November 17, 2023 • 32 mins
Fillmoe Mike of 106.1 KMEL recently sat down with JT The Bigga Figga on this latest installment of the Wash Ya Back podcast.
Producer of this episode is Christian Montoya
Media provided by Duarte Productions and E. McGee Photography
Producer of this episode is Christian Montoya
Media provided by Duarte Productions and E. McGee Photography
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
We are here. We inside theworld famous Wash Your Back podcast. Man,
it is all right, film onMike. I'm here with my player
pot in my day one, myday zero day Uno Troy from Legends Live
Forever. Yes, sir, yes, sir. What's up my guy?
Man? I'm chilling. Man.You know I'm here, you know,
watch my back and everything before Igot here. Make sure we good?
(00:20):
Okay, Well you beat me tothe push because usually we start to show
off an accent. Have you watchedyour back today? Man? Since you
already got the question out the way, man, how was your day?
How was your weekend? Man?The weekend was good man. It's just
I spent a bunch of times kindof just relaxing. You feel me catching
up on some rests a little bit. You've been pushing man, Yeah,
man, you know, and justshit, went worked by a basketball camp
(00:41):
and everything yesterday and today just youknow, enjoyed the Niners and stuff.
Man. We got another win,so bang bang yeah, nay. You
your favorite player on the Niners debodebo? Yeah? Like my god,
I love debo man. So what'sup with you? Man? Besides you
know, kicking it, baxing andrelaxing on your week. You know,
you've been putting it work for sinceyou was what a teenager? You wanted
(01:06):
them rappers that's been rapping since shewas a teenager. Man, You had
albums out in high school. Nah, nah, I was right after right
after, like a little after,I mean, you know, I mean,
but when you put it on thetimeline and everything, it seemed like
it's right. And it's like,you know, because with hoops and all
of that stuff. You know,when I went to a city and everything,
I got hurt. And once Igot hurt, remember, I took
(01:26):
you know, I took some timeoff from hoops and then I start getting
into the music and everything. Soit was like, you know, it
was a couple of years after highschool and everything. Man, but you
had definitely been pushing. We hadthe group and everything Legends live forever,
yeap. You know, it wasdoing our thing with that, and then
from there I kind of went didthe solo thing like twenty thirteen and stuff
like that. You've been solo sincetwenty thirteen. Yeah. Wow, it
(01:49):
seemed like I don't know, maybeI'm just getting older. It seemed like
you've been like I would probably sayabout now is where I would say,
like, man, it seems likeyou've been half your start of your career.
You was in a group. Yeah, and then the last part of
like the other half of the career, it's been like fifty fifty. But
that's not the case. It's beenmore like sixty forty right now. Yeah,
(02:10):
with your solo career. Yes,yeah, that's what's sub man definitely.
So tell us about the new album. The new album man, good
Fella Yeah, yeah, good Fellaout now. That was one of those
albums and stuff that I was justkind of working on you feel Me,
Like during COVID we got busy.Man. I went out there and I
dropped like five you feelm Me fiveprojects and everything in that year twenty twenty.
(02:30):
And then from there what we didis we just took some time you
feem Me, took some time toreally just let this music just start speaking
for itself and everything. And thenwhat I did is I created Freeplay music
group You Feel Me. So thatwas basically my extension of the Legends Let
Forever brand. But it's all me, you know, just kind of just
taking it. And then I got, you know, my cousin and everything.
My cousin Schino. He came inhelped and stuff like that. So
(02:52):
me and him really just been buildinga bridge between us and you know,
finding new talent and stuff like that, and really just rebranding our shows and
every thing. So for the album, good Fella Man, it was one
of those albums that I just wasworking on. It was good music and
stuff, and I was like,man, we got a really tailor this
into something you find Me, somethingdope. And it was actually supposed to
release in twenty twenty two. Okay, So I just I just you know,
(03:15):
I took some time. I feltlike it wasn't ready. You know,
I felt like I took like ayear off, and I was like,
okay, I feel like I gotto come a little stronger than this.
You know. I feel like,you know, people that's waiting on
music want to hear some more stuff. They want to hear the growth.
They really want to you know,want to hear some good music and everything.
So I took a little more timewith it, and in that process,
just you know, working with otherartists and stuff, working with Journey
(03:36):
by the Reason You Find Me,So she's an artist and everything that I
met at you know, through ProjectLevel and stuff like that came in been
doing her thing and everything. SoI've been you know, kind of helping
mentor her and everything. My boyPussy, you know. Then we got
the other artists and stuff, DereckNeely yah see, you know, whole
group and everything whole just like Rosterand Collective and everything that we've been working
(03:58):
with. And so working with themis really helped build good Fella, you
feel me of what that is andjust building that project and everything. So
got you That's what a who's allon the album? On the album honestly
production wise? And do you haveany features? It's a couple of features.
It's really I got one rap feature, which is my boy made event,
you know, made event for Filmore. Yeah yeah, OgH yeah,
(04:21):
so you know, and actually onthe song that he was on, that
was a song that I honestly wasn'teven gonna put out. You feel me
like, I like the song atfirst for what it was, but I
was like, I don't really carefor it. You feel me. It
was sitting on the hard drive andthen you know, we're going through songs
for the project. You know,Skino was like, bro, what you're
doing with this? And I'm likeman, I don't know if it's gonna
(04:41):
sit here until I figure it out, you know, and then uh,
Cannon me know, my boy CannonCannon was like, man, why don't
you get getting an event on it? You feel me? So that's kind
of how that came together and everything, so that that record ended up being
something that people actually love. Now, you know, sometime our favorite record
ain't always the people favorite record alot of time. Yeah, but yeah,
other than that, he's the onlyrap feature that I got on there.
(05:04):
I got yah yah see on theresinging. I got Derek Neely,
He's on the single right now thatwe Got What You Want. And then
Ugly Marco. Ugly Marco is oneof the main producers on there. He
got about four or something on ThereYou Me. He just did like three
of them on Little Kayla album andstuff too, so so he everywhere,
(05:25):
yeah, everywhere, everywhere. Whatmade you want to start rapping? Troy?
Why'd you want to be a rapper? Honestly, I think we can
go all the way back to justbeing around like my sister, you feel
me? Like my sister really wasa was a poet, you know,
she used to write. She usedto just write poetry all the time.
So I used to take after her. I used to want to just write
(05:46):
poetry because she was writing poetry,you feel me. So outside of basketball,
it was like, okay, cool, I need something else to do.
So I used to just love writingcreative writing, writing poetry, writing
short stories, little stuff like thatand everything. So and I just took
more time to do it. AfterI wasn't playing basketball. I was with
Tone and you know dB and Rosario, which was the original group Legends,
(06:09):
Lift Ever and stuff. They wereactually doing the music. I wasn't doing
music. I just come up withthem to the studio kicking it and everything,
and it just kind of was athing that was like I drugged it
all of the above, man,you know, but it was it was
a time where I was just like, man, okay, cool, I
don't really want to do it,but I come with y'all to the studio
(06:30):
and shit, I got ideas.I can help write, I can help
do shit. And then it justkind of became a thing where they was
like, man, you might aswell just get in there and do it.
You feel me, You got allthe ideas and shit like that.
So, you know, once Igot there and rapped and actually did some
shit. I was like, oh, nah, I actually like this.
You feel me. So from thereit kind of just was like, fuck
it, let's do it right.Why did y'all stop doing music collectively?
(06:53):
Did you feel like it was itwas a time where it was like growth
was needed. Was it a timeof of you not like that no one
else was like you were you?Did you feel like you were putting on
and trying to do so much forthe group, whereas maybe they weren't doing
as much for the group, orthey couldn't afford the time or didn't not
(07:13):
to say that they couldn't like theycouldn't, not that they didn't want to,
but they maybe they just couldn't.Yeah. I think, honestly,
it's a little bit of all ofthe above. You feel me. I
think it got to a point towhere I felt like growth was needed.
You feel me, Like I feltlike I was doing a lot and then
I was relying heavy on the group. You feel me. You know,
when you're in the group, it'slike going to do a group project and
stuff. You feel me just likeeverybody does their part. Yeah, then
(07:36):
it's like it's cool, but it'slike, damn Okay, sooner or later,
I'm gonna have to figure out whatI can do on my own.
