October 9, 2023 • 31 mins
Join us for a rhythmic journey with Hush, the mastermind behind our iconic theme song. We go from his start on the gritty streets of Detroit's hip-hop scene to the spotlight of Geffen Records, NBC, ESPN, and EA Sports. Hush exemplifies how relentless consistency and taking massive action can catapult your passion to global platforms. Discover how the 10X mindset isn't just for entrepreneurs – it's a universal formula for success in any field.🔥🎙️
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
there there comes a point when you got
to jump off the cliff right music
businesses to me is is already a risky
business right out right out of the gate
and that comes with making you know
creating opportunities for yourself and
that you're not going to do that if you
don't take risks I think it's very
important in any industry you know you
got to take risks
(00:24):
man when my crew ride up the going light
up
everybody
get welcome to fired up Podcast I am
your host Brad reeba we're brought to
you today by reignite reignite is a 10x
certified business coaching model that
helps entrepreneurs and Business Leaders
of all areas to tap into the thing that
(00:46):
makes them great and stay fired up and
10x their business and today I've got a
really special guest an artist that has
been 10 Xing the music world and the rap
industry and has great hits like hush is
coming break the pain and the song that
we've adopted as the theme song of this
podcast fired up so it gives me great
(01:09):
pleasure to introduce to you hush
welcome welcome to the podcast yes
sir thank you so much um I I've been
following you obviously as just a fan of
your music and really admire what you've
done you've also got a really great
story that I just don't think uh as many
people that that are following you might
(01:29):
know about and I'd really like to get
into the story behind the music and the
songs and really just what drives you so
I'm really excited to have you on today
man thanks man I appreciate it I'm glad
to be here I'm uh I'm I'm excited to
tell you my stories that's awesome well
why don't we start at the beginning I
mean that you've been such a an
influence as a collaborator and a as a
(01:51):
soloist so I mean you can go back to the
darus dayss or or your solo career but
tell me why you got started in the
industry I've been I've Loved hip-hop
since the the first pretty much the
early years of uh of when it started
probably probably within uh the the
first 10 years of of it starting you
(02:12):
know hip hop is officially has a
birthday of 1973 so you know we're in
our 50th year here um I was born in
1972 so I'm actually just you know one
year older than it so um but growing up
with with hip hop in my neighborhood
here in Detroit
um it kind of just was a blend and a
(02:33):
mesh of uh along with the funk uh you
know George Clinton in
Parliament um you know even even you
know early you know maybe Gap Band
earthwind and fire that kind of stuff
they kind of like you know they kind of
started playing hip-hop around my
neighborhood that was you know kind of
(02:55):
like I said meshed in with a lot of that
stuff that I I had already heard as a
kid
um but I just I don't know man it it's
just something that just attached to my
my soul immediately I just loved every
aspect of it um you know my the my first
uh I think the first song that I like
really heard uh that I really gravitated
(03:18):
to was Planet Rock yeah um by Africa
bambata and it was just something about
the
Beats um it was just something about the
you know the the music in it um
you know and then just uh it it was just
something that I just wanted to be a
part of somehow um so you know I started
out you know break dancing to it um you
(03:41):
know and you know as a break dancer you
go through a bunch of names and stuff
like that um they used to call me D
Smooth nice to be my break dancer name
um but then I
saw um I
watched uh Crush
Grove um and then I watch watched
Breakin yeah movies and it was IC tea
(04:06):
performing in that movie that um I don't
know it was just something that made me
say you know that's what I want to do I
saw ice te performing in that he
performed the song Reckless and Reckless
was like like one of the best songs to
break dance to at the time and and I
used to love that and so um I don't know
(04:29):
I started wrting raps I started writing
little parody raps I would take popular
songs on the radio um you know change
the words um to to make funny stories
and sometimes explicit stories um and
you know one time I got caught in high
school not in high school in in um I
(04:50):
don't say Elementary yeah Elementary
School got caught writing that in
elementary one of those in elementary
school and the teacher brought me up to
the the front of the class
yeah and made me wrap it in front of the
whole class and this was like probably
sixth grade fifth or sixth grade yeah
and um had you had you been public or
(05:13):
publicly performing or anything before
no so okay no no no you know it was just
stuff I would do with my friends yeah
you know around the neighborhood and
then
um my teacher Mr wah husy I'll never
forget him he uh brought me up he was
one of of those super cool and I went to
Catholic school at the time okay um he
(05:33):
wasn't a priest he was just a regular
teacher and a regular guy um but he
brought me up to the front of the class
and and my the rap was clean okay um and
uh yeah and I just got the bug from that
and then I just continued to like think
like man I need to get in front of
people and so I just I started like
(05:56):
really going pretty uh crazy writing rap
ever since then you know it's great I
didn't know if I'd ever do it
professionally but it was just something
that was just so interesting uh writing
and and uh doing around my friends
because my friends would write their
little raps too yeah but but I think
they took it you know more comedically
(06:17):
than and I took it more seriously you
did yeah and and then uh you know and
then you just keep on pushing and keep
on you know trying to find ways to
connect with people yeah see see what
happens and you and you've taken it
seriously and it and it's taken off and
I think um made an impression and I
think it's important for people that are
(06:38):
in or thinking about getting into any
area of the music industry hip hop or
otherwise to understand that it's it's
not a straight road to success and and I
think you could probably speak better
than anyone of the the challenges that
come along the way if there's anything
that sticks out well you know for me uh
there's there was challenge immediately
(07:01):
was was being white in in a in a black
industry you know and trying to
um trying to be taken seriously um you
know it it be it I had a lot of friends
who were you know always had my back
always supportive so that always helped
(07:23):
and then um I met my group partner uh
Uncle ill
uh Jermaine Harbin um we met through a
mutual rap friend um Jermaine had been
in another group before and I was just
um I had some equipment and I was making
