Drink Champs - Episode 459 w/ Mario

Episode Date: June 27, 2025

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode we chop it up with the legend himself, Mario!You know how this goes—all the vibes, all the drinks, and zero filter. Mario pulls up to chop it up about his journey from early beginnings to breakthrough hits, and what keeps his sound evolving in today’s scene. Mario dives into creative inspirations, studio grind, behind-the-scenes moments we’ve never heard, and memorable run-ins with famous collabs.But this ain't just about the hits like “Let Me Love You”—Mario gets deep. He opens up about family struggles, mental health, industry politics, and the real work it takes to stay relevant in a game that moves fast. He also gives us a sneak peek into his new music, his acting career, and the legacy he’s building.This episode is filled with laughs, real talk, and plenty of classic Drink Champs moments—stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a day-one fan or new to his catalog, this conversation is a reminder why Mario’s voice—on and off the mic—still hits different. Don't miss this one. It's R&B royalty with a side of champagne and smoke.Make some noise for Mario! 💐💐💐🏆🏆🏆 *Subscribe to Patreon NOW for exclusive content, discount codes, M&G’s + more: * https://www.patreon.com/drinkchamps *Listen and subscribe at https://www.drinkchamps.com Follow Drink Champs: https://www.instagram.com/drinkchamps https://www.twitter.com/drinkchamps https://www.facebook.com/drinkchamps https://www.youtube.com/drinkchamps DJ EFN https://www.crazyhood.com https://www.instagram.com/whoscrazy https://www.twitter.com/djefn https://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodproductions N.O.R.E. https://www.instagram.com/therealnoreaga https://www.twitter.com/noreaga  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club. The new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts, where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week, I'm joined by authors, celebs,

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or wherever you get your podcasts. English knowledge. So whatever I went through while I was down in prison for two years, through that process, learn, learn from me. Check out this exclusive episode with Jairoo on Rock Solid. Open your free I Heart Radio app, search Rock Solid and listen now. You, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, it up with some of the biggest players in the most professional, unprofessional podcast and your number one source for drunk fashion. It's time for drink champs. Drink up motherfuckers. What it could be?

Hope you're listening to the Sibbidishaboy N-O-R-E. DJ EFN is on pause right now, salute to him. Damn, I ain't think he's gonna say that. It's Mississippi, wait, I was about to, Mississippi Crazy World Radio, make some noise! Hey! Now this man, since he come out, he has been a heartthrob. He has been taking these ladies' hearts.

He has been making babies. You. He has been taking these ladies hearts. He has been making babies. You know, that's like the ultimate, like, like of respect, like when a person can come up to you, like, you know, you know, I made some kids do your shit. You know what I'm saying? I know that's what they be doing to him. He got two Billboard Awards. He's fresh off of tour.

He's smell like a bugat in Europe. Cause that's that money smell. Just in case you don't know what we talking about. He's here, we gonna get't know what we're talking about. He's here, we're going to get into Orleans, we're going to drink, because he got the illest drink order. He ordered Caymus, Casamzu, and he said a little bit of champagne. But he's a legend, he's an icon.

He's been down, he's been doing this. He can drop an album every five years, it doesn't matter. His fans going to stick with him. Yeah. They gonna ride with him. And every time he comes out, they're gonna come out with him. In case you don't know who we talking about, we talking about the one and only, Mario!

Yeah! Beautiful. Thank you, brother. Yeah. Appreciate you, baby. Now, you just came off tour, um, Europe. Now... Yeah. All right, now, this is me now. My experience when I go to Europe, I'm sure, I'm Europe. Now, all right, now, this is me now. My experience when I go to Europe, sometimes I feel like the fans are more appreciative.

Yes. It's not even like a thing where it's like fans here, the culture's just different. They live different, they think about things different over there. Over here we like, yo, how we getting to this bread today, we trying to become entrepreneurs.

Everybody here is just on this hype of, you know what I mean, getting to it, and survival, and this and this and that. There are people, a lot of places, they just living. Like, they chilling, like they riding bikes. Yeah, that's right. You know what I'm saying? You might go down the street and it's like a bike,

like you see a couple cars with sheep, see bikes parked. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, they just, when they come out to enjoy the music, they come out to really enjoy it. They get there early. Everybody's like, they just, when they come out to enjoy the music, they come out to really enjoy it. They get there early. Everybody's in the building. You go in at nine,

everybody's there by eight o'clock. And they see, so they're standing up. You know what I'm saying? So it's just different. It's different. The love is different. And they don't see you at the top. You gotta go to the mall.

You know what I'm saying? Go to the club and see their favorite artists every time. You know what I'm saying? So yeah, it's just different, yeah. The first time I went to Lennox Mall, I remember it was like two or three people in Atlanta, at Lennox Mall, two or three people in the mall. Now you go to Lennox Mall, everybody's a star.

Nobody gives a fuck about nobody. It's lit. Nobody's sick. But this is the culture in America. Yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? So where's your favorite place to perform? Here or abroad?

Man, Australia and Africa, bro. Okay, Australia. And the crazy thing is- Old Africa or? No, so South Africa. South Africa., Australia. And the crazy thing is- Old Africa or- No, so South Africa. South Africa. Apartheid shit, let's go. Ghana.

Ghana, Ghana. I cry. Australia. You caught the joke late, you caught the joke late. I'm in, I'm in. Nah, but nah, bro. I would say that trip in Africa was crazy because me, Sean Paul Fer Pharrell, Snoop,

was my first time going on an international tour with those type of legends. But for that, I went on tour with Destiny's Child over the season, so that was my first. Let's make some noise for that. Like, we were doing 50,000 seaters, you know what I'm saying? So it was just like, it introduced me to Africa in a way I'd never seen it before. So saying? So it was just like, it introduced me to African-Awa, I'd never seen it before.

So for me, it was just like a whole culture shock. Just seeing us, that many black people in one place, right? And then also just like the different mixtures of people and just, it was just beautiful. Yeah, it was crazy. I'ma bounce around a little bit. Yeah, nah, you good. But, so you always wanted to be, that was the end all?

Man, I don't think I had a choice, bro. You know, my mother, when I was a kid- Baltimore, right? Yeah, I'm from Baltimore. That's right't think I had a choice, bro. You know, my mother, when I was a kid. Baltimore, right? Yeah, I'm from Baltimore. When I was a kid, bro, my mother, she was a single mom, right? So we did everything together when I was younger. She used to cut my hair.

She didn't start taking me to the barbershops when I was like 10, right? When she first figured out I could sing, it was a- Hold on, let me ask you. Did mama fuck you up? Oh, about that? No, she was nice in the bar? She was nice, bro. Okay, okay, okay. She was nice. Okay, all me ask you. Did mama fuck you up? Oh, about that? No, she was nice in the bar? Okay, okay, okay.

She was nice. Okay, cool. Because a lot of my friends would get their hair cut with the bowl on their head and the balls going around. And we'd be like, that's not really a fave, bro. Oh, God. And she used to give me the skin fade, like the ball fade. She was nice with it.

But like, you know, when I was like four years old, she got me this mic that tune into the radio. Like, remember those mics used to, and she was asleep one morning. She woke up, it was early, and I probably had on some mismatched socks and I had on like some shorts or something. I was in the living room just singing,

but I was holding a note. I was like, you know, singing along with the radio. And she was like, yo, my son got it. Like, he can hold a tone. Like, he don't know the words, but he in the key. And so from that point on, she was like, yo, my son got it. He can hold a tone. He don't know the words, but he in the key. And so from that point on, she was like, she started, this is what she told me, she started keeping music around me

to keep me away from all the other stuff that was in Baltimore. Like, you know what I'm saying? My family grew up in it. It was, we was outside. You know what I'm saying? So it was like, you feel me? And so that was her way of like, giving me a pass.

And like, you know, a lot of times you grow up, I don't know, y'all got kids, happy father day, y'all. You know what I'm saying? Don't look at that, don't look at that side. No, no, no. His shit don't work. He is, his shit don't work. He give himself a bullshit.

Oh my God, oh my God. Damn, dog. Sorry, sorry. He's like, nah, he's a beat. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Nah, you good. And so. When you picked up the microphone, did you already have some music in you?

Like, you picked it up randomly? Nah, so my mother used to play keys. There you go. So when she was pregnant, when she was playing the keys, obviously I was feeling the frequency of that, right? It was in her, she could sing a little bit, hold it still. My father sang too, even though we didn't grow up, I didn't grow up with him, but the talent was there.

But for her, like I was about to say, it's just like, you know, sometimes you don't know what your kid's gonna be into. Sports, whatever, whatever. When you see something that your kid love, like you wanna start, you like, all right, cool, I got one, you know what I'm saying? Let me get him, because you gotta give a kid something, because if not, they get into, you know,

they outside, they getting this shit, you don't know where it's gonna go. Anyway, so yeah, that's when I developed. Now when I turned like nine, 10, she started taking me to the barber shop. The first time I got paid singing was in a barber shop. You know what I'm saying? You don't know where it's gonna go. Anyway, so yeah, that's when I developed. Now when I turned like nine, 10, she started taking me to the barber shop. The first time I got paid singing was in a barber shop. You know what I'm saying?

So she would take me, you know, whatever I was singing, birthdays, cousin birthdays, all that, went to the barber shop. And she's like, no, you don't want you to sing? She's like, nah, I'm like, nah, I wanna sing. Like I'm shy, woo woo, she like, listen, the same way you sing around your family, don't be scared of your talent, you know?

So that day I sung, and I got paid like $20, $30 from East Barbara, so that was my first payday as a, you know what I'm saying? And so who don't like money, and I was like, I'm gonna do this. But that was a setup for them to pay you, it was a setup for you to sing, and then they paid you because you would do the gig.

It was like a little, you know what I mean? A little homie, whatever, but you know, yeah, bro. I think singing just like, my grandmother used to play marangay and gospel music and all the old school, old school. My mother used to play hip hop, R&B, pop, biggie, you know what I'm saying, Joe, R. Kelly, voice the mess. So I grew up around so much good, authentic music.

It's just in me like that. So you knew that was a microphone. You knew what you were doing, absolutely. 1000%. But let me ask you, right, because coming from Baltimore, right, It's just in me like that. So you knew that was a microphone. You knew what you were doing. Absolutely. 1,000%. But let me ask you, right, because coming from Baltimore, right, now, at the time, of course, New York dominated the music scene for so long.

And it was like, you know, Jersey had its run. Then Philly had its run. It was like, you know, Baltimore kind of almost stopped short, like, you know, after Delaware. So was it difficult being from Baltimore, or was it easier because you got people like Kevin Liles and Drew Hill and then they're saying like okay I'm following in those footsteps so I'm asking you. No Baltimore got a lot of talent a lot of hidden talent you

know I think back then it was even crazy like in the R&B scene because Drew Hill they they obviously they put Baltimore on the map R&B wise. I didn't know Kevin Liles back then you know I'm saying I met Kevin once I became an artist and I started moving around. But he was very instrumental in the music scene, obviously. But when I did my first talent show on Baltimore, I didn't even understand the talent that was there until I seen it.

I'm like, yo, this is crazy. Because I was the youngest artist on the talent show. Everybody else was older. But yeah, I think that the Baltimore talent scene is just so far removed from where everything is happening at. Like if people with the same talent was in LA or closer to New York, like you would see more Baltimore artists, you know what I'm saying?

Or if niggas actually make it out of the city, I'ma be honest with you. You feel me? So there's a lot of artists that don't make it out or is talented. If I didn't get adopted when I was 13, I don't know where I would be today. You know what I'm saying? I was blessed. I didn't realize it was a blessing then, but I was blessed to, you know, for somebody

to see my talent and say, yo, this kid is worth investing in. You know what I mean? That's dope. Yeah. Good job. I'm gonna ask's go. Let's go, yeah. Good job. I'm asking hypothetical questions I got from the wire. Yeah. Every time I just watch the wire

and someone get locked up, they will always say, the Baltimore guys, they say, if you're fucking me, I throw you in there with the DC guys. Right. Right? And then vice versa, they would say this is kind of like the same thing. Like, I had, like, I grew up thinking Baltimore and DC,

like y'all brothers. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I kind of like thought, and then when I saw that in Hawaii, I was like, holy shit. Is that like a thing out there? Like Baltimore and DC don't get along? It's not a get along thing.

It's just a different world. You know, DC culture, DC is more, you know, it's politics. It's people that are more business minded. You know, People are exposed. They're surrounded by a system that's built on structuring numbers. And so it's just different.

But you still got the streets. They got the White House and Whitecraft. You know what I'm saying? You still got the streets. But yeah, it's just a different culture altogether. OK. I like DC though. DC, yeah.

That's love. It's drinking time, I believe. Believe, let's do the soccer. You go and drink some fly ass Caymus. I'm not gonna lie. I'm gonna start with that, you know what I'm saying? And then let's see where we go. It's early, I know you can go for like three hours.

Let me tell you something. The only person that's as fly as you that ordered Caymus was who? I forgot, but it was someone. Who that? Who? Patti LaBelle? Patti LaBelle. Hi, Patti LaBelle. Wow.

Patti LaBelle. Shout out to Aunt Patti. Thank you. Somebody loves you, baby. No, no, no. She ordered cakes. I love Patti. We got her opus, because the first couple of stores

that we went to only had two bottles of opus. And we like, you know, yeah. Are you into old school music like that? Man. I'm sure Mark's played it. I'm sure Mark's played it. It's like, it's the foundation, bro. Like, it's really the foundation, you know?

And if you listen to a lot of R&B today that's popular, or that's becoming popular, it's infused with, you know, old school feelings, infused with souls, infused with alternatives, you know what I mean? So, yeah, that's the foundation. If it wasn't for, I wouldn't call myself the R&B emperor, which is something I just started saying this year. If I didn't have a verse- We wouldn't work with that, R's the foundation. If it wasn't for, I wouldn't call myself the R&B emperor, which is something I just started saying this year. If I didn't have a verse.

What you gonna do with that? R&B emperor? You know what I'm saying? R&B emperor. What you gonna do with that? I don't see it there. I wouldn't call myself that if I didn't have the information.

Because I have the information and because I know I can go into this pocket and that pocket, you know, and still be authentic to who I am today, I can call myself the R&B emperor. And that's because I grew up listening to everything from gospel music to hip hop to Patti LaBelle, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole. And then once I got a karaoke machine

when I was 11 years old, bro, I started going and I started stealing my mother's CDs. I started stealing my grand, you know, CDs. You can scratch it and get your ass with it. Right, right. That happened to me a couple times. I go to school, I got pennies and candy in my pocket and a Stevie Wonder CD. I come home, Mario, where the fuck

is my Stevie Wonder CD at? I'm like, I don't got it, I don't got it. I try to go sneak it in there, it scratches everywhere, all over it. It not laid us on it. You know what I'm saying? So, yeah, man, it's just, it's in me all the way.

Now one of your, one of my dope songs is Brave My Hair. Yes, sir. I gotta say brush my hair now, but yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, I mean, I was about to say, how did you come up with that song where it's like kind of like an oxymoron, right?

But let's get into it. For sure, for sure. This was, I was in New York. We recorded at Quad Studios. Quad Studios, oh, we're two Quad Studios. Quad Studios, Quad Studios, come on. I'm still there, he still recorded it. Oh my God.

So, I had just got back from, Justaffirm was already out, I believe, and we was already starting moving around, the album wasn't out yet. I just got back from doing some press runs. But I had got back from doing some press runs, but I had been away from home for a minute, so my hair was half in and half out, you know what I'm saying? And normally I would be able to go back home,

get my hair braided by my normal, you know, girl. It was like, this was me getting used to being on the road traveling the route, so I had to get different people to do my hair, because I'd bring my, and I was just mad that day. I didn't even want to work. I didn't want to record. I'm like, bro.

I'm like, nah, bro. I said, I don't feel like working right now. Like, I got to get my hair braided. So Herl Lily, he in the studio with me. We having this whole conversation. Shout out to Herl Lily, Herl Lily's the writer. And so the whole time I'm talking to him, how I feel about it, he's writing notes.

Bend his head. I leave the studio. I come back in, he's writing notes, bend his head. I leave the studio, I come back in, he already got a verse on the chorus. When you look at me sometimes, it's a 15 year old getting his dough back and forth to the studios, hoppin' out of limousines, rockin' the lake.

Like he already started, like he illustrates your life in a different way. Like he's one of the most prolific writers. It just came out of those conversations, bro. Just, you know, it was just, it was just raw, raw energy, bro. Like my whole first album was written like that. That's amazing.

Except Just A Friend, that was Usher's song, I ain't gonna lie. That was Usher's single. Damn, you write in my interview. Yeah, I just had to be honest. That was backher's single. Damn, you write in my interview. I just had to be honest. That was the bad thing about saying the question like my mother. First off, just a friend, did you ever meet Biz? Biz Mark?

Yo, I met Biz on the first video shoot, bro. He came to Baltimore, bro. We shot the video. Rest in peace, my oak, man. Biz, bro. Rest in peace to Biz. Remember, you can't remember. Biz said it's bad luck if you pour your own drink.

No, no, I put it in the can. Oh, that's his? Okay. Oh, okay, Remember, you can't remember. RZA said it's bad luck if you pour your own drink. You know, I put it in the canter. Oh, that's his? OK. Oh, OK, OK, OK, OK. My bad. Canter. This is sake. This is sake, yes.

The canter, yes. Yes, the canter. Rice wine. So that's healthier for you. I don't know. RZA said it is. I just believe everything RZA says. It's a little bit healthier for you.

You know what I mean? Salute. Salute, my brother. Hey, salute to you, man. Yes, salute to you. No, no, no, no, no. This is your day. This is your day. We're, my brother. Hey, salute to you, man. Yeah, salute to you. No, no, no, no, no, no. This is your day. This is your day.

We're giving you your flowers today, God. I feel that. I feel that. OK, but hold on. So you met Biz because you got a sip, OK? Uh-huh. Salute. Salute, my boy.

My first drink in two weeks. OK, God. Go ahead. So you got to meet Biz. Go ahead. Biz came to the first video shoot, man. He flew to Baltimore. You know what I'm saying? He flew, like, to the city. We shot the the first video shoot, man. He flew to Baltimore. You know what I'm saying?

He flew to the city. We shot the video in the city. So he really helped me carry this record and co-sign it on a different level because obviously it was originally his and it came out the year I was born, which is actually crazy, 1986. The original, Just a Friend.

I learned that later. So it was just like a full circle moment. But having Biz a part of that record for me was important to merge the generations. And it's important. You already knew who Biz was at that moment? Nah, bro. I mean, I'm 14.

Yeah. I just turned 14 years old. So it was like- You said that's Biz. Of course, of course. But they put me on to it, but I didn't know originally for that, yeah. But the fact that you listen,

like that shows the grown man in you even as a kid. You know what I'm saying? Man, I grew up fast, but I was also around like, I had some ghosts around me, bro. Warren Caramel, Harold Lilly. You know, I was working with the underdogs back then. They was the staple of R&B back then.

You know what I'm saying? It was like, if you didn't have an underdog song, it's like you wasn't really making an R&B album. You know what underdogs is, like, you know what I'm saying? It was like, if you didn't have an underdog song, it was like, you wasn't really making an R&B album. You know what underdog is, you know what I'm saying? So I was around a lot of goats, bro. I was learning so much. I think that's the big difference too, like today, is like, not a lot of artists have a lot of goats around them

that's kind of putting them on game. They just like, how can we make this person hot? You know what I'm saying? But I was soaking up so much information from everybody on top of the fact that I already had my own understanding of what real music was. You know what I'm saying? So all of that kind of, that was my artist development.

