The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: PJ Morton

Episode Date: May 20, 2024

Singer-songwriter PJ Morton went from singing gospel in New Orleans to playing keyboard for Maroon 5. In this episode of Questlove Supreme, Morton opens up about his journey from preacher’s kid to Grammy nominee. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed human. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're 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, unfills of conversations 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 IHeard 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. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I bowed. 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 podcast. 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 Galco, 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 Podcasts on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12

and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Kewkslove Supreme is a production of IHeartRadio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. What's up y'all? This is Kwestlove, and this is another QLS classic. This episode, we talked to our pal, PJ Morton, a member of Moon Room 5, monster in his own right Grammy winner,

and he talks about his journey from being a preacher's kid in Norlands to world domination, you know. It should be quite dope. Hope you enjoy it. All right, start the theme. Oh, God, here we go. Suprema, Suprema role call.

Supremia. Subma Role Call Supreme a roll call 10 inch pool Yeah Rocking cement shoes Yeah Sonnets from the heaven above

Yeah How deep is question I fuck that out Supreme Roleca Who's going down in 10th and Sycam Supremal Roll Call My name is Fonte

Yeah I'm kicking my game Where everybody Yeah knows my name. Roe Kong. Suprema, Supraima,

Role call. Suprema, Supraima, Suprauma, Role call. Boss Bill, in your ear hole. Yeah. And you know I'm no sucker. Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, that hurt like a motherfucker. Role Call. Supremma, Supremma, Subprima, Role Call. Sorry, you can go right now. You can go right now.

Supraima RoleC. My name is Sugar. Yeah. Yes, please. Yeah. Won't you come? Yeah. Put it down on me.

Roll call. How. Suprema. Suprema. Roca. Supreme. Supreme. Supreme.

Roca. It's Laeya. Yeah. And I'm all of that. Yeah. With my boy, PJ. Yeah. Who that?

Who that? Who that? Who that? Roca. Come. Suprema. Supreme. Superma roll car.

I'm excited. Can we tell you you have to do this? No, no. I'm listening. My name is PJ. Yeah. I could just scream. I finally made it.

Quest love Supreme. Hey. Suprema. Suprema, Roll call. Wait, so let me get it correct. You knew what you had to do on this theme? Yeah.

Tell me. It's taking us 100 plus episodes. To find a guest on a show that listens to our show that knows what's about it. I mean, the first 20th so we can excuse him because, no. Nah, it's just usually what listeners of our show don't know. is that no one is warned, you know, in the nick of time. And they don't listen. And PJ is actually like the first person who actually listens to our show.

Wow. You might have a little. I'll take that. We might have our first music nerd actually with us. But wait, we've done over 100, and this dude don't know what ordered roll calls in. Oh. Okay. Oh.

Sorry. Well, it didn't seem logical. It seemed like we was just going right around the circle. Yeah. Yeah. Because that's how we always do. Well, you shouldn't have sat me in the seat. You should have sat me where you were sitting.

You got here. our early ones like, oh, I'm going to be the boss. I'm boss Steve. Clearly you're going to find. You're the boss of your own network. You know what? Not the Christmas of the Free Network. So you're not in the Sugar Network to celebrate it one year?

Y'all got a year, right? One year. One year. Yeah, like a month ago. Yeah. A month. It was a year. Yeah, yeah.

Well, congratulations, Steve. Thanks so much. What developments have occurred in the Sugar Network? You know, same as usual. We just continue to grow thanks to, thanks to. Wait, I saw something weird last night. Yeah. In group, what was that?

Oh, his electric circus thing? Yeah, the electric circus thing. That shit was so dope. Oh, yeah, one of the sugar celebrities soldier made that for the network to celebrate the first year. It was a very cool graphic. It was dope. It was. That was really great.

I saw everybody else on the team except me in that. No, you weren't alone, Bill. I wasn't there either. Yeah, you are in the bottom-off corner. You got to participate more. Those are like the major celebs. You got to hit them on live, though. If you don't know them on live.

Oh, you gave me good FaceTime, I'm proud. I'm off social media completely now. How's that going? the social media fast. Hallelujah. Is it, though? It's free. Fantastic.

Because on the group chat, I made a reference to a few things that you didn't know about. And you know what? I have no fear of missing out. I don't care. Really? I don't care.

You're really opening up to the world these days then, I guess. Hopefully more people will follow suit, you know. I actually get stuff done on time now. You know? That's down cool. I can actually sit through a television show and know what's happening.

Oh, now. I feel you on. I wonder. But you don't. get tempted or all to look at trending topics or No, I don't give a shit. That's why I quit in the first place because I looked at all this shit and I was like, I don't care.

Well, wait, back in December, you told you were just dropping your Facebook. You think I was going to drop everything at once and then, you know, half shock and go out and stabs? It's like, it's like Nicorette. Actually, the way you look right now, that's why I was sitting the first way from you. It was like, yo, it was like, okay, I quit Facebook

because that was the easiest to do because most most people, you know. Yeah, I know. everybody. I keep family on Facebook. I don't even keep family on Facebook. That would have been too much. Y'all would have unfriended me a long time ago. But, you know, Twitter I hardly ever used,

so it was easy to just hit the delete button on that. Instagram was probably the hardest. How do they delete you? Is it like, are you sure? Click. Are you really sure? Click. I mean, I downloaded all my information, so, you know, if I get all misty-eyed for the days of Twitter, Your,

I can go back and read some bullshit in 2011. Okay. So, oh, wait, it lets you I download it? You can download your archive. You can download everything. Really? Because it saves everything.

Yeah, it saves everything. It's the internet. Nothing's deleted. You can download what? Twitter and Instagram. And Facebook and Instagram. You can download all that shit. Oh, okay.

I would like to revisit my old... Maybe I need to do that. Just in case. Yeah. I mean, if you want job number 25. Yeah, exactly. That's what I mean. I sort of make sure I'm straight.

Not caught out there. Not caught out there. Wait, did you want to tell me something? I had a story to tell you. Don't worry, sir. You should know the drill since you're a fan of the show. You just jump in. This is something that as soon as it happened, I wanted to tell you, but I was like,

yo, we're taping a show tonight. I need to put this on the air. Oh, no. What did I do? Wait, did I do something? No. No, you were just on television and my mama was watching. Okay.

My phone rings. Okay. Junior. Who? What's this I see on television with Questlevin, his daughter? Who? His daughter? What?

Mom, he ain't got no daughter. Yeah, he's on here helping her get her wedding dress for her wedding. I was like, Mama, that's his sister. Wow. Come on. First reactions, Questle. I'm about to congratulate Don Thompson, who is allegedly the oldest sister, but you know, we don't know for show. Yeah.

For looking younger than the older brother. I'm a quote big brother. Me and I'm 300 plus pounds. My mom thought your sister was your daughter. Wow. Thanks, Ma. I appreciate that. Thank you.

When did she get married? Eons ago. We shot that. Six, seven years ago, right? Mm-mm. Not that long ago. 2014. My dad was still alive, so it made me like, yeah, December, 2014.

Yeah. Oh, wow. She also said you should start rocking that pick everywhere. Shout out the Dorn T of Amor. Yeah, that my daughter, apparently. I haven't laughed that hard in so long. Like, me and Laia, we had a conference call right afterwards, and when I got on the phone, I was still laughing.

She really meant that? Yes. Damn, did I look that old? I don't know. Oh, here's a killer. And she's like, she had one more thing to say. And you know what? He had the nerve to be at that wedding with that doggone pick in his hair.

Yeah, older people still haven't adjusted to that. Oh, yeah, yeah. Because that's their prep, and you, that's part of your fit. Apparently, you know, Cindy Lou at work, Steve, the other job we have. Yeah, her mom, you know, rest and peace. Oh, no. Well, people die. I mean, people die.

I mean, people die. I know, but you're about to say some shade, but go ahead. No, no, no, no. Her mom says she always calls it a fork. Keep that fork in her. I gave her the fork for Christmas, just, you know. Because she's not a Negro. Yeah.

She's, yeah, she's Asian. Okay. Who is waiting for the other one. I knew what it wasn't. Yeah. My ego's so black, black, black, black. I forgot. It's been, I haven't seen you guys.

I know. You should have dropped Bill's mad shit a minute ago because he was angry. Yeah. Sorry about that. Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Quest Love Supreme. We are here We gather here today We're here with Naulands

Nauland Zone Can I say Nalins? Sure, you can't Okay By Nauland Zone Grammy Award winning Winning Yes

Grammy Award winning Wow We will say the hot sauce To Maroon 5 So Potato salad The gumbo The Gungle to there

No hat wearing In the cold The mustard greens to... Yeah. I say I'm not only maroon and maroon. So my dad... Wow. So my dad's...

Yeah, I was not to say, has anyone ever said that to you? Oh, my dad... Did they look like you when they said that? Okay, I just wanted to know. Yeah, yeah. Oh, no, I didn't come from. Now, ladies and gentlemen,

please welcome for another show. And apparently, uh, lover of the show, our first one, P.J. Morton to course... Yes. I talked to, um... I talked to Greg Fielding Gains today. Oh, wow. Okay.

And it was because... of the show that I knew, you know, his history and he was from the Stevie School. And I'm doing something with them. And I was like, he was playing first began while I was on the phone, my song. And he was saying, I told him I went to the Stevie School indirectly. He went to the real Stevie School. But yeah, that was this show that connected me to that. Yeah.

Like, that great episode is probably, I mean, we all hold the Jimmy Jam episode and highlight. But I'll say that the Greg episode is probably my second favorite. Yeah, it was a lot. A show of art. Yeah, it's educational. And he got great energy. His energy is crazy. Yes.

Great natural energy. So, wait, I got to ask. Having won that Grammy, and that's your first Grammy, correct? This is my first, yeah. You don't count the other ones? They're a songwriting one? Well, yeah, this is funny.

I actually didn't. I thought I won a Grammy. Oh. For dual performance. set a song? No, I wrote on Indy I Rees album. My first major placement was in college when I was at Morehouse and she won Best R&B album. And for years, I thought because I wrote and produced on that album, man, that I was a Grammy Award winner. And it wasn't until I became a governor of the Memphis chapter. And I was writing. Thank you. That they were like, yeah, you know you haven't actually.

They give me a little metal, though. Yeah. You got a little bit. You got a little bit. I got the metal in the black. I got the metal in the plaid. Yeah, I got the plaque. But it's my first trophy, you know, but I didn't even know. Yeah, the night, or at least you learned that way. I learned in front of all Radio City Music Hall. Oh, no.

So you remember the night when Old Dirty got on stage and Wu tanks for the children? It cost to me a lot of money. It cost to me a lot of money. And the soy bomb Bob Dylan night. Oh, wow. That was all the same year. It wasn't. And Aretha Franklin taking over for Parvaraata.

Yeah. With 45 minutes. Crazy. Preparation. That's insane. So Erica had one album for Badooism, and we didn't realize that with the non-main categories, even though they even have a pop category, with the non-main categories that there's amount of goal post moving that happens.

And the worst, I mean, a lot of these rules were established because of the, the amount of samples and writers, you know, like, again, like, if, I remember last year when Kanye was up for, um, and it was like 20 writers on that song. For all day. Yeah. All day. Like, Paul McCartney and all these other people. Right.

Like, even then, you're only limited to, uh, I think only 17 are allowed to officially grab one. But whatever the case was, like, I didn't know that the rule was. People can win one award? Well, for... The big ones, right? Like, album or something? Well, for... I'm about to say...

I don't want to insult him by saying Mr. Kylie Jenner. Whoa. Travis Scott. I'm sorry. You're right. I could have said... I could have said Aesap Rocky.

I don't know if you guys have been knowing, but TMZ has been trolling ASAP kind of hard. Like, wherever he goes, then they have a camera like, Hey, Travis Scott, whatever. Oh, he was first. Are you sure his publicist isn't just, you know, tipping them off? No, literally, like, the fun of following TMZ now on social media, I know you're off that now, is watching TMZ post up another ASAP-Gadding moment.

Ah, wow. Yeah, it's set. They found something viral that works. Okay. Yeah. So they're going to overdo it. All right, I got it. Of course.

Yeah, you know. TMZ. It's the entertainment industry. But with Travis, there were over 30 writers for sickle-mo. Yeah. What? But they had to figure out the 17. Did everybody just contribute a letter?

It's an interpellation or something. Sickle mode is actually technically four songs amalgamated into one. All that publishing, you ain't getting. Listen. Damn, Bill. Yeah, like the Drake part of the beginning. I know you probably never heard of sickle mood. No, I haven't.

Yeah, okay, exactly. The Drake part of it was a whole other song that was done by like six people. And then because, well, and also because something I don't get about modern hip-hop where even if they give a reference to a song. Has it just turned into the modern day rule? All the writers and literally just says,

give me the loot. And all of a sudden, like, Biggie and all this stuff. And then he made a tribe reference. And all them got from that song. What? And then what, like an Uncle Luke, right? Yeah. Don't stop getting it, get it, or the, yeah.

