Navigating Success: From Northeast DC to Music Magnate with Young Chris the Artist

Ever wondered how a kid from Northeast DC could skyrocket to the ranks of music and engineering whizzes, armed only with a GED and a dream? That's precisely the odyssey Young Chris the Artist unfolds for us, sharing tales that weave through melodies from Eminem and Biggie Smalls to the science of a solid network and the alchemy of authentic fan engagement. His narrative is a powerful reminder that college degrees aren't the sole path to success, and a stable family background can defy the typical struggle-stories we so often hear in the music biz. It's about positivity, perseverance, and the right circle of confidants that can elevate an artist from the local stage to the limelight.

Strap in as we navigate the realms of grassroots music promotion and social media smarts. Chris and I dissect the adrenaline rush of spotting a potential hit and the chess-like strategy of pushing it to the forefront. Delve into the intricacies of marketing investments, the art of selecting the perfect audience for your ads, and why genuine connections beat out paid plays any day. This episode isn't just about making music—it's an insider's guide to fostering collaborations and tirelessly championing your sounds in an industry where your network can be your net worth.

As we turn the page to the broader landscape of today's music industry, we celebrate the unsung heroes and local legends from the DMV area, like Chicago Santana. Acknowledging the international influence of hip-hop and the innovative intersection with technology like AI in production, our discussion crystallizes the importance of understanding the business behind the beats. Here's to those hungry for the cultural significance of music, the understanding of industry intricacies, and the unending quest for personal and professional evolution. With guests like Young Chris the Artist, we're not just enjoying the rhythm; we're learning the dance.

Relationships Worth More Than Money by Tweezy Kennedy & Marcus Alland
available on all streaming platforms!

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:35

Wow, yeah, yes, sir, we back Relationships Worth More Than Money. Podcast. I'm Tweezy, who I got across from Young Chris the Artist man. Young Chris the Artist bro. It's been a long time coming, long time coming. I remember when I first started it you was like, bro, I need to get on there, I need to get on there, I need to get on there. And now look where we at hey we here.

Speaker 2: 0:56

We here, man, but for all the relatives out there you know, tell the people who you are, where you from and how this whole thing got started with you.

Speaker 1: 1:07

Hey, man, say man so, from Northeast DC, been doing music for like over like a little 10 years now. Man Just being in the studio with my uncle, troy Williams, and, like he done, produced for a lot of greats Biggie Smalls, heavy D, tony Brass and Trey Songz, just to name a few and just being there watching him. He was an engineer just being there sitting in the studio, like what this do, what that do, what this volume button do, or let me touch this, let me let me do that Pause. But yeah, just being there watching him, man, and then being around other engineers and being around other artists, and just I just grew a love into it, a liking to it, and it's something I'm doing every day now.

Speaker 2: 1:45

Okay, All right, you said. You said you've been. What artist inspired you to stick with the music? Because not only do you rap, but you actually do engineer stuff too. You know what?

Speaker 1: 2:03

I'm saying Shit Listening to Eminem and Biggie Smalls, honestly, just watching old YouTube videos that come up and what it took to get here. So I'm kind of taking those same steps. You know, booking shows, booking my own shows, doing videos. You know, like you say, it's a math to it, it's a strategy. You got to move right. You got to have the right people around you Right, just being in that right head space you. You can't have them negative people around you.

Speaker 2: 2:31

Yeah, that's a fact, man. Shit man, I met you. What three, Was it two? Three years ago, it might have been longer than that, it might have been like 2018.

Speaker 1: 2:42

Yeah, at the Stu, at the.

Speaker 2: 2:44

Stu and Burke. Yeah, it's crazy, man. It's like a lot of people that I've met out there. You know what I mean I'm still good relationships with. Walk me down the childhood era, though. Like how was you during your childhood? Like, what was your thing Like?

Speaker 1: 3:03

what was your hobbies During my childhood? I wasn't. I've been doing music since I was nine, so anything before that. I was like a regular kid just outside with the homies outside, cool and chilling, going to school, doing what a kid do Just playing around. I never really had no hardships or nothing like that. Some people be like, oh, my dad or my mom was this or nah, I had both parents, so I would never get up here and fake and be like man, my life was hard, I had to get it out. Nah, it wasn't none of that. Like you know, I still had to make my own money certain ways and things like that, but it was never like no hardships or nothing like that. What high school you went to? I went to like five different high schools, really.

