He Walked Away From His Job When They Fired His Team | DJ Elon (Papi)

DJ Elon (Papi) joins The Corie Sheppard Podcast to share the untold story behind one of the biggest career decisions of his life.

In this episode, DJ Elon discusses why he walked away from a major radio position after his team was fired, the importance of loyalty, and the financial risk that followed. He reflects on turning down a military career, building his reputation in Trinidad & Tobago's entertainment industry, and the support his parents gave him throughout his journey.

We also explore the accidental creation of Club Papi during the COVID-19 pandemic, how an Instagram Live that started with just 12 viewers became a cultural phenomenon, and the lessons learned from entrepreneurship, including launching Papi's Waterhole and navigating the realities of business ownership in Trinidad & Tobago.

DJ Elon also shares behind-the-scenes stories about working with Voice, touring internationally, Carnival culture, Road March competition, South Carnival, and the moments that helped shape his career.

Topics include:

• Leaving radio for loyalty
• Building Club Papi
• Working with Voice
• Pandemic entrepreneurship
• Papi's Waterhole
• Carnival and Road March culture
• Family support and mentorship
• DJ life and international touring
• Business lessons and failure
• South Carnival and community

Subscribe for more conversations with Caribbean leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives, entertainers, and changemakers.

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Carnival Monday. We play Marshall Voice Lord. I've never went a day without being thankful for that. Having uh support from your parents, I think is one of my biggest drives. Don't do physical, don't do exam for the army, everything. No, I find them just talk to you kinda way. My father don't talk into me so much. Yes, who's you? What's my best friend? I said, yo. Happy the Piper. She what? I accustomed the gun city. You can meet Macy's footlock and all you everything after spell, yeah.

Corie 1:17

So Rice and Rose, when announcement make that thing, is you playing the I line.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

I line I know this one. Nothing happened in Panzer Vicky was ever was planned. Nothing. I was gonna call it. I was gonna call it. I'll tell you. I I will say it. I was gonna call it you know planned the curtain coin tupper calling, tap and calling, tap and calling, tap and potato.

Corie 1:46

Don't miss this one. Welcome to the Courage Tupper podcast. Welcome back to everybody who's been listening. This is take about two hours to introduce, I guess, right? David, so let me take two minutes and introduce a man you've been waiting to talk to for a long time.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

DJ Elon Papi Wapu. Everything good? Yeah, man. It's a pleasure, man.

Corie 2:07

Yeah, this is about when people used to say papy show it was a bad thing, you know. You change that thing.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

I change that.

Corie 2:13

Oh, we're going to nine six more here. Yes, I see fresh new walk and things. Yes, it's all to the old end with the new kind of no and something, you know.

Walking Away Without The Team

SPEAKER_01 2:21

I know, I know this will not happy. But um, it's it's good, but like if I wanna if I wanna speak about it, I I wasn't fired. No, I left. Oh, you left? I left. Seriously I left, I left. Okay, okay. I wasn't on work, yeah, and I left because I um I am big on team, you know what I mean?

Corie 2:41

So if I big up, I was just asking you how Ojo going and on me. So when when when that was it was at next 99.1 morning show, right? Let me start this. Yes, and I see reports, like I tell you, I'm struggling to keep up with news these days, but I see that one. I see like everybody going. And only had one of the more popular morning shows, right? Yes, yes, yes. So was it was your what's the backstory? Since we since we go in.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

No, I didn't really have any backstory to say, but um, I was non-work, as I said, so I I don't know the depth of it, but I think it there was a little differences in terms of the heads and and and some of my colleagues, and they were fired. And well, I I still had my job, and I tell them I until they sort out the sort outs, I ain't coming back.

Corie 3:25

I don't know if I had that in me, you know, bro. So when you find out everybody else fired, you like go.

SPEAKER_01 3:29

No, well, I didn't like go on time at all and work it out, you know what I mean? Because I I ain't coming to work without my team.

Corie 3:35

Serious, yeah, yeah, because you're standing on that, you know.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

No, stand on now, stand on that, stand on that, because well, I'm from South, so South people could kind of attest to being together now, you know, and then shouts to Richard Trumpet and Tim Tim and DJ Charlotte. But I um when they're saying I say I say no.

Corie 3:52

Seriously, who was the team at the time? It was you, Trumpet, Tim, Trumpet, Tim Tim, and uh Charlotte Charles on here.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Yeah, on it.

Corie 4:00

Yeah, that I would have told them sort it out too, right? But I might have tell them, give me a team, not the team. I would have just tell them and find other people.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

When you're working on radio, especially for like a uh uh a primetime drive, especially in the morning, you build that connection with your team. So it is very hard to start over there, it's very difficult, especially. And then working, it's not like it's an office work, it's different. If you're sharing a three-hour space with somebody, it's very important. And I'm big on energy. And then I was like, yo, wherever they do, I roll in. It was it was a big risk for me financially, also. But I I always say, Well, go to go have a look out.

Corie 4:38

So it's not really I always say you say it's big on energy, but you're big on family too. So it's double time. So you should just leave in your salary.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Well, I mean, everybody, everybody was kind of um nobody wasn't really agreeing to it to it. Family, and I was like, man, I don't think that's um, I stand my grounds, you know what I mean? So, because I know I know it's like I know for sure opportunity will come.

Corie 4:59

Okay, okay, okay. So, were you working in between years working on something?

SPEAKER_01 5:02

Um, to be honest with you. Not just no, it was it was it was in the primer carnival, right? And I was working, I was yeah, so yes, I saw you everywhere. It's another place I went to. So so the so the dust was dusting, right? So so it wasn't bothering me. It really wasn't bothering me at the time. And I say, boy, I played my belly, yeah. Right, yeah. And I say, you know what I mean? A lot of people wouldn't really take the chance, and I I took the I took the risk as always. I I am a risk sticker. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Corie 5:30

So there was no conversation before because see, like in the NBA and thing, they so both men bring together LeBron and Chris Paul and and and do it weighed.

SPEAKER_01 5:37

It wasn't like they tell you until some of my colleagues who was home, they started panicking. Yeah, if I'm being honest, they start to panic, and I was like, I roll in and just say the word. I got you. I was just worried. See, and then too you had to know how to better your players, too. You also know how to better your players. When you know the players, the game is a little easier to kind of look look at from a different perspective. And I was like, I know the, I know, I know, I know my team. Right. And they would they would have done the same for me. Because they were the people was asking, like, even my mom and they were asking, like, if if some of your colleagues was in this position, you think they would have made that same stance? And I was and I say, Yeah.

Corie 6:12

If it's gone.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

You know, I mean, I I take the risk. And everything worked out.

Corie 6:17

So it's like when you get a call. So at that point, I suppose you're the team going, so you're sure. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

Well, well, I I took a breakfast and I tell them I was like, and then like I'll like some some weeks after, or probably like a month, home being home. Um, but well, waking up in the morning to work out at six o'clock. Listen to me. First thing was I don't sleep.

SPEAKER_03 6:39

So I like I don't sleep.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

So I I was been running my body time, everything, and I don't sleep. So I sleep like two hours. Seriously. Yeah, I was make up my eight hours during the day.

Corie 6:50

Piece by piece, piece by piece.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

I take it piece by piece. So getting that rest, not having to wake up for six o'clock. Because if you have a six o'clock, if you had to wake up like 4:35 and then organise and reach the work on time. And that rest was like, yeah, boy, oh gosh, I can get back that on time. So I wasn't um,

The Call That Brought Them Back

SPEAKER_01 7:10

but then eventually everything when the call came, that that was it wasn't something I expected. I could tell you that. But I know something would have happened.

Corie 7:18

So he wasn't out applying looking for radio work until.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

I said to say, but if the Lord wants me home here, I go focus on something new coming. Gotcha. And then the call came and shouts uh shout some my new boss. Yeah. Chow, yeah, reach out, child reach out and say, Hey, you know, he just started one time, very confident. Fellow, I have plenty of respect for him as well. And he reached out and say, Hey, ready, you know. Right. I say, What do you mean, ready? He said, They call it because them boys didn't call it. I see. He said they call and he he wanted to be the one to do the intro. And um, he reached out and he said, Well, mind you me any year, remember? So we were getting to that. We didn't really, we used to, it was an mutual respect. Right. But no, we we wasn't really um we wasn't friends. No, we wasn't friends. No, I used to I used to DJ for I was so I mean when it's it's with it's musical, it's musical warfare. Yeah, when them in South and battling one another, you write it. I mean, but I'm like, do you know what going on at a young age? I say, Who is this? Yeah, by just rolling. Loyalty, yeah. You know what I mean? And um reason we we laugh it off and different things, and then we he say, Oh, you'll be part of the family, and I say, All right, let me make it happen. We record the logistics. Actually, it takes a little while to call him back. He comes back, he said, Yeah, nobody do have me. So, what going on? So, but I said no other thing, no other to speak to my family. I had again energy, uh, pray on it, and it's like, you know, differences again. Yeah, and I say, Yo, if go to align you, we need you. Gotcha, and then that was it. So makes sense, makes sense.

Corie 8:56

I suppose only discussed it as a team, too.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Yeah, we discussed it as a team after, and then we was like, Yo, there's the route we go in. We seen because I had because they were done fit. As I remember, they used to work there before. Oh, they did, yeah, yeah, yeah. So they just they go on back home. Oh, it's home, right? Yeah, so they before they went by, right? They were there. Of course, of course. So they were they kind of was familiarized with the whole system and the workers and all easier decisions for them. So it was easy, it was a go. Yeah, yeah. And I was like, all right, and there's like we seen, I was like, I'll roll in, but I don't make hasty decisions now. I with you. I wish you I mean, so yeah, you know, that was the

Fans, Backlash, And Owning The Noise

SPEAKER_01 9:34

vibe.

Corie 9:34

So going back to that, when you talk about morning radio, six o'clock, it's a difficult shift. I feel it's one of the most important shifts in radio. The first thing people hear on a morning.

SPEAKER_03 9:41

Oh, no morning.

Corie 9:42

Listeners get real attached to the morning show whole something. Like I know from my time, Dale and Tony. I vex when one of them in show up or JW and Blaze or them, them people in come. Yeah. What is it like for you with the fans transitioning? Because you are two transitions to deal with. People love y'all on the morning on 99.1. Right. Uh, where you feel like they just come out, they just switch over?

