Voices of the Albemarle
Get ready to experience the heartbeat of Elizabeth City like never before! Voices of the Albemarle, produced by Adams MultiMedia, is an all-access pass to the bold personalities, untold stories, and groundbreaking ideas transforming Eastern North Carolina. Hosted by the dynamic duo of reporter Izzy Kelly-Goss and publisher David Prizer, each episode amplifies the voices that make Elizabeth City and the surrounding area an ever evolving place to call home. Tune in and discover the Voices of the Albemarle.
Voices of the Albemarle
Ep. 27: Dante Foreman talks OTYoungTae
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Local music artist and producer Dante Foreman, aka OTYoungTae, sits down to discuss the art of rap and the inspiration behind his own music. Foreman gives a look at where it's already taken him, and where he hopes to go in the future.
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Hello and welcome to Voices of the Album Marl. I'm your host, Izzy Kelly Goss, here with my co-host, David Friser. In just a few minutes, we're going to be joined by local artist and music producer Dante Foreman, aka OT Young Tay. But first, school will be back in session this coming Monday, August 24th, for many of the school districts in the area, including Pasquating and Perquimans. With the start of the new year, Perquimmons will be opening a brand new intermediate school in Winfall. Did you know that, David?
SPEAKER_01Yes, I did.
SPEAKER_00That's excellent. So did I, obviously. I wrote this news segment. Uh, the new 158,000 square foot school will welcome its first students on the 24th, which is a great, great advancement for Perquimans County.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes. Perquimans County, there's some exciting things going on.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01I don't want to again, I think uh Dr. Parker's gonna be talking about them very soon, and so I don't want to steal his thunder, but there's some great, great things.
SPEAKER_00Secondly, Pasquatine County voted last Monday to extend their contract with NAI Tri the commercial real estate company contracted to list and sell the old hospital property on North Road Street.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00During the discussion, county manager Sparty Hammett explained that the $111 million tax value and subsequent $1.4 million property tax.
SPEAKER_01Is that a fixer upper?
SPEAKER_00Um, it depends on what they want to do with it. So Sanford Whole House Holsauser uh did a huge, huge community study and decided that housing may be the way to go, but also the property itself can be rehabilitated into a number of commercial spaces. So it really just depends on what the buyer wants to do. An old hospital. Well, there's also the chance that they could knock it down and do a new build. So it's really just gonna depend on who wants to buy it. But as county manager Sparty Hammett explained, uh, the high property tax value, which means a high property tax, um, $1.4 million. You're welcome. That that may be what's putting off buyers. Um, it's you know, they would have to pay the $1.4 million in the new fiscal year, in addition to the $14.5 million asking price.
SPEAKER_01Is that high for a reason?
SPEAKER_00It's just because of the property tax value, $111 million tax value. They there's math involved.
SPEAKER_01I'm not gonna explain it because I'm not told me there was going to be no math in this problem.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's why I'm not gonna explain that math. Um, I just because I don't want to mess it up. But I I do know the math, just not off the top of my head. And and yeah, so you know, it's just kind of a my father taught me the multiplication tables.
SPEAKER_01He taught me how to sing. He would he would sing it, you'd go Mac in my day. Five times five is twenty-five, five times six is thirty, five times.
SPEAKER_00Okay, well, how do you get to 111 million? Um, me this I don't know why I remembered that. Well, I'm gl so glad you did. But that is that is what NAI Tri and the County Commissioner and the managers have been, you know, have been explaining maybe deterring buyers. Um, it is it's a high property tax to pay in addition to like a low return because they will have to rehabilitate the project. But that's why I asked this. Yeah, the property over. But you know, I have an article out in print and online for those who are interested in a little bit more information. You guys can check that out at the dailyadvance.com. And um finally, and this this is so great. Well, it's also terrible. But guys, according to an associated press article published on August 12th, over 200 gold statuettes of Mozart disappeared from his home in Salzburg, Australia.
SPEAKER_01Oh, time out, time out. Mozart had 200 gold stat uh statues of himself.
