March 31, 2025 • 50 mins
On this episode of We Need To Talk, special guest Joe Kay sits with Nyla Symone to reflect on the evolution of Soulection and its influence on the music industry. He shares his journey from curator to artist, emphasizing the importance of consistency, recognition, and authenticity in DJ culture. Joe discusses the challenges of mashup culture, the role of strong management, and the need to support emerging artists. He also dives into his collaborative approach to music, the value of community and trust, and what’s next for Soulection Records as it approaches its 15-year anniversary. Tune in and comment in the socials below.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Keeps to the planet.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
I'll go by the name of Charlamagne Tha God. And
guess what, I can't wait to see y'all at the
third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival. That's right, We're coming
back to Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, April twenty six at Poeman
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Mandy B and Weezy. Okay, we got the R and
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Woman of All Podcasts with Sarah Jake Roberts. We got
(00:22):
Good Mom's Bad Choices. Carrie Champion will be there with
her next sports podcast, and the Trap Nerds podcast with
more to be announced. And of course it's bigger than podcasts.
We're bringing the Black Effect marketplace with black owned businesses
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Black Effect dot Com Flash Podcast Festival.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
And you're listen, I'm trying to.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Get down with you boys. What's up.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
A you not?
Speaker 5 (01:00):
You need to talk my girl, We need it.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
It's crazy because intimate to us is still you know,
like seven hundred to twelve hundred people intimate. Imagine in
twenty fifteen, do like twenty seventeen, if I had Snow Allegra,
Sir bryceon Tiller, Brent Faiaz, Daniel Caesar when because I
found them super early, even Addison pat we booked them
on shows before they were even anybody. And imagine though,
(01:34):
if I had did an EP back then with them,
because we all know who they are now, like, it
would be fired one. I'm a very honest and raw person,
So I love being matched by that, and and also
by people who are more successful than me, have more money, uh,
and have the blueprint and and and have the resources
and tools. And that's that's the type of people I
(01:55):
want to surround myself with. So it's a moment, you
know what I mean. And I just want people to
be like, damn, Joe's playing on his project before me,
Like I need to go drop my project already, Like
what am I doing?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Stop playing? What on?
Speaker 5 (02:06):
Next? Is the message? He said?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
What a world? Jok tapping in.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
I got my new EP. If not now, then win out?
Now what's up now that we need to talk?
Speaker 5 (02:21):
What's going on?
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Guys now?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Simon here with another episode that we need to talk.
And today I have a very special guest in the building.
We got Joek here.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
What's up.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
I'm good. How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I'm good, grateful.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
I see this is a great outfit, Bay.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Thank you appreciating very well put together.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Tell me where you get these pants from.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
These are from a Filipino brand called Fortune. I got
them in Tokyo, but from the Philippines and it was
at like one of my favorite shops out there.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
But yeah, it's like the layers.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
Tom pattern is crazy.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
What I'm totally trying to sell that at your okay,
the humble flex of I just got these intolo. Man,
how does it feel you were celebrating fourteen years of Selection.
I went to your damn near sold out show at
Knockdown Center, which is phenomenal. That's a huge venue and
the energy was crazy. Got said that was my first
(03:15):
time ever experiencing it. Definitely a ten out of ten.
But talk to me about just how does it feel
to be this far?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Well, first, that was a great representation of Selection to
go to because of the production there. It was high level,
the lighting we had that the crowd behind us and
people came ready from the jump. But yeah, you know,
to still be doing shows fourteen years in with no
lineup announcement and to sell them out, you know what
I mean. Originally we had did Brooklyn Still, which was
(03:46):
a Saturday show. It sold out so quick, so we
added the Knockdown right and that was a bonus, and
that ended up being over.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Three thousand people.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
So all together we did over four thousand tickets off
the strength of just the brand and just it's not
about me. It's not about any name in particular. It's
literally about it's the trust and the music and the
trust and the brand and the celebration of it. So
to me, to still I mean any business that you know,
anyone that has a business that lasts more than a
(04:16):
year or two is a blessing, you know. And today's
that you open up a restaurant, you can keep that
thing open for a year or two, you know you've
done something, you know.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
But it's difficult. It's difficult to.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Be this far in and to still be relevant, to
still be trusted, to still be you know, have a
great community of people worldwide and people that believe.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
In trusting us.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
So yeah, I feel I just feel thankful every year
that we make it. It's always a celebration. That's why
we always do anniversary shows and things around around the
anniversary because it's like, man, we made it another year,
you know, and it's not easy it.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Yeah, I totally commend you guys, and I will say
I think it's super dope that people are coming out
based off the name, because I was definitely looking for
the lineup, like who's spending tonight, But then when I
got there, I was just happy to see the people
that you guys did have spinning like super wasn't expecting
to see Jewels. I know he's like London. So I
think that's just something that everybody appreciates. Is the curation
(05:14):
went into the creation for the fourteenth anniversary, anything in particular.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Well, so went into that is you know, people associate
the ogs and like the Hitters, right, you think about
like the Sangos or you know certain artists that have
been the face of selection over the years.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
And for me, we had just a lot of team.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Meetings about it and we just want to use the
opportunity to give other people a chance. Now, with the
exception of someone like Jewels, it was just a rare
alignment that he would happen to be in New York
and he saw the schedule and he's like, man, I
would love to play, and that's my guy. And he's
just one of one of the biggest in you know,
the afrobeats diaspora and sound.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
So anytime we can get him all.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
He actually played with me in Cape Town on the
same vial he had to be in town, so anytime.
He's one of my favorite producers overall, and it was
just really dope to just bring him into a world.
And there's actually a single he actually put out a
release with Sango back in twenty twenty, and so there's
some there is a synergy there, you know what I
mean That he's like extended his family and yeah, but
(06:18):
we just wanted to use that opportunity to put on
other local talent, other producers, other DJs, And to me,
I feel like that is the essence of what in
the ethos of what selection is is putting people on
that necessarily don't maybe have an opportunity, you know what
I mean. Because we've always been so self sufficient with
our internal team and roster that we would never really
(06:40):
book anybody else outside of our crew, you know what
I mean. But as time has gone on, it's like,
who is the next Kate Trenada? Who is the next
you know, saying who's the next jok right who? You
got to find these people, you know what I mean,
and you gotta give them a shot because everybody, including myself,
we're already established and we've already done that. So it's
like who else can we give an opportunity to? So
(07:02):
that was a lot of basis. That was like the
roote of how we approached these shows and what we're
what we've been doing. We've been opening it up the
gates a lot for people to get opportunities.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
Love that.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
That is definitely what it's all about. Super Super salute
you to that. For the fifteenth year, you know that's
a big number. That is a milestone. Are we going
to get an OG show? Do you see an OG
show happening?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
You know that's crazy you say that because I actually
I haven't even brought up to the team.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
I only brought it up to one of my other guys.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
We spoke about it, and I had an idea of
doing something like that where we did for the fifteen
year for sure, like specifically in LA we go back
to maybe like two or three venues that we came
up at, like from the from the beginning of time.
And yeah, well's I mean, it's crazy because intimate to
us is still you know, like seven hundred to twelve
hundred people, but it would be at some of the
(07:54):
roots of where we came from, like our residencies. We
used to do a residency for years in different venues
in LA as we started growing, we did residencies for good.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
I don't know, man, it must have been like.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Three four years and then we started just traveling so
much that we stopped doing it. But yeah, we thought
we spoke about bringing back some of the ogs and
the alumni that used to be you know that we're
at one one point like with us everywhere we did,
so bringing them back, doing different venues and just taking
people back.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Through through the spaces. So we did speak about that.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
But yeah, we have been as we're in the present
and it's always about the sound and tomorrow. We have
been reminiscing and thinking about just some of the artists
and producers and DJs that have been part of the legacy.
And you know, you do a lot of memory, deep
deep soul searching. You're like, man, I remember that time,
or like how is this person doing?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
What are they up to?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Everyone's you know, thriving or doing their own thing in
their careers. People have gone on to focus on self
and so we're supportive of everybody.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
But it would be good.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
To kind of have, like you said, a bit of
a of like a full circle moment for the fifteen year.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
We got some big plans for that.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Love that. Yeah, it would be dope.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Also just for the people who are new, like to
learn and like see like I would love to experience
what it was like early on versus like.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
You know, me coming in now. Yeah, but that's just because.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Now I don't blame you. I think about that all
the time.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
I mean, look, people who missed the SoundCloud golden era.
I'm talking about when it was like you know, again,
if people are new, then these names might sound you know, unfamiliar,
be like okay, I don't know who this is. But
when you think about SoundCloud, there was like it was
like Kate Trenada, it was Sangoh, mister Carmack, Sam Gallatry,
(09:40):
Monty Booker and a couple others riding esther and these
people were like the face of the beat scene, of
beat makers and people before anyone.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
So it was.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Amazing to be a part of that and to be
the core of the community of bringing everyone together.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
And if you'd be like hearing.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
An upload on sound cloud that day and literally the
next night we were playing that record and touring. We
were able to announce tours and shows just off of
one record and we repost the song. It would get
like one hundred and fifty thousand plays in one night,
and likes change people's careers, you know, people we were
announcing literal European tours off of once one edit or song.
(10:21):
It was such a golden era time and it was
such a new sound and people were able to experience that.
Now it's like you hear it, we've been doing it
for so long and people have gone on to do
their own versions of what we've done and the sound
is just progressed, so it's like we've been used to it, right,
But when it first came out and you're a part
of that future beats type community that SoundCloud producer DJ world,
(10:45):
it was so fresh and new that it was like
what I imagine, you know, the golden era, like I was.
I was alive during the golden of hip hop, and
you know, R and B like, but we were like, well,
when I think golden era, I'm thinking like classic hip hop,
you know. I'm thinking like try I Try called quest,
like bust the rhymes. I'm also thinking like you know,
even an R and B or Soul Neil soul music.
(11:07):
I'm thinking Eric Abat dude, I'm thinking, but I'm also
thinking like DMX. I mean, I grew up listening to
all these people nas J, right, but I was so
young and I wasn't able to go to the club
or wasn't able to go to these spaces, so I
wasn't able to experience that on a grown level.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
And this was our version of it, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
So if people missed it, it sucks because we can
talk about it all day, but you had to be
there for moments, like you know what I mean. So
there's a lot of people that are just barely showing
up to the shows, and it's cool, like you find
selection when you find selection when you deserve, you know
what I mean. So there's no shade on that. But
the ones that been locked in from the jump, it's
(11:48):
like they know exactly what that meant, you know what
I mean, and how special to be a part of that.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So that's something that will always carry.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
But yeah, and that's why we just try to carry
on the legas of just being true to the sound
and always finding the next sound and artists, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
That's like, that's really the the m O that that it's.