Like being in the studio, the first record I did was on a soundtrack. It was on a soundtrack for this Dr. Dolittle 2 soundtrack. It was called Tamika and me and Fab. And my first time going into a real session, I was in there for 16 hours in a session. 16 hours, my first real session. I'm like, I'm crying in a session.

I'm like 12, 13 at a time. I'm like, I don't wanna do this no more. This ain't for me, right? But it was those moments of really being broken into what it is to really make me, you want to do this for real, you have to do these hours, put these hours in. You only, the 16 hours out of the 10,000 hours you need, right here, what you gonna do?

You know what I'm saying? So yeah, it was all of that, bro. Like when I listen to certain drawings, like I listen to Drowning, right? Yeah. I'm saying? So yeah, it was all of that, bro. Like when I listen to certain joints, like I listen to drowning, right? Yeah. I asked Kisha Coldest, right? And I was like, yo, do your music come out better like when you go through drama?

It's like, I mean, I'm asking that because, you know, when you listen to a hip hop album, right? You see a person, for most part, 90% of us, like this is things that we went through, right? These are things that we went through or we're going through at the time. And it's like in R&B, it's like sometimes we like to feel your pain.

For sure. But I think pain is something that connects us all, bro. I'm going to come back to this, but if you think about pain, most of the things that go viral, if something pop up on your feet and it's two people fighting. Eyes on.

You gonna watch it, versus if you see two people just talking. I think that destruction is a part of life, but it's about why is it destructive? Is it destructive because it's just a storm that knocked the tree down? Is it destructive because we're unstable or imbalanced? Like you know what I'm saying?

I think pain is a part of life, bro, and it's a part of life that, if it wasn't for my pain, I wouldn't be here today sitting on this table with you, bro. My pain is my light, bro. My darkness is my light. I took everything that I went through, everything that I learned, even to this day,

and I transmuted into energy that's useful. You gotta transmute all your pain into useful energy. So that's what music is, I think that. So it's therapeutic too. For sure, 1000%. But yeah, when I go through, Drowning was a song about being in love with two women, right? Yes, yes.

And drowning in one's ocean of love and drowning in another tears and pain. Right? So as men, especially when you're growing up, you go through that. Like you have a lot of, you have more options, right? Being an artist, you've got more options, bro. It was just a real thing.

And I feel like that's why I felt like that when you listen to it, it was like, it's easier to write when you just talk about the truth. The drama? The truth. How about one woman man? Mm. OK.

Oh, you're going to like the... That's like you said, like you lure you, right? Yeah, that's like... That's my song then. Yeah, that's like... That's like... You hear that? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Come on, come on, come on. But it's saying both. It's saying that she's a, like she is ready for one man and ready to move into a certain point in her life where she's ready for everything, all that comes with. And you saying that I recognize that you are and I'm ready to be with one woman. You know what I'm saying?

It's like, I think that was just a play on words because I was lying. I ain't gonna hold you. I was lying. I was lying. I ain't gonna hold you. At that time, I was like, yo, let me just make a good heart and be strong.

I was like, I was lying. You know, sometimes you gotta be creative. And you know, I was inspired just by, I'm a very imaginative person, bro. I'ma be honest. I feel like a lot of my childhood was stripped from me. You know what I was inspired just by, I'm a very imaginative person, bro. I'ma be honest, I feel like a lot of my childhood was stripped from me, you know what I'm saying? So a lot of times I just imagine love, because I didn't grow up,

my grandmother died when I was 12, right? She was really like my second mom, if not my first mom, in terms of her presence. You know what I'm saying, yeah, for sure. And so, you know, my idea of love is kind of a little, I'm still learning what that is. You know, I'm still learning like what that is in terms of like a partner.

In life, I look around and I see love. Nature is love, you know what I'm saying? Self love, you know, fastening and restraining from certain things, that's self love. There's so many different versions of love, right? But in terms of partnership, you know, that's something I'm still learning about. You know what I mean?

So music is the way for me to imagine, like, all right, let me imagine what it, this is what it feel like. When I didn't let me love you, I didn't know nothing about it. You're only making me, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't. I'm not letting you see it. Man, you're taking me down, you're making me go down my own mental, I'm like, uh-uh.

I got the notes, I got the notes, you're fucking up my notes. All right, go ahead, bro, go ahead, bro. Uh-uh, you ain't gonna rush that one, uh'm like, uh-uh. I got the notes, I got the notes. He fucking up my notes. All right, go ahead, bro. Go ahead, bro. Uh-uh, you ain't gonna rest that one. Uh-uh, uh-uh. Nah, we ain't resting. Let's talk about working with Gucci, man. Break up. Yeah.

Wasn't that when he first came home from jail? Or was that? Man, yeah, yes, that's when he first came home, bro. Gucci had just got home. Very hard to get this guy. Yeah, no, for sure. I be trying to call him now for, you nigga pop out at this show, this festival. He said, you can't, Gucci, yeah. got home. Very hard to get this guy out. Yeah, no, for sure. I'll be trying to call him now for, you can make a pop out at this show,

this festival, he's like, you can't, Gucci, yeah. He's black, right? Nah, but you know, he a family man, you know what I'm saying? He's doing his thing, I'm proud of Gucci, but. Bro, that was, you know, I recorded the record in Atlanta with Sean Garrett, right? Uh-huh.

I was in Baltimore at the time. And at the time, my manager, Jay Everin, called me. He was like, yo, we were working on this album. I think that's on the DNA album, right? We were working on DNA. And we was just looking for a record to lead it off. We were looking for a record to really tie everything in, something that was abstract and different and not all the way down

the R&B lane, but just a little bit left. And at the time we already did like two records with Sean Garrett for the album. One of another record made it. Irv called me, yo, I think we got it. Irv, when you say Irv. K Irvin. Oh, okay.

At the time he's my manager. He's like, yo, I think we got one. He's like, you got to fly to Atlanta ASAP. I said, it's worth flying back. I just left Atlanta. Like, nah, you got it. You got to come cut this one. It's crazy.

So I go to Atlanta, go in the studio with Sean. He jumping all off the tables. You know, Sean, he going crazy. And she's like, we got this. He pressed play. Soon as I hit a beat drop, I knew what it was. Like, this one of the ones I knew what Breakup was when I first heard it.

Bailey Des produced it. Big up, Bailey Des. Big up, Bailey Des, yo. He sent the record. Sean Garren overwrote with you? Yes. Well, no, Sean Garren wrote the record. I ain't going to lie. OK. He sent the record. Sean Garren overwrote with you? Yes, well, no, Sean Garren wrote the record. I ain't gonna lie.

OK. He wrote the record. He wrote the record, and this was specifically supposed to be my single. They were in a session to work on my album. He wrote the record. When I cut the record, Sean like, I ain't gonna lie Rio, like I was gonna keep this as my...

You don't wanna take it back? You don't wanna take it back? He said I ain't gonna lie Rio. He came across his mind and think about taking it back. He's wanna let you know. But you gotta understand, by the end of this time, me and Sean was like, that was like my brother. You know what I'm saying?

So like, a lot of times you work with writers and people and it's very political. You go in, you work, and it's, you know, nice to meet you, do the rec and you leave. Me and Sean was outside together. We was going to clubs, we was going to strip, like we was turning, we was turning up. You know what I'm saying?

So it's like, we was having fun. So this like, at this point, it's like your homie saying like, nigga, let me just, I'ma just stay on the road. At the time, I'm like, okay, cool. All right. He said this after you dropped the vocals. Oh yeah, yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, this nigga. I can see how hard that could be, good. And so, you know, and so I'm like, we just going back and forth on it. Because at the time he was also working on the, he's working on a record for another big artist.

Okay. I'm gonna mention their names right now in this moment. But he's working with another male artist at the time who was working on the R&B album, hip hop album. And there was another record that I wanted that he had for that person. Okay. And I was like, yo, let me get this record.

Yeah. Huh? That person. That person. Exactly. That person. That let me get this record. Yeah. One person to that? That person. Exactly. That was him. That guy. Exactly. And so I was like, nigga, let me get this.

Like, let me get it. He's like, nigga, if I give you this record, this nigga will kill me, bro. He's like, I can't give you this record. You know what I'm saying? But I'll call. I'll make a call for you. So we was kind of negotiating.

And then we choose about a breakup. I was like, all right. This about a breakup. No, no, no, no, no. This about another record. OK. But I said, if I give you that, then it's like? No, no, no, no. This about another record. OK. But I said, if I give you that, then it's like, if I do this, you got to give me that record.

OK. It's like, I can't. Huh? The person I told you about earlier. All right, yeah. And so, and so, nah, before first, so this was, you know, but it didn't end up happening. I ended up getting that record.

Right. Sean ended up staying on the record. It got crazy. Like, we, you know what I'm saying? We ain't like throw hands at nothing, but we was going back and forth. And he was like, man, this wasn't my single. And so when I finished the record,

he's like, I bet, I'm gonna go get Gucci on it for you. I said, nigga, Gucci like that? He's like, he just came home. Oh, clutch. I said, because we was thinking about features and shit, I said, I bet. I said, let's make it happen. You know what I'm saying?

Let's make it happen. You can go show on it, we make the play. And I'll go figure it out with the label. You feel me? Maju, I'm coming from like love songs, crying out for me. You know what I mean? Just record, you know, no records, but it's like breakup was a different,

you got to understand, you know what it's like being signed to a label. You got to convince niggas that this is the move. Yeah, I need y'all to spend some bread. And y'all might not believe in it. You know what I'm saying? So that's what happened. That's what ended up happening.

I had to fight for that record. I had to fight for it like me. And at the time I had it, like we got into it. Like I'm not putting- What label was this? It was RCA at the time. So it the late, we got into it. I'm not putting- What late was this? It was RCA at the time. RCA, okay. So it was like, I'm not putting,

I'm not about to spend money on somebody that's not something, I'm not about to do, it was just a, but the record came out and it spoke for itself. Right. You know what I'm saying? So yeah, it was a crazy little journey. Yeah, Gucci came out, he put a verse on it, and I think it was his first real mainstream- I believe so too, I believe so. Joint. Yeah. So and I think it was his first real mainstream joint.

So the energy around it was just crazy. He came to Baltimore, shot the video with me at my crib at the time. It was crazy. It was a vibe, bro. Break up was a whole... Yeah. Salud. Salud. Yeah.

Thank you. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories, and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay, and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts. Every week I sit down with your favorite book lovers, authors, celebrities, book talkers, and more

to explore the stories that shape us on the page and off. I've been reading every Reese's Book Club pick, deep diving book talk theories, and obsessing over book to screen casts for years. And now I get to talk to the people making the magic. So if you've ever fallen in love with a fictional character or cried at the last chapter or passed a book to a friend saying you have to read this, this podcast is for you.

Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club 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 Ronella. 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 6, 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 and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

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It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2 and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5 and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene.

The podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebene and every Tuesday starting July 1st, I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that will challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. On Pretty Private, we'll explore the untold experiences of women of color who faced it all, childhood trauma,

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Pretty Private isn't just a podcast. It's your personal guide for turning storylines into lifelines. Listen to Pretty Private with Ebeneze starting Tuesday, July 1st on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Now what do you like more? Seeing one coming, yeah. Making the record or performing the record? It's two different worlds, bro. I know. Making the record or performing the record?

It's two different worlds, bro. I know. I feel like performing the record is like, I say like this, it depends on who I'm working with. I can't say like every record is the same. Like when you're working with people that you actually enjoy working, like sometimes when you work, it's not,

like I said, it's more political. It's more like making records back then was not as fun as making records now. Now I'm having more fun. Back then it was like, all right, bro, we got you set up with this writer, this producer. I had fun with Scott Storch. Shout out to Scott Storch.

That's what I think of. That's what I think of. That's Scott Storch. That shit was lit. But I have, yeah, it's like, you know, back then it was a little bit more, I didn't have as much control. I wasn't involved in the setting up. I was just showing up, singing, doing the records. Like, okay, Neo coming in the right,

or this person coming in the right. Had a great time working with Polo. That's my nigga. Polo Dog. You know what I'm saying? Like just certain people that was like, it's more fun making the records and sometimes it's just like,

you do the records and you keep it moving. You know what I'm saying? When I worked with Stargate, we did How Do I Breathe and all those records, like they're more structured. You know, Underdogs, more structured. You know what I'm saying? They got five writers in a room,

two writers and whatever, whatever. It's two rooms going, all right Mario, we ready for you, cut your vocals over here. You go over there, you cut the vocals, you know you in with goats, so you delivering, you really focused just on that. It ain't about having fun, it ain't about girls in the vibe, it ain't about, it's just more about the work.

So I've been on both sides where, you know, it was super political and just, it's cutting dry. And then it's like, we working for one day, we partying and raging for two days. But then when we come back, we about to do like 10 more records. That's gonna be off of that energy. So I don't know, it just depends on who I work with.

Have you ever made a record, particularly like for me, right, my first album was a component of Noriega, right? And we had all these hood records, right? Yeah. And they were me, right? My first album was a component of Noriega, right? And we had all these hood records, right? And they were great, right? But they were slow. So going into my solo album, I made what, what, what, what just for the clubs. You know what I'm saying?

Did you know what it was when you did it? Yeah, I kinda did. I didn't know 100%. But I knew that if it had this reacted, the way I wanted to react, this would be a hit. But I made that record, particularly because I needed a club record. Have you ever made records like that where you're like,

you know what, I'm gonna do it like maybe a super girl friendly or a ballad record? Breakout was that for sure. Breakout was definitely that bro. Cause we would look, like I said, we was looking for that energy. I think main one the drone I just did with the drone I did with Tyga and Wayne that was definitely like

okay it was that that was a it was that was a different thing because originally Tory was on the record. Tory Lane. And then Wayne and Tyga end up doing the actual version that we put out with the video and everything. Waka's tour got locked up? So, yes and no. Okay. It wasn't about him being locked up, it was about I wanted to actually move the record. Okay.

I wanted to shoot a video, like I wanted to have fun with the record. Right. And it was a hard decision to make, bro, because that's my nigga, and it's like, that was a hard decision to make. But I also had history with Wayne, you know what I'm saying? And me and Tiger's the one who went in and actually

did the record together. So it was just like, yeah, it was a tough call. But yeah, that was definitely one of those, like, yo, let's do something for the summer. Why? What was another record that was in that space? I feel like a ballad that was in that space is Music for Love. But that's not something you regret?

No, not at all. What were you talking about? No, I was asking because of the way you said it. Yeah, what's wrong? I was saying, do you ever have one that you did it for the label and you regret it? Oh, you're saying that I did for the label that I did for the clubs.

Yeah, I'm changing up the subject. Oh, you're saying that now? I'm trying to roll it. I'm not interested. No, you good. Let's take a shot, man. Let's take a shot. Let's take a shot.

Hey, man. When you call it, though, you keep going. That's true. One that. That's like a shocker. That's like a shocker. Hey man, I love you. When you call it though, you keep going. That's true. One that I cut for the label. No, so Music for Love, like, that was a record that I did because I wanted to do something that was like, an R&B baby making record that could also be played in the clubs.

Music for Love was that. It was like, I feel like every R&B artist gotta have, if you wanna be like a goatin' and shit, like you gotta have something that can play everywhere. It's like R. Kelly was one of them niggas. Like he made records that could play. I'm on R. Kelly's album. I'm on R. Kelly's album.

Oh yeah, the new one? No, no, no, no, no, no. Oh. You said it, like you gotta, hold on, wait. I know you got some shit with him, but okay. Back then, back then, back then. I'm one joint with him. You said you said, I was on R. Kelly's album.

I was on R. Kelly's album. Okay, I bet. No, you good. What happened? It was 8 million sold back then. I just found out it was 15 million sold. I'm going to renew my black. I'm going to renew my black. Listen, it's undeniable his talent, right? You know what I'm saying? So I feel like, yeah, with music for life,

certain records, I always try to cover having records that can work anywhere, then also giving you classics. I feel like a great R certain records, I always try to cover having records that can work anywhere and then also giving you classics. I feel like a great R&B artist can do all of that. And that's what I've been trying to create with my catalog throughout my career. You know what I'm saying? So that's the goal, bro. That's the goal.

Let me ask you a quick question, because you mentioned Sean Garrett. Did you see Sean Garrett in a dream going at it? Like in the first and last? No, I didn't. Yeah, so of course. Yeah. But that's regular.

If you know Sean, that's regular. No, let me tell y'all something. Yeah. R&B, y'all been hiding that y'all gangsters for a long time. Bobby Brown told us a little bit. Like we was like, oh, okay. Maybe, maybe, but we didn't. Not everybody, but yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, cause I go backstage and I be like, damn, these motherfuckers don. Not everybody, but yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I go backstage and I'll be like, damn, these motherfuckers don't have fights. They got potpourri smelling. Yeah. They got hand-tipped shit. This is smell good back here and shit.

And like, y'all had a spoon one. Y'all motherfuckers is just as gangsta as us, yo. Yo. Sean Garan and Dream. I feel like we, you know, we, our emotions be, we let our emotions out in the music and shit. You know what I'm saying? But then when shit get real, it get real.

Right. What makes it goes with R&B? You listen to Mario, our show is about giving people their flowers, where they can smell them, their thoughts, where they can think them, and their drinks, where they can drink them. Brother, what you have done to this game, you have been relentless, you have dominated, and you have never, I've never seen you complain. I don't think you had a stress day and you're like, you know what I mean? Like, bro, let me give you your flowers. Let me give you

your flowers. Oh shit. Oh, this a vibe right here. Yeah. Gold flowers. Yes. Why gold? Cause I love gold. Why gold? Uh, that was E of Fins is the idea. I love gold. Why gold? There was E.F.N. This is an idea. I love gold. You understand? It's Pharrell's idea. My bad. It's Pharrell's idea. I like the gold, man.

You know, it's rich. It's rich, bro. We love that. So let me tell you. You look like nothing really bothers you. Huh. Is that it? Is that it?

I'm asking you. It's a spurt now. It's a spurt. I mean, is it the two things that that means? Is that... I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like,'s right, left-right city, Corona, Queens, 97, that's 30, 57, Avenue, 45, Corona, New York, 11, 368. That's right. You're a good guy. No, no, no, no, but that's...

You ready for me to answer my question on my back? No, I want you to answer the question, yes. You from Queens, bro? Yes. You've been through a lot of things that people know, but you've been through a lot of things that people know, but you've been through a lot of things that people don't know.

And I'm almost certain that the things that they don't know has been the foundation of your character and your decisions and who you decided to become today more than the things they do know. All right, make some noise for that. Are you not done? Yeah, yeah, make some noise for that, Are you not done? Yeah, yeah, make some noise for that though. In that whole journey, then you have your observation

of other people and the things that they've done and ended up in situations that you don't want. Like, you know, whether you ended up in bad situations or not, you got over it, you here now. But you've been able to observe your world and decide how you're gonna fit into it on your terms. I learned early on, I grew up around killers, drug dealers, gangsters, drug addicts. My grandmother was a God-loving person.

My great grandmother went to church every three days. My grandma went to church and prayed for my family every three days. It still ain't work. I've been seeing death since I was four years old. Wow, wow. I been burning family members since I was five years old. Wow, listen. I burned my mother in 2017.

