Drink Champs - Episode 326 w/ NE-YO

Episode Date: August 12, 2022

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode we chop it up with the one and only NE-YO!  The R&B legend joins us for an episode you don’t want to miss. Listen as NE-YO shares his journey, and talks about his come up as an artist and a songwriter. NE-YO shares stories about working with Beyoncé, Michael Jackson and many more!  Grab on to your fedora and strap in for the ride as NE-YO takes us through an episode that you don’t want to miss!  Make some noise for NE-YO!!! 💐💐💐🏆🏆🏆 Listen and subscribe at http://www.drinkchamps.com  Follow Drink Champs: http://www.instagram.com/drinkchamps http://www.twitter.com/drinkchamps http://www.facebook.com/drinkchamps  DJ EFN http://www.crazyhood.com http://www.instagram.com/whoscrazy http://www.twitter.com/djefn http://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodproductions  N.O.R.E. http://www.instagram.com/therealnoreaga http://www.twitter.com/noreagaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. to, yeah, banana pudding. If it's happening in business, our new podcast is on it. I'm Max Chastin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. On Medal of Honor,

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have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don't mix that drink, hit it straight. Can't sober up now, it's too late. Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Definitely, I still gotcha Like who got acha Spending big money since big, hey who shot ya Timing is everything, so why you gotta whack watch I got security and snipers on the back blocks

They dig in keto when I'm saying one mil a day Ain't talking factor when I'm talking one mil a day Could probably double it by leaving out the country But royalties keep my ass home, I'm happy monthly They insecure like Issa Rae, I interview with Issa Rae Smoke blunts, stick it in the hips, they be on Lisa Rae Don't mix that drink, hit it straight Can't sober up now, it's too late

Don't mix that drink, hit it straight Can't sober up now, it's too late Come and drink with me You really should get drunk too Come and drink with me Tell all your girls to come through Sly, I'm really happy I'm really yappy

Really drinking your juice Cause yo, I drink Pappy Van Winkle, my suits don't wrinkle Always had to piss I never had to twinkle Nori Masculine Catch me at the Magilin Big boy trucks

And them big boys, we handle it I see they claiming That they rich till the bill come Then they acting it all, I got them like they children A new life to me, new life to me The leather seat is cocaine, a whole new white to me I see they copy me, without a gun it's still a robbery Drink champs is a anomaly Don't mix that drink, hit it straight

Can't sober up now, it's too late Don't mix that drink, hit it straight. Can't sober up now, it's too late. Don't mix that drink, hit it straight. Can't sober up now, it's too late. Come and drink with me. Get live, get live. You really should get drunk too. Come and drink with me. Get live, get live. Tell all your girls to come through. Welcome to Drink Champs, a production of the Black Effect and iHeartRadio. And it's Drink Champs motherfucking podcast, man. He's a legendary Queens rapper. Hey, hey, it's your boy N.O.R.E.

He's a Miami hip hop pioneer. What up, it's DJ EFN. Together, they drink it up with some of the biggest players. You know what I mean? In the most professional, unprofessional podcast. And your number one source for drunk facts. It's Drink Chats motherfucking podcast. Where every day is New Year's Eve.

It's time for Drink Chats Drink Champs, motherfucking park. Where every day is New Year's Eve. Listen, it's time for Drink Champs. Drink up, motherfucking. What it good be, homies? What it shit be? This is your boy, N-O-R-E.

What up, it's DJ E-F-N. And this is Drink Champs, yappy yabba. Make some noise! When you talk about a man that got eight albums, been in the game, making hits after hits, his playlist, we listen to his playlist, this shit just keep going.

It just keep going because he just making world music. And then writing music for others. You talk about songwriter, composer, all of that. Actor. He was even on Masked Singer, I think. Shit's out. Shit's wild out, this motherfucker. This motherfucker is out there doing it,

still making baby making music. He got a little bit stuck up in the pandemic, and then the pandemic helped him fix his goddamn marriage, like a man supposed to. In case you

don't know who he talking about, we're talking about the one, the only, Nia! Yeah! I remember one time I seen you at Soho House. And this is right when you was going through the breakup. I knew not to interview you then. I was like, oh, no. Because I had never seen you like that.

Yeah, that might have been a bad ending. I think I made the good call for you. I was like, ooh, nah. But how is that? Because the world knew y'all was breaking up. But the pandemic actually helped you out. Yeah, man. But right before the pandemic was when things was at its worst.

You know what I'm saying? Like, just couldn't talk to each other. You know, like, it's clearly beef, but I'm on tour. I'll see you in three weeks. You know what I'm saying? That type of thing. So when the pandemic hit and everybody had to go home, it kind of forced us to sit in each other's face and talk about the stuff that we just wasn't talking about.

Because y'all didn't separate. Y'all still lived in the same house. So when the pandemic hit, there was a multitude of places that I could have went, but in the beginning, they wasn't really telling us nothing. So I'm like, listen, Cats is dying dying, and wait, we got to go home? The NBA is shut down? All right, yeah, I'm going to go to my house house.

I'm going to go where I know my kids is at, where I know my mama at, where I know my wife who don't like me right now, but it's all right, because if we're going to die, we're going to figure it out. Yeah, it was that. That was the thought process. It's pretty harsh, man. I'm just saying. You literally had to

confront shit yeah yeah real talk i mean and it was it was scary because you know i mean i think the whole concept of the the pandemic and just just you know people was dying every week and all i definitely feel like that helped us really go like listen i people say life is short all the time but it's in our face now we might want want to just go ahead and figure out, get right whatever it is we need to get right. You know, just in case, just in case. Because life is short. Let's figure it out. Now, I heard you say somewhere that you said, you was like, yo, man, if this album doesn't do well, I wouldn't lose no sleep.

Nope. Is that the time, when you think like that, is it time to hang it up? Nah. Okay. Nah, not at all. No. So here's the thing. My definition of success has changed a little bit over the years.

I got the money. I got the fame and recognition. I got the accolades. I got the grandies. I got all that. So like now, my definition of success is like, you know, people using my music for their first dance at their marriage, or at their wedding, or you know, yeah, I got three kids because of your music,

or whatever, I'm sorry or congratulations, one of the two things. One of the two. One of both. So now it's like, I'm not just, I'm not out here on some, oh, man, I hope I sell a trio. You know, records. I mean, don't get me wrong. Nobody wants their product to not do well.

But if it don't do well, my kids are still going to eat. You know what I'm saying? My house ain't going nowhere. I'm going to be all right. I'm going to be all right. So at this point, I'm having fun with the music. So, no, the exact opposite. It's not time to hang it up. At this point, I'm enjoying myself with this. So no The exact opposite It's not time To hang it up

At this point I'm enjoying myself with this Enjoying making it The process I'm not letting The pressure of Oh we gotta do so well I'm not letting that bother me man

Like if I'm doing what Makes sense to me I'm doing what feels good to me And I'm rocking with Like minded people And if you don't Dig what I'm doing

There's so many other options For you Like you can go anywhere. You know, I'm rocking what the folks is rocking with me. Okay. Do you want some Ciroc? Come on with it.

Because you know what? You know, the fans critiqued us when we didn't give them the drink. Because, yeah, yeah, yeah. Or if they brought their own bottles, I guess brought their own. Yeah, they... I mean, it's drink champs.

I kind of figured... No, no, no, no, no. Where's the lady at? Is she going to pour the drinks? Because we fired Mr. Lee, right? Oh, the bartender? Yeah. Oh, wow.'s drink champs. I know no no no no what's the lady actually gonna for the drinks cuz we fired Mr. Lee right a bartender. Yeah Yeah, we used to only have a bottle boy Jack Can the bottle boy get the part huh, what's the flavor sir? I you know, I go with the railage right? Yeah regular sirrah Yeah, blue dot. Yeah, we upgraded now

We we say we got R&B nigga here? We can't be having no dudes pour him no goddamn drinks. I highly appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you for that. And you going straight? Huh? You going straight?

No, no, give me Ginger Ale. Okay. All right, Ginger Ale. Okay, that's a unique one. You drink vodka and ginger? Vodka and Ginger Ale. I thought you was going to drink. I ain't going to lie.

Listening to your records just going through and preparing for this, I swore you was going to drink. I ain't going to lie. Listening to your records, just going through and preparing for this, I swore you was going to drink Jack Daniels. Jack Daniels? How did you get that out of listening to the music? I don't know why. I don't know why. I pictured you writing music in slippers, and you came in slippers. I swear to God.

I had a half way, right? And you came in slippers, and I pictured you with a big cube, and just sitting there, just writing. I mean, that's a fly picture. Yeah, okay. I have to take a photograph Honestly can't really drink much else like to me a tequila we ain't friends man again. I'm fucking tequila at all bad Yeah, and then call yourself with Japanese deli or some Adele on that tequila is okay. I've never had that You experience today, buddy. I see you eight pieces.

You're getting prepared because we're going to come with it. Let's get it. Okay, but you're not a Jack Daniels guy. I'm kidding. Not a cognac guy. I mean cognacs make me mad. I don't know. It's weird.

It has that reputation. If you drink cognac, I'm like, all right, he's going to start some shit. Indeed. Yeah. Especially Hennessy. Kudos on the bottle boy. D'Ussé. D'Ussé is great.

You know what I mean? No, I rock with D'Ussé. In extra space, you already know how I feel about that. You want to drink champagne? In the rare occasions that I drink cognac, it'll be D'Ussé. I definitely like D'Ussé, but I just can't drink a lot of it because I'll be ready to fight, and none of my people ever let me fight, and I get even madder because they won't let me fight.

No, we don't want to see Neil fight. Nobody wants to see me fight. Nobody wants to see Neil fight. Yeah, I don't want to fight. Unless it's, like, I guess another R&B dude, and we want to see. Then we want to see him fight. We want y'all to, like, mush each other. What you want? You hit me first. That's who you want. We don't want to see y'all fight. each other. You hit me first.

That's who you are. We don't want to see y'all. You make great music. What makes you stay doing it? Like you said, you got the money. You got everything. Does an artist always remain an artist? I can't speak for nobody else, but i do this because i love it like i

didn't i didn't get into the game to be rich and famous and all of that like i mean those things are fringe benefit cool but i got into this because somebody told me that i could make a living doing some shit that i was just gonna do anyway right like i literally i have a studio in my crib if you can't find me that's where i'm at right i don't need to i don't i don't do it for that reason so that's the thing that keeps me going, just a genuine love for the craft. Like, I'll do music for free. Let me not say that because some people come up to me and say, well, you said on Drink Champs. Nah, nigga.

I'm getting a hook right now, nigga. That's chaos. Everybody gets a hook. I ain't never had a deal, nigga. I got to do it before it's on and on. You get a hook, you get a hook, you get a hook. Let's give us more drinks, man. Go on.

Nah, man, because, man, the level of substance in your music, it's just remarkable. And for you to be so successful and can still tap into that area, that's like, how the fuck do you do that? Because I'm not defined by my success. But you ain't never get Hollywood at one point. And that frees you. That will free you. Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, there's definitely a point in your career where, all right, you're at the top of your game and everybody's favorite and, you're everybody's favorite and everybody's your best friend or a long lost family member, whatever the case may be. And there's a point where if you're not careful, you could start smelling your own shit. You know, you could start feeling like, oh, wait, maybe I am that dude. But I thank God for my team because I've always had the type of people around me that was going to let me know, like, hey, if that ain't it, yo, Neo, that ain't it. You know what I mean? Like that's that's the kind of folks that of people around me that was going to let me know, like, hey, if that ain't it, yo, Neo, that ain't it. You know what I mean? Like, that's the kind of folks that I keep around me. I don't have no yes men. I can't do that.

You know what I'm saying? I need people around me that I know are looking out for me. And that's the kind of cast that I roll with. So, be it them. And then on top of that, I'm just not that dude. Like, I've always been the kind of cat that wanted what I was doing to speak for itself. Like, I don't got to sit here and brag on what I've done. Push play, nigga.

That's me. You know what I mean? Right. So, because you did like a versus, but. Yeah, but we did it when it was like, you know what I'm saying? They jerked y'all. In the pandemic, we was. Let's just be clear.

They jerked y'all. I mean, we did what we had to do at the time. You know, it wasn't that yet. And if you would do it over what you should, who would you want to go against? I was honestly going to ask y'all that because I've been talking to the Versus people

and I told them I'm down to do it. They want me to do it, but they're like, so who? And I'm like, I don't know who. Chris Brown, Usher.

Who do you think? Usher would be a good one. Now see, I was under the impression that the world wanted to see Chris and Usher go at it. I'm not impressed with that impression too.

So you and Dream? Mmm. Okay. You're kind of like... And Jay-Z fuck with both of y'all. From a songwriter standpoint, I feel like that would be a really dope versus. Bobby B? You need to relax.

You need to relax. No, no, I got love for Bobby B. Shout out to Bobby B. Yeah, yeah, but come on. Ain't no beef. Love, love, love. But, I mean, it would have to make sense, man. I mean, mind you, so it's 20 records. You know how they do.

It's 20 records. So as long as the cat got 20 records, we can rock out. But 20 records versus 20 hits is going to be difficult for anybody. You know what I mean? So, hey, listen. My flex is light. It's minimal, you know? Like the machine gun up.

It's minimal. Like the weed machine up. Holy shit. I ain't going to lie, though. You ain't bullshitting, though. I went to your catalog, nigga. I said, damn, can you miss? We've been moving.

Can you throw out something that don't work, please? Jesus, can you be normal? We're moving, man. We're moving, man. I'm like, damn, after that, damn. And you know, what's the record with Jeremiah? What's the name of it? You to Love.

You to Love. Shout out to the boy Jeremiah. Whenever I feel like my wife getting a little mad at me, I'm like, I'll put that on. Yeah. I'm like, come on. I only want you. That's what it's for. That's what it's for. Hey, hey. Mr. Accomplice. Thank you for using me. Mr. Accomplice. Yeah

So what about for real versus who I don't know I like you a dream like that I like you a dream somebody said me and Trey one time today Yes, that's a. No, I think that's a good one too. There's odds. I'm with whatever. Who wants to smoke? Let's go. And if Chris Brown and Usher don't do it, I think you and Chris or Usher. I think you got to be against them, the real R&B guys, like these people you name it, because

now it's a performance. Now it's just not just... Right. It's just not... You just play records like... Yeah, yeah. Before it was... You remember... Me, Chris, and Usher all together.

That would be a crazy concert. Did you see the Omarion? I was there. You were there? I was in the house, yeah. You heard my boy Ray J? Listen, Ray J is a marketing genius, okay? He was so mad, though.

I thought it was all good. I was mad to film Love & Hip Hop with him the next day. He was acting like he wasn't bothered with him, but he was bothered. He was a little bothered. He was a little bothered. His phone kept ringing. And ringing. And ringing.

Because the motherfuckers was calling him. I'm like, yo, what the fuck were you doing, Ray J? I kid you not. But as a vocalist, what did he do wrong? Damn. Okay, all right, so real talk, real talk. So as a singer, you're going to have good days, you're going to have bad days, and you have to take care of your instrument, you know what I'm saying?

So if you're out drinking and smoking and going wild, and then grab the mic and get on stage, you're probably not going to of your instrument. You know what I'm saying? So if you're out drinking and smoking and going wild and then grab the mic and get on stage, you're probably not going to sound your best. That's just the reality of it. So I don't know what Ray was doing prior to getting on stage, but it clearly was not taking care of his situation. And it's all good. It happens.

It happens. I done had some bad ones. I done had some bad shows. Yeah, man. It happens. It was off-beat? It was off-key. It happens. Never off- some bad ones. I done had some bad ones. Really? Yeah, man. It happens. You was off-beat?

I was off-key. It happens. I was never off-beat. Off-key. I've definitely had some questions. For somebody that don't know, what's off-key and off-beat? Off-beat is- The tone.

It's the tone of the voice. Yeah. Off-key is if the key of the song is here and you're singing over here, then yeah, you're off-key. Yeah. And that happens. That happens. Off-beat is when you can't catch the beat

of the record you know it's that clap that goes everywhere but where everyone else is clapping it all right everybody's hearing you all right so you had some off key yes just never been off beat never been off beat your soul miss ain't gonna let you be too soul my rhythm will not allow me to be offbeat. It won't let it happen. Yes. My rhythm will let me be offbeat. My rhythm don't fuck with me like that. You really friends? Yeah. You know, sometimes.

But see, you made the kind of slightly offbeat thing fly. Like you made that shit dope. Like you made that a thing. It became a style. Okay now. You say it. Okay my style. Okay now Well, let's get you showed me a rhyme over Neptune's my mother did I'm gonna fucking did we got good energy going on in here God damn it. What we laying up though? Did I ask you for you smoke smoke? Yeah man. Oh let's go, that's a smoke chance right there. That's in your local dispensary in California.

With it, with it, with it. Yeah, and it's organic paper, so it's no tobacco. You know what I mean? God damn it, we got, your R&B niggas is smokers now. Did you hear, Tank came on here and Tank said, he said that black love is more threatening than black violence. Like they accept more black violence than they do black love. They said that black love is a threat.

I thought that was very real. That's real. I feel that. I feel that. Because you think about it. If we as black people was to ever at any point really come together, come on, man. It ain't nothing that we couldn't take over. It ain't nothing that we couldn't accomplish.

It ain't nothing that we couldn't. We would run this if we ever decided to come together. But, you know, we crabs in a barrel. We do that thing. It's unfortunate. I kind of need my folks to get their life together on that. Because it's like any city you go to in the world, it's a Chinat you know what i'm saying they they go to where they go a little italy a little italy you know i'm saying like every other race doesn't but us yeah it's just us we need a little

black town wait why not maybe that's another word but maybe not a little black we can find a more creative name for our thing but i'm saying just the fact that they'll go somewhere, figure out how to get money, and then tell their people, and then their people come, and then everybody's getting money. Like, we don't do that. Right. That's sad.

And you know what's fucked up? When we do it, they call it Rico. Wow. Jeez. Wow. Yeah. That wasn't a joke.

It wasn't. I mean, it cut like one, but just think about it. Your dog was trying to do that. It was't. I mean, it cut like one, but just think about it. Your dog was trying to do that. It was real. He was trying to put his people on, and they actually flipped that on him to make that a bad thing. So it'd be like sometimes damned if you do, damned if you don't. But listen.

I mean, the odds is always against us. That ain't never not been true. However, if it was impossible for us to get there, there would be no black billionaires. We wouldn't be in there if it wasn't possible for us to get in there. So it's about once we get in there, what we do when we're in there. That's what's important. Well, Ne-Yo, our show is about giving people

their flowers, so we want to personally give you your flowers. We got them ready. We want to personally give you your flowers. You know what I'm saying? You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, wow. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Snoop Dogg said it's better than winning the Grammy because it's from his people, but you got a Grammy.

Come on now. So it might not be better for you. You got him. Nah, you know they took time when they put your name on it. That's right, that's right. Somebody sat there like, God damn it. Get the end straight. I appreciate it, man.

Hell yeah. Hell yeah. Make some noise for me. I'm going to move the Grammy out of the way and put this on. Yeah, yeah. Please, please, please. Put it next to it. So what do you like more, making the record or performing the record?

Making the record. Straight away. Straight away. So I'm 42 years old at this point. Yes. The knees don't be kneeing like they used to. We're going to keep it all the way funky with you. Now, don't get me wrong.

I love to perform. I love, you know, just that energy exchange that happens between the artist and the crowd. Right. But I can write. If my knees decided to stop working tomorrow, I can still write a song. You know what I'm saying? So it's always going to be the writing for me. Which is how you started.

Yeah, yeah. That was my first love. That was my first big break. You know what I'm saying? I got success as a writer before I got success as an artist. What was your first big break? Mario's You Should Let Me Love You. That was the first one, yes.

Damn, I'm counting your pockets. Yeah, man. You should let me love you. Yes, sir. That got you your deal. Hmm? That'm counting your pockets. Yeah, man. You should have seen the... That got you your deal. Hmm? That got you your deal. Kinda. Kinda. I got my deal somewhat by accident.

I mean, I don't believe in accidents. I don't believe in coincidences. All I know is we didn't walk into the Def Jam building that day with the hopes of leaving with a record deal. We went in there that day so that my homeboy Sauce, amazing producer, used to be the group something for the people

like early 90s, you remember them? So we went to Def Jam that day so that he could reunite with an old friend of his from high school. Little known to me at the time, that friend was Tina Davis.

Tina Davis. Who at the time was, you know. Tina Davis is a legend. Top of the top. So Tina Davis discovered you and Chris Brown? Yeah, man. I'm calling her pockets too. Yeah, man. Absolutely, absolutely. We went up there so that they could, you know. Tina Davis is a legend. Top of the top. So Tina Davis discovered you and Chris Brown? Yeah, man. Cowboy Pockets, too.

Yeah, man. Absolutely. Absolutely. We went up there so that they could, you know, get reunited and they feel so good on. And by the time we left the building, I had performed for L.A. Reid and the whole nine. And yeah, we left for the record deal. Left for the record deal. It was cool.

It was cool. It was weird because it's like, you know, it's that whole situation where it's like you're looking for your keys. You can't find the damn keys you're gonna flip the whole house up down looking for these keys you say you know what to hell with it i'll find another way to get there and then the shit's falling in your lap that's what it was that's what it was because i i so many different times that we you know trying to get a deal talking to this rep that rep center songs over here this this this and everything is thanks for no thanks all right cool so i say you

know what fuck it i'm just right. I'm just being right. It's my money up here anyway. I'm just right. So we went over there. I remember we was in New York because we were shopping music around. We didn't go to Def Jam on purpose because we had already went like two days prior. So on the way back to the hotel, he's like, yo, let me stop in here real quick and say what's up to my homegirl.

I ain't seen her in forever. All right, cool. So, you know, they doing that. I'm sitting in the corner waiting. He starts playing her some of the music that we were writing. Yeah. So she looks at me. She goes, is this your music?

Yeah. You wrote this? Yeah. That's you singing too? Yeah. Can you dance? A little bit, yeah. Oh, okay.

She turned the music up. She said, go for it. I'm like, what? And mind you, again, I'm just, I'm hungry. Like, can y'all pick this up so we can go eat? Damn. Physically hungry. Okay. I thought he was hungry to get to dinner. I'm hungry. Like, can y'all pick this up so we can go eat? Damn. Physically hungry. Okay.

I thought he was hungry to get to dinner. I was hungry to go. I'm like, all right, y'all. And this is in-depth jam. Let's be clear. In Tina Davis's office. Yeah. So she turns the music up and she sits back like, go for it.

Stone face. Go. I'm like, oh, shit. All right. Well, I'm not going to. You ain't going to challenge me. So I got up. I'm performing for the whole night.

Again, no response whatsoever. So I'm like, all right, this is a waste of time. As soon as I got finished I'm performing for the whole night again no response whatsoever so I'm like this is a waste of time as soon as I got finished she said hello hey yeah mr. Reid I think I got somebody you should meet and just the rest is history from there the rest is history accidentally got a record deal in the midst of you actively trying to shop this moment you wasn't trying to shop. Not at all. Right.

Not at all. And L.A. Reid. Now, L.A. Reid, now he done put on baby face. Yeah, man. All this now, is this surreal for you? Do you know who L.A. Reid is at the time? Oh, yeah, I absolutely know who L.A. Reid is. Matter of fact, when she got off the phone, I said, you said Mr. Reid.

