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Family Bidness Podcast Crew
We interview artists and creators to give them a platform to speak on their journey, who they are, and give some insight/knowledge into whatever field they’re a part of.
Family Bidness Podcast Crew
Intermission #1
Growth isn't always visible in the day-to-day, but when you step back and look at where you were months or years ago, that's when you truly see how far you've come.
After a short break to reset and get our lives in order, we're back to discuss the unexpected ways life has evolved for us. From exciting new DJ gigs and music features to overcoming injuries that became blessings in disguise, we share how the challenges of the past four years have shaped our present reality.
Remember the early pandemic days? We reflect on that surreal period when the world seemed to pause, and how it forced us to distinguish between our wants and needs. Those moments of isolation and self-reflection laid the groundwork for the clarity we now feel about our purpose and direction.
There's power in vulnerability and sharing mistakes. One of us opens up about a sketchy online dating situation that went wrong during the pandemic, offering it as a cautionary tale but also as evidence of how much wiser we've become. Meanwhile, what seemed like a devastating hand injury unexpectedly accelerated healing through continuing to pursue passion projects – sometimes your medicine is found in doing what you love.
The conversation takes a heartwarming turn as we celebrate the rising talent in our community, from PB Mexico's upcoming mixtape "Purple Heart" to watching the next generation of artists impact audiences in real-time. These moments remind us that success isn't just about personal advancement but about uplifting those around you.
Ready for some real talk about growth, resilience, and finding purpose? Subscribe now and join the conversation about turning life's challenges into stepping stones toward your destined path.
Man, what we doing? Brody man, what's the?
Speaker 2:word, man. How you doing? Man, I'm phenomenal, bro. I'm great. You know, life is great. I have no complaints right now. You know it's a lot to catch up on, to dive in, but at surface level, man, I'm great. How are you man? Mr Look, it's Julian's birthday man. It's Julian's birthday man. It's Julian's birthday man. Ah shit, my bad, we're going to have to edit that out. We're going to put like a big you know how they cuss. We're going to put like a pause, like a ding. We're going to put that down. It's Marquette Wizard's birthday man. Happy, happy, happy birthday man. How are you doing, brother?
Speaker 1:Talk to me you doing, brother, talk to me how you feeling that man. No, we good man, like we, we living man, we here. You know what I mean. Like things have been. Things have been on the up and up lately. You know, like things have not always been that way, but things are that way now. So that's all that really matter. Honestly, you know type shit, but things have been going good man. You know I can't complain. Uh, you know work's been picking up. We got that full time. You know we still making time to do music. We still making time to stream. You know we stream on Twitch sometimes. Type shit, you know. So everything's good man, life is good. You know my girl, relationships, mom, shit like that. You know my homies, my family. You know we here man.
Speaker 2:That's good and that's real important, man, because I want to say like I think we kind of took a break after probably like we partied, probably like the first few weeks of the new year. Then we kind of took a little break just to get things and life in order. And I know, at least for me, like these last few weeks has been very just all over the place, not just regarding emotions, but just regarding just life period, like just opportunities that's been popping up. It's been a lot of everything. I can't even just say one particular area of life that's more strong than the other. It's just been a lot of everything going on. But the great part about it is that I felt like it was the right kind of intermission for real you know what I'm saying. I felt like it was the right kind of break, just being able to pause and just take a moment to really just get life together. You know what I mean, and I'm grateful that we have a way, like we were able to do this. I think that's the advantage we have to pre-recording material versus just kind of like dropping it on a live I don't know the exact cadence, but like on a weekly basis, so to speak Like if we was doing this on a weekly basis. That probably would have threw things off for us. But the fact that we're taking a route, that we're taking a pre-record everything and then release it, to drop it all off at once I think that's what makes it so dope is that we're able to put this on our schedule the way we would like to, man, and still dedicate ourselves to this. So I'm excited, man, because I get to just sit down and chop it up with my brother today. Man, there's been a lot of eventful things going on, man, because I get to just sit down and chop it up with my brother today, man, there's been a lot of eventful things going on, man. I know at least for me, bro, just I know there's been opportunity that's been popping up just on the DJing side of things, just between gigs and just networking opportunities, potential opportunities to go to some other cities. Rob Markman, yeah, yeah, rob Markman. So that's been pretty dope.