Right. So literally, somebody just needs to come to all these cats. Stop giving your publishing away. Come up with something original. Or are you going to be broke for the rest of your life? And where did he stack some money from from? It's like a hip-hop bohemian rhapsody, but without like... Just a few writers writing that.

So are you guys telling me, like, basically, hip-hop is now the modern-day brill building? I don't even do that. I don't even, I don't even know. Yeah, that's the discredit to the bril-building. I'm talking where you got basically just a whole bunch of people writing shit. Songs written by committee. Oh, no, that's exactly what it is. Oh, yeah.

That's exactly what it is. Yeah, it's very few people you'll see to actually work by themselves or with small groups. Like, everything, whenever you hear, like, Drake signs, so-and-so, or OVO or whatever. Yeah, you're, yeah, that's the writing. Not Kendrick, dog. Check the writer credits. I will, but I'm just going to. You got to buy the album first.

So, Jimmy Jam was basically saying it was problematic trying to figure out which one of the 17. out of the 30 will get an award. They are killing, that killing the business. No, they're killing their own business. Yeah, all right. There's a whole lot of people that are going to be just fine. Yeah, you're right. You're right.

You're right. Because they wanted that quick money. And all their kids. How many riders on the Casey Musgraves album? I'm going to look that up. Like, just. Okay. Wait, I didn't even get my point out.

So my point was when Erica won, I like stood up like, like, oh, hoo, who. Yeah. And they were like, no, sit down. They're like, and I was like, but I produced this record. You won, but you didn't, yeah. Well, I was headed on the stage, and then that's when they told me afterwards that we would have to produce 45% of that record.

Yeah, I thought it was 51%. Yeah, because that was the same thing. 97 was 45%. And then after hip hop really took over the Grammys, then it was like 60%. Yeah. So statues got expensive. to produce, huh? All right, right.

Can I ask y'all a question? And this might not be politically correct, seeing as though PJ just coming off a fresh whim. But was Drake right? Like, are the Grammys becoming? Not, well, no, he's right in a lot of ways. Well, I think he's a decepting speech at the Grammys when he was. Yeah, I think his point was, it doesn't define you, which I agree with.

The reason I wanted the Grammys is because all my heroes won't. It's a personal thing. It doesn't validate me. I'm still doing what I'm... But are they going, not now, but I'm... I feel like maybe in the next 10 years, is it going to be the same status situation that it is. I absolutely.

You know what? No. I'm going to say no and I'm going to tell you why. Hit me. Get on Wikipedia right now and type in list of Grammy winners. Yeah. And it's going to tell you how many people have won grandies, how many times they've been nominated.

And you're going to be disgusted by some of the names you see at the top and some of the names you see at the bottom. Yeah. Like for me, like, who never won one? Because we, like, A seal is number one-one. I think, like, Bob Marley. Bob Marley, never won one. Like, Marvin Gay has, like, what, two?

Yeah. I think, yeah. DeLutherland. And sexual healing. Jay Zee and Beyonce have, like, 40 to get, like, combined. Yeah, I just looked that up yesterday. Beyonce has, like, 20. 22.

Two, and he has 21. Yeah. I looked it up too. Wow. But 77 nominations, Jay Z. 66. How many of those were for guest spots on other people's records? Right.

Mainly. Yeah, when we were up for our gram in 2010. Sorry, I'm the jaded one in the room. No, that's all good. Well, let's have it. He used to work at a label, so. Shop this. Chopped and screwed.

Solar changers. Yes. Yes. I like that song. Yeah, when we, for a change, we were nominated in 2010

and we lost and it was like, okay, and then I realized that Ashanti at one one. Oh, no. And that was just like, okay. And that was good. Nah, she had won one in that category.

She won like, that's R&B. But it was just one of those things where it's like, you know what? Yeah. You can't, like you said, you can't let it define you.

No. You know, it's just. Accept it. Be happy for that mother's. Yeah. Because you worked for it. Yes. I still love that.

That's how I took it. I'm cool with never winning one again, to be honest with you. Wait a minute now. Wait a minute now. That was a personal. Time out. Yeah, time out. Me, all right, I'm your Jacob Marley.

Yeah. In the future. Yeah. You might want to be careful with that quote. I'm just saying that it is possible. I don't think there's no artist on earth that's not insatiable. Yeah. Yeah.

And when I won that first, Jordan, You want more? Then I was like, oh, I'm cool with that. I'm cool with that. Well, an example is, I won mine in the pretail, right? In the before. And I knew I was up for R&B album on TV. But I was happy as I could be on TV just like,

man, I don't care if I lose. I'm probably going to lose. But I was, this as a goal, I just wanted that. I do want to win more, but I'm cool that I did that. I'm straight, never, if I never do. To me, like the best Grammy story, and I don't know if it was ever confirmed, but allegedly Daft Punk when they won, sent other guys up there in the suits. Yeah.

And they watched from the audience. Yeah, I heard they were sitting next to the guys in the suits. Yeah, like I thought that was like the illest shit ever, like maybe to watch yourself get a Grammy. I've seen one of those guys without his men. Really? Yeah. Dude in the purple gave you your award, right? The guy of the purple jacket, the.

No, Jimmy Jam did. Yeah, Jimmy Jam, that's what we remember. Jimmy Jam. I was in the end towards the M. Okay, okay. So what was the feeling in your stomach when you heard your name announced? Well, I heard Thai first. That's what they said.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tie. And I was like, come on, man. So I've been, it's been 10 nominations, right? So I used to plan parties and stuff. What? I used to be like, hey, man, we, about to turn up. I lost those, I lost those few times. I'm like, man, I ain't, I ain't playing a nothing.

This year I ain't playing nothing. So I'm just like, when he said Thai, I'm like, oh, man, what's about to happen? And it was me and Leon Bridges. But once he said my name, I've... So he said your name last? Yeah, he said my name last. Oh. Yes, I was like, and?

Leon Bridges and? Oh, boy. No, it was a crazy feeling. I'm going to tell you something funny about that. So my manager was in, was at Fallon, the first time. you sat in with us, right? Okay. And he said to me,

he says, yo, I'm gonna tell you something. He's like, on the low. The way y'all did it on stage, you need to approach him now and do that shit. That's just going to be a Grammy Award winner. Wow. I was like, man, I'm not there.

And this is Rich saying this. No, no, no, this was Sean G. Oh, Sean G. We did how deep is your love and, like, we hooked it up. Oh, right. And he's like, I'm telling you now. The second, that shit, he called that one.

Run my phone. Like, what did I tell you? What did I tell you? What did you say? All right, all right, all right. We weren't ready then, you know. Like, we weren't in the headspace to record then. How much different is it now?

Because I'm like, he just did it at Roos Jam. And it's funny because it's weird that song like turns the party out, even though you know it's an OBG song, but it's like feel new when you do it. It's a great fucking song. It is. Yeah, it's always good. It's just interesting because every, you know, Somebody can remake a song and that don't mean everybody's going to jam to it.

No, I didn't expect that. That was the last, like, when I did on the studio version, it was like last minute. I knew I wanted to do a cover. I had always tried to do a cover on albums and it just never worked out. And so we had a contest and I was looking up songs and I looked up to top 20 songs of all time, I think. And then saw that one. I was like, oh, I love how deep is your love anyway. And I figured out last minute and handed it.

It's always the afterthoughts. Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't a grand. plan or nothing. It was just like, last minute, cut it,

not even in the studio where I did the rest of the record. Right. It's just all different. And then we toured and I just saw how crazy was going and that's why I said we had to record it live

and then, I mean, here we are. Whose idea was it for you to collaborate with? Yeah, but I saw her singing my version on Instagram and I was like,

that was last minute too because we planned that live thing. So you have a basically drinking on milkshake? I'm like, who is she? Why is she so fantastic? Just on IG. Yeah, she was on Instagram.

I asked her and she was like, yeah, I'll do it. She lived in New York. Grammys were in New York last year. And she came and the rest is... Because y'all did it at Roots Jam last year too. Didn't y'all do it at Root Jam? I did it at Root Jam. I did it at Root Jam.

We recorded it that same weekend. The day before I did the Roots Jam last year. Wow. Wow. Yep. Damn. Yeah. You all up in this story, though.

Because if you think about it, I was doing the math today, and I was just doing my PJ research, and I was saying, I saw that Adam Blackstone kind of introduced you to Maroon 5. And I was like, well, that's your, so was that our first day? That's how we are connected. Yeah, yeah. That's what, okay, yeah, so for those that don't know the background story, I guess after unplugged with Jay-Z,

then everyone else starts calling, like, put my band together. And Eminem and Paul and Eminem calls him said, put our band together. yada yada yada yada and by that point we had just started Fallon so I couldn't the attention that I gave Jay Z's band I couldn't do for everyone else because now I quote have a day job so I gave that to Adam Blackstone so Adam had hit me up Adam Levine

Hit Levine Lavine Avril Levine Levine Because he Wait Steve you stupid No no no no it's only because I

Because a few months ago, Orm Fallon, Avro Levine was on the show. You say it's opposite of that. Right. Okay. So it's Levine. Adam Levine. Yes.

Hit me up about... Advil Levine. Is that... I'm sorry. Adam hit me up about putting their show together. And I was like, you want me to put a Maroon 5 show together? And I agreed. But then I, you know, so I was like, yo, dude, just take Adam with you,

have him carry the weight and just be out there to babysit and yada, yada, yada. So that day that we came out, that was your first day with him? That was, yeah, after I had auditioned, my first rehearsal was the day you were in there. I have that video of you, like, playing this love to show him a different groove to this love. It's kind of weird. Like, I didn't want to. So I was brand new. We were all brand new.

So me and Adam, Blackstone, you had just brought him in. Right. And he brought me in. And so we were, that was all brand new. So I'm known black, I don't know, forever. I don't even know where we met. Is it like Franklin Bridge days? I knew him when he was in Franklin Bridge.

So it was probably before then. I don't remember how we met. Maybe he was playing. Yeah, remember they did the Battle of the Band show on ABC and shit? Remember that? Yeah. They won. Were you part of that show or anything?

No, no, no. Uh-uh. It was a TV show on ABC that did a national battle with the band show. With Sheila E. It was like an American Idol for bands. Oh, wow. I don't know about that. I don't know.

Blackstone was just kind of always there as far as I remember. Like, I don't remember meeting him. I met all those Philly guys that were the Thai and those guys. So you weren't a part of that show at all? No. Oh, okay. The band show? Yeah.

No. Oh, okay. Wow. It's a small world. Yeah. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford 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 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 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 here. 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.

I'm Ego Wode. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers, Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and The Big Money Players Now work. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with him 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. 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 podcasts. So you were born in New Orleans? Born and raised, yeah. Okay, what part? I was, grew up in the East. I'm confused because I live there now.

I moved back. But I grew up in the East my whole life, New Orleans East. So what are the, can you describe mostly for me? So East, I guess, in the 80s was considered like the new town, like New Orleans. And so like I had, where I grew up, It didn't really look like uptown. It doesn't look like New Orleans in that way. I had a palm tree in the front of my.

It was like they made it like the new suburbs, right? So that's where I grew up. There's also a rough part of the east, which is why after Katrina, it took them forever. It took like eight years for them to even start to work on New Orleans East. But I grew up in the east. Then you have uptown, which is where my dad's church was. And then you have downtown, which is kind of where the Superdome is.

and convention center and all that. So away from when tourists come there, of course we come to the French Quarter. Yeah, that's downtown. So is that the equivalent of you hanging out on 42nd Street? Not really. I mean, low-key, Bourbon Street is that.

But the French Quarter's, what I love about New Orleans is kind of like the touristy stuff overlaps with the real stuff. Right, like Frenchmen, right? Like, is the Frenchman to the- But if you're home, where are you hanging? I mean, I'll go down there. the whole-in-wall guy, or are you like...

But I'll go and play and listen on Frenchman Street. I'll listen to music on Frenchman Street. I never go to Bourbon. Do you do Frenchman Amir? Instead of bourbon? Because that's what I was told to by New Orleans natives. Like, if you're going to do a street, get burning. I rarely do bourbon.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, bourbon is a site to... I do it when people are visiting. You know what I'm saying? Because it is something to see. That that is on... I mean, it could be a random Wednesday night. You know? And it's packed just like it is during Mardi Gras or something. So as far as like seeing bands and are there still an abundant, especially in the wake of Katrina, which, okay, I guess we're 13 years later.

Are there still an abundance of musicians and band members there because I know that there was a mass exodus? Oh yeah. A lot of people got out. But there's a new generation now too. of musicians. And it's a bunch of, it's still a bunch of musicians. Now, how are they with tradition? The young guys are, I mean, they still have to play in the quarters. They still have to come up there. So it's almost like they go through that little school of, all right, I got to know how to do a shuffle, or I got to know how to do a second line, you know, because you have to come through there to get to,

you can't really skip that step unless you play in church, you know. And even still, when you want to go from, I just was lucky enough to leave and go to school. and start to write and stuff. But if you want to stay a musician in New Orleans, you kind of got to go through that scene and play on bourbon. Because I don't know of any place in the United States or even the world that hangs so tight to a tradition.

