Artist Friendly with Joel Madden - Lefty Gunplay

Episode Date: March 13, 2024

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by LA rapper Lefty Gunplay. Lefty Gunplay is a rising rapper out of Baldwin Park who uses raw, witty wordplay to dig into his time in prison, hopes for the future, and pride for his city. He recently shared the single “Cleaner” featuring Rowdy Racks last week, which features both rappers firing off killer flows, exuding unwavering confidence, and proving why they’re unique players of the next generation. ------- Listen to their Artist Friendly conversation on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify.⁠⁠ ------- Follow Artist Friendly! IG: @artist.friendly TikTok: @artist.friendly YouTube: youtube.com/@artist.friendly ------- Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, what's up? I'm Joel Madden, and this is artist-friendly. On today's episode, I'm talking with Los Angeles rapper, Lefty Gunplay. Let's go. I'm really happy you're here. Thank you. I'm really, so I, uh... We manifested it. I know. And we're going to talk about that, but I just want to tell you where so how i discovered your music i've been here for 20 years in l. okay and i'm a huge fan of west coast hip hop yeah old school the game the game is west coast also one of my like old best friends oldest bestest friends game two pock the game i would say problem yeah um nipsey nipsy hustle for sure white g falling his sling all that yg the so what i feel like West Coast hip hop as a kid growing up not on the West Coast but I was a big fan of

hip hop and what hip hop always did for me was it gave me motivation it gave me confidence when I was young and I didn't have all the tattoos and I didn't have the cool clothes it gave me a style that I wanted to aspire to it. You can relate to it. I could you relate to the brokenness in it yeah I could because it's just keeping it real and it's talking so there's a couple things I think poverty is a big one for me coming from poverty it gave me something to aspire to when i looked at the cars they drove or the jewelry or the clothes made it from nothing to made it from nothing if he could do what i could do it it also gave me a certain feeling of confidence because i i was growing up i was like i got picked on when i was in school you know so it gave me what great we're great we're like

middle school high school i would have i feel like you would have middle school right and i feel it's good it'd be like yeah yeah look now confidence yes sir i'm And what I also feel like, Maryland. Baltimore, Maryland. Not in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson. I wish you could say Baltimore. Yeah, Machado is my guy.

Maryland, the houses are cheap right there. My cousin, she's in the Marines and she stays out there. I got to go out there. You'll show me around? Yeah. We'll do a show out there. I got Maryland. Actually, I could show you around Maryland for real.

Are you popping out there? Yeah. Old school, like, oh, gee. We could pull up the houses with you like, all right. People show love everywhere. And it's a nice place. People are friendly. He never want to go back to Maryland.

Baltimore's crazy. Like me, I got popping and I thought my mentality was, I'll never leave the hood. I'll never leave Maryland. I'll never leave Bon Park. I never want to go back to Bon Park. I love L.A. I just never want to go back to the hood and living like that. Okay, so we're back where it gave you confidence in West Coast rap.

Right. And I want to talk about that what you just said, but I want to get to one thing that whether West Coast has produced is the superstar rappers, right? They have charisma. They have like an L.A. style. Legendary. And there's something about the rest of the world. Because I can say from the perspective of a non-L.A. person, I've been here 20 years.

So this city has given me everything I have in the sense of I've started my family here. Your dreams. Yeah, my dreams, everything. L.A. Anything like L.A. L.A. is the greatest. Greatest city in the world, in my opinion. Best life.

We're gangbanging everything. But it has crazy side to it. And then we have these poets that come out. And they're like these superstar rappers who are telling us. the stories of L.A. That's why I've always, it's always captured my imagination, these artists who come out and tell the stories of L.A. And there's all these pockets in L.A., right? Yeah. And when I saw you, I said, there's another superstar West Coast rapper. Appreciate that. So not only is your story incredible. Sure. Right? I think you're standing at the

doorway of- Doing some crazy shit. Opportunity. Doing some, doing something. I feel the same thing, too. I started talking to him the other day Like now I'm starting to realize my self worth And like who I am And what I'm worth Because I don't see it myself Like it's like working out When you work out

You look in the mirror and like You don't see how big you're getting Right I tell somebody else And don't nobody want to congratulate But like when I'm sitting out there And they can walk out there And they just jumping out the car

Right Girls and let me get a picture Let me get a little kids You inspire me yeah You inspire me like Oh I want to be like you like Just everybody So obviously I'm doing something right

And now it's starting to hit me like, okay, cool. And now I feel the pressure and it's just like, I got it. I'm just, keep it real. Yeah. Keep it real. Tell the truth. And it's a lot. I enjoy sometimes my piece, but now I'm really doing, and I think you're right.

I really think we might be having this interview before something legendary. Like, people could hate, say what they want. You're going to have the haters, but I'm going to keep pushing. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. And I really do think I'm on to something because it wouldn't be LA without our Mexicans. Like, you know, the Mexican community is a big part of Los Angeles. And they love me. They love me.

The essays, they love me. The Mexican people, they love me, and I'm representing for them. I'm for all L.A. The blacks. The blacks love me. Like, the whites, the Asians. You know what I'm saying? All that.

But it's just like, yeah, I really think we're on. People want to see me win. People just want to see me win my story and all that. And I keep it real. And like, you see my interviews. The interviews are cool. But the bars are cool, too. You know what I'm saying?

They click the music. Okay. No, the music stands up. Yeah. Hell yeah. But it's like a lot of people just watch the interview. And they'd be like, okay, here's the interview. Damn, that was a sick-ass in.

The interviews are like almost as best with the bar. Some of my interviews are like the best interviews. But that's the mark of a superstar. Like, to me, the charisma someone has in a room is just as important. The it factor. Right, the if factor. To go in a room and just own the room. And be yourself.

Yeah. Right? And that's hard for people to do. It's hard for me to do sometimes. I love that shit. But here's what I get, right? I like you, man. I do.

I really got a lot of respect. for you man thank you I told him how to I mean you we set up this interview on our own on our own he was following he I heard I followed up yeah I hit him up what's up man he's like what's up and just like hey man a big fan like I like to keep up with a cushion in LA and I'm just like man we'll meet soon don't trip and like now we're here we manifested it yeah big thing is uh speaking it into uh the universe that's right came and seen I'm the best rapper I'm the best rapper in LA so everybody started saying it and uh now we're here and it just Like the way you're the way you think and all that is just it takes a big you know what I'm saying you got to the other day trip on this one you got to sometimes sit back and you know chill and stop and I barely learned this yesterday two days ago and you got to just stop and put your phone down and no girls there and just who are you again find yourself again yeah and enjoy the moment and that's just the really shit I ever said you got to just go to the beach and put your feet in the sand with a hoodie on nothing on and just sit there by yourself and just

Yes. And just find yourself again because it's moving so fast. I'm popping so fast. It's like, what the fuck? What am I doing? Like, this is what I want in my whole life. This is what everybody wants. I'm living in now.

Enjoy the moment. And don't lose who you are in that moment and be like all cocky and don't. Sometimes I lose the humbleness too. What we all do? Like, yeah, but it's like, it's like you got to just sit back and what the fuck is this. You know, you know what I mean? Yeah. You know what I'm talking about?

The thing that I always try to remind myself. in the good times and the bad times is that this two shall pass dude i don't want that that's my biggest no it's true when you're hot you're hot okay but you can't stop shout a little weirdo a little maroo and then i like i like little weirdo

yeah we were we that's my boy the world told me a lefty while you're hot enjoy that shit dog what the hell you mean by that because i don't want this to stop well well what i mean i don't necessarily mean I don't went through that yet. This will stop. What I mean is, is that if I find the middle of it and I can stay in the middle of it,

in the calm and let the hurricane swirl around me so I can stay focused. Yeah. Right? Because if my real life can stay small. It took a long way to figure that one out on. 45 years, man. Dude, that's a good one. Thank you.