Wow, God bless. I fought demons with her. She died from a heroin and fentanyl overdose. Yeah. Like I really grew up in this shit. I don't talk about it because why do I need to talk about it? You know what I'm saying? I don't, you know, I came up in a time where it's like,

nigga, clout chasing on the internet wasn't a thing. That's not even, to me that's not, I don't mind when people do it, for whatever reason they do it. I just personally, I gotta look in the mirror at night and go to sleep and be like, proud of who I am as a man and know that I got anything that came to me is because I work for it.

And because I personally planned for this to happen this way and it did. That make me feel as a man more grounded and more powerful and more understanding of who I am. It builds a bond. My bond with myself, you know, when I was in the darkest moments of my life and me and God talking and me talking to myself, I'm like, yo, you are you God.

It's just you, nigga. It's just you. So every decision you make, every person that's around you, everything that you do, you gotta be able to hold yourself accountable. Every choice you make. So for me, dawg, I'm not impulsive on shit. It take a lot from me.

If it's not something that's real, I'm not gonna get triggered by it. You gotta be real, bro. And then when it's real, it's real. That's it. It's that simple. It seems like you don't join the circus. Like even me, I don't let things bother me, but every now and then I join the circus.

Give me a scenario and I can tell you how it'll respond. Okay. What you mean? Uh, your album dropped. One of your artists, your people friends, go on Shade 45. They asked him, yo, did you, did you, uh, hear Mario new album? And he goes, well, I couldn't get into it. One of my peers, one of your peers, a person that you know.

Okay. How would you respond to something like that? Why do I need to respond? That's his opinion. Okay. Yeah, but I get it. You're saying the cloudout-chasing version be like, nigga, my album's out. Shit, if I respond and people go, I don't think like that, bro. It's like, I think a part of me,

sometimes a part, let me be honest with you, I think the real nigga in me sometimes stunts the, I wouldn't say growth, but like the attention that I could be getting. Right. But that's the thing is like, bro, I be seeing niggas do that and then disappear in two years. So what the fuck does that even mean?

What are you standing on? All respect. And he said, one of your peers, so since he, let's say the example is on Shady 45. Yeah. You had a comment. So do you acknowledge that? What kind of comment?

That he wasn't into the album. He just like, Okay, but like. He responded on radio. It's just like right now, you see Lil Wayne, he dropped his car. It depends on how I say it. It just depends, bro.

It depends on the energy, bro. It's like, if he be like, yeah, I don't fuck with that. Then he, you know, like if it's that energy, if somebody asked me about it, then I would answer the question. But I'm not gonna go, if it's,

I'm not gonna go out of my way to be like, oh, he said, like that's like, okay, how's your opinion? If he wanted to direct it to me, then it would be a different conversation. Okay. And I probably would talk to him in person and on the shit, but I don't know, this never happened, bro. So I think the question is why people don't think they're just saying

That's the real question yeah, I'm gonna shop for that Cool, bro What are you trying to do? Yeah Who? Me the wizard Going to get another bottle of wine, yes. Please. Okay. Uh, where's the, uh, the, at the... Famous Never... Drink Time with Slime.

Famous Never Live. Okay, you ready? You drinking? You gonna drink? You said you need... Yeah, let's have a drink. Okay. And you got that burning. I see that, I see that. Alright, so you gotta explain them the game, Quick Time with Slime, guys. Yeah.

All right, so Quick Time with Slime is a game where we ask you either or, and you get to answer truthfully, right? We're not pulling nothing out of you if you have a story with either or of questions. Yeah. So if you say yes, then we don't drink. If you say no, we don't drink.

If you say both, then we drink. Yeah, then we all drink. All right, cool. Let's do it. If you say both, we drink with you. Yeah, then we all drink. All right, cool. Let's do it. You got Casa Zoo, right? You wanted Casa Zoo? Oh, we shot in it. Yeah, yeah, shots.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, cool. OK, cool. Two options, and you're big either or. I ain't gonna lie. Mario's too smooth, man. He's mad smooth, man. I don't think he's going to work on him.

He is. But she real. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But sure. And he got the 2025 Michael Jackson jacket on, too. That's dope. Michael would be proud. Michael would be proud, man.

Yeah, you know, Michael is on something. That's my guy, man. Like, Michael, he's one of my biggest inspirations. Him and Marvin Gaye. Him, Marvin, and Stevie. Wow. Like, those are my three top, like, when I- Stevie Wonder?

Yeah, bro. You know what they're trying to say? He can see right now. Yeah, you know, he might be reversing this. Like, you know, he might be able to see. Like, he might be able to a little bit see, y'all. He might be able to see. He might be able to see. He might be able to see. He might be able're not. Stevie Wonder? Yeah, bro. You know they're trying to say he can see right now. Yeah, you know, he might be reversing this, like you know, he might be able to see,

like he might be able to a little bit see y'all. Right, right, right, right, right. Okay, you all ready? You explained, right? Yes. Okay, ah, this is the great first, hold on, we gotta wait for Jamie. Okay, okay, shots, okay.

I'm not for sure. Okay, this is great first question. Okay, um, this is great. It is what it is at this point. Great first question. Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder? Damn, that's crazy. You just did it just now? Yeah, they did it. Oh, man. Oh, boy, that's crazy.

Remember, you said that. Alright, look. I'm gonna be honest. I'm gonna have to go with... Like, I love Stevie. We with, like, I love Stevie. That's Stevie, we just talked recently. I love Stevie. I'm gonna go with Marvin. Not on FaceTime.

But he will FaceTime you. I heard, that's a snoop's head. So I got, I'm gonna go with Marvin. Oh, wow. You know. We not drinking, okay. I'm gonna go with Marvin. Damn. I'm gonna take a shot, bro. Okay, going to go with Marvin. Damn.

I'm going to take a shot, bro. OK, take a shot. Yeah, yeah. It makes sense. It makes sense. Yo. You know, I don't got no story with Marvin, bro. But I wish I could have met him, you know what I'm saying?

For sure. But no, Stevie is, every time I see Stevie, he always compliment me on what I'm wearing, bro. Every time I see him. He always throw me off. He always throw me off. You know what I'm saying? That's cool.

Yeah, Stevie, man, he's like that uncle that, you know? I'm gonna be honest with you. I can't tell you all the conversations that I had with Stevie, because Stevie's a real nigga, little Kiwi, bro. Like, he'll have a conversation, I'm gonna be honest with you. I can't tell you all the conversations that I had with Stevie because he, Stevie's a real nigga, little Keely, bro. Like he'll have a conversation, like he really understand things that's going on around him

that you don't think he understand. He understands people's energy so fast. Probably his intuition may be better than yours. It's kind of crazy. You know, like he'll call like in a room, like he'll, he controls the energy in a room around him without even being able to see because he understands energy, bro.

That's Stevie. And he's real, he's raw, he's straight, you know, he's a straight shooter. I mean, you know. So is Do. I love Stevie, man. You know, he motivated me, grew up listening to his intention in his music.

You know, and I always wondered like, okay, he had to go in a different place to find a way to relate to us, right, musically. But instead of doing that, he took you where he was, how he saw music. That's why his music is so intricate and the colors he used in his music, the concepts, like nobody's ever done it and said the things that he says.

You know what I mean? Like, it's just a completely different world. And I think that's what I respect about that, man. But Marvin, on the other hand, I feel like I understand his life more. You know, not getting the love that you want from the people you love, being misunderstood, using music as therapy.

But I think he came out in a time where you could be versatile and still be accepted in a way where it's still mainstream. Now it's like you kinda gotta stay in up, you gotta give people a pocket, you know what I'm saying? But he used his music as therapy. When he did What's Going On, he left and what's it? What's going on?

That's therapy for me. My grandma used to play that record, Mercy, Mercy Me. I would love to be able to make those types of records because I resonate with those. I feel like my life is made for me to make pain music that liberate people. But I just didn't come out like that as an artist. I came out as a lover boy and all that type of stuff.

That's how I was marketed as a young artist. I've been trying to make that transition. You know, because that's like, the next, the album that I make that's like that, I have a name for it, everything, is gonna be a completely different sound and a completely different intention behind it. And I feel like it's gonna be something

that liberates a lot of people musically and lyrically. That's what I'm here to do for sure. Outside of the R&B shit. You foresee that as a- For sure. I foresee it. Like it's the album where my soul's really going to be able to feel like, okay, we let

it out, bro. You know what I mean? I ain't going to knock it over. I got this one. We let it out, bro. This is it. You know what I mean? Marvin did that. That's why I would say Marvin.

He did that. He was able to do that. And I want to do that one day. We're gonna finish off for it. So Tupac or DMX? Whichever criteria you want. Have you ever met either? Oh yeah.

I know X. I never met Pac before. Me neither. X and my uncle was actually, they were friends, they knew each other very well, my uncle. Rest in peace, Anthony Hardaway. Rest in peace. Rest in peace, DMX. I'ma go, I'ma go...

Y'all motherfuckers, man. Yeah. Let's go, Bo. He just want a drink. I do. I do. Cheers. Um.

Rezipete Pock. Yeah. I never met him at that Pock. It's hard to pick. Yeah, it's hard to pick. It's hard to pick. I mean, to tell you the truth, if it wasn't for Pock, it wouldn't be a DMX, so I guess you could take that at an angle.

But there's certain people who love DMX in their own right who didn't even know Pock, you know what I mean? So. Nah, absolutely not. If it wasn't for Pac, it wouldn't be a DMX. So I guess you could take that angle. But there's certain people who love DMX in their own right, who didn't even know Pac. You know what I mean? So- Nah, absolutely. So I say that's-

I can see the synergy of why you say that for sure. Why? You know, cause that's a big statement, but I can see the synergy of why you say that just in terms of, why do you say that? Well, cause it's the truth. I mean, if it wasn't, Pac came out first and Pac's energy, and I'm going to tell you the crazy shit,

when DMX came out, and DMX had the bandana on and everything, he wasn't trying to be Pac at all. That was just his style and Yonkers. That was just how they dressed at that time. Yeah. So if you listen to the content of their music, content doesn't match at all.

It's just like the power of like the persona. But if you listen to DMX really, really good, he's portraying a dog as opposed to Pac was actually a black activist. For sure. They looked similar, they both had six packs, but they walked the same route, but in the opposite directions. I get what you're saying. But they walked the same board, but in the opposite directions.

I get what you're saying. But they walk the same boardwalk. You know what I mean? But I feel like later on in his life, DMX did become more of like, he started speaking more on like, yo, our power, you know what I'm saying? He prayed a lot, like he, you know,

so he did have that prophetic energy in him. I agree with you, I agree with you. You know what I mean? What I would slightly disagree with is say that he became more of God as opposed to Pac. He became more of the people. So that's the only difference. Oh, for sure, for sure, for sure.

That's the only difference. Like DMX felt more love of God. Like you know what I mean? Like DMX last days of his life, he was with us almost every day. That's crazy. And he would come, this is how he just talked to me. Yeah.

Like, because I just drink wine and champagne. I drink soft liquor. Yeah. He's like, oh, you still drink that sissy juice? I'm like, damn, bro. You can't talk like that these days. But that's the type of person he was. Bro, man.

But great person. Rest in peace to them both, bro. OK, so let's go to the next one. Joe or Tank? Ah, man. Tank, what up, my nigga? Joe, man. OK, Joe.

Joe. Joe. No explanation why. I mean, for those who may not understand R&B all the way like that, I just think Joe, he was more instrumental in my upbringing of R&B. You know what I'm saying? He was really somebody I studied.

Tank is amazing. I feel like I love that he's still here doing his thing, and he's incredible. But I studied Joe. A lot of fans out there call me baby Joe sometimes. In certain inflections and certain things I do in music. But yeah, I would say Joe. I respect that.

New addition of Jackson 5? Ha ha ha. Hmm. No. Jackson 5. OK. Because if it wasn't for Jackson 5, there is no new addition, correct?

I don't know. I'd never say without this and without that. It's hard for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can. There's two different time periods. But you can see the inspiration. For sure.

For sure, for sure, for sure. We have Jackson 5s. Jackson 5s, Michael Jackson, bro. It birthed a goat. ABC! That's just that. It's like, yeah, yeah. You can play that right now, and you don't even know.

Like, if you play that to a kid who doesn't, they won't know. That's the true definition of timeless music. Timeless, bro. And just, like, they let you in a life in a different way where it's like you learn artist development from Jackson 5. You got a chance to see like, okay,

this is what it takes to really be. And you also got a chance to see the growth, bro. Like there's never been a group in history that I know of. Please let me know that you've been able to see them from five, six, seven years old all the way to four. How old was Mike when he passed away? 52.

Bro, come on, bro. Like it's never been, it's never forbidden. You know that you know, you know, they family, you know, they history, you know, his dad was, it's just, it's so much energy information there that it's like, you can't compare it. It's just crazy. That's true. Hell yeah.

I agree with that. Bobby Brown or R. Kelly? This is the, you know, that's the cocaine section over there. It's the Colombian and the Dominican who write these questions. R. Kelly. Okay. You know? Y'all picking an interesting artist to like pair up.

That's what you said. It's not me. I say R. Kelly, bro. Okay. You know, it's a writer, you know, R&B goat. Again, it goes back to the emperor conversation. Being able to go from, I believe I can fly to this is my life. I'm like, I'm going to die.

I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. a writer, you know, R&B goat. Again, it goes back to the emperor conversation,

being able to go from, I believe I can fly to, this is my song for real, no doubt, cause the DJ is making me feel plugged out. And I'm moving, I'm moving. It's too many different. I'm moving, I'm moving. It's too many names. If these people were generals of armies, who would you want to be a general?

Well, that's you would be like, yo, he gonna teach you how to snipe, shoot with the handgun, play with your hands. Niggas like Bobby Brown, he's a barraga. That for sure. Bobby got hit in combat. That's funny. But no, not to take nothing from Bobby. You know what I'm saying? He's an icon.

You know what I'm saying? There would be no Usher without Bobby. Right? And everybody say, like, yo, being an artist, like, you know, it's like, you got to kind of like crash out a little bit, be a little bit of a rock star, be a little bit of a junkie to fucking be like on top type shit. I'm like, bro, like, nah, bro, you just gotta understand darkness and light.

Cause I feel like some people, that's their way of like going to the dark side. My way of going to the dark side is like internal, it's mental, it's fucking, it's very, you know what I mean? I dealt with it early on. So it was like, it's just, it's more, you know what I mean? I dealt with it early on. So it was like, it's more of a mental thing for me. I feel like if I did them type of drugs, it wouldn't do nothing to me.

Wait, until you do those drugs and then they- No, I'm trying to, no, I get what you're saying. No, listen, no. Okay, I've done plant medicine before, right? Okay. It's just a- No, okay, I've done plat-medicine before, right? Okay. It's just a different type of it. Ayahuasca?

No. I haven't gone that far yet because I might not be here. I won't come back. I promise you, if I did Ayahuasca, you would never hear another R&B album from me again. You would never hear another- Were you going to Heavy Metal? No.

No. No. No. He told them. No. No. No. I might. No, no. No, but the concept would be different.

I just would, it would be a whole other different situation. You're scared of I.O.I. I'm not, yeah, I don't know. And Will Smith kind of like, trying to like, ask me, you know, it's like, it's not working, Will. No, I said that on purpose. If I could lie close. Yeah.

That's why I said, no, for sure, for sure. You know what I'm saying? I feel like if I, if I,, I said that one. By the way, close. Yeah. That's why I said, by the way. Nah, for sure, for sure. You know what I'm saying? I feel like if I did that, I think I would, if anything, I would probably just have a crazy episode of wanting to get it out of my body quick. And then y'all would see me go through some crazy shit in front of you and then it would be gone. Like it's just, yeah.

Nah, but can you explain further the plant medicine that you started with? Oh yeah, for sure. My first one was, I started with shrooms. The one I've done, but in a ceremonial sense, it's a different thing when you do like God dose, you know what I mean? You're secluded and you in your own space. It's just a different level of recognition with your soul and recognizing yourself in a completely different space and understanding like There's things as answers questions that I had that I was able to answer on plant medicine for myself that I wasn't able to answer

You know being in the normal state where I'm dealing with life Right, and it's really healing bro because it allows you to in a short period of time live like 10 years of life. Go back, literally go in and heal certain parts of yourself that you hadn't paid attention to because it's coming to the forefront in a way where you can't escape it. It's like putting everything in front of you.

You know, it's beyond, it's like a cosmic therapist, if you will. That kind of sounds the way Mike Tyson explained it. It's like a cosmic therapist. We're interviewing Mike Tyson. We did shrooms too, right? On the interview. Live on the interview.

But guess who gave it to us? Mike Tyson. No one's going to tell Mike Tyson no. So we're in the middle of the interview. He just goes like this. He tells me to hear things. And we're scared. Because who the fuck tells No to Mike Tyson, right? And he kind of shoves it at us.

And I'm like, ah. That's crazy. I love that for you. I love that for you. That's amazing. My wife said that was the happiest she's ever seen me. I was running around. I love that, bro.

That's fire. I mean, if we were to be more vulnerable like that in life, imagine what we'd be able to learn from each other. Yeah. If it was that like, that's, you know, but. Yeah, no, no, playing medicine is amazing, bro. It definitely changed my life and it, it's almost like, I know I understand this realm

a lot better because I understand how, I'll say immature. Like if I had to, this is an immature realm in a lot of ways. You know what I'm saying? A lot of distractions. What is distractions? But it's just like, it's running from,

it runs from truth in a lot of ways. So everything is like, you know, it's about magicianship more so than it is about the heart and about like being completely vulnerable, which is hard to do that. You can't do that when you have, you know, people that are out to take advantage of you and completely misunderstand everything you say

because they're just not on your level, right, of understanding at some point. But, you know, I think if we make it the norm, if we continue to like bring out the parts of ourselves that we don't really, like if I reward you for the better things you do in life versus the worst things you do in life on a daily basis, even if you go back home in the hood,

if people were rewarded for like, if you go to the block and you're like, yo, I just did this fast, I just did this, and people are like, yo, that's fire, bro. We reward you for that. Versus, that's corny, or that's this. Like, just little things like that, rewarding the better parts of ourselves as humanity,

that would change so much, you know what I'm saying, in our society. It really would. But, it also comes with just being real, you know what I'm saying? It's like, no one's gonna change overnight. Like shit don't happen overnight, but reward those little steps that people take.

No, that's right. No, I've helped people change like that by understanding like, all right, cool. Like reward people for like the things that they do that's hard for them, bro. Because everybody don't have the same struggles. Some people really struggle with things that's hard for them.

It's hard for them to break them demons. You reward them like, you know, by seeing them like, yo, I see that you working on this, where instead of shunning it or making them feel like, oh, that's corny or whatever, you know what I mean? Right. I was talking to somebody in the hood the other day, and I was like, yo, what's up with homeboys?

Oh, son. And he was like, this nigga going to college, he think he on smart and shit. What the fuck? What kind of conversation are we having right now? I was like, this boy is my son. And he was like, this nigga going to college. He think he all smart and shit. What the fuck? What kind of conversation are we having right now? Like, the guy is trying to better himself and go to college. And you saying, he think he all smart and shit.

