Usher talks tips for better communication in Relationships

In this interview Usher gets candid about the factors contributing to his successful career, his recent marriage, and his newfound perspective on happiness. Usher delves into his music journey, his thoughts on mental health, and the importance of meditation in finding balance. He acknowledges his legendary status in the music industry and talks about carrying the legacy forward. Furthermore, Usher hints at an upcoming business venture with L.A. Reid, and also shares how fatherhood has influenced his life, leading to personal growth and accountability. In conclusion, he discusses how the success of his recent performances has solidified his legendary status.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, Guys's Edge Martinez is an encore presentation of my
interview and sit down with the amazing Usher. He's having
an amazing time. Super Bowl Bowl was phenomenal and after
Super Bowl him and his wife got married in Las Vegas.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
What a day for Usher and his wife.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
And I think that this episode speaks to his happiness
and why he has having this moment in his career
that he's having right now. And he says to himself
that he chose happiness, and he's put a lot of
work into being happy, and he's put a lot of
work into his relationship, and I think you'll see that
in this episode. I think it says a lot about
his relationship with Jen who is now his wife, and
it also says a lot about the work that they

(00:40):
put in to make this relationship what it is. So
congratulations to the newlyweds and I.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Hope you enjoy this episode.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Andi Martinez in Real Life Podcast, I mean.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Do we welcome hand with everybody that we appreciate him.
He feels loved. But my crew they're like, yeah, whatever,
what he made us work on Sunday? He made us
work on Sunday.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, Uh sure, baby, let me tell you something.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
I came to Vegas to see your show on Friday
and Saturday.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
I've been working so hard, so Saturday I was going
to do nothing.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
I was gonna catch up on emails and do nothing,
and then I was going to come interview on Sunday.

Speaker 4 (01:23):
That was a plan originally.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
I went to the show on Saturday, and I was
I know it was gonna be good. Your Russia, You're
always good, but there's something really magical happening out here.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yeah, right, like it's different level.

Speaker 5 (01:34):
Goods were greater than every other person who came out
here to interview. I wanted you to have an entire weekend.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Experience, thank you.

Speaker 4 (01:41):
So we started on Friday and then.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
Come get why am I coming Friday for a Sunday interview?

Speaker 2 (01:46):
I think you set me up for a whole weekend.

Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah, it's really magical, but it is.

Speaker 5 (01:52):
It actually is magical, and not just in part, you know,
you know, based off of all of the hit records
and the fact that we're here just celebrating years of music,
celebrating twenty fifth anniversary in my way, but even some
of the special guests that come. Fat Joe came the
first day.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Joe is here. Who was Donald Jones?

Speaker 5 (02:09):
And Jones came night was it was Robin Thick, Keith Sweat,
and Teddie Riley. Yeah, so I got like this this
donut in the middle of the show. It's like a
special little moment for the you know, the the unknown
to happen.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yeah you did. I saw Chris Brown came.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, it's like a moment to give people their flowers also,
but then also have this like connection with them with
everybody and.

Speaker 4 (02:33):
Well specifically in Vegas because it's supposed to be an
accelerated experience here. Right.

Speaker 5 (02:37):
So for me, rather we've done Wreckords together, or rather
we've just been friends for years, you know. For me
and Robin, we go back, you know, to Confessions and
the first time I ever met him, I was just
so intrigued by his talent.

Speaker 4 (02:52):
So we finally got a chance to work together.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
It's like a smoothness like Jesus had about him, you
know what I'm saying.

Speaker 5 (03:00):
And then he but over the years just building a relationship,
I was like, yoah, there's no way possible.

Speaker 4 (03:05):
I'm gonna do this when or not? Have you come
out and just share a little love and in the
face records, right, yeah, it was the last night. Yes,
La Reid was in the house. Mark Pitts was in
the house.

Speaker 5 (03:16):
Donielle Jones he La didn't see that show, but I
was backstage talking to don Ellen. I'm like, yo, dude,
you realize how important the Face was for just the
like the ground ling, like we set the fore plan
for all of what Atlanta is. There was plenty of
people were doing things, but not quite as sophisticated as

(03:37):
La Reid and Babyface with the Face records, so being
able to celebrate him. I mean, if I could get
everybody up, he'd be great. But you know, we are
the Motown of the South. So I was like, yo,
I want us to be, you know, remembered, and I
want the audience in the world to be able to
see and share in that moment rather they know the songs,
or rather they now will go back and understand.

Speaker 4 (03:57):
Oh wait a minute.

Speaker 5 (03:58):
Usher used to he worked with Donnield Jones' first album.

Speaker 4 (04:02):
Yeah, he did, And that's kind of how Motown was, right.
They all helped each other.

Speaker 5 (04:08):
Rather they pitched him by way of song, by way
of you know, production, or even choreography.

Speaker 4 (04:14):
Right, So you know that's that's a little bit of that,
And I love.

Speaker 1 (04:17):
That you took so seriously the thought of like bringing
Atlanta to Vegas.

Speaker 5 (04:21):
Oh without a question. Hey, look, everybody else brings that culture.

Speaker 4 (04:24):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 5 (04:25):
You got like South American culture through you know, sirch
the Sole and all of those incredible shows here and
the strip teases. We know what that is for the world,
but you don't know what it's.

Speaker 4 (04:33):
Like til you go to Atlanta, you know what I mean.
People want to know what it feels like to make
it rain.

Speaker 5 (04:37):
By the way it was, it was it was partially
my mom's concept and that this She was like, you
gotta make it rain.

Speaker 4 (04:46):
So I was like, okay, all right, we're going.

Speaker 5 (04:47):
To say so to bring Atlanta's culture the same way
that these other theatrical shows do the same thing in
Las Vegas. I wanted that to be our culture, you
know what I'm saying. Yeah, for me, I was like,
you know, I'm an underpromise and overdelivered for this one one.

Speaker 4 (05:06):
That's what my entire career has always been.

Speaker 5 (05:08):
And this time I really get a chance to just
celebrate and do some things that I wanted to do.
You know, I want to try things that I've never
tried before. I want to celebrate culture in a way
that you know, preserves it and gives it a sophistication
and a way that you know, for people who've never
been to a club like that, they know what it
feels like, who have heard the music, but they don't
know the culture. Obviously, we were, you know, inching up

(05:30):
on the twenty five you know, year anniversary for My Way.
So the celebration of all those songs, it is a
surprise for me every night to go out there and
hear my original fans, who some I met when they
were eleven years old. Now adults with kids are their own.
So this is that moment to like kind of.

Speaker 4 (05:48):
Relive our childhood, but also to get sophisticated. Come see
something fly, sexy, eat something nice. Rather you come out here.

Speaker 5 (05:55):
Alone by yourself, you didn't leave alone, you know what
I'm saying, or either you came out here with your
significant others.

Speaker 4 (06:01):
Just that was actually one.

Speaker 2 (06:02):
Of the girls. The second night there was a girl.
It was the first night there was a girl sitting
next to us, and she was by herself. She looked gorgeous.
She came, she got dressed and she got her seat
and she just sat there, had an amazing time.

Speaker 5 (06:12):
Yes, it's really beautiful to look out there and see
all you know, all those beautiful women.

Speaker 4 (06:16):
Man, it's like I'm out numbered here. It's like we're
the guys.

