JERS Indie Spotlight

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:52

I'm the minute of my city.

SPEAKER_05 0:54

I'm the many business. I'm the many disabilities.

SPEAKER_03 0:56

I'm the many people quite waiting for the kitchen movement. I will make the double shit will be both.

SPEAKER_05 1:55

Remember what did the moment you hurt because the baby is gone. But every time a person died, a new baby is born.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

It's the hard buttons.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

Hey, what's up, y'all? This is your boy A D, and we got another edition of the N D Spotlight. Today we have a very special guest joining us. He's an artist, songwriter, battle rapper, actor, model, and entrepreneur who has overcome tremendous adversities to create a successful path in entertainment from Jersey to Philly and beyond. He shared stage with major artists, opened it up for music Soul Child, and continues to inspire people to his music and store. I want y'all to please help me welcome the talented jurors. What's up with you, man? I appreciate you being on tonight. We're just gonna let you, you know, we're gonna talk to you so you know your friends and supporters can get to know you a little bit better. So we're gonna start off, you know. You know, many people see the artists and performers today. But let's want you to go back to the beginning. So tell us about young Derek Butler growing up and what life was like being resistant before you it became a career.

SPEAKER_05 4:32

So it was more of a like I always say this. I became an artist from my mom. Like my mom, my mom used to do poetry. So from her doing poetry, I learned poetry. I kind of followed that, and from following poetry, somebody taught me how to avert, you know, they told me that poetry is like a form of rap, they're just the way you worded. Once I learned how to do that on my own, I was eight. Once I learned how to do that, then I was able to, you know, really think on.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

Alright. So uh we're gonna talk about uh how did you get the opportunity to work with music?

SPEAKER_05 5:14

Uh it's crazy because when I was young, uh when I was younger, I kept saying that I was gonna um meet him one day. I used to always say the songs. So one day, uh outside of uh work on promotion for another promoter. He basically, you know, they telling me, you know, uh promote this music soul challenge. Promoting music soul challenge, although he wound up coming out to the event, and the main promoter put me on. This guy disappeared.

SPEAKER_04 5:51

Right.

SPEAKER_05 5:52

So of course I'm third-party promotion. When I show up, don't let nobody know who I am, acting like they don't want to let me in. So yeah, I was working on it, so fast forward, uh it came to a situation where it kind of was like divine energy because it was like I was blocked off from where I was at and where he was at, I was blocked off from getting to him. But somehow, like, you know, I pulled my set of prayer, like God, like, you know, this is my chance. You know, I never really get to see this guy. I always said I'm gonna meet him. You know, I just I need a little help. I was dressed up real sharp in a suit in the club we was at. I didn't realize it, but all the managers was dressed up in like super sharp ass suits. But this just this particular day, I showed up in a super sharp ass suit. So uh the security guard tried to, you know, and I went to go walk up. There were two females. I said, listen, the only way I could look serious, I seen one of the managers, he walked through with two females. So I grabbed two beautiful females, I'm walking with them on my side. I'm dressed super sharp. I'm gonna walk up to the security guard and go walk past me, but to stop me. Like, yo, what are you doing? And I was like, it ain't nothing gonna stop me. I just looked him up and down. I said, Man, so you can't be serious right now. You must be new. So you don't know who I am. But mind you, I got these two beautiful women with me. So he looked at me like, like, but I'm mind you, I'm dressed stark, head and toe. That's right, that's so he looked at the two females, females looking at looking at looking at him, like, you don't know who the fuck he is. Mind you, I'm I'm just perpetrating at the time. I was looking, you know, wasn't nobody known. You know what I'm saying? I wasn't nobody known, but my confidence was so serious, like, you don't know who I am. The dude was like, Oh my bad, you must be one of the managers. I see you with the suit and the two girls, you know, come on. Right. I was paying attention because I watched the managers do, I watched like two managers do that. So I just followed suit and got in, made my way through paparazzi. I went to go take a picture with him, and it was the security guard who was like hassling the bullshit out of me from me, just trying to get, you know, just trying to get a picture with him. Yeah, but he was like, he he went out in the back of the club, supper was going on, so he up the alleyway, and I'm like, yo, music. But mind I'm just sharp, you know, the security guard, like, man, what you like me? You look like a female right now. You trying to be a fan, you you you fanned out, you just said that, and I'm like, yo, like I'm like, I'm not, I'm trying not to get into it with him, you know what I'm saying? Seeing shit, like turning around looking at him, like, bro, I could tell you hating, like, go ahead. But one of the other security guards knew who I was and was trying to warn him, like, bro, don't get it twisted because he got the suit on, like, he's dangerous, right? You know what I'm saying? But I'm there just supporting trying some love. But the security guard was hassling me so much. Music turned around, was like, yo, like, my he's up the alleyway, but he heard the commotion between me and the guy. He turned around, like, yo, this is cool. Yo, you can get a picture with me, like we can yo, come on, you know what I'm saying? And that moment to me was just like, like, damn, he's a real one. Cause he could have watched it happen and kept moving. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 9:29

Yeah, true.

