EP: 662 - Marsha Ambrosius Interview (uncensored)

Marsha Ambrosius came by the Cruz Show to talk about her new album Casablanco. She broke down the lyrics and samples for a bunch of songs on the album, she also talked about working with Dr. Dre and how he empowered her to create her way. She also dispelled English stereo types, told us a story about how a Dick Pic inspired a song and so much more.... it's a great interview, tap in!!

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
To everybody loss myself to one ofthose who pay. Nothing's going to suppers
now, superst what you going towork? Counten around the buck a few
times and not seeing a couple ofthings out of line. You cannot kill
this drup top crown, the stakeJack Cape Council. It's a pretty day.

(00:27):
Let's go upside and enjoyed. Giveme, give me, give me,
give me. Really don't better theweather as long as we be going
together. That's what it sounds like, ladies and gentlemen. Marsha am brocious.

(00:52):
What's upway the queen? What's goingdown? That was the most fire
introduction I've ever had in my career. That seriously, let's let that seriously.
To hear them songs back to backis oh, I love it here,
I'm moving in shutt DJ fuse forthat intro. That's just that's beautiful.

(01:15):
Thank you so much for having me. Nah, you're valued here.
Welcome home real ninety two three.Right, we're in La. Let's go
you love LA. I do Ilived lives. LA inspires you in five
ten hundred ways bazillion. There's nonumber for that, like just the vibe

(01:36):
I was here during a time whenI should have been. I've met my
well, fell in love with myhusband here, my daughter was born here.
Like, there's just a lot ofemotional ties. I've got drunk hair
high, here's sobered up here.Like it's a wonderful, wondrous formative years
happened in Kelly High School. Youknow, exactly, wutiful time. It's

(02:00):
wonderful time where you at now.Say, I'm in Vegas, so I'm
not far and I'm on the streets, like you know, twenty thirty degrees
hotter than it. Yeah here theother day it's crazy what it feels like
you're in a microwave. But it'sreally really nice. I love it though,
because you know, I'm from overseas, so it just feels like a
vacation. It's vacation all day.Right, yeah here, I do you

(02:21):
know you have the pool and exactlyright now. I lived in Vegas for
over ten years ago. See youlived in Vegas as well. We worked
there. You know, we didradio there, see you, so you
know the vibes and it's up thestreet. You get on the fifteen you're
here, yeah, get back,you know, you find yourself going out
into a casino two at three o'clockin the morning too. No, that's
one thing I don't do when I'mthere. I'm not a gambler, like

(02:42):
I hate gambling bread like a quarterlike. I won't do it. I'm
not losing anything. I'm so terriblewith my money, so it's a balance.
Yeah. Yeah, my money goeson food. She's like, shit,
I lived in La you know whatI mean. I gambled with my
life out there. It's a differentgamble my money, all my life.
Okay, now hold on to bothof them, please, that's right,

(03:05):
Blancos out. It's everywhere looks great, the visuals look great, and we
got dre and the tucks. Ilike that. Yeah, it took some
doing, No, it really is. I just want to get and a
tui. Do you know what themusic it permitted that when you press play
on that, it just feels likehe was supposed to be the conductor of
your test. And was he wearingwhite Air Force ones with the tucks?

(03:27):
Absolutely, the actual dress code forCasta Blanco is tucks and chucks. Yeah,
so you can variate it where youwant to. He absolutely had his
Air Force ones on. Yet Ilove that. I love that. Yeah.
The sound is great obviously. Youknow, I was talking to you
people outside. I was trying tokeep count of how many hip hop nuances
and samples are and then one hundredand seventy six thousand, three hundred and

(03:51):
twenty two. Yeah, get yourtake counting again. We lost count by
the time we started the first whichwas two Nijan Knights. That was the
first song we recorded for the project. It was how Dare We? How
dare We? It just went fromyou know, nas Mary J Krus with
smoke like it was too many things. But that's that's us. I mean,

