Life to the Max Podcast
Welcome to 'Life to the Max Podcast,' where resilience meets inspiration!
Join us on a transformative journey through the life stories of remarkable individuals, including Quadriplegic Army Veteran Maximilian Gross. In this empowering podcast, we dive into tales of triumph, courage, and the human spirit's unwavering ability to overcome obstacles.
Our show is a celebration of diverse narratives, from awe-inspiring achievements to the darkest of traumas. 'Life to the Max' is a testament to the power of living authentically, no matter the circumstances. We believe that everyone has a unique story worth sharing, and we invite individuals from all walks of life to join us.
Discover the profound meaning of living 'Life to the Max'—a concept that resonates differently with each storyteller. It's a journey of perspective, resilience, and finding joy amidst life's challenges. Tune in to be inspired, motivated, and reminded that there's strength in every story.
Ready to redefine what it means to live life to the fullest? Share your story with us and become a part of this uplifting community. Because, at 'Life to the Max,' every story matters.
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Life to the Max Podcast
Murfee's Artistic Evolution and the Pursuit of Dreams
What if a hard drive crash could change the trajectory of your career? Join us as we sit down with Jackson Charles Murphy, known as MURFEE, the musical genius behind many of the songs on "Life to the Max." Discover how he transformed from his early days as "Slunk" into a respected producer, with the LTTM theme song "Green Thumb" becoming an emblem of his artistic evolution. Murphy shares not only his journey but also his dedication to nurturing the next generation of musicians. His story proves that resilience and storytelling are at the heart of musical success, no matter the obstacles.
Prepare to be inspired by the raw and powerful story of a traumatic brain injury survivor who, after a life-changing skiing accident, found strength and purpose in adversity. Listen to this individual's emotional recount of how losing childhood memories shaped a newfound confidence and gratitude for life. This is a testament to the human spirit's resilience and an encouragement to live life fully, regardless of the challenges it presents. His journey underscores the transformative power of embracing life's uncertainties and emerging stronger.
Explore the dynamic world of an emerging rap artist who is breaking boundaries and defying stereotypes in the music industry. From the humble beginnings to commanding the stage with unwavering confidence, this artist's path is marked by perseverance and artistic growth. With plans for rebranding and upgrading, his commitment to self-investment and inspiring future generations is evident. Featuring insights from Murfee on the significance of surrounding oneself with experienced mentors, this episode is a celebration of passion, hard work, and the relentless pursuit of dreams.
I, we're just trying to get by. Just a couple of puns All trying to get by. Just a couple of teens All trying to survive. Live to the max, cause you don't live it twice. Couple green thumbs, all heights.
Speaker 3:Welcome back to another episode of Life to the Max. We're with Murphy today.
Speaker 2:Ladies and gentlemen, how are we feeling?
Speaker 3:Murphy's the guy behind the music. If you guys don't know, he's the main guy who made Green Thumb, the intro song to Life, to the Max podcast. But, as always, I'm the quad father, maximilian Gross, and we're going to get into Murphy's story. What's your first name, bro? Jack, jack, full name I thought it was Brian Murphy, nah.
Speaker 2:The full government is Jackson Charles Murphy.
Speaker 3:Jackson Charles Murphy, that's it. Why'd you go with Murphy as your name?
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:What were the names he had?
Speaker 2:So bad.
Speaker 1:It's so bad, Come on bro.
Speaker 2:Bro, the first, the first ever name that I debuted, as was Slunk. Yeah, bro, I don't know. Bro was so corny. It's like, it's like my deepest, like secret, like I had like told everybody I know I had. I had to go public fucking. I had like five tracks out and they were just shitty. Youtube beat like raps I was like oh you know I'm up in the club. It was just some. It was like it's not who I am, I was just trying to be somebody right but like I was very the process that I was doing.
Speaker 2:It wasn't the music that I was making, but it was the process in which took place, during the creation of that music that really led to the passion, because, like once I was like man, like I want to get like into these songs. How do I do that? What if I started making the beats, that shit? I thought that shit would happen a lot quicker than it did right you know I had to spend yeah I spent like two years before my beats were even solid.
Speaker 2:Now my beats are dope. Like I teach, I have like I have given like courses out to people at my studio in wichita. Go for people how to like yeah, and it's like. I think that's the. That's the one thing I want to push with my name.
Speaker 3:I want murphy to be like a beacon of inspiration for people to realize like yo, I can be extraordinary, you know and you know who also was a producer and was a damn good artist as well, from chicago, connie west, exactly like, like his beats are, so his every album he has is so good as it is because it's a story.
Speaker 2:He tells the story like these rappers out here. You know like it's solid if you buy a beat from somebody, if you have a producer who's like working side by side with you, but if you're just buying random beats, bro, that's as a producer myself too. I know the types of beats that are uploaded to youtube. There is loops with like edits in the drums and it's. It's some very simple shit. You can't tell a story with that. What I do now it's like man, I got skits, I got songs that transition into each other.
Speaker 3:What really made me green thumb is because one I'm pretty sure you made it for me. That's why you said live to the max, yeah.
Speaker 2:I remember where I was when I was writing the chorus. I was in noodles and company when I still worked there yeah I was washing the dishes and I was like living life to the matter like man. It's that song has done like that's. That's the song that allows me to have the credibility that I do like when I present myself.