SPEAKER_00Not quite. So on July 15th, the Mozarteum Foundation unveiled 320 gold statuettes designed by German artist Otmar Horl. I hope I did not just butcher his name, but I probably did. My deepest apologies to him. Um, it's a late tribute or a tribute to the late composer who would have turned 270 years old this year. Why? He would have turned 270 years old this year. Okay, so I'm getting that Disney Animal. So no, so they were 320 statues. So they were about 20 inches tall, so less than two feet tall. And it it depicted him, Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with his dog, and they were around the gardens of his home. But over the course of like two weeks, the bandits stole 210 of them. Um, but they didn't really make off with a fortune. You know, they were they were made of a polymer plastic and they were painted gold, so they weren't really made of gold. I don't know if the thieves knew that at the time, but the artist told Associated Press that he planned to sell them for $114 a piece after the exhibit ended on August 30th. What? Mm-hmm. I suppose around what is that, around $24,000 since we're talking about math. Why is that's still a pretty good amount of money, especially in this economy. I could use a spare $24,000, but I don't know if I would steal 210 gold statuettes to do it.
SPEAKER_01He was pretty good. But why would anybody make all those statues out of cheap material? Who cares?
SPEAKER_00It's like for the sake of art. Have some whimsy about you, David.
SPEAKER_01What is whimsy? What is whimsy?
SPEAKER_00We'll discuss that later. Whimsicality.
SPEAKER_01I think I dated somebody named Whimsy when I was in college.
SPEAKER_00And you lost her and your whimsy along with it.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I did. I did. I lost I lost she lost me, I'm not sure.
SPEAKER_00That was too long ago to remember.
SPEAKER_01Oh, stop it.
SPEAKER_00Would you well, anyways, I hope they find those 210 gold statuettes. Um they may be lost.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna try to find her.
SPEAKER_00They may be lost forever, but I will be keeping my eye out on eBay. Hopefully, I can get one for less than $114, although that might be an indictment for me if I purchase one. On that note, haha, that's my music pun for the day. I think we're gonna head on over to our interview with Dante Foreman. Oh boy. Welcome again to Voices of the Albemarle. We're joined now by Dante Foreman, aka O T Young Tay. Dante is a music artist and music producer from Elizabeth City. Thank you so much for joining us today. I'm really excited about this. Um, so I always love to give our listeners a little bit of background. So I'm hoping you can just give us an overview. How old are you? How long have you been making music? And and how did you get into creating music?
SPEAKER_03Oh, well, I'm 27. I don't like to say that because it's too close to 30. But I'm 27. But yeah, I'm 27. Um, I've been making music since maybe like 2017. Um, just messing around, but realistically since 2019.
SPEAKER_00Okay, that's awesome. What what gate what got you started? What was the the drive behind that?
SPEAKER_03Uh well initially um I wanted a a music label. I wanted to have my own music label. Okay. Um, so that kind of is what sparked the interest. Of course, like my dad, he's a DJ.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_03Um, so growing up being around music 24-7, um, having to uh carry his DJ equipment, um, going with him to the shows, you know, because mom had to work or whatever the case may be. Um, that's what planted the seed. But yeah, I wanted to start my own label when I was in high school. So I uh felt as if I needed to start making music in order to attract other artists. And that would help me launch the label. So yeah, that's what sparked it. But um, yeah, after my first performance, um, which was in high school, I fell in love with it.
SPEAKER_00And you are under King Music Corp, which is another management company here in Elizabeth City. How did you get started with them?
SPEAKER_03Um, so 20, I want to say like during COVID time, 2020, um, they reached out to me.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_03Uh, and they, you know, was paying attention to to what I was doing. Um, my manager, Guap, he also has a well, one of my cousins is one of his friends.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_03So that was the the bridge right there. You know, and um, they put the word in to him. You know, he reached out, I had a meeting with him. Um, I took the time off during COVID to really kind of like find my my style and my sound, uh, just to make sure that once I got there, it was, you know, beneficial. Um, and I knew the direction that I wanted to go in. Um, so yeah, maybe like November of 2020 is when we inked the deal.