SPEAKER_05 9:30

And you know, we go take a picture and everything, and my phone was messing up. And I told him about how I promoted the event and everything. But it's funny when I walked up in the suit, first thing he saw out of his mouth was, he's like, damn, from the way you dressed, you would have thought it was a young man. You know what I'm saying? It's his event, but I'm I'm so I'm dressed so sharp and it's so crazy. Like, I'm I'm holding my phone trying to get this to take a picture of this magical moment. Now I promoted the event, it was super blitz, so I'm hype. I'm just like, I'm waiting to get my pay. I mean, I'm mad that other promoter who was supposed to, you know, be there, he wasn't there, but I worked it out with the management. I'm like, all right, I can make music. I'm hype. And my phone was just is like the devil was messing with me. My phone couldn't get the picture for nothing. Like I'm trying to take the picture, it's like my camera kept messing up. And out of nowhere, it was a photographer who was sneak taking pictures. So I'm mad because the picture I took looked like crap. So it's like me and music looking at this picture and my phone, right? But this is how crazy, how crazy, right? I'm holding my phone trying to like get my camera to work. So music looking down at the phone, I'm looking down at the phone at the same time, right? Trying to get it to work. He was being patient with me, but then his manager, yo, we gotta go. But in that moment of me looking down, trying to snap the picture, the picture that I took was trash. I'm not gonna trash, but that moment of both of us looking down at my phone, a photographer, a photographer was sneaking, taking pictures, caught that shot. You know what I mean? So it looks like I'm showing him something in my phone or some cool stuff, and I'm dressed up fly, he dressed up. So it was so crazy. You know, I was mad because my phone was messing up. I was trying to give him my number, all the crazy stuff. Then I know where, you know, he leaves. I'm telling him, like, yo, I'm like, I ain't even worried about it because I know I'm gonna meet you again and we're gonna be able to work. You know what I mean? The photographer comes to me later when I'm walking back because I'm mad, like, damn, I'm supposed to get that picture. He like, yo, I'm gonna sink, I'm gonna send you something to your Instagram, give me a couple days. So I'm like, all right, cool. A couple days go by and send me that picture, and it looked crazy. Like it already looked like I'm on, but it was just more motivation for me. Like, damn, I needed that. But from there, for me mute continue continuing to support music anytime he came to the city. I wind up meeting some people who work with him, and he wound up plugging me in. This is how I wound up meeting my manager and you know, working with, you know, I was working with his promoter. His promoter put me in uh contact with my manager, we're just the workers.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

So, and and I see that the that you you're doing a lot here and all that, but and I know that like how did you feel after like just having that experience to, you know, because a lot of people they there as artists are looking for that experience to get put on by somebody like uh Rahene Navan on music, you know, Leon Thomas type situation, and you had that opportunity, like like what did it feel like for you to have that opportunity with that favorite that you got?

SPEAKER_05 12:49

I mean, that favor was good, but it it was it was one of those things where uh it's like I haven't reached that pinnacle I know I can reach with music to where we create and together, this and that. It's like we've met, we had mutual parties, they knew who I am, I know who they are, but I'm not at that level yet. Or you know what I'm saying? Like when he tells me, it's not like he don't know who I am. He as soon as he saw my face, he's like, Oh, snap, you the kid from the club. You know what I'm saying? This is years later, you know what I'm saying? So the day I dropped my Gemini album was the day he was in Philly to perform. So to celebrate for myself, I went to go see him because he was my motivation to create that, you know what I'm saying? And it's crazy how that how the universe works. The night that I'm there, a bunch of stuff was going on. I wanted to uh talk to a guy, not knowing he's the promoter for music. So me and him just having a whole conversation, a bunch of stuff was going on. My ticket, I had tickets, and then it said my tickets wasn't the right tickets for that event. It was only for the after-party thing. So I have the tickets for the the indoor concert, but I but the way the ticket sales had gone, I bought like a package, and I thought the package was for the concert and that, and it was for something else, right? So so it was just a whole thing, but it's crazy from me being patient, me being, you know, just like damn, like you know, this is supposed to be a celebration for me. I'm talking to the promoter, not knowing he's the promoter. I'm talking to him like a regular human being, just being grateful. I'm like, yeah, you know, I do music, you know, he inspires me. He just he just so happened to have a speaker on him and start playing the music off the speaker. So I'm playing him the new music that's not gonna come off, and and he's he's just looking at me, and I guess he can tell like the influence. Like, yeah, I yeah, like yeah, I can tell he influenced me. So uh like I had my own sound, but it was just still more of the he could tell, like I could tell music, you know, because of type of songs, the way I was ranking my songs. Then from there, you know, I was upset because I had tickets. He wound up calling the management and then got me tickets right by the stage. You know what I'm saying? And afterward, I got to meet and greet with him, and then it's crazy. When I went to meet and greet with him, he just like he looked at me like yo, you look mad familiar. He looked, I I gained weight from how when I gained weight from how I was like I got huskier. I used to be real skinny. So he he looked at me like yo, you look mad familiar, yo. I'm like, I'm like, yo, it's crazy. I'm like, I'm the I'm the I'm the kid from that club that one day when the security guard was asking me.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

Damn, that's him.

SPEAKER_05 15:48

Yeah, yeah. He he looking at me, how big I got and shit. He's like, he like, damn, that is you, man. What's like you know what I'm saying? So it was it was love, man. Took a picture with him, all that shit.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

So I'm gonna piggyback on your your sound. So, because I know you you you're a rapper, you also you do like R and B as well. Where did you get your uh inspiration for to create your your own sound and what makes you different from a lot of other artists out here in the game, in the indie game?

SPEAKER_05 16:20

With me, it's more of a I say true to who I am, I think that's one thing that makes me different. Like a lot of people have a hard time with that. Like my thing was I know I was inspired by music so far, everybody got somebody inspired by, but I didn't want to sound exactly like him, you know what I'm saying? Because I feel like music has his own sound, like nobody sounds like music, it has his own sound, but because he was so much of a major part of the Neo Soul sound, you know what I'm saying? He's like one of the most influential people in that genre, him, Erica Badu, you know what I'm saying? It's like right. So when people look at that genre as far as male singers, he's like number one, they're gonna go to him for that, you know what I'm saying? For me, it was more of a I like Neo Soul, but I don't always just sing full songs because I rap. So if I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna feature myself on it with me rapping, you get what I'm saying? So I'm like, how can I do it in such a way where it's it's my own sound, and I'm not sounding like nobody, then so I had to become a student of the game. I start paying attention. Um of course I used to listen to DMX like people, but a person who piqued my interest was Ja Rule. And the reason why he he piqued my interest because Ja Rule was a street guy, but he was it, he was still able to do like these like harmonies and certain stuff, like you know, with gangster rap, but still make it cool and fly for the ladies. With me learning from being, you know, being a huge fan of L O Koo J, like LL was I knew he'd got the ladies because he was fly. So when I was smaller, I was cut up, I was modeling, I had eight packs. So I'm like, how can I take the things that I've seen and I paid attention to and implement it into myself?

