S2 E34 | Artishi Unleashed with Shi: From Songwriting at Five to Finding Her Voice

Enter the vibrant world of Artishi – a dynamic force in Tampa Bay's creative scene who's redefining what it means to be authentically yourself as an artist. In this captivating conversation, we dive deep into the journey of a multi-talented creator who's been crafting words and melodies since the tender age of five.

Artishy reveals the fascinating story behind her podcast "Shi Speaks" and her mission to create what she calls "safe spaces to fix your face" – environments where people can be vulnerable, grow, and transform without judgment. Her concept of "goal friends" – supportive circles that celebrate your wins rather than competing with them – provides a refreshing perspective on building meaningful relationships in creative industries.

The conversation takes unexpected turns as Artishi performs snippets of her songs "Soon" and "We Swinging," demonstrating her versatile musical style that blends nostalgic 90s vibes with contemporary sensibilities. Her track "We Swinging" carries a powerful message beneath its catchy exterior: "As long as you're up to bat, they can never count you out" – a mantra for perseverance that resonates throughout her work.

What truly sets this episode apart is Artishi's candid discussion about the struggles of perfectionism as a creative entrepreneur. Her confession about finding it difficult to delegate and her tendency to rework projects until they meet her exacting standards will strike a chord with anyone who's ever struggled to call a creative project "finished." The advice shared – that sometimes 70% perfect is good enough – offers liberation for creators trapped in cycles of endless revision.

Whether you're an aspiring musician, podcast host, or simply someone seeking to live more authentically, Artishi's journey from childhood performer to multi-platform creator offers valuable insights on finding your voice and using it to connect with others. Follow Artishi across all platforms to experience her unique brand of artistry that continues to captivate audiences across Tampa Bay and beyond.

Transcript

Meet Artishy: Rapper, Singer, Songwriter

Sean Febre 0:00

Welcome to Happy Hour Holidays. This is your. I guess what you would call it is host for today because Manny's out, but we do have a guest host. Yes, Former athlete in football, Max Paul. Max how you doing Back again, back again. Yeah, he's also been a guest many times.

Max Paul 0:19

I feel like I got a job upgrade this time.

Sean Febre 0:21

Yeah, I got a guest host and he's wearing the shades this time. I knew the vibes today.

Max Paul 0:26

I knew the vibes today. I got matched today.

Sean Febre 0:28

I like it. And now we got our guest for the day. We have she, she. I don't think I know your last name.

Shi 0:36

Well, I go by Artishy.

Sean Febre 0:38

Artishy. So we have Artishy. She is a rapper, singer, songwriter, podcast host of she Speaks and it's at she Speaks.

Shi 0:49

Yep at she Speaks Podcast.

Sean Febre 0:50

And your podcast is normally based around you called it Goal Friends. Yes, yes, can you tell us a little bit about that and what got you into the podcasting world?

Shi 1:02

Okay, yeah, well, honestly, she Speaks came came from. I've been writing since five years old, but I've always had a way with words and I've kind of always been like the mother food's friend when it came to just advice or even, um, when it came down to just emotions. People just they're always like I love the way you say things, the way you birth things down. I can't understand them. So, uh, over time it was always kind of in the back of my head when I would write little quotes. It would always be like she speaks or something like that.

Shi 1:35

And after I had like a certain point in my life where I felt like I kind of lost my voice and I wasn't really sure of myself anymore, I felt like I kind of lost my voice and I wasn't really sure of myself anymore. And when I decided on finding myself and getting back to it, that was kind of my thing. Where she speaks, it's like OK, now I'm reclaiming my voice, this is what I want to do, and that's kind of how that all came together. Like why not start a podcast? People love to hear me talking. How long have you been doing the podcast? For? It has been off and on, but I have. I consistently came back this year, but probably about like two years, two and a half.

Sean Febre 2:17

And then your aspect of your life where you do the singer, songwriter and rapping part. Where did that come from? Where did that derive from?

Shi 2:28

um well, yeah, I've been writing since five. I've always loved music, like I was in love with music. Since what kind of music, by the way? All types of music. I write for every genre music who's your top five favorite artists?

Shi 2:38

top five favorite artists okay that is any genre that is so hard for me because I write for every genre, but if I want to say as far as who I felt most influenced by when I was younger, I loved warren hill. Okay, um, I love tupac. Super big fan of michael jackson, absolutely. Um, that's three, let's see. Uh, I'd have to say beyonce her work ethic and then, of course, taylor Swift right.

Max Paul 3:06

I'm just kidding Nicki Minaj, of course yeah, you're going towards hip hop and but Michael Jackson, that's my favorite one that you've said so far, because a lot of people don't understand how influential he is to this day. Yeah, a lot of like uh well, if you're not of this age, he doesn't affect you, like you're a liar.

Shi 3:34

People still use a lot of I studied him like it was like I know, I know the thoroughly dance I look. It was like it was an obsession for me, like I feel like any kid. But I think what I loved about it was I was so into it Like young. I was extremely independent, like to be running our own song at five. When I say I was serious about it, like I had. We had a group, cause I'm like a preacher's kid, so we had like a group.

Shi 3:57

I came, I had a friend, me and this girl named Faith. We were like the leaders of the group. She was the nice one. They called me the mean one. I was nice until it was time for that.

Shi 4:07

I made those girls practice on that playground Like every day, like you had a show in it. They didn't want to practice and they say you're not a part of my group. So they used to go back to Faith and be like oh, she said we're changed, the melodies have changed. Now I'm spending time working on you, mind you, I'm like seven, I don't care, I'm researching things, telling my mom I'm like no, mom, we have to change our name because somebody else has that name and we have to. You know brand, and she's like brand, you're seven, brand, but I was sitting there watching, like you know, the MTV behind you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I loved watching that like thriller behind the scenes, how he made his mask like I'm when I say I'm a Jack of all trades like it's the aesthetic thing. That's why my artist name is artist. She like she is art okay on the wall type thing and you're from the Tampa Bay area, right yeah and where?

Sean Febre 5:02

where Brandon right. Tampa, tampa yeah, I'm tampa oh okay, so let me ask you a question just can you give us a little bit of a backstory on uh, you know, maybe it starts in in elementary school and uh, show us a little life path of what happened with sheep? Okay to where you are now today.

Childhood Influences and Early Musical Passion

Shi 5:24

Okay, well, uh, like I said, I'm pretty much like a preacher's kid. I was raised in church shout out to rtm or benedictine ministries. Um, reason why I say that is because now anybody that knows of that church, you would pretty much call it like the performing arts church. Uh, our pastor was really big on investing in the children's passion. So you know, with a lot of churches they would probably kind of frown upon hip hop music and things like that. But he used to always tell them you know, if your kids have an interest in music, if you don't cultivate it, somebody else will. And you may not like the environment that they're in. You know God gives all of us gifts. So he's like they don't have to be a pastor to reach anybody or to show God's up to anybody. He's like they want to be a rapper, they can wrestle. Jesus too, they could. He was just like that and his, he had a, his, he had a niche for like excellence. So it wasn't like, oh, you're just doing like this little sunday practice. No, we did full practices. I'm talking about three, four times a week, performing like actually had dancers in there where I'm having to learn different techniques of ballet and hip-hop and alternative, like things like that, like he really invested in us. So it was just a love that I had, but it was something that was embedded in me from jump.

Shi 6:50

So with that, my mom she was like extremely dedicated to me and my little brother, my father at the time. He was incarcerated when I was younger but he was very active, as active as he could be in our lives, and my mom made sure, but she kept me focused and everything and I was extremely driven. Though younger, it wasn't really a thing where she had to really worry about me. If anything, I have kids knocking on the window because they want me to come outside, but I have this thing for tape recorders. So everybody knew about that. So all the people at the church, everybody in the choir they would give me tape recorders where I would record my voice. The church, everybody in the choir, they would give me tape recorders where I would record my voice or I would record the old songs like Michael Jazz and all of that stuff and I would write the lyrics down and play them back. Then I would sing them. That's how I would train my voice and stuff like that. So a lot of it was just, I just loved doing that. I would sit in my room all day and watch BH1 and watch artists and see how they move and learn the little dance with.

Shi 7:45

It was just a thing for me, you know, um, so growing up I was really close to my great grandma. I've always had like a really old soul, so she was like my baby. So every Sunday she would have this thing where she would read the news and she would take the comments out, and every sunday she would leave them for me and we would just do all the things. She drank our coffee. I'm drunk your cranberry juice. I know a lot of kids don't like her. Just I did, man, so I was drinking cranberry juice and we would just sit there and talk and she would ask me all kind of questions and things like that.

Shi 8:24

But when she what it was, I used to always pray to God. I used to be like I want my grandma to let the juice come back. I went to it. That's the only thing I knew. I didn't know no other timeframe. I knew it. If juice came back, there's no other thing Like what? Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's it. So, however, she did it and when she did it. I was so devastated. I was so devastated, I just felt like you're not listening to me. So during that time, that's when I at this point I was still so active in performing arts with church anything outside of church dance, major, cheerleading, all of that stuff outside of church, dance around, major at cheerleading all of that stuff I had auditioned for Blake for their performing arts program Ended up getting accepted. Shout out to Blake.

Max Paul 9:15

I didn't, but you know who did. New Super Bowl champion, isaiah Rogers and Dolce.

Shi 9:22

You right, I forgot about that. Yeah, and she's actually. She went to RCN too. Yeah, shout out to our church. Yeah, but Tam was just talented. Yeah, it's mature and better, but but, yeah, love her, but anyways.

Sean Febre 9:40

So then, after I guess you didn't get accepted into Blake? No, I didn't. Oh, you didn't get accepted, I did, I did yes.

Shi 9:46

I decided not to go. Okay, when my grandma passed away, I just wasn't feeling it.

Max Paul 9:53

Did it shake you? I know for me, when my grandmother passed, that shook me hard.

Shi 9:58

It put me in this. I just wasn't feeling it.

Max Paul 10:01

Yeah, In a completely different space.

Shi 10:04

Yeah that was my heart. It was just like what I gave her her last year and go order and everything. So it was like for me it was just like that's deep. It was like huh, you know how dare you.

Sean Febre 10:14

Right Jesus, how dare you Right?

Max Paul 10:17

I gave you this request for years, for years, and I did not get the memo. I was shooting in the gym Come on man.

Sean Febre 10:28

I put priority on this email to whom it may concern.

Shi 10:30

I should have believed you and all your 12 disciples.

Sean Febre 10:32

You know what?

Max Paul 10:32

I mean.