Speaker 2:Finally, I made a final edit to the poster boy tracklist. That's something that was out of the blue, but I felt like the way life was going, it helped me put a conclusion on it. You know what I mean. It helped me find, because the song was already there, the music was already there, but it helped me finally say this is how I want to conclude this, this is how I want to finish this and feel confident about it. Right, that must be a good feeling, man, bro.
Speaker 2:It was a for me. It's still processing, it's still kind of a. It's still processing and I think it's going to be like that pendant feeling until, like, I release it and kind of just get it off my back. But it feels great, bro, because I'm just sitting, like I think every day I wake up more and more excited about sharing it with the world, because it's just knowing that, like this is something I've been working on for some time, and I'm not expecting it to hit everybody, I'm not expecting everybody to like it or to love it, man, but I'm looking forward to those that do connect with it and those that do gravitate towards it, because it has been a want for my music. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:And that's something I didn't really appreciate until I sat down and had more conversations with the homies. Man, y'all was just like bro, you got to drop. It's a journey, yeah, and I felt like I had to feel ready. I felt like I couldn't allow nothing around me to determine me feeling ready to drop, but at the same time, it was that feeling of like it felt like a responsibility. The same time, it was that feeling of like it felt like a responsibility, like it got to a point where it felt like it was my responsibility to give this, like to release this. Now, you know, and with that being said, I feel like it's not just about what you do, but how you do it. I feel like that's everything in life.
Speaker 1:Say it again, man Shit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and for me it's just one of those things that it's dope to even have this platform, to even be able to talk about it, because it is like an anxiety with this shit. Bro, I don't want to pretend like it's not, it definitely is, and what's been great about it is that I'm around. I wouldn't just say I'm, but we're around fellow artists. You know what I'm saying, but we're like. I mean we're around fellow artists, you know what I'm saying, but we're like I mean we go deeper than music. You know what I'm saying. But what's helpful is that we have real life conversations that resonate in so many arenas outside of music that when it does, when it is time to do that, it's like all right, let's do it. You feel me. So something else that's been exciting is that I got asked to do that. It's like all right, let's do it. You feel me. So something else that's been exciting is that I got asked to do a feature. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:I'm going to play it for you.
Speaker 2:I'm going to play it for you before we get out of here. But I'm not going to say who it was by or who it was from, but I'm going to just say like I got asked. It was very unexpected, but I felt like Sort of magic happened, exactly. I felt good about it because it was like the way it kind of happened. I was just like, oh, like you know, I just pulled up.
Speaker 2:It was literally just a matter of me being in the right place at the right time. You know, and that particular day I woke up feeling like man, I don't feel like going, like I just feel like staying in a crib. But if something told me, like man, I don't feel like going, like I just feel like staying in a crib. But if something told me like bro, get out the house or you're going to sit in this, feeling Like you're not going to get nothing done if you sit there and I'm glad that I moved, because I walked into an opportunity without even knowing, like just as a result of me being in the studio it was like hey, man, man, you finna do this. And I'm like Rob Markman, alright, rob Markman.
Speaker 2:Alright cool, you know, and what's been dope about that is that, as a result of me finishing one feature, I got two back. I'm not going to say who the two I got back was from, but you know it's just even chipping away on future projects that's to come. You know, I feel really, really good about that, like it's some things that's in the works, man. But I finally felt like as an artist, I feel confident enough to start presenting my music, and I would say that's been about a two-year journey for real, for real, for me starting making music. It's probably been Well, I would say we ain't going to go into that whole deep dive, but since I started taking it serious, it's been two years. So I feel great about that, especially as I'm nearing this four-year anniversary of me returning from Trinity.
