Cordae Shares The Greatest Financial Advice From J. Cole, Talks Gunna in Jail and Giving a TED Talk

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Shannon new customers can bet just $5 on. anything and get $200 instantly in bonus. bets only draft King sports book with. code Shannon the crown is yours how do. you know how many blessings to hand out. cuz sometimes you know they can think. you a God Like fig and just like the. blessings are unlimited I got great. advice from J Cole from that okay you. done borrow from the bank if you ain't. pay off your loan whatever the case may. be you in the 500s now all my life. grinding all my life sacrifice hle price.

want a slice got the roll a dice that's. why all my life i' been grinding all my. life all my life been grinding all my. life sacrifice hustle P the price want a. slice got the roll a dice that's why all. my life I've been grinding on my. life hello welcome to another edition of. Club Shay I am your host Shannon sharp. I'm also the proprietor of Club Shay and. the guy that's stopping by for. conversation on the drink today is a. three-time Grammy nominated artist the. next time he's nominated he's going to.

win gold selling artist rapper singer. songwriter businessman cord what's up. how you I'm good bro thanks for stopping. by the shop man appreciate you having me. huh uh you was born in North Carolina. yeah raised in Maryland yes sir what was. what's the cord give me a story cord. upbringing okay so I was raised um early. like I said born in North Carolina like. you said more so um raised by my. grandmother a lot Mom and Grandma um. very yes ma'am no ma'am yes sir yes no.

sir I got whoop with the switch on like. okay go out there in the back y'all pick. out your switch you getting whoop with. the I said this rap bar I was like uh. Grandma used to whoop a [ __ ] with. switches that was way before the. switches you know whatever but um yeah. very you know uh Southern Hospitality. very Southern um didn't really like have. too much growing up you know not like. really on no war was me type of stuff. but just you know how it is a lot of. times uh my mom had me she was super. young she was 16 years old when she had. me and so um so I'm assuming you're the.

oldest yeah I'm the eldest yeah I'm the. eldest and um my nickname was man cuz I. was the man at the house like my grandma. and my mom and then my little Auntie or. well she like not little Auntie but she. was young at the time Auntie so I was. like the man at the house so my nickname. was man right and um I moved to South. Carolina Liv uh out in Florence South. Carolina for a little bit and then I. moved to Maryland and uh lived in suland. Maryland and um I still got it when I. moved out in Maryland people like man. you sound countryes M boy like for real. real and um I was in fifth grade at that.

time so my bad I'm going step by step. but um but Maryland it was like a a not. a culture shock but it was more so like. oh go go like learning about new things. so I became acclimated so like Maryland. is like home now cuz I I was Maryland is. really what made me who I am but still. going back you know to the Carolinas for. the summer to visit my grandmother my. dad my family on that side and stuff so. um yeah but like Maryland like Maryland. really helped me come not even help me.

but like made me who I am like Made Me. Love Like sneakers like live music. because of goo um and more so in the. South it's like you live in like a. trailer or like we it wasn't just. straight trailers but you get what I'm. saying versus Maryland it's like. neighborhoods and buildings so right by. DC so I'm sure Maron is is the country. too the South too because I think it. falls below the Mason dick yeah so. anything. considered it's technically the South. but it's more if you know it's like up. north Vibe cuz it's like DC it's still a.

City Vibe more so cuz it's DC right. there uh like New York y' y'all don't. want to be label country huh no I'm it's. not the country I would say that for. sure it's not the country I would say. it's not the country but I'm list I'm. looking at you and I'm reading your. story and you uh raised by your. grandmother and your mom uh in a trailer. park uh sometimes 15 people in and out. no cable no Internet so you had a pretty. rough upbringing so as you're growing up. what are you thinking to yourself what. do you want to be yeah well I would say.

I want to say it was like 15 people in. and out but we always had like a good it. was family in the home so I always. enjoyed that I want to say 15 I ain't. going you know how [ __ ] be lying to I. a going to. lie yeah yeah yeah it wasn't five it was. more than five but it was't 15 L than. 15 we got we got. back okay but um and you know I was. raised in like different environments. like it was some points where I'm like. like I said we lived in the trailer and. then when we moved to Maryland we kind. of in the hood and suland and then later. on as my mom M's getting older and she's.

getting a better job we lived in like. towards like my my like 15 to like 17. like them last two years of school we. lived in like a better neighborhood so I. kind of moved around like a lot I went. to six different elementary schools you. know what I'm saying so I kind of lived. in like you said like all type of. environments like like I said lived in. like the trailer in the. countryhill the city what I consider the. cityhood you know what I'm saying where. like people rep their Apartments like. right by for Creek suing they called it.

28 for Bradford whatever the case may be. and then living like in a in a better. neighborhood in my late teens like late. High School neighborhood excuse me late. high school years so I think the. culmination of all those things allow me. to like interact with all different like. walks of life like I didn't even really. wasn't around white people until I went. to college like my middle school. elementary school high school all like. 99.9% black like [ __ ] making fun not. making fun of me but I'm no I'm the.

lightest thing in there you know what. I'm saying like so it's funny so growing. up in a trail par growing up in in the. inner cities moving to the serur so as. you mentioned it gave you a better. opportunity of having to navigate and. deal with different types of people and. different types of environments yeah for. sure cuz like I was saying I went to. five different elementary schools so I. had to be outgoing why so many uh just. moving around just like you know just. moving around fig having young you know. what I'm saying parents is figuring it.

out you know what I'm saying um you know. I didn't know why but like you know we. just moving around a lot so um so me. happen to be outgoing because okay I'm. at this school I'm moving here in April. the school year damn near over you know. so I got to be outgoing and like in. order to make new friends in order to to. to get in you know so I think that kind. of affected me today to where I have. more of a not like I'm kind of to myself. a lot now more reserved but like I can. turn on that social battery if when. needed right is it hard for you because. you moved to so many different schools.

and so you're in and out of friendship. hey man how you doing the next thing you. know you pick up you got a new set of. friends next thing you know you pick up. and you got a new set of friends so is. it hard for you to maintain stable. friendships because you move so you kind. of like a sojourn you just up you yeah. no for real um man you know what I never. even thought about it like that that. that could be a reason like and I think. why I love Maryland so much is because. that was like the most like stable I was. you know like even when we lived in a. hood in in suland in a Hickory Hill. apartment.

like I was there for like even though we. we switched Apartments like apart we'll. be like okay we move we lived in when we. first moved Marland we lived in a one. bedroom apartment then we moved in that. same apartment complex in a one in the. den and we used the den as our bedroom. and then we had the two bedroom and it's. like oh me and my little brother we get. we got our own bathroom we don't got to. share a bathroom with moms no more you. know and so even that was still like. stable for me cuz we still in the same. neighborhood I'm still going to the same. school.

essentially so then when I moved from. suland to like Waldorf which is like a. better area that was like that was I'm. like we was like in the town house at. that time and again this is like I'm 16. years old you really moved on up in my. in my brain I'm like we don't got listen. my mom like okay we going to go to a. neighborhood but like no cable no we a. really had cable Wi-Fi before but like. so I'm in this area and we don't got. cable and Wi-Fi my mom driving a 96. Camry some of my classmates is driving. like that [ __ ] you know what I'm saying. they pull up in the acur I'm like damn.

like oh y'all having that [ __ ] so um. even in that environment to where I'm. like on like the super low in of like. that area that makes sense so um my bad. I I'm going in all type of places but. the question was what what was that I'm. sorry no I'm just saying because I said. it was your friendships and say because. you because you here and then you gone. you here and then you gone and then you. here and then you gone and then you here. you gone yeah yeah so when I was in um. like that area like when we I settled.

down at that high school I think we. moved there like 10th 11th grade I. really felt like like stable it felt. really good like stability so that's. kind of why maybe I move like a old man. now you know what I'm saying in a way. like just liking things to be stable did. you ever tell your mom like damn mom can. we just like stay War I just got a new. set of friends and I really like the I. really like these friends here and he's. like baby we we going we in the win you. know what I wouldn't I would um I don't. know be Hest I couldn't recollect that.

accurately but I'm sure I did as a kid. you know I'm listening at you and you. say you had a speech impediment I also. had one and I know kids can be very very. cruel and so how how did you deal with. that yeah um it was uh it was tough cuz. when I first moved to Maryland again. like I'm uh and at this time again we is. not really having this [ __ ] so I'm and. Maryland fashion is a huge thing even so. it trick said that's where he got his. from Maryland exactly so even in.

elementary school middle school [ __ ]. is wearing I'm wearing Shacks bro I'm. wearing Champion sneakers and so I'm. already the country board and I'm. wearing Shacks so it's like so they. going to give it to you I'm getting it. you get you ever got roasted so bad you. want to cry cuz it be true I remember I. was roasting this dude and he was like. [ __ ] that's why your mother drive a. [ __ ] up car you live in the hood I'm. like God damn bro like that's cruel like. but it's true yeah damn like you said it. at the lunch table [ __ ] we suppos to. between us like you my man so but but.

