The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: Jesse Johnson Part 1

Episode Date: May 17, 2021

Team Supreme sits down for part one of two with Jesse Johnson to talk Prince, playing with The Time and pranks on the road. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Quaslove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. Hey, what's going on? What's going on, y'all? This is QLS Classic. My name is Questlove.

You're listening to a classic episode of Questlove Supreme. Hey, what can I say? Jesse Johnson from the time. You know, of course, purple episodes are my favorite. This is from August 1st of 2018. What makes this Jesse episode so special in addition to his storytelling and his amazing? life is the sneak guest that he brought into the show that we weren't aware of there was I was at world anyway I hope you guys enjoy it this part one of a two part Jesse Johnson

and it's course love Supreme QLS classic I hope this works Suprema sub sub subprima roll car Suprema sub subprima rocawka Supremea SEPA sub subprima roc car Suprema Subima Subramo Roll call

Yeah What? I'm always getting into something Uh-uh Uh-oh Laia says

I ain't right Some could say Oh don't go Home with him Or my bark's worse than my bite Uh

You can trust me girl A gentleman A gentleman never Tells Your secret 's safe on sight Hey Jesse.

Yeah. Come in, man. Guess what I did last day. Supriva, Suc, S, Sola. Supremma Roll Call. Supremma, Sucrema, Rold Call. My name is Sugar. Yeah.

Used to drive a SELica. Yeah. Back when this dude was making Shaccadalica. Roll call. Suprema, Suc, Sucrema Ro call. Supremma, Suc, Sucrema Ro call. It was five. Yeah.

Was corrected by my mother. Yeah. I was sure today's guest Yeah. Was my father's brother. Roll her. Suprima. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, sub, supremer roll call.

Suprema, sub, sub, sub, suprema roll call. It's Laeia. Yeah. And Jesse, yo. Yeah. Just look upon an excuse. Yeah. To go, oh, oh, oh.

Roll call. Hey. Supima, sub, sub, sub, suprema, roll call. Okay. Supima. Suprima, sub, sub, subprima. Roll call. Yeah.

Yeah. And yeah. Yeah. I want a picture. Roll call. Suprema. Suprema. Suprema.

Suprema. Suprema. Roe call. Suprema. Subrema. Ro call. Suprema. Subrema.

So prima. Oh, yeah. That's all. Yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, clowning early there's a long story and cute at the same time

and can't even y'all get away with her thing because she's right there those three seconds those three seconds are the staple of the show it's a long story to explain what that means

but ladies and gentlemen nothing he cites us more than getting one-on-one time what I consider with any purple disciple on Questlove Supreme and this is no exception.

Why y'all bring up bad memories? I'm about to say pink disciple. Y'all bring up bad memories with that shockadelic or stuff. Oh, no, no, no. Y'all did. Y'all don't know the story behind this? I've heard the story. I don't care what y'all hope.

People lying. You had it first. You had it first. You had it first. You had it first. Wait, we're going to get to that. Let me introduce you first, brother. Tly it.

Anyway, our guest is a master. Axman on par with some of the best brothers to ever touch the guitar from Eddie Hazel to Ernie Isley, the brother Nelson himself Sigiotis, Jimmy Hendrix, name him. Ike Turner, anybody.

He's gained attention as a member of... I thought he said he's gay. I'm like, what? No, brother of news. I'm so heavy. Can I break the news? I didn't even know. I'm like, what?

He's gained attention as a member because he's gay. It's a motherfucker. Gay and he wants attention. That's what I swear. Ladies and gentlemen, we have Jesse Johnson on the show. Forget that. Thank you, Quest.

No, thank you, Chris. It's actually my pleasure, man. It's my pleasure, man. How's it going, bro? It's good, man. I can't complain. That's good. You know, I'm a true New Yorker in a sense

when you ask me how am I doing. I'm saying compared to who. You know, I definitely ask you that. Well, thank you, man. I'm glad you. But I'm good. I really haven't had a chance to chop it up with you since.

well since you've been on the scene yeah no that's why I this would what great timing huh yeah we've done so much stuff together we've never had it but we're always like jumping out of the plane with the parachute on

and hitting the ground running part of me always knew that I'd have this platform one day so I think I wanted to save all of my fan out moments for when the tapes are rolling so I could just ask any and everything because I feel like I mean after you broke my heart about the

the Lindrum 777 story Yeah it broke a lot of hearts Yeah then I'm certain that there's like 50 other Stories you're about to debunk today Yeah they always say the truth can be heard Hearful Truth hurts Yeah

So Well yeah I guess I should say that we are Recording at the world famous Electric Lady studios The House of Jimmy And alive and well In New York

We're actually in the Broom Which I you know really what do we do here Steve we did like send it on maybe oh something to do one more again was I guess was in here yeah one more again and send it on so a lot of vocals and mixing in here but jorm I know that uh I at least know that a track send it on in here like we started off in this room before we even went to the A room so like a lot of the early stuff I'm sure there's a real with Superman lover on it back when I think him and BB King were supposed to to duet

Superman lover. We're talking about doing DeAngelo's food. But right now. Jesse, you never recorded in here before? I came here a couple of times when he was when Dee was working there but I wouldn't come in because there's like the headspace in here. You know, I'm a Jimmy

disciple. So it's like even now. It's overwhelming. It's heavy because you depending on you know what you feel and how you feel things and I usually feel what's going on. And it's it's beautiful but it's heavy i'll say that 68 years later um maybe would you say that at least 75% of the studio still intact from the original plan of of well first of 50 years yeah what i said you said

68 oh i meant 1968 yeah yeah 50 years um yeah well technically opened in 70 um but uh but there's there's some gear that's original, some microphones, but structurally it's mostly exactly the same. Can we reiterate to everybody too that you kind of grew up in this building for some of the New Quest Love Supreme listeners as Sugar Steve actually I stole Sugar Steve from Electric Lady Steve.

Well, I mean, I'm only like the third most interesting person here. Yeah, no, because somebody might be listening like, what the hell is Sugar Steve know? Well, actually he knows a lot. Yeah, I mean, I came up here as an intern, started cleaning the toilets and and stay for about eight or nine years. Wait, you were here eight years before? No, I started basically when you came here.

So you were an intern when Voodoo started? Yeah, we told you. I didn't know that. We told you something else. Oh, shit. No, I'm just kidding. I was an assistant engineer. Okay.

That's who cleaned the toilets. At the time, there was a cat here named Jimmy that we swore was the actual ghost of Jimmy Hendrix. One time he, there was a, what was it? He jumped on the board and... Yeah, if he jumps on the console while you're mixing, it means like he approves of the mix, you know? Yeah, but there was one time where he,

like, we were looking for the source of some feedback thing and the cat actually jumped on the board and pressed it off. It turned it off? And press some button, and then we were forever convinced that that was Jimmy Hendricks. Plus, his name was Jimmy, which really helped. Yes, that helped.

All right, so Jesse, I always start each show with this question. Where were you born? Rock Island, Illinois. How far is that from? A very small town. Probably four or five hours from Chicago. It's between, before you hit Chicago, you hit Rockford and some other. Aurora, that famous place from Wayne's World.

Yeah. Okay. said he thought he had mine i used to play in aurora illinois gainsborough i think it's called a gainsborough or something like that i used to play all over those places in the movie he said he thought he had mono but he just felt like it was bored in aurora but aurora was really like that but peoria i played one of those uh you know you've seen the story the uh rich you probably talk about the pimp Yeah.

Convention. I played one of those in Peoria, Illinois, for real. And they're real, like the dude comes in the pimp of the year with the cup. Well, I was going to say, you were born in the 60s, so you were, this was in the 70s at least. Yes, but I played with, I was so fortunate that I played with these guys was telling me one time that they were Al Green's band. So it was a drummer, Davy Govan, and it's a brother, Oscar on guitar, brother Dennis on bass. They were signed their All Green's band. meet people. I'm in a little town and came at

and I'm like, yeah, yeah, right, right, right. And I remember playing at this bar, midnight specials on the TV on break, and numb cats was up there playing without green. And I was fortunate enough as a youngster to play with some real cats, you know, get to travel around and just drop out of school and all that fun and stuff.

Well, for a lot, or I'm saying for a lot of us, for me at least, like you think of Illinois, you just basically think of Chicago. I grew up South Side, I grew up the two cities that I grew up in. I was born in Rock Island, but I grew up in South Side Chicago and one of the other roughest places other than the rough side of you've heard Quincy Jones talk about the South Side Chicago's no joke. It's like skate from New York, cars on fire and stuff in Jackson Park. It was really, but East St. Louis was no joke.

I grew up in East St. Louis. Yeah, I grew up in East St. Louis. So I saw George, I think the album might have been, like, God, I can't. But it was Jerome Braley, but it was years before, but Jerome Braley had the stuff that's on the mother that George has on the Mothership Connection album. Yeah. But he was wearing that.

So they were coming off that thing, maybe the Chocolate City. But I saw them. I was a little kid. I wrote three buses to get to, they played at East Side High. And when I would tell that story to George, George would be like, oh, man, you're telling your age? I'm like, no, I was a little kid.

I just was, I had older brothers. Okay. So I was in the, you know, they exposed me. You know, I'd read all the Donald Goings books and ice bird slams and in the great men. music, you know, because I had, I had, you know, seven older brothers. Whoa. Damn.

Wait. You were the youngest of seven? No, I'm like, like, towards the end, but I, you know, I got older brothers, though. Okay. How many siblings in total? How many siblings in total? Maybe. I shouldn't cuss, right?

No, you know, he has cuss. Oh, shit. It's a lot of us. It was, like, 12 of us or something. Because my father, he raised everybody, but they were not, those my, my older Civilians are not his siblings. I'm my father. I'm his oldest, and then I have a brother

and a sister, and also my father. Oh, your father was a man. That's dope. He raised the other kids. I grew up. He was the man. And then we never, you know, in black families, if you got, you can have 12 brothers and sisters, but they all got different. Dads, but you never hear words like, that's my

step-sister. That's my half-s. It's like, yeah, sister. Same here. Yeah, exactly. So, were you How did you develop your musical skills? Was your family into music? No, but my father, he gave me the, he was a lot of, my household had a lot of, like if I wanted to play music,

I had to be able to, I remember, you know, you wake you up in the middle of my boy, he can play, and I had to be able to do stuff like, exactly. And if you couldn't do that, he wouldn't, I wasn't allowed to play some of them. So I was allowed to play in bands at an early age because he had all these thick records. I didn't know. I think, I forget what they're called.

But they look like an album, but they're smaller. Oh, 78s? Yes, but they had no names on them. So they were that old. And you remember the old record players because we didn't ruin all of his records, where you're slowing them down and learning, you know, learning all that. And so he slowed the record. So he had all these collections that was Lightning Hopkins.

I mean, it wasn't into many years later, later that I realized it was Lightning Hopkins. But they had no names on it. on them, but I had to know all that stuff, and that's why I could play bottleneck and all kind of tunis and Robert Johnson, because he was like, if you can play this, then you can go play. So you're a true blues man? To through and through.

