New Rory & MAL - Episode 528 | Trinidad James & Fyre are The Bess Drssd

Episode Date: August 6, 2026

Rory & Mal discuss they're survival skills before getting into the new Jay Z verse on Beyonce's DONK Remix.  Which leads to them discussing what is a flop nowadays.  BESS DRSSD, aka, Trinidad James and Fyre, drop by to chop it up with the guys about their self-titled project, not following dress codes, and the state of fashion. Trinidad also shares with us about rediscovering his passion in music, the spirit of competition, and how to not be a follower of trends. He also tells us about his artist, Kodie Shane, becoming a media personality, and much more! All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet Visit your nearest Boost Mobile store or https://www.boostmobile.com/promo/25-foreverSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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this is the podcast for you. Listen to Therapy, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Dancing with the Stars is looking for a new pro. And since last season, I came in eighth place. I'm basically an expert. I'm Danielle Fischel. And I'm Val Schmerkowski. And we have a new podcast called Stepping on Toes with Danielle and Val.

Every week, we're breaking down Dancing with the Stars, the Next Pro. To find out who I'll be sharing the ball with next season. Listen to Stepping on Toes on America's number one podcast network, IHeart. Follow stepping on toes and start listening on the free IHeart Radio app today. 12 years ago, Nikki Minaj dropped the Anaconda video. 12? That was 12 years ago. Damn.

12 years ago yesterday. We getting old. Not only were getting old, but do you remember that video? Yes. One of the most iconic videos ever. Do you want to know what's so crazy? I'm watching this shit now because, you know, they're posting it because of the anniversary. This is so regular now.

Oh, yeah. This is scrolling on your Instagram. No matter who you follow, like, just real quick. Like, this was the most iconic. That's a dump. That's an Instagram dump. That's all that is. That was last weekend.

Yeah, yeah. That was the weekend in Mexico. That's a dump. And when I say regular, Barbes, relax. I don't want to trigger you. I'm saying that video was iconic. We had never seen anything like that. Now seeing ass is so right.

Like, this was like porn when it came out. Yeah, it was definitely, it definitely shook. The funny, you're saying 12, damn. I remember when it dropped. Yeah. Like, I remember the frenzy it caused when it dropped. The trailer the day before. Yeah.

Because we had never seen, like, of course, ass existed online. I hope ass existed. No, but I'm saying, like, even, you know, there was still IGMA. There was still over-sexualized on social media. But we had never seen, like, an alist. Right. That was like, wait, you see Nick Banaja's whole ass on this shit?

Yeah. That was crazy. Yeah. Now it's like you can't, and I don't mean this disrespectfully to the women out there. Now it's like seeing, that's just a lotto video. Yeah. Nothing. If she had pants on it'd be like, wow, that's a strange video.

Yeah, yeah. She's shifting the culture. Putting on pants and shifting the culture now. She must have a Levi's hat. Yeah, she better. She's aiming for one for sure. Which is fine. I have no like thing attached to this, like society's going.

It's just funny looking at that. And if you were around 12 years ago, how crazy that was to see. Yeah. Now this would be like... Normal day on Instagram now. Yeah. Where do you think he's going to go?

From here? Because the only next step is just fucking. Like, you're going to see a female rapper get fucked on camera while she's rapping her verse. I think somebody... That'd be fired. That'd be fired. But what does I say about the guy if she's able to get through her verse

while he's having sex? Like, he doesn't feel away about that? Well, maybe actually. Like, if she one takes it, like, what if she one takes it? If she one takes it? Like, if she one takes the verse while she's having sex with you on camera, like, that's, as a man, you have to. That would bruise. It would bruise my ego.

I was the casted as the male vixen. Totally naturally. And she had no problem. And imagine if she was, like, double time on the verse. And did ads. Like, if she did ass with you. And she did her own. lives like yeah no man as a man you got to feel some type of way for sure yeah I'd be

trying to lift her legs up just so I get deep right not even working not it's not even working I don't know man though visually though like I think I think it has to get um we joking and you know just having for but I do think it has to get maybe a little more artistic though from here I mean sexuality has been part of pop music sense of exception as it should be yeah I'm not saying it's got a little looser with the clothes no pun intended I'm not saying to get a do away with it I'm I'm just saying like, Beyonce's been in a thong. Yeah.

I'm saying, like the Lotto Doja Cat video. Love that. Right. Great video, great record. But there was some artistry in that, though, as well. Yeah. Get what I'm saying? Like, so, you know, women can be sexy.

We love that. Like, be sexy, be women, be feminine, but don't just do away with the art trying to be so provocative. Like, it can't go that way. Well, Doja is great at that. Yeah. In general. Like, all her videos, she'll, you know, show. some side boob and ass, but she has great visuals.

I'm saying for the, like, the ratchet girls where there is no artistic taste to this, but just sexuality. I feel like the next thing they're going to have to do to compete is like, sign up for my only fans. I'm getting fucked while I wrap my verse. And I think it'll work. And one take. No edits.

It's the good. You got to say one shot. Yeah, one take. One take, that's it. In and out. Got this done. That's fucked up, man. I mean, for the amount of artists that rap and also do OnlyFans, I'm kind of shocked that that's not, those two things haven't crossed over.

Well, we've seen something like, what was the video with the guy? He had somebody behind him having sex in the van. Remember, like, the truck? He opened up the truck and there was somebody in the truck having sex. I have no idea. Yeah, it was one of those, it was one of those, you know how they put the mic on the corner? it was like one of those type of vibes but I think he was in the street

and he opened like a moving truck it was like a moving truck and it was a couple in there having sex it's a wild place to fuck yeah I remember when I saw that I was like okay so this is where we are we're going all the way like you know what never took that I thought was going to and Hunter Biden's kind of doing it now with all these interviews Hunter Biden

let me land this transition remember that guy I think he was running for mayor or town count nothing like super crazy but remember he was fucking someone on camera we talked about it on the pod years ago he was a politician running and something Peter maybe and I think he was like

he was standing on making prostitution legal and he leaked his own sex date who? No it's not Pete shout as a friend of the show Wiener something Wiener No Anthony Wiener that was not by consent

somebody hackney Oh this was somebody that was on the Senate like on the floor No he was running for something No, that was when that little twink was getting fucked where our laws are made. Okay. Separate completely. It was someone running for some type of political office and he leaked his own sex tape as a political campaign.

Like, this is the guy you're getting. And like, he was pounding some chick out in a hotel and he's like, we're going to make prostitution legal. He was really running for real. I do not remember that. It was years and years ago. But we talked about it. I thought that was going to swing things where it's like, okay, these politicians are all fucking horrors. So they might as well just tell us.

I thought that was going to happen, but no, he wasn't a trailblazer. Well, the president tried that and they took him to court for it. So, you know, where are we getting these mosquitoes from? Is that the same mosquito that's been in here since like Monday? Probably. Jesus. He didn't die yet. We got rid of all those plants.

Yeah, I don't know. It's the windows because now we have some of people in here that smoke. No. Mike Edkiss is the guy that sex day. It was what? Mike Edkiss. Mike Edkiss. I do remember that name.

sounds like a middle linebacker. I do remember that name. What was he running for, Pete? Manhattan, congressional district. Okay. I remember that name. He is.

No, he had a straight-up sex tape as his political campaign. You got to get creative a rollout. Yeah. Listen, man. It's not just politically. Jay Cole gets in the car, goes up to East Coast. Politician fucks a prostitute. Like, they're the same thing.

It's just a different type of rollout. I saw that guy that was walking from Philly to L.A. or California. He finally made it. Talk about the guy that looks like me. No, not the white guy. That was years ago. Hopefully he's made it already.

Mike Posner? Yeah, Posner. Posner. Shout out to Mike Posner. Shout out to Mike Posner. No, there's another guy. I forgot his name. He got bit by a rattlesic.