my own beats and writing my own Rhymes
(07:45):
to him all the while you know still
having a regular occupation you know um
still out here you know working and you
know in in the workforce and and um you
know it's just something about when you
have that bug and it's something that
you just know like man this is what I
want to do I want to do this for a
living I just you know I want to I want
(08:06):
to have a record deal I want to go
platinum I want to do I want to be on
MTV you know you just start there
there's all kinds of things but I think
the the the first important thing that
you should probably do is write out your
goals you know and and and I knew that
early and and I wrote it down and and I
would try to tackle each one and um you
(08:27):
know the first one was uh to make a
record I had to I had to get into a
studio and make a record and you know
thankfully I met Germaine and Jermaine
and I Jermaine had the same goals I did
and that helped because you know we talk
it out and uh then the next thing you
know we get in the studio well you can
(08:48):
get in the studio and and do what you
need to do but you know you have to have
the right people with you in the studio
the right engineer sure um you know
someone who can understand what you're
trying to accomplish while you're in
there um we had a really really awesome
guy his name was Fritz and Fritz now
(09:09):
works with uh ICP and has he's been with
them for a long time probably 20 plus
years yeah um but Fritz was uh Fritz was
our engineer and and he came from like
the rock world as an as a as a music
engineer and you know we some of the
challenges was you know getting money
(09:31):
for the studio time you know um studio
time was expensive uh was 50 something
dollars an hour um you know this was
before anybody could do it the way that
we do it now which is you know everybody
had it's very user friendly it's a lot
of you know laptop based right um
recording you know uh audio
(09:52):
software um but we you know we knock we
were able to knock an album out in in
very short time time probably about two
weeks um only because we had everything
already wrote down and everything was
already set to go and the music was
there and and uh made it a lot you know
it made it very easy um but now you you
(10:12):
know now you got to get it out to the
masses so we had to find a Distribution
Company that that you know pressed up
CDs um and different marketing material
whether it be you know posters or flyers
or you know whatever it may be and uh
doing all that is is it's not that hard
(10:34):
but now you have to get into you have to
go out to the masses and Market this and
and promote this and you know you've it
was already hard enough raising the
money to get into the studio so trying
to find a way to to Market it through a
company wasn't going to happen because
marketing that marketing hipop locally
(10:58):
is is
it just was it wasn't even there yeah so
all the all of the you know the local
rap groups we we did it all on our own
so you know we would get the materials
the Flyers and the posters and man we
would have to go around I'll never
forget those days those were some of the
those are actually some of the fun days
ever man we would go to movie theaters
(11:20):
and put flyers in all the parking in all
the cars in the parking lot Windows um
we would go to the mall you know and
pick a certain you know area and do that
and and you know but then we would go to
the hip-hop nights and you know some of
the challenges was convincing the
promoter or whoever it was at the club
to to let us get on stage okay you know
(11:42):
and and pushing to to be the opening act
for you know a lot of groups let us let
us get on and we'll you know we always
used to say let us get on we'll show you
we'll prove it to you and um man
Jermaine and I had a really tight set we
you know it was like a good tight 15
minutes um and one guy his name was Mike
(12:06):
Danner let us get on stage at St Andrews
Hall um it's a very legendary rock venue
uh here in Detroit um and it had a
Friday night A hip-hop night on Friday
nights um everybody was there always you
know you had and you know Eminem was
there early with all of us um a lot of
(12:27):
the other Detroit groups that made it um
Jay Dilla would be there um slum Village
would be there I mean even Kid Rock
would pop in every once in a while um
depending on you know what he had going
on yeah um but we got on
stage and after we got on stage we
opened up for the roots oh wow and yeah
(12:49):
and um we did our set and after that
Mike Danner let us get on a lot of shows
there was a lot of people that actually
were mad because he kept putting us on
certain uh shows I mean we opened up for
Ja Rule um we opened up for you know
different members of wuang clan um you
(13:11):
know it was just uh it it was at that
point it it just became okay now we're
on stage now we're proving ourselves
yeah you know and our name got out there
because of that and because our name got
out there people were buying our
CDs and then in turn other venues uh it
was it made it easier for us to get in
(13:33):
uh the door in other venues because our
name was out there yeah momentum just
built and you stayed consistent and and
just kept at it it seems like that's
consistency is everything you know and I
find that with with everything I do in
life you know if if as long as you're
consistent consistent with your
messaging consistent with your music
consistent with you know your work ethic
(13:54):
you're consisting with uh you know um uh
community
communication it it you know it goes
everywhere it goes hand inand with
everything that you can do in life it
doesn't even it doesn't have to you know
be be applied to what I do specifically
just you know because I I do more than
music and it's always been able to um
(14:18):
it's been you know a cheat code you know
that's the way I look at it those are
those are cheat codes man they're
they're real easy to do you just have to
to to stay consistent with that
as long as you do that you know you can
uh you know you'll keep the doors open
and you won't burn Bridges right yeah
and sometimes it's tough to stay
consistent stay motivated to keep doing
(14:39):
it when if you're not sure that your
message is getting through or that
you're getting through to the people
that you want or or you know really it's
being received in the right way so I
think as you look back over the journey
and sort of where you're at is there
anything that you would change or do
differently you know what um I really
don't think I would um I mean obviously
(15:03):
I I know more about the business
now um but that that wouldn't be fair
you know yeah no going back and no no
you know using what I know now I don't
think that would be fair because I don't
think that I would appreciate it as much
as I do now appreciate what I what what
we went through back then because all of
(15:25):
that led to uh some amazing you know
events in my life and
and if I knew what I what I know now and
used it back
then I don't know it just doesn't I
don't think I I would have earned what I
