Locked In with Ian Bick - Nino Breeze: How I Survived Prison

Episode Date: October 28, 2024

Nino Breeze shares his story, from a million-dollar drug bust that led him to federal prison to securing a record deal with Rick Ross. He covers the events that shaped his life, the challenges he faced behind bars, and how he turned his struggles into a path for his music career. In this episode, Nino reveals insights into the realities of the drug game, the resilience needed to survive prison, and his journey to collaborate with one of hip-hop’s biggest names. #NinoBreeze #RickRoss #MillionDollarBust #DrugBust #FederalPrison #MusicIndustry #HipHopJourney #TrueStory Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Connect with Nino Breeze: https://www.instagram.com/realninobreeze/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUoGgHp96ZA https://www.tiktok.com/@realninobreeze https://x.com/realninobreeze Presented by Tyson 2.0 & Wooooo Energy: https://tyson20.com/ https://woooooenergy.com/ Buy Merch: https://lockedinbrand.com Use code lockedin at checkout to get 20% off your order Timestamps: 00:00:00 Escaping the Hurricane: Journey from Florida 00:04:58 Transition from Rap Passion to Street Life 00:09:54 Embracing the Struggle in the Pursuit of Happiness 00:14:53 Transformative Life Reflections 00:19:57 Street Mentality and Skepticism 00:24:53 Reflecting on Empathy and Socioeconomic Struggles 00:29:59 Navigating Life: The Good Guy vs. Bad Guy Dilemma 00:35:23 Going Viral After a Massive Drug Bust 00:40:33 Unexpected Consequences of Moving to California 00:45:55 The Challenges of Making Money in Creative Industries 00:51:04 Arrest and Surveillance Encounter 00:56:38 Experience in Federal Prison 01:01:17 Life-Changing Encounter in Prison with Rick Ross 01:06:11 Racial Profiling and Arrest Incident 01:10:55 Navigating the Music Industry Independently 01:16:04 Understanding Gun Possession Sentencing 01:21:03 Encouragement and Staying Focused Powered by: Just Media House : https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Creative direction, design, assets, support by FWRD: https://www.fwrd.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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If we find anything suspicious, like new loans are changed. to your financial accounts, we alert you right away, all through text, phone, email, or the LifeLock app. Get the alerts that could make all the difference. Save up to 30% your first year at lifelock.com slash podcast. Terms apply. Nina, welcome to Lockton, man, straight from Florida, right? You flew up from Florida. St. Pete, Florida. St. Petersburg, Florida. That just got hit by the hurricane, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Most deaf. They're going through it down. And you made it out of there, I guess, just in the nick of time or right after it hit?

Like, I think a day before. Like a day before, we were supposed to be going to the BET Awards, but we ended up rerouting the play. I just did Widenow to Chicago, did Widen out in New York. We did the game one, you know what I'm saying, the WNBA Finals. Oh, wow, that's awesome. Yeah, we've been moving around, just working.

So did you perform there at the WNBA Finals? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was on set for everything. That's great. And you have a song with Rick Ross, or music or something like that? Or you're signed to his label. Okay, that's awesome.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm like, um, like the newest, newest, new, the newest artist assigned to MMG, we kind of like, I don't know in a way like, I don't know what the professional term is, but it's like, you know, it's like, it's the new wave, you know what I'm saying? Like, you know, it's a lot of history associated with MMG,

but we try to do, like, have a similar impact in this era, you know what I'm saying? So just me being familiar with, you know, the current wave, you know what I'm saying, ready to be in from the soil. we just like a relaunch almost. And I think it's so awesome you built that after prison because that's very inspiring to a lot of people.

Yeah, you know, I've been messing with the music for a minute and I had a buzz before I went in. But, you know, like my situation had, the situation that led to me going in had a lot to do with my bus, so, you know, it comes with it. I had to walk that time now, you know what I'm saying? I had to put that behind me and now we back out here getting to it. Did you grow up in Florida or out here in Florida?

You grew up in Florida. We're in Florida. St. Pete. Tampa Bay Area. So it's like St. Pete, Clearwater, Tampa, Bradenton, Sarasota, you know, those cities. That's a nice area to grow up in. Yeah.

I ain't going to lie. It's like, it's like, I don't know anywhere else where you can get that blend of like, you know what I'm saying? Because I'm fucked about the hood, shit, the street shit. I don't know anywhere else where you can get that blend of like just like where it could be so gutter. And then you could like turn around and like duck off on the beach and catch a vibe, you feel, but like the views, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the pond trees, the sun, the water. I love it all. It's almost like living in, like, a dream when, like, versus your reality, too, in a way.

Yeah, I ain't going to lie. I'm not leaving. I'm, I'm fucked up about it, you feel, but it's nowhere. It's no way I'd rather be. That's awesome. So, what was it like growing up? Did you have mom and dad, any siblings? Yeah, well, um, my mama from Detroit. My daddy from Cleveland. They both from the Midwest. because my daddy had ended up moving to Detroit and then joined the military. And my mama joined the military. So they ended up getting stationed at the same place in Louisiana. And, like, it was fast.

Like, my mama was pregnant and married within, like, I think, 30 days of the meeting. Oh, wow. You know what I'm saying? So they were together for a little while, and we bounced around for a minute. But when my mama got done with the military, she moved to St. Pete because that's where her support system was. You know what I'm saying? And it's kind of like at that time where everybody, like, where older people would retire and come to Florida.

So, like, my mama's mama and hug her grandmother, which would be my great-grandmother, they was all in Florida. So that's how we ended up here. And did you have a lot of friends there growing up? Oh, I mean, I would say, I don't know. Like, I kind of did. I kind of did because, like, I wasn't super popular. I never been, like, a popular person. But it's like, like, the friendships that I do have, like,

They kind of run deep, you know what I'm saying? So I always had, like, a little clip. How would you think people would describe you back then? By then? Teenage, you know. Um, I don't know. Like, I just always been creative. I feel like people always knew I was gifted.

They always knew I was different. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, I got, like, little things about me that's kind of, like, weird. I just, like, I'm the only one of it to be on it, you feel me? But, like, people always showed me a little grace, because I feel like they knew, okay, like, bro, kind of like, you know what I'm saying? He working with something, you know what I'm saying? Like, just creatively, I was always involved in music.

I would always draw. It would always be something. So I feel like people just kind of felt like, that's how I feel like people treated me. Like, I kind of, they always treated me artistically or like an artist or something like that. Do you feel like you were kind of like the odd one now because you were creative? Definitely. Definitely. But it just always.

gave, like, chosen one, golden child, you know what I'm saying? Like, it was, it was, I was definitely, like, kind of like, the odd went out, but in a lot of ways, I feel like, it was, it was still, like, in a lot of ways it made me feel destined. Do you think it got to your head maybe a little bit, like, that you wanted to get big, you know, fast, and that could have led you down a different route? I mean, um, now I ain't gonna lie, like, like, like, because it's like, what I, what I feel like I see a lot, I feel like, I feel like I feel like I see a lot of street, because that one be rappers. You know what I'm saying? I see a lot of niggas who they get in the streets.

They start making money and now that they got money, they got something to say. Now that they got money they want to rap. But it's like because I guess their motivation to rap is to shine. Like they see the lifestyle that rappers have and that's something that they want. So it's like now that they got the money and they feel like they can back, they play like they could fun the move. They start rapping. And with me it was always the opposite, bro. Like I wasn't a street nigga that wanted to be a rapper. I was a rapper first. And then it's just, It's like, you know what I'm saying? It's hard to gain traction on that

the way you could actually handle your responsibility. So, you know, just like growing up rapping and I'm not making no money, you know what I'm saying? I watched my mama lose a house. I watch my mama lose a car. I watch my mama lose a lot. And it just didn't seem like any help was coming no time soon. It still ain't came.

You know what I'm saying? So I knew that I had to get out of and it was just something that I resorted to. So for me, that's kind of more. what it was like my preference was always to be an artist in any capacity you know what I'm saying like even with the way that I do my music now I'm involved in everything it's not just the rapping side of it I'm involved in the engineering and I'm involved in the production I mean yeah in the production I'm involved in the um you know like the graphic all everything like even if I'm not

hands-on doing it myself I I have like some type of input I have some type of vision you know what I'm So for me, I felt like it was something that I resorted to. And it is like, you know, once I kind of started, dealing with it and I would have caught scribe, I ended up being, I ended up doing well. You know what I'm saying? Like, I didn't, like, it would be times where I, like, something to come out of me, like, as far as the street shit,

like something that had come out of me that I didn't even know it was death. You know what I'm saying? I just, I just, you know, I just ended up having that skill set. Did you know music was going to be your career? Like, did you ever have any other career ideas, or was it always music? It was always music except before. I used to want to make cartoons. I used to draw a lot, bro.

