Music producer Chris Pinset spills secrets on Off The Record Podcast

Episode Transcript
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(00:11):
M hmmm. Ladies and gentlemen,welcome to the episode of Real People Off
the Record podcast. What's going on? Everybody good, same old, same

(00:34):
old, same old. Se actlike you do stuff you don't even same
old, same old. The blessingsare still rolling in. That's what it
means to me. Because you gota baby. That's that's that should be
the only thing on your mind rightnow. Clapp, Jason's had a baby's
actually two weeks old today, Jayhad Sacks. Look at that, Jay
had Sacks had a baby all theone shot, right, you have,

(01:00):
su man, I'm saving myself forthat. So ladies, Joe, just
congratulate Jordan's and congratulate Jay. Justchilling, Thank you, thank you,
thank you. It's been a blessing. And our co hosts from via zoom.
It's the official show year. Youalready know New York City in the
building. What's going on? Man, I'm just just regular people. We

(01:26):
regular people, right, real people, regular people, regular people do,
regular people. I mean, wegotta do what we gotta do. So
so what we got going. I'mexcited about this show. This this this,
this one, this one is hitshome just like LB hit Home.
Um, y'all don't know who LDJis, go click two episodes back A

(01:48):
man holds it Down. And ifyou watch the whole lbj um episode,
you watch us talk about a manby the name of Cinemax. We call
him Max, cinema ax Um Chrisif you, you know, want to
be called Chris m I try.I try not to call people by the
government name. But this is theman we were talking about, the man

(02:10):
to miss the legend because he deserveshis flowers, because he's behind movies.
He's for that, behind big productions. I mean, one of the first
studios I ever went to that wasin Rockland County that looked and was super
official was Cinemax Studio. I've beento studios in New York City, I've

(02:30):
been to studios you know, otherother boroughs and everything, But in Rockland
County, Cinemax is the official studio. And I want to welcome my brother,
my homeboy, Cinemax aka Chris,thanks for having me. Welcome,
Welcome, Welcome. Now. Iwas doing some research on Yeah, I

(02:53):
was doing some research, okay,and uh you know, I'm actually you
know, on the cinematographer myself,and I know you have a little experience
in doing such just a little,just a little, just a little.
So I I think I read somethingabout like your first like videos that you

(03:15):
would record, Um, I hadto do with like skateboarding, skateboarding videos.
Yeah, yeah, sure, Iwas a skater. So this that's
why I hit hard because I wasa skater growing up in the nineties.
And yeah I was tired in thelate nineties, but mid and late nineties.

(03:36):
You know, I think I retiredin ninety seven like a huge fan,
huge fan, because like, yeah, it all starts with skateboarding for
me in the sense like it wasan escape. You know. I grew
up in the Jamaica Queens, terifulplace to be, a great place to
be from. Yes, so asa kid, I couldn't really hang out
in that neighborhood, you know whatI mean. Yeah, so you know

(04:00):
I went to Blockbush. The videoI got turned on my power Peralta's public
domain, and that was it.I saw Ray Barbie doing three sixty Allis
and I was like, I wantto do what those kids were doing in
my neighborhood. They were like,oh, you're on that totally radical whiteboard
Tony hook shit. Have to hidemy skateboard and walk with it. Eventually
a lot of kids in the citygravitated towards it, so it became like

(04:24):
a thing that black kids, Spanishkids, Asian kids, and ironically because
it was. It's not exactly acompetitive sport. It builds a brotherhood on
the streets and support and it's notcompetitive in the sense that people that skateboard
understand one thing about skateboarding, it'sthat it's ninety percent falling. Yes,

(04:48):
yeah, success rate is very low. It teaches kids how to overcome failure
at a young age. And soeven in filming skateboard videos, like I
know, you know about skateboarding,a lot of it is watching somebody fuck
up. Oh yeah, oh yeahyeah. And I never thought about it
this way, Like I swear toGod, I've never ever thought about it

(05:09):
this way until match just said that. Like he's all right, So this
is why in tone, my badfor cutting you off. You're about to
ask, But this is the reasonwhy we call him cinemax. Just understand
the whole picture. He just ain'tedby what he just said in what six

(05:31):
sentences. This is the reason whywe call him cinemax. He paints a
picture and he understand, like hejust thinking are for me? Actually,
I'll tell you exactly how it happenedwith the Cinemax thing. So long story
short, Oh we're gonna get there, We're gonna get there. We don't
get there. So I had alet's access question. I had a bit

(05:51):
of a skateboard phase as well,and and it resonates with me heavy too,
because I was always the I guess, the weakest Lincoln. I was
the camera guy. How was aguy following because you know, yeah,
I was following skadings from skateboarding.Bro, you don't even know. They're
all like big time in skateboarding motherfuckers, just sitting there skateboarding at the barracks

(06:14):
every day. Yep. Still kickingwith Steve Vera and fucking Denny Pont and
those guys and all the Nike team. I'm I'm in touch with the kids
that are there now too, Okay. You know, just like you know
how you know what's like you know, like how it is to do a
kick flip. I'm watching this kid, fucking Orelli as your row. He's
doing three sixty Olie kick flips overcars. You just say to yourself,

(06:36):
what the fuck do the kids,so they understand that the guys before them
laid the groundwork. So there's arespect factor between the kids and the ogs.
Well, well, you gotta thinkabout it. I know you were
talking about like it's ninety percent falling. It's it's it's such a crucial lesson,
like you gotta pick yourself up andyou gotta you earn your bumps and

(06:59):
bruises and you learn from it.But not only that, with all the
stuff that we do on a skateboard, like we defy physics, we we
have to understand momentum. We haveto understand. Yeah, there's so many
different things. The wrong shit.Your shit is dope, your ship is
dope. Shit is dope. Youknow, if you can ali, Tony
Hawker climb for you, Yeah,if you've done it before, because Tony

(07:20):
Hawk understands what it's like, evenhim. I mean, he just fucking
got hurt. He's learning how toali again and fucking however the old years.
Yeah, he's up there, Tony. Man. It's a beautiful thing
with skateboarding teachers. Basically, Iwas seeing a guy overweight. He just
did a fucking smith ground on thehand rail. I was saying this hope
for me. You know what I'msaying. It's cool how supportive skateboarders are

(07:44):
though, for real, because Iremember my first time dropping in. It
was at the skate park right nextto Yankee Stadium six one, and I
was it was all these super good, good skate field and I'm expecting,
like normally because I see how theskateboards would treat like the scooter kids,
like they're always in the way,So I was expecting like somebody'd be like,
Yo, hurry up, man,hurry. But like when I got

(08:05):
ready to drop in, everybody stopped. Everybody was like yeah, they started
clapping their skateboards on the ramps likehyping me up. And then when I
went down, I swear to guywas like I hit a buzzer beater on
a goddamn championship game or something.It was nuts and the whole yeah it
is. I never, I never. I never got into skateboarding. That
was one thing of the culture.It's a tough and it's problem, and

(08:28):
I honestly quit that because, um, I'm fat. I don't want to
fall hard. I always I've beenstruggling with my way for a long time.
The only reason I didn't wait forthe last two years. I got
the last three years is because youknow, I had a daughter. I
got on the stress diet, thebaby mama drama, and for years,

(08:54):
you know, I'm forty five aboutto be forty six, So for years
I was doing the late studio shit, working with all these people, not
really giving a fuck, not thinking, saving money, eating cheap food.
And then I'm t how many timeswe had McDonald's. Next, how many
times we went to designers, youknow, sponsoring the corporations I basically are

(09:18):
are making good, clean food.Personally, I just stay away from mostly
anything white, no pasta, nobread, no rice, no respect.
I don't know, but believe itor not, you can find a lot
of fun things to eat and keepit great. So, like some of
my friends are like im Boom veganand it's mostly vegan. But man,

(09:41):
I fucking threw some filming on.There's some fucking good, blacking creole chicken
on their avocados, whatever you do, good shrimp tacos every once in a
while, Like you know what Imean, There's a lot to eat if
you just decide to cut the bullshitout and then basically anything that turns into
sugar right and then and then thefucking uh the does all that for everything

(10:03):
that sold at a gas station exceptfor Seltzer is the thing. And so
another thing I've learned too, becauseI you know, I had a good
ex girl from believing to that,but you know, shit didn't work out
with us, and I learned onegood thing from her is that, you
know, man, the limes.You gotta have the limes, you know
what I mean, and everything justto you know, help yourself stay healthy.
And then yeah, and then beforeyou know it, the stress,

(10:24):
everything else, the bills getting high, all the work, all the people
I work with are very demanding,and then losing the way you start eating
less. Goody, congratulations, I'mready to Ali, and Ali keeps I
don't know if my knees can takeit right now right. I also tend
to stay away from the whites.Yeah, very Sitting right next to one

(10:48):
Tony D doesn't count. He's Italian. That's basically I was like, everything
counts, everything were all the same, man, I know, I agree.
No, I see my neighbors.You know, I live in an
area where my neighbor's fear what goeson with me? And they have the
feeling that they fear you because you'retoo, a little darker than them.
Let's be honest. I know whereyou lit, but they feel they fear

(11:11):
you because you're a little darker.I think they have the fear that,
you know, one of those moviesis going to come true, somebody with
a low rock is going to doa drive by. I don't know.
Do you trust me? Do youhave raptors over your house? Yeah?
His studios in the house. Okay, yeah, see that's what it.
So you're on the J cole Viberight now where he says the neighbors think

(11:31):
you're selling dope. I think neighborsthink I'm selling dope. A part of
my life I was going. Iwas actually getting a criminal charge from the
town of fox Down, but notnot because of them, because my neighbors
had file charges against me for thenoise and and and people, Oh there's
no noise our You know, wespent a fortunate a ton of money.

