March 9, 2023 • 53 mins
Top Dawg Entertainment's President, Terrence "Punch" Henderson, is sitting on top of the world. Thanks to the historic success of SZA's sophomore album SOS, the label has a new flagship star. But make no mistake, Punch just isn't sitting behind a desk. The Watts native can also be heard with his own hip-hop ensemble, A Room Full of Mirrors and Ab-Soul's latest, Herbert. Hours ahead of SZA's sold out Madison Square Garden performance, Punch talks about her 10 week reign on the charts, TDE's future, Kendrick Lamar's departure and much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yo, it's a rap right off podcast when name was
beat e Eliott's back in New York City. Were back
at it man hometown. Man, he got me, got me
on the Red Eye. Man, you're rocking the Wilies Many Champion.
Shout out the ghost Face Man that the plane black.
Though I didn't go too crazy. I didn't do the
cream getting Veno style, trying to freaking for the summer,
(00:22):
trying to podcasting summer, trying to rock the rapper podcast
and summer. Man, Yo, Man, coming off that last episode
with baby Face, that was a good time. They were
on a hot streak. Man. You know what I'm saying.
It feels like it. Man. Sometimes the numbers might have
reflect it, but ye would saying numbers numbers the love
for RB legends, Man, list did I do? That was
(00:44):
a really good conversation. Shout out to baby Face, Shout
to Rika, thanks for sitting with me and the Yellow Guy.
Hey man, young boys one point five, you know, looking
looking lovely out there. He gotta do some a demon party. Man,
he's out there. Man, you out here too, though, Man,
I saw that NAS interview with the ju Man me Man,
I had to keep a little secret. Fine secretive man
shout baby faces, never keeping a secret, No, man, shout
(01:07):
out Frasier over there. You know, Frasie needs to be
a complex VQ of course, the great Wolf. Well, so
you know, man, we we you know, full transparency. You know,
I haven't had always had the best placeship with Na
Strudis trying to repair that for a long time. As
you know, we've had We've offered him this platform many times,
he's flatly turned us down. And then with GQ, it
(01:28):
wanted somebody to document him playing a garden and Frasier
wanted me to do it. And Frasier didn't even know
I had certain, you know, tough history with Nas, so
they said I was gonna do it. Took a while
for him to say he agreed to it, but then
he agreed, so then you know, super cool man, we
finally chopped it up. I end up even backstage right
before he went on there a half hour, so um,
(01:50):
it was fun. Man. Anthony was excited that we finally
put the play together and he sat down. So hopefully
you know, it leads to us having to fighting chance
to get him, get him on our platform. Now, man,
we sort of bridge that gap. I like saying, you're
a very brave heart. Juggle man. That's such a partie.
Juggles out. I shook juggles head man, your juggles. But
I know who you are now. But shout out Anthony Sleet.
(02:14):
You know that's a guy man, g cold. This whole
team over there, man, good dudes and stuff and yo,
NAS man, that's the best Not show ever. So yeah,
I would agree. We talked about it last episode, but
I was thinking about it after we talked. I think
it is the best NAS concert that I haven't been to.
That's want one of those B sides. Man. Yeah nah,
he definitely was. He tore it down. But you know
what's what I told you, I had to. I hate
to admit it. He faked me out. Man. I left
(02:36):
early because usually he ends the show with one mic.
Because I went for the exit like that. We say
as a reporter, don't leave the show too early. He
did the one mic thing that she usually like towards
the end of the show. I was like, all right,
let me hit out. I saw you mad um three
sixty outside. Yeah I'm sixty. He's like, yeah, that's in
the man coming out soon, dude, And then he went on.
He kept he did the Hot Boys remix, you all me.
(02:57):
He got emotional speaking on his mom's at the end.
You know, thank God for it, for the people videotaping
shell Man, I have to settle this from Queenland and
so I connected it. But I would have stayed to
the end, I thought, hen because it was non stop energy.
Man like the guy what he tore it down. Man,
absolutely man give his heart and soul in that performance. Man,
I thought that was dope. It was fitting too. And
he also brought out hit Boy and I was thinking about,
you know, him and hit Boy on the hell of
(03:18):
a Hot streak, right crazy, And I thought about it afterwards.
I feel like this year is gonna be a year
of the collaboration. You think so. I think so because
of course, you know, hit Boy and Nazi did that
thing last year, but still it's still running into this year.
Then we got Larry June, the Alchemists coming, We got yeah,
I'm excited about the Larry June. We got a push
the t and DJ Drama coming soon. So I feel
about that one. He broke that one to the world,
(03:39):
you know what, you know what I mean currency Jermaine
Duprix he broke that to the world to listen. I
feel like that's what the twenty twenty three is gonna
be all about. Man, be dope, though, I think this
more collaborators needed, you know what I'm saying. Like, I
think it's just it's a cool thing like Drake and
Savage obviously to set the tone. Um, yeah, I could
see more of that happening. I think it's important. Man,
shout a hip boy. Man. Hip boy is on an
amazing run. Yep. I think he's back with Benny and
(04:00):
the studio now too. He's on that Don Tyllivan. He's
not every project that comes out. Man, that guy just
just like and he's so versatile with his production, like
you can't even pin it, like, yeah, a signature sound anymore.
So shout out hit man. You know he putting that work.
Speaking of hot streets, we got a guy who's on
the hell of a one right now. He could say
he's get the label. Got the hottest start the year,
Man ten weeks at number one weeks. Man ain't counted.
(04:22):
You know. The face of tv E is an R
and B singer named Scissory to the Spinners, the medical guy.
That's my first question to points, why have it to
the spinners? Man bars is heavy too, though, since the
paying game is is vicious. Maybe Face was talking about
how good she is as an artist to in the
last episode, So yeah, no, obviously, Yeah, she puts a
lot of crafts into a songwriting and like so you
(04:43):
know she's from that tradition. You know, you know, I
got punched today. Man punches on the program. You know,
president of TV still got to be super proud like Scissor.
He gets all the credit with Sissor, like he was
the one that really signed her and like you know,
developed it through the years. Obviously controls a classic and
now this album's even he clips that. Man, the reception
has been crazy, and of course he's has two sold
out shows at Madison Square Garden. Yeah, like it was
(05:05):
last night, the first show with tape before a second
show tonight. So he's like, come to New York. Miss
it with the West one of the West Coast Kings
in New York. Man switch to the style. But it's
like the Control days, right whatever bringing the rockets to
me that controverse came out. We haven't seen we haven't
had punch on the programming, Like what almost five six years,
A long time. It's been a while. The last time
he was here, it was so funny. He missed his flight,
(05:27):
right because of whatever the circumstances. He was in New
York and he missed his flight. So later that day,
I was gonna get gas in my neighborhood. Right. I
look up while I'm pumping. Who I see it's fucking
punch Queens. Yeah, said Queens. What I'm doing here? He's like, yeah,
I see you. Part he because we filmed it earlier
(05:51):
in the day, right, So he missed his flight and
then like six o'clock in the afternoon, I'm going to
get gas and the neighborhood punch and then we did
him the next morning. We did him that same day.
Oh wow, Yeah, that's crazy that the punch out, the
punch man, you know. And he'd be rapping too, the
little oh yeah everyone full of mirrors thing he had
last year. It was the last year, the year before
he's putting it. It was last year, the whole rap
(06:11):
collected together with Nick Nick Grant, that's my day, Like yeah,
And he also got busy on the Appsoles project too.
Let's talk about that good man man. He tore down.
He has a blue playlist to all the little guests.
He just on him TV, which is nice. Man, Boss
Punch is nice. You think he ever gonna put on album.
He's like he's like the Punch Electronica and the album
is good. That's the thing too, like Punch when he
(06:34):
put it out. Yeah, that's a signature. Yeah, let's seem
on the program, Manna getting a team. It's own man,
top Dog Terence Punch Henderson Man, Yes, sir, Yeah, rapper
it off podcast? What's up baby? Great? It's like we
have an old friend. Yes, this guy stirs it up
(06:55):
on the internet for many years. Man be able to
call him the executive the Week a couple of weeks ago,
but I know him as a president of TDE Terence
Punchion Terence, welcome back on the program, man, I'm glad
to be back. Yeah. The only two kid to have
two weeks number one album platform. Man, you know what
I'm saying. Yeah, how do you do it? Punch Man?
(07:15):
How do you share everybody up and deliver since the
album that I think even exceeded many expectations. We just
made the music, you know what I mean? We didn't
uh we didn't give in to the pressure of people
asking for it and saying when we should put it out. Like,
as a unit and as a team, we know when
(07:36):
the time is right, when it's ready. So I just
you know, I was ready at the right time and
we mapped it out from there. Do you feel vindicated
now with a successful the album? No? Now, what I mean,
I don't see. I don't look for validation from nobody. Really,
it's about keeping the integrity of the music, you know
(07:57):
what I mean? And I feel we made a great
project and we put it out and that was that
was it. It's not a yeah, look at us, we
did it. We proved the wholly out wrong. Like it's
not the thing. It's about making great music. But the
fans never got into these skin because those sits of
fans was they were going hard. They didn't name. They
don't have a name like the Bobs or anything, but
(08:18):
we didn't give him a name. Camp sits camp siss okay,
my bad. Camp sitism beyond you. But you know what,
It's all motivated out of love, you know what I mean.
Like I always say, she said some stuff that touched
some people, so they wanted like it resonated with something
in their life, so I never I never really take
it personal. I like to have fun and go back
(08:39):
and forth with them sometimes. So what exactly is is
Punch's role with a siss An album? Like is it
a constant thing where she's sending you songs and you're
giving your input, Like how would you describe what your
role is? And when you look back at sos? Like
what role do you play specifically? And that's one of
the roles I played, where she actually recorded most of
it by herself, Like I come to the studio maybe early,
(09:02):
and we'll talk, I mean talk about what's gonna happen
for the day, and then I'll leave leave her there
with the engineer and should cook up and I may
come back later or maybe the next day and listen
to the record and who just you know, my job
was to pretty much make an album out of the songs,
amongst other things, because I'm not serious you about sequencing.
(09:25):
But then when I saw the track list at first,
before I heard it, it was like, oh, there's a
lot of songs on this albums that was surprising, Like
for somebody who I know, you're very meticulous about sequencing,
like can you speak on that, Like sequencing album that
has a lot of tracks on, it's probably a little
more higher challenge, right, I wanted twelve. I wanted twelve
to fourteen. I mean, I feel like that's enough as
(09:47):
long as you get the point across or what you're
trying to say in the music and the story of
the album. But it's a new day as well, you
know what I mean. We have streaming, so we don't
have to stick to those same old rules that we
always had, you know what I mean. But early on
in the process, I'm like, nah, we gotta do fourteen.
(10:08):
That's it. But you know her, she wanted to add more,
like she feels like she was gone for so long.
She wanted to get the fans, you know what I mean,
they're worth. So we decided on the twenty three and
we made a story like out of the whole thing,
Like if you listen to it, like it goes up
and down in emotion and goes up and down sonically,
(10:30):
so it's a whole cohesive thing. And to bland all
those different genres, which is tough, but I think we
U think we did a good job. I like it,
is it more fun? Sequence in the R and B
album versus the rap albums, It's all the same to
me because I really look for the story, and I
(10:51):
mean what was trying to be painted as a whole.