That's L.A. Reid. She got real. She's like, yeah, yeah. We're about to go meet him right now okay cool it was definitely a surreal situation we got in there

he says his first words to me so you're the next big thing huh what the fuck is happening right now cause Tina's selling you up so I perform for him and his tastemakers it's him and like like nine other people in the room everybody know the Chinese woman was in there there was definitely a Chinese woman in there I know much you know you don't come on yeah you don't care Karen Kwok Karen Kwok got a man caught that damn it so the former performer former

I get done he goes all right thank you very much can I talk to my people step outside we sat outside in the lobby of his of his office for like an hour like Performing, performing, performing. I get done. He goes, all right, thank you very much. Can I talk to my people? Step outside. We sat outside in the lobby of his office for like an hour, like a solid hour to the point where I turned to the soft side. Yo, man, let's just go. Clearly, they ain't interested. It wouldn't be taking this long. Let's just go. So as we're leaving, somebody pokes their head out the window like, hey, what is your lawyer information?

Because Mr. E wants to give you a record deal. And it was like a, I'm trying to find the words to explain how I was there, but I wasn't there. You know what I mean? It's like, this is not really, this can't be really happening. You know how hard, how long we've been trying to make this happen? And just on a fucking humbug it happens. This can't be real. Nah, I'm going to wake up in a minute.

But yeah, it was a beautiful situation. Goddamn, make some noise for that, man. What's up? What's up? Y'all ain't got Quick Thomas Live ready? Oh, okay. All right, cool, cool, cool, cool. Holy moly, guacamole.

Let me get on my notes. Let me go on my notes, okay. Hold on. Can I borrow your lighter? Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. So what other songwriters were you inspired by? Other songwriters that I was inspired by. Or any artists that you were inspired by? Well, you know what?

It's actually funny. In that moment when I'm in Tina Davis' office and she's asking me about the music, after I got finished performing, we was waiting to go in L.A.'s office, and she said to me, is there any artist out there that kind of like keeps you on your toes? Right. You know what I'm saying? Somebody that you always check them for just to,

you know, keeps you on your toes. And the second she said that Usher's Yeah video came on, I was like, yeah, that dude right there.

She was like, ah, interesting. I'm about to put you in front of the man that made them. Shit. It was,

yeah, it was a moment. A moment, right? A moment, yeah. Okay. Holy moly guacamole,

man. This is some good shit. This is some good shit. This is some good shit. All right. Play hard with David Guetta at ACOM. David Guetta, yeah, yeah. I don't know how to pronounce this shit. How did they call you?

Who called you? What was happening? How did you? So I did something with David Guetta already. And then, so, oh, okay. So the funny thing. Damn, can I even say this? Yeah, fuck it, the music is out.

All right, so that hook, that work hard, play hard, that was supposed to be for the remix to Wiz Khalifa's, the Wiz Khalifa joint. Which one? He got a lot of joints. The one where he said something about work hard, play hard. I don't know which one it was. Yeah.

I don't remember the name of the record. He probably don't even remember it. He a hot too. He a hick as well. Huh? You been fucking up all day. No. You ain't been on point at all.

You the police officer? Fine. It wasn't that record, but it was supposed to be the remix to Wiz Khalifa joint. And then I finished it and David was like, nah, this is bigger than a remix. This is a record. So then he put Akon on it.

Akon been a friend for a long time. That's the homie. Yeah man, it was easy. David Guetta is one of them cats that before he became David Guetta, he's just a music dude. Some of these cats that do it clearly for the money and for the recognition of it,

David Guetta do it because he love music. And that was our initial connection. And we've been cool ever since. Did A-Gaunt try to sell you property in Africa? He didn't. Oh, yeah, he did. Yeah, he did. He did.

But he didn't do it like I'm trying to sell you something. He was like, this is cool, right? Yeah, you should be a part of this. He talked it up. Yeah, he got me. What's the price? Oh, you bought something? I'm buying.

I'm in. You going? I'm in. All right. I just want to say that. Man, I got a condo in Africa. You going? I'm in. All right. All right, fuck it. I just want to say that, man. I got a condo in Africa. That's just hard. That's just hard.

Even if I never even go. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? I got a condo in Africa, man. Get this fuck. He's still building Wakanda over there. Yeah. He's dead serious.

I might rock. He's dead serious. Oh, man. Oh, man. We got the quick time of slime. Okay, this is a game. This is a game. Play with all the guests.

All right. So we ask you, give you an A or B choice. If you be politically correct and you want to not... Plead the fifth? Yeah, plead the fifth, then you got to take a shot. Both or neither? And if you say neither, you take a shot. But it's pretty much four.

You want to stick with Siroc? I'm going to stick with Siroc. And we take a shot with you. And we take a shot with you, so we don't leave you alone. So we'll be on the same level with you. I'm going to stick with Ciroc. And we're taking shots with you. And we're taking shots with you so we don't leave you alone. We're on the same level with you. I'm going to drink this Japanese whiskey. Excuse me. Japanese Deleon.

You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? You shit! It's that Deleon from Japan. You know what I mean? Come on, y'all. It's very smooth, by the way, bro. Yeah.

Smoke champ. Quality situation. Okay. I'm going to get mine. I'm going to get mine. I'm going to get mine ready. Boom. I'm fucking Neo in the building.

You ready? Yep. Why do I feel like you're about to get me in trouble? No, no, no. I mean, you can play it safe. We just drink a lot. Yeah. You want to go first, E?

Or you want to go first? You got it? All right, I got it. Ooh, this is a good one. Bro. This is a good one. You drinking off top. Michael Jackson or Prince?

Damn. I don't know. I'm getting my shot ready. Damn. Just take the shot. Give me a damn shot, man. Yo, where's the rock at? Yeah, yeah.

Leave him the bottom. Yeah, you leave the bottom. Yeah, you might just get it here. Yeah, we drunk. Just take the shot Leave him the body These kind of questions Okay You can take half of that. You thought y'all was friends, huh? What did I do to you? Just like, yes, get him. What's up?

Cheers. Cheers, cheers, cheers. Oh, you might as well get your shot ready. You definitely don't have to pour that heavy for the next one. You ain't got to do that. You definitely have to be politically correct on this one. All right, let's go. Beyonce or Rihanna? Just take this off, man. Just take that off. I'm going to just bow. Oh, my God. All right, let's go Beyonce or Rihanna

Okay, what's the question exactly Is it musically be answer reality whatever criteria in your mind? Yeah Yeah, just a politically correct Yeah, Yeah, just stay politically correct. Yeah, I can't. I can't. I can't. We're just going to get that. You just tap it. Yeah, you don't got to go crazy.

Salud. Salud. Cheers, cheers, cheers. I feel like this game is fixed. Let me just say that. Yes. I feel like I've been set up. Yes, you have, sir.

This one I don't know, but it could go either way. Tupac or DMX? Ah. Tupac. Alicia Keys or Erykah Badu? Shit. Erykah Badu. Okay.

None against Alicia. I love you to death. I love you. Don't think I'm hating. Did you support Erykah Badu. Okay. None against Alicia. I love you to death. I love you. Don't think I'm hating. Did you support Erykah Badu's incense? I did not. I don't think no married man can have a pussy incense. Yeah, yeah.

I don't think it's proper. My wife loves Erykah Badu, too, but not me. I don't even act like I know the product exists, sir. But you promoted it. I did. I did. I did promote it because I think that's woman sir. But you promoted it. I did. I did. I did promote it because I think that's woman empowerment. I believe in it.

I'm a feminist. Shout out to Erykah Badu. We need another show. I don't want our house to smell like Erykah Badu's vagina. I don't think so, sir. I don't think so, sir. I think that's accurate. Ice Cube or Ice T?

All love and respect for Ice Cube, but I'm going to say Ice T because he let me squeeze Cocoa Booty one time. Oh. I'm sorry, say what'd you say? Ice T. How did that even happen? Ice T let me squeeze Cocoa Booty one time. Respectfully? Yes, respectfully.

It was respectfully? It was a Halloween party, right? And how does this work? Can I grab your wife's ass? I literally walked up to him. Mind you, I had had a couple drinks at this point. I walked up to him and I said, because mind you, she had on like, she had some shit on, right? Okay.

So I walked up to him and I was like, bro, all due respect, I've wanted to squeeze Coco's ass for a really long time. And he said, you know what? And I'm just kind of pimped to let you do it. And he called her over and he whispered something in her ear. And she looked at him and smiled. And then looked at me and smiled and Turned around and bent the thing over and I grabbed as much of a handful as I could He gave me a pound and we finished and we drank and hung out for the rest of the night. That was it.

I'm trying to figure out who's more gangster in this situation. You or him or Coco? Or is it all? All three of you. I'm taking a shot for that. I'm sorry. Ice-T is my friend. I ain't never said no. Shout out to Ice-T. Got his phone number right now. Shout out to Ice-T.

I'm taking a shot just because of that. That was a moment for me. It was a moment. I think we all just visualized it. It's a moment for me, goddamnit. It's a moment. I think we all just visualized it, so it's a moment for all of us. He threw me off with that one. I ain't never been not able to say something on my show. I'm sitting here like, yeah, this is good. Okay.

You know what? I think he knew that I ain't posing no threat. I ain't coming at him on no disrespectful shit. It was cool. It was all right. Yeah, nah, nah. We understand. And that thang is very soft.

Okay, got that. Chris Brown or Usher? Usher. Only because, don't get me wrong, Chris Brown is talented as hell, but Usher, I grew up with Usher. Right. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's...

Usher is part of the reason that Neo exists. I'm going to keep it all in my phone, keep it shut. Like, that's... That's real shit. Real shit. Jackson 5 or New Edition? Damn. Real shit. Jackson 5 or New Edition? Damn. New Edition.

New Edition. Because I was a fan of the Jackson 5, but I was more of a fan of Mike than what Mike was doing as opposed to the whole Jackson 5 situation. New Edition. The first concert I ever went to in life

was a New Edition concert. It was a coming home concert where, you know, everybody, like, BBD got a section Bobby Brown got a section Rob Tresman got a section and they all came out. This is after they broke up. This is after they broke up and came back. Okay yeah this is my first concert ever in life. Right. And they came out in these red suits with this embroidered tiger on the joint and these these red baller caps and I'm like yo one day one day. Like if you saw if you saw me at Lovers and Friends, that whole red ensemble, that was inspired by New Edition.

Jeremiah. He got quiet because he didn't see it. Or Trey Songz. Oh, my bad. Yeah. It's all good. Jeremiah or Trey Songz? Jeremiah.

Much love to Trey Songz But Jeremiah is Jeremiah is a I look at Jeremiah more as a writer and a musician Than an artist You know what I'm saying Like don't get me wrong His artistry is dope His songs is dope

But I have the respect for that man For the way that he makes music And the music that he makes Talk about Jeremiah Jeremiah yeah The big up Jeremiah Don't think I forgot you, bro. He looked out for me

when I needed him, man. I'm very thankful for that. When the You To Love record, so I'm sitting in the studio with my man Rockstar, and we're just having a random conversation about people that I haven't

worked with yet. The producer Rockstar? The producer Rockstar, yeah. Shout out to boy Rockstar. So we're just talking about people that I've never worked with. Let me get my lighter back.

Oh, my bad, my bad. Watch your RV, by the way. I will admit, I'm that dude. I'm sorry. Rockstar. Yeah, sitting in the studio with Rockstar, talking about people I ain't worked with yet. Jeremiah's name popped up.

He was like, what? Oh, hold on. Hey, yo, pull up. Nick pulled up. He pulled up with the bag. He had, he played me like seven records, seven amazing records. I'm like, listen, my pride won't let me

pick more than one because I'm listening to these records like, damn, why I ain't thinking of that? Damn, that harmony was crazy. Damn, that lyric is crazy.

It was one of those moments. So I picked the one that I felt safe with and that was the You To Love record. And yeah, man, the rest is history. Shout out to the boy,

Jeremiah. Absolutely. See, I already got my shot ready. You already know. Yeah. Because I don't think I could choose in this one. Shit.

Jay-Z or Nas? Got my shot ready. Shut up. I got my shot ready. All right. Salud. Salud. This is not cool.

This is not cool. Has anybody ever been carried out of the show? No. Afterwards. Everyone survives, but afterwards it's a little crazy afterwards. Okay. We've had some wild ones. Did I mention I'm not a shot taker? Did I mention that? Nobody is. We just here. We just here. We outside. We just here. We outside.

We celebrating your shit. The dream or Ryan Leslie? Wow. All right. I've always felt like Ryan Leslie never got the flowers he deserved. Why? Never got the recognition he deserved because that dude is a genius. Yeah, yeah. But from a standpoint of who took it and did it and did what they were supposed to do with it,

for whatever reason, I got to give it to the dream. The dream. Got to give it to the dream. Ryan Leslie is dope. He's dope as hell. We actually got records together that the world has never heard. Wow. But, yeah, the dream.

Yeah, man. You know what's dope about the dream? I, okay, so I personally don't like songs where it be like one word repeated over and over and over and over and fucking over again. That shit's annoying to me. But the dream, for whatever reason, when he do it, it don't annoy me. When he do it, I was like, yeah, all right, that's 17 times he done said that one word. But the shit is dope, though. Yo, I have respect for that dude because I've tried that before.

Let me see if I can. Nah, I don't like this shit. I'm annoyed by myself. I can't do it. But his shit be working. So shout out to the Dream, man. Shout out to the Dream. Dude, it's dope.

Tory Lanez or The Weeknd? The Weeknd. The Weeknd. I fuck with Tory Lanez. I won't lie. I fuck with Tory Lanez. He's a cool little dude. Talented little dude.

But The Weeknd is a... That nigga's like an entity. I won't lie. Fuck with Tory Lanez. Okay. He's a cool little dude, talented little dude. But The Weeknd is a... That nigga's like an entity. I don't even know how to categorize him. He's something else. I agree with you. Everything you just said. This nigga's about to have a haunted house at goddamn... One of them damn amusement parks. For real?

What R&B cat is doing that? A haunted house? Yeah, his own haunted house. Shit's nuts. It's fire. It's a different dude. It's a different dude Mario or Mario The setup question shot o'clock yeah, no I can make a distinction here. No good. I'm gonna go with Mario. Okay. I'll tell you why. Why?

So I broke this down for somebody during the BET weekend because, of course, everybody was asking me about the damn verses. A performer, a Mario, will always have issue against a singer, Mario, because a singer, Mario, can, everybody in the room with just his voice. He can literally stand in one spot and just sing and get the whole room. Whereas the performer, a marion, he got to do a double flip and land on his head and then turn around and split and eat some watermelon. There's so much that has to happen in order for him to get... I was uncomfortable seeing him eating that watermelon. It was a little uncomfortable. It was a little uncomfortable. It was a little uncomfortable. I guess.

It was. I think everyone was a little uncomfortable. We weren't ready. I think it was very... But yeah, so I'm always going to go with a singer.

Mind you, I dub myself a performer. I'm a performer that can sing. Right. But I wouldn't go up against Mario in a battle,

in a singing battle. Like, nobody's doing that. Who's doing that? That's what that dude does. Nah, that's not. So, shouts out to Mario and Mario. But everybody knows we're going to that thing. We saw it.

Okay. Source or XXL? You know what? The Source. The source. The source. Because the source actually put me on a cover one time. Yeah. Me and Keisha Cole.

That's fire. Yeah. That was weird. That's fire. That's weird. I'm going to get my shot ready for this next one. 50 Cent or Jeezy? Damn.

Just get my shot ready. Yeah. Go ahead and get that pop there. You got records for both of them. You can't pick. I do, and they are both friends. Salud. Can't choose.

Salud. Salud. Good choice. Fuck. Is it supposed to get easier as you go? Yeah, it's getting easier right now. It's not. It's not.

Jermaine Dupri or Pop Daddy? Jermaine Dupri. Jermaine Dupri. Jermaine Dupri. Jermaine Dupri. Jermaine Dupri. Jermaine Dupri. Jermaine Dupri. Jermaine Dupri. Jermaine Is it supposed to get easier As you go Yeah it's getting easier Right now

It's not Jermaine Debris Or Puff Daddy Damn Uh That's a shot Damn The fucking setup

Damn Come on Come on man This is Thank God I ain't had nothing to do today. It's different. I'm going to bed after this. It's getting better.

This is my favorite. Major or independent? Independent. Wow. See, man? You see? Come to this side. No, I'm a major. You're a major guy? Independent. Wow. See, man? You see? Come to this side. No, I'm not going to never.

I'm a major. You're a major guy? Yeah. We have debates over it. No, speaking from personal experience, a major label is dope when it's done the right way. Right. Right. But nowadays, how often is it done the right way?

Right. You know what I mean? We've gotten to a point where all you really use a major label for is a bank. You know what I'm saying? It's money that you don't got to pull out your own pocket. But as far as the legwork, as far as all of that that has to happen, like, Cats is out here doing it theyself. Cats is out here promoting theyselves.

Cats is making records in they bathroom on Monday and dropping them shits on Spotify Tuesday. You know what I'm saying? It's a real thing. It's happening now. And the more these young artists realize that the power is kind of in their own hands, the less and less you feel like you would need a major label. And mind you, I'm talking about the major labels that don't do the right thing.

By the way, they said the XXL had you on the cover, not on the source. It was XXL? Yeah, so I think you got to take a shot for that. What? I see some new rules. No, you fucked up. You fucked up. Wow. We with you. I just got the text, you know what I mean? We just got the text.

Oh, God. You know what? Salute o'clock. Let's go. He's trying to get you back to state independence. I was excited to come here. Shout o'clock. But I'll tell you, I'm going to tell you something. I got spoiled after having hit records.

After having street records when I first came out, it was the War Report with me and Capone. We had records that was considered hits, but just in New York. So I considered that street records. Right. The minute I touched all 50 markets, the minute I hit number one, it was hard not to try to not have that same feeling so it's like it's like they say when a person does drugs or does crack

that that first hit is always the best so you always go out there you're chasing that's it that's the same thing like when I was when I hit when I hit a different time period when I was it's a different time period social media all that. It's a different time period. Pre-social media, all that. Pre-social media, all that. So I had to, to sell a million records, I had to go to a million places. Right. You know what I mean? Like, it wasn't as easy as, like, I used to record on DAP. Like, people look at me like I'm prehistoric. You know what I'm saying?

You're doing analog days. I heard you say you're 42. Analog days. I'm 44. You know what I'm saying? So I know. But the fact is, I came out in the 90s, so people think that I'm prehistoric. Because they just think everything in the 90s is,

you know what I mean? But I did get used to that major label look and that, you know, being able to go to every morning show throughout the whole country, being able to go. And then when you get to independent, you don't get that same look. You know what I'm saying? You have to work very, very harder

to get the little results that you actually get when you get them. When you're with a record label that believes in you and wants to actually do the work. That's also true. Which should be the combination of both. Being independent to the point where the major is just your distribution. It's the right deal for you. And they take you to that next level. That machine.

That's always all compromised. When we argue about that, that's all. What we see out of our is stay independent, but get that major label distribution. You know what I'm saying? That's not a bad thing. Because man, I ain't going to lie. It'd be hard to go back to the non-sweets. What's the non-sweets?

I don't want to stay at the economy lounge. I don't want to stay there. I can only see you know, you're going to force you to have the foot number. I don't know. Can you know? I've never been all over. I'm going to be independent.

Okay, yeah, don't go in the video for him. But we're taking a shot for you not going independent. Keep that big check money, man. I don't know if I can take this out. Keep that big check money. Let's go. Mm-hmm. John G.

Our Japanese Deleon is fighting back. Yes, sir. Yeah, yeah. Stay major. Stay major. No. No, no, no. So I've never been an independent artist.

Yeah. So I don't completely know the struggle of an independent artist other than you basically have to do everything yourself. Right? I understand what that is. I get that. Shout out to my Motown team. They do me absolutely fucking right over there. Right. Spend that Motown money, baby.

Definitely. Because when you start spending your own money, it's just different. There are. But you also got to give up ownership. Let's keep that in mind as well. To be on a major label, you do have to give up some ownership. I don't mind. I don't mind.

I mean, so. Well, you know what? So I watched something the other day, and I think it was older. I'm not sure, but it was, what's the boy? I saw Fiasco. You saw that shit? And that made sense. What he said made sense.

It made sense. He was like, he just wanted to buy his masters back. He wanted to get his masters back. Okay. And they was giving him a hard time about getting the masters back. He said, what is he going to do with the masters? Yeah. It's like, what you going to do? Put the shit on your dresser said, what are you going to do with the masters? Yeah, it's like,

what you going to do, put the shits on your dresser? Like, what you going to do with the shits? Yeah, if you don't know what to do with them, it's worthless. It's worthless.

It's worthless. So I get that. I get that. I think the independent route just is attractive to me because it's like your own agenda. You know what I'm saying?

You're definitely on a record label's agenda. You're on their timeline. You got to do shit when they need you to do it, when they want you to do it. Whereas as an independent, you can just do your own thing. I would love to do a song Monday and drop the shit Tuesday because I felt like it. I would love to do that. That's the kind of freedom that I feel like you work this hard for this long to get that kind of freedom.

It's like the saying, not all money is good money. Well, true. So you might make some less money as an independent, but that freedom is just as valuable. But see, that's a freedom of ownership, of course. Would you make less money as an independent? I mean, if that was the case, that freedom might be just as valuable for someone to make a little bit more. Because there's always the exception. Like, when you look at the Rockefellers, where they own their masters, you look at the masterpiece, you know, the cash and monies, there's always a deception to that rule, you know what I mean?

With people like that, like those. But, uh. I mean, they are definitely exceptions to the rule. They're the rare occasions where the independent thing worked. Like, not only worked, but fucking flourished. Yeah, completely. I don't know, man. I bet you Lil Wayne Wayne I bet you Turk all

of them never felt like they was on an independent label because they have because the those had universe those independent labels was fucking conglomerates yeah then they self like it's they were like in the major in because it's independently owned like it's just y'all. Nah, nigga, y'all are a major label. Cut it out. Okay, yep. All right. Akon or T-Pain? Shit. Why you want to put

all my friends against each other? See? That's the evil Dominican and the evil Colombian over there. All right, I'm going to say I'm going to say

fuck, man. All right, let's do it. I'm glad you say, fuck man, fuck. All right, let's do it. Bullshit. I'm glad you're playing the game. He's playing the game. Bullshit. He is playing the game.

I love it. I love it. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, you went a little too far. Okay. Yeah, you don't got to. Salud.

Salud. Okay. Mmm. Quincy Jones or Stevie Wonder? This is the... You might as well... I kept pouring. Get out of here.

This was a great idea. We'll write this second. Quincy Jones. You said Quincy Jones or Stevie Wonder? Stevie Wonder. Okay, Stevie Wonder. Okay. And I will say this because...

Because he can see on the low? Shaq said he see them in the elevator and he pressed the button. He was by himself. This is Juke. Juke, a nigga walking around dolo. Come on Drew. Nigga walking around dolo. Come on, Slime. He walking around dolo. He can see, y'all.

That nigga out here finger popping shit for years. Wow. How he know? Mr. Wonder, I love you to death. I ain't say that. That wasn't me. That wasn't me. No, Stevie Wonder, because I learned how to sing listening to Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.

I used to hate my voice. Okay, so I come from a musical family. Everybody in my family do something. My sister came out the womb just blowing, right? So it was effortless for her. My shit was not effortless. I had to learn how to sing. And drink tea. And definitely drink tea but um my mom used to listen to like you know temptations oj's

teddy pendergrass turn them off and big heavy voices and i ain't had that shit and my mom was my hero that was that was like that was my person you know what i'm saying so i wanted to sound like the shit that she'd like to listen to but i ain't sound like that so she introduced me to Michael Jackson she introduced me to Stevie Warner and because it was kind of a similar tone to what to what she was huh literally not none of the music you met Michael Jackson all I met was Kenny Anderson growing up. That's it. I was mad jealous for a second. Wait a minute, this nigga done met Michael and motherfucking Stevie Wonder as a child. I met them as an adult. Wait, we'll get into that.

