August 27, 2025 • 55 mins
Chuck Dizzle sits down with GRAMMY-nominated rapper, actor, and author D Smoke for a raw and personal conversation about life, loss, and legacy.
With his third studio album Wake Up Supa, Smoke opens up about channeling grief after losing his mother, the deeper meaning behind the album title, and linking up with collaborators like Snoop Dogg, Lucky Daye, LaRussell, BJ The Chicago Kid, Jane Handcock and NaNa.
He also talks about carrying Inglewood’s spirit into his music, balancing acting on Mayor of Kingstown with life on the road, and the importance of consistency for any artist chasing their dreams.
🎟️ Catch D Smoke on tour: dsmokemusic.com/tour
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With his third studio album Wake Up Supa, Smoke opens up about channeling grief after losing his mother, the deeper meaning behind the album title, and linking up with collaborators like Snoop Dogg, Lucky Daye, LaRussell, BJ The Chicago Kid, Jane Handcock and NaNa.
He also talks about carrying Inglewood’s spirit into his music, balancing acting on Mayor of Kingstown with life on the road, and the importance of consistency for any artist chasing their dreams.
🎟️ Catch D Smoke on tour: dsmokemusic.com/tour
Stay tapped in with everything HOME GROWN | https://www.homegrownradio.net
HOME GROWN on X
HOME GROWN on IG
HOME GROWN on FACEBOOK
HOME GROWN on TikTok
Get your HOME GROWN merch
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
All right, We're back at it, Chuck Dizzle, live and direct.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
We keep it a home grown as always. Man, this
this guy right here, Man, we go back. And not
only do I respect this man as a as a
as a as a man uh, as somebody that's an educator,
as somebody that's very intentional with not only his words
but his music, and.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Just a just a great human being. Man, My guy,
the smoke is back. It's good to see you.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Mane you too. So you got a new project, you
got a tour. There's a lot happening. But in that time,
there there has been, you know, a big gap, you
know what I mean since we last you know, see
what I have the privilege to see you. You know
what I'm saying right, but you know, as far as
far as the music, man, some time in between the
music and you know, some some announcements and things happening
(00:53):
right now.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
So first and foremost, how are you? I'm doing well? Man,
I'm in a good place. You know.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
It's no strength. It's no secret that you know, my
family endure a big loss last year, having lost mom,
who was you know, featured on Black Habits all of
everything we did on stages at Hollywood Bowl with US black.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Market fleegures showing up.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
She was a huge part of our movement prior to
famous success and following it. And so, uh, when when
people ask how we're doing, we're actually doing a lot
better then we could have imagined given the circumstances, you
know what I'm saying. So we do feel as a family,
and I believe I could speak for everybody when I
say there's an additional strength that we feel, you know,
(01:36):
post this loss, you know, and that we couldn't have anticipated.
So we grateful for that. But of course it's this
new weight that we have to carry as we continue
doing what we were born and bred to do, you know,
by mom. So but the music is going to tell
that story. The music is gonna inspire, it's gonna it's
some stuff to have fun too, all of it.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
It's West Coast, it's instrumental, it's all of the things,
you know.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So I'm just excited to share.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, man, and even the title in itself, and I
want to get into that and I'm sure it plays
a role into that. Man, just wake up, super you know,
well you're super good, you know, you know what I mean.
Smoke just that's that's that's what we know you as man.
So so talk about the title and how that plays
into everything and you know, did you have to wake up?
And you know what does that mean for you internally?
(02:24):
And you know how you kind of move forward at
this point absolutely so. So one it is and awakening
for myself, But the album itself is isn't awakening for
gangsters and lovers, you know what I'm saying, And not
lovers in a sense like romantic love. It doesn't really
dive into that so much. But there are moments where
it's like it has so much heart and so much
(02:46):
so that people can see themselves in it and feel
their passions expressed through.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
The music, you know. So and with the album being.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Called wake Up super of course you'll have nothing to
wake up from if you are first sleep and unconscious.
And I think people expect me to be like super
conscious smoke all the time, and they're getting some real
thoughtful lyrics for sure, But there's there are moments where
it's like, no, this is the darker side, this is
the night, you know it?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
You know what do they say it's darkest before daybreak?
You know?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
So we got to give them that first, both in
the sense of like an unconscious don't necessarily mean like
a nigga wilding out, but it's just crashing out like no, no, no,
that ain't that ain't me. But you do got hands,
So it's not about that. Man.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
It's funny because we're watching this Tank and.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Jake Paul fight coming up, and I'm like, man, come on,
man with what we're doing. But but yeah, so there
is the part of Inglewood that I share that's like,
we're gonna show you what Inglewood look like from a
real Inglewood nigga perspective before we do the wake up processing.
So I talked my ship some early on, tell some
just true stories that tug at the hearts. And then
(04:01):
you know, me and La Russell hop on early in
the project and we have a good time. You know,
I got Dog on the project. I got Jane Hancock
on the project.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
So it's it's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Most of the features are actually voices singers, you know,
my brother Daviana singing backgrounds. It's arrangement in the intro
that's produced by Terris Martin for you know, I got
fifteen hundred on their and but it's super cohesive, believe
it or not, because regardless of like who else I
got producing on it, there's a through line of live
(04:33):
instrumentation and live voices. Even a song with me and
l Russell like that's that sample is something original that
that Lawrence and Damo from fifteen hundred got in there
and they created they saying.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Nah na no no no no no. You know.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
So there's this common thread of live music with a
lot of bass and a lot of you know, crazy
West Coach drums and stuff, and voices, different people's voices
throughout the thing. So it should feel like you you're
in Inglewood, you know what I'm saying. With the with
all the talent that's in Inglewood, all the shit talk
(05:12):
that's in Inglewood, the stories of just being on foot
in Inglewood like and being on foot in Inglewood now
is different.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Back when I was on on footman like he was
pacing and watching, and so we try to give them
a little of that feel prior to giving them the
enlightening bars and all the things, the high frequencies and
the West Coast Equimini vibes. If I had to compare
it to uh an album and not not in terms
(05:41):
of sonics or or even even the topic or the
subject matter, but in terms of like where I am
in my career and what I wanted to accomplish with
this project.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
I feel like I did that, you know, so and I.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
And that's a high bar because I read those are
the people, the types of artists that I modeled my
self after. You know, when I think about what I
want to do by the time I leave RAP, you know,
that's why do you even think about like leaving the
industry in that sense? That is that ever a game
plan or is it just kind of like if that
moment happens, or like do you see it in yourself
(06:17):
like a vision like okay, yeah, by this age or
buy this many albums? I think I want to kind
of hang it up or maybe you know, transition or
pivot into something different. I will never stop creating creating music.
I will never stop writing. You know, even I can't
say what form that's gonna take. And with the stage
(06:39):
I'm at right now, there's so much learning. Uh, there's
some certain rules. I try to break as many rules
as I can break while growing. Right, this element of
growth causes us forces us to have to understand this
rapidly changing terrain of the music industry, like the algorithm,
what things you know allow us to get the most
(06:59):
eye on what we're doing, because ultimately, if you're making
music that you think is the antidote to all the
problems that we see, then you want as many people
to hear it as possible. So there's a science that's
always evolving to doing exactly that. So the art doesn't
end when the music is finished being made.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
That's just the start of it. It's the art.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Of getting as many people to see it. I'm sorry
to cut you off, now, when did when didn't you
learn that? Because I feel like a lot of times
artists specifically, and I'm gonna call myself an artist as well,
we get so caught up in, you know, the art,
that it's like, no, it goes beyond just that. It's
you know, it's the business behind it, so the marketing
(07:42):
and things of that nature.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
So like when did when did you tap into.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
That and kind of start understanding like, Okay, it's more
than just what I create on the mic. Yeah, I
learned that in my early twenties when I felt like
we put out something that should have shocked the world.
Early on, you know, me and me and my homie
cheers rest in peace. You know he was you new
chick was my rapping partner, and we were supposed to
be like Inglewood's you know, rap duo, you know, and
(08:09):
and so when when we got a good buzz but
it didn't amount to like huge opportunities, world tours and
all that stuff, then I was like, oh, there's more
for us to learn, you know what I'm saying. And so,
and that's the irony of it is. Music has changed
so drastically and rapidly since that time. You know what
(08:29):
I'm saying, I ain't gonna date us, you know how
you know how long I mean that that that can
even be said in like two or three since your
lous album dropped. Sure, things changed so much drastically, very drasastically,
but imagine, imagine before streaming.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
That's how long. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
So it there's literally been billions of dollars taken out
of the artist's pocket because now somebody said today there's
no the music itself.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Is damn to give.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Away the music as part of your movie so that
you can have these other opportunities to create revenue.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
It's not a product anymore. To the public. Music is expendable.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
You could give them brilliant work and they're gonna be like, Okay,
what else you got?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
What you mean? What else? Bro? Read the credits? Bro,
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
And it's unfortunate because this need to meet that rapid
demand causes people to lessen the quality of you know,
now we just get into basic economics. You know, if
the demand is high, you got to meet that with supply.
And in order to do that, we see that happen
with so many brands. You build up this brand by
(09:36):
having a high quality, then somebody buys it out and
they want to they want to scale it, but in
doing so, you lessen the quality of it.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
And so it's it's.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
A lot of just trash music that people are people
are putting out. But the irony of it is the
musicians don't know the science of hustling, and the hustlers
don't know the science and music. So we got to
grip of hustlers and music. The beautiful thing is when
you get somebody that's both. And so I'm not knocking
a lot of the artists like it's artists that look
(10:06):
at music very differently from me that are both you know,
and I respect it. And I mean you got one
on the project, and well you got multiple, but one
I can think of off top is Larussell, somebody that
you know is is kind of just taking things in
his own hand and creating his own infrastructure. He's he's
giving you the quality in addition to the quantity, you
know what I'm saying. So there is a world where
(10:27):
both can happen. What are some things that you you
learn from his format and his formula seeing him work
and you guys getting together and kind of like linking up.
I mean, Larrussell is an inspirational dude, you know what
I'm saying. Like he's living, breathing authenticity, you know. So
it's like he's very different.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
From me, you know.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And and so part of part of artistry is choosing
the model that best fits who you are.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
We can get high volume Larussell, you know what I'm saying,
because it's entertainment and he's ands he'll surprise you and
just be you know, be conscious, thoughtful and do all
these things and speak to things that are happening in
the world, whether it's what's going on in Gaza, whether
it's just telling you his story from a heart standpoint.
(11:16):
But then he knows how to make it fun and stuff,
you know. So he strikes that balance very well. And
what I did observe from him is that he'll go
in the studio and he'll make a song his hill
damn there, do a warm up song, and the warm
up song will be like I'm in here in a.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Studio with d smoke and about to go on be
s mood, a litter, you know what.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I'm saying, And it's like he's narrating where he is
and what he's doing in that moment, and then he'll
do a whole nother song, Like he'll go in and
do five songs, you know. He'll do another one where
it's like this is what I've been dealing with, go
to and then he'll do another one where it's like
for a party, you know. And so, but it's the
rate of which he's able to create. And I think
he's spoken to putting an expiration date on how long
(12:04):
he wants to be doing music, and I don't want
to misquote it, so I won't say when he said
that was, but I remember when him saying, him saying, like,
I want to do this until X, Y and Z
point and then transition. And I believe that's healthy because
the fans might love you, but the game don't, right,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
You got to know when to kind of get out.