Speaker 3:It's a very slow man, like the fact that you produced it too is just another like level of like expertise.
Speaker 2:I told you, I don't have the beat anymore, right? I'll tell you that no dude.
Speaker 2:So I had this. I had this hard drive when I first started. I got it for christmas, like when I first started making beats back in 2020. And I made the beat for Green Thumb on there and then that's when my hard drive like crashed. I had to get a new hard drive. I lost like 300 of my beats and yeah, so like everything from like the like old days I guess, gone, like I have a couple like scarce in my downloads folder, but most of like my like no guarantees, I don't have any of the beats to anymore. No guarantees is only streamable I can't edit it.
Speaker 3:Well, it's a good thing you put it up. You gotta have a level of uh confidence to put something out like that. That's the first thing is putting. When I first put my podcast out and I wasn't like getting like the validation, I was really scared. You know. I mean I was like fuck, is my podcast gonna do? Okay, even now I get like 100 views. I'm like fucking, but it doesn't bother me. You know like it's like you're just waiting like just waiting.
Speaker 2:I relate to that a lot. It's like I see sometimes I see like great numbers. Sometimes I have the best shit happen to me. And when I'm up, a lot of people love it. But when I'm down, when those numbers are low, those numbers are low.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's whatever you know, nobody's looking at you, it's just you who has to keep it going. And there's that. I have that like thrill inside of me that I love to chase, just knowing, like thrill inside of me that I love to chase, just knowing like yo, like I'm going to keep going, like I want to get it and I'll get it, I won't stop.
Speaker 3:Right, all right, murphy, but let's bring it back to the origins of Jackson.
Speaker 2:Charles.
Speaker 3:Jackson Charles Murphy, where'd you grow up?
Speaker 2:St Charles Illinois.
Speaker 3:St.
Speaker 2:Charles, illinois, illinois. Yeah, born and raised. I was born in geneva and then, uh, moved around around town, apartment to apartment and then, after the uh second apartment we moved into my first childhood crib. That was my mom's and uh, yeah, I don't really it's a weird thing. I don't really remember like a lot of my childhood it's a lot of repressed, yeah, a lot a lot of it's, a lot of it's repressed, and then, uh, that skiing accident kind of erased a lot as well, which?
Speaker 3:is, which is what I was gonna ask you, like if you remember much about your childhood, but like if you're interested in anything but music. Do you know anything?
Speaker 2:I was a gymnast.
Speaker 3:You were a gymnast. Oh yeah, I was a gymnast, but I was also.
Speaker 2:Before I fell, I was getting back into the drums. I used to play the drums growing up. Okay, and then I started, you know, getting back into just doing simple drum beats. I fell and then.
Speaker 3:So let's talk about that. Because's cause? Cause? I understand cause. You have a traumatic brain injury, correct? Yeah, correct, you know, um, and he's still living life to the max. Everybody remember that he has a TBI and this guy's still living life to the max. So you don't got any, you got no excuse, straight up, anyways. So you can't really remember your childhood. I couldn't imagine that for me, so, um, but you remember the accident. So you were. You were on vacation in colorado, correct, yeah? And can you uh explain the story?
Speaker 2:so I was going down the hill.
Speaker 3:What hill? Like a big one, no, not even Like a fun hill.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just like it was a simple hill. But it was only like my second or third time skiing and I ate dinner before I went down for this run and while I was eating dinner they stopped making the fake snow so it gave the snow time to ice over. So when I, you know, I wasn't like I've never skied this late in my life, like it was later in the night and I was going like three times as fast than I was earlier in the day because it was all ice and man, I just hit this like simple jump and I just I go up and the way I land, I just fall. And I hit, I go up and the way I land, I just fall and I hit my head on a patch of ice and knocked out and then Were you wearing a helmet.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's what saved my life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what the doctor said.
Speaker 3:Holy shit, but I was like first of all, you're crazy for trying to do a jump. Why'd you go for a jump?
Speaker 2:I don't know.
Speaker 3:I wanted a video for the gram I'm very.
Speaker 2:I like to show off all right, all right.
Speaker 3:So you hit this jump and you land on your head.
Speaker 2:Yeah, tell me how this experience goes okay, hit my head, um, I'm gone, I'm out, I don't remember anything, and then the earliest memory that I have is getting wheeled out of the hospital. It's very broken up.
Speaker 3:Really.
Speaker 2:I only remember being wheeled from the elevator to the main door, like and I remember when I got wheeled out, dude, it was like I was born again. It was literally like I was born again, because when I came out it's called Javon Bay Hospital. They have an entire. They're like the front wall of their hospital is all glass and the sun was rising in, so it was just like sun coming through this humongous wall of glass all on me now.
Speaker 2:I was in this wheelchair like all messed up. I was like I'm getting born again, son, like I'm act like this is the second life. And I came back man, I was like a very introverted kid before I fell. I never had like confidence or like anything social skills to talk to people, but after I fell I just kind of like something in my brain that was like gave me all this anxiety on who I was, like I don't know. I just like hit a switch off that was holding me back where did the traumatic brain injury happen?
Speaker 2:in my brain. Yeah, where I think it's, it was behind my frontal lobe. It's okay, it's the uh, I forgot, but it's it's the lobe that affects behavior, impulse and attitude okay so uh so basically, you don't give a fuck no, it's kind of true.
