The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: T.I. Talks OG Clay Tribute, Telling His Own Story, Drake & Kendrick, Young Thug, Family + More
Episode Date: May 28, 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
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Wake that ass up early in the morning.
The Breakfast Club.
Morning, everybody.
It's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God.
We are The Breakfast Club.
Before we get started, I see T.I. looking again.
Last time he was here, we said that we didn't finish the wall.
Yeah.
And we told the king that the new wall had him on it.
Okay, I see me over there.
Do you see yourself on the wall?
Yeah, I see me over there.
Okay, all right. You know, in 14 years, because, you know, everything on this. Okay, I see me over there. Do you see yourself on the wall? Yeah, I see me over there. Okay, all right.
You know, in 14 years, because, you know,
everything on this wall is 14 years of Breakfast Club history,
we had to figure out which version of T.I. was going to be on the wall.
I see you got dread.
You got dread, T.I.
That's right.
Okay, then.
All right.
How you feeling, though?
I'm cooling it, man.
What's up with y'all?
Good, good.
Can't call it.
I be wondering, is dread T.I. is dread ti more ti tip or uh clifford
harris man yeah they're probably more mr harris okay yeah yeah it's a little it's a little it's
a little evolved and elevated in the consciousness and all okay so how do you how do you feel with
because now that the evolved ti is also the the even more of a father ti because not only are you
just a father you'll have to be a father in the industry because all your kids are in the industry.
Man, damn.
Yeah, I didn't see that one coming.
Really?
Nah, I didn't.
You know, because, I mean, to be honest with you,
when Demoney, when he first said he wanted to rap,
you know, like, he sucked.
So, I know.
Did you tell him?
Did you tell him you scored?
Damn it.
Come on.
But the thing is, man, I really admire his dedication and commitment to the craft.
Because, you know, I kind of told him, you know, what was wrong about it.
And he committed to changing it, you know what I mean?
And he's probably one of the most eloquent rappers I know right now.
Yeah, that generation love him.
Yeah, he dope.
What was he getting wrong?
Man, the Beyond the Witcher man,
all he was talking about was buying out the ice cream truck
for everybody and going to the mall.
He was a kid when he pulled the bro you gonna get your ass kicked man you know you got you right now you rapping about
a privilege that only you can enjoy this is something this is a life only you know about
you should be rapping about the things in your life that you have in common with other people who may not live like you.
And then that's when he started like talking about, you know, you know, weekends at a mansion and going to school from his mama house.
And, you know, just, you know, growing up, you know, without a full time and, you know, just those types of things. And when he start tapping into the elements of relation,
that's when, you know, it start clicking on a different level.
Did you have that when you first started?
Yeah, absolutely.
So you was dope from the beginning.
Well, I mean, not as dope as I am now,
but, I mean, I knew what I wanted to talk about.
It was always about me not having the pops.
It was about my uncle being in prison.
It was about me being forced to go to school
when I don't think that's the answer for me.
You know what I mean?
It was about how I feel like people in our generation
is kinda pushed into the dope game
whether we like it or not. Like I got demos of me in 93 and i'm rapping about the same shit for real you was you was
teenager then right yeah i was 12 13 years old yeah yeah and now your youngest daughter which
is i'm sure that that's the one you got to make sure she's singing and she's successful people
love her and i heard that you guys up here, you know, looking,
shopping deals and stuff.
Nah, nah, nah.
I'm not shopping no deal.
She's up here with her mom.
Like, for real,
I don't push the industry on none of my kids.
I really would love for them
to do, like, major.
He just brought so much joy
to my heart
when he was like,
nah, I don't want no parts of that.
I just want to,
he said he want to be an author. Like, to like write books and do stories and so that was that
was like like a relief for me but but heiress is under her mother's tutelage as a as a singer and a
performer and she just she just dropped the song with van van well van van
featured eris on her song and of course you know van van is managed by the legendary mc light
so you know it's it's a pleasure to work alongside that team and van van works real hard she's super
dope you know i mean she's a dope-ass MC at five.
Wow.
Yeah, I mean, so they got a record,
and they went to the Tamra Hall show yesterday.
I was just there for support.
So is it a house divided?
Is it I don't want my kids in this business, but the queen does?
Mm.
Oh, yeah, definitely.
Nah, nah, she definitely Josephine Jackson.
You know what I'm saying? I don't, like, I really, man, I really just want the kids to be able to focus on being kids
and developing all of the fundamental principles that they need in their life and their character.
But she like, yeah, yeah, yeah, they're going to have that too, but they're going to do some work.
And I respect the fact that, you know, she want him to work early.
I just know that this game is unforgiving.
You feel me?
But so far, so good, man.
You know what I'm saying?
King, man, I think King, he trying to get in the ring.
I see him boxing crazy.
He want to be a UFC fighter or some shit.
I mean, you know. When that happened. I mean, I was in boxing crazy. He want to be a UFC fighter or some shit. I mean, you know.
When that happened.
I mean, that was.
I haven't seen him in the gym.
Hey, man, he always been nice with his hands.
I ain't going to lie.
But, I mean.
Who you get that from?
His daddy?
His mama?
Nah, I think.
Yeah, his mom, definitely.
Nah, I think.