(11:54):
Yeah sound h Yeah, all right, it was just you know that basically
when we're getting complete, it's likethere's a lot of people with expensive cars
coming by, and you know thatturned into a lot of police. Yeah.
Yeah, The truth really is isthat the Clarkstown police are coolest fun.
They would always come by, andmost of these guys are human beings

(12:18):
that know who A lot of theserappers are so and and and a lot
of them are our age, likeyou're four years old the league. I
just turned forty one. But alot of them are our age now,
and they know who you are andwhat you like. You're not, you
know, doing man like you know. Ironically, the other night they had

(12:39):
I think they had bust the rhymesand uh, I don't know, I
do this is about to be anepic episode. Just say I'm so sorry.
It was El Camino, El Camino, and I don't remember if it
was Chase Benny and maybe another artistwho I shouldn't name. But and they

(13:01):
basically left my house and instead ofmaking the left to go up, they
went down the street and got caughtin the cul de sac with a Clarkstown
cop who just happened to be chillingthere. Hold them over, roll the
window down. They knew what theywere doing, you know, they were
they were helping it up, yep. And then the officers said, come
on, man, let me hearthat verse. They were forced to do

(13:26):
a free fu deparments, you knowwhat I'm saying. But ultimately, like
they ended up laughing and thinking likedamn, these guys are cool as fuck,
and you know, they really justkeep the neighbor and safe. So
they gave direction and showing the wayto go. And but let's be honest,
bro, like again, you knowme and you grew up almost in
the same you know era. Youknow, like I said, you're four

(13:48):
years older than me. But alot of these cops will respect you if
you respect them and their fans,like their fans like when I used to
be out, you know, DJingand that anything, they were fans of
mine, but they just wanted usto keep the bullshit to a minimum.
And I can respect that, youknow what I mean, Like I understand,

(14:09):
like, all right, this ismy job. You have your job.
I have my job, but wecan respect each other. I don't
have to dispect you. You don'thave to dispect me. But I can't
be liable for everybody that comes tomy party. I can only have people
respect just same as you, likeyou can be liable. That's actually the

(14:30):
thing, you see, that's thething. You know, You're different,
Yeah, you're different. Well,well that's not even about me. What
I'm saying is it's an energy.So like UM, I make it very
easy to work with artists that arethat have momentum, right, So it's
a great place to stop. Theyknow when they're coming to, they know
what to expect, and they knowhow to how I'm basically going to take

(14:52):
care of them, right, Andso the attitude is a very good one.
And I have very good relationships,like almost like brother family sister relationships
with everybody that I work with becauseit isn't a house. I got my
mom hanging out usually cooking food.So you know what I'm trying to say,
it's like that kind of ye,and that's going on here and then

(15:15):
and then yeah, there there isthis state of the art studio that you
know, people use to get theirmusic out and for what it's worth,
there's an energy in UM the peoplethat are creating momentum, so they won't
affiliate themselves with each other. Andand money is always a factor too.
So I found myself just basically nowwhatever twenty twenty three, I'm I'm in

(15:41):
the realm of a lot of independentartists, you know that can have a
bridge to getting their music released,and that's basically what we're created. And
that's much appreciating this like scope ofthings where you know, the big record
companies are you know, as selectiveas they are, but now with the

(16:03):
independent artists, I think the independentartists have a great market for them to
do in such this climate because ofhow big we are in social media and
everything like that. I think theindependent artists that like could can probably do
a whole lot better than when ifthey signed with a larger record deal.
M yeah, I know any ofthem that are doing extremely Yeah, the

(16:26):
times definitely changed. I know,uh, I probably shouldn't even bring this
guy up, but six nine reallychanged a lot of stuff, like as
far as how he put out singleafter single after single with no pressure from
the label for an album and youknow, you know we we ain't messing
with no rest, but he definitelydid. You know listen in terms of
you know you you you No matterwho the artist is, um, every

(16:51):
artist wants to be filmed, youknow what I'm saying. They want to
be heard, um. And thetruth is what rates the volume or or
I should say, what separates thepeak. Interest has a lot to do
with how you finance gaining visibility onyour path to success and music instry,

(17:15):
so how you are spending money,and how you're building relationships and cultivating those
relationships with people on the financial sideand creating the sense of for people to
stick with through three your career.It's a very important thing, and I
think that that's really what separates artiststo the mask. You know, how

(17:38):
people perceive shit, I guess interms of how things are going down the
mask, but there's always an underundercurrent independent movement. And you guys have
heard at all. I mean,you guys know, some people get to
where they're trying to go. Somepeople never, you know, I talk
about it a lot of time.It's like Biggie Small, It's one of

(17:59):
the great I don't think he evergot to feel his true success. People
really feel great. Absolutely, Yeah, for sure, he's definitely. I
would have liked to see him writesome more R and B music and stuff
like that. A lot of peopledon't know about Biggie Smalls and his R
and B side and his gospel voices. So the crazy part is that this

(18:21):
is a perfect segue. So,um, you just brought up Biggie and
I know you've recorded with Black RobG that the Whole Bad Boy. You
know. Ever, at that time, is that your first big recording or
what was your first big recording thatyou would say is big? Um?

(18:42):
I don't know. Um, youknow, I just feel like I've always
been in and around great music.Shit, I've honestly been amazed by the
power that music has over people.There is I think certain people, for

(19:03):
whatever reason God I guess, allowsthem to be felt in society, has
an attraction because they have a connectionwith the piece of art that resonates how
they feel. So artists that we'retrying to express how the people feel.

(19:26):
Usually, I mean, ultimately,hip hop was always at core the voice
of the unheard people. Now,with social media and basically everybody being able
to get a thirty five dollar devicein their pocket, they can all be
heard. Yeah, so a lotof things are being heard. And I
think now it's a matter of whatyou choose to discern, to listen to,

(19:52):
or identify with at the time youwant. And I think music has
become more of like clothing or food. Yeah, you don't just like anything
else where you have a taste forthis one day. Some days you do
not have a taste for that.You know, you might identify with this.
Some people are, for example,hardcore vegan, so they're only gonna

(20:15):
have kill that's it, only hiphop, only jazz. You know.
Some people are like I listened toeverything. I personally listen to everything myself.
So but what what do you thinkyour first big recording? So,
um, I don't know. Imean, I was twelve years old in

(20:38):
the studio, not recording anything.I got to see some pretty big shit
happened, and I was there withLavert, you know, talk to him,
talk to him Max, let themknow. Well, yeah, that
was one of the big records thatI got to see. First Off,
who was that? I couldn't quitehere Laver. It was like on New
Jack City soundtrack, it was likethat was the first time I was in

(21:00):
the studio. I was watching theNew Jack City soundtrack at me. Shoot,
some guys singing around an oil barrewsinging New Jack City whatever him about
New Jack City in the eighties.And I met that guy ironically, skateboarding.
I was in main Street rushing nice. You know. I It's funny

(21:22):
I had I just by being intomusic, I can look someone in the
eye and there's a twinkle that theyhad and I just know and I approached
some guy that had that twinkle andI just said, yeah, man,
like you do music. He said, yeah, what you played guitar?
And I was like yeah, youknow, I said, where are you
going? He's like, for asession. Why don't you come and join
me. I just met the guyat a bus stop and he was going

(21:45):
on the seven train. We wentto some studio in the twenties in Manhattan.
I had my skateboard with me.I hung out with him. He
did this fucking session. You know. I was mystified. Really, I
didn't know what it was. Iwas more impressed by all the buttons and
the console a little extronaut and ship, and I had no idea what everything

(22:10):
was doing, what it was about. And uh and you said you were
twelve, Yeah, I mean beforethat. You gotta know. Like,
So, I lived across the streetfrom Salt and Pepper, right, um,
you know, growing up right,So I was like across the street
was then so and around the cornerfor me, um was run DMC's house.

(22:37):
You know what I'm saying. So, like I'm on that block on
Hollace Court, Boulevard. Okay,right, yeah, like uh, Reverend
run and Or I don't know whichone of run DMC was the one who
had the house on Whitehall, butthen it was I think it was I
think it was Jake. I don'tknow. They used to drive down to
eleven Big Court and that was infront of my house. So I used

(23:03):
to see all those guys with theMercedes and stuff, ll all of them
as kids. Those guys like RussellRussell Simmons was hitting on my mom when
I was did you know. Somy neighborhood was bad too, right,
So going to high school was thisplace called Andrew Jackson. That's where fifty

(23:26):
went to school. Fifty and Iare the same age, so he would
tell you like, that's the schoolwhere, like, you know whatever.
That was just the big shooting fromthe first day of school and nobody wanted
to go to school. There wasa high dropout rate. Yeah. Yeah,
but the football team was undefeated seventeento know, I remember that.

(23:48):
I never played football, but Iremember Andrew Jackson was undefeated. This was
like nine ninety two. I'd seefifty, I'd see those guys. Those
were some like, you know,scary neighborhoods at the um. Yeah,
you try to get away from thatship. So I ended up going to
some high school called Cardoza to getaway from it all. Ironically, that's

(24:11):
in the neighborhood where jaw Rule wasfrom, and he was from like Bay
Side. I guess I'm not mistaken, even though I know he might have
had some background in Hollis, ButI'm saying that to say that like a
kid across the street from my house. Not so in Pepper. He his

(24:33):
family just was making Jamaican music,like West Indian, you know, Calypso
style. M oh, I can'tremember the other the other yeah, comp
all that kind of uh Caribbean music. But they had an NPC sixty according
m one, a fucking porter studio, and I used to hang out in

(24:56):
there and I would try making beats, and I remember purchasing in way when
when it came out right in therecord stores. I must have been eleven
years old, and that was it. I remember, you know, easy,
those guys doing the beats. Iremember, Oh that shit's downstare.

(25:18):
Any kid could do it. Youcould do it. The kids down the
block is doing it. Look pushit, push it real good is they're
doing it. And then the craziestpart is my mom, Like, we
had a big record store in JamaicanQueens called Serenade Records. The guy was
a legend. You know, runDMC used to do their record signings.
They're all every all the artists usedto do their ship there and Hillside Avenue

(25:38):
the Queens, right, So mymom was always coppying all the records.
But but my mom had a biggerinfluence than music, and a lot of
people in our house used to argueabout what music was that those music arguments
in the eighties, I guess shapedwhat I ended up doing because I ended

(25:59):
up feeling like I needed to pleaseeverybody in that third I with my mom.
My mom and dad got divorced.Long story short, fucking ended up
in some house on the corner ofthat corner to eleven and ninetieth and she
was on her own with two kids. So she rented rooms and before you
know where, the three bedroom houseturned into a thirteen room house. But

(26:22):
in Jamaican Queens, that means thatyou know, you might have a Saint
John's student thumbs up, you mighthave somebody working at JFK thumbs up the
girl working at the Hilton and LaGuardiathumbs up. But then you got a
prostitute, Then you got a cop, then you got to drop, then
you gotta crack can. Then yougot a thief, then you got a
gun man, then you got this, then you got that, so before

(26:42):
you know what, you got alot of personalities. But everybody's always arguing
about the music and uh, butyeah I had the ill record collection as
a kid, and yeah, man, but that but that that See it
comes back to my question, whatwas what do you was your biggest person
you're recording first? Uh? Yes, for me, I guess what I

(27:12):
would would it have been Black Rob? Guess? But I you know,
it's hard for me to say howto measure like I was working with Black
Robin c X by way of uh, I was working with Black Rob c
X because everybody don't know everybody don'tknow c X. So yeah, so
all right, so in a nutshell, you know, I'm like, I'm

