Artist Friendly with Joel Madden - Lefty Gunplay (Rerun)

Episode Date: January 22, 2025

On this week’s episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is bringing you an encore episode of his conversation with LA rapper Lefty Gunplay.  Lefty Gunplay is a 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.  Gunplay released his latest album, “Most Valuable Gangbanger,” in November of last year, and was featured on Kendrick Lamar’s sixth album, ‘GNX,’ released the same day.  ------- 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 bottle 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. There wouldn't be no lefty gunplay without the gang or getting all that to good.

I feel like God wrote the script already. You know what I'm saying? I'm saying like. I'm gonna, and like my music, my hair changed with me and has to be able to continue my rhythm. For so Potion Nine, of Sebastian Professional,

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not who are people who are things. It's an important story because there's some guys 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 like, 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 got to give me some time

real quick. Yeah, yeah. I can freestyle all you want, but you want me to get in my feelings and say some two-barks shit, you got to 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. 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 Tell me where I part 106

So what I would say is Is what the experience you're having Because I need a better manager No no I think 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, 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 and enjoy it. So I would say is like you'll, it's a capacity thing. You're like trying to put your keyboard on and 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 experience, right? When shit pops, it pops. There you go. 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'll see, whatever. Then they hit me up later. 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, it's like, you're dying to get popping. But once you're popping, it's going. Yeah. And you're like, okay, cool. This is what we're, your schedule set for, to April. That's right.

We're in January, February. Your schedule set until April. But if you think about two years ago, it wasn't. It wasn't. 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, you know. I think that 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, um. 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- Yeah, 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 you're, what I see is, I think you're at the precipice of, of what is, Do you want it or not? Do you want, like, do you want the shit? You got to show up.

Yeah, he tells me like, no, he tells me like, do you, sometimes I'm like, dude, sometimes I'm like, dude, hold the fuck up, man. Hold up, wait up. Don't come in my mind.

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 like 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 gonna be popping Just with me and my homie cash And just make videos off you You gotta have the Rose Royces You gotta have the clothes You gotta 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 his 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 taking a serious moment. He's like, you wanted this, right? This is what you want? Are you sure you want this? Because your life's about to change.

Tell me if you want this. Yeah. And I'll look at him like. Well, you just said it. Career. Yeah. Just, I'll 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. Yeah, it's a career. You want it to be a successful story to where it's just like, like you, like the game. Yeah. Like M&M, like Kendrick 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 going to 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 you're a one-hit guy. I think you're an artist.

And I think that you have the making. of what I really believe in the in the in when I think of all the great West Coast rappers I think you have that I think I really do you mother do you know I think the same 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 what is it then I hear the music and I'm like yeah this this checks out and now it's about you're into it you have talent and you have work ethic I can see it you showed up for this you know what I mean 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-assed it. Like, just whatever. struggle in a career in 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 i got to well this is the dream is unfolding yes sir right you saw some version of this you saw it i seen you wouldn't have gotten up and done the music in the bedroom if you didn't see this i 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 okay Good luck, kid. Hell 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 it? You're up to and on in the, 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 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, because 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, too, do, do, do, do it. I'll miss one. Get out of here. But I'm hearing all the shit.

I read all the comments. Yeah. 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 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 want to just prove everybody wrong like man but 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 block it out 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 right you 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 yeah the hood shit right the pollens yeah and then what we all have to do myself included is we have to grow right and then your family just damn when you got it complicated dry that's the part that no one

talks about baby mama's all there's a complicated nature to success you have to be cautious and you have to assess risk you understand like it's like i do that all the time everything i do i want again it says 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 like this interview 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. Been around a long time. I don't have to say who the fuck he is. Yeah, but it's just like, now it's like, that's exactly what I'm going on. 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 LA, 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. Yeah. Yeah, like this certain style of rap, of hip hop in L.A., you know, I was a big fan, and 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 out 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 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? Right. Oh, man. I'm doing this shit, man. And so you chose a path and it takes, it takes self-belief. It takes all the things that you've had to overcome. So many times I wanted to break and quit. 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 we're really playing ball. Now you're in the league. Now we're in the majors. All right. Now you got to put points. Now it's time to get in the game, right? Rookie.

Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm Williams. Yeah, there you go. I really liked Money sign. I was a, I really liked him. My father. Yeah.

