October 3, 2024 • 33 mins
Legendary artist Akon stopped by the Cruz Show to talk about new music & tour + introduced us to his new artists Sheesh. He also told us good stories about Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga & more. He also dropped some gems on investing in Africa
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yo, what up? Man?
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Is your boy a Connor? You're checking out the Cruise
Show podcast? Make sure you subscribe, rate and ship. It's
worth it, I promise you. Let's go yo.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey, conn is back on the Cruise Show. Let's get away.
So many hits, dog. Now let's play intro number two
because then there's a whole nother intro, so many songs. Acon,
congratulations on this career yours man.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You always had the most craziest intros though.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Yeah, shout out to DJ Fuse for that. Yes, yes,
sir smack, I see you.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Good to see you, man.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
She was running from the law. That's why he's in
the corner.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
You feel me.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
It's crazy, man. The catalog is wild, man, that's what's up.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Man.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, every time I see Akon, I gotta take congratulations.
I got to do. There's always congratulations in order when
it comes to Acon. How you feeling, how's your spirit? Man?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I feel amazing, bro, Yeah, absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Feeling good man. You know you brought the team.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Man, she's looking that's the future, that's right, lay up next,
up next.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
I like that. You know. Akon is responsible for a
few stars in this business. You know what I'm saying
your hand in that. Yeah, man, beautiful day sounds great.
Thank you mangratulations that good vibe that we are used
to getting from Akon, right, what's the energy that went
behind that?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
It was about just bringing just a positive vibration back
to the music business.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
When I came back from Africa and I came home,
it just felt so dark man. You know, I saw
a lot of the drill rappers dying, a lot of
small young guys that's coming up before their career could
even get to a certain level that you know, the
obituaries beat you know, meet before their bios to an extent,
and it was like, man, this is crazy. But then
when I was just listening to I was looking for
something to be more like, something that would motivate me
(01:44):
into it, and I just really didn't hear it, you know,
So I was like, you know, I think this is
the time when the music just needs to shift into
a more positive vibration, honestly. But what I did like
is how the West Coast shifted though. A lot happened
on this side, A lot happened on this side, and
I love it because I know, notice that it's been
getting a lot like the West Coast really been supporting
West Coast music. Yeah, I noticed that since you guys
(02:06):
like it's been needed, Yeah, it's been needed. You know
a lot of local artists are now getting heard and
played and actually getting recognized nationally and that and then
it's and it's good like it's it's club music, is
happy music. Like I was like, okay, I can rock
with this right here?
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, nah, akon. You know, I was fortunate enough to
see you come up in this business, right rolling in
a van with four other artists, five other artists doing radio,
you know, sleeping in the van, sleeping where you can
just to get put one get belly Dancer on the air.
You know, Man, I saw it, Man, I saw it right,
And that's the hard way, right, There's there's a different
(02:39):
way to go about getting I guess famous or noticed now.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Right, another conversation, because I always believe that anything that
you that's fast tracked don't last, right, So that's why
I'm still here today. Even though the technology has advanced,
it don't change the blueprint on how you get things popping,
and you keep it fas like. Sustainability to me is
the most important thing, right, you could put out a
(03:03):
record that'd be great for a week. But if you
could put out a record that'd be great for ten years,
one hundred years, a thousand years. It's a different conversation.
It's a different type of work that needs to be
put into you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
And I think you've always had this mindset. You've had
it for a long time. You told T Pain, I
can't give you the biggest check, but I can give
you a career, right, That's what you told Ta Pain,
And that's exactly what you did. And he went with you,
and he chose you over millions of dollars.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yep, we sure did. Wow, you sure did.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
What a moment, Yeah, man, and look at him now
killing it still legendary. T Pain is killing y'all. Legend
Thank you. What's your biggest song in your opinion? You
know there's obviously chart toppers, right obviously, Yeah, But if I.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Would say, out of all my records, the biggest one
will probably be.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Mister Lonely, Mister Lonely. Yeah, we were listening to that.
If you caught Jackie singing that, Mabe, was that a fast?
The whole catalog was on black? Was that a fast?
Song to make or was that a links?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
No?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Actually, all my songs were pretty quick, you know, because
they was all they was kind of written before I
even did it, because it was all more based on
the actual, uh situations I was dealing with. So most
songs that you deal with, that's based on your experience.
It's easier to write. It's really more about how do
I want it to feel though when someone else kind
of listens to it, you know what I'm saying. Sure,
and that was the direction. But once I realized where
(04:21):
I was going production wise, the song was done within
a few hours.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
With all those hits, is there ever, Is there ever
or will there ever be an opportunity for you to
sell your catalog?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah? I think I think opportunities to sell is every day. Okay,
that's every day, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Sale?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, like you at any moment, you just put a
sign up for sale, and I promise you there'll be
a lot of banks by it. Right.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yeah. What do you think your catalog is worth if
you had to put a number on it, if I
put a number on it, priceless, Yeah, for sure, I
get it out of Christ. We're talking a lot of money. Here.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, yeah, I take a billion dollars a billion, I
would's make it happen about that.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Sure, I'll take a billion. Two let's myself in the mix.
Feel Me Beautiful Day is on all streaming platforms. What
a song? What's up? Jack? How does it feel to.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Be so timeless? Because I was just telling the guys
before that, my introduction to you is my getting.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Ready, her auntie fealing her makeup.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Afterwards so I could take it, and it was just like,
and now you being here, It's just like, so it's
just generational. How does it feel to actually be an
artist that's like that?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Nah? Man, it's interesting. I forgot who I was talking
to about it. But when we did the Acon Superfan,
I was realizing that we actually had generational fans. So
you would have the mom who came with her daughter,
and then the daughter brought her baby.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Yeah, like we had.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Literally three generations of so a lot of the venues
that we chose, we literally could have flipped them four
or five, six times over because of that alone, but
because of the super Fan too. We wanted to have
a one time, one only type experien is in that city.
We realize just how layered our fan base was in generation,
you know what I mean. So that's another thing that
also made me say, yo, yeah we got we have
(06:10):
to come back, because yeah, they I mean it was
kids like six seven years old Numa songs.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah, and you know what I mean, there's not a
lot of artists, I believe, right in my opinion, this
is cruise. There's not a lot of artists that hold
that weight, I think. Right, there's a lot of artists obviously, right,
but it's a generational artist, right, right, right, I think
there's a handful of you'll.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah, it's a handful of using for sure. Straight up.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
I think that's to your benefit because once that younger
generation catches up, then that's why music becomes so cyclical,
right because then they hear that, they go, damn, that's
fresh to me. Let me make something like that, and
then that's when your legacy never.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Dies, right absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Man, it's like introducing our kids to the Beatles or
whatever it is.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Yeah, they got to know about Earth Wind and fire Man.
It's just kind of the way that is. You mentioned
Mice Lonely being your favorite or your biggest song in
your mind. What do people yell at you when they
see you, like at the airport, or they yell a
song up.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
So it's interesting because it depends on what city I'm
in and who's yelling. Right, So if it's somebody black,
they're gonna yell locked up a kind of young Jesus.