SPEAKER_01 10:01

Yes. Um, they because they remember, all right. So before I I don't really take, is that no iron team? My colleagues, they they have they have a following from ever since, wherever they go. So from different radio stations, they would have built that brand. I was, I came up on, I came up on late, but being a being a part of the team was like I gained our listenership. And radio, radio have a as call it a cult following. Yeah, yeah. People, people who's actually listening to radio still, some of them do even party, you know.

SPEAKER_03 10:31

There's this comment.

SPEAKER_01 10:33

Yeah, that's their party, that's their vibe. They would already be on social media that often as scrolling, scrolling, you know, they would because obviously you get into work. And to be honest with you, the listeners, they were they were very they they they they would happy when we was when we was home. And then when they heard the switch, they was like, I re roll in. So and then again, everybody had a favorite. So the the people from on that side, but we start to get some message too. But we start to get some blows. What do you mean? We start to get some blows. Well, could we? I I have a kind of we have I just ignore the noise. Right. After a while, the noises just come silent. Like, I mean, if if everybody likes you, something wrong, yeah. I just I don't think you're read. Somebody it there must have people that don't like what you do. Gotcha. Even if because people like to sell negative. So if positive sells more, there's a problem. No, it's a problem. So it's a problem. Any negative any negative, you know what I mean? So so when I started seeing, like, I just use that to that's encouraged me and has that's actually motivate me, and I was like, Yeah, I see it, and I and they want to ignore it and say, No, I want to read it. So I if you see me on air reading out the comments, yeah, we're going on with this team. I said, Well, they're not here, yeah. Oh, you're saying it. I said, Well then not yet in your mind, no, I say it. I'm not trying to, I'm not dissing anybody, but I reading all the messages, yeah.

Corie 11:52

Because for people who might know it, would it be Jaigo or Beo and then the morning show? And like this, you're following your people one morning, you get up and you announce when that new team there.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

So, but again, you know, there's always some conversations over your pay grade. That is not my concern. If this is what you're asking, you know who to send these messages to to find out what is going on. I can't answer you because I don't know what would no answer reading out the message that you're sending to the textboard. Oh, it's yeah, so it's like I'm not ignoring the negative comments what they're making, and oh, or they're talking too much, and yeah, so I just because I mean it's just part of it, is also part of just entertainment on your. I got you.

Corie 12:29

I got you. Yeah, I guess engagement is engagement. Engagement is engagement. Yeah, we should get people saying more negative things, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

That's guys when you know they're listening. So, how you know I talking too much? That means you've been here, you ain't leave.

Corie 12:39

I suppose, I suppose, I suppose. So I go in since you enjoying it or even.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Yeah, Ojo's, uh yeah, big up, big up 961. The family is very light again. When you work that shift, you really have much people to see anymore.

Corie 12:50

Alright, see men come out. No, like board.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

Yeah, when I go on the butt but overall, like it's been been open arms, welcome arms, real vibes, yeah. And then my colleagues also there, every me and everybody good. We work together, Tommy, me and everybody good, me and Charles, everybody. I know ding dong, we good, all of us naturally good now. Right. So it's just goofy everybody. So it's not no weird energy, you then looking to meet somebody, and nah, nah. So naturally, I mean, you know, but that's not good. That's good, yeah.

Corie 13:20

But I followed it. That's one of them social media people watching. I was looking to see what would have happened. Because we we lived through that many times where you see your favourite announcers and things, change, new radio station come, people going on them kind of thing. So I was waiting. I say, well, I know all your caliber, right? So I know they will hold it, but I wanted to see what the reaction was. And boy, it was it was a lot.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Yeah, it was a lot, it was a lot. It was it was a shock, also. People was like, nah, they didn't expect that one. And I think that was the that was the the the the great twist also because it's like you move from it was a big step.

Corie 13:50

Gotcha, gotcha. Yeah, well, congrats, congrats. The heading fast and number one short thing, all the fellas doing what you all usually do. Let's talk about that.

Carnival Workload And Road Momentum

Corie 14:00

It's another little small fat and rock back, big fat. So yeah, you're you're busy, but you're active. Yeah. What's your role in in your first? You're you're DJing now, you're playing for voice.

SPEAKER_01 14:10

Yes, I DJ for voice, and I DJ for myself, and I also mic for myself as well. So there would have been so when I'm not DJing for voice, I would DJ for myself. If I'm not DJing for myself, I mic for my. So I'm micing, so some promoters would hire me to MC. They will obviously have a DJ or probably tell me to bring a DJ. And that was yeah, so Carnival was busy. Carnival was, yeah, like this was one of the pisiest carnivores I've ever had in my entire life.

Corie 14:38

Serious?

SPEAKER_01 14:39

Yeah, yeah. Like there was it was, I think it was, I think we would have done over 60 shows.

Corie 14:43

I see.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Yeah, could have been more.

Corie 14:45

Waiting lead to that. Oh, come this way.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

Just two weeks. It's just yeah, yeah, it's woman and rum. That's the whole that is that's the culture. That's the culture, yes, I guess that was and the whole the whole move in terms of the whole road match back and all. So it just kind of created the front buzz, and then so Rice and Rose.

Corie 15:07

When announcement make that thing, is you playing the your union?

SPEAKER_01 15:10

I line, but David, yeah, tell me this one. I know I line I know this with awesome. I see no if we're being honest, none of us knew serious anything because that's I am telling you as a team, the artists David. Right on that for me to have points. I am telling you.

Corie 15:31

Listen, that's at the sweat and it's this only don't try to drink the deal, bring my in the morning.

SPEAKER_01 15:39

My work done. I know come here, stand to drink stars. The artists, the artist was he ate we are shocking in a zone. No, he was in his own. I doing my thing. Right. I follow any lead. If they say shoot, shoot, brother. We roll it, dive waiters, we move in. Uh and now he shocked me enough. No, no, I'm telling you, crowd response to it. No, well, drives and that was when the whole thing kind of went in a different direction. So no, you remember it the what make it so organic. The song was not a road match contestant. I don't want to get too much into it. Sure, sure. That is for the artists, and but it was it was never released for that purpose. Right. We see how it went, the direction it went. The people, the people call for it. Yeah, of course. The people started called fate when we perform, and people started to say, hey, they will manage it. I was like, right, if this wall is one, well, all right. If this this wall is calling fun, boom, I don't rise. I was I pull back. So if you watch Magic probably realize I know so many Papa, we'll call my draw, yeah, draw it. And I said, Well, if we didn't know time, yeah, it was go time, and people know the response was like, you see that opera, everybody was like, Well, so yeah, yeah.

Corie 17:00

Yeah, I watch it on your road, I watch it for Juvie. I watch it from the fets from Rice and Russ going forward. I started see. I don't know what it is, but you might know better than me as a DJ. Because once you make that road match announcement, was almost well, I guess for a song that could really contend. So salute to J Angel, once you make a road match announcement, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:18

I love the I love it. I love it in this direction.

Corie 17:21

But once it's a real contender that people like, the song is just take off because the argument could start.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

I think just before that'll start and it's get it's get wild.

Corie 17:30

Yeah, and people expect the horse. We like the competition.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

That is make the carnival more intense, and that is what we know it as. Like, come on, you must have competition. You have it in basketball, you have it in football, you must have that. And without that, it's like, what is we really doing? It's be still.

Corie 17:49

I like I like the way you describe it, it's be still.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

It's be still, is we everybody waiting on uh on something, like what happening? We back and uh we like that as as as a as a culture, that is what we we known for as the country, like we raising new back and uh people don't wanna like yo, like yeah, they're coming, but they want so it's like the whole the carnival started heavy, you know. It started heavy, like like we started off the year heavy. We don't know what we've been real, we've been real quick. The carnival itself was as a was a heavy place, and then what's so music does so music is lightened rooms, is is uh is is like an expressive feeling, you know. You express the music, and then it's a time where you could actually free yourself in the moment. So when you bring that carnival experience now, and then you do have something for somebody to really be free with, why a man celebrating? Yeah, suppose a man has no dust, yeah, yeah. I guess a man has no dust. So when a man do decide to drink now, he wants to talk, and there's he artists, and then he artists, and then my artist, and so so that banter does create a kind of buzz, and then somebody wants to picture themselves on the road with the friends doing this, doing that, and then everybody have their preference. I keep that wasn't every your cavex for that if your liking and my liking.

Corie 19:05

The DJ, I want to say it's DJ Blaze, or sister Martini from bad, just bad. Yeah, but you have a problem when you reach his stage now. I I don't know if it's a problem or it's just a technique always used. Because now we're playing all three songs trying to judge what it is and then cross the stage.

SPEAKER_01 19:17

No, it's it is being being a DJ on the stage itself. As play as beat humor, people was angry. People want people have their preference. So I don't know if it have a I don't know these there was never a proper system that you had to follow and show this. You can't do this, but you had to do this. It was never like that. So I mean, you know, the people started choose, and the people said they wanted this, and when they played some people, they're jumping still, you know. But you seen the that element cussing, the drop cussing, and then thing a man jumping. You can imagine a man jumping, cussing, and pointing at you like this, what really going on here? And you on top of the drop, like, bro, what? Yeah, I guess yeah. So it's be a it's be. I mean, I'm I know bias. And not bias. If I being real, I will say it right here. Yeah, I am not biased.

Corie 20:07

But in your first road matter, you would do this in judge before you do this. If I was you, I would just play who I walk in for. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

If I work in for Iowa, but all right, and I would say it yeah. Carnival Monday, we played Marshall first.

Corie 20:23

Yeah. Voice know this? Yes, he knows that.

SPEAKER_01 20:26

But it happened. People wanted that, oh, okay. And they wanted that, they wanted it, they wanted it too, actually. You know what I mean? So I biased it. I ain't gonna wow, Marshall, so I'm playing again and stop dance. No, isn't this thing is bigger than we? This is music. No, so I don't gain that, and it was never that, and we don't, we our team will never function like that. Because they can never say voice will never call me and say, will never never call my phone and say, eh, caby on that, you're doing this, and you have to nah.