Right when you're in a group andyou're writing, somebody writing the hook,
you know, everybody writing their verses, you feel me. You designated a
point to do something. So it'slike when I start becoming a you know,
coming into my own as an artist, and it was like, okay,
I got my verse, and Igot a hook, and I got
(07:58):
an extra verse just in case.So I'm like, I'm actually doing a
lot of work, you feel me, so I might as well do it
on my own. But it didn't. It didn't really get there, like
just do it on your own.It was like, okay, cool,
we're doing all this work as agroup, y'all don't really seem as interested
right now, you feel me,because it ain't popping off as fast as
everybody wanted to. So it waslike, okay, cool, let's do
(08:18):
solo projects. And when we dothese solo projects, everybody put out one
and we come back and then let'sdo the group project again. And then
it kind of just really just turnedinto okay, well I dropped one,
and don't drop one. Then Idropped another one and then it kind of
slowed down. You feel me.Then I dropped another one and I was
like, Okay, well y'all,don't seem like you're already. Let me
keep going. You feel me?And then life kicking and you know,
(08:39):
people got kids, families, youknow, So do you go by Troy
Troy Legislative Forever or Troy LLLF TroyLLLLF got you? So I shortened it
basically just because originally, you know, it was just Troy tripping tripping.
The fucking name is legendary. Yeah, it's within the next but it is
(09:01):
Live Forever. I have. Ihad your uh you probably forgot this.
I told this story at your recordrelease party back in the day. I
was like, I had this shirtoff for a cruise and everybody's asked me,
uh, what, uh where'd youget that shirt from? Yeah?
And I was like, the moralof the story is, go get you
a motherfucking legends Live Forever shirt,Go on the cruise and everybody gonna ask
(09:24):
you where the fuck you got theshirt from? That was sick man.
That's the hell of a name.Man who came up with that name?
Tone did so he had the groupand everything, he had the name and
stuff that he was coined, andhe was you know, outside on some
hip hop shit tagging and doing allof that, and then he was like
he had Legends left ever. SoI was like, Okay, that's dope.
(09:46):
But then when I came in,you know, to the group,
it was already set. Yeah,so I just, you know, I
kind of just inherited it and tookit on and took it on one with
what we did. But basically,I mean, I shortened it from Troy
of Legends lift just because that's justa mouthful yeah pause, but you know,
but that's yeah, when you're lookingat it, you feel me when
(10:07):
you go you're going to streaming andshit like that, you're trying to find
it Troy of Legends left Forever,So damn I gotta type all that out.
So I was like, man,fucking let me shorten it and just
make Troy llllf you feel me,because when I start going solo first,
all my solo stuff originally is underjust Troy, you know, but when
you go search Troy on streaming,it's like Troy ave come up, fucking
(10:28):
trolls all kinds of other Yeah,So I'll just once I stuck with the
Troy l Left. It just reallyjust like person kind of it kind of
helped you out. Yeah yeah,but when people ask, I mean,
the L Left is still there forlegends lift ever, right, I mean,
but I just to make it easierto search and just easier to say.
So, it's not so much,it's just that though you feel me
how you talked about it was astruggle talk about like as far as like
(10:50):
staying persistent and then like, whatare some things you like when you see
growth like I got I'm starting thisposs like we see growth like damn okay,
well that work. That didn't workWhen you were struggling or when things
weren't the way you wanted things tobe. What were little monikers or little
(11:11):
things you looked for to keep yougoing, Like, for example, was
it fans? Was it the fans? Was it Instagram? Messages? Facebook?
Maybe MySpace? At the time?What did you get? Did you
did the artists come off the stagy'all performed an artists came off like man,
you did your thing, bro likeboom? What were some things that
keep you going? It was alittle bit of all of that. Man.
(11:33):
It was like sometimes you know.I mean it should be a lot
you fee me. You will sitthere and be like, damn, I
should be way bigger by now.You feel me. You put it in
those words, you know those yearseverybody be like, man, have you
put it in your ten thousand hours? Absolutely, I'm at like fifteen right
now. And sometimes it's just beingpatient, just understanding that you feel me,
Understanding that you know everything don't happenovernight for you because I don't watch
(11:54):
some people come and go in thesame you know, in the same stint
that I've had where it's like,damn, I'm still going. They didn't
hit the top, but they alsowent right back to the bottom and I
ain't heard from them since. Youfeel me. So just finding ways just
to stay relevant, but also justfinding ways to stay consistent. You feel
me where it's like, okay,cool, if I got all this music,
what did I do last time?You feel me? I did these
(12:16):
shows. I opened for Nipsey,I opened for Camera, and I open
for DMX, open for currency.You feel me when you start getting there,
it's like people only look to youto go to that type of shit.
You feel me, I'm not I'mnot opening for Blue Face. You
feel me, don't fence the blueFace. You know, but I'm not
opening for blue Face. That's that'snot on my That's not the level that
I want to be on you.I mean, if I want to be
on this level, it's like I'vebeen awarded these opportunities and stuff, so
(12:39):
you would not open for blue Face? Nah? Wow? Nah cut that
we got her, hear Troy ofLegendslatre forever. That's the case. You
try to google you, they gonnamiss this one. I want nobody coming
as you be like why what areyou doing? Swall with blue Face?
Mother fucking hell is shoot? Butnah, I feel it. I respect
(13:00):
I respect it. And that's likeI said, it's no shade to him.
It's just you feel me. It'swhat we're trying to do. You
feel me, and what I'm tryingto do. I don't. We don't
mess. I don't mess with blueFace. You feel me, and that's
not a knock. Is just knowingyour lane. You feel me, And
the older I get, the moreI get deeper with this shit, I
understand like everything for everybody, whoare you influenced by? You're not influenced
by or motivated by somebody like that. Who are you influenced and motivated by?
(13:24):
Shit? We can throw in aNipsey hustle, We could throw in
a jay Z, a Benny theButcher. I hear a lot of jay
Z, yeah, you know,and those are out of artists that I
study a lot growing up. Youfeel fabulous, you know shit, who
we're talking about right now? That'sbig, like your flow sound more mature
over the years. I've been listeningto y'all since y'all since you were I
(13:45):
want to say seventeen, but yousay college nineteen, since you first start
rapping. So I definitely hear thegrowth. As far as what I hear
mostly is like you have like adirection. Yeah, And I am a
lot of people I have on here. I tell them a lot that to
them a lot like I see likegrowth, or I see like you have
(14:05):
like a certain sound, and Ihear like you have like for me,
it seems like you're trying to accomplishsomething. And I get what you're trying
to do right right, you feelme? So kudos to that, brother.
Can I ask Can I ask youthat question? Then? What do
you see with that? What amI trying to accomplish from your point of
view, oh lyrically or just oryour your your your flow style and pattern
(14:26):
has improved in ways of like it'sit's it's a more looser flow. It's
some more it's it's it seemed likenot as written. It seems more like
more water, like more fluid,like I hear influence of like I hear
like jigger, like a t Inipsey you do. You do so much,
(14:52):
bro, like you do your music. You do like one thing I
love about you. You always pushthe envelope. You do shows with bands.
It's not like you know, yougot a million views, but all
of your shows or people come,people support you. It's a good look
(15:13):
and people have fun. Right,So like even like from the like you
hosts, you host parties, trunkcan hits you like, Troy, can
you host for me? Last second? You know what I'm saying, Like
just that rapport goes along, mate, So I see you like I see
you as a leader and trying tobuild for something. Absolutely speaking of that,
like how long you been knowing bigRich shit? I'm been knowing Rich
(15:39):
I mean musically or just in general, like in general, like when did
y'all first meet. I've been knowingRich since since I was like in high
school, maybe maybe middle school honestly, because I used to do with like
Bailey in them when I was young. You feel me going back and forth
to the Boys and Girls Club andshit before Roosevelt everything for high school.
But then I kind of like metRich like probably like two thousand and like
five, like during the high movedYeah, yeah, right before I think
(16:00):
this album his albums yeah dropped beforethat came out. I kind of met
him, like I knew of himand stuff like that, but you know,
like formerly met yeah, Like youknow, they lived down the way
in the Bankers we live up upthe way. I stayed on fail about
how to be and everything too.But then when I moved down the way,
it was like, Okay, Istart seeing them more because I start
being over there more hooping that HayesValley and Ella Hill and shit. So
(16:22):
I'm like, oh, that's bigRich, I see bro feel me.