earned you know that's the way I look at
it it wouldn't be fair I wouldn't I
wouldn't have earned it it it would have
(15:46):
just been uh it would have been too easy
and and I wouldn't have had learned from
all of the trials and tribulations and
the bumps in the road that I went along
that that made me appreciate it more as
I continue to grow and be successful
right yeah it makes sense and and you
certainly had a lot of obstacles to
overcome early on in the music industry
(16:08):
it's not like it is today where you've
got these streaming platforms and so
many ways to get your message and your
music out like you said you're dealing
with hard physical media you're trying
to distribute you know compact discs uh
trying to get a major label that would
endorse that and carry the message you
got to do Flyers all of these things
that you did and you hit the pavement
(16:30):
you you stayed consistent and I think
that's a message that a lot of people
don't understand it's just like you had
the love for it but you had something
else that was driving you to stay with
that love and not lose it where a lot of
people it just becomes something like uh
more casual that they just don't stick
with you I I also think about you know I
(16:51):
there there comes a point when you got
to jump off the cliff right yeah and um
for me that was moving out of Detroit
Detroit um I moved to Atlanta um I did
everything I felt I I could do you know
eventually I went solo from the Ruckus
um we had some record deals that that
fell through because of an industry
(17:11):
merger um and I I continued to grow as
an artist just individually and
personally a lot faster than I think
Germaine um and I continued to just make
more connections and I was like the I
was like the one in the group that was
always you know going to every event
that that there was possible if I wasn't
(17:32):
working I was at any event whether it
was on Wednesday Thursday Friday I could
do five days in a row and because I just
wanted it so bad and So eventually I
went solo and I I you know I developed
myself and did everything I needed to do
that there wasn't much more that I could
do in Detroit and I I just felt like I
got to move I got to move I got to move
(17:52):
and you know that's that jumping off the
cliff moment was moving to Atlanta
um it's just something that I just knew
I had to do Atlanta was a a like a you
know it was it it became like the hot
spot where everybody in hip-hop um
successfully was Mo were they were
(18:12):
moving to Atlanta to create like this
hip-hop Hub yeah of sorts outside of
being in New York or being in La um
there really wasn't any other place you
could go to and so people you know
artists in New York and some artists in
La got together and just had like a
powow maybe through a phone call or
whatever and said hey we're going to
(18:34):
let's let's move to Atlanta let's start
a community yeah and I wanted to be
wherever that was and um I moved to
Atlanta and if it wasn't for me moving
to Atlanta I I mean there's little these
little baby steps
that kind of fell in order and I ended
up meeting uh my manager who's still my
(18:55):
manager to this day Paul fishkin um he's
he's a manager out in La who he managed
Stevie Nicks took Stevie Nicks away from
uh I don't want say he took her from
Fleetwood Mack but it it was Stevie's
idea to leave Fleetwood Mack and Paul
kind of facilitated that um by getting
her on a creating a record label
(19:16):
specifically so she could uh land on her
feet um he managed Natalie Cole uh
before she was doing the
unforgettable uh act um that she became
really famous for um um he had never
managed a rapper before and so you know
it's just these things that I just feel
like if I hadn't jumped off the cliff
(19:38):
all these little things wouldn't have
happened because Paul ended up uh making
connections with um you know one of his
best friends was Jimmy iven who ran
inter scope records yeah yeah and you
know me performing in La um in front of
uh Jimmy ivene and inner scope records
uh that helped me to get signed to
(19:59):
geffin record so all of these little
baby things would never have happened
had I not jumped off the cliff and
that's the one thing I tell a lot of
artists that I Mentor when you know they
asked me for advice hey man what should
I do you know what do you think I should
be doing whatever and I said man you got
to get in front of as many people as
possible but you got to get out of
Detroit you got to get out of the city
(20:19):
and and that's why you need to get out
of the city because you got to get in
front of other crowds because you know
it's easy to have a show here have 50
people
and look out in that
audience and all you're really looking
at is your friends and your family
because that's that's 90% of the people
that's in the crowd and we already know
that they're going to support us and
(20:41):
support our vision and support our music
it's when you get out in front of crowds
in New York or Chicago or Cleveland or
you know wherever it may
be you look out in that crowd you don't
know anybody yeah so they're going to
give you the feedback and let you know
if you're good or not you know when you
walk off that stage if it's crickets man
(21:03):
you got you got to think ask yourself
why was it Cricket you know yeah or you
might walk off there and you've got a
standing o you know and and you're like
okay I'm on to something here so um all
of that requires jumping off the cliff
you know if I could write a book
tomorrow that'd be the title of it but
I'm sure there's a million books titled
(21:24):
jump off the clip but you know it's it's
very important in uh I think it's very
important in any industry you know you
got to take risks man you got to do it
yeah yeah music business is to me is is
already a risky business right out right
out of the gate you know and that comes
(21:45):
with making you know taking risks um and
you know making or you know creating
opportunities for yourself and that
you're not going to do that if you don't
take risk right yeah and you've taken
the risks and their rewards that come
with it if you look at those that and
take a you know chance to actually step
back and look and see what you've
(22:06):
accomplished is there anything that
stands out that's a a proud moment for
you something that really stands out in
your mind man I'll tell you I've got
I've got
one I've got one story that just that
would
that creates like this this little line
of of I took one
risk and it created an opportunity for
(22:30):
me that to this day I still make money
off of and it and it falls right into
your lap yeah
um my manager says to me you know what
what uh you know I was living in La I
moved to LA took another risk moved to
LA the minute I I got my record deal um
(22:52):
thought of you know I got to start
making my record immediately um I had
the support of Eminem he gave me a few
tracks for the album which was pretty
easy because we were friends we grew up
together you know we grew up uh you know
in the music scene together um but then
Paul said Hey listen you know I've got a
friend he's he does he's a music
