The Cool Brother Podcast - Harlan Tobe, Jr.

Malik and Harlan will discuss his transition from secular hip hop to Christian hip hop. They also discuss the pros and cons of Pittsburgh Hip Hop and what it feels like to be a veteran.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey, what's going on, ladies and gentlemen? This is Malik, the Cool Brother, and you're now tuning in to another episode of the Cool Podcast. And my special guest this evening is a good brother. He's a very talented brother. He's an actor, songwriter, hip hop artist. He does it all. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce to you the good brother, Mr. Harlan Tobe Jr. What's going on, good brother? Welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_03 0:25

Man, thank you, thank you. Glad to be here. Glad to be here. Appreciate you, brother.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

I appreciate you, good brother. So won't you tell the listeners what you do and what you're about?

SPEAKER_03 0:35

What I do, I do uh mixture of things. Um you know, I do Christian hip hop. Um, real heavy on that. I do um some some acting. Um more or less, I go to different like uh community events and schools and and go around and share my testimony, kind of uplift and uh motivate people to do better. And I do some missionary work and just just um that's that's the main things that I'll be doing.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

Okay, all right. And how long you've been how long you been doing hip hop? I've been doing hip-hop for 23 years since 2003. Wow, wow. So you would you consider yourself a veteran in the game? 100%, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:23

As far as you know, as far as around um the Pittsburgh area, yeah. Definitely a veteran. But you know, for the nation, I um still got some room to grow.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Okay, okay. That's what's up, man. That's what's up. So um now, did you did you do Christian hip hop all your life, or did you um when when did you switch over to Christian hip-hop?

SPEAKER_03 1:48

Uh I put on my first Christian hip-hop um EP, probably like when was that? Um, I know it was 2024, like mid mid to uh not very long ago.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:06

Not very long ago. So I know the process happened after I got shot. I got shot on um 413-23, and that just changed my whole life completely. So, you know, within that process is when I changed from secular hip-hop to the to the Christian rap.

SPEAKER_00 2:29

Okay, all right, okay, cool, cool. And thank goodness that you're still here with us. Thank thank goodness for that, that you're still here with us. So um, yeah, no question, no question. So um, do you have any um family members that do um music, um hip-hop, just like you, or you're the only one?

SPEAKER_03 2:50

I have my cousin sings. My cousin's um on my song called The Table. I got a I got a video to it. Um he sings, but other than him, nonsense way, way back, man. My uh my cousin Eddie Jefferson, he was a um jazz artist from the Hill District. Um that's the only really music history that I know in my family.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Okay, okay, all right. That's what's up, man. That's what's up, that's what's up. Now, have you um collaborated with them?

SPEAKER_03 3:26

Have you collaborated with them on projects or collaborated with my with my fam?

SPEAKER_00 3:33

Yeah, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_03 3:35

Um, I've done a I uh well, uh rest in peace to my cousin Eddie Jefferson. He's like uh uh, I don't know what you call that, your second cousin. He's like my mom's cousin.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 3:45

So um he he rest in peace, he passed away, so I I never got a chance to collaborate with him. I believe he got killed on tour in Detroit.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_03 3:56

Um, yeah, and uh my cousin, my cousin, we we have two songs together.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 4:06

Um we really just started working together once I turned over to the positive music. Yeah. But um we we we do shows and stuff together too, because the the songs that are on he's on are like some of my favorite songs.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Okay. And what and what are those favorite favorite songs that y'all too y'all two are on, if you don't mind me asking?

SPEAKER_03 4:30

Um we got a song called The Table. Um, and we have a song called Jesus Name.

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Nice. Nice. And and and those two songs are available on all major streaming platforms, if I'm not mistaken.

SPEAKER_03 4:48

Yep, every everywhere you can find music, pretty much everywhere. I know I'm I'm for sure it's on Spotify, Apple Music, um, you know, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, um, Pandora, every everything.

SPEAKER_00 5:05

Yeah, pretty much everything. No question, no doubt, no doubt. Now, um, my next question is um who um who inspired you to do what you do? Like who who's your inspiration behind getting into the hip-hop scene in the 412? Like, who who who was the one that said when you when you look at that person or someone, you say to yourself, wow, I want to do that. I know I could do that. Who is that person? Or individuals?

