March 13, 2025 • 43 mins
Mark Lux pulls up Live & Direct with Chuck Dizzle to talk about the passion behind his music, the storytelling in his visuals, and why he proudly represents Bellflower. He opens up about his journey from college athlete to full-time artist, the challenges of being independent, and the deep creative process behind his visuals. Plus, he shares his thoughts on being compared to Kendrick, the influence of faith on his life, and his ultimate goal before the year ends!
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
All right, we back at it, Chuck Dizzle Live and Direct. Man.
You know I'm here. I'm there today.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We're back at it at the iHeart Studios, Rual ninety
two three.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
We keep it in homegrown as always. Man.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I love having these conversations with people that not only
I enjoy listening to, I enjoy seeing their stories. I
enjoy seeing the come up and I just look forward
to the progress.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
And if you aren't familiar already, we got my man
Mark Lux in the studio with me right now.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Man, how are you my.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Dog, Chuck Man, I'm great, Man. I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Man. This is a long time coming, but the right time.
And I know there's a lot of things you got
going on. We've communicated over the years, and I've seen
you come up. My introduction and I could be off,
and I want you to tell me my introduction where
your name really stood out was, you know the thing
(00:59):
I do with live and so I have people send
me music. At one point I was doing it ever
twice a week or whatever, and you send me a
song called all That, Yeah, and nah, it was all that, bro.
And what's funny is that I remember liking the song.
I remember playing it, and I just remember the impact
(01:19):
that it had some time after it dropped, and I
remember you send it to me, you send it to
me early, but the time after it dropped whatever, I
seen it going up and I made the connection after
I saw I think the video and then you dropped
the remix. Remember, I'm like, oh, I remember playing the song,
but then I remember the response it got. And I
will see you out in the battle, see you at
the TD Christmas shows or whatnot.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Just seeing you making your rounds.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
And I always You've always carried yourself with a level
of respect every time I saw you, So I've always
appreciated that about you, and I just always kept my
eye on you. I'm like, dude, when the time is right,
And I kept telling you this, I'm like, when the
time is right, the time is right, we're gonna have
a conversation.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So here we are, Mark Lux, Man, tell people give.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Them a brief introduction of who you are, where you
held from, and a little bit of your backstory before
we kind of get into this conversation.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Bro Oh yeah, no problem.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
For those that don't know, I go by Mark Lux
from bell Flower, California and I've been making music for
around like five years now, and I'm pushing music.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
That is something that's to be taken notice of.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, And what's really impressive about not only music the
visuals attached to it as well. Man, I felt like
you and we'll get into that as well. That component
is also something that stands out. Like so that was
the second part. Like I heard the music, and then
when I saw the visuals, I'm like, Yo, this is
somebody who really gives a fuck. You know, where does
that passion come from? Because you say you've been doing
(02:45):
it for five years, Where does the passion come in from?
Not only the music, but making.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Sure that the visuals are like, you know, aesthetically pleasing
as well well.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Like every time I start to write my music, I
make sure it comes from a great like a really
deep authentic place like with them myself, you know. So,
and I'm really telling stories that are really like real
trials and tribulations of my life. Like I'm not playing
when I write my music. So it's like, if I'm
putting one hundred percent into my music that I'm writing
and sharing to the world, I got to do it.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
On the visual aspect of things, you know.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Because it's like I can't put on my I can't
put all these all this effort into the music and
not do the same visually, especially like we're in a
space where it's like things things travel like with like visually.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
So I got to make sure that, like I'm on
point for every single way.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Has that always been the case, even from like your
first video ever recorded? Or was it something whereas like
you the first video or whatever, first song, first project,
things that you were working on right, and was it
a point where it didn't sound or look up the
part of you and you're like, oh no, I gotta
step my I gotta step it up one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Or were you always just that good with this? I
know it's a loaded question because I you know, I'm.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Not it's a loaded question, but I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
I was always proud of everything single thing that I
did music wise and music video wise, because I always
go into it with the intention like I'm gonna give
it my alle and I'm gonna stand on it, you
know what I mean. So like back then, I look
at it and I'm like, it's definitely not as good
as it is now, but it's just like I could
look back and be like, Nigga, I know I put
my all into that. I know I put my my
(04:21):
all into writing now verse. I know me and Dan
I put my put all into making that visual. And
it's just like and when I look back, I'm like
I always see the vision and I was like, I
understand how I got to the point I am now.
It was just I put a lot of reps in,
a lot of studying as well. So it's just like
that that was the main thing.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
When you say, when you say study, what does that
look like? For for Mark Lux when you study in
the game, studying artists are just studying visuals.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Like what are you doing? Not only to get the
reps in, but what do you what do you zoning
in on?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Like to say, okay, man, I can enhance my sound,
my style, this, that and the third by doing this.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
On a visual aspect. I gained a lot of inspiration
from watching a lot.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Of shows, like a lot of shows like live shows,
a lot of not live shows, but like actual TV
shows like Atlanta and like I'm a real big I'm
a fan of innovation, Like that's what draws I draw
a lot of inspiration from people that are big innovators
to me, so like people from like Steve Jobs, Jordan
peel uh, Donald Glover from like Atlanta like that. I
draw a lot of inspiration from Atlanta. Also like to
(05:27):
show the.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Beer chef so she's in today.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Yeah, so I draw a lot visually from that.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Also some music videos as well, Like we look up
to a lot of people in like like some of
like Vince, like Kendrick, people that take their visual super series.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
But yeah, I draw a lot of inspiration from from innovation.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
You said something, you said something interesting that I literally
just caught it. You know, I've been listening to your
music for some time now, but I just caught it
the other day where you said in the comments stay
that you get a lot of people that compare you
to Kindrick can Remble, and you like, you're like, it's okay,
that comes with the territory and this that and the
third does that annoy you or is that something where
(06:10):
you like you said, it just comes with the territory
and you just you know, you still know that you
know how to carve your own lane out.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
One thing I am gonna say, like and people can
tell through my music, like DoD is a huge inspiration
to me. Like little Nigga done talked about streets that
I drive past and drive on every single day, you know,
and like just seeing I saw this whole come up
since I was in fifth grade.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
You know that, Like since I was in fifth grade.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Bro?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Like wait, wait to hear you say fifth grade is crazy?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
That is wild. I'm not gonna lie, Bro, you just
made me feel hella old because I was already graduating
from college when Kendrick came out. You know what I'm saying,
Like our first interview, I'm looking at it the other
I want to say, it was eleven twelve, eleven twelve
years ago, so I'm you know, I'm seeing it. You know,
(07:04):
I seen the come up as well, but from a
different from a different lens. You're looking at it from
Oh my god, this niggas. You know what I'm saying,
is somebody fifth gradefh grade?
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Bro? I remember Nigga, me and the homie CJ we
in his kitchen and were watching this at the monitor,
and this nigga thrown look out for the detox because
his uncle is top.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Because his uncle's top.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
So it's like he's always showing me like the new
I already been knew about Jay Rocks, knew about everything
that going around, like TV and shit, and he was
just like, my uncle just signed the news. New artist's
name is KM like going on like I was when
I heard Listen look Out for the Detox Bro. I
was like, okay, like I know what real rap is
supposed to sound like. That was my first introduction to
like real artistry and rap real talk.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
So was that was that your first?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I always ask people if their first like music purchase,
Like what was your first hip hop purchase? The song
of the album that damn niggas don't even have singles
like that are so like they probably don't even buy
CDs like that.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
But when I was like in during that era, that
was that was the first album I went out to
actually purchase. I was at the Compton. Uh yeah, I
was fucking don't kill my vibe for the first time.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
I was like, that is crave again.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
I'm tripping out because I'm I'm there supporting. But damn,
that's wild how lives kind of cross paths like that. Okay,
that's interesting, man, that's that's really interesting. But to your point,
like you said, this is somebody that you're inspired by,
so it's no offensive at the same time, what I
love about it though, yes you can hear the influence,
but it's not like a copying of styles, you know
(08:47):
what I'm saying. And I think there's a difference between
the two that people kind of need to make the
difference of you.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
And that's that's been my whole thing throughout this whole journey.
It's like, I don't mind, you know, them telling me
I sound like him or I sound like Rumble. I
think I think they say I sound like Rembring Kendrick
because I can actually pronounce my words and like articulate myself,
Like I feel like that's where most of it be
really stemming from. But I just want to make sure
like I distinguished. I'm not the next Kendrick. I'm the
(09:12):
first Mark looks. I love it, and I really want
people to understand that and just take that because and
I don't. And also I don't mind them doing it
because I just want them to know, like I'm doing
it in a tasteful way, like you can know that's
my inspiration, but I am making music that I feel
like it's different.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
And when I drop my album you gonna know, like
it's different, but for sure.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, And I mean to be honest, and even even
Dot was inspired by Wayne, exactly inspired by whole and
at one point I remember when Kendrick sounded like Wayne,
you know what I'm saying, and then he found his
voice and he he branched off into a different area.
But I mean, everybody's gonna get those comparisons.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
It's gonna be what it's gonna be. So I like that.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I like your approach of not letting necessarily find you.
And I also like the fact that you kind of
threw it in people's faces too and have ramble on
the remix all that, like, Okay.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
I play into it.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah your time.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
I'm like, all right, and I'm happy they did that
because that made me like, let me hit the nigga.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Yeah, and he rocked on it. That's that's fine. The
Slumpsons man talk about that. Because I had a chance
to go to your pop up, thank you for and
that was just amazing just to kind of see I
always love to see an artist kind of build their
own their own inter their own structure, you know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
And you had this this pop up where you had
your mercy.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
You know, you're out there performing and you had a
lot of people out there just supporting you, you know
what I mean. And I got a chance to see
your team, I got a chance to see moms and
just everybody who loves Mark Lux. Man talk about the
Slumpsons what that means to you and then the whole
Mark Lux team.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Man, Yeah, shout out, shout out.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
First off, thank you to everybody that went to that event.
It was something super special and that was something that
I was like, you know, I was skeptical to put on.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
You know that I was scared.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
Why It's just like that's your first first event ever.
