Club Shay Shay - Jacquees

Episode Date: June 5, 2023

Shannon welcomes in Jacquees into Club Shay Shay! The two Georgia natives chat about how the self-proclaimed "King of R&B" reached fame in the music industry, working with several big names and eventually signing with Cash Money Records. Hear him tell stories involving Gunna, Torey Lanez and many other artists! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Make sure to listen to the Good Morning Football podcast Monday through Friday on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. LeBron has chosen one tatted. Normally when guys have nicknames, they have them tatted on themselves. Do you have King of RB our beat? I got a king on my leg though But I got that way before I said I was king R&B like okay, like I was it is I think it's someone Yeah, I did that when I was like 18, but I miss I think I look like you drew that one

All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price. Want a slice, got the roll of dice. That's why all my life I've been grinding all my life. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price. Want a slice, got the roll of dice. That's why all my life I've been grinding all my life. Hello, welcome to another edition of Club Shea Shea. I am the host, also the reporter of Club Shea Shea All my life, I've been grindin' all my life King of R&B from the A, Jaquese. Bruh. Jaquese. Quee. Am I the only one that get that wrong or everybody get it? Nah, nah, nah, everybody.

Cause see you came back right and said Quee. Quee. So it's good. Jaquese. Yes. Bruh, how you doing? I'm doing good. But you know, anytime we have somebody on the show,

especially like your talent, we always toast. We gotta toast the third album. Okay, put a third album. And you said rapper, I'm a singer. The King of R&B. King of R&B. Yeah. No rapping. No rapping. My bad. But I did have a top 20 song on this rap. I mean I'm a you said rap. I'm a singer the king R&B King R&B. Yeah, no rapping. No, right My I did have a top 20 song is rap. I mean top 30

But I'm not a rapper so that means me you talented is that Cheers today. Yeah You say it's been a minute since you've gone that brown so we might not drink too much of that You drank too much of that. Shh, that brown, man. You know about that brown, right? Bruh, you told me you just got off the road. You were in Sacramento with Duval, Monica, Trey Songz. Oh yeah, San Francisco, yep.

San Francisco, how was that? It was good, man. The Bay Area always show love. I've been performing in the Bay Area since about 2016, so we was in the arena this time, you know, the same spot where Steph done play. Chase Center. Chase Center had it sold out It was crazy man like I loved it. It was a good experience. Man you was telling me about okay

Your eggs are actually produced by Future and you got a new bar a new bar opened up in Stonecrest Wine and Tapples bar But we were talking all caribou like bro I had to put some food on the menu Oh, yeah, I had to because you know us we ain't coming in there for the for the crackers and the cheese right right We want the shrimp and grits the the salmon bites, you know, the street corn. You know, we want all that. You got it like that? Yeah, we got all that. So I don't know why you call it Wine and Tables, because you got a full menu.

I mean, because, you know, when you come in there, we had a crackers and cheese laid out, because there's certain people that want the wine and the cheese. But like I say, like, you get to looking too hard, and you get to seeing that shrimp and grits, and your stomach getting to going, and you getting to want that. You want that. Exactly. So what made you get to seeing that shrimp and grits and your stomach getting going and you get the one that You want that exactly? So what made you decide to open a place like that you brought like you said you're from the a you're born and raised And you're like you know what I think people my age my vibe want to feel this this the feeling this This is the vibe well. You know I'm from the east side and stonecrest on the east side. I'm from West the chapel

So you know for right there, you know, I'm from right there. You know, being from that side, we always have to go downtown to like feel fancy or feel elegant or something like that. So I'm like, man, I want to bring this to the east side because we got some people over here that's fly that deserve to, you know, not travel so far that should have it right here in their neighborhood. So I partnered up with a lady named Vanika Marks, and we started the Wine and Tapas line. She already had it going. You know, I just put my two cents in on it to kind of take it to another level. Right. And we offer people some jobs in the community. You know, I feel real good about that, you know, letting people in on it.

And it's still a cool thing because it's like people get to see me up there. Like, you get to come up there and actually see me not being an artist. You get to see me being John Quease. Right. The owner. Yeah.

The operator. Real talk. The owner. And it's like, it gives people a different insight on me. And I think it just brings me closer to my fans. So, I think it's something real good for the community. You've been in the game for over a decade. How are you feeling about your career thus far?

Man, been in the game for over a decade. It's crazy. I'm feeling good about my career. Of course, you know, it's other levels that I want to reach. You know, I was just reading a message from my pops this morning he takes me in like six he like man I just want to tell you I love you man and don't stop shooting for the stars you know sound like yeah for sure angle never stop shooting for the stars you know of course we always feel like

we could be bigger you know that's I think that's everybody that's great but I believe in God so I know his time and it's perfect so I'm like, okay, if this is the position I'm in right now, I know I got ways to go. And it makes me feel good because I know I haven't reached my peak at all yet. I'm 28 years old. I got a long way to go. I'm trying to figure out, how did you decide to come up with the king of R&B? Because you know there's going to be a lot of pushback.

Because they're like, hold on, wait a minute. You just got in this thing a decade, bro. There have been people doing this 20 30 years and you're gonna call yourself the king of R&B why did you decide to come up with that title man really I was on the road okay I had just left a show I had did like two shows on one day it was some radio shows and I was I was in the car on the way to the next airport to leave that city right and it was like man it was Jacquees that just shut down the And they was like, man, that was Jaquese

that just shut down the stage. It was a radio show. And they like, man, he just killed it. That's really the king of R&B. Like, if you got kids, like, he the king of R&B for this generation. Okay. So I went in the airport,

and I was just by myself, you know, just chilling. It was on my mind. You sounded good, too. It was on my mind, you feel me? So I just pulled out my camera, like, you know what, man? I'm the king of R&B for this generation. And I think it went over everybody's head because I actually said for this generation.

You know, but the conversation sparked so much heat. It was crazy. You know, everybody say, you know, R&B dead and R&B that. But it's like, you think about it, I really brought the conversation like to the forefront. You know, people started going on the king of R&B tours. They got shows called Queens of R&B. They just, the whole thing.

I had people that was talking about me that I never knew back had known me. Like, man, I'm talking about Bobby Brown said something. Like, dang, that's hard. Even though no matter what they said, I was just happy that they was- You were talking about you. Exactly, I was just happy that my name was in their mouth.

And it worked. I feel like that was the biggest thing that I ever did in my career. Cause it just did so much for me. Like that was the biggest press I could have ever had right nobody ever told me like I say you the king R&B The only thing somebody told me to do is name my album net because I wasn't gonna name my album the king R&B Right, but a lady named Rochelle from my team She was like you should name your album King R&B now because if you don't name it King R&B now you don't cause all that

Ruckus when somebody else do it you gonna be mad and you can never do it again. So I'm like, let me just take my shot now and I did it and I took whatever came with it. What was your competition in this generation, King of R&B? Who's the competition? I don't know man. I've been doing it for so long, like you got to think like, I've been dropping mixtapes since 2010 or something like that. You know, so I came from the mixtape era, like before streaming and all that, like back when I was giving people my CDs, back when you can go on live mixtapes and dat piff and download them. So I feel a lot different about who I am as an artist, more so than other artists that just came in the game.

Like no disrespect to them, but I feel like my grind was harder. Like it wasn't like go viral back then. It was like get out here in the streets, sing, let's see what's going on. You couldn't just go viral. Right. But I respect the viralness, cause I go viral these days. You know, but I know where I got it from,

and I just know me putting in that work for all those years and those, my fans growing up with me for all those times, like you gotta understand, these girls that was 14, now they like 28, they got kids. And they like, man, I done had these kids to your music. Exactly, so it's like, I'm a part of they life soundtrack, so it's different for me, You know what I'm saying?

So I just feel like that about myself for this generation. So let me ask you, okay, T.I. calls himself the king of the south. LeBron is the king. I mean, LeBron has chosen one tatted. Normally when guys have nicknames, they have them tatted on themselves. Do you have king of R&B tatted on you?

I got a king on my leg though, but I got that way before I said I was king of R&B. Okay. Like I would have said, it's, I think it's somewhere, leg, though, but I got that way before I said I was king of R&B. Okay. Like, I would have said it's, I think it's somewhere, yeah, I did that when I was like 18, but I've been. That look like you drew that one. I don't know the real thing. He say like you drew that one. If I get tatted at that early, you know it's like, where you get that tattoo at?

A homeboy did, that was something. But I had to get it. I've been calling myself like king and want to be a king, you know what I'm saying? So I just feel like it was all written. Right. You talked about it earlier

and I've heard a lot of people say R&B is dead, R&B is dead, R&B is dead. Is R&B dead or what can, if it's not dead, I mean, obviously people, it's not, I don't know, I don't want to say it's not dead I mean obviously people it's not I don't know I don't want to say

it's not what it once was but seemingly everybody is the little all the seven little guys the little baby little dirt little this little that

and you know all the guys you know so is R&B dead or what's going on with R&B I don't think R&B dead but you know

the difference between rap and R&B right you'll have the top R&B dead, but you know the difference between rap and R&B? Right. You'll have the top R&B guys, but they won't collaborate. Right. But you'll have the top rap guys and they'll collaborate. I don't know if it's something about R&B that- Why is that? I don't know, man. Like, I just was around a bunch of the R&B guys at the Roc Nation brunch.

Mm-hmm. And I'm trying to break everybody in. You know what I'm saying? Like, bro, let's do it. Like, you know, give them something real. Like, come on, let's do it. And? I mean, it's there, but you know what I'm saying? Like, bro, let's do it. Like, you know, give them something real. Like, come on, let's do it. And? I mean, it's there, but you know what I'm saying? It's different from the rappers. Because the rappers, you know, we like, let's do it, and we go do it. Right.

But the singers, it's like... You ain't no rapper, though. But I came up like that. Okay. You know, I was in every rap camp. You know, I'm trying to cash money. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

And look at where I'm from. You know, and the people that I grew up around, it's just in me, the way I move. Like, I'm an R&B singer, for sure. I'm smooth to death. Right. But when it comes to the way I handle business, more so people that I grew up around, it's just in me the way I move. Like, I'm an R&B singer for sure, I'm smooth to death. But when it comes to the way I handle business, more so sometimes I probably would handle it like a rapper because more so than singles with rappers, rappers might not tell you to talk to their manager.

Rappers might just be like, let's go get it in. Versus the singer might be like, man, I let my A&R and I let my manager and all that. You're like, man, I ain't got time for that. And there's so many people involved, they're gonna, and by the time they get back to you, they're just like, nah, we're not gonna be able to do that I guess water down because I was really coming to you genuinely like I was coming to you to rock with you like I

Like your music, but I actually was trying to get to know you as a person so we could rock right But now it's like I only like something like that You know game over the phone just that quick you know what drew you to R&B What drew me to are you listen to a lot of R&B when you were growing up? Because, you know, in the South, you're growing up, we know Teddy Pendergrass and, you know, Harold Melvin and all those guys. I mean, that's what you...