Those are two most famous from black people. Right, that's
just how I go. Right, if they're white, they're gonna
(07:31):
yell smack that I want to love you. It's interesting
that that's just how it's been that. No, it's and
it's the weirdest.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Is the weirdest thing, you know, hilarious. Yeah, each each song,
I guess has its demographic, right.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
No, it's so crazy, but interestingly enough because I know
the Hispanic market is so kind of separated. But before
when Baby I'm Back was out, anybody that I saw
was that was like Mexican was singing the Baby Back
record to me. Yeah, because of the Bash. And then
when I went more towards like the eastern Latin side,
like Puerto Rico area, day be singing the Dons I
(08:10):
could Doudeo record back to. So it was like it
was always something and it dependent on who it was singing.
But for the most part, between those two, the black
and white side. I get those all the time.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
That makes too much sense, that crazy. Is there any
regrets when it comes to this.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Career of yours? Oh no, no regrets, absolutely no, absolutely,
not else only lessons, right, No, not absolutely, that's absolutely
you know. I think with everybody, there's always certain decisions
you wish you could go turn back the hands of
time to actually make. But then I think about, Okay,
let's say I did make that decision thinking it would
have been a better decision. I'm already knowing had I
(08:50):
made that decision that I thought I should have made,
it would have been worse because I wouldn't be here
today if I did.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
True, very true.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Do you follow like an instinct?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Instincts? Man? I amis you?
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Now?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
My instincts follow me everywhere I go. I don't care
how crazy it sound to everybody else. If my instinct
says moved this way, that's the way I'm moving. Because
every time I went against my instincts, I regretted it
every time.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
It's a lesson every time.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Yeah, And it's kind of sad that more people don't
do that.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
We live in such an analytical world. Like, it doesn't matter
if it's sports or it's music or social. Everybody's so
caught up in numbers. They don't trust their gut. Nom.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
They don't trust their gut no more. And they so
worried about what other people are gonna think. Yeah, you
know what I mean, And you don't even know. You
gotta like there's a there's an inner psyche within all
of us, right, that's why deja vu actually exists, some
ship that you done been through already, you know what
I mean. Right, But because you lose the spiritual side
of it, you don't you don't tap into it. So
when you're seeing, when you're feeling something, that's the spiritual
(09:43):
side talking to you. So when you ignore it, you
always regret it, bro like all the time.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Yeah, man, you're a spiritual guy. Very Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
You believe in a higher power, absolutely sure. You pray
every day, that's right, Yeah, that's right. Do you pray?
Do you say do we say thank you? Do pray
for strength? What do we pray for? I pray for everything,
but most most about just appreciation. Because when I pray,
I don't really pray to ask I just pray.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
To sustain yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
And I think that's the difference in a lot of
prayers because most people, when you pray and to ask
for certain things, it goes beyond the appreciation of the
blessings that's existing already. Is more about telling God what
you want versus thinking of what you already have you
know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Yes, sir bars, I like that. Yo, Lady Gaga was
your artist? Yeah, and then uh and then she wasn't. Yeah,
how did that work out? You take contractor out or
the contract? That was it? She moved on? Yeah? Oh man,
well good for her, great for her. Yeah, right, it's
all good, Oh great, because we.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Both won a big way, you know what I mean.
And I think it's like in any situation, you know
it's gonna it's gonna last until it ends. Sure, you know,
now you can continue to go further, or you can
find a different direction in which you want to go.
But I think she was in that stage of her
career where she wanted to go in a direction where
she controlled the majority of what she wanted to do,
and I felt like it was it was a good
move her.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Yeah, man, did you see that talent when you had her?
When you first saw her. I mean, because her range
now is just stupid.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
She started on the dance pop side, and I mean
she's doing stuff with Tony Bennett and just she's a
class and.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Now she's in her joker, right, joker coming out the
first time?
Speaker 2 (11:21):
You say she was always she was always one of
those special artistic people, right. So, And when I say artistic,
I don't mean from a perspective of you know, the
other artistic, but I mean like creatively, she was like
always amazing, Like I always knew that music would be
just the beginning in the cornerstone of where she's gonna
end up.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Wow, you know what I'm saying. She was mult one absolutely.
You know. I met her and she asked me if
I knew who you were, and I'm like, yeah, I
know who akon. When she was first starting out, I
was working at a station in Vegas Monday morning. I'm
doing mornings. She knocks on the window and it's said,
I thought it was a winner, like picking up the prize,
And you know, she's like, I'm lady. G guy performed
(12:01):
at a pool party last night here in Vegas, and
I was wondering if you could interview me. I'm like, yeah, yeah,
for sure. And at that point I had heard of her,
but not much, right, so I let her in and
I mean she she couldn't have been the coolest person ever,
you know what I mean? And she was extremely talented
and extremely hungry to get it. Yes, yeah, is that
what you look for an artist? Hunger?
Speaker 2 (12:21):
That hunger is everything?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Yeah, in their eyes or do you hear it in
their voice?
Speaker 2 (12:26):
No? You just you know in their actions, okay. And
you know a hungry artist by what they're willing to
do and what they're not willing to do right, and
more than anything, they're consistency and doing it. Like me,
if I see an artist that's just constantly wanting to
go to work, everybody want to go to club, but
now they want to go to the studio, that's what
you want. That's what you want. Art is that work,
(12:46):
and their motivation is there just to make sure that
they're not only good, but their families taken care of.
When you got those two attributes, you got a superstar.
All they need now is a hit record and a support. Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Yeah, one hit records don't necessarily turn into another, right right?
Once you hit that one hit record, now the work
really starts.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Exactly because that hit record opens a door for everything
you want to do, whether it's musically, whether it's from
an e commerce perspective, you got products you want to sell,
or just opening doors for different concepts and ideas to
help you grow who you are, you know what I mean.
So it's like you got to be able to find
artists that knows how to walk through them doors and
know what they want when they get there, because most
artists don't plan that far, and those are the ones
(13:28):
that don't last as long, you know what I mean,
because they looking at it for the time being, Oh,
this all waiting my record pop on my album drop.
Oh it's gonna be crazy all right, But then the
album drops? Now what?
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Wow? Exactly? Now what? Now? What?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Right? That's the scariest place to be.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Have you ever been approached by a major label to
be head of an R or to run the label? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Many times. But I gave a job to Boo.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
That's right. Yeah, Boo took that.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
He definitely ran ran with it. I could never do
it because I could. I'm not a I'm not a
behind the desk guy. I'll go crazy. I gotta be
moving like I gotta go find I'm the guy that
eat what he killed, right, you know what I'm saying. Yeah,
I gotta go out there and hunt. I gotta figure
it out because I got more of an entrepreneur mentality.
(14:17):
I just don't believe that I can. I can bring
more for you going out there to bring it back
versus sitting there waiting for you to give me something
to Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Yeah, the world right period.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
My landline is myself.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Headliners only tour. We Burn a Boy was like, so,
who who who Headliners?
Speaker 2 (14:41):
I'm like, it's got to be we're both headliners. Yeah,
We're both headliners. And just so you know the what
I'm doing with that, Kevin Hart, by the way, is
my partner on it. So we got the production company
together on Headliners only for the music aspect of what
he's doing in Headliners And the first one I was
shot was picked up by Netflix with him and Chris
Rock and it was based on comedy. The second one
(15:02):
is going to be done with me and burn a Boy,
which is based on music. The only difference is after it,
we actually have this huge concert which will be airing,
So it's gonna be a concert film that's gonna air
in all the theaters in February. Yeah, so it's gonna
be it's gonna be super crazy.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
That's crazy. Yeah, y'all got a special popcorn bucket for this.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I was gonna be playing popcorn candy, customized popcorn.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
You know what about that? Yeah? Because that that Yeah,
that merch is crazy.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
The marketing for popcorn buckets now is like Disney.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
That would be crazy.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Your idea. I'll make sure everybody New CRUs gave me
the idea.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
I appreciate that. Appreciate that is the producer. I always wondered, like, yeah,
like why aren't like merch? You know, how can merchan?
