Digital Social Hour - Navigating the Music Industry with Playboy Fresh | DSH #408

Episode Date: April 12, 2024

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As much as we want to not be influenced by the external views, there's two ways to go through life, right? There's the monkey bars, which is like you grab one, then you grab the next one, but you're not grabbing the next one until you... You're still holding on to this one until you get the next one, right? There's the trapeze, right? Which you can cover much further distance a lot faster,

but you gotta let go. You gotta have faith and trust that you're gonna get caught. You're gonna catch the other side. You know what I mean? Wherever you guys are watching this show, I would truly appreciate it if you follow or subscribe. It helps a lot with the algorithm. It helps us get bigger and better guests,

and it helps us grow the team. It truly means a lot. Thank you guys for supporting, and here's the episode. All right, guys, we are back. Wayne's in the building today co-hosting with Playboy Fresh. Yes, sir. Playboy in the building. How y'all doing, man?

Happy to be here, man. Thanks for having me. Fresh from Miami. Were you China? Where you coming from? Nah, see, where I'm coming from, I'm coming from L.A. Okay, okay. I'm coming from L.A. at home.

You was in Miami for Art Basel, right? I was in Miami for Art Basel. Had fun, man. Were you performing out there? I did. Yeah, so I had a, I threw a listening event at my house. I have a house out there that I just got. And like probably four days, we decided to do it.

And four days later, we had it. And it actually turned out really well. It was cool. It was a cool, chill vibe. Like set it up for like, for all the chaos. So Art Basel really started. So it was uh it was cool it's a cool chill vibe like set up for like before all the chaos so our basil really started so it was like some cheers at hookah set up at bars and uh and i had i have this uh this maybach g wagon uh long delay which is like rare as hell yeah they were painting 99 in the world oh our atlanta was paying that no no no people he just let people paint inside yeah like so it's like it it's like it's like it's it's a crazy car it's like the top

come off the back right god damn car got glass go up you press a button in glass fog you know what i'm saying wow and it's like 199 and yeah so i i was like man's art baths i'll do something cool so i had i had had an artist come and paint. She painted all on the whip. You know what I'm saying? And then I had everyone at the party sign it. So everyone got to sign it like a yearbook type of thing. And then just rode around Art Basel the whole weekend.

That's dope. That's dope. You make all this money from the music industry? Nah, not yet. Not yet. So that's going to be a whole other level. I don't know. you make all this money from the music industry nah not yet I'm out of here not yet so that's gonna be a whole other level

I don't know I might have them painting private jet nays god damn once this shit goes yeah balling out here yeah you know

I've had I'm blessed to come from a very successful family okay and and very grateful and fortunate for the position that's put me in

and how it's allowed for me to really follow my dreams and passions relentlessly. I think a lot of people would tell me, like, damn, that's crazy, Fresh, you work like you broke. And it's like, nah, I work like I'm f***ing passionate. And I'm grateful because it's like a lot of people expect you to just be, oh, you could just be chilling and just be on the beach and just, you know what I'm saying? It's like, yeah, I could, but then I'd probably go so crazy. And like, you know what I'm saying?

I live, I'm a purpose driven person. Right. And I also think that one of the greatest ways you can show gratitude for what you've been blessed by and given both from God and from your family is to take what was given and figure out how to give more. So I had a moment and point in my life where my father was real estate. So he's built a real estate empire in Oakland California right and I always kind of felt like that's what I was going to do I thought that's what I was going to do um I did it for a little while and it just wasn't the right thing for me like and a big part of the why was because I just felt like if I'm doing this it's like okay

I was born into a family I have money right and And then I work my whole life and just make more money. And then I die, right? And the only thing that I did while I was here was make money. Make money. Like, what kind of contribution to society is that, right? That's a different way of thinking. You don't ever hear that. You never hear that.

It's just like, bro, like, I have a lot more to give, right? And it's like, I don't believe that God gave me all this to just make more money for myself. I just don't believe that. You feel me? And so I made the decision to go all the way against the grain and against my family. I'm the black sheep in all ways, shapes, forms, and factors. Damn. my family I'm the black sheep in all ways shapes, forms, and factors but it's like and I still they still like

I thought there was a moment where they were starting to like be like okay yeah we see they still like nah don't invite them this year

but it's like but then it's like I I live for not just me but for the world

I have a lot to give to the world. Right. And I got two beautiful kids, twins, seven-year-old twins, who I have, I feel the most obligation towards to show them, like, you know what I mean, you can do anything, right? Because I wasn't really necessarily told that when I was young, right? I wasn't told I was going to be a failure or nothing like that, but I was told I could be successful, but within these lines.

