 Big shit, big shit, big shit, it's a unique hustle, nigga, big shit, big shit, big shit, name another podcast like this. Check it, check it, check it, it's a unique hustle, it's your boy E.C.E.O. And I'm here with the lovely, amazing official, Mr. Mako. What's going on? Man, we got a special guest in here today, y'all, you don't really need no introduction, man. Every way you look and hear the, you hear the sound, but the tag go hard, too, man. Everybody, I say, man, you know, double A, they say, man, I know that tag, man. Check it out, man. Check it out, man. My boy double A is in the building, man. What's going on? How y'all feeling? Man, thank you for coming on our platform, man. I appreciate y'all for having me. Man, hey, man, just, man, you in Dallas, Texas, baby. It's my first song. Get the hell out of here and look how we did it. We breaking it in. Listen, I'm always in Houston. You know what I'm saying? Get my teeth done and all of that. For real? Yeah. But I never came to Dallas. See, everybody go to Houston. I can't stand it. It's cool. It's cool. Houston is all right, bro. Man, Houston is dope. Don't get me wrong. Yeah, the killing nigga on Sky Street, but yeah, it's all right. Yeah, it's cool. When I was young, I was crazy. I was in Houston. And Houston is where the money be at, man. For show. Man, like, them niggas be pulling up, don't they? For show. A different kind of money is there than it is here. What you mean? Different kind of money. More business out here. Niggas, don't forget the cowboys here. Stop playing. You niggas better not do this. Sam Walton, Daughter of the Living Folkworth nigga. Don't play, nigga. Okay. Oh, yeah. That's why I said different kind of money. A lot of musicians, man, they go to Houston. In the country, them boys with the horses, man. A lot of business, man. Yeah. Facts. Facts. But Houston, like, when you go over by the gallery, you see all the thorns and everything out there. But if you go down on lima, nigga, we got it too. So it's- That's what I heard. Yeah, yeah, you got to check us out, man. Don't come down here talking about you ain't coming back, nigga. So after the show, after the show, you know what I'm trying to hit? The city or something. You know what I'm saying? Yes, yeah. I got to. You know what I'm saying? You got to. You got to be downtown. You know what I'm saying? I got to get to the Yonster, nigga, by my son, nigga. They know what's up. They tell you what everything's going on. I'm gonna take you to the old spot, nigga. Everybody's gonna be chilling when I take you. So let's get into it, man. Like, being from Florida. Yo South Florida. So just, just, I know how you want to do it. I ain't gonna disrespect, you know. Yeah. Because for me, being a female, I love to know your history. I need to know where you're from, how you grew up, everything like that. Because a person can hear your music. But if all more in love with your craft and you, when they find out your struggles, they find out, you know, how you really made it to where you are today. So that's what we want our listeners to know. Most of. Tell me about single-parent household. Oh, you're most of. You know, I grew up at the time till about the age of 12. My parents got divorced, you know what I'm saying? So having my dad around that was more so like, kind of like my whole upbringing for me. To be honest, you know what I'm saying? He was really like the person who guided me to like do music and all of that. So once he left, that's when I kind of started spiraling out of control. And how old were you when he left? Like 10. 10? Yeah, 10. So you remember all of that? Oh, yeah, most of it. It was Christmas night. No. Just up and left. That sounded like something in the movies. My daddy went up at nine. So nigga, you got one year on me. Don't try to act. We in the same book. Yeah. So he came, it was Christmas night. You know what I'm saying? He came and he was like, look, I'm getting ready to go. You know what I'm saying? Either you can come with me or you can stay with your mama. And you didn't say I'm coming? Because, you know, at the time I was 10. So my mama crying in the room. I'm like, I'm going to just stay with her. I ain't no... You're the only one? Nah, so I was the oldest. So I had me, my brother J-Lock and my sister Portia. Okay, how far? We all four years apart. Okay, so they don't really remember a lot of things. So you know what I'm saying? He was six and she was two. You know what I'm saying? I'm going to just stay with her because I didn't think that he was going to leave and stay away. So he left, went to Tennessee, you know what I'm saying? Military stuff and all of that. Do you hate Christmas after that? Nah, nah, nah. I ain't got no... Nah, they ain't got nothing to do with me. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. That's when school started getting, you know what I'm saying? It was slacking in the street. You had the wings. You didn't get the pro wings. You didn't get your converse was a little more dirty than the other niggas. Because you couldn't get it like them. You feel me some. Yeah, it get hard when the double incomes leave is just one. I did that. So I know it's a little different. Then you got to call the nigga, try to see where he at man. You going to bring me something. So he was totally out of your life at that time? Nah, nah, nah, nah. So he would, you know, my dad, you know, we all grew up in the church, right? Yeah. That's how they raised us. So I would still see him. I would still talk to him. Okay. But it wasn't like he was there. Like he was my basketball coach, my baseball coach. He was the nigga that taught me. That's dope. You know what I'm saying? Play drums, do anything, music. You know what I'm saying? Like so when he left, all of that just kind of like went out the window. Motivation. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So I kind of just went and did whatever else. Other people in my, you know, the street side. That's fine. That's fine. That's fine. So he was looking for that father figure out in the street? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So my older cousins, you know what I'm saying? I would always want to be around them. But my dad was like, nah, you know what I'm saying? So when he left, my mom couldn't do nothing. You know what I'm saying? I was like, man, what you mean? You know what I'm saying? So I started doing whatever I was doing and that's what happened. But I always had the fear, like, you know what I'm saying? Of him. You know what I'm saying? Like doing whatever it was. Like I didn't want to get a whipping so subconsciously. What would I do if he was here? You know what I'm saying? So because he a military nigga. You know what I'm saying? So like he real strict and stern. So I was just like, you know what? Let me not get too far off the rails. You know what I'm saying? Because at the end of the day, I still talk to this man. You know what I'm saying? So it got to the point where I got too out of control. And he heard about it. Yeah. And then I moved with him. And I was like... How old were you then? I had to be like 15, 16. I was getting ready to graduate. So you had a five years to just do whatever you want to do really. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Until it was about the... I was about to go to jail and they knew... The judge knew my dad because they went to school together. So they was like, look, you know what I'm saying? Like where your daddy at? I know his family. They're real church people. They whooped the whooped. Like you going off the rails like this. So my mom was like, look, let him go off to school. You know what I'm saying? What is that? And you'll never hear from him again. And that was like the turning point for me to like... I could be whoever I wanted to be. I didn't have to be street no more. You know what I'm saying? So I went off to Tennessee. Nobody knew who I was. So I was like, I'm cool and we ain't have gangs in Florida. But when we got to Tennessee with my brother, Mike Lawyer, it was like bloods and all that. Mike Lawyer? What the hell is going on here? You know what I'm saying? So I never really had the... Did you get in trouble that night? No. Hell no. Because your dad... What? He wasn't trying to hear. I wasn't trying to hear. I wasn't going for it. You know what I'm saying? Like I remember Mike used to come get me. He was like, let's go to the little party. Let's go out. And he'll pull up and I'll be cutting the grass. Like, bro, I can't even go. Like, dang, bro, we knew about this two years ago. Like, nah, dad, so I got to cut the grass. You know what I'm saying? But that is what made me who I am today. Everything. You know what I'm saying? But by being with him, he kind of like made me a man. And you know what I'm saying? Made certain things happen for me. Tell me something that he instilled in you. Like, you know how men try to give a life lesson to their child? Something that stuck with you for till now. Yeah. Man, honestly, that hustle. You know what I'm saying? I remember he told me, he said a couple of things to me that kind of killed me. Like, one of the worst things he told me was, he was like, son, you like bubble gum on the side of the street on a hot summer day. I was like, what does that mean? So I told my mom. He was like, he's trying to say, like, you're a leech. You know what I'm saying? Like you, you know what I'm saying? You try to hold on to people and you try to get stuff. I was like, I didn't know about that. But what he was trying to tell me was, what you need to do is, like, hustle and get your own. Don't rely on nobody else. So he used to tell me, like, look, dad, can I go somewhere? He'd be like, no. And at the while, I'm like, well, if I can get to it, you don't get to that place. Can I go? Yeah. Next thing you know, I'm gone. You know what I'm saying? He's like, all right, cool. Well, dad, can I get these sneakers? Mm-mm. You know what I'm saying? And next thing you know, I got them. Like, how did you get the sneakers? Well, I worked. You know what I'm saying? Same time you had me cutting these grasses. You know what I'm saying? These yards. I was out here doing the same thing next door, you know what I'm saying? Throughout the neighborhood. So I got my own money, got my own hustle. So that's really one of the hardest things that I feel like men now, they don't understand because they try to learn that from the streets. But then they kind of, you know, they get lost in the sauce when you can kind of learn from that father figure that you got. You know what I'm saying? That's one thing I think was very similar in my life where, you know, as a kid, you wanted to go somewhere. My parents were strict as well. And just like how he said, you knew two weeks ago that, you know, we were supposed to go out. I wouldn't even ask because I know that I'm going here or no, so I'm not even going to ask. Thanks. But if you really, really wanted to go, you're going to figure out a way to make it happen. You know what I mean? Whether, how you ask you. Just like you said, you figured out other ways to make it work out because they want to make sure that you really, really want this. Most do. And that's really what parents want to know. Because we kids, they ask 2400 things every day. I want this. I want that. I want this. I want that. Do you have kids? I got one. See how? Ten. So you saw the kind of no. Yeah. You know, and you get tired of hearing. Yeah. I want this. See it on TV. I want this. I want that. But it don't make no sense. You keep giving them everything. It's going to make them swap. Well, life is not going to give them everything. See, that's one thing you can understand. Whatever you try to instill in them, it's cool. Life take them by the throat, by the chest and say, Nick, come here. See, life don't do you like parents do you. Life really give you. If you really push them out there like the eagle do, oh, man, are the chicken or whatever, throw them out the nest, man, I guarantee you life going to make them. You going to get what's coming out of them. It's coming. That's nice. Life is about a teacher than the parents, I believe. You know what I'm saying? Life is the best teacher because of circumstances and situations. A light bill for the first time. A card note for the first time. Or just having to try to apply. I'm going to have to go up and do an application. You start asking questions because you want to try to figure this out for real. Like, hey, man, you know, and you call and really daddy might be busy. Mama might not be there. She might have passed away like mine. And you got to figure this out on your own. See, life is really the big parent. That's the big brother. You know what I'm saying? That's true. So, man, I'm going to get into the music a little bit, man. Just when did you first find your love for like producing? That's right there because that's kind of where you started. That's where you started? No. You started music first? Maybe you was a singer? What did you do first in music? At the age of two, you know what I'm saying? Two? At the age of two, growing up in the church. In the church, right? Right. So my dad, once again, playing the drum at the church. You did mention that. When I was old enough, you know what I'm saying? As a baby, he would take me in the car seat while he played in service. So when I was old enough to walk into the church, I would walk all the way to the drum set and just sit there the whole service. Even through Sunday Bible school when they not singing. And you didn't fall asleep? No, I was just there. Just sitting there. You know what I'm saying? So one thing led to another. That's when I fell in love with the music aspect. Once I got a little older, around like eight or nine, I saw Bow Wow on TV. Okay. I don't swim with me came out. I was like, okay, like, dang, like, I ain't no a kid can do this. Yeah. So I went home and wrote my first rap in the bathroom. It was something about Raymond Noodles or something like that. That's cool. Right? So when I did that, it was, you know, it was dope, but I never stopped rapping. I always wanted to chase what I saw. So, you know, that was cool. Then I got in the group called the Panjee kids and then we went on one on six and Park. We went the Apollo. Man, you the second nigga that came on him went on one on six and Park. Let me go there for a minute. So the road told me it didn't look like it what it looked like on TV. No, no, no. He said it looked like a, he says it's a little smaller set. It's, yeah. Yeah. It's about bigger than his room. Really. And he said, but it looked different on TV because I used to watch it. I seen Michelle fall when I need a soldier where you got it on the hottest around came out. And I