You got to know when to take care of yourself,
you know what I'm saying. And so.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
But I still got so much to learn, you know,
as it relates to the business, as it relates to investment,
so that the ultimate goal is to invest enough to
where when I make music, it's the it's exactly what
I want to put out, and it's for the people
who want it the most. Like we got to get
(12:47):
back to making people pay for it because then they
appreciate it it, you know. But you got to earn
that exclusivity.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Kendrick didn't start off just dropping whenever he wants, you
know what I'm saying. I remember I remember him hitting
the freestyle over a little way and beating on the
balcony of somewhere, you know what I'm saying, Because it
looked like wherever he was, it looked like it was
my classroom.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I was like, that looked like but it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
But so I remember him doing the things that put
him in an advantageous position to be able to be
Like if we found out Kendrick dropped some of the day,
everybody turning their head, the world is looking.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
So, but that that kind of status is earned by
willingness to play by the rules and break.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
The right ones. I give you credit for that because
a lot of times when you hear that. When I
say that, I mean like.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
When when you get into this business, a lot of
people get turned off by the fact that, oh, things
are working my way. Like you said earlier on when
you we Chids were doing, you know, we're making your
impacting your mark. You know the world may not have
caught up with it, but you know, your the the
fan base, the home the home team. We rocked with
it right, and a lot of people get turned off
when it doesn't go that. Wait, what was it about
(14:01):
yourself that says, you know what, Nah, I'm gonna I'm
gonna learn this, I'm gonna figure it out, versus having
like more of a a negative approach to it and
like this ain't really for me then, you know what
I mean, let me kind of just take the next
butt or a lot of people take become the victim
at that point, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
And it really I've seen it hurt a lot of careers.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Because they just don't know how to internalize that and
use it for their best moment for them. So for you,
how to how did you take that and say, you
know what, Nah, let me figure this out and work
this to my favorite and use this for my career
versus ah, let me just take a step back, or nah,
this just ain't working out the right way for me. Man,
I got to credit the people that I had surrounded
(14:40):
me to keep it a buck like we took turns
being the encourager.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
You know.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
It was times where I was like, man, it's just
burnt or not even I ain't quit, but I heard
it's stuff people said, like somebody said, if you're gonna quit,
quit for a day and get back to it. Get
back to it, give it up, let it go all
the like mentally, physically, spiritually, let go of the weight
of the whole pursuit and nigga play video games or
(15:09):
but get back to it. You know what I'm saying.
And however, however good you are at relief believing yourself
of that weight for that time being, the more energized
you can be when you decide to go to it,
just don't carry it mentally, don't you know. You got
to imagine yourself taking a whole weight vest off and
(15:30):
being like, oh, I'm just a human being to that,
you know. And then my uncle, you know, at a
time when you know, you know where we was on
Manchester and Market Street. We had Woolworks records and we
would do these events in.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
A space that helped. Those days were so fire, you
know how.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
We got two hundred people in a forty people box
and then a hundred more outside. But at the time,
you know, we wasn't somehow it wasn't making ends meet.
You know, Sir had got signed the TD yet Tiff
was just about to uh go on tour with I
think mac Ayres and then and but it wasn't making
(16:11):
ends me. My uncle told us one thing, he said,
keep going, you doing it, And in my head I
was like, bro, but it's not adding up, you know,
keep going and doing it. And you know that, you know,
people follow movements they don't follow moves, you know what
I'm saying. So if it's when they see that consistency,
like even my rollout, now, my hiatus was long enough
(16:31):
for people to be like, uh, just a casual applause
to the first single week drive, like okay, you rapping cool,
good stuff.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Then when you.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Follow it up, they're like, oh shit, you got one
real Russell. Okay, dope, that's I love this collaboration.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Cool.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Then then we dropped frequency with Lucky Day, They're like, wait,
hold hold on, he's curating something. Then then we come
in freestyle, you know, on just incredible, and they're.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Like, Okay, what's up. He's active.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
And so it's something about the culture where people are
afraid of missing something that caused them to lock in
more than their own artistic taste. They can love it
and be like cool and forget it. That's not how
it was when you know, when I first started listening
to music. If I like it, I don't care if
nobody like, I don't care, if the gangsters tease you
(17:24):
for it. You know, I ain't gonna front I know,
dangerously in love back and forth, you know what I'm saying, Like,
might I mean when I'm by myself Jesus around I like,
you know what I'm saying, Like, it's just it's just
when music connects, that should be enough, you know. But
(17:44):
people don't trust they own taste because it moves so
fast and so much stuff that.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
They would be like, I don't get it.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
So much of that makes it in that when they
like something, they almost scared to express their own taste.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
You know. Maybe that kind of plays into what you
were saying before.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
How music now is just like it's it's the worth
of it is so low, the value is sem it's
so many, so many songs and projects, it's oversaturated. So
it it leads into that where it's like, oh dang, okay,
you forget you just you.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Legit, just forget, you know what I mean. Even I'm
a victim of it sometimes we are.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
But one one touch point that you kind of I
just saw today of the announcement that that I saw
that you know, uh, you collaborated with death Row.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
It's like a full circle moment.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
You know, people you know that have been following your story,
they know that the infamous moment of rhythm and flow
and you and Snoop. So now this full circle moment
of you being with Dog and death row Man, talk
about why that's important, what made that decision for you
or why you decided to make that decision, and why
this makes sense for this project right now for you. Absolutely,
the beauty of this collaboration with death row is that
(18:59):
it has and organically so many times Snoop has you know,
dumb me favors without asking for anything in return, because
he saw something in me like and even our initial reaction,
with our initial interaction when he asked me, like, you
know where you from? And then I told him? Then
he was like, not where we're from? And I told
(19:21):
him the same answer. You know, even that was because
mind you, we were in La, like everybody, everybody auditioning
on that stage was from LA and asked nobody that.
But even that as a nod to authenticity, because he wouldn't.
He ain't gonna try to scare nobody that's unfamiliar to that.
You know, just because you grew up in La, don't
you could have got busted out. You could have got
(19:42):
so many scenarios. Yeah, yeah, But but when he saw it,
he was like, oh, let's see what this is because
I like it.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
You know what I'm saying. This looked like me.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Even Nip said, you don't bang on the irony of
gang banging is you don't bang on somebody that don't
got that energy. You only do it when they got it.
So that him saying that was I see something in you,
you know what I'm saying, And he didn't know that.
I wasn't gonna say, Man, this westside, you know what
I'm saying. But so if that were the case too,
(20:12):
he all he would have get done was gave me
a platform to give it up, you know what I'm saying,
which which any gang member would be proud to do,
because that's what you're supposed to do, you know, if
you authentic and real about your shit. So I say
all that to say, since Jump he's seen something in me,
and that supported that. He showed up, did the video
for UH for God, Spadiyanga for free, you know what
(20:36):
I'm saying, brought the paid for the food truck for
the whole day for Trap Kitchen, for the block out
on Queen Street in Inglewood. All the bluzz is out,
they pulling up like dog you good, ya't had no problem.
We out here with dog blood you know what I'm saying,
taking pictures and so, and he said early on, long
before we ever talked about a partnership, like look, nephew,
I'm gonna show you how to solidify your legacy.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
You know.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
And he's done it exactly that, you know, and so
then you know, fast forward, he asked me to write
the bondamsa versus for him rapping in Spanish, and so
it's always been a relationship that's like, look I see
something in you and I want to be an asset
to that. It was it was kind of me saying like, hey, Dog,
(21:21):
like you're trying to do the whole project because we
also did a single. We did work hard, play hard
under death ro you know, but we hadn't come up
with the agreement to be like what does the whole
project look like? So it was just we were conversations
away the whole time. Finally, when we had those conversations
that were super simple because the trust and the love
was there, like real love, like you can't you can't
(21:44):
tell me nothing about dog, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Period, And.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
To the point where he didn't showed up for the family,
like he knew what happened with Moms and has helped
me make sense of that because he lost.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
His too, you know.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
So so yeah, that that was like the manifestation of
a long, healthy relationship of both work and support, you know,
and and so building with it with the Death Row team,
you know what I'm saying with tef Fuzz, with Jasmine,
you know, being in the studio with Half Dead, you
(22:18):
know what I'm saying, It's good times and and there's
trust there so that people can go hard and work
like they believe in what's going on. And ultimately I
view it as a trust because I'm not I'm not
the other artists that are assigned to Death Row, you
(22:38):
know what I'm saying. Whether now we're in the history
of it, you know what I'm saying, But to connect
to that history and take it somewhere something that I
don't take lightly.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
You know.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
I believe in myself enough to be like, yeah, this
is what it looks like, you know what I'm saying.
And then the other artists, of course, our family, you know,
Jane Hancock is on the project making a mark. I'm
talking about one of my favorites on the project, and
so I'm just I'm excited, man, I'm excited and look
forward to doing more from scratch.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Well, one thing that I took away from the original
that with the video because I saw the video before
I actually heard the song, so I saw it all
in one. But we're talking about the Nana Na song
and I'm gonna tell you and I'm just gonna knock
him up because he's super talented and dope.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
But I was so glad to.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
See Na Na in the video and then to double
back and hear him on the project as well as like, dude,
this is he's somebody that I'm not gonna say slept on.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
He's got his time and his rival is there. But
I'm glad that.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
You shed that light on him, you know, give him
the platform he's He's doing amazing things as well.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
So it's just that's it that's important as well. And
I feel like.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
You come from that breed of making sure that we,
you know, put our arms around our own. You know,
I'm saying, are homegrown. You What I'm saying artists and
people that deserve that that shine. Talk about artists like
him that you see, it's like, yo, I want to
make sure that you get this platform, you know on
me as well.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
The special thing about the song that he's on is
that I only have one verse. This is the only
song I've ever put out unless it's like one long verse, right,
But it's a one verse on a three verse song.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
And I'm only one.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
But that song is called Biscuits, and I produce Biscuits
and played all the instruments on there, with the exception
of like battle Cat also came on and added some
additional instrumentation. But so I felt like my creativity was
represented in that song, and I could just give space,
and it's one of my favorite on the project. I
can give space for him to speak for me like
(24:42):
or to me like. It's one of those verses. I
know his verses from his verse from beginning to end.
You know, should I say this shit with his verse? Man,
this Nigga N nine said today. I'm sure of the
path that I'm on, but I know we all got
choice to see the footsteps that you laid for me.
But I'm more intrigued by these voices. My cup run
(25:03):
it's over. It'll be my luck. I'm low on my portion.
See the apple type, see the apple far from your tree.
A life I might gravitate to. These forces give me
is to hear nine to see. Look, I need your
divine binoculars, but temptations all on my hears won't stop me.
I feel bonders trying to lock me up. I might
pop me a nigga man a box and the devil
let them duck in the dodge, and these officers all
the while enemy is trying to mop you up. I
(25:24):
need the same strength that you gave Joshua with some
of these holes desperate for attention. Look, I could probably
name about two of them trying to stay faithful to
my old lady, But damn, I might need a few
of them. What's the chances of me staying down and committed?
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Men?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
I know these women might ruin them, but god, damn, man,
I just got some brand new Jay's to be real, man,
I feel brand newing them. So tom with the fleshmen
and walk in a real thin linement. It's wrong, but
I love it. One look at my life, and I
know that it's anxious around me. I know that I'm covered.
