Willie Moore, Jr. on Pretty Willie, Adoption, And Finding His Purpose Partner

Willie Moore Jr. opens up about growing up adopted, navigating divorce, finding faith, and learning how to love again—from a healed place, right here on this powerful and deeply personal episode of the xoMAN Podcast with Kiara Walker.

Willie shares the story of discovering he was adopted at age 7, how that moment shaped his identity, and why he now advocates for adoption and foster care nationwide. He reflects on his early music career as Pretty Willie, his transition into faith-based media, the mistakes he made in his first marriage, and how therapy, healing, and intentional fatherhood have redefined him as a man.

With wisdom, humor, and heart, Willie dives into masculinity, emotional growth, love after divorce, and how his daughter inspired his next level of spiritual alignment. This is the kind of conversation that sticks with you long after the mic cuts off.

Keep Up!

🎙 Podcast Host: @kikisaidso
🎧 Guest: @williemoorejrlive
📱 Instagram: @xonecole
🌐 www.xonecole.com

Chapters:

0:00 – Adoption story: “Am I a dog?”
8:00 – Red Flag/Green Flag game
14:00 – Leave & cleave: Keeping family out of relationships
17:00 – Meeting his biological family in 2020
23:00 – Being raised by older parents
26:00 – Healing journey, Celebrate Recovery & therapy
30:00 – From Pretty Willie to radio + BET’s Kingdom Business
38:00 – Finding love again & learning how to show up
44:00 – Lessons from divorce + why clarity matters
50:00 – Raising his daughter with intention
55:00 – Reassurance, love languages, and generational masculinity
1:02:00 – Advice for balancing purpose and presence

 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
They said, I don't mess with adopted kids.
I don't mess with adopted kids.
Do remember that song?
Brought my daddy in the room and they told me you are adopted.
My first question was, am I a doll?
That's the only thing I've ever seen on television to be adopted, was a doll.
And these words changed my life forever because my dad at that time, met down.

(00:22):
I haven't grown since I was seven.
God.
So he met down and he said, son, you're nobody's doll.
You chose it.
We was smoking one night and we hitting it and I'm just talking and I said, hey man, Ithink we should go to church in the morning.
He's like, what?
I was like, I think we need to go to church in the morning, man.
Like for real.

(00:43):
He was like, every time you get high, you turning to Kirk Franklin.
What would you say is something that you know now about marriage that you wish you wouldhave knew that first go-round?
Man, I hella wish I, if there was something that I wish I woulda known about marriage, Iwish I knew that you should not choose in your healing phase.

(01:10):
Don't choose anybody while you trying to figure it
Welcome to the XO man podcast.
I'm your host, Kiara Walker.
They say men don't talk.
They hold it all in, never let their guard down.
But here we like to do things differently.
I sit down with black men from all walks of life, actors, singers, entrepreneurs,athletes, and everyday guys to peel back the layers of who they are beyond the

(01:35):
stereotypes.
A space where black men get to be real.
raw and unfiltered.
We're talking about relationships, love, success, struggles, fears, and the parts ofmasculinity that don't always get the spotlight.
Some conversations will challenge what you think you know.
Some might make you laugh and some might just make you look at the men in your life alittle differently.

(01:55):
So whether you're here to learn or just hear some dope conversations, you're in the rightplace.
So pull up, listen in, and let's have the conversations that matter.
It's time for the XO Men podcast to begin.
Welcome back to the XO Man podcast.
I'm your host, Kiara Walker.
And today we have a very special guest with us.
I mean, they're all special, but this one is extra special.

(02:18):
We have Mr.
Willie Moore Jr.
with us.
so glad to be here.
so glad that you're here.
You came in like a big ball of positive fun, hyper energy, and I needed that.
I did.
I didn't get all my coffee this morning.

(02:39):
It's all right, but thank you.
I'll know next time.
For sure.
Now you are a media personality, radio personality.
I saw you on my home girl, Renee, on the talk show with Brie Renee, and I am loving whaty'all are doing over there.
How did you get started with that?
So, Rene, number one, let me just say, you are amazing, phenomenal, you're my sister and Ilove you to life.

(03:02):
So whenever somebody say Brie Rene, I just always get excited.
If you're a friend of Brie, you're a friend to me.
Sweet.
Yeah, that's my sister.
You know what?
I literally keep my head down doing exactly what I feel like I'm called to do.
I'm a kingdom kid, so I don't toil or chase nothing.
I just do what I'm called to do and these new opportunities continue to come.

(03:24):
You know, it's unique like in the world or like in mainstream, it's like we hustle, wegotta go get it.
Cause I'm from the streets, so that's the way I used to think.
So getting opportunities now, I just stay faithful to the season I'm in and then Godcontinue to open an up door.
So I got a call from Jodi, she's the director, producer, the boss lady of thisopportunity.
I've always wanted to work with her.

(03:44):
She's an Emmy award winner.
And so when the opportunity presented itself,
I was like, yo, I'm in and to be able to present a black voice, to be a faith voice in amainstream setting has just been amazing.
Yeah.
Yeah, no, not at all.
But that's changing.
I've noticed a lot of people coming out and I'd like to see it.
I think it's interesting.

(04:04):
It's at a different perspective.
We don't need to continue to repeat the same ideas.
Let's welcome some new voices, some new ideas that are based in things that aren't evennew, but we need to hear them, you know?
I like that.
I wish I brought my bell, because you doing
When you talking things, she talking right.
Okay, so on this show, we like to warm things up with a little bit of an icebreaker.

(04:42):
So this game is red flag, green flag.
And I just want you to tell me if you think that whatever the situation, idea or actionthat is happening is a red flag for you or green flag.
man, I'm about to take this coat off.
It's not that hot up in here.
Okay, the first one.
um They show up at your job unannounced.
Okay, you was ready for that one.

(05:04):
Okay, they send you naughty pictures while you're at work.
Green.
Come on.
me ready before I go.
I'm over 40.
You got to warm me up.
I'm like a Buick.
I'm a Buick baby.
Okay, you can just get in and just go.
It's not working like that.
Okay, they believe attending therapy is important, but only for individuals, not forcouples.

(05:28):
I would probably say yellow flag.
Because I think that a level of truth is the truth.
I think everybody should have their individual therapy because, I mean, even when you'remarried, you should be single, meaning that you have single things that you do.
However, I think once you get mature enough, I think you should come together in therapyso you don't outgrow each other.
For me, change is inevitable, but growth is optional.

(05:52):
So when you think about change, it's coming no matter what.
Like you're gonna get old, know, it's gonna happen.
But as it pertains to growth, it's 60 year olds who still ain't growing.
So I think you should do it individually, but when you come together as a couple, I thinkthere's some things that you have to refine.
The Bible says this, that the two will leave their mother and father, cleave to each otherand become one flesh.

(06:12):
Unfortunately, there's no time on that.
Right?
So because you don't know what time that is, becoming is an infinite time.
So you need people to help you grow in the same direction, um even while you're growingand becoming together.
So it's kind of a yellow flag for me.
I think there's a level of truth that's red and then there's another truth that I believeis great.
Okay, okay, so yellow, that makes sense.
They believe that their career comes first in a relationship and everything else will fallinto place later.

(06:39):
I did that wrong.
I got divorced.
uh
And is that how you were living your life?
Yeah, want to, I'm a survival mode.
I want to make sure that she never had to work.
I wanted to make sure that we did this, uh had this beautiful, elaborate life.
And I got so focused on business that now that I look back, I can respect, that's whatlook back means, look back, I can respect the fact that I was trying to do the right

(07:00):
thing, but I was doing it like I thought my dad, that I seen my dad do.
He's an ex sharecropper from Mississippi.
So he didn't work.
And my mom was just happy that them lights was on.
But I realized, you know,
Every person is an individual and I could have done that better.
So red flag for me.
Red flag, yeah, that would be a red flag for me too.
She said.
Because we can not just be working.