(04:15):
for sure, Dre, he's definitelyhip hop, but I'm hip hop
affiliated. Well yeah, and itfeels as if you know, sometimes the
mic was just on and you werejust feeling an energy and you went with
it and said keep that, keepthat right there. But you know what's
crazy about it. The album wasactually recorded as we're sitting in this room.
This is how it was recorded,So you'd have Dre at the board,

(04:39):
I'm at a microphone, some othermusicians were at their boards, and
we're creating together. So it feltlike one big family, just making these
creative ideas in real time with eachother. That's the dinner table. Yeah,
exactly right. Yeah, you arethe table. We were the table,
yes, and picking apart you know, all the lovely marinated dishes,

(05:00):
been sitting there for a minute,and it just all kind of made sense.
So like during like breaks, wereyou listening to detox? During breaks,
we were possibly making detox without knowingif all you know Casablanco is detox,
you know, so that is It'slike we've dropped it without you even
knowing what that is. So yeah, yeah, I'm the plug and the

(05:23):
connect. That's right, that's right, muscle, I like that youngest flex.
Nah. Listen. We've heard manystories about Dre in the studio right
and redo this, keep doing it, keep doing it, keep doing it
right? Is that the same Dreyou encountered? Fortunately? I mean for
me, I won't even say fortunatelybecause I want to be pushed, But

(05:44):
Dre pushing my boundaries was him justletting me do me, like the respect
level that we have for each other. I'm not going to be like,
yo, change that high hat orchange that snare. He was like,
yo, Marsh, what you thinkI would get on the mic? And
like you got it. There wasno changes. It was just all feeling
and whatever that meant, which iswhy there are so many elements to the
hip hop, to the jazz,to the funk, to the R and

(06:06):
B. All of the things madesense because he just let me go like
there was no restrictions, no boundaries, no limits. So I had a
very one of one experience with Dre. I don't know if anyone else gets
that rapers are upset right now?Yeah, and I apologize on his behalf,

(06:29):
but not really. I did thisfor all of us. This was
for every rapper, every vocalist,every person who felt like they could meet
the challenge that is working with him. And I feel like Dre selected Casablanco
to be the one that comes outbecause of how he felt about it.
He loved this, This was differentfor him. This was a challenge also

(06:50):
for him, So it just feltright in the moment, brilliant, right,
A man like doctor Dre, who'saccomplished so much and produced so much
music, still up for a challenge, right, And I was that jealous.
That's right, Marsh, this projectis it much more special considering that
you're from overseas, right, Dre'sfrom Compton. Our complete separate continents and

(07:13):
just music brought you guys together.I mean, does that make it much
more special for me? Because Imean everyone in this room has been influenced
by Dre right over the course ofyour what you can remember, your entire
life. It wasn't too dissimilar frombeing over there. So I'm getting NWA
in real time. I'm getting thechronic in real time. We're all sharing

(07:35):
in this experience, watching this iconlift off the ground from ground up.
So by the time I do getover here and he's, you know,
sitting in the back of the VIPsection of my show because he's a fan
of me. That's insane. Andthis is like five i've met, right,
I've known him for almost twenty yearsnow, So Casablanco is in the

(07:56):
making because of the mutual respect thatwe seeing each other's journey. He's clearly
a legend, clearly an icon,and he was unafraid to tell me how
much he respected me or he wasa fan of mine also, which I
will never be able to fathom putin my head because I'm like Dre,
I literally decided not to wear yourT shirt like with your face on my
shirt today or like just look likea corny fan, but like the chronic

(08:20):
girl, like you know, likeit's not like I don't have several T
shirts. I was like, Ican't wear certain things around this guy because
you've shaped my hip hop life.And it's just the respect level. So
Liverpool England was Andre, London Englandwas Onre and it's still Dre. Do

(08:43):
you have those moments where it's like, okay, because you guys are so
close, but do you still havethose moments like, oh my god,
I'm a fan all the time,what do you mean? It's like I
don't. I still don't get mylife. Like I'll look at my phone
and he will call or text,and it's like, how do I tell
my mother? Hold on, mom, Dre's hitting me. I'll hit you

