The Breakfast Club - Best of full interview: Mario Talks Growth, Going Song For Song With Ray J, Interracial Relationship, New Album + More

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

The Breakfast Club BEST OF  - Mario Talks Growth, Going Song For Song With Ray J, Interracial Relationship, New Album , Recorded 2025. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hold on. Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The breakfast club. You're all finished or y'all done? Morning, everybody.

It's DJ NV. Just hilarious. Charlamaine the guy. We are the breakfast club. Lauren LaRose is here as well. We got a special guest in the building. Yes, indeed. Mario.

Yes, sir. Good morning. What's up, what's that? How are you feeling, man? What's that? You are all right? You are enough. Yeah.

Yeah. I'm good, bro. I'm good. Really good. Back on the road, back on tour? Yeah, on tour right now. Moose swings. You know what I'm saying? A new EP out on tour. It's been amazing. I'm going to tell you. I want to start right now. You shook that man's hand.

That man fronting on you the other day. What did I say? What did he say? What did he say? What do you say? That Ray J can beat him in a verse? Yes, you did. I mean, you said Ray J can be me in a class. I mean, you know, he had to be on the other side. I ain't talking about singing. I'm not talking about like. This is a. I'm not talking about singing. Vocally, yes. Music? Yeah. You think...

What? Nick lost his mind. You ain't let him on that stage after night because you know what was going to happen after the while we were. Yeah. Ray J. You said I didn't let him on stage?

Yeah, Ray J wanted to do the versus right there. You could ask Ray J. what happened backstage. I was like, yo, let's do it. Let's make it happen. He was like, Nick, shrink me. Just, I don't care what you. You just, I don't just make it happen. I'm like, I didn't know he was going to be that.

I said, I ain't bad. I got you. They didn't let him on stage. It wasn't me. That's not Ray J's story. Ray J's story was I wanted to do the verses He was right thin and then so Mario was like, nah. Out of all people, you trust Ray J's story?

Damn, crazy. You trust Ray J's story out of all people? Why were the people that? I don't know. I didn't know what was happening back there. Like, it was a plan and then it did happen, so, you know. Wait, you know, we're going to run into each other again. Why they keep sleeping on you, though?

I know, yeah. Why they keep sleeping on you? Tell them ain't, why they keep sleeping on me? I don't know. Vocally. Hold on, you said, hold on, we got to go back to this. Yes, he did. Hold on, bro.

He said it with his chest. his chest. Ray's Jay. Oh, that's crazy. He got three in a possible. I don't think you can fuck with him. You got crazy. Five.

About ten. Six. Yeah, that's kind of crazy, bro. But this is the same thing. He did say one or one, though. He said one song for one song. And he said new music. Because he can only do one song.

Damn. Like that really like, really like people be like, I, that's a strong. Because versus you got, it's like, it got to be strong, you got to have some strong. It's not, you know, it's not a joke. If you're going against the right person, You got to have strong records.

People, you don't know how they're going to be feeling that day. They might love the song one day. One day might be like, that's better. People aren't consistent. But you can do one wish three times because technically people have four three times. He definitely could. But he only got one wish. And then he can do it three times and then you got sexy can out.

No, for sure. He got some. You got a wait a minute. Bro, he got a couple of records, bro. Hit it first. And then what? But like, they're not timeless classic records that make you feel some, like it's just a different. y'all got to just stop taking me out of these conversations

bro honestly y'all got to stop taking me out of these conversations you know what I'm saying I get passionate about it and I love all my peers well like you know what I'm saying the internet shit is the internet shit like whatever but like

y'all got to put me in different conversations but I get that you know during my hiatus like I've had to prove like remind people that yo like I really God put me in this because the gift is really there my persistence

and my ability to continue to push and continue to put out music is still there. My passion is still there. I'm still hungry. You know, I take it serious. You know, but I think some people are like internet, have fun on the internet,

and then some people really take it serious. I'm one of those that take it serious. I think people forget because of your hiatus, right? And the reason I said that, because I forgot. And we went on tour last year. We went on like an R&B tour. And I DJ for Mario during that tour. Facts.

And when you understand, when we're playing six songs and those deck, that 15,000 arena is singing them six songs. Only because we only because we only got 15 minutes, we would play more on music, but yeah, go ahead. Continue. But the six songs you understand is like, oh, I get it now. I'm not going to lie. The other day

I'm like, nah. When we did our makeup. The other day when the interview was playing, I'm like, oh yeah, I forgot that one. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah, I did forget that one. Yeah. Now it happens. I think it's natural. You know, I saw your interview with Mike Epps the other day. I was like, yo, it was a great interview. He made some good points about people forget, you know, you got to remind people

and I think that it's just the way of the internet as well as just like, this new world of like, everybody's receiving stuff so fast and it's like if you don't put music out for it's six months nigger you where you've been at you know what I'm saying but for us as artists a six months that's that's a small campaign it might take

especially in R&B it might take six months for people to even know you got a joint that's that's heating up you know but that's just a part of the process you've been in the case you were a teenager what's something the grown version of you had to unlearn from the young version of you

um a lot of things bro but I was start with, you know, not falling in love with my creation, meaning, you know, when you create music and you put it out to the world, you got to let it go. You know, you got to let the people that connect with the music and connect with what you're doing, connect with it. And you got to keep creating. Like, keep creating. Don't pigeonhole yourself to, oh, you got to make another hit like, let me love you. You got to make it. It's really just about evolving, bro, because there's so many other things that happen in life as to why the music sound the way it does now,

move swings is a completely different vibe from glad you came which i released just a year ago completely different energy work with completely different people the my my my my creativity is in a different place so really just being free in the creative process because we're in a world now where it's about exploring i was talking to one unexact yesterday and we were talking about you know how different the game is even for labels like the labels now have to play a different game if they're not in the game of having a movie sinks there's something songs sing the moves that songs you know as many places as possible that they own they're not going to have the lion's share sometimes you know so it's like you have to