Just to find where I'm just. In the middle of it. We're straight. Right? Because it can be a hurricane sometimes. It can be a tornado. And it can be a lot. Make a mistake.

You can, but you'll, you know what, mistakes we commit. I just feel like the media looks for anything. So, yes. Comes with it. So it comes with it. The media is always going to look for something to get people to click. That's it. It's a view to them.

It's just a view to them. So you got to realize that. I didn't notice that when they do that to me. It's like cool. But the fans are like, that would get as many views as me really posting myself. So it's just like, you know. But I think what I see, because I'm looking,

I'm talking as a music fan and an outsider watching the show, right? So I want to say everything I want to say, because I've been thinking about talking to you for a long time and you're someone I really wanted to talk to. Hey me, hey me. Because I think you have an incredible success story and what's important about your story.

It's not just your songs are part of it. Your art is part of it. But then there's the real person living a life. Authentic. And it's authentic, and you've been through a lot. Yes, sir. And so what we could say is statistically I got the choose when you said that I really have

Right So you got to take that in Then you got to actually own how incredible it is That you're where you're at Because a lot of people Who have been through adversity in life What's adversity? What's that I mean? I hear that all the time

Adversity is challenges Okay Right some challenging situation I got you know Right and maybe you could take a challenging situation And make it feel like it's not Because you have the mindset of Like I'm just going to do this right

I like that 40 quarters, 40 quarter. Right. I like that any Derek G or shit. I like that. But to grow up and then have the experiences you've had, I don't know all your experiences, but I could guess a bunch of them. Real, real, real, right? So most people go through that and they learn hopelessness.

And then there's this, right? When we learned. There was some days I was hopeless. Right. I had to get up, get my own shit. Yeah. When I shoot, these slugs won't miss. Let them trip.

He get the whole clip. So. Yes, sir. You turn that into a bar and you turn it into a hopeful idea, right? Yeah. So the stories, the story. And let me tell you, now, hopelessness when you're rock bottom is like just when you're just down bad and just it's like. All the way down.

It's like, I'm used to that. It's like being down bad and like, me want to cry. Just like nobody believe in you and just, you know, your mama want to kick you out just, you're, you know, and you're still believing in your dream. You're like, no, I'm going to be a rap. And you still get back up. And they're like, nah, get the fuck out of here. Go get the gym. And like, nah, I'm going to be a rapper.

I'm going to be a rapper. Even my mom even told me, so keep selling dope. I'm like, no, I can. Because if I'm selling dope, I'm going to have to have a gun. I can't get a car with a gun, mom. Man, no money. Don't trip. That's going to work out.

It's going to work out. It's going to work out. Everybody tells you, you're tripping, fool. And boom, when it worked out, it's like, it's like, I remember being at rock bottom and just, just, I remember that feeling. I remember being in that cell and just like, damn, you know, Like just believing in my dream and like I really did it, dog, and I did it myself and I pushed myself through it and I manifested everything. Like, you can do whatever you want, dog, you know what I'm saying? When you're all against the, I could have kept, it was so easy to go back to just me being back in jail.

Like, and that's what I would have been used to. You know what I'm saying? Like that's what everybody thought was going to happen with me and nobody thought this was going to happen, but I did. Yep. I thought this was going to happen. I see myself doing this. I see myself with all the chains and the Lamborghinis in L.A. telling my stories like, you could get a bottle of there.

but it takes that humbleness in like Hit Rock Bottom to be There wouldn't be no lefty gunplay without prison There wouldn't be no lefty gunplay Without being broke in the trailers You know what I'm saying Straight eight mile movement Just living in the trailers

It wouldn't be no lefty gunplay Without the gang Or getting all that to I feel like God wrote the script already You know what I'm saying? It's important. Yeah It's an important story

Because there's some guy Sitting somewhere right now That needs to hear the story To pick himself up Yes sir And that's what our job is as artists to tell stories and share our lives, right? So that someone behind us picks a good choice versus a bad choice.

Yeah, I'm not even playing. Like right now we're doing something like, I just breathe there right now. And I do, I joke around a lot, but now, right now I'm doing like some amazing shit, you know? I really am. But it's like, is it enough? You know, I feel like sometimes I'm being overworked. Yeah, yeah. So I feel like I was being overwhelmed and I just can't get my thoughts right.

It's like I don't know if you ever wrapped or doing the rock stuff And they throw you in the booth And they're like, do some new shit It's just like, it don't work that way Yeah You gotta give me some time real quick So I could freestyle you want But you want me to get in my feelings

And say some two bark shit You gotta give me that time And tell me what the fuck are doing And a lot of times when OTR And my label I'd be like They just throw me in the car And I'd be like This one I wanted to do it

I told Solis Hey man I want to get this done with Joel And he hit me up That's my boy. I'm gonna get it done. He didn't even know about it until like the other day. I said, yeah.

Lock it in. I kept calling him all drunk. Hey, make sure we go to his shit, dog. Fuck everybody go to his shit. But it's just like, they throw me in the car and it's like, they don't tell me what I'm doing.

And I get out the car and they're like, oh, where I power 106? Like, what the hell? So what I would say is, is what the experience you're having because I need a better manager. No, no. I think that,

I think that this is the experience I had as well. So fast. It's so fast. it's like okay the metaphor I would use is they just put you in um you know a Lamborghini and it's going 100 miles an hour yeah and so it takes a minute to acclimate to be able to stick your head out the window right so so I would say is like you'll it's a capacity thing you're like trying to put your seaboard on everything I hold up but think about this like a year is not that long of a time two years is not that long it feels long but it takes people a whole year to get used to some new shit

you're having to get used to it in a matter of months, right? Which is the true artist's experience, right? When shit pops, it pops. There you go, you're saying it right. When you're trying to be popping, you're dying to get this interview. You're dying and tell people I'm the best rapper and they don't work that way. When you're the best, I would have heard about you like that Gucci main book. Gucci says, don't tell me you're hot.

When you're hot, I'll find you. That's right. So I hit up OTR. I hit up all these guys. I say, I'm the best rapper and the best rapper. Let me, I see, whatever. Then they hit me up. Later on, like, what the fuck?

Matt Bucer, Eminem's lawyer, I hit him up, told him, hey, Matt, you need to represent me. I'm the best rapper, like, and now later on, now he's hitting me up, like, he's my lawyer now. That's my label now. It's just like, but no, it's just like, you're dying to get popping, but once you're popping, it's going.

Yeah, it's just, and you're like, okay, cool, this is what we, your schedule set for, to April. That's right. We're in January, February, your schedule, my schedule said to April. But if you think about two years ago, it wasn't.

It wasn't. Shit. Right. So the idea that you have to get used to this, this reality that you're in is a real thing. So you have to give yourself some. What's your advice on that? You know? I think that you got to, you got to make hay while the sun shines.

Make hay. While the sun shines, right? You got to do it while you can. Right? There's a bar. Make hay while the sunshine. Yeah. So.

That the gunplay, I had a grind from mine. So I think when opportunity knocks, you have to answer. You know what I like about that? You said it right there. before I forget, Eminem, you better lose yourself in this moment. You want it. You better never let it go. That's what you're talking about.

You only get one shot. Do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime. But I think the experience that you're having is what success feels like. And I think that- Nipsey also says it's uncomfortable. It's uncomfortable. And then you will even just struggle with your own relationship with it.