Yeah. He had chance. Money sign. Who else? Is there a peso? You got a little peso? Yeah. Paiso

Lefty Gunplay 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 just yeah be yourself But I see I see I've been watching I watch how you How you treat the fans Behind the scenes Behind the scenes is something else

Yeah the fans I think It's a real thing you guys are building Yeah, it's awesome. Yeah. Congratulations, guys. It is. No, it all works together.

It all works together. 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 thing. You don't got a point in him. You know who he is. But here's a thing. It all works together, right? It's a team.

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? Chittorranas. Right. And then the label is there. And then a couple years later, this kid comes along, Lefty. 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 grew out of the ground. Let me hear that one. That's your scene. Let me hear that. Who was it? Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Screaming, Screaming Tree.

It was like this rock shit. They were all in the same spot. They were all in Seattle. That's what I was 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 L.A. I love L.A., 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 and and 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 optimal means like to optimize something means to make it work better right to get their 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 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 do too-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. Yeah. 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 is nice. It helps.

It helps. It comes in a goes. It's a band-aid. It comes in the goals. But actually personal growth is a real thing. Like healing the past traumas of life is a real thing we all have to do, right? What I'm going through 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 music for 25 years. Career. It's a career. And I think I spent a lot of time working on trying to learn how to be happy because I had a sad childhood. How the fuck did you do that shit? That's what I'm going through right now.

I just kept trying, bro. 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. It may not pertain to me. You know what I'm saying? Self-help book is something.

of these opinions. 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, I think, how old are you? 27. Okay, so you're young. Like, I'm almost 20 years older than you.

28, 28, yeah. Yeah, so I'm almost 20 years older than you. So, so. 45s and you 20. Yeah, it is. It's crazy on that.

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, you could do whatever. I have no doubt.

I have no doubt. Yeah. Some do. Some don't. Some do want to 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 can relate to Aaron Hernandez's story, and it's like, just what I don't want to go through. And he was righteous till the end, even, you know, when they say, like, he killed him, and say, give us money. That's what I am. Like, I'm from my, I'll take my shirt off my back and give it to the person talking shit about me. Like, it's like, Aaron Hernandez had a really good story. You ever seen a Netflix film on him?

Yeah, yeah. Also, I like a... It was a sad ending. I like Kanye West. Kanye West, Yeezis, 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. Like, and he did it. And it's just like, I like how he was in the studio with Jay-Z when he first started. That's a good one. Jesus, the first episode, when he met Ludacris in Ferrell. And they're just like, damn, yay. I didn't know 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 bed. I never heard about you. And, like, everybody's trying to, but he did it. And also what I say, when he's in the studio, this is random. And he's in the studio, and he told Jay-Z, I'm the hardest rapper, Jay-Z. Go ahead then. Let me hear something.

When he met Jay-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 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 was just music shit it's something about the best when they step in from the get yeah it's intensity yeah it's a

something intense about it I like it I like this shit I like being on stage yeah on stage is like just the natural high I just

when you told me on stage I just get it I 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 us, 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 is 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, there's a, there's a. I said that's my word.

We slept her. Yeah, there's like a discipline to getting enough sleep and water. But 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, this is 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 more. I get more than one night, guys. But yeah.

Sometimes 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 that is your main money maker you know what i mean it is um so because i went in the studio with little riddle 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 gonna 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

It's my first time dealing with my voice being lost. Like, hold on. La la la 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, it's like, and people call me and it's like, 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. The other day I couldn't even talk. I used to lose my voice all the time. 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. Yeah, yeah. Shout us to the game, man.

I love the game. The game, man. He's my real friend. The game. I'm bringing back the headband. We, uh... You guys are Laganator. Give me the fucking headbands, dog.

The headband with the GUNIT. Yeah. With 50s, when they're all rocking the headbands, I'm bringing that back to LA. I love that. I really am. That's the look at one.

I became friends of the game back in, um, like, 2002. That's what he was the game. The game, the game, y' up? Yeah. Yes, sir. And still, Richard Bush, Kim Kardashian, the game.

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

I want to smoke a blunt with her on a game. Game's a good, man, he's a good one. The game's West Coast. Yeah, he is. West Coast the game. Easy E2 Park, the game. Yeah. Yeah, he manifested it with the NWA.