Though I stumbled it far picked me right back up,
and I promise I'm not like the others. Protect me
from me and allow me to be in this crazy
world and not of it, you know. And that's how
(25:56):
the song goes out. And that's not not those are
not my words, you.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
But he blessed the song, you know, damn near with
a prayer, you know. And and so I you know,
you know how it started off when you met me.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
I wasn't even rapid.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
I was I was bringing Tiffin and dave In and
sir and she is like, these are our artists.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
I'm the CEO of Woodworks Records, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
And so it's I've always taken pride in making people,
giving people platforms who should have them, you know, making
people famous who don't necessarily want fame but want to
touch people in positive ways and and reach people and
inspire people, you know what I'm saying. So I take
bright in that, especially on a song where I did
(26:42):
the beat and I'm like, I'm just lay back, you
know what I'm saying. I got that off, come on,
you know. So but but yeah, no, Na Jane. You know,
Jane already has a strong following and a lot of
people who are in love with her. And that's the
thing about her type of talent and artistry that once
you know, you just obsessed. You know, some people are
gonna love these smokes. Some people are gonna be like, oh,
(27:03):
he's speaking Spanish.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
What that means? You know, we could take that too,
you know, we got thick skin.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
But Jane is like, if you know you love her,
you know, and I want more people to be aware
of her. And I'm glad that she blessed the project,
you know. So and then everybody else, you know, they
about to be household names, you know. So I'm just
excited to have that body of work now.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
One thing, I mean, I respect a lot about you, bro,
but I think.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
And I said it earlier, man, your intentions, with your
words and the messaging and the visuals, You've always crafted
such beautiful pieces out.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
I forgot the other day, I want to say it
was yesterday, the day before.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Randomly, it's not random, but I happen to be on
Facebook and it was showing us a nine year anniversary
of I forgot what visual was, but I shared it
on Facebook and it just literally popped up.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Was the one with oh my god, huh mine? It
was one of yours? Was it a fighter? I believe
it could I believe so, yeah, because it is an universe.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Well it was nine years since Yeah, because it was
it was it was a new video at the time.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Fighter can't really be nine years I'm gonna tell you
what it is because it was it was.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
My point is is that you you're very intentional with
the messaging and the in the visuals and what you're
you're you're putting out there at this point is the
is the goal to continue to elevate these stories and
for people to see it? Like what what motivates you
at this point? Because I say that to say you
(28:46):
you were doing this at a time where you wanted,
you know, more people to see and hear your artistry
and all that. Right, you have that right, So now
is it to elevate that even more?
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Are there more stories to be told?
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Like what's what's motivating you at this point to kind
of continue to you know, really drive the point home
for Deep Smoke, Man, it's a combination of a couple
of things. One, you know, jay Z was like, niggas
want my old shit by my old albums, Right, I'm
not trying to make these albums again. I definitely want
I make these first three intentionally to be the root
(29:22):
of everything that comes out later. And the reason I
say that is as creators, we should have a certain
amount of creative freedom to express ourselves and every facet
of ourselves.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
You know.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
And the difficulty and not that I'm trying to go
Kanye by any means, you know what I'm saying, But
the difficulty of being understood as oh yeah, conscious rapper
is that people feel like you can't express the parts
of yourself, like like where it's a sense of humor
or where it's lighthearted, you know what I'm so so,
(30:04):
and if you look for the people that really listen
to the projects that's there all the time, you know,
each project got moments where it's like, oh, okay, so
he not just a school teacher, you know. So yes,
I want to continue, you know, being a version of
myself that I love and am proud of and presenting
that in my art.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
But I also want.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
To be able to to have fun and show fastest
of myself that people might not expect, you know what
I'm saying. Like, if we look over the course of
Pharrell's album, I mean, Forrell's career.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
You got happy, you.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Got you got these moments that are very much like that,
but then you also got shake it.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
So it's like we get that that people are multifaceted,
and we can give them music that they could play
and you know, different different environments and circumstances for you.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
How difficult was it to make Jackie's triumph.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Jackie's triumph happened when I was when she was still
with us, you know, So this is us pulling for her,
you know.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
And so it's it's I played Jackie's Triumph for my mom.
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
I've seen her shed a tear too, the fact that
she's hearing her son narrate what we're going through, and
how much hope we had that she would get better,
and she got better before things got worse, you know,
And it was it was a tough thing, but it
was it was harder to watch her suffer than it
(31:41):
was tomorrow her loss. And and I don't say that
the same morning her loss has been any kind of easy.
But watching that part of her being in the hospital
and struggling to digest food and all that stuff was
just like ridiculously difficult on the family. And I was
there every day. You know, certain certain Davion, and I
(32:01):
told him, you know, do what y'all got to because
everybody's working on behalf of the family, Certain Davion. We're
on tour together, you know, so I'm talking to them
every day about what's the situation, even until I was like, bro,
it's looking not great, you know. So so yeah, it
(32:22):
was just it was probably the hardest. It was not
probably it was the hardest thing Niggas ever went through.
It's I couldn't even believe we made a year since
it happened that. It's like, what what blurry days have
gone by? You know what I'm saying. So, so yeah,
that was that was super difficult. Even more difficult than
(32:44):
Jackie's trying for is good morning, which is which is
like the acceptance record, you know, and giving her a
voice from beyond this side, you know what I'm saying, Like,
what would she say to me? You know, because I
know she heard one of her last days, Moms was like, uh,
(33:05):
she hadn't spoke all day. She's in the uh you know,
I see you, you know, and uh intensive care unit
and we washed her and plugged up to all this
stuff and she not dinner, not looking like herself, and
she was in and out of it. She might have
whispered stuff in her sleep. And and then she woke
up at one point and looked at us and looked around.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
And was like, why y'all looking all sad?
Speaker 2 (33:31):
And we was like, man, and so we laughed while crying,
you know what I'm saying, Because it's like, dang, that
is Jackie. If she can't fight physically, she's still like
what I'm good.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
You know.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
And and the beauty of the ironic beauty of losing
somebody as good as her as one, you have to
be grateful that you were close to somebody that beautiful
and that close, Like not everybody's close to anybody that great.
I can't believe it, you know what I'm saying. And
everybody got potential, but that much realized potential where the
(34:06):
year before she passed she finished the book two books
a script, you know what I'm saying, and was torn
with us and all this stuff.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
So you have to be grateful for we have to be.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Grateful for having been that close to somebody that great.
And uh, and I forgot what I was going to
the second part of what I was going to say,
But you know, Moms was the real, the real deal,
you know what I'm saying. And the part of it
that is difficult is like how do we make sense
of the person who dedicated their life to minister and
(34:39):
you know, getting in a car crash on the way
to church on Eastern Like what's that?
Speaker 1 (34:43):
This is the resurrection? Like what we do? You know?
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Because she it was a crash that could have killed her,
and somebody said they revived her on the spot and
we got some months left. But okay, we wanted her
for till she was a hundred. She was only sixty.
We lost forty years, you know. So but again, what
we do know is what she would have us to
do as her sons, you know, almost fierce. So I
(35:08):
ain't no stop, you know. And if there are moments
where when we do what we do now we feel
even a higher level of like confidence and strength. When
when I step on stage, I perform today, I got
the news that she passed, you know, because you see,
I saw her, you know what I'm saying, or what
used to be her, And I had an event in Inglewood.
(35:32):
And so when you hit the stage and do what
you were taught to do with somebody on the other side,
like that it's a different energy, Like I don't I
used to get nervous sometimes playing keys.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Compared to what you.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
Know what I'm saying, So that I think we do.
We for show got that angel at our back, that
additional strength, you know. But writing those songs was like interesting.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
And then then the last song is.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Her favorite song, you know what I'm saying, Uh BJ
the Chicago Kid.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
You know, she wanted it on the last album. That
was actually probably the oldest song we had really, you know,
She's like, why are you gonna put this out? And
she would listen to it all the time, man, and
so so yeah, I was.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
There was one part in particular where you were talking about,
you know, being in the hospital and and you know,
fighting tears but still having to take pictures with the nurses,
you know, just imagining that not even fighting tears, Yeah,
talk about just fresh wiping them.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
They on your shirt. Your shirt is too tong you
know what I'm saying, because the tears is there, you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Like, and yeah, that was a reality, like and I
even gave a nod to Kanye, like, you know, I
feel like I'm living in that uh song called Roses
from that from that Kanye album where they opened up
and heard him say, you know, I'm used to hearing
that my homies got shot, you know, but this is different.
(36:59):
I mean I was having a conversation with my cousin
the other day and he lost his mom and he
was like, he's like, nobody can tell you how to
feel about this. Like you you can lose a parent
when you it's when you lose a mom it's different.
And that's that's one thing. Even hearing that now was like,
(37:23):
you don't wish that on anybody.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
You don't.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
It's hard to even, you know, deal with that sort
of here you going through that and the resilience that
I know that you have, and you know, like you said,
Mon's on the other side give you even more strength now.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
So I know that that's.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
The the joy side of it, right, But at the
same time, you're still dealing with it, you know what
I'm saying. So and we'll and we'll always be with it.
It's never gonna get oh matter.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Of fact, it's not, because that's who I am. Me
and her were real.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Life close, like real life close, like like our dynamic
changed nine times out of ten. After I was ten
years old. Our dynamic wasn't normally mother and son. My
goal was to be responsible enough to wear The type
of conversation that I have with adults was one of respect,
Like you don't.
Speaker 1 (38:14):
Ain't really much. You could tell me my homework done.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
I could show you this report card and my clothes
folded iron and organized, color coded.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
I was just like, I don't like being told what
to do because I got ideas.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
I got these ideas, and as long as my shit
ain't together, y'all gonna be telling me what I'm it's done.
So the type of game, and I used to teach
that to my students, I got a mad game. I
could give you. I can even connect you with somebody
who could give you a job. But that's reserved for
people that got it together together.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
So I learned that early.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
My Auntie Stella was like diligence, diligence, discipline, you know,
you know, responsibility, these.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Keywords the Book of Seven Habits A highly fit.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
The people recommended that when I was what ten, Wow,
you know what I'm saying. So it's like I say
that to say, our dynamic but with me and her
was like friends. Hell early to where I knew what
the challenges of her and my pops were long before
they ever got divorced, remarried, divorced again, remarried again, and
(39:20):
I think divorced again, it's.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Like, what are y'all doing? To the point where I
was like, y'all, y'all just be friends. Yeah, just leave
that that.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
But I knew about that stuff because again, we were
we were friends, So it's just, yeah, it's something that
we are carrying at all times.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Feel me the one thing that I do.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
I mean, multiple things that I see from that, But
at that moment, it's like and always asks people like,
is there anything that you feel like you can't display
on the mic?
Speaker 1 (39:51):
You know what I'm saying? And getting over something like
that and being able to internalize that and just put
it out.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
It's like at that point, it's like, what what else
I can talk about? I can shed light on any
situation at this point, it's another you know, not a
like super superpower that I feel like you haven't And
on top of that, for anybody that's going through it,
you know what I mean. I feel like this album
is for anybody that's dealing with grief. It's it's a
(40:21):
it's a good listen to be like, Okay, I'm not
alone period, you know what I mean. And if that
anything else, if for for the listeners that you know,
just need that encouragement, you know what I mean, they're
getting that, and that's what I that's what I hear.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
You know what I'm saying on top of a lot
of other things.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
Yeah, man, I'm just always I'm I'm super grateful for.
Speaker 1 (40:45):
Our friendship. I'm super grateful to be able to experience
somebody like you.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
And think one of my boy, my buddy Clarence, he
he heard you on the podcast years ago and to
this day, you're like one of his favorite artists and
he always talks.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
He's like, man, like that d Smoke interview, Like get
more people on like that.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Like he's always ragging a lot of a lot of
the people that I have on sometimes he's like, man,
it's just I loved his his thought process. I love
the way he articulated himself. I loved you know, what
he has going on. And I'm just grateful to be
able to experience somebody like you. Man, Like I think
we don't get a chance to say it enough because
you know, life. Things just happened day to day. But
(41:25):
it's just like, yo, I'm super grateful to be able
to you know, be in your presence, be able to
have been supporting from from a long time ago.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Like you were talking about earlier, being on market Street,
you know what I'm saying, around the same time and
just seeing where everything is going and pulling up and
I remember you pulling up. You've seen us perform when
it wasn't many people showing up. You know what I'm saying.