Speaker 5 (06:22):
You know what I'm saying. It's like girls everywhere, and
I'm like, it's cool, it's great, it's great. But just
to celebrate, you know, in many different you know mediums,
not just the show, but also to the memes and
all the other things that have happened as a result
of like just getting back to the basics. I think
I tried for so long, and you know, and every

(06:42):
time I put out an album, there's some meaning or
purpose behind it. I really, you know, had you know,
kind of been in this in this you know, analysis
paralysis thing that is all about trying to create the
next moment the music.

Speaker 4 (06:58):
Right. So for me, it was like, let's stop for
two seconds. Let's not put out an album.

Speaker 5 (07:03):
Because I had been putting out records here and there,
and these songs were great. I did a record with Lama,
you know, a couple of records dropped on the Pandemic,
and I was just like, yo, I just really want
to go back and celebrate the classic music for two
seconds and enjoy all of the years I never get
a chance to do that because I'm always focused.

Speaker 3 (07:22):
You know, that's what it is.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
Because I was trying to put my finger on the
feeling of because this felt felt like a victory lap.
It feels like a you know, we all we all
come up and we're all chasing things and we're all
working so hard and trying to come up with.

Speaker 2 (07:38):
The next thing. And what you're saying, I create and
create it.

Speaker 1 (07:41):
But then you get to a point in your career
where you're like comfortable and you're enjoying the more. I
feel like I watched you do that this this show,
like you just rocking your crown like comfortably.

Speaker 5 (07:52):
Well, when you've been doing it as long as I have.
Part of it is analyzing it being perfect. But when
you only just stop for two seconds and maybe look
at all of the things that you've done, there's a
lot to celebrate.

Speaker 4 (08:05):
And no one man is an island. You know these
songs either.

Speaker 5 (08:08):
You know, we produced it together with other producers and
writers and the creators that really helped me, you know,
kind of curate the entire show.

Speaker 4 (08:16):
I think we were mindful of all that.

Speaker 5 (08:18):
Even where we're right now, like this whole immersive experience
where you know, you begin to understand the world of
where it came from.

Speaker 4 (08:24):
That wall over there. It normally is like full of
footage and things for me when I was a kid,
you know, my first talent show, you know, nineteen ninety one,
footage of me at Atlanta talent search in Atlanta, you know,
and then just going through out the entire process. But yeah,
I think I have kind of had the opportunity to celebrate.

(08:46):
I ain't resting, but I'm really celebrating the past, the music,
the history that I've been able to create.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
Seems like you're having fun.

Speaker 5 (08:56):
I'm having fun one because I'm choosing to. The second
half is I'm happy. Actually, I've never really taken the
time to stop and really, you know, be happy. I
feel like my relationships aren't a really good place. I
feel like I'm learning how to communicate better.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
How do you do that? How'd you do that? What
do you attribute all of this to.

Speaker 4 (09:20):
Listening?

Speaker 5 (09:21):
You can hear somebody, but are you really listening? You know,
when you slow down and you begin to understand what's priority.

Speaker 4 (09:31):
Family is priority to me.

Speaker 5 (09:33):
Love, real love is priority to me, and I've had
enough difficult situations in my life to now be able
to assess the people who are really there for some
reason there's an agenda, and then the people who really
love me, whom I should love and I should appreciate,
and I can take my time and enjoy and celebrate
with some of those people I'm working with on this show.

(09:54):
Some of these people I don't work with, but they're
with me and we're able to just talk.

Speaker 4 (09:58):
Some people I've worked with, we no longer work together,
but now we can just enjoy our relationship. You know,
a lot of therapy.

Speaker 2 (10:08):
That I was wondering the field sounds like this therapy.

Speaker 5 (10:10):
Yeah, there is, and some people are a big It's
a bit complicated for people who out there who probably analyze,
you know, allowing someone to sit in and listen to
your conversation and try to help you hear your partner
or hear you know, your family member, or hear really
what you're suffering is all about. And I think a

(10:32):
lot of that has to do with my happiness. I
think a lot of you know, my feeling is confident,
and it's exciting, it's having great partnership. I got an
amazing partner in life, Jennifer Goekochia.

Speaker 2 (10:49):
She asked if I.

Speaker 1 (10:50):
Wanted Puerto Rican food before we started. Yeah, actually Puerto
Rican food. I was like, And then I'm going to
tell you this, dude, have my glam come to the
hotel before I came here?

Speaker 2 (10:58):
And I guess they must do glam for the show. Also.

Speaker 1 (11:00):
Yeah, they were saying how much that Jen takes care
of everyone on the set. She just takes care of everybody.
They just were gushing about her, how much they loved her.
I was happy to know that you have somebody in
your life that is that loved by your you know, yeah, everybody.

Speaker 4 (11:19):
And my mam would like her and love her too.

Speaker 6 (11:21):
That's great, I said, she like her.

Speaker 4 (11:26):
That's hard to accomplish that to those two things.

Speaker 1 (11:28):
But something had to change in you to be able
to even be open to that. So you had to
you had to shift something, right.

Speaker 5 (11:34):
Sometimes you go through ship to get to shit. You
know what I'm saying, Uh, you go through something to
get to something in life. Good friend of mine, DJ Rogers,
you used to say this to me all the time.
It's like, yo, that with no humps in life, there'd
be nothing to get over. Like, oh man, it's hard now,
I get it. You live long enough, you begin to
understand and as I said, prioritize what makes you know.

Speaker 1 (11:55):
The best, love lesson you learned. In terms of like
just correct self correction.

Speaker 5 (12:01):
Self correction, I think, I think loving yourself and forgiving yourself.
You know, for whatever you you know may have you know,
wanted to accomplish and didn't for you know, whatever you
may have wanted to do and you didn't get you
didn't get a chance to do it, or whatever you
wanted to have and you didn't have. Sometimes we'll place
that blame out, well, we'll look out. But when you

(12:24):
take two seconds to really, you know, be alone and
look in the mirror, ain't nobody else there but you
and that other person in the mirror. So that means
that's the one you gotta get right, you know what
I'm saying. And you gotta trust yourself. You gotta listen
to yourself, and you gotta believe without you know, any
impression of what you think that you might need to
be doing based off of what you're looking at or

(12:44):
what someone else has, how do you feel and no
matter what level you're playing at. If you take the
time to deal with him or her in that mirror verse,
you'll be a better person. Accountability, accountability, patience with self too,
cause I think.

Speaker 4 (13:00):
Yes, yeah, yes, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (13:04):
We do things for other people, we don't we don't
give ourselves the same grace and the same kind of
like patience.

Speaker 5 (13:10):
And well, we're all out here looking for something else
and not able to you know, be single, alonge, be
single long enough to That sound crazy even saying that,
because I'm never single long enough to even, but I
did it.

Speaker 3 (13:21):
Some people are single foraying.

Speaker 2 (13:26):
How that feel for you? In those two months?

Speaker 4 (13:28):
Man, I was crazy. It was good, but it wasn't good.
Is what I got? What you got better?

Speaker 1 (13:35):
It's funny seeing you on that stage and all that energy,
and I was like, I wonder how that is to
be in a relationship.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
Well, you clearly you like you like a relationship.

Speaker 4 (13:44):
I'm never like not single.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
You like love?

