Dumb Blonde - The War and Treaty: Jesus & Lingerie

Episode Date: August 26, 2024

The dynamic duo Tanya and Michael Trotter, aka The War and Treaty, are here to share their journey from the streets of Cleveland to the bright lights of country stardom. These two talented lovebirds talk about the obstacles they've overcome including homelessness and PTSD, and how Michael spotted Tanya in Sister Act 2 and knew immediately that she was the one. They also share the emotional weight of becoming the first African American husband-wife duo to earn a GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist. and what that means for the genre as a whole as they continue to blaze their own trail in the music industry. Watch Full Episodes & More:www.dumbblondeunrated.comThe War and Treaty: Website | IG See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey guys, I need to ask you a question. I want to know why in the hell are you not on Patreon? I don't think you guys even realize how much content we have on Patreon. Let me break it down for you. We have the BunnyXO show. We have Meet the D-Fords. We have Popaganda. We have more shows that we're adding.

And not to mention, we have the visuals of the podcast. Not only that, we have four tiers that caters to everybody's budget and everybody gets the podcast. There's that, we have four tiers that caters to everybody's budget and everybody gets the podcast. There's no more excuses. Head over to www.patreon.com backslash dumb blonde podcast and sign up. Stop missing out. We have built a huge community over there, guys. I'm talking about hundreds of thousands of people over there. We even have live chats, live chats that I actually am talking in every single night. Last but not least, we give away gifts every freaking month. I'm talking like signed stuff from Jay and I, lives. You just never know what kind of surprise you're going to get.

It's like a Cracker Jack box. I love the community that we've built over there at Patreon. If you are already a Patreon member, I freaking love you, dude. Thank you so much. You guys are my babies for life, my writers. If I could, I would literally make out with each and every one of you. I love you guys so much. And that's a lot of kisses, actually. Gotta go, bye.

Bunny XO. She was a Vegas girl. Bunny XO. She changed my life. Dumb blonde podcast. And Bunny XO. Kelly Rose White. Bunny XO.

Miss Bunny. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Talk to me about Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Bunny XO. Is this thing on? What's up, you sexy motherfuckers welcome to another episode of dumb blonde today i have my friends here and i am so excited tanya and michael trotter aka the war and treaty yes oh i am so honored to have you guys on the couch oh you have no idea i've been waiting to get on this you you interview my favorite person of all time, and she didn't even know. And people who know me would probably not believe who I'm going to say. Who?

Renee. Graziano? Oh, she is the best human in the world. I was like. She would love you guys. I got to introduce you guys. She has a podcast. I'm in love.

I'm going to hook you guys up with her. I'm in love with her. I don't care. Wait a minute now. You said I'm in love three times. I know. I was just about'm in love I'm like I don't care Wait a minute now You said I'm in love three times I know I was just about to say I was just about to see

how we got our name I heard you have a thing for older women because Tanya's older than you correct? Yeah And your hall pass I heard was Martha Stewart

Oh I have many hall passes Yes you do I mean You don't want to go there You don't want to go there Let's open it up Let's open it up I have a short list

He has a long list That's right Yeah Alright Tanya Tanya who are your hall passes and then Let's open it up. I have a short list. He has a long list. That's right. Yeah. All right, Tanya, Tanya, who are your hall passes? And then we'll get into his. Well, I have one guy. He's the guy who was the lead in Tudors. I don't know who that is.

John Rimes. Tom Rimes? John Rimes. Give it a goog. I need a goog. I think his name is Reese. Is it John Reese? Wait, wait, wait.

Have you ever seen August Rush? That movie, August Rush? No. Okay. I'm trying to think of what else he would be in. And I like Johnny Depp. Oh, wait. You ever seen August Rush? That movie, August Rush? No. Okay. I'm trying to think of what else he would be in. Johnny Depp. Oh, of course.

That's my guy. Jade's at, I mean, 21 Jump Street, Johnny Depp. What? You can't even touch him. I know, right?

Johnny Depp's my all-pass too. No, no, no. I actually love Pirates of the Caribbean Johnny Depp too because he has makeup on. He's dark. He has to have

that dark energy. And then I like Idris. Idris is my guy. I don't know who Id like Idris Idris is my guy Idris Elba he's British kid I love it and does he have that dark mystique too he does do you think because you're such a light you almost give me like an empathic

I'm an empath because I'm drawn to dark men too my husband believe it or not when we first got together he's always been very light but he had so many demons that he was battling because I'm drawn to dark men too. My husband, believe it or not, when we first got together was very, he's always been very light, but he had so many demons that he was battling. And I was like, let me fix you. Michael is a dark, he's a Pisces.

Oh, he's very emotional. Everything is very emotional. He likes to keep everything dark. He doesn't like the lights on. I'm like, what is this? We need to have light. I like everything bright. I'm wearing light colors now.

Yeah, he is today. I actually like this. It compliments everything. They look good. I'm trying to do my thing. Yeah, yesterday. I actually like this. It compliments everything. They look good. I'm trying to do my thing. Yeah, you guys look so good together. I'm actually a Pisces Venus. So I love my love language is of a Pisces.

So I get it. We are very deep escapists. Come on. There's nothing wrong with that. Highly emotional. Yes. But we're very romantic. Yes.

Very romantic. We're like hopeless romantics too. Yes. And I'm a Libra. Oh, wrong with that. Highly emotional. Yes. But we're very romantic. Yes. Very romantic. We're like hopeless romantics, too. Yes. And I'm a Libra. Oh, I love that. So, you know, we're the sign of love. You know, everything. Love, love, love.

And balance. And balance, yeah. You keep him balanced. Gotta have it all. I love that. Oh, you keep me balanced. I do. You know I do.

This is going to be a long podcast. Say that I don't. Listen, I watched your TED Talk, okay? She keeps you balanced, sir. Okay. Don't try to backtrack now she has footage i did my research and i try and i listen i tried to dig for some dirt on y'all so i expect i want all the dirt yeah yeah i got dirt but let's get into your hall pass list so martha stewart so you have a thing for older women. Where do you think this comes from? I think my mom.

Okay. My mother. I mean, like the values and just what I was allowed to watch, like what I grew up watching on TV, you know? And so my first ever hall pass was Felicia Rashad. Oh, yeah. Claire Huxtable. Claire Huxtable. Yeah.

Oh, my God. I mean, like even right now i was like he's obsessed he rolls over in the bed he's like look at this it's like some 90 year old woman i'm like great she's fine pudding in hopes that one day she's gonna appear like a magically appear absolutely not and i'm like you know like player host was one it's gonna be some weird this is this this is gonna be a weird like i'm on the snitch on myself i love it annette benning oh annette benning is hot though that was wasn't she with um warren baity she was with warren baity for a long time yes yes she was uh her um uh renee renee graziano baby renee renee they're coming for you baby i'm gonna hook you guys up who did you just say you said you know what let

me see if i could facetime renee really okay let me face time I don't know if she'll answer because she's going to be like, what in the hell is Bunny FaceTiming me for? But you know something? I have no music industry, what do you call it, crushes. You didn't say Doris Day. Is she a lot? Doris Day is a lot, man. Doris Day is the number two.

Okay. Let's see. Let's see if Renee answers. Hopefully she will. If not, I'll text her and tell her to call. Just so you guys know that she's answers. Hopefully she will. If not, I'll text her and tell her to call. Just so you guys know. She's answering. Hello, beautiful.

I swear on everything holy, you just ran through my brain today. Aw. See? That's why we're connected. We are live on the podcast right now. My friends, the Warren Treaty are here. Hi. So it's Tanya and Michael Trotter.

He's in love with you. You're his hall pass. He is. You are his hall pass. So I was like, you know what? Renee has a podcast. We got to hook you guys up. Let's do it. Just promise me you won't take my husband when we come. This is me hugging you right now.

All this man is hugging you. Can you see them? She's there. Yay. My grandson's standing behind me going, who's this? I love it. I'm going to plug. Hi, baby.

Hi. Oh, what a cutie pie. All right. I'm going to plug you guys in. That just happened. That's why we're here. I'm going to plug you guys in. I'm going to give him your information so you guys can talk about a podcast.

You got it. All right. Bye, baby. I love you so much. I love you. Bye. I told you this day was for me. Yeah.

It is for you. This is why we're here. But it's, I called her, so I did this for you. What do I get in return? No, no, no. Is that a menage?

Yeah, a menage. Let's do it. Hey, the universe is working through you. I don't like older women, though. Thank you. We got to have a different kind of... Tonya said, I don't like older women, though. It's not for me.

This would be... I would just watch. Okay, so I'm going to give you the real. Okay, okay. When my mom came home in 95, was it 95? Okay, so 95, mom came home with this movie and she was like we're gonna have family movie night we had never had family movie night like ever i mean we don't do that that's not our family so my mom put this movie on my brother my sister and i were sitting down and it's sister

act two so i'm like okay you know i'm a big fan of sister act whoopi gober you know the whole nine i was like yeah that's that's the movie so too i had i hadn't known that there was a two and it was kids you know i saw lauren hill i saw ryan toby jennifer love hewitt yeah you know yo-yo is in there i mean like everything like all the kids and then this angel came across the screen and i lie to you not it was tanya and i told my mom and dad i was like oh that's my wife i was nine years old i love that i was like yeah so let me get this right because i i did i i knew this about you guys and i thought it was like the coolest story ever just like the what do they call it the um string theory yeah where it's like you you see somebody but you don't know them and then later on in life you guys end up together like

yeah um so you were in sister act too how did you okay so you grew up singing you started you grew up in take me on this journey really quick let's dive into this and then we'll connect it all together. Church, you know, grew up in a Baptist church in Washington, D.C. Grew up singing, always singing around in the town. Always wanted to do music. I can't, since I was eight years old, I can't remember outside of when I got in college ever not wanting to do music. It was either that or become an entertainment lawyer.

Yeah. Which your father was a police officer, correct? My father was either that or become an entertainment lawyer. Yeah. Which your father was a police officer, correct? My father was a police officer and he was in the Army. He went to the Army as well as Michael did. And I just wanted to do that.

My mother was a singer. She sang classical music in Panama. I'm half Latina. And so I grew up hearing all kinds of stuff. And so just moving around D.C. and then I met Michael.

I did Sister Act whoa no let me scale back let me scale back so I did a bunch of performing arts stuff I'm getting right to the good stuff and went and auditioned in L.A.

for Sister Act got the movie how old were you? I was 17 okay so you were in your teen years already I was 17 and he liked me at 8

so that wouldn't work out you know but I went and did that because you're 9 years old. I'm nine years old. Gotcha. And it was weird. Yeah, it was real weird. It's weird now, you know, you think about it. I'm almost five years older than Jay. So I guess. Yeah. But it's cool, you know? And so I did a record with Island Records when I was 17, right after we did the movie and did the whole R&B thing for a couple of years. And that was really fun and cool and was signed to, I don't know if I should say his name, but I was with Diddy for a couple of years. Really? Yeah. I was over there with him.

So were you signed? So let's rewind it back. So you grew up in Washington, DC with your family. So you kind of grew up in the suburbs. We're just painting a picture for everybody here, because I know that you had a completely different upbringing, right? So of grew up in the suburbs. We're just painting a picture for everybody here because I know that you had a completely different upbringing, right? So you grew up in the suburbs, you know, you were singing, you were doing acting, doing movies. What were you, what was it like with your family growing up? Like how were you guys a close-knit family? We were. My mom and dad divorced when I was like eight. So it wasn't like the perfect picture, painted picture, but I spent a lot of time in New Bern, North Carolina with my grandparents and my cousins and stuff like that. So the family was very tight. You know, my friends, I didn't have friends outside of my neighbor next door because all

my friends were my cousins. And that's how I thought it was summer camp, but it wasn't summer camp. It was hanging out with my cousins and, you know, my grandparents. So I had that lifestyle and went to public schools, went to Catholic schools and everything. And it was just, it was just great, you know, and my parents, and when they divorced, I was kind of like, you know, as a kid, you know, I really use music to be that thing that kind of carried me through that pain, you know, because every child, if they go through a divorce, you see a happy family and then it ends up being not a happy family. You go through that transition. So I had that transition happen for me. And, but again, music was always that thing that kept me and I would

always find a talent show or something to do, you know, that had me busy. But it was modeling, it was in pageants, whatever. I doing a thing yeah just to keep me busy from what was going on in my own house did you always have that voice because you have a very powerful thank you it's so good since I was eight yeah I think um how I figured out I could sing was crazy because my brother was the singer of the family he was the famous one you know in churches there's always the famous yeah there's there's the one everybody goes to. And so there was this one Sunday morning, I had to be about maybe seven and I went four years apart. And my brother was 13 or 14. And I remember him just lighting the church up. Like people were falling out. They were like rolling around on the ground,

you know, typical Baptist church thing. And I was like, man, whatever he's doing to make people feel like that, I want to do that. So I remember going home that week and I said to him, you know, how do you do what you do? You know, can you show me how to do it? And he was working some little job in the city and went out and got me Whitney Houston's record. And Jennifer Holliday, who was a singer in the 80s. And he was like, now, if you want to do this, he was like, I want to hear you sing something that sounds like her or something that sounds like this. If you can't sing any one of those songs, you need to forget about being a singer. I was like, really? It's just that kind of drive.

No pressure. No pressure, bro. So I went on the path, you know, of just studying with my little vinyl downstairs in the basement and singing at the top of my lungs, you know, to hit those notes. And my brother was the one that kind of like pushed me into wanting to do it. And I always knew once that voice came, I was like, this is it. And I found it just by looking at him saying, I want to do that. What's your favorite Whitney Houston song? Oh, my God. It's so many.