I remember that, and I remember the invitation to come
and you know, share platforms you had, you had homegrown
(42:00):
and it grew before what works did you know what
I'm saying. And so it's just dope to be able
to applaud your homies as their dreams come true. So
it's the feeling is mutual and I respect you as
a man, a husband and a father, and so these
conversations are easily had from my standpoint, you know what
I'm saying, So salute, Yeah, absolutely, man. Is there anything
(42:21):
that you want want the people to know that either
a we have a discussed or just you know.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
Oh, the tour, the tour, the tool the tour.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
We go on tour in October. Our first date is
in Vancouver, So October twenty eighth to November twenty fourth,
we're on tour. We're hitting eighteen cities around the States
and tickets are on sale. Now get those for they
sell out. Shout out to the people that are already
purchasing tickets, you know what I'm saying. And you know,
(42:50):
I got a season of Mayor of Kingstown that I
shot this year. So while I'm locking in the album,
we finished the whole you know, another season. I think
I'm in like seven or so episodes of that show.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
And is there is there a balance that that's necessary
for you?
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Is it is it natural for you to kind of
go from one lane to the other with the acting
and music, Like for you specifically, I mean, I know
you've been You've you've done this music thing for a while,
So I'm just saying, like, is it is it easy
for you to kind of turn one on and turn
one off?
Speaker 1 (43:20):
Or how do you deal with with both?
Speaker 2 (43:24):
I love acting as a departure from It's like a
whole different set of muscles being exercised. You know that,
aren't they aren't necessarily unrelated. They overlap for sure, because
the if you think of some of the greatest moments
we witnessed from these artists, they take on a whole
(43:44):
other character. Like if you think of some of the
Eminem videos and where he went from like kind of
crazy Eminem and all the animated stuff to like, you know,
to the storytelling moments where it's real dark and personal.
Or Kendrick his performance on the Awards where he's in
chains and the Blues and all that stuff, and it's like,
these are moments where they, like, damn, they're summing a
(44:05):
whole nother element, you know. And so I think acting
lends to higher artistry in that, and not that you
have to escape yourself, but just like take on the
whole persona that best illustrates how you are.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
When you feel that way, you know.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
But you know, the beauty of acting is that I
can for sure take that thinking cap off that says
what do I want to say? It's more so okay,
what they're telling me, what this person wants to say.
I'm like, okay, well, let me write their backstory and
fill in the gaps, because writing the backstory is the
real art of creating bringing life to a character, because
(44:46):
once you write a thorough backstory and know it inside
and out, then then what they say is informed by
so much more than what you think the director wants.
You don't want to be in your head. You want
to be in that character. So you're saying that they
give you a character, they get you description. You're saying,
you take that and get give the backstory to the characters.
Speaker 1 (45:03):
So sure, then portray that and add to it. So sure,
what did that character eat this morning? What you know?
Who do they call on the phone?
Speaker 2 (45:12):
And it's so much you can write anything that they
didn't write, you know, And of course it's in line
with what they say.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
The character description is.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
But a description is not enough information for you to
sit in the chair and feel.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Like that's who I am.
Speaker 2 (45:26):
If you don't sit there and feel like it's not
smoke right now, it's Rafael, you know what I'm saying,
then you haven't done your work, and it's work. Then
One of my favorite activities in preparing for a role
is a internal monologue. Like everybody when they're talking, you know,
you can only.
Speaker 1 (45:44):
Express a fraction of what's going on in your mind.
Speaker 2 (45:47):
So we sit and we like we comb through, like
how do I phrase that? What do I say? You know,
we got limited time, so everybody's doing that at all times.
What is the internal monologue of that character? Because you'll
see that on their face. So you're not just memorizing
your lines, You're memorizing all your options. And in the
moment that character is fighting through, that character should look
(46:09):
like they're figuring out what they're saying, what they're about
to say, as they said, even though you know your lines,
And a perfect tool for that is knowing, like what
else do they think before they say that? You know
what I'm saying. So it's just a powerful exercise. And
you know, I've studied acting. You know, Tasha Smith was
my acting coach, and I booked, I booked, you know,
(46:29):
rolls on so many shows as a teenager CSI, Boston Public,
the District.
Speaker 1 (46:35):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
This movie called Our America, you know, all kind of
stuff and you know, little little infomercials and stuff like
and so it's big respect to that craft and the
beauty of it is I'm around people like Jeremy Renner,
I'm working with Toby Baumtefa from you know, across the Pond.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
He's from the UK. Incredible actor.
Speaker 2 (46:58):
Wow, Like I didn't know he was a whole season
americ Kingstown before I realized he ain't from here.
Speaker 1 (47:04):
And then I walk up, like what's up? I'm smoke.
He's like, what's so? Bro oh man, A big fun
of your what? Like what? I don't believe they even
got you on the show. And I'm like, damn, who
are you? You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
So the Mahomie Patrick Cage incredible actor. He's one of
the leads in uh uh one of them Days, you know,
Easter Ray's film with Ki Kith Palmer and Scissa and
my boy Denny Love. Incredible actor and you know, decorated,
uh successful comedian.
Speaker 1 (47:35):
You know.
Speaker 2 (47:35):
So being around these people and working with the Jeremy
Renders is like iron sharpens iron.
Speaker 1 (47:41):
You know.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
I also believe, I think the first step is believing
that who you are actually lends a presence to the camera.
You know, I believe I have the intangibles of like
before I ever opened my mouth, people like I sent something,
you know what I'm saying, And that's being Jackie's son,
not everybody on his Jackie Son. You feel me so
(48:02):
I'm looking for the lead roles and the feature films
and stuff. Unapologetically, that's where we're gonna be, you know,
and and that's where things are headed. So I'm excited
about that as well. And we're gonna keep making music,
you know. So I'm excited for you man. I love
the direction, you know, you know that the inspiration again,
(48:23):
what people are gonna get from not only this this project,
but just from life experiences like it all, you know,
plays a role insto everything. What's that one thing you
want to make sure you do before the year. The
year can't end without D Smoke doing what. I know
the tours coming, I know the music, but maybe it
can be something career wise, it can be something personal.
Speaker 1 (48:43):
But the year can't end without De Smoke doing what.
That's a good question.
Speaker 2 (48:47):
The year can't end without D Smoke playing gen Rummy
with my grandmother. You know what I'm saying. I love
That's that's the one. Like it's so much going on,
and I'm so blessed. I got all these first world problems,
and you know, I can't complain about all the work
(49:08):
that I prayed that i'd have. You know what I'm saying,
but it's like I I'd be most proud that I
can do all that while still taking time to sit
with somebody who don't have nothing to give me.
Speaker 1 (49:19):
But love, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
So for the years up, let's let's let's say seven
times seven different times of playing Jen Rummy with Bombama
that's okay called Bambama, Uh, somebody that that's and you
can either talk to yourself or somebody that that is
currently in the position that you were in before things
(49:43):
took off for you, right, what would you say to them?
Because a lot of times, you know, people just they
want to keep on pushing on, but life keep beating
at them.
Speaker 1 (49:53):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (49:54):
Situations keep happening, The opportunities don't necessarily lend themselves to
to to to individuals.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
Everything just happens not to be working out the right way.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
What advice? Because you are for them, you know, to
be super good in their lives. Man, be consistent for me,
And I can't tell you what that means. Unfortunately, they
gotta determine do what consistently. That's for you to define,
you know, But for me that wash. Every week I'm
dropping an episode of run the subtitles. You know what
(50:25):
I'm saying, me rapping in English and Spanish with the subtitles.
The first week Jill Scott shares it, I get three
hundred followers out of nowhere, and I'm like, what happened?
I'm looking back, And then at the bottom of all
these new followers, I see Jill Scott shared it the
stuff and commented. Then Tyree shares it. Then you know,
then I'm like, Okay, we're going.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
So I did.
Speaker 2 (50:47):
My plan was to do one hundred and four episodes consecutively,
and I'm shooting them, some of them by myself, most
of them with my nephew Ricardo, who has been on
two tours with me since, because he just has a
talent for seeing the voice, isn't feeling them in the movement,
you know, And he's a dope rapper. He just went
on Sway with me and he rapped, So be on
the lookout for Ricardo. But he's my protege and he
(51:11):
filmed some of these with me, But sometimes it was
me feeling it by myself on the tripod, taking it,
uploading the footage, editing it and having it ready to
put out and and as I'm editing it. I got
to write another one so that I can keep the
cycle going. That did so much for me. In that one,
I was just getting better at doing it, like the
(51:31):
pace like as a professional you do it all the time.
You can't expect to develop that momentum once you get
on and your body and all your nerves and your
mind be used to that pace and that demand. No,
you got to already be in that degree of motion
by the time those type of opportunities come. So that's
what changed my life and turned me into I became
(51:52):
the d smoke that people saw in Rhythm and Flow
before they called me.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
And it was that consistency that did it. You know.
Speaker 2 (52:01):
You know me and my team, we say, extend the runway,
don't look up until a long period of time of consistency.
My plan was not to look up for one hundred
four week I mean yeah, one hundred and fifty two
weeks times too, one hundred four weeks where each one
episode one hundred four. If Rhythm and Flow didn't call
me and basically require me to stop, I already had
(52:23):
another five in the bank.
Speaker 1 (52:25):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
I got to episode seventeen when I got a call
that changed my life. And there are artists who never
got that call, but the same formula work for them.
And Toby Nuigwa shout out to my brother. I follow
his model. He was doing Get Twisted Sundays. Every Sunday,
he was dropping a verse and his brand. What distinguished
(52:49):
him and his brand was that he's sitting with his
wife on the floor while she's on the couch doing
his hair while he's spinning a monster verse.
Speaker 1 (52:57):
Then we look at Larussell.
Speaker 2 (52:58):
How often does he How often does he He'll drop?
Then he'll drop a tweet that he's an insightful tweet,
you know. Then he'll drop an announcement, and he might
do three a day. But it's a it's a program
that doesn't he that these artists learn how to travel light.
(53:19):
I could fit my Cannon seven D and my laptop
in the same backpack, and I could hold my tripod
under my arm. I got a machine ready to go.
And this is after investing twice in heavy film sets
and all that stuff. The more people it requires. And
I engineer myself too, so really I could put it
out by myself. And that's the main thing. Learn what
(53:41):
you got to learn, you know what I'm saying. So
it's super dope to have done all the jobs that
the people around you now do because you know how
to have those conversations with him, and ain't nobody tugging.
Speaker 1 (53:53):
Around you know so, But be consistent.
Speaker 2 (53:57):
If I had to narrow it all down, it's be
consistent and believe in yourself. No, I love that, and
that's that's very important to that last piece. Believe it
in yourself. But you hear consistency, but you don't hear
laid out like that. So I love that you broke
it down in that sense because people hear it, you know.
That's that's you're not saying anything that somebody else hasn't said.
But the fact that you laid it out like that,
(54:18):
that's literally a blueprint.
Speaker 1 (54:20):
A blueprint get on and it works.
Speaker 2 (54:23):
It works, And there are things you got to learn,
of course, you know what I'm saying. You got to learn, uh,
you know, the game of hashtags and search engine optimization
and these little things.
Speaker 1 (54:34):
But we got we got AI.
Speaker 2 (54:36):
What can you do to give yourself the best chance
of being heard? What are some marketing and tips that
help give you more visible visibility utilizing social network and
to bring to build your you know, branded platform. I
had to call around, you know what I'm saying so
different time. I love it, Man, I love you, Matt,
(54:59):
I love you too. I want to continue to see
you succeed, and you know, just happy to be here
as a fly on the wall witnessing it and having
some kind of roll in it and seeing your trajectory.
Speaker 1 (55:09):
And just seeing everything that's to come.