yeah it just learn you to kind of get. tough skinn to help me now cuz even we. live in this world with the internet so. if I drop a song even though it'll be a. million people that love it I have let's. say you drop a post whatever right and. 10,000 comments be like man fire fire. fire but our brains is so naturally. geared towards that 200 that's like man. this is some [ __ ] bro this is like. this is not good and so it'll make you. like more. it can [ __ ] up your whole day but me.

growing up like in Maryland where we be. joning like [ __ ] like going at each. other joning all the time it give me a. little bit tougher skin to wear even now. if somebody talking about like an outfit. or something you wearing the carpet or. at an the vent or like [ __ ] like man you. done gain some weight didn't you lately. [ __ ] and I'm just like you know it's. just I I got tougher skin you know I. ain't going to act like I'm impenetrable. and I like it don't fase me at all but I. would like to think I got tougher skin. when they were when they were talking. about your speech impediment you talk. with a list did you know you had it at.

the time or did you like man I'm talking. just like you I mean cuz I cuz I had one. growing up I had to go to speech class. and so what I did I would make fun of. everybody else so people wouldn't talk. about me so how did you navigate that. because like you said kids can be cruel. and it's unrelenting because once we. find out what bothers you oh I can't let. it go no at all I think it kind of just. stopped at the like fifth grade and. again it wasn't like I was um Point. Dexter when it's just like [ __ ] like. you know what I'm saying but like you. know you Dr on your man like boy shut.

your ugly ass up they like a Daffy Duck. ass [ __ ] you know so so it be like it. wasn't just like I walk in the school. and it's just like list boy you know. what I'm saying but it's like when we. joning on each other it's like a back. and forth type of thing so when we. joning on each other they going to you. know dish that's what they talking about. I'm talking about your shirt you cuz we. wore uniforms in Maryland so I'm like. your uniform shirt got a stain on it and. you probably wore that shirt yesterday F. like and they like all right Daffy Duck. you know so it's like a back four thing. wasn't like just a aack so you know you.

got if you going to Dish you got to take. it if pause young kid was sitting here. and he or she had an impediment speech. impediment talk with a lisp or stuttered. uh what advice would you give them how. would you ask uh explain to them how to. navigate going through. life cuz sometimes you can possibly. outgrow it and sometimes you still have. it cuz I talk with a heavy colloquial. dialect I'm from rle rural South Georgia. it is who I am I've learned to embrace. it because that's a part of who I am it. makes you unique it makes me unique and. so but I went to when I first got on.

television I went and I you know I was. trying to be Ed Bradley and I'm trying. to articulate my word like hold but I. ain't who I am that's not why they hired. me absolutely and that's why you connect. how you connect and your audience and. how you've been able to build and why. people connect with you because it's. it's authentic cuz nobody can be Shannon. sharp better than Shannon Sharp Nobody. can be corday better than cord and so. that's why I would tell that kid just. like just be yourself Embrace what it is. ain't nothing wrong with you wanting. some self-improvement you know in. whatever that you want to do if you want.

to take a speech class not saying you. should or you have to but like whatever. you want to do nobody can be you better. than you so just embrace yourself. embrace your imperfections and embrace. your flaws and accept it and flourish in. it did you ever have a fear of public. speaking you know what no no when I was. young I wanted to be a lawyer okay so I. I want when it was around the time. Barack came out so I'm like y'all want. to be a president right and so I always. read a lot when I was little like I was. in fourth grade reading fat ass Harry.

Potter books like so at first I started. reading Harry Potter books right and. then my mom and my stepdad was like well. if you can read a 800 page Harry Potter. book you can read this book on WB du boy. you can read this book on tho Marshall. so I was like in fifth grade reading. Souls of Black Folk I was in fifth grade. reading th girl Marshall reading books. on huie Newton and Mal X and things of. that nature and this is when I fell in. love with rap like super heavy too from. reading and I used to look at NAS lyrics.

and Google rap jeans this super early. rap jeans days and just look at them and. it's like oh same with Jay-Z just Google. Jay-Z lyrics and just look at them like. oh and just annotate and um so yeah so. me falling in love with reading it. always gave me a um I guess above. average like reading and comprehension. level and and ability to speak so now I. would when they doing popcorn reading. I'm raising my hand right you know Steve. Harvey tells the story a lot that when. he was growing up he told told the. teacher that he wanted to be on. television and the teacher told him said.

you can't be on television because you. have a speech in impediment and so he. made it and he says every year he sends. her television because he's on TV that's. Petty did that's crazy did anybody I get. the first two years but damn that's I'm. sure he's spending a nice ass TV too. yeah might as well I mean TVs a really. cheap now they you know yeah yeah that's. true but let me ask you this did anyone. ever tell you that you couldn't make it. because of your. impediment no not really to be honest it.

wasn't because of the impediment. um I. don't I I remember this one person I was. in a group chat with and she was like. well you know how you do group chats and. stuff in high school and um no we didn't. have those oh yeah yeah yeah I know but. that's true so I was in this group chat. and I remember I first moved to college. and um I I took a picture of me setting. up my studio my little home setup mhm. um like my microphone laptop speaker set.

up in my dorm room took a picture of it. and put in the group chat she was like. yeah your roommate going to think you. ass like as a joke and I was like all. right like I'm going show you say less. and so now when I don't I never forget. that so now whenever I got a show back. home and she tried to uh one of my. friends like hey can we bring such and. I'm like n I'm good oh you. petty absolutely I don't understand the. first time but I keep it going because. stay over there that's a customer but I. pay a customer but listen listen all. money ain't good money all money ain't.

good money but but since but she was. never like really a supportive person. anyway so I'm just like yo let's just. keep it where it was before so if you. supported me before it's like above and. beyond what if she had a John Q moment. to change your heart [ __ ] Happ too. late too late it's all love if I if I. would have run into it it' be straight. love like man how you been that's a. front though how you really feel no no. no no no that ain't a front because I'm. just trying to emit good energy you know. what I'm saying I ain't going to go out. of my way you but you not going out of.

your way somebody came you say hey cord. you remember such and such man she. trying to come to the she trying to come. to the show [ __ ] hit a ticket. last. [ __ ] you did a t talk uh last year. nearly 5 million views in six in six. months yeah um obviously uh Bill Gates. was there so what was it like meeting. Bill Gates and when you went there what. was going to did you know what you were. going to talk about before you did the. talk yeah um so I did the Ted Talk and I.

was like high level my you know that's. my Shameless plug you know that's my. brain um my bad know that might be a. sound but I best for sound but um so. yeah I was like okay High l a mindset. because that really helped me me not. even realizing what it was and me not. having a name for it at the time like. being the young and like really helped. me you know get to where I am at today. and um you know what one thing I did did. Miss on that Ted Talk I wanted to shout.

out W and namir cuz without him I would. not be where I'm at today like hands. down without W and namir I would have. still got to where I'm at today but it. would have took me a lot longer so I got. to shout out why being and air he's a. huge reason why I'm here why I'm here. today right and. um so going back to the Ted Talk just. the principles more so and and like. little things that I've learned on the. lifestyle things like discipline so I. wanted to include that the second idea I. had I was like it was like um why.

prostitution May should be legal in in. America it was just just on some like. you know cuz some TED Talks is like two. points of it you get what I'm saying so. it just on some funny [ __ ] too I was. telling the owner of Ted I like what you. think of this Ted talking he's just like. uh keep high level buddy let's stick. with high level um so yeah it was uh so. when they reached out it was just one of. the things I wrote you know how you got. like a list of things you want to do at. the top of the so I had Ted Talk in one.

of those I had Shannon Uncle Shay Club. at the beginning of this year so when. Ted Talk they reached out to us I'm like. oh like that's that's fire so we did it. and it end up being the number one most. watched Ted Talk of the year and after I. did my TED Talk they was like hey um I. was in my green room they was like hey. uh Bill want to come meet you and I'm. like Bill who like you know like. whatever they like Bill Gates I'm like. oh open the door bring him on in you. know so um I talked to him and he he's. just a really cool guy know of things. out there with him buying like Farm line.

and like a bunch of [ __ ] if I had that. kind of money I buy some land too you. know making no more of it God ain't. making no more land know so I don't know. what he's doing with I don't want to. defend you know what I'm saying or. whatever but um so I'm just like I'm I. try not to be closed-minded I'm like bro. that's Bill Gates why would I not meet. Bill G exactly he might present me an. opportunity ABS absolutely there we go. so so um I'm just talking to him he like. man like that was like my favorite Ted. talk I've seen in a really long time man. like man take my number down and was. just talking about it he was like oh you. doing Coachella he's like yeah me and my.

daughter going to come see you at. Coachella next weekend this and that and. he he stood by his word came to see me. at Coachella like the next weekend and. um you know he donates I don't misquote. me but he donates like a lot of money. like just every year and again not. defeating him he should donate a lot of. money right but um he he helps like a. lot of decent causes so um yeah he seems. like a a a great guy from like my. interactions with him for sure you said. high level high level your mindset in. the speech it says remain POS be. disciplined control your environment.

create good habits remove negative. people out of your life uh you that's. what I was doing with Shorty you. know man that was years ago she changed. hey you know how Michael Jordan did his. damn uh Hall of Fame yeah he roasted. everybody yeah he like that's different. that's different how do you remain. positive you a lot of people say you. know even though when things are going. bad you remain positive it's easy to. remain positive when things will go good. okay you drop you drop a song it goes. viral it makes you know everybody's. clamor for it or everything that you. seem to touch but what happens when all.