Speaker 1: 3:42

Yeah, give me one of them Shit. I went to Spangon. I went to Eastern HD Wilson. Man, you went around the whole dang old city. Yeah, man, it came to a point where I didn't start to like. I didn't like school. School ain't for everybody. So I already knew I didn't want to go to college. Right, I knew that nigga. I just went through 12 years of high school, right, ended up getting my GED.

Speaker 2: 4:06

I'm like nigga, I don't want to go to college.

Speaker 1: 4:09

Right, but college ain't for everybody.

Speaker 2: 4:11

Nah, it's, it's, uh, what I learned, man, going to college after I got out of the Marines. Um, it's like a systematic thing, like you don't need college, right. But I will say the, the, the networking. If you're networking in college, that's the key Right. Networking, if you're networking in college, that's the key right. You know, I mean because anybody can be book smart. But actually getting through and networking with those people that know this person, know this person and know the area that you're in, I think that's the most important part of college is meeting the people. That's in the classroom, you know, I mean. But, um, all right, we went through the cop, we went through the high school. You didn't want to do school, you wanted to go, you know, go smack in with the music. You said Eminem and Big. Yeah, you know what's crazy man, a lot of people don't ever put Eminem in their drink. I do, I mean, but that's just, that's because I'm from Detroit.

Speaker 1: 5:14

But like I really do.

Speaker 2: 5:16

I really do Rock with Eminem and they be like man, why nobody be riding around Like put that M on, like, so MA4, like riding around, like you know what I mean. But he got. He got worldwide smashes. Exactly, you're worrying about local. Exactly, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 5:33

They worried about what they hear on 8 Mile Right. All the Mom's spaghetti.

Speaker 2: 5:38

Yeah, man.

Speaker 1: 5:40

It's so much more to it If you actually sit and run through his catalog and sit there, bruh, it's something you be like. Damn this, m.

Speaker 2: 5:46

Yeah, m can talk like this. Yeah, don't let him be On somebody's track, because he's going to really talk crazy, he's really going to talk crazy. You got Eminem big. What other artists kind of like inspired you till now? Because you know how I always tell people I don't got a top five because it's too many, too many that I love. You know what I mean, like as far as producers, artists, all of that. So it's like I don't have like a favorite one person. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 6:19

Yeah, eminem was like the top two, like industry-wise. But I listen to like a lot of underground like Hopson, joyner, lucas, a dude Jizzy6 from out of New York Just a lot of yeah, crazy cool.

Speaker 1: 6:34

A lot of underground people, man, that haven't touched that mainstream platform, because to me them some of the best artists. Yeah, you got artists out here that's way better than Drake, way better than the industry artists that we hear today. But you know everybody don't want that industry shine. Hold on, bro. You said better than Drake man. You got artists better than Drake man. You just you gotta search, you gotta look for them.

Speaker 2: 6:57

You gotta be Better than Drake, as in lyrics, or better than Drake, as in.

Speaker 1: 7:00

Lyrics just artistry all around you have them artists, I don't know, man, man, I'm telling you I don't know about that, bro, you gotta search.

Speaker 2: 7:10

I don't know, but I'm the one that do it. Like I literally go out and look for new artists. That's dope. And I tell people, like I was just talking to Ro, like I'm like, bro, do you know that dude Shaboosie, Like he fired, Like I didn't know he was from here, out of VA, and um, Shabuzy from VA, the black dude With the country song, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 7:37

From when I was three. He from out of Woodbridge.

Speaker 2: 7:39

Yeah, I know that other dude, that Brent Fires, signed that Million Dollar Baby song. He from Woodbridge too. He is, yeah, brent Fires, no, brent Fires from Maryland, right, but the guy he just signed, I forgot, forgot, I don't know his name, but he got that song. What's his name?

Speaker 1: 7:54

Let me write it for you Billion Dollar Baby.

Speaker 2: 7:57

Let me look it up, yeah.

Speaker 1: 7:59

He from out of Woodbridge Cause. It's him, and like two other artists that just hit Billboard Tommy Richmond, tommy Richmond I ain't never Been the same thing. That joint.

Speaker 2: 8:09

I'm gonna have to type that, yeah, I'm saying but when I heard it and then when I found out Brent Fires signed him, I said it makes sense.

Speaker 1: 8:18

Brent got that bag too. He didn't just eat A couple years ago. What did he sign for what?