tech even like you know investing in different things even though dr. dr. dr. dream they already did that right they was like yo we want to show you all how to get this music money but we want to show you how to also have some headphones and some speakers and do so it's just about being as versatile mentally as possible so that all these other opportunities can attract to you that's where i'm at now who are you um like picking up the phone and calling when you're going through the process of like I got to re-remind people or I'm trying to make this sound different than that

and not chase that record. But ego-wise, like, there has to be a part of Mario that's like, this has to be big because I'm Mario. Like, who coaches you through those battles? Coaches me? Honestly, God. I'm going to be honest with you because, you know, I think a lot of people that surround me every day,

they just believe in me. You know, they're, they believe, they tell me real shit, but they believe in me and it's like they understand how strong I am mentally, but there's no person that I call to ask advice about those types of things because I think that my journey is my journey and I just have to trust God and I got to trust the people

that I entrust creatively right so when I went to studio to stop mood swings me and my boy Draymore who I met through one of my managers AK with 365 we've been known each other for years like he did a bunch of future records but he never hop into his R&B back

but he's always wanted to I say yo less less like I want to hop into this darker moodier part of me as an R&B artist that's like moody and still musical and r&B but just like more authentic and so he's like yo let's get in the studio let's go and it was it was like working with a friend and somebody that you go over their house they come over your house you know their kids you know their family but you're both really young goats it's different than working with somebody it's like I'm a fan of your music I've always want to work with you but I don't know where you live I don't know you know

you know what you're into it's a different thing the foundation is there so that to me and I and I trust the team that I work with and we just make the music that we love we go to studio we might go to studio and play verses with ourselves like yo you play your favorite five records ever and i'm gonna play mine against yours and that inspires to get the studio session start i bet you want to do that with ray jay though you know you know i'm trying to ray day don't want no smoke with me on any level he know that's why he got to always he you know he's a major troller though it's like how do you how do you how do you execute a major troller even if you execute him he's going to gonna come back from the dead

and be on some undertakish what did you realize that and not take it personal what did you realize that and not take it personal real nigga shit because it's different

from like and I had other people that like hit me and really got on some really sis some sissy shit but like Ray J

like we talk you feel me so it's like he can say some wild shit and I might say some wild shit the next day but it's like

he's a major troller so he's gonna go deep in the quicksand whereas I got out shit going I'm on tour right now it's like you know what I'm saying I ain't gonna go that deep in the quicksand but yeah whatever Mariano was mad too he was pissed off he didn't seem like he was sad you know it's crazy can I be honest yes honestly is this no no no the honesty is that all we were doing is having conversations about things y'all have but

nobody don't really talk about it all the way we're just having the conversation the same shit that everybody do people in the comments actually went crazy on everybody I spoke about or answer the question about than I did like you giving niggas too much grace and it's like damn is it that serious why is it that serious

because you're an artist yeah that can actually say yeah and you're talented and I'm sure they look they're like that I think Mario dope as shit

but he don't feel the same way about me that's crazy I feel like everybody got strengths and weaknesses like if somebody can dance their ass off and they ask somebody

question like yo who out of these people I'm going to ask who can't let's just say oh it's on that he was like yo can Mario dancing he was like ah hit him miss I would laugh I would be like damn he right

right because I don't know because that's the craft but they know him for dancing right they know that's his craft I get what you saying right yeah so that's you know it's just niggas take shit too serious bro so y'all haven't spoken since he said he's not going to do no more songs with you or any collabs with you I seen him at the Ebony event and we were sitting at the same table

that was before yeah that's what I was literally right next to y'all I don't know when he did When it was recorded and all that. So, okay, Ebony Power 100. No, after that, I didn't see him. After that, Ebony thing, I didn't see him. Yeah, okay, because I'm like... He didn't say nothing to me about it.

That's right. Yeah, y'all never had no conversation. If I really feel some type of, listen, I want everything I love. If I really feel some type of way about something, somebody said, I'm going to pull him to the side. Something, I might not say to front of him, but I'm going to figure out a way to get it off my chest. I didn't know. I had no idea he felt some type of way about that.

You know what I'm saying? I've had days where I've been hit a miss Nick on stage I don't always hit every note the same every night like that's be real we say I'd be real

and have fun and not take it too saves bro listen we we young black we are opportunity we still here bro 24 years later like we still here's a blessing

we don't feel like Mark Moose swings right so you up and down on that is this like love angry it's a mixture of like love

you know it's really a conversation it's a conversation when I started Moose swings it was just about 90s R&B vibes and when I think of the word

move swings I think of 90s R&B I think about 2000s R&B I'm like yo how do we take that feeling and like update it and this was like the approach and then I would have like

a couple of different Draymore executive produced it worked with a lot of great producers are here but yeah the conversations are different And also, the textures of what I sing in is different. Like, I got a song called Fortune Cookie in there that I've never spoken like this before,

but the actual texture of the way I'm using my voice, a song called Moan, same way. I'm giving you different moods of who I am as an Rambi artist, how I think about intimacy, how I think about love and just, you know, just talking my shit, honestly. Yeah, check out. It's an Asian woman inspired Fortune Cookie. Damn it, man. Hey, yo. With Asian women.

That is crazy. It wasn't an Asian woman. It's just women in general. I think women are like fortune cookies, bro. Like, you know, it's like, you never know what you're going to get if you really dive in and really get to know a woman on those more intimate levels, you know. And it's something that I've always prided myself on when getting to know someone. I'm in a relationship now.