SPEAKER_03 5:38

It was uh older individuals in my neighborhood. Um there was a few of them. There's a few older individuals in my neighborhood. It was this dude, heavyweight, um, was a lot older than me. Um he he probably the original OG rapping um from where I grew up at that time. But heavyweight, it was my man K-Pow, uh my boy Ike. Um it was a group of just older people that I used to hang around that was rapping, and I was like, that was the first time I remember like wanting to rap, and then you know, I ended up once I tried it, everybody would get excited, and um I knew I had a little something.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Yeah, no doubt, no question, no doubt. Now, have you those those people that you mentioned, have you collaborated with them on songs as well?

SPEAKER_03 6:39

Yes, yes. Um not on any of the new stuff. Okay, um, you know, because all the new stuff is under my real name, Harlan. Now, um on the PK Pooh, when I originally went by, I got music with them um for sure. Yeah, I got a lot of music with them.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

Okay, and and though those songs too are all are available on all platforms.

SPEAKER_03 7:06

Yes, yes, those are two. I got a song, um K-Pound. He wasn't rapping, but he actually produced it. He started, he does it all for real. So he uh he produced this song called Fire. I got a video to that too, um, featuring Money Man Rich and uh Ruger Real. Rest in peace on my boy Ruger Rem.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

Okay, okay, cool, cool. That's what's up, man.

SPEAKER_03 7:30

I don't normally promote that because that's the older stuff, but just giving you the history, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

Okay, okay. My man, appreciate that, good brother. Appreciate that. So um, so who are your favorite hip-hop artists, whether they be Christian or seckler? Who who are your favorites?

SPEAKER_03 7:47

Um, my favorite. Jadakus is one of my favorite artists, period. Um big Jadicus fan.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 7:56

Um who else? Um on the on the on the Christian side, I listen to um I'm still honestly finding artists. Like every day I'm listening to new uh Christian music because that's what I think I bring different. Um my my stuff is still um a little bit a little bit edgy. Like I like uh Forrest Frank, but if you ever heard his music, it's um it's you know, like it's like the TikTok type music where the kids could dance to and stuff. I'm a little uh more serious. I could do that. I got one or two songs like that, but I'm a little more uh serious because I'm coming from a from a rough environment changing over from some some some crazy circumstances. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 8:55

But I listen to Forrest Frank, um Lacrae, uh Caleb Gordon, Jay Monty, but I came up off of uh Jadakiss, Hove, um Nas. I still mess with the clips stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

Oh absolutely, no doubt, no doubt. No doubt. And my um my next question is um since we um since we on the topic of Jadakiss, um now there's there's um there's a um question going around saying that Jadakiss don't have any classic albums. Do you think Jadakiss has a classic album, in your opinion?

SPEAKER_03 9:48

I think he got a classic album for sure. Um Kiss the Game Goodbye.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 9:54

I believe that was his first solo project. That's a classic for sure.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 9:59

Um got that knock yourself out, all them hits from back in the day, man. That's definitely a classic. Um his his and the rest of his projects is solid. Um I even like the Ignatius project from when his man is named after his homie that passed away. Um he got a bunch of solid projects. I'll be seeing that, man, but everybody, everybody knows what he does, man. You see how he you see how he revamped himself when they um went against Dipset on the verses. And um, you know, now it's like, shoot, I've been I've been rapping 23 years, so I know he's been rapping like 30 years. Right. And he's hot to death. He got podcasts popping right now and everything. You gotta stop playing with my boy, man.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

Oh yeah, no question, no question. I definitely agree with that, you know. Top five dead or alive. Oh yeah, absolutely. Yes. Jadekiss is up there for sure, you know. You know, very dope Tante MC, very lyrical as well. Now, now my question, and speaking of, you know, um hip-hop, um, let's talk about the um hip-hop scene. Like here in the 412. What do you think, in your opinion, are the pros and the cons of the hip-hop scene in the 41-2, Pittsburgh?