Speaker 2:For those of you that don't know, trinity College is my alma mater, meaning that that's where I earned my bachelor's degree, and I've been thinking about that lately too, like man. It's been four years since I returned home from school that that's where I earned my bachelor's degree and I've been thinking about that lately too, like man. It's been four years since I returned home from school and at the time, you know, this was my senior year. We returned during the midst of a pandemic, starting Not really knowing what the hell was happening or what was about to come. It's pretty crazy when you think about it, bro, like really think about, like where were you four years ago today, like four years ago, this date, where were you? What was going on in your life? Think about that.
Speaker 1:Oh right, yeah, Like we were basically coming off the pandemic A lot of shit, a lot of people were getting laid off and shit, like people having to switch careers, like just a lot of moving parts and just like a lot. Just a lot of moving parts and just like a lot of stuff in the media. There's always a lot of shit in the media, but it's like still like just it was a crazy time.
Speaker 2:We just lost Pop Smoke, just lost Kobe. You know that's fucking crazy. It's just like I'm just thinking about, like man 2020 was really. I mean, maybe it's just me, but it felt like that pandemic really took a lot of life out of things. But I felt like it took a lot of life out of my wants, but it brought a lot of life into my needs.
Speaker 1:I think it made people appreciate life a little bit more, because it's like you couldn't go out, you couldn't go to restaurants, you couldn't go to events, events like nothing like that, and people was just secluded and shit like that. So it's like people had to sit with themselves and and man just like honestly do some soul searching, I feel like, and then really learn to appreciate life in a different capacity, like the fragility of life, like man like you only get one of these motherfuckers, being the person that you are, you know what what I mean, and it's like shit.
Speaker 2:Nah, that's a fact. But I'm laughing because I just thought back to myself, bro, and it's funny because you with me right now, but I got robbed for the first time during the pandemic.
Speaker 2:You remember that I'm thinking back but like tell the story, yeah, so and this is a shameless thing, but I feel like I gotta put myself out there because this may help somebody in the future. Right, so I was doing the dummy thing of like I wouldn't say the dummy thing of being on tinder. I don't think there's anything wrong with being on these internet dating sites, but what was the dumb thing that I did was reveal my address. Thinking I'm like man, she trying to pull up, we about to smoke and do something else like I'm like.
Speaker 1:It's going down like you know what I'm saying pandemic buns what we doing.
Speaker 2:You feel me pandemic buns, man? All I'ma say is man a car pulled up, bro. It was two shorties in the backseat with two niggas in the front seat. Bro, I put my hand in the backseat with two niggas in the frontseat, bro, I put my hand in the car first with the money and they drove off of my shit and I'm not mad about it. At least that's all that happened, though honestly, yeah, that's why I'm saying like in hindsight, bro, like I rarely laugh about it, because it's like imagine it if I reacted.
Speaker 1:Then, like really sitting back and looking at what's going on now in life, imagine if I reacted then, well, because the thing is different now, like you know, like to be frank, like we just walk around with pipes now, so it's like things things allegedly allegedly we, we got you know we're good, we got the, we got the ccl shit like that.
Speaker 1:I'm just being real. So like the reaction is gonna be different. It could be a whole different scenario that we're talking about right now, but it's not. You know what I mean. So it's like shit, like I'm just saying man, like like back then I don't know, but we blessed man, we blessed to be here, we blessed a lot. Really be dealing with no bullshit like that again type shit. But man, times back then was crazy for sure. You know what I mean. But here we are, man, we in this space, we create this safe space for people to you know what I mean just express themselves. There's really a bigger picture behind this whole shit like we talk about all the time, man. It's deeper than music. It's deeper than just these simple things. We really be trying to have real life conversations or we be throwing out game. We would just be coming together as brothers to do this check in, like we do all the time, and I feel like it's very needed you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:That's a fact and that's why I feel like it was important to share that part, because it's like I'm learning that it's vulnerability, like it's a lot of strength and sharing my mistakes. You know what I'm saying lot of strength in sharing my mistakes. You know what I'm saying. Like somebody could sit back like, yes, it wasn't the wisest thing to do, right, but I pray somebody, really I pray that really reaches somebody.