But just to please your dad, like, he wasn't impressed with you unless you knew. I was so fortunate in the house growing up. I mean, when I read your backstory, it sounds a lot like mine, except for my parents were not musicians, but they would promote show. So as

a little kid growing up in a small town like Wack Island, which is very a predominantly Jewish town, which was a real cool thing, because I grew up inadvertently with a lot of culture. No. Steve's happy. Yeah, I saw my friends. I grew up, you know,

Matsubal and the whole shot, you know, with a lot of culture, but not realizing it because, you know, you're just a little kid growing up, but I'd wake up some mornings and there's a guy in the living room, and I was like, who's that? And was a cat named Major Lance? Major Lance. Major Lance had a song called Monkey Time. So they would put

together shows like that. My father would. So he would, I guess, be a quasi-promoter, but he worked a gig, or he would couple jobs, but he would promote these shows. And one day he wake up and it's like Major Lance and, you know, Jimmy McCrack and, you know, different cats like that. So I would really not realizing, you know, I'm not even in school good yet. So, but I, but they listen to the between the two and them, they'd listen to everything. They loved everything. So my vocabulary, Larry, my ears is so giant because it was not. So the love of music is just a love of music, but I love all styles.

This is a recurring theme on the show. Either DJs become producers, or if you're three or four years old, like God's in the living room teaching you. Steve Miller with Les Paul. Exactly. So what was your band situation, like in school? Like, were you forming bands?

No, I was really, you know, I guess you're, it was the weirdest thing. I was like, of course you, you know, it's like a disease once you discover music and you really get the Jones because it was like, you see girls and you're just like, oh, man, she's so pretty, but, you know, it was like that during that time and girls would say, you don't get high, and I go, no, and they go, oh, I can't deal with you. And so I was trying to tell my kids, it's like, I was, I was. I was always a straight dude. I was always a nerd dude.

I said, but look what I did and look what they did. I said, when I went back to Rock, and the first time I was with the time, it was Prince in the Time, and we played Palmer, chiropractic auditorium, where I grew up there and seeing Finn, Lizzie, everybody at that place, and ACDC is here. So here I'm at this place, and it's Prince in the Time.

And then when I went on my own, I went back there and played where Hendricks and Zeppelin played at the call ballroom. So, you know, and it's, And I just remember this girl, she was like Miss Black Quad Cities. And I remember she walked on, I was sitting under the girl's porch in Davenport Island. And she walked up the stairs and I said, hi, sitting there talking to something. And she walked up stairs to meet with somebody.

And I said, hi. And she didn't even speak to me. And then when I played there, she almost got hit by a car running across the street. But it's like, you know, but I didn't say nothing. But you just go like, see? You just never know. That dude, janitoring over there, cleaning. the toilet you just oh come on

I know I did the same thing you don't y'all don't even understand man I cut I cut teeth if y'all y'all you know for a second wait a dentist assistant too I did all kinds of stuff tell us the stuff like the first job that you had I okay as a I wanted my first

my first real guitar and um yeah what kind of acts did you have as a kid I had like the regular tie skulls and the strings were so high. It was like a break. Exactly. And that $29 of a lot of lawns I mowed. And you know when you're a kid, you have a stack of 29 ones.

Right. Loaded. Oh, you just keep, you take it out the door and look at it. I'm still that way. And I had the, and I had the, I had the, I had the, I don't know if you all remember this because I'm older than y'all, but crystal radio. There was these things that you would sit in the window, you'd build these little radios and they didn't have batteries, but you sit them in the window and they gather and

store sunlight and then at night you could listen to the radio solar radio solar power radio but that's what they called but they were called crystal radio back there because it wasn't solar had like a little crystal in it that they would store sunlight and you'd build them from realistic

and before radio shack and all that but yeah that's how I kind of started exploring different styles of music and getting those jazz stations or blue stations that wasn't even in the yeah I was going to say how prevalent was was there a black radio station in

East St. Louis it was because I'm always telling my cousin that it was black radio that broke Benny and the Jets. It was never a single. But it was a DJ in East St. Louis named Jim Gates. Yeah, it was never a single. Black radio did this DJ there start playing it.

And at the time they were black radio unlike I don't know if it was, because I was in East St. Louis. Even when I lived in Rock Island I would go to my mother's in the summer and he's St. Louis and my mother's I mean I'm just when I talk about this because I have a book an audio book that's coming out later in the year but okay it she had a backyard and then was a fence dividing the backyards instead of an alley so there was it there would be this guy every now and then sitting on the back porch and a chair and playing guitar and I go over sometimes I'm a young kid I go over and I go hot you know and just watch and play guitar and you'd have a pipe and he'd be playing and that cat was Albert King So he would go

You know he would say you know Because his guitar is the strong up like for me But he just turns it this way and plays it with the strings upside down So I He would go he would show me things And so when I Older when I tell people I know exactly what he's playing

And how he was tuned because he was like He would show me And so when I would go Right I knew exactly what he was doing Because I got to see him do that when I was 13 And he would show me stuff. And what it was, he dated the lady behind, living behind my mother.

And I remember it so brightly because at the time, Lou Brock was the St. Louis-Lead's Cardinal. But he had these Dodge dealerships. And Lou Brock Dodge was right there. And didn't realize that Albert King, but he drove his own tour bus. So it'd be this, every time there'd be this big bus, yeah. I know, it's just like, that's why when I was telling somebody on the plane here, yesterday I said when I talk about my life it's just I was like I'm lying you know

because there's too much planet it's just about right it just too much stuff lines up for me like you know you know my sister right Sueanne Carwell she's my play sister but we like really close

you know Swam yeah that was her big joke she's like man he just got here dude he's famous because I came to Minneapolis not knowing anybody I'm staying at the YMCA like one of the village people right You know, the Y, if you didn't live anywhere, you know, you could, they would let you crash out. Yeah. So I came to Minneapolis, not knowing about.

I was staying at the YMC, I'm chilling. April, 1981. By June, I'm in the stars on that Elm cover. Wow. Wow. And Sue Ed's like, what the, what the half? And I didn't know anybody. So what the fuck?

Exactly. So what would happen is I was, during the day, I would go, I would go walking around. And so people. would think I was somebody else. They go, are you, Donna, are you related to that? And I didn't know anybody. And I go, no, so I'd be walking around.

And if you go back and there's a guitar store there, I think it's still there. It's called New Coupay. But if you go back and check out, there's old ads that I did model for before I was ever in the time. So you'll see you can look up. Wow.

So were you dressing like a rock star already? No, no. I just must have looked a certain way. Are you just fine? Like, were you doing the Bridget Balland, just walking around with your guitar in your? No, not nothing. I don't even think I had any of that stuff with me then,

because I had to, when I joined this band Enterprise, I had to have all that stuff come up. That's crazy. So, what effect, knowing that, I believe you were born in 60, what effect did watching? How did Hendricks enter your life? Well, I was too young to have seen him. So when I got, but I remember the day, I remember we lived in, I was in any St. Louis in the basement apartment the day he died because it came on the television.

I never forget it. But I didn't know what he was. But believe it or not, that same day, I knew who Bob Marley was because he wrote a song. He wrote, there was a guy named Johnny Nash that had a song called, it was this. I was this. I was thinking I can see clearly now. Who is his? Yes.

Scarface. You're right. Quest. You're right. He had, he had the. that song was out way back then, but that's who wrote that. Right. And so it came out the time there was, I just remember this one song because I used to just make me have, didn't like this song.

But it was called, I was a girl watcher. I'm a girl watching. Exactly. Every day. Every, yeah. Watching girls go by. I know I'm a real watching. Yeah, I'm a will watcher.

I'm a will watcher. I didn't know the real version until later, but I knew of a world fortune conversion. I didn't know the real version until just now. Me either. Thank you, Jeff. So, yeah, I used to, you know, I do. That's for some reason, you know, certain things in your, like, you know, the day, you know, Kennedy was this and the same thing. Wait, since we're in a rabbit hole, side note, run did one solo joint that never quite made it in 1983.

It was like Run and Papa, Papa Ron Large or something. And they covered I'm a girl watcher. Oh, wow. But deaf jam never released it. It was like run solo joint. Anyway, so good. No, that's just, I was just saying how certain things become a snapshot in your life

because they're connected with music. It's like the day Martin Luther King was assassinated. I remember because one of the songs I love was, Cat just recently passed away that I absolutely love. Humas Scala, grazing in the grass. Right. And so I was a young kid in East St. Louis. And being fortunate enough at that time,

I met Martin Luther King as a little kid, you know, Malcolm X. I'm sorry, I'm going to need you not to pass by these moments and I'm going to need you to kind of tell us how you met these men. I'm telling you, when I elaborate on everything. I believe you. Don't worry about it. But it's like those times, the times that you grew up in. And you got to remember Malcolm X wasn't like the Malcolm X that people know. He went, he flew, you know, he would be the guy that would come in and open the other mosque.

Okay. And so growing up in the nation. of Islam so through my mother so I wait a minute you wait a minute yeah so I got to get it I'm tagging you can tag I got to expand all of that seriously yeah that's the reason why I'm like always was kind of really corny and not into drugs or drinking and all that church because of the nation of Islam no because I was just raised to not do that way braised by a whole bunch of women my mom her sisters oh my god wait so your mom was in the nation but your dad was They were not married then.

Okay. They were like, she disappeared with all of us and it's a whole other. You're going to say that for the book. I see what you're doing right now. No, no, no. It's just like would go on and be probably everybody like, no. No, like this is a true music nerd haven. Trust me.

But it's like all the moments that you live and because one of the things that when Quincy talked about, we would go to school in South Chicago and coming home, Going to school and coming home was like a life and death experience every day. That's how East St. Louis was. How did you escape that, though? Like, did you have like, I'm going to fuck you up? No, no. I was, I have no idea because I, because let me tell you how crazy it is now.

It's like, it's like my youngest child is 14. And I can't imagine her walking from here to, you know, three or four or five blocks where I'm, I'm nine. And I was, you ever see those shows when the kids go? So extra, extra read out about with me and a kid that lived upstairs from us in this department. His name was Herman. He passed away as a child. He got hit by a car, unfortunately. But he had a gig selling this newspaper called the Bi-State Defender.

So I was so a hustler at such a young age, so I was nine and I had to lie until the guy was 10. And so we would go after school and we would get a whole stack of papers. He would get a whole stack of papers. I'm not crazy how crazy this is you can't imagine doing this with your kid, allowing your kid to do this. But where I lived in East St. Louis, we would walk across the bridge to St. Louis when you walk across the bridge. You're in St. Louis, Missouri now.

So we would walk across the bridge. Me and Herman, he was 10, I was 9. We would get these stack of papers. They were 20 cents apiece. We'd have to turn in a dime, and then we kept a dime. So he'd walk across the bridge. At the end of the bridge, when you got across the bridge, you'd make a right.

And on one side was the continental trailways bus station. Other side was the farmer's market. So we'd be, this is at night. And we're walking down there, buy state defender, by state. And we would sell everyone those papers, walk across the bridge. The next day, give the guy his half of the tent. Then we get another stack. We would do that every day.