SPEAKER_03 11:24

Uh the pros are that it's not a big city. So if you go hard enough, you should be able to be uh known on every end of the city. Um pros. To me, it's more cons than pros, but I want to start with the pros. Um what about the city as a pro? Um Pittsburgh is just um known all around the road for our sports team. Um so so uh I think it's um a unique special city. You know what I mean? You could go in Florida and it'd be like a whole Stiller's bar and stuff like that. Um so I I think um a lot of people like Pittsburgh, a lot of people like Wiz Khalifa, a lot of people, um, you know, Wiz has tons of fans, a lot of people like Snoop Dogg, and he be repping our stuff. Yeah, um, but the cons, man. I mean, there is pros, uh more pros than that, too. Like, like so many dope engineers, so many talented producers. Um it's a lot of talent, that's the dope part too. But the cons, man, is just, but I guess it's like this everywhere. Um people are more entertained by the BS. Um uh it's real clicky, you know. Um because it, you know, it's it's drama. Also being a small place, when you got so much drama right around each other, it's hard to um it's hard to really shine when um you know people ain't giving you a chance. Like when I was doing my old stuff, um, I had a I had a pretty decent crowd like in the in the in the Mon Valley and in the city. Um but I noticed, man, just in the last two years, I don't even know if it's been a full two years, probably hasn't. Um people all around the real beat um listening to my music. And um it's really not a lot of people listening to it here right now. It's way more people um outside of the city, and that's why you got artists like um, I don't know if you know my friend Kalichi, but Kalici um tours constantly, um, and his name is never even mentioned in the city, you know. Um, and he's probably, you know, I'm talking about, you know, under under whiz. He's one of the top two, three people that like doing this as a career um has millions of you know, 60, 70 million views and all that type of stuff. Um, but they don't really talk about him because it's more uh it's more cool. What's more cool is the negativity, the um shooting my brother and um robbing people, hustling, you know, um messing with the the uh female dogs and all of that. Like um that's more entertaining. Um and that stuff is, you know, that stuff is cool, but you know, I think um I think the people need more, especially the youth.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Absolutely, I definitely agree with that. The youth need to listen to a different message. And I know with your with your um career and and you being a Christian hip hop artist, I know you know the young the young folks connect with your music. You know, being a Christian hip-hop artist, and if I'm not mistaken with that, is that correct?

SPEAKER_03 15:43

Oh yeah, man, they they they be going crazy, man. They I um it was about two weeks ago. I had a um, and I didn't even know they did this, like um, where was that? I was over Source Church over uh West Mifflin. I had uh uh they wanted me to do some songs there and give my testimony. And uh man, the kids probably ain't come in until like 11 p.m. It was like a Friday night.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 16:15

And I guess they go bowling and they spend the night at the church. So I never never in my life was like in the church at midnight waiting to waiting to come out. I thought it was pretty dope, but man, they was uh, you know, um screaming, hands up, jumping around. Um it was a movie. It was a movie. They definitely, and even the even the young kids um even the young kids around around my church, and um, yeah, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids love it, man. It's it's um because it you know, it's uh you can't you can't tell the difference. Some how do you say this without just saying it? Um a lot of people be whack or or um, you know, just don't ain't meeting the quota. And um I've I've been blessed enough uh with the talent, and I've been doing this long enough to know how to, you know, my stuff is no different than Drake or anybody, you know what I'm saying? Same, same quality.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

Yeah, no doubt, no doubt, no doubt. That's and that's what it's all about, quality. You know, you gotta have quality music out there, for sure, you know. Quality music to um connect with the audience, the fans, and all that, you know, for sure, definitely, definitely.

SPEAKER_03 17:48

Yeah, shout out to my um my producer who he produced um every Harlan project. Um he's out of Toronto, Canada, my boy Versatile. Um I, you know, he makes like um, I've just been sticking with him because um it works, it works. And um I've been messing with Big Germ my whole career. So I have Big Germ mixes all of my music. Uh sometimes I record at ID Labs, other times I mess with my boy uh Timothy Carr at Shout Fun Sound, but wherever I record, it ends up getting sent to Big Germ to mix it down. And you know, he's been he's been doing this since Wiz and Mac was was young in the game, so um that's how I get that real good quality sound where you can turn it up and it ain't getting distorted and all of that, you know what I mean? Still crispy.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

Yeah, no doubt. No, no doubt, man. No, no doubt, you know. It's all about balance, you know, in the music. You know, balance, you know, that's what it's all about. Having that balance, you know. You got songs that you want to tear the cub up, and then you got other songs that want to, you know, that want to lighten the move, you know, or set the move down, you know. You know, that's what it's all about. And you, my friend, my good brother, are an artist that has balance, you know. You give them what they want at that particular moment. For sure. Absolutely. Now, um, my next question is um, so um with this, you said you you have a new project coming up, or is it already out?

SPEAKER_03 19:28

My my project came out on Thanksgiving. That's the last project I put out. Right now I'm working on something. I don't know what it's titled or nothing. I'm just I'm just recording music. But I I really um am still pushing this project because it's only been out like three months. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 19:45

Okay, cool, cool. Yeah. Now, now um, what would you consider yourself? You know, you've been in the game for 23 years. What would you consider like your masterpiece as far as your recordings or albums or EPs are concerned?