Speaker 2:Like bro, don't, don't, bro, don't, be online just sharing your information with anybody, just, um, it don't matter what the circumstance is, it don't matter what you really want, bro, like it's really like that shit is dangerous, just move smart type shit. Exactly, bro. And it's like, even now, me being a 26-year-old young man, I'm sitting back like bro, I would never do no, like the idea of me doing that. Now, bro, I'm sitting back like nigga, please, bro, like that, or the idea of somebody even trying to do that to me. Now, it ain't even a fact that, because I I would flat out like I don't think I would even allow myself to be in that position at this point well, the mindset has shifted to a whole different realm now a whole different.
Speaker 2:yeah, and I think, like again, bro, just I'm grateful that, even in that moment, I'm grateful that the right things happened at the right time. That's the best way to say it, bro. Who knows how that could have went had I reacted you know what I'm saying, or et cetera. Who knows had I called somebody to say what I'm saying, or et cetera? Who knows had I called somebody to say, man, let's go do that. You know what I'm saying, bro, that shit wouldn't work. I'm sitting back, blessed now you know what I'm saying A whole different, a new address, a whole different spot, a whole different phone number, a whole different, whole new everything. And it's just to say, first and foremost glory be to God.
Speaker 2:right glory goes to God fact, god did, god did right it's one of the things, man, that I just really be on the top of time of, like how can I look back and see my growth and like see my growth to where I'm at now?
Speaker 1:And growth is crazy. By the way, let me just say, like, just as a brother, like, just like looking like and thinking about the stuff we used to think was important and the stuff that we used to, you know, like move on and shit like that. Like, just in general, like all of us, you know what I mean Like it was just yesterday I was pulling up to the apartment with y'all in the backyard, we pulling up with a case of champagne, we fucking, just we busting them shits.
Speaker 2:We literally were just popping champagne in the backyard. We wasn't even drinking all the bottles, bro, we was literally just popping champagne for a sport. Hold on, I bet I could could. Like, hold on, you got a bottle. Yeah, everyone was literally just like, yeah, nah, that shit was real man. And even even just understanding just the moment in life, that was right, like you know. Just it's crazy because even looking back now on that, just again, it goes back to this post. I was saying the other day Like, don't judge your. Like.
Speaker 2:A lot of times we base our progress upon what we do every day, instead of looking at it from a wider lens and saying, well, this is where I was at six months ago, this is where I was at a year ago, this is where I was at two years ago, this is where I was at five year ago, this is where I was at two years ago, this is where I was at five years ago.
Speaker 2:You see what I'm saying. So when you break it down like that a little further, you're able to hopefully a handful of us are able to see the real progress we've made. So as I look back from that moment, I just remember even just the crowd of people I was around during that season and even just telling them you know, I'm about to do this DJ thing and I'm about to go back to campus and my name about to really go somewhere, but to really be able to do that Now it's the same thing but a different city. This city just happened to be my hometown city just happened to be my hometown. And it's like I was just explaining explaining this to a classmate earlier like how grateful I am just to be at home doing a handful of the things that I'm doing to be able to have a full-time opportunity with benefits. Right like when I injured my hand, you know, go we going back to our pilot here? Right like, like that was the same day we did the pilot for real, right.
Speaker 1:That's crazy.
Speaker 2:now that I think about that too, yeah, like I really left the hospital and was like, yeah, let's go do a podcast.
Speaker 2:That's not something that the average person would probably do after something like that happened to them, because for me it was a thing of like bro, me and my brother made plans already and it's just like nothing is going to interfere with the plan that we made. I'm like because I think that day we were like we're going to do something, we're going to record, we're going to do something, it's going to connect. And then when I pulled up, you know, I was already kind of in a relaxed state cause I had smoke. I was proud of myself, nigga, I rolled the backwood with one hand and rush out.
Speaker 1:I can't even roll backwards.
Speaker 2:That's so like shit, that just can attest to how amazing that is yeah, bro, I was sitting back proud of myself. I'm like, eh, it was a roller, nothing.