I think, really, it was in his heart at first.
Because all we did was turn him on to the principles of boxing.
I put all the kids in boxing, Major included, Major, Messiah, Demani.
But King was really the one that really, really, really wanted to work at it.
He was going when we weren't going.
And he just has a love and a passion for it.
And to be honest with you, I think, you know, if he decides to dedicate himself to it,
it's something that he could thrive in if he took it seriously.
So you used to box?
Nah, well, not, not, not, not.
Not professional training?
No, no.
Okay, okay, okay.
Picardio.
I definitely, nah, I boxed for survival.
But I didn't, I've never played any organized anything.
I ain't never played nothing but ride bikes and sell dope all my life.
You never played basketball?
Nothing.
Baseball?
Football?
You find me in a damn uniform taking a picture for a team, man.
I give you my Tesla Cybertruck.
Damn it, man.
That's impressive.
Not to bring up old stuff, but there was a former champion of the world,
one of the greatest boxers ever who who quoted he's quoted as saying
Damn T. I was fast
Quoted he said that damn T. I was back. Hey listen, man. I'm gonna tell you this
I
Think that you know and I and I youth I'm saying, we find ourselves in situations that, you know,
sometimes it's more metaphysical than physical.
You know what I'm saying?
Sometimes your mind and your heart gets you through situations
that your physical, you never really knew you had the capabilities of.
You know what I'm saying?
And, you know, I would never step in the ring
you don't kick with a karate man and you don't box with a boxer you know you tried though no i mean
you know i'm saying that was on the street sir yeah i'm not gonna be bound and restricted by no rules and regulations. You hear what I'm saying?
We throwing shells and napkin holders and everything.
What about this business?
You know, because you've been in it for so long.
It's been 25 now?
Man, so let's see, 23.
23?
Yeah.
What about this business would you not want
your kid,
what about it makes you
not want your kids to be in?
It's the treachery.
It's the treachery,
the betrayal,
the deceit.
You know what I'm saying?
I mean,
just the fact that
my kids, man,
they all expect,
they expect
great things from the world
because they were raised
around honest
and righteous people. You know what I'm saying? They were raised around honest and righteous people.
You know what I'm saying?
They were raised around people that meant the best for them, you know?
And the world ain't that.
The world just ain't that.
So I know that when they walk out the house, they expect what they was raised around,
the people that they were raised with, the integrity and the principles
that come from the people they were raised around.
And that's not what's out there in the world.
So I feel like they are already at a disadvantage.
You never thought about,
I don't even know if you've done it,
like creating your own production and say,
you know, I'm assigned each and every one of them
so they have to deal with that.
And since you've been through the industry.
You mean working for my children?
No, I don't want to work for my children.
You know.
It's guiding your children.
Wouldn't you rather you have your kids so you can follow
and guide and make sure they do the right contracts.
Your lawyers, your accountants, and you can control
the business with the label because the labels
ain't necessarily going to try to play.
I mean, you know what?
Check this out.
And yes, they will try to play me.
But you know the game. You've been there.
I got to kick in those and flip over tables
to get my money right.
You know what I'm saying?
It's only so many of me.
I can only get away with so much for so long.
You know what I'm saying?
Some of the extremes you have to go through to get your shit together,
you ain't going to get away with that shit two times and three times.
You know what I'm saying?
They go like, okay, I know why you're coming this time.
But that's not a bad idea.
I feel like execution is key, you know what I mean?
And the team that you're able to surround yourself with.
And, man, it's not just music, bro.
I run like 12, 13 companies, you know what I'm saying?
And I have a team of maybe six,
and like six of us running 12 13 companies you add another with you know with more on top of that and shit going you know some gonna fall through the cracks mm-hmm
so it would have to be a hell of a staff but it's a great idea I tell you what how about you come on you come on board man I mean you
know saying great hustles like you know we we uh we exist but we're satellite
unit you know for the more part everybody you know kind of we come in as
we need to to operate in the capacity that's necessary,
but everybody kind of like doing their own thing a little bit.
Coming from the extremes you come from,
do you ever want your kids to have just some of that struggle in them?
Is that necessary for them to have some of that?
Ah, shit.
Well, look, can't tell you.
He got it out the mud, man.
I mean, no, but I do see some of the tenacity in King that I had.
You know what I'm saying?
Some of the gotta make it no matter what type shit. He really pushing like he came at at the at the welfare line but um i do want that for him but i don't want to be
there to see it you know what i'm saying i don't think it'll break my heart to see it you know
but yeah i would you know what i'm saying like if if i could fall asleep if i could have fell
asleep for about two three years and then woke up they were like
man we glad you up man we were struggling like a man god damn and we ain't eight you know
uh i think uh i think that that that that would offer them some some principles that
would benefit them you know and get and i think that you know that kind of you can't you can't teach that
yeah yeah you know what i'm saying that kind of tenacity that kind of that kind of die hard you
know uh uh just just resilience you can't teach that how much of that is coach's fault right
because you know hip-hop has glorified the ghetto we've glorified the hood you know we made it it's
fly because that's where we came from.
You know,
the hood always,
hey man,
look man,
I don't care,
man,
as far back as you could go,
the most fun,
the most excitement has always been where the most danger was.