SPEAKER_03 20:05

Uh Masterpiece. That's a powerful word, my brother. Um you know, I like there's there I feel like I got one, I feel like I got one masterpiece. I got a bunch of classics.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:23

Um, but the classic to me and the masterpiece are two different things. A masterpiece is just like dang near flawless, you know. Um so I got I got I got multiple classes, but my masterpiece would be my my new project, man. It's incredible, man. The beats is banging, um everything like God just spoke through me before I recorded every single song. Pray God, God speak through me. You know what I'm saying? Every song been prayed over before it was written and before it was wrapped in a booth. Um just a whole new fresh mindset coming into the music. So I'm I'm talking different, man. I done been, you know, the Honduras and building houses um for the you know for the less fortunate and stuff like that. So just had so much more experience and um you can hear it in the in the music.

SPEAKER_00 21:24

Nice, nice. And how how was your trip to Honduras? What was that like?

SPEAKER_03 21:31

That was um it was amazing, man. It's probably you know, definitely one of the top one, two, three things I've done in my lifetime. Um, it was amazing, man. It was but I went through every emotion out there uh because we we went out there, I went out there with about five other um of my brothers from church, and then we flew to my And meant up with uh another church called the Buffalo Dream Center. It's about about the same amount of guys uh from Buffalo. And we've been in Miami, and then that's we flew from Miami to uh Honduras. And it's like, you know, you just gotta you just gotta have that faith in the um system that was already set up before you. Like, I don't know who I'm going to meet out here. They just telling me where I get off at and where to go to meet these people. Um I don't speak Spanish, you know what I'm saying? Um that's what they speak out there.

SPEAKER_00 22:39

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 22:39

Uh luckily, you know, um everything was set up in place. We had an interpreter as soon as we touched down. Um, so that made it that made it a lot better. But it was like um it was an experience, man. It's a beautiful country. Um so poor, but so beautiful. Um it just it made me more grateful to be in America. Like it took me maybe like a month to uh be back doing the regular American things. I I at first I was like everybody's too, you know what I mean? Everybody, like, ain't nobody grateful enough, you know what I mean? Because it was it was people out there, you know. I man, when I when I when I came back, I didn't have no shoes on or nothing. I gave them everything because it's a whole different way of life, man. I went like five, six hours out into the jungle, middle of nowhere, like sleeping outside all week. Um it was wild, but I got to have some crazy spiritual moments. And then just watching the, you know, the um families when you when you present the house to them, um and they, you know, they you're seeing the emotion, you can't understand a lot what they're saying, but the but the interpreter's telling you, and um it just it just feels good to um it was great to do stuff like that. So I had a I had an amazing time. The food was great. The uh mangoes, man. You could just my man would run up the tree, pull a mango out the tree. Yeah, man. Don't taste nothing like the mango here. It's like before all the pesticides or whatever they spray to keep it. Man, it's like it was um it was an experience. I'm I'm I'm gonna definitely go back. A lot of my friends done been back uh uh a few times. I might be going back in July.

SPEAKER_00 24:47

Okay, I was gonna ask you that, you know. I was gonna ask you that. And speaking of Honduras, have you been to any other countries besides Honduras?

SPEAKER_03 24:57

No, man. That was actually the first time I ever been out the country.

SPEAKER_00 25:01

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 25:01

I I didn't honestly didn't think I could get a passport. I was uh ignorant listening to uh listening to people instead of doing my research. I didn't think felons could get a passport, so um I was completely wrong about that. It was pretty easy. You know what I mean? I showed them, you know, my um identification, paid the money, got an expedite. I might have got my passport back in like 10 days. So that was yeah, that was my first time going out the country, man, to go do mission work. And um not so we built six houses, but not only did we do that, the one day, it was like a Sunday, we uh met up with these children, and we uh we like we just played games with them, gave them a bunch of gifts, and it was just wild because I had some play-doh, like some cheap play-doh from like Dollar Tree, and the kids were just amazed. They because they never never even seen like little stuff like that, like play-doh, don't have no toys, don't have no, you know, sewage in their house, no toilet, uh washing up in the river, like real deal, real deal stuff out there, man. So it was a blessing to just go out there and see that and come back with a whole new perspective, like on my whole life.

SPEAKER_00 26:28

Yeah, no doubt. I feel you, I feel you, good brother. I feel you. So speaking of um Han Honduras, is there any other sit um not cities, countries you like to go to, you know, like like to visit?