Probably second Broadway is probably the only other culture I know that's so stuck on like post-Timpan alley, you know, Gershwin era jazz that I've, that I would love to just pry their hands off of and have them start anew. Yeah, that's what I'm about since I've been back home too. But how... Is New Orleans a place where some people feel as though

we need to evolve? Are there people that just start straight bounce? As a musician, like, I'm going to start with bounce. Well, even now, bounce is like tradition. I mean, the idea of Drake doing Fifth Ward Webby type songs Yeah, it's old. It's considered old school. So, you know, is there any space for trap culture in?

Yeah, it's a brand new wave in New Orleans now of artists that I'm seeing that are totally, I mean, they respect that history and know it. But I think what I've been preaching since I, and I've been back home three years, and kind of what started me off, Buddy Bolden's house, who is attributed as the originator of jazz music, right? Louis Armstrong credits King Oliver. Buddy Bolden? Yeah.

See, I thought King Oliver. Right. He's before King Oliver. Credits Buddy Bolden, right? So they say Buddy is the, he lost his mind when he was like 26 and lived his life in a hospital for the rest of his life. But we, the house is like 10 steps from my dad's church. And after Katrina, my family bought up all the real estate around there, not knowing that they bought Buddy Bolden's house, right? his childhood home. I didn't know who Buddy Bowden was until I moved back home and they were like,

yo, we're about to do something with this house and people were coming from Europe and lining up and making pilgrimages to this place and we didn't know what it was. And when I got home, you know, but it made me start to like think about that history. And I think that New Orleans and the reason I left, the reason why a lot of us leave is because we focus so much on jazz, jazz, jazz, It's like, we started this. This is what, and I think what needs to be more focused on with New Orleans is innovation, right? It was buddy saying, I know y'all playing Dixie and this is how I want to play my horn. And it's going to be different from everybody else.

And that's what created that. That's what created Bounce was us not caring. New Orleans could just a bubble in that way. But it's like, I don't care what's on the radio. I don't care what we're doing. But I think that is what makes us special, not the actual thing, not jazz, not bounce. but the not caring, right, and the gift of that and the innovation of that. So I think a lot of the generation now and the generation coming up, they're thinking that way.

But it's still that same I don't care attitude. I mean, you still have the, I mean, I'll say that the, not necessarily the entire Marcellus family, but definitely Winton is headstrong on his. He's a purist, yeah. But he's also not in New Orleans. It hasn't been for a very long time, you know. Is he more New York than anything? Yeah, he lives.

Lincoln, Sent up. Been in New York for a very long time. So I'm saying as far as the scene is going, that's cool. And that's what happened, by the way. Like, that jazz came to New York, and the jazz we know now is that, right? Our jazz turned into R&B and, like, fats, you know, and rock and roll. So, like, that's the extension of us more than preaching jazz is how we know it now, you know. So are there funk bands?

that were in the tradition of the meters. Like, are there still people that... I don't really... Not really. I mean, you got, like, Galactic? I was going to say, Galactic... They kind of... Dumps the Funk and...

Take the Jam Band sort of thing. So Galactic is now the... The steady groove... Yeah. That's the standard... Funky jam band type thing, yeah. If you're a musician in New Orleans... And let's say, how old were you when you first started?

I was like eight. Okay, so what's the first thing that you're taught? Is it a boogie-woogie? Like, what's the top five, like, stuff that has to be in your DNA or if you get respect by? So to me it was like two different worlds, right? I didn't really get into that French quarter world until I was older. My dad was, it was all church.

For me, that's where all my music came from. I'm a preacher's kid. And your father must have a rather large church, right? Because your father's very known in the community, correct? Yeah. Pre-Katrina, we had like 20,000 members, so it was like a huge church. That's why he went to the more house. I was about to say you brought up a lot of property.

I wanted to get to that. Really? More house. He dropped a little heads. Yeah, but yeah, so my dad was kind of like the premier church, you know, in New Orleans, pre-Katrina. And that brought through a lot. But my dad's from Windsor.

dad's from Canada, right? So he and his father was a huge pastor, the first pastor to have a church in Detroit and have a church in Canada. So that connection, my dad grew up with the Clark sisters and the winings and all of them. So when he came to New Orleans and started a church, he brought musicians from there. My heroes were like, this guy, Joey Britton from Detroit and guys like that that he brought down. So the flavor was totally different in our church than outside in New Orleans. So I came up with the, I didn't get the New Orleans training early. And it's probably why I was so different, you know.

Ellis Marcellis wanted me to saw me play when I was like 10 or 12 and wanted me to go to Noka. But I wanted to go to this high school St. All, you know what I'm saying, that was known for his margin band. So I was a little different, which is kind of why I always felt out of place kind of growing up, you know. It was like, I'm not really that New Orleans guy in that way. How lenient as a PK, how lenient were. your family on music outside secular music. Yeah, it was, it was.

Or strict, how strict? Yeah, it was a balance. Because my dad was from Detroit, like, I mean, he loved Anita. He loved certain things, right? And my dad was a singer and a real musician in that way. So he always appreciated the stevees and stuff, you know? They tell me stories. So he could let you listen to secular stuff.

Yeah, my uncle played on some old town things back then. He used to play for C.L. Franklin, right? And they tell me stories of Stevie coming in and doing a show at the church, you know. So it was always a line. I remember we couldn't listen to secular stuff on Sundays. But, yeah, it was only gospel music on Sundays. But they were pretty, I mean, I listened to Michael Jackson growing up. So it wasn't strict.

Yeah, it wasn't crazy like that. I think his childhood was so strict. You were obviously bored in the 80s. I was, yeah, 81. There you go. Yeah. And what your people, like you say he was from Canada, So where y'all people, I don't know why I always think the Canadian black folks have like a lot of island influence on them and whatnot.

But were they? Yeah, I think there was some with my grandparents. Well, not my grandmother. She was like from Missouri. So they both passed away before. They passed away with my dad. His father when he was 12 and his mother when he was 19. So it weighed before me.

But I think my grandfather had some West Indian type. You said Missouri. They went up. That's crazy. Yeah, he found there somewhere. They found each other somewhere. So your father was initially preaching up in the D and then... Yeah, so he...

Why was this decision to come down south? He said God told him to move to New Orleans. That's the only reason I've heard. And he said he went and did a revival in Cleveland. And when he knew it was time for him to move and somebody stole all of his clothes out of his car and everything. And he said, after he got robbed, he moved. That's when you finally moved.

My dad's got to... It's a crazy story. He's still not a preacher. That's fucked up. I'm only laughing because that happened to Treek once. Oh, wow. You believely?

No, with Tariq and Michelle first moved to brought their sprawling Hollywood house and everything. Yeah, Tariq came home and packed all this shit. Like, me and Tariq are the polar opposite. each other so every outfit to reek wears is worth like $95 billion So you know

It was like first day of school for like all of his good clothes He's he's packing his car His Porsche of all things like he's packing all of his stuff in the car And like four I guess four in the morning Like someone just came and took all of two weeks Goals out of his car Out of his car out of the car

Oh good with them a lot of people ate off of them clothes You know that? A lot of people smoke crack off of them clothes That deposit is that half four? And it's almost like, I think he wanted to stay an extra week for that, you know, that coming to America scene were like, like, the kids are walking. Hey, stop. Let them wear out of Pinsley Roves.

Let them have. Let's dress us New Yorkers. See anybody wearing like $10,000 evis few jeans. I know it was you. But yeah, no, he said God told him to go, and he didn't know anybody in New Orleans. he said his first job was like he was like a gas attendant around the church and one of the guys invited him to the church. What is the time span from that to 20,000? 20,000 members of the church.

I thought you were trying to say 2019. I guess like 77 maybe, 76 or something is when he got to New Orleans, something like that. And it was, I don't know, it was up to 20 by the time before Katrina, so 04. Were you a part of your father's music outreach, or were you part of the gospel? Yeah, I was like the music director for a while until I went to college. Was it a choice? Yeah, actually, that's what my friends were. My friends, my musician, my drummer right now is still, is the guy that I used to play with.

So for me, in my church, it was fun. And the music and my friends was all I needed. You know, I was a preacher's kid. I was doing whatever I was doing. I was having fun. But that was my source, really. Like I said, I wasn't on this New Orleans scene. So all my musician friends were in church.

See that, okay, now it makes sense. Because I didn't know this backstory. Uh-huh. See, whenever it's jam session time or when you sit in with us, it's always, you know, like we always go there and do these. Right. Get to the gospel part, right, go straight church. That's why it's fun and authentic to do that with you.

For sure, for sure. Because that's why I get it when you, when you, you say it. Right. So any, of course, I think, I don't know, there's any soul singer alive that doesn't long to do a gospel record. But is that in your future eventually? No, you know what? I started out as a songwriter. And so I've written gospel songs for people that have done well, like I wrote this big gospel song called Let Go, Let God, this guy, Duane Woods did. And it was like 72 weeks in the top 10, right? You won awards for that one, right? So, um, and

I won a stellar awards, maybe a dove. But if I'll do anything, it'll be like my songbook and other artists singing. But I have no desire to do a gospel record at all. Really? No, I feel like my soul, my R&B is gospel. Even when we were on stage a couple months ago. Yeah, but we were doing my song sticking to my guns. You know what I'm saying?

I feel like when Stevie wanted to talk about God, then he just did. did, right? He didn't have to go and make a gospel record to do it. And that's kind of with Marvin, if he wanted to reference God to talk about God, Donnie, you felt even if he wasn't talking about God, it felt like church. So I get that same thing. Whatever that is that you want from that. Yeah, one of the

things I really like, like how I first got on to you, I mentioned in my role call, my home girl, Carlita Durand, she's a young singer, she's in, from Durham. And so she, we were, this is, man, this is like a decade ago. It was like 10 years ago. She was like, yo, are you up on PJ Morton? I was like, nah, I was like, the preacher?

She was like, no, that's his daddy. Like, that's his daddy. He has a son. I was like, oh, shit, he has a son. So she was like, so she played me. First thing I heard of yours, it was a live show, and you ended with the cheers themes off. A word?

Yeah. It was like a question of DJ. Dude, but he does it like, he turns. It feels like church. It's church. I was like, oh, God, she was like, you got to hear him. He got three background sings that sound just like him. Yeah.

And so we played this shit. And so I could, hearing you now, I could understand how it's like, you find the church in whatever you're seeing. It gives me the same feel. It gives me the same whatever that is, you know what I'm saying? Which is why I just never say, I'll never say, okay, now here's the gospel record. It's like, no, it'd be sprinkled in there if I want to go there. You've got to find it. You've got to get to it.

Well, let it find you rather. What was the name of the gospel choir at your dad's church? What was the greatest St. Stevens mass choir? Okay. Did they have records or anything? Yeah. Some records, yeah, my dad had some records, like, Your Tears was a big song that he did. Let It Rain was later on, but that was a big song.

It was like Purple Rain, it felt like in a way. Okay. How do we hear this gospel version of Cheers? I got to hear this. It's on this record I did called Live in L.A. Okay. Yeah, where everybody knows your name. That shit is hard as fuck.

Yeah, but it felt, that's the way we ended the shows for, like, eight years or something. There was a period we, I think, We ended, we stopped doing it. One time I did it, Samuel Jackson was in the audience, and he was looking like, huh? And then I think we dropped. Yeah, I think it would turn me up. We, like, ran out of songs and just started doing, like, TV themes at the end.

Yeah, I did it in Europe or Asia, and they were looking like, no food. I was like, I don't want to do it anymore. That's what kind of stopped me from doing it. Just shout out to the jazzies, because that's how they used to close their set at the Black Lily every Tuesday. Oh, word. Yeah. Oh, really? Yeah.

Wow. Really? Yeah. They didn't tell us that? You was on, what they're going to tell you? I wonder where they got that idea from. Who did it first? Who did it?

My question is, who did it first? I did it, I did it. Gary Portnoy did it first. Wait, you really know this? I got that 45. Are you seriously? That's such a good song. It's a good song, yeah.

Love that song. I'm trying to figure out if there's a full album that, like a Gary Portnoy album. I never did the verse, but I love the verse. Wait, Gary Portnoy. There's two verses in the real song. No, I've heard it, yeah. Steve, you deserve a song. Yeah.

Time to get song from Sugarsteen. Oh, I like when you sing along. Shout out to Gary Portnoy, you know. He doesn't get enough. Nobody talks about that. I know, man. Give me another. Because he's too busy spinning his check.

But did he write that song or did he just sing it? I don't really know. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. You acted like you knew, Steve. Well, he figured he would know the history of it, but... I'm just being honest. Oh, yeah, no, I don't.

I don't know the history. He wrote it, along with Judy Hart-Angelo. Well, since you're one of the few or first leaders of a gospel choir church, I got to know. First of all, what's the membership? What's the size? What? That choir? Yes.

And I don't know. I was young. I don't visually, maybe 200 people. That's my worst nightmare. Yeah. I mean, I already am shaky as an MD of my own situation that I actually created. But how are you able to maintain the respect and the attention of over 200 people? Now, I've seen it done.

