No Jumper - Raz B on the B2K Break Up, Banging on Orlando Brown, Lil Fizz Dating Omarion Baby Mama & More

Episode Date: November 21, 2025

Raz B talks about his early days, B2K, the group getting back together, and more! ----- Check out e420 app for deals Apple: https://spn.so/g6gbid5j Google: https://spn.so/104g2yp6 use code NOJUMPER for $$ off Shout out to all our members who make this content possible, sign up for only $5 a month https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNNTZgxNQuBrhbO0VrG8woA/join Promote Your Music with No Jumper - https://nojumper.com/pages/promo CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!! https://nojumper.com NO JUMPER PATREON http://www.patreon.com/nojumper CHECK OUT OUR NEW SPOTIFY PLAYLIST https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5tesvmDS8h50LkjnSAWMOs?si=j6sJD6DkR4mk5NZZWnlK7g Follow us on SNAPCHAT https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_Jumper/4874336901 Follow us on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4z4yCTjwXa4an6sBGIe7m5 iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/no-jumper/id1001659715?mt=2 Follow us on Social Media: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_Jumper/4874336901 http://www.twitter.com/nojumper http://www.instagram.com/nojumper https://www.facebook.com/nojumper http://www.reddit.com/r/nojumper JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/Q3XPfBm Follow Adam22: http://www.instagram.com/adam22 adam22bro on Snapchat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No jumper, coolest podcast in the world. And I am honored today to have my man Raz B sitting across from me. How you feel, Jay? I'm feeling blessed and happy to be here. Thanks for the invitation. Hell yeah, man. I'm excited to have a conversation with you. Nah, man.

Let's jump right in, man. Salute to you like we was talking off camera, man, a little over 10 years now. Yeah. You know, you definitely be looking out for the underdog. So, you know, just want to salute to you for sharing your platform. Do you still feel like the underdog? Not me. I wouldn't call myself an underdog.

I just noticed that you, that you, allow for a lot of up-and-coming artists to come on your platform. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's kind of how we got going in the first place. I think that's dope because, like, you're the people champ. I appreciate it. I was just checking you out. I'm all right. Go ahead. Hell yeah, man. So let's go all the way back to the beginning. Tell us a little bit about where you're from, just for the people who are not familiar

with your come-up story and everything. What's up everybody out there? My name is DiMario Monta Thornton, publicly known as Razby of the legendary group B-2K. Yeah. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio. My mom, uh, my dad, the judge at a very young age. I grew up without a father. You know,

my mom moved to Oakland when I was about eight and a half months. Oh, okay. What did your dad get locked up for? Oh, shit. I don't know. I don't have to look. I have to look that up.

But you never had a relationship with him or? I never had a relationship with him now. He was out of my life for eight years. So, you know, grew up without a father. But so in Ohio, to what age?

So, no, it's about like, like my mom brought me to California to Oakland about like 10 months. Oh, okay. So super early on. Yeah,

super early on right there. Probably there for about a year. and then my mom moved to Los Angeles, where I grew up on 10th Avenue, Slosh and Crenshaw, right? Definitely. So you don't really have a lot of memories of up north? No, not at all, not at all.

Only time when I go back for tour and see the family stuff like that. But, you know, that's where I'm from. Compare your upbringing in L.A. to the average kid. Like, how much crazy shit did you have to deal with? How did you adapt? Oh, my upbringing in L.A., you know, being around the wrong crowd can influence your behavior. So it's like, you know, a little petty theft. But petty theft turns into, you know, so many other things.

And thank God that, you know, at around about 12 or 13, I went to go live with a family member, you know, my cousin. And from there, I was granted an opportunity to be a part of a group. So, I mean, my bringing just in LA alone, literally, I mean, you go from a joy ride. I'm just a passenger. But now you're around that behavior, right? You know, you're still in bikes, you know, like all that little shit. So petty theft, man. And I spent like three days in McLaren Hall and I was like, and then I was on house arrest.

And that gave me, you know, that wake up call that I needed at a young age. Really? So by what age did you kind of feel like the wake up call had fully processed? I mean, going in jail, being in jail for like three, you know, for three days. You know what I'm saying? Like as a juvenile, you know, I don't want to be there. And, you know, that was like for like possession of sales. I remember I had like someone gave me like five bags of like $5 bags a week.

And I was, you know, I was walking out of street. It's not. He's like, it's actually on a school day too. So the police, you know, like, what are you doing out on a school day? And that's how that happened, bro. So I just looked back and I just like, that was a wake-up call for me, bro. Okay. And so how long after that did the music stuff start to move?

The music stuff started for me around like 12 and a half, 13. You know what I mean? Just like any other family, like growing up in a broken home, I just want to go back a little bit. You know, my mom experienced some domestic violence. So stepfather doing like 25 of life, you know what I mean? Just give a little context on my life. So totally unrelated to anything involved in your dad who also did a bunch of jail time. So your mom at some point marries another guy?

Yep, yep. And then that was abusive? I mean, yeah, I see some abusive stuff. I mean, thank God that, you know, she got out of that. But, you know, just looking at life and, you know, living in the hood and just seeing how I was blessed with an opportunity to around like 12, 11, 12, 13. Around those ages, that's when I started to move heavily into the music industry. Who recognized your talent first? So were you just like crazy motivated on your own?

Well, you know, I would have to say like my brother recognized my talent and my cousin, my cousin, Chris Stokes. You know what I mean? Which, you know, recognized my talent and gave me an opportunity, which was pretty cool. Okay. Pretty cool. And was it just purely like your singing ability or was it, were they looking at you? Like, oh, he's got the moves. He got the star power.

You know, that's, I would have to say that I was positioned. I would definitely think that I had a little bit of talent. I could sing and dance. But, you know, I would definitely say I was positioned more so. So and given that opportunity, I was able to grow into my craft even more. Okay. So looking back on it, does it feel like, you know, if it was purely about talent, you wouldn't necessarily have that opportunity?

That's a freaking question. I mean, you know, I don't know if it was my dream. I believe my brother was more inspired and more ambitious in pursuing a music career, right? You know, if I was like the perfect fit for the right group that had popped up, which was five members, myself, Jihad, Trey, and, uh, and, uh, Jay Bull, Little Fizz and myself. It was like five of us in a group. One of those brothers is actually a Jena Aiko's brother. So it was pretty cool.

And I think I was positioned. Okay. You got somebody in the business, you know what I mean? It's like, you can give me a job today and say, you all right, I'm putting you on. Boom. Here you go. But then they're going to be like, oh, he's industry planted into his podcasting career. That's what they say now.

I'm not going to put myself down. I definitely had talent because if I didn't have the talent, I would have been, I would make the group. Right. But it's like, you know, I'm positioning a group. And then, you know, I got someone who has a, you know, has a, has a foot, you know, in the industry. That brings a lot of, you know, if you think of politics, that brings a lot of weight to the group, you know what I'm saying?

So for sure. Okay, just side tangent the other day, my wife was having a conversation with me because she was a huge B2K fan as a child and everything. But she mentioned, she's like, when are boy bands going to come back? You know, we kind of had a whole conversation about why it may or may not work

in the modern landscape. And I don't know. Like, what are your thoughts on that? What are my thoughts? model. I mean, I still think, I still believe that it's and, uh, and I recommend that we take a look at Korea, right? For, for, for, you know, for, you know, their, their model. I mean, with BTS get ready to come back and go on a billion dollar run. We're going to be, you know, crazy, right? Um, I believe it's still viable. In our culture, I don't know how it will work. We would need like another edgy pretty Ricky or edgy Joe to C. You know what I mean? Mix. You know, I don't know. That's, that's a good question. Because I think at least part of the problem is that the fans kind of pick their heart throbs now, you know, like they're on TikTok. Because the boy brand band market is like mainly aimed at like elementary school level girls, junior high. Just young chicks in general.

And I feel like nowadays they pick the guys on TikTok that they want to be fans of. Right, right. Yeah. I just wonder like if it would work now because it feels like maybe the group. isn't as valuable. You know, we would have to cease. It would take a label because I know Def Jam and I know there's a few different labels

that are developing groups right now. They would have to really, you know, give the group of push. I believe BJK was really special. We had Tommy Motola. He was the real push during that time. Obviously, it was the Backstreet Boys and Insink was out around that time.

And we were competing at a high level. And it's dope that we're coming back, you know, to finish what we started. So I'm excited about the things we got on the table. To sum that question up, I may have to come back to you and text you, be like, yo, bro, I'm still thinking about that one. Yeah. Like, clearly, you know, summarizing, we got Korea. It's over there.

But in our culture, what would that look like now today? Right. Because how everything is. When you look at, like, and Sanker Backstreet Boys, like, objectively looking at it now, at least some of those dudes were not really the heartthrob type, right? And they see when you look back? But it worked because they, the first one or two dudes on there, the girls are going crazy for him. And then the other guys, like, okay, you could sing. or you're in the mix.

I don't know. Yeah, man. I mean, we would have to, we would have to see it. Someone asked me what, would I be, you know, how would I feel about, like, would I be interested in putting together a boys group? And, you know, I've always thought about that. You know, my, you know, my entire career. Yeah, I don't know how it would be done.

I mean, we got like, I mean, you got, like, how do you, do you make like a traditional boys group or do you mix it up with like a, like a, like a little oozy bird and, uh, you know, and, you know what I'm saying? Like, forecast like some energy like that. it, you know, and do you try to go like, with our culture per se? Okay,

do you try to go authentic and have it be like five dudes who might really hang out? Or are you like, okay, we got the dreadhead dude. Yeah. We got the Asian guy.

We got the skinny, nerdy white guy. Like, I don't know, like give everybody a little bit of something. I don't know. That sounds probably not good. Like,

I don't think that would work. I think authentic's probably better. I see what I'm saying. Authentic is better, especially if they came up. But putting the group together, I mean, it could and can work.

You know, I mean, we've seen it, but, you know. Well, okay, I'll take it even a step further. I was listening to a podcast and they said there's basically no male pop stars besides like, what's his name? The Harry Styles. Oh, like right now. Now, if we extend out to like R&B and hip hop, okay, like obviously the star rappers, but like a male pop star.

Right. And there's tons of female pop stars now. What's that dude's doing all the flips and shit? Benson Boone. Yeah, he's fire. I was not sure if you would know about him. I actually do like his music. Yeah, he's fire.

I'm getting into him right now. So he's, the game is always changing. There's always going to be some new cast. So I'll have to agree with you. Like, who was like the male pop star that's like that hasn't had their time? And I believe every king and queen gets their time to run the land. And, you know, like, you know, some of these people are trying to hang on. Some of these people are just legendary and iconic of what they do.

But the industry and the music and the people like move on. And it's like when Lady Gaga first came out, it was a phenomenon. The world moves on. Doesn't mean Lady Gaga's no bigger or no smaller or she's not even more successful. And with the things that she's doing, I mean, she's making a, boatload of money. You know what I'm saying? I think at least in part, it's got to be that the market in general is just not that

interested in men. Wow. Oh, yes. You're going to that deep. And then if you look at Harry Styles, it's like, oh, he wears a dress on the cover of magazines. He's like very girly. Harry style.