Imagine your kid. Allowing your kid to do, but it was like, you know, helping, huh? How late would you guys be out there? Till them papers were gone. And y'all was mad late. Like the paper come out in the morning, y'all's selling it at night. No, the by-state defender was like some weird paper that just kind of told about murders and killings. Because at that time, St. Louis, I think St. Louis, Missouri was the murder capital of the state.

And that neighborhood that was the murder capital was where the Spinks brothers came from. Oh, wow. Yeah, because you, there were just. All those cowboy hats. Yeah, it was like, you didn't go out in that. It was the projects over there. And you would walk past this store that was called Famous Bar, Sticks and Fuller and all. Some store like that was really like the big thing. You got two blocks past that, man.

It was like the White House back in the days. You mean, you walked past the White House for about two blocks. And it was like, oh, what's going on? What happened? Oh, D.C. area back in. Yeah, East St. Louis. A lot of cities were like that. Were there any notable peers or people that we were known today that you grew up?

All day long. Because if you guys go look at the history of Chuck Berry and all of them. So East St. Louis, downtown East St. Louis, there was a club. And I just don't know how I didn't. I ain't dead or whatever. But I was a kid. I was a little kid. It wasn't old enough, but I was so crazy with music already.

This club, Chuck Berry would play it. And the club had a back door. You would open the back door. I remember hearing stories like Elvis used to do this when he was a, you know, a kid. He was a little kid. He would do the going to look in the window at the, you know, at the juke joint. and they would let him do that. And there was a white kid.

I actually did that. I would, this club, you would open the back door and you could see straight through the club to the stage. And I would see Chuck Berry play. I would just sit there and be like, and so I was really fortunate in a sense that I knew what I was going to do.

And then what changed it, Parliament Funkadelic played at Eastside High School. And then whenever I would tell George, I was telling George just during the graffiti bridge filming. And he was like, oh, you're showing your age? I said, no, bro, I wasn't, I wouldn't even, and I wasn't in high school. I said it took three buses to get to that area.

And I said, I was so young and so little that when the guy opened the door, he was like, who's with you? You know, at the school. And he let me come in. So I'm sitting in the bleachers, watching them, rehearse, soundcheck and everything. And it was, I knew from that moment what I was going to do. Because Michael Hampton walked in. It was back in the 70s where there was these patched jeans.

And Michael Hampton walked in And he had a pig nose amp on each side And they all had some breros Hanging off their back like real Mexicans And it was like and it was the only time I've seen During the sound check George Clinton played a black less paw He played guitar

And this is the real So this was funkadelic funkadelic And you talk to George George George Memory is frightening Like George remembers Any and eight Him and Bootsie both George is mind blowing with that

Like George talked to me by about three years ago and oh i haven't seen you since the blah blah blah and he was dead and it was the last time he saw me was at paisley we was filming you know it's just mind-boring but that show i remembered it because i'm dude i'm a little kid i'm like and i took like two the transfer things to get there and so i to this day i try to remember how i got home because i'm a little kid and just walking from that school back to where the bus Just like sick with it as far as music. And your mama was like, where you been?

No, I was actually living with some other people. Okay. All right. It looks like... In the books. Ran away. It was like a foster kid at that point in time. Another recurring theme on the show. Yeah.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the law, way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by.

Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never. mess with her friends either. We always say that, trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist.

I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he did. serves. Listen to the girlfriends.

Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Vodom. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo!

Woo! My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this. the shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where

you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar. of, you know, the cat, just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So how did you wind up in Minneapolis?

Well, I was in Rock Island. Rock Island is a really, very, very, very small town. And at the end of the bridge, there's this bridge that it takes you from, you're in Rock Island Illinois when you go on the bridge you're in Davenport, Iowa. Well, read the foot of that bridge, there's a,

you can see it online because it's no longer there now, but it was called the Yankee Clipper. It was a hardcore biker bar. I mean, if you went in there black, you die. That's not funny. I'm serious.

The band, the, you can look at up, the motorcycle group was called the Grim Reaper's. Seriously. Seriously. No, seriously. You, you, and even worse,

you had a chance, you had a better chance. Like, I learned something about cats that were hardcore like that. Like, I went in there and I survived because I went in there and cranked them out. And the guy who placed I took in his band, the band was called dealer. And the guy who place I took, he was like an actual dealer. And he just got tired of plan. So I took his, he gave the job to me. And then the band was all white band.

And the club was like, it was like, it used to be at one point of strip, John. And so you had a, the stage was like this. It went who, and then it came out in a little you like that because it was a strip joint. And it was a long stage like that. And then a bar ran. And I, and when the singer, one of the guys in the band was gay, and I never got any flat because I played my butt off, you know.

I went in and just plop, blah, blah, blah, pop, popped it harder than it ever. You know, I heard somebody kick guitar like that. And when he would come up to sing, they would pelt him with so much stuff. And I was like, damn. So this is like the Blues Brothers where you just, the chicken wire. Yeah, but what I discovered at that young age is like, you can be white, but if you're gay, they will hate you more than they hate me. They don't, they never, because they love me because I went in there and really.

So does this mean that you would have to go zero to 100 and automatically show your shred skills to let them know? It, something happens to you because you, in your mind, know that it's a, It's hard to explain. It's like something in your mind knows that it's like sink or swim. And so you just dive right in swimming and you don't know how to swim, but just swimming. You know, you're swimming. So at the end of that bridge, the town is so small. At the end of that bridge, the Yagi Clipper, across the street down across the street at the end of the Sheraton,

the only big hotel, you know, it was like the Taj Mahal in this little town. So across the bridge, you take a right now. Are you ever heard of the RKO Orphium? That's it right there. Because you got to, you got to remember, Iowa is the rock and roll belt of the United States. That's why the monsters of rock, all of that stuff, Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, Iowa, Iowa. That's why my cousin always gets jealous because I've seen everybody growing up. Because that's where all the, like Van Halen first, Van Halen album, I saw them when they had the exact clothes that are on the cover, everything.

I saw all of that Atlanta rhythm section, the dude. when they had the taking it to the streets of them, Lanham Rhythm II saw everybody, the cars, the thin Lizzie, saw them all. And what would happen is a lot of big bands like Rush let us come in one time and watch them rehearse because they would come to the RK. Orphreymen, and a lot of bands would rent that and rehearse there for a month.

Like Rush, rehearsed there for a month. And so you need to come in. Because, you know, when you're in the audience, that's when I kind of first got the, you know, you're in the audience, everything looks like shining. And then you get up there and his dudes, the amps are all neck. And they wasn't as tall as you, you know.

It was my first time. Yeah, getting to that. So you're saying that Iowa was like mostly a starting point. Sort of like Michael Jackson started off in Kansas City or something like. You're saying that Iowa was just a starting point from most rock shows. Yeah, a lot of people, you'd be surprised. And then if you turned, if you went across a Centennial Bridge right at that same,

you could turn left as R.K. Orpham, you'd turn this way to call ballroom. The call ballroom is where Zeppelin flew in from Minneapolis. That's where Jimmy Page's Black Beauty got stolen. And then the Sunbursts, Les Paul, that you've seen him play forever. That's where he bought it from Joe Wash was at the call ballroom. So it's like if you go look at the – and then they just released the Hendricks at the call ballroom. And a guy that, of course, was older that was there. His name is Jerry Wetzel.

He told me everything that happened. And that was a thousand years ago in the 70s. He told me that, like, 78, 70s, I was a kid, and the music started listening to the stories. Everything he told me, they just released it last year, late last year, the Hendricks at the call ballroom. Everything he told me was, he said he came, because the called ballroom doesn't have a backstage. And it's a stage, the stage is covered, it cut into a use. So you can stand and went in at the stage and you go, class.

And it's like, I'm right next to you. It's like, you know, back then they built halls for real music. Right. And so everything he told me, he said, Hendricks went. He came on stage. He walked to the audience with the police because there's no backstage. So you have to come through the audience. And I played there when my first album was out.

So I was like, can't tell me. So he said he came up and he was like, you know. Then he went. He said, oh, you're experiencing it. And he said, when he started playing, he said, I don't know what happened. But I was like completely out of it. But I was just able to see a lot of like that.

And what ended up happening, every band that even at the big Iowa jams and the Credit Island concerts with all the men. They stayed at that. They would come across the bridge, stay at that Sheridan, and they would come to the Yankee Clipper, and I would jam with all of them. Molly Hatchet, everybody.

And they all said the same thing to me. And I knew that's when I had to get my ass out of there. And they would all, what are you doing here? What are you doing here? And so I didn't have money. You know, because when you're Midwest kid, you think you gotta go to Hollywood, got to go. And I had money to do that.

So they saved up. money for me to I got to get a bus to, and as far as I can go as Minneapolis. But that's how I ended up there. You're going to go far, kid. But nothing was there.

You just were like, that's as far as I can go. It was in a club that you wanted to do. I just knew I need to be somewhere, and I knew nothing about many. I didn't know. And as a matter of fact, when I met Prince, I just knew he walked in the room and he was like, hey, da-da-da-da.

And everybody changed. You know, the dude six, eight. It was like, hey, Prince, three-four. He was like, hey, what's, up. And then Prince walked in and everybody changed. And I was like, dude must be. And then the funniest thing about why he even came over, because he was buying a

little color TV. And you know the first VCRs. They were like to buy it. He came over to buy that from me for $300. And he had invited me through Morris because the band and I joined Morris Day was the drummer at. Enterprise. So I never played a show with him because he He invited me to First Avenue, so I'm like, you know, I don't know anybody and shit. So I'm like outside the club, and this girl just was just dropped it, Gore just pulled me. I must have looked lost, and she just yanked me in her.

I never forget her, Sandy, so beautiful. She yanked me in the thing, and it's like, you just like, I must look lost. I must look like a tourist or something. And then I go in and I watch Prince shows. It's a dirty mind. He's getting ready to leave for the dirty mind tour. And Morris... So this is 80?

81. Okay. This is the April 81. So he... So I... He invites me to the show through Morris, and I've never met him yet or nothing. And so...

Morris said, he got your ticket. I go down to First Avenue, you know, see the show, and I watch, and I was like, this shit's amazing, da-da-da. And what Morris was done, Morris was a dude at the video, at the soundboard videotape and all the shows. Okay.

And I didn't know at the time that they had this whole thing. thing going where, you know, he had these, he'd made some deal with Morris over the party up song. And so the next day, Prince is coming over to buy this thing. And this is 81, so it's $300. I'm at the Y. So that's like $3 million.

You know? So he comes over and it was the last time I ever song with jeans on. Because he was like, you know, it was the whole kind of punk thing. He had the jeans on, the thing that Quest has on, the Rude Boy button and all that. this exact one yeah exactly oh is that's no seriously that came from the auction dog i gave i gave up i set all that stuff up i gave up like no yes no you don't understand it deed you haven't talked to d right no okay i'll talk to you after the show you got to you don't understand what's getting ready to happen no i got i got to show you something you're going to lose your mind

am i going to lose another house no you this is going to really this i put at least five figures No, I'm going to give you an inside thing so that you'll know what to grab when this, I'm just, I'm gonna take you to something. Yo, get that VCR, man. I want that board. No, this is, I just spent 20, because Jamie Shoup is a very, very dear friend of mine.

