The ScHoolboy Q Episode

[00:00:00] Speaker A: The more deeper and deeper I got into music over the course of my career, I just found the importance of, like, who I am and my gift and, like, meeting people and shit and realizing, oh, I'm more than just a rapper. You know? Like, raps that get people up drugs, raps that, you know, be like, oh, damn. Like, gang bankers can be like, normal people. Like, everybody ain't mad. You know what I'm saying? Like, meeting people, like, you know, I'm here to push the envelope for us, because the perception of what we are is not really that. You know what I'm saying? So more people like me need to be around. And for the long. The longer I'm around, the longer I can help, the longer I can guide, the longer I can lead, you know? Like I said, you just meet all these people and you travel in the world, and, like, you realize that, oh, like I said, you're like a therapist almost to some people. [00:01:00] Speaker B: People doing, like, the peel rap, like, that type of. [00:01:04] Speaker A: That type of vibe. [00:01:05] Speaker B: And then, I mean, obviously everybody's all pills. [00:01:07] Speaker A: That's why that's another thing, too. I feel like I did that. And that's a little thing where I'm like, fuck. So I normally talk about sobriety a lot. You know what I'm saying? Cause, like, I kind of put that out to the world. I feel like. I don't know for sure if I'm the first person. No, you know, that's tough to say. You're the first person, especially in music. But I don't know if I sparked, like, a pill rapping thing, but I don't remember people really rapping about, like, you know, ecstasy and shit, but, like, prescription drugs and shit. I don't remember people rapping about that type of shit up until I started rapping about it. [00:01:45] Speaker B: Do you feel. So now you say you rap about sobriety intentionally and stuff. Do you feel guilty for that? [00:01:51] Speaker A: I mean, you should a little bit, but not really. I feel guilty, but not really. It's like, oh, well, like, if you take. Feel some way about it. Oh, you too? Suck a dick like shit. That's how I was on at the time. You know what I'm saying? I'm a different person now. Like, you know what I mean? I kind of feel bad, but at the same time, I really don't. But it's just like, you know, if you put it out there, it's like, if I disrespect you publicly, but I just text you and be like, my bad. Like, I should probably, you know, publicly, like, you know, I'm saying the apology. [00:02:21] Speaker C: Should be as loud as disrespect. [00:02:22] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So if I'm like. If I put it out there, I should. You know, like, I had a song called Druggies with Hoes. [00:02:28] Speaker B: I love that song. [00:02:29] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? You know, I remember doing shows and, like, people used to be like, you know, coming up to me and just always offering drugs to me, like, fans. [00:02:47] Speaker B: Damn. [00:02:47] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? So it's like, oh, so your shit is like, you know, some people, he probably. I'm not saying I got him on drugs, but I'm. I'm damn. No, sure not helping him quit. So, like, you know, now if I can show you, like, oh, look, you can come out on the other side. And I look younger than I did in fucking 2014, bro. [00:03:08] Speaker C: I was looking at some pictures. [00:03:10] Speaker B: I had an apartment when we was, like, 2010. [00:03:14] Speaker C: 2009. Oh, ten. It was definitely a different schoolboy kid. [00:03:18] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. So it's like, you can literally turn the whole thing, your whole shit around, just, like, getting a hobby or, like, you know, being honest with yourself. That's pretty much what I am with my music, just being honest with myself. [00:03:33] Speaker C: How was that with the fans, though? Cause, I mean, certain level of, like, people will appreciate that. Like, for me, I've been sober seven, seven years myself. [00:03:41] Speaker A: Eight years. Right. [00:03:42] Speaker C: Which is amazing. [00:03:42] Speaker A: Right. [00:03:43] Speaker C: But then you have fans that want to see the old queue or, like, not necessarily evolving with you. [00:03:48] Speaker A: Shit, bye. I'm already cute. Shit, yeah, I'm already cute. You either we on the train or shit. You ain't. I ain't tripping. Every day I wake up, I'm amazed. Like, that who the fuck I am. I'm not even joking. [00:04:03] Speaker B: Yeah, every day. [00:04:04] Speaker A: Every day I wake up, I'm like, wow. [00:04:06] Speaker B: You know what's crazy? You said, I went to. I went to go see. I went to go see dot at. In Vegas for the missing morale tour. And I went. When we was. When it was over with, I was. We was back. Back in the dressroom, I was asking. I was like, yo, like, do this shit still trip you out? He's like, nigga, every day, like, every day. I can't believe this shit is happening. [00:04:28] Speaker A: Seriously. It's like, you be. You know, you. Like. You said. You remember me? 2009? 2008. Hell, yeah. Like, we pulling up to the house and shit and grinding. Was that inglewood? Yeah, yeah. Like. Like, pulling up. You know what I'm saying? And then to be, like, this guy that go to the store and people are, like, giving you praise. You do a show, it's like, sold out. You fucking just waking up in my big ass bed, like, going to the bathroom every time. I'm telling you, every time I go to the bathroom, I'm like, this is a big ass fucking bathroom every time. [00:05:03] Speaker C: That's gotta be a blessing. [00:05:05] Speaker B: So you sit there taking a shit like, this is crazy, bruh. [00:05:08] Speaker A: Every time. I got, like, fancy shitter things now. Like, my boy gave me the rich people shitter now, where you put your feet up and you shit and you got, like, you got, like, a stand on the shit. I'm like, yo, this is. You know what I mean? Make your shit better. I'm like, whatever, but off topic, but, yeah, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm growing to, you know, to push, like I said, the envelope for. And I appreciate where I'm at in my life. So if somebody don't appreciate it, then all good. I mean, the music is out there. Like, you know, that's another thing, too. Like, rap, they always treat us like basketball players, and we not. Like, my raps ain't about, like, this ain't basketball for me. Like, I get it. Like, the fun and all that shit. Yeah, like, we need those records, too. But I'm not a guy that just make those records. You know what I'm saying? I make records about my life. Like, all my albums about my life. [00:06:06] Speaker B: So you fun, too, though. [00:06:08] Speaker A: Yeah, but what I'm saying is just like, on the normal, like, I'm not like a. I'm not like club jury. Yeah, like a super duper duper bop. You know, I'm more aggressive in storytelling more so. [00:06:22] Speaker C: But, I mean, you hear artists struggle with that when it's time for them to evolve, whether it's through, you know, parenthood or, like you said, sobriety. And the fans just aren't ready for that. You know what I'm saying? Sometimes artists struggle with giving the fans what they want, but also internally, like, no, I gotta grow up my damn self. [00:06:39] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'd be lying if I would be, like, trying to make raps about drugs. I don't do drugs no more. So it's like, I really don't even know how to do that. I mean, I'd be panicking trying to. I'd be. You know what I'm saying? Every now and then, I'll take a little z and actually go to New York. Like, I can't even find a plug for the z. Like, goddamn. I really don't know nobody. I just want a half a fucking ass. Go to sleep on this flight. I can't even get a fucking. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's so slow, right? I don't even know nobody that got any tracer anything. I don't know none of that shit. [00:07:15] Speaker B: What was the shift for you? [00:07:16] Speaker A: The shift? Yeah. [00:07:18] Speaker B: Cause I remember having a talk with Chuck about the drinking. What was the change for you? [00:07:22] Speaker A: I would say, like, I kind of quit, like, 2015, but I really didn't. Then 2016 came, I quit, and then I really didn't. I would say 2017 is when I was, like, fully, like, done. I just. I don't know. I just didn't want to do it. [00:07:41] Speaker B: Just woke up one day, like, fuck it. [00:07:43] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. I'm one of those people, though. Like, you know, like, I was on drugs, but I wasn't on drugs, like, that long. Like. You know what I'm saying? I started smoking weed at, like, 21. You know what I'm saying? Like, I was never really into drugs and shit. Like, I just got on and just was like, I'm an experimental motherfucker. Like, I try it. You know what I'm saying? Take a drug and. Oh, yeah, that's weak. Oh, I like this one. And it was one of those things, like, oh, I like this one. What? And I was fucking with her, you know what I'm saying? Lean and all that shit for, like, a few years, and then I'm just like, all right, I'm fat. [00:08:17] Speaker B: That should make you fat. [00:08:18] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. I'm like, never eat so you quick for vanity. I'm like, all right, I'm ugly. [00:08:25] Speaker B: I'm fat. [00:08:26] Speaker A: Like, it just wasn't cool no more. And I was just like, oh, did I just cool. [00:08:31] Speaker C: That's wild, because, like, you having that ability to go cold turkey, right? [00:08:37] Speaker A: That's not something you should do. [00:08:38] Speaker C: And that's what I'm saying. [00:08:39] Speaker B: That's a personal thing. [00:08:40] Speaker C: Not everybody can do that. You know what I mean? I can hear the responsibility and taking accountability for that and making sure that people understand, like, yo, this is just me. I'm not telling you to be me, but it's how I handle my situation. [00:08:53] Speaker A: Yeah, I got lucky, though, because you can have a stroke, you can die. You shouldn't just pour all this shit out the fucking. [00:09:01] Speaker B: Did you. Did you go through anything physically? [00:09:03] Speaker A: Hell, yeah. [00:09:04] Speaker B: What'd you go through? [00:09:05] Speaker A: Like, just, like, withdrawals and shit. Like, shivers. I remember us at a south by southwest. I was going through withdrawals and all I could do, like, I couldn't lay on, like, or touch, like, soft surfaces. Like, I had to be, like, on the ground. Like, it was mad. We're like, I would, like, sit on the ground. Sit on the ground. But I had some shows, and I was getting paid pretty well, like, for the shows, and I needed that chili at the time. And I was just on the ground, like, for hours. And then I had time for the show, and then I just be aching all the way up into the show. Then when I get to the show, I feel normal, and I do the show as soon as I get off stage. I was fucked up again. I had to lay on the floor, like. And that shit happened for, like, a month. I was just, like, chill shakes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just, like, jittery and shit. [00:09:52] Speaker B: Did you ever hallucinate or anything like that? Because I know people usually do. [00:09:56] Speaker A: I really don't remember hallucinating. It was just, like, more body pain and, like, just, like, anxiety. More so than anything. Like, you just gain anxiety like that. Like, you know, just the smoky shit, you know, but your body just aches and shit, and then you just, like, your stomach and shit all fucked up, and then it just stops out of nowhere. [00:10:20] Speaker B: Like, I saw you. I saw you talking about the process of working on the album, and you started working on this, what? The lyrics for the album. You basically been working on this since crash talk drop as far as the album. Right. So. But the inspiration behind. Well, we'll get to that. But when it comes to blue lips specifically, is that something like what? Like, I know you named the album. I saw the explanation for the album and stuff like that. Like, it's blaxploitation and all that kind of stuff. I want to get into that. But when it comes to. Did you already have that in mind? Like, this is where I want to go. Cause I was talking to the homies, and he was like, he just want to make, like, a pro black. Like, a black album. [00:11:02] Speaker A: Yeah, that was pretty much the direction at first. Like, I was, like, super pro black. Why? Because that was around the time where it was just, like, a lot of the media was feeding us a lot of, like, black shit that. Cause for black attention type shit, like, there's a lot of black lives matter shit. It was people dying, like, you know, saying it felt like a lot of black people were, like, almost, you know, like, coming together almost, in a sense. [00:11:35] Speaker B: Camaraderie. [00:11:37] Speaker A: Yeah, but it was all cap. It was just a media cap thing. Black people really wasn't all. [00:11:46] Speaker B: So you don't think black people, like. [00:11:48] Speaker A: I don't think we got stronger? No. [00:11:49] Speaker B: Damn. [00:11:50] Speaker A: I think we got worse. Yeah, we're getting worse. Yeah. I think we're dividing ourselves way too much. I think. I think we worried about other. Everybody's fighting for some spot that you. It's whatever spot you got is whatever spot you got. And I just feel like everybody's fighting for some spot, like, in our. As our people and like, also, that's all you see nothing. But in our world, like, negative shit are, like, people just. It's no, like creativity with anything. It's just like reacting to something or like just saying something your dislikes more