Speaker 2: 8:22

Some meals, crazy. But the thing is people don't know he was in Sonder first, that group. It was called Sonder. Before he became Brent Brent Fires by himself a solo artist, he was with a group. Okay, so you go back and listen to Sondra, that's fire, just like how you were saying, like that's what I say. I go back and listen to other artists, man, but it's like it's so many. But once it catches the radar, I do go back and like now that you said Shabuzy from here, because I'm like I was just telling him, like, bro, that Tipsy is fire. But then I also seen him on Yonsei joint and I'm like, oh, you got traction, you got motion. You know what I mean. And that's the thing, man, what? Last time I seen you, you was down South by Southwest. Right, you was going on your way. I remember you was like Everybody go to South by Southwest. How is it that you can Maneuver like that, bro? Like you moving and you moving solo. You ain't moving with a bunch of people, you moving.

Speaker 1: 9:23

It came to a point where, like, I was making so much music and it was just sitting on my hard drive and I'm like, all right, what am I doing? Like, what do I need to do? Because something's not right. I don't want to just keep making music and making music and not doing nothing with it. So I'm like, all right, I know a couple people, I need to start traveling. This is what's going on. So you know, I still work, bro. So it's like, like I just told you, I'm working 16 hour shifts here and there and I don't need a group of people to go with me. I might bring one or two people, but if they can't go, it is what it is. I'm going by myself. Let's go, we about to rock out. So, just having a couple little connections here and there, I'm like, oh, what's going on? Like this popping off, this concert going on. I'm on the way, get me on somehow, some way. And, like you said, bro, working still.

Speaker 2: 10:17

It's okay to work, Bruh.

Speaker 2: 10:18

I'm telling you it's okay to work 16 hours, whatever you got to do to get to your dream and your goal or what you want to do. I think the youngest out there, bruh, definitely need to hear this, because it's like they think they just going to do music. I mean, if you got it like that, will your parents hold you down, but it's only going to be a matter of time where your parents are going to be like hey look, bro, this, I've known this for a minute. I ain't seen no motion, man, what we doing you know what I mean.

Speaker 2: 10:42

Because I think, as a parent myself, I'm going to push my kids to be great. But if this is something that they love to do and they want to do, all alright, let me. Let me try to help you, but if it ain't going nowhere, we need to have some other plans. You know what I mean, cause everybody can't just do plan A and stick to plan A you gotta have.

Speaker 2: 10:59

B and a C. You know what I mean. Just in case, because them backups can be the forefront of the plan A. They can put you to plan A, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2: 11:10

I think the youngest definitely needed to hear that. Man, because we as a community, it's always something. You know what I mean. It's always something. It's either somebody hating on us, somebody mad at us for some reason, we don't know why, somebody beefing with us for nothing, and we don't have the resources that other ethnicities have. Absolutely, I think too. Man, just go out there and work, grind hard and get your chicken. Man, get your chicken. This song that you worked on, man, road Running, road Running. How long ago did you do that?

Speaker 1: 11:48

That was maybe like last year in June 2023. It was it's crazy because it was one of my least favorite songs. I was pushing some whole other shit. That was one of my least favorite songs. But being down south by Southwest, I seen a nigga out there, my nigga, C4. Shout out to C4. Hammer dude, Real cool dude. It was like 10.30 in the morning. I'm walking around downtown south by Southwest or whatever, and I seen him out there with the mic drop. I said, well, you know how much for the mic drop. He was like $25. $25, what $25,000? He's like no, $25, bro. I said, all right, bet. So he was like what song you gonna do? So I'm like let me do Roadrunner Something different. Like no, this shit. One of the ones. He was like I'm going to have this shit cooked up in like a week. So we dropped it.

Speaker 1: 12:35

I started promoting it, posting it, doing the Instagram ads. All that shit Started getting that traction. It started moving. So I'm like, damn, one of the least favorite songs Like this shit, all right, this shit doing all right. So, boom, I started doing that, getting the traction forward, getting all these new followers. Just linking up with other artists, Went down, found a thing on Instagram called WeFamATL. That's the shit I've been posting for like the past two weeks. Now Found them, flew out of Atlanta, Went by myself, flew out of Atlanta, did that, came back, started gaining attraction from that, gaining more artists from that. I'm like, damn, they're like this shit. I just got to keep pushing. I got to come up with a great marketing plan for it, Because I see it, I see it. You know, sometimes everyone's like don't look for the hit, the hit going to come. I feel like this is that one. Like I see it, bro, I truly do see it.