And so that is almost like when it comes to parental pressure and that's almost harder than not having no lines and being like, you're not really going to do nothing, like whatever, right? Anything is, you're not really going to do nothing. Like, whatever. Anything is, you're nothing to lose. You feel me? But for me, it was like, I had to step away from some shit. Everyone was like, bro, why the fuck would you?

You could just keep doing shit with your dad. You know what I'm saying? And for me, it was just like, I could, but I also could go and be brave and go and explore what I really want to do, what I really want to be, and how I really want to give to the world. But initially, were you scared to kind of go out on a limb and go against the family? Yeah, for sure. That's all you knew, probably.

Yeah, that's all I knew. And there was an identity in that, right? Yeah. Like that's the biggest thing I think like when there's been changes in my life. Right. The biggest things that have been like the hardest parts have been shedding the identity, right? So I was a basketball player. I was a hooper most of my life, right?

And I went to play in college my freshman year, ended up having knee surgery, right? Thought I was going to be able to come back sophomore year. It just never was the same, right? So it wasn't so much like, yeah, there was like, damn, like I loved hoop, and it was like I'm losing that. But it's more so like, okay, who the **** am I now? I've identified as a hooper my whole life, right?

So now I don't know who I am, right? And it was like, so in different ways, in different times, there's been moments where I've had to shed my identity. And the other thing is you don't always get to know where you're jumping to. Most people will never admit that. Most people will never admit that at some point you have an identity crisis. You got to face yourself. That's tough. That mirror.

Yeah, that's tough. I feel like a lot of athletes deal with that. For sure. Yeah. I think a lot of people in general right because it's just like as much as we want to not be influenced by the external like views right like we are right we're human right for sure so it's like there is that fear of being like okay i identify as this and that feels safe right so like when i like, when I'm letting go, it's like, I look at, like, there's two ways to go through life, right?

There's the monkey bars, which is like you grab one, and then you grab the next one. But you're not grabbing the next one until you, you still hold on to this one until you get the next one, right? Or there's the trapeze, right, which you can cover much further distance a lot faster, but you got to let go. You feel what I'm saying? And you got to have faith and trust that you're going to get caught, you're going to catch the other side. You feel what I'm saying? And you gotta have faith and trust that you're gonna get caught,

you're gonna catch the other side. You know what I mean? And so it's like, I've kind of always been a trapeze type nigga. You know what I'm saying? Not always, I shouldn't say always. In my adult life, once I got to a certain point

where I was like, after I stopped working with my dad and was like, I'm gonna figure it out for myself, that was when I started being a trapeze like no more monkey bars like and it's like it's always the scariest part because it's the unknown right and so but once you're able to face the unknown without fear and just trusting and having faith that you're going to be good, that God's going to catch you, or that you're going to catch yourself, or that whatever it is, if you don't know what's next, that there is something that's next. It makes life a whole lot easier, and it makes life a whole lot more, you could take risks without as much. But where does that faith come from?

How did you establish that faith coming from a family who's well off? Technically, you don't need to have faith at that point because, you know, your meals, everything's taken care of. So, you know, the crazy thing about that is, right, when your meals are taken care of, right, and the roof's

over your head, you have to ask yourself more difficult questions, yeah right like you don't you're not caught up in the the day-to-day survival right so you gotta ask yourself existential like real deep questions right like you gotta challenge yourself why like who am i what am i what's my purpose what am i doing like why why right yeah Why and who am I, right? And, man, I'm not going to lie. There was times where I, like, I envied my friends who were working and had to, like, think about survival and not because, like,

I was going through an existential crisis of trying to figure out who the fuck I was, right? That's great. It's like a version of survivor's guilt in a way, like rich kid guilt. It's just like, no, it's not even guilt. It's not guilt. It's like, okay, so a lot of people think about money as a's just like nah it's not even guilt it's not guilt it's like it's like okay so people

a lot of people think about money as a destination right it's not right it's just money is a tool money is a lot of things

right but it's not a destination it's not a place of like okay I've got there I have money whoa whoa right

nigga you gonna get money and life is gonna continue so the journey's not done yet right and so like when you at a young age realize You're going to get money and life is going to continue. So the journey's not done yet, right? And so, like, when you at a young age have to – and at a young age and without it being from what you've done, have money, right?