SPEAKER_03 26:44

Yeah, yeah. Um I want to go to Toulon. Um definitely want to go to Toulon. Other than that, though, um I wanna I wanna go to I want to go to Liberia. I've been thinking about it real hard. Um I got I got many opportunities to go there because we do a lot of missions. Um that's just what kind of church uh I go to. It's like a submission type church. So um I have some opportunities to go to Liberia. I'm just not crazy about planes, and it's a very long plane ride to get over there. Once I get over that, once I get over that anxiety, I think I'm gonna go to Africa, man.

SPEAKER_00 27:30

Yeah. Yeah, so so you said you got a phobia of planes. Um how how um how many hours was the plane ride to Honduras?

SPEAKER_03 27:44

I don't remember exactly, but it wasn't long. Like, it wasn't long, man. It might have been the two, three hours at max. It wasn't long from Miami.

SPEAKER_00 27:56

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_03 27:57

So I wasn't so I was good. I wasn't about nothing.

SPEAKER_00 28:01

Well no doubt, no doubt. That's for sure. As long as it wasn't no long play ride, that's all that matters. That's all that matters.

SPEAKER_03 28:09

So yeah, that was that was good. We got there quick. I was surprised. I was like, okay, okay, okay. We here.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

Nice, nice. And um my next question is, you um, how do you and I I know um you know Scrap Wilson, right?

SPEAKER_03 28:29

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 28:30

Now have you got the opportunity to do music with him since he's a hip-hop artist?

SPEAKER_03 28:36

No, Scrap, um, unfortunately, we don't have no music together. That'd be real dope. Um Scrap was more like Scrap was more like a big brother type. Um he will more put me on the shows and stuff like that, and put me on the different different showcases. And uh yeah, he was more on that level. He he'll play around with the rap, come freestyle. You know what I mean? He loved uh uh he might even come battle somebody, but like more or less my relationship with scrap is he would book book me for shows, put me on.

SPEAKER_00 29:20

Nice, nice. And do you recall the um do you recall um one of the shows that he booked you on?

SPEAKER_03 29:30

Yeah, I recall uh I recall a few, man. Um I recall a few. Yeah, me on, you know, on some nice tickets, man. Uh it dates all the way back, man. Um dates back, you know, basically my whole career I know is crap.

SPEAKER_01 29:51

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 29:52

So it's a lot of shows I remember. Like I like the older ones, like, you know, memories like a stuff I didn't know what it was gonna be like, like when Mac, because I'm a lot older than Mac Miller, rest in peace. Like I remember like Mac um doing shows with him and like not knowing that he was gonna be this huge star or doing shows with Wiz Khalifa and them, you know what I mean? Like um stuff like that uh it is memorable when you think back, because you're like, dang, man, I ain't know life was gonna lead them to these places. It's dope.

SPEAKER_00 30:34

No doubt, no question, no question. Rest in peace. To Mac Miller, rest in peace.

SPEAKER_03 30:39

So um 100%, rest in peace.

SPEAKER_00 30:42

Oh yeah, no question. And speaking of Mac Miller, um do you think his his his and Jimmy Wapo's untimely passing like affected the scene in the 412, the hip hop scene in the 412?

SPEAKER_03 30:59

For sure, for sure. Definitely, definitely affected the hip-hop scene. Um I know like as far as Wappa, rest in peace to Whoppo, um when he got unalive, like scene fell off for a minute. Wasn't nobody really coming hard like he was coming. The scene definitely fell off for a minute. And with Mac, you know, um Mac has a plethora, uh, a diehard fan, so like all of them was, you know, um like truly, truly depressed, like because you know, they like there was a presence. You could see it on the internet how many people was talking about. Like I went to both of their visuals. I went to uh Mac Miller's visual, um out Blue Slab Park in Screw Hill. Um, man, it was people from all over the world there. Wow. All over the world. And then I went to Jimmy Wappo's rest in peace to him. I went to his visual as well, and that was like it was totally different. Like at Max, it was like just everybody was free and just like it was all good, it was all love and peace, and they was crying or happy together. But at WAPO's thing, the Pittsburgh police was around the whole entire thing. Like, man, it was so many police. Um and uh yeah, they just kind of had it had it had it blocked off real crazy, which just made the vibe different. Um but people still was able to come and show they show their love and and um and respect. So it was it was it was sad though, but they yeah, they both in their own way definitely was a loss, big effect to the city for sure.

SPEAKER_00 33:10

Absolutely, absolutely. Rest in peace to both those guys, you know, they definitely you know their passing definitely affected the 412 uh hip hop scene, and you know, I wish they were here. You know, I wish both of them were here. And they could have done more music, more videos, more tours, etc. For sure. Etc.