So I love it, Like either way they're singing or
there's rapping, whatever, it's all music. What we mentioned about
stuff like she definitely showed her range right on this
stood like talk about that, like was that something you
knew from Jump that she wanted to do with the
project or that that just kind of just developing the process.
Well not she always done it, you know what I mean,
(11:12):
But a lot of it don't get highlighted like other records,
would you know what I mean? Like she did Drew
Barrymore on CTRL. She also had prom on there, you
know what I mean? Even before that, like other stuff,
She's always been she always bended the genre. So it
wasn't nothing new. Was just going just pushing it further,
(11:34):
Like she's doing full rap records now. Yeah, so she
got them, bars man, really she got like maybe she
got like an EPs worth of full rap records, like
all the way out and I'm singing, so I like
(11:57):
the flow. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, She's are
you constructed with the with the with the bars. Absolutely yeah.
I don't get something like, hell, what you mean when
he said this, like, how does that make sense with
this part? We'll go back and forth for sure. Thin
when you heard smoking on xpass nuts like she really
(12:19):
went in but it fits though, it fits her. I mean,
it's not like it was something that she was trying
to experiment on and it was left full left field,
like it's all in the flow of who she is.
Speaking of the raps man, how did you acquire this
ODB vocals Forgiveness? I was crazy, Um, Rodney Jerkins. It
(12:41):
was footage that he had of ODB, and Um, that's
the story was they was in la at the studio
and Rodney was playing beats and ODB was in another room.
I guess he was in the hallway and hurt the
beats and he went in and he just started freestyle
and then Rodney said he's known for like all right.
So at some point Rodney picked up his camera and
(13:04):
started feeling him. So when uh Alroddy made the beat
for forgiveless, I get he heard ODB remember that, and
he tried to place it up under there. So that's
how that came about, so it was just automatic, like, oh,
we're gonna put that on the on the drink. Absolutely
when he first did it, you know the idea. It's
(13:26):
crazy and it's still going in conjunction with her wool
tang thing. Her name is Scissors, right. We had Rizard
due to promo for the first album for CTRL, so
like it only be right, makes sense. Full circle moment man, Yeah, absolutely,
a lot of full circle moments, you know with this project.
Like I saw that you tweet this morning that you
(13:48):
saw her, you met her? H No, you met her
in twenty eleven, and you remember seeing her perform at
Brooklyn Steel only fifty to seventy five people. Fast forward
now we're doing Madison Square Gardens, right, How meaningful is
that for you? It's crazy. It's really a full circle moment,
you know what I mean. Like even that show when
I'm talking about at Brooklyn still, I surprised they're popping up.
(14:12):
She didn't even tell her I was coming because I
didn't want her to be nervous or whatever. So when
I got there and seeing her performing then and I'm like, yoh,
it's a diamond and the rough for sure. So then
to go through all the years and now it was
Madison Square Garden sold out, like nuts, What was it
like last night? I was insane. It was absolutely crowd
(14:34):
like why did you how did you peep it? I
watched from the from the suite right. Yeah, I'm gonna
go down with the people though in the next couple
of shows get the full effect of it. But I
like to like look over the whole production and see,
you know what I mean, well we put together I
was being received by the people. The people was going crazy,
(14:55):
like as soon as the lights dropped, it were nuts.
Spend ammonium. Let's speak in that reception. Man, number one album,
I'm sure you want to achieve that, but like to
have this ten weeks like yeah, I feel like in
real time I see you on social it's like you're like, oh, Man,
like seven weeks, eight weeks like yeah, like it blow,
Like did anybody have that level of expectation and you
allow yourself to have that? Or like you know, I
(15:17):
mean I could be cool and say yeah, but I wouldn't.
I wouldn't be telling you the truth. Yeah, But I
mean I had expectations for it to be very successful.
I thought we would do a few weeks number one,
but ten, that's that's crazy. And they see all of
the like legendary albums that is passing in the process.
(15:39):
It's crazy. It's getting mentioned. Beyonce and one of the
accolades you broken and you had said that Feelingly Beyonce
was one of the first people of Merit to reach
out and work with her, right, absolutely, you speak on that.
That's with the Feeling Myself, right, Yeah, that was two
thousand and fourteen. Um, you know they had called the
(15:59):
Carter and the Right because Beyonce was working on the
stuff or whatever. So she came into a bunch of songs,
builded a bond with Beyonce and Jay and the whole thing,
and Feeling Myself came out of that batch. So like
I was a super dump experience. She look up to Beyonce.
Of course. Yeah, you said, it's crazy that shirt is
(16:21):
the number one on urban and rhythmic radio. Why are
you're surprised by that? I wasn't really surprised, kind of
inside thing because I was. I was actually taking a
shout at her because she didn't she didn't like Shirt
being out first, and she blamed it on me. I
(16:42):
hit number one on radio, Like, yeah, it seems like
you know what you're talking about kind of, I would think,
I like to think. So she's her biggest critic for sure. Yeah,
you know what I mean. So she's like honed in
on everything that's going on with her process, her album dropping,
with her songs out, and she felt like a shirt
(17:05):
was the snippet had been out for too long, you
know what I mean. Well, my thought thinking on it
was all right, it's been out, let's just put that out,
drop the video and then we'll go from there. Like
it's not even the thing of your first your lead single,
your this and that, Like it's a whole different ballgame.
And even kill Bill is doing well as well. Yeah
(17:28):
that's crazy too, Like I knew what a goal, but
I didn't know it's gonna go like that. I guess nuts.
Like even when the when she played it at the
in the garden, all these kids out there screaming it's
killed by Yea. You even stepped it up with the
visuals you have vox in the video. Yeah, yeah, for sure.
(17:49):
She always been super visual though, Like she's hands on
with all of her music videos. So she's there with
the directors like during the treatment process and everything given input,
so pretty much most of them are co directed by her.
But Punch, how do you do still wear a fandom?
Because I saw somewhere it's like, you know, you know
how fans are. She'll always be teasing a song, so
(18:11):
she'll get the snippet outs and they want that record
on the album too, Like I feel like a lot
of times, you know, you can't please everybody, Like how
do you deal with that? With that? With the snippets,
Like that's something that we have, we've been doing since
we first started working together, and it will drop a
song and then preview the next one just to get
people excited for what's to come, you know what I mean.
(18:32):
And that turned into like a whole thing to where
like you know, it just builds up the anticipation so
crazy now and we just continue with it. So even
with the visuals, would drop a snippet of another song
with the video. All right, So when did the album
feel complete? Um? Because it feels like y'all was sitting
(18:54):
on it for a while though, right, Nay, it was
changing stuff after a different mixes. Yeah, absolutely, small things
we wouldn't catch so like fixing the plane while I
was still in the end, absolutely, but not the way
it happened was all right, So we dropped in CTRL
in twenty seventeen. So twenty the end of twenty seventeen
(19:20):
she was torn. Twenty eighteen, she was touring and we
did the Championship tour and we did, I mean a
lot of festival runs. So she didn't officially start working
on the next album until maybe the end of twenty nineteen,
twenty twenty. Count we get the pandemic, everything shut down,
(19:44):
So I would say she didn't get into a real
groove until twenty twenty one. That makes sense, yeah, but
it seemed like a like a longer thing. But we
don't count the pandemic years. She had went to Hawaii
to record and she just hit a hit a groove
(20:05):
out there, knocked out about seven eight songs like oh okay,
this is where we're going now, we got it. What
are your personal favorites on the album? It fluctuates, of course,
but I still love the intro ss Yeah, because to me,
that just set the tone for the rest of the record,
you know what I mean. And it's to me is
(20:27):
speaking to a lot of critics, a lot of different artists,
a lot of people in general. That's my thing. But
now I set the tone for what the rest of
the album is. What I mean then of course it
is nobody gets Me? Is Gone Girl? Like so many
(20:48):
different records. How do you feel like the album stacks
against control? You know what I got out of comparing
in that way, because it'll never be right like the
time when she made control like what she ate when
she was doing it here she was breathing, like what's
going on in the light? Like all of that is different,
(21:10):
But I think the quality stands up for sure. Yeah,
you know what I mean? I was she adjusting with
the success because you know, you see like she sometimes
she'll get into an artist's bag where she's kind of
like doesn't want to show up and do this or
whatever x y Z. Like now with all the attention
and this new found like even more exposure, like growth, Like,
how do you think she's adjusting to it? I think
(21:31):
she adjusted a lot better now. I think it's finally
starting to sit in as to what's going on and
who she is. Like for the longest, I don't feel
she connected who Scissor is to Salana, But I think
now she's finally starting to see it understand, like and
that I think that really comes with a tour, mostly
(21:52):
because you're actually seeing these live people, when you're seeing
them respond to you and that energy exchange. So she said,
to live away a lot better now. Yeah, you've seen
it from you know, infants from the jump from twenty
twenty eleven. Like I mentioned, you met her at CMJ
here in New York City, Um, and you were her
songs that her friend was listening to. What were some
(22:14):
of those songs that impressed you to want to do
business with? Think? What I heard was, Um, it was
a song bad. It was a song country that was
on C Says a Run, which it was actually called
C Sults a Run at that time when she changed
it the whole thing. But even back then, like I
(22:34):
recognized the lyricism for one I heard it, I'm like, okay,
I know what this is. It's kind of the stuff
we do, Like yeah, makes sense. And then the melodies
and all of this she come up with was insane.
So I forgot your question. So that it's cool. But
when you presented the music top was he easily impressed
(22:56):
as well? Yeah, he liked he liked her voice right
away for sure. But the way I did it was
like I wanted to get everybody else involved first before
I let Todd hear it. So the first thing, I
think Musa was the first person I let hear it.
Then I let Dave hear some records, and I think
(23:17):
died after that. So then when I went to top,
he was like, yeah, it's hard. He was like, you
let mosere it. Yeah, I let Moose here. What about
Dave and dotting them? Yeah, they heard it too, they
like it too. And he was like, what about you've
seen her perform yet I'm flying out to Brooklyn next week.
(23:38):
She gotta show, so I'm gonna check it out then.
So yeah, he was. He was on board from jump.
You know, he wanted to know what everybody else's opinion
was too. She was like a year long process. A
couple of months that it happened. Uh maybe when a
month when we actually really decided to work together. Like
(23:58):
I said, we met in two an eleven, Yeah, and
we just kept in touch since then, like sending songs
and giving my opinion and helping with her projects and
all of that. So in twenty I think thirteen, we're
just having a conversation. She's like, Yo, you should just
manage me, right. I'm like, oh, yeah, that makes sense.
(24:21):
I ain't consider it like that before because she she
already had a situation management and all of that, so
I was just more on some consultant type stuff. When
she said that it was a no brainer. It makes
sense because that's when I met her at south By
Southwest twenty thirteen, when you guys at the house ye
did the photo shoot for respect Good. Yeah, she was
(24:43):
at the shoot. Yeah, she was. That's crazy. She was
sitting by the lake all by herself, and I was like,
she was that girl. He was like, I don't know.