So it's not like you're, like, you know, 18, you get drafted in the NBA, you're a millionaire, right? Okay, that's identity, isn't that? Right? But you have money because your family has money, right? So you from a young age have to try to understand, all right, who am I? Like, and what's important to me, right? And I've seen it, like, with family members who, like, kind of have chosen to operate and live and almost, like, pretend like they don't have money, right?

And, like, that's kind of how my parents, like, wanted me to be, right? But you see, I put up with the Richard Mildred thing. You feel what I'm saying? So it was like, so I didn't really listen to that part. I'm like, yo, I'm not going to keep living my life based on the idea of how other people are going to perceive me. That feels like a prison to me. And I'm also not a person who's really able to just tell myself a lie and just be like, all right, cool, I'm comfortable with this.

No, bro, I can't do that. I can't just accept something that I know to not be true. And so I had to really ask myself those questions. Like, for me, distracting myself with, like, partying or that's not going to work. Like, my mind is too, like, hyperactive, bro. Like, my spirit is too curious, right? I can't be that. And so, man, I remember, like, really, it's funny.

And it's not to say, like, when I say I envy that, like, the somewhat mental freedom of not having to answer those questions. It's not to say that I think that I thought in any way that it was easier or whatever. It's just like, damn, I'm having to really ask myself these tough questions. But I grew up interesting because it's like I'm half black, half white. My white side is generationally wealthy. My black side is generationally poor. And so I grew up seeing vast extremes, like vast extremes. Like, like vast extremes. And, I, so I saw my, my,

my rich family, like, talking about having money as like such a burden, and how it was so, so difficult, so hard, da, da, da, da. And then I see,

oh, my cousin just got killed. Like, my cousin just got 25 to life. You feel what I'm saying? And, my uncle just died from crack. You feel what i'm saying and my uncle just died from crack you feel what i'm saying so i'm like nigga y'all y'all need to talk about that you know what i'm saying like yeah i

understand the difficulties that come with it sure but it's like bro it ain't like crazy paradox to live in two separate worlds growing up and seeing both sides. It's wild. Which side did you gravitate towards? I'm a rapper, right? You feel me? No, like, I always identify more on my black side, I think, like, because I went to school with a lot of white kids, right? And they always made it a point to make sure that they like would say you know oh yeah

doug's my real my government doug's half black does have you know so like it never was a thing where i felt like i was white right because they they made sure to tell you that you were me yeah yeah yeah and so um i i always just like kind of i was a loner, like, a lot of my young life. I still am in a lot of ways, right? But it's like I never had, like, big groups of friends. I never, like, I never felt like I fit in. And I used to, like, I used to really dim my intelligence, dim my, like, even, like, like, I'm still working on my posture today because I spent so my, like, even, like, like, I'm still working on my posture today

because I spent so long, like, trying not to make other people uncomfortable by my, by who I am, right? And so I would, like, hunch over, right? So you wouldn't seem so tall. Yeah, like, because I just wanted to fit in because I never did, you feel me? And so, and then, and then, excuse me,

then I reached a point where I realized, like, I never fit in because I was meant to stand out, you feel what I'm saying? Yeah, I'm not supposed to be white.

Like, and so, but, it was, racial identity has always been an interesting thing for me, right,

because it's like, and I grew up around white people, but I was not white, or considered white, or treated as white by them, right? And then I have another side of my family who's black. And then I had my friends who I grew up in the Bay where it's very, very diverse. So I have friends of all different ethnicities. But it's like I can't say that I've had the black life the black experience right either right

like I'm I'm fair-skinned like I'm you know sometimes people think I'm white like and so I don't I can't I can't claim to have had the same black experience that you've had right and and then when you then take account into account the money aspect of growing up with money and having money like that's a whole another aspect because you know our culture is very much rooted in survival from the conditions that we've been in right and so like how do you understand black culture without being related to the struggle right and i don't like narrative. I don't like the fact that they said that you can't be

a good boxer or a good artist because you didn't grow up in a struggle. Like, why does that have to always be a part of everybody's story? You know what it is, though?

That coming from the mud means I was crazy. But I will say this, though, right? So, like, bro, I have experienced a lot of a lot of street s***, a lot of f***,

a lot of, like, f*** lot of a lot of like as an adult like as a as a as a musician and in this space just be like and i understand now why because in order to go where i'm going i needed to be prepared there's a certain level of armoring that happens when you deal with certain shit, right? And so there's a certain level of innocence that will get you killed. You feel me? It'll destroy you, right? And so God put me through the things he put me through as an adult because I had a soft childhood. You feel what I'm saying?