You clean in the house, you listen to R&B. There wasn't no rap going on back in the day. Yeah, my sister was a big fan of the King of R&B. You know, she was a huge fan of him. You know, she's had all his pictures. She used to play all the music. So I feel like by me hearing that and seeing my sister like it kind of got in me a little bit of course I love Michael Jackson right and David Ruffin the temptation like that But just what I grew up around like and my mama my mama played a lot of the Isley brothers

She played a lot of earth wind and fire My mama played the the jams and I go to my auntie's house, and she played the radio a lot out here, genuine on the radio. Just all that, I feel like it brought me to it, but what really inspired me

the most, I think it was the child, Michael Jackson. Like, when I seen him as a kid, I'm like, dang, like, that's Michael Jackson as a kid? And I was young at the time, so I'm like,

I feel like I can do that. I got into my first talent show at nine years old, and I won. And after I won, I was just like, I could really become this. I won in that. I got into my first talent show at nine years old, and I won. And after I won, I was just like, I could really become this. I won in 04, I did it, I didn't do it in 05

because I felt like the star. You know, I went to middle school, did it in six, won in sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth. After I won in ninth grade, I'm like, I'm gonna get somebody else a shot. And that's when I start getting into the real recording studio and stuff, and you know, start making my name as an artist,

Jacquees, because I was always just Jacquees from the neighborhood with the braces who can sing. You know, that's who I was. And I took it to Jacquees on YouTube. Then Jacquees would blog or Jacquees would now Jacquees with Cash Win and Jacquees on TV. Like, we took it all the way up. Is that one of the things that now is because

you can use it and you said you wanted to be up on an umbrella, but a lot of people are like, you know, we can do this thing independently. We got YouTube. We got other avenues that we can display our talents without having to go to a big recording entity. What made you decide, obviously you got your start on YouTube,

but what made you decide to say, you know what, nah, I want the umbrella? Man, what happened was, I remember I was, um, I was leaving from, uh, La Vista Road. Okay. You know La Vista Road. I know exactly I know La Vista Road. I was leaving from La Vista Road, man, and I was, it was like 2014. Mm-hmm.

And I was with my manager, Jonathan. We had just dropped my project, 19. 19 was going crazy. It was one of my biggest projects to this day. And I remember I was telling Jonathan, like, man, we got a lot of new artists coming out, but they going straight to TV and radio. I'm like, we killing it on the internet, you know, and I got a fan base, but I'm like, we got to get on the radio and the TV screen.

We didn't have no knowledge of how to do it at the time. You know, we fresh in this. Like we just, we just knew. Like my manager is brand new. I'm the first artist he managed. Of course he dealt with other artists, but I'm the first one he really like put his hand all the way in.

You know what I'm saying? So we knew together. So I'm like, man, I gotta call somebody. I ended up calling Rich Homie Korn Daddy, Corey. And I'm like, man, Corey, I wanna get with Rich Gang. Like I see what Korn and Thug doing. Like I wanna get with y'all. He like, man, that's crazy.

I'm with Birdman right now. I'm like, for real? He's like, yeah. I'm like, he like sent me a song. I ended up sending him a song called Soldier that me and Kwan had did. And he was like, he called me back. He was like, man, send me the video. And I sent him the video.

And on the next call, it was Birdman. Birdman was like, man, don't even trip, youngie. I'm going to put you down. I'm going to put you down with this. And I was like, you know, I knew his voice. I'm like, damn, it's Birdman for real. I just made it happen. Right.

I went and met Birdman. I got the deal, you know. So it was I'm like down there Berman for real I just made it happen I went and met Berman I got the deal you know so it was just more so all the artists that was coming in I felt like they was kind of taking a step over me but I knew my work you know so I'm like I got to get with some people that could put me on the level that they get into and so that's why I decided to sign with Birdman I used to always say as a kid I want to sound cash money too so it was just all red because I don't think Birdman had a whole lot of R&B is all rap for him, right? All right. I can't remember a male R&B artist that was signed. I think they had a

They had a female that was that I used to sing with Rick James What was her name used to sing with Rick James not Tina Marie Tina Marie was not a casual really I think so. Yeah She can sing I mean we don't realize it. I mean when I first heard her I thought she was black And she was and she's only like 5 2 and with a voice of a 7-foot-tall woman that weighs 400 pounds, but she could just flat-out blow. Blow. One of the greatest R&B singers, unfortunately, I'm afraid, is not going to get his recognition because of what transpired off the stage.

No matter what you think about it, I believe you can separate the two. You can say you're appalled and angered and saddened by the things that he did off, but there's no denying that R. Kelly, the way he could sing and the way he could write, that's nothing to debate. Do you feel that he will get his proper

recognition ever because of what transpired or will he be forgotten? And like you said, Uncle, like you said, we separate the person. We separate the man from the artist. We strictly talk about art. So if we strictly talk about art, I believe that

when they talk about the art, that they'll talk about R. Kelly because it's so many people in the world that's done this, so many other things. Right. We totally against what the man did. Right. But as the artist, I believe that they'll talk about him. He's a great with what he's doing.

I was just talking yesterday, I Believe I Can Fly is one of the greatest songs in the world. Yeah. You could play that song at a graduation, you could play it in church, you could play it at a wedding, you could play it wherever, you know? And it's gonna inspire you, and that's what music's supposed to do, it's supposed to inspire you and make you feel good.

And he was good at making those type of songs. If I were to say, okay, give me your Mount Rushmore R&B singers. I mean, you can do this generation. You could do, I'm just talking about the greatest, four of the greatest R&B singers. Who you putting up there? Is Mike R&B? Oh, Pop.

Pop. Yeah, King of Pop. Yeah. Okay, so the artists, I got to say R. Kelly. Okay. Usher. Okay. Wow. Okay, my list looking pretty good. Kelly. Okay. Usher. Okay. Wow.

Okay, my list looking pretty good right now. My list looking good. I'm putting Chris Brown up there. Okay, okay. I got one more. R&B, like killing it. Jacquees. Okay, I ain't mad at you.

I ain't mad at you. I'm sorry, Ron Isley. He left you out, brother. I would've done it. That's what I would've done. Kills and Ron Isley go together. Okay. They a package. Right. And I have Maxwell. Okay, what about left you out, bro. I would've done, that's what I would've done. Kills and Ron Isley go together. Yeah, okay.

They a package. Right. And I had Maxwell. Okay, what about women? Okay, I gotta go, is Whitney R&B or not? Oh yeah! I gotta go Whitney Houston, Beyonce. You okay?

Damn, I'm doing good at this thing. Uh, Mary J. Oh, bad, look at that, I got three for three. Um, I'ma just go ahead and say R&B women. Uh-huh. Cause Erykah Badu not R&B, huh? Nah, that's like soul. Neal Soul, yeah.

I'ma just say Faith. Okay, Faith Evans? Mary J. I mean, you got three. I'ma put... What would we consider Mariah? Pop? Pop.

It'll pop. I think. Okay. Mariah Carey, pop. I mean you, hey, this your list. I'm saying. Nah, throw Mariah on there. Nah, keep Faith on there.

Keep Faith on my list. Okay. Mariah Carey, I don't know if she... But I feel good. I got three. I mean you can name three of my three, so I feel pretty good about this. Okay.

Oh, Tory Lanez. Okay. You close with him? Yeah. What transpired? Tragic, sad? Definitely. Shouldn't have happened?

Shouldn't have. Avoidable? Yes. Have you talked to him? You guys still close? Yeah, we still close. I ain't talked to Tory, though. I tried to talk to him. Right Facts. Have you talked to him? You guys still close? Yeah, we still close. I ain't talked to Torrey, though. I tried to talk to him.

Right. But I ain't talked to him. You know, I was with him through the periods of everything, you know, because we real friends. Right. You know what I'm saying? That's my brother. But I ain't talked to him since. But, of course, you know, I still holler at his people, make sure he okay and things like that.

How do you avoid things of that nature? Because, look, you're King R&B. How do you avoid things of that nature? Because you look, you're king R&B. I mean you can easily, I mean you go out, you're having a good time, maybe you have too much brown, or you have too much white, whatever the case may be, you find yourself in a situation. How have you been able to avoid some of the pitfalls that we see so many of the other entertainers?

Well for me, you know I think, you know, because we, none of us really know what happened that night with Meg and Tori. You know, but just speaking on myself, I keep my handlers around me and people that love me. You know what I'm saying? Like, I got a lot of older people around me. Right. You know, so we all trip sometimes.

Right. You know, I could have too much yak and get to tripping, or I could just be talking too much and need to get out the room. So I have people around me that's gonna make sure I'm always staying who I need to be. You know, and they gonna know how to eliminate the people in the room who don't need to be there.

You know, I got my aunt with me, I got Bright with me. You know, I got people that been around me forever. You know, it's not no new people. So they not around me just like, oh, that's Jacquees, I can't tell him that. They like, well, I got people that been around me for forever, you know, it's not no new people, so they not around me just like, oh that's Jacquees, I can't tell him that, they like, boy I slap you in the head, like what you on, you know what I'm saying, so. This is what I tell a lot of the Appalachian people

all the time, have people around you to tell you what you need to know and not what you wanna hear. Exactly. And it's not always easy, because a lot of people that you have around you, they get to go to the club and they get to experience things because of you now they tell you the truth and you get upset all of a sudden that ride stops so do I really tell queasy you know he jacking this off or do I just like let just go with the flow

and keep this thing going but you say you've surrounded yourself with people that sincerely have your best interest in mind. That's just like my mama. My mama got mad at me like last week. She got mad at me like, but you got to think like some people, mama are just like, they'll get to a level where they feel like they done parenting. So, so they can't might do something. They just not even concerned or they might just not even be concerned because of what the child brings to the table. Right. Yeah. My mama don't care about none of that right see i did some last week and my mama cut me off for like two days right you know and i'm like dang yeah but she's like i can't you know my mama won't play that right you feel me so it's like and that keep me grounded too because of course you know when you're real you'll never want your mama to be upset with you because

we love our mama so much your mama mad at you you be you can't even eat right so i'm like that right for real so it just keep me grounded when the child becomes grown that's what my mom always says she always tell us like you are you my baby i mean like you ain't no little boy but you my baby right and it just keep me grounded man that's how my whole team is like from my dj to my security to everybody around me they never gonna just let none slide right it's always gonna be like very true like we we finna do I don't care what you time out but you're also close you close to the gunner and obviously you're playing attention to what's going on in Atlanta have you talked to those guys have you spoken to

him well the heads up keeping their heads up well I didn't necessarily get to speak to myself right um I knew how they was doing you know from people that i knew inside right you know and of course i'm very tight with the family you know i spoke to thug mom not too long ago i speak to his sisters probably like every other day right dolly and dora we've been close since the beginning because of course you know we all came through the door together with rich gang right so we all was with cash money at the same time we all came from nothing to something at the same time so we i feel like we'll keep our relationship forever. And of course, you know, every day I'm praying for Thur, you know,

and I just keep my faith alive that, you know, he'll be right back out here. But you know, when Gunnar took the deal, people automatically assumed he snitched, he rolled, he got paper now. I mean, have your relationship changed because one is still in and the other is out? Well, I think for me, it was, it was more so a thing with all of us, where it's like everybody kind of did their own thing. We, like most times I only seen them when it was all of us. Right. So it wasn't so a thing where it's like, I'm talking to him, I'm talking to him, I'm talking to him, I'm talking to him, we hanging out separately. Right. It was always a,

we together, we together. It's all one family, talking to him, we hanging out separately. It was always a... We together. We together. It's all one family, you know, so we was always together. So one thing I always been good at, cause since I've been on Cash Money, there's been so much controversy, you know, from the time I came in with the Birdman and Wayne thing to now this situation is like, I've always known how to stay in my position

because I always knew if I stayed in my position, you never know what's going to happen up top. And I always never tried to be someone I'm not. So I'm not going to dive into conversations I know I'm not supposed to be in. You know what I'm saying? I'm going to allow the world to work. And I'm going to allow things to happen that's supposed to happen. And once everything's come back together, I'll be right in my place

because I never shift sides. I stay right here and I just waited for everything. Stay neutral. And I'm a little bruh. That's how I've been the whole time. You know, in every situation, I always been Jacquees, and I think people respect me so much, because they know I got my own mind.