(07:21):
This is not that.
I got other needs.
uh on.
They, let's see, they openly praise their partner on social media, but rarely expressaffection privately.
Green.
Green, that's okay.
I mean, I think there's a way to get her to express internally.

(07:44):
A lot of times you got to celebrate what people are doing.
Like I respond by saying, I appreciate those things and they'll want to do more.
So if you do that, then she finally starts to do it internally.
Then you celebrate that.
Everybody want to go where they celebrate it, not just tolerate it.
A lot of times we harp on the things that a person is not doing without celebrating whatthey're doing.

(08:05):
Like if you celebrate that, she'll be open to do what you need.
if you be like, you be like, hey babe, you celebrate me online, but you ain't doing this.
But if you just say, hey babe, I love when you celebrate me online.
It really lets me know how important.
And that's why it's good to have conversations like this, because I would never thinkabout it like that.
But now I can think about it like that.

(08:25):
Because I would wonder, are you just putting on for the internet?
And really you don't feel it.
But that's a different way to look at it,
Yeah, some people are putting on for the internet, but you know that through theconversations, the environment that you're at, you're like, why are you putting that on
social media?
That would be a stop.
But if a person has a genuine heart and they're just loving you the way they want to beloved, because that's the only way we know how to be loved until you rectify and start to

(08:51):
make some adjustments.
But if you celebrate the way they love, you can introduce them to the actual way you wantto
And see, listen, you know, some of the men have some good things to say.
I can learn a few things.
I appreciate that.
Okay, I'm do one more.
Let's do it.
So last one.
Okay, they.

(09:17):
because some of them are kind of similar.
Okay.
They are very, very close to their family and rely on them heavily for advice and supportin their relationships.
That's a red flag for me.
I'm the whole leave and cleave guy.
mean, to this day, my mom and dad don't know the ins and outs of what happened in ourrelationship, what they can feel and they can see, um you know, some of the things that

(09:43):
happened afterwards or what they think and speculate, but I will never ever tell.
I'm the leave and cleave guy.
Like once I left my mother and father and family, I will take advice.
I will go to therapy.
I will have accountability partners.
See, I'm adopted.
I ain't never met my biological family until I was into 2020.
So my mama, she loved me.

(10:04):
Oh, she loved me.
Listen, if I robbed a bank, she'll get on the stand and be like, he did not actually robthat bank.
That's not why she just loved me like that.
So I know that her and I, we may get back on good terms and it'll be our love, but as faras my mama go, she can't stand her ass for the rest of her life.
So I don't want to put nobody in that.
And of course I don't want to be put in that.

(10:26):
Like sisters don't forgive.
the way you want them to forgive.
You'll forgive.
they'll be like, uh-uh, I still remember what he did in 1975.
I got an auntie right now still pissed off at what my daddy did in 75.
You know, he good now, but hell in 75, he was a hell to deal with.
You know what mean?
So you don't want to put your mate in there.
I think you should have some autonomy with your relationship.

(10:47):
Yeah, I totally agree.
I was having a conversation with my sister.
She's married.
I'm not.
And we were talking about it and she was like, yeah, there's just certain things that Ihave learned because she got married in her 20s.
She was like, I have learned is certain things I can't vent to the family about because Ican forgive.
They don't.
And they act funny.

(11:08):
And it's like we've moved on.
And I'm like, yeah, I hate that you feel that way.
I can because I'm on whatever you want.
So I'm, you're my sister.
Yeah, you're my sister.
So if we cool with him and we have forgiven him, then we have forgiven him.
I don't want him to feel comfortable and I don't want to be the family member that iscausing issue in your relationship.

(11:30):
I can only imagine what that feels like, but I take that as a mental note for myself.
Don't tell nobody nothing.
But you have, don't mean you have to internalize everything.
I'm just saying you got a few trusted people that you know.
I've somebody, one of my friends, he, when they're in a good season, they pick the friendgroup that they're going to vent to and they allow each other to pick what person they

(11:55):
want to allow to, cause it's like, he knows my heart.
So if you got a friend, so Chuck, my accountability partner, he's my driver, he's myaccountability partner, he's been my friend for years.
I can bring my stuff to him and he's not gonna look at her no different because he knowsher too.
Like he been in the house, he's like, come on, you ain't really looking at it rightthough, but think about what she is doing.

(12:16):
He's gonna give me not only the perspective that I want as a man to validated about how Ifeel, but he's also gonna offer a perspective of, hey man, what about the shoes that she
walks in?
You gone all the time, you doing this.
You a high value man, you a high earning man.
Sometimes you not gentle bro, so you got to think about that too.
And I think a lot of times we want somebody to be on our bandwagon versus somebody who'sgoing to pull our coat to you.

(12:39):
Yeah, and that's not the best person that you need talk to.
The yes man, you gotta have a mix.
You definitely need accountability partners.
Okay, so we are going to talk about the man, the behind the man.

(13:05):
how you have gotten to the place that you are.
Something you mentioned a little while ago is the fact that you're adopted.
And when I was looking on your website, I saw that you advocate for adoption and that'sreally important to you.
Do you mind telling us a little bit about your adoption story?
Yeah, I would love to share my adoption story.
It's one of the most cool stories ever.
It didn't start off that way.

(13:25):
Like I was seven years old when I actually found out I was adopted.
How'd you know?
It wasn't like beautiful like this.
I was just beautiful girl and that she was a little old.
I always liked older women when I was younger.
Now I do something a little younger.
Come on somebody.
know what mean?
But she was walking down the street and one of the neighbors and I asked her to come overand she was like, well, we're going downtown.

(13:47):
Would you like to go?
Now my mom, she don't let me ride with nobody.
My mom like, hell no, you ain't come over here.
But you can't go over there.
My mom from Louisiana, she don't play this much.
She don't play this many by her baby, you know?
But she allowed me to go that time and they were singing a song.
said, I don't mess with adopted kids.
I don't mess with adopted kids.
remember that song.

(14:08):
And I'm seven years old.
Hell, I don't know no different.
I'm like, I don't mess with adopted
He jamming.
And then finally that beautiful young lady didn't look so beautiful because she looked mein the face and she said, Willie, we're actually singing about you.
And I was like, she's like, yeah, we talking about you because you adopted.
And so I put my face on and I waited until we got back home and I scurried off to my momand my dad.

(14:33):
They stayed right across the street.
And I walked in, damn they're hyperventilating and said, those kids, mama, those kids,those kids, they said I was adopted.
And was the first time I seen my mom's face change.
Like it was first time I ever seen fear, trauma.
And like she was just really surprised.
She said, you stay right there.
And my mom, little guy, she still cuss a little bit though.

(14:56):
So when she walked out, she had these long nails.
She walked out, she said, stay right there.
Of course I didn't do it.
Look through the window.
she had walked up that hill to where them people would and I seen her finger like this.
She had a long jerry curl.
You know, back then with the jerry curl, mean, she had like kind of like the mullet thingon her.
And she was going like this and her curl was going to the left and right.

(15:18):
That's when I knew she wasn't praying.
She was cussing at that time.
She came on back after she finished cussing them out, brought my daddy in the room andthey told me, you are adopted.
My first question was, am I a dog?
And my dad is like, what, what the hell you said?
I said, because that's the only thing I've ever seen on television to be adopted was adog.

(15:38):
And these words changed my life forever.
And that's why I'm five foot nothing, a hundred and nothing can walk in any room like achampion because my dad at that time, bent down.
haven't grown since I was seven, praise God.
So he bent down and he said, he said, son, you nobody's dog.
You chose it.
And he said, those other children in this neighborhood.