Speaker 5 (12:08):
About, Brick by Brick. I love it.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Talk to me about because as you said about like
changing people's lives and you know, kind of just being
a blueprint for.
Speaker 5 (12:22):
Breaking artists like this way.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
I want to ask you about like having the impact
but not necessarily having the recognition, you know, because it
is something that's new, you know, like this collective being
able to have that type of power, Like how.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
Do you get that in that space?
Speaker 4 (12:44):
That recognition or I think just consistency or are you
looking for it?
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Actually you mean.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
In the present time where you're talking about it from
the past.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
And then now I guess then yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Always felt slept on. I still feel like we're left on,
you know. I mean I have to feel like that's
why we're doing this project now with you know, if
not now, then when because a lot of it was
putting so many other people on and people not really understanding,
like what what is selection? What is I understand as
DJ's producers, But I think I just think the sounds
are always so ahead of their time by like a
(13:19):
lot of.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
The times, on average two to five years. You know.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
The reality is I've always found artists and sounds so
early that it kind of flies over people's heads, at
least the general math put you know, the general public,
But for the deep heads and for true music lovers,
they get it right away.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
So that's why we've always had.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Our core, so a worldwide global community of people from
all over that just sonically get what we're doing. But
you have to travel to other parts and sometimes people
locally back home have to see us. Once they saw
us popping in Europe and traveling and touring there, then
it's like when we came back home, then it's like okay,
(13:59):
like I need to start paying attention. That's how it
works with a lot of artists, you know what I
mean here. Remember like Jimmy Hendrix was talking about that,
like it wasn't until he went overseas and started playing
like in the UK and playing in London. Then when
he came back home. It was a big deal, you
know what I mean. And I think he did, like
Woodstock and all these things. It was a different type
of synergy, you know, same thing Bob Marley had to
leave Jamaica and had to go tour Europe, and when
(14:23):
he came back, he was the biggest thing, you know
what I mean, coming back home. So I think that
effect is a real psychological thing. And I think at
the end of the day, we always believed in ourselves.
I always did, and I just always no matter what,
whether I had twenty listeners or I had thousands, I
was always going to be doing the sounds that I
(14:43):
love because I was definitely the outcast early on, like
why this music's weird, it's instrumental, where's the lyrics?
Speaker 1 (14:49):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Because there's a lot of beat music, a lot of
instrumental music, and so yes, I would play classics and
things like that, but I was leaning into the left,
the left field and just really going towards that. So yeah,
I feel like that was a big part of it. Inconsistency.
Every radio show, every event, every drop, every post, everything
was so consistent that you add years and years of
(15:11):
that eventually there's gonna be a crowd.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
Can't ignore it.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Yeah, I was listening to your interview on Apple Music,
and I definitely identified with you in the not that
I felt like I was an outcast per se, but
like just being a nerd for music, like online, like
having old ass songs on repeat driving my brother and
my cousin's crazy. So I admire that I love music lovers, Okay,
(15:39):
but I do want to talk about how mashup culture
has grown to become so popular.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Now.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
You guys have been doing mashups for such a long time,
but now that it's like oversaturated, does it bother you
at all? Are you happy about it? Do you feel
like it's ruining like the culture in any way? Because
I'm not gonna lie to the point where mashups are now,
probably that people just mashing up anything.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
It don't even be sounding good personally to me. But
what is your take on it?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Yeah, man, don't get me in trouble. The DJ community
and the people there's no shape. Look, we all came up,
but yet there is an oversaturation. And the reason behind
that is because stems. Stems came out right, as we
all know.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
And for those who don't know.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
By the way love stems personally.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
No, I love stems. It's changed the game.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
I mean even just for the ones that be doing
it like that really do this on a serious level.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
It's it's so helpful. It's changed the game.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
But now anyone could do it, and now you just
have an oversaturation, as you said.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Of it.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
And yeah, I do think it's it's a bit it's
tough right now. That's why I said. You know, people
ask me like, man, how do we stand out? How
do we how do we take this further? And I
do feel people are just doing anything. It doesn't feel
intentional or I feel like, you know what it is.
I feel like people are very thirsty. This doesn't go
for every DJ, so don't be offended. It's just more
(17:05):
of the truth. People are just thirsty for a viral moment.
People who are just addicted to that feeling of like,
oh I want to you know, if they have one
moment and doesn't mean you and I have to like
it with someone out there that I thought it was cool.
And I just think I see people trying to chase
that high, you know what I mean, They're trying to
chase that feeling of just throwing things together. And it's
(17:26):
not to take away that people don't love music and
they genuinely don't enjoy putting that together. But I'm very
particular about sound, and you can tell who's doing it
for the right reasons and who isn't. And that's the
culture that I'm not a fan of, is like those
who are just doing it for the look.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
They're not DJing.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
They just started DJing on the controller a couple of
months ago and then they went viral on TikTok or
something like that.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
No shade happy for you. But djane is so much
more than that.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
It's more than just blending and coming up with some
random edit, you know what I mean. And so I think, yeah,
I think we're gonna just continue on seeing this, but
I think the ones that are going to stand out
and really about it, we'll be able to see just
based off who's really about it with their music, how
they present themselves, what kind of shows and things that
they align themselves with, what kind of music are they playing.
We don't need to hear, you know, I don't need
(18:18):
to hear like a sexy red track over I'm a
piano track. Just respectfully, you know what I mean, people
just be throwing anything over anything, you know what I mean.
I don't need to hear an indie alternative band over
a trap song, just being honest. Now, some people may disagree,
but that's just my opinion. And I'll say that this
is my personal thoughts, So this isn't my universal thought
(18:39):
process on like this is how it should be. I'm
just saying, just leave, let things be, don't need to
force anything, and the things that do go well I
think have longevity. That's why I like a lot of
this shade Cleo Soul because let's talk. Let's be solution
based here, right. Let me just not sound like a
hater the Cleo Souls as is shod days Eric Abadu's
(19:04):
you know what I mean, like people who have like sultry,
timeless voices, like that's what people love hearing over the
right records, you know what I mean. So that's what
I'm a fan of personally right or certain samples mixed
with other classics.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I love things that are done tastefully.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
I don't I don't mind people taking chances, but I
just don't like shit when it sounds forced and when
it just sounds cringy of just like, bro, what are
we what are we doing here?
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Are you just? Are you looking for attention? You know?
Speaker 3 (19:31):
And so yeah, I agree with you. It is annoying.
I've talked about it with the crew. We all feel
the same way. But we just let people rock. At
the end of the day, it ain't mess. It ain't
affecting my money or affecting how I move. So if
people that's what makes people happy, cool, you know, do
your thing.
Speaker 5 (19:46):
Well said. You know, some people.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
We're on the curb say your music's not you know,
how do you feel about that?
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Is that an insult to you? Or do you wear that?
Speaker 1 (19:56):
I want who said that? But that's actually I mean
that's true. I mean I think we all are.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
If you love music, if you listen to select everyone
that listens to selections of music's now, if you have
a high level IQ. But yeah, I don't. But this
this clear the airon that I don't. I don't think
I'm better than anybody. I don't think I'm superior. I
just have high expectations and high level tastes, you know.
And even the music that I love is not for everybody,
(20:20):
you know, what I like. There's people who like hearing
other things that don't associate with what I listen to
or what I play.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
So yeah, but I am.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
But I'm actually pretty mild compared to other people that
I know or I don't even like. The stuff you're
asking me is stuff I think and I talk about.
But I would never speak about a lot of this
stuff out like I choose my bat Yeah, it's not
worth it, Like what's my I don't have a personal
podcast or anything where I need to like speak about
(20:51):
certain things. I just let the music talk. Like what
I'm playing is what I love, point point blank. What
you see me play is what I love. I don't
got to talk about what I don't like, you know
what I mean. That goes the same thing for people
that don't like selection. It's like, okay, you want to
be vocal about what you don't like about it or this,
but it's like, you know, we're not gonna like everything,
and well what why do people feel the need to
(21:12):
be outspoken about it, like go out on Twitter or
go on socials and just just be rambling, you know,
gossiping and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I could be using that energy in so many other.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Places, like on my music ideas, new things like I'm
not here to talk about other people's and critique people.
But if I'm asking a question, I'll answer if you
ask me for my opinion. But I'm not about to
just wake up and just start like creating havoc and
just tearing down someone's art or work. I've done that
before and it came from the right place, but it
(21:43):
wasn't it wasn't expressed.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
In the right way.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
So I've taken my hours on that on socials where
I've been almost too you know, on my Kanye just
overly opinionated vibes, like in some degree early on in
my younger days, and it didn't pan out, and I
had to learn the hard way, you know what I mean,
where people kind of have that still they associate me
with what I once said ten years ago, and they'll
(22:06):
always remember that, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
And so to me, it's like, what is it really
worth it?
Speaker 3 (22:11):
You feel better letting it out, like talk to your
homie or talk to a therapist or something like, let
it out, keep that to yourself, keep it in the drafts.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
Yeah, So salute to you for that growth and evolution.
Some people never learn, right, But also not met at
a Kanye moment.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
It depends, I'll say, is like a lot of things
weren't cool. I wasn't getting I love Kanye, but it's
just something some things like you can't there's just someone
gotta take the phone away or someone got to have
a bit of control. But there was some disrespectful things
that ever said. And that's why I feel like at
a certain point he someone could only get so many
(22:51):
chances before you're like, that's it, it's cooked, you know.
So even for me, like personally, I'm not playing really
any more Kanye music in my safe at least for
a while, because I'm just like, man, I don't really
get down with some of the things you said.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Yeah, I'm tired.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
There's only so much protection and stick ups you can do.
We try to separate the music from the person a
lot of times, and I think that's what we all
do because we love the music. But at a certain point,
the music is attached and even though that music was
made way before this person started out on certain things,
I do feel like that's still them, you know, And
so it's hard to play music and current time we
(23:30):
know a certain person is that's how they feel you.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
And so with all due respect, you still still icon,
still made timeless music, and it's always be a part
of the culture, you know.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
So definitely.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
Now let's talk about Joe K. You know, enough about selection.
You're finally dropping a project. Why did it take so
long for you to drop a project?
Speaker 1 (23:54):
You know?
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Truthfully, I mean, shout out to my management, shout out
PK and Tie of Culture. That was a partnership that
came about, you know, a little bit over a year ago.
And I have such a strong team, and you know,
you've asked me some really good questions today. But a
lot of the integrity of what I do has always
been about like you know, like, well, I'm around real
(24:16):
shooters and around real hitters that really be in the
lab making music.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Talk about it for real, Like I'm surrounded by.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
So many great artists and producers and writers, and I've
been doing I've been in this, you know for a while.