Like, I could be in a room full of killers. Yeah, I could be in a room full of businessmen. I could be in a room full of anything, but I'm gonna have my own mind no matter what situation I'm in. You know what I'm saying? Like, period. Right. Do you believe Gunna can get back to the top

of the music game? I believe God can work miracles. Right. You also was close with the Migos. Oh yeah, still close. Obviously, and he said that once Takeoff lost his life tragically, that the Migos are no more. That obviously something transpired between Quavo

and Offset that caused him to go their separate ways Have you spoken to Quavo since take off the past of the tragic passing of? Takeoff and do you believe they can mend the fence and become and get back together again? Well, I spoke to Quavo. I spoke to offset, you know, I hang with both of them, right? You know, of course RFP take off that was my brother, you know, we were like cousins or something, you know, of course, R.P. Takeoff, that was my brother. You know, we were like cousins or something, you know what I'm saying? But with them, they so close, man. You know, and the industry paints so many pictures that it's hard to believe what you read. Right.

So for me, more so with them, you know, we grew up together for real. Like before the industry, like we was outside together, like shooting dice, selling each other shoes. Like, you know, like literally friends. Like I had to learn how to call them boys by their stage names. Right. Like, I had to, like, practice it. Right.

Like, I'll say, I'll say, I'll say. Because I'm used to calling them Kiari. Right. You know, so from them doing whatever they doing, I believe it could be worked out, because once again, that's a family situation. Right. And you never want to be an outsider,

even though that's my family. Commenting on family. I don't want to step in from the outside and then they get back close and then leave me on the outside. You know what I'm saying? So it's like don't handle what they handle. I handle both of them separately. I pray for them every day because it's always better together.

I love them and I believe one day they'll be back on that stage doing what they love together because that's how we came in. I mean I'm looking at you. You say you grew up on the east side. Future was in your neighborhood. So there'm looking at you. You say you grew up on the east side, future within your neighborhood. So there's a lot of guys that, when you were growing up and you was like running around,

you were probably seven, eight, nine years old, what did you want to be? I wanted to be a singer. That's what you wanted? No sports. I want to sing. I play sports. I got a highlight on YouTube. What? Yeah, I was five. I had the Florida Gators coach out there in my high school already. When I was in 10th grade, he was already out there looking at me. You was about that? I was five. I had the Florida Gators coach out there in my high school already. When I was in 10th grade, he was already out there looking at me. You was about that?

I was hard. Then you know what really made me feel good? I found out later on who Jacquez Rogers was. Remember Jacquez Rogers? Yeah, who he was. He about my height. Right. So I was like, oh, I can do it for real.

Right. So I was taking that serious, but the reason I stopped playing football was my coach left the school. And once my coach left the school, one of our players died. It was just a lot going on. So I was like, I got to do what I know I'm great at. Like, I'm good at football, but I'm great at singing. So let me go ahead and

stop playing with y'all. So from the time you, yeah, you footballers thing. So was football more because football is more like a friend thing. I'm a homeboy play. Oh, man, you're going to play? Yeah, let's go to practice practice Let's go do this and do that Singing is up in something. I mean, it's basically like are you not in the group? That's a lonely business It's all you by yourself all the time trying to get better. I

Mean for me sports it was cool because I had a best friend my boy Devin He was the man and we was the one and two back I knew he was better than me, but I still like being with Devin because it's like, he run this way, I'm going to do that one. Right. You feel me? We two different type of backs. Right.

So, for me, it was like, okay, I know Devin better than me in football. Right. He the man in football. Right. I'm the man in football, but seeing it, I'm just the man.

It was easy to, it was just easy to choose, run around the neighborhood, everybody rallied around me because I was good in football too. Right. Like, we used to play two-hand touch. Right.

And I could juke everybody. That's what really made me want to play middle school ball. Because of course like anybody else in the hood, your daddy gonna make you play sports. Right. So I slick hated football at first because I was forced to play. Right. But once I got good in the neighborhood, I'm like, okay, this is what I like to do. But on the other hand, my mama was super down with the music.

Taking me to schools to perform and doing different things. I was just like, music more so fits me and I'm super good at it. And I had my whole community really banking on me. Really, literally. Like I used to go into beauty salons, the OG would be with me like, quit saying something. Like if me and you walking down the street, you're like, man, then my nephew hit it. And I just hit it. That's just how it used to be. You know, so I knew like, this is my real calling, you know? You say your first job was sweeping up at the barbershop. You sing out in front of Kroger. Yeah

So basically, I mean you like okay you in front of Kroger I mean people like you man you can really sing you you should you should like do something with this It was a guy I was out there singing one day cuz this back when the pay phones used to be outside the grocery store, and they had the benches out there and stuff. And I remember me and all my partners, we would stand out there on the benches, and I might just hit it, you know what I'm saying? I remember I'm out there hitting it one day, just singing.

A guy named Exquisite come up to me. He like, man, you can sing, like you hard. Like, he like, man, I'm finna put you with somebody, this guy named Dex, RP Dex Lee. He was my first manager, he passed away though. So Exquisite was like, man, I'm gonna put you with him. I'm in the eighth grade. So I'm like, bet. At the time, I'm singing with my first manager. He passed away though. So it's crazy, like man, I'm put you with him. I'm in the eighth grade. So I'm like, bet at the time I'm singing with my homeboy.

His name was Joe. Joe was super hard in the hood. Like Joe, he was writing all the music, but he could sing. You know what I'm saying? He was my age too. So I'm like, bet I'm come to the studio and bring my boy Joe. So now I got an opportunity to go to the studio.

So now I'm about to go to the studio. I remember, I think one of my older cousins took me on my sister. But I remember, no, Dex took me, Dex Lee. I remember we went and tried to pick up one of my homeboys because now that I know I'm going to the studio, I'm trying to put my homeboys from school on. I'm like, bro, come to the studio,

I'm gonna let you rap on my song. Because we had been wrote the song, we're like, we're gonna go record it. We go to record the song. Basically my partner who I tried to put on the song, he ended up choking, but me and Joe ended up killing it. We ended up making a three-song demo, and that three-song demo took me from Kroger to...

Cross Atlanta, you know? It took me from Kroger to Block N.T. I was signed to Bad Boy South at first. When I first came in at 15, I went from Bad Boy South to Think is the Game Entertainment. You know, from Think is the Game Entertainment, I went to Cash Money. So just from singing in front of Kroger, it took me to where I am today. But if I wouldn't have ever believed in myself and got out there and just singing,

and if my neighborhood wouldn't have ever pushed me to that point, I probably would have never been here. It ain't the start, it's the finish, huh? It's the finish. So many other guys were doing so many other things. That's why I salute everybody from the barbershop, because that was like the safe place. You know how the barbershop used to be.

It's like everybody would protect you. Oh, absolutely. Like they wouldn't let you get into nothing. Like if they seen guys going left, they'll make sure you go right. Yeah, the community. That's how my whole life was. That was the village. And I spoke to this, dealing with, talking about job and not to get too far off. But you know, when in the community,

young fella was cursed. Son, don't curse. You're too young to curse. Son, don't smoke no cigarette. Why you smoking cigarette? You're too young. Son, why you stealing you stealing that? I'm gonna take now go home and tell you mom It was always we were policing each other. Is that but I think somehow along the way job. I mean Parents started becoming try to become friends. My grandparents weren't trying to be no friends The dynamic won't ever change You're the child. I'm the adult we're gonna stay in that relationship role I think it becomes very very hard to be a parent when you're trying to be a friend and what we had were adults were adulting doing

adult things and kids stayed in their place your mom was in the military was she straight nah she didn't say hey boy make sure that both make sure that big see I got two sisters okay so they did everything they older than you I got a big sister rising and I got my little sister miracle okay so my mama was one of you know you gotta think like she's slick like she's slick raises by herself a little bit yeah you know saying it was slick just hurt like you know saying but she got married 2003 of course my pops was done before that but it was kind of just hurt but my sisters they was good girls like I have to worry about my Like, you know what I'm saying? But she got married in 2003. Of course, my pops was there before that. But it was kind of just her.

But my sisters, they was good girls. Like, I didn't have to worry about my sisters running across the street to the boy house, doing all that. So my mama, we had so much respect for her because of how much she was doing. We didn't even want to do nothing. Right. You know what I'm saying?

Like, even when I started trying to do stuff in high school and different stuff like that, she just used to hit me in my chest. And they used to make me just, like, not want to do nothing. Like, you know, I ain't, I ain't, she ain't used to have to whoop me in my chest and they just to make me just like not one do nothing right I ain't saying you have to work me she just could like catch me off guard just boom in my chest and then you make me feel so bad you know I say it used to work though you know but my mama I never just wonder we never wanted to do nothing out of the line not never that that was the thing and then she's to reward us like she's

like man so y'all gonna make A's and B's, I'll buy you some shoes. Like get you something. Like I'll get you something. You know, I used to want all the Jordan's. So I'm in school trying to get A's and B's for real. I had never made a C to like, I had never got a C to like my,

like probably like my senior year. Wow. Real talk, I was AB on a roll the whole way up. And I graduated top 10% of my class with the cords on my neck and all that. I couldn't win any college. I was smart. I was supposed to be the valedictorian. But see, my 11th grade year, I ended up doing online classes,

trying to do music. And then something happened where I didn't do one class, and it brought my GPA from like a 3.9 to like a 3.4. You know what I'm saying? Right. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast nfl daily with greg rosenthal five days a week you'll get all the latest news previews recaps and analysis delivered straight to your podcast feed by the time you get your coffee no dumb hot takes here just smart takes. We'll talk every single game, every single week,

but I can't do it alone, so I'm bringing in the big guns from NFL media. That's Patrick Claibon, Steve Weiss, Nick Shook, Jordan Rodrigue from The Athletic, and of course, Colleen Wolfe. This is their window right now. This is their Super Bowl window. Why would they trade him away?