And I'm still learning my girl. I'm still learning, like, how to unlock certain parts of her and, you know, how to make her feel safe in moments where I'm not around. And, like, just so many elements to having a relationship with a woman. And whether you're just a friend or whether you're in something deep like I am, it's just you never know what you're gonna get

you gotta crack to open a fortune cookie obviously the record goes a little deeper into some like more intimate shit but like yeah. How did your girlfriend deal with all of the like being Mario's girlfriend everything's public? Like when you posted her there's like such a big response

because they're like she's not a black woman like how does she deal with seeing stuff like that? I think that she she's a very like analytical person like me like she dives into things to understand the psychology behind and like what's what's the what's the what What does it really mean?

She understood to a certain degree, but she's also human, you know? So we've had conversations. She's like, I clapped back at people before. She clapped back at a couple of people. I'm like, yo, just don't even, don't let it, you know. And then once that first initial one happened, she was like, oh, okay, I get it now. And I told her, you know, it's one of those things where people, until they understand that you've got something real, people hate you before they love you. You know what I'm saying sometimes.

And that, and that they don't even have to know you, right? But then there's a lot of support I don't want And I think sometimes the internet Like the dark and the ugly shit Get more highlighted than the love Right even with me Sometimes I see all these

Love you know I love what you doing We know you love black When we know you don't got another And then at one or two comments That's like dark You're like Oh nigga what You know what I'm saying

And that's just human nature Right So we just work and do it together It's my first like real Public relationship In this way Whereas though, like, the picture, we were going on vacation for my birthday and we had to take some pictures that she posted a picture

of her pregnant on her page before I did. But her page was probably, she's like, babe, nobody's going to say. I'm like, babe, go ahead. Go ahead. Next thing you know, is, you know, so I was trying to tell her, like, you know, but I'm not ashamed of it. So it was like, yo, go ahead, do your thing. And so it was beautiful.

Like, I'm really proud that I'm able to say out of all the men of my family, especially on my mom's side. that I can give my son something that I didn't have. You know, when he touches, when he incarnates on this planet, he's going to have a different life than I had. I'm proud of that, you know. And the growing pains of being an artist who's now more open with his life, I should have did this seven years ago, 10 years ago,

but now I'm being more open. So this is the part of it. You got to go through it. I'm ready, come on. Don't me in. Congratulations. Put me in. Thank you.

Hey, congratulations to you. Hold on real quick, girl. I want to give you your flowers. I'm so proud of you, Jess. I'm so proud of you. You know what we come from. You're raising a young king. You've got another baby that you just had.

You're married now, right? Yes, I am. Married now, like, you're doing your thing, and I'm proud of you. You know what I'm saying? I love you and I'm proud of you. I love you, too, y'all. You know what I'm saying?

I just wanted to say that, yeah, for sure. What do you feel Mario the man has grown the most compared to Mario the artist? That's a great question. Thank you. I think that I've been able to shadow work myself on a more honest and authentic level than I have before because not just because I'm about to be a father, but because I see the world around me changing in ways that I'm like, when things get out of control, if you can't always control how. your environment is going to to what's going to happen in the environments around you because when you're an artist things happen around you you have to be exposed

you if you want to have success you got to be out here right and so it's really important for me to have controlling myself on on a deeper level and control of my emotions and control of my how I view the world how I view people how I view my relationships with people getting better at relationship building because I wasn't good good at that as a young kid and as a as a young adult. And so just really doing that shadow work, bro, and also becoming a better friend to people

that I consider important in my life. Instead of being, like, closed off or being like, okay, I can't trust nobody. Like, I'm not opening up to no. Like, having a little bit more grace and understanding that, bro, with greatness comes the opportunity for leadership. And with the opportunity for leadership,

you're able to actually see the world from a different space when you take on that role of being vulnerable and being a leader, which means coming up with solutions, right? And it could be anything. It could be in work. It could be in your personal life. It could be for your family.

It could be for free. And I think that that's something that God bless me with experiences to get through so that I can help people come up with solutions. You know, and it could be small things, bro. Somebody could call me one day and be like,

yo, I'm going through this. You know what I'm saying? I just made my first, you know, $20,000, bro, my first $100, like, what I should I, woo, woo, it's like those small things. I've fucked that money before. I know how to, I could give you advice on that.

If I can't give you advice on something, I know somebody who can't, just being more open and vulnerable about life, man, and knowing that everybody's not out to hurt you, you know? And that comes from growth and doing shadow work. When you first did your shadow work, did your shadow self-scare you? It scared me when I felt like

people weren't respecting the world, work that I was doing myself and that triggered me it was like what the fuck is the purpose of doing it if nobody cares yeah and they still going to judge you they still and I realized like yo bro it doesn't matter if people don't see the work that you're doing you can't change their perspective you can't change how people see things because they can only understand things on the level that they're experiencing right I was reading this book called um the author's name was called power versus force I don't be read that but it's really good and it basically talks about life

by way of calibration like it's from zero to 600 right so you can have a conversation with your homie about running down on somebody that might be calibrated at like a 10 or 20 but then you can have a conversation about growth and health and build building community building that's calibrated at like a 450 500 it just talks about how these things affect your body how it affects your mind and i got it from this chiropractor but he doesn't do regular chiropractor work he does like spiritual chiropractor where he finds where your traumas

are, you know, where you're lying to yourself, where you're not being honest. When the first time I work with him he brought me, he does it like in his backyard. He lives in L.A. And then he was like, he said, hold both your arms out. He's like, I'm going to ask you

a question and you could choose to tell me a truth or tell me a lie. The one where I lied on him, my arm got weak. Like literally did, I'm not anguishing, It was like if it was like and I knew I was lying and in the one where I told the truth it was like my arm was steady It was strong and I was like damn. That's crazy. You don't think that like your body and your mind and and how everything worked like The truth even if it's ugly is more powerful than a lie. And I mean you could take that in so many different ways

But I would like to think that I want to live in a in a space where I can live as much truth as possible and in the lies aren't as that I tell myself you know what I'm saying so I don't know all that stuff is just a part of my journey you talked about the hiatus you don't want to try it

try it let's try it there you go can I be you don't have better than I do chat way yeah

right right you know you know you know you talk about the hiatus right

and for most that don't know during that time which was a long time what was Mario doing during that time yeah

man um um You know, I was exploring, I was exploring so many things in life. Like, just really trying to understand what it was all, what the purpose was. You know, what's the purpose of relationships? What's the purpose of family? What's the purpose of me being an artist?