And I've always been, she's always been an absolutely dear person to me because she was, you never forget people that were nice and generous and looked out for you when they didn't have to. And you wouldn't, nothing on, you wouldn't anything on the bottom of the shoe. And she was that way to me, taught me. I mean, every time I go

check in at the airport, she's the reason of know how to do that. You know, I went up to the, and when I was telling my cousin, I went up to the gate in L.A. yesterday, and I said, oh, can you, I got in line in the girl. I said, can you just check my boarding

pass to make sure I'm okay? And she said, why wouldn't you be? And I was like, and I'm thinking myself, I can fuck up anything. I've been at the airport, at the gate, and missed the flight because I just, Oh, you such a artist No, I just don't I just don't.

I don't be paying attention to anything Because you ain't have to, that's so, ooh And so I was this, went up to the thing and showed her Now I'm going to tell you how stupid it gets I went up to the thing and show her the thing And she goes, why wouldn't you be? You're fine, why wouldn't you be okay? You know, pretty sister, you know,

She's like, why wouldn't you be okay? And I was like, I didn't say that But I'm thinking, I said because I actually did say because I can mess up anything. And she said, no, baby, you're good, you're good, you're good. But when I went, sat down, I didn't tell you about that. I couldn't find my boarding pass. I was like, the cold had it inside pocket, and I had put it in there and thought I'm, I'm like asking, have you seen a board?

That's how, I'm telling you. You're a little. No, I'm a gym and I'm going through. Oh, I'm an aquarium. Come on, man. I'm just saying, I'm just like a mirror right now. I'm a Jew. I can just, you still be thinking, you'll be thinking about, I don't know what.

I've been thinking of all. But I already knew early in life I made a point that I would be good at a whole bunch of stuff, but I knew I would be great at one thing. So this would And this life has a lot of you, the time that you don't have to know these things. This is great. For the most part, thank God. I have a lot. I mean, what I've accomplished, I never, it has never been a part of my dreams. I just wanted to be around the corner playing guitar at some pub or something. So what have accomplished? You have no idea. Yeah, I was going to say one. Have no idea. Were there any other? Were there any other? Were there any other? black people

in your Midwest before you got to Minnesota No That had the same No No because that was the whole thing That's why I ended up Playing at that biker bar

With the white cats Because all the brothers That I knew That were the top cats They had jobs because they wanted to have They had Lincoln's And they were like And they would give me

Whenever they came And pick me up for the gig They'd be Go get a job Get you a car And I was like You know That wasn't my thing

And I wanted to play With your amp and your ex? No, no. I would be a worse thing where I get a taxi. No, they would pick me up, but they would gripe about picking me up. But the thing was it, they worked it. I mean, that it made more money. And they worked straight. So the music thing was kind of a hobby.

Where to me, I wanted it to be six nights a week. And then, you know, at the time, unfortunately, at that time, it was like, Whitecast was the ones. It was like, they were working. Yo, not for nothing. Five, six, seven nights a week. week and I'm like I gotta go mess with these these brothers wanted to have Lincoln's and none of the white cats

still had Lincoln's a Cadillacs big shit they just loves like me hey we're making 10 in 81 I think I had a $10,000 year you couldn't tell me I wasn't rich Your journey it sounds kind of like we had Michael McDonnell here too who is also from St. Louis and it's interesting because you mentioned the Doobie brothers in Iowa so I was like damn y'all had parallel journeys going on and then y'all

Did y'all ever cross paths in that stage? No, he had just, I think taking it to the streets was as if his first Doobies record, right? Yeah, because the other cat who really founded the Dubies with that Tom Johnson, he quit because he didn't like where it was gone with the Michael McDonald's stuff. So, no, I never, I never met him. Because I like the other Doobie, you know, the Doobie brothers, the Old Blackwater and all that shit. And that, I don't know. Booling, whatever that was. That's as much as I'm a play, so you want to.

no clearance Thank you So you mentioned that you were in I gotta just say this to you I was When I went When Prince came over This is how

This is how our relationship was founded For this is why we This is why I live with them And we were the cool up until I left Because He came over to pick up that thing And he sat down And everybody changed and stuff

All of the hardest brothers Why you big? You know We stole that from another base pair named Jeff McGrady, but he was the one And you big streets of San Francisco Nose have it, you know, that's what we got all that Why are you?

Well, even he changed when Prince walked in. Everybody, hey, Prince, and what's going on? And so he came and sat out. He sat on. Yeah, black leather jacket on. It was like I said, last time, first and only time I ever seen him with jeans on. After that, he's been decked there since.

He never had ever been decked there since. But he, I sat across from him, probably where that is and I said hey man I saw your show no he said I said hey I'm Jesse and he said I'm Prince and I was like whoa man because I can't even do it as monotone you would never think

he could sing his ass off because he spoke it was one note hey how you're doing I can't even do it yeah you're doing it was just so low he had no inflection in yes and I just freaked out and I said man I thought you was gonna go hi man he was Prince and he just kind of started laughing

a little bit and Morris is standing more the only person that really remembers is Morris is standing is standing right here Morris Day that's who I know I don't I don't know who Prince is or nothing about him or anything so I just knew he must have been somebody he must have been like I saw the show tonight before but I still didn't know anything about because you know how segregated the rock and roll so none of his hits none of his radio I don't yeah none of black but rock island has no black radio okay zero Zilch, that's why I knew the dubies and Zeppelin and everything else like that because there's no black radio. So when he hit, you know, it was right towards a disco.

So I was fortunate enough to miss that whole disco era because I was in rock and roll thing. So he, I said, yeah, man, I saw your show. I said, things invited me to his show. I showed you. It was really cool, man. I really dug it. So you really dig Hendricks, huh? And I never watched him.

And I stood up. I was like, you love. I swear to it. I said, you lie, motherfuck of my fucking, you did every move. And Morris is standing behind him going, ex-name. And Prince looked at me, and he fell on the floor crying. He fell on the floor, just laughing his ass off. And that was like how our relationship was.

We was never know, you know, that's why when you would see me out in L.A. during that whole, you would always see both of us together all the time. Because I didn't have that. Oh, man. You know, because we'd walk in the club and chicks would be all on them and shit. And I just go hang over here for a minute until he used to cool. And then we just hang out. And he's like, man, you know, when I walk in the club with poop, other people I won't say that.

And he said, they wouldn't come near me the rest of the night. I said, motherfucker, you're prince. I ain't nobody. You know, I was never tripping like that because I don't know after the 1999 tour being so broke. But I never equated his wealth or. shit with what I should be making because I knew that I'm broke

I'm in the time I got gold platinum I'm broke as a mom like I didn't pay attention I'm so broke but I knew that that was his shit you dig what I'm saying

like a lot of people don't realize that like somebody just I saw somebody on Twitter and I couldn't bring myself to just break the heart but they said oh man I don't know what the question was

because I don't really know how that shit works but I just see that reply and he said oh my favorite without a doubt 7 7 you know jelly bean on drums,

Jerry on bass Jesse on and I just go like I can't do it and it's like dude that's all prints I hate to tell you and David Garbolly

on the program that shit in for but you know you just I can't run nobody's dreams I'm gonna be thinking that but that's what I mean

it was all his stuff so but I knew that I knew within myself I had talent because I'm horrible when it comes to learning songs off of records and shit

like when I met you for the first time with Dee's thing in 2012. I was like, and I was telling Dee, dude, never played any music before, did I didn't have a hand in, you know, creating. Creating and. This is crazy. And plus, you know, D

the biggest thing, well, for you, it probably is normal, but that is, D's timing. And he would tell me the hours that you and him, that you and Pino would argue him and go, that ain't the one. And he, and y'all, he was telling me, he said a mirror, and Pino would be

like, that ain't the one. That ain't the one. But you know how he's one. Now his one is now a two or a three or something. His one's like a pickup. Yes. If you ain't, if you, like if you playing lady or something and you daydream for half a second,

you got to stop. And because his whole, that's what's beautiful about his music though, because it's like the same thing with Prince. Like a lot of people always see him trying to figure out what Prince did on the keyboards. And what Jay don't know is he, you ain't never figured that shit because he took so overheim. a pedal board

until anything and he just wants something that he never it's crazy it was no rules to how he did anything you know he he had a little bit of theory behind him but it was all guttural it was all instinct

it was just like you know and that we related really and intellectually we related to a great deal stuff because the dude was like so small You know, IQ-wise, he was really, really smart dude. But I learned records how to make records. I had never been in a studio until I met him.

So I learned how to make a record, like how Chris Moon taught him. That's how I learned, yeah. Were you there at the infamous Perkins restaurant dinner? I hate to break it to you, my man. It wasn't Perkins. I'm going to take you back. Sam Bowes. Y'all don't remember Sam Bowes.

That's a real name of a restaurant. Get in there and get you a Sambo's burger. No, that's not. No, no. Am I? Yes. It was called. We had Minneapolis had the last standing Sambo's on Lake Street.

That shit wasn't no Perkins. That was it. Samboz on Lake Street. And I remember Morris and I rode motorcycles and shit together. So Morris was going to the meeting with, because the way the time actually came together was nothing like all this stuff to people make up and say. It wasn't anything like that. The time was Morris Day and I. If you see the acetate, which I own today, it says the nerve.

Oh, I remember that. And it's just Morris and I. And what we were, we were going to be the Black Hall and Oates. So it's the album that y'all know. We'd get it up, cool, all of that, but it was just Morris and I. It's going to be called the nerve. It was the nerve. Damn.

And so when Prince went to use the name, but it was owned by some people. But dig this, though. Catch this, though. The time was owned forever until 19. He didn't buy the name until 97. He leased the name. It was owned by two white cats in North Carolina somewhere. They owned it all those years.

And he was just leasing it. Really? Yeah. And then he bought the rights. When I knew the rights was up, I was on the phone with Terry. That's why I remember. I had just moved to Oahuacuki, Arizona from Minneapolis.

And I remember being on the phone with Terry. It was like 90. Something because I just dropped that bare of my neck and soul thing. And I was like, man, just bite it. You know, it's just, and he, and then Prince bought it. Damn. Exactly. But it was like we didn't own it.

But then that all the flight time thing and all that stuff, how people try to tell it didn't come together like that. It was just at the last minute because Prince was on a dirty mind tour. And so Morris, when he left, he had a little afro and jeans. I never saw him look like that again. When he came back, he was a totally different cat. Oh, so he was Afro, not feathered. No, he came back from the Dirty Mind Tour,

and the album that you know was they had that album. Okay. The first album was called The Time, but it was called The Nerve. But when he came back, and Prince would call me, and so this girl that I lived with at the time, um, she,

they would answer the phone. You know, I was standing at her crib. She'd answer the phone and it's a prince of Jesse there. And they would earn her friends a freak. They'd be like, oh my God, it's fucking precious on the phone. And they would go, who? And her friends would go, who is he? And she would always, and this is a true honest, I got story, stack of Bibles.