Speaker 2 (55:11):
Man, So appreciate Super Good, Super, Wake Up, Wake Up Super,
Wake wake Up Super and the the tour.
Speaker 1 (55:19):
When we time to name the tour, wake Up Super Tour.
Speaker 2 (55:22):
There it is, man, sir. How can they grab those tickets?
They can grab those tickets on Dsmoke Music dot com. Okay,
slash Tour.
Speaker 1 (55:29):
There it is, Man.
Speaker 2 (55:30):
I appreciate you, Man, d Smoke one of the homegrown homies,
one of the original homegrown homies, Man Chuck Dizzle Live
and Direct.
Speaker 1 (55:37):
Will catch you'all next time, Yzer,
All right, We're back at it, Chuck Dizzle, live and direct.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
We keep it a home grown as always. Man, this
this guy right here, Man, we go back. And not
only do I respect this man as a as a
as a as a man uh, as somebody that's an educator,
as somebody that's very intentional with not only his words
but his music, and.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Just a just a great human being. Man, My guy,
the smoke is back. It's good to see you.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Mane you too. So you got a new project, you
got a tour. There's a lot happening. But in that time,
there there has been, you know, a big gap, you
know what I mean since we last you know, see
what I have the privilege to see you. You know
what I'm saying right, but you know, as far as
far as the music, man, some time in between the
music and you know, some some announcements and things happening
(00:53):
right now.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
So first and foremost, how are you? I'm doing well? Man,
I'm in a good place. You know.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
It's no strength. It's no secret that you know, my
family endure a big loss last year, having lost mom,
who was you know, featured on Black Habits all of
everything we did on stages at Hollywood Bowl with US black.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Market fleegures showing up.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
She was a huge part of our movement prior to
famous success and following it. And so, uh, when when
people ask how we're doing, we're actually doing a lot
better then we could have imagined given the circumstances, you
know what I'm saying. So we do feel as a family,
and I believe I could speak for everybody when I
say there's an additional strength that we feel, you know,
(01:36):
post this loss, you know, and that we couldn't have anticipated.
So we grateful for that. But of course it's this
new weight that we have to carry as we continue
doing what we were born and bred to do, you know,
by mom. So but the music is going to tell
that story. The music is gonna inspire, it's gonna it's
some stuff to have fun too, all of it.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
It's West Coast, it's instrumental, it's all of the things,
you know.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So I'm just excited to share.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, man, and even the title in itself, and I
want to get into that and I'm sure it plays
a role into that. Man, just wake up, super you know,
well you're super good, you know, you know what I mean.
Smoke just that's that's that's what we know you as man.
So so talk about the title and how that plays
into everything and you know, did you have to wake up?
And you know what does that mean for you internally?
(02:24):
And you know how you kind of move forward at
this point absolutely so. So one it is and awakening
for myself, But the album itself is isn't awakening for
gangsters and lovers, you know what I'm saying, And not
lovers in a sense like romantic love. It doesn't really
dive into that so much. But there are moments where
it's like it has so much heart and so much
(02:46):
so that people can see themselves in it and feel
their passions expressed through.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
The music, you know. So and with the album being.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Called wake Up super of course you'll have nothing to
wake up from if you are first sleep and unconscious.
And I think people expect me to be like super
conscious smoke all the time, and they're getting some real
thoughtful lyrics for sure, But there's there are moments where
it's like, no, this is the darker side, this is
the night, you know it?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
You know what do they say it's darkest before daybreak?
You know?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
So we got to give them that first, both in
the sense of like an unconscious don't necessarily mean like
a nigga wilding out, but it's just crashing out like no, no, no,
that ain't that ain't me. But you do got hands,
So it's not about that. Man.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
It's funny because we're watching this Tank and.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Jake Paul fight coming up, and I'm like, man, come on,
man with what we're doing. But but yeah, so there
is the part of Inglewood that I share that's like,
we're gonna show you what Inglewood look like from a
real Inglewood nigga perspective before we do the wake up processing.
So I talked my ship some early on, tell some
just true stories that tug at the hearts. And then
(04:01):
you know, me and La Russell hop on early in
the project and we have a good time. You know,
I got Dog on the project. I got Jane Hancock
on the project.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
So it's it's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Most of the features are actually voices singers, you know,
my brother Daviana singing backgrounds. It's arrangement in the intro
that's produced by Terris Martin for you know, I got
fifteen hundred on their and but it's super cohesive, believe
it or not, because regardless of like who else I
got producing on it, there's a through line of live
(04:33):
instrumentation and live voices. Even a song with me and
l Russell like that's that sample is something original that
that Lawrence and Damo from fifteen hundred got in there
and they created they saying.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Nah na no no no no no. You know.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
So there's this common thread of live music with a
lot of bass and a lot of you know, crazy
West Coach drums and stuff, and voices, different people's voices
throughout the thing. So it should feel like you you're
in Inglewood, you know what I'm saying. With the with
all the talent that's in Inglewood, all the shit talk
(05:12):
that's in Inglewood, the stories of just being on foot
in Inglewood like and being on foot in Inglewood now
is different.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
You know.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Back when I was on on footman like he was
pacing and watching, and so we try to give them
a little of that feel prior to giving them the
enlightening bars and all the things, the high frequencies and
the West Coast Equimini vibes. If I had to compare
it to uh an album and not not in terms
(05:41):
of sonics or or even even the topic or the
subject matter, but in terms of like where I am
in my career and what I wanted to accomplish with
this project.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
I feel like I did that, you know, so and I.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
And that's a high bar because I read those are
the people, the types of artists that I modeled my
self after. You know, when I think about what I
want to do by the time I leave RAP, you know,
that's why do you even think about like leaving the
industry in that sense? That is that ever a game
plan or is it just kind of like if that
moment happens, or like do you see it in yourself
(06:17):
like a vision like okay, yeah, by this age or
buy this many albums? I think I want to kind
of hang it up or maybe you know, transition or
pivot into something different. I will never stop creating creating music.
I will never stop writing. You know, even I can't
say what form that's gonna take. And with the stage
(06:39):
I'm at right now, there's so much learning. Uh, there's
some certain rules. I try to break as many rules
as I can break while growing. Right, this element of
growth causes us forces us to have to understand this
rapidly changing terrain of the music industry, like the algorithm,
what things you know allow us to get the most
(06:59):
eye on what we're doing, because ultimately, if you're making
music that you think is the antidote to all the
problems that we see, then you want as many people
to hear it as possible. So there's a science that's
always evolving to doing exactly that. So the art doesn't
end when the music is finished being made.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
That's just the start of it. It's the art.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Of getting as many people to see it. I'm sorry
to cut you off, now, when did when didn't you
learn that? Because I feel like a lot of times
artists specifically, and I'm gonna call myself an artist as well,
we get so caught up in, you know, the art,
that it's like, no, it goes beyond just that. It's
you know, it's the business behind it, so the marketing
(07:42):
and things of that nature.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
So like when did when did you tap into.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
That and kind of start understanding like, Okay, it's more
than just what I create on the mic. Yeah, I
learned that in my early twenties when I felt like
we put out something that should have shocked the world.
Early on, you know, me and me and my homie
cheers rest in peace. You know he was you new
chick was my rapping partner, and we were supposed to
be like Inglewood's you know, rap duo, you know, and
(08:09):
and so when when we got a good buzz but
it didn't amount to like huge opportunities, world tours and
all that stuff, then I was like, oh, there's more
for us to learn, you know what I'm saying. And so,
and that's the irony of it is. Music has changed
so drastically and rapidly since that time. You know what
(08:29):
I'm saying, I ain't gonna date us, you know how
you know how long I mean that that that can
even be said in like two or three since your
lous album dropped. Sure, things changed so much drastically, very drasastically,
but imagine, imagine before streaming.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
That's how long. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
So it there's literally been billions of dollars taken out
of the artist's pocket because now somebody said today there's
no the music itself.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Is damn to give.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Away the music as part of your movie so that
you can have these other opportunities to create revenue.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
It's not a product anymore. To the public. Music is expendable.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
You could give them brilliant work and they're gonna be like, Okay,
what else you got?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
What you mean? What else? Bro? Read the credits? Bro,
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
And it's unfortunate because this need to meet that rapid
demand causes people to lessen the quality of you know,
now we just get into basic economics. You know, if
the demand is high, you got to meet that with supply.
And in order to do that, we see that happen
with so many brands. You build up this brand by
(09:36):
having a high quality, then somebody buys it out and
they want to they want to scale it, but in
doing so, you lessen the quality of it.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
And so it's it's.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
A lot of just trash music that people are people
are putting out. But the irony of it is the
musicians don't know the science of hustling, and the hustlers
don't know the science and music. So we got to
grip of hustlers and music. The beautiful thing is when
you get somebody that's both. And so I'm not knocking
a lot of the artists like it's artists that look
(10:06):
at music very differently from me that are both you know,
and I respect it. And I mean you got one
on the project, and well you got multiple, but one
I can think of off top is Larussell, somebody that
you know is is kind of just taking things in
his own hand and creating his own infrastructure. He's he's
giving you the quality in addition to the quantity, you
know what I'm saying. So there is a world where
(10:27):
both can happen. What are some things that you you
learn from his format and his formula seeing him work
and you guys getting together and kind of like linking up.
I mean, Larrussell is an inspirational dude, you know what
I'm saying. Like he's living, breathing authenticity, you know. So
it's like he's very different.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
From me, you know.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And and so part of part of artistry is choosing
the model that best fits who you are.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
We can get high volume Larussell, you know what I'm saying,
because it's entertainment and he's ands he'll surprise you and
just be you know, be conscious, thoughtful and do all
these things and speak to things that are happening in
the world, whether it's what's going on in Gaza, whether
it's just telling you his story from a heart standpoint.
(11:16):
But then he knows how to make it fun and stuff,
you know. So he strikes that balance very well. And
what I did observe from him is that he'll go
in the studio and he'll make a song his hill
damn there, do a warm up song, and the warm
up song will be like I'm in here in a.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Studio with d smoke and about to go on be
s mood, a litter, you know what.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I'm saying, And it's like he's narrating where he is
and what he's doing in that moment, and then he'll
do a whole nother song, Like he'll go in and
do five songs, you know. He'll do another one where
it's like this is what I've been dealing with, go
to and then he'll do another one where it's like
for a party, you know. And so, but it's the
rate of which he's able to create. And I think
he's spoken to putting an expiration date on how long
(12:04):
he wants to be doing music, and I don't want
to misquote it, so I won't say when he said
that was, but I remember when him saying, him saying, like,
I want to do this until X, Y and Z
point and then transition. And I believe that's healthy because
the fans might love you, but the game don't, right,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
You got to know when to kind of get out.
