's got like the voices out there, you know,
And we have these conversations all the time about artists
and listen, people can have great songs. They may not
be the strongest at you know, performing live, but they
still have bops. But all of you all got amazing
powerful voices. Thank you, thank you know to be on
that stage.

Speaker 2 (31:37):
So it's an order to share the stage with with
some of the greatest talent. You know, what more can
we ask for in a time like this where people
need some type of escape from you know, all that's
happening in life, you know what I'm saying. And these
are fans who supported us over so many years, right,
you got for three different generations for even you know

(31:58):
what I'm saying when you put all the artists on stage.
So it's like it's a beautiful thing.

Speaker 1 (32:03):
Is Mario Monday is a thing again?

Speaker 2 (32:04):
Or yeah, like we're figuring it out. We having fun
with it. You know. Like I'm like, now that I
have a little bit of time from being home here
and there, I can like do creative things and have
fun online. So yeah, we're coming back with it.

Speaker 1 (32:19):
Now, just thinking about how you grew up because we
know so much and you've been honestly, like generous enough
to share a lot of your upbringing with people to
get a glimpse of who Mario really is. When you
think about family for yourself, Now, what are your thoughts
on what you see from Mario moving forward?

Speaker 2 (32:40):
Layers of purpose and protection and just really like extracting
as much life and purpose out of it as possible,
Like with my son, like making sure that I give
him as much information as possible, not just about himself,
but just about the world around him, so that he

(33:01):
can align properly as he moves through it, because all
of it is about alignment, and that's more more than anything.
That's really really what I want to focus on with
my family is alignment, and also having a good time
in creating family memories of course, but just that alignment,
you know, and even decisions that I make, now you

(33:22):
know what I decide to like put his name on
in terms of investments and certain things, I'm like, Okay,
I want to align him in a way that where
he's like, I don't want him to lose his childhood,
but I still want him to be able to move
on things early. I want him to be able to
make early decisions on business and early decisions on the
things that he kind of sees in the world. Because
I feel like these new kids are just more evolved,

(33:44):
but I feel like they're gonna be They're in a
world that moves so much faster.

Speaker 1 (33:48):
So much access to information.

Speaker 2 (33:49):
Too exactly, so they he's six months, I already know
how fast it's gonna move. I'm not even playing with it, like,
I know how fast it is gonna move.

Speaker 1 (33:58):
He ain't got this album, but he got his son's
adulthood roll out.

Speaker 2 (34:03):
You know, gotta do it all or what. You know
what I'm saying. I love it.

Speaker 1 (34:06):
So, yeah, this is listen. I'm looking forward to seeing
where this is going. I do want to ask you,
So we had a couple of little things from the feed.
One of them, did you see the Martha Reeves video
of her singing at the Women's Professional Baseball League the
first ever game. I'm going to play a little snippet

(34:28):
of it for you because it ended up going viral.
And here's you know, Martha Reeves and the Vandela's motown legend. Okay,
listen to this? Oh can you see? Bye bye? Well,
I'm so proud? All right, all right, okay you didn't

(34:50):
go by now? She said, the monitors weren't on, she
couldn't really hear. How do you turn this into a
good moment? That's what I want to ask, like from
somebody who you've been on days where people singing wasn't
up to part at the moment.

Speaker 2 (35:02):
I don't know why you putting me in conversation, but
you know, and.

Speaker 1 (35:07):
She is in her eighties and she is a legend,
But how do you flip this and make this like
a positive?

Speaker 2 (35:12):
Man? It's not positive.

Speaker 1 (35:15):
No, it's not going wold just because it didn't sound
good and she's.

Speaker 2 (35:19):
Like amazing, And you know it, guys, that sounded phenomenal.
You know what it sounds. It sounded like it sounded
like you gotta think that's the probably how they were
singing back, and like how she was probably singing.

Speaker 1 (35:36):
She sings way better than that. Now, have you ever
had a time where you felt like your mic was
just not micing?

Speaker 2 (35:43):
Absolutely plenty of times? What is that?

Speaker 1 (35:47):
What does that stem from? Is it that you can't
hear yourself? Is it that a night out?