Because he would be a pivotal part of them winning that super bowl i don't know why colleen catch the podcast the nfl daily with greg rosenthal every day subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends and who doesn't want that listen now on the iheart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast so you told your teachers and your mom. Was your mom disappointed when you told her because as you said you're a great student. You told your mom, said mom

the college thing ain't for me. I'm going to pursue this dream of mine. She knew I wasn't going to college. My mama knew. If I would have went it would have been my choice but see my mama knew I'm one of them kids like if I'm thinking it I can make it happen because I had made so much happen in high school right I was already on the radio in high school I had a show called the teen report it was

on view 103 so every Saturday I would go to the radio station and I'll report everything that's going on in every high school so if y'all needed new computers if y'all ceilings was messed up if y'all don't like the cafeteria food whatever y'all want I get everything I want and I go on the radio Saturday, be like, man, McNair need new ceilings, you know, Child's High School, we need new computers, da da da da da da. We did it, I was the child that,

I mean, I was the student that used to go to the board, for the board meetings, you know, for the school. Like, I was a good kid all the way up, you know what I'm saying? Right. So, it seems to me you put all of your eggs in one basket, this music basket. Didn't have a plan B, no C, no D. A, this got to work.

I was just talking to my uncle about that. He just reminded me about that today. I was like, I didn't have a plan B because I wanted to focus so much on plan A. I literally tried to X jobs out. I went and got a tattoo on my neck when I was 13. Because I remember they were saying, like, if you get tattoos on your neck, you can't get a job. So, I was instantly trying to X myself out. I went and got a tattoo on my neck when I was 13. Because I remember they were saying like if you get tattoos on your neck you can't get a job. So I was instantly trying to X myself out of the job category. I'm like... You ain't do that tattoo that you got that one on your leg. Nah. Nah.

Man, man, I ain't gonna lie to you. You did that one. Ain't no way, ain't no way the artist, ain't no way he gonna put his name on that one. No. Hey, hold on. Then I went back at 14 and tatted my hands. I remember my reader team was like, Jacquees, why did you do that? And what'd you say? I was like, man, I gotta- What did your mom say? My mama, honestly, when I got my neck tapped, she didn't know I was going. But I always had dreads, so I got it in a spot on my neck where- And she couldn't see her. Right, if I wore ponytails, she could see it. If I let the dreads down, she couldn't know I was going. But I always had dreads, so I got it in a spot on my neck where-

If she couldn't see her. Right, if I wore ponytails, she could see it. If I let the dreads down, she couldn't see it. Right. But the hands, I went and got Fear God on my hands. You probably can't be able to read it now, so hold on. But I had Fear God on my hands, but she didn't, I don't even know if she noticed that that fast.

Right. Cause it was like, I was kind of moving by then. I'm doing shows, I'm probably getting like $500 a show. Right. My boy Bright used to pay me to come to the teen club. You know, he used to call me and was like, I was kind of moving by then. I'm doing shows. I'm probably getting like $500 a show. My boy Bright used to pay me to come to the teen club. You know, he used to call me and be like, quick, come up here. It's lit. He was like, because I used to, you know,

everybody knew me. This is what he tried to make me go to the next thing. He like, man, come up here. I'm going to give you $500. Just do some of your songs. I used to pull up for that $500 because at the time, $500 was a lot. Yeah, for sure.

I'm used to shoot one, bet one. Shoot two, bet three. You know what I'm saying? So if they talking about they got $500, I'm going. So this whole hustle, my mom three, you know, they tell me they got 500 I'm going so this whole hustles my mom. She was just and everybody died Like I said, it was just always with it the whole everybody was always playing Hey, they knew like we're gonna make sure Jacquees make it like period right you had a you had on saying with Shirley Caesar What was that experience? I mean, did you talk?

Did you talk to her you like and did she give you like, son, you can make it. You really good. Well, I was young. You got to think, when my auntie was doing that with Shirley Season, I was literally a child. See, my grandma was big on gospel, the church, everything. So I was around another gospel singer. Her name was Dottie Peoples. So I used to be at the radio station with Dottie Peoples. I used to be everywhere with Dottie Peoples. They'd probably be with Shirley Season, station with Dottie Peoples. I used to be everywhere with Dottie Peoples. They'd probably be with Shirley Sears and I'm with Dottie Peoples. Right.

So I never got a chance to holler at them as an adult, not even as a teenager. I never talked to Dottie since I was a kid. You know, I'm pretty sure she'd see me now like, dang, that's Quee? Right. Because, of course, they called me Jaquees. Nobody was calling me Jaquees back then. It was just Quee. Quee.

You know, so I know she'd see Jaquees now and put the face with the name in my family. I know she's proud of me, but, you know, just having that my family. I know she proud of me, but just having that background, I feel like a lot of people pray for me coming from that church background. I feel like I'm just standing on all their shoulders and all their prayers. Talon, you say you've been performing talent shows probably since you was five or six years of age. Did you ever get nervous? I always had butterflies. You know what's so funny?

I don't get them no more though. Really? Not really. These past couple of shows I've been doing, I ain't been having no butterflies. Probably because my set only been 15, 20 minutes. Right. It been so quick and easy, I ain't been having butterflies. But starting off in the beginning, I used to always have butterflies.

I knew I would do my thing. Right. But I was just real jittery. I used to get off the stage every night and ask Bright. I used to be like, how I do? Like, what you think about the show? Right. I still do that because I don't think I'm perfect. I always know there's ways to get off the stage every night and ask Bright, I used to be like, how you do? Like, what you think about the show? I still do that, cause I don't think I'm perfect.

I always know there's ways to get better. I always ask somebody to record me or something like that so I can come off and study myself, you know what I'm saying? But, I still do it. Bright still record the show every night. I still get off, look at the videos, make sure like, I need to do this better, I don't like that.

Cause I'm always trying to get better. Your first talent show, they said you did Michael Jackson, had the pro in everything. Yep. So, I'm assuming that you were a huge Michael Jackson fan. Major Michael Jackson fan.

Like, I was so to the point Michael Jackson fan, I tried to get a Jericho. That's the only reason I had the Afro wig. My mama wouldn't let me get the Jericho.

We went all the way to the salon and we got down there and she's like, you sure you want to get a Jericho? I'm like, yeah,

I'm nine years old. I'm like, yes, I want it. She's like, oh no. She wasn't a Jericho? I'm like, yeah, I'm nine years old. I'm like, yes, I want it. She's like, I don't know. She know she ain't going to let me go that far. So she let him twist my hair up into little twists or whatever like that.

And then she was like, just put, we're going to go to the beauty salon and just get a little afro and just do that. She was like, it's going to work because we're going to have the outfit. Like the outfit is going to make her, and she's showing me pictures to make me feel it. Trying to get me out of the thriller mode back into the child, Mike.

Because I'm past that at this point. Right. But I end up doing that and it ended up working. Like I said, my mama, man, she's been my biggest supporter from day one. How hard is it? Because we've seen a lot of child stars be great child stars, but don't transition into adult stars. And we see some that just start out and they just as adults.

So was it hard? Because I look at like Bow Wow, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson. You look at Beyonce, how she was able to transition and she, I mean, she's a wildfire now. How hard was it for you? Because you had this enormous talent as a child and to harness that and to transition and becoming an adult star. Well, what I did was I used to always try to time everything. Okay. and to harness that and to transition into becoming an adult star? Well, what I did was,

I used to always try to time everything. Okay. So even when I started getting tattoos, I slowed down a little bit because I'm like, I'm going to have to transition. Right. I don't want to do all this stuff as a kid. Then when I turn 18, 19, 21, I ain't got nothing to do.

So I'm also like, okay, I ain't going to cuss in my music yet. I'm like, I ain't going to just curse in my my music yet. I'm like angle just cursing my music I'm like, I'm gonna wait till I turn 18. So that way they see the difference, you know, I'm gonna still talk about You know what? I'm gonna talk about you know saying but I'm gonna just bleep the words out So I will record a song but I used to be like bleep the words out You know I don't wanna cuss shit cuz I want them to see the transition Right and I also feel like a big part of my transition was where I'm from.

Like, we all went from kids to that at the same time. You know, so it wasn't like I moved out my neighborhood, came back a different person. I got the transition right with them. Like, you know how the neighborhood go. You have to have some of your friends going to start going with all the females. Some of your friends going to start smoking. Some of your friends going to start doing this, getting in trouble.

You know what I'm saying? Right. So I was there for the whole thing. And with that, I was able to transition to music. I was able to go from like, okay, we lovey-dovey as kids to like, okay, now we stepping in these parties in high school, like we doing this stuff. My swag changing with it.

It was just a good transaction. It wasn't corny. Like it wasn't like, oh, Jacquees was doing that when he young and now he's doing all this. It was always merging, like, oh, you growing up. I can tell you 17 from 16. I can tell you 18 from 17. Just gradually growing with my fans and just trying hard as I can to just really show them who I really am. You know, without showing them too much. Did you experience any jealousy? Because

obviously they see the enormous talent. Obviously you're going to be going places that some of them are not going to go. Maybe some didn't choose to go. Was there any jealousy, any resentment? Because obviously everybody knows who you are in school. Jealousy?

I don't think so. I didn't have a hard time. It was easy. I wasn't a kid that... You were a kid easy to like, huh? Yeah, I was easy to like. But you got to think, like, if you didn't like me, you automatically a hater. Because it was like, how you don't like Quee? Right.

Like, Quee cool. Like, what's up with you? Like, how you don't like Quee? He's singing. Lil' bro's singing. Like, he be fresh. Right. He ain't bothering nobody.

Lil' bro don't need smoke. Like, he ain't trying to, like, he be chilling. He ain't trying to be the in crowd. like he's trying to like he's chilling like Little brother be chillin. Yeah, anybody that didn't like me. It was always cuz of female Period you pop it with the girl. Oh, yeah, you can say yeah better get all the girl. That's good That's the other day, but I wouldn't even say gonna get the girls I was come on. Oh you do you you you dress it? So you've been dressing for a minute this ain't new This ain't because you an R&B singer this ain't because you on stage you've been with the rag you've been with the thread for a minute

I wore my best dress in high school. Did you? Yeah. I got a picture on the table in the cafeteria and they called it out on the table Ah you know that like that? Hey them scenes from Perlman was like that bro I'm telling you I'm telling you. I'm telling you. And I would talk five, man. Come on.

Man. So, today, everybody talks about independence. Man, you need to own this, and you need to own that. And you say, no, I want to be with a label. That's what I... What is it about being with a label versus being independent? I think being with a label versus being independent is the machine. And when I say the machine, it's the money.