I was like, damn, I cannot. They just don't calibrate on the same level. Yeah, it's just horrible sometimes. But I feel like sometimes even, I let people smarter than people that go to college, bro. It's not even about college, it's about your own understanding of life and how deep you willing to go down a rabbit hole to understand what's going on.

Especially today. We live in a completely different world. It's like, education is very important, absolutely. But it's also important for you to educate yourself beyond what you learn in school, beyond what your parents taught you, beyond your religion, beyond everything, so you can understand the game that we're playing. So, Monopoly and multi-dimensional chess is what's going on.

But yeah. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay, and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts.

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Listen to Pretty Private with Ebeneze starting Tuesday, July 1st, on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Jada Kiss or Nas? You're like back to the script for me. Yeah.

You gotta join me, Jada. As far as- What's the criteria you want. Y'all set this up so niggas can drink. I get it. I get it. I get it. I get what you guys want.

Damn, I kinda got a drink to that, bro. That's kinda crazy. All right. Can I sip this? No, something where this game goes. You want some real Millicent shit. Yeah, I mean, you can still sip it, but you got to go to the Casa Azul.

We got it for you, baby. Casa Azul. Nobody orders Casa Azul. You're the only one. Classic. Classic. Classic. I'm in the resource room.

Because I can't pick. So I look, okay. You look, too, son. But you got to join with Jadakiss. I'm in the resource room. Because I can't pick. So I look, OK. You're a little too certain. But you got a joint with JD Kiss. JD Kiss is my nigga. It's hard to go. But you had a joint with him.

You had worked together. Yeah, for sure. Have you worked with Nas? Yeah, yeah, I worked with Nas on his, what is it, the last, what album was that, bro? I believe it was the last album that came out, right? The last album that came out. Like King's Disease.

Yeah, King's Disease, bro. Okay, the second one, okay. Walked in the studio, him and Hitboy was in, me and Hit was supposed to work. He was in there working with Nas. You walk in the studio, you never know who Hitboy gonna be in with. Right.

And it was just like a, he was about to close the album out. Right. And I heard a record, he was like, bro, we started vibing in there. I'm like, yo, I'm putting some vocals on this right now. It was one of them things. I just cleared the schedule.

I'm like, yo, I'm in the studio with Nas. We locked in. Put some vocals on the record. And yeah, man, he's just one of his... Nas is just a different space, bro. He's one of the ghosts of lyricism and storytelling. And, you know, he's definitely in my top four, 1,000%. Not even five.

Top four. I like that. I've never heard a nigga say top four. He's in my top four. I'm not going to lie. They're going to bite your shit. We're going to give you a punishment. He's in my top four, my boy.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure. Yeah, OK. For sure. All right, Dave Chappelle or Chris Rock? I'm going to say Dave Chappelle, because I feel like he took more blows for the culture. He took more blows for the art. He's not scared. He don't got no fear of them. You know what I'm saying?

He went to the dark side and came back. I respect people like that because I understand people like that. So it's like, yeah, Dave Chappelle for sure. Okay. Yeah. That was easy. A-Kar or T-Pain without auto-tune? That's crazy.

I'm going to have to go, like, as far as what? Just vocally? Just saying, you're going to cry too. Vocally? Yeah, no auto-tune. I'm going to say T-Pain. I'm going to say T-Pain, bro. Shout out to Tallahassee.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. He was in love with a stripper. His first nigga that he was in love with a stripper. He was the first nigga that... He was in love with a stripper. He was the first person that admitted it though. He's been in love with strippers now. But he was the first one to admit it. He definitely was. Yes. What? Hats was.

Hats still in love right now. I've been in love with a stripper before. We all been in love, bro. He's lying, bro. Y'all been in love with strippers before, bro. Playing, bro. Everyone's been in love with strippers before. I'm not lying, bro.

I'm not lying, bro. I'm not lying, bro. I'm not lying, bro. I'm not lying, bro. I'm not lying, bro. I'm not lying, bro. I'm not lying, bro. I'm not lying, bro love with a stripper before. We all been in love, bro. I ain't lying, bro. Y'all been in love with a stripper before.

I'm playing, bro. Everybody been in love with a stripper. You know why? Because they accept you for whatever the fuck you come in. That's right. That's right. That was my old, my younger days. That's right.

You come from the gym, sweaty balls, they still gonna, they're gonna dance for your ass. But you know, it's crazy, but like, summing up, like sometimes they see so much shit, like they just got, like they're, you know it's fucking crazy. The good therapist, the good therapist. You know, this is interesting about women, they are.

Women, whether it's a girl who's never been touched before, or a girl who's fucked a thousand men. Okay. Women, I'm being honest with you. My bad. Women have I'm being honest with you. My bad. Women have so much, they hold, I mean, we can make a joke about it or we can do it. No, no, let's do it.

Like, energetically, women are, you can learn from both sides. Mm-hmm. Like, you can, you know. Say both sides. A woman who liberates herself from that type of world and gets her light back. She's going to have a lot of, I'm not saying do it, I'm just saying that from both sides of the fence.

She's going to have a lot of, she's going to have a lot of, she's gonna have a lot of stories, she's gonna have a lot of experience, but like, I also know, it's not just experience, bros. I hope she does. No, it's just, I'm trying to put it into words. It's just more about, it's about the energy that she comes with.

Yes, yes. It's her energy. that she comes with. I feel like you're trying to say you can make a whore a housewife. No, I'm not trying to say that, bro. I misunderstood that. I apologize. I feel like this has gone deeper in some ways that's necessary for certain types of information, you know what I'm saying, in life. It's not even those who understand understand what I'm saying. That know what I'm saying, and in life, you know what I mean? It's not even, those who understand, understand what I'm saying. That's what I'm talking about.

Let's do it. I'm saying, you know what I'm saying? Both are just as powerful in different ways. I respect that. Okay, Rockefeller or Ruff Ryders? Damn. Um, I feel like they both made impacts in different ways, so it's like...

I'ma go with... I'ma go with Rough Riders on this one. Your head cut says Rocker... I'ma go with Rough Riders on this one. I'm gonna go with Rough Riders. Your head cast says Rockefeller. I'm gonna go with Rough Riders on this one. Jackie says Rough Riders too though, because of Michael Jackson toughness. You know what I'm saying? So you're going with Rough Riders?

I'm gonna take a shot because I doubted you. I thought you were going with Rockefeller. You don't have to take a shot. I'm gonna cheers with you. You don't have to take a shot. I'm going to cheers with you. You going to cheers with me? OK. I'm going to cheers with you. Yeah, I'm going to go with Rough Riders on this one, bro. I swore you would pick Rockefeller, bro.

I feel like when I think about, because I'm thinking about the shit that we talked about earlier, like when I think about Rough Riders, I'm thinking about like the unity. I'm thinking about the fact that I don't think I ever heard. Maybe I miss them. I don't think. I just feel like they was just, they was in the streets, bro. I feel like they was like, just like really like, just more like nigga, we, you know what

I'm saying, we locked in. Whereas though, respect to Rockefeller and everything, I feel like that was more like I, we just get money together. You know what I'm saying? I feel like Rockefellers was on some like, I mean, Rough Riders was on some, some, and bikes like, you know, bike culture in Baltimore is big. I'm about to say, you probably.

I had a bike on my first album. I had a fucking 250 on it. Like, so it was like, you know what I'm saying? Like we. The Rough Riders was big in Baltimore. You probably, you probably seen them like as a kid. You probably don't even like, you know what I mean? Niggas what?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was lit. Yeah, what I mean? Nigga what? It was lit. Yeah, yeah, it was lit, yep. It was lit, so yeah. Yeah. That video that was DMX, they shot it, unfortunately. That's fire. I didn't even know that. Yeah.

He shot mad videos there. All right, this one, I did not write this question. But I love it. Yo, is he Kevin? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I don't even make icons. They based it off of you, is he Kevin? He did the thing. No, no, no, no, no, no. I don't even make eye contact. They base it off of you. They watch you for the first five questions.

That's how they watch it. All right, fine. So this one is a good one. I wish I would have wrote this. Chris Brown or Usher? That's low key easy. Huh? Uh.

Huh? What? Doobie doobie. Yeah. That's right. That's right. Uh. Huh? Uh, yeah. Do-wee-do-wee. Yeah. That's right. Uh, nah, I would say, um, yeah, I mean, I'm gonna say overall, I'm gonna say CB. Ooh.

Over us, huh? I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say CB. Over usher. I'm gonna say CB. Okay. And I'm gonna tell you why. I'm about to take you all down a different path. Let's go. I can see things that most people don't see or choose not to see. And a lot of us can, but we don't talk about it. You know, some people in this life is given paths that are meant to be studied. CB's path is, he was given a, he was just given a different path, bro, and he represents something that I feel like, you know, a lot of times we overlook because of, you know, mistakes that he made.

Not everybody, but a lot of the world and a lot of people behind the scenes and shit like that, you know. I've made mistakes behind the scenes. I know how those things affected me, so I can only imagine what bro do it, you know. I fuck with Usher, I think, like talent-wise and team-wise, and you know, he got a different type of army around him. You know? And so, you know, I feel like,

when CB, or if he wants to really like step away, focus on himself for like three, like two, a year, I give him a year because he an alien, he can do it in a year, year and a half maybe, and really like focus on what God gave him all the way. But what do you mean by that? Bro, like just, just my nigga, he don't like he, he's on, he's on the run right now, he's doing, you know, but it's like

sometimes we feel like as artists, we gotta, I'm not saying this is how you feel. I'm saying looking from the outside in. So I've been here before, we gotta keep this shit going. We gotta stay when it's hot. We gotta keep, but sometimes we also need to step away and be like, you know what? Let me get my shit, let me really tune into my God energy all the way.

If he did that all the way, you would just see a different being. You already see that being, what you see right now. That's why I say CB. And I'm not saying that, yeah, that's why I say CB. You get it. You get it, right? Yeah, you got it. You got it. You? Yeah, you got it. You got it. You got it.

You got it. I'm just saying. You got it. You hit that on the nose. Yeah. Look up to Chris Brown anyway. Oh, God. The Clips or Dogfowl?

That's a good versus, buddy. That would be a good versus. That would be a good... That's a good versus. I'm gonna go with Dogpound. Dogpound? Yeah. Okay. Gucci man or GZ?

You motherfuckers. You motherfuckers. You motherfuckers. Sounded like Dirty Sal. Yo, okay. Cheers, my brother. Big up to both of them, too. Big up, big up, big up. Sam Cooke or Al Green? Al Green. Okay.

Love Sam Cooke. Love his soul, love what he represented in terms of making specific records to liberate us as people. You know, Sam Cooke? Yeah, his music was just, yeah. Al Green, as a musician and as an artist, as a writer, I would say, you know, somebody I resonate with more. Right, okay. All right.

Tory Lanez or The Weeknd? Oh, that's because they both from... Canada? I guess so. You didn't write this. No, I told you, these did. I guess so. You didn't write this. No, I told you. These there. All of these.

None of these are not. None of these. I get no publishing. No, no. I get no publishing on this. Yeah. It just comes out of my label. That's it.

But I get no publishing. Tory Lanez, bro. Yeah. Tory Lanez over the weekend? Yeah, bro. What are you talking? Like, what? No, I'm not going to lie.

Tory Lanez. We're talking about talent. OK. OK. We're talking about... This nigga Torey is one of the most talented niggas. Yes. Yes. Come on, bro.

Obviously, the weekend, accolade-wise... Right. You know what I'm saying? It's interesting to see and hear an R&B perspective, right? Because, see, like, when I listen to R&B... All right, if I'm thinking about... So, when I'm to R&B, okay, yeah. If I'm thinking about, so when I'm going about to go do a festival show and I'm about to go do a show,

and I'm like, okay, I'm looking at my team and I'm like, this is the production, this is the, I'm like in it. Of course, if you would say like production-wise and like, you know, in terms of mainstream and stardom and like team and this and this, what is it, The Weeknd, right? We talk about raw talent,

nigga, put the mic on, play a beat. I'ma write a song in 15 minutes. Tory Lanez. Yeah. Yeah, nah, Tory Lanez, I did a feature with him. He sent that shit back in like five minutes. It was like, he wrote this shit already. I didn't send him the beat or nothing.

I just sent it to him. He's like, send it to him right now! And I was just like, all right, cool. You one of those guys? I was like, I didn't send him the beat or nothing. I just sent it to him. He just, he's like, send it to him right now. And I was just like, all right, cool. You one of those guys? I was like, all right. And then like, you know, like, you know, I'm used to every party in the industry. So I'm thinking like, I'm gonna send it to him.

And he's just going like ghost me. It's like, he was like, shh. Yeah, I'm like, I text him and you get it? And he didn't answer me. And then he was like, yes, I got it. And then it was like, I was like, what the fuck? Had vocals in there and everything. Bro, tell that to him, bro. Yeah, yeah, no, you were right. And then I was like, what the fuck? Had vocals in there and everything. It's crazy.

Yeah, you were right. I never got to do that with The Weeknd. No, you good. I never met The Weeknd. Avant or Jinyouine? I ain't gonna lie. Jinyouine. I was about to say that.

Jinyouine. Come on, nobody fuck with the pony. Jinyouine. Come on. Patti LaBelle or Loretta Franklin? Mm, that's the first one I'm like, okay. Okay. You all work.

That's good, that's a good one. Okay. Patti or Loretta. Loretta. Frankie. Shit. Cause like me and Patti, that's like Auntie. Yeah. That's personal.

But I would go, I would go, I would go Aretha. Only because I'm not gonna say without Aretha there wouldn't be, without Aretha there wouldn't be a Patti, but I feel like there was like, I actually did one of her songs on the Masked Singer. Did you know Glo Villas? I ain't got no bitch, no nigga, ain't got me. That's from Aretha Franklin?

You know that's from Aretha Franklin? That's crazy, she's a fucking goat. I believe so. Bro, Aretha Franklin. That's crazy. She's a fucking goat. I believe so. That's a goat. Bro, Aretha Franklin. Yeah, yeah, it's from one of them. So crazy. She bit that. Her soul, bro.

Her music, like, she's singing, you get shit. Like, chills through my body listening to her music. Like, you can hear the pain in her voice, like, in a different way. Yeah, like, yeah, I'm gonna go with Aretha. That's crazy, I ain't know that, though. Yeah. That's Godi.

For a new artist to be doing, that's Godi. Yeah for a new artist to be doing. Yeah, that's Godi Tiger or Lil Wayne Yeah, it's a different Wayne bro, okay, because there's no Wayne no tiger is that If it's no Wayne no tiger. Oh, it's not even I'm just. Not even, yeah. Gulp Stab, yeah, yeah, yeah. What are you talking about right now? Okay, so let me change it up a little bit. Tyga or Big Sean? Man, I wouldn't even compare these artists,

but I would say, oh. I just think it was good. It's real good. It's good. Lyricism wise, Big Sean. OK. You know what I'm saying? We only got a couple more and then we'll go back into the interview.

Yeah. A couple more and then we'll go back to the interview about you, West. I want to take shots. You good. You good. OK. I back to the interview. Yeah. I'm gonna go back to the interview about you, West. I'm gonna take shots. You go, you go. OK. I'm gonna take shots. Lloyd or Trey Songz?

You read Lloyd, been there? No, hold up. I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go Trey. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. LA or Miami? Yeah, yeah, yeah for sure LA or Miami

There's no what type of nigga you is but go with Miami just doing some fun shit like having fun like good energy like if you want to be in the devil's den and still go outside and the environment gives you energy back, Miami. If you want to be in the devil's den and the environment don't give you energy back, LA. I'm like, real shit. Like in Miami, I can go out and be on Demon Time when I was on, not on the,

when I was on Demon Time. And I go outside at 6 a. AM, and I sit under the moonlight, and I just get all my energy back. OK. In LA, you go outside, you ain't getting your energy back. Nigga, don't give it away. Right, right, right, right. That's ill.

Godstorch or Timbaland? L. Scott Storch or Timbaland? Oh, LLA, you get your energy back, but you got a ticket from somebody else. That's the crazy part. But you said what? Scott Storch or Timbaland? Damn. I'll go with Scott Storch. Fuck you, ODB. Love this, I'm gonna go with ODB. Okay, is there a particular reason why?

I just feel like ODB was just more of a lyricist in a way. I feel like he's been a part of some records. I understand him more lyrically in some ways. Okay. Spit. And I feel like, I don't know, bro. I look at him and I feel like I see somebody that I know from Baltimore. I see somebody that I know from where I'm from.

I don't know. It's relative. He's definitely. I never knew he was going to ask me this question. I seen ODB somewhere in Baltimore. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He definitely seems like a Baltimore dude. That's the best.

Rest in peace to Biz. Love Biz, bro. This is the last one that we're going to give back today. This is our favorite. It's called, it's loyalty or respect. Loyalty or respect. Yeah. I take respect.

OK. I take respect. Now, I take loyalty. All right. Let's just take a shot, man. No, I'm not. No, no, no, no, no. We'll take a shot anyway. Yeah, yeah, let's take a shot. I'm gonna take, I'm gonna take loyalty actually. Okay.

I'm gonna be honest. I'm gonna tell you why. Okay. Cheers. I'm gonna tell you why, bro. Because niggas can fake respect. People can fake respect you. Can they fake loyalty as well?

Not really, because at some point they can fake respect you. Because at some point the loyalty is not gonna be true. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie.

I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. people can fake respect you. Can they fake loyalty as well? Not really, because at some point, they can fake respect you. Cause at some point, the loyalty, like you can, you can, you gonna see it, bro. I don't know about y'all, but I can see, you know what I'm saying? I can see when the loyalty like, I feel like loyalty and respect to me

kinda seeps into like, they kinda touch each other. Yeah, that's why I took a shot. In a way, like you know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah, kind of seeps into, like they kind of touch each other in a way. Like, you know what I'm saying? But like at the root of it, I'll take the loyalty over the respect. You know what I'm saying? Cause if you disrespect me, I can disrespect you worse. Right then and there. And then you gotta decide, well, hold on.

You gotta decide if you really want to do that again. But loyalty wise is like, I'd rather you be loyal to me because I can fix the respect part. I can't fix the loyalty. I feel like that. I feel like I can fix the respect. Even if you don't respect me when I'm not around, I can't control that.

But when I'm around, I can control it, how you respect me. But the loyalty part is like, you can fuck up a whole bag, you can fuck up generational wealth, you can fuck up a lot, loyalty, friendship, you know? Okay, they asked me, I said, do you have questions for Mario? And Rob Marksman, you know who Rob Marksman is?

Rob Marksman, probably on my face Marksman is? Rob Marksman. Probably know him by face. He said, yeah, ask him if he ever got sick of saving the damn princess, did he ever consider just leaving her ass there? I have no idea what bro talking about. I don't know what he's talking about, neither. Should I just call him?

This is on Twitter. You said should you call him? You gotta call somebody? Oh, we do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We do it a lot. I know him because what is he talking about? He's not lying.

I don't know. Hold on, let's see. Can you get closer to the mic? Yo. Yo, Rob, we don't know what the fuck you talking about, it's your question. We got Mario right here. Rob, what are you from?

Rob Marksman from XXL magazine. Oh, God. He used to be XXL. Well, I ain't been from XXL and Mad Lord. I'm sorry, man. I just wanted Mario to know. Mario has no idea what you're talking about. Oh, fuck.

Dog, I was joking with you, man. I didn't know you was interviewing me. Oh, no. Oh, fuck. Oh, go on. Oh, you took my Super Mario. Don't take this out in the interview, nigga. Keep this shit in the interview, nigga.