We'll get into that. Hold on, don't go too fast. You're going too fast now. That's the first way we're going. We're going straight to Michael and Prince stories if you have them. We love them here. Yeah, we went Patti LaBelle, Prince Story was kind of crazy. It was.

It was great. That was a good show. Speaking of that, Off the Wall or Thriller? Never expected to see Patti LaBelle on this show. Patti LaBelle, and she drank. We didn't expect to ever see her on this show. No, that was dope. That was amazing. And she drank, and she signed my guacamole company, too.

Let's make some noise for me. Sweet! I got a guacamole company. Well, close up! And I made the deal immediately. Let's go, Patti. You my distribution. Get to the bag.

I went independent this time. I went independent. She'll make you independent. She's a major independent. OK, off the wall or thriller? OK, off the wall or thriller? OK, off the wall or thriller? Off the wall. Because as I was just saying, I learned

how to sing listening to Mike and Stevie. The first Michael Jackson music that I ever heard was off the wall. Mm, bad. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name

of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. It's for the families of those who didn't make it. I'm J.R. Martinez. I'm a U.S. Army veteran myself, and I'm honored to tell you the stories of these heroes on the new season of Medal of Honor, Stories of Courage from Pushkin Industries and iHeart Podcast. From Robert Blake, the first black sailor to be awarded the medal, to Daniel Daly, one of only 19

people to have received the Medal of Honor twice. These are stories about people who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor, going above and beyond the call of duty. You'll hear about what they did, what it meant, and what their stories tell us about the nature of courage and sacrifice. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A lot of times the big economic forces we hear about on the news

show up in our lives in small ways. Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding, but the price has gone up. So now I only buy one. The demand curve in action. And that's just one of the things we'll be covering on everybody's business from Bloomberg Businessweek. I'm Max Chavkin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business, taking a look at what's going on, why it matters, and how it shows up in our everyday lives. But guests like Businessweek editor Brad Stone, sports reporter Randall Williams, and consumer spending expert Amanda Mull will take you inside the boardrooms, the backrooms, even the signal chats that make our economy tick. Hey, I want to learn about VeChain. I want to buy some blockchain or whatever it is that they're doing. So listen to

everybody's business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best-selling author and meat-eater founder Stephen Ranella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. And I'll say it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for

caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month. And on a recent episode of Just Heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. So what I'm hearing you saying is healing is a part of us also reconnecting to our childhood in some sort. You said I look how youthful I look because I never let that little girl inside of me die.

I go outside and run outside with the dogs. I still play like a kid. I laugh. You know, I love jokes. I love funny. I love laughing. I laugh at myself. I don't take myself too seriously.

That's the stuff that keeps you young and stops you from being so hard. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. Kanye West or Pharrell? Fuck. Fuck. everything. This game is made for you. You're pouring heavy. That's on you right now. That's not heavy. I told you I don't take shots. I don't know. I don't have shot etiquette.

I don't know what to handle. Did he just say shot etiquette? We taking that. It's a certain amount of shots that you're supposed to do. All right, what's this? It's a long game. Yeah, because it's a long game. It's a long game. We're not even halfway through.

We are halfway through. Not with the show. Oh, not with the show. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're not even halfway through. We are halfway through. Not with the show. Oh, not with the show. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're halfway through the game. I'm saying my answers is about to start changing on you. This one, this one

is going to be ill. All right. Tank or keep sweat? Ooh. Keep sweat. Got to go with history. OG. Got to go super OG.

Absolute OG. Radio or podcast? Podcast. That go with the history. OG. Gotta go super OG. Absolute OG. Radio or podcast? That's independent and major all over again. That's independent and major. Hold on, hold on. Now, I can honestly say that in the history of me, I've made more money via radio than I have via podcast. Yeah, that's fair.

We respect that. That's fair. We respect that. You know, as soon as the podcast checks start rolling in, hey, I'm rocking. Hey, hey, no problem. No problem.. Respect that. You know, as soon as the podcast checks start rolling in, hey, I'm rocking. Hey, hey, no problem. No problem. We respect that. All right, EFN,

you want to go? Oh, okay. The last one? I get it now. I didn't get it before. Fedoras or baseball hats? I didn't get it at first. I'm sorry.

Good job. You thought that was a new artist. You was like, that new artist, Fedoras. I don't know how that for a good job. That was a new order Because it sounds like a new Hat person let's hide it you tell them quality LL's the number three topic wearing hat nigga in the world cats Yeah, we're having a shower good day No So alright, I feel like I don't. That was a lie. I don't. I'm drunk. I'm saying stuff. No.

So, all right. I feel like world known people know the fedora. The fedora. If you think Neo, you think fedora. World known. However, they both embody me. It's just who the hell I am. Ah, fuck.

Fedoras. Fedoras? Okay. Fedoras. Okay. I love a baseball cap, but I feel like I look. Ah, fuck. Fedoras. Fedoras, okay. Fedoras. Okay. I love a baseball cap, but I feel like I look better in a fedora. Okay. I love that they put the little emoji for the baseball cap. They put the cap emoji.

Like, we wouldn't know what that meant. Like, we wouldn't know that. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Al Green or Curtis Mayfield? Damn. That's a good one. Come on, let's drink.

Yeah, I'm going to go ahead. I'm going to get mine ready at least. I really don't want to take another shot. Fuck y'all. Damn. Damn. Yeah, nah. That's not a... You can't do that. Yeah. You got to show respect to the OGs. Salud.

Cheers, cheers, cheers. I agree. Aw, God. I agree. Them grits made that man find Christ. Depp Jam. Oh shit, we've been talking about that. It happened like that. We were talking about them grits. Depp Jam or Motown?

Ooh, um, you know what? Yo, look at this. Look at this. It's a drink, isn't it? That's your team. That's your team. You just take a shot?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got to take a shot. I got to take a shot. I got to take a shot. I'm going to advise. I'm going to listen to your advisory. Your advisory committee? No, real shit, because Def Jam set it up, and Motown spiked at home, you know? Yeah.

They both played a very integral role in my success I guess Salute to both big up Tungy too Tungy Tungy he's doing a great job might as well get it ready and the Tina Rick James or Bobby Brown? Bobby Brown he said that nah I fuck with Rick James fuck with Rick James but um

as far as influence me personally yeah Bobby Brown is my my generation did you hear that Bobby Brown fried um

chicken with cocaine I did not hear that however I am not shocked. I'm not surprised by that at all. Yeah, they said he had so much cocaine one time that he forgot. He breaded the chicken with cocaine.

I ain't gonna lie to you. Did that work? I don't know, but I ain't gonna lie to you. A part of me wants to know how that chicken tastes. A part of me is intrigued. Because that was either some complete bullshit or, like, the best chicken. I mean, it was going to be the best chicken regardless if it was a bullshit. Like, this is the best chicken.

You take a bite and that is the best chicken. Hey, yo, don't let me put it in my head. Good. Who told us that Rick James was their babysitter? Wow. Who told that that Rick James was their babysitter? Wow. Who told that? Was it Snow? That Rick James was their... No, was it Conway?

It was Snow, right? That Rick James was his baby? By the way, that's... By the way, whoever that was, your parents is out of line. I'm saying. He talked about his mom. She was too dumb. Rick James is your babysitter. Yeah, Rick James is that nigga.

That's extreme. I'm not sure I'm a good babysitter. What are you doing as a parent? You talking about Rick James? What are you doing as a parent to where it becomes a good idea for Rick James to watch your kids? I gotta be there. I gotta. Rick, do me a solid. I gotta be there. What's happening? what is that? Holy shit. Whole little man down. You in a bottle every two hours. I'm right back.

That's not true. Okay, all right. Whitney Houston or Amy Winehouse? Whitney Houston. I knew you was going to say that. Love Amy Winehouse, but there would be no Amy Winehouse without Whitney Houston. That's right. Adele or Mariah? Mariah.

Love Adele. There would be no Adele without Mariah. I got a record with Mariah. She came to the studio and did my record. Hey, and I ain't gonna lie I was so embarrassed when she came to the studio because we didn't clean up, you know I like a clubhouse studio and then Mariah Carey walls to like what do you do you take the garbage out now? Right, like you know, it's like you just use Oh, but I but I just really hold on

But I deflected Neil, you know what I did.. Let me get it right. But I deflected, Neil. You know what I did? I said, you drinking wine? She said, yes, I am. And we went. Good from there. She had her eyes on the wine and not how filthy my studio was. However, it's Mariah. So in the back of her head, she was like, it's dirty as hell in here. But the wine is good.

Let me just tell you something. So she was walking around. And I've never seen my niggas groupie out like this. My niggas was really following her up and down the studio. It's Mariah Carey. So I said, Mariah. I said, yo, stop following Mariah. And then Mariah hits me to the side.

She said, they may never see me again. Just let them. Just let them. And at that moment, I knew Mariah was a mother. Because I was taking it too far because this is my guest. You know what I mean? So I'm like, yo, chill, chill, yo. And this is before cameras and Instagram and all that.

But she said, she leaned over so politely and said, no, they may never see me again. Let them, you know. Now what she meant was, I ain't never coming back from here. Let them know. I like that she didn't deposit it way, Ne-Yo. I am never coming back here.. You did it last time. I like to look at the positive way, Neal. I am never coming back here. You have to be with me.

It's okay. Shout out to Mariah, man. That's different. That's like a life accomplishment. Yes. Yes, I got a record with her. I did shit with Mariah. I did shit with Mariah.

Shout out to Meek Mill. Shout out to Meek Mill. That's a life accomplishment. That was hard. That line was hard. I did shit with Mariah. Because everybody felt like, yeah, nigga. Yeah, that's Mill. That's a life accomplishment. That was hard. That line was hard. This shit, man, Mariah. Because everybody felt like, yeah, nigga. Yeah, that's it.

That's it. Biggie Smalls or Big Pun? Biggie Smalls or Big Pun? Biggie Smalls. All respect to Big Pun, but I was introduced to Biggie Smalls first. I fell in love with Biggie's wordplay first. So Biggie Smalls. Okay.

This is the last one. The last one in the interview but the last one quick time to slide. Everyone thinks this is a trick question. It really isn't. Trick questions all damn day.

It really isn't but it kind of is loyalty or respect? Loyalty or respect? Yes. Can you be loyal to somebody that you don't respect? Ooh. That's deep.

Not really, right? Mm-mm. If I don't respect you, why would I waste my loyalty on you if I don't respect you? You know what I mean? Deep. So definitely loyalty. I mean respect. Respect.

Definitely respect. Okay. Yeah. God damn it. We survived Quick Time with Slav. You did it. I'm going to take a shot for surviving this. Oh, respect, respect. Definitely respect. Okay. Yeah. God damn it. We survived Quick Time with Slime. You did it. I'm going to take a shot for surviving this. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm going to take a shot. I'm going to take a shot. You survived all that? Yeah, yeah, yeah. On Quick Time with Slime. I survived? You haven't survived yet. Okay, okay.

And let me just tell you something, Neil. We've been doing this for six years. Uh-huh. There's only two people who came here and changed. Cheers, Paco. You just made the list. But who else you think is the other person? Came here and changed?

And changed. Like, I mean, changed clothes. Oh, changed clothes. Did he change? You changed? Yeah, not changed, changed. Well, no, actually, I didn't. I was going to change.

You had a whole outfit. The plan was to change. You had a whole outfit. You know what? I'm about to drink and smoke, and it's probably going to be bad. I'm like, let me rock. Let me rock. I'm with family and friends.

Let me rock. Why? I'm good. I'm good. I ain't got to dress up for y'all. Who's the other person that you think that came here and changed clothes? That came here and changed clothes? Yes.

Ooh. Did Patti LaBelle change clothes? No, she came. She came. Patti didn't change clothes? She came in Peckable and left in Peckable. Patti LaBelle is her name? No, she came. Patti didn't change her name? She came impeccable and left impeccable. Patti LaBelle is a thug. I love it.

I love it. She came ready to rock. Had her hair and makeup and her people there. We picked up my boy Go-Go. We picked her up in the Ghost. We had a red carpet for her. Nice. Patti LaBelle.

You know what I'm saying? And yeah, but she stayed ready. But she did take my Yeezys. She took my Yeezys slippers because she wanted to go to the bathroom. She wanted to go to the bathroom and I had my slippers right there. So I offered it to her and she did it. And then when she, then she started dancing. I said, holy moly guacamole, we won.

We won. We got Halle the Belle dancing. And so when she put the Yeezys off, the slippers off, I'm framing them right nowys off the slippers off I'm framing them right now as you should I'm framing them in so when you walk in my crib you first walk on my crib you're gonna see the Yeezys that Patti LaBelle wore but we're gonna see the video footage of her wearing it that's that implies you have a very large crib sir no no no I actually don't yeah actually next to that I got memorabilia you just said you have been doing this six years yeah but actually I

got Floyd Mayweather his whole outfit that he wore on Drink Champs. Because I'm the biggest Floyd Mayweather fan. So he sent me that. And then I got Lennox Lewis boxing gloves. So I got a memorabilia thing going on. You know what I'm saying? Do you want this hoodie? You know what?

I'll take that. I'll take that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll take that. I'm just saying. Yeah, yeah. You'll be up in the crib. And I'll be amongst the greats.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Cool. Are we taking a shot for that? I think we should take a shot for that. I'll take that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll take that. I'm just saying. Yeah, yeah, you be up in the crib. And I'll be amongst the greats tonight. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Cool, I like it. Are we taking a shot for that? I think we should take a shot for that. Let's go, let's take a shot for that. You can't take a shot for yourself. You can't take a shot for everybody.

You can't take a shot for yourself. Come on, take it. I told you, bro. I knew I was coming to G-Shit. I knew I was coming to G-Shit. Take a shot. Take a shot. Damn, but there you go with your heavy part. I'm drunk, goddamn right.

I don't have control over my hands. Oh! That's up to Mark. I still got my drink on the side, too. I still got my Asian spade. So you know, I still got my Asian spade. She chose violence. Yes, yes, yes.

Damn. Listen, listen, listen. We used to have a Dominican guy named Mr. Lee pouring drinks. Now we got a girl for you. You know what? Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, listen. We used to have a Dominican guy named Mr. Lee pouring drinks. Now we got a girl for you. You know what? Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, love. Because it would have been weird if you were having all these love songs you sing.

My good strengths. Strange dynamic. Yeah, you're right. Yo, do you like being married? I like being married. I'm sorry. Yo, I love being married. Yeah, I love being married.

The streets is gross. Yeah. I'm sorry. It's true. It's true., I love being married. The streets is gross. Yeah. I'm sorry. It's true. It's true. It ain't shit out there, but some shit you don't want. It's real.

It's real. Like, hey now, man. You see somebody do some ho shit, you be like, I'm going home. Pretty much. Yo, real talk, I don't really, I ain't really outside like that. I don't like being outside neither. I got to say that the whole- I realized, I'm sorry to cut you off.

I realized the other day... This guy changes his mind all the time. My fun... My fun... My fun is being bored. Like, that's fun to me. But see, I ain't bored. It may be boring to maybe onlookers,

but I'm having a fucking ball. I'm at the crib. I'm chilling. The refrigerator's right there. My fucking bedroom is right there. My kids is here. I got my fucking video game. Nigga, I'm good.

I'm good. You can play video games? All day, yeah. I mean, well, not all day. Play Legend of Zelda? I have played Legend of Zelda. I have. I'm a PlayStation dude.

Okay. Yeah, yeah. I'm waiting on that Street Fighter VI to come out. You ain't got that Nintendo? I don't. I don't. I was at Chef Teak's crib the other day. The one that has all the games?

This nigga got all the games, bro. I was so mad. Oh, the little joint. No, I've seen that joint. I've seen that joint. He got Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Brothers. He had Mike Tyson punch out. And Ross knew how to play.

That nigga Ross is not his age. Ross is my age, bro. How the fuck is he this young, and he know how to play Mike Tyson punch? He chew on ginger from morning to morning time. Come on, bro. He been lying to us, bro. He's our age, bro.

And this is the crazy shit. This is a cheat code that Mike Tyson punch out. Yeah, the up, up, down, down. How the fuck he knew that? I said this nigga not his age. You knew what? Yo, he was. My cousin said it.

Yeah, whatever. Yeah, yeah, niggas be out here lying, bro. At least we keeping it real. You 42, I'm 44. Yeah, whatever. Yeah, yeah. Niggas be out here lying, bro. At least we keeping it real. You 42. I'm 44. Yeah, I'm 44, goddamn. Holy moly guacamole. Holy shit.

Okay, we said, okay, Stay Down featuring Young Blue. Yeah. Or just Blue. He took the Young off. Oh, he took the Young off? He took the Young off. He's just Blue now. Okay.

Shout out to the boy Blue. Yeah, man. So how did this happen? What was going on? Stay Down is one of my favorite Actually one of my favorite joints on this album Because So real shit

What happened is I wrote two songs about the same thing Right? And I didn't want to get rid of either song So I just chopped the bitches in half And put them together The addition of Blue That was My nigga Mister.

Shout out to my man Mister. That's my cat that just keeps his ears to the street. He introduced me to Blue, introduced me to Blue's music, and I was impressed by the young boy. Went over to his house

to kick it with him and just kind of fill him out. I feel like he's getting love right now, but that's the nigga to watch. For real, for real. Because like he's getting he's getting love right now but just that's that's that's the nigga that's the nigga to watch for real for real because like what he's giving y'all is good but like I've heard some shit like like he coming with some shit shit like for real for real shout out to the boy blue yeah shout out to boy blue yeah yeah how's it been another thing

how's it been filming the World of Dance show? So the World of Dance show, unfortunately, is not coming back. No, that's it? No, they did it. So I didn't realize that it was such an expensive show to shoot. Right. It's a very, very expensive show to shoot. I mean, J-Lo's on the show, of course.

Right. It's an expensive show to shoot. But I will say that the four years that we did that shit, it was amazing. You know what it feels like when you come to work and everybody at work feel like they want to be there? You know what I'm talking about? It's that. It was that thing. Just the energy from the production people to the dancers

that's doing it to me, J-Lo, Derek. It was just a great experience all the way across the board. My girl forced me to watch it and I ended up liking it. Like, she's a J-Love fanatic. And then she's like, yo, and then we watched. I think I watched all the seasons.

Listen to your lady. She knows what she's talking about sometimes. Every now and then, she knows what she's talking about. So how was the Masked Singer? Yo, so I did the Masked Singer UK. And I did that because I felt like if I did it here, I would have got caught easy. I felt like people would have recognized my voice.

But in the Masked Singer UK, they was like, yo, if you can change your voice, change it. Like, whatever it is you got to do to not get caught, do that. And I'm like, oh, shit, all right, well, cool.

So that shit is beautiful and weird as fuck. Because you can't breathe, right? No, no, no, no. Well, I mean, aside from the fact that you can't breathe. They don't got AC units in those elaborate suits?

No. They don't got little fans? Nah. Come on, Disney characters get that shit. I mean, that's Disney. That's a mad singer. It's different.

Okay. No, but the wild shit is that even backstage, nobody knows who anybody is. That's crazy. Okay, so it's like one cat that helps you work through the music, and then a handler, and that's the only people that see your actual face. Wow. Everywhere, you walk them around backstage, they give you this, it's like a visor,

like a mirrored visor over your face. So you had COVID mask before COVID? Pretty much. Okay, good. And this big black hoodie with the words, don't talk to me, in white, written across the front of it. No one knows who anybody is. Even after the show, even after I got eliminated,

I was like, all right, so real talk, who's in the sausage suit? I can't tell you. I can't tell you, you got to wait till the show comes out. Come on, man, I was like, all right, so real talk. Who's in the sausage suit? I can't tell you. I can't tell you. You got to wait until the show comes out. Come on, man. I'm going home tomorrow. You can tell me.

Can't tell you. Good. But, yeah, it was a dope experience. I loved it, especially because they allowed me to, like, try to change my voice, try to sing a different way to not get caught. And, honestly, I was a little pissed off because Rita Ora. You know Rita Ora? Yeah. I know Rita Ora. Rita Ora knows me. We work together. I'm like,

if anybody gonna catch me, it's Rita Ora. Rita Ora did not catch me. It was some guest judge that came in on like the last two shows and finally figured out who the hell I was. I'm like, Rita, for real? That's what it is? Okay, I get it. She's like, no, no, I knew who you were the second show.

I couldn't say anything. Bullshit. You didn't know what the hell it was. But it was all good, though. It was a great experience. Are we taking a shot today? I just feel like that. I really don't want to. I really don't want to. You hear me slurring over here. Come on, bro.

That's what? You can skip one. You can skip one. Let's go. We're going to let you skip one. Y'all rock out. Y'all grown men. I can't tell you could skip one go ahead we're gonna let you skip rock out y'all grown man I can't tell you but we're gonna take a shot for you and and you and Rita order and a man she was fun I didn't say right I thought I read or whether she's on the planet You good? You good over there? I'm fantastic. Listen, listen, Neil, I'm going to be honest. You're a whole legend out here, bro. Appreciate that.

I got to see your career from the beginning, from when you first worked with Petey Crack. Yeah, man. You never gave Petey Crack a record back, though. What you talking about? He didn't ask for one. He won a record, nigga. He didn't ask for one. He won a record, nigga. He didn't ask for one. So Petey Crack won a record.

He didn't tell me he won a record. Shout out to Petey Crack. I was in Philly just recently, like a couple days ago. Petey Crack pulled up on you? Yo, so his thing. I was there. We was at the Dell Center. It was ridiculous.

We pulled up, and I'm like, oh, wait, fuck, we in Philly. Yo, can somebody get a hold of Petey Crack? Can Petey Crack come out on stage? So I called this nigga. Petey Crack pulled up and I'm like, oh, wait, fuck, we in Philly. Yo, can somebody get a hold of Petey Crack? Can Petey Crack come out on stage? So I called this nigga. Petey Crack pulled up. He was like, bro, I was at a whole family barbecue. I was on the grill. I was getting it in.

But I paused that to come fuck with you. And I'm like, yo, yo, when this nigga came out on stage, because mind you, it's Philly. You know, it's hot everywhere right now. But it's dumb hot. It's like 99 degrees at night. It's nuts. To the point where even the crowd is like, hey, Ne- Oh, shit, you know what? I'm going to rock with you sitting down, Ne-O, because it's hot out here, right?

When this nigga came out on stage- Goddamn, Petey Crack needs flowers. Nick, the whole place went nuts. Shout out to the boy Petey Crack, because he literally pulled up on me in the last- I called him in the last minute. Let's make some noise for Petey Crack. I called him in the ninth minute. And he pulled up on me and he rocked out and it was beautiful.

Real talk, real talk. But, Ne-Yo, let me look at you face to face, man to man. Yes, sir. You got to get Petey Crack ahead. Petey, you have my personal phone number, nigga. If you're literally ready, call me, bro. That's my guy. That's beautiful, man.

Literally from the beginning. That was my first single as an artist on Def Jam. Right, that's fire. I got you, bro. That's my guy. That's beautiful, man. Literally from the beginning. That was my first single as an artist on Def Jam. Right. That's fire. I got you, bro. Did they ask you to put Petey Crack on? How did that go? Jay brought that around.