(09:05):
back. Let me just see what'sup Dre. Like that doesn't make any
sense. But over the course ofmy career, I've had some nutty phone
like phone calls from people that Ishouldn't be talking to. Nah. Yeah,
right, but that does makes sense. That's not imposter syndrome. That's
not right. That doesn't kick in. There's no way that kicks in for
you. It can't because I've donethis thing. That's so specific, so

(09:28):
unique to me that people gravitate towardsit because of its difference. And I
feel like Dre and I got tocreate with each other because of its differences.
Yes, I am hip hop,but I am very much R and
B, jazz, funk, allof these other soulful elements. And to
bring us together and create this onemelting pot full of all of the music

(09:50):
that you loved, I don't thinki'd well, I know I wouldn't want
to create something like that with anyoneelse. That's right, that's right,
you'll thrill her. You're talking thatshit. I was, Yeah, I
got that off my chest. Itwas a wonderful late night threesome dream.
And it happened by ways of thatinitial Wu tang cream thing that happened on

(10:16):
the piano, and I don't wedon't even revisit that part. We just
say second piece. And then itwas Duke Ellington in a sentimental mood.
So once that came in, Iwas like, oh, this sounds nice.
And then Dre dropped the beat andI was like, okay, let
me just freestyle this and see whatcomes to mind. And I don't even
know where it came from. Forme to even think that smooth Criminal melody

(10:41):
and the storytelling of it would thenshape this thing. So I came into
the apartment right, so I wasit just started to make sense. I
was like, look, I cameinto the apartment, spilled some champagne and
the carpet. I was like,oh, smooth criminal. What could I
do after that? Oh? Iput the blood down on the table.
I could see was an able,So I'm gonna go ahead and spik this.

(11:01):
I need a buzz so I canfeel the rush. Somebody at the
door trying to interrupt, so Ileave him on the floor so I could
see what's up? What's up?Baby? Are you okay? And it
just started this thing and I couldsee the whole Smooth Criminal video and it's
like you know how those old silentmovies and it has like the subtitles and

(11:22):
stuff. It was just one ofthose moments I was like, well,
who's at the door. And Iwas like, Oh, this savagery,
beautiful goddess that he's been cheating onme with, maybe but not. Oh,
you're inviting her over to do somethings. I see where you're going
with this. And I could tellshe was a savage so in my mind,
I was like, ooh, savageMegan the stallion twirking as she walks

(11:43):
through and the keys began to turn. I begin to panic. He go
to the door and she like,what's happening? So I was like,
okay, storytelling, it's hip hop. I feel like that's the most hip
hop I was on this album,I believe. So I caught a bigie
vibe. I caught that warning,who the fuck is this? Exactly?

(12:03):
Who the fuck is there knocking atthe door, like there to fucking fat,
I'm trying to get some head rightnow. I loved it. I
do love that. It was confidence. That just confidence oozing out of the
speakers, you know, And Ithink that's what you embody. I feel
confident. Do you feel confident?You should, because that's how it comes

(12:24):
off in the music. Always themusic. I'm never hiding behind it,
even if I want to. Mypen will speak for me before I do.
Like how you feel, Marsh,I'm good, I'll write a song
then you know how I really feel. So yeah, the music I never
hide behind. That's great. What'sthe meaning behind Casa Blanco? Casablanco derived

(12:48):
from it? Feeling very vintage Hollywood, those old school lights and you know,
like the movie lights are kind ofswayed from side to side, like
premiere exactly. So Ray was likeexactly. So Dre was like, well,
it's a bit more, a bitmore gangster than it just being Casa
Blanca. Let's call it Casa Blanco, like Griselda Blanco. Now it's gangster