Speaker 5 (13:49):
Right, I'm never single, I'm I love love. I'm just
fucking bad at it, you know what I'm saying. Better though,
I'm getting better, you know what I'm saying. Good partnership definitely,
you know, breeds great things.

Speaker 1 (14:01):
You know, Yeah, but if you're not ready, it doesn't
matter the greatest person in the world, if you can't
contribute to it, it's not gonna.

Speaker 4 (14:07):
Well it starts with you.

Speaker 2 (14:08):
Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 5 (14:09):
It's self accountability again. You know, when you're able to
take that time and deal with yourself. I'm curious and
you can be happy with anybody.

Speaker 4 (14:16):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (14:17):
If I'm thinking about myself in terms of therapy and
all of the things that one of my I had
to be accountable for, Like saying what I want was
like a thing for me, Like you know, like.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
You think somebody else should know what you need or
what you want.

Speaker 4 (14:31):
Yeah, I had to.

Speaker 2 (14:32):
Learn how to.

Speaker 1 (14:32):
So that was the thing I wonder for you, Like,
what was your thing that you had to fix about you?

Speaker 4 (14:40):
I'm perfect what you're talking about.

Speaker 2 (14:41):
No, you're not perfect.

Speaker 4 (14:43):
It might be perfect now by the way self correct Listen.

Speaker 5 (14:47):
One having a partner who will be honest with you,
brutally honest with you, and you can take that constructive
criticism because you know it comes from a good place
and you've spent enough time your friends enough and you've
established trust. Trust is the main, you know, component to happiness.
And success in a relationship. Being able to actually hear

(15:09):
each other and speak up.

Speaker 4 (15:12):
It's hard, right.

Speaker 5 (15:13):
To to even know what you really want and what
really matters. I think most of the time you we
all just want to be heard.

Speaker 1 (15:22):
You know, a lot of people when you say trust,
they assume because I know what you mean. Because some
people think trust means trust my partner not to cheat
or to distill trust it. But it's also like you
have to trust somebody.

Speaker 4 (15:33):
Those things can become trivial, you know, because.

Speaker 1 (15:35):
You have to trust somebody able to receive their information
with love, You have to trust their intentions.

Speaker 2 (15:41):
You have to trust is.

Speaker 1 (15:42):
Way bigger than just whatever people normally connected with.

Speaker 4 (15:47):
Yeah, in fact, that.

Speaker 2 (15:49):
You trust her to tell you, hey, that was whack
or you didn't like whatever the things. However, she asked,
how I would say it?

Speaker 3 (15:56):
Whatever that.

Speaker 4 (15:59):
One hundred you know what I'm saying. Yeah, and I
don't know about that, playboy.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
But you have to.

Speaker 1 (16:07):
Trust to be able to let somebody say that to
you and know and be okay with it.

Speaker 3 (16:11):
Yeah, I don't.

Speaker 2 (16:14):
Know about that playboy.

Speaker 4 (16:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (16:17):
Well, again, just being able to hear each other, being
able to I'm trying to find the exact word of
what it's called.

Speaker 2 (16:27):
Take your time, but take your.

Speaker 5 (16:29):
Time the idea in a relation and by the way,
ain't it's not like a perfect thing, right.

Speaker 4 (16:37):
But when you're in a relationship with someone and.

Speaker 5 (16:42):
They're talking, but you don't really get a chance to
hear what they're saying because you're trying to get your
point across, they're trying to get their point across. And
by the end of the conversations you've just been trying
to fight your at one point as opposed to actually
hearing each other.

Speaker 4 (16:55):
Right.

Speaker 5 (16:55):
So an exercise that i've I've I've managed to work
into life, not just relationship and love, but life period.
If you give me what it is that your your
issue is, and I hear it, and then I'm able
to repeat it back to you before I respond.

Speaker 2 (17:16):
Yes, right, I'm sure I'm feeling like, yeah, whatever it is,
you didn't listen to me last night, and then.

Speaker 4 (17:24):
You're angry because I didn't listen to you last night.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
This is good exercise. This is therapy one.

Speaker 4 (17:28):
And then and then you ask what else?

Speaker 2 (17:30):
Oh right, is there more?

Speaker 4 (17:32):
Is there more? They give you more? You repeat back
verbatim so.

Speaker 2 (17:37):
That I know this exercise from therapy.

Speaker 4 (17:39):
It works, so.

Speaker 2 (17:40):
You actually use it, you do it.

Speaker 4 (17:42):
It actually works.

Speaker 5 (17:44):
It resolves issues, and it gets to the point, especially
when a person is nervous, because it's like, Okay, I
got a few seconds to try to get a word
in and try to figure out how to get my
point or either, and then it turns into this argument
where I'm gonna one up you. Then you start insulting
each other. Okay, now I'm gonna one up you in
an insult and then before you know it, one party
can walk away and nothing's resolved. I didn't hear you,
you didn't hear me. We didn't get to any good

(18:06):
point of communication. So how can we now get to
a successful place where we're happy because we're gonna have
to sleep in the bed together, or to be around
the kids, or be around each other and do business together,
whatever it might be.

Speaker 4 (18:17):
But to be able to perception check is what it's called.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
Some people just want to be hurt, that's it.

Speaker 5 (18:24):
Because the perception to perception check greater than just hearing
what you're saying.

Speaker 4 (18:31):
To have a perception of exactly what it is you're.

Speaker 5 (18:33):
Saying and then repeat it for vatim You can't say
you didn't hear me because you repeated it to me
one ri. It's feed therapy, by the way, and this
shit really cause work. You're welcome. It's free game in
a relation. You want a successful relationship, you try this.
I'm telling you it's gonna work. Is there more she
gives it to you? Is there more by the time

(18:53):
she's resolved whatever her issue is smaller because it probably
is something much smaller than you whatever imagine it would be.
And maybe as a man, I'm insulted that you even
talking to me the way you're talking to me. But
if I get past all of that and I just
hear you, we get to the end of it. Now
we're at the end of it. Nine times out of ten,
I won't even have a rebuttal or a reason to
try to come back at it.

Speaker 2 (19:14):
I want to be heard. Sometimes you just want to
be heard.

Speaker 4 (19:16):
Sometimes you just want And by the way, vice versa.

Speaker 5 (19:19):
Women have to they have to try it the same
way for men because sometimes it might be you know,
it's hard for a guy to be vulnerable and really
tell you the shit that he's going through as a man,
any man, he has a hill to climb just I
mean especially black man or minority men, minorities in America
and whatever minority group you choose to stand with, right,

(19:40):
it's hard.

Speaker 4 (19:41):
Right, So now I'm.

Speaker 5 (19:42):
At home and my house is supposed to be in order,
and I got to be able to talk to you
and tell you exactly what I feel, be vulnerable with you,
only you. I gotta fight the rest of the world,
but I want to be able to really talk to you,
talk to you, tell you exactly what I'm feeling. And
you say, it's everything else, and I have to think
about it. I give you what else. Hopefully you don't
take too long, but you eventually get to a place.

Speaker 2 (20:04):
You're heard. Then, yeah, you're heard.

Speaker 4 (20:07):
Don't just yes, well no, don't just hear me like no,
don't just listen to me. You say it right, don't
just listen.

Speaker 5 (20:15):
To me, really hear me and process perception, check with
each other. That's one gift, that's one lesson, and I
feel like it really helps us.

Speaker 2 (20:24):
That is not a small thing.