That's right.
You know what I mean?
It's always been that way.
You know,
I mean,
man,
I mean,
is it the ghetto fault?
Bro,
not,
I don't think so because it's not intentional you know what i mean the ghetto is
the way the ghetto is naturally it's it's genuine you feel what i'm saying um ain't nobody
intentionally trying to project no image just because they think it look cool you know i mean like do that because you know
it's out of necessity you know what i mean or out of out of out of despair it's the who
want to imitate that they from the ghetto just doing it just to look cool you know i mean the
just in it they doing it because this is all they got you feel me but it's so unforgiving though
like you know just think about it Some of the stuff that we did,
just imagine if there was cameras back then.
Whew.
You know what I mean?
Imagine if people were videotaping us
and putting us on social media.
That shit would be amazing.
I'd be here.
It wouldn't be amazing.
Greatest story ever told.
We'd be in trouble.
It would be the greatest story ever told
by people who were never there to hear about it.
Because you...
And fast.
The stories that you hear about tip from back in the day,
if you didn't, if
you didn't see it or didn't know people who could actually vouch for it, you probably
wouldn't believe it.
And forget the hood.
Isn't he going to talk people off buildings from committing suicide?
Okay, that's the positive side.
You know what I'm saying?
Like, seriously, like, you done did out things that you like, he did what now?
Yeah.
Well, I don't want to look.
First of all, I'm going to say this, man.
And I say this every chance I get, man. The glory go to God. to god it ain't me you know what i'm saying i'm just a vessel
i'm an instrument i just happen to be in places with a notion to do things that turned out to be
the right thing um just as well as our places it did shit it turned out to be the wrong shit
but for the right reason um i think that you you know, all of us have greatness in us.
All of us have a purpose.
All of us are sent here with the capabilities of doing phenomenal things for the world.
It's just whether or not we're going to listen to that voice
or whether we're going to listen to the fear and the doubt.
You know what I'm saying?
Oh, no, you can't do that.
Because every time I found myself in a in a uh an outstanding situation every time i i found myself in a
situation like that there was always that voice that man you can't do that how we gonna do that
that ain't gonna work but i had to push past that and go on and do the shit and on the other side of
it you know that's where you you get the courage and you get the wisdom and
the understanding i wanted to ask what did you think about and without picking a winner the rap
beef right and the reason i say it is did you think it was needed we've seen it with you and
a bunch of people you've been beefing with we've seen it with jay and nas we've seen it with fifth
and ja rule we've seen it with so many different artists do you think it was needed in hip-hop to
bring back that competition because nobody got hurt nobody got you know nobody I don't know about need
it I will say I feel this inevitable you know what I mean I think man you know
there can only be there can only be multiple juggernauts without a clash for so long i mean eventually we got to see
you know i mean which one of us which one of us is going to walk out the ring
you know uh like ultimate warrior style like they just that's the nature that's the nature of not
just the beast it's the nature of humanity to be honest with you that's i think that's in that's in the in the in the bill um but i think that the the bright side here like you said nobody got hurt and we
got some phenomenal bars out there definitely did i mean and i mean and i think that they
handled it way more mature than our generation used to handle it because our generation was
music and being on radio saying when i see see you, it's going to go down.
Well, T.I. would have pulled up on a person's block and taken a picture.
T.I., you haven't beat to one rapper that you haven't had some type of altercation with.
Hey, man, look, let's talk about that.
Or somebody in the crew.
Hey, look, let's talk about the bright side.
You know, the silver lining is, like you said, it stayed on waxing.
But you know what?
I'm going to tell you something i'm a
little more concerned about motherfuckers who don't say anything i'm a little more concerned
with that you know uh but but i think that for right now this shit is it's just it's it's a
phenomenal sport right and you know we've had an opportunity to witness two of the greatest of not just of our time, but the greatest to do it.
Yeah.
Two of the greatest to do it, go at it and exchange blows and shit.
You know, I think it's a beautiful time to be alive to say that we live through it.
You know what I mean?
Another page in this amazing book that is T.I., Every time Drake does get mentioned in a rap beef, somebody.
Nah, nah, we ain't doing that one.
I'm just saying.
We not doing that one.
It comes up every time.
I can't do it, bro.
I got you.
I got you.
I don't know, man.
I don't know.
If you don't know what we're talking about.
If you don't know what we're talking about.
No, don't bring it up.
No.
Respect the man when she's.
Just go to the old interview.
I need to ask, were you surprised the other day, Charlamagne,
about a week ago, right?
You did a freestyle.
Oh, yeah, that Lekas freestyle.
Charlamagne, he got so excited.
He up here, he listening to the bars, right?
I was going to tip one of my favorite rappers.
But the world got excited.
And I'm sitting there like,
which I forgot Tip can spit.
Were you surprised that people really
forgot that you can rap? They just thought you were a comedian i'm like i don't
know bro i think uh you know out of sight out of mind you feel me um and and uh yeah i think man
because i'll be here and you know they had these reaction videos where people would play it and then they'd react to it
and I'm like man I'm not expecting much
cause you know when's the last time you heard
T.I. drop some shit
that was like oh lord
when was the last time you heard bars from T.I.