It's like people gonna show up. This is and that
it was packed people and y'all showed out and I
really really appreciate y'all for coming. But yeah, slum Suns man,
it's it's a it's a me dion and we have
we also have a strong team behind us that that
helps us get our vision across. And we're really just
(11:15):
trying to push the art form in so many different styles,
you know what I mean, Like meet through my music,
us through our visuals. Just we're trying to get right now.
We're pushing our agenda right now through music and our visuals.
But we want to get into so much more.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
But that's just deep. What we're doing right now is
just our stepping stone.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
And is it a is it a creative agency? Is
it a label?
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Like? What is Like it's basically like a collective. Bro,
we made this and like me and Dion, we.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
We we were just running around doing a lot of
stuff during the pandemic, Like that's when we just started
like sharing our ideas and like just talking every single day.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Who is he to you?
Speaker 4 (11:52):
She's a lot of the homie manager, creative partner everything.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
But how did you guys meet?
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Great? Okay, So.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I was.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
I had a song called field right and it was
lucky cracking, like it was the first song I ever dropped,
put it on SoundCloud boom and started going started like.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Going like mini viral type.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
And then he was getting out his homies car and
while he was getting out his Homies car, he heard
the song.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
He was like, who is that?
Speaker 4 (12:19):
And then this homie put him on He hit me.
The next day Dion was making clothes, he was like, so,
Bro had just on the radio. Your your music is dope,
this this and that I want you to model my clothes.
We talk about it till this day. Almost flaked on
that nigga. Why almost I'm like, Bro, like I'm not
trying to drive to wherever we was me not I'm tired, like.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Who is all the wrong all the wrong excuses.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
But like I'm like, nigga, just go, like just go,
And then Bro, I went, and then I put on
the clothes and then we started chopping it up here
and there, and then like he was a cool dude.
I was like, all right, yeah, ill rock with Bro.
But then we really started building a relationship. It when
he saw like I kind.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Of had like I didn't have a team. I didn't
have a team around me or nothing. And he asked
me like, is.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
Still gonna have a music video? And then I was
like nah, like I'm trying to find somebody. Then I
was like then he he literally hit me the next
day he was like, I found somebody for you. I'm like, damn,
like this, nigga, make shit happen. Yeah, I was like,
all right, bet that we shot the music video and
then during the music video, this is when I knew,
like Dion is a different breed. The dude we shooting
(13:28):
all through LA, like South Central LA and stuff like that.
The director that was uh that was shooting me like
he was scared to pop out and shit like he
was in all type of hoods and stuff, and like Dione,
he didn't give a fuck about none of that shit.
Like he literally took the camera from him and started shooting. Wow,
he didn't like he was never directing that. He was
never a director, was never.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Creative because he reached out to somebody else.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
He reached out to.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
Somebody somebody else would do it. And then from that
day when I seen him do that, I was like,
all Right, this is a nigga that believe in me,
and this is a nigga that will makes it happen.
And that's somebody that I cherished because, like, Bro, I
tell people this all the time, like I put so
much into my music. I need people around me that's
gonna put the same amount of effort into whatever they're
(14:09):
doing to help this agenda. Bro, because I don't bullshit
when it comes to my shit. Like I knew that
from the jump. I had our artists integrity from the jump,
and I saw he held himself accountable to the same
type of morals that I do. So I was like
from there, we just started building talking about ideas. We
didn't even know we was forming. It was during the pandemic,
and we just talked about ideas every single day. And
(14:31):
then it literally was like, bro, we gotta call ourselves
a name, like or whatever. And then it became slump suits.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
How did you land on that name?
Speaker 4 (14:38):
So I'm from my mom, like my origin, I'm Kenyon
and his peoples just from India. And we always talked about,
you know, the shortcomings of where our mothers came from
and how they came out here. That's why our moms
such a big thing at the event, because we got
our name from our mom, so we get a backstory.
(14:58):
So we always talk about their short and how they
came out here to you know, to just really provide
and help like make our lives better. Like that's all
they care about is just making their sons lives, like
like whatever whatever we do, like they want to make
sure that whatever they did, they're not going vain, you know.
And it was just like we wanted a name that
represents us but also represents the important women that got
(15:20):
us to this point. And they both kind of came
from the slums of where they were from. So slump sons.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
That's so slump slump sons, right, So the sons of
people from the slums.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
And also it attaches to like us not forgetting where
we came from. And also that's like our driving force,
you know, like whenever we we start to get popping
or when this is really starts to go, we're going
right back to where our moms came from.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
We're doing a lot over there.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
That's fire.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
It seems like that that's a good why as to
what you're doing and the good driving force, and it
allows you to kind of stay motivated when when things
are getting I was thinking about it because not only
from the pop up, but I remember another one of
your songs. You were talking about how you knew he
with Dion Took was serious about this, And I'm paraphrasing, Yeah,
how you were you were you were crying in the car,
(16:13):
you know what I mean, talking about like, man, I
don't know how if the world is gonna recognize how
dope I am. You're paraphrasing, and you're in his car,
and I'm i'most I'm assuming that his response was, you know,
just being there for you and reassuring you, letting you
know that, man, we're gonna make this happen.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
True true story. Bro, that was it was like twenty
twenty one. Like, bro, I just ain't gonna lie, like
I just had. He was argument with like with my
moms because I dropped out of school to pursue this,
and like in African household, you drive out of school that's.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Like high school, out of college every now.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
And stayed home. You know, you you wouldn't have been
living there.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
That's crazy, but I'm sure it was just as intense
because you know what's so before you get into that,
what was the plan like when you were going to college,
like where you what was what was Mark Lux doing
prior to music, and what was the goal at that
time before music?
Speaker 4 (17:09):
So I had a little NIA scholarship to go play
in Kansas, and then I started getting into a lot
of shit out there. Like long story short, like I
tear my miniskus, got in a fight with some coaches,
damn like physical type ship and then I got kicked
off the team. Then the next year they let me
back and then like oh that's when I tore my miniskis.
My second year, I didn't even get to play. I'm like,
(17:30):
all right, this for bushit is over with. And that's
when I started going through like the worst fucking mental
breakdowns in my life in my dorm room by myself,
in the middle of nowhere in Kansas.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
I could imagine how tough that is.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Like, dealing with something like that already is one thing,
but when you're away from family and away from friends,
it has to be a whole different kind of life.
It was.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
It was bro and I'm grateful I got put that
in that space because I was the first time I
ever got to sit down with myself ever. Like I
was by myself every single day. I couldn't travel with
the team. There's nothing to do. All I could do
is think about my life and listen to music. And
then that's exactly when I made the choice, Like because
I was making music a little bit in high school.
(18:10):
But then I was like when football was over, I
was like, what am I going to do all my life?
And I sat and I sat, and I'm not trying
to be no fucking kinesiology. I'm not trying to do
nothing when what I'm majoring in, like I'm being real
with myself, and I'm like, let me try this music thing,
because that's all I was listening to. All I was
listening to is like Isaia Hschad and Died like just
niggas that are keeping my spirits high. And I was
(18:31):
just like I want to do that, like I want
to whoever is in this position like I don't want
to do that, uplift their spirits.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
And I came back.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
I made my name Mark Lux while I was packing
up my bags and I started rapping. Then I came
to ELB and then I can't. I did one semester.
I don't even think I finished the semester at LBCC
and then the pandemic happened.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
I was like, I'm done.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
It's a rap.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
It's a rap. I'm rapping.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
So fast forward back to moms. Now, Moms is like
may dropping out. What the hell is going on, Toya
Mniska if you're over here fighting coaches and shit, like
we didn't raise you like that?
Speaker 1 (19:03):
What's going on?
Speaker 2 (19:05):
And who is Mark Lux? Who the hell is Mark Lux?
You and somebody else before you left you Mark Lux?
Speaker 3 (19:11):
You rasp I had to sell this ship so much, man, like.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Not an m mama. The m means make a mark
on the world, and it's gonna be luxurious the way
we do this. Man.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Yeah, so okay, yeah, So we just arguing and I'm
on my way to the studio. She's so she already hot,
like you're not going to school now, you're going to
the studio. I'm like, yeah, Mom, I gotta go to
the studio. And I was just like now right at
this point, I'm kind of like two years in, nothing
really going on, like at all, and I'm like, damn,
Like that's when you know that doubt.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Starts to creep in, like is this ship gonna work?
This is and that like am I gonna let my
mom down?
Speaker 4 (19:52):
I really just want to make her happy and this
ship and all type of stuff. I'm like, damn, it
was just weighing on me. So that Nigga Deon and
uh my boy Nolan, who's our editor, we're on the
way to We're on the way to a reason session
and Head is there too.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
We on the way. I forgot what we was going
there for it, but we on the way and I
wasn't there. I wasn't going there to rap.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Right, So.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
We either wanted a visual or something.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
But nigga, they hopped my car. I'm driving a whole
way no music. They like, what the fuck I'm no
music musically, I'm blasting music. I'm happy, I'm And then
I just parked the car and I just started I
started balling, crying like I couldn't even hold it. Like
I got off the car, started crying how back in
and I started telling them like, bro, we gotta make
it in this ship, like I wasn't even explaining. I
(20:39):
didn't even say what happened in the crib, Like I
just told them niggas like, bro, got to make it
in this ship, like we have to make it.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
We have to make it. I'm repeating that ship like
I'm socking my wheel, like we have to make it, bro.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
And then we walk in the studio and I wiped
my tears and then like heading that like and like
nothing happened, Like Bro.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
That's insane, man, that's insane.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
That's just that that again with what I see from
that is what I what I saw and seeing you
every time I connect, like this isn't a game. You
take this series, and I mean from from the fans,
I think, and I'm sure they get it from the visuals.