We talked to him. That's funny we speaking of how
crazy is like about that's the Black Kippie days and
you think TV's lyrical spit of rappers now like your
(25:04):
flagship artists, your top artist is on B singer. What's
that adjustment? Like, I think it's I think it's natural,
you know what I mean, because she she's been building
at the same time with everybody else. Yeah, I mean,
so it's not really much of a difference at this point.
Like when she first came on, Yeah, it was super different. Yeah,
(25:24):
I mean dealing with a female artist. But now it's
like it's just a natural progression. Speaking of progression, like
you are the president of TV also almost like A
and RG like everything for man, Like what are you
like day to day rolls as the president of the label? Man?
It varies day to day. Really, there's no one like
(25:48):
we wasn't built on the corporate structure. Ful things should
go like we get up and see what needs to
be done, and we're doing it. It don't matter what
it is. Everybody, Like I always tell the story. It
was one show Jay Rock had Top was recording the show.
I was in the back working merch. Dave was DJ
(26:12):
hand handing out posters. At the same time, It's like,
we just do it whatever it needs to be done,
you know what I mean, We get it done. I
mean we got a lot more structure now. And it
was like, because we've been doing it, we know what
to expect. But I don't know. My whole thing is
I'm I'm in the studio, you know what I'm saying, Well,
(26:33):
that's my biggest contribution to the whole thing. Like I'm
listening to records and giving advice and input and finding
producers and the whole nine. So let's say my responsibility
is more of creative even though I do all the
business stuff too, but creative things my thing. Man. It's
(26:54):
like it's still hands on even before you came in
and was like yo this, but even having assystem at
this point, it's like he gets his own course. Yeah, definitely,
but it's um. You know, we're so much bigger now
though I can't be hands on with every single artist
how it was. So that's the That's one of the
(27:16):
major changes as we as we grew, so we have
a lot more people doing more things other than trying
to murder the money. On one of the tracks, would
you involve me with an appolo Herbert album? It was
the same thing. It's kind of um going back and
forth with them on records getting that whole thing out now.
(27:36):
He was he was specific in this. He wanted to um,
he wanted more input than usual, you know what I mean,
because he was feeling like, all right, I normally don't
take advice when I'm doing this thing. That's what I've
been doing, so now I want everybody's input, you know
(27:57):
what I mean. I'm I'm releasing Relinqua and all power
so that's kind of what that gave him, like some
real yeah, constructive criticism of the time, and then he
kind of pivoted and made some champions. Nah, definitely, yeah,
he uh, he just wanted to input up the team.
You know what I'm saying, the whole machine. You wouldn't
absolutely be making good music together. Man. Yeah, it's my gosh,
(28:21):
clash at the Titans. You guys have to do a
record anytime. Yeah, that's something he said, like from this
first project, and he did. He was like, yeah, I'm
gonna put you on every project I ever do. So
that's that's intentional and no purpose is that the good
Man was out of session together Like what Nah, It's
funny is he um, he has sent me the record
(28:45):
maybe six months before I actually did it. Like he
sent it and lesten to him like all right, cool,
I'm gonna do it. Six months later, one day he
was in the studio, He's like, yo, I need you.
You're gonna do the record. I'm like re sending to him,
and he sent it. I wrote it in like probably
like fifteen minutes literally and went in recorded and sent
(29:06):
it back. So that's how that whole process was. Yeah,
that one line you said, Jay doesn't Jay told you
why I bothered with peasants about jay Z? What do
you even? What did you mean by that? I hate him?
One time there was some some rappers who I said
some stuff and I hit him like, yo, what you
think it is? And that it was his response. I'm
(29:27):
not gonna say who it was, but his whole thing
was like I waste your time. I don't worry about it.
I may keep pushing. Y'all got something greater going. So
how do you feel like when people complain online that
say TV doesn't release enough music as some of you
guys's peers, or you know, the output isn't as frequent
as other labels. What are your thoughts on that? Basic
(29:50):
economics to me? You know what I mean, if you
if you flood the market, it's gonna be oversaturated. It's
not gonna be a special when it happens. Our thing
is is always quality over quantity. I mean, if you
make a quality product, people are gonna keep coming back
to it. Like that's just human beings in general. Like
(30:14):
it might seem like you got something going, some momentum
going when you're constantly constantly dropping, but you're wearing yourself thin.
People gonna get tired of that and it's gonna be over.
So that's why our thing is always you know, quality
of a quantity or disrespect anybody to do it that way.
So that almost seems like an old school model in
this day and age, right, because streaming kind of makes
(30:36):
you feel like you're supposed to just constantly flood it out,
refresh refreshment. Here it is it is. It a tough standard.
Stay that way. The whole team is kind of always
aligned it. We gotta keep doing it the way we've
We've done it. You gotta you gotta stay strong. I
remember hearing a Jay Z interview a while ago when
he was talking about that, say, he's not under nobody's timeline.
(30:57):
Oh you're rush rushing this process process. Yeah, so it
makes perfect sense to me. But I understand the pressure though,
when it feels like you gotta put something out and
put something out because everything's moving so fast. But if
it's quality and timeless, the stays. But even though like
the business hash change, you know, since you guys first
(31:18):
into Yeah, definitely, but like you still don't feel like
the need to like I'm not doing because you ain't
getting schoolboy, John saw me he's in. I saw Jay
Rocks in the studio. Yeah, everybody working. But the thing
though with that is people don't really change that much.
(31:40):
How we get things changed, for sure, but who we
are are emotions or feelings, the whole thing, and we
still people. It's still gonna remain the same. Yeah, fair enough.
But I know Jay Rock is in the studio as well, right, absolutely, yeah,
he finishing up his uh his project right now we speak. Okay,
(32:01):
it's cool boy, qu Yeah he said we let the rapper?
What was the like, am I putting? Letting the rappers in?
He wants his credit? Man getting punch talk on that
what he's saying that? Yeah, that's right. Qu's a golfer now, man,
is he still right? Can you beat him in golf?
Punch me? No, I'll never golf to damn my life.
You know. As a part of him, just evolving as
(32:23):
a person, you know what I mean, like discovering new
things that he's into and passionate about. He's just growing. Yeah,
you know what I mean. You're growing too, man, expanding
your your talents. You have a room full of mirrors. Absolutely,
talk about your collective Why aren't those Why isn't that
a t D act. Well, it's tough because I'm I'm
tde right, you know, I mean, I'm a part of
(32:45):
the collective. So yeah, you know what I mean. It's
it's not a it's not a rush, you know what
I mean. But the collective is um, it's myself, it's
um Daylight, Itchy Bond down a k Willie b It's
an early Riser and lyric Michelle Na Nicka is not
(33:08):
actually a part of it no more. Yeah, it kicked
him out the group or so the rap battle went wrong. No,
I think it was just um, we'll say creative differences.
I mean, he got it, you know, his own thing.
Whatever it is he into it was on you when
it was one thing it was something about Scissor was
(33:29):
a delay that you dropped the record. It was just
like it was all your handling Scots rapping. That's white
a little Scissor album yet, man, Jesus Chrish Sorry go though,
when when when it's in high demand? But but down
the room flamerors thing like that's like my passion project.
(33:49):
Feel good to be able to have a creative outlet
and platform like that. We could just make records, and
you know, everybody's in the film and directing and acting
the whole thing, so it's like a whole creative space.
You're gonna create another project. Absolutely, Yeah. We got a
bunch of records now, like we've been working since the
(34:11):
top of the year, went back in and plus everybody's
individual projects too. Speaking of which, Punch Electronica, we have
a guy so so out man a hard drive somewhere. Man,
where's the album? It's tough when you don't have a deadline.
Oh man. You got to listen to Secial like three
years ago. Man, Man, it was funny. I was just
(34:38):
looking at the pictures and the videos from that from
that time. But now I'm um, I'm definitely gonna put
it out for sure. But like I said, it's it's
difficult when you really don't have a deadline when you
got to create it for yourself, plus you got the
responsibility of all these other artists as well. It's like
I could be all right, I'm gonna put my minds
(34:59):
out now, then something to come up on somebody else,
then my focus on shift to that, right, And I'm
predicting twelve to fourteen songs might be more now twenty two.
It was at fifteen. Last time I looked at it.
I remember he did a whole session. You had a
whole list of this session. It was good music. Too
many to remember. That's funny. So at that point you
(35:23):
thought about putting it out. Yeah, I was about to
drop it then, but I was gonna wait to um
to twenty twenty to do it then. Literally in March,
everything shut down, does it? Probably even people kind of
criticize you for rapping when you're still like an executive,
not at all, nothing bother done at all. Always keep
(35:46):
it in perspective as to what things really are, you
know what I mean, where we come from, things we
survived and went through. Like we talk about music, right,
Like that's that'll never changed in my perspective. So you
can you can go at me all day long at
on the Twitter. Yeah, that's cool. I love talking on
Twitter because you don't think I have a lot of perspectives.
(36:08):
Like you said something one time about um, when did
the music or the personalities dominate the music? Something like that. Yeah,
because you see that a lot now, like everybody is
um it is almost influences. I mean a lot of
the artists like, yeah, you can get Brandon Deals and
the whole thing just off of your social media following
(36:31):
and the music been taken a back seat. Me. So
I was like, I'm just curious when did this happened? Like,
because I love music, like that's my thing, but now
it's just about who got the most followers. But it's
got to feel rewarding with Scissor because I think you
else said about like, you know, there's a lack of
superstars right or in this thing, but not to see
(36:53):
her kind of ascending right like, it's clearly a successfully
of somebody's career ascending in front of us, and that
was definitely rewarding, you know what I mean, her success
and then to through this arena tour, like to me,
I think that solidified her as one of those artists
(37:13):
for sure. Has the superstar changed? Yeah, because I think
the appeal of the superstar was you couldn't get close
to him at first, you know, I mean, it was
a lot of mystery there, and then you will see
him in certain spots. Now everybody is everywhere because of
how we feel we have to do social media. But
(37:37):
you know what I mean, but beyond a superstar thing
like just the artists maintaining his mystery. It's super important.
It's about the quality of control. If you look at
somebody like Frank Ocean, you don't never see him nowhere,
but his name is held in high regard because of
that product he put out and then he go away.
(37:58):
You know, I mean, you need time to to miss
the artist. Now. Everybody is so feel touchable and regular,
so like in regards this says of being an R
and B artist, Like we don't have too many R
and B superstars anymore. Like why do you think she's
been able to separate herself from the pack? I think
it's the honesty in her music first, you know what
(38:19):
I mean, if you roll with your emotions and you're
saying things that people can relate to and feel like,
that's gonna take you a long way. I think a
lot of people was missing that to start, what I mean.
And then does she made great music on top of that?
It just sounds good, it feel good, you know what
(38:40):
I mean. Anna caters to whatever emotion you might be
going through. So I think that's really what separates her.