What's the purpose of it all? Why am I here? You know, what is religion? What is all these things? You know, what is fear? What is trauma? What is, you know, why do people choose addiction over going to get help and really fighting through it?

Because it's such a strong, like, it's such a strong intention. Like, when people are addicted to something, like, they will go through anything to get that fix. You know, how do you transmit that into something towards something you want to build for yourself in life? How you transmit that to your family, you love all that? So really just started studying and understanding, like, human behavior right now. I started there and, like, you know, wanted to understand, you know, what was hell? What is heaven? You know, what is all of this?

because I got thrown in at such a young age that I wasn't able to process the death of my grandmother. I wasn't able to process being adopted. I wasn't able to process, now you're an artist, now you're moving around, now you're in this world. I wasn't able to process that and enjoy the process like maybe a lot of other younger artists.

I don't know their process, but sometimes they looked happier, right? So I think that at that time of like, after let me love you, after going on tour with Destiny's Child, after all these things, it was like, bro, I moved back home and then I went through another dark moment And I was like, yeah, I got to get out of here, left.

That's when my process of like getting through everything started, like processing it, putting it all on the table, being confused, being hurt, being in the dark, not having nobody around me. And it just brought me closer to myself and brought me closer to God. And that's what I started to realize that life and cycles and time and space and all of it is, it's all happening all at once, right? And, you know, you really just got to like pour everything. thing pour all the fragments back in and then balance it out release which like releasing truly releasing it for me it was a 26 day fast where I released so much you know I mean I cried on nights I had cold sweats on nights I was seeing things hearing things I was really like traveling through these different portals of everything that I've been hiding from and that's what kind of

brought me back um and then after that so I had met this doctor named De Hoohie and um Callie he had made these organ cleansing tablets and I was taking those and I was doing this time it was a poplar fast

but most people were doing it for like three to five days I did it for 26 days cayenne you know honey lemon

what else was ginger ginger and yeah it was a lot back but I took it further I was like yo once I got to like

my second my first week I was like nah this is I feel too the first week after the first five days the next two days you feel great

then you feel like shit for like three days then you feel empty now your skin is tingling and you're hearing like things at the highest capacity and you're still light you can see things clear like it's just everything I wasn't asleep

I was only sleep for like three hours four hours couldn't sleep long and I had so much energy and so then I was like okay who's the person like what how does food affect you then I started studying what I was feeling I was like how does food affect your mind how does food affect your energy

how does it affect your sleep and I was realizing like damn we overeating this country and like I'm like yo we really we eat emotionally we eat when we feel you know out of a breakup we eat when we horny and we don't get no we eat like you know so

consumption right and so then I started really diving into like why physical mental and spiritual consumption all leads to your decisions all leads to what you're attracting in your life how you attract things and it affects everything in your life so i went down that role for years of just like being becoming a mystic and studying different things and not being afraid to be judged by people during

that time if you were practicing and working with christos i was doing this in 2011 12 when it wasn't cool you know and i just wasn't talking about it i didn't share it because my journey was different and um yeah so I did that for years bro and then I decided I'm like okay I'm ready to start making music again like I think I'm ready to start um and the first record I released out of that I think was somebody else with Nikki that is my yeah yeah it was like that one and fatal distraction fatal yeah fatal distraction yep you know that makes so much sense because the shadow word gives you greater self-awareness because it helps you understand a lot of your blind spots that you might not even have been aware of man it's a real thing it's so true bro and it's like

you got it's almost like you got to forgive yourself because you sometimes we can do the work but then we still haven't really forgiven ourselves we still haven't really been like yo tell you young yourself I love you but get you know forgive yourself for the people that may have hurt you I'm still working through it bro it's they don't stop you know the truth is it never stops because we live in a space where we're constantly reminded of our past You know what I'm saying? That's the first thing that came to mind when I heard you talk about all this work you were doing because I watched you on Kim's podcast, Monkey Friday.

And hearing you talk about a lot of things I didn't know it, like your mom and your adoption. And I'm like, you never had the time to kind of make amends with all that stuff because you were famous at 14. Yes. So what was Mario saying to, I guess, 12, 11-year-old Mario during the time where you got away from everybody? Like, how are you dealing with your youngest self? I didn't know how to speak to my youngest self then. So I wasn't really speaking to my youngest self At the time I was more so

Processing what I was trying to understand And like doing the work of At least getting to a point where I could actually look at it And see it from a different perspective In terms of like the science of it And the actual work of it Like why do I make the decision? Why do people make this decision?

Where am I lacking at for me not to be able to be happy today? what is this thing I'm holding on to right so I had to work through that first I think that talking to my younger self it's going to happen more even when my son is here right

being able to understand give him the thing I think he's going to help my head I'm not like putting it on him to help me but I think being a dad will also help me work through my younger my issues with my younger self if that makes sense that makes all this in the world man

And it's like, man, God is so amazing because you've done the work, you're doing the work, but God didn't even allow you to have your first child until you was a much more healed, clear version of yourself. Man, that's crazy. Bro, it's, I consciously, obviously, just like I didn't want a child yet, and I did certain things to make sure I didn't have a child yet, but what you're saying is so true. And, you know, it's one day the story can, the plot, the thing is there, but, like, that's one of the things me and my girl

talk about all the time. Like, I knew I loved her and I knew I felt safer. I knew we knew each other for a long time. We knew a lot of things about each other, but it was all God when it came to her actually conceiving. Like, it was all God, bro. And it's like, I feel this energy already.