And so in order to go where I'm going, I needed the armor. And my childhood was soft. It didn't provide that armor for me, right? And so I now, like, am able to look at it and understand the why, right? And it's like, and, you know, there's also the aspect, I live my life by the, like, everything's my fault. Like, the good and the bad, right? Yeah. But there's also the aspects of it being like, yeah, like, so each individual circumstance, yeah, it's my fault, but it's also, like, it's part of God's plan what needed to happen.

And I understand now because I'm grateful and so thankful for all the storms that I've been able to make it through because every single one of them has made me a better sailor. Every single one of them has made me stronger, right? And so it's like, but my life in a lot of ways, like, is the opposite of other people's lives in music, right? Like, a lot of rappers, like, they like, they growing up was, like, they had the tough shit in them and they got,

they had money, like, my shit is the opposite, bro. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? I ain't grow up like that. But then also, too, you know, once you're granted money and a certain level of success,

a lot of those cats don't know how to escape that street life. They'll get rich and get life in prison. Yeah, that too. Like, I thought that the whole goal was to, you've been escaping prison your whole life, but then you get rich and now you're back to doing ignorant shit.

I think it's like, I think it's a couple of things, right? I mean, a lot of things, right? But a few general things is like, one, it's like, there's an entitlement, bro, that come with, like, when you have money, people feel so entitled to that, right? To your money. To your money. That is crazy. And it's like, bro, like, look, I say it like this, right? Look, if you win the lottery for $50 million tomorrow, right,

I bet you there's 51 people who all feel like you should give them a million dollars because you just won the lottery for $50 million, right? He got it. Right? That's what this is. Be like, bro, that's a million. You just won for $50 million. You can't give me a million dollars because you just want to lie for 50 million dollars right he got it right that's what this would be like like bro you just want 50 you can't give me a million right but but there's 51 people at least right who all feel that way right right right and so it's like that entitlement should be crazy right yeah and it's like and so when you come from an environment like where a lot of rappers come from right it's like that saying no can come with a whole lot more right you feel me like it can come with a whole lot more for certain people based on

where they come from and like and and it's up right and it's like it's where we as a culture need to improve right because we need to we need to understand when we need to support each other, right? We need to, like, want to see success in each other instead of viewing other people's success as something that's going to make it. As your demise. Yeah, people look at it like, oh, you're successful. That means I'm less likely to be successful. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, right? Right.

Like, every other culture understands that to be the opposite opposite right it's crap like for real but every other coach they'd be like oh okay cool like it's great like you see immigrants come to america right kill whole family they all they all gonna be on a mission they all gonna be helping each other right even like you look at black americans and you look at like what i call africa because i don't consider black americans to be African-American. Culturally, we're different. Culturally from here, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Our culture. I know my family, the first bag we could trace our family roots was slaves in Virginia. Right. So, like, there is no Africa, right, that's a part of our culture. Right. Or our family, like, knowledge, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, we're black right but then you have people who come from

africa and live like they they're like they do better in school statistically they do they have better paying jobs you know what i'm saying like it's like they don't fall into the same traps that black americans fall into right and it's because of cultural elements that came out of the circumstance that we were forced into. But I also take pride in that because our culture is one of resilience. It's one of overcoming. It's one of dealing with some of the harshest conditions and enduring and not only enduring but figuring out a way to make beauty out of it

make art out of it, make joy out of it right, to smile and laugh when everything's f***ed up, right, that takes a lot of strength right, so I've had people say like, oh you should take your DNA test to figure out where in Africa it's like bro it's not to make any difference, right?

I see. I'm still born here. Yeah. I'm going to go there and like, okay, cool. So now, oh. Y'all know me. So this is where I'm from. So, okay, so now I'm going to adopt all those cultural.