You got to know when to take care of yourself,
you know what I'm saying. And so.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
But I still got so much to learn, you know,
as it relates to the business, as it relates to investment,
so that the ultimate goal is to invest enough to
where when I make music, it's the it's exactly what
I want to put out, and it's for the people
who want it the most. Like we got to get
(12:47):
back to making people pay for it because then they
appreciate it it, you know. But you got to earn
that exclusivity.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Kendrick didn't start off just dropping whenever he wants, you
know what I'm saying. I remember I remember him hitting
the freestyle over a little way and beating on the
balcony of somewhere, you know what I'm saying, Because it
looked like wherever he was, it looked like it was
my classroom.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I was like, that looked like but it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
But so I remember him doing the things that put
him in an advantageous position to be able to be
Like if we found out Kendrick dropped some of the day,
everybody turning their head, the world is looking.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
So, but that that kind of status is earned by
willingness to play by the rules and break.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
The right ones. I give you credit for that because
a lot of times when you hear that. When I
say that, I mean like.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
When when you get into this business, a lot of
people get turned off by the fact that, oh, things
are working my way. Like you said earlier on when
you we Chids were doing, you know, we're making your
impacting your mark. You know the world may not have
caught up with it, but you know, your the the
fan base, the home the home team. We rocked with
it right, and a lot of people get turned off
when it doesn't go that. Wait, what was it about
(14:01):
yourself that says, you know what, Nah, I'm gonna I'm
gonna learn this, I'm gonna figure it out, versus having
like more of a a negative approach to it and
like this ain't really for me then, you know what
I mean, let me kind of just take the next
butt or a lot of people take become the victim
at that point, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
And it really I've seen it hurt a lot of careers.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Because they just don't know how to internalize that and
use it for their best moment for them. So for you,
how to how did you take that and say, you
know what, Nah, let me figure this out and work
this to my favorite and use this for my career
versus ah, let me just take a step back, or nah,
this just ain't working out the right way for me. Man,
I got to credit the people that I had surrounded
(14:40):
me to keep it a buck like we took turns
being the encourager.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
You know.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
It was times where I was like, man, it's just
burnt or not even I ain't quit, but I heard
it's stuff people said, like somebody said, if you're gonna quit,
quit for a day and get back to it. Get
back to it, give it up, let it go all
the like mentally, physically, spiritually, let go of the weight
of the whole pursuit and nigga play video games or
(15:09):
but get back to it. You know what I'm saying.
And however, however good you are at relief believing yourself
of that weight for that time being, the more energized
you can be when you decide to go to it,
just don't carry it mentally, don't you know. You got
to imagine yourself taking a whole weight vest off and
(15:30):
being like, oh, I'm just a human being to that,
you know. And then my uncle, you know, at a
time when you know, you know where we was on
Manchester and Market Street. We had Woolworks records and we
would do these events in.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
A space that helped. Those days were so fire, you
know how.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
We got two hundred people in a forty people box
and then a hundred more outside. But at the time,
you know, we wasn't somehow it wasn't making ends meet.
You know, Sir had got signed the TD yet Tiff
was just about to uh go on tour with I
think mac Ayres and then and but it wasn't making
(16:11):
ends me. My uncle told us one thing, he said,
keep going, you doing it, And in my head I
was like, bro, but it's not adding up, you know,
keep going and doing it. And you know that, you know,
people follow movements they don't follow moves, you know what
I'm saying. So if it's when they see that consistency,
like even my rollout, now, my hiatus was long enough
(16:31):
for people to be like, uh, just a casual applause
to the first single week drive, like okay, you rapping cool,
good stuff.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Then when you.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Follow it up, they're like, oh shit, you got one
real Russell. Okay, dope, that's I love this collaboration.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Cool.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Then then we dropped frequency with Lucky Day, They're like, wait,
hold hold on, he's curating something. Then then we come
in freestyle, you know, on just incredible, and they're.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Like, Okay, what's up. He's active.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
And so it's something about the culture where people are
afraid of missing something that caused them to lock in
more than their own artistic taste. They can love it
and be like cool and forget it. That's not how
it was when you know, when I first started listening
to music. If I like it, I don't care if
nobody like, I don't care, if the gangsters tease you
(17:24):
for it. You know, I ain't gonna front I know,
dangerously in love back and forth, you know what I'm saying, Like,
might I mean when I'm by myself Jesus around I like,
you know what I'm saying, Like, it's just it's just
when music connects, that should be enough, you know. But
(17:44):
people don't trust they own taste because it moves so
fast and so much stuff that.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
They would be like, I don't get it.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
So much of that makes it in that when they
like something, they almost scared to express their own taste.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
You know. Maybe that kind of plays into what you
were saying before.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
How music now is just like it's it's the worth
of it is so low, the value is sem it's
so many, so many songs and projects, it's oversaturated. So
it it leads into that where it's like, oh dang, okay,
you forget you just you.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Legit, just forget, you know what I mean. Even I'm
a victim of it sometimes we are.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
But one one touch point that you kind of I
just saw today of the announcement that that I saw
that you know, uh, you collaborated with death Row.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
It's like a full circle moment.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
You know, people you know that have been following your story,
they know that the infamous moment of rhythm and flow
and you and Snoop. So now this full circle moment
of you being with Dog and death row Man, talk
about why that's important, what made that decision for you
or why you decided to make that decision, and why
this makes sense for this project right now for you. Absolutely,
the beauty of this collaboration with death row is that
(18:59):
it has and organically so many times Snoop has you know,
dumb me favors without asking for anything in return, because
he saw something in me like and even our initial reaction,
with our initial interaction when he asked me, like, you
know where you from? And then I told him? Then
he was like, not where we're from? And I told
(19:21):
him the same answer. You know, even that was because
mind you, we were in La, like everybody, everybody auditioning
on that stage was from LA and asked nobody that.
But even that as a nod to authenticity, because he wouldn't.
He ain't gonna try to scare nobody that's unfamiliar to that.
You know, just because you grew up in La, don't
you could have got busted out. You could have got
(19:42):
so many scenarios. Yeah, yeah, But but when he saw it,
he was like, oh, let's see what this is because
I like it.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
You know what I'm saying. This looked like me.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Even Nip said, you don't bang on the irony of
gang banging is you don't bang on somebody that don't
got that energy. You only do it when they got it.
So that him saying that was I see something in you,
you know what I'm saying, And he didn't know that.
I wasn't gonna say, Man, this westside, you know what
I'm saying. But so if that were the case too,
(20:12):
he all he would have get done was gave me
a platform to give it up, you know what I'm saying,
which which any gang member would be proud to do,
because that's what you're supposed to do, you know, if
you authentic and real about your shit. So I say
all that to say, since Jump he's seen something in me,
and that supported that. He showed up, did the video
for UH for God, Spadiyanga for free, you know what
(20:36):
I'm saying, brought the paid for the food truck for
the whole day for Trap Kitchen, for the block out
on Queen Street in Inglewood. All the bluzz is out,
they pulling up like dog you good, ya't had no problem.
We out here with dog blood you know what I'm saying,
taking pictures and so, and he said early on, long
before we ever talked about a partnership, like look, nephew,
I'm gonna show you how to solidify your legacy.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
You know.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
And he's done it exactly that, you know, and so
then you know, fast forward, he asked me to write
the bondamsa versus for him rapping in Spanish, and so
it's always been a relationship that's like, look I see
something in you and I want to be an asset
to that. It was it was kind of me saying like, hey, Dog,
(21:21):
like you're trying to do the whole project because we
also did a single. We did work hard, play hard
under death ro you know, but we hadn't come up
with the agreement to be like what does the whole
project look like? So it was just we were conversations
away the whole time. Finally, when we had those conversations
that were super simple because the trust and the love
was there, like real love, like you can't you can't
(21:44):
tell me nothing about dog, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Period, And.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
To the point where he didn't showed up for the family,
like he knew what happened with Moms and has helped
me make sense of that because he lost.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
His too, you know.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
So so yeah, that that was like the manifestation of
a long, healthy relationship of both work and support, you know,
and and so building with it with the Death Row team,
you know what I'm saying with tef Fuzz, with Jasmine,
you know, being in the studio with Half Dead, you
(22:18):
know what I'm saying, It's good times and and there's
trust there so that people can go hard and work
like they believe in what's going on. And ultimately I
view it as a trust because I'm not I'm not
the other artists that are assigned to Death Row, you
(22:38):
know what I'm saying. Whether now we're in the history
of it, you know what I'm saying, But to connect
to that history and take it somewhere something that I
don't take lightly.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
You know.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
I believe in myself enough to be like, yeah, this
is what it looks like, you know what I'm saying.
And then the other artists, of course, our family, you know,
Jane Hancock is on the project making a mark. I'm
talking about one of my favorites on the project, and
so I'm just I'm excited, man, I'm excited and look
forward to doing more from scratch.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Well, one thing that I took away from the original
that with the video because I saw the video before
I actually heard the song, so I saw it all
in one. But we're talking about the Nana Na song
and I'm gonna tell you and I'm just gonna knock
him up because he's super talented and dope.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
But I was so glad to.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
See Na Na in the video and then to double
back and hear him on the project as well as like, dude,
this is he's somebody that I'm not gonna say slept on.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
He's got his time and his rival is there. But
I'm glad that.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
You shed that light on him, you know, give him
the platform he's He's doing amazing things as well.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
So it's just that's it that's important as well. And
I feel like.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
You come from that breed of making sure that we,
you know, put our arms around our own. You know,
I'm saying, are homegrown. You What I'm saying artists and
people that deserve that that shine. Talk about artists like
him that you see, it's like, yo, I want to
make sure that you get this platform, you know on
me as well.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
The special thing about the song that he's on is
that I only have one verse. This is the only
song I've ever put out unless it's like one long verse, right,
But it's a one verse on a three verse song.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
And I'm only one.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
But that song is called Biscuits, and I produce Biscuits
and played all the instruments on there, with the exception
of like battle Cat also came on and added some
additional instrumentation. But so I felt like my creativity was
represented in that song, and I could just give space,
and it's one of my favorite on the project. I
can give space for him to speak for me like
(24:42):
or to me like. It's one of those verses. I
know his verses from his verse from beginning to end.
You know, should I say this shit with his verse? Man,
this Nigga N nine said today. I'm sure of the
path that I'm on, but I know we all got
choice to see the footsteps that you laid for me.
But I'm more intrigued by these voices. My cup run
(25:03):
it's over. It'll be my luck. I'm low on my portion.
See the apple type, see the apple far from your tree.
A life I might gravitate to. These forces give me
is to hear nine to see. Look, I need your
divine binoculars, but temptations all on my hears won't stop me.
I feel bonders trying to lock me up. I might
pop me a nigga man a box and the devil
let them duck in the dodge, and these officers all
the while enemy is trying to mop you up. I
(25:24):
need the same strength that you gave Joshua with some
of these holes desperate for attention. Look, I could probably
name about two of them trying to stay faithful to
my old lady, But damn, I might need a few
of them. What's the chances of me staying down and committed?
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Men?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
I know these women might ruin them, but god, damn, man,
I just got some brand new Jay's to be real, man,
I feel brand newing them. So tom with the fleshmen
and walk in a real thin linement. It's wrong, but
I love it. One look at my life, and I
know that it's anxious around me. I know that I'm covered.
Though I stumbled it far picked me right back up,
and I promise I'm not like the others. Protect me
from me and allow me to be in this crazy
world and not of it, you know. And that's how
(25:56):
the song goes out. And that's not not those are
not my words, you.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
Know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
But he blessed the song, you know, damn near with
a prayer, you know. And and so I you know,
you know how it started off when you met me.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
I wasn't even rapid.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
I was I was bringing Tiffin and dave In and
sir and she is like, these are our artists.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
I'm the CEO of Woodworks Records, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
And so it's I've always taken pride in making people,
giving people platforms who should have them, you know, making
people famous who don't necessarily want fame but want to
touch people in positive ways and and reach people and
inspire people, you know what I'm saying. So I take
bright in that, especially on a song where I did
(26:42):
the beat and I'm like, I'm just lay back, you
know what I'm saying. I got that off, come on,
you know. So but but yeah, no, Na Jane. You know,
Jane already has a strong following and a lot of
people who are in love with her. And that's the
thing about her type of talent and artistry that once
you know, you just obsessed. You know, some people are
gonna love these smokes. Some people are gonna be like, oh,
(27:03):
he's speaking Spanish.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
What that means? You know, we could take that too,
you know, we got thick skin.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
But Jane is like, if you know you love her,
you know, and I want more people to be aware
of her. And I'm glad that she blessed the project,
you know. So and then everybody else, you know, they
about to be household names, you know. So I'm just
excited to have that body of work now.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
One thing, I mean, I respect a lot about you, bro,
but I think.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
And I said it earlier, man, your intentions, with your
words and the messaging and the visuals, You've always crafted
such beautiful pieces out.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
I forgot the other day, I want to say it
was yesterday, the day before.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Randomly, it's not random, but I happen to be on
Facebook and it was showing us a nine year anniversary
of I forgot what visual was, but I shared it
on Facebook and it just literally popped up.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Was the one with oh my god, huh mine? It
was one of yours? Was it a fighter? I believe
it could I believe so, yeah, because it is an universe.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Well it was nine years since Yeah, because it was
it was it was a new video at the time.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Fighter can't really be nine years I'm gonna tell you
what it is because it was it was.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
My point is is that you you're very intentional with
the messaging and the in the visuals and what you're
you're you're putting out there at this point is the
is the goal to continue to elevate these stories and
for people to see it? Like what what motivates you
at this point? Because I say that to say you
(28:46):
you were doing this at a time where you wanted,
you know, more people to see and hear your artistry
and all that. Right, you have that right, So now
is it to elevate that even more?