Shi 10:34

How dare you? I was upset, that's good. Yeah, I was extremely smart, extremely gifted my mom. Fortunately I was in private school. Extremely get the young. Like my mom. Fortunately, I was in private school from like first to fifth grade. So I did the SATs and all of that what private school you go to? Um, my church actually had a school Like he was a. When I say cast, probably the jack of all trades, he didn't play.

Max Paul 10:56

So revealing true ministries.

Shi 10:57

had a church, had a school and with both hands Wild and because he was really invested in a lot of his members. So because my father was incarcerated, like he actually took care of me and my brother's skin, okay, but we didn't have to like so we could be private school, so we can I think it was more of making sure my mom didn't have to worry about certain things getting to us, like they kind of just all stepped up that way, like until my father could come home like we're going to make sure like you don't have to be so stressed out.

Max Paul 11:26

Cause a lot of times in our community. You'll see that.

Shi 11:28

Yeah.

Max Paul 11:29

You'll see that a lot, a lot of times. It just, you know, you hear about the harsh reality of, like, single moms. I've been kind of just figure it out. There's not a lot of community, not, yeah, there, yeah, there's not so much anymore. Like I know, like when my, our parents were coming up, you could leave doors open and, you know, pay the kids. You know what I'm saying. Like back in the like, even when I was little, everyone let their doors open. I'd go to anybody's house on my street. No, for real. But now, shit, yeah, I'm pulling, I'm pulling out on the Girl Scout when she rolling up, hey, what do you know? You know what they mean, it ain't it.

Sean Febre 12:02

I already got the box.

Max Paul 12:04

Being a short Brad, you already get me once. What are you talking?

Shi 12:07

about and they thugs too. They might be like what you mean.

Max Paul 12:09

What you mean. I told you Thursday running my money. All right, little mama, Leave me outside.

Shi 12:15

You know, this little 25.

Max Paul 12:22

Go ahead. I'm sorry, oh man, shit Fuck. I got beef with the Girl Scouts.

Shi 12:27

I don't like that. Get a little good. Yeah, that got a little personal.

Max Paul 12:30

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like yeah right, A little bit Beef with them, A little bit. Y'all never have my shortbread. They always try to push the thin mints on me. I don't my shortbread cookie.

Shi 12:41

That's the blue box, yeah. Yeah, I already know, I love that, I need that.

Max Paul 12:48

That's mandatory, it's the blue box and the purple box For the samosas. Yeah, yeah, see, that's it. Don't bring me nothing else. I got two boxes of Thin Mints. Look, sweetheart. I told you come back with a shortbread. I said I got these Thin Mints but I don't like. I said I have these Thin Mints. You're buying two boxes. Yo, I guess I am buying these Thin Mints, yeah.

Shi 13:11

Oh, my poor guy Not taking no for an answer.

Max Paul 13:13

Not at all.

Sean Febre 13:18

It's good. It's fucking hilarious too. I'm not going to lie, though.

Shi 13:21

That's how it was. No, I'm going to lie, hey bro.

Sean Febre 13:23

Yeah, like I said, post Post ready.

Shi 13:26

You remember the world's famous chocolate bars that you stepped yourself in. First off, absolutely I was a gangster with those. Now I'm rolling up on you with that one. I tell you, ooh, you're not going to be no.

Max Paul 13:40

See, no, I hated the prizes. Yeah, you mean, I sold $500 worth of chocolate. You give me a keychain. I'm getting a keychain off of this. I can't even get free lunch for a couple of days, right, like, give me something good, right? So when I saw the episode remember the Boondocks yeah, they had. Riley did the fundraiser yeah, I understood that. I felt that in my soul, I was like yep.

Sean Febre 14:02

Why did I not do this as a child? Right? Right, I should have made kids You're talking about adult swim, right? Absolutely yeah, for sure, with a crazy grandpa.

Max Paul 14:10

Yeah, but he got his own brand of chocolate, rebranded it and then pushed his world's favorite chocolate right out of business.

Shi 14:16

That's how you know kids. But I had an innovative mind young, because I thought about that. When I seen how fast I could push chocolate bars, I remember telling my mom I was like mom, I wonder, because I think one year I sold literally I sold probably like 10 boxes, but like I sold like maybe four of them in a week, I was like mom, I can get off on these boxes so fast. I don't even want them prizes, they need to give me money. How can I flip the chocolate bars? My mom was like you can't take them, people, chocolate bars. I'm like well, if I can get them all this much for a dollar, I don't want to buy something for $2. At least I can get my profit back. I'm like 10. My mom was like you can't. But I always was like that though.

Max Paul 15:01

The most famous chocolate was training for drug dealers.

Sean Febre 15:06

Training yes.

Shi 15:07

Or hustlers, not really. Let's say hustlers, we'll say hustlers, no, no, no.

Sean Febre 15:11

Let's say potential entrepreneurs. Because when you think about it it's teaching you hey, buy at a low, sell at a high, sell at a high, what is your gross profit? Because you got to incorporate your time into it. And then you can realize yo, I can make some money off of this If you can sell chocolate bars.

Max Paul 15:28

You can sell anything.

Sean Febre 15:29

That pretty much I can. Mr Beast does it with what's it called Feastables. Yeah yeah, he's selling chocolate bars, Chate.

Shi 15:37

Motherfuckers making money. I think that's why hospitality can't sell like.

Max Paul 15:42

Oh easy, if you could sell that, I've got all this money one or two, I still miss it like yeah, because you're both.

Shi 15:49

Y'all said you were bartenders, right yeah, I actually started as a server. Well, I started actually as a hard rock girl, I was a hard rock girl for like cocktails, cocktails cocktails mass, no, no, no, that's not that that's all she does.

Max Paul 16:04

That's right the other days.

Sean Febre 16:05

Cartoon cigarettes.

Shi 16:07

But see, I didn't, because my voice is like very soft, so you know having to walk through those coin machines. They're all loud. My thing has always been people are going to smell me before they hear me and then when they see me it's like ooh, so that was my thing. That's why I said I knew certain things. I knew young like I was quick, nobody saw me that it was just. I was always big on like layering, like body oils. I love smelly like. I just love that. I love that reaction when I walked in and somebody's like what's that? So that's, that was the thing for me. So I would like walk past and my scent would introduce me. It was so bad, like even the girls, they'll know you mean, it was so good yeah, yeah, yeah, it's so good.

Shi 16:49

So even the girls, they would know like when I would walk in a bar because they started to name me money face in there like the regular. It was like if you ain't got the money, get out of face. But they'll be like, oh, money face coming. You could tell, you could smell. You could smell her in the bar before she gets here and I come in there, what's up y'all, because my voice was so. So that's how I was. It's like I'd walk past and somebody would be like what's that? And I'd be like, hey, what do you want? You want a drink Now?

Max Paul 17:12

I'm stuck. Look, look, she did that. I was like can I get a coffee?

Shi 17:19

That's right.

Sean Febre 17:28

Because this life? So jump in the shades, because my eyes is just gonna get like how can you tell me no? So you worked at the hard rock.

Life Changes and Finding Her Creative Voice

Shi 17:32

Yeah, let me ask you a question did you get a lot of people trying to? You know, just pat the butt a little bit. They. That was like with the corsets. Yeah, because you know they have it sitting yeah yeah, you would have a lot of that like oh whoever gets on, kick the fuck out for jim I'd only had one, because he was so obnoxious and he was so drunk.

Shi 17:50

He kept following me everywhere Because you know you have to go through and yes, mind you, I have this trade with the glassware. So you know you're picking up the glassware as you go. And at first and I'm a tough cookie, so I'm not one of those and just like, oh like, extremely intimidated, I know how to handle myself. So at first I'm thinking he wants a drink. He does get a drink from me, like one or two drinks but then after that he's just kind of oh, let me get your number. I'm like thank you, I'm not interested. He's like what do you mean? You think I've been?

Max Paul 18:20

And I was.

Shi 18:20

He an attractive man at least he wasn't bad looking, but it's just the approach so you're saying if you didn't approach like that, maybe he can't even say that because I'm lesbian. I don't know why do you? When y'all say that it's a valid statement.

Sean Febre 18:42

I identify as a lesbian. Now what?

Shi 18:43

are we talking about but you're not. You don't qualify, you don't have a part. Why?

Sean Febre 18:49

no but why we live?

Max Paul 18:51

in a culture with the ABC community. I can identify. Now, I can just identify.

Sean Febre 18:55

Now I identify as a lesbian, you can't tell me shit. Wow, I can say it now he identifies as a woman that likes other women Yep Lesbian.

Shi 19:06

I guess not my type. Love, that's all.

Sean Febre 19:08

I can say Well, let's say you were strict.

Shi 19:12

No, but I no. No, Like he wasn't bad looking, but he was not my type.

Sean Febre 19:17

So how'd you get him off your back?

Shi 19:19

Well, eventually, no, I just went to security because I'm a person.

Sean Febre 19:24

Yeah, we got to get this guy out of the building.

Shi 19:25

We could either do that. So what it was is I was really cool with the custodians overnight. We were all cool because we're younger, so it was one that was kind of like my bodyguard anyway. So when she seen him she was like he bothering you and I was like, yes, she was like hey, you need to back off, or whatever. So and I was like, yeah, she was like hey, you need to. Her and all her homeboys they're like hey, you need to back off or whatever. So he kind of did a little bit, but then he waited till I was in another section. So she's like texting me and she's like, hey, you good, and I'm like he keep following me. She's like say less. So she went and got the guy or whatever. Gertie Garg.

Shi 19:59

Yeah, was just trying, so he's super creeper yeah, he was just doing the most, but I'm really not one of those that I'm just not doing all of that. I'm real smooth, like you know.

Sean Febre 20:09

It's like, hey, how you doing, how you doing too much did you ever want to just like oh well, yeah, you clearly don't work there anymore, right? Yeah, I don't work there anymore. Um, I is that the type of shit that made you quit no, I didn't quit.

Shi 20:22

So what happened is I had well, I don't like to claim it, but I uh dealt with asthma younger. I only have one, yeah, I only have one bad one, like in kindergarten.

Shi 20:35

So you have an inhaler right yeah, but I don't hardly like bring it. I didn't bring something. I'm just very much to fanning up. Um, I had one bad asthma attack in kindergarten and then, like I was good, but I guess the tobacco and the smoke or what happened in between me working at the casino which I made so in between me working that, and then I ended up getting accepted to this songwriting seminar. It was this contest and there was like 5,000 people submitted and then they had a top 50. And I got chose in the top 50. So they had nod you.