Like, I used to, I had, like, a trading card game, kind of like Pokemon. I had a board game. I had a comic book company, like me and my little brother, my name Vaughn, his name Van, Van. So we used to call it V&V comics, V&V products. Like, you know what I'm saying? So it's like, other than the rap shit, the only other thing, that I ever wanted to do was be a, like make cartoon. After I transitioned into the music thing,

yeah, but I was just all in, because I felt like that was the only way I was going to make it. You know what I'm saying? I took it very serious. I was a student of the game, though. Like, I studied this shit. I lived and breed this shit, and I'm methodical with it.

Like, I've been devoted to a four minutes, so now I ain't really ever thought about doing that else. Do you think that you getting into rapping and that being your passion is what got you into the drug game? Or do you think those two things were completely different? I feel like, yeah, I feel like they were different. Like, if some kind of way, maybe like I was growing up and, you know, like, sometimes I look at people like, let's say like Kanye West, you know what I'm saying, who, like, his people had a little bit of money. But most importantly, like, his people actively supported, like, what he was doing.

And he was from a city that had connections and things like that. Like, I don't know. I feel like if I would have came from maybe like a family that was involved in music or a city that had an outlet for it, it might have been different. But it's just like, you know, growing up in a small city and a side row, like, it wasn't really realistic at the time. You know, this before social media, this before the DSPs and all these different platforms where people could get their music out, you know what I'm saying?

So I used to be like recording in the basements, in the dope holes and shit like that. and then burning the CDs and sent them at the corner store. That was the only way I had to get my face out, though. So, I mean, for me, no, I feel like, I feel like if I would have had an outlet early, I probably never would have ended up in the streets because that's never been my passion. You know what I'm saying?

So it's like I just felt like if I got in the streets, I could, for one, handle my responsibilities and then end up with enough money to compensate for the fact that I didn't have that outlet. Like, okay, like, if I don't got the connections, I'm going to buy my way in or like I'm going to just do mad promo or I'm going to just do I'm going to pay for features whatever you know what I'm saying that was kind of like more my vision when you look back at it now do you wish like maybe you worked a normal job and did that kind of hustling while building your career nah I just I feel like you know what I'm saying like I mean at the end of the day you know what I'm saying like we all out here you know like a pursuit of happiness and I wake up every day like loving my life even like when I'm behind the wall I felt like that you know what I'm I'm saying like all this shit just it's just you don't get one without the other you know what saying so it's beauty and a struggle um I know a lot of people who have like similar aspirations

to me that ain't never seen what I'm seeing you know what I'm saying and it's like I don't know like you know like to be a doctor you got to go to school when you're in the military you might get deployed overseas so I mean it's certain pros and cons they come with the streets though and it's just like for my personality like the way that I'm built I assessed that before I got involved with it. You know what I'm saying? So it's like even the bad day come with it. It's like if you were a soldier that signed up in the military, you get deployed, you already, you know what I'm saying? Like you kind of anticipated that that could be a possibility. So ain't nothing can with this game that I wasn't prepared for. How old were you when you first entered the streets and

that type of game? 14. 14. Yeah, I joined all the porch at 14. And what was that first experience like for you? My first experience, I got a homeboy back home. He gonna know what I'm talking about to when they hear this. But, you know, we kind of like wanted to with it together.

So we started going in on, you know, on like little reddy rock, like already cooked rocks and shit like that. And like just taking the rocks and we was getting them bitching for like $10 a piece and setting up for $20, you know what I'm saying? So we started off kind of like doing that. And then after we got our cash up a little bit,

we wanted to go in on some soft because that's how you really win and we ended up buying like a, I don't know what was a Vic. I felt like it was like a seven of like sweetenload. Niggas told her some face shit, you know what I'm saying? But it's like the same time that we was doing that,

we was doing like the burglars and the robbery as you're familiar. So it's like being young and not having transportation and access to plugs and shit like that, like, and also not just having the middle capacity. It's like, you know, when you're young, you're looking for instant gratification. So, like, once the situation happened where we got finesse, we kind of took to that a little bit more.

You know what I'm saying? So when I was younger, if you look at my jacket from when I was younger, I got all kind of burglily, burglary, brinkly, all kind of like those type of charges. You know what I'm saying? But, like, my first experience was, like, you know, with the dope gang. And, like, we kept fucking with that. But, like, we kind of started, like, leaning more towards that. and then I got in a lot of trouble for that. So then it's like I had to, you know,

I had to rearrange shit. So it's like when I got done during the time, I ended up doing like two years, like real young, in state prison for the B&E shit. And then, you know, I came home. And what I realized, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's never a good idea to make, I don't feel like it's a good idea to make that your hustle.

because once you make that your hustle, you're already bringing a lot of bad karma, a lot of bad energy, but also, okay, your hustle is how you eat. So it's your livelihood. If you hustle, like if you go out there and you get clientele and you got a relationship with people that hit your phone and spend money with you, you know what I'm saying? No matter what it is, you could be selling food,

we could be selling T-shirts. You can't anticipate, you can build a lifestyle around that. If you build a lifestyle around like, hitting a lick or like something like that, you're going to end up putting yourself in bad situations because in order for you to eat, you need this shit to happen somewhat routinely. And a lot of those opportunities, at least if they're sweet, they don't present themselves that often. You know what I'm saying? And that's how me and my homeboys kept going to jail because it was all we knew. And like sometimes we would be jumping in a situation that wasn't

really for us. You know what I'm saying? So like when I came home, I kind of, I had to leave that shit alone. And it's like once I shit that my focus to the bag for real, you know, things started opening up for me. Do you think if you grew up with money, you wouldn't have dove into that? Because you would already experience what that, you know, taste of having money was like and getting what you wanted. Yeah, I think it would have been different because like I said, like I've always got more gratification. I've always felt like more like I was in my purpose when I was doing creative thing, you know what I'm saying? And I feel like the street was something that I resorted to. And also, just being honest, like I didn't really value,

I don't feel like I value myself or my life as much as I should have. Why do you think that is? I mean, it's just like, just my thought process by then, you feel me? Like, the way that I think about things, now I feel like I'm valuable. I feel like I'm an asset. So it's certain situations I would have put myself in because I know what it would do,

I know how much damage it to do for me as well as the people that I care about. And it's like just reflecting on my thought process back then. I was so quick to jump out there. Just, I don't know. It's like my mentality back there was I don't, like, I didn't like how I was living. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, if I don't like how I'm living on the streets,

what the fuck I care about going to jail for, you know what I'm saying? It's like whether it's in here or out there is the same thing. I might have well give me some money, you know what I'm saying, that these temporarily I feel like, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, it's just a lot of. mental things I had to deal with and I came up out of that. But it's like else since like, I don't know, ever since I kind of got that together,

my thought process has been different. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like my thought process has been different. Like I know how much value I bring to my team, how much value I bring to my family, how much value I bring to the game of my city, or even just like the experiences, like places I don't want to go things I want to do.

So I never do anything to take myself out of the game. Like, I just think different. Is valuing life at that age something that could be taught, or is that something you have to learn through struggle and experience? I think it's something that you've got to learn through struggle. Because, like, when I reflect on it, like, more or less, I feel like a lot of people in that age group, like, like, have similar traits, like, similar behavior.

Even if they don't go as far as, like, you know, getting in the street. so, you know, getting locked up necessarily, like, it's just a lot of rebellion at that age. It's just a lot of, like, it's just like a big range of emotions, and it's like everybody kind of like, yeah, I feel like you have to develop, you know what I'm saying? But like when I used to be locked up, I could just tell, you know what I'm saying?

Birds never feather fly together. The niggas that used to be rhymed when I was 16, 15, we was all the same age and we all thought the same. We was all on the same shit, so I know. I know them niggas didn't really assess it from top to bottom. You know what I'm saying? It's like you'll be having like this desire. As a young nigga, you'd be having like this desire to like make a statement

and do something big. And a lot of times if you think about like how you can lead your mark or like have a legacy or really establish a name, it's going to take time. And it's like we don't have. that we don't see that far. You know what I'm saying? So the quickest way to make a name

when you were young, nigga, like, is that gangster shit. You know what I'm saying? So, like, a nigga is liable to gravitate towards the dreading of, you know what I'm saying, like, all of those tight shit because I be feeling like a lot of times, you know,

with that age group coming from the streets, when you're looking for, like, that type of validation, we don't have access to some of the other things that might make you feel like, okay, like I'm that. So it's like I feel like that's why a lot of young niggas gravitate towards like that type of shit because it's like just that that age group coming, like that age coming from

what we coming from, we don't really know any other way to make that big statement and let the world know like I'm, this is me, this is what I stand for, this is what I'm about. You know what I'm saying? Like, and I feel like they end up going that route. When you first got into the game, did you envision how it was going to end? Like, did you know it was going to lead to prison or maybe even death?