seen her fall and they side stepped. Do you know? I remember that. I remember that. They didn't really help her get up. They kept going. And she come back up, but it was crazy, but that one on six and Park movement, man, it's gone. But how was it just being on set with who was you with? You had to be with the younger ones. You were the young one. You wasn't with AJ and you was with. Yeah, how was that? It was cool. Tans J brought some shoes. Okay. From me. Um, the shoes that I had on, it was the animal animal pack 95s. I believe I'm a real big sneaker. Yeah. Yeah. We done interviewed them to miss me. Yeah. So, you know, he did. Um, it was cool. It was the same show as Lady Gaga. Okay. She was big. Yeah. She was on that show and roll Timmy was on that show. Yeah. Roll Timmy was on that show and us and then Lady Gaga was like a guest host. So it was dope. You know what I'm saying? You had to be young. I was young. Yeah. Real young. Like it was probably like right when I saw probably like 17. Yeah. That's young man. Like, like, like to be, but to be able to see that, that had to inspire you as well. Because that was the hard work that we was putting in because before I left Florida and went to Tennessee, we had a little buzz in the city. You know what I'm saying? And then it kind of just stopped. But I was like, damn, I don't, at the time we didn't know how to send vocals through the email. Yeah. Yeah. I didn't know about Pro Tools back then. We was honestly off the, the, the, the, what's the, the big, the, the stereo. You know what I'm saying? Like off tapes, you know what I'm saying? We would take the tapes to the spot and he'll put it on CD for us. That's dope. It wasn't mixed. It wasn't masked, but we had the song and it was doing, we was doing some hustling flow type of vibe. That builds, that builds structure and integrity. That makes you love your craft too. I think a lot of times the people who are doing it now are so easy and simplified that they really don't really understand what's going on and the fact of respecting it the way that they should. Because it's so fast. You can make, man, you can make music quick. So easy. You know what I'm saying? It's different than what it used to be. You, the thing is back then you kind of, like you said, you appreciate the, the whole process. Now you can, you can record a song on your phone. But it's hard for people who were there back then and used to that, that form of doing business and then now transform into this technology world. Some people can't transform. And that's where they stay with it. You got people like Snoop Dogg, right? Right. He evolved with the time. You know what I'm saying? You didn't know how they evolved with the times. Cause it's either that or you're going to stay right where you at. A lot of people got left behind. Well Jay-Z, he evolved. He, he know, he don't even mess with the Instagram and all that, but he knows. He's going to go and buy and develop stuff. He knows it needed. He really intune with what's happening. And I think that's a lot of time the ones who excel. Because really that stole G's to me. The ones who really creating a paved way for people to walk down instead of just sitting back talking about the youngsters. I don't get on with that. If you ain't going to show them how to come this way and show them how to jump, then, then shut up about it. Because at the end of the day, we created a lot of the mess that we talk about. You know what I'm saying? So that's what being real and being older, you're supposed to be able to understand where a person is at and then how to get them where they're going. That's a real troubleshooting technician to be able to help the youngsters to make it through. So a lot of time they just talking and I don't get on with that. But do some of these people actually know how to do it or they don't hire people to do it for them? No, no, it's a bunch of them to get technical. I would think what you think. Yeah, most do. I feel like a lot of times you have to have to know how. You know what I'm saying? Nowadays, once you get to a certain level, you can pay people to say, okay, look, I don't want to do that. You know what I'm saying? Like, let me go ahead and get, like Jay-Z, I know for a fact he didn't make the Instagram page. No, no. You know what I'm saying? It's his, but he probably was like, nah, go ahead and get everything right how I need to and blah, blah, blah. But man, when you are really tapped in, like you really kind of got to be in them trenches and know exactly what's going on. Exactly. Because when we interviewed Rick Ross, he would all, he said that. Let's make it now stop. Freeway Rick Ross. Freeway Rick Ross. We didn't get all interviewed at Nigga Tuto. But we didn't get that nigga yet. Man, it's legendary Ricky. We got the nigga that's like me, Ricky. You know what I'm talking about? The street Ricky nigga. Yo, y'all crazy. But he said he would look for the top notch people in that field to hire them and have them work in that section. So if you're in technology, he would look for the best one in technology. Right. To go hire them to do what he needed them to do. He doesn't tell you what he needed you to do and you just do it. But he'll pay you to do it. Yeah. Money will get the job done. The show. I don't know how to do it. You know what I'm saying? But I'm going to pay you to do it and get it done. But there's a disadvantage at that. Because again, when Carl Crawford came on the show, he said that when he started his business, he would hire people and had them do it. And that's how he got screwed. Because he didn't know how to know what to do. Watch this. I need you to give me a podcast, right? Mm-hmm. You teach me how to do it. You know what I'm saying? Don't just do it for me. Teach it. Get me set up and then say, okay, well, how do I do this? Yeah. And how do I get my money from this? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So I don't feel like it's a problem with having people do stuff for you. Right? But you got to know how to do it as well. Exactly. That's it. So that's where you're getting at. Yeah. Okay. Let me ask you about you and when you first start producing beats. We're going to jump into that. I know you produced beats. And when you did, you didn't get your money. I heard a little clip about it. How it happened. How it just sprung forth. Yeah. So let me know how you end up putting your music out there. Okay. And then basically, you know, damn, where my money? Damn, this thing up. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Well, in the beginning, that was, I was in college, right? Okay. At the time. So the group broke up after 106. Did you finish? Yeah. Okay. What did you take up? Yeah. What you think I took up? Probably business. That's what you niggas do. Like engineering. Engineering. I was a history major. No. Same as boom. Yeah. You didn't know that. Why history? Do you know? My parents. That's the same as boom. You niggas trying to do history. Boom to 196. Yeah. Yeah. He did history. He did a master's in history. I'm trying to figure out what make you out. You want to know more. My parents, honestly, you know what I'm saying? Like my dad, he was a history major. Okay. And he went to school and did that. You know what I'm saying? So he just followed in his footsteps. So I was just like, my mom too. You know what I'm saying? So I was just like, bro, I want me to go to college. Like the music can't work out. So you might as well. I was like, what am I going to college for? Oh, that's it. It didn't work out. You know what I'm saying? They out of the game up. They was just like, yeah, you went far. You know what I'm saying? But that's it. And I was just like, all right, cool. You know what I'm saying? But I was just like, man, I'm just going to college. But I don't know what I'm going for. And that's what it was. So let's talk about that music. How did you end up? How did that end up? And college? How did you end up saying, okay. I'm making some beats. I'm making some beats. All right. I was in the marching band. All right. Okay. What instrument? Snedrum. So I'm a percussionist. So the music never died inside of me. So being in school, you got certain things that you get involved in. And I didn't have time to rap. Okay. So I was like, you know what? Let me just figure something out. You know what I'm saying? Just scratch that itch for music. So I downloaded FL studio and I will be in the dorm room. I'll be in class and I'll just be making beats. And my brother, he had brain surgery. He had a tumor on his brain. Okay. And so we down there for Christmas break again. Yeah. And, you know, he had a seizure. Okay. I think he had two. And my mom was like... He's blessed to still be here. Yeah. Yeah. Most deaf. Most deaf. And he can't go upstairs because if he had a seizure and fall, his skull was already... You know what I'm saying? It didn't heal properly. Yeah. So he was downstairs and I was just watching him making sure that, you know, nothing happened to him. So we were just sitting down on the couch and he was like, bro, you got to get a beat. This guy didn't call that black, bro. I was like, who was that? You know what I'm saying? He was like, bro, trust me. Pull up the YouTube. No, they be having like little street vlogs. He and Tyler Hassey at the end of the video was an email. So I just emailed, you know what I'm saying? Just to make him happy. I didn't think nothing was going to happen. So I go home to Tennessee. First day of class, my brother called me, bro, Kodak Black hopped on a beat. I was like, no. So I go and look at the video. I'm like, no. So at this time I'm like, I got to get paid. Mind you. Yeah. He wasn't Kodak Black. You know what I'm saying? Like he wasn't, he was just a regular, you know, local rapper at the time. You know what I'm saying? So I'm like, man, I'm going to get at least $500. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? I'm hungry. You know what I'm saying? I was skinny then. You know what I'm saying? I'm talking about, I'm hungry. Like I don't know where I'm getting my food from. You know what I'm saying? Mom, dudes. You know what I'm saying? My dad, I went to school in Tennessee. So my dad was there. But I didn't want to ask him for nothing because... He wants you to get it on your own. You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? Move on, nigga. Yeah. I'm like, I ain't even finna ask this man. You feel me? So I'm like, man. I like your dad already. Yeah, for sure. Because that's what life will do to you. He looking like life. I was down now. You know what I'm saying? For real, I'll be like, hey, pause. I'm finna pull up and grab something to eat or something. You know what I'm saying? No, you can always come, but you gotta go. Yeah, I like that. You know what I'm saying? He got me a crib. You know what I'm saying? He got me a nice little crib to stay in. You know what I'm saying? He was like, look, but you gotta pay $600 a semester because he brought the house. So he want nothing. He was like a semester. If anybody knows about semesters, it was like five months. Yeah. Get your financial aid. You know what I'm saying? Pay whatever bills you gotta pay, but he got $600. Oh, give me $600 a semester. So you have some type of bills. You know what I'm saying? Responsibility. I like it. So I was like, all right, cool. So I get up there. Next day, the second day, he put out another song with my beat. I'm like, oh, I'm finna get paid. Like you, man. Two, three days later, go by Friday. I don't think that he wouldn't get paid because you gave him that beat. You gave him that beat. There's no agreement. Yeah. But let me tell you, that's the industry work though. Right? You go in the studio, right? You give me a beat. There's no guarantee that you're going to hop on it. That's right. You know what I'm saying? Like I may record it. I got 800 songs on my phone. That don't mean any of these are coming out. So I can't pay you for something that I'm not putting out because you may get this beat to you, you, you and whoever put it out first and get that paperwork done. So that's my beat until we money get exchanged and paperwork gets done. That's right. So Zatovin talk about that a lot. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shout out to Zay. He always has some DMs. I like that. For sure. For sure. I remember I saw So Sick with Gorilla Zoo and then Papers with Usher. They used the same beat. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, I never understood how that worked. But first come, first served. So Zatovin was like, Usher got it. You know what I'm saying? But Gorilla Zoo was like, I'm still going to put it out. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, you're right. Because Jamaican culture, they'll do rhythm. They call it beats rhythms. And everybody will hop on it. But it sounds so different. Everybody take it and make it their own. Exactly. You know what I'm saying? I don't know why nobody here really does that. It's like, this is your beat. Y'all be stealing a lot of American beats, too. We don't want to talk about that. Whatever. No, no, no. We don't want to talk about that. We will steal a beat from America. They always be putting a little Jamaican rhythm into y'all's beats. I know what they're doing. Yeah, they remixing the hell out of American beats. You want me to go back to where the rap started? Let's get back to double A. It did start in Jamaica. I had this R&B, though. Go ahead there. Let's talk about it. So yeah, man. So three beats come out. Three songs come out. So I said, let me just call this number. That was in that same video. Call the video. Hello. Hey, how y'all doing? You know what I'm saying? I just saw Kodak drop three songs. So I'm trying to get paid. Oh, you ain't get paid? Who is this? Double A. Double A, okay. Okay, yeah. Let me get right back to you. Let's pivot. All right, cool. Hang up the phone. I'm like, all right, cool. He ain't got back to you. Man. I never got a phone call back. Did they block you? Nah, they ain't blocked me. So about a week, call back. Hello? Yeah, who is this? I called about a week ago about the beats. Oh, no, you still ain't talked to Kodak? I thought, yeah, yeah, yeah. I bet. That was 2015. That kind of was Kodak talking to. Nah, nah, it was a female. Oh, okay. Yeah. So 2015 happened. I still ain't never get a call back. And I don't even think, but I've talked to that person. And of course, that whole camp since then, but I don't think that they even remember that. You know what I'm saying? So I was like, all right, cool. I'm going to just take that as an L. You know what I'm saying? It was, I still never got monetized on it on those three songs at all. Never. You know what I'm saying? So I get a comment