So they knew that they wanted to run. Jay-Z brought that around. Petey Crack knew the hitters. No, so they knew that they wanted to go with Stay as the first record. And mind you, L.A. had like a whole game plan. He was like, all right, so so we're gonna put this out first this record is not gonna go to number one but it's gonna do just well enough to get attention to get people going alright we'll just Neocat and then we gonna hit them we're so sick and we off

LA retold me this like months before it happened I'm like this nigga's a psychic but anyway so they knew they wanted to go with Stay but they felt like it needed something so that's when Jay was like we got to get a hip hop feature on it. And I was like, all right, well, it's Jay-Z. So I'm like, listen, whoever you decide, I'm rocking, whatever. So he came with Petey. I wasn't familiar with who Petey Crack was when he put him on the record. But I loved what he did to it.

He killed it. I'm like, I don't know who you are, but I don't even know what the hell you're saying. I'm right. This is dope. Right? So, yeah. So, Jay brought him around, and it was love.

It was all love. Petey been a real nigga for a long, long time. Petey's my brother. We both Niggerican. We both black and Puerto Rican. I love Petey. We haven't spoken in a long time. Nah, shut up, Petey. But Charles Petey Crack, I love Petey Crack.

He's a Drink Champs alumni. He's a Drink Champs alumni. Straight up. So let's make some noise for Petey Crack. Yeah, man. Straight up, straight up. And working with Pit. Yeah, that's my next question.

Damn, look, look. That's another dude. Time of our lives. That's another Drink Champs alumni. That's family of ours. Listen, I'm going to keep it funky with y'all because I'm drunk. Yes, please. I don't have a lot of industry friends because I don't do phony well.

Like, if I don't fuck with you, you're going to know, like, right away. You know what I mean? And the whole concept of hanging out with somebody, taking pictures with somebody because it's good for your image. Like, ah, if y'all take a picture together, you know how many likes that'll get? I don't give a damn. I don't rock like that. If I don't fuck with you, I don't fuck with you. I don't fuck with a lot of people

I fuck with Pitbull cause he's cause aside from this music shit aside from all of that he's like a straight up like just real dude yeah he's genuine he's a genuine cat

you know and he's always been that from before the success from before the success he's always been just a genuine dude and uh yeah man

that's one of my like real friends not industry friends not we see each other and we say what's up because that's one of my like real friends. Not industry friends, not we see each other and we say what's up because that's what you're supposed to do in the industry.

Like that's one of my real friends. Like if the shit hit the fan, I would call Pitbull and he would pick the phone up for me. You know what I mean?

Like real friendship. Did you get to watch his drink champs? It was classic. He tried to get us drunk. Yeah. Oh, wow. He's an old friend of ours.

He brought the vodka through? Yeah, he's an old friend of ours He brought the vodka through Yeah he brought He brought all kinds of liquor He brought the first Mamawana that I started drinking And what's crazy is He came by himself By himself

Cause this is his city This is his city He literally See that speaks to The kind of cat that's like You know what I'm at home I'm at home

I'm gonna pull up on my homeboys We're gonna do this shit It's gonna be fun I'm at the crib I don't need nobody with me That speaks to the kind of cat that Pitbull is. Shout out to the boys. Shout out to Mr. Worldwide. Let's talk about the time of our lives.

The time of our lives, that's the second one we did. The second one we did. When we did the first one... This is the super hit, though, right? Yeah, man. Well, I mean, Give Me Everything was massive.

Like I've performed at Wembley Stadium before. But when I performed at Wembley Stadium with this cat, it's 80,000 people jumping up and down at the same time. Grab somebody sexy. Tell them it's electric. Nigga, it was it was electric. In my mind, I'm there right now. Let's go. You have no idea. So it was different. It's different with that dude. So so he hit me with the second one. He sent me the track.

He was like, we got to hit him again. We got to do something. And mind you, the concept of, because mind you, at this point, I'm rich. I'm not paying rent. I'm ownership at this point. But, you know, I got cats around me that's, you know, up and coming and, you know, trying to make it happen. I'm working with young writers and trying to get them right. I'm listening to

somebody tell their story about the whole, I knew my rent was going to be late about a week ago. I knew I wasn't going to be able to pay that shit. I worked my ass off, but I still can't pay it, though. I'm sitting listening to this cat tell the story to his homeboy like, yo, I knew

I wasn't going to be able to pay the rent, but it only cost 20 bucks to get in the club, so I went to the motherfucking club, and I'm like, yo, that is the realest shit ever. It's like, I can't pay it today. I ain't going to be able to pay it tomorrow, but tonight I can get in this goddamn club.

I can get in there and have a good time. And I'm like, that's it. That's it. I knew my rent was going to be late about a week ago. I worked my ass off. I still can't pay it though, but I got just enough to get off in this club, have me a good time before my time is up. I'm like, nigga, you just

wrote the hook. Come here. Hugs, love, yeah. And sent that to Pitt and the rest is history. The rest is history. Yeah, man. I write from personal experience. I write from the experience of the people around me that's willing to tell me the story. You know what I'm saying?

I always try to make it relatable. You know, everybody knows I ain't paying rent right now. I mean, at least if you're smart, you know I ain't paying no damn rent. So you knew I wasn't talking about myself. Same way, it's like I'm a married man, but I cannot write every song from the aspect of a married man because everybody ain't married.

I heard you say, yeah, because everybody ain't married. You said you don't write songs for, like, when you was depressed, you don't even write it fully for all depressed people because everybody's not depressed. Because everybody ain't depressed. I try to tap into the different aspects of what just human beings is going through not just what i'm going through also heard you say that hurt music like when when you go through a hurt situation it makes for better music yo i i i i've

never been able to completely understand it but i i have i have an understanding of it it's like okay so everybody on the face of the planet knows what love is to a degree. Even if you've never felt it, you know that it exists. You know that it's a force that exists, and it's hard to put a finger on, but you know that it's there. So if you take the number of people that are in love

or experiencing love versus the people that are not, versus the people that are searching for it, versus the people that are not versus the people that are searching for it versus the people that are that are in in in the the darker elements of love i promise you there's more people over here than it is over here so for whatever so so them them them fucked up situations just make for amazing song lyrics because it's like all right if i need to cry i need something to cry too i mean i need a need a song. If I can't find a person that can relate to what I'm going through, I'm going to put this song on. Because I know that whoever wrote this fucking song knows exactly what I'm feeling right now. What was that, Pinky Ring?

What was that, Pinky Ring you made? Pinky Ring, that was different. That was anger. That wasn't sorrow. I was mad. You went too far. I was upset. No, nah, nah, nah.

It wasn't a diss record. I didn't say anything foul about her, so to speak. I didn't say anything foul about her. I was just speaking on the way that I was handling the situation. Hurt niggas hurt niggas. Straight up. Straight up. We forgive you.

Thank you. You're back home. We forgive you. You're back home. She forgave me, so I'm good. Yeah, you're back with the wife. I'm back with the wife. I'm back with the wife. When I seen you at Soho House, I ain't going to lie.

Because I met you very early on with Tina Davis. And I seen you very, very successful. And I knew that you was going to work it out for some reason. Because I believe in love. I'm sorry. I know I made all these gangster records. It just means nothing. You're a passionate love. I'm sorry. I know I made all these gangster records. It just means nothing. You're a passionate nigga. I get it. I get it. But I knew, even because at that time

I could tell you were hurt. I don't know what you were going through. Bruh, so okay. My bad. My bad. The Pinky Ring record. She gave back the wedding ring and I turned it to a Pinky ring record, right? She gave back the wedding ring. I turned it to a pinky ring. That was complete and utter cap. That was me moving around, hurt as hell, trying to not look hurt. Like, I'm out with my niggas. We at strip clubs. And I get back to the room at the end of the night and just cry myself to sleep.

I was fucked up. I was fucked up. For real, for real. And I couldn't show people that. You know what I'm saying? The pride in me was like, nah, I'm good. Yeah, she don't want to be with up. For real, for real. And I couldn't show people that. You know what I'm saying? The pride in me was like, nah, I'm good. Yeah, she don't want to be with me. No, I'm straight.

And in the back of my head, I was. You wanted to go home. Nigga, I was hurt, hurt. Like, it was bad. It was bad. So the fact that you could see that means that I wasn't hiding that shit as well as I thought I would. No, no. I saw this. And we had a Soho house.

So we, it was me and you and a bunch of white people. And I looked at you and I said, nah, that ain't new. I knew it wasn't you at that moment. He's not good right now. And I said, you know what? And by the way, this is the time where we really first started Drink Champs. But I didn't want to pause. I didn't want to take advantage of you.

I didn't want to. I was just like, you know what? Nigga, that Drink Champs? Yeah, that would have been horrible. That shit would have been horrible. I didn't want to take advantage of you. I didn't want to I was like you know what nigga That drink champs. Yeah, that would have been too hard that shit would have been Because that she would have been bad yeah, no the crazy shit is You ever been the guy that told the dude you'll leave that bitch and then he get back well That nigga don't have a good seat in the house not at all he said he said at the kids table at thanksgiving like you know the children say you don't never want to be that dude to be like yo man yo and then you get back and then you get back with a hall

that's real that's real that's real now i uh, I knew that I didn't want to get a divorce. I mean, come on. Nobody do. You know what it is for a nigga to even decide to get married. Right. Especially, like, keep it a buck. A nigga in my position to be like, you know what? I'm cool on all y'all.

It's this one. It's just this one. Yeah. Right? Like, that shit ain't light. That's heavy. That's heavy. That's heavy. So if I go there, if I go to that extreme, like, I want it to be just you, I ain't trying to get divorced.

That's an aw moment, y'all. Real short. One, two, three. Aw. That's an aw moment. That's an aw moment. Yeah, yeah, I ain't going to lie. That was fun. It's better than a shot moment.

Yeah, yeah. Better than a shot moment. There's yeah, I ain't gonna lie. That was fun. It's better than a shot moment. Yeah, yeah. Better than a shot moment. There's also a shot o'clock time. We can do it because we taking a shot for your wife. Hold on, you cannot say no. It's also a trick question. I have to take a shot for my wife. It's also a trick question.

Let's go. And for y'all and Kendalyn, y'all shit. But yeah, yeah, you go too far. This is for y'all and Kendalyn, y'all shit. And you believing yeah, you go too far. This is for y'all rekindling y'all shit. Heavy handed. And you believing in love. Straight up. Because I love love.

Cheers, cheers, cheers. And I love love. Come on, let's get it in. And I also love love. Thanks, Mr. Lee. I've been together with my wife 15 years. We've been married 10. I've been married six. We've been together eight. God damn years. We've been married 10. I've been married six.

We've been together eight. God damn it. Make some noise for that. Go back. How did you count wrong? Huh? How'd you count that wrong? How'd I count wrong?

Taking a lot of shots today. That didn't count well. How long he was married for. No. I didn't count him wrong. I was telling him how long I was married. He shared his information with me. Because you're not married right technically

I mean, I'm pretty pretty much married miss. We gonna do it. Hey man, relax We live together we married as far as i'm concerned that's that's latino marriage you don't like that you don't like that you live together certain amount of time you married coming yeah that common law yeah but let me ask you you got to work with beyonce yeah and rihanna yes let's let's talk about that. Man, so. And which one you want to talk about first? Which one? So, when I met. If you pick the wrong one, we got to drink. Ah, shit.

There is no wrong one. I'm leaving. I'm being carried out, but I'm leaving. No, so when I first met Rihanna, she was. Umbrella? Nah, that was before Umbrella. Okay. She was young, young.

She was like, might have been 16, 17, somewhere in there. When I first met her. When Jay introduced her. And that's when Def Jam had Tiana Taylor, too, right? It was Rihanna, Tiana Taylor. It just got signed. Yeah. Black Butterfly.

What, what? Tiana Marie. Tiana Marie. Yeah. Oh, damn. You went along with it. Hey. You just as guilty.

Hey, Spike T. What's popping? Listen, we drunk. Yeah. That was an accident. My bad. All of. Hey. You just as guilty. Hey, Spike T, what's popping? Listen, we drunk. Yeah. That was an accident. My bad. All love. Yes.

Tia Marie. Tia Marie, that's what I meant. Everyone knew what I meant. Tia Marie, Rihanna, and Black Butterfly that Russell Simmons did. Oh, the Russell Simmons group. Yeah, the two girls. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, when I first met Rihanna, she was very much still, she was a kid, you know?

We started working together, you know, Jay put me in a studio with a kid you know and we started working together you know Jay put me in a studio with her you know I'm writing with her whatever the case may be I'm sorry you can't just be saying it that's so nonchalantly to my Jay-Z well yes I'm sorry Jay-Z put me in the studio with Rihanna very very young when she was very very young and we're you know we're writing and I'm taking the the Jimmy Jam Terry Lewis approach like I'm just sitting having conversations about what's going on with her so that i can then turn around and write the record right so the odd shit is that as rihanna is growing up and becoming the the the sex symbol that rihanna is and all of my niggas around me is like yo yo you saw rihanna in them shorts? And I'm like, ah. Because it's like baby sister to the point.

You know what I'm saying? It's my little sister. I'm like. Did she have the DJ record out yet? This was after the DJ record. OK, cool. So she out. So niggas is trying to.

Yeah, she out. And niggas have seen her. And niggas is on it. And I'm like, I'm privy to these conversations. But I can't engage. It's like, yeah. Yo, nigga Rihanna. Yeah, yeah, Rihanna. They trying to take her down. They conversations, but I can't engage. It's like, yeah, yo, nigga Rihanna. Yeah, yeah, Rihanna.

They trying to take her down. I can't engage in these conversations because it's just weird. Because we've had in-depth conversations about real shit. This is literally my last. You and Rihanna, you're saying. Yeah, yeah, at this point. You know what I'm saying? Because I'm trying to write records for her. So we're talking about everything.

We're talking about dudes. We're talking about dudes. We're talking about all of that shit, right? And it's just weird because it's like, as she gets older, as she's growing into a young woman, it's like, oh, every nigga around me is like, yo, Rihanna. And I'm like, ugh, stop. This shit is weird. This shit was just weird for me. Like, I couldn't look at her like that.

Because that's little sis. Yeah, that's my little sister. From the first day I met her, it was like, I under the wing protective protection. And you saw her like that after that. And it's still that. You know what I'm saying? Like, we ain't as close as we once was.

But like, you know what I'm saying? To this day, niggas like, yo, Rihanna, get it. I'm like, yeah, all right, cool. Yeah, that's you, homie, cool. I can't engage in that, because that's because of where we started at you know what i mean but you do expect it rihanna is rihanna is a fucking workhorse rihanna is the the chick that's going to show up first and leave last which is why when i heard she was a billionaire i was like yeah that makes sense because she's incredible period it's like what we doing all right it ain't done yet how many days it's been four or five we still here fuck it until

it's done i'm here like that's who rihanna is you know what i mean yeah man yeah man and that's what it takes to get to that billion straight up that's what it takes you gotta you gotta do this shit like like you ain't got nothing else to do or even if you got something else to do you've chosen to be here god damn it that's that's rihanna now let's just get to beyonce beyonce so what's your first time working with beyonce first time working with beyonce uh i'm in the studio and uh i'm i'm i'm in the studio as a writer at this point you know i got a deal i'm on dev jam and i'm working on my album, but I'm also just writing, period. We get a commission to do some shit for Britney Spears. Interesting.

And I'm like, oh, shit, Britney Spears. It's before she said that. Yeah, it's before. It's before she went crazy. She was so Britney Spears doing her thing. She was Britney motherfucking Spears, right? Yeah, she was Britney Britney motherfucking Spears. Oh, shit, yeah, let's get it. So I'm in the studio.

I'm working. I'm writing. I'm writing songs with Britney Speucking Spears. Oh, shit. Yeah, let's get it. So I'm in the studio. I'm working. I'm writing. I'm writing songs with Britney Spears in mind. Shout out to my nigga Tata. Tata comes to the studio every other day just listening to what I'm doing. And every other song, he's like, yo, let me get a copy of that. And I'm thinking, all right, it's Tata. It's A&R for the label.

All right, it's cool. Yeah, yeah, go ahead. Go ahead. Because mind you, if I'm doing it for somebody specifically, you're not supposed to give away a copy of this shit. But again, it's just Tata. It's Tata. It's A&R for the label. All right, it's cool. Yeah, yeah, go ahead, go ahead. Because mind you, if I'm doing it for somebody specifically, you're not supposed to give away a copy of this shit. But I gave this shit to Tata. It's Tata. It's my nigga.

So I did a song called Flaws and All. Like the gun again. Flaws and All. If anybody knows this record, Flaws and All, it's a Beyonce record now. But it started out as a Britney Spears record. I wrote the record for Britney Spears. Tata comes in.

Shout out to my boy, Shea Taylor. Tata comes in and listens to what me and Shea is doing. He's like, yo, let me get a copy of that. I'm going to ride home to the shit, whatever. All right, cool. Yeah, whatever. We give him the shit. Nigga, maybe a week later, he was like, yeah, so that flaws and all shit?

Yeah, don't put that in the Britney pack. Yeah, Beyonce's taking that. What? What the fuck? What? Wait. Yeah, yeah,

Beyonce's taking that. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Beyonce's taking that. What's the other one? What's the other one? Question existence

on Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad album. Another song that was supposed to go to Britney Spears. Tops I came in, it was like, yeah, let me get a copy of that. I'm going to just ride to it. Yeah, let me get a copy of that. It's that Marshy shit. A week later, he's like, yeah, that's on Rihanna's shit.

Yeah, don't put that in the Britney pack. That's on Rihanna's shit. Nigga, Beyonce's Irreplaceable was not for Britney Spears. I wrote that shit for myself. Irreplaceable. Yeah, man. You must not know about me. Yes, sir.

That one. I don't know what happened to that. It's all good. It's all good. You didn't drink that tea. Yo, yo, yo, Ray J said you're going to send me the curse. You didn't drink that tea. You didn't drink the tea.

You need that honey and life. Ray J done texted me the curse good I love it you said that shit like you was blown before the please don't hear my heart be out but the get ready, holler at your boy. I got you. Thug ballads all day. No, but Beyonce is your place of birth. I wrote that shit to keep initially. I wrote that shit for myself. For you. The story is, okay, so I grew up in a house with my mother, my grandmother, my sister, and five aunts.

Wow. All women. Until I was like 16. So I have one aunt in particular that was, this was the aunt that had a new boyfriend like every fucking month, every month. It was, oh, girl, I love him. He make me feel, he make me feel home.

So he was replaceable. Right? Oh, to say the least. So this was the aunt in the house that had a little bit more money than everybody else. She was by no means rich. She was living in the house with us. However, she had more money than everybody else. She was by no means rich. She was living in the house with us. However, she had more money than everybody else.

She had banks. She had Minko. So when she bought a car for this dude. She bought a car for a nigga. She bought a Jag for this dude. Jag, wall. Mind you, you are living in a house with 17 other people, and you bought a Jag for this dude? That's hella.

It was, it was like, take it till you make it. It was a talk of the crib for like, mind you, mind you, I'm like,

eight, eight years old. But I remember this because every conversation, like, like my mom and my grandma, my aunties,

they used to like commune in the kitchen, you know, get their little wine, you know, their little reefer and just, just talk.

That bad little mouth. Yeah. You just say reefer. Wine reefer, and just talk. That bad little mouth. Oh, yeah. You just said reefer. Whine. Listen, this is 19. Old school, man. This might be 1989. You've been begging the time machine.

It's reefer. It's reefer. At this point, right? Yeah, yeah. And they would just sit and just talk shit about, you know, just what's going on. Talk shit about her. Like, you spending money on this dude you ain't even got. You ain't got a jag, bitch.

What's wrong with you? Type of shit, right? And I'm privy to all of this because I'm literally the only male in the crib. So I'm sitting watching Tom and Jerry, but all of this is going on.

I have no idea that this shit is going to be song lyrics later on in life. I'm just locking it in. So I remember when she found out that this dude was rolling around in that same Jag, but like with other bitches type shit. I remember I was privy to all the conversation.

Like, girl, it's all right. What's her auntie name? You're going to be all right. Oh, no, I ain't going to do that. Oh, come on. You're going to do that. You're going to take a shot for her. I ain't going to do that.

We're still going to take a shot for her. Cookie, I love you. Auntie no name. That ain't her name. That's her nickname, Cookie. Those that know, know that that's what I'm talking about. Okay. So you're going to take a shot for it. Cookie, I love you. But no. Auntie no name. Oh, dude, he said, Auntie no name. That ain't her name. That's what we, that's her nickname, Cookie. Those that know, know that that's what I'm talking about.

Okay. So you wanna take a shot for Cookie? Give us a take a shot for Cookie. Y'all can take a shot for Cookie. You can't, you can't leave Cookie hanging. You can't leave Cookie hanging. I have suddenly become the person

that is not succumbing to peer pressure. All of a sudden, this is me that knows. All right, we got you. Auntie, this is my auntie. Shout out to Auntie Cookie. Continue your story. Continue your story. Shout out to Auntie.

So, the song is a true story. It's a completely true story. I remember this dude. He stuck around just a little bit longer than everybody else, right? And he was always the dude that wanted to rub your head when you come into the crib. Hey, what's going on, little man?

Hey, don't get the hell off me, bro. I feel like that's sunny like this bro i i did not like this dude because he was just trying so hard to be liked you know what i mean it was that dude so i remember the day that he pulled up and mind you because mind you the auntie's done talked about it hold on like oh yeah you know we coming over tomorrow oh no i got all this stuff in this box right here yeah all his stuff is right here so he pulls up i'm watching tom it's jerry he walk in the house you do the look rub my head hey what's on the makeup off me bro get off me that's why you wear hats to this day to this day man to this day he part of it that's the origin story you caused trauma you did you. You caused trauma in my life, bro.

You did. No, but so he go back in the room where Cookie at. And he's looking for something specific. He's like, babe, where my leather jacket at? She's like, oh, yeah, to the left. Yeah, in that box right there. To the left of the closet. Yeah, that's all your shit right there.

And I'm like, ooh. Mind you, I'm eight. So I'm like, ooh, shit. Oh, here it goes. Ooh, you in trouble. So they get into it. You know what I'm saying? You roll around in a car.

I bought you with this bitch. Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah. And I'm just sitting there just soaking it all in. It's hilarious to me. I'm eight years old. It's hilarious. Shit is funny as hell. Because I ain't like this nigga no way.

So I'm enjoying the fact that he's getting it. Do we remember his name? I ain't finna get this nigga no credit. Nah. You caused trauma in my life, bro. I wear hats because of you. No. Give you no credit, bro.

No, no, no. But so the cat, like, I vividly recall this cat walking out of the house with that box with all this stuff in it. Talking about, you ain't going to never find a nigga love you like I love you. You done fucked up today. You ain't going to never find somebody love you like me. And all the aunties just laughing, just dying laughing. And I wanted to be a part of the laughter. Like, I was eight years old. I just, it was joy in the house, and I wanted to be a part of that joy. So I'm laughing, just dying laughing. And I wanted to be a part of the laughter. Like I was, I was eight years old. I just, it was joy in the house and I wanted to be a part of that joy. So I'm laughing

too. I don't know what the hell I'm laughing at. I'm just laughing with them. And I remember, so fast forward to Stargate. I'm in the studio with them and they play me, uh, at the beginning, it's just, just the guitar, the guitar sound that you hear on Irreplaceable is just that initially. And I'm like, I want to do some country shit today. And they're like, yeah, fuck it. Let's try some country shit. So I'm listening to this shit. And for whatever reason, that image of old boy walking out the crib with this cardboard box with all this shit in it just pops into my head.