SPEAKER_02 18:36

Right.

SPEAKER_05 18:37

And I started doing that in in the midst of finding my own, because I didn't want to sound like them. I didn't want to, you know, I know it's a blueprint that's set, but I didn't want to follow that exact blueprint. It's like all right, I'm paying attention to sounds, like all right, this is what a hit sound like, this is what that sounds like. But when it comes to me, I paid more attention to what made me feel good, you know what I'm saying? What made me feel authentic, where I wasn't selling myself out just to make other people feel good. And I know a lot of people they make music to you know try to appease people. I don't do that, you know. Right, you know what I'm saying? And even the records you you just played not too long ago, see you again. The whole storyline behind that is crazy, you know what I'm saying? Like the amount of loss I lost within the last year, I just lost somebody, you know what I'm saying? So it was like being authentic to myself, pushing myself created a sound for myself, you know what I'm saying? Because when people was telling me I couldn't do it, I'd all right, watch me do it.

SPEAKER_02 19:56

Right, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_03 19:57

And that's what it was. Right, I got you.

SPEAKER_01 20:09

And and I and like how you move in, uh, I admire that because a lot of people are like trying to be somebody else instead of just you know being authentic out here and you don't know any artists they're trying to get put on, and sometimes you feel like you gotta sound like somebody else to get the likes, to get the love, and and all that, and and you don't. You just you know uh put out some good music that people gonna love and they're gonna be like, hey, like yeah, I want to hear that and and put it in rotation and all that. You've created a lot of music ranges from upbeat records like everything lit. Come outside to more personal songs like Bad Decision itself. Is uh how do you balance vulnerability with entertainment?

SPEAKER_05 20:56

It's it's like one of those things where, like I said, being true to myself, like I know the industry got a way of trying to change people, and I I pay a lot of attention as an independent person not trying to sway away from the authenticity, you know what I'm saying? One thing I learned was there is a community for everybody, right? And one thing I learned also, too, was you know, some people some people can't tell you how to be youth in a situation where they 95% of people have never even been in that position to even change their minds. You got people, you got people who never did music, but they'll sit and tell you, yo, bro, I think you should do this like this. It's like, bro, what would you know about a youth? I studied music, I've been doing it since I was a kid. Yeah, that sounds cool. Like, don't get on parents. Now and then you might find a person who don't know nothing about nothing that give you an idea like damn, you know how that works.

SPEAKER_01 22:05

Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_05 22:06

You know what I'm saying? But that's like once in the blue moon. Other times it's just people trying to conform you into who they believe you you should be for their liking, not for who you are as an artist and what you bring to the table. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 22:24

So we're gonna talk about you, you know, you have you ever had a friend that friend that occurs to explore modeling. Did you ever imagine yourself walking down runways and working in fashion?

SPEAKER_05 22:38

Nah, you know, tell everybody this. When I was younger, I used to take pictures just to be cool. You know what I mean? Because people used to, you know, have cameras and you know, you look photogenic. We like your smile. Let me take, you know, I always got that since I was a kid, but becoming an actual model, having campaigns, being paid for campaigns, I didn't see that. When I got in the model and I had just be the case for kill the model, you know what I'm saying? But the way, the way it got presented to me, the natural hustle in me is what made me say, I want to give that a try.

SPEAKER_04 23:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 23:18

Because the way it was presented to me was a good friend of mine, he's like a brother of me named Katim, and my brother Nate recipe to him. You know, basically Cat Sim came to me one day and was like, yo, I came into work after work one day to pick up my check. I had cut it at the time I used to wear my beard. Cut my beard off, smooth face, super clean. The girls who work at my job couldn't recognize my usually I would show up in black hoodies, you know what I'm saying? Looking, I would look like a street dude. You know what I mean? I showed up to work, you know, to pick up my check. I got suit, I got tuxedo shoes on, a super fly suit, I'm super clean. Like so, and I was wearing glasses at the time, not like stunner sheets, but I was I actually had glasses on. So they are looking at me like, yo, this look like a big they like, yo, how you doing, damn? You look good, this and that. And I'm like, I'm like, yo, it's me. What are you talking about? And it and it fucked their head, like it really fucked their heads up because everybody was looking at me like, damn, we never see you like this. I used to wear my hair in like a curly top. But I had cut my hair off, I was in fade, I had a fade with the waves, cut the beard off super clean. So when he came to me, he positioned it to me, he was like, yo, bro, you young, you was able to just beat this case. And I'm gonna be real with you. You have the opportunity to really change your life. Now, I understand your case had something to do with you know some other stuff, but God was able to get you out of that. You know what I mean? I think you should do, you know what I mean? And I was in a place where I was lost trying to figure out where I was gonna go. People already knew me in the streets from doing music and getting into a bunch of stuff, you know. I mean, some people knew me for doing music and laughing, joking. At the time when I was younger, I used to dance, and some people always knew me for being multi-talented. Then there was some people who knew me for cold street stuff. You know what I'm saying? So it was like, but I didn't like how it made my mama feel. You know what I mean? When she had to see me in that courtroom, seeing her in tears, that kind of the man in me at the time I'm developing, I was 21 at the time. So the man in me was just like, I don't never want her to, you know, shed tears like that. You know what I mean? If she the next time she like, if she's gonna cry, it's gonna be tears of joy. You know what I mean? As a man, something in me, you know, was festering because I'm like, damn, losing a lot of friends, everybody around me getting locked up. I just be the case. You feel what I'm saying? Like, I'm reevaluating everything. So it gets positioned to me. He's like, bro, look, I know you never thought about modeling before, and and you know, he was telling me, like, I know it's an industry that has a lot of gay males, but for the straight males, it makes a lot of money. You get what I'm saying? And he was breaking into me. He was like, listen, no matter what you think about it, you ain't gotta worry about the gay males. But there's a huge, huge following of women that follow it like a cult, like follow like that fashion stuff. He was like, yo, for straight males, there's a lot of females, and and and and you already do music on top of that. You can literally, it is like your cheat code. You know what I'm saying? Not only do you look good, but you also can make good music, you'll be friends with women who are models, so it's easier to get models for videos because they work with you. You know what I'm saying? These celebrities that you're always talking about, you want to be around, a lot of them go to fashion shows. True, a lot of them got brands and they need models. You know what I'm saying? So this is stuff that's being said to me. But to take it a step further, you know, you know, he was just like, nigga, look, I'm gonna be real with you, bro. He said, How much would you make on a regular day, right? Just standing on the block, just you know, I ain't acting like I was the biggest drug dealer. I wasn't, you know, I might a good day, I might touch a stack, right? So you're like, oh, all right, you you five thousand dollars you're making a day, and then you gotta re-up and all that, right? He said, Let's look at the things that you gotta go through just to get that, right? Right, you gotta watch out for family, you gotta watch out for friends, you gotta watch out for friends of your enemies, you gotta look out for the cops, you gotta look out for fiends who trying to murder you, basically for money. You know what I'm saying? You gotta look out for the competition that's in the same area, you know what I'm saying? All while just trying to make a thousand dollars. So you're putting your life online every day just to try to make a thousand dollars, let alone destroying your community. At the time, in my head, I'm like, I'm young, I need money, I you know. Yeah, this is not it's not registering to me. It's just like look, I gotta eat, and these jobs ain't hiring fast enough.