than what you like. Yeah, if that makes sense. You know what I'm saying? Like, so, like, the downfall of such. The downfall of a successful person is crazy. [00:12:44] Speaker B: Crazy. [00:12:44] Speaker A: It's like, what the fuck are we talking about? [00:12:47] Speaker B: Crazy? [00:12:48] Speaker A: Like, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, like that about me. The downfall of you, you want all. [00:12:52] Speaker B: The YouTube videos and stuff, you watching those? [00:12:54] Speaker A: I'm like, bro, I'm in like, this crazy house. So I saw mad records. I did, like, mad shit in my career. Like, the downfall of me is like insane. Like, won't you applaud me for being what I am? You know what I'm saying? Like, downfall, like, bitch, what? I'm the goal. Like, I'm the goal post. Like what? Yeah, I've been the goal post. [00:13:18] Speaker B: Like, well, you know, it's rare for. [00:13:21] Speaker A: A long for a lot of. Especially from the streets. Like what? How many people did it my way? Like, ain't get to go home to their family and nobody tripping from their hood about me not doing no gang banging shit. These dudes is like getting in trouble with their hoods and shit. You got people telling can't move around. I'll be. Damn, you tell me. You know what I mean? I'm ready from that cloth. So to be able to do what I do and live life I live, I'm actually the goalposts. [00:13:53] Speaker C: Do you have a responsibility to kind of speak up more on those things like you said? [00:13:57] Speaker A: I do, yeah, I do. I speak on it all the time. Like, you know what I'm saying? [00:14:02] Speaker C: But I'm saying. Cause it can be easy to, like, again, not feel like your voice is powerful enough or like, you know, feel like, damn, I can say this, but we can retract back to, you know, not giving a fucker, you know what I mean? But at the same time, you do have a voice and it's powerful. So we applaud you for speaking up. [00:14:19] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I gotta speak up shit. I'm constantly speaking up. I mean, the streets ain't that shit, cap. If you like, you know, if you the toughest street guy in 2024, you actually really dangerous. Like, that's. You know what I mean? You know. You know, every other generation is like, oh, these motherfuckers ain't. Nah, if you gang banging in 2024, you are dangerous. It's no purpose for you to be like. Like, bruh. Like we just seen generation after generation, generation. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, we know better now at this point of what's right and what's wrong. Not saying you don't have to be a part of the community. Yeah, that's cool. But you don't have to partake on, like, dumbass shit. Like, just do dumb shit for no reason at this point in 2024, where there's cameras everywhere. Where everywhere. It's just like. And then you doing it on camera, too. Like, you. [00:15:14] Speaker B: I think that now you're the toughest. They take pride in that, though. [00:15:18] Speaker A: Yeah. And you actually are doing it, though. You saying you the toughest, and then you actually go do some shit. It's like, the most, like, naughty. They different, bro. I'm telling you, this generation, you spoke. [00:15:28] Speaker B: On that, on, thank God for me talking about this snitching. [00:15:32] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:15:33] Speaker B: But I think motherfuckers telling on they self, too, for sure. [00:15:36] Speaker A: That's the whole thing. And they don't care. They don't care. That's what I'm saying. You dangerous, bro. I'm scared of these little motherfuckers. Like, I don't want no smoke now. Cause they gonna smoke you, bro. And be like, I just smoked these. Yeah, no, on camera. Like, you know what I mean? I smoke you, man. And really smoke you. And then be like, I smoked them. I'm telling you, bro. It's different, bruh. Like, they different now. They different type of gangsters. They got it. They win, you got it all gangsters. I'm serious. You got it. Cause they ain't got no real enemies. All they your so called enemies. You cool with them? You only beefing with whoever beefing with you pretty much at this point. You know what I'm saying? You just tripping. So I'm cool. [00:16:22] Speaker C: It's wild because, like, we hear you say that and people talk about that, but it is a clout based era right now. So those things that would normally get you in trouble. It's like, oh, that's the thing that's gonna get the most attention. So I think that's what it is. People are just, you know, craving that attention by any means. [00:16:37] Speaker A: No. And they getting it and you know what I'm saying? And you know what I mean? Motherfuckers is going live jail. They don't give a fuck if they come in, take, they phone. They think a motherfucker, like a motherfucker wanted that much, so much attention, he'll go live from jail, homie. Like, bro, you got access to talk to your mom anytime you want. You got access to talk to Wu Wop, you want attention while you in jail, you trying to keep. You get what I'm saying? It's like, wow. But, you know, once again, like, that's me talking from this side of it. But, you know, and it's easy for me to speak from this side of it when some people never saw the other side, you know? [00:17:21] Speaker B: But you've never been done, you've never been that person to do stuff for attention, in my opinion. [00:17:25] Speaker A: No, no, never, never, never. But I mean, you know, it's not too late that I'm speaking about it, but I could have spoke on it earlier, if that makes sense. Cause now I'm way out of reach too, when it comes to, like, streets. And like, my opinion, like, my opinion matters. Like I said, I'm not, I think I'm the goal, the goal line, but at the same time, I'm not around a lot like that. So a motherfucker could hear it and be like, yeah, yeah. But as soon as something, you know, should be happening weekly in these parts, so motherfuckers gotta move how they move accordingly and they gotta react. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, I can say that. [00:18:11] Speaker B: What about, what about the dudes that feel trapped? Because you spoke on that too. As far as feeling trapped, I wanna. On blue slides, you talked about being a prisoner in your house. But then what's crazy is you double back on it on first and you said you felt like a prisoner in your head. So, like, where is that coming from? [00:18:31] Speaker A: It's just me just overthinking pretty much. [00:18:34] Speaker B: He's overthinking. [00:18:35] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:18:36] Speaker B: He should be killing me, bro. [00:18:37] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:18:39] Speaker C: And that's another reason why I said it's easy for on one end, somebody can say, I'm going back to the drinking shit or, you know, sobriety. Somebody can go cold turkey because that's just their personality. You can easily walk away from it. I did cold turkey, so I understand that. But there are people that I know that struggle, that overthink that. I mean, people have. It's just depending on who you are. You know what I mean? [00:18:59] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. Especially with the alcohol and the pills, bro. We got to make sure we said that. Don't go cold turkey. Yeah, like, it's not even though we did it. Yeah, don't do it. You will have a stroke. You will fuck around and die. You, like, don't do it. You know what I'm saying? You can really fuck something up in your head. [00:19:19] Speaker C: I was paralleling that to the overthinking, though, because I'm overthinking, but some people be like, man, just stop. Yeah, that's easy for you to say. I'm overthinking. [00:19:26] Speaker A: You know what I mean? Yeah, for sure, I'm an overthinker, but at the same time, you know, it got me to where I'm at. Like, I. You know, I've been overthinking my whole life. Like, shit. It always. [00:19:37] Speaker C: What are the pros and cons to that? [00:19:39] Speaker A: The pros is you. You give things time and a lot of time. Things need time. The cons is you give things time. It's the same thing. You can take too much time, but sometimes things need time. So you can react to something, or I can let it go and then react to it two days later, and then it's down here instead of here. [00:20:01] Speaker B: Is that what. Is that what you do with the music? Is that why you usually take your. [00:20:05] Speaker A: Take your time with the music? You overthink feeling, bro? I wouldn't say overthink, over work, if that makes sense. I don't overthink because I would even rap. I just let it go. You know what I'm saying? What I do is I work a little too hard. I kind of learned that from dot and, like, learn what? Dre sessions, like, how hard they worked and just seeing it. So I think I built that into me. Like. Like I said, it's not overthinking this. I've been done, and I know it was done, so I'm clearly not, like, a big overthinker, but at the same time, I just, like, I'm addicted to working. Like, I'm addicted to, like, being in the studio, coming up with something like, oh, this might be hard, and then waking up the next day like, this shit is awful. You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't know. I just love that process of it. And it's hard for me to, like, let go, too, if that makes sense, you know? Like. Okay, cool. Like I said once, I be saying. I talk about my life and, like, progression and shit about myself. So a lot of times I'll be saying shit and it be cap because I haven't done it yet. And this is what I'm about to do. This is how I'm about to live. This is how I'm about to. [00:21:23] Speaker B: So it's, like, manifesting the speaking. [00:21:25] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like you know me, pretty much an album, talking about how I don't neglect. But that's that process of starting, of not neglecting, like, barely started, I think, what I'm saying. But I wrote it a minute ago. [00:21:40] Speaker B: But I think that's important, though, because even in. Even, like, I know I know you, right? We know each other before, like, all this, but just seeing your growth, like, not even fuck the music and all that, but just as a man. Like, I'm a father. Like Nick. Like, you was like, bro, I take my daughter. Like, you really an active father? [00:21:59] Speaker A: No, for sure. [00:22:00] Speaker B: And I don't really know, like, a lot of black men who take immense pride in being an active dad. Like, he's like that. You know what I'm saying? Like, we be beefing low key. Cause he be, like, canceling interviews and shit. [00:22:12] Speaker C: I might have to leave now, pick up my son. [00:22:15] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? [00:22:16] Speaker B: But I'm not a dad, so I can't relate to that. Right. But I do respect it, because that's something that we need. And I'm glad that, you know, you. Even when joy, right when she was, like, little, you was showcasing that. Like, y'all hanging out, y'all playing in the backyard, you raising the dogs, just like you said, it's important to undo all the drug talk. That shit is equally important. [00:22:36] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:22:37] Speaker B: Because it's a lot of men having kids, not in they life, not taking care of them, not just like, oh, shit. That's her problem. Like, all that type of time. It's important, and it's good that you do that and you put it in the music. So where I was going with it was you adding that to the music. Cause I heard you say you don't like when niggas be tweeting, like, put that shit in the song. Like, give me the record. [00:22:57] Speaker A: Right? [00:22:58] Speaker B: Like, give me the songs. So the fact that you put that in the music is. Is very important because I feel like when dot dropped mister morale, he was talking about therapy. You talked about that before, too. Like, music is your therapy. Like, I think all that shit in the music, because these kids is listening to that and they learnin the lyrics and they might just kick a cue, kick a q verse in the car, and it might be like, man, I apologize to my girl. Like, I'm a dog. [00:23:23] Speaker A: That type of shit. Yeah. And doc, we kinda came different angles from the therapy. He was like, like, pro therapy. And I'm like, pro, like, homie, when it comes to therapy, I'm like, pro, like, you know, like I'm. How do I say this? Like, like, you know, he found something that worked for him really, really good in him and his family. You know what I'm saying? And me personally, when I did therapy, it made me feel more like shit. Really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. More so, because I was. I felt like I got more out of, like, talking to my homies in the studio because it was the same kind of thing. And it kind of let me know that, oh, we're just not honest as we think we are as people. Because, like, I get into this room with this person that really, really don't know me and give the whole hundred percent honest truth, and then everybody that I love, you can give 170, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. [00:24:30] Speaker B: So it's like, that's kind of a mind fuck. [00:24:32] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. It became like a. This is actually. This is like, I'm actually the problem. Like, it's nothing she can do for me. Like, just, look, you know what the problem is? A lot of the times when you have common sense, some people, like I said, some people didn't grow up at certain stuff certain, certain way. Like, I had a mom. Like, yeah, I'm grew up in the streets and gaming, but. But it ain't what. You know what I'm saying? My mom went on welfare. I had video games, I