Speaker 2:Like I'm, I can be a very selfish person sometimes and like I don't. I don't mean to like my whole thing is like I try to be the best version of me and uh, but like sometimes, sometimes my mind just like doesn't understand things like it needs to, you know and a lot of people.
Speaker 2:A lot of people don't realize that, because they look at me, they think that's a, that's a kid who's in perfectly good health. If, if they knew everything you know, their opinion would change. But I try to, I guess, just keep maintaining and like you?
Speaker 3:you talk about being reborn on this day. How old were you?
Speaker 2:14.
Speaker 3:You were 14? So you talk about being reborn on this day. Are you happy this happened? Are you like content that it happened?
Speaker 2:I've pondered that question a lot. If I could have caught myself something like that, yeah, no, I mean, mean, yeah, I'm happy. Like I wouldn't catch myself. This is everything that's happened is because I took a fall, like growing up, dude, like I was bullied in middle school. I was, I was nobody in middle school, like nobody, like I never stood out, you know.
Speaker 3:But everybody said nobody in middle school.
Speaker 2:Exactly, bro like no, I just, you know like there were kids who used to like bully me and now those kids are like supporting me and it's like, uh, yeah, it's just it was like a second birth and the fact that growing up, I've always I've always been a creative kid, like playing, I've always wanted to. I've always played with legos. You know like I've always like like creative kid, like playing. I've always wanted to. I've always played with Legos. You know Like I've always like directing, like little movies and stuff. I'm playing the drums, you know, and I've always wanted to be a creative. And after I fell, I was like yo, like I almost lost my life. You know, like I almost lost the entire opportunity to become a creative. So the thing I told myself when I fell is I now have the opportunity to be somebody that I never was before in my old life.
Speaker 2:So then, I turned and I turned into me.
Speaker 3:And I was, yeah, I was it's been a development.
Speaker 2:Like when I first started, you know, at best, like we said, I wasn't very comfortable, like because, you know, because I was kind of it was all new to me. But as time as time went on, you know, as I graduated, and uh, just like the past, the past 19 months that I've been in the scene of music has like just changed me into exactly who I want to be so explain the progression.
Speaker 3:Okay, so you start by using YouTube beats. Is that what you said?
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so you start on YouTube beats, right. And then how did you just say I'm going to get started getting a keyboard out and start making beats, man, because that's like a really tough assignment.
Speaker 2:Yeah, to learn how to make beats Like it's something you can't do in, uh, you know, not even like a month like you. Obviously you can get the basics down in a month, but like there's stuff that I still learn about fl studio to this day, five years, four years later. And uh, it started. It started when I just I was hearing these beats and I was like what if this happened? What if that happened? How could I alter this beat to be mine? And I realized I can't. I could buy the stems, but I didn't know what that was when I was starting off.
Speaker 3:You were just a kid. Yeah, exactly 14, 15.
Speaker 2:Yeah, 14. My first ever song that I wrote was about a girl like that of course uh, and it was some corny song.
Speaker 2:I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. But you know, I just I started making beats and the first ever beat I made was a drum beat. No, no melody, just drums, just the snare wasn't like rhythm and it was a shit show. But every day after school, every day before I would work, every day from I would get out of school, get home at 1.20, because I had my last two periods off during my high school time and from that time to 4 four, I would just be making beats so you're just sitting around really write down like things for beats, yeah, like how does like?
Speaker 3:uh, okay, so like, how does it go to make a beat? Like like, just just break it down like like, kind of like small, yeah all right, okay, so you open up your daw okay my daw of choice is fl studio what's the daw?
Speaker 2:digital audio workspace or workshop and then you, uh, you open up a vst, which is a, uh, virtual synthetic tool and it's for all your sounds and stuff and violins, pads, keys, leads, all that stuff, and you get to choose between the different ones.
Speaker 2:Different ones have different user interfaces. And what I like to do is I like to get some chords and a melody going, maybe not always chords, but put that down, you know. Get something going, put a bass line, put a bass line down, definitely just to fill up the low end. And then I like to throw on the drums, and then after I just, you know, simple drums, and then after I have that like that little sample of the beat, then I start adding like extra instruments, layers, sound effects. But I've been getting into a newer style of production of a lot of sampling. But I'm not sampling where it's like just taking four bars of a beat and looping it more so, like cutting up like one riff of a sample and like editing the audio and like like, uh, I've just been studying like a lot of large professor ninth wonder, I'm reading a book on jay dilla right now what's uh.
Speaker 3:So so you have like a like you have a role model or something that's helping you out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like, like, just those, like historically great, like dj premier premiere yeah, like who, like yeah yeah, like, yeah, dr dre, yeah, double dr dr dr. Yeah, uh, that yeah just the the way that they produce. Like dr dre only uses analog gear so he uses physical equipment and, uh, with what I have I don't have the physical equipment but I try my best like to incorporate old school hip-hop, my beats I like to.
Speaker 2:I can use like gross beat it's called that's how I do like scratches, so I like to like scratch up vocals or drum breaks and something like that, just to give it that old school hip-hop sound, because FL Studio really is best for like trap and uh, edm. But if you know how to use it like man, I've I've made some beats that I'm very proud of. Like that are old school hip-hop and not a lot of people make beats like that on FL Studio.
Speaker 3:Do you ever uh, do you ever like give your beats away to somebody?