Or is that not even a thought? I mean, I feel like a big part of like even like being a street, niggily or gangster, anything I want to call it, bro, like, it comes from like, you got to have some type of audacity, bro. Like, I knew that's what came with this game, but I thought I was slicking than that.

I ain't going to lie to tell you. Like, I thought I was going to be able to maneuver the game without the pitfalls. That's what I honestly thought. You know what I'm saying? Like in the back of my head, I knew I wasn't going to go out on no sucker shit. I knew if I fell, I was going to take my lip,

but I felt like I was swift. You know what I'm saying? I didn't feel like I was going to go through a lot of the shit that I went through. I'm like, man, those niggas did that. Them niggas did that. This is what he fucked up. This is what he fucked up.

I ain't doing that. So like, at least for me, I would say mostly no. Like, I felt like it was going to come with a little something, but I didn't think it was going to come with as much as it can with. Do you think that's where? that creative mindset that you had came into play when you're analyzing the whole,

it's like a chessboard life in a way. And you're looking at all that. No, I just think, I just think I was like a spoddy a little nigga, though. I just felt like, you know what I said? Like, you got to show me. I ain't going to learn until I get burned. I feel like that's the mentality

that a lot of niggas have that when they get in the streets. You know what I'm saying? And it ain't even just with the law. It could be anything. Like a nigger could be talking to me telling me like, oh, you know, I'm cut like, like, a nigga can come around me talking all kind of gangsters shit,

all kind of rob, right, right shit, like he's on that or like he's a tough guy. I won't believe it. Like, I'm just a skeptical person. You got to show me. So it's like it was the same thing with the streets. Like, I felt like I was smart. I felt like I knew how to move. So I felt like I could kind of like get the, you know, like,

reap the benefits of the game without too much having to go through the fuck shit. You know what I'm saying? That's what I thought when I first jumped out, though. That first prison sentence you did at 14, do you think that made you a better criminal? Like, did it get your mind thinking about what you wanted to do? No, no, I didn't go to jail at 14. That's just when I jumped off the porch. So the first breaking and entering?

No, no, no. Like I said, I started off. And I don't think I started doing the breaking and entering until 16. But that would be your first prison sentence, right? Yeah, so I started getting into trouble at 16. I would go to JDC, like juvenile department corrections or whatever. called. And then I ended up doing a year like a juvenile program. I got out of the juvenile program and ended up getting in trouble again. So I went to prison at 18.

Why do you think you went from hustling the drug game to breaking and entering and then back to the drug game? Because like I said, like just, I didn't have a resource. Like I said, like being young, it's like like you got to think about it like the drug game. That shit comes with knowing people in different places, different nationalities and backgrounds, and, you know, like, having, like, you know, it's hate money to make money. So, like, just to get in the game, you might need you 15,000, 20,000. So it's like, I just didn't have that back then. Like, I tried my hand with it and it didn't amount of much. It's like at least back then, I could get to the money quicker that way and being, you know, being young, instant gratification.

You don't have the patience to develop your hustle. You know what I'm saying? It takes time to, like, build clientele and shit like that. So, you know, with the other game, like, that shit just, huh. So that's what I felt like it was. It was the instant gratification. It was the lack of resources. Not to mention, like, just in Florida at that time, like, like, 08. That was what just did.

That's just what all the y'all niggas did. Like, breaking houses still called. Like, that's just what was going on. Why do you think that was? And I've heard that from so many guys about Florida is just huge for breaking and entering. I don't know. It's kind of like some monkey see monkey do type shit, bro.

Like, I was, it was actually an Asian dude. My government named Vaughn, his name was Vaughn too. You know what I'm saying? So it was an Asian dude named Vaughn and he was doing that, bro. And he came to school one day with a knot big in my head, bro. I never seen a nigga with that much money in his hand. I was just like, brother, what is you doing? You know, I'm saying?

So it's like, you know what I'm saying? So it's like, I feel like Florida, like, when they kind of get money, their real market see market do. Like, whatever, like, you would see one nigga do, if it worked for them, everybody jump on that way. So it's like, you could think about, like, like, Tampa. Back in the day, they was big on the drops. That was, like, the tax fraud that was going on.

Once they found out about it, everybody did that. That PPP shit came through, the unemployment, whatever was going on a couple years ago. Everybody did it. Even with, like, even with now, like, you know, it's a dog world. everybody fucking with the fed because they see the next nigga doing it and they ain't even ready

for the consequences that come with that. Or even with the bug game, you know what I'm saying? They took all the flavor out of that shit because everybody wanted to sell the same shit.

Like they see one nigga set above now the whole floor to sell above. It's just like monkey see monkey dude and that was the way back then. I don't know where it started.

I just know I was seeing it and like everybody was on it. The breaking and entering are you guys going to houses that no one's home at? Like are you guys making sure? it's not a violent type of act?

I mean, it just depends. We don't do it both ways. You know, the majority of the time, nobody bit up. But if it's, it just depends on the potential of the lick. You know what I'm saying? We're not going in there with people in there for TVs and laptops. You know what I'm saying?

Like, if it's a situation where we feel like we could really stain, you know, we kind of like take a little further. How to make you feel going into one of these houses? Like, did you live off the adrenaline, or are you just solely looking at it for monetary purposes? Solely looking at it for monetary purposes, but, I mean, yeah, yeah, I just used to be known to it, you know what I'm saying? And then, like, I kind of had beef with the world because, you know, I'm watching my mama struggle. Nobody gave a fuck about her, you know what I'm saying? So it's like I used to have a mentality like, because I didn't, I didn't.

I used to have a mentality, like, I didn't feel like anybody was sympathizing for our situation. Like, I didn't feel like I could go to somebody and be like, hey, this is what I'm going through and had them help us. You know what I'm saying? And I don't look at, like, capitalism, like, you know what I'm saying? It's like they kind of teach us that money more important than people. And a lot of the things that America did to get on, all they did, like, was cut through, that it was fucked up.

And then all they did was take what they did to get on and make it illegal because they know how affective it is. You know what I'm saying? So if I looked at the situation and I felt like he was on the other side of the struggle, I didn't think about it too much. You know what I'm saying? The situation that got me to leave it alone, we was kind of like in a nice neighborhood, like a white neighborhood. So like I'll kind of be assuming that these be like silver spoon and they didn't struggle and they had it good. And then like we get in the house and it's like we're taking all these people's stuff and then I look up and I see a picture and it's actually a black lady with five kids

and I ain't even see a man in the picture so it kind of looked like she was a single black mother with five kids. And when I looked at it because my mama got seven kids and when I looked at it, I just thought about like high heart my mama struggled and I was thinking about

what this lady must have done to be able to overcome all that on her own and actually have this home and have these things. And like, The situation made it real, like, I think I kind of, like, deluded myself into just thinking, like, all these people that I was doing this shit, too, with these rich, well-off people that never struggled to have to work hard for nothing. They just had it easy. And, like, something about seeing that shit made me think about, like, how hard people were to get where they're at.

You know what I'm saying? And I left it alone then. That was when I was, like, 18. It puts it into perspective. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How would you have felt if, you know, someone robbed your house at that age? It had happened before. Someone robbed your house?

Yeah, and the police didn't do nothing. Like, that's what I'm saying. Like, yeah, yeah, that had happened to me before. You know what I'm saying? That happened to me before. And what do you mean by the police didn't do anything? I mean, they didn't do nothing. It didn't.