Is it being sold outside of a movie for that movie?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Right? Nah, he's right.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
They should.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Being an artist and for having a career as long
as you have, How do you remain so positive when
this industry can be so dark place?
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Right? Well, I mean the thing is, you can't be
a part of the industry. The industry is just a vehicle,
you know what I mean. I think what happens is
when people become superstars in their mind, they've already decided
how they're gonna behave when they make it. The average person,
Oh man, when I be an artist. I'm gonna do this.
I'm aware of this is I'm gonna get this, I'm
gonna be ware here. So in their mind they already
have a dream of what that looks like to them, right, yes,
(16:38):
and then they finally make it and they become that.
So when you have to become something you're actually you're
getting out of who you are to become something that
you inspire to be.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
And the stereotype of someone that's famous or rich and
famous is this energy, this attitude, this certain crowds, specific
restaurant specific, you know, this car like It's just that
that's the part that that I never really me I
hate it, like with a passion. That's why I don't
(17:12):
hang around celebrities. I'm always little key. I'm around the
people that I rock with, business with or family. You know,
you don't really see me out there in the circuit
like that because it's that energy that it just looks
plastic to me, so fake. Wow, you know what I mean.
I can't be around along without feeling disrespected even though
they're not doing anything. Yeah, it's because they're not doing anything. Yeah,
(17:37):
It's like, bro, I know this is all a mass
like I know you, bro, Like I know you.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Yeah, like bro, I can stop stop and unfortunate. But
you know a lot of artists allow when I say
a lot a lot of artists see it that way
and they have to be that way right and have
to force themselves to become something in order to become right.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
That's that's the mindset, that's what they think. And in
social media put exactly put the gasoline on it, because
social media has become the platform where you can become
whoever you want it to be, and no one can
prove you're not that person right on the platform, right
because I know a lot of ball there's a lot
of killers little social media. I'm like where you know
(18:26):
what I'm saying. I've seen you cry before, Like stop, you're.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Right people high behind that social media.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Yeah, social media is something boy.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Yeah, And you don't necessarily have to are You don't
have to prove it, you know yo. One artist that
I was into it was sad to see him go
was Coast to titch Man Rest in Peace. Man.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Coast was a man, that dude he was. He was unbelievable, bro, unbelievable.
He was unbelieving too soon, way too soon and Mega
as well. Yeah, man, yeah, those those those are two
big artists that I just knew that was gonna be
another big pinnacle of my career of just breaking new talent,
you know, especially Coaster, because Coaster was one of those artists,
(19:10):
like he broke the stereotype of what Africans are supposed
to look like a lot of people didn't know that.
Wells imagine a more cleaner cut of six y nine
yeah nine right, but could dance? His ass are better
than Chris Brown bro and did I'm a piano music? Yeah,
(19:35):
Like talent unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
He's a short king, yeah, short king. But like.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
When you see him perform, you sold. It was like
what And he was African born. Ray spoke the dialect everything.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Blonde hair, but people to think this only black people
exist in Africa, that it's a melting part of different
you know.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
But it was just interesting because I was like, Okay,
he's gonna break He's gonna break the barrier of the
stereotype of what people think Africa is supposed to look
like like. But yeah, he was. He was already going
we put out his record, and the record literally was
already man, he was at ten million views in less
than a month.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Crazy. He was, he was, he was, he man, Yeah,
and we lost him.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
He was performing live, performing live and died on the stage.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Had a seizure, I believe, or something like that. I'm
not too sure, but.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, it was. It was something here he had that
caused the seizure. He swallowed his tongue.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
You can see the video on TikTok. It's wild.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
It's crazy, man. But you know he's a legend now, Yeah,
he's a legend, man, young man. And I know that
you you had music with him and you were.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Yeah, you're working. We was literally just putting him out.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Yeah you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Oh yeah, he was. We already had a full tour
routed for him. We had just left Dubai before we
came to South Africa. Do that that that that show
that he that he was at. It was, man, it was, yeah,
it was. It was a tough time though, because I
was Those are things you really can't understand. Like, no
matter how spiritual you are or whatever, you question God
in questions like this, you'd be like, why why him?
Speaker 1 (21:08):
I don't like person to blame.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
You don't you don't understand you don't know, so you
just don't question at that point. Because one thing I
realized though, is like certain things happened within reflections, like
it could have been something in the future that he
would have came across then that might have changed the
dynamics of life. You understand what I'm saying, because with
(21:32):
that kind of talent, he was going to be indoors
that I probably wouldn't be able to control he walking
into Wow, does that make sense? So I look at
it like whatever decision was made for his life, it
was a reason for it. But that's something for me
to find out that they you know, I'm in that
same situation.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
You know when we crossed that.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
When you say she is the future, talk to us
about so she people to interview?
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Yes, Cruise, you the smartest God, know you the smartest guy.
Know that you're the smartest guy. I promise you. That's
gonna be a day when they come be like, yeah, man,
I was watching that Cruise interview and they was in
the back and they was talking about him. Man, they
said he was gonna be this one day. Because that's
what happened with Gotty. I would go to every radio station.
(22:18):
I just have her sit right there, she just be watching.
And then one day they called her up and was like, yes,
who are you like, lady, just like how it is.
And bro, not even two years later, she was the
biggest artist on the planet until this day. They keep
that same glitch like, yeah, we had her here first.
No one would ever know because you just don't know.
(22:39):
But one thing I can tell you about them, everything
that I described and artists, they already exhabit. But they're
the most amazing songwriters. They actually produced their own music.
And they brothers. They came up from the same one
went through the same struggle. Both was locked up at
the exact same time. The little brother was a little
more hard headed, so he took more time. Will be
(23:00):
nice for the most part. When they got a grind.
I've never seen an artist and I haven't heard now.
I've never heard a whack record from him ever, wow shot. Ever,
like the older one, Ellens, he has more of a
confidence thing. So I think I compare him to Kanye
because of the confidence of it, because he believes he's
(23:21):
the greatest rapper alive. I love that he really believes it,
though like no like for real and then when you
hear them, you will understand why.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
So I always try to help, you know, tell him
to be a little more humble because I know how
great he is. So I want the people to just
hear it and say it, versus him saying.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, show them, don't tell them right now,
Ski is different.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
He's totally opposite of his brother, super quiet. He don't
never say nothing, but he's a monster. Yeah, you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
It's almos a beautiful balance.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
So that's just the perfect balance.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Yeah, they're totally opposite. And how did this relationship come together?
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Actually, it's it because there was a part of that
I had previously where him did a joint venture and
then eventually he allowed me to just take the group
over completely. Because once me and Elan that's locked in
on some songwriting stuff, the chemistry was just on a
different level. So we decided to just make it full spledge.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
So now, yeah, So before the end of the year,
they'll be dropping their first record calls. It's the name
of the records called Glock on Me, but the clean
version is called A Lot on Me. Okay, oh dope, Okay, No,
it's the video's coming very soon. Singles coming very soon.
So we'll be coming to see you.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Shoot it, man, play on it, man. Yeah, we'll get
fused to get on it.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
You know what, you get fused?