Corie 20:56

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:57

Hey, what do you people want? Again, that was never the intention behind the song to begin with. So if if that wasn't your intention and you just playing out good music and this worth it, it catching it going in a direction. Well, all right, we go with it, we go with the wave.

Corie 21:10

Yeah, if it's not the intention, it's a real good marketing plan. Because from Rise and Rooster, not that the song wasn't big. I remember going in the barber shop a day, and some men playing it, they say, hey, here, voice new pan tune. I say, Well, what is that? And they say, I say, but voice always have something in the pan and them kind of things. But the the the tune skyrocket. Go on, skyrocket, skyrocket. As a DJ on your road and them kind of things, the the the talk is always that you have a choice to make over who's your road match, who's it in, what play on your road, and them things. And the song, the road match, stage type song match. I'll say when you talk about it in terms of the construction of the song versus the road songs, right? You're the first DJ I have since carnival, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:48

Yeah, no, no, no, no, it's fine, that's fine.

DJ Ethics On The Road

Corie 21:50

I find like when I play Mass, it has some songs. I play with humor every year for a while. And it has some songs that play on the road more than every other single song. This year it meant to be crystal. Right. I wonder if there's space for different I don't know if it's competition or what it is. So that the stage could just be the stage on masqueraders could enjoy.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

Um it's be a mix, a mixed mood because you would play songs for people to enjoy any road. And then somebody has on a costume and they want to jump. So it's be like it's be a little so sometimes be kinda hard to know, like to please everybody. So it's be there are songs that could actually create a space not on the stage or on the road. Because, for example, they say Kimmy. Darling, you're too sweet. That song pick up on the road, it's just going in a different because that is what that's what music does do.

Corie 22:44

So you're talking about a song you ain't seen doesn't fit to get no big response than on the road.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

No, it's just like I just think I always say, like, I think Carnival have a bug. A carnival bug. I can't even try to dress her. She's every year she's come different. Let her design herself. Like, let she want to come this year. She wanna come, she takes off her hair. This year she wanna put she was long every year. She decides to dress different, she decides to come different. So, because it's a it's like it's a spiritual connection. So it's very difficult for you to try to control Carnival, because Carnival was born out of that, trying to hold and lock down that rebellious kind of energy behind it. So it's like for you to try to put this in a kind of energy. Yeah, if you hold it down, you get more by Yeah, get bigger, you create a piece. So that is why for us I always say like let the music, let the music decide.

SPEAKER_03 23:38

Right.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

You know what I mean? And when the music decides, the people will decide. Because there's always say all kinds of things about lockdown with this, and here playing these songs, but a good song is a good song. Because there every carnival, after carnival, there's always at least five songs that is gonna go in a different direction after carnival. Yeah, yeah. Outside of so as well, Chris Bronx songs, residuals was he he sang that years before it actually got big last year. So it's like not all the time here, is that's what music does, and I think that is the challenge with some artists. I mean, it goes, it will be emotional for some artists to go and put in work, money, all these different things. But I think that space kind of small now. It's slimmer now because good music is good music. You have your own platform to create your own fan base. Yeah, long time it was harder. So now it's like you could invest more into yourself in terms of your mind. You could create something like this for yourself and make everybody feel like it's yeah, it's so much people listening, and you and you talking to nobody. I can tell you. You understand me? I know about that. I also know about being in pandemic and and in a room, in my room, yeah, doing a live for myself, talking to myself to a wall, and creating a and in my mind a party.

Corie 24:59

I don't ask about that because there's had to be a big difference in a fet and a party on the road where now you're seeing men vex people cussing on things. You start off in the pandemic doing something or to know to be icon. That will be talked about for years. That's the first time I know. I was like, wait, no, this is DJ Elon. It's like I don't understand that that time I know Elon from Papi and all them different things. What makes you come up start doing it in the first place?

Building Club SIL During Lockdown

SPEAKER_01 25:20

Um, I don't like to stay still. No, I don't like to stay still at all. My mother will hear this part and she will laugh because I this call me slippery. I said, Yeah, I should tell me to go inside, I slip through the back and I gone. No, I don't, no, I don't like to stay still. So I always be hard on myself and us, and then pandemic, you're home, you're not playing no way. So I sit down and I say, What going on here, boy? Nothing. I said, Well, mama now, yeah. The next thing, when we hit pandemic, we now come out of a bad carnival season. Rocking with I was still stage going bad. I said, Right. When the dates are to come you know, I said, toss, toss the dust and then what dust in your face, David? What I see, man, gone. I said, right. My money. So cool. Lockdown. I mean, two weeks. Two weeks?

SPEAKER_03 26:16

Really?

SPEAKER_01 26:16

When the place started locked down, so he went. And I started just, and it was a random day, boy, a random Sunday. I go on, I just home because because my dad and I'm into music a long time as well. So so I have I have the equipment home. And I just playing music home. Pop the evening. I said, right, I can go, I can, I can play some music, I can go live. So I put up on my WhatsApp, I go in live on Instagram at nine o'clock. Because you had about 12 people.

Corie 26:49

Yeah, on the Instagram live.

SPEAKER_01 26:51

Never forget that. First night, 12 people, 12 persons, family and friends. Fool's family and friends. So that's what we support you in the beginning. If I reached 26, a bad. So single one that just was in the living room. And everything started just that's how it gets created random. So then in the week, some they started record. Cause I started playing all the different genres, the RB, the soccer, and just making people feel because they're locked down now, but they're coming out just now. Oh, right. Of course. And then the whole thing, they started create, they create a time money live. It was like a club. So people come in any club. That's what they're going to born in. They come in any club. Hey, Papi playing any club. We're going in the club, Papi playing from nine o'clock in the club. You just come. And then the whole that whole South is love thing and the side of thing. South is plenty of love. And you know that whole gotcha. Everywhere.

Corie 27:40

So and then South is love as you originally.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And um, everything that's hard to go from there. And then Saturday, the next Saturday, my phone ringing all any week. Because them days I sell and pie too, eh?

SPEAKER_03 27:54

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:57

It's my phone ringing. You going live tomorrow? I said, so everybody like I said, nah, I make a flyer. I say, right, make a flyer, club SIL, I'm going live, nine o'clock Sunday. Boom, gone live, 140 something. Start to go from there, I move, I moved the I moved my station to my bedroom now. Right. Because my neighbor them starts to say I'm making too much noise now. Mind you, you hear me balling, hello! Half past 11, 12 o'clock. I go in. Now my mother and father ain't jumping in because they're home, but they're accustomed to noise. If you if you live in my mechanic, right, I guess, yeah. You must be accustomed to that knock noise if you fixing car. So I seen it. My neighbor them living next to our DJ, all the way accustomed to this noise. We home. And the different so I have a kind of old soul energy. I ain't looking to play them rag and music for them casting for so it'll be like inappropriate morning. Is is old soul music, yeah. R and B and all them different. I I that's my feel. I grew up on that. So I go in down that lane. I that kind of remember when kind of energy going in my room now, boy. Going in my room now, well, I raise the volume. Boy, my neighbor, my neighbor, my neighbor tell my father, hey she, what time you just finish? No, yeah, so yeah, my father, I'll tell you, he can go a little longer. Well, now once you tell my dad, well, boy, I go on my way now. I beating that punch, you know? I beating that gazu. And I just go. Your home, your home, you have no way to go the next day, you have no work, you have nothing. And it's just how to create a buzz, a buzz, a buzz, and that was just right.

Corie 29:45

So the man's in the beginning, 12 to 26 people. You to you've done on with i where you've known and thing already. When you see that the first time, what makes you say you're going back a second time? Most people, when they see them small numbers, they're done.

SPEAKER_01 29:55

I wasn't doing it for people. Again, I was just doing it for myself because I love music and I love DJ. Yeah, I just assisted. And so I still do more love. And then now my um my sister know when I was home, everybody was locked down, so they started kind of get entertained by it. Now, my mother and father dancing in the living room. So that was kind of more intimate for me. But when I saw the numbers at that, that I was I was okay with it because my followers wasn't that big, anyways. Like I had like two something. Okay. So if I get uh, I was I was cool, cause again, people talking to the you're in our life, so you're talking to yourself. So everybody in the comments, and so it was like a vibe now. And that was that was it for me. I was I was contented. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was I was super contented with with just being able to do something.

Corie 30:42

Gotcha, gotcha. You mentioned old soul, that's a mad axe about because uh you do something on your road that year with humor. I want to say it's you, Akeem, Penny, and somebody else in Akira.

SPEAKER_01 30:52

Akim wasn't Ake wasn't doing anything. Um human, that was Carrie. Oh, I see, probably. But yeah, it had to be Akim is with who? No, Akim is with tribe. Yeah, no, no, no, no. So it's Chuck Seven is myself, Penny, Carrie, overdose, um, can't remember, but so there's a fixture every year.

Corie 31:14

You can't.

SPEAKER_01 31:14

Yeah, well, no, well, that that well, yeah, majority, like you for sure you'll get a quest as well. For sure you'll get at least five of us on that truck.

Corie 31:20

Understood, understood. So at my age, playing mass now, right? Just ritual in the morning, like it's not walking. Right. So I reach in the before the trucks on them starts. And I used to walk around my old DJs and look for a DJ my age. I say, I stay in here. Like, I can't I can't stage going back for too long. My heart go give out. I used to go easy in a groove. Yeah, and somewhere young on the avenue, I end up by all the truck. Right. I said, Jesus Christ. He's a young boy. I remember that. And the music falls in a groove there. We are walking off to leave. I want to go back and find my truck. And only started playing a groove there. I said, No boy, they me here. And I trying to figure out how these youth men of them know this kind of music. You know what songs stood out that all they play? I don't song like Baron. I don't think in all my years, I would never think that there's a song for the road. Or anybody would play.

SPEAKER_01 32:07

I had a moment, yeah. We had a yeah, we was we was coming onto the avenue when we were going. Yeah, I remember it. I remember we had a little stall. We had a we had a little stall because we were stalling for a little while with the truck. Right. And then it had a sing out moment with her. So we was kind of, yeah, I remember that.

Corie 32:22

That was yeah, that's still how you know them kind of music, you young.