I mean, in a way, like, I don't really think they could do anything, but they also didn't seem like they wanted to do anything. You know what I'm saying? Like, we called them. They came because of, like, why, the obligation like they have to come and they just and it ain't even just one time that shit happened more than one time that should happen more than one time i remember one time um i had a spot and i had just left and um at the time it was me my home girl and um my home boy

we all was splitting it i had just left and i think because she had just got there and then my dog was out of town and then i left so i think they thought the house was empty or something like that so they ended up on running in there but my home girl was still there. So when they ran in, they had guns, they pistol whipped up, and took all kind of shit. And then it's like, I wasn't even, none of us was heavy in the drug game at that time, bro. I think it was like, it was an ounce of weed in the house because the girl liked the smoke. So like, when the police came, they was like, oh, well, we feel like this is drug related. I'm like, nah, it's not drug related. You know what I said? Like, the dudes that ended up, that was

behind it, um, they knew I was involved in music and they was involved in music. And when they ended up taking with a bunch of studio equipment. They took, like, the Apple computers, the microphones, the speakers, all that type of shit. That's what they came in that for. So I keep trying to tell him it's not drug-related, and he just wasn't trying to hear it. And then, like,

they, you know, they said all this stuff about it was going to do an investigation after the fact and check for fingerprints and woo-to-woof, and, like, once they got about it, I'd never heard from the people again. You know what I'm saying? So, even with me, like, I don't know, like, I'm just so used to charging shit to the

gang because it's like when you when you front of struck at all like when you front the bottom I feel like you kind of see the real like how to describe it like you see how much people just don't give a fuck because it's like when you front of the bottom a lot of times you can't hold people accountable and then like a lot of times too like if you somebody who has something going, people have an incentive to be nice to you. You know what I'm saying? So it's like even with me now, like I got success in the music game. So it's like people want to give me clothes and people want to like shout me out and do

all these different nice things for me because they feel like I might be able to give them access to the game or like maybe like if they, if they fuck with me and I fuck with them, I can turn them up. But they didn't act like this before. You know what I'm saying? Like, so it's like when you kind of got something going, people, treat you better than when you have nothing going on at all. Like when you can't benefit somebody at all,

and, like, you know, there's no gain or there's no person, no way for another person to gain from it, they'll get to your blood roll. They'll tell you straight to your face, fuck you. So it's just like growing up, I got that a lot. You know what I'm saying? So it affected my mentality, like, and it's like even like just in school, like I always had the lease.

I always didn't, you know what I said? I never had no money. I always came to school. fucked up. So I'm coming to school fucked up and people to tell me straight up, like your pants don't, like your pants are different color black from your shirt.

Boy, you need to get your hair cut. What the fuck you can't here looking like that for? But like when you're the popular nigga or the pretty girl, I don't know what to say that. Even if you, even if something is wrong with you, it's because they want to be in good standing and good standing with you because they might have a crush on

you or they might want to hang out with you or whatever the case case may be. They're sugar-coated. I never got that. You know what I'm saying? So for me, I feel like everything was always blood-wrought and I understood at an early age, like, how this shit go out of?

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Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro. Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. Do you think you're the good guy or the bad guy? I feel like I'm a good guy. Like I said, I prefer to be on the righteous side of things. But, you know, it's like one of them ends justified of me. It's tight shit.

I can get down through though if need be. You know what I'm saying? But it's like, I'm never going to be the one to initiate foul play. You know what I'm saying? But it ain't nothing I'm intimidated about either. How did your mom react to you getting arrested at such a young age? I feel like it was traumatic for. I feel like it was traumatic for.

But, like, you know, at the same time, I'm on a soldier. Like, she, I feel like I get a lot of this shit from her. Like, my mama never been, like, a criminal, nothing like that. But she's just big on principle, and she's standing on business with everything. She's still a rebel. You know what I'm saying? There's just certain shit that she instilled in me. And it got a lot to do with how I navigate out of him.

You know what I'm saying? So it's like, yeah, when I was first getting fucked up, bro, like, I feel like it took a toll on them. But I just, you mean? to just, I was just trying to find my way, you feel. But, like, I feel like that's something that I'm grateful for now that I don't find, like, kind of like, figure this shit out enough to where I don't got to put her through that. What did she instill in you? What was those principles?

I mean, honestly, like, my mama, a very black and white person, you know what I'm saying? So it's like everything is, like, like me, I'm a truth for person. I always tell the truth. I always tell the truth I don't really I don't and I don't I try my best

never to contradict myself I try my best to stand on principles like that's why like you know what I'm saying just certain shit like like I'm not gonna tell on nobody I'm not gonna back do none of my partners you feel me like

I'm just like like that's why like I was saying before like I feel like I'm on the righteous side of things you know what I'm saying when they come to the street shit because you got niggas that's in the streets that's on all bullshit.

You got a niggas who tell her. You got a niggas who backdo their partners. You got niggas who, you feel me, like, how to describe. You know, I see a lot of that shit going on right now, bro. I feel like people are gravitating towards whatever is the most sensational. So it's like a lot of times when you're doing things, the right way that shit can be a little boring. That shit can be, you know what I'm saying?

It ain't always like, so it's like when you got people that's just like saying crazy shit doing foolish things, you know what I'm saying? Like you see it or like like, like, niggas like uploading all the guns and shit on social media, shoot music videos or doing interviews,

just talking crazy and telling on their self because they want some attention. Like, that's the type of shit that I feel like I was raised not to be on. You know what I'm saying? I'd rather do it a hallway. And, like, that's why I'd be feeling like everything happened for a reason because that was something you said earlier.

I can't think of what it was, but it's like for me, I had been doing music and I was having success with it, but, like what really turned me up was, like I said, before the situation that ended up putting me in the fairs. So before I went to the fairs, I ended up, you know, getting caught with a million dollars and guns and all this crazy. crazy of shit. The police took my jury. They took pictures of the jury. They posted the evaluations of it and all that. So the news clip went viral. I started seeing a news clip all over my city.

I started seeing a news clip on Funkmaster Flex, motherfucking DJ academics, all these other big platforms, World Star. And then I was just like, damn, okay, if they feel like this situation is crazy. It'll be even crazier if, you know, I incorporated it into my music. So, you know, I shoot the music video and I put a news clip at the beginning of it. As the news clip go off, because everybody thought I was gone. Everybody thought I was in jail. They didn't know I was out on bond. So, like, I'm going on Facebook, you know, just like locally at my city and I'm seeing all these people that I know went to school with, whatever, just talking about me as if I was gone. It was like an unreal experience, dog. It's almost like, you know, I like, when someone, you know, when

somebody passed away, everybody are like going on social media or say whatever about him like, damn, I remember we went to fifth grade together. I remember he used to be in my inbox trying to talk to me and different shit like that. So when the news clip came out, that's how people were talking about me.

It was an out-of-body experience. It was almost like I was reading what people would say about me if I was gone for real. So nobody really knew I was out. So when I ended up shooting the video, And it's like the news clip at the beginning.

And then the opening scene is me sitting on the couch looking at myself on the news. And then I just go to take it off. I'm talking my shit. Next thing you know, like the video going viral. I'm on the phone with epic records. I'm on the phone with Alamo records. All these different record labels like was showing interest in me and shit like that. And, you know, I brought that up to say this.

That situation made it to where I had eyes on me. It gave me the viral aspect. having to do any of the goofy shit that I don't believe in. I was able to be myself, but I was just able to, like, be consistent with, like, the way that I move and the shit that I believe in. I never had, like, go that route. That's why I say, like, earlier when you was, like,

would I do it any differently? I wouldn't really do it differently because it go together. You know what I'm saying? Ultimately, this is where I wanted to be, and I wanted to get here a certain way. And without that situation, I don't know if I'd be a, You know, it's so interesting about what you said about that out-of-body experience is that, so I was in the feds and I got my bond revoked and went to prison.

And then when I finally got to my destination, like three or four months later after being in holding and whatnot and in transit, I got a cell phone. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I go on that cell phone and I go back on Facebook to the news post from when I got my bond revoked. And that shit is like reading what all your friends from high school. Because I experienced that when I first got indicted, like when you felt that. Yeah, yeah. That's how I got released and everyone thought I was gone. I was gone because the fed say you're away for, you know, 100, you're facing 120 years.

But for me to see that months later, it was such a surreal experience. And you also know who your true friends are because everyone talks shit when you're not able to respond. Real shit, bro. It was crazy, bro. Like, because I remember when the news article first came out. Like, I wasn't even, I just wasn't expecting it, bro. Like, I expected me to be on the news because I come from a small city. They put down to anything on the news.

but like the way that they sensationalized it and then even how thorough they was with the investigation it was shit about my case that I learned from reading that article

and I remember just thinking myself like bro I hope nobody else see this shit they go I don't know I remember thinking like that like I hope nobody else see this shit and then that bitch just gradually went to taking off and it were like wildfire

brother was out of control now tell us what the headline said um it said damn what did it say we could probably look at look it up. You'll probably look it up. I think it said something like you were caught with 230 or 40 pounds and then a hundred and something thousand dollars from the cash. Fifty-eight thousand cash, fifty-five thousand dollar diamond watch.

And this is like... Now, 230 pounds of weed, what's that translation into street money? That's like over a million bucks? Yeah, it's like, you know it's different now. It's different now, but like back then, back then like, like, I would let them go for like $3,200. We could just say $3,000. So $2.30, where that would be like $600,000, something like that. It's a lot of money.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, like, you know, like, the police don't be knowing nothing. They don't know what's going on on the streets. They had them bitch at $5,000 apiece. That's why they say over a million dollars. But at the same time, that would just want to flip, you feel? That was routine for me. To have that much, many pounds on you at one time?