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Are there more stories to be told?
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Like what's what's motivating you at this point to kind
of continue to you know, really drive the point home
for Deep Smoke, Man, it's a combination of a couple
of things. One, you know, jay Z was like, niggas
want my old shit by my old albums, Right, I'm
not trying to make these albums again. I definitely want
I make these first three intentionally to be the root
(29:22):
of everything that comes out later. And the reason I
say that is as creators, we should have a certain
amount of creative freedom to express ourselves and every facet
of ourselves.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
You know.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
And the difficulty and not that I'm trying to go
Kanye by any means, you know what I'm saying, But
the difficulty of being understood as oh yeah, conscious rapper
is that people feel like you can't express the parts
of yourself, like like where it's a sense of humor
or where it's lighthearted, you know what I'm so so,
(30:04):
and if you look for the people that really listen
to the projects that's there all the time, you know,
each project got moments where it's like, oh, okay, so
he not just a school teacher, you know. So yes,
I want to continue, you know, being a version of
myself that I love and am proud of and presenting
that in my art.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
But I also want.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
To be able to to have fun and show fastest
of myself that people might not expect, you know what
I'm saying. Like, if we look over the course of
Pharrell's album, I mean, Forrell's career.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
You got happy, you.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Got you got these moments that are very much like that,
but then you also got shake it.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
So it's like we get that that people are multifaceted,
and we can give them music that they could play
and you know, different different environments and circumstances for you.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
How difficult was it to make Jackie's triumph.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Jackie's triumph happened when I was when she was still
with us, you know, So this is us pulling for her,
you know.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
And so it's it's I played Jackie's Triumph for my mom.
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
I've seen her shed a tear too, the fact that
she's hearing her son narrate what we're going through, and
how much hope we had that she would get better,
and she got better before things got worse, you know,
And it was it was a tough thing, but it
was it was harder to watch her suffer than it
(31:41):
was tomorrow her loss. And and I don't say that
the same morning her loss has been any kind of easy.
But watching that part of her being in the hospital
and struggling to digest food and all that stuff was
just like ridiculously difficult on the family. And I was
there every day. You know, certain certain Davion, and I
(32:01):
told him, you know, do what y'all got to because
everybody's working on behalf of the family, Certain Davion. We're
on tour together, you know, so I'm talking to them
every day about what's the situation, even until I was like, bro,
it's looking not great, you know. So so yeah, it
(32:22):
was just it was probably the hardest. It was not
probably it was the hardest thing Niggas ever went through.
It's I couldn't even believe we made a year since
it happened that. It's like, what what blurry days have
gone by? You know what I'm saying. So, so yeah,
that was that was super difficult. Even more difficult than
(32:44):
Jackie's trying for is good morning, which is which is
like the acceptance record, you know, and giving her a
voice from beyond this side, you know what I'm saying, Like,
what would she say to me? You know, because I
know she heard one of her last days, Moms was like, uh,
(33:05):
she hadn't spoke all day. She's in the uh you know,
I see you, you know, and uh intensive care unit
and we washed her and plugged up to all this
stuff and she not dinner, not looking like herself, and
she was in and out of it. She might have
whispered stuff in her sleep. And and then she woke
up at one point and looked at us and looked around.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
And was like, why y'all looking all sad?
Speaker 2 (33:31):
And we was like, man, and so we laughed while crying,
you know what I'm saying, Because it's like, dang, that
is Jackie. If she can't fight physically, she's still like
what I'm good.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
You know.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
And and the beauty of the ironic beauty of losing
somebody as good as her as one, you have to
be grateful that you were close to somebody that beautiful
and that close, Like not everybody's close to anybody that great.
I can't believe it, you know what I'm saying. And
everybody got potential, but that much realized potential where the
(34:06):
year before she passed she finished the book two books
a script, you know what I'm saying, and was torn
with us and all this stuff.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
So you have to be grateful for we have to be.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Grateful for having been that close to somebody that great.
And uh, and I forgot what I was going to
the second part of what I was going to say,
But you know, Moms was the real, the real deal,
you know what I'm saying. And the part of it
that is difficult is like how do we make sense
of the person who dedicated their life to minister and
(34:39):
you know, getting in a car crash on the way
to church on Eastern Like what's that?
Speaker 1 (34:43):
This is the resurrection? Like what we do? You know?
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Because she it was a crash that could have killed her,
and somebody said they revived her on the spot and
we got some months left. But okay, we wanted her
for till she was a hundred. She was only sixty.
We lost forty years, you know. So but again, what
we do know is what she would have us to
do as her sons, you know, almost fierce. So I
(35:08):
ain't no stop, you know. And if there are moments
where when we do what we do now we feel
even a higher level of like confidence and strength. When
when I step on stage, I perform today, I got
the news that she passed, you know, because you see,
I saw her, you know what I'm saying, or what
used to be her, And I had an event in Inglewood.
(35:32):
And so when you hit the stage and do what
you were taught to do with somebody on the other side,
like that it's a different energy, Like I don't I
used to get nervous sometimes playing keys.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Compared to what you.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
Know what I'm saying, So that I think we do.
We for show got that angel at our back, that
additional strength, you know. But writing those songs was like interesting.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
And then then the last song is.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Her favorite song, you know what I'm saying, Uh BJ
the Chicago Kid.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
You know, she wanted it on the last album. That
was actually probably the oldest song we had really, you know,
She's like, why are you gonna put this out? And
she would listen to it all the time, man, and
so so yeah, I was.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
There was one part in particular where you were talking about,
you know, being in the hospital and and you know,
fighting tears but still having to take pictures with the nurses,
you know, just imagining that not even fighting tears, Yeah,
talk about just fresh wiping them.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
They on your shirt. Your shirt is too tong you
know what I'm saying, because the tears is there, you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Like, and yeah, that was a reality, like and I
even gave a nod to Kanye, like, you know, I
feel like I'm living in that uh song called Roses
from that from that Kanye album where they opened up
and heard him say, you know, I'm used to hearing
that my homies got shot, you know, but this is different.
(36:59):
I mean I was having a conversation with my cousin
the other day and he lost his mom and he
was like, he's like, nobody can tell you how to
feel about this. Like you you can lose a parent
when you it's when you lose a mom it's different.
And that's that's one thing. Even hearing that now was like,
(37:23):
you don't wish that on anybody.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
You don't.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
It's hard to even, you know, deal with that sort
of here you going through that and the resilience that
I know that you have, and you know, like you said,
Mon's on the other side give you even more strength now.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
So I know that that's.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
The the joy side of it, right, But at the
same time, you're still dealing with it, you know what
I'm saying. So and we'll and we'll always be with it.
It's never gonna get oh matter.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Of fact, it's not, because that's who I am. Me
and her were real.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Life close, like real life close, like like our dynamic
changed nine times out of ten. After I was ten
years old. Our dynamic wasn't normally mother and son. My
goal was to be responsible enough to wear The type
of conversation that I have with adults was one of respect,
Like you don't.
Speaker 1 (38:14):
Ain't really much. You could tell me my homework done.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
I could show you this report card and my clothes
folded iron and organized, color coded.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
I was just like, I don't like being told what
to do because I got ideas.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
I got these ideas, and as long as my shit
ain't together, y'all gonna be telling me what I'm it's done.
So the type of game, and I used to teach
that to my students, I got a mad game. I
could give you. I can even connect you with somebody
who could give you a job. But that's reserved for
people that got it together together.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
So I learned that early.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
My Auntie Stella was like diligence, diligence, discipline, you know,
you know, responsibility, these.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Keywords the Book of Seven Habits A highly fit.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
The people recommended that when I was what ten, Wow,
you know what I'm saying. So it's like I say
that to say, our dynamic but with me and her
was like friends. Hell early to where I knew what
the challenges of her and my pops were long before
they ever got divorced, remarried, divorced again, remarried again, and
(39:20):
I think divorced again, it's.
Speaker 1 (39:22):
Like, what are y'all doing? To the point where I
was like, y'all, y'all just be friends. Yeah, just leave
that that.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
But I knew about that stuff because again, we were
we were friends, So it's just, yeah, it's something that
we are carrying at all times.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Feel me the one thing that I do.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
I mean, multiple things that I see from that, But
at that moment, it's like and always asks people like,
is there anything that you feel like you can't display
on the mic?
Speaker 1 (39:51):
You know what I'm saying? And getting over something like
that and being able to internalize that and just put
it out.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
It's like at that point, it's like, what what else
I can talk about? I can shed light on any
situation at this point, it's another you know, not a
like super superpower that I feel like you haven't And
on top of that, for anybody that's going through it,
you know what I mean. I feel like this album
is for anybody that's dealing with grief. It's it's a
(40:21):
it's a good listen to be like, Okay, I'm not
alone period, you know what I mean. And if that
anything else, if for for the listeners that you know,
just need that encouragement, you know what I mean, they're
getting that, and that's what I that's what I hear.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
You know what I'm saying on top of a lot
of other things.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
Yeah, man, I'm just always I'm I'm super grateful for.
Speaker 1 (40:45):
Our friendship. I'm super grateful to be able to experience
somebody like you.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
And think one of my boy, my buddy Clarence, he
he heard you on the podcast years ago and to
this day, you're like one of his favorite artists and
he always talks.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
He's like, man, like that d Smoke interview, Like get
more people on like that.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
Like he's always ragging a lot of a lot of
the people that I have on sometimes he's like, man,
it's just I loved his his thought process. I love
the way he articulated himself. I loved you know, what
he has going on. And I'm just grateful to be
able to experience somebody like you. Man, Like I think
we don't get a chance to say it enough because
you know, life. Things just happened day to day. But
(41:25):
it's just like, yo, I'm super grateful to be able
to you know, be in your presence, be able to
have been supporting from from a long time ago.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Like you were talking about earlier, being on market Street,
you know what I'm saying, around the same time and
just seeing where everything is going and pulling up and
I remember you pulling up. You've seen us perform when
it wasn't many people showing up. You know what I'm saying.
I remember that, and I remember the invitation to come
and you know, share platforms you had, you had homegrown
(42:00):
and it grew before what works did you know what
I'm saying. And so it's just dope to be able
to applaud your homies as their dreams come true. So
it's the feeling is mutual and I respect you as
a man, a husband and a father, and so these
conversations are easily had from my standpoint, you know what
I'm saying, So salute, Yeah, absolutely, man. Is there anything
(42:21):
that you want want the people to know that either
a we have a discussed or just you know.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
Oh, the tour, the tour, the tool the tour.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
We go on tour in October. Our first date is
in Vancouver, So October twenty eighth to November twenty fourth,
we're on tour. We're hitting eighteen cities around the States
and tickets are on sale. Now get those for they
sell out. Shout out to the people that are already
purchasing tickets, you know what I'm saying. And you know,
(42:50):
I got a season of Mayor of Kingstown that I
shot this year. So while I'm locking in the album,
we finished the whole you know, another season. I think
I'm in like seven or so episodes of that show.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
And is there is there a balance that that's necessary
for you?