That's what I'm doing. I'm manifesting in like the game, man. I don't want to lose my stiloh. I don't like to people to taint my style. And the other day, fuck them 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, darling A thing I do Is no listen I'm gonna 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 Lefty gunplay, 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 a punchline. So that's the X-4. 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 start 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 going to 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. Constructed criticism is cool. But nah, I'm not going to let nobody fucking fuck with me. I'm me for who I am.

I'm West Coast. I'm L.A., I'm an essay. And that's what it is. And I'm not going to let nobody fuck with my Steve. 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'm never letting nobody take my stilor 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, let's, like, nah, this is me, dog. I'm doing a good job.

right now too you would have 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 damn right that's not your interview with me yeah i'm not gonna learn from that interview right because i'm gonna get the most views of my interview because i'm the best in my mind i'm the best podcast now you're the best interview now you're best interview now yeah best rock band now right and the second guy i wouldn't want him to think he's the i tell you that bitch right i tell you that bitch right i Tell her, 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 let nobody take away from my stilo, and it's just like, sometimes I got to snap. I'm 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 Flores just said. I've never had an interview. I've never had, actually don't even consider these interviews.

They're like conversations. I'm chopping it up. Yeah. I don't even look at the cameras now. I'm just chopping it up with you. 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 that I wish you would have got on camera. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Exactly. Yeah, 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 have a hook on 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'd be on. You end up on some hit record with a hook you don't really care about, but it's a hit.

It's a hit. Right? The songs that I hate are hit. And then you go like, oh, that was okay. I didn't mind that because it wasn't really my song. It was their song. He came, he came through. He came through and he capitalized on the moment.

And you were yourself because that's what people want. They want, is they want someone who can show up and actually be who they are. Capitalizing them. And we want to believe that our heroes are really our heroes, right? That's where I take pictures with all the fans and all that. That's right. And I think you gotta give that credit because you're becoming people's like, they look up to you. Here this right here.

This is random. Who cares? Letter to drummer. I wrote letter to drummer when I was young. I wrote that song with King Cash, King L.G., King Cash, Drummer Boy, that whole movement was coming up. That's when I was growing up. Cool. From Mexican was drummer boy.

King Cass, King Little G. That's when these guys were barely coming up. And I used to look up to drummer boy. It gives me like in my feelings. And I wrote a letter to drummer dog. And I remember I told, I met drummer boy. And it's like when I met him, it wasn't like what I thought it was. Like when I first met him and like, like, I thought he was going to praise me.

Like, you know, he didn't embrace me. But it wasn't what I thought it was too. Because drummer boy was 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 at that moment. I looked up to drummer boy and I wanted to be like German boy. And now I'm to the point. Now I wrote letter to lefty.

Now drummers are 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. I understand where he was coming from. I wasn't ready yet. And it's like, now he's like, now he embraces me. And like, it's like, fuck you. Nah, cool.

Now, it's like what Gucci Man says, when you're hot, are you guys friends now? You're boys. That's cool. Yeah, we wrote, I 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, why you give you 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 see all shit changes. I'm gonna keep it real though. You know what I'm saying? 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 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 Lou 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 Luke so what? I manifested it, but I wouldn't want the guy this rapping behind me. the thing 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'll 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.

Hit 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 in life the world will tell us not to think that way in life period in life period and and i try to be the best at everything i do and i'm certainly trying my best but you got to have that cockiness yeah and but i also think that the scene that you come from right the the the subculture of music you come from right and i'm talking at the artistic when i look at artists and i go what 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 letty gunplay without that right and that it all works together all made me yeah and so it's just a crazy little g drummer lefty that's their story 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 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 me's the game i'm lefty gun 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 believe it. 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. There will never, you could do whatever you want to imitate what I did. And people want to imitate the studios I was in, the da-da-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 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 out. I see artists and I really believe that like. Have you seen artists like this guy? When you meet him like like this fool And then you meet one that's real Like you're just real

You you you're just real You you you master 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? Yeah. 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. 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. Leti. 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 a reason.

We're boys. Like, I wouldn't put my foot on your table, though. I wouldn't know, but I wouldn't though. Yeah, you can. 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. I like them, man. But like, you like, damn, am I sinking in this bitch or what? Or it's like you want to be the good posture. I like vintage.