of a sudden that slows down how do you. remain that positive mindset when things. are not going as well as you had. expected man it's a lot easier said than. done like man some days you might have a. couple days where you just kind of like. just [ __ ] up and just um I can curse. right yeah sure you can okay sorry um we. are 20 minutes in now so yeah oh yeah. exactly right [ __ ] maybe I should have. asked that before sorry about that good. but um. yeah creating.

that a l like you said it's a lot easier. said than n like some days when things. aren't going as well is just it's hard. you know it's super hard but try to just. always find that counterbalance of of. this remaining like what we said before. we got here like man we woke up this. morning after that that's a anything. else is an extra and so I say that now. my my mindset now because I I did had a. a really rough last year like just just. mentally things I went through like just. personally my personal life.

was. that gr things of that nature even with. me having success and money and all of. these things like I was in a really dark. place last year but I had to come and. again it's easier for me because again. I'm I'm super blessed you know but no. matter what it's always a blessing that. you can find it's like okay like even if. I woke up I have all my limbs okay even. I don't have my limb I still have you. know it it's something that you can find. to be grateful for to be appreciative of.

that's why when people ask me how I'm. doing I'm say man I be a fool to. complain because I truly especially me I. would be a fool to complain one nobody. want to hear it you know but but two I. would be a fool to complain and so I. think everyone like even though we all. may be at different stages of our life. and and careers and things have. something to be grateful for we all have. something to be grateful for if you sat. down and wrote out things man we got. okay I know where my next meal is coming. from okay I got a roof over of my head. correct U even if you don't got a roof.

for okay I can find a way I'm woke I am. alive today yes yes you know like the. old say when they say you know God don't. make no mistakes I'm like he doing this. to me on purpose I sure hope this was a. mistake but you but for you to remain. and and I'm listening that you talk and. you say you know look at the end of the. day I remain positive because I woke up. this morning absolutely then I can. attack anything else that happens after. that we can figure it out we woke up we. can figure it out we can figure it out. not the Kanye song but College Dropout.

you go to thousand yeah and you're like. okay you telling the store earlier how. you sit and everything up in your dorm. room like yeah I'm in college I'm in. college about to go you know be on. campus about to see these shy yeah and. then you decided to leave why yeah um. cuz I really went to college cuz it was. uh it was bigger than me like my I was. like first generation like my mother. didn't get a chance to go to college she. had to go to nighto. to get her high school diploma my dad.

got his G in prison you know my. grandmother dropped out of school in. third grade yeah that that was normal. for yeah yeah so that generation yeah. exactly so me is just like okay this is. I and I always was like I would like to. say a little smart growing up you know I. always had decent grad so it's like this. is my Avenue I got no other choice and I. was that that was like almost a plan B. for me and so when I got to school I. would say it was like my second year. when I really locked in on the music. thing and I was like oh yeah I ain't. going to finish my goal was like okay. I'mma finish college give myself three.

hard years to like really go crazy on. the music but then by like my junior. year I'm taking out extra Sally May Long. shout out my mom she co-signed them for. me and I'm cashing I'm I'm having about. five G's in my pocket cuz I'm taking out. extra loans and so I'm using this to fly. to LA to fly to South by Southwest to go. to and I'm working a job at this time. too I'm selling little weed I'm getting. money in my brain you know what I'm. saying like I wasn't uh escar but you. know I'm selling my little o my little.

I'm getting a little money pocket. working at the restaurant got you know. got my extra Sally made loan so I'm. using all this to just to put into my. music into and I'm I'm getting scammed. I'll pay like a local artist for a. feature they done ran off on me I done. money being a green bean I done Money. Gram this bread and he done like. appreciate you sir green be you know so. um yeah just taking risk man just just. taking risk taking a bunch of L's and. now just like I can't I got into that. mindset like yo I am not giving myself.

no other option but to do this music. thing I'm not this just my I'm not. giving myself a plan B just like cuz I. don't want to live with myself when I'm. 50 years old old than like man I didn't. tell I was being too safe with life and. you never want to be too safe and that's. something I'm like fighting right now. because I have things to lose like. before I didn't have nothing to lose so. I'm taking every risk I'm going heads on. now I got you know think I'm not I got. other people to think about that's.

depending on me and so I'm I'm more risk. averse which is necessary to learn that. but still like we still got to be brave. we still got to take chances we still. got to take risks and so just trying to. find that balance because I think it was. a point to where I was almost like being. too safe with the moves and things that. I was making where I would turn down. things CU it wasn't like that but it was. just a lesson more so of me just like. nah I still got to be brave I still got. to have that same belief. and faith in myself in God that like yo.

let's just go for it let's just go for. it to take it to the next level were you. a good student or were you partying. doing things that I like like a lot of. kid college kids do I mean you obviously. you're in college you want to enjoy it. this is an environment because hopefully. you going to grow up and not party like. you did in college so were you a good. student you say you got good grades but. were you partying were you doing things. like a typical college kids I was a good. student in high school and I was still. in high school like you know I was I've. been smoking with you so I was like 12. years old okay and so um in college it's.

like oh now I don't got to smoke you. know this when we was like a legal so. you know we had to Hot Box a homie C be. par you already paranoid you high you. know you be looking around make sure the. police and nobody come around and so. college is just you got a friend with an. apartment so it's just like oh we can. really oh yeah turn up then so and so in. high school I was able to balance both. you know turning up and things of that. nature but in college I was horrible. student it was just like right yo like.

especially when I found out I'm really. going to do music all the way like I. dropped a lot I had like one class a. week I kept one class a week and I was. flying to Atlanta if it's some if. there's some sort of convention like. complex kind of South by I'm flying out. there I had a friend who worked at. Southwest I got the buddy pass I got. I'mma find somebody couch I can sleep on. you know so I'mma do I'm going take all. of them risks and um so yeah in college. that's when I I I got heavy into popping. xans and perco said and trying like assd.

and trying like all type of stuff yeah. yeah yeah like and I'm not you know. bragging about it but just like college. that's when I really well hell I'm. surprised you made it that long in. school yeah exactly so so yeah College I. kind of really got um burnt out and this. is when Like A P pill really became like. super cool and like in pop culture more. so cool if you would you know so um yeah. I was just I was yeah I was I was burnt. out for lack of a better so you say. you're probably around you say you're.

sou 1819 when you says okay it's this. music thing damn school I ain't got no. blackup playing I ain't got no job lined. up it's either music or I'm going be. back on Grandma and Mama couch but that. that's it yeah that's it that's yeah. that's why I gave my I was just like it. this is just what it is it's just no. other options I'm reading you say you. met a lot of your so your rap friends. rap friends through social media yeah is. social is is social media a blessing or. curse It's a combination of the two it.

it's just depend on how you let it um. dictate your mind your frame of mind and. so yeah I met namir I actually met namir. through um my my bro Simba my dog Simba. but I met him in person at um at rolling. loud La for me taking them Trips Again. if it's something that's going on like. within music I'm a find I won't even. have a ticket there I'm just like yo. just about me moving off that must seed. fi I'm a find a way and I just some. miraculous reason nothing but God I just.

find my way with artist band which now. we get that you know you just ask you. just get your agent of somebody to ask. you in there but like as a um a citizen. at the time that's a big deal and so. that's how I met namir through that he. recognized he he rock with my stuff so. um that was how that sparked and again. you know without while being air I would. not be here right and um would not be. here this fast but even just would not. be here regardless and so. so so yeah so we just stay connected.

through social media but to go to your. point. of It's a Blessing social media changed. my life right you know it changed. millions of lives social media since the. social media age I bet it's a study that. shows more millionaires. multi-millionaires are are being erupted. and that's how I learn a lot of. information I'm able to uh watch I watch. interviews I can watch somebody that's. coming on your podcast and get a gym. from there I can watch people like earn. you know learn Financial Stu from there. so you know that's the beauty of social.

media um it's going to be interesting. though to see like studies like of human. behavior like since social media because. it's still a relatively new construct. okay people are more um antisocial now. because of social media attention spans. are a lot lower work ethics a lot lower. things of that nature so I'm just. curious to see what type of effects. long-term social media is just going to. have on humans and human behavior. um mentally like social media like isn't.

the best for me like right now I can. pull out my phone right now I have no. Instagram no Twitter No Tik Tok on my. phone like I'll just download you have. it you get away with it or you never had. it I I had it for sure but like this. last year again you know when I was like. really going through it mentally I think. these last two years I'll just download. it when I got to okay cord you got to. post this and okay we got a song out we. got to post this so I'll just download. it do what I got to do you know still. scroll a little. tap in what's going on in the world um.

you know Twitter the new news you know. that's the our new newspaper so I'll tap. in but then I once I done gotten the. information I needed posted what I. needed I'll just delete it just for my. own well-being because we're also. comparing Our Lives you got to think. people only post their highlights on. social media only dubs ain't nobody only. like the absolutely highest of high. moments like [ __ ] I ran into Drake. today so I'm going upload that like to. my so you know people can create all.

type of Illusions and things of that. nature so I say that say you're looking. at everybody's highlight re and you're. comparing your real life to someone's. that's probably lying that's a moment. that's a moment and so it gets you all. the way feeling you know blue and and. feeling a little depressed or just uh. down you know and ungrateful for your. life that you live so and again it's. just going to be funny to see like the. long-term effects on social media okay. like people are attention spans are a.

lot less um people don't pay attention. to conversation as much things that so. it's just going to be interesting to see. that cuz it's still a fairly new. construct so it's just going to be. interesting I'm listening that you. talking you said you were going through. something last year if you don't mind me. asking what was go what were you going. through that caused you to say you know. what I need to step away from social. media was it something that was going. through you were going through at home. because your your lady was going through. something uh the the the music wasn't.

being put out like you likeed or like. you wanted what was going on in cord's. life that says man I need to step away. from this yeah um I think I put out an. album last year right and again most. people loved it you know like most. people loved it most of my fans loved it. a lot of people come up to me a lot of. artists which helped me feel better A. lot of my peers come up and be like man. that new album is Gasper I can see the. improvement from your first album I. think it was way better in my opinion. and I think you were more like. structurally just songwriting ability. and all this improved and and again like.