This dude got hit by a car. Yeah, it was like, it was a lot. And I saw the other day that he just, he made it to California, I believe. He walked from Philadelphia to California. Where did he get hit? Like wearing his body? Well, like what state? Oh, I'm not sure.

I'm not sure. Like, I hope in Cali. I hope it wasn't like No, no, no, he got hit Like in Pennsylvania and still like to go No, no, no He got hit way before he got to California Yeah, he got hit by a car

I just think that that's And then I looked at the video The video I saw had like 36,000 views Now I was like, if I walk from Philadelphia To California And a video only has 36,000 views Like

I would feel like I would feel like I, should I have been fucking from Philadelphia to California Like on stream? Like what else can you do? I'm walking clear across the country and only 36,000 people saw this.

This is going to sound pessimistic and I'm still here for creativity. I want to make my stance clear there. But not, bullshit works way easier. Maul, I put so much money into my video with Black Odyssey and Lucky Day, went to L.A., shot it. Love the video.

It's incredible. Did well. Don't get me wrong. You know, I was more views on Instagram already? What? My parody, come get ready with me to the J. Cole concert. You know how long that took me?

you know quickly Peeped, edited that shit together Yeah, yeah, yeah I did that voiceover in about five minutes Yeah, yeah That's what I'm saying It didn't cost us anything You don't

I didn't even pay for parking Yeah, no You don't I found street parking That is hilarious Yeah That did more That's what I'm saying

Different reasons For those types of content Yeah But to your point Like damn I walked across the country And got 36,000 views Why did I do that?

If you want to do it for views. It was a streaming video? Okay. He streams and that's high for streaming. 36 for the whole way? No. No, just whatever video I saw. First of all, I'm not shitting on 36,000 views is great no matter what.

I don't make it sound that way. I'm just saying the task of doing that, it probably took him a couple months. Yeah, for sure. Yes, I would like more than 36,000 streams. Yeah, I just feel like more people should have known, been watching that. That's something, that's not an easy thing to accomplish. And some things are for your own internal piece and this and that and who cares about views. I hear all that. But you are streaming it. So let's not act like you didn't peep at the data just for a second. Yeah. If I saw

what Forrest Gump did, he fucking invented the smiley face, got a Nike deal. Like, he did a lot of, what's the bumper sticker he invented too during that run? Shit happens like, come on, 36,000 people. He got Jenny back because of that shit. Because everybody was watching. She was at the diner. Like, we interrupt this program to show you this guy going across country. I just don't know about walking across the country. That's a little.

I mean, we kept up with the Mike Posner one. There's just such a high chance of something going wrong when you're walking across country. Definitely. I mean, you get hit by a car. Mike Posner got bit by a rattlesnake. Yeah. And, like, how did that- Funny, but like.

And how does that happen? How do you get bit by? Like, you don't see the snake? You, you're an idiot. walk through Arizona. That's what you do. Yeah, but you would still see a snake though, no? No.

No, I feel like in the same. Can't see a snake? No, they're like, hide. If I'm walking in. But he's walking on the side of the road. He's not walking like in the desert. Yeah, but you know, have you ever driven through like Nevada or yeah, Arizona?

You're in the desert in certain places. If you're walking like right on the side, you have sunglasses on it's super bright, you got your hat on. You don't think a tan snake couldn't hide in, in dirt? I guess. Yeah, I guess. I guess you're right. I just like, that's something I can't fath.

I wouldn't even know what's, how do you prepare for that? You don't. Like, what's your first day? Like, that was, I definitely just got bit by a snake. Yeah. And like, what do you do right after that if you're the middle of the desert? How long would it take like the EMS to get to you? At least 30 minutes.

Yeah. And then I'd start thinking all the shit I've seen on National Geographic, like, oh, I have five minutes to live. I have no survivor skills in this moment. Yeah. You know, some people have zero survival skills? I just saw a video. I don't know if it was fake or not, but there was like a shootout

in this suburban neighborhood and the mom ran right in the house and was like kids come in. The parents just left their children out front and then one of the kids ran towards the shots. He should join the Marines. Like I saw that kid. I was like, that kid is going to keep us safe.

Yeah. Some people have zero survival. I just look at some videos sometimes and I'm just like, I see how people end up dying over like dumb shit. I see it. Well, there's different. I have survival skills here.

But you put me out in the woods. I wouldn't have very. Oh, I wouldn't know how to. I don't even do. The most I could do a start a fire. I could do that. I could do that. But it would take me a while.

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Don't think it would be some out of the game. Then I won't be ready in an hour. Like, I can't do that. But I can definitely start a fire. Other than that, I don't know how to build a tent. I don't know how to tie ropes and knots to make it. Like, I don't know how to do none of that shit.

I'm immediately going to eat the poison berry that, that like shuts your stomach down. 100% eating a deadly mushroom. And like I feel like I could kill an animal eventually. But then I don't know like... What animal? With your bare hands or with like a rifle? Well, I wouldn't, if I'm out in the woods,

I'd imagine like it was a plane crash or just like, I wouldn't have a gun. Yeah, so what animal? I'm not just walking through the woods abandoned with a gun. What animal would you kill? I don't know. You wouldn't kill nothing, Rory. He's not killing shit.

I'm not catching a rabbit. No, definitely not. Yeah, catching animals is fucking. Not catching a bird. Hell no. Not catching a squirrel. If you see a bear, you're running. You're lunch at that point.

Like, what animal are you killing with your bear in? I haven't thought through. You would have to literally like just get some type of netting or something and just try to fish. And fish, yeah. That is the only thing you're catching is a fish. Yeah. I don't think I could sneak up on a deer. Like, I'm trying to think if I somehow.

A deer. like made no not choke it out no no you guys didn't let me finish you go put a deer in the headlock and put your fingers in his nostrils like you know how quick a deer would fuck me up no I'm saying like if somehow I figured out like

how to find a stick in the perfect rock and made some type of weapon like where I could hit its head I still don't think I'd be able to sneak up on a you're not sneaking up on my fucking dead bro and from behind hind legs straight to my face you're not sneaking up on no deer the best your best bet for dinner

if you're stranded in the forest in the wilderness. Both of us, our best bet is to try to make some type of netting, something, or something to fish. But what I was going to say is, let's say I even figure out how to kill an animal. I don't know how to filet.

I don't fucking... Now I'm just a murder. I don't even know what to do with this dead body. Like... Yeah. I have survival skills. I have zero idea what to... I have survivor skills in the city. I don't have survival skills in the woods. No. No, I would have no idea what to do. I wouldn't know. And it's, it's fucked up because we surround about so much, so much forest and, you know, but it's just like,

I would not know what to do. I think about that often. Like, I don't know how to create a tent. Like, I don't know how to pitch a tent. Even if you give me a tent right now with the instructions, I wouldn't know how to do it. I could do that at least. I don't know. I couldn't do that shit. Yeah. I mean, but they're, they're not preparing us for the end of the world, which is probably purposeful. Yeah. Like, that's why I brought up

to you and Demaris, I forgot, like a year ago about the, uh, Will Smith movie. What is it? Um, I am legend. I am legend, yes.

Like, there'd be no movie if I was Will Smith. Like, just bite me. I'm joining, y'all. Really? I,

but he had, I mean, he was, he was going into grocery stores. He was in the city and could find certain shit, but I'd get tired at some point. Like, just,

I'll just join you. Y'all are surviving way better. I'm not going to keep doing this. Nah, fuck. They got my dog. Like, come on. Zombie me. Let's do it.

Zombie me. Let's do it. I'm a zombie. Like, that's the race now. It's the zombies. I'm on that side. Did you ever have to read the movie? Not the movie.