I'm like how the fuck has this guy
been living
you know it's like these motherfuckers
computers don't work or something
but I mean you know and to be honest with youers computers don't work or something but uh i mean
you know and to be honest with you i didn't plan on going there and doing that uh uh i really so i
just you know i dropped i dropped the record long live og clay me and nba young boy uh dropped that
record and of course i will move around doing press, happened to be in L.A. And Justin Credible asked me to come in, you know, to the Lakers.
And, of course, I did.
And we all have seen all of the other freestyles and shit.
So I was, like, in my head, I was like, damn, how I'm going to tell him I don't want to do it?
How I'm going to tell him I don't want to do it?
How I'm going to, you know, when he asked me to do it, I'm like gonna be keep it clear and say no, right?
And then at the end of the interview,
he was like, all right, well, I'll let you later.
I'm like, damn, this nigga ain't even gonna ask.
Dang, now you a figure.
What the fuck?
Wait a fucking minute.
Don't you rap in this mother.
You know what I'm saying?
He was like, yeah.
He was like, oh, oh, you get down like that?
I was like, man, nigga, man, find me some shit, man.
Find me some shit.
You get down like that?
God, yeah.
That's incredible.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, I mean, you know what I'm saying?
That's how that came about.
It wasn't even that intentional, for real.
On the freestyle, you said 21 Savage is like your grandson.
I can't remember the exact line. That's a term that we have for me, Savage, my partner Doc, Ruggs, Dirt.
You know what I'm saying?
It's a group that hang and we kick it.
You know what I'm saying?
Play cards and talk shit at Copacabana.
That's just like a term that we've tossed around gotcha gotcha within that little group
one thing that always goes viral is you talking to 21 and you telling 21 i can't
sign you because you know if i give you a million dollars i'm gonna have to damn near
yeah take everything yeah yeah yeah because the value of it i mean like for instance right and i
mean you know he he understands it now but you know at the time he didn't want to hit it he was
like you got it come on man uh and i admire you know i admire his his you know belief in himself to even come forward and
say some shit like that uh but but it's almost like okay let's just say if you go to a place that's being gentrified.
And the present value of this property is $100,000.
But you know they about to build,
they gonna build a whole.
You know what I'm saying? And you know that over the course of these three, four years,
it could go up to be worth 1.2 1.3 in about four five years
is you're gonna come and get that million right now for that hundred thousand for that for that
property that's only worth a hundred thousand right now the build the business is just not
structured for that type of acquisition and that's what i'm trying to explain right uh now if i do
come and give you a million dollars,
it gonna be because I know that it's worth 10 million.
And I'm gonna take something and I don't wanna do that.
I don't even want that on my spirit.
So I just communicate to him and I'm very forthcoming
with the intention walking into it.
And I'm sure that's built y'all bond over the years.
Yeah man, me, him, me, Thugger, you know what I'm saying?
It's so many of us bro, that we just had that bond.
I don't make no money off of him,
I don't have no business relationship with him,
but we just so, Weezy, you know what I'm saying?
We just had that kind of relationship because of how we met at the beginning of their career.
You spoke to Doug?
Yeah.
Have you ever seen a case like this?
He coming home.
Got to be, right?
Nobody has.
Yeah.
Nobody has.
Nobody has.
What makes you think he...
I mean, I believe he's coming home, too.
I think he's coming home, too.
I don't think that the prosecution has successfully proven a case of, you know, him knowingly and willingly participating in an active street gang.
I just don't see it. I don't think that the witnesses that they've called thus far have proven what they said that they would prove um and and i i don't i just don't think that you know that the grounds of
their case have been uh that have been presented probably i just i just ain't seen it the sad thing
about that all is is that's a man that's a father that can't see his kids he can't make no money
while he's in there all he's doing is spending money because he got to pay for attorneys and
all that other stuff so when he comes home is he almost damn near got to start from zero again
and everything that he built
to redo.
Oh don't worry about it
when he come home
we'll get it right.
We'll be jazzed.
Oh yeah.
Just get him here.
Just get him here.
We're having a rest.
But I hate the fact
that they do that.
You know what I mean?
The outcome was going
from zero to a hundred
immediately.
Yeah absolutely.
I'm talking about
a bank account.
I mean man bro
it's already in the bag.
All he got to do is touch down.
When he touch down, we getting there.
Have you made a conscious decision to kind of, like,
stay away from any political conversations?
Yes.
Okay.
Why is that?
Yes, I have.
Why?
Man, man, because it ain't as important to me as it is to them.
You know what I'm saying?
Like, you know, the political conversations that I was having
was out of a sheer genuine sense of wanting to do what's right for the community.
It wasn't because I wanted to put myself in no position.
It wasn't because, you know, I have any aspirations of being a mayor,
governor, president, none of that shit.
I don't care about none of that shit.
I hold a position I hold without a political presence.