He would go, what did you come here for us? I'm going to be famous. She would laugh so hard. Oh my God, she'd fall on the floor crying. And that should have been a sign. I didn't pay attention to them. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl.

You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same proliferation. con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck.

I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends.

Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Ego Wode. My next guest, you know from Stepbrothers, Anchorman, Saturday Night Live and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo.

Woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day. And I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you. Which is really sweet.

Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. and he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there.

Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Story sure, but yeah, he would call and say, stay there, stay there, stay in Minneapolis, stay in Minneapolis, stay, don't leave, don't leave, we're going to get your car. What were you going to?

I was just going to, I was just going to, I was just in that fucking starving to death of Minneapolis because we would play a weekend, Ms. Suan talk about this, so we'd play a weekend and make $35. You remember them days, you make, you're in heaven. It was like we would go to White and White Castle was like in, like L.A. like there was a time in L.A. that I'd be at the studio and then you see the White Castle here

and you would see a purple pink Bentley so it would be Paris Hilton would be in line it was like that kind of how in an Outburger but White Castle was that back in the day on Lake Street so we after the clubs closed

Prince everybody was in that shit it was like that because it was the joint it was like the joint so we were all you know it was a joint So $35 was like, get some white castle. You think you could take about five and get about 30 white castle.

Yeah, some change. Exactly. So he would call and say, don't leave, stay there. You know, we're going to do this and we're going to do this and we're going to do this. And we're going to, I'm a car. We're going to get your car, which you never did. But in a way, they later on it did. But it didn't have no air in it.

So fuck. What? But I had a great stereo. I think I told that story online about the jungle love song. I would play him songs and he would. and he would laugh, oh my God, he'd go, Morris, you gotta hear this, Anete, and Morris and Jimmy Jam

are the only two people I know when they cry, they tears start, they literally are quiet. And he kept doing that, but most people, you know, and be like, oh, me ain't playing nothing. But I didn't. I just kept playing songs for him until one day, it was after acting class before we started preparing. I said, hey, man, I want to play you something.

So he, I don't want to go listen to it in his car because he got air. It was a summer day. My car had no air. 180 degrees of he go but I had the stereo over everybody I had the bumping shit over it so he said let's

listen to it in your car and I was trying to give him the cassette so he could listen to it later and it was right after acting class and he just caught me and go well cool let's just listen to it now and I'm like oh shit you know I was gonna fucking be laughing at my shit so I was the jungle up right you know

exactly as you know it I've heard the deal yeah I put it on the thing because I get sick of motherfuckers telling me your boy said that in Billboard. Who? Nelson George. So when I met him the first time here

in New York on the island, it was a press release party for my first record and he was, and his name was on a card and I was looking this way and the girl was I wit said, ain't that the guy in Billboard that said this and not. Nelson be possessed.

You know what I said to him? This is honest guy too. I said, yo man, hey, brother, do you really think you're going to sit here on my shit and he made him leave. Wow. Can you just tell me what was said in the article? He said it was really, it was really just to tell if he said I didn't probably didn't

write shit and the prince just probably put my name on it for the blah, blah, blah, blah, and you just don't say that unless you talk to the people because you back in the day he had an article in Billboard and had a little picture of him. Yeah. But I didn't, little blurbs really remember it like, I mean, I remember reading the article, but the girl remembered the face. And I was like just, I was a memory. It was some place here.

And it was like a really popular Chinese place because they had brought squab, which I didn't know was pigeon. Mr. Charles. No, no. It was before that. It was in the 80s. Yeah. Nelson looked like a 21 Jump Street and also a Blues Brothers.

I did, you know. What was the sergeant's name of 21 Drum Street? I can't remember. I was just telling Deanna today. I was like, Deanna, you know me. I was always a never industry cat, but an industry cat. And I said, so I didn't.

Because Prince wasn't even that dude though, right? Like, he wasn't, I mean, that's not for nothing. I'm going to say not that nice, but he wasn't the one to just throw somebody's name on a song that they had nothing to do it. Yeah. Yeah, he did that shit a lot. So he was that nice?

Okay. No, it wasn't a nice thing. It was like it wasn't on there on the publishing shit. Oh, okay. He didn't want it to make it seem like he did everything. But my, I don't even think Jungle Love, said my name on the record, though. It? I think it did.

It did. No, you know, why? No, I'm going to blow you all away. I'm going to blow you. I got a piece of something. Yeah, I ain't never seen. I have, you know, back in the day when you were doing record, they do all the artwork for y'all. You know, you know, you know, Mayor. Then they send you the record and you have to look at the, and look at all the writing. Well, I have that. In the very, the ice cream castle album, I'm produced by Jamie Stark, co-produced by Jesse Johnson. And the same thing with, if you got the first pressing of the she, E record, the first Chile E record

Sure Bay Strike. Exactly. And now then after the... Oh now? It's not there? No, it came out. It came out years ago. It came off years ago because he was Prince was vindictive when you left him and it was real bullshit because I stayed You know, I mean, I was just telling

Ingrid today when I left After finishing Purple Rain and all that thing My check was like $330. I wouldn't make you know. And I got... And I got kids. So you, so as far as dedication and all that. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Hang on.

Yes, $339, bro. Wait, am I sitting in the room with Ingrid Chavez and don't know it? Yes. She gave you offered your cheesecake. You said, no. She touched the cheesecake in little pieces. We sat here.

We talked about three kids. Like, we put the whole chair there so she still like talking. It didn't start with, hi, I'm Ingrid Chavez. You said, Ingrid. And I was like, wait a minute. And I put my glasses on, like. Well, I think that was one of the things that she was so.

to meet you an hour into this interview, not knowing that you've been sitting at the same freaking time. Hello, how are you? Yeah, I can't touch the cheesecake because I've been sugar-free for 36 days. There you go. It came all the way from Minneapolis for you today. That's right. So I have to break it just to, yes. Or I'll eat your piece of cake.

I just want to say I'm Aquarius as well. So you knew what I was saying. We're kind of all over the place sometimes. Are you a February Aquarius? I'm a January. Yes, yes, girl. Wow. 20th?

21st. We're all together. Yes, we're the 20. We're in the 20s. Wait, this is freaking me out because I didn't know that was Inger Chavez. Yes, yes. Hi, English Chavez. That's why I was like, I met her on the set of, uh,

graffiti bridge. I was waiting for this chapter. I would never be there. I would never go. I never went to Paisley. I said I never go there, never go there until I'm paid to be in it. So I got paid for a week at graffiti vision. I barely made it three days and we got into it.

And then I had to leave. Wait, all the shooting was just three days? No, I, yeah, my shooting, yeah. For whatever I'm in the movie was three days because I, it was like all this time went by from Purple Rain to now and I hadn't seen, you know, like Prince would call me up with and play some, he was, I was telling my cousin they had a weird sense of humor. Like he called me up long.

after that's gone, I think my first album was about the drop or what I can't remember, but he called me. He said, I meant you in the song today. And I was like, you know, and he was always like, he could call you and you, and I'm like real. So I got, man, how do you get this number? And he was like, and he ignores, but he ignores that. And he, I mentioned

this song today. And I go, what do you talk about? Raspberry Barrette and Clay, good, Clay hangs up. I was like to listen to the song. and I had moved the opposite of everybody, so I'm in this area called Blaine. It was nothing out there but cows and shit, me. Old Man Johnson's Farm. Exactly.

And then the other one was, I mentioned, I wrote a song about you. And I didn't know it was the time I was living in Paris. And I, we had crisscrossed a lot. And I was like, I can't remember what you, 89 maybe that was it? I wrote a song about you. Send me this tape, Bob George.

I'm like, motherfucker at that day. Wait. You know, there's a part of the song. nigger's got a con all that shit that's his sense of humor so I had to call it yeah that's funny

but we would there's things that we would laugh Can you explain the reference of Bob Jo's like How is that about you? How is that cop you or the The dude when he goes Can we just dance or whatever?

I don't know but he did Because his nickname for me For a long period of time Here comes Jesse I'm okay Johnson Because you know That was the time We was just some street dudes

And so whenever we would run into stuff and I would get called a f*** all the time. I'd be at, we'd be in-store signing and then some girl, I'd be like, bitch! What the fuck out of you, you up?

You know, and I would just like, you know, was that 20, 20 year old, you don't, you don't, you know, you're just like, you're fighting, you don't care because I come from me, St. Louis, where girls, fucking right. Girls kick your ass. It ain't like, it ain't like how it is. I grew up going to school

This girl, you like me, don't you? This girl used to sit behind me, Betty, and she was, you're my boyfriend. And she was a twin. That too. She was a twin, and her brother, just to describe him, they looked just alike. His nickname was Big Face.

So I wasn't trying to fuck wait. So I used to be terrified at this girl, but I'd seen girls just beat, no. So. You was ready to battle. But we'd be in an end store, you know, at a full inst.

and then I'd sign something. I didn't act funny or nothing, but I signed something and this girl would be like, you fucking. And I just would immediately, I just, bet you what the fuck?

Who you think you, you were, I beat you in that nigga you went. And I, it would happen in hotels. And I, you know, because we would come back from the show

and go up to our room and get changed and shit and come down in the lobby. And for like the, the 1999 tour, I could never meet anybody. You know what'd be on my arm? What?

Vanity. And we were like best friends. So she'd come down, on my arm like because she was She's a perfect wingman No she's a perfect complete killer blocker Right Because ain't nobody trying to battle with her

Yeah, any girls would come up to me And go You can have oh yeah She wasn't You know we were like brother and sister We were our relationship To the day she died She was we were super tight

Just like me and Jamie And I'm tight And and she would But the whole She had been all over the world And seen in places we had never been So when she came on tour and was seeing this stuff for the first time, she was like completely really enthusiastic and excited about it

because she'd been modeling and been all over the place, but she had never experienced Adelaation like that before. And so when we'd go in the lobby, we'd go up and get changed, and then we'd get rid of, I try to sneak by it in Doors. Jesse, I'll go with you. Never going to get late. And she'd be on your arm literally. girls and then she would point you know how y'all do women y'all see y'all see stuff we don't see

you're like oh she's fine and look at her nails look at it like you don't even see you don't even care you're like that jessie i'm trying to help you that's what she she would say stuff like she's not even pretty territorial pissy and it's like what are you do you know and so that and i could never say to her no you know because she was like we guarded them you know her susan we were like I was like their big brother because susan to this day she didn't need it it If you talk to Susan Moussi, she'll tell you how often her and Prince were together. And I was always with them. And she said, she remembers me looking at my watch.

Where do you got to go? Oh, my fucking home. You know, because Minneapolis, you know, it's like 90 below. There's this much snow. So when you would go way out to Chan Hassan where Prince lived, you'd pack a suitcase because you wouldn't try. I had never lived in a city with freeways before. So Rock Island is that little. It's that small.