The book Hatchet? No. I don't know if that was your era of required reading. It probably was and I still didn't read it. The kid got, I think it was like a plane crash and was out in the woods and only had a hatchet with him and survived. It was only a nonfiction. book could exist that way. And then Hatchet too, he got rescued, but

couldn't deal with society anymore and went back out to live with the hatchet. Yeah, see, shit like that is just stupid to me. Tom Hanks, even if you give me the fucking skate, I'm not making castaway. No. We talked about that. Sunscreen alone, I need. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That video, speaking on that, you spraying sunscreen on yourself like that was so fucking funny. I'm like, yo, well, why not just put some SPF some moisturizzo. And then we were going to the Barclays. It wasn't even like we was going. Well, that was the joke.

Putting on sunscreen to go to an indoor event. But you never know with the lights. Yeah. They can affect your skin. No, I actually have great sunscreen that I put on my face. But yes, I was doing the influence. People seem to enjoy that video. That was pretty funny.

Yeah. I was thinking about the next one doing an influencer, get ready with me for a J. Tronica's session. Oh, God. Jesus Christ. Good luck. Good luck with that one.

What's the things that, like, the police officers wear for the dogs? Like, when they're training the dogs to bite. It's, it's a, it's a suit. I was thinking about buying that suit for the two great Dane's. Like, you got to walk in the studio. Yeah, but they look. Now, the dogs is cool, though. They're cool to you and they're cool to me.

Oh, okay. Because we've known them since puppies. Okay. You know, I've had hospital visits. Really? Those dogs will fuck you up. Not us. I mean, they're great names.

They're big dogs, but I didn't know they, they bit somebody before? Allegedly. Allegedly. Allegedly, okay. Multiple people. Allegedly multiple victims are walking around after a jail electronic recession. Speaking of J. Electronica, we did get a JZ verse today, which when I woke up, I thought, was 100% AI. I thought it was AI too.

I'm not going to lie. When I first heard it, I thought it was AI. It sounded like a bunch of J inf fluctuations and things piece together. We know that's what AI just pulls from songs that already exist from the artist. But yeah, I thought it was AI as well. And it was posted on an IG, a Twitter page that, like, hosts real shit, but sometimes doesn't. So, again, I just thought it was some AI shit. But then, like an hour later, it was fully on Beyonce's YouTube page.

Yeah. So it's the Morning Dew remix featuring Jay-Z. I was really hoping it was AI You wasn't feeling it? I like the remix version of the production It actually felt kind of like how Hove did his Yankee Stadium shows with the band

Like it's a bunch of different records we know It's a great mashup Like it's a really cool remix mashup that like a DJ would do So I loved that version of it With the Sheck West shit Isley brothers I think there was a few big pipping sounds in there as well

I just thought the mashup was really cool for the remix for Beyonce maybe this goes back to the conversation we were having what I was having with Demaris about Jay Cole

in the pilot's record planes there's just some drunken love was my limit love it's a hit record iconic record yeah

just some rappers I just, I don't really want to hear about the dick game, that's all. Was that in this verse now? I don't think you got into that in this verse, though. Well, the first four bars are a fire flip of, you know how last night

went, let's see what the morning do, sloppy like morning do. I just, I don't know. I think it's great that merry people should talk about that. I just, you don't want to hear it. I'll feel you. I'll feel you. But I'm not hating on the record.

Again, love the production. And if this means Hove is in the place where he's just going to start dropping Lucy's or he's comfortable rapping again and putting music out, let's go. I don't care. Let's go then.

When Bleak was here, we both agreed. I don't want a new J album, though. Well, I disagree with either. If he has something to say, I want to hear it. I'm not an album, no. Well, what did you think of the verse then? Because I thought the flip to the- The Sheck West part, like, I like that.

I don't know, just, it took a few listens, one to realize it wasn't AI. Because again, I don't know why, maybe that's how our ears are now wired. It felt like a lot. Because of the mashup. Yeah. It just felt like somebody, you kind of just put that together. So I had to get that

out of my brains. Okay, this is a real hoverse. And yeah, it was just introduced weird to me, and maybe that's a thing we have to get used to now with some of our favorite artists. AI records are going to be, I'm sorry, not AI records are going to be introduced to us and we're going to think they're AI.

it didn't really even sound like a whole flow to me I mean it felt like a song that we already got from J&B like it felt like like you said like was that drunk of love duce is the shit it kind of felt like that a little bit especially with the quarterback nigga hate no my bitch go the fuck nigga hate no my bitch I mean to Pige's point I think they're gonna love that record

that's gonna be the part of the record that yeah that'll definitely love when it's you know in the clubs are gonna play that a lot also like they only hating on us on the internet yeah again addressing things that are out there when i say i was when bleak was saying that i didn't want to j album meaning that i don't know man because again i feel like if jay puts an album out now one i don't know because everybody attaches you know success to how well did it stream where did it chart how long did it stay there this, that, and the third.

Like, I just think that there are more people waiting to kind of, like, take away from Jay's legacy than to add to Jay's legacy at this point. But I just don't even care. Like, I have no idea what 444 did in its first. I don't either. I don't know. But now, today, more than ever, everybody's so fixated on that aspect of things and not the music, not how well does it sound, how well does it, you know, like live and things like that.

But Jay doesn't have to think about that. No, he's not thinking about that. But that's why I would like an album. from him because he, who cares and I don't think he gives a fuck. No, I know he didn't care about that. I'm just saying just the, the void, the opinion of the public. It's like, it's

almost like they're waiting to say you know, father time caught up with you finally, like get out of here. This is trash. Like people are almost waiting for that moment. You get what I'm saying? Like, that's what it feels like. Whereas now it's like, okay, 30 years of reasonable doubt, blueprint,

25 years, you give them those moments. Sold out three nights at the Yankee Stadium. Like, to me, it's like, boom, let that stay there. Now you introduce a new body of music and for things for people to kind of say, again, the nitpicking here. He sounds old. He sounds outdated. He doesn't, you know what I'm saying?

Nobody wants to hear the same old flow. We heard this type of song already. Da-da-da-da. Like, I just feel like there's more people like that waiting to have those opinions than to say, damn, still sounds great. This is a different sound for Jay. Love that he tried this. To me, that's what I'm leaning more towards.

I just don't, I just feel like there's way too many people waiting to have that moment to judge and say, yo, there's no, you know, he's too old for this genre now. Like, he's, he's officially outdated. Like, that's how I feel. And I just don't want to have to sit and sit through that and see that. But I think that's still that niche part of the internet that we were talking about that was hating on the Yankee Stadium shit. And then you saw how many people were at the Yankee Stadium shit. I do think that's a small... No, no, no, for sure.

It's heightened in one place, which is the timeline, but that is a small group of people when you get in the scope of things when it comes to the amount of people that are actually listen. So... But even coming off this verse.

No matter what, okay, this verse, objectively, if somebody was like, I don't like this, I wouldn't argue with them. Right. But there's also the side, let's say Hove put out

his 2026 version of blueprint, and by that, I mean an undeniable classic. Not that sounds like, blueprint. But like, oh, this is incredible. This is nuts. Those same people are still waiting for the same thing and they're going to do the same thing and hate it. Yeah. It's not going to change. So you can't fuck it. Let's get the music no matter what. If Jay has something to say, that's where I'm at with it. If he has something to say, then I'm cool. I would like to hear it. Because no matter what good or bad, that's what people

are going to go with. Yeah, it could be the greatest thing ever. But that's kind of what he was addressing on the end of this verse. Exactly. He was like, y'all going to be, y'all tweet's still going to be tweeting. This is what we doing. I'm enjoying my life of my wife. Right. So if we on that type of vibe for the album and it's hove, then I would love to hear it. Of course people are going to say that. Yeah.

That doesn't change much at all. They're going to say it flopped regardless. If he doesn't outsell GNX, Iceman, or Fall Off, it's going to be a flop. Collectively. Collectively, it's crazy. He has to sell more than them collectively, yeah. Because that's now the standard. Well, actually, I don't even know what the standard is.

Yeah. Because even when Kendrick sells well or Drake sells well, they're still saying they didn't hit another number they hit before. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So at what point do we even care? Because who sold this year? And numbers really don't matter to me. But in the scope of this conversation, what's a flop? Yeah.