I know. I mean, how can you pick just one? What's your favorite Whitney Houston song to sing? That's a hard one. Let me see. I love Didn't We Almost Have It All. Oh my gosh. So good. I just got goosebumps. Yeah, I love that one. I love All The Men I Need.

Well, you know, Miss Tanya, I'm going to ask you to sing a little snippet so everybody can hear your voice. I'm not good with lyrics. So just do whatever you can because that voice people need to hear it. I mean, I know they got to hear it on, you know, on your records and stuff like that, but I need, we need to hear it in studio. Okay. Oh God. I've got to hear it at, at award shows and you guys hear it in studio. Okay. Oh, God. Let me see. I've got to hear it at award shows, and you guys are phenomenal. Okay. Okay. Just put me on the spot.

Okay. Let me see. That's what I do, baby. Let me see. I'm going to do, what's the one we just did? I Always Love You. I love that. Okay.

Okay. I'll do just a little piece of it. Which is a Dolly Parton original. It's a Dolly Parton original. We love Dolly. Yeah, we'll do that. Why don't you do the first of the uh what all the mad me because i don't know if i know all the lyrics all that stuff oh okay no because i don't know that part

i don't know what you do i'm so excited i don't know that part okay um if i should stay, I would only be in your way. So I'll go But I know I'll think of you Every step of the way The way the way and I will always love you

I will always love you. I will always love you. Look at my arms. Look at my arms look at my arms my nipples are hard alright my dog even woke up and was like

hello like it's crazy Tanya Michael do you make her sing you to sleep at night no I do you want to sing you to sleep at night? No, I do other things. Do you want to know the truth about this? Yes, I do.

Yes, I do. I have to do other things at night. Oh. Do tell. No music. She doesn't sing in the house. I don't. Really?

Nope. Why do you think that is? I don't know. I think because it's work. Okay. And because- I respect that. I'm like, you know the life. We're doing this 24's work. Okay. And because. I respect that. I'm like,

we, you know, you know, the life we're doing this 24 seven. Yeah. So when I come home and now he's taking this away from me, I'm like, I want to clean and I want to do all the household stuff.

And wait, now it's like, 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 have one too, and I understand where you're coming from. You know? Because sometimes it's like therapeutic for us to clean. So I'll clean before the maids come over.

That's what I did. Like last night, I cleaned the bathroom, and Jay walked in. He goes, did you clean the bathroom? I go, yeah. He goes, you did better than the maids did. I don't know if we're allowed to call them maids anymore. What do we call them?

Housekeepers? Yes. Housekeepers. Housekeepers. Yeah. So he's like, you clean better than the housekeepers did you know and I'm just like

that's what happened before we came here I like cleaned up and then some people are pulling up I'm like who are these people and our daughter's like I think that's it

I'm gonna clean up I'm like I just cleaned up it was hard for me to give in to that too in the very beginning too like I was just like I know I just feel like I feel like my womanly duties

are being taken from me but now i'm like oh lord when are they gonna be here tuesday because i'm you know your schedule gets so packed and you have so much to do and honestly you deserve that because you guys do work so hard and you're on the road so don't you know mistake someone helping you as like a weakness because it's not we need that it's so hard to accept help it is you know when you've come because when you've come, because we, you know, our story is so weird, you know, crazy. We've been homeless. We went through the whole.

Yeah, we're going to get into that. You know, all that. So it's just been like really crazy to just now receive. To just be able to sit back and kind of be in a safe space. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. So you said that you signed with Diddy.

How old were you when you signed with Diddy? And was it Bad Boy that you signed with? I was with Bad Boy. Wow. I was with them for six years, five years. Okay. Mm-hmm. Awesome Diddy. How old were you when you signed with Diddy? And was it Bad Boy that you signed with? I was with Bad Boy. I was with him for five years. Okay. Awesome. Yeah. How was that, working with him?

Was it? You know, I was just talking to my old manager. During the Biggie era. During the Biggie era. Oh, we were just talking about Biggie this morning. So, you know, Biggie and everybody that was there in the 90s, we all got to work together and party together and stuff like that. Oh, how fun.

How was it meeting Biggie? Great. I mean, he was funny. He was a genius. Going to the studio with no lyrics and stuff and just rip it. Wow. To be able to freestyle like that is a talent. To be able to freestyle is crazy.

And Puffy was interesting because being with him was like... To say the least. You know, he was, my manager said this, we didn't see this Puffy that people are talking about now. I never saw him drink. I never saw him smoke. Maybe he did. I don't know. But I never saw that guy.

And being around him was kind of like being at school because you were literally learning on the job training how to market. I mean, this guy, this is a guy that would have a party and literally be on the streets with his flyers and tickets, passing them out to people. And at the end of the night, the party would be packed. And I'm like, wow, he got all these people here because he was on the streets earlier for three or four hours. So I think everything has good and bad that comes with it. And to me, it was just a learning experience. And I really really appalled at the stuff that I'm hearing about now I feel like um you know I feel like maybe before all the fame and the ego and you know I think with

a certain level of just money shit kind of gets weird for some people and you know like I said this this is just you you know, me saying this, I don't know, did he personally, and I can't speak for him. Um, but I think, you know, maybe somewhere along the line, something switched, but thankfully you didn't have that experience with him. I never had that experience and I had protection too. I was young, but I had a manager that was like, Oh, you're not going to that party or no, you need to be, you need to be in the bed, you know, that kind of thing. So I think I was protected and a lot of those got you know just protected me from whatever was happening and the people that had to experience it I really feel feel bad for them yeah so you met Michael

when you were how old 30 we've been together 14 years so I was 36 okay so what we'll do is we'll go over to your upbringing and we'll kind of bring you guys in together so you grew up in the streets of cleveland yep take me on this journey because that's completely different than what yeah baby girl over here yeah i've been it's wow i don't really you know cleveland is not a thing i talk about often so and i don't really get asked thatveland is not a a thing i talk about often so and i don't really get asked that but this is interesting you know so growing up in cleveland i grew up in a strict christian household 70 in venice household and it was like very cultish to me you know like i was telling you friday night sundown all the way to saturday night sundown it's nothing but like god so you

can't do anything you know you can't watch tv uh i couldn't go outside and play with friends and kids and all that stuff it was just church church church and and um that's heavy it's just deep i mean like it it it really uh it it really altered my life for a minute there. Well, it makes you angry. I was very. On top of, it was a big contrast to what real life was. I mean, Friday to Saturday is like, hallelujah, Jesus, Jesus. And then for the rest of the week, you're just living like shit.

So it's like i don't get how this is panning things out and um you know um in the adventist faith when you come into the church you say happy sabbath you know so everything is like happy sabbath everybody's putting on his painted face and saying they're happy and you know the divorce rate is extremely high you know and the drugs the drug rate is like super high you know um and even in my household so my father was a alcoholic and a drug addict but he was a school teacher as well so I started rebelling heavy you know he and my mom were were cl. My mom was, you know, she puts Jesus on everything. And so she's not really being protected.

I'm her protection. And so, you know, I turned to the streets early, you know. Was it an abusive relationship also? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But only when he would get get high you know when the drugs happen he's a different dude yeah you know and um that's got to be such for a child that has to be such a mind fuck because it's like jesus jesus jesus and then there's abuse alcoholism and drug you know and it's just kind of when i i grew up in a very we talked about this briefly before i

grew up in a very strict Pentecostal home and my dad was a womanizer cheating and like, and I would just be like, I learned about hypocrite, you know, hypocriticalness, if that's even a word about being a hypocrite very early. And it made me so angry because I'm like,

everybody here is fake, you know? And it just makes you, I think, I feel like it contributes to rebellion as a child it does and it it teaches you also how to lie yes you know yes and and in my household i mean like uh my my i'm the oldest of all my siblings too there's just just three of us but i'm the oldest and my mother uh her background she couldn't tell the truth about what was going on to her parents and her sisters and her brother, you know.

So all her friends and I became my mom's confidant like very early. You know, like I'm talking about my mother would just talk to me about stuff at like four years old. That's a heavy load. And I can remember every conversation. Like we talk. I can remember every conversation i've ever had with my mom she's my my mom is you know your best friend my lady and um um but i also learned responsibility very quick um we we just had this family conversation about this i had my first real job when I was five years old. Yeah, I would go to the corner store in our neighborhood, Mr. Farrell's Corner Store, and I asked him for a job.

Because, you know, I thought, I didn't know about the drugs at that age. I thought we were just poor and broke and dad was just stressed out and needing help. You know, I would always hear him talk about he's not he didn't have enough money. And so the job I had, I would tie the boxes from the shipments that would come in. I would zip tie the boxes and then drag them across the street to the city dump. And I would do this. At five? Yeah, at five.

And I would get paid $8 a day when I would go and do it. So I would do that. And then I would buy a loaf of bread. I'd buy bologna, cheese, punch, and I would have like some money left over to buy like little Debbie snack cakes for me and my brother. It breaks my heart. My mom didn't realize that I was that young.

We were bragging about it. And she was like, yeah, because he had his first job. He was a young man. And I said to her, how old do you think I was? She was like, oh, he was young. He had to be about like 11 or 12. And I was like, well, mom, remember how you sent me to the corner store because you were pregnant with Deb, which is my sister,

and it just wasn't moving. So my mother had me buy all these Mars chocolate bars because when she would eat the chocolate, my sister would respond in her belly. She was like, yes, I remember that. I was like, now, Mom, Debbie and I are six years apart. And she was like. And it shocked her. All the trauma blocked her from reality.

It blocked her from what really took place you know and my dad um but you know i turned to streets and uh cleveland uh had a strong gang life you know it it it still does in some ways and uh the gang association is called folks in cleveland and uh i had a cousin who was very high up in the gang life in cleveland and so i got my little initiation and um i started selling you know i mean i had how old were you whenever you got initiated in? I was 11. Oh my goodness. Yeah. Yeah. I got stabbed when I was 12. And I think that was the turning point.

Like I was laying in the streets of Cleveland bleeding out and my cousin had been killed. So my mom then was like, we need to get out of Cleveland and get to D.C. And she was trying to, at that time, she wanted to escape my dad. This was like the straw that brought the camels back. Okay, my baby is like, he's going to die if he stays here. Were you in school during this? Or did you have it dropped out? You know, it was crazy.

I was in school, but not to be in school. You know what I'm saying? Just going through the motions. know it's crazy i was in school but not to be in school you know what i'm saying so i was doing going through the motions yeah in fact um when we finally went to dc which was 96 um i i stayed in dc to about 98 before my mother sent me back to cleveland to live with my dad because i was wild i mean like well i mean you, I mean, you, you talk, I know you're very open about the PTSD and stuff after you had gotten out of the Iraq and which we'll talk about that, but I feel like you went in having PTSD. I had, I had a lot of different things,

but I never knew how to identify them, you. You know, and yeah, PTSD is. I mean, being stabbed at 12. Yeah. That's trauma. Yeah. Like emotional, physical, spiritual. Yeah. You know.

You don't know what you're dealing with. Yeah. I mean, you're so young. You're not even supposed to be able to process that kind of violence at 12. Yeah. But I think I was able to identify that because I had seen it so early with my pop, you know. But it was weird because when I came back home to live with my dad is when I finally learned my dad. How old were you?

I was about maybe 12 or 13 when I went back to Cleveland. Gotcha. And my dad shared, you know, everybody's got a story. And my father finally opened up to me. He got some help a little bit at this time and told me that he had been on drugs since he was like 13. Like every drug you can imagine my dad had already done it like and uh he was hiding trying to get some pain out of him and my father he comes from a uh you know he's got a big family

that he comes from uh 13 siblings but not all 13 are from his father, you know. And the first set of kids, his brother, which was my uncle, Andrew, had actually raped my dad. And so that's what Andrew had mental issues, mental health problems. And so that's what sent my father down that path. And but I'm happy to report even today, you know, so mom and dad had got divorced and then rekindled and got back together. And just to look at my dad or to hear him talk or anything, you know, you would you would think I'm lying because he's so like, yeah, free, sober, clean, you know. Yeah. Praise Jesus so sweet. Yay, praise Jesus though, right? He's so sweet.

He's dope. You know, he's the dad today. He's the father I wish I had growing up, but I need him now. So that's what, you know. And to break that trauma and that generational trauma, it sounds like from his family like he he's doing it and you know like you're doing it too so you guys are like the the cycle breakers in your guys's families i remember telling my father you know i was like um when i found out that my dad had went bankrupt and then um we lost everything you know and so dad and mom you know section eight and all that kind of thing and

then finally rebuilding enough to like get apartments and stuff so my father around 2015 had rebuilt his life so much that he had just bought a house oh go dad and i remember finding out like i was like what are y'all doing and And he was like, oh, me and your mom, just moving our stuff in. I'm like, moving stuff into what? He was like, oh, yeah, I bought a house. I'm like, what the fuck do you mean you bought a house? But I remember telling my dad that night, I was like, dad, you just broke a curse in all of our lives. Now I can make something happen with myself because we were like homeless

from like 2010 to 2013 so let's circle back to so it all comes to fruition so you saw her in Sister Act you told your family this is the woman I'm going to marry

they didn't think anything of it you are going through your shit she's going through her shit everybody's growing up and stuff like that when tell me about how you guys met and where you guys met well it's crazy because um i had so i have to start here with my my first daughter you know i had a a baby um and i had dropped out of high school you know so high school was just done for me and i had no no um aspirations of going back or trying to do anything so i took my gd test and they made me take this test three different times because my score was way too high to be a high school dropout. I spent like three weeks in the ninth grade. I was like, I'm done.