No, our culture is here, right? And so like, but there's certain things that we need to address within our culture right there's certain things that are you interested in coming on the digital social hour podcast as a guest we'll click the application link below in the description of this video we are always looking for cool stories cool entrepreneurs to talk to you about business and life click the application link below and here's the episode guys. applicable, what he's talking about is today, right? Still the same. The same. And it's like, and so that's the reason why we look at, oh, like, damn, their success means I'm less likely to be successful,

and therefore then we try to tear them down because I'm viewing their success as my own failure instead of viewing their success as they can help lift me up, right? And so for me, like, one of the things that i've always felt like i had a purpose wise right was like i always felt based on having that that very very polar extreme like family dynamic right i always felt like i was supposed to bridge the gap wow i always felt like there was something, a higher calling and a purpose and a reason why God gave me what he gave me and put me in that position and gave me, which gave me that perspective, right? And then on top of that gave me the gift

of being able to see things in a nuanced way and then the gift of being able to express them in a nuanced way, right? Yeah. Like, there was a moment, like, where I thought, like, I might be like a Cornel West, like, and, like, write essays and go speak at colleges and types,

but I always knew it was something that I was supposed to be doing that was going to be impactful and to bring the culture forward. Yeah, that's so cool. And so it's like, I, that's part, that's why I work so relentlessly,. And so it's like, I, that's part, that's why I work so relentlessly.

Right. Cause it's not for me. So how do you, how do you deal with relationships? What's your, what's your, what's your, what's your take on women in society today?

Being a man of your status. I love women. But, uh, nah, but, um, so remember I said, like, I take you everything, life is my fault, right?

Okay, so collectively I say as men, the way that the women are acting now, like when women are acting hyper-masculine or having a hard time letting down that masculine shield and having a hard time following men's leads and are thinking about, oh, get some money and try. It's our fault. It's our fault. But we've made them be like that. Right. Because through emotional abuse. Right. Like over over all this time when women are like they like a man's time, I make them feel

like they special and they love them. Woo woo this and that. And then turn around, just dog out of them. Right. And so then they'd be like, damn, I'm over here just crying and sitting here left with nothing. And I've just been f***ed over. So now what is it?

Now, okay, well, I'm going to get something out of it. So I'm going to try to make a transaction in a way where I'm going to get something. At least I'm going to get a f*** for it. I'm going to get some f***, right? And it's like it corrodes society overall, right? I think it's unhealthy for women and men for it to be that dynamic. But it's like a war of the genders right now. A war, yeah, yeah.

That's so weird. I think it's like. There is a divide. There is a divide. And it's literally like, you got songs that women rappers are making that talk about, like, yeah, finesse and ****. You got songs that niggas is rapping talking about, like, **** over the bitches, right? You know what I'm saying?

It's like, bro, like, ain't nobody talking about no ****. Loving each other. Yeah, bro. It's like, and so it's like when you think about a culture, right, and how you move that culture forward, it's like, and we can't even respect, when we can't respect each other enough, like, nigga, like, people want to get out and march and protest for Black Lives Matter, right? And one, like, so first of all, I'm from Oakland, right? The Panthers are starting in Oakland. I ain't going out nowhere and put my hands up and saying don't shoot and let my mother shoot me in the rubber belt.

F*** that. What the f***? Hell no, nigga. Why the f*** are you going to ask the people who've been killing you for years to stop? They wanted to stop. They would stop, bro. You know what I'm saying?

We're going to keep asking them for it instead of building and gaining our own power, right? And I'm not saying it has to be a violent revolution or a violent response, but if we build economic power, they're going to not be able to do that to us, right? If you get an insurance policy and everyone gets insurance policies

and now the insurance company keeps having to pay all this money on life insurance every time cops kill you. We're going to implement programs in your police academies to make sure you stop killing black people because we are paying out way too much money in motherfucking life insurance.

So it's approaching and attacking the problems in a way that's like, it's not asking for somebody to help, right? Not asking somebody to give us, like, nah, nigga, you got to take it, right? And I know I went on a tangent because I'm trying to remember what the fuck, to get back to what the fuck the question was. It was men and women. I'm like, where the fuck is that going? But, like, but, yeah, I think it's like, I think we're in a space, oh, yeah, bringing the community forward, right, and the culture forward. It's like we have to get out of this space of being adversarial with our women, right? We have to get out of the space of being at war with them and having it be a situation where everybody's just using each other, right?

Not misusing each other, right? Not misusing each other, right? Yeah, misusing each other. Because it's good to be useful to each other. Like, if I'm a man that has no use or value,

then what are you? The f*** am I? I'm just a waste of your f***ing face. You know what I'm saying? And vice versa, right? But it's like, we've been misusing

each other for so long now that it's like, and now I hear men complaining about it all the time. About, oh, yeah, ain't no one acting this way. They have too masculine. They don't understand their femininity. And it's like, and I rarely hear men saying, nigga, we f***ed up. We turned our women this way, right?