(13:11):
and meets Casa Blanco Casa Blanco.And I was like that makes sense.
And then yeah, so even I'mlooking at the album cover and I'm like,
yeah, it feels like the place, but it also feels gangster.
Remember the movie The Goonies. Rememberthe treasure Map, you know, so

(13:33):
it's like a treasure map to allof these samples, all of the hip
hop. It's like if you couldfreeze time and make it all the music
that you wanted it to be.That's what we looked away in that treasure
map. It's great. Is thatwhy there's a key on the front of
it. I was wondering that.I was like, so we need the
key. You need the key,and once you get the key, you
open that and it's pandemic. Pandora'sBugs Full of hip hop treasures another song

(14:00):
that I really felt, was Greedy, who were you mad at in that
song? Because you were clearly all, well, you know what I feel
like that was? It was itwas just post pandemic. It was twenty
twenty one. It was not beingable to go home. Yeah, it
was like you just couldn't give allyour time away to all the people that
needed it because you couldn't be present. It was like there was a travel

(14:20):
band. I couldn't go overseas ifI wanted to. And some people just
drain you and require more than youcan actually give. So Greedy was really
about it with people and like,oh, this is how you really are,
man. I mean even sitting withyourself and realizing that's who you really
are, you know, it's like, this is what I'm like. It's

(14:41):
disgusting everybody. We had to wearmasks, right, and I'm like,
this is what my breath most like. I'm so sorry to everyone. I
know. No, I think Iwas. I was pulling things from all
different aspects. It was even beingmad at Dra, like Dra, We're
gonna have to put this music out, and you've I held onto a lot
of music for a long time,and by the time I say, look

(15:03):
what more do you want from me? Sure, that's the first thing I
say him greedy, like, I'msure, Like this isn't the way it's
supposed to go. So I feellike the saying a game, taking names,
disrespect catching fade. I don't playthat shit. And it just kept
coming. Yeah, it just startsto spill out right. Yeah. And
by the time the music plays intoyour emotions and the George Benson masquerade and

(15:24):
the guitars, and it just madefor an emotional It feels like the most
hip hop emotional ballad made. It'slike if a rapper had to sing something,
that would be the song. Yeah. No, it's a challenge that
just bloomed. I believe right,self Care right Wrong was that tough to
right? None of them were toughto write. Good for you, it's

(15:46):
not. I think this was theeasiest experience because dra put no boundaries or
limitations on anything. So even withself Care Wrong Right, I knew what
I wanted it to be about.But by the time it got to the
second half of the piece where it'sthe please don't Go, I just wanted
that guy to sing please don't Go. Like every begging R and B song

(16:07):
ever made I said, you needto sound Joe Toice. I need Anthony
Hamilton, I need Guy, Ineed every I need Keith Sweat, I
need all the begs. Please don'tgo, Please don't go. Just give
me the please don't go. Sosly sly Jordan he wrote on that for

(16:30):
me as well, and it wasjust a beautiful exchange. Yeah, it
really was. What Jack, howdo you channel that confidence and that like
just swaggered during a session or evenjust every day, Like, how do
you channel that creativity? Is literallybecause I'm trying to have brothers yet and

(16:52):
she works with us, right,So see how this feels where you feel
like an holy girl in the roomand you're forever proving yourself that you're one
of the guys. She feels momentthat's your superpower. Without realizing that that's
what it is. They're all conditioningyou to being tough so you can be
outspoken because you feel protected by yourbrothers all the time. I have a

(17:12):
younger brother, but we feel liketwins and he's very overprotective of me.
So I think it's it really derivesfrom that. I'm from a basketball playing
family, so there's discipline in that. I've always felt like I had protection.
So to bottle that up is trulyyou love these guys even when you
don't want to. You know,that's the superpower's with us more than anyone

(17:36):
else, right, literally, Sothat's the superpower. That's the confidence in
knowing that you have your brothers tolean on like that, And even with
this Casablanco, I had a dreto lean on. Focus them, Joints,
Bluetooth, Trev Sly, even theengineers like we yeah. So they