(15:59):
when their mothers had the opportunity to have them, they were probably surprised becausethey weren't prepared.
We were prepared for you and we chose you.
So don't ever think you're somebody's dog.
And so I took it upon myself to make sure that the 123,000 children who are available foradoption right now across these United States, they get a voice through me because I never

(16:20):
want them to think that they're dogs.
I want them to believe that they've been chosen for a harder route so they can besuccessful a lot earlier.
I made my first million dollars when I was 22.
You know what I mean?
So you gotta have the opportunity to win.
of course, here's the thing, I didn't keep a million dollars, but I signed my firstmillion dollar deal at age 22, which means not trying to be impressive, but trying to say,

(16:45):
hey guys, don't use that as an excuse to not be successful.
Use it as fuel to be the best version of yourself.
And thank God for my mother, Willie J and Floora Moore.
2020, I met my whole biological family.
My mother, she's a beautiful woman.
On January the 12th, I've always celebrated my forever mama, Flora, coming to find out mybiological mother was born on the same day, January the 12th.

(17:08):
They're now best friends.
They take care of each other.
They love each other.
They talk more than I talk.
I have a brother, Tony, my biological brother.
He's my best friend.
I love him to life.
that's just a beautiful story.
Yeah, so how did you find them?
My purpose partner, the woman that I love and the person that I'm seeing now, she actuallyfound my biological family.

(17:31):
She was on a similar uh television show called Relative Race and she learned aboutgenealogy.
She learned about some of the things that they, tools that they use and she got my birthcertificate and in 48 hours I was looking at a picture of my biological brother.
Took me like five months to really reach out to him though.
What was the hesitation to reach out?

(17:54):
By then I was in tune with myself.
I had been going to therapy by then like two years.
I believe in Jesus and therapy.
know what I mean?
Like some Christians be like, you just took it altar.
I was just like, yeah, I took it to the altar, but I still would slap the hell out ofsomebody.
So I had to go to therapy because I was small and aggressive.
And so I started to go to therapy with the thought of being a better father for mydaughter.

(18:15):
had a baby girl.
I had all boys.
I thought I was a good man for boys, but not as a sensitive as I needed to be for girls.
So I started to do it in therapy.
And I realized that there were certain timings for me.
Like I knew that there were certain seasons in my life that I would not be in the moment.
And so I just waited till I can actually be in the moment.
I had, at that time I think I was writing a book and I was doing this.

(18:37):
I'm like, let me finish this wavelength and then I will go and I will finish it.
But I stalked them for months.
Like I could see my brother, my dude look like me.
It look bigger than me.
It look like my mama, you know what I mean?
So I would stalk them.
But one of my dear brothers,
Like I'm from the neighborhood, so baby Huey, died.
Shout out to Huey.
Do that thing, go mommy, make it roll.

(19:00):
So I pulled up in the loo.
know, I don't never, well, I stay at a hotel kind of out there, but I'm always in thehood, man.
Success is an international language, man.
I got to have security and all that other stuff.
So I was in the hood and then Huey pulled up on me and we joning on each other.
like, damn, you look like you swallowed a car.
You know, we having fun.
You know, Papa Smyrven, you know, we joni.

(19:23):
And then that same day he got murdered.
oh Probably like 12 hours after we had just was joni and having fun.
And it shook me.
They let me know that time wasn't my own.
I was like, damn, I just seen him.
I drove to St.
Louis from Atlanta.
By the time I made it to Atlanta driving, there's like Huey dead.
I'm like, there ain't no way Huey dead.
Like I just was at the gas station with him.

(19:44):
I just invited him to my house.
I told him he couldn't bring them with him.
But I said, still young, you still got this beautiful opportunity.
He can't be dead.
And once I found out he was dead, I posted him.
And my biological brother, he got under my post.
And he said, bro, yeah, that's messed up.
And I was like, bro?

(20:04):
Do you know what I know?
probably more bro than you know.
And so I texted him that night and I went downstairs and had a conversation and I waslike, man, you know, I think I may, you know, I may be your brother.
And he was like, yeah.
And you know, daddy, my daddy, he got a whole lot of kids.
I understand.
I was like, yeah.
The only issue is, is mama, it's your mama.
Is she still alive?
Cause I thought she was dead.

(20:26):
And he said, no, she's still alive.
But my mama ain't got no kids.
She ain't never went on no dates or nothing like that.
Like he was whole enough for our mama.
Like she only dated one man.
She never bring no men around.
Like she, she don't do that.
Like she, you know, she regal.
Like, I went in with my mercies.
That's what I was thinking.
He said, by the morning, he called me.
was like, man, by the morning I have all the answers.

(20:47):
And with tears in his eyes, he said, she confessed it.
She said, you know, she was uh 19 years old.
um She had me when she was 17.
Then she had you when she was 19 and um she put you up for adoption.
She had never seen you, but she thought about you every day.
And I was like, all right, cool.
We've been brothers ever since.
wow.

(21:07):
That's an amazing story.
I'm into genealogy too.
Okay.
I found out I have an older brother.
I still say I'm the oldest.
Yeah, but I found out I had an older brother and he was more shocked than me.
And we share our dad and ah he's from Louisiana too, but he lives in Washington, likeSeattle.

(21:33):
stay.
And so we've met, we met in 2020.
Oh, wow.
He came to Atlanta.
I got to meet him.
And then we were touring for another show and I was doing a show in Seattle and I got tomeet him out there and kind of see where he's from.
But he was shocked and he was nervous.
And when he called me and see, we did the ancestry.com DNA.

(21:56):
And so he's thinking he's looking for ethnic breakdown.
Yeah.
And he see me as
could be your half sister, could be your cousin, could be your auntie.
He's like, ah, she looks like she about my age.
And then he sees our dad and it says, this is your dad.
And he's like, no, I know my daddy.

(22:16):
Well, his mama had a secret too.
But anyway, I say all of that to say, I think it's interesting to find people when youmight not be with your biological family and you meet your biological family later in
life.
Sometimes people are scared because you don't know how they'll receive that.
And I even had to calm myself down when I was talking to my mama because I was excited.

(22:40):
Like I've got a brother.
Like I knew my daddy had more kids than this.
wouldn't make sense.
He was outside for real, you know?
And then I found out I had another sister and other stuff was going on.
But she was like, care for C.
Wacash and this is probably shaking this man's life up.
And I was like, you know what?
I didn't even think about that.
Now you found out you were adopted when you were a kid.

(23:03):
How did those neighborhood kids know you was adopted and you didn't know?
My parents were older, but they was all I knew.
So my daddy today, he 94 years young.
Wow.
still living.
You call him right now and say, how your day going?
He's like, I never had it so good.
Like, that's what I say.
I get that from my dad.
He's an army man, real structure, just cool as hell.

(23:24):
You know, he's suffering through some different health challenges right now mentally, butwe just trusting God with it.
And then my mom, she 84.
So my parents were a lot older.
So they got this little newborn.
So everywhere I went, they would say, hey, that's your grandmama.
So I'm sure other children would go into the house, talk to their mama, like, why will hepurn as old as hell?
You know what I'm And they was like, well, Ms.

(23:46):
Moore got him from the foster care and adoption.
And you know, I don't think they were being malicious, but children sometimes can beextremely malicious.
But you know, we made it through.
It's all good.
We won.
And so now when you do your work to make sure that all of those other children who arewaiting for their forever homes feel loved and know that they are going to be chosen, what

(24:10):
does that work like?
It's the most fulfilling work that I do.
They usually give me 20 or 30 minutes.
I know I was going to talk about this.
I was ready to have fun.
No, no, no, I'm good.
I it.
I love love it.
It just pulls on my heartstrings.
But it's the most fulfilling work.
The last presentation I did, they asked me, you know, they're well, they're fosterchildren.

(24:32):
You you're entertaining and it's fun.
But they can only stand here for like 20 minutes.
And so I went in the back and in my traditional form, I just started to pray.
I was like, God,
you know, do you need me to do in this room?
And I did 15 minutes and I was in the middle of a story.
And I mean, story getting good.
Everybody, they say I'm a master storyteller.
So they're sitting there and they just like ready to hear it.