Speaker 2:yeah, uh, first first beat I ever sold august 11th 2020 uh. So I remember that was my first time ever selling a beat. But since then I've never really like. I have like pushed a couple times to sell some beats and I've sold them a few times, but it's never been like like a routine thing for me to upload beats. It's really just like I'll go through my vault and then if I it's like a rainy day, you know, just smoke some, mix them, upload them and then just be like yo check it out.
Speaker 2:Go buy a beat, get two for free so.
Speaker 3:So when you were in high school, um, you started like producing and making songs right. When did you feel confident and like, and when did you feel like you were gaining, like, attention and notoriety throughout?
Speaker 2:like yeah high school and your town senior year, everything changed my like senior year of my life man, I I was. High school was weird. I did. I fucked up a lot in high school. I broke a lot of everyone focused.
Speaker 2:Yeah I broke. I broke a lot of good women's hearts and where I just got around, people just perceived me as somebody who was just selfish, like I said. That all changed as soon as I dropped my album. That all changed. People saw me as a creative. They were like yo. That was actually tight. I really got much more recognized in my community, which was really dope Because, like growing up, I just all I've ever wanted to be was somebody that like stood for something that wasn't stupid or like fake, because, like in high school I mean, everybody knew me but like I didn't, I didn't really like those like popular, popular people who I knew, like that was something temporary man. What do they have to them? They just got credit. I have a catalog, I have accolades, I have connections and that's what I want to build for, not just a temporary buzz.
Speaker 3:What do you stand for? What does Murphy tell the world?
Speaker 2:To just be inspired in every moment of life and take in as much inspiration that you can and fuel it to motivate your goals.
Speaker 3:That sounds good, man. So you went through high school. You were probably a pretty popular senior year, yeah so my senior year.
Speaker 2:So here's how it went. I started producing no Guarantees. End of my sophomore year, wow yeah, took the summer off and then uh got back into it. You know me, it was just me and my homies, uh, chris and liam, uh, we would just be in my mom's basement every day after school just getting high writing, just fucking, you know, doing some hip-hop shit every night just fucking working on this album.
Speaker 2:That's why, like, even though I'm so much better than I was, like when I listen to that album now I'm like bro, like I, I need to make something better than this in like two days. You know, like it's still a very, very solid album. It still wipes a lot of other people's releases, like right and uh, but it's just.
Speaker 3:I know that I've gained the ability to do better, but so we we've already been over this, but how do you, how did you take the criticism?
Speaker 2:I just took it. Man, I don't, I never, I never care. If people say I never care what. Like people, people who don't have the gall to do it, like j cole said it, man, I can't listen to a critic who's never did it. Like like bro, like you wanna, like I had a I don't know like. People doubted me and they were like you know, like this white kid from the suburbs, he can't, he can't do rap and it's because the only rap they listen to is like that trap radio shit. Like man, I love spreading messages and ideas in my art. I'm trying to make art.
Speaker 3:Dude. I doubted you when I met you for the first time, which is crazy. I met this dude at Cane's. For those who don't know, I met this dude at Cane's. It's like a chicken place.
Speaker 2:Yeah, in Chicago.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we had Erica, like, like you know, like would talk to you first and you said you're a. You're a rapper and, like I have a lot of rappers, I'm not dude. You're not a rapper, you're an artist, you're an mc. That's what you are okay, yeah, it's like. You're a rapper, you're an artist.
Speaker 2:That's why, when people introduce me, he's like, hey, this is like he's a rapper. I'm like I don't say shit, I bite my tongue, but I'm like I'm a rapper. Okay, check out my beats, check out. I haven't released merch recently, but I had a clothing line that was out that keep inspiring new generations and that plans to return. It goes a lot further than the music when it comes to my life well, I held my tongue with you.
Speaker 3:I was like, oh no, man, maybe. Like are you sure? Like this guy is legit. And then he came to my house fucking baked and like not ready to do an interview and like not taking it seriously. And then after that you came back like level-headed, we had a decent interview and you told me about your tbi and stuff like that, you know, and like you're just like really doing good man, like and I see good things in your future. I don't. I don't just give away shoes to someone if I don't believe in true, you are the man for that.
Speaker 2:You are the man. I got them packed up, all ready to go.
Speaker 3:Move in, bust them out, I'll put that in the video of the podcast and stuff. But okay, so you finished high school, right? What was? What is it like being in the lab, Like being in the studio doing all your music and then finally showing the world on a stage? What's the difference?
Speaker 2:The first time I ever did a show there was so much adrenaline in me. I've never done it. Now, when I do shows I'll just get on the mic and just spit for fun. It doesn't really feel.
Speaker 3:It's good right now, right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I write, I don't need a beat just to do what I do. I keep the rhymes on repeat and I move like a fool.
Speaker 1:I mean like psych moving like a genius that's through the night and I'm rubbing on a wish like a genie.
Speaker 2:Years I'm on the mic. Y'all don't understand. So I had to say it twice I'm nice, I move like I'm butter on rice. Yeah, what that mean is smooth. I mean I be the meanest dude on the block. Beat him up, get em good get em got, Cook em up.
Speaker 1:I'm cooking chopping fillets in the pot, I mean.
Speaker 3:Let's go, man, that's crazy. Let's go, that is crazy man.
Speaker 2:Off the dome though. Yeah, shout out to Caffeine. Gotta love it.