Benson Boone. He's wearing like the bedazzled, sparkly costumes. He's doing backflips on stage. It's like traditional masculinity. Okay. Has kind of been demonized. But wasn't Prince really like? fashionable and it was like really you know he was he was he was MJ same thing I think if you're

going to be a pop star that appeals to like legions of women there's always going to have to be something that isn't just fully like tough guy bovado 50 cent yeah we live in a different world now yeah we live in a different world so I mean when you think about that like I mean who else do we have I mean currently right now that's new that's relevant I mean we have our legends they sit on Mount Worshmore's you know but like something like usher is a solo artist but I mean he's still dropping music

been around forever I feel like he's a legend I feel like he's a little bit more yeah yeah it's more of a legacy star you know I mean but you know what R&B is popping right now you know what I mean

like Mario got a new record out yeah Marion got a new record actually I was listening to it on the way over here shout out to Marry's new record actually Kevin McCall actually wrote the record oh yeah he did mention that I ran into him today

so I thought that was pretty fire yeah yeah that was not intentional to have a little bit of a theme going today no I listen bro R&B is like definitely pop and so salute to everybody out there pushing uh mrs love no got a hot record you know what's the name of the record love what you find you know what i was listening to the record the acoustic version away over there i was like okay all right let's go music okay so there's the tangent that we promised hey there we go we listen we can go for days and shout out to your wife yo if uh if y'all need

some tickets beat okay's going on tour next year too so i'll be love to give you and your wife from tickets wow i would love to go and also because you know i'd be talking to ray j little bit. Yeah, that's the homie. And I won't divulge any of our conversations or anything. Never. Never. But when I'm talking to him about tour, I'm kind of realizing like, oh, shit, like, you're having a lot of fun on tour. Yeah, tour is a lot of fun. Tour's a lot of fun. It's a lot of work. And it's about the environment that you, that you create, right? So we, ours is like, you know, it's a no alcohol tour, you know what I'm saying? Like, you know what I mean? Everybody is, yeah, like, we come out there to do our work. You know what I'm saying? We're three, four days on.

We go back home with you and doing your private life. That's you. Let's come there and make it fun and keep everybody's spirits up, you know what I mean? That was another thing I realized talking to Ray J is like, oh, your life is insane right now because you're going out like every weekend. And then come home, return to normal life for a couple days and then you're back out. And then return normal life and then you're back out. Like that just must be, it must be so hard to get into a groove of like life. You know what?

If you've been doing it your whole life, he's used to it. You know what I mean? You know, Ray, I just talked to him two days ago. Like Ray, you know, I was telling him congratulations. That's a project that he's working on with trying to. and all the new deals he got in place. And I was like, bro, we've been doing this. And he was telling me, he's like, yeah, we've been doing this since we were kids.

You know what I'm saying? This is our life. This is our norm. You know what I mean? But I love the fact that like I'm married. You know, I just had a kid. He's one shout out to my son. You know, so cool.

His name is Versailles Carter Thornton. Okay. Yep. So that's my little man. And, you know, it's just like that part now that puts even more perspective on life. Right. Now you can really start to organize your life. So I'm happy to see Ray J with his kids.

because now you put everything in perspective yeah yes it's it's on no who instituted the idea of uh no alcohol tour i mean that's that's that's that's one of the things that like i mean everyone's they're grown you know our promoter you know shout out to you know uh uh bpc and g squared events like you know they they carry a lot of integrity you know with with their tours people are grown they can do they want to right with with respects but you know when you come with that mindset is like we are going as professionals go work do a good job you know i mean it's not a party. Yeah.

You know, I mean, you can make it a party, but it's like, yeah, now you're hurting your body. How many rock stars that you've talked to

or interviewed, how many people that you, and an artist or say, so, so on and so forth, are just getting so fucked up all the time that they, are they really enjoying it?

Are they really living in a moment? Like, when my cons, they're like, it's like modern day church. You know what I mean? It's really emotional. I'm trying to,

I'm stopping in that moment. You know, I'm watching and, you know, maybe you shed a tear at times, you know what I mean? because this is, you know, they're supporting me.

Brimbroughman made my dream come true. So it's like. But so wait, okay, so there's no alcohol backstage. Like normally, nah, every show you play, there's going to be a selection of alcohol. So none of that.

Not on the B2K tour. What if like one of the guys in B2K is like drunk as shit? Is it kind of like, okay, well, he made that personal decision? I mean, I mean,

has a grown man. I mean, yeah, right? But with respects to just setting the standard. And where we're at, you know, we're all, you know, close to 40, if not 40 years old now.

You know what I mean? We understand the assignment. We understand the, you know, the strength in the brand, right? And let's go out there and finish what we started. Because you guys have been through headaches related to, you know, living wild. Yeah, but we never really had, though. Like, our tours never really liked that. I remember when we were like 18 or 19, maybe as we got a little older, we probably go to Chili's and maybe we had some drinks there.

But it wasn't like, it wasn't like. You guys could just go to Chili's? I mean, yeah, we had our security. We want the chilies, but let's say we order some drinks. Yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? Now we, but it wasn't like, our tours wasn't like super turned up. And I think, I think I know that discipline is what brought B2K to the success that we had.

Within that short run to where we were able to come back, which we did a tour, it's what, seven years ago, six, seven years ago that grossed $28 million that we had a line. So, and we're about to go back out, you know, seven years later, which is a blessing. So it's like, I mean, hard work really does pay off. For sure. one looks good. Everyone takes care of themselves. Everybody eating clean, you know what I'm saying? Everybody's in the gym. So, okay, going back to the story, how long did it take between, like, the group being formed and then the group being huge? Like, how long did it take before the records really started to

click? Well, so you got the group moving around that was formed around, you know, in the 90s, late 90s, right? We finally get a deal around 1999. You know, but we was already popping, you know, we were in different music videos. We were on different shows we were in team magazines we had a manager you know that you had some juice you know i mean we were we we were already making money and generating a bus then you got politics you know here it is b2k pops up in bow wow's video he's one of the hottest rappers out at that time so within that timeline you have to say between you know 90 you got 98 you got development you talk about so you got maybe like two and a half years of development got the deal now you got another two years of

album, getting the videos and the packaging and working out and getting all that together. So it's a, it's a process. And during that whole time period, are you just like in love with what you're doing and the grind? Is there any, like, stress associated with the fact that you're clearly on this path? Or is it just every day you're working towards this goal? That's a really good question, right? With, uh, for us, we were super passionate and we, we, we seen and knew, uh, where we were

going because we knew we were dope. And we knew we were constant developing our vocals, right? And we knew we had, you know, ties to the industries. Like we're in all these different, I mentioned this earlier, but that first group that we had put together with the five of us, we were in every different label. We were in Interscope. We were at, you know, Lafayes.

We were, you know, we were at Eresta and all these different places. So to have that opportunity, but the politics of the failure comes to like, damn, we didn't get the deal. But then we come back around and you got the same three out of that group. Now you got Amari, and we come back around, and we wind up seeing somebody's same labels. So we've, you know, I feel like for us, we knew that we had the core. And once we, you know, added a margin to the group, that formed B2K.

And that was like the nucleus that really, along with the politics and the great management and the great discipline that we had. And then you got Tommy Motola pulling the chigger spending millions of dollars. Yeah. Like, they just don't do. It's almost like we were one of the last. It's almost like we're having this conversation. I'm forgetting that this is the thing that the music industry. doesn't really do anymore and it's why they do they do sometimes they pick and choose like

if that person is just so obviously going to be huge then they all get behind them and they make it happen but they spend millions behind him exactly she was going to be phenomenal I mean they spent like probably $570 million before she even came out yeah but you know she probably cooped that they made she didn't make it all that back and during tour right but it's like we kind of constantly having that conversation because like rap is you know very low in the in the top 100 at this point I think there's no rap records on the top 100 right now. And it just kind of like stands out a lot that like, oh, I used to kind of have like a flow of rappers to interview all the time

that were like being pushed by the labels. Got you. And that's not so much the case anymore. So you think that's, I don't want to say it's an agenda. Do you believe or would you suggest or recommend that the labels are moving away from rap? Oh, yeah. For sure they are. You know, with respect to that, it's time to clean things up.

I know we have, you know, as a culture, have things they want to express. But we've seen so many examples. I would have to say Jay-Z is a prime example of someone who cleaned it up. Yeah. That's your perfect example. You know what I mean? I mean, cleaned it up and-

Clean it what, I mean, like, for example, like, if I'm glorifying killing, if I'm glorifying, if I'm glorifying, you know, if I'm glorifying, you know, if I'm glorifying, all that different stuff is like a low vibration frequency that we, as people don't need to be there. Like, you know what I mean? So, and we have all this knowledge now, especially on what to eat, right? I mean. So it's like,

if you clean it up, I mean, the world would be a little bit better. Yeah. I mean, I remember Jay Z said right before 50 cent came out, he was telling his label, like,

somebody's going to come through and DMX the game, which is kind of crazy because before 50 came out. Yeah. Like 50, but if you think, like 50 was like 2021, 2020, and like DMX was like 1990.

So this is actually like pretty close together. But like, you know, he he basically was saying like the game is polished the game is poppy the game is diddy the game is everything right now is very polished and shiny and and it's appealing to the mass market and then 50 comes out and he's super gangster and he's got these real stories about getting shot that like other rappers did not have at that time and and that was what the game needed at that time everything was too clean let's interject a crazy element of gangster shit the question is right right now

what is that thing? What is the Lord knows we've seen enough gangster shit. Right, right. Oh, what is that next thing that's going to like, make people love hip hop again because it kind of felt like we had like SoundCloud rap type, that sort of energy, the Playboy Cardys and the X's and Juice Worlds. Right. All these guys.

And then by the time you get to like the 2020s, it felt like as far as rap, I'm mostly specialized rap. So I'm kind of referring to rap. But like by the 2020s, it starts going all street. like everybody's shooting some shit up in their lyrics or whatever and then it kind of feels like right now

the audience has kind of got sick of that and they're kind of like okay we've heard enough murder anthems yeah but that's the question is like what's next? I mean there's a lot of people that's answering for that right now and they have been for years

tragedy would happen to Biggie and Two pot but look how they brought look how they learned from that and brought 50 ends. and marketed like that. And really, like, like, five years later. Because there was that vibe in the industry of like,

oh, let's not push rap. That's gangster. Because people used to be on their album covers with guns. And then that went away. Yeah, that's true. I'm talking about like before all. Oh, yeah. But then with Tubac and Biggie,

it was kind of like, okay, we can't, on the corporate side, we can't be promoting all this gangster shit in the same way. I mean, that shit was crazy, bro. Yeah, it changed everything. Now, you're smart way. I see you're you're embedded in the coach I'm over here like I'm wearing my mind like oh yeah bro this is some deep shit you're talking about these are some these are some serious facts for real talking shit hey so let me ask you this is uh did it feel like b2k was in some way a reaction to ensign

and backstreet boys like oh we're going to do the the swagged out black version of what these other dudes have had success do not at all okay not at all we it was timing right they just time you know that same room that Tommy Mottola signed us in and rest in peace to Polly Anthony and shout to Dave McPherson and Katrina ask you and you know all the people Chris and all the people that made that that project Max Goose Martin Pyrrins Tice Williams all these people that made that B2K project pop it was position at the right time and I would say that meaning because the label had already had 3 OW right they already had a girls group may at Destiny Child as well right so we just

I felt like we just slid right up in there. But maybe I could be wrong from someone else's opinion. I mean, Instinct was out, Backstreet was out. And Tommy, I think Tommy Motola knew what he was doing. So that would have to be. I mean, who else was out at that time in 2001? They had that had that push. I mean, right before us, it was Drew Heo.