So it's just like being around that it's hard for me.
It was hard for me to be like, let me
put out my body of work because I don't produce,
you know what I mean. I'm more on an executive
producer side.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
So that's what I want the world to know is
isn't there's artistsam what I do as a curator, being
able to bring sounds together, being able to bring people together,
knowing which artists would sound good.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
That there's an art to that.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Right, There's the reason why Calid or different people right
like are able to do what they do right and
still get the taste making side and still be respected
because there's also a marketing side to it. There's just
an IQ of just knowing what records work and what
people want to hear. So because of the producer and
(25:17):
the live instrumentation and the programming, I didn't want to
I didn't want to feel like I was disrespecting the
culture and I was disrespecting.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
My people that really be making the music. So it
was hard for me.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
And every time the conversation came up over the years,
I personally was on the fence and I was like, yeah,
maybe maybe one day, Yeah soon I'm down, And that's
really why if not now then win came about because
it's like I'm gonna keep saying this here I am
year fourteen or at the time, year twelve or thirteen,
as these ideas started speculating and becoming a reality of
(25:51):
like Okay, I'm gonna do it. But it's like constantly
trying to find their perfect mix, the perfect output of something.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Right.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
We're all perfectionists and overly perfectionists to a point that
the project.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Never comes out or the idea never comes out whatever.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
That is, right, And so yeah, it was just it
came down to conversation and like that's why we talk
about you know, PK and I were speaking about what
separates a great artist from another amazing artist but maybe
doesn't have as much success and a lot of that
other than being you know, blessed by God and just
making the right records and being blessed on that side
(26:30):
is having good management. And so it's like a coach, right,
And so I consider myself a great student, Like I'm
very coachable, and you know, they were able to just
talk to me and get in my head about like
you got to try, you got to change your psychology
and approach this, and you have been doing this. It's
no different from imagine in twenty fifteen through like twenty seventeen,
(26:53):
if I had like you know, snow Allegra, Sir Bryce
and Tiller Brandi as Daniel Caesaruse. I found them super early,
even Anderson pac Like, I'm not saying that I discovered them,
but I was one of the first ones to play
them and push them out.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
We booked someone that we booked them.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
On shows before they were even anybody really like you
know what I mean. And they obviously did the work,
But I'm saying we recognize them super early.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
And imagine though, if I had.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Did an EP back then with them, because we all
know who they are now, like, it would be fired.
So and it makes sense, so we you know, this
is more of an approach. It's a collaboration. It's more
of like jok It's like the radio show. I'm highlighting
every episode certain producers and artists. You need to know
about this artist, this track. It's like a playlist, except
(27:42):
it's a body of music attached to my name. And
it's the first time that Joek as an artist is
presenting these people with them as features and with other producers.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
So it's very collaborative.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
And I just think with my marketing in the way
I present myself and the way we brand selection, it's
a perfect mix of bringing all worlds together and pushing
out in an original way, So that's what it came about.
I feel like I've conquered a lot of hills. This
is one of the few that I haven't done yet.
So I think this is going to change everything, and
(28:17):
most importantly giving the flowers and giving the credit back
to the newer artists that we're championing, so we have
trajectory for these people that we have on this project.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
And then also having someone.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
Like a d Mile, right D Mile being a four
time Grammy winner, you know what I mean, the biggest
name in R and B and soul.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Music right now right and pop as well.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
I mean we're talking about Bruno, Mars Silk Sonic you
just put out another has another number one with Bruno
and Lady Gaga, Victoria Monnet, Lucky Day and so many
other legends. And I mean it's just a blessing to
have someone like a classic producer as the lead single
and he has two records on the project. And then
(29:02):
to have someone like Isaiah Falls out of Orlando that's
like thriving, upcoming R and B artist that's killing it.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
And then Cruiser, who's.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
You know, a great fireband R and B soul indie
and that's what Selection is about. It's like we're bringing
a classic producer, a legend and then bringing it with
two new artists, and I think that's a good setup.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
And then you have me in the mix.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
And then you also have Selection pushing it and marketing it,
so you know, and then we have Culture on the
business side, and we have our team, like it's like
the best of all worlds, you know, and we're still indie.
We're still independent, and that's the best thing about it.
Speaker 5 (29:35):
I love that. I think it's a very strong start.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Big fan of Cruiser, also a big fan of Isaiah.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
And Okay, I really like this.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Mention of important men like strong management and working with
Tie and Culture because Tie is definitely a trail blazer
as far as like ind and you know, just changing
the narrative. But has it been like working with them,
because I know, you know, within building Selection, it's really been.
(30:09):
I mean, I know you have a team, but it's
like your vision, your baby, and you built it brick
by brick. So to finally have a point where you
have somebody who sees what you're doing and is able
to help build you like, just talk to me about
what have you learned. What are some adjustments that you're
making now that you're in this space, and yeah, what's
in store?
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Yeah, no, I'm glad you asked that. As mentioned, management
is everything. I mean, I couldn't do this by myself,
no matter how multifaceted. I mean, the burnout is real,
especially at this fourteen years in and we're only getting busier,
right every year the career has elevated, and so you
need how, you need a real team. But working with
(30:50):
culture has been an amazing experience. I mean I've always
especially like I just met PK. PK has had an
impact in one year, you know what I mean, more
than people that I've had on the team over time
that may may or may not be around. This guy
has had an impact in one year more than people
had in five ten years. So it's for me, like
(31:11):
I learned from my dad, you know, it's really about
you know, it's not about how much time you spend
on something, but it's what you did in that time
that counts. So you can spend hours or all day
on something still not get anything done or still get
you know, like you didn't have a productive day or
a year or a lifetime or a career, but it's
(31:32):
about like how impactful you are in that time, that
year around. So I'm thankful to have people around me
that are punctual, show up every day. There's no excuses,
there's no envy, there's no nothing, and if there's any
constructive criticism, it's for the better good.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
And I love that.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
It's like, if I'm doing something wrong, let me know.
And so we have all like just honest communication, transparency,
and that's how I get down. I'm a very honest
and raw person. So I love being matched by that.
And also people who are more successful than me have
more money and have the blueprint and and have the
resources and tools, and that's that's the type of people I.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Want to surround myself with.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
So Tie specifically out of culture, He's yeah, like definitely,
like you said, someone has such a unique and endie
and business mindset and artists first mindset, and that's what
that's what made this so easy to do. And we've
known culture since like twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen because when
Tye found Brent Fires and when Sonder came about. For
(32:33):
people who don't know Sonder, the two producers Dpat and
I two put out music through Selection, like we were
working with them, because we've always been about the producers,
you know what I mean. And they were early early,
like Selection family. So I too depat found Brent fires right,
and then they started developing and working together. And at
that time, I believe Ty was already working with Brent,
(32:56):
and so when those all came together, it was just
like the perfect situation. They just needed a team, and
you know, Culture came in and did what they did
and turned it into a multimillion dollar business for them,
and you know what I mean, created generational wealth. So
what I love about them is they know how to
scale a business. They know how to scale a record label.
(33:16):
And I feel like although Selection has always been great
at finding music and being early and doing cultural amazing things,
there's infrastructure and business even business literacy, financial literacy that
we lacked. And so because what the issues on Selection,
you have a bunch of creatives trying to run a
(33:37):
full time business, but we didn't really have full time
business people going up to bat for us. The way
I wake up and I'm worried about the next event
show or what record I'm a player at the radio show.
We need people like that thinking about the business and
how to turn it up right. And so that's what
we were missing for all these years. I mean, we
got by and we did have some business people involved,
(33:57):
but nothing like this. And so it's just been a great,
great experience. I've learned so much and I love working
with them. They have such a great team, and I
could say it's probably the most prime and organized we've
ever been as a business and as a team. So
we have respect. We show up on time to our meetings.
We have multiple meetings a week, you know what I mean,
(34:19):
Video calls, everyone's on time, everyone's punctual, everyone's writing in
the agenda, everyone's speaking, everyone's on the video screen, like
looking at each other. It's respect, you know what I mean.
And like I couldn't ask for a better thing, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (34:33):
That's what I love that. Yeah, I love that for
you guys.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
I'm super excited to see all that blooms from that partnership.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
It's beautiful.
Speaker 4 (34:42):
Talk to me about dream collapse or have you already
created like the dream record that you want collaboration wise?
Speaker 3 (34:50):
Yuh yeah, I mean, so we have plans for our
fifteen year, so we already have this year, you know,
so this EP if not now, then Win is the
first one. Second one we're going to be dropping probably
like fall. We'll have two projects this year under JOK
and Selection Records and Culture and then with a fifteen
year want to do the Selection album. And it's hard
(35:12):
to say who will be on it, but it's more
of like if you think about all the artists that
we spoke about earlier, of people that we've helped be
a part of their journey at one point another, be
super early and support them, and just think about some
of the biggest names in music and R and B
and soul and whatever other genre that we've been behind.
Those are the names that we want to be a
(35:34):
part of this, you know what I mean. We don't
really ask people for favors. We've done a lot for
the community. We've done fourteen years of community service, you
know what I mean, to the people and to artists,
and this is like our giving back, but also like yo,
we need to favor, not even need a favor, like
let's reciprocate the energy, you know what I mean. And
so that's what the whole point of doing these projects,
(35:55):
first of me, is to kind of you know, organize,
make sure there's a sense of ordering, structure, figure out
what works what doesn't, and then by the time we
get to the album, we've we would have already have
gone through all the you know, just the kinks of
what we need to get through. So by the time
the album comes out next year, we have Select the
Selection album, and then we have the Selection fifteen niversary
(36:20):
celebrations and doing those and like some core cities around
the world and doing them at a high level where
we're like doing kind of like a Selection experience, kind
of like mini festival vibe.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
So we have the.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
Music out, we got the curated experiences celebrating that fifteen
year milestone, and then everything else that that comes in
between them. By then, my music would have already been
out for over a year almost, and so then there's
just a whole new audience that's coming in from that.
And then also can't forget Selection Radio seven hundred episode,
(36:54):
so that's coming up, you know right now. We're on
six seventy three or so right now, and so we
have months ago, and that's always a milestone. On every
Century shows, every one hundred episodes, it's always a moment
because it's not easy to do those shows, and so
we have three you know, live records radio show, all
(37:14):
all hitting milestones.
Speaker 4 (37:16):
Love that that's a common thing for you guys. Actually
I see yeah, because a tenure was like that too.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
Cool, Yeah, I love that, man, It's really inspiring talk
to me about I just want to dig more into
because I said, I'm new to sout election, I'm new
to Joe Kay And just like I guess, what is
like your villain origin story with music? What made you
fall in love with it? What's your background? What were
(37:44):
your influences growing up within your background?