They get it from how how you take your artistry,
(21:22):
and I feel like you take your time with it
like you don't. And I don't know if that's a
gift or a curse as well, because now we're in
the age of like flooding is a thing, right, and
you're somebody that I look at is quality over quantity,
and when you drop it's it's intentful where it's intentional.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Excuse me.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
And I know that that can kind of weigh weigh
on you as well, but I salute you for kind
of like staying true to that because in the day
and age where that can be kind of tough, you
kind of stay stay true to that. So I want
to get into it to Bellflower because you know you
mentioned South Central. Of course, we all, I'm from the
(22:03):
South Bad I'm from Carson, so I'm very familiar with
that area.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
But you don't really get too many.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Artists talking about that, right, which I think that's another
that's another gift on your side because it stands out
talk about Bellflower and what that city means to you and.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
The light that you hoped to shine on that city.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, man, Bellflower a real dope place growing up. You
don't really ever want to save you from Bellflower.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
But oh my bad o gotcha.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Oh yeah, growing up, you never really want to save
you from Bellflower. And I thought, like, as I got older,
I'm like, man, that's kind of weird. I kind of
don't like that because Bellflower is a place where I
really appreciate now because it's a great melting pot. Bro, Like,
it's a melting pot. And I got all sides of
the world living over there, like just running through Bellflower
(22:52):
and Long Beach because that's just like my jurisdiction, like bro,
Like I got to encounter so many different types of people,
like from all walks of life, from the game bang
Is to like white people to Asian people to Indian people,
Like I think that's why.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
I appreciate Bellflowers so much.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
And like I never lacked, like I was never far
away from anything else going on in Compton or l A,
Like I'm in La functions every weekend with the hommie Eli,
like we're driving everywhere, like I'm functioning with everybody. Like,
but it just wasn't cool to say from Bellflower. I
guess just because niggas didn't bang over there like that,
you know, but yeah, bro, so like as I grew up,
I'm like, I'm a champion it because one I think,
(23:28):
and I use that to him. I use that to
my advantage too, Like I really, I really understand how
to use this to my advantage because I ain't no
nigga ever came up out of year and nobody.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Understaying if I don't know if I'm missing anybody, you know,
I come across a lot of artists, and I'm sure
that you know, out of out of the tons of
artists that I've saying, I'm sure somebody else has been
from there. But it's like you don't necessarily hear them champions.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
They don't. Well, yeah, I'm gonna do that ship. I'm
gonna do it well like and I'm not gonna do
it cornery like niggas like around this that way kind
of like to emulate things that are going on in
LA and things that nation. I'm like, bro, like it's
okay to say you from here, just be yourself, be authentic.
(24:09):
Like I'm like, I'm not no buster, Like I grew
up from over there, Like I get respecting a lot
of hoods and it's just like I like, I know
a lot of people, and I'm from Bellflower and it's
just like I get respect because I carry myself as such,
you know. So it's just like I think it's I
think we got to people from there, got to be
proud to say from there, honestly because it's a dope
spot to be and like you can be outside, you
could do a lot.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
I feel like that there's and I could be wrong,
correct me if I'm wrong, because again, this is this
is from me.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
In our interactions.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
I've seen you, you know, here and there, listen to
your music and I kind of got a hint of
it when you were talking about your experience in Kansas.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Right, Okay, are you a hot head? Can you be?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Because here's the thing. Here's the thing.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
I take you why every time I run into you,
every time I talk with you, nothing but love. You
seem to be a calm matter individual. You carry yourself
very well. It's never no extra shit. I ain't seen
you at a function. I ain't seen you out in
public acting up or if somebody's disrespect you. So I
haven't seen when that happens.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Right, But I'm like, every time I see Mark, he
see to be cool.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
But when you hear the music, it's like, Yo, this
nigga tripping, not in a bad way, but it's like, oh,
this he's very confident and there's nothing wrong with that.
But it's like, oh, he's confident to the point where
he's gonna let you know what he feels like he's
capable of and if you got a problem with it,
you know, we could throw hands, just like one of
your latest songs, fase you know what I'm saying, right,
So is there another side that people don't.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Necessarily see to mark Lux? And what brings that out?
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Like personally, like how can people see the other side
of mark Lux?
Speaker 1 (25:47):
And do people even want to see that?
Speaker 4 (25:50):
I'm glad you asked that question, bro, cause I get
that question a lot, like like niggas really think like
I don't know, like like they always see this calm
to me, And honestly, I think I acquired this concide
ever since I found God because in Kansas I went
to jail for fore you know what I mean, Like
(26:10):
I don't I don't really like talking about I put
it in my album like they're the real story and
shit like that.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
But but yeah, bro, when I went to when I
went to jail in Kansas.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
That's when I was like, Okay, I'm starting to end
up like the person that I fear the most, and
that person is my father and just the person that
I saw him, uh, the person that I saw him
be to like my mother and to our family, and
how how that destructed like our whole our whole family dynamic.
I told myself, I'm gonna never be like that. And
(26:40):
when I was sitting there, when I was actually like
sitting in myself, I remember visiting him and like what
it did to my mom visiting him, and I was like,
oh Na, like I'm gonna change this, Like I can't.
I'm like, bro, my mom's only son, Like I can't.
Feel like I just knew no matter what I was doing,
because I was always like a quote unquote bad kid,
like kind of like I'm always getting in trouble, but
(27:02):
like I always wanted to be something though, like I
always wanted to be something.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
When I was like sitting there, I was like, oh yeah,
when I get out, like I'm done. That's when I
told my someone, I'm finna really focus on music.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Was that was that rock bottom for you?
Speaker 3 (27:15):
One hundred percent? I was show rock bottom.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
So was it so after you get out of jail.
Is that when you come up with the name Mark
Lux or was that before right after?
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Right after?
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Yeah, I made the decision because I didn't know if
I was gonna stay at that point, like try to
pursue music. I mean, I try to pursue football. But
when I got out, I was like, yeah, I'm done,
I'm about to come back home and then I'm about
to focus on music.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
But but yeah, like there's a side that people will
never really see now because I've changed, Like I really
really changed. Like I'm sure the same me, but like
a nigga that got older and seen the world for
what it is and I understand what I got to
be in this life, and I know like I got
to carry myself in a way that's like I gotta
i gotta be a mirror image of what I'm trying
to portray.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
I love that. What what when do you feel like
the last time you've gotten close to getting there? And
what's held you back? I know you said your relationship
with God, which I want to touch on in the second,
But when is the last time you feel like you've
gotten close to Hey? Man, I could be that that
person again, and then what held you back? Like what
were you saying to yourself? But you know what I mean,
Like what that was that thing that kind of pulled
(28:22):
you back. The only reason why I'm asking that is
because I know that somebody's listening and watching and they're
trying to change their lives and they probably feel like damn,
but I just keep getting pushed into this corner. So
if they hear from somebody, maybe they can use that
as an example.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Man, A couple of times I was I would say, honestly,
a couple of times, cause honestly, I would say getting
banged on out here, bro, I would say getting banging
out here, like getting banging out here, which can happen
a lot, which happen, It happens a lot. And when
you get banging out here and you don't, I don't.
(29:00):
I don't bang, So it's like it's always a it's
always a a. I'm like, I'm always like maneuvering out
of its smooth because like I was saying, you don't bang,
but it's like it's too it's certain, it's certain people.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
When they did bang on me.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
It's like nigga it's like I have to I have
to carry myself in a way where I I I
have to get out of here safely, you know. And
it's just like I could retaliate on the same type
of energy, cause some niggas like are be cool about it.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Some niggas is not. They're really tripping.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
So it's just like you have to get out of
these and that's when like I have to peel myself
back and like nigger like control yourself, Like you don't.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Know what this person is capable of. I have a
lot to lose.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
This person probably don't got ship to lose, and I
have to, like I have to constantly remind myself, like
there's niggas out here lost. I'm not nigga. I gotta
make it. I my mom's only child. I think about
that shit every single time, Like I have to make
it home, bro. And that's that's probably those are the
times where I kind of like peel back.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
But but yeah, that's really that's really.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
That's that's interesting to kind of think of, especially in
the dynamic of again being from southern California. That's like
when you said, I'm like that happens often, you know
what I'm saying, so to constantly be met with that
at this point, Like you said, you're good at navigating
through it. But I'm glad you got to a place
of having that reminder there to to be able to
(30:17):
pull you back and not you know, go down that lane.
I want to get into the music even more of
the music. Man, music has been going crazy. Man, congratulations
on that, Man that that is such a feel good record.
You sample Snoop Beautiful? Have you got a chance? Do
you know if Snoop has heard it? Have you got
(30:39):
a chance to tap.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
In trying to get it.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
I'm trying to get it to him though, trying to
I'm really trying to get it to him. I know,
like a couple of people like around them. Yeah, I'm
I'm trying to make that.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Work being an independent artist and somebody that you have
a team now, which is which is good, you know
what I mean. But it's still navigating through the space budgets,
figuring things out. How do you get around doing certain
things when it comes to that, when it comes to
creating visuals, when it comes to standing out like you
do a good job, but at the same time, like
(31:12):
how do you not force yourself to be creative, But
how do you just navigate through that space? Because I'm
sure that's not easy as well, but you've been able
to kind of maintain that, So how do you do
that as an independent artist?
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Is there any advice that you get can give to.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Those on the come up as well that can kind
of like help card themselves out and make them stand
apart from everybody else that's out of here.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Man, be all in, be all in with y'all art.
Speaker 4 (31:41):
Like I spent I've spent a lot of days, a
lot of months, some years being broken on purpose because
this is all I'm putting my money into. Niggas want
to They want to look the part, they want to
do this, they want to do that. But like I know,
I can tell when someone take they are serious. And
(32:02):
I always wanted to be somebody that portrays someone that
takes their art very very serious because I'm walking, I'm
walking everything that I'm talking bro, Like like when I
get on these records and I'm saying I want to
be the best, Like these visuals have to match that
same exact energy. So it's like, how you talking, bro,
Like you want to be that nigga? Like show me,
you that nigga. So I walk around like I don't
(32:22):
think nobody can I rab me on thing, nobody can
out visual me. I put too much time into both. Yeah,
I know how much time I put into both. So
it's just like I walk around with that much confidence,
like you have to walk around and just be about
what you what you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
How hands on are you when it comes to the visuals.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
I know you got the team as well, but are
you also like selective on the locations and the look?