Speaker 1:I'm like one hand, bro, I'm on the highway just like oh, we baby, so with that man, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2:I'm pretty sure I went to chick fil-a after that. I'm not 100 sure on that, but I could bust it man, I'm trying to say chick-fil-a, hit every time, but put the macaroni on top I'm telling you.
Speaker 2:I never did that before, but we might have to try that just to you. We might have to start trying, like some, some hidden Chick-fil-A recipes, like start putting shit together just to see what like the ultimate Chick-fil-A experience. Like we might have to figure that out. But anyway, like I just I remember that day. But even to fast track to what's going on now, like to be back at work right, because most people would quit after a situation like that happened, oh y'all, I hated that. I had to sit out, to be honest, but I was.
Speaker 2:I looked at it as a blessing because at that time I was in my mind I was saying, bro, man, I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving break, I'm looking forward to Christmas. Thanksgiving break had just passed, I'm looking forward to Christmas break. I'm like man, if only I could just get to here and even just thinking of myself going back four years ago, even with what was going on with me at the time, before COVID had happened. I was getting ready to go on spring break. Spring, covid literally happened. We were sent home as a result of this pandemic days before my spring break. So it was like-.
Speaker 1:March, april something like that, right.
Speaker 2:So to look forward to these dates like man. I just need to get to this and then God happens, god operates and it's just. This is something bigger than you. This is something bigger than your controller. This is something bigger than your power. What you going to do with it? You know.
Speaker 1:I give you a situation and you reacted accordingly.
Speaker 2:And I think, I think, as a result of everything that happened during the pandemic, it prepared me for that moment of debt, like you know, having a work injury, all these different things and going through these, going through these situations you know what I mean. Even like, it's just like man, like, if I'm being honest, like we was talking about this as, as you was setting up, like bro, the day I injured my hand, I had no idea, no intention to like we were going to start a podcast. I didn't like. After that happened, I'm just like I'm trying to hold tears and I'm like man, I'm about to be running late. I should not just cancel like, and then I just get back to my truck and I'm like, nah, fucking, I'm about to go pull up on broke and you know I got like.
Speaker 1:My mom cussed me out for that.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying I didn't know that either. Yeah, like and the thing, like and I'm only sharing this because this is a part of what comes with this journey Like when you grow, the people around you grow, and at the time that felt like a really uncomfortable thing. But my mama was absolutely right, like nah, I had no business being out, I had no business doing these things, and even though I tried to find a way to make it like ma, I got to do this. She was absolutely right. Like I should have been recovering.
Speaker 2:But what I did not know was as a result of me doing a handful of these things, as a result of me DJing, moving, that helped my healing process. No, I can't make this up. The doctor was telling me, like you moving your fingers and trying to grab a microphone, mind you, I'm doing these things because I'm just trying to like adhere to the fact that I agreed to these events. I told myself I was going to do these things. It was some events I didn't make it out to as a result of my injury. Like it was some things I did kind of like push off to the side, but for the most part, I feel like I made everything.
Speaker 2:For the most part, I took everything, bro, like it was nothing I missed. It was nothing I missed, it was nothing I was trying to miss and it was nothing I missed. It was nothing I missed, it was nothing I was trying to miss. And as a result of all of that, bro, just going through that journey, bro, it put me in a really beautiful journey. So, at the time of me gaining this, as this injury happened, another opportunity had presented itself for me to do a spot called game time, sports bar and grill.