under my picture, Kodak comment. He was like, bro, everything you send it hard, DM me. Keep sending it, nigga. It's free too. And I DMed to him. I DMed, bro. Let me see. I DMed, bro. And it had to be 2015. Yeah. He ain't responding until February 2021. So I was like, dang, he ain't never respond. So I got a phone call one day from another producer. He was like, hey, Kodak told me to give you his number. This is 2015. I'm like, bro, I DMed you. He was like, I ain't never see it. I was like, all right, cool. So I got your number now. So I don't care about the DM. So we chopping it up. He like, nah, send me some more stuff. So in between time, you know, he get locked up. Yeah. We talking on the phone, you know what I'm saying? I'm putting money on his books. You know what I'm saying? But it's all love. You know what I'm saying? Not money on his books. I brought him a couple of books. You know what I'm saying? And I ain't have no money. So I had to call my cousin. You know what I'm saying? I had to call my cousin. I'm like, cuz. You know what I'm saying? Like, buy this book and send it to this place right here. Woop the woop. Blah, blah, blah. And we built a relationship. And it was, you know what I'm saying? Like dope. We did a lot of big records. You know what I'm saying? The Slade. The Boosi record. The vibing in the bed with Gucci Man. Everything 1K. You know what I'm saying? Like we really like, that was like the turning point for me. So it came for a circle really anyway. So that's when when we did the first project, I got paid. I like that because a lot of times people think that they're going to get the money up front. But you got to put that work in too. And I don't knock no situation that teaches me. Because you're going through something that's giving you, it's stretching you. You're learning a lot of things as you trying to figure it out, right? I tell people this all the time. You're going to get the hell. Yeah. You got to get the hell. Nobody is exempt from taking an L. It's just whenever you take it, will it be a small L or will it be the big L? Yeah. Give me my L in the beginning. You know what I'm saying? So I know like, okay, God, I took the L. Now it's time for me to go ahead and do what I got to do. You know what I'm saying? So thankfully I took that L in the beginning. You know what I'm saying? So I kind of know how to maneuver because those records was, they was cool. You know what I'm saying? But that was in the beginning of his career. When he kind of took off, I started getting paid and I kind of knew the game and I didn't know what to do. So it was cool. Got you footing the door. Definitely. That's really what it did. That was worth more than the money. Exactly. Let me ask you, I want to, that's a dope story. But let me ask you about NBA Young Boy because that's the one that I don't know how you guys relationship is, the way he be looking at the camera when you see him, the way he look. The way the n***a look versus the way the n***a rap versus who the n***a is. It's a whole bunch of things going on with that for me. Now I listened, I remember we was going to Chicago and I listened to his whole, you know, the whole way I listened to number NBA. I probably heard a bunch of your beats to be honest with you. I was just listening to Young Boy and I was like, dang, this dude dope. But then when I see him, I'm like, damn, could I talk to this n***a? You know what I'm saying? Yeah, you can. No, you know what I'm saying? So how did you guys even meet or how did y'all even like, you know, hook up? Man, shout out to DJ Swift. So I was in college. Okay. In class, you get a phone call from him, right? Hey, you in class? I was like, yo, I'm in class. What's up? He was like, still by side. So I'm like, all right, cool. So I still by side. He was like, bruh, this guy named NBA Young Boy. He hard. I'm like, bruh, I don't know who this is, bruh. You know, from bad roots, he hard, bruh. He really like what you doing. So I'm like, all right, bet. At the time I go on this page, he had 3,000 followers. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? By the time me, him had the same amount of followers. Oh, yeah. So I'm like, all right. You know what I'm saying? So I go look at his music. I'm like, sound like some like vintage, like Louisiana Boots, or whatever. I'm like, you know what I'm saying? I can do that. You know what I'm saying? So I'm like, I'm finna make the beat. So I go right back in class, right? Put my headphones on. That's all you hear. So I get stopped. Oh, Mr. Lockhart. But they actually called me Miami in school. Miami. Even professors too. Miami. I'm like, huh? What are you doing? Assignment. Yeah. I'm writing notes. It was like, no, because we can hear the music in the headphones. You know what I'm saying? He was like, you're not going to be nothing in life by clicking on this laptop. I was like, dang, you know what I'm saying? Like that was the most embarrassing thing. You ain't going to be nothing in life clicking on that laptop, thinking that the music going to take you somewhere. Mind you, I'm a history major. So I ain't in no music class. I'm like, I know you don't understand what I'm doing. So I'm like, all right. Get out of class. Email to beat the DJ Swift the next day, not even 12 hours later. Video out almost at a million views. Woo. So I called Swift like, hey, man, tell young boy, hey, let's do it again. He was like, all right. So he was like, young boy said, call him. So young boy called me with the little face. Hey, say, you know what I'm saying? He like, hey, he like, hey, say, like, everything you seen in hard year, man. Everything you seen in your hard gangsta. I'm like, yo, he was like, hey, keep sending that fire, man. Let's go up. I'm like, all right, man. He said, yeah, he said, good impersonation. So I'm like, all right, man. You know what I'm saying? So I'm sending the records or what not. I get a phone call from young boy. He was like, hey, say, gangsta, where you at? I'm like, man, I'm in Tennessee. He was like, I need you to come to L.A. So I get ready to go to L.A. I bring the whole team I got with me. Whole team come to L.A. And one thing led to another. A.I. young boy comes out and we did almost 80% of that album. Wow. And that was like the beginning because I didn't, I never met him. We were always talking on the phone. Duh, what you think about this? This hard, you rock with this? Blah, blah, blah. I'm like, yeah, for sure. And we built that relationship and that camaraderie with each other. And then everything was just like, it was just up. You know what I'm saying? And then we, one night, our Ain't Too Long came out, that album. So we going through, it was like midnight. We in Atlanta, right? Me, Mike, Laura, the whole team. So we in the hotel, we got one big suite, right? We was still broke. We was kind of getting a little bit of money. We was like, man, we got a little suite, you know what I'm saying? But all eight of us, we going to sleep in this room. Some people hit the floor. Some people get in the bed. We got a little sofa bed. We going to thug it out like that. So 12 o'clock coming around, young boy dropped out. Number one, okay, that's us. Everybody sleep but me, I'm up. Of course. Number two, okay, that's us. Three, that's us. Four, that's us. Five, that's us. Six, that's us. Seven, that's us. Hold on. Let me just, maybe I'm