To go in on that many of them. And you keep it all at your house? How do you get busted? Where was all that stuff at? Well, so crazy, it's like I don't keep it at my house. I used to keep it at my cousin house. I had a female cousin. She had a situation where her and her baby daddy were going through it.

You know what I'm saying? So he put his hands on her. We ended up getting a friarna. And then I would pay the bills, and she would let me like a whole shit, though. So my cousin ended up meeting a new dude online from California. And, you know, they fell in love, whatever, you know what I'm saying? The next thing you know, she's telling me that she leaving.

And it was kind of like out the blue. So the only reason that I even had all that stuff over there was because my cousin moved to California with her new dude, you know what I'm saying? But that's why I'd be saying like everything kind of happened for a reason because it's like if she never would, if that didn't happen, if she didn't move, I probably still would have got caught, but I wouldn't have got caught with as much money and jewelry. And the money in jury is what I think made the article enticing. That's what made everybody jump on my trail and start being interested in me.

So it's almost like, like just, you know, on some divine shit, it's like it's a good thing that I got caught with more. Because if I don't get caught with as much, the story ain't it sensational and this rock shit don't open up for me. You know what I'm saying? I would have just went to jail. How do you go from the rock? game to weed.

Because you would have got a lot more time had you, you know, been into harder drugs. I mean, for me, you just got to be realistic. Like, just got to be realistic, though.

Like, you know what I saying? Like, at that time, like, I knew a lot of niggas that was in that land and they weren't really, they weren't really making money, bro. Like,

I'm going to do whatever year of the best results. It's like, I just was ahead of the curve, bro. Like, I had a homeboy at the time. In my homeboy,

boy was cool with a white boy that ended up moving from St. Pete to Humboldt, California. So anybody familiar with Humbold? No, that's like the weed capital of the world, bro. And like when he went over there and he was telling us these numbers, the shit just seemed fake. Even him saying he could send it in the mail, that shit just seemed fake.

I never heard of none of that. I never heard of these numbers. I never heard of no shit coming in the mail. So like my dog said they wanted to fuck with it. I was skeptical, you feel me, but I seen him do it in it, and it happened. So it's like, you know, I'm saying like I'm used to maybe spending you know like I like I was spending like the same

number I was charged you spend like 30200 on a pound bro and I would be out of this bitch maybe like making four or five hundred dollars off of a pound and I would have to break it all the way down and I'd have to grind it out all week just to get two or three of them bitches off and then I go from that to like getting a pound for like 1500, 1600 and then I'll pull up on the nigger and he'll spend $3,200 on a pound and be happy about it because for him it's cheap and for him it's gas.

And then I just made $1,600 for shaking the nigga hand. And that's all for one. I had a niggas that would buy five, I had a knick's at about 10. I had, you know what I'm saying? So it's like I might, a nigga might pull up on me by 10. I make $16,000 for shaking the nigga hand.

It just got out of control, bro. Like, it was, it was coming in, bro. What were you doing with that? money. All kind of shit, though. You know, I had a clothing line that I was pushing that had traction in the city. I had

a promotion company, like where we would book rappers to come to the city in different clubs. And then, you know, I had the record label. So, like, I was making music. I had a neo-sou soul artist that was making music, an R&B artist that was making music. And so,

like, I had those, I had different hustles lined up. And And I was hanging out, bro. Like, I was breaking bread with all the promoters in my city. Like, I'd have been to every club. I'd have blessed every scripper. You know what I'm saying? And, like, just everybody hustled.

Like, it was crazy to me because I went to jail. And by the time I came home, a lot of people in my area had started taking off in whatever their individual lane was. And a big part of why I had such an initial surge when I came out of support was because, Back in the days, like before they kind of like took off and I had money, I wouldn't do shit like buy local rappers mixtape for $50. You know what I'm saying? Or like niggas are made beats. Everybody want to get the beats for free and I buy a nigga beat for $300, $400.

Like I was just always supporting people in my area. I was always breaking bread. So it's like with me, yeah, that's what it was about. Like I was pushing the line with my individual businesses and brands. and hustles. And I was hanging out and I was supporting like the people in the area

that's trying to make because like when you when you're doing when you're doing anything creative and you're trying to monetize it I feel like the money is the validation. When you, let's say you do concrete or you do landscaping

like bro, you're getting paid that day. Like if I'm going to cut your grass I'm getting paid that day. But when you were a photographer, when you a podcast or a rapper a producer, it's hard to get to the money. Everybody want to work, but they want to work for free. And it's like, you know, the people at the top of the food chain, like, let's say,

I don't know, Rick Ross or Timberlin or, you know, whoever, they get paid because their music is connecting. So it's almost like the money is the validation. That's what separate, like, the wannabe's from the actual, I feel like, Like, people feel like that's what's separated, the wannabe's from the legit people that's really making music that's connecting that belong here. So I always like to pay people, bro. I just always like to pay people because I felt like it gave them the validation they were looking for and they would keep them motivated and keep them going. Yeah, those individuals you're talking about, like us creatives, our money that we make now is from work we did years ago.

Exactly. And months ago. unless you're doing like a club appearance and you're getting paid, which technically is... It's still the same thing. It's the same thing. Because you had to build up your platform or where they felt like,

okay, if I throw a dog on a fly, he's going to break enough heads out for me to make something. Yeah, like in the podcast game, you can't, I didn't get my first advertiser for, you know, almost a year. You have to build that. And then the socials grow and then they start to, you know, pick up wildfire.

But it's a grind, man, you know? Yeah, yeah. It took me two years just to get the $70,000 on Instagram. Yeah, yeah. It's a grind. That's why I say, what I say like, bro, like, I used to be that, you know what I'm saying? Like I said, I used to like record it.

I used to be outside up at the Heights and you're the studio just like putting shit down. And then I tape the little shit I recorded, put it on a CD and I'll be standing in front of the corner store for like two hours, just running down on niggas. Like the A-Rail used to be like, okay, you can't holl at them when they're going in the store, wait until they come out of the store. Like, he want to make sure they spend their money with him first. And it kind of worked for me because they're going there and spend their money, you know, a lot of times they'll come out with change.

So they might have $3, $4 or whatever, bitch, I'm running down. And I'll just be like, my name is, back then my name wasn't, you know, Breeze. My name was Du Bois Spade. Like, my name is Dubois Spade, you know what I'm saying? I'm a local rapper or whatever. And I'd be like, I want to spit a 16 for you. If you're fucking with it, like, cop my mix tape. And I just do that shit every Friday and Saturday trying to get my shit out there.

So I was familiar with the grind, and I was familiar with people, like, bawling up their face and walking away and just chomping the nigga, you're feeling. So anytime I've seen the nigga doing that, bro, I made sure I bless the game. I'm going to hit your hand. And, um, yeah, bro, like, that shit just came by 10-fold. Yeah, it comes back full circle. Yeah, bro, like, this shit, it's years of accumulation.

Now, what's going on right now. Walk us through that day, you got busted when you got arrested. I mean, it was, it was, it felt like a regular day. felt like a regular day. See, like what I didn't know, the nigga that ended up telling on me, the nigga that ended up telling on me, he was familiar with my situation. Like, he knew that I was a felon.

And because I'm a felon, I can't ever get approved or stay in a well-nice. Like, every time I try to apply, like, for some nice apartments or a nice house, they do the background check I get denied. So I always had to get my spots in females' names. So the apartment that I was staying in, it was in a female name. And, you know, me and brother had been seeing out of eye for a minute

because he was acting weird. The whole time he was acting weird. He was actively trying to sink niggas. Like he was trying to tell on other people, but they wouldn't let him in their game room enough for him to really do it. You know what I'm saying? So him telling on me was something that he resorted to. So he started on all he trying to tell on other niggas.

I'm not really peeping gang. acting funny. So I kind of like distance myself. My conscience say like, damn, bro, that's your nigga, you feel, me. You need to fix that. So I reach out to him like, hey, brother, I just got a new career. You feel, me? I'm staying out here. I was trying to do like something like a housewoman party.

And I invited him. So once he knew where I was staying and he knew who my lady was, you know, he noticed by her name. A couple days later, this shit popped off. So you know, I'm moving around. I'm doing my one too like I usually do. And, um, You know, I'm getting them bitches in the mail.

So I had a few on touchdown that day. I had them touching down in Sarasota, South St. Pete, different little areas. So, like, the girl who caught one from me in Sarasota, we were supposed to meet up at the mall. I leave from my shit. I go to the mall. We get something to eat. You know what I'm saying? And then I'm coming by.