But for others, they willing to stoop low
to certain levels of treachery
that affect me and the people around me
in such a way that it just ain't worth it for me so you know I can only I can only help them till it
hurt me you know saying and it just ain't worth it for me I'm out we know we
talked about it they tried to be tried to jam you up over support was over your
support for another candidate I mean man when you heard a lot of egregious that was coming out yeah yeah all that was you know what i'm saying she
admitted to it yes she did yeah yeah she came up with a name yes she did i won't say her name i
remember it anybody care enough to research it it's googleable um but yeah man a lot of that
stuff that people was you know saying about me and then drug my wife into it,
it had a whole lot to do with, you know, my support for one political candidate
and the opposing political candidate that was running against it, you know,
had some supporters that they used as henchmen to come out and kind of, I guess they felt like they were going to remove my ability
by, I guess, muddying my name
to keep me from being able to support the person that would beat them.
And I guess eventually I ended up supporting the person that beat them.
But that was out of the question.
I didn't even, like, bro, I wasn't even interested.
And I hadn't even thought about it until they started attacking me.
When they started attacking me, it was a fight.
It was kind of like when you bag somebody up against a wall,
you got to come out, you know.
But at that point, I just wanted to live my life
and, you know, continue to raise my children, do the best I can for me and my family.
And, you know, just humbly allow the people around me to continue to flourish.
I ain't really, I ain't tripping.
If y'all want to, whatever y'all want to do politically, y'all going to do it.
Y'all going to do it, man.
Talk to us about the, what is the building called?
Is it Entrada?
Yeah, Entrada.
Entrada, what's that mean?
Man, Entrada is a, it's a musical term.
Entrada is a musical term that I believe
it is a transition in music, if I'm not mistaken.
I'm going to go to my Google on this i'm not sure if yeah
please someone research and check that it is a musical term though uh and i didn't come up with
that name uh my partners my development my development partners did yeah musical introduction
or prelude yeah okay there you go i was right after all. Okay, cool. So it is an affordable housing, mixed-use community
that we've been fortunate enough to offer to Atlanta
because, you know, we found that 90% of the people that work in Atlanta
can't afford to live in Atlanta now.
90%?
Yeah.
Damn.
Mm-hmm. People live on the outskirts in Atlanta now. 90%. Yeah. Damn. Mm-hmm.
People live on the outskirts of Atlanta now.
Mm-hmm.
Because, you know, I guess the good and the bad,
you know, so many people have migrated to our city,
making it a metropolis,
and it has brought a lot of great things to the city.
But one of the things that it has done that is negative
is they cost a living with them.
You know what I'm saying?
Like people move from New York and, you know, you move from New York to Atlanta
and find out where you was paying $4,500 for a two-bedroom
and you come down and find out that you're in competition with somebody who's paying $2,500 for a four-bedroom,
you're like, man, I'll give you $3,000.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So people just start overpaying and outpricing the people who had been working there, living there for years.
And now here we are.
I think last time you was here, you was looking for, was it a drugstore or a grocery store?
Looking for a grocery store
and I found one.
Okay.
Yeah, I found one.
At least I believe
we have,
we've gone as far
as a verbal agreement
for a grocery store
to occupy the retail space
that's at the ground level
of Entrada
and I ain't even gonna
say their name right now
because i don't i don't want to mess nothing up but i think i found one i think i have finally
been able to offer fresh produce and groceries to the community i hope i can get a pharmacy in there
too and how big it is how many oh 143 units 143 units of affordable housing yeah i'm gonna ask
how do you know what atlanta i I noticed traffic is crazy now in Atlanta.
Getting to the airport is crazy.
It is.
Crime slowed down, it seemed like, a lot in Atlanta recently.
I haven't paid much.
Crime, I pay attention to it week to week.
You know what I'm saying?
And then the last couple weeks has been this is picked up but you know all in all bro the city is filled with
beautiful people who have a phenomenal culture and you know even with the bad
stuff I feel like the good always over over weighsweighs it outweighs I want to go
back there try it off for a minute cuz it's 143 units but you bought this
property over a decade ago right yeah 2013-14 that is what people to
understand the process of how long it takes to get something like this this
going yeah man I just bought the property I didn't know what I was going to do with it at the time.
And there was a series of events that took place that brought a lot of things to my attention, like the statistic I told you.
And affordable housing was a huge part of the city's initiative and and me having the opportunity of sitting next to kill a
mite on the transition team for the mayor of Atlanta at the time which was
mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms that put set me alongside of some huge huge
affordable housing developers.
One of them which took us under his wing and mentored us as developers,
and that was the legendary Noel Khalil.
And God rest his soul, he kind of taught us the game
and showed us a lot of things about it
that we just didn't have any understanding or awareness of.
And as we just began to connect the dots,
we saw that this piece of property could offer as, you know,
as such a benefit to the community.
And, you know, and we just began that when the dream was born.
Incredible.
You know, we have all these conversations about buying your own,
buying back the block and, you know, investing in your hood.
Like, you've done that in a major, major way.
Man.
More than once.
Yeah, man.
Yeah, way more than once.
But it just, you know, I can't say I'm not, you know,
I ain't have, like, a plan to do it that way.
It's just kind of like I have done things that put me in a position
to be able to do it that way.
You know what I mean?
It's like the evolution of New Finish, right?
Yeah.
So we started just buying houses, me and my uncle.
Buying houses, rehabbing them, buying lots of land, building houses.
And then after the market crash and I got out of prison, I said, well then, you know, after the market crash
and I got out of prison, I said,
well, now I'm going to do it different.