So as music director, it was just band. I never had to deal with choir members. That's a whole other thing That was never about to be my jam Yeah no I've seen that We've seen the wrangled The choir members and stuff But no

It was always the band So I'm okay So I don't know Really Safe sizes Yeah Now you went When did you go to the house

I went 99 Graduated in 03 That's the one thing We were almost classmates What is that the house I almost went there You almost went there I went there

Uh-oh. I took classes. Wait. I had some Spelmanites in my, where would you go? No, Laethe didn't go to Spelman. She just went to Moore House. I went to Clark Atlanta. No, she just went to Moore House.

I love AUC. Me too. AUC represents that. Rest and peace. I was saying I was saying I had some Spelman nights in my class. I didn't have any Clark students. Okay. All right.

Well, I did you. You was over there? I was over there. I did some Spelman ones too. You might as well. You're paying for it. Yeah. It's Mike Lee going to lie about his.

When Spike was on the show, we didn't get into it. But what? What is it like at Morehouse? And was it, is it as prestigious as it's, as the folklore of it? I'll say that it does instill some pride. Like, you know, so, so when I was in New Orleans growing up and I was the fly preacher's kid, right, who could play and all of that. It was like, it was like one of me, kind of, right? Then you go to Morehouse and you're like, 20 of them.

Yeah. Dope in their city. You know what I'm saying? And it shows you like, okay, well, I'm not alone in that. And it kind of demands you to want to have a certain level. And some of the history there and the way they teach you about that history and make sure you know it. You know, and who went there, too, you know, from the MLKs. Y'all are lifted up as Morehouse men.

Yeah, no, it's love. They make sure that pride is there. So whatever you do after that, at least you have that, you know what I'm saying? Really? Yeah. So you don't get mad like I do when those alumni emails come through and you're like, no. I do. Because I do.

Where did you go, Bill? My house is pretty good to me. I went to a small state school in Indiana. But only because they paid for everything. That's what you were supposed to do. And where did you go? I went to North Carolina Central University. Graduated in 01.

Party. Steve. The University of Maryland. Party. Yeah. Yes. L. Clark Atlanta.

And Morgan State. Damn, I'm the only motherfucker. Go to college. But you're the richest of every time. I'm saying. You're done all right. Winning. You done all right.

Right. Oh, man. I want to go to college. Oh, man. They give you a degree. You know, they just give you one. We had to go there and be there. You get an honor.

It's true. I'm sure you've been offering many. I just got my degree from Princeton University. What the fucker? In what? Back in February. Without going to one class. Ain't that some shit?

It's like an honorary. I've taught, yes, I got my honor. So you can call me Doctor Love now. I know. Oh, no. That was my school. That was my school. Da-da-da-da-da-love.

Yeah, I'm Dr. Love now. Congratulations. Weird enough, they want me to teach there and give lectures there, but I, you know, I don't know if I could actually have the jobs to attend there. Where that certificate, I bet you don't keep that in the bathroom. He put the Grammy in the bathroom. I keep everything in the bathroom. I gave my diploma to my mama.

I gave it. I've never even seen mine. I don't know what mine is. That's fun. Mine's boxed up. I'll sell you mine. Dr. Love. No, but I'm just saying that from watching a different world and, you know, how.

That's not my college experience for sure. Yeah, that's kind of the vibe. Yeah, that's all. Yeah, it was fun, man. And it's your people. So the whole colors in the bank of school days and all that wasn't a thing. It was more Greeks against goddamn individuals GDIs, so in that way. That's what we called ourselves.

I was a GDI. Was you not a GDI? I know you was a GDI. I was, but I never heard that term. Yeah, I never heard that term. I'm mad I didn't hear it 20 years ago. I heard me fi-mee. Yeah, he had an album.

Yeah, I heard of Me-Fi Me. Wait, he was real. Not he was a real... No. What? No, I just say Me-Fi-Mee when they asked me what I was pledging. Oh, wow. So you was all the whole crew.

I also remember Musa-Mu, but that's because I watched too much BET in college. What's Mus-a-Mu? Hits from the streets. Oh. When he went around in the Cowan costume? He went to Howard, and when I went to high school, he was working the store across street. He would go over there and he would entertain us.

He was funny. Allie Al. Yeah, we didn't have the, I mean, we had the fraternity of course, but I mean, I played football, so I turned, it wasn't GDIs. It was severe. You played football in college? Yeah. I was my first two years.

Oh, you fucked that show, Fonte. Yeah, I didn't want to do that shit. I was tired. I was like, fuck me. It became a job. No, no, for sure. Like, nigga, you, that shit is your life. Like, it's like a mission.

Scholarship? No, no, no, I was on academic scholarship. Oh, okay. And then I just walked on the team. And so they were... Hey, guys. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Like, because that's the thing in college football, like, they don't really, well, at least at our school, you didn't really make cuts, so to speak. So, like, if your grades was on point, you could come out for the team. But by the time you get through workouts, between injuries, between niggas that's ineligible, somebody didn't got his girlfriend pregnant. By the end of the summer workouts... Got some space. That's who left.

Yeah. If you can make it, if you can fuck it out. Yeah, for real, that's how it was. It was like, it was made it. You on the team. You didn't quit. You didn't flunk out, whatever. So, yeah, that shit was crazy.

So we used to call out people civilians. Like, if you didn't play, like, when I stopped, when I stopped playing ball, all the boys, like, all right, Tayy, I'm about to go live civilian life. Like, civilian, like, that's what it was. Between civilian life and the AUC and then the whole hierarchy of the Morehouse, Bellman, Clark. And then at the time, Morris Brown wasn't there when you were there, I don't think. It was on his way out.

Okay. So, yeah, that was a whole, that was a thing, too. A little thing. as much as it was on the movie. Yeah, because my first girlfriend went to Morris Brown. Good for you. I jumped over. Yeah, I jumped over.

Freshman year? Freshman year? You brought her outside? Yes. Okay. What does that mean? She was outside of it. What does that mean?

What does that mean? Tell him the phrase, PJ, you what? You married a spellman. You know, though. You know the phrase. You know the whole phrase. But basically, yeah. Unfortunately, there was a hierarchy.

You married this girl. You cheat on her with the Clark girl. and then the Morris Brown one, you know, you just... The Morris Brown is the jump off. Yeah. Wow. A-U-C. She legit asked you you brought her outside.

Yeah. As a more house, man I asked you. I will say, unfortunately, to help the... The stereotype. Yeah, the stereotype. She just had to come to Morris Brown for the first semester because her spellment stuff was late. And then she went second semester's spellment.

You cheated. That ain't a real. Moore's Brown girl. Hey, I was over there on that campus. They was like, what you're doing over here? You know, god-dead what I'm doing over here. Because they locked the gays and spellman at like 8 o'clock at night. Like, you ain't getting over there.

Okay, so that's the thing. Okay, so that's the thing. So in the black college. Rubble bullet. Yo, bro, it's straight up. I mean, because remember, you're in the fucking Bible Belt. So Coad Visitation is like, that's like a thing. So what you would have to do, like, in our dorm in Chile,

like you would have to sign in your guests. But, like, niggas never wanted to sign. in because you don't want other people seeing see any class. Yeah. Yeah. So you could just sneak a join on the side or whatever. Like you sneak joints in. And so the first time like we came and we went to the first time we parted at U.S.C. Carolina

Chapel Hill, which is like the big white school like 15, 20 minutes down the road. And like we saw how they lived over there. How like it was like two girls. It's like four girls in a suite. Yeah. And it's just open. Just come as you nigga. Way different. Way different.

That started your white girl season? No, no, no. Because the thing was, like, she was, it was, she was black, but, like, she had, like, white homegirls and shit. But the thing was, like, at Central, so I guess the hierarchy, the whole hierarchy in the triangle was, I guess, you marry a Duke nigga. If you can get to one, that's one. If you could get one.

You could catch a Duke. Yeah, because he got his white girl. Listen. But if you get your Duke, nigga, but, like, Central, we had to represent. for just being just cool and like we was just niggas like this so like all the chick they like they used to fuck with us because we just didn't care so we go to carolina like you know we like man i think it's corny like we used to take all they home but my god and eat their food and their good cafeteria right with the different countries being represented and shit they had motherfucketangie

like when you go to the white school wait how do you know right i'm one and the same thing because i have friends that went to white school i had a friend that went to gw and had a friend and went to pits around in California and that life was just different life. It's a totally different life. Like, it opened my, I was like, one of my boys, like, he damned him moved in over there. He was like living with a girl in E-house. That was the dorm, Aaron House. Like, he was damned, I'm like, nigga, I'm like, you know what I'm mad, dude? I'm at the spot. I'm at the spot. I'm at the spot. And this is pre-instagram, pre-like, so, ain't no tracking your moves, man.

But I would not trade, I came from, and I'm sure PJ, I'm sure y'all agree. I would not trade my black college experience. No way. It was so good. Oh, my God. And if you got caught, where this was the rumor, if you got caught leaving Spellman's campus too late, the security had rubber bullets.

Oh, shit. So you would have to run like it was Vietnam? Like you're on tour duty? I never experienced it, but that was the folklore. They put them tricks on pedestals too, but they was always falling off. It's still better. She's still a little better. I got Spelman friends.

I got like two of them. It's fine. Now, Bennett was like that too. Well, now they've saved Bennett College in Greensboro. But I grew up down the street from Bennett, and it was the same thing. Like, if you saw a Bennett girl, the gate locked at a certain time.

Yeah. And you got to get her back. You can get a clock girl any time of the day. We're here. Yeah. They like Clark girls. Clark girls were cool, though. I like Clark girls because they were used to the guys being around.

Right. Right. We didn't get too excited and impressed. They were always a little more chill. All right. So, I always wanted to know this question. No, because from an outsider point of view, especially going to Atlanta a lot in the 90s,

in which booty clubs were like, you know, it was the thing to do. Right. But I also know that there's a certain amount of bawling you have to do in order to do that. But on a college. Refuge at time. Yeah.

That refund shit, son. Falling out. On a college level, like, how is that possible? Warhouse and Spelman, different world, they rich as fuck am here. Like, I transferred from Morgan State, right? I'm telling you right now, when I walked on that campus, I was like, wouldn't be fucked freshmen with like BMWs and Benzes and shit. Like, you see his daddy had 20,000 people in the congregation and he was a broke one in the

at the Morehouse, probably. Like. Did all right. Well, I was a musician already, so I was working myself. So I did all right there. Okay. But I wasn't a big on strip club. So I was trying to, I was a nerd in the sense of.

I didn't mean, Matt, I'm just saying that the things that I know Atlanta for is falsely. The culture is concerned. I mean, I kind of think that in order to really experience the Atlanta that's always shown to me in TV and movies and videos, you least got to, and I'm being very, I'm trying to be as relatable. Relatable as I can. I saw those guys. You need $250 to $500. Really in my mind, I'm thinking, yeah, you need about $7,000 to really make it right? I don't want you to make fun of me, so I'll say.

Not a magic city. Right? You don't need that much of money. Listen, I never had it. I would watch those dudes. That's what I should tell people, PJ. Why are you paying for a day that's when a dude besides you was right there with the chick? Just look.

Like, go ahead, man. Enjoy yourself. And then Atlanta at that time, because this is when I was there, strip club culture was like really starting to pop. Yes. It wasn't all the way at his head, but it was like really starting to pop. And them dudes, I couldn't understand it. They won't even be looking at the chicks.

Like, it's a status thing, I guess, but I could never wrap my head around it. I'm like, I like money too much. But they would just be talking to their boy and eating. Yeah, okay. Throwing. I'm like, yo. It's a networking thing. Like, it's almost like, yeah, it's, yeah, like you don't, I mean, you go, the women are there,

but it's almost there just like decorations. Yeah. Accessories. Right. I mean, I got that when I went with my friends and we would just be hanging out for a birthday or something. But I don't know. It's dudes that did that a lot.

You know what I'm saying? And I'm like, man, I don't have it like that. The first time I went when, like, Make It Ring culture was, like, really just starting to the point where they keep, they would keep score of, I think, which is, everybody in the club getting tipsy? What was it, Jake Juan? Right.

He was the champ. Like, they keep a high score. I guess the point is that Who was the biggest baller? Who can throw Well, it wasn't that It was based on It was based on

When the last dollar would drop to the floor Oh wow And then they would stop the climate They would Wow Right And after a while What's his name took me?

Chris Robinson took me And I said, yo I said they're not They're not You know, he was still doing Alcast videos and whatever But at one point I was like, wait a

minute. Why don't I get the feeling that they're not even paying attention to that? He's like, yeah, they're not here to trick off of the women or whatever. They're here basically to let each other know. Yeah. My money's stronger than yours. Now, at the time I was there,

it was Chuck, I guess I guess. It was AI. AI versus and I forget who some football player or whatever. There was a bank in the basement. What? What club is this?

What? It wasn't Magic City, but it was like whatever it was popping in 2000 and five. Trokas is the other one I remember. I think that was the first one I went to. So going on and getting certificates of the postings after one? Right. No, it was it was just like Players Club. Like some investment advice.

Some they gave them, whatever. And then they came, they will back a big ass wheelbarrow. of like 20s. So here's the thing. So AI threw his joins up, right? They fell down. One of those 20s lands right between my Afro pick and my Afro.