Speaker 4 (24:37):
What's on the other day, I saw something about, you know,
the NFL talking about expanding to Africa, right and they
were saying, you know, they're already doing their stuff in Europe,
et cetera. And the first person I thought about was you,
because I don't think there's ever been an artist in
my lifetime that's done more for their continent than you.
I mean, renewable energy, all the stuff that you're doing. Man,
what is the next plateau for Africa as far as commerce,
(25:02):
you know, whatever it may be, economy, sports, whatever, do
you what do you feel is the next step?
Speaker 2 (25:07):
We? I mean the next I mean development right now
is the steps that's happening right But I think Africa
right now, the way it's going, it's about to become China,
mainly because the Chinese have come in and gave them
the blueprint of how they built China in the last
fifty years, and now they're applying that same blueprint to Africa.
And as you know, Africans are a little bit more aggressive.
(25:27):
They work a little bit more harder, and they move
around more and they're willing to expand beyond their culture.
So I think Africa's gonna grow faster than China did
because China was a little bit different. They're more quiet,
they're not as aggressive, and they keep everything within culture.
Africa is totally opposite of everything, so that they're gonna
grow a lot faster, you know what I'm saying, And
in the youth, a lot more vibrant. They're so vibrant.
(25:50):
And then more than anything, they harness already entertainment and
film in Africa already, which China also didn't have. So
now imagine having all of those aspects of manufacturing and
assembly plants and distribution channels and you know, e commerce platforms,
and you mix it with the younger generation of Africa
(26:11):
and the minds that they already have there, with the
energy that they got with mixing with entertainment and film
with almost two billion people, just imagine what that is.
So if you're not investing anywhere, I promise you anything
that you put in Africa, you're going ten x. Wow.
Without even thinking twice, I'm gonna.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Give you a twenty before I leave.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Okay, I come back, come back with two hundred for
you take E B TA JPL.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
That's are you? Are you a gambler? Do you gamble?
Speaker 2 (26:49):
No?
Speaker 1 (26:49):
I don't gamble at all, just like you don't smoke
or drink. We don't gamble.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
It's just I've seen the there's well put it this way,
anything that outweighed the bad versus the good. I stay
away from. Okay, gambling. Yeah, when you win, you win big,
but you lose more than you win. Yeah, right, yeah,
so I'd rather not lose. Yeah, I'd rather just if
(27:16):
I'm a gambler's gonna be on.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Myself because you can win thirty forty fifty racks, but
you could lose your entire home period, which is worth
way more.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Than exactly exactly.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
It's a dangerous place to be. Who's the smartest artist
that you've worked.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
With, the smartest artist on your shoulders?
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Paws Like, I think you know there's when when when
it comes to brilliance, you embody that is there is? Yeah,
because you gotta think intelligence come in different ways too,
Sure you know what I mean. Yeah, But if I
would say from a perspective of creativity, or probably would
be Lady Gotta.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
I would say that for sure. If it comes from
a perspective of business, it will probably be Walker flaka
Walker Fkka. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Wow, excuse us for being surprised by that. But like,
he's brilliant.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Business wise, he's a brilliant how so he's a whack wrapper,
but he makes it up in business one hundred thousand
per The kid is brilliant.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
I think he'll tell you that himself.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Yeah, he would, That's only why I repeated it. But
he was. He wasn't lying. He's super smart.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
And he knows how to network. He knows how to
put two and two together. And I think being an
entrepreneur is understanding what this value is and how this
value can become something. Yes, he knows, he knows that.
He gets that, and it's not that many people that
understood it before master P did. Wow.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
Yeah, it's master P.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Yeah, he's the godfather of understanding that. But even before
master P, there was mc Hammer that a lot of
people forgot about who had the most brilliant and the
best musical contract in the music business.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
And none of that being funded by the Oakland a's right,
getting the age to fund your musical career.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
I mean so, I mean we all looked at those
certain things that help us kind of condition ourselves from
a business perspective, but we all depended on our hustle
and just got in, understood it and figured out how
to be creative. Right. But they came from a business
perspective because a lot of those guys went to college
actually had real business degrees. We just figured it out
as we got in.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
You know what was Michael Jackson like?
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Off? He was a godfather. I only I only didn't
mention him because he's not here no more. But if
you're talking about the most the most brilliant businessman and
artists in the world, he's the pinnacle. He's a pinnacle.
He taught us all how to get without even talking
to you. You know. But I was blessed to be
in the same room and get those jewels and get
(29:45):
that information and understand the dynamics of how the games
are played in the music business.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
And the man he was buying catalogs understand right, he
bought Paul McCartney's catalog, He understood it.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
He understood that it.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Did you hear his real voice.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Oh yeah, what.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
That sound like? Was it deeper? Loved, deeper deeper.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
That's crazy because I was actually just watching a TikTok
video about like his real voice, and I'm like over
here trying to really listen.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
But it's crazy because we will.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
I don't think like like the impact that he had, you,
like the craziness that fans had for him, the admiration.
I've never seen that.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, because Mike was the only person that actually lived
a calculated life. Everything about him was choreograft old everything. Yeah,
because you got to say he was born into it.
So as a kid he learned how to manipulate, not
from a bad perspective, but from a good perspective, in
other words, separating the man and the artist. Yeah, he'll
turn on like this, We'd be having a normal, regular
(30:47):
conversation when in the Maid walk In his voice goes
from hey, how are you? How are you? Everything? Okay?
Speaker 1 (30:51):
M h m hmm, like on clockwork, turn it on quick.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
You would never know like he knew how to switch
it on it off.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
He was a different human being, different and a generational artist.
Loves Michael Jackson and my three.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Year old, and he understood imaging better than anybody. When
you start talking about the perception of what this is
that the world should know about him, and the perception
of what his family knows. There was two different contrasts,
you know what I'm saying. So he knew how to
sell the audience who he was to them. But then
when he's behind closed doors with friends and family, that
(31:27):
was a whole different type of mic.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
Wow, he was social media before social media.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
He created his own filters too, headline his only tour
with so many songs? Acon, how do you get all
these songs done in one night? A night after night?
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Oh man, it's I guess. The more you do it,
you start to adjust to the audience depending on who's
an audience. You know, which songs that you're gonna play,
which songs you're not going to play. The beauty is
having a catalog big enough to decide, right, you know
what I mean? So, yeah, you got music for every audience.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Yeah, yeah, man? And Beautiful Day is out?
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (32:06):
And there was you you were were you inspired by
that kid who was singing it? That? Right?
Speaker 2 (32:11):
There was? It was that that was actually a wake
up call for me. Okay, So to hear him singing
that song was one of them things was like, Damn,
I did make a huge impact and an influence. You
know what I mean, because a lot of people don't
have a clue, but what none of my old music
sounded like, and what are my older songs sounded like?
That's never been released, so they never really know, right,
(32:33):
So to hear that and hear him on that record
on that on that level, it was like, damn, we're
we're literally now influencing kids that wasn't even alive to
see my my run. But then when I realized how
crazy that song went and how viral it went, I
was like, okay, I got to redo this record again.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
Yeah it's.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
And it just happened as I'm thinking that, we go
to Miami connected with you Ill rod him and he
was like, man, I got this idea. Is this song
that I want to play for you? And he plays
me that damn song? And I said, bro, we were
just talking about that. It was it was it was all,
it was all decid.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
It was meant that's right. It was meant to be.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Hey, check your Richard the Cruse Show. Thanks for listening
to The Cruise Show podcast. To make sure to subscribe
and hey, auto download so you don't miss an episode,
so so so so
Yo, what up? Man?