SPEAKER_01 32:27

Again, I grew up on I grew I grew up on that. So so I love old soul music. I love songs with meanings, you know what I mean? And just being able to express the feeling, because it's have a moment, you're not gonna listen that all the time. You can't listen to the same thing all the time. Like you must have a break. There's so much hours on the road. That is why some people just kind of get vexed with the DJ of playing the same thing over and you start to get angry with yourself and all the sun done hot. It can send you mad, you know, it can send you mad now. That little silent noise, it's no joke gets in your mad. There's a chance. And then people having fun. I think, and a lot of people do know that a lot of people grow up. If you are so lover, you're gonna love calypso music as well. You're some point you must hear it to love it ever, even if you it pass down to you. Even if you have an uncle, your mother, your father love soccer music and calypso music, you will hear it. So even if you don't like it and you see, it's like it's like a it's like an energy, you know. So it's like a vibe. If if you see 10 persons singing this song that you don't know, but you've seen them having fun with this, yeah, you wanna you wanna be part. Even if you went on the song that you were and everybody, so but I am like anybody who knows Elon, not Papi, Elon, they would know I am a big fan of soccer music in general. I have as co calypsofies and these kind of things. I I I I love that. I love because for me, I think it's the balance of being able to grow up within my family. We grew up with that love and you just learn so much from older people. It it's so, and they just teach you. So it's so much you can learn, also. So when you be in our wrong, they always you always have your father telling you, Come and meet this one. Yeah, no, him from a place you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:24

But how big you get?

SPEAKER_01 34:26

Yeah, I mean, yeah. I don't know you. Are you all your baby? I can't remember. Like, but so when you go into that, and then they're telling you, your father is thing, and your mother is this, and then it's like, come take we say it's no, you can drink, take a drink, and then it's like, so I think that in itself is what I grew up doing for so long, as like it become part of me that I love it. Like I would sit on, I could have a conversation with somebody older, and it could feel it, it could feel off of me because as as as real listen, yeah, coming up, and this also stems from being around to George, pick up Iowa. He's if if every anybody who knows Iowa, Iowa is going to hold in a conversation. He's a teacher. George, he's a teacher. If George don't want to talk to you, if George is not talking to you and schooling, yeah, he he he vibes and take care of something. But George is uh, and he starts to talk his hands, I start to pick up on it, and he starts to tell it listen, yeah. And pay attention. So I always growing up DJ and I hearing that as like I hear it, don't make that move. And so so a lot of my schooling in the industry, out of the industry with life, I learn, I adapt that we know.

Corie 35:35

Yeah, it shows that something you could fake, because you know, I see that I surprised you remember that. But when I see it create a together in the band, the people start to tell one another, no, no, we can't have David Roder come in and say, We know about them song, and it makes the band because you're right. I didn't even remember we were stuck for a while.

SPEAKER_01 35:51

Yeah, tell him we're stuck for a while. So, and then so so that moment, so and that's what music this does, and that is what soaker and calypso music this dude in particular. So, again, as always, hubs and reggae just go hand in hand because you see with alcohol, so and so called so this is all so like you need to learn that, and when you learn that, then you would have a different perspective on judging why somebody take and are clean and not saying there's a time for it, and that was a risk because there would have been some persons by that truck saying all us old music so far, yeah, but again, it worked for the time and it wasn't full that length of time, anyways. We went back to it, yeah. Of course, of course, but it's but it's at a moment.

Corie 36:34

But it's a nice little reset. A nice little reset.

SPEAKER_01 36:36

I mean, is the problem is we had too much opinions now way.

Corie 36:39

Well, the problem is, I mean, maybe we had plenty of opinions, but now people are too much platform to voice. Yeah, but then mama the buying mic to work. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_01 36:48

Yeah, they're so they're buying the thing and they're buying the nice camera, and then want to everybody was everybody thinking about self.

Corie 36:53

Of course, of course, of course, of course. And so in the pandemic, it's all about mics. It had a point in time where week after week after week, you were going viral for things you say, not so much the songs that you play. Where does it come up with it coming up with shit to talk in between all them different things? At one point, you're gonna like George is at a school, we two about different things.

SPEAKER_01 37:11

No, I start agreeing, I start agreeing, and is to be real honest, boy. I don't act it happening, it it happened any moment where I've been real and never rehearsed. Again, the vibes, the alcohol, satisfy, the uh some things I know, I know shocked to say, you know, because I split with this, I split with the word in our songs, right? And you're not expecting what I go and say to what I go and play. Yeah, once you lean up, so yeah, once I lean up, story time, story time, low, login, story time, and the next thing is what what what made it more creative? I nobody to tell me, oh God, oh god, I nobody to stop. All right, of course you can. Nobody stopping me. Nobody telling me pull back, yeah. No police to tell me don't say this. Of course. But I going in, my mother knows how to say at that point in time. My parents had it. I think my mother in particular, she started the judgment a little bit. She's you can see it on the face, yeah. She said that herself, where I went from. When she started here, some of them think I go in off it and all that, yeah. I go on, I go on. So to be honest with you, I in the moment. If I tell you how it came about, I will be lying.

Corie 38:24

Yeah, just for the flow.

SPEAKER_01 38:26

It's happened to me still. Up to DJing, I could be doing a boat, I could be, and I think that's I didn't know the people loved it so much.

Corie 38:35

It feels like somebody who played for parents. Yeah. For me to listen to that, it had plenty of life going on in the pandemic, right? At home and abroad. Yours is when I didn't miss it, and swarms, and the swarms ring birds. I mean, I can't miss that to me. You know, we don't want to miss that. But it ended up being like a fixture, like a whole club set.

SPEAKER_01 38:51

I really didn't know so many people's lives were being impacted by my life. I've been real honest. Until we start going, like I just like sometimes, you know, when it's it started to open up a little bit. And then obviously, you know, we had a point we master go here, we're going to need grocery. And that's that was the island. The first time when we went after my mother and I went to need grocery. And then there was opening a little percentage and whatever. Right, right. Corey is line. Somebody asked me for a pit, yeah. But I I asked, I second yes, myself. I said, Nah, this me? Sure. I have my massive. I said, Yes, yes, thank. Mommy, look at my mother. What could you honey everybody? So and Dyson has started it started.

Corie 39:38

It could get real. It started

Parents, Roots, And Quitting The Army

Corie 39:40

get real, way. Oh, wait, yeah. Mommy and them growing up to South. Where did South are you from?

SPEAKER_01 39:45

Pleasantville to be exact. I um I grew up on the coffee, San Fernando. I grew up St. Madeleine, Pleasantville. Growing up was I used to always feel my parents was rich. But um I never used to get, I used to we used to always make whatever we have to. So I I used to watch my dad as the superman. Because I've never, I've never gone and got for that. I've never been in a situation where we never had food on our basket. And that for me was a big thing. Like, you know, I asked daddy, I want to get this, and I would have got. And he used to just make deals with me. I do good and do good in the exam, you do this. Until I started to get older and I realized I didn't really like school. So I started to tell him, what I go and get before I get. Because I know how I gonna I know the work I'm gonna apply. And then, but but but we were always taught to be humble and loving. Like we're big, family-oriented a lot. Like big, like our home was was the hub for all the family events again. As I said, I grew up in music, so it was always line.

Corie 40:55

So that didn't DJ and something we just love music and playing.

SPEAKER_01 40:57

No, DJ and music is a big song system, black hold song song system. Yeah, if every like you would have he grew up doing this like the same, like we have 44 trailers and all that kind of thing. So they used to do events as well, so I I grew up learning that, loving that. I I played on record and things. So yeah, yeah, so yeah, so I uh I kind of breed out of that, and then but my parents is something I've I've never went a day without being thankful for them. Because a lot of people don't understand the the meaning of support. Having uh support from your parents, being here, I think is one of my biggest drives. I can't do without them based on where I'm at in my life now. My parents, like full on, they always they wanted something for me before. And I always wanted something something else for myself. Got true. But you know, sometimes when well I get licks, so I get some licks in my life. They realize I'm working. Like working, they try all kind of things, and I'm gonna end up doing what I wanna do. And I think it's very hard being a guild now, so I could kind of relate. But being, yes, it's one something for your for your child, or for your children, for your kids. And then you have this thing set out. My dad was in the military, he was in the army, and I wanted uh, I idolized him, so I wanted to be that as well. But then midway I just stopped.

Corie 42:31

So they wanted that for you too, they wanted to say that.

SPEAKER_01 42:33

Yeah, but he did he allowed me to to be myself, but I I was pushing for that. Right. And I just stopped. Midway, you know it's for your son to just stop midway. Everybody trying to get in. I stop. He said, What do you mean? I talk about don't don't do physical, don't do exam for the army, everything. No, I find them just talk to that kind of way. My father done talking to me, so so much. Yes, who's you to come to talk to me in this manner? And me really do nothing. Nah, no, I damage bad enough. I damage bad. I damage bad. You have to watch your tone talking to me. Not because you above me, you and me and you same it, but you above me. When I realize it's not for me, what I go in there for, leave that alone. But uh, and I it wasn't easy though. Uh my father wasn't fake. I could imagine my joke. I have to tell you a quick, quick story on it when they call to tell you whether you know you had to come in and do your medical. I play my brother on the phone. Well, they're looking for Elon. No, he's not here right now, he's in tobacco. Corey, I pluck out the house phone them days. We have a house line, I plug out the line. Well, they call my father's cell phone, yes? Yeah, must, they must. He comes out in front. Yeah, I'm gonna talk to you a minute. You tobacco? I pluck back in the pluck back in the phone, then somebody knows call this line, yeah? It's me, no? Well, long story short, I done make up a mind and not go in. But it was hard because remember now. It's like yo, this is something stable. Security, yeah, security. But then I say that is not the only thing secure in his life. If you know that is a career. I was done going into my career as a DJ. How am I balancing that? And another cousin used to mic for my he's in the regiment currently still. And it was difficult for him to work radio because we used to work by um I by Iowa. It was difficult for him to come to work. When he showed the work he telling me he might get locked up. I said, What do you mean lock up? I don't weigh what already. You don't all tell me you come to come 9 40. What's the time I reached? Oh, you want me? Like, nah, that days I them days I go in. I get a cast is still like, but we ought to put me in the army. Now when I started get all and I started to realize I started forward, the money started coming after I gave. You see when there's daddy problem. You see, when you started paying me right as as a youth man, you started paying me one time. It's good. No, I started. I was working at the time when I know Saturday, and I remember my do a boat ride and treasure queen. Right, sorry. Okay, 300 a bad. Already had a wait for me. Yeah, man. So I started doing maths now. If I do two six, I think I forget every weekend by four by thing, four by three. I started do maths. But boy, the thing they started. But boy, you have going on is down the road. So my parents was always supportive of anything. That's good.