I think, though, that what I see is, I think you're at the precipice. of what is a... Do you want it or not? Do you want, like, he tells me how the time... Do you want this shit? You gotta show up. Yeah, he tells me like, no, he tells me like, do you... Sometimes I'm like, dude, hold the fuck up, man.

Hold up, wait up, don't come in my... It gets overwhelming. Yeah, it does. And it's like, what the fuck? Like, hold up, man. And I'm so cocky in the point where, like, I got it. I would have got signed regardless. Right.

And you know what I'm saying? But it's not... That guy changed my life. Solis changed my life. OTR changed my life. I know he got my best interest. He changed my life. now I'm changing his.

You know what I'm saying? He's putting all this money. All that money, that label that gets you, that guy that gets you, and he puts that, you can't just think I'm going to be popping with me and my home with cash and just make videos off you.

You got to have the Rose Royces. You got to have the clothes. You got to have know who you know. Sometimes it's who you know, and that's what OTR does for me. I don't know nobody. I'm just, I just know how to rap. Just take me there.

But yeah, it's just like, he tells me all the time in the car. At this point in time, it's like, is this what you want, right? That's where we're at with this career. you wanted this he talks me in the car all the time he looks at me he goes lefty i'm talking to you and i don't like to any serious moment he's like you wanted this right this what you want are you sure you want this because your life's about a change tell me if you want this

yeah and i'll look at him like well you just said it career yeah just i just i crack a joke right think about this career the word career right career yes who has a career oh yeah doctors lawyers i'm making more money than surgeons and i don't want it to stop you know it's a career you want you wanted to be serious a successful story you're not you're serious to where it's just like you like the game like m&m like uh uh kensig lamar yeah just a successful story like that to where it wasn't just a one-hit wonder yeah that's what i don't want and it's not gonna be that i never thought about it ever being that i just think i'm something different but you got to work i don't think uh you're a one-hit guy i think you're an artist and i think that you have

the makings of what i really believe in the and when i think of all the great West Coast rappers. I think you have that. I really do. You mother- do you know that shit? I think the same shit. And I'm a, I'm a, I'm not a rapper, but I've been around a long enough time and I see people come. And then I see a guy and I go, oh, he stands out. What is it? And then I hear the music and I'm like, yeah, this, this checks out. And now it's about you have talent and you have work ethic. I can see it. You showed up for this. You know what I mean. Effecter.

And now it's about showing up time and time and time again, being able to walk in the room and be yourself and take the opportunity when so-and-so calls or when you get to get in the studio with so-and-so, you show up, you be yourself and you make. First things first is the art. Let's make the music. Then we can have a good time. Yeah. Let me work first.

There you go. I got to remember that you got to make the music to be 100%, not just half-asset. Like, just whatever. And the struggle in a career in me. music because it's a funny space. It's not like when you were first writing music, when you first started and you didn't have shit going on. You were just in the basement or the bedroom or whatever.

That's when you were really able to write music. And now it's like, now it's like, damn, I got to write. Well, this is the dream is unfolding. Yes, sir. Right? You saw some version of this. You saw it. I seen it.

You wouldn't have gotten up and done the music in the bedroom if you didn't see this. God put it in my head for a reason. Right. You put it and then you spoke it. And you told people and they'd be like, oh, good luck, kid. Yeah, yeah, good luck. And now we're here. But now you're here, right?

And you're at the beginning of the real, the big leagues. Now we just start ending over yet. No, no, you're at, you just got signed. What did Kobe say? What did Kobe say? Kobe's like, hey, man, you're not happy or what? He's off, was it to be happy about? You're up to and on in the world championship.

He was job not done yet, job done yet? It ain't done yet. That's right. And so what I see is you're rookie of the year, right? You have the opportunity. And now all you have to do is show up. up and play the game you play because you're good at it. Yeah.

Right. And the challenge is going to be, is going to be. Does it break you or not? No, no, no, no. No, but it could break some people. It breaks some people. Some people go out. They're not meant for it.

They're not meant for it. I'm meant for this shit. But you got, but the challenge is blocking out bullshit. Yeah, that's my problem. And stay in focus. And I think I got it. I'm, I'll miss one. Get out of here.

But I'm here all this shit. I read all the comments. I read all I go through it all day and it's like I was with her this morning when we woke up I was bumping all the media talking about me I'm like I do this every morning I just want to hear what the fuck they're saying about me right I want to know what they're saying about me yeah I get it me too by the way every every two hours is like a new video comes out like about me like it's like

I like to read it and my legs are going like this because I read it and I hear it and it's just like okay cool and it's like I just want to it makes me want to just prove everybody wrong like man you will they're hating because I'm on top. But you, but you, you will and you can through your work. That's what it is.

And that's just, block everything out and keep doing my thing. And stay focused. I just see another artist across the room and I can feel what they're going through.

And it may not be the same exact thing. It is the same. Right. I feel like you come from a crazier world than I did. So you're going to have to deal with an extra amount of stuff.

Yeah. And then what we all have to do, myself included, is we have to grow, right? And then your family just, Damn. Families, complicated.

That's the part that no one talks about. Baby mama's all that. There's a complicated nature to success. You have to be cautious and you have to assess risk. You understand? It's like I do that all the time. Everything I do. Say I want to get access.

As you gain success and you have more to lose, you have to assess the risk of things. Okay, not be so accessible. What I really believe, I really believe in you. I'm gonna go back in here all the shit he's saying in this interview and I know other rappers

that are coming up, you know, dog, talk your shit, whatever the fuck. This is real shit. This is exactly what I'm going through right now. If you're going through what I'm going through if you're trying to be popping, don't watch this yet. Once you get popping to the stage,

this is exactly what I'm going through and he's giving me the game the shit that I need what I'm wondering like because nobody can relate to this. Nobody's been popping like the way you are. You, man, you, man. You, man, I've been around a long time.

I gotta say who the fuck he is. Yeah, but it's just like, now it's like, that's exactly what I'm going. But my time is, is done, you know what I mean? Like, in the sense of, like, being new and being half. That's what he told me, he told me, I like to keep it with the new shit. I do. I do. I always.

He's the cool shit. I'm the cool guy. And I think as L.A. As L.A. rappers go, especially, I think I've been following this, like. I feel like I'm the Mexican Y Nib.N. Yeah, like this certain style of rap, of, of, of hip hop in L. I, you know, I was a big fan, and I still am, but I started following King Liljee years ago, right? And I was a huge fan.

Career, career, career, career. And I love how he moves and I like what I perceive. He stayed himself. Yeah, what I perceive him as. And with each rapper that comes in, and what I would say represents like. I trip on this shit. Like, I just, I sit there and I look at it like, damn, I'm really doing this. like like because inspire the world right and and to take a situation to grow up and to have gone

to prison and there's another version of the story where you didn't become a rapper right all man I'm doing this thing man and so you chose a path and it takes it takes self-belief it takes all the things that that you've had to overcome so many times I wanted to break and quit yeah right you could have quit I wanted to quit so many times it'd be easy to quit yeah it was like fuck this I'm over it. Right. But you got to the other side of it now, and now you're standing.

Now you're in the league. Now we're in the majors, right? Now you got to put points. Now it's time to get in the game, right? Rookie. Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm Williamson.

Yeah, there you go. I really liked Money sign. I was a, I really liked him. I thought. Yeah. Yeah, chance. Money sign. Who else?

Is there a peso? He got a little peso. Yep. Um, peso. Um, Paisal. Letty gun play. Um.