chipping. Wow. Maybe I'm half-sleep. All eight songs was us. I was like, yo. That's a blessing. You know what I'm saying? So that was like the turning point of like, double A. And this is the sound having like that whole household name because people knew from the Kodak, but our relationship like, or the music kind of stopped. And it wasn't because of Kodak. It was because it was real. No, the label. The label, really? The label was like, they tripped out? There was like, yo, Kodak, man, you know, double A is hard, but you know, it's other producers that can turn you up. And Kodak was like, nah, like I'm going to rock with who I'm rocking with. You know what I'm saying? And then he did, got one record and it went viral on Instagram. And I guess, you know what I'm saying? The label was like, nah, let's go in a different direction. Which is cool. You know what I'm saying? This is all love. You know what I'm saying? But, you know, we just kind of just locked in somewhere else, you know what I'm saying? At the time. But everything has its expiration. Evolution. In and out. How long did it take between Kodak and NBA? Like, to meet? To, from, yeah, for the beat, going here and then him contacting you. Yeah. Like the different, the relationship. The relationships. They was like, was it back to back? Because Kodak was in jail at the time. Okay. So like, it just happened like, I don't... Because I know you were in college at both times. Yeah, so it never stopped. You know what I'm saying? Okay. So it just happened. And then that happened at the same time. But then things kind of got a little funny. You know what I'm saying? But it's all... It's fable, man. I know that's what I was about to say. That's a blessing. It just came like that. You know what I'm saying? And then you dope. Like, but you work ethic again. And I always go back to work ethic. Because your work ethic is what's going to make everything happen. And you keep working. Look how fast you just jump right on it. That ain't normal, nigga. That's a gift. Where did the name come from? Double A. So, of course, my name's Erin. So that's where double A comes from. But it's spelled different. Because when I went to copyright my name, the regular way D-O-U-B-L-E-Dash-A was already taken. So I was like, I can't copyright that. So I'ma spell it. You know what I'm saying? I gotta spell it different. So that name is really like a conversational starting. Like, is it Duba? Ah, ah, ah. You know what I'm saying? Is it Duba? Is it, you know what I'm saying? So double A-A, you know what I'm saying? So it was just a dope way to, you know what I'm saying? To have people talking. You know what I'm saying? And a lot of people will talk. Like, how do you say it before I say it? Because I was mentioning it up, but he said it right off the rip. Yeah, most do. So I was like, but it makes sense. Well, I've been watching and looking him up and seeing what's being said. I'm listening and looking and trying to make sure that we definitely don't leave nothing out. And did it come out in college? The name? Nah. So my cousin gave me that name when we was kids. So when I was in the group, right before we was in the group, shout out to Chris the Great. And my name, she was like, I'm going to call you, she was joking. I'm going to call you double A. I was like, cool. I stuck with it. And then she was like, I'm going to call his little, her little brother. I'm going to call you C-Lo. She was joking. You know what I'm saying? We thought we didn't know who C-Lo was at the time. So it was double A and C-Lo. And then we realized it was like C-Lo, like from Dungeon Family C-Lo. So he had to change his name to H2O because he flows like water. And that didn't stick. You know what I'm saying? Anyway, the Chris the Great, you know what I'm saying? But I always kept my name, you know what I'm saying? But I just had to later on, like once I kind of got some money, I had to copyright my name. And that's what I came up with. Let's talk a little bit about double A day. Yeah. What that means to you and just kind of how that all came about? Double A day is honestly probably one of my most prized days because it's on my birthday. One, double A day is definitely on my birthday. Check it man. Money Moses in the building, man. We gave him a grand entry, man. Never come late. Hey, but he here. Hey, that's all I know. That's my co-host right there, man. Don't play, man. That's all I know. He really loved the music, too. Yeah. I appreciate that. He from Louisiana. So, you know, at the end of the day, man, I just got to make it out of announcement every time you show up late, nigga. Everybody know the nigga was late. I try to make sure they know that. This nigga might just show up anytime. Hey, that's all that matters. Hey, never let him go, though, nigga. Don't think he ain't going to have a job. You know what I'm talking about? I love to be here. I'm a kid in the car. What? Yeah. Wow, that nigga is wanting to meet you, bro. It's kids in his car. Nigga, stop playing. We love that, man. That's why you're a nigga. Hey, you go hard for the kids, too. You don't have kids, so you know. So, I just want to know about this. Like the double A day, like just when it came about, and I know you talked about the book. I'd heard you talk about the backpacks and just doing it. And that's what really matters, man, because that's really important to be able to give back. Most people, you know, they don't understand that that's how you really, really start to grow. You know, anytime you see people that's the mated to the top, man, you're going to hear about. Like my boy, Robert Smith. Y'all don't know, but he in Austin, Texas. Let me go and just plug that in. Rich is black, man. In America, really, to me. Robert, he paid that money at Morehouse for all the kids. Y'all stop playing. He in Austin, Texas. So what I'm saying is giving back is real important. It's big. It makes you go up further and further. So I love when I heard that about you. Yeah, man. It's something that I had to do. You know what I'm saying? Just because being in South Florida, we don't really have too many entertainers. We got a lot of football players, Matt Elum. You know what I'm saying? All the Elums and, you know what I'm saying? I went to school with a lot, you know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? Like Scotty Barnes, you know what I'm saying? He just came in the league, you know what I'm saying? And there's a lot of people, you know what I'm saying? Jacoby Brasette, you know what I'm saying? But I literally rub shoulders with these guys as a younger. You know what I'm saying? But they give back in a different way. So I know a lot of kids want to be entertainers too. So to see myself in them, you know what I'm saying? When I give back, I give a 500 to 1,000 book bags, free hat cuts, free food. I have a funded family initiative. Because I know when my dad left, you know what I'm saying? My mom, she had to go to school. You know what I'm saying? She had two jobs and I was, you know, she was kind of struggling. So like every year I have a raffle where I go in there, whoever got the ticket, I pay your rent for one month. You know what I'm saying? So I do a little stuff like that. And I have a contest as well where the third place winner gets 250. Okay. Second place winner gets 500. First place winner gets 1,000. And they come to wherever