And I like how some of some of your videos
are just all black and white. I pay attention to
a lot of the stuff that that that's out there,
and it's just it's just a crisp and a really
good look. But I'm curious how much of that your
(32:56):
input is on the creative side with that?
Speaker 4 (32:59):
Yeah, sure, every I'm hands on with everything, band song,
with everything, and then like there's a lot of ideas
that I have and then like I'll talk to him
about it with Dion, and Dion has a lot of
ideas as well that really compliment everything. And the way
he directs is that's that's already out of here. And
it's just like I have a very clear vision of
what I want to how I want to look aesthetically,
(33:19):
and how I want to be carried as a brand.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
And I always have a story to tell.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
That's one thing I always tell my team like I'm
a storyteller, Like when we shoot these videos, like I
need to.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
Tell a story, Like we have to tell a story.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
That's one thing that I feel like separates me every
single time I have something to say, and I just
I just want I just want everything to encapsulate that.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
Okay, So when are we getting this album?
Speaker 4 (33:44):
Bro?
Speaker 3 (33:45):
I'm working on it.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Definitely this year, okay, And I mean I want to
get into it, but I mean I want you to
save as much as you can as well.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
But what story you're you're trying to tell with the album?
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Because it's going to be your first album debut, right,
because you've you've put out You've put out a project,
right the U. I want to say the EP exactly
the EP, But you just have songs here and there,
you know what I'm saying, which I think is good.
But I feel like the next step for you is
to drop that album. So what what story are you
(34:17):
trying to tell with with the album?
Speaker 1 (34:20):
One?
Speaker 3 (34:20):
What I can say is we're gonna we're going to
find the silver line in your life. That's what thing
I'm gonna say. We're gonna find the silver line.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
So together, we're gonna we're gonna watch. We're gonna fast
forward this till when the album drops or when you
announce it. And this that's I'm sure that has something
to do with the title.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
Is that the title? Okay? That I just gotta ask,
gotta make sure. Okay, yeah, And.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
I'm I'm throwing my flag.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
I'm I'm placing it for as you should. Man, as
you should.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
You say a lot of the times that you're the
best rapper out here. You know, you just set it,
just set it a second ago, like nobody's touching your visuals.
And I feel like you got to have that type
of confidence, and you gotta have a product to match it.
And I feel like that that what you have out
there is a good is a good contender for that,
you know what I mean. It's not like, oh, this
nigga trip. Sometimes you just hear it. Sometimes I see
(35:20):
a lot. Sometimes I see them like that's good to
have that confidence. Good job, buddy, you know. But there's
other times I'm like, oh no, he's gonna be one
of them ones. And I feel like you definitely you
carry that really really well, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
Thank you, Chuck, thank you, And I appreciate all the
support and everything like it don't go and notice And
I really appreciate everybody that you know, repost and comments.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
It really keep me going, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
Can I'm gonna ask you one last question.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
I always ask this just to as a as a
time stamp, and uh, just it's always just cool to
kind of see what happens in the next year or so.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Man, the year can't end without Mark Lux doing what.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Mmm.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
It could be.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
It can be career wise, it could be music wise,
it could be personal. But what's one thing that's on
your bucket list that you're like, Man, I got bit
by this time, next show up, by the end of
the year.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
I got this has to happen.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
They got to know Mark looks is. They got to
just know like I'm coming for like the top spot.
They got to know that, like I'm coming for whatever.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
But what does the top spot mean? Though? Like are
you are you best? Bro?
Speaker 2 (36:33):
That?
Speaker 1 (36:33):
Okay, that's still generic.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
I get that, Like it's like I'll be I hear that,
because that's still subject that's still subjective right right now,
we can say we can say we could, we can,
we can. I can say the best rapper in the
game right now is dot right. Somebody else would be like,
nah man, actually Drake, nah Man? I think actually whoever? Right,
So it's still subjective. I'm thinking of something that's like, Yo,
(36:57):
you have like one thing that I would say, and
you can agree or disagree. I think that you would
have to drop the album before the year ends.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Yeah, but I was like I was gonna say. I'm like,
that's a given.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
That's a given. That's what I said. That's a given.
So we're not gonna use that.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
But I need something that's concrete to the point where
at the end of the year we can hold you
accountable for that and be like, damn, he said he
was gonna do this. Like for example, we talked to
Mozie some years back, was like, man, I want to
touch an M before the year in and he touched
the M.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Some people are like, man, I want to I want
to perform at.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Coachella, all right, I got one, and.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Don't man and don't don't don't be afraid to dream
too big.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
No, I at least need to. I say the Roxy,
I need the roy need.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
Sell it out right, selling out the Roxy before the
year ends. That's a given. Man. Mark Less is gonna
do that for show for show man.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
If y'all, if y'all went to the Slumpsons pop up,
there was there was a lot of mother because in there,
you know what I mean, Before we do good about
it here, I do have to ask you about good
company that song and it ties into your relationship with God.
Man talking to one of your friends and you can
kind of like give us a breakdown of the song.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
But I'm glad.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
You brought that up as far as your relationship with
God because I was gonna ask about that particular song
and you were asking your friend, you know how he
how he navigates his relationship with God.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
How did that conversation go?
Speaker 2 (38:23):
And the conclusion for you to kind of step in
closer and dedicate your life a little bit more?
Speaker 1 (38:29):
You know what I mean to God?
Speaker 3 (38:31):
Know how you you asked that? So I got I
got a brother named Simeon, and I grew up with him.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
I grew up and I played basketball with him and
stuff like that, and we kind of grew up in
the same like like we were kind of growing in
the same type of path like plass that we look
back on, you're not really too proud of it. As
I started doing my own thing, he started getting like
super like he started indulging into faith a lot, and
he actually became a pastor and it's like he actually
(38:58):
started studying the word like super rigorously. And then you know,
like with me, I sometimes like I can get into
a space where God is not at the forefront of
my life. And one time he was just working out
at the park and I was just telling him about
like like the troubles I'm having with like talking to
guys my faith, I'm losing it, and he just got
(39:22):
me into a place where it's just like man bro
like he really shook me back into it. It's into
a place where I really needed to be. And that
combo was so important, the combos in the song. It
was so important to me because he got my like
my soul back in alignment like with just Christ and
I'm like man, like, I really and then I really
(39:43):
I drove back home like really appreciating like our friendship
and like friendships that I got and like the friends
I got to just when I'm down, like niggas could
just say a sentence. I'm like, nigga, remind me who
I am. Bro, Like you need niggas like that in
your life. And I'm like, he did that for me.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
I'm like, man, I gotta write it. Bought that shit.
I wrote that ship that night.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
That is fire. Man.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
I encourage everybody to go take a listen to that song.
It's called good Company. It's off the only EP that
you drop, right, I mean, because I've seen the one
with where Holland is there was just one song.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
But whatnot?
Speaker 2 (40:14):
But yeah, man, I look forward to hearing more from
from mark Lux, man, and seeing more from Mark Lux.
And like you said, I think this time next year
or by the end of the year, that conversation. You know,
people are gonna definitely kind of hold you in that regard, man,
and I look forward to everything that you're doing. Of course,
you got my support, and yeah, man, I think that's
how I want to end it off, bro, Like this
(40:35):
is the first of many I've told you off air.
I just want you to pull up and just kind
of have a conversation, man, because we've We've been supposed
to do this a while back, but I feel like
the timing is right, and I want to salute to
you that that song was just a video out right
now fades with you little dudes do the damn thing
and shout out to KB Devon, thank you for getting.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
That nigga to rap again.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
Let's talk about it.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
I mean every time I see him, like, bro, what
are you doing? And I understand life happening. Nah, for sure,
life happens, but I'm I was. I was so glad
to see him.
Speaker 4 (41:04):
On that song. And like I tell this all the time, bro,
like KB is really one of them ones, bro, like
out of like I don't believe in like a lot
of people bro like KB. I tell him, I text
him randomly like bro, like you got it. Bro, like
you the nigga like you could go like you're so
different your voice, your tonality, it's like all different, bro,
Like there's not a nigga I've ever heard like sound
(41:25):
like this the same thing at all, like him and
Duce like I look for real bro, like I knew
I made that record as soon as I made my room.
I'm like, bro, like dude, I'll say so. I want
to kind of run down how that song came about
because it's really dope. So I made that verse and
then like dude, he was just coming to the studio
and then I was like I just laid this, like
(41:46):
you want to put a verse on it, And I'm
happy he did because I'm like when I when I
heard his voice and I saw him like play his verse,
I was like, I want to get people that I
really like, like I really like love hearing and like
who could really rap and like KB Bro, Like I
knew I needed him on that. That's why we made
a whole little section for bro.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Pain and switch up and all that.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
Man. It really it really created a space man to
just get off man and he delivered Bro.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
He delivered Man. So salut to KB devon Man.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
We need you back outside Man, stop playing around, Mark
Lux Man, thank you again for coming on through. How
can folks get in contact with you if they're interested
in reaching out, collabing, getting music, popping up at another
Slump Suits event or anything.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
Man following me at Mark Lux on Instagram, Mark Luz
Country on Twitter. You can get everything off that and
then follow Slump Suns. That's s l U M s
O N S And yeah, man.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
I never asked you how did Mark lux? I mean
you said you changed your name, but how the name
come from? About?
Speaker 4 (42:43):
What was it?
Speaker 3 (42:44):
So my last name is Katonga and in our language
that means like wealthy one. Also okay, it's just like luxury.
Speaker 4 (42:50):
And I was like I always wanted and I didn't
want to change like my first name because I want
people to call me Mark.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
I want people to still call me by my first name.
But I was like market Tonga. You can't scream a
crowd like Mark like I want to.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
You can, but it's a lot of sympl.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
Can't a lot of symbols. I want something. It's just
too syllables, straight to the point, marketable straight.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
I love that. I love that. I wasn't.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
I wasn't too far off luxury Mark Lux Man, thank
you for coming on through, keeping it live and direct,
keep it at home Grown. We will catch you all
next time.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Appreciate you, Chuck,
All right, we back at it, Chuck Dizzle Live and Direct. Man.