I said a lot of fans love my second. album more but when I see it wasn't. being as well received as like my first. one I'm just I just want to please the. fans and please the people and so when. everybody doesn't love it at the level. and and again so when I'm making this. album I'm like [ __ ] this the best [ __ ]. since slice bread like I make I made. this song called one for me I'm like man. this [ __ ] going to be bigger than red. bone the child and it ain't no nobody. you know cuz I'm a positive ain't nobody. that can tell me different and so I'm.

putting out this album I'm like man we. going to win this award this award it's. going to sell this amount of records and. although it was successful because it. didn't meet these like astronomical. expectations realistic expectations yeah. and I W even say unrealistic just. astronomical right expectations it just. like fume just put me really down in the. down space and then you start doubting. yourself like you start having like. impostor syndrome like do I am I really. worthy of being here do I Really Deserve. this like are people rocking with me. like how am I going to make a lit you.

know just all of these just thinking the. worst thoughts that you can possibly. think of like man it's even worth like. just doing this you know so it was. really off that but again me seeing a. positive like I did a tour last year and. my tour sold out across the globe in 90%. of markets you know obviously in Belgium. it might have been like 80% sold out or. whatever but 95 in America fully sold. out in double capacity venues that I did. off my first album so we did a tour. let's say we did a th C venue for the.

first album This Album we did 2,000 C. venue and sold out and so it allowed me. to see a silver lining of like one first. week sales don't matter like album sales. don't matter in today age where I'm. really able to gauge My Success from my. album or how much did the music connect. is from a live show because people got. to buy a ticket they got to wait in line. they got to come see you it takes effort. to see a live show so I was able to see. like that silver line and really help. out a lot going on tour performing. seeing real life fans rap these words.

sing these hooks you know word for word. that really helped me a lot and so just. being trying to stay positive and. finding a silver line and again it's. easier for someone who's like me that's. super blessed to be able to find like a. silver liner cuz it's all oh we just got. this deal that came in for such an. amount of money you know what I my day. ain't too bad you know so now your. mentals are a lot you're in a lot better. place now than where you were say a year. ago yeah cuz realizing just life it a. just always going to be it's just going. to be like BL bluk up BL up okay we a.

little staging right here Dennis BL up. bluk up bluk up or oh you know just like. I remember watching your stuff and you. was like how Fox Sports not fo ABC. forgive me if I'm not um CBS yeah CBS. excuse me um wasn't rocking with you on. the way wasn't embracing you for how you. are and at that time and forgive me if. I'm speaking misc correctly for you you. could have thought like man that's. opportunity lost I may not get another. opportunity then that just open the door. for Fox Sports and you and Skip to do. your thing and then you to have your own.

platform and do your thing to where now. amongst the youth they may know you. you're a Hall of Famer you know you won. multiple Super Bowl but the you I know. you from the the football and you being. the superman but a lot of the youth may. know you more from being on TV and from. Uncle sh Shay with the black m and the. hog you know what I'm saying that's what. a lot of the people know me for I think. the thing was that CBS I think they just. I was just miscast I needed to be in. this format on a platform like this to.

Showcase my ability that I can talk. about things other than just football. and fox presented an opportunity for me. football season is well underway the. baseball postseason is here new. basketball and hockey seasons are. punnished while we love watching our. favorite teams on television there's. nothing better than being at the game. live and in person and I think I know a. little something about that the best way. to get tickets to any of these gamees is. on game time the fastest growing ticket. app in the US game time is the only. ticket out that gives you peace of mind. with your purchase they let you see the.

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sh a y sh sh y for $20 off download game. time today last minute ticket price. lowest price guaranteed you moved to LA. with some friends y you had you I mean. obviously you say you had flown to La if. there was a concert going on cord was. going to find a way to get to it yes sir. so did you always want to live in LA or. where like when you were growing up like. man if I could live anywhere once I. become an adult I'm going live in LA or. I'm going live in Miami or I'm going. live in Chicago where did cord want to. live when he was growing up as a kid I.

wanted to just live life as a rich NAD. okay like still even now like my my goal. is like hey own the house in La own the. house in New York own the house in. Atlanta own the house in London on the. house in Ghana and just live like a rich. Nomad okay it's it's winter time in um. DC so okay let me go to La for winter or. let me try going to um let me make this. out album in Turks you you get what I'm. saying so my goal is is always to live.

like a rich Nomad you know to be nomadic. but um upscale but my first time. visiting La um was for complex con. 2017 and I was just like oh yeah no this. the place to be yeah I was just like. yeah this is the place to be be in Demi. living in La for 3 years like man I got. to go back home I need to be with my. mama you know so be amongst family and. all my friends and stuff so um just the. balance so I my goal as a kid was to. just live a rich nomadic lifestyle you.

know well you when you got to La were. you locked in um were you focused were. the focus where it needed to be or were. you like a lot of people when they come. to La they get caught up in the. lifestyle and they party and they having. a good time and then sometimes they. forget the real reason that they came to. LA to begin with oh yeah no as soon as I. it's like that my junior year at College. when I stopped like you know just doing. zans all the time doing perks smoking. and drinking lean all this stuff all the.

time like when I made that junior year. when I made that mind frame of I started. fasting I stopped indulging in all type. of vices you know stopped you know doing. drugs stop smoking stop everything so by. the time I got to La I was all my mind. frame was just like no we came here. for yeah I was already built up that. discipline built up the Habit built up a. habit of doing good habits of like. staying focused on my work I made a. vision board at the top of the year um. I'll write down my goals um every month.

and just want to stick to that and just. being disciplined of saving money being. disciplined of just stay sticking to my. craft and not letting any outside. influence just get to me so by the time. I got to La it was just like I was. already cold turkey I turned down I. turned down blunts with Legends you know. what I'm saying turn down and drink just. because I'm just so focused of just like. I'm here for a reason so I wasn't going. to no parties no nothing okay um I'm. reading that your the original group.

your original group of friends you guys. parted went separate ways yeah what do. you think did did you outgrow them there. were things that they were doing that. you didn't like how did that happen CU. you had been friends for a minute yeah. yeah it it was mainly because of the. business side behind it you know. obviously every group groups in Hip Hop. just for some whatever reason just. doesn't uh end well right for the most. part um groups in general I think in. music but you trying to go solo huh no. no not really I'mma keep it a buck with.

you the what was really the issue was. the business side of it and I'm still. dealing with that today to be honest but. just the business side behind like the. ybn brand and the the the powers that be. that was um Ail on the on the business. side more so that was like the main main. thing because like even when I had a. conversation with Nam it was just like. look bro like this business thing is. just like bro it's just it's just. horrible for lack of a better Bo we. don't own the ybn name all of these. things so we're building up this brand. of ybn that none of us own like if why.

if namir own is like man I'm rolling. this thing to the wheels fall off or. whatever the case may be but like bro we. don't own this so like man I'm going to. have to and obviously we had creative. differences and things of that nature. that but we going I was going to find a. way because again this man is the reason. why I'm here you know obviously I have. talent and it's a god giv blessing God. above all but like this dude why be in. our Mir is a huge reason of why I'm here. so I'm trying to like figure it out I. had a conversation with him about you. know the business side so I'm just like.

man I'm going to have to do this thing. like we going to have I'm going to have. to remove this thing for my name and. then when we had a conversation he. understood it like everything was cool. so I thought he understood it from the. combo we had but then you know he kind. of went to the internet and said. something else and you know I didn't. really appreciate that but just like. whatever like I still got so much. gratitude for him you know for that. opportunity even still to this day namir. ever need anything from me it's just. like I still I talk to namir Mom just. last week right so just that that uh. never outshine the master if you would.

and um what's your relationship what's. your relationship with him I understand. that you talked to his mom have you. talked to him last time I talked to. namir I called him cuz I wanted to bring. him out on stage for Coachella right and. namir um early on wasn't really uh um. and I'm not talking down upon him he'll. notice he he he said no the come to the. Coachella he he was he just got his. braces removed so he didn't want to rap. and his mouth was kind of messed you. know I'm say me I was up like bro this. is like Coachella like so he so that was.