If Hope put something out and sells under 100,000, but it's incredible. And he has a billion dollars and can sell out stadiums. Did I flop? Right. Show me where I flopped. Right. Because I'd love to flop. Yeah.

Now, this is not a shot at Ross or anything to do with our history whatsoever. Ross selling, was it 19,000? Which, by the way, selling 19,000 records, great. And Ross is already solidified in everything Ross has done. He is an icon in his own right in that regard. So who cares what he sells at this part of his career? How are the show is doing with the orchestra? If those are selling out, is it a flop?

If they're not, now we can have that conversation. and I know that's a Port of Miami anniversary thing but to me what you do with the album post-release determines if it's a flop. If Ross does a tour and sells the shit out with the project, the 19,000 is not a flop to me. Now if he's not doing that, all right, now we're having a different conversation.

But not everyone can do gunna numbers and gunna tour shit. But if you tell, I don't know what Gibbs sold last year. I know Gibbs is selling out theaters. If Gibbs says, sells 30,000 records. How was that a flop to me? Right.

Don't quote, I'm just throwing numbers out there. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I get it, man. I just, you know, sometimes seeing Jordan walk away on the, on the, on the, on the, on a, on a free throw line jumper is like the best way to end it. Oh, I agree. This is highest selling rap albums of 2026 so far. Octane fall off. Take care.

This, this is, uh, right before, um, Ice Man, it came up. This is, uh, this is as of May, 26. I'm just pulling up billboard shit randomly. Views, am I the drama? Don't Be Dumb. Bullie, G&X, Curtin' Call, Good Kid, Mad City, Graduation. Hope you're happy for all the dogs, damn. Most of the albums that are the highest selling rap albums

of 2026 are albums that came out 10 years ago. Yeah. What's a flop? I mean, well, I think we know what a flop is, though. Top 10 most stream rap albums, 2026. This is as of one week ago from NFR podcast, Iceman Octane, Graduation, Views, Rebel, take care, the boy who played harp, the M&M show, Get Rich Die Trying, Don't Be Done.

Top 10 as of one week ago. Most of these came out well before 2026. Yeah. But I wouldn't say, I wouldn't say Larry June flopped. Larry June sold 22,000. Larry June, if he announces that he's popping up in Soho, I've seen it myself. all Soho is going to shut down. What's a flop?

He can go on the tour. He can go overseas. What's a flop? Sell a bunch of merch. Have every, all 22,000 of those streams, every last one of those persons buying a T-shirt.

Right. It's a flop. Lato, $33,000. I think that's incredible. I don't know if her label with her overhead and the recording budget would go, that is a flop.

I don't know, because I don't know, and I'm never going to pocket watch Lotto. Yeah, yeah. I just think it's so, niche on what a flop is at this point that you can't really. There's other things to factor in outside of the streams and things like that. Because like you said, if the label, if they recouped, yeah.

You know. Bully did a buck 50. Is that low for Kanye who's been diamond before? I guess in that sentence, sure. I'm sure Kanye's looking at that. Like, I did that completely independent without any type of rollout whatsoever. I sold $150,000. and I'm doing stadiums in fucking Bulgaria.

I'm selling out Albania. Right. No, no, not the state. I'm selling out the country. Right. Did I flop? Yeah, that's a difference. 60% bully songs on that set list.

Everyone's singing the word. Did I flop? According to what the fans would say, yeah, 150. Kanye usually does 400. Right. That's a flop. Yeah. Yeah, I think it's just a sign of the times changing.

Especially, you know, the whole streaming thing. It's just a different. time now. Like even this, the Morning Dew record, not even the remix. When the first one came out if you were, you know, part of the Behive, you knew that song existed before. It was finally on streaming. But I saw plenty of people that were comparing

when, you know, Beyonce is putting out a single to what the numbers did on Morning Dew. Like, damn, it's over for Beyonce. No, it's not. That sounds craziness. I don't care if Morning Do sells nothing. Like, just throwing some shit out for fun. Yeah.

They have the ability to do that now. They have the luxury to do that. Yeah. Now, if you care about that and you're in the beginning of your career, then, yes, that would be a flop. But I don't know. The flop scale is all over the place. Yeah, it's different. I mean, I think we know who the people are that are obviously streaming well and will continue to do that.

But everybody's not going to do those numbers. But like you said, you have your audience. You have your pockets. You have your following that supports what you do, what you put out. You're able to sell hard tickets and fill venues. And, you know, at that point, like you said, and what is what is flopping really what is that yeah and granted it doesn't take away from now if you're not streaming well and your live shows are then we can have a different conversation yeah but i mean

that's also why i do give credit to people like gunna i think rocky did like 120 i'm not taking away from that because that's so hard to do right now it's just like that's crazy and you guys should get your flowers for that because no one else is doing it but it just doesn't define everything in this day and age where if you don't have a crazy first week, you can't be a successful artist, then that's really it. Shit, our guests that we're about to have now made a lane for himself.

For sure. When he was in the machine and it wasn't working out. And it's been consistently putting out good shit. Yeah. I mean, we could just say it now because I'm sure you probably saw the description. We have Trinidad James on, which people said at the time, flopped. We, Trinidad James has been here for the last 10 years.

Hasn't disappeared. Still putting out music, still putting out product, doing fine, just his way. Exactly. After he was called a flop. All right, well, let's bring him in. Best Dress is in the building. Mall Boost Mobile is proving that you don't have to overpay for great wireless. Please, please unlock your savings, $25 a month, forever unlimited plan. I don't have any more times I have to tell you, mall. It's a permanent price with no contracts, no price likes. You can keep all the phones that you have in your pocket and the number, but save up to $600 a year compared to the major carriers. With the seven phones you have, 600 times like, look at the money you save. So stop overpaying and switch to a fair price at boostmobile.com today.

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That was a caller from my podcast, Therapy Gecko, where I speak with a. anonymous callers about their problems, relationships, and anything else in the depths of their mind. It all happens on my show, Therapy Gecko, where we have real conversations just like this. Sometimes I'll have my girlfriend pre-chew, spicy food, and kind of baby bird it into my mouth. Is that weird? This week is Human Connection Week. We're taking a peek into the lives of various strangers who found my phone number online. We'll hear their funny moments, their difficult ones, and they're unexpectedly profound ones. These are real conversations with real people figuring out life one call at a time.

So if you're trying to get out of your own head and into someone else's, this is the podcast for you. Listen to Therapy Gecko on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to another episode of the new Rory and Moll podcast. I am all. I'm Rory. And today, Rory, we are, you know, joined by some very fashion. very artistic, very eclectic, very fly gentlemen. I'll let them introduce themselves.

How y'all doing out there? I go by best. I'm dressed and we are best dressed. Best dressed. B-E-S-S-S-S. D-R-S-D. Yes, sir. When you ask, what's the dress code

before you go to the event? Do you ever really follow the instructions? Well, for us personally, I haven't followed the rule. I haven't followed the rule in some of them. So they were like, yo, this is an all. white party, you're not going. Well, that's the thing about I always come to somebody's party a little bit different

because usually the idea of it when, like if I'm speaking about my dress code, right? My dress code is how fly I show up is how much I fuck with you. Okay, I like that. I like that. I've never been in a room where I've been outflied where anybody ever got upset of like, damn. You know what I'm saying? It's always like,

even though he didn't, white at all or he didn't wear black at all. He was like, damn, that's him. Okay. You know what I'm saying? I've made it to that place in life where it's like, that's him. Yeah, I think we met at an event that was at the Gucci store years and years and years ago. And we were the only two that didn't have Gucci on. And that was one because I couldn't afford it in two because you didn't want to.