(23:12):
supervisor for you know uh movies and TV
shows and I said well you know i' i' I'd
love to get a song on a a movie you know
or a TV show and he said let's go talk
to him his name was Clyde lman said all
right so he goes uh you know he's doing
this TV show with Sylvester
(23:32):
Stallone and it's like a it's like a
like a boxing show what do you think you
could do and I said well let me let me
get in the studio and see what I can do
so I got in the studio with a friend of
M Julian banetta and we made this this
song and went and saw
Clyde we were sitting there talking to
(23:54):
Clyde and I was a brand new artist at
the time and I looked on the wall and he
had he had CDs from every artist in the
music business um and he was looking for
songs for this particular um TV show and
we were playing this this song and I it
didn't have a a title to it and we were
(24:17):
playing it so loud in the
office and Clyde goes you know what I I
really want to play this for my boss but
he's not here today I don't I don't I
I'll try to get you know you know get
him to hear it yeah and right as he said
that this guy walked past the the office
door and he kind of like walked by like
(24:37):
this and he kind of cut back and he was
like what's that and Clyde goes oh
there's my boss name was Mark
Bernett oh wow Mark Bernett created
Survivor yeah created celebrty
Apprentice or and The Apprentice um I
think he did Amazing Race and you know a
few others and Clyde said this is hush
(25:01):
and uh he brought us some music uh just
you know for the TV
show he goes man I love this song this
is this is exactly what we need he goes
you know what we're not looking for
nothing else you're my
guy and I thought oh wow okay uh all
right cool and I'm looking on this wall
(25:22):
and I'm seeing you know um you know uh
Cold Play and all the other you know
incredibly famous and and you know
artists and he's picking I'm thinking
man he's picking little old hush from
Detroit who just got a barely got a
record deal and he's like can you s
stick around I said yeah so I stick
(25:43):
around and and he said listen it's for
this boxing show I'm doing it's called
the contender it's got It's Sugar Ray
Leonard and and Sylvester Stallone yeah
Jackie Ken she's from Detroit she's
going to be the denm mother and it's
going to be all these boxers fighting
for the championship on NBC he goes and
if if you know if I if I I need you to
do music for the show will you do music
(26:04):
for the show I'm I need an original
score I said yeah he goes will you work
with Han
Zimmer Han Zimmer this guy did Gladiator
this guy did Blackhawk Down I'm like are
you kidding me
absolutely um and he said all right well
and I need you to provide some more you
know hip-hop music and and you know
actual hip-hop songs to the show can you
(26:26):
do that yeah absolutely he and then I'm
going to have you like perform in the
ring like live on the season finale it's
probably going to be in front of 10
million people can you do that yeah I
can do it you know I got so excited and
and I worked on that and Julian and I uh
came up with two songs for it um and
then I worked with Hans Zimmer as far as
(26:46):
you know placing certain um songs in the
actual TV show in certain episodes um
you know and then I performed it in the
ring on the season finale of the
show and um that song uh also it from
that it ended up on a EA Sports video
(27:10):
game and if you know anything about
video games EA Sports is one of the
leading companies uh in that industry
yeah um they had a video game called
Need For Speed Most
Wanted um it became the number one
single for that video
game and here we are you know some 20
years later and it's now the theme song
(27:31):
for your podcast yeah you know wow it's
crazy I mean that if I hadn't taken the
taken that risk and and going well let
me get in a studio and just see what I
do you know and and I could have said
you know well I don't know H let me let
(27:51):
me let let's see what what he does let
let me hear some other stuff that
Clyde's got I don't know I don't I don't
feel like going there that day you know
whatever anything my manager wanted me
to do dude I jumped on it because I I I
was never that type of an artist that
um I I granted I wouldn't compromise my
(28:14):
Integrity right because that's what we
that's all we got you know I'm not gonna
um I I I didn't want to uh I wasn't that
type of artist who who wanted to play
himself you know it was just like you
know anything that I do it it's still
methodical in my brain I'm still
thinking about certain stuff because I
(28:35):
don't I'm not going to put myself out
there uh in an uncompromised light um
you know and and because that's all we
have really um but to be free about it
and to take those risks you know like I
said here I am 20 years later and I'm
still making money off that song I it's
15 million streams later yeah you know
(28:58):
um it's great passive income you
know right yeah it's how it works you
know and it's it's a banger man it's
awesome it is a banger you know and I
still I still believe in that song to
this day I I I believe that that song
could probably come out today and still
work yep
100% absolutely yeah and I was very
(29:20):
happy to to allow you to use it because
you know what what better name of a
podcast
right that's better name of a song man
so with everything else that you've done
to this point I got to ask what's next I
know you got a new release out you talk
about any projects or anything on the
horizon so the release I have out now is
(29:43):
a bunch of bsides and and bootlegs and
things that I I had just sitting around
that I felt like you know a lot of the
fans had been texting me and emailing me
hey what when are you going to put this
song out and whatever from back in the
day and so I kind of gave that out to
the fans
um I had an album on uh that hit the
iTunes hip-hop album chart last year
called 7182 313 um that featured myself
(30:06):
and a a a Queens native uh Bobby Jay
from Rockaway from Far Rockaway Queens
we kind of did a collabo Detroit to New
York uh album um and that did so that it
was very successful so we're planning a
volume two of that I've already got 20
you know something beats made and we're
going to keep making beats until we
(30:27):
figure it out but we're definitely on
the on the on the end of working uh a
volume two for that and that should be
uh that should be coming out hopefully
next year um it's going to feature uh a
lot of Detroit legends and a lot of New
York Legends on it because that's that's
that's the way we looked at it we can
put a lot of our Legends on it um and
show like a Detroit to New York scene
(30:48):
hip-hop scene yeah and uh get us all
together on the Same album and and uh
you know like I said the last one was
successful I'm just going to keep doing
what I do man I just consistency right
yeah that's awesome well I love it and I
will be glad to check it out for sure uh
really great to have you on today thank
you so much for your song and thank you
(31:08):
for being here on the fired up Podcast
anything you never need bro I'm here for