Like, we both pray about her a lot. It's amazing, bro. It's amazing. I'm excited about it. How is healing shaped the man you are now? gave me more confidence it gave me more confidence being an artist that

you know took time away and making a resurgence during this digital crusade you know gave me so much confidence on who I am as a person I don't think that is anything that can happen

in these phones or online that could change or make me want to be anything other than myself and have my foundation be strong for the things that really matter. I think that that is why God put me through all of these different obstacles. There's a bigger column on my life that I'm tapping into. That's so multidimensional in terms of even the things that I'm into now

and the things that I'm attracting and the people. For example, investing in Redemption Bank, which was founded by, Bernice King and Ashley Bell. And they're great people who have a great vision for our community, but just financial literacy in general. I've been learning so much and just really wanted to be a part of changing the narrative for us.

As you know, there's so much work to be done. You've been in the room with a lot of people who understand what needs to be done. And so just wanted to be a part of something bigger, so God's been preparing me for that, right? So that's what I'm saying When we had these conversations about music I'm like yo it's so funny

Because I'm like My day to day life is not It's so far from that In terms of the conversation The people I talk to But I get it It's just It's in it

We have a fun Whatever whatever But yeah So it's a lot of work And I think God's just Been preparing me for it off Yeah So look yo

This tour Yeah Yeah Yeah You're going to add A comedy component Yo To it

Listen We could put something Together Yeah You know I'm we were talking about during the pandemic we were talking about some stuff

and you had a great idea and I wish I would have like honed in on it like I wish I would have jumped on it you had an idea to do like I think it was like comedy virtually like where people because it was something I thought it was so smart

and then I see somebody else doing I'm like damn you Mario put me trying to put me on today like five fucking years ago yeah yeah no you good listen just you natural listen like Mike was saying like it's some people who wake up and just funny bro like you different you're different

like you know how many days like I'm having fucked up days and out of your page it come on and that's just changed my whole my own shit like you're different like you're literally I think you're one of the young

goats like you know what I'm saying like keep doing that shit I know you hustling doing it but like tap in like you really wanted them for real yeah

now think about all the people who had good days and you clown them in the day and never happened a bad day think about that it's a part of it though I just want you to think about

all aspects. I feel like true comedy comes from truth, though. Like, real comedy comes from truth. It does. And depending on where you're from, yo, people don't understand the Baltimore. They just think we just straight, all aggressive. Nah, for sure. You know what I'm saying?

We'd be saying shit that they think about. And I think that that's like, that's the thing. You know, we're going to always get the backlash for it. But we say shit that people. That's why I was so many people that got mad at you and came and ask you them questions. Yeah, man. That interview was interesting, man. It was interesting.

But did you have fun, though? Not all the way, honestly. It was cool, but then it just got to the point where, like, when he wasn't being real about shit, then it wasn't fun no more. Now I'm like, you're not being even, even, you're talking so much about your own life. And so shit. And I fuck with Cam, right? But it was just, everybody saw it.

It was just moments where I was like, yo, you're not being real. I'm like, all right, cool. I see what this is. Let me just, let's just keep going. Yeah. I'm like, I listen. But I fuck with Cam, though. Oh, real quick.

Just said that you. I can't remember all the moments. It was too many. Just say one time your accent be going in and up, your Baltimore accent. I didn't say that. He's talking to me about the Ebony Pound 100. It's cool.

It's not. It do. It do sometimes. I was like, I don't say that he'd get mad. Because he didn't get mad. And then he's straight Baltimore. And then I forget what I asked you about. And he was like, and I was like, oh, yeah, he's from there.

Because I haven't heard it yet in this interview. That's why I've been living. I've been living in L.A. for like 15 years now. So, shit, just. If I go home for two weeks. You say when he getting mad to come up? It's crazy. Or when he get upset about something, that shit.

He's trying to get mad. Just, nigga. You do not get Mario-old-old-in-rich. You definitely don't. At all. So, question, right? When they got mad at you for kicking the cameraman offstage. Yeah, yeah.

I thought that was kind of crazy because that's your time to perform. You don't know this dude is on stage? I think that it was just people not used to seeing me like that, bro. Like, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. So it's like, I thought. I try not to get mad, bro, because when I get mad, I get mad, you know what I'm saying? And then it's like, I'm like, it takes a lot to get me mad, right?

So when I get there, hopefully, I don't want it to be seen ever. Like, I don't want people to see that side of me. And it's not like, I'm not human. I just, it can get taken out of context, which it did, right? So I'm going to tell the story, officially here on Breakfast Club. Yes. They hit us for this fair. I'm like, okay, it's closest.

In LA, we'll take the sprint up, go up there. do it, knock it out, we come back to the crib, right? Cool, family already say, woo, all right, cool. Lloyd, a couple of hours, all right, let's do it. I get to my shows usually,

if it's shows with other people, I get there like, like when we're doing a drink, I probably get that like 10, 15 minutes before because I don't like sitting in the dressing and I get antsy, like, man. So, no one told me that a cameraman was going to be on stage

at all. So when I go on stage, I'm performing, and I keep seeing a figure, around me, the stage is pretty big, but I keep seeing a figure I'm like okay then when I saw him for the first time

I'm like damn did he jump up from because he didn't have a camera bro he had an iPhone on a joint go look at the video so I'm like he must have jumped from out of the crowd he came on my irony trip or whatever he over there

but then he got comfortable and on the stage they got they had too many speakers they had more speakers because usually every artist get to say what they wanted their stage to be like they left the other artist speakers on the stage

so it was more speakers than it was supposed to be so I'm looking for a way He about to go, and I tripped one time over court. I ain't say nothing. I'm like, man, shit crazy. I got to watch up. Then as I'm walking back to the right side of the stage, he's all the way down stage, like, near the speaker.

