The DoorDash Thief w/ Mani Draper

Rapper, producer, and Richmond native Mani Draper joins the show to talk about how his team is bringing their own version of 'Tiny Desk' to West Oakland, upcoming project with P-Lo, Hip-Hop turning 50, & more! + Will Smith reunites with Jada Pinkett and shares some loving words, Netflix hikes prices again, and there's a DoorDash thief at my job!

IG: @_ftrpod
Personal: @AngelinaOnAir
Mail: 340 Townsend San Francisco

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Episode Transcript

(00:27):
Hello, Hello, Hello, waspoping friends, appreciate you being here always,
Thanks for rocking with us. Thisis episode fifty three. We get
it up there. Give us afollow on Instagram at Underscore FTR pod I'm
at Angelina on air. This isfor the record with Angelina And in this
week's episode and for the culture,Will Smith reunited with Jada Pinkett Smith in

(00:49):
Baltimore and had a few words forher and let's talk TV. Netflix has
us messed up all over again,and bitch, there is a door dawsh
thief in the building where I were. And then today in the Bay Rapper
producer, the insanely Talentedmani Draper joinsthe show. So by all means,
let's get to it. This isfor the culture, for the culture or

(01:15):
the culture. This is where wepick a headline and ask if they,
she or he did it for theculture. Listening to you guys, I've
been doing pretty good too, notbringing up this damn couple and they're mess
not talking about it, but wehave to, we have to have some
thoughts. So Jada, she's beencontinuing, you know, her little press
tour for her memoir Worthy, thisupcoming book that she's getting ready to put

(01:38):
out. We've been seeing Will andJada in the headlines up forever. You
know, at first, I thinkit was like America's favorite couple. You
know that Jada and Will love andthen there were these ongoing rumors about them
possibly being in an open relationship andmaybe it's not what we think it is.
There's something weird going on behind closeddoors, America's favorite couple. Then

(02:00):
the entanglements happened, further fueling thoserumors of being in an open relationship.
Then the slap heard around the worldhappened. Then you got Jada constantly throwing
these little jabs that Will. Peopleare like, does does she even love
him? Are those even his kids? No, there's no denying those damn
kids. All this stuff keeps happening, and then Jada drops a bomb and

(02:24):
comes out to say that they haven'teven been together in the past seven years.
They've been living two complete separate lives. Then she hit us with the
bomb. We find out they haven'tbeen together and like over seven years.
Well, since all that happened,she recently did a show. I don't

(02:45):
know where it was at Baltimore.I don't know she was doing you know,
another stop to promote her book,and Will made a surprise appearance,
and he told the audience, Ijust really wanted to come out and just
be here and hold it down foryou the way you have held it down
for me. We have had avery, very long, it tumultuous relationship.

(03:06):
By the way, if you thoughtbefore this I knew how to say
tumultuous, I didn't definitely had aGoogle how to pronounce that word. Continued,
Will Smith says, we called itbrutiful. It was brutal and beautiful
at the same time. And thenit goes on to say that Jada is
the best friend I have ever hadon this planet, and I'm going to
show up for her and support herfor the rest of my life. Can
I just say something real quick beforethis when Jada the thing I was most

(03:30):
annoyed with Jada, you know,when she started bringing up the stuff about
pac not just because it gives theinternet so much AMMO, because people already
are always trying to say that she'sstill in love with him and make little
jokes about Will Smith and you know, disrespect his family. So not only
did I give the fuel, butit just was it was just corny Godata

(03:53):
Jones Pack's last girlfriend before he passedaway. First literally was with someone,
so like, some of her storydoesn't add up, like did you say
like they were gonna get married orsome shit like houseway he was in love
with someone before he passed away.My thing is, though he's had many

(04:13):
relationships in between that time, andyou do not see these girls constantly going
online speaking on Pop's name. Idon't know, It's just it was a
little corny to me. And this. I think it was at that moment
where I was like kind of feedinginto where everyone else is saying, because
honestly, for the most part,I still love will and Jada, but
it was getting real corny and Iwas like, man, I'm tired of

(04:34):
her too. I was jumping allthe way. I'm gonna being tired of
Jada. So now Will Smith hascome out showing her mad love, and
honestly, y'all go hate me forthis, but I gotta respect it.
I've got to respect it because youknow what, Yes, they are annoying
and they are so fucking messy thatI don't even understand what is going on

(04:57):
in that household. But one thingthat don't do is stick together and I
have to respect it. I wastalking to my mom about this earlier,
and I hate that I'm comparing itto these people because I truly do hate
these people. But I'm like,man, who is someone else that is
so annoying and so messy? Butthey stick together? And I instantly thought

(05:20):
about the Kardashians because I am aKardashian hater, although sometimes I do find
myself a giggling at their little clipswhen I'm scrolling on TikTok. But my
mom loves them, and her bigthing is that, like, you know,
but they stick together as a family, Like she loves that they just
like stick together as a family,like no matter what mess happens. And

(05:40):
I'm like, damn, I'm meover here, Kevin for Will and Shade
like this, I saw this tweetthat just really summed up how I'm feeling.
Shout out to add King Bale straighton Twitter. I've been following her
for a minute. Her tweets arefire, but I also follow her letterbox
d account. If you're not familiarwith that Apple website, it's like,
I don't know. People go onthere to like comment on movies. You
can rate them but it's not likejust like as they come out, like

(06:01):
you go find like an old assmovie and like and writing the comments what
you think about that movie, andlike rate it out of five stars.
It's pretty dope. I follow hers. Her views are always fire. But
anyways, so Hollywood reporter put outWill Smith, during surprise appearance at Jada's
book event, quoted, our unionis sloppy experiment and unconditional love. Jada

(06:23):
is the best friend I have everhad on this planet, and I am
going to show up for her andsupport her for the rest of my life
at King Bill Street retweeted it andsaid I love them, I'm sorry,
and then followed up saying I lovea good, messy failed marriage. Every
new complication adds more to the loreand my entertainment. Open marriage, separated
for seven years, showing face inpublic, coming to her defense publicly,

(06:44):
dul memoirs and pressed tours. They'reallegedly back together. Literally Shakespeare couldn't write
it. Bruh, Shakespeare cannot writethis, and apparently they're thinking about writing
a book together now. I don'tknow what it is about them being absolutely
insane and messy and still sticking togetherand showing each other the most of love.
I'm here for it. I'm sorry, I'm kind of rooting for them.