Speaker 4 (20:27):
It's really hard to because.

Speaker 1 (20:28):
The opposite of that, just for anybody who's never been
to therapy. Right, So, hey, this bothers me, and then
you feel you have to defeel attacked, you feel attacked, right,
So now you're engaging in war that you can't win
because neither one of you feels heard or feels, you know,
like it's no connection. So that's normally what happens when
people argue.

Speaker 5 (20:46):
Well, by the way, if you're dealing with a selfish partner,
then that might be an indication that this partner ain't
for you.

Speaker 4 (20:52):
Right. I'm not saying perception check with an idiot.

Speaker 5 (20:54):
I'm not saying perception check with a person who's just
selfish and can't, you know, allow you to have at
least some space to be able to be heard.

Speaker 4 (21:03):
I mean, these are signs.

Speaker 5 (21:04):
Right in the event that the signs are telling you
it's not right, maybe you should listen.

Speaker 2 (21:09):
Ooh that's good. Oh sure, so happy for you.

Speaker 4 (21:13):
I'm happy for me too, right.

Speaker 2 (21:15):
Now, I'm happy for you. Everybody's I don't know. You're
in a good it's so good and it's obvious. I've
seen you perform. You're always great on stage.

Speaker 1 (21:24):
You're like happy up there, and it resonates different.

Speaker 2 (21:30):
We feel it.

Speaker 1 (21:30):
I feel it because I know you. I don't know,
but I feel it. I'm sure other people tell you
this too.

Speaker 5 (21:35):
Yeah, it is the ability to have a peace right
and not feel as though I have to prove anything.
I think that we all go through that I have
to prove something that's noting.

Speaker 1 (21:47):
I wanted to ask you about you having a because
I feel like even you as a kid coming up
in this business and having all this talent that you had.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
I feel like when we look at Michael.

Speaker 1 (21:56):
Jackson and he was probably somebody you probably looked at
Michael's career.

Speaker 2 (22:00):
Yeah, this is the goal, right, This is.

Speaker 1 (22:03):
From what I know of you and from them your career.
Do you ever feel like you've reached that for yourself?

Speaker 2 (22:11):
Whatever that thing was.

Speaker 5 (22:12):
I think everybody has their own stories. Some people start
later in their life, so they've had the opportunity to
live out certain experiences, gather what they feel about life,
have ambition, be ambitious, you know, have integrity or not
figure it out hook a crook how you get there,
and then the career starts. For me, it started before
I had any of those experiences. No, I'm not quite

(22:35):
like Michael, but I got my own experience and I
have my own history, and I think it started by
someone else's interpretation of me. Right again, we all have
this speak your kid and we all have to be
brought up. So long as you're able to look at
every experience as a great one, good or bad, it'll
work out for you.

Speaker 4 (22:56):
Don't just be all right with the yeses. Don't just
be okay with the winds. Accept your losses, accept.

Speaker 5 (23:02):
Your moments that are perceived to be losses to only
make you better for the future. Rather, you know, man,
it was a really difficult start, and you know, I
had to make so many sacrifices in the beginning. Great
that you did, because now you can appreciate this moment
where you're standing on the mountaintop. But it's hard. It's
hard to do that when you're in the middle of it.

(23:25):
Part of it is my upbringing. I'm very happy that
my mother raised me and my brother the way that
she did. I'm really happy that I had some elders
in my life and also two mentors that are still there,
consigliaries that you know are there to be able to yeah,
to be able to help you really understand. And then

(23:47):
life is as much as you choose to explore and
educate yourself.

Speaker 4 (23:51):
You ain't shit.

Speaker 5 (23:52):
You can't read right now, So take if you can
take the time to sit down and understand what a
person's life was, where they started, what this story is,
and gather something from it. But if you are fortunate
to have mentors, if you're fortunate enough to have friends
that'll keep it real with you, that'll be with you
through thick and thin, then hopefully you know it'll lead

(24:14):
you in the right direction. But you know, part of
that madness. If we look at Michael's life, you use
him as an example, all of being in that made
him the genius that he is. You know, being in
New York City with Biggie and Puff when he first
started Bad Boy Records, and kind of being in the
midst of you know, him working on my album with

(24:35):
La Reid as he employed him to give me whatever
it was swag. It kind of dimmed the light that
was my own and gave me something. It gave me hustle,
It gave me to nacity, It gave me you know,
that man gave me focus because the ain't nobody more
focused and got more hustle than Puff like in order
to understand how to get it and also to motivate

(24:57):
everybody around him to drive at their best. Yes, if
you ain't running at one hundred and twenty percent. You
ain't fucking with me. Get where I'm at and then
we'll see what we're talking about. Otherwise, get what you
can and I'll see you later. You'll thank me later.
But for real, that guy right there, he was a motivator.
And you know, everything that I was able to pick up,

(25:18):
I did manage to use at some point. No, my
first album wasn't the most wildly successful album, but when
I play it out there, I got day one fans
that love it and rather they go back and they
are a part of it. And I feel fortunate to
be able to you know, have have those you know,
those those songs in those moments.

Speaker 4 (25:34):
But I really found my weight to my own light
when I got to my way. You know, I think too.

Speaker 1 (25:41):
The thing I was thinking about it is like I
put you in a category of greats. Right, I'm sure
a lot of people do do you do for yourself?

Speaker 2 (25:49):
Do you think of yourself that way?

Speaker 4 (25:52):
Yeah? Yeah, right, you have to think of yourself absolutely.
But some people would perceive that as like, you know,
being arrogant and conceive no.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
It's just facts.

Speaker 4 (26:01):
Yeah, it's just fact. This is a basketball game. In life. Right,
it's a football This is a football game in life.

Speaker 5 (26:07):
If I go out on this field and I'm like
tiptoeing around, You're gonna knock my block off. I'm trying
to get to the hoop and I'm gonna go. I'm
gonna go through you. I'm gonna get through you to
get where I gotta go. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (26:20):
Well, like a.

Speaker 1 (26:21):
Basketball player, the goal is the championship or the rings
or whatever the thing is.

Speaker 4 (26:25):
It's one shot at a time.

Speaker 5 (26:26):
Really, okay, it's one shot at a time and understanding
team balls. That's basketball. For music, it's similar. No one
man is an island. It's understanding that collaboration is important.
But you gotta believe this shit. You gotta believe that.

Speaker 4 (26:41):
Yo, I can do this. Anything I put my mind to,
I can make it. I can do it.

Speaker 1 (26:45):
Say that to be a artist you have to be
a little bit delusional. You have to be a little nuts.

Speaker 5 (26:52):
Yeah, yeah, that's true.

Speaker 1 (26:55):
You have to because you're thinking of it before anybody else.
So it didn't exist before you thought of it.

Speaker 4 (26:59):
So you have to be able to think about something
and not only are you thinking of it, but you're
creating it. You're creating it in real time, and more
than likely it's driving you crazy because it's in your
mind and no one else can see it.

Speaker 5 (27:12):
So you got to manage to motivate, push the envelope,
push yourself, and push everybody around you to believe what
you see.

Speaker 4 (27:19):
You know, it's so good.

Speaker 2 (27:21):
But when you look at the greats, sometimes it makes
them crazy.