Saying the shit he was saying. So I wrote the song and i'm like i'm like but but this was this was my auntie's story let me try to flip it to where it's like like i'm telling the girl to leave because she did some foul shit or whatever like yeah let me try that so i wrote it like that i wrote it in first person like it's me telling the girl awesome you must not know my b i can have another you in a minute matter of fact she'll be here in a minute but then i listen back to this shit, and I'm like, all right. At this point in life, the majority of my fan base is female.

Do chicks really want to hear me say, I can have another you in a minute. Matter of fact, she'll be here in a minute? No. Maybe not. Maybe not, right? You would have been B-tuned. Yeah. That shit comes across real mean, real misogynistic. That would have struck a chord. You know what I'm saying? You would have been B-tuned. Yeah, like, that shit comes across real mean, real misogynistic.

That would have struck a chord. You know what I'm saying? Call me Weinstein-ish. A little bit. A little bit. A little bit. A Jason. I'm sitting with Stargate, and I'm like, yo, okay, so there's clearly something to this record.

But this shit might not be for me, y'all. We might need to get a female to sing this. Because if you take that same concept, that same lyric, I can have another you in a minute. Matter of fact, he'll be here in a minute. And you let a chick sing it. It becomes empowering. You see a sea of women behind her with their fists up like,

that's right, girl. We ain't going to take it. You can see that shit. So I'm like, yeah, we might need to get this to a female. So basically, you sold men out boyfriends and baby daddies all over the world was mad at me for a little while behind that shit they were let's just be clear you sold us out listen listen hey we still fuck with you we love you I mean you know it's all love but at the end of the day that was a thought pattern you chose us listen if I can get in good with the smarter race, I'm going to do that.

You can't be mad at me for that. That's assertiveness. That's drive, bro. I got vision. I hate a lot of you. Whenever I can't figure some shit out, my wife will come and figure it out. I'll be hating. Right?

I'll be hating because I'll be like, why? Same shit. But then again, I can't hook up with Nintendo. You can't hook up with Nintendo. You can't hook up a Nintendo I don't know I'm not the fact that you said Nintendo and that Xbox My VCR still blinked 12 o'clock. Who has a VCR anymore? He put a CD in the VCR. He's like, man, this shit is not working. This shit, bro. Let's go on.

Let's go. Let's get that weed gun going again. You met Michael Jackson? I met Michael Jackson. How was it? Surreal. Which Michael Jackson? What era of Michael Jackson is this?

I met Mike. He's definitely white. I met Mike roughly eight months before he passed. Oh, wow. Yeah. That's when you first met him? That's when I first, first met him. That's crazy.

So how does this happen? So I get a phone call one day. My personal cell phone. I'm actually in the car en route to rehearsal because we was gearing up to get on tour. So I get a call. I answer the call. It's unknown.

I normally don't answer unknown numbers. Like, if I don't got you saved in my phone, I'm not fucking with you. But I answer this one just because on a humbug. I'm in the car, whatever.

So I pick it up. Hello? Hi. Hey. Who is this? It's Michael. You thought it was a prank caller? Michael who?

Michael Jackson. I click. Because clearly somebody's fucking with me. Somebody messing with me, right? So within five minutes of that phone call, I get another phone call from my assistant at this point. He's like, yo, so are you sitting down? I'm like, I'm in the car. What are you talking about? He's like, yo, Michael Jackson is about to call you and

talk to you about some music. I'm like, about to call me? Or already called me like 10 minutes ago? Nigga, damn. Oh, shit, he already called you? Yeah, I hung up on this nigga. I hung up on Michael Jackson. You being late with this call made me hang up on Michael Jackson. Damn, Neil.

You're a foul nigga, Neil. Yo, I thought somebody was playing. I thought somebody was playing. So he calls me back. And of course, I front. I'm like, yeah, I was going under a bridge. We got this. Bad reception.

Bad reception. But he was like, he basically said, I would love to get in the studio and work with you. And I'm like, I'm literally not inside my body right now. Like, what? You want to work with me? All right, cool. Let's set it up. Let's get it together.

You know, his people, call my people, whatever, whatever. He said he wanted to meet. I want to meet with you, and I want to talk to you about the kind of music I want to produce so we set it up uh we set up to meet at leo cohen's shout out to leo cohen we set up set up to meet at leo cohen's crib because he wanted to meet somewhere private out the way you know i'm saying and i i completely understood that leo cohen's in new york or la in new york okay good york so shout out to madison shout out to leo cohen i don't i don't know. You're getting detailed. Hold on.

I don't know. He's like, what address is this? So, I go to Leo Cohen's house, whichever one it was in at the time. Right? You know, we chop it up for a minute. He's like, he's here. He's going. And he put me in like a study, like, because it's Leo Cohen.

So, he has a study in his house. Is Leo there? He's there. No, he's, yeah, he answered the door. Yeah, he's there. So cohen so he has a study in his house is leo there he's there no he's yeah he answered the door yeah he's there so he puts me in the study which is like a room three times the size of this room just full of books it's leo cohen all right cool so michael jackson walks in he has on an all black suit a suit suit shirt whole suit he floating he nigga so i'm gonna tell you so i i knew i know i knew that michael jackson was like six feet tall but like when he walked in the room wait he's six feet tall michael jackson yeah he's

six six two he's a big dude he's a tall dude michael's a tall dude you're fucking us up right now you didn't know that no michael jackson was easily six feet tall yeah he's a tall dude but when he walked in the room the the nigga was ten feet tall. Like, he walked in, he had on these aviator glasses. With the mirror joints, though. Like, the shit that, like, the bike cops wear. Like, you know how fast you were going. Like, them cops.

He had on them shits, right? With the fucking, with the whole shit on his wrist, like he had broke his thumb or some shit. And he walks in, and his first words to me are, oh my God, you know what my favorite song of yours is? Now, mind you, time stops at this moment. Because I'm like, Michael Jackson is asking me if I know what his favorite song of mine is.

You couldn't even fathom that. This is Michael fucking Jackson. Let me ask you real quick. Does he have a glove on? He says. He had on like the whole, like a arm brace, like a brace or some shit,

like he had like. Oh boy, I'm saying that's on the left hand. The whole joint. On the right glove, where he'd be finger popping with the shit on. Yeah, the whole joint. With the full black suit. Oh, did he have that on?

He did have that on. He didn't have it on, okay. So mind you, he says to me, oh my God, you know what my favorite song of yours is? And then the nigga commences to singing the song. Please don't worry about me, I'm fine.

With the hand bopping the whole night. Now, I ain't never felt like a 12-year-old girl in my life. In that moment, I was a 12-year-old girl. Did you compose yourself? I kept it cool. I'm like, this is Mike. I can't fan out in front of this nigga. But you can. and i'm like this is mike i can't i can't fan out in front of this nigga this is what he's expecting no you can't no i can't no i cannot

this is michael fucking jackson no i gotta i gotta maintain but inside it was oh my god it was that inside but i kept it on the inside right so we So we talked for about an hour and a half which is about music in general and how choreography looks like. He said choreography now looks like calisthenics. And I was like, okay. That's not a big up, right? No, no. He was like, people aren't dancing

for the joy of dancing anymore. It looks like aerobics now. Right. And I'm like, okay, okay. It's interesting. So we talked about, you know, what he wanted to do with the next album, what he wanted to sound like the whole nine. And he gave me a phone number.

So for the next, like, two weeks, I'm back and forth on the phone with Michael fucking Jackson. I'm sending him records. He's critiquing the records. He called me like, yo, I really love number three. Number three is so special, but I feel like the hook is just not right.

Just retouch the hook on number three. And so it's like about six records that me and Mike put together via just on the phone, just talking about shits, right? And she has to send in a hard drive. I've done nothing with him. But the plan was to get in a hard drive I've done nothing with him but um

the plan was to get in and record these records after the uh so you saw the film This Is It so after that tour we were supposed to get in and record these records

and of course you know he passed before he even got a chance to do that tour so yeah so I still got the records they just sitting

just sitting waiting on me to figure out what the hell I'm going to do with them. It's just, it's never felt right. Did he do any of his vocals? No, no, no. It's all me on the vocals. But it's records that I wrote with Mike. Wow.

We was prepping them for him to get them after the tour. He died before the tour. We didn't get a chance to get them. So I got the records. And nothing feels right right if that makes sense like it don't feel right to drop them as my own because I wrote them for Mike

it don't feel right to sell them because I wrote them for Mike you know what I mean and I would never want a motherfucker to fix their mouth to be like Neo try to make some money

off of Mike's name if I just put them shits out like these is the records that me and Mike was going to do before he passed you know what I mean so I don't know

but why would you sell it to like a Chris Brown or something like that? Does it feel right? Would it be crazy to reach out to Janet? I got all the love in the world to a Chris Brown, all of that. But these records were written for Michael Jackson. I'm not putting another voice on his records. I'm not doing it.

I personally can't do it. That's honorable. I can't do it. I can't doing it. I personally can't do it. That's honorable. I can't do it. I can't do it. And I don't doubt that a Chris or a Bruno Mars and some elements would smash these shits. I don't doubt it at all. But the fact that I wrote them for Mike, intended for Mike, and Mike's voice, I can't. I can't.

I can't. I'll tell you my Mike story. I never met Mike. But Pharrell called me me this is the most exciting pharrell's ever great story man and and his and and his life he called me and was like yo mike called us and said that he wants records from us so i was like yo that's fucking dope he said we sent him all these fucking records and then pharrell goes so then we we sent him all these fucking records. And then Pharrell goes, so then we sent him these records. And then Mike gets on the phone with us and says, no, we don't want this.

We want something Nori would rap on. Wow. Like, if Nori wouldn't rap on it, I want Superthug. Wow. But if Nori wouldn't rap on it, don't send it to me. You didn't know that until Pharrell said it, right? No, I did not know that. On the show.

No, no, no, no. I knew that back then. Oh, he told you before. No, because he called me. He called me. He was like. Do you know how I would walk around? You didn't know that so for real set it right no I did that on the show no He called me he was like how I would walk around oh, yeah knowing that Mike referenced me in the records he won from the net. Fuck y'all. Fuck all y'all. I'm taking a shot with that, Neil. You got me hiking, Neil. I'm going to rock with you on that one. Yeah, yeah.

Thank you, my brother. I'm going to rock with you on that one. Okay, look. That's different. Yeah, that's different, man. Because that's, yo, the whole. Cheers, fellas. So it was crazy. The whole concept of the people comparing like Drake to Michael Jackson, people comparing Chris to Michael Jackson.

It's a compliment. Yeah, it is. It's an absolute compliment. And I hope that both them niggas is taking it as such. However, how dare you? Like, come on. The numbers that this man was doing at the time that he was doing them. Mind you, this is before YouTube, Spotify, fucking all these different things that allows the whole world to get the music at the same time.

Right? You're right. That shit didn't exist when Mike was doing what he was doing. And the numbers that he was doing, like, even if you match Mike's numbers right now, it's like you still can't compare, nigga, because you're doing it right now. Do that shit in the 80s. Do that shit in the 70s. Damn near created the video market. Come on.

With his videos. There is no comparison. You can never say that talent ain't going to exist after Michael Jackson. Yeah, sure. Of course. So let me just tell you something. The funny thing is,

so all the records that he made for Mike, he gave to Justin Timberlake. I know. I made for Mike, he gave to Justin Timberlake. I know. I heard that story. He gave it to Justin Timberlake. And one of them to Babyface. I heard that story. So it's crazy. And then he was basically telling me, Nori, I need you to pick these beats for me. Like, I had to kind of go pick the worst beats. Because, you know, I like hood, gangsta shit.

I'm like, you know what I mean? And that was an honor, though. It was a real honor. But I never got to meet Mike. At least you got to meet him. Nigga, to know that Mike was sitting somewhere in the world listening to your shit. Like, I need something like this. Call the, who is it?

The Neptunes? Call them. I need this. I need this. I need this. Nigga. Come on, bro. You could die a happy man. There's no bigger accolade than that, bro.

By the way, that might have been the best Michael Jackson impression. We've had it on the show. Other people tried, but I believed him just now. Every time he said, I need this. There's no bigger accolade, bro. Listen. This is the machine. We are trying to get everyone in the room high because we are good people.

And I'm smoking. I'm not trying. Yo, can I tell you how genius of a concept this whole show is? Thank you, sir. Appreciate that. Because you already know. You're dealing with artists. Artists come in here with their politically correct.

Like, let me. We let your guard down. They got their answers to your questions already know. You're dealing with artists. Artists come in here with their politically correct, like, let me. We let your guard down. They got their answers to your questions already set. Like, all right, I'm going to say this as to not fuck up and say that. And you get a motherfucker in here. Get him drunk. And you get him drunk. Blow some weed.

You get yourself drunk. You get yourself drunk. Listen, you're going to say the real shit, regardless of whether you want to or not. You're going to talk the real shit. It's a genius concept, bro. By the way, me and him was in a locker room with you guys. I worked your records. I worked for Death Jam.

So he's a real, real DJ. Real, real DJ. I'm talking about crate DJ. The motherfuckers with the crates. They gotta walk up and they gotta drive in a Volkswagen because they got like... He's that type of DJ. And shout of DJ any gigs who worked your records to the first the street team No respect, but I was right to as well. So now he is a DJ. He he ran a street team

Mm-hmm. So and then me I was a I'm a real artist like I don't real artists I don't know what blacks you know, this is my judge. I want to reproduce you So I'm gonna fancy this component. Oh,, no, no tell me you stab somebody the component So that's the reason why like and you know what it is, oh It's gonna make him talk more. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. The way you do it is hilarious. Yo, I need one of them shits at the crib, bro.

Blow that deal, blow that deal. No, I'm saying I need this shit set up to the AC system in my house. Oh, the AC? Oh, shit. So when you walk in my house, you have no choice but to tell the truth. That's right. I need that. I need one. Give it to the tell the truth. That's right. I need that. I need one. Give it to the room.

Give it to the room. I need one. Give it to the room. Cleanse the room. I'm going to set that shit up in the crib. This is off stage. Niggas are going to be in the house honest as hell and don't know why. I don't know why.

I just got to tell you the truth right now. And we got to take a shot! The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. It's for the families of those who didn't make it.

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Yo, I was having a conversation just recently with somebody about the state of R&B. State of R&B. You know, the album is out, so everybody want to talk to me about the state of R&B. State of R&B. You know, the album is out, so everybody wants to talk to me about the state of R&B. Right. Right. And I had a realization, like, in the midst of this question.

Yes. So you know that, like, right this second, hip-hop is the biggest genre of music. In the world. Period. In the world. Yeah. Right?

And it's been that for, like, the last few years. Yep. few years right so when that happened because before that it was like what it was rock or country or some shit but then it then it happened with hip-hop and then all of a sudden every other genre gets the hip-hop makeover now we got trap country records right right everything is yeah everything has gotten remixed as a considered Markman Dream Missile of the Lost? That's considered trap country? Rob Markman Basically, yeah. Rob Markman Oh, I didn't know that. Rob Markman I mean, that's how it started.

I don't know what you call them now, but that's how it started. So it occurred to me that like, yo, everything got like a hip hop makeover when hip hop became the most special genre of music on the face of the planet, R&B included. And you look at the new generation of R&B and how they do what they do. And mind you, some people have issues with today's R&B because it don't feel like R&B in the 90s. The 90s was the last time R&B had its own identity. Like traditional R&B.

It wasn't the ugly cousin of hip-hop, right? Right. Kind of what it is now. But you look at the new the new generation that's coming up and you look at what they're coming in coming up on they're coming up on hip-hop so of course that even they r&b is going to feel like hip-hop because they came up looking up to the hip-hop niggas so you know when people act like the whole concept of the vulnerability of r&b and what that was like nigga we we came up in the era where niggas was begging on the record

and that was what it was that was what it was like baby baby please was what it was you know what i'm saying we singing and light a candle and a wife beater like this is what it was but these young cats is coming up off of the hip hop niggas. And they want to finger pop. They want to be that. You know what I'm saying? It's like, all right, I sing and I got to be that. They want to be like that.

And that's a blurry line. Some's not even saying they R&B. They straight rapping with auto-tune, really singing. Right. It's rapping to a melody. Right. A lot of the R&B right now. Right.

But it's like, I can't be mad at them because I have to look at where they're coming from, what they're coming up listening to, who they're coming up on. Hip-hop became the biggest genre of music in the world, so not everybody is paying attention to hip-hop. So no matter what genre you're doing, you got hip-hop right here. So even if it's country, if it's R&B, if it's Spanish music, whatever the fuck is going to have a hip-hop element to it because everybody fucks with hip-hop, right? B.I.P. B.I.P. Take a selfie. I miss you. What happened? No, I'm fucking with you.

No, but no, I'm real shit. That's real shit. So I can't be mad at these niggas for that. I can't be mad because Cat niggas for that. Right. I can't be mad because Cat Saint's singing the way they were singing when I was coming up. You know, I grew up on fucking Boyz II Men and Jodeci. Right. But you also sung in church? A little bit. A little bit?

You didn't like church? I didn't like church. Damn. No disrespect to church, no disrespect to religion and Christianity. Ask you to have a cross in your ear. I went to church with my grandmother because ear. I went to church with my grandmother because I had to go to church with my grandmother because she was not accepting

the kids not being in church on Sunday. I am a spiritual person. I believe in God. I don't so much lock into commercial religion. Not really. You know what I'm saying? I know that God exists. I know that there's a power higher than myself.

I know that. I felt a hand on my back though, my entire life. You know what I'm saying? So many different situations where I was supposed to be fucked up and I wasn't because of this hand on my back. Right? So I know that that exists. The fine print of it is where it gets questionable to me because I know

the nature of man. You know what I'm saying? And man is about control. It's about power. And if I can say something to you that's going to make you let me control you, I'm going to say that as a human being. You know what I mean? So that's what

makes me go, spirituality, God, sure. Christianity, Catholicism, all of these commercial joints all of these businesses I'm in but I'm not in I ain't gonna never shit on what nobody believe

you know what I'm saying at the end of the day if it's making you smile rock by all means rock who am I to take that from you but at the same time I'm not going to sit up and feel like my destiny past this life is determined on whether or not I apply to your fucking program. You know what I mean? It ain't that for me. I talk to God personally.

I sit by myself and talk to God. I don't need to go to your building every Sunday and put on my Sunday best and watch the women in the hats talk crazy about me when I walk away. I don't have to do that. I don't have to give you 10% of what the hell I worked hard for to prove that I believe in a higher power. That's not

necessary. There's parts of the Bible that'll tell you. Church is two or three joined in my presence, that's church. Yeah, church could be in your mind. You ain't got to go over there. You ain't got to do all that. I ain't got to sit back and feel judged by y'all because I ain't been here in months. You know what I'm saying?

It's like, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. You see Neo in here. Mm-hmm. Praise God. Mm-hmm. When was the last time we saw him? Mm-hmm. Praise God. I don't got to sit through that.

I ain't got to deal with all that. You know what I'm saying? Me, my wife, my kids, we'll sit down and pray and then have a conversation about the higher power, and that's the church. We good. We good. You know what I'm saying? That's me.

That's real. Go back to your train of thought, though. You was talking about... Oh, yeah. I'm drunk, so I'm on a tangent. What was I talking about? You were talking about that you grew up on Jodeci, Boyz II Men. Right. I grew up on R&B cats. You know what I'm drunk, so I'm on a tangent. What was I talking about? You were talking about, like, that you grew up on Jodeci, Boyz II Men. Right.

I grew up on R&B cats. You know what I'm saying? Jodeci was in leather in the desert talking about I'll cry for you. And then got on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards in masks and machetes. Like, it's the thuggish shit ever. It's the thuggish R&B ever. However, the niggas was like, do you believe in love and the power that it gives? Right?

I grew up on that. I didn't grow up on what some of the newer generation is coming up on. So I can't fault them for the way that they do what they do because they're following the shit that inspired them. Right. You know what I mean? Like, people are like, well, how do you feel about, what do you feel about the state of R&B right now? And I think back to, like, my uncles and how my uncles used to run up on me and my friends like, that ain't real music.

That ain't real music. Y'all listen to some bullshit. You need to listen to this. You need to listen to that. And it's like, I've become my uncles to my sons. You know what I mean? Like, I'm listening to what they're listening to. Like, nigga, you need to listen.

What are your sons listening to? Ah, shit. What they on? What they on right now? My oldest son is nine. He's weird. So it's some other shit. But it's not music to me. to? Ah, shit. What they on? What they on right now? My oldest son is nine. He's weird. So it's some other shit. But it's not music to me.

It's like, okay, so there's some game. And I'm about to give y'all props. Y'all should send me a check. There's this game called Friday Night Funkin'. Right? It's a video game. Okay. But in the video game, the characters are, quote unquote, battle rapping against each other.

But it's no lyrics. It ain't even words. It's just sounds and beeps and shit. E-I-E-E-R-R-R-R. Like the synth? Yeah. And my sons love this shit to where they feel like this is a battle rap. And I'm like, son, you're so lost.

You're so lost. That'd be funny. They go, ooh, we got you. You're so lost. That'd be funny. They go, ooh, we got you. You're so lost. But they love this shit. And I'm like, that is not battle rap. What are you doing? What are you?

And instantly, I'm like, oh, shit. I'm my uncle's sitting listening to me and my friends listening to what we listen to. Like, nigga, that ain't music. You need to get with this earth, wind, and fire. You need to get with this. If it's legit just noises, that's not being your uncle. Mind you, mind you,

to my uncles, what I was listening to at the time was just fucking beats and noises. I don't know, man. No, it's real shit. That's a good point. Think of a nigga that grew up on Earth, Wind & Fire listening to DOS effects. Yeah. No, no, facts. Yeah, that makes sense. You feel me? So it's the same thing. Yeah, that's it.

It's secular. All this shit happens in cycles. I'm looking at my sons like, yo, that ain sense. You feel me? So it's the same thing. Yeah, that's ill. It's secular. All this shit happens in cycles. I'm looking at my sons like, yo, that ain't music. And instantly my uncles pop up in the back of my head like, yo, that ain't music. And I'm like, fuck, it's music to him. Right. It's music to him. And whatever the fuck he decided to do with music behind this is going to come from this inspiration. Right.

And I can't shit on him for that. I can't talk bad. I can't talk down for him for that. Because my uncle's talking down for me, down to me for listening to DOS FX. Fucking the far side of shit. Like, when these niggas was on Earth, Wind & Fire and all of that.

So I can't fault him for it. But at the same time, I can also go, you know what, okay, alright, that's music, but this is music too. The way your mom and your aunt put you on the music. Exactly. Exactly. So that's the place I'm taking right now. But just to sit back and realize that this shit is secular.

So I got five kids. My oldest is 12. My girl is 12. My girl is 12. My youngest is one. And I find myself saying things to my kids that my mama said to me. Like the second I said it, it's like, yo, I remember this. To the point where, like, I got to call my mom. Like, yo, yo, I'm sorry.

Yo, I apologize. That's what it is. Because you was literally just really just trying to fucking figure it out. Like just trying to make it make sense as you went along. Like you was really on that because I'm in this shit like, oh, how do I in this climate make sure that my young prince understands that he's a young prince? You feel me? In this crazy world. How do I do that right now when he's being bombarded with everything else? Like how do i do that right now when when he's being bombarded with everything

else like how do i do that and and so so yeah i literally had to call my mom on some yo i appreciate the the way that you made it make sense even if it barely made sense to you in the moment you made it make sense to me and i fucking appreciate that because i'm going through it right now and that shit is hard right It's hard. No, it's real. Real shit, real shit. I'm sorry. I'm drunk,

so I'm going to tell you. That's the hardest shit ever. Feel me. We're living at different times, yo. Yep. Bob's Cartel and Spice flipped your Miss Independent record.