And when I'm coming back, that's when they ended up put me under surveillance, but I'm not knowing it. So I'm catching my motion. I had like a play, I had a couple plays like around where I was at. So they surveyed me making those players. Then I went out of the realm of surveillance because I went to the hood. But when I went to the hood, I ended up coming back with a box because one of my dogs had it for me. So I get back to my spot, I'm walking up to the apartment with the box.

And, you know, you got to use like a key fob to get in my apartment. Either that or you've got to punch in the cold and it'll call like somebody that stay there and they'll let you in. So I get to the dough, I get to the little gate, and I'm getting ready to come in, and it's like a white dude that's on the phone. He's like, yeah, man, I keep punching in his cold. This shit ain't working.

Like, he's talking on the phone. I like, don't worry about it, I got you. So I hold up my keyfire to open the door, and then the white dude grab me. So when he grabbed me, like, I tighten up. Like, I'm about ready to fight, because I don't know what he got going on. But as he grabbing me, he keeps saying,

police, police, police, police. And then, like, I start looking around and police was coming at me, everywhere from out of the bushes and all this different shit, bro. I didn't see none of them. I didn't see this shit coming at all, bro. I didn't have no six cents or, oh, I had a feeling.

It wasn't none of that, bro. I got blindsided bitch. So, you know, they entertain me. And I'm trying to figure out what's going on because it's like I know the bosses that I got on me got weed and shit, so I'm trying to figure out what's going on. They put me in the back of the police car and they showing me pictures of the inside of my house

and they're saying that they waited on getting a warrant from a judge so that they can search it. And I guess they ended up sending the maintenance man in there once they got the tip. And, you know, it's a lot of dirty shit that went on with that. You know what I'm saying? There's a lot of ways that I could have fought it because what I ended up going to prison for

was, you know, found in the possession of a firewoman. I also got a 9-2-4-C. So 9-2-4C is using a gun in the furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. So what they say is if you got a gun within arms reach of the drugs, you're using a gun to protect the drugs. But I didn't have a gun on me. I didn't have a gun on me.

They have a gun on me. Y'all just watch me, make plays. I have a gun in my house because that's where I lay my head. But I don't sell drugs out of there. Not only that, but the maintenance man, when he took his picture, he put everything in my house together so you can't say where I had a gun. He put it all together so he could take this picture. It's even like certain pictures where shit is in different places,

like where you can see he was rearranging it. So, like, I felt like I stood a good chance at trial, but, like, my charge carried five years to life. So it's like, that's a big-ass range. It's like you can get five years or you can get life. They could get me 20 years and say they spared me, you know what I'm saying? And just me being familiar with the system, though, I don't see a niggas go to trial and get fucked over,

so I just, like, I knew I could do five years, so I took it. So they gave you a five-year plea deal? Yeah, five years, but it was five years consecutive to 18 months. Because with the 924C, you get five years consecutive, not concurrent, consecutive to whatever you're supposed to get. The actual charges only carried 18 months. Oh, because it was the weed charges. Yeah, the weed and the guns only carried 18 months.

But they gave me five years consecutive to that. So I had to do five years for the 924C. and then do the 18 months. All in the feds or feds and then state? All in the fed. All in the fed. It started off a state case and then they went fed. Why did the feds decide to pick it up?

I have no idea. Because you weren't going interstate, like, traveling across the lines or? I don't lie. Like, in my city at that time, I think the feds, see, like, the way that the fairs work, like, they'll come to a city, bro. Like, they'll just have a presence in the city for a while a lot of niggas were going fed at that time. Like, it's a lot of niggas catching them saying cases right now. They're not going fair.

As a matter of fact, St. Pete right now got beef with the fairs and seemed like it's been like a couple of big drug busts that happened back to back to back. And these niggas not going fed. Like back in the day, they would have been fed. They're not going fed because they feel like the fares is too lean. And the fares, it's like they is, but they ain't like the fares ain't, like the fares ain't unless you're cooperating. If you cooperating the feds, you can get away with down there anything. You got Sammy the Bull. there's something murders. They gave him five years.

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Cummage is a registered trademark of Cummins and Graham and Hemie are registered trademarks of FCAUS LLC. You know, I don't feel like they're motivated by justice. They just won't. The conviction and a deal. They want the conviction. The feds are more willing to make a deal is what I've learned. Yeah, so it's, and I've seen it. Like I've seen niggas get 30 years and go home because of cooperation versus in the state.

It doesn't do as much for you. So the state has the state like in St. Pete, they haven't been given the cases to the feds. But like back then, because when I went to the county, brother, like, everybody had the same case as me. Everybody had a 924C. Everybody had whatever individual drug they were setting, whether it was weed or hard or pills, whatever drug they were selling, if they had in a gun. And they would get a 924C where they had to do five years consecutive or whatever the minimum mandatory was for the drugs they had. my whole

my whole the whole wing and I was in they had me in Delta like the whole part though out of everybody that was in there we all had the same charges

924C 924C 924C 924C 924C 924C Where'd they end up sending you for federal prison? They ended up sending me the Coleman FCC the biggest correctional complex in the Fed

and that was a low security prison What was that experience like for you? Was it worse than you expected better than you expected. You had served time in the state before. I mean, to me, it was easy, bro. Like, like, doing time, unfortunately, I'm a convict. So it's like, I didn't did a lot of time.

Like, that shit, you get used to it and the way you get good at it. Like, you start learning, like, how to cope with it or how to make time pass or even how to make your time count, you know what I'm saying? So I had a support system while I was in there. You know, I was always in touch with people on the streets. I never got, like, lost in the system. I stayed focused. I was always reading and educating myself.

I was working out. I was writing music, you know what I'm saying? And, you know, I did a good amount of networking in there because, you know, it's federal prison. So it's kind of like, it ain't what it used to be. It's watered down. Like, it ain't just strictly big players in the feds. It's water down.

It's a lot of, like, niggas that's in the way in there, too. but the player's still in a, and, you know, I had made enough of a name for myself on the streets to where, when I would cut into different dudes from different areas that had shit going before they fell or even maybe, like, while it was in there, was coming home to different situations.

You know, like, we locked in, we exchanged info. And, yeah, but, like, it got a lot to do with what's going on now because I actually, while I was in the feds, it was a dude named Cano. Cano is a Haitian nigga from Brooklyn that moved to Miami. So back in the day, it was this shit that was going on with all the Zos, all the Haitians, where they was calling on them pirates. They was like running on the boats.

And like the boats would have bricks on them and different shit like that. And the Haitians would run on the boats and take everything. So, you know what I'm saying? Cano was involved in that. And something that went down where it was a dude that had a situation, and he ended up folding on Cano, and he told him like, okay, they got this and that on this boat.

We need to rush this boat. And when Cano went to rush the boat, the fed's waiting for him. It was never no drugs or nothing. It's a, damn, I can't think of what that's called. But it's like, they call it like a stash house robbery, and they're actually trying to like, you know, it's a lot of people fighting that

in the federal system right now. So they're trying to say like, you know, it's like a fucked up case or it's like a fucked up law. they're trying to like get niggas back on that or like making the way the police can't do it no more. But like Dahl actually ended up falling a victim of that. So he was in the fairs the same time I was in the feds. And before he fell, you know, he was he was locked in with Ross.

He was locked in with MMG. You know what I'm saying? Like he won a like Cano's right hand. I mean, he's one of Ross's right hands man. So when I met him in there, he was like a chain gang. He was like a prison shook night or a prison like birdman or something like that. have all these different rappers that wanted to be up under him, you know what I'm saying? And he was like, because he managed rappers on the street.

So he was doing the same thing enough. So everybody was like, boy, you need to meet Cano, you need to meet him. So I ended up meeting him, you know what I'm saying? And we vibing the shit. We went in the laundry room because that's like the only quiet place in the dorm where you could kind of like beat on the table and do your little shit. So it's like I'm beating on the table and I'm taking off. And he was fucking with my music.

So like we've been locked in since the chain game. and when I came home and I started like making music like I remember I did the first day I saw the first song I released when I got out and Rick Ross ended up finding it on a blog page and he commented on it with like the flame emojis

so then like I ended up hitting my panicking and like hey bro Ross just commenting on my shit you know next day I know he's telling me to come to Miami so I can meet Ross and this was in 2000 and this was in 2022 that's when I first went to Miami I met Ross at Club 11, we were vibing and shit, you know what I'm saying?