Speaker 1 (27:27):
Chasing this. You're chasing MJ, or you're chasing whatever. If
you're a basketball player, you're chasing Lebron or Jordan or
whatever it is. Do you feel like, next to MJ,
next to all the grades, that you are there or
are you still chasing a version of that for yourself?

Speaker 5 (27:42):
Being able to walk in their footsteps was the first thing.
So I followed them, I studied them, I trained the
way they trained. I pushed myself the way they pushed themselves.

Speaker 4 (27:50):
You know.

Speaker 5 (27:51):
I analyzed what I knew versus what I didn't, and
tried to speak to a more broader audience and tried
to reach and reach and keep going. And you start here,
but then they managed to get here. Not the same
style of music, not the same genres, not the same production,
but the same amount.

Speaker 4 (28:08):
Of commitment for me.

Speaker 5 (28:12):
Yeah, because I've been carrying their torch, because I've been
standing on their shoulders, and now I'm in a position
where I look forward and now hopefully somebody's coming behind
me standing on my shoulders and going to push it forward. Yeah,
I'll accept that. Yes, that that, by the way, was
always the plan. It was never to be big as Michael.

(28:36):
It was never to be big as Bobby, it was
never to be big as Stevie.

Speaker 4 (28:44):
I just wanted the journey. I wanted to get there.

Speaker 5 (28:48):
I wanted to manage to every day have some place
to go and someone to care about me being there
or actually going for it. Right when you create, like, Okay,
I just have to have this thing. I want the money.
When you get the money, what are you gonna do?
You made it about the money, it's over now. But
when the journey is the destination, you never stop reaching.

(29:10):
I don't know if I ever stop, and so long
as I'm able to be happy in doing it, and
hopefully you know, my fans will continue to carry me
in that process and celebrate what I'm making.

Speaker 4 (29:22):
But the reason why I say that is because I feel.

Speaker 5 (29:25):
Like I'm carrying a standard right greater than the points
that I'm putting on the board. The performers that they were,
the fact that their mics were actually on and they
were dancing and singing and performing and giving and leaving
it on the stage. That's what I picked up from them,
and I want to make sure that this generation didn't forget.

Speaker 4 (29:43):
About that part.

Speaker 5 (29:44):
Because it's easy to just put your TV track on
or either your song on, go up and have the
DJ's rocket in that sity.

Speaker 2 (29:51):
And the crowd likes it and it's fine, and.

Speaker 4 (29:53):
You gotta do the work. You got to put the
work in. All the young cats, yo, I know all
of them by the fact.

Speaker 2 (29:58):
You're so good with them. I was wondering how much
of that is, Like.

Speaker 5 (30:01):
I don't close my door to nobody. You know what
I'm saying, I'm big bro in that way. Unk whatever
you want to call me, I give the information because
it's important for us to continue to keep the legacy
moving forward.

Speaker 2 (30:13):
Nobody should call you.

Speaker 4 (30:15):
I mean some of them young enough too. You know
what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (30:17):
I don't feel like you unk status yet.

Speaker 4 (30:19):
Come. I mean, I don't feel like nowhere near it,
you know.

Speaker 2 (30:21):
I don't feel like.

Speaker 1 (30:26):
You got a lot to do, but I feel like
you have You should have comforted knowing that if you
did nothing else, which I know you will do more
if you did nothing else, like you've done enough.

Speaker 2 (30:39):
Do you feel like that?

Speaker 4 (30:42):
I always feel like there's more though, of course, yeah, but.

Speaker 2 (30:47):
There's comfort and knowing.

Speaker 4 (30:48):
The comfort in knowing is part of it. But not
feeling as though you have to prove something is what
I think. I hear you saying. Do I feel like
I have to prove something to anybody?

Speaker 5 (30:59):
No, I'm in my own light, and I got my
own ideas and I'm pushing forward. And again, it's the
integrity of what it is that I collected in my life,
from these incredible grades that now has made me who
I am. So now I can just be who I am.
You can follow it. It ain't gonna be easy.

Speaker 4 (31:20):
I ain't making it easy for you.

Speaker 3 (31:22):
You shouldn't.

Speaker 4 (31:23):
No, of course, not good. And then points do matter
in that light? You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (31:28):
But you're competitive, You're competitive a little bit.

Speaker 4 (31:31):
A little bit.

Speaker 1 (31:33):
I watched what other people are doing, and is there
people that are inspiring you.

Speaker 5 (31:37):
Or you just say I'm encouraged. I don't know that
I'm you know, yeah, I'm encouraged. There are things that
do inspire me because you know, as I think, you know,
our culture changes and it flips, you know, music, R
and B, rhythm and blues, rather it turned into hip hop.

Speaker 4 (31:57):
Rhythm and blues to me is the base of it all.

Speaker 5 (31:59):
Jazz for rhythm and blues is really the base of
it all. And that was just this ever morphing thing
based off of the person's interpretation of it an instrument
that they picked up, or how.

Speaker 4 (32:10):
They chose to use their instrument. Rather they it was
spoken word and they were spitting you know, bars, or
rather it was you know, miles through a horn, or
rather it was you know, Jimmy Hendrix throw a guitar.
You know. So for me being able to contribute to
any of it in this time, I'm happy.

Speaker 5 (32:32):
Rather legendary status, I'm carrying the torch of everything that
I have seen and the things that I loved about
them had everything to do with integrity, had everything integrity
for the music, yeah, and integrity for.

Speaker 2 (32:46):
The art and legendary status. That's exactly what I was
trying to get to.

Speaker 3 (32:51):
Yeah, there you got, you did it.

Speaker 5 (32:54):
Yeah, I don't know why I feel so hard, Like
why I feel so hard just accepting that?

Speaker 2 (32:59):
Yeah, what is that?

Speaker 5 (32:59):
I don't know, you don't know about it? Is there
a moment I think something in our history?

Speaker 6 (33:06):
Uh sure you are alleged, thank you? Yeah, yeah I
did that, you did. But I'm telling you something in
our history along the process. It's like, yo, be humble, Like, yeah,
be humble, but be proud that you can even do
any of it, because that's part of what's driving it,

(33:26):
you know this.

Speaker 1 (33:27):
And it's also if you take yourself out of the equation,
because I think we're all here to share our gifts
with people, to write so that other people can take
from whatever they take from us. Yeah, the fact that
you are a legend and you have built that, it's
inspiring and it brings joy to people. So if you
don't acknowledge and accept that, it's almost like you're not

(33:50):
even giving it to the you know what I mean,
you don't even allow the people to fully feel that.

Speaker 5 (33:55):
So what part of it is this the idea that
something is going to be taken away from you in
a moment's time. Never, No, But my point is it
could be something right.

Speaker 2 (34:06):
That comes from you being a young kid coming up,
always trying.

Speaker 3 (34:08):
To have a hit.

Speaker 4 (34:09):
No, that's life.

Speaker 2 (34:10):
Trying to be hot, be not hot.

Speaker 5 (34:13):
That's life because in the Okay, let's say it's one
record that is not as successful as the other records.
Should I now not look at you as a legend
That happens with artists.

Speaker 1 (34:25):
I think yes, But I think you have finally transcended that.
I think there are certain artists that if you never
make another record, or if you put out twenty horrible records,
it does not negate the legendary status that you've created.
That is not a thing that many people can claim. Yeah,
it's a handful of artists that are still relevant, that
are still active, that could claim that status.