Right. Like when you with these people, they gonna support you. When you independent, you gotta support yourself. So I think that's the biggest thing, you know? I'm surprised that you said that because it seems to me in talking to you, you've always believed in yourself. Always did. And this is really the first time that you said, okay,

that support mechanism and, you know, believing in and all of a sudden I don't see the same, the belief that you had in yourself from, say, from the time you started doing this because, like you said, you got the tattoo because I'm going to show y'all, I can do

something even though I got this tattoo and you ain't got your hands tatted and you're like, you know what, nah, football, yeah, I'm going to do my thingall I can do something even though I got this tattoo. And you ain't got your hands tatted. And you like, you know what? Nah, football, yeah, I'm going to do my thing because this ain't where it's at. Am I off base? Am I missing something here? What you mean? Because, see, when you said, okay, the machine.

You said, like, okay, I see you believing in yourself, but now you get to the point where you feel like you need a machine. Right. So at this level I'm in now, I'm going to always need a machine to help, of course. But I'm at a level where I am now. I got so many fans, and I built it up so hard, of course, with the help of the machine and different things like that. I honestly do feel like I could have a career independently. Right.

You know what I'm saying? Because I honestly feel like I could have had a career independently before the machine if I had the knowledge. Right. See, we didn't have the knowledge. Right. You know what I'm saying? Because I honestly feel like I could have had a career independently before the machine if I had the knowledge. Right. See, we didn't have the knowledge. Right. You know, we was just out of the hood trying to make it. Right.

Like, we weren't trying to hear nothing. Right. Like, you bring opportunity our way, for the most part, we're going to take it because we just trying to get on the screen because we know once we get here, we can take it further. Right. So I know that, you know, a couple years from now, you probably will see me independent. You know, I got my own label right now. You know, so I know

that I'll be able to one day actually work like the machine. You know? So as of right now, you're happy with the decision that you made that I'm with the machine, I'm good with that, but hey, I'm gathering knowledge about how this thing actually works, and so one day there may be a time where you, but hey, I'm gathering knowledge about how this thing actually works, and so one day there may

be a time where you see, hey, he's doing his own thing. Right, it might be a time because I feel like that's just a part of growth. Right. Like, I feel like if you're with somebody for so long and you got love for them and y'all been doing y'all thing for so long, it's gonna be a certain time where you're gonna be like, man,

it's time for you to spread your wings. Like, I'm ready to see you go do something greater. And I just feel like that's the evolution of life, period. Oh, man, that must be what's happening in my relationship. They say it's time. We done been together too long. It's time to speak. Nah, nah, I don't wanna go. Time to evolve.

But let me ask you this. Cash Money, they known for rappers. Obviously, you know, they do what they do. They got Lil Wayne, and they had Lil Wayne, I don't think he's there anymore. Nicki Minaj and Drake, and you, R&B. And you mentioned that they had

Tina Marie. Why not go to an R&B label if there's such a thing? You know why? Because when I was coming up, people used to try to change me. You know, I was the young boy with the braces, with the dreads, white tee. I might be sagging a little bit. You know, I would just represent where I was from.

Yeah, I'd be saying you don't have no braces. And they ain't got no dreads. And they ain't sagging their pants and they ain't doing it. You know, they normally, they with dreads. Black glasses. I wasn't on that then. So you couldn't get me to throw on no black glasses. Like with no black leather jacket and the black pants. I wasn't on that then. Right. So you couldn't get me to throw on no black glasses. Right. Like with no black leather jacket and the black pants. Right.

I wasn't doing that. I'm like, where the fit-it cap at? The white tee? The bandana? Right. I wasn't on that. So I felt like, I used to tell people, I'm like, man, the only people I can sign to is Cash Money.

Right. Because I'm like, they not going to try to change me. I'm going to be able to come right in there and be myself. Right. And that's really why I went. Because I'm like, I'm not finna go to somebody and they start trying to tell me what to do. Like, you need to dress like this or you need to do that.

Birdman gave me full creative control. So as soon as he did, I'm like, oh, so ain't nothing changing. So I love that about Cash Money. Is that what makes Birdman so successful? He's the CEO of Cash Money, obviously, and he's built this multi, multi, multi-million dollar entity. Is that because he allows his Money, obviously, and he's built this multi, multi, multi-million dollar entity.

Is that because he allows his artists to have control and he just lets them be like, okay, hey, you came to me, let me help you be the best you you can possibly be? Yeah, I think the biggest thing about Birdman and Cash Money and Slim is that when you in a drought or like when the wave ain't even up yet,

they gonna keep going with you. Versus another label gonna be like, okay, what's the album? What's the single? Okay, we gonna put the budget on this single and that's your album single. We do groundwork. We do real groundwork. Stunna get out there with you like, okay, you trying to work on a mixtape? Okay, let's do the mixtape.

Okay, let's do this. Okay, let's put it over here. That ain't got nothing to do with the label. This just stuff to get you hot. That's the difference in being with Cash Money. Like, we're going to put in the real work over here versus to where it's like you're going to go in there and start recording your first album and you're going to put your single out. Over here, it's like, you ain't hot yet.

Let's try to like, let's try to get it all the way hot so when we come out for real, it go up through there. So you get a lot of time. And it's like being with Cash Money, you get, like, so many bonuses. Like, you might be hanging around Bird one day and just meet so many other people off free game. They ain't charge you nothing for it because you met them with him. I met so many people with Bird, you know,

and formed real relationships with them where it was never about money or nothing like that. So it's a lot of pluses that come with being with Cash Money, for sure. But obviously there's been some, I mean, you've heard he doesn't pay his artists and this and that. Obviously you haven't experienced any of that or you still wouldn't be there. Of course. I mean, I feel good. You know what I'm saying?

I never had a problem with my money with Bird. I never had a problem with Cash Money, period. You know what I'm saying? The only thing I want Cash Money to do is just keep pushing the gas on the radio. That's it. But, yeah, I never had a problem. You know, and when I do hear about other people's problems, I be knowing, like, man, it's

business. And I be like, man, business go wrong in so many other areas. You know what I'm saying? So I try to keep my business so on point to the point where I ain't even gotta think about, like, oh, he ain't getting paid. As long as I'm getting what I need to get, I'm cool. Like, I want everybody to get what they got to get, but it really ain't got nothing to do with me.

Like, I'm getting mine. I hope you get yours. Lil Wayne, he's been, I mean, you've heard a lot of people say that he's the gold rapper now. He's unbelievable. I mean, the way he can put words together and words that you wouldn't think and phrases and make them like, I mean, bling bling, that was him. Everybody, they had the other side saying bling bling.

Yeah, we were saying bling bling. The other side started saying bling bling. Is that why, I mean, the dreads, the tattoos, has he been that big of an influence on you? Oh, yeah Wayne has been a major influence on me. I had a cash money chain when I was eight years old I brought it from the beauty supply store. I had to fall in my mouth Oh, yeah, you got a change for beautiful Okay Fall in my mouth

I had to brazenly had to brazenly with the dress. I had a cash money chain. Foil in my mouth. Bandanas. Braids. I had the braids. When Wayne had the braids, when Wayne went to dreads, I had the dreads. He was big on our culture. You know, being where I'm from, like, everybody loved Wayne. And then I had a real attachment to Wayne, too, because he was the smallest one. Right. And when I was running outside with all my dogs, I was the smallest one.

So it was instantly like, I'm like, Wayne. They used to call me that in football, too. They used to be like, my football name was Weezy. You know how everybody have nicknames. I was Weezy. And I carried it the whole time. But of course I never wanted to be like him as a man. But as a child, he was somebody that I idolized.

I'm looking at this situation, and I'm looking at all the artists that you've been with. T.I., you've collabed with T.I., Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, City Girls, Lotto, Summer Walker, Lil Baby, Future, baby future to change 21 Savage That's crazy. So it means a soul child escape Donnell Jones bruh Who haven't you

Collab with that you would love to collab with I would love to collab with Wayne Nikki, okay, Drake. Okay, Beyonce her Jay-Z, Kendrick. Well, you ready for a star, man. Oh yeah, I'm gonna get that. You gonna get that? You gonna help me out. You gonna put in that word.

Oh, hey, for sure. You ain't got no problem with that. If I ever run across him, I'm gonna say, hey, you know my boy, man, he been trying to do some work with y'all. He like that too, for real though. Oh, that gonna work. That gonna work, that gonna work. You put that last part out, he like that for real. Oh, he like trying to do some work with y'all. He like that too, for real though. Oh, that gonna work. Nah!

That gonna work. That gonna work. You put that last part out, he like that for real though. Oh, he like, yeah, for sure. For sure. So, when you go into the studio with these people, are you nervous? Nervous?

Yeah. Nah, I'm a real one. Like, I'm a real man. Like, I'm a real human being. Right. Like, I'm not nervous. Like, nah, do I get excited still? Yeah. Like, I might a real man. Like, I'm a real human being. I'm not nervous. Do I get excited still? I might be in there with my favorite artist. My heart might be like,

damn, man. You get butterflies when you go in there because you say you don't get butterflies going on stage no more. Nah, no butterflies. But see, it's like I could walk in a room with somebody I done been wanting to meet. It's like I done been around so many people now. And then I'm like, I'm a grown man now. So it's like, it's different. Like, you know, like, man, it's different.

You don't fan out? I be fanning out sometimes. I play it cool, though. They don't know it, but I be fanning out. Nah, last time I was probably feeling real good like that, when I met somebody, was probably when I met Brund. I know that's your boy. Yeah, that is.

Yeah, yeah. I got to meet Brund when I signed the national anthem. Right. You know, I was already talking to Brund in the DMs. I was like, man, Brund, you know you're my favorite player, Bru, Bruh. I've been talking to Bruh for like a couple years now. I sent him a picture of me like in fifth grade when I had the Cleveland jersey on. He like, now that's crazy. But when I got to meet him in person, it was just cool.

You know, after I did it, Bruh saluted me. Seen him at a couple shows, reposted what I do. But that's probably the last time I've been like, Bruh. You know what I'm saying? Right. You and Future are cool. Y'all grew up in the same neighborhood, right? Yeah, he's from the 6th.

I'm from the 6th. Okay, and he produced... Yeah. Yeah. Did you, I mean, when you guys were growing up, did y'all like, man, we gonna, hey, man, you know what? You gonna do your thing. You gonna do my, I'm gonna do my thing.

And one day, man, we gonna link back up. Did that thought ever cross your mind when y'all 7, 8, 9, 10 years of age? Nah, because you gotta think, I grew up with 21 Savage, too. Damn. Yeah, like. That neighborhood was on fire. What? The east side was on fire.

See, Future was down there on the other side. Like, Future, I didn't meet Future until I got with Block Ante, like, probably like 16 or something like that. But as far as 21 and Offset and different people like that, I really came up with them. But as far as being where we're from, I think it had a lot to do with Future wanting to be a part of it because he knows where I come from, and he knows the level I'm trying to get to, and he also knows how talented I am.