Speaker 3:No guarantees.
Speaker 2:No guarantees. Listen and no guarantees is like I didn't even know how to freestyle that that. Listen no guarantees if you listen after this podcast, which I'm sure most of you will because you are charmed by my swagger. Just know there is a whole new rebranding of me coming out 2025. Like I have, I have been steadily working on getting a label going. I want to trademark my name as soon as I move out.
Speaker 2:It's going to be the first big purchase I get when I move out. It's trademarking murphy and then, uh, after that, I'm just going to invest in myself, invest into my appearance. I want you know more tattoos, like I said. Yeah, uh, I want to upgrade my equipment so I get a better recording.
Speaker 3:That's recording, big one. Upgrade your equipment, man. No, that's that's.
Speaker 2:That's a very important like because I got the sauce, I just don't have the right like I got all the ingredients, I don't have the right tools, you know.
Speaker 3:Like a lot of people have that too man exactly like, um, I just think it's great that you're, like you know, persevering and like doing that yeah because I mean, I mean not everybody like would see the. Not everybody would think, oh, this guy can like spit bars like you just did. You know, I mean like with no beat exactly like so, like that yeah, it's like you're an artist.
Speaker 3:you know I mean you're, you're an artist, you know what I mean. You're great. And when I interviewed you the second time I was like, okay, this kid's all right, he's all right, you know what I mean. Then, when I heard Green Thumb, I was like this kid's fucking dope man.
Speaker 2:Put some respect on my neck.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for real yeah.
Speaker 2:How much practicing does it take to just be able to freestyle?
Speaker 2:I was freestyling the entire time on the way here. Wow, like what I do is I have a 90-hour playlist of like old school instrumental beats and all I do is just whenever I'm driving, I'll just put it on. I'm just like I'll drive, I'll spit Sometimes, I'll just like go quiet for a bit and then myself rest and then to start spitting again while the beats. I always have beats playing in my car and like so you surround yourself around it, right, yeah, like when nobody's home.
Speaker 2:When nobody's home, I'll do like a full choreography show.
Speaker 3:I'll be like world tour, yeah like yeah, pretty much like I'm.
Speaker 2:I'm in the bathroom singing, like I'm looking at Michael Jackson or something. It's life.
Speaker 3:So let's go back to that question. You're in the lab, you're in the studio, you're like this shit's going to be raw. Then you finally hear it playing, you hear people supporting you, you hear people. You see people moving their hands up in the air. What's that like?
Speaker 2:It's a dope feeling because, like I know, now, like before, it used to be like I was like waving a light, like yo, look at me, look at me. But like I got, I got traction in illinois now, which is very, very dope to me. Like now, now it's like I I still, you know, go out there and hustle, like hey, look at me, look at me. But now it's like I have, I have followers on instagram. They're still, you know, go out there and hustle, like, hey, look at me, look at me. But now it's like I have followers on Instagram that are just loyal.
Speaker 2:You know like they just support me and I put it out. Like I said, I know that I have the ingredients. I know like I want a new, like I said I want a new microphone input, just so I can get like better, you know audio coming from my than, uh, just what I got right now.
Speaker 3:but what were the reactions? Like like what was your reaction? When you first was on the stage or the second time you're on the stage, the most crowd you've had. I don't know how big of crowds you've had, but when you first like saw that reaction of how these people are fucking with your music, my biggest crowd, yeah my biggest crowd was uh, I mean, I did my, I did my, I did my high school.
Speaker 2:But that was one of my lowest moments, which really taught me to devote myself to the mic. My senior year, when I performed dude, I wrote a clean single just for this little senior barbecue. We were all graduating and, dude, I slipped on my lyrics because I wrote it two days before. You know, people are going along with it because I had the vocals in the background, but I just felt like very embarrassed. I was like, dude, I can't believe I forgot my own lyrics. That was like right when I started, like that was like two months after no guarantees drop, and it was one of like the hardest moments that I've faced so far.
Speaker 3:But that moment taught me like never, never come without preparation, you know wow, like so just missing two lyrics like like screw you, like no, no, not, screw you not, not two lyrics not two lyrics like I missed.
Speaker 2:No, like I was like I forgot the chorus, you know, like, yeah, yeah. So I was like I was just like I was letting the background vocals play and I was just like moving, but I was like, dude, like I want to be spitting this shit like word for word, you know. And that's when, like, the path of the MC came instead of the performer.
Speaker 3:So you always want to be prepared.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Especially if you're doing shows.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it went from that. That was like my third ever time on the mic. It went from that. Now, you know, now I'm doing triple digit events, now I'm. I hosted a show september 7th. I got like I made money from my own event. Triple digit events I've had like the summer send off, yeah, the summer send off.
Speaker 2:I've had you know it's cool I've I've done rooms like 400, 500 people well and um yeah, it takes nervous man man, it's so weird, it's so such a weird. I'm so nervous until I get up there. I think I'm just nervous because I'm not up there, like, because I don't know. It's weird. Like, when I'm on the stage, it's mine like, it's just it's natural. It like I feel anxious sometimes, like, but I always try to stay mindful and alive.