Speaker 2: 13:26

So with that, bro, I got two things about that. Was that the song that you was trying to record? Remember when your joint kept crashing and you was trying to? You was trying to record, remember when your your joint kept crashing and you was trying to figure out why I wasn't playing audio.

Speaker 1: 13:37

Yeah, that was one, that was one of the ones that whole day I was trying to record cause. I was finishing up the rest of my album and that was one of the joints I was trying to record.

Speaker 2: 13:45

I'm like man, this Pro Tools shit is like really pissing me off you know I call thing Any anything Right and I pick up Every time.

Speaker 1: 13:53

Every time and I appreciate you for that, bro, you help me out a lot I be like Tweez, what's this? You be like do this, do that? You be like alright, that shit work every time.

Speaker 2: 14:02

Yeah. So look the second thing. Um, you talked about ads, bro. Ads, what are you doing in your ads? Because I swear man, these people, they got to hear this because we are independent. You know what I mean. So it's like, what are you doing to get yourself ahead of the curve, to get yourself in front of the people, to get traction, like what you do. How do you do your ads?

Speaker 1: 14:28

For one. It's all about you got to, like they say, you got to spend money to make money. It's all about getting that exposure For my ads. You know, I just set it up on Instagram, just, you know, I might set it up for like five days. I might put like $20, $25 down on it for five days. That's when the traction start coming in. You get more plays, the reels start going up, you get more followers. All that shit start happening and it's like you see a results. You see real results behind it. Other than you got artists who be paying for like plays and shit like that. Now, with the ads, you still paying for plays and shit, but these is authentic. You know that shit go everywhere. Right, you just be scrolling through the stories and that shit just pop up. People click it, you on. That's how that shit work.

Speaker 2: 15:14

Okay, now you say you only pay Twenty, twenty five, so that's what Like five dollars a day. Yeah, then once you get the traction, do you put more into it? Mmhmm, and then.

Speaker 1: 15:25

So I might, I might let it go For the five days, let it run all the way out, and then I might Jump into like Fifteen days. But I'ma do like Ten dollars a day, something like that, for fifteen days and I just keep it going bro. Like I said, I see it bro. So then 10 for 150.

Speaker 2: 15:38

You know what I?

Speaker 1: 15:40

mean 15 days. You just keep going, bro, like I'm about to reset it again today. Like it ran out what's today Wednesday, it ran out Sunday, yeah, so I'm about to put like another 50 in it right today.

Speaker 2: 15:52

How long do you normally campaign the campaign, the ads? How long do you do it for for each one? The longest I did is like 10 days. 10 days, yeah, and then with that it's giving you traction. And do you set a certain target market or do you set like your? You set like the area, do you push DC or do you go further?

Speaker 1: 16:15

Nah. So when I set it up, it'd be like create your own audience. I like pick like certain cities maybe like Texas, la, oklahoma, shit like that, certain places where I know it's a big music market, right. Or I might just let Instagram pick the targeted audience. For me that's been working too, but sometimes when you try to customize it, it don't work. It don't do as much, yeah, it don't do as much. I was about to say that it don't work. It don't do as much, yeah, it don't do as much.

Speaker 1: 16:38

So sometimes the automatic be all right.

Speaker 2: 16:40

Yeah, because I think for us or for me, I might put too many cities. When you put too many cities, it might only hit two out of the ten cities you put. So yeah, that Instagram suggested probably definitely work. What else you got coming man?

Speaker 1: 17:02

Shit. I'm working towards like trying to get on stage for A3C. I met a guy at my job, super plugged in with Universal. He got a homeboy that do like PR work for Universal. He's well connected with A3C so we're trying to get in good with that.

Speaker 2: 17:19

They shooting in October. They shooting it in October, they doing it in October. Yeah, is it at the convention center or is it at the? What's the name of that spot?

Speaker 1: 17:26

The gathering spot that I'm not sure. And then it's another. It's like another music festival coming up in September in Texas. I forgot the name of it, but name of it. But yeah, bro, just trying to work. I'm pushing this single right now Like if it take me a year to push this single.

Speaker 2: 17:49

That's just what it is Just trying to get more known, bro, trying to get this exposure going. It's another festival man Road shooting festival out here, parkfest, july 13th. Pull up on network. I'm there, july 13th, pull up. Pull up on network.

Speaker 1: 18:02

I'm there. I'm there for sure, for sure, because, matter of fact, I'm going to Richmond on, like June 1st or June 2nd, it's a festival going on out there. Yeah, I'm shooting, I'm doing that. I'm going to do another mic drop out there For them people that's sleeping on these mic drops, the mic drops, the mic drops help. Yeah, the mic drops you help, whether you doing the same song or not.