So, um, I got my GED too. Yeah. Passed it the first time. Yep. I couldn't believe it. I was shocked. I was like, how did I do this?

It's crazy. They say it takes eight hours. It's like an eight hour test. I did it in like five. I mean, I was trying to get the hell up out of there. But, uh, I had an option to go to college or to go to the Army. And I had my baby, and I was like, I refuse to raise like a bastard kid.

Like, I'm not going to put her through that. I don't care. Which is amazing considering how you grew up. You had that dedication to be a father. But honestly, I think it's probably because your dad you know no matter what you guys went through still was you know your dad yeah i mean but you're right because i remember the the fondest memory i have of my dad other than what we're creating now is this we were starving i mean like we were looking at cupboards it was like a snowstorm in cleveland

we had absolutely nothing in the house and my father literally i we can hear his town car his lincoln town car pull up it's not tuned so you definitely hear everything and i hear the fumbling of the keys and you know i'm like I'm like running downstairs because, I mean, he's still my dad. I love dad. Yeah. And I remember the door opening and my father falling into the house. Groceries everywhere. And he lifts his head up.

It's so cinematic. He lifts his head up and he looks me in my eyes. And I'm looking in his eyes. It's so cinematic. He lifts his head up and he looks me in my eyes and I'm looking at him and I'm like, this is the first his head and he gets up and he crawls back out to go back on the bench. We don't see him for another week. And I told my mom, my mom was like, how do you feel about this? What do you, what is on your mind? And I was like, mom, I can't believe that he cared that much.

And I was like, Mom, I can't believe that he cared that much. That even in the middle of his binge, he remembers, like, I have to stop for the second. Like, that is a big deal for an addict, you know. Oh, absolutely. So for me, I hold that and i held that and and that reminded me that okay no matter what i cannot um not be with my my children my my daughter so this beautiful little girl mckayla um i joined the army now i'm from the hood i don't know shit about politics i don't know nothing about anything so i didn't realize i was joining during wartime yeah one of the craziest times to join the army the wildest

war we've ever seen prior to this was there any music in your life very very much so um church like tanya yeah okay um all my mom and my grandmother my uncles they all sing play instruments and all all the things but music stopped for me around the ninth grade you know I just was like you know what I gotta go to the army

and that shocked everybody you know I remember when I enlisted and I'm like riding away trying to be hard I'm like what the fuck did I just do everybody you know it's a little beat i remember when i enlisted to run the bus and i'm like riding away trying to be hard i'm like what the fuck did i just do oh my god i couldn't imagine i was listening because i've listened to a few of you guys's interviews and i just couldn't imagine signing up and just being taken all the way to a different country you know and like just having to be brave no you know like i just

couldn't do that and the things that okay so i'm in tanya's gonna be shocked what that i'm gonna talk about this part okay um i love that she's just got your back she's like okay here we go i mean she's she's this is really gonna shock her because it's uh so my um i got my baby in my mind you know and before i leave for iraq i mean i'm all over her that's my my my daughter and i got another one on the way okay so it's it's all clicking to me like okay this is this is going to be the rest of my life but i'm i'm a part of one six infantry second brigade first armor division we're in iraq thank you for your service by the way thank you um and my first encounter was with an eight-year-old Iraqi boy. And that is where the PTSD came from.

It's right there. Because he's eight on paper, but he's our age in reality. And he's our age in reality. And he's shooting. And I've got a decision to make. And either accept that or, you know, take that life. And the latter is the decision that I had to make because at this point it's between him and Mikayla. And when those kinds of things happen, they just happen.

In the war, it's a part of war. You just keep rolling. And I wasn't built like that. You know, I mean, the most things i ever did in the streets was fight and i got yeah i got stabbed and and i i i made it you know but when you have to take a life it's it's it changes you so it changed me and then the rest of the fighting changed me. And then realizing that our freedoms do come at a high price. And then when you have a connection with God, you're like, God, like, keep it 100 with me. How do you really feel about this? Because that's my brother over there. I know that we don't really act like it right now. And we've got a history of fighting with each other on earth. But the truth is we're all brothers and sisters.

And so how do I justify my actions when his father and mother are doing the same thing I'm doing? I couldn't imagine. Yeah. So I had a lot to carry into 2010, August 28th, when I met Tanya. And we met at a love festival in Laurel, Maryland. I want to rewind really quick. Okay, go ahead.

Because there is a really, honestly, it was a beautiful story that kind of made me gasp out loud whenever you talked about writing your first song on Saddam Hussein's piano. Yes, yeah. Like, can we talk about that? Yeah, totally. Because that's honestly, as much of a monster as he is,

it's a beautiful story. Yeah, we're definitely, so we think very, much of a monster as he is it's so it's a beautiful story yeah you you you you you yeah we're definitely so we think very because um every soldier has a profile and the profile is like the height weight and all things but it's also likes and quirks and and so for me music has always been the thing and so uh when i got to Iraq, I was not a squared away soldier. I was like, I joke about it with my union with everybody, but I was like the fat black gomer pal. Like, this is just what it was.

I mean, everybody was like, Trotter's going to get us killed. Like, I was not squared away at all. Like, and I did not mind letting everyone know that I was terrified to be in the war. I mean, when we flew in, we were doggy barreling. And I, you know, I am not ashamed to say I pissed my trousers, literally. Poor baby. I would, too, man. I mean, it ain't no joke.

I'm going in saying, who needs home cooking? I'm cooking for everybody. Let me cook. Don't put me on the front lines. I was like, why didn't I be a cook? this shit is and um they saw that and so one of the commanders was like you know what we need to find a way to connect with Trotter beyond yelling and all the things that come with the military and he looked at my file and realized oh he likes music and we have Saddam's palace and saddam a lot of

people don't know it but saddam had pianos everywhere because i never knew i found that fascinating when i heard you say that and so they took me down in the basement of the the forward operating base which we call fob yeah they took us down and took me down the basement and showed me this piano and i was like well i don't play and he was like well you've got nothing but time you know when you want to find your way back home come down here and find your way back home you know be at peace this is your space no one else comes down here we use it as a chapel and they only come down here on sundays so i went down there and that's how I really just started teaching

myself to play I started with lean on me and um it it really helped you know and and but it wasn't until that guy was killed to where I really emotionally connected with the piano and really thought like okay you know what I'm to write my first song about this situation. And I did. And I asked my unit if I could sing it. But it was some weird stuff happening even with that because the guy I had to go through to get this permission was a guy named Michael Iyer. He was our sergeant major. And he was about this tall stocky like popeye and a straight up like motherfucker just a gangster yeah oh my god

you know like i'd be like he was so gang like like he would be he would be appalled to hear me say this right now and i'm gonna say it oh yeah we were like this but um michael ire was a short ball head white male who had no problem with calling you the n-word if you got in his nerves oh he would go there with you But it wasn't like I didn't feel racist. It was like he grew up in this part of New York. You know what I mean? So it was like one of those things where I was like, oh, shit. You mean to tell me I got to go through that guy? Yeah, to get approval for this song.

And I have to go to him. And you know what he does? He's like, Trotter, wait a minute. Can you sing? And I was like, yeah. And I asked him, I was like, but what I want to do also is I want to pray with you and it. Because we were hurt. And I only knew, the only thing i knew to do in that moment is pray

that's how i was raised and he was an atheist so again i'm being set up the lord was testing you left and right how about this at this point we had chaplain. Our chaplain was more afraid than I. And he put in an early request to leave. He's like, I'm done. I'm out of here. The Iraq was, at that point, we were like in a real thick mess. Yeah. I couldn't imagine living in that fear every day.

That's just fight or flight all day long. Just hearing the bombs go off around you seeing people you know dying falling like flies around you i could not imagine because you guys need god in the yeah and we we we fantasize through movies but it's nothing like what we what we the cinema that we see i couldn't yeah i couldn't imagine but he says to our commander sir trotter wants to pray with the fleet i'm new to like no one don't really know i mean i'm in a unit now about three months they're like the guy that peed his pants but i he says sure go ahead and i stand up on this picnic table in iraq and this is just this is

a wild wrap-up to to no you're good i love it i can listen to you guys talk all day i'm on this picnic table and uh i take my helmet off and it's 986 soldiers in our battalion and all 986 follow me. This is actually incorrect. We're at war. You don't take off your helmet. But again, how I'm raised, when you pray, you take your hat off, you know, do other things. And then I get down on one knee and all 986 gets down on one knee oh i got goosebumps and then i lay my weapon down on the table

they lay their weapons down in the sand no which again is an incorrect thing because you're going to misfire because your weapon is dirty blah blah but everybody's following the guy that wants to pray and I remember my prayer because at this point this is the only way I knew how to pray but I was like uh okay God uh okay god uh it's your boy i'm here we all here uh we don't know what we're doing but we do know we need you to protect us and give us a clear path of what we're supposed to do are we supposed to fight are we supposed to talk whatever it is but i know we want to fight? Are we supposed to talk? Whatever it is. But I know we want to make you happy. I was like, that's it. That's all I got. Amen.

That's it. That's it. And we didn't, from that point on, we didn't lose another soldier. Oh. From that moment on. Yeah. Oh, my God. That was amazing.

Isn't it crazy how we could be so mad at the religion that we were kind of forced to follow yeah but man when we have that first you know that fear that encounter that we just don't know what to do with we drop to our knees and pray yeah no it's crazy so while he's in the army doing all this stuff, what are you doing during this time? I am having relationship woes. When I say going through shit, I'm like, you know, I was married. I was in an abusive relationship. I was living on a farm, caring for animals and all that kind of stuff. And just really trying to find myself.

You know, I started music so young and that's all I ever wanted to do that I never really knew how to be a person right you know I didn't know what it felt like to just be you know music was it and I think that's probably why I don't sing around the house because that was I think you know you grow up and you're like I gotta make it I gotta make it I gotta make it so you're always rehearsing you're always practicing my mom was like a drill sergeant I mean you clean the windows with vinegar and water. You know, there was everything. Do the white glove.

Yeah, with the white glove. Everything was white around the house. So, you know, I couldn't go outside and play like regular kids could because she was just that strict. And so I was just in relationship drama, you know. So when did you get out of your record deal and why? What made that decision? God?

Actually, I felt like... I'm so sorry, guys. Let me back up. I felt when I went to get my record deal, I actually went and sat down with the pastor and asked him if it was okay for me to sing secular music. So that already tells you how strict that was. So when I was in it and I was recording, because this was my second record deal, I was signed to Island First. I put out a record in London that then worked itself to

the United States and then signed with Puffy. And by that time I was kind of over it. To be very honest, I signed the deal. Once I got in it, I was like, Biggie died three weeks after I got the record deal. And we were just recording like a hundred songs. And I'm like, I was like Biggie died three weeks after I got the record deal and we were just recording like a hundred songs and I'm like I'm so over this like I don't feel the passion anymore they were trying to do the whole label thing what kind of artist are you going to be I didn't necessarily want to do R&B all the time I wanted to take and I was listening to all kinds of music I was listening to country and rock and all kinds of music so and when you're signed to a label they kind of try to put you in a box yeah you're in a box half the time it's not the box you want to be

in it's not the box what they want you to be yes and and you become this doll baby that they put on the chair and they're like okay you're gonna look like this you're gonna sound like this and i was like nope before i do that i'll i'm out you know so they spent a ton of money on the record and i got out of the deal and then I just went into a really dark depression I mean it was really dark I mean suicide attempts you know depression and once that happened why do you think that was

why do you think you went I love how she skips over her trauma so fast she's like yeah so this happened and I was like yes she did I'm the same way too though I'll be like I sawed my vagina lip off, but can we order pizza? And people will be like, wait. What a baby.

Just talk about your vagina. Yeah. Let's talk about that. I think it was, I think it's not being in tune. Right. You know, when you're not in tune with who you are and what you were created to be, and then you put God on top of all that you become a robot you don't become a person you live in fear yeah and you don't become a person you are open to

everything because you don't know who you are you know what you do but you don't know who you are and also being under your mom's thumb like that yeah is you know you were never able to think for yourself yeah you know so that kind of, you probably felt squashed a lot because you didn't have a voice. Yeah, you have to have a voice. And I think that was a part of the relationships I was going through. Well, I was in a relationship when I tried to commit suicide

because I felt squashed. I was like, I just want out. Not just out from this, but out from me. Out from all this pain that I feel that you just want out you know not just out from this but out from me out from all this pain that I feel that you don't think you would feel if you didn't grow up with trauma right you know so I'm creating trauma you do have some some trauma oh yeah you're creating trauma as you go into these crazy relationships or if you don't process what your parents were through with a divorce this is still traumatic to you it may not be you getting stabbed but right your family being uprooted and you your your family going through a

divorce is a huge trauma to a child well even having a mom that's overbearing yeah it's traumatic my stepmother was the same way very very traumatic i mean i had no privacy they would take doors off the hinges like yeah that stuff really affects you as you get older. And you don't realize it until you're in your darkest hour. And you're like, why am I feeling like this? But it's because we've just shoved it down so deep. Yeah. And that was it for me. I was like, this is it.