you I appreciate you very much so we're
going to leave it there and this is Brad
Reba for the fired up Podcast reminding
you to stay fired up and do something
great myw ride up the sky going to light
(31:29):
up everybody
get
there there comes a point when you got
to jump off the cliff right music
businesses to me is is already a risky
business right out right out of the gate
and that comes with making you know
creating opportunities for yourself and
that you're not going to do that if you
don't take risks I think it's very
important in any industry you know you
got to take risks
(00:24):
man when my crew ride up the going light
up
everybody
get welcome to fired up Podcast I am
your host Brad reeba we're brought to
you today by reignite reignite is a 10x
certified business coaching model that
helps entrepreneurs and Business Leaders
of all areas to tap into the thing that
(00:46):
makes them great and stay fired up and
10x their business and today I've got a
really special guest an artist that has
been 10 Xing the music world and the rap
industry and has great hits like hush is
coming break the pain and the song that
we've adopted as the theme song of this
podcast fired up so it gives me great
(01:09):
pleasure to introduce to you hush
welcome welcome to the podcast yes
sir thank you so much um I I've been
following you obviously as just a fan of
your music and really admire what you've
done you've also got a really great
story that I just don't think uh as many
people that that are following you might
(01:29):
know about and I'd really like to get
into the story behind the music and the
songs and really just what drives you so
I'm really excited to have you on today
man thanks man I appreciate it I'm glad
to be here I'm uh I'm I'm excited to
tell you my stories that's awesome well
why don't we start at the beginning I
mean that you've been such a an
influence as a collaborator and a as a
(01:51):
soloist so I mean you can go back to the
darus dayss or or your solo career but
tell me why you got started in the
industry I've been I've Loved hip-hop
since the the first pretty much the
early years of uh of when it started
probably probably within uh the the
first 10 years of of it starting you
(02:12):
know hip hop is officially has a
birthday of 1973 so you know we're in
our 50th year here um I was born in
1972 so I'm actually just you know one
year older than it so um but growing up
with with hip hop in my neighborhood
here in Detroit
um it kind of just was a blend and a
(02:33):
mesh of uh along with the funk uh you
know George Clinton in
Parliament um you know even even you
know early you know maybe Gap Band
earthwind and fire that kind of stuff
they kind of like you know they kind of
started playing hip-hop around my
neighborhood that was you know kind of
(02:55):
like I said meshed in with a lot of that
stuff that I I had already heard as a
kid
um but I just I don't know man it it's
just something that just attached to my
my soul immediately I just loved every
aspect of it um you know my the my first
uh I think the first song that I like
really heard uh that I really gravitated
(03:18):
to was Planet Rock yeah um by Africa
bambata and it was just something about
the
Beats um it was just something about the
you know the the music in it um
you know and then just uh it it was just
something that I just wanted to be a
part of somehow um so you know I started
out you know break dancing to it um you
(03:41):
know and you know as a break dancer you
go through a bunch of names and stuff
like that um they used to call me D
Smooth nice to be my break dancer name
um but then I
saw um I
watched uh Crush
Grove um and then I watch watched
Breakin yeah movies and it was IC tea
(04:06):
performing in that movie that um I don't
know it was just something that made me
say you know that's what I want to do I
saw ice te performing in that he
performed the song Reckless and Reckless
was like like one of the best songs to
break dance to at the time and and I
used to love that and so um I don't know
(04:29):
I started wrting raps I started writing
little parody raps I would take popular
songs on the radio um you know change
the words um to to make funny stories
and sometimes explicit stories um and
you know one time I got caught in high
school not in high school in in um I
(04:50):
don't say Elementary yeah Elementary
School got caught writing that in
elementary one of those in elementary
school and the teacher brought me up to
the the front of the class
yeah and made me wrap it in front of the
whole class and this was like probably
sixth grade fifth or sixth grade yeah
and um had you had you been public or
(05:13):
publicly performing or anything before
no so okay no no no you know it was just
stuff I would do with my friends yeah
you know around the neighborhood and
then
um my teacher Mr wah husy I'll never
forget him he uh brought me up he was
one of of those super cool and I went to
Catholic school at the time okay um he
(05:33):
wasn't a priest he was just a regular
teacher and a regular guy um but he
brought me up to the front of the class
and and my the rap was clean okay um and
uh yeah and I just got the bug from that
and then I just continued to like think
like man I need to get in front of
people and so I just I started like
(05:56):
really going pretty uh crazy writing rap
ever since then you know it's great I
didn't know if I'd ever do it
professionally but it was just something
that was just so interesting uh writing
and and uh doing around my friends
because my friends would write their
little raps too yeah but but I think
they took it you know more comedically
(06:17):
than and I took it more seriously you
did yeah and and then uh you know and
then you just keep on pushing and keep
on you know trying to find ways to
connect with people yeah see see what
happens and you and you've taken it
seriously and it and it's taken off and
I think um made an impression and I
think it's important for people that are
(06:38):
in or thinking about getting into any
area of the music industry hip hop or
otherwise to understand that it's it's
not a straight road to success and and I
think you could probably speak better
than anyone of the the challenges that
come along the way if there's anything
that sticks out well you know for me uh
there's there was challenge immediately
(07:01):
was was being white in in a in a black
industry you know and trying to
um trying to be taken seriously um you
know it it be it I had a lot of friends
who were you know always had my back
always supportive so that always helped
(07:23):
and then um I met my group partner uh
Uncle ill
uh Jermaine Harbin um we met through a
mutual rap friend um Jermaine had been
in another group before and I was just
um I had some equipment and I was making
my own beats and writing my own Rhymes
(07:45):
to him all the while you know still
having a regular occupation you know um
still out here you know working and you
know in in the workforce and and um you
know it's just something about when you
have that bug and it's something that
you just know like man this is what I