But I wasn't all in with the music at that time. So by 2024, that's when I really locked in and I was dropping music consistently. I'm doing shows back to back. I'm moving around and it's like once we're all seeing that and I also had like a single that he was fucked up by, but like once he's seen the hustle, you feel me, like once he's seen the focus, that's what made him

decided to make me part of the fold. But at the same time, that don't happen without, Cano and I don't meet Cano if I don't go to the feds. Holy shit. Yeah. If you never went to prison, you wouldn't be signed to Rick Ross. Exactly. Dude, that's incredible.

That's what I'm saying, bro. That's why when you asked me that question earlier, no, I wouldn't change nothing to all this shit. But see, that's why that's so important, though, because you look at that question and the audience listens and they hear your answer, but then they learn more about you and they realize why you say that answer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that evolution is so fascinating.

Definitely, bro. I was in B4. Cano was in B3. He was in the dorm next to me. All he had to do was walk across the hall, and we was right there, you're familiar. So, yeah, bro, if I never go to court, oh, man, I never meet Cano.

I never meet Cano. I never lock in with MMG. If I never, so if I never caught that case, and then even with catching the case, if I would have, like, went to suck a ride or told or something like that, because, like, when the police had me in the back of the car, they said I didn't have to go to jail. They were like, don't go to telling all your homeboys

You got locked up If you tell all your home boys You got locked up You're no good to us They wanted me to keep it talk You feel in me that way I could still get round, niggas and sink them

But I didn't play it like that You know what I'm saying So it's like after a month Went by of me not cooperating They just randomly put me on the news Cause I feel like If I would have cooperated They never would expose me like that

So it's like even with me Catching the case If I tell It goes different just everything like had to play out the way that they played out like that situation had to happen had to play it how I played it like if I wouldn't went to win to the feds and I would have been a rat can't I never would have fuck with me like you know I went in that bitch my face with platinum and that's why I was able to like cut in the niggas from different areas and lock in the way that I did

because of that but also it's like the timing's impeccable he happened to be there like the stars aligned everything yeah and Rick Ross happened to see it and yeah so do you do you feel like there's a misconception about rappers who went to prison like the Rick Ross's of the world and individuals like that. What's the man? Like a stigma. Like people feel like maybe a rapper that had went to prison because there's a lot of them who are successful. They might think that, oh, you know, because they went to prison, they're still involved in that life. Like someone could look at you and search those articles.

Yeah. And see you as a rapper and they might put the two and two together. Like people stereotype. I mean. feel like that happens to you? Yeah, but I mean, I just had a situation with that. But that's bigger than the route shit, dog. That's a way deeper issue.

That just comes with being, that just comes with being black. And then a lot of times, especially if you're black and you got a certain type of swag to you. You know what I'm saying? I just had a situation on, you know, like, okay, so we had back-to-back hurricanes in St. Pete. We had Hurricane Helene, and we just had Hurricane Milton. So before Hurricane Milton, we had Hurricane Helene.

I was out of town working. So I get back to the city, you know what I'm saying? And I'm riding around, listening to music. That's what I do. You know what I'm saying? I'll ride around listening to music. I'll be vibing or whatever. My chick hit me up and she said, and she was like, what you doing?

I said, I'm right around. I asked her if she wanted to come. She would like, sound like fun. So I ended up scooping her. And we end up, you know, kind of like cruising by the beach. And we just listening to the old music, old rich homie because he had just passed away. So we listened to the music. We vibing and shit.

we end up on the beach. So I guess with the beach, that's the area that took the most damage because it's right there by the water. So when people, houses got flooded, they had to take their property out of their house and they sat in their front yard. So it's like people don't got power,

so people don't got the lawn systems, people don't got cameras, they got their property sitting in the front yard. People did a lot of stealing. People went to looting. You know what I'm saying? So now the police is in these areas trying to prevent people from looting.

So I'm out here in this area. They see my car, they decided to get behind me. I didn't do anything illegal. My license was good. My registration was up to date. Every time I made a stop, I can't do a complete stop. Use my turn and sit. No seatbelt was on.

But they felt like I was out of place. So they flashed their lives. They get behind me. I got my ID hanging out of the window like this hill. The lady officer, she grabbed it. She goes back to the car. And I'm just thinking that she's fin to run my shit and send me on my way,

because I know everything legit. But when she come back to my car, she's like, what are you on probation for? And I'm just like, I'm definitely not on probation for riding around the beach with my girls. You know what I said? So then she was like, yeah, she's like, what are you on probation for?

You don't belong here. She kept saying you don't belong here. I'm like, what you mean? I don't belong here. I've been living here my whole life. She's like, where do you live? I said, I live in St. Pete. She's like this St.

St. Pete Beach. I'm like, bro, that's like going to the store that shit down the street. You know what I'm saying? So I'm like, you saying I don't belong here because I'm black? She's like, no, it's not that. And I was like, well, why you ain't putting nobody else over? She's like, because I'm busy with you.

I already got you pulled over. And this is a white cop. This is a white lady officer, bro. And then she was like, so like, I ask her like, are we asking is like, is the beach closed? Because they had it closed. They had it where you couldn't even go there. She was like, no.

Then she was like, well, yes and no. You shouldn't be here this time of night. So we was like, dude, is there a curfew? And then she was like, no. And then she got mad at the girl that I was with for asking questions. She made her get out of the car. She didn't even have no clothes on. She took the girl ID.

And then, like, she come back to the car for the third time. She asked me to get out. She asked me what I'm on probation for again. So I tell her, like, I'm on probation for weed and guns. I'm not on probation for standing out of people front yard. It is, she would like, keep being lippy with me, and I'm going to take you to jail for loiter and a problem. I literally asked her, what's the definition of loiter and her?

and prouding because I never heard of the crime. And she's like, that's it. And had the mail officers put me in handcuffs. She had other cops with her too. Yeah. They were like five cars deep. Were any of those other officers standing up for you at all?

Nah. But they wasn't on it like she was, though. She was the only one that was just super turk. You know what I'm saying? Like just on some bullshit. But like that just go to show like the profile. Because she didn't know who I was. She didn't know I was a rap for a nothing. I had $50,000 worth of jewelry on.

I'm fresher than a bitch. I got a girl in the passenger the seat in her pajamas. Bro, I'm not out here looting. I don't got no gloves on. I'm not dirty. I'm not sweating or breathing heavy. None of that. You know what I'm saying?

She knew within the first two seconds of looking at my car, that's not what I was doing. But because there's a, she looked me up and she seen that I was on probation and I got this service swag with the gold teeth and all that. It just puts it into a different space. So I wouldn't even pin it on just the route shit, bro.

I feel like it's a way deeper problem than that. And what ends up happening? Do they bring you to jail or they let you go? Yeah, they took me to jail. They took you to jail? They took me to jail for Lord and then proudly, even though I never got out of the car. So how'd that affect your probation?

Did you get that? Bro, I was supposed to get off of probation. Like, you know, I got five years of probation. My 50% mark was September 28th. This happened the first week of October. It actually happened the exact day that my probation officer said, whoever his supervisor is or whatever is going to make a decision on my shit,

they were telling me like two to 14 days from that day that I went to jail, I would have got off probation. To file the motion and everything to get you off. Yeah, so now, because of that, I can't get off probation. And if I get convicted, I'm not getting off probation.

If I beat it, I can still get off. But until this case is resolved, I can't really say what's going to happen. So are they going to violate you for that or no? Because it's a misdemeanor. If I get convicted, they will violate me. If I beat it, it's no violation.

But it probably won't be a major violation. Yeah, y'all wouldn't go back to prison, but I don't think I'd be able to get early termination no more. It's crazy. I'd have to do the full five years. I had to do another two and a half years on probation if I was convicted, which I don't believe is going to happen. Even though my criminal complaint, there's nothing illegal that I did,

even all the way down to a traffic violation. I don't even got a ticket. Are you going to fight it? Definitely going to fight it. Wow. I got an illegal team. I don't fuck off. What about the music industry?

How do they, like agents and labels and stuff, how do they treat you with a felony? Do they care? Um, I mean, it hasn't really came into play yet, but, um, you know, it's, I haven't, I haven't reached, I don't describe it. It's like this, bro. Even though I'm signed with MMG, we still treat it like I'm independent. Like, there don't be no, like, even this situation right here, this is something that happened off the script for me. This ain't something that the label lined up.