And it makes me feel good that he actually acknowledges that talent because a lot of times you will see a lot of people try to play on my talent, play on my top a little bit, but you'll have a person who they acknowledge as the biggest in the game come down and reach his hand to me and put some light on me. That's why I salute Future so much. And I know it's because of my work ethic

and where I'm from and how solid I've kept it in the game. I know that's why he wanted to attach himself to me because you gotta understand the only other artist that he's executive produced the album for was Kanye West. So just that line up right there when when you talk about the albums that future executive produced is gonna be Kanye West and Jacquees that's gonna look amazing. Yeah. So I'll be thinking big I'll be thinking like man he know that he know how that's gonna look for me so it made me have an extended love

for him like I know what you're trying to do for me on the back end and I appreciate that. How important is it for young artists coming up in the game to have mentors I think it's very important for young artists to have mentors I could really say a couple of my mentors have been Chris Brown you know I used to live with Chris Brown when I was 18 fresh out of high school he's always telling me things not to do right he's always telling me about everything he experienced and everything that I shouldn't do. Right. Donnell Jones was definitely one. You know, Donnell Jones went through a lot

in the industry, you know, had a lot of success. You know, a couple parts where he felt like he could have, you know, done more and he always, you know, let me know what to do.

Trey Songz talked to me about a lot of stuff. You know, I got a couple guys that I look to when I'm having an issue and I need somebody to talk to, like that I call them. And not just even the artists, like it's a lot of OGs that, you know, did a lot for me. Like my boy Clay, you know, we praying for Clay right now.

He did a lot for me. Like a lot of people that was just in Atlanta, you know, that I get to pick up my phone and call and be like, man, I'm feeling like this. And they'll tell me like, man, don't do that. Like this is what you should really be doing. Focus on this. Like put all your energy on this. Like think about the good things. Don't think about the negative. Think about the positive.

You have a song with August and you know, we know about him with the entanglement. You ain't been in no entanglements, have you? God dang it. You took you too long to stop that. You was supposed to say off the rip, no. I'm saying, cause I had to figure out what entanglement is like when you tangled up in like. Yeah, yeah, figure out what entanglement is like when you tangle up and like.

Yeah, yeah, you know what entanglement is. Well, yeah, you see you. I ain't been in there like that. I was hoping you'd just ride the rip and say, nah, I ain't been in there like that. I ain't been in there like that. You pause that thing and start looking up to the starlight. Oh, let me tell you.

I thought entanglement was like you done snatched some, like, I don't know. I don't know. I ain't been in there. See, you just trying to find different definitions. The green wig will walk out of that thing. I don't know. I don't know why that ain't been in that. See, you just trying to find different definitions. We a while out of that thing. I don't know why that ain't sounding good over here. I ain't been in that. I ain't been in that.

You were in a public relationship. Is that something you do again? Or you prefer to keep? Babe, hey, I got you, but I'm a firm believer. People can't up up what they don't know. Thanks. I think a firm believer, people can't F up what they don't know. Thanks. I think, like, with me, I probably more so would be like, let's keep it G with each other until it's all the way 1,000. And then, you know, if they see us, they see us.

Right. But if you want to put me out there, do it. Because I ain't going to stop you from expressing yourself about how you feel about me. If you want to show everybody how much you love me, do it. You know what I'm saying? But you got to know what come with it. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? You got to know what come with it.

It might be some girls that might be lying and might hit you up and say, I did this and that and that and that. Yeah, but if you did that and that before you got with them or her. It don't matter. But it still hurt a little bit. Yeah, it hurt. It hurt a little bit. It hurt a little bit.

Because they be dragging up old stuff. You know, stirring up old-ish still stink. Oh, you know that. It stink more. Yeah. It hurt a little bit. Because they be dragging up old stuff. You know, stirring up old-ish still stink. Oh, you know that. It stink more. Yeah. It stink worse. Yeah. But it's like, I don't know.

That's a tricking one. But you know, it's hard to tell a woman not to show people how much she love you. You know what I'm saying? What type of person are you? What type of relationship person are you? Are you a gift giver? Or are you like, you know, hey, baby, hey, pack the bags, we off to the Bahamas,

we off to Mexico, we off to Paris. Me, I'm more so like, I'm gonna get you some. But I do like to go on trips, but I'm not a good trip planner. I ain't, see. You know what I'm saying? Like, you set it up and I'll pay for it. Is that a Southern thing?

Probably so. You're gonna get out of that terrible. Yeah, I ain't. You know what thing? Probably so. You gotta get out of that, I'm terrible. Yeah, I ain't. You know what, I ain't. I try to look for spots, I don't came find it. She go search the spot, find a better spot for the same price and cheaper, I'm like, I ain't. You know what, this gonna be bad.

I'm about to be 55. I've never booked a airline ticket. Never. Never. Someone's out. Download Delta app. Man, I can't do it. Man, I be in Africa somewhere. I'm't do it man. I'll be the man. I'll be in Africa so well I'm trying to go to Atlanta. I'm in Africa. I

Just start booking my flights, but this year did you I mean I don't book my flights, but yeah I don't feel bad now. I got a lot of look diamond points on my stuff So I get a couple credits so I have to book it from my out So sometimes they'll tell me like who you got a book it made me feel good, too I feel like my damn'm booking my own stuff. I don't need nobody. I already know I'm going to be able to pay like 50 grand for a one-way ticket somewhere. So I better leave that alone.

I better let somebody that do that. Yeah. So let me ask you this. If you're in a relationship and you buy some gifts, you expect the gifts back? In a relationship? Yeah. No. I don't expect stuff back with nobody because I never been that I never been I don't take no gift back here yeah it's

like when I get something I'd be so happy but I don't get stuff expecting something back because I know what position I'm in have somebody taking a gift back from you of course why they do that though yeah mad at me yeah I'm saying but why I'm saying I mean, I thought you gave me the gift. I thought you wanted me to have it. You can't get mad now and say, well, I don't want you to have it. I used to know it was this one person,

they used to give me stuff, but I know they used to only give me stuff to hold it over my head. So I stopped accepting it, because I'm like, oh, you trying to give me this, then you trying to, you give me the gift and want to pull back up, take it, but you're only giving it to me so you have some over me. It's like, keep your gift, beat it. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah. But I don't like people like that in general. It's just not just the opposite sex. I don't like people to do things for you just so they can hold it over your head. Hey, bro, you remember I did that. That looking for something? Yeah. That be the people that's looking for something way bigger about you.

You know what I'm saying? You got to watch people like that. You might have friends, they might buy you some shoes, but then you know you got something major going on that you can't bring everybody to. Right. Hey man, remember I got you some shoes? Remember I did?

Yeah! Yeah, I appreciate that. Yeah. Yeah. That's all you gotta hit on me. Man, I appreciate it, but we can't even, you know what I mean? You can't entertain this one. So, let me, um, purchases.

You made it. Man, I got some money. What's the first thing you bought? First thing I bought, I bought a Rollie. Okay. I mean, I bought a Rollie. I cashed out everything I had. I thought I was broke. I remember everybody, we was in jury unlimited. Everybody looking at it. Like, it's just amazing. Everybody's just looking at my wife. You had the ice and I did. I just had the diamond bezel. But I had the big bezel. Okay. I took the little bezel off, put the big one on. This is when it was all about the bezel.

We were country. We ain't on there. You feel me? So I went back to the house. I found $5,000. Came back up. Then I bought a, right after I bought the Rolex, I bought a, I got a condo and I bought a Jeep.

Do you look back at like any purchases, you're like, man, what the hell was I thinking? Why the F did I do this? Only thing I looked at like that, I bought a chain and lost it. That's the only reason I said why did I buy it. I bought like a $25,000 chain and lost it. It was nice too.

And lost it, like I lost it. Like couldn't say, now I done lost so much jewelry. That's all the mistakes I done made, period. I done lost so much jewelry. I used to have a ring on every finger. I don't wear, I don't want a ring on every finger no more, but back then. You know, you're like Liberace.

Know what I'm saying? I used to wear a ring on every finger. You like Hollywood. Hollywood got all them bracelets like that. Y'all must be related. Hollywood, you related? Hollywood, my boy. We just chilling. I'm saying,

I think jury probably be the biggest thing that I'm like, man, why did I spend all that money on jury? Right. I don't think I should spend so much money on jury.

Like, I was going in the jury store like early though, $80,000, $100,000. What? I might just open me a jewelry business. Oh yeah, them folks, we was spinning it. Yeah.

When we slow, I slow it down. Yeah, you shoulda. Yeah. Good job. Yeah. I read you used to carry a lot of cash on you. You don't do that no more, do you? No, I got my card on.

Yeah, I used to carry a lot of cash. I used to like to feel it though. Bro, that's gotta be something from the South. Cause I was the same way I want to feel it I used to tell people all the time if you see me with less than 10 grand on me Call the cops somebody just robbed me real talk. Yeah, right around the corner. They got they got No feeling no uncle. I used to like to just know like I can do anything Right now. Yes. Yeah, that's how I mean I need to be like sometimes you look at the cat. You know why I stopped

Man, I still I still keep a look. Yeah cat. You know why I stopped though? Man, if it's- I still keep a little, yeah, yeah. But you know, I stopped doing it like that cause somebody stole something from me one time. Somebody that I felt like I knew. Right. You know what I'm saying? I had the money in the bag. You know how you carry your duffel?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I had my Louis duffel. I had it in the duffel. 30,000, but I had it the long way. Right. Like I had it like in 20s. Right. So you know, I got the 2,000 bands just in the bag.

Oh yeah. With the clothes, just flexs. Right. So, you know, I got the 2,000 bands just in the bag. Oh, yeah. With the clothes, just flexing. Yeah. Go to sleep. It's a room full, though, but it's all supposed to be your people, though.

Right. Get the bag back. Wake up in the morning, steal something. You know how there's something in there, but it ain't everything. Right.

Looking there like, this ain't all the cash. You know what I'm saying? And that's when I stop. Like, I ain't gonna carry all this money on me no more. I be getting a lot of money now. I be looking for a bank.

All right, we gotta get to a bank. Yeah, a deposit. Yeah, go on deposit. more. I'll be getting a lot of money now. I'll be looking for a bank. All right, we got to get to a bank. Yeah, a deposit. Yeah, go on deposit. Yeah. Because you got to think. Isn't that disappointing? People that you have around you think you can trust. What?

And they do that to you. Man, I had some of my closest people done did stuff for me, and they mad at me for stuff they done did to me. They honed grudges against me for stuff they done did. Stole, stole. What? Man, it's crazy, man. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. What? It's crazy, man. The smart hot takes. We'll talk every single game, every single week, but I can't do it alone. So I'm bringing in the big guns from NFL media.

That's Patrick Claiborne, Steve Weiss, Nick Shook, Jordan Rodrigue from The Athletic, and of course, Colleen Wolfe. This is their window right now. This is their Super Bowl window. Why would they trade him away? Because he would be a pivotal part of them winning that Super Bowl. I don't know why, Colleen.