And I don't want to, I don't want to feel like this. I don't want to be in this. I just rather in this after all this good outside stuff is happening. And then, you you know after that last bad relationship before I met Michael I went to work I literally was like I'm getting a therapist I was a praise and worship leader and on Monday morning I go to a therapist and I realized I was like I don't need God in that way anymore so I stopped being a worship leader and I went strictly into like meditation, realizing that I was an empath kid, realizing that I was a healer, you know, in different ways than

what the church kind of taught me I was and all the stuff that made me feel spooky and weird. Cause there was nobody around me like that. I literally just tapped into it. Oh, I love that. I feel like, um, religion is religious and spirituality is spiritual completely. And you don't have to be religious to be spiritual. I, I preach that on this podcast all the time. Exactly. Yeah. Because I feel like religion is so fear-based whereas spirituality is so much more fluid and loving. And I really feel like that's what Jesus and just higher beings are all about is leading with love not fear not anger not ruling with an iron fist Jesus was a freaking Capricorn okay

we know he smoked we know he did something he was on that drink wine for sure yeah he saw a burning bush and no one was around that's just you're walking on water buddy you're walking on water I mean he was I think he was a cool dude. You know, I don't think he was this rigid human that they are, you know, they tried this rigid being that they try to make him out to be. Yeah. When you tried to commit suicide, thankfully that didn't work. Yeah. Did you realize, did you get out of that relationship then that you were in and then you got into another one that was.

Another bad one. Oh no. that relationship then that you were in and then you got into another one that was another bad one oh no because it was can you take me on that journey too because I feel like women need to hear your story about being a domestic violence survivor yeah and it came in different forms you know um the first one was physical so I did my first tour on crutches yeah I didn't how could you leave that out that is crazy yeah I did my first tour on crutches and left immediately after that happened. And I hid that from my family as long as I could. I wasn't in it a long time, but the trauma was enough for it to dramatically. Oh, for sure. He broke your foot?

Well, I was running, almost about to get thrown off a 10-floor apartment building. I tried to run from him, and I ran, ran, ran, and hit my foot on a stair master. You remember the old stair masters? Oh, my gosh, yes. And my foot got caught in it, and it just. So I hopped down the hallway to the elevator. It was like a movie, you know, like dragging my leg, trying to get away.

And so that happened. That was the first bad one. You were the one with the car first? Oh, get away. And so that happened. That was the first bad one. And I was- You were talking about the cars? Oh, the cars. He stole, he took my car. I was trying to get away. I'm in the car driving and runs it into a wall.

You know, I was able to call my sister and say, come get me. You know, this fool is crazy. She comes to get me. He runs up because we called the police by that time. And then, but they can't find him. Goes to my mom's house down the street. And once they're gone, he shows up because we call the police by that time and then but they can't find him goes to my mom's house down the street and once they're gone he shows up there you know so it was just very dark and not the kind of dark we like not the not the johnny not that kind of dark but but i learned you know every situation you learn what you saw in them and you're like okay well the next one i'm

not gonna i see that sign but then you go to the next one and you're like, okay, well the next one, I'm not going to, I see that sign. But then you go to the next one and you don't see the rest of the signs. So the other one was more like a friend, you know, almost like you're running from a bad situation. It was a friend. And then I had a son and so I had, and he wasn't abusive at all. He was my friend and we're still friends to this day. And I have my son, Tony Antonio, who was the light of my life.

And he's a beautiful son. I love the blended family. He's so great. Both of them are beautiful. But still didn't get the work done. Yeah, he's great. I love that. Still didn't do the work.

Had a baby and still didn't do the psychological work that needed to be done. So, of course, you end up in another bad relationship, you know, and that was bad. Didn't work out. And right before I met Michael, I was in another one that was bad. And right after that one, I was like, that's it. Yeah. And here we go. Therapy. And now I'm like, that's it. Yeah. And here we go. Therapy.

And now I'm pulling it back into the worship part. And I went, got off the farm, left him, left everything, and I was homeless. I left everything and stayed with my mom. And across the street from her house was this therapist. I didn't have a car, so I would walk across the street, go to my therapy sessions three or four times a week. Hey, but you were doing it. You know, I was doing it, living off my little residual checks, you know, from movies and doing the movie and music. And I met Michael. Sorry, he's over here snoring. I love it. I love it. So you and Michael have an interesting story of when

you guys met each other, you were with somebody else. Yes. And you guys were at a love it. So you and Michael have an interesting story of when you guys met each other. You were with somebody else. Yes. And you guys were at a love fest. Yes. Not a swingers fest, right? No. Okay. No.

All right. Just wanted to clarify. It was a festival. Because now that I know you guys, you guys might be a little freaky. You know, we are. Martha Stewart and shit. I mean, come on. Yeah, we have different names.

Martha Stewart and shit. I mean, come on. Yeah, we have different names. But we met. It was a love festival I was doing out in Laurel, Maryland. And giving school supplies back to kids and stuff like that. And the lady I was working with, she hired Michael to come. And I met him after I saw him perform.

He was killing it. He was with this guitar player who had to be in his 70s. It was 900 degrees outside and he had on a sweater and I was doing hip hop. He was doing hip hop. With an 80 year old guitar player? It was weird. It was a weird little, it was like a B.O.B. kind of thing.

I love that. It was so dope and I it was like a B.O.B. kind of thing. Oh, I love that. It was so dope. And I'm listening because at this time I'm broken. I'm, you know, going through therapy. I'm still trying to find my way. And I see this guy out here and out there that's like maybe 40 people on this big field. Imagine a big festival and we hit 40 people out there and he's performing like just getting it it's thousands of people and I remember I'm like dang I used to have that

passion to do it like that and I'm looking at him like this is so cool and so when he got off the stage I rushed across in the heels to meet him And he shows up with his girlfriend. So, you know, I buy like nine CDs from him because he had these little, they were like homemade CDs. They had burners. You're out here hustling. He had his burner CDs. I bought them.

And I'm like, did you write all these songs? He's like, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm like, gosh, you're amazing. So I'm like did you write all these songs he's like yeah yeah yeah oh my gosh you're amazing so i'm like you know can i get his number and i think i gave my number to your girlfriend did i give it to you okay now i'm thinking about it you may have thrown away because you're together but anyway um so i gave him my phone wait wait wait wait i have to clear this up what she was actually not my girlfriend. Yes, she was. I will be honest. When is she not my girlfriend? She wasn't my girlfriend.

I've heard you say in other interviews she was your girlfriend. Thank you. Well, she wasn't my girlfriend. Like, we... Did you kiss her? A lot. Did you guys bone? Did you?

Yes. Okay. So she was my jump off. We ain't always like jump offs. I mean, this is what it is. You know what? I'm keeping it above. You know, like... I hope she's not watching this. We ain't always like jump off. I mean, this is what it is. I'm keeping it up up. I hope she's not watching this.

Oh, she will be. But this is the truth. You're going to call her jump off? No, no, no, no. She sounds like a sweet jump off, though. She's a sweet girl. Because what she ends up saying to you. Yes, that's why I wanted to clear it up.

Because I thought that was pretty crazy that a girlfriend would say that. So I kind of understand where you're coming from, too. Yeah. Yeah. Like, she recognized the fact that. And I was adamant about us not being boyfriend and girlfriend because of Mikayla and Kourtney. I had been through too many of the rebound moments.

Because I was married to their mom. Okay. We were married. Like, we were. We got together when we were young. Yeah. You know, and had our kids. But we were married like we were um we got together when we were young you know and had our kids but we were married and we divorced and i went on like a every girlfriend was like a

fiancee you know like i never i i was just like trying to rebound heavily well you're a pisces yeah everything you guys you consume yeah and i had of, like, let me tell you this, because I don't talk about this either. When I went into the army, I weighed 191 pounds. Wow. When I came out, I was literally 4'10". Oh, emotional. I had a lot going on. Like, I had a lot of insecurities, low self-esteem.

I had a lot of insecurities, low self-esteem. I mean, I didn't recognize me physically, mentally, in any way, shape, or form. But for some reason, when I met Tanya, that day when we met, I was just smitten, and I didn't care who knew it. And the young lady I was with saw that. and I didn't care who knew it. And the young lady I was with saw that. But I didn't see it. I didn't see that he was smitten right away. No, I didn't. The same thing happened with Jay and I. Not to interject our story, but he was interested in me,

but every time he would come around or try to hang out with me, he would bring other bitches. One time I left him on the roof because I was like, if this isn't about me, I'm not hanging out with you. I am the main attraction here, okay? And I think he caught on to that after a while, you know? Girl number six. Exactly.

You know, I understand how you feel. You're like, wait, what? Yeah. But we connected on friendship immediately but you threw her number out yeah yes see she likes to belly through the yeah i'm like look i need i need a small detail she gives me her i mean i i again when i was nine years old i said that was my wife't my wife. That's Tanya Blunt to me. And if we,

when I get to the festival, Diane Gray was like, do you want to meet Tanya? And I was like, oh shit. Yes. I want to meet her. And I did.

Did you recognize then that that was her? You knew her name and everything. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Like when we, I got booked for the thing. I was like, and so yes you're not my

girlfriend but we meet and uh tanya just was like hi i'm tanya blunt she's all light and i'm like i was in therapy i'm like i thought she was high i didn't know what the hell was going on i was like oh this is gonna be this is gonna be it like okay and um i'm telling i'm telling i'm saying that to people from now on i was in therapy so you know when she came over after i performed and was telling me like she wanted me to be there i'm like listen you're saying blood already knew she was signed a bad boy i'm like, you could work with anybody who's actually in the industry. I'm not in the industry. I am trying to survive.

You were self-sabotaging. I was like, listen, this is bullshit. This ain't even a real number. She's just being nice. I tossed the shit in the trash and kept it moving and thought nothing else of it. But the ex, I don't want to call her a jump off. The ex. No, she's not a jump off.

Let me do that. She actually told me that call her a jump off. The ex. No, she's not a jump off. Let me do that. She actually told me that that's what we were. The friend, yes. The friend said to you, like, hey, you guys have chemistry. Well, she was like, you like her, don't you? We were in the car, and I was like, no. And I was like. Whenever a man answers like that, it's automatically yes.

Look at her legs. I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. You noticed her legs. Okay. And she was like, you know what's so crazy about this? She was like, I can see this. Like y'all would be so amazing together. And she was like, and I'm in the way of that.

And I was like. That's a woman right there though. That's a cool woman. She's married now with a kid. I'm like she they doing their thing you know and she was right and and and i was like uh i looked at her and i was like for real she was like yeah i was like okay you know i dropped her off and i was like really yeah peace i'm like this is it but you threw her number out i But you threw her number out. I did.

Yeah. You know, I didn't think nothing of it. I just was like, you know, chilling. And the next day was a Sunday. So I was going to church and everything to try to make a little. I was getting paid like $125 to go play at a church. I was out of the military by then and struggling and everything. And my little track phone started ringing.

And my homie, you know, my boy Chris was with me. And I was like, I don't know this number. So you called the next day? Oh, yeah. I found his number. I tracked it down. So, yeah, tell that part of the story because I think it's hilarious. My dad's a detective.

You're not going to not call me. I'm not going to find your number, dude. I was a little scared. That's hot, though. Yeah, I got it. That's hot. A woman who knows what she wants. I mean, I was in, again, I was in there.

I figured it out now. I'm like, okay, I want what I want. So I call him and I'm like, okay, we're going to. He was cute. He was really cute. I thought he was cute. No, I call him and I'm like, okay, we're going to... He was cute. He was really cute. I thought he was cute. No, she calls me and I'm like, hello? She's like, hi, can I speak to Michael?

I was like, oh, this is he. And she's like, hi, Michael, this is Tanya. I was like, Tanya, Tanya who? And she's like, Tanya Blunt? And I was like, hold on one second. And I'm like, stop the car pull over tiny blunt is on the phone he was like i mean it's a long time too i'm like on hold i'm like what is happening i'm trying to get together i'm trying to get everybody in the car to shut

up he's trying not to pee his pants but I put the deep voice on me hello what's going on? Yeah, what's going on? What you need. What you need. She's like, excuse me, sir. Oh, the rest was history for me. Yeah, the rest was history. So take me on the first date. I've never heard you guys talk about your first date. Oh, my God. Wait a minute. I need to hear about this.

Okay. Yeah. Her birthday is September 30th. Yeah. That's my birthday. DC is throwing her like this. I love big parties. Oh, my god so i when i do have a party it's like a thousand people i don't know there yeah i tell everybody bring a hundred people

that you know to the party so it's like my kind of girl it's like so many people at this party but we're talking up until this point so i'm like you guys haven't seen each other no we we we we like on the phone yeah doing the thing long i'm like romancing the phone yeah romancing so i'm like i think i think she's starting to dig on me like okay i think i think so i tell her straight up hey uh before her party i'm like don't fall for me i'm not a catch because i know i know her story i we we know each other story i'm like i i have nothing going on in my life like i don't have a car i'm sleeping from couch to couch and i got two little girls that i haven't told her about just yet like so i'm like don't fall

for me i'm not and i'm i'm i feel you're starting to dig on me and i just tell her my story I'm like, don't fall for me. I'm not. And I feel you're starting to dig on me. And I just tell her my story. I'm like, listen, I'm nothing. I got nothing. And I was like, I know I'm supposed to be something in life. And I don't know how to get there. But I know how to love. And that's not enough.

So don't fall for me. But that was what I was looking for. That is enough. That was more than enough. Because I's not enough. So don't fall for me. But that was what I was looking for. That is enough. That was more than enough because I had the things. You know, I had the liars and the things and all that stuff that comes with it. And I was like, I never had anyone be honest with me. And so

his honesty, I was like, I could that's what made me fall in love with him because I could tell he was honest by the time I really knew who I was and all that stuff. I was like, I felt him. You you know what I mean I was connected with but I hadn't been honest yeah to anyone yeah so again when I when I said earlier about the being trained to lie I was trained to lie about what I like how I feel you know my first marriage, you know, we were friends first and we should have never crossed that line. But I was trained to lie.