That had like a really big push. Right? I mean, if you're a smart music exact. Like 1999? If you're a smart music, you're looking at and singing Backstreet Boys and thinking like, okay, if there's a million white girls going nuts for these dudes. then we probably could figure out a more urban black version of that. I mean, they, I mean, they think they probably, probably so.

Yeah, probably so. I mean, because I mean, bro, we were number one on TRL. We didn't sell as much as they so. Yeah. Right. But I believe the group broke up a little early, but based off of being able to compete at the level, like, Insync, they worked to get up to the level where they was at. I feel like the label put us out of, you know.

Yeah, so that would have to be a response because of the top of money, I mean, we got $7,800,000. just at radio. Right. You know what I mean? That's for a new group. Okay. Before we get into the breakup, though,

what was the music creation process like? Are they just handing new songs? Are you guys working together writing stuff? What was it? That very first album, you know, that was a collaboration more so with us. You know, we had in-house producers, the production that we were signed to,

Platinum status. And we, they created music based off of our energy and our vibe and based off what was from what I, from my personal, experience what was hot around that time. You know what I mean? So that very first album, some, we had a little input, maybe wrote, maybe wrote on one or

two records, you know, but, you know, we're new, new artists in industry. That second time, we grew in, I felt like we had more hands on like ANR songs and picking different records. Because some records are custom made. They're written right there on the spot. Some are already were made and they, you know, they're sent to us. And, you know, we referenced them to see what they sound like. So that process could be different for different artists.

Um, you know, there's a lot of new artists that come out that right their ass off. You know what I'm saying? So, you know, I'm pretty sure that process is a little bit different as well. But if you had a song or like, did that ever happen where like you or someone else in the group like had a song or like, you all want to work on this or would that energy not have been necessarily. That energy got supported. Uh, we were so early in the game. You know, that, that if you're going to, I believe that we would hear each other out. But it needs to be equivalent to when you got, you got, you got Tricky Stewart who produced baby and.

you know and produce all these crazy records for usher and so on and so forth like we got superstar master producers so you're competing at a high level so you know there's raps that i know like that little fizz and j book wrote on uh-huh that was our first single single there's a gold single it was number one for like 12 weeks on the hot 100 singles charts which is awesome won a billboard award for that which is pretty dope and like they actually wrote the rap together right two months of conversation man that's amazing i mean i wasn't mad i was sitting there back like shit I got a word in you know what I mean they got some publishing on that so and nobody knocked that and I thought you know for you for your being your first album that was a collaborative effort

because the second time we wound up working on 10 songs were you the kind of dude though at that time who was just happy like clearly this is a well oiled fine-tuned machine were you just happy to just do your job and be part of it or was there part of you that was like I want to have more of a say creatively or I want to do things my own way because when you're in that label sort of box you know there's things that are expected of you and creativity is not necessarily a huge part

of it. Not within the B2K world because you know me having family you know I was very you know I love to go big superstar like you know for the clothes and as well as our you know our management they want to do the same thing so I feel like we shared that creative juice

so we were excited about the things that we want to do. It's like our first album, we didn't have a commercial, but our second album, we had a commercial. It's us running from the girls, you know, and we jump over the gates and we hop on the car and then they pan back. And then, you know, the girls in the store with the CD in her hand. So that first album sold 110,000 copies. Then the second album sold 200, 210,000 copies. So our label was allowing for us to be creative because we had showed them that we can do shit, you know, which would inspire them to want to spend money. Right. So, we, Bitsa had a very unique situation.

That was like we just did the BET Awards and, you know, shout out to Shaka Zula. He's like, man, congratulations on me and celebrated. And I was like, I don't think of it that way. You know, not just even was it a well-oil machine, but when you're put in a situation of this magnitude, it's pretty well-oil. So you've got to be, not only do you be grateful,

but you got to also remember your hard work and all those nights that you cried and times that y'all got let down, you guys are actually really here. So don't take this for granted. Stay on that. Stay on their neck. You know what I mean?

And how was our energy? Every time we got on stage, we're like, we're going to kill it. You know, how can we take this next video to the next level? Okay, cool. Let's put Will Smith in the video. Let's put Ronald Isaac in a video. Let's put Big Boy in a video. Let's put Flex Alexander to be.

Let's give Veronica A. Fox. Let's get, you know, Jennifer Freeman. Let's make it a movie. You know what I mean? So I just felt like we understood the assignment. Definitely. So do you have a memory of, I always remember Kanye describing, like, right before his first album blew up that he was at Tower Records.

in Midtown Manhattan or downtown kind of about like 14th Street. And he was just like in the elevator with a bunch of people. And he had a thog in his head at that moment that was like, this is the end of this. Like I'm never going to be in an elevator full of people that don't know me again. And then sure enough, that actually happened. Like he just, he was world famous within a few months.

And what did he want for now? I'm not to look. That's on YouTube? I think I remember him telling the story. I think in like a written article a long as time ago. I say that just to say, was there a sort of like night and day moment for you guys? Oh, it would probably be those, all those times we got rejected and you're so close. Oh, the label wants to keep you, but we don't got this guy and or we don't got this or now we need this and we need to try this new member.

And it was just a lot of different things that were going on. And it's kind of like how MJ went through some shit and was like, you know what? Like, I'm never going to let this happen to me again. That's a good one. I'm sure there was a moment. I would have to think really for a minute to actually. you really find out what that moment was. But I'm sure it was a moment where we was like,

this shit, like, like we're going to be the biggest group ever. Right. I'm saying. Like, we're going to make a name for ourselves. And I believe we had that energy and error behind us because we knew when we started performing, it's a rap. Like, young B2K, like that energy, I don't, I don't, I mean, I knew people could dance,

but like B2K had a different little edge, but we had a different little edge with this. Was it ever like you're on a tour and you're kind of able to. to move around like a normal person and then like the next tour you're having to move around like the president like all of a sudden like you're getting stormed by fans and everything i've seen that i've seen that i've seen that before um this is this is a fine theory that i have on i think that's we created an experiment when i was in china because i lived there for seven years and my guy was like i want to i want to try like if i create this and put a cameraman there and have somebody yelling can we create that same impact it's pretty interesting how that happens you know what i mean um

I've experienced that on numerous occasions, you know, but it's, it's some energy about that. Well, you're saying that they did a test, like, if we film you and act like you're super famous, how much more will it convince everybody? Yeah, exactly. So it's just like programming. So that my whole theory behind that, it gets a little deep for me when I, but I've definitely experienced that. The secret is when the wave is going, I mean, when it's wavy, just stay cool and stay calm. You can, you know, and talk to everybody real calm.

Yeah. And you can walk right out. But if you freak out or panic, they'll freak out and panic. he'll start to grab you and doing stuff because they're not even in control at that moment. Yeah. There's something like, I've been in situations before where a guy walks into the room and he's got two big ass security guards. He's got a filmer.

He's got a chain on. Right, right, right. And the whole room stops to pay attention to this dude. And it's like, I know who he is. And I know he isn't that big deal at all. Right, right. But he's moving around like a big deal. Right, right.

And like the normal, the people who don't know him are, they're convinced this guy's fucking famous as shit. And they're like, all ticket pictures and everything. So it's like you can kind of do that on a day-to-day basis if you want to move around and give off that much energy. And on the other hand, you can be a famous-ass person and have your hoodie up sunglasses on, low-key. And people come over to you like, hey, are you so and someone's? Right, right. And like be polite about it because they recognize that you're not really trying to be like that at this moment.

Yep. It's kind of weird. I'm sure you experiences as well. You know, you know, it's just a trip when you see somebody. that you recognize like like i literally was just talking to amari today and i was telling i was supporting his record and i run into kevin today it's kind of like one of those surreal moments like you know what i mean yeah his energy was great it was you know um you know talented dude so keep keep keep writing bro keep keep living keep writing for sure where the name rzby come from you

you have that in the answer hell no bro uh rest in peace dave scott um phenomenal choreographer phenomenal choreographer phenomenal choreographer worked on you know step up and you got served and he did it actually he did all of B2K's choreography up until the last tour and the recent BT

performance that we had so rest and peace of Dave Scott he yeah he's the one that actually gave me my name and because like normally when I wake up I think I sound like a frog but they say my voice is pretty raspy so he's like let's call you Razby and I was like and they kind of just stuck with me I thought it had to be like

raspberry really is. No, I clean more to RAS, which I was doing some research in Kabbalah and reading, you know, the Holy Bible. And it was like, there was a scripture like, Deuteronomy 29, 29. And it just kind of stuck with me. And it was like, the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belongs to us and our children that would me do all the work and will of his law. And Raz means reveal our secrets. And a Jewish friend of mine who studied Kabbalah actually told me that. And I was just doing some research and I'm like, so RAS kind of like stuck with me

you know and Mario which my name is DeMario but my mom and all my friends call me Mario which means mighty warrior right so you just look at these little meanings and you hold on to those things you know what I mean keep you keep you believe in yourself and staying true to yourself because life is a journey right?

Definitely. Jeez. So at what point like do you remember what year you guys broke up and yeah we broke up things starting to get shaken probably got started to get shaking around like late 2003. Okay. And And, you know, right before the movie came out, you got served. Yeah.

It came out like January. Yeah. And the group was really, you know, at that time, really doing their own thing because we had to record, we were supposed to record, well, it got recorded somehow, a soundtrack album. The whole album. A soundtrack, I, yeah, maybe like five or six songs. Okay.

You know, typically we'll be in the studio, whether Amari's doing the leads or not, but we all be in the studio collaborating, but that, you know, that was kind of weird. We started seeing some things kind of like, you know, we started. started to get a little older and we started to inquire about, you know, different business things. And, you know, I think there was, now that we're older and mature, we probably should have went about them in a different manner. So what we say was the biggest factor was it like label slash industry slash money shit or was it like personal shit between you guys. I think it was everything. Yeah.

I think the thing, I think everything, not just the fame, but I just think everything that come along with the world, right? Because you're, this is essentially B2K is a commodity, right? And this is what the world is exchanging, right? It's the world that's the world that's off of exchange. Right. Yeah. So, you know, now. You know, things are coming in and, you know, people are not feeling that, you know, energy is being justified and this and that and things are not fair.

Then you got these people pulling over this guy and this pulling over here. So it's just like it just gets complicated and messy. Yeah, especially if you're spending years of your life on the road, literally giving up your privacy, giving up like everything in order to make this thing work. Right, right. And then at some point you kind of realize that you're not really making money like the way that you assumed you're going to. That's got to be a tough. Yeah, after a while. Yeah.

Yeah. So those are the moments. And then, you know, and then, you know, I believe brotherhood stuff, that stuff could get worked out. That's the easy stuff. Not us, but it's the politics that kind of makes our stuff sticky. We're our stuff caught up really. Our stuff could have been worked out. You know what I mean?