Shi 21:16

Now I'm going on planes, different climates, women on New York is raining. So long story short is one day I'm with my best friend, we're riding and I'm coughing and all of a sudden I can't breathe. She has to rush me to the hospital. They pretty much say like I was about two minutes away from my lungs, fully collapsing. And now this whole thing where, like I have to have honey in my purse all the time, like I, literally I was eating honey so much Like I used to be. Like, if you cut me open, I'm not going to bleed red, it's going to bleed honey, like that's just-.

Sean Febre 21:47

Why the honey?

Shi 21:48

Because it helps with the mucus and the congestion. Plus I was still trying to do gigs and stuff like that.

Max Paul 21:54

Okay.

Shi 21:54

And my voice had gotten so raspy.

Max Paul 21:56

Because of the smoke and such.

Shi 21:58

Yeah. So I guess between the smoke and the climate I had developed some type of I ended up getting the asthma attack as I when I got older and I had never gotten an asthma attack since kindergarten so I couldn't know how to deal with it. So because of that, at the time they didn't have the no smoking section at the high rock so I ended up having to leave due to that, because I got sick and because they had me down for a while, I wasn't able to work for like three months. Like it was that bad as far as my body having to stabilize my environment.

Sean Febre 22:25

Yeah, and, with that being said, we are wrapping up the first segment of happy hour holidays. Please like, comment, subscribe. We're on all the channels that you can download. We're on YouTube, x, tik TOK, instagram, facebook. Also, if you have any questions, please email Sean at happyhourholidays holidays spelled D-A-Z-E, not D-A-Y-S com, and we'll answer your emails. If you're looking for sponsorship opportunities, please also hit up that same email and if you have any questions, 813-385-6609. We'll be right back.

Max Paul 23:05

Thank you for tuning in round two. Yo, we're back with the lovely miss she. She's back for round two of this part of the interview. I mean she. I've been waiting to ask this questions, as before we got back on camera. Now I know your podcast is about having goal-oriented friends around you. Okay, how do you feel men and women differ in that department? Do you feel that women are more likely to have a more supportive circle than men, or vice versa, or how do you feel about that?

Sean Febre 23:38

Yeah, do you think maybe women are less supportive, or men more supportive, or the other way around. Yeah, when it comes to your friends, my friends, I just don't mean in general.

Max Paul 23:49

Oh okay, in general, I'm talking in general, I ain't going to lie.

Shi 23:52

I showed out with my friends.

Max Paul 23:55

I'm only going to get serious. I'll just say, in general, how do you feel about that?

Shi 23:59

I honestly believe everything is an upbringing thing, so I think that it could really depend, because I have a couple of guys where it's like it was a community of them like literally grew up and they all supported each other, but we also came from like similar backgrounds. So I've always said that I feel like when people identify with each other, a lot of it is upbringing. Some people are raised off love, some people are raised off survival and some people know how. Some people may have never seen certain characteristics but they want that for their life fucker, so they don't allow that to like limit. It's like I want this out of my life.

Sean Febre 24:32

So when I see it's a good thing, I'm gonna connect so it kind of sounds like it's outside of gender and it's just based on the individual yeah, I felt like it's a mindset thing yeah, have you, and you were saying this off camera about individuals that will praise you for what you've done.

Sean Febre 24:48

But there's also a limitation there, because maybe they may not be achieving where you want to go. I mean, is there some portion of you that thinks you know what? Maybe I got to get outside of this because if I'm doing the best out of my fun group, well, I got to get five more friends that are doing better than me in order to achieve.

Shi 25:09

I do believe it's one of those things where you expand your horizons. But I also feel like if you have a healthy group space where they're happy for you in every space, like they're just rooting for you because some things it's not even. It also falls on your discipline as well.

Shi 25:26

Some things that's your thing yeah but if they support you doing your thing, but just because they're not doing that, they're not doing that. But that's like with anything and like if you're a content creator, it's just more beneficial if you're the only content creating friend, yes, your friends are gonna support you. They're gonna do certain things, but they're not gonna come with innovative ideas all the time. So your content like another content creative friend, there's gonna be times where you even want to do content. They're gonna be like, oh for real, but they'll do it. But it's not going to be the same as you coming in the house with energy and it's like this is what we coming to do.

Shi 26:00

So, yes, I do feel like you should branch out as far as, whatever it is that you feel, like you you're doing for your life, that you need to have those. You need to have that type of circle around you. And then, as far as your, your friends, like your for life friends or just kind of whether I'm doing anything, I we choose each other at the end of the day, as long as they are for you and they don't make you feel like you're selling out for going to those different circles. Those are for lifers. You know what I'm saying.

Max Paul 26:28

And I feel like those are hard to find nowadays.

Shi 26:30

Well, I mean.

Max Paul 26:30

In general, like when you look at a lot of friend groups, you don't get a lot of people who are just no matter what you do, they're going to support you, as long as it's out of something positive.

Shi 26:40

I'm blessed to have that. I do.

Max Paul 26:41

I have a sister circle like literally, like waiting to exhale that whole nostalgic I have that and it's always a blessing to see, but, like I said, I think it's also very rare.

Goal Friends and Building Supportive Circles

Shi 26:53

It is. I get DMs all the time. I get girls that are like how, how did you, how do you get? But it's honest, honestly, I feel like it's honest. Honestly, I feel like it's also a vibe thing because, um, even with me being an artist, promoters notice that about me fast. They would tell me especially, you know, just in art, my demographic or land he's like it's very rare that you he's like I don't know how you get them so comfortable like it's. It's so many of them and women just flop to you, doesn't matter. Like you know, women can be kind of catty.

Max Paul 27:23

Very competitive with each other, just especially in your industry, being an artist and being, you know, an influencer and being a partner, a lot of times you'll see where women are. Not necessarily. I don't want to say hate on each other, because they kind of do though.

Shi 27:45

A little bit. But I because you get, you get compared often versus guys could sit around like even with the age thing like nobody talks about, like 2 Chainz was like 40 when he started his career but they constantly would no, I said anything about it, yeah, but they'll constantly shame on like oh, you're trying to rap at 40, how like the talent isn't the talent. You know what?

Sean Febre 27:57

I'm saying so we got a content creator right here. Yeah, I don't do too much.

Max Paul 28:03

I do a little football stuff.

Shi 28:03

I mean we definitely could plug in.

Sean Febre 28:06

I mean he's got more followers than both of us combined.

Max Paul 28:09

I do okay, I do okay, I do okay, I bless you. There we go. I do okay, I bless you.

Sean Febre 28:14

Such a modest man, such a modest man, I love it Well, do you have any advice for she?

Max Paul 28:21

As far as like growing her content, growing followers, growing followers, that she as far as like growing her content, growing followers, right, followers, uh, that's, that's just time. And and finding your algorithm, kind of my algorithm now I understand where my peak followers are going to be, what time, what's the best time to post, who to plug in with, to not piggyback off their networks and stuff like that collaborate, collaborate, yeah, invited collaborators, and stuff like that. So once you figure out your niche and kind of know your lane okay, now I know my lane let me branch off in these other little spots and then take that with me because I'm so big on accountability shots that she seeks um.

Shi 28:56

I can honestly say I know my niche. My issue is my consistency. I'm a person that I tunnel vision, focus, so so when I am focused, I'm one of those people that can literally build something like that, and now the followers are up. But then I get overwhelmed with life because it's just me, okay. So then I'll kind of start where it's like okay, I'm consistent, I'm doing it, and then I'll fall off. Now they're like now they're looking for me. So now I have to constantly put myself that's so long that I'm yeah, life.

Shi 29:31

Honestly, sometimes it's just because in my business I've always been so big like even with my podcast right now, like when people look at it, they're like how are you? Like? I created my logo myself, I did everything and that's based off. Like I taught myself how to do the AI automations, like I've been doing. Yeah, people, but I live. My brain is just. I have a very innovative brain. So when I sit and focus, I focus.

Shi 29:53

But if something throws me off, like whether, yeah, like especially like big thing for me has always been financials, so it's like it's something, because it takes a lot. You have to invest in yourself, it takes a lot. So when you're doing so much by yourself and it's like I'm not 18 or 19, I have bills, I have responsibilities, so that's the biggest pressure now on not having the financial freedom to solely focus. So with me, I will say I'm. I get blessed with opportunities as soon as I walk out the door and once I step like I'm doing something, I get all kind of doors open for me. But with that I get so many eyes at one time it's not everybody wants to. And now I'm overwhelmed because it's only just me of the way I put my stuff out. I guess the level of excellence, the way I do it. I look so ready that people are like, hey, now you're here.

Max Paul 30:53

You're like this ain't even it.

Shi 30:56

I'm really doing this off of the back of my soul. Hold on, I got people want to like, oh, but what paper interview submissions? I'm like I understand that. But the other stuff that I got to want to like, oh, but what paper interview submissions? Did it up. But I'm like, but I, I understand that, but the other stuff that I got to pay for it, it may not. Now I don't, I don't have the time, cause now I got to work double shifts just to get that. Now I'm exhausted so I can't put in the time in it. So it's like I'm pacing myself based off me. But when all these opportunities come in and just flood, what's the time? It's the time just because of the financial backing I need. I don't. You know, I think that's the hardest part, with a lot of talented people and that's where it comes with networking.

Sean Febre 31:43

But you need to be more consistent so you can attract those people. What would you say is the amount of time that you would need in a given day, or even in a week that you would have to spend in order to overcome that problem? One hour, two hours, three hours?

Shi 31:58

I think maybe, like I would say probably like a solid, like maybe three to four hours, but also it's like Three, four hours a day, no a day or not. I would say probably like First, like maybe three to four hours, but also it's like three, four hours, no, not, I'll say probably like a week. No, I'll probably say like in a day, based off. But it also depends on what, like how you you're branding yourself yeah because some people I'm I'm very big on detail yeah and I like I have to re-watch my videos, like, even though I pay somebody to edit and cut, I don't.

Shi 32:28

I edit and cut all of my stuff after they cut, because it's just certain things I see, just my eye has always been very um so that that is one of the biggest uh uh obstacles.

Sean Febre 32:39

Entrepreneurs and I'm we're not social media influencers by any means, but one of the biggest obstacles entrepreneurs have to do is overcome delegation. And also I own a real estate photography company. There are things I see in the photos that we provide our customers where I'm like man, this does not look good. They'll see it and they'll say, wow, looks amazing. Just because it's not perfect to us doesn't mean it cannot be perfect to somebody else. Right, and that is something that we struggled with in the early days back in 2016, trying to overcome. When you have to eventually let go of that and say you know what? It may not be perfect to me, but when they see it somebody who doesn't have a profession in it they'll think it's 100% perfect. Right, and I think that's a struggle most entrepreneurs deal with is letting go, and I want to give you a piece of advice here Let go. Let go. If it's not perfect, it's fine. If it's 70% perfect, that's good enough, it's fine.