SPEAKER_03 33:33

Yeah, and I you know them, you know, them winning, you know, um helps the the the city win. So, you know, that's definitely a huge loss, man.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

Absolutely, absolutely. Now my um my next question is where do you see hip hop in the 412 in the years to come? Like whether it be five years, ten years, fifteen years, or just in general, where do you see it uh in the years to come? In your opinion?

SPEAKER_03 34:09

In my opinion. In the years to come, man. Um right now, man, I can't do nothing but be honest. Like I'm ho I'm hoping that it could get turned around because like I say, man, I just see I mean numbers don't lie. Um numbers don't lie, like the negativity every time gets the most draws, the beefs. Um there's a bunch of people beefing right now, or I wouldn't even talk about it, but it's public, like Jugie, Jugie beefing with Raw Dog. And that's when I say the numbers don't lie. Like you can look and see how many people's paying attention to that, how many people sharing that, Stunted Two Fly, uh This and Whiz and Um Yeah, Fed the God, like that thing made it all the way to um No Jumper with Adam 22 and all of that. That's a huge platform. Um or even you know, whatever's going on, if it's like you know, some of the famous, excuse my language, shit talkers. Like you good, if they just talking, um, no, I I I just try not to cuss, but um I'm still still work in progress. But like them, if they just airing stuff out, like like you just see the numbers going up, going up real crazy. And um I'm just hoping that there's some more positivity and more creativity. You know what I mean? Like, um I feel like when I was coming up, and I can only talk from you know my point of view, what I've been around, what I've seen, there was there was more uh it was it was more different creative art. Like, man, it was like 10 different type of rappers. Like now it just seemed like it's this or that. You know what I mean? Like just want to see uh more positivity and and more artistry. Absolutely it's it's real easy to talk about each other all day and and and uh just put that negativity in the air, but it ain't it ain't worth it in my opinion at all.

SPEAKER_00 36:49

No, I agree. I agree. You know, I'm not originally from here, but every time I go on Facebook and some folks talk about the music hip-hop scene or the music scene in general, I just shake my head. I'm like, again, we had this topic the year before last year, the year before that, the year before that. I mean, times we're gonna talk about it, and and some artists got upset because they're not on a list of the top 10 rappers or rappers that's your favorite, you know.

SPEAKER_03 37:22

And I feel like Yeah, they'd be real upset, but I seen a lot of that too. Yeah, they was upset they ain't on the list, and some of you know, um music is subjective, right? So a lot of the people because there's a lot of lists, like some of these people that was making the list don't even have like a lot of credentials to make lists. Some of the people did have credentials, but it's like um, like I say, music is subjective, and um you know, you know if you're good or not, you know what I'm saying? You know uh you know if if if uh people was looking crazy when your music came on, or you know people know it word for word. Like you can tell, you can tell when uh when it's good, man. The proof is gonna be in the pudding. But like, yeah, I never I'm glad I ain't like that, man. I remember even when they had the hip-hop wall. Remember they had that wall down um Market Square?

SPEAKER_00 38:24

Yeah, uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 38:25

And then I think it was like 50, 50 artists, man, like, and people didn't make it. I now now um I seen it because it, you know, it was part of what was going on. And I was like, dang, out of 50, not me. But I was like, it is what it is. I don't care though. But I seen a lot of other people like, man, like honestly, honestly hurt. And and and um, yeah, man, all of us are still trying to uh get to somewhere, so it's like who cares for real, man?

SPEAKER_00 39:01

Right, right. And you know, I I don't particularly care about lists either. And I feel like if you're putting in the work as an artist, you know, you putting in the work, you know, recording, performing, and etc., you don't need no list to validate your talent or your dopeness. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_03 39:22

Absolutely not, man. You really, you really, really don't, man. Like the list, the list don't mean nothing, man. The list don't mean nothing. I mean, it's it's it's good. Like, everybody loves to be recognized, right? There's nothing wrong with it, but like, it's nothing to trip about either if you ain't on it.

SPEAKER_00 39:41

Right, for sure, for sure. You know, I mean, that's it's it's subjective. You know, they pick their they choose their favorite, and that's alright. You know, I don't I don't think no artist should take it to heart. Even if you don't know that's that's another thing I want to talk about. You know, when you see a list on Facebook, some artists are like, wait a minute, who is that? I don't know him. You know, like discredit discrediting their contributions or their, you know, their work their work um in the 412 hip hop scene. Like, no, I may not heard of this artist, but I'm not gonna hate on him. I'm not gonna discredit their artistry because for what? What's the purpose of that? You know, you know what I'm saying? It would make me curious what that artist brings to the table in the 412. So say like such and such was on the list. I'm gonna listen to their music right away, say, hey, all right, let me check this uh individual out, let me check this artist out. I'll I'll do the complete opposite instead of hating. So I'm sure.