You like to have, you know what? Big thing I trip on? Poster. Yeah. Yeah, I got to have good posture all the time. And like a lot of times you slows just a lot of people like. And then you got a good, you know what else I got to start doing? Yeah, I got my, I'm going to start working out again.

For real. I work out four times a week. Do you really? Yeah. That's discipline. Discipline. But I just started like four or five, four months ago. But that's good.

But it makes you feel better about life. Yourself. Yeah. Working out, huh? They say 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 work out for the bitches and for the look.

You know what I'm saying? You got to have that look. Yes. You want to be, let me tell you something that helps artists. This is artist friendly. Good looks. 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 Maestrels. 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 yourself, 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. Yeah.

And then walk out. And I tell myself that I closed the door earlier in the restroom. I'm like, leave me alone. When I, she tried to watch her. I said, no, leave me alone. I care what you watch. 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. 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, uh... Yeah, grandmas are... They get annoying, but, yeah, she raised me. I miss her at home. She's always worried about you. We got to put up on her after dog. I'm going to pull up.

love for my grandma after year. My grandma, she raised me. My grandma told me, like, I go to the store right and I buy some chips. Six, 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. Right. And then my grandma told me, too, a lot of times I see somebody, I'll give him a 20 bucks. A girl, a thing about me is I give my money away a lot and it's like damn i gotta 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 thing 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 we're 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. It says, do not buy something if you can't afford it twice.

Right. Something 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 gonna meet Jay Z Bet

You like yeah I think you will When he starts When he starts tapping into L.A Yeah 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 for example. I mean, I met Conrad from now. Like, I talked to Conrad for now. Nipsey Holtz's Homeboys, like, Pacman and the Gummers from the label. Like, I've talked to you. I've talked to, I talk to a gang of famous people in L.A. Huh, people, how guys? Yeah.

Who the hell do I got? Am I DM? Everybody. Everybody's able to say L.A. 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 also kind of wild, you know? Yeah, lefty. I can't get right. My name's lefty because I can't get right. Right.

Left-handed, left feel with this shit. But at the heart of you, I saw you and I was like, man, he's wild. Yeah. I know, I can only imagine, right? Yeah, and I'm really calm around. The stories are there. But what at the core of who you are is a good guy. I saw you take the time with a little kid fan.

I gave him a hundred dollars a spend. Yeah. 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. You're playing whatever. And then life kind of. I would give a million dollars to go back to just playing dodge ball and basketball and school.

But what happens is life beats us up. Life is hard sometimes. Life is real. Life is real. Life's a bitch. And then we all get these scars, right? Whether we want to or not. 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 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. M&M and them, all that. Game as an artist, obviously I'm a huge fan, but as a friend, as a friend, he really influenced my personal, do 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 old was he at the time of you? We're around the same age, but it felt like he was just like. We were probably in our mid-20s, 24. I like that shit, how you tell me how he just came.

That's what I want to be like. I just come and out. How was it when you first met me when you see me right now? I don't give it 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 going to 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 this.

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. Okay, the first thing I told you is you Just to hear, though 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 Jumpett right and throw right here Yeah Fully tatted Where did you get all your tattoos done?

Pelican based for prison Oh wow It's me This 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 tatted 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 me. Southside, L.A. gang shit. Like, just south side. You know, Southside. Soreño, Mexican. Yeah. My face is Surrano.

Cross, like, just Mexican culture. Like, that's just me. Yeah, that's just me. Like, everything on my body's, 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 and mean something they all mean something you see this one there yeah the acid I see kind of I I know what they all mean that the acid stuff just like they all hurt too yeah they all hurt doesn't matter to he says yeah that's cool OTR I want to get my head tattooed right here it hurts yeah my brother has his whole head tattooed that numbing cream is bullshit 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 fool Zane. Yeah. Zane Malick. The dude is... One Direction guy. With G.G., yeah. Yeah, yeah.

He came up. He did that. Travis Barker has his head tattooed as well. Travis Barker's a nut. Yeah, he's he... I was suspect. I want to meet him. I'm sure you will.