Max Paul 33:47

If it's 70, perfect, that's good enough. And a lot of times sometimes what you're cutting a little late. I know for me what's on football videos. I know me. I'm very much like you say. I'll sit with my guy sunny, sunny vegas, shut up to my guy sunny vega for doing all my videos. But I'll sit with them and I will go over it two or three times yeah and now we kind of have an idea of what works for me, right.

Max Paul 34:04

But there are times, times where I've posted something a little early, before we're finished with a product, and got a better reaction off of it because of the rawness of it. Yeah for sure, it feels raw, it doesn't feel manufactured, it feels very real.

Sean Febre 34:18

Right.

Max Paul 34:19

And, like along those ways, said sometimes you got to let that go and just kind of be like, be you be, let it let everybody see. Not a polished version of you, not not the perfection. You, let them see you right. You know what I mean, because I like, even on camera right now, this is. This is the polished version of you, the raw you, it's cool as shit. It's cool. I mean both versions are dope yeah I'm saying, like the raw you may be, what gets you?

Shi 34:48

yeah, someone saying, hey, I see what you got going on, I want to invest in you and I do get that because I it's like it's so crazy that you say that, because that's my, as far as just being an artist, that's my whole thing, being raw and authentic. Um, I just think also with being a woman though a lot of it is just more of the, especially if you're kind of known for a certain look, absolutely. So what it is for me is like I'm always on point, so it's certain things like angles and just certain stuff that, especially if you have, um, men sometimes behind the lens, they're an eye to them, they're like like, yeah, they're like you look, you look.

Shi 35:24

There's a period and it's like no, you didn't see how my eyes copped a little bit, and so it's just like that eyelash leaning and rocking, no, like yeah, but personality, like I don't, like I could rock with it all day, but I also feel like it's like just taking accountability. It could just mean being overwhelmed with just life, sometimes like as far as where, now, um, I'm a person and I'm working on it.

Shi 35:55

It's uh, they call them et, but I listen to his motivation eric thomas yes, I love him, and he literally the hip-hop preacher yes, and he literally talks about how you should be like a hashed version, and I realize that I'm that. So sometimes it's like if I get so overwhelmed and I'm not feeling it, I don't like to do it because I feel like I'm the best one. I feel like that energy it changes, like when I'm editing, I'm in that bag and I'm feeling like I could tell the difference versus when now it's forced, where it's like I'm just doing, just do it. I hate that feeling. So I have to overcome like it doesn't matter that I'm not feeling it. You still need to do it, but I won't do it because I'm like I'm not, like I'll try to, but I'm like I'm not feeling it today. So I feel, but I feel like now it's half ass well, nobody ever feels like you're able to do it you're not a team.

Max Paul 36:46

You're not a team with you when it comes to not everything not everything no, no, I no, I don't.

Shi 36:51

It's me, it's me and my videographer. He's super dope, he's like a jack of all trades, he's young, he's innovative, like he does so you guys use ai at all um not for there's a lot of time that can be cut.

Sean Febre 37:03

Yeah, you can definitely do a lot of ai.

Shi 37:04

I've been using it as far as, like some of my prompts and some of my, I'm still getting into it, but that's why I said a lot of it just delegating the time, because it's times I'm literally like I'm getting off my shift overnight and then I'm going to another job and I'm working a whole, another 12 hour shift and I'm going back to work. So, even though, yes, I technically have downtime, my mind is exhausted. I don't have the space to just solely focus on.

Max Paul 37:27

Let today just be about the podcast what I, what I would suggest to you is what I've been doing lately is, even when I, when we've done stuff in the past, right like I'll show him what I'll do is.

Max Paul 37:37

I'll get a clip, maybe like 10 second clip, and I'll schedule teaser posts. I'll schedule teaser stories because now it's you started to look at me, look at me, look at me Now. It gives you time to set up your perfection. So now, if I start your attention here and I hit you in the face with a finished product, now I've kept your follower. I've kept my current followers. Hit them. Now. My current followers are here. Now I'm pulling in new followers and now that'll help boost what you got going on. You know what I mean, yeah, what are you using?

Shi 38:09

Cause? I did see. Um, I had looked, I had listened to this seminar for podcasts. I forgot what the guy's name is, but he's, he's really dope, and he said something about Opus clips or something like that. Opus clips is in, yeah, and I haven't tried it. I keep saying like, like, oh, I'm going to try it with some of my Google drives.

Sean Febre 38:27

Let's put it this way You're going to get a lot of clips from this show from Opus Clips, and I upload them onto a Dropbox folder. You can view all 30 plus of them, so you'll see what they put out, because we've been using them for fucking ever.

Shi 38:45

Okay.

Sean Febre 38:47

I wanted to ask you a question because you mentioned ET. He's not the only motivational speaker I think you listen to. Have you ever listened to Les Brown? God, nobody knows Les Brown, les Brown, I know that.

Shi 38:59

I don't want to say I haven't, because I could have stumbled on him and just didn't know who.

Max Paul 39:02

Look up Les Brown. Les Brown and George White. He's from the George White too. George White, yes, sir.

Sean Febre 39:10

Let me follow them now, because I'm a person. Les Brown is from the. He is the reason.

Shi 39:14

Is it Lust or Less?

Sean Febre 39:16

L-E-S. That's it. L-e-s Brown.

Shi 39:19

Why does that sound familiar?

Sean Febre 39:21

Because he's the baby boy of Mama, mama, mamie Brown. Yeah, and he was born on the, on the fucking footsteps of. Once you hear him, you've heard. Yeah, let's put it this way Les Brown is by far the best motivational speaker ever. He grew up educably mentally retarded is what they labeled him as and he had his own special on PBS. He had sold out arenas all over the united states all in the 80s and I found him and I quit my job and we started, me and my brother uh, for brave frameworks. And since then it's been no looking back. He's had the biggest impact on my life ever and I'm pretty sure etT kind of took a little bit from Les Brown. But ET's good. I mean, he's not bad. He screams a lot. You know this is more motivational, but again, he's what I'm got.

Shi 40:19

I love his grit and his passion, though.

Sean Febre 40:21

Well, he was homeless, homeless. His story is insane.

Max Paul 40:24

Yeah, les Brown's story is good. I'm not going to lie, I'm not going to lie One day.

Shi 40:29

It was one day because I would in between jobs, just I would do Uber Eats, and it was one day I literally listened to him all day just to make my goal.

Shi 40:37

And it was such a hard day and it's like every time I wanted to quit I would hear something and I literally I can literally say that day I made my goal. It took me all day and I ended up actually at the end, once I seen all the tits came in from Uber Eats, I ended up making double my goal. But it was like at first it just wasn't. I guess it wasn't showing up, but it just let me know, like the power of the mind and what you listen to, what you're around, and sometimes it's kind of one of those things, like you said, you can know what you're supposed to be doing, but sometimes you just need that extra push. Sometimes you need that. I can't only motivate myself so much, but that's where you have to build it. You have to look for other avenues. So that's why I said it's a safe space to fix your face. Sometimes it's me.

Sean Febre 41:20

And I suggest Say that again.

Shi 41:27

It's a safe space to fix your face.

Sean Febre 41:28

I was ready and sometimes and sometimes I don't know if you guys have ever done this or not, but I've done it. I've fallen to sleep to motivational videos, like when I want to go to sleep. Sometimes I'll just put on motivational videos on youtube, but I'm not looking at them. Uh, I'm just listening to it and I fall asleep to it and somehow that shit rewires your subconscious in order to think more powerfully about yourself.

Sean Febre 41:55

Yeah, not just what you've heard, but then now, when you're listening to it subliminally, you're applying it unconsciously in your life without even realizing it.

Shi 42:05

Right, it's wild, yeah, no, it really is yeah, it really is so all of it, that it really is so all of it. That's why I said all of it is just like I said girlfriends, even this conversation, like that's what this is for, like I feel like I know she speaks like my best friend tells me all the time like, and she stays on me like she's like when's your next episode, when's your next episode what are we doing?

Shi 42:27

Oh, I love it. Go ahead, we can make that happen. We can make that happen, I mean you need your own podcast. I'm telling you, I can't wait to have these against the piece of land.

Max Paul 42:38

I'm an assistant guest and guest host.

Sean Febre 42:42

I think a podcast named Max Gaines would be a good name. Max Gaines, ah, good name, max Gaines. Let's think about that.

Shi 42:55

See what happens when you have girlfriends. That's what I'm saying. It just hits different sometimes it's just a little bit.

Sean Febre 43:02

Yeah.

Shi 43:04

As far as just working on stuff and getting back into it. It's more of like she speaks is manifestation. I know that's. It's more of like she speaks, his manifestation. I know that's the thing. I feel like my she speaks is going to be the foundation for all the other things that I have done, Cause I've done placements, songwriting, placements, all kinds of things, and it's just more of kind of you need a foundation that's going to tie everything. So, even though I get overwhelmed she speaks, I have told myself like, no matter how many times, I gotta make sure I get that into it, like I'm not giving up on it, make sure don't. Yeah, I'm not giving up, I feel like I am. She speaks, though you are she's?

Shi 43:44

yeah, she speaks. So it's like, even if it's not in a full podcast form, always drop in gyms, like when you come on you guys, come on, y'all will be on the theme Gadsden Gym Dropouts. That's what it's called for my kids.

Sean Febre 43:57

And when we get back we will continue this very rewarding conversation with both Max and she. And please like, comment and subscribe. Once again, we're on all the major socials, all the major podcast stations. If you have any questions, please, uh, email sean s-e-a-n. At happy hour, holidays d-a-z-ecom and we'll answer your emails and, uh, who knows, maybe we'll feature you on one of the podcasts. We'll be right back. Thank you you for tuning in Love you guys.

Shi 44:32

What's up, y'all? It's she when she Speaks and we are back at Happy Hour Holidays. I'm with my guys and we're chilling. You know, we finna get into it.

Max Paul 44:42

She said that all sensual like uh.

Sean Febre 44:47

We finna get into it.

Max Paul 44:48

She said it like that again we go to go.

Sean Febre 44:49

It's hard to be like that. I love you. You, my Eric Day. I think I just set them up On a blind date here.

Shi 45:02

I mean, we already matching, you know yeah.

Being Authentic as an Artist

Sean Febre 45:07

Damn. Beige and black, beige and black Sorry about that. And then black again. Yeah Right, I think you were singing something to him, weren't you?

Max Paul 45:21

Vax, I was getting serenaded, I knew it.

Sean Febre 45:23

Yeah.

Max Paul 45:27

Let it fool you, she was serenading the big old camera.