You know I'm here. I'm there today.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We're back at it at the iHeart Studios, Rual ninety
two three.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
We keep it in homegrown as always. Man.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I love having these conversations with people that not only
I enjoy listening to, I enjoy seeing their stories. I
enjoy seeing the come up and I just look forward
to the progress.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
And if you aren't familiar already, we got my man
Mark Lux in the studio with me right now.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Man, how are you my.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Dog, Chuck Man, I'm great, Man. I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Man. This is a long time coming, but the right time.
And I know there's a lot of things you got
going on. We've communicated over the years, and I've seen
you come up. My introduction and I could be off,
and I want you to tell me my introduction where
your name really stood out was, you know the thing
(00:59):
I do with live and so I have people send
me music. At one point I was doing it ever
twice a week or whatever, and you send me a
song called all That, Yeah, and nah, it was all that, bro.
And what's funny is that I remember liking the song.
I remember playing it, and I just remember the impact
(01:19):
that it had some time after it dropped, and I
remember you send it to me, you send it to
me early, but the time after it dropped whatever, I
seen it going up and I made the connection after
I saw I think the video and then you dropped
the remix. Remember, I'm like, oh, I remember playing the song,
but then I remember the response it got. And I
will see you out in the battle, see you at
the TD Christmas shows or whatnot.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Just seeing you making your rounds.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
And I always You've always carried yourself with a level
of respect every time I saw you, So I've always
appreciated that about you, and I just always kept my
eye on you. I'm like, dude, when the time is right,
And I kept telling you this, I'm like, when the
time is right, the time is right, we're gonna have
a conversation.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So here we are, Mark Lux, Man, tell people give.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Them a brief introduction of who you are, where you
held from, and a little bit of your backstory before
we kind of get into this conversation.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Bro Oh yeah, no problem.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
For those that don't know, I go by Mark Lux
from bell Flower, California and I've been making music for
around like five years now, and I'm pushing music.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
That is something that's to be taken notice of.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah, And what's really impressive about not only music the
visuals attached to it as well. Man, I felt like
you and we'll get into that as well. That component
is also something that stands out. Like so that was
the second part. Like I heard the music, and then
when I saw the visuals, I'm like, Yo, this is
somebody who really gives a fuck. You know, where does
that passion come from? Because you say you've been doing
(02:45):
it for five years, Where does the passion come in from?
Not only the music, but making.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Sure that the visuals are like, you know, aesthetically pleasing
as well well.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Like every time I start to write my music, I
make sure it comes from a great like a really
deep authentic place like with them myself, you know. So,
and I'm really telling stories that are really like real
trials and tribulations of my life. Like I'm not playing
when I write my music. So it's like, if I'm
putting one hundred percent into my music that I'm writing
and sharing to the world, I got to do it.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
On the visual aspect of things, you know.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Because it's like I can't put on my I can't
put all these all this effort into the music and
not do the same visually, especially like we're in a
space where it's like things things travel like with like visually.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
So I got to make sure that, like I'm on
point for every single way.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Has that always been the case, even from like your
first video ever recorded? Or was it something whereas like
you the first video or whatever, first song, first project,
things that you were working on right, and was it
a point where it didn't sound or look up the
part of you and you're like, oh no, I gotta
step my I gotta step it up one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Or were you always just that good with this? I
know it's a loaded question because I you know, I'm.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Not it's a loaded question, but I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
I was always proud of everything single thing that I
did music wise and music video wise, because I always
go into it with the intention like I'm gonna give
it my alle and I'm gonna stand on it, you
know what I mean. So like back then, I look
at it and I'm like, it's definitely not as good
as it is now, but it's just like I could
look back and be like, Nigga, I know I put
my all into that. I know I put my my
(04:21):
all into writing now verse. I know me and Dan
I put my put all into making that visual. And
it's just like and when I look back, I'm like
I always see the vision and I was like, I
understand how I got to the point I am now.
It was just I put a lot of reps in,
a lot of studying as well. So it's just like
that that was the main thing.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
When you say, when you say study, what does that
look like? For for Mark Lux when you study in
the game, studying artists are just studying visuals.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Like what are you doing? Not only to get the
reps in, but what do you what do you zoning
in on?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Like to say, okay, man, I can enhance my sound,
my style, this, that and the third by doing this.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
On a visual aspect. I gained a lot of inspiration
from watching a lot.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Of shows, like a lot of shows like live shows,
a lot of not live shows, but like actual TV
shows like Atlanta and like I'm a real big I'm
a fan of innovation, Like that's what draws I draw
a lot of inspiration from people that are big innovators
to me, so like people from like Steve Jobs, Jordan
peel uh, Donald Glover from like Atlanta like that. I
draw a lot of inspiration from Atlanta. Also like to
(05:27):
show the.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Beer chef so she's in today.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Yeah, so I draw a lot visually from that.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Also some music videos as well, Like we look up
to a lot of people in like like some of
like Vince, like Kendrick, people that take their visual super series.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
But yeah, I draw a lot of inspiration from from innovation.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
You said something, you said something interesting that I literally
just caught it. You know, I've been listening to your
music for some time now, but I just caught it
the other day where you said in the comments stay
that you get a lot of people that compare you
to Kindrick can Remble, and you like, you're like, it's okay,
that comes with the territory and this that and the
third does that annoy you or is that something where
(06:10):
you like you said, it just comes with the territory
and you just you know, you still know that you
know how to carve your own lane out.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
One thing I am gonna say, like and people can
tell through my music, like DoD is a huge inspiration
to me. Like little Nigga done talked about streets that
I drive past and drive on every single day, you know,
and like just seeing I saw this whole come up
since I was in fifth grade.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
You know that, Like since I was in fifth grade.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Bro?
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Like wait, wait to hear you say fifth grade is crazy?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
That is wild. I'm not gonna lie, Bro, you just
made me feel hella old because I was already graduating
from college when Kendrick came out. You know what I'm saying,
Like our first interview, I'm looking at it the other
I want to say, it was eleven twelve, eleven twelve
years ago, so I'm you know, I'm seeing it. You know,
(07:04):
I seen the come up as well, but from a
different from a different lens. You're looking at it from
Oh my god, this niggas. You know what I'm saying,
is somebody fifth gradefh grade?
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Bro? I remember Nigga, me and the homie CJ we
in his kitchen and were watching this at the monitor,
and this nigga thrown look out for the detox because
his uncle is top.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Because his uncle's top.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
So it's like he's always showing me like the new
I already been knew about Jay Rocks, knew about everything
that going around, like TV and shit, and he was
just like, my uncle just signed the news. New artist's
name is KM like going on like I was when
I heard Listen look Out for the Detox Bro. I
was like, okay, like I know what real rap is
supposed to sound like. That was my first introduction to
like real artistry and rap real talk.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
So was that was that your first?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I always ask people if their first like music purchase,
Like what was your first hip hop purchase? The song
of the album that damn niggas don't even have singles
like that are so like they probably don't even buy
CDs like that.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
But when I was like in during that era, that
was that was the first album I went out to
actually purchase. I was at the Compton. Uh yeah, I
was fucking don't kill my vibe for the first time.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
I was like, that is crave again.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
I'm tripping out because I'm I'm there supporting. But damn,
that's wild how lives kind of cross paths like that. Okay,
that's interesting, man, that's that's really interesting. But to your point,
like you said, this is somebody that you're inspired by,
so it's no offensive at the same time, what I
love about it though, yes you can hear the influence,
but it's not like a copying of styles, you know
(08:47):
what I'm saying. And I think there's a difference between
the two that people kind of need to make the
difference of you.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
And that's that's been my whole thing throughout this whole journey.
It's like, I don't mind, you know, them telling me
I sound like him or I sound like Rumble. I
think I think they say I sound like Rembring Kendrick
because I can actually pronounce my words and like articulate myself,
Like I feel like that's where most of it be
really stemming from. But I just want to make sure
like I distinguished. I'm not the next Kendrick. I'm the
(09:12):
first Mark looks. I love it, and I really want
people to understand that and just take that because and
I don't. And also I don't mind them doing it
because I just want them to know, like I'm doing
it in a tasteful way, like you can know that's
my inspiration, but I am making music that I feel
like it's different.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
And when I drop my album you gonna know, like
it's different, but for sure.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, And I mean to be honest, and even even
Dot was inspired by Wayne, exactly inspired by whole and
at one point I remember when Kendrick sounded like Wayne,
you know what I'm saying, and then he found his
voice and he he branched off into a different area.
But I mean, everybody's gonna get those comparisons.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
It's gonna be what it's gonna be. So I like that.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I like your approach of not letting necessarily find you.
And I also like the fact that you kind of
threw it in people's faces too and have ramble on
the remix all that, like, Okay.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
I play into it.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah your time.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
I'm like, all right, and I'm happy they did that
because that made me like, let me hit the nigga.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Yeah, and he rocked on it. That's that's fine. The
Slumpsons man talk about that. Because I had a chance
to go to your pop up, thank you for and
that was just amazing just to kind of see I
always love to see an artist kind of build their
own their own inter their own structure, you know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
And you had this this pop up where you had
your mercy.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
You know, you're out there performing and you had a
lot of people out there just supporting you, you know
what I mean. And I got a chance to see
your team, I got a chance to see moms and
just everybody who loves Mark Lux. Man talk about the
Slumpsons what that means to you and then the whole
Mark Lux team.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Man, Yeah, shout out, shout out.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
First off, thank you to everybody that went to that event.
It was something super special and that was something that
I was like, you know, I was skeptical to put on.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
You know that I was scared.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
Why It's just like that's your first first event ever.
It's like people gonna show up. This is and that
it was packed people and y'all showed out and I
really really appreciate y'all for coming. But yeah, slum Suns man,
it's it's a it's a me dion and we have
we also have a strong team behind us that that
helps us get our vision across. And we're really just
(11:15):
trying to push the art form in so many different styles,
you know what I mean, Like meet through my music,
us through our visuals. Just we're trying to get right now.