And so I started buying commercial.
You know what I mean?
As I started buying commercial,
then, you know, I started meeting people
that were developers of, you know, of commercial,
learning about multifamilies and mixed use
and, you know, all those types of things.
And simultaneously, the city is evolving, you know, and going vertical.
So now it's like, you know, instead of building six houses in a row,
you want to build a six-story building.
You know what I'm saying?
So I just started to learn more about that that portion of development. How difficult was it to make the long-lived OG Clay
record? How difficult was it at the time when it was made it wasn't difficult at
all because I made it like like two days before the funeral. Damn okay. I did it
like two days before the funeral I I just, I just hit,
like we held on to it. Man, just ironically enough, young boy just reached out to me.
He just reached out to me and we like just started talking cause he was just asking my advice about
stuff. You know what I'm saying? How to get into the movie business and you know like uh how to how to invest his money
and stuff and you know and just asking me advice and then he was like in our conversation he was
like man i need to get you on something and then he sent me and i told him like hey man i don't
want to get on like none of that none of that uh that that all that rob and killing i don't
want to do that i ain't getting in the middle of none of that shit.
He was like, nah, OG, I would never do you like that.
And he sent me some and I listened to it.
And at the time, that's all I could even think about.
You know what I mean?
So it just came at like, you know, first take.
It didn't, it wasn't really no,
it wasn't really no thought involved.
You know what I mean?
It was really about like how to end it,
because I would have went on forever.
I had so much shit to say.
You know what I mean?
It was really about bringing it to a close,
sticking the landing.
When you lose people like OG Klay,
or even a cap of Fulon,
did that energy ever get filled in your life,
or is it a constant hold there?
Man, it's definitely a constant hold.
Man, I think,
man, you getting on.
You just kind of getting on
and you figure out ways to go about your day.
And I kind of,
I appreciate the things that are there more than i take notice of the things that are missing yeah i mean um and and i think that's
that's the positive of it it gives you uh a great appreciation for the things that are still present in your life.
You know what I mean?
And it makes you just value the time
and just the presence of motherfuckers
and show you how precious life is,
how precious the loved ones we have,
how short the time we have with them is.
But, nah, you don't never, like, feel no holes.
You know, the hole just grows, and you learn to live with it.
Do you ever give yourself the proper opportunity to grieve?
I mean, what is the proper opportunity to grieve?
Let's say if I said I gave myself an entire week, who says a week is enough?
Let's say I said a month. Who says a week is enough? I said a month.
Who says a month is enough?
So you know what I mean?
Like, what is the proper opportunity?
You just, you know, you go through your process.
You exist in that moment.
You don't try to run away from the feelings you feeling.
You know what I'm saying?
You let yourself go through that process,
and you present yourself as you feeling. You know what I'm saying? You let yourself go through that process and you present yourself as you are.
You know, don't try to cover nothing up.
Don't try to duck and hide from the pain that you feeling.
You just go through it.
You know what I mean?
As you go through it, you learn to live with it.
You think you'll ever tell your full, complete story?
Like you. Because only you can truly tell it. You think you would ever tell your your full complete story like you because only you can truly tell it
you think you would ever tell it all not all nah i won't tell it all i think uh i tell as much as i
feel would help the listener um and as much as i feel would be therapeutic to me.
But you know something, man,
you know some things will never be spoken.
Now, let me see.
So there is an intention to do a one man show.
Oh, like how Mike Tyson did his shit?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah yeah where i have an
opportunity to step out and not just perform music but to tell a story and had a music kind
of incorporate what you know as a as a part of a narrative um and you know we were so you know
what i'm saying i i guess i tell you now, so that's what the stand up shit was for.
Stand up shit was to prepare me for, you know,
to stand up and speak for an hour or more
in front of a crowd to, you know,
just to know that I could do it.
And as I get stronger in it now,
I can evolve into my intention,
which is a one man show.
And that's, you know,
that's more like a, you know,
that's more like a, I guess a,
man I don't wanna say a play, but.
No, Mike Tyson was on Broadway.
Yeah.
I saw that myself, that shit was dope.
Yeah, so you know what I'm saying,
so that's kinda where I see my performance going.
And I kind of took a stab at it with the orchestra show
that we did December 30th,
which went phenomenally, by the way.
So I see like, you know, orchestra and me and story in and out of songs, jokes,
you know what I'm saying? And do that for about two and a half hour. And, you know,
I feel like that to me is, that's where I see my career going rather than just going
hopping around on Rolling Loud stages.
I just feel like that kind of calls on more of my strengths and gifts than just going
and trying to go on tour with 21 Savage and so on.
I just feel like that's more age appropriate for me.
Rob Markman But that's the lesson to be learned, right?
Because that's why I don't judge none of these rappers now.
Because if you would have judged 20 plus years ago.
Man, please.
Or Gucci or GZ, any of these dudes.
Like, look at where y'all are now.
How y'all have evolved.
How y'all grown as men.
God is good.
That's right.
Now, is comedy your number one love now or is it still music?
Man, I really do love it.
You know, I mean like I can't, I can't tell you, it's a different type of love.
You know what I'm saying?
Like it's just like a son and a daughter.
You know what I'm saying?
I really, I really do love it.