(07:05):
Even when the Internet was going crazyand going in on Jada and I
did find the pop stuff corny andshe is making Will look a little crazy
out here, but it didn't botherme as much as it was the entire
internet. And I'm you know,I'm reading all the commentary and the only
thing I could think of was howmuch I loved mind You. I was
probably like ten. But when theyhosted the BET Awards back when the BT

(07:27):
Wars was like firefire, like thehosts were always crazy, like Mooney Jamie
Fox. When Will and Jada didit YouTube right now, Will and Jada
two thousand and five BT promo Likethe commercial. I had watched it actually
today because I was talking about itwith a friend and the commercial like gave
me serotonin. It like starts offwith like Will Jada, the whole family,

(07:48):
Willow Jadaen. They're like hello,They're like babies and they're just like
this happy family and they're like hey, the Smith's invites you to the bt
a Wards. Like it's like realpreppy, real clean, real Brady Bunch
and then in the promo, likethe cameras cut, they're like, Okay,
we got it, and then likeWill is like yelling at Jaden and
they're like all cussing each other outthat that's dismiss for you. They don't

(08:11):
make no sense. I love it. I don't know. And I remember
when all this was happening, Ikept thinking, like, abe kind of
fire if they hosted the VT wardsagain with all this going on, samehow
this girl's like kind of reading forthem for that book and for them to
have like dual press tours. I'mhere for the mess. I want to
see more of it. Jada needsto tone it down a little bit on
the corniness. But I don't know. There's something about them truly not being

(08:35):
perfect, not being a perfect couple, be in this big ass mess and
still sticking together and briting for eachother and still kind of being this beautiful
family. Like that's Will fucking Smithone of the greatest actors of our time.
I don't know, I say,Will Jada always doing it for the
culture, that's my hot take.Let's talk TV. Why is Netflix raising

(08:58):
their price? Says once again,I'm triggered. I think this started literally
yesterday, October eighteenth. It's I'mrecording this on the nineteenth. You're probably
gonna hear it on the twentieth anyways. So basically, the basic plan,
you know, the nine ninety nineper month one is now gonna be eleven
ninety nine. If you're paying nineteenninety nine like me, whopping twenty dollars

(09:20):
for premium, We're now gonna haveto pay twenty two dollars and ninety nine
cents. Twenty three dollars. Ohmy god, twenty three dollars. No,
Actually, I'm glad I brought thisup so I can remember to cancel
my shit. The thing is,I don't use Netflix like that, like

(09:41):
every once in a blue moon whenI'm tired, because I watched literally everything
HBO has to offer me. Andokay, I don't use Disneyplus so much
either. I told y'all last week, I logged in in the first time
at Forever and Binge watched all theDisney Channel original movies. But I'm heavy
on Hulu, HBO, now AmazonPrime nowadays. I rarely go on to

(10:03):
Netflix. I think the last showthat I was like really keeping up with
besides Stranger Things, is dead tome a Christina Applegate and the third season
had finally came out, the finalseason, and it was a mess.
It was pretty terrible. But afterthat, like, there's not a true
show that I actually keep up onNetflix. And I will say, every
once in the blue moon, whenI finally just don't know what to watch
on the other show I'm using,I will log onto Netflix, and I

(10:28):
feel like every time I do that, the app crashes on me at least
good three times. And then I'llgo in there and then I will watch
a documentary and then be big inmy documentary bag and watch a bunch of
dogs on Netflix. But that's aboutit. Netflix. You are so lucky
you have the Last Dance on there, But I'm pretty sure I go watch
it on Prime too. So I'mjust saying, helpold of this streaming service

(10:50):
to not be giving us any firecontent. When was their last like really
good show that everyone was houckd on. I would really have to think about
this, because I don't know foryou not to be adding any like fire
movies either. I'm always looking inthe movie section because you know, I
let me a good rom com andI'd be scrolling. I gotta go through
like where you skip all the genresand you're like, just show me all

(11:11):
the movies you have on this fuckingapp, and you're just like scroll it
and scroll it and scroll and endup watching something that like you never even
heard of, and you try towatch it for you not to be serve
and fire content like that and constantlyraising your prices is insane to me.
So we'll see if I actually cancelit. I know always say I'm gonna
do that every time they do this, and I don't because we still have

(11:33):
those moments of like needing all theoutlets to watch something like never satisfied,
and I Am not going back tocable, I know every time they raise
the prices, like we all saylike, oh, you might as well
just go back to cable, orlike we have all these streaming services,
like what's the point. I'm not. I'm sorry. Even though this is
a lot when I added up,it's still not the price of cable.
When I was living with my parents, I was like one of the only

(11:54):
bills I had, and it waslike three hundred dollars a month. We
didn't even have like we had probablylike HBO, but we didn't have show
time. You know, we didn'thave all the channels. That's too much.
I'm not doing it except for maybeyou know, the live sports.
But you know, you could payfor live TV on Hulu if you like,
just buy the NFL package. Youcould you know, watch it through
ESPN or whatever. I don't knowthat one. I would consider getting cable

(12:18):
for once I get a TV inmy living room, because that still has
yet to happen. But you know, Sundays I like to go to my
parents' house to watch football anyway,that's like, you know, my time
with my parents, to go visitthem, or go out to watch with
someone, or actually go to thegames. So I don't know. I
don't know. I still gotta thinkabout that. But I don't know.
Who needs to hear this Netflix raisingthem prices. Let me know what you'd

(12:39):
be watching on Netflix if you loveit that much to be paying over twenty
dollars a month. Let me know, add Angelina on Air or ads Underscore
ftrpod. I said, if youwanted to go to Tailor's, just tell
a brother you want to go toTaylor's. Nice You said that? Oh
hell yeah, man, I laidit out right, I says, I

(13:01):
says, I says, I said, bitch, bach bitch. I feel
like I gotta keep this one semishort because one Chris is not here this
week. And I'm also really reallyexcited for our today and the Bay guest.
And also I feel like nothing excited, exciting has happened to me since
Monday, which was the last episode. Something kind of funny happened today.

(13:26):
I guess I'll share it. SoI came into work early. I'm so
tired of coming into work early,because you guys know, I get off
late, like today, I thoughtI was gonna leave exactly at ten.
I finished all my extra shows.I had a track after my live show,
and then I forgot I got torecord this podcast. But it's okay.
I like talking to you guys,but it's like eleven thirty right now.
Anyways, came in early. Ihad a meeting with Reading Partners.
If you don't know, I ama board member for Reading Partners. I

(13:48):
used to volunteer with them back inmy Lake Shelay Days early Lake to Day
Lake Lay Days, so back liketwenty fifteen, twenty sixteen. It's a
really dope nonprofit education pro It's notjust based in the Bay Area. But
basically there'd be there's students in schoolsthat are like six or more months behind
grade level and reading, so you'dvolunteer. I would go in I think

(14:13):
I was at the time two hoursa week I was doing. I would
volunteer. I approve Elementary. Butbasically they have like books that are color
coded and it's based off the readinglevel. So like you would get one
student, you'd read to them abook that was marked with the yellow sticker,
and then you would keep going andthen suddenly that student could start reading

(14:33):
books that were marked with a greensticker, and you just see their reading
improved. It's a really cool program. I strongly encourage you if you're looking
to do some volunteer work to govolunteer. You could do it virtually too.
I'm gonna actually link it in thepodcast. But I had a meeting
with them basically on how to improvetheir social media and like just ways that
we could get more people to volunteer, because I will say it's such an

(14:56):
amazing program, but it they aresocials, it's just a little bit outdated,
a little bit in the Stone Age, Like the message is still very
clear. But I will say,a lot of it is just graphics,
and we know how the algorithm works. Like you have to have videos,
you have to have trending sounds,you have to do you know, collab
with the influencers. Like there's justso much that goes into social media.