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Yeah, my origins with music, I mean I've always been
surrounded by music in the house, but no one really
played music like instruments or produce or saying.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
But music was always played in the crib.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
And like I said, I brought up Shade Eric Abadou
was played a lot, uh Park like Tupac.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
Even things like raging.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
My mom would put me on to a band rage
against the Machine, right, and I would just be hearing
different things, you know what I mean. Bid a Latin music,
a lot of house music, reggae music. So I was
exposed to music early on, but it really came about
when I was in high school and I was going
through it, you know, just trying to find myself as
a young person, maturing into life and going through some
(38:35):
life things, family things, And all I had at the
time was music, you know, no matter if I was
beefing with my parents or my mom and we weren't
you know, in a good place.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
I was.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
I was high school, you know, you know, mother's son
clash sometimes, you know what I mean. And all I
had was music, you know what I mean. And I
was always a pretty pretty good student. My dad had
raised me really well. It was very strict, but very
like sense of order and structure. Coached me and all
my sports. So I think a lot of what selection
(39:06):
is in terms of consistency and.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Work ethic is because of my dad.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
My father was someone that, like, you know, he was
my head coach and every sport that I played, football, basketball, baseball,
took me to all my lessons and my my you know,
just always practicing, always just getting better, and always just
pushing me.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
He had his his dad was a marine, so he
kind of had like a hybrid.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
Even though my dad was in the military, he had
like a bit of a hybrid military mindset. So he
kind of he pushed me with a with that kind
of psychology and mental strength. So when it came to selection,
I was like, it's full circle moment. Is like when
he was doubting me when I told him I was
gonna leave my day job, you know what I mean,
to pursue selection full time and I had, you know,
(39:53):
health care benefits and all that stuff. At the time,
I had a child, you know, like I had to
just have my daughter. At that moment, he was like,
why are you how are you going to leave this
when for this? But like you have responsibilities, you know
what I mean. But I had to use what he
what he showed, what he taught me, and kind of
(40:13):
show him like, man, I'm not about to give up
on my vision of my dreams.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
So a lot of that came from him.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
So going back to the origins of it just always
always being about the music, always being kind of by myself.
I was the only child and always just leaning on
the music. It's always been the only thing that had
my back no matter what I was going through. It
never failed me and never it never crossed me and
never disrespected me.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
It's always been there for me. You know what I mean,
It's changed my life. So that's how it really started.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
And then like I just always knew radio and hosting
or like broadcasting was my first love. It was before djaying.
So that's where my passion came from. My passion was
just always.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
I love presenting music people, Why didn't you produce?
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Then it I just had more of a love for
finding music and helping those artists. That was always putting
people onto the artists, like, yo, you need to know
about this person.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Have you heard this song? You know where this came from?
You know this sample?
Speaker 3 (41:13):
That was always like I got like a better feeling
from that, and I just knew my calling really young.
So started like high in high school, and then when
I graduated that that summer right after I graduated, I
had a very life changing just summer, like just a
very self identity clarity moment, just like a moment of realization.
(41:36):
And from that point on I never looked back. And
that's that's when everything changed. So I was about seventeen
years old when I figured that out.
Speaker 5 (41:45):
Love that authentic, real, relatable.
Speaker 4 (41:49):
Yeah, okay, so we played this game call oud questions
that need answers.
Speaker 5 (41:54):
All you have to do is still in the blank.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (41:57):
The older I get, the less I.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
Less I can.
Speaker 5 (42:01):
You would never believe me if I told you.
Speaker 3 (42:07):
You would never believe if I told you. We never
believe if I told you I'm one of the funniest people.
Speaker 5 (42:19):
Can we confirm? Not everybody in Unison?
Speaker 1 (42:23):
I'm a clown?
Speaker 5 (42:24):
Okay, what's your sign? Mmm, I'm not going to do
it today.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
I have a unique sense like I can't just be
funny on camera right now, but has to just come out.
But I just be if you know me. It's one
of the things that unlocks. If I know you and
I'm comfortable. But like, I'm really a clown.
Speaker 5 (42:43):
Okay. Sometimes I look back at my life and sometimes.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
I look back in my life and I'm just grateful.
I mean, I'm blessed legacy.
Speaker 5 (42:57):
From time to time, it is good to.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
Pray. Jay z is timeless.
Speaker 5 (43:06):
The hardest lesson I learned about fame is.
Speaker 3 (43:09):
The hardest lesson I learned about fame is I Mean,
it's crazy, right because it's different levels of fame and
I wouldn't even consider where I'm at like a true
like famous position or role. But I do go out
and I am recognized at places or sometimes I think
the hard thing, the hardest thing I've learned about fame
(43:32):
is privacy and courtesy.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
A lot of people lack that.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
They don't they can't read the wrong or people are
worried about their social media moment versus giving you that
time to like, let you be.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
I know that's not one word, but privacy, it.
Speaker 5 (43:51):
Doesn't have to be one word.
Speaker 4 (43:52):
By the way, blank is a movie I can watch
with the sound off.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
Uh Stanley Kubrick two thousand and one, Space Odyssey or
another one be Ballet, Hype Williams and d m xinized.
Speaker 5 (44:11):
My favorite album of all time is.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
That's always the toughest one. I can't do.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
I don't honestly, it's I can't even answer that. There's
just too many. Yeah, give me three, give me three,
give me three. We spoke about a couple earlier. I mean, yeah,
even that, right, it's tough because it's like multiple projects
in the catalog. But even if I'm thinking about because
(44:36):
we spoke about this early, well, A big, a big
album for me at.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
A certain point in my life was.
Speaker 3 (44:45):
N E. R D in Search of That was a
big project for me that I really resonated with uh
in like high school, and that was very influential. Slum Village,
which project was it?
Speaker 1 (45:04):
Why am I blanking out on the name?
Speaker 3 (45:06):
But the joints that had like players, It was just
such a such a like pivotal moment for j Dial
as a production and as an MC. But like Dealer's
sound that he's just like the goat, you know what
I mean to everything, He's like the reason why even
one of the main reasons I started selection. So anything
(45:27):
that has a deal of production early JD you know
what I mean. And then I'll go to present time
an album that I'm listening to right now that in
this day and age, our attention span is so short
and music, you know, passes, but we're exposed to so
much music oversaturation of music coming out in the world
(45:50):
because of how technology and streaming is now. Before we
had to go buy the CD or buy the album
like one project at a time. Now it's like we
have millions of records in the palm of our hand
in seconds. And but one album that I'm listening to
right now that has had a lifespan since came out
(46:11):
and it's been months and months is Leon Thomas.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
The Mutt album.
Speaker 3 (46:17):
I'd say the album because when I say Mut, people
are like, that's why I know people aren't listening because
you say Mutt and the like, but you're just listening
to the single. No, I'm talking about the album, the
whole album, from start to finish, Like it's a really
good album. I was actually really like happy that I
was able to play at his release party and just
kind of like be part of the early like listenership
(46:38):
of it. And there's really no bias there at all.
But I just really think it's hard to come across
projects that we still listen to over and over, especially
as a DJ, we move on so fast. So yeah,
I just want to give him his flowers, but in
terms of something that can't stop listening to.
Speaker 4 (46:55):
Okay, my last question is by the end of twenty
twenty five, I plan to By.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
The end of twenty twenty five, by then, seven hundred
radio shows would be completed, two.
Speaker 1 (47:07):
Bodies of work.
Speaker 3 (47:10):
Under my name will have been out, and I just
plan to be in a more elevated space, a more
sense of direction clarity, and by then, man, I'm just
really excited for what's to come because the trajectory right
now is incredible and we're just really getting started. It's like,
(47:33):
the best thing I can say is it took fourteen
years to get here. And I'm not talking about just
putting on music, just like to get to this point.
That's why I want people to know, because I said
the other day, but it's like fourteen years on paper,
but it's really been like seventeen to twenty years of this.
So people only see that again if you just found us,
you just you pull up to this show and knock
(47:54):
down you see what you see looks incredible, but it
did not happen over now. So by the end of
twenty twenty five, I'm grateful to be answering fifteen years
and that's that's a big milestone, you know.
Speaker 1 (48:09):
So we're trying to take.
Speaker 3 (48:11):
All the work that we've done and just elevated ten
x twenty x, you know.
Speaker 4 (48:15):
So congratulations, Thank you. Is there anything else do you
want to shout out before we wrap?
Speaker 3 (48:22):
No, I mean just thank you, thank you for great questions.
By the way you approached it very very natural. I
always from host to host, it's always it's nice to
be on the on the opposite side. So it's good
to just see your format and how natural you go
about things. But no, I mean, look, the reason I'm
here is to it's to really you know, push and
(48:43):
talk about this new rollout and sense of direction that
I'm going. And again we have a single out, and
I really believe in this body of work. I think
it's like, even though it took fourteen years, I think
the timing couldn't have been any better. Like if not now,
then when even if if you just see that on
(49:04):
the wall, you don't have to know who I am,
You don't even have to listen to the music. But
if you can just read that message that resonates with
everyone in life and not even just in music, it
can be anything. And so to me, that's a that's
a when someone's seen that message. That's why I chose
the title. I wanted something to be relatable that people
can walk away with, whether you listen to it or not,
whether you know my journey and Selection's journey or not.
(49:27):
You see that, you're like, wait, damn, I need to
do that thing I've been talking about, Like it's just
another reminder. So that's why I chose that title. The
singles Slow It Down and the other artists that I
have a part of it and the music.
Speaker 1 (49:40):
This is just the beginning, but long overdue, and it's
a moment, you know what I mean. And I just
want people to be like, damn.
Speaker 3 (49:48):
Joe's putting out his project before me, Like I need
to go drop my project already, Like what am I doing?
Speaker 1 (49:53):
Stop playing?
Speaker 3 (49:54):
And so that's that's really what the message is, you know,
stop stop doing in your life.
Speaker 4 (50:00):
Of that put on next is the message. He said,
Thank you for stopping by to shout out to your
grand Let everybody know where they can follow you if
they don't already.
Speaker 3 (50:08):
Yeah, add joke on everything and you can follow selection
as well, and yeah, let's tap in. Come out to
a show if you've never been, I promise you'll be
one of the best experiences because it's not really a place,
a safe space where you can listen to a lot
of music that you may listen to at home or
in your headphones are in the car and actually hear
that in a place with hundreds or thousands of people
(50:32):
that are on the same frequency.