the last time I spoke to to bring him. out for Coachella and then we'll just. randomly text you know things of that. nature like yo bro like the new song. things of that but like we always going. to be good like it's always a love like. I will never ever talk down on that man. who presented me this like amazing. opportunity I'm not just saying that to. be politically correct either it's just. the God's honest truth you know you were. a member of the 2019 XXL Freshman Class. you got mag stallion you got bullace. Gunner uh the baby Rody Rich do you do. you follow do you follow that you follow.

your classmates um yeah to an extent for. sure because it's it's always like. whenever we see each other like it's. just always like we graduated high. school together type of feeling you know. type of vibe so whenever I see mag it's. always love with her she always Adit. super good energy always had even when. she was going through you know the thing. with Tori like she all I was send her. like a you know a voice note you know. things of that nature but like she. always was like Good Vibes good Energies. every time I see him it's always at like. last time I seen Meg in person was at. the Met Gala you know so it's just like.

hey hey what's up man freshman class we. here right you know just talk about you. know how proud you are with each other. uh with Rody you know we have the same. anr with Dallas shout out Dallas um so I. I knew Rody a little bit before the. double XL freshman class so it was like. super fire and inspiring to see okay us. meeting each other 2018 then we both had. a show together and the next time we. seen each other it was double XL. freshman the next time we seen each. other at the gramys so it's always like. just good to see people leveling up and. see like how far they can take it or how.

far they took it and how far we going to. continue to take it so it it's going to. be funny to see like even 5 years from. now 10 years from now to see where. everybody is and how far they was able. to take it and things they able to do. for their family their Community it's a. blessing for sure you mentioned that Meg. went through what she went through with. Tori um you reached out I mean what was. your words of advice I mean obviously. that's someone that you that's a very. different friend to you and she's going. through something and from what I can. read I don't know either either of the.

par is but it seemed like they didn't. believe they like I'm and I'm thinking. to myself why the hell she gonna lie. about somebody shot in the foot I mean. that's I mean that's me that's Meg she. don't need clout yeah and I'm not trying. to uh I'm not going to over exaggerate. it and say we like good friends you know. I'm not like best friends at all but. like it I'm more so of a of a supporter. you know and the fact again we was on. that double XL freshman class just. whenever our serers it's always good. energy and so I was just like man you. know God always prevails and it might. not even have been about the Tory Lane.

situation it might have been like her. she's been through a lot her losing her. mother and things of that nature but. just just let just just sending good. energy out there that's it just sending. good. energy Gunner yeah use him obviously uh. uh the plea deal that he went through. have youal when he was going through. what he was going through I mean man. it's kind of hard I mean dude got a RICO. statue hanging over his head you're. talking about a long long time about no. months we talking about well we talk. about months but we talk about 200 plus. months things of that nature so what do.

you say to try to keep his spirits up um. I haven't talk to Gunner to be honest. since like the whole situation so I. haven't spoke to him um I wrote slime a. letter I wrote the a letter but no I. haven't um spoke the Gunner but I I I. wish obviously prayers up for uh Thug. he's still in there right um and and I. wish you know Gunner just nothing but. the best I wish them both nothing but. the best I just love to see black man. succeeding you know what I'm saying so. um I want to see them both Excel but the. the uh and also the baby and Rody wit.

Rody Rich a lot of people say man the. music sound sound the same so they're. not selling like they did in the. beginning yeah you know with the baby I. wanted to bring him out for Coachella. too cuz this is after you know the. incident happened on stage right well. you could have just called me here cuz. see like everybody want come out there. man exactly come out there right he he. had a show though he was like somewhere. out the country at the time but I hit. the baby cuz I just wanted to bring him. just on some like man we got to just. brothers in this thing we got to stick. together like look I know what you said.

on stage was not the brightest thing you. know what I'm saying but like yo like I. don't I feel. like what and again this is just my. opinion I could be wrong but I felt like. the backlash that he got from that was. just like it was um a little over the. top but again I could be wrong you know. but um it should be a learning lesson a. lesson is a lesson we held to a high. standard I mean it's almost like a death. sentence when a black person says. something I mean it's like it's end of. the world and we for we held so. accountable for n for sure so I hit him. up I was just like y I'm doing coach cuz.

you know they took him off Coachella so. I hit him up like yo I want to bring you. on stage and he was like man from the. bottom of my heart like I really. appreciate that bro I'm in Europe. somewhere right now but like it it meant. a lot to him I had a conversation with. that and um with Rody I haven't really. spoken to Rody like that to be honest. but but again like when that again I. don't like to over exaggerate anything I. ain't going to act like I'm best friends. with these nigas and we like homeboy and. we grew up together like it's just. always this mutual love just a I love to. see a black man winning love to see a. black woman wi winning love to see.

everybody winning right and so just. always just try to be a light for my. peers cuz nobody can relate to other. artists especially in a a sport like hip. hop and music and even entertainment. nobody can relate to us more than us you. so you may be able to confine within me. something that like your parents may not. even understand or like your siblings. may not understand even if you got a. therapist they might not understand cuz. they haven't walked in those shoes so. just always try to just be a light. whenever I can be because at the end of. the day I'm still figuring this [ __ ] out.

too like I don't have all the [ __ ]. answers you know but just try to be a. light what's the uh the hardest part. about celebrity um and I tell what I. tell people I. said TV celebrity is different than. Sports celebrity yeah um the one thing. like for me is like if I play football I. play I play tight end so if they bring. another tight end out and he's trying to. get my job he beat me out for the job. hey he took on my table or the guy. that's I'm that's going against me. trying to to cover me if he cover me.

more times than not I'm going lose my. job he taking food off the table Yeah. but the tight end ain't going behind my. back telling the coach hey coach he out. here doing this he doing that and stuff. like that and that's the thing that I. learned about TV is that people that man. M man listen that's see me I don't and. that's the one thing within the. entertainment space that's like just. weird cuz I don't know how to halfway. [ __ ] with somebody like even like before. we bringing up people I'll be like man I. ain't going to over exaggerate act like. I'm best friends but it's love and I.

keep it at that so if I say I rock with. you when I say like this here is my dog. like this is my real friend like in real. life this my brother this my sister in. real life like this my man's in real. life then I'm rocking with you to the. wheels fall off whether the world love. you the world hat you I'm rocking with. you all the way I don't know how to mess. with people how to [ __ ] with people. halfway you get what I'm saying I don't. know how to like I know how to draw a. line between like it's still love I'm. rooting for you but we're still peers at. the end of the day versus like no we.

done met through this entertainment. thing but you my I consider you a a. close friend of mine I inviting you at. my house to the cookout you done met my. mother you know things of that nature so. I don't know how to halfway rock with. people so when I sense things of just. like funny acting and things of that. nature I withdraw all the way back you. know so that's what I can't tolerate but. I see I look at it like this okay man I. don't rock with cord okay I don't rock. with cord man cord man hey y'all trying. to do something with cord man don't he a. sucker man I ain't never going to do. that that's my point that's my point if.

you don't rock with me why you trying to. inhibit what I'm trying to do you don't. rock with me remember so just let it go. leave it alone like hey wish that if. it's somebody I rock with hey man best. it's a four lane Highway don't cross in. my Lane I ain't in your lane just keep. it going if we go 100 miles an hour just. don't cross the lanes so that that. that's what I I like and then to see. that actually happen and then dude like. you know hey hey man shop like bro stop. it yeah I I feel like it's a lot of. pandering that goes on too you know like.

even with like a lot of music reviewers. like I again everybody's entitled to. their own opinion it's a necessary thing. but I feel like a lot of like music. reviewers and I rock with fantano I. think he's like pretty dope pretty. thorough and it's a lot of other uh. thorough podcasts and things of that. nature that does music reviews INR I. believe but a lot of these um NFR is. dope but a lot of music reviewers they. Pander to a certain audience does that. make sense like they know a certain. sound that Their audience likes they.

know a certain artist or type of artist. that the audience like so they just. going to Pander to them like oh yeah. this is an incredible when they might. not even think that so I think that's. like selling your soul in a way my bad. that might have been a far right High. related that to that but yeah just. moving with snakes man it's just. different bro like they'll smile you in. the face like man man man C man you a. great guy man this all love family like. people use that family word real they. like hey man all love family I'm like. yeah love bro hey hey call you bro they. call hey that's my brother bro people.

use brothers so. loose man I don't like that they be like. brother I like you got to watch out for. that [ __ ] right there there it is. straight up you know it's different like. oh yeah what up brother you know like. black man and black man but it's like. you oh that's my brother hey bro you. killing me man when I use that man. that's my brother where I mean that like. all man anybody talking about you around. me like I'm F to like off shut it off. like now you mention my brother like no. man that's my brother real life even if. he's not my brother if somebody is.

having a conversation about somebody and. I have not had that experience with that. individual what am I I don't have. anything to add to the conversation yeah. so bro just exclude me because if we. having a conversation I want to be a. part of it well if you talking bad about. somebody because you had a negative. experience with them and I have not had. no negative experience I can't talk yeah. because it's a conversation that I can't. join in if we're not having a. conversation a conversation should be. between you and I we yeah man he sucker. for real man let me tell you what he did.