Speaker 2:So we've been working through finding, like, the right day for weeks. Right, we try sundays, we try a handful of things, man, but we finally solidified a date for me. So I now do taco, tuesdays at game time, sports bar and grill, you know. So that's. That's exciting, man, and these opportunities are dope because it's like, again, like each of these, these bars and these bars, restaurants, they have so different vibes. You're dealing with different people, but at the same time, the thing that remains constant is you. The thing that remains the, the constant variable is you. So, being able to like, go into these different spaces and still be able to be myself, man is like, is a blessing. But to even like these are things I dreamed of doing. You know what I'm saying. Like coming home, from coming home four years ago, I didn't think that things would be this way. It was an opportunity I had landed that I can't really speak on just yet because I'm waiting for it to still unravel itself, but just, there's so many different things that's just coming like, that's coming full circle. You know what I'm saying. And one of the bigger things I'm excited about too is just aside from my own things. You know, mexico, pbe, mexico man. His album is I mean, excuse me his mixtape, purple Heart. Purple Heart tape is ready. Shout out to bro. And that's an exciting thing and I have to speak on it. And I have to mention it because you know this is a young man that I watched like transition through high school, you know, start college and then get on this like goes from being this athlete to becoming this artist. You know what I mean. And watching the journey that that's been for him, his father who is his manager, and his whole team, his family, et cetera, and just seeing him finally get to this point with this project, right, like it's so beautiful man. And I just want to say salute to the whole Black Bleeders Empire team. Man, I'm standing back proud, and I say that because just knowing how hard everybody has been working over there, you know what I mean. It's really been a journey. And to see how to watch it all happen, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:I remember coming home and my uncle pulling me to the side, my uncle being my Uncle, jay, right, he pulled me to the side like hey, I want you to check this out. I remember him sending me his own music when I was in college. I remember him sending me his own music when I was in college. So the fact we're at a point now where his son, his offspring, right, the next generation which is quote unquote my generation still is preparing to, you know, start his own thing, I'm so happy and I'm just so proud of him. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:It's a beautiful thing, but there's nothing I've done that they haven't supported. I remember when I had this idea about doing shirts for my neighborhood, my uncle was like, how can I help? He pulled up I'm talking about literally day of pulled up put him in a shirt, went outside and took photos and I was able to make enough money to have like my dad was sending me money when I was in college off of the proceeds of this shirt. You see what I'm saying. So I've been positioned to win as a result of my uncle's help and as a result of the help from him and his family. So I feel like it's only fair that I just share my joy, but also I share my platform, I share my audience to theirs. You know what I'm saying to let them know like, man, hey, y'all look, we have a real young spitter in this guy. We got a once-in-a-lifetime talent in this artist, being PB Mexico that is. So I'm really really excited about that. Hopefully, by the time this airs, man, y'all are able to stream and download this project everywhere, but really this is something that does. That's an exciting thing for me, man.
Speaker 2:And another thing too, before I kind of to conclude my tangent here, mayberry Mob. I got to mention the Mayberry Mob Shout out to Doughboy the Boss, shout out to the BCE team, the whole Ball City Entertainment team. I'm watching that thing grow and that's so beautiful, man, because again, that was another journey that I didn't anticipate happening as a result of being home or all these things, but I'm watching that thing unravel itself and just being able to play. I was able to play some new music. You know from laying line for, like these Chicago families, I was DJing this event called the CPS Score Cheerleading Competition.
Speaker 2:I want to say it was the semifinals and I was able to just break some of the music there and, similar to how I did a PB Mexico track last year, I was able to see how this track is moving amongst the crowd and all these different things and it just warms my heart to just see that. These young girls, man, as a result of what Unk is doing and how they're really working with these girls over there, man, these girls had the entire UIC forum moving and they weren't even there. I'm watching cheerleaders do flips to their music and all Excuse me the tumbling team of the cheerleading squad do flips to their music and it just made me just smile and it's almost like it's a bittersweet kind of moment, man, because it's like now I'm watching the next generation which is laying in line Dope Boy, the Boss' kids. I'm watching their music impact a crowd. It's an amazing thing, bro.
Speaker 1:It's an amazing thing to see bro.
Speaker 2:It does something to you, bro. It does something to you Now. I feel like I'm more on my purpose than I've ever been in my life. Now, I feel like I'm more on my purpose than I've ever been in my life. I feel more. I feel like I'm really fulfilling what's going on in my world right now. Rob Markman.
Speaker 1:Would you say. The vision is more clear than it's ever been.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, Rob Markman. I talk about it more in my music that's to come. Postal Boy is a real introduction, but Crescendo do a really good job of speaking to what's going on in my life currently.