Speaker 1 (50:33):
And just share that space. So I'll welcome you to
Speaker 5 (50:35):
That until next time, guys, talk to them
Keeps to the planet.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
I'll go by the name of Charlamagne Tha God. And
guess what, I can't wait to see y'all at the
third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival. That's right, We're coming
back to Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, April twenty six at Poeman
Yards and it's hosted by none other than Decisions Decisions,
Mandy B and Weezy. Okay, we got the R and
B Money podcast. We're taking Jay Valentine. We got the
Woman of All Podcasts with Sarah Jake Roberts. We got
(00:22):
Good Mom's Bad Choices. Carrie Champion will be there with
her next sports podcast, and the Trap Nerds podcast with
more to be announced. And of course it's bigger than podcasts.
We're bringing the Black Effect marketplace with black owned businesses
plus the food truck court to keep you fed while
you visit us. All right, listen, you don't want to
miss this. Tap in and grab your tickets now at
Black Effect dot Com Flash Podcast Festival.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
And you're listen, I'm trying to.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Get down with you boys. What's up.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
A you not?
Speaker 5 (01:00):
You need to talk my girl, We need it.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
It's crazy because intimate to us is still you know,
like seven hundred to twelve hundred people intimate. Imagine in
twenty fifteen, do like twenty seventeen, if I had Snow Allegra,
Sir bryceon Tiller, Brent Faiaz, Daniel Caesar when because I
found them super early, even Addison pat we booked them
on shows before they were even anybody. And imagine though,
(01:34):
if I had did an EP back then with them,
because we all know who they are now, like, it
would be fired one. I'm a very honest and raw person,
So I love being matched by that, and and also
by people who are more successful than me, have more money, uh,
and have the blueprint and and and have the resources
and tools. And that's that's the type of people I
(01:55):
want to surround myself with. So it's a moment, you
know what I mean. And I just want people to
be like, damn, Joe's playing on his project before me,
Like I need to go drop my project already, Like
what am I doing?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Stop playing? What on?
Speaker 5 (02:06):
Next? Is the message? He said?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
What a world? Jok tapping in.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
I got my new EP. If not now, then win out?
Now what's up now that we need to talk?
Speaker 5 (02:21):
What's going on?
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Guys now?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Simon here with another episode that we need to talk.
And today I have a very special guest in the building.
We got Joek here.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
What's up.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
I'm good. How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I'm good, grateful.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
I see this is a great outfit, Bay.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Thank you appreciating very well put together.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Tell me where you get these pants from.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
These are from a Filipino brand called Fortune. I got
them in Tokyo, but from the Philippines and it was
at like one of my favorite shops out there.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
But yeah, it's like the layers.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
Tom pattern is crazy.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
What I'm totally trying to sell that at your okay,
the humble flex of I just got these intolo. Man,
how does it feel you were celebrating fourteen years of Selection.
I went to your damn near sold out show at
Knockdown Center, which is phenomenal. That's a huge venue and
the energy was crazy. Got said that was my first
(03:15):
time ever experiencing it. Definitely a ten out of ten.
But talk to me about just how does it feel
to be this far?
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Well, first, that was a great representation of Selection to
go to because of the production there. It was high level,
the lighting we had that the crowd behind us and
people came ready from the jump. But yeah, you know,
to still be doing shows fourteen years in with no
lineup announcement and to sell them out, you know what
I mean. Originally we had did Brooklyn Still, which was
(03:46):
a Saturday show. It sold out so quick, so we
added the Knockdown right and that was a bonus, and
that ended up being over.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Three thousand people.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
So all together we did over four thousand tickets off
the strength of just the brand and just it's not
about me. It's not about any name in particular. It's
literally about it's the trust and the music and the
trust and the brand and the celebration of it. So
to me, to still I mean any business that you know,
anyone that has a business that lasts more than a
(04:16):
year or two is a blessing, you know. And today's
that you open up a restaurant, you can keep that
thing open for a year or two, you know you've
done something, you know.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
But it's difficult. It's difficult to.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Be this far in and to still be relevant, to
still be trusted, to still be you know, have a
great community of people worldwide and people that believe.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
In trusting us.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
So yeah, I feel I just feel thankful every year
that we make it. It's always a celebration. That's why
we always do anniversary shows and things around around the
anniversary because it's like, man, we made it another year,
you know, and it's not easy it.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Yeah, I totally commend you guys, and I will say
I think it's super dope that people are coming out
based off the name, because I was definitely looking for
the lineup, like who's spending tonight, But then when I
got there, I was just happy to see the people
that you guys did have spinning like super wasn't expecting
to see Jewels. I know he's like London. So I
think that's just something that everybody appreciates. Is the curation
(05:14):
went into the creation for the fourteenth anniversary, anything in particular.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Well, so went into that is you know, people associate
the ogs and like the Hitters, right, you think about
like the Sangos or you know certain artists that have
been the face of selection over the years.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
And for me, we had just a lot of team.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Meetings about it and we just want to use the
opportunity to give other people a chance. Now, with the
exception of someone like Jewels, it was just a rare
alignment that he would happen to be in New York
and he saw the schedule and he's like, man, I
would love to play, and that's my guy. And he's
just one of one of the biggest in you know,
the afrobeats diaspora and sound.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
So anytime we can get him all.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
He actually played with me in Cape Town on the
same vial he had to be in town, so anytime.
He's one of my favorite producers overall, and it was
just really dope to just bring him into a world.
And there's actually a single he actually put out a
release with Sango back in twenty twenty, and so there's
some there is a synergy there, you know what I
mean That he's like extended his family and yeah, but
(06:18):
we just wanted to use that opportunity to put on
other local talent, other producers, other DJs, And to me,
I feel like that is the essence of what in
the ethos of what selection is is putting people on
that necessarily don't maybe have an opportunity, you know what
I mean. Because we've always been so self sufficient with
our internal team and roster that we would never really
(06:40):
book anybody else outside of our crew, you know what
I mean. But as time has gone on, it's like,
who is the next Kate Trenada? Who is the next
you know, saying who's the next jok right who? You
got to find these people, you know what I mean,
and you gotta give them a shot because everybody, including myself,
we're already established and we've already done that. So it's
like who else can we give an opportunity to? So
(07:02):
that was a lot of basis. That was like the
roote of how we approached these shows and what we're
what we've been doing. We've been opening it up the
gates a lot for people to get opportunities.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
Love that.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
That is definitely what it's all about. Super Super salute
you to that. For the fifteenth year, you know that's
a big number. That is a milestone. Are we going
to get an OG show? Do you see an OG
show happening?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
You know that's crazy you say that because I actually
I haven't even brought up to the team.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
I only brought it up to one of my other guys.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
We spoke about it, and I had an idea of
doing something like that where we did for the fifteen
year for sure, like specifically in LA we go back
to maybe like two or three venues that we came
up at, like from the from the beginning of time.
And yeah, well's I mean, it's crazy because intimate to
us is still you know, like seven hundred to twelve
hundred people, but it would be at some of the
(07:54):
roots of where we came from, like our residencies. We
used to do a residency for years in different venues
in LA as we started growing, we did residencies for good.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
I don't know, man, it must have been like.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Three four years and then we started just traveling so
much that we stopped doing it. But yeah, we thought
we spoke about bringing back some of the ogs and
the alumni that used to be you know that we're
at one one point like with us everywhere we did,
so bringing them back, doing different venues and just taking
people back.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Through through the spaces. So we did speak about that.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
But yeah, we have been as we're in the present
and it's always about the sound and tomorrow. We have
been reminiscing and thinking about just some of the artists
and producers and DJs that have been part of the legacy.
And you know, you do a lot of memory, deep
deep soul searching. You're like, man, I remember that time,
or like how is this person doing?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
What are they up to?
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Everyone's you know, thriving or doing their own thing in
their careers. People have gone on to focus on self
and so we're supportive of everybody.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
But it would be good.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
To kind of have, like you said, a bit of
a of like a full circle moment for the fifteen year.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
We got some big plans for that.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Love that. Yeah, it would be dope.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Also just for the people who are new, like to
learn and like see like I would love to experience
what it was like early on versus like.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
You know, me coming in now. Yeah, but that's just because.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Now I don't blame you. I think about that all
the time.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
I mean, look, people who missed the SoundCloud golden era.
I'm talking about when it was like you know, again,
if people are new, then these names might sound you know, unfamiliar,
be like okay, I don't know who this is. But
when you think about SoundCloud, there was like it was
like Kate Trenada, it was Sangoh, mister Carmack, Sam Gallatry,
(09:40):
Monty Booker and a couple others riding esther and these
people were like the face of the beat scene, of
beat makers and people before anyone.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
So it was.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Amazing to be a part of that and to be
the core of the community of bringing everyone together.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
And if you'd be like hearing.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
An upload on sound cloud that day and literally the
next night we were playing that record and touring. We
were able to announce tours and shows just off of
one record and we repost the song. It would get
like one hundred and fifty thousand plays in one night,
and likes change people's careers, you know, people we were
announcing literal European tours off of once one edit or song.
(10:21):
It was such a golden era time and it was
such a new sound and people were able to experience that.
Now it's like you hear it, we've been doing it
for so long and people have gone on to do
their own versions of what we've done and the sound
is just progressed, so it's like we've been used to it, right,
But when it first came out and you're a part
of that future beats type community that SoundCloud producer DJ world,
(10:45):
it was so fresh and new that it was like
what I imagine, you know, the golden era, like I was.
I was alive during the golden of hip hop, and
you know, R and B like, but we were like, well,
when I think golden era, I'm thinking like classic hip hop,
you know. I'm thinking like try I Try called quest,
like bust the rhymes. I'm also thinking like you know,
even an R and B or Soul Neil soul music.
(11:07):
I'm thinking Eric Abat dude, I'm thinking, but I'm also
thinking like DMX. I mean, I grew up listening to
all these people nas J, right, but I was so
young and I wasn't able to go to the club
or wasn't able to go to these spaces, so I
wasn't able to experience that on a grown level.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
And this was our version of it, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
So if people missed it, it sucks because we can
talk about it all day, but you had to be
there for moments, like you know what I mean. So
there's a lot of people that are just barely showing
up to the shows, and it's cool, like you find
selection when you find selection when you deserve, you know
what I mean. So there's no shade on that. But
the ones that been locked in from the jump, it's
(11:48):
like they know exactly what that meant, you know what
I mean, and how special to be a part of that.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So that's something that will always carry.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
But yeah, and that's why we just try to carry
on the legas of just being true to the sound
and always finding the next sound and artists, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
That's like, that's really the the m O that that it's.