I rarely hear that accountability right and it's like i think i think when we we talk about women in this day and age and and we talk about the things that are issues that needed to be improved upon or things that we like would make it to what we would like to see right like because i think at the end of the day, I would think that most people want peace, right? As opposed to toxicity, right? Absolutely, yeah. So, okay, so we got to take some steps towards that, right?

And I think the first step has to be us as men, right? Because I think naturally, I believe in gender roles, right? Like, I think gender roles are there for a reason, right? And so in order to successfully, like, lead women out of this space, we have to be the ones to do that because we led them to this place, right? They're in this space as a response to what we've done, right? And so I think there's also a lot of this idea of new age feminism as being the same. Women want to be the same as men. Equal and the same are different. It doesn't mean the same thing, right? It's like you can be of equal value, but different.

But we're not the same. Yeah. And have different things that are values that you bring to the table and different values that they bring to the table. Right. And they can be of equal value without being the same. And right now we have a space where, like, women feel like in order to be equal, they got to act like men. And it's not. It's not. A woman's never going to be able to be a better man than a man right not at all right and just like a man's not going to be able to be a better woman than a woman you know what i'm saying despite how many

people was trying to do that that's a whole nother conversation i'm not gonna go down but you know you recently dropped your project your, HIM. Yeah. And it's an acronym. Haters Irritate Me. Ah. I like that. They always have. They always will. You know what I mean?

You let them get to you? No. They irritate me. Nigga, I can fly. Nigga, just fuck off my shoulder. What the fuck you talking about? So Haters Irritate Me. So what was the...

I like the way... Your whole style on this, your energy is so different. It's aggressive. Yeah. So what made you come with that style? Because you switch it up a lot. Bro, I was coming out of a situation, I'm not going to speak too much on, right? But that wasn't what I was planning on dropping first, right?

I was planning on dropping this project that's coming out in January called The Heartbreak Tape. Yeah, The Heartbreak Tape, you're right. That I really wanted to drop that first because it's a much more vulnerable project. But I was going to drop it last February. What's going on with people? By the time I got ready to have it together, have the right team to be able to drop it, it was summertime.

I'm like, okay, this ain't heartbreak season, you know what I'm saying? But, and all the records I've been making at that time were very aggressive because I was, I was tired of people playing with me. I'm like, man, keep playing with me and I'm sick of this, bro. And it's like, and on so many levels, right?

And so, it really was like, I'm naturally such a, I'm naturally a humble person. I'm naturally not like a person who is like trying to, I don't do s*** to flex on people. I don't do s*** to try to stunt. Bro, like, I like this watch. That's why I have it. Not because I was s***ing, want to stunt on s***. I was wearing Richard Mills and people didn't know what they were, right?

Wow. Because I showed a lot of the rappers of this generation Richard Mills for the first time. For real, for real. But like, because I liked them because they didn't know what the **** they were. I liked it because, I think if you knew, you knew. But it wasn't something that everybody, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. And so like, I'm not the person who's like all about standing on the,

I don't believe in that, right? That's like, that's insecure as ****, right? I know who I am, nigga. I don't need to stand on nobody to make me feel like I'm that nigga. You know what I'm saying? Like on him, right? But like, I was so tired of people playing with me, people taking my kindness for weakness, people taking my, you know, my chill nature or my like, like, bro,

I was just tired of people playing. They wasn't, like I knew I was harder than, you know what I'm saying? I'm like, bro, nigga, I'm just going to come heavy off the, I'm going to drop six songs that all will go crazy in the club. Like I doubt any artist right now could drop six club records that's going to compete with that. I'll put up against, put me on a versus against anybody. Whoever in the game, right?

Have them put out six songs, you know what I'm saying, on a project, a club project. Bro, I'll put my shit against anybody. And it was really on some shit where it's like, I've been in this game for a minute. I've been working on this game for a minute. I've been working as a s*** for a minute. And I don't even want to say I've been overlooked because I don't feel like I was. But you work with a lot of artists. I work with a lot of artists. I'm just now at the place where I really feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be, right? So I understand why.

So it's not like, oh, niggas overlook me for long. Nah. Because I wasn't him before. You know what I'm saying? I couldn't have dropped a project called him before and felt like it was truthful and authentic and I really was him. Right, right. You know what I'm saying? I worked hard.

I put in a lot of f***ing hours. I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into this s***, bro. And I earned that, right? I came into this s*** thinking that money could make this s*** go, right? And it doesn that, right? I came into this shit thinking that money could make this shit go, right? And it doesn't, right? It doesn't. You can't just come in and spend money and not. So, like, the verse that I put out, I had a bunch of yes men around me that was talking about it's hard.