(27:34):
fourteen, fifteen and I got Basicallymy neighbor got bad, so my mom
moved up to Rockland County. Icame up here. Yeah, I was
I was best friends with a kidnamed Harold Hunter, who was a big
skateboarder in New York City, andI remember when we came up to Balley
Cottage. He looked at me andhe said, oh, no, nigga,
it's old. Like it's old,you know, it's like you hope

(27:57):
to play. And they were shootingthe movie Kids at the time. I
had introduced him to this kid namedLeo Fitzpatrick, who ironically lived in Congress
or something, and there was askateboard parking Valley Cottage, which is why
my mom picked this town and moved. So I ended up introducing Harold to

(28:19):
Leo, and it ended up beingperfect in the sense that somebody needed to
play the role of the kid tellingkids, which was obviously became hiv ye.
For years Leo had to walk withhaving to explain the fact that he
does not have HIV. It wasit was Jay's whole face right now,

(28:42):
is like, Bro, really youa part of all this? Bro?
My boy Max, My boy Maxis the like um uh, Forrest Gump.
It was not a documentary, butyou know I love that movie.
It up Kids, All those allthose kids where my friends going up in

(29:03):
high school. But then I movedout of the City. I'm in Nike.
I'm making new friends out here,very serious music guys. I meet
my friend Dominic, He's playing drums. He introduced me in another can named
Adam Adam Diet's playing drums. Beforeyou know it, you know, I'm
rapping and ship. And then Imeet CX, who's just like fucking electrifying
at rap. He's killing it.This is like ninety two, you know,

(29:26):
yea. At that time, they'reputting me on to people like,
Yo, you gotta hear Redd.Then you gotta hear all this new explosive
rap shit. And I was like, oh, there's a more open minded
energy when it comes to hip hop. It's a little bit more naive in
Rockland because they don't have to likeglue themselves to the mindset that's in Jamaica,
which is basically fuck everybody else inSouthside only. Yeah, And then

(29:49):
you know, I was in thisplace where it's like, nah, bro,
you gotta listen to this. Youcan listen to that, you can
listen to this. So the musicaljourney grow up in nine because is insane.
And but just because of the background, I still wanted to make street
music and I wanted to be feltby my friends back home. So I

(30:10):
kept it going. Ironically, everybodymy age just kept going. And so
you know, I would always bein crazy situations with rappers, and I
guess yeah, I ended up linkingup with c X and c X and
I we somehow navigating ourselves to gettinga record deal with a guy, Mark
Smart, somehow, just somehow right. Well, I'm gonna tell you this

(30:30):
is the real ship. I wasalready making beats, right, so I'm
coming up here making beats. I'mmaking beats with my boy Adam. Somebody
hooked be Able with a job atRandophole Country Day Camp. I'm working.
I'm a fucking camp counselor for theseeleven year rules eleven year old kids,
you know, a new Ark,Jersey. This true story too. So
I'm working every day, I'm playingbeats off the cassette. And one of

(30:52):
these kids tells me, he's like, yo, man, you know,
he comes up to me, realshrewd, real smart. He tells me,
you know, I might could helpyou in the music business. You
know, from as long as youknow when you meet my pops, you're
cooling. Shit. I'm gonna I'mgonna teach you how to talk today,
so you can get yourself. Butwho is this kid? So listen side.
So this kid Harry, Harry's thekid's name, Harrison. Harrison's like,

(31:19):
you know, just you know,just just be easy. So I'm
like, yeah, you know.Of course, at this time, I'm
eighteen years old, I'm thinking mecrazy, of course. So you know,
all these weeks go by, andevery day I'm playing these beads.
He's like, can't play that one. You're crazy, man, I'm gonna
play that ship my pops. You'rebugging because you know he's talking ill to
me, young white boy talking plates, you know, like all the way

(31:42):
adults like I might be able toget this deal done for you. Like
he's like, in a way,mimicking his dad. He's eleven, so
I don't know what the fuck isgoing on. One day, the dad
comes up to me. It's parentvisitation day. You know what I mean,
it's basically the end. You know, parents are gonna come and give
you a tip. Shit, someof these parents wait for it. Go

(32:04):
ahead, your buck. So thekid, the dad comes up and he's
like, yeah, hear you do. I was like, yeah, man,
I heard about her. He workedfor the record. He's like,
yeah, I worked for Record Latable. You know if here's my card,
you know, I'm looking at StavesBarry Weiss. He's the seal of Drive
bracket. So I'm like, yeahthe fuck. He's like yes. I'm

(32:25):
like, yo, you sign careright quest He's like, listen, I'm
gonna fuck him personally, mentor youopinion or you called me up. You
know, I got you. SoI'm like, what the fuck? So
I come back. I tell cX and my friends Adam, I'm like,
yo, bro, I just metthe president Drive recause of course,
He's like, yeah, right,we call him his secretary at the time.

(32:50):
This is a true story, isassistant. I won't call him a
secretary. I want to be disrespectful. Sorry, you know, he was
his partner. I should say that, go ahead myself. The word about
it is his partner. His namewas Jim Backers. I don't know,
you know, so Jim Backers wouldbe like, hey, what do you
want. I'm like, yeah,listen, I'm talking to Barry. And

(33:12):
Barry who's this like? Now pathim through? So before you know it,
I would call him this. Iwould call him the CEO every single
day two o'clock after school, like, yo, man, you hear the
beat I sent you? And mymom was working in midtime, so my
mom would go out and give mymom the cassette. She was going to
bring it to Barry and he wouldtell me, you'll listen, man,
I heard you four or five tracks. The first one was good, the
second one, bro, why didyou switch to beat like that? I

(33:35):
don't know what the fuck he wasdoing. But the third one is I
yea like the third joint. Yougot some shit popping on the third joint.
And then so he was like,you know, giving me some tips.
And then of course c X wantedto hear himself and what the feedback
was, and he loved it.He was like, Yo, c X
a dope, but the hook wasweird. That hook was dope on the
other track, you should put thaton the back and the other track.
He was always trying to give hispointers. And then one day, you

(33:58):
know, basically I was like,yo, man, like what's up?
Man, Like what's up? Likeyou know, being a young kid,
you know, like, what's up? And we're gonna get a deal of
some ship. And he was like, Yo, listen, you're gonna get
a deal when you don't need onesee you, Yeah, And I thought
about it was profound, you knowwhat. I realized He was like,
I'm gonna reach out to you whenyou don't need me that. Yeah.

(34:23):
He hit me with that and alwayscalled picked up. So it was never
like the vibes. But anyway,the whole point I was saying that Jim
Backus I think ended up becoming hispartner assistance. Anyway, that guy ended
up becoming h CEO of Sony,I think at one point, and I
think he so those guys basically endedupon in BMG. They ended up,

(34:44):
you know, basically making billions ofdollars with music business. Um. That
connection helped me meet other people.Naturally. I was getting invited in the
nineties to the carass One releases likeThe Rapture and shit. I remember meeting
Eddie Mercer. Let's let's break downyour accolades real quick, because I feel
like sometimes you're too humble, andI respect the fact that you're humble,

(35:05):
and you know, I love you. You're my brother. Um, but
your accolades go down with bad boysblack Robe, g Depth, caress One,
UM, Chuck b MC, likeRed Men, Stupid Dog, Nate
Dog method Man, Pete Rock whichyou know that's all brother too. Timberland,
Um, I mean Jermaine Paul.That's that's the homie from the block

(35:30):
too. Alicia Keys. I mean, bro, you're you're you talk so
humbly and that's the reason why Ilove and I hate you at the same
time. It's because you are veryhumble and you never let any of this
go to your brain. Because ifI told you I was going to Rockland
County tomorrow and then I need acouch sleep on, you would let me

(35:52):
sleep on that couch right behind me. Yeah, I give you another couch.
I try to, uh, youknow, I give you another couch.
I'm another cash back there. Butyou know, but how how can
a brother like you that has allthese accolades and everything, like like,
how do you stay grounded? Howdo you stay humble? Like what?

(36:15):
Like? Man, I got somany questions that I want the people to
understand about you because I know you. It's real easy. It's real easy.
The bills got my name on themtoo, yeah and so yeah,
so then just like that, likeI shot at Target, you know what
I'm saying, Like strength of funkup. That's my favorite brand right now,

(36:37):
good fellow? Um, yeah,do you think you might be so
humble because because your introduction of thegame was so young, like maybe all
of this just after a while feltso normal. It's because no money was
involved, like like Onyx wasn't rappingto be uh. I mean, I'm

(36:58):
sure they wanted the money. Don'tgive me up up, I'm just saying
it was more or less like wegot the hardest sound. We're proven that
we got the hardest sound. Likeall the greatest artists weren't in it for
the money, and I never wasthinking about money ever. It just became
as as an adult, like youknow, like like you know, growing
up with the musicians I grew upwith that put so much work in and

(37:22):
work ethic is so high. Aftera while, your parents and your friends
look at each other and you're like, yo, bro, we should be
getting way this like what the fuck? But then my question, my question
from you that I've never I've neverasked you personally and I've never knew about
you, is how did your passionfrom music come from your passion from being

(37:47):
a cinematographer just being video? Sothis is there, the where the passion
come from. Okay. So Ialways had the keyboard and the beat machine,
the guitar at but I never hada microphone. Okay, So how
do you put that? With youtaping everything? How do you put that

(38:07):
to This is how it happened,all right. So in the nineteen oh
yeah, don't yell at me,bro, I had a computer. The
computer was called the Commodore Amiga thetwenty five. It was a It was
a stereo in and out. Ithad a thing called the super gym to
make videos and shit. So Iwas making my skateboard videos. I kept

(38:28):
that ship. My dad gave itto me. He was living in the
Bronx. He got rid of hislife, basically his home video system.
And one day it dawned un thatlike yo, if I put the camera
in the little high eight camcorder intorecord mode, I could use the little

(38:49):
Sony microphone. So my boy CXwas like, now we got a microphone.
And I looked at it, saidSony. I thought, oh,
look, it's the Sony mic.So he would point I would point the
ship right at his face and hewould record his raps over the beat,
and I could capture the vocals fromthe tape of the eight millimeter and I
would have a fucking recorded. Sothat's when he was guy. He was

(39:09):
like, yo, you cinema thisbullshit, and so I was like yeah,
but we were just homemade. Thisis like, you know, we
didn't have a studio, so wewere just scrapping that shit together as kids,
Like oh wait with a minute asa microphone on the camcorder. Yeah,
if you audio out left and right, you could put it into the
mixer with the record player and thenit'll go and we could just put that

(39:29):
into the NPC and whatever. Man, we were trying, you know what
I'm saying. And then uh yeah, a few years later Mark Smalls put
us on and then then you know, I was I was I basically had
I really wanted to work at Quadum really that that that that's what you
want this with the work that Quadthat was like their goal. Yeah,

(39:51):
ninety three because I just saw theJ nine thousand in there. I wanted
to like use that ship. SoLucan's so you wanted to work there for
the not the people that were goinginto that. Yeah, I didn't know
who was going in and out there. They had a studio ad in this
Binder in nineteen ninety three, likeshowing like Quot Studios in New York.