You know, you know you love something when you do it for free.
You feel me?
When you do it for free. I feel me? When you do it for free.
I mean, shit, I go and do comedy.
I just go grab the mic and do that shit for free sometimes.
You know, just because.
You know, it feel good to me.
There's a peace.
There's a peace and a sense of therapy there.
Well, that's also how you know you're rich.
Nah.
Okay.
That's what that means
okay
I mean
touche
but yeah man
but yeah
I love that shit bro
and
the Ha Ha Mafia
we still out there
putting in work
we gonna be
matter of fact
we gonna be at
Tommy T's in Oakland
at the end of this month
I believe
what is it
the 30th
31st and the 1st or something like that.
We'll be out there, man, right outside of Oakland.
And you know, we shit, man, we still tan down,
we still tan down stages and shit.
I'm gonna put together a time to do my special.
I'm gonna do a special.
That's gonna be the one man show or you gonna,
it's gonna be a comedy? Nah, nah, nah, it's gonna be comedy.
Straight comedy, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And we just shot 15 episodes of a standup series,
which is sort of like, you know,
deaf comedy jam or so on and so forth.
It's called Ha Ha Mafia in the Trap.
And we filmed it at the trap music museum um and it's like a host
with three comedians uh probably about 30 minute episode uh we did 15 of them you feel me we shot
that independently um so oh we also have departments on all black. Yeah I mean that we wrote it, directed it. I
produced myself DC Young Fly, Lil Duval, Carlo Miller and the Ha Ha Mafia. About to
do the sequel. Okay. About to do the sequel later on this year and also in
pre-production for a romantic comedy that we wrote and i will direct and me and terence jay
will produce it uh and starring it uh it's called situationships um so you know what i'm saying we're
just trying to you know stay stay stay working what's up with the psc album i thought y'all yeah psc album we about to put some that soon man you know what man like hey we so many like the
problem is we don't know how many different partnerships we will have to support all of
these things you know what i mean like everybody like you know everybody down to do
it but shit we got to figure out the being part of it as far as okay who we gonna do it with
we know dj drama we're gonna do a gangster grill with him and um and we got you know some intentions
to consider uh some some opportunities in in a a situation that's, you know, around DJ drama.
But I think, you know, they got to get their self-impact where they can present the right opportunity.
Don't mind me.
I'm getting up because we got your wife and your daughter here.
So we got to set the chair.
Oh, hell no, man.
You serious?
Tip said he's about to go.
Tip been here an hour already.
Tip about to wrap up.
You can't tell he about to wrap up.
I see them.
Y'all out your mind.
The hot club, when you say like,
they here already?
They here.
They coming upstairs.
Oh, no.
Okay, cool, man.
We can end on this question.
What does success look like for your kids in your eyes?
What does success look like for my kids in my eyes?
Doing what they love and earning a living like being
able to take care of themselves doing the things that they love the things that fulfill their
passion yeah i mean um allowing them to follow their dreams and just create, you know, to create from their minds things that earn profit for them.
You know, to me, that's success on any level.
You know, not being forced to do something that you really don't want to do just to get paid,
just to feed yourself.
Yeah, I mean? That's success
on any level.
Alright, well let's get into the record.
I thought they was upstairs. Do you have that problem
a lot where they say they ready, but they ain't ready?
Hell yeah!
20 minutes is 40 minutes,
and 20 minutes is an hour.
My woman ain't the worst in the weed, man.
You know what I'm saying?
She gonna tell right outside,
you see me you see me
man
god damn
bro
well let's try
try to sit up
they sit up
come upstairs
I try to sit up
I guess they lied
but alright
let's get into
Long Live OG Clay man
yeah man
and thanks for all
the support man
you know what I mean
everybody who's been
supporting it
you know
I think that this is
one of
probably the most
important record that we dropped on grand
hustle and we appreciate everybody man with us with it uh and this is uh to celebrate the
life and the legacy of somebody incredibly important to me yes sir and incredibly important
to the careers of so many people from atlanta in this generation going into the next one. All right, so long live OG Clay featuring my partner,
NBA Youngboy, you did.
Well, they did arrive.
Okay, yes, yes, yes.
They did arrive.
T.I. was right.
They did, they did.
Because they said y'all were eight minutes out
and it was like 20 and T.I. was like,
that's usually what happens.
Oh yeah?
T.I. said you worse than the weed man.
What?
When it comes to being late.
I'm getting better.
So how is it having a young, all your kids are in the music industry.
We asked T.I. how he felt about it.
How do you feel about having all your kids in the industry?
And you know how this industry can be.
Yeah, I mean, I hate it for some just because, I mean, it's scary.
The rap game is scary.
You know what I'm saying?
And I have a little wild child too.
So, you know, I hate it for him have a little wild child too so you know I hate it for him but I know
he loves it and skin you know music's you know evolving a lot so I'm starting to really really
like it but for her um I love it because I'm watching her grow and go and get into her mode
you know and I'm helping her and we're grooming her she's you know i'm i'm taking her
through all the steps of artist development for sure you know and she's listening to all the kids
listening because you know sometimes they don't want to listen to the parents they were like i
got this i'll figure it out on my own so you know what she listens but sometimes she get aggravated
a little bit because i'm like uh no do it again do it again nope that wasn't right and you know
so i get somebody else i put other people in place to help her with a lot of that
so they can do it and they can go through it.