So when I came to Minneapolis, like driving, it was like, you would see where you needed to be and you couldn't get to it. And I would just, I'm telling you, honest to God, I was like scared shitless. It was like so big and intimidating for years to me.

And now you live in L.A. I can imagine. Yeah, but now I got GPS. That shit that talks to you. Because I'd be daydreaming. You know, and that's where I listen to music in my car. And I'm, because I was telling Ingrid earlier, I've been all over the world with no.

Cell phone. Anchorage. How are you doing? Or a pager. You know, we used to charge. Now people can't even, oh, my phone battery's dying. You got to charge it.

You know, I start pan. Where I'm like, my cousin slash manager is always mad at me because I'm always turning on my shit on. I was going to say, we went to Minneapolis for the Super Bowl. And it's like, thank God for GPS because I was trying to figure out,

I mean, even me driving. all point you know i did the whole tour of minneapolis and all that stuff like even with gps and security like i still felt like i'd just try to imagine what was it to drive 40 years ago 30 years ago and and if you're people and if you're you know he always seems like he's in thought always thinking about music or something music related and if you're people watcher too and Minneapolis is a really beautiful city. It's like it's so clean.

You go, oh, my God. And it's even, most cities, like, go see the sky or whatever. But so when I, yeah, it's, I'll kill somebody if I don't have GPS to just say, dude, turn right here. And I don't know if y'all know ways, but ways less you put your own voice in it. Yeah. Does you know that? You must have to pay that feature. No, no, they added that.

So I'd go in there and I'll mind it. Fool, what are you? I purposely It's so excellent people Riding with me They're your motherfucker You just missed Did you turn this

Provody me motherfucker? I got all that My daughter The 14 year old she is in the car Dying Because it's like Dude really I told you

I put all my own shit in there But no Going back to When I We were doing Graffiti Bridge And I met Ingrid the first time I remember

Talking because she has this heaviness to her. Even back then as a young lady, she just had this heaviness to her. Her mind always looked like she was in thought. Like she was some, I always took it like she really, remember I always told you that my cousin.

I was like, she always felt like she wasn't in to none of it. I thought I was bad because I was just out there going, shit over with. Yeah, but it was all that time passed and it was the same kind of thing was happening. And so, if that easily bored you,

then how bad would the rehearsed? because I know that, like, you guys were one of the tightest musical here. I came up like that whole, a lot of, all that stuff, because I grew up with the James Brown thing and all that. So all of that, when I was doing all that horn stuff, and all we got, all of that stuff, all of the horn parts, I was coming up with a lot of those arrangements and a lot of the steps. Because I played guitar.

And so when somebody else would try to come up to sound, I'm like, yeah, I'm not doing that shit, because I can't sing and play and do all that dumb shit at the same time. So when you're playing and somebody, oh, I get the step, it's like, yeah, but you're not playing nothing. So I'm not even paying attention to that. So I would come up with a lot of choreography because I knew that it would be simple. Like if we were just doing this or something, a simple move like that, but if you got three cats doing it tight, it looks really cool.

And if the whole stage is going on, I knew that. So I would come up with a lot of the choreography. And like when we would do the chili sauce across the stage, came with all that shit. And so we do it around so that you could play. And then you work so hard on it at rehearsal because you would want it to be where you didn't think about nothing. Because to sing and play at the same time an instrument,

there's a middle brain you got to find. So when people go, how do you do that? As you know, Amir, you can't think about one or the other. He don't be dancing. He'd be playing drums. And I make them dancing. He'd be playing drums and singing and he'd be talking at the same time. And so, but he text, tweet,

you eat a sandwich, man, I saw him at a session murdering and he was eating something. And I'm like, and he kept going, he was, and he scats and he sings, you're right, all right. Then he was doing, then he would switch off. Credit. And I was like, that's a bad dude.

But he knows that it's a middle brain. If you think about one or the other, you're going to mess up. So it's a place that you go. When I think like left, right, left, right, I mess up. Yeah, it's like you go to a place that doesn't exist.

It's just like an inner blank space and you can almost see yourself in front of you doing what you. But if you think about singing or if you think about playing, you're going to mess. Quincy Jones calls it the alpha state.

Yeah, that's it. Where you just don't think about it. You don't think about it. Oh, so we're going to get in a whole graffiti bridge chapter? Well, yeah, we got a lot of. No, but Ingrid, Ingrid, that's when I met Ingrid on the side.

And I forget who introduced me to her, but I just asked her today, did she ever live in Minneapolis? Because I didn't think she was from Minneapolis or even lived there. She said she lived at 12 years, but I would have never thought that. But her baby was like, he wasn't that old.

He was like, what, eight months? Or was he older than that? He's older than that, yeah. But I knew she had, and I just adore kids. So my kids were kids then at the point in time too. I think her son and my daughter, Isabella is around the same age. I was talking about that, but she was talking to me, and she was really super nice.

But I'm standing next to her, and I'm facing her, but she rarely ever did that. She would occasionally do it, but she would talk and have a full tilt conversation with you. But she wasn't, she was really nice, but I was like, oh, okay, maybe I'm bucking her. And we're talking about stuff. And then eventually I walked away. I'm on stage shooting now, a scene. And then I watch Prince walk over to her. He's talking to her, and she does the same thing.

She's like, yeah, uh-huh. Yeah, yeah, okay. So tell the people, what were you thinking, Ingrid, what was going? Well, let's see. I had met Prince a few years earlier, so I had made this record with him that hadn't been released. And so this is a few years later. And so when I got back into this scene, I was kind of over it already. I knew I was right.

Yeah, it was kind of right. I knew I was right. She was like, whatever. She was like, whatever. bit of a, you know, like, okay, I'm going to do this movie, but, you know. I ain't fucking want him for real about it. She's like, y'all just don't know. Well, since you hear it, y'all don't know.

She really, you saw it all over her. Have I not told you that? I told my cousin, man, I was like going, she, she wasn't impressed by nothing, not, nothing any of us was doing. Can I ask, can I ask a side question? This is a side detour, but I think Bill and I, at least, would like to know. What was said to him? Oh

What did you say to him That made him Cancel the black album I didn't say anything to him I think he was looking for a sign You were his sign Yeah Okay

You know so it wasn't a conversation It was because he didn't talk to me about it I had no idea about this black album Or anything that was going on in his head that night He was just had this he had these questions in his heart and his mind I think and the night that I met him he felt like there was

a sign and yeah the sign was don't put out that shit to send the only good rappers a dead rapper do what you normally do put that shit on the time album let us beef with motherfuckers let the time let me and Morris and Terry beef with motherfuckers we didn't have shit to do it it's like when that shit said we don't like me

wave ain't none of I don't that ain't on there, that's all Prince voice that I know, but that shit was aided Andre, we don't like new wave, and that shit ain't got nothing. No, I gotta go box. He's so petty. But I gotta go box with motherfuckers now,

and I ain't got nothing to do with that shit on that record. Andre, in the revolution? No, not at this point. He had just left, right? No, he had left the way. Yo, I never put two to together. Me neither. But that, I heard that when you heard it. Okay? The record came about it.

In my mind, I don't like New Wave. Ah, I ain't on none of that. Damn, he was being petty. I'm not getting shot over some shit. I didn't have. Yeah, I'm surprised because Andreine Simone had an album out around the same time called Living in the New Wave. Right.

That was his whole, that was his whole thing. His whole thing was New Wave. In my mind, I'm thinking like, well, is he talking about the talking heads? Right, right, right. I'm thinking like the actual legit new wave. And but legit, that was a whole thing about legit New Wave band. They didn't call themselves that. Yeah.

dig what I'm saying. It was just, press was calming them now. But so you never said that. He was, he was bucking a shot at Andre. Was he ever nice to anybody who left? He was,

he was, I don't know, asked angry. Was he ever nice to anybody who left? I think that when I left, my record got dropped. I mean, just like,

there was, he was vindictive on that shit. And then John, when I played there, December, when was that, December 17, 2017,

John, what's his name? John, you know, the John, Brim, yeah, John Brin goes, well, you know, he was always fiercely, he was like, he was always fiercely competitive.

I'm like, that shit ain't fiercely competitive. That's some bullshit. He did a lot of, when I left, he did a lot of stuff that people just don't know. Like the whole shockadelica thing. I think it's whole, we were, oh my God,

we used to ride around L.A. with the, remember the garbage can back Seville? The Cadillac's, the Cadill with the Garbage Cam. Prince of Room. We'd had the biggest hats on could barely fit in the car. It was like something from I'm going to get you sucker. We'd be leaning.

He was leaning this way. I'd be leaning. And there's a ride going on was our Bible. Was our Bible. It was like day in, day out. That's all you listen to. And so when I got the opportunity, which didn't have anything to do with me, John McLean put the whole thing together.

Because John McLean, I was always recorded in Minneapolis, so I wouldn't be in L.A. because I didn't want record people coming over, let me hear that. And there's this thing I never, I didn't have budgets when I recorded. I recorded on what is called a fun because when I signed with the label,

I knew enough by then because I was broke enough and had got, you know, whatever, initiated, let's just say that that I knew how to do, yes, exactly, how to at least construct a deal. And so when I did,

I signed as a production company and that is Jesse Johnson. So that's why. I could go, if you look at that period, I'm on all kinds of stuff doing everything everywhere. But when I, so John was my A&R guy, John McLean was my A&R guy, and he signed me. So the only artist I think I'd sign at that point in time, but he would fly in when I say I'm done. You know, I'm mixed. I'm done. And so he would say, he said, I mean, okay, man, this is you got a nice record and I'll play me shit you don't like. And one of the songs I, crazy, was in the songs I didn't like.

Why do you specifically ask you for what you don't like? Because he knew that I would, because the way he set it up for me to record, because I was recording on a fun and not on POs, nobody knows what I'm recording. So when you're going to record an eight-song album, he knows I'm going to record 20 songs. A billion songs, right. And so he would go, okay, yeah, I play them song.

You got a nice record here, now play me the shit you don't like. And one of the songs I played, and was crazy. And he's like, oh, man. That's the hit. That he said, I'm going to take that to L.A. I'm going to put Sly on there. And I couldn't picture it.

I couldn't. I was like, what? Yeah, man, man. And he was like, and I couldn't picture it. I couldn't picture it. And he was like, so he did that whole thing had nothing to do with me. I didn't see Sly until I went to L.A.

to do the video for crazy. And that's when we- Slive recorded his parts away from you. A guy named Billy Valentine, got all the vocals and everything on Slai. in L.A. He did all of that. And Sly, I guess when he's, you know,

Sly was the pioneer of that slowing the tape down and singing, if you want me this day. That's where that sound comes from. And so I get upset when, if I do it now, people, oh, it was like Prince. Get the fuck out of here. It's like, Sly was the inventor of so much of that shit. And so, uh,

that prince, he, he took that really in a weird way. And it was a, And this last thing, I had a celebration in Minneapolis, and some psychic lady said, you know, Prince loves you. Or something sent the message saying that or whatever. They had a psychic reader at... Or somebody said some.