Yeah. Did you clear it? I didn't not clear it. But the streets cleared it. The streets cleared it. The streets cleared it right away, which made it virtually impossible for me to not clear it But the streets cleared it The streets cleared it The streets cleared it right away Which made it virtually impossible for me to not clear it Even if I was thinking about not clearing it

Which by the way I was never thinking about not clearing it That's Vibes Cartel I'm saying First and foremost before the song was presented to me The concept of Vibes Cartel And who he was was presented to me Like this is that dude. Oh, and by the way,

he did this with your song. It was presented to me like that. So I'm like, so what are we talking about right now? Of course it's fine. Why would I have a problem with this? To this day, I can't, like, you know, I can't be over there and perform Miss Independent

without giving props to what the fuck he did. You know what I'm saying? Like, we made it. We made it. Yeah, man. Back to life. Yeah, man. Like, you created a whole nother vibe and essence off of this shit that I was trying to do.

I got to give you love for that. Yeah. Like, I think his name is Armani White. Armani White. He did my song Over Nothing. And I co-s is Armani White. Armani White, he did my song Over Nothing. And I co-signed it too. You got to have to, bro. You got to realize.

It's generations coming behind you. Generations on generations on generations. And if you decide to not let nobody fuck with what you did because it's what you did and you have this pride about it, them generations don't get it. it they don't get to enjoy it they don't get to they don't get to know who noriega was you know what i'm saying but but but i don't always co-sign everything i mean no of course i can't lie to you i can't look at coming you looking face to face right now neither do i i can't because there's been certain records that sample like there's certain people that be like yo yo, this is Norio or whatever, and they trying to, like, emulate me.

Man, I don't like it. Nigga, nah. I mean, but they shouldn't be trying to emulate you. You're entitled to that. Yeah. Why would you okay some shit that's a whacker version of what you did? Why would you okay that? Nah.

I don't want the next generation of you. Of course not. Of course not. Of course not. Certain records I do love. Flo Rida, Artist. She did Superdog over. I approved it. Armani White, Billie Irish.

I approved it. But let's just say everything. I hate when someone says Banff from TV. Banff from TV is my record with big fun I think we put will never be able to come and redo this again, right? So why the fuck would you do it? Yeah, don't know I'm saying so don't touch. So I won't I won't if anything for a better TV I won't clear it if Beyonce sample man from TV. No, Beyonce's good. Okay, cool. We clear. He got you a quick time of slime.

Just make a show. Just make a show, yo. We keep it funky right now. Yeah, yeah, keep it funky. Y'all such and such from whatever. Nah, nah, don't sample my shit. But that's also what I like, though. I like when a person take the record and make it their own.

I agree. When they take it and try to remake mine, that's what makes me angry. Same shit. So I'd rather you take it and you... Don't reproduce it. Remix it or complement it. Make something else. No, so it's the plight of a songwriter that is also an artist,

which back day, every hip-hop artist was if you was writing your own lyrics. That's right. You're a songwriter and an artist, right? Yes. So somebody come along and want to sample something that you know, back day, every hip-hop artist was if you was writing your own lyrics. That's right. You're a songwriter and an artist, right? Yes. So somebody come along and want to sample something that you did, if you're not going to take it and take, if you're not going to bring it to another level, leave it the fuck alone.

Because why would I ever want the last memory of my shit to be the whack shit that you created to it? Why would I ever want that to be? Nah. When they think of my shit, I want them to think of the greatness that I brought to it. Now, if you're going to add to that greatness, yeah, rock out by all means. But you ain't going to bring my shit down.

It ain't going to lead people back to the original. Yeah, it's like, yo, I used to fuck with this song, and then such and such sampled it, and I was like, fuck that song. Nah. I'm not going to let that happen. That's true. That's real shit. Never do that.

I've been saying this for years. I'm so happy you said it. Nah, real shit. You said exactly what I was going to let that happen. That's true. That's real shit. That's right. I've been saying this for years. I'm like, I'm so happy you said it. Nah, real shit. You said exactly what I was going to say for years. So as a songwriter, I always respect the artist that's going to take the shit and make it theirs. Beyonce, like if you listen to my demo of Irreplaceable and listen to Beyonce's Irreplaceable, you'll hear slight differences. You'll hear the nuances that make that shit a Beyonce record. Right.

Right? She didn't follow what I did to the fucking T. Right. Because for all that, nigga, let me keep it. Yeah, there's no point in that. And let me just do it myself. Right. So I've always had the utmost respect for the artist that's going to take it and make it theirs.

You know what I'm saying? Like, don't do it just for the fucking sake of doing it. Right. Because you fucking with my legacy like that. Right. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's, don't, don't, don't, don't do it just for the fucking sake of doing it. Right. Because you fucking with my legacy like that. Right. You know what I'm saying? Like, the last time somebody heard my shit was on some whack-ass remix that some nigga did because he just felt, fucking felt like it. Nah, I'm not, I'm not rocking with that.

Nah. Last time you heard a remix of my shit, it was something that Beyonce touched. Nice floss. Light floss. Yeah. You know what I mean? It's different. But how about Prince? You ever met Prince? Yes. Was he

flowy? Yes. Yes. Yes. Listen, I live on this planet and in this realm of reality where everybody else Prince could fucking fly. I don't give a fuck what nobody says. Everyone says it. This motherfucker could defy gravity. Defy what nobody says. Everyone says it. This motherfucker could defy gravity.

Defy gravity, yes. Everyone says it. So it's right after Year of the Gentleman, which was my biggest album ever, right? Next album, Libra Scale. I go into the label. I tell them, yo, I want to do a 30-minute mini movie and let the album be the soundtrack to the movie.

And they're like, yo yo that's a dope idea let's do it mind you I'm fresh off the heels of Red Tails I did Red Tails with George Lucas Life Flex

and then I did Battle of Los Angeles with George Lucas George Lucas Star Wars nigga Star Wars nigga yo

that is a flex George Lucas said I want to big up the Red Tails the Tuskegee Airmen, the black fleet of fighters in the Air Force. Yeah. So he did Red Tails, and he let me be a part of that, and that shit was amazing. Shit was beautiful. So I'm fresh off the heels of that.

I come into the label excited, like, yo, I'm off this movie shit. I want to do some movie shit. I want to do, like, a 30-minute movie and let the album be the soundtrack this was what libra scale was supposed to be what i didn't realize is that in the realm of screen and script writing a page equates to a minute right right so one page is one minute right i told him i want to do like a 30 minute mini movie i brought them a script with 145 pages in it. That's way more than that. It was like, that's not a mini movie, Pim.

That's a feature. That's a feature film. What the fuck are you doing? So mind you, I didn't know. I didn't know this. So I learned that through that process. All right, cool. So I had to take this 145 pages and bust it down to 30.

By the time I figured out how to do that, the clock is ticking. We got to get this shit out. We don't have time to cast and shoot a whole fucking movie for 30 minutes. So, all right, let's do, let's do six long form videos, right? So you got, you got Champagne Life.

You got, you got Beautiful Monster. You got One in a Million. One in a Million ends with a To Be Continued that never continues. Because Dev Jam was like, nigga, we ain't giving you no more money for this shit. Like, this is nuts. Because mind you, I'm literally just doing, What are the million ends with it to be continued that never continues because they have jams like nigga We ain't give you no more money for this shit like this is nuts. Yeah, cuz my I'm literally just do I'm Figuring it out as I go along right and they they rock you with me

They let me do it. It's like you're the gentleman was funny like I think what you want to do and And I'm and I'm just really figuring this shit out as I go so the album didn't perform Well, you know send the singles that. So the album didn't perform well. You know what I'm saying? The singles did all right, but the album didn't perform well. I was fucked up about it. That same year, we get invited to Prince's Grammy party. Prince used to throw a party at his house for the Grammys every year.

Was everything purple? There was a lot of purple. Okay. Lavender. I'll say there was an overabundance of purple. Not everything was purple. But if it was ten shits in a room, none of them shits was purple. Anyway, so I go to we go to the party. We're in the pool house, right? Because it's it's the spot in this pool house.

And there's like a plexiglass shit over. We're literally standing on top of the swimming pool. And I just think this is the coolest shit ever because I'm a little green at this point. But anyway, Prince is on a stage with his band rocking out, just awesome, freestyling, just rocking out. Crooning. Just rocking out, playing his guitar. He sees me. He puts his guitar down and beeline straight to me. He gets right up on my ear because this is how Prince speaks to you.

If you've ever spoken to Prince, he gets right up on my ear because this is how Prince speaks to you. If you've ever spoken to Prince, you know this. He'll get real close so that he don't got to talk real loud. He got right up on my ear and he said Libra Scale was a good album and don't let anybody tell you different. And walked away. And the nigga didn't say shit to me for the rest of the night.

That was all he said to me the whole night. To the point, I was fucked up about Libra Scale. Like, I really wanted it to be really good. He gave you what you needed. And it wasn't good. And it was performing poorly the whole night. And you know, the label is trying to be nice about the shit.

But the shit is not working. He walked up to me and was like, yo, Libra Scale is a good album. And don't let anybody tell you different. I was like, nigga, we could go double wood. I don't give a fuck. Prince said that this is a good album and don't let anybody tell you different i was like we could go double wood i don't give a prince said that this is a good album i'm straight i'm straight that was a great moment that's that's that's one prince i really wasn't trying to get you to take another shot but we gotta take a shot to that, but we got to take a shot to that Prince story. We have to take a shot to the Prince story. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, my brother. You disrespectful. Let's go. No, no, no, no, no, no. Because you know what? Hold, hold, hold, hold. All right. I'm going to take a shot and then a piss.

How about when the whole world was like, hey, they can come down. You went too far. You went too far. But now, self-explanatory. I'm going to take a piss, guys. I'll be back. That's the most humbling disrespectful statement ever.

Self-explanatory. It's humble because it's like, y'all should know. But then it's disrespectful because it's like, y'all should know. Straight up. Straight up. And that was the intent. I hit it on the nose? much okay so I called the album that for a couple reasons you've been outside as I said earlier in this in

this whole situation I've always prided myself on my my product speaking for itself I don't gotta sit here and sell you on what the fuck I do. I don't got to sit here and brag to you about what I've done. I can push play, and that is going to be enough for you to understand who I am, what I am, how I am, how I rock, right? So that, and then on top of that, it's been almost 20 years at this point. Do you really need a full-on explanation to a Neo album at this point in the game?

Right. You know what I'm saying? So it's like Neo music is music to live life to, right? Right. It's fine. Be it the nigga you just broke up with or the chick you just broke up with or the new love that you just found or it's Sunday and you just want to clean the crib

or it's Saturday and you gearing up to go out and turn up. There is not an aspect of life that you can name that you can't put a neo song to and allow that song to be the soundtrack to that moment. And that's how I rock. And that's how I've always rocked. And this album is kind of a celebration of that. Straight up.

My flex is light, bro. My flex is light. I ain't going to, you know. I don't got to point the diamonds out. But when you see them, goddamn. You feel me? That's what it is. That's a flex.

That's a flex. That's a flex. I don't got to point it out. Is there any song that you wrote for somebody and gave them and that you regretted that? I was like, damn, I wish I kept that for myself. This is a question that has been popping up a lot lately. Okay. And I can only think of really and truly one instance where it happened like that.

And I don't like talking about it because people like to take shit and turn it into hate. And I'm not hating because I love this nigga. You know what I'm saying? This is my guy. Shout out to my man Luke James. We did a record together, right? Mind you, we didn't necessarily do a record together. It was a record that I wrote and he

fucked with it and he was like, his people fucked with it and he was like, yo, let's cut this on Luke James. Right. And I was all for it because Luke James is one of the dopest voices right now. Period. The nigga's dope. So I'm like, yeah, let's do it.

So the song was the way that I did the song was in a key and a pitch higher than Luke James regularly sings. So they took the song and they dropped it down to a key that was comfortable for Luke James. Now, anybody that knows anything about music, when you take a song and you drop the key, you take a little bit of energy from the record. You know what I'm saying? And in the case of this, it was exactly that. It was like what the record was like what the record was versus what the record became it just wasn't as good and I felt the way because I'm like fuck man for all of that we could have just gotten a lab and did some original did something from scratch you know what I'm saying because again I fuck with Luke James it's my guy the name of the joint was

was make love to me and if you listen to my demo of it, and then you listen to his version of it, you see how many keys they dropped it down. And it just didn't make the song work for what it was supposed to be. You know what I mean? So again, all love to Luke James. This is not a diss, okay? Fuck any blog that's trying to turn this into

a diss. It's not that. I got love for Luke James. I love that dude. But that particular song just didn't become what it should have been. know i mean is that a risk because when you write a song for somebody is it is it is it you laying your your vocals down and then sending it to them because if this ever comes out now this is your what do they call that shit uh your reference track yeah so it has that ever been a problem for you? Because you got to realize in hip hop...

I'm going to answer that in two seconds because if I don't move I'm going to pee on myself. Okay, okay. We could have done that at the same time, guys. What the fuck? Y'all looking at me crazy. Let's just take the band-aid off the thing, right? In R&B you know having someone help you with your stuff is not framed upon on all.

Not at all. Not at all. But has that ever been a problem for you? Like you sit in reference tracks and maybe the engineer got mad at somebody and sent it out. Now, the version that Ne-Yo just did for Celine Dion is out there. And it's Ne-Yo's version as opposed to Celine Dion's version. I'll just give you an example. Have you ever ran into a problem like that? It never became a problem, but it was a lesson to learn in the realm of songwriting and trying to shop records.

So if I write a record, I can sing. So if I write a record, I'm going to sing the reference to that record. Not every songwriter that writes can sing. It gets somebody else to sing it. But the smart songwriter is going to tell the person referencing the record to keep it as basic and minimal as humanly possible because what you don't want to do you don't want to out sing the person the person that you're trying to shop it to you know what i mean like you want to you want to keep it in you want to keep it in a realm where the person listening to it can hear what

they can bring to it or make it better in order to make it their record you know if you go in there you're doing all the ad libs and you're singing this shit like you like you're trying to audition for this shit to be your record you're probably not going to sell that joint even if it's dope even if it's amazing you're not going to sell that record because nobody's going to listen to it and be able to hear themselves right it. They can only hear you. Right? So it's only ever really been that. You know, I had to learn that early on. Because in the beginning, if I'm writing a record, I'm excited about the shit.

And I'm singing it. I'm doing the harmonies and the alems. And I'm doing the shit like it could potentially be my record. To where it's like people are listening to it and giving it the love and giving it the respect, but nobody wants to buy it because it's like, nigga, this is your record. This is you. You know what I mean?

So it's always only been that. That type of situation. Now let's talk about Crazy with Jay-Z. Hmm. Man. How did this happen? So L.A. Reid is CEO, Jay-Z is president. He's my friend I can say. What did you say? I said he took everybody's budget.

He took the whole label's budget. Yeah, nobody had a budget at that time. I didn't say that, Jay. That was me. That's my friend. That's my friend, I can say. So, I mean, when I first met Jay-Z and I first got the deal, and I don't remember where the fuck it was.

I think it was in the L.A. office. And I walked up to Jay-Z, and I extend my hand. And he shakes my hand, but his first words to me was like, nigga, why you get that song away? And I'm like, what? He was talking about Mario's You Should Let Me Love You. He's like, nigga, why you get that song away? Not, hey, how you doing, welcome to the label, none of that shit.

Nigga, why you get that song away? Not, hey, how you doing? Welcome to the label. None of that shit. Nigga, why you give that song away? It was that. And that kind of like set the tone for like our entire relationship. Like Jay-Z has always been that dude that's going to just keep it funky about whatever. You know what I'm saying? That was a point where I was questioning my worth and my value in the game because I hadn't reached the level of some of my peers. And Jay-Z said to me, he's like, nigga, you will never not be all right

because you can always write yourself out of whatever situation. Regardless of what's going on with you, you can always write your way out. You have that. It's cats out here that couldn't write a song, that'll sing the shit out of a song, but couldn't write a song if their life depended on it. That person is dependent on somebody to write a song for them.

You're not that dude, and you'll never be that dude. So you'll never be fucked up. You'll never be in a position that you can't get out of. And like, I took that shit to heart you know what I mean like he like he's he's always been that dude to me like I'm gonna keep it funky with you I'm taking a shot yeah you're giving me reasons to take shots like I'm sitting over here trying to be cordial

but you over here giving giving us like i listen there there's a reason that i got to the levels that i got to because i had some of the most amazing motherfuckers in my corner in my ear telling me how to move you know from from jay-z to la reed to you know to my nigga tango to my nigga tashawn like it was it was people around me that genuinely wanted to see me win and i feel like that's rare nowadays very rare you know i'm saying i had people in my corner that was like nah we want to see this dude get there and we gonna make sure that he has the tools that he needs to get there like i've never not recognized that you know i'm saying like like i know that this shit don't happen for everybody

and you know for this for the way that it does happen for certain people, it's always something interesting. It's always something traumatic. You know what I'm saying? Like, my journey from where I was to where I am has been paved in fucking gold, bro. And I don't, I don't, I do not not recognize that as a blessing because it don't happen like that for everybody So it's a blessing. I appreciate everybody About to get shot for you. There's no way you can't take Our run for that was a shot for you

Neil you're a remarkable motherfucker. You're an impeccable motherfucker You out here you got got hits after hits. Not only you got hits for yourself, you got features with other people that's hits. And then you have writing. You could write for another motherfucker. That's crazy. They tried to give me the right for another motherfucker. I was too lazy.

I was like, fuck. It's different. Let me take this for another motherfucker. I was too lazy. I was like, fuck. You got to like, let me take this shot and figure this out. Because what exactly you got to do to write for a motherfucker? You got to hang out with them. You got to have tuna melts. No, listen. You don't got to eat a tuna melt with somebody. If you are blessed with the opportunity to sit and talk to the artist that you're writing for, that's a blessing, bro. Because in the beginning, you're just writing records and hoping that somebody hear that shit and can relate to it. You ain't had no inside track on who this person is, what this person is going through, how this person would deal with XYZ situation. You don't know none of that. With those situations where you're not with them, are you writing general records where

you think- Generic, right? Yeah, they're just like these general records that are going to work. I have always tried to lock myself into things that are timeless, things that are never going to go anywhere. The sound of a piano, that shit ain't going to go out of style. The sound of a guitar, the sound of a drum, that shit ain't going to never go out of style. Love as a feeling, as an emotion, as a topic ain't going to never go out of style.

Everybody love love. Yeah. If you felt it, if you've never felt it, if you're craving it, you ain't never felt it and you want to feel it, you have felt it, you know the black, white and gray of that shit, that shit will never go away away it's water bro it's it's kind of needed and necessary for us to survive right so i've always locked myself into things that i felt like were never going to go away you know and that's the way that you that's the way that you stay timeless i don't i don't i don't pay i pay attention to trend but i don't lock into trend. You know what I mean?

Music is always going to evolve and expand and change. As times change, as the people producing the music change, it's never going to stay the same. You know what I mean? But conceptually, it could be consistent. Conceptually, it could because people are always going to go through what they're going to go through. Right. But their description of that or the art that they create based on that. Changes with time. It's always going to change with the times.

Right. You know what I mean? So I've always kind of prided myself on being flexible. Like, I can't not be me. I'm going to be me. Like, even in this new album, this self-explanatory album, there are songs on this album

that are classic neo. If you've been a neo fan from since In My Own Words, you're going to relate to these records right the fuck away, right? But there's also records on this album that are me acknowledging the fact that the times have changed the sound has changed the vibe has changed I can never not be me I'm always

be me but I'm but I'm gonna be the me that I can apply to whatever I've always been flexible I've always been able to move it and make sense with whatever's going on. And those records, you know, so to the diehard Ne-Yo fan, you know, these are new records to you because you're accustomed to a certain sound from Ne-Yo. I just need you to jump into this album with an open mind. Just jump into this album anticipating quality. quality because even if you don't so much understand what the music is doing, even if it's not so much your bag, even if it's not so much your cup of tea, you will never ever be able to deny the quality. I do that for y'all. I make sure that my shit is quality, period. So that at the end of the day, if you can't say nothing else, you can say, that shit sounded

amazing. Like, that's how I rock. That's how I rock. Wait, wait. Are you composing the music as well? Huh? Are you composing music as well? To a degree.

To a degree. There's a group of producers that I work with. I don't even, it's not even fair to call them producers. I call them composers. Because these are the kind of cats that you can tell them that you have an idea that sounds like this, and they go take that idea and run with it. As opposed to giving you, these are the kind of tracks I do, and that's just what I do. You know what I'm saying? I've always had an appreciation for the versatile producer.

I can give you some hip hop shit, I can give you some quote unquote neo soul shit, I can give you some hip-hop shit. I can give you some quote-unquote neo-soul shit. I can give you some this. Electro shit. Yeah, all of it. Because at the end of the day, I can apply me to whatever. I could do a fucking rock song. I could do a polka record if I felt like it.

I could apply me to a polka record. Straight up. Not the game. Poker. No, poker and poker. Wooden shoes, nigga. Wooden shoes and getting it in. You seen the Poker King on Netflix?

Yeah. Check it out. You seen the Poker King? Yeah. Don't fuck with me. Yeah. You seen it? Yeah, I did.

You started it. We'll talk about it off air. We'll talk about it off air. All right, but look. The Fabulous record. Make Me Better. Make You Better. Make Me Better. Make You Better. That was recorded for Jay-Z originally?

When I did that hook, I was in the studio with Jay-Z. And I'll never forget this session because I had always heard that Jay-Z doesn't write anything down. I had heard that multiple like, multiple times. Like, he's not a cat that'll sit. Because there was a point in my career where I was a slave to a pen and pad. I had to write it down. I had to be able to visualize it. I had to see it.

So I'm in the studio with Jay, and the beat is playing, and it's a beat from Timbaland. Shout out to Timbaland. Shout out to Timbaland. And he's like, what you hear to this? I'm like, all right, give me a minute. So I sit with my pad and pen, and I write. I'm sitting there trying to figure out what to write.

And as I'm sitting there trying to figure it out, Beyonce comes to the studio. And they kind of like find a corner and like dip off from everybody. Mind you, this is Sony Studios in New York. 54th Street. You know what I'm talking about, my nigga. That shit don't exist no more, but so much history

was made in that building. So we in that building, and it's J and B in the corner, like, nigga, it might as well not have been nobody else in the room, because they just,

they just in, they're just in each other, you know what I'm saying? So I'm looking at this, and I write, alright, I'm thinking about J, Jay- know what I'm saying? So I'm looking at this and I write, I'm thinking about Jay. Jay-Z, I'm a movement by myself.

Jay-Z, I'm a movement by myself. Jay-Z and Beyonce, but I'm a fucking force when we're together. You know what I'm saying? Mommy, I'm good all by myself. But you, you make me better you You make me better You feel me You feel me I'm watching them in the corner Like trying not to be a creep

This is weird If anybody turn around and look at me right now They gonna be like nigga what the fuck you staring at My bad my bad bro My bad bro My bad But you can't help but feel the energy In the corner And you're like, uh, no. My bad, bro. My bad. You know what I'm saying? But you can't help but feel the energy in the corner.