Shi 45:29

I do have this R&B song called Soon. It is out on platforms now. I could give you a look.

Max Paul 45:37

Give us a look. That's what we're going to use.

Shi 45:39

Okay now, it's a little sensual now.

Sean Febre 45:41

Oh, let me go. You going to sit back, you going to sit back and relax, mm-hmm.

Shi 45:53

Soon as I get home. Drop them drawers. I make it up to you and you don't have to talk. I know what you want. That's all I need from you. Damn Touch you, love you, hold you easy, babe. That's all I need from you. Damn, touch you, love you, hold you easy, babe. Don't gotta make it complicated. No, touch you, love you, hold you easy, babe. Don't gotta make it complicated right here. My ambitions take a lot. I be busy in and out. I don't mean make it complicated right here. My ambitions take a lot. I be busy in and out. I don't mean to keep you waiting. I'm admiring your patience. Shit. You know I'm worth it. I've been fiending for a week. We gonna keep this here discreet. I'm the lady in the streets Cause the weapon in the sheets. Bust it all on you. Got a bad bitch on your mantle. Help me keep it G real simple. Got a list of things on the menu.

Max Paul 46:56

We can do the thing in the rental, something like that, let me tell you that she said drop them drawers, and he almost came home.

Shi 47:06

Something like that, but yeah that's soon Damn.

Sean Febre 47:10

your voice is remarkable, thank you, and you also got uh, a single that you already put out with a music video yeah, we shout that shit out.

Shi 47:20

Yeah, shout out to we slinging and we gonna have a good time. Y'all can check me out. It's artist she a r t I s s h? I and we slinging sling game. It's uh, thats-h-i and we slinging Swing gang. That was the name of the song, though. Yeah, we swinging.

Max Paul 47:34

Now I saw the video off camera and it was in a skate rink In the Bro Bowl Historical, in the Bro Bowl, tampa, original Downtown Tampa. Now, how did you choose that location? Like, what brought you to that? Like, instead of, instead of using, like a united gates or something like that? What? What made you say we're going to grow?

Shi 47:54

so I wanted it to be authentic.

Shi 47:56

Um, I'm a 90s girl okay like I said, like I shoot, I just posted a picture that said I'm a she got a vibe like the 90s in the world of 2000s. So I wanted that feel of it's a feel good song. Yeah, when you listen to it it makes you think of barbecues, it makes you think of kids playing outside. Even the music video I got kids in it, they jump rope and we playing. So I wanted it to be more authentic. I wanted to give the nostalgia of fun, because that was like the first song I had did um in a long time. But I was like going through like my troubled time. I had like a little troubled time where I kind of was trying to find myself again. So we sang. It was like the first song that just felt like me. It wasn't something I had to think about, so I just wanted. I wanted good times, good vibes. I wanted to take it back where we didn't have any worries, because right now everybody's stressing and it is.

Max Paul 48:46

And after, even before seeing the video, just hearing it glitch, because I obviously saw the video second, but just hearing it reminds you it has a home feeling like it has.

Max Paul 48:57

It has that old, like a not so old, but like a like a good vibe feeling. Yeah, I said like, it's very much like you, just kind of hanging out. You know what I mean. And it's you don't get music like that anymore, especially in this industry today. Like, and it brings to our point of how do you feel the music industry is now versus before? Because for me, I believe just now music is made for commercial purposes only, it's made for direct demographic Right, no mass consumption. Yeah, like there's no feel good music. There's no feel good music, there's no. Like there's no song that you can pick out right now, at least in my opinion, you can go.

Shi 49:36

That thing just make you feel good, that thing just make you feel good, like the nostalgia, yeah, that's, and that's really what I was working on, like I I felt like there was a market for that. Um, I feel like right now that type of music is still being done. It's just, oh, it's like underground music, like all our good music growing up is not underground music. You have some artists trying to bring it back and certain things. I think that's why they keep bring implementing like 90 samples in. Yeah, but just with the machines and the industry right now, you have to give the people what they want. So it's just kind of like having the, I guess, the audacity to break out into something different, and I think that's the beauty of when you're not fully discovered yet, you can create your own thing and there's no agenda to what you put out, um, but when you say that, like we swinging, I get so many, like I got my first booking in cali off of a TikTok platform just cause they heard me swinging.

Shi 50:31

Like so I, anywhere I go, like I just got a booking in Miami, for it's like when people hear we swinging, it's electric. Like I think the first time I went to a club here and I just played it and just to sit there and see the reaction and the DJs, people walk, they was like yo, who's singing this? I gotta get this song. Like they thought it was coming on the radio or something like oh, it's me, you know. So I know I've tapped into something and I actually have an EP that gives all of those vibes. I just haven't released any other songs because I really want to push this one. Like you said, the music video been out for a year and it should have way more views than it has, but I think I think we might be to go ahead and push this over to our friends at 94 yeah, we're gonna have to, man, because why is that not out yet?

Sean Febre 51:16

uh, and, like you said, those feel good songs. Because I mean what and this is why I stopped listening to rap was the mumble rappers, bro, like the little yacht. I'm like, what the fuck's he saying? Yeah, I mean, we grew up in an era with like lil wayne, young jock, young gz, and they were actually vocalizing what they were saying and then I don't know where the fuck it made a right turn, but they stopped saying words and I'm like, where am I?

Max Paul 51:47

listening to this I was thinking that who was a designer with that panda song? That's in it, yeah, yeah.

Shi 51:55

And it's so crazy, though, for me to be like, oh that panda, panda, panda, panda, panda, panda. I guess I'm just like going to appreciate, like I get it. But I guess maybe that's the blessing of the fact that I do write for everything. It's like I'm appreciative of if something evokes emotion out of anybody, like some things. But I get it though. I get wanting to have words and wanting to feel like. You know, we used to go and read like rewind that.

Shi 52:22

So, you wouldn't have to be looking up the lyrics so you can actually print in the lyrics out.

Sean Febre 52:26

I remember that, so it's like actually printing the lyrics out. I remember that time. You don't want to. What is it? The Lil Wayne one.

Shi 52:32

Make sure you wear the latex you don't want to get latex.

Sean Febre 52:36

That hey, I'm latex. I'm like damn.

Max Paul 52:40

though when you read that shit out, you're like Like now that I'm grown when I was a kid I was like I had no business singing that first off.

Sean Febre 52:51

But then now I'm like he's not wrong. You know what's so wild? I saw me where Lil Wayne was like I said that and he was like ooh that shit is hard and then all of a sudden you're getting. It's like mumble rap.

Max Paul 53:04

See, I should listen to Lil Wayne. That's how I got a kid Boy didn't wear a latex.

Sean Febre 53:11

I got that.

Shi 53:12

He was listening to rap, but you weren't listening to a fly.

Max Paul 53:14

I wasn't flying, that it's okay.

Shi 53:17

That's probably why they started monger rapping. They ain't listening to anybody.

Sean Febre 53:20

They don't listen to anybody. They're good, they're rolling.

Shi 53:24

Miranda Tomato's going to rap it anyway.

Max Paul 53:27

I said it the other day to one of my friends because, you know, as a little kid, Cameron Hart does the voice for one of the characters on Pets.

Sean Febre 53:37

Yeah, yeah, the dog. I would love to do a voice on Pets. He does the bunny.

Max Paul 53:42

The white bunny. Yeah, so at the end of one of the movies he's rapping to Panda and I just movies he's rapping to panda and I just think it's the funniest thing ever. I'm like this is better than the original version. Is he in?

Shi 53:52

his chocolate drop voice.

Max Paul 53:53

You know when he does if I'm gonna do a feature, it might be kevin hart on his chocolate drop album and then you gotta have what's the one guy, uh, marco yeah you gotta have him judging the way he makes things.

Shi 54:12

You don't know who marco is the gosh, what is this?

Max Paul 54:15

uh, what is I forgot? What's your name?

Shi 54:17

uh, he's a, he's a black guy. He has like like his hair is I don't know, but he makes the interviews so like awkwardly funny like, like he's so serious like oh, oh, what is his name? I can't think of it right now, but if you look up, marco, I don't know, but it'll probably come up. But yeah, he's funny. But yeah, I would definitely have him on there to be the judge. Absolutely yeah, it's going viral. It's going viral. I need that in my life.

Sean Febre 54:50

You know you asked early on the five best rappers Five best.

Max Paul 54:58

My five most influential artists, artists, yeah.

Sean Febre 55:00

So can I ask you what are the five best whether female or male rappers of all time? That's cheap.

Shi 55:07

That's hard, I'm not doing it. Thailand rappers of all time. That's cheap, that's hard, I can't even I'm not gonna say name your number one, then it's. That's what I'm saying. For me, stuff like that it's hard because I'm such a creative like different things make me feel different at different times all right, then let me ask you both, eminem. I like Eminem Top 10. Easily top 10.

Max Paul 55:34

He's in my top 10 and he's probably like number six. He's like the lyrical master, though, because, well, see, my top 10 is a little different, because Nas is in my top 10. I love him. Yeah, they beefed.

Sean Febre 55:51

Nas is in my Topsin. What it was all a dream. That's cool. I used to read Word Up magazine. He's like number 8 or 9.

Shi 55:59

I like Biggie, I like Tupac though.

Max Paul 56:03

Tupac's closer to the top for me.

Sean Febre 56:05

Tupac went to the School of the Jewelry Arts, yeah, so he was actually not a gangsta, he played one. That's pretty good. There was actually an interview with Tupac where he stated you know, I just played this character as a rapper, but that's not really me. Did you guys see that interview with him? I was blown away.

Shi 56:27

I was like for the longest time he understood. I feel like for the longest time he understood. Yeah, I feel like he had it in him, though, because he definitely could get there. You know what I'm saying.

Sean Febre 56:37

How does a person that goes to Juilliard consider himself a gangster? Oh, it's the same way.

Max Paul 56:43

Drake is somebody relevant.

Sean Febre 56:44

Well, yeah, Degrassi.

Max Paul 56:45

Yeah, you were on a multi-million dollar show as a kid grew up in the suburbs.

Sean Febre 56:52

I just think people at the under-safety.

Shi 56:53

His real name's Clarence.

Sean Febre 56:55

His real name is Aubrey Graham.

Max Paul 56:57

Yes, I know your name is Aubrey Graham sir, people are multi-dimensional.

Sean Febre 57:01

I'm not mad at it. I'm not mad at it. No, no, you put out a song. It's like they're playing a role just for the media.

Max Paul 57:07

He put out that song started from the bottom. I was like what was your bottom? You had a pool as a kid growing up.