Corie 45:41

That's good. That's a blessing. That's a blessing. We as parents must remember that too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Many times we come here and we talk about um Trinidad being doctor, lawyer, engineer. You know, if you can be doctor, lawyer, engineer. But they must they must add to that the public sector. And a grandmother was a matron in the prisons. And boy, she is well, she beat me out of prison. Them days back in the day. Same licks. I don't remember. She's the type of father all the time. She said, Rudy, you wouldn't get work, you need a pension, you know, them kind of thing. So there's this sometimes box win, and it's not a love, huh? They're trying their best thing.

SPEAKER_01 46:12

Safe, safe route.

Corie 46:13

Yeah, if it's safer.

SPEAKER_01 46:14

If it's safer, then too that there's also city ones who could go left where that's true. I was always that one that's sure about me. No, they're sure.

Corie 46:22

My brother's not there, I have one brother, one sister. So that must go. It was you they're frightened.

SPEAKER_01 46:26

Yeah, there was no the real fighting for me. No, no, no, just fighting.

Corie 46:30

So you're doing good in school and thing, or you're yeah, doing my playing football too.

SPEAKER_01 46:33

So at the the work boy, I say, gosh, what do you have to do school work for? And then I realized the coach and the teacher that we started get past the problem. They started giving me little leeway. Yeah. Coming into call coming up on the 16th thing. I went to I went to St. Mennonics College. Okay, better things. So I was, I was just I was involved in football heavy. And I mean, and until my mother said you had to choose between football and DJ. And guy when I like with the football.

Corie 46:59

Serious? Yeah, we at that point in time your DJ was school dance, your outside.

SPEAKER_01 47:02

Yeah, we mean all them bars and outside. We mean yeah, garden party idea. I played in them disco. Daddy them doing a little setup for me. I I we mean that as that was so you see, the boy used to come at it. I think that was the hype now. Like, like being that cool kid. I was always the I was always the cool, the cool cool kid in school. Gotcha, gotcha. Before anything. So so and then I used to I used to rally more troops. Yeah. So so that was just, yeah, so that was it. And you're gone. No, gone, you can't, you can't say. So I know they were frightened, but looking at men all day, they could be bro, they could be happy, they could be happy, they could be happy, all the way pro we always have them crossroads, yeah.

Corie 47:46

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:47

Yes, I was just I was playing left back and I was playing left wing and I left footer. The more we can ask about my man, the people would when they posted, you would see that.

Corie 47:54

But when we do research football and come up to the city, no no.

SPEAKER_01 47:57

No, I mean when the transition happened the football, it never really had all that social media them time. So you really see that I don't try to think if the market send it to call, you can get some little thing here when he went deep now. You come sound but you really

Side Hustles And The Business Mind

SPEAKER_01 48:10

come.

Corie 48:10

I'm gonna deep in the central the business side now, yeah. It's about a business side to you. The more you look up is the more thing I see you in business. I see a pie hotline.

SPEAKER_03 48:21

Yeah.

Corie 48:23

In your early years, going into DJ and thinking, you have that business mindset already.

SPEAKER_01 48:30

Make and sell, yeah. No, somebody making that for me. I want to you. Everybody can get in. I sell in soccer bag, and then I realized. So it's a business business. Yeah. I so the the the the pie the pie came about as a joke. Yeah. Because there's a my cousin used to sell pies when he was like you, you know, sometimes, you know, based on financials, kind of if it fall back, he'll kind of be innovative. And he he went back out to work. But his pies was good. He used to sell some fried pies and things. But again, our husband in the hub, he used to get plenty of seeds by us because all my friends there. And pandemic again, since he came without pies at night. That's a weird piece. I watch my friends, so I watch my best friend. I say, girls, papy pie, man. And she what? Go inside. Come on, the pool. Say, Daddy, mommy, papypa man. Yeah, daddy, yeah, go, go, go, go, next thing you're cool in that thing. I just go in. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go on now, message my cousin and say, hey, make a logo for now. Call my aunt. Call my aunt at the man, call my mother, and get get him involved in this thing, you know. Say, Papa, the first the first batch of pie make. Don't leave the pie out too long. Pie getting hard. Don't leave the pie out too long. When I get this pie, eat it one time. Don't leave this pie. No, no, no, serious. Brother, the first batch of pie, trial, error. Yeah, my right. I bet you now you can. My aunt makes it. And my mother got involved in it. And I assisting. I was one of them kind of I I I could do it. I learned to do it because I say once I'm once I know it, even if the anything has happened, the sales have to continue. What my boy called man tell me, hey, he said, we're doing having a done seller. He said, We're going to grocery. Sweet time. He gave me the recipe to what to add, and we get it correct. Right, right.

Corie 50:45

And eventually again, again. So you can eat your pile. So now you can. Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 50:50

But though not in the list, but as a reach on the corner, they boy. I want to make it something too bad, but yeah, they eat on his spot. You know, them kind of men they go for doubles and yeah, double business not okay. Don't go home with this here. Don't try to know. Don't I go tell you too? I said to tell them where you're going, how far are you going? Nah, nah, you just know, you just know it still is better hot. That was it to them, yeah. But and that was just because it there was nothing happening, there was no income coming in. Right. And again, I was I was uh no DJing, no money coming from. Yeah, say no. Yeah, I say no, I say no, and then I was like, it's because uh and then I started to make a little income. You know what I mean? And I went to the Papa channels and I read it, uh, went on again. Yeah, no, I went and I see about it, and then everything everything's I think I went in tongue, I'm gonna point, I peed them, I'm gonna pariah, I just set in our boots catching it. No, because I mean, as I never see uh uh um a shameful dollar yet. If the day I see a shameful dollar, I would judge it. But a dollar is a dollar, you know what I mean? And and there's every somebody have to do it.

Corie 51:58

Of course.

SPEAKER_01 51:58

You know what I mean? So I and it also taught me to really show a little more respect and and a little more praises to the ones who just pick up and get it, right? Because owning your own business, brother. That one is not for the weekly.

Corie 52:16

Say that again.

SPEAKER_01 52:17

No, I sure, I sure sure, especially you being the face of your business. That one is because there were there were some days I really I really wasn't feeling to do anything. Yeah, and then when you look left, you look right, you look up, you look down, there's nobody going to save you or pull you out at this thing here but yourself.

Corie 52:38

It's an important message, especially today with youth, right? And uh maybe I see it on LinkedIn more than anywhere else, but Instagram have it too, where people is talk this entrepreneurial life thing, right? Now, me and my father have a uh a job agency too, right? Right. So it'd be funny to me when I see people online talking about entrepreneurship, and then I see the resume looking for work in the same agency. Because I why one of the things I understand is uh people who have that in them, like my father is an example of that. They would they're not gonna work for nobody like that, you know. You can't do it because they have uh all them dark nights and things you're talking about, and them tales and things, everybody been through that. That is just the reality of the thing. You can't escape it, and most people, when they see that first dark night, or they see them same 12 people on your Instagram live, or the pie get hard, most people is stop. Yeah, they stop, they don't try nothing else, they don't try to adjust, you know.

SPEAKER_01 53:28

I I don't I am big on getting it right, and I don't think I think you just learned from your mistakes. So very, very slim, very rare you would get somebody who gets it right one day. There are people, there are stories that so but I look at these stories, and there's a lot of these people who come in on podcasts and talking about success, and nobody's speaking about the failures. So I saying it are no time, you and no money. How when when no with this with this book, what book are they reading? I started reading book, uh I buy power, I buy rich dad, poor dad. I read it as yeah, because I began reading too. I say but with it did my hair used to stand out for me after all them videos they're telling you follow me for more thing and sign up here. That's the money, that's the money, and dies when I understand. And being in it, exactly is a clickbait. But being in it was was was that transition for me to understand. All right, boy, business, this way you want to know. You remember your father, no skin, I'll see throughout. They were you want, yeah. So yeah.

Corie 54:38

You say you say it too.

SPEAKER_01 54:39

You say, Yeah, you you you have to bag when you don't know. It's you turn to big one overnight.

Corie 54:45

Unplug your own.

SPEAKER_01 54:45

Unplug your own, yes, and you know. So it was again a big on challenges and a big on. I I don't like to hear nobody. You see, when you tell me no, I can't do it, I love that. Because who are you to tell me now? Just it's not design so life is not designed either. And when you understand God in the middle of everything you're doing, the more uh you do have to you don't have to go to church every Sunday or every Wednesday to learn this. Divine intervention is a serious thing, and having him in the center of everything you're doing, he's sure you know, so it's like you get that level of confidence to understand that there's gonna be you have to have his only learn, especially from your mistakes.

Corie 55:29

Yeah, I saw Jay-Z say something similar in an interview where he was talking about people telling him no, like you can't do something. And you say, Boy, that your feels you're projecting on me. Nobody don't know what tomorrow will bring. So them early days you're selling soccer bag, you're coming out of school, you're DJing, you're billing your name and stuff. Uh, you have the business side of it in mind since then for DJing, like in the music?

SPEAKER_01 55:48

Yeah, because I again what started happening for me now is that I you I started to get a little more popular. So I started to do booking for the song system at the time. So I started to learn about the whole invoices.

Corie 56:04

So you take over for the case. So I take over full full. Gotcha. Full. No, like full.

SPEAKER_01 56:07

You know what I mean? So that whole business mindset came about from that, and so it just started happening, and then you learn as you go along, and then you because obviously it's rentals you're doing, so people call in to inquire, you do this, and then you see where you need to put in place, where you need to pay in sure, these kinds of different things. And eventually you start realizing what makes sense. Right, right. So, so the the business side of it started

Learning The Industry Through Sound System Work

SPEAKER_01 56:30

to evolve from there.