Catch the podcast, the NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal every day. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. And who doesn't want that? Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So how do you make most, is it money from touring? Is it the album? Is it, because, I mean, you probably, what, you tour, how many days a year you think you tour?

How many days? I'm probably doing, I might do like three shows a week. Wow. Yeah. On average. Six months, eight months, nine months, I mean, obviously you take time off, right? Pandemic? That's the only time I took off.

Really? In my career. I probably done did more shows than anybody who's done came out with me. For real, I done had to hustle. You know what I'm saying? Do you feel you're making up for lost time? Or do you feel like, okay, I just, I love doing what I'm doing. My fans want to see me.

2021, I was making up for lost time from 2020. Right. I had just got off tour 2020, the King R&B tour. Right. COVID started. So I'm used to going on the road and making money. Right. That slowed us down.

So I had to jump out there 2021, even while COVID was still going on, and go back out there and get back to where I know I'm supposed to be. Right. You've opened for Chris Brown, Tory Lanez. How, I mean, what's the difference

in like opening up because now, when we talked about we're going to get to that, it's like now we see comedy shows and R&B shows being combined.

So when you open up for Chris Brown, what's that experience like? That experience for me was full circle. Cause you gotta understand, I come from praying that I meet bro one day, to talking to bro on the phone,

to going to stay with bro, making songs with him, becoming his brother, now opening up on a tour for him. It just felt surreal for me, honestly. I remember the first date. I remember I had my outfit laid on the bed like it was the first day of school. First day of school, you didn't even let that thing out. I had the first date. I remember I had my outfit laid on the bed like it was the first day of school. First day of school, you didn't even let that thing out.

I had the Air Max, everything laid out on the bed. I remember I got there to perform, they put me first, you feel me? Yeah. The fans was kinda mad, like damn, they put Jacquees first at the Chris Brown show because they know how close me and CB is.

They like, I dang near want to see Jacquees right before CB. Right. You know, so I remember going on see John Queeze right before CB. Right. You know, so I remember going on first performing, and I remember people from CB camp used to come to the side and watch me. And go back and tell me, I come back, he tell me like, why did you win? I didn't kill you. You know what I'm saying? They used to make me feel good. Right.

I'm like, damn, I'm here now. You know what I'm saying? And one night, I got to open up right before he went out. One night, they put me right before he went out, and I was just like, dang, this is really what it's made of. Like, working hard. Like, this is what dreams really made of like working hard like this was dreams really made of right you work hard you believe like this really what you'll be when I got to open up him that night right before he went on I was like yeah God is real I've been through

that but it's like it's super super like crazy how you could pray believe right and work hard and do something and then it'll really be right in front of your face before you know it you know at it at the perfect time. You know what I'm saying? As I said, we were talking earlier about you was just in San Francisco, you, Monica, D.C. Youngfly. And you say the thing now is what they're doing is that people are combining comedy shows with R&B shows because you laugh in one minute and you sing and you dance and you vibe in the next. D.C. Youngfly had him on.

He's a great guy. I mean, he from the crib too. Yeah, that's my boy. He's a great guy. Is that your, that's your, I mean, he from the crib too. Yeah, that's my boy. Well, DC not on the tour,

but I'm glad you brought him up because DC my brother. Now we close. Right. You know what I'm saying? I'm going to tell you how I met DC. DC is crazy. I was dropping my EP 19

before I signed the cash before I did anything. I was at Clark Atlanta doing the release. Right, okay. This when DC Youngfly was just making videos

on his phone. This when he first came up. So, I remember I was in there talking, talking, talking, so I'm leaving. I'm like, hey. He like, man, I'm DC Young Fly. I'm like, man. I'm like, buy my CD. I'm like, bro, because I know you. He like, man, I ain't got no damn money, man.

And I'll never forget that moment because I'm like, damn. I seen bro there to seeing where he at now and just seeing that like, damn. The nigga was saying like he ain't got it then, you know what I'm like, damn, I seen bro there to seeing where he at now and just seeing that like, damn, a nigga was saying like, he ain't got it then, you know what I'm saying? But still came out to support me. You know what I'm saying? Just to all the way making it in movies, being on Wild N Out,

like being one of the faces of this culture, of this generation. It's just crazy to know where I met him. And DC done came on tour with me. You know, we done been on the tour bus together. I told bro, we went on tour, I'm like, bro, come on my bus. Like, if we going on tour together, like you gotta done came on tour with me you know we done been on the tour bus together I told her we went on to him like bro come on my bus like if we're going on tour together like you got to come on the bus with me right like don't be like we gotta be on the bus together right so that brought us

even closer you know I'm saying every time I hit bruv he like bro whatever you need I just did 85 southwood another day so right it's my brother performing at club do you like the more intimate setting or you at the Chase Center and you got 18 20,000 or I mean R&B are you a more intimate setting guy or do you like the big big arenas? Obviously the big arenas go the money but the setting the ambience Honestly, I feel like now I'm into the arenas Because I'm all about levels see I can connect anywhere right because I'll be at the arena Go right to the front connect right there. I can be able to see somebody from the top.

I'll make them put the camera on them and make a moment. Like, I'm ready for that. Like, I know how to do the intimate thing. Like, I know how to make a big crowd feel intimate. I should say that. Right. But we see what, I mean, what's going on now? We see Chloe Bailey, people throw stuff.

Gorilla had her wigs. I mean, I guess she had her wigs, had water thrown. What's going on, man? Why we out here wildin'? I mean, you pay good money to go see somebody and you behave in that manner? We out here wildin'. We out here trippin'. We out here trippin'. That's what I think. I feel

like everybody ain't respecting each other. We not respecting the position that God put people in. I think that's what it is. I think like when you see a gorilla out there just trying to walk to a car doing a thing, getting something for it. I don't even know what happened to Chloe. That's my little sister. We came up together too. We used to do theater together.

I look at it like this. Why would I pay my money? If I don't like somebody, you think I'm going to give you my money to come see you? You think I'm going to buy something that you promoting or you advertising if I don't rock you my money to come see you? That don't make sense. You think I'm gonna buy something that you promoting or you advertising if I don't rock with you like that? So you spend your good money to come there and to behave in that manner. I don't get it.

Everybody want to go viral. Everybody want to be somebody. They'll crash all the way out just to make it so everybody know their name. And then we saw what happened with the Stampede and Finesse times two. Two times, excuse me. I didn't even see that. What happened? Well, they were performing and there was a stampede. There was like

a mad rush to get out of the club and some people lost their lives. That's just an unfortunate situation. Yeah. Do you ever get worried about... Damn. Man, I just..., who was that? Somebody had passed away, Travis Scott, had the situation a couple years ago at one of his events,

and, you know, people lost their lives and some people were injured. Do that thought ever cross your mind? No, it never crossed my mind, but I think I was talking about it the other day. There's nothing he could have did to control that. Right. You know, when you're a big artist and people come out to your shows, they're going to show you love.

They're going to be out there just, they're going to be going crazy. They're going to be excited. They're going to be moving around. They're going to be singing. And it's going to be a large group of people. Right. But there's nothing the artist can do to control that.

So I just feel like it's bad when they try to blame it on the artist. There's nothing I can do. I'm up here performing my records, and people are out there engaging to my records. Like I said, it's an unfortunate situation, but I don't think the people should blame the artist for what's going on at their concerts.

People used to follow that Michael Jackson shows, left and right. Nobody ever blamed Mike for that. Like you blame Mike for getting up there and pausing so long that people just, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, you know, he like to play marauding. Yeah, yeah.

Mike sit up there and pause, you feel me? And people calling out, but, it's like nobody ever blamed Mike for that, so I don't feel like we should blame Trav for that, you know? There are no other artists that ever go through nothing like that. You do realize that when you reach your level of success,

they don't really compare you to other people, they compare you to your old work. You set a mouthful. You look at Mike, he had some great albums after Thriller. But everybody always talked about Thriller, Thriller, Thriller, and it drove him, for lack of a better word, crazy, because he was trying to reach that level of success again

and he didn't realize i never knew that that was a once in a lifetime do you like you have i mean when you do 30 million you do 50 million albums and then your next album comes out and you do 13 million you're like man i'm a failure but do you realize what 13 million albums are? Right. But you just hit 50. So you and your old work, they like, man, Queeze, I mean, the thing good, but that old album, man, that man, you know, when he came back, when he came out, he was hard. Do you worry about that? No, and you know what's so crazy?

I see it a lot now. I see people saying like, man, I miss that mood, Jacquees. I miss that 42-75, Jacquees. But I was thinking, like I listened to my whole catalog. Not even the whole catalog. I listened like five hours on my catalog

driving from San Francisco to L.A. yesterday. And I was listening to it through and I was just like, nothing's changed. I was like, it's elevated. You know what I'm saying? I's changed right I like it's elevated you know so I think what's happened was it was if we as a person that's what I think I think that when I said when I made the king of R&B statement I think

that just turned everybody I think it just made everybody like let's figure out something to say about it right cuz it's hard to get to him so let's figure out what can we say to make him feel some type of way. You can't say nothing, but let's just try everything. Right. Like, now let's try to say, like, he need to sound like his OCDs.

They try to do that to Jay-Z. Right. But Ho said, you want the old Ho, buy my old album. You feel me? Like, buy the old album. That sounds like something Ho would say. You know what I'm saying? Niggas want the old me, buy the old album.

Dude, have you studied old legends and tried to figure out what they did to remain on top? Most definitely. I'm a student of the game. I know the number one thing

you can do is like take care of yourself, take care of your mental. You know, and just evolving as an artist, keeping the illusion alive. I feel like as an artist, you got to keep an illusion. You can't never let people get too comfortable. Can't never let people know they know you too much. You know, certain people you can, but I mean like everybody

that's on the other side of the curtain. You know, you can't really give them too much or they start to feel like they know you. And once people feel like they start to know you, I feel like your worth go down. Right. So I try my best to just keep my illusion up. I try to switch it up so much. Like, I just had my hair, like, short. You know, I just had it short. Just trying to do something different for my fans to keep them intrigued and to keep them excited.

I feel like as an artist, you got to just always switch it up. You got to always just keep the fans excited, keep the people talking. You got to, it's so much you got to do is more than music I'll tell everybody like to be a superstar. I believe it's more than just music When you guys go hop back on the track there was a situation that transpired I Mean I just seen that a rock nation, but we spoke I said what's that? I'll imagine say hey jack please We spoke. I said, what's up, Ella, man?