Speaker 5 (12:08):
About, Brick by Brick. I love it.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Talk to me about because as you said about like
changing people's lives and you know, kind of just being
a blueprint for.
Speaker 5 (12:22):
Breaking artists like this way.
Speaker 4 (12:26):
I want to ask you about like having the impact
but not necessarily having the recognition, you know, because it
is something that's new, you know, like this collective being
able to have that type of power, Like how.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
Do you get that in that space?
Speaker 4 (12:44):
That recognition or I think just consistency or are you
looking for it?
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Actually you mean.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
In the present time where you're talking about it from
the past.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
And then now I guess then yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Always felt slept on. I still feel like we're left on,
you know. I mean I have to feel like that's
why we're doing this project now with you know, if
not now, then when because a lot of it was
putting so many other people on and people not really understanding,
like what what is selection? What is I understand as
DJ's producers, But I think I just think the sounds
are always so ahead of their time by like a
(13:19):
lot of.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
The times, on average two to five years. You know.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
The reality is I've always found artists and sounds so
early that it kind of flies over people's heads, at
least the general math put you know, the general public,
But for the deep heads and for true music lovers,
they get it right away.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
So that's why we've always had.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Our core, so a worldwide global community of people from
all over that just sonically get what we're doing. But
you have to travel to other parts and sometimes people
locally back home have to see us. Once they saw
us popping in Europe and traveling and touring there, then
it's like when we came back home, then it's like okay,
(13:59):
like I need to start paying attention. That's how it
works with a lot of artists, you know what I
mean here. Remember like Jimmy Hendrix was talking about that,
like it wasn't until he went overseas and started playing
like in the UK and playing in London. Then when
he came back home. It was a big deal, you
know what I mean. And I think he did, like
Woodstock and all these things. It was a different type
of synergy, you know, same thing Bob Marley had to
leave Jamaica and had to go tour Europe, and when
(14:23):
he came back, he was the biggest thing, you know
what I mean, coming back home. So I think that
effect is a real psychological thing. And I think at
the end of the day, we always believed in ourselves.
I always did, and I just always no matter what,
whether I had twenty listeners or I had thousands, I
was always going to be doing the sounds that I
(14:43):
love because I was definitely the outcast early on, like
why this music's weird, it's instrumental, where's the lyrics?
Speaker 1 (14:49):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Because there's a lot of beat music, a lot of
instrumental music, and so yes, I would play classics and
things like that, but I was leaning into the left,
the left field and just really going towards that. So yeah,
I feel like that was a big part of it. Inconsistency.
Every radio show, every event, every drop, every post, everything
was so consistent that you add years and years of
(15:11):
that eventually there's gonna be a crowd.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
Can't ignore it.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Yeah, I was listening to your interview on Apple Music,
and I definitely identified with you in the not that
I felt like I was an outcast per se, but
like just being a nerd for music, like online, like
having old ass songs on repeat driving my brother and
my cousin's crazy. So I admire that I love music lovers, Okay,
(15:39):
but I do want to talk about how mashup culture
has grown to become so popular.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Now.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
You guys have been doing mashups for such a long time,
but now that it's like oversaturated, does it bother you
at all? Are you happy about it? Do you feel
like it's ruining like the culture in any way? Because
I'm not gonna lie to the point where mashups are now,
probably that people just mashing up anything.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
It don't even be sounding good personally to me. But
what is your take on it?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Yeah, man, don't get me in trouble. The DJ community
and the people there's no shape. Look, we all came up,
but yet there is an oversaturation. And the reason behind
that is because stems. Stems came out right, as we
all know.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
And for those who don't know.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
By the way love stems personally.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
No, I love stems. It's changed the game.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
I mean even just for the ones that be doing
it like that really do this on a serious level.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
It's it's so helpful. It's changed the game.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
But now anyone could do it, and now you just
have an oversaturation, as you said.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Of it.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
And yeah, I do think it's it's a bit it's
tough right now. That's why I said. You know, people
ask me like, man, how do we stand out? How
do we how do we take this further? And I
do feel people are just doing anything. It doesn't feel
intentional or I feel like, you know what it is.
I feel like people are very thirsty. This doesn't go
for every DJ, so don't be offended. It's just more
(17:05):
of the truth. People are just thirsty for a viral moment.
People who are just addicted to that feeling of like,
oh I want to you know, if they have one
moment and doesn't mean you and I have to like
it with someone out there that I thought it was cool.
And I just think I see people trying to chase
that high, you know what I mean, They're trying to
chase that feeling of just throwing things together. And it's
(17:26):
not to take away that people don't love music and
they genuinely don't enjoy putting that together. But I'm very
particular about sound, and you can tell who's doing it
for the right reasons and who isn't. And that's the
culture that I'm not a fan of, is like those
who are just doing it for the look.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
They're not DJing.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
They just started DJing on the controller a couple of
months ago and then they went viral on TikTok or
something like that.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
No shade happy for you. But djane is so much
more than that.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
It's more than just blending and coming up with some
random edit, you know what I mean. And so I think, yeah,
I think we're gonna just continue on seeing this, but
I think the ones that are going to stand out
and really about it, we'll be able to see just
based off who's really about it with their music, how
they present themselves, what kind of shows and things that
they align themselves with, what kind of music are they playing.
We don't need to hear, you know, I don't need
(18:18):
to hear like a sexy red track over I'm a
piano track. Just respectfully, you know what I mean, people
just be throwing anything over anything, you know what I mean.
I don't need to hear an indie alternative band over
a trap song, just being honest. Now, some people may disagree,
but that's just my opinion. And I'll say that this
is my personal thoughts, So this isn't my universal thought
(18:39):
process on like this is how it should be. I'm
just saying, just leave, let things be, don't need to
force anything, and the things that do go well I
think have longevity. That's why I like a lot of
this shade Cleo Soul because let's talk. Let's be solution
based here, right. Let me just not sound like a
hater the Cleo Souls as is shod days Eric Abadu's
(19:04):
you know what I mean, like people who have like sultry,
timeless voices, like that's what people love hearing over the
right records, you know what I mean. So that's what
I'm a fan of personally right or certain samples mixed
with other classics.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I love things that are done tastefully.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
I don't I don't mind people taking chances, but I
just don't like shit when it sounds forced and when
it just sounds cringy of just like, bro, what are
we what are we doing here?
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Are you just? Are you looking for attention? You know?
Speaker 3 (19:31):
And so yeah, I agree with you. It is annoying.
I've talked about it with the crew. We all feel
the same way. But we just let people rock. At
the end of the day, it ain't mess. It ain't
affecting my money or affecting how I move. So if
people that's what makes people happy, cool, you know, do
your thing.
Speaker 5 (19:46):
Well said. You know, some people.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
We're on the curb say your music's not you know,
how do you feel about that?
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Is that an insult to you? Or do you wear that?
Speaker 1 (19:56):
I want who said that? But that's actually I mean
that's true. I mean I think we all are.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
If you love music, if you listen to select everyone
that listens to selections of music's now, if you have
a high level IQ. But yeah, I don't. But this
this clear the airon that I don't. I don't think
I'm better than anybody. I don't think I'm superior. I
just have high expectations and high level tastes, you know.
And even the music that I love is not for everybody,
(20:20):
you know, what I like. There's people who like hearing
other things that don't associate with what I listen to
or what I play.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
So yeah, but I am.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
But I'm actually pretty mild compared to other people that
I know or I don't even like. The stuff you're
asking me is stuff I think and I talk about.
But I would never speak about a lot of this
stuff out like I choose my bat Yeah, it's not
worth it, Like what's my I don't have a personal
podcast or anything where I need to like speak about
(20:51):
certain things. I just let the music talk. Like what
I'm playing is what I love, point point blank. What
you see me play is what I love. I don't
got to talk about what I don't like, you know
what I mean. That goes the same thing for people
that don't like selection. It's like, okay, you want to
be vocal about what you don't like about it or this,
but it's like, you know, we're not gonna like everything,
and well what why do people feel the need to
(21:12):
be outspoken about it, like go out on Twitter or
go on socials and just just be rambling, you know,
gossiping and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I could be using that energy in so many other.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Places, like on my music ideas, new things like I'm
not here to talk about other people's and critique people.
But if I'm asking a question, I'll answer if you
ask me for my opinion. But I'm not about to
just wake up and just start like creating havoc and
just tearing down someone's art or work. I've done that
before and it came from the right place, but it
(21:43):
wasn't it wasn't expressed.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
In the right way.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
So I've taken my hours on that on socials where
I've been almost too you know, on my Kanye just
overly opinionated vibes, like in some degree early on in
my younger days, and it didn't pan out, and I
had to learn the hard way, you know what I mean,
where people kind of have that still they associate me
with what I once said ten years ago, and they'll
(22:06):
always remember that, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
And so to me, it's like, what is it really
worth it?
Speaker 3 (22:11):
You feel better letting it out, like talk to your
homie or talk to a therapist or something like, let
it out, keep that to yourself, keep it in the drafts.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
Yeah, So salute to you for that growth and evolution.
Some people never learn, right, But also not met at
a Kanye moment.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
It depends, I'll say, is like a lot of things
weren't cool. I wasn't getting I love Kanye, but it's
just something some things like you can't there's just someone
gotta take the phone away or someone got to have
a bit of control. But there was some disrespectful things
that ever said. And that's why I feel like at
a certain point he someone could only get so many
(22:51):
chances before you're like, that's it, it's cooked, you know.
So even for me, like personally, I'm not playing really
any more Kanye music in my safe at least for
a while, because I'm just like, man, I don't really
get down with some of the things you said.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Yeah, I'm tired.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
There's only so much protection and stick ups you can do.
We try to separate the music from the person a
lot of times, and I think that's what we all
do because we love the music. But at a certain point,
the music is attached and even though that music was
made way before this person started out on certain things,
I do feel like that's still them, you know, And
so it's hard to play music and current time we
(23:30):
know a certain person is that's how they feel you.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
And so with all due respect, you still still icon,
still made timeless music, and it's always be a part
of the culture, you know.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
So definitely.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
Now let's talk about Joe K. You know, enough about selection.
You're finally dropping a project. Why did it take so
long for you to drop a project?
Speaker 1 (23:54):
You know?
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Truthfully, I mean, shout out to my management, shout out
PK and Tie of Culture. That was a partnership that
came about, you know, a little bit over a year ago.
And I have such a strong team, and you know,
you've asked me some really good questions today. But a
lot of the integrity of what I do has always
been about like you know, like, well, I'm around real
(24:16):
shooters and around real hitters that really be in the
lab making music.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
Talk about it for real, Like I'm surrounded by.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
So many great artists and producers and writers, and I've
been doing I've been in this, you know for a while.