SPEAKER_00And how would you describe your style? You you just mentioned you took some time off, so you really got the chance to to sit with that and to experiment. So, how would you describe that and what was that process like to come to your own style?
SPEAKER_03Uh, the process was interesting. I mean, majority of it came with uh maturing, you know what I'm saying? So um, I went through I would say maybe like two phases since I've been with KMC. Um, one was kind of like a very like rager rock star kind of feel.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_03Um, you know, mixed with like auto-tune. That's the sound that I was pushing at the time. Um, and then I kind of transitioned into the say that I am today, uh, which is really just laid back, mellow, you know, very smooth, organic lifestyle type of guy, you know?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I've listened to a lot of your music. I listened to a lot of it to prepare for this. Some of it made it away made its way onto my playlists, I won't lie. So and um what about the genre of rap and hip hop entices you?
SPEAKER_03Um just the ability to be able to really speak to people through it. Yeah, absolutely. Um there's different forms of rap, you know, in hip-hop. Um, but what entices me is just the yeah, yeah, the ability to speak to people through it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Um, whether that be uh teaching them about, you know, LLCs or um how to flip old school cars to make money and things of that nature, um, that's what I like to rap about, you know what I'm saying? So for people who uh don't know where to go as far as like reading about that type of stuff, they can hear it in the music. So that's what I like about rap.
SPEAKER_01Rap has been around for for a while now. And then when it this may date you, but when it when it first started to emerge, there was it gonna date him or date you? Stop it, stop it. She always does it. Um but when it first started to start to uh emerge, some people would say it's a fad and it's gonna go away, and that's it. Didn't happen. It's it's it's here. Okay. What one or two things do people still not quite understand about about rap music? Uh and when they hear it, when they when they see it, what what what can you possibly tell those people to kind of listen to to kind of appreciate it a more?
SPEAKER_03Um, I would say just listen to the substance. Um, there is a lot of rap music that don't have substance. Um and that is probably I can see that being a reason why rap may get a bad look sometimes, um, because it's a lot of, you know, like shoot them up, bang, bang, you know, whatever the case. Um, but for people who don't quite get it, yeah, I would just say listen for substance.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_03Um, that's one thing. And then if you are looking at it, then just find an imagery that you like, you know what I'm saying? Something that's works for you, you know, or that you could relate to. Okay, cool.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, there's a lot of rap artists that treat it like it is. It's an art form, it's like poetry in in a lot of ways. Um what kind of inspirations or influences do you have any artists, you know, like that have that substance that you saw and you were like, yes, this is what I want to do, this is how I want to embody this. Who who influences you?
SPEAKER_03Um early on, uh, I was super influenced by Kendra Lamar.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_03Um, that's you know, that's my guy. Um yeah, of course, moving forward, you know, as I grew up and like discovered newer artists, um, really like J. Cole, um, Larry June from San Francisco, um, who else, who else, who else? Currency, those are the type of people that yeah, that influenced me for sure.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you meant you mentioned San Francisco. Is there uh rap, is there a genre of rap in the West Coast versus the East Coast versus the North versus the South? Yes. Is there? Yeah. How would you describe that?
SPEAKER_03Um can you describe it?
SPEAKER_01I don't know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I could describe it. It's really you have okay, so like San Francisco or like the West Coast style of rap, well, they have different genres. Rap is broken down into subgenres, right? So you have um uh drill rap, trap rap, um, lifestyle rap, uh kind of like spoken word rap, you have different genres, subgenres. Um, the West Coast, they're they have their own form of trap and drill, but with the San Francisco side, they're more so of lifestyle rap. Um, so they talk about what they do day to day, um, a better way of living, things of that nature. On this side, on the east side, we have that too. Um, but it's slightly different than theirs, whether that be it's just the sound.
SPEAKER_01Okay, you know, so yeah, it's you can you could probably recognize it right away, right? Yeah, yep, yep, yep.