He came up. You talk to him? Yeah, he's a really nice guy. Tell 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 with me and you? I like to win when jz came with lincoln park the the the lincoln park versus j z yeah and we like oh court dude you want more that was crazy I was viral it's good i probably got to get it more up like that lefty gunplay versus good charlotte man that should be hard that would be wild it'll be hard we'll get in the studio it would be wild that shit 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's just 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 it with Travis Barker. Honestly, I would love that because it would be like a real L.A. L.A. moment for me personally.

That's hard. I just have the idea. Because, 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. I really love this. 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 name. Yeah.

See, the name most deal about 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, can't get right. But if the head right left you there every night. Yeah. I think the group that walked in here, I really like y'all's vibe. Yeah, hell yeah.

You got you, 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. I think so.

man because you're tapped in with LA. I'm tapped in with LA. These labels need to really sit there and see what's going on in the streets of LA. Yeah. And you're seeing it. What the fuck's happening in LA? I want people to be like, damn, are they seeing this shit? Like, dude, L.A's the 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, MDMM. That's my label. I started it. Okay, but who signed you? Good truck.

So Epic Records. Right away? That was our first deal Epic In 1999 Wow Yeah Damn

And it was like Most money than you ever had in you guys In my life I'm tripping out on this This is an artist funny But we said no How'd you guys go about that Are you guys had a talk in the room

So we were playing on the East Coast We were playing shows And just like you They 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 foods yeah And then 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. But we had to say no, we knew it. It's just like, what?

Yeah, so Columbia offered us a deal. Columbia, that's where 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 Interscope 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 and 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 circle 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 banger here's an open for you. 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 open. This is a banger. This is it. I believe in this shit. Fuck that shit. But I think what you're doing by turning down the deal that isn't good enough for you is exactly what we did.

But I would have signed. I would have signed. I would have signed. I would have signed. 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 I say just keep Right now I was looking like owning 100% of my music Right Distribution Um

And everybody's like that's the best deal He could have got which is a Lee Alamo Records And them and them uh Who the fuck yeah Alamo records is like 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 when you have Latino community just chicano rap just oh chicano rapper like you don't see people right but but but in my mind that chicano rap has grown out of it just keeps growing and i think that you've emerged out of that i bomb i feel like one of ones ken o g and me are one of those that broke that barrier yes i i really believe that and i think that It's the beginning, right?

You believe that I do, I do. I believe I'm the one for the Mexican community. Yeah. I'm doing it. And 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.

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. somebody ready to take your spot and if he's ready to take my spot go ahead but 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 come there's not one spot there's a bunch of spots because once a once a music emerges right

like this is why okay you got nifty hustle y k kansas they all got their own spot and they all got their own spot there's not just one yeah cold play all that 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... Salina Gomez Teddixir, yeah.

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 color, my game, my, my, my lifestyle, L.A., Mexican, S.A. Latino, Mexican, Salvadoranian, whatever, whatever the hell. Yeah, 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? So 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 Gumpley. 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. 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. 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 ball players. 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. That's actually said. You know what that says to me? It didn't work out. But you know what that thought? I even went to firefighter. I even went to Firefighter.

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,

it just wanted 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, man. We graduated from kindergarten.

I said, I want to be a firefighter. Yeah. And I was the whole way to middle, And I remember my dad telling me, like, there's no money in a firefighter. Right. 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'm stoked. I did all that. And I was on parole and all that 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. Yeah. I know how to do all this shit. helping people how to run with that shit that's just heavy but what's your doing now i wanted to be a baseball player yeah baseball player was my shit too yeah i played baseball yeah i was pretty good yeah you hit home runs and majors uh it's called majors yeah yeah yeah home runs though yeah if you wasn't hitting home runs you was in shit yeah yeah you're hitting homeruns i was doing it all

it's cool huh practice all that and then you get a high school my son's really good at baseball is he really shot us to his son sparrow high school he's going to high school next year that's his name sparrow yeah That's a sick name. She didn't name no Gunner. Gunner is a sick name too. It is. It is. I want my son again.

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 was playing baseball like that. And I really want him to get a chance. You got to put him in modern 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 would make a break. Mother Day, St. John's Poscow school, the Huntington Beach School. It was 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.

Hey, look. Go for it. I hope you enjoyed today's episode of Artist Friendly. If you really liked it, you can follow up. like, subscribe to the show, anywhere you listen to podcasts, Spotify, Apple, Amazon. We appreciate your support and we'll see you next time.