SPEAKER_03 28:34

This is so he said, he said, what if I told you that an amateur model can do a campaign and they'll pay you 1500 for 30 minutes of your time when he told me that the natural hustle in me was like nigga, stop playing.

SPEAKER_05 29:02

You get what I'm saying? Like, I'm not gonna lie to you. The natural hustle in me was like, nigga, what I can make I can I can touch 1500 for just taking a couple pictures, it's like, yeah, man, they'll pay you 1500 and they might only use one picture, right? Yeah, you know what I'm saying, and you get paid, and then you know, depending on what campaign it is, they can have you plastered all over the city. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? I didn't believe it at first because I'm like, yo, but he told me, he said, listen, I'm gonna be real with you. You're gonna have to leave the street shit alone though if you're gonna do it. You know what I mean? There's gonna be a lot of shows you do at first where it's gonna be free. You know what I'm saying? Because you're trying to get your foot in the door. That's gonna be free. There's gonna be a lot of days where you're gonna wanna go hustle. You know what I mean? But it said, I could promise you that you stick with it, a lot of people are gonna know who the fuck you are, and it's really gonna boost you, it's gonna take off for you. And when they told me that, it's like, all right, it sounds good. Then I wind up having a daughter, and you know, like by the time I had my daughter, it like kicked me into like a different year, man. Like, I ain't gonna lie, like I was I started modeling, I was known, I started getting known, people knew who I was, I was on TV a couple times, and then it's like I had my daughter, and when I had my daughter, I was so hungry because I didn't want to go back to the streets that they would have fashion, they would have fashion shows. And uh I remember I used to show up to the fashion show with the damn baby carrier on my chest and my daughter in the front. You know what I mean? I'm doing passing. I'm the only dude there with his with his child. My baby is strapped to my chest like a bomb. I'm getting ready to go walk for judges just to get picked to be in these fashion shows, like major fashion shows. And I'm and I'm telling the people who work in, hey, can you just can you just hold my baby while I walk just for this this quick 30 seconds, right? But this is stuff I you know, I'm giving you the real. This is not stuff I really talk about, but you feel what I'm saying? I'm handing them my baby, and I'm like, you know, I go walk and I come back, and people looking at me, get my baby back. But to the judges, it's like, oh, this this dude dedicated. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Because I I just refuse to, you know what I mean? I refuse. I was like, I I have to I have to do something, you know what I mean? I stuck with it for a long time. Then I started, you know, I stuck with it for a long time. I kind of fell away from modeling a little bit, some nice things happened, but like it helped me get into like movies, it helped me, you know what I'm saying? Like that door that he that he told me it would help me get into, it took some time, but it did. And when it did, it made me sit back, like, damn, you know, it it's I'm I haven't modeled in in a in a while, and some of the campaigns that I did years ago, I'm still eating off of. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? They about to have a major campaign in Philly right now. It's called SIPS. I did the campaign three years ago. They still use my pictures. So every year the campaign comes up, they still use my picture for the campaign.

SPEAKER_01 32:39

You still getting that credit for that?

SPEAKER_05 32:42

So so they'll give you a large lump sum of a payment. So that's what I got a long time ago. But a lot of times it's a citywide event kind of like how they have restaurant week and stuff like that. So a lot of times, if I show up to an event and they have my my face plastered on the like on one of the one of the main events or whatever, where I'm at, a lot of times if people look up to see it's me, it's like, oh shit, come on, bro.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

Like, you feel what I'm saying? Yeah, I mean, hey, hey man. Uh, because uh what you're doing, all what you're doing. I got I got a daughter too, so I understand that. I I feel like with with with men, baby girls, they change men's perspective on things drastically. I I'm I'm thankful for mine. Um she's been in some times, been in some places where I've I played at in churches, and she she plays violin now and she pretty much was like, hey, I want to be a drummer. I was like, all right, well, cool, we're gonna get in the drum line back. But uh I just want you just like it like to take a moment just because I know you've been through a lot of adversity and and and trials and tribulations, but just like take a moment just to think like when you see your face uh plaster everywhere, and when people say, hey, this is this is this is yours, like like how how does that how does that feel for you to know that through everything that you did it the right way, you was humbled through it, and now people are like recognizing like hey, that's you.

SPEAKER_05 34:18

I mean, it feels good. It's just I'm I'm just waiting for that that moment of moments. You know what I'm saying? So I just pray and I keep working. You know, some people when when they when they get in situations like that or they get campaigns, they get big headed. Now they think they're larger than life.

SPEAKER_02 34:38

Right.