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Is your boy a Connor? You're checking out the Cruise
Show podcast? Make sure you subscribe, rate and ship. It's
worth it, I promise you. Let's go yo.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey, conn is back on the Cruise Show. Let's get away.
So many hits, dog. Now let's play intro number two
because then there's a whole nother intro, so many songs. Acon,
congratulations on this career yours man.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You always had the most craziest intros though.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Yeah, shout out to DJ Fuse for that. Yes, yes,
sir smack, I see you.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Good to see you, man.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
She was running from the law. That's why he's in
the corner.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
You feel me.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
It's crazy, man. The catalog is wild, man, that's what's up.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Man.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah, every time I see Akon, I gotta take congratulations.
I got to do. There's always congratulations in order when
it comes to Acon. How you feeling, how's your spirit? Man?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I feel amazing, bro, Yeah, absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Feeling good man. You know you brought the team.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Man, she's looking that's the future, that's right, lay up next,
up next.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
I like that. You know. Akon is responsible for a
few stars in this business. You know what I'm saying
your hand in that. Yeah, man, beautiful day sounds great.
Thank you mangratulations that good vibe that we are used
to getting from Akon, right, what's the energy that went
behind that?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
It was about just bringing just a positive vibration back
to the music business.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
When I came back from Africa and I came home,
it just felt so dark man. You know, I saw
a lot of the drill rappers dying, a lot of
small young guys that's coming up before their career could
even get to a certain level that you know, the
obituaries beat you know, meet before their bios to an extent,
and it was like, man, this is crazy. But then
when I was just listening to I was looking for
something to be more like, something that would motivate me
(01:44):
into it, and I just really didn't hear it, you know,
So I was like, you know, I think this is
the time when the music just needs to shift into
a more positive vibration, honestly. But what I did like
is how the West Coast shifted though. A lot happened
on this side, A lot happened on this side, and
I love it because I know, notice that it's been
getting a lot like the West Coast really been supporting
West Coast music. Yeah, I noticed that since you guys
(02:06):
like it's been needed, Yeah, it's been needed. You know
a lot of local artists are now getting heard and
played and actually getting recognized nationally and that and then
it's and it's good like it's it's club music, is
happy music. Like I was like, okay, I can rock
with this right here?
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Yeah, nah, akon. You know, I was fortunate enough to
see you come up in this business, right rolling in
a van with four other artists, five other artists doing radio,
you know, sleeping in the van, sleeping where you can
just to get put one get belly Dancer on the air.
You know, Man, I saw it, Man, I saw it right,
And that's the hard way, right, There's there's a different
(02:39):
way to go about getting I guess famous or noticed now.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Right, another conversation, because I always believe that anything that
you that's fast tracked don't last, right, So that's why
I'm still here today. Even though the technology has advanced,
it don't change the blueprint on how you get things popping,
and you keep it fas like. Sustainability to me is
the most important thing, right, you could put out a
(03:03):
record that'd be great for a week. But if you
could put out a record that'd be great for ten years,
one hundred years, a thousand years. It's a different conversation.
It's a different type of work that needs to be
put into you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
And I think you've always had this mindset. You've had
it for a long time. You told T Pain, I
can't give you the biggest check, but I can give
you a career, right, That's what you told Ta Pain,
And that's exactly what you did. And he went with you,
and he chose you over millions of dollars.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yep, we sure did. Wow, you sure did.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
What a moment, Yeah, man, and look at him now
killing it still legendary. T Pain is killing y'all. Legend
Thank you. What's your biggest song in your opinion? You
know there's obviously chart toppers, right obviously, Yeah, But if I.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Would say, out of all my records, the biggest one
will probably be.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Mister Lonely, Mister Lonely. Yeah, we were listening to that.
If you caught Jackie singing that, Mabe, was that a fast?
The whole catalog was on black? Was that a fast?
Song to make or was that a links?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
No?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Actually, all my songs were pretty quick, you know, because
they was all they was kind of written before I
even did it, because it was all more based on
the actual, uh situations I was dealing with. So most
songs that you deal with, that's based on your experience.
It's easier to write. It's really more about how do
I want it to feel though when someone else kind
of listens to it, you know what I'm saying. Sure,
and that was the direction. But once I realized where
(04:21):
I was going production wise, the song was done within
a few hours.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
With all those hits, is there ever, Is there ever
or will there ever be an opportunity for you to
sell your catalog?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah? I think I think opportunities to sell is every day. Okay,
that's every day, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Sale?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, like you at any moment, you just put a
sign up for sale, and I promise you there'll be
a lot of banks by it. Right.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yeah. What do you think your catalog is worth if
you had to put a number on it, if I
put a number on it, priceless, Yeah, for sure, I
get it out of Christ. We're talking a lot of money. Here.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, yeah, I take a billion dollars a billion, I
would's make it happen about that.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Sure, I'll take a billion. Two let's myself in the mix.
Feel Me Beautiful Day is on all streaming platforms. What
a song? What's up? Jack? How does it feel to.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Be so timeless? Because I was just telling the guys
before that, my introduction to you is my getting.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Ready, her auntie fealing her makeup.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Afterwards so I could take it, and it was just like,
and now you being here, It's just like, so it's
just generational. How does it feel to actually be an
artist that's like that?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Nah? Man, it's interesting. I forgot who I was talking
to about it. But when we did the Acon Superfan,
I was realizing that we actually had generational fans. So
you would have the mom who came with her daughter,
and then the daughter brought her baby.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Yeah, like we had.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Literally three generations of so a lot of the venues
that we chose, we literally could have flipped them four
or five, six times over because of that alone, but
because of the super Fan too. We wanted to have
a one time, one only type experien is in that city.
We realize just how layered our fan base was in generation,
you know what I mean. So that's another thing that
also made me say, yo, yeah we got we have
(06:10):
to come back, because yeah, they I mean it was
kids like six seven years old Numa songs.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah, and you know what I mean, there's not a
lot of artists, I believe, right in my opinion, this
is cruise. There's not a lot of artists that hold
that weight, I think. Right, there's a lot of artists obviously, right,
but it's a generational artist, right, right, right, I think
there's a handful of you'll.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yeah, it's a handful of using for sure. Straight up.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
I think that's to your benefit because once that younger
generation catches up, then that's why music becomes so cyclical,
right because then they hear that, they go, damn, that's
fresh to me. Let me make something like that, and
then that's when your legacy never.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Dies, right absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Man, it's like introducing our kids to the Beatles or
whatever it is.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Yeah, they got to know about Earth Wind and fire Man.
It's just kind of the way that is. You mentioned
Mice Lonely being your favorite or your biggest song in
your mind. What do people yell at you when they
see you, like at the airport, or they yell a
song up.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
So it's interesting because it depends on what city I'm
in and who's yelling. Right, So if it's somebody black,
they're gonna yell locked up a kind of young Jesus.
Those are two most famous from black people. Right, that's
just how I go. Right, if they're white, they're gonna
(07:31):
yell smack that I want to love you. It's interesting
that that's just how it's been that. No, it's and
it's the weirdest.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Is the weirdest thing, you know, hilarious. Yeah, each each song,
I guess has its demographic, right.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
No, it's so crazy, but interestingly enough because I know
the Hispanic market is so kind of separated. But before
when Baby I'm Back was out, anybody that I saw
was that was like Mexican was singing the Baby Back
record to me. Yeah, because of the Bash. And then
when I went more towards like the eastern Latin side,
like Puerto Rico area, day be singing the Dons I
(08:10):
could Doudeo record back to. So it was like it
was always something and it dependent on who it was singing.