(40:15):
You know, this was before orfour years, five years before the Tupac
shooting and all that. It wasn'tthat had nothing to do with it.
Like like I wanted to go therejust because they had the J nundred thousands,
Like I, I mean, Iwas even younger than that. I
knew Eddie van Halen was recording throughthe J and I realized all of the
big records had the SSL SAM.So I wanted to go there and give

(40:36):
myself like a level playing field whenmaking debts, you know what I'm saying.
Wanted to hear what it sounded like. I've had some really books.
And finally this guy Mark was like, yo, I'll put up the money.
I didn't know how much he putup, but he ended up putting
up one hundred thousand bucks. Likeshirt off the Street. He was working
as a truck driver for Carousel Case, selling the the Carousel cakes up and

(41:00):
down the east side of Harlem allthe way down to Midtown, and so
he had he was meeting a lotof people. We were young. He
was already in his thirties. Hewas a good looking young black men who
just had that thing with everybody,like white people loved them, Black people
loved them, Spanish Bill who lovedthem. He just was suave as fuck,

(41:20):
and he was just like, yo, bro, I'm gonna fucking manage
you kids. And so he tookus under the wing. You know.
Of course, you know he's asuper Harlem guy. So we had to
adjust to the fact that, yo, he was moving crazy and so but
you know, he fucking totally dideverything. He was just like, yeo,
I'm gonna hook you up with Rob, I hook you up with Debt.

(41:42):
I ended up becoming really good friendswith g and Black Rob really and
then also Cameron as a um,you know whatever. We had Cameron on
a record and I remember this likeyesterday, you know, Duels and Jim
Jones were his Uh I guess atthat time, hanging out with you.
It's a little homie, yeah,And they weren't exactly who they were now,

(42:07):
correct, And I could tell itwas their first time in the studio.
And you know, I remember Ihad to give camera on a brown
bag and I remember thinking, bro, you are just just so you know,
like my two co hosts are sittinghere, like are you really doing

(42:30):
this right now? This is whatwe're doing, Like this is the type
of person that show wants to haveon here. And it's no disrespect to
you, bro, you are alegend. And I want them to understand,
like I mean me and you meand you go back like you know,
like where were of course? Yeahand you know yeah yeah, I

(42:52):
mean that's all it is before youknow it. I I that's really why
I was always cool with Jim andJulia's because this is what really happened,
was I guess after I gave thisbag to Cam, he felt like were
it up? You know, that'swhat sucked, And so I was like,
you know, and he asked meit was like you smoke. I
was like yeah. So he hadtold Jim and Joe's he had, you

(43:15):
know, get some duchess, andI felt like the way he said it
was kind of like you know thatyou know, it's kind of sunny.
He tried a sunny you know,you know what I mean, And I
didn't really like it because I feltlike, oh, hell no, niggas
looked like there ain't no joke.So I was like, I'm gonna take
the elevator ride with that, soI took that. I wrote out the

(43:36):
phrase elevator we went to smile wasdeadly, and I remember feeling like,
you know, I had made aconnection with him on the vibe but like
like you know, like not notto say that we wasn't ship, but
like we we felt that like yo, you know what I'm saying, Like
we're gonna be something one day,you know what I mean. H Yeah,
I remember Cameron had the V twelvetwo door coup Bens. I remember
that. I remember that ship.I remember ship. I remember that it

(44:00):
was gray. Yeah. I wasabout to say it was like a charcoal
color, but it was like grayish, I guess, yeah, yeah,
he did his versity left. Youknow that turned into a lot of shit.
Obviously, by the time I wasmixing the camera on record, I
met you know, coach real.This is actually a true story. This

(44:21):
is a funny story. I'm tellinghow it is. So by that time,
working at Quad, you know,sure I'd bumped into a lot of
people. You bumped into Will Smith, and I want to I want to
know what year is this? Sothis is because you keep dropping names,
you keep bouncing around, and againI know you I know you because you're
my boy. But I need thepeople to understand what year we're talking about,

(44:45):
because you just said Will Smith.Like not many people could say we
met Will Smith. I could saythat. You could say that I did.
I met Will Smith in the elevatorwith Es and Es. Actually he
was with the security guard. I'mobviously in all I'm like, shit,
will you know? Real cool?And he gave me a dap my boy,
year, What year is this?What year is it? So like

(45:07):
this this is jay Z was inthere in the same week he was with
a mill he had just on thesong. Uh yeah, so this is
probably ninety six ninety seven if Iremember correctly, because I think I don't.
I wasn't there with you, butI was around some other people,

(45:28):
So this is like ninety six nine, maybe even later than that, I
believe, because this is what I'msaying. Like, by the time I
did this camera on record, right, I had to mix it. And
by the time this was happening,I remember wrist in peace David Rosen.
At this time the manager was hewas telling me he couldn't allow me.
The studio was booked, So Iended up going to find another studio I

(45:52):
called a guy named Tony drew Andwho was the Sony's studio manager, and
he said, listen, I couldhook you up, but at seven thousand
dollars, and you gotta take Friday, Saturday and Sunday or or not because
Michael Jackson's gonna team a day,seven stacks a day, No, seven
thousand for the for the three daysfor the weekend, yes, okay,

(46:16):
Sunday and basically like a thousand.It was like the first two days with
three thousand and a thousand. Soright up until that time, I was
used to the way while I wasdoing shit, and I wasn't used to
the Sony experience. So I basicallyarrived paid the bill. Can you can
you admit that Sony raped a coupleof people on their studio time sometimes,

(46:38):
Well, this is what I'm gonnatell your, hands down, was the
most phenomenon recording studio facility I've everseen it. I love Sony Studios,
but their studio A was what Ibooked. It was supposedly go going for

(46:59):
Michael Jackson. When I got there, they figured out that, you know,
they realized some other guy was takingit's not Mike, and so we
walked in. We basically had allof Mike's client services left over all of
this, the writer, the writerof things, the riding, all of
his fruits, all of his drinks, a lot of it was going to

(47:20):
be perishable, so they just letus have it. So I was coming
there. I remember I came therewith my man brass, I mean road
coach, real CX. Any ofthese people were just seeing it out and
you threw all artists or whatever,and and so they accompanied me. I
had my home girl Hannah was thereand my boy coach, you know,

(47:44):
was selling nickelbags, and so hehad made a joke like, damn,
maybe you up in here, likeyou know what I'm saying, he's getting
twenty for these bags. And I'mlooking at him like this. So I'm
thinking to myself, like I justheard that there's fifty studios inside the build,
and I'm mixing the summer camera.I'm thinking, let me get lost

(48:05):
in the hallway and start peeking intosome of these rooms. Who in this
motherfucker? So I remember I walkinto the first scream and there's this girl
there. She's singing and her nameis Beyond the Apple. And so she's
singing there and I'm like, ohshit, feel on the coolest. Fuck
see what's up around the corner.It's coolgi rat, he's fucking working.

(48:25):
You can tell you didn't want togo into that room. And so I'm
like, wow, I's popping upin this motherfucker. You know what I'm
saying. I saw that Monte Williamswas down the hall and he was doing
so I'm like, Yo, thisplace is popping. I'm like, yo,
you know upstairs is Nash downstairs asthe basement. And then I'm looking

(48:47):
around him like, better get tomy room because this shop costs money.
So I get back to mixing,mixing, mixing, and sending that.
What happens, some kid walks inthe room, black guy posing the shirt,
sweatpants, socks, Okay, maybesandals, but definitely the socks.
I remember thinking, this nigga ishome, right, Who was it?

(49:10):
Who was it? I don't know, you feel me, I don't know.
The nigga comes in, he's like, yo, y'all got some weed.
I'm like, hell, yeah,my nigga got five hundred nigga bags
like I'm talking about. He looksover, He's like, yeah, that
nigga probably works for the studio.Fuck that nigga twenty dollars a bag.
I'm like, nah, I don'tdo that. Just what the fuck?

(49:30):
You know this thing? This niggaworks here and they know you fucking like
you buck. We need this nigga. Man, come on, jail,
chill. I'm talking to just likethat in front of this nigga. So
the niggas looking at me like,man, fuck that nigga. Man,
don't worry about it, yo.So he's basically on his way out in
the doors closed and slow and shit. So I'm like, I look and

(49:51):
they all watching TV, and I'mthinking that in the in the split second,
I'm thinking to myself and fuck theseniggas. I'm over here painting seven
thousand dollars. Niggas is watching theNFL and NBA or whatever. So I
said, I said, oh,look at this and and and coach went
like this, and I just snatcheda handful of nickel bags and put it
into my pocket and some magic thisshit, and I said, damn,

(50:14):
I think it just scored crazy.I'll be right back. I walked out
the hallway and I pulled up tothe kid. I said, yo,
yo, yo, yo. HereI gave him two nickelbacks. Man,
Nah, who was the dude?Check it out? So he's like,
I swear this is how it wentdown, So go ahead, go ahead,

(50:34):
bro. I gave him the twonickel backs. He's like, oh,
you didn't have to do that,man, And I was like,
nah, I had two, man, So, so what's up broad?
You like, work for the studio? You know what I'm saying. I'm
not like that. I was like, I'm not like him. I just
wanted to get clear with you.I just wanted you to know. So
he's like, nah, you know. He's like, yeah, you know,
I'm working. You know what Imean, I'm working here. So
I was like, what you do? You know what I'm saying. He's
like, I rap. I waslike, oh word. I was like,

(50:58):
you know what He's like, myname's PDC. I'm like, oh
shit. Like I was like,oh shit, you supply it now.
I said, So what you're doingright here? He said, oh yeah,
you fuck with that Doug ship.I was like, uh, you
know, I'm not you know,I'm not a Doug, but I love
the p the age, the ly P p A P Philly. He

(51:22):
had some song out at the time, and I recognized that it was him
that was on the song. Iwas like, oh my god, I
heard your song. You know,it was like some song about Philadelphia.
And he was like all right.He started laughing at me. He was
like So, I was like,so, what are you doing? He's
like, man, you know,I'm rappling with Jay So I'm like,
what are you talking about. He'slike, yeah, you know jay Z.
I'm like, shit, the fuckup. So I had just met

(51:47):
jay Z ironically a couple of weeksback in the studio at Quad when he
was with a mill, you know, just put up with up. I
saw him one time when I wasin Quad. I looked down, I
said, yo, Jay, andhe was there with a mill going into
write track. So now I waswhen they were on forty day Street?
Was it forty forty forty eight?Was right? For SI? Was unique?