We're pushing our agenda right now through music and our visuals.
But we want to get into so much more.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
But that's just deep. What we're doing right now is
just our stepping stone.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
And is it a is it a creative agency? Is
it a label?
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Like? What is Like it's basically like a collective. Bro,
we made this and like me and Dion, we.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
We we were just running around doing a lot of
stuff during the pandemic, Like that's when we just started
like sharing our ideas and like just talking every single day.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Who is he to you?
Speaker 4 (11:52):
She's a lot of the homie manager, creative partner everything.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
But how did you guys meet?
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Great? Okay, So.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I was.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
I had a song called field right and it was
lucky cracking, like it was the first song I ever dropped,
put it on SoundCloud boom and started going started like.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Going like mini viral type.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
And then he was getting out his homies car and
while he was getting out his Homies car, he heard
the song.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
He was like, who is that?
Speaker 4 (12:19):
And then this homie put him on He hit me.
The next day Dion was making clothes, he was like, so,
Bro had just on the radio. Your your music is dope,
this this and that I want you to model my clothes.
We talk about it till this day. Almost flaked on
that nigga. Why almost I'm like, Bro, like I'm not
trying to drive to wherever we was me not I'm tired, like.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Who is all the wrong all the wrong excuses.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
But like I'm like, nigga, just go, like just go,
And then Bro, I went, and then I put on
the clothes and then we started chopping it up here
and there, and then like he was a cool dude.
I was like, all right, yeah, ill rock with Bro.
But then we really started building a relationship. It when
he saw like I kind.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Of had like I didn't have a team. I didn't
have a team around me or nothing. And he asked
me like, is.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
Still gonna have a music video? And then I was
like nah, like I'm trying to find somebody. Then I
was like then he he literally hit me the next
day he was like, I found somebody for you. I'm like, damn,
like this, nigga, make shit happen. Yeah, I was like,
all right, bet that we shot the music video and
then during the music video, this is when I knew,
like Dion is a different breed. The dude we shooting
(13:28):
all through LA, like South Central LA and stuff like that.
The director that was uh that was shooting me like
he was scared to pop out and shit like he
was in all type of hoods and stuff, and like Dione,
he didn't give a fuck about none of that shit.
Like he literally took the camera from him and started shooting. Wow,
he didn't like he was never directing that. He was
never a director, was never.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Creative because he reached out to somebody else.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
He reached out to.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
Somebody somebody else would do it. And then from that
day when I seen him do that, I was like,
all Right, this is a nigga that believe in me,
and this is a nigga that will makes it happen.
And that's somebody that I cherished because, like, Bro, I
tell people this all the time, like I put so
much into my music. I need people around me that's
gonna put the same amount of effort into whatever they're
(14:09):
doing to help this agenda. Bro, because I don't bullshit
when it comes to my shit. Like I knew that
from the jump. I had our artists integrity from the jump,
and I saw he held himself accountable to the same
type of morals that I do. So I was like
from there, we just started building talking about ideas. We
didn't even know we was forming. It was during the pandemic,
and we just talked about ideas every single day. And
(14:31):
then it literally was like, bro, we gotta call ourselves
a name, like or whatever. And then it became slump suits.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
How did you land on that name?
Speaker 4 (14:38):
So I'm from my mom, like my origin, I'm Kenyon
and his peoples just from India. And we always talked about,
you know, the shortcomings of where our mothers came from
and how they came out here. That's why our moms
such a big thing at the event, because we got
our name from our mom, so we get a backstory.
(14:58):
So we always talk about their short and how they
came out here to you know, to just really provide
and help like make our lives better. Like that's all
they care about is just making their sons lives, like
like whatever whatever we do, like they want to make
sure that whatever they did, they're not going vain, you know.
And it was just like we wanted a name that
represents us but also represents the important women that got
(15:20):
us to this point. And they both kind of came
from the slums of where they were from. So slump sons.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
That's so slump slump sons, right, So the sons of
people from the slums.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
And also it attaches to like us not forgetting where
we came from. And also that's like our driving force,
you know, like whenever we we start to get popping
or when this is really starts to go, we're going
right back to where our moms came from.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
We're doing a lot over there.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
That's fire.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
It seems like that that's a good why as to
what you're doing and the good driving force, and it
allows you to kind of stay motivated when when things
are getting I was thinking about it because not only
from the pop up, but I remember another one of
your songs. You were talking about how you knew he
with Dion Took was serious about this, And I'm paraphrasing, Yeah,
how you were you were you were crying in the car,
(16:13):
you know what I mean, talking about like, man, I
don't know how if the world is gonna recognize how
dope I am. You're paraphrasing, and you're in his car,
and I'm i'most I'm assuming that his response was, you know,
just being there for you and reassuring you, letting you
know that, man, we're gonna make this happen.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
True true story. Bro, that was it was like twenty
twenty one. Like, bro, I just ain't gonna lie, like
I just had. He was argument with like with my
moms because I dropped out of school to pursue this,
and like in African household, you drive out of school that's.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Like high school, out of college every now.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
And stayed home. You know, you you wouldn't have been
living there.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
That's crazy, but I'm sure it was just as intense
because you know what's so before you get into that,
what was the plan like when you were going to college,
like where you what was what was Mark Lux doing
prior to music, and what was the goal at that
time before music?
Speaker 4 (17:09):
So I had a little NIA scholarship to go play
in Kansas, and then I started getting into a lot
of shit out there. Like long story short, like I
tear my miniskus, got in a fight with some coaches,
damn like physical type ship and then I got kicked
off the team. Then the next year they let me
back and then like oh that's when I tore my miniskis.
My second year, I didn't even get to play. I'm like,
(17:30):
all right, this for bushit is over with. And that's
when I started going through like the worst fucking mental
breakdowns in my life in my dorm room by myself,
in the middle of nowhere in Kansas.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
I could imagine how tough that is.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Like, dealing with something like that already is one thing,
but when you're away from family and away from friends,
it has to be a whole different kind of life.
It was.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
It was bro and I'm grateful I got put that
in that space because I was the first time I
ever got to sit down with myself ever. Like I
was by myself every single day. I couldn't travel with
the team. There's nothing to do. All I could do
is think about my life and listen to music. And
then that's exactly when I made the choice, Like because
I was making music a little bit in high school.
(18:10):
But then I was like when football was over, I
was like, what am I going to do all my life?
And I sat and I sat, and I'm not trying
to be no fucking kinesiology. I'm not trying to do
nothing when what I'm majoring in, like I'm being real
with myself, and I'm like, let me try this music thing,
because that's all I was listening to. All I was
listening to is like Isaia Hschad and Died like just
niggas that are keeping my spirits high. And I was
(18:31):
just like I want to do that, like I want
to whoever is in this position like I don't want
to do that, uplift their spirits.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
And I came back.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
I made my name Mark Lux while I was packing
up my bags and I started rapping. Then I came
to ELB and then I can't. I did one semester.
I don't even think I finished the semester at LBCC
and then the pandemic happened.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
I was like, I'm done.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
It's a rap.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
It's a rap. I'm rapping.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
So fast forward back to moms. Now, Moms is like
may dropping out. What the hell is going on, Toya
Mniska if you're over here fighting coaches and shit, like
we didn't raise you like that?
Speaker 1 (19:03):
What's going on?
Speaker 2 (19:05):
And who is Mark Lux? Who the hell is Mark Lux?
You and somebody else before you left you Mark Lux?
Speaker 3 (19:11):
You rasp I had to sell this ship so much, man, like.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Not an m mama. The m means make a mark
on the world, and it's gonna be luxurious the way
we do this. Man.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Yeah, so okay, yeah, So we just arguing and I'm
on my way to the studio. She's so she already hot,
like you're not going to school now, you're going to
the studio. I'm like, yeah, Mom, I gotta go to
the studio. And I was just like now right at
this point, I'm kind of like two years in, nothing
really going on, like at all, and I'm like, damn,
Like that's when you know that doubt.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Starts to creep in, like is this ship gonna work?
This is and that like am I gonna let my
mom down?
Speaker 4 (19:52):
I really just want to make her happy and this
ship and all type of stuff. I'm like, damn, it
was just weighing on me. So that Nigga Deon and
uh my boy Nolan, who's our editor, we're on the
way to We're on the way to a reason session
and Head is there too.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
We on the way. I forgot what we was going
there for it, but we on the way and I
wasn't there. I wasn't going there to rap.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Right, So.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
We either wanted a visual or something.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
But nigga, they hopped my car. I'm driving a whole
way no music. They like, what the fuck I'm no
music musically, I'm blasting music. I'm happy, I'm And then
I just parked the car and I just started I
started balling, crying like I couldn't even hold it. Like
I got off the car, started crying how back in
and I started telling them like, bro, we gotta make
it in this ship, like I wasn't even explaining. I
(20:39):
didn't even say what happened in the crib, Like I
just told them niggas like, bro, got to make it
in this ship, like we have to make it.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
We have to make it. I'm repeating that ship like
I'm socking my wheel, like we have to make it, bro.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
And then we walk in the studio and I wiped
my tears and then like heading that like and like
nothing happened, Like Bro.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
That's insane, man, that's insane.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
That's just that that again with what I see from
that is what I what I saw and seeing you
every time I connect, like this isn't a game. You
take this series, and I mean from from the fans,
I think, and I'm sure they get it from the visuals.