I get that a lot. But he called me when we were in, when I was saying some stuff that something was not right. And I was in a... I was in for 11 days' rehearsal with D. in New Zealand. And then we went to the Gold Coast, Byron Bay, to the festival. And when I was there,

we got there a day off. And then we played. And the first day we played, when I came back to the room, because I don't take any of my, I don't take phones or anything with me. I leave everything at the hotel. I don't take anything because mom fuckers would be stealing. So I leave everything at the hotel and completely disconnected and kind of want to need that anyway.

But when I got back, there was a girl that I can't say her name. an unusual name, but she worked for him. So she's like, oh, Prince wanted to talk to you, has something for me. And I haven't talked to Prince in a thousand years. So he's like, he wanted to, he has something for you,

and he wanted to tell you. And he's like, you know, you need to do you. You need to you know, this is her message, and you know, Google transcribes the message. And the only person I ever played the message for was D. And he said, you know, you need to do, Jesse, these other people you're dealing with

they want to be you, they want to be me, or they want to be Morris and they, you know, he said all this stuff like they're beneath you and you know, I don't know who he was really talking about and I only person I ever played it for was Dee and he was like, who you think he's on? I don't know. I know, but I don't know. Anyway, but then, you know, by he knows, Prince, you know, you call the number and it's like a burner, you know, it's like doesn't exist

now. number back but this number is self-destructed exactly and so that was the last thing I had interaction with him and that was God was that 17 16 16

yeah 2016 we were like because Karina was there too you know you can know Karina she's in a documentary so she was there too but yeah the only person I played that show before was Dee but we should say that D is DeAngelo for all the listeners because I don't know they might not know I'm sorry. Yes.

Wait, okay, this is the most jumping ahead of time. Yeah, we got to go back a little bit. Yeah, we got to go back a lot of it

because I want to hear at least, okay, so when you at least developed the first record? He, well, the slide thing really messed him up

because the thing about it with Prince, I learned a lot, almost everything I learned about when I got under time. Like he, I wasn't afraid to do anything. Like you,

you know, we would, like people, they were just trying to look like girls, but we were, who we was trying to really look like. was little Richard.

Because, you know, if you look at the photos Little Richard, he was pretty as well. Right. And so, you know, in principle, you got to do this and you, you know, put the, because I never wore makeup or had foundation on or high. But he was like, whatever, you know, he just, like, knew that I was, like, fearless as well.

And then when you're fearless like that, it helps that you have somebody alongside with you that thinks, like, mind it. That ain't, just like ain't no tripping. They don't trip about the shit, you know? And people's like, man, I think that guy's gay. And I'd be like, You better hope you gay like he gay then.

Only maybe a proctologist might see more crack than it. Whatever. What the fuck. Whatever. Fuck out of here with that bullshit. But they would always say that about me. But see, but James Brown told me when they start calling you a fuck,

yeah, that's when you know you made it. You know, because when that comes from the, oh, man, they were, you remember as a kid. It was like James and Bobby Burr's getting married and all kind of crazy. Okay. Okay, okay.

And so... Yeah, when the signs of me get first you get, then you start getting sued a lot by people you grew up with. Yeah. Or your sister, like in my case, was like, threatened to cause you and wants money, or she's putting it out a story of your life. Wow.

Wow, really? Yeah. I just remember I told you all the day, I said, I saw the episode of Say Yes to the dress. I just told them. Oh, yes. Then I just said that in the dress room. But yeah, no, but...

Shout out to doing T. Love you. But going back to the black album, I just, that one song would have caused a lot of problems in L.A. that only good rapper is a dead. No, that's a song that's dead on it. Only good rapper is a dead rapper.

And I was like, that shit is going to end up on a time record. Now we beefing and getting shot at. It ain't got shit to do with that song, man. But, you know, that was long gone after that. But I'm just saying, dude was vindictive when you left. you didn't do anything wrong.

I went and made it on my own merits. I wrote every song I ever did. Every song was mine because if I would have even attempted to steal something that, he didn't, you know, he didn't play that. He would sue the pants off you because he had the bread to do that. So I never went into anything like that with him. And I had just never signed releases or something. So when I left, lawyers were telling me, man, he owes you millions of dollars

and you can go. And I never did any got. He's got your freedom. So you got your publishing for Jungle Love? Huh? You got your publishing for Jungle. up, right? No. I mean, I did, but I, there's prices that myself and Morris had to pay if we were leaving. But I was never on a contract, but we still, there was prices you had to pay. Oh, so if you left, then you'd have to give up some things. So, whatever. Okay, I got to ask, where is that the board? Because I know that you purchased. Oh, yeah, I bought it. But it was really fucked up because I'm, I just left. I'm on my own. He knows how poor I am. And he's doing dress rehearsals. just give it to you?

Fuck, no, it's just like, this motherfuckers. And I, he's doing dress rehearsals at, uh, uh, the St. Paul Center or something like that. Yeah, the St. Paul Civic Center. And I go over there and I got a check for, I think 18,000. You know, that's like $9 million to me. So. But that's nothing to him. I would just give you the board.

No, but he was real hardcore funny about it messed up because the only person standing in a room when it went down was out on Leach. But I walk in the room and I said, you know, I want to get that board. It was a Soundcraft B3. board we did a lot of shit on it 1999 vanity the time we did a lot of great stuff on that all the purple rain was done on that board yeah

so we I go I give them a check for that which was like killing me because that because my fun my album my first album fund was 125 and they pay it to you in thirds you know you get a third when you start third when you mix and the other remaining third when you hand the show them but people think that's a lot of money but they don't realize

it's working capital it's not It's like you get maybe get to get 20 out of that if you're lucky, if you're lucky. But I was really good because all the control is in your hands to, you know, to make sure you come and, you know, you do right with the money. And so I go over to buy it. And I had bought a board, but it was garbage. It was a Soundcraft 1600. And when I started recording, it was like, oh.

And I had already lied my way into the record. You know, the record deal, they say, you don't know about this. you produce records oh yeah of course man I know what I'm doing ain't that a clue what I'm doing so I'm doing so that was at least half of half of it

no actually Susan then Susan didn't come with me until I did the the love struck song that's what that's what Susan I'm talking about Can I ask a question real quick when did the Janet Jackson tracks come in? Is this before you got signed or after? That's after but I was before my record ever came out

because that was a John McLean project too so I bought that board I had to take the other board back It was garbage I didn't know what I paid for 9000 or something I took that shit back

And I was like I was panicking I had to make something happen So I knew Prince was selling that board And I called him And he was like yeah yeah And I didn't even say nothing Like man why don't you just give Much motherfucking billion

I didn't get into that I just okay where do I need that I went over to the same I said and Alan Leeds was in the room And I said you know You should be the nicest people anybody you ever met and he goes why do you say that and I say because everything you've ever dreamed of is happening for you in the way that you dreamt of it happening meaning in a crossover right right

crossover that's why when the time plays seven seven and stuff live white people be like oh what the fuck is that and then the black people in the audience be like yeah because they knew all the time shit before that but if you ever see the audience the white kids only the white folks only know the shit from the purple rain they think that's the only time record that's and so I got to see that in 2008 when I performed that run in Vegas with them. And it's like, you hit 7-7 and the walk and all that shit. They, fuck it's on. And it's weird how now people don't, they don't like something.

And then, you know, we like something. We go, man, it's kind of cool. Let me go see these other records. And then we might end up there's times. We go, damn, that shit. Oh, man, those records weren't right yet, you know. But we'll go back and find out everything. Right, right.

And so when I bought the board, he said, I said, yeah, you should be the nicest person anybody ever meet. And I'm meaning it's because I love Prince. Even to the day they died, we were the best of friends. We had a major love for one. And I live with him. I live with him. I lived with him all the way.

And when we finished Purple Rain, I was living at that house. And then when he went to L.A., he was cold-blooded. He went to L.A. And on the rap night, I said, Prince, can I stay at your house and use the studio? He said, yeah. But when I went there, I said, can. I just used the studio because I knew he was going to L.A. to, you know, rap the film and do whatever. I went there. He took all that. Oh, boy. It was gone. It was just the tape machine and the board and the speakers.

So I had to like go rent some shit. Rit reverb and all it. And that's where Susan. I met Susan. And you've seen Susan say how if it wasn't for Jesse. I wouldn't got the gig because I'm the one that came in. I knew everything. But you could never say that around Prince. I remember at Sunset Town. He plugged in. harmonizer and I said, what does that do? Don't worry about what that is just like. And that's all you, I knew right then and there.

Okay, he ain't supposed to, you ain't supposed to know no shit. But I always had big eyes and ears open and stuff. So when she came in, she came from Crosby Stills and Nash. So she never was around, no thumping, bumping. And I said, look, this is the drum machine. He uses, this is how he likes his kick acute. This is what he uses on the bass. And I showed her all that stuff.

And so when he came in for the first time and finally called her, she knew all this shit. So all the outboard gear that he would have in his drum machines to... He took all that shit to L.A. He took it all with him. He didn't tell... He said, oh, yeah, sure.

When I asked him, I was actually shocked. It was at the rap part. I was like, ah, because I had been staying there. But for some reason, it's weird as hell. Jamie, she was asking me, you know, like the top of the year, she said, all that time you spend that prince's house, why did you just sleep in the living room on the couch?

And I said, this bedrooms. He had other bedrooms in there. and his bedroom was on the lower level. And then after 1999, Jamie had remodeled, had the whole house remodeling at the Westlake speakers. But I ended up,

and she said, why didn't she, she financed me? Why would you ever sleep in them other bedrooms? I said, because that best friend had them flowers and shit on it and ruffles. That shit freaked me out, man.

But let me tell how futuristic this cat was. Because I didn't know any of this stuff, but he would take me in the bedroom, like, oh, and if you've seen Twitter, and I said, yeah, Prince had a, I said, P had a stack of rejection letters because the one that Owen published is one of them, but he had a bunch of them

because he showed them to me. The only reason why I know, because he showed them to me, but how ahead of himself he was. You know, in one of the bedrooms, he opened up the door to the closet to show me, and he had every outfit from the, what was the first album call? For you.

He had all of the, whatever he had on there. leather jacket, the bell bottoms, the shoes, he had everything. He kept everything. He had to get, he just had that foresight or something, and he was showing it to me, but I didn't know what the stuff was.

I was, some big-ass platform shoes. What am I supposed to? Right. But he had everything from every album up until, you know, this is like after 1999 tour. But he was showing me just like, and that's where he had the whole stack of rejection letters, and he was like, look what this guy said.

Look what this guy. Look at the, and they were at all, I was like, I don't hear nothing. He keeps your receipts. Yeah. But it, but it to me was showing you how you, you had a belief in yourself. You ain't really. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw,

unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford

and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man.

A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves.

Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? I'm Ago Wodam. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever.

I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up-and-coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar. of, you know, the cat just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right. It wouldn't be that.

There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Well, wait, I still didn't get the question answer. Where is the board now? John McLean. I, I, Jesus. After I used it, it's upstairs in Marvin's Women. John had it. So Marvin's Board and Prince's Board, is it? In that same upstairs. Up in the, where Marva's bedroom is, yes.