It was trash, boy. It was trash. And it's so fucked up because I'm like, damn, y'all niggas really let me go out like that. That's honest it's like bro because f***ers will be like they don't want to tell you the truth

right you take a lot of accountability out of because they feel like it's like they don't want to tell you the truth because they're afraid of how you're

going to take it right so you're going to go let me put some s*** out and have the world f***ed with no like they don't give a f*** to tell you the

truth in the most brutal way possible right thinking they would enjoy the f*** out of it, right? I was like, bro, a lot of people call me Malibu's most wanted. Like, I'm sorry, bro. All types of shit, right?

So it's like, I already went through that, like, being humiliated or, you know what I'm saying, on a big public scale off the rip, off the beginning. So I'm like, bro, I got this one. I'm like, I don't really, I don't have nothing to fear I'm like I'm already you already went to the ring and so it's like it really just kind of

was the place where I'm like you know what like I'm really there I'm actually I'm actually finally there I've actually found who I am

who I'm supposed to be and I'm so grateful and thankful to God that he didn't allow me to have success at the moment where I just wanted

to be famous and successful because I wanted it because I wanted validation because I didn't I had an insecurity that people would be oh like he's rich his parents have money I was insecure about that so I wanted to have that as a thing that validated me right that was my own right and the funny thing about the way the world works like when you seek an external validation you need it you're not gonna get it right but when you don't need it no more i get it all the time now but i don't need it no more it doesn't it doesn't it doesn't affect me right and that's why i get it you know what i'm saying because i don't need it because i and because i don't need it i'm able to be so much more truthful and genuine and authentic and real and honest.

And I'm able to see and understand that it's about what I give. It's not about me. It's about what I give to the world. And that was something that I was blind to when I was focused on getting that validation. For sure. validation right for sure and and so i wasn't able to be the artist i am today because i didn't have that understanding of what makes the artist great what makes the artist great isn't oh you can rap super well you can sing nah that makes the artist great is being able to connect and have songs where like that spoke to me that spoke to you in this emotion and that you know you might not have

the exact same experience, but I guarantee there's an emotional moment that mirrors... Relatability there. You feel what I'm saying? And so it's like, because I believe very much in like, as artists,

specificity is very important, right? Like, there's like kind of two trains of thought as far as like what makes a hit, right? Some people believe that like the more general is more likely to be a hit

because it's more people can relate to the general, right? And I believe that the more general, it's more likely to be a hit because it's more people can relate to the general, right? And I f***ing couldn't disagree more because I believe that the more specific you are, the more real it feels, right? And the more that when it's general,

it's like, okay, you're just trying to make a song about heartbreak, right? Versus a song where I'm telling you specifically about this heartbreak and when this bitch did this and then that and f***, ooh, I felt this. And you can tell I'm really talking specifically about this heartbreak, and when this bitch did this, and then that, and I felt this. And you could tell I'm really talking about some real shit.

Now you can relate. It don't matter if the experience is different. That emotion is, I guarantee you felt that. Rob Markman, Still the same. Still the same for everybody. Rob Markman, Because as humans, we all feel that. And for me, I realized too, when I first was putting out music, and the people around me was, they was like, oh, you actually got to watch this in the cars that these we wanted it up so let's let's show all that

right and I was it's like if you look at old footage well you can't look at it I took it down like if you were to see it right it's like an element of like you could tell that I'm like uncomfortable like you know what I'm saying like yeah doing some flexing this is not my nature to be that way I wasn't raised to be that way. Like I said, I come from a family. Even my rich families are very humble, right? And I come from, I'm not that person, right? So it's like you can tell, oh, it's not really him. It's not really being authentic.

You know what I'm saying? And so it doesn't register. It doesn't connect. People can subconsciously feel when you're genuine and when you're being authentic. And so when I got past that point of doing that and trying to do what I thought people wanted me to do and then realize that, nah, they don't want you to be this or that.

They want you to be you. They like him for being a gangster because he is a gangster. Yeah, they like you to be you. They want you to be you, right? You represent a certain is a gangster yeah they want you to be you right you represent you don't want to be nothing but yourself right and so when you're truthful and honest to that that's when you really are able to be a real artist and making more of an impact yeah and so um that's because i took some time off i like i stepped away from right from being an artist.