SPEAKER_00A lot of it has to do with like the flow and like he's saying, like the substance of it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, J.
SPEAKER_00Cole is from North Carolina, in case anybody's not aware. I feel like that's a really good segue to talk about your two albums.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00So you have two albums out you have 25 Deluxe, which came out in 2025, and then you have No More Invitations, which came out in 2023. Uh-huh. Um, you previously said you feel like your style, your subgenre is more in like the lifestyle. Uh-huh. So would you agree that that's how those two albums came out? It's like a lifestyle subgenre.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Yeah, I would say. Um the the 2023 album, uh No More Invitations. Remember, I was talking about how I went through like two phases. Right. Yeah. So the first phase is in that first album. You know what I'm saying? The second phase, what I am now, is in that second one.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, yeah. The lifestyle is more so in the second one than the first one. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And you've definitely evolved, so like you said, and so I'm curious to know what went into creating those albums and like what that process was like, especially with the evolution for that first album, the sound being different from the second one.
SPEAKER_03Right. Um, the first album, it was really just experimenting completely that. Um, it was a new sound, you know, messing with auto-tune and things of that nature. Um, so I really just wanted to make songs that were catchy. I really didn't care about the substance. I just wanted uh, you know, a nice beat and just to say words that rhyme, you know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_03Um going into the second album. I knew I wanted to get back into more of uh traditional style of rap. Um and I wanted to really key in on the substance, what I was talking about, um, how everything was structured from beginning to end. Um yeah, so the second album, we really sat down and talked about it, like me and my guys. Um really sat down and talked about what I wanted the album to be before I even started creating it. Right. You know, so once we had you know that that laid out, then I started making stuff, you know. And even down to uh visuals and um marketing and stuff like that, everything was intentional. And that was the difference between that album and the album before is that this album was more intentional. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So obviously that speaks to your evolution that we've talked a lot about. Um, so I'm curious to know what you hope to see in the future. Like, where do you hope that your music is going to evolve from here?
SPEAKER_03Uh, I just hope that you know, music helps enhance the lifestyle, you know, and through the music, you'll hear that. Um, so currently, y'all getting a super, super exclusive. But currently, I'm working on an album right now.
SPEAKER_02Oh, that's great. That was gonna be one of my next questions. That's awesome.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, I'm working on the album right now. It's called uh There Will Be Signs.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_03Um, so we segue in from 25. I was touching on the lifestyle then and there. Um, but this album, there will be signs of a lifestyle enhancement. You get what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00So you really expect your music to grow along with you.
SPEAKER_03Yes, yes. Because that the first listening back to the first album, I hear and I'm like, yo, this is childish. You know what I'm saying? That's just how I that's just how I feel. So now um I'm really keying into my influences and making music for, you know, not just people that's my age, but people that's older and people that may not understand rapping. Right. Um that's what I'm that's the intent, you know what I'm saying? So yeah, yeah, yeah. I see it.
SPEAKER_01You notice he looked at me when he said people that don't understand.
SPEAKER_00Hey, you said it. No, but I feel like that's the importance of this interview, though, is getting people to understand. Because I mean, like David said, there's different different subgenres, there's different styles and sounds depending on where you are, where you're coming from. Right.
SPEAKER_01For your for your breaking news, uh, you writing uh is it uh are they original compositions? Are they are your writings? Can you I have a stupid question, maybe from from me. I'm I'm expert at asking stupid questions in this setting. Uh huh. Could you explain to me the writing process for for you? I mean, I can imagine what it is in other types of genres, but can you explain this?