SPEAKER_05 34:38

It's like with me coming from the struggle, I'm like, this is not enough. I'm still hungry. Like, you understand? Some people get that little bit of fame, and that's enough for them. To me, it's like, you know, it's people who will see me and be like, damn, bro, I remember we I remember you back in high school. I remember you when we were kids, bro. It's crazy to see you do all this stuff. Oh, you was on the radio, you was on TV, we watched this, we watched that, we saw this. And to me, I'll be looking at them like, bro, I ain't doing nothing. Like, you know what I'm saying? And until until my daughter got a couple M's in the bank, until I move my mom out of the hood, you know what I'm saying? Until I'm in a better situation for myself and my family, I can't do shit. I have more work to do. You get what I'm saying? And that's just that's just how I feel, you know what I mean? But like, but it's just um I'm gonna I'm gonna tell you what it really is for me. Me, it'll be like it's I gotta keep working, but the joyfulness comes in when my daughter sees it. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Like, for me, it's like I gotta keep working, but to my daughter, when she sees it, I'm larger than life. You know what I'm saying? That's all that matters, and that's that's what matters to me. You know what I'm saying? When she sees it, and it's like my that's my dad. Like, you know what I'm saying? Yep. Like the first time my daughter heard me on the radio, like she was like, she started going crazy, like, yo, like this is this is you. Yeah, I just home.

SPEAKER_03 36:15

I'm like, yeah, this is this is my smoke phone.

SPEAKER_01 36:20

Yeah, my yeah, my was the same way. She was they were playing on my radio show one time, and she's like, That's you. I said, Yeah, that's me. She was like, she just smiled out, and I think what's like it meant a lot when she starts sending it to her friends, it's like, yeah, this is my dad. He's he's he's doing music, he's he's like, check this out. And I was like, I said, that meant more than any like, any, any share or repost is when they get involved with what you're doing.

SPEAKER_05 36:51

Because that realization, it's like, yo, like my dad could have been anywhere in the world, he could have been doing anything, and he right here with me, and he making it happen. You know what I mean? And that's the beauty in it. That's the real beauty in it because it makes you sit back and it, you know, and it feels good.

SPEAKER_02 37:13

Yeah, really.

SPEAKER_05 37:16

Especially like I watch, you know, it's like and me and my daddy talk about this all the time, like for real street dudes, you know, this like survivor's remorse is a real thing. You know what I mean? And and I had my days where I'll I'll sit back and I'll be fucked up because it's like damn, I watched niggas I grew up with who was on my hip, they was right with me. Boom. You know what I'm saying? Or life destroyed, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, we was eating out of the we was eating out of the same bowls, we could share the same clothes, we come from the same, you know what I'm saying? I got you, but I went this way, you went that way, you know what I'm saying? And and it hurts you because sometimes you could you you might look back and see somebody you know you was like this with, and it's like you want to help them as much as you can, but you know they'll never change. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? So you start getting that survivor's remorse because like, damn, like I wish I could do more, but I know I can't. You feel what I'm saying? And it'd be crazy to me, like I'll see guys I started off doing music with, all that, and it just be like, I'll look at them, just be like, man, man. Like you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 38:41

Yeah, I got you, bro. But like you're doing it the right way. Like I said, like, you know, pretty much just stay humble, keep doing what you're doing. Don't don't get discouraged out here. Because I know a lot of musicians, especially indie artists, if if it's not moving the way they want to, then it's like, I want to quit. And I used to tell a lot of them, like, yo, you can't just quit on a gift or a talent because it's it's some people out here who's making trash. I'm like, hey, but they're confident in that and they're gonna keep putting out trash. But it's like I tell the ones who like that's making good music and that's sitting on it, like, put your music out there. If you're comfortable with it, you know, let the world hear it. Because you never know that one that one song could get to a you know, uh Jill Scott or Erica Badu or you know, Kalani, and they like, hey, I want you to come up and just open up for us. And then it's like you you took a chance on yourself and they took a chance on you. So like to see you like even rub arms like how you did with music, you know, a lot of people would be like, Man, that's some crazy stuff. I wouldn't have done it.

SPEAKER_05 39:53

I would just, you know, yeah, I was I I have literally even told that, like, you crazy. Yeah, yeah, but I'm like I mean, like but I tell people I say, look, man, when when you really want something, man, you'll do some crazy shit, man. Oh, like not hopefully not in a super bad way, but just like when you understand, I had to say that, you know, some people, but you know, getting, but but really pushing yourself in your limits. And you're right, it is them days as artists, man, because I I noticed, right? There's a lot of culture vultures, and there's a lot of people who will get over on indie artists because they they they know you fighting for your dream. And the crazy thing about it, a lot of times it don't even be the direct person, it'd be people that be around them that'll spin you in loops, make you pay all this money, make you be the certain way, act like they're gonna give you the introduction and never do it. You know what I'm saying? Or do some do some funny stuff to try to derail your career. You know what I'm saying? It'd be a lot of little stuff, and um that's why I I really stay true to I am and I and I and I'll talk to people like look, man, I was I was in the sales for the longest time, bro. I know how to talk to people, I know how to sell myself when it comes to this music. I used to promote clubs, like it was outside of doing music. I had stopped for doing music a couple like probably like a good four or five years, and just focused on club promotion, paying attention what artists is playing, paying attention, paying attention to how to make extra money hosting, got real known for us doing it. That's how I met Philly Freeway. That's a whole nother conversation, you know what I'm saying? But I I started becoming so much of a student of the game because I'm like, I know when that time comes to really take off, I don't need no promoter. I know how to promote it. Oh, what's what city we going to? All right, I'm gonna set my team up on how we're gonna promote this. You know what I'm saying? I know this is you know I mean, but just learning the game, man. I you know, I've I've watched people tell people yo, you gotta be like this to be this artist, or you gotta be like that, or you gotta, and I tell people say, bro, it I've watched people as talented as Lauren Hill be derailed. What are we talking about? I dunno I done watch people as talented as Lauren Hill be derailed. People try to, you know what I'm saying? Look, look just you know what I'm saying? We can we can keep going, you feel what I'm saying? And then I watch artists who won hit wonders who lived off there for the rest of their life, and have a lick of talent for a friend. You know what I'm saying? That's why I always be so mindful and so serious about like being true to myself, you know what I mean? Like not allowing them to not allow the people to try to put you in a box.