I'm at and have a studio session with me. I take them out to dinner and stuff. You know what I'm saying? Just to let them know like whatever you're aiming for is possible. What made you start doing all of this? What made me start doing that? Honestly, the music is going to stop at one point, right? Nothing lasts forever. So I want my legacy. That's what I'm doing for right now. Everything that I'm doing is about legacy. You know what I'm saying? Once I'm gone, what will stand? You know what I'm saying? Like you got people like DJ Screw. Like his legacy is forever. You know what I'm saying? So it's like what do I want to be known for? You know what I'm saying? Not just the nigga who got the chains and the teeth and all of that. I want to be able to have double A day every year on my birthday. You know what I'm saying? So people can know like, well, he came from here. He did this blah, blah, blah. Same thing with going to school and, you know, being a part of different organizations and doing certain little things. You know what I'm saying? I do stuff for my last name now. Do you have double A day on the same day every day? Every year? Yeah. Well, it all depends. You know, like this year is going to be on the 23rd. That's the Saturday. My birthday on the 24th. So last year was on the 24th. But now it's going to be on the 23rd. I think you should keep it on one day. One Pacific day. So when they know that they come around, they know you're coming. Let me ask you this, though. What if it's on a Wednesday? Yeah, no matter. It's what your legacy. Okay. What you're saying is your legacy. So keep it on your legacy. No matter what day it is, your legacy, you came for that day. That day only. Well, it is in the summertime. Yeah. It is in the summertime. You know what I'm saying? But I just feel like it's kind of hard when people got jobs and, you know what I'm saying? That's why you make it during the evening. Late on night, people don't have jobs regardless. But it's the whole day, though, right? It's a whole day. It's a trade day. I got the keys to two cities. So I do one. You know, it's kind of like, you know, being in Atlanta and then an outskirts of Atlanta. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, I go to one part half of the day and then I do the other half. The big concert in the main city. You know what I'm saying? So that's the only problem. You know what I'm saying? That's the only problem. I think it's dope that you're even doing it, man. That's a big deal for me. Like, that's the whole game when you get to a certain level, man. You got to be able to show that, hey, man, you care about what goes on with who's coming behind you for sure and what's going on in the community. So I'm going to ask you about your music, man. Because lately you've been, you know, you've been, you decided I'm going to get on the damn mic myself. I got one more thing about that, though. Yeah, about the trade. Yeah, on that. So if you're going to do that then, do you have it in like, if you're going to have it in January? I mean, like, I'm just saying just in, if you're going to have it in January, make sure you have it like on the third, that third Saturday, every January. You can do that. Yeah. But it's in summer. It's July. What July? What? 24th. Nigga, I might come, nigga. Yeah, you got to. My wife birthed there on the 23rd, mine on the 26th. You got to pull up. See what I'm saying? Nigga, we'll pull up. Nigga, don't play. Nigga, don't invite us to. Don't tempt us with your time. Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo. Where at? Oh, I was calling me Florida. Yeah. We might be there, though. You know that? Look, he's lying, man. I'm trying to, yeah. Yeah, we'll pull up the career. I ain't like Florida. Yo, I ain't like Florida. I ain't like when I went. He didn't lie. He went to visit. You didn't get me, too, down there. Nigga, you didn't get that right. You don't know what part of us. Bro, that's how I don't know. You probably want some cocoa or something. I don't know where I went. Bro, listen. I've been in so many places and played a couple months. I've been getting all these things. That nigga got that money, nigga. That nigga don't know what's down there. Nigga, that's what works. That nigga's done it all. That nigga's done it all. I don't remember that good. Man, I don't remember that good. I don't remember that good. I don't win everywhere. But I don't remember where I was at. Sorry. That's the money Moses, man. I don't remember that good. So I don't really be caring about certain stuff. Yeah, he really is. And I be calling the nigga, stay out of trouble, nigga. Please, I need you to stay out of trouble. That's what I be telling the nigga. Make it home, nigga. I ain't gonna tell trouble. I'll just tell trouble. Trouble, I ain't find me. I ain't never seen a nigga. I'm not gonna make this about you. I ain't never seen a nigga stay out of trouble but I always call him from jail. This just don't make sense to me. You know what I'm saying? Hey, let me tell you why. We're not gonna do this, man. Probably the last four, probably the last four five times with the jail. This is because I was helping somebody else. The last four bars. Oh my God. This is how I go down. I was helping somebody else though. It wasn't because of me. Okay. I didn't need that help. But I can't tell you where it was but I didn't need that help. They needed help. So I was like, hey, you need the money for that music. This is how we doing you out here. I just let you in a little bit. Five times out of the world. It wasn't my fault. My heart just too good to let the nigga just suffer. So I'm like, I'm like, I'm not gonna give you no money but for him to get it. No, that's right. Anyway, by any means necessary. Let me get to this, man. Let me talk about the song. I've seen the one with you a little by why I see you made the reference early about a little by why. Was that important to make that feature happen? Yeah. I see what I'm saying because it makes sense when you said that. Legacy. You know what I'm saying? Like I got a certain things on my bucket list. I got a, you know what I'm saying? Scratch off. Like I told myself I got to get a Grammy at least four, right? Wow. Once I get that, I feel like I'm done with music. You know what I'm saying? Because I got other goals and aspirations. Why the Grammy though? Why the Grammy? Yeah. It's like a Super Bowl. Yeah, it sure is. It's like you playing in the NFL for nothing. You know what I'm saying? Like everybody trying to get that the highest of the high. You know what I'm saying? That's white folk Super Bowl. Call it what you want. Wow. That's what we got to go with. That's a combination. Yeah, that's just what it is. You know what I'm saying? We have to do better. But we ain't there yet. Yeah, we ain't there yet. You know what I'm saying? Let me get that story though. Like let me, let me understand how bowing you, how did you make that happen, you know? Because like I said, it ain't easy unless you've been knowing the n***a. No. So what happened was, shout out to my cousin Sport. He worked in his building. Okay. So in Midtown, anybody know about Atlanta? Yeah. A lot of high rises. I stayed literally probably like two houses away from Brea. Like two buildings. Really? And I never knew this the whole time. So I was like, my cousin came over and I played the record. He was like, man, that's y'all hard. I was like, yo man, like, when I need to get bow out on this, he was like, bro, I know bow out. I was like, what? He was like, yo bro, like, bro, I'm going to link y'all up. I'm like, all right, whatever, bro, like, you don't know bow out. The man called me two days later. FaceTime, I'm like, because you know, I forgot all about it. Yo, I answered the phone, what up? You're like, yo man, send me that record. You know what I'm saying? Let's work, man. Wow. Shoot me a deal. So we did that record on like a Monday. You know what I'm saying? He sent it back on Wednesday. And then we shot the video on Friday. You know what I'm saying? It was that quick. Wow bucket list. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Just scratching. Who next? Bro, Wayne. You going to get Wayne? I got it. Yeah, nigga, we going to get that later. By the time this air, that song probably none came out. Man. Yeah. It's like top secret though. So how, but can we talk about a little bit? By the time it's air, you write it's go, but you know what I'm saying? Hot boy, you know what I'm saying? Really? Like, I read talk to Turk, nigga, you know, I want you on the show, don't play with me. And I call it. No, man. You know what I'm saying? No, no, no, no, we got to get this out the way. So I did a record call. Right. Okay. So I was like, bro, I got to get the original hot boys on this. You know what I'm saying? So I called Turk. You know what I'm saying? Cause I did a couple records for Turk. He sent it right back. You know what I'm saying? I really want Manning Fresh on them. You know what I'm saying? If I can get Manning Fresh, and have Wheezy, and Turk, that'll be hard. It's going down. You know what I'm saying? But if I do that, I got to get Juvie. You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? Not a song, not a song, a six minute song. So I was like, man, who can I get? I got two boys. They bless me. You know what I'm saying? Just because of the work ethic, like you said. The work ethic, something else, man. So that's it? That's it. And so you say Wayne, did he send it right back? Yeah, Wayne a work horse. Yeah, I know. I know. His own. Listen, boy, you talking that talk, man. Everybody can't say they got a song with this thing. Spell it in this day and time. That's not easy to do. When I tell you, bro, this phone right here got so much. This is a billion dollar phone. Because I got verses. I got beats. I got, man, look, these two, they cool. You know what I'm saying? This phone right here, this is the number I've been having since I was like eight. You know what I'm saying? So that's why people ask me, why you got three phones? I was like, I can't get rid of this number. You know what I'm saying? Like, I met a lot of people on this phone. Like people that I haven't talked to in the industry, like they'll still call this number because they don't have these. You know what I'm saying? This is like my business slash family. Like, if I know you, like, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah. But that's why I ain't getting no number. I'm talking to Sean and I'm, you know, all your people. Yeah, I'm getting your damn number. Yeah, we love them. But just tell me your top three artists of all time. Man, dead or alive. Any genre. Number one. Mike. Michael Jackson. Are you serious? Name the date. One nigga said Chris Brown was better than Mike. What? Hey, I'm just saying this stuff get crazy in here. But number two. Stevie Wonder. Why are you a dope dude, man? You going in? Bro, you gotta understand, bro, it's real. Like, bro, you see, I come in with a band. Yeah, you really do music. You know what I'm saying? Like this different, bro, like, wow. Probably Wayne. Dang, that's dope. I like it. I like it, man. Because he the reason, like, Bowell is the reason that I started rapping, right? Wayne is the reason that I fell in love with the whole, you know what I'm saying? Like, I wanted to be Wayne so bad, bro. You know what I'm saying? That boy said Michael Jackson. That boy said Stevie Wonder. And Lil Wayne. Lil Wayne. Top three artists of all time, man. For sure. I just say, man, you keep doing what you're doing, man. I'm coming to see us today, man. And I'm going to be following you, bro. And like I said, on that day, a double A day, you got to, we're going to be, we're going to be going back and forth. That way, that way I'm going to fly up. Me and my wife. You ain't going to like it, bro. No, he's going to, he's going to run with him. I wasn't with him on all these trips. But when he go with me, we have a good time. Man, listen, listen, I don't like hanging around. I like hanging around people like me, people like this. Well, them street niggas, they locked up. Exactly. I feel like, I got to have a street nigga with me and I'm going to have somebody that's going to keep me calm, too. That's me. Yeah. If I'm with him, he's going to have a good time. But you're not going to stay out three or four times. No, I'm not going out like that. Me either. I'm not going out like that. Dead. No, but that's it, man. Yeah. But now, man, so, man, I thank you for coming on the show again, man. Like I said, anytime you're in Texas or if I'm in Atlanta, or Florida, wherever, I'm going to tap in, man. I'm going to be watching what's going on, man. Let's talk about it. You know what I'm saying? It's out now. It came out February 25th. Already? We almost had 200K in like six days. You know what I'm saying? And it really just tap in with like who I am. You know what I'm saying? Growing up in the church. You know what I'm saying? Tap in with that. But then it got the street. You know what I'm saying? The street trap drums. You know what I'm saying? The lyrics. You know what I'm saying? Kind of different. You know what I'm saying? But y'all just got to listen to it. You know what I'm saying? Tap in with me for sure. I got to ask you this one thing on the panel. I've been looking at NBA Young Boy, Gucci and all these people going this song that he sent out. Man, it went crazy. And now it's some back and forth, man. Would you produce beats for a beat? Let's be real. Let's be clear. I don't even know what you're talking about. So you won't even listen to nobody's music. Bro, if it ain't old, you know what I'm saying? I don't want to be influenced by anybody. Anybody. So you don't even check it out. But I was just going to ask you like, you wouldn't know if you was making a beat for some people that were going back and forth. No, because a lot of times, you know, when people were on the move, they would send me a pack. You don't even know what's going on. You don't even know what's going on. Whatever it is, it is. You know what I'm saying? Wow. Because people be wanting you to pick sides and beats, bro. It's different from him because like he's behind the scene. He's behind the scene. In front of it like that. He could be in any place. So he's getting more, because he's doing music now. So you around different groups of people and anything can happen anytime, man. I just say, I'm going to show you love why you help keep God first, bro. If it's any way you can create peace within any realm you in, make sure that that's what you do and be a part of. And if you need me, Nick, I'm pulling up. Come on. Straight up, man. Easy. Double A, man. A building, man. Hey, man, it's been another great segment of Boss Talk 101.