So yeah, I think probably liketwo thousand and two thousand and five.
How did y'all start working together ona business level? How did that come
up? Because I remember he wasworking with even Odds d on them and
then it did. Did y'all startfucking with even I know y'all was recording
with even As and d All rightnow no, no, okay, let
(16:45):
me know, came in put meon, so basically let me know.
When we was doing our ship,man, it was like when Bailey.
Okay, real quick timeline, whenBailey dropped Champ Bailey, we was you
know, I used to be upin them all the time with them him,
Jay valen sign and stuff. Andthis is like when our City Boys
first started rapping. You feel Me? So I just started rapping and you
(17:07):
know, I ain't gonna lie,but we had a mixtape. I was
maybe on two songs on that tape. That's how fresh I was rapping.
I had like a urse and likean eight You feel me. So we
went up to his his release atthe Warehouse you form me on Vanas.
He signed autographs everything. I canremember that, like, man, what's
up? I bought the album,got his autograph, likenigg you really want
to yes, nigga, like youremember that? And we was trying to
(17:30):
get signed to City Boys, sowe were trying to high let him and
Jay Valentine everything, and they waslike, nah, you niggas ain't ready
and were like, man, comeon, bre like somebody got to take
out, you know, take achance and give us an opportunity. Then
they just kind of was like nah, Like maybe a year or so later,
you feel me this nigga Rich.We see him out We at a
(17:51):
at a party. I think,damn, I don't remember the club name,
but it's over by Patrol Mighty maybebut it's off a Utah Street.
Yeah, okay, yeah, soit might have been there. We they're
feeling we open for Rich. Youfeel me? We outside passing off fly
as soon as we get off stage, he get off stage, We go
(18:11):
outside, were standing in front passingout flyers. Immediately right, you feel
me? He like, man,I love what you're doing here, Like
I love y'all hustle. What's up? You know? I mean what y'all
doing like ship were trying to seewhat's up? Nigga? Like, man,
you know, come come to thebankers, let's holler. Yeah.
So we go go meet with himand everything, and he just like,
man, I love what you're doing. This is legends left forever. You
(18:33):
got me. So he kind ofwas like, man, I want to
fuck with y'all. I love whaty'all doing. I just just come be
a part of the team. Youfeel me, come join you know.
He had three story gang and everythinglike that, so it was moving me.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Soit was like that's when they had
even shot. Everybody else was there, and he was just like, man,
I just want you to come bea part of the team and ship
like that. Whatever resources I gotwas mine is yours got you? You
(18:55):
feel me? And that's kind ofwhat got us started and stuff like that.
So by him going to d Oand even odds and stuff, now
we had access TODO to m Aand stuff for production and everything like that.
So we just kind of just openedthe door for us. It wasn't
no paperwork, wasn't nothing like that. It was just like, man,
we gag, come on, gotcha, you feel me. So from there
that was like that, and thenwe kind of separated a little bit around
(19:15):
like twenty eleven. But this iswhen the group kind of like was on
our last leg what we had todo. And then when I went solo
and stuff like that. It wascool. Rich had project level and everything
because he had retired. Yeah,and he was just like, man,
what's up. You know, Ilove what you're doing. Come fuck with
us. I was working at ProjectLevel, Yeah, yeah, yeah,
So what do you do? What'syour role there? I run the music
(19:37):
department, so even shit, Imean, we could throw in like little
Kayla you Feel Me like when Ifirst got there, she was one of
the first artists that I worked withreal quick. And then what is so?
What is Project Level? So?Project Level is a nonprofit organization in
the city and we basically specialize inentrepreneurship, music modeling. We had dance
(19:59):
at one point, film and photography, got you. Yeah, so,
and it's for any anybody that's that'sa rapper or no, no, it's
really uh it's fun on their talentlike me or like who yeah, age
group anybody. So the age groupthat we initially started with is thirteen through
twenty four You feel Me? AndI think they opened it up. So
(20:21):
we had a bunch of like eightnine year olds and stuff that was starting
with pl Junior. And we didthat in the summer where they come in
and can learn how to work cameras, learn how to build YouTube chest big,
learn how to build brands and everything. So I took some of the
older kids and stuff. Teach themhow to work the studio equipment, how
to record themselves, how to beself sufficient artists. You stuff, you
feel me? You know how toproduce? You can you bake beat?
(20:42):
I'm terrible, Okay, I knowhow to work it, but I just
I don't got the patience. Inever developed it, like you know,
I got you. So tell usabout your brand, the free Play marand
the free Play brand. Man,that shit is. That shit is tight.
Everybody like it. Christian was like, oh that's Troy, he was
doing a free play. Yeah,yeah, he knew you from the free
platform. You branding yourself off?Bro? Yeah, and that's really what
(21:03):
it is. At yourself off.I sound like talking about branding your ass
off. Gotta check my blackness.But nah. But even with the brand
and stuff, man, what I'mI've learned with the free Play brand is
everything that I learned with the LegendiFever brand. You feel me to where
it's like, if you want peopleto see it, you gotta put it
(21:26):
in their face. You feel mewhere I go with the hats, we
got the hoodies, we got justmerch and everything. The merch is literally
just like a staple. You feelme, we get something for people to
wear. Everybody like wearing hoodies,Everybody like wearing hats. Were in San
Francisco, everybody want a hoodie straightup, you feel me? So if
we can feed that and just belike, okay, let's find the market,
It's like, it's not about themusic right now. Let's just build
the brand. And if we canjust make the brand mean something to people,
(21:48):
then the music is gonna follow,you feel me. So I think
just everything that we building with thebrand and just under it with the music
and stuff like that is just gonnatake it to another level. You had
boxes and cereals, chips and cornbags and all kinds of shit everything.
Man, that's what's up. Butwe saw the Cereal Box. The Cereal
Box came with free Play four withthe mixtape and everything, so right before
(22:08):
free Play the brand started. Itwas free Play four, So free Play
four was the album. We soldthat for one hundred bucks. Took the
Nipsey approach. Instead of just sellingthe CD, we sold the Cereal box
that had a flash drive. Ithad a wrist band. The flash drive
had all of the free plays onit with the videos, t shirt,
wristbands, whatever else. Was inthere was like a package, so when
(22:30):
you open it, instead of itbeing serial, it was a package merged.
You feel me. So and thenliterally right after that, a year
later, we built this the brand, the free Play brand, and everything
has been going since then. Sois everybody that's on your the free Play
music group. Are they all connectedto Project Level or are they directly just
(22:52):
under you? And it does itdepend? Is it all different? It
depends and stuff. You feel me? So everybody that's under like free Play,
it's like, you don't have tobe exclusively through Project Level. You
feel me. So what we didis I had to create something else you
feel me for me? Yeah,where it was like, okay, the
legend of for everything was the groupthing you feel me, and it was
like, I'm not gonna say it. It was fizzling a little bit because
(23:15):
everybody wasn't you didn't keep it real. Yeah, you feel me? So
we did. The free Play thingwas like cool. I wanted to bring
artists in and start building this labelunder there, but it just kind of
just you know, it worked theway it worked, you know. But
then also now a Project Level wegot ten fifteen. You feel in ten
fifteen is the agency and stuff.See that's why I'll be getting confused that
yeah, because I know it's projectlevel is ten fifteen because what came first?
(23:37):
Was it project level? Yeah?And then ten fifteen kids? Ten
fifteen is more of a management company. Yeah. So basically, I mean
in Laya's terms, it's like freeplay. Excuse me, project level is
nonprofit. Ten fifteen is like fora profit. Okay, you feel me.
So it's like project level is forthe kids. So you run the
music department at the project level?Yeah, do you do anything for ten
for ten fifteen, I'm basically likea and r oh oh you feel me?
(24:00):
So we do all that. Canyou ask Big Rich if I could
be headed to wash your back department? Absolutely? We bring you in through
free play. So basically that's whatwe're trying to do. Basically, just
have it's like a wing. Youfeel me. So it's like a building
(24:22):
we got if this is gonna bethe building, free play is a part
of the building. You feel me. So it's like, if they're not
ready to work here, they canwork with free play, and then whatever
we build over here is like that'scool, you feel me. It don't
necessarily have to cross paths. Ifit does cross paths, it makes sense.