(15:18):
And props to this team because youknow, I feel like our meeting was
very it was very productive and weall learned a lot. And you know,
we're throwing them a bunch of feedback, the people that run the page.
But like at the same time,it's like it's two people running it,
and they're really running the program.They just happened to have a social
media page. It's like there's otherA lot of people need a whole social

(15:41):
media teams, is what I'm saying. Like it's a lot to run a
social media page, you know whatI mean. So anyways, we're just
brainstorming on that and then getting volunteerdates straight because a lot of us also
volunteer. But yeah, I usedto volunteer with them back in the day
and I was doing good and thenI would try to go back and my
schedules started getting crazy, especially whenI started going back to radio when I

(16:03):
was doing like my college radio andit just never worked out. And now
that I've been, you know,a little more settled here at Wild and
with my career in radio, I'vebeen trying to think of ways I could
go back and work with reading partners. But I know, like volunteering,
I can't do it as much asI used to. And yeah, I
had a meeting with them to geton the board and so far I like

(16:25):
it. Anyways, had a meetingwith them through thirty, then had a
meeting with my boss at four,and then after that I probably should have
came into the studio to finish tracking, but of course I was like,
let me go talk to Von chopit up with him. So meeting him,
had ordered some food, ordered mea little pokey bowl. You guys
know, I love my sushi,but I'm broke this week, so I
was like, we're gonna have toget a little pokey ball, no roles
this week for me. Whatever,eat our food, carry out, live

(16:48):
in our lives. And then it'slike an hour or two later and security
comes up and he's like he walksin with the bat. He's like,
this isn't yours? Is it?He's like, bitch, I know you
do not just order more food andI'm like, no, that that's not
mine. That's not mine. Ialready ate. And then he's like,
oh, have you seen Vaughn.I was like, I think he's in
his DJ booth. He doesn't haveit. And then Van gos up to
me and he's like, hey,yo, is that your door? Hush?

(17:11):
And I'm like no, you know, I already just ate and he's
like, oh, yeah, wellthe name says Joseph or something on it.
And I went downstairs and they liketook a picture of me with it,
because like Chris was handing it tohim thinking it was his, but
it's not his food. So Idon't even know why he let DoorDash take
a picture of him with it.Anyways, we're like, what is this

(17:32):
bomb? Was like, it issome chicken taco's up in there. I
don't know if you want to tryit. I was like, oh,
you know, I am gonna behungry later cause we ate kind of early,
like four mind you, I'm heretill like midnight Long Story show.
We end up beating this man's chickentacos, but we cannot find who this
Joseph is. Mind you, Noone is here at night, Like it's
like three people up in here,me, Vaughn Dre cause we're like live

(17:56):
at night. And then sometimes there'llbe some people in traffic, but we
know who they are. But onthe way out there was this guy and
I don't know who he is,but I was trying me and I'm trying
to avoid him. Were gonna goin the kitchen like while we were leaving
to like fill up our waters andwash you know, our dishes or whatever,
and we saw someone was already inthere, so we like immediately turned.

(18:18):
I don't know why we did that. We're just like, who the
hell is that? Like it's like, why who else is here? We're
like a little scared. And thenwe went to the other side of the
building and we're like, we havelike these little lockers that I heart gave
us. I never used them.You could like claim one. I was
like, I should probably do this, you know, I could put some
snacks up in here, some tampions. I should utilize this because I,
damn, you live here at thestation. Why don't I use this locker?

(18:40):
And that mystery man came by andlike said hello to us, and
we're like, damn, I thinkthat's Joseph or Josh or this mystery chicken
tacol person. Anyways, that ismy that as exciting as my week got,
I accidentally stole someone's door dash andmaybe we should have said something,
even though hours that passed. Butguess what, I already tried two of

(19:02):
those chicken tacos and they're pretty good, and I wanted to finish the other
two that were in there, andI did. I just did it before
I started recording this podcast, soI feel like I'm gonna have some bad
karma. But also there was likeno name on the ticket. I don't
know how von knew that this person'sname was Joseph. I think when he
was like, tak it to thedasher, I don't know that is a

(19:23):
little blur. He was like tryingto tell me what was happening. I
didn't really understand what's happening. Butwhen I saw the bag, you know,
like the receipt that they like attachedto it or staple it. I'm
reading it. It doesn't even saywhat the restaurant is, because that was
our main thing. We were like, this is how we were trying to
justify us eating this mystery person's food. We were like, yo, what
if this is a new taco spotand the tacos are fire, But we're

(19:44):
not gonna know that unless we trythe chicken tacos. But then we're looking
at the bag and we're like,damn, we don't even know where they're
from, though, because the receiptit just says three chicken tacos. It
literally does not say the name ofthe restaurant. It doesn't say the name
of the person who ordered it.So there goes our excuse of justifying stealing
this person's food. But I feela little bad because, you know what,

(20:04):
I've been there. When you ordersomething you already waited for DoorDash,
they're taking forever to deliver your food, and then finally you get a notification
that's been delivered. You go maybedownstairs, wherever the hell your front,
front of your house, wherever you'reat, and you're like, where the
fuck's my food. You're looking outout the door, you don't see nothing,
and then you gotta get a refrontfor your money, but you're still
starving, Like I've been there.You know what, Maybe this is my

(20:27):
good karma having this food get deliveredand it wasn't even my idea. I
got talked into stealing this food.Anyways, That's what happened to me.
If you ever stole someone's food,let us know on door Dash or let
me know like your tragic DoorDash stories, because I have a couple of those,
and I feel like this was mygood karma of all the time door
dash has fucked me over. Soyou love me know and let me know

(20:48):
if I'm dead wrong too. Youcould put something in the comments on Apple
Podcasts in the review section or hitus up on Instagram, at Angeline,
on air at Underscore FTR pod.But yeah, that's the most exciting thing
that happened to me this week.But I'm really excited for our Today in
the Bay Gas, So let's getto it. This is Today in the
Bay with your hosts and Jelina.Today in the Bay we have a special

(21:22):
special guess this man really be rapping, rapping and producing kind of does it
all for Sid to Richmond a boyMonty Draper. How's it going. I'm
so excited you're on. I feellike we planned this like twenty years ago.
I should. We're finally making ithappen. You have something really cool
that you brought to the community thatyou're doing for other artists. And we're

(21:44):
going to get into all that,but first let's get to know you.
For those that don't know, whendid you get into music? I get
I've been getting asked this a lottoo, And I hate to sound like
the grumpy old man, but it'sbeen forever, Like I don't remember life
without music for real, for right, but post colleges, like start taking
it serious, move back to theBay twenty thirteen, and then from there
it's just been like d down,grinding, grinding, well, even like

(22:07):
when you were younger, like whoputs you on? Really? To man?
I give? I give my aunties, my god brothers, and I
always say my god brother, butI thought about it the other day.
I gotta say my god sisters too, because they you know, you got
to figure they were teenagers in theGolden eras, so like they played me
clueless for the first time, allthese saucy little cultural staples that you just

(22:29):
kind of need to kind of findyour way creatively, and that all of
it influenced me so and like whatage were you when they introduced me?
I was that was seven, eight, nine, ten, Like some of
your most influential years. And man, like my auntie playing me juvenile.
She went to Southern. She cameback for her first Christmas away. She
a freshman at Southern. She like, yeah, she had four hundred degrees

(22:51):
on a cassette, like she recordedit off of New Orleans radio and then
brought it back home. So it'sthose memories I have the fondest moments of
music and being like, yeah,I'm about to do this forever. Really
I love that and that, likethose people are so important because like I
was talking about this with uh,I think this is that Mexicano t he
came in here anyway go and hereally be rapping too. Yeah, but

(23:14):
he's wally young. Yeah, Imean I'm twenty nine. I think he's
like twenty three orself he's a baby. So like I was talking about how
like, you know, growing up, we weren't really into like the whole
East Coast versus West Coast thing,but I was like, I was definitely
influenced by it because I had myuncles being like and like even the block
I grew up on, like,oh no, we only look like for
the longest, probably not when Igot to high school, right was I
listening to just like mom figaus likelike it wasn't cool to listen to stuff.