But, but I really do feel like you have an opportunity. It's different. It's different. And I think that it's all going to come down to you continuing to just show up and be yourself and put the music first. Smile, yeah. But I see, I see, I've been watching. I watch how you treat the fans.

Behind the scenes is something else. Yeah, the fans, I take, I think a picture. It's a real thing you guys are building. Yeah. It's awesome. Yeah. Congratulations, guys. It is.

It all works together. It all works together. It's a team. It's a team. It's a team. It's a team. It all works together. Shout out Rosecrans, V.

Shout us, Soli, shout us. Zay. Everybody behind the scenes. Cash. Everybody's doing that. You don't got a point in. You know who he is. But here's the thing.

It all works together, right? It's a team. There's a guy. There's a guy who has an idea to build a label because he sees these talented guys. And no one's really nurturing them, right? Shout out chito runners. Right. And then the label is there.

And then a couple years later, this kid comes a lot. this kid comes along lefty yeah and he's good he's got talent it all works together this is how organic real music scenes grow when you think about Seattle in the 90s with nirvana and pearl jam and all these different bands it was a scene that was that grew out of the ground let me hear that one that's that's your scene let me hear that who was it in the 90s Pearl Jam Nirvana screaming trees it was like this rock they were all in the same spot they were all in they were all in Seattle. That's what

booming right there. Or in the Bay area there was like this punk movement right. All these punk bands Green Day came out of there.

Oh, Green Day came out of there. Yeah. And there was like this club, Gilman Street. I watch that same thing. When I see subcultures

come to the top, that's when I get really interested because it's really organic art. It's people telling stories of the place that they... Love you music.

Yeah, but they're telling real stories. They're telling us about what it was like to be. Like as a kid who didn't grow up in L.A., the reason I like

West Coast rap because it took me away from where I was and it made me imagine this world. You make me want to just go write a song and that's what I want to and just tell my story. Just sit there and just tell my feelings. You have to keep telling your story because it's not just for LA. I love LA, man. I love this city, but it's for everyone else that's not here to understand what it means to live

here, to grow up here, to be in that. Insight. Right. And so what we have to do, I think, as we become more successful in life and as we grow personally, Because we want to become more optimal. We want to become better versions of ourselves every year. What's the optimal means. Like optimal means, like, to optimize something means to make it work better, right?

To get there quicker, faster, to be a better version, right? Because I don't want to be, I don't want to make a song to be the same. I want every song to be better. Right. And I feel like I'm getting better by each song. And also what's even more important, I think, as you, the person. Right? Because art is an expression of our experience.

Say true to yourself. Say true to yourself, but grow. That's like a to do-do-do, how do I get them both together? Because I also, I've heard you say in an interview that you feel sad and broken sometimes. I'm still asking. So that's a real human experience that other people can relate to. Lots of people feel that way. But now what all of us, what we want to know is how to heal because we either heal or we repeat the past.

I'm getting all this money, you know what? I'm still not happy. Right. But that's okay because money, money doesn't, money is nice. It helps it. It comes in a goes. It comes in the goals. But, but.

actually personal growth is a real thing like like healing the past traumas of life is a real thing we all have to do right what i'm going to right now and i think that if you can find the balance of making art and growing you can build a life in it like i've been in in music for 25 years career it's a career and um i think i spent a lot of time working on trying to learn how to be happy because I had a sad childhood. How do you do that shit? That's what I'm going through right now. Just, no, just that's between you and your, like, no, you can't answer that for me

because it's like a self-help book. That's right. Self-help book may pertain to you and may not pertain to me. You know what I'm saying? Self-help book is somebody's opinion. So whatever you went through and how you found yourself, that's what I'm going through right now. And I'm going to find myself.

I'm going to be happy. What you want is, for me anyways, enjoy the moment. Is I want to enjoy the moment. but I also want to live a long, healthy life. Okay, that's what I'm fucking not bad. And I want to be rich a long time. That's what I'm fucking not bad. No, but I think, I think.

No, no real shit. How old are you? 27. Okay, so you're young. Like, I'm almost 20 years older than you. 28, 28. Yeah, so I'm almost 20 years older than you. So.

25's than you 20. Yeah, it is. It's crazy on that, that just, that's what I feel right now. It's just like, what the fuck am I doing? Like, who am I? Like, I know how I was in the beginning when I started it. Yeah. I think, though, that you got to give yourself.

room to grow into it no but like I trip on let me tell you something that I trip on like I could do whatever I want yeah I could see here and talk to you I could grab this and go I could give it all that I want I could be broke I could you know be you could do whatever I have no doubt about life yeah some do some do some don't some do it some don't if it is to be it's up to me yeah I learned that from Aaron Hernandez from the Patriots I learned that and I look at his story and I could relate to Aaron Hernandez's story and it's like just what I don't want to go through it and he was righteous till the end even you know when they say like he killed him say give us money

that's what I am like I'm I'm from my I'll take my shirt off my back yeah and give it to the person talking shit about me like it's like Aaron and I just had a really good story you ever seen a Netflix film on him yeah yeah also I like uh it was a sad ending I like Kanye West yeah Kanye West Jesus when he first started I watched that interview all the time how he was like they were telling him like I'm the best rapper and he's like you ain't the best rapper that's an opinion and he did it and it's just like I like how he was in the studio with jZ when he first started that's a good one he's the first episode when he met ludicrous and uh feral and they're just like damn yeah i didn't know you you you had bars like that like okay but cool and he'll tell all the

kids like i'm the best rapper i'm the best i'm never heard about you and like everybody's trying it but he did it and also what i say when he's in the studio this is random and uh he's in the studio and he's old jz i'm the hardest rapper jz go ahead then let me hear something when he met j z it's on there and he goes in there and he starts rapping he goes look yay you're doing a good job but i didn't feel it till the third bar yeah i need you to come in strong from the first bar and feel it and when i rap it's like i'm coming in hard from the third bar when i'm recording it when you're recording it okay d-d-d-d-do you're playing the guitar whatever and then after the third bar then you start really hitting it no hit it from the gate you know what i'm saying i was just random i just music

shit. It's something about the best when they step in from the get. Yeah. It's intensity. Yeah. It's something intense about it. I like it. I like this shit. I like being on stage. Yeah. On stage is like just a natural high. I just, when you told me on stage, I just get it. I get it. I love being on stage. I love the fans. Yeah. The fans. Like, I just love the fans. I love, but a lot of it, I enjoy my peace. Yeah. That's what I told you. I enjoy my time alone. Yeah. Now I really enjoy being alone. Like, fuck, let me just chill real quick.

Let me ask you another question. It's random. Yes. How do I get my voice back? Sleep and water. That's what I'm not going to do. Yeah. So you got to, there's a-

I said that's my word. We slept. Yeah, there's like a discipline to getting enough sleep and water. Well, listen, that's when you want to start taking care of your body. Yeah, when you have show, like, when you're doing 200 plus shows a year. I'm doing three shows this weekend. Right. So you're going to have to, like, make sure in between.

Okay. also take one night off right try to find one night off where you can sleep you know what i mean there you go there you go no i get to find the balance right i get more than one night guys but yeah right sometimes it there's a lot of listen there's a side to music that is great you feel better when you sleep but sleep is key for voice right and and and that is your main money maker you know what i mean it is um so because i went in the studio with le rurdo we recorded some shit and even weirdos are lefty. I'm all, what's up?

He got me hot. He's like, you think you want to get your voice back first? I'm like, what? Motherfuck, I'm going to show you why I'm worth a million dollars. Like, why I'm the best rapper. He's like, all right? And I did it. And his voice is like way better than mine.