Speaker 2:Whenever I'm on the stage, like I try to think like yo, how's my choreography looking? Make sure I'm looking at not just once, make sure I'm not just, you know, standing there rapping, move around the stage, you know, talk to the crowd, interact with the people at the front, you know, um, but it I kind of, I kind of don't feel scared because like I, like I said, you know, I'm very confident in myself. I have to be confident every. I have to believe that I'm the best rapper alive in order to succeed in advance and uh, that's just kind of how I have to portray myself.
Speaker 2:So when I get to like a venue and there's a bunch of people, I usually reserve, like I keep to myself up until I perform, and then I go and perform and because I know people are going to think it's hot, so I'm like I'm I'm just going to attract the. I don't want my words to speak. Let my music speak. Let my let my abilities show you that I'm tight let your heart speak exactly and then after I perform I just come back down.
Speaker 2:That's when I network because they just saw freshly, like they get a fresh memory in their mind. Like yo, this kid is fresh, you know, like he's dope, he can spit. Yes, I'll take your business card. But like I feel like if I went up to them at like the start of the show before I went on, they're like yeah, who? You know who is this kid?
Speaker 3:no, no, like I. I can't imagine that, because I mean, I haven't been on stage with 500 people. Kudos to you, man. I mean you're killing it for 19 years old too, man, like I think when I first found out your age, I was like, oh shit, this guy's not gonna do that it's like no you're like actually putting your life to this you know, I like it. You know it's kind of like life to the max. Your name is your baby I'm the prodigy.
Speaker 2:I'm the prodigy like you.
Speaker 3:Uh, you only care about hammocking and writing music. That's what you told me pretty much hammocking yeah, remember you said you would, you always had your hammock out. You always went to like hammocks. Like you would. You would grab your hand, oh yeah summer of, summer of?
Speaker 2:uh, what is it? It was 2023. It was like summer 2023, me and my homies we just bought hammocks and we would just go. We would just go hammock, like everywhere, like we just fucking. One guy brought the weed, one guy brought the food and fucking I brought, I brought the hammock and the speaker. Summer of 2023 was probably the second best summer of my life. Summer of 2024, though. This year, craziest shit of my life I've seen the most doors have opened and that have ever opened in my entire life. Respect on respect.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, you deserve it though man I mean like you're. You're like I said, you're in the lab, you're doing the work and you're upset about like missing lyrics. You know, like you, you want to self-improve yourself you're not saying I'm the shit already. You know there's people out there already like yeah, I'm the shit. Like you know, I'm gonna get on stage, I can do whatever I want you like you prepare yourself.
Speaker 2:Preparation's huge when it comes to like being a performer I would say I'm on a constant pursuit of um constant pursuit of inspiration and growth and I feel like mostly a constant pursuit of inspiration, because a lot of inspiration leads to growth.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know. So I mean it took like you said. You got reborn that day. You know what I mean. You got reborn with the accident and you wouldn't change it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like destiny.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like it's kind of how I felt. You know, I felt like shit for the first, the first like three years when this happened, but then I like found a purpose.
Speaker 2:I was like, okay, I have an outlet to do with it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I have an outlet. I can talk to people about something I can I can also help people like I like helping you business-wise. I like to say, hey, don't let people take advantage of you, man. If they want you to wear your clothes, they're going to pay you more the next time.
Speaker 2:Exactly, if you do well. He hit me up again I guess he wasn't really down with trying to pay me and I was like, okay, okay, I appreciate the free clothes, but it's like if I'm not gonna continue to like, go out of my way to make social media awareness. If you're not gonna pay me like know your worth.
Speaker 3:Yeah, always. It's like this kid's worth a lot. I'm telling you he's gonna be big in 10 years. It's gonna be big. You're gonna get murphy like probably all over Illinois.
Speaker 2:M-U-R-F-E -E. All over the world, all over the seven continents. Yeah, maybe not.
Speaker 3:I mean we're in all the continents. When I see that, when I see that growth on Buzzsprout, when I look at it, I'm like holy shit, people have listened to this podcast in Australia.
Speaker 2:I know, looking at the stats on Spotify and stuff, I got people all over the world and it's like it's crazy. Who are they? Why are they listening? How did they find my song? That's why I feel the same way.
Speaker 3:But I also feel like, okay, I got to keep doing what I'm doing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you just got to keep pushing the bar up and just keep, I guess, raising. The reason I can't stop is because I know the more that I keep going, the better it gets. When I first started I was only really moving off the desire, I guess, but now it's like the way that I'm moving. I still have that desire, but it's also mostly fueled by, just like the fact that I've already done it and I know that I love it. I live the glimpse of the life you know, like shows and shit, going to houston, like houston yeah over the summer oh yeah for a show twice, nah.
Speaker 2:So I was a, I was an audio engineer for this artist, um, and I went down with him twice with, like, a big group of people got an airbnb twice. It was dope, it was dope.
Speaker 3:Do people take you seriously for your age?
Speaker 2:yeah, I mean, I prove myself to them I know I know some people don't take me seriously right away and uh, I'll bite my tongue. I guess, like when I get to the venue, like I said, you know I don't do any, I don't I like to absorb, sit back, you know, let like if because the artist was cool as all his homeboys, like I just sit back, you know, absorb, and then uh, give back like what pieces of me I feel like are appropriate to give out with this crowd, you know, and it's like so just gotta portray let me, uh, ask you a few questions before we go here.
Speaker 3:Double entendre, dre. How has he been like? Like? How has he been like in your life? Like? What is he like? Has he been an inspiration to you, dre?