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Is it is it natural for you to kind of
go from one lane to the other with the acting
and music, Like for you specifically, I mean, I know
you've been You've you've done this music thing for a while,
So I'm just saying, like, is it is it easy
for you to kind of turn one on and turn
one off?
Speaker 1 (43:20):
Or how do you deal with with both?
Speaker 2 (43:24):
I love acting as a departure from It's like a
whole different set of muscles being exercised. You know that,
aren't they aren't necessarily unrelated. They overlap for sure, because
the if you think of some of the greatest moments
we witnessed from these artists, they take on a whole
(43:44):
other character. Like if you think of some of the
Eminem videos and where he went from like kind of
crazy Eminem and all the animated stuff to like, you know,
to the storytelling moments where it's real dark and personal.
Or Kendrick his performance on the Awards where he's in
chains and the Blues and all that stuff, and it's like,
these are moments where they, like, damn, they're summing a
(44:05):
whole nother element, you know. And so I think acting
lends to higher artistry in that, and not that you
have to escape yourself, but just like take on the
whole persona that best illustrates how you are.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
When you feel that way, you know.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
But you know, the beauty of acting is that I
can for sure take that thinking cap off that says
what do I want to say? It's more so okay,
what they're telling me, what this person wants to say.
I'm like, okay, well, let me write their backstory and
fill in the gaps, because writing the backstory is the
real art of creating bringing life to a character, because
(44:46):
once you write a thorough backstory and know it inside
and out, then then what they say is informed by
so much more than what you think the director wants.
You don't want to be in your head. You want
to be in that character. So you're saying that they
give you a character, they get you description. You're saying,
you take that and get give the backstory to the characters.
Speaker 1 (45:03):
So sure, then portray that and add to it. So sure,
what did that character eat this morning? What you know?
Who do they call on the phone?
Speaker 2 (45:12):
And it's so much you can write anything that they
didn't write, you know, And of course it's in line
with what they say.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
The character description is.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
But a description is not enough information for you to
sit in the chair and feel.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Like that's who I am.
Speaker 2 (45:26):
If you don't sit there and feel like it's not
smoke right now, it's Rafael, you know what I'm saying,
then you haven't done your work, and it's work. Then
One of my favorite activities in preparing for a role
is a internal monologue. Like everybody when they're talking, you know,
you can only.
Speaker 1 (45:44):
Express a fraction of what's going on in your mind.
Speaker 2 (45:47):
So we sit and we like we comb through, like
how do I phrase that? What do I say? You know,
we got limited time, so everybody's doing that at all times.
What is the internal monologue of that character? Because you'll
see that on their face. So you're not just memorizing
your lines, You're memorizing all your options. And in the
moment that character is fighting through, that character should look
(46:09):
like they're figuring out what they're saying, what they're about
to say, as they said, even though you know your lines,
And a perfect tool for that is knowing, like what
else do they think before they say that? You know
what I'm saying. So it's just a powerful exercise. And
you know, I've studied acting. You know, Tasha Smith was
my acting coach, and I booked, I booked, you know,
(46:29):
rolls on so many shows as a teenager CSI, Boston Public,
the District.
Speaker 1 (46:35):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (46:36):
This movie called Our America, you know, all kind of
stuff and you know, little little infomercials and stuff like
and so it's big respect to that craft and the
beauty of it is I'm around people like Jeremy Renner,
I'm working with Toby Baumtefa from you know, across the Pond.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
He's from the UK. Incredible actor.
Speaker 2 (46:58):
Wow, Like I didn't know he was a whole season
americ Kingstown before I realized he ain't from here.
Speaker 1 (47:04):
And then I walk up, like what's up? I'm smoke.
He's like, what's so? Bro oh man, A big fun
of your what? Like what? I don't believe they even
got you on the show. And I'm like, damn, who
are you? You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
So the Mahomie Patrick Cage incredible actor. He's one of
the leads in uh uh one of them Days, you know,
Easter Ray's film with Ki Kith Palmer and Scissa and
my boy Denny Love. Incredible actor and you know, decorated,
uh successful comedian.
Speaker 1 (47:35):
You know.
Speaker 2 (47:35):
So being around these people and working with the Jeremy
Renders is like iron sharpens iron.
Speaker 1 (47:41):
You know.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
I also believe, I think the first step is believing
that who you are actually lends a presence to the camera.
You know, I believe I have the intangibles of like
before I ever opened my mouth, people like I sent something,
you know what I'm saying, And that's being Jackie's son,
not everybody on his Jackie Son. You feel me so
(48:02):
I'm looking for the lead roles and the feature films
and stuff. Unapologetically, that's where we're gonna be, you know,
and and that's where things are headed. So I'm excited
about that as well. And we're gonna keep making music,
you know. So I'm excited for you man. I love
the direction, you know, you know that the inspiration again,
(48:23):
what people are gonna get from not only this this project,
but just from life experiences like it all, you know,
plays a role insto everything. What's that one thing you
want to make sure you do before the year. The
year can't end without D Smoke doing what. I know
the tours coming, I know the music, but maybe it
can be something career wise, it can be something personal.
Speaker 1 (48:43):
But the year can't end without De Smoke doing what.
That's a good question.
Speaker 2 (48:47):
The year can't end without D Smoke playing gen Rummy
with my grandmother. You know what I'm saying. I love
That's that's the one. Like it's so much going on,
and I'm so blessed. I got all these first world problems,
and you know, I can't complain about all the work
(49:08):
that I prayed that i'd have. You know what I'm saying,
but it's like I I'd be most proud that I
can do all that while still taking time to sit
with somebody who don't have nothing to give me.
Speaker 1 (49:19):
But love, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
So for the years up, let's let's let's say seven
times seven different times of playing Jen Rummy with Bombama
that's okay called Bambama, Uh, somebody that that's and you
can either talk to yourself or somebody that that is
currently in the position that you were in before things
(49:43):
took off for you, right, what would you say to them?
Because a lot of times, you know, people just they
want to keep on pushing on, but life keep beating
at them.
Speaker 1 (49:53):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (49:54):
Situations keep happening, The opportunities don't necessarily lend themselves to
to to to individuals.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
Everything just happens not to be working out the right way.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
What advice? Because you are for them, you know, to
be super good in their lives. Man, be consistent for me,
And I can't tell you what that means. Unfortunately, they
gotta determine do what consistently. That's for you to define,
you know, But for me that wash. Every week I'm
dropping an episode of run the subtitles. You know what
(50:25):
I'm saying, me rapping in English and Spanish with the subtitles.
The first week Jill Scott shares it, I get three
hundred followers out of nowhere, and I'm like, what happened?
I'm looking back, And then at the bottom of all
these new followers, I see Jill Scott shared it the
stuff and commented. Then Tyree shares it. Then you know,
then I'm like, Okay, we're going.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
So I did.
Speaker 2 (50:47):
My plan was to do one hundred and four episodes consecutively,
and I'm shooting them, some of them by myself, most
of them with my nephew Ricardo, who has been on
two tours with me since, because he just has a
talent for seeing the voice, isn't feeling them in the movement,
you know, And he's a dope rapper. He just went
on Sway with me and he rapped, So be on
the lookout for Ricardo. But he's my protege and he
(51:11):
filmed some of these with me, But sometimes it was
me feeling it by myself on the tripod, taking it,
uploading the footage, editing it and having it ready to
put out and and as I'm editing it. I got
to write another one so that I can keep the
cycle going. That did so much for me. In that one,
I was just getting better at doing it, like the
(51:31):
pace like as a professional you do it all the time.
You can't expect to develop that momentum once you get
on and your body and all your nerves and your
mind be used to that pace and that demand. No,
you got to already be in that degree of motion
by the time those type of opportunities come. So that's
what changed my life and turned me into I became
(51:52):
the d smoke that people saw in Rhythm and Flow
before they called me.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
And it was that consistency that did it. You know.
Speaker 2 (52:01):
You know me and my team, we say, extend the runway,
don't look up until a long period of time of consistency.
My plan was not to look up for one hundred
four week I mean yeah, one hundred and fifty two
weeks times too, one hundred four weeks where each one
episode one hundred four. If Rhythm and Flow didn't call
me and basically require me to stop, I already had
(52:23):
another five in the bank.
Speaker 1 (52:25):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (52:27):
I got to episode seventeen when I got a call
that changed my life. And there are artists who never
got that call, but the same formula work for them.
And Toby Nuigwa shout out to my brother. I follow
his model. He was doing Get Twisted Sundays. Every Sunday,
he was dropping a verse and his brand. What distinguished
(52:49):
him and his brand was that he's sitting with his
wife on the floor while she's on the couch doing
his hair while he's spinning a monster verse.
Speaker 1 (52:57):
Then we look at Larussell.
Speaker 2 (52:58):
How often does he How often does he He'll drop?
Then he'll drop a tweet that he's an insightful tweet,
you know. Then he'll drop an announcement, and he might
do three a day. But it's a it's a program
that doesn't he that these artists learn how to travel light.
(53:19):
I could fit my Cannon seven D and my laptop
in the same backpack, and I could hold my tripod
under my arm. I got a machine ready to go.
And this is after investing twice in heavy film sets
and all that stuff. The more people it requires. And
I engineer myself too, so really I could put it
out by myself. And that's the main thing. Learn what
(53:41):
you got to learn, you know what I'm saying. So
it's super dope to have done all the jobs that
the people around you now do because you know how
to have those conversations with him, and ain't nobody tugging.
Speaker 1 (53:53):
Around you know so, But be consistent.
Speaker 2 (53:57):
If I had to narrow it all down, it's be
consistent and believe in yourself. No, I love that, and
that's that's very important to that last piece. Believe it
in yourself. But you hear consistency, but you don't hear
laid out like that. So I love that you broke
it down in that sense because people hear it, you know.
That's that's you're not saying anything that somebody else hasn't said.
But the fact that you laid it out like that,
(54:18):
that's literally a blueprint.
Speaker 1 (54:20):
A blueprint get on and it works.
Speaker 2 (54:23):
It works, And there are things you got to learn,
of course, you know what I'm saying. You got to learn, uh,
you know, the game of hashtags and search engine optimization
and these little things.
Speaker 1 (54:34):
But we got we got AI.
Speaker 2 (54:36):
What can you do to give yourself the best chance
of being heard? What are some marketing and tips that
help give you more visible visibility utilizing social network and
to bring to build your you know, branded platform. I
had to call around, you know what I'm saying so
different time. I love it, Man, I love you, Matt,
(54:59):
I love you too. I want to continue to see
you succeed, and you know, just happy to be here
as a fly on the wall witnessing it and having
some kind of roll in it and seeing your trajectory.
Speaker 1 (55:09):
And just seeing everything that's to come.
Speaker 2 (55:11):
Man, So appreciate Super Good, Super, Wake Up, Wake Up Super,
Wake wake Up Super and the the tour.
Speaker 1 (55:19):
When we time to name the tour, wake Up Super Tour.
Speaker 2 (55:22):
There it is, man, sir. How can they grab those tickets?
They can grab those tickets on Dsmoke Music dot com. Okay,
slash Tour.
Speaker 1 (55:29):
There it is, Man.
Speaker 2 (55:30):
I appreciate you, Man, d Smoke one of the homegrown homies,
one of the original homegrown homies, Man Chuck Dizzle Live
and Direct.
Speaker 1 (55:37):
Will catch you'all next time, Yzer,
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