SPEAKER_03 40:46

Absolutely. You might come up on something, you might end up liking it like, oh, this is dope. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 40:51

No doubt, no doubt.

SPEAKER_03 40:52

Rather than rather than just hating is crazy, but yeah, that's that's that's the uh that's the go-to, it seems like, is the hate.

SPEAKER_00 41:01

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's a shame, it's a shame because in my opinion, you know, in my opinion, this is just this it's just me, you know. You might disagree, you might agree, I don't know. I mean, Pittsburgh is so small, everybody knows everybody.

SPEAKER_03 41:20

No, I agree. I agree.

SPEAKER_00 41:22

Literally, everybody knows everybody, and I'm not I'm not even from here, but everybody knows everybody. Hey, you know that person? Hey, me too. You know that person? Yeah, me too. Who you don't know is the question.

SPEAKER_03 41:32

You know what I'm saying? Right, right, yeah. 100% I agree.

SPEAKER_00 41:36

You know, it's like, man, you know, you know this person, you know that person. Like, who you don't know, man? Who you introduce me to someone that you don't know. You know what I'm saying? It's hard to do. Yeah, it's hard to do. But yeah, it definitely is. But but it's a you know, Pittsburgh is cool, you know. Um Pittsburgh got a great music scene, you know. Um there is talent in the city, like such as yourself, you know what I'm saying, that put it in the work, that is that cares about their craft and you know, and want to continue to get better and better at their craft. So yeah, I mean, Pittsburgh's a solid city. I think my only issue with the scene here in the 412 is the lack of professionalism. I mean, do you do you feel as though there's a lack of professionalism in this city as far as the music scene?

SPEAKER_03 42:31

100%, 100%. Ain't ain't ain't it's way more lack of profession like, yeah, man, it ain't a lot of people need to step the professional part up, but I wanted you to expand on that. Like, what have you noticed?

SPEAKER_00 42:46

Okay, um sure. I d I just feel as like say like um say like an event starts at eight o'clock and artists are on the bill. I feel as though artists should come like at seven or seven thirty, so the show can start on time, but you know, artists come in whenever they feel like, and therefore the show might start around like nine or nine thirty or damn near ten o'clock. I'm like, wait a minute, wait a minute. It's supposed to start at eight, and I feel as though like you know, artists, some artists should show up on time so they can get the opportunity to perform. If I'm throwing an event and I tell artists, hey, show up around you know, show starts at nine o'clock. So show up around eight or eight thirty. So if they don't show up around eight or eight thirty, they're gonna miss their place on the bill. You know, they can get they you know, they'll still perform, but they will perform last. So Say, like, someone is next, but they're not here. I'm gonna bring the next artist on the stage. And that person that was supposed to be on the stage, they go on last. You know, that's just my that's just my take on it.

SPEAKER_03 44:15

So I agree with that. That's that's you know, um you you still be nice, you know. Some people wouldn't let them perform, you know what I'm saying, but other people do, and that's why, you know, um some of the events don't be great because you can't properly run your event if everybody ain't you know doing what they're supposed to do.

SPEAKER_00 44:38

Absolutely, absolutely. I agree, I agree 100%, you know.

SPEAKER_03 44:42

I ain't never uh been like that. Um I try my hardest, I try my hardest to uh to be on time. Um that's why I can still it's real easy for me to um get on a lot of bills because I I just try to do my best to to follow what the instructions is, you know what I'm saying? Um it's not hard. If you if you uh you know gotta humble yourself down, you know what I mean. You can't you can't be coming in late like you um like you uh whoever's hot right now, like you boss mandila or something, man, you gotta relax. Listen to what's going on that way you get the next opportunity, you know what I'm saying? And you know, by the time you you lacking in late, people be out the door or or be ready to be, man, or or not be interested by that time or drunk. You know what I mean? So, but yeah, you it's just like people will still be, I guess it's how your mind is set on what you're doing. Like, maybe I think maybe a lot of these people still it's like a um a hobby, a hobby to them. You know what I mean? I never yeah, yeah. I never thought what the uh hobby mindset is.