SPEAKER_00See, that's not a stupid question because I was gonna ask it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's a great question. Um mainly because I feel as if I don't write the same as other people, I don't know their process, but I just feel like mine is very interesting. Um so for me, I really just it depends on the day. I may get my beats, you know, sent to me, and I hear a beat, listen to a beat, kind of like figure out the flow in my head, and then I begin to write. Um, me personally, I can't write a song while the beat is playing, like at the same time, because my brain is just gonna keep you know making words and I'm not gonna be able to focus. Um, so um hear a beat, figure out my flow, then I'll pause it and I'll write down those first couple of words, I start the beat over, say the words that I have, then I pause it, and I write the next few words, and then that's how I keep going. So then by the time I'm done writing the song, I remember the song from beginning to end, you know? Um, and the reason I kind of started writing like that is because at one point I didn't have my own equipment um or my own studio. So I used to have to pay for studio time. Um, and it's you know, $50 an hour, right? Whatever the case may be. So I'm like, okay, um, I can't go in here unprepared because I'm paying per hour.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_03So I needed to figure out a way to uh write my lyrics so that when I go there or recite them over and over, so that when I go there, I'm I'm prepared and I can knock out a song or two songs, three songs within an hour because I remember it, you know, front to back. So yeah, that's that's my process. Cool, cool.
SPEAKER_00So you said you get beats sent to you. Do you work with anyone in particular or are you working with someone to create these beats? Because you do produce some of your own music. What goes into that production process?
SPEAKER_03Um, I've never, when it comes to uh producing, I've never really like touched anything when it comes to making a beat. Um I kind of just sit down with select producers. It may just be when I have a whole camp full of producers. Um it's like 15 of them.
SPEAKER_02Wow.
SPEAKER_03Um I only work with them and nobody outside, unless somebody that's you know bigger or you know, more of a reputable name wants to work, then I will. But I don't have to go outside of my camp, you know, to look for beats. Um so when I like right now we're working on the album, um, all of these beats are thought processes of mine, you know. So they're literally making my idea come to life, you know. So I sit there, I'm like, all right, we're gonna add that, all right, we're gonna add this, we're gonna add that, and they just put it together, you know, and we get the beats, you know what I'm saying? Saying so that's how that works. Um, also, you know, like the title of me being a producer, I executive produce for other artists. Okay, so we may have an artist who doesn't write their own music, you know. They come to me and I'll write it for them, you know, put it to a beat. If they don't have a beat, we have producers, right? You dig so yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Can I can I ask you, you're a producer and uh and an artist. How does being a producer affect your being an artist? And how does your being an artist affect your being a producer? Does it does it improve your ability, do you think, or does it give you a different perspective that say other producers don't hear who aren't who aren't artists?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think so. Um being being a producer, and I always tell the guys this, I'm like, um, I feel as if every producer is a better artist than somebody who's just an artist.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_03Reason being is because they they know what they have in their mind and they can build and cater exactly to that. You know what I'm saying? Where other artists, they may just get a beat and they they cater themselves to the beat, you know what I'm saying, instead of them two being counterparts of each other and you know blending perfectly. Um, so for me, like like I said, with the album, that's why we sitting down and really hand hand selecting sounds and instruments and um putting things here and taking things out so that when I rap on it, it's perfect, you know, flawless to me, you know. So yeah. Cool.
SPEAKER_00So now I kind of want to switch gears um because you are already you have two albums out, you're already working on your third, you've already started making a name for yourself. You and Playboy Poppy, who's also on your on your management group, right? Um, you guys had the opportunity to attend the BET Awards.
SPEAKER_02Uh huh.
SPEAKER_00I want to talk about what that was like because that is so huge, and then I think that is so cool.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So what was that like for you?
SPEAKER_03Uh life-changing. Um, it was my you know, my first time going, not only going to the BET awards, but it's my first time on a plane in general.
SPEAKER_00Oh wow.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Now when was this again?
SPEAKER_00This was in June. Is that right? Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Uh it was in June, late June. Um, so yeah, my birthday, my birthday was the 24th of June, and we left to go to LA the next day.
SPEAKER_01Oh, what a great birthday game.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. So um, first time on a plane. Uh, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. I was nervous beforehand, but it was it was pretty smooth. I'll fly again. Um, I don't know what I was so afraid of.
SPEAKER_00Um it's kind of a scary.