had the Jordans. Like, I was a fly, I was a rich, the richest fucking ghetto motherfucker. [00:25:04] Speaker B: You were conscious fuck up. [00:25:05] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, I didn't have to do. I didn't have to. [00:25:08] Speaker B: That's how glasses was. [00:25:10] Speaker A: Like, I didn't have to do none of that shit. It was just like a thing was just like, fuck it, let's do it. But, yeah, like, I didn't have to do none of that shit. Like, I was always saucy. I knew I was going to be saucy. Like, my mom, she raised me right and she single mom, she gave me, like, all the discipline I needed to get me to this point, like, she gave me, like, mad discipline, but gave me everything in the world. [00:25:41] Speaker B: Do you feel like you. Do you feel like you benefited from. I feel like I benefited from a single mom and not having my dad around, for sure. And I feel like I benefited watching a black woman do that on her own. You know what I'm saying? It's true. You was born in Germany? [00:25:54] Speaker A: Yeah, born in Wiesbaden, Germany. My mom and dad was in the army. Served in the military? Yeah, served in the military. So I was born there, then went to Texas. Straight from Germany. And then I think I came to LA when I was, like, I came to LA before I was three, but she was still, like, active in the military, so it was, like, back and forth, La, Texas. And then once it was, like, over, I was completely in LA. So it was like, I was, like, two, three. [00:26:28] Speaker B: When your mom said, remember you speaking on your family dynamic, and when your mom said, like, do you want to meet your pops? You was like, nah. And she only asked you one time? [00:26:38] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:26:39] Speaker B: She never asked you again after that? [00:26:41] Speaker A: No. [00:26:42] Speaker B: And you had no desire? [00:26:43] Speaker A: I was already grown when she asked me that. Oh, okay. It wasn't like, as a kid, she didn't try to, like, introduce me to him, and I got, like, if she said I got, like, a sister or some shit, like, my age, I don't like. [00:26:58] Speaker C: Do you think you ever get to the space where you would want to meet him? [00:27:00] Speaker A: No. Why not? So he can be asshole. I gotta pay for something, some shit. [00:27:08] Speaker C: You not school boy Q. Let's just say that you're not schoolboy Q. You said at any point you would never want to. [00:27:13] Speaker A: Never want to meet. I'm really 37 at this point. Like, bro, I'm the man. I look at my. Take pride in that. Like, I'm the first man. Like, my thing. Like, you know, I'm saying I have my own. I don't have his last name. I don't have, like, you know what I'm saying? I'm literally the first man of my own family. You know what I'm saying? Like, of my tree. So I don't want to know that I'm second when I meet this. [00:27:42] Speaker B: That's ego, fool. [00:27:44] Speaker A: You damn right is ego. 30 some years to see me, like, bro. Like, I'm at a parent in my life where I don't need you. Like, I don't. I never had a father. Oh, well, big fucking deal. Like, get over it. It's like, I am a father, though, and I know how to raise my kids. [00:28:00] Speaker C: But you know how important that is and the connection that you have with your kids, like you. And not to say you have to have this whole family reunion Kumbaya moment, but it's like there's no, no. [00:28:09] Speaker A: Don't wanna see him, don't wanna meet him. If it ever happens, if he was to reach out, would I say no? No. I wouldn't say no. Okay. But I'm not looking for it. Yeah, you don't get it. You know who I am. [00:28:23] Speaker B: You don't gotta be looking for it. Mine reached out and I had a conversation with him, and it was. We still haven't had a face to face. Like, man, like the. [00:28:32] Speaker A: But have you. Did you know what he looked like? [00:28:34] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, I look just like him. [00:28:35] Speaker A: And, like, the whole. [00:28:37] Speaker B: And all the shit, identical to him. [00:28:39] Speaker C: Same name and everything. [00:28:40] Speaker B: I'm a junior. [00:28:41] Speaker A: Oh, and a junior. [00:28:43] Speaker B: I'm a junior, fool. It's ugly. [00:28:44] Speaker A: You don't even care. That's out of pocket. You gotta change your name to the first. Yeah, I don't got that ego like you, nigga. Yeah, I'm changing my name to the first. [00:28:56] Speaker B: I don't think it worked like that. [00:29:02] Speaker A: You can put first. I feel you, though. I feel you. I'm not. [00:29:09] Speaker C: I'm not. [00:29:09] Speaker A: I'm not with it, though. I'm not with it. I don't need to, you know, I know my background. That's it. Like where you come from and shit. That's all I needed to know. Just like some genetic shit. Other than that, I don't give a fuck about. [00:29:23] Speaker B: What if he want to play golf with you and he beat. He WHOOP your ass, though. [00:29:27] Speaker A: He would never want to play golf with me. He's somewhere struggling right now. There's no way he lived the life. He lived with it, me going on by my life. And he ain't struggling at this point in my life. He's going through something for sure, I feel. You know what I mean? He's going through something. [00:29:46] Speaker C: So what if I be healthy? What advice could you give to fathers? I asked you this before, but you only had joy at the time. So now that you have two, what's been the biggest change from one going on two? Cause I've been doing dad vice for some time, right? And ain't nobody told me about the second child being completely different from the first child. [00:30:05] Speaker A: Yeah, completely different. My second child, I'm still working on her. She. I've been working on her for a while, but she just don't. She's not joy. Joy. Like, you know, respected me, listened to me. You know what I'm saying? [00:30:23] Speaker C: Like, yes, I know exactly what you're saying. [00:30:25] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Like, have a little fear of me. You know, won't disrespect me. Like, you know what I'm saying? [00:30:35] Speaker B: The second one. [00:30:36] Speaker A: Disrespect, won't talk back. Like, my daughter never talks back to me. Never. Um. My little one, complete opposite, hates me. Don't care. Yell loud. Shut up. [00:30:50] Speaker C: I need this advice. [00:30:52] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, I just started recently being. Because I never been. I'm not like a yeller or, like, being mean. Like, I just had to reverse on this one. Oh, I have to, like, actually be mean. I can't be. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Because it's getting older. She's getting older and older. [00:31:09] Speaker C: Those have to be, for sure. [00:31:11] Speaker A: So it's like, okay, I can't take the job. I had to accept that. That I can't take the joy route with her. [00:31:17] Speaker C: So how long did it take for you to realize that? [00:31:20] Speaker A: How? Sorry. Recently. [00:31:21] Speaker C: Okay. [00:31:22] Speaker A: Once I stopped with the album and shit, like, you know, I realized, all right, I gotta be mean a little bit. Yeah, yeah. Like, I was always against that. If you got a yell at your kid, you not a good parent. You don't know, but that's not true. You have to yell. And if your kid got trauma from you yelling, bro, tell your kid stop acting like a little bitch. Like, bro. Like, people out here getting their ass whooped, you know what I'm saying? Got trauma now. Cause you got yelled at by your parents. [00:31:54] Speaker B: I don't feel like you see me, dad. [00:31:56] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Like, they be preaching that shit now, too. Oh, careful what you say to your kid. Like, bruh, I just yelled at my fucking kid. I'm a daddy motherfucker. Like, you know what I'm saying? Everything is, like, traumatizing now. Like, right? So, you know, I had to yell a few times. Now I'm raising my voice and, you know, grabbing her. Not like, nah, none of that shit, but, like, grabbing her, looking at her and, like, being kind of firm, letting her know, like, hey, can't do this or can't say this. [00:32:28] Speaker B: I don't want to go to urgent care today. [00:32:30] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, just, you know, just putting her in her place to respect me as a fucking dad, you know, and making her sister do it and her mom and, like, you know, don't let her disrespect me, you know, putting them in position, too, to say, you lost your fucking mind. Let her know. Like, you know, we. It's a family thing. Like, we have to do. Like, you know what I mean? She can't just be just talking to me. Crazy. Everybody in the house needs to trip. I'm your fucking father. Like, no way. You disrespect. [00:33:04] Speaker B: And you a good dad. [00:33:05] Speaker A: Yeah, like, I wouldn't let her disrespect the mom. You know what I'm saying? And, like, you know what I mean? Like, I'm gonna be on it. So it's a whole family thing where, you know. Cause, like. Like I said, we not like yellers and shit. Like, so joy was so fucking easy. He was like the perfect fucking kid. And now I got this fucking Calabasas fucking rugrat grape upon. She thinks she just get everything served a great coupon and fucking caviar for dinner or something. [00:33:41] Speaker C: That's that hard work that you put in so that she can have that life. [00:33:44] Speaker A: That's some bullshit. Like, she got. That shit is fairy tale. That ain't her house. Oh, my God. [00:33:50] Speaker C: You mentioned on the album about needing to be a Debbie to let the kids eat or something like that. And I'll paraphrase. So can you kind of expound on those moments and when you felt like that? [00:34:00] Speaker A: I mean, shit, my whole career, you feel like that at some point, you like, you know, you bouncing around you on tour, you can be going, like, my first few years, like, bro, I was. I lived on the road, bro, like, from 20. Well, 2011 to 2011. 2011 to like, 2017, I lived on the road. So thinking that's years. Yeah. [00:34:26] Speaker C: And pivotal years, too. [00:34:27] Speaker A: Like, you know what I'm saying? Years of missing out on joy. Shit, I would still be there for a lot of shit, but just missing out on little things, like missing her first steps. Mister Bourne. [00:34:39] Speaker B: Damn. [00:34:40] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? This is my heart. Like, I'm super duper close with my oldest, like, you know, and I missed out all these shits, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, but, you know, I had to do what I had to do. Not only that, I was. I love. I would do music for free, but I had the opportunity to get paid to do it, and it was a nice paycheck to set us up for these times. So, you know, and with her being the oldest, so it was important for me to have more kids. You know, she had to, you know, I was building something strong and consciously knowing I'm gonna have more kids. Just consciously knowing that she, you know, the oldest needs to be the strongest. And I want her to be super, super strong. She was my first. She my heart. I had her when I was 22, like, and tried to have her. [00:35:32] Speaker B: Oh, you intentionally? [00:35:33] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. At 21, we made the plan to have her while I was in jail through the phone. She's a fucking idiot. Like I said all the time. My girl's a fucking idiot. Okay? We're gonna have a baby. Okay, hold on. Dumbest fucking piece. [00:35:50] Speaker B: Why you making that pact on the phone? [00:35:52] Speaker A: Imagine your daughter doing some dumb ass shit like that. That's behind bars. Like, fucking. You fucking idiot. I oughta slap this shit out. [00:36:02] Speaker B: So if Joy's on the phone one. [00:36:04] Speaker A: Day with somebody in jail. Hell no. I'm a grab. Hell no. Get out. Click. Get out. Get your shit together, then we'll figure it out. Boop. Come on. [00:36:15] Speaker B: Would you bail her boyfriend out for her? [00:36:18] Speaker A: Depending if I'm close. Hell yeah. Okay. If she loves somebody. Yeah. I'm not against her dating, like, in high school and under that shit, like, I'm not one of those dads. [00:36:29] Speaker B: Are you? How are you gonna be as. Once that. Once that starts kind of like, bring the nigga to the house. Let me talk to him. [00:36:34] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, chill out. Like, if he cool, like, shit cool. I mean, I ain't about to be condoning fucking and shit. I mean, this is the truth. Shit, I was fucking in high school. It's just the true reality, bro. [00:36:51] Speaker B: Do you have real nigga conversations with her? [00:36:54] Speaker A: Kinda. [00:36:55] Speaker B: She not there. She nine. [00:36:57] Speaker A: My daughter Joy. What? Joy in high school, bro. She about to be 15. [00:37:01] Speaker B: Oh, we old, bro. [00:37:02] Speaker A: That's what I'm saying. Are we old for real? [00:37:09] Speaker B: Oh, no, that's. [00:37:10] Speaker A: Wow. [00:37:12] Speaker B: I just really. I just realized how old we are where she was. Like, just. [00:37:18] Speaker A: You just got her like, oh, my. [00:37:20] Speaker C: Sound like she Amazon package. [00:37:22] Speaker B: No, I'm just saying, like, flew her. [00:37:25] Speaker A: In dog from Amazon. Oh, that's. Wow. She basically. She's 15, bro. She's a grown up. She's like. We have, like, grown up conversations. Like, I didn't even have to put her up on games. She already knew what was going on. And my mom is like. My mom is like the. She's awful. [00:37:44] Speaker B: That just fucked me. [00:37:45] Speaker A: My mama's like, awful. She tell her. [00:37:47] Speaker B: Tell her everything. [00:37:48] Speaker A: Like, she's straight. She's doing that straightforward. I don't even gotta say shit. Like, you know, don't be, you know, don't put your mouth on old dick. [00:37:57] Speaker B: Oh, wow. [00:37:58] Speaker A: That's my mama. So there it is. All right. You get what I'm saying, don't do that. You'll get herpes. Don't be crazy. Don't you be like, God damn. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, so I don't even gotta say shit. And we do talk, and, you know, we talk, but it's mainly about sports. She really into sports. My daughter like a athlete. I like an athlete. [00:38:31] Speaker C: You guys share that in common, too. [00:38:33] Speaker A: You play baseball? Yeah, I play sports growing up, so I'm big on sports, too, because it teaches something. Like, that's another thing about, like, with the streets and life and all that shit. My coaches was my pops. I never needed one. Like, I always was into sports. Like, it taught me the competition. It taught me that sometimes somebody may be better than you and you gotta just work harder. Sometimes you gotta, you know what I'm saying? [00:38:59] Speaker B: No excuses, no complaints. [00:39:00] Speaker A: Yeah, it taught me, like, you know, you just. You gotta outperform somebody or accept your role and be great at that role. Like, regardless. It's options, though, for you. [00:39:12] Speaker B: Do you believe in part. Cause I think the problem with society, where we at now, it's mainly due to white people, but. [00:39:21] Speaker A: Not like that. [00:39:22] Speaker B: But I'm talking about, like, with participation trophies. I don't believe in participation trophies, but I also don't have a kid, right. So I don't have that layer of compassion, passion that y'all might have. Like, oh, it's cool, you did a good job. Like, no, bro, you lost. [00:39:33] Speaker A: Yeah. But I think at like, five and shit. Like, right now, my daughter, she's five and she's getting, like, to participate. Do I think that's cool? [00:39:43] Speaker B: Yeah, you think it's cool? [00:39:44] Speaker A: Bro, they don't even know what they doing. You know what I'm saying? You just want them to keep coming back. So if you get them in a losing mind state early, it can, like, kind of wipe them out. Out. Especially if they're good at various of things. Like, my daughter is really good at a bunch of things, but she gravitates to soccer because our older. Her older sister plays soccer. So, you know, right now, if she doesn't play, you know, even we in the backyard, we just playing soccer, kicking the ball around. If I'm like, do a move and do she mess up, she don't want to play no more, she can do something else. Discouraged. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So right now, it's like, it's cool to just keep them coming back. Keep them coming back. Ease them in. Ease em in. And then once it's time to fight which is pretty much next year. Six, seven in all sports now. Like, six, seven. It gets serious. Like, kids are like, really good. And you either gonna figure out, you wanna do this or you're not. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? [00:40:47] Speaker C: It's crazy. Cause we talked about knowing you guys for so long, man. And now even I just want to stick on this with fatherhood as well. Now you guys are all dads. We're talking. You, you know, rock. [00:40:57] Speaker A: Oh, rock. Soul, soul. [00:40:59] Speaker C: Dot. How do you guys bond over fatherhood? Or do you guys bond over fatherhood? [00:41:04] Speaker A: We kind of, like, don't bond over fatherhood because we all, like. I think we were so close together and was with each other so much. We really don't kick it like that. [00:41:15] Speaker C: That happens. [00:41:16] Speaker A: It's life. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, we talk to each other a lot. Facetime each other a lot. Like, me and Dot was just facetiming. I mean, was not Facetime and talking on the phone. Just about our kids, me and so we're just talking about our kids. Me and Rock, he was somewhere with his daughter, doing some shit. And it's just like, you know, I think that's where our lives kind of took us. Now we're like, actually, you know, like, we're like really daddies. Real daddies. Y'all are all girls, too? I just thought about that. Yeah. Yeah, all of us. Wow. Yeah. [00:41:50] Speaker B: Oh, I know what that is. [00:41:51] Speaker A: Dad got a little boy. Yeah. Yeah. But, yeah, all of us are girl dads. [00:41:57] Speaker C: Damn, that's crazy. [00:41:59] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:42:00] Speaker B: I'm surprised you don't have a girl. You got two boys. [00:42:03] Speaker A: But I'm done, dawg. I'm done, right? [00:42:05] Speaker C: I'm done. You said you want to have more. [00:42:07] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:42:08] Speaker C: So, look, are you going for the boy? [00:42:10] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm have a boy. [00:42:11] Speaker C: Okay. [00:42:12] Speaker B: He got the. [00:42:12] Speaker A: He got it all girls, but I'm have a boy. [00:42:14] Speaker B: He got the snip, snip. [00:42:17] Speaker A: Oh, you. [00:42:17] Speaker B: And he went and did it, bro. [00:42:30] Speaker A: This is way, bro. [00:42:32] Speaker B: In real life. [00:42:32] Speaker C: I'm done, dog. [00:42:34] Speaker B: In real life, he went and did it. [00:42:35] Speaker C: So. [00:42:35] Speaker A: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. He got questions. [00:42:39] Speaker C: My open book, bro. [00:42:40] Speaker A: What's up? So. So, is it like, air now? [00:42:47] Speaker C: It's not air. [00:42:48] Speaker B: No. [00:42:49] Speaker A: Like, no. Is it like, bro, like, what the fuck happens now? [00:42:57] Speaker C: It's all there. It just. The soldiers don't march. [00:43:02] Speaker A: It's there. The soldiers don't march. [00:43:04] Speaker C: You know what I'm saying? There's no. No scares with 99%, they say 99%. [00:43:10] Speaker A: Hey, bro. Hey, bro. Damn, you cold, cold nigga. [00:43:16] Speaker C: Got the woo wop, bro. [00:43:18] Speaker A: Oh, my God. [00:43:19] Speaker B: Is that something that you would ever entertain? [00:43:21] Speaker A: Never. [00:43:22] Speaker C: I mean, we, you know, two different brackets of life, you know what I'm saying? I can't. I'm good, man. I think I'm happy. I'm happy with my choice, bro. I really. [00:43:33] Speaker A: I'm not mad at you, bro. I ain't getting neutered. You ain't got neutered? It's crazy. My dog's not even. I got two up. This motherfucker went and got neutered. That is crazy. [00:43:53] Speaker C: I'm done, dog. [00:43:57] Speaker A: I feel you, dog. I don't. But at the same time, bro, if. [00:44:07] Speaker C: It helps any, it's reversible. So if I change my mind, I can. [00:44:10] Speaker A: Oh, you can reverse it? [00:44:11] Speaker C: I can reverse it. [00:44:12] Speaker A: Did that shit hurt? Nah, like, you just go, they put you to sleep? [00:44:15] Speaker C: Yeah, put you to sleep. It was literally a six minute process. Six minute, bro. [00:44:20] Speaker A: Oh, I thought you said six months. [00:44:23] Speaker C: I want to be fair, I was super hesitant about it and then did some research on it. I'm like, okay, it's not what I thought. You know, I ain't gonna go into details, but it ain't. It ain't crazy. [00:44:33] Speaker A: So cool. I'm cool, champ. I'm good. My name, little boy got a bean shooter. Remember the bean shooters, bro? With the balloon? Oh, my God. Bean shooter now, dog. Oh, man. [00:44:52] Speaker B: No bullets. All bullets. [00:44:55] Speaker A: Damn, man. [00:44:57] Speaker B: I forgot what the fuck I was. [00:44:58] Speaker A: Supposed to ask you about. [00:45:00] Speaker B: He said you got neutered, you know, exactly. [00:45:02] Speaker A: That's crazy. [00:45:04] Speaker C: I wanna know what does accountability mean to you, though? [00:45:07] Speaker A: I mean. [00:45:08] Speaker C: Cause it's the thing throughout the album and kinda really showing up for yourself and kinda looking in the mirror and, you know, we talked about fatherhood. We talked about that. But for you, what does accountability look like? [00:45:17] Speaker A: Common sense. A lot of times we don't use common sense for a lot of things. And, you know, like I said, if you said something wrong, make it right. Accountability is, you know, knowing that, shit, I got a kid and nothing should be more important to that. Even though I do put my music first more than anything, and I'm still gonna do it. But, you know, accountability is knowing that I got to go just that hard with my family when it's family time. Leave that alone. When it's time to leave that alone, if that makes sense. You know what I'm saying? Be present. Everything just revolves around family with me at this point. [00:46:03] Speaker C: Except your dad. [00:46:04] Speaker A: Yeah, except that guy don't come around now, motherfucker trying to get. You know what I mean? [00:46:11] Speaker B: Do you. Do you. When you're making the music, I know you don't make. You don't think about critics when you're making the music. But now that the music is out, do you care about what critics think about the music and stuff like that? Uh, be honest. [00:46:24] Speaker A: I'm trying to be. Let me see. Do I care? A little bit, but not really. [00:46:32] Speaker B: Not enough to change anything. [00:46:33] Speaker A: Yeah, not enough to change. Right, right. I think once you start caring that much, you're not really good. [00:46:40] Speaker B: Cause I remember. I remember I was at the studio one day and you kicked me out, right? [00:46:44] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you just popped up and clapped that motherfucker. I'm like, wait, who the fuck is that? Cause nobody never comes to that studio. Right, right. You get what I'm saying? [00:46:54] Speaker B: Like, but you was like, I finna record here. You gotta roll, my nigga. [00:47:00] Speaker A: Sorry. You my boy. I don't need no odyssey back right now. No, you my boy. You know that. You my boy. But that just how I record. No, no, I get it. Like, just. You know what I mean? Like, I don't. Yeah, like, the people that was in there. Yeah. I don't know, man. That's just how I get it. [00:47:17] Speaker B: Trust me. I know it's a creative process. Cause they told me about the. I know about the jam sessions and, like, was it out? The reason why I brought it up. I have this rolling stone thing I want to read you. But the second part of that studio is the way you. The way you create is like, a composer. [00:47:33] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I am. I'm more of a composer than I am a rapper. I'm more of a producer, composer, engineer. [00:47:41] Speaker B: Cuz, like, you'll literally sit there and you record, and he'd be like, all right, now I want to do this on top of this or you'll record. Why niggas is playing shit. Like, it's just. It's a different. I've never really seen that before. [00:47:54] Speaker A: Yeah, it's just like, I always been you. [00:47:56] Speaker B: Or you get that from. [00:47:58] Speaker A: I got. I got all that tricks from, like, dragon. Like, Stevie Wonder. [00:48:05] Speaker B: You were. You watch tv. Wonder record? [00:48:07] Speaker A: No, no, no. Like, I mean, YouTube. Okay. Got you guys, like, just, like, interviews and just hearing people talk and, like, Bob Marley, like, watching him, like, you know, wake up in the morning, have this regimen of, like, soccer. Then, you know, making everybody work out pretty much. And then from there, go straight to the studio. [00:48:37] Speaker B: Making that shit. [00:48:38] Speaker A: You know what I mean? Just a thing, like just feeling. And whenever you want to piece it together, you can do that shit on your own time. But right now, let's get some feelings cooking up. We're trying to do, like, because, you know, I'm all about direction. I really don't, like I said, I really don't care about, like, what people think. Yeah, yeah. Like, what I'm on is what I'm on. And more artists should feel like that. Don't get me wrong. Like, if you want somebody opinion that you respect, yeah, bring them in. I'm like, but I more so want people that can contribute more so than just give me their opinion because everybody has an opinion. Facts. So you liking it? It's like, ah, thank you. But at the same time, you disliking it, it's like, ah, whatever. [00:49:25] Speaker B: But like, are you gonna add to this? [00:49:26] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Like, can you add to it? That's my whole thing. Like, that's the whole thing about making music and a bunch of people, people in the room is like, people add to shit. Like, so I always got musicians with me. You know what I'm saying? I'm maybe somebody come up, you got a hook, lay it right quick around, be on the album, right? You know what I'm saying? Like, shit, like, if you in that motherfucker, you got to contribute. Like, you can't just be in there waiting for the finished product and then just say, yeah, it's good. Or not. Like, me and my, like, we. Yeah, we gotta be in that bitch. Everybody. You know what I'm saying? Everybody. [00:50:04] Speaker B: Um, so I'm gonna read you this, and then you tell me what you think, okay? It says, after the disappointing 2019 album, Crash, talk steered too heavily into the latter sonic direction. Q went on an unexpectedly long hiatus, only occasionally resurfacing with loose lease. Thankfully, blue Lips returns to the dynamic stylings of blankface with a few important twists and. Huh, there you go. [00:50:33] Speaker A: My bad. I'm cutting you up. [00:50:34] Speaker B: Nah. And with Kendrick Lamar having departed TDE for his own