So she was the first person I wanted. I was desperate to tell the truth to. I was like, here we go. I'm not the dude i'm not what whatever it is you're building in your head i'm gonna save you the drama no it's not me and and tanya then says okay um i heard what you said now let me tell you what i see she's like i a king. You just need the right kind of queen in your life. That's right, baby. And I'm looking at her and she's looking at me and I'm like.

He starts crying. I'm about to pee out the eyes. He starts crying. Here comes the earwax. Right on that ball. Piss, piss, piss. I was like, I'm done. And so she then tells me.

Here's where it gets. The first thing. She says, I'm having a birthday party. I want you there. The lip, what she says, the limo picks me up at. So now I'm like, oh, here come that Hollywood shit. I mean, I'm keeping in the bug with you I'm like Nah We've never had this Pop up shit in the limo

And I'm I'm really like Low key Like I don't do shit Like time would say I am like He does

A western Westerns He does movies and me Aww That's it Well no food He can cook his tail off I'll tell you about that

Later buddy Oh I ain't gonna tell you About my plot To get Jelly And me and him do a duo. He'd be Jelly Roll and I'd be Belly Roll. And that's it, baby. The hottest duo ever.

My husband loves you. He would probably do whatever you want. And then we'd have to do a duo. I've already started because every performance we've done so far outside, I sing and play with a hot dog in my hand. Yeah, he's like this. I digress. Talk to you later.

Yeah. But I just was like, okay, you know what? She doing that Hollywood shit. I knew it. And I was like, nah, I'm not going to come. So she has her assistant call me and was um you you need to be at the house you could ride in them i was like i'm not hollywood i don't do the flash nah so then she hits her back and was like well tell him he can use my car and he can drive himself there yeah now i'm insulted

because i'm like i know you don't have a car to get there i'm like wait a minute there's no making you happy michael no because i'm like this i'm never like i'm one of those italian knows i'm one of those guys i'm not a scrub so i'm like i'm not about to fucking show up and drive your fucking car like hell no but i won't get in the limo so i'm just gonna walk in yeah well then the next call i get is her so she's like hey i was like hey you know so i'm like trying to play and i'm like she's like um the limo leaves at seven you need to be here at 6 30 okay bye-bye oh i love that mama was like look chop chop yeah and we ain't dating or nothing so i show up because i'm like okay now you didn't you didn't like send me so i'm gonna show up now

and um me and my homeboy chris chris new day so we we pop up he drives me there i'm like i need i need your wheels so we show up and um we do the dc party and everything and then she says i'm having an after party at the place i'm staying at karaoke and so you gotta have a party after a party we love karaoke so we get back to the house and she's like you want to go with me i need to go get ice for the party so this was perfect for me because i'm i got her a gift so i know that her favorite artist is reetha franklin yes and so i found like this in CVS. I found like the greatest, his Reader for five bucks. It had all the right songs on it.

So I was like, good. And then I also wrote her a song. You did. Recorded it at my boy Chris New Day's. And I got it for her. And I was like, I'm going to give you my gift now. So we're in the car and I gave her the Aretha Franklin thing and she's like wigging out. And then I put in the CD and I play her the song and she's listening to it.

And I'm used to like, you know, women love male singers. So I'm like, oh, I'm about to wrap it up. She's like, oh, that's so sweet. Come on, let's go get the ice. I was like, what the fuck? Like, did you just shit on my gift like in my head i'm like oh my god i'm nothing i told you tanya's a gangster one thing i've learned about tanya she's a g straight up g as if that wasn't bad i i get ready to leave this party and i tell my my my guy i was like yo i think i'm gonna let her know how i feel so we're driving and he's like bro that's tanya blunt bro you've

got nothing he everything he's like don't do it yeah he's like bro don't do it bro like we in fact the reason why we were kicking is because she wanted me to write music for her and her brother and be the producer. And it was going to pay me and all this stuff. So my friend who was my partner at the time, like we do music together. Yeah. He's like, bro, this is just a payday. Like chill, man. Like, like, so I'm like, no, I'm going to tell her, bro. So we're texting me and her. And she says, Michael, you left your sweater. What else will you leave? Because I'm always leaving things at her house.

So she's like laughing. And so I was like, I'm not doing it, bro. He's like, don't do it. I was like, it's about to go down. So I take that. What else am I going to leave? My heart. And you know what she said back?

And I was. Nope. Nope. No. Do you know what she said back? Not a damn. I didn't know. It was because I was drunk.

I've been drinking all night. And my phone died. So when I got up. Oh, shit. When I tell you. Not the phone dying at the wrong time. It was 12 a.m my butthole is puckered for you when i tell you all night i was texting her brother i'm so sorry i was i read the room wrong i'm like i'm like i'm sorry miss blunt i didn't call her miss blunt i was like ma'am

i'm sorry i was like, I read the room wrong. I was like. And your friends over there are like, told you. Told you, man. He's like, you fucking idiot. He's like, you just lost our job, bro. And I'm like, he was like, yo, you can't sleep on my couch tonight, bro. Bro, you gotta.

I was like, dude, all night I did not sleep. I'm texting her. Yeah, he did. All night. Do you know when I finally heard from Tanya? It was 12 p.m. the next day. That's when I got up. You poor baby.

What did you think of the song that he wrote you? I love the song. It was called The Beauty in You. It was so sweet. It was really, really sweet. And you just probably weren't used to receiving love in that way. So you didn't know how to react. Yeah, I didn't know how to receive it. You know, I just, it was beautiful. And it was really and you just probably weren't used to receiving love in that way so you didn't know how to react yeah I didn't know how to receive it

you know I just it was beautiful and it was thoughtful and we haven't even think about getting like the Aretha Franklin CD and writing his own song

I was like this is so crazy but October 1st 2010 that next day was the first day that was our first date so it was like

a 48 hour and she calls me from a whole nother phone so I don't know it's her and i was like this phone keeps calling me and so i answered and she's laughing she was like oh hi and i'm like hello she's like that was my next question how did you feel when you read that text i was laughing i was like oh my god it's like 20 messages that's what i said when i answered the phone like oh my god you like called me 20 times what's wrong way to humble the man okay i knew from that point on she keeps you humble oh my word we go to our first date at this thai restaurant in tyson yeah i asked him to go to do a restaurant were you ready were you ready for with him? Or were you more kind of just scared?

Oh, yeah. Go ahead and tell this part, darling. I wasn't ready for love. What were you ready for? I was ready to have sex. Yeah. I mean, I had done the whole, you know, I'm going to wait.

I'm in church. I'm a church girl. I'm like, I'm ready. Let's go. She's like, dig me down, baby. Let's get it. I love it.

And not him. Not this guy right here. Lover boy. He's a lover boy. Oh, he was not a lover boy then he was like i'm waiting oh i'm gonna this is my mama told me this is so bad i'm like this is amazing he's like i'm waiting i don't want to have sex because it's gonna mess things up i'm like that was like my husband my husband tried not to have sex with me no the first time it's because you guys it's because you guys, it's because you guys saw something more in us.

That's true. Like I was ready to just hump and send him on his way. Yeah. Yeah. And literally, my husband made me sit down,

not sit down, lay down in bed with him the night that we decided to have sex and make a five-year plan with him. A five-year plan. Nothing puts you in the mood.

This guy. This guy. This guy. Don't tell her please do you have the pleasure i'm saying this around i am worse i did not know he did that no he did my god yeah he did yeah i told her i said my mother said yep he did his mother i said my mother said Yep He did His mother I said my mother said Sex complicates things And He sits me down before I'm like trying to

You know Get it out I said my last situation You know like someone's Trying to do it with him And he's like stop stop I said no That's what my husband did

I'm like no I'm like dude No I smacked her hand I was like uh uh I was like no I said and No Let's go back

Let's go back So let's go back. But here's the worst part. Let's go back. See? I feel it, damn it. So let's go back. So after this movie happens, I come back. Well, you didn't tell her. I didn't tell her?

We went to the movies. We went to the movies. We ate first and then went to the movies. October 1st, 2010. Yeah. We got typhoon and then went to the movies and we left the movie early because it was terrible. The movie was horrible.

We don't even know what movie it was. I don't even remember. Probably Nacho Libre. I walked out of it. It was horrible. So I get to the house I go upstairs and put on my nice little lingerie

no I tell you I said I have a movie yeah that I at home at where I'm staying I said you want to watch

a real movie I want to get this movie because at the house she was staying at there was a movie theater in the basement so I was like we're going to go

get some popcorn get some grape juice and we're going to watch this movie that i have i'm not gonna tell you what it is it's a real movie let's go and i'm like this is perfect so i go upstairs i get smell goods on and i get ready i love that you did the lingerie too because i did too oh yeah i was ready i was so ready and i come downstairs i'm like you know he likes doris day so i'm you know i'm giving giving it and i'm in my lingerie and he likes Doris Day, so I'm giving it. And I'm in my lingerie and he stands up in front of the TV like this, there's a television in it, and he stands up in front of it.

He was like, you are going to love this movie. And I'm giving him the eye and I'm like getting moist and ready to tear him up. And the TV comes on and he starts, dum-da-dum, dum-da-dum, dum-da-dum, dum-da-dum. That's my face.

Dum-da-dum, dum-da-dum, dum-da-dum. And I'm like this. I'm a proper Mary. I'm like this. I'm watching this happen and then this man

walks on the scene in the screen and it's Cecil B. DeMille and he starts giving a oratory, whatever this is. Speech about the movie. Speech about the movie. So the whole time I'm starts giving a oratory, whatever this is. Speech about the movie. Speech about the movie.

So the whole time I'm looking, I'm like, okay. And Michael's smiling just like this. He's so happy. And I'm reciting everything. Because I want to show her. I know the whole movie. Yeah, so he starts,

when the guy's talking, he's talking. And he comes up and it says, The Ten Commandments. Oh my goodness. Charlton Heston. John Dar- Listen, that movie has so many- Yul Bryn goodness. Charlton Heston. John Dar- Listen, that movie has so many-

Yul Brynner, Charlton Heston, and Baxter, who's another Hall Pass if she was alive. Oh, but- I'm in lingerie. The Ten Commandments. In your mind, you were like, this is going to really get her going.

Yeah, because she's so- She's the most fashionable person I ever met in colors. And I followed all the women in that movie with all the colors and fashion. He told me all this. So I went and got dressed. He was like, you're going to love it. It's your kind of movie.

The women are beautiful. The clothes, everything is great. It's my favorite movie. It's his favorite movie. Take a man's shoulders. All the time. So it comes on. Please don't tell anybody this shit.

Oh, shit. So we get in the middle. Millions of people are about to know so by this by this time i'm like okay how do i get out of this and no and moses comes i'm standing up reciting the entire burst into tears oh i'm like'm like, what is happening? He's crying because Moses is rolling down the way. He's like, this is the part. And I'm like, no.

So I said, I'll be back. I go upstairs. And then we pause it. I was like, no, keep it going. We've been two hours now. The movie's three and a half hours long. He didn't try to make a move on you this whole time. He's just putting on the pre-smoses.

He's standing up. Smashing that popcorn. He's standing up for two hours watching the movie. He's sitting there and I'm just sitting there. I'm like, I'm trying to be nice. Like, this is going to stop at any moment. Were you scared? No.

You just really couldn't read the room. I'm a nerd. I mean, like, I am horrible. Like, my father, it's so bad. When my father and mother heard this story, my dad looked at me, he was like, what is going wrong with you? I was like, I just, I don't know. I wanted to show her this movie.

And it gets worse because when it was over, looked at her i was like all right the next film i have oh my god a three and a half hour film i'm trying to feed him the greatest story ever told about jesus i'm doing everything i'm trying to feed him grapes i'm doing i'm like he takes a grape out of my hand and eats the grape. I'm like, am I here? What am I? He is so uncultured over here. He's like, no. And then the next day is the first day we ever did it. Yeah. I waited 24 hours.

Damn. And they grew in the lingerie. No, forget that. The night, the ambiance. And she, I will say, I tried to fight her off then. I was like, no. I was like, stop it. I was like, okay. All right, keep going. her off then. I was like, no. I was like, stop it. I was like, okay.

All right, keep going. I feel like you. I was like, never mind. We're doing this. Finally. Finally. She sat through your movie-thon. I know.

Reward me, please. Listen, she loved you. She loved you from the start. Oh, my God. Because I'm not sitting through the ten commandments i would have had to turn that shit off and be like we will this will be to be continued okay waking her up i was like oh wait a minute i missed the best part she was like okay oh my goodness that is so funny you guys oh my god i thought me and my husband had a crazy first night story but that

takes the case i'm so embarrassed no don't be that's hilarious 14 years so 14 years i mean you guys have gone through a lot so you guys finally you know have sex and you guys are together just from that moment on you guys are like you know together when did you guys decide to get married like take me on this journey after we got through the Ten Commandments. Oh, we got married six months, five months later. Aw. Yeah. It was great.

We were together. I mean, I did know at age nine that that was my wife. No, you didn't. The day we met, we never separated from that day. We had never been apart. One time. When was that? When you went to... That was when

we were married, though. But we got sick, remember? Yeah, we got sick. And that's when we knew the legend was coming. I couldn't have another son for 14 years after I had my oldest. They told me I would never have kids again. So I had surgeries and went through the whole thing, and I wanted a baby. It was so sad. But when I

met Michael, I told him, I said, I'm going to have your son. And I knew I couldn't have kids. It's manifesting. Because the doctor told me. But I believed in it. And I didn't think I could have boys because I had two girls. And they were kicking my ass. And we got pregnant.