I swear to God. I literally, and the guard stopped me. Like, stop me mid. He said, I'll get that for you. Why did he stop me? Because that's her money. Dude, by, it was, you know how slippery a cheese Factory is?

Like with all the oil on the ground? Why are you laughing? I never thought about that. Have you ever walked in a cheesecake factory? Only with you, actually. No, it is noted. I think that, look, listeners, if you listen out there, please verify if you get this far in this conversation.

Don't grow up. Deep down. I'm telling you, cheesecake factories have the slippery marble floor. The collection of grease, the collective grease on the floor, it's like ice skating. It's like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Why are you still going to that thick-ass menu spot? God. That menu too goddamn thing. Anyway. Yeah, the cheesecake. You can't get out of there with nothing less than like 2,000 calories. Like this.

Like that. Cheesecake Factor was in the Eat This.net. Eat This Not That Book. And like, I bought and they were just like basically like never eat here. Really? Yeah, they was like, yo, this is of all the fast food of the restaurant.

I've never eaten cheesecake in the cheesecake factory. You can't get to it because after you finish your, you're done. Yeah, the portion size is a huge. Right. Yo, this rabbit hole right here, though. But the point, wait, no, no, no, my point was that, my point was that a half hour after making it rain, it's just literally just 20s on the ground. And, um.

And sweat. But then, just like the Players Club movie, like, someone presses a green button And then all of a sudden, like 20 people coming out with brooms and dust pans and garbage bags and put the money inside. So then how do they – so how do they determine who gets the 20s? It's a trust system. There's one club that I know of in which the owner actually pays them – I think their system is more like a contractor. Yeah, yeah. It's a contracted thing.

I got you, got you. And there's a pre-arranged thing. So like none of the tips matter. They have a minimum. Yeah. Yeah. So, wow, that was a major rabbit. Listen, listen.

Might be the most random rabbit hole in the ULS. history. Slippery cheesecake factory. Well, we learned a lot. Which, by the way, I looked that up on Google, and a lot of people asked that same question about the floors. Dude, it is noted that cheesecake factory has the slipper factory has the slippery as floor ever.

Like, I would, you could, if you really want to cake off a petty lawsuit. How'd you know what I was thinking about doing this weekend? That menu's too big. Oh, wait, we're recording this. Damn. Do it now. My neck. My back.

My neck. My back. Wait, damn. This is even fundamental. Do you have any siblings? Are you the only kids? We usually get to this part by now. I do. We put you in college in the strip club. Yeah.

I got two sisters, older and younger. I'm the middle only boy. Are they in the arts at all? My oldest sister is a singer. Well, she doesn't really sing that much anymore, but she can sing. My younger sister is a dope graphic artist, actually. Okay. Okay.

And no one else in your family is musically inclined? No, I mean, my dad. Yeah, my uncle. Does your wife sing? like a singer. She's a hairstylist. Shut up. Yeah.

No, I used to date musicians all the time, like singers. Gay that up. I'm witchie boo. I'm like, I want you to understand it, but I don't want you to be in it. That's a no-no.

That means y'all all know how difficult it is to date yourself. Absolutely. You can't. Maybe that's why I don't date singers. No, for real, yeah. There's only one mic in this house. No.

Actually, there's just a little one mic in this house. to the daddy. I'm sorry. We was in the strip club. Oh, Lord. You know what I'm saying. You know.

Quest love opinion may not be appropriate for some of the same. Yeah, nah, the artist- artist relationship. That shit is not.

Yeah, it's good in theory when you think. Theory. Has it ever worked? Beyonce. I saw that video of them in the elevator.

Yeah, no, I said, I took that. I stopped. I stopped. Oh, Going down just like the elevator. Okay, I got you.

I got you. Artist, artist relationship. Do Angela and Courtney B. Vance? I mean, they're both actors. Yeah, that counts. And they've met in college. I'm saying I believe that I feel like musicians are a different level. It's a different kind of thing.

Plus, if she did her before he was famous. That's true. That's different. I think actors can do it, but, mm-mm. Yeah. Because even when, like, people are like, hey, man, why don't you take? No, no, no, no.

and I know how crazy no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, is? Yeah. Yeah, all the people that people imagine me getting paired up with is just, you know, crazy. You're trying to kill me?

Matter of fact, weren't you with me? Did you go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with us the year? I don't know if I inducted Hall of Notes. Maybe it was the year after. I remember NWA got inducted in Chicago. Yeah. But there was a, there was an incident, a meltdown incident with a well-doined.

If you ain't going to give us no names, don't be telling us no story. Come on now. Give us a hand. Let him finish what he's saying and then maybe we can figure it out for that. Okay. All right. Anyway, so PJ. No, I'm world famous for not dropping.

That makes Fonte angry. No, I'm going to figure it out. I love it. I was at the Walking Hall of Fame that night, and I can't remember. I'm sorry. No, no, no. She was my date, but it's weird. I think I was too busy tripping on the fact I was sitting next to David Burns.

Googling. You were there with? I was, yeah. At that table, right? Yeah. The NW.A got inducted, yeah. Because I was cracking up because it was 9-11, like 9-11 when they got inducted, like 9-1-1. What year?

Who was, was Bonnie right there at all that night? I don't think so. Steve Miller was there. Okay, okay. Okay, no, this is the night where Linda Ronstadt and the East Street band was the East. I wasn't there that. So maybe that's the year before.

Yeah, I was seeing someone notable in R&B doing this time period. We got a genre. We have a genre. We're narrowing it now. What key are songs in? She She was known

she was known she had love one. she might have a 106 in Park Love, you know. Okay. What year? What year? Of that. Alvar Levine.

Yeah. But it was just weird because in that particular environment, which, you know, the Rock and Roll Hall fame is, you know, presented by Rolling Stone Magazine and the kind of old boy network. Okay, yes, that Hmm means, oh, you mean white people Amir. Yes, exactly. Why people? Right, so it wasn't, she wasn't that known to them.

And so it didn't make a difference. But then I've been in situations with her where it's like... But we would know her. She has way more followers than I do. Yeah. And so, yeah, that night was really weird with the red carpet thing.

Because, you know, I felt like, well, you could take photos on your own and red carpet, huh? But because let's see what Gettie talking about. There isn't photos of us together. Because Gettie, got it. Nah, Gettie. Gettie might be out of something.

Well, then let me see what Yadena's talking about. Really, guys. Okay. I mean, I was just being in the club? If I could just help, though, it's probably, if there's some random R&B chick that wasn't supposed to be at this all the. Not supposed to be. It's just that.

Now, less, like, that wasn't her scene necessarily, right? That wasn't her seeing, and I think she wasn't used to. It would be that. I'm really close to Ashanti, but I'm just saying that. I missed it. I missed it. I had to be quick-fazzled that. No, no, she's a homie.

But I'm just saying that. You ain't dating that, though. Did she miss that fontaine? I'm going to be sure to mix that part up. Really loud. Anyway, my point is that because of this environment, this person wasn't that known. It was a little problematic. And for that person, it was problematic.

Did people didn't know who that person was for her? Well, you know, it's, it's an ego blow. It's an ego blow. And so it comes out in other ways. Interesting. I'm just waiting to next year you tell us you at Shep's House with Ella Mae. Well, she don't really do. Wait, are you trying to say teams?

Yeah, I think she's team. Really? Really? I don't know. Oh, so she booed up with nothing about her. Are you trying to start rumors? No, no, I wasn't. Why don't you just check it on Google, see if there's anything first before you start putting

stuff out on a public podcast. You're right, you're right. You know, it's 2019, so that's a compliment. No, I know nothing about her other than just that song. So I just... I don't even know the song. Boot Up? I know the song, but I've never heard it.

It sounds just like the other one, test and trying. What it called? Yeah, boot up. Treating. Tretting. Tert to testify. Yeah, booed back up. That's about all I got.

I'm booed up again. Okay, so PJ Boy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I was curious, so did you learn to play? Were you formally trained or just by ear? No, it's all ear. Yeah. And my mom was from the old school and really wanted me to learn how to play.

And, you know, I wanted to, but I was like playing stuff on the radio. and TV show themes. And that after that is when she put me in lessons. And then I went back to, and then-da-da-da-da-l. And I was like, I can't. So what was the first song? I just didn't have the discipline.

Where's the first song you learned? I thought it was something I wrote. Then I realized it was something that existed already. Yeah. I used to play this thing and see. I don't know what it's called. But like the first song I can really remember, maybe like

those were the days like all in the family oh wow which I know that but yeah that's a weird like real song so I used to play little things

you know little like pieces of things but I don't know if they were actually songs because so in church you know with the talking music and stuff right like the guy sitting on the organ playing yeah holding chords and shit I was my favorite person in the entire church

huh it's my favorite person in the entire church huh? That's my favorite person in the time. Yeah, so I would learn things that weren't actually songs, but they were just pieces. Dramatic, dramatic pieces. I remember people used to walk up to me, like, what are you playing? And I'm like, I don't know. I was just, I was just playing it.

Yeah, yeah, but all in the family was one. And I, well, that's why cheers. The end credits or the beginning ones? Oh, yeah. Because, again, the end credits or we learned that on our family? That's what's happening. No, no, at the end. You're talking about what's happening?

That's what's happening. No, no, no, at the end of, I'm with you. I'm with you. At the end of all of the family. I'm talking about the beginning. Right. That's why the day. So at the end of all the family, when the credits are growing up, it's more of a Dixieland.

Oh, okay. No, I didn't know. I didn't play that part. What's happening is, don't. You know, it's still the same. It's still the same feel. Right. But it's more piano in the.

But wait a minute. Me and Lighty are the only ones that recognize all the family's other theme. I wasn't really annoyed the family watching either. What? What you mean? That's what in Jefferson? I wasn't. I watched the Jefferson.

I wasn't watching racism. I wasn't allowed to watch all the family, but I still know that that part was there. I mean, I know the theme song, those were the days. Yeah. I more new to the theme song. I don't know if I really watched it. I know the theme song because that was my cue to turn in time. Exactly.

Straight up. This she would come on like, well, we ain't watching this shit. Yeah. So maybe I heard. at that first that we get it. Just like it was time to go to bed when

MASH came up. No. Yo! Oh my God. Somebody else. Did MASH come on at 10? I don't know. I don't know.

I knew it was bed time. When I came on, it was like, are you a MASH head? Yeah, but I was watching. I got addicted to it in syndication. Yeah.

So like the Mee runs used to always come on at 10 o'clock. Yeah, it was time to go to bed. Yeah, I was going to say that. Yeah. Only know Mashed for its theme. And it's in credit said, yeah,

exactly. Man, brought to you by Preil. You know, but literally never seen MASH and always wanted to know

what made it so great. No, I'd never watch that show either. I wasn't alive in the 70s during the Vietnam War so I would be able to really give you a good answer for that. It's not relevant content.

So what is your, what is your practice ritual, your creative rituals like? I'm sure it's more. more than just learning TV themes. You know what? I used to ask people how to practice. Okay, so since I didn't know, since I didn't learn formally,

my practice was playing what I knew, right? Until I made a mistake. And a lot of times my mistakes would lead me to, like, whatever the next thing is. And I'm like, oh, that's how they played that. But I didn't have a practice regimen. And I was playing so much because you had... you know, you had Sunday, and then you had, like, rehearsal on Tuesday,

and then you had, like, midday on Wednesday. So I felt like I was, that was more my practice was, like, on the, while I was playing with my friends as opposed to, I didn't know how to practice, which sounds weird. Wait a minute. Are you the first Grammy winner that didn't have the, you weren't under the tutelage or the thumb of a drill sergeant Joe Jackson-esque figure? No.

Uh-uh. Like, doesn't mean nothing? Yeah, my dad, my dad knew how to play, like one thing really well, and I thought he could really play when I, before I could play.

And I'm like, man, show me that. And I started to pass him up. He was like, you don't want to learn from me. So I didn't have anybody who was like, I really just wanted to do it, you know? So nobody had to push me. Once I got out of lessons, once I got out of, like,

somebody trying to teach me how to play, it just was my, That became my basketball once I stopped growing. Yo, I got to know what your dad said the day you told him you got the Maroon 5 job because I feel like he was like, huh? I don't know if my dad knew who Maroon 5 boys. At what point did he know?

And then was like, oh, I guess this is kind of like. Probably one of those war shows. He's like, boy, you're all right, boy. See you up there? I saw you on that. Probably the Grammys or something. You know, we played my first year, I think we did like a Beach Boys tribute.

and my dad probably Okay, so this band is a kind of big deal How did that come about? How did you come and get into the band? So that is Quest. That was basically You're welcome. No, I'm playing.

Thank you. They were looking for a keyboard Well, unbeknownst to me at that time too. The original keyboard player was planning on leaving the band. But I didn't know about that. I think they kind of had conversations about it, which is how I was able to come in

Because after Matt, like the drummer and said, he was like, man, we didn't want another player. Like, we didn't want anybody else in the band. This was kind of Jesse's idea in a way. And shout out to Jesse because he's the most loving person. Like, he wanted another keyboard player with him. Right. So the first two years, well, so they called you and you couldn't do it because you just got Fallon. This was almost nine years ago.