Speaker 2 (34:48):
Yeah, that's it's a beautiful thing.

Speaker 1 (34:51):
Don't argue with me about I ain't argue with you.

Speaker 2 (34:55):
Hear did you hear what I said?

Speaker 4 (34:57):
You there? Anything?

Speaker 2 (34:59):
Is there anything else?

Speaker 4 (35:00):
Anything more?

Speaker 2 (35:01):
I'm using our exercise of listening.

Speaker 1 (35:04):
No, it's amazing, it's amazing. It seems inspiring. Man to me,
what makes the show so special?

Speaker 2 (35:08):
Because it's like you feel that like it's just.

Speaker 1 (35:11):
Whatever we should talk about that I saw this in
Was it the doc or is it the masterclass? Thing
when you talked about prepping for a show like this
that you do meditate with the dancers and the crew,
and yeah, is that something.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
You Is that new in your life or is that
a sinse therapy.

Speaker 4 (35:25):
It's so since therapy before.

Speaker 5 (35:28):
Actually, transcendental meditation was the first entrance into meditation for me,
and then other you know, forms of meditation. I really
picked up as I begin to kind of, you know,
just invest in this idea of mental health and how
we sustain. Being able to talk to someone having a
therapist or either someone who is of sound mind to

(35:49):
be able to share and you can be vulnerable and
have trust with is important. But then there are things
that we can do to really help file you know,
our thinking and all of the things that were collec
I think meditation is how I do that. Transcendental meditation
was the first way of doing it. It was like,
you know, basically a mantra, it's a word, and then

(36:09):
you kind.

Speaker 2 (36:09):
Of, you know, my therapist keeps trying to get me
to do it, and I just I.

Speaker 5 (36:13):
Want Silence is the hardest thing for any of us
to cope with, especially thinkers and incredible people, legendary people
like yourself. You want to get up and you move
like your legs, moving your hands.

Speaker 3 (36:26):
Movie, it's so bad.

Speaker 4 (36:29):
It's so bad, believe it or not.

Speaker 5 (36:30):
Though transidental meditation teaches you not to run from that, right.
But again, there are other deeper forms of medication, meditation, medication, yeah, meditation.

Speaker 4 (36:40):
That manages to really help.

Speaker 5 (36:43):
But by the way, medication versus meditation, no medication versus meditation.

Speaker 4 (36:48):
I would always go with meditation.

Speaker 5 (36:50):
But it's very hard, especially for people who have a
great deal of pressure and expectation placed on them, because
there's this idea of having to live up to something
and you're then plugged with this activation of your brain
and you've now managed to get it in this place where
it's just constantly, constantly throwing you, ideas throwing you and
which one sticks? And what should you do? What shouldn't

(37:13):
you do? Oh, I'm gonna just I feel this, I'm
gonna do that.

Speaker 4 (37:15):
I don't do that.

Speaker 5 (37:15):
Don't When you manage to slow it down and be
in silence with yourself, rather you meditate, and you had
for me it started off at five minutes and three
intervals throughout an entire day. Then I managed to get
up to twenty minutes. Twenty minutes is really there is
a that's a standard. Twenty minutes, three times.

Speaker 2 (37:37):
A day, three times a day.

Speaker 4 (37:38):
Gotta do it.

Speaker 5 (37:39):
Rather, you just choose manage to get up early enough
to just sit there in silence, even if your mind
is going. Just sit there in silence. Don't do anything,
don't pick your phone up, don't answer the phone, don't
respond to anybody, give yourself.

Speaker 2 (37:53):
And what happens to you?

Speaker 4 (37:55):
You just you're in a You're in a state right.
The most important.

Speaker 5 (38:00):
Part of our entire being is our state of being.
What state of being are you in? Are you suffering
or are you not suffering? Those are the two states.
There's no other states to be in. You're the suffering
or you're not suffering.

Speaker 2 (38:16):
Is that real?

Speaker 4 (38:17):
It is real?

Speaker 2 (38:18):
It is the only two states suffering.

Speaker 5 (38:20):
You're either suffering or you're not. And if you're managed,
if you've managed to put yourself in a beautiful.

Speaker 4 (38:27):
State of being right where you're not suffering.

Speaker 5 (38:31):
Then you can manage to allow a universe to actually
unfold for you. Oh that's good, cause what's intended to
happen will You can try and fuck it up as
much as you want to. But if it's intended to happen,
it's gonna keep coming around until you finally get it.
You're to say, like, man, I knew something told me.
That's the universe telling you move this way, do this.

(38:54):
But if you're not in.

Speaker 4 (38:55):
The right states, you're not gonna catch it. You're not
gonna see it.

Speaker 5 (38:59):
And if in this hectic state of mind and state
of being and suffering and trying to live or trying
to do this, you ain't gonna get to it.

Speaker 2 (39:07):
That's so good. Yeah, suffering or not.

Speaker 5 (39:11):
Suffering two states. There's two states of being. Yes, that's it.
You were either in a suffering state or a non
suffering state.

Speaker 1 (39:19):
But if the answer is yes, I'm suffering, then what
is the Then that's part of the problem.

Speaker 5 (39:23):
Okay, so now you know you're suffering. Now let's get
into why you are suffering. Ah, you begin to open
it up, you begin to understand. Man, it was something
that I had in my mind that I thought I
needed to fix.

Speaker 4 (39:33):
As a kid, I was three.

Speaker 5 (39:34):
I didn't know any difference any better, But that became
the ploy of how I look at my entire life.
Somebody told me no, so it was always no. So
I always thought No, I always thought I couldn't do that,
or I thought I shouldn't do that, or that was
the wrong thing to do.

Speaker 4 (39:49):
This is deeper work, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 5 (39:50):
It forces you to go back and speak to your
your child sometimes, like get into the mind of where you're,
where you were, and where you picked up some idea.

Speaker 2 (40:00):
Yeah, and why you're suffering?

Speaker 4 (40:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (40:02):
Is this something you learned as something somebody taught you.

Speaker 5 (40:04):
It's something that I've experienced and I managed to see
for myself in life through meditation, through you know, a
great deal of just patience with myself, studying, trying to
get myself in a better state of being where I'm
not walking around just suffering all day.

Speaker 2 (40:21):
Were you suffering for a long time?

Speaker 4 (40:22):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (40:23):
What was the cause of that?

Speaker 4 (40:25):
My suffering?

Speaker 5 (40:26):
I think primarily is the expectation to live up to
something or either something that was missing. Right, I need
to add something more to my life because I'm not
happy in this present moment.

Speaker 4 (40:42):
I got to get to that other thing. You know,
does it.

Speaker 2 (40:45):
Help you define it too?

Speaker 4 (40:46):
Right?

Speaker 2 (40:47):
If you don't even know who you're or recognize your suffering?

Speaker 5 (40:50):
If you, I think more than likely all of us
are kind of stuck in the suffering state. It's the
state that you choose to set yourself in. When you're
actually meditating, you're more than likely calm enough and how
to let shit. And this enables you right from being
able to see what it is that you're dealing with.

Speaker 4 (41:12):
I'm frantic. I gotta just go figure out.

Speaker 5 (41:14):
Just wait a minute, just slow down, just just stop
for two seconds. Then you realize it's not as pressing
as you thought it was.

Speaker 2 (41:21):
I'm not even I don't know why I'm stressed out.
I'm not even suffering.