Right away? Like, what? I was eight months. We worked together eight months. No. No? Remember, November.mber of the following year november you're right because he was born in july granddaddy yeah three months later the

same day i found out my grandfather had passed the same phone call like my sister was like hey granddaddy died and then tanya was coming out of the bathroom with a pregnancy test yeah oh my goodness that's amazing that's meant to be it was meant to be you guys were meant to be and so take me on this journey you guys have babies when what happened whenever you guys were homeless because i've heard you guys mention that before like what what that's the wildest thing we met homeless we sure did she was staying with a friend in her she was time was coming out of her recovery period i was with my mom and then i went and stayed with my girlfriend right and i was a homeless vet so i i just couldn't when i came out of the military i was still married but when we

got divorced um that's when i went away and and just was couch to couch um which is crazy to me to ever hear the word homeless vet yeah i feel like when you go and you go through what you guys go through over there and for our country you guys should never be homeless ever and i will say i just didn't know what it meant to be a veteran i didn't know what was out there for me i i knew nothing you know i just knew that was wrong but you didn't i didn't know he was even in the military when we met i didn't find it out for three years why didn't you tell her because i was embarrassed so when i came home from the war um we were being protested against so when i got in the airport i was in my uniform i'm all proud i'm like i survived i didn't

get killed you know i mean i'm like really happy to get home and um in baltimore there was like protesters and they were throwing things at us and they were just like you're killers and they were protesting the war and bush babies and all the thing and i was like oh so this is how my country feels about us okay and then that's terrible and then i couldn't get a job in fact i remember sitting on the couch and um me and this other guy who was just released from prison uh we were going for the same job and he was like oh bro he was like man i might as well pack up and go home i was like no man i said um you know we maybe we both get hired and uh they hired him over me and i remember trying to figure out like why does this keep happening like but in their mind

they would rather hire next con because there's con knows that he can't mess up versus a military guy who has just come home from war. And if he flips the fuck out, he can blame it on the war. And they're, you know what I'm saying? So in their mind, the incentive was to hire. So I just could not get a job. Also, I'll say this on this podcast podcast it's also a plan of our countries this isn't a conspiracy theory the military is under strength in a real way the army marines they are under strength the navy and the air force is over strength so what happens what

does under strength over strength mean which means're numbers so um they they need people to join okay and nobody's joining in war like hell no so what was happening for um during my time is well let's make it so hard for the war veterans to get jobs to where they have to go back into the military so that we don't have to implement a draft. Wow. So that's what was going on. And so I made up in my mind, well, you know what? Maybe I shouldn't tell anyone about my service. Maybe I should just be quiet and just say I'm trying to get ahead. And that meant in anything because even my friendships that I left and try to return to didn't last because they were holding me to the old Mikey.

And I'm not that guy anymore. You know, I'm not laughing and joking and smiling. And who you see even today is a complete 180 from what they got to see come home. I was very serious. I was very, like, short, you know. Well, you had been through a lot. Yeah, I didn't have any time for it. And the stuff they was laughing at, I was still thinking about the killings and the deaths and that kind of thing.

So I just was like, you know what? I'm going to be quiet about it. Yeah. But to hide it from the woman you love? And did you notice in him any PTSD, anxiety, stuff like that? Because I'm sure there was things that had to have presented themselves. I noticed maybe once legend was born and he kind of wouldn't want to you know want to hold him um kind of the noise um then he

got to the point where he was maybe like one and a half two he you know little kids like balls so michael would see a ball and kind of just stare at it for like minutes at a time. And then the big boom was a boom. It was July 4th. Detroit. Detroit, Michigan, and fireworks were going off. And he has this episode. He's like diving up under. Well, when does fireworks in Detroit?

I mean, it hit it. They had some shit on here to sound real close. It hit it though. One of the thugs, boy. Don't come to our July 4th party. Yeah, no. What's going on? And he's freaking out.

You know, he's up under the bed. And I'm like, I kind of saw signs. And I'm like, this time I'm going to, we just got to talk about it. I don't know what's going on. Yeah. But this isn't normal. And he's just like, get down, get down. I'm like, get down.

What are you talking about? And then he kind of just starts telling me, you know, I went to war. And I'm like, you went to what? You know, you were in the military? He's like, yeah, I went to the military and I went to war. Twice. and you're homeless and we're figuring this out. And I'm like, you need to go to the VA to, one, figure out what's going on with you and, two, see how they can help you. And it was an angel, as always, when you go to places and God's with you. It's an angel inside the VA. And he walks up to us randomly. You're at like a regular doctor's appointment. And he's like, are you guys getting your benefits like that?

And I'm like, benefits you guys getting your benefits like that? And I'm like, benefits? Jamal. Jamal. And I'm like, no, I don't, I don't know anything about it. And he educates us about it. And it's not moving as fast as we want it to move. And he's like, well, maybe you can take it up a notch. And the next thing I'm thinking is let's go to the government, you know, to see what they can do. So I write the Senator, Barbara Murkowski, and I'm like, we're homeless. We don't have anything. My husband's served two tours in Iraq. Is there anything you all can do for us?

And they looked at my file and realized that all the stuff that was written up in my file about me and what I had done out there. And I remember her saying, how did we let you slip through the cracks? She was very charismatic and very like very compassionate she yeah she felt it you know it made me feel like um someone actually cared yeah what was popping off other than tanya because tanya saved my life i mean like we talk about legend but even before that you, I came to her with two little girls. And my little girls were my, and still are in my world, you know.

But I was lost, you know. And when I met Tanya, I felt hope. Even before we were dating, you know, know i felt like i think my life is about to change and i remember my my daughters my my baby girl courtney she was like uh courtney was like how old six she looked at me and uh and um she was like don't you mess this up for us mister and courtney is wow courtney is not a people person like she does not like she did not as a baby i used to have to tell people she's not trying to be rude she's just straightforward you know i love her but they took both of them mckayla um mckayla

introduced herself to tanya she was like hi i I'm Mikayla Tanish Trotter. Can I have your autograph and your number? And I was like, what? Who are these little girls? They had a better game than you. I know. They chastised me about that game. I love them so much.

Those are my babies. That was a wild period. But to the homeless point um when we realized when we fell when we when we started dating and stuff um we i just we just never separated and i was over that house oct October 2nd until we would leave like I never left I didn't leave like we were we wake up eat watch tv fuck that was our life it was it was bad like no that's how the beginning of passionate relationships are yeah it was all day. And then one day, the people were like,

okay, y'all got to go. It's too much noise in here. You all need to go. Here's a fact. We counted this. Get your own house. Our first year. I love it.

They're like, you're making us look bad, right? You're making my husband have to step his game up. Well, our first year, we counted this. Yeah. We stayed in 20 different houses. Yeah.

Wow. Just like rentals? No, people would let us stay. And then two weeks later, kick us out. Oh, my goodness. Yeah. And we found one guy who was an ex-military himself. And he and his wife.

I got into a spat with the first lady of a church I was working for in Virginia. In Richmond, yeah. They were having a stay in one of their members' homes. He had a duplex. And legend was about... It was two and a half, three. No. Was he walking?

Mm-mm. Remember, we was holding him. Remember, she would hold him and he'd freak out. Oh, that's right, because he was about a year. He probably just started a year. This lady had very bad energy, and Legend, whenever she would hold him, he would scream and claw. And she was like, he's got a demon in him. No, you got a demon in you, lady.

Crazy lady. no you got a demon in you lady crazy lady well um we got into a little little disagreement about you know they hired me to be the music director but she wanted all the solos and i was like lady y'all hired me to do a job um so i put in a plan that if you're late, you can't sing on Sunday, no matter who you are, because we have rehearsals and stuff. And so she was late and wanted to sing. I said, I'm sorry, that can't happen. So we got into it and I was like, all right, you i can't i can't do this and shit they were like well if you're not gonna be doing it then guess what y'all need to move out right now yeah we had nowhere to go like with a little baby like they kicked us out of this little apartment and um

this this this guy uh james cooper he said why don't y'all come on sunday uh come come up to our church they had a little house church and um i was like man we gotta go on fave time because we i got i got literally eight bucks to my name and uh without any hesitation they take up this offering for us and then they open this door and show us this room in their house and they were like this is your room this is your house y'all stay with us rent free as long as you need no strings attached we went back to richmond got our things and drove back up there because they had given us enough money from an offering. Aw.

And we would be there from 2012. Yeah. 2011. Mm-hmm. We would be there from 2011 all the way to 2016. Aw. Rent free. I mean, like we would give them things in 2016. That's when your pension. That's when the military finally finished processing all the things for me.

Yeah. They sent me a check for five thousand six hundred and seventy five as a holdover. They were like, listen, we're almost done processing your claim. But until then, here's five grand. And then Tanya's mom, this was in November 2015 is when I got that. Then Tanya's mom had passed away. And we were war and treaty by then we became war and treaty in 2014 okay yeah um and we had a little tour plan and Tanya quit time was like I'm done I was devastated oh my god I mean I just couldn't she wasn't sick and three weeks later she just died I was like what happened she got she had a little fire in her house and

it raised her blood pressure up and triggered that triggered like vascular dementia oh so when your blood pressure gets high you your memory leaves and she ended up going to the hospital and it was just one thing after the other one thing after the other end two weeks later they were like we're gonna have to put her in hospice and we're like hospice she was just one thing after the other, one thing after the other. Two weeks later, they were like, we're going to have to put her in hospice. And we were like, hospice? She was just, she just had a stroke. But she kept having a series of strokes. And the vascular dementia just kept getting worse.

But we, now that we look back, we knew, she knew she was going to die. Her entire house was clean. She had all her paperwork together. So, you know, she knew something was going to happen. And then she passed away. But Tanya had quit. And then she passed away. But Tanya had quit. And I never forget this moment.

We were done. Like, we had nothing. And we were still living in their home. But Tanya was like, she was starting to get that, I need my own, I'm ready to get out of here. You know, that kind of thing. A woman wants her own space. Yeah, we want a wig. We had food stamps.

We were like living. We were in it, man. Yeah, we were. That was our life. I mean, you hung in there a really long time together doing just, you know, pick the couch. But we were happy. Yeah. That's the thing.

Like, I had, Tanya was getting her residuals. And each year, this is how bad it was each year tanya could rely on one main check they'll pay her like 10 grand to come to switzerland and do like a christmas thing with this one church i was making literally 125 dollars a sunday to play that was the only work i could actually find but it was two hours away right and i would be driving there's still two hours to go and do that and driving back and finally i looked at my wife and i was like in tears because i knew that i was done. I was like, Tanya, I'm dying. I can't physically do this anymore. Right.

And I don't know what we're going to do. And she was like, baby, it's okay. And then I was really at the height of my depression with PTSD. Yeah. And I would be in the basement in the dark, and Tanya would be showing me different, like, videos of, like, certain bands, like Mumford & Sons, Civil Wars, Lone Bellow.

Like, she was just showing me all these artists, and she was like... Trying to inspire him to, you know, to... Yeah. I'm seeing other people doing what we may be able to do, you know, let's consider it. I don't know what it's called, but I sure like how it feels, you know, know it looks good there's something to say in my life

because this was the first suicide moment i was having in 2013 and um time was in the shower and it just depression just came in like a mac truck and i was like i'm going i'm going to end this and two artists came on this my tv in that living room um the first one was lee brice and he had a song called i drive your truck and it was like military dog task swinging it and he the lyrics and i was just like And it was like military dog task swinging it. And the lyrics. And I was just like, and I was just like stuck. Like, what's going on?

Like, what's happening? And then the second cat was an artist named Brantley Gilbert. We love Brantley. And he's got this song at this time called That's One Hell of a Name Man. And that was it. The dam just cracked in half. And I was just like yelling and bawling. I couldn't take it anymore. And Tanya came in there and I was like, I don't know how, I don't know what I'm going to do.

But somehow I need to be doing that, what they're doing. And then so we in 2014, we became a duo, though. Yeah. And then, so we, in 2014, we became a duo though. Yeah. Because we recognize something that, you know, Tanya is immaculate alone, like by herself. Her voice is just, her stage presence. Tanya is a superstar.

Me alone, I can make it. I can fare. You know, I can get along. You guys together is so special. you know i can i can get along he's you guys together is so special but when we we started doing something rehearsing together songs i wrote for brother and a mutual friend was like oh hell no that is what y'all are yeah so 2016 comes and so let's pause right there really quick tell everybody how you guys came up with the name warren treaty because that's such a that is such a like just distinct name the first time i remember the first time i saw you guys perform i was like who are these people i was so excited and jay's like that's the warren treaty and he's like he's like i'll tell it like he was happy that i didn't know

who you guys were and he got to like fill me in yeah we. Yeah. We got into one hell of a fight. We were fighting because Michael is a- She said we were not in therapy. We were not in therapy. That was, I needed therapy at that time. You know, but we were fighting. We had changed the name like nine times. Well, Michael changed the name nine times.

And I'm like the steady Libra. You know, I'm like, if that skill starts going, you know, off, I'm like, it freaks me out. So I'm like, we're not changing the name again. Yes, we are. I'm like, yes, we are. And I'm like, freaks me out so I'm like we're not changing the name again yes we are and I'm like we're not doing it again yes we are I'm like we're not

it's not happening we are changing the name and we're going this is happening for like 15 minutes right and I'm asking him why does he want to change it he's explaining

because it doesn't make sense yeah and I'm like no it's not going to happen and so I say listen this is not but we're getting loud I mean we're like

we're fighting we argue and you would think okay I'm about to get divorced I say, listen, this is not. But we're getting loud. I mean, we're like. We're fighting. We argue and you would think, okay, I'm about to get divorced. I'm like, what? Everything's passionate. But you guys are both passionate people. Yeah, we're so passionate. Respectfully passionate. That's why I tell our son.