Right. And Blackstone came in and they asked him if he knew any of. who could play and sing. And so Black called me. I canceled the rest of my tour. I had like three days left on my tour. I was tired anyway because I was just on that same little carousel. I went to L.A., auditioned for them.

It was my first audition in life, you know? Right. And it was their first audition. Like, they had been a band since eighth grade. So they brought me in the first day I auditioned first. And I could just feel like maybe it was my ignorance of not auditioning before. but they just wanted me to learn Sunday morning I played that and they were like well what else you know

and I was like I know a little bit of what so we started just jamming and it started to feel more like friends I could tell they were the cats they were one of the guys you know and so they had another guy there waiting and they were like we knew already but they just let him audition and they had a second day of auditions that they just canceled and I was they told me the next day and that the rest was history and I guess that next week

is probably when you came in and we actually started rehearsals. What album was that you came in on? So they just had finished this album Hands All Over. So this is before his tenure on reality TV. This is before moves like Jagger.

I always call it post moves like Jagger and pre-moves like Jagger. So was that the record? I mean, I know when Roval, but I don't know the Calais like that. Was Moves Like Jagger the one that really kind of took them to the other? Yes.

That was their comeback period. It was two eras. It was like a shaky period where. So they had this love and heart of the breed. She will be loved. She will, yeah. They were big, right? And then there was like a plateau kind of period.

It was when I came in, I felt like Billy Preston coming in. Right, the Beatles. Yeah. And but then we toured that album, hands all over, which was kind of first record that they did the same way, all writing in the room together. And then I remember when the voice call came in and this song moves like Jagger, and it was kind of a, you know, kind of a, you know, kind of a. conscious effort like, all right, do we want to, you know, be big just here? Or do we want to be big, big? You know, and I think it was a conscious effort to, like, turn a corner.

And that's what moves like Jagger came in. And then we did overexposed, and that was pay phone. And it was like five number ones in a row. Usually are, or was Maroon 5 embrasive of these new shoes that they were about to wear? because usually if you get hits that easy and that, I guess, palatable to America's ears or whatnot, nine times out of ten, people will shy away from that. You know, I've seen about ten artists have something so captain obvious

that is just like, oh, this is going to be it for them. And I'll find that they'll figure out a way to get out of that situation. But with these guys, especially once overexposed happens and stuff like, like was it even hesitancy? Like, what was the feelings of? Okay, well, I'm going to do this reality show and this moment. I think it was hesitant initially just for the show, right? Just because at that time, I guess it moves like, I mean,

the voice was like a Dutch show or something like that, right? And it had been kind of successful. But nobody knew what it was going to be here in the States. So they were like, man, reality TV, you know, we're a band, blah, blah, blah. We don't know. And then that ended up being like a huge blessing for us. Like, we premiered every single on there. That went number one.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah, you got more out of dinner than winners did. Straight up. I always say that the coaches are the winners. It's like a game. It's like they're betting. Yeah. Because they're on there every season.

Yeah, yeah. Who's the Kelly Clarkson of the voice? Who's the big winner? There is no Kelly Clarkson. It was your boy, Noel, what's his name? Who? He came and won, like, the second year. Adam, he was one of Adam's winners.

But he actually had a record out like 10 years before that. I forget him. I know who you're talking about. Yeah. He can eat a peach for hours. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, Navelle. Novel was a voice guy?

Yeah, he won the voice like second year, I think. Yeah. Ramos Shaw. Javier. Jolavier. It was Javier. Kallon. Havier.

Wait. He won. But I know who you're talking about. Yeah. And Javier had a record out before. Yes. Oh, this is, okay, I'm going to figure it out. Okay.

I didn't know it because I know that the E.E. Pete's for hour dude toured with us. He was on Raucas. He was on Raucus. Smokey Robinson. Novel, yeah. Novel, yeah. Yeah, but I think at least, I mean, for sure.

For, for Adam and Blake, it really, like, put a, you know, a battery in our backs. It's the only reason why I didn't know who Blake should be. Yeah, I remember Adam saying who was going to be on the show that first season was Celo, Christina, him, and Blake. And I remember us calling him the country guy because we didn't know, you know, he was like, there's some country guy. And then, but a year later, Blake. I mean, and he was already huge in that world, but we just didn't know. Kind of a natural fit for television. Yeah.

Yeah. When's the first? He actually, I think after sitting in with us, Adam sat in. with us on a particular day that whoever is the showrunner or the voice happened to be at 30 Rock. And saw it and was like, oh, this guy is charismatic, whatever. And then at the commercial break,

that's when they actually pissed it. I think it was great for him because that was the thing. Nobody knew his personality. And he is a cool, fun person. So it was kind of a perfect fit for TV. And there's just something to be said about being in, people's houses like three times a week at night. How many years now?

The voice is a three times a week show? Yeah, once they get into those live shows and the competition and the, it's a lot of, you know what I'm saying? And that's just, I mean, even if you're there, I mean, think of a Cosby show, even if it's one week, one day a week, you know what I'm saying? You start to know those people and it just really helped. Because now as being an artist, you know, it goes way beyond the music. It's like, oh, I like him.

so I'm going to support. So they started to feel like they knew Adam in a different way, you know. My mom knows him now, so that's how I know it's official. Yeah, I bought my wife a car, and this guy who was selling me the car was like, oh, the voice. Oh, that's like when you say, the Roots, the Tonight Show. Hey, Roots, come over here. Hey, Roots.

Yeah, my name is Roots. Hey, Roots. So how does that work in terms of, I mean, in terms of your life? Because, you know, you're part of this, you know, huge band. but you also just you like are you able to still like go to the grocery store and just in peace? Yeah, I think that's one of the benefits. I mean, well, now I'm, you know, I've started to have my own thing because of my records and stuff and some of the stuff is happening. But I think one of the coolest parts about like Mickey, you know, the bass player is they've been equal partners for years, you know, like I said since eighth grade and he can walk anywhere.

You know what I love it. So have the same life. But not the fame. There's something to that that's kind of cool. Me being the only black guy, I think James Longhair guy, and then me black guy, they're like, okay. You know what I'm saying? You're a black guy, brooms? Yeah, yeah.

But I think that's kind of a, I know he enjoys that, you know what I'm saying, because he's got that same life. But for me, it's not as bad, not unless we go to, like, South America or something. Really? They really know you, Asia, you know, and they're like, oh, I'm waiting for PJ. How, okay, so how are you able to split, how are you guys able to divide Adam voice time with Maroon 5 studio and recording time? And PJ Martin, studio recording, songwriting, producing time. It took me a minute, so maybe the first couple years, I just was trying to figure out how to be in Maroon 5, you know? So how long, just, how long have you been in the band at this point?

Nine years. In July, yeah. Okay, got you. So that first I just had to figure it out, and I wasn't doing anything solo. Like I said, when they called me, I felt like it was a prayer being answered because I was burnt, I was kind of burnt out, you know what I'm saying? So I'm like, it's cool for, I don't want to focus on me for a while. So that first little while was just like me just being in the band.

And then, but when I started to get back into my stuff, I signed a young money like my second year being in Maroon 5. And that's when I... I was going to ask, how are those baby checks? Just that smile right there tells me, he got stories. No, my, go ahead, finish. I'd never see the baby check. I knew this.

Anyway. So when I started to get him to my artist thing, the voice came, right? And it was kind of a help. Because then on our calendar, I could see, like, oh, he's got live shows right here. He's taping right here. So it kind of allowed me to, like, do my stuff in these gaps. I mean, it made me busier than everybody, but I just used those gaps. So a hiatus here, a hiatus there.

We're going to take three weeks off here. Because, like, before the voice, rehearsals would be called just out of the blue. Like, hey, y'all, let's rehearse. You know what I'm saying? But then when the voice came, it was like everything started to be structured a little bit more. Because it had to be. So I could plan stuff, yeah. Hey, can you describe, did you have a relationship at all with Jordan?

Yeah, I did, yeah. What was he like? Jordan is Jonah Hill's brother who used to manage Maroon 5 and passed away. Yeah. Jordan was so, so Jordan has been their manager since the beginning. And they probably could tell this story better. But the reason he, what separated him, because he was a young man, he's probably just a year older than them. he bought the whole band cell phones.

He was like, if you let me manage, I buy y'all cell phones. That was his pitch. And literally, until I was in the band, until Jordan passed away, we got new phones. Every time a new phone came out, so I think that became a tradition.

I got a good call on his management. But Jordan was a, like a kind of a silent genius. He was. Yeah, he, he, when I talked to him about strategy, when he started to talk to talk to him about strategy, When he started to talk to me about strategy and how he would roll out things, kind of blew my mind, you know. But he was very quiet.

He wasn't the buddy buddy manager, even though he was a year older. He was like not buddy buddy, buddy. It was like business, you know what I'm saying? Which is kind of, you know, whatever it was. I had to get used to that part and understand who Jordan was in that way. But, man, he was a silent killer, man, you know, and his planning. I saw how his brain worked like one time when he, we were talking about my stuff, and he was saying how he saw.

And I was just like, oh, that's why you're Jordan Feldstein. Like, I get it now. Like you're, yeah. Yeah, that was a loss, man. Yeah, big time. It was a cool cat, man. Big time. He was a cool cat.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm 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 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 2, 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 IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Wodom. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, 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.

So with where you are now in your career, And, you know, I'm really curious on the moves that you make because me also being a multitasker in different things. Should your situation elevate, do you still see it as a way where you can do both at the same time? Yeah, I mean, and we kind of had that. So when I signed a Young Money and when that record came out. And what year was that? Was that? That record came out 2013.

13, okay. And they let me open up a tour. They let me open up. It was me opening up with my soul band. And then Kelly Clarkson and then Maroon. And then we went to Europe and it was me, Robin Thick, and Maroon. And Adam told me in the beginning, like, bro, if you get as big as us, then we'll just have to co-head line or something. Wow.

So the support is there. Now you just can't leave. You're just saying for that thing, you for life. Yeah. No, but I don't see a reason. Like, I don't feel a need to leave just because I think people leave for not being appreciated, right? And they show me, like, we support you. Like, the whole joke this time around at the Grammys was PJ's up for three Grammys, Maroons up for one.

You know what I'm saying? But that was a joke in the chat. Like, at least PJ can win a Grammy around here, you know what I'm saying? Have they won a Grammy yet? Yeah, they won three early on. Okay. and Grammys really liked songs about Jane, that era. Right, right.

Yeah, but once it got more... Oh, you mean early? Okay. Yeah, I mean, best new artists, they beat Kanye for best new artists. Right. But, like, so early on, but I think the support is there. And if the schedule remains, like, because to be honest, we've started to tour less for the same amount. You know what I'm saying?

Like, have the same impact. That way they miss you. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So I toured more than Maroon did last. year. You know what I'm saying? I went all around the world and Maroon we did like two U.S. runs last year. So it's allowed me to get my space. So there definitely have been a couple conflicts in the past where I had to pass up some big things that I thought. But in

the grand scheme of things, it's just it hasn't seemed worth it to me yet to like have to leave. I'm cool, you know. Yeah. I like both. Just to rewind a little bit, can we talk a little bit about Was there an adjustment period for you when you joined the band? Because, like, you're coming into a unit that's been, like, that's already formed, you know? Been together forever. Yeah. No, there was. There was.

What was cool. That's why I kind of liked when the voice happened and moves like Jagger happened. Because up until then, like the two, the first two years, I felt like the outsider and a little, you know, everything. Because they had done all of this stuff. I'm hype. I'm like, oh, shoot, my first, blah, blah, blah. But then after. like, yeah, oh, cool, that's so cute, PJ, you like, you like that, huh?

It's been a Hanas. Yeah, it was like, oh, look at PJ, enjoying. But after Jagger and the voice, it was new to everybody. Like, everything was new. It was like, oh, dang, five number one. They had had, you know, like, hot AC number ones, a lot, you know, was used to that. But, like, a hot 100, you know, like, real number one. it's a whole different thing

and we started to see so then we became closer because we were experiencing all this stuff it was all together you know what I'm saying but musically because I was curious in that way with Bill asked

I'm like musically did you always feel comfortable giving your full self were you like okay I'm at a job I know what they expected me I'm not going to give them all this church that's not what I was getting at but go ahead

no I was coming off of your question that's what I was just starting with your thing I was expanding but was there a period for that too like when you felt like, all right, or did you always just feel like, this is me, and I'm going to just be me,

and I'm going to do it. I think with anything, my, my take was always, what do I bring to the table, you know? It wasn't a, it wasn't a selfish thing of like,

I want to, I want to make sure I put PJ in there somewhere. No, I was just wondering, because of your background, it might be different than theirs, especially musically because of that church background, like when that came into effect.

I think what I started to, what I started to realize was there was, like, less different about us. Like they listen to whatever rock music that was going, right? But then I didn't, I hadn't listened to a lot of that stuff. I mean, I was a big Beatles guy, big James Taylor guy. So I had listened to a lot of music.