So that's why I'm so excited about this moment that we have now for completion. And like, now we're talking about, I mean, we've announced a tour, but we're getting ready to launch, you know, the dates and stuff and, you know, going to start to campaign for the tour that starts since fall. Is it far or spring? February? And it's about completion, bro. You know what I mean? I'm excited because we're something that like we,

we get a chance to finish. Right. You know, I'm excited, bro. I'm looking forward to it. No, definitely I want to ask more about that and everything. But so would you say that the group was stagnating at all in terms of commercial success or were you guys kind of at the high point? No, no.

The group was definitely not stagnated at all. We were, we were getting ready to. That next album probably would have been at least three to three to four or five million copies. I mean, we had just shipped 700,000 copies over the UK. Right. We're starting to,

you know, we went from doing a bunch of TV and, and interviews to now we're, you know, doing performances at clubs and arenas and, like, it's starting to bubble. I feel like,

I feel like B2K would have that one, that next album. We had our first number one, Hot 100 record with bump, bump, you know what I mean? So, like,

and that's all, these, both these albums came out in the same year. Right. Oh, that's crazy. You know what I'm saying? So we dropped the first time in March, March 2001, then you come back, you drop another one, December 10th. Yeah.

Legend. Shit, these guys were maximizing on their money. Like, you know what I mean? Yeah, but so did you, uh, so you guys filmed or you did everything for you got served? But then by the time the album, or by the time a movie comes out, you're already actually broken up or how did it go? Yeah, like, you know, there's some intricate parts, but like around 2003, we had just came back from doing our promo run for a bump bump bump in the UK right for the new album for the second album yeah and at the time before we left i think we just finished the contracts when we got back we shot we shot the movie that could

have been like late 2003 that was a big year for us right yeah um and then a movie so between those last five months things started to crumble apart you know what i mean um and uh i remember us showing up but the premiere we didn't show up together you know marion and insecurity and all these people they walked in and we the three of us came and you know i mean you know, the way they was promoting the movie. It was them over there promoting the movie. And it was us over here promoting the movie. It was just, you know, things were different.

Did people seem like they understood or? Nowadays, the fans are picking through your social media with a fine tooth comb. They're noticing before you want them to know. They just wanted to see us together. I believe they, you know, as time, you know, unveiled, it, you know, was revealed. Like people were able to, you know, put their story together what they think. But it's a lot of moving parts when you got a group that's generating millions of a lot of success.

You know, some people think it's always, oh, well, this guy's jealous of this guy. You know, it's so many moving parts. You know what I mean? That's why I feel like B2K could like, we could really do a freaking biopic. Like, I feel like, and it would be, it would have to be four separate parts

because everybody's life, you know what I mean? I'm curious to know, you know, like Amari side or other boys. And, you know, some of my stuff is played out, you know, publicly or whatnot. But, you know, I feel like you bring all that shit together is what makes people still want to see the group. I watched a whole Netflix series about Wham.

What the fuck is that? I don't even know. George Michael had a group called Wham. Okay, George. And they actually had an unbelievable number of huge hits. Oh, wow. People forget about it because it was like corny-ass 80s music. But, you know, they had crazy huge records.

Big following. I'm just saying they're like, I think B2K probably could get more views than Wham. So I feel like for sure that's probably something like that coming. Yeah, no, that, bro, listen, you know, that's, it's been a conversation. but respectfully each each gentleman in the group would have to obviously what I was saying produce their hey guys we're saying it out now obviously you have to produce your story you'll be solely responsible for it and then we would have to collectively agree which we will and all have to sign off on each other's so we all are you know representing you know and putting out the right

narrative and everyone's being seen in the proper light that they want to be seen in which I'm sure we work together I'm sure we could figure something like that out I think that would be dope right Were you surprised about how big you guys served came? Oh, hell yeah. Became? Oh, Jesus Christ. Yeah, it's literally like a cult classic. Yeah.

So, you know, shout out to my family. You know, he's out there doing some amazing films and stuff like that. And, you know, having that opportunity to be a part of you guys served. Like, that was huge. The movie was called Dance and the movie was originally written for Genuine, which was Elgin. Leah, which was Alia. Wade, Wade, Wade Robinson. Dave, which was Dave Scott.

Rest in peace, Dave Scott. and and you know it was a dance movie about battling right and it was so dope because the timing of of it was so remember I said about how the group was played strategically the timing and the alignment was just so perfect that was almost what 86 I'm going to have to do the math on that from 86 or 2004 like that that was like the new era of breaking if you think about it you know and the world goes like this I don't feel like break dancing has really had a pop culture moment like that you know You said pop culture. No, yeah. Like, nobody, like something that makes everybody stop and pay attention

to this, like, small subculture. You don't think Breaking did that back in a day? No, I'm saying. Since, oh, since that old. Yeah.

Oh, okay. Yeah, because you got served, bro. When I seen, when I seen you guys serve on South Park, I was like, oh, this shit's out of here.

Like, my, I sat back and saw, like, yeah, this is, you know, then you got, they made dance flicks. They making spoof films of the, of it.

Yeah. I mean, that was, she. Was there, Was there anybody involved who was like, you know what? This movie's fucking huge. Let's keep this B2K thing going. We still have more work to do.

There was a lot of people that tried to step in to make that happen. I think the damage was done at the time. I remember sitting down with Steve Harvey. I remember, you know, there's being conversations where, you know, Amari probably had an opportunity to where he could have said, you know what, I'm going to do this solo album. Then I'm going to go back and do B2K. I feel like there's a bunch of different parts,

but there was so much damage. And I feel like there was a lot of growth that need to transfer. inspire from that from everybody and uh i like where we're at today do i think we left a lot of money on the table hell yeah jesus and not just about the money i look at people and shout out to chris brown the stadium tour i look at you know people and their supporters have been able to grow with them right so imagine all those years you just keep working you get to you get to grow with them you got 12 albums oh come on bro you're telling me you're not in the stadium yeah you know i mean it's not just about the money but we do get into business for the love but

got a had the money. Would you say it was an ego thing that stopped you guys from being able to do it? Or was it because ultimately, Omarion just wanted to do his solo thing? No, I don't think it was none of that. I think for, no, I would like to believe that it was a lot of moving parts

that didn't necessarily involve us. Like I said earlier, Brotherhood, stuff could be worked out, right? If my boy wanted to do a solo album, like, cool, we can go in there and support you on your solo project, Like, you know, same thing, Fizz had a record deal. Mario had a record deal.

You know, I feel like there was a way that things probably needed to be handled. You know what I mean? With all of the politics, personal relationships, transitions, you know, big movie coming out. These are so many of moving parts. You know what I mean? So it's like, you got different people, different managers, different agents, different executives.

You got different people in your ear that weren't in your circle. You're super famous. You got some bread. You know, I would have to say it was, you know, inevitable. Hmm. I mean, we always talk about. how groups don't really work in hip hop. Would you say it's true in large part for R&B as well?

Would you say people would try to break groups up or try to, you know, kind of like self-destruct them? Like let's say, okay, most people say, okay, well, groups are going to only have two albums per se. Yeah. You know what I mean? Do people start looking at the solo artist? Like I knew Amari was going to go solo before the group even started. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

So, you know what I mean? So for us, we all knew that. Like, you know, I mean, he was already a solo artist. He already had a pop's commercial. He was already, you know, a backup dancer and doing, you know, commercials. And like, he was, he was moving. He was working. Right.

You know what I mean? So I knew he was going solo. I know he was really sad about it because I don't think he was ready to go solo because there's a way maybe he wanted to do it. It would have been nice. I mean, he had a very successful run. You know what I mean? Very successful run.

And that's, that's really good for him, you know, but imagine if, you know, we were all dropping solo records, you know, like I think there was an idea where we the pandemonium album we dropped five different covers everyone had their first cover I believe there's an idea floating around about all each all of us having our own solo albums I thought that would have been dope if each

B2K member dropped had their own solo album dropped them at the same time with a B2K album never seen it done yeah so that's the type of creative shit we had around us yeah I mean and you know if they can get the Fizz done the FIS solo album done and if they was able to get the Marion album done I mean I was happy

for everybody. Is there an extent to which too? It's also like, well, shit, we've been chopping this money up three ways or more once you count the managers and labels, whatever. But like, if I work on my solo career, I don't even need to be anywhere near as big as the group because I'll be getting 100% of the money

or whatever I split with the label and a manager or whatever. But was that part of it too? Because it's like a lot of times you think of that. Like imagine being in Wu-Tang and you're going on tour and you've got to split the money 10 ways. You know what? You would have to I was never, you know, big on going to solo, right?

So I wasn't really thinking about that. And I'm a share. I believe in sharing, right? And I want everybody to win. I don't, like, I really don't win unless we all win, right? And, you know, maybe I'm more, I won't say that. But like, if that stuff's not been planted in your brain, how are you already thinking about that?

You know what I mean? As a human, it could pass your mind. Do I think that was driven in our group? I don't, I don't believe. that because we knew we were growing as a family. You know what I'm saying? Like let's build the empire. And eventually people will go off and do other things that they would like to do. But it's like keep the mothership, you know what I'm saying?

Yeah. So. Yeah. I mean, I see that even with the podcast. The thing is that anybody who is experiencing any level of success is going to have people around them who are trying to convince that person. Right. That they should not be part of a larger entity.

I mean. Because like the idea of being independent and going to. solo is so attracted to people and I 100% understand that but also it's like people who don't really have shit going on I think a lot of times look at a person who's doing well in the music industry and it's kind of like well whether they could verbalize this with words or not they're kind of like well if I contribute to blowing up this thing then I'm going to prosper in some way because I'm going to be able to be more involved in your career whereas if you're part of group, then your career is kind of in the hands of the group and the leadership there.

I mean, there's a lot of things. I mean, you have to think about what's best for you at that time, right? You know, I mean, I'm sure a lot that, not just in B2K's world, but I'm sure in a lot of situations. I was just thinking while you were talking about this the whole time, I just kept thinking about Bohemia rap city, the whole movie, right? Yeah. I'm sitting there watching our Freddie Mercury. He took the solo, you know, the solo deal for $4 million. I think about, you know, Justin Timberlake's moment. You know, I wasn't in the group. I don't know exactly, but let's say of Justin's, as an artist, he's growing and involved and he's doing more music

and maybe the other guys, they're not as interested at that time because everyone's like kind of going off to college. Everyone's kind of went on and, you know, and they're trying to air new things. But what are this guy still in the studio? What do this guy is still dancing? You know what I mean? You know, I believe that a lot of times people get victimized and that may not be

necessarily the case, right? Because if I'm Justin and like, I'm like, yo, Adam, I need you to, you know, pull up to the studio. We cut in this record, you know, or the stuff that we were doing, I'm not feeling that. Like I'm on some, like I'm, I'm used to, I'm really tapped in, you know, because maybe this was just a, you know, it's different.

That's like, well, Michael, like, you know, do you think Michael was like, wanted to go solo because he was like, because it was the money was there or was he really, you know, did he really not want to be in the group? Did he really not, you know, the things pushing away. Was it really his dad? Was the music that he was doing felt more him? Like, you know what I mean? Maybe this is stuff that they didn't want to try.