Speaker 1 (41:24):
I'm not That's what it does to you, right, Do
you have that thought, like why am I even?

Speaker 4 (41:29):
What can I do about it? Let me focus on
the positive.

Speaker 3 (41:33):
It's so good.

Speaker 1 (41:34):
I saw you telling the crowd that a little bit
on the first night of the show. You told everybody
to turn their phones off, to be in the moment.

Speaker 4 (41:40):
And to be present.

Speaker 2 (41:42):
Be present.

Speaker 1 (41:44):
And then you said, I don't want to sound like
the old guy, old man, or I forget what the
words are used, but you reference.

Speaker 5 (41:50):
No, I sound getting older, right, And you know it's
these mantras and things that older people are always coming
up with, like these wise tales, and you know what
I'm saying in the Land of the Blind, that one
eyed man is king ship like that.

Speaker 4 (42:03):
You know what I'm saying, But I didn't.

Speaker 5 (42:05):
I didn't want to, you know, serve it as rhetoric
or either anything like that. But yo, are we able
to be okay with no as much as we are
with yes wins as much as we are with losses,
because they're the same. We don't see it, but they are.

Speaker 2 (42:22):
I've never heard it said like that.

Speaker 4 (42:24):
Hey, listen, I've heard you know.

Speaker 2 (42:26):
You learn from your mistakes. Everything is.

Speaker 5 (42:29):
Everything is a process you learn from yours. I learned
something from my bestaut.

Speaker 2 (42:33):
But I've never heard yes. It's the same as no.

Speaker 5 (42:35):
It should be in our minds. We can't see it
that way because we're all kind of like looking for
the wind only. But there's measures, you know, there's measures
in life. There's time, there's there's a moment for everything.
And nothing is happening by coincidence. Everything is intended to happen.

(42:57):
You just don't fight it. If you choose or try to,
you're gonna make their process longer.

Speaker 2 (43:03):
So good, Yeah, how are you doing with like?

Speaker 1 (43:08):
Because this is like grown usher now, like, how did
you because you started so young, you're grown, you're still
you're still not unk status.

Speaker 5 (43:17):
I wouldn't say I am. I'm saying, if you're like
six years old, are you trying and you want to
call me up?

Speaker 4 (43:23):
That's cool?

Speaker 2 (43:25):
But how do you do? How have you dealt with age?

Speaker 1 (43:30):
Because because famous people and sometimes that challenging, especially when
you start so young and you looked at as a kid,
or you looked at as this young, you know, and
now you're like a grown man four kids, Like, was
there ever a weird transition for you in that?

Speaker 4 (43:45):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (43:45):
I mean it became painstakingly obvious when I had to
deal with a thirteen year old a fourteen year old
who you know, are like in need of parenting, and
you know, as complicated as it is to be our parents,
it now that we're on the other side of it.

Speaker 4 (44:02):
As an entertainer, I don't know.

Speaker 5 (44:04):
I think that in you know, the eyes of my fans,
I guess I'm as old as the experience that they've had.
Rather they had it then or rather they're still having
it now. So I don't know if music is able
to give you age in that way. I think if anything,
it preserves your age because you go back.

Speaker 4 (44:23):
To that moment.

Speaker 5 (44:24):
And for me, I'm actually working my way back in
it every time i'm performing it. Rather i'm you know,
doing a handstand or you know, you still moving thing,
trying to get the body right in order to have
that shirt off whatever.

Speaker 3 (44:37):
You're not doing any weird old man.

Speaker 1 (44:39):
You know, sometimes the dance as you get older has
a little some of our favorites the dance a little
later on it starts to get well, you're showing no
signs of that.

Speaker 4 (44:49):
Well.

Speaker 5 (44:49):
For me, the performance had always been a major part
of who I was, so it's always kept me young
because that was the fun part of it, you know.

Speaker 1 (44:59):
But not everybody that transition from child to young to
grown comfortably, especially if people in the public eye.

Speaker 2 (45:06):
They fight it and.

Speaker 1 (45:07):
We see them fighting, and it's never it's always uncomfortable
to watch. But I don't think we've ever seen any
kind of weird transition. Maybe internally you had one, but
we didn't see it.

Speaker 5 (45:16):
You weren't like I think, if anything, that transition probably
was difficult between me and my mom, and very difficult
because of our work relationship that then became family relationship, right,
and I think ultimately it had always just been about
my mom wanting me to be the best or have
the best, or not go through any kind of pain,

(45:39):
which is her own suffering. Because she's thinking about what
she went through and not looking at me for where
I am suffering.

Speaker 2 (45:47):
She must be proud now.

Speaker 5 (45:48):
She's very proud now because she understands that no matter
what she may have wanted, what was intended to happen,
would always going to be good, always going to get
where we were, and our relationship as mother and son
is more important than anything. And now we can have

(46:10):
all the other stuff.

Speaker 2 (46:11):
And she got these grand babies.

Speaker 4 (46:12):
Now she got grand babies that she got to deal
with four Yeah, and she loves dealing with them.

Speaker 2 (46:18):
Of course they do. I hear. It's easier to be
a Grandparent's more fun being a grandparent. You get to
do all the fun stuff.

Speaker 5 (46:23):
Yeah, until you meet Sinco, my oldest son. He's fourteen.
But now they have their code. I don't know if
I go through the thing.

Speaker 4 (46:36):
With grandma the way normal.

Speaker 5 (46:37):
You know, everybody else says, you know, when grandparents get
their kids, they just let them get away with everything.

Speaker 4 (46:42):
Because my mom she's still on it. Yeah, she's still young,
she's still on it.

Speaker 1 (46:48):
Yeah, how's being a dad changed you? And a new
and a recent kind of girl dad?

Speaker 2 (46:56):
Now?

Speaker 5 (46:57):
Yeah, yeah, girl dad has definitely made me you so off.
I was just in a jumpy house, no socks. Yeah
I went pump patching. Yeah, I did it with my
boys too, But with your daughter is a different thing.
Like I'm literally walking her through everything and trying to
make sure I'm I'm the bodyguard.

Speaker 1 (47:17):
Yeah, security on stage last night. Then he was at
the after party, and then he was at the pumpkin.

Speaker 5 (47:23):
Patch pumpkin patch, and then getting ready for school. You know, hey, yep,
you got what you need. You know, noticed something yesterday?
You miss class? No, I did miss class that I
was a tutoring Okay, got it great. Just wanna make
sure I'll let you know I see it. What's going
on here?

Speaker 4 (47:37):
It? Yeah, of course you gotta be.

Speaker 5 (47:38):
You know what I'm saying, My responsibilities as a dad
is more important than anything that I do here. You know,
that's what changed me to be able to say that
I could be you know, uh that for my kids.
I suffered a long time you know, analyzing uh and
making moves based off of the fact that I didn't

(48:01):
have a dad. I wanted things to be perfect because
I didn't have it right, or I wanted to try
to do the perfect thing in order to make sure
that I didn't make my son feel like I felt
my own suffering had nothing to do with him.

Speaker 1 (48:15):
Isn't that crazy? How that does it to us our parents?
Like I just did my last episode I did with
Kelly Rowland, and we're talking about daddy issues and it's
like for women especially, you know, daddy issues is like
a big thing, but we never really talk about, like men,
what that does, What that does to you?