But what I realized was that, that's what I'm saying, that first audition, I was like, oh, we're kind of the same. Y'all just clicked. They could play. Like Adam can play. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Those guys can play. So I just felt like, oh, it's just musicians.

Kind of got to say, I didn't know that he was a shredder. Yeah. Well, I'm saying all that was new to me once. I was a fan of this love and all of that stuff, right? I watched TRL when I, you know what I'm saying? I was a fan and still, and I knew the music was cool like those diminished chords, but I'm like, okay, but this is a pop record, you know. But when I got in that room, I'm like, oh, this is like what I'm used to.

This is like the homies. We can all play, so, you know. And so there wasn't a big. big adjustment. They had a B3 for me there, you know what I'm saying? I was doing what I do and I related to that stuff. I think with Maroon, because so they were a punk rock

band initially called Caras Flowers and then they added another member, became five after they had listened to Stevie Wonder and kind of said, okay, I'm going to mix all of this stuff and, you know, their version of mixing it, Tim Lennon and Missy, Stevie

and all this rock stuff that we grew up with, right? So when I hear Maroon, I hear more of the soul stuff, the side, that side, and they probably hear it a different way, but for me, it was like, it translated to me, you know? It was meant to be. Yeah. So how

are songs written? Is it jam sessions? Is it sound check? Is it? Yeah. That was before I got there, really, like the jam sessions, the together thing. It became a little more of a machine. Of a business right?

Yeah, uh-huh. post Jagger That's what we call I'm just saying A joint like Girl like you Whatever

Like is it like Were y'all jamming one day And then say hey let's do that Or was it like a song That someone written Yeah that came in That came in From a songwriter

And we We kind of just put our thing on it And Adam usually writes lyrics With those people Okay What about like wait The jam wait

How did that one Same came in Yeah I love weight too Wait That shit haul I like that joint. That's the only joint I could do this, too.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, exactly. Right. So, okay, I'm going to go there. All right. Yeah, let's go. Let's get it. Come on, man.

I'm ready. Well, then, start it. Where are we going? Well, I didn't know what angle you was going for, but I was just going to say that I would like to have seen you more on that Super Bowl stage. I told him that when I saw him in person. I was like, you were the only black man. They didn't really show too much of.

But that's not what your point was. new. So wherever you was going to go with your Super Bowl quote, you know, it sounded like his mama or something. I felt like that. Because for me, I was like, PJ's going to be on the Super Bowl halftime show. Now I ain't supposed to be watching this shit, but PJ is doing it, so I'm going to watch it.

Right. So that's when I was like, well, wait, where he at? Oh, wait, is that an orange hat? Wait, right, uh, uh, uh. Yeah. How how nervous? I mean, I'm certain that, you know, it's, it's hard to, you know, to, uh, ignore, you know, whatever is social media, dictates, but how nervous

were you guys are worried about rocking the boat with the unpopular decision of doing the halftime show? There were a bunch of phases of it, right?

Like my initial, I remember when, and these were hardly my decisions, right? I know the position you are in the end of it. Yeah, I was going to be rocking. I was going to be back there playing my keyboard. You know what I'm saying? But there were phases.

Like, I remember the initial, when Adam told me, FaceTime me and say, bro, we got the Super Bowl, I was like, I've been won the Super Bowl my whole life. Yeah, it's everyone's dream. You know what I'm saying? So that was my initial thing. Then I say, ah, I wish it wasn't this season. Right.

You know what I'm saying? How much time in between those two thoughts? How much time in between those two thoughts? No, that was probably like the next day where I was like, oh, shoot. Okay. But that. And then, so. Then there was the phase of like, man, I don't think we should do it.

You know, once the soft announcement came, the leak, whatever that was, once that came and I saw, I'm like, man, it's not worth it. We got a great career, blah, blah, blah. So we went there. Then the petition came. There was a petition? There was a petition for us not to play. Oh, wait, not even the artist saying they won't play, just petitioning in Maroon 5.

Yeah, I got thoughts on the artist saying they wouldn't play. I don't know. He's going at PJ. Yes. I'm going to back you up on that, but go ahead. I don't know that as many artists were presented the opportunity. Exactly. So just Rihanna.

Of course, you would say no if you're not. Right. It's easy to boycott fucking Gucci when you can't afford it. Yeah. So I can't really speak on that part. But there was a petition for us not to play. And that's when I turn, right? Because this is me.

So I'm a cap supporter. Right? I didn't watch football all season. and why my saints was bawling out on everybody. That's Kaepernick from some of you people. And I love. Ooh, you're a saints, man. Yes.

You hate L.A. right now, don't you. I hate L.A. I'm like, look, L.A., like, so Maroon and all the other people, L.A., they were apologizing me. I felt bad for them because they were in a position. Like, what are you going to do? Yeah. Overturn that. Y'all got gag.

You got gag, man. Yeah, we did. But so I didn't watch for a buck. Yeah. That's what James would say. I'm still mad at each other. So when the petition came, I'm like, so I'm boycotting football, right? Like for Cap.

First, Cap isn't telling me anything. I'm not hearing anything from Cap, like as leadership, right? And I'm looking. So when Eric Reed gets signed to the Panthers, I'm like, all right, what are we doing? Are we happy about this? Eric Reed was the guy who kneeled next to him Right, right On the 49ers

And also got black ball Right, I remember that, yeah But was a superstar right And needed to be playing football Signed to the Panthers And so then I started getting confused On the cherry picking of Okay, so he can work

He can play for the NFL And support Cap But I can't But I can't play one game And support Cap And also, also, we're boycotting so Cap can play for this corporation that you don't want me to play for. Yeah, y'all need to find a goddamn agenda. So I'm saying, right, right.

And so, like, certain things, you know. I mean, it was just like a lot of cherry picking, right? So, like, you know, people saying they're not playing the Super Bowl, but then they play Super Bowl parties. Right. Or they do Super Bowl commercials or, like. So I'm like, okay. And then even Jay asking Travis not to perform, but then Chloe and Halley perform.

Right. And it's in the Will House. Whoa. So I'm like, so. They did great. They did great, by the way. They really did good. I didn't want to watch God after.

Was Jay trying to get y'all not the place so he could get Rita or on the bill or something? No, him like Travis Scott. He didn't want Travis. They did they. They did they do with each other? This niggas said, Rita Orr. And she's still signed the Rock Nation,

I ain't never heard of saying. If I would know. I think she got out of it. Well, I still have no idea what she does. But anyway, so that's when I started to feel like, hey, love everybody, but like also forget everybody. You know what I'm saying? Because ultimately, and this is what I felt like, because I think it's about disruption, right?

What would actually disrupt? It's not me not playing the Super Bowl. Because if we say no, then somebody else is going to come and play. And it's going to, like, even the, like, the, like, the, closest thing I can like compare it to was that Trump inauguration thing, right?

And we don't really, yeah, exactly with Cressette and she, you know, but but but she fucked though. She, yeah, she is. But what, my my point is, you don't remember who turned it down. They're, they're not remember. Right? It's to please a certain group of people

which I didn't agree. I wouldn't have, I wouldn't have, I wouldn't have played the Trump inauguration. But what I'm saying is you don't remember those people. So why not just have that platform and be able to speak as loud as I can to anything? So let me just ask. Side note. Side note.

Yes. That particular aforementioned person wants to come on QLS. Oh, wow. It'd be a good conversation. We've got some good conversations. Rita Or? Yeah, no. Chris.

No, Nick. You didn't have to say that. Oh, sorry. But wait, so let me ask you this then. Because we know that we didn't get the. press conference that we usually get because whatever, we didn't want to be asked the questions. And we know that in that press release, it was like

Maroon Fibb is going to give, we're going to show you what we're going to do in our performance. So my question was, as watching that performance, is, is that gospel and that Travis? Is that what y'all showing me? Is that how you feel? Is the gospel and the Travis got, like the, we gave y'all how we feel? I'm not sure. I didn't see that interview or whatever it was. It was a press release. Instead of

them actually, instead of them actually, instead of y'all actually doing the press conference, which most have time. Was that supposed to? Yeah. And the last It's the first time a band hasn't done a press conference. Okay. I didn't know that one. So they sent out a press release and basically it read in summation that we are going to show you through our performance how we feel. Well, I think the group's position was we're just going to play music, you know?

Like we can't get caught up. And also, I think that is just to feel woke, you know what I'm saying, but not actually be woke. It's performative. It's called performative. But that's what I felt like when I watched the gospel choir. I'm doing that. Well, no, I think that's what he wanted to do. I think that's just what he wanted to do as a performance.

I don't think that was a statement or anything. Because, you know, we would think it would be a statement if he didn't make a statement. He said the statement was going to be on stage. So I'm looking at the stage, like, so rapping, rapper and gospel choir. And I barely see PJ. That's all right. That's a statement. I think there was a director of cameraman thing, not like the band.

Yeah, I keep throwing that in. I was feeling some type of way. No, I feel you. Listen. Yeah, I got you. A cut of rehearsal that I saw. I was showing a little bit more. So I was surprised when I looked back.

I was like, oh, word. Like, you saw my hat. But listen, I played the Super Bowl. You did. Bottom fucking line. Nigger, I played the Super Bowl. That's my bucket list. Can we all admit that the NFL is worse than crack?

Because niggas just can't quit it no matter what it do to them? No, it's how I feel. Go ahead. Go ahead. Well, for me, I think the NFL is something that it's going to be. be, it's going to be interesting to see how it develops over the next 10, 15 years, because what's happening is you're not seeing a lot of kids playing football no more. Like, even like with my kids.

Yeah, I kind of held my son. You're watching video games. Yeah, yeah. Basketball and baseball and baseball, that's it. And really more, even more so basketball. Yeah, because baseball for a black man is hard. Yeah, baseball. I mean, basketball is like social.

So it's like, you know, they want to, you know, they can put their shit up on IG or whatever. Like, my sons, they love fucking basketball. But football, like, that's like some kind of. like barbaric shit. I feel it. It would be, I mean, not for nothing. I see what you're saying,

like it might die because it's barbaric, but not because it just treat niggas like we don't give a fuck about you. No, no, I think. This generation is going to have to die out a little bit. I think, I think it's less about that, to be honest. I know, it is. Yeah.

It's less about what I'm saying. Because I don't think it's, because I guess it's a black people. Because how many times do they have to tell you, you don't matter to me? Like, I don't know. They do it in so many different ways. You can't even own a team, nigga.

You don't matter. Is it a place anywhere that niggas matter, though? I mean, at least they fake it about them. They fake it than the NBA a little better. Faker is maybe worse, though. I don't know. I mean, I want, did I'm say more for that than the NBA? I mean, NBA had the same situation with the old boy from Sacramento.

Oh, yeah, yeah. The coach. The owner. I mean, the owner, you're right. I'm sorry, the owner. I think the NBA, they do a good job as far as even just dealing with them in the office. Even Chris Paul and like the people who, the Bron. Like, it's just a different man.

My thing is just, like, when I see niggas get on that shit, I'm just like, look, man, you motherfuckers live your life and let me live mine. Like, don't speak for other motherfuckers because you don't know what they're putting up. So you asking P.J. Morton and Moon 5, don't play the Super Bowl. You don't know what this band is doing

with his Super Bowl check. You don't know how many other people he's supporting. You don't know what the fuck they're doing. We ain't never going to have a revolution with that way of thought. I just going to tell you that right. What revolution? I mean, or just any type of different thought. Well, this is the thing. Revolution.

So revolution. So revolution. In your bank account, nigga. So my thing is petition all the players. Nigger. Petition all the players to not play. And then we don't have an NFL. And we don't have a Super Bowl.

But again, it goes back to my point of NFL is worse than crack. It's an addiction. And who's going to do that? It's not an addiction. Those guys are doing a job. They're doing a job. And they get paid in the higher three, they get paid the least. So it is that too.

It's like the injuries to pay with the NFL versus the MLB and the fucking And NBA, it's just totally different game. The money game is different. No, it is. The injury game is different. No, no, no. And the treatment is different. I mean, NBA, if you get hurt, you're going to sit on that bench and still collect your check.

I get that part. But sometimes that's when I heard somebody talk about it and they talk about the injuries, even I think my boy from Oakland. But when he was like, but if this is my shot to take care of my family and do all of this. So how do you fight? Let me do that. Again, how do you fight that? How do you can? I tell you how you do.

you blame a room five and say y'all shouldn't play the halftime show you know what I'm saying? Because you don't have it in you to be like don't play football don't do your job don't feed your kids so hey big band that's playing the halftime show for 12 minutes y'all be the ones to disrupt this whole thing and and boycott you know what advertisers paying all this money to put an ad in the show we're not going to boycott you but we'll boycott yeah like y'all niggas ain't talking about i'm rocking pepsies yeah you damn you motherfuckers ain't boycotting to Whatever we decide to boycott is going to be hard. No, no, no, we are never boycotting Tilinti.

I don't know what they do. Wait, what is it? I don't care if Tilinti own slaves now. We are not boycotting Tilin Tlinti. I don't know what. It's like, it's like the ice cream. Oh, the expensive shit and the clear thing with the brown top. Oh, Tillenti?