She's not trying to do nobody else, you know what
I mean. If you look like it's who do you
compare with before her? You know what I mean? Not
saying that, you know, she's the originator of a certain thing,
(39:02):
but it's very distinctive from a lot of artists. Yeah,
but then you guys also have another young lady on
the label. Now, don't she absolutely Florida? Yeah? Like what
was so attractive about her that maybe want to do
business with? What I was that came through most of
the must about her and when he played me the records,
like the talent was undeniable, you know what I mean,
(39:25):
she threw it all. She rapped saying to the dance thing,
big production, like she's super talented. There's no limits on
where she can go. Yeah, Barack Obama's tapped in. You
think Obama coming up with that? No water believes that
Obama listens the music. They think it's the daughters. I'll
(39:48):
take that they got taste. So at this point, what
what makes you want to, you know, do business with
a new artist? Like, are you guys still actively looking
for new talent? I never actively looked. I let it
come to me, you know what I mean, Like I
never just said I'm gonna find this new artist. But
I'll be looking around just in general and something might
(40:11):
just pop out, you know what I'm saying. But I
gotta think. Literally, I've only signed says wow wow really
ain't like me personally personally. Yeah, And after that, the
next thing was the Room Full of Mares. Wow. So
it shows y'all how picky I am. It's crazy because
(40:33):
she feels like a veteran. But like you told me,
this is only her sophomore album, literally her second major album. Yeah,
it's still selling there. That's what's crazy. It's nuts. But
you also, I mean outside of music and twenty eighteen,
you guys started doing TV sports, right he started still
doing that or uh you know what? That's the top question?
(40:56):
Good top on the phone? Yeah, he tell you about that, uh,
in more detail than I could because I never I
never really got involved with that. Like when he was
starting to do that. I was so deep into the
music stuff. Would you guys ever sign someone outside of
the R and B or hip hop space like TD
rock or K pop or absolutely we might got something
(41:18):
to cutting their har shit, spill the beans punch, but
yeah no, it's no. Um, we're not keeping it just
to that like whatever sounds good, whatever, feels good. Yeah,
I mean, we'll definitely explore Kendrew lamar man. It's no
longer on the label lane, right, young kid flying, your
(41:42):
kick flying. What do you think about the success that
he's made, you know, stepping on on his own. I
think it's amazing, you know what I mean, to to
watch somebody as a kid, like as a sixteen seventeen
year old kid coming to the studio and developed to
where he is now and venturing out and being his
own business man. I think it's that's what it's all about.
(42:06):
Did you see that in him in day three early on? Yeah,
for sure, because they have ideas, you know what I mean,
and what the idea is. All you gotta do is
execute on those ideas. So like Kendrick is a kid
who's mind never stopped working, So yeah, of course I've
seen that for them way early on. What did you
(42:27):
think of mister Morales? Like? I had a very like polarizing,
you know reaction. That's a tough album. It's tough because
I feel like you have to be going through those
things that he's talking about because it's so specific to
fill it to his max, you know what I mean, Like,
if you there in that vibe, in that mind state,
(42:48):
then yeah, you're gonna love it, you know what I'm saying.
But if you're in another place, then you might not
frequented as much. But I think it was just, um,
I think that was the album that he won it
to do you know what I mean? For himself? Yeah,
so I call it a selfish album because it's really
about his feelings, his inner thoughts, like specifically for him.
(43:13):
I mean other albums spoke for people in general, but
this one, to me, was for him. Yea, how do
you look specifically? You know what Curious Duty is? Like
how much involvement you had with his album? So I
know section eighty you listened as executive producer, Like yeah,
you know from Good Kid on, Like, can you speak
on how you view those albums and what was your
involvement throughout that sort of his growth involvement was It's
(43:35):
always been the same up until up until mister Morale. Really,
you know what I mean. I come in, We constantly
talking about the record, how we want the record to sound,
to everything about the whole thing. Like let's give you
an example, like on the Pepper Butterfly, you know the
(43:57):
skit at the end when he read and pot the
poem whatever, like I wrote that. So the reason I
wrote it was because he was lost in the album
at this point and he was like, yeoh, could you
write something for me to sum everything up and man
of the album. So that's what I wrote. He ended
(44:17):
up using it on the thing. So that's what my
involvement has been overall view of the project. Was it
crazy to like hear it? To hear this album like
without you involved with it for the first time, it
was wild? To fan it was crazy. It was a
different experience for sure. How did you do Did you
(44:40):
set up a studio somewhere? Did you think it? Like?
We asked when it dropped? Um, because you know, I
could have went by the studio numerous times, but I decided, like,
all right, I'm gonna just sit back. So we we
was in the studio when the drop just cut it
owns just played it topped the bottom. We're surprised by
any of the stories that he told on the prob Jack, No,
(45:01):
I'm not surprised, but um, I don't know. I like,
I liked it initially when when I first heard it,
you know what I mean, I got it. It made
sense to me where he was going like it was
full out therapy for him. How do you feel like
that stacks up against all the previous projects? You know,
there's different spaces, you know what I mean, different time.
I always described it as a good Kid was a
(45:23):
classic pepper Butterfly, it was a masterpiece, and Damn was
a blockbuster. I think it's a Politzer. I don't know.
It's so they're all so different to me that you
can't really compare them, you know what I mean, So
I don't I don't even put that thought into it.
(45:45):
What's your memories of making Damn? I feel like Damn
was the record where it's like because it was to me,
it was always a little murmuring like, well, Kenji, don't
make something you could really play in the club, Humble
or whatever type record, and then like he kind of
shut everybody off. Was that kind of the intenseolutely want
the anthems and that was the whole point. So then
you got, um, I mean loyalty, you got uh, what's
(46:08):
doing that's doing? That went Diamonded went down, Yeah, Humble,
you know what I mean? All those are like anthem type. Yeah,
that was the mindset though them to really make anthems
that everybody could really sing along too. Do you feel
(46:29):
like even for the newer artists that they have to
live up to the expectation of like Kendrick and Sizzle,
or you just feel like they have to pressure. I
personally don't feel like they do. But I don't mean
that they don't feel that pressure, you know what I mean?
Like I think it's it's just naturally set based on
everything that happened and what we've done. So I mean,
(46:52):
I never hold an artist to somebody else's standards because
they completely different. People Like I just try to figure
out where they want to go and help them get
to that spot, right, I mean, because if sisters doing
MSG and you know someone else is doing a you know,
three hundred capacity space, Yeah, it is what it is.
That's the cry, right, That's the whole process right there. Yeah,
(47:15):
But you say that that's also what you love even
with Full of Merry, Like you love that process of
kind of just building it absolutely on the top, Like
why is that sophere warring to you? That feeling of
like building something from it because there's so much discovery,
you know what I mean, Like it's that teaching part
where somebody didn't know something at all and then it's
clicking to him like, oh, this is how you do this.
(47:36):
This is like I just love that feeling. That exchange
to me is the whole thing. It's like usually sometimes
when artists get to a certain point, it's like, I mean,
you know what to do. You coached, so you know,
get it done right. Like even like when you talk
about Kendrick and in the last album, it's like it
(47:58):
was nothing I could really provide to him at that
point in making an album. It's like a made guy. Yeah, absolutely,
Like you know what it is like. So you was
at the Grammys two in your black teeth. Yeah absolutely,
no button up, no button up, but you're never gonnaee
punch of the dressing up going to these people establishment
(48:22):
going as me. Yeah. So yeah, so you took that
picture with Jay and Dave Free and Kennedy. That was
really dope seeing you guys collective because people think on
the internet that you guys, yeah it's an issue, it's
an issue or something. Yeah, you're gonna have that though,
because that's usually how it goes. And if people, you know,
(48:43):
finish their business and move on to different things, that
people automatically feel it's a problem. But that's family. Yeah,
you know what I mean. It's family. It's never it's
never an issue for somebody to go out and try
to build their own thing. Never. Yeah, So the family
staying tight, man, absolutely. How many new CD acts do
we have? Another? Looking? What's the guy Vaughan? What's his name?
(49:06):
You got new music from Start coming on the way? Yeah, yeah,
Start coming to Chasing Summer Man. You like that one?
That was a classic. Yeah, I love that album too. Yeah. Yeah.
Everybody is cooking though, man, and it is right there,
like almost done. I think Q might be done. Don't
quote me on it, though. So we got new music
from absol Array in the cooker out right now, Jay
(49:29):
Rocks coming soon, Yeah, Ray Vaughn, Sir, missing anybody else?
Reason cooking, Reason cooking? Uh, Lance just dropped something. So
everybody is in a great space and working. How's Izaya Rashard?
You know, you know we had that. I don't want
(49:49):
know what to call it, invasion of privacy that happened
in a while ago. Is he in a good space though?
I think it's tough, you know what I mean when
when something like that happens like you're always gonna have
to figure out how to deal with it. But he
definitely has his high moments, and he has his moments
when he's not, you know what I mean, really feeling it.
(50:09):
So as of now though, I think he in a
great space. He on tour, okay, I think it was
very dope the way you know, stood up for him
and backed him, and you know, yeah, from the controversy
hit to whatever. It's like, I feel like, you know,
as family, you know what I mean. I'm saying, whatever
people do with a personal business is a personal business.
I don't you know, I don't. I don't have no
(50:31):
bearing on on what we're doing. Still business as usual? Yeah, absolutely,
Are we going to get anymore tde Christmases and nickoson gardens?
I think we're gonna do it this year. It's been
tough for COVID, okay, you know what I mean, Like
even last year it was certain restrictions that they wanted
on it that we didn't feel like, you know, it's
(50:53):
the right time to do it again. But I think it's, Uh,
it's wide open down, so you're gonna come out the
way come. I'm scared you're on the West no excuse now,
right to come out there. I've never been to watch too,
so I gotta come through. You should come, Yeah, Rihanna
there once punch of time. Yeah, Rihanna, you'll be staying good. Right. Yeah,
(51:18):
you got Zach Raindolph getting the rest of the outside
I didn't. Zach got the rest of the walk story. Hey, Man,
don't come, and then one day Punch will get sis
on the program. Right, I'm saying, I know my wife
gets all the interviews, Damn Smith. He like, how's it
feel losing the interviews to your wife? Oh Man? Typical punt?
(51:41):
Absolutely day Now I'm gonna try to get her on
there man with no interviews, not really her thing like that. Absolutely.
So what do you think of the Times piece? Did you?
Did you read it? Time? Yeah? I thought it was good.
I liked it a lot. Yeah, Dann did a great job. Yeah,
thank sure. Absolutely we would do a good job too
if we ever get them, think we will as well.
(52:01):
But the meantime we gotta go to MSG. Man you're ready,
get your tickets out, We're going tonight, Going tonight, man
Punch his house this interview there o, Man, you tell
us see when he comes to New York. He wants
the party, wants to go everywhere. So I guess you
know you used to call Kendrick Lamar King of New York.
(52:22):
Absolutely does that mean that since the Queen of New
York right there for sure? Thank you, punch Man. Good
to see my brother Sir. Likewise, appreciate you guys man anytime. Yeah.