Speaker 2:Dre is the reason that I'm here today. Like man, when I realized that Dre, like, isn't coming to Wisconsin with me, like I'm still obviously gonna see him, I'm still coming back down here. But man, like I was, you know, I was trying not to choke. It was like it was. It was sad. I was very sad. Dre, I is my brother. Dre is the dude that has taken me under his wing and given me the credibility that I have now. Like there was some like when I started off I didn't have the credibility, but like he's been in this, you know.
Speaker 2:So like, when they see me with him, they're like, oh snap, like this kid's tight, you know. And when I, when I do it on like the same level as him, you know, when we go back and back together, we just, we just work and like I don't know dre yeah, I dre dre is just a great human being I know he really is and I could write the first time.
Speaker 3:I met him. First time I met him, I like he was just an awesome person. Yeah, cared, cared about me, cared about like, like who I am today, like you know, like sailing all of those kids in a parallel, paralyzed. You know Eric put in a good word for me, but Dre has always been a good dude and like I speak highly of that guy. Hopefully I can put some of his music in the podcast.
Speaker 2:I would honestly, if I got a shot. I kind of just want to do it with double If I got an opportunity to get on. I would be like yo, you want me on.
Speaker 2:I could be 10 times better if you get me and him on you know like like I want to keep working while, uh, this weekend, when I move up to wisconsin you know I'm new territory, new, new venues, new lands, new connections. I want to be, I want to represent for both me and dre. I represent as an individual party. But anything that I gain, like any, any spots, any studios, any venues, that I gain, like my knowledge, passing on andrea, yo drake come crash, you know, spend the weekend on my crib and then we just go in the city do our thing is the support in the scene like that common or?
Speaker 2:so the camaraderie within the scene.
Speaker 3:I'm just curious um the camaraderie within the scene. I'm just curious um no.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's like not, I would think of it as like a competition. Yeah, it's, it's. There are clicks, a lot of clicks. Like me and jay, that's just like. That's just two dudes who are solid, but they're they're just like a couple, like organizations and groups, and I won't say their name, but they run, like you know, they try to run like music things out here and like news outlets, but it's all very clicky, like you can't get in. Like they can. They kind of just control everything and that's that's like what I don't like, because I think everybody should be supporting everybody. But like, at the end of the day, I understand, nobody cares about your art more than you do, so same goes for every other artist. Like they want to push their art like it's the bible, you know damn no, shout out to double entendre.
Speaker 3:We'll put his music in the description below. He's got some great stuff yeah he's got some great stuff, but let's all get back to you, man. So so you? I met you in Chicago, at Keynes. I honestly didn't think your music was going to be good. Just by seeing you, bro, I'm just being real with you.
Speaker 2:It was before the. Glover though.
Speaker 3:But like I heard some of your music and I was just like wow dude this guy can really make some good music, like he can spit is what people would say. You know like he does a good job. You know, use your craft, and then I find out you're producing your own music. I'm just like how the fuck do you do that? And we went over it. I mean like slightly like it probably. That's probably like just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to producing what's um next for you, besides getting the new equipment? Are you gonna try new territory when it comes to like new music genres? Are you gonna stick with hip-hop?
Speaker 2:uh, I'm gonna explore the faces of hip-hop. So, uh, my next, my next, my next album I'm working on a very sample focused, uh, boom bad heavy album. And then, uh, I'm working on a very sample focused. After that, I want to go towards a more jazz direction, working with live bands for, like you know, licks and stuff, drum breaks, just like live backing instruments, and, yeah, I have a lot of stuff planned.
Speaker 3:What excites you about this life, about this life being an artist?
Speaker 2:Man just the respect and the hopes for a different future. You know, just like because I've been through. I have been through a lot and that's just like what I'm trying to aim for is like a new life, one that I never could have imagined, like coming from the house that I came from were you surprised that, like this is what you wanted to do? Not initially, yeah, but then I was like my whole life I've always wanted to create like I've always.
Speaker 2:I've always like I said like yeah like stories and stuff legos, like little building bricks, like stuff like that, like I would always love to imagine. I've always had a big imagination, but now my imagination is much more. My imagination is like fine-tuned to fueling into my music.
Speaker 3:There's no other option, is there?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it's really just like that's why I'm moving. Yeah, I mean it's it's really just like like that's why I'm moving. Because my parents were like you know, like if you want to do it, you got to do it on your own. I'm like okay, I will move out, do you know that's facts.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah do it on my own work, get that money, reinvest in myself. It's going to be a long winter and I'm like I'm not going to be up on social media like this is probably going to be like my last appearance. Uh, podcast or something up until 25. Just just maybe maybe like a couple podcasts like up in milwaukee, if the opportunity presents itself to get established. But um, I want to.
Speaker 2:I want to go mi for a bit and really just yeah, like yeah, just just be in your mind like right, right and produce and do, do what murphy does you you can't be in like an episode of, like you can be creative with other, like other people being out in the scene like this, but, like, your best art will come inside of you, from solitude spent by yourself and that will come out in solitude yeah, were you surprised when I said hey, murphy, can I use your song as my?
Speaker 2:yeah background yeah, dude, because, like I don't know, just green thumb to me. I'm kind of sick of that song, just because I've heard it so much but like but like no, it's dope to see. Like I remember. I remember, when I got that text too, the way it made me feel like I was just like it's, like it was a good day. I was like, yeah, like shit, just going right sponsors what? I was like, yeah, let's go get respect.