If it doesn't, it's cool.We do what we do. Did
you get that out of just yourgrowth, your your your internal growth?
(24:44):
Did you get that from Big Richor did you get that like from just
just from you know, being influencedby, like you said, people like
Jay z Man. I think it'slike I keep saying, it's a little
bit of everything, man, youknow, I take from everywhere, a
little bit of Dumbo. Yeah,come on, man, like basically like
we're being rich in them, youunderstand. Like when he had three Story,
he was signed also to to Cotch, but he was also signed with
(25:07):
Chuck. Yeah, three Story withthree cred. You feel me? So
I almost forgot, but you know, so he had street cred with Chuck,
and Chuck had the Hood Stars,but the Hood Stars also had Lawless.
Yeah, I feel me. Youknow, so Rich had three Story
where it was like Chuck didn't reallycare for us. Can you give people
some game about like just branching offon your own, doing your own thing,
(25:29):
Yeah, so that you don't gotto worry about somebody else's ciphering yourself
out to check. Yeah, AndI think that's important you feel me.
I think it's important to be ableto stand on your own. You feel
me because it's like, you know, it ain't nothing wrong with working for
somebody, you feel me. Butif they decide they don't want to do
it no more, or you canget fired from over there. Yeah,
you feel me. You can.You can't get fired from your own shit
(25:49):
if you run it, you know. But the thing is, it's hard
because it's like it's like I said, take patience. It takes time.
You feel me. You got toget people to buy in. You got
to build that brand, and ifyou can't get people to buy in,
you kind of on an island,right, you feel me, So you
got to figure it out at thesame time. But then it's like when
you got your own shit, youmake your own decisions, you feel me.
If they don't want to mess withit, it's cool, they don't
have to. But whatever you doover here, you just got to make
(26:11):
it work and make it stand byyourself. Straight up of the day.
You feel me? Straight up?Man's feel my mic to watch your Back
podcast. We're sitting here with myguy Troy ll f new album in stores
U in stores everywhere. It's calledgood fella. How much of your brand
is an extension of or what you'retrying to Like, how much is how
(26:33):
much do you personalize the clothes inyour in the in the brand in your
brand? Yeah, man, shitalmost like because you fly bro like on
some real shit. Like people betelling me, you know what I'm saying,
Like you not the type of flythat's like flamboyantly just out there,
but you're you dress well. Peoplebe saying like, bro, like are
(26:56):
your little stuff you get? Igot the same vibe from you. Like,
man, it's flies, it's alwaysneat, it's always fitted. That's
another thing that's like part of yourbrand. It's a filmo thing for surely.
But you know, I see thatand I see a lot of like
it's like sometimes people like Sean Johnand Rock and Feller lost their way because
like y'all start making stuff that jayZ and Diddy they don't even wear.
(27:18):
Yeah, exactly, you know whatI'm saying, Like, I definitely see
that in your brain. Can youtalk about that? That's one of the
things that you know, building thebrand and then building you know, especially
clothing and stuff like that, likemerch. You know, you start off
with the merch. Yeah, youstart off with something that's gonna get their
attention, that's gonna build the brand. Yeah, it's like everything like think
about like jay Z and them andeven fifty Cent. When he first came
(27:38):
out, it was g unit everything. Yeah, me big bolt and will
want you to see it. Thenthey start getting a little more discreet as
they start getting bigger, and itwas like, Okay, they got Junius
sneakers, they got Junia jackets,pants, state property. You feel me
all of that shit, you know. So what I think is it's like
you gotta start somewhere when you startwith yourself. I can wear it,
you feel me. So I'm alwaysgonna start with some I can wear first,
(28:00):
something that the homies can wear itfirst, and then you feel me.
We build off of that because ifI can get them and they're like,
nah, I fuck with this,Like I got I got some Letterman
jackets and everything coming. I've seenthat. You feel me. First thing
I do. She send me tothe mock up. I drop in the
group chat, which I think whichones y'all like, I get it.
I get a little bit of here, a little bit from there and stuff.
(28:21):
But I also got what I wantand what I'm looking for. But
I also need that feedback because sometimethey like, nah, that's ugly,
bere it's too much going on.You might need to just scale back a
little bit. Okay, cool.Now I have to think about the consumer.
You feel me. If I'm tryingto sell it to you, I
got to listen to what you're talkingabout. I can't just be like I
don't care you're gonna buy it anyway. Niggas like no, I'm not.
You feel me. So that's howI look at it, And I look
(28:41):
at it like what do I liketo wear? Yeah, if I can
wear it, then people gonna seeit and be like, hey, that's
fresh. I need one. Youfeel me? Or if not, it's
like, it's cool, I gota one on one. I guess some
shit. I like, right definitely. Before we get you out of here,
man, I wanted to ask youabout where do you see yourself uh
in free play music group within thenext year. What do y'all say?
(29:03):
What? What are some of y'allgoes? Man to be the fucking biggest
brand man in the West Coast.Yeah, you know, And that's just
manifest that manifesting it right now,but I'm just like, I think that,
especially in the Bay Area. Youfeel me. It's a lot of
it's a lot of people rap,it's a lot of people doing music and
stuff like that, creating brands andeverything. But I think that Free Play
Music Group is probably gonna be oneof the biggest brands. We got the
(29:26):
music. You feel me, Wegot the we got everything, man,
show you feel me. Shout out. Journey be the reasons you feel me
hanging out Journey, the reason inthe billing. Journey be the reason.
Man. She the hottest up andcoming in Oakland right now. You feel
I stamped that, I said it. Feel me whatever you've seen it.
You know what she doing for me? Poosy, you feel me, my
guy doing this thing and stuff.You feel me. We got the R
(29:48):
and B side with Derek Neely.We got Yas R and Bree. Christian
got a crush one R and Breefor real. That's fine, that's fine,
that's what we want. Man.For me, If you out there,
motherfucker, ain't got a crush onyou or something you missed. You
know you're missing somewhere, but youknow, and I just feel like that,
Like I feel like, you know, even with Skino Scheno probably gonna
(30:08):
be one of the biggest A andrs come off the Bay You Feel Me
soon where it's like they see itand they hear it and they see everything
that we're doing. Here you doingthis thing on this podcast. Yeah,
feel me, play play radio,Play radio. We almost had one hundred
episodes and stuff. You feel Me. So we just been pushing and everything
like that, and I feel likewe just covering every every base, just
getting started, just scratching the surface, literally just getting started, but we
(30:30):
covering every base, you know.And I think within the next year it's
gonna be making some real noise andpeople are gonna be like, oh,
yeah, I see what they wasdoing. That ship lit for show We
Live Man's a film on Mike isit is to Wash Your Back podcast Once
again, I want to thank y'allfor listening. Troy. Before we get
you up out of here, shoutout your people. Let them know where
you're from. Yeah, I meannot where you're from, but you know
where they can find you at allyour social media handles and everybody in here
(30:52):
that you can absolutely they came withyou. Man. Shout out form me,
Shout out Journey be the reason youfeel me shot out my guy roll
film me. Shout out SCHNO,shout out free play Music group, Man,
shout out the whole gang Man wereout here a good fella out now.
Man, y'all want to check thatout, hit me up at Troy
l Left all social media platforms,or if y'all want to get real personal,
hit me on my superphone. Youfeel me for one nine, five,
(31:14):
one eight, five four or fiveeight. He got numbers on deck.
Man, come on the fuck up, hey and real man. I
appreciate y'all having me up here.Man, I appreciate you being back up
here, just because we were talkingabout the before you got back in here
and stuff, just being on thestreet team and everybody. I remember them
days and ship where we just beout fucking with y'all going around passing our
stuff. So you know, thisis a full circle moment, just to
(31:37):
step you back here. I'm like, man, Mike, here we back
in the building, manure, Iappreciate that. Man, appreciate that.
Hey, man, thank you onceagain. It's another episode. We don't
even count the numbers. We justput who's on the who's the guests?