Like, you should be, like, further back, like, you feel me? And in that moment, it's like, yo, you got to get the fuck off the stage, bro. Right. You didn't already trip. I'm like, you got to get the fuck off the. Like, it wasn't even like, I hate you, nigga, get off the, like, it was just like, nigga, get the fuck off the, I just, you feel me? It was like that.

I don't know what shit. Right. Then you even apologize shortly after. Yeah, he was like, how that's a half-ass apology, but... I didn't even realize he went on tour. Went on tour. What you mean? He went on a press tour about it.

Oh, wow. I was like, I'm like, bro, you know, let me just do it so. But, yeah, that's what happened. He was, yeah. But he was supposed to be there, apparently, and then, you know, but it really was just, I didn't know. He had an iPhone. Damn, man. What should be happening?

Are we getting any visuals? Yeah, yeah. So I'm about to put a video off of home. In like a week. Period. Yeah, yeah. The visual for home is coming, and it's fire. It's, you know, it's 90s R&B.

I'm giving you our real R&B on this project. And more to come as well. Moose swings, too. More music. Definitely tapping back into the movie space as well. I'm building a lot of things behind the scene with New Citizen, the investment side, the creative side, hopefully signing some artists.

I got my eyes on a few. I want to say it because last time I did, somebody signed them. but it's just like yeah that happened it was this kid his name is chosen I forgot his last name is chosen

but he's super soulful I'll show him to you off of the joint but he got signed by quality control you know what I'm saying and we was talking but yeah he had already been signed by it so but yeah

super talented but really looking for like raw talent man that I can help evolve through this industry you know and understand that like outside of music there's so many other opportunities right so generational wealth like that's that's really what the whole new

citizen for me represents you know so have you taking your girl to Baltimore and she yeah where she's been in Baltimore like three she went with me on Thanksgiving one year we went to Baltimore we went to Philly family affiliate Baltimore she's Mexican okay she's from she's from Sacramento she got a Mexican wait wait hold on I don't know she said that's crazy going to come from over here too that's crazy Crazy. She got a Mexican. Why are you?

She's married to Mexican as well. Yeah, thank you. But he black and Mexican. I think it was a straight Mexican. Can I ask you a question? What's up? Well, does it matter? No.

It don't matter. You see how you just do it up there? Remember I'm saying? No. I just wanted to know how. Hold on, wait. Doesn't matter that your girlfriend is Mexican? Yeah, like, doesn't matter.

Oh, no, it don't matter to me. I'm mad at ice. And Dr. Humba. I don't care. No, she's not that kind. She's legal. Yeah, man, everybody's legal. Yeah, everybody's good.

I think love is love. Love is definitely love. But I do like to see black men with black women, though. But that's just because that's what I feel. No, for sure. I love to see all of it. I love to see all of us. But I want you to be in love.

If you love her, of course, man. I wouldn't be here if I didn't love her. We wouldn't be here if we didn't love each other. Or be procreating. Like, this is really. Exactly. 1,000 percent. Like, we're having a beautiful experience right now.

The only, you know, hardest part obviously is always the traveling right being away from home checking in being like damn if i'm on stage and something's happening i won't i can't get the pregnant you know what i'm saying it's this this has been this been hard because it's like things were already in motion these tours were already playing you know but i get off tour in December and i'll be home for all the holidays so i don't think i don't think you owe anybody an explanation though i think that's right i was tricky it's like why are you explaining who you love you know it's not so much explaining who i love is it's it's the the the narrative of, oh, Mario doesn't like black women

that I have an issue with and where this narrative was created from. That's the thing about the internet is like, you can't just leave that, you know, out in the air. That's crazy, you know what I'm saying? So I'd rather confront it so people understand that it's a lie and it's not true versus not saying anything about it,

which I've done in a couple of interviews since that interview, you know, but the way he asked it was so he set me up. I was going to say, because the last interview you did. What was the question? The question was, like, what's your relationship with black women? Right? No. That wasn't the first question. What was the first question? No, that was like

he was like, do you have a problem with black women? Yes. That's a wild question. But hold on, the way, the way you answered it, we played that clip here, the way he answered it, I don't think it it didn't make it any worse, but I think it made people try to find another reason why you don't like black women. You got to understand. Psychologically, these podcasts and people,

When people are listed, everybody doesn't have the same way they receive things. And we're dealing with, y'all know we're dealing with, Brian got to sit. You know, we deal away in the company, you know. And so it's like, yes, of course, like I come from, I'm a black man who comes from a black city who comes from the struggles of black people in this country. So I come from what my core, a lot of my core fans come from. so of course it's like if someone says something like do you have a problem but the people who never even heard that question would be like wait you got a problem you got a problem right right so of course I got to say you know what I'm defending

that but then you bring in to say that I love black women and black women of the most beautiful creatures on this planet and so why do you hate him no he talked about what he talked about yeah but that's what I'm going to say I feel like it made people do what he doing right now I'm showing you more so basically hey bro I hey look For everybody who hate Charlemagne, hey, listen, but where did y'all meet? What did you mean?

You said, oh. We met, I met her in Florida, like, years ago when I was living in Miami. We met, and her mom was living at the time. Yeah, we met. We met. We've known each other for, like, for like nine years. You know what I'm saying? So we've seen each other through relationships.

We've been friends for so long. Yeah. It's about your experience. When you talked about your experience, I had a problem. with people having a problem with that like you just talked about you went into it more you were saying because yeah the question was asked oh why don't you have a problem with black women you're like not it's not an I don't have a problem with black women you talked about your experience with yeah the black women who was

you know we got to that the questions it was just outrageous like I don't even know I don't know where these allegations began these questions being that's that's the point I don't let's just set this straight I don't know where they began And they're not, I don't hold those. Like that's for like clickbait and all that. But when we got around to speaking about my experience, that came out of me saying, how could I have a, like hate, like it's not, it's not hate. Yes, I haven't had a beautiful experience as far as like the, my story.