SPEAKER_03It is because I remember coming back, they were like, uh, it's we're doing some maintenance on the or it's a technical difficulty. I'm like, what you mean? The technical difficulty. Whole time they were just talking about the Wi-Fi.
SPEAKER_01Why'd you tell me this? Why'd you tell me this?
SPEAKER_03Right, you know what I'm saying? So um, but yeah, we get over there. Um it was crazy, like from beginning to end. Um, the first day, well, first of all, our hotel was right across from everything that was going on. Okay, it happened at the Peacock arena, but right next to it, that's where the Lakers play. Um, so being out there, um, I got to you know see the Kobe statues and the you know, the World Chain Lauder statues. That was crazy, you know, being that I you know play basketball myself and I'm a fan of basketball. Um first day of events, we went to the Orchard, um, which was a a club, but they're also in cahoots with Sony.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_03Um, so our our label, they're in cahoots with Sony as well. So we get invited to the orchard. Um, it's a I guess you could say like a listening party for uh Corday, he's from North Carolina, okay. And this uh girl, I believe she's from the UK, she goes by Sad Boy.
SPEAKER_00Um she's oh I have heard of her. You've heard of her?
SPEAKER_03Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sad boy. She's pretty cool. She's super cool.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Um went there, you know, chilled out, got some, you know, talked to a few people, read carpet event, you know, took pictures on the carpet. Um, that was smooth. Next day, that was uh the lucky day um album release party.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_03That was cool. It was at the lucky strike, which is you know, a bowling alley in Hollywood. Yep. Um I never seen a bowling alley so lit in live. They're cool, aren't they? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It was crazy. Um, first, you know, I'm getting to see the stars on the you know, the celebrity stars. That was cool. Um attended that, got to meet some real good people, um, a couple of ARs as well. Um, same thing, carpet event, took pictures. Um, that was cool. Next day, we went to uh BET Media Day. Um, so they have they had like a big old warehouse, like three floors of just media personnel. And we were going to to station to station to station, talking to different media outlets.
SPEAKER_00Not as cool as us, I hope.
SPEAKER_03This is cool. This is cool. Um, yeah, it was it was super fast paced, but everybody who's everybody was in there, right? Um, in the hip hop scene and the RB scene as well. Um, so it was it was pretty it was pretty cool, especially um being from here, you know what I'm saying, and seeing people who I look up to um or who I'm fans of that's in there as well. Um then the next day, which is the actual awards day, right? Um, so we go there, um, check in, smooth, super crazy because like I say, everybody who's everybody is there, but instead of them being in celebrity mode, everybody's the same, you know what I'm saying? So the person who has five Grammys and 10 platinum albums or whatever, they're right in front of me at the concession stand. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_01So we gotta wait in line too, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03So like it was um, it was super cool seeing that like everybody is more so a peer in this industry versus you know, a big, big, big right, you know, mysterious mogul of some sort. Um, so I mean being being five to ten seats from the stage, uh, watching Lauren Hill give a speech and perform, crazy, you know, super surreal.
SPEAKER_01What an experience.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. And I mean, getting to be on the uh on the carpet, taking those pictures, um, it it really did something um for here, you know, from back home. Absolutely. By the time I landed back in North Carolina, everything was different.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So yeah.
SPEAKER_00Life-changing experience.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, wow.
SPEAKER_00But not too life-changing because you're still deeply rooted in Elizabeth City. Right. Um, and you've already found ways to give back to the community, which is a great segue into the back to school giveaway that you did recently.
SPEAKER_02For sure.
SPEAKER_00You did a huge giveaway for what was it, like 10 kids? I want to talk about that. Tell me about that. What was the thought behind that and how did that end up going?