(24:52):
And I was just like, well, they only gave me 15 minutes.
So I guess I gotta go.
And they was like, no!
I was like, yeah, sure.
You want me to do something else?
They was like, go!
And I did another 15 minutes.
And I was like, well, they only gave me 15 more minutes.
So I just played that and we ended up being there for two hours and just sharing.
And by the time I had to leave,
Like you just have these string of kids who finally got an opportunity for somebody toverbalize how they feel.

(25:16):
like I'm hugging and security's pissed because I don't care.
Like I'm like, I don't care about none of that stuff, man.
So I'm hugging babies.
But it's the most fulfilling work that I do.
um In 2026, we're shooting a new film.
It's called The Missing Piece.
It's kind of based on my story.
And then we also have a television opportunity that we've created that we're shoppingright now.
And the movie opportunity is already pretty much in stave.

(25:38):
I don't know who gonna play me though.
So we're working on that now.
I don't, man, I wanna sit back and just kinda let these amazing actors and actresses do iton this particular film.
It doesn't mean that I don't want to be a part of it.
I may play a smaller role, but you know, I wanna kinda watch this thing.
It's kinda my baby, it's a passion project.
Other projects, I'm gonna pop on, be me, but this one I just wanna sit back and watch themwin.

(26:02):
If you could pick anybody to play you, who would it be?
Or three people, three actors right now.
You know, believe it or not, I haven't really thought about it, but it's this, uh I forgotthe guy in St.
Louis.
He's really, really good.
I forgot his name, but the first person to come to mind, and it's going to be funny to alot of people, but younger Willie, um kind of that Pretty Willie days when I was an R &B

(26:26):
guy, I would probably want Lil Zayn to play.
Because that was like my friend.
He understand what it was.
We were on the road together for years, so it's pretty cool.
And what was your life like back then?
As Pretty Willie, we made a lot of money, but we spent a lot of money.
A lot of women, a lot of alcohol, Grey Goose was a thing.

(26:48):
But just a whole lot of love.
We was children having a whole lot of fun.
Yeah, like we just having fun and you know, we had the world at our fingertips.
I can't believe I was 21, 22 years old living in LA.
and running back and forth to St.
Louis, I signed another deal with Warner Brothers when I was 25.
First I got my first deal with Universal, fresh out of college.

(27:10):
And so all my friends were going to the league, Deuce McAllister and the rest of them, I'mnot from the Deuce, record deal.
End up signing a record deal and he's like, oh my God, know, by this big truck with therims, I don't know why I got five TVs, got but two eyes, know what saying?
Big old jewelry.
I mean, we used to have diamonds all the way down.
We used to rap and say, I got diamonds down to my testicles.
Like we would just have diamond chains, just.

(27:32):
Just- Big earrings, gotta have the biggest ones you can find.
You remember them earrings, Chuck, with the big old-
some people loves would be split and just hanging.
But I mean, when you come in, you got the spark.
But that part really let me know that I had something with people.

(27:55):
You know what I mean?
I wasn't the best singer.
I just made songs that people could sing along to.
So if you say, your body down, boom, and let me touch your body, everybody can sing that.
You know what mean?
When I was in high school, that song was played over and over.
We had step teams, right?

(28:15):
And a step team, now it's a step team, like a step team, but I don't know what was goingon in Texas and tell me if this was going on in St.
Louis, but they would be dancing.
Like dancing like nasty dancing, like slow grind dancing, the boys and the girls.
And so after the step routine,
They're on the stage doing all this gyrate and pop locking and dropping and snaking itacross the floor.

(28:39):
And when I look back, I'm like, what were we doing?
And why were we such horny teenagers?
eh What was going on?
Yes, you were.
it through the song and then made it into your show, and next thing you know, you're doingthe hip roll.
Here's the thing, I have put every part of Pretty Willie in my life today, like whetherit's jumping on stages, keeping people entertained, I just do not know where I'm going to

(29:02):
put the hip roll.
Because this just don't go with my new brand.
I'm like, where this go?
Because I still can do this.
No, maybe that can go with the physical wellness and you got to keep stretching and movingyour body.
What?
WorkoutwithWilly.com.
Make sure you go WorkoutwithWilly.com.
Yeah, I gotta keep them uh joints moving.
Moving.

(29:22):
Yes, indeed.
So, okay, so you did music.
I did.
Now, you do music.
Yeah.
What was the, at what point did you start to lean more into your faith?
I started to lean more in my faith when I moved to Los Angeles because I realized thatevery time we get an opportunity, and many people on the other side of this camera, you'll

(29:46):
feel it.
Like you start to move in the right direction.
It looked like everything about to pop off.
You've been working real, real hard.
And then the bottom key falling out.
You're like, man, I thought that was really going to sign.
You know, we doing these club dates, we doing whatever, then that record get low.
And then you got to come out with four walls and then you got a two year run and thenthat's slow down.

(30:06):
Then you got more of a good thing and just felt like a hamster wheel.
And I was like, this is a lot of pressure.
So one night we were just in Los Angeles, we chilling and in LA it's just normal.
So, you know, please don't take this wrong.
When you walk in somebody's house, they'll be like, you want some water?
You want some soda?
You want some wine?
You want some weed?

(30:26):
Usually I was on that fourth in with the weed, praise the Lord.
That's where I would be.
And so I was...
We smoking one night, me and, I guess I can say 88, he about to Me and 88, we outsideriding them, they on smoke, me and eight, and we hitting it and I'm just talking and I
said, hey man, I think we should go to church in the morning.

(30:46):
He's like, what?
I was like, I think we need to go to church in the morning, man, like for real.
He was like.
Every time you get high, you turn into Kirk Franklin.
I was like, no, we need to go to church.
And so we went and I got more than I bargained for.
It was if like, shout out to Pastor Armour.

(31:08):
He was in the Great Western Forum at the time.
It's a church called Faithful Central.
And he was talking and it was like, it's thousands of people in here, but I just felt likethe Lord was just hand picking me.
He was like picking on me.
um
Man, his messages were so powerful.
I surrendered my life that day.
But I didn't walk down there that day, but I knew something that changed in me on theinside.

(31:35):
I was really intrigued by the love of Yeshua.
wanted to know, I was like, man, if this Jesus thing could actually work and you couldtake these principles and not be perfect, but just be in process and be honest about your
walk.
I think the world could be inspired by it.
And I just started to slowly shift my life towards Jesus and he shifted everything.

(31:57):
Like, just shifted everything.
oh
changing for you after that?
The first thing I said was like, God, if this deal ain't for me, please take it away.
I got this song, it's called Sex In The Daytime, with this dude named Darryl Babs, AKATank.
It's starting to blow up a little bit on radio.
I would walk into Warner Brothers, people were starting to see my name, because now I gota deal with Warner Brothers.

(32:19):
I remember sitting in the lobby and we were waiting on this other guy, his name wasJ-Rock.
So he's the big guy on Warner Brothers.
So I sit down and we're in the lobby, beautiful lobby.
It's like, man, we get to go to label meetings.
And I sit next to this dude.
I know he with TDE cause he got one of them chains on cause them boys had that bread bagdeal.
And I was like, Hey, what's your name?
He's like, I'm K.
Dot.

(32:39):
And I was like, Oh, okay, cool.
He's like, yeah, I'm J rock people.
Mike, that's what's up.
Come and find out that's Kendrick Lamar, you know, the biggest name of our time right now.
um But I just asked.
And then one day Naeem Ali, he called, said, Hey man, we decided to just move with J rockproject and um we gonna let you go, but I'm gonna give you all the money out your phone.

(32:59):
So it's like a quarter of a million dollars in there.
But of course you got to play producers, studio, all this other stuff.
And so I took whatever money, gave it to the producers and I moved back to St.
Louis, took that money.
I owned the condo there, so I didn't have to like go buy anything.
I was making pretty good decisions as a child.
And I just went back and started to go on this journey.