(52:12):
Yeah? Yeah, then they recordedNo, I mean, I don't
know if they were recording that,but yeah, so here, yeah,
that's where they did those records aroundthere. So yeah, but I know
it's forty something street. Yeah,we're at this studio on fifty four Streets
Sony, and by this time,jay Z is pretty much a celebrity.

(52:37):
Yeah, And I get into thestudio and I'm there with Beanie and there's
a console and ironically it was setup just like the studio I got there.
So I walked in. There's aconsole, there's nobody there and it's

(52:59):
being and so we roll up.We and I noticed Jay Z was in
the booth. I guess waiting forsomebody to record something. Okay, So
look at God's timing. And yougot to understand, in terms of studio
equipment, technology was emerging. Sowe were moving from two inch tape over

(53:22):
to these new pro tools systems,and guys like me, we're just getting
acquainted with the new pro Tools formatat that time, right, and writing
for me was a Neve console withpro Tools interface. Right. So you
know, I guess there's a beatthere and there's a vocal trap ready,

(53:42):
you know, and I got tohit a three button, right, so
yeah, you know the recording button. I remember. But so um um,
I start rolling and you know,Jay's like, oh, what's up?
So I'm like, Hey, what'sup? Jay? What's up?
So I'm thinking fucking cool man withchilling, you know what I'm saying.

(54:02):
Now. Now I'm feeling like Jayis cool. You know what I'm saying,
He's cool, That's what I wasthinking. And Beanie's over there.
So I went in the boot forJay and I sit down on the floor
Indian style like this, and Ilight it up. Man. He's like,
nah, raiss, you gotta getthat shit fuck up out of it
here. I was like, oh, hell no, I'm gonna pissed up
the boss, you know, laj gives it up. Yeah. JF

(54:27):
definitely was not smoking d He don't. He don't like smoke around his seconds.
He don't like smoke around in theoffice. You don't like none of
that. At this time, thatwas the vibe. And I came from
Rockland County. I just started smokingleague in New York City. The way
we grew up. You don't dono drugs. We're trying to get money,
we're trying to get out. ButI'm around with this new Rockland County

(54:49):
crowd. And and I remember myman Jeko was upstairs. Jeko on Money
is from Habits. So all ofthese guys they're upstairs still in the studio.
I'm downstairs now with jay Z andbeing Seagull and bean He's like,
yo, find hitting the thing.So I hit the button and then he's
Matt come through him on that clubship, you know, and he's doing

(55:09):
this song. And then jay Zcomes in and he's like, you know,
um, every time you see me, you know, you know,
he says, um, six,we're gonna get in the club forward.
You know, we're gonna tell shitup. Yeah. I'm at Wild the
House and the motherfucker did the wholeshit live, no pay for nothing.
He like did it out of hismind. He was sitting there. He
had heard the being in his brainingand got tired of hearing it, and

(55:31):
he was just like, that's it. I'm fucking ready. First take done,
right, go on, now Icome. Now, this other brother
comes in, a black guy comesin and he's just like yeah, yeah,
you know I got this. Sothen he pretty much takes over.

(55:51):
And then this other white guy comesin and he's like, yeah, I'm
the engineer, Peter Wade. Iremember this. So I was like,
oh shit, like you know whatI'm saying. I like, ah,
this was crazy, Like I justbasically, you know, a record did
this. Now I'm feeling like,oh shit, now jay Z left,
I'm there with beans finishing the blunt. I could feel the vibe was get

(56:15):
the fuck out of here, youknow what I'm saying. I also got
my session going back upstairs. Icome back upstairs, I'm like and my
boys are looking at me. They'relike, what the fuck happened? I'm
like, Yo, that nigga justcame in the room asking for the nickelbacks.
That was Beanie Sage. He wasdownstairs with jay Z. They're like,

(56:37):
yeah, fucking right, all thesethings come outside. They followed me
down down the staircase and there wasa thing in Sony Studios that was the
most amazing part of Sony Studios.There was a makeshift and make believe van.
It was actually like a team van. I remember that. Listen downstairs

(56:59):
in the Bay spent of Sony Studioson fifty fourth Street. There was like
the eighteen vand like the kind ofvand you have a side door and they
put it up on the corner andinside the van they had the Sony speakers
with the fucking Sony stereo that wasboom banging, so you could just listen
to your sh yeah exactly, soyou could give it the contest. It's

(57:20):
a car play room. They evenhad a PlayStation in there at the time,
so that's with the led lights.It's not going nowhere, but they
had to fake staring wheel. Theyjust fun forever. So I go to
see the studio, but everybody's gone. These niggas is looking at me like
yeah, right as nigga. Sothey're they're like, fuck Chris's story,

(57:46):
this band is cool. Let's rollup in this vand So it's not rolling
up in this vand and ship.Little did we know jay z I just
gown upstairs to get the songs masteredand he wanted to come right back downstairs
and do the same thing he wasdoing listening to music in the band.
So he comes up. I'm riding, I'm riding, I'm driving the band
and sure you know, Brass issitting Shotgun Jekyll is in the back rogue

(58:09):
and I think maybe c X andthe nigga. Jay just looks into the
astral vandendo like there was Day wasfamous for looking in bands like who's in
y'alla? You should be around mybit. But swear to god, He's
like, yo, do you mindif we listen to my album and we're

(58:30):
looking at each other like yeah,right, nigga. So he opens the
door, Brass gets in the back. So now there's four motherfucker's in the
back and I'm driving. Jay Z'sriding shot and he closes the band.
He looks at me, He's likeyou ready. I'm like, oh,
come on, and he puts inthe fucking CD and it's the whole ship.
I'm back, looking like me,jay Z, I'm back, Volume

(58:52):
three, That's what it was.So I was just like, oh shit,
Like and I remember at East likeevery time you've seen a hundred g
using your brill And I remember hehad that thing on, he had a
black shirt on. I remember lookingat him. I was like, yeah,
yeah, he's doing all the truth, not lying this. This guy
is crazy. So he turned aroundand he's like, Yo, what do

(59:13):
you think about that song? CanI get what? What? And Jaco
it's like, yo, nigga,we be bumping that ship the coach by
the half as drug nigga. Webumped Jay all day. And Jay looked
at me. He was like,Yo, your friends broke tell you stay
this ship, yep, yep,I should stay away from that Ja Jay,

(59:35):
never ever let me tell you something. And and and Chris you can
you can sign what I'm about tosay or not. Jay has never been
a drug user co signer. Henever wanted people around him to be drug
musics. Yeah, he looked atme and gave me a look like you
know your friends are crazy kind oflooking. Then he to me, he

(59:55):
was like, Chris, this isentertaining. I was like, no,
I hear so anyway, Fact playedsome more songs and then afterwards, while
this is happening, there's a crowdof people of Sony executives that are also
getting first listen to Jay's album onthe thing. So he could see there's
a crowd, he opens up thevan and lets the music come out into

(01:00:15):
the hall way. All the sessionsstopped, and and I remember this kid
comes up with a Ryan Stone jacket. It's fucking Pharrell. He's like,
you know, what's up? AndJay looks over at me like, but
you think I was the way theway r J's looking at you right now

(01:00:38):
going on. It's just a crazyass vibe. But then everybody dispersed,
and then you know, he wentsomewhere and now now you know c X,
Brass, Robe Jackal, they're lookingat me like, yo, this
thing is here, Like it's forreal, This shit just happened. So
we went back to our session andthen I walk outside and jay Z standing

(01:01:02):
there alone with his batley. SoI'm like, oh shit, this nigga
and jay Z got the batley orfifty four streets and I was like,
yo, jam is that by thehalla guys right there? Also by streets?
So yeah, that's right right rightoff of shit? What the fuck

(01:01:22):
is that? Uh? Radio music? Right? No, no block to
away to night from now today it'sa liquor store that's there. Oh all
right, my back. It wasa deli in the studio across the street.
So he looks at me, andyou know, he could see that
I was impressed by the vehicle.And he looked at me and I was
like, what that old thing?Fucking man? You want something through the

(01:01:44):
store? And I was like,hell, yeah, which what you're doing?
So we walked across the street.I went in. I got a
tropicana. I asked him for aDutch. He paid for it with a
hundred dollars. Told the niggas tokeep the change. I said, damn,
I should have got like another juiceor something, you know what I
mean. I was thinking then thatnigga name more than the transaction. And

(01:02:04):
then and then two kids rolled upon the bike. I'll never forget this
shit, and this is how itwas. It go was Friday night.
I'll never forget it because the kidsdown the bike and it was like it
was about one o'clock in the morning. And Jay said, fuck y'all doing
this? You know what the fucky'all doing out here so late? Ain't
y'all got school? And Jay said, and then the kids said, fuck

(01:02:25):
you mean, Jay's Friday night.There ain't no school tomorrow. What's wrong
with you? You know that Jaylooked at it and said, I right
here, one hundred dollars from eachy'all. And both of those kids,
they were about ten or eleven yearsold, just got a hundred bucks from
jay Z and they were like,oh my god, jay Z. They
were You could tell that they weregonna go back and tell their parents,
who probably never believed them. Youknow what I mean that that those kids

(01:02:47):
somewhere, those kids get you know, don't fucking they're probably telling the story.
I eventually want to see those kidsone day and the imagine what happened
to them. But uh, butyeah, man, we ended up going
across the three. You know,I ended up telling Jay Peace. He
ended up pulling in the Bentley andhe came back around the corner with the
fucking nine to eleven. Not theGT joint. I'm talking about the one

(01:03:10):
million dollar Porst John. You knowwhat I'm talking about, like the real
GT, the super long body PorschGT. He had that car. And
then he rolled up Ninth Avenue andgave me the That was the last time
I saw him in that that day, and then I saw him one more
time. You've seen him a coupleof times since then. Yeah, so
that's so then, But right afterthat, you know that. I don't

(01:03:34):
know if you know the story aboutWinston John. I probably should leave that
out. There's no reason to talkingabout it. But there is a legend
in Rockland County, this man namedWinston John. Um. He was working
on a film with com the recordput me in touch with a lot of
people. I'm working on this filmwith fifty Ali Vegas. And if you

(01:03:55):
tell, if you tell, ifyou tell the story, you want me
to leave it out, we'll leaveit. No, no, no,
no, stuff like that. Well, I mean, I could just tell
you, it's like this. Imean, you can type in Winston John
two thousand and four fleet of cars, uh, drug bust, and then
that's all that is saying. Butbut the guy, the guy definitely had
about fifty sixty million dollars at thetime. You know, it's so many