Shi 57:12

But you know what? What his bottom was Canada. You want to know what his bottom was? That's what I'm saying. His bottom for him is he wants to be a rapper and he's on the grass in a wheelchair. How bottom can you get?

Sean Febre 57:30

I thought he couldn't walk in real life. Actually, I swear for the long enough.

Shi 57:32

I thought he was long enough. Imagine where he is now. Yeah, and even like the fact that people be like you came from the grassy and now, but then when you think of Drake, that is his bottom.

Sean Febre 57:44

Yeah, but didn't Kendrick completely destroy?

Shi 57:49

He did, but now you got people saying what the fuck the function?

Sean Febre 57:55

Baby girl.

Max Paul 57:56

But he said drop, and Drake name is in it.

Sean Febre 57:59

Yeah, did you see, diddy, shit yeah, because Drake is in that list of names he dropped. Listen, I like Drake, no Diddy.

Music Style and Creative Identity

Max Paul 58:10

Hey, look, look ready. You know they get real quiet, since those names dropped, jay-z, jay-z ain't said a fucking thing, jay-z ain't said a lot for a while.

Sean Febre 58:17

But yeah, why'd he say it? I saw the all-white party. No, he did speak.

Shi 58:22

No, they did make a statement, though at first, when everything he made a little yeah he said I swear that wasn't me, I was not fucked in the ass by him.

Sean Febre 58:32

That's what brings me to Sarah.

Shi 58:33

That's what he said. I made that up.

Sean Febre 58:37

I was going to say verbatim, you were there. I've been to Miami, Diddy don't kill me, he can't.

Max Paul 58:46

He's my high bar. He can't do anything. I thought he was walking free.

Shi 58:49

No, absolutely not. Just because he's behind bars he can't do anything. I thought he was walking free. No, absolutely not. Just because I made my mind part, so he ain't got here to stop me.

Max Paul 58:54

That's true, he's not that guy you don't think he was going to be terrified of, even if he's in jail.

Sean Febre 59:01

Shug Knight Diddy. Shug Knight killed somebody.

Max Paul 59:04

Diddy couldn't even get his people to act right to keep him out of jail.

Sean Febre 59:10

Right these people to act, right to keep them out of jail, right? I mean, he did it for so long you can't tell me something was going on in that dating?

Max Paul 59:14

party, man Okay.

Sean Febre 59:14

R Kelly. We knew R Kelly was acting up for 30 years. Yeah, now he's in jail.

Max Paul 59:18

It took them 30. And you can't cancel R Kelly. I'm not canceling R Kelly because I'm rolling with it.

Shi 59:26

I was like I don't want to get canceled for this and it's not about. Didn't you hear a song called In the Closet? I'm for women's rights, I'm so for women's rights, but certain things I'm like listen bro.

Max Paul 59:37

Dang, I didn't do his music.

Shi 59:39

I was mad at some of his music. I'm like sometimes you got to separate the talent from the man. That's what they're saying. I'm not supporting what he did, but Step In the Name Of Love. My grandma and them had me. Step In the Name Of Love. I'm not y'all not finna, mess up my childhood memories, it's not finna change the playlist. Cause on my wedding day we gon' play it the way, the way. That one song, that one song, one of Key In the Ignition.

Sean Febre 1:00:05

No, Key In the Ignition is nice, but no, ken ignition is nice, but though the one song that he makes where he's talking about being in the closet. And he's got part one, part two, part three you're talking about R Kelly?

Shi 1:00:16

no, but we're not talking about that. I'm talking about he literally had three songs the last song, no it was called in the closet part one, part two, part three.

Sean Febre 1:00:25

No, but you know how?

Shi 1:00:28

do you know the fact that he was on his own remix R Kelly remix itself featuring him? Fact Lil Wayne was on it. And we listen to it. But he's still talking about it, though.

Sean Febre 1:00:39

What? How'd it go? Rap it what? Because you're a rapper too, though we got the song the artistry of singer. Now, we haven't gotten a rap. Though you want a rap, yeah, why not? I'll freestyle just whatever you like there, Unless you got to freestyle. Unless you got to freestyle.

Shi 1:01:00

I mean, I'm a writer, so all of my stuff comes out like a freestyle, but it's written.

Max Paul 1:01:04

Do it. I'm waiting on a good freestyle.

Sean Febre 1:01:06

Hey, talk about Max. Ooh, oh, I'm not on the different stuff.

Shi 1:01:09

Hey, talk about Max, ooh. Oh, I'm not going to lie, I'm not a freestyler like that.

Sean Febre 1:01:12

Oh, no, I don't mean it in a negative way.

Shi 1:01:14

No, I mean like just talk about Max. No, I'm saying like I'm not a freestyler like that, like I don't you know how people like me she? Once you get in your pocket, you just write in the book like that. I am a writer forever. I could write a full song in like five minutes. Tops Just give me the beat and once I catch the vibe. But as far as just being like yo, this is true and this is where I be here we go, Give me the beat.

Sean Febre 1:01:44

That's it. Dj Catch the vibe. Whoa, whoa. What's the? She just said what the font should do that Drake song. What kind of BPM do you want? Slow, fast.

Shi 1:01:54

So y'all didn't have me write a song, not write one Just see.

Sean Febre 1:01:58

You know, just freestyle a little bit. Oh my gosh, what do you think about 120 BPM? I'm not sure.

Max Paul 1:02:07

Let's play it.

Shi 1:02:07

Let me see what 2130 would be a good. Let me see what I can see. It's not too fast instrumental.

Sean Febre 1:02:15

Oh, what if we do an instrumental, that uh or we could, or I mean, I have seven actually I got a lot of things in the chamber.

Shi 1:02:23

I have plenty things in the chamber.

Max Paul 1:02:24

I'm a writer, you guys she said I can do this all day. No, no, I got one.

Shi 1:02:31

He wants stuff on his spot. Hey, listen we're creating content here. Yeah, we totally are Let me see.

Sean Febre 1:02:39

How do you spell instrumental? Okay, there it goes. Instrumental. All right, this one may get you a little distracted. Here we go, woo. What are we talking about?

Shi 1:03:02

Do you want to write a song to this?

Sean Febre 1:03:04

No, I told you I don't freak out. We're not the people, what they want, they're not the many you were asking.

Shi 1:03:13

Aight, this is not an off the head, though.

Sean Febre 1:03:16

Go ahead.

Shi 1:03:16

Oh, let's go. Yeah, are you ready? Okay, uh, look, had to depend where it all begins, bleeding like a mystery with that ink to my thin strokes, getting a prop she dope, but they ain't me. I spit folly, they mouth drive once it's released, uh, murder to the beat and I ain't giving no flea. Put your ear to the street. See what the top phone be. See the top, it's still me. I'm a relevant subject. Silent whispers as I enter, addressing the public. Uh, and how they feel, how they feel, how they feel smiling in my face, but they heartbeats feel. But I ain'tpping everybody ain't real, because the ones that hate me most gonna get me my deal. James, I desire who I inspire. They're a component. Get this. Since I was a child To understand my mind, it might take you a while. The reason to smile ain't no reason to frown. Yeah, that's how I feel. It feel good how I feel. Yeah, it feel real good how I feel Woo.

Sean Febre 1:04:12

Okay, go Up it goes Up, it goes.

Max Paul 1:04:15

See, it wasn't no mumble rap. No, none of that. Yeah, none of that, not all of that Wow.

Sean Febre 1:04:23

See, that's all I want.

Max Paul 1:04:25

That was it. That was it. Thank you thank you Damn. That was hard, bro. Thank you, thank you Damn.

Sean Febre 1:04:31

That was hard, bro, thank you.

Max Paul 1:04:32

So what is your like as an artist? What do you prefer being? I know you said I feel like a singer is what you prefer, but but I know you said you don't like being boxed into something.

Shi 1:04:43

I actually love, like I love writing, so I think I would love to my my sound overall for it to be in the middle okay, kind of so, probably when they made like trap soul a thing because I would want to implement old school r&b 90s but like real lyrical content, make it catchy, because now you're gonna have to make half your sound you know what I'm saying, but I I love melodies and harmonies and, uh, especially the three-part harmonies.

Shi 1:05:12

I always implement that in my hooks. Um, I just love something that you could feel. I love the smoothness, but I also love the rawness of lyrics. Okay, so, like, none of my stuff is ever gonna be dumbed down, even if, even even like the uh cypher that I just had y'all listen to like it still was catchy, like, but I use certain, um, I use certain catchy quotes, but it's still, you know, like in the club we all fan yeah, you got.

Max Paul 1:05:38

You got quotes that people recognize from yeah, either different social media challenges or song and evokes an emotion. Yeah, based off of that, like yeah, but but still dropping bars.

Shi 1:05:50

I love the fact that when people listen to my stuff they do have to go back. They be like wait what did you say?

Sean Febre 1:05:56

Let me interrupt one more time. Do you guys want to do one more segment?

Shi 1:06:00

I mean we can.

Sean Febre 1:06:01

I got time. Okay, all right, we'll be right back. Happy hour holidays, like hour holidays. Like comment and subscribe. We're on all the podcast platforms and all the social media platforms. If you want to email a question, send it to sean s-e-a-n at happy hour holidays, d-a-z-e dot com and we'll be right back and welcome back to how. Oh shit, and that's how we're starting it out. We're cranking it up. Happy hour holidays. We have been, you know, experimenting with some alcoholic beverages at 5 pm. I swear to God, that's the time.

Max Paul 1:06:39

Shine libations.

Sean Febre 1:06:42

Some libations.

Max Paul 1:06:43

Libations.

Sean Febre 1:06:44

And we've had a very interesting conversation with both Max and also she, and I forgot where we were going with this stuff. It's okay.

Shi 1:06:55

Where did we stop?

Max Paul 1:06:58

We stopped. She gave us a beautiful, beautiful freestyle on the back end. That's where we were going at. Now my question is this as someone who is both artist and behind the scenes with the writing, which one drives you more so like? Are you more passionate about the writing aspect of it, or the artistry of it, or the performance aspect of it, or is it all kind of equal? Equal all parts, all the way right?

Shi 1:07:26

yeah, I love it. I love the energy of the stage. My looks changes Like I'm really into looks, like I'll go full, like I'll paint my whole body green and be the Grinch for a sheen. She's Gamora. Yeah, like it is. I'm really like artistry is art, like every aspect, even if I wasn't on stage, and I had somebody tell me that it was Every aspect, even if I wasn't on stage, and I had somebody tell me that it was like. You know, you're so like, even off the stage, you're still just you. Yeah, and so that's how I feel, like I am, like art is I, live, breathe, speak. It doesn't matter. Okay, you know.