(33:22):
You know, people made fun, you know, like he fell off.
I was like, but if it worked, they not going to run to me, they going to run to him.
You know what saying?
Like now all the pressure is off of me as an artist, it's off of me as a father, it's offof me as a businessman.
Like when it works, like my prayers back then would be like, I got your name smeared allon this.

(33:43):
So if you don't want to look bad, you don't have to come on through.
You know what I mean?
And like, I just remember the desperation of yearning for him to show up in certainmoments.
And then he would just tell me certain things.
I remember my last Pretty Willie show.
I was in Memphis.
We sold it out.
I think it's like 3,200 people, teenagers, 18 and up.
And I just remember walking there and I remember the Spirit of the Lord said, this is it,enjoy.

(34:06):
And I remember telling Rod when I got out the truck, I was like, hey bro, I think this it.
He like, nigga, look at all these people in here, you tripping.
And that night I pulled my chain off and I threw it in the crowd.
popped it and I just threw it in the crowd.
Everybody went crazy when I took my earrings off and I gave it to a girl in the front.

(34:28):
I said, y'all listen, y'all got a chance to see this chapter of my life.
From this moment on, I'm moving to my next chapter.
You'll see me, but you won't see me this way.
God bless y'all.
And then I walked off and I didn't do no more Pretty Willie shows.
But, know, God, 20 years later, I get an opportunity to go back and show and talk aboutthat moment.

(34:49):
with this chapter being what it is on the other side of faith.
Yeah, now when you did that, how did everybody on your team react?
Were they trusting that you made the right decision or did you have pushback?
No really pushback to me.
um I wouldn't say like I'm a tough guy.

(35:10):
I just think people care about my feelings and how I respond.
Because I can respond wrong sometimes.
I don't think everybody was excited about it.
Because even if you weren't getting paid, the residuals were.
You got a lobby of 200 women.
You know what saying?
The residuals is when you go out, you was with him.
People still going to chase you down.

(35:30):
The after party is still going to be popping.
We in our 20s.
um
I even think I was a little abrupt in my exit, to be quite honest, but I was just sogung-ho and zealous for Jesus that I just took the culture of what I thought they would
think if I still did this.
Even my pastor said, bro, you ain't got to stop doing what you're doing.

(35:51):
Let God mold and shape and give you the next steps.
Sometimes the timing of God doesn't mean that it's right now.
He'll give you a vision.
Then He delivers the time.
So you notice I said the movie, we shoot that in 2026.
I've been working on this since 2022, but he told me 2026.
Six plus two is eight.
Eight is the number of new beginnings.

(36:12):
So I know now the timing of what God wants to do.
But back then I was young and I was just like, no, can't do that if you, if you with God,I got to go right now.
And so I lived these years of exile.
um And I think I was really doing it on my own.
I didn't have to do it that way.
God wanted me, he wanted to.
show his transformation in the midst of those people without running into, cause we wasgetting people saved in clubs.

(36:34):
Like towards the end, would do good thing.
I let you know that you're my good thing.
I would do that.
And I would say, you the Bible says he who findeth the wife findeth the good thing.
That's my first song that I did from the Lord.
And at the end, I would give a testimony and girls be trying to hide their tits cause theylike, Ooh, he really like God for real.
You know what I mean?
And so, you know, it was a journey.

(36:55):
out there like no Jezebel.
Lord, he was serious with Jesus.
This nigga like God for real.
But no, I don't think they enjoyed it.
I think years later, I think Chuck, you can attest to it.
My guy Chuck's here.
did a retreat last year and I went through everybody and I apologized.

(37:15):
Like I apologized um to my producers who sacrificed their life and moved to LA followingme.
I apologize to my internet people.
I apologize that everybody had to do a pivot.
um I think the greatest gift of humility is apology.

(37:35):
It gives people closure.
um And I think that's why God has opened up supernatural doors in music now.
I'm right back in St.
Louis soon doing a Pretty Willie concert, going to Hattiesburg doing a Pretty Willieconcert, Dallas.
Might even do some festivals, but now I'm doing it because I love.
Music, not because it's for bread and meat.
I don't do it, I don't eat.
Yeah.
Now, speaking of finding a good thing in a way, let's talk about love and relationship.

(38:01):
Come on, I love it.
you
Now you said that you got somebody in your life right now, right?
I mean, she's more than that, but she is fine.

(38:22):
You know what?
The truth is I've known her for a very, very long time.
if as luck would have it, eight months of my departure from my marital home, um like ofcourse she had been divorced and I wasn't in a place where I really wanted to see

(38:44):
somebody, but she would just always be there for me.
Like I would leave three months, two months, and whenever I come back, she'll just belike, all right, you know, it took me about four years of inconsistency, like not being
consistent, being the man that I needed to be.

(39:06):
I wasn't seeing anyone else, but women require a different level of clarity on where theyare in your life.
And I wasn't very clear on where she was because I wasn't very clear on where I was.
You know, I tell women that all the time, a lot of times you're asking a man, where do yousee me?
The better question is, where do you see you?
And then let me see if I see me in where you see you.

(39:28):
Because women are like, where you see me?
It's like, no, it ain't about you.
Because a man, you know, whether we believe it or not, they are the head of the household.
You got to be able to push a vision and create a vision within a vision to make sure thatthat's your purpose partner.
And so until I got clear, I couldn't see the beautiful version that she was.
I could only listen to what others would say.

(39:49):
So when you were disappearing for these little stints and then coming back and thendisappearing again, where were you going?
What were you doing?
I would just be by myself, I'm an only child.
Like I wasn't wilding out, like I mean, I'm not a wilding out type of guy.
I got too much to lose and my mom and daddy taught me better.
You know what saying?
That don't get me wrong, I'm a man, like I've been through everything.
Like sometimes I would be drunk as hell, cause I had an alcohol stick.

(40:11):
Like I could work through alcohol and nobody would even know that I had two shots of JackDaniels.
You know what I mean?
I got back on them black and mild wine wood tips.
And the gas thing, I'm talking about raw hit on good.
I mean, grown ass me, outside, smoking a black and mild, washing my hands and takingscopes so I can go into the radio station so nobody will smell it.
You know what I mean?
Like I was in a very, very dark place and I didn't, I wasn't on nobody's camera.

(40:35):
Like I did this television show on BET, Kingdom Business.
I did it because Yolanda Adams was on.
I love the team there, they called, just friends.
And I was like, yeah, I'll be there, know, getting some more role, a role in there.
But when I look at it, I'm like, I ain't got no life in my eyes.
Like I didn't like me.
Like I didn't like where I was.
I was losing everything.
Like I thought my family was broken.

(40:57):
I thought that I wasn't used to negative attention.
I'm everybody's baby.
Like I'm the adopted kid in the Moore family.
Don't nobody say nothing mean and really I was like, my God.
And if you do say something mean, you know, I had ways of handling my business to makesure you don't do that anymore because I was so afraid of it.
So I was in a dark place and that dark place sometimes pulled me away from those who loveme the most.

(41:18):
And it just took me some time to get clear.
Now that I'm clear, I see who's there for me and I'm treating them correctly.
Now how did you get clear?
therapy.
I work out.
I work out.
I'm not a quitter.
I don't quit nothing.
I just replace.
So when it was alcohol, I started this thing called Celebrate Recovery.

(41:38):
And Celebrate Recovery is a biblically based kind of like a rehab scenario, but it'schurch.
A lot of people won't say that publicly.
I remember I was with Latteris Whitfield.
Latteris are Whitfield.
Yeah, so I had my brother and we were on
He's just a friend, so he said, hey, you want to be on the podcast?