(23:37):
It wasn't till I was high school. And I think my stepdad he
had the Ready to Die album andthat's all he played in his car,
right, And I was like,wait, this is tight, And like
I remember my mom, she likeforced me to go to the Heart of
the City tour. Wow, thejay Z and Mary Yeah, But like
to me, I was like,no, like, no one listens to
jay Z. Mom. I'm like, this is gonna be so whack.
And I remember like Jaws to thefloor, like everyone just wrapping word for
word. Like after that, Iwas like, I gotta go to every

(23:59):
album he's ever put out. See. But that's I'm so glad that we're
in a space now where we couldbe honest about the truth of those stories,
right right. And I was thesame way. All my OG's and
my older homies they did not rockwith East Coast music at all. It
was like naset and like Jay They'llget that out of here with straight rumpilation.
You're forty to click. Like theyeven like Brother Lynch and seem like

(24:22):
that's what they was on they wastrue West Coast Quinn like yeah, and
then here I am. I hadone My brother had one older homie that
was y'all tripping Jay the greatest everand he played me reasonal doubt when I
was a kid, and I waslike, bro oh, y'all bugget if
you don't like this, Like y'allreally hating if you don't like this.
And it's just like, you know, we even talk about the bass sound,
like a lot of times people definitelylike to put BA Area artists in
a box like you gotta have thisone sound, but like I feel like

(24:44):
it's so bigger than that, Likelike they try to put hip hop in
a box, like you think popcould be anything, and like to me,
it's just like you don't like music, like if I only watched the
Niners when they play, or onlywatch the Raiders when they play, I
don't like football like that, likeyou're just a fan of that. So
like, how do these people expectus to like only sound like this?
And you are like everywhere with yoursound too, which I love, thank
you so much. It's I thinkthat's a part of it too. We've

(25:07):
been trying to figure out a grandnational shot out Mark GN team. But
I think that's what brought us together. Bonded us is like we are all
West Coast babies, our cultural stratusLA different part of East Oakland, West
Oakland, Richmond like, and weall came together to really create this thing.
But what we all have in commonis that they go, you can't

(25:27):
be from the Bay. You don'tsound, you don't have the Bay sound,
or you don't have to be anestheticor it's like, what does that
even mean? Because all I knowis music, you know, so funk
music, gospel, like jazz likethis the home of all of those have
like a lot of that stuff wasbirth here, right and you throw it
all in the pot. You don'tknow what you're gonna get from a Bay
artist. But I think Atlanta goesthrough that. I think Detroit goes through

(25:49):
that. I think Houston goes throughthat. You just meant, you know
what I'm saying, Like it's hiphop. They try like even like when
people say like backpack wrap or consciousrap, it's like rap is rap?
Are you raping? Or you notrap? Come on? You know what
I mean? So like that iscrazy to me. Okay, before Grand
National, though, you were sosince you're a kid loved music, when
did you get like serious? Butyeah, post post I guess college for

(26:11):
real, But I always say postcollege because I kept I kept hooping.
I went to I went to SouthernOregon on athletic scholarship. As soon as
I got there, I started workingin college radio. Dang, I like
that, boy, I'm talking aboutthat yet basketball career, Yeah, for
no, that's I mean, it'scrazy because it's you. I say it
in every blue moon was like alike a real statistic, like from hooping

(26:33):
and rapping. And you know,I don't even say that with shame.
I actually say it with pride becauseif it wasn't for if it wasn't for
the access that basketball provided, likeI ended up at an art school anyway,
you know what I'm saying. Soit's like music, music followed me
wherever I went. And I gotthere and they had a radio station and
I always loved radio. And thenI went down to interview and Bro was
like, ain't nobody working there?You could do whatever you want, and

(26:56):
he just gave me an hour aweek to play straight here pop and then
sue plow Chief. They would recordthe songs and send them right to my
email. These are all from thesame area, my partners forever, Like
you'all went to school together. Okay, cool, cool cool. So what
moment for you was it like likemade the complete switch, Like I don't
want to do this anymore. Idon't need to focus just on music.

(27:18):
The day of my last hoop game, like my last collegiate hoop game,
wow over, I got back andI went right to the studio, Like
it was crazy. It was.There was not there wasn't even no time
off. It was just like hoopwas over and I was in the lab
Like it was crazy. That's crazy. And like who taught you? What
came first for you? Rapping orproducing? That's a great question. I
guess rapping just because producing was sofar removed, Like you had to do

(27:44):
hell of stuff to be a producer. You and you had to have a
particular you had to have this beatingmachine, you had to have this year
to have that. And it waslike by the time I got all that
gear, I was like, bro, I'll just write a rap like yeah,
and then you got to be goodat it, you know. But
that's what that was the thing,Like I got all the and I guess
part of my brain was like Iwas gonna work itself and it didn't you
had to know how to use it, like y'all got it. I'm just

(28:07):
gonna wrap. And then but thenI really started appreciating like what people could
do with sound and the producing cameway later because I didn't even know I
was doing it. I always shoutout my homegirl kayle Mont. She was
the first one that came to asession with me, and I'm like,
I wrote the part, I sangit, and I was like, yo,
just replace this what I did righthere. Yeah. She's like,

(28:29):
who gonna record I'm I'm gonna recordit. Whos gonna range it? I'm
gonna range it. She's like,bro, how have you been producing?
I was like, I don't becauseyou think just making the beat. But
you know, you learned quickly thatmaking the beat is not producing. And
we talked, my boy were talkingabout that in the cars, Like as
a producer, how value a produceris? You know, on radio,
it's like, yeah, I'm noton their personality the talent, but the

(28:52):
producer can sometimes make her break theshow. And it's a lot with the
albums, like who is producing andnot making the beat. Who's producing this
record, because as if that persondon't have a vision or any creativity is
liable to fall short. Like justwhat an artist left to their own visis
good luck. Like I've benefited somuch from being a part of a team
of producers where they're just like,hey, bro, put this on,
say this, use this beat,tried it like it's it's it's by so

(29:15):
much goes into it, and they'rejust like even putting the songs in the
right order. Hey listen, likethat's really the part, Like you'll have
a whole sequence, and then wehad we share the notes. You'll wake
up in the morning. Somebody fromthe crew has completely rearranged the order.
That's the order. If it wasthe best, it's what we rolling with,
Like right, forget what you hadwhen you went to sleep, now

(29:36):
move this here, and at leastI feel like I've benefited the most from
it, just like watching you know, just watching it all come together,
right, I think of like likefor me, like Volume three, I'm
a big jay Z fan, LikeI love all the songs on there,
but like as a whole, likeI think the transition is just like so
bad where he got the records,it doesn't get as much love as it
shit, and no one talks aboutthat too, where it's like the the

(29:59):
sequencing play such a big part inthe story of how you receive those songs.
So if you got in volume threeto my recollection, there's a there's
enough hit records where you can justkind of anchor the the sequencing to that,
and it was filler in between.And that's what it sounds like everybody,
I can play it and sound iscohesive as Volume two, as Reasonable
Doubt, as Blueprint. You know, when you're getting to those, you're
like, oh, this sounds likea whole story, and I think I