Speaker 2: 18:21

Yeah, and it don't matter what platform it is, because I think a lot of people start hating because it's like oh, I was the first, yeah, you the first, you the first doing it. You might have the most money to back it, but at putting other artists on, you know what I'm saying? That's a jam right there called Charged Up Fest. Okay, may 30th or June 2nd, you heard about that, yeah.

Speaker 1: 18:45

That's right, god. I think it's something they do like every year. Yeah, I'm talking to the people that's doing the mic drop out there, because usually they only do their mic drops in Atlanta and like Pennsylvania, but they going to be there. So he told me, dude just told me, pull up, let's do the mic drop, because he got a dude on there that's going crazy right now. He did the mic drop last year and that joint picking up traction now. So I don't know what it is what kicked off for that nigga, but that shit working for bro.

Speaker 2: 19:11

But you know the thing too, dog, like you doing festivals, not only are you doing festivals, you're putting yourself out there Like artists. You have to put yourself out there, you have to go to these festivals. You gotta build connections, build relationships, because those relationships can get you into the door. You know what I'm saying. And with that, hopefully before July 13th, you will be able to meet Heaven, because Heaven going to be performing there.

Speaker 1: 19:43

You know what I'm saying For real. Yeah, she's performing at the Park.

Speaker 2: 19:46

Fest, but hopefully we get you a role and y'all will get something, man, Because yeah, she's super, Her pin game Crazy Bro.

Speaker 1: 19:54

I already know. I be sitting there on the gram scrolling watching what's going on. Man, when she be posting recording with you, I'm like, okay, stupid tweets, I ain't get no invitation, but it's cool, it's cool.

Speaker 2: 20:05

Yeah, she be working. Man, Like she hit me up, I'm like hey, I got a song or two. I wrote Can I come? I'm like pull up, you know what I mean. Pull up on me, because I told her I said yo, you have it, you have it, just keep working, keep working.

Speaker 1: 20:21

Keep working. It literally only take one. That's all it take it literally. Take one song, Like whether you be a one-hit wonder for the rest of your life.

Speaker 2: 20:28

It take one, that's all it take to get you up out of here. Yeah, for the rest of your life. For the rest of your life, you know? All right, next up man. I ain't talked about it what you think about that. That, kendrick, was great.

Speaker 1: 20:45

You know that shit be for publicity, bro. Like I didn't super get into it, so like, if you start naming like the dead songs I only heard a few that came on the radio. But I don't pay attention to shit like that Because you know I take it as like and it might sound selfish, but it don't pay attention to shit like that.

Speaker 1: 21:02

Because you know I take it as like and it might sound selfish, but it don't help me. Yeah, I'm on some shit now, bro, like, if it don't help me, I don't care about it. Yeah, Like, that's just how I feel about shit now. I feel you, I feel you.

Speaker 2: 21:13

Yeah, I got stuck in it, man, because that BBL Drizzy is crazy dog. There's a few that's crazy, bro, but that BBL Drizzy dog is definitely one of the ones. And here's the crazy part it's AI that's doing the singing part, Like he typed it in and had him sing this bro. That's why if you go on the gram and you type in BBL Drizzy, you're going gonna see a bunch of people with that same joint. That's not Metro. It's because you can go on this site, this AI site, and put it in you know what I'm saying and they'll sing it. You can put in hey, young Chris and Tweez in the studio, we're rolling, and they'll sing that shit. However way you want it, Like I want them to sing it in the Detroit Motown. Feel Da-da-da-da-da Right, this AI getting crazy man, and I always say it like I'm cool with it, but it has to be. They need to put like a limit or something on it, bro, because it's gonna get out of hand.

Speaker 1: 22:15

So how you feel about that shit he did with the AI, tupac and Snoop?

Speaker 2: 22:20

I thought it was creative. A lot of people didn't like it. I thought it was creative but people was like, well, why you just ain't gonna get Snoop? But Snoop wasn't gonna get on that song. He from the West.

Speaker 2: 22:29

Like he not gonna ever like go against the West you. I thought it was creative for the simple fact he wrote those verses for them to rap. You know what I'm saying. And it's I mean it's a new way of I mean it's the same thing like if you had a battle rap and somebody using props yeah, like DNA, and them used to be like in doctor's office, all that shit yeah, you know what I mean Doing all that crazy stuff. So I think it was cool, man. I love the fact that I say we needed it. And the reason why I say we needed it Is because I don't know if you check Like sales and stuff like that, but hip hop was declining At an all time high.