Speaker 2 (35:51):
Even on this tour, right when you perform in stadiums,
there's like a two second delayed once you go out
to the front of the house, like because it's so big.
Were performing on the front part of the stage. And
so when I first did the first like seven shows,
I had in theres that were older in this so
your ears changed like every five years the shape, so

(36:12):
I didn't get new moldes. It's been working for me
on regular stages because it's perfect, but out there it
can't be no leakage otherwise you're hearing the delay, so
you're seeing and it's like excruciating because you're trying to
find your beat but you're also trying to It's excruciating.
It's the craziest thing as a performer you'll ever experience

(36:32):
in your life. People will just be like, damn, he
had an off day, but really, what's happening. I saw
a couple comments nothing crazy. Look, that was a couple
just be popping up looking sometimes like yo, did they
catch that? So yeah, nah, that was crazy. It was excruciating.
I'm like, damn, I got it. So I ordered I
had to go back to LA and get some new

(36:52):
modes done and wait for those. It missed the next
week because of the shipment and travels, so we missed
it and he had to so I had to go
on another almost week and a half performed with the old
earsesh and it was just I had to just find it.
I saw I started tomming.

Speaker 1 (37:08):
To anybody listening, if you call those early shows.

Speaker 2 (37:10):
You caught those earlier shows, and I wasn't hitting the
notes on tomming and off key hearing it not not
off key, but it's bad Tommy, Yeah, because it's like
you're hearing and.

Speaker 1 (37:18):
People don't know because why would we like, that's not
our Yeah.

Speaker 2 (37:22):
Nobody knows. But I just go backstage and I'm looking
at the sound guy. He's like, I know, we just
got to get the new Ears. I'm like, bro, this
this crazy.

Speaker 1 (37:30):
You know, performing in front of such a huge audience.
But then also like you have you know, obviously you've
headlined many of your own tours. What is for you
in preparation and everything. What is the difference between going
out on a Chris Brown and Usher tour but then
doing nothing but US tour and the next tour that
you're about to do for the new project.

Speaker 2 (37:48):
Yeah, I think that it's just consideration, right. So you
because you're not first on the sheet, right, Like everything
doesn't revolver around you. You know, you used to like, Okay,
I can get to this in you when I want
to know, I can move however I want to. I
can have the dressing room I want, I can have
the you know what I'm saying. So you just kind
of like it's like you're just going on tour with

(38:10):
your with your brothers, and like if something don't work
the same every show, you don't. It's not it just honestly,
it makes it more fun because you're taking the pressure
off of everything being perfect and more so just enjoying
and having fun, you know what I'm saying. So yeah,
but but mostly it's just that it's like we don't
get sound checks every show, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (38:29):
Wow, But it.

Speaker 2 (38:33):
Because I've been doing it for a while and I
know my songs, I know, and I know how to
communicate things to the production into sound. It just having
an experience made it easier for me. I've always been
hand on, hands on with the creative side, so it
helped doing this because I can tell people were like, Yo, no,
let's try this differently. Let's because I have to finagle
things that make it make sense. But for the most
part being that I'm mostly doing it on CB set

(38:56):
like he he a real one, like, so he'll be
like yo, real sound wasn't right to make sure he
get whatever he needs. Make sure you get you know
what I'm saying, whereas though some artists they don't care,
you know what I'm saying. So, yeah, that's just that's.

Speaker 1 (39:10):
Real, Okay, all right, Well, I'm looking forward to seeing
what else you have coming out. I know you're gonna
let me hear it.

Speaker 2 (39:15):
Of course.

Speaker 1 (39:18):
I feel like we got let's do like a whole
you know, listening session, we got to do bring those back.

Speaker 2 (39:22):
I'm with it, Angela, I'm so with it.

Speaker 1 (39:24):
That's make it happen, all right, because you know we're
big fans in Rio. You want real, Yeah, I think
we need Rio.

Speaker 2 (39:31):
You know, you see, I don't know if you can you.

Speaker 1 (39:34):
Think you can have real is out of control?

Speaker 2 (39:37):
Out of control because I really let myself be him,
if that makes sense.

Speaker 1 (39:44):
Because that's part of who you really are in real life.

Speaker 2 (39:47):
Probably yeah, yeah, it is, like this is the thing
let's just stop pretending like we're just one way human.
It's like, right, because of social media, we're forced to
only show. We got to decide, Okay, how do I
want to compartmentalize myself? Like you feel me?

Speaker 1 (40:02):
Like?

Speaker 2 (40:02):
Of course you just have to, especially in your brand.
If I was if I wasn't an artist, do you
understand what I would be doing out here? Oh my god,
the world would be a different place. I'm just saying,
just put it like this. I believe that one person
can change a lot, okay of ways that life moves
and people think, and sometimes God gives you that power,

(40:24):
but then they take it away. They wouldn't want me here.

Speaker 1 (40:28):
Just know that all I know is it is to.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
Me because I it's just it's certain things that I
you know.