(30:22):
feel I feel like Jay's on recordadmitting some of that stuff too, right
right, right, yeah? Yeah. I love how you always just like
give credit where it's to like whoputs you on and what you learn from
who? Like what does that meanto you? Like acknowledging literally everyone on
your team because you're like really bigon that if so that every I hell,
I appreciate everybody's energy around celebrating thefifty of a hip hop but that's

(30:51):
only telling a very very small partof the story, right, And so
what happens is these larger marketable narrativeskind of become the truth when it ain't
that. There's a lot of moregiants that this whole culture's shoulders are built
on that will never get the lightof day. There's somebody in the neighborhood
that was the first one to havethis type of beat machine, that record

(31:12):
this, that that, and thatrapper goes on to be whoever the biggest
in the name, but that browho sparked that I did never gets mentioned.
And what it what I feel likeit does at least, is that
it cuts off the culture from itsroots, and it's what's the equity from
for the people from from what youcan right if you if you didn't completely

(31:33):
detach yourself from them and you largerthan life, now you don't have no
connection back to your people. Theynot attached to your assension, your career.
So now there's this big ass gapand hip hop specifically whereas hell and
people earning and then it's just peopledown at the bottom keeping it going.
That's why when you see somebody risefrom the ashes and they speaking that that
real, You're like, damn thatthat person is speaking for the people.
For that's what they mean when theysay that, you know, so that's

(31:56):
for me at least I've learned thevalue you were like really passing the rock,
you know, making sure that theperson you couldn't have done this without
knows that that you couldn't have doneit without him, like you you like
we joking about all on this interviewtook but every time I saw you,
And you know how funny this industryis, especially, people act different depending

(32:17):
on where you see him at.You show me love no matter where was
at, Like, we're gonna dothis. No, I feel the same
way. I remember, like becauseoriginally we used to go to I met
you through special like she would teachpeople how to like basically like do that
at their podcast, but it alsolike doubled as a networking thing, and
like you know, I people belike, oh, yeah, it's your
podcast, dope. I remember onetime I ran into you at like an

(32:37):
event, I don't know if it'sa concert or something, and he like
said something specifically about the episode andI was like, Oh, he really
listens. Be tapped it. Butthat's really it. Yeah, investing in
relationships. At the end of theday, you can get caught up in
the numbers hip hop is down thiswhat in sales that only applied for the
people that ain't spinning their own breadand really investing in themselves, that don't

(33:00):
reply to the to the Bay gettingit out the Trump for real like that,
and you never know what you're talkingto. On top of that,
you know what I'm saying, like, don't just be just we're talking about
this turn turning up y'r humanity.It is like, bro, y'all could
be worried about AI all y'all wantto if you can't get the humanity part,
now AI is the last of yourworries that part. And yeah,
you talk about like exactly the Bayarea and like the community because we know

(33:21):
you have a strong team, youknow, and I feel like you've been
around the same people for a while, like the same people. You know.
There is always that narrative of like, oh the Barry don't stick together.
I don't see where that narrative comesfrom. The keep that keep that
narrative to y'rselfs because you know whatI think the narrative really is. It
is like people are like so entitled. I feel like sometimes people be feeling
like because I'm from the Bay Area, you need to fuck with me.

(33:43):
And it's like, okay, butis it good? People scared of it.
I talked to my mom this morning. We uh, that's just my
dog. We check in and wetalk about everything, and that we ended
up in that like we were atthat point now where I didn't been through
enough life, lost friends and allthe shit where we can relate on a
one on one and we start talkingabout entitlement and like people feeling like they

(34:06):
get access to you all the timeof the day and it's like, bro,
what are you talking about? Andthen but then on being on the
other side of it too from agreat standpoint, it's like, bro,
you are not nothing is promised likenothing. And then especially in this rap
shit, like people be confusing likereally loving it with famous shit. Those
are not the same things, right, do not. Exactly, if you

(34:27):
want to be famous, get yourass on the Gram, on TikTok or
whatever and be funny, go makeus get whatever. But you might not
eat for this brouh. I seesee, and I see both sides of
that, because exactly, I'm like, there's some people who always say that
it's like your shit is not good. I'm sorry. Like so some people
be like, oh, the Bagdon't stand together, It's like, yes
they do. If you look ata lot of these albums that are dope,

(34:50):
it's a lot of people on it, Like what are you talking about?
They're not doing weird stuff, likeeven Peab like Michael Steed on tour
with him, you know, likethat's a shout out, bro, Like
that's that's why I'm be saying,like I don't know what those narratives are
about. The Bay don't stick together, because I know for me, if
it ain't p it's Roj. Ifit ain't Rid, it's Sue. If
it ain't Sue, it's Murf.If it ain't Mirf, it's scandal.

(35:13):
Like everyone's always looking out for body. Bro. I can call any of
the homies and they come through inthe in the clutch, like the Siner
verse, No problem, send tobeat, no problem. I don't.
I haven't run into that. Wein Portland for a Dame's release party,
Oh don't and fab fab and likewe up there kicking it like it's like
for real, it's family. It'sway bigger than like stop trying to bring

(35:37):
family, humanity, community politics inthe rapture that ship, and then even
the opotion like how you said aboutfame, like I mean not gonna get
canceled or like say any names.But there's also people who are very much
poppy. Look at their Instagram.They're getting all the views, all that
and these, and then you'll getpeople like, oh, how come y'all
don't play them? Or how comethe bay don't show them love? It's
like, do you do you listento him in your car? What's you

(35:57):
play it? And then the endsare being no because they mean good people
or like you know, yeah therethings are popping, but it's like,
do you really listen to that?Right? Like the same people that say
that don't even be bomping out.Don't want to point the finger for the
politics of it is crazy. Butyou went on twirl Res Yeah, was
that your first tour? That wasYes, that was my first tour.

(36:17):
It wasn't the squad's first tour.I think or been on tour with Nip.
Deuce has been on the road alot before and then passed with the
battle. He's been everywhere. Butfor me, how was that experience?
What like I got I got awhole new respect for that again. Playing
rap shit like that is when itcomes into full effect. You gotta I'm
watching Roger City the City. Mindyou. He's still grieving the loss of

(36:39):
his parents. It's never not gonnabe. That's what the album is about.
So city to city there are peopleshowing up because they also lost someone
in that album helped them get through. So now they're bonded by this experience.
And brug got to put on ashow every night and you go,
oh, he's like right, completelyspecial, And that's what opened my eyes

(37:04):
to it. It's like, bro, we got to be we got to
be creative as hell with our offeringto the people because he's like some of
them shows were like on a Wednesdaynight or Thursday night, off night.
And I remember in Columbus there wasthis couple that had driven from Detroit,
Like what y'all did y'all from where? Like yeah, it was however many
I'm like, wow, total nerveof us to you recorded this song and

(37:27):
now you think again to your entitlement, Oh, I get to do a
show now and people got to comesee, don'tbody gotta come to do right
and in a heartbeat, So thatis what I cherish the most from that
tour? Would it be in myfirst one? I got to go with
actors Stellar's Rage and then have mybros with me, and it was that
was that was really like being apart of a winning squad and just doing

(37:52):
your part. Like all you gottado is do this and we'll be successful.
Right you like learned a lot fromthat, learned a lot. Let's
talk about your connection with Kevin Allenformerly known as Ark the Jerk, the
Jerk. Yeah right there, handsup. Crazy. It's like a specific
time in my life, a flashback. That is crazy. Those songs were

(38:15):
going off. How did that relationshipcome about? Again? But baby,
people not sticking together. It's nota real thing. I DM bro was
like, hey man, I triedto use this email to get to you.
Didn't work, But I'm hitting youon a DMC if you do do
this record for me. He waslike, bet where are you at?
Send me to Addie. He pulledup ten minutes later. It was crazy.