Keep this shit in the interview, nigga. Yo, yo, that's good. Oh, oh. Oh, he got me, he got me. He got me. He got me good. Let me take a shot for that. Let me take a shot for that. Oh, you got another bottle? Shit? That went over my head, too.

I see y'all taking my shit. Yo, yo, listen. Listen, man. Come on, man. I see y'all shit. He said I was joking. Yeah, okay, okay. All right.

Let's talk about crying out for me. Yeah. What'd you hear when you first heard that record? When you first heard it, what was your feelings? I felt like she was crying out for me. Yeah. Yeah. Crying out for me.

I mean, that record is like, that was like, you know, if you took Mario and Jodeci and put them in one, like that was my Jodeci moment. That was like my version of what Jodeci would have did in R&B at the time. Shout out to Jasper and Polar the Don. That was that moment. That was like raw. That was like, nah nigga,

this last take my voice don't got no more. But for me, for me, for me. I was cracking, it was very raw, it me, from me. Like I was cracking, like I was, it was very wrong, it was unpolished. That was just me like just really on some real R&B shit. Like, yeah. Definitely one of my favorites in the catalog for sure. Yeah, yeah.

How about Space? Did you literally need Space? Space was like, self of my new album, Glad You Came, it just came out in December. Space is, if you listen to it musically, it's really old to people who like jazz and R&B fusion music. Right. This album was like homage homage to like music that was inspired by. It reminds me of my grandfather. My grandfather used to do, if my

grandfather was alive, he would have loved to come to the show because he loved to drink. Okay. And he loved jazz music. God damn it. No, no. My grandfather, he grew up in Baltimore. He worked at a beer refinery since he was like 14 years old. So like he was really, you know since he was like 14 years old. So like he was really, you know, he was in that shit. Like, you know, you go to his always neat house, and he had a bar, played jazz music, records. He put me on to jazz early on when I was a kid.

Anytime I go over there, it was come to the bar, listen to jazz and talk about whatever. But you know, when I listened to the track that Benny X sent me, it kind of reminds me of my grandfather. You know what I'm saying? And I just, I was inspired by it. I'm like, yo, I gotta put this on the album. So me and James Farr and LeRae went in

and space is really just about inviting somebody into your space. It's like we creating this space and, you know, I'm big on understanding how to control my world, my 360. So like behind the scenes, it's like, it just relates to my life and how I move in general. Just, like, you know, controlling your space, bro. You know? So, yeah.

Is Mo's the best restaurant in Baltimore? Mm. Bless you. You know what I'm talking about? Mo's with the big seafood. Yeah, bro, it's definitely one. They got my picture up there. They got your picture in Mo's? They got my picture in Mo's, yeah. You made it. I'm talking about? Mo's with the big seafood. Yeah, bro, it's definitely one. They got my picture up there. They got your picture in Mo's? They got my picture in Mo's, yeah.

You made it. I'm a legend. You're a young legend. That's my favorite wrestling one. That's fire. But Mo's is like, it's been around for a long time. Yes. So it's like, I get it.

You know what I'm saying? I used to go to Mo's like, Captain James. Like, Captain James, I used to go like late night type shit. But like, yeah, Mo's is definitely up there. That's fire. All right, cool, cool. Because I ain't going to lie, I used to go late night type shit, but like, yeah, Moses is definitely up there. That's fire. All right, cool, cool, cause I ain't gonna lie, I can't like drive through, like if I'm driving through, I gotta stop and I make sure my pitch is still up there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Clean it and shit with some Windex on the joint. That's fire. You know what I'm saying? That's hard. It's legendary. It's legendary. You know I know my shit, come on.

Make some noise for Baltimore, God damn it! God, what'd you get, when you went there, what was this? Come on, make some noise for Baltimore It happens right there. Oh, I love it. I love Baltimore, by the way. Cause people just say Baltimore with the crabs. Yeah. Baltimore actually has some of the best seafood in the world. Not just the crab. I'm gonna represent for y'all because- Cause you travel. Yes, yes.

Everyone just gives y'all props for the crab. Because it's fresh, bro. Yes. It's right from the Chesapeake, it's fresh. Right. And the seasoning, everything is there. It's right there the Chesapeake. It's fresh. Right. And the seasoning, everything is there. It's right there. Right.

Everything else got to get imported at a certain time. Yes. Yes, but Baltimore got seafood crazy. So all right, now this is one of the best records in the history of the world. Wow, bro. In the history of the world. In the history of the world. Wow, bro. And the history of the world. And the history of the world.

This is when every guy should, when they meet their girl, you know, sometimes you can just meet a girl, like that's my soulmate, even if it was for two seconds. Two seconds or whatever. You should trap me love. Come on.

And it reminds me every day. I'ma be honest with you. Every day. It's such a blessing. Every day. It's such a blessing. Like on. And it's like, it reminds me every day. I'ma be honest with you. Every day. It's such a blessing. Every day. It's such a blessing. Like that shit right there, like, I'ma be honest. You know as an artist, to have a record like that

in your catalog, it's so unique. And- That's when we play the Every Wedding. It's an unidentified object. It's an alien in your catalog. Every wedding. Every wedding. Baby shower.

Setting the mood. Setting the mood. Revealing, what's that shit called? The revealing? Yes, the big, yeah, yeah, yeah. Gender reveal. Gender reveal. Absolutely.

It's just a special. Y'all know what I mean. Man. Everywhere, like, listen, listen. There's nothing nowhere that that record can't be played. Yes. Like, even in the ball game. Yeah.

Ball game, guy proposes to his girl. You should let me know. Like, there's nothing, there's no scenario. You win an Atari. You should let me know. The hook at least, the hook at least, you can sing to your child, your mom, your girlfriend, your, you know, it's girlfriend. It's just a...

Damn. Damn, that was different. It's just a statement. It's food. I wasn't ready for that. I wasn't ready for that. Damn, let me take a shot for that one. I wasn't ready for that one.

I think it's to be studied. I think it's definitely to be studied. As a writer, as somebody who has been more instrumental writing wise, I've been studying different types of records and I think it's still a record to be studied in terms of its simplicity and its impact. You know what I'm saying? Let Me Love You is a classic, bro. It's an omnipresent, spiritual weapon.

Just like great shoes, great books take you places, through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay, and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts. Every week I sit down with your favorite book lovers, authors, celebrities, book talkers, and more to explore the stories that shape us, on the page and off. I've been reading every Reese's Book Club pick, deep diving book talk theories, and obsessing

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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 bestselling author and meat eater founder Stephen Rinella. 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.

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This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebene, and every Tuesday silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebene and every Tuesday starting July 1st, I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that will challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you.

On Pretty Private, we'll explore the untold experiences of women of color who faced it all, childhood trauma, addiction, abuse, incarceration, grief, mental health struggles, and more, and found the shrimp to make it to the other side. My dad was shot and killed in his house. Yes, he was a drug dealer. Yes, he was a confidential informant, but he wasn't shot on the street corner. He wasn't shot in the middle of a drug deal. He was shot in his house unarmed.

Pretty Private isn't just a podcast, it's your personal guide for turning storylines into lifelines. Listen to Pretty Private with Ebeneze starting Tuesday, July 1st on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. How many times do you perform at night? Do you perform more than once or you just do- radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. How many times do you perform it at night? Do you perform more than once or you just do- You say at night? I mean like when you perform.

Oh yeah, yeah. Yeah. On chord, we bring it back. Like, yeah, is that- Oh, twice. I do it twice. But I do one with the record and one a cappella. Oh.

Yeah. I did it. That's usually how it happens. And that's when the girls go, ah! Yeah, that's when the umbilical cord is like. I'm sorry. I'm like an umbilical cord. No, no, that is a real, like, it's a real universal record.

Like, it's a global record. I don't think, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't think that record will never die. No, because there's someone somewhere that's always should let you love them. You know what I'm saying? Everywhere, like no matter what. You don't know you need love. Yeah. You don't know you want it. It's crazy man. I never get tired of performing it. I never get tired of seeing people in that space, no matter what they're going through. I've seen, bro, I've been in the biggest audiences

in the world, and I've been in Southern clubs with just dark energy, you know what I'm saying? And you're still seeing gangsters singing a record. You feel singing- I was gonna say that, go ahead. You know I'm saying and he's still seeing seeing like gangsta singing a record like you feel see that guy you know, it's just like Love is universal, bro. It's like you can't even change like it's just it's been this crazy cuz you like at times There was a time as an R&B artist when you look at the charts and you look at the things like damn man He's fucking with R&B no more like mm-hmm shit dark out here for us. Mm-hmm. Why the things, like, damn, man, he's fucking with R&B no more, like, shit dark out here for us.

Why the numbers looking like this? Why they offering me only for the show? What the fuck is going on? Because hip-hop is just going so crazy, niggas ain't wanna come out, like, you know? And even if they did wanna come out, the promoters didn't wanna pay you for, you know, what you deserve, you know what I'm saying?

But now this shit is just, it's different. R&B is like respected again in its back and it's just, you know, I think it's records like Let Me Love You, that's a part of the reason why R&B's still alive because they still play it on mainstream radio today. They still, one of the few that they still champion and be proud to play without the red tape, you know what I'm saying?

And that's a blessing to have one of those records because not everybody has that, you know what I'm saying? And that's a blessing to have one of those records, because not everybody has that, you know what I'm saying? Especially for my, you know, my, when I first came out, like the artists that came out when I came out. But you know, I don't plan on stopping anytime soon, bro. Like, I was meant for this. Yeah, we don't want you to. I was meant for, you know,

the resilience that it takes to be an artist. You know, everything that I grew up seeing and been through all that, it made me a soldier for fighting through whatever it take to keep your train moving. You know what I'm saying? You gotta keep it moving. You know what I mean?

And obviously those records are a superpower, but the new music and having, you know, just having the platform and having the talent, you know? Well, let me tell you how. That cuts through. Yeah, I used to sing that record still, and it's like hitting those notes,

some nights it's harder than others. But it's like, I still feel like, when I first heard the record, I still feel like when I first sang it in the studio, I still feel that, that love for it is still there. And I'm like, damn, through everything I've been through, I still got the love for it, that's all God, bro. Because sometimes you can, like, you know,

you get numb, like certain points you just get numb, you just going through the, how many bucks, nigga? How many bucks you got right there? It's still going, it's still going, it's still going. Damn, why you different? It's still going, it's still going. In the role you play as an artist now, if there's an up and coming artist

and they wanna redo it, is that untouchable? If they wanna redo the record? Yeah, that one, that particular song. Great question. The redoer doesn't sing it over, or the redoer doesn't use the... I think any classic is kind of untouchable in general. Right.

But you can... You know, it's like... Like a young, meh-mah-real for me. It's like, if you... You know when you date somebody? Yeah. And then you might, like five years later, y'all might have a little moment,

you're like, it ain't the same. But it's still, you remember it. It's like, oh this shit, you was my little- Oh no, the love and respect is dead. That's why it wants to honor you and do that track. You know what I'm saying? It's still there. But it's not the same.

It's never gonna be the same. No, no. But I think that's the beautiful part about making classics, bro. The whole point is like- Don't touch it. No, no, no. Like, if it's done right,

it can be a moment for the generation, bro. Like I'm not- I don't like when people touch my records. What, if it's done right? If it's done right, it can be a moment for the generation, bro. I don't like when people touch my record. What, if it's done right? If it's done right. I've had at least 50 to 70 artists over the course of my career hit me and be like, yo, I want you to redo this.

I'm like, no. You can't. It's got to be the right. And maybe it doesn't need it. Who knows? But let me tell you the beauty about that record. Like, you know, most of the time when it's a hit record, you know, an R&B, you know, the females claim it.

And you know, the females claim it. Like, they claim, like, this is their record. You hardly ever get to see, like, guys step up and be like, I like this record. I'm fucked with this record. That's kind of like the first record that I've ever seen, like dogs, but you still, like they singing gangsta and everything.

They singing gangsta and everything. Like that's the first time I kind of seen guys claim it. Like, you know what I mean? Like, and accept their vulnerability, accept their, what's Ralph Transmit said, their sensitivity. You know what I'm saying? Accept that, like, but claim it though. Like, you know, that's why I was record is very,

very expressive. Well, you know why though? It's because it's toxic at the root of it. Love is toxic? No, okay. Okay, the record, all right. She talking about taking another nigga bitch. Oh, damn!

Oh, shit, I forgot that part. I forgot that part, come on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nah, but it's this, it's, you know, it's a love with a little bit of toxicity in it. Right, right. It's like, but it's like, I don't know if you, it depends on where they at, you know,

in the relationships, like, you know. Yeah, you don't believe his stories, you know that they are lies. It's like, you catch on to when she weak. When he out of town, he even fucked up. You know, it's like, women are interesting creatures, man. I don't know, bro. Because like, you know, a good woman, right, when she locked in with her dude all the way,

she might entertain some shit. Some of y'all, some of the ladies gonna look at this and be like, no, that's not true. A good woman will never entertain. I just... Oh boy. It's like, her level of entertaining may be responding back to a text

that she been ignoring for fucking the whole year, nigga. Where's though another level of entertaining for a woman could be going out to meet a nigga at a gas station. Who knows, right? But I'm saying that, let me love you, the conversation reverses for those moments when a nigga fucking up in a relationship or he just not as present.

You mean in the moment. You just open the gas station. And you the gas station guy. The main dude's fucking up. And like, that nigga that she been ghosting for the last six months, he slide in for a second. Pay the rent. Oh, she like, yeah, she not just made it, yeah, he paying the rent, whatever. Right, yo, you, okay.

Like set it off, remember set it off? Remember set it off? They ain't want them. You talking about two different scenarios, bro. I know, I'm fucking, I'm gonna set it up. I'm like, they ain't want them. You talking about two different scenarios, bruh. Get what you saying though, yeah. But yeah, it's that, whatever scenario it is. It's that little quick space where it's like, she might do something she wouldn't normally do.

You should let me love you, right? Or it's just simple, like, everybody interpret music different. It could be a girl that's single that she been selling to for a whole year. And she finally meet one out of the 100 guys that try to talk to her, that's like, like what's up, like she might,

then he might get that chance, right? So it's all relative. That's what make the record crazy, bro. It just reveres, it can fit in so many scenarios. Yeah. But the hook is so universal. It's universal, bro. It goes on.

Ah, ah, ah, what's this? Good. Bro, you ain't, you a different type of nigga, man. Yeah. All right, man. We celebrating you tonight, Mario. Nah, man, shout out to the whole squad. We celebrating you tonight, bro.

We got some prizes, man. Thank you, brother. If you do want to continue to do, and we got some more joints. Nah, we good. OK. All right. As far as like, bar for bar, he wanted to top two in New York, bro.

Yeah? Bar for bar. JD Kiss for sure. Who's the other one? Put that in there, bro. I don't even know who the other one is yet. I don't know, but JD's top two, bro. Bar for bar.

Top two. And New York, like Jada is top two, bro. Bar for bar. Top two. And New York. And New York, like, he is, is, is, you know, maybe top three, top three, top three, top three. Give me that space. But yeah, Jada, that's my nigga, bro. Yo, hold on. All right.

Somebody else featuring Nicki Minaj, how did that come about? That's when she was like, first start bubbling, correct? Or she was already? Nah, she was already nicky, bro. She was already lit. Okay. You know?

This is, I was in Atlanta. I was working on, I was in between albums. And again, I'm always looking for records to like kind of reinvent my conversation. If you look at my catalog, you'll hear just like different conversations reinvent my conversation. If you look at my catalog, you'll hear just like different conversations throughout my career. Tapped in with Polo, went to see him,

he played me this record. I got it off the bat, I'm like, okay. And this was a time where I was looking to really reconstruct my relationship internally with RCA, like from a creative control aspect. And I brought this record to the table. We recorded a record in Atlanta with Polo. I sent it to Nikki.

She loved it all the time. Was Mark Pesce involved with this? Nah, Mark wasn't involved with it. Nah. You sent it to Nikki? Yeah, we sent it to her. She sent the record back in like two three days. She loved that one, you know when Nikki love a record she she would fuck with her she don't but

Bro, it was this was yeah. Okay. This is my first time working with Nikki. Yeah first time. Okay, and I felt like the record had a very like it it had a special conversation in it in terms of the lyric, but also energetically and production wise. It was grungy, but it was also soulful. And I'm like, yo, I need it. I want to put a female on this record because I feel like it's not enough conversations with females and males. That's like classic moments. I saw a big vision for this record, like huge vision. I had the video treatment done everything done for it, you know and This moment was really the moment that made me turn away from like major labels at that time

Because they didn't get it Your label her late my label didn't get it at the. And I'm like, yo, this record is so timeless and it's so special. And yeah, bro. But Nicki came through, bro. She killed it. And that video that we put out wasn't even my concept. The video that came out was completely different

from the concept I had for the video and what I wrote for the treatment. Because I knew that me and her being on a record at the time was visually, it was important. Everything, the whole story, everything was, was super important. So, you know, it was just one of those moments that, and that was the last record I put out with RCA

before I went independent. You know, I literally asked to go independent after that. It was one of those moments. I just felt like there was any honor? I just felt like it was, these type of moments just don't, these type of alignments, it's like, you know when a planet line up,

or the planet, you know, it's like, those things just don't happen. As artists, we're like different solar systems and shit. We got so much energy moving around, it's like, not to put us on like, but it's like when planets align, you gotta respect that. And like put it in perspective

and understand what's happening. You know? And so it was one of those moments where I was like, I bet like I need to, I need to be able to move how I need to move. Yeah. But it's none of the, like it's still a special record,

still incredible, but the impact could have been way bigger than what it was. And still to this day, it's still one of the ones. I still got it in my show, for sure. Yeah. Speaking of being independent, you've been around both eras, physical copy and streaming. What do you think about streaming today?

What do I think about is, if I was in a room on both sides, I feel like there's one side where it's like the people that don't make the music is like, oh yeah, how can we eat off of this shit on another level before anybody else? And then there's another side that's saying like, yo, how can we protect ourself

from them eating off our shit? If I was in this room over here, when they like, I wish I was in this room over here, when they like, I wish I was in that room amongst that conversation. It's just like, bro, I don't know what happened. I wasn't in neither one of those rooms, but I wish that we would have won the battle.

From streaming? Yes, I wish that we would have won the battle, but I feel like we will in the future. I wish that we would have won the battle, but I feel like we will in the future. I wish that we would have won the battle as artists, as entrepreneurs, as people who, you know, influence the game, influence the culture, you know. I wish I would have had the mindset I have, but with the power to make the moves back then.

Because my mindset is global. My mindset is freedom, generational wealth, but I didn't have the power to make those types of moves, but I know somebody did and maybe it didn't work. But streaming is obviously something that affects a lot of us. It's not in the artist's favor. like it's in the artist's favor. It's not in the artist's favor at the moment. Yeah. I don't think it is. Even for independent artists, I don't think it is, bro. It costs too much in this, because then you

have all the other agencies that became popular. You got three, four steps of people that are eating off of you putting out a record. You know what I'm saying? You got all this shit behind the scenes. You got all the other agencies and marketing. Like it's just, it created a lot of ways for other people to make more money

than the artists sometimes make in a sense. You know what I'm saying? So some artists, not all artists, but you know, the blessing of having like a catalog is different. Cause like, rather I stream a hundred million on the album or not, I still go out and tour. Relevancy is more important than sometimes the streams.