I'm like, you know what? We're having a. We're having a respectful debate. It's just loud. All right. Here they come. Everybody just walks out of the room. All right. And then, you. All right, here they come. Everybody just walks out of the room, all right.

And then, you know, but he finally gives in. I said, Michael, this is not a war. We have to find a treaty here.

It's on peace. And he's like, and I'm, I'm gone, gone, gone. I said, you just did.

That's the name. She's like, what? I was like, the war and treaty. And that's it. The natural tug and pull of life.

But it actually kind of applies to both of you because you have the war and the war inside of you that and pull of life but it actually kind of applies to both of you because you have the war and the war inside of you that's been going on and you're kind of like the peacemaker and the treaty and like the balance of the relationship yeah so it really does fit both of you guys i saw it immediately yeah when she said it i was like oh this is our life. Like, this is, you know, that settles it for me. And she was like, it's too long. Typical woman. It's too long.

What does it mean? I was like, so what? She said, what does it mean? What does it mean? After I said it, what does it mean? Yeah. That's your idea. I love it.

So how did you guys finally decide to keep it, though? Like, how did you convince her that it wasn't me. It was your idea. I love it. So how did you guys finally decide to keep it, though? Like, how did you convince her that it wasn't too long? I just told her what it meant to me. I was like, you know what, Tanya? I said, to be honest with you, you have been my peace in every single war. That's it. I was like. That's a great wife.

I was like, I don't know what other name we could come up with that would represent our time together here on earth. And I hope to be that same thing back to the struggles and the wars you have inside of you that I have yet to see. And she was just like, oh, okay, I'm in. That's it. That's what it is. I was like, all right, bet. okay, I'm in. That's it.

That's what it is. I was like, all right, bet. So take me on this journey because now you guys are making music. I mean, how did you guys get your foot in the door, especially in country because it is not an easy avenue. Wow. It's weird because I can't pinpoint the win.

Can you? You can't? I can't. I mean, this man knows dates. You're like my husband. That's how You can? I can. I can. I mean, dates do. This man knows dates. You're like my husband. That's how Jay is. He'll tell you dates, times.

He's a dates guy. I don't know. I never know. I don't know. I mean, we were just. I don't even know what day it is. You know, ever. I'm like that, too.

I'm like, okay, where's the phone? Yeah, exactly. I don't know. I mean, we were recording music, and we did a record with Emmylou Harris. We did EP first. Okay. In Albany, Michigan. You know, after my mom passed, I wasn't doing music and I kind of fell in love with it again

in Albion and put it out. And Michael didn't want it out initially. So I kind of snuck it to this lady on Twitter. Oh, that's Hi-Ho, the song. Hi-Ho. The single, yeah. And it was kind of folky, you know know it wasn't a mainstream country sounding you know record and it kind of

took you know to certain parts of the country that we call the heartland. Well country wasn't in the cards no at all. We had no aspirations to be in country because to me and Tanya that meant something else at the time. Oh okay. Like

keeping it 100 I mean the thing I knew of country music, as it pertains to people that look like us, I was like, no, we don't be over here. There's not room for us, is how you felt. That's how I felt. And also, I didn't want to be in the industry at all. No. I had a problem with be in the industry at all. No. I had a problem with selling the music and doing all because remember now I got into writing music. I think that's what I skipped over to tell you.

When I wrote that song about the fallen comrade, my my colonel saw how it affected our battalion and he changed my job. I became the songwriter for our unit. So I had to go to every memorial, every death and learn about the soldier if I didn't know them and write the song and turn around and perform it that afternoon at the memorials. So I had gotten to a rhythm of literally writing songs about a life and not really trying to be clever and not trying to be cool. I was literally writing about one individual who was living and is now no longer with us. So when Tanya presented the idea of, you know, sending the songs to the radio and all that stuff, my famous saying was, I'm like, I just bought some bootleg CDs for me. radio and all that stuff my famous sounds like they go to hollywood shit again hell no i ain't in i'm like i just bought some bootleg cds for me but but it wasn't but even that album was more

his story kind of now that i think about it was him letting it out you know it was whatever he had gone through it was letting it out and that what that i purchased so we never i don't think again i can't remember the when you you have the dates and you know when but oh yeah I know exactly what what took place um we got to go back to a guy named Peter Cooper Peter Cooper is a Nashville staple at the Country Music Hall of Fame they were inducting in 2018 late, great Dottie West into the Country Music Hall of Fame. And somebody had caught wind of an interview of me and Tanya on NPR talking about our story and talking about the homelessness and the military and all that stuff. like you know what um Dottie West would have loved the Warren Treaty because of her character and because of the stories of of her I mean she would just let people stay on her couch for days

and months at a time you know and she kind of lost her her marriage a little bit to that amongst other things what they what he was doing but nonetheless um they were like we we want to present the war and treaty to the family and the family was like oh let's do this let's let's get them to sing and so our first moment was we sang lessons and leaving at the country music hall of fame for the induction and it it was from that point on where we just, country music grabbed hold to us. We didn't grab it, it grabbed us. Isn't it crazy?

And I tell everybody this, like whenever I talk about it on the podcast, because my husband and I thought it was going to be so hard for him to get into country too. And once they grab a hold of you, they love you. And they really just try to like bring you in and like it's the most you know because my my husband was in hip-hop before this and country rap or if

that's even a thing anymore but it's like it was just so different you know everybody nobody had each other's backs everybody was fighting draw that's fueled by drama and then you come to the country circle and it's just like everybody loves everybody and like everybody wants to help everybody and i don't know if that's you guys's experience but that's what it's been for us and it's been so beautiful to watch and we're like we feel so fortunate to be a part of the family you know that's how we got to meet you guys yeah and see you guys and just it's been amazing it's been amazing to see what country music allows to represent itself as well i remember um we were we were laughing with your husband because it was like the day the grammy started um announcing the nominations it was a wild thing because

every year we get prepared for it by our teams at the time and um it never happens for us and so this particular year i was just like i'm not interested you know we're in the airport and um so we get a nomination for best new artist and when you understand the the inner makings of how that happens certain genres have certain slots that they'll slate you in as the future of the genre right and so i didn't i didn't know that i was just like oblivious to that like okay i'm just like hell yeah we nominated what you know like yeah i didn't realize that that nomination it's not so much about the win it's more about the nomination and what it means to a genre yeah and so jelly i'll never forget here's the crazy thing i i go into my inbox and do a video

because I'm like, I'm going to send Jelly Roll. Now that I know what this means, I'm like, okay, Jelly Roll and the Warren Treaty are actually representing in this genre, country music, the future and the present of country music. So I'm about to send him a message failing to realize he has beat me to this he's like my one time war treaty bet you know doing the thing he's like can you believe that we

like and honestly no i cannot yeah because i mean when you look at jelly roll and when you look at war and Treaty and you put them face to face against what has represented this genre for years, starting with Johnny Cash, starting with Loretta Lynn and all the things. And as you travel Garth and Randy Travis and you look at that and then you look in today's industry there are artists who on the outside they want to reflect that yeah you know I mean even me my stylist had me trapped for a while into believing that I had to reflect this in order to be in order to be accepted as a country artist versus realizing my talent was already putting me in the room right right but then when you look at the stories and you look at the outer makings like when you look at jelly roll it's like you cannot ignore and miss the fact that authenticity is what Bubba is thirsting for. Because, I mean, like people shit on this genre a lot.

Yeah. Especially the genre itself, because they'll say things like- Country music fans. Yeah. Are crazy. Well, they'll say stuff like, well like well you know we got to make music for bubba and bubba is not that bright what they say but they don't realize something i just had this conversation the other day with someone i said do you understand what's happening like we just left

iowa state fair oh you guys were there with daddy yeah when i text you yeah we were there oh yeah yeah that's right 21 000 plus yeah crazy right and you cannot go anywhere without hearing on the intercom oh jelly just pulled up or to hear what a fan says about jelly or or realize people wearing these shirts and people are really connected and and people are you know the those who are there's maybe 25 or 50 of the audience is connected to the music but people who look like me who are showing up they're connected to the speech that's different. People think it's a joke and they think it's cool that someone will put organs behind his acceptance speech. And I'm like, y'all don't understand what that means.

That means he's preaching to them and he's touching a part that makes them feel like somebody's hearing them or they feel better. I remember for me, I just kept listening to, I only talk to God when I need a savior because that's how I felt in Iraq. At first I felt real shitty about that. I felt like, man, I've been hearing about you all my life and this is what it comes to? I got to get on my knees and talk to you now because I'm fucking scared.

I'm terrified about what the guy is going to do over there but then i started listening to what god was telling me it was like it's okay if that's how you want to come at me and that's that because i understand you more than anybody yeah So that is to represent country music. And then you got the war and treaty. Let's just be honest. You got a black husband and wife representing country music. I don't know. When I saw you guys the first time, I was fascinated. I was like, you were like just Jessica rabbit up on

the stage looking all gorgeous. And then we have, you know, your hunk of a husband. And then, but when you guys open your mouths, you guys already have such a presence, you know? So when people see you, they're like, what is what's going on? You know, when you guys start singing, it is like so angelic, dude, it is just, Oh, it's amazing. And I just remember looking at my husband and I'm like, who are these people? And he was just so stoked for you guys, you know, cause he just loves you guys so much. And he just filled me in on you guys. And ever since then, I've just been watching you guys' journey unfold. And I get to see you guys at all the award shows. We got to sit together at the Grammys. I was wearing a diaper. It was really uncomfortable. It was the

worst day of my life but we fucking got through oh girl my period started the day of the grammys oh you had the nice dress on me into a diaper in my dress and i like had to keep asking gracie abrams right next to me i'm like do you see blood on me like every time we stood up i was just but i was so thankful for all of us to be able to share that moment together and sitting at the table. And I think you and my husband are a meme. Oh, my God.

They are a meme. They were jamming, watching Tracy Chapman. That Tracy Chapman. Wait, did y'all hear about Tracy today? No. This is going to freak y'all out. So earlier in the year, it was just released that Stevie Wonder

and the Jacksons, like Michael and Janet, are actually cousins like blood cousins wow well janet just said well i mean now we're talking about it so samuel l jackson is their cousin but tracy chapman too really crazy sorry what a crazy musical family that's insane like that's wow that's insane that's insane. That's wild. That's insane. That's insane. But that's why we were freaking out. I mean, like, we were freaking out because that moment was so, like, I forgot why I was there.

I mean, like. Yeah. Yeah. No, it was a beautiful moment. It really was beautiful. Like, you had to have been there to actually, like, really get to feel it. Like, I'm sure it conveyed on TV to everybody, too. But being in that moment, getting to see Tracy Chapman on stage with Luke Combs who's an amazing performer

it was just a moment and it was like it kind of took us all back to our childhoods because I know I don't know how old you guys were whenever that song came out but I just remember that song when I was younger so it was like everybody just had a moment of their childhood it was so wonderful

and to be able to see Luke in that moment. I sent him a message afterwards and he responded back. To see him, you could see how he was, he said, I was so nervous. This is the most nervous I've ever been. But you saw one of our giants just become so small in that moment. And like a humble, standing next to her. Happy to be there.

It was beautiful. It was so beautiful to see. And happy to beautiful a part of creating that moment so when I said to be black and representing this particular genre I think people are afraid to acknowledge

the history but in a pure way so you know So, you know, Ty and I, when we got our nomination in the ACMs and the CMAs, we are the first African-American husband and wife duo to ever get nominated period. Wow. Like people didn't know that. I did not know that. It was a big deal. the fact that we were even nominated it was like how does that feel though coming from the streets of Cleveland coming from your

upbringing to the struggle that you guys have had to face together to now being at these shows and being nominated the first people to be nominated like that all the time I cry all the time I'm driving down the street sometimes I'm just like bursting in tears yeah you know what I mean because it's you can't dream this up you couldn't put it down as a marketing plan but just the thought of it now even brings me to you know wakes my eyes just make me want to cry because I'm like so many people had this dream you know and for it to happen for us you know it's just it's mind-blowing and on the other side of it it it it changed my my me personally it changed my my life and people will say well of course yeah you could it's got nothing to do with music

it's got nothing to do with getting shows or fan base or nothing. I've actually got healed at the CMAs from fireworks and from the 4th of July situation. And I wrote a post about this, but I'll briefly tell you. Our manager at the time was like, Michael, I need to talk to you. Miranda and Carrie both have pyro in their performances. And you're sitting very close to the stage. So we're going to pull you at a certain time so that, you know, we got headphones in the back so you don't hear it. And I'm like, man, I don't feel like making a scene. I didn't want people to be worrying about that.

And I didn't want me and Tanya to be overshadowed by that. We couldn't go watch fireworks. Legend has never watched fireworks with us. And when we do festivals, we have to find a place to put Michael where he can be calm and I'm soothing him

because it's a trigger. Especially on 4th of July like North Carolina. Yeah, like North Carolina. You know, we did a festival and he's like freaking out in the back of the stage, like shaking and everything. Well, we had the CMAs and Miranda's performance and Carrie's performance happens and they don't pull me at all. And I'm just sitting there with Tanya and i'm staring because tanya's in like this bad motherfucking dress she always looks so damn good i am like oh mg like this is but then it and then i heard a still small voice said you made it and i was like and I just started bawling because I realized I sat through those two performances that had the pyro.