Rapper Up podcast rappertor Is The Interval presents original production
from Hyperhouse, produced by Laura Wasser, Hosts and producers Elliott
(52:43):
Wilson and Brian b Doc Miller Hermittiful Presents executive producers
Alan Coy and Jake Kleinberg, Executive producer Paul Rosenberg, editing
his sound design by Dylan Alexander Freeman, recording engineer Mike Urban,
visual director Josh Perez, Operations lead Sarah You, business development
Lead Cheffie Allenswegg, and marketing lead Samara Still. Make sure
(53:06):
to follow an operator or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
Amazon Music, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts
Yo, it's a rap right off podcast when name was
beat e Eliott's back in New York City. Were back
at it man hometown. Man, he got me, got me
on the Red Eye. Man, you're rocking the Wilies Many Champion.
Shout out the ghost Face Man that the plane black.
Though I didn't go too crazy. I didn't do the
cream getting Veno style, trying to freaking for the summer,
(00:22):
trying to podcasting summer, trying to rock the rapper podcast
and summer. Man, Yo, Man, coming off that last episode
with baby Face, that was a good time. They were
on a hot streak. Man. You know what I'm saying.
It feels like it. Man. Sometimes the numbers might have
reflect it, but ye would saying numbers numbers the love
for RB legends, Man, list did I do? That was
(00:44):
a really good conversation. Shout out to baby Face, Shout
to Rika, thanks for sitting with me and the Yellow Guy.
Hey man, young boys one point five, you know, looking
looking lovely out there. He gotta do some a demon party. Man,
he's out there. Man, you out here too, though, Man,
I saw that NAS interview with the ju Man me Man,
I had to keep a little secret. Fine secretive man
shout baby faces, never keeping a secret, No, man, shout
(01:07):
out Frasier over there. You know, Frasie needs to be
a complex VQ of course, the great Wolf. Well, so
you know, man, we we you know, full transparency. You know,
I haven't had always had the best placeship with Na
Strudis trying to repair that for a long time. As
you know, we've had We've offered him this platform many times,
he's flatly turned us down. And then with GQ, it
(01:28):
wanted somebody to document him playing a garden and Frasier
wanted me to do it. And Frasier didn't even know
I had certain, you know, tough history with Nas, so
they said I was gonna do it. Took a while
for him to say he agreed to it, but then
he agreed, so then you know, super cool man, we
finally chopped it up. I end up even backstage right
before he went on there a half hour, so um,
(01:50):
it was fun. Man. Anthony was excited that we finally
put the play together and he sat down. So hopefully
you know, it leads to us having to fighting chance
to get him, get him on our platform. Now, man,
we sort of bridge that gap. I like saying, you're
a very brave heart. Juggle man. That's such a partie.
Juggles out. I shook juggles head man, your juggles. But
I know who you are now. But shout out Anthony Sleet.
(02:14):
You know that's a guy man, g cold. This whole
team over there, man, good dudes and stuff and yo,
NAS man, that's the best Not show ever. So yeah,
I would agree. We talked about it last episode, but
I was thinking about it after we talked. I think
it is the best NAS concert that I haven't been to.
That's want one of those B sides. Man. Yeah nah,
he definitely was. He tore it down. But you know
what's what I told you, I had to. I hate
to admit it. He faked me out. Man. I left
(02:36):
early because usually he ends the show with one mic.
Because I went for the exit like that. We say
as a reporter, don't leave the show too early. He
did the one mic thing that she usually like towards
the end of the show. I was like, all right,
let me hit out. I saw you mad um three
sixty outside. Yeah I'm sixty. He's like, yeah, that's in
the man coming out soon, dude, And then he went on.
He kept he did the Hot Boys remix, you all me.
(02:57):
He got emotional speaking on his mom's at the end.
You know, thank God for it, for the people videotaping
shell Man, I have to settle this from Queenland and
so I connected it. But I would have stayed to
the end, I thought, hen because it was non stop energy.
Man like the guy what he tore it down. Man,
absolutely man give his heart and soul in that performance. Man,
I thought that was dope. It was fitting too. And
he also brought out hit Boy and I was thinking about,
you know, him and hit Boy on the hell of
(03:18):
a Hot streak, right crazy, And I thought about it afterwards.
I feel like this year is gonna be a year
of the collaboration. You think so. I think so because
of course, you know, hit Boy and Nazi did that
thing last year, but still it's still running into this year.
Then we got Larry June, the Alchemists coming, We got yeah,
I'm excited about the Larry June. We got a push
the t and DJ Drama coming soon. So I feel
about that one. He broke that one to the world,
(03:39):
you know what, you know what I mean currency Jermaine
Duprix he broke that to the world to listen. I
feel like that's what the twenty twenty three is gonna
be all about. Man, be dope, though, I think this
more collaborators needed, you know what I'm saying. Like, I
think it's just it's a cool thing like Drake and
Savage obviously to set the tone. Um, yeah, I could
see more of that happening. I think it's important. Man,
shout a hip boy. Man. Hip boy is on an
amazing run. Yep. I think he's back with Benny and
(04:00):
the studio now too. He's on that Don Tyllivan. He's
not every project that comes out. Man, that guy just
just like and he's so versatile with his production, like
you can't even pin it, like, yeah, a signature sound anymore.
So shout out hit man. You know he putting that work.
Speaking of hot streets, we got a guy who's on
the hell of a one right now. He could say
he's get the label. Got the hottest start the year,
Man ten weeks at number one weeks. Man ain't counted.
(04:22):
You know. The face of tv E is an R
and B singer named Scissory to the Spinners, the medical guy.
That's my first question to points, why have it to
the spinners? Man bars is heavy too, though, since the
paying game is is vicious. Maybe Face was talking about
how good she is as an artist to in the
last episode, So yeah, no, obviously, Yeah, she puts a
lot of crafts into a songwriting and like so you
(04:43):
know she's from that tradition. You know, you know, I
got punched today. Man punches on the program. You know,
president of TV still got to be super proud like Scissor.
He gets all the credit with Sissor, like he was
the one that really signed her and like you know,
developed it through the years. Obviously controls a classic and
now this album's even he clips that. Man, the reception
has been crazy, and of course he's has two sold
out shows at Madison Square Garden. Yeah, like it was
(05:05):
last night, the first show with tape before a second
show tonight. So he's like, come to New York. Miss
it with the West one of the West Coast Kings
in New York. Man switch to the style. But it's
like the Control days, right whatever bringing the rockets to
me that controverse came out. We haven't seen we haven't
had punch on the programming, Like what almost five six years,
A long time. It's been a while. The last time
he was here, it was so funny. He missed his flight,
(05:27):
right because of whatever the circumstances. He was in New
York and he missed his flight. So later that day,
I was gonna get gas in my neighborhood. Right. I
look up while I'm pumping. Who I see it's fucking
punch Queens. Yeah, said Queens. What I'm doing here? He's like, yeah,
I see you. Part he because we filmed it earlier
(05:51):
in the day, right, So he missed his flight and
then like six o'clock in the afternoon, I'm going to
get gas and the neighborhood punch and then we did
him the next morning. We did him that same day.
Oh wow, Yeah, that's crazy that the punch out, the
punch man, you know. And he'd be rapping too, the
little oh yeah everyone full of mirrors thing he had
last year. It was the last year, the year before
he's putting it. It was last year, the whole rap
(06:11):
collected together with Nick Nick Grant, that's my day, Like yeah,
And he also got busy on the Appsoles project too.
Let's talk about that good man man. He tore down.
He has a blue playlist to all the little guests.
He just on him TV, which is nice. Man, Boss
Punch is nice. You think he ever gonna put on album.
He's like he's like the Punch Electronica and the album
is good. That's the thing too, like Punch when he
(06:34):
put it out. Yeah, that's a signature. Yeah, let's seem
on the program, Manna getting a team. It's own man,
top Dog Terence Punch Henderson Man, Yes, sir, Yeah, rapper
it off podcast? What's up baby? Great? It's like we
have an old friend. Yes, this guy stirs it up
(06:55):
on the internet for many years. Man be able to
call him the executive the Week a couple of weeks ago,
but I know him as a president of TDE Terence
Punchion Terence, welcome back on the program, man, I'm glad
to be back. Yeah. The only two kid to have
two weeks number one album platform. Man, you know what
I'm saying. Yeah, how do you do it? Punch Man?
(07:15):
How do you share everybody up and deliver since the
album that I think even exceeded many expectations. We just
made the music, you know what I mean? We didn't
uh we didn't give in to the pressure of people
asking for it and saying when we should put it out. Like,
as a unit and as a team, we know when
(07:36):
the time is right, when it's ready. So I just
you know, I was ready at the right time and
we mapped it out from there. Do you feel vindicated
now with a successful the album? No? Now, what I mean,
I don't see. I don't look for validation from nobody. Really,
it's about keeping the integrity of the music, you know
(07:57):
what I mean? And I feel we made a great
project and we put it out and that was that
was it. It's not a yeah, look at us, we
did it. We proved the wholly out wrong. Like it's
not the thing. It's about making great music. But the
fans never got into these skin because those sits of
fans was they were going hard. They didn't name. They
don't have a name like the Bobs or anything, but
(08:18):
we didn't give him a name. Camp sits camp siss okay,
my bad. Camp sitism beyond you. But you know what,
It's all motivated out of love, you know what I mean.
Like I always say, she said some stuff that touched
some people, so they wanted like it resonated with something
in their life, so I never I never really take
it personal. I like to have fun and go back
(08:39):
and forth with them sometimes. So what exactly is is
Punch's role with a siss An album? Like is it
a constant thing where she's sending you songs and you're
giving your input, Like how would you describe what your
role is? And when you look back at sos? Like
what role do you play specifically? And that's one of
the roles I played, where she actually recorded most of
it by herself, Like I come to the studio maybe early,
(09:02):
and we'll talk, I mean talk about what's gonna happen
for the day, and then I'll leave leave her there
with the engineer and should cook up and I may
come back later or maybe the next day and listen
to the record and who just you know, my job
was to pretty much make an album out of the songs,
amongst other things, because I'm not serious you about sequencing.
(09:25):
But then when I saw the track list at first,
before I heard it, it was like, oh, there's a
lot of songs on this albums that was surprising, Like
for somebody who I know, you're very meticulous about sequencing,
like can you speak on that, Like sequencing album that
has a lot of tracks on, it's probably a little
more higher challenge, right, I wanted twelve. I wanted twelve
to fourteen. I mean, I feel like that's enough as
(09:47):
long as you get the point across or what you're
trying to say in the music and the story of
the album. But it's a new day as well, you
know what I mean. We have streaming, so we don't
have to stick to those same old rules that we
always had, you know what I mean. But early on
in the process, I'm like, nah, we gotta do fourteen.
(10:08):
That's it. But you know her, she wanted to add more,
like she feels like she was gone for so long.
She wanted to get the fans, you know what I mean,
they're worth. So we decided on the twenty three and
we made a story like out of the whole thing,
Like if you listen to it, like it goes up
and down in emotion and goes up and down sonically,
(10:30):
so it's a whole cohesive thing. And to bland all
those different genres, which is tough, but I think we
U think we did a good job. I like it,
is it more fun? Sequence in the R and B
album versus the rap albums, It's all the same to
me because I really look for the story, and I
(10:51):
mean what was trying to be painted as a whole.