(38:35):
That was a twenty eighteen, twentyseventeen and ever since seeing me and
bredban So, did he like tellyou about the group or like, was
it this is we already? Thisis way before that, like like like
he was doing a Kevin Island Projectalbum. He was just making the transition
from ARC to Kevin Allen. Sowe did that record. Now we just

(38:57):
we're learning about each other, like, oh broight you tight, like come
come open for this show. Andthen we packed out with his cry Baby
now used to be uptown. Wepacked it out, just me and him
on the bill and oh bro wedowed in. So we just kept making
songs, making songs, making songs. And then by the time, like
right before the pandemic happened, Dreamvilledropped The Revenge of the Dreamers too,

(39:20):
and he hit me. He's like, b are you watching this, and
like he's like, we could totallydo this. It's like I know,
right, And then next thing youknow, he sent out a text like
pull up to the lab. Andthen that was that was the start of
it, Like it was just putup a lab, but it was a
response to Dreamville and like watching themget all those artists together and just make
something so special, we knew wecould do the same thing. So is
it a group or is like anart collective? I always get a little

(39:42):
confused about it. At first,It's like, oh, it's like thirty
people have been here, Like howmany people are in this group? It's
a it's a it's a group nowfor show Kevin Allen Brookfield Duke's passwords,
myself, Grand National, the artistsas a collect as a group, and
then the art agency where we haveneeds like from from podcasts to filmographers and

(40:07):
even like local businesses. You youdon't trip how much art is a part
of every aspect of business. Soyou need marketing materials if you're a small
business. Because we've had to doit by ourselves and make our own show
fires, our own CD covers.I could totally design your menu now you
feel me, So come to dealwith me as opposed to dealing with some

(40:27):
bigger agency that may not even bein your your your region, that has
no understanding for your storyline and yourcommunity. So Grand National is gonna pull
up. We're gonna spend the timeto do the R and D learn why
you know, for the record mattersin the Bay, and then we're gonna
design your whole website, you yourcommercial everything to come to market to have
your story really connect and convert.And we figured out how to do it

(40:50):
for ourselves. You're like there,we could offer this as a service.
So then you add a cultural strategistto it, a creative director, and
and and some some some capital.You know I'm talking about. We can
we can really change the world throughusing art as a vehicle. Hip hop
just so happens to be hours.Yeah, you know, it's our commercial
to showcase our talent beyond. Yeah, bro, we want to do like

(41:13):
you you see rappers eventually end upin office and stuff like that. You
know, So we really had,we really have created access points to create
change. So now it's really timeto leverage it and retain some of the
equity so we can change our neighborhood. So that's the missing key, right,
We've generated all this value and don'thave nothing to show for it.
Not this time. You're not aboutto outsource our services. It's like,

(41:36):
bro, I don't need your marketingbudget. Excuse me, I need your
marketing budget. I don't need yourbudget to design to design a creative like
I do that all day, butto market it and to circulate it and
populate it further in the world inthe universe. Run that and then I'll
be able to convert and bust mymoves off of that, but you're not
gonna shut me off from the equitythough. I can't wait to see what

(41:57):
more you guys do. I mean, I just think of like someone like
for real, you know, likeI went to the first something in the
water and like the way he reallymade it all Virginia ship, like all
artists like jay Z came obvious Jamesonnot for Virginia, but like for him
to go back to the home time, like nah, the special guy is
really gonna be some crazy special guests, you know, and just like but
made sure this ship gonna be inmy hometown though, you know what I
mean. But look you you immediatelyI said what I said and your your

(42:19):
one to one was for real,So you know what we on? Other
people still playing dumb, like wait, what y'all doing? You can't do
that? You gotta pick. Whycan't have a music festival? I can
have a fashion line and I canhave It's been done over and over.
You just don't want it to bedone because of where we come from and
how it's looking and how how rudeit is still staying to the people like
look what Hiro did. Look withyeah, underground, we come from movements

(42:45):
and collectives that are for the peopleand end up changing the world. So
we're not gonna and the barriers differenteverything you call over today, did you
you will on Twitter? We doit all. Everything comes from here that
y'all got to do a block partyor festival we did. We did fake

(43:07):
Fest last year and the announcement forfake Ass Holiday is coming very very soon.
And we would let that y'all pullup as like, yes, what
fleas or anything you know? Iwant to I want to be okay,
we're gonna talk later. We're gonnatalk later. But yeah, going back
to like you just always showing loveto exactly people who started where we come

(43:27):
from. We gotta talk about everyblue moon real quick because you got to
join on their call. Earl andTodd. That's a hit that might be
a smash record. I'm not love. What are the inspirations you come from?
I mean, obviously you know youlove paying back, but like y'all
even switching y'all clothes up to soundlike that, it's crazy. Honestly,
the honest truth is we just downand out, like our artists are saving

(43:52):
grace and when when all bets aredown, me and broke and go to
the lab. Like me, whengo to the lab, order some food,
smoke, It's like, man,let's make us home. Short start
smalling, just immediately started smiling.He start making like making the beat,
and then before I know it,I'm rapping like Short just playing. But
DJ Sopolker is our homie, sowe can make the song and send it
right to Pope and go play itfor Short almost like so many oh's like

(44:15):
not just the lyrics, like notjust like even just like the beat beat
exactly, but we just we justmet Banks at the at the at the
the Mount Westmore tour, like hystericaldeuces, like you never met it before,
Like nah, bro, it's oneof my heroes for sure. We're
just talking to Banks. So nowit's like, oh, bro, we
really come from a lineage of mobfunk soul, Like let's let's keep that

(44:37):
alive. We don't have to donothing other than just be ourselves. And
then the real true like when weknew we had to do that song and
put it out, is when theystart putting out the top fifty list of
the greatest rappers ever, and itwas too many lists without forty and Short
at the top of it. Wasway too many lists. And I get

(44:57):
it because they're talking about lyrical abilityjust that. But if we're talking about
the arena of rap, sales,performance, sustainability, legacy, all these
things, I don't want to seeanother motherfucking list without forty bars on there.
But even but even even with talentand all that stuff, it's so

(45:21):
subjective and so regionally biased. I'mnot even having that. Y'all can have
that conversation. It's a lot ofy'all folks that shouldn't be on that list.
If we're talking about that, thenright, so make it even across
the board. Just who've been puttingnumbers up the longest. It ain't a
lot of names you can name higherthan forty and short. I'm sorry,
so put some respect on it.And that's all we were doing, is

(45:43):
like, hey, our legends istight. We love them to death.
We would not be here without them. This is how we show keep the
name alion. Listen. I loveit. I love it speaking of because
Versus is one of the best ones. I guess we'll go back and watch
and look at with Hoodie Polketto inthe versus, what do you have first?