I don't know how many episodes wein, but we're trying to get like
skin on. I know we ain'tat a hundred. He is what we
damn show. We ain't ad ahuddy, but we almost there. Troy
(31:59):
from Legislation for Ever Troy llllf ishe liked to be called Man Filmo Mike
watching it Back without Peace Boo
We are here. We inside theworld famous Wash Your Back podcast. Man,
it is all right, film onMike. I'm here with my player
pot in my day one, myday zero day Uno Troy from Legends Live
Forever. Yes, sir, yes, sir. What's up my guy?
Man? I'm chilling. Man.You know I'm here, you know,
watch my back and everything before Igot here. Make sure we good?
(00:20):
Okay, Well you beat me tothe push because usually we start to show
off an accent. Have you watchedyour back today? Man? Since you
already got the question out the way, man, how was your day?
How was your weekend? Man?The weekend was good man. It's just
I spent a bunch of times kindof just relaxing. You feel me catching
up on some rests a little bit. You've been pushing man, Yeah,
man, you know, and justshit, went worked by a basketball camp
(00:41):
and everything yesterday and today just youknow, enjoyed the Niners and stuff.
Man. We got another win,so bang bang yeah, nay. You
your favorite player on the Niners debodebo? Yeah? Like my god,
I love debo man. So what'sup with you? Man? Besides you
know, kicking it, baxing andrelaxing on your week. You know,
you've been putting it work for sinceyou was what a teenager? You wanted
(01:06):
them rappers that's been rapping since shewas a teenager. Man, You had
albums out in high school. Nah, nah, I was right after right
after, like a little after,I mean, you know, I mean,
but when you put it on thetimeline and everything, it seemed like
it's right. And it's like,you know, because with hoops and all
of that stuff. You know,when I went to a city and everything,
I got hurt. And once Igot hurt, remember, I took
(01:26):
you know, I took some timeoff from hoops and then I start getting
into the music and everything. Soit was like, you know, it
was a couple of years after highschool and everything. Man, but you
had definitely been pushing. We hadthe group and everything Legends live forever,
yeap. You know, it wasdoing our thing with that, and then
from there I kind of went didthe solo thing like twenty thirteen and stuff
like that. You've been solo sincetwenty thirteen. Yeah. Wow, it
(01:49):
seemed like I don't know, maybeI'm just getting older. It seemed like
you've been like I would probably sayabout now is where I would say,
like, man, it seems likeyou've been half your start of your career.
You was in a group. Yeah, and then the last part of
like the other half of the career, it's been like fifty fifty. But
that's not the case. It's beenmore like sixty forty right now. Yeah,
(02:10):
with your solo career. Yes,yeah, that's what's sub man definitely.
So tell us about the new album. The new album man, good
Fella Yeah, yeah, good Fellaout now. That was one of those
albums and stuff that I was justkind of working on you feel Me,
Like during COVID we got busy.Man. I went out there and I
dropped like five you feelm Me fiveprojects and everything in that year twenty twenty.
(02:30):
And then from there what we didis we just took some time you
feem Me, took some time toreally just let this music just start speaking
for itself and everything. And thenwhat I did is I created Freeplay music
group You Feel Me. So thatwas basically my extension of the Legends Let
Forever brand. But it's all me, you know, just kind of just
taking it. And then I got, you know, my cousin and everything.
My cousin Schino. He came inhelped and stuff like that. So
(02:52):
me and him really just been buildinga bridge between us and you know,
finding new talent and stuff like that, and really just rebranding our shows and
every thing. So for the album, good Fella Man, it was one
of those albums that I just wasworking on. It was good music and
stuff, and I was like,man, we got a really tailor this
into something you find Me, somethingdope. And it was actually supposed to
release in twenty twenty two. Okay, So I just I just you know,
(03:15):
I took some time. I feltlike it wasn't ready. You know,
I felt like I took like ayear off, and I was like,
okay, I feel like I gotto come a little stronger than this.
You know. I feel like,you know, people that's waiting on
music want to hear some more stuff. They want to hear the growth.
They really want to you know,want to hear some good music and everything.
So I took a little more timewith it, and in that process,
just you know, working with otherartists and stuff, working with Journey
(03:36):
by the Reason You Find Me,So she's an artist and everything that I
met at you know, through ProjectLevel and stuff like that came in been
doing her thing and everything. SoI've been you know, kind of helping
mentor her and everything. My boyPussy, you know. Then we got
the other artists and stuff, DereckNeely yah see, you know, whole
group and everything whole just like Rosterand Collective and everything that we've been working
(03:58):
with. And so working with themis really helped build good Fella, you
feel me of what that is andjust building that project and everything. So
got you That's what a who's allon the album? On the album honestly
production wise? And do you haveany features? It's a couple of features.
It's really I got one rap feature, which is my boy made event,
you know, made event for Filmore. Yeah yeah, OgH yeah,
(04:21):
so you know, and actually onthe song that he was on, that
was a song that I honestly wasn'teven gonna put out. You feel me
like, I like the song atfirst for what it was, but I
was like, I don't really carefor it. You feel me. It
was sitting on the hard drive andthen you know, we're going through songs
for the project. You know,Skino was like, bro, what you're
doing with this? And I'm likeman, I don't know if it's gonna
(04:41):
sit here until I figure it out, you know, and then uh,
Cannon me know, my boy CannonCannon was like, man, why don't
you get getting an event on it? You feel me? So that's kind
of how that came together and everything, so that that record ended up being
something that people actually love. Now, you know, sometime our favorite record
ain't always the people favorite record alot of time. Yeah, but yeah,
other than that, he's the onlyrap feature that I got on there.
(05:04):
I got yah yah see on theresinging. I got Derek Neely,
He's on the single right now thatwe Got What You Want. And then
Ugly Marco. Ugly Marco is oneof the main producers on there. He
got about four or something on ThereYou Me. He just did like three
of them on Little Kayla album andstuff too, so so he everywhere,
(05:25):
yeah, everywhere, everywhere. Whatmade you want to start rapping? Troy?
Why'd you want to be a rapper? Honestly, I think we can
go all the way back to justbeing around like my sister, you feel
me? Like my sister really wasa was a poet, you know,
she used to write. She usedto just write poetry all the time.
So I used to take after her. I used to want to just write
(05:46):
poetry because she was writing poetry,you feel me. So outside of basketball,
it was like, okay, cool, I need something else to do.
So I used to just love writingcreative writing, writing poetry, writing
short stories, little stuff like thatand everything. So and I just took
more time to do it. AfterI wasn't playing basketball. I was with
Tone and you know dB and Rosario, which was the original group Legends,
(06:09):
Lift Ever and stuff. They wereactually doing the music. I wasn't doing
music. I just come up withthem to the studio kicking it and everything,
and it just kind of was athing that was like I drugged it
all of the above, man,you know, but it was it was
a time where I was just like, man, okay, cool, I
don't really want to do it,but I come with y'all to the studio
(06:30):
and shit, I got ideas.I can help write, I can help
do shit. And then it justkind of became a thing where they was
like, man, you might aswell just get in there and do it.
You feel me, You got allthe ideas and shit like that.
So, you know, once Igot there and rapped and actually did some
shit. I was like, oh, nah, I actually like this.
You feel me. So from thereit kind of just was like, fuck
it, let's do it right.Why did y'all stop doing music collectively?
(06:53):
Did you feel like it was itwas a time where it was like growth
was needed. Was it a timeof of you not like that no one
else was like you were you?Did you feel like you were putting on
and trying to do so much forthe group, whereas maybe they weren't doing
as much for the group, orthey couldn't afford the time or didn't not
(07:13):
to say that they couldn't like theycouldn't, not that they didn't want to,
but they maybe they just couldn't.Yeah. I think, honestly,
it's a little bit of all ofthe above. You feel me. I
think it got to a point towhere I felt like growth was needed.
You feel me, Like I feltlike I was doing a lot and then
I was relying heavy on the group. You feel me. You know,
when you're in the group, it'slike going to do a group project and
stuff. You feel me just likeeverybody does their part. Yeah, then
(07:36):
it's like it's cool, but it'slike, damn Okay, sooner or later,
I'm gonna have to figure out whatI can do on my own.