(17:56):
were like it was like go,Marsha, like we'll be doing Cloudy.
It was like just go. AndI felt secure enough to do that because
they were encouraging that. It's whenyou don't feel encouraged that you have to
kind of fight too and now forwhat you want your opinion to be,
and or get lost in the saucebecause no one's listening to you, right,
That's right. They listen to youand they hear you. Yeah,

(18:17):
Garcia, do you think Jackie lovesus? Not us? That's true.
I want to shirt for you today. Beans on Toes, one of my
faves, hines heines, beans,Yes, what are some English stereotypes that
aren't true? That aren't they mightall be truth. That's the saddest thing.

(18:38):
So even with your beans on toast, that is a breakfast item.
I've never had it, but I'mMexican beans all day, right, and
toast me beans toast. But youhave like fried eggs or scrambled eggs,
sausage, bacon, maybe grilled tomatoes, grilled mushroom. That's your breakfast.
So but when I got over here, it's like pancakes, grits. I

(19:00):
didn't really do grits until I cameto the States, and not a lot
of people can cook them well fora long time. Anybody's grit No,
I didn't know this. So I'mlike, oh grits. No, what
is this love being message? Becauseoverseas it's like ready breck. So I
think not a lot of people drinktea or sip tea like puts coffee out
here. Even I do, though, so maybe that that is true.

(19:22):
I'm trying to find a not trueone. So yeah, I sip tea.
Do we say bloody hell a lotyeat? No, it's absolutely false.
We love it. It just nevercomes our weight as it should do.
So yes, we do get gloomy, like your June gloom. It's
like that at least sixty nine thereye awful. Yeah, who told us

(19:47):
the Domino's pizza was popping out there? You have to be so. I
used to have There was a Dominoesin Campbell, Weell, and we used
to go there because all of thelike really cute guys is used to drive
the mopeds and deliver the pieces andwe used to just stand on the corner
and watch them do. So maybeit was popping for like many other reasons.

(20:08):
You're a dog man, I mean, that's how Butterflies was written.
It was written about the guy thatworked at McDonald's in the same Campbewell.
There was a lot of cute guysin Campbell Songs for generations. There's plenty
of songs there. It doesn't havethem about exactly speaking of have you seen

(20:30):
your legs man? I mean,he's incredible. Inspiration's the most random and
strangers thing that has inspired you,you think to write a song a dick
pic mm hmm. But the wholeway it was sent It was sent on
unsolicited during a Valentine show that Iwas performing at. And the worst are

(20:56):
they terrible? I'm sure you hadto go on and my text message goes
off, and I used to keepmy phone just in case I forgot a
lyric. I would play keys oron my show and I would put my
phone on the keyboard. So Iwas like, oh my god, I
missue, babe. And then Ikept that voicemail or that voice note I

(21:18):
recorded on a voice note, andI wrote that song that was on my
next album, Friends and Lovers,So, oh my god, I miss
you on Friends and Lovers. Itis about that particular unsolicited eggplant. So
you were familiar with the eggplane.You knew it. I knew exactly what
that was, even if by deletingthem from the number I knew which was.

(21:41):
Is there a song or a versethat you heard from another artist that
made you really fall in love withmusic, maybe growing Up, anything by
Stevie, anything by Prince, anythingby Michael Jackson. I remember hearing I
Can't Help It by Michael Jackson forthe first time, like a first listen.
You knew were you were, Youcould remember my mother's living room.

(22:03):
I'm a kid, and those chordsstarted and it did something to me like
emotionally like So to connect with musicin that way is the power in it?
And That's when I knew that therewas power in that. Is there
a line that you wish you wouldhave wrote? That's that one of your
peers wrote. It might be Isit a Jill Scott? It might be

(22:26):
an Erica Badoo. I think JillScott's Long Walk should be in a museum.
It's such a beautiful story, LikeI see the whole song when she
sings it, and Erica Badoo isthe other side of the game. They're
like the two hip hop records forthem, two hours. For me,
it's just the art of storytelling.Yeah, yeah, it's extremely important,

(22:48):
especially now. Is it a lostart though? Is story storytelling a lost
art? I guess it can notreally. I feel like the ones that
do it do it well. Butit's what we're talking about. People are
telling stories, is whether or notyou want to hear what they're saying,
you know. I feel like backin the day, you were inquisitive and
you wanted to know what the storieswere about and who they were about.