Speaker 3:But so it's about the respect. That's what you like. You're right, the respect people giving you respect for the hard work you're putting in.
Speaker 2:Yeah the, the respect and the bonds that are made. Yeah, like I love the connections that I have, like I love having a connection with you double, you know, eric, like other venues around here, like, just like man, I'm 19, everybody, all of my peers, their friends, are 19. I tell everybody my friends are like they 20s, early 30s, like what, and it's like it's cool because I get to, I get to be around adults who have like been been through shit, you know and uh it just puts me ahead, just pushes me a couple steps ahead.
Speaker 3:What do you hope that your art does for the world?
Speaker 2:I hope that it inspires peace for oneself and that I can inspire all the kids who just struggle with identity and what household they come from to believe that they can be the greatest version of themselves, no matter what situation they're placed in it's good stuff, man.
Speaker 3:Yeah you. Uh, you talked about how you kind of surround yourself around music. You know, and, like you, just play instrumentals, so yeah. So you can like learn how to freestyle better. Why do you choose, like early 90s music, hip-hop?
Speaker 2:I just I've always had a love for like old-school hip-hop. Above all, I grew up with like a lot of old-school hip-hop playing in my mom's car. She would always be on 104.3. So it was always like old school hip-hop hits, classic throwbacks. So, uh, I really like like tlc biggie. Uh, naz was on a couple times and uh, like ja rule, just just like that. I don't know there's something about the, the, the way that the music was made. You like the culture?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean you like the culture, Like that's probably what it is and like the hip hop culture. It was probably hard to make music back then too. I mean, like it's so easy now, probably like compared to back then, like the technology we have spot gas.
Speaker 2:You know like it's. It's so easy now, but like like back then it was you. Yeah, like back then it was taking vinyl records and like putting on the table and then scratching the vinyl and then cutting it up now it's like ai, yeah, like all my all that analog equipment is on a menu in my fl studio.
Speaker 2:You know it's like, yeah, yeah, it's not. Yeah, like physical equipment is good, it's better, but it's so expensive. So it's like when you get you get the fl studio, it's like, it's just like a I don't know like digitalized version what do you, what would you have to say to people who are trying to chase a dream like yours right now?
Speaker 2:You are going to have to suck really hard at first and you have to accept the fact that you can't be where you want to be when you start that. You have to lay the road out and build brick by brick to get to the higher living status that you want. Because you got to think about it that living status is higher than you're currently living. You can only get there by putting in the work and climbing up that ladder. So embrace the fact that you embrace the fact that it's a grind to get to where you want to be. And once you embrace that fact and you keep pushing, you can get anywhere. And once you envision yourself and once you envision and manifest yourself in future scenes where you are living the life that you want to live, that's, that's how you know that you're on the right path. When you see that in your mind every day, that's just, that's the inspiration yeah, jackson, fucking mur everybody.
Speaker 2:Jackson motherfucking Charles Murphy.
Speaker 3:M-U-R-F-E-E. Jackson Murphy Spell it out.
Speaker 2:J-A-C-K-S-O-N-C-H-A-R-E-F-E-S-M-U-R-P-H-Y. Murphy, the Kid on IG. I'm one hell of a guy. I'm gone.
Speaker 3:That's sick man. I'm one hell of a guy. I'm gone. That's sick man. I'm happy you came back. I know you got a lot of stuff cooking and hopefully I'm here to bring you with me. I hope you know that.
Speaker 2:I'm here to bring all the OG. There are people in the Illinois scene who I've met who are very fake. Max, I would love to do the honor of telling you that you're a good human. I like yo. Ladies and gentlemen, round of applause for max man. Hey, first podcast I've ever been on. Shout out to max, provided the opportunity and, look, I think I turned out pretty good you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, dude, you're killing it, man, you're gonna continue to kill it. I saw something in you as soon as I heard that song, and that will continue to be my song for as soon as this podcast goes and as long as you let me um use it and there's only going to be better coming out man, like it's it, the skills that I have learned from because, like, when I first started being in this, it was just me.
Speaker 2:Now I've been like saturated with other creatives and I have so much inspiration so I'm like words cannot emphasize how excited I am to showcase the growth that has happened, because it's like I'm a whole new artist. Not like it's not like different music, it's just like whoa, like he understands it more.
Speaker 3:You know bro, you're 19 years young, you know what I mean and I'm getting a crib murphy's killing it man, hey, um, if you want to check out his music, where you go?
Speaker 2:you go to murphy on spotify, apple music, soundcloud, youtube. And one more time that is m u r f double e baby. That's e? E murphy, the kid on instagram murphy the kid man.
Speaker 3:And if you guys like this content, you like the podcast, make sure you like, comment and subscribe, Hit that notification bell. You know I love hearing what everybody has to say about the growth we're doing with this podcast and I'm paralyzed from neck down, breathing through a machine, but that doesn't stop me from following my dreams and doing what I love to do. I don't got an excuse, neither should you.
Speaker 1:Amen, we ain't got to leave, cause the night's still young, just enjoy the breeze. Damn, can't lie. Today was a good day. Fell fly, new cool kicks and a kick ass ride. And I can't go with my dogs. We just trying to get by.