If you're working and you're moving and you're making the right moves, you can still make incredible money. That's not a thing. But in terms of fairness of streaming, because you asked me about streaming, it's unfair. It's unfair, bro. It's raping the game.

They raping the game for years, you know? But I feel like it's going fair, bro. It's raping the game. They raping the game. They, for years, you know? But I feel like it's gonna turn around. And then when it turn around, all those companies that brought a lot of people's publishing and all that shit, they about to eat crazy. And hopefully you kept some of it so we can eat. You know what I mean?

So God comes down from earth. God did come down. He came down from heaven. He got on John Kletos. Yeah. And he say, Mario, you need to make one record, save humanity, one record. I'm gonna give you one producer, and I'm gonna give you one producer,

and I'm gonna give you one artist. Damn, okay. Who was you picking? Dead or alive. That's the part I was hoping you didn't ask. I'm asking. You're very sharp. Yes, dead or alive, you can have that.

I'll give you that. God says yes. Yes, you can have that. I'll give you that. God says yes. One record. Quincy Jones. For sure. You say one artist and one writer? Yeah, one artist and one producer. One artist and one producer. Quincy Jones.

You can have a writer too if you want. You can have a writer too if you want. You gotta add that in. Yeah, you can have a writer too. If it's needed, yeah, Quincy Jones. As production. As production. Quincy Jones. I'm gonna say,

The feature or the writer? No, I'm gonna go artist. I'm gonna go to artist next. Quincy Jones. And then Quincy Jones. Stevie Wonder. Oh. Now I'm going to say Marvin.

No, I know you did. Quincy. Quincy. Quincy. It could be Marvin too, honestly. Could it? Yeah. I'm going to go Stevie.

Quincy, Stevie. You got a writer now. I'm going to go Marvin as the writer. Yeah. I'm going to go Quin as the writer. Yeah. I'm going to go Quincy Stevie Marvin. Sounds like a hit to me, folks. Yeah. Humanity is safe. Yeah, humanity is safe.

I'm going to go Quincy Stevie. So you ain't got another shot? He don't got another shot? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So you just saved humanity. But why, why? You know what I'm saying? We got to do it.

Why would we just take a goddamn shot? What's up? So let me ask you. And boy. What's up? If I was ever asked this question back then, I wouldn't know how to answer it, right? But as I mature and I got to different levels in life, I realized that this question that I'm how to answer it, right? But, you know, as I mature, and I got to different levels in life,

I realized that this question that I'm about to ask you, I have a lot of different answers to this. Is there anything that you wish you could have did better or like didn't do, you know what I mean? Like, all right, let me just, let me break it down for you a little bit. All of us coming from the hood, at one point,

we don't think our shit stinks once we start making a certain level, right? Absolutely, yeah, for sure. And even your friends sometimes, your friends could kind of tell you, but they're not living what you're going through, right? So, all of us kind of like, goes through a certain process that we have to kind of learn.

Is there anything that you ever did? But like there's so many things like, for instance, like I'm in the airport with my friend Tata and Tata says to me, man, I want this girl to do a remix for your song. And I was like, all right. And it's like, yeah, don't worry about it. If you just give her 15 grand, it should be good.

And I was like, 15 grand? And I was like, ah, nah, I'm not giving this 15 grand. You know who that girl wound up being? Rihanna? Yeah. This is the shit. What? Look at this man.

Look at him. Yo, yo. Yo. But what I'm saying is. I was laughing because I know how you probably felt. But then, yeah. Yeah, like what I'm saying is, you ever been in your own bag where you fucking up your own bag that much?

I've probably been in there a couple of times, don't know, even know about it. But in two years, like, bro, for sure. All right. I was, I was living in Jersey at the time. OK. Around the time Justin Frank came out, Jay had like two shows in Madison Square Garden.

We say Jay, you talking about Jay-Z? OK, yes. And he wanted me to come out on his set and meet me and all that and try out whatever. And at the time I was dating this girl in Jersey. And the night that he wanted me to come out, I had already had plans for her. Like.

So at the time I managed to hit me like, yo, look, you gotta put this shit on, J want you to come out. Ooh, I was like, ah, I managed to hit me like, yo, look, you gotta put this shit on, J, why don't you come out? I was like, ah, I can't. Is this Massive Square Garden? Bro, this is Massive Square Garden, bro. Mind you, Justin Friend is out. It's moving, it's moving.

But I just came from promo tour. So, you know, I'm in some Dominican, Puerto Rican vibes, type shit, Washington Heights energy. That's Dominican. But in Jersey though. Okay, oh Jersey. No, it's just Dominican and Puerto Rican. Oh really?

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Okay, this makes noise for you. I know, I know. Thanks for coming. Big guy. My fault, my fault. I didn't just confuse you. I'm not, I'm not confused at all.

I'm not confused at all. Let me help you out. No, you're good. Thank you, I appreciate you. But like, so yeah, and I passed up on that. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, bro. Yeah.

And it was like, it was, you know, I don't know if J took that some type of way, you know, but I was young, I was young, it's young, bro. I was young, having fun. You got an invite? Yeah, and certain things, but like, I don't know, like, I never got an invite. That might be it.

No, I don't think, I don't know. I think that's just time. I'm fucking with you. Yeah. Nah, that was one. Right. Okay. And a couple, bro.

I love, yeah. I was, I was, I was wild when I was younger, bro. I was just, I didn't care as much, but I was numb, bro. I was, I had a great voice. I had a, I was having a good time, I was a young artist, you know, but I wasn't aware of my power at the time. I wasn't aware of who I was in the world.

I didn't know, you know what I'm saying? I didn't know, I made a lot of mistakes, you know what I'm saying? And sometimes those things do haunt you, behind the scenes you don't know, and you know that. Right, of course. Right? Of course. Maybe it does.

All I know is I learn from my mistakes. I keep moving, and I just I'm never stopping. What I do, you know, but you know, you live and you learn, bro. Hell yeah, so I'm gonna take a shot. Yeah. No, no, no. Bro, listen.

You know what, you know what, look how little yours is. Look how looky, looky. Looky shot. Looky shot. Respect for J-Trek. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's true. And look at that. That's that. That's that socket. Wait, hold on. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes.

Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes.

Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes.

Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Look at how low it goes. Let me, let me, what we gonna talk on? Let me see what you got going on over there. I mean, I know you drink, how you deal with this? What you doing for your liver? Wizzer told me.

What you doing for your liver? I take, I don't wanna say it on camera. People think I'm fucked up. Nah, you good. But, Wizzer said there's only two alcohols that's uppers. It's Tequila and Sake. Everything else is downers. So since you said that, it kind of like makes sense to me.

Not for sure. And I've been like, kind of like, fuck it. Sake it is. Sake it is. You know what I mean? OK. Yeah. You think it's the sake?

All right now. Sure. And by the way, it's an upper. It's like a... Yeah, it's lighter. It's lighter. It's lighter. It's lighter.

It's still good. Yeah. Yeah, if? Yeah, it's lighter. It's lighter. It's lighter. It's still good. Yeah, if you drink enough of them, right? Yeah. And these motherfuckers was drinking my shit over there. They thought I ain't see them. But I chose you. I choose you. I choose you.

OK. Yes, yes. Let's talk about that. This is Babyface introducing me to writing in a different way, man. Shout out to Babyface, man. We work together. I love how he just be flossing. He just be flossing.

No. This is just a good thing. No. I love this. This is like, Babyface on the show. Babyface is one of the most simple, like, he makes writing sound so simple, but he has over 100 hits, number one hits.

So it's like, I'm asking him questions like, OK, what makes a hit? He's keeping it so simple and talking about just the simplicity of having a conversation. But then when you see him do it, it's like, I think because of how I think, I make it more intricate the way I write sometimes, especially on this new album. But like now I'm trying to adopt this

conversational aspect of writing, because writing music is, of course, once you get a song written, you want to perfect it, you know what I'm saying? But it's as simple as having a conversation. The best records are, you can write the lyrics down and read them and it just looks like a conversation. But in the studio, you're dealing with life,

you're dealing with your own thoughts, so you gotta kind of like, you gotta take yourself in and like, you gotta open up your mind, open up a pathway where it's like, okay, if I was just a normal person, how would I have this conversation? But then still be genius at the same time. So I feel like being an artist,

baby face master kind of like that space, bro. I work with him on it. I actually do. He produced it? Yeah, he produced and helped produce it. Okay. He played the guitar on it. Okay.

And helped write the record. We wrote the record in the studio together, bro. And it was just, it was one of the best sessions I've ever had, bro. In terms of R&B, and just how easy he made the process, how funny it was, how easy the process was to actually create a record like I Choose You. And he's got a gift that I feel like, you know what, Neil reminds me of that in some ways,

the way he approached writing music, I'm being honest. Like he kind of is like our generation of what Babyface was doing. I always tell him that. Cause this shit is super simple. He writes records that are conversations. You know what I'm saying? But Babyface, I think he was more romantic in his approach. Which is why I Choose You feels like, you know,

it feels like that. That's a record when I perform, I'm like, Rose is out. You know. You're talking about Rose on stage? I'm like, Rose is out. You know. Speaking about Rose on stage? On that record, yeah. Okay. For sure. Okay. Yeah, it's one of them records.

Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay, and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts.

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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 and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future

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This is Absolute Season One, Taser, Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season One, Taser, Incorporated on the iHeart Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebene and every Tuesday starting July 1st, I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that will challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. On Pretty Private, we'll explore the untold experiences of women of color who faced it all,

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into lifelines. Listen to Pretty Private with Ebenez starting Tuesday, July 1st on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. How about closer? So you telling me records that you like you listen, these are the records that you This is the records I'm into nigga, let's go. Cause I'm like a lot of people don't know about some of these records you said.

Like yeah, this is his playlist. This is my playlist man.. This is his playlist. Jesus, man. Stop blowing me up. Jesus. Y'all got, yeah. Hey, listen to that New Yorker playlist. Get you right, ladies.

You know what I'm saying? That New Yorker playlist. Get you right. That's right, man. That's right. Nah, Closer, shout out to the homies around. I also have a record called Closer. OK.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mine's since 1996. I'm old. Ah, man, you know this shit. I'm sure this, man, you know, I'm sure the shit still go, but yeah, Closer's fire. That record's on an album I put out independently, actually during the pandemic, bro. During the fucking pandemic, you know, it was,

I'm like, yo, I gotta put a project out. I was working on so much music and I was sitting on a lot of music. And before the pandemic, I think it was right before, me, Teron, I went in the studio to make it, like a few records, and I just made an EP out of it called Closer To Mars. So a couple of really incredible R&B records

are on the album. If you haven't heard it yet, go check it out, Closer To Mars, great R&B album. I mean, definitely, you know, one of them bedroom records, also you can get lit to it is, you know, Mars, the record Mars. Mars is my name in Latin. So I wrote the record based on like, I'm bringing you to Mars, like bringing you to my world, like type shit, but whatever.

But like, it's a very good R&B album, bro. You know, and if Noriega bringing it up, you know what I'm saying? Actually, this is lit. Let me ask you because the biggest thing for me, right, I went through the same transition, right? I was on a major label. I loved the major labels. It was kind of coming down.

I went independent, you know what I mean? Everyone thought it was the glitz and glam. Oh, you know, independent, I'm going to get all my money. Which you don't understand is you have to work. Nigga, I'll waste so much money on my first independent album. Wow. Of my own money. Wow.

I went independent when it was just starting to get popping, like, popular. So you had to be like the example, basically. You know what I'm saying? Shout out to Gazi, man. Gazi, Empire Records? That's my niggas. OK. That Improv Records, that's my niggas. OK.

OK, Neema. Neema, Gazi. Neena was, Tatina wasn't there at the time. Tatina Davis wasn't there? That's how, that's how, yeah, early. You know what I'm saying? But like, man, it was one of the great, I look at life like this, bro.

Like, I'm really like, that wasn't a waste to me. OK. Me spending, I spent $400,000 on the album. Wow. So meaning they provided the distribution though. Yeah, they did. Yeah, but you paid for the promotion, the videos. Like $400,000 plus on it.

Cause I was still doing shit I was doing as an artist. Like I was still going to the fucking big studios. I was still going to, you know what I'm saying? Four seasons. Paramount. Nah, I was living in LA. so I was going home and going to a night at a studio, and you know, $2,500, I didn't yet understand the, I didn't understand how to play Monopoly with it yet. So for me, it was kind of like chess, because I was like, that moment was for me to learn

the business of being a boss, being your own boss. And so now I understand how to play with numbers in a completely different way. So it wasn't a loss for me coming out of my pocket doing this and this and that. And you know what I'm saying, recouping that. I was about to say, did you recoup that? Yeah, pretty much. Okay.

But it took... Took some time. Took a lot. You had to look at yourself, like what am I doing? Like you said, go back to what you say, you thinking you independent, you about to get... Nah, that's not how it took some time. It took a lot. You had to look at yourself like, what am I doing? Like you said, go back to what you say, you thinking you independent, you about to get, nah, that's not how it works, bro. You gotta plant the seeds before you see it grow.

You know what I'm saying? And sometimes those seeds take time and then on top of that, you gotta move as if, you gotta envision it already there. Yeah. You gotta move, and you still got money to spend, by the way. Yup. And make, you know, but luckily again,

this is the beauty of having a catalog, because I can still go and do shows and make my money, do partnerships, and then be smart about how I do, you know, that's the blessing in it. But talk to an artist, talk to an artist who go through, who's about to go through with me and you just went through, right?

If you had a choice, now I'm not gonna tell you what I'm gonna do because I wanna hear yours. But if you had a choice, at this pivotal moment where you said I could either stay independent and I could go with such or do it, or I can stay with a major.

When you say stay, all right, you talking about a new artist, or do it, or I can stay with a major. When you say stay, all right, are you talking about a new artist? Are you talking about, it's different, bro. No, no, no, I'm talking about seasoned artists. I'm talking about you, I'm talking about you in particular. What would you have done? Now knowing your experience.

All right, this is what I would say. Okay. Outside of your artistry, outside of you being an artist, what else are you doing outside of music? Do you have a good team? Do you have good credit? Do you have good, you know what I mean, business?

Are you investing in different, what are you doing? Because I am doing that. Do you scamming? Whatever, whatever you're doing to make your money. Do you have money to play with outside of that to where as though you could say like, and you know, I bet I'm gonna use the machine but I'm not gonna take a lot of money.

But I'm definitely gonna use the machine because I got a milli over here to live off in another 500, whatever your number is to put into a project. If you have that, I would say don't take a lot of money from the label, use the services. Take enough, I don't even know if I'm saying too much, but take enough to where it's like,

until we get to the point where we 100% don't need the politics anymore. Cause people say, oh, you don't need it. It's the politics are still there. We ain't there yet. We might be there, but we ain't there yet. So let me ask you, we all know this rumor, right? That it takes like 100,000 to 175,000

to make a record, a hit record. I don't even know if that's true no more. I think it just depends on your relationship. I'm asking. Yo, I'm asking. Because back then, that's how it was. Back then, it was cut and dry. It was cut and dry. It was like, we know.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You pay $150, you automatically add to like 30 stations. Shit crazy, high change. 30 stations. Right now, I don't know how you pay that $150, you automatically add it to the Spotify playlist, or you automatically add it to the iTunes. It's about relationships, bro.

Yeah. Because it's money. Right. But like, I think it's more about relationships than like, you know, the bread, but the relationships too, bro. You know? Because right now, what do you think it's more about? Is it more about the playlist or is it more about the actual radio? I think it's about your relationship with your fans.

Okay. Mixed with everything else. OK. How you perceived, how hard you work, how people receive your music, how people feel about you overall, like their relationship with your music. You know what I'm saying? Because some artists, I'm like, damn, I can't,

I don't know what artists, don't ask me, I'm a little lit right now, but some artists, they have the music, but they don't have the relationships. And then you go, they can sell, some artists can sell tickets, some artists can stream records. It depends on your relationship overall

with the whole situation. It depends on how you bring yourself, it depends on what you've been putting energy into. Some artists are great touring artists, but they don't necessarily stream well. Some artists stream great, but then they can't go on tour and sell tickets. So you gotta create your reality in this shit.

You know what I mean? Like right now we have that chance to do that. Is radio still necessary? If you can afford it. If you can afford it. If you can afford it. Yeah. Just for the, yeah, if you can afford to just, what you talking about, like mainstream,

you talking about top 40, what you talking about? I'm talking about period because like, yesterday I went to New York City. Was it yesterday? Day before yesterday. I think the expectation for major artists is to break records at Top 40 and be on radio and be a top major artist. Like artists that are like, you know, artists like myself

or somebody that's been in the game for a long time is like, oh, if you don't have a record at Top 40, then you have him. For me, I identify success with the overall, your personal life and your business life and your artist life. It's not even about what's going on on the internet no more, bro. I can promise you that I haven't had a hit and I stopped counting the years, but I've had motion.

And the way that I think and the way that I move outside of music and my relationships and the things that I think and the way that I move outside of music and my relationships and the things that I invest in certain things like I don't Necess I love music I do it because I love it and I do it because it's quick It's like to me music is equivalent a street money. I mean I can leave here tomorrow and go make 80,000 hundred thousand at a show. Mm-hmm Buy it you feel me. Mm-hmm

But I don't have a hit. Mm-hmm. But then I wish. Because the audience. But I'm so grateful for it. Thank you, guys. Thank you to the fans. Thank you so much.

Well, I'm saying that to say that. You can take your sockie. But I'm saying that to say, bro, I've evolved as a being. There's so many other things that I'm into outside of music, business-wise, that I don't have that I make the time for. But it's harder because as an artist, you gotta go to the show, you gotta be present, you gotta be at the production meetings, you gotta be.

And I wish that's something like, I'm like, damn, I wish I had two days to spare so I can focus on this other business venture. That's about to make me 20 million. That's what the team comes in. And so, not for sure, 1000%. And then so it's like, it's blessed to have both sides, but where I'm at mentally now, it's a different place.

So it's a blessing to have the catalog, you know what I'm saying? And to have the work ethic and to also have the self-awareness that protects your energy. So you've got the energy to not sleep for a whole night and still get up and come to drink trance on that day. These last three days been crazy.

I had shows all weekend for Juneteenth. Like, I had shows all weekend. You know what I'm saying? So, yeah bro, all of it matters. All of it matters. It's just your life at this point in time in life, it ain't about just being an artist. It's about your whole setup of life.

It's monopoly, it's chess. It's like how you setting your whole life up. Fuck the smoke and mirrors. Real life shit. I could truly see that you're a person, whether in the beginning or at the end or wherever it is, that you learned how to play the game

and you didn't let the game play you. My brother, man, that's not what I was thinking. I was talking to that. That's what it is. Salud, Salud. No, I'm serious. Man, listen. As you all understand, I've been in this game 27 years.

I've seen men like that, huh? It's called heavenly. Heavenly Saki. I don't work with them, not yet. I'm throwing my hat in the ring. It's nice. It's like a little taste like a gavi in, like a sweet. Like sweet. It's cool. It's like a little, it's like a gaviand, like a sweet. Like sweet.

It's cool, it's cool. Yeah, man. But that's the, you definitely can't let the game play you. Nah, because you know why? If I have a son one day, I'm teaching him a monopoly on chess off top. Putting books in front of him on top, you know? Oh, you got a daughter though, right?