(41:59):
Now here's the thing, I don't really know what the podcast is totally about.
I just had been seeing it at that time.
He called me that day.
He was like, yeah, so this all about singles and we going to do, I was like, singles?
Now I'm not used to, me, bitch, I'm the married guy.
What do you mean?
And so, but we were on that stage and I remember him saying, like, cause that's when Istarted to celebrate recovery.
And it was like, Holy Spirit had tattooed it in my heart.

(42:21):
So after we got on stage, I'm like, what the hell is celebrate recovery?
He was like,
Oh, it's a place for people with her habits, hang ups, and people who have been throughdifferent things.
And you can just go and you can take these steps and Jesus and it's biblically based.
And so I went and I wanted to deep dive in that.
I wanted to deep dive on this podcast that we created that's killing it right now.

(42:42):
I'm a creative, so I like to create.
I'm an only child too.
So I like to, I don't mind being alone.
I love my space.
I love writing on walls.
I'm going to Blue Ridge on Saturday just to.
just to unfold the next creative thing and all of that.
So I went active.
I don't go out.

(43:02):
Now, okay, back to love.
So you have this woman and she's special and she fine.
What was it about her that really stood out to you?
Were you knew she's different?
The way that she could communicate the love that she had for God in me.
Like I just had never seen that.
I always tell somebody, I tell fellas like, if she naggy, clingy, uh and still speak out,I'd rather have that than somebody that you are not sure about how they feel about you.

(43:31):
Like there's not a day that goes by that she don't appreciate the version that I'vebecome.
She finds something to be excited about.
And for a person like me, like I love words of affirmation.
She has really figured that part out.
um
I mean, and here's the thing, I'm still in my healing process, but I just recognize whoshe is to me at this particular point.

(43:51):
Do you think you might get married again?
I ain't putting that on there.
You know what saying?
We're going to see whatever guys say.
I'm not opposed to marriage.
I do know that I should be a husband.
oh I went through a very traumatic, traumatic uncoupling.

(44:12):
And we'll see what happens.
Now with, we don't have to go too deep into the traumatic uncoupling, but I am curious toknow what would you say is something that you know now about marriage that you wish you
would have knew that first go around?
Man, I hella wish I, if there was something that I wish I woulda known about marriage.

(44:36):
I wish I knew that you should not choose in your healing phase.
Don't choose anybody while you trying to figure it out because that may be an opportunityfor you to connect while you're healing.
That feels really, really good.

(44:57):
But as you recover, somebody may not be available and wanting to be a part of this newversion of you.
because it no longer serves the parts of them that may not be healed yet.
Yes, you gotta be very, very careful with that.
I would also say for a man, like I always like to speak to my man, because I'm a man.

(45:20):
I'm talking about I'm a man's man.
I feel like if God made anything better than a woman, he kept it for himself.
You hear me?
I'm talking about man, man.
Grew up with a daddy who was in the army.
He don't play like that, you know what mean?
And I grew up around a lot of older men.
We've seen the OGs just work, work, work, take care of their family.
That's why I say take care of their family.

(45:40):
But I wish I would have known that there are so many other ways to take care of yourfamily.
Emotionally take care of your family.
Recreationally take care of your family.
It doesn't have to just all be about numbers.
Man, the right woman, if you love her correctly, she'll stay in a 600 square footapartment with you and love you through until you can get there.
Like she not really worried about that because she sees what you can be.

(46:03):
Like for me, I was so focused on the goal that I missed the opportunity with what I had.
I had a destination and I was getting there with like, nobody's going to get in front ofthis destination.
Selfishly, that had nothing to do with my wife.
That had to do with that little boy on the inside of me who wanted to be validated, whowanted to be seen, who wanted to show his biological parents and family what they missed

(46:25):
out on.
And she had to deal with that man who never took time to see her working, to see hertrying.
to see her trying to care but not know how to care because he don't care about none butwork.
I will never be that person again.
I'm glad that you learned that.
A lot of people are going through that now and they don't realize like work is important.

(46:48):
We got to work.
There are bills to pay, but that's not it.
Your life can't stop there.
You also say you have a daughter.
Yes, two.
How old is she?
Aw, little baby girl.
her so much.
Her name is Paisley.
love her.
That's a cute name.
um What do you want to make sure that she knows about how to be loved properly when shegets older?

(47:13):
When it comes to Paisley, loving her properly may be difficult for a man that's not whole.
The beauty of Paisley is that she gets whole, daddy.
She don't get half daddy.
Daddy whole.
Daddy show her when he crying.
Daddy, you okay?
It's so funny this morning, and nobody knows, it's first time I've ever said this.

(47:33):
So God tells me four weeks ago, I talk like he don't I think it's four weeks ago, he tellsme, build me a sanctuary.
with a door and I'm looking around, I'm like, well, the only door is my closet.
The only problem with this closet is all my clothes is in there.
So I go in the closet, I feel peace like this where it's supposed to be.
I'm like, oh hell no, look at all these clothes in here.

(47:56):
And so I have to get 40 % of my clothes away to get rid of all of this stuff in here.
I put a chair in there and this is, like, I built it, we prayed and I'm in there.
So I'm starting to use it, get in this closet.
It's weird, I know to those of you.
I'm like, my daughter's seen me cleaning it.
She's like, daddy, why are you cleaning your closet?
Why are you giving all these clothes away?

(48:16):
These are a lot of clothes to give.
I was like, baby, I feel like the Lord is telling me you have to build him a sanctuary.
I know it's crazy.
She's like, no, it's not crazy if God, this God, right?
And I'm like, girl, you so smart.
love her.
And so this morning, I'm usually up 5, 5, 15, and I go in there and I pray.
And so I'm praying, got my little worship music on, trying not to go to sleep.

(48:36):
So I'm praying.
And I'm like, God, you know, you know.
My normal prayer is God posture my heart for the day.
um Give me foreknowledge of what's going to happen today so I can be the best version ofyou in the earth.
And I feel this energy of like somebody's in the room with me.
I'm just like, ooh, I got an angelic presence this morning.
It was worth moving them clothes.
I look back, it's Paisley.
I'm like, hey baby, what's going on?

(48:59):
I'm like, what are you doing?
She's like, nothing, just looking at you.
And I said, okay.
I said, well, I'm praying.
You want to pray?
She said, sure.
I love God.
And she got down there and we prayed.
um That did something for me.
That little girl gonna do something special.
I said, well, I gotta do my reading now.
She said, well, I'll just go back to bed, cause I'm still sleepy.

(49:21):
And so she went back to sleep about 5.30 and I was in her and I was just like, God, Ireally do appreciate it.
even if giving away 40 % of my clothes, cleaning out this closet,
feeling crazy to even my friend who he has to help with everything.
Move this stuff out the way and he just deals with my spontaneous behavior.

(49:43):
love him.
If it was only for that moment that my daughter gets an opportunity to see a man beforeGod in the morning, that's something that she's gonna have to look for.
And not only is it something that she's gonna look for, it's something she may require.
I'm the example of that.
And so that wasn't a stage moment.

(50:04):
You're the first man she's gonna love.
Yeah, like nah daddy you you you praying, uh, but my daddy be up at five, you know
And I spoil her and then of course, before she goes to school, she gets ready and I tellher who she is.
You are smart, you are intelligent, you are loved, you are cared for, you are honored, youare trusted.

(50:24):
You are the most beautiful young lady.
Who's daddy's favorite girl?
And she say loud, me!
And then she goes into the classroom every day and she can repeat that herself.
Yeah.
That's something good to teach her.
Now we're going to move on to the hot takes.
takes.

(50:47):
you
Yeah, and I want to get your hot takes.
I'll give you a couple of different situations.
first one.
What do you think about, these are just different people's Black men don't receive enoughcredit for their contributions as fathers and as role models.