Like, you know, because in retrospect, with somebody like Michael, or Beyonce, it's kind of like, we've seen them go on to experience such insane levels of success. Right. It's kind of like, of course, you had to leave your group in order to experience that level of success. But what we don't really think about is like, well, what if that success had been like contained within the group?

That is fire. You know? Do you think, I'm, oh, that's a fucking good one. Like, what if Beyonce's biggest records were her in Destiny's Child doing it? Yeah, Destiny's Child would probably be the biggest. female R&B group of all time. So that ties back into what you said earlier. Do you believe it's outside influence that causes that to want to separate them?

Because they want to pull you into another circle because imagine she just never did solo and that she never did any solo album. And she just stayed in the group. I don't think she would have not been not just successful, but people because she's the lead singer or you get that emphasis. I already put on that stage. People are already gravitating to you and putting you out. that's like if you came and I'm like, well, I'm not taking this opportunity. If I'm not, if you, they won't be on cover a vote by myself, but I'm not going to do it without you.

Still force your group. She could have forced her. I mean, her group is still there, but she could have forced her group the entire time if she wanted to. Yeah. But ultimately, like, that question. That's really, I mean, but isn't that for one human being? Like, we, we do want to get into our own self. Like, you build your pro.

You look, I mean, like, okay, you worked with this company. You did this in the past. This is your shit. Yeah. Don't you want to get in your own. basically. Imagine if when I had started this, it had been me and two other dudes

doing all the interviews. But then as time goes by, it kind of starts to feel like, oh, like, I'm the guy that's like really getting the good interviews and maybe these other two dudes

were just dudes that made sense for me to be doing interviews. Maybe the world does that shit. I mean, that's always what happens. Yeah. That's just pure outside influence. Yeah.

But even like, let's say, like, Boyston Men is still, okay, Juanier did some stuff solo, but boys the men is still fucking popping. They're fucking eating They're going to her right now Yeah

I'm still eating I mean honestly Maybe part of the problem Maybe part of the thing is Is I remember when boys to men were fucking huge And I'm the biggest selling boys group of all time But I don't think I could have told you the name of one of the members As just a fan

Oh Which is kind of different than like Destiny's child where it's like She was just like I didn't know the other two But I knew Beyonce That shit That's just deep

Yeah This is deep you know it's the politics of groups you know this is a whole like documentary we can really we can really we can really we can really get some boy groups and sit some people down and interview to ask okay this is this is deep the exception the guys and girls exception to the rule rap wise that would be crazy rest of peace to take off but yeah before takeoff past the megos seem like the group that was going to stay together forever because right yeah but they were all so similar yeah so on the same page they're like related that's

Like they had a lot of the things in place that would keep them bonded together. Right. Now, granted, even that. They just, they just, they just grew up. They just, they, well, takeoff past and then also. It seemed like they was already wrapped and wrapping it up before they did that last. Yeah. And that's that, that last record for like the goodbye record, right?

Alleged girl drama. They all did their solo projects right before, take out past kind of a couple years before that. Yeah. They were together like, what, 15 years? Probably something like that. Yeah. I remember 2010? 2011.

You know, people, all these different groups, man, they just go through this shit. I mean, it's an ongoing. And I believe people like groups. That's why we're seeing a success of these, these, these, these, these, these, these, these, these capo groups right now. Yeah. Well, okay, but there you go. That's who you want. You want to make a group.

You go to a country that does not really, uh, they got like six, seven cats in that. They don't really care about, like, individuality in the way that Americans do. In America, everybody's all about free expression and creativity. you go to Asia, it's like, oh, there's a lot of concern for being a good member of society, a good part of the team, part of the group. It's less individualistic. You go to China, you just don't see people wearing weird clothes, just for an example, you know? But you go to a party in, you know, L.A., everybody got a weird outfit.

Everybody's trying to stand out. People don't really want to stand out as much there, so I feel like the group thing makes a lot more sense to them. It's real organized. From the perspective of what we've seen, past what, 35, 40, 50 years like with groups and wearing all the same clothes and shit, man, this road has changed. America's different, man.

That's fact. So, okay, the group was, is there a moment where you really break up or is it kind of slowly you separate and just go your separation? Oh, like, where there's some moments? Was there a blowout fight that just ended it? There was definitely some moments, like, no, no fist or stone, but there was some arguments that, you know, maybe a show, you know, there was, you know,

you know, but I feel like our arguments, once again, trickled out from the politics of the business. You get it? Because no one had a problem with some... I knew when this guy was doing something solo or this guy was in solo, I don't believe we had that many problems that we couldn't work out. I feel like it was the politics of the business and the agendas of what,

through how the world is pulling. You know what I mean? There's just ways to go about things. Do you remember the last time that you guys were all together before you spent a long period of time apart? Obviously, you're around each other now, but... Yeah, yeah, no, yeah. I remember those times.

It was sad, you know, especially as brotherhood. It felt like our brother was being taken away or, or, you know what I mean? Or we were going away. It was just very, very, very, very, very sad time. But I do remember some of those, some of those times. So you, what becomes of your life at that point? Like, what's your day-to-day become? During them, like when, like, when you are having, coming off this huge success,

you have to say to yourself, how do I continue to work? In this business, you got to handle your politics properly. Right? I can't be, you know, you got to move in silence. You know, things you probably, you know, you'll be rewarded openly. So I say that to say that like, you know, we have a bad breakup like that and it's involving politics and business companies and record companies. That can make it a little difficult to try to move in the same business that you were

strategically put in. Yeah. Right. So, you know, I think that, you know, all of that is lessons learn, right? And growth and with growth and maturity, you know what I mean? You, you'll get to understand that the group. B2K, like I said earlier, our previous tour was very successful

and we're hoping for the same success, if not more, you know, for this tour. And to be able to, you know, be able to go back on tour 20-something years later, you know, for a three-four-year run, you know, that was the impact that that group had made at that time. So, you know, and once again, that's a testament to our bond,

our brotherhood. I believe we're going to call it Tour Boys for Life. That could be a working title. Tour Boys? No, Boys for Life. It's off a title It's off a title track from Our sophomore album Yeah that's hard But so did you start working on your solo career right away

And like how did that kind of go? That was crazy I was talking to a friend another day I realized Tony Draper Shout out Tony Draper He had put $750,000 on the table For a for a project I flew up to meet with Dave McPherson

Who actually was very instrumental signing the Backstreet Boys He was the president of our company And I wouldn't met with him He's like I didn't know you wanted to do an album And I was like I don't think I knew either

You know what I mean Maybe I want to do one because You know, you know Things is popping right now Well if someone else in the group Is gonna do their own album I mean two people are doing albums now Like yeah you know

I'm gonna be the guy who doesn't do an album Yeah so I don't really know if I really And then you know I was in heavy talks for cash money Slim and baby That was pretty that deal almost got done And and there was a few other opportunities out there I don't know if I really want to pursue a solo career

I'm an entrepreneur behind the scenes guy Like I'm the guy that likes to find a money money. You know what I mean? Like, for example, like this relationship, you know, first point of contact. I had to introduce this relationship with this touring company to, you know, my circle and my culture. You know what I mean?

And shout out to the Millennium Tours. I feel like, you know, I was very instrumental in, you know, introducing and finding the money. You know what I'm saying? So I like the business, you know what I'm saying? Because like, like, you can tuck me off. Like, I like real estate. Like, you know what I mean?

I like brokering deals. You know what I mean? Like, I like consultant. You know what I mean? Listen, pay me my consultant check, you know what I'm saying? But you had that mentality even then? Oh yeah. Oh, yeah.

Yeah. Like, I've always been able to sustain myself, right? And if I got to get in front of the camera, like, you know, I'll get in front of the camera. But, like, I was in China for seven years. I knew how to survive. I was selling songs. And I know this producer. Okay, cool.

I can get this song for you for like he really won 40. But I can get you for this price. Okay. So the group breaks up and then how long until you go to China? Oh, shit. I went to China when I was probably like around 25. Okay. Wait, was that 25?

I don't know. Wait, how long? No, not 25. I came back on I was 32. Maybe it was 32 or 33? Maybe around to around 20, maybe that was 25, 26. The group broke up around. I was like 18 and 19.

Okay. You know what I'm saying? So you got 19, you got 20 to 1 to 2, 3, 4. You got like 5 or 6 years. So probably 5 or 6 years, fun with the China. What were you doing during those 5 or 6 years? That's a good question.

What was I doing during those 5 or 6 years? Probably a little acting here and there. I was still getting appearances. There was still a bus. Okay. There were some royalty checks that was coming in, which was pretty cool. And I, you know, I feel like I was more so getting a grasp of trying to get a grasp of everything that was transitioning in my life and how I want to move and what I want to go. You know, because you still got to say, okay, yeah, I can be, you know, I have some success.

I can be invited here, do this to this. But what is the next piece of product that I'm going to put out in the marketplace? What is that I want to do? And I believe a lot of the things that I want to do are more humanitarian related. Like we have we have we put in place which is called the B2K cares foundation. So always been Wanting to do things like that. I did see myself at a lot of different churches and revivals and I see myself at speaking Engagements and I feel like that's one of that's less like a person's pinnacle like like almost like almost like the pinnacle of your career. You know what I mean? It's like to speak and share your knowledge right?

So I just I was trying to get a grist one because it was so much shit coming out of me. What exactly that I want to what exactly it is what exactly it was or is that I wanted to do. And but I managed to survive. I managed to like be a hustler. I managed to make money. You know what I mean? And I believe that comes from my entrepreneur spirit for my mom, bro. Shit, I was pumping gas shining shoes, uh, selling oil, selling incense.

Like, you know what I mean? Like whatever it is. Yeah. Buying and selling that. That was really cool in China because I would, you know, I would, you know, source products. obviously China. Obviously China is opening up right now. Yeah.

It's showing you, you know, the market. Wait, but so how did you first get introduced to going to China? The reason why I'm so curious is because I've had, uh, I've like seen a few people in my life who kind of like restarted at some point and like

went to China. Right, right, right. And just kind of had like, you know. That was like a rebirth for me in a way. Yeah. That was like a real, like I went there.

Ah, fuck what yeah. I would have to go back to do some, do some math. But when I went, um, No, the first opportunity. Well, I always like China.

I always like, you know, you look, look at some shit. Like, you're like, okay. So that energy is already there. So now you're manifesting. This somebody like, you know, presents an opportunity to you. Say, hey, yo, there's a concert. The first concert is going on at the Great Wall of China. It was a company called BTB Communications.

They brought in How Uplinger who produced LiveA. And it was called the Wall of Hope concerts. So those out there that want to look it up. It was called the Wall of Hope concert. And I was working really close with them. At the time, they didn't have talent attached to the project. They proposed to B2K. I believe we were playing at this NBA entertainment.

Did you ever play on that? No. It was in Santa Monica. Everybody, Justin Timberle, everybody used to play. It was a celebrity game type of. Yeah, we had our refs and, you know, it was called the NBA-E, right? So it was pretty cool. But that's where I met that guy.