(01:04:16):
things, bro. You know,it's funny because at that so right after
I saw Jay, remember I hadthat record with Black Rob. All that
shot had to come out. Holdon, what what's what's the song you
had with Black Rob? I needyou to type the stuff? So I
had one song with him. Itwas called Red Hot, and it had
another song. I ended up doingsongs with him later. I actually still
have under these Black Rob material,I know, but what but what is

(01:04:40):
the song I song with him calledred Hot with Rainy Davis? Um.
Rainy Davis was the girl who's songSweetheart that Mariah Carey and Jamine the Prew
did. Um, she did thissong with Rob. I ended up playing
the shit in the meeting for fiftyfifty. Wanted me to pull Black Rob
off the song, and he wantedto take the track. The track was

(01:05:00):
done, money was spent on it. He basically got into it with my
boys from Rockland and tried to dissthem. Um, sorry, no,
but basically he was just basically tellingme, Chris, like, you know,
I mean, you're fucking with thewrong rappers, fucking rockling niggas,
like you should fuck with me.We're gonna go platinum these days, so

(01:05:23):
busy bussy right or wrong though,because rockling niggas and and you know,
I'm a rockling nigga all day.He was from the Bronx. But No.
Fifty was clearly correct. There's nodoubt about it. I'm not saying
I'm just saying that my boys didn'tunderstand the movement in the South Side or
from and I understood that energy andit is history is what it is,

(01:05:47):
you know what I mean. Butuh, but I'm saying all that to
say I was moving around in alot of studios and I would end up
yeah, man, I would,you know, because I'd have to mix
those projects. I'd end up inso many events and situations, all little

(01:06:08):
things. Young wed and so youbump into people, You bump into people
that are growing and emerging, andeventually, after time, people just recognize
your face as one of them.So like my first deal after that you
know, basically having nothing. Ihad have fallen out with c XCS label
nothing on the street. Some guyshad a record labeled in New Jersey.

(01:06:29):
Hit me up. They're like,Yo, come fucking work for this care
risk guy man once again, onceagain, Max, And I'm sorry to
cut you off, but you're superhumble, and UM, you know we
can. We can keep going asfar as you're concerned. Um, and
your accolades keep just going out.You know, like you're credited for Benny

(01:06:55):
the Butcher, you're credited for Conway, You're credited for Um, Foxy Brown,
You're credited for Fred to Godson.Like you you are so humble,
Like how do you how do howdo how how shout out to Fred to
God's Son and to Griselda? Doyou understand? I understand that? But

(01:07:24):
how how do you understand that?Like I'm I'm told I know you personally.
I can hit you up, wecan have a conversation whatever. Other
people here don't understand how they cantalk to you, and and and and

(01:07:44):
you get what I'm saying, Like, Bro, you're you're great and and
you're great behind the scenes. Andthat's what I need you to understand.
Because you never understood this. You'regreat behind the scenes, and you are
great because you are great at whatthe fuck you do. I mean,
I have a role and that's whatit is. Understand. Do you realize,

(01:08:08):
all right, cool, I'm I'mI'm not gonna I'm not gonna disrespect
you because I would never do that. I'm not gonna disrespect I'm not gonna
disrespect my co host. But doyou realize that my co hosts are sitting
here like we gotta said ship,this motherfucker is just going off the mouths
on on everything because I want totalk to Benny and I you know,

(01:08:29):
I've been in touch with Benny,and I told Benny, hey, can
you be honest? And and otherpeople and and my co hosts are like,
yeah, you know, if youcould do it, but they but
they but and I'm not saying myco host don't believe me, but they
do not understand the people that Iknow in this industry, which is people
like you, that we can wecan do this for days on days on

(01:08:54):
days on end. Yeah. Sure, I guess so. Yeah. Yeah.
Now, now, Cinemax, letme ask you. Something's totally off
topic, okay, And I'm tryingto think the best way to phrase is
how accessible are you as far aslet's say, I'm I'm in your area,
I need a studio to record,look at somebody to work with.
Bro, he will be there.Yea, he doesn't. He doesn't.

(01:09:19):
And and my bad, Max forfor for answering for you. But the
way you have your boys, Jay, the way you have your boys like
you know, you can hit themup for studio time. Yeah, if
you're ever in New York and you'reever in the A four or five,
you're ever in Rockland County and youever need like you're just vacation in with

(01:09:40):
your you know, you new daughterand your your girl and your family and
you wanted to record a record,you can reach out to Max. That
is not Hollywood. Max, don'tthat shit. That's is so humble.
That and this is the reason whyI love him because he's so he's so

(01:10:00):
humble and he's so like, ifyou're really trying to be great, you
can only learn by people that youthink are greater than you. Right,
Yes, we have to adopt theirmentality. And so along the way,
you know a lot of people likethis is the truth. So some people
that are emergent ain't got time tobe nice because they're going through this hard

(01:10:23):
shit. So they really cool andsome of them might or might not make
it or whatever. The people that'sreally cool is confident in themselves, so
they'll they'll tell you what the fuckto do. Yeah, And so what
I'm saying is over the years,you know, some people would say,
oh man, these people is usingyou just that third And what ended up
happening is I ended up becoming usefulfor pivotal people that people ended up trusting.

(01:10:46):
And so they were like, well, fuck it, like a Caress
one you trusting to do an album, like you know what I mean,
Like red Man is sures I don'tgive him a shot, So red Man,
I'll give you a shot. Andbefore you know that, that opened
up a lot of doors. Likered Man was really the one I think
who opened up the most doors forme in terms of like shout out on
Reggie, yeah, because he wasthe one that was like little Chris,

(01:11:08):
I build a studio with you.I'm tired of this ship. You know,
he's he started really financing his hiscrashan I'm a huge fan of right
man, you know, I mean, he learned a lot from jay Z
Max Max Max, do you thinkdo you think we can get Red on

(01:11:30):
that show? He was He justcalled me about it. Half between between
because I don't have I don't havethe relationship. I'm not gonna lie to
you like I don't know Red likethat. But between you and LB,
do you think you might be ableto make this work for me? Yeah?
Not for us? For me?Yeah sure yeah, it'll it'll it'll

(01:11:53):
it'll make our show cooling too ifhe doesn't episode. But let's let's let's
again and let's let's say the accolady. Does anybody realize Jermaine Paul America's I'm
uh, well, let's see onAmerican Idol. Yeah, do you guys
know who Jermaine Paul or for AmericanIdol? Yes? From the voice.

(01:12:15):
The voice was the voice, myback, my back, my back,
the voice. He's from Rockland County, He's from where the fuck we are?
So it's a it's a it's along story which you made. People
don't know this. But so goingback to when I was fourteen, um
fifteen, when I met c Xand Adam, I had also met Charles
and Jermaine Paul. They were fromSpring Valley R and B singers, Uh,

(01:12:40):
really hard environment making music. AdamNick myself making a variety of music.
Hip hop was obviously a lot moregangster and yeah, uh, I
mean, I'm sure you can rememberthe we don't do the R and B
ship. So there was always thatkind of energy of me doing R and

(01:13:00):
B music and wrap weird vibes inthe studio. Yeah, I'm saying that
to say that Charles and Jamaine fuckedthrough all of that, and in nineteen
ninety six they got a record deal. So their first record deal was with
Shaquilleamedle, who ironically had a subdivisionlabel deal with Jive Records with a label.

(01:13:25):
His label was called Twizzle, andthey had producers like Rodney Jerkins and
many occasions, Monica and all ofthat. And so I was exposed at
an early time to real deal,major league R and B and what it
took to do, what it tookto be a great singer. A lot
of people didn't believe in Jamaine earlyon Japan was the truth, but a

(01:13:53):
lot of people didn't believe. You'reright. I just felt like he was
just smoking since they won. Hisbrother was the most amazing singer so right,
and the two of them together werejust and still are unbelievable, amazing
fucking recording artists. But yeah,I remember, I remember Alicia Keys was
singing background to Jermaine. She wasa thirteen year old. When you talk

(01:14:14):
about my baby moms like that,I remember her before she was even a
princess with jam and the Brooks.Correct, you know me and you know
a lot of people. Bro shecame among the way, and needless to
say, she offered Jermine the opportunitywhen she stupped in the light. So
they they naturally they toured for almostten years. I want to stay over

(01:14:38):
ten years and it was yeah,and Alicia got pregnant with Swiss and then
uh, you know, and thenErmine. They bought our house in Brockman
County, and then I found outcrazy news that I don't know if you
guys know about Rockman, it ispretty impressive. I was hanging out with
my guy email Boogie, who's likea major promoter and Hi in Rocklan.

(01:15:00):
He brought Biggie, brought Little Cannedy, brought uh rayquand he brought moved to
him mom deep to Spring Valley doingshows. He would notice I'm not on
that list. I'm just saying,go ahead, I'm gonna go fuck him.
I'm fucking with you, Chris relaxed. Go ahead. So anyway,
you know, Emn basically does atwenty year bid for some some shit,
ends up coming back in to contactwith me. And so I'm riding around

(01:15:24):
with him, and you know,he's he's a he's totally a man of
God, and he's doing a lotof amen, you know, promotion.
He's there turned his life around inprison, and you know, he started
telling me, you know, whenBiggie was coming up here, he would
hang with Biggie and he wouldn't hatewith Faith. And the problem and the
problem that people don't understand it iswhat We'll check this out. Oh go

(01:15:47):
ahead, But but before you Iwas just I was just making this point.
He's like a lot of people don'tknow it, but Biggie Small's legally
married Faith Evans in the Clarkstown Paulin New City. It's just about to
say this just in our own hoodwhere me, LBJ and and and Snacks

(01:16:09):
is like we're from but we're notfrom you know whatever. Of course this
is where they got married. Soit's so crazy right down the street.
This is the crazy part. Sowhile all this is going on, I'm
from Queens right, I'm up herein Rockland. Of course, the legendary
DJ Marley Mall is swerving around withhis beat twelve. I keeps drop the

(01:16:29):
names. Well, no, I'mand shout out to Guru that lives in
Rockland before he died to but MarleyMall is my man, so he works
to WBLST, we're doing something rightnow. In nine four he's hosting we
four five from a nine PR countrylike four and but I'm saying it to
say people that know this and Inever knew this because I became good for
the Morley Mall used to broadcast theshow that he used to do Future Flavors

(01:16:56):
with Pete Rock directly from his housein Chestnut Ridge. So ninety seven was
always being broadcast from Rocker County andPete Rock liers in Spring Valley, so
it was a short ride for themten minutes apart to just do this show.
And then Marlen Roll tells me aboutall those things. He's like,
yeah, odb all of them.And I was like, what do you

(01:17:18):
mean? Odd was over here?So and he told me ob ran over
his mailbox. It was just funny. So so now now you brought up
another name. Now now you broughtup another name that sorry tone, I'm
just gonna keep going, you said, keep going. But now you brought
up another name, another legend thateverybody should know if you do your hip

(01:17:43):
hop research. Yeah, hold on, hold on, Pete Rock. How
did you Pete Rock? And ifyou don't know who Pete Rock is,
I'm gonna let Max tell you whoPete Rock is. Give you give him
Pete Rocks early and then how youmet him? So Pete Rock? All
right? So the first time Ilaid vis I'm Pete Rock. My dad

(01:18:06):
took me to a movie theater.Right. First last time my dad took
me to lovie theater, I wasabout fairteen. It was to see the
movie Juice. Pete Rock was inthe movie. Pete Rock's poster was in
that film with teeth and all that. And Pete Rock had a pretty crazy
album out with Seel Smooth, justa little album. Yeah, the media

(01:18:28):
comedian simply the king of the NPCthree thousand, the king of king of
hip hop beats and djaying and allof that effectively right before or DJ Premiere.
I want to say to bring umso Pete Rock Mount Vernon only the

(01:18:49):
only basically I mean, I don'tknow if you know this, but you
know Pete Rock being from Alt Vernonand Puffy being from Melt Vernion. That
that led to a conference from ourburning I thought he was from Harvard complaining
asshole. Now they're going from Burnion. Different mentalities towards towards things. Um.