Max Paul 1:08:02

And when it comes to the podcast, do you bring that same artistry to the podcast, from an aesthetic standpoint of the set to the flow of the topics and stuff like that, For sure. And how do you seem to be unapologetically and authentically you through all of this?

Shi 1:08:20

I think that is my thing, the fact that I am unapologetically. That is me, that's you.

Sean Febre 1:08:25

I'm the uniform have you had media training, bro, because I swear to God, you were born for this.

Max Paul 1:08:30

Yeah, wow, man, I was taking a class or two back in the day.

Shi 1:08:35

You should. It's all you interrupt. Yeah, I thought you were fine, but, yeah, I feel like that's the because. That's what art is. Art just makes you feel. Yeah, I don't, I'm not apologizing for whatever emotion I evoke out of you. Yeah, apologizing for whatever emotion I evoke out of you. Yeah, you know, I'm just. I just am what I am, and in order to make you feel, I have to stand in 100% of what I feel.

Max Paul 1:08:54

Yeah, stand on that.

Shi 1:08:55

Yeah, and I just feel like that's my superpower, like just being like my podcast outside of, like I have little slogans like the safe space to fix your face. Then I have the grab your wine, girl, let's drink, drink, and you can bring him too. And then I also have that. It's for the accountable, the vulnerable and just being the authentic, because you, you need that, like so many people are like trying to figure out who they are, why, why are you trying to figure out who you are?

Max Paul 1:09:23

just be you you are already who you are in that yeah and I know you, you know safe place to fix your face. So with your podcast, do you genuinely bring on more female guests? More male guests? Is it a good mix of both?

Shi 1:09:38

I do a good mix of both, like the next episodes coming up. I actually have because, like I said, I'm like Tampa, henning Jim, so I am very well, we're not going to let you be here.

Sean Febre 1:09:48

Yeah, I know.

Shi 1:09:55

We're not gonna let you be here. Yeah, I know right, we're not gonna let you be here. It's almost like you're trying to hide yourself. I'm not, I've worked in so many spaces. It's just more of, like you said, girlfriends. That's why the reason why I know she speaks this for me is alignment like this yes ma'am, it's literally like but you know, she pointed just at Max.

Max Paul 1:10:08

No, she, she know, she already saying to me she know we go together now that's all right, and she matched me and she matched me. It's our first date. You know what I mean? We'll send it, we'll do, we'll do. Date two on her podcast.

Sean Febre 1:10:28

Period Date three on your podcast Deal.

Max Paul 1:10:32

Call it you heard it here first. You heard it here first. Day three is on my podcast.

Shi 1:10:36

Girlfriends already, girlfriends already. But no, I just really feel like sometimes it's not that you're, it's not even that people don't recognize your talent. Sometimes you're just not in the right rooms, or you can get comfortable and only be so far you know not in the right rooms. You can get comfortable and only be so far you know. So when she speaks I felt like my energy and everything already gets me in the room. It's just more of depending on what room I'm in. Sometimes you need people that know, people that you don't know yeah.

Shi 1:11:02

Like, hey, I can actually, and a lot of people you know they could talk, or we have to put the grind in so much Nobody knows the right people. Yeah, I'm laying out all this stuff, but we don't have the right connects to get it where it needs to go. Okay, so you know, that's what this is for.

Max Paul 1:11:18

I like it. I like it, cheers, and when it comes to safe space to fix your face is that the name of the podcast? No, no, she got a little slogan, she got a little slow, she got a little quick catchy joints. Oh yeah, she got a safe face to fix.

Shi 1:11:29

Face the I like how you pay attention.

Max Paul 1:11:33

Every woman loves a man who listens. Yes, that's very true. Ready, very true, ready, ready for these five pairs. Give me what I mean.

Shi 1:11:42

That's a superpower.

Max Paul 1:11:42

You know I'm trying to, I'm trying to. I always tell people to fix their face, like a lot of times just in life, enjoy, hey, man, fix your face, yeah. But for that, how do you feel when it comes to adjusting your friend circle? I know you've got you said you're blessed with a good group around you to kind of uplift you. Do you ever feel like, when you need to check one of your friends that you had to come to, to come with them from a place of love, or is it just kind of based on person to person type deal?

Shi 1:12:14

I can say is based off on person to person. I do everything in love, though. That is me, I am love.

Max Paul 1:12:20

Yes, ma'am.

Shi 1:12:21

So, um, that's just the foundation of of anything. I feel like anybody. Even if I'm having to talk to you or we're having a difficult conversation, I want you to always feel loved at all times. If I'm not coming from a space of love, then I need to check myself, and I will check myself before I even say anything. But I'm very big on energy. I've always been like that, so if my energy's off, it doesn't matter, even if it's like me going on the stage. I believe I'm a vessel and God gave me all these gifts in time. I know I'm gifted, I know I'm different, I know I'm rare.

Max Paul 1:12:51

That's right.

Shi 1:12:51

I've known that since a little girl, so because of that I do not take that lightly and I know how prominent my energy is. So if my energy is off in any way, I'm not transcending that to anybody, so I just know how to you know, let me chill, chill, relax.

Shi 1:13:10

Let me come back to you in a minute, yeah, so like, and I get this yeah because, even if I felt that way, there's a way that I can say it where? Because a lot of times you could say that is a true statement when people it's like it's not what you say, it's how you say it, like sometimes it's not even that what you said was wrong, but a person can't even, they can't even get the message because they're wounded by your delivery. And sometimes people be like oh, I'm so real, you can't just no, be honest, because there's certain things you can't take. Yeah, no, take that person into consideration. How would you feel if this is a vulnerable?

Max Paul 1:13:41

space for you, you know what I'm saying.

Shi 1:13:43

Like and people need to feel. You need to feel safe to face your face. That's the only time when people really do. It's hard to be vulnerable when you feel like somebody punching you out.

Max Paul 1:13:54

You want me to be open like this and you swinging at me. No, my duke's gonna be up then. And yeah, it's funny. You mentioned vulnerability because I recently talked on one of our friends uh, no, I wouldn't say a podcast, but we were just having a conversation and we're talking about men and being vulnerable just in general. And you know, he, him and his, him and his lady do the show and they were saying that, you know, women, it's easy for women to be vulnerable with each other than it is for men to be vulnerable, period. And I said you know, how do you feel about that?

Max Paul 1:14:21

I know, for me, I look at it as from a condition standpoint. It is a little different for men because you, you're always taught to hey, suck it up, don't cry, don't do this. You know what I mean? Yeah, so a lot of times, the only place you really can be vulnerable is with your old lady, like I already got to fight the world on all ends. Right, I should come home and at least, yeah, and this be the safe space, right? Do you feel that men nowadays need to be more vulnerable, even given the the stigma that comes with it?

Vulnerability and Emotional Connection

Shi 1:14:53

I believe that you guys deserve to not have to deal with a stigma yeah I believe that that's not fair to y'all, the fact that y'all even have to deal with that, um, because it kind of projects, in a way, of you having to like, mask yourself, mask pain, mask things that are real. You're dealing with real things as well. So, um, I don't blame, I don't blame y'all for certain things that y'all had to.

Shi 1:15:22

You know, whatever uh face yeah you've had to, but I do appreciate a man that understands that and that doesn't make that an excuse. I I appreciate anybody that's like, yeah, this is what I've had to, but I do appreciate a man that understands that and that doesn't make that an excuse. I appreciate anybody that's like, yeah, this is what I've had to deal with, but this is not what I want to be.

Max Paul 1:15:36

Yeah.

Shi 1:15:36

And then breaking out of that and for that I will forever protect that Like yeah.

Max Paul 1:15:42

And, I think, a lot of guys, at least for me. I can speak for me. I don't want to speak for all men. Yeah, being an athlete, everything you do for most the majority of your life, is performance based.

Shi 1:15:52

Right, right right.

Max Paul 1:15:53

So, like in high school, you're trying to perform to get to college. In college, you're performing to get to pro, pro, you're performing to get a check, and then, when you take that to a relationship standpoint, everything you're thinking I have to be able to perform at a high level for this woman, otherwise she leaving. Is that? Is that always the case or not as much? I think, Should I say wait, yeah, I got it, that's all that.

Shi 1:16:20

I don't think that's the case, especially with um. I'll just say our demographic, because a lot of times the father is not in the home.

Max Paul 1:16:34

Talk about it.

Shi 1:16:35

Now you do have a lot of women that are not. I feel like even in media it was put on specifically black women to ride or die in whatever situation. Black women are just finally deciding to be like, no, like I don't have to take the bottom of the barrel, I don't have to. Just why do I got to ride and die? Why I can't ride and thrive? Cause you will really ride and die through the trenches and they'll. They'll be comfortable staying in the trenches cause you're willing to do that. But then when they, soon as they want to elevate they with somebody else they don't want they, not the one that would ride and die they don't care because you was willing to take whatever. So I don't think that's necessarily the case.

Shi 1:17:21

I do think that there's a. That's also on my podcast. I want to. I said I wanted to actually do a segment because I've always been told that, like I have a lot, I have great friendships with guys like to the point where they're. They used to be like I don't know how you're not married and I know you don't like guys like that, but but why? But if you ever did.

Shi 1:17:42

Yeah, if you ever did, but it's like. But it's like I think it's a lot of them. They're like I've never felt so like talking to a woman. It's not combative with you, but I think it's because I'm so like just in general. The world needs to heal, but just in general we've been through. How are you a?

Sean Febre 1:17:59

lesbian.

Shi 1:18:01

Why am I a lesbian? I love. Why are you?

Max Paul 1:18:04

First off, didn't you choose me First off? I said it. But I understand why you're a lesbian, because I know what I like. Have you seen women?

Sean Febre 1:18:11

Beautiful.

Shi 1:18:13

They beautiful, they swell beautiful.

Sean Febre 1:18:14

The way that you are interacting with Max and you know the flirtation that's going on before First off.

Max Paul 1:18:22

That's everybody, that's everybody, that's everybody.

Sean Febre 1:18:26

I'm a little bit confused. Are you just lesbian or are you bisexual? No, no, ava, it's an honest question. Why are you? Because, from how you're speaking about men and how you're speaking about yourself, it doesn't really seem like you're a lesbian. It just seems like you're bisexual.

Shi 1:18:49

Preference. Well, the reason why I would I've actually had this so how are you lesbian I? Actually had this conversation recently with somebody. She actually told me she was like I think your preference is women. She was like, but I think you're bisexual just and I have dated a man prior before, but I I haven't been with a man in like seven years, so it's like I guess I consider myself lesbian just because romantically my thoughts so you've been with men longer than you've been with women?

Max Paul 1:19:15

no, I've been with women longer than men women seven years and you know she hasn't been with a man in 32 yeah, but I haven't been.