SPEAKER_03 43:12

So uh question, so where would you give any advice you could to indie artists?

SPEAKER_05 43:24

And the main reason why I say invest in yourself because a lot of indie artists think I'm gonna be real, and this is this is the part that gets us killed a lot of times, chasing after dreams, right?

SPEAKER_03 43:35

We be so focused on um doing other people's shows, right?

SPEAKER_05 43:45

We so focused on doing other people's shows and getting in on their stuff, and yo, I gotta do this for them because you know they could possibly put me on to where you find yourself in the rabbit hole constantly spending money on these shows 300. Here, I can open up for this person. But then you get there and you you open it. The person don't come to damn near 1 50 in the morning. They done had you perform at 11 o'clock. You know what I'm saying? But you had in your mind, I'm performing for this person. But in reality, you really wasn't. You spend a lot of money on shit that because they're and this is a messed up part about it. A lot of the people who were supposed to be the real gatekeepers, they so worried about making themselves money. They not given the game to help people out. That's why I feel like music back in the day was more authentic because it was if you were that dude, you had to show you was that dude in the streets, you had the grill market, you had to really, it was that. You could be nobody in the streets at all. Nobody really knows you, just know you for being on Instagram. You feel what I'm saying? You could have been a nobody, but you just got some money and you just ran some ads, and now everybody knows you. You know what I'm saying? It's the times have changed, you know. I mean, but I always tell artists, I said, man, be real. If you look at yourself and you know you spending 600 here, 300 here, 400 here to hop on these different shows where you performing, you know, and it might seem like it's cool and lit, but lit, but you spending 300, 400 for what, five minutes?

SPEAKER_03 45:40

Maybe five minutes that maybe a six minutes that you know what I'm saying? Can you hear me? Did it freeze on me? Hello, can you hear me? Yeah, I hear you.

SPEAKER_05 46:08

Yeah, it like froze on me. I didn't know what happened.

SPEAKER_01 46:11

Yeah, I I don't know either. But but we good though. But yeah. Like I was saying before.

SPEAKER_05 46:17

Would you hear would you hear the rest of what I was saying, or it just froze? Uh in that froze.

SPEAKER_01 46:24

So yeah, we can go back to what you what you were saying. I was I'm just pretty much just saying how it's just amazing that now these days, like you said, people more like they are like almost going to depression because of lights and and following. And I'm like, Dopey. Like it's crazy. Like, you know, so I've I I when I talk to people on here, and a lot of people are just like they're just trying to make good music to be heard, not really caring about it. They get the lights, because you know, you got people out here like it's crazy, you know.

SPEAKER_05 46:56

I tell people, I don't care what nobody says, guerrilla marketing will always be the best way to promote yourself as artists. You can run ads, you can all that stuff like that, but getting out here in these streets, getting giving you a team that you know move around, yeah. You know what I mean? The ads help. I'm not saying they don't help, the ads help, but showing people that authenticity will build you a cult following, and people forget that. You know what I mean? Yeah, this is why people love DMX. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, any man that can stand on. I said, I tell people, I said, outside of him, I don't see nobody who did bigger shows than him and had that much influence, other than you know, some people say Pac, but I still tell people, I said Pac had a great influence. I'm not acting like he didn't, but I said what DMX did at Woodstock was unlike unheard of. Like you, it's like outside of Michael Jackson and him having people pass out by just seeing him. That that performance at Woodstock when he did what type of how's it going down, and just watching how people reacted to that's like unheard of. You don't even see stuff like that. You know what I'm saying? In the lineup that he was against, we gotta be real, he was against the biggie smalls, the all the you know what I'm saying, yeah, and he he did what he did. He he he can have people growling, he can have people smiling, he can have people crying, praying for everybody. Who the like like who the fuck is he?

SPEAKER_01 48:53

He was a real one. Yeah, and one thing I didn't like about him is like he didn't care, like you know, he could he could talk about duct taping you and putting you in a hole and and and and and and and raping raping your wife and all that, then he could turn around and follow the save him and kill him. And I was like, what? And then I was like, but but like how his his platform was you respected him because he was him. He wasn't out like the life he lives is what he lives. Like I tell people all the time when even now when people put out music, if you if you ain't out here in the street, don't don't be putting out music, that you out here in the street, you you know, you you you shooting people and and you know, because a lot of nigga I see and I'm gonna I'm gonna tell on you. I'm gonna tell my broad in the video, he's looking at you like, yo, like you weren't supposed to say that and be like, yeah, you know, you know, you know, and it's like I'm like it's a couple times I I've heard from ones, I'm like, yo, you can you telling all your telling on your people like this, or are you in the you in there with guns that you can't work, you know, and and all this stuff, but hey, it sounds good and you know it's different with the newer generation because they're all on parents. So if if I can live stick listen, then it's cool. We don't want to hear about like the you know, some of the the the new generation are listening to Hove and Big E and X and all that, but you know, some of them, you know, do it doing it they wait. Like so that's how I feel about it.

SPEAKER_05 50:29

And the biggest problem with it's no problem with being who you are. You know what I'm saying? The big the problem is when you you got a lot of people act like something they not like. I tell people, you know, I'm gonna take the steps forward with me bad wrapping, right? I'm a guy that's been locked up for some, you know, some shit. You know what I mean? I didn't even act like it was the worst of charges, but I was locked up for really doing some things, right? You got guys who never did nothing that will literally because a camera is on, act like they the most gangsta thing you ever seen. And the crazy part about it always say this. I say, Man, a lot of the dudes I know that was the craziest gangsters and all that. Look, I'm talking the craziest was niggas who was quiet. Yeah, like they yeah, they're gonna smash, but it's like uh oh, he walked off. Oh, let's get the hell up out of here. We all know like you know what I'm saying. Like the guy who telling you what he's gonna do to you a lot of times, you know, you got some guys who who who who live it, but they ain't really live too too long with life, versus the guys who just like all right, stay right there, you know what I'm saying, and that comes with time, you know what I mean? That comes with time that comes with, but they it's understanding too, like because they even they realize like yo, my time could be anytime. I might be doing what I'm doing, but my time could be anytime. So I gotta evaluate, I gotta still re-evaluate whatever I'm about to do because you know, in the streets, just you know, ain't no rules.