SPEAKER_03Okay, so last year, um, I did I did a giveaway last year. Okay, but it was small. I just did three last year. Um so this year, uh a lot of people, you know, recognize the the B E T thing and this, that, and the third. So the first thing I thought, and I called my mom, I'm like, oh, we gotta do something. You know what I'm saying? We gotta get it back. Yeah, like immediately. And um, so we started cooking it up. You know, the first thing we wanted to do was the back to school. I did it last year, did three. I'm like, okay, the resources is bigger now, so let's do 10. Um, at first, I was like, I'm just last year I just did shoes, I didn't do supplies. Um, so again, this year I just wanted to do shoes. My mom was like, nah, you should do supplies too. So we got on the ECPPS looking up they, you know, the supplies list that they needed, and we made it happen. Um yeah, it was a cool experience from beginning to end. It was a lot of work because me and my mom did it alone. You know what I'm saying? It was just me putting up the post, um, her going through all the comments and having to single out who was who, this, that, and the third, just so we can put everybody in this big old mumbo jumbo and select 10. You know, um, and it was it was cool, it was amazing.
SPEAKER_01Super impressive because you did it rather than talk about it. Right. Yeah, thank you. My my hat's off to you, man. I appreciate that's that's very impressive. I was seeing some of the pictures on the Facebook page, and the kids just there's beaming. There's be they opened the shoebox, and uh, this is great, man. It's great.
SPEAKER_00It is, it's so awesome. Um, you said that you wanted to go bigger and better this year. You said you did everything with your mom. So obviously, you have a close relationship with your family. I actually met you through your uncle, is that right? So Clifford Shaw, our county commissioner, is your uncle and law. And uncle in law, yeah. And he introduced us, which I'm so glad he did. Um, so how does your family play into all of this? Are they an inspiration for you? They have moral support.
SPEAKER_03Um, all of that. All of it. Yeah, moral support, inspirate, they're my backbone, you know. Um, every every idea that I think, you know, it goes through them. And I like to um, you know, listen to what they have to say. Um, you know, at the end of the day, they're still my paint. I'm still their child, you know. So they may have a vision for me um in parenting that can help me with my endeavors. You know what I'm saying? So um, with that being that, you know, going bigger and better, of course, with the giveaway, a lot of uh entities reached out.
SPEAKER_02Um, that's awesome.
SPEAKER_03So, you know, we're working to uh collab with those entities as well, of course, me and mom. So now mom is in assistant mode, you know. She she knows I I'm in artist mode, I'm traveling around this then the third. So, but we still have to do things uh for the community. Um, because I feel like who else is gonna do it? That's the whole part of my brand. Who else? Um, I feel like who else is gonna do it? If nobody, then me, you know. Absolutely. So um uh Hibbit themselves, they reached out. Uh-huh. Um, so we're planning on doing a back to school or back to school second semester. Um so that's gonna be, you know, in December. It's gonna be at Hibbit this time. It's gonna be a whole meet and greet shebang.
SPEAKER_00That's awesome.
SPEAKER_03Um, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're planning on going bigger.
SPEAKER_00Well, I look forward to that. We will we'll be there taking pictures. Yeah, absolutely. We're looking forward to that. That sounds like a great, yeah, great opportunity for everyone involved. Um obviously things are already looking up and changing around for you. Uh-huh. Where do you see yourself in five years? How do you hope to evolve? And I know that's a big question, but what are your hopes for yourself in five years?
SPEAKER_03Uh, I mean five years. I see myself, of course, being bigger with music. Um, I plan to at least have a plaque of some sort. Yeah, I'm saying, in five years. Um, I plan on being, you know, a uh a real deal entrepreneur.
SPEAKER_01Is that from the artist's perspective or the producer's perspective?
SPEAKER_03Both.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Yeah, both.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Um as an artist, of course, yeah, I would like to have my own plaques, you know, my own gold or platinum or sure. Um I would love to chart, you know, on billboard. I haven't done that yet. Um, and then as far as like the artists that want to work with me that I executive produce for, I'm trying to work with an artist that go to the moon. You know what I'm saying? Um, so and that's different genres, you know, with anyone. I I don't just rap, you know, I do a lot of different other things as well, but I typically do it for the artists I work with instead of myself. Right. Um, so I'm excited to be in a space where um I'm a household name, you know, and I could kind of segue from rap into the other creative world that I would like to go in, which is alternative rock, to be honest. Okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So that's awesome.