But for the most part, between those two, the black
and white side. I get those all the time.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
That makes too much sense, that crazy. Is there any
regrets when it comes to this.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Career of yours? Oh no, no regrets, absolutely no, absolutely,
not else only lessons, right, No, not absolutely, that's absolutely
you know. I think with everybody, there's always certain decisions
you wish you could go turn back the hands of
time to actually make. But then I think about, Okay,
let's say I did make that decision thinking it would
have been a better decision. I'm already knowing had I
(08:50):
made that decision that I thought I should have made,
it would have been worse because I wouldn't be here
today if I did.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
True, very true.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Do you follow like an instinct?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Instincts? Man? I amis you?
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Now?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
My instincts follow me everywhere I go. I don't care
how crazy it sound to everybody else. If my instinct
says moved this way, that's the way I'm moving. Because
every time I went against my instincts, I regretted it
every time.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
It's a lesson every time.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Yeah, And it's kind of sad that more people don't
do that.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
We live in such an analytical world. Like, it doesn't matter
if it's sports or it's music or social. Everybody's so
caught up in numbers. They don't trust their gut. Nom.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
They don't trust their gut no more. And they so
worried about what other people are gonna think. Yeah, you
know what I mean, And you don't even know. You
gotta like there's a there's an inner psyche within all
of us, right, that's why deja vu actually exists, some
ship that you done been through already, you know what
I mean. Right, But because you lose the spiritual side
of it, you don't you don't tap into it. So
when you're seeing, when you're feeling something, that's the spiritual
(09:43):
side talking to you. So when you ignore it, you
always regret it, bro like all the time.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Yeah, man, you're a spiritual guy. Very Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
You believe in a higher power, absolutely sure. You pray
every day, that's right, Yeah, that's right. Do you pray?
Do you say do we say thank you? Do pray
for strength? What do we pray for? I pray for everything,
but most most about just appreciation. Because when I pray,
I don't really pray to ask I just pray.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
To sustain yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
And I think that's the difference in a lot of
prayers because most people, when you pray and to ask
for certain things, it goes beyond the appreciation of the
blessings that's existing already. Is more about telling God what
you want versus thinking of what you already have you
know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Yes, sir bars, I like that. Yo, Lady Gaga was
your artist? Yeah, and then uh and then she wasn't. Yeah,
how did that work out? You take contractor out or
the contract? That was it? She moved on? Yeah? Oh man,
well good for her, great for her. Yeah, right, it's
all good, Oh great, because we.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Both won a big way, you know what I mean.
And I think it's like in any situation, you know
it's gonna it's gonna last until it ends. Sure, you know,
now you can continue to go further, or you can
find a different direction in which you want to go.
But I think she was in that stage of her
career where she wanted to go in a direction where
she controlled the majority of what she wanted to do,
and I felt like it was it was a good
move her.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Yeah, man, did you see that talent when you had her?
When you first saw her. I mean, because her range
now is just stupid.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
She started on the dance pop side, and I mean
she's doing stuff with Tony Bennett and just she's a
class and.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Now she's in her joker, right, joker coming out the
first time?
Speaker 2 (11:21):
You say she was always she was always one of
those special artistic people, right. So, And when I say artistic,
I don't mean from a perspective of you know, the
other artistic, but I mean like creatively, she was like
always amazing, Like I always knew that music would be
just the beginning in the cornerstone of where she's gonna
end up.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Wow, you know what I'm saying. She was mult one absolutely.
You know. I met her and she asked me if
I knew who you were, and I'm like, yeah, I
know who akon. When she was first starting out, I
was working at a station in Vegas Monday morning. I'm
doing mornings. She knocks on the window and it's said,
I thought it was a winner, like picking up the prize,
And you know, she's like, I'm lady. G guy performed
(12:01):
at a pool party last night here in Vegas, and
I was wondering if you could interview me. I'm like, yeah, yeah,
for sure. And at that point I had heard of her,
but not much, right, so I let her in and
I mean she she couldn't have been the coolest person ever,
you know what I mean? And she was extremely talented
and extremely hungry to get it. Yes, yeah, is that
what you look for an artist? Hunger?
Speaker 2 (12:21):
That hunger is everything?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Yeah, in their eyes or do you hear it in
their voice?
Speaker 2 (12:26):
No? You just you know in their actions, okay. And
you know a hungry artist by what they're willing to
do and what they're not willing to do right, and
more than anything, they're consistency and doing it. Like me,
if I see an artist that's just constantly wanting to
go to work, everybody want to go to club, but
now they want to go to the studio, that's what
you want. That's what you want. Art is that work,
(12:46):
and their motivation is there just to make sure that
they're not only good, but their families taken care of.
When you got those two attributes, you got a superstar.
All they need now is a hit record and a support. Wow.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Yeah, one hit records don't necessarily turn into another, right right?
Once you hit that one hit record, now the work
really starts.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Exactly because that hit record opens a door for everything
you want to do, whether it's musically, whether it's from
an e commerce perspective, you got products you want to sell,
or just opening doors for different concepts and ideas to
help you grow who you are, you know what I mean.
So it's like you got to be able to find
artists that knows how to walk through them doors and
know what they want when they get there, because most
artists don't plan that far, and those are the ones
(13:28):
that don't last as long, you know what I mean,
because they looking at it for the time being, Oh,
this all waiting my record pop on my album drop.
Oh it's gonna be crazy all right, But then the
album drops? Now what?
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Wow? Exactly? Now what? Now? What?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Right? That's the scariest place to be.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Have you ever been approached by a major label to
be head of an R or to run the label? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Many times. But I gave a job to Boo.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
That's right. Yeah, Boo took that.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
He definitely ran ran with it. I could never do
it because I could. I'm not a I'm not a
behind the desk guy. I'll go crazy. I gotta be
moving like I gotta go find I'm the guy that
eat what he killed, right, you know what I'm saying. Yeah,
I gotta go out there and hunt. I gotta figure
it out because I got more of an entrepreneur mentality.
(14:17):
I just don't believe that I can. I can bring
more for you going out there to bring it back
versus sitting there waiting for you to give me something
to Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Yeah, the world right period.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
My landline is myself.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Headliners only tour. We Burn a Boy was like, so,
who who who Headliners?
Speaker 2 (14:41):
I'm like, it's got to be we're both headliners. Yeah,
We're both headliners. And just so you know the what
I'm doing with that, Kevin Hart, by the way, is
my partner on it. So we got the production company
together on Headliners only for the music aspect of what
he's doing in Headliners And the first one I was
shot was picked up by Netflix with him and Chris
Rock and it was based on comedy. The second one
(15:02):
is going to be done with me and burn a Boy,
which is based on music. The only difference is after it,
we actually have this huge concert which will be airing,
So it's gonna be a concert film that's gonna air
in all the theaters in February. Yeah, so it's gonna
be it's gonna be super crazy.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
That's crazy. Yeah, y'all got a special popcorn bucket for this.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I was gonna be playing popcorn candy, customized popcorn.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
You know what about that? Yeah? Because that that Yeah,
that merch is crazy.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
The marketing for popcorn buckets now is like Disney.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
That would be crazy.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Your idea. I'll make sure everybody New CRUs gave me
the idea.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
I appreciate that. Appreciate that is the producer. I always wondered, like, yeah,
like why aren't like merch? You know, how can merchan?