I was like, I'm going to take a break. Because it was a combination of being in a toxic relationship that I had kind of like over time eroded my self-worth and shit in my own mind. Combined with just being frustrated, man. Because I'm like, damn. When I put out the first music that I put out that's uh right it was seen by the masses right and then when I was putting on music that finally got better like I like that it wasn't I wasn't able

to even get it wasn't like people were hearing it not like it people heard it but it wasn't getting heard in the right ways right in the right so I was just discouraged and for it and so I kind of like stepped away right and in the time i stepped away i focused on working with the artist like working with other artists right and i have artists signing me so i was helping them you know work on their stuff development branding right and and as i'm working with them i'm always talking about like okay yeah it's not about you showing off that you can do this we can can do that. It's about what can you make people feel, right? And so when I work with an artist, like, if I'm A&Ring them, like, we'll go in the studio.

The first hour is probably going to be a conversation, like therapy. You know what I'm saying? Because I need to know who you are. I need to know what the things are that are important to you, that are meaningful. Anything that you skip over, like, oh, this is happening. You're trying to go past it. Hold on, hold on. No, no, no.

What's that? Because that's where we got to get to. to because that that's the little bit right there that's gonna make people really connect right connect because that's raw that's vulnerable right and so that's kind of so as in the process of doing that i and i was totally cool i didn't need to be ours i no longer needed the validation of being an artist. I was good with who I was as a man. And then that's when God said, okay, you're up. And I was like, I wasn't even trying to get back into it like that, right? But it was like what was needed of me for my team, my people, as well as the world, was like, you got to be Kobe, right?

And it was like before I wanted to be Kobe just because. Now you know why. Now it was like, you don't want to be Kobe anymore, so now you're going to be Kobe. You're not forcing it, no. It's like, bro,

that's not even my choice. Like, it's hard, like, it's hard to be an artist and being, to be an artist and an executive

at the same time versus being an executive, right? But it's like, that's what I, that's what I had to be. That's what I was called to be. So it's like,

so I came back in. I understood it so differently. Even in the reasoning why I came back was the reason being because that's what was needed. That's what the team needed. That's what the people needed. So I came back in just, all right, I'm ready to do this for the world, right? And so when you take that ego out of it and it's not about fulfilling that ego and giving yourself that dopamine rush

of acceptance or validation and it's actually about really genuinely giving to the world, it's so different, right? In the way that it's received, it's so different and it's just like, so I get why now never worked before

you know what I mean like so that's dope man what do you got planned for 2024 and where can people find you man I got a lot planned

for 2024 I got I'm dropping a song with one of my artists Rundown Spaz from Pines Bluff, Arkansas my little guy he killing it bro

he's like he killing it, bro. He's like, he's 16, 17. Like, he's a grown man. He really on his shit. And he's been killing it. I'm proud of him and shit. So we got a song dropping top of the year. Then you got your mixtape.

And then I got the Heartbreak tape coming. So I'm going on tour with 4. I'm going to do 15 dates on 4's tour. Okay, nice. It's a nationwide tour, so I'm going to do that. And I'm going to drop, I think I'm going to drop like dates on 4's tour. Okay. Nice. It's a nationwide tour, so I'm going to do that, and I'm going to drop, I think I'm going to drop, like, a song every week while I'm on tour. Wow.

For the Heartbreak tape, like, you know what I'm saying? And on Valentine's Day is when I'm going to drop the Heartbreak tape. Okay. And then, man, after that, bro, really just, like, just steady, consistent stream of music bro like just consistent slow like i i really just you know i just focus i record in every day like i'll go through a whole day of calls and meetings yeah again and i still make sure i record at night you feel me like just to even if i don't get a whole song out i just start i just i make sure

i do it keep that muscle working. Rob Markman, And where can they find you as far as your music go and your Instagram? Playboy Fresh is Instagram. Playboy Fresh is the name on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, all that. So I shoot videos with my man Jack, his Instagram, Lil Movies. Rob Markman, Okay. You know what I mean? Me and him locked in.

We've gotten real efficient with our videos, man. Like, we just lock in and we just like, we just come up with ideas and just kind of just, we have fun with s***, you know what I mean?

Yeah, man. So, we just, we come and say, I actually dropped a song today, as a matter of fact. Okay. I didn't even forgot

because it was just like, what's the name of it? It's called Nothing to Say. Okay. Yeah, check that one out we dropped the video the other day too and yeah we just

we rocking all right thank you for coming through thanks for coming on I could talk to you all day that was eye opening yeah

to dive into the music industry was cool yeah thanks for coming on man no thank you guys yeah thanks for watching guys we'll see you next time peace