Speaker 1 (40:36):
It's phenomenal to me to see where you've come from
and where you are now and everything, like the story. Honestly,
like if we can ever see a story of somebody
who you would never have seen and this, like people
would be like, oh, well it was hard for me.
I came from this, I came from that. But you
really showed how you can but not just persevere but

(40:57):
also really thrive. You know, despite all of the odds
being kind of stacked against you. Yes, And so I
think that's ak you.

Speaker 2 (41:04):
For recognizing that, like really really thank you for recognizing that.
That means more to me than you calling up to
the radio station when I released My Life using and
telling them if you don't put Mario song in rotation,
like nah, it means a lot to me, you know,
because it means a lot to me because there's just

(41:24):
a lot of things that you would expect, you would
expect people to understand that they don't and we won't
got to go into detail by everything, but just like
you know, and it takes a lot of reminding people,
reminding people constantly, constantly of who you are and what
your talent is and why you deserve certain and so

(41:44):
you know, what you just said is very important for
other people and just us in general when it comes
to going through personal struggle, Like some people really really
let their past and their life dictate with their presence
the future is going to be. And I think that
it's just a matter of like a few consistent choices

(42:07):
and not being afraid to go into those unknown spaces
where you don't know the outcome, but you just have
to trust that it's going to work in your favor.
And you got to understand that pain is going to
come with life. You cannot escape the pain, and it's hard,
but you have to. You have to absorb it, and

(42:28):
you have to allow yourself to feel it and find
your outlet and release it and release it and find
your outlet. You know, that's the most That's something that
outside of hustling for your job, taking care of your kids,
being a best friend, going out with your friends, doing
all that, find out get to the hard shit now
on every level of your life personally, work wise, get

(42:50):
to the real shit immediately and figure it out, because
you can't keep putting it off right. All the things
you know that you sho you be doing, you know,
you know deep down the side, but it's just either
you're running from it or you're distracted. You have these
distractions that are outside forces, or you have ways that

(43:11):
you're you're you're purposely, purposefully distracting yourself, fair procrastination, just
all of that, you know, And that's and that's something
that we just gotta we got to push through that.
It's the only way, and it's gonna be hard, but
that's the that's the ship that matters. Unfortunately, because it's
not gonna get no easier. I promise you that that's
one thing I could promise is not a way that

(43:32):
like maybe done. I can promise you it doesn't get easier,
but it's like here's a perfect example, and then we
can close on everybody. You know how. I know if
you guys are ready to go out, you know how,
like you would say, like yo, money just is not everything,
but it doesn't make life easier. It does. It gives

(43:55):
you you have more resources in every situation. You got
more money, you can do a bit, biggest studio you
could do it, get into the hard ship. Getting to
getting to the hard ship fast gives you more resources
when it comes to survival, getting to the hard things

(44:15):
in that personal personal life, family, girlfriend is working out
everything you know, and it's at your pace. You're not
you know, in competition with nobody. It's your pace. It's
your pace because guess what, pacing yourself you can be
somewhere faster in one year than being scared and procrastinate

(44:36):
and trying to plan every little thing. Like just pace
yourself and be.

Speaker 1 (44:39):
Mad someone else did it and you like I had
the idea years ago, and I just never did it.

Speaker 2 (44:45):
Pick three, couple, three or four things to focus on
and just do a little bit of all those things
in one day. And then you know, if you only
got an hour, you're gonna have to split it up
into an hour. You only got twenty minutes, split it
up until twenty minutes, figure it out.

Speaker 1 (45:00):
I love this sometimes sometimes key away.

Speaker 2 (45:04):
Sometimes we gotta use it right.

Speaker 1 (45:06):
Yeah. You ever see, like how much time you spent
on yes, your phone? Are you like, dang, there's many hours.
I gotta cut that down.

Speaker 2 (45:13):
I'm telling you. And it's I do it sometimes and
I'm like, damn, I've been on my phone for two
hours on the two of us, I could have been
writing business plan or finishing it.

Speaker 1 (45:23):
And we're so distracting and wasting time.

Speaker 2 (45:26):
Don't let this ship run you. You gotta run it
and use it properly. One of the biggest things I
feel like is a hindrance to growth in general is
the improper use of information, the improper use of time,
the improper use of resources. The improper and resources don't
just come in the form of money and opportunities. It

(45:47):
comes in the form of people as well.

Speaker 1 (45:49):
Yeah, time people.

Speaker 2 (45:51):
And we're resources to each other, and so a lot
of times we misuse each other, you know, not in
the sense of like being like, you know, a drainer
of somebody, but just misusing what that perfect person was
putting in your life. For Like, do you understand the
gifts that your partner have or do you just like them?
You like the way y'all have sex, You like the

(46:13):
fact that they there whatever you call like, but do
you understand who they are?