You know, but that doesn't lead to hate, bro. That doesn't lead to hate. You know, so interesting, you're right about the questions because I, you know, I'm interviewing you for years. I've never heard that before. But so when you hear a question like that, you think to yourself, what did I want to do? Yeah, I'm going to do some research.

Right. Oh, he has a problem with it. So, you know, but I think it's just, it's a matter of people getting to know me more. Yeah. You know? And I'm like, okay, this is why interviews are important. This is why.

And then when you get to a certain level when you don't want to do anything more cool because now they're just talking about your music, but you have to have something in place of that for them to talk about, right? So, yeah, I get it. You answered the question. I was like, do you think doing the interviews

is even helpful at this point? I love it. Because you explain it and then they find another reason to then... I will say this. I think that there's always different perspectives based on how you enter the conversation. This is a different podcast. This is a different platform, different minds, you know, different energy. Like, everything is different.

I don't mind I'm an open book at this point. I don't mind having conversations. You know, I understand now how to navigate it better. But, you know, you got to go through the mud. Sometimes I understand, like, all, cool. We got to make sure we stay and stand. on solid ground. When you talk about, when you talk about your girl being pregnant and you, and something,

you can't be there all the time because you want tour and things like that. And you're a first time dad. And it's like, wow, right? So you only, this is the first time you ever going through this. Are these the times where you like, say like, damn, you wish your mom was here? Oh, my God. Or you're like, damn, I wish I could just ask her what the hell I could do for this. I wish my mom was here for a lot of things.

I wish my mom was here because she's one of the realest people I've ever known, you know. Mother was, she's one of those people like, anything that she wanted, she could have had. She had a scholarship playing tennis. She was the number one tennis player in Maryland, you know, when she was young. She was a major in chemistry, bachelor's in chemistry. She loved God. and she was a hustling so she could have transmitted that energy

into anything I think that we would have made a great partnership in business because I'm I feel like I'm more thorough than I've ever been I don't have any plans on not like I'm expanding in other ways and I think that she could have been right here with me and of course having another grandmother for my child

and having her be a part of my life that's me she has a spirit but of course I would want that. Yeah. But, you know, my, my girl's mom is an incredible, Iweiler so far. You know, she's been there. She's home right now and making sure she's straight. She's excited about it.

You know, God don't make no mistakes in terms of, like, you know, what is meant for you and how when you pray for things and you prepare for things, how God shows up. I think we're blessed, you know, but yeah, I would love that. After doing the work on yourself that you've done, finding so many. personal answers did that uh cause you to have more questions for your mom that you probably didn't get that i've asked a lot of questions you know i think the thing that i've the thing that i've been sending her love for lately because you know is is me forgiving her because spiritually no one ever really dies right the energy doesn't die

is just transmuted. So it's like sending her forgiveness and support, you know, for whatever her soul may be still struggling with or whatever her next journey is. I think that that's, you know, that's what I do now. That's what I focus on now, you know, is that forgiveness for her, forgiving myself, and just sending her so much support and love.

Because there's been moments where during my spiritual journey when she would come visit me and, you know, anybody who understands the spiritual realm there's been blockages like just when I'm able to like we're able to there's something that comes in between and blocks it I've had that happen a lot of times so I'm like okay so I have to still something I have to

work on so the more and more work on it the closer and closer I feel that these other entities and things can't even block it in the spiritual realm because there's so much power because she has things that she tells me that I need to know

and when that those blockages are I can't those and so it's a real thing and it happens in in real life too you know with family there's entities that are built out of trauma and they become their own entities in your life and if you don't work through those things you can't heal with your dad or your mom or your sister or your or your or your whatever you know what I'm saying so that's a real thing and I think it it doesn't change in the spiritual role do you believe you know after doing all this work on yourself do you believe your life's purpose is bigger than music 100% absolutely bro absolutely I think that there's a spiritual side of it there's a community building side of it

when I say that I mean using my relationships to help build our communities you know I've been building myself back up over these past few years but now I'm like branching out to be like okay how can I use my relationships to make sure in this new world that's happening you know my people my community you know we just have a you know we're putting a position where people understand our power and understand our unity in a different way and it's going to take a lot of work but that's like where my head is at

but also just owning things and being able to be creative like I'm working on the museum right now that I don't know exactly where I'm going to put it yet but it's going to be everything sound I can't say the whole concept because there's a lot of rich people out there that can make this shit happen but like but yeah it's it's going to be

incredible and then just a lot of other things man and I feel like it's showing not only my fans and people who've been watching my career for a long time that you can be whoever you want to be and we have always been some of the most creative beings on this planet and creating things that's never been created before that's what I want to do that's my goal and it goes for everything from music to tech business um you know social experiences um

restaurants all types of things you know there's a lot of things happening and even writing being an author I have like three books that I've written but that I haven't put out yet because I don't know every time there's a new version of me I'm like fuck gotta go back and change

have you ever experience that like you put out books like what how does that for you I can do that with every single book that I've written yeah just go back and change certain yeah you know the first book was you know

up to a certain point in my life so it was these lessons that I learned yeah my second book I was completely empty because I had started doing the work on myself and started going to therapy and stuff so everything I thought I knew I was like yo I really don't know nothing I was just

I learned a whole bunch of stuff and then my third book you know it really came to me after a plant-based experience you know with ayahuasca I went on an ayahuasca journey and the same thing came up for me that came up for you it's like yo stop lying to yourself and stop volunteering those lies to other people so it's like yeah every

book has been a different version of me yeah so that's where I'm at now is just like okay which which there's all these like versions all of them have truth, right? But which ones connect the dots to where I am right now? So that's kind of where I'm at with that. But yeah, I'm just, I'm just, bro. I'm just ready to continue to grow.