Right when you're in a group andyou're writing, somebody writing the hook,
you know, everybody writing their verses, you feel me. You designated a
point to do something. So it'slike when I start becoming a you know,
coming into my own as an artist, and it was like, okay,
I got my verse, and Igot a hook, and I got
(07:58):
an extra verse just in case.So I'm like, I'm actually doing a
lot of work, you feel me, so I might as well do it
on my own. But it didn't. It didn't really get there, like
just do it on your own.It was like, okay, cool,
we're doing all this work as agroup, y'all don't really seem as interested
right now, you feel me,because it ain't popping off as fast as
everybody wanted to. So it waslike, okay, cool, let's do
(08:18):
solo projects. And when we dothese solo projects, everybody put out one
and we come back and then let'sdo the group project again. And then
it kind of just really just turnedinto okay, well I dropped one,
and don't drop one. Then Idropped another one and then it kind of
slowed down. You feel me.Then I dropped another one and I was
like, Okay, well y'all,don't seem like you're already. Let me
keep going. You feel me?And then life kicking and you know,
(08:39):
people got kids, families, youknow, So do you go by Troy
Troy Legislative Forever or Troy LLLF TroyLLLLF got you? So I shortened it
basically just because originally, you know, it was just Troy tripping tripping.
The fucking name is legendary. Yeah, it's within the next but it is
(09:01):
Live Forever. I have. Ihad your uh you probably forgot this.
I told this story at your recordrelease party back in the day. I
was like, I had this shirtoff for a cruise and everybody's asked me,
uh, what, uh where'd youget that shirt from? Yeah?
And I was like, the moralof the story is, go get you
a motherfucking legends Live Forever shirt,Go on the cruise and everybody gonna ask
(09:24):
you where the fuck you got theshirt from? That was sick man.
That's the hell of a name.Man who came up with that name?
Tone did so he had the groupand everything, he had the name and
stuff that he was coined, andhe was you know, outside on some
hip hop shit tagging and doing allof that, and then he was like
he had Legends left ever. SoI was like, Okay, that's dope.
(09:46):
But then when I came in,you know, to the group,
it was already set. Yeah,so I just, you know, I
kind of just inherited it and tookit on and took it on one with
what we did. But basically,I mean, I shortened it from Troy
of Legends lift just because that's justa mouthful yeah pause, but you know,
but that's yeah, when you're lookingat it, you feel me when
(10:07):
you go you're going to streaming andshit like that, you're trying to find
it Troy of Legends left Forever,So damn I gotta type all that out.
So I was like, man,fucking let me shorten it and just
make Troy llllf you feel me,because when I start going solo first,
all my solo stuff originally is underjust Troy, you know, but when
you go search Troy on streaming,it's like Troy ave come up, fucking
(10:28):
trolls all kinds of other Yeah,So I'll just once I stuck with the
Troy l Left. It just reallyjust like person kind of it kind of
helped you out. Yeah yeah,but when people ask, I mean,
the L Left is still there forlegends lift ever, right, I mean,
but I just to make it easierto search and just easier to say.
So, it's not so much,it's just that though you feel me
how you talked about it was astruggle talk about like as far as like
(10:50):
staying persistent and then like, whatare some things you like when you see
growth like I got I'm starting thisposs like we see growth like damn okay,
well that work. That didn't workWhen you were struggling or when things
weren't the way you wanted things tobe. What were little monikers or little
(11:11):
things you looked for to keep yougoing, Like, for example, was
it fans? Was it the fans? Was it Instagram? Messages? Facebook?
Maybe MySpace? At the time?What did you get? Did you
did the artists come off the stagy'all performed an artists came off like man,
you did your thing, bro likeboom? What were some things that
keep you going? It was alittle bit of all of that. Man.
(11:33):
It was like sometimes you know.I mean it should be a lot
you fee me. You will sitthere and be like, damn, I
should be way bigger by now.You feel me. You put it in
those words, you know those yearseverybody be like, man, have you
put it in your ten thousand hours? Absolutely, I'm at like fifteen right
now. And sometimes it's just beingpatient, just understanding that you feel me,
Understanding that you know everything don't happenovernight for you because I don't watch
(11:54):
some people come and go in thesame you know, in the same stint
that I've had where it's like,damn, I'm still going. They didn't
hit the top, but they alsowent right back to the bottom and I
ain't heard from them since. Youfeel me. So just finding ways just
to stay relevant, but also justfinding ways to stay consistent. You feel
me where it's like, okay,cool, if I got all this music,
what did I do last time?You feel me? I did these
(12:16):
shows. I opened for Nipsey,I opened for Camera, and I open
for DMX, open for currency.You feel me when you start getting there,
it's like people only look to youto go to that type of shit.
You feel me, I'm not I'mnot opening for Blue Face. You
feel me, don't fence the blueFace. You know, but I'm not
opening for blue Face. That's that'snot on my That's not the level that
I want to be on you.I mean, if I want to be
on this level, it's like I'vebeen awarded these opportunities and stuff, so
(12:39):
you would not open for blue Face? Nah? Wow? Nah cut that
we got her, hear Troy ofLegendslatre forever. That's the case. You
try to google you, they gonnamiss this one. I want nobody coming
as you be like why what areyou doing? Swall with blue Face?
Mother fucking hell is shoot? Butnah, I feel it. I respect
(13:00):
I respect it. And that's likeI said, it's no shade to him.
It's just you feel me. It'swhat we're trying to do. You
feel me, and what I'm tryingto do. I don't. We don't
mess. I don't mess with blueFace. You feel me, and that's
not a knock. Is just knowingyour lane. You feel me, And
the older I get, the moreI get deeper with this shit, I
understand like everything for everybody, whoare you influenced by? You're not influenced
by or motivated by somebody like that. Who are you influenced and motivated by?
(13:24):
Shit? We can throw in aNipsey hustle, We could throw in
a jay Z, a Benny theButcher. I hear a lot of jay
Z, yeah, you know,and those are out of artists that I
study a lot growing up. Youfeel fabulous, you know shit, who
we're talking about right now? That'sbig, like your flow sound more mature
over the years. I've been listeningto y'all since y'all since you were I
(13:45):
want to say seventeen, but yousay college nineteen, since you first start
rapping. So I definitely hear thegrowth. As far as what I hear
mostly is like you have like adirection. Yeah, And I am a
lot of people I have on here. I tell them a lot that to
them a lot like I see likegrowth, or I see like you have
(14:05):
like a certain sound, and Ihear like you have like for me,
it seems like you're trying to accomplishsomething. And I get what you're trying
to do right right, you feelme? So kudos to that, brother.
Can I ask Can I ask youthat question? Then? What do
you see with that? What amI trying to accomplish from your point of
view, oh lyrically or just oryour your your your flow style and pattern
(14:26):
has improved in ways of like it'sit's it's a more looser flow. It's
some more it's it's it seemed likenot as written. It seems more like
more water, like more fluid,like I hear influence of like I hear
like jigger, like a t Inipsey you do. You do so much,
(14:52):
bro, like you do your music. You do like one thing I
love about you. You always pushthe envelope. You do shows with bands.
It's not like you know, yougot a million views, but all
of your shows or people come,people support you. It's a good look
(15:13):
and people have fun. Right,So like even like from the like you
hosts, you host parties, trunkcan hits you like, Troy, can
you host for me? Last second? You know what I'm saying, Like
just that rapport goes along, mate, So I see you like I see
you as a leader and trying tobuild for something. Absolutely speaking of that,
like how long you been knowing bigRich shit? I'm been knowing Rich
(15:39):
I mean musically or just in general, like in general, like when did
y'all first meet. I've been knowingRich since since I was like in high
school, maybe maybe middle school honestly, because I used to do with like
Bailey in them when I was young. You feel me going back and forth
to the Boys and Girls Club andshit before Roosevelt everything for high school.
But then I kind of like metRich like probably like two thousand and like
five, like during the high movedYeah, yeah, right before I think
(16:00):
this album his albums yeah dropped beforethat came out. I kind of met
him, like I knew of himand stuff like that, but you know,
like formerly met yeah, Like youknow, they lived down the way
in the Bankers we live up upthe way. I stayed on fail about
how to be and everything too.But then when I moved down the way,
it was like, Okay, Istart seeing them more because I start
being over there more hooping that HayesValley and Ella Hill and shit. So
(16:22):
I'm like, oh, that's bigRich, I see bro feel me.