Oh, this is hard. They are in the corner in their own fucking world. There might as well not have been nobody else in the room. Like, this is the vibe that they got. This is hard. And I'm just looking at it like, all right, I'm Jay-Z. I'm fucking Jay-Z. I'm a movement just by myself. I can walk in the room by myself, and shit is going to change because I'm in Jay-Z. I'm a movement just by myself.

I can walk in the room by myself and shit is going to change because I'm in the room. I'm a movement, nigga. But when I walk in with you, now I'm a force. Now, regardless of what you thought, regardless of what you felt like, your mood, everything about you changes because we are in the fucking room. You feel me? Like, that's different, bro. That shit is different. So I wrote that shit, and I presented it to Jay, and he was like, this is dope.

This is some R&B shit. You should keep it. And it was like yay and boo at the same time. I was like, nigga, I just took your whole vibe. You didn't tell him that that was the inspiration? Oh no, of course not. No, no, no. But in my mind, I'm like,

you don't want it? Wait, what? I just took your whole element and put it in words, like your whole shit. And this is y'all. You and B supposed to get on this shit and spaz out, right? Yeah, this shit is dope.

Some R&B shit, though. You should keep it. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks so much, Mr. JV. Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.

Thank you. I'll leave now. Nigga, I thought I was on to something. Like, nigga, I have figured out. I have cracked the code. I have cracked the matrix on Jay-Z and Beyonce. Boom. And then nigga say, yeah, that's dope.

Keep it for yourself. I'm good. He said, great story, buddy. Right. So I, so at this point, mind you, this is Jay-Z telling me I should keep it for myself. So I'm thinking, all right, I'm going to keep it for myself. So I write verses to the shit. I create a whole record, right?

Everybody likes the record. You know, the team likes the record, but they don't love the record. It's other shit that's getting the attention. So this record kind of becomes just a fucking archive. It's just sitting in the archive, right? I don't honestly even know how it got to Fab to be honest with you. I don't know how it got to Fab.

Fab just appeared with verses. No, no, but Fab just hit me up and did like, yo, hey, this make me better shit? Nigga, you need to let me rock on this. And I'm like, bruh, go for it. Because again, it's an archive record at this point. It's just sitting. I wasn't using it it's just sitting

he's like bro you need to let me do your thing so he does his thing sends it back to me I'm like yeah nigga that's yeah

yeah that's one and the rest is history the label runs with it and it becomes that make me better that everybody knows but yeah

and originally I wrote that shit with the intent. That night, I was like, yo, Beyonce and Jay-Z is going to do a song

to this. Tonight. It's happening right now. And I played the shit with Jay, and he was like, yeah, that's dope.

That's some R&B shit. That's cool. Keep it for yourself. Who produced that record? That's Timbaland. Oh, Timbaland. Timbaland.

Shout out to the boy, Tim. God, what a fucking amazing story. Man. God damn. So Timbaland had no say in any of that? Jay was like, this shit is dope for you.

For you, nigga. What was Timbaland's take on all of that, though? But Jay had to play it for Fab, too, right? I don't... I literally... You might want to ask Fab. I literally don't know how fab heard the record because i didn't i didn't show it maybe i don't know because i can't imagine

just saying i'm gonna sit on this record too all i know is i get a hit from fab out to blue like yo this is dope you need to let me with this and i'm like go for it go for it because at this point it's literally just sitting in the archives. Like, I'm not doing nothing with it. It's just there. So he's like, yo, let me throw some verses. All right, nigga, do it. And he did it, and that shit became,

you know, the song we know now. And the rest is history, bro. Yeah, it's just that. Damn it. That is something. Yo, Fab. Yo, yo, what's going on? Yo, we got Neo.

We on drink chats right now. What's popping, nigga? Get a closer to the mic. You there? Don't hang. I thought y'all niggas usually FaceTime niggas, though. Yo, FaceTime. FaceTime.

I'm FaceTiming you right now. I'm FaceTiming you. My bad. Your FaceTime not on. you on some creepy shit. Why is my shit not working, my face? Oh, I'm hitting the wrong button, I'm sorry, I'm old school. You're old school? Yeah. I'm old school.

Fam, what's going on? Hey! Make some noise for Fam! What's poppin', Kevin? We got noise for Kevin! Hey! Hey! Hey! What's poppin', Kevin? We got Ne-Yo here. We got Ne-Yo here. Yo, I'm drunk, so I'm telling the truth.

And he's drunk. You want to hold it? Or you want me to ask the question to them out on the basketball court? No, go for it. Go for it. So, so, so, so. Whatever y'all accusing him of, he didn't do it.

No, no, no, no. We're not accusing him of nothing. But look, check it. He wants to know, how did you hear of the record, You Made Me Better? How did I hear about it? Yeah. Ho, ho. I said this.

Ho, ho. Okay. Ho, ho. Jay was like, he got a smash record, but it's, but it's, in his words, I want to say he said it's a fab record. Like, he like, it's too, it's too, I mean, Hov could have did it in my eyes, but he said it was too something and it was more fab. Nah, he said, he said, he said it's an R&B record. Hold on, hold on, hold on. So the night that I did this shit, I'm sitting there telling the story.

Put it to the mic, Neil. I'm sitting there telling the story. The night that I did this shit was like the first night that I really saw any interaction between him and B. And that's what made me write it the way I wrote it. So I'm sitting there like, yo, I've cracked the code to Jay and Beyonce. I'm going to move in by myself, but I'm going to force when we're together. And I played this shit for the nigga. He was like, yeah, that's dope.

You should keep it. Nigga, I was so honored and hurt At the same time Is that he saw Like sometimes you can see records That would perform For a B And a right But you right I can't see how that

That's a j and b bro the shit was inspired by just watching them sitting in the corner of the studio spazzing out just being them and the nigga was like yeah that's dope yeah hold on to you keep that on me that's yours i'm like oh okay damn but no i i I literally never knew how the record got to you. I just, niggas was like, yo, Fab was like, he loved that shit, let's rock. I'm like, all right, fucking let's rock. But I never knew how it got to you. So yeah, that's where this whole came from.

It definitely was a whole alley-oop. And he came to me, he was like, yo, I got this joint. He said, I think it's a smash. And he was like, I think he explained to me and was like, yo, I got this joint. He said, I think it's a smash. And he was like, I think he explained to me it was kind of originally set for him, but he think it was more up my lane. And I heard it, and I said, yo, this joint is out of here. I said, I don't know why Hov gave me this record, but I ain't asking no questions. That's crazy.

You know, the rest is history. Straight up. Straight up. When the God give you a blessing, you don't question it. You just accept it. Straight up. Straight up. My nigga.

Hey, man. Good to see you, brother. Yep. Wait, hold on. Hold on. Yo, Fab, I just want to tell y'all, man, y'all making New York look so good. You, Jim Jones, hold on. Yo, Fab, I just want to tell y'all, man, y'all making New York look so good. You, Jim Jones, Dave East. Every time I see y'all all together, Mano.

Man, I really, really appreciate y'all, man, for keeping that camaraderie, Joel Santana, and that tightness, man. Y'all making us look good, man. I'm going to come in and come hang out with y'all very soon. Yeah, man, we can't wait. We can't wait, man. We need your energy and that camarader. Yeah, man. We can't wait. We can't wait, man. We need your energy and that camaraderie too, so we can't wait.

Are you on Rock the Bells? Because if you're not, can I bring you out a special guest? I'm not on Rock the Bells. If I'm here, I would love to pop out, but, you know, just let me know. I'll let you know, my y'all. All right, my y'all.

One love. Thank you so much. Peace. Peace. It's a noise of heaven. That love. Thank you so much. Peace. Peace. It's the boys of heaven. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's crazy that you didn't know that. You didn't know that Jay-Z, that, that, that, that.

That's a lie about Jay. Because not only did he notice it was a hit, but he gave it away. Yo, it's a, you got to be a different kind of dude to be like, this is a hit, but this is a hit that's not for me. That's different. What was the time frame between the time that he told you it's not for him, that's for you? I mean, he told me that night it wasn't for him.

And then in fact, what's that time frame? Yo, it was easily like a year. Like a year. But the fact that Jay still was thinking about it. When he told me that it wasn't for him, when he said, like, yo, this is dope, you should hold on to it, I wrote verses to it. Like, I wrote it, like, on some, all right, I'm going to hold on to it for myself.

And as much as we love the record, it just didn't feel right for the moves that we was making. It just never felt right. And then all of a sudden, Fab hit me me like, yo, that make me better joint? Nigga, that's me. And I'm like, all right, let's rock. But it happens like that sometimes. All the records that you write, the records that the world hears, you need to understand,

it was like maybe 20 records that happened before that record. You know what I mean? And them shits is just sitting, waiting to be groomed properly to be presented to the world. Like, and that was what Make Me Better was. It was written for this. It was intended for this. Didn't so much work for that.

We refreaked it and worked it for this. And it worked. You know what I'm saying? That's what it is. But what I think is crazy is that he told you the record. You should just take the record for yourself. So he obviously, a year later, was like, this is a hit record. This guy did not put it out for himself. as crazy as that he told you the record you should just take the record for yourself so he obviously a year later was like this is a hit record this guy did not put it out for himself this needs to go somewhere yeah yeah and and to this day i got records i'm sitting on right now

that are hits just not exactly hits for me i'm waiting on you know the right i don't believe in a coincidence or an accident i feel like everything that happens is supposed to happen, and it doesn't happen a second before it's supposed to happen. So there's a multitude of songs that I've written that I feel like if the world heard this, it would be a hit, but it's about who they hear it on. You know what I mean? If they heard it from me, maybe not so much.

If they heard it from me maybe not so much if they heard it from this cat maybe right you know so it does i have like a whole folder full of records that i'm just waiting on the right artist to jump up to be like yo yeah all right here this is for you take this and go in the world and rock with this yeah yeah can you write a record for like Saucy Santana? I can write anything, bro. Anything. Words are words and they have power. And if you learn the power of words, you can run the planet if you felt like it. I can run the planet if I felt like it.

That's lightweight drunk, but lightweight me telling the truth. I can write a record for anybody, bro. I can write a rock record. I can write a poker record. I can write a poker record. I can write a Spanish record. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. I can speak passionately about a subject matter.

And that's part of what's needed to be able to write. The other part is melody and creativity. I have all these things. So yeah, I can write a record for anybody. It don't matter. So of course you just come to you and say, you listen, man.

I think Nori's saying, if I come to you... I think I'm coming back. What we doing? I didn't want to rhyme for a long time. Yo, listen. Send me the beat with your verses on it. I want you to send me the beat.

I'll put the V-look on it. I want you to do that, too. I'm out of the room. We can do that, too. I got you. No, I want you to do it. No, I want you to do it. I want you to do it.

Hey, let me hang it. Let me hang it. Listen, I got you, nigga. I got you. Say it like this. Are we taking a shot at that? Are we taking a shot at Neo bringing me out of retirement? But now, would you? If I bring you out Say it like that. Are we taking a shot at that? Are we taking a shot at Neo bringing me out of retirement? But now, would you?

If I bring you out of retirement. Listen, would you do a versus against Akon? Would I? Yes. Absolutely. And you smoking him? Let's just be total. I mean.

That's for a free apartment in Africa. That's the bet? For the free apartment in Africa? In Senegal? It's a $5 million job. Yeah. I would happily do a versus against Akon. That's my brother.

That's my guy. And I feel like it would be entertaining as fuck. His catalog versus my catalog. I feel like that would be super entertaining. Yeah. But at the end of the day, yeah, I feel like I'd take that. I feel like I'd take that on. Hold it.

You're supposed to salute. This nigga, he didn't even salute. Y'all did this. Y'all did this. Akon versus Neil, that's a good versus. And the prize is a condo in Africa? Listen, if I win and I don't get some residency in this city that he's creating,

I'm going to fill away, yeah. Okay, but let me just ask you something because we just came up with a question. Mm-hmm. These records that you wrote for Michael, would you give them to Janet? That's what I said. Yo.

That's what I told him and nobody was listening. Somebody just approached me with an idea. You was in the bathroom when you said it. Nah, I said it to him and then y'all was talking over each other we didn't hear you bro rewind the tape

no real shit that's not a bad idea that's not a bad idea because that allows him point at me that allows me to don't point at this guy yes yes no that that allows me to keep it Nothing gets in the way! Yes, yes. No, that allows me to keep it genuine, to keep it real, you know what I'm saying, while at the same time making sure that the records is going to get the recognition that they need. Wait, what happened?

You said Freddie. Freddie. Jackson. Freddie Jackson. I don't know Freddie Jackson. He got the finger waves. I'm not lying. You don't know Freddie Jackson. He got the finger waves. I'm not lying. You're wrong, man.

Freddie Jackson. Come on. What y'all laughing? Freddie Jackson got the finger wave. He outside. He outside. It's my young brother. Shout out the iconic Freddie Jackson.

He was a part of the Jackson 5. He is not. He was not? He is not. I went part of the Jackson 5. He is not. He was not? He is not. I went too far. My bad. He is not. I was too much.

Freddie Jackson was solo? Freddie Jackson was definitely not part of the Jackson 5. He was a solo artist? He was in Jackson 6? Not you or my lady, Freddie Jackson. He wasn't in the Jackson 5. No, my bad. Everything I need, M.O.A. Hey, man. No, my bad. Everything I need, MOA.

Hey, man. Shout out Freddie Jackson. I don't know what Noriega has against Freddie. I don't know. I'm going to take a shot at Freddie Jackson. You taking a shot at him? He deserved to take a shot. But Freddie Jackson and the Finger Waves.

Listen, man. Get back to my original idea of Janet Jackson. No, that's fire. That's a good idea. That's actually fire. That's actually a really good idea. Because that represents and respects Michael Jackson's legacy while at the same time not being so far outside of what he was

and what he would have done anyway. So no, that's a really good idea. And you know his daughter and her son is an artist too. Who that? Mike. Mike got a daughter or a son that's being an artist. Or he got a daughter and a son. I forget which one.

No, I think you got both. It's both. They both being artists, right? Well, I don't know if they're both artists, but he got a daughter and a son. Legacy doesn't validate you for me in regards to talent. Yeah, yeah. I don't give a fuck who your daddy was. What can you do?

No, I think Janet would be the right, the better. I'm going to tell you what my grandfather told me. The first time my grandfather met me after I was famous, my Puerto Rican grandfather, he said, your talent comes from my dick. I said, Jesus. Yo, he was totally correct. He was totally correct. He was like, jeez, he said, your mother don't sing.

Your father don't sing. It's me. He was like, and I was like, damn, you're aggressive. That's dope. That's dope. That's dope as fuck. Because he was a, how you call it? One of the, the bass.

He played the bass. I like that. What do you call it? You tell it. I don't know about. He got you straight right away. He was like, yo. Nigga, don't ever get it fucked up.

Your talent comes from me. Don't ever get it fucked up. Not your mother. Not your pops. Not your mom. It's me. It's me. He dead seriously said that to me.

That's dope. And then I looked at pictures, and then they showed me pictures of him touring. And I was like, damn, he's kind of correct. But he's got a point. Because he's Puerto Rican and he's like this. Your talent covers my dick. Your talent covers my dick. I was like, wait a minute, God.

We just kind of met. And you said, let's take a shot to the head. You know what? I'm saying it now. I'm saying it now. I did say it there, but we're going to take a shot to that. And we're going to take a shot to Neo because your career is truly. Brother, thank you, man.

Truly beautiful. Truly dope, man. And to see the level that you're at, to see the humbleness that you still display, because you don't got to be humble. You definitely don't have to be humble. I don't have to be, but it's more fun. How many Grammys do you have? I got only three.

Only three. Three? Three is more than... Only three. No, no. Listen, listen, listen. I say only three. I say only three Grammys.

I was nominated and they said, don't come though. Wow. Wow. They didn't want my kind of company. They didn't want the super thug Wow. Wow. They didn't want my kind of company. They didn't want the super thug in the building. They didn't want that. No, I say only three because...

I feel like we got to take a shot to your three Grammys, though. We can do that. We can do that. Please, come on. But Stevie Wonder got double-digit Grammys. You know what I'm talking about? That's Stevie Wonder. He also got...

Come on, man. Listen, I'm going to put myself in the category of the greats. How else can I achieve... You should....that greatness if I don't rock with the greats? Right. Stevie Wonder got double-digit Grammys. Yes. That's it. Which means I got more work to do.

Got more work to do. You know what I'm saying? Right. I've done work. I've done great things. Right. I'm gracious, and I appreciate all the love that I've received. But there's so much more shit to do.

Right. So much more shit to do. So much more shit to do. So as long as y'all give me the fuck, I'm going to continue rocking. Who's a record that you have never done that you want to do? I've written records for Beyonce.

We've never done anything together. That's got to get done. I've done songs with certain motherfuckers that I would love to do a song with them, not just me writing for them. I'm anxious to see what me and Drake will come up with in the studio. That might be interesting. I could see that.

It might be trash, but it might be interesting It's a 5050 It's not gonna be trash, what are you gonna be? It's gonna be this we won't call it panty wet music. I like it. I like it. That should be the like to Wet music yes in court right because how that's your boy. Let's figure it out. I like it. That should be the like it to and wet music Incorporated because how that's your boy. Let's figure it out. They got it. Where shit this is Yes thought off that should be your logo right there when he goes That's the logo and then you see the panties and then it just is just turn dry. It's her wet

Well, I can't drive you just panties and then it just turned dry. It just turned wet. You just be wet. You know what I mean? It's like that wet spot. A huge set of panties sitting over the crowd like a hologram. A holographic set of panties. And then you're on stage and the rain just falls on you from the panties.

If you and Drake do a record and nine million people don't get pregnant, y'all failed. True. If you don't get pregnant to the globe, you got to pregnant

nine million people. Hey, Aubrey, how about your boy? Did you call him Aubrey? I did. I respect it. It's his name. Yeah.

It's his name. I don't call rappers by their real names. Why not? I will never call Elko J. Tard. I would call you by your real name if Why not? I will never call El Cujetard. I would call you by your real name if I knew your real name because I fuck with you. Yes.

If I was just a fan, then I would call you by your artist name. Right. You know what I'm saying? But I fuck with you as a person. I fuck with you as a person, too. So I would call you by your actual name. You know what? Kalinde, ma.

Hey. Kalinde, ma. P.D., you owe P.D. Crack a record, though. We're going to give P.D. Crack a record. cracker wreck Petey Hollis your boy. We're gonna be a crazy 2022 what was up? I'm a your PD crack record sound like I don't know. I don't know but if it has any if we were We're gonna ready has any Entrance on that know that it's gonna be some fire shit's gonna be dark cuz you ain't do don't do no you don't do no bullshit You refuse to do mediocre records why what for it's enough of that in the world. You don't need it for me

You know diabolical right my bad It's the same way the way you pop shit is fucking dope. I'm just being honest. You know, we have everybody on here. Because you pop shit kind of humble, but it's not humble. Nigga, listen. It's like the title of your album. If I'm going to go there, it's going to be based in facts.

I'm never the nigga popping shit, and then you go and do the research, and it ain't valid. Nah. Nah. If I'm going to pop shit, and mind you, I don't have to pop shit, because you go and do the research and it ain't valid. Nah. Nah. If I'm a pop shit, mind you, I don't have to pop shit because you can Google it. You can see it. You can see it. If you really want to see it, you can see it.

I don't got to point you in the direction. Nah. If you're really thirsty, the water's over there. I don't have to lead you there. You can go there yourself and get fulfilled. That's what it is. That's what it is. I do what I do.

I've been doing what I've done for roughly 20 years at this point. You sound like Noriega. And I'm doing it like I do it for TV, goddammit. That's what it is. I'm done. Gotta make some noise for that. My last question. Let it go.

That's that worldwide music. Wait, which one? Let it go. Let it go. Uh-huh. Wait, how's the dance go? How's that worldwide music. Which one? Let it go. Let it go. Uh-huh. How's the dance go? How's the dance go? I ain't mad.

I ain't mad. Listen. Hey, man, you bringing shit out of me. You can get a thug to put his hands up on purpose. You did something like that. With a purpose. So, yeah. XTC was fucking fantastic.

He beats the music. He beats the music. Yeah, yeah. He's the somebody XTC. So, yeah. XTC was fucking fantastic. He's the sound of my life. He's the music. Yeah, yeah. He's the sound of XTC. No, no. Eddie Gator. Mood altering music. No, no.

He is this guy. This guy. I keep pressing it. Come in, Ja Rule, both to XTC, and he made He's Always On Time. I didn't make shit.

Shit didn't work out for me, y'all. He told me this is the key to make it. He took the shit and got expired. He y'all. He told me this is the key to making. He took the shit and got expired. He lied to me. He told me this is the key to making girl music. Listen. Listen, this is the big thing.

I can't make a girl record if it hurts. I can help you. I can help you. I need at least one girl hit record. I can help you. Listen, I'm going to. Okay, so let me work this out for you. Please.

If any woman on the planet has ever danced to a Noriega record, you can make a girl record. Facts. Because they fuck with your voice. They fuck with your tone. They fuck with your vibe.

You just need to, you just need somebody to step in and remind them that they fuck with your vibe. It's like, nah, you know this vibe. I remind them that I'm a finger popper. Straight up.

Straight up. Maybe stop there. Straight up. I can help you remind them. That's the girl record, the finger popper. Bitch, you're the finger popper. I can help you remind them. I'm not sure nobody's going to approve of this.

No, no, no, no. We got bread, so you know. We're going to find a flyer way to express to them that bitch, you're the finger popper. We're going to find a flyer way to express to them. Finger popping? That dish of the finger popping. We're going to find a flyer way to let it be known to them. Oh, my God. I'm enjoying myself. You're a slide. Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. And Leo is taking my lighter home. I don't know if you ever be with this. Let me get my lighter back, buddy. I don't need it back. He on Jack TV. He been on some smooth R&B shit. I see you, y'all.

There's cameras all around. I took it on one day, but y'all naughty. But you made a record called Mad. Yes, sir. I absolutely did. Why were you mad? I wasn't mad. I was telling her that I find it sexy when she's mad.

That's the record. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Let me get that right. So there's two records. There's Mad. And Matter. And then there's When You're Mad. When You're Mad is a joint that's telling the chick that she's sexy when she's mad.

Because I remember, I recall the female that I wrote the song about. Like, she was about three feet tall. She was itty bitty, right? But she was a little firecracker. So whenever she would get upset, she'd like crinkle her nose up like she was a little thug. But it's like, bitch, you're three feet tall. You're three feet tall. Cut it out.

So it was just beautiful, right? I just really used to get off on what she would look at me like when she was upset. So that's where that song came from. So you just fuck your bitches like your dick standing up? Pretty much. Pretty much. Pretty much. Yo, man.

Listen, I've always been a fan. I've always been a fan of convenience. You know what I'm saying? If I can just stand where I'm at and you can stand where you're at and get it going, that's convenient for everyone. You know what I mean? That's a beautiful thing. The convenience store?

So that's when you're mad. And then you hear this. Mad is a whole other song talking about being in a relationship and not going to bed mad at a situation. The same three-foot-tall person? No, it's a different person. It's a different person. No, this person, you're in a relationship with this person,

and the whole concept of y'all beefing, and you go to bed with the beef still hot, like that's not cool. That shit ain't cool. Nobody wants to wake up beefing. It's not cool. I don't want that. I don't want that. So I've always been the cat.

Like, listen, let's try to figure this shit out right now. Let's find the resolution right now as opposed to going to sleeping on it and then waking up tomorrow still fucked up trying to figure out what we're doing. I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that. Let's figure out what we're doing right now. That's me. That's real. I have to pee again.