want to do I want to do this for a
living I just you know I want to I want
(08:06):
to have a record deal I want to go
platinum I want to do I want to be on
MTV you know you just start there
there's all kinds of things but I think
the the the first important thing that
you should probably do is write out your
goals you know and and and I knew that
early and and I wrote it down and and I
would try to tackle each one and um you
(08:27):
know the first one was uh to make a
record I had to I had to get into a
studio and make a record and you know
thankfully I met Germaine and Jermaine
and I Jermaine had the same goals I did
and that helped because you know we talk
it out and uh then the next thing you
know we get in the studio well you can
(08:48):
get in the studio and and do what you
need to do but you know you have to have
the right people with you in the studio
the right engineer sure um you know
someone who can understand what you're
trying to accomplish while you're in
there um we had a really really awesome
guy his name was Fritz and Fritz now
(09:09):
works with uh ICP and has he's been with
them for a long time probably 20 plus
years yeah um but Fritz was uh Fritz was
our engineer and and he came from like
the rock world as an as a as a music
engineer and you know we some of the
challenges was you know getting money
(09:31):
for the studio time you know um studio
time was expensive uh was 50 something
dollars an hour um you know this was
before anybody could do it the way that
we do it now which is you know everybody
had it's very user friendly it's a lot
of you know laptop based right um
recording you know uh audio
(09:52):
software um but we you know we knock we
were able to knock an album out in in
very short time time probably about two
weeks um only because we had everything
already wrote down and everything was
already set to go and the music was
there and and uh made it a lot you know
it made it very easy um but now you you
(10:12):
know now you got to get it out to the
masses so we had to find a Distribution
Company that that you know pressed up
CDs um and different marketing material
whether it be you know posters or flyers
or you know whatever it may be and uh
doing all that is is it's not that hard
(10:34):
but now you have to get into you have to
go out to the masses and Market this and
and promote this and you know you've it
was already hard enough raising the
money to get into the studio so trying
to find a way to to Market it through a
company wasn't going to happen because
marketing that marketing hipop locally
(10:58):
is is
it just was it wasn't even there yeah so
all the all of the you know the local
rap groups we we did it all on our own
so you know we would get the materials
the Flyers and the posters and man we
would have to go around I'll never
forget those days those were some of the
those are actually some of the fun days
ever man we would go to movie theaters
(11:20):
and put flyers in all the parking in all
the cars in the parking lot Windows um
we would go to the mall you know and
pick a certain you know area and do that
and and you know but then we would go to
the hip-hop nights and you know some of
the challenges was convincing the
promoter or whoever it was at the club
to to let us get on stage okay you know
(11:42):
and and pushing to to be the opening act
for you know a lot of groups let us let
us get on and we'll you know we always
used to say let us get on we'll show you
we'll prove it to you and um man
Jermaine and I had a really tight set we
you know it was like a good tight 15
minutes um and one guy his name was Mike
(12:06):
Danner let us get on stage at St Andrews
Hall um it's a very legendary rock venue
uh here in Detroit um and it had a
Friday night A hip-hop night on Friday
nights um everybody was there always you
know you had and you know Eminem was
there early with all of us um a lot of
(12:27):
the other Detroit groups that made it um
Jay Dilla would be there um slum Village
would be there I mean even Kid Rock
would pop in every once in a while um
depending on you know what he had going
on yeah um but we got on
stage and after we got on stage we
opened up for the roots oh wow and yeah
(12:49):
and um we did our set and after that
Mike Danner let us get on a lot of shows
there was a lot of people that actually
were mad because he kept putting us on
certain uh shows I mean we opened up for
Ja Rule um we opened up for you know
different members of wuang clan um you
(13:11):
know it was just uh it it was at that
point it it just became okay now we're
on stage now we're proving ourselves
yeah you know and our name got out there
because of that and because our name got
out there people were buying our
CDs and then in turn other venues uh it
was it made it easier for us to get in
(13:33):
uh the door in other venues because our
name was out there yeah momentum just
built and you stayed consistent and and
just kept at it it seems like that's
consistency is everything you know and I
find that with with everything I do in
life you know if if as long as you're
consistent consistent with your
messaging consistent with your music
consistent with you know your work ethic
(13:54):
you're consisting with uh you know um uh
community
communication it it you know it goes
everywhere it goes hand inand with
everything that you can do in life it
doesn't even it doesn't have to you know
be be applied to what I do specifically
just you know because I I do more than
music and it's always been able to um
(14:18):
it's been you know a cheat code you know
that's the way I look at it those are
those are cheat codes man they're
they're real easy to do you just have to
to to stay consistent with that
as long as you do that you know you can
uh you know you'll keep the doors open
and you won't burn Bridges right yeah
and sometimes it's tough to stay
consistent stay motivated to keep doing
(14:39):
it when if you're not sure that your
message is getting through or that
you're getting through to the people
that you want or or you know really it's
being received in the right way so I
think as you look back over the journey
and sort of where you're at is there
anything that you would change or do
differently you know what um I really
don't think I would um I mean obviously
(15:03):
I I know more about the business
now um but that that wouldn't be fair
you know yeah no going back and no no
you know using what I know now I don't
think that would be fair because I don't
think that I would appreciate it as much
as I do now appreciate what I what what
we went through back then because all of
(15:25):
that led to uh some amazing you know
events in my life and
and if I knew what I what I know now and
used it back
then I don't know it just doesn't I
don't think I I would have earned what I
earned you know that's the way I look at
it it wouldn't be fair I wouldn't I
wouldn't have earned it it it would have
(15:46):
just been uh it would have been too easy
and and I wouldn't have had learned from
all of the trials and tribulations and
the bumps in the road that I went along
that that made me appreciate it more as