Different reasons. We were the only two. Same outcome. At the Gucci store. You had to wear Gucci to go to the event. And somehow I got in with a shitty t-shirt in Jordans, but anyways Yeah because it's in you It's not on you You know

There it is That's really ethos The best dress Bro It's like The dress code is shit It's in you It's not on you

Have you Have you ever seen any Artists That y'all are fans Or that y'all love And y'all be like If we could just Put our thing on them

Like Everybody I don't think nobody Really is that tight You know what I'm saying Like not that tight Like you got Think about it

We don't have stylists Right So everything you've ever saw Is wear Whether you like it or not We made that decision To wear Right

Most of the people that you like their fashion or don't like their fashion, they didn't even dress themselves. Right. So it's like if we replaced your stylist, we would change the way that people perceive you because your image is highly the reason how people assess who you are as a man or a woman. We would change that.

Like we're a life changers, bro. Like no bullshit. My background is styling before I even did music. Yeah. You had a store in Atlanta, right? You had a store in Atlanta. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you was into fashion and you came in the first time we saw you on our, on our televisions.

It was like, okay, who is this guy? Yes, sir. Automatically, the fashion is what caught us. The music was like, okay. Yes, sir. But it was the style. Is that something that you always made sure was the statement? Like, people, when they saw you first, they already knew, set me apart from everybody else.

No, I had no idea what I was doing when y'all first saw me. I just knew what I wanted to do for me. So when you see all go everything, you're looking at somebody who I planned all this out as far as like, what are we doing for the video? But none of it had to do with impressing someone other than per se my closest friends who, if you think about it, like, who are they the press? They're not famous. This is people from my hub, people I grew up with. They were already doing music before me. So the first people that I had to like per se do something for was for them.

Okay. So everything that you see is like, I don't know, I don't know America. I'm an immigrant. I don't know. I had never left Atlanta. I don't know anything. You know, I grew up in like New York, but I was from an immigrant living in Florida, living in New York, living in Atlanta, living in South Carolina.

I don't really know what's happening in the mainstream media, which most niggas don't know. Right. When you start off, most artists, like you just do this thing. Yeah. And then it becomes a thing. Yeah, it was interesting that when all gold, everything hit, I feel like you got the stamp of like industry plant when it was the complete opposite. It was grassroots. Of course, like Soldier Boy had utilized YouTube and viral existed,

but I don't know if it really had like a term. I don't know if the word viral. I have to be the first person. I have to be the first person like and I love Soja. I saw him the other day on a plane. And, um, be careful. You're the first person to go viral. You know, Solja might see this. He has something to say about that. The term, but so, all right, Soldier was the first. So I'm the first person. Tobago. The term. Right?

Tobago. You know you're going to go off. But no, I mean, the thing about it is like, I mean, even if you did go off, you know, like the truth is you cannot find facts to prove that the word viral was ever used for someone in hip-hop before Trinidad James came about. And so it's like, to me, when words get coined. like bling, bling, and just all the things that, you know, we coin with our culture, that's when it really holds weight.

It's not the first, I always say the first mouse gets the trap, the second mouse gets the cheese. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And that's just it is what it is. Yeah. Because, I mean, you were still, I felt like the blog era hit then, and it was kind of like the halves versus the have knots of real hip hop first.

Like, it was that blog era shit. Yeah, of course. But it was weird that you didn't, you got tied into the opposite. Because I remember you at like Santos. Like, you was around. all the lyrical blog rappers the entire time. Yet somehow, do you think it was the media or the timeline that puts you on this like,

this is what's wrong with hip hop right now? Yes, I think that is definitely media. My biggest competition is media. The reason is that the people, I'm blessed that you guys give a damn about understanding a nigger when y'all pay attention to something. So if you like something, if you like something,

you actually go listen to it. You might check out some stuff. However, you pay attention for you, you just start spurting off at the mouth. Right? The reason why you can say, what you say? I've seen this dude hanging around all the dinkas that can wrap is because everybody loves me as a person.

You will not not love me as a person if you're a person. If you're a real person, you can't not not love me because I operate in the aura of respect first. Yeah. Let's start there. Right. You know, what you're better than me and holds no weight because I'm not trying to do that. I've never, and you will never see me be like, homfin, I'll wrap these niggas today, bitch.

That's never been my aura. For me, I always stayed a student because everybody that ended up becoming a pair of minds or a friend of minds or even a competitor of minds was somebody that I first was a fan of what they do because I understood gradually year by year how hard it is to be successful in this shit, bro. Yeah, and I mean, I had, um, like, just, just left Def Jam when you had gotten signed, but outside looking in and, you know, just being in certain rooms, the music,

did you kind of also invent trolling a bit? Did you kind of lean into some of the villain stuff at that time? Because when I was around, just like, all right, this guy seemed very strategic, highly intelligent. Is the Tim Westwood freestyle? Is this a version of leaning into being a villain and trolling before trolling was really a thing. Nah, I'm not a liar, so I can't tell that lie.

I just fuck that freestyle up. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? I just fuck that up. Like, you know, I just fuck that up. Like, that was, that was a genuine just, I fucked that up. I had a great. Well, we tried the first person of freestyle in a while.

I was the intentionally going into it of like, damn, I love this Drake and Jay Z. Because I love Drake and Jay Z. Yeah. And going into. to it, I had an idea of, I had already been, like, rapping to it. And then I got kind of, like, just over-conscious of like, damn, I don't want to rap something I already wrote because then that wouldn't be freestyling. So I was overthinking the whole concept of freestyling.

And while I just fucked it. But I wasn't trying to troll. I mean, I'm trolling is maybe something that I understand a lot better now, to be honest with you. But in the beginning, bro, you just honestly seeing a raw artist, bro. one of the hardest things to ever truly be. Yeah. You'll always be misunderstood when you're actually a raw artist. Most people are industry plans.

Most people are groomed. Yeah. Most people are taught. I wasn't taught anything. I have no big homies. I have no mentors. I have no mentors. I have no, none of that. I don't have that on purpose or is that just...

That's just I worked out. You know what I'm saying? I'm always say shout out to my first CEO, my boy, Fly, in Atlanta. Yeah. Always. He said, he helped change my life. Right. You know what I'm saying?

But to a certain extent, we both didn't really know much. Yeah. Or whatever. understood business in the streets. Right. Or whatever. And he understood how to listen more and speak and speak when, when it's important. So I picked that game up from him.

But I already kind of was that guy, which is not the money. Right. So when you get the money, you get to kind of lock into the gentleman that you're going to be or the woman that you're going to be once money and power comes into your life. Do you feel like you kind of helped usher in the lifestyle having to be paired with the music or the lifestyle being an incentive to want to fuck with the music? Like, of course, like, his brothers and Hove, they had the drug dealing lifestyle attached to their music, but not everybody was a drug dealer. Right.

Where you, do you think you were one of the first to do the lifestyle thing that was non-crime related? Like, oh, this is just sneaker store, fashion, lifestyle is attached to the actual music. Yeah. What I think, to go off what you said, I think that in 2012, Trinidad James and the ASAP crew, yams heavily included. Sure. How whatever. Rest and peace. Yeah.

Kind of showed you that, bro, you don't have to be that gangster to be popping in music and you could pop your shit. Yeah. However, like, we set the tone for that. I'm a one-man army. They're an army. However, but we, at that point in time, that's what I was pushing for the South because that's what I represent.

And that's what they were pushing for the East Coast. It's like, I don't care about A set Rocky talking about shooting nobody. Like, he's had lines like that. Yeah. But it don't know. Nobody gives a fuck. You know what I'm saying? I'd rather more pay attention.

or what people paid attention to is like, damn, that's Supreme. God damn, leopard print tower when he come out of the store, that's what somebody is fighting to go get. They're not fighting to go by no gun because Rocky said, I'm going to pull the four-four. Right. You know what I'm saying? So to me, we both kind of like brought that into it, you know what I'm saying?

Even with Ferg, like Ferg not a gangster rapping. Like he's by workout shit. He's about having fun. Like fun and life and Sharbo ranks and, you know what I'm saying? Like all the other things. So, you know, we definitely set the tone for that. Like, there's no other artists that was going for that at the time. I mean, to me, the only people that I could think of would be, like, Chris Brown and Tiger were a fan of a fan.