Corie 56:31

And you started doing parties as early as then, too your own shots?

SPEAKER_01 56:34

I yeah, we did, yeah, short stuff. Um, there was a um my company at the time was animex promotions. Ambition never ends, making impossible, come to success. Right. And it was a group of us, young guys, yeah. My best friends. Still good today, after 15 years. And I remember we did we used to do house parties. We did a house party. I thief some sand from my mom, my neighbor. Because we had no, we had no, we didn't have a cast yet. Yeah. And we had an area where we had, yeah. I I think I was they used to send me to ask for the yard. I've got mama and yeah, and uh that era where we used to do parties, so just cast out a portion for the party. Yeah, just for the just for the party. And then she ended up calling my mother and say, somebody go with the gravel. My mother said, No, I'm going with the gravel. She go back and bring back all the gravel. I say, Yeah, I'll do it Monday. When I get paid. I pie back my neighbor gravel. What do you mean? Yeah, pie back gravel. No, I that not taken no, because we are not taking no. So so so we're doing events long time. So then as we get older, we did we did events and we started doing more, and then for some reason, I don't know why everybody always used to tell you, do a barbecue. Uh I know where the barbecue. My next time you see me. That barbecue is there's hunt, by the way. Uh, when they're done pedicate, uh you have about 300. Everybody done eating.

Corie 58:12

That used to be the thing long time. Everybody used to do it.

SPEAKER_01 58:15

And remote makeup. Well, no, and now they're doing sweet box and they even get you know, sweet box. No, but so I it's plenty of them things as well. You know, but sure, as you come to me with an idea for a barbecue or sweet box, but you better go ahead. No, I can't do it. I can't do it, I can't do it. No, no, no, no, no.

Corie 58:38

But you're willing to take the chance, you're trying in several different businesses.

SPEAKER_01 58:40

Yeah, I took, I took the risk. I took the chance and I and trial and error again.

Corie 58:43

Yeah, yeah. So going out on your road there, you're doing your parties and thinking you're building your name at this point in time. The the papy name is from home or or from from DJing and them kind of thing.

SPEAKER_01 58:53

Papy show came about. We had some little issues with the the whole SIL thing. Well, internal stuff. Right. And um, I was talking to Dev. Big up Dev. Right for South. I said, Dev, like the man trying to Papy Show me, by Dev watch my so that your name. And that was how the papy show formed. And then I came the next Sunday with that name as my live. Uh-huh. And it formed from then when there.

Corie 59:22

Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. So them early days it was just DJ Elon. That's what you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 59:26

Them days was Club SIL.

Corie 59:28

Or even so when he was playing his play as well.

SPEAKER_01 59:30

Oh, I mean, like as my DJ name? Yeah. Yeah, it's DJ Elon. But and then um it's funny enough, like his voice had to call me Papi, you know. As my bedroom, you know, right. Yeah, they still call my papi, and then the it was on Uber. And then this time as the old solo, and then she's like, RL Papi. Yeah, and then that name just stick and go on, and yeah, and it's just every US was a short of that. So, and then so it's just add on. So I didn't take out DJ Elon. I find uh taking out your name, they'll kind of confuse the whole thing with it. No, not Elon Papi. So if the two days can be the same person, I see plenty of people change the name. I say, I add in this name. I mean I'm gonna say more to add again. No, no, no. If I add there again, you'll come and watch your know.

Corie 1:00:15

Yeah, careful. Don't get David triggered, you know. Don't let David get started here. How the connection that I want to come about with that. That was the first DJ uh entertainers that run it.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:27

Yes. Um, I was my godfather. So he and my dad is best friends. So I I always like they're just waking up seeing.

Corie 1:00:36

So you getting that teaching on stories a lot.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:38

Yeah, long time, long time until they run and man when they realize it gets because I sneaky to know. I ride here, I hear in some stories there. I want to know. I want to hear this little story. I hear in it when you look and you realize now I see them right here, and I just take in these all them stories, them because I always like lime with older people as actually. Yeah, the old sultan controls. Then forget them run me. I mean going on. I go and ride this on in that kind of corner, you know, taking in some stories.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:08

Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:09

So, and then um I remember I asked the play for him, and he said, You ready yet? So I go now and you're ready. And um he told me to get ready to go and I play for a children show in point for ten, sixteen, sixteen, fifteen years. Oh well, you know. And uh mistake again, I maybe do some kind of mathing. Me, you know, if I I ain't trying to sound no fancy on the podcast. I think I do my thing. I think I do some craziness. And I guess some I guess some blows. Current man. I tell you, you need to come, and you don't understand this thing, and you think, pay attention, and I think eventually I learned and then our first show outside was in in DC, and everything started move, started to flow from there. So, and George, I was I never had that identity, you know. When I they always knew me as George DJ, that was my I never had no name when I get introduced to all the artists, but George George have a way about him. He would introduce her to everybody. Meet, yeah, they're my DJ, yeah. Meet this one, yeah. I meet any promo. I know who I meet him, I just meet him. And as after that was I was George DJ. Right. If you ask any, ask anybody, that George DJ. I know I had no name. Yeah, yeah. But I was okay with it. Because I dare a lot of people just try to no, I just for some reason I just know my time will come. Since then, my time would have come, and I would be, I would have my own name.

Corie 1:02:37

So you have the ambition. This is what you want to do, I don't know. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:40

Because being a wrong to there's not much persons would have got DJing for an artist is is an artist, it's not a common press play. Yeah, is is is is not an easy thing, actually. Doing it, you would realize that is how difficult it can be because if you mess up, the artists mess up big time. You you play a very important role. And then so be doing that and then focusing and then eventually not and DJ in no way, so anybody, but being able to travel to do this, yeah, I guess. No, I don't know when I on I only in the events with the big names, but it's not about me. Why doing my part? And then so that that whole being able to DJ for him at the time, it was it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Yeah, yeah, because all the artists' books too, you know. Again, we gain redressing room, the flights, the podium, when I got it. And I can know the dust. Yeah, man. Where's this judge? Yeah, that is what he promoters. I'm have to give you for your little shopping if you have to buy these drinks. Yeah, man. Nah. So you're getting this again. This is for the days you have your book to outside. Right. Yeah. So we can extend the trip. Yeah, no, it doesn't work. So you know, I start to do maths now because they're outside of your salary, yeah. One thing you go more. And if there's one thing I would say about George, he does pay good.

Corie 1:04:08

Yeah, well, next one of George DJs was here the other day. He said the exact thing. George, he said the exact thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:14

George started to send me to pick up the money from the promoter and so it's my pocket. Big. I I but again, all of this, again, you know, that kind of trust being able to and George now by George George handling me straight up until he started telling you, do not spend this. But you can tell me that. Or you can tell me that me, I any mole. Yeah, I accustomed the gun city. You can mean King's Plaza and these kind of places where I see Macy's footblock and all. But it's everything after spend here, everything good, I nothing. It's how they beat out everything until I start asking for advance. He said there's when you can carry that way.

unknown 1:04:57

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:59

Yeah, join the time of go, man.

Corie 1:05:00

When you converted, yeah, me get to the university to carry on the money.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:05

No well, and it's half a time in your career where you ain't nobody because you then obviously you had to buy back things because you had to look a particular way. And I started learning the little dress codes and like yeah, man, nah. So the the thing is, I started to do the maths. I said, well, I don't see the the dates coming. I go make back that day and die the problem. I didn't know when we're going again. I didn't know when we was going. I was waiting on the call. I started to see the dates because I started put my things in motion. At the point in time he was on the perception, procession management, Jefferson. Right. Jefferson calling and saying, Hey, pack your bag. Go time. Go time, yeah, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:48

Nah, money.

Corie 1:05:52

So you was playing on his station too, or that comes out.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:56

Yeah, I was buying, I was buying. Also, you're playing on his station and touring.

Corie 1:06:00

So it was easy. It was easier. I do what I want. You do it where you want. So you never had the things that outside of the army. I didn't know apply for no work and all them things. From there, you kind of work.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:10

I work in the shoe store working in excess in Portspain.

Corie 1:06:14

This is summer jobs. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:16

Summer and Christmas. I remember I work in an excess the time. I can $1,400. I buying a shoe for $1,200. You see that, Matt?

Corie 1:06:29

Nice way to live. Nice way to live. Oh, you're gonna figure out that when you forget how to figure it out.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:34

Is I die when I get to discover what is trust week. Yeah. Coming home with $200 and you have two weeks to go again. What do you mean? Yeah, man. Auntie. My little thing till next week.

Corie 1:06:48

Boy, listen, all we walk that road. I remember the first job I got in TSC was a summer job. They was paying $1,500 as an internship. I I done spend that $15 the day I started with because Jordan is $1,400. What do you mean? And I take that money, went straight on the dragon by that Jordan. Then I asked my mother for money to travel. Now she said, Oh, so that is work. But I don't walk in the Jordan where she's stopped by that job now.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:08

I tell you, I sat a cut dung when it's I sat a it's doubles in the morning, doubles lunchtime, doubles in the evening. I said, God, I can't do this again, you know, God. I sat a cut dung now. I started buy the shoe on them for 700. I started see her little light. When I realized now, I said, nah, going back again, boy, 1200 again. I ain't learning at all. I go on again. I said, Oh God. But eventually. I thought it was a go on back then. Nah, going again. I say if I make if I if I get you once they'll go again, boy. Yeah, I'll get you again. I trust week again. The problem is there wasn't a lemon note too.

Corie 1:07:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:46

But because I'm going to pay back, but they're saying you're going good.

Corie 1:07:49

Yeah, they see it.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:50

But the pandemic stopped that um now make my sweat again with the pandemic, but that one that one hurt. That one is like that one is like a never ending one, boy. You know, you just they're going back with the pussy, get the corn again.

Corie 1:08:02

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:03

Every month you wake up, boom, back in the kingside.

Corie 1:08:07

Boy, because I don't think it had a bigger year. That year, I mean,

Touring Lessons And Carnival Controversy

Corie 1:08:10

I see I when he hate the PSA grown something, but that year with I was stage going bad. Yeah, is it chaotic?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:17

That was one for the poaks.