Speaker 2: 23:13

Absolutely. And it was getting bad, bro, so they needed something To spark it. Like you said, it might have been publicity, hey, cool. But guess what you owe? The talk of the town, not like us, is number one. Kendrick got like three of his joints is in the top ten, not like us Euphoria and like that from you know, metro, boomin and Future. So yeah, bro. And then Drake got, I think Family Matters is in the top 10. You know what I mean. But that's great because that's the hot 100. That ain't even just hip hop, that's everybody. You know what I'm saying. So it's cool, man. I actually like it, man. But what's some artists out here, man, in the DMV that you rock with, that you like, especially from DC, man, because DC got some dope artists. I just hate that. Everybody just think they rap that da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da.

Speaker 2: 24:11

Yeah nah, everybody's not like that. You know what I mean. That flow is just one of many.

Speaker 1: 24:21

Shit my nigga Gifted who I be with a lot Um nigga PTV. Um shit my nigga Chicago Santana.

Speaker 2: 24:30

You know what's crazy? That was my fucking, my uh neighbor bro when I lived in Upper Marlboro. Oh, okay.

Speaker 1: 24:38

Oh, okay, you know what's going on there.

Speaker 2: 24:41

But then he was just like yo, bro, I got a studio, you should pull up, pull up to it. And I was like, alright, cool, I'll pull up one day or whatever. And we always met in crossing in the hallway. But I didn't know he was an actual singer, you know what I mean. I didn't know he was an artist, I was just like. But when I seen him at the studio I was like, oh, what's good, you know what I mean. Then he just took off and it's crazy, bro, because that was two years ago, you know what I mean and now he doing his thing, he just won a whammy. Shout out to him for that. Yeah, who else?

Speaker 1: 25:12

Shit, I think a young Manny when they from. He from Maryland. Yeah, I answer a couple people. I listen to a lot of people from the DMV but I also be tapping into other artists from like Memphis and shit like that, like a little artist named Glockiana who I claim as my niece or whatever the case may be. You know, she going hard in Memphis, she underneath Duke Deuce.

Speaker 2: 25:35

Okay.

Speaker 1: 25:36

She going crazy, going stupid. Okay, she going crazy, going stupid. 17 years old, straight out of Memphis. My nigga Explicit Hunt From out of Nashville. Just I be tapping into A lot of artists From around, just around this, around the world bro.

Speaker 2: 25:47

You know who got Some artists, bro, that I think People need to Start working more with Baltimore.

Speaker 1: 25:53

Baltimore.

Speaker 2: 25:54

Baltimore definitely Got some fire artists. Yeah, I went to this event. Shout out to my homegirl, honey Electric, but she did this event with Free Space. Shout out to Free Space bruh. It was a bunch of artists All from the Baltimore area. Like they were dope, like it was spread. I swear the spot was probably about two of these rooms and they would perform, but it was people in that joint, oh crazy. Yeah, yeah, and they would perform, but it was people in that joint and I'm like, oh, the energy is right, it be them small spots like that where you just need to go tap in to see who's who and who got what going on.

Speaker 1: 26:27

Man, it's not always about who got the biggest name in the DMV, shit I don't care about. Like, I'm trying to tap in with whoever's trying to work, whoever's trying to work, whoever's trying to build something, who's trying to make something out of nothing, and that's just what it is. And I'm trying to work with like-minded people who understand the business side of music as well, because you got artists who just drop 100 songs and be like so what I do now they don't know to register through BMO or AS Capital, but you put me on to song trust, shit like that. So I say it in every interview you don't know how many artists I meet and I be like you got BMI. They're like nah, I got Distro Kid, I don't need none of that, and I be like that's only one stream.

Speaker 1: 27:06

Yeah, bro, it's like you don't even understand like. So you know I get to help other artists be like well, always do your own research. But this BMI as Cap does, this is what Sound Trust does, this is what Sound Exchange does. So you know, you got I seen an interview. Nigga said it's seven different types of royalties, seven different types of income.

Speaker 1: 27:29

Yeah, you should have all that coming in and I'm like damn, that was some shit he was teaching me I didn't know about. So it was like it's always a learning process. Nobody knows everything right, and I hate those people who feel like they do and you get around like man.