Whereas, like, but the music was so good. It's like, the music holds the way there, bro. It's Chris fucking Brown. You know what I'm saying? But the fashion was good. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, because even that whole era, because we're talking lifestyle, Big Sean is a good equal duality of, like, Am the Snig could rap.

But he could put the shit. shit on. But he's also getting styled too, you know what I'm saying? Like, shout out to like Taz Arnold. You know what I'm saying? We're talking lifestyle. We're talking lifestyle here. We ain't even really talking rap. Like that just happened to be something that niggas do. But lifestyle is kind of like a aura at the core. And I think that we introduced that. And I think I know that we introduced that. Because we set the toe. Like I remember Rick Ross calling me. I was in New York City. And Rick Ross calling me, I don't even how you got my number. How whatever. Like, yo. Dumb loafers, niggas. Not hello or how you doing

Or what's up Trinidad Right right Them loafers, nigga That's how you start the conversation Yeah That's when your lifestyle That's when with your aura Yeah

That's when that's what people see They don't even hearing What I'm saying Right They're not even hearing what I'm saying They don't care about my raps Yeah It holds no weight

Right But this leopard print shirt These fit These Vasatchi loafers Right That niggas ain't wore Since Biggie Yeah

You know what I'm saying That's lifestyle bro Is this something You do y'all feel like Social media Has kind of ruined The sense of fashion And personality

because there's so many people following each other. And if somebody's wearing this, like, oh, I need to go get that. Whereas pre-social media, you had to really run around the cities and go through pieces, find them pieces, and put it together. Like, now you can see somebody, like, they'll see best dressed.

They'll follow y'all on social media and be like, yo, semi-stallist, this look, I want to wear exactly what Trinidad got. I want to wear exactly what fire got on in these photos. Do y'all feel like social media has taken away kind of the responsibility of staying true to who you are as a person as far as your style? I mean, I think it goes beyond fashion into music, taste, all things.

Honestly, it's gone really out of control. You know, my campaign right now is bringing back gatekeeping. I think, like, gatekeeping is big. See, I'm glad you said it. There is some positive side of it. You know, it's just like allow the artist to have some mystery, allow the things to be a little bit sacred so that you can admire it.

Once everything is attainable, it's just like when you're a kid, once you get that toy, you want it, and then you got it and now it's nothing. Done with it, right. You know what I mean? That's become everything, movies, entertainment, all that. So, especially with fashion because it's so easy and accessible for everybody.

Yeah. We got online shopping, you can buy a thing right now, so you've seen it. Right. Like, you used to have to really, like, turn to that. No, you had to go to the stores and find them. Yeah. Camp out. And camp out.

Like, they still have that. Camp out culture is still a thing. But, like, I'm talking about where it wasn't like, you just had to know the different stores. Right. Right, right. The shops and like certain days. You couldn't just get that tea everywhere.

Right. Yeah, it was like you had to really put it together and find them. Absolutely. And put the whole fit together. Let's talk about the music, though. Let's get it. I was talking to you earlier, Trinidad, about the nobody song with you and Cody Shane. Right, right, right, right.

Can I say something? Can I say something? Please do. All right. So right now, for every woman, man, nigger, bitch, whoever you associate yourself with as. Right. I am on a musical tear. You don't fucking listen.

You only see what I wear and then you copy it. You see what I'm with my dogs. Right. And you copy it. You don't pay attention to the music. You niggas don't love music. You niggas just hear music. Trinidad James is on a fucking tear.

Cody Shane is the start of that tear with our song, Nobody. That nobody. That nobody. I don't know if you heard that. That nobody record. And not to put this on it, Trinidad, but when I first heard that record, and I remember saying to myself, if this was gonna, this record would be everywhere. Right. This song would be everywhere.

Right. Because when you listen to it and then when your verse comes on, the melodies, what you're saying, how you're, you're styling on it. I'm like, music is so weird these days because if this said Gunna and Cody Shane, And not Trinidad James and Cody Shane. Everybody would be talking about this record. But to what you're saying, as far as being on the tear, I agree with that. You've been putting out some incredible, incredible song.

And I'm not delusional. I also understood that I took four years to build my behind-the-scenes business and helping other artists and not dropping my own music. So I understand out of sight out of mind. However, but even still, the way that, taking it back to what we talked about earlier, media sets it up whereas like when you think of him think all go everything when you think of him think of fashion think of fashion so if you consistently have media telling you that the only thing

I could do is my job which is I could keep building my ecosystem right and as they say when they catch up you probably be worth more right right you know what I'm saying but I must say that and I'm happy that you brought that record up because there's so many other records that you could bring up is like that record is the start of like just an actual tear of whooping ass. Because you put that out in January. Mm-hmm. Yep. You know, and to be keeping it a buck with you, this is 26.

So July of 25, I dropped a record called Joyland with my artist 31 grams. And that was honestly the true tier, but I was unsure because it was my first record dropping in a while. So I was like, I don't know. It went up, it did like really good on all the social media platforms. I even got a little some money from a distribution company

because it was like, oh shit, okay? You know what I'm saying? Numbers don't lie. Like, I'm not inflating. And I keep it organic because I come from the organic background of shit and time. And then moving into newer times

or whatever, I was like, okay, we got the music done. And I dropped my biggest hater, which was a Herbie Hancock, flip and I pushed that actually all last year because I wanted to learn what it is to work one record now, the TikTok way and this new content way.

So these last couple years been me, all the things I helped people with was like, okay, how does it apply for me my own music? Because you pour into people long enough and then you realize like, damn, niggas, I always think they did something. Right.

Or whatever. Or they always think they can do something without you. whatever type of shit. So it's like, okay, do it without me. Right. But then more importantly, hey, my cup is empty. And I'm filling everybody else's cup up. Let's stop that bullshit.

Okay. And so that's where I got it in my bag. And we link with bro to finish up our project and get those things lined up. So it started with singles, actually July, 24, keep going, keep going, keep going. 2025, pushing a single for six months. And a few more singles. And then this year, 2026, started with Cody because we don't have a project yet together.

So I was like, oh, let me drop this the single, but now this is the year of the projects. And so my first project dropping his best dress, with best. Yeah. So, you know, and it's more to come, like my solo and just, I'm back in the dropping game. Yeah.

You know, I got a record with my boy for Long Island, one take Carter. LeBron posted that shit or whatever a month ago. Dog, LeBron ain't talked to me in 10 years. You know what I'm saying? That nigga ain't talked to me. You know what I'm saying? That's the last time that nigga talked to me.

Oh, whatever. And he's the king. You're drunk with doughboy sauce 24, 25. Boom, 24, 25. That's so me, and I'm, boom, you're paying attention. Like, you, so I'm saying? You're saying? You're saying?

And that's the thing about it is like, people see what the fuck is going on, bro. It's not the niggas not aware. It's just that, bro, I have, then when I met, bro, some people, I think y'all understand this. Like, bro, when you're a threat, the best thing I could do is not shot you out. the best thing a person can do

the best thing that Joe Buns can do is not talk about y'all that's the best thing he can do I'm just keeping it in the buck that's the best thing Joe can do is not talk about y'all because if we talk about y'all the people that are still fans of y'all

that's still over there is going to bring attention to it because y'all not bad at what y'all do and that's the whole thing about life bro is like when you actually are good at something and you don't conform or follow rules I already told you,

I ain't followed the rule in a long time. Right. That shit comes with consequences. And you can't be delusional about those consequences. So I'm dealing with it. But every time I'm going to get a chance to pop my shit and tell motherfuckers that y'all don't listen to shit, y'all don't

know shit about music, you can't outwrap me no more. You can't do nothing with me because you can never outdress me. This is the time for me just to consistently keep dropping on your headtop and then whatever God has for me, for us, for anybody that I do shit with. Because everybody

I'm doing shit with from Doboy to One Take Carter, Leon Knight, my brother here best, our shit is going up. Whatever, and it's not even that I wish that my name does the same thing that Gunna does because I love Gunna too. Yeah.