So it's just like being around that it's hard for me.
It was hard for me to be like, let me
put out my body of work because I don't produce,
you know what I mean. I'm more on an executive
producer side.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
So that's what I want the world to know is
isn't there's artistsam what I do as a curator, being
able to bring sounds together, being able to bring people together,
knowing which artists would sound good.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
That there's an art to that.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Right, There's the reason why Calid or different people right
like are able to do what they do right and
still get the taste making side and still be respected
because there's also a marketing side to it. There's just
an IQ of just knowing what records work and what
people want to hear. So because of the producer and
(25:17):
the live instrumentation and the programming, I didn't want to
I didn't want to feel like I was disrespecting the
culture and I was disrespecting.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
My people that really be making the music. So it
was hard for me.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
And every time the conversation came up over the years,
I personally was on the fence and I was like, yeah,
maybe maybe one day, Yeah soon I'm down, And that's
really why if not now then win came about because
it's like I'm gonna keep saying this here I am
year fourteen or at the time, year twelve or thirteen,
as these ideas started speculating and becoming a reality of
(25:51):
like Okay, I'm gonna do it. But it's like constantly
trying to find their perfect mix, the perfect output of something.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Right.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
We're all perfectionists and overly perfectionists to a point that
the project.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Never comes out or the idea never comes out whatever.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
That is, right, And so yeah, it was just it
came down to conversation and like that's why we talk
about you know, PK and I were speaking about what
separates a great artist from another amazing artist but maybe
doesn't have as much success and a lot of that
other than being you know, blessed by God and just
making the right records and being blessed on that side
(26:30):
is having good management. And so it's like a coach, right,
And so I consider myself a great student, Like I'm
very coachable, and you know, they were able to just
talk to me and get in my head about like
you got to try, you got to change your psychology
and approach this, and you have been doing this. It's
no different from imagine in twenty fifteen through like twenty seventeen,
(26:53):
if I had like you know, snow Allegra, Sir Bryce
and Tiller Brandi as Daniel Caesaruse. I found them super early,
even Anderson pac Like, I'm not saying that I discovered them,
but I was one of the first ones to play
them and push them out.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
We booked someone that we booked them.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
On shows before they were even anybody really like you
know what I mean. And they obviously did the work,
But I'm saying we recognize them super early.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
And imagine though, if I had.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Did an EP back then with them, because we all
know who they are now, like, it would be fired.
So and it makes sense, so we you know, this
is more of an approach. It's a collaboration. It's more
of like jok It's like the radio show. I'm highlighting
every episode certain producers and artists. You need to know
about this artist, this track. It's like a playlist, except
(27:42):
it's a body of music attached to my name. And
it's the first time that Joek as an artist is
presenting these people with them as features and with other producers.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
So it's very collaborative.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
And I just think with my marketing in the way
I present myself and the way we brand selection, it's
a perfect mix of bringing all worlds together and pushing
out in an original way, So that's what it came about.
I feel like I've conquered a lot of hills. This
is one of the few that I haven't done yet.
So I think this is going to change everything, and
(28:17):
most importantly giving the flowers and giving the credit back
to the newer artists that we're championing, so we have
trajectory for these people that we have on this project.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
And then also having someone.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
Like a d Mile, right D Mile being a four
time Grammy winner, you know what I mean, the biggest
name in R and B and soul.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Music right now right and pop as well.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
I mean we're talking about Bruno, Mars Silk Sonic you
just put out another has another number one with Bruno
and Lady Gaga, Victoria Monnet, Lucky Day and so many
other legends. And I mean it's just a blessing to
have someone like a classic producer as the lead single
and he has two records on the project. And then
(29:02):
to have someone like Isaiah Falls out of Orlando that's
like thriving, upcoming R and B artist that's killing it.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
And then Cruiser, who's.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
You know, a great fireband R and B soul indie
and that's what Selection is about. It's like we're bringing
a classic producer, a legend and then bringing it with
two new artists, and I think that's a good setup.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
And then you have me in the mix.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
And then you also have Selection pushing it and marketing it,
so you know, and then we have Culture on the
business side, and we have our team, like it's like
the best of all worlds, you know, and we're still indie.
We're still independent, and that's the best thing about it.
Speaker 5 (29:35):
I love that. I think it's a very strong start.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Big fan of Cruiser, also a big fan of Isaiah.
Speaker 5 (29:43):
And Okay, I really like this.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Mention of important men like strong management and working with
Tie and Culture because Tie is definitely a trail blazer
as far as like ind and you know, just changing
the narrative. But has it been like working with them,
because I know, you know, within building Selection, it's really been.
(30:09):
I mean, I know you have a team, but it's
like your vision, your baby, and you built it brick
by brick. So to finally have a point where you
have somebody who sees what you're doing and is able
to help build you like, just talk to me about
what have you learned. What are some adjustments that you're
making now that you're in this space, and yeah, what's
in store?
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Yeah, no, I'm glad you asked that. As mentioned, management
is everything. I mean, I couldn't do this by myself,
no matter how multifaceted. I mean, the burnout is real,
especially at this fourteen years in and we're only getting busier,
right every year the career has elevated, and so you
need how, you need a real team. But working with
(30:50):
culture has been an amazing experience. I mean I've always
especially like I just met PK. PK has had an
impact in one year, you know what I mean, more
than people that I've had on the team over time
that may may or may not be around. This guy
has had an impact in one year more than people
had in five ten years. So it's for me, like
(31:11):
I learned from my dad, you know, it's really about
you know, it's not about how much time you spend
on something, but it's what you did in that time
that counts. So you can spend hours or all day
on something still not get anything done or still get
you know, like you didn't have a productive day or
a year or a lifetime or a career, but it's
(31:32):
about like how impactful you are in that time, that
year around. So I'm thankful to have people around me
that are punctual, show up every day. There's no excuses,
there's no envy, there's no nothing, and if there's any
constructive criticism, it's for the better good.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
And I love that.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
It's like, if I'm doing something wrong, let me know.
And so we have all like just honest communication, transparency,
and that's how I get down. I'm a very honest
and raw person. So I love being matched by that.
And also people who are more successful than me have
more money and have the blueprint and and have the
resources and tools, and that's that's the type of people I.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Want to surround myself with.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
So Tie specifically out of culture, He's yeah, like definitely,
like you said, someone has such a unique and endie
and business mindset and artists first mindset, and that's what
that's what made this so easy to do. And we've
known culture since like twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen because when
Tye found Brent Fires and when Sonder came about. For
(32:33):
people who don't know Sonder, the two producers Dpat and
I two put out music through Selection, like we were
working with them, because we've always been about the producers,
you know what I mean. And they were early early,
like Selection family. So I too depat found Brent fires right,
and then they started developing and working together. And at
that time, I believe Ty was already working with Brent,
(32:56):
and so when those all came together, it was just
like the perfect situation. They just needed a team, and
you know, Culture came in and did what they did
and turned it into a multimillion dollar business for them,
and you know what I mean, created generational wealth. So
what I love about them is they know how to
scale a business. They know how to scale a record label.
(33:16):
And I feel like although Selection has always been great
at finding music and being early and doing cultural amazing things,
there's infrastructure and business even business literacy, financial literacy that
we lacked. And so because what the issues on Selection,
you have a bunch of creatives trying to run a
(33:37):
full time business, but we didn't really have full time
business people going up to bat for us. The way
I wake up and I'm worried about the next event
show or what record I'm a player at the radio show.
We need people like that thinking about the business and
how to turn it up right. And so that's what
we were missing for all these years. I mean, we
got by and we did have some business people involved,
(33:57):
but nothing like this. And so it's just been a great,
great experience. I've learned so much and I love working
with them. They have such a great team, and I
could say it's probably the most prime and organized we've
ever been as a business and as a team. So
we have respect. We show up on time to our meetings.
We have multiple meetings a week, you know what I mean,
(34:19):
Video calls, everyone's on time, everyone's punctual, everyone's writing in
the agenda, everyone's speaking, everyone's on the video screen, like
looking at each other. It's respect, you know what I mean.
And like I couldn't ask for a better thing, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (34:33):
That's what I love that. Yeah, I love that for
you guys.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
I'm super excited to see all that blooms from that partnership.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
It's beautiful.
Speaker 4 (34:42):
Talk to me about dream collapse or have you already
created like the dream record that you want collaboration wise?
Speaker 3 (34:50):
Yuh yeah, I mean, so we have plans for our
fifteen year, so we already have this year, you know,
so this EP if not now, then Win is the
first one. Second one we're going to be dropping probably
like fall. We'll have two projects this year under JOK
and Selection Records and Culture and then with a fifteen
year want to do the Selection album. And it's hard
(35:12):
to say who will be on it, but it's more
of like if you think about all the artists that
we spoke about earlier, of people that we've helped be
a part of their journey at one point another, be
super early and support them, and just think about some
of the biggest names in music and R and B
and soul and whatever other genre that we've been behind.
Those are the names that we want to be a
(35:34):
part of this, you know what I mean. We don't
really ask people for favors. We've done a lot for
the community. We've done fourteen years of community service, you
know what I mean, to the people and to artists,
and this is like our giving back, but also like yo,
we need to favor, not even need a favor, like
let's reciprocate the energy, you know what I mean. And
so that's what the whole point of doing these projects,
(35:55):
first of me, is to kind of you know, organize,
make sure there's a sense of ordering, structure, figure out
what works what doesn't, and then by the time we
get to the album, we've we would have already have
gone through all the you know, just the kinks of
what we need to get through. So by the time
the album comes out next year, we have Select the
Selection album, and then we have the Selection fifteen niversary
(36:20):
celebrations and doing those and like some core cities around
the world and doing them at a high level where
we're like doing kind of like a Selection experience, kind
of like mini festival vibe.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
So we have the.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
Music out, we got the curated experiences celebrating that fifteen
year milestone, and then everything else that that comes in
between them. By then, my music would have already been
out for over a year almost, and so then there's
just a whole new audience that's coming in from that.
And then also can't forget Selection Radio seven hundred episode,
(36:54):
so that's coming up, you know right now. We're on
six seventy three or so right now, and so we
have months ago, and that's always a milestone. On every
Century shows, every one hundred episodes, it's always a moment
because it's not easy to do those shows, and so
we have three you know, live records radio show, all
(37:14):
all hitting milestones.
Speaker 4 (37:16):
Love that that's a common thing for you guys. Actually
I see yeah, because a tenure was like that too.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
Cool, Yeah, I love that, man, It's really inspiring talk
to me about I just want to dig more into
because I said, I'm new to sout election, I'm new
to Joe Kay And just like I guess, what is
like your villain origin story with music? What made you
fall in love with it? What's your background? What were
(37:44):
your influences growing up within your background?