(51:15):
I don't really care about that.
I mean, I'll just be honest with you.
Like people gonna always say something disrespectful to a black man because we've made itnormal, because we disrespect ourselves.
Like instead of choosing men of integrity to put in the forefront, we'll sell our soulsfor a million and a half dollars that can only last for 24 months and literally influence

(51:36):
a generation to be assholes and crazy people.
So who cares about what they say?
What I'm more interested in is what your child say.
If your child say that you a man and you doing what you supposed to do, if your son say mydad showed up to practice, if your daughter say like he take me to school and you show up
for the recital, if your children say it's devotion every night in my house, like whocares what the world say?

(51:58):
I believe a lot of times we get so focused on what the narrative is that we miss theopportunity to be the narrative that we want to see.
I'm going be honest with you, the numbers are astronomical.
Black men are stepping up in astronomical numbers to be fathers.
When I go, I'm just looking at the numbers of people who had practiced now.
I'm like, man, these daddies is here.
Like we here, like this is why none of my pot is, all them taking care of their kids.

(52:20):
We in a competition.
I'm like, he in swim lessons.
What you doing?
She in cheerleading.
Where you cheerleading at?
It's like, we here bro.
Like I don't see that.
Yeah, it's almost like people want to push out that it doesn't happen, even though whenyou look around in your life, it might really be happening.
uh The guys I know who do have children, they are very active in their lives.

(52:44):
And I think it's also something to do with like constantly seeking that outsidevalidation.
Make sure that the...
your own kids, like you said, your kids, your family, sees you showing up as a role model,sees you as a good father, the other people, what do they matter?
They're not in your life.
It's the internet.
People are complaining all day.
Have a main reason.

(53:05):
I'm talking about just complaining for complaining sake.
The power of life and death is in your tongue.
I'm always celebrating the black man.
And I'm celebrating all men.
I just like, testosterone, I'm like, bro, come on man.
We men, sometimes they attempt to make our voices be muted.
It's just really, really unique, just the world that we live in.
But I'm unapologetically male and I'm unapologetically black, so I celebrate men.

(53:28):
I know that's right.
Okay, next one.
uh
Social media has made it harder for people to build authentic relationships.
Thanks.
Why do say that?
It is, but it's like twofold.
You know, we had an age of, you know, where it was a consumer base and distribution.

(53:51):
We live in a content economy now.
Like if you ain't in content in the next 12 years, bro, like you ain't really gonna haveno job.
You better make as much as you can.
You better do what you're supposed to do.
If you ain't got a camera in your face and people around you, watch and see what happenedto you come 2030.
It's going to slowly, slowly decline.
The biggest people in the world right now are people who know how to edit, people who knowhow to light, people who know how to grab that camera.

(54:12):
people who can be charismatic on front of their camera.
I came in and told my children that I do not believe in the new America that they'vecreated.
Where you go to college and you try to pick something that your family's never done andyou go do it.
And I told them, we are in the content business.
Now I don't care what you do with your life after we build our media, at this mogul thingthat we're doing, that's cool.

(54:34):
I'm going to build this thing, you going to grow this thing and you can spread it out fromhere.
So when it comes to social media,
Like, you know, it's a virtual world, so you have to be a part of it.
I mean, at this point, when you get over the age of 25 prayerfully, you have three or fourfriends that you love to life.
We already know.
Like once you get out of high school, the friends and all that stuff, it kind of dwindlesaway.
You meet new people.

(54:54):
But at the end of the day, if you can use it for what it's worth, I think you win it.
Yeah, but what about the making authentic relationships though?
uh some people, I guess what people who feel like it's hard, aside from the points thatyou made, is that people are constantly like putting on fronts about who they are and they

(55:14):
are on the whole fake it till you make it and glamorizing a life.
And it's just like, who are you really?
Without the camera in your face.
Because life does go on when you're not posting.
At some point you have to
get off the phone or when the apps are crashing and they not working, then it's like,okay, then what do you have?
You won't have the people liking your stuff, commenting on your stuff.

(55:37):
How do you continue to work on your real relationship?
That's why therapists are getting rich.
You know what I mean?
That's why personal development books are still alive.
That's why you see a new motivational speaker every three months.
They're necessary because we understand that you can never become anything that you can'tbecome, right?
A lot of people will see people's success and then they automatically think, I want to dothat.

(56:01):
But what I've learned through sitting down with numerous people who are extremelysuccessful, more successful than me and other people, oh a plethora of people.
What I've learned is when you become the version, you don't have to pretend to be theversion.
Because pretending gets, you get tired, right?
Like you get really, really tired pretending.
So I just believe that, you know, therapy is going to go up.

(56:22):
Like everybody's going to come to themselves.
Like I faked it until I made it.
I think there is a level.
that you have to give off when you're trying to appease and do all that.
Like some stuff is just for the gram or what have you.
But then I had to learn.
I ain't got to pretend like I'm this really great family man who never gets it right.
This ain't the Huxtables.
This ain't the Huxtables.

(56:44):
It's a TV show.
Yeah, it's a TV show.
I was trying to live up to that because I was adopted.
And I'm like, this is the way we do family.
Like, nah, like, hey, man, people make mistakes in marriage.
People don't get it right.
People, people.
And so when I started to share failures,
because I've learned more in my failures than I've ever learned in my successes, thenpeople were like, oh, wow, that was real.

(57:05):
That was dope.
And I think if people start to be authentically who they are, then it just opens people upto be real.
The thing I always tell people that there is an ear in your heart, the word heart,H-E-A-R-T.
If you drop the H and a T, there's an ear in your heart.
And the way you speak to the ear in somebody's heart is you go deeper and let them knowabout some of your

(57:27):
your flaws and your vulnerabilities.
The reason why I can have a great conversation with people, because we can talk aboutadoption and I can talk about how I feel.
So by the time we get finished, either it's off camera or on camera, they'd be like, well,let me tell you my story since we tell it.
You know what I mean?
And I think that's the way you get authentic people to move.
And then we start to celebrate it on social media and then people will be a lot more, youknow, be a lot more authentic, I think.

(57:50):
Yeah, it's like a trickle down effect.
Like, if a woman, you come in, you authentic, and you know this dude is just like faking,like this a rental car, this ain't this, them diamonds is lab, you know, whatever it is.
It's like, you know what?
I'ma just be super duper real.
Because the beauty about a woman is that they have the power to transform.

(58:13):
A woman can bring something out of a man that he can't bring out of himself.
That's why the Bible says that he needed a suitable.
Like he didn't say just anybody, suitable help me.
And what she's able to do is she's able to change things.
She can speak things out of him.
Like, you know what?
Why you do that?
What you mean?
Why you wear all them chains and stuff?

(58:36):
I actually like you on the button up.
You look so handsome when you got a button up.
Oh, yeah, you know I'm out here and he in the car.
like, damn, baby like me in a little button up, let me slide and go get in the bottom.
Now he buttoned up crazy.
He's impressionable.
impressionable by the woman that he's opening up his heart to.
And we're like, oh, babe, you like that?
Oh, we need to go a little baggy now?

(58:57):
Let me bag him up a little bit.
I've been working in the gym.
I want everything to fit.
It's like, are we baggy now?
Okay, baby.
Pick it out then.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, I told this guy we were on a date and he was like, you're a lot more affectionatethan usual.
I said, I think it's your cologne.
I really like this cologne.
I don't usually like his cologne choices, right?
And that one was really, really good.

(59:19):
I was closer.
Let me tell you, he does not let that cologne bottle go empty.
He constantly gets it replaced.
He be spraying it on.
Sometimes he's spraying it on.
If you know I'm gonna see him after the gym and I'm like, okay, you don't have to That oneis high.
You don't have to do all that that he had been working out.
I gave them a compliment.
It'll be the smallest thing.
The way that y'all walk around after you get that compliment, it's just like you got alittle extra pep in your step.