imprint, it represents a moment when listeners can fully appreciate q for his singular ability to craft compelling, thought provoking gems without resorting to comparisons between him and everybody else. I felt like, to me, like, when I. When I read. I was reading the article about. About cuz, like, when these come out, like, I know I have my opinions. I'm very opinionated, but I want to know, like, what other people are thinking as far as, like, people that I don't know. Right. Just so I read random articles and album critiques and stuff like that. But I thought it was fair. I didn't think the album was the crash talk album was disappointed, but I thought it was a fair critique because this is a cute album. [00:51:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:51:17] Speaker B: I feel like this is like, yo, to be honest with you, I'm keeping real with you. Your albums don't really sound like nobody else's shit, and I know you do that intentionally. [00:51:26] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:51:26] Speaker B: Cause you hate when niggas rap on the same. I always hear you talk about you rapping on the same beats everybody rapping on, like, make some different shit, even when I don't even know how to say yearn the right way. But when that came out, I'm like, this don't sound like nothing. And it kind of remind me a yay, to be honest with you. Like, the way Kanye put his music out, even in the vulture shit, that shit don't really sound like nothing else going on either. And I know you do that intentionally, so I thought it was a fair critique. [00:51:52] Speaker A: I accept it. Hopefully. They black. I don't know who, but, yeah, my whole thing with that shit is, like, you know, dope, but, you know, they also, like, could have not said the disappointing shit. Yeah. Like, what was disappointing? Like, that's what I'm saying. [00:52:12] Speaker B: Oh, for the crash talk? [00:52:13] Speaker A: That's what I'm saying. It's like, instead of focusing on things that they, like, it's so focused on. [00:52:18] Speaker B: Things, like, the pessimism. [00:52:20] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's like, where I'm. All right. I don't know. But, I mean, you know, I. Thank you, I guess. Yeah. I mean, like, I don't know what to say to it. It's like. I mean, I don't know. You know, that's. They. Their opinion sound like they like the album, but, I mean, they compared it to blank face. Once again, they just. People are. They don't know how to let go. Like, shouldn't this sounds nothing like blank face? Like, I'm sorry, don't. Yeah, because I put an album together, like, it sounds like blank face. Like, you know what I'm saying? It's like, no. Like, I don't fuck with that part. Did is, yo, don't fuck with the backhand compliment. Let it. And if you don't like something like I said, that's cool. Like. But we're talking about this now, and you just had to revert to comparison. Of what? I'm not even a comparison. You can't compare me to any artist. So why are you trying to compare my albums to each other? Like, I intentionally go, like you said, I go different every album, every time. So don't be trying to, like, compare my shit. Like, enjoy. Whatever you enjoy. You know what I'm saying? Like, our don't. Regardless, it's cool. You ain't disrespectful, you know, I mean, like. But, yeah, don't. Don't compare my shit, man. Like, enjoy it. [00:53:52] Speaker C: I've seen you. I've seen you compare your own albums. Rank your own albums. [00:53:55] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:53:56] Speaker C: If you had to rank the covers. [00:53:58] Speaker A: All right, if I had to rank the covers, I would say setbacks is still the worst. Um, then I would probably go, blue lips, uh, blank face, um, crash talk habits, and oxymoron. Oxymoron is still your favorite. That's a golden cover. That's. That's like, one of. Yeah, that cover alone, bro. You see that shit? Like, you know what I mean? You know exactly what that is. That's oxy. Yes. You know what I'm saying? Like, that cover is just like, come on. [00:54:46] Speaker C: I'm surprised to hear that with the art talk, that blue lips is ranked as low as it is for you. [00:54:52] Speaker A: Yeah. Because it's like a. It's just lips and teeth, but really dope. Something about just the teeth and the lips was just a little unsettling. It's like this album cover. I'm like, yeah, it's the album cover. And then I was just thinking, like, fuck, I can sell a lot of this shit. I'm like, I can sell hella. And then I sold a hella shit. I'm like, yeah, that looked like something somebody want to collect. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, make everything like art. Like, if I'm an art and I'm always about art and I do artist shit, why don't I just make art pieces, shit that people want to collect? You hang that vinyl on the wall, that shit looks sick to some people. It may look like, ah, yeah, guess what? It ain't for your wall. Probably don't got a big enough wall. But I am serious. But you know what I'm saying? Like, I want my shit to be pieces. I want to be able to. When people put them vinyls up shit and them CDs up on the wall, I want that shit to be like, you know, like a fucking action figure. Like seasons. [00:56:11] Speaker B: I know you drew inspiration, you said, from blaxploitation. [00:56:14] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:56:15] Speaker B: Coonskin the Mac, miseducation of Sonny Carson. [00:56:20] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:56:21] Speaker B: You had these on in the studio while you was creating. [00:56:24] Speaker A: Yeah. Nonstop for what? Just to look at and just like. Like I said, it started off on some black shit, and just like, you know how I looked at it as, like, you know, white people using black people for our shit. You know, you look at entertainment like, no black people actually run anything, you know what I'm saying? And we're all we, but we set the standard for everything. And I was just trying to get on that, and it just led me to my. Myself, you know, I was trying to talk about the world and what was going on, and I just kept. All the bars were me talking about me, you know what I'm saying? Which became, oh, shit. I was corning the whole time, too. I was doing this the whole time, too. I was doing this. No, I was trying to point the finger more. So, like, you motherfuckers ain't even black. But it was like I was doing, like, the exact same thing. So it ended up being the same thing where I was trying to take it, but just me in the mirror. [00:57:26] Speaker B: What is cooning to you? [00:57:28] Speaker A: Um, doing something you don't want to do for some publication that don't care, doing a lot of golf shit. I did, and they were only using me because I'm black. And I knew they were only using me because I'm black. And they were like, try to make me more black. Doing. [00:57:46] Speaker B: What do you mean, golf shit, like PGA Tour or you talking about the. [00:57:49] Speaker A: Video game or, like, the video game was one I've been getting on they ass the last couple interviews. Like, you know, like, imagine telling a black guy, yeah, bring your grills. Damn. Oh, shit. For the shit. It's like, what? All right, tell the mexican guy, bring your sombrero. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? I'm already black, bro. Like, you don't have to, like, extra black me out. He has any jury. [00:58:29] Speaker B: Can he bring. [00:58:30] Speaker C: Can you bring the bling? You got the bling. [00:58:33] Speaker B: I get what you say. I get what did. [00:58:34] Speaker A: I did it, like in the Tiger woods commercial. [00:58:39] Speaker C: Damn. [00:58:40] Speaker A: And it was just like, you wasn't. [00:58:42] Speaker B: Happy with what you saw from yourself? [00:58:44] Speaker A: No. Even when they told me, do it, and they just made me do the shot over and over again. All right, put your grill in. Cut. Do it again. Cut. Do it again. Cut. It's like, God damn. How black? You know what I'm saying? I'm already black, and we already talking about it. Like, yeah, we know change, but I don't, you know, like, it's not like. [00:59:08] Speaker B: My whole, you know, I'm more than a grill. [00:59:12] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's not really the whole thing. So, like, just being aware, like, doing things. Like, even, like, me saying white people could say the n word at my shows. Like, back in the days, I said that, like, I don't feel like that no more. Well, like I said, it was a different time in my life. [00:59:33] Speaker B: So now it's like, I agree with. [00:59:35] Speaker A: You, though, black, now that I was then, like, you. You get older and you tap into your roots more. You tap into your travel. You see what people been going through. You see, like, oh, you know what I mean? Like, people really struggled for us to get to this point, really went through some shit, and for us to just. [00:59:53] Speaker B: Be, like, some days ago. [00:59:55] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And act like we really applaud part of America or we're not. [01:00:00] Speaker B: I feel that. [01:00:01] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? [01:00:03] Speaker C: I do want to ask you about when you take your hiatus. [01:00:05] Speaker A: Right? [01:00:07] Speaker C: We see you pop up. Pop up. And I tell people all the time, well, we've had these conversations before. It's like, are you really away, or are you, like, tapping into social media? [01:00:17] Speaker A: And I'm never away. I'm always watching. [01:00:19] Speaker C: That's. [01:00:19] Speaker A: I'm always watching. [01:00:21] Speaker C: We tell people this shit all the time. It's like, yo, they're not. [01:00:23] Speaker B: They not. [01:00:24] Speaker C: They're more tapped in than you believe. [01:00:25] Speaker A: I'm way more tapped in. I'll be with everybody. Y'all be thinking. I'd be the ones. I'll be chilling with them, hanging with them, you know, shit. The motherfuckers be tapping into me. You know what I'm saying? Shit, I'll be out there, but, I mean, you know, I'm just. I just don't always have my phone out type shit. And I don't like being around phones pretty much where people do all that shit. Yeah. Like, you know, a lot of my, you know, everything ain't for content. You know, when I'm making music, I'm making music, and then I'm on social media, and then I'm talking, I'm engaging. It ain't really to sell the album. It's really just. I have something to say now, and I'm gonna say it. I think sometimes. A lot of times, we talk so fucking much that we don't have. You only learn when you listen. So the person that talks the most to me is you ain't really know what the fuck you bring to the table. [01:01:22] Speaker B: I was telling. I was telling people because everybody asked me about, like, four people. You one of them, right? [01:01:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:01:30] Speaker B: Because we from here, right? So they asked me, I'm like, bro, them niggas ain't ducked off like that. Like them niggas be. They see everything. I remember talking to Rhapsody about this. Sorry, rap. But I remember talking to Rhapsody. I remember talking to Rhapsody about this during Grammy week. And I was like, rap? Like, where you being like, we need you. What's going on? Like, what the fuck? Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, put some music out. Like, I need what I need. We need to balance this shit out. You know what I'm saying? Like, what's going on? She was like. I'm like, I know you be ducked off. And she's like, oh, no, I'm not ducked off here. I'm like, what you mean? She's like, I watch everything. She's like, I want to make sure I watch everything. Just in case one of these. One of these girls get out of pocket and I gotta, you know, make my presence felt or whatever. And I'll be trying to explain that about you and other people, like, you know, dotting whoever. Like, no, they see everything. They be paying attention. They tapped in. Like, q ain't. Q know that you said that about him? [01:02:24] Speaker A: Oh, no, for sure. [01:02:25] Speaker B: You know what I'm saying? Like, Q know that you said that about him. He ain't gonna respond or say nothing to you, but he know you said it. [01:02:32] Speaker A: No, and I'm gonna see you, too. They don't. They don't. But nobody's like, people. I'm blessed that most people don't, you know, say, if it's somebody down talking me, is normally just like the music. [01:02:47] Speaker B: Yeah, it's music. [01:02:49] Speaker A: That's cool. That's fine. Like I said, that's, like, all good. You ain't popping unless you got somebody that don't like you. It's somebody that's not gonna. People don't like Michael Jackson facts, believe it or not. That's crazy. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, what the fuck? Who the fuck I think I am? Somebody not like me, but the people don't be. You know, I'm saying. Be getting at me sideways, but, you know. But even with that, like I said, I'm gonna come see you. Well, I'm not really gonna come see you, but if I see you, I'm gonna address it. Yeah. And I'm not trying to fight, but. [01:03:24] Speaker C: You want a better understanding. [01:03:26] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, what was the purpose of you doing disrespect? If somebody was to disrespect me, I would never respond. Like you said. Like what? I'm not. I'm way more secure than that with myself to know, like, you know, sometimes people howling at the moon, like, I wouldn't go out my way for some shit that is probably not beneficial, you know? Only can either bruise somebody up or bring me harm. It's no win in there, that. But, you know, if I do see you, I'm. Yo, what up, bro? I done had this with personal issues, more so than, like, in the media or anything. Personal issues, people just talking slick. And it's like, you know me, though, and you see them, and they be nice as fuck. See? Yeah, like this be nice. See, I'm nice, too. Like, you a nice guy. You know who to play with now. You see me in person now. You can say whatever you want to say. You're nice as fuck. So just be nice and be nice friends and shit. [01:04:30] Speaker B: You talked about. Yeah, you talked about your responsibility, like, with the drug stuff and then talking about how sober you are now. Do you feel the same responsibility for giving a platform to other artists? You know, how people you. How dot and everybody will share they stuff with you or whoever the case may be. I heard you speak about that, too, which was. Which was dope, because you never hear people being grateful for what people have done for them. But, like, Devin Malik. [01:04:59] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:05:00] Speaker B: Is on the album, right? [01:05:01] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:05:01] Speaker B: And I wasn't familiar with Devin Millie before that now. Right. [01:05:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:05:05] Speaker B: Is that something that you have a desire to do? Put people on, be an executive, sign artists? [01:05:09] Speaker A: Yeah, I want to get some. The executive side, more of it. But, I mean, the music business is so janky. It's so scandalous. I don't even know if I can do it. I mean, I put on shit. TF. Yeah. Yep. Shout out, you know, and that's my homie. We from the same soil. So that's one of my proudest things. To see him to be out here moving around, you know, and where we from, like, people hate us, bro. People love to. So to see that, to see him get the same thing, and I was carry yourself the way he carried himself. [01:05:46] Speaker B: I was in situations with TF where it was people there that shouldn't have fucked with him and they fuck with him. [01:05:50] Speaker A: That's what I'm saying. [01:05:51] Speaker B: And it's respect. And I. And I thought that was super dope. [01:05:54] Speaker A: And that's what you put out is what you get, bro. Yeah. You know, he don't go around acting like he the toughest dude. And this is a dude that really, you know, we was, me and. Me and my homies was really out there and knuckleheads, this idiot trying to rob a bank. You know what I'm saying? And now he out here getting love. Fucking idiot, you know, trying to rob a bank. I couldn't even get him in Australia. Your dumb ass tried to rob a bank, bro. You're not getting in. They not letting you come over here. I didn't rob a bank, bro. I robbed the house. You robbed a. Bye. Yeah, you gotta figure this one out. You gotta figure this one out. You two scandals. You two scandalous. But, you know, like. Yeah, him. Devin put chike on the album. Yep. I mean, but I always show love to LA. I mean, had sugar free on oxymoron, corrupt, had dazzling all them. When people like, you know, they wouldn't put them on albums, you know, I always been doing it. I'm just not like a. I did this. I did. I was fucking with that. You know, I'm just not that. That type of guy. But I've done a lot for the coast to keep it going and peep shedding light on it. So, you know, I do feel some obligation to put people on, but at the same time, they still got to be up to par. Facts. I don't feel like a lot of shit. I do. I feel like a lot of shit is hard. Yeah, a lot of people got potential, but I don't see, like, people that care. Like, I'm looking for people that care about more so than me, too. But I just got some talent, you know what I mean? Like, because anybody can rap. It's like, anybody can play basketball. It's like anybody could fucking get on the camera and fucking ask questions. Anybody can. You can. Any. But literally anybody can do any of this shit. But are you really skilled and really gifted at what you do? Yeah. And that's what I think we're in right now with all rap, not just la, because a lot of people like to bring LA. But, bro, this shit's happening everywhere. Everywhere. You know, I'm saying, like, la, la hip hop is look like, bro, this shit is popping in woo, woo. Everywhere was popping in woo, woo. It's like, all right, you got one artist, bro. You think that shit like, oh, this is living like, no, bro, it's one fucking artist, bro. So, like, no, like, you know what I mean? So it's happening everywhere. But I think it's just to the point because, you know, rap is looked at as, like, not that cool. Even being a good rapper is like, that's not cool. Like, oh, this motherfucker rap good. Motherfucker. Joke on you for having boys. That's crazy. Oh, I take rap serious, bro. You take that shit too serious. Just put that shit out, bitch. I'm talking about my mama, bro. Like, bitch, I'm talking about, like, actual people that died, not like your imaginary dead homies. You be happy. You know what I'm saying? I'm talking about people that I never see ever again. They got 40 years. You know what I'm saying? At 16, I'm talking about that type of shit. Motherfuckers. That's what I'm saying. Like, these motherfuckers grew up a little different. They grew up on the Internet, so they're not really out there like that. So they don't have a lot of feelings, a lot of connections to a lot of things. So a lot of artists now are just like, you know, I'm not depressed. I'm not depressed. Fully fucking depressed. [01:09:31] Speaker B: Right. [01:09:32] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? They just, like, just making this I'm not depressed music, but, you know, I'm not depressed or I'm super emo music. [01:09:40] Speaker C: Do you encourage artists to at this point, like, knowing how the industry is in the game? Is there more of an encouraging level? Like, man, okay, how would you encourage somebody to step into the industry? Or do you just say, man, stay away from it, let's let the dust settle? Or, like, what is that conversation when more artists are trying to get on? [01:09:57] Speaker A: At this point, I don't know what to tell somebody about the industry. I know the industry is dead. Like, rap industry is dead? [01:10:04] Speaker C: Think so? [01:10:05] Speaker A: No, it's done. It's 100% done. [01:10:07] Speaker B: In what way? Like, what do you mean? [01:10:09] Speaker A: I mean, they just, they fired everybody in the music industry. They literally just did it. The same people that's having spots right now are the same people that already had the spots. They just getting rid of people and realizing, you know, rap is where it's going. It's in its rock face because we allowed it. Artists and the other side and the media, and the media, we all allowed it. We all thought some. We needed. We such and such need us. We all thought that the labels thought the artists needed them. The radio thought the artists needed them, and the artists thought we knew everything. And now we all, in this whole thing where we thought we thought we knew something, and now we realize we didn't know shit. And now they cutting every fucking body. And, you know, the goal posts of, you know, at the time, you know, numbers used to matter and now, like, in this climate, in the last, like three years, well, early, like the last five years, where people didn't. The whole number thing is like, kind of out the question because it's like, don't even matter more. So about shows and touring, merch. Merch and shit like that. But the sales is also an indicator of where it's going, you know, like, yeah, the industry, so they, you know, they cutting budgets, like. [01:11:45] Speaker C: So as a rapper, how do you feel being amongst all this shit? [01:11:50] Speaker A: Like, is it like shit? Like I said, I'm lucky I'm already schoolboy Q, so it don't really affect me. I feel bad for the younger generation, like. Cause they have to play the game because the label is killing the album. The playlist is killing the album. Us putting out eight versions of one single because streaming is down. Right. You know what I'm saying? It's killing the album. You got eight versions of the single. So when I click on your single, I see eight. That's a whole fucking album worth the layout. So, like, what the fuck is the album? Like, you know what I'm saying? It's not one single carry a whole album, though. So your single is selling our streaming a million times a day. That should have carry your album into whatever, and it shouldn't. Why does over a thousand streams count as one fucking sale? Like, make some of this shit make sense. [01:12:53] Speaker B: Well, you came up. You came up in the magic disc, like us. [01:12:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:12:57] Speaker B: So do you prefer. You preferred it as that way or you could. [01:13:01] Speaker A: Of course, right? We actually got paid for selling records. You don't get paid for selling records now. Like. Like, you know what I'm saying? So that's why. Another thing. Why don't matter. We all realize that, like, bro, we were selling. When streaming came, it was just like, we were selling. You know what I mean? Platinum this, platinum that. It's that. And it's like. But that shit wasn't hitting. Like, when 2014 went platinum, that was a different check. Facts, you know what I'm saying? Versus the streaming check, you know what I'm saying? Like, I was blessed to see both sides, right? Like, when Oxymoron did his thing, that shit was all physical, and I was a different check. [01:13:46] Speaker B: Don't you think it's harder, though? Don't you think it's harder, though? Like, being that you. It's rare that, first of all, you still exist in 2024. It's not that many artists that are still relevant and exist in 2024. That was putting physicals out, right? Don't you think it's harder to sell physicals and people that's putting out music now don't really know that. [01:14:07] Speaker A: I think it's harder to sell streams. Really, bro, you have to get 150 million streams. Streams, cuz to like one sale or something like that. Like for platinum or some shit. Like, that's crazy. 75 million stream. I don't. But listen to that number, though. That's like. You get what I'm saying? Yeah, you need a hundred and something million streams, bro. That's way harder than fucking. Especially with the much shit is possible pumped out every Friday. It's hundreds of songs. So people are constantly on to the next. On to the next. Like, I think it was easier to sell albums than being put in the algorithm and having to last in this algorithm of people always dropping songs. I think it's harder now. And that's why we don't really see the younger superstar anymore. We'll see a big, hot guy, but there's no way that it's still a big three. Yeah, that's what I call it. A big 310 years later, there's no way. Like, it makes no sense. Since winning the history of the game as the big three lasted 50 came through gyro, it was like mad people that came DMX, you know what I'm saying? We can go down the line, like, I mean, these motherfuckers been at the top, you know, I'm not in the big three, so clearly I'm not, like, hating. Yeah, but I'm just saying there's no way that these motherfuckers been the top three artists for over a decade, and we're not seeing what's. You know what I mean? Yes. It's a lot of young people, like, that's killing it, but they still haven't. I don't care what you say, they haven't surpassed. [01:15:55] Speaker B: A couple things, a couple more things. [01:15:57] Speaker A: We. [01:15:58] Speaker B: Studio sessions. You recording blue lips has been a process for years, right? Well, you have the lyrics, compose the music. It was a communal effort, but a lot of the album. I guess you started the album during COVID During quarantine, had your birthday party in the studio. [01:16:17] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [01:16:18] Speaker B: Nobody caught COVID until, like, it was, like, over with. [01:16:22] Speaker A: Over. It's crazy. [01:16:24] Speaker B: And that's crazy to me because, like, everything was shut down. Y'all still going to the studio on the low? [01:16:28] Speaker A: Yeah. How was you able to that studio, too, for letting us go. Facts everything down. [01:16:33] Speaker B: Not gonna say the name, but not. [01:16:34] Speaker A: Gonna say the name, but uh, shout out to that studio I've been recording. [01:16:39] Speaker B: Cuz you was in there. You was, you was in there, fool. [01:16:42] Speaker A: No, me and mustard, Loki facts shit. Me and must have been recording in that studio for years. Me and him been in the different rooms and that's the funny thing. And we don't got no music. [01:16:58] Speaker B: Why you ain't got nothing with mustard? [01:17:00] Speaker A: We just be always cooking. We just like, you know, we come in and we get straight to work. We just straight cook, right. That's my boy though. [01:17:06] Speaker B: Like, you know what I notice about, I noticed about mustard too. Y'all both treated like a nine to five. Like, we go to the studio and then I'm off at six, seven, I go be my kids, I go work out. Like, I ain't finna be in 230 in the morning. [01:17:20] Speaker A: All that a waste of time, bro. Like, you realize that you just sitting there chilling and, you know, you got to go sit with your family and do all the shit. Like you really only got 4 hours of prime of like extreme of focus throughout the day period. You only have 4 hours. That's it. You're 24. [01:17:44] Speaker B: So, damn. [01:17:45] Speaker A: Find that four hour pocket of your, your best, you know, your creative pocket, whatever time that is, and lock in. Do it for me, it's in the morning, like eight in the morning to