So I love it, Like either way they're singing or
there's rapping, whatever, it's all music. What we mentioned about
stuff like she definitely showed her range right on this
stood like talk about that, like was that something you
knew from Jump that she wanted to do with the
project or that that just kind of just developing the process.
Well not she always done it, you know what I mean,
(11:12):
But a lot of it don't get highlighted like other records,
would you know what I mean? Like she did Drew
Barrymore on CTRL. She also had prom on there, you
know what I mean? Even before that, like other stuff,
She's always been she always bended the genre. So it
wasn't nothing new. Was just going just pushing it further,
(11:34):
Like she's doing full rap records now. Yeah, so she
got them, bars man, really she got like maybe she
got like an EPs worth of full rap records, like
all the way out and I'm singing, so I like
(11:57):
the flow. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, She's are
you constructed with the with the with the bars. Absolutely yeah.
I don't get something like, hell, what you mean when
he said this, like, how does that make sense with
this part? We'll go back and forth for sure. Thin
when you heard smoking on xpass nuts like she really
(12:19):
went in but it fits though, it fits her. I mean,
it's not like it was something that she was trying
to experiment on and it was left full left field,
like it's all in the flow of who she is.
Speaking of the raps man, how did you acquire this
ODB vocals Forgiveness? I was crazy, Um, Rodney Jerkins. It
(12:41):
was footage that he had of ODB, and Um, that's
the story was they was in la at the studio
and Rodney was playing beats and ODB was in another room.
I guess he was in the hallway and hurt the
beats and he went in and he just started freestyle
and then Rodney said he's known for like all right.
So at some point Rodney picked up his camera and
(13:04):
started feeling him. So when uh Alroddy made the beat
for forgiveless, I get he heard ODB remember that, and
he tried to place it up under there. So that's
how that came about, so it was just automatic, like, oh,
we're gonna put that on the on the drink. Absolutely
when he first did it, you know the idea. It's
(13:26):
crazy and it's still going in conjunction with her wool
tang thing. Her name is Scissors, right. We had Rizard
due to promo for the first album for CTRL, so
like it only be right, makes sense. Full circle moment man, Yeah, absolutely,
a lot of full circle moments, you know with this project.
Like I saw that you tweet this morning that you
(13:48):
saw her, you met her? H No, you met her
in twenty eleven, and you remember seeing her perform at
Brooklyn Steel only fifty to seventy five people. Fast forward
now we're doing Madison Square Gardens, right, How meaningful is
that for you? It's crazy. It's really a full circle moment,
you know what I mean. Like even that show when
I'm talking about at Brooklyn still, I surprised they're popping up.
(14:12):
She didn't even tell her I was coming because I
didn't want her to be nervous or whatever. So when
I got there and seeing her performing then and I'm like, yoh,
it's a diamond and the rough for sure. So then
to go through all the years and now it was
Madison Square Garden sold out, like nuts, What was it
like last night? I was insane. It was absolutely crowd
(14:34):
like why did you how did you peep it? I
watched from the from the suite right. Yeah, I'm gonna
go down with the people though in the next couple
of shows get the full effect of it. But I
like to like look over the whole production and see,
you know what I mean, well we put together I
was being received by the people. The people was going crazy,
(14:55):
like as soon as the lights dropped, it were nuts.
Spend ammonium. Let's speak in that reception. Man, number one album,
I'm sure you want to achieve that, but like to
have this ten weeks like yeah, I feel like in
real time I see you on social it's like you're like, oh, Man,
like seven weeks, eight weeks like yeah, like it blow,
Like did anybody have that level of expectation and you
allow yourself to have that? Or like you know, I
(15:17):
mean I could be cool and say yeah, but I wouldn't.
I wouldn't be telling you the truth. Yeah, But I
mean I had expectations for it to be very successful.
I thought we would do a few weeks number one,
but ten, that's that's crazy. And they see all of
the like legendary albums that is passing in the process.
(15:39):
It's crazy. It's getting mentioned. Beyonce and one of the
accolades you broken and you had said that Feelingly Beyonce
was one of the first people of Merit to reach
out and work with her, right, absolutely, you speak on that.
That's with the Feeling Myself, right, Yeah, that was two
thousand and fourteen. Um, you know they had called the
(15:59):
Carter and the Right because Beyonce was working on the
stuff or whatever. So she came into a bunch of songs,
builded a bond with Beyonce and Jay and the whole thing,
and Feeling Myself came out of that batch. So like
I was a super dump experience. She look up to Beyonce.
Of course. Yeah, you said, it's crazy that shirt is
(16:21):
the number one on urban and rhythmic radio. Why are
you're surprised by that? I wasn't really surprised, kind of
inside thing because I was. I was actually taking a
shout at her because she didn't she didn't like Shirt
being out first, and she blamed it on me. I
(16:42):
hit number one on radio, Like, yeah, it seems like
you know what you're talking about kind of, I would think,
I like to think. So she's her biggest critic for sure. Yeah,
you know what I mean. So she's like honed in
on everything that's going on with her process, her album dropping,
with her songs out, and she felt like a shirt
(17:05):
was the snippet had been out for too long, you
know what I mean. Well, my thought thinking on it
was all right, it's been out, let's just put that out,
drop the video and then we'll go from there. Like
it's not even the thing of your first your lead single,
your this and that, Like it's a whole different ballgame.
And even kill Bill is doing well as well. Yeah
(17:28):
that's crazy too, Like I knew what a goal, but
I didn't know it's gonna go like that. I guess nuts.
Like even when the when she played it at the
in the garden, all these kids out there screaming it's
killed by Yea. You even stepped it up with the
visuals you have vox in the video. Yeah, yeah, for sure.
(17:49):
She always been super visual though, Like she's hands on
with all of her music videos. So she's there with
the directors like during the treatment process and everything given input,
so pretty much most of them are co directed by her.
But Punch, how do you do still wear a fandom?
Because I saw somewhere it's like, you know, you know
how fans are. She'll always be teasing a song, so
(18:11):
she'll get the snippet outs and they want that record
on the album too, Like I feel like a lot
of times, you know, you can't please everybody, Like how
do you deal with that? With that? With the snippets,
Like that's something that we have, we've been doing since
we first started working together, and it will drop a
song and then preview the next one just to get
people excited for what's to come, you know what I mean.
(18:32):
And that turned into like a whole thing to where
like you know, it just builds up the anticipation so
crazy now and we just continue with it. So even
with the visuals, would drop a snippet of another song
with the video. All right, So when did the album
feel complete? Um? Because it feels like y'all was sitting
(18:54):
on it for a while though, right, Nay, it was
changing stuff after a different mixes. Yeah, absolutely, small things
we wouldn't catch so like fixing the plane while I
was still in the end, absolutely, but not the way
it happened was all right, So we dropped in CTRL
in twenty seventeen. So twenty the end of twenty seventeen
(19:20):
she was torn. Twenty eighteen, she was touring and we
did the Championship tour and we did, I mean a
lot of festival runs. So she didn't officially start working
on the next album until maybe the end of twenty nineteen,
twenty twenty. Count we get the pandemic, everything shut down,
(19:44):
So I would say she didn't get into a real
groove until twenty twenty one. That makes sense, yeah, but
it seemed like a like a longer thing. But we
don't count the pandemic years. She had went to Hawaii
to record and she just hit a hit a groove
(20:05):
out there, knocked out about seven eight songs like oh okay,
this is where we're going now, we got it. What
are your personal favorites on the album? It fluctuates, of course,
but I still love the intro ss Yeah, because to me,
that just set the tone for the rest of the record,
you know what I mean. And it's to me is
(20:27):
speaking to a lot of critics, a lot of different artists,
a lot of people in general. That's my thing. But
now I set the tone for what the rest of
the album is. What I mean then of course it
is nobody gets Me? Is Gone Girl? Like so many
(20:48):
different records. How do you feel like the album stacks
against control? You know what I got out of comparing
in that way, because it'll never be right like the
time when she made control like what she ate when
she was doing it here she was breathing, like what's
going on in the light? Like all of that is different,
(21:10):
But I think the quality stands up for sure. Yeah,
you know what I mean? I was she adjusting with
the success because you know, you see like she sometimes
she'll get into an artist's bag where she's kind of
like doesn't want to show up and do this or
whatever x y Z. Like now with all the attention
and this new found like even more exposure, like growth, Like,
how do you think she's adjusting to it? I think
(21:31):
she adjusted a lot better now. I think it's finally
starting to sit in as to what's going on and
who she is. Like for the longest, I don't feel
she connected who Scissor is to Salana, But I think
now she's finally starting to see it understand, like and
that I think that really comes with a tour, mostly
(21:52):
because you're actually seeing these live people, when you're seeing
them respond to you and that energy exchange. So she said,
to live away a lot better now. Yeah, you've seen
it from you know, infants from the jump from twenty
twenty eleven. Like I mentioned, you met her at CMJ
here in New York City, Um, and you were her
songs that her friend was listening to. What were some
(22:14):
of those songs that impressed you to want to do
business with? Think? What I heard was, Um, it was
a song bad. It was a song country that was
on C Says a Run, which it was actually called
C Sults a Run at that time when she changed
it the whole thing. But even back then, like I
(22:34):
recognized the lyricism for one I heard it, I'm like, okay,
I know what this is. It's kind of the stuff
we do, Like yeah, makes sense. And then the melodies
and all of this she come up with was insane.
So I forgot your question. So that it's cool. But
when you presented the music top was he easily impressed
(22:56):
as well? Yeah, he liked he liked her voice right
away for sure. But the way I did it was
like I wanted to get everybody else involved first before
I let Todd hear it. So the first thing, I
think Musa was the first person I let hear it.
Then I let Dave hear some records, and I think
(23:17):
died after that. So then when I went to top,
he was like, yeah, it's hard. He was like, you
let mosere it. Yeah, I let Moose here. What about
Dave and dotting them? Yeah, they heard it too, they
like it too. And he was like, what about you've
seen her perform yet I'm flying out to Brooklyn next week.
(23:38):
She gotta show, so I'm gonna check it out then.
So yeah, he was. He was on board from jump.
You know, he wanted to know what everybody else's opinion
was too. She was like a year long process. A
couple of months that it happened. Uh maybe when a
month when we actually really decided to work together. Like
(23:58):
I said, we met in two an eleven, Yeah, and
we just kept in touch since then, like sending songs
and giving my opinion and helping with her projects and
all of that. So in twenty I think thirteen, we're
just having a conversation. She's like, Yo, you should just
manage me, right. I'm like, oh, yeah, that makes sense.
(24:21):
I ain't consider it like that before because she she
already had a situation management and all of that, so
I was just more on some consultant type stuff. When
she said that it was a no brainer. It makes
sense because that's when I met her at south By
Southwest twenty thirteen, when you guys at the house ye
did the photo shoot for respect Good. Yeah, she was
(24:43):
at the shoot. Yeah, she was. That's crazy. She was
sitting by the lake all by herself, and I was like,
she was that girl. He was like, I don't know.
We talked to him. That's funny we speaking of how
crazy is like about that's the Black Kippie days and
you think TV's lyrical spit of rappers now like your
(25:04):
flagship artists, your top artist is on B singer. What's
that adjustment? Like, I think it's I think it's natural,
you know what I mean, because she she's been building
at the same time with everybody else. Yeah, I mean,
so it's not really much of a difference at this point.