She said, hey, Jacquees. That ain't no... I mean, that's... Her best friend used to run with me when I used to go out to the country. Her best friend, Bianca, I'm calling names. Her best friend used to run with me out there. That works close with her. Whenever I would go out there for my runs, she would come with me,

help me, assist me, do different things. When the whole thing happened with Tripp, it was just crazy because it's like, it started off as a thing where I told Ella, man, like, I'm finna remix this song. And she was with it. Okay, but you know what you gotta do if you remix somebody's song. No, listen, you ain't gotta clear nothing. You ain't gotta clear nothing, you ain't gotta go through no clearances if you're not selling

it. I wasn't selling it. Because when you're selling it, they call it monetizing. Yeah. When you monetize off a record, you ain't gotta go through no clearances if you're not selling it. I wasn't selling it. Cause when you're selling it, they call it monetizing. When you monetize off a record, you're making money. I wasn't monetizing off of the track record. Now mind you, I'm a book, I'm a get booked for shows. We all gonna get booked for shows, but this a, it's like a mixtape jacket for beats. I jacked her beat and I made a, I made the song.

I made my own version to your record. I kept some of the cadences the same and switched the lyrics and did my thing. That's not illegal. Wayne used to do it. Every other artist do it. Think about it. YG got a hit record right now on the radio.

All I really want is a hit. Every time Zachary do it, it's a problem. It was a problem with them. Ella May started hating me from that. When I pulled up the record when I posted on Instagram she put the fire emojis all under it like it's crazy but she thought she was making some money off of it T-Pain came out and said that I was monetizing off of the record so once he came out and said I was monetizing off of the record publicly I'm pretty sure the

industry and of course guys that she's around that has real knowledge of the game probably got to her and was like this ain't right. Which I feel like and I believe that at that moment we should have came together and they should have put me on the remix for real and we should have took it up through that. I believe that would have been crazy. Me and DJ Mustard talking about doing some work now you know we trying to get to the point of me and Ella Mai actually on a record together. So I'm cool with DJ Mustard. Yeah, I'm cool with DJ Musta. We went through whatever we went through behind all that, but now we cool. So I feel good about that.

So I feel like looking towards the future, the fans could expect a song from us, man. Right. Yeah. I saw T-Pain. He did a song. T-Pain can really sing. That my boy. I mean, he can really sing without the auto-tune.

Yeah, that my boy. He was on my mixtapes. That's my boy. I mean, no, Dupain can sing. Sing. I'm with Dupain. I rap with boy. I mean, no, the pain can sing. Sing. I don't with pain. I rock with that.

So what are your thoughts on auto-tune? My thoughts on auto-tune is everybody has it on in the studio. It's just about what level you have it at. Cause auto-tune is really put there to keep you on tune of the key of the song. So if you singing out of key, it just to keep you up. Now mind you,

you can have autotune and autotune and still hit a wrong note. It's not going to just make you be able to sing. Right. But if you put it to a certain level,

you will be able to sing. The level T-Pain got in there, he wanted to do that. Right. Because if you could really sing, you could hear through T-Pain's autotune

and know like, oh, Breck really sang for real. Right. Like he just really playing with it. Right. You know what I'm saying? So it's just different levels

to the autotune. You can have it on 40, you can have it on 20, 10, whatever you want it to. So all right, man. I'm about to go in the studio and hit me. Do a little something there. You can get something in there. You don't try to hit that stage.

I mean, I think like men have a dinner. Straight up. So you're a big sports fan, right? Yeah, you know it. Who's your team? What team? Football. Don't you say them Dirty Birds?

I'm saying, now, I got to tell you, I'm a Dirty Bird fan just because for City, but I follow players, though. Okay. Who's your favorite player? Favorite player right now in the NFL? Kyle Pitts, that's my brother. You know what I'm saying? Kyle, that's my boy.

Tied in from the Falcons. Yeah, we stay in the same neighborhood. But favorite player from the NFL right now is probably my boy. You know my boy. Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson? Yeah. You like Action Jackson, huh?

Of course. They ain't breaking them off, dude, man. That's crazy. But somebody told me why they I feel like they ain't break my they say we get hurt but I'm like you see I get rid of money he still worth the money I know he be hurt you heard I mean you play that you play the game of football you gonna get hurt yeah so what's your favorite who's your favorite player in basketball right now yeah okay give me some what advice if What advice, if Ja was sitting right here, you sitting across from him.

They're so crazy because I'm older than him, bro. I could really be like, little bro. Yeah. What would you tell him? Little bro, you just got to chill. That's it. Like, you know, we with you. Ain't nobody going to sit here and down you and that like that.

Right. You know what I'm saying? But you just got to chill. Like, let's just get it together because you got them M's on the line. Right. And you got these kids looking up to you. You know what I'm saying? So I would just tell him, like, bro, we just got to chill. We just got to rer up to you. You know what I'm saying? So I would just tell them, like, bro, we just gotta chill.

We just gotta reroute right quick. You know what I'm saying? That's it. You mentioned, they call it Jaquez Rogers was one of your

favorite players. He was a small guy. Lil Wayne. Did your height, did you ever, were you ever like, damn, man,

I wish I was tall. Man, I wish I was six foot tall, bro. Ooh, if I was six foot tall, whew. Why you telling me that? Like what? Like, boy, if I was six foot tall, bro. Ooh, if I was six foot tall, whew.

Why you telling me that? Like what? Like, boy, if I was six feet, boy. For real though. Cause I'm like, God didn't want that to happen to y'all, boy. Cause he already know what happened. Come on, look at me at five six. Y'all niggas be in trouble.

I'm like, at six foot, quee? Come on, bro. Like what? That would've, imagine that. Imagine I walked in here six foot. Sang like I can sing, dressed like I dress. I'm already a problem at five six, but imagine I'm six foot.

Boy, them boys in trouble. They in trouble now, but just imagine. You be a combination of Nick Cannon and Future. Well, we probably need to be right here. Yeah, you have my 24 feet. Like, for real. Like, for real. Real, real tough. real. For real. For real. For real.

For real. For real. For real. For real. For real. For real. For real. For real.

For real. For real. For real. For real. For real. For real. For real. For real.

For real. For real. For real. For real. For real. For real. For real. For real. I was with Victor Cruz. Right. Victor Cruz down there. Victor like, Chuck, you know Jacquees? He like, yeah, I know Jacquees. I know all his music. But Jacquees, hold on, man. You see him trying to do something.

He was kicking it when he was playing with me. He was kicking it on me. I'm like, oh, I got something. I'm going to wait until the perfect time. And I just got him on TV. So it was fun because he had no idea. He come back there, Queer, what you doing? I'm chilling.

Yeah, you remember that? You remember that? You buzzed about it I'm chilling. Yeah, you remember that? You remember that how you buzzed about it the other day? Yeah, you remember? Okay, I'm gonna get you with this note. Yeah. I'm gonna tell you. You mentioned that the viral moment,

the Lakers game, the national anthem. What was, I mean, national anthem and singing for the Lakers, I mean, everybody think, you weren't born then with Marvin Gaye. He might've had the best, one of the best renditions. He and Whitney Houston, when she sung it at the Super Bowl, I think it was in, I don't know, Tampa, maybe Tampa, I forget where it was. She did her rendition, but Marvin

Gaye's rendition. I think I seen it on YouTube. He switched it up. Did he? Yeah. I mean he might be the real, see you ain't even mention him King R&B, but I'm gonna let that slide, that slide that's something else see I didn't know I didn't know we were going like I thought Marvin Gaye was about to sold he whatever Marvin Gaye was whatever he was really like that so what was that I mean when you get the call and like okay we would like for you to perform

the national anthem at the Lakers game so now what's because you know 18,000 Lakers stars lined up and they just like, okay, I got to nail this thing. All I'm thinking is I'm gonna kill it. And I'm thinking like, man, Brian, I'm gonna be in here. Right? Mellow, right? Because I used to be around Mellow when I was like 14. So like Mellow gonna see me again. You know what I'm saying? Like he gonna see me on this level. So like, I gotta kill it. And I felt good

because they gave me a sound check. So once I did the sound check, I'm like, oh, it sound like this, I'm gonna do my thing. Once I walked in, they was doing they stretch. Westbrook seen it. I got that from all the guys. Talking to Mello for me. I'm like, my confidence went up.

Then Dwight Howard, my boy, came up like, Quee, why you ain't tell me you here? I was just like, oh yeah, it feel like we in the crib. I'm finna kill this. This ain't no pressure like I thought it was gonna be. These boys, it ain't nothing. You feel me? I got up there, did my it feel like we had a crib. I'm gonna kill this like this ain't no pressure Like I thought it was gonna be these boys right it ain't men you feel I got up there did my thing and we went viral You did I'm looking at your business the your tapper bar. It's not really that you got hookah wine daiquiris Salmon bites shrimp and grits

Brunch you play R&B music in the background, but you got it. You got a spot I'm gonna come I'm for you. I'm hold you to it now. When they tie you up when next time you gonna be a name I'm gonna get you in for I beat I swing through I'm for real too. Yeah, I ain't got no money on me I'm leaving my credit card When I show up I do right by my bed I do right Yeah, I mean you said it business. I do right. Yeah. I mean, and you said it meant a lot to you to be a black man and to establish a business in your community that employs other blacks. Growing up, did you like, man, I want to make it to be in a situation where I can give back?

Oh, yeah, I always wanted to give back. You know, I was always around other guys that was already giving back to the community right i was already around the bosses that had the barbershops that was investing into the community that was giving people opportunities so i already knew it was going to be in me to do it i knew i was the next one up i knew like man when i get my chance i'm gonna do it and my grandmother was big on that my grandmother used to give everybody an opportunity so i'm like you, I'm gonna follow in these footsteps and give everybody an opportunity and that's exactly what I did. Bruh. That was, I'm gonna tell her now.

Man. We done chopped it up. We did, hey that thing flew by. I appreciate you stopping by, taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down and give me 65, 70 minutes of your time. I know you're very busy, so thank you for stopping by Club Shay Shay.

Talk about, tell us about the album and we'll head back on the road. Sincerely for you out very busy, so thank you for stopping by Club Shea Shea. Tell us about the album, and we'll be heading back on the road. Sincerely For You out right now. Executive produced by Future, like we talked about. It's my third album. The new single, Sincerely For You, I mean, the new single, When You Bad Like That, is out right now. Tell Me It's Over, featuring Summer Walker and Black.

It's probably going to be the next single that they could be looking out for. Be looking out for me in some movies this year. More TV, more radio, my label. I got a lot of artists that's on the way and just more greatness for me. Tell us about the restaurant. The Wine and Tapas Lounge at Stonecrest.

If you ever in Atlanta, Georgia, on the east side in the Stonecrest area, make sure y'all pull up to the Wine and Tapas Lounge. We got wine and tapas, but we also got a little side menu. You can get the shrimp and grits, the salmon bites. You can get whatever you want from the wine and tapas. Best shrimp and grits in the South. Oh, yeah, in the South, in the city, most definitely.

Again, bruh, all love. Continued success. I want to slice. Got to roll the dice. That's why all my life I've been grinding all my life. All my life. Been grinding all my life. Sacrifice. Muscle paid the price. Want to slice. Got to roll the dice. That's why all my life I've been grinding all my life.

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