I don't know how the hell I lost my voice. In my first time dealing with my voice being lost, like, hold on. La la la la la la la la. I fuck with these guys. No, but it's like the voice is important. It's like, and people call me. I don't want to talk. I want to get my voice back.

I don't ever want to lose it again. And I'm barely getting it back. I'm going to... I'm not even my music. My hair can be able to keep my rhythm. For that Potion 9

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That is music for your eyes. No let's more

work. Your The new I used to lose my From yelling in the crowd and shit like that is ugly You'll always get it back, but you do got to find the balance of I got the game voice though too like Yeah, yeah

Shout us to the game man I love the game man He's my real friend The game shout us I'm bringing back the headband We are likeing it to give me the fucking headband The headband with the G-Unit. Yeah. With 50s when they're all rocking the headbands, I'm bringing that back to L.A.

I love that. I really am. That's the look at one. I became friends of the game back in, like, 2002. That's what he was the game. The game, the game, y' up? Yes, sir. And still.

Richie Bush, Kim Kardashian in the game. Still really like a dear friend. That was a good scene. Reggie Bush, Kim Kardashian, the game. Ray J. just, just, L.A. was popular. He's a good friend, too. Paris Hilton. She rose the best blunts of her.

I'm a smoke of blow her on the game Game's a good Man he's a good one He he uh The game's West Coast He's what yeah he is West Coast the game

Easy E2 Park the game Yeah Yeah he manifested it With the NWA I'm just he That's what I'm doing I'm manifesting in like the game man I don't want to lose my stilo

I don't like to people to taint My style And the other day Fuck him Interscope They hate it on me I don't care They want people to write my

motherfucking lyrics I don't care. And I say, you know what? Everybody wants people. Okay, cool. A thing I struggle with, so what? I'll be myself. Quit taining me, darn.

A thing I do is, no, listen, I'm going to say. I want to get it. A thing I do is the hooks. The hooks is very catchy. It's easy to rap, rap, rap. When I rap, they barely taught me a punch line. Chilling with Joel, Noel. Let the gun play.

I'm for sale. I don't really give a damn. Can't you tell? Damn. Fresh out of jail. Yeah, I'm out on bail That's the punchline So that's the X4

A lot of these record labels Yeah, yeah Man, so what? Exposed, I don't care They told me, Lefty What did somebody roll your hook? You know what I said? Fuck no

I'll stop rapping If they roll my hooks If anybody wrote my shit I'm gonna stop rapping All my shit has to be authentic to myself Fuck am I doing it for it Somebody's gonna write my shit

I'll never let nobody Write my fucking lyrics I don't know Maybe people do they do they don't whoever does to each is his own but me and myself i'll never let nobody write my lyrics i'll never let nobody write my hook i'll never let nobody take me on my style and tell me how to switch it up cool constructive criticism is cool but nah i'm not gonna let nobody fucking fuck with me i'm me for who i am i'm west coast i'm LA I'm my essay and that's what it is yeah i'm not gonna let nobody

fuck with my stiloh and turn it to something i'm not that's a sellout i wouldn't take 20,000 if they gave me to write my hook Fuck the 20 bands That's what I do and I do me and I don't give a fuck I don't care about nothing I don't care about shit Like I don't I'm never let nobody Tame my stilo or this is me

This is me This is me all day This is how I am This views I don't give a fuck This is me authentic That's how I am You see how they all step in Like lefty let nah this is me dog

I'm doing a good job right now too You would have had a way worse lefty But I'm starting to get media trained and how I do when I go into an interview I never looked at none of your interviews with other people because that's your interview with them right that's not your interview with me yeah I'm not gonna learn from that

interview because I'm gonna get the most views of my interview because I'm the best in my mind I'm the best you're the best podcast now you're the best interview now best rock band now I'm the best rapper now and the second guy I wouldn't want him or think he's the I tell you that bitch right I tell you you're the baddest right baby

you're the baddest she's the baddest I'm the best rapper And that's just the way I go And the way I think And I want to let nobody Take away from my stilo And it's just like Sometimes I gotta snap

Like man, what? Hold up That's what I did right now I had a moment right now Sorry guys I like it Listen I think that

It's okay That was the shit right there Huh Yeah I want to see what the floor I said I never had an interview I've never had

Actually don't even Consider these interviews They're like conversations Choping it up Yeah I don't even look at the cameras Now I'm just chopping it up

I feel like if we met backstage at a festival or something, same shit. This would be the conversation we have. Same shit. And I would have said to how I wish you would have got on camera. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Exactly.

Yeah, same shit. Same shit. But I do think that you got to be yourself. And I think that that's what you're doing really well. I think a lot of people are scared to be themselves. Yes, sir. And I think that now I think that you'll likely get opportunities to jump on other people's songs that you don't even know yet.

Other rappers you may like. They might help me. And they might have a hook. there already and you're just doing a feature on their song and you may end up on some song that you never thought you be on you end up on some hit record with a hook you don't really care about but it's a hit right and then you go like oh that was okay i i i didn't mind that because it wasn't really my song it was their song he came he came through he he came through and he he he came through and he capitalized on the moment and you were yourself because that's what people want

is they want someone who can show up and actually be who they are capitalizing and we want to believe that our heroes are really our heroes right that's why i take pictures with all the fans and all that's right and i think you got to give that credit because you're becoming people's like they look up to you hear this right here this random who cares letter to drummer i wrote letter to drummer when i was young right i wrote that song with king kash when king little g king kash drummer boy that whole movement was coming up that's when i was growing up cool from mexican was uh drummer boy uh king kash king little j king that's when these guys were barely coming up and I used to look up to drummer boy

and it gives me like in my feelings and uh I wrote a letter to drummer dog and uh I wrote and I remember I told I met drummer boy and it's like when I met him and like it wasn't like what I thought it was like when I first met him and like I thought he was gonna praise me like you know

he didn't embrace me but it wasn't what I thought it was too because drummer boy's about his business you know what I'm saying and then I told everybody I don't give a fuck I'm putting that song out because that's how I felt that moment, I looked up to German boy, and I wanted to be like German boy. And now I'm to the point. Now I wrote letter to lefty.

Now drummer's on my feature. Now drummer is doing songs for me. Now I'm with drummer boy and it's like, and I don't got no love lost. Right. I understand where he was coming from. Like, I wasn't ready yet. And it's like, now he embracing me. And like, it's like, fuck you.

Da-da-da-da-da. Nah, cool. Now, it's like what Gucci Man says when you're hot. Are you guys friends now? You're boys now. That's cool. Yeah, we were like that. We're doing bangers now.

And it's like, now I'm leaving my dream. I manifested it. But back then when I wrote that song, it's like, it's like, what? Why you give him so much homage to this dude? Because that's how I felt. And it's just full, the latest music video I dropped last night was called Letter from Lefty now. It's called Letter from Lefty. And it's the drummer boy.

I said, I wrote drummer back when I was little. It's crazy. I shit changes. I'm going to keep it real, though. You know what I'm saying? How the tables turn. You know what I'm saying? It's just like, he's still, what he's doing?

but it's like on my life on my end the table's turned and i'm here and now i'm doing it because i put in the work and and i manifested it you know that's drummer boy that's db you know like he's hot for the essays he's hot like drummer boy king loo g like i'm gonna get that one with king like i came in i'm the best rapper i'm the band and everybody says king leo so what i manifested but i wouldn't want the guy this rapping behind me to think he's second if he thinks he's second i've been to the studio with cash a lot of times he'll tell you and i'm rapping with guys and i'll be like I open the door. I don't care who it is.