(46:06):
That's dope? Shout out to thelegend of Big Von two. That
was one of my favorite verses.But we were just talking about how the
Jada the locks and the dip Setone truly is one of the best ones.
And I have peg had Jada oncautionary tale that versus like it really
is iconic because you think people werekind of shipping on versus after that easily

(46:28):
dip set. I thought they weregonna smoke them, like not even close
talk Instagram stories. I'm not hidingit. I was like, are you
kidding me? Like, just gonnasmoke them easy, and so I had
wasn't even closed. I had.Homi was talking about it, and it's
like, oh, you don't rememberbad Boys air locks, So it's okay,

(46:49):
I'm not gonna fault you for it. But it wasn't even I don't
know these records. It's just likedip set is dip set, like you
know what I mean. But Jadareally said, fuck all, y'all,
it's insane. That was That wasa special moment. That that part though,
what you're talking about. Thank youfor pointing it out. That was
that's how we feel, you know, as people you like, y'all wrap

(47:13):
for it. It's like, yeah, we really wrap it in there.
But there is this a negative connotation, especially being from the Bay, that
is is corny or is stale orwhatever. It's like, Bro, it's
not that. And then I promiseyou, like dipset would learn. Don't
nobody want to be on the show? Its like not when you got to,
Like, bro, I gotta wrapafter them, right, And that's
why that's why I love people likeRoger and p that have not closed the

(47:36):
door and just give us a chancebecause they're not competition is what they look
like. They're looking to be pushed. We're looking to push each other.
Hey, bro, he's like,hey, come to my sessions. I
want to play you something. Tellme what you think. Vice versa.
He Roger picked our single. Youknow what I'm saying, Like, that's
the type of camaraderie we have,But it's competition at the end of the
day, Bro, Like, I'mnot going to hoop and the best,

(47:59):
please because it's just gonna make usbetter. But if to your point,
you making like you're not telling yourhomeboy that ship what, then it's we
gonna we're gonna pay for that asa collect right, right. You can't
have a bunch of s man rightaround you. Uh but yeah, no,
I love that you had that intro. Like I specifically someone puts that
like who shot your free song streaming? And I be pumping that ship like
a monthly in my car. Wellit's crazy, like I was saying,

(48:19):
like people were saying how versus isfalling off? And rightfully so, like
once they started doing the live shit, like but that was a live one
and like to this day, likethat's always the clips are going viral and
like shout out to tech really becauselike Jada was surprised at the records,
like he was stowing them and youcan hear Jada being like, oh I
forgot about this one, like andthat's like talent to like be able to
pick up a beat like that andthen just have perfect breath control and like
start rapping the shit like crazy.Put some respect on our names, man,

(48:43):
Yeah no, he he bodied itcrazy. My favorite record though,
is a bigger Shia, just becausey'all playing with so many different sounds.
I feel like you were like onyour n r D shit like he gave
me like dance a little bit likethat record. That might be my favorite
song too. Yeah, Okay,what was did you produce it? That
is? Uh, that's the Wodies. I mean so how we work too

(49:07):
is where it's rarely gonna be somethingwe do or wen't produce it. It's
hella rare. So yes we producedit. But I gotta give a big
shout out to my brothers, theWoldes uh Von Carter, Carter Boy,
Bennett, shout out Bennett, DavidFirth, the whole squad, like they're
they're special, Like they they're nextup. Like if you're not getting your

(49:28):
record producer mixing master about the Woldsbro you tripping? I love that record
like n R D three Stags,like just it was just different. What
was the inspiration for you on thatrecord? Dance? Like we just really
want to see people dance, Likewe have this affinity for bring that fun
route fun like turn turn the musicon and dance and really groove though,

(49:52):
Like make it about courting somebody youdon't like whatever you into sexual preference wise,
but make it about it being anexchange and energy, like that's what
we meet over. So make itsexy, you know, right, Like
this is when I can play atthe barbecue with my family. You know
what I mean normalize that again whereit's just just pure vibes and not weird.
But it's like having music with thefrequency of like death. No,

(50:15):
I get that shit out of here, bro, Like we can we can
make sexy players. Yes, Ilove it. I love it. So
what is like in whole? Whatdoes this project mean to you? And
like, how do you think you'vegrown since? Like communion even not past
ep Wow? What every blue moonmeans to me is proof of concept.
That's our internal north star where we'renot waiting. We're just gonna keep showcasing

(50:38):
our abilities, Like no matter whatthe circumstances are, how resourceful we gotta
be, just gonna keep going.So every blue moon, specifically for me,
is proof of concept that we arelimitless. No matter what iteration or
grand national you need it to be, it's gonna be stellar and everybody's gonna
show up as if it's a grandnational project. Passes is knee deep and

(50:59):
like preparing for Battle and some otherbig projects he has working. He shows
up for the record. Danielle stopseverything. It makes. These beautiful designs
just make us be able to floodthe marketplace in a real way. Strategy
deuce is a and R but likeit's it's it's it's more unstoppable. So
that's every bluemon's proof of concept thatwe're not going to wear Grand Nationals on
your ass here. We're not goingI love it. And the learning process

(51:22):
is exactly what you talked about.It's just like getting out of getting out
of your own way and allowing yourselfto be produced and curated and pushed to
levels that you didn't even know youhad. You feel like you stepped out
your cover zone a lot more inthis one. What it's like, a
bro, try this, Like let'sjust do this, and you're in the

(51:43):
verse, you're in the booth cuttingyour verse, and then somebody in the
room because not even just Irk thistime, but the world. Carter's amazing
at it. Why he's going tohave a long, successful career where he's
just like, nah, bro,you should say it like this and then
you trust that and then you geta better result with the combination of the
word you versus this producer producing youlike that. And that's the education we

(52:04):
want to bring to like making greatass music, like allow producers in and
R. I'm saying that's hard,Like do you guys ever, I mean
it's a big team. Do youguys ever be like nah, we are
ye, No, we're human,human egos and ship like it's I'm not
saying it like it's easy. AllI'm saying is you got a much better
chance of creating a very special,timeless product in any event you let your

(52:28):
saucy homies come in and sauce itup. Like just just don't be weird,
bro, Like, yeah, havean open mind, you gotta.
Yeah, that's dope. That's dope. And I mean, not only are
you making dope projects wrapping producing,you does this really cool thing that you're
doing for other artists now teamed upwith filmmaker Courtney Pain. I was reading
The Oakland Side so that you guysare the tiny desk for West Oakland.

(52:51):
Tell me about this project. Soso salute to Carl and Brown. They
have this beautiful facility, Mama DogStudio that is attached to a production company,
film company, Corduroy Media, andSean and Carl Corduroy together and Carling
Plar Old Mama Dar together and togetherthey just have this really fly thing going

(53:14):
on that I saw it and waslike, Yo, this is amazing.
It was almost like breathtaking that itexisted in the middle of the West,
right, And so you walk inYou're like, yo, all these possibilities.
Are y'all doing original content? Andthis is pre pandemic too. They're
like, no, not really,It's like, damn, I might got
something in mind. I went homethat night and I made the pitch deck

(53:35):
for life what would be lie forMama Dog? And asked Car for a
meeting when in a week later andpitched it to him and he was like,
this is kind of cool. Canwe think on it. A couple
of weeks later, pandemic happens,world shuts down, nobody's doing nothing.
He's like, yo, ain't nothinghappening around here? Now? You want
to shoot the first episode? Sowe shot the first pilot Grand National,

(53:57):
Secret Sidewalk and then uh Anissa stringsfirst episode. And even then I knew.
I knew Anissa was a star.I knew a Secret Sidewalk was gonna
be coming. I really believed inwhat we had with Grand National, so
to put those three acts on thereand we did it. We had a
great time. But you know,like you said, the views didn't didn't
do shit at all ran it backwith Jane Hancock, Ian Santimiano and Numbers

(54:24):
didn't do shit, but Jane gotsigned, Ian got motion like it.
It was only ever meant to bean equitable asset for all parties involved.
So Mama Dog in Cordoray would getoriginal IP, these beautiful and insanely talented
artists would get these dope Hollywood levelcalling cards to like grow their visibility and

(54:45):
their brand and social print, andthe Bay would be lit again. Like
we would like we would have aplatform the way you go to you go
to la you go to Atlanta,you go to New York, like you're
stopping by these media outlets, andit's like they come to the Bay and
no one does like, go dothat your radio interviews please, Like we
need we need to show like howvaluable our market is. So it's like,

(55:06):
all right, bro, let's makesomething. Let's make something that can
add to that where people come tothe Bay they start thinking about our media
circuit again because we're we're still atop ten market like regardlessly regardless of what's
happening in tech and economics and everything, We're still really valuable, right,
and just wanted to create something,but we had enough talent to start with
basically, So just been reaching outand all my people have been showing up.