I can't remember his name. Forgive me, bro. But they just wanted to sign a letter of intent. You know, typically when you have a letter intent that could help move things forward. B2K, I felt like was a group that could headline something like, that you know I mean not me by myself I'm not trying to put myself down but I wind up even though the group didn't want to do it I wind up staying going to the office with them helping them you know find other talent working really close with

them because I want to be a part of this opportunity I wind up not going could have still went wind up not going because they promote a ran out of money my lawyer and my agent worked out where I could still go host the show I don't think there's let me perform but I could host the show which is pretty cool I should have went but they wasn't gonna be able to pay me and I'm like damn Because the guy was telling me, like, bro, make sure you lock in your payment, get everything done. And it just felt like the show was falling apart. Another promoter stepped in to buy it.

You know, and if I had this really good lawyer named Lee Young who let him understand the value that had brought to the project during the time. So, you know, the best thing to do was to honor it. That didn't happen. I said, seven years later, bro, somebody hit me up about going to China. And my uncle was like, bro, if it being guys, will you, go back to China. Right. Dude hits me up. it wasn't the best deal, but I took it.

And I started performing out there. It wasn't the best deal. It wasn't the best living conditions. I remember I lost my voice for like a week and a half of this fucking mildew. And I was in the, I was staying in the house, this flat. And it was a DJ. The people that worked at the club was like a residency gig. It was a DJ, two DJs and myself that worked there.

And it was crazy because these other dancers, they had their own apartment. Their flats was like plush. So when I got there, not that I was looking for some superstar treatment because I don't know, I don't think anybody knew me over there, right? You know what I mean? but I was able to grind, show my talent, and create so many

opportunities for myself. I mean, bro, I was making really good money in China, bro. And then, yeah, oh yeah, just from performing. Then I get down to Guangzhou and I'm starting to,

you know, hey, you know, hey, could you source this product from me? Oh, for sure. I got a friend to put my money on top. You know what I'm saying? Get that shit to mail it out. I mean, I was doing that for like,

for years. Like, some days I think about going back to that business and really, like, I was just doing it on the wing, like really organizing it and making it what it could be. But it's like now the market is open. I'm happy that people are going out to China and, you know, and opening up and, you know, making their money because entrepreneurship is everything. I mean, there's no reason anybody should I have a back. No, yeah.

There's no reason. If you understand American culture and Chinese manufacturing and their market and everything, There's like crazy infinite opportunities Are they all before you? I mean shit you buy you say yo I like yo raz I need this I'm like Let me sources part of you like this one Like I'm gonna see four different samples

Yeah All right this is my price and I'm transparent I'm like this is what I'm done And this is my fee Yeah Because I'm from like the bike industry And in the bike world I've known some of the bike companies

Who have one of their employees Move from here to China And they live down the street from the factory Just so that they can be in and out of that bitch Every day talking to the factory about exactly how they want things done. Let them speak Chinese. And that too.

I know a guy who made his wife learn Chinese. Bro, he's tough. She spent seven years learning Chinese. And let me tell you this. I'm sure they made a lot of, I'm sure they did very well for themselves. I think she left his ass too. Damn.

Wow. I know, right? Probably because she was making her learn Chinese. No, bro. You know what I mean? What they call them bosses? They say, Laubanz. Yeah, you know what I mean?

The bosses out there? Yeah. She probably got snatched up. I mean, yeah, shit. I don't know. Let's hope not Oh shit man Okay

So You stay out there For how long Like seven years Yeah seven years I came home The first room Was four years

I came up for like 27 days And then I went back For another three years Okay You know what I mean And remember I told you I said I found the money Right

At that time I'm like I start talking my shit on Twitter I'm like it's been a little over 10 years I think it's about time This group get back together Oh yeah It's like now and every type shit And people really reacted to that?

People reacted and a promoter reached out to me. That's the one who did all the Millennium Tours. He's doing the new edition tour and the Boyst to Man. So, you know what I mean? So, you know, and I call that just from believing, man. So now I'm in China. I come back. Now I got an offer.

Yeah. Was it, you know what I'm saying? But was it hard to get the rest of the group on board? That took about two years. Two years. That took about two years. Yeah. That took about two years.

And I was back in China on the ground with the money. but I got to move through, you know, and thank God I had somebody, you know, shout out to my man, Gary, man. Shout out to, you know, he was, he believed, you know, I mean, and he worked with me to help make it happen. It was difficult. And we had to, there was a lot of different pieces that needed to be oil and massage to make that happen. So, I mean, at that point, at that point, you guys have not spoken for seven to eight years? Not way longer. I'm sure.

I'm sure people, we've seen each other here and there. Oh, God. A moment. But, like, on a consistent basis, on a consistent basis. No, no. Because you didn't really have, like, a reason to hate each other, right? No, we hate each other. I think there was just miscommunications.

Yeah. Yeah. And like all that stuff, like, everyone's healed, matured, and, and communicate and express and moved on. But in order to get the tour to work, was it like, was it just you kind of like calling people and texting people? Or was there like, other people on the back end trying to make it happen? Well, when you got, yeah, when you got the promoter who believes, right, who's already allowed for me to be the first point of contact, allow for me to, allow for me to, you know, maneuver and put the piece in place

and connect the right sides that's going to help bring it like Demer Lefridge. Like when I had the first meet when I'm back, you know, I know who to strategically bring, right?

So I got Demir, you know, now I got, you know, I got J. Bug and I got Fizz. You know what I'm saying? That's his manager. So it's like if he can smell it out

and vet it out and say, okay, this is good. Maybe maybe one of the other group members would be like, okay, cool. Maybe I'll have this guy strategically talk to this one

and say, yo, this is real. Now you got this one talking to this one. okay, well, Amari wants to adjust this deal out to make it, you know, for this and that. You know what I mean? So, and then Amari goes on tour, but, you know, in my mind, I brought opportunity to my circle. You know what I'm saying?

Now let's figure how we massage it. So, yeah. And then, you know, of course, you know, that brings me favor because, you know, I just won what's fair. Remember I told you I like to share? I won what's fair. Do I feel like I, like, like some people's like, yo, did you like ask for like a, you know, bonus or this? No, the bonus for me is seeing. My group members make some money.

The legacy being fulfilled. I'm already going home and having some solo tours. And I'm happy that I was able to contribute to my brand. It's the same guy we're about to go out on tour with seven years later. And I'm about to do very well on this tour, right? So I'm just happy and I'm just grateful. So then when you guys actually go on tour, are you, is it hard to all get on the same page? No.

Weird to get back to? It's business. It's about everybody approaching the situation as professionals and as adults. And maybe at times I felt like I didn't approach that situation. I probably approached it the same way. I had, you know, the way I left it, like the way I left when I was like 19. Me and Jay Bull was talking about, I believe he probably referenced that to me. I'm sure that came from him.

But that was the approach with with that, right? So I just thought that, you know, with this approach, you know, I once had some time to grow up and mature and understand and get married and have more kids and understand, you know, this is business. But we're having so much fun with each other. were joking in our group chat, you know what I'm saying? Because we didn't have one of those for years. I would always look up like, damn, insane got a group chat. I wish we would get ours. So, yeah, like I think I'm probably the one that made it.

Because it's a weird thing that happens where like, I've seen this just happens so many times in the music industry where there's a group, you're together. And like, you're together because of friendship and there's a lot of ego and passion mixed up in it and everything like that. and people have things they want to do with their career and their time, et cetera. Right, right, right. And then you fast forward 10, 15, 20 years, whatever it is. And a lot of times the group is able to just kind of come together and say,

look, we're all grownups. We all are hustling, working in some capacity. This is clearly the thing that we could do that could make the most money during X period of time. Let's take all of the pride, put it aside, and let's just come together. It doesn't matter if we like it. each other. Let's just do what we got to do. Yeah, I think we had to like each other. I mean, it's tough to dance and sing on stage with someone you hate. I mean, you know, that's funny you said that. I'm going to talk to the guys about this. I think we really, deep down the

side, we had to like each other to even want to do it. You know, your business, because I hear a lot of groups that, you know, there's some groups that don't even talk to each other at all. Yeah. And you hear about people going on tour and have separate buses, separate everything. And you're kind of like, oh shit, y'all don't even have to be friends. You know what? It is business, but they're deep down aside. The stories that we share, there's only the four of us that can share these stories with each other.

So the fact that we, you know, got our group chat, we be sharing stories and, you know, it's a moment in time that we shared. We get to hear each other's stories, which is pretty awesome, you know what I mean. So I don't, you know, I love my brothers. I don't take none of them for granted, you know, being, you know, my experience in my life and how I grew up and, you know, being on my own at a young age and I've experienced foster homes and group homes, very for sure a few times. But when you're out of the home and, you know, you're growing up, you know, these people

become your family. You know, so for me, I took it, I took it really hard, but I'm just happy where we're at. So you don't think this would work if you guys secretly, completely hated each other. It had to be some level of appreciation. It's too much love there. It was too much magic. I would, I would have to disagree. Yeah, I don't, yeah, I don't think it will work.

Definitely. But so how many times have you guys gone to our? now that you're back on the road. Well, shit. I mean, before we did the run, the two or seven years ago, that was 16 years in the making. Oh, okay, okay.

Yeah, we were broken up for a minute. Yeah, yeah. But I was consistent with the pursuit. Yeah. It was the right time. I believe there was the right time. You had me pushing, you had the fans,

all the supporters that wanted to, you know, see us finish where we wanted to finish, and so I just felt like, I felt like that was a good business at that time. I feel like this one is more, there was love there. Of course, because we knew we love,

but I feel like there's even more. more like I feel we I feel like we're we're back yeah I mean yeah that's what I feel like b2K is back I feel like we're going to possibly create some more opportunities and create more projects besides this tour I don't know what yet but I feel that that's my that's coming from me and I hope that's the case I mean just imagining this scenario and all of these big personalities on tour and all this past tension and stuff I'm like wow the the the no alcohol policy is probably a really good idea I mean because that's how these personalities are going to collide.

Yeah, bro. I've had some experiences in the past in my life where, you know, just you tap that little alcohol, people start talking shit. You don't necessarily fight, but you talk a shit, you know, you know, so just keep that shit up, you know, keep that away. Yeah.

No, I've seen that a million times where there'll be, all right, a bunch of street dudes together, bunch of gangsters together. Bro. You throw alcohol in the mix. Like, they could all be hell of cool. Hella polite, hell of civilized. You throw alcohol in the mix.

It's a totally different story. I'm trying to tell you. Seen this happened many times. Listen, same here, dude. Same freaking here. Definitely. That's some, that's all this stuff is like,

these are really good questions. So it's like, man, documentary would be crazy, bro. Yeah. I would love to do that. I feel like that's, I feel like a lot of lesser groups

have got the documentary treatment. And that the audition one was crazy. Yeah. Yeah, I've seen a few, you haven't seen it? No. It's worth a watch.

I just watch the Beach Boys one. I watched theirs. Why not? It was great. It was on Disney Plus. Okay. It was pretty fascinating. Just to see America changed so much throughout the course of their career.

Right. And it's just wild to see them kind of trying to keep up with the trends and everything. Because at that time, it was like, you saw America through the Beach Boys go from like super straight-laced. Everybody's wearing matching outfits. Every song is, da-da-da-da-da. Who can't right after the Beatles? Then the Beatles come out. And the Beatles are straight, free expression, crazy, psychedelic.