You know what I'm saying? And he put that work in to make his name, do what he does. Whatever. For me, I'm more focused on like, hey, what is my path? What do I need to do consistently? To make sure that whenever I'm doing something with anybody, Nick, are you bringing value to it?

That's all I care about is bringing value. Nick, I might not bring you number one, but I promise you, I am bringing eyes because all them niggas like Gunner, Thug, Jesus Christ, everybody, just looking at what I do. I've been to fucking move board for a long time, bro. That's a fact. That's a fact.

When did you start focusing a lot on being a media personality? Because that was a shift, I feel like, after the Def Jam deal, we saw you. It worked out. It worked out. I did my own version of a sneaker. show at my condo. I was just called Camp James.

So that kind of gave me that, like, on camera. I'm ahead of time on that way ahead of time on that. I brought that idea to L.A. Nobody would pick up the show. I would have my sneaker show. I was like, all right, but I'm leaving alone. And then Complex, they came and did a sneaker show. And I was like, this shit feels like my show.

What the fuck? Hold on, niggas. Let me get on here. Yeah. And so I did it as a guess. Crushed that shit. Did really well. And then the host that was there, when I left, he left and went to work somewhere else.

And so then my accountant was like, yo, because I put him on sneakers before into my accountant, he was like, yo, you should go and take his spot. And I was like, nigga, why am I get a job for it? That doesn't make sense. But then he was like, nah, media has always been a thing that don't understand me. They never get my write-ups right. They never understand what I'm saying in the music. barely like it never why why is that though um i think that i think that because i have no

existence prior to to my existence so i have nobody who can be like oh yeah that was my man's man's or da-da-da-da it's like no i am a completely new creature yeah i am a completely new thing and i'm not fake friends with niggas don't kiss ass right don't kiss the ring I barely kiss my mama I'm not kissing shit bro you know what I'm saying and that triggers people

bro that triggers people you know and I understand that it doesn't bother me because I never lose my respect I've always respected people from Def Jam

when shit don't work but I could have said all type of crazy shit about Def Jam you've never seen me say anything about Jeff Jam I let them go with the narrative that they dropped me they didn't drop me bro

I could tell you that straight to your face, it never dropped me. I, my boy Fly, who was my first CEO at TIG Think is a Game. He literally was like, yo, this is what's happening with shit right now. And he pitched the idea to me like, you can actually put in a request

to get off of a label. They don't have to approve it, but you can do that. And we did that, and they approved it. Yeah, okay. And we just separated ways or whatever. Amicably. Yes.

Right. Respect, because there's always respect. from the Karen Kwok, Sean Peckos's, Boo, which is A-Conn's brother, Barry Weiss, however, Chris Atlas, those were the five people that, like, were my champions into Def Jam. Yeah.

Right? And everybody named there's a fucking Def Jam heavy hitter at that time, right? So I'm not talking about no fucking peon, you know what I'm talking about real people. You know, that's how I came into the game with the Five Horsemen. How whatever, and it's like, as soon as I got in, the Five Horsemen disappeared. Yeah. That was a big shift.

You know what I'm saying? So it's like, I think that the universe 2012. Okay, yeah. No, it's 2013. Okay. 2013. I came out 2012. And by 2015, 20, end of 2014, that request we put in, like 2015, that request we put in, that's when it got approved.

I moved to L.A. and never turned back. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And Barry White signed me again. Barry White signed me again, bro, with another record label with fucking Ron Perry, bro. Yeah. That would ever type of shit. And so it's like, when I saw that.

I was like, damn, I don't really understand you people. But I don't think, I know y'all don't understand me. And so to go back to your question of like, why is the media always have a, why is it not right? Yeah. However, it's like, well, because nobody really does their fucking homework. Mm-hmm. I don't be in people face or whatever trying to prove to you anything. It's like, bitch, pay attention.

Right. Like, I'm doing the work. Mm-hmm. Your favorite artist is a fan of me. Right. Your favorite artist is not outworking me. I've been doing the shit for 15 years now, bro. Right.

This is year 15 now. bro. It's like, well, 14. The X-A-V-15. It's like, I'm still here doing shit. Like, literally, LeBron posts my shit last month, my boy won't take. Right. Whatever. Like, there's so much shit. Like, is, it's so much shit on the way musically. Because I've done all, I've done and doing all the other things that have my own brand. You know what I'm saying? Like, the store. Right. All the things that you're supposed to passive income as a man. Like, forget about the artist. As a man. Right. His things that as you.

graduate in from your 20s to your 30s and onwards, that certain things to just start locking in. A house, a car. You know what I'm saying? Like, stop leasing. Like, just there's things that, hey, as a man, this shit changed for your diet. Yeah. Working out, like, just so many things. It's like, bro, I had got the time when I wasn't in people's face

and you wasn't hearing music for me, I wasn't just depressed and crying and counting gold coins. You was moving. Not how I was doing the work as a man that you're supposed to do because I knew that the artist would shine. again. Yeah. But the artist could never shine correctly if the man is incorrect.

Yeah. And, you know, it's like being blessed to have people like best in my life who is like, he's a solid individual, takes care of his family, you know what I'm saying, just bought a new house. Like, that was the type of people that I have around me. Those are the type of people, if you, you, right, you see me out. I don't be with no bunch of people. Yeah.

You know, we saw you in LA and BET, like, literally is by yourself. Yes. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, that's where niggas be with the extras. and, you know what I'm saying? Like, free my man's big you and like be with all that type of shit. It's like, no, bro. No.

No. And it's not because of no gangster shit. Right. It's because I know myself as a man. I understand how to respect people. Most artists don't have their shit together. They can't talk. They can't interview.

They can't sit down with you, y'all. They can't. They can't. I do these niggas careers. Yeah. I've been able to do my career and their career. Yeah. Like both careers at the same time.

And now this is me, be like, oh, I could do your career and do music. So let me show you that because I also didn't want to have my agency, which is I created my creative agency, which is five, six, seven is the name of it. I didn't want to be one of those people like one of the things that, like Stephen A. Smith is the highest paid talker, right? And but one of the things that always is going to be a jab to the side of him is like, bro, you don't play. You don't play.

Yeah. You've never played. So when you say certain. certain things because you want that viral moment or that salacious moment how whatever is like, bro, you don't do the thing. So I never wanted to be one of those guys

that's like telling whoever, you know what I'm saying? Oh, don't do that. And then like, I don't have none to prove. Yeah, you got to be in the game. You got to be in the game, bro. Like, don't tell me about shit if you're not in the game game. Right. I feel that.

So let's talk about the music best dress. What can we expect? What's the sound? What's the energy? What is, what are we expecting from best dressed? You know, honestly, it's us finally doing what he said, like pouring back into ourselves. So instead of doing all the things that we would do for another artist, write, produce. Sorry to cut you off.

Do you mind just bringing the mic a little closer so we can hear you properly? Yeah, of course. Instead of doing all the writing and producing for everybody, setting up the rolling, rollout for them, you know, making sure everything connects, we do that for ourselves. And, you know, it's beautiful because it's actually free. We don't really give a damn about all the things. We just do what we want to do. You know what I'm saying?

And that comes from music down to the style. You know, I got a suit on today, but I might have a tea on tomorrow. We wouldn't do anything crazy. And that's kind of how the music is. It's like a smorgasbord. Right. You know, and it's all made for you to dance and feel music again, too. Because, you know, a lot of people lost the focus has become about content.