And they know how to, you know,
baby her through it a little better than me.
When they that young, how do you know that this is something
they really want to do and not just to face?
Well, this is something that she started doing with me.
Like, when she started, like, really singing,
she was, like, two.
And I think I was doing like solo stuff
and she would go out and she would want to get on the stage with me.
So we started putting the mic up with my background singers
and she would be back there singing.
So after that, like when she got three,
she was really like wanting to go.
She never wanted to miss a stage moment.
So it's something that she actually wanted to do herself.
I didn't really put her in it.
What does success for the kids look like do you tiny I asked him the same question but what is success for the kids look like to you
well if they can be happy doing what they love and just you know reaching
some of their goals or some of the things that they really want to do in
you know in what in this industry and just being successful you know she may she said she want to be
astronaut I love it who's more annoying when it comes to making music is mommy
or daddy more annoying
she's looking at daddy.
She looking at mommy.
She thinking who she needs something from.
Who she needs something from soon.
You can say both.
50-50.
60, 60-40.
On whose side?
On whose side?
60 mama?
Wait.
Probably me because she sees me doing more music
and dealing with her more mostly with music.
So it's probably me.
Whose music do you like more, Mommy or Daddy?
Some tough questions.
Okay, so I have to go with Mommy
because I only know a few songs of Daddy.
That might be a good thing. Why does she only know a few songs of Daddy. That might be a good thing.
That might be a good thing.
Why does she only know a few songs?
You ain't introduced to the catalog?
Nah.
Never too early for trap music, tip.
Nah.
Well, some of that language she has in there,
it's a little too early for her.
But you know, it just doesn't apply to her life.
That's what I'm saying.
Not a lot of it.
But a lot of our language, too. I mean, I guess it doesn't. You know, it's a lot of our language too i mean i guess it doesn't it you know it's a little
too early too but she loves it all like she comes singing all these songs that i never show her she
knows a whole catalog songs it's not singles yeah just listen do you get nervous at all when you're
on stage because you look so natural like it doesn't bother you affect you no nervous at all when you're on stage? Because you look so natural. Like, it doesn't bother you, affect you? No? Not at all?
Not scared at all?
Not really.
No, not really.
No, like, when we have concerts, she comes to me and be like,
am I going on stage?
And I'm like, we didn't plan for that.
And, you know, she's always wanting to be out there on stage.
How do you know when you're pushing her too hard?
How do I know when I'm pushing her too hard?
Because she'll let me know.
She'll get aggravated. But, you know, we may pushing her too hard? How do I know when I'm pushing her too hard? Because she'll let me know. She'll get aggravated.
But, you know, we may be in the middle of something like recording.
And, you know, I might be like, do it again, do it again.
You know, and she'll get aggravated.
But she's going to have to, in order to get the best,
we got to continue doing it.
So I may let her take a break or something, you know.
You let me take a break for five minutes.
Five minutes is good.
How much time do you need? good. How much time you need?
Three and two.
How much time you need to think?
10.
10?
You sing better than mommy?
Yes.
Wow.
Damn.
Wow.
I know, you just said I was your favorite singer,
now you're singing better than me, okay, I love it.
No, you my favorite singer, but I sang better.
Okay.
Boy, y'all got hell on your hands.
What does success look like for you, Young Harris?
Like, what's your goals? My goal is to be smart and be an astronaut and a singer.
Okay.
An astronaut and a singer.
I can sing to the aliens.
I love that.
You can do that.
You can sing to the aliens.
That's right.
Just have fun.
Just have fun and enjoy the process of all of this.
That's all.
You live a blessed life.
That's right.
Is there one thing that you want that mommy and daddy haven't gotten for you yet?
A spaceship.
She said yes.
But they got a Cybertruck.
They got spaceship money, too.
I want you to know that.
I want you to know that.
A spaceship.
It's a car, not a ship.
Okay, my bad.
My bad.
A spaceship goes up into the air.
A car stays down underground.
You're right.
You're right.
I was wrong.
You're right.
Do you have anything that you want to tell them about that you put out
or that you want people tell them about that you put out or, you know,
that you want people to go and support?
Do you have a song or something that you would like people to go listen to?
Yes.
What is it called?
It's called Be You.
It's called Be You?
Yeah.
With Van Van.
Yeah, with Van.
And go listen to it.
You can listen to it on YouTube Kids, regular YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and everywhere else.
Let's play it right now. You want to introduce it?
Let's play it to 100 markets.
You're about to get played in 100 cities right now.
That's right.
So introduce it to the world.
Tell them your name and the name of the song, and let's go.
My name is Eris, and the name of the song is Be You.
With?
With Vivi.
That's right.
On The Breakfast Club.
And we appreciate you guys for joining us.
Thank you so much.
Thank y'all so much.
Let's get into the joint right now. It's The Breakfast Club. Good morning. Wake guys for joining us. Thank you so much. Thank you all so much. Let's get into the joint right now.
It's The Breakfast Club.
Good morning.
Wake that ass up.
In the morning.
The Breakfast Club.