They get it from how how you take your artistry,
(21:22):
and I feel like you take your time with it
like you don't. And I don't know if that's a
gift or a curse as well, because now we're in
the age of like flooding is a thing, right, and
you're somebody that I look at is quality over quantity,
and when you drop it's it's intentful where it's intentional.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Excuse me.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
And I know that that can kind of weigh weigh
on you as well, but I salute you for kind
of like staying true to that because in the day
and age where that can be kind of tough, you
kind of stay stay true to that. So I want
to get into it to Bellflower because you know you
mentioned South Central. Of course, we all, I'm from the
(22:03):
South Bad I'm from Carson, so I'm very familiar with
that area.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
But you don't really get too many.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Artists talking about that, right, which I think that's another
that's another gift on your side because it stands out
talk about Bellflower and what that city means to you and.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
The light that you hoped to shine on that city.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, man, Bellflower a real dope place growing up. You
don't really ever want to save you from Bellflower.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
But oh my bad o gotcha.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Oh yeah, growing up, you never really want to save
you from Bellflower. And I thought, like, as I got older,
I'm like, man, that's kind of weird. I kind of
don't like that because Bellflower is a place where I
really appreciate now because it's a great melting pot. Bro, Like,
it's a melting pot. And I got all sides of
the world living over there, like just running through Bellflower
(22:52):
and Long Beach because that's just like my jurisdiction, like bro,
Like I got to encounter so many different types of people,
like from all walks of life, from the game bang
Is to like white people to Asian people to Indian people,
Like I think that's why.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
I appreciate Bellflowers so much.
Speaker 4 (23:07):
And like I never lacked, like I was never far
away from anything else going on in Compton or l A,
Like I'm in La functions every weekend with the hommie Eli,
like we're driving everywhere, like I'm functioning with everybody. Like,
but it just wasn't cool to say from Bellflower. I
guess just because niggas didn't bang over there like that,
you know, but yeah, bro, so like as I grew up,
I'm like, I'm a champion it because one I think,
(23:28):
and I use that to him. I use that to
my advantage too, Like I really, I really understand how
to use this to my advantage because I ain't no
nigga ever came up out of year and nobody.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Understaying if I don't know if I'm missing anybody, you know,
I come across a lot of artists, and I'm sure
that you know, out of out of the tons of
artists that I've saying, I'm sure somebody else has been
from there. But it's like you don't necessarily hear them champions.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
They don't. Well, yeah, I'm gonna do that ship. I'm
gonna do it well like and I'm not gonna do
it cornery like niggas like around this that way kind
of like to emulate things that are going on in
LA and things that nation. I'm like, bro, like it's
okay to say you from here, just be yourself, be authentic.
(24:09):
Like I'm like, I'm not no buster, Like I grew
up from over there, Like I get respecting a lot
of hoods and it's just like I like, I know
a lot of people, and I'm from Bellflower and it's
just like I get respect because I carry myself as such,
you know. So it's just like I think it's I
think we got to people from there, got to be
proud to say from there, honestly because it's a dope
spot to be and like you can be outside, you
could do a lot.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
I feel like that there's and I could be wrong,
correct me if I'm wrong, because again, this is this
is from me.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
In our interactions.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
I've seen you, you know, here and there, listen to
your music and I kind of got a hint of
it when you were talking about your experience in Kansas.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Right, Okay, are you a hot head? Can you be?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Because here's the thing. Here's the thing.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
I take you why every time I run into you,
every time I talk with you, nothing but love. You
seem to be a calm matter individual. You carry yourself
very well. It's never no extra shit. I ain't seen
you at a function. I ain't seen you out in
public acting up or if somebody's disrespect you. So I
haven't seen when that happens.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Right, But I'm like, every time I see Mark, he
see to be cool.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
But when you hear the music, it's like, Yo, this
nigga tripping, not in a bad way, but it's like, oh,
this he's very confident and there's nothing wrong with that.
But it's like, oh, he's confident to the point where
he's gonna let you know what he feels like he's
capable of and if you got a problem with it,
you know, we could throw hands, just like one of
your latest songs, fase you know what I'm saying, right,
So is there another side that people don't.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Necessarily see to mark Lux? And what brings that out?
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Like personally, like how can people see the other side
of mark Lux?
Speaker 1 (25:47):
And do people even want to see that?
Speaker 4 (25:50):
I'm glad you asked that question, bro, cause I get
that question a lot, like like niggas really think like
I don't know, like like they always see this calm
to me, And honestly, I think I acquired this concide
ever since I found God because in Kansas I went
to jail for fore you know what I mean, Like
(26:10):
I don't I don't really like talking about I put
it in my album like they're the real story and
shit like that.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
But but yeah, bro, when I went to when I
went to jail in Kansas.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
That's when I was like, Okay, I'm starting to end
up like the person that I fear the most, and
that person is my father and just the person that
I saw him, uh, the person that I saw him
be to like my mother and to our family, and
how how that destructed like our whole our whole family dynamic.
I told myself, I'm gonna never be like that. And
(26:40):
when I was sitting there, when I was actually like
sitting in myself, I remember visiting him and like what
it did to my mom visiting him, and I was like,
oh Na, like I'm gonna change this, Like I can't.
I'm like, bro, my mom's only son, Like I can't.
Feel like I just knew no matter what I was doing,
because I was always like a quote unquote bad kid,
like kind of like I'm always getting in trouble, but
(27:02):
like I always wanted to be something though, like I
always wanted to be something.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
When I was like sitting there, I was like, oh yeah,
when I get out, like I'm done. That's when I
told my someone, I'm finna really focus on music.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Was that was that rock bottom for you?
Speaker 3 (27:15):
One hundred percent? I was show rock bottom.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
So was it so after you get out of jail.
Is that when you come up with the name Mark
Lux or was that before right after?
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Right after?
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Yeah, I made the decision because I didn't know if
I was gonna stay at that point, like try to
pursue music. I mean, I try to pursue football. But
when I got out, I was like, yeah, I'm done,
I'm about to come back home and then I'm about
to focus on music.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
But but yeah, like there's a side that people will
never really see now because I've changed, Like I really
really changed. Like I'm sure the same me, but like
a nigga that got older and seen the world for
what it is and I understand what I got to
be in this life, and I know like I got
to carry myself in a way that's like I gotta
i gotta be a mirror image of what I'm trying
to portray.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
You know.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
I love that. What what when do you feel like
the last time you've gotten close to getting there? And
what's held you back? I know you said your relationship
with God, which I want to touch on in the second,
But when is the last time you feel like you've
gotten close to Hey? Man, I could be that that
person again, and then what held you back? Like what
were you saying to yourself? But you know what I mean,
Like what that was that thing that kind of pulled
(28:22):
you back. The only reason why I'm asking that is
because I know that somebody's listening and watching and they're
trying to change their lives and they probably feel like damn,
but I just keep getting pushed into this corner. So
if they hear from somebody, maybe they can use that
as an example.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Man, A couple of times I was I would say, honestly,
a couple of times, cause honestly, I would say getting
banged on out here, bro, I would say getting banging
out here, like getting banging out here, which can happen
a lot, which happen, It happens a lot. And when
you get banging out here and you don't, I don't.
(29:00):
I don't bang, So it's like it's always a it's
always a a. I'm like, I'm always like maneuvering out
of its smooth because like I was saying, you don't bang,
but it's like it's too it's certain, it's certain people.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
When they did bang on me.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
It's like nigga it's like I have to I have
to carry myself in a way where I I I
have to get out of here safely, you know. And
it's just like I could retaliate on the same type
of energy, cause some niggas like are be cool about it.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Some niggas is not. They're really tripping.
Speaker 4 (29:27):
So it's just like you have to get out of
these and that's when like I have to peel myself
back and like nigger like control yourself, Like you don't.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Know what this person is capable of. I have a
lot to lose.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
This person probably don't got ship to lose, and I
have to, like I have to constantly remind myself, like
there's niggas out here lost. I'm not nigga. I gotta
make it. I my mom's only child. I think about
that shit every single time, Like I have to make
it home, bro. And that's that's probably those are the
times where I kind of like peel back.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
But but yeah, that's really that's really.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
That's that's interesting to kind of think of, especially in
the dynamic of again being from southern California. That's like
when you said, I'm like that happens often, you know
what I'm saying, so to constantly be met with that
at this point, Like you said, you're good at navigating
through it. But I'm glad you got to a place
of having that reminder there to to be able to
(30:17):
pull you back and not you know, go down that lane.
I want to get into the music even more of
the music. Man, music has been going crazy. Man, congratulations
on that, Man that that is such a feel good record.
You sample Snoop Beautiful? Have you got a chance? Do
you know if Snoop has heard it? Have you got
(30:39):
a chance to tap.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
In trying to get it.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
I'm trying to get it to him though, trying to
I'm really trying to get it to him. I know,
like a couple of people like around them. Yeah, I'm
I'm trying to make that.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Work being an independent artist and somebody that you have
a team now, which is which is good, you know
what I mean. But it's still navigating through the space budgets,
figuring things out. How do you get around doing certain
things when it comes to that, when it comes to
creating visuals, when it comes to standing out like you
do a good job, but at the same time, like
(31:12):
how do you not force yourself to be creative, But
how do you just navigate through that space? Because I'm
sure that's not easy as well, but you've been able
to kind of maintain that, So how do you do
that as an independent artist?
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Is there any advice that you get can give to.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
Those on the come up as well that can kind
of like help card themselves out and make them stand
apart from everybody else that's out of here.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Man, be all in, be all in with y'all art.
Speaker 4 (31:41):
Like I spent I've spent a lot of days, a
lot of months, some years being broken on purpose because
this is all I'm putting my money into. Niggas want
to They want to look the part, they want to
do this, they want to do that. But like I know,
I can tell when someone take they are serious. And
(32:02):
I always wanted to be somebody that portrays someone that
takes their art very very serious because I'm walking, I'm
walking everything that I'm talking bro, Like like when I
get on these records and I'm saying I want to
be the best, Like these visuals have to match that
same exact energy. So it's like, how you talking, bro,
Like you want to be that nigga? Like show me,
you that nigga. So I walk around like I don't
(32:22):
think nobody can I rab me on thing, nobody can
out visual me. I put too much time into both. Yeah,
I know how much time I put into both. So
it's just like I walk around with that much confidence,
like you have to walk around and just be about
what you what you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
How hands on are you when it comes to the visuals.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
I know you got the team as well, but are
you also like selective on the locations and the look?