SPEAKER_01 52:27

Yeah. So I'm gonna hit you with a couple couple of couple of rapid fires and then we're gonna close out this close out. So who's your who's your favorite art artist of all time?

SPEAKER_03 52:41

I got two of them. L and music. All right, favorite album. Because I'm gonna tell you why it's a horrible.

SPEAKER_05 53:04

My aunt was uh one of the people who was was she used to be a part of a band. So when I was in foster care, she adopted me, right? Now, when she adopted me, this is how I got a good ear for his music. She used to have all his different music from disco music, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s. She had everything, she listened to damn near everybody, right? So remember them five disc CD changers? Yeah, so so imagine being a kid, and you got this five-disc CD player, and you hearing everything, you hearing one second you've listened to Anita Baker, and then you listen in the Tupac. You know what I'm saying? You listen to the side day, you listen to the side day, but then you listen in the Beyoncé, you listen in the Biggie Smalls, and then you listen to Ron Eyesley, like right, you know what I'm saying? It's like it be but because of that, it like I was listening to too much of the music as a kid, I just became a fan of just good music. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, so when people say what's your favorite album, it'd be hard for me because it's like yo, I used to like my aunt used to play albums on repeat, like you know what I'm saying? She was like my first version of realizing what a DJ was without her trying to be, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, you listen to so many records of these different albums, mind you, you know, the five that CD changer is playing all the albums because it's playing all of them, you know what I'm saying? So I'm listening to every single one, and it and I'm confused because I'm like, damn, this all I know is this music feel good. I can never answer them.

SPEAKER_03 55:01

As soon as I say one, then I think of another, then bam. All right, well, you got a top five then. Ah what job are? Are we talking? You hear me? Yeah, I hear me. We we talk we talking anything. Top top five dramas, what is old school new schools?

SPEAKER_05 55:37

Are we talking wait? Are we talking top five dramas or are we talking top five artists or top five albums? What are we talking about?

SPEAKER_01 55:46

Top top five albums. That you that's your top five albums.

SPEAKER_03 55:49

If you if you can listen to anything right now. Damn it, man.

SPEAKER_01 56:05

I you know, but I'm uh we're gonna give you five though, 'cause I know you got five.

SPEAKER_03 56:21

Life has a death. Um what's the one a Nas album I really liked? Hey man.

SPEAKER_05 57:02

Oh, that's shit hard. I'm really stuck, man. I'm stuck because it's like um God, like I you know it's crazy. You you you you you definitely hit me with a rack of fire because I'm really stuck, because nobody never asked me that. So now I'm really sitting here trying to think on it. Like, damn, I I'm so much of a fan of music. It's it's like, how do I create a top five out of I love everything?

SPEAKER_01 57:32

Like, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, I'm the same way. So if somebody asked me the same question, I'm gonna be like, I don't know either.

SPEAKER_05 57:39

Yeah, so I'm stuck. I'm I'm I'm stuck because like I know I'm gonna make a top five, then I'm gonna think of something, but like, damn, no, I gotta move this because that right now was more influential.

SPEAKER_03 57:52

Yeah, I know my probably need the I think ludicrous first joint. Yeah, that's that that's a good one.

SPEAKER_05 58:11

That's a good that was one of them. I like I like this theater of the mind. I was gonna say that I like this theater of the mind album.

SPEAKER_03 58:21

Yeah. I'm gonna go, I'm gonna I'm gonna go with 112. That's the least.

SPEAKER_01 58:36

That's the race. Uh I'm a I'm a job fan, people gonna laugh at me, but yeah, I'm I'm a job fan.

SPEAKER_05 58:42

So uh listen, people can hate on Jaru all they want, bro. That nigga was a number one get artist, bro. People can say whatever they want, bro. Outside of LL Poo J, and I don't care what nobody says, or when it comes to male rappers outside of L and well, just what I was saying, as far as ladies love him, yeah, because he can make ladies' songs outside of LL Poo J was Ja W. Yeah. 100 like X did it, but he didn't really do it.

SPEAKER_01 59:17

Like you know what I'm saying? Yeah, oh yeah, I got your X in there. So that's my top. That's my that's that's my five. But I mean I'm the same way. But those those my five. So y'all get mad at me all you y'all can laugh at me, all y'all want out there. Paint it, paint, paint his love with my my favorite job.

SPEAKER_03 59:35

You can't even act like people can't even act like that wasn't one of them. So yeah, so that's my so dream collaboration. Music so child black dog. All right, favorite city to perform in. Favorite city to perform in? Phoenix, Arizona. Why Phoenix? I went there one uh when I went to Phoenix, man, like the culture there was different.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:20

I performed there and watching just watching how the people were and how accepting they were, you know what I mean, and they was genuine fans of like I remember I debuted my song Bad Decisions there at some what is it called? It's called Soul Sol Something. It was like an RB night they had where it was like any artists and any all these different people followers would come and just perform at this place, and it would allow you to perform, right? You just sign up and it would allow you to perform, and people could just come, and it was every week, it was an every week thing on a Tuesday. This is a great thing. At a Tuesday night, if anybody could come get RB, you could just sign up and go, and it but it was like an open mic, but it was made like an open mic concert. You get what I'm saying? Like it was it was really, really good. I went there one time, and I remember I debuted my song Bad Decisions, and I remember just watching the crowd swaying back and forth, rocking with this song, and I'm really sitting there and I'm looking at I'm really sitting there and I'm looking at these people, and I'm like, Dang, you know, back home, you know, here in the tribe state, motherfuckers act like the music can be amazing, but they can't sit there like yeah, you cool, that was all right. You know what I'm saying? Like the demeanor here is like the song could be crazy, but niggas gonna sit there like, yeah, that was all right, but then when they see you on pride, it was like, bro, I ain't gonna lie to you, bro. That song was shit. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, they don't show love up front, but there it's like I got so much love there, it made me fall in love, you know, being there. And the crazy part about it, I got a huge phoenix with a sun tattooed across my chest, you know what I'm saying? So it it that just gave me more like you know, it made me love that place more.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:50