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Yeah, my origins with music, I mean I've always been
surrounded by music in the house, but no one really
played music like instruments or produce or saying.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
But music was always played in the crib.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
And like I said, I brought up Shade Eric Abadou
was played a lot, uh Park like Tupac.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
Even things like raging.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
My mom would put me on to a band rage
against the Machine, right, and I would just be hearing
different things, you know what I mean. Bid a Latin music,
a lot of house music, reggae music. So I was
exposed to music early on, but it really came about
when I was in high school and I was going
through it, you know, just trying to find myself as
a young person, maturing into life and going through some
(38:35):
life things, family things, And all I had at the
time was music, you know, no matter if I was
beefing with my parents or my mom and we weren't
you know, in a good place.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
I was.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
I was high school, you know, you know, mother's son
clash sometimes, you know what I mean. And all I
had was music, you know what I mean. And I
was always a pretty pretty good student. My dad had
raised me really well. It was very strict, but very
like sense of order and structure. Coached me and all
my sports. So I think a lot of what selection
(39:06):
is in terms of consistency and.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Work ethic is because of my dad.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
My father was someone that, like, you know, he was
my head coach and every sport that I played, football, basketball, baseball,
took me to all my lessons and my my you know,
just always practicing, always just getting better, and always just
pushing me.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
He had his his dad was a marine, so he
kind of had like a hybrid.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
Even though my dad was in the military, he had
like a bit of a hybrid military mindset. So he
kind of he pushed me with a with that kind
of psychology and mental strength. So when it came to selection,
I was like, it's full circle moment. Is like when
he was doubting me when I told him I was
gonna leave my day job, you know what I mean,
to pursue selection full time and I had, you know,
(39:53):
health care benefits and all that stuff. At the time,
I had a child, you know, like I had to
just have my daughter. At that moment, he was like,
why are you how are you going to leave this
when for this? But like you have responsibilities, you know
what I mean. But I had to use what he
what he showed, what he taught me, and kind of
(40:13):
show him like, man, I'm not about to give up
on my vision of my dreams.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
So a lot of that came from him.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
So going back to the origins of it just always
always being about the music, always being kind of by myself.
I was the only child and always just leaning on
the music. It's always been the only thing that had
my back no matter what I was going through. It
never failed me and never it never crossed me and
never disrespected me.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
It's always been there for me. You know what I mean,
It's changed my life. So that's how it really started.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
And then like I just always knew radio and hosting
or like broadcasting was my first love. It was before djaying.
So that's where my passion came from. My passion was
just always.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
I love presenting music people, Why didn't you produce?
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Then it I just had more of a love for
finding music and helping those artists. That was always putting
people onto the artists, like, yo, you need to know
about this person.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Have you heard this song? You know where this came from?
You know this sample?
Speaker 3 (41:13):
That was always like I got like a better feeling
from that, and I just knew my calling really young.
So started like high in high school, and then when
I graduated that that summer right after I graduated, I
had a very life changing just summer, like just a
very self identity clarity moment, just like a moment of realization.
(41:36):
And from that point on I never looked back. And
that's that's when everything changed. So I was about seventeen
years old when I figured that out.
Speaker 5 (41:45):
Love that authentic, real, relatable.
Speaker 4 (41:49):
Yeah, okay, so we played this game call oud questions
that need answers.
Speaker 5 (41:54):
All you have to do is still in the blank.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (41:57):
The older I get, the less I.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
Less I can.
Speaker 5 (42:01):
You would never believe me if I told you.
Speaker 3 (42:07):
You would never believe if I told you. We never
believe if I told you I'm one of the funniest people.
Speaker 5 (42:19):
Can we confirm? Not everybody in Unison?
Speaker 1 (42:23):
I'm a clown?
Speaker 5 (42:24):
Okay, what's your sign? Mmm, I'm not going to do
it today.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
I have a unique sense like I can't just be
funny on camera right now, but has to just come out.
But I just be if you know me. It's one
of the things that unlocks. If I know you and
I'm comfortable. But like, I'm really a clown.
Speaker 5 (42:43):
Okay. Sometimes I look back at my life and sometimes.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
I look back in my life and I'm just grateful.
I mean, I'm blessed legacy.
Speaker 5 (42:57):
From time to time, it is good to.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
Pray. Jay z is timeless.
Speaker 5 (43:06):
The hardest lesson I learned about fame is.
Speaker 3 (43:09):
The hardest lesson I learned about fame is I Mean,
it's crazy, right because it's different levels of fame and
I wouldn't even consider where I'm at like a true
like famous position or role. But I do go out
and I am recognized at places or sometimes I think
the hard thing, the hardest thing I've learned about fame
(43:32):
is privacy and courtesy.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
A lot of people lack that.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
They don't they can't read the wrong or people are
worried about their social media moment versus giving you that
time to like, let you be.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
I know that's not one word, but privacy, it.
Speaker 5 (43:51):
Doesn't have to be one word.
Speaker 4 (43:52):
By the way, blank is a movie I can watch
with the sound off.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
Uh Stanley Kubrick two thousand and one, Space Odyssey or
another one be Ballet, Hype Williams and d m xinized.
Speaker 5 (44:11):
My favorite album of all time is.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
That's always the toughest one. I can't do.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
I don't honestly, it's I can't even answer that. There's
just too many. Yeah, give me three, give me three,
give me three. We spoke about a couple earlier. I mean, yeah,
even that, right, it's tough because it's like multiple projects
in the catalog. But even if I'm thinking about because
(44:36):
we spoke about this early, well, A big, a big
album for me at.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
A certain point in my life was.
Speaker 3 (44:45):
N E. R D in Search of That was a
big project for me that I really resonated with uh
in like high school, and that was very influential. Slum Village,
which project was it?
Speaker 1 (45:04):
Why am I blanking out on the name?
Speaker 3 (45:06):
But the joints that had like players, It was just
such a such a like pivotal moment for j Dial
as a production and as an MC. But like Dealer's
sound that he's just like the goat, you know what
I mean to everything, He's like the reason why even
one of the main reasons I started selection. So anything
(45:27):
that has a deal of production early JD you know
what I mean. And then I'll go to present time
an album that I'm listening to right now that in
this day and age, our attention span is so short
and music, you know, passes, but we're exposed to so
much music oversaturation of music coming out in the world
(45:50):
because of how technology and streaming is now. Before we
had to go buy the CD or buy the album
like one project at a time. Now it's like we
have millions of records in the palm of our hand
in seconds. And but one album that I'm listening to
right now that has had a lifespan since came out
(46:11):
and it's been months and months is Leon Thomas.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
The Mutt album.
Speaker 3 (46:17):
I'd say the album because when I say Mut, people
are like, that's why I know people aren't listening because
you say Mutt and the like, but you're just listening
to the single. No, I'm talking about the album, the
whole album, from start to finish, Like it's a really
good album. I was actually really like happy that I
was able to play at his release party and just
kind of like be part of the early like listenership
(46:38):
of it. And there's really no bias there at all.
But I just really think it's hard to come across
projects that we still listen to over and over, especially
as a DJ, we move on so fast. So yeah,
I just want to give him his flowers, but in
terms of something that can't stop listening to.
Speaker 4 (46:55):
Okay, my last question is by the end of twenty
twenty five, I plan to By.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
The end of twenty twenty five, by then, seven hundred
radio shows would be completed, two.
Speaker 1 (47:07):
Bodies of work.
Speaker 3 (47:10):
Under my name will have been out, and I just
plan to be in a more elevated space, a more
sense of direction clarity, and by then, man, I'm just
really excited for what's to come because the trajectory right
now is incredible and we're just really getting started. It's like,
(47:33):
the best thing I can say is it took fourteen
years to get here. And I'm not talking about just
putting on music, just like to get to this point.
That's why I want people to know, because I said
the other day, but it's like fourteen years on paper,
but it's really been like seventeen to twenty years of this.
So people only see that again if you just found us,
you just you pull up to this show and knock
(47:54):
down you see what you see looks incredible, but it
did not happen over now. So by the end of
twenty twenty five, I'm grateful to be answering fifteen years
and that's that's a big milestone, you know.
Speaker 1 (48:09):
So we're trying to take.
Speaker 3 (48:11):
All the work that we've done and just elevated ten
x twenty x, you know.
Speaker 4 (48:15):
So congratulations, Thank you. Is there anything else do you
want to shout out before we wrap?
Speaker 3 (48:22):
No, I mean just thank you, thank you for great questions.
By the way you approached it very very natural. I
always from host to host, it's always it's nice to
be on the on the opposite side. So it's good
to just see your format and how natural you go
about things. But no, I mean, look, the reason I'm
here is to it's to really you know, push and
(48:43):
talk about this new rollout and sense of direction that
I'm going. And again we have a single out, and
I really believe in this body of work. I think
it's like, even though it took fourteen years, I think
the timing couldn't have been any better. Like if not now,
then when even if if you just see that on
(49:04):
the wall, you don't have to know who I am,
You don't even have to listen to the music. But
if you can just read that message that resonates with
everyone in life and not even just in music, it
can be anything. And so to me, that's a that's
a when someone's seen that message. That's why I chose
the title. I wanted something to be relatable that people
can walk away with, whether you listen to it or not,
whether you know my journey and Selection's journey or not.
(49:27):
You see that, you're like, wait, damn, I need to
do that thing I've been talking about, Like it's just
another reminder. So that's why I chose that title. The
singles Slow It Down and the other artists that I
have a part of it and the music.
Speaker 1 (49:40):
This is just the beginning, but long overdue, and it's
a moment, you know what I mean. And I just
want people to be like, damn.
Speaker 3 (49:48):
Joe's putting out his project before me, Like I need
to go drop my project already, Like what am I doing?
Speaker 1 (49:53):
Stop playing?
Speaker 3 (49:54):
And so that's that's really what the message is, you know,
stop stop doing in your life.
Speaker 4 (50:00):
Of that put on next is the message. He said,
Thank you for stopping by to shout out to your
grand Let everybody know where they can follow you if
they don't already.
Speaker 3 (50:08):
Yeah, add joke on everything and you can follow selection
as well, and yeah, let's tap in. Come out to
a show if you've never been, I promise you'll be
one of the best experiences because it's not really a place,
a safe space where you can listen to a lot
of music that you may listen to at home or
in your headphones are in the car and actually hear
that in a place with hundreds or thousands of people
(50:32):
that are on the same frequency.
Speaker 1 (50:33):
And just share that space. So I'll welcome you to
Speaker 5 (50:35):
That until next time, guys, talk to them
Host
Nyla Symone
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