And I like how some of some of your videos
are just all black and white. I pay attention to
a lot of the stuff that that that's out there,
and it's just it's just a crisp and a really
good look. But I'm curious how much of that your
(32:56):
input is on the creative side with that?
Speaker 4 (32:59):
Yeah, sure, every I'm hands on with everything, band song,
with everything, and then like there's a lot of ideas
that I have and then like I'll talk to him
about it with Dion, and Dion has a lot of
ideas as well that really compliment everything. And the way
he directs is that's that's already out of here. And
it's just like I have a very clear vision of
what I want to how I want to look aesthetically,
(33:19):
and how I want to be carried as a brand.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
And I always have a story to tell.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
That's one thing I always tell my team like I'm
a storyteller, Like when we shoot these videos, like I
need to.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
Tell a story, Like we have to tell a story.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
That's one thing that I feel like separates me every
single time I have something to say, and I just
I just want I just want everything to encapsulate that.
Speaker 1 (33:42):
Okay, So when are we getting this album?
Speaker 4 (33:44):
Bro?
Speaker 3 (33:45):
I'm working on it.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Definitely this year, okay, And I mean I want to
get into it, but I mean I want you to
save as much as you can as well.
Speaker 1 (33:54):
But what story you're you're trying to tell with the album?
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Because it's going to be your first album debut, right,
because you've you've put out You've put out a project,
right the U. I want to say the EP exactly
the EP, But you just have songs here and there,
you know what I'm saying, which I think is good.
But I feel like the next step for you is
to drop that album. So what what story are you
(34:17):
trying to tell with with the album?
Speaker 1 (34:20):
One?
Speaker 3 (34:20):
What I can say is we're gonna we're going to
find the silver line in your life. That's what thing
I'm gonna say. We're gonna find the silver line.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
So together, we're gonna we're gonna watch. We're gonna fast
forward this till when the album drops or when you
announce it. And this that's I'm sure that has something
to do with the title.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
Is that the title? Okay? That I just gotta ask,
gotta make sure. Okay, yeah, And.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
I'm I'm throwing my flag.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
I'm I'm placing it for as you should. Man, as
you should.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
You say a lot of the times that you're the
best rapper out here. You know, you just set it,
just set it a second ago, like nobody's touching your visuals.
And I feel like you got to have that type
of confidence, and you gotta have a product to match it.
And I feel like that that what you have out
there is a good is a good contender for that,
you know what I mean. It's not like, oh, this
nigga trip. Sometimes you just hear it. Sometimes I see
(35:20):
a lot. Sometimes I see them like that's good to
have that confidence. Good job, buddy, you know. But there's
other times I'm like, oh no, he's gonna be one
of them ones. And I feel like you definitely you
carry that really really well, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
Thank you, Chuck, thank you, And I appreciate all the
support and everything like it don't go and notice And
I really appreciate everybody that you know, repost and comments.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
It really keep me going, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
Can I'm gonna ask you one last question.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
I always ask this just to as a as a
time stamp, and uh, just it's always just cool to
kind of see what happens in the next year or so.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Man, the year can't end without Mark Lux doing what.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Mmm.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
It could be.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
It can be career wise, it could be music wise,
it could be personal. But what's one thing that's on
your bucket list that you're like, Man, I got bit
by this time, next show up, by the end of
the year.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
I got this has to happen.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
They got to know Mark looks is. They got to
just know like I'm coming for like the top spot.
They got to know that, like I'm coming for whatever.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
But what does the top spot mean? Though? Like are
you are you best? Bro?
Speaker 2 (36:33):
That?
Speaker 1 (36:33):
Okay, that's still generic.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
I get that, Like it's like I'll be I hear that,
because that's still subject that's still subjective right right now,
we can say we can say we could, we can,
we can. I can say the best rapper in the
game right now is dot right. Somebody else would be like,
nah man, actually Drake, nah Man? I think actually whoever? Right,
So it's still subjective. I'm thinking of something that's like, Yo,
(36:57):
you have like one thing that I would say, and
you can agree or disagree. I think that you would
have to drop the album before the year ends.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Yeah, but I was like I was gonna say. I'm like,
that's a given.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
That's a given. That's what I said. That's a given.
So we're not gonna use that.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
But I need something that's concrete to the point where
at the end of the year we can hold you
accountable for that and be like, damn, he said he
was gonna do this. Like for example, we talked to
Mozie some years back, was like, man, I want to
touch an M before the year in and he touched
the M.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Some people are like, man, I want to I want
to perform at.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Coachella, all right, I got one, and.
Speaker 1 (37:33):
Don't man and don't don't don't be afraid to dream
too big.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
No, I at least need to. I say the Roxy,
I need the roy need.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
Sell it out right, selling out the Roxy before the
year ends. That's a given. Man. Mark Less is gonna
do that for show for show man.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
If y'all, if y'all went to the Slumpsons pop up,
there was there was a lot of mother because in there,
you know what I mean, Before we do good about
it here, I do have to ask you about good
company that song and it ties into your relationship with God.
Man talking to one of your friends and you can
kind of like give us a breakdown of the song.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
But I'm glad.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
You brought that up as far as your relationship with
God because I was gonna ask about that particular song
and you were asking your friend, you know how he
how he navigates his relationship with God.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
How did that conversation go?
Speaker 2 (38:23):
And the conclusion for you to kind of step in
closer and dedicate your life a little bit more?
Speaker 1 (38:29):
You know what I mean to God?
Speaker 3 (38:31):
Know how you you asked that? So I got I
got a brother named Simeon, and I grew up with him.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
I grew up and I played basketball with him and
stuff like that, and we kind of grew up in
the same like like we were kind of growing in
the same type of path like plass that we look
back on, you're not really too proud of it. As
I started doing my own thing, he started getting like
super like he started indulging into faith a lot, and
he actually became a pastor and it's like he actually
(38:58):
started studying the word like super rigorously. And then you know,
like with me, I sometimes like I can get into
a space where God is not at the forefront of
my life. And one time he was just working out
at the park and I was just telling him about
like like the troubles I'm having with like talking to
guys my faith, I'm losing it, and he just got
(39:22):
me into a place where it's just like man bro
like he really shook me back into it. It's into
a place where I really needed to be. And that
combo was so important, the combos in the song. It
was so important to me because he got my like
my soul back in alignment like with just Christ and
I'm like man, like, I really and then I really
(39:43):
I drove back home like really appreciating like our friendship
and like friendships that I got and like the friends
I got to just when I'm down, like niggas could
just say a sentence. I'm like, nigga, remind me who
I am. Bro, Like you need niggas like that in
your life. And I'm like, he did that for me.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
I'm like, man, I gotta write it. Bought that shit.
I wrote that ship that night.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
That is fire. Man.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
I encourage everybody to go take a listen to that song.
It's called good Company. It's off the only EP that
you drop, right, I mean, because I've seen the one
with where Holland is there was just one song.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
But whatnot?
Speaker 2 (40:14):
But yeah, man, I look forward to hearing more from
from mark Lux, man, and seeing more from Mark Lux.
And like you said, I think this time next year
or by the end of the year, that conversation. You know,
people are gonna definitely kind of hold you in that regard, man,
and I look forward to everything that you're doing. Of course,
you got my support, and yeah, man, I think that's
how I want to end it off, bro, Like this
(40:35):
is the first of many I've told you off air.
I just want you to pull up and just kind
of have a conversation, man, because we've We've been supposed
to do this a while back, but I feel like
the timing is right, and I want to salute to
you that that song was just a video out right
now fades with you little dudes do the damn thing
and shout out to KB Devon, thank you for getting.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
That nigga to rap again.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
Let's talk about it.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
I mean every time I see him, like, bro, what
are you doing? And I understand life happening. Nah, for sure,
life happens, but I'm I was. I was so glad
to see him.
Speaker 4 (41:04):
On that song. And like I tell this all the time, bro,
like KB is really one of them ones, bro, like
out of like I don't believe in like a lot
of people bro like KB. I tell him, I text
him randomly like bro, like you got it. Bro, like
you the nigga like you could go like you're so
different your voice, your tonality, it's like all different, bro,
Like there's not a nigga I've ever heard like sound
(41:25):
like this the same thing at all, like him and
Duce like I look for real bro, like I knew
I made that record as soon as I made my room.
I'm like, bro, like dude, I'll say so. I want
to kind of run down how that song came about
because it's really dope. So I made that verse and
then like dude, he was just coming to the studio
and then I was like I just laid this, like
(41:46):
you want to put a verse on it, And I'm
happy he did because I'm like when I when I
heard his voice and I saw him like play his verse,
I was like, I want to get people that I
really like, like I really like love hearing and like
who could really rap and like KB Bro, Like I
knew I needed him on that. That's why we made
a whole little section for bro.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Pain and switch up and all that.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
Man. It really it really created a space man to
just get off man and he delivered Bro.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
He delivered Man. So salut to KB devon Man.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
We need you back outside Man, stop playing around, Mark
Lux Man, thank you again for coming on through. How
can folks get in contact with you if they're interested
in reaching out, collabing, getting music, popping up at another
Slump Suits event or anything.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
Man following me at Mark Lux on Instagram, Mark Luz
Country on Twitter. You can get everything off that and
then follow Slump Suns. That's s l U M s
O N S And yeah, man.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
I never asked you how did Mark lux? I mean
you said you changed your name, but how the name
come from? About?
Speaker 4 (42:43):
What was it?
Speaker 3 (42:44):
So my last name is Katonga and in our language
that means like wealthy one. Also okay, it's just like luxury.
Speaker 4 (42:50):
And I was like I always wanted and I didn't
want to change like my first name because I want
people to call me Mark.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
I want people to still call me by my first name.
But I was like market Tonga. You can't scream a
crowd like Mark like I want to.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
You can, but it's a lot of sympl.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
Can't a lot of symbols. I want something. It's just
too syllables, straight to the point, marketable straight.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
I love that. I love that. I wasn't.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
I wasn't too far off luxury Mark Lux Man, thank
you for coming on through, keeping it live and direct,
keep it at home Grown. We will catch you all
next time.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Appreciate you, Chuck,
Home Grown News
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