Like when she first came on, Yeah, it was super different. Yeah,
(25:24):
I mean dealing with a female artist. But now it's
like it's just a natural progression. Speaking of progression, like
you are the president of TV also almost like A
and RG like everything for man, Like what are you
like day to day rolls as the president of the label? Man?
It varies day to day. Really, there's no one like
(25:48):
we wasn't built on the corporate structure. Ful things should
go like we get up and see what needs to
be done, and we're doing it. It don't matter what
it is. Everybody, Like I always tell the story. It
was one show Jay Rock had Top was recording the show.
I was in the back working merch. Dave was DJ
(26:12):
hand handing out posters. At the same time, It's like,
we just do it whatever it needs to be done,
you know what I mean, We get it done. I
mean we got a lot more structure now. And it
was like, because we've been doing it, we know what
to expect. But I don't know. My whole thing is
I'm I'm in the studio, you know what I'm saying, Well,
(26:33):
that's my biggest contribution to the whole thing. Like I'm
listening to records and giving advice and input and finding
producers and the whole nine. So let's say my responsibility
is more of creative even though I do all the
business stuff too, but creative things my thing. Man. It's
(26:54):
like it's still hands on even before you came in
and was like yo this, but even having assystem at
this point, it's like he gets his own course. Yeah, definitely,
but it's um. You know, we're so much bigger now
though I can't be hands on with every single artist
how it was. So that's the That's one of the
(27:16):
major changes as we as we grew, so we have
a lot more people doing more things other than trying
to murder the money. On one of the tracks, would
you involve me with an appolo Herbert album? It was
the same thing. It's kind of um going back and
forth with them on records getting that whole thing out now.
(27:36):
He was he was specific in this. He wanted to um,
he wanted more input than usual, you know what I mean,
because he was feeling like, all right, I normally don't
take advice when I'm doing this thing. That's what I've
been doing, so now I want everybody's input, you know
(27:57):
what I mean. I'm I'm releasing Relinqua and all power
so that's kind of what that gave him, like some
real yeah, constructive criticism of the time, and then he
kind of pivoted and made some champions. Nah, definitely, yeah,
he uh, he just wanted to input up the team.
You know what I'm saying, the whole machine. You wouldn't
absolutely be making good music together. Man. Yeah, it's my gosh,
(28:21):
clash at the Titans. You guys have to do a
record anytime. Yeah, that's something he said, like from this
first project, and he did. He was like, yeah, I'm
gonna put you on every project I ever do. So
that's that's intentional and no purpose is that the good
Man was out of session together Like what Nah, It's
funny is he um, he has sent me the record
(28:45):
maybe six months before I actually did it. Like he
sent it and lesten to him like all right, cool,
I'm gonna do it. Six months later, one day he
was in the studio, He's like, yo, I need you.
You're gonna do the record. I'm like re sending to him,
and he sent it. I wrote it in like probably
like fifteen minutes literally and went in recorded and sent
(29:06):
it back. So that's how that whole process was. Yeah,
that one line you said, Jay doesn't Jay told you
why I bothered with peasants about jay Z? What do
you even? What did you mean by that? I hate him?
One time there was some some rappers who I said
some stuff and I hit him like, yo, what you
think it is? And that it was his response. I'm
(29:27):
not gonna say who it was, but his whole thing
was like I waste your time. I don't worry about it.
I may keep pushing. Y'all got something greater going. So
how do you feel like when people complain online that
say TV doesn't release enough music as some of you
guys's peers, or you know, the output isn't as frequent
as other labels. What are your thoughts on that? Basic
(29:50):
economics to me? You know what I mean, if you
if you flood the market, it's gonna be oversaturated. It's
not gonna be a special when it happens. Our thing
is is always quality over quantity. I mean, if you
make a quality product, people are gonna keep coming back
to it. Like that's just human beings in general. Like
(30:14):
it might seem like you got something going, some momentum
going when you're constantly constantly dropping, but you're wearing yourself thin.
People gonna get tired of that and it's gonna be over.
So that's why our thing is always you know, quality
of a quantity or disrespect anybody to do it that way.
So that almost seems like an old school model in
this day and age, right, because streaming kind of makes
(30:36):
you feel like you're supposed to just constantly flood it out,
refresh refreshment. Here it is it is. It a tough standard.
Stay that way. The whole team is kind of always
aligned it. We gotta keep doing it the way we've
We've done it. You gotta you gotta stay strong. I
remember hearing a Jay Z interview a while ago when
he was talking about that, say, he's not under nobody's timeline.
(30:57):
Oh you're rush rushing this process process. Yeah, so it
makes perfect sense to me. But I understand the pressure though,
when it feels like you gotta put something out and
put something out because everything's moving so fast. But if
it's quality and timeless, the stays. But even though like
the business hash change, you know, since you guys first
(31:18):
into Yeah, definitely, but like you still don't feel like
the need to like I'm not doing because you ain't
getting schoolboy, John saw me he's in. I saw Jay
Rocks in the studio. Yeah, everybody working. But the thing
though with that is people don't really change that much.
(31:40):
How we get things changed, for sure, but who we
are are emotions or feelings, the whole thing, and we
still people. It's still gonna remain the same. Yeah, fair enough.
But I know Jay Rock is in the studio as well, right, absolutely, yeah,
he finishing up his uh his project right now we speak. Okay,
(32:01):
it's cool boy, qu Yeah he said we let the rapper?
What was the like, am I putting? Letting the rappers in?
He wants his credit? Man getting punch talk on that
what he's saying that? Yeah, that's right. Qu's a golfer now, man,
is he still right? Can you beat him in golf?
Punch me? No, I'll never golf to damn my life.
You know. As a part of him, just evolving as
(32:23):
a person, you know what I mean, like discovering new
things that he's into and passionate about. He's just growing. Yeah,
you know what I mean. You're growing too, man, expanding
your your talents. You have a room full of mirrors. Absolutely,
talk about your collective Why aren't those Why isn't that
a t D act. Well, it's tough because I'm I'm
tde right, you know, I mean, I'm a part of
(32:45):
the collective. So yeah, you know what I mean. It's
it's not a it's not a rush, you know what
I mean. But the collective is um, it's myself, it's
um Daylight, Itchy Bond down a k Willie b It's
an early Riser and lyric Michelle Na Nicka is not
(33:08):
actually a part of it no more. Yeah, it kicked
him out the group or so the rap battle went wrong. No,
I think it was just um, we'll say creative differences.
I mean, he got it, you know, his own thing.
Whatever it is he into it was on you when
it was one thing it was something about Scissor was
(33:29):
a delay that you dropped the record. It was just
like it was all your handling Scots rapping. That's white
a little Scissor album yet, man, Jesus Chrish Sorry go though,
when when when it's in high demand? But but down
the room flamerors thing like that's like my passion project.
(33:49):
Feel good to be able to have a creative outlet
and platform like that. We could just make records, and
you know, everybody's in the film and directing and acting
the whole thing, so it's like a whole creative space.
You're gonna create another project. Absolutely, Yeah. We got a
bunch of records now, like we've been working since the
(34:11):
top of the year, went back in and plus everybody's
individual projects too. Speaking of which, Punch Electronica, we have
a guy so so out man a hard drive somewhere. Man,
where's the album? It's tough when you don't have a deadline.
Oh man. You got to listen to Secial like three
years ago. Man, Man, it was funny. I was just
(34:38):
looking at the pictures and the videos from that from
that time. But now I'm um, I'm definitely gonna put
it out for sure. But like I said, it's it's
difficult when you really don't have a deadline when you
got to create it for yourself, plus you got the
responsibility of all these other artists as well. It's like
I could be all right, I'm gonna put my minds
(34:59):
out now, then something to come up on somebody else,
then my focus on shift to that, right, And I'm
predicting twelve to fourteen songs might be more now twenty two.
It was at fifteen. Last time I looked at it.
I remember he did a whole session. You had a
whole list of this session. It was good music. Too
many to remember. That's funny. So at that point you
(35:23):
thought about putting it out. Yeah, I was about to
drop it then, but I was gonna wait to um
to twenty twenty to do it then. Literally in March,
everything shut down, does it? Probably even people kind of
criticize you for rapping when you're still like an executive,
not at all, nothing bother done at all. Always keep
(35:46):
it in perspective as to what things really are, you
know what I mean, where we come from, things we
survived and went through. Like we talk about music, right,
Like that's that'll never changed in my perspective. So you
can you can go at me all day long at
on the Twitter. Yeah, that's cool. I love talking on
Twitter because you don't think I have a lot of perspectives.
(36:08):
Like you said something one time about um, when did
the music or the personalities dominate the music? Something like that. Yeah,
because you see that a lot now, like everybody is
um it is almost influences. I mean a lot of
the artists like, yeah, you can get Brandon Deals and
the whole thing just off of your social media following
(36:31):
and the music been taken a back seat. Me. So
I was like, I'm just curious when did this happened? Like,
because I love music, like that's my thing, but now
it's just about who got the most followers. But it's
got to feel rewarding with Scissor because I think you
else said about like, you know, there's a lack of
superstars right or in this thing, but not to see
(36:53):
her kind of ascending right like, it's clearly a successfully
of somebody's career ascending in front of us, and that
was definitely rewarding, you know what I mean, her success
and then to through this arena tour, like to me,
I think that solidified her as one of those artists
(37:13):
for sure. Has the superstar changed? Yeah, because I think
the appeal of the superstar was you couldn't get close
to him at first, you know, I mean, it was
a lot of mystery there, and then you will see
him in certain spots. Now everybody is everywhere because of
how we feel we have to do social media. But
(37:37):
you know what I mean, but beyond a superstar thing
like just the artists maintaining his mystery. It's super important.
It's about the quality of control. If you look at
somebody like Frank Ocean, you don't never see him nowhere,
but his name is held in high regard because of
that product he put out and then he go away.
(37:58):
You know, I mean, you need time to to miss
the artist. Now. Everybody is so feel touchable and regular,
so like in regards this says of being an R
and B artist, Like we don't have too many R
and B superstars anymore. Like why do you think she's
been able to separate herself from the pack? I think
it's the honesty in her music first, you know what
(38:19):
I mean, if you roll with your emotions and you're
saying things that people can relate to and feel like,
that's gonna take you a long way. I think a
lot of people was missing that to start, what I mean.
And then does she made great music on top of that?
It just sounds good, it feel good, you know what
(38:40):
I mean. Anna caters to whatever emotion you might be
going through. So I think that's really what separates her.