twelve. [01:17:56] Speaker B: Damn. [01:17:57] Speaker A: But when I'm working, I'm there all day. But once I break through, I break it down to just 4 hours. [01:18:06] Speaker B: People was pulling up on you in the studio, though. I know YG pulled up. I heard Nelly pulled up. That's random as fuck. [01:18:13] Speaker A: Random as fuck, bro. We just chilling and then somebody was talking to Nelly on a Facetime. Then I'm like, what up, bro? What up, bro? He live around the corner from me. Gotcha. He lived right around the corner from we never kicked it. He's like, I'm about to pull up. I'm like, all right, about to pull up. And the motherfucker actually pulled up. [01:18:35] Speaker B: So why he not on the album? [01:18:37] Speaker A: This motherfucker walked in the studio and I'm like, bro, that's fucking nails pulled up, dolo. I'm like, bro, well, and we both drove home. And the funny thing, we drove off, drove home and drove the same way. Like, hey, where you going? Like, but now we've been living around each other, like living around the corner from each other for a couple years. [01:18:58] Speaker B: So you don't see these people and be like, man, hey, let's get one in it's. [01:19:00] Speaker A: More just like, nah, I never asked to get one in. I think that's a. Especially certain people, once you like, at a certain higher up, I respect you as that, and I just let you be that. I don't like, oh, let's do a song. Let's do a song. Yeah. You know, like, nah, I honestly don't even really want to. I did one with corrupt, and that's. That's lucky. As far as I can probably go. Got you with corrupt. I really don't want to work with nobody. [01:19:32] Speaker C: There's no list that you got. [01:19:33] Speaker B: Oh, with the idols, I have the same. [01:19:35] Speaker A: Yeah. Oh, yeah. We can have too much respect. And this what I hear from them and what I heard from them, I don't think I could ever match whatever they did. Oh. [01:19:47] Speaker C: So it's on a quality level in. [01:19:50] Speaker A: Terms of like, yeah, I want to. [01:19:53] Speaker B: Stay a fan type shit. [01:19:54] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. Like, corrupt was, like, the only. Cause I just felt like he just alien. He can, like, come to my world type shit. Yeah. Not even un disrespectful. Cause that could sound disrespectful. But I mean, like, I just don't want to rap with my idols, though. I feel that I really don't want to rap with Nas. I don't really want to rap with Snoop. [01:20:14] Speaker B: You haven't didn't rap with snoop? [01:20:16] Speaker A: Nah. And I love Snoop, bro. That's crazy. But not as much. [01:20:20] Speaker B: Would you get on something? If he wants you on his record, would you do something with him or you still. [01:20:24] Speaker A: I would love to write something for him. I don't think I would want my verse. Wow. On there. [01:20:31] Speaker B: That's interesting. [01:20:31] Speaker A: Snoop Dogg. [01:20:32] Speaker B: It's Snoop Dogg, bro. [01:20:34] Speaker A: Every time I hang with him, and I hung with him a lot of times, I can't believe I'm with Snoop Dogg. You know what I'm saying? [01:20:41] Speaker B: That same thing saying every time he. [01:20:42] Speaker A: Say my name, hey, Q. I just like snoop, y'all. Every time, bro. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, like, so, like, the first time. [01:20:53] Speaker B: He called me nephew and said, I'm family, I felt like I made it. I felt like I made it. I'm like, y'all can't tell me nothing. [01:21:00] Speaker A: Like, it's snoop. [01:21:03] Speaker B: Okay, last thing for me, I never really heard you. You know how, like, athletes, I hear a lot of rappers complain about the label and this and that? Q has never complained. I've never heard you seen. I've never heard you complain. I've never heard it. [01:21:16] Speaker C: You just wasn't listening. [01:21:16] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? [01:21:18] Speaker B: I'm talking about from an aspect of blaming other people. [01:21:22] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:21:23] Speaker B: You take a lot of. You might complain about shit, but I'm saying you don't blame people for, oh, this album, nigga, the label didn't promote my shit or never do that. You've never done that in your whole. Since I've been knowing you. And I also saw you say, I think it was on drink champs. I seen you say, like, people always blaming the, like, oh, top is not the problem. [01:21:43] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:21:44] Speaker B: Like, is that just because you take accountability for Q, or is that because you feel like it's really not. That's really not the problem. [01:21:53] Speaker A: Like, it's always your fault, bro. Once you realize this. Always your fault, bro. That's it. Everything is your fault. Literally, everything is your fault. [01:22:04] Speaker B: Everything, no matter what it is. [01:22:07] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, you put yourself in that circumstance. You put yourself in as a man. I'm talking as a man, and that's aware of what's going on. Like I said, once again, some people don't come for word of the awareness part of, you know, they were worried. It's different. So you got to be a little more patient with certain people. But when you're aware, it's your fault, you know what I'm saying? A lot of people are aware of what's going on, and they just let things happen, and maybe they get better, or maybe the next thing you know, you in this hole, and then you're like, oh, what's going on? It's your fault. You like, bro, it was your fault. You could have corrected that way earlier. [01:22:45] Speaker B: You signed the deal. [01:22:46] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Like, I'm not here to, you know, ain't no. I cannot never blame the label for anything. I mean, granted, I had crazy success in my career. I don't have, like, no nightmare stories and shit like that, but, yeah, like, blame what I'm a blame top for about. [01:23:11] Speaker B: I just think that what I'm a. [01:23:12] Speaker A: Blame interscope for, like, they never could do nothing for me anyway. Top gave me a fucking studio. That's all he can do for me. Like, he can't do nothing for me but give me a fucking studio. [01:23:27] Speaker B: Go make the music. [01:23:28] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying? This motherfucker don't write music. Like, if he was a marketing genius, you think he follow? He gonna try to get some two new dudes, all the new dudes. This motherfucker ain't no damn marketing genius. Right. You know what I'm saying? We were just trying to get to it, and we figured it out, you know, it was our fault. It was. We had the ball in our court. We actually. We didn't have the ball in our court. We had to wait for next. Then when we got on the court, we really ran motherfuckers off the court. Right. You know what I'm saying? It's just like, when you get your shot, motherfucker, take that shot. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, don't blame the label. Like, you know, they don't understand me or they don't understand. Yeah, bro. You don't understand. You. You should be able to convince him. Like, we convince people with words, we get people to move. You mean to tell me you couldn't convince that motherfucker? Like, you gotta be knowing how to talk. You ain't slick enough. See? You ain't ready. Maybe you ain't ready. You couldn't even convince the motherfucker that don't even with. No. You know what I'm saying? That don't even create. You can even convince him to get on your team. So maybe you not ready. [01:24:37] Speaker B: It's you. [01:24:38] Speaker A: You get what I'm saying? [01:24:39] Speaker B: Like, you a rapper. You the problem. [01:24:41] Speaker A: You slick. Yeah, you slick. You're supposed to be able to talk your way into or out of whatever you want. Like, you know what I'm saying? That's what we do. Like, are you good at this shit or not? Like, you know what I'm saying? Once again, it's like, all right, motherfucker ain't feeling something. Make a slap that. They like that. I mean, especially if you are so, like, tap had wanted me to make that part, right, basically, yeah. I had blank face and I didn't have, like, I was like, great with groovy tone. This is. We did this on oxymoron, too, but he was just like, bro, I feel like you should have, like, a big record. Like, why not do it? And, you know, me being stubborn could say, which I did. Like, nah, man, this is the album. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Sure enough, I end up getting the record from Cardo, and I make that part. And why not? Yeah, you get what I'm saying? Like, why not give him that. That part or make that part, which benefited me, too. And you get what I'm saying? And get to keep the other 18 fucking songs I got my one time or whatever it is. Sometimes, as artists, too, we don't want nobody to say shit to us. You know what I'm saying? We think we know every fucking thing. [01:26:12] Speaker B: But on this album on blue lips, that doesn't exist. Cause. [01:26:14] Speaker A: No, no, no. [01:26:15] Speaker B: You just did q, right? [01:26:16] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:26:17] Speaker B: Because you said you did that with that part on blankface. [01:26:21] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And then. [01:26:22] Speaker B: But also collard greens and man of the year. You did the same day. Yeah, because they wanted a single. [01:26:27] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I already had studio made. You get. I'm saying we got the single, like, you know, but as an artist, you just be stubborn sometimes. You, like I said, you don't want nobody to tell you nothing because you can't write, bro. So what are you telling me? Like, you know what I'm saying? But at the same time, he's part of the process. He's been listening to the records. He been. Woo woop. He's not just walking in and saying something. He's been listening to the records. You know, he's been listening and, you know, maybe try it. Yeah. Like what he's saying, why have you. It works out and it worked the fuck out. [01:27:07] Speaker B: Why nothing since studio sound like that? [01:27:11] Speaker A: Cause I did that. [01:27:13] Speaker B: Just move on to the next. [01:27:14] Speaker A: Shit's easy. Honestly. I can do that shit all day. Especially r and B records. I can make them shits all day. [01:27:21] Speaker B: We got an R and B Q album coming. [01:27:23] Speaker C: Maybe we got 18 more albums coming. [01:27:28] Speaker B: Beyonce pissing all them white people. [01:27:30] Speaker A: So look, my thing is this. Don't ever put me in no other category besides rap. [01:27:34] Speaker B: I'm a rapper, okay? [01:27:35] Speaker A: Even if I make a country out. [01:27:36] Speaker C: Of it, I like that. [01:27:37] Speaker A: It's rap. It's right. I'm always have rap elements to it. Like. So what is Collard Greens though? I call it a pop record. What does that make me a record? I mean, a rapper, I mean, and that's a pop record. [01:27:50] Speaker C: It's a popular record. [01:27:51] Speaker A: No, like a pop. [01:27:53] Speaker B: Collard Greens is a rap song, fool. [01:27:55] Speaker A: No, that's a pop song. Everybody keep trying to tell me that, bro. That is a pop song. [01:27:59] Speaker C: Okay? [01:28:00] Speaker B: It's your record. You can call it what you want. [01:28:02] Speaker C: But you're rapping on it. [01:28:03] Speaker A: But no, yeah, and that's what I'm saying. That's okay. Like, I mean, the studio is an r and B song. [01:28:10] Speaker B: I'll accept that. [01:28:11] Speaker A: You get what I'm saying? [01:28:12] Speaker B: I'll take that. [01:28:13] Speaker A: It's like, I mean, it's not like a good singing r and B song, but it is a r and b song. But I'm a rapper. [01:28:20] Speaker B: So you're rapping on Collard Green, you. [01:28:23] Speaker A: Know what I mean? Huh? [01:28:24] Speaker B: You're rapping on Collard green. [01:28:25] Speaker A: No, for sure. But, I mean, pop is rap, too, though. All they doing is rapping. They're just white. Like. And then we came in, and then it's like, you know, we act like we wanted to fit in the pot when, like, rap, we already took from everything anyway, so why are we trying to still separate ourselves? Like, I hate when rappers come out and be like, yeah, I'm doing alternative album or I'm doing this. I was like, bitch, just do the fucking album. You a rapper, bro. I'm sorry, but you're a rapper. You're the highest level of music, bro. We play instruments. We the best poets. We the most entertaining. You get. I'm saying motherfuckers want to dress like us. Motherfucker. Like, you know, I'm saying we literally every fucking thing. Don't put me in no fucking pop category, though. I, like I said, collard Greens is a fucking pop song. And y'all not about to take that, okay? [01:29:18] Speaker B: You are. [01:29:19] Speaker A: It's a fucking pop song. All right? But it's your record. [01:29:22] Speaker B: You know. [01:29:27] Speaker A: In pop, I'm a rapper. [01:29:28] Speaker B: We gonna get out. [01:29:29] Speaker A: I'm self aware that I made this pop song and I loved it, and I picked that beat, and it was like, this is what I want to do. You know what I'm saying? That's the thing, too. Like, there's no limits. Like, to, like, don't box rap in either. Like we came in. You know what I'm saying? Biting from other genres and shit. Like, taking and, like, making it our own thing. Like, don't. Don't stripped me from that. [01:29:54] Speaker B: Some. I never asked you before. Sorry, just last one. Have you ever rewrote a verse? Because. Okay. Because I argue with somebody about you, about you and Dot's collard green verse back and forth. Like, as for it, like, it always happens with the J rock and the money trees verse. [01:30:09] Speaker A: Okay? [01:30:10] Speaker B: You know, I'm saying, like, niggas always be like, man, I don't know J Rock. I think J Rock got him. But that's my personal opinion. Right, but it's a debate. It's a barbershop argument every time, no matter where I go. Like, these conversations happen. So when you go in and you rewrite the verse, is that because, oh, he got me, or is that because, like, I just don't fit the song or both? [01:30:34] Speaker A: It's never about he got me no more. [01:30:35] Speaker B: Okay. [01:30:36] Speaker A: When I first came in. Yeah, but I don't think that was trying to, like, have the better verse me and my. Get it? Yeah, bitch, you a bitch. No, no, no. He was trying to make a song. Right, right. Like, you know, like, at some point, things do evolve. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. We are competitive still in rap, but, I mean, I think now, like I said, we're the highest of those. I don't give a fuck what nobody say. Country. Fuck out of here. Rap is the highest form of fucking music. I don't give a fuck what you talking about. And I think dot, you know, he was making music. Songwriting. [01:31:22] Speaker B: Songwriting, I feel. [01:31:23] Speaker A: Yeah, songwriting. That's what we all saying. Like. Yeah, we saying rock first, too, but me and my room gotta get it. You bitch. You bitch. It's like, just catch you soon as you. So, yeah, get to it. Like, I think that's just. Just as good as having a harder verse. And honestly, starting a song off and catching people instantly is harder than going second. I show people that the john is truth. Like, hearing somebody rap off the layup, off the backboard and win the verse is impressive. Yeah. But in reality, all us musicians that do it know that the first four lines that were said was way more impressive than anything that dude said. It got us to that. Even got us to that fucking verse. [01:32:12] Speaker B: I feel you. [01:32:13] Speaker A: You get what I'm saying? Like, songwriting is, like. [01:32:15] Speaker B: Songwriting is. [01:32:17] Speaker A: Versus. I'm on your head to outrap you, like, control verse. You know what I'm saying? I think that's different from, like, songwriting, if that makes sense. I feel you. [01:32:28] Speaker C: Did you think it amount to this right here? Cause when I'm looking at you, Q. It's funny, because I remember being at the apartment and, you know, used to pop in every, you know, every few weeks or whatnot, interview or not. And I remember one particular week you came in and he was like, man, don't tell nobody, but I got signed. Like, you know what I'm saying? [01:32:46] Speaker A: I got a deal. [01:32:47] Speaker C: And that was, like, an important moment. Cause, you know, I've seen you grinding up into that point, right? So now here we are. We talk about, you know, ten some years later, and you mentioned how, you know, your idols, like, you know, Snoops and the corrupts, and, like, if we being honest, when we talk about hip hop, especially in Los Angeles, is death row and tde, right? [01:33:08] Speaker A: Did you win? Huh? We win. [01:33:10] Speaker C: So what I'm saying is, did you. Did you think that it would get to this point in those moments when you were trying to get signed? [01:33:19] Speaker A: Yep. Once we. Once I met Kdi. Yep. We won. Don't care what nobody said. We dropped more albums, we sold out more arenas. We didn't beef, we made. Yeah, we won. But I'm at the same time death row, out of respect for death row, I would vote for death row. But if we being realistic, we win. [01:33:50] Speaker C: What's funny is I wasn't even having a comparison conversation. [01:33:53] Speaker A: I mean, people was doing comparisons about us, but I'm just saying, we win. Fuck that. We win. We can go with a biggest artist versus ours and we win. I'm sorry. We win. I mean, but, you know, Snoop was a fucking. I don't think nobody on our label compares to Snoop. [01:34:13] Speaker B: Well, Snoop transcends rap music. [01:34:16] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:34:17] Speaker B: Where. [01:34:18] Speaker A: Where we win is the. The soldiers. [01:34:21] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:34:22] Speaker A: When it comes to Snoop and Dre, they win. But he don't really count. To me. To me, that's like. I mean, Dre is like. He didn't. I don't. He's a producer. So, like, you know, composer. [01:34:40] Speaker B: Like, they got two classic albums. [01:34:42] Speaker A: As a rapper, for sure. As a producer. [01:34:46] Speaker B: Okay, as a composer. Yeah, we'll say that. [01:34:51] Speaker A: Wait, hold on. [01:34:52] Speaker C: You said pac don't count. [01:34:55] Speaker B: Your favorite dj, quick. That don't even talk. Not even. [01:34:59] Speaker C: It's Pacquick and Snoop, so. [01:35:05] Speaker A: Well, you can count. [01:35:07] Speaker C: You gotta count, Paul. [01:35:08] Speaker A: Let's see, let's see, let's see. [01:35:09] Speaker C: You gotta count. [01:35:10] Speaker A: Let me be realistic. If we talk about stardom, they win off stardom because it was only ten rappers first. So they win. It's only ten rappers in the fucking world. So you get what I'm saying? Like, of course, everybody that's a rapper is a fucking superstar. First off. We had to compete with everything. We had to compete with YG. We had to compete with our do future. Yay. Drake, the J. The Drake. We had to compete with so much more shit out there that was crazy and still hold our own. And not only that, we brought y'all SZA, who is the biggest artist in the world. We brought Charzeh Rashad, who has this underground legend. He's basically an underground legend, bro. You got fucking J rock. You got absol. You got me like Kendrick alone, soundwave Tabees, you got Ali, who mixed everybody's album in music. We're going suge versus top, top wipes, the floor. I don't know who their president was. I'm pretty sure it was still suge. Punch wins. We're talking about videos, Dave and dot me. My visuals are always better if we go on rapping wise. I'm watching a lot of them. I'm watching a lot of them. I'm watching a lot of them, but I can't outslap them. Dre and Snoop are going to outslap me to death, but they can't bar with me. Dads can't bar with me. Corrupt can fuck with me, but I'm a win. Corrupt can fuck with me, but I'm a win. I can't fuck with packing. Doc got pop. Sorry. He barring him up. Scissor. She got scissor versus Dre. That's tough. That's tough. But. But I mean. But then we go to the soldiers, though. Like, they ain't got no j rocks. I'm a soldier, too, but they ain't got no j rocks. Ain't got no absolute. I know. Is everybody shots? They ain't got none of that. They don't got no. Yeah, we got a new artist coming up. You know, I don't want to put them in there yet, because they haven't broke through yet, but I think we have more. [01:37:57] Speaker B: I can tell you thought about gave. [01:38:00] Speaker A: You more albums, you know what I'm saying? Like, well, many albums Snoop gave you on death row. Snoop is more Snoop Dogg than death row to me. [01:38:09] Speaker B: Correct. [01:38:10] Speaker A: Give me that. Doctor. Dre is more doctor dream draining death row. Tupac is more tupac than death row. Correct. [01:38:18] Speaker B: There. [01:38:18] Speaker A: So that's my whole thing. Like, we're like. Like, we're like golden state words. We were all drafted. They were, like, put together. You get what I'm saying? They were like the Miami heat. Like, all right, we gonna get. We were drafted and did what we did. They were, like, put together after already having success. You get what I'm saying? Yeah. It's different. So when it comes to comparing, we win. That's right. [01:38:49] Speaker C: I wasn't even trying to compare. [01:38:51] Speaker A: I'm just letting people know, you know, Snoop is my idol. You know, I can't outslap Snoop. I never reached his heights. But I'm just saying, the rest of y'all, I'm wiping the floor with y'all. I'm wiping the floor with y'all. [01:39:16] Speaker C: Right, Danny boy. [01:39:17] Speaker A: You know, we good. All the rest of them, they don't have a fucking chance. [01:39:24] Speaker C: I just want. I want to end on this. No. When did you know? When do you know? Cause you was talking about the fact feeling of making music that the album was done, that. Cause then I also heard that you was done and leave it alone, but then you made blue, blue slides after. [01:39:35] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, when I say you leave it alone. I mean, more so, like. Like, you just abandon it. Like, you just, like, it's like, all right, fuck it. Nothing else I can do to it. Yeah, and you've been putting it together this whole time, and it's just together now. You're just, like, trying to figure out how you can switch the together when it's, like, already together. You know what I mean? It's just like, like I said, because I put out bodies of work and catalogs about my life. So. So I put this out there about my life. Am I leaving something on the out or do I going too far? You know what I'm saying? With certain things, like sometimes you want to save a line for the next one. I got shit in there that I took out for the next one. I got shit from this album that I was saying in crash talk that I took out for this one. So it's just like, that's why ideas will never stop. That's why I know I got 18 more. If I can live to do it, I got 18 more. Like, because I'm just constantly talking about my life. Like, I got shit to talk about now. I came to this motherfucker Tarzana, and, you know, I'm saying, and you got to go get your kids. I didn't. That's the whole scenario of. Of what I can come up with. If I constantly talk about my life. I never run out of shit to say. That's what I'm saying. Like, all that slap shit, my fucking gonna run out of slaps. I'm gonna still be rapping all my life. I win. Once again, I'm. I win. I'm telling you, I win, bro. [01:41:08] Speaker B: Hey, listen, man, congratulations. [01:41:11] Speaker A: Thank you. [01:41:12] Speaker B: Yeah, man, I appreciate you, you know, saying you've been, you've been the same, consistent, like, you ain't really outside. No, I'm talking about. I'm not talking about that. [01:41:20] Speaker A: You. [01:41:20] Speaker B: I told him that, but I'm saying you haven't, like, you, you can't almost are worse than you used to be. Like, you know, like, not as a man, not as a person. I'm talking about, like, your level of fucks to give is not even like you used to give a fuck about certain things. What people said, what people would. But that comes from a lack, that comes from a place of lack. Now, I of can tell, like, you more rounded and whole. Like you say, I got a family. Like, I'm concerned about other shit. I noticed that you not really, even when I be seeing the way you respond to people on Twitter is not like the Vince Staples show, for instance. Like, Vince Staples got a show out. That's the only thing that matters. Like, go watch that shit right now. Like that queue is like a whole cue that's not bitter cue that's not drugged out cue. And I think that that's like dope, you know, I'm saying to see one of the homies like, evolving, even I told him the same thing. Like when he went cold turkey, we. [01:42:14] Speaker C: Had a conversation, he went, don't go cold turkey. This is not a cold turkey endorsement. [01:42:20] Speaker B: No, no, but I'm just saying, like, I applaud that. Right? And also as a father too, like, I applaud that. [01:42:25] Speaker A: Thank you, thank you. Props to y'all for still holding it down. [01:42:30] Speaker B: We ain't never beefed either, for the record. [01:42:32] Speaker A: That's what's up. That's what's up. I never beef with any of my homies. [01:42:35] Speaker B: Yeah, I don't believe in that. Like we gotta run the faith. Like, we gotta get in, bro. We ain't friends like that. Cuz I'm too articulate. If you punch me in my face, we ain't never gonna be cool. [01:42:46] Speaker A: At this point in my life. Yeah, you can't put your hands on me and we be cool, right? And you can say something too far, right? You know, so like, is it really that serious? Sometimes. But, you know, shout out to y'all, holding it down for you years, from an apartment to radio to still jerking, you know, I'm saying over ten plus years and keeping LA music in journalism like a lie because I don't even know what shit is no more. I don't know if it's. [01:43:17] Speaker B: I make it a point if it's. [01:43:19] Speaker A: Interviews or if it's a podcast, anytime I show up to anything, you know? So that's another reason why I don't do everything. [01:43:30] Speaker B: I just make it a point, you. [01:43:31] Speaker A: Know what I mean? [01:43:32] Speaker B: I never want to participate in the circus and it's just a full circus out here. I'm not a clown and I don't want to audition, so I'm. [01:43:39] Speaker A: That's my whole thing too. It's like if I don't. So at this point, if I don't know you, I just can't even. It's nothing to talk about, you know what I'm saying? It's like nothing to talk about, shit to the music. I got a bunch of people that I can go to that with platforms and, you know, shout out to y'all. [01:44:01] Speaker B: Thank you, bro. [01:44:02] Speaker C: Thank you. [01:44:02] Speaker A: Man. [01:44:02] Speaker C: Appreciate the time, man. We look forward to the continued evolution of schoolboy, too. [01:44:07] Speaker A: We got 18 more. That's great. [01:44:10] Speaker B: 18 more. You heard it. [01:44:11] Speaker A: 1St 18 more. [01:44:13] Speaker C: No room to retire, man. It's homegrown radio. Chuck Dizzle, DJ, schoolboy Q. See y'all next time.