Yeah, so studio or stage. Well performance, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:02

I like both, like I can do both, so I can do like I was it's weird because for me, it's like I grew up off of talent shows, and you know what I'm saying? Right, they don't they don't do a lot of that no more, you know. When I was younger, that was the thing, like talent shows. If you was if you was fire, if you were somebody known in the city, when they threw these talent shows, everybody like everybody would go to these talent shows, parents bringing their kids, kids can win money, you know what I'm saying? Everybody would go to these talent shows, and it would mean something, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:41

True.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:42

So I kind of made a name for myself as a kid by doing that, but for me doing that, learning the talent shows, and then I'm going into the studio and learning how to do my own sound. I you know, I'm already used to it, you know what I'm saying? So I can play and do both. I know a lot of us, you know, they can't go on stage and perform the way they perform in the studio because ain't no plugins behind it.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:13

All right, so Alec acting a model. God damn it, man. It's it's like it depends on the day. Okay. It it depends on the day.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:49

Because it could be a day where I'm on scene for a film and it's lit. You know what I'm saying? I'm having fun, I don't care about me on set for twelve hours, I don't care because it's lit. Right?

SPEAKER_03 1:05:07

Fashion shoes you know, some fashion shoes. So our favorite song you ever written. No, ah no, no, I would say my favorite song.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:31

Selfish is one of them. But right now I got a song called You Know Better. It's not out right now yet, but I feel like when I when I made that song, man, I feel like when I put it out, it's gonna really speak to people's souls. And sometimes I listen to it, and and I feel like upon me listening to it, I'll check myself about shit in my own life. Because the you know what I'm saying, like it's that influential that sometimes when I'll listen to the song, like it'll make me say to myself, like, yeah, you kind of out there fucking up. Let me get all together. Like, you know what I'm saying? Anytime you make a song where you sit back and listen to it and it makes you re-evaluate, because in my creative process, you know, I'll just be saying shit that I know people can feel. Like, that's my thing. I like I call it make and feel me music. Like when I that's one thing a lot of people say when I when I make music, whatever I'm saying, I want you to feel it. Yeah, a lot of good songs out here, but you're gonna listen to my songs and you're gonna pick something out of my lyrics, and it's gonna be like, dang, like you know, that was a cold ass line, or that was a you know what I'm saying? So when I when I'm making these songs, I just be putting it together off of what I'm feeling in that moment, right? And after it's many, it's like all right, it's done, all right, on to the next one. But sometimes I go back and listen to the record and I'll be offended out of myself, like, damn, am I really paying that? Like, damn, let me let me get my shit together.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:15

I'm out here messing up, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:18

Your biggest motivation my daughter.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:22

All right, my daughter and God. One word that describes you authentic. All right.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:35

Well uh this is just a question of what legacy do you want to leave behind as both of an artist, a man and a father?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:46

Um follow God and uh believe you know you can do all things walking through hard work.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:59

You know what I mean? And you continue to just stick to your guns because it's gonna be times where you're gonna wanna give up. It's gonna be people in your life where you go, it's gonna be people in your life that's gonna tell you you can't do certain things, there's gonna be people that's gonna try to sway away from you becoming the person that you know you could become. There's gonna be people who are gonna try to block your dreams, you know what I'm saying? As long as you follow God, you know. I'm not even making about religion, I'm just saying spiritually. As long as you stay spiritually and you continue to push yourself, you could do all things, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:39

All right. So this is your part. Where can everybody follow you, stream your music, and stay connected? And uh also if you want to get some shout-outs, you can give your shout-outs too.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:52

Yeah, you can follow me on Instagram or on all platforms, official underscore J-E-R-S, official underscore jurors, j-r s, you know, official jurors. Same thing as far as YouTube, official J-E-R-S, official J-E-R-S on all platforms.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:17

All right, uh, you want to shout out anybody?

SPEAKER_05 1:09:20

Yeah, shout out to my uh management KLP consultants. Uh shout out to my family, friends, doctor always holding me down. Shout out to you for having me here on this platform. You know what I mean? Appreciate you.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:36

I appreciate you too, man. So pretty much, like I tell any artists, if you got anything coming out, have have your uh have your management send it to me.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:46

I have time.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:49

Yeah, I have a record come out um soon is I probably you know better. I'm stuck between trying to figure out what which one I want to release, whether I want to release you know better, or I'm hitting first. So one of the two. Right now I'm pushing uh C you again, which is one of my records that I want the fans to really go listen to. That song was made for anybody that lost somebody. You know what I mean? It's a really a good record.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:19

All right. So we're gonna we're gonna have you do that. Uh also if you're pushing any music, have your management team send it to me, I put it in rotation. If you drop in any EPs, what I want to do. What what I do different here is if you drop any music, I bring you back and let you, you know, do play your music. You we can do a live or whatever, play it so everybody can hear what you what you got coming out. I also can push it on uh on my station, so put it in rotation. And yeah, so we just we over here support and make sure you you've been heard numbers that I have are not lives. I don't I don't lie about the numbers, so uh what you see is what it is, is no fabricated shit out here. So I appreciate you, bro, for sharing your story with us. Journey is a testimony to resilience, transformation, and the power of believing in yourself despite difficult circumstances. I make sure I want everybody to make sure they follow Jeff stream, his music, support his projects, and stay locked in for what's next. This has been another indie spotlight interview until next time. Keep supporting indie artists and keep pushing the culture for for peace and blessings. All right, man. Appreciate you. And then uh we'll be we'll be talking and uh I'll be sharing this on IG and then uh it'll be on Apple Podcast so you can download the joint and I'll continue the video.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:53

All right, thank you so much, boss, man. I appreciate it, bro.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:56

All right, definitely take care, bro. All right.