She's not trying to do nobody else, you know what
I mean. If you look like it's who do you
compare with before her? You know what I mean? Not
saying that, you know, she's the originator of a certain thing,
(39:02):
but it's very distinctive from a lot of artists. Yeah,
but then you guys also have another young lady on
the label. Now, don't she absolutely Florida? Yeah? Like what
was so attractive about her that maybe want to do
business with? What I was that came through most of
the must about her and when he played me the records,
like the talent was undeniable, you know what I mean,
(39:25):
she threw it all. She rapped saying to the dance thing,
big production, like she's super talented. There's no limits on
where she can go. Yeah, Barack Obama's tapped in. You
think Obama coming up with that? No water believes that
Obama listens the music. They think it's the daughters. I'll
(39:48):
take that they got taste. So at this point, what
what makes you want to, you know, do business with
a new artist? Like, are you guys still actively looking
for new talent? I never actively looked. I let it
come to me, you know what I mean, Like I
never just said I'm gonna find this new artist. But
I'll be looking around just in general and something might
(40:11):
just pop out, you know what I'm saying. But I
gotta think. Literally, I've only signed says wow wow really
ain't like me personally personally. Yeah, And after that, the
next thing was the Room Full of Mares. Wow. So
it shows y'all how picky I am. It's crazy because
(40:33):
she feels like a veteran. But like you told me,
this is only her sophomore album, literally her second major album. Yeah,
it's still selling there. That's what's crazy. It's nuts. But
you also, I mean outside of music and twenty eighteen,
you guys started doing TV sports, right he started still
doing that or uh you know what? That's the top question?
(40:56):
Good top on the phone? Yeah, he tell you about that, uh,
in more detail than I could because I never I
never really got involved with that. Like when he was
starting to do that. I was so deep into the
music stuff. Would you guys ever sign someone outside of
the R and B or hip hop space like TD
rock or K pop or absolutely we might got something
(41:18):
to cutting their har shit, spill the beans punch, but
yeah no, it's no. Um, we're not keeping it just
to that like whatever sounds good, whatever, feels good. Yeah,
I mean, we'll definitely explore Kendrew lamar man. It's no
longer on the label lane, right, young kid flying, your
(41:42):
kick flying. What do you think about the success that
he's made, you know, stepping on on his own. I
think it's amazing, you know what I mean, to to
watch somebody as a kid, like as a sixteen seventeen
year old kid coming to the studio and developed to
where he is now and venturing out and being his
own business man. I think it's that's what it's all about.
(42:06):
Did you see that in him in day three early on? Yeah,
for sure, because they have ideas, you know what I mean,
and what the idea is. All you gotta do is
execute on those ideas. So like Kendrick is a kid
who's mind never stopped working, So yeah, of course I've
seen that for them way early on. What did you
(42:27):
think of mister Morales? Like? I had a very like polarizing,
you know reaction. That's a tough album. It's tough because
I feel like you have to be going through those
things that he's talking about because it's so specific to
fill it to his max, you know what I mean, Like,
if you there in that vibe, in that mind state,
(42:48):
then yeah, you're gonna love it, you know what I'm saying.
But if you're in another place, then you might not
frequented as much. But I think it was just, um,
I think that was the album that he won it
to do you know what I mean? For himself? Yeah,
so I call it a selfish album because it's really
about his feelings, his inner thoughts, like specifically for him.
(43:13):
I mean other albums spoke for people in general, but
this one, to me, was for him. Yea, how do
you look specifically? You know what Curious Duty is? Like
how much involvement you had with his album? So I
know section eighty you listened as executive producer, Like yeah,
you know from Good Kid on, Like, can you speak
on how you view those albums and what was your
involvement throughout that sort of his growth involvement was It's
(43:35):
always been the same up until up until mister Morale. Really,
you know what I mean. I come in, We constantly
talking about the record, how we want the record to sound,
to everything about the whole thing. Like let's give you
an example, like on the Pepper Butterfly, you know the
(43:57):
skit at the end when he read and pot the
poem whatever, like I wrote that. So the reason I
wrote it was because he was lost in the album
at this point and he was like, yeoh, could you
write something for me to sum everything up and man
of the album. So that's what I wrote. He ended
(44:17):
up using it on the thing. So that's what my
involvement has been overall view of the project. Was it
crazy to like hear it? To hear this album like
without you involved with it for the first time, it
was wild? To fan it was crazy. It was a
different experience for sure. How did you do Did you
(44:40):
set up a studio somewhere? Did you think it? Like?
We asked when it dropped? Um, because you know, I
could have went by the studio numerous times, but I decided, like,
all right, I'm gonna just sit back. So we we
was in the studio when the drop just cut it
owns just played it topped the bottom. We're surprised by
any of the stories that he told on the prob Jack, No,
(45:01):
I'm not surprised, but um, I don't know. I like,
I liked it initially when when I first heard it,
you know what I mean, I got it. It made
sense to me where he was going like it was
full out therapy for him. How do you feel like
that stacks up against all the previous projects? You know,
there's different spaces, you know what I mean, different time.
I always described it as a good Kid was a
(45:23):
classic pepper Butterfly, it was a masterpiece, and Damn was
a blockbuster. I think it's a Politzer. I don't know.
It's so they're all so different to me that you
can't really compare them, you know what I mean, So
I don't I don't even put that thought into it.
(45:45):
What's your memories of making Damn? I feel like Damn
was the record where it's like because it was to me,
it was always a little murmuring like, well, Kenji, don't
make something you could really play in the club, Humble
or whatever type record, and then like he kind of
shut everybody off. Was that kind of the intenseolutely want
the anthems and that was the whole point. So then
you got, um, I mean loyalty, you got uh, what's
(46:08):
doing that's doing? That went Diamonded went down, Yeah, Humble,
you know what I mean? All those are like anthem type. Yeah,
that was the mindset though them to really make anthems
that everybody could really sing along too. Do you feel
(46:29):
like even for the newer artists that they have to
live up to the expectation of like Kendrick and Sizzle,
or you just feel like they have to pressure. I
personally don't feel like they do. But I don't mean
that they don't feel that pressure, you know what I mean?
Like I think it's it's just naturally set based on
everything that happened and what we've done. So I mean,
(46:52):
I never hold an artist to somebody else's standards because
they completely different. People Like I just try to figure
out where they want to go and help them get
to that spot, right, I mean, because if sisters doing
MSG and you know someone else is doing a you know,
three hundred capacity space, Yeah, it is what it is.
That's the cry, right, That's the whole process right there. Yeah,
(47:15):
But you say that that's also what you love even
with Full of Merry, Like you love that process of
kind of just building it absolutely on the top, Like
why is that sophere warring to you? That feeling of
like building something from it because there's so much discovery,
you know what I mean, Like it's that teaching part
where somebody didn't know something at all and then it's
clicking to him like, oh, this is how you do this.
(47:36):
This is like I just love that feeling. That exchange
to me is the whole thing. It's like usually sometimes
when artists get to a certain point, it's like, I mean,
you know what to do. You coached, so you know,
get it done right. Like even like when you talk
about Kendrick and in the last album, it's like it
(47:58):
was nothing I could really provide to him at that
point in making an album. It's like a made guy. Yeah, absolutely,
Like you know what it is like. So you was
at the Grammys two in your black teeth. Yeah absolutely,
no button up, no button up, but you're never gonnaee
punch of the dressing up going to these people establishment
(48:22):
going as me. Yeah. So yeah, so you took that
picture with Jay and Dave Free and Kennedy. That was
really dope seeing you guys collective because people think on
the internet that you guys, yeah it's an issue, it's
an issue or something. Yeah, you're gonna have that though,
because that's usually how it goes. And if people, you know,
(48:43):
finish their business and move on to different things, that
people automatically feel it's a problem. But that's family. Yeah,
you know what I mean. It's family. It's never it's
never an issue for somebody to go out and try
to build their own thing. Never. Yeah, So the family
staying tight, man, absolutely. How many new CD acts do
we have? Another? Looking? What's the guy Vaughan? What's his name?
(49:06):
You got new music from Start coming on the way? Yeah, yeah,
Start coming to Chasing Summer Man. You like that one?
That was a classic. Yeah, I love that album too. Yeah. Yeah.
Everybody is cooking though, man, and it is right there,
like almost done. I think Q might be done. Don't
quote me on it, though. So we got new music
from absol Array in the cooker out right now, Jay
(49:29):
Rocks coming soon, Yeah, Ray Vaughn, Sir, missing anybody else?
Reason cooking, Reason cooking? Uh, Lance just dropped something. So
everybody is in a great space and working. How's Izaya Rashard?
You know, you know we had that. I don't want
(49:49):
know what to call it, invasion of privacy that happened
in a while ago. Is he in a good space though?
I think it's tough, you know what I mean when
when something like that happens like you're always gonna have
to figure out how to deal with it. But he
definitely has his high moments, and he has his moments
when he's not, you know what I mean, really feeling it.
(50:09):
So as of now though, I think he in a
great space. He on tour, okay, I think it was
very dope the way you know, stood up for him
and backed him, and you know, yeah, from the controversy
hit to whatever. It's like, I feel like, you know,
as family, you know what I mean. I'm saying, whatever
people do with a personal business is a personal business.
I don't you know, I don't. I don't have no
(50:31):
bearing on on what we're doing. Still business as usual? Yeah, absolutely,
Are we going to get anymore tde Christmases and nickoson gardens?
I think we're gonna do it this year. It's been
tough for COVID, okay, you know what I mean, Like
even last year it was certain restrictions that they wanted
on it that we didn't feel like, you know, it's
(50:53):
the right time to do it again. But I think it's, Uh,
it's wide open down, so you're gonna come out the
way come. I'm scared you're on the West no excuse now,
right to come out there. I've never been to watch too,
so I gotta come through. You should come, Yeah, Rihanna
there once punch of time. Yeah, Rihanna, you'll be staying good. Right. Yeah,
(51:18):
you got Zach Raindolph getting the rest of the outside
I didn't. Zach got the rest of the walk story. Hey, Man,
don't come, and then one day Punch will get sis
on the program. Right, I'm saying, I know my wife
gets all the interviews, Damn Smith. He like, how's it
feel losing the interviews to your wife? Oh Man? Typical punt?
(51:41):
Absolutely day Now I'm gonna try to get her on
there man with no interviews, not really her thing like that. Absolutely.
So what do you think of the Times piece? Did you?
Did you read it? Time? Yeah? I thought it was good.
I liked it a lot. Yeah, Dann did a great job. Yeah,
thank sure. Absolutely we would do a good job too
if we ever get them, think we will as well.
(52:01):
But the meantime we gotta go to MSG. Man you're ready,
get your tickets out, We're going tonight, Going tonight, man
Punch his house this interview there o, Man, you tell
us see when he comes to New York. He wants
the party, wants to go everywhere. So I guess you
know you used to call Kendrick Lamar King of New York.
(52:22):
Absolutely does that mean that since the Queen of New
York right there for sure? Thank you, punch Man. Good
to see my brother Sir. Likewise, appreciate you guys man anytime. Yeah.
Rapper Up podcast rappertor Is The Interval presents original production
from Hyperhouse, produced by Laura Wasser, Hosts and producers Elliott
(52:43):
Wilson and Brian b Doc Miller Hermittiful Presents executive producers
Alan Coy and Jake Kleinberg, Executive producer Paul Rosenberg, editing
his sound design by Dylan Alexander Freeman, recording engineer Mike Urban,
visual director Josh Perez, Operations lead Sarah You, business development
Lead Cheffie Allenswegg, and marketing lead Samara Still. Make sure
(53:06):
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