I continue to grow and be successful
right yeah it makes sense and and you
certainly had a lot of obstacles to
overcome early on in the music industry
(16:08):
it's not like it is today where you've
got these streaming platforms and so
many ways to get your message and your
music out like you said you're dealing
with hard physical media you're trying
to distribute you know compact discs uh
trying to get a major label that would
endorse that and carry the message you
got to do Flyers all of these things
that you did and you hit the pavement
(16:30):
you you stayed consistent and I think
that's a message that a lot of people
don't understand it's just like you had
the love for it but you had something
else that was driving you to stay with
that love and not lose it where a lot of
people it just becomes something like uh
more casual that they just don't stick
with you I I also think about you know I
(16:51):
there there comes a point when you got
to jump off the cliff right yeah and um
for me that was moving out of Detroit
Detroit um I moved to Atlanta um I did
everything I felt I I could do you know
eventually I went solo from the Ruckus
um we had some record deals that that
fell through because of an industry
(17:11):
merger um and I I continued to grow as
an artist just individually and
personally a lot faster than I think
Germaine um and I continued to just make
more connections and I was like the I
was like the one in the group that was
always you know going to every event
that that there was possible if I wasn't
(17:32):
working I was at any event whether it
was on Wednesday Thursday Friday I could
do five days in a row and because I just
wanted it so bad and So eventually I
went solo and I I you know I developed
myself and did everything I needed to do
that there wasn't much more that I could
do in Detroit and I I just felt like I
got to move I got to move I got to move
(17:52):
and you know that's that jumping off the
cliff moment was moving to Atlanta
um it's just something that I just knew
I had to do Atlanta was a a like a you
know it was it it became like the hot
spot where everybody in hip-hop um
successfully was Mo were they were
(18:12):
moving to Atlanta to create like this
hip-hop Hub yeah of sorts outside of
being in New York or being in La um
there really wasn't any other place you
could go to and so people you know
artists in New York and some artists in
La got together and just had like a
powow maybe through a phone call or
whatever and said hey we're going to
(18:34):
let's let's move to Atlanta let's start
a community yeah and I wanted to be
wherever that was and um I moved to
Atlanta and if it wasn't for me moving
to Atlanta I I mean there's little these
little baby steps
that kind of fell in order and I ended
up meeting uh my manager who's still my
(18:55):
manager to this day Paul fishkin um he's
he's a manager out in La who he managed
Stevie Nicks took Stevie Nicks away from
uh I don't want say he took her from
Fleetwood Mack but it it was Stevie's
idea to leave Fleetwood Mack and Paul
kind of facilitated that um by getting
her on a creating a record label
(19:16):
specifically so she could uh land on her
feet um he managed Natalie Cole uh
before she was doing the
unforgettable uh act um that she became
really famous for um um he had never
managed a rapper before and so you know
it's just these things that I just feel
like if I hadn't jumped off the cliff
(19:38):
all these little things wouldn't have
happened because Paul ended up uh making
connections with um you know one of his
best friends was Jimmy iven who ran
inter scope records yeah yeah and you
know me performing in La um in front of
uh Jimmy ivene and inner scope records
uh that helped me to get signed to
(19:59):
geffin record so all of these little
baby things would never have happened
had I not jumped off the cliff and
that's the one thing I tell a lot of
artists that I Mentor when you know they
asked me for advice hey man what should
I do you know what do you think I should
be doing whatever and I said man you got
to get in front of as many people as
possible but you got to get out of
Detroit you got to get out of the city
(20:19):
and and that's why you need to get out
of the city because you got to get in
front of other crowds because you know
it's easy to have a show here have 50
people
and look out in that
audience and all you're really looking
at is your friends and your family
because that's that's 90% of the people
that's in the crowd and we already know
that they're going to support us and
(20:41):
support our vision and support our music
it's when you get out in front of crowds
in New York or Chicago or Cleveland or
you know wherever it may
be you look out in that crowd you don't
know anybody yeah so they're going to
give you the feedback and let you know
if you're good or not you know when you
walk off that stage if it's crickets man
(21:03):
you got you got to think ask yourself
why was it Cricket you know yeah or you
might walk off there and you've got a
standing o you know and and you're like
okay I'm on to something here so um all
of that requires jumping off the cliff
you know if I could write a book
tomorrow that'd be the title of it but
I'm sure there's a million books titled
(21:24):
jump off the clip but you know it's it's
very important in uh I think it's very
important in any industry you know you
got to take risks man you got to do it
yeah yeah music business is to me is is
already a risky business right out right
out of the gate you know and that comes
(21:45):
with making you know taking risks um and
you know making or you know creating
opportunities for yourself and that
you're not going to do that if you don't
take risk right yeah and you've taken
the risks and their rewards that come
with it if you look at those that and
take a you know chance to actually step
back and look and see what you've
(22:06):
accomplished is there anything that
stands out that's a a proud moment for
you something that really stands out in
your mind man I'll tell you I've got
I've got
one I've got one story that just that
would
that creates like this this little line
of of I took one
risk and it created an opportunity for
(22:30):
me that to this day I still make money
off of and it and it falls right into
your lap yeah
um my manager says to me you know what
what uh you know I was living in La I
moved to LA took another risk moved to
LA the minute I I got my record deal um
(22:52):
thought of you know I got to start
making my record immediately um I had
the support of Eminem he gave me a few
tracks for the album which was pretty
easy because we were friends we grew up
together you know we grew up uh you know
in the music scene together um but then
Paul said Hey listen you know I've got a
friend he's he does he's a music
(23:12):
supervisor for you know uh movies and TV
shows and I said well you know i' i' I'd
love to get a song on a a movie you know
or a TV show and he said let's go talk
to him his name was Clyde lman said all
right so he goes uh you know he's doing
this TV show with Sylvester
(23:32):