Jenny 6-9, I don't care who it is. Dog, are you the best? I close the door. Come on. Hey me with something better than that. I'm zoning on the moment. Like, I'm the best. You come in with the best every single time.

In the studio, when I'm in the studio, it's like a whole different lefty. It's just like, I'm just locked in. The reality is, is we all have to believe that we're the best at what we do and we should feel that way. Anything in life, period.

The world will tell us not to think that way. In life period. And life period. And I try to be the best at everything I do. And I'm certainly trying my best. You got to have that cockiness. Yeah. But I also think that the scene that you come from, right, the subculture of music you come from, right?

And I'm talking at the artistic. When I look at artists and I go, what did he grow out of, right? One part was life you lived. And one part was the music around you that inspired you to even try to do it. Because it wouldn't be let the gunplay without that. Right. and that it all works together right

and so it's just a crazy king little g drummer lefty they're all related somehow there's a there's a family tree of music that we come from and then we may grow over here and they may grow over there

but see at the same time where you're saying sorry to cut you off you want to be king little g's king little g drummer boy you want to be left to game I'm lefty gunplay there will never be another lefty gunplay and I promise you that

we're going to be looking at this December from now I believe it I'm okay there will never be another lefty gunplay. The way I wrote the script, God wrote it already. It's like, this is just the way it was. You could do whatever you want to imitate what I did, and people want to

imitate the studios I was in. The ta-da-da, this, this and that. No, it just happened that way for me and it's just the way I did. The way I handled it and maneuvered through it, it's like a crazy story. Like, as I'm talking to you, I'm thinking about just my life and the trial and tribulations.

That's good. Through my story and my endeavors, just like just everything I've been through and just like, it's beautiful. That's why I like, it's a beautiful struggle. That's why I like these conversations because I do think that sometimes in the average interview,

they're just trying to get more controversy or more, you know. Yeah, I get you. I see artists and I really believe that like, have you seen artists like this guy? When you meet him like, like this fool, like, and then you meet one that's real, like you, you're just real, you, you, you're real,

you hon, you, you, you mastered it. I see you he mastered it. He's not trying to get a view out of me. No. He's not trying to get a fucking, he's just keeping it. We're just chopping it up. And I'm trying to, I'm trying to capture a moment that you'll look back on because you're going to go on to do great things.

I think we got it. That's what I think. And I think that I like to have, this show is for all artists, right? It's called artist friendly for a reason. Inspired, Inspired. And entertainment and media, we focus on controversy and stories that get people to click, right? And instead of telling the story of an artist That's actually

But it works for them It works for them It works for them It's being fake though I really liked your Power 106 interview I watched that I really thought that was good I didn't even watch it

I did I did It was good A lot of people watched that I didn't wake up on that shit It was good Where's that shit at I like them I like them

Power 106 Yeah I like them 92.3 93.5 big boy DJ charisma Letty But I feel like In music

I'm friends with most people Unless they're just not cool you know unless they're just like like god wrote the script like everything happens for reason i'm here with you for reason we're boys like i wouldn't put my foot on your table though i learned you can though i wouldn't though but i could do i could do this yeah you can it's made for it i don't want to stretch my legs real quick these are funny chairs they are funny they are they're vintage chairs they are they're vintage i like them like you want it's like damn am i sinking in this bitch or what or it's like you want to be good posture i like vintage you like to you know what a big thing i trip on posture yeah

yeah got to have good posture all the time and like a lot of times you slouches it's lots of people like and then you got you know what else i got to start doing yeah i got my i'm gonna start working out again for real i work out four times a week do you really yeah that's discipline but i just started like four or five four months ago but it makes you feel better about life yourself yeah working out huh they say for for mental health they say working out is the first thing you can do physical activities the first thing you can do to get into a good headspace. That's for you. I'll work out for the bitches and for the look.

You know what I'm saying? You gotta have that look. Yes. You want to be, let me tell you something that helps artists. This is artist friendly. Good looks. All right look, this is it right here. You want to think you're famous. When you first start, you got to start acting like you're famous. Yeah. You got to start dressing like you're famous. Yeah, you do. You got to start doing shit. That's how you carry yourself.

Famous. You got to start being around famous people and being. Okay, you rap. You're rapping in from the liquor store in the hood. I could go rap in front of the liquor store in the hood. They want to see you eat at Maestroes. They want to see you do shit that other people. And that's a certain thing that happens with this artist friendly. You got to sit there and look at yourself in the mirror and tell you yourself, I'm the best rapper.

I'm the best rapper. I'm the best rapper. I'm the best rapper. I'm the best rapper. I got money. I got money. I got money. I'm the shit.

And I tell myself that I closed the door earlier in the restroom. I'm like, leave me alone. When I said, no, leave me alone I care what she watched her. I was telling myself in the mirror, I got this, I got this. I'm the shit, I'm the shit, I'm the shit, I'm the shit. My grandma told me that too. Energy.

Are you close to your grandma? Yeah, I'm very close to my grandma. My grandma, she really raised me, but a- Yeah, grandmas are- They get annoying, but yeah, she raised me. I miss her at home. She's always worried about you. I'm going to pull up on her after, dog.

I'm going to pull up on my grandma after. Yeah, my grandma, she raised me. My grandma told me, like, I go to the store right, and I buy some chips six cents change keep the change nah fuck that take all the change

because you want that nipsy hustle all money in I want all the money I want all you're giving it to the university you don't want money you don't care about it and then my grandma told me too

a lot of times I see somebody I'll give him 20 bucks kid a girl a thing about me is I give my money away a lot and it's like damn I got to start watching my money more fuck a bitch I'm talking about

people on the streets and just, hey, I see him showing here's 20, here's 20. Homeless man the other day. I was with another girl. The homeless man the other day, 40 bucks. Like, today's a lucky day. Here's 40. Whatever you do with it, that's because my grandma told me, I forgot the scene. She says, like, you know, I got money to have, but like, you know what I'm saying?

Like, it's just like money comes and goes, dog. It really does. And I feel like when you start keeping track of the money, which is a smart thing to do, like you start losing money. Some aspects, I agree with you. It's my opinion, though. I give money away, too. It feels good, though.

You know what my philosophy is? What is it? I give what I can if it doesn't hurt. If you got it? If I got it and it won't hurt me. So you have to measure, right? I read this from Jay Z yesterday. This is, do not buy something if you can't afford it twice.

Right. So you like that. Yeah. Something like that. I agree. I think like. Fuss a sick mind. Like I'll give, I'll always give someone on the street money if they need money.

But only if I'm not putting myself at risk. I'm manifested, bitch. I'm going to meet Jay Z. Bet. You like, yeah, I think you will. When he starts tapping into L.A., if you're really tapped in with L.A., you want to go on a trip?

What's popping in L.A. now? I'm popping. Have you made game yet? He reached out. Okay. I'm sure you will. You guys will be friends. He says that I'm going crazy

and he's been keeping his eye on me. You guys will be friends. I haven't met him first hand, but I mean I met Conrad from the Ave. I talked to Karad from now. Nifty Huston, boys, like, Pacman and Gomez from the label. Like, I've talked to you. I've talked to, I talk to a gang of famous people in LA.

How people? How guys? Yeah. Who the hell do I got? I'm like, DM, everybody. Yeah. Everybody's able to say LA rapper? Like, they all reached out and it's just like.

I think L.A. really loves you. They do love me. They do love me. I'm doing something different. And I think, listen, I think this is interesting too because you're, uh, it's different. You're also kind of wild, you know? Yeah. Lefty.