Corie 1:08:19

And stage gone bad was when he also had the collaboration with Marshall and them. It was the same year. Yes, come shall puncture.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:27

And that one, boy. That was that was a that was a yeah, yeah.

Corie 1:08:32

Just just know that was that that was a yeah. Like people talk about the whole uncle versus the woman and rum, but that cat? Yeah, that one was where's it like for you in the middle of that? No, what was your experience?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:45

It was challenging, boy. It was them days again. Marshall being this, like I was a Bahama fan of Marshall, so I remember it at some events. I said, but where's this way? But people, people who don't know, but people like the banter to her. So when we come in now, we come in right. George, George is now George how George could have a head for you and all. That's how he is. Yeah, it's so George done a whole thing planned out before execution time. And he just telling you, reach for this time, and you just know this man knows what he's doing. Yeah, you go. So you have a metal team, madness. Say, just go with it. Yeah, just do it. Yeah, just go with me. And that's what it was about. So I know for sure George says sometimes, George, we plan a set, George realizes it going, George telling you, George is one of them kind of artists. You tell George one o'clock, George get a call half eleven, the place done in an opera. You as the promoter now coming back in your party, George done performer. No, my that is George. Yeah, George, if George realizes it, no, no, the the vibes ready. No, but George joined off your schedule. You got to go with that.

Corie 1:10:02

No, I'm telling it. No, but it's one of the greatest I ever seen. Whether it's 20,000 people or five people in that venue.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:08

I I have never seen George was George stood out for me because it's something that everybody always singing. What's that I should he say?

Corie 1:10:18

And then everybody in and like you, what the George Noto will be one of the biggest soakers in the world, all over the world, they played.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:30

Yeah, I'm telling you, David Nora.

Corie 1:10:33

Yeah, but them days you you you that that experience you have with what or experience might be a good place to talk about it. Because experience fetters I believe was the one where I see he and Chow looking like it's serious and Marshall and it looked like it was serious. How serious it was as a man who behind the scenes or is still marketing.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:49

No, I I was confused too. Again, I being in in in different spaces in my life, I always know my place. No matter what. I'm wrong, but I'm not minding my business. I roll in. But it was it was tense, way. Yeah, it was very tense because again, you know, my George done it, them boom, boom, too. George maybe tricked two of them and all, and die was going on with them. I'm telling you, but I can tell you about him, man. I tell you about George, he tricking you. So he done it, yeah. That's how George telling you, hey, yeah, what's going on? I understand what's going on here. But this is how it's going to go. Some I can I alone how to beat myself and either way of winning. It don't matter where it goes. So it wasn't, it was, you know, that kind of way. So for me, it was tense, but it wasn't really that tense because it started become fun now. Because George, George stayed, that can evolve. He had, he had, that was one of his greatest seasons where everybody was calling for George. Because if you look at the two songs, George Party's song was when the whole days used to go and live up. So people used to wait for that moment, and then George have that kind of spirit. So it was it was it was being it had to be there, boy.

Corie 1:12:06

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's one of them carnivals, it's one of them kind of. Maybe it's fitting that we had to sit down for a little while. So you sit down, you come up with the South's love. The South and Love can put come convert into the papy show, the dress code and all sorts of change. They sort of get lectures and they'll talk. When they play RB, the moment in trouble in the way. Man, too. Everybody in trouble and they play RB. Yeah. It's at that point all starter, but voice with vibes with voice, you was going on parallel to that, right?

Vybz With Voice Becomes A Movement

SPEAKER_01 1:12:30

Yeah, vibes with voice, you started with penny and and voice. It was just two of them. Was there two of them alone?

Corie 1:12:35

So Akeem and Salty, I remember Salty being live. I remember you being, it was three separate things.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:40

Three separate lives. Right. Everybody had a separate life. And then um, I remember again the little, the little um all of us are friends, you know what I mean? And I remember called voice and talk to voice at the end tell them I said, boy, back and now with this thing with this name and a thing and whatever, whatever. He said, Boy, Papi, come up the road now, boy. Come up with the B and R. Because remember, you watch any vibes on my life. And I went up the road the next Thursday. The first Thursday was Penny and Penny and Voice Dead Dead Live alone. And I don't know if they call Akim on because he did serve video, they said they said Adam to the line. In the early days, you know what I mean? They say and and I went up the road, right? And that was when things kind of went in a the rest was his shoe. I can't even tell you exactly. That was that was that was alignment, boy.

Corie 1:13:33

Yeah, yeah. Real dream team energy.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:36

No, it was never planned.

Corie 1:13:37

Uh huh.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:38

Never, if I tell you, Curry, it never planned. Nothing happened in vibes with Voice was ever was planned. Nothing. Take any rest to and coming from South. Yeah. You understand what I said? I could say it now. Thank God for Jesus. But I'm a nine o'clock. By the time they're the live and they call me, I drive and nobody's supposed to be on you. But I just see voice trying to take all the life. So hear them how papy driving. What's the time? Nobody.

Corie 1:14:12

Yeah, we got people in the comments missing that film.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:14

I beat any eye. We're coming up to go so to be part of this live, yeah, you know.

Corie 1:14:19

Well, that's enough to be every Thursday night. No, that's the biggest event the country had. I think during the pan pandemic, no, for youths in particular, it had nothing to do. Everybody was on. When only all you saying it's not planned, but only it was planning out themes and after one number, like the whole organic coming together wasn't planned.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:36

But we then we started we started have voices our voices are planner. Okay, voice like to execute, but and then we started come together and say where they were doing, and then we started have little, you know, the different things. It did different, like it had um games night and all these different lives, it had talent show, all so much things came out and real things, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It was it was ministers, everybody come with me.

Corie 1:15:01

But you had to get to be part of that because yeah, the COVID has it could be a dark time for plenty of people, yeah, for sure. But that brings some light to it, and people join in their life. So you all had plans at all to turn that into a life sure. All you was discussing with your late half.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:16

Okay, where people started to because mama, people you home, people from all over, and then obviously being fans of voice, voice will have international fans, people from all over the world tuning in, and then they say, When it please open up, you'll come to Toronto, you gotta come to DC, you'll come to Miami, and you had to go to New York, and New York had to get this, and and things just start to happen, and then conversation happened in the life, and then our first show was then he came up with it all, and boy, the first one was real Miami.

Corie 1:15:48

What's your response like when all the go there, boy?

SPEAKER_01 1:15:51

Was that was when the real pitiers and things I'd say now, boy. Days it yeah said, Mommy, mama, I made it because we that's all that story, but nah, it was nah, it was real Aki Man Sold was not wasn't with us in in on the first leg of the talk. Right. But when we so it was Penny, Travis, myself, and voice. Right. And that was that from Miami. I think we went to DC and people just come. It was one of the greatest experiences in my life. Because again, now we now actually getting to perform, and then there's I learned a lot from Penny because I wasn't really a mic man. Remember again on a live so that transition to coming outside wasn't easy, and so here that tell me school man already hold mic in and say you know the shout because so my voice done projecting already and then move the stage. There's plenty. I learn, I learned, I learned, and I learned and but it was real that that was big up to everybody who would have been part of vibes of voice.

Corie 1:17:00

Yeah, salute to all of you, because even though I forget you're talking about Aki Man Salt in a being in Miami because I remember when you all start moving, the comments like people used to be invoice comments, like we're Aki Salt until they show up, you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:12

Until they show up, yeah, and and they showed up in Miami, actually. And when they showed up, they showed up on our live because we went live, right? We were staying, and when Aki Man Salt show up in our life, boy, yeah, the place like it was like way.

Corie 1:17:27

What was that number like?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:29

Nah, them days, them days and when we live at them voice clock in 15,000.

Corie 1:17:34

Yeah, easy, easy, everyone, especially in the pandemic, and then it's extended after. Yeah, them days some of these same things we do in because they do some interviews that are iconic.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:43

They just go viral every now and again still online.

Corie 1:17:45

Or they keep Marshall Manwife calling in, or they keep him that's fucking long.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:50

So it had it had some it had so much moments that I could like is only when you every now and again people there's a stagger and roll back the live and we roll back, but again, you know, based on availability with everybody, I think. But it's something that I always know voice will always want to continue. He's always pushing still up to today, you say it's good. There's a moment, yeah. There's a moment, there's a moment. There are so many uh remember your man. Remember my again. Yeah, bro. Remember, man.

Corie 1:18:22

It's always amazing when you have them things that is not, it was not existent before, and you make it into something. Same with your life, same with vibes and voicey. But before we go, I don't know. I don't talk to you about um I tell you, you just end up in a zone of controversial topics because papi's water in hole. Don't

Opening A Neighborhood Bar In Pandemic

Corie 1:18:38

laugh now, don't laugh. Yeah, yeah. What what let's start with what uh where the idea came up with how you start the bar and all that.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:47

The bar started, I'll kind of narrow it down based on time, and we had time, we had time, all right. So the bar started. Um, I always wanted a bar in my neighborhood. I I love the idea with going to line in a bar in a neighborhood, and everybody could just I always like the idea. And there is this particular bar that I got, that's what I wanted that spot. You don't know nothing about bar again, I know nothing. All I know, I just wanted spot. I know nothing about the bar. And then the person left because of pandemic again. And I remember I told my dad, I said, I don't want that spot. He said, Boy, in this pandemic, but I said, Yeah. I went to former friends. Everybody said, Are you mad or you even know what the doggone says? You had to wait for your resignation to find out what's going on. I said, Oh, yeah.

Corie 1:19:41

I got it. Yeah, you know, you like people tell you no.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:43

Yeah, yeah, penny. Baby, you mad about it? Boy, we we getting money, I say, I know money, I but we go get it. No very maybe one of my friends, one of my old autumn friends, sorry, would have would have said, and I went to my uncle and my cousin with the idea, and they said, Well, I love you. Made a meeting, and then the back came up, had no name yet. I said, Papies. I said, Papies. I said, I was something to kind of roll off the tongue now. I said papies, waterhole, boy. Yeah, then what?

SPEAKER_00 1:20:22

I said, yeah. Alright.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:24

Run and and you rest was history. Yeah, and and I we pushed to open it on my birthday. I see, which was December first. Gotcha.