So yeah, I think probably liketwo thousand and two thousand and five.
How did y'all start working together ona business level? How did that come
up? Because I remember he wasworking with even Odds d on them and
then it did. Did y'all startfucking with even I know y'all was recording
with even As and d All rightnow no, no, okay, let
(16:45):
me know, came in put meon, so basically let me know.
When we was doing our ship,man, it was like when Bailey.
Okay, real quick timeline, whenBailey dropped Champ Bailey, we was you
know, I used to be upin them all the time with them him,
Jay valen sign and stuff. Andthis is like when our City Boys
first started rapping. You feel Me? So I just started rapping and you
(17:07):
know, I ain't gonna lie,but we had a mixtape. I was
maybe on two songs on that tape. That's how fresh I was rapping.
I had like a urse and likean eight You feel me. So we
went up to his his release atthe Warehouse you form me on Vanas.
He signed autographs everything. I canremember that, like, man, what's
up? I bought the album,got his autograph, likenigg you really want
to yes, nigga, like youremember that? And we was trying to
(17:30):
get signed to City Boys, sowe were trying to high let him and
Jay Valentine everything, and they waslike, nah, you niggas ain't ready
and were like, man, comeon, bre like somebody got to take
out, you know, take achance and give us an opportunity. Then
they just kind of was like nah, Like maybe a year or so later,
you feel me this nigga Rich.We see him out We at a
(17:51):
at a party. I think,damn, I don't remember the club name,
but it's over by Patrol Mighty maybebut it's off a Utah Street.
Yeah, okay, yeah, soit might have been there. We they're
feeling we open for Rich. Youfeel me? We outside passing off fly
as soon as we get off stage, he get off stage, We go
(18:11):
outside, were standing in front passingout flyers. Immediately right, you feel
me? He like, man,I love what you're doing here, Like
I love y'all hustle. What's up? You know? I mean what y'all
doing like ship were trying to seewhat's up? Nigga? Like, man,
you know, come come to thebankers, let's holler. Yeah.
So we go go meet with himand everything, and he just like,
man, I love what you're doing. This is legends left forever. You
(18:33):
got me. So he kind ofwas like, man, I want to
fuck with y'all. I love whaty'all doing. I just just come be
a part of the team. Youfeel me, come join you know.
He had three story gang and everythinglike that, so it was moving me.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Soit was like that's when they had
even shot. Everybody else was there, and he was just like, man,
I just want you to come bea part of the team and ship
like that. Whatever resources I gotwas mine is yours got you? You
(18:55):
feel me? And that's kind ofwhat got us started and stuff like that.
So by him going to d Oand even odds and stuff, now
we had access TODO to m Aand stuff for production and everything like that.
So we just kind of just openedthe door for us. It wasn't
no paperwork, wasn't nothing like that. It was just like, man,
we gag, come on, gotcha, you feel me. So from there
that was like that, and thenwe kind of separated a little bit around
(19:15):
like twenty eleven. But this iswhen the group kind of like was on
our last leg what we had todo. And then when I went solo
and stuff like that. It wascool. Rich had project level and everything
because he had retired. Yeah,and he was just like, man,
what's up. You know, Ilove what you're doing. Come fuck with
us. I was working at ProjectLevel, Yeah, yeah, yeah,
So what do you do? What'syour role there? I run the music
(19:37):
department, so even shit, Imean, we could throw in like little
Kayla you Feel Me like when Ifirst got there, she was one of
the first artists that I worked withreal quick. And then what is so?
What is Project Level? So?Project Level is a nonprofit organization in
the city and we basically specialize inentrepreneurship, music modeling. We had dance
(19:59):
at one point, film and photography, got you. Yeah, so,
and it's for any anybody that's that'sa rapper or no, no, it's
really uh it's fun on their talentlike me or like who yeah, age
group anybody. So the age groupthat we initially started with is thirteen through
twenty four You feel Me? AndI think they opened it up. So
(20:21):
we had a bunch of like eightnine year olds and stuff that was starting
with pl Junior. And we didthat in the summer where they come in
and can learn how to work cameras, learn how to build YouTube chest big,
learn how to build brands and everything. So I took some of the
older kids and stuff. Teach themhow to work the studio equipment, how
to record themselves, how to beself sufficient artists. You stuff, you
feel me? You know how toproduce? You can you bake beat?
(20:42):
I'm terrible, Okay, I knowhow to work it, but I just
I don't got the patience. Inever developed it, like you know,
I got you. So tell usabout your brand, the free Play marand
the free Play brand. Man,that shit is. That shit is tight.
Everybody like it. Christian was like, oh that's Troy, he was
doing a free play. Yeah,yeah, he knew you from the free
platform. You branding yourself off?Bro? Yeah, and that's really what
(21:03):
it is. At yourself off.I sound like talking about branding your ass
off. Gotta check my blackness.But nah. But even with the brand
and stuff, man, what I'mI've learned with the free Play brand is
everything that I learned with the LegendiFever brand. You feel me to where
it's like, if you want peopleto see it, you gotta put it
(21:26):
in their face. You feel mewhere I go with the hats, we
got the hoodies, we got justmerch and everything. The merch is literally
just like a staple. You feelme, we get something for people to
wear. Everybody like wearing hoodies,Everybody like wearing hats. Were in San
Francisco, everybody want a hoodie straightup, you feel me? So if
we can feed that and just belike, okay, let's find the market,
It's like, it's not about themusic right now. Let's just build
the brand. And if we canjust make the brand mean something to people,
(21:48):
then the music is gonna follow,you feel me. So I think
just everything that we building with thebrand and just under it with the music
and stuff like that is just gonnatake it to another level. You had
boxes and cereals, chips and cornbags and all kinds of shit everything.
Man, that's what's up. Butwe saw the Cereal Box. The Cereal
Box came with free Play four withthe mixtape and everything, so right before
(22:08):
free Play the brand started. Itwas free Play four, So free Play
four was the album. We soldthat for one hundred bucks. Took the
Nipsey approach. Instead of just sellingthe CD, we sold the Cereal box
that had a flash drive. Ithad a wrist band. The flash drive
had all of the free plays onit with the videos, t shirt,
wristbands, whatever else. Was inthere was like a package, so when
(22:30):
you open it, instead of itbeing serial, it was a package merged.
You feel me. So and thenliterally right after that, a year
later, we built this the brand, the free Play brand, and everything
has been going since then. Sois everybody that's on your the free Play
music group. Are they all connectedto Project Level or are they directly just
(22:52):
under you? And it does itdepend? Is it all different? It
depends and stuff. You feel me? So everybody that's under like free Play,
it's like, you don't have tobe exclusively through Project Level. You
feel me. So what we didis I had to create something else you
feel me for me? Yeah,where it was like, okay, the
legend of for everything was the groupthing you feel me, and it was
like, I'm not gonna say it. It was fizzling a little bit because
(23:15):
everybody wasn't you didn't keep it real. Yeah, you feel me? So
we did. The free Play thingwas like cool. I wanted to bring
artists in and start building this labelunder there, but it just kind of
just you know, it worked theway it worked, you know. But
then also now a Project Level wegot ten fifteen. You feel in ten
fifteen is the agency and stuff.See that's why I'll be getting confused that
yeah, because I know it's projectlevel is ten fifteen because what came first?
(23:37):
Was it project level? Yeah?And then ten fifteen kids? Ten
fifteen is more of a management company. Yeah. So basically, I mean
in Laya's terms, it's like freeplay. Excuse me, project level is
nonprofit. Ten fifteen is like fora profit. Okay, you feel me.
So it's like project level is forthe kids. So you run the
music department at the project level?Yeah, do you do anything for ten
for ten fifteen, I'm basically likea and r oh oh you feel me?
(24:00):
So we do all that. Canyou ask Big Rich if I could
be headed to wash your back department? Absolutely? We bring you in through
free play. So basically that's whatwe're trying to do. Basically, just
have it's like a wing. Youfeel me. So it's like a building
(24:22):
we got if this is gonna bethe building, free play is a part
of the building. You feel me. So it's like, if they're not
ready to work here, they canwork with free play, and then whatever
we build over here is like that'scool, you feel me. It don't
necessarily have to cross paths. Ifit does cross paths, it makes sense.