SPEAKER_03That's my swag. Um, like I said, a business owner. Um, I plan to own a couple of rental properties in five years. Um, you know, a lot of people think that uh rap or the music is the only way to make money, but it's not. And ultimately you need another form of income than just music.
SPEAKER_01I feel like you're listening to Shark Tank now.
SPEAKER_03The other, the other um, the music industry is expensive in itself. Um, so yeah, in five years, I see myself being bigger as an artist, um, as a producer, um, as a businessman, you know, and and uh have more resources for my community. Yeah, the mogul.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's awesome. I cannot wait to see where you are in five years. Hopefully, we'll be able to have you back on this podcast.
SPEAKER_01You you mentioned basketball. Uh huh. You you like you basketball, you like basketball, right? Yes. Uh huh. Who's your favorite team?
SPEAKER_03My favorite team is the Cavaliers, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Really? Okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And why was why is that?
SPEAKER_03Well, LeBron was there.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_03But I didn't want to. Yeah, he was there. I didn't want to jump ship because I still, even still today, I still love the Cavaliers. Um, I didn't want to jump ship just because he left. You know what I'm saying? We had our slopes and whatever. Um, we need to get rid of James Harden. But you know, I still love the Cavs. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Cole's over there nodding his head. Not for sure.
SPEAKER_03We gotta get rid of him. I mean Chicago's.
SPEAKER_01I'm still an MJ guy, it's fine.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Yeah. I mean, LeBron's the GOAT, but you know, we can have we could argue about that. For sure. But nah, yeah, uh a little backstory basketball. Yeah, I played in high school, um, graduated high school, played in college for two years, and then I came back, coached at the high school I played at for four years. Oh, okay. Um, had my own travel ball team, and yeah.
SPEAKER_01Is there anything you don't do?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I try to do everything. Um, just like I said, because music is not gonna feed me forever, you know. Um, and it's just now starting to feed me.
SPEAKER_00So that's your passion.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, but I have a lot of other passions, you know. I I like to um I love art, I love like abstract painting and things of that nature. I love knick-knacks, really cool knick-knacks. I have a lot of bowls in my apartment. Do you really? Yeah, like clay bowls, you know, like handmade. Yes. A lot of those different, some imported from Japan, some, you know, da-da-da. Just like weird stuff. Um, those are my passions. That's interesting. Yeah, you know, so that's what I would like to do. Like when it's all said and done, I would just like to make knick knacks. You know, just like cool, cool house, cool house stuff.
SPEAKER_01There's a there's a supreme level of confidence where someone like you, you talk about being a music artist and but you can go off on knick-knacks and you can actually talk about knick-knacks. I mean, that is confidence, man, because people are looking at it in knick knacks. What are you talking about? You know, yeah, you love the knick knacks.
SPEAKER_03Yes, that's great.
SPEAKER_01Love it. Yeah, pretty much.
SPEAKER_00Well, thank you so much for letting us get to know not only O. T. Young Tae, the artist, but Dante Foreman, the young man from Elizabeth City, making a name for himself and hopefully making us some knick-knacks.
SPEAKER_01Thank you very much. Yes, thank you. This will we'll I think this is gonna be up a week from uh it'll be up at the end of this week. End of this week, and also you'll be have it in writing in the Daily Advance.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. So everybody be sure to check out our previous episodes. Make sure you give this episode a listen 10 15 times, and definitely check out OT Young Tay's music on Apple Music, Spotify, basically wherever you get your music.
SPEAKER_03Everywhere.
SPEAKER_00Everywhere. Uh-huh. And stay tuned for another episode coming soon. Thank you so much to all of our listeners. We really appreciate you. And be sure to stay tuned. We will have another episode out next week with the Elizabeth City Police Department.
SPEAKER_01Be safe and be back.
SPEAKER_00Mm-hmm.