(01:19:11):
But I learned a lot from Pete. I learned a lot from Bumpy
too. Um you know, umwhat what how did you meet Pete Rock?
And what is um your correlation?So I had that relationship with I
ended up really connecting with Pete Rockbecause of Red Man, like basically brought

(01:19:33):
me. See now you're gonna bringanother question. How did you meet Redman?
I met Redman because I was Iwas, I was. I remember
this like yesterday, I was fuckedup. Ahead, tell it, tell
it, tell it. Yeah.I was out of money. My stepdad
was moving. He had his apartmentas a law his law firm of forty

(01:19:56):
nine Street and they were moving tothirty four Street or vice versa. I
can't remember. Any told me.It's like, yeah, you get a
job, motherfucker, I'll get fiftybucks to movies boxes. So I'm like,
all right, man. You know, so I went to go move
some boxes and uh, you know, I saw this six forty five or
six fifty m six fifty BMW orwhatever, and I had to be with

(01:20:21):
this guy at Winston Like so,I know it sounds crazy. You don't
gotta give them like like I justI'm just trying to put out there.
You gotta understand, I'm so intune with the streets at this time.
I think that if I see everything, you don't gotta listen. You don't

(01:20:41):
gotta give them like I'm just saying, I want to like, you know,
grigs the gap on what you're talkingabout. I'm trying to pick the
picture for you. See, understand, I'm in Times Square every day.
I live in Quad Studios. Youhear me, So like I'm spending sixty
thousand dollars a month to stay inthe studio. I'm there on nights.
I'm there on nights where I knowon two Because don't spend sixty thousands on
your rent right now, just justlet John know. So time, like

(01:21:08):
you know, we're definitely um.You know you catch vibes. You know,
you know when Times Square is gonnabe full when you're coming downstairs,
you know on the night where youcan just chill. So on a Tuesday
night you could chill. And soon Tuesday nights, you see the cars
that's going to the studios. Youknow why sixth Street, you know uniques

(01:21:29):
over there, you could see who'sschool, you could see if there's some
cars you don't know, you know, I remember, like I was gonna
tell you, like, I rememberwhen I was working with this kid named
Menace and he had he had Idon't remember he had a rat beet for
something. Ahead, tell the wholestory, please. Yeah, he was

(01:21:49):
working with a guy named Jay Bird, and jay Bird and I we ended
up clicking. He was cool,he was coming on for Rikers, and
he was doing something right right,and and these kids were looked in with
some serious people. And one nighthe brings me, He's like, Yo,
there's this there's this new studio openingon twenty second Street. Like fuck

(01:22:10):
all these nothing, you know,these names is going to hold us.
Then, so I walk into aroom. I'm twenty second Street, I
believe, with twenty six twenty secondsor in the twenties and you know Fourth
Street. Yeah, no, Idon't know. So the guy tells me,
yeah, listen, man, Ineed engineer. I hear you're good.

(01:22:30):
So at this time, I've donethe songs with Cam, I've done
the songs that everybody people knew whoI kind of was, and I was
like, yeah, I'd love towork here. The guy had brand new
SSL consoles with the with the sheeton it, and the guy's name was
Wand, so Wand was like tellingme. He's like, yeah, yo,
you know, I'd love to workfor you. I'll meet either.

(01:22:50):
We're trying to get finances to getit. We got our friend right here
who's in the NBA. So I'mlike, oh shit, I want to
meet the NBA player. And Imet this NBA player playing fell the Minnesota
timber Wolves, and apparently he wasgoing to help finance this rapper studio that
this guy Wan was involved in andwho was the plan Malik Silly and the

(01:23:15):
rapper was Jay Z and the guywon was Juan Perez who basically they were
opening Rockefeller Records and the Baseline Recordingstudio. So in the base Line has
their Undaily Shoot, it's just meJuan and Milieu Silly Malik Silly goes downstairs
and say peace. Friday night,he drives away. Saturday night, he's
in Minnesota before games, speeding withhis range Rover and crashes into a fucking

(01:23:40):
pillar and dies. Jesus ever sawone for a long time. I ended
up telling this story to Redknee,Who's like, fuck out of here,
nigga, you don't know jay Bythis time, Red Man was trying to
explain to me he had been ondeath champ for Wold nigga jay Z just
came in and took over the land, so you know, so he's basically

(01:24:08):
trying to tell me, like,you don't know the name. Anyways,
jay Z's like, I guess headliningsome festival pro Rock the Bells with a
gorilla unique guy, some festival calledRock the bell Yeah, and you know,
Red Man's like christ here. He'slike, you gotta come and uh,

(01:24:29):
you basically got to come in andI'm gonna I'm gonna see like jay
Z recognizes Union. I'm like,oh, hell yeah, nigga's hard.
I'm gonna hook you up Red Proms. But you know the way Reggie is
bro that nigga wants to call everybodyon this ship, you know the way
Reggie is bro Yeah, he Imean, you know what it wasn't that
he didn't believe me or not,but I think you just wanted to see

(01:24:50):
what the reaction was. And Iremember James Ellis was there, who had
Turkey high, and that's like hewas managing jam red Man, Metha Man,
Eric Sermon, Keith ury um Epand d whatever the whole thing.
Anyway, So I'm thinking it I'mtrying to obviously be cool as with Jay
and and James, you know,is in tune with everything that's going on

(01:25:13):
with this band. And he's like, yo, you know your boys coming
around the corner. Now, letme see what's up. Let me see
what you you know, ensure youknow there it is, there's there's there's
Beyonce. But what they didn't knowis I knew Beyonce too because I met
her before. So I walked rightup to Beyonce and I see fucking the
marine security guard. His name isNorman, and you could tell Norman was

(01:25:33):
about to intervene, but Beyonce gavehim there like no, I'm giving them
a hug and a kiss that youknow, like, this is Chris,
how are you? Oh my god. So I'm sitting there. By this
point, now James is looking atJames. Ellis looking at me like,
oh, you're a wild nigga,because here comes Jay and Jay's like,
oh, sh what's up. Chrissays, what's up to me? You
know what I mean? Like,what's up? Like what you do?
And I'm like, yo, I'mhanging with Red. He's like, oh,

(01:25:55):
that's good. That's good. You'reworking with Red Man, you know.
And I was like, yeah,I'm like, you know what you're
doing. He's like, I'm goingto dressing room. He's like, he's
like, how's it out there?I was like, it's crazy, you
know, I'm sure. You know, Like he goes into the dressing room,
Beyonce and d comes into him.He was like, yeah, he's
gonna really welcome to jail. Iwas like, nah, you know,
he's cool, man. The nigga'scool as fuck. It really is,
I swear to god. So,you know, I walk upstairs and I

(01:26:17):
see MP even Bust Rhymes. They'reall chilling on the top. And then
I looked down the staircase, youknow, and I see nas my hero
nasty nahs and he trying to walkup to jail. My hero, he
can't and then he fucking It's like, yo, you gotta light and I'm

(01:26:40):
thinking, yeah, here and thenhe lights up a new port. I
was like, oh, my hero, what are you doing? The Queen's
bridget chill nigga and then he wentupstairs and then Jane came out like,
yo, what's up, Like,is it too crowded up there? And
I said, yeah, come on, then I'll maybe everybody man. So

(01:27:04):
I pulled down and he was hesaw that those bad people up there.
He was like nah, No.I was like, all right, I
guess not. And then Red Manand Met the Man come out. So
I'm out there basically with him.I don't remember who was DJ And was
this the Hard Knock Black Tour?No I was on that tour. I
was on a hard knock He endedup doing Black Republicans were not. That's

(01:27:25):
all right, So that's that's waityears, that was years, that's an
after, that's super that's super yard. Yeah, and then uh, I
think I think that might have beenthe last time a song. Yeah,
and uh, ironically he just boughtmy friend's house and now above for two
hundred million dollars. That's still justjust just say. You know he bought

(01:27:49):
his friend's house. Yeah, Mike, you know, some some little two
hundred million nothing like. You know, He's exactly action is going down right
now. Like he said, yeah, you gonna say, I wasn't gonna
say so, yeah, just togive you an idea, Like, just
to give you an idea. It'spretty crazy. So my boy, my

(01:28:12):
boy Bill is a kid I wrapped, you know, I work with.
He's like King of the Upper EastSide. Um. Yeah, he's just
incredibly connected. One day he bringsthis kid over the house and you know
we're smoking right here. A regularkid, right, he is a regular
kid, as cool as the lies. This nigga is not regular. But

(01:28:35):
go ahead, I'm gonna let tellyou that story. Now. He's just
like, Yo, you know whatI'm saying. You know, my family
owns daytime television ship. I getthe funk out of here, and you
know what I'm saying. So it'strue. You know it's all that shit
young and the restless bull and thebeautiful his family, you know, the
dad or something some shit I don'tknow. So you know, I'm keep
going on with chilling and shit,and you know, we're chilling and ship

(01:28:58):
and then you know, once weeksgo by and then my boy tells me
it's like, yeah, man,you know, if you ever need,
you know, some guidance or somekind of like, you should talk to
the mom, you know, andshe could help you because the mom owns
the restaurant. So I'm like,what do you what do you mean she
owns the restaurant. He's like,you know, talk about I'm like,

(01:29:23):
the fuck out it, I've neverseen the house. Thing that. I'm
like, no, I never seenthe house. And so there's you know,
there's a house and apparently you cansee it from space. It's the
biggest house in Los Angeles County andso from space. So I'm like,
oh my gosh, So I hitmy man up. I'm like, yo,
well you ain't gonna tell me youlive in Batman's house, you know.