And from that moment on, I've been able to do fireworks. You felt safe for once. Yeah. I felt safe and I felt in charge. Yes. I didn't let them pull me. I tell everybody that because I suffer from OCD and like severe anxiety too. And the way I've gotten through it was my husband came to me.

I told them this the other day, or I forget who I was talking to, but my husband came to me about two years ago and he said, bunny, I love you. You haven't left the house. You are reminding me of my mom and it's very triggering to me. And he's like, if you don't leave this house, we're going to have to think, rethink our relationship, you know? Cause that's how bad my OCD had gotten me to where I couldn't barely even go to the store, like do anything. And so my way of curing that was like, okay, I'm just going to hop on tour with my husband. And you jump right in. The last tour, I got my own bus and I got,

people don't realize they're like, why does she have to have her own bus? Blah, blah, blah. Well, because I'm conquering fears, motherfuckers.

I'm paying for it. So don't ask questions. But, um, I got on that bus, my crew hopped on with me and I conquered every fear I've ever had. And now I fucking am like, it's crazy. You have to go through it to get through it.

And especially when you're conquering fears like that. You really do. Yeah. And now I'm like, I'm ready to go on tour. I can't wait. We leave in three weeks. And like, I go places now and I don't have panic attacks. And like, it's just a work in progress.

And I always tell everybody, if you're dealing with any sort of anxiety OCD be in charge yes be the captain of your ship and don't let it fucking own you dude and that is so cool that you got through the fireworks man that's huge at the CMAs that's so awesome Miranda's coming on the podcast tomorrow actually I can't believe I landed that's my's my girl. Oh my God. I love her. Kudos to you. Oh everybody loves you. For calling. Everybody. I love you guys. Everybody loves you. I love you. I

actually experienced that. We opened up for the Rolling Stones and the last time I had that kind of anxiety was I missed my mother's funeral. That's how bad my anxiety is. And it gave me a really bad heart condition because I almost died. That's how she That's how bad my anxiety is. And it gave me a really bad heart condition because- Ty almost died. I almost died.

That's how she missed it. Yeah, my anxiety is that bad. And I thought I had it under control. I was like, okay, I'm touring. This is great. I'm in front of people all the time. But now that you're talking, I'm realizing that I have kind of like isolated. I don't go out as much.

You know, Michael wanted to go dancing. And I was like, no, I don't want to go. I used to do that too. Uh-huh. And so then this was like, what weeks ago eight weeks ago when we opened up before they wrote the stones I was just like a ball of I was a mess like getting on Michael's nerves just whatever and I think it was because I was I was so glad you I was like I was really getting on his nerves because it was irritating me that one, I felt like something was happening, but I didn't know what it was, you know?

And so when I got out and it was time to do the sound check, I felt it. I was like, okay, this is, I don't know if I can do this. And I felt myself just like getting smaller and smaller and smaller. And then I just, I don't think we talked the whole day. You were like sitting across the room. And I was like, we were in the same space. And I said nothing to him for like hours. Because you're just so anxiety ridden.

I was so just trapped. And I realized that. I was like, oh, this is what it is. And it just showed up after nine, 10 years. That's trauma, baby. Like it never had done before. And it's the trauma. It's trauma.

When you just said that, it just reminded me that, you know, but you're not alone. Everybody is going through something and there's just different levels. I, when I was going through all my trauma, I was like, I don't, I've never had anxiety. I've never had, or I'm sorry. I've never had depression. I always had anxiety. I never had depression. I've never been suicidal, blah, blah, blah. When I turned 40 years old, I'm telling you my suicidal ideation hit me so hard that I didn't think I was going to make it to 50 years old. You know, I was like, just the thought of living that long was like, this is exhausting. I can't do it, you know? And you're going to go through levels like that with your anxiety. But the best thing I could ever tell you, and if you need to text me,

text me anytime, do not let it control you because when you let it control you, you're giving in, you have to fight back and, you know, do it on your own time and when you can, and it'll happen when you can, but do something different that you would never do before. Like next time Michael asks you to go dancing, go dance with him, but say, you know what, baby, I'm going to go dance with you, but I'm going to go for an hour. And that's what i used to tell myself okay i'm gonna go do this remember i would give myself time limits guys yeah and like i would show up to jay's shows and i would be out like before halfway through his show but i started to learn how to trust and feel safer more and more and more and it's a process but you'll get through it i promise thank you that's amazing that you said that because that's actually why the

housekeepings were hired because um see my wife is the kind of person i just wrote this in a post the other day tanya does everything for everybody and um i realized that's also a part of her super strength, her superpower, but it's also a part of the thing. Right. And so I know how long to let it go. And then I'm like, well, hey, Tanya, I need to be involved. I need to know what's my role. What do I what can I do? And so, you know, know finally she's like okay you need to pay this bill you need to hire this that that and so I did and because and it makes me feel like you know what I'm doing something for her even though it's for us yeah you know it's taking

the load off yes yeah yeah my husband had to do the same thing for me because i i was just like tanya when people don't know this but when jay and i first got together i used to kind of quote unquote manage him and i would do everything wow and it got to a point where it was just crazy now i don't i don't know anything that's going on with his business at all but it's like your name tanya his country name was trotter michaels i've tried everything my r&b name was mike ivory and she managed me i love it you got jay was a totem pole role oh yeah i can't call Call him Totem Pole Roll.

He will love you forever. He'll be like, oh my God, because that's like his Antioch name that everybody follows. Wait, do you want to know some of our duo names before? I would love to know some of your duo names.

Okay, so here's a classic one. You go back and forth. So we were first called N.Y.A., which stood for Nine Years Apart. Nine Years Apart. Oh, okay. And then it was Empty Earth. Empty Earth.

I actually kind of like Empty Earth. It's a rock band. That was our rocker phase. That was our rocker phase. We were Beyonce. We had phases. We had eras. We had eras before they were eras.

I love it. I love it. Oh, never put no music out. Never. I love Empty Earth, though. I do love Empty Earth. Empty Earth. And we were playing on things.

I was like, oh, empty, like M-T. Yeah. Empty Earth. She was love Empty Earth Empty Earth And we were playing on things I was like oh empty Like M-T Earth She was like no No And then we were Dear Martha Yeah

And then we were Mike and Tanya Dear Martha Does that have to do with Martha Stewart? Now that I think about it You know what? I didn't think about that Stop using your gift now I'm so brave

That needs to be in my house i'm like that's the name no um it was uh so my military uh buddy uh who was killed his wife was martha and we have a song called dear martha yeah so we were trying to do that and then we were called i'm not your sister i ain your sister. I ain't your sister. I ain't your sister. What phase was this? This was the folky. The folky, yeah.

Then it was Mike and Tonya. He's trying to change the name now. It was never Mike and Tonya. That's what I wanted. I want to change it again to Mike and Tonya. No, I don't want to change it. No, the Warren Treaty. The Warren Treaty is so good.

Yeah, we're trying to treaty the warren treaty yeah it's we're solid now yeah so yeah can we dive in really quick um and i'll i'll let you guys go because i have had you guys for over two and a half hours this has been amazing this has been amazing um i just want to let you guys know hey driver my daughter our daughter played that song over and over again. It's her daughter's favorite song. Yes. Oh my God. How did you guys connect with Zach Bryan and take me on that journey with you guys? Because I know it's a huge hit on TikTok and I want everybody to know the story behind it.

It was at the ACM. We were doing the ACMs and Zach, it's time to leave, you know, behind stage. Everybody's leaving. And he runs back there. No. Yeah? We weren't going to meet him. We weren't that going to the ACMs and Zach, it's time to leave, you know, behind stage. Everybody's leaving. And he runs back there. No. Yeah? We weren't going to meet him. We were not going to meet him. No, we were going to talk to, was it Nate?

Nate. Nate. Yeah, Nate Smith. Uh-huh. We're going to meet Nate and Zach runs back there as we're talking, finishing up talking to Nate. And he's like, guys, he's like, I'm sitting next to my dad. I got chills. My dad grabs my leg. He's like, what is happening to me? He's like, I don he's like, I'm sitting next to my dad. I got chills.

My dad grabs my leg. He's like, what is happening to me? He's like, I don't know what's happening to me. And so he says, we got to exchange numbers. He was like, do you understand? I don't think people understand what just happened to us in there. He said, but they will. And so we exchanged numbers.

And not even a week later, he sends Michael the song no it was the next was it the next day right yeah and maybe a couple days we know the next day and we send him a voice memo he's like i just want to hear whatever you guys want to do like here's the song whatever you want to do yeah and so we send the voice memo back to him and he puts it up on his. Here's my new songs. He puts it up. Whoa. In an Zach Bryan kind of way. And I love that about him though.

I love that he doesn't give a shit. He knew what he wanted. He knew what he wanted. He knew what he wanted. His classic line was, wait, are y'all signed? Yeah. I was like, what the fuck you think, bro? Take that down.

We're going to get in trouble. Yeah. So we had to do the whole industry thing and, you know, get the paperwork together. Who were you guys signed with? Universal Nashville. Gotcha. Okay. So with them.

And he flew us to Philadelphia. And we are in the studio. And if you hear on the record, Zach Bryan say that the song is Michael's. This is your song, Mike. It's his song because Michael goes to the bathroom and I start talking to Zach. I'm like, yeah, Zach gets on his guitar. I'm like, you know Michael plays the piano.

He said, oh, he does? I said, yeah. I said, he would sound really good on this record with you. He said, he would? He said, you think he'd play? I said, hell yeah, he'd play. Now, Michael doesn't like to play the piano just like exposed right you know by himself so he gets back from the bathroom and zach's like yeah michael um yeah yeah and um

he's like he's like yeah yeah michael cook his piano right here man he's like what he's like what are we doing that he's like what are we doing, Dad? He's like, what are we doing? He's like, come on. I'm doing this. You know, you start playing. So Michael starts playing. He starts playing. And then Zach leaves out and goes on the other side because he's recording out there and we're recording in the booth.

And Michael's kind of apprehensive, like not playing the song the way he was doing it with Zach. So Zach says, come on, man. He says, it's your song, Mike. And we just go all the way down and start. And I got the stupid ass Ned Flanders laugh from The Simpsons. I'm like, I hate that part. It's your song, Mike.

He's laughing. And that's how the song happened. I love it. Ned Flanders. I love it. It was so natural. It was so organic. It was so organic. And who knew?

It's a few people in our business and this industry that you just want to stay connected with. I mean, Jelly is one. Zach is another one. Dierks Bentley. Miranda. Miranda's my little spicy taco yeah we got so fucked okay never never i gotta tell you that's what i'm talking about who is it who is it about oh my god we we did all right and i think we we got so fucked up in that right oh with miranda see people

think me and ty are so like conservative and so. Honestly, that's kind of the idea that I had just from watching you guys' interviews. Because you guys are so proper. But then the minute you guys sat down, I was like, oh, this is game on. We're like, I mean, we're, you know. It's bad. No, but you guys, you know what? You guys are real. Miranda was like, wait, are we doing this?

I was like. Oh, yeah. Miranda gets saucy. She don't play. I love her. Yeah, she's amazing this? I was like. Oh, yeah. Miranda gets saucy. She don't play. I love her. Yeah. She's amazing. And she's brilliant in the studio.

Brilliant. Brilliant. I mean. She is. And I know I'm going to get some heat for this. But besides Dolly, and which to me, Dolly's the queen of country for other reasons. Yeah. Miranda's the queen of country.

Yes. Because she is just. She's the truth. No. For real. I love that you said that. Yeah. of country because she is just, she's a truth. No, she, she, I love that you said that because it's hard because of the history of Miranda and not, not, um, it's, it's when you are married

in the industry, you know, things overshadow, you know, like, and then when both of you are like powerhouses, like, I mean, Blake is a a g you know miranda is a real g yeah no miranda's the g she's the truth like straight up she's like street country and i feel like blake is like you know he's that he's that post so he's that poster child yeah yeah yeah but you know miranda is okay so you i could say this to you and you'd be like, damn, I get that. You know, in church people, the preachers used to say, if you don't praise them, the rocks will cry out. Yeah. Well, this is the rock moment.

These are the rocks. We are the rocks. Yeah. And the rocks is the real thing it's like yeah that over there you've abused this gift of spirituality for so long by creating this poster picture of what it is and i'm trying to force people to live up to that and then now it's like okay now we unchained yes we're unchained we are like everybody's making their own path everybody that's what it is my husband you guys I mean like you

yeah thank you hell yeah I appreciate you guys blazing it you got a fire torch just burning them after six years

I'm fucking I'm just glad to be here I love it I love it I love you guys and I appreciate you guys so much thank you for sitting

down with me and whenever you guys want to come back if you guys have new projects anything you guys always down with me. And whenever you guys want to come back, if you guys have new projects, anything, you guys always have a seat on my couch. We would love to. Thank you.

Thank you so much. I'm so excited to have you guys. I'm so excited for the world to get to hear this and just love and embrace you guys. Like I'm really stoked about it. Thank you more than they already have. What are you? So let's shout out your socials and then like let me know of any projects you

guys have coming up we actually well we're touring okay we have the record coming out next year and they can reach us on the war and treaty.com the war and treaty on all socials except x is it x now twitter x whatever i don't even that place scares me over there war and treaty yeah yeah it is scary over there is there anything else you guys want to shout out your tour dates like anything like that we're badass yeah we're gonna be somewhere

just look at warandtreaty.com there you go there it is I appreciate you guys so much thank you for coming thank you thank you guys for tuning in to another episode of Dumb Blonde. I will see you guys next week. Bye.