(55:30):
Shout out Ryan na Cole, DameDrummer, Soul Development, Kevin Allen
Brookfield, Deuce ass j Wall pairof nights. Like I've been really blessed
to just make phone calls and likeyou really got to believe in it and
keep it consistent because when it doesget to that point, like people are
going to look at those old episodesand be like, oh they got woof
woop on Kevin Choice, the thisnext one coming up with Camar Bell and

(55:57):
Rafael Kassol all this, the steppersare pulling up like one no number eleventh.
You. I make sure the wholesquad get the invite, but I
would love for you to be ina building. Yeah, so how does
like do people get to see theperformances live or is it just recorded?
Like how does live in studio audiences? But it's invite only. You got
to really know, you know,you got to know what's going on.
So I'll make sure there's no likelink for people to go my tickets or

(56:21):
nothing. It's not even because againit's not it's not really about that right
now, it's not even it's noteven like it's given the artists like give,
but but also being curated about artists. I want to treat artists like
they deserve, like not what youryour followers say, not what your Spotify
monthly listeners say. It's like Ryanthe Cole is we we damn it,

(56:45):
don't deserve her. She's such aphenomenal talent, so says, allow me
to treat you as I view you, so you can start to stand on
business around the Bay in and aroundthe world and get your get your worth.
I want. I want to seemy people look a certain ways.
So that's that was really my visionfor wanting to create this show. I
just so happened to end up withsome beautiful people. Shout out Liz Boston,

(57:06):
who's our original producer that got shipcracking, Court who's a creat incredible
just thinker, but my co hostas well too. Just so much heart
in it, Like can we putheart in it first and then we can
live with whatever comes from? Rightnow? That's so dope. So where
could people follow studio and everything?Oh yeah, just a life for Mama
dog on on YouTube really is aplace like subscribe, I can't like,

(57:30):
I feel like we can have thatconversation because you understand, like our subscribers
drive so much. It's been happeningtoo slowly, but surely and now it's
starting to populate. But then theway Google and Meta got holds on algorithms
like you gotta pay to play,So we try to just we're just trying
to fight. We fight an algorithmjust to break through and be that that
be that bright spot. Yeah,in the algorithm. Basically it's going to

(57:52):
happen like i'all got all that crazytalent in there. I love that it's
in West Oakland too. It's justlike all of it. Oh, can
I shout out the house band intouh our our m d jj ley you
bro like such an incredible creative KeithSnowgrass on bass, Doug Jones on the
keys, josh Ickbon on guitar.Who Am I crazy? Just like a

(58:14):
whole band? No, No,it's crazy, it's crazy like we we've
been We've been blessed. But thatwas it was. It was Tiny Desk
meets Late Night with Fallon in theroots. So got the house band who
I Am? They take the musicand they treated with so much care and
by the time the artists come in, they fully developed and imagine what these
songs could be. And that's socool. Yeah, go listening to the
versions to you. Them songs arecrazy, all right? So subscribe on

(58:36):
YouTube follow the subscribe what is nextfor you? Because I feel like you
got hands in a lot of potscooking everywhere. I just was, uh
shout out Carena them for not likerushing me out of the conference room because
I was finishing up talking to Tim, and Tim hats what I'll be saying.
Project hell early, but I feellike it, But I feel like

(58:57):
it puts pressure on the crew tolike, now we gotta do it.
Uh, Our first PLO signals comingvery soon. So we got we got
a project exclusively produced by Bro andyeah, were about to start started dropping
that, but I want, youknow, we want to do it the
right way and make sure that ourpeople have it first. Were to explain
the story behind the story behind thestory that got us to this point.

(59:19):
So we're excited about that. Isit coming this year? Yes, yes,
very very soon. That would betight premiere premiere tonight. We're excited
about that National Time Times PLO.That's gonna be fun. Uh. Eric's
got another solo coming, Deuce isfinishing up some stuff past. I'm excited

(59:43):
about that. I just sent Chainsome fire. Damn man, it don't
stop it. I got I gotbeing riger in pretty deep on the joint
Me and Scandal the Dark Lord.Uh it don't, I don't stop.
I got a bunch of music coming. So I'm excited. Where can people
follow you? Mini Draper? Everywhere? Twitter? Ig, YouTube? I'm

(01:00:07):
probably the best time no, soyou really get to see day in the
life. Shout out to the homiesto help me get my YouTube page up
to speed. Or I'm just doingvlogs and like fly shit, so you'll
probably see me with my family,or you'll see me on some rap shit,
or I'll be cooking. I don'tknow that it'd be different things.
But they're just trying to really justcreate a world there. So YouTube for

(01:00:28):
real. Subscribe to the YouTube channeland I'm a link all this in this
podcast episode. So I just lookat the details your socials, all the
YouTube channels everything. Thank you,Thank im five. I'm glad we finally
got to make it. I know, I'm so god thanks for coming by
and with the next project. We'regonna have you run back up here,
I say every time. Let's go. All right, y'all, thanks for
hanging out, Follow Money Draper,Grand National Live for Mama Dog Studios.

(01:00:51):
I'm looking all that in the podcast. If you want to volunteer for reading
partners, I'm putting that in theretoo. If you like us, if
you love us, take your littlefingers typeing for the record with Angelina,
I hit that's a subscribe button.Give us the thumbs up five stars.
Please please please leave some reviews.We love or reading all your comments,
especially on Apple podcasts, and ithelps us a lot too, like for
real, so I appreciate you beinghere. You can follow us on Instagram

(01:01:13):
at Underscore ft R pod on thatAngelina on air and I will talk to
you next week. Okay, loveyou, bye bye. We're the Smith
family and Jada and I will behosting the two thousand and five BT Awards,
and we promised to make this year'sshow something that the whole family can
enjoy, even the kids. I'llbeg yo, Lilla, this is in

(01:01:35):
crod. We look like a bunchof secks. I bet snoops. Kids
don't have to do this kind bullshI bet snoops. Kids can fight though,
that's why you use stunt those inyour movies. You're gonna wish you
had a stunt double when I'm time. Fired of that at the two thousand
five BPT Awards Tuesday at eight,no BT in the house. If you

(01:01:58):
look Orick Dot, just Aggle backeit, just Agle sack it, Just
Agle sack it. Question, justAgo wack it, Just Agle wack it.

(01:02:34):
On the record, record of w