Speaker 2: 27:43

you really don't know shit. Yeah, and that's what. That's what my thing is, bro, is like I try to pass the info, like, if you don't know it here, this is what you need, this is what I know you need, but, like you said, go go research your own, but this is what. But the only thing is, though, is like these young'uns be trying to combat what you're telling them. Oh, what's they said this? What's they said this? I'm like, look, bro, like I'm just giving you the game. I'm giving you free game. Like you know what I mean. Like people charge you for this.

Speaker 2: 28:12

They got consultations for this, but I'm just giving it to you for free because I'm trying to help exactly you. I'm giving it to you for free because I'm trying to help Exactly.

Speaker 1: 28:18

You know what I mean. Go ahead and listen to what's his name and see if you don't get fucked over in the next couple years. Yep.

Speaker 2: 28:22

And then contract be all tore up Like I got it all, man. I got the contracts, I got everything Manager contracts, producer agreements, I got it all. You know what I mean. And trying to put this out or I'm just trying to do this- there don't be no real plan behind certain shit, they don't. They just they want the. Now, that's what it is.

Speaker 2: 28:46

That's the problem Today's industry. They want the now. They don't want to put in the ingredients and let the drink cook over time, they want the fast. They want the fast food instead of the slow burn, the slow burn and the crock pot. They don't want the crock pot music, they want the fast fast food music, absolutely. A lot of times people crash out. You know what I mean. Yeah and shit, man, you still doing your thing, you still moving, everything's going good, man. Top five artists.

Speaker 1: 29:22

We know top two going to Biggie and Eminem. Let me see, Give me three more. All right, I'm going to go. It don't matter, I'm going to go with my nigga Gifted. That's three. Who we going with? Damn, See it be questions like this? You be like damn. I'm just listening to everybody in the car. We got Chicago FBG Duck Okay.

Speaker 2: 29:49

Preston P.

Speaker 1: 29:50

Don't live duck. I'm going to throw a ride wave in there because everybody keeps saying I sound and look like that nigga.

Speaker 2: 29:56

You don't look like him. You got some some of your. Well, the roadrunner definitely is some some ride wave type.

Speaker 1: 30:04

And your boy out of. He out of Michigan, not from Detroit, but he out of Michigan. You remember BFB Pac-Man? Oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 30:10

BFB the Pac-Man, mm-hmm, yeah, okay, top five producers.

Speaker 1: 30:19

You Fuck out of here, man.

Speaker 2: 30:20

I ain't nobody man.

Speaker 1: 30:23

Man, you somebody, man, I ain't nobody, I ain't nobody. Tim Timbaland yeah, hobson. Hobson is a producer as well. He produces all his own.

Speaker 2: 30:33

That's Buddy, with them white eyes, ain't it? Yeah, he be flowing.

Speaker 1: 30:37

Yeah, cool, damn damn. Who else in there? Damn Brock gonna beat me up. What's your, your man S Esquire. We got one more um, I don't know, exclusive DJ Beats, who actually did the beat for Roadrunner. Okay.

Speaker 2: 31:08

Wait, he from you from out here, nah, bro, from like overseas, for real. Yeah, hell, yeah man. That's the thing too, man Overseas. That's why I be trying to tell people music and math is like the two most universal things. You know what I mean. And like hearing producers from overseas they be fired and I be like, oh God, because them niggas, they study, bro.

Speaker 1: 31:30

They see what's going on. They pick up on the game and they see what's going on. They know what loops and drums and piano strings and all this.

Speaker 2: 31:37

They know what's going on bro, and what I noticed, too, is that overseas schools study us Like outside of a language that you know what I mean, like a language that you use for French or Spanish in school, we not really studying other countries. Them other countries is studying us. So they studying us from the culture, the music, the technology. You know what I mean. Everything is they're not only studying their culture, but they have another side where they studying like US history and US, like you know what I mean technology. And that's crazy to me, bro, and I think that's the smartest thing to do because, yeah, we one of the a powerful, you know I mean countries, but it's just like these producers and artists, overseas man. And what made me think about it even more? Think about our top actors today. They from london. Buddy from um. Idris Elba, london. Buddy from Snowfall, london. Lamar from BMF London. What's a buddy name From Black Panther Not the one I just Passed away, but His boy Like it's a lot of them, bro, like all of them Coming from London, but they, that ain't even our accent, bro, like it's crazy, even my boys.