We're doing drugs. We're whaling out. And the Beach Boys are. tried to fall in line with them. And they had a crazy rivalry for a long time. It was pretty... Yeah, but the beach boys, I mean, they can stay torn, right? I'm sure they probably still tour today, maybe, right?

The main dude died, like, last year, earlier this year, yeah. That sucks. But, uh... And that's why motherfuckers need to reunite. Because you never know when that's coming. When somebody dies, then this opportunity is kind of gone. Yeah, that's kind of sad. I mean, we've seen a few groups that's tried to continue.

Hmm. After that is tough, yeah. It's kind of rough. It's kind of hard. Yeah. It's kind of hard. That would be tough. Okay, so at the, so at one point,

R. Kelly helped you write some songs or what was your relationship with them? That ties in the day. That ties in the politics. That ties in the, we met him, you know, being in the industry. When we first went to go meet him,

because we knew we was about to start working with him. That came from Dave McPherson. Okay. Also, there was a request back in there. I would always say I couldn't wait to work with other producers. We had our in-Harks producers, but there's other producers that,

that I knew that was like the Timberlins, the Farrell's, the R. Kelly's. I knew those people were out there and they would probably give us a smash, smash it. So I was super happy that I had an opportunity to, through Dave McPherson, you know, he was working with R. Kelly at the time. He had him put some few records on us.

He did like three or four records for us, three or four or five records for us. And bum, bum, bump, bum, bosh, smash. So you got to see him sitting in the studio writing that? Not, not that. Or he brought it. That record was already, that record was originally, R. Kelly's record.

Really? He put that in the vote when he was doing all the politics he had. You know what I mean? The baby turned around. Let me see a sexy booty go bump, bump, bump. Right. I believe that that was in the vote.

So do you get to actually see him as a songwriter? Or was it always just kind of delivered to you? I've been to see that with him a few times. But no, it was always like him chilling or him coming and watches to do the vocals or something like that. Yeah.

But like now a custom record he made, I wasn't there, but a custom record he made for beat. 2K was girlfriend. Oh, okay, wow. What a girl wants. And I want to say Bump that and there was this mother movie.

The other song he called, he made, it was called Dance, which was supposed to be the first single for, and you can hear that record online. That record was originally for B2K for the You Got Serves soundtrack. But R. Kelly got so many records in the vote, you know which ones he were custom made for us. Like, you can hear

because he's like, you know, I'm a juvenile raspy. Like, you can tell he's in the character of of creating these two songs for the artist and you can tell what records that was probably in his catalog. As far as you know, did he write most of his own stuff as well? Yeah. See, that's crazy. He's got to be like one of the greatest songwriters.

Yeah, I believe he's super phenomenal. He's super phenomenal. I mean, and he had other writers come in too, I'm sure. You know, Little Ronnie wrote same girl for him and Usher and shit like that. Yeah, Lil Ronnie, I need a record, man. What's up? What was it like being around him back in the day, though? Did you see anything interesting behavior-wise

or it was pretty whatever? No, I never seen anything crazy. I was, you know, we played basketball. We were there. We played basketball. I think he was playing basketball with his team. We were at the same. We went to where he plays basketball. We, you know, hung out at his house. That was pretty cool because I remember we flew back from the UK and we had showed him the girlfriend video. So he was like, yeah, this is dope. You know what I mean? Because we had

Mr. Biggs in there. We picked up the whole kind of like you know, Mr. Bigg's story. You know what I mean? So in the video, Marys, you know, he gets his girl's number. Mr. Biggs pulls up, picks up his daughter. He's like, yo, you stay away from my girl, my daughter. He's like, you've been worn. Mr. Biggs is like, I mean, a big boy is like, stay away from his daughter. You know what I'm saying?

So, and then we got like Will Smith being our godfather. So that was pretty cool. So he enjoyed that moment. I know he was going through a lot of stuff, but he was really cool. I asked him, I was like, yo, man, you mind about record? Because we were all like in his boxing gym. and we were hanging around. And before I left, I just gave him the tape.

And I said, yeah, just give me a copy whenever you, whenever you get a chance. But, you know, we can see him in the studio. I'm like, yo, we, we're in Chicago. We're about to pull up. You know, we got to go to Cheesecake Factory. You want anything? Yeah, bring me some of the mashed potatoes.

So I was cool. And I had a great relationship with him. I would always call them and ask for, you know, you know, ideas and different shit like that. Or have I seen him in the club? He would never, like, walk past me, and made me feel like a peon. He'd be like, yo, shit.

Walking with me type shit. So ours a real nigger. Was it like when the documentary came out about him, do you watch it? Yeah, was that something you try to just. I've seen some clips. Okay. You know, but for the most part, you know, human go through things. Humans make mistakes.

And I believe anybody can be forgiven and move on with their life. If they, if they, if they, if they're putting in the work to be real to the ability. Do you think he got a raw deal or you think that he was kind of what they described them as? I don't know, man. You just didn't really have the firsthand experience. Yeah. I mean, I'll never experience anything like that. But, you know, I mean, God forgives you, you know, you move on in life, you know, I mean.

No, definitely. It's a while to fall from grace when you think about just like how huge he was. And I mean, realistically, his songs, despite his cancellation or whatever, have kind of been resistant to a lot of that. You still hear him. Bro, you can hear our record's everywhere, bro. Yeah. So, yeah, man.

It's life, man. Yeah, no, definitely. It's crazy. Okay, why do you have beef with whack 100? I didn't even know about this. I haven't been for Wack 100. You don't? He said that?

I don't think he said that. I think my friend Rimo helped me put together questions. He snuck that one in here. I just seen Wack today. You know, Wack, respectfully. I think this is my opinion.

He'd be trolling a lot. Oh, okay. That's what I think. You know what he's serious. You know him more. I mean, I know him,

you know him. You do a lot? Do you think he be trolling? It's a thin line. Because he believes a lot of the crazier shit that he says. A lot of the things that people are the most, I think he'd be trolling some time. Yeah, yeah, because he always wants to say,

I don't lie, I never lie. Point out of time that I lie. And then you'll point out of time they lie, and it'll be like, I was trolling. That's different. I was trolling. We know wax and g-we. We know he's gang-so.

We know we put it in this word, but I feel like there's also, like, that whack, and then I feel like there's the entertainment whack. That's just my own personal opinion. Yeah. You know what I mean? But I love them. I respect them.

That's my dude. Like, if I need him to do something for me or he need to do something. Like, we get to it. Yeah. I have them respect the man. Yep. For sure. I have to bring this up, but there was a clip that went viral.

Oh, shit. Of you and our good friend Orlando Brown getting into an intense verbal exchange. And some gang terminology was thrown out there. And this was very shocking, I think, to a lot of people. That's funny. I mean, I feel like there was an effort made to strip this from YouTube at some point, too. It's kind of tricky to find the clip. Oh my God, bro.

You know, oh, man, we did, we did bad boys. That was, that was a, what a hell of an experience. I believe I came back and I was super drunk. I left the set and I came back and I was super drunk. And I guess I started like, I wanted to have a regular, I wanted to have a conversation with him, but I was really, but I was probably too drunk. But I wasn't serious at all.

You know what I mean? But it was more like, you my little brother. I've been on you for a while. you are talking about a conversation that me and you had on camera with these people. There's a miscommunication. Probably shouldn't try to have that conversation

while we're drunk because now, like you said, you put the liquor in it. Now they don't know if I'm serious or if I'm not serious because I wasn't going to do anything to them. You know what I'm saying? I wasn't going to fight them.

I'm a producer on the show, by the way, as well. Okay. So I'm also thinking producing a scene as well. Right? So Cah's blood. I ain't no gangbanger. That shit came out.

However it came out. It was pretty funny. He probably started it, right? No, the thing was is that like, I'm producing the show. We're trying to get to the bag on the thing. So, all right, let's do the boxing thing. Lemmy's like, cool.

Let's do the boxing thing. I'm like, let's do the studio thing. Lemmy's like, cool, let's do the limping. You know, because I don't believe, like, if I'm going to be fighting, come on a show the fight. All right, yo, don't you think they should those rings off? I mean, I know niggas is fighting, but don't

just, like, what is this? You know what I'm saying? Because I'm gonna call some niggas and we're gonna, like, you know what I'm saying? Them niggas got, that shit dangerous. And I'm not, like, I've been in the game for a long time. So it's like, I don't want nobody hitting on me. You know what I'm saying? So I had to compose myself. And I just felt like that conversation that me

and Orlando was having it. In order for me to produce a good show, I actually got a real booking. That's not staged. That's not fake. I got a real book, and I'm trying to tell a dope story. What have we all? Hey, Raz brought a book. to the table. It's for X amount of dollars and we all split it. Don't take it and turn a situation. I could be wrong, but don't take it and turn it and make it to tell everybody else as if,

you know, Raz is trying to get more money. And now it's, now it's turning. It's like a telephone game. So now it's turning something else, which gets messy. That causes another story because everyone on that show is trying to ultimately create their storyline, not necessarily just for camera time, but they're trying to tell a story. Right. You know what I'm saying? Somebody thought that, like, I didn't put it on a bottle. So they, needed a reason to try to approach me. You know what I'm saying? I just kind of watch how that show played out.

I enjoyed the experience. I made a lot of money. I made a $1,000 from the show. And then sometimes when you get so invested in a show, now you're creating stuff and creating problems that really there was no problems there in the first place, which ultimately creates good TV because now you allow yourself to get something to the mess.

Okay. So you're like from that sort of area in Crenshaw and like something just kind of, kind of got triggered in that moment where you were like, you know what? I got to go back and look at the clip. Okay. I mean, yeah, but I ain't all, like, people say cuss and blood all the time, but I have no affiliation. But you can say triggered.

Nah, I wouldn't. Nah, I wouldn't say so. Well, I almost saw the version of that. Because didn't say blood? Didn't, like, sorry, over talking. Didn't he say blood? Yeah. And I was like, hey, co.

Like, it was probably like kind of like that. Yeah, yeah. But, okay, I saw the, I almost saw the real life version of that go left here. Because Orlando is here. Okay. And it was the day that we did the episode with him and Four Extra. Is that the dude when he called him out of the name? He was joking.

Yeah, but okay. So before that, it wasn't even on camera. Four Extra comes in. He got like four homies with him. Okay. All from rolling 40s. Oh, wow. And one of them walks right up and is like saying, what up to Orlando?

And Orlando said right up, what up? Blood? Kind of aggressive, like a little bit. Not. And he immediately hits him with the like, hey, this Crip, I ain't no blood. Like, like, it got real awkward for a couple people had to be like, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, not, nah, not. And they like that, like, you know, like, they shut it down.

But it was kind of like a weird moment where it was like, okay, Orlando, you probably, yeah, you got to be careful. Yeah, I mean, like I said, I came back up to say drunk. Yeah. Create some good TV at the same time, like, you know, you, people can take you out of content, they can take, you can take it all out of the context when you are trying to articulate yourself, articulate yourself, articulate yourself. articulate yourself and you're drunk.

Definitely. What's your relationship with Orlando at this point? How do you feel about the headspace that he seems like he's in? You know, we worked together on the show. I've seen Orlando. I'm happy for him to just continue to grow, right? And he seems to me, from what I've seen, he's in a great head space.