(01:29:46):
He's like yeah, He's like,yo, you can always come by.
He can always drive the cheap cars. I got you anything, but
but but real talk expensive cars.That's but real talk, but real talk.
Sweat and Alicia him in the fuckum um iron Man house too.
They like, you know that theyOh, I don't know now what you

(01:30:08):
mean they live in the Iron Minehouse where where I don't know what it
is. I don't know. Andum in California, Oh, I believe
it. I know exactly, Iknow exactly exactly what part of Malilu this
is that But um, yeah,I saw how I saw that post on
TMZ and I'm like, Yo,that's a fucking that's that's not a house.

(01:30:28):
Bro, That's like, I don'tknow. People don't know this,
but right underneath that house is basicallyKim and um Kanye's house. So I
guess jay Z and Beyonce. NowI have the top of the mountain.
I didn't know that. He justhe just had the big bro Kanye West,
like one more time you live onthis hill, I'm gonna live on

(01:30:49):
the top of the hill. SoMax, I got I got another question
for you. We were going downall your accolades and we're gonna, you
know, kind of cut the shortand we're gonna do a part two of
this. But but but we're gonnado a part two of us like LB

(01:31:09):
left us out on you know,huh, And I do get a Dutch
know what you trying? You're tryingto say we're done. No, no,
we're not done, but we're gonna, like, I'm gonna leave this
on a cliffhanger so that way wecan do a part two of this.
Right. Wait, wait, waitbefore you close it out? Though I

(01:31:31):
did, I didn't want to aska question before you. Are you closing
it out? Is that what we'redoing? No? No, no,
no, I wasn't closing it out, but go ahead, okay, No,
I was just gonna ask that becauseI'm curious. You know, I've
heard a lot of you. I'msitting I've been sitting here like starstruck,
low key for this whole interview.I couldn't even call it an interview.
It's more like just me listening totwo niggas talking. Yeah. But but

(01:31:53):
I'm gonna go ahead and get tothe question. My question is, and
feel free to take some time withit or you know, you know,
dodge the question if you want.But do you have a favorite project or
a favorite moment out of your wholecareer? Once, one one time or
one situation that sticks out to you. You're gonna make this motherfucker go get
a whole blunt, roll it up, and then spark it very easily.

(01:32:14):
Man that I think the closest projectto my heart as of late was really
the archer Stones project that I didwith our archer shows. I wow,
really call the Slave project. SoI think if you're gonna hear something like,
I mean, I think that whenit comes on, it's basically where
I'm at. And uh, wehad that ship still, like I kind
of like with you know, likeI still demo that for people that never

(01:32:35):
heard my ship, and that's kindof like how I feel. And Juice
basically raps the way I could ifI could dream of wrapping that way.
And he's quite honestly probably and I'mjust being real just because I haven't so
many people. Now, Bro,you you did. You did a nerve

(01:32:59):
with me because I didn't think youwould. I didn't think you would say
that. But you know, he'sfact that you said that. He's one
of the greatest artists I think I'verecorded in my life in terms of art.
What's the name of the project?One more time? It's um,
It's gonna Slave Out, all right, Orange Juice Jones. All right,
huh okay. The kid is justuh phenomenal. He's perfectly human. It's

(01:33:26):
it's Jay, It's It's one ofthose projects that you can listen to and
then you gotta come back and listento it again. And then you gotta
come back and listen to it againbecause you're not gonna understand what he says,
and you're not gonna come from again. You got a brain, you

(01:33:48):
can, but you're not gonna understand. No, you better rock, You're
gonna understand. I guarantee you.I promise you. You might might not
get the where it's coming from,but you've gotta understanding off topic because he's
speaking English. I'm just telling youlike this, just you have an understanding
of what Juice is. Jad Bunnysays he's speaking English. Still wrong,

(01:34:09):
Yeah, No, I listened.He's born in Atlanta, right. His
father's Arrangejus Jerns. Right, Sohis father helped build help build def Jam
with Russell Simmons. He's basically likehe's like uncle to Redding. Okay,
with LLL and all of them sinceeighty six. That first number one hit
at def Jam and the R andB chance was with Arngjuice Joe. So
I'm saying that to say people don'tknow this. I didn't know this I

(01:34:31):
met Juice. I'm hanging out withhim, and to realize his dad is
Juice, Okay senior junior, andyou know, he tells me one day
It's like a lot of people don'tknow, but you know, they made
the movie Juice about my father.It was like a way that Russell could
give back to the movie Jews.Ironically, it's the only movie that my
father ever took me to go see. So I saw the movie in the

(01:34:54):
theater. I wouldn't know later onin life, I would become friends with
the father and the son and cometo find out Juice grew up in the
house where he had Tupac in theliving room fucking telling him he'd be the
green Fast He's always had it.It's like, you know, Jay,
guys like Curtis blow uh positive kaum, those kind of guys are his

(01:35:21):
godfather's um, his mentors. Youknow what I'm talking about, his big
family, picnic, the shit,I'm talking about, the house, I'm
talking about, sleeping over, I'mtalking about like you know. And then
his family is from Houston, sohe is very unique because he grew up
with the Harlem, Houston and LosAngeles pat five and growing up in the

(01:35:45):
studio, never being allowed to rap, and then he ends up winning a
rap contest in Houston. Jay Ztold him he's gonna do this that third
and he ends up meeting me asa grown man, and we ended up
meeting each other, and I justrealized, this motherfucker's been doing this forever
like this, he got this forever. It's just different, that's all I

(01:36:08):
gotta say. There's a lot ofpeople that record raps, have methods all
this ship. He's one of thoseguys like Jay. He doesn't fucking read
or write nothing. He goes inlike thirty eight special. You know those
guys, they don't read or writethat just go they dreamed of this moment
it's gonna happen and home. That'sit. You're like as a as a

(01:36:31):
recording engineer or a producer, beatme, whatever you want to call it.
I'm always captured like some guy's performingin front of thirty million people.
That's the energy that I get whenI'm recording these guys. So but yeah,
Jews definitely was a probably my formidableproject. So Max, can we

(01:36:53):
can we get a part two?So yeah, whatever you want, I'm
back to Part two. Whenever youguys need me and thanks for having me.
Yeah, I actually I got oneone Like it might come out to
a question, I just gotta.I mean, I've been listening to your
accolades and how you nonchalantly just talkabout all the incredible people that you've had,

(01:37:15):
like the privilege and like what you'vechampioned of working with UM and all
these incredible feats that you have accomplished, and all these people that you've like
you know, helped you know,become who they are. And you know
the type of person you are withthe community on that because I'm very big
on the community and bigging up otherpeople and you know big and helping other

(01:37:39):
people and other artists or other youknow in general. UM, I just
like the way that you contribute,you know, your talents and like I
said, working with the independent artistsnow, but in the past you were
working with, you know, someof the biggest artists, but they weren't
big yet. So I like wherethe grassroots come from. And I appreciate
and I went in you know,our position, and you we are looking

(01:38:03):
at it like you talk about it, like as if we would just go
to the store like something normal,like that you talk about these big things
that we can you know, peoplehave only dreamed of. I mean,
you know, I am talking aboutsome thirty five years. Yeah, let
them let them finish, snacks,let them finish. Really yeah it sounds

(01:38:25):
cool, but it really is thirtyyears no, absolutely, And I worked
in TV. Like television, Imet a lot of famous actors and everything
like that through my experience, LikeI was on the radio for a long
period of time. I've been Iwas in the radio with Funk, I've
been with you know fifty I've beenon the radio station with you know a
lot of big artists and a lotof big actors too. So like I
definitely understand that. But all thosetimes were like like heights in my career.

(01:38:48):
Like and this was twenty years agowhen I was on the radio.
So but now and you're talking aboutthirty five years ago. But I talked
about it like holy shit, thisis who I met, this is who
I worked with, this is whatyou're like. Man, I just know
the guy from the corner, Likeyou talk like that, there's these regular
guys, regular people, And Ijust love how humble you are and how
appreciative you are of everything that you'veexperienced. Let's let's let's all have this

(01:39:12):
in common. Yes, I'm positive, and I think you know, and
I know it's not going to bea strench when I say this. I
don't think that jay Z Puppy andnone of these motherfuckers is rich enough that
they ain't still got to wipe theirown ass. True. Absolutely, I'd
like to hope that they definitely arestill wiping their own ass. Let's say
this to leave it on this note, I was in the Los Angeles ins

(01:39:35):
Are Continental Hotel, right, andit is the tallest building in Los Angeles.
A lobby's on the seventient floor,and there's this beautiful thing called the
Client Service Lounge or the client Lounge, I can't remember exactly club lounge,
that's what it's called. The Yes, club Lounge has unlimited food and unlimited

(01:39:57):
beverages, including alcohol. So it'sa clim everything. One hundred dollars a
person and you get in there.At least that was what our discounted root
was, yes, and so wedidn't want to leave. Once you leave
the club Lounge, you can't comeback, and you're all you can eat
is over. So you know,we wanted to know. Dam it was
their bathroom, so there is andso there was a door there. So

(01:40:24):
I went in there with Jews,thinking like, you know, we're go
into the men's room. You knowwhat I'm trying to say that you're gonna
get a stall. I get astall and do that think and uh nah.
It was a big two thousand squarefoot room with a toilet bowl in
the center, a bit with fivelike seek couch, and I'm thinking of

(01:40:45):
myself, so yeah, I don'tget it, like I'm gonna take a
ship here and you're gonna sit onthe couch. I would get the fucking
architecture but with the view of thehills and the Hollywood sign and ship.
And then I said to myself,damn, bro, Like normally this club
are supposed to cost three fifty forus all you can eat ship, but

(01:41:09):
damn, they're given away food uphere. This is some rich people ship.
And they got a bathroom in themiddle of the room. And we
started imagining why would you need thatwith a seat there, Like why who
would take a ship with an assistant? Why would it intercontinental hotel? I'm
it set up like yeah, butI realized there are some people out there

(01:41:30):
that are wealthy and other people work. Actually, yeah, yeah, it's
I thought you were gonna say somethinglike there was a day in there or
something. Ladies and gentlemen, thankyou for joining us on the On Off
the Record podcast. We got Maxshow Jay Tone death in Florida. See
you next week.

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