No, I don't got no kids yet. You don't have no kids? Okay. I've seen you say that on the Breakfast Club. I thought you was shooting at the club. For real? Yeah. That's crazy. People been saying happy Father's Day to me too. Maybe it's something real.

I don't know. You on the Sunday section. He doesn't have any. His shit don't work. His shit don't work. You been having an abortion. That's crazy. Oh my god.

He ain't having an abortion in 22 years. This thing is crazy. This nigga, this nigga. Come on, we go, hey, Mr. Lee, don't laugh too hard. Don't you laugh too hard. He's 59, this is different. This is different. Shout out to all the moms and dads out there, handling their responsibility, protecting these kids, man.

I think kids, our kids are the most vulnerable. They're some of the most vulnerable in our societies, you know, kids, because the world is like, you know, they don't even understand what's happening in the world all the way, you know what I'm saying? And we're on the front line of standing up or creating a world that they're about to exist in, you know, so they're, to me, the most vulnerable

in a lot of ways, man, you know? So shout out to the kids, man, you know, so shout out to Shout out to the kids man and all the souls that's choosing to incarnate in this world And we know it's just you like the wee one time, you know saying this was like You got your arm be shit going on Was this a photo you did for this Sonny keeps bringing the wrong boxes Was this a photo you did for this? Or you were just about to do a different type of... Sonny keeps bringing the wrong boxes.

I don't know why. That's why I was screaming at him earlier. You ain't got rage. You doing your shit. Look, y'all. Okay. We got to do a new photo shoot. You know what I'm saying?

I get it, bro. They be hating, you know what I'm saying? Get your fucking bread, bro. You know what I mean? God damn it. God damn it. Yeah, man. So what's next for Mario?

What's Mario doing next? Musically, experimenting, having fun with it, bro. You gotta have fun with it. Right now, I got some music coming out, singles coming out into my next project. I got an album out called Glad You Came that I put out in December. But yo, just having fun with it, bro.

Really experimenting and working with people that I'm having fun with. And you're acting, too. Yeah, no, I gotta, yeah, for sure. I got a few things in the acting field coming out. New Citizen Productions. So I created a production company about two years ago, signed a few writers,

and really just developing behind the scenes some really great projects right now that I'm gonna be pitching and finding the right homeless for them. So over the next couple of years, y'all gonna see me stepping to that back. The acting world. Behind the camera.

Not just the acting, I've done the acting, but just like, do you know, intellectual property wise, like having my own production, having my own screenplays, that ideas that I come up with on my team, and we build, you know, cause it's, yeah, it's, my mind is, it's constantly moving in that direction.

I got it, investments that I've made, like certain experiences that I'm creating right now. I can't talk about it, I can't say the ideas. You know what I'm saying? But yeah, bro, it's this next couple of years y'all probably gonna, y'all gonna see like the entrepreneurial side of what I've been working on for the last three, four years. And it's gonna be inspiring, bro.

Because I think it's things that people wouldn't expect. Yeah, yeah. You got a role for Norrie, you can- Oh, yeah, you want me, my acting coach? Yeah. You my acting agent? He said coaches don't make enough money. He's like, I'm an agent.

Nah, bro, but yeah, bro, that, bro. And of course, taking the music and enough money. He's like, I'm in Asia. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Nah, bro. But yeah, bro, it's that, bro. And, you know, of course, like taking the music and the touring to the next level, really tapping back into the performance back and leveling it up, the performances. And yeah, bro, just tap them back in. Rewinding the times, if you will.

Rewinding the times. Hypothetically speaking, right? Yeah. They say, man, Mario, you could join one group. Man, I'm dead or alive, I guess. Join one group? Join one group for one week. What group you joining? That's a great question.

Group, group, group. Don't say the five heartbeats, because they don't exist. Nah. Nah, nah, nah. Oh, they got to exist? Yeah, they got to exist, nigga. Oh, shit. A real group.

A real group right now. Niggas don't got groups no more. What groups exist right now? All right, just maybe you're your favorite artist. That's a lie. But a lot still true. All right. I'm going to go with Roops.

Damn, that's kind of crazy. All right, I'm going to say it's between Jekyll and Edge. That was my first choice. I'll say Jekyll and Edge, bro Jekyll and Edge. That was my first choice. I would say Jekyll and Edge, bro. Jekyll and Edge. And who else? Who's the other choice? And TGT.

That's Tank. Yeah. Jermey Jones. Jermey Jones. Jermey Jones. Yeah, yeah, Tyrese. Tyrese. Yeah.

I could see that. Not even on some like, I just, I feel like I could bring something different to the group. Really? You know what I'm saying? You know them niggas fighting and all that. Niggas fight? Yeah, niggas is crazy. I know all three of them. They all crazy.

Yeah, you know, a lot of DMV shit. Couple of West Coast niggas. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah, cool, jacket ass though. I feel like that'd be some shit for sure. I ain't gonna lie, I would pick new edition. Okay.

I would pick the 80s new edition. Remember, I'm gonna put on my troopsuit. Yeah, nah, for sure. I'm gonna be ready for my progaly. Okay, nah, like, yeah, yeah, yeah. If Bobby asks, I'm okay. Yeah, nah. For sure, for sure.

So you gonna stop drinking because you got the stamina to like, oh, you're gonna dance on that shit. No, yeah, I forgot that part. Yeah, I know, you can't drink. Let me rewind my memory. No, no, you can't drink no more. You gotta dance on that shit. Oh yeah, I forgot that part. Yeah, I know you can't drink. Let me rewind that. No, I know you can't drink no more.

I'm gonna take a shot from that. I'm gonna take a shot from that. I'm gonna take a shot from taking back my answer. Salute. You're gonna have to rewind it. Salute, yeah. Jagged Edge is on some, you know, Salute. Jagged Edge is on some, you know, crooning.

They make classic music, records that will play to every wedding. They still got it. Yeah. I drink at Jagged Edge all night. They could wedding. They still got it, yeah. I drink a drag ass all night, they can drink. No more fuckers is drinking. What was that versus experience like with you or Marion?

For me it was great. Yeah, it was. It's a great experience for me, for sure. You know, that shit was crazy, bro. It was dope. I mean, I feel like going into it, I already knew it was like you being on a block with the homies talking shit and playing good music

and singing. It's like karaoke. You know what I mean? But you're singing your own music, you know? And I don't know what aspect of it. This is, it was a lot going on. So it's a pandemic. So of course there's a lot going on. People are scared and then here comes versus entertainment.

Everybody's at home. That's crazy you say a lot of people don't bring on the pandemic part, but it definitely was. That's the big part. Yeah. Oh, you were separate and you were together. No, we was together. Oh, you were together, okay.

Did you see it? I did see it, but I don't remember it. That's when the break was. That's crazy. You won. Yeah. Right. Yeah.

Oh, it was you and these Amarion. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was me was you against Omarion? Nah, it was, yeah, yeah, yeah. It was me against Omarion and his whole army. Yeah. That's the whole army. That's the whole army. OK, all right. All right, all right, all right, all right, all right.

He had a whole army with him. It was crazy, bro. I didn't even know he had allies like that. Right. But I know, bro. No shout out to anybody. At the end of the day, it's all for the love of music. But I definitely didn't know he had allies.

Right. So I had to like, it was like I had to like take them all down one by one. Right, right, right. I'm a good sniper, nigga. I'm a really good sniper. But yeah, nah, it was cool, man. It was cool. It was a good night for R&B. You know what I'm saying? Nah, I don't have it either, cool. It was a good night for R&B. You know what I'm saying? No, I don't have to give it, man. It was a good night for R&B.

It was at one point, you know, a person, you know, he kept saying, you know, I'm going to make R&B alive again. I'm going to make R&B alive again. Make R&B. Where else was it sent? Huh? What else were they saying? That's what they're saying. I'm bringing R&B alive again. Make R&B. Where else was it sent? Huh?

What else were they saying? That's what they're saying. I'm bringing R&B back. It was basically, you know, the guy. Yeah. I'm being live again. It's okay. All right.

But did you ever heard that statement, like, where people felt like, you know, at one point, even Nas said it, our forefront, one of our forefathers said, hip hop is dead. Yeah, yeah. oh, facts. And people had to refute him and he embraced it and he was like, okay, well, maybe hip hop isn't dead. Maybe it lives in the South or maybe it lives in London or whatever, whatever. Is there ever a time where people were saying that, like, you know, R&B is dead and you took it personal?

I never took it personal. Okay, but you heard the mistake. Nah, for sure. I only took it personal when they started took it personal. Okay, but you heard the mistake. Nah, for sure. I only took it personal when they started trying to pay niggas less. That's when I was like, damn, okay, now I'm taking it personal. Now it's personal.

But nah, I think that this is what we do. We are innovators, bro. We innovated hip hop, R&B. We're the innovators of this culture, bro. So it is our conversation. It's almost like us, but we do it on the internet, but if we were all sitting at a conference talking about it, like, nigga, R&B's there, all right,

you should've did, nigga, you don't want that thing, you need to do, all right, what you need to do. It's just like we are having this conversation out in the world, you know, for the world to get involved in it, you know what I'm saying? So yeah, I'm glad that they have, because it's a reason why I feel like, you know, it's still here,

it's because we continue to have the conversation and we continue to push the culture forward by having a conversation. But also I think that the problem, I feel like is the people that have control over what people experience. For example, love BET, thank you. We love you all the year. But sometimes the conglomerates or whoever's in control

don't always make the best decisions as to how it's experienced, right? So I went to the BET Awards. This past one? Yeah. Okay. And, you know, I was just coming back from the UK and you're up on my tour for Glad You Came album. They hit us about, you know, doing the BET experience.

Yeah, Glad You Came, my album that's out. I took that wrong. My bad. No, you good. Yeah, I'm fucking with you. But it's glad you came. It's a double all time. For sure, 1000%. Yeah, okay, okay. Absolutely, for sure.

We are though, you know what I'm saying? We glad you came for the experience. We glad you came. But it's like, they hit us to do the beats experience. I'm so happy, like great for all that. But I didn't even know they were doing a 106 and Park situation. Okay.

But the timeline of that, everybody that was on that, like it was no reason why I should put a poem on the red carpet show, because that was the moment where you should have had a Mario performance in the actual show, you know what I'm saying? Like there was some good, decent performance, but as far as what I do and what I represented during that time, it was missing from that set.

And I feel like those are the moments where, you know, we gotta represent R&B and represent our culture the right way and we don't do it all the time. And this is not even me. Like, I speak about myself in third person all the time, bro. I promise you that I really, I'm so happy in my life. Like, I'm really blessed and I enjoy my life

outside of just being an artist. But, I'm really blessed, and I enjoy my life outside of just being an artist. But when it comes to respecting, like, what I've done as an artist, I feel like sometimes it's not respected in certain, in those types of cases, right? And I feel like it would have helped R&B because I am a true R&B artist. Like, I'm true to the culture, true to the game of R&B,

true to the essence of R&B, true to the essence of R&B, and it wasn't represented that night, I feel like, in terms of male artists from that era. It was missing from the stage that night, on the main stage. Outside of, hold on, even though Jamie Foxx is the, first of all, Jamie Foxx is the goat, like you can't even, but in that era, I mean, like of my, you know what I'm saying, the artist that was out

that time, yeah. But I think one of the things I did see was this was one of the best BETs put together. For sure. Yeah, a show ever. 1000% bro. No, 1000%. It was an incredible show.

Okay, yeah. 1000%. All right, all right. Yeah. Big up to Kossenaught, Trusky. Bro, big up to the whole new regime of young artists. Like it was, can you try and make it seem like I'm down in the whole show?

No, I'm not, I did not, I did not. You make it seem like that. I see the look on your face. No, no, no, because you know what? I didn't actually see the look on your face. No, no, no, no, no. You tried it, nah, nah, nah. You want me to be honest?

Hold up, you want me to be honest? I don't know when you gonna, nah. You want me to be honest? Yes. I didn't actually. No, I just see you look on your face. You trying to nod, nod, nod. No, no, no. You want me to be honest? Hold up. You want me to be honest? I don't know when you gonna, nah. Let me be honest. I didn't see the whole awards show. I seen clips of it. Okay.

So I'm pointing out the clips. Incredible, bro. Show. Yeah, pointing out the clips that I saw. Bro, I never go outside. I went to these BET Awards. I knew how incredible it was gonna be. I'm specifically talking,

you still talking about R&B, bro. Okay, okay, okay. Yeah, I understand. Stop, nigga. No, no, no. Yeah, I understand. Stop, nigga. I'm not a nigga. I'm not a nigga. I'm not a nigga. You sound like a villain.

No, bro. Yeah, R&B nigga. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? R&B nigga. R&B nigga. R&B nigga. Nah, it was an incredible show, bro. I was inspired, like, super inspired by it.

Super inspired. So everyone, they have their 10 year career and the new thing is now to venture out and do something different. We know you do that at the Acty, you know we got the production, but is there anything that you think of a podcast? Streaming.

Anything that I think of? Or streaming. That I would do. That you for yourself, would you do a podcast? 1000%, not yet. Okay. Because AI shifting, everything is shifting. Money is shifting, the way niggas is paid is shifting. I'm a businessman, so I'm thinking five years ahead.

I'm like, okay, what podcast is gonna look like in five years? AI? AI gonna take over? No, I'm not saying they would take over, possibly in some ways, but like I'm just saying like the structure of it, business-wise.

So if I don't show up, another, no one's gonna show up? No, no, no, no, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that the way you get paid, I'm saying that the way you getting paid right now may change in the next three, Let me get my shit together. I know, bro.

I'm not saying you had it. I know you had it. I'm fucking around, I'm fucking around. I see you, I heard the conversation you was having outside when we was coming in. We all was talking about money, you had it. I know you had it. I see you. I heard the conversation you was having outside when we was coming in. I was talking about money. I respect it. But I'm saying that, I'm like, okay,

if I'm gonna do it, I wanna do it at the highest level possible for me. And then I'm like, okay, what other things can I integrate from the other relationships that I have? I'm just thinking, you know. Yeah, you're putting it together. Time, illusion, experiences. How do I calculate my time with experiences?

How do I want to experience things? Like, I just think about like, okay, I really can influence the experience I want to have over the next, like, so I'm like, I'll be trying to make decisions based on what I know is about to happen in the future. So like, okay, I'm going to do a podcast right now, but like maybe the shifts and changes may happen

in the next year that make niggas get paid more. Right. Maybe I should wait a year and just develop the content. But you know what I'm saying? I don't know. I just be thinking like. I'll give you one advice about the podcast. Cause you've been doing it bro.

That's kind of like, it cuts through the thing. Like I wish when I was making records that I had these algorithm numbers, because what I mean by that is, you know how you go on tour, right? And you go on tour and you go to these miscellaneous states. I'm not going to say a state because I want to go back to there because if they pay me, I'm going back. Right?

But you go to these miscellaneous states that don't really matter in your algorithms of selling albums, right? So what happens is they'll put you, like the record label will put you on this whole tour, and it'll be a 32 cities tour, because the reason why they're putting you on that 32 city tour is because they have to eat up their budget. But you're in places that it doesn't matter.

Well right now, I can see exactly what 32 states that- And it might not be the states that people think it like. It's not gonna be the states that people think like, yeah. It's not gonna be the states. And guess what? We okay with going to Little Rock, Arkansas. We okay with going to fucking the outskirts of Delaware. We okay with going to Sacramento.

But I don't wanna go to Las Vegas because you think there's Las Vegas and no one gives a fuck about it. No one in Las Vegas. They're thinking about hookers and fucking gambling. I love his passion right now. And they're thinking about hookers and gambling. Why the fuck are we in Las Vegas? I love his passion right now. And they're thinking about hookers and gambling. Why the fuck are we in Las Vegas?

I love his passion right now. Like you understand what I'm saying? So I thought about it. So all these 27 years, I'm looking like I got jerked for 27 years. They sent me to the places that they wanted me to send to eat the budget up. But right now, I can, Lil Wayne can do drink chances. I can say Lil Wayne, go here, here, here, here, here, here, and stay the fuck away from here, here, here, here, here, here, and stay the fuck away from here, here, here, here, here.

You had four views there. Wouldn't you? You think those four people gonna come out 55 times? Let's get the fuck away from that state. But I'm saying that's the only good thing about AI, these algorithms, I can say, Mario, man, let me just tell you something, man. Say it, I'm not gonna say the state.

Stay away from such and such. Go over there. Go on this whole side. This whole side is with the devil. The devil. The devil, eh? The devil like, you need to stop. Holy shit, look.

I can't stop. It's real shit, though. I'm being honest with you. Yeah. When I saw, like, I can't stop! It's real shit though, I'm being honest with you. When I saw, when I saw like, I started to study the algorithms of what we're doing here. I said, if I was to drop a record right now, I would not, I would not aim for 52 states. That's what we got, 52, right?

50, all right, whatever, man. I gave us extra two, all right? So 50 states, right? Even the 50 states. I would not hit 50 states. Like if they gave me extra two, all right. So 50 states, right, even the 50 states, I would not hit 50 states. Like if they gave me a budget, I would hit the 22 that I know I can double up on because there was 22, okay. So let's just break it down.

I'm just giving you an example. I just say the 22 is, one is Pennsylvania. I can break it down from Philly to Penn State to Harrisburg. Those are three different stops in that same state. And I can do the same exact numbers, probably even more. And then move on. So it's no wasting time now. So now Leo Kohn told me it's the best time to drop music

in the music industry because you don't have to package it and do all that. I agree with that actually. I do agree with that. And it's crazy because after this album came out, I was like, I wanna do one more album that's just like a passion project, bro. And then after that, I just wanna start. I have thousand, like bro, I wouldn't say thousand,

but I probably got at least 800 to 900 records. If not more, that's just sitting in hard drives. Not to say that those deserve to be out, I'm just saying that the rate that I record records and don't release is high. And I'm just ready to change the way that I do that in terms of music-wise.

So I think you're right, bro. I definitely think you're right. You just gotta have fun with it and do what you want, do what you love, and have fun with it, bro. Give the people the music, stop holding back. Like, you know what I'm saying? I'm in that vibe right now, for sure. Like, you are, you are technically the Kevin Lyles now.

You are technically the Leo Combs. Like, you- It's crazy. You can show, like, from what you do from here on out and follow, you can show the next generation, like, yo, listen, we can be signed to ourselves. Nah, for sure. You know what I'm saying? And move ourselves.

Like, I'm sorry to put the responsibility on you like that. No, it's fine. I've already taken on the responsibility, for sure. You know what I'm saying? Nah, for sure. I love it. I love hearing it from you. You know what I'm saying?

You've been in the game for a long time, bro. And even like the podcast, shit,, like this is a whole other space. I mean, how many hours a day do you have to spend on this? No, we're organic. Like if a person comes to Miami, we fuck with it. But we don't like have like schedules and shit like that. So you can do a lot of like this. Like you can do this and then go do...