Stallone and it's like a it's like a
like a boxing show what do you think you
could do and I said well let me let me
get in the studio and see what I can do
so I got in the studio with a friend of
M Julian banetta and we made this this
song and went and saw
Clyde we were sitting there talking to
(23:54):
Clyde and I was a brand new artist at
the time and I looked on the wall and he
had he had CDs from every artist in the
music business um and he was looking for
songs for this particular um TV show and
we were playing this this song and I it
didn't have a a title to it and we were
(24:17):
playing it so loud in the
office and Clyde goes you know what I I
really want to play this for my boss but
he's not here today I don't I don't I
I'll try to get you know you know get
him to hear it yeah and right as he said
that this guy walked past the the office
door and he kind of like walked by like
(24:37):
this and he kind of cut back and he was
like what's that and Clyde goes oh
there's my boss name was Mark
Bernett oh wow Mark Bernett created
Survivor yeah created celebrty
Apprentice or and The Apprentice um I
think he did Amazing Race and you know a
few others and Clyde said this is hush
(25:01):
and uh he brought us some music uh just
you know for the TV
show he goes man I love this song this
is this is exactly what we need he goes
you know what we're not looking for
nothing else you're my
guy and I thought oh wow okay uh all
right cool and I'm looking on this wall
(25:22):
and I'm seeing you know um you know uh
Cold Play and all the other you know
incredibly famous and and you know
artists and he's picking I'm thinking
man he's picking little old hush from
Detroit who just got a barely got a
record deal and he's like can you s
stick around I said yeah so I stick
(25:43):
around and and he said listen it's for
this boxing show I'm doing it's called
the contender it's got It's Sugar Ray
Leonard and and Sylvester Stallone yeah
Jackie Ken she's from Detroit she's
going to be the denm mother and it's
going to be all these boxers fighting
for the championship on NBC he goes and
if if you know if I if I I need you to
do music for the show will you do music
(26:04):
for the show I'm I need an original
score I said yeah he goes will you work
with Han
Zimmer Han Zimmer this guy did Gladiator
this guy did Blackhawk Down I'm like are
you kidding me
absolutely um and he said all right well
and I need you to provide some more you
know hip-hop music and and you know
actual hip-hop songs to the show can you
(26:26):
do that yeah absolutely he and then I'm
going to have you like perform in the
ring like live on the season finale it's
probably going to be in front of 10
million people can you do that yeah I
can do it you know I got so excited and
and I worked on that and Julian and I uh
came up with two songs for it um and
then I worked with Hans Zimmer as far as
(26:46):
you know placing certain um songs in the
actual TV show in certain episodes um
you know and then I performed it in the
ring on the season finale of the
show and um that song uh also it from
that it ended up on a EA Sports video
(27:10):
game and if you know anything about
video games EA Sports is one of the
leading companies uh in that industry
yeah um they had a video game called
Need For Speed Most
Wanted um it became the number one
single for that video
game and here we are you know some 20
years later and it's now the theme song
(27:31):
for your podcast yeah you know wow it's
crazy I mean that if I hadn't taken the
taken that risk and and going well let
me get in a studio and just see what I
do you know and and I could have said
you know well I don't know H let me let
(27:51):
me let let's see what what he does let
let me hear some other stuff that
Clyde's got I don't know I don't I don't
feel like going there that day you know
whatever anything my manager wanted me
to do dude I jumped on it because I I I
was never that type of an artist that
um I I granted I wouldn't compromise my
(28:14):
Integrity right because that's what we
that's all we got you know I'm not gonna
um I I I didn't want to uh I wasn't that
type of artist who who wanted to play
himself you know it was just like you
know anything that I do it it's still
methodical in my brain I'm still
thinking about certain stuff because I
(28:35):
don't I'm not going to put myself out
there uh in an uncompromised light um
you know and and because that's all we
have really um but to be free about it
and to take those risks you know like I
said here I am 20 years later and I'm
still making money off that song I it's
15 million streams later yeah you know
(28:58):
um it's great passive income you
know right yeah it's how it works you
know and it's it's a banger man it's
awesome it is a banger you know and I
still I still believe in that song to
this day I I I believe that that song
could probably come out today and still
work yep
100% absolutely yeah and I was very
(29:20):
happy to to allow you to use it because
you know what what better name of a
podcast
right that's better name of a song man
so with everything else that you've done
to this point I got to ask what's next I
know you got a new release out you talk
about any projects or anything on the
horizon so the release I have out now is
(29:43):
a bunch of bsides and and bootlegs and
things that I I had just sitting around
that I felt like you know a lot of the
fans had been texting me and emailing me
hey what when are you going to put this
song out and whatever from back in the
day and so I kind of gave that out to
the fans
um I had an album on uh that hit the
iTunes hip-hop album chart last year
called 7182 313 um that featured myself
(30:06):
and a a a Queens native uh Bobby Jay
from Rockaway from Far Rockaway Queens
we kind of did a collabo Detroit to New
York uh album um and that did so that it
was very successful so we're planning a
volume two of that I've already got 20
you know something beats made and we're
going to keep making beats until we
(30:27):
figure it out but we're definitely on
the on the on the end of working uh a
volume two for that and that should be
uh that should be coming out hopefully
next year um it's going to feature uh a
lot of Detroit legends and a lot of New
York Legends on it because that's that's
that's the way we looked at it we can
put a lot of our Legends on it um and
show like a Detroit to New York scene
(30:48):
hip-hop scene yeah and uh get us all
together on the Same album and and uh
you know like I said the last one was
successful I'm just going to keep doing
what I do man I just consistency right
yeah that's awesome well I love it and I
will be glad to check it out for sure uh
really great to have you on today thank
you so much for your song and thank you
(31:08):
for being here on the fired up Podcast
anything you never need bro I'm here for
you I appreciate you very much so we're
going to leave it there and this is Brad
Reba for the fired up Podcast reminding
you to stay fired up and do something
great myw ride up the sky going to light
(31:29):
up everybody
get
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