Before you pee. We're going to take a picture and everything. What was the hazing process? What was the hazing process like in the movie Stomp Your Yard? The Haitian process? The hazing. There wasn't any hazing process. They didn't hit you with a paddle? I will say this.

I moved to Atlanta after I shot. From Vegas. You're from Vegas. From Vegas. I moved to Atlanta after I shot Stomp the Yard. I was not aware of a place where every female that I came in contact with had just the most amazing and most beautiful ass I'd ever seen in life until I came to Atlanta to shoot Stump the Yard. So I moved there after we shot the film. Rightfully so. Okay, I'm going to go urinate. I'll be right back. Alright, cool. I'm in.

Fuck, man. I'm in too, I guess. I peed all the time. So there wasn't no hazing? No hazing. No. Not for Stump the Yard. Nick Cannon ain't violate you. Nick Cannon was not there for Stomp the Yard. Stomp the Yard was not in the cannon. You're thinking drumline.

It's okay. It's all right. It happens. It happens. No. Yo, no real shit. Cats regularly run up to me like, yo, you was dope in drumline, yo. I wasn't in drumline.

It wasn't me. It wasn't me. But you was dope in Drumline though I wasn't in Drumline It wasn't me It wasn't me But you was dope in Drumline though Great role You killed that Oh my god Oh man That was so good Good Man

Let's talk about that Good Man The album, the song, the whole nine Yes How about that? Good man. The album, the song, the whole nine. Yes. Because I'm a good man. I believe you. Yes, please believe me.

I genuinely believe you, yes. I believe that you can't be a good man without exploring what it is to not be a good man. You need the contrast, you need it. You know? It's not a chore to be a bad man that shit is easy you know it's easy to run around and just doing whatever fuck it is you want to do because you want to do it the chore is to be a good man it requires discipline restraint it requires restraint it requires self-control you know saying something that is rare in us you know

just as a human being as a human being we pick desire over necessity all day long you know i'm saying the shit you want to do versus the shit you need to do all day long you pick the shit you want to do right no so so to to to on purpose say this is what i want to do but this is what i should do and then to do what you should do like that's that's a thing that's a thing you can't you can't overlook that like it's small because it's not small because again people do what they want to do all day long men and women men and women all right that ain't just us ain't just us so to have the to have the level of discipline to do what you're supposed to do versus what you want to do that's something that should be celebrated you know, and anybody acting holier than thou to hell with you

because you can't sit here and act like I'm not telling the truth. Just because it's an ugly truth is still the truth. Still the truth. So you also made a record where you said, Don't Love Me? What was it called? Yeah, so the new album, self-explanatory. The song Don't Love Me, I wrote that. Mind you, it didn't start out as a song.

It started out as a letter. It was a letter that I wrote to my wife. Because you feel like you express yourself more when you write it down. Yeah, I've always been better at writing it down. Like, to speak it out in the heat of the moment, you know what I'm saying? When she pissed off and you pissed off, but you're still trying to figure out a way to get your point across. I've never been good at that shit. And I've always been the cat to say, know thyself.

Know what you're not good at. Know what you are good at. Work towards your strengths. Work on your weaknesses. Right? weaknesses, right? So if I know that I can't in the moment say this to you and get it across to you, I'm gonna fall back, I'm gonna retreat for the moment, and I'm gonna write it down, right? So that song, that particular song started out as a letter that I wrote to my wife, basically saying to her, I know you want to be here, but I don't think that you should be here because I don't think that I can be the kind of man that you deserve.

You know what I mean? And it takes a level of vulnerability. It takes a level of just kind of taking pride off the table to even come to that realization. So it's a know thyself moment like if you you're in a relationship with somebody and you definitely dig that somebody but you know in your heart of hearts and in your mind of minds that you're not gonna do what that somebody wants you to do so so i'm sorry because this is probably the realest question i probably asked on this show so at one point because this this is this is ill,

you felt like you couldn't be there for your wife so much that you was willing to give her away? Not give her away. Give up on the relationship. But in the relationship, because I knew that I was hurting her. I knew that the person that I was in the moment was hurting her. And I was so enthralled in being that person that I was I looked at it like all right me being this person is hurting her to the point where I'll let her go before I allow myself to continue hurting her you know what I mean and and and so all right so so

here's the flip here's the flip because that was that was honest on me. I was being honest. But at the end of the same day, we just discussed how we choose desire over necessity all day long. Right. So here's what she here's what her response to that was. OK, so you're telling me that you can't be this person. Is it that you can't be this person or is it that you won't be this person because it's not like there's somebody physically holding you back from being this person like it's it's all decision is what you decide to be is who you decide to be is what you decide to do versus what you decide to not do so it's all on you so if you tell me that you can't be this person, you're telling me that there's something outside of you that is preventing you from being this person.

It's either that or it's not that you can't be this person, it's that you won't be this person. Because again, it's all decision-based. So you're deciding to not be who you know I need. That's a decision that you're making. And if that's the decision you're deciding to not be who you know I need. That's a decision that you're making. And if that's the decision you're making, then yeah, we should get a divorce. And all five of your kids are?

No, I have two from a relationship prior. Two from, shout out to Monietta Shaw. It's the mother of my two oldest children. It's my homegirl. It's my folks. And then we have three together, me and my wife, Crystal. Yeah.

So, but it literally took her pointing that out to me for me to realize, yo, I'm lightweight trying to cop out right now. And she's not letting me. She's not letting me cop out. Like, there's something to that, man. You got to pay attention to that. Like, this woman's love for you is so strong that she's not allowing you to be a fucking coward right now she's not allowing you to do that you know what i'm saying she's holding you accountable and making you stand up for what it is that you truly want if you want to be that go be that and that's that but don't tell me that you want to be

over here but you don't feel like you can because that's bullshit. If you want to be here, you're going to be here. And that's the reality of it. And that's the reason that we're still together because you can't come across somebody that is that enlightened and that willing to hold you accountable on your bullshit, even at the level that you are. Like, nigga, I'm the breadwinner. I take care of my family, period. No has to worry or about anything because of me right so there's a level of me that says within myself that i'm within my right to do whatever the fuck i want to do because of the fact that i take care of everybody in my family i haven't learned that the hard way

you feel that you feel that but at the same time But at the same time, but at the same time, you decide to be married. You decide to take that choice. You decide to take that step. That is you saying that though you understand, you have the right to do whatever the fuck you want to do,

whatever the fuck you want to do because you provide for your whole family. You are deciding to consider the emotions and feelings and concern of another person. You're deciding to do that. It's a choice that you're making

to then turn around and to be fucked up towards that. It's like you fucking yourself up. You know what I mean? It's self-destructive. It is self-destructive.

It is not real true. Yeah, it is self-destructive. I understand. And mind you, I don't ever want a motherfucker to feel like what I'm saying is that it's easy. Nah, of course. Temptation wouldn't be temptation if it wasn't difficult. Like, that's the reason that it's called what it's called. It's temptation. Yeah.

But there's a point in life where you got to be like all right do i genuinely care about this person if and if i genuinely care about this person am i going to continue doing the shit that i know is genuinely hurting this person you have to out maneuver temptation as well yeah yeah you know what what tempts you you gotta you gotta get out that way absolutely Absolutely. Absolutely. But see, there's a concept in that. He took your hat off. Oh, shit. Oh, no.

I just discussed my hat. Oh, shit. He took your hat off. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Holy moly guacamole. To anybody that's never seen Neo's head, it's just a big ass head. I'll put a hairline, baby.

That's it. That's it. That's it. Ain't nothing wrong. Ain't no buckles and fucking ain't no weird shit. We taking a shot for that, man. It's a big ass head. That's it. That's all it is.

We taking a shot. Of course we're taking a shot. We're going to take a shot. We're going to take a shot for that. I'll take a shot for that. I think there's already three times you took your hat off. Salud. Salud.

Salud. Salud, salute, salute. Damn my brother. Yo, you really a legend though bro. You really a legend. You really kept it to the R&B core. Yo, you know what's strange? I'ma tell you my compliment has changed so like now like people will run up on me and be like yo you were my entire high school career like my entire high school experience was you I'm 42 right I? A lot of niggas finger popping to your shit. A lot of niggas finger popping to my shit. But it is, I have to accept that that is a compliment for a nigga to be like, yo. You thought it wasn't a compliment at first? I've loved your music since I was 11 years old. And I'm like, oh, shit.

Oh, wow. Nigga, can I stop you for one second? Let me just tell you what niggas tell me. They be like, I did a bid to your shit. That's fucked up. Wow. Don't lie. You're like, ah.

I don't like that. Back in the day, it was like, word up. I'm like, my nigga, do I owe you some money or something? Like, why did you go to jail for me? Why did you feel like you had to express that to me right now? You listening to my music? Did you shout at me? I think it's that I get a bit to your music.

I'm so sorry. So at least they made babies to your shit. Yeah, yeah. They shot niggas to my shit. No, it's just I feel like the music industry is very good at hiding from you the fact that you are aging. I'm 42 years old. No, you ain't aging, bro. I'm 42, bro.

Nah, nah. Fuck that. Listen to yourself, bro. He ain't aging. You looking good. You out here. You out here. I appreciate it.

No, no, no, no. We ain't going to let you do that to yourself. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm handsome as fuck. I know that. Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead now. I say that with zero ego.

I'm a beautiful motherfucker. No, what I'm saying is to know that my album came out in like, oh, what was it? Oh, six? Oh, six, nigga. We in 2020. You know what I'm saying? Like, my album came out in oh, six. We two years after.

I don't know. 2022. And that's a fake, but it's 2022. You know what I'm talking about. You know what I'm saying. I'm drunk. Fuck out. You know what I'm talking about.

You're officially OG. But yeah, so it's like I'm talking about You know what I'm talking about I'm drunk Fuck out You know what I'm talking about You officially OG But yeah So it's like I'm either unk Or OG now Yeah And it's different It's different

From when I first came out And the love that I would get When I first came out Versus the love that I get now It's still love You was a young homie then But it's a different kind of love It's like

I grew up to you Type of love Yeah And I've I mean I guess it's just me. Like when I'm in the moment, when I'm moving and shaking, I don't realize the time that's passing. Like, nigga, we toured off of a, in my own words, not in my own words, Year of the Gentleman. We toured off of Year of the Gentleman for three years straight.

We talking about this. Nigga. I told you how niggas about this. On the road. Three a year for three years straight. We talking about this. Nigga. I told you how niggas about this. On the road, three years straight. Super thug, three years straight, got it. You come home for two days and you back out, like three years straight, right? I've been through that. I've been through it.

Different times, man. You know what I'm talking about. You can't be hype. What's wrong with you? So once that shit is done and you come home and it's like, oh shit, nigga, we did win three Grammys. Oh shit, shit nigga we did win three grammys oh shit nigga we did we did sell this many records oh shit nigga we did do wembley stadium 80 000 motherfuckers jumping up and down at the same time like you know what i'm saying it hits you all in one moment like yo

we have fucking we have made moves in this shit, but not until you sit still. With age. So to sit still now, it's like I'm 42 years old. You know what I'm saying? And I'll do these little walkthroughs, little hostings or whatever. And little chicks run up on me like, oh, my God, I've loved you since I was 12. And it's like, how do you take that? I mean, it's love. She's giving love. I take that you know i mean it's what he said mind you it's love she's given love i've loved you since i was 12 so sick came out when i was 12 years old

fuck she's 20 now but but listen listen you know how you take this um let's let's think about the icons we've spoke about on the show already the pattyatti LaBelles. The Stevie Wonders. The Bobby Browns. The Michael Jacksons. The Princes. It's generational. Age is age. We're all going to age. That's why I don't understand ageism.

That's not Hillary and Beijing. No, that's fact. No, that's reality. That's actually true. I'm like, yo. I'm not going to die. Fuck it. I didn't think it was going to go white,, that's reality. That's actually true. I'm like, yo, I'm not going to die. Fuck it. I didn't think it was going to go white, but that's another story. You're good, man.

You're good. You're good. But it's true. Ageism, that doesn't make sense. We're all destined for that. We're all going to do it. It has to happen. But we want to be legends. And what we're doing in entertainment, listen to the legends that we talked about, the icons

we've spoken about. You can't let that bother you because you are leading to that icon status. Real shit. Real shit. You want to be that person that transcends generations. Not that one 11-year-old or that 17-year-old or someone calls it OG. Or someone calls you auntie or uncle or whatever. That don't matter. that don't matter.

That's real. You fuck with TikTok? I fuck with TikTok. I have a love-hate relationship with TikTok. It feels like that. Because, mind you, because of TikTok, my record, Because of You, is charting right now.

That's for my second fucking album. I've been here damn near 20 years. A song from my second album is charting because of TikTok. Because some little cat somewhere decided to get on there and figure out a dance, whatever, to my shit. I liked that dance. So I can't ever... You liked it?

His dance or the dance he just did? It was fire well what I'm saying I can't ever feel a way about TikTok because that that reality is reality however at the same time there's songs that I've discovered via TikTok there's artists that I've discovered via TikTok and it's like what happens more often than not is that you hear the song on TikTok for the first time. Well, whatever, you know, clever ass video or creative, whatever. Or algorithms. Whatever the case may be.

And then you go to Apple Music, go to Spotify, Pandora, whatever. It's not top ten. And you listen to the whole record. And you realize the only part of the song that you like. Is that TikTok part. Is the only part of the song that you like... Is that TikTok part. Is the TikTok part. That is damaging. That is damaging to the point where there's literally cats going to the studio

creating records specifically for the TikTok algorithm. It's like the ringtone era. You get 15 minutes of quality. You get 30 minutes of quality. Anything after that, it don't even fucking matter because you got your 15 seconds you got your 15 your 30 seconds right you know what i mean so that's that's the love and hate again i've discovered artists off of tiktok i've discovered music off of tiktok but at the same, for a cat to go into the studio and create art based off of what,

based off of the boundaries that TikTok has created, that's a problem for me. Personally. That's a problem for me. I had to accept the fact that as music evolves, attention spans

are shorter now. Yeah, 15 seconds. So where, you know, shout out to the boy, what's my boy, Capella, Capella Gray, what's his name? Don't talk about,

the Gallus. Gallus, the city is my palace, but I'm on the, the song is like two minutes long. That sounds amazing. Don't talk about, shout out to the boy, Capella Gray,

I don't know his name, I'm whack right now. But shout out to him. But that is just prime example of the fact that attention spans are shorter now. That's not like for the standard of what a song is supposed to be. Right. That's not a full song. It's not three verses no more.

It's two minutes. It's a two-minute record. It's shorter. It's a minute and 41 seconds. Bro, right? This is TikTok's this is TikTok's algorithm.

Yeah. This is their this is why it is what it is. TikTok has created this to where anything over two minutes is too long. They banked on the fact that attention spans are shorter, and they play to that. You get 15 seconds, you get 30 seconds.

Does that make you make records different? Not me. That'll make an artist make records different. But I don't make music specifically for TikTok. I make music for people. Now, if a person finds it within they self to take 15 seconds of a song that i created and do something tick tock i'm not going to stand in this way but i will never go in the studio like all right let's create some that's going to rock i'm not yeah that's that's a true little record i'm not doing

that i'm not doing it no i'm not doing it come on i came in but i came up in the air where luther vandross could do a 10 minute song and you didn't realize it was 10 minutes until it was over that was the point you know what i'm talking about because you was just in the whole time every every swell every lyric every every uh uh violin lick whatever you was in and then the was over and you were like oh it's been 15 minutes that's where i come from that's where i come from and to truly get your point across i'm sorry sometimes it take a look takes a little longer than two minutes it takes a little longer than you know in my opinion say

it might be you need three verses hmm yeah at least at least so let me ask you I was John comes to you that I see about so she said 10 earlier I don't know if you caught it but Elton John comes to you now John says I want you to write a record for me but he gives you the subject matter it's not necessarily something that you are part of your straight man yes we want to stand there but John gonna get a little ranchy right he wanted to do that how did how do you go about saying, oh, John, I got you? To be a songwriter, to step out in front of the world and declare yourself a songwriter is to declare yourself a public servant. Meaning, I am a person that writes music for the world.

I'm a person that writes music for the world. I'm a person that writes music for the world to enjoy. If Elton John comes to me and says he wants to write a gay anthem, but I'm not gay, but he comes to me and says he likes the way that I use words, then I'm going to jump in. I'm going to jump in. And that's what I try to get a lot of these young songwriters to understand. The more versatile you are, the bigger the potential for your bag.

If a gay artist comes to you and asks for a song and you're not gay, so what, you're not going to write the song? It doesn't mean the way you write it is gay for you. No. You know what I'm saying? You find a way to tap into their shit. I got into songwriting. I can't front about this. You find a way to tap into their shit. You find a way to... I got into songwriting...

I can't front about this. I got into songwriting because of the ability to not be me. There was a point in my life where I didn't want to be me. I didn't want my reality. I want any other reality but mine. Songwriting allows that. If I write a song for Beyonce, in that moment, I'm fucking Beyonce. Goddamn, I'm her. Sce god damn i'm i'm hurt

i'm here i'm whoever the fuck you know i'm saying i'm not i'm not me and that was the the attraction to songwriting initially i ain't want to be me for a minute you know i'm saying it's it's it's it's deep and it's dark and it's dumb and i don't want to go there but there was a point in my life where anything outside of who i was was good for me and that's dark and it's dumb and I don't want to go there. But there was a point in my life where anything outside of who I was was good for me. And that's what helped me really lock into songwriting. You know what I mean? So if you are writing for somebody other than yourself,

you have to consider the fact that you're writing for somebody other than you. This is not about you, a person that likes Mexican food and digs the color red. No, you're writing for somebody else. This is somebody outside of you. This motherfucker likes purple and fucking Italian food. Whatever the fuck. Whatever the fuck. You lock into that and you write from there.

That's how I've always gotten in. And that shit has worked for me. So anybody can come to you. Anybody. And write a subject about anybody. Anybody. Like a person like pistachio ice cream. No, no, no.

Because I see what you're doing. Go. Go there. Have you ever had pistachio ice cream? I have. I'm not a fan. I'm not a fan. But he will put himself in the same.

Great example. And Beyonce came to me and said, yo, I love pistachio ice cream and I want to sing about it. Nigga, I'm going to write a song to make you like pistachio ice cream if you don't fucking pistachio ice cream. You will find yourself liking it too.

I'm going to write this song to make you go, yo, I ain't never had pistachio ice cream. But I'm going to get that today. Yo, let's get some fucking pistachio ice cream. Get it. I'm going to write that record. That's the mentality. You know what I'm saying? That's what it is.

Italian Ice King in Queens, New York. That was y'all's shout out because that's my favorite Italian, excuse me, pistachio ice cream. That's my favorite. No, no, my favorite Italian, excuse me, potassium ice cream. That's my favorite. No, no, no. Shout-out to potassium ice cream. Potassium ice cream. I'm sorry.

What did I say? You said some other shit. Shout-out to potassium, period. Yeah, yeah. Yes, yes. Neil, you want to smoke a blunt with me? Before we get up out here? I've been smoking.

Let's take a picture with the blunt. Let's smoke a blunt together. A real blunt. Hey, give him a blunt. Give him a blunt. Listen, I came here from the airport, right? Yeah, we tried to get you fucked up. I didn't go to the hotel. I came from the airport.

Straight here. My motherfucking suitcase is in the back room over there, alright? Fuck with y'all. Like, fuck with y'all. Straight up. You know what I'm saying? I just, I've worked hard enough in this business to be like, hey, I understand y'all got a time frame, but I'm gonna go to the hotel and get my shit straight and then I hey, I understand y'all got a time frame, but I'm going to go to the

hotel and get my shit straight and then I'm going to fuck with y'all. I've worked hard enough to demand that. I came here from the airport. From the airport. Thank you, my brother. Because I fucked with y'all.

You know what? You know what? I'm going to be honest, man. We're so artist friendly. We're so artist based. The thing about it is I've lived this life that you're living. I've lived it and I want to salute it. I love this life so much

it changed my life. I literally had six months to find a job when I came home from jail and my job that I found was hip-hop. Straight the fuck up. That shit saved my life. So this is my way of giving back. And this is my way of seeing people like you,

you know, who came up probably after me. But you came up. And you deserve your flowers. You deserve people to tell you how great you are to your motherfucking face. And I'm going to do it. And then you don't take nothing away from me.

I'm still the ill nigga that I am. But to tell you that motherfucking Ne-Yo is a motherfucking legend. And all the shit you did and continue to do, and all the artists that you work with, when I looked at your discography, and I looked at, because, you know, that's what I do.

I Google, but I like full Google. It's not like really Google. I like half Google, right? So, because guys, but all I, and then when I see your name, and when I see your name attached to all these other names, and I was just like, damn, this is dope. This is so dope for my homie to come.

Because I knew you from back then. Yeah, yeah. But for my homie to come and bless us, because that's what you truly is. You could have been anywhere in the world tonight. You came here, dog. But you're here with Drink Chance. So thank you so much, my friend. We can wrap it up take a picture

yeah take a picture and then don't mix that drink hit it straight can't sober up now it's too late don't mix that drink

hit it straight can't sober up now it's too late I drink Japanese whiskey Habiki preferably Yamazaki 18 that's big boy shit definitely I still got ya Can't sober up now, it's too late. I drink Japanese whiskey. Hibiki. Preferably. Yamazaka 18. That's big boy shit.

Definitely. I still got ya. Like Ugaracha. Spending big money since Big Hey Who shot ya. Timing is everything, so why you gotta whack watch? I got security and snipers on the back blocks. They thinking keto when I'm saying one mil a day. Ain't talking factor when I'm talking one mil a day.

Could probably double it by leaving out the country. But royalties keep my ass home, I'm saying one mil a day. Ain't talking factor when I'm talking one mil a day. Could probably double it by leaving out the country. But Royal G's keep my ass home. I'm happy monthly. They insecure like Issa Rae. I interview with Issa Rae. Smoke blunts against the hips that be on Lisa Rae. Don't mix that drink. Hit it straight.

Can't sober up now. It's too late. Don't mix that drink. Hit it straight. Can't sober up now. It's too late. Come and drink with me. Get live.

Get live. You really should get drunk too. Come and drink with me. Get live. Tell all your girls to come through. I'm really happy. I'm really yappy. Really drinking your juice.

Cause yo, I drink Pappy. Van Winkle. My suits don't wrinkle. Always had to piss. I never had to twinkle Nori Masculine, catch me at the Magilin Big boy trucks and them big boys, we handle it I see they claimin' that they rich till the bill come Then they actin' that I got them like they children

A new life to me, new life to me The leather seat is cocaine, a whole new white to me I see they copy me, without a gun it's still a robbery Drink champs is a anomaly Don't mix that drink, hit it straight Can't sober up now, it's too late Don't mix that drink, hit it straight Can't sober up now, it's too late

Come and drink with me You really should get drunk too Come and drink with me Tell all your girls to come through Thanks for joining us for another episode of Drink Champs, hosted by yours truly, DJ EFN and NORE. Please make sure to follow us on all our socials. That's at Drink Champs across all platforms, at TheRealNoriega on IG, at Noriega on Twitter.

Mine is at who's crazy on IG at DJ EFN on Twitter. And most importantly, stay up to date with the latest releases news and merch by going to drink champs.com. For more podcasts from my heart radioRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A lot of times, big economic forces show up in our lives in small ways. Four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, so now I only buy one.

Small but important ways. From tech billionaires to the bond market to, yeah, banana pudding. If it's happening in business, our new podcast is on it. I'm Max Chastin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the

name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. On Medal of Honor, Stories of Courage, you'll hear about these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I get right back there and it's bad.