You know, music is my passion. But, you know, with that comes all these other things, more tour and bigger shows and bigger opportunities and just, you know, just growing. Me and my team growing. What's a message you think men need to hear today that we don't talk about enough? I don't think men...

applaud out the better things about each other enough it's like you know if you see your homie like they've been struggling with something for years

and he he's getting over it or he's trying to get over it applaud that you know what I mean show him some love show him you see that like yo that shit cool

bro like that shit I'm inspired you know what I'm saying I think escapism escaping our traumas with drugs and you know maybe nightlife or whatever you know everybody like to have fun but you know

just really like taking like at the time to really take your future serious you know sit down for a minute like maybe save some bread like sit back you know what I mean look at your life look at the people in your life and really analyze like okay if I if something's calling me to grow all these people around me going to help me go out of their part of that part do they want to grow because we get comfortable with our relationships and I've realized this because I've had so many different people come in and out of my life and a different parts of who I am in my life

you know different parts of my journey and sometimes we get scared to let people go and not let them go as in like oh I don't fuck with you but just let them go as in like yo I need this next few months to myself bro or sis you know I got a I got a level up in life there's some things that God is putting on me you know and hopefully I can help you with that

you know but I just need some time and it's not personal not everybody going to take that well but sometimes we got to do that man and then circle the block and be like yo I see things from a different perspective I don't think we talk about that enough in terms of it being something real that can really change your life um there's a few things man I mean that's yeah that's just the name of you yeah yeah this uh real quick this ain't even no question yo I've always wanted to tell you you snapped on the cry with With, Tori. Man, what?

That's crazy. You'd be snapping on these features, y'am. Thank you, I appreciate you. I might put a whole project out with features, you know what I mean? Just for fun, for sure. Just snap, man. My, yeah. Ray J got features?

You never heard that dream with the new boy? Nah, man. Who is Ray? Tommy down? Time me down? Ray J is a streamer at this point. Ray J's coming up this week. Sholomey and about him.

What would you say to Ray J? What would I say to him? What would you say to him? Yeah, what would you say to him? I already told him, man, stop his car for his brakes, break, you know what I'm saying? Like, break it, you know what I mean? But I told you out before, Ray J, you know, he, he's a troder. He's going to troll, but he know what time it is, man.

He said one wish was bigger than let me love you. But anyway, listen, I'm on tour right now. Nothing but us tour. Right. You know what I'm saying? We outside. New York was amazing. Sheesh.

The energy in New York, you know, we got like, I think like eight or ten more dates. Project Moose swings is out right now. Um, yeah, we, we outside, man. I was in New, well, this is a thing, that's all I'm going to say is you got to put me in different conversations, like, like, I was on Brandy show like two weeks ago. We did last weekend. Where we do before that? We did. Jonas Brothers, Waleigh.

Johnny's brother. Like, you know, it's just any stage, I'm on too many stages for Ray J.D. Even he can't, come on. He knows what's up. Big shit, big Mario, not the Louisville and not Luigi brother. Like, stop playing. Let's play it, Joe up down. Wait, I got a question.

Yeah, move swings. Honest question. Go stream that. You just did it here and it made me think of it. When you came out at the Brandy and Monica show, you think Brandy but not Monica. It wasn't even not. It wasn't even that type of thing. Okay, because people tried to make it a thing on X and then just right now.

You said Brandy and I'm like, was that, like what? Nah, shout out to Monica, bro. There's nothing. I came out on Brandy's set. You know what I'm saying? So I was just giving her, like, yeah, it was not. First of all, Monica is amazing. I love Monica.

Like me and like every time like like it's something dope on her like she always commenting on her I comment like it's all a love like that's gang so like yeah I think these narratives dumb-ass internet you know it's just yeah and in the moment like when you're on stage in a moment sometimes you just like trying to remember everything and be present like you know what I'm saying but yeah it's nothing it first I'm happy to see both for them on tour even when I posted when I was on the stage I congratulated both of them like I gave them both flowers That's all the place. Yeah, so people just be taking shit out of proportion, man.

Stop. Let's try to make me an R&B villain, man. Right. Y'all don't want to be villains. Embrace it. Too late now. Embrace it. That one was unfair, though, because...

Yeah. I love them, both. By the way, that's the scary thing about the shadow side, though, when you feel comfortable over there. I'm not, I'm not trying to embrace that, bro. I got a kid on the way, bro. Me, I'm gonna tell... Me embracing that, it's different, bro. From...

It's not, I don't need... Like, I don't need drugs to be dark. I don't need, like, I don't want to be dark. I don't want to go there. I don't want to go there no more. I don't want to go there because I can't, what if I like it? That's what I'm saying. That's the scary part when you don't want to be there.

Man, that's, you know, I feel good. Yeah, like, what if I like it? And then it's now I got to create this whole other thing around me. And it's like, nah, bro, I got, listen, I got too many blessings in my life right now, too many things that I'm creating great partners. that are just like wanting to like invest in things I'm doing too much is too much to lose

yeah I'm happy for you brother I appreciate you I really enjoy this conversation yeah let's do it hearing you do the work is good man what you want here yeah yeah we're out we outside I just want to make sure you're missing nothing move swings out right now

you know everybody having move swings right now you know and it's hey invite the move swings balance it out enjoy it you know let's get back to love let's keep R&B alive bro It's an R&B is such an important genre You know

It allows us to explore love It allows us to explore intimacy It allows us to have fun We can have different conversations in it It's just It's just an all-encompassing genre I wouldn't want to pick any other genre Moose Swings out right now

I don't even know what to play ever We could play home We could play Have y'all heard the EP yet? No All right cool When y'all get a chance Press play when you get back to the crib

Got you do that thing Got you did Would you go ahead Nobody but us Yo, play All right, cool, cool Let's hear nobody but us Nobody but us

Yeah, let's go The Breakfast Club is Mario Oh no Every day I wake up The breakfast club You're all finished Or y'all done This is an I-heart podcast

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