to me yeah but if he if I don't have. that experience then yeah so now what do. you do right and this is a question like. let's say you hear two people talking. somebody you moderately cool about they. talking trash uhhuh do you go back to. that person or you just keep it to. yourself keep it to myself absolutely. cuz that don't got nothing to do with me. 100 but if it's my dog I already know. how you moving though yeah I already. know how you moving man listen I be so I. watch the words I use and what I say. around people so much it's just like oh. I already see It'll be certain managers.

be talking about they AR telling all. they artists business I'm like oh I. can't tell you nothing cuz you if you. telling their business I already know. what you going to do to me man listen I. be hearing even other artist talking. junking about other artists this I'm. like yeah man I'm like oh I ain't. telling they be like yeah man he spend. this much on such and such and he really. like not even having it for real I'm. like oh I can't tell you a single N I. can't tell you my last name [ __ ] like. for real. so I can't I can't rock chatty patties. is the worst that's the main thing in.

this business I can't everybody just. talk so much but you talking about gr. they grown grown adults grown men too. the men be worse than women you would. they are for real like people be talking. just ch I'm like bro like just shut up. talking bro like I don't even like when. somebody talking too much I'm just like. bro like keep that bro get away I just. put on my headphones you know what I I. guess we experience go we have gone. through some of the I I like the rap. line you say I made 7 million and I have. to do a single show how have you been. able to to continuously make money.

outside the music business um just you. know obviously and you know what's funny. I kind of regret saying that line. because it wasn't like whatever but I I. say this to say it's so many other. avenues other you know live shows. obviously that's like right that's um a. great source of income and it's the. easiest for me because I'm doing what I. love and I'm getting paid you like. perform you like but when the pandemic. happened you had to be I I was it was a. blessing in disguise to the point where.

I become more cognitive and aware of the. business side of the music that's when. the ybn thing happened because I was. able to really sit and like look at. things and just be like bro and you know. had that convo when I'm like bro like. this is like this is not it and and. again that was like the main reason it. was obviously other small trinkets but. that was the main reason but going back. to the original point was just like the. blessing of the pandemic was was I was. able to like be more cognitive and aware. business okay be more open to like okay.

learning about real estate learning. about stocks and bonds uh accept Ira. accounts uh Roth accounts open up UBS. private Equity firms think just learning. and being more receptive and open to. information being more aware of like my. brand that's why I came up with high. level like how I want my music videos to. be how I want to be approached and seen. visually right one of the bad things. about the pandemic I think I became even. more of overthinker but that's a whole. another story gave me too much time to. it gave me enough time to think to where.

okay I got to get my business together I. got to become more proactive when it. come to business but also maybe. overthinking. absolutely and so um sometimes you can. be a prisoner of your own thoughts. absolutely ABS the aido mind is the. Devil's Playground like Grandma say so I. love your granddad's quotes by the way. you your grandad got some bar I'll be. like oh that's a bar that's that Souther. you know my I grew up in that southern. you know that North Carolina. I got a lot of you know again being open. to a t talk before the pic I wasn't I.

would even have been thinking of a TED. Talk which opened so many lanes for me. like I can get paid now to do public. speaking to do motivational speaking at. colleges where I don't even got to pay. let's say a sure I get paid 200 Grand I. still got to pay for flights hotels and. not saying that's the number but just. using that as the ball I still got to. play flights hotels I invest in my show. I play with a lot of fan I got my own. lighting rig that we ship over we got. that's lighting program we got a video.

wall screen I got the best mic system. you know I invest in my show so you. making $42 by the time all that over. exactly and again that's not the exact. number but you get what I'm saying. especially if you're a real artist cuz I. care more about performing a great show. versus some people they get that 200. this be them and they DJ and they going. to walk away but they done messed up. their hard ticket sales cuz it's like I. could have just sat at home listenting. this [ __ ] in the car. so I say this to say me being more. proactive and realizing it's brand. opportunities I can you know I have a.

you know this my Puma high level again. Shameless plug this my shoe right here. dog we got to get you a pair of these. too you know I call these the janky All. Blacks you know what I'm saying like. they got a different color all black I. mean yeah I got another I got you they. got gray red I can send you some unex. unas joints you may be pass the all. black I'm about to be 55 I don't know to. be walking around all black you at 55. yeah I'm still in a little janky phase. of my life whenever I got to get gritty. nitty-gritty you know like man this. producer man they we got to put the ski.

mask on throw your All Blacks on okay. you know these my sneakers right here. though but Shameless plug but U you know. me being able to do things with you know. puma and and um and all of these. different brands so just it's so many I. think that's the blessing now of Hip Hop. like I was in a Super Bowl commercial I. was in a Coca-Cola Super Bowl commercial. bro if this is the ' 880s or ' 90s you. got to be the biggest artist in the. world in order to get in a CO. nonetheless a Coca-Cola Super Bowl. commercial but me still being successful.

I'm not the biggest artist in the world. but I was able to be in a Super Bowl. commercial with Martin scorsi and Joon. the hill so I think that's the beauty of. hip-hop now it's so many different. Avenues so many different streams of. income like again we were saying we you. can do a brand deal there's um Equity. plays that you can play to we like n I'm. good on the money but let me get a. percentage a percentage of that you can. so many I have a call a week where I get. preo Investments to where people okay. you can put this amount or you a got to.

put no money down if you sponsor this. company um we'll give you a percentage. of the company and then five to seven. years from now when we sell this company. to a Google or a larger company you done. EX10 your percentage versus let's say. give me a million dollars they just give. me 10% of the company and so when they. sell that company now it's worth times. 10 I just made $10 million so it's just. so many opportunities that it's a. blessing for how did you you decide the. record deal that was right for. you um at the time man I didn't really.

do too much deciding with my like. initial deal um it wasn't really uh too. much deciding that I had to do if if. that makes sense you get what I'm saying. but with the major label deal um just me. sitting down with different partners um. Sylvia Ron she was amazing um so again. with like that initial deal it wasn't. really too much deciding going on if. that makes sense just like it is what it. is you take what you can get exactly to. an extent but whatever that's a whole. different story but with my major label.

deal um I think Atlantic uh Julie Craig. kaisa success Dallas all of them was um. just the energy that was in the room at. the time you know it was just a lot of. energy going on and and uh they they. Hustlers and they like grinding you know. they like putting in that work and so I. just like to be in an environment to. where like I'm a priority I love to go. because a lot of even not just with a. major label you'll notice it with like a. agent or lawyers a business manager what. they do they name drop they'll be like.

oh yeah we represent this person this. person and think they going to get you. just cuz they got all these other big. names but it's like I rather go to where. I am a priority where I'm loved versus. where I'm just extra name on the roster. for you to go to other clients and get. them because you're using my name so I'd. rather go to where I'm a priority and. I'm I'm loved you know I read where is. it true that you live with your manager. as you as you were a millionaire you. done made millions and you with your. manager yeah yeah I was living with my. manager y yeah man listen dog I was just. that was uh to to OV extent but but yeah.

I definitely had a million dollars in my. bank account was living in with a. manager sleeping on his couch his. girlfriend was pregnant at the time I. was going to the how you live with. yourself hey it was pretty good looking. at that bank account I like hey didn't. on me tonight y'all me didn't on me. tonight y'all but um I did the same. thing I live with my grandmother I lived. in the back in the house that my brother. and I got for my grandmother and I was a. million had a Ferrari parked outside but. I woke up I was like man I'm still. living in my grandma I'm still one day I.

woke up my bad to cut you off I woke up. that couch wasn't hitting like it was. supposed to I'm like yeah let me get a. spot real quick and then I was still. figuring out if I even wanted to get a. spot in that area you know so it was it. was shout out to him what's what's been. your since you you you made some money. what's been your favorite what's the. favorite what's your favorite purchase H. probably buying real estate. um buying my mom a car um taking care of. family you know just like and not like.

taking care taking care cuz I don't want. to make it seem like my whole family. just like here C what you going to do. for me but just like being able to be a. blessing to others you know like truly. like that what really fills me like. being able to be like oh we can do this. how do you know not how many blessings. to hand out cuz sometimes you know you. could they they can think you a Godlike. figure just like the blessings are. unlimited yeah absolutely um I treat it. I got great advice from jcole from that. treat it like credit you know what I'm. saying just okay you done borrow from. the bank if you ain't pay off your loan.

whatever the case maybe you you six you. in the 500s now but then also just not. and not only blessings that we're able. to present are just money a lot of the. times the biggest blessing we able to. present is opportunity correct get let. you get your foot in the door due to. this because of I done kick the door. down for us so learning to plant those. type of seeds in Fertile ground versus. planting seeds and infertile ground. where you just keep having to plant it. keep pouring your water in it but.

nothing's coming out of it and so just. investing in people that's going to make. the most out of the opportunity versus. people that's like entitled and just. going to do like the absolute bare. minimum versus people like yo cuz I feel. like uh gratitude is just so important. man like even when somebody take care of. my thenner I'm like man I appreciate you. I'm starting to learn not even learn but. just show gratitude at the highest level. like I've always had gratitude never had. again we raised in the South we say. please and thank you for everything. always have gratitude but now I'm.