I can't get right. My name's lefty because I can't get right. My name's lefty because I can't get. get right right left-handed left feel with this shit but at the at the heart of you i saw you and i was like man he's wild right i know i know i can only imagine right yeah and i'm really calm right the stories are there but but what at at the core of who you are is a good guy i saw you take the time with a with a little kid fan yeah and and i see these moments where i see a guy who actually like all of us right when we started as kids we actually just wanted to be cool with everybody

At the core. We wanted to have a good time, not a bad time, right? Yeah, just when we're kids. Take it back to when you're a kid. It's just like. And you're just playing. You're just playing basketball or you're playing whatever. And then life kind of.

I would give a million dollars to go back to just playing Dodgeball and basketball in school. But what happens is life beats us up. Life is hard sometimes. Life is real. Life is real. And then we all get these scars, right? Life's a bitch. Life's a bitch.

But just being sure that bitch is beautiful. But I saw interactions with you and your fans. And I was like, oh, he's a real one. Priceless. He's a real one. Right. So I'm picking up game for everyone. So I pick up Stito from the game.

Pick up. Pick up Stito from Tupacup. Exactly. Pick up Steelead from Nipsey. Pick up my style from YG and I turn it into lefty. Right. They influence you a little bit in little ways. And I thought, and I think that game as a friend.

And I mean, me, me, all that. Game as an artist, obviously I'm a huge fan. But as a friend, as a friend, he really influenced my personal. You know what you know? His confidence. Yeah. And he was like a big brother. Yeah.

And so he had a huge influence on me. And I think in my personal, just as a man, forget about music. How was he at that time in you? We're around the same age, but it felt like he was just like. We were probably in our mid-20s. I like that shit. You tell me how he just came. That's what I want to be like.

I just come in. How was it when you first met me when you seen me right now? I don't give a shit. If it was bad, it was good. You? Yeah. Oh, you're cool as shit. No, but just when you see me like, okay

I mean It's left to you Yeah, you're not gonna hear my feelings I'm being honest with you I was excited to talk to you Because I think that you're one of the most interesting I forget all the tattoos I got on my face

You have a lot of tattoos on your face I forget about that feeling I feel like I don't have any tattoos on my face I feel like I don't got none right now When I first seen you That's how tattoos I'm like okay He's blasted up

The first thing I told you Is you just to hear though I'm like you gotta finish that man Yeah I got my chest in You gotta tie it in You gotta tie it all up. Yeah, hold on. Wait up, wait up. They want to be left to dump in a little right here.

Yeah. Fully tatted. Where did you get all your tattoos done? Oh, wow. This is me. This is how I am all day. This is me. This is how I be all day. How old were you when you started getting tatted? When I first started getting tired, I had all this by the time I was 21. Wow. 20 years old. I had all this already.

Wow. How cash? He from my neighborhood. By the time I was 20, I already had all this on my body. I had everything on. Outside L.A. gang shit, like just south side, you know, south side. Surreños, Mexican. Yeah. My face is Souraineau cross, like, just Mexican culture.

Like, that's just me. Yeah, that's just me. Like, everything on my body is, like, all my tattoos, like, I like prison break when I see that fool. Yeah. The first one that I feel came out of title was Tiger. Yeah. Tiger, YG. And I'm like, damn, I want to be like that.

You know what I'm saying? But I want all my tattoos to mean something. They all mean something. You see this one there? Yeah. I know what they all mean The acid stuff gets like They all hurt too

Yeah they all hurt Doesn't matter to his nose Yeah that's cool OTR I want to get my head tattooed right here It hurts Yeah My brother has his whole head tattoo

That numbed That numbeds bullshit It doesn't really work Your brother got his whole head His whole head You know who fly like that They got their whole head That full Zane

Yeah Zane Malik The dude is One Direction guy With Gigi Yeah Yeah Yeah

He came up He did that Travis Parker Has his head tattooed As well Travis Barker is I was I want to meet him

I'm sure you will He came You talk to him Yeah He's a really nice guy Saying him I said What's up

Yeah On the gang I wanted The dope boys In the building Yeah The dope boys See

What should do Me and you I like to When Jay Z came With Lincoln Park The The Lincoln Park Versus JZ

Yeah And we like Oh, court, dude, you want more. That was crazy. I was viral. I probably got to get it more of like that. Lefty Gunplay versus Good Charlotte. Bam.

That should be hard. That would be hard. It would be wild. It would be hard. It would be hard. Lefty Gunplay versus Good Charlotte. And I'll bring like whoever the fuck. Honestly, we would do it.

Dog, let's do that shit. That shit's hard. Like Lefty Gunplay versus Good Charlotte. Bam. That shit will hit. That shit would hit. Work on an EP like three songs. Like the way Jay Z went out of Lincoln,

Park. Yeah. The way the game did with Travis Barker. Honestly, I would love that because it would be like a real L.A. moment for me personally. That's hard. I just had the idea. You know,

I'm not like Mr. L.A., but I've been here for 20 years and I really love it. Hollywood. I really love it. This is a good idea. The young and the hopeless. That was our record. That's hard.

Yeah. Manifested. The young and hopeless. Yeah. So hard as, Yeah. See, the name Maw's name was Dreams of a King. I like that.

Adult Boy's Prayer. Yeah. I like that too. Both of those. Fully activated. Write all that down. Can't get right. It's good.

Yeah, it can't get right. But if the head right lefty there every night. Yeah. I think the group that walked in here, I really like y'all's vibe. Yeah. Hell yeah. And let me tell you, man. I think that the major label deal is coming.

And you know it too. It's going to come regardless. It's coming. If you and your group establish this is what, this is our worth, this is what we want,

it's going to come. And until then, I think that you're going to keep building what you're building. Stay down. Yeah. And I think that you're going to be. Because I'm only going up.

Yeah. Me and you both know, I'm going up. I think so, man. Because you're tapped in with L.A. I'm tapped in with L.A. These labels need to really sit there and see what's going on in the streets of L.A.

Yeah. And you're seeing it. What the fuck's happening in L.A. I want people to be like, damn, are they seeing this shit? Like, dude, L.A. is a whole movement. And I got L.A. So my label is MDDN. That's independent.

That's the best thing that ever happened to them. Oh, MDM. That's my label. I started it. Okay, but who signed you? Good chart. So Epic Records. Right away?

That was our first deal. Epic? In 1999. Wow. Yeah. Damn, and it was like more money than you ever had in you guys In my life I'm tripping out on this and this artist funny

But we said no How'd you guys go about that? All you guys had a talk in the room So we were playing on the East Coast We were playing shows And just like you At first there was an offer But it wasn't enough

And we were like We were kind of heartbroken We were heartbroken And so we said no Fuck these boys yeah And then we waited And we just kept playing shows Making music

And then But it was hard to stay down For that It was hard to say no wanted to go from the first day. But we had to say, no, we knew it. It's just like, what? Yeah, so Columbia offered us a deal.

Columbia, that's what I'm trying to go. Jeff Vaughn and Columbia Records. But it wasn't a good enough deal. That's what's going on with me right now. So we had to have the self-confidence and the self-worth to keep just trying. But look, look, Columbia is the ones that, Columbia Records and Jeff Vaughn is the ones that, they, they, they, I vibe with them the way I talk with you. Yeah. That's good.

They're in L.A. And it's just like, Johnny Stripes and they're in the Instagram. Scope is in the East Coast. Right. And you got to pay attention to that. You want to be worldwide. Right. You don't want to be global.

And then it's like what Interscope told me too. My looks, it's true. I'll say this artist, friendly, your looks, your charisma, your character will only take you so far in rapping. You got to be able to, because that's what they're saying about me. But look, I don't believe that. I'm just, I'm just, I want to prove them wrong. And I want to, I'm the best.