Yeah. I don't know that's what it was called. Me neither. I never knew how to you pronounced it. Oh, the fancy with the, with the kids on? Yeah. Hey, nigga, that's southern butter Pecan is hard-dody.

That vanilla, that's a he'sha vanilla. Yeah, the he's vanilla, the damn thing. You're right at home. We're going to protestant. I pray they don't do nothing wrong. Yeah, no, it's, listen, I guess my thing is just like, look, we live in America. This America was founded by racist white people

that felt like you niggas ain't shit work for us. So anything you do, any industry you work in, whatever you do, it goes back to that original sin. So ask the niggas the boycott, no, shit. Look, nigga. Like, look. Don't never boycott.

But see, that's the thing. I was in a weird position because I was boycotting and still didn't know what to do. And you still didn't call you. He still didn't say like, yo. Listen, when Eric Reid signed to the Panthers, I'm like. It was kind of over. I'm like, what are we doing? Does Colin still want to?

He still want to play that. Apparently, every time it comes out that they say he doesn't really want to play, I see people come out. My buddy, Sean King, saying that is not true. He wants to play. He's working out every day. Wow. So I, to be honest with you, I'm kind of confused.

You know what I'm saying? Like, genuinely, as a supporter of the movement, I didn't know where to go. And I'm like, what are we doing? There's no leadership in the movement. Eric Reese's playing. We congratulate that. I saw people congratulate him for making a stand and coming back. And he still kneels every game.

Yeah. I'm not confused. There's no disruption, really. Yeah. You know? I mean, Cap is the face of the movement. And, you know, so. So people aren't going to be happy until the face has got a job.

I know, but what I'm saying is, Capp, tell me what to do after Eric Reed gets signed. Like, what do we? Yeah, he did need to say. He needs to say. Or somebody, there's no, there's a lack of leadership there. And I'm saying that as a supporter. Like, that was, that's why I got offended because I'm like, oh, you're petitioning me?

I bet you've been watching football every week. I've been sacrificing not watching football and you want to petition me. Right. You know what I'm saying? So, it was a little weird. Let us not forget. It ain't all about him neither because it was all about what he was really known for. which was protection of our lives.

Which we got past that, right? So what I'm saying is, but what I'm saying is I could do my job and be against police brutality and be against and before peacefully protesting. Yes. I can support. I can do both of those things. I contain multitudes, nigger. Very true.

I can do all that shit at the same damn time. It's very true. Yeah. So PJ. This wouldn't even be an issue if everybody just logged off social media. Bro. It's true. That's, I'm waiting.

I'm waiting. You know what, girl. Yeah. We, ah, damn, can we, can we have a chance? Can I do this? No, you can't do it. You can't do it. You're too addicted.

You are too addicted. You are very much to sell. Oh, have you seen your stories? I've been having that join for like an hour. Excuse me. Challenge accepted. Shal on. So what we really saying.

What we're saying? I'm saying your stories be like Michael makes the movie. What we're saying is, if someone dies, someone got to teach the babies? So what we're saying is that you're going to know how important Rodney Allen Rippy he was. Not that. Not that. This is what you're saying is you're not going to be on social media until this episode airs. Is that what you're saying? I don't think he can afford to do that. Or you're going to wait until this episode. Where I always hit the brick wall, like when I was working on an album, I did like a month and all of that.

When it's time to, I guess you could get your people to, it doesn't feel the same though. I'll tell you this much. I only do it really, a majority of my interaction is during the show. when I'm bored. First of all, edit. Wait, edit. Edit. Edit. Part of the problem with social media is just having access to people's thoughts all the time.

Sure. That shit is in your pocket. That's real. And just be digging in your pocket at all the time, just reading some random motherfucker things. Any time of the day. That's not healthy. You don't need that shit in your life. You don't.

You don't. Like there's like a psychological. I think like some scientists like broke this paper. It's like basically like we only have the. capacity, I think. It's something around like, it's like 30 to 50 people. That's like the most that your brain can handle. It's not even that.

It's just most people are just full of shit. And you give them a platform where they can say whatever the fuck they want. Is there an option to freeze our accounts? You can deactivate? No, he ain't. Man, don't you dead. You can just be off. Just erase it off your phone. Is there a freeze option? No, you don't have to do anything. It doesn't go away.

Can I go on a diet, a social diet? Here's what you do. Just delete the app from your phone. and don't log on your computer. Yeah, but then who's going to... Sure, and that will take over, man. I want this to be, I want this to be a QLS challenge. Dude, it's not going to happen.

Let's see if we could do it for a month. We should have it. I'm like two months deep already, so... I don't have any friends in the real world. I can do it. Usually... Yeah, Steve is going to die. Usually when I get in trouble... Usually when I get in trouble, I can freeze...

You can tell when Amir is in trouble, then usually you don't see a post for me. me from like a week and two, I gotta make sure the coast is clear. So. I don't think Fonty could quit Twitter. I don't think he could do it. I mean, listen, I want to quit all this shit.

Yeah. But I got a, I got shit out of sale. So like my sign of wealth is- You ain't got to interact with everybody. That is a way of fast. I don't interact as much as I used to for the very reason that you miss it. Well, none of us do.

Like, we've all slowed down significantly. Yeah, yeah. Because sugar networks picking up still. We're a year old. Wait, wait, this leads back to the very beginning of the show. I saw something very weird on the sugar network yesterday. Was I singing Barry Manilow again? No, I'm just saying that it was snowing.

No, this one time, not even yesterday, but back in February. Great, great work. Right. One of the Sugar Network dudes Was out I swear to again It was cold as hell It was icy

It was cold It was like sleep It was Robbie Outside And like He opted to do His own network Under your network or whatever

It was Robbie I think Wait you're really in the network Yeah Robbie de Rillis Is it Robbie de Rillis right Yeah I don't know if that's what you're talking about But can he just continue to tell the It's crazy than the porn hug Lago name

Nigger. I didn't even know that you knew. Made him come twice. I'd be appreciating the Sugar Seed Network. They come and see me. No, that's what. I realized that when he'd rather stand outside in like 20 degree freezing weather, instead of staying inside the warm where, you know.

Oh, Shakenheimer. You're talking about Shakenheimer. Yeah. Yeah. Like, that's what I knew that this is bad. People on the Sugar Network will work. walk to the ends of the frozen earth for Sugar Steve. That's what...

I love it. Man's got... This is beautiful. Okay, my closing question, PJ, what are you what are your future players for... Wait, blah, blah, blah, blah. Before anything. Yeah. What was it like

where you're going with your hero, Steve, you wonder? Man. So, like I said, I worked with him on a young money album. Right. But that was kind of like... I have so much young money questions to ask you. So just real,

Young money wasn't as random as it seemed. Young money. Not cash money. It's Wayne's label. It's the same. Yeah. All my, everything had any issues? You're still dealing with baby and slim.

We don't thought Defro East. So MacMaine, the president. Right. We went to high school together. MacMane's the president? Of Young Money. I didn't know that. Yeah.

Okay. And was all throughout that whole Drake, Nicky. Wow. Good for him. But we went to high school together. and so he was like a fan of mine and when Wayne was locked up when we started to talk about it and he just got out but I think they were

in a way kind of trying to open it up you know what I'm saying and make it some prestige exactly right you know they were trying to diversify and so I was in an effort to do that and I managed to release an album in a year and shit you got an album out for Mac Man dear before for a lot of people

people to be honest. Yeah. Weren't Tina Marie's last two albums on Cash money? Cash money. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Anyways, I don't remember why I went back to Young Money. Oh, Stevie.

So that song, but we didn't really connect then. It felt really real this time Christmas when I did his show, because I really played with him. Oh, you did the toy opening? Yeah, but we like actually- We never got invited to that. Sorry. We actually sang and I played on his piano. on his piano. He was on the road, on the, on the keyboard. And it's just, I mean, he's literally

the reason I'm doing it, you know, the reason I wanted to do this. I hear the licks. Right. And so, you know, I used to kind of like shy away from the Stevie and me, right? Because I didn't want people to be like, yo, he's trying, he's trying to copy Stevie. But I listen. I went on a, I was obsessive when I was 13. And I would go to the circuit city and buy in chronological. order every CD, every Stevie CD a week. Every reissue. Yeah. So I went.

What's your favorite? Shout out to guitar for all those reissues. Or should I just give you three? Is it easy to go top three? Yeah, what intervition, music in my mind. Did I ain't had anything with the classics? Where I'm coming from, probably. But so I was listening, and this is before I was writing any songs, before I was really,

really playing. And then once I started to write, I just started, I was doing stuff like Stevie. But for years, I kind of tried to mute that a little bit. this last run is when I was just like, man, I'm going to just do what I feel. You know, and I think that authentic me is part of the reason why, you know, things, things started to look up this time around. And then when Stevie gave me a stamp of approval, Stevie just told me he wished he wrote my song first began. Well, they play it crazy on his station too.

Yeah, they've always supported it. Yeah. But when I played it, he walked up to me, he was like, man, I wish I wrote that song. So when Stevie, and then being on my record, you know, he's not on a lot of people's records, you know. So when he gave me the stamp, I was like, I don't care about these other people. I'm just be me. I'm his son in a way, you know, it's no different than. You went India.

Yeah. It's like you're in India. Speaking of Stevie on other people's records, I heard a rumor that if you ask Stevie to just play harmonical on a record, he'll do it. No questions asked just because he wants to hear more harmonical on the radio. Does he know if that's true? That is true. Maybe. Maybe.

Because he played harmonica on my record. He didn't sing. So maybe so. Yeah, if you want to know a funny story, you got to look up, Rick James speaking about Mr. Policeman, the last song on site, one of street songs, and cursing out Stevie Wonder over the harmonica solo. Oh, boy. Very hilarious story there. So now I'm going to ask, what is your 2019 plans, your goals?

Well, I moved back to New Orleans like three years ago. ago and like I tell you about the Buddy Bowden House, but also I started Morton Records. And it's kind of because I saw the same music business infrastructure that didn't exist when I was there and the reason I had to leave was still kind of there. And so I've started to focus on that, focus on some New Orleans talent and some outside. My background singers, though, Moore's about to put out a record on them. Oh, nice. Okay. Yeah. So a lot of it is me focusing on some acts outside of me. There's this rapper 3D-9T.

in New Orleans, too, that I'm about to do a record on. And, yeah. So, and I'm going to do another record this year. But that's my main focus, it's trying to get more than records. I mean, shoot, my little indie labels got a Grammy already. You know what I'm saying? We did already. Yeah, so I was just trying to keep that going and really build the city.

I'm about to open up this compound in New Orleans, gumbo studios, and, you know, it's going to be a couple of rehearsal studios in there. Nice. When is that? Because we need to do some New Orleans shows. I would just say quick New York. Come on Supreme of New Orleans. I don't know when this is, but whenever y'all come, hit me up.

Oh, it's open already. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Maybe. I got, okay. Has New Orleans recovered? That was weird.

Has New Orleans totally recovered from its post-Katrina? I think it's just turning that corner right now. Like, I feel like it's. 13 years. 13 years. I think it's just starting to, because part of the thing that makes New Orleans is like the people, the energy from the people, right? And so the people were gone for so long that I, and it was just shell shock. Like, it's hard to explain that experience, like, of having to leave your whole city and seeing everybody gone.

I think there wasn't enough attention on the mental aspect of that. Yeah, that's trauma, man. That's trouble, my little sister, like, in her senior year in high school, having to go to. Atlanta and go to another school and leave all her friends and then want to go home to New Orleans so bad that she goes back and her friends aren't even there. So then she finj it. It's trauma, man, you know. But now I feel like it's just starting to turn the corner and we're getting back to us.

It feels like that now, you know. Wow. Yeah. Crazy. Well, you know, here's to you rebuilding the city and bringing it back. Trying to do my little part. All right. That's all you can do.

All right, brother Morton, we thank you for coming on the show. Yeah. Thank you, y'all. Thank you, congratulations, man. Like, I just from you, man, I've seen your grind. Like, I seen, I mean, like I said, you know, 10 years ago, that was my first heard of you. So just salute to you, man, just in what you, just the way you've been able to move. Thank you, man.

Just going from, like, I know how hard it is, you know, to reinvent yourself and do, like, so. No doubt. No, brother. Just respect, salute to you, man. Much love, man. Thank you, man. Appreciate that. And thank you for going back home because if more artists went back home to their hometowns and built it up.

and, you know, we have some better cities. We build it up. Build it up. Build it up. Build it up. Baked it up. Bacon and gambled. Damn. See, the song that came to my mind was, we built this city. Oh, God.

I can do that too. On rocking. Oh, God. All right. I'm back. I grew up in Indiana. I'm sorry. Ain't no time to play.

And build it up. And build it up. And now we're solid. Anyway, one of behalf of it's solid. Leigh-I and Fonte and Sugar Steve and Boss Bill and unpaid Bill somewhere, Chilwood, Grover smoking a slip on Sesame Street, cussing up a store. PJ Martin, thank you very much for coming on the show. Yes, sir.

And we will see you on the next go-round of Quest Love Supreme. Quest Love Supreme is a production of I-Heart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. For more podcasts from I-HeartRadio, visit the I-Heart 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 Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

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