SPEAKER_00 46:11

Artists that want to take it seriously, take it seriously, you know, you know what I'm saying? Because you can make money off of it, you know, you know what I'm saying? You can get paid for shows. And you know, speaking of paid, you know, pay or getting paid, uh I asked numerous artists on this topic, and I want to uh ask you as well. The pay-to-play situation, are you for it or against it? Because I asked other artists as well. Some are for it, some against it. So what's your take on the thing?

SPEAKER_03 46:55

I think it depends what the situation is. Um I think it totally just depends what the situation is. Like what do you mean by pay to play? Um pay to what, pay to get on a uh a local show. You gotta give like an example of pay to play.

SPEAKER_00 47:17

Like your event. Um say like um, alright. In order to be a part of this event, as far as performing, you gotta pay$20 to perform two songs. And okay, fine. But what am I getting out of it? You know, am I getting something out of it? That's that's that's what I'm saying. Well, I mean, what's your take on that?

SPEAKER_03 47:48

See, um that's that's the only way, that's why I asked you what was the situation. The only way I'm gonna pay to play is if um, like you said, if I'm getting something out of it, for me, getting something out of it would be like um one or the other. It would be uh getting a solid connection with somebody, or it'd be gaining um new fans would have to be like, you know, like a big headliner. Um you know, I'll pay, I'll pay to do that because they put me in they put me in front of you know thousands of people, you know what I'm saying? I'm gonna get I'm gonna get on the mic, I'm gonna go crazy, and I'm gonna um and I'm gonna scream out on my socials, you know what I'm saying? They're gonna know my IG, I'm gonna have my merch selling in there, you know what I mean? I'm gonna I'm gonna make it worth I'm gonna I'm gonna make my try to make my money back while I'm in there. But um if it's just like your local um local show like where there's more artists than fans type shows, absolutely not. Um absolutely not. But yeah, there's the times you should and times you shouldn't.

SPEAKER_00 49:13

So um before we can um conclude this interview, um I always put artists on the spot, you know, to display their talent, you know, whether they rap, sing, do spoken word. It's like tradition, tradition for me, being a host for the podcast. And I was wondering if it's okay with you or if you feel comfortable, can you display, express your talents for those that will be watching and listening, good brother?

SPEAKER_02 49:48

My man.

SPEAKER_03 49:50

Absolutely, man. That's what we're here for uh to display the talent. So um, and I appreciate you even giving me the platform to display the talent, man. That's a that's a blessing. Um I didn't know you was gonna hit me with that, though. You definitely caught me off guard. But uh, but I'll whip up uh a little something real quick. Let me think. Oh, when the Lord talks, I listen. I came a long way from them court docks and prison in the street. I put in work, and more props was given. Could be six feet in the dirt or board locked in prison. Never seen a man repent and the Lord not forgive him, or ask for his presence and Lord not be with him. I fell a couple times. Boys caught me slipping, but the Lord dust me off and poured out his wisdom. Gotta shout out my Pastor Nick. More shouts to Lennon. He's the next generation. My Lord's got the vision. I'm from Bridge City Church, where ain't no division. If the Lord ain't in it, then ain't no decision.

SPEAKER_00 50:55

Nice.

SPEAKER_03 50:56

Stuff like that, brother.

SPEAKER_00 50:59

Appreciate that. Appreciate that. So won't you tell the listeners and the viewers where they can find you or follow you at, good brother?

SPEAKER_03 51:13

You can find me at Harlan Bud God on I G, at Harlan Bud God on TikTok, on uh X. That's H A-R-L-A-N B-U-T-G-O-D. Uh my full name on Facebook, Harlan. My last name's Tub T-O-B-E Jr. Um those are the ways you can find me, man. You wanna uh email me? It's H-E T O B E J R at Gmail.com. Um that's like, you know, if you want to uh collab or book me or something like that.

SPEAKER_00 51:52

Ladies and gentlemen, you can find me on Facebook. That's the best way to get in touch with me. Instagram, coolmalik82, TikTok, cool brother number one. I have a page for my podcast via Facebook. If you want to be a guest on my podcast, hit me up on one of those social media platforms. We can set up the time, date, and we can talk about whatever you want to talk about. Take it from there. Good brother, Mr. Harlan Toby Jr., if you want to be a guest, once again, hit me up. And it was a pleasure having you on, and the pleasure was all mine, good brother. Appreciate you, man. Yes, yes, stay blessed. Same air, cool, brother. Good brother.

SPEAKER_02 52:39

Alright, peace. Absolutely. You you do the same, my brother.