I'm lyrical, too, with the, I'm going to tell my story. But like you said. It all goes into a circle what we just talked about. Now I got to really sit there. I made some bangers. I got to sit there and honing and bring that the game out, the documentary vibe out. Right. And just drop that documentary shit.

And that's what's coming right now. That documentary shit. And hopefully we do that that boom, I'm going to come at you with some bangers. I'm going to give it to you like here. Here's a bangor. Here's an open. Fuck with it. Yeah.

I promise you we'll do that. Fuck with that shit. I would do that. Here's an open and fuck with it. Travis Barker, the game. that shit yeah yeah here's all this is a banger this is it i believe in this shit hook that but i think what you what you're doing by turning down the deal that isn't good enough for you is exactly what we did but i would assign i would assign i would assign when the deal was the highest right

i wanted to sign at that point right fuck it we signed the deal would have went down cool oh he's like so what i'm signed already now let me prove them wrong now i got whether it was 16 months two years three years whatever to prove to them yeah it might be might be sooner this is it might be sooner might be sooner I say just keep. Right now I was looking like owning 100% of my music. Right. Distribution. And everybody's like, that's the best deal he could have got,

which is Lee Alamo Records and them, and them, who the fuck? Yeah, Alamo Records. Which is like, yeah. I think to own your music is smart. Yeah, man. It really is. They're telling me that's the best deal they wanted,

but it's like the streets telling like, oh, he went mainstream. Like, it's not about that. Well, mainstream is a word that's broadly used. I think a global. For Latino community, just Chicano rap, just, oh, Chicano rapper, like, you don't see people. Right, but, but, but in my mind, like, Chicano rap has grown out of, it just keeps growing. And I think that you've emerged out of, I, I feel like one of the ones, King O.G and me are one of those that broke that barrier.

Yes, I really believe that. And I think that it's the beginning, right? You believe that I do, I do. I believe, I believe I'm the one for the, for the Mexican community. Yeah. I'm doing it. Like, I believe. And this is why I think it's important, right? Because in music, let's say subcultures in music, but culture in the world, these are stories that need to be told.

People need to be able to relate to people. That's why I do it. And if there's enough money on the table for all of us to eat. Right. You know what I'm saying? There's not just one. Right. If one comes another, people start looking.

There's somebody ready to take your spot. And if he's ready to take my spot, go ahead. But it's not a spot. So here's what I'll argue, right? Or I'll offer a different perspective. is there's not one spot. I like this shit. There's not one spot.

There's a bunch of spots because once a music emerges, right? Like this is why. Okay, you got Nipsey Hustle, Y, G. They all got the wrong spot. And they all got their own spot. There's not just one. Yeah.

Co-play, all that goes. There's not just one spot. It's when a music emerges from a culture, everyone starts to get interested in the culture. And this is why... Thomas Red, Mary Morris, Luke, Brian, Blake Schulte. Right, right. And so what I'm saying is that...

Selena Gomez is that every rapper in whether you're friends of them or not, right? Every rapper that's in and around your scene of music, right, needs to be rooting for you the same way you need to root for them because if one person emerges in the globe and it becomes a global, it opens the door for everyone else. That's the whole point of this shit. I want people to know just if I make it, I'm opening up the door for everybody. It's the same way that I think. Now they're really looking into my people, my.

Right. That's why I love King Liljee so much, right? That's why I hate these, these haters and it's just like, that's cool. If I do this, more people from my descent, my, my, my color, my game, my, my lifestyle, L.A., Mexican, S, Latino, Mexican, Salvadoran, whatever, whatever the hell. Yeah. It may be, Guatemala, everything gets that chance because now they're really looking into us because one of us made it. But think about this as well. Open that door, opening that door. And it's not just one stuff. You got to just be proud of that.

Like, how could you hate on that? And then it becomes generational, right? Yeah. Think about this. Generations of artists can then come after. It's on them, though. In 20 years from now, there'll be a new rapper that'll be talking to you, a new artist. I looked up to Lefty Gunplay.

Lefty Gumplay was the first one they did it. And you'll be telling him something that'll help him. Yeah, and I see that happening. And this is why it's important because I also really feel this, that I really believe that this is why I do this show, is somewhere right now there's someone listening that has been not been getting encouragement or support around trying to do something better right?

I could be like him. And they look at you and they go, I could do that. And you're giving them a model for success. I'm giving them to play the blueprint. Right with it. And we all need a model to look at to go, I think I could do that.

That's good. I kind of look like him or I kind of. I want the little kids to be like, I can do that shit. That's what you want. That's why we look up to ballplayers. That's why I look at Kilo G, the game, all that. Yeah, ball.

It's either make it with rap, make it with ball, yeah, ball players, yeah. If you come from a place where growing up, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to go to college because we didn't have the money.

Right? So I was probably going to, my outcome for life was... I don't want to be when I was a kid? Firefighter. That's good. You know what that says to me? It didn't work out.

But you know what that's... I even went to firefighter. I even went to San Dimas and I was, but I went to jail. But you know what that says to me? I was this close to being a firefighter. But you know what that says to me? it says you actually want to help people

yeah that's a good thing man I just wanted to be there for like you just want to be a firefighter you live in a world of music that it doesn't allow you all the time I would have been happy being a firefighter yeah I'm doing better things now and I'm inspiring the world but at the beginning

when I was like Firefighters help people we graduated from kindergarten I said I want to be a firefighter and I was the whole way to middle and I remember my dad telling me like there's no money in Firefighter be better than that and it's like

I even went to the explorers and then right when I'm about to graduate and be a firefighter, I was already a trainee EMT. I got an EMT for paramedics, all that shit. Yeah, I did all that

and I was on parole and all the probation and I caught a case. But I was going to be a firefighter. I would have been happy with it. Franklin, Scott Holiday, firefighter. It would have been cool, man.

I know how to do all this shit. Helping people. How to run with that shit. That's just heavy. But what's you doing now? What's your dream? I wanted to be a baseball player. Yeah, baseball player was my shit too. Were you good?

Yeah, I played baseball. Yeah, I was pretty good. You hit homeruns and majors? Uh, it's called majors. Yeah, yeah. You hit home runs, though? Yeah. If you wasn't hitting home runs, you wasn't any shit. Yeah, yeah. You were hitting home runs? I was doing it all. It's cool, huh? I was pretty good. Practice all that, and then you get a high school. Is he really shot us to his son? Sparrow. High school? He's going to high school next year. That's his name? That's a sick name. She didn't even a gunner. Gunner is a sick name to him. It is. Yeah. It is. I want my son to get, I'm going to put him in school.

And so many people try to put him. My son's 10. Oh, wow. Yeah, my baby, my son would be up. I'm seeing it. My son was playing baseball like that, and I really want him to get a chance. You got to put him in, Mardi Day. Yeah, yeah.

And you got to put him for tryouts as a freshman. Yeah, yeah. And if he's doing it right there, that'd make a break. Mater Day, St. John's Paw School, the Huntington Beach School's, like, these are the people that are just really involved in their kids. Yeah. And believe, like, okay, he's really going to make it. yeah okay boom rapping and what we're doing is just like one in a million it's like you got a

better chance getting struck by lightning being the next lefty gunplay good charlotte the game i feel like man we got a good ass interview huh yeah we got some good shit we're good i hope you enjoyed today's episode of artist friendly if you really liked it you can follow like subscribe to the show anywhere you listen to podcast spotify apple amazon we appreciate your support and we'll see you next time.