Speaker 1 (46:16):
Right?

Speaker 2 (46:17):
You know, your best friend do you understand Do you
talk to your best friend about their gifts that you
see that they may not see. Do you support their gifts?
You know? Do you you know, support them when they like, Yo,
I'm about to stop doing whatever is fuck them in
my life for a whole month and they stop, Do
you be like, Yo, here a gift, bro, this gifts
for you for not doing that for I love that

(46:37):
you're doing it, Like, you know, it's like we got
That's how we evolve as as as people like if
it starts with the people closer to us, you know,
and it then trickers out because at the end of
the day, we're still all we still all have heartbeats,
and we still all have feelings, and you know the

(47:00):
misuse of feelings, even emotions right when you don't have
control of that. We see what happened in our in
our society, rights mostly in our society. It's just we
don't control our emotions. We let our emotions kill us
instead of understanding that how we respond to things is
what's going to create our life. But when I taught that,

(47:21):
I wasn't taught that. I had to learn that over time,
and it's something that i'm and.

Speaker 1 (47:24):
Most people aren't taught that. And listen, I love that
because I know everybody listening right now is like, you
know what I need to show my appreciation for people
in my life that have been a lot.

Speaker 2 (47:34):
We don't have time. Yeah, we feel like we don't
have time. That's the biggest trick in the fucking book.
It's not time. It's like, Yo, calculate your time with
your experiences, not the time itself.

Speaker 1 (47:47):
Okay, I like that's a word. I'm excited. I feel
like this is all gonna be somewhat involved in this
new project. Do we have a date at least? Since
we're talking about procrastinating, don't you.

Speaker 2 (47:59):
Just want me to throw a data.

Speaker 1 (48:01):
That time frame.

Speaker 2 (48:02):
There's also a method to the madness. Okay, okay, no,
but yeah, no, the music is coming, I think, like listen,
the music is coming. But I think more importantly, like
connecting right now for me is very important, Like I'm
just in a space where like like connecting, like really
like making a difference outside of just music. Like even
when I'm on tour, when I'm in the cities, like

(48:22):
if I go to a store, like I make sure
like for whatever reason, I'm crossing that person path they
knew who I am, and I take a moment and
talk to him real quick, you know those things like
just things that I didn't care about before that I
was like now that I didn't care about it. I
always been respectful. But where I'm like, it's using you
right now. I bet all right? Cool.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
When do you think that change happened? That you realize that.

Speaker 2 (48:48):
I think I would say it the last few years.
But of course, like everything is more potent now because
of my son, everything is more potent. I don't five
minutes before he was born. First of all, he came
to see me and my girl a week before, three
days before she found out she was pregnant, or two
days she was she was home, I was in Germany

(49:12):
or yeah, and she's like, bro, I just got off
to go to the bathroom. I saw this this light,
like this orb come in the room. I said, maybe
you probably just tired. You was actually know. She's like
I felt it was a little child and it was
watching me like it was just kind of like and
then when she got up to like it. And then

(49:32):
like two days later she found out she was pregning. Wow, right,
and so yeah, I just feel like.

Speaker 1 (49:42):
Did you feel like you felt something too?

Speaker 2 (49:43):
Okay? So yeah, that's what I was telling you. I
lost this right. So when we were in the whole time,
like two days before she gave birth, I just was
like not sleep because I never knew when it was
gonna happen. You know, those last two days, you like
it could be now, it could be whenever. So I
was just up and I was just excited. I was
just I think something happens chemically before dad, you just

(50:03):
get all this energy and like you just up. And
so we're in the hospital and I'm on the other
side of the curtain right before they be like, oh
she's ready, you can come in now. And I feel
this portal open up. And it's when I say it
wasn't like a physical I didn't see anything, but I
felt a space opened up around me and I had

(50:26):
to accept it. It was like it was kind of
like a I was asked something and I accepted it.
I was like yes, Like it was almost like accepting
that the responsibility of him in another way. And ever
since that moment, everything in my life has been magnified everything.

Speaker 1 (50:51):
That's a beautiful story. Yeah, true, I love this and
that's beautiful.

Speaker 2 (50:55):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (50:56):
I'm so glad you told us that and share that.
I appreciate that. That's beauty. That's a great, great last
story for you to tell, and I cannot wait to see.
I feel like you got to do more, Like I
don't know what it is that you're going to do,
besides you know everything you already doing now, but I
just feel something more is coming.

Speaker 2 (51:13):
I'm letting God leave me and it is it is
for sure, It is all right.

Speaker 1 (51:20):
Well, Mario, thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (51:22):
I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (51:22):
Always good to have a conversation with. Of course, of
course it's way up