Yeah. And about how I can make a moment out of this to, you know, whatever. When we started this, it was only a. about feeling and only about sound and only about, you know, the movement of it all. You know, I came into the game. I'll give you all a little bit about me because we, you know, got no history, but I came in with T. Payne. So I came in with the nigga that was the ultimate hit man and, you know what I'm saying,

the feeling guy. Like he was relying on on that solely. And that's how I came in the game. And I met him maybe a couple of years after meeting pain. And so those two, those two energies like big hit, big hit energy. creative energy. Pain had the top hats. If you remember when Payne first came out,

he was a circus, right? You know, as a producer, because that's why I came in primarily, it allowed me to be crazy, free.

You know, I can do whatever with him. He might pull up an EDMP, he might pull up an R&B, he might pull up whatever. Yeah. And then we just go crazy. Until I met Trinidad,

I was really just out here kind of floating. I was kind of spoiled coming through pain. Yeah. You know, just, I come in with somebody like that. Like that, bro.

You know what I'm saying? I'm a real. originally from Iowa, a little small town, Du Bois and Iowa. And so, you know, when I'm at Payne, I was like, yo, this guy is crazy. We can go, we can wake up and do this. We can wake up and do that. And then when I moved from Atlanta to L.A.,

kind of do my own thing, I had to find new artists. You know what I mean? So I was out here working with doing the thing. If you ever worked in L.A. is a different. It's like very monotonous. You're doing three sessions. They don't know nobody. It's a bunch of strangers all the time.

And then, you know, through trying to find management, I ended up linking with him in a random session in the midst all of that. And, you know, he, the first thing he said to me was play me the craziest beats nobody can write to, which I had never heard in a session. Nobody ever, everybody like, give me a pop smash. Yeah. Hit smash.

Give me a trap smash, bro. I didn't smash like what you did for, blah, blah, blah. Yeah. But he was just like playing, which was challenging. You know what I'm saying? And I come from the beat battle era too where it's like, you want to impress the other person through the music and it ain't no words, but it could just be the beat.

And so I played something crazy on and this this man actually killed them. I'm like, and I've been in sessions with everybody. I signed the pain, so I had everybody all the sessions and he was the first one and I was just like, damn, he killed this shit. And he didn't even really know he was a songwriter at that point.

He was writing kind of for other people, but like it wasn't really on. It was really just like I got more creativity than I have access to do anything so I'm just going to keep creating. Then I was like, bro, you know you could be, you could really be a songwriter for everybody. Like, you got a crazy talent.

After us really starting to get consistent with it, that's when we really locked in. I'm like, oh, this is different. Because I have a perspective from the pain side. And then he has a creative perspective that's just so left field. We get to bring people beautiful records, you know, like the assignment we did for Tay Money and we did conceded for Flow Millie. These are like newer records where we,

you know, both of our worlds kind of meet, you know, I'm saying the creativity, the hard, the precision, because, you know, I come from precise type beats too. Yeah. And, you know, this, honestly, to bring it all back to best rest, though, it was like, we had did that, like he said, we had given four years of our lives to other people of us just songwriting. It was like, yeah, bro, we didn't kind of learn. And, you know, shout-outs to learning on their dollar.

I will say that. We learned a lot of the game through their budget. That's important. You know what I'm saying? That's one thing that I realized. dropout was on someone else's dime. Come on, bro. Like, we got to, we got to pick up.

They're not showing up. I'm going to use the session. Yeah. Just like that. Just like that, bro. So you really got to seize the opportunity because otherwise you kind of sit and just creating in the vacuum. We saw that it was like, man, look, we don't like working with niggas per se because

they're very egotistical. But working with women is amazing. So we made a conscious decision to work with women, focus on the women. Yeah. Before the women thing was like a thing. We did that in like 2019, 2018. Mm-hmm. And we were like, yeah, we respect women and we love women and we're safe for women.

I have a wife. He ain't on that timing like that. We just focus on the work. So it made us, you know, the safe place to go. And we did a lot of that stuff. And so now it's like, yeah, bro, we learned how to create a hit for a woman or a person that's outside of our own demographic. Right. Right.

So that just allows us to write differently for ourselves. More creative. Exactly. We learned how to do content, this shift that happened in the last week. We got to learn through. other people like with Tay, we were very responsible for her viral success, you know, people don't know that, but we were back there doing everything, you know, I'll say this now, because, you know, we were doing producing, writing, you know, mixed, we even mixed the record. We got the style,

we styled Tay for that video, you know what I'm saying? We did everything, you know, and so after that, it's like, yeah, bro, like instead of, you give all this to these artists and then sometimes they just don't meet you on the other side of it with the work. Because right now, like we said at the beginning, it's so heavy on media. You need to work the record through social, do something viral. You got to do, and if the artist don't do that, it don't matter how good the record is, bro.

You got the best record in the world. If they don't do something to get the shade room talking about them, to get somebody doing a trend on a state, it don't matter, bro. So at that point, it's like, we might as well just do everything with us out. Like, shoot, and it wreak the benefits. Right. I'm saying, instead of taking a little fee or whatever the fee may be, Nah, nah, no, no, no.

We're going to do that. And then with that kind of guy, we obviously we love ourselves. So we're going to put the best into what we do because we love ourselves. So that's really what this project is. It's just like a reflection of how we feel about ourselves, brother. Yeah. Take care of all the ends. Just like you would take care of a nice outfit tailored.

You get the every beat is good. Every mix is good. Every song is written. Attention to detail. That part. He's literally that. We said that. So that's what the music is all about.

That's what's what. Best dress, Trinidad. Let them know where they could catch y'all at. So B, S-S-D-R-S-D. That's our social media. Our website is where you really need to go, though. The Best Dress.com.

T-H-E-B-E-S-D-R-S-D-D-com. This is very, very important, man, that this is not the last you see any of us. Once again, like I said, this is the beginning of the war. This is playing the offense, like Hoves said, like, all right, we play defense long enough. I help you long enough or whatever. tired of people not meeting me with their best. And that's why we just had to put our best into ourselves, bro. Yeah.

You know what I'm saying? Literally the intro of the album is called best self. You know, that's the first song. We start there. That's the affirmation. Right. That is the line. I like that.

Whatever. If you can't be your best self, you damn sure not going to be their best for me. That's the fact. You know what I'm saying? And so that's where we're at with it musically. And every opportunity that we get, every opportunity that I get, I mean, I got to pop my shit, bro.

I gotta let people know that this is not the kid who let mad shit slide because I don't got time to argue bullshit or whatever. It's like, bro, I got a family to take care. I got my mom. I got mad shit to do. My dad, they're older people. I don't have time to be arguing with a nigga that don't care about himself. You know what I'm saying? I'm not really. I actually care about me

either. You know what I'm saying? I've never met a nigga that actually had real smoke with me. Never, never, never, bro. It's not real. It's not a real It's not real, bro. But what is real is that taking advantage of great platforms like y'all's and allowing people to know is like, bro, listen to the new music. Pay attention to the new video. Listen to the music. That's the point.

Like, a nigger's not going to be motherfucking little oozy in his hips in the street. I'm a fucking grown up, bro. I don't have that. I'll say that. They're like, bro, listen to the music. That's literally it. That's all we're asking. I don't know what camera, whatever.

Just listen to the music. please. I promise that you will not be disappointed. We put our heart and soul into it. And that's really all it is. We're not trying to really sell it in the sense of everything else. Just listen to listen to the music. I like that. Yeah. Well, listen, anytime you're back in the city, man, please come by. It's been a pleasure kicking with y'all, Trinidad. I love everything that you're doing, bro, fire looking out for everything that you got coming back. You gotta come back and talk about some T-Pain sessions when you guys have some more time. Oh, that's, that's, no, that's fun. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We got stories.

Big pain records that we know that you were there for those sessions? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. You got to come back. We got to come back. We gotta do an hour and a half of just T. Payne. But right now, best dress, go get that. Just listen to the music.

Yes. I'm that nigger. He's just ginger. That's best dressed. What's the dress code? Yes, sir. This is Michael Rappaport, and my podcast, the I Am Rappaport's stereo podcast is unlike anyone you've ever heard.

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