Is it being sold outside of a movie for that movie?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Right? Nah, he's right.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
They should.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Being an artist and for having a career as long
as you have, How do you remain so positive when
this industry can be so dark place?
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Right? Well, I mean the thing is, you can't be
a part of the industry. The industry is just a vehicle,
you know what I mean. I think what happens is
when people become superstars in their mind, they've already decided
how they're gonna behave when they make it. The average person,
Oh man, when I be an artist. I'm gonna do this.
I'm aware of this is I'm gonna get this, I'm
gonna be ware here. So in their mind they already
have a dream of what that looks like to them, right, yes,
(16:38):
and then they finally make it and they become that.
So when you have to become something you're actually you're
getting out of who you are to become something that
you inspire to be.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
And the stereotype of someone that's famous or rich and
famous is this energy, this attitude, this certain crowds, specific
restaurant specific, you know, this car like It's just that
that's the part that that I never really me I
hate it, like with a passion. That's why I don't
(17:12):
hang around celebrities. I'm always little key. I'm around the
people that I rock with, business with or family. You know,
you don't really see me out there in the circuit
like that because it's that energy that it just looks
plastic to me, so fake. Wow, you know what I mean.
I can't be around along without feeling disrespected even though
they're not doing anything. Yeah, it's because they're not doing anything. Yeah,
(17:37):
It's like, bro, I know this is all a mass
like I know you, bro, Like I know you.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Yeah, like bro, I can stop stop and unfortunate. But
you know a lot of artists allow when I say
a lot a lot of artists see it that way
and they have to be that way right and have
to force themselves to become something in order to become right.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
That's that's the mindset, that's what they think. And in
social media put exactly put the gasoline on it, because
social media has become the platform where you can become
whoever you want it to be, and no one can
prove you're not that person right on the platform, right
because I know a lot of ball there's a lot
of killers little social media. I'm like where you know
(18:26):
what I'm saying. I've seen you cry before, Like stop, you're.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Right people high behind that social media.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Yeah, social media is something boy.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Yeah, And you don't necessarily have to are You don't
have to prove it, you know yo. One artist that
I was into it was sad to see him go
was Coast to titch Man Rest in Peace. Man.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Coast was a man, that dude he was. He was unbelievable, bro, unbelievable.
He was unbelieving too soon, way too soon and Mega
as well. Yeah, man, yeah, those those those are two
big artists that I just knew that was gonna be
another big pinnacle of my career of just breaking new talent,
you know, especially Coaster, because Coaster was one of those artists,
(19:10):
like he broke the stereotype of what Africans are supposed
to look like a lot of people didn't know that.
Wells imagine a more cleaner cut of six y nine
yeah nine right, but could dance? His ass are better
than Chris Brown bro and did I'm a piano music? Yeah,
(19:35):
Like talent unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
He's a short king, yeah, short king. But like.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
When you see him perform, you sold. It was like
what And he was African born. Ray spoke the dialect everything.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Blonde hair, but people to think this only black people
exist in Africa, that it's a melting part of different
you know.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
But it was just interesting because I was like, Okay,
he's gonna break He's gonna break the barrier of the
stereotype of what people think Africa is supposed to look
like like. But yeah, he was. He was already going
we put out his record, and the record literally was
already man, he was at ten million views in less
than a month.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Crazy. He was, he was, he was, he man, Yeah,
and we lost him.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
He was performing live, performing live and died on the stage.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Had a seizure, I believe, or something like that. I'm
not too sure, but.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, it was. It was something here he had that
caused the seizure. He swallowed his tongue.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
You can see the video on TikTok. It's wild.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
It's crazy, man. But you know he's a legend now, Yeah,
he's a legend, man, young man. And I know that
you you had music with him and you were.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Yeah, you're working. We was literally just putting him out.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Yeah you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Oh yeah, he was. We already had a full tour
routed for him. We had just left Dubai before we
came to South Africa. Do that that that that show
that he that he was at. It was, man, it was, yeah,
it was. It was a tough time though, because I
was Those are things you really can't understand. Like, no
matter how spiritual you are or whatever, you question God
in questions like this, you'd be like, why why him?
Speaker 1 (21:08):
I don't like person to blame.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
You don't you don't understand you don't know, so you
just don't question at that point. Because one thing I
realized though, is like certain things happened within reflections, like
it could have been something in the future that he
would have came across then that might have changed the
dynamics of life. You understand what I'm saying, because with
(21:32):
that kind of talent, he was going to be indoors
that I probably wouldn't be able to control he walking
into Wow, does that make sense? So I look at
it like whatever decision was made for his life, it
was a reason for it. But that's something for me
to find out that they you know, I'm in that
same situation.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
You know when we crossed that.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
When you say she is the future, talk to us
about so she people to interview?
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Yes, Cruise, you the smartest God, know you the smartest guy.
Know that you're the smartest guy. I promise you. That's
gonna be a day when they come be like, yeah, man,
I was watching that Cruise interview and they was in
the back and they was talking about him. Man, they
said he was gonna be this one day. Because that's
what happened with Gotty. I would go to every radio station.
(22:18):
I just have her sit right there, she just be watching.
And then one day they called her up and was like, yes,
who are you like, lady, just like how it is.
And bro, not even two years later, she was the
biggest artist on the planet until this day. They keep
that same glitch like, yeah, we had her here first.
No one would ever know because you just don't know.
(22:39):
But one thing I can tell you about them, everything
that I described and artists, they already exhabit. But they're
the most amazing songwriters. They actually produced their own music.
And they brothers. They came up from the same one
went through the same struggle. Both was locked up at
the exact same time. The little brother was a little
more hard headed, so he took more time. Will be
(23:00):
nice for the most part. When they got a grind.
I've never seen an artist and I haven't heard now.
I've never heard a whack record from him ever, wow shot. Ever,
like the older one, Ellens, he has more of a
confidence thing. So I think I compare him to Kanye
because of the confidence of it, because he believes he's
(23:21):
the greatest rapper alive. I love that he really believes it,
though like no like for real and then when you
hear them, you will understand why.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
So I always try to help, you know, tell him
to be a little more humble because I know how
great he is. So I want the people to just
hear it and say it, versus him saying.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, show them, don't tell them right now,
Ski is different.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
He's totally opposite of his brother, super quiet. He don't
never say nothing, but he's a monster. Yeah, you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
It's almos a beautiful balance.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
So that's just the perfect balance.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Yeah, they're totally opposite. And how did this relationship come together?
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Actually, it's it because there was a part of that
I had previously where him did a joint venture and
then eventually he allowed me to just take the group
over completely. Because once me and Elan that's locked in
on some songwriting stuff, the chemistry was just on a
different level. So we decided to just make it full spledge.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
So now, yeah, So before the end of the year,
they'll be dropping their first record calls. It's the name
of the records called Glock on Me, but the clean
version is called A Lot on Me. Okay, oh dope, Okay, No,
it's the video's coming very soon. Singles coming very soon.
So we'll be coming to see you.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Shoot it, man, play on it, man. Yeah, we'll get
fused to get on it.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
You know what, you get fused?