It's upstairs. And if you walk in, if you walk upstairs and you see the bed, you know, how he has that that's a secret door that opens. Not even that. Like John McLean. Yeah, but I didn't, what did I buy? I bought the T.S, the giant one, 56 input and all that automation because I had the two machines and stuff by then, so I'd outgrew it.

But, but my, it was nicer after I bought it because I had API. Okay. Five, 50Bs. installed, had a roll of like six of them, installed in it. So it was a great console, though. It smacked. It had a vibe to it. It really did.

And that's why when he, I was just keeping it, and then he said, oh, I'll buy that. And then he bought it for what I paid for way back then. But he had Soundcraft come out and recap everything, refresh everything. So it's like, man, it's just sitting there. But it's all connected and everything, but it's just sitting there. And it's the 550B that we come.

cut all that stuff and I'm just like really not a you're not sentimental no okay I got to ask you how did you manage to escape the dressing room from the food fight it was that handcuffed like what they everyone everyone's account of the food fight in in Cincinnati was that on the 1999 tour on the 1999 tour was that your your anger but I was that you're your anger but I prompted you to take that entire coat rack down it wasn't because if you if I was really angry like that I got a steel pipe in my head

I would have been I'd been on death row right now so I obviously wasn't it's just like you know you but I it scared me that day because Prince when I took that thing down everybody in that room

his band members everybody fled like roaches you cut the lights up I was like you got it could see, because there's somebody was shooting pictures, and you can see just the, somebody has pictures of this? And I was, yeah, and I was running behind Prince and like,

say if you open the door, you know, most, it was a, it was a big, big ass arena place. So they have fire doors. So when he opened the door, Bobby Z or somebody ran through the door before Prince, and so the door was closing, but Prince was busy doing this, and then he hit the edge of that door.

And I kind of stopped because I thought he hadn't heard him. He hit that shit hard, but he like, blam, and then rolled around the door. And I'm like, I'd have been dead if I hit the door like that. But no, I wasn't bad like that. But it was a funny, though. I just got the concert. So I have them taking you. From the stage.

But what you didn't see is he was running. You know, I'll see how giant the stage is. The stage is like 10, 20 feet. He was running so hard. And then Roger Troutman's, uh, drums big ass drum set zaps i think so zaps still on tour with you guys

yes so zapped the time and prince yes it was before the vanity it was before the night so it's the controversy tour right but it that drum set is sitting there giant immaculate he was running and he couldn't stop and he knocked that whole set like 20 feet this is on stage

you guys are on for we got what is the audience saying I got him good because he to do less work. And he got that, I'll, whatever he used to say, I'll do you, whatever the words I put that.

I'll do you in the, and then he would always pull out this pair underwear and do this like, pull out a pair of draws and be like, man, I went on a special hunt. I got a pair of draws that you, you know, you can put them on a car like a bra.

And I put that and I paid the production manager I put that shit in his because when he would come off he would change and put on the same kind of the same exact jacket put that shit in the pocket and he goes

I did you in and he's like and you got to see it it might even be on the tape to hit but you see him and he go and it's like a magician pulling that scarf and he's like and he does this and he looks at the production matter

because the production dude was from here Right. And he looks at him and he's like, oh, he was so, see, he could do this shit, but he couldn't take this shit back. He was like, and I didn't think he'd be that hot about that, you know, but he pulled that shit on these big ass straws and he was, but the fact that you have to see him go, I put you in. What did you ask? I said, what the thing? And then he had to nerve a dude like, and he was hot. And I was on the side of the stage.

And so that was the day before the food fight. Okay. And so the food fight was the actual, because that day that I did that wasn't the end. It was the day before. So that's how it kind of started. And so after the thing with me, when they got me, you saw the door kind of swamower. You saw the time members with juice bags on their head and it took green garbage bags, put holes in them and had them all like suits them. And all you saw them out there just.

hot and ready to kill until Morris we caught Matt Fink and you know they were so angry that they were this close to him and could hit him. It was just off completely. It was just off. I mean I'm like, because Terry's like he's just so close to him.

And then the egg breaks in his hand because he's gone. The musician soon be sports people. Listen, listen. He's picking the egg off the motherfucker. I mean, just like revenge time. And the only person that wasn't in the food fight,

they ran up on him, but he was never part of it. I never said more than, hey, what's up to him than all the years around it was Desdickerson. Oh, Desdickson? It was Desdickson. But yeah, we caught Matt Fink somewhere, man, and he was not good.

It wasn't pretty. Yeah, we were, you know, you just don't need a lot for the time to be mad. We ain't paid. And then, you know, we're going back to the hood when the tours, you know, it wasn't a lot. Yo, at the end of the day, where y'all at least scale, like, to other, the other musicians that you would tour with, like, Roger Troutman and his crew. We don't know nothing about no scales and shit. That's something to care.

We just, you know, but no, you, in all honesty, you can't, the reason why you never hear me bitch and moan about it, because it's like you're there by choice. So, you know, you know, buddy, me, you do, dude, no, because what you learned and what an experience couldn't buy with all the money in the world. So when I look at it, and I've always looked at it, like, what if I got paid way more money? But I would have never been in that inner. That's why when a man was sitting here and he was laughing about cleaning the toilets, which I don't know, dude would call me in the middle of the night. I lived down, you know those apartments that you see from the freeway that are in different colors? Cedar Square West.

That's why I live. Okay. And that's where they used to film the Mary Tyler Moore show. Really? Yeah. And it's so surreal. But I used to live there. and to get in my car,

you call me at any hour and I would go drive way out there because it's the studio and then the girl I was dating with like, man, I think you guys are having an affair and I'm like, you get the fuck out here and you know how to make records

call me too. Right. You know, but this is my fucking call this is my fuck that knows how to make records you know, and seriously that's exactly what came out of my mom I'm like going,

I'm sorry, but he went and out over you because I can't hear my arm around you and listen to some records or whatever. whatever, and the three genomes back thing was still three channels. Right. But I'm like, shit, there's one thing of that.

And so he would call me out there. Morris is the, Morris is the witness to this. But Morris, you know, in the studio they had that really long cute tip. But you clean the heads with it. So every time you look up.

Morris will clean his ears with him. Oh, hey, Chris would just stop using those are not for that. He would be mad. And Morris was like, I can't help me. So you'd see, C.

Man, would you stop? You're supposed to stop. Mouth open. But this, we were, this is doing, um, what were you? According to bird, I think. The bird, the original bird.

Okay. And he called me out. And he called me out and I'm there. I'm trying way out there in the middle of the night. I'm thinking I'm going to record or something. It's not that got me out there because the machine broke. And I meant to rewind it by hand. Wait, he calls you just to rewind.

Yes, because he knew. He's like, he's going to pay the dues to be in this. Because, you know, them two grew up together as kids, Morris and him. So Morris would be sitting at the board with him. And he would be crying because I'm like, man, fuck. The fuck is why you have me come? Man, you need to call down bats.

And why Morris ain't give you the heads up? No, because they're hilarious. They're the funniest dudes. They are the funny. Morris is probably one of the funniest dudes you ever meet. And he's off the cuff with it. Like on stage, even that run. Vegas, a girl came up and had this top on and she had a, you know, was like tied in the back

of the boat and just all the top of his head. He got ready to touch his string. He's like, I'm about to go from PG to double D. And it was like the shit that just immediately he don't think about it and he just fat. And I'd just be like, I can't even, I tell you, you know, we see each other, we'll see each other now. And before we say anything, we'll just look at each other and start crying, just start laughing because we know. So Morris is the same, for everybody who never met Morris, he is Purple Rain. He's the same Morris that was in Purple Rain at the end of the day. He's funnier than that.

He's probably funnier than that. He's way funny because all that stuff was written. All that stuff was written by Prince. But Morris is funny as hell. He wanted funniest cats ever, man. All right. Are you about to change the topic? I actually want to follow up to some.

Okay, go ahead. There's a photo going around of Morris and Prince, and Prince is in Jamie Star mode. Oh, where he's doing that? No, that's just the pose. They would never, they were never like that. Well, no, no, no, no. I'm just asking like, you know, would the Jamie Star character appear in the studio all the time?

No, never. That was some shit. That was just, and it's like a print. I only seen them about, get ready, knock up one time. And I was just so happy. I was like, oh, I'm fighting. Bean got in the middle. Man, you can't be fighting.

You know, Franchi. Oh, would you get your big ass out of the way like this, this shit has been locked. It was on the, uh, it was on the, it was on the set of a Purple Rain. And Morris came in and he was late. And he wasn't late. Because y'all don't even know, man.

Y'all don't even know, man. We would be on the set every morning at 5.30 but we wouldn't be in dress. No, no hurry up and wait. Just didn't want us to be doing anything else. So you'd be on the set every day, full makeup dress, and ain't shooting or nothing. Just had,

just so he would know. Where's Jesse? I know where he's over there. you know that kind of shit and so Morris was like yeah man you know what fuck this shit and so Morris walked in one day it was so amazing because he was always like my idol

because he he came in high collar clean as hell ascot just looked amazing hair laid everything came in clean as hell and prints and it was a when you've worked walking the first avenue you know you can either go that way

if you go this way there's a stairway so that stairway is full of extras and Prince walked up to him which he was used to doing and saying stuff from him and Morris never would say anything in front of everybody but he this morning

he wasn't at one because he walked up to him and the thing about he's doing this man you know you're like and morse is like motherfucker blah blah blah and what the fuck dick and I was like

that's about timing around this morning and then when they made it to the dressing room with that then Prince came into the dressing room and said man and blah la la la and Morris is immediately was like and then being

and he's like bring that shit man Morrisus get ready and I was like I'm standing back going because that's what he with me and Jerome used to fight all the time really because when Jerome got when Jerome came around he wasn't in the band right he was like the roadie dude so he would be mad all the time you'd see

him and he'd be moving the suitcases and roadcase he'd be mad all the time. He was always mad at me for some. He didn't even know me. And so we fight all the time. I said, you know what? I'm tired of you muscle head, motherfucker. Let's do this shit. And Prince used to always be the one. No, let him fight.

Let him fight. So that was my opportunity. Instigator. Yeah, and Bean jumped in. And you go, your friends. Get your ass out the way. Let these niggas had his shit out. I just want to know who said. I will fuck you up. Morris said. Yes, he did.

Oh, so sorry, y'all, so sorry to cut y'all so short, but, you know, there's more to come next week on our special interview with Jesse Johnson. Tune in next week when Jesse will talk about those Purple Rene deleted scenes that we didn't get to see touring with Luther Vandros and Roger Troutman and Larry Troutman. Also, we'll talk about a few prints demos going up for auction. It'll be a blast, y'all. Trust me, trust me. You want to come back next week for part two of our interview with Jesse Johnson on Questlove Supreme. See you then. Quest Love Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio.

This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. For more podcasts from IHeart Radio, visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits.

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to The Clifford Show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, It's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects.

From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make, to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12

and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves.

We always say that, trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.