It's just like me having my ear to the streets. I know like, okay, like, bro, be doing the interviews, and I like your interviewing style. So I was like, this is just something that I wanted to do. So it's like if I want to do something, I can do it, and ain't nobody regulated my move. They got the plays they turn me on too. I got plays that I come up with myself,

and we just put it together. It still feels independent. Like, Ross ain't babysitting the niggily. You know what I'm saying? Like, he'll play a player. We just doing this shit. I feel like it's better that way. Like, I don't like when, like, the labels,

reach out because then you don't know what you're getting into. Like, you're just doing it to do an interview. Like, it's not because you want to genuinely be here with that person, you know? Yeah, yeah, your head's not in it. Yeah, yeah, that ain't what's going on, bro. Like, pretty much, like, he let me know what plays he got going on. Like, hey, I'm from the shoot here. I'm from the shoot, though.

If you want to fuck with it, you can. But if I got other shit going on, I can fuck with that. And then we just put it together. And so far, there hasn't been any label push behind my motion. Everything has been just like muscle, you feel. But him saying, hey, fuck with need no breeze. And me saying, hey, fuck with this. You know what I'm saying?

It ain't been, no label, I ain't pushed no button and got me on like no big playlist or got me no really big looks. Everything just be like, okay, Ross got a relationship with this person, he gonna make a call. I got a relationship with that person, I'm gonna make a call. And we put it together.

So at least thus far, I ain't ran into nothing. But I kind of feel like right now, we just, we're doing what need to be done for me to get there. So I would have to see what happens when you get to that level where you dinner with the super corporate, super squeaky clean, you know what I'm saying? That ain't really what I've been running. I haven't been dealing with much of that yet. I feel like there comes a certain point, though, where they can't not, you know, avoid you.

Like, they, when you get to that level, as long as, like, you're not doing something that's going to get you canceled, like your cases for guns and drugs, no one got hurt. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the shit that tripped me out about that is the drug is marijuana, which they have legitimate facilities all over the country instead of marijuana. And then the guns, I didn't have them out there with me when I was, y'all just watched me sell drugs. I didn't have a gun in.

I had a gun where I lay my head because if anybody manages to get in here, I need to defend myself. So it's like we have the right to bail arms in America. Well, not as a felon, but. And then you have the weed thing. And it's just like, I understand, like you got to go through the proper channels when it's kind of shit like that.

I ain't saying that I'm exempt. But what I am saying is I just did, I just got a seven to eight months sentence for something that under the right conditions you can legally do in America. You know what I'm saying? There's no way around it. Like cocaine is illegal, robbery is illegal,

murder, rape, that's all illegal. With what I did, If you go through the proper channels, it's completely legal. So, like, for me to have to do 78 months in prison, then get out and have to do a year on house arrest and at a halfway house, then be on probation for another five years. I've been dealing with this situation since 2016. It never ends, yeah.

Even though I'd have legitimized myself, even though I'm making, like, bro, I got a, I ain't going to say the exact number, but I got a seven-figure contract, bro. And they taking me to jail. I got a seven-figure contract. I'm right around my city, mine and my business, and I go to jail for loitering and probably. Like I'm in business front yard stealing like $20, $30, worth of shit, like some crackhead.

It's like a crackhead charge. It doesn't make sense. But it's because they see me, they see my profile. They look me up. They see I'm on probation. And now they got, they go about it a certain way from them. you know what I'm saying and it's like a nigga want to put it behind them

and then when you think about at least for me when I think about okay not only am I going through all this to this day and like if this petty little misdemeanor charge end up sticking I'm going to have to deal with it for another two and a half years

so it wouldn't be until 2000 and 2025 2007 all this shit started in 2016 it wouldn't be over until 2007. That'll be 11 years that have been dealing

with this situation when it was weed and guns which under the right circumstances you can have both in America. They have marijuana illegal at a federal level and it's not even it's been to criminalize

in a lot of states. So it's like, you know, like when you're in the fairs it's like when you go to court that don't say Von Matthews versus the state of Florida says Von Matthews versus the United States how to hell

am I going How can you say Vaughn Matthews versus the United States when this drug isn't even criminalizing the entire country? It should already be a state case because I can't even get this case in California. I can't even get this case

in D.C. I don't think I can get in the New York. They're decriminalized here and Connecticut. That's what I'm saying. So how can you have it at a federal level if it's not illegal in the whole country? But even with that, If they tick away the weed charge for you, then you still were faced with a gun charge, right? Yeah, but I only got 18 months for that.

Because if you get rid of the 9-24C, which is using the gun and the furthest of a drug trafficking offense, that's when you get rid of the majority. That's what got me to five years, and that's what got me from three years of probation to five years of probation. Unless the feds had taken up, the feds could have hit you with felon in possession, right?

Which would have been five? Is that a mandatory? No, no, no. That's what I'm saying. I got fetters of a firearm. I got 18 months for that. Oh, that was only 18 months. Yeah, a lot of times when,

When you see dudes get a lot of time for guns Because I see every dude I see and get caught with a gun Got way more time to me. Yeah, I see like five years for felon in possession. But it's like if you actually look at the chart, I believe it's like a level 14 offense. But, you know, the feds just got so many enhancements. Like if you got an extender.

An enhancement for everything. If you got the serial number scraped off. Even mine, because my shit started off of 14 and went up to a 16 because I had three guns. So you got like more than one gun. You got an extender. You got a switch. You got a serial number.

number peeled off, if it's stolen, or, you know what I'm saying, depending on your background, because you know they got the ACC, you get called with a gun, you get 15 years. You can get caught with bullets and get 15 years. Let's think they get 15 years just for bullets. So usually, I don't know other dudes situation, but for me, I started off at level 14 offense and went up to a level 16 because I had three guns. Usually you get three points off with, like, the admission of guilt and all that stuff. I only got two because my offense was.

was already so small. They only gave me two levels off and it went back down to a 14. So I only got 18 months for the gun, bro. So what's next for you? What do you have next on the horizon? I mean, I've been recording. We already know what the next single going to be.

We already know what the next couple of singles is going to be, but we're playing it by it, but whatever the, whatever the momentum kind of feel like, if it feel like we need to do another single, if it feel like we need to do a mixed, They feel like it's album time. We go on based off of the momentum.

You know what I'm saying? So what's next for me, bro? Like, like, like, I'm a beast with the route shit. I ain't worried about that. Like, whenever I get in that mode, it's that. So what I'm kind of like more what, I feel like what's more of the task for me right now is making that transition from the streets to this.

So it's like it's me getting comfortable in front of the camera, me getting comfortable on the stage, and like just me networking and build us some relationships and just being all in, you feel like if you look at Ross, he's polished. It's automatic, bro. Like, I ain't never even seen that nigga do a video two times. That nigga pull out his phone, bro,

and that nigga go to talking that shit, it's that. You know what I'm saying? That nigga goes on that stage. He know how to work the crowd. He knows how to include people. Like, he'll see notable people in the crowd. He'll shout out. He'll always, you know, articulate certain things.

Like when we was, you know, we just came from doing the show with Wilder now that the Barclays. And he stopped in the middle of the show And gave Nick Cannon's flowers He's like, but this is history Nobody thought you would make it this far Woo-to-woo. And he just, you know what I'm saying?

He been doing it so long That it's automatic for him And I'm trying to get it to where I'm like that, you know what I'm saying? Because just coming from where I call from your fear But like, you know, it's kind of like green To be friendly.

Like I'm friendly-a-d knick I'm friendly, I'm friendly, I'm talking to everybody You know what I'm saying? Like so just getting out of my cell and just making that transition because I'm aware of the opportunity. You know what I'm saying? Like, I feel like the music industry

the most exclusive grind. Like, if you want to do anything else, you can kind of just show up every day and eventually it'll happen for you. And with this music shit, bro, you got to be chosen. Like, they got to like your music, got to like your look, they got to like you. You got to have connections.

And it's like for me to be in this position, and as competitive as it is, you know what I'm saying? Because it's like even though I got other skills and I got other interests, it's people that's like they live and breed it. This is all they got. And you got to treat it like that. Because if you got a nigga that's going hard every day

and you're only giving it 20%, you're going to get left behind. You know what I'm saying? So it's like for me, it's about making that transition. the music is important. I ain't downplaying that. You know what I'm saying? That's actually the most important thing. But it's just like I've been working on my craft my whole life.

You know what I'm saying? I've been past 10,000 hours with that shit. I've been working on my craft my whole life. So that's something that like the work needs to be done, but I'm 100% confident that I can create music that people fuck with. It's more like of navigating the industry and the politics. into promotion and coming up with content and doing things

to make people gravitate towards me. You know what I'm saying? So I say, you know, like what's next? Like, well, like I said, we're playing about here and I'm just focused on making that transition and becoming like doing this shit full time, doing this shit for real. I love it, man.

Well, Nino, thank you so much, man, for coming out to Connecticut today, spending your Saturday with me and good luck with everything. And, you know, keep focus, keep grinding. and you're also a great start being on camera. Well, do.