Corie 1:20:33

And I get it done.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:34

I get it done by uh watching. We still wiping, we still cutting order on my body, no, but I need I wanted that because from every year from my body, I used to be spelling and I'm doing something, I'm doing some ass and I bought it to see. I want I want everybody to come in one area and I and I sit down and I want to say I want to open on my body because I know I'll get the crowd.

Corie 1:20:53

Right, yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:54

I'll get our numbers, and them days you have to your your your um what you call it, boy, yeah, the card, yeah, yeah, you have to get your um your vaccine, right? Of course, right? So I'll check people vaccine card. What you mean is vaccine card alone to get going these places?

Corie 1:21:09

No, yeah, no opening.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:10

Yeah, so it was it was at it it was one of the most challenging things in my watch man. Serious, brother, it was fair, because it's like with us, I don't know if it's it's a taboo topic, but there's a very few would see like us opening bars. Like it's not it's it's rare, yeah. So when I opened it, I remember at one point they say with this black boy come out to open this bar, we is we yeah, we put his affront, he popular, and that is somebody else thing, and brother, the fight I got from the law to the neighbors to this to the I started asking myself at that point in time I give up. Yeah, yeah, at that point in time for the first year, I say, nah. But again, you remember my door like the year no one. Yeah, you know. So I say, and I remember I talk into voice and voice say, Papi, you see the spot here? Winner. He said, They win our spot here. Half it that would make me take so long to close to you know, but yeah, I say, my man, yeah, talking to a man who wins so come on. All I mean is I say, if he's a good one. Yeah, but he is a man seeing it too, yeah. You know, God, look, the spirit talking to me, yeah.

Corie 1:22:22

So it's difficult to run. You was making money and saying it was profitable for the most part.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:26

Yes, on until there's a lot of people think that bars is to drink for free.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:33

See.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:37

No, a lot of people think that your friends and your family just think that I could drink and put this on a bill and not pay and and and and is the the challenges that came with it. There's a there's there was some time I was it was very difficult for me because I was in court with the bar. Right because the neighbors and mother signed petitions to close the bar and then have a rent to pay with the bar being closed for three months. Regardless, regardless. So when I come back, I don't know how to deal with the it was a lot of challenges, and then also a DJ and it was very it was difficult and I learned it on the fly. Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're doing it yourself, and it happened the next year. And then happened the next year again. I said, I said, no, of course, but you're okay. Okay. I said, yeah, and then you know, there's always saying a lot of people just tell you plant your seed. You plant your seed story based on a lot of people doesn't know this tell you. They tell you in a good business, the first five years, you don't you don't see no money. Yeah, two. You know, if it's five check any listener, suppose all the take back a next listener. Yeah, man. I doubt I will make it here. But every time it was fine, I think that every time I I feel like giving up, something good happened. It boosts boost it, boost it, keep boosting because people want to see me. That was one of the biggest challenges, too. People want to see me become my papies to see papy, and that's that was one of the toughest.

Corie 1:24:06

Of course, of course. But you still had to live, you're still at the work.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:09

Yeah, that was so that was that was one of the toughest.

Corie 1:24:11

I was wondering how when when I saw this thing with alcohol prices increasing, because I saw a whole bunch of bars and things start closing down after a little while, and then I see you in the maily day too.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:21

Gone, yeah, gone, gone, gone. No, it's no time to win again. Go on, I've gone. I've gone. Listen to me. You don't this is the things that people don't want us. I just I will say it, bro. It is difficult. Don't see now the economy gone, going. Sorry. At that time when you done raised alcohol, and then the grown don't have any money because they had no jobs, right? The jobs was the average, the ground we're talking about.

Corie 1:24:51

Entry-level jobs are getting cuts.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:52

Yeah, the cuts are that's when you knew how important them jobs was for businesses. Hear me, God boy. You know, you feel it when you're in the business, any business you're in, it could be food, it could be what. When you when you watch my half ass too, you start to do some maths in your head, uh the the bar clothes. If I do this, you start to you want to make wine and all for yourself too out of water, you start to ask Jesus how to do that. Nobody can't buy it, make your do it. So when the alcohol raised was one of the that was the nail in the coffee for me. Nah, sure, sure. What did that sure? I sure sure sure. I said, is it?

Why The Bar Closes And Reinvention

SPEAKER_01 1:25:40

So I civilized by sometime ago, brother. Yeah, man, Carnival is my last show. I could say it any on and for people to see now a decision. It was a collective decision amongst my other business partners, and I tell them, hey, we're gonna get them around for Carnival, yeah? Yeah, if things improve, we could revisit. Sure. Oh, you were sure. I sure you see by that time, no, it was so difficult to come out of this. You had a reinvent again, boy. And I needed to take that break in my life to to reinvent to come again. People was it was high demand, you know, but it was difficult for somebody to actually come and support that because they might make today, and it's them days before and the months before. Yeah, it's it's it's calf full. It's like you're digging yourself deeper.

Corie 1:26:33

Yeah. So I want to talk about that thing with coming back or reinventing yourself, which you seem to always do. But them days when you say making the run for carnival, was it that that's our own or no? The average drinker, if I go in there and I like a certain scotch, men was downgrading to save money on what they're buying, or what was what was happening on the ground in the bar, or you're just seeing less people coming out. Less people. And the man who coming out drinking, where he usually drink, or you're drinking less.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:57

Yes, why you're drinking less? It's like if he was like a son drinking five, he drinking two. And he's telling you, keep one inside. They start to come with the stories now. The stories start to come now because it's good fit. You know how good fit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. See now the thing is, yeah man. I would never get carried this by the by by the wholesale man and say, well, you know what, you know what I mean? Again, but everybody know, you know what I mean? It's not something to ignore. I mean, everybody felt it. So it's not something that I would have I was given a lot of leeway as well in terms of bills bigger from the landlords come straight on it. Because it's not you could see it. You move from until until his days are closing. I was opening, I was opening every day. I couldn't open every day. Right, yeah, yeah. Yeah, now yeah, yeah, it was it was it was one, it it felt like it felt like a pandemic.

Corie 1:27:46

Yeah, I guess, I guess, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:48

If you've been as a business owner, it felt like a mini pandemic.

Corie 1:27:52

Yeah, something I would love to see how it plays out over time because I see several like later as an example. I see several men later, just the same salute to Lady Open Magni Bookers. And sentence there. Closer to me, I like that. But um. But no bar. Exactly. I find I find it to be a little, you know, is this such a I was talking to our promoter about this here the other day in terms of okay, when you adjust these things, I wonder how sometimes we look at the business owner in the country. Business owner is an important part of our community.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:17

And um, boy, shout out to pleasant with my community that they stood, they stood on my true everything. The good the ups and the dungs, but at a point in time, yes, you know, you just feel that thing where they was telling you just you might just it would be worse if you if you hold on. You know what I mean? And then you would damage yourself so much that you can't even be your car show up for the people who you still want to provide for. 100%. You know what I mean? And that was uh I wish everybody luck with this whole business thing, but I you see this bar business, brother. Yeah, that's right, right? No, no, no, no, no. Somebody give me this bar for free. Yeah, I'll give me a bar.

Corie 1:28:59

But you could be a front man, they can use your name. No, you just take a licensing fee, you know, go through all that.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:03

Right now, the way, but yeah. You could do that, yeah. That at all, but nah, but it's it's it's something that the brand have built so for for I was open for four years, and um I had a great run.

Corie 1:29:17

Yeah, yeah, your customers had a good run too. And I see people come out on social media talking about it.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:23

Yeah, yeah. There were some clips from Carnival that I didn't even know there were so much people, right? Yeah, you know, shouts to just Carnival here was one for the books. Because um, they never see Marshall, Voice, Young Brother, Lady Lava in one night. Yeah, yeah, yeah. In quote unquote the ghetto. And that was Highland. Yeah, for my own. I know I asked anybody from South. Uh-huh. South Carnival dipped. Is is not something that foreigners will some foreigners will even know that South Carnival is the same time as we carnival.

Corie 1:30:04

Yeah, the thing is our next thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:04

The thing is our next thing. And then, because you know what I mean. So we building back to that. You know what I mean? But I played an integral role in terms of keeping South Carnival alive at the time, you know what I mean? I played my role. Yeah, of course. You know what I mean? Trying to say it's because I mean, no, I played, I played, I played a part, and I think I played my part the best I could have done. Because for free.

Corie 1:30:27

Yeah. Congrats on that. And it's always continue to represent South. Yeah, yeah, everywhere. South is South is home, but all the time. South is home. No, no, you say in the beginning, you don't like to sell people about your plans.

Going Bigger And What Comes Next

Corie 1:30:36

But we gotta ask you when you're gonna innovate on things. Where's next for Papi? Boy, where it's going.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:41

Next for Papi.

Corie 1:30:44

Other than coming back here again.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:46

Yeah, but next for next for Papi is um I going bigger. I'm going bigger with location. I going bigger. Yes, yeah, going bigger.

Corie 1:30:56

So after all them things you say, you're going to bigger.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:57

Yeah, going bigger, but I just going bigger, but going a different route with it. Okay. So it's not like a I'm going bad. Right.

Corie 1:31:03

I'm going bigger. You're going bigger. Yeah. And in terms of playing and being out there doing your own your own career now.

SPEAKER_01 1:31:09

Yeah, for sure, for sure. Because my margin being able to DJ for voice was barely be in Trinidad. You know what I mean? So it's actually we actually booked out until November. Right. Yeah. Yeah. So as enjoy is enjoyed at the most, and then being able, and then I kind of international too. So that was going bigger.

Corie 1:31:31

Alright, alright.

SPEAKER_01 1:31:32

Yeah, definitely going bigger.

Corie 1:31:33

So you will you will let me know when it's gonna be a good one? No, for sure, for sure. The man say the man say let me thank mommy and wifey. Let me thank mommy and wifey for letting them come here because the man said he began. David that recorded, you see when he was going duck with the two men coming and say he was going that way, you and Junior Lee. I'm gonna put it.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:51

I'll gand

Final Thanks And Wrap

SPEAKER_00 1:31:52

up it. I tell you, I I will say it, I'll gand up it.