Speaker 2: 33:05

That was stationed in Japan, bro. Japan culture is hip-hop. They study us, bro, and they mess with the African-Americans. You know what I mean. Absolutely. They mess with us heavy and it's crazy because everybody is studying us and we're not focused on them and that'd be the downfall because they technology crazy. They had cell phones before we really had cell phones. They had, like, camera phones before we had camera phones, I believe it. Remember camera phones didn't come out until, like what, 05, 06?. Yeah, my boy was in Japan in four when we first got in the marines and he had a camera phone. I'm like, bro, what is what is that like? I was hired. You gotta, you gotta, come over here, man.

Speaker 2: 33:52

They got all of this stuff and I'm like, all right man, yeah, but look, but look before we get up out of here, bro, I always do gym class, gym G-E-M. Not ballin', you know what I mean. But gym class, what's? A gym that you can leave to the people out here, that can put in their tool bag and carry with them to keep them pushing forward?

Speaker 1: 34:26

Learn the business side of music. Learn the business side of whatever you're doing, the business like the real business, the paperwork. Do that shit, learn that shit. That shit will take you further than you know. Have the right people around you, them negative fingers.

Speaker 1: 34:41

I used to have so many negative people around me and you know, had the right people around you, them negative fingers. I used to have so many negative people around me, and you know those. Yes men. Get them, yes, men, away from you. Everything you gonna put out is not fire, nigga. It got to a point where I was just I started making dumb shit. Niggas was still like that shit hard. You need to get the fuck from around me Because this shit ass yeah, so have them. Write people around you and don't listen to nobody else. If you feel like that shit going to work, push that shit. And if that shit don't work, go back and see why it ain't work. You got people that you don't tell your ideas to nobody, even because you got the people you tell your ideas to and they'll doubt your ideas because they and they be like man. Nah, what you need to do is oh, fuck them. Don't take advice from motherfuckers who ain't never been through shit.

Speaker 2: 35:25

Right.

Speaker 1: 35:26

You got motherfuckers trying to give advice on shit that they never been through, never did, never seen, never did, never. Just ain't did shit and they going off of what they saw, Especially with music.

Speaker 2: 35:36

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 35:37

Man, I just got this deal, bro. What you think, man, I'm signing that shit. You know, bro, them got a 360. You know they fucked up right now. So what? Yeah, nigga, I don't. The thing is, I don't even think motherfuckers know what a 360 deal is or what it consists of for real. They just see that on TV. Oh so, such and such got fucked over because of a Right. So, yeah, like I said, have the right people around you. Learn the business side of whatever you got going on. Get them, yes, men, from around you. Like we talked about, you got to travel alone. Travel alone. That's just what it is. That's just what it's going to be. You know, get them niggas from around just trying to leech off you and shit like that.

Speaker 2: 36:16

You done dropped some gems, some gems, gems, some gems. I'm glad you dropped them, though, man, because it definitely needed to be said Definitely got to get some yes, men away from you. Keep the negative people away from you. You know me, bro, I'm all about positive energy. For that energy off, I ain't about to be around you. I'm in the cut Like I'm not dealing with it. You know what's going on, right?

Speaker 2: 36:35

And learning a business man, like that's the thing. As long as I've been doing this music, I'm still learning, and I'm okay with that. I like to learn. You know what I mean? I want to learn because I want to be able to be educated. When I do certain things, it's like all right, I know exactly what this is. And if I don't, hey, what's this? Why is that? You know what I mean? Yeah, ask questions man Ask questions.

Speaker 1: 36:59

Man Ask questions man.

Speaker 2: 36:59

Yeah, ask questions, because even if you ask a question and you feel like they're going to steer the other way, guess what that means? It wasn't for you in the first place. Yeah, you know what?

Speaker 1: 37:07

I'm saying that's what a lot of these niggas do. You ask questions, they be like well, you don't really need to know that right now but you know, stay away from them.

Speaker 2: 37:17

Nigg you backdooring me, you trying to show hey, old tiny me Exactly. You know what I'm saying. But before we get out of here, man, I want to shout out to my bro, big John, big Rare, love, benton, love, ayy, got the merch on man YC over here.

Speaker 1: 37:34

You know what I mean Got the merch on Got the merch line Dropping soon, man yeah.

Speaker 2: 37:37

Rare Love, rarelovefamcom. Make sure y'all go there, get y'all merch and use the code RWMTMLOVE and you'll get your percentages off on anything on the platform. But I'm Tweez. We got YC and this is Relationships Worth More Than Money.

Speaker 1: 37:57

Gang.