(23:10):
Now it's who's dissing? Who?Who's this? You know, it's a
little surface like I want, Iwant to go down a rabbit hole,
like take me to the beginning.What happened and why you know? So?
Yeah, I try and keep thatto the roots of it. Right.
Did you enjoy the Drake and Kendricksituation? I loved it? What
do you mean? It was glorious? It was a tennis match. I

(23:32):
was like, why in the worldis this happening right now? And even
I think I might be the onlyperson on planet Earth, I mean not
like us. I do love it. I do. I genuinely crip walk
every time it comes on. However, there's this look of are you listening
to what he's saying? Did youhear what he said? I'm the lyrics

(23:56):
in the video the great time itcomes on, I'm like, I know,
we're dancing, I know this isan amazing, amazing hip hop song,
but are you listening to what thismatter? Is? He go for
the jugular, But that's what hiphop's supposed to do. And do I
believe that Drake should When I sayretaliate, hip hop is hip hop.

(24:18):
There were going to be some wins, there are going to be some losses,
but it's still going to be hiphop. And I feel like it
was just good to see. Idon't even think there was an underestimation on
Kendrick's part. I know he's ananimal behind that microphone. He is relentless,
and I was like, it kindof makes you think. Like earlier,

(24:41):
I remember everyone was like, ohwhy did j cole like just back
out? Aren't you happy you did? Now? You know? So it
was like like, oh, missthat one that dodgitabull. But I feel
like people who know they know youknow. So I'm still listening to not
like disbelief that my seven year oldis singing it. Yeah, my seven

(25:06):
year old loves it saying the oneline is that she shouldn't even saying.
Hey, I'm like, no,don't do it. And then the video
drops it It's like, Okay,here we are. It's beautiful, gorgeously
dumb video. So many Yeah,who was the greatest written for? I

(25:36):
think it was a nod to doctorDre Yeah. When we were creating it,
because it just felt like we werehaving such a moment. I was
like, no, you are legitlike the greatest to do this and to
allow me to do it with you. So by the time the chords happened,
and I remember it was my ideato get that Perry Mason sample in

(25:59):
there, but I didn't know whatit was, so I was like,
Drey, don't you think this willsound crazy? I was like, what
is that? So we're all going, who is that called Larry's. He's
like, no, Larry or no, so he calls us Homi Larry.
I think Larry's like the manager ofone of the studios. It was like,
Larry, what's this? No?No, no, no, no

(26:19):
no. We're singing it to Larrydown the phone. He's like Perry Mason.
So we get that Perry Mason putit in there and then out of
nowhere. Whose world is this?Nase drat bag drops at the end,
showers to focus. It was justnot fair. I was like, this
is like the greatest musical experience overallthat I've had. So yes, a

(26:40):
nod to Dre, but a nodto what we actually get to do for
a living. I was like,this is what we do for our livelihood
as well as what we do forour passion. That has to be the
greatest feeling in the world. Youknow, this is how we breathe,
this is how we eat and liveand feed our family. A way to
do it, like sitting at Dre'shouse just for ships. Some giggles and

(27:03):
like this happens because at the endof the day, you would pay to
do this. That's insane crazy.So in reverse, you you're getting paid
to do this. That's man.You You're living your dream. Yeah,
I absolutely am. I being sure. We appreciate the time. I love
to watch. Thanks Marsha Ambrosious Casablanco'sout now. Hey check get rich for

(27:27):
the Cruise Show. Thanks for listeningto the Cruise Show podcast. Make sure
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