appreciative for just this tiny man the. fact I done had uh dag on Escalade had. to come and pick me up from the house to. bring me here right that's a blessing. you get what I'm saying so being. appreciative of what we almost consider. small things but are so huge so just. having people around that's one grateful. for the opportunity gratitude you don't. got to get down on your hands and knees. every day now but just sometimes you app. with your so that's one thing I'm really. learning is learning how to plant seeds.

in other people and give them. opportunities for fertile ground because. that's worth a lot more than just. sending you a wire you know have you had. any purchases that you regret like that. why I buy that that was so. unnecessary I bought a house in Atlanta. oh well you good girl you good yeah yeah. and I know long term it's going to be. good but man I I had a car out there too. I had a house in a car and and you know. thankfully I I'm super blessed like I I. own houses in different states some for. rental properties and some just for.

whenever I go back home I got somewhere. to stay so I bought something in Atlanta. a crib in Atlanta a nice crib too super. nice crib had a card out was just out. there but I am never in Atlanta as much. as I thought I was going to be and so I. just shipped my car actually back in DC. to where I'm out there a lot there more. so I'm just like you know I'm just. sitting on this carpet you know but um. it's a blessing though I won't even look. that as a bad purchase cuz it's still. real estate I can always sell it I can. always do whatever it's whenever I got. family in town my mom don't live too far.

from Atlanta she go just stay there Etc. so I won't even call that a bad purchase. um you ain't B no jewelry no watch no. car no to be honest I haven't been like. Su like you know this a paddock FIP baby. I can always get my bread back you know. what I'm saying for this now this is a. gift actually but um I don't really. think I've spent like too much. outlandish stuff cuz even on clothes. like you look good you feel good you. feel good you do good you do good they. pay good and then also that's a business. expense it's a write off.

um I can't really think about bad money. cuz it's even if I spent like say you go. to the strip club one night you drop. five it it would never be a a outlandish. ass price you know when you go to the. club or you go like the casino I'mma. drop $500 maximum you know what I'm. saying like I go to the club I've never. spent a dollar you pay a dollar slot you. pay penny slot nah no no I'll be playing. uh the roulette tables oh $25 minimums. I'm going I ain't dropping too much on.

listen I I'll bet on myself right like I. like even on certain music videos like a. label will be like okay based on our. projections amount of views we think. this video going to do we're going to. give you 75,000 for this budget but the. creative plan that I have the video cost. 200,000 and so I'll spend out of my own. pocket the difference in that 120 g is. on the video but I look at that as. invested. within my Myer how pres my visual want. to give the fans a great video so.

honestly man I'm not going to lie. haven't made like too much like really. dumb purchases on your first tour you. with juice world yeah and you see a lot. of these young rappers dying some he o. deed and then you see a young Dolph get. killed and you see Pop Pop smoke what I. mean when you when you see that you like. man the kid they they my age yeah n for. real especially juice really hit me home. cuz this was this is my brother like for. real like remember that convo we had. before like this was my brother in real. life so again my first Tour Ever I was.

on tour opening up for juice world this. is his first tour ever too like ever. this both of our first time hitting the. stage doing the tour and at that time I. didn't have anything I was on his me and. my homies was on his bus and it was only. me and my boy Tay and my DJ but we're on. his bus we didn't even have enough money. for our own sprin van so we on his bus. with him and his team it was that and I. realized through touring now like that. is not normal at all like it's like. openers y'all got your own thing.

Headliners we got our own thing and so. I'm with this fool every day we having. conversations about God about life about. family um about me we free we love to. Freestyle so we freestyling all day for. 6 hours just every single day and so we. even so that was the Genesis of the. relationship and we always kept in touch. talk to them call them on Thanksgiving. how family doing like this is like my. real life brother like we probably. kicked I pull up on this Full House 500. times we only made one song like it.

wasn't even about the music like he a. superstar this man is a superstar you. know what I'm saying at the time a. genuine friendship but this is my man we. pulling I'm pulling up on this house man. we watching anime I fall asleep on this. full couch wake up in the morning you. know what I'm saying it's like that this. my real life homie and so when he passed. I was um I was in Dubai on the flight. from Dubai and um just woke up when I. landed and got the news I'm just like. bro bro what like sh a tear for my like. this is again this is my real friend I. just talked to him a week before for.

Thanksgiving and um we was talking about. this music cuz we did a song we was. talking about the music video cuz he. called me he had this concept for this. music video that he had he was like yo. what if we did it. um like it was a double XL freshman. freestyle cuz he skipped out on that. class he he turned it down he was like. What if um we did a double XL freshman. freestyle and I ped out a lifes saer and. I start like destroying all y whatever. so I say this was talking about the. music video concept and then this life. about God like spirituality just like we. talk about any and everything bro make.

jokes like talk like every and anything. bro so um matter of fact it's funny my. first time at Coachella I just went to. Coachella to watch him perform okay you. get what I'm saying like me as an artist. like usually you ain't going to no. festival or nothing like that if you're. not performing but I'm going there cuz. it's my boy's first time at coella. support him my first time at Jimmy. Fallon I was going there watching him. like I'm with this this my mans you get. what I'm saying so um I was really. affected by that that really like hurt.

me a lot um as far as Dolph. and um pop smoke and P&B it's just like. it's just it's just horrible man like. it's just horrible to see so many people. y'all done made it out the hood like pop. smoke killed me cuz he got killed in. Beverly Hills man he done made it out. the hood made it out the trenches out of. these environments being able to be that. guy that break generation curses we. we're the people that breaking. generational curses in our family. kicking down them doors opening up. opportunities for everybody and then to.

be slain you know and that's why I move. like super private now to where like. nobody's at my house unless it's like. just knock down family I don't never. threw no parties at any of my homes in. any of the states homes and like nobody. there you know like it's just just lock. even when my f my I just got on my. little brother for coming in time like. hey bro don't just pop up yeah not n no. you can pop up whenever but don't post. nothing inside my house cuz you what I'm. saying like that's a real I'm real. adamant about that you know so just just.

safety man that's and just really a. wakeup call like man I really got to. move and and me being where I'm from me. being from the hood I'm always man my. mom always tell me remember when the. Beach headphones came out she like don't. be walking around the neighborhood with. them headphones in she caught me walking. one time I'm 10 years old 11 12 years. old whatever she like what you doing. walking around this neighborhood man. with both of your headphones in take one. of them headphones out man like look. around like stop be aware of your. surroundings I learned that very young. especially having a young mom who a.

single mom you know so I got I always. was like super aware but now it just. heightened that you know how have you. been able to avoid the pitfalls of being. a celebrity you know drugs are very. common place in the entertain in your. business obviously you have a lady now. so women aren't the things so but how. are you able to navigate the pitfalls. that comes along with. celebrity um just balance you know maybe. I'm not quite that famous yet to where I. you know cuz I I can't speak for like a. super A-list you know but for me for.

like the level of where I'm at um not. saying I ain't no I ain't no bum you. know say yeah yeah for sure I'm doing my. thing but um just remain trying my best. to remain grounded trying to keep good. people around me that that's not afraid. to tell me like if I'm slipping if I'm. wrong or if I'm you know on the wrong. path and of that nature so keeping good. people around me keeping um again. everybody around me that's going to keep. it aund with me and and just also.

realizing I'm responsible for me I got. to take accountability and it's just. like man we a get this far to just [ __ ]. it up you know we here to take this even. further we going here to take this to. new heights to new levels higher levels. high level you know and so I realized. what come with that and just being. responsible you know what mainstream. artist what what was the person that. gave you your first that your first. opportunity like to be on a collab with. him. H at the.

time chance Chance the Rapper okay. Chance the Rapper for sure like he's. still to this day he's a huge brand huge. artist right um so him giving me that um. that song with bad idea was just like a. huge blessing at and funny enough I met. him at that. Coachella meeting with juice juice you. get what I'm saying so um so a lot of. times you a lot of times when you were. going to these events the uh southw. Southwest and you going to these. different places it was like networking. yeah AB that's the way I looked at it.

because I've been making music bro I've. been wanting to be a rapper since I was. 10 years old I've been making music. almost every day or like knowing like. this is what I'm doing in my free time. whatever second hour I got I'm making. music since I was 15 years old so I've. been perfecting the craft and I'm still. perfecting it still getting better still. got new levels to get as far as. creativity goes but I was just like yo. I'm making all of this music but I got a. really big build relationships man cuz I. can just keep dropping this song but I. got to really I realized how important. you know networking was and building.

relationships long lasting ones was so. um but yeah chance was definitely the. first like major artist that gave me. that look and he flew me and my homies. out to Chicago flew a saw out first. class this before and I was still I was. popping at the time I was up but I. wasn't flying first class up we still. that new artist you know it's still okay. if I sit in row 30 B you get what I'm. saying so we flew me and my homies out. first class got in a five fivar hotel. and again I'm an artist but I'm still me. I'm having a million in my account but. I'm living with my manager at the time.