Like you don't have to, like you're not sitting here all day. So yeah, I mean, it's definitely a space that I've thought about tapping into. go do, you're not sitting here all day. So yeah, I mean, it's definitely a space that I've thought about tapping into, but I wanted it to be a little different, but yeah, bro, it's definitely time. The good thing about it is, what I'm trying to tell you is,

it's catering to your audience. This is what's dope about that. 1000%. It's like, sometimes, I stop doing shows, right, after this shit happened because I don't want to go to a show and I'm going to see this guy's fans. I'm on a show with this guy's fans, right? Like, so I don't want to be, I don't want to be, I'm jealous. Like I want my fans. Right? Yeah. If I'm not doing it and then I start to realize, you know, I start to realize, yes,

I start to realize, holy shit, certain people, all right, let me get this out. I'm fucking up this story, but let me just get this out. It's only two times in my whole career, 27 years, I felt like I traded fans. It's only two times. Like me doing records with Redman and Method Man, God bless them, I love them,

but we're the fucking same fans. It's the same exact fans. Me doing records with Cam'ron is the same exact fans. Me doing records with Marv D, it's the fucking same motherfuckers. They use the same toothbrush, they use the same deodorant, same deodorant and the same lotion, all right?

Only two times I ever felt I traded fans was when I did a record with R. Kelly and when I did a record with R. Kelly and when I did a record with Daddy Yankee. Wow. I felt their audience follow me. And I was just like, oh, OK, that's what a collaboration means.

When you're collaborating with the person with the same audience, that's not collaborations. That's just you being friends. But sometimes you're doing it for the culture. But I get it. But yeah, I got you. If it's a hit record, then it's a hit. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got you. Then it's a hit record, then it's a hit.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got you. Then it's a hit. But if it's just to collaborate, that shit kind of doesn't matter. I'm just being honest with you. It's a classic to y'all. If it's not a classic to the people, who gives a fuck? You should never throw it out. You know what I'm saying?

So that's it. All right, damn. I kind of got you. I'll tell you on that. Let's take a shot for me. Let's take a shot for you. Nah, for sure. real, bro. I'll tell you on that. Let's take a shot for me, let's take a shot. Let's take a shot for you. Nah, for sure.

Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts. Every week I sit down with your favorite book lovers, authors, celebrities, book talkers, and more to explore the stories that shape us on the page and off. I've been reading

every Reese's Book Club pick, deep diving book talk theories, and obsessing over book-to-screen casts for years. And now, I get to talk to the people making the magic. So if you've ever fallen in love with a fictional character, or cried at the last chapter, or passed a book to a friend saying, you have to read this, this podcast is for you. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club 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 bestselling author and meat eater founder, Stephen Ronella. 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 iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, 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.

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Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebene and every Tuesday starting July 1st, I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that will challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you.

On Pretty Private, we'll explore the untold experiences of women of color who faced it all, childhood trauma, addiction, abuse, incarceration, grief, mental health struggles, and more, and found the strength to make it to the other side. My dad was shot and killed in his house. Yes, he was a drug dealer. Yes, he was a confidential informant, but he wasn't shot on a street corner. He wasn't shot in the middle of a drug deal.

He was shot in his house, unarmed. Pretty Private isn't just a podcast. It's your personal guide for turning storylines into lifelines. Listen to Pretty Private with Ebeneze starting Tuesday, July 1st, on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Yo, Mario, man, thank you, man. Thank you for coming through. Hold on. Hold on. I wanted to ask him something real quick. Let me take a pee, though. Everybody take a pee but me. I can still ask the question. Yeah. Yeah. All right. When you come back. Yeah. Yeah.

For sure. I know you give it up for writers who have done some writing for you on some of your projects. Yeah. Are you big into the writing? Have you written for anybody else? You know, I've written records that can 1,000% be for other artists,

but I've been stingy. You keep it to yourself. Because I've been more instrumental in my own writing, I'm like, yo, I need to really, I wanna get some records off that I wrote for me versus other artists writing for me. That's what I've been on lately. But 1000%, you'll probably see in the next couple of years

like records that I wrote for other artists for sure. That I just haven't used. So I definitely got some fire in the chamber for sure. You said you got night and shame, so I understand. Yeah, I got some fire in the chamber that I'm ready to drop, so yeah. We'll be looking forward to that. We'll just wait for Slime.

Yeah, for sure. So, Shot, I just feel like, I got be looking forward to that. We'll just wait for slime. Yeah, for sure. For a shot, I just feel like, bro, I got a little piece to it. It's warring. Mom was over there. No, no, no. You're going to stop drinking my sake, too. You good.

Yo, yo, yo, you be taking that to DuPont. With my whiskey, I be seeing you. With the habegi. Yeah. Yeah, with the habegi, I'll see you. Yeah, man, you know, from here, you know, we level up, generational wealth, you know. Just make sure we, you know, negotiate.

Any plans to put on another artist? For sure. You know, I'm building, so the way I see it, right, you know how Motown was back in the day when the artists would get signed, they had a family for them to come to. When I say family, I don't mean like, oh, little, but they had producers, they had writers,

they had songs already, you were coming into a system that was already, not that I wanna make a artist, other artists music, but just like a community. So not that I wanna make a artist, cut other artists music, but just like a community. So right now I'm building a community, writers, producers, before I sign artists. I feel like the community is important. You know what I'm saying?

And like really building like the foundation of what New Citizen is on the music side. Not rushing into like- What's the name of the label? New Citizen, so I got New Citizen label, New Citizen publishing, New Citizen with my own brother. So I got new citizen label, new citizen publisher, new citizen with my own brother. So new citizen, I started when I did

my first independent project. And it's crazy that the name new citizen, you know, it's just how it relates to what's going on in the world today, like really becoming a new citizen of your own personal universe. That's what I created it for. But yeah, bro, you know, that's the thing. I got new citizen investments

where I invest in different projects, random shit that you would never expect me to be, that I'm into, not on the actual like me putting out coins, but I've invested in companies that have both coins and also have tangible assets as well. So yeah, and then doing like shit all across the board. Like so yeah. Damn it, that's sick as hell. Yeah, he's like, yeah. Yeah, we, yeah bro. That's not bad though. So one thing I heard you say,

you spoke about fasting. Yeah, yeah. Okay, now what form of fasting are you talking about? So the first fast I did was for 26 days, bro. All water? It was, it was, it was. What bridge there? I was doing an organ cleanse. Oh wow. So there was a, there was a guy that I was working

at the time, he had developed these organ supplements, cleansing supplements, but in order to do them, you had to not eat. So it was just like a water fast. And it was like 26 days. Oh, that was standard, the 26 days? Or you picked 26 days? I lasted 26 days. Okay. Okay, wow.

I lasted, yeah. And, you know, I think people are more comfortable speaking about these things today, you. I lasted, yeah, yeah. And you know, I think people are more comfortable speaking about these things today, you hear about it, but it's true, what we talk about in terms of really getting to that level of connection with God and with yourself, that it's impossible to do without fasting. There's no other way to experience, there's no other way to experience

a spiritual awareness and evolution like fasting, besides fasting, honestly. Because you're gonna face so many parts of yourself that you didn't even know was there. You're gonna face your demons, you're gonna face your emotions, you're gonna face so many parts of yourself that you didn't even know was there. You're gonna face your demons, you're gonna face your emotions, you're gonna face your fears, you're gonna face your desires,

your fleshly desires, your human desires. You're gonna face all of, you know, all of the things that you're so used to, your comfort, everything. It's gonna push you to levels that, well, all you have to lean on is God. And that's the key of fasting, right? That's the key is to really connect you to

a space where consumption isn't even something that you need. I do believe that at one point, we didn't need to consume things to even live. We can live off of consciousness alone. But that's the whole other conversation, obviously. But I do believe that we didn't need to eat. We didn't need to consume other living, aware, conscious beings to actually survive.

They used to say fast to feast. Say it again? They used to say fast to feast. You fast for three days and then you go feast and then you fast again. That's what they said back in the days. That's where fasting comes from. Okay.

Okay. Fast to feast. Yeah. Yeah, I didn't feast. I didn't feast on 26 days. When I did break it, it was all fruits. It was all, it was- Soups?

Nah, nah. No soups? Nah, it was just huge fruits and raw foods Okay, vegetables are raw, but this was also during a time where the energy on a planet wasn't as intense. Okay It was a little lighter. Okay right now. I don't think I could do that because I'm I step back into music I step back into the You know, I step back into the field in a different way. I wasn't around people at the time. I wasn't, no, I was feeding off my energy. I wasn't having to give my energy.

Cause it's like, all right, let me try to bypass this. Hold on. You want a shot? No. Okay. I'm trying to bypass, talk some real shit. I gotta, I gotta. My bad.

I do need to do that when I'm busy. Yeah. You're like that. My bad. I do see you do that when I'm busy. See how. You're like that. My bad. All right, I missed the registration. I missed what? I'm sorry. So, you're asking me a question.

I got it. I got you. I just wanted, I signed up for this show. I signed up for it. I signed up for it. Nah, but yo, it's, it's, it's, it's, bro, it's simple, bro. It's, you know, when you start the body and the physical of all of the things that make us weak,

then you tap into your true light, bro. This is, it's something that you can't really argue with, it's science, it's something that our ancestors do, it's something that, you know, we've even practiced that we don't really argue with is science, is something that our ancestors do, is something that we've even practiced that we don't remember, we forget. Because our memory gets wiped and shit. We forget the things that we were born with, our ancestors practiced.

And so, those things starts to come back to you. The body starts to eat away at all of the bullshit. That's fast. Yeah, that's you fasting. And then those who choose to take that route and to take that journey, get initiated into their own level of awareness and spiritual advancement.

You know what I'm saying? And it's one of the best things you can ever do for yourself. I see a lot more people doing it today than I've ever seen and I love seeing it. Yeah, I've seen Kevin Gates talk about it as well. Kevin Gates talk about it and Ali Chapa talk about it. It's a real thing, bro.

It's not just, it's real, you know? Celibacy, fasting, wherever you're preserving your energy, you're preserving your energy. You're tapping back into your true self, your true light, your true power. You did the celibacy fast? I did it two years, year and a half. Honestly speaking, I did it a year and a half.

I would say two years, but I did it a year and a half. Celibacy? Yeah. No jerking off neither? Nothing, bro. No? My nigga, half. Selfishly? Yeah. No jerking off neither? Nothing, bro. No? My nigga, nothing, bro. Nothing. Nothing.

Fuck. Ha ha ha. My bad. All with me and not getting nothing, man. My bad. Crazy. Nah, that's discipline like a monster. He can win, man.

He can go out there and... But it's, right. But again, again, now we're going into a different side of the interview. All right, let's go on over here. Okay. This is not anything. All right, let's take it, let's take it to a whole other level. Imagine thousands of years ago or hundreds of years ago, whatever you want to call it.

You are a man and you're set to go on a journey to another part of the land. You gotta leave your wife and kids. You're going to another part of the land that you're set out to find a new space, a new country, a new whatever. And your emperor or king at the time is like, yo, I need you to get on this ship with 200 other men

because I believe that there's something on the other side of this water. Say you're one of Abu Bakari's generals that's on one of those ships that he sent over from Mali, right? You can't have sex. You don't know how long it's gonna take you to get to the West, right?

But along that journey, all that energy that you are holding is giving you the strength to go on this journey. I'm just using this as an example. You're not thinking about sex while you're trying to survive. You're not thinking about sex. You're not thinking about... You're thinking about, okay, I'm on this voyage. I'm on this journey. You know, I think that we think about all of these things more because we're in a world where we're over-stimulated

by Instagram, Twitter, X, and escape. You know, a way for you to, you know, it's like, nigga, I work hard today, you know, I just did a 20 hour shift, I want some hit. I want some, it's like, nah, like, like as men we gotta redefine what true power is. Especially in this, where we are now, we need as much energy and quarter as we can get to get through what's happening right now.

You know what I'm saying? But that's just the way I look at it, you know what I'm saying? But. Yeah. Like girls are trying to come up to you, you don't give them your number or none of that. Facts.

They ain't in the room. You hard to get, that's what's up. I don't know how you make that shit up. I'm just kidding, bro. Nah, bro, this nigga is doing funny shit. Nah, man. You know what I'm saying? Nah, nah, nah.

This is because she's real shit. Nah, but she'll set you up, though, bro. Be careful, bro. No, man. You know what I'm saying? No, no, no. No, no, no. That's real shit. No, but shit set you up, though, bro. Be careful, bro. Yeah. You ain't been in them headlines. That's what's up. You know what I'm saying?

That's what's up. I understand the game. Yeah, she understand the game. Let me take a shot for that. Lose. I understand the game. You're a motherfucking Mario, nigga. I understand the game.

It's about longevity, bro. Okay, let's take a shot, bro. I got you, man. I'm going at my own pace, bro. When it get. It's about longevity, bro. Okay, let's take a shot. I got you, man. I'm going on my own pace, bro. I'm gonna get like you, you know what I'm saying? You know it, you been doing this shit, what, twice a week?

No, no, no, no, no. No, we ain't been doing this for two weeks, man. I bet, so you got two weeks off. Yeah. Oh, wait, you said you ain't drink for how long? Two weeks. All right, we got down. But two weeks before that, I went to Cannes,

I went to San Jose. Oh, shit, you outside. And I went to Monaco. So he's on the whole shit. And this is how Rich Day was. I had a drone following me, and nobody even looked at me. You know, that shit is different, like having a drone following you.

The white people was like, who give a fuck? Yeah, but it's hockey. It's hockey shit. But I said I was just to say that in this new world that we're going into, I feel like your energy is the new currency. And people can steal your energy. I think that was very important what you said.

People could steal your energy. The new world that we're going into is like, you've got to be really aware of everything, you know, that's happening. There's like a big, there's a wave of, you know, shifts that's happening that's going to make a lot of people rich really quick. And if your mind is not on the frequency of like what's happening and thinking forward, you might miss out. You might have an idea right now that you're sleeping on or not you, or somebody might have an idea right now, but because they're focused on feeding their senses

and feeding, they're not even thinking about this shit. They're like, oh, I'll get to it. Like, nah, like somebody else is gonna do that idea and become a billionaire. Because you're not focused right now. This is a time of focus. We don't need more time, we need more focus. Time is currency.

Exactly. And so that's how I think every day. And I know I don't need more time, we need more focus. Time is currency. Exactly. And so that's how I think every day. And I know I don't talk about this a lot on my socials. I don't talk about it a lot because I feel like I don't want to... Social media is the matrix. And a devil. You know what I'm saying?

So it's like, I don't like to like, I wanna keep it pure. I want all my blessings. I don't wanna mess them up like, I don't like to like, I want to keep it pure. I want all my blessings. I don't want to mess them up. So you don't be on social media? I am on social media, but I only post like artistic things or like pictures of what I'm doing.

I don't really post a lot about like. But not when you're faster. The things that I'm doing right now don't really need social media to work. That's what I'm saying. You're faster for social media as well? Back then, yeah, I wasn't even on social media. Okay.

I didn't, doing that fast, I wasn't on social media at all. Okay. Bro, I was, bro, I wasn't around people, bro. I was, I was, to myself, when niggas be like, nigga, where you was at for, I was literally in a whole other realm of existence.

Really, like, if I had just moved to LA from Baltimore, I'd moved away from Baltimore, because I had to, or I was on Diobian jail. And so I just needed to completely shift my perspective on life. And I think people think just because you've had success or just because you've had like,

nah, real shit be happening in life where you actually have to preserve yourself in order to survive this shit life's like real life shit you know and so so i can be here today all right you know i'm saying so rock it yeah it's real bro it's real you know don't take for granted all of the people you know like the night the 19 keys of the world and all these other brothers that are out here, really trying to explain to people, yo, what the future's about to look like,

because it's real, it's a real thing. It's real, man. If you're called to do something and your spirit is calling you to try something new or do something new or change the way you live in, listen. Cause you might be one of the ones that's actually supposed to liberate your soul family. You never know.

Would you ever do like a country album? Where I do a country album? Yeah, I do any type of album. I can do any type of music. If it's with the right producers and the right energy, for sure, yeah, absolutely. Like say I played a role and the right energy, for sure. Yeah, absolutely. Like say I played a role and like, it was like, I don't know, you know,

talking about when country music was first starting to kick off in the black community. You know what I'm saying? And I would play, I would play in it. You would role in the movies. Yeah, for sure. I'm just saying like ways to tell different, you know, I feel like that story haven't been told yet.

Yeah, black people and country music. Yeah. Well, black rock and roll has been told because it's actually documented that black people actually invented rock and roll. Yeah, it's been told in the movie. Oh yeah, for sure, for sure, for sure. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Come on. Come on. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Da da da da da da da. Come on, baby.

Come on, baby. La bamboo. Yeah. Come on. For sure. Yeah, yeah. Good show. Good show.

Yeah. Yeah. So is there anything else you want to tell your fans before you get up out of here? Man. A shot first. There's this, bro. How many shots?

I mean, we just celebrated Mario, man. You go to the range? Listen, listen. You go to the range sometimes? Listen, listen, we just- You go to the rain sometimes? No, no, no. You be a good shooter on the rain. The way you take shots, nigga, you don't fuck. Oh, cause you know why we celebrating the career

of Mario, man? I appreciate you, bro. Let me just tell you something, man. You appreciate it. They say go where you appreciate it and not where you tolerate it. Yeah. Let's just let you know.

Thank you, King. You appreciate it and you celebrate it. Thank you, King. Appreciate you. And you motherfucking- Appreciate you. Ob Thank you, K. You appreciate it and you celebrate it. Appreciate you. And you motherfucking. Appreciate you. Oblated and elevated. I represent us, you know what I'm saying? I represent strength, I represent focus.

I represent us alignment, bro. You know, new citizen and what I plan to do over the next few years, hopefully sets the standards for new artists coming to the game, bro. A lot of people about to start making a lot of money real fast if they're focused. And I feel like, you know, invest your money, make relationships, be uncomfortable a little bit sometimes.

Sometimes a relationship that you're uncomfortable with can take you into doors that you normally wouldn't get into. Invest your bread, bro, be smart. Think generational wealth. It's so crazy because I had wrote something down on a vision board when I came back from the UK and I had a lot of energy that was different. And I believe that whenever you have a big shift of energy,

it's a time, whether it's negative or positive, it's a time for you to manifest something powerful and you can transmit that energy into something that you want for yourself. And I wrote down on this vision board something I wanted, and literally the next week, it came to fruition, bro. And I was a part of something that was really big, and everybody can do it, in your own world.

You know what I'm saying? So just believe in yourself. Hell yeah. You know what I'm saying? Salute. Let's go, let's get it. Thank you. You know what I'm saying? Salute. Let's go, let's get it. Drink Champs is a Drink Champs LLC production host and executive producers, NORE and DJ EFN.

Listen to Drink Champs on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. It's at Drink Champs across all platforms, at The Real Noriega 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 drinkchamps.com. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

I'm Danielle Robay, and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts, where we dive into the stories that shape us, on the page and off. Each week, I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars, and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry, and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club 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 also want to address the Tonys. On a recent episode of Checking In with Michelle Williams, I opened up about feeling snubbed by the Tony Awards. Do I?

I was never mad. I was disappointed because I had high hopes. To hear this and more on disappointment and protecting your peace, listen to Checking In with Michelle Williams from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What up y'all, this your main man, Memphis Bleak, right here, host of Rock Solid Podcast. June is Black Music Month, so what better way to celebrate than listening to my exclusive conversation with my bro, Jairoo. The one thing that can't stop you or take away from you is knowledge. So whatever I went through while I was down in prison for two years, through that process, learn, learn from me.

Check out this exclusive episode with Jairoo on Rock Solid. Open your free iHeart Radio app, search Rock Solid and listen now.