My relationship, I wouldn't say we have much of a relationship. We don't talk all the time, but like if I see him or if he reaches out to me and he needs me within reason, you know, me or my team, because, you know, we'll try to support how we can support. I mean, I believe he got his million-dollar chicken going on right now. So, you know what is that? I believe he's selling chicken. I mean, you know what I'm saying? So, hey, I mean, hey, I'm an entrepreneur. Yeah, so.

But, yeah, other than that, I mean, we work together on a show and that's that. No, definitely. Shout out to Orlando. Yeah, man. I think he should get an acting, though. He should get back in acting. Somebody should give him a TV show He should get back in acting

A podcast would be good from the niggas funny When I seen a dude on a funny Marco show With the man He's just funny Yeah But I mean he seems like he's got some substance Abuse issues there I feel like that might stop him from being a great

Do you believe he had experiences in the past And he's past that or do you think that's something that's current? I think that's current Oh man Yeah Okay Wow that's not good then Because I've kind of seen them come in here

like pretty normal. Okay. And then pretty quickly turn into a very different version of himself. And it didn't seem like he was just putting on a character. It felt like, oh, oh, gosh. Yeah,

I don't know if it's liquor. I don't know if it's anything else, but. Okay. Well, Orlando, you need to come back up here and clear that up, man. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, we're on that ass, Orlando. Hey, man, people just care about you. Yo, like, I want to see you,

you know, back acting, bro. Get back in front of the screen, bro. That's where you belong. Do you think you could whip him in a fight? we had a boxing match on the show

Oh shit Like remember I remember I said You dominated? We boxed I Orlando's funny Orlando was producing too He was like man

It's the time He didn't give me back You knock me out I was like bro I'm not gonna knock you out And we just boxed We tagged each other a few times And you know

Like You know I wanted to go on that show That I got some integrity Even I got drunk over 902 And got pissed off But you know But if my fuck us keep putting your hands on You just like

Okay do you retaliate? Do you know Do you get bloody with these? Do you fight? Like, where, like, where's this going,

because where I'm from, we don't just fight. We're fighting with something. Somebody's got to have to break us up. Because someone's not getting up type energy. Or we're going to fight to we're tired. And you know what I'm saying? I'm not going to lose.

Maybe I'm going to pick something up. Maybe I'm going to cut your ass. Like, you know what? Like, you know what I mean? No, seriously, if you fight for your life,

you get dominated, you're not going to pick this up and maybe hit him up in the head. Like, I don't know. I'm just saying, I'm just saying, pow. Oh, choked him with a good phone. Why not?

I need to get up out of here. But for the most part, I know if I was in the moment, I'm stopping because I'm not trying to, like, go to jail. Like, it's not that serious. I would probably just do something to, like, get away. Yeah. You know what I'd rather run, but it's not that serious, bro. Yeah, yeah. Like, come on, man.

Especially once you, you ever been sued for hitting somebody? Oh, I guess me. I have not. Not me. Not me. But a security guard actually hit someone and we had to. Yeah, we spent a lot. Everybody spent a lot of money.

See, that's the real bullshit. when you pay someone to be around you to protect you, and then you end up having to pay for his bad decisions. I wish he didn't hit him, you know what I mean? Because I think he just could have held him back, but he put up the baton. It was like,

Bap, I was like, so no, I didn't actually have to pay that lawsuit. Okay. Thank God, actually. But courts, you know,

15 grand here, this and community service, all that shit, like, you know what I mean? It all adds up after a while, brother. No,

definitely. That's that when I was young. Okay. So when the, thing was going on with Omarion where Lil Phiz was dating his baby mom. At a certain point, that made the touring thing untenable, I'm assuming. Like that pressure or that tension? Like, what role did you play in?

I didn't play no role, none of that. You were trying to be the peacemaker. All that stuff, man. All that stuff was in the past. Okay. You know what I'm saying? So that's old news now. Yeah, all that stuff was in the past, man.

Okay. See, that's what I'm talking about, though, when I say that, like, in order to have the group going on the road, you got to be able to basically, like, like take the friendship part out of it. It's still business. I mean, all right, from my own observation,

I sat back and I watch, everybody was professional. Everyone still got up there, did their job, and went home. You know what I mean? So, yeah,

maybe at that time, I don't think what the way the group was, I don't, that's not the, I think we operate better when we're in the space of, we're not just coming here

for work. This is business. Like, you know what I mean, this is something we're putting together now, it's so magical and it's so dope. You know what I mean? Because a lot of those things

that's in the past been addressed. I mean, you know what I mean? A lot of these stuff be just miscommunications, but then when you have media involved, it could blow it up. And now everyone has an opinion and perception of what this may be. Yeah. I mean, I remember when that was like the most viral Vlad TV clip of like that year. That shit was huge.

I mean, hey man, it's all it's all water under the bridge. Yeah, yeah, totally. Okay, I've got a couple more questions. Good. We're just chilling, man. I'm happy to be here. Is there a B2K album possibility? There's a strong conversation about that. Really?

Yeah, I believe that B2K needs some music to actually go on this tour, right? We have some nostalgic records. That's cool. I have some hits. I think that's great as well. You know what I mean? But if you added, like, if you added a few, like, even an EP or a single or two, I think that would spice the tour up.

Yeah. That would be dope. I don't know, maybe I don't know if people really want to hear music from B2K. Records are not really selling nowadays. I mean, you know, so it's kind of like it was truly, it would, it would, it would, it would be truly for a true. Like, no, no, no. A good record is a good record.

You can get new fans and new supporters, right? So, but, you know, initially it would have to come for the die hearts. I would like to see that happen. And I do. I see a lot of energy behind, like, you know, when the Backstreet Boys are in sync or going on tour and shit like that. It feels like a lot of these, the women that are going, you know, they're in their 40s and they're just like. They got money.

And they think it's so cool because, like, you know, realistically, during your teenage years or whatever, like you only get so many groups or artists that you're going to be nuts over. And a lot of people, by the time they hit 1920, they're just not getting into new music like that. So like that time period of their life is so important that it just holds reverence in their mind.

It's a blessing. It's a blessing, bro. It's a blessing. Like, I'm excited, bro. Like, I'm serious. If you want to come to the show in L.A., let me know. I actually really do. That sounds amazing.

Yeah, either L.A., Oakland. doing Vegas. Yeah. And I'm sure we're going to do like Arizona on the West Coast. Nice. So just pick which one and we got you. Definitely. Have you ever made love to a former fan or a current fan who goes to one of these tours?

Are you above fucking a fan? That's a TV show. It's a fucking good one. You know, you can call it above. I mean, it's a decision. You know, there's a lot of integrity that we were raised with to not, you know, but I will tell you this. I remember the very first time I f***ed the fan

and the condom busted too and I was like, this is exactly what I get. I shouldn't know you did this. You know what I mean? It was crazy. Let me tell you the coldest one, bro. I woke up and she was gone. I said, yo, this is crazy. But I was like 18 or 19.

And you never heard back about this? I had never seen a chick. You know what I'm saying? I just want to know who she is. I'm just curious. Like, what was going on? I think I was just probably so excited. That was,

that was, remember I told you that, that was our last tour before we broke up. We, with the chilies and we ordered drinks. Like, we were starting to get older, starting to experiment and stuff like that. That's,

I believe, I can't speak about it else, but that was like, I remember the first time I actually had sex with, you know, one of my supporters. Wow. It's pretty,

pretty easy to get it to. Oh, I'm sure. Like, wow, bro. You're a wild boy, too, man. I was on the internet, man. I was like, oh, this guy's a rock star. Right.

You know, Adam's a rock star. Bro. if this is the same guy. He's a lot of people's heroes out here. Oh, yeah. All right, here's the thing. By the time a woman is, you know, 35, 40, yeah.

Sexually, they know what they want. And how do you want? That's the fucking audience that you guys are performing to on these tours, I'm assuming. So it's like you got a whole room full of women who realistically, like, they don't need to be told what to do. They know what they want. Oh, they want these motherfuckers on stage.

Yeah, they are down their throat. Oh, you know. know what? They fantasized. They want to cook for them. They want to, you know, B2K was like, you know, I think my boy, baby Blue said this. I'm going to say this wrong. And I'm going to get it. I'm going to text him to the day because I want to get this right. But he was like, B2K was like, he broke down Bowowal. B2K was like their first boyfriend or B2K, B2K was like their first crush. B2K was like their first boyfriend. And Pretty Ricky was like their first, you know what I'm saying? And then Chris Brown, it was like, you know what I mean? So this level, because B2K was still clean.

we were talking about go back to our first record at 15 and 16 yeah you know what I'm pushing it like that yeah if we got to see a few more albums we might have got to see yeah we would have got to see a little bit so they was already fantasizing yeah

before you know that image you know gets tarnished you know what I'm saying but I mean they love us you know what I'm saying so they they come out and they support and I that's prices and I believe that's you know the world the way the world is and everything has been like isolated

and divided and even even though, you know, individually, people got their own followers. And I like it that way anyway, because like what Chris Brown went through in his life and his career came a point where the line was going to be drawn and now he only has his followers. That's all you really want anyway. Don't you just want your supporters? You need a cult. Don't you just want your supporters?

Yeah. Yeah, you need a coat. I mean, I'm shit. I mean, they just showed out for him. Best thing you can have. If you are the type of artist or the type of creator who can put out a shirt and sell a thousand shirts. That's good money. Go on tour and sell a bunch of tickets all over the country

or drop a project and your fans actually support it. I mean, nothing compares to that. Because if you got that, then you really don't really need the label. You really don't need the shit. That's the bag right there, right? That's the bag right there. So no, you know, salute to everybody out there, you know, pushing the kosher forward. You, all the artists, you know, R&B is popping right now.

I mean, rappers, you know, accountability is everything. Everybody just needs to just keep growing up. Facts. Like, for real, for it. Razby, man. What else you want the people to know about? bro, no, I just really, I just wanted to come pull up, you know, here, you know, I was like, I was, you know, I was, you know, I was honored to have the opportunity to come up here. Like, you know, your shit is like

popping, bro, you know what I mean? Just to be able to come and like, check in with the people, you know what mean, let the people know, like, you know, I'm in a good head space, you know, I got married, you know, I took some time off, there's some, you know, some, a lot of therapy, you know what I'm and really, you know, went back to address some childhood traumas in my life, you know, with my mom and so on and so forth. And I'm just happy to be in the space that I'm at. And because of that, things are coming my way. You know what I'm saying? Like deals are closing left and right. I'm the B2K tour and this opportunity and this opportunity. And I feel like, you know, at 40 years old, just turning 40 this year, I feel like I've arrived as a grown man. I'm not dead. You know what I'm

saying? I'm not sprung out on drugs. You know what I'm saying? And I'm happy to be thriving and, you know, you know, paving away for other arts to keep going. So other than that, man, I'm just chilling. We just came to check in. Tour coming real soon. We got a crazy commercial promo date's about to drop really soon, bro. And like I said, I got tickets for you in the family, bro. Let's do it, man.

Rasm B. I appreciate you, dog. Appreciate you, man. Much love. Thanks, bro. My guy. I'm in. No jumper.

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