Speaker 4 (24:37):
What's on the other day, I saw something about, you know,
the NFL talking about expanding to Africa, right and they
were saying, you know, they're already doing their stuff in Europe,
et cetera. And the first person I thought about was you,
because I don't think there's ever been an artist in
my lifetime that's done more for their continent than you.
I mean, renewable energy, all the stuff that you're doing. Man,
what is the next plateau for Africa as far as commerce,
(25:02):
you know, whatever it may be, economy, sports, whatever, do
you what do you feel is the next step?
Speaker 2 (25:07):
We? I mean the next I mean development right now
is the steps that's happening right But I think Africa
right now, the way it's going, it's about to become China,
mainly because the Chinese have come in and gave them
the blueprint of how they built China in the last
fifty years, and now they're applying that same blueprint to Africa.
And as you know, Africans are a little bit more aggressive.
(25:27):
They work a little bit more harder, and they move
around more and they're willing to expand beyond their culture.
So I think Africa's gonna grow faster than China did
because China was a little bit different. They're more quiet,
they're not as aggressive, and they keep everything within culture.
Africa is totally opposite of everything, so that they're gonna
grow a lot faster, you know what I'm saying, And
in the youth, a lot more vibrant. They're so vibrant.
(25:50):
And then more than anything, they harness already entertainment and
film in Africa already, which China also didn't have. So
now imagine having all of those aspects of manufacturing and
assembly plants and distribution channels and you know, e commerce platforms,
and you mix it with the younger generation of Africa
(26:11):
and the minds that they already have there, with the
energy that they got with mixing with entertainment and film
with almost two billion people, just imagine what that is.
So if you're not investing anywhere, I promise you anything
that you put in Africa, you're going ten x. Wow.
Without even thinking twice, I'm gonna.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Give you a twenty before I leave.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Okay, I come back, come back with two hundred for
you take E B TA JPL.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
That's are you? Are you a gambler? Do you gamble?
Speaker 2 (26:49):
No?
Speaker 1 (26:49):
I don't gamble at all, just like you don't smoke
or drink. We don't gamble.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
It's just I've seen the there's well put it this way,
anything that outweighed the bad versus the good. I stay
away from. Okay, gambling. Yeah, when you win, you win big,
but you lose more than you win. Yeah, right, yeah,
so I'd rather not lose. Yeah, I'd rather just if
(27:16):
I'm a gambler's gonna be on.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Myself because you can win thirty forty fifty racks, but
you could lose your entire home period, which is worth
way more.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Than exactly exactly.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
It's a dangerous place to be. Who's the smartest artist
that you've worked.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
With, the smartest artist on your shoulders?
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Paws Like, I think you know there's when when when
it comes to brilliance, you embody that is there is? Yeah,
because you gotta think intelligence come in different ways too,
Sure you know what I mean. Yeah, But if I
would say from a perspective of creativity, or probably would
be Lady Gotta.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
I would say that for sure. If it comes from
a perspective of business, it will probably be Walker flaka
Walker Fkka. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Wow, excuse us for being surprised by that. But like,
he's brilliant.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Business wise, he's a brilliant how so he's a whack wrapper,
but he makes it up in business one hundred thousand
per The kid is brilliant.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
I think he'll tell you that himself.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Yeah, he would, That's only why I repeated it. But
he was. He wasn't lying. He's super smart.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
And he knows how to network. He knows how to
put two and two together. And I think being an
entrepreneur is understanding what this value is and how this
value can become something. Yes, he knows, he knows that.
He gets that, and it's not that many people that
understood it before master P did. Wow.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
Yeah, it's master P.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Yeah, he's the godfather of understanding that. But even before
master P, there was mc Hammer that a lot of
people forgot about who had the most brilliant and the
best musical contract in the music business.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
And none of that being funded by the Oakland a's right,
getting the age to fund your musical career.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
I mean so, I mean we all looked at those
certain things that help us kind of condition ourselves from
a business perspective, but we all depended on our hustle
and just got in, understood it and figured out how
to be creative. Right. But they came from a business
perspective because a lot of those guys went to college
actually had real business degrees. We just figured it out
as we got in.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
You know what was Michael Jackson like?
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Off? He was a godfather. I only I only didn't
mention him because he's not here no more. But if
you're talking about the most the most brilliant businessman and
artists in the world, he's the pinnacle. He's a pinnacle.
He taught us all how to get without even talking
to you. You know. But I was blessed to be
in the same room and get those jewels and get
(29:45):
that information and understand the dynamics of how the games
are played in the music business.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
And the man he was buying catalogs understand right, he
bought Paul McCartney's catalog, He understood it.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
He understood that it.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Did you hear his real voice.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Oh yeah, what.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
That sound like? Was it deeper? Loved, deeper deeper.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
That's crazy because I was actually just watching a TikTok
video about like his real voice, and I'm like over
here trying to really listen.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
But it's crazy because we will.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
I don't think like like the impact that he had, you,
like the craziness that fans had for him, the admiration.
I've never seen that.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, because Mike was the only person that actually lived
a calculated life. Everything about him was choreograft old everything. Yeah,
because you got to say he was born into it.
So as a kid he learned how to manipulate, not
from a bad perspective, but from a good perspective, in
other words, separating the man and the artist. Yeah, he'll
turn on like this, We'd be having a normal, regular
(30:47):
conversation when in the Maid walk In his voice goes
from hey, how are you? How are you? Everything? Okay?
Speaker 1 (30:51):
M h m hmm, like on clockwork, turn it on quick.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
You would never know like he knew how to switch
it on it off.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
He was a different human being, different and a generational artist.
Loves Michael Jackson and my three.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Year old, and he understood imaging better than anybody. When
you start talking about the perception of what this is
that the world should know about him, and the perception
of what his family knows. There was two different contrasts,
you know what I'm saying. So he knew how to
sell the audience who he was to them. But then
when he's behind closed doors with friends and family, that
(31:27):
was a whole different type of mic.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
Wow, he was social media before social media.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
He created his own filters too, headline his only tour
with so many songs? Acon, how do you get all
these songs done in one night? A night after night?
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Oh man, it's I guess. The more you do it,
you start to adjust to the audience depending on who's
an audience. You know, which songs that you're gonna play,
which songs you're not going to play. The beauty is
having a catalog big enough to decide, right, you know
what I mean? So, yeah, you got music for every audience.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Yeah, yeah, man? And Beautiful Day is out?
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (32:06):
And there was you you were were you inspired by
that kid who was singing it? That? Right?
Speaker 2 (32:11):
There was? It was that that was actually a wake
up call for me. Okay, So to hear him singing
that song was one of them things was like, Damn,
I did make a huge impact and an influence. You
know what I mean, because a lot of people don't
have a clue, but what none of my old music
sounded like, and what are my older songs sounded like?
That's never been released, so they never really know, right,
(32:33):
So to hear that and hear him on that record
on that on that level, it was like, damn, we're
we're literally now influencing kids that wasn't even alive to
see my my run. But then when I realized how
crazy that song went and how viral it went, I
was like, okay, I got to redo this record again.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
Yeah it's.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
And it just happened as I'm thinking that, we go
to Miami connected with you Ill rod him and he
was like, man, I got this idea. Is this song
that I want to play for you? And he plays
me that damn song? And I said, bro, we were
just talking about that. It was it was it was all,
it was all decid.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
It was meant that's right. It was meant to be.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Hey, check your Richard the Cruse Show. Thanks for listening
to The Cruise Show podcast. To make sure to subscribe
and hey, auto download so you don't miss an episode,
so so so so
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