If it doesn't, it's cool.We do what we do. Did
you get that out of just yourgrowth, your your your internal growth?
(24:44):
Did you get that from Big Richor did you get that like from just
just from you know, being influencedby, like you said, people like
Jay z Man. I think it'slike I keep saying, it's a little
bit of everything, man, youknow, I take from everywhere, a
little bit of Dumbo. Yeah,come on, man, like basically like
we're being rich in them, youunderstand. Like when he had three Story,
he was signed also to to Cotch, but he was also signed with
(25:07):
Chuck. Yeah, three Story withthree cred. You feel me? So
I almost forgot, but you know, so he had street cred with Chuck,
and Chuck had the Hood Stars,but the Hood Stars also had Lawless.
Yeah, I feel me. Youknow, so Rich had three Story
where it was like Chuck didn't reallycare for us. Can you give people
some game about like just branching offon your own, doing your own thing,
(25:29):
Yeah, so that you don't gotto worry about somebody else's ciphering yourself
out to check. Yeah, AndI think that's important you feel me.
I think it's important to be ableto stand on your own. You feel
me because it's like, you know, it ain't nothing wrong with working for
somebody, you feel me. Butif they decide they don't want to do
it no more, or you canget fired from over there. Yeah,
you feel me. You can.You can't get fired from your own shit
(25:49):
if you run it, you know. But the thing is, it's hard
because it's like it's like I said, take patience. It takes time.
You feel me. You got toget people to buy in. You got
to build that brand, and ifyou can't get people to buy in,
you kind of on an island,right, you feel me, So you
got to figure it out at thesame time. But then it's like when
you got your own shit, youmake your own decisions, you feel me.
If they don't want to mess withit, it's cool, they don't
have to. But whatever you doover here, you just got to make
(26:11):
it work and make it stand byyourself. Straight up of the day.
You feel me? Straight up?Man's feel my mic to watch your Back
podcast. We're sitting here with myguy Troy ll f new album in stores
U in stores everywhere. It's calledgood fella. How much of your brand
is an extension of or what you'retrying to Like, how much is how
(26:33):
much do you personalize the clothes inyour in the in the brand in your
brand? Yeah, man, shitalmost like because you fly bro like on
some real shit. Like people betelling me, you know what I'm saying,
Like you not the type of flythat's like flamboyantly just out there,
but you're you dress well. Peoplebe saying like, bro, like are
(26:56):
your little stuff you get? Igot the same vibe from you. Like,
man, it's flies, it's alwaysneat, it's always fitted. That's
another thing that's like part of yourbrand. It's a filmo thing for surely.
But you know, I see thatand I see a lot of like
it's like sometimes people like Sean Johnand Rock and Feller lost their way because
like y'all start making stuff that jayZ and Diddy they don't even wear.
(27:18):
Yeah, exactly, you know whatI'm saying, Like, I definitely see
that in your brain. Can youtalk about that? That's one of the
things that you know, building thebrand and then building you know, especially
clothing and stuff like that, likemerch. You know, you start off
with the merch. Yeah, youstart off with something that's gonna get their
attention, that's gonna build the brand. Yeah, it's like everything like think
about like jay Z and them andeven fifty Cent. When he first came
(27:38):
out, it was g unit everything. Yeah, me big bolt and will
want you to see it. Thenthey start getting a little more discreet as
they start getting bigger, and itwas like, Okay, they got Junius
sneakers, they got Junia jackets,pants, state property. You feel me
all of that shit, you know. So what I think is it's like
you gotta start somewhere when you startwith yourself. I can wear it,
you feel me. So I'm alwaysgonna start with some I can wear first,
(28:00):
something that the homies can wear itfirst, and then you feel me.
We build off of that because ifI can get them and they're like,
nah, I fuck with this,Like I got I got some Letterman
jackets and everything coming. I've seenthat. You feel me. First thing
I do. She send me tothe mock up. I drop in the
group chat, which I think whichones y'all like, I get it.
I get a little bit of here, a little bit from there and stuff.
(28:21):
But I also got what I wantand what I'm looking for. But
I also need that feedback because sometimethey like, nah, that's ugly,
bere it's too much going on.You might need to just scale back a
little bit. Okay, cool.Now I have to think about the consumer.
You feel me. If I'm tryingto sell it to you, I
got to listen to what you're talkingabout. I can't just be like I
don't care you're gonna buy it anyway. Niggas like no, I'm not.
You feel me. So that's howI look at it, And I look
(28:41):
at it like what do I liketo wear? Yeah, if I can
wear it, then people gonna seeit and be like, hey, that's
fresh. I need one. Youfeel me? Or if not, it's
like, it's cool, I gota one on one. I guess some
shit. I like, right definitely. Before we get you out of here,
man, I wanted to ask youabout where do you see yourself uh
in free play music group within thenext year. What do y'all say?
(29:03):
What? What are some of y'allgoes? Man to be the fucking biggest
brand man in the West Coast.Yeah, you know, And that's just
manifest that manifesting it right now,but I'm just like, I think that,
especially in the Bay Area. Youfeel me. It's a lot of
it's a lot of people rap,it's a lot of people doing music and
stuff like that, creating brands andeverything. But I think that Free Play
Music Group is probably gonna be oneof the biggest brands. We got the
(29:26):
music. You feel me, Wegot the we got everything, man,
show you feel me. Shout out. Journey be the reasons you feel me
hanging out Journey, the reason inthe billing. Journey be the reason.
Man. She the hottest up andcoming in Oakland right now. You feel
I stamped that, I said it. Feel me whatever you've seen it.
You know what she doing for me? Poosy, you feel me, my
guy doing this thing and stuff.You feel me. We got the R
(29:48):
and B side with Derek Neely.We got Yas R and Bree. Christian
got a crush one R and Breefor real. That's fine, that's fine,
that's what we want. Man.For me, If you out there,
motherfucker, ain't got a crush onyou or something you missed. You
know you're missing somewhere, but youknow, and I just feel like that,
Like I feel like, you know, even with Skino Scheno probably gonna
(30:08):
be one of the biggest A andrs come off the Bay You Feel Me
soon where it's like they see itand they hear it and they see everything
that we're doing. Here you doingthis thing on this podcast. Yeah,
feel me, play play radio,Play radio. We almost had one hundred
episodes and stuff. You feel Me. So we just been pushing and everything
like that, and I feel likewe just covering every every base, just
getting started, just scratching the surface, literally just getting started, but we
(30:30):
covering every base, you know.And I think within the next year it's
gonna be making some real noise andpeople are gonna be like, oh,
yeah, I see what they wasdoing. That ship lit for show We
Live Man's a film on Mike isit is to Wash Your Back podcast Once
again, I want to thank y'allfor listening. Troy. Before we get
you up out of here, shoutout your people. Let them know where
you're from. Yeah, I meannot where you're from, but you know
where they can find you at allyour social media handles and everybody in here
(30:52):
that you can absolutely they came withyou. Man. Shout out form me,
Shout out Journey be the reason youfeel me shot out my guy roll
film me. Shout out SCHNO,shout out free play Music group, Man,
shout out the whole gang Man wereout here a good fella out now.
Man, y'all want to check thatout, hit me up at Troy
l Left all social media platforms,or if y'all want to get real personal,
hit me on my superphone. Youfeel me for one nine, five,
(31:14):
one eight, five four or fiveeight. He got numbers on deck.
Man, come on the fuck up, hey and real man. I
appreciate y'all having me up here.Man, I appreciate you being back up
here, just because we were talkingabout the before you got back in here
and stuff, just being on thestreet team and everybody. I remember them
days and ship where we just beout fucking with y'all going around passing our
stuff. So you know, thisis a full circle moment, just to
(31:37):
step you back here. I'm like, man, Mike, here we back
in the building, manure, Iappreciate that. Man, appreciate that.
Hey, man, thank you onceagain. It's another episode. We don't
even count the numbers. We justput who's on the who's the guests?
I don't know how many episodes wein, but we're trying to get like
skin on. I know we ain'tat a hundred. He is what we
damn show. We ain't ad ahuddy, but we almost there. Troy
(31:59):
from Legislation for Ever Troy llllf ishe liked to be called Man Filmo Mike
watching it Back without Peace Boo
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