so I ain't staying in no festar Hotel. I'm not flying myself first class um you. you stay in the as Hotel huh boy you. hope something don't bad don't pop man. listen ex janky wanky janky I mean I'm. looking at some of the people that. you've been on with Stevie Wonder M. Wayne Comm ND guim man whiz Chris Brown. Meek Young Thug Young Thug Gunner Q-tip. l Durk Anderson pack chance. so who who were you most surprised like. you for real you going to hop on this. you want your boy on this or you goingon. to hop on this with me nobody to be.

honest was a surprise because when you. got confidence in yourself like and not. on no cocky stuff but it was just like. it was a I'm still grateful for it it's. still yo wow that's crazy um Anderson. again this is my brother you know what. I'm saying I done kicked it with. Anderson a million times before we did a. record so that's why our records always. come across so easy so easy going and. it's such a blessing but um I think M. was definitely like cuzz he's just like. just so huge and obviously he he's a. goat too everybody you just listed is. gos and it's a blessing because it's.

like some people say you are who you. align yourself with you know or and and. sometimes that gives me the confidence. when I'm talking to a Wayne or uh M or. you know so many other uh great artists. that like just have shown me love along. the way when I'm doubting myself and I'm. like having impostor syndrome and just. again just doub myself in a bad head. space when they give me the call and be. like yo I love what you doing and Etc. give me good advice and the fact that. they just call me and text me is still. like a blessing like man like I am I am.

supposed to be here it gives me a. confidence you know like man I am. supposed to be here but when I got that. call from M it was just like oh like yo. like whoa that's still M bro like that's. crazy who haven't you worked with that. you would like to. H I don't know to be honest man. um. hm May Kareem Bailey Ray okay just on.

some like just different super artistic. vibes but um Michael Jackson I love to. do a song Michael. Jackson okay if I get them fouls you. know if I can get them fouls we can make. it happen I I can make it happen we good. luck we we going to make it look how. about this you you said you turn down. 90% of the songs that you asked to be on. yeah. why is that rate So. High um I think that was at my. overthinking stage if that remember I.

told you pandemic I got time to think. but I was just overthinking so some. things I'll just be overthinking versus. now it's just like okay if I love this. song No matter how big or small and it. makes sense then I'mma do it you know if. I love the song and I like the song. I'mma just do it you know that's what's. most important to me so going back to. that number of like me saying no the. most stuff and to huge names some names. you'll be like are you dumb you know but. it just comes out to me as an artist. like you can't in the studio I can't.

think with a business mind I try not to. think like on a business mind or money. level you get what I'm saying I just try. to make it just purely creative cuz. that's the pure part of it and maybe. that's not the best thing or not the. greatest thing but I feel like when a. music it just got to strike me. creatively or I'm inspired to write. something by it you know it's okay I. love this song let me see what paint I. can add to this portrait more do you. like when blogs tweet your album. sales no I think it's stup it just the.

time that we in cuz even they was doing. that in the 90s in the 2000s but I just. think today one sometimes they be wrong. right last time they said I did 19k but. I did like 25k but I'm not F to tweet. and be like man y'all got me wrong I. didn't do 20,000 first week I did 25,000. first week you know I ain't going to do. that cuz it is what it is but um and I. just care more about my hard ticket. sales you know and I did my even with my. last album it was a 10 song conscious. album you know so it wasn't like most.

people songs they're doing 20 song. albums 170 BPM you know fast to Pac. where eight of my songs on that La of. that 10 song album is like damn near R&B. past damn near D'Angelo type paste. records and I feel like a first week. sale doesn't truly like meas represent. like where artist stands cuz it's. artists that do four times the first. week numbers that I do but can't sell. out the venues that I'm doing so I much. rather sell out the venues when I do a. show and I do a tour and them things.

selling out versus right a big first. week number but I'll take them both you. big in the protesting you you speak out. of uh you arrested for the B Taylor you. were protested in Louisville Kentucky. outside the home of Kentucky General. Daniel Cameron you were arrested 24 more. in more than 24 hours uh W defund the. police at the 2020 US Open he was at the. protest in Minneapolis for George 4yd. Floyd uh your your significant other. Naomi Osaka you know she wore the mask. with the black name the black victims of. police brutality uh he called out Kanye.

for being a supportive why at your age. why are we seeing. more people that look like you your age. become so much more involved in their. Community as far as protest speaking out. yeah well my experience was a little. different cuz again like I was saying. earlier like I was 10 years old. and my stepdad had me. reading uh Marcus Garvey had me reading. WB d boy thurga Marshall Malcolm X.

Martin Luther so I was young like before. the term woke was a thing right I was. quote unquote woke like I was in Middle. School elementary I was in Middle School. like nah brother we ain't. African-Americans we are Africans in. America like I literally was I was that. kid in elementary school middle school. [ __ ] like man [ __ ] shut up [ __ ] like. I was that guy. element and middle school like super I. always love history class cuz I knew. most of it all the way and I was blessed.

again to where my stepdad will always. just educate me give me these books. things of that nature had me watching. documentaries on Africa when I was 10 11. years old to where I knew Africa was in. huts and Villages I knew it was the most. like uh super modern I know Africa is. the largest continent on Earth when they. trying to tell you it's Asia at the time. and think that all life comes from. Africa and all of these things and again. even black history American History A. Philip Randolph all these good folks so. I had that information and so I was.

again even in high school I was that. same guy in college I was I went to the. um um in college I went to the um Mike. Brown you know Trayvon Martin protest so. this is something that's always been. embedded within me the only difference. is now I just have a platform so it's a. highlight when um I do it cuz like even. with ban Taylor I didn't go there with. my phone out and this and that this and. I just happen to get arrested and. because I'm you know cus a name about it. it's going to make you know national.

news etc etc so I just um just always. speaking like what I believe in right at. the time you know and so when um I feel. like something is messed up and that's. the beauty of social media is because. movement police brutality is getting. highlighted to it's always been going on. but now like the whole world and that. was the the thing about 2020 the whole. world know what was going going on in. America and still across the world. that's still going on you know. everybody's able to see it people are. being converted you know to things of.

that nature U more so converted to the. movement and understanding what's going. on for just human rights you get what. I'm saying so um that's the beauty of. social media so it's just something. that's always been like embedded within. me you know I'm going ask you a two-part. question here give me your M Rushmore. rappers and then give me m Rushmore of. this generation rappers so I want you to. go to the go the uh the M Rushmore. rappers who you think are the best of. all time and then you give me your four. of this generation okay uh Jay-Z okay.

Kanye West Kanye Nas. Nas. [Music]. and um I would say Big L but he you know. rest in peace he wasn't able to live you. know as long so we can't go off a full. that's my personal favorite okay Big. L I would have to put M right there okay. MMA Big L for that top four m a big L. for that top four oh Wayne no no no. Wayne so it's Wayne is in no order Wayne.

HOV Nas and um who was the four Kanye. West that's my top four okay this. generation I mean obviously you got to. go with the big three Drake um jcole. okay Kendrick okay um in that fourth. spot got to get out the future okay. future or Nikki one of those two do you. think uh Drake gonna crack that mount. Rush Thug you can go Thug or future a.

Nikki for that for one of those three. I'm going Thug future Nikki okay what. since you so you you breast this okay. give me give me your M Rush more female. rappers female rappers okay Lauren Hill. okay all she needed was one album she. got the job done I love the MTV I love. the MTV Unplugged album too okay Lauren. Hill you got Nikki okay um um you got. Remy Ma. okay. [Music]. um obviously um MC Shen real Rock s um.

let me see and I'm I'm G be honest with. you I'm tapped in to female rap but I'm. not and I know the predecessors but. Mount Rushmore so top four or top 10 top. four top four okay Lauren Hill Lauren. Hill Nicki Minaj. Nikki um Remy Ma Remy and you got to go. Little Kim for the culture just cuz she. helped expand that you know so okay I I. like I like that group I like that group. um you at the Warriors game I mean.

Michael B Jordan had a very public. breakup um he was dating Lor Harvey and. you were at the game with him when the. news broke and they put him I mean what. advice I mean did you say bro it's going. to be okay hey sun will shine tomorrow. the sun will come up tomorrow it it. hurts now because it's playing out. publicly yeah yeah yeah um H I didn't. really give any advice to be honest like. we just there to enjoy enjoy the the. basketball game to be honest we just. there man we got got to go there on his.

jet you know what I'm saying shout out. my boy you know what I'm saying that's. and again this is my brother in real. life this this is my brother for real. like not the this my brother for real so. um we just was enjoying the game to be. honest we just had the game there we. able to watch the F it's a blessing you. know being able to watch the finals. courts side watching stuff so to be. honest it wasn't even like a not even. trying to be political or anything it. wasn't even a topic a conversation it's. just more like and we here to watch this. game so and you just happened to be. there when that when yeah because and. you know social media and the news they.

can be off as far as just everything you. get what I'm saying like just it might. have been over for two months and then. social media just getting a hold of it. and then yeah exactly so yeah it wasn't. even a topic of conversation to be. honest so we just enjoyed the game so it. was tight yes apprciate you me big. fan we can finally get it in yes sir.

absolutely want a slice got the roll a. dice that's why all my life been. grinding all my life all my life. grinding all my life sacrifice hustle P. the price want a slice got the roll a. dice that's why all my life I've been. grinding all my. life.