Shi 1:19:24

But no, but I've only been with. I haven't been with many. Oh yeah, but I had a high school boyfriend and then after that I I dealt with a guy, probably like a year and a half, and that was probably when I had to be like 23 or 24 and you were abstinent until you were with women again. No, then I was with a woman for five years there it is boy and then before her I was with another woman for three and a half years.

Sean Febre 1:19:48

Is it because they connect with you emotionally.

Shi 1:19:50

No, I think honestly.

Sean Febre 1:19:54

And men don't have that kind of emotional IQ.

Shi 1:19:57

I'm not saying that they don't, because some do. I think the guys that I have, if I have encountered a guy that it wasn't at first, that's what I'm saying. I think attraction wise at first I'm not just. I can see a guy and recognize that he's handsome, but I have no romantic feelings for him. I have no. Like you know how a girl normally, like my home girls they see a man and it's like oh, that's the. I feel nothing in regards to that, but I can vibe with them. But I think I'm also a person, is it my?

Sean Febre 1:20:23

personality, the one that you were with, like skewered all.

Shi 1:20:26

No, I don't think it's that I think I honestly I'm not judging, I'm just no. No, I think honestly as a child, since I was a child, I always had a thing for women but because of the way I was raised and things like that like my honestly, my first crush was a girl who was a girl in in my church but especially being from in our community, it's kind of frowned upon to be found our community in the black community?

Sean Febre 1:20:47

absolutely, the black community is definitely. So the people listening, you know they can't tell if you guys are Black or not, but can't they see us? Yeah, oh, but they're listening.

Shi 1:20:55

They're listening they're listening and they don't know.

Sean Febre 1:21:06

Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. Okay yeah, we're Black guys.

Final Thoughts on Artistry and Self-Expression

Max Paul 1:21:09

Well, you know, sorry segment, but I'm saying like in the black community, especially like I was, is that a frown apart? Oh, definitely. I have a friend of mine. He's gay, definitely, and he's been gay since I can remember it. But he had to be in the closet until he was almost 20. But likely nail polish and hung out with all the girls Didn't want to be part of no PE.

Sean Febre 1:21:35

God, if he was hanging out with all the girls, he should have been.

Shi 1:21:39

I feel like, honestly, I don't like to be labeled. That's why I'm getting to the point. But I did actually have a woman that we talk heavily and when she kind of gave me her perception of it, I think at first she was like you're getting kind of defensive and I'm like I'm not. And it could, I'm like I'm such an honest person. It could come with the backlash of like when people talk about a woman that is bisexual and it's like I'm such a like devoted person. In general she was like no, but I could tell that. I could tell you're devoted to whatever, but I'm like no, but I'm not a person. I was like the reason why I don't consider myself bisexual is because guys don't have. It's not like 50, 50 like. I feel like bisexual women. They like men as much as they like women okay with me and that's what I was trying to explain to her.

Shi 1:22:25

She was like yeah, but the fact that the fact that you can talk, if the right man can connect with you and you can, that makes you bisexual. And we were arguing about it and I'm like Come on down to Boogieville.

Shi 1:22:36

Come on down I don't feel that way, because I'm like, do you know how long it takes? And I'm like, and most of the time it's not even like. I'm like, it's not even that for me. Like I'm like when I was explaining to her, I said with a woman, the way I could just look at a woman and like, you know, love her.

Shi 1:22:55

Or like love's for da-da-da. I said with a guy I don't have those feelings Like I could like their personality and I could be cool with them, like what's up, pound it, but my personality I am love, I'm a love bug. So certain things I've been told that like people be like um, you know that one thing they be like uh, people think you flirting but you just said smooth, it's like like cream cheese, like sometimes I'm really, I'm just very like yeah, I'm smooth, like cream cheese. Baby. I be like hey, how you doing? You know it's buttery, yeah, it's real buttery, you know, but like, it's like if it's a vibe and a person has a good personality, like I have a good personality.

Sean Febre 1:23:32

I think I can speak for both of us here.

Shi 1:23:34

I mean Are you talking to a love connection right now?

Sean Febre 1:23:37

No, no no, women are beautiful, thanks. No wonder you're a lesbian.

Max Paul 1:23:42

We appreciate a good woman. That's a whole podcast today.

Shi 1:23:46

Women are fucking beautiful they're beautiful and it's so I'm not going to lie, we don't hate you for being a lesbian. I know that. I know that. I just never had anybody like you Ask me that question straight up. No, it's just about this little podcast. I'm like what?

Max Paul 1:24:02

But I do understand the way it came out that you know women are your preference.

Shi 1:24:06

I just I'm meeting you, but it's the fact that I haven't even like when she told me that I still you have said things that would make me consider that you're not just a woman.

Max Paul 1:24:16

No, I understand that, but that's why I say the preference thing, because I understand that For you it may. To me at least, it seems like it would be more based off Energies and connections and vibes, more so than gender.

Sean Febre 1:24:29

Yeah, you know what I mean. Women are really good at connecting. Yeah, double vibes and all that.

Shi 1:24:33

But that's why I also because I think what I used to say, like even before, like before I even started, when I went public with dating women, just in general, when I thought about my partner, I used to be like I don't. I used to say that I don't care about the rapper. God sends it to me, just make sure it's mine and wrap it with a bow. But I think, over time, just being honest, because it's a safe space to fix your face right, I think being honest, just when I would see the backlash, and honestly more the backlash in the lesbian community.

Sean Febre 1:25:09

I will tell you that community is wild.

Shi 1:25:11

About how they would talk about bisexual women and I understand from a lot of their experiences with claims bisexuality why they felt that way. Those characteristics I did not identify with. So that's why I was like I'm not bisexual, my woman is my woman. I'm not even looking, but I'm like that in general, like even. But I can say like with guys I still can like. It's like, hey, you know, with a woman, but I'm just a loyal person. You know what I'm saying.

Shi 1:25:42

But with a woman, when I'm with a woman, I don't crave anything outside. There's not like, oh, this guy comes and I'm like, I can appreciate the relate and I'm good with just being friends. There's no, my mind does not wander off to anything else. That's why, even when I was explaining to her, I'm like I don't feel that way, because I don't feel like bisexual means like dual. I don't feel like I'm dual, that like a man. I'm not gonna say a man can't ever get in, but it's very rare. The man that got in I didn't even know how. When I realized I liked him, I was like am I sure?

Sean Febre 1:26:17

It makes it sound like you're more lesbian than you are.

Shi 1:26:19

No, that's why I was just like. It literally makes me feel like she's going to love it over here, oh, come on man, why is she blushing?

Sean Febre 1:26:29

She's dead dog. Oh man, oh man, but I'm like why?

Shi 1:26:32

is she blushing and she's dead dog? But I was like, am I sure? And it's so crazy, because I'm a writer so I write out all my emotions. So it was like this poem and I realized the poem was about him. Okay, Max.

Max Paul 1:26:45

Yes, absolutely.

Sean Febre 1:26:48

It was about him. She's smiling so much. I know you can't see it Seriously.

Shi 1:26:54

To my boo that's probably going to watch this episode, jesus.

Max Paul 1:26:57

I was like it's all fun. It's all fun and preconditioned guys.

Sean Febre 1:27:01

Yeah, yeah. None of this is true.

Max Paul 1:27:03

No, you're fine, we respect relationship B.

Shi 1:27:05

Yeah, yeah yeah, you're fine, I'm single, but still, this, my boo. You just said boo. Nah, there's levels, nah, there's levels. To that. Listen what I learned as a woman until they put that, that title, until they do that. That's why, like and she already knows this when I talk to her I be like, yep, it's yours for now. Ooh, you have to let a person know you're not waiting.

Sean Febre 1:27:31

No shit, I got married in five months, right. So?

Shi 1:27:36

you're happily married yeah.

Sean Febre 1:27:38

I didn't hesitate yeah, no, good answer.

Shi 1:27:42

Good answer. But yeah, no. So maybe, like I would say, maybe I'm a fluid person, but when I just did the base on that, I would say, maybe I'm a fluid person, but when I just the debates on that I would have.

Shi 1:27:51

But she was the first person that I can honestly say that I was like, hmm well, I guess maybe I am bisexual, but I just hate saying it if you hate the stigma and the label, that comes yeah so I, yeah, I don't identify with it because then it's like with certain, like the reason why I feel like I identify with lesbians, because the way I feel about women I don't feel that way towards men, like it's not an equal, like I'm, like I know, bisexual women.

Shi 1:28:12

You're like 90 percent women, 10 percent maybe like one might get in there and I'm like and I and I really don't be knowing how, that's what I'm saying whereas cognitively, like, as far as with like goals, wise a woman, when I say it's like I have plans, as soon as I say I'm like, yeah, if a man have a, I see it's like I have plans.

Max Paul 1:28:31

As soon as I say, I'm like, yeah, if a man, why are you here?

Shi 1:28:34

I didn't have the plans. It's just more of like that just happened. But I'm such a I'm a flowy person, I like things that are natural. Yeah, so alone, You're welcome.

Sean Febre 1:28:53

Jesus, two minutes here. So, uh, we like to end uh the podcast every time with um you can plug whatever you want. Um advice for people that could be business, entrepreneurship, whatever. Um, what would you like to say to the audience, our audience, anything, plug away and call. We call it the final words.

Shi 1:29:09

Okay. Okay. Well, my name is Artish she that's A-R-T-I-S-S-H-I. I do have a podcast, which y'all heard of she Speaks. You can definitely check me out on all platforms, but I will leave y'all with just be, be gentle with you and literally just keep swinging, which is my song.

Shi 1:29:30

We swing in, but really what we swing in means is as long as you're up to bat, they can never count you out. So it doesn't matter. Life's going to keep life in, and so are you. So just be gentle with you every single day. And you know, if you ever need a girlfriend, grab your wine girl, let's drink, and you can bring him too. And you know, if you ever need a girlfriend, grab your wine girl, let's drink, and you can bring him too.

Max Paul 1:29:54

Oh, and then always remember, she said bring him too Absolutely. So if you're bringing him too, she can bring me too, and I'm going to create a safe space to fix her face. I'm ready. I'm ready.

Sean Febre 1:30:07

Max, anything you want to say?

Max Paul 1:30:09

Man, just shout out to y'all for having me back on and co-hosting.

Sean Febre 1:30:15

Manny might lose his job. I'm saying, I'm saying, I'm saying this is a good.

Max Paul 1:30:18

I like this seat. You know what I mean, but I appreciate y'all having me. You know what I mean. Anybody looking for fitness goals Maxperience Fitness is always here to help you out.

Shi 1:30:29

So,