(59:44):
Yeah, want me to tell you why though?
See, lil' boys, we celebrated ever since we was kids.
Like we mess around, get a touchdown, everybody yelling, ah, you get a tackle, yeah!
You get a home run in the baseball game, ah, you do a shot, and you do this, yeah!
You do karate, you hit some, ah, you play tennis.
Like we're sports people, they always put you in some organized sport, and they'recheering for you.

(01:00:07):
Spell and be cheering for you, and then you get grown.
And nobody cheers for you for paying bills.
Nobody cheers for you to pick up your child.
Some women even say, I'm not going to celebrate you for doing what you're supposed to do.
You hear that all the time, right?
So once the cheers end, it is important for a woman to know that dang, they're 82 % of allmen, their love language, it's just words of affirmation.

(01:00:36):
And if you just say, hey, I really appreciate that.
If you want him to go in that direction, just tell him you like it.
Just come on and be like, you know what, babe?
You're doing a real good job of keeping these lights on.
That man gonna go to work.
I got to go to work, she like lights.
It's like, this is your cheat code to know that when the cheers from JFL and Junior NBAand high school, if you listen to me, when they watching football and watching the Eagles,

(01:01:03):
if they was a former football player, that man, I mean, we playing Gardena High School.
Here we go again.
It's not even the game.
Internally, that little boy was celebrated.
They felt like they were a part of something.
And then you go to normal life.
And so we depend on you guys more.
The heel version would say, really, instead of arguing about, all you do is complain.

(01:01:27):
That's how we come in, because that makes me sound tough.
But what we really want to say is, I just need, the little boy in me needs somebody toreassure me that I'm on the right path.
And that's hard for a man.
But that don't make you soft.
Bro, I come in all the time.
Like, how was it today?
Today was amazing, it was good.
But I think I need, you know what I think I need?

(01:01:48):
I really think I need a break.
And I actually would love to hear some of the things that I'm doing right for you today.
I mean, I know we got some things that we need to work, but can I just hear about fivethings that I'm doing right?
And I want to share about five things that you're doing right.
And can we just sit there for the first hour?
Because I got decision fatigue.
Yeah, tell me about it.

(01:02:09):
I've made a lot of decisions today.
You know what I like?
That you text today.
Traditionally, you don't text at 12.
You usually text in the morning, but I appreciate you checking on me at lunch.
Okay, that was cool.
Baby, I appreciate the way that back looking now, because you've been in that gym.
I'm like, which back?

(01:02:29):
This back?
I got a young nigga back?
She like, you got a young nigga back?
I'm like, what?
You know, and so by the time we get to five, I got a smile.
My anxiety's gone.
Uh huh.
Because I've been reassured and I say, you know what, babe, them eyelashes though.
You know, I don't like them small.
I like them in the back, I like that cat eye you got right now.

(01:02:51):
But you know, and fellas, you just notice like she worked really, really hard to get themeyebrows hitting right.
Like, babe, you did real good.
I'm talking about you hit it right where you're supposed to.
Like, is that NARS?
You know what mean?
Like really getting into.
You know what her world is to make sure that she understands that I don't just want tosleep with you.
I don't just want to have affection with you without noticing the beautiful things thatare about you and verbalizing those.

(01:03:16):
Everybody needs reassurance, especially once you get over the age of 35.
You're looking at these little Instagram models that's 22 years old and got all theseladies looking at themselves like, shit, this right here, fuck.
Like they're going crazy.
popping up in places they ain't supposed to be.
Man you got fellas you got to come in and buy back Let me tell you what them the youngchicks ain't got on you My eyebrows hidden this going right your teeth white and you know

(01:03:41):
I think we all need reassurance once we get a certain age
We do.
Tell me about it.
It's hard to remember that though.
So if you haven't told somebody in your life, given them a little compliment, given them alittle reassurance, maybe this can serve as your reminder.
Okay.
So lastly, I am going to ask you to give our listeners and viewers some advice on asituation.

(01:04:01):
Okay.
I've been struggling to balance my career and spending time with my family.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be present but also provide?

(01:04:25):
would divorce myself from the word balance.
I divorce myself from the word balance.
Let me look at this camera.
Divorce yourself from the word balance.
You're like, why would you divorce?
I want to do both.
Yeah, but there's only 80, what is it?
86,400 seconds in one day.
There's only so much time.
So replace balance with the milestone.

(01:04:48):
So what you do is if you have a project, before you even get in the project, bring it tothe people that you care about the most.
your family, your loved ones, your girl, your husband, whatever it is, and you bring it tothem and say, is this something that we can do collectively?
It doesn't mean that they gonna help you with the project, but you gotta let them know howmuch time this thing is going to take, how many days is it gonna take to get it done, how

(01:05:12):
much energy it may take from you, and how much recreation you guys are not going to do.
And you have to be honest.
When I did the Fox show, I came in to all of my children.
And I said, hey guys, I have a new opportunity.
It is going to be 12 weeks.
Daddy's is going to have to be there at night.

(01:05:33):
So when we usually do devotions, Monday through Friday, we're only gonna get to dodevotions together Thursday, Friday, and we'll probably add a Saturday.
Are you guys okay with that?
Fine, cool.
It's a great opportunity, it's good.
All right, cool.
Another thing.
Daddy probably gonna be on his phone a little more than he normally is because it's a newsshow.

(01:05:56):
So I'm have to start to learn about what the world is doing.
And so daddy may be on his phone a little more.
Traditionally, when you come in, I have my phone down, I may have it up.
Are you guys okay with that?
Sure, daddy, it's just another.
And not to get into the minutia of all the other things that I had to say, but I wrote thevision and made it plain to make it accessible for my children to see what that was so we

(01:06:18):
can make the idea.
Now, if we disagree on it,
then you really show how much you care by saying no to the things that don't work and thatare not conducive to what you say you care about.
That's the true essence.
Don't just say, hey, do you want to do it?
And then they say, no, and then you get mad.
It's like, if you care about them, then you care about them.
m you know, my boy, Ken Jones, an amazing gospel artist, his wife been booking him for thelast 25 years.

(01:06:42):
I said, why you got your wife booking you?
He said, because if she don't want me to go and she want to spend more time, she get achance to see how much it is and she get a chance to decline it.
She's always handled this schedule.
And I always honored that because he gets an opportunity to say no.
And the one thing I know about God, he'll do exceedingly abundantly above all you can everask or think if you be obedient and true to the things that God cares about, he cares

(01:07:03):
about your family.
Well, you heard it from a man who has got it figured out.
Y'all should try that and stop trying to achieve perfection.
The interview that we did right before this when we kind of talked about that idea andthat you can't be perfect and stop looking for perfection in like the traditional sense,

(01:07:24):
there's gotta be a little bit of give and take.
with everything and I think if you communicate, like you said, with your family andwhoever else you need to talk to about whatever is going on, it'll help out and hopefully
everybody can be understanding and your life will move a little smoother and you don'tknow how they might be able to help you out in this situation too so that it's not as

(01:07:45):
stressful.
You talking about you want to provide and you want to spend time, maybe something that youare doing to provide could be something y'all do together.
So think about it, put your thinking cap on, get creative and try it out.
Well, thank you so much, Willie, for joining us today.
I really enjoyed this conversation.
Let everybody know where they can follow you and keep up with you and whatever currentprojects you have going on.

(01:08:09):
Indeed.
Family listen, my name Willie Moore Jr.
The most known unknown person that you probably ever met.
Here's the thing.
Follow me at Willie Moore JR Live.
Willie Moore Jr.
Live on everything.
You are also welcome to check out my podcast.
It's called The Love U More Show.
It happens every Sunday at 8 p.m.
Willie Moore Jr.
Live on YouTube.
And if you're still clicking on the radio, just in case you didn't know, Willie Moore Jr.

(01:08:33):
is still on your radio on all inspiration stations across the United States.
All right, bladda.
All right, you guys, well, that is it for this week's episode of the XO Man podcast.
We had a great time talking to Willie Moore Jr.
today, and until next week, you guys, goodbye.