Speaker 5 (48:30):
Yeah, well, not being there or either being around, but
you know, kind of being an absentee. And probably because
it's just the standards of where life was for men
back in those times. You know, it's always kind of
been this idea, you know, don't cry, you soft if
you cry. I don't believe in that. I believe that
your kids can cry, but they need to get up

(48:52):
and to keep moving. You know, it's all right to
be vulnerable, it's all right to have moments. Don't with everybody,
because they ain't everybody's business. But to have a dad
that you could talk to and you know, be able
to be transparent with to help your kids. I think
it's important to have that for men in our time.

(49:13):
Earlier it probably wouldn't. I can't say it because my
dad wasn't that I wasn't. I didn't have that kind
of relationship with with my dad, you know. But changed
everything about me. I think it made it gave me
true responsibility, you know, it gave purpose for those late, late,
late nights. Like I did that anyway in my life,

(49:33):
but as a father, you do it for a different reason,
with a different outcome, or at least expectation for an outcome.

Speaker 2 (49:40):
Are you a good dad?

Speaker 5 (49:41):
Do you think now that though I can be tough
at sometimes, you know, And I think I managed to
make everybody feel like I'm your dad, everybody's daddy, everybody's dad.

Speaker 4 (50:00):
I just want everybody to, you know, to be their
greatest man.

Speaker 2 (50:03):
And what do you ask God for most? What do
you pray for?

Speaker 4 (50:08):
What do I pray for most?

Speaker 5 (50:09):
Because everything his grace covering, I pray more than anything,
given thanks that I'm able to pray, that I actually
have the voice to be able to share it, the
fact that He's chosen you know me. And also two
people around as vessels for some purpose that could help

(50:30):
me through life and also to help a lot of people.
I pray for my children, I pray for my loved ones.
I pray for those who are my soul circle, the
people who is I love that, Yeah, the people who matter,
you know, for life and will affect those people who

(50:50):
because by the way, in this soul circle are all
people who affect each other. Rather it's my mom, or
my children, or my ex wife or you know, people
who have been there. You know what I'm saying that
shit gets hard, you know, but praying a covering over
for the sake of making sure that as we go
into the next season or whatever life has to offer.

(51:11):
For my kids who have kids, you know that they
don't bring the same issues that we had in ours
into theirs. That we can remedy and fix some of
those things.

Speaker 4 (51:20):
You know, what do you.

Speaker 2 (51:22):
Think now, because everybody's purpose?

Speaker 1 (51:23):
I think, well, no, some people they're born, they feel
like they have a purpose, they know what it is.
Sometimes they change throughout our lives.

Speaker 2 (51:31):
Do you feel like you know what yours is?

Speaker 5 (51:35):
We know it has something to do with music so far,
but I think after that, rather it's an example of
a business because business has obviously been a part of
my life, not as much as a priority, but to
be recognized as a businessman that.

Speaker 4 (51:55):
Speaks through I would have never guessed that.

Speaker 5 (51:58):
I mean, I've been I've made plays, I've done things,
I've had involvement in major things, and also to more
than anything, have been oddly enough of usher for other
people to be able to be introduced into spaces and
have benefited from that, don't get me wrong, But to
now be in a position to prepare people and to

(52:23):
create a standard, a standard that we can benefit from,
an ecosystem that I think that we can benefit from
better than happen to rely so much on infrastructure that's
been set before we got here.

Speaker 4 (52:35):
So that's really my next focus.

Speaker 1 (52:38):
So you're going to go back to the student. I
know you're in this moment, but I'm not done. Okay, no, no, no, no, no,
no done. No matter of fact, I don't care what
business I'm in. I'm going to still make music and
also to either be a part of creativity in that
space of music because it's something that I know so well.
I understand what it is, I understand how to do it,

(53:00):
and I don't take it for granted, but I love
to be able to be creative in that space.

Speaker 4 (53:04):
But business that's.

Speaker 5 (53:06):
In a lifestyle that is aspirational, that is a part
of our culture that leads to some sense of knowledge
for all of our people to be able to continue
to collect it and utilize it or either benefit from it.

Speaker 2 (53:19):
Is this something that's happening already there.

Speaker 5 (53:23):
There's many things, you know, you know, me and la
Reed have been working together. Yes, you know, we hadn't
been working together for a very long time, you know,
so to be able to be back in each other's lives,
and I think that he's been such a valuable commodity,
you know, for so many industries and you know, and

(53:45):
so many incredible entities. But now to be able to
come together and have ownership in what we're building for
a future label.

Speaker 4 (53:56):
It's going to be that in thens and.

Speaker 1 (53:58):
Then some yep, a network and a label or something
like this. They're very mysterious.

Speaker 2 (54:05):
Well, but I'm excited whatever it is, we'll follow.

Speaker 5 (54:07):
I'm being mysterious because you know you're in the process.
We're in the process. But you've seen us together, right,
you better watch this. You know what I'm saying, but
we we've been around each other recently, you know, just
just reminding ourselves of why we got started and what
it was about, where it came from, looking at and
analyzing the things that have happened in life, what could

(54:30):
have been better, what we could have done differently, and
the importance of our legacy and the aspiration of what
it is that we created, you know, and really being
a product of it through and through, not just talking
it because we talk it a lot. A lot of
us talk about this collaboration and my brothers and us
sticking together, no really doing it, sticking together and building

(54:53):
you know.

Speaker 2 (54:54):
This sounds exciting.

Speaker 1 (54:55):
Yeah, did this surprise you?

Speaker 5 (54:59):
Well, I didn't know it would be as wildly successful
as it was. Thank God for Eddie Bishop Long who
created watch This. I don't know if y'all ever heard that.

Speaker 4 (55:08):
You know, I'm you know, as a as a kid,
his sermons I used to go to and he would
always do this, watch this, Watch this kind of picked
it up.

Speaker 3 (55:18):
He didn't do.

Speaker 5 (55:19):
He't put that part together. Yeah, I just my own
little remix up. But and it was a part of
you know, confessions, like it's always.

Speaker 4 (55:28):
Been on the record. But I never kind of gave
it a little meme visual.

Speaker 5 (55:32):
But by the way, memes were not a part of
that culture at that time, and that was just having fun.

Speaker 4 (55:38):
Man. But y'all definitely watched this because there's something coming.

Speaker 2 (55:43):
I can't wait till you're ready to talk about it. Yeah,
I look forward to that.

Speaker 4 (55:46):
Yeah, it's gonna be fun.

Speaker 2 (55:47):
Thank you for today. Thank you for an amazing weekend.
We're gonna need b roll. I need to show people.
Please you come back. You're gonna do it for more, right,
because I keep telling people you got to see this.

Speaker 4 (55:56):
Sadly enough, I think by the time this is you know,
it'll be over. So yeah, please, should there be.

Speaker 2 (56:03):
A documentary or something around it? There has to be, right, Yeah, okay,
that's way it works.

Speaker 4 (56:07):
Of all that good stuff. Please monetizing.

Speaker 1 (56:09):
It's really magical. It really you bring in so much
joy to people.

Speaker 5 (56:13):
Yeah, I'm very happy to be able to have done
it now and be on the lookout for new music
next year.

Speaker 3 (56:19):
And you are a legend.

Speaker 4 (56:21):
I am a legend, asher Baby.

Speaker 2 (56:25):
Thank you