Of Music & Men #45

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl moment looked like a victory lap, but we saw it as a receipt. We break down what that performance really means, who it opens doors for next, and why cultural impact and industry politics don’t always move the same way.

Then we get into Nicki backlash, outrage marketing, rapper money mistakes, Grammy politics, J. Cole, Kendrick, LaRussell’s independent blueprint, and why clout keeps confusing people about what real success looks like.

Transcript

Back On The Mic

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Episode 45. Me and Dre are back in action. We've been doing everything in between, getting all these podcasts going. The netmark, netmark is active. New episode of the Life of Time podcast, me and Dre. We talk about the problems and issues of today. But right here on Music in Mint, we gotta get it in. Yeah, yeah, I see you. Yeah, bro. I had to pull out that Duolingo, bro. I don't do no hating. I don't do no hating. I do education. We love that. We love that. I do hating, bro. I do education, bro. Let me learn. Let me learn something new. When I was working retail in LA, most Spanish word I heard all the time was bolsa, bolsa, bolsa. That means bag. Gideon bag. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Bolsa. El Bolsa. Ah, El Nisbro.

Enablement And Bad Bunny’s Moment

SPEAKER_01 0:58

February, man. Right. Right. Right. So speaking of that, before we get into the Bad Bunny Super Bowl, since it's February, let's talk about enablement. Because Kendrick was able to do what he did in his Super Bowl last year that laid the groundwork for us to be able to have Bad Bunny this year. Yes. If which is a common thing through history that people like to ignore, and that's not to take away from Bad Bunny's credentials. Because it would still need someone qualified to be in that place. But it's usually the reward that follows after the effort that was put in when we get put in something. Oh, I think how quickly it's usually often given to others. It took a while for us to get a performance where Kendrick can do what he did and then the very next year. Not a couple years, not blah blah blah. It was the very next year. So that's a common thing that happens a lot. You know, it's we also gotta talk about where we give away, not we give away, but come to others kind of easier.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Well, we also gotta talk about who's given out these opportunities and who's laying the groundwork and who's using who to lay the groundwork. Right.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Now and once again, to be fully deserving, he's the top artist absolutely globally. First of all, out of the since 2020, I think there was only one year where Bed Buddy was not the top string artist on Spotify. Okay, so like biggest man in the world right now totally deserve the Grammys, deserve everything. The performance was deep. If you know people may not know, and especially if you're a black listener, a lot of people don't know because we like to uh force black history into like it started at slavery and then America. But he did a lot of connection with Afro-Latinos and his work and then his music and bringing together the Americas. So that was also very important. It's like it's not like like if you're a black person, don't think that that performance wasn't beneficial to you.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Yeah, I completely agree. It was a great performance. The only thing I gotta get at is like, why is Lady Gaga inserting herself? Is that what you think has it? I I don't think it happened. That that's what it is. Lady Gaga is in the middle of this. Where is Lady Gaga from?

SPEAKER_01 2:59

I'm not sure, but Lady Gaga was invited by Bad Bunny. And so the play, the play, so I and I've seen a couple different things, right? And this, you know, these things get deeper and deeper. So, first off, she sung the song that she made with Bruno Morris, who's also Puerto Rican. Right? And you have this salsa version of their pop song that they made together. But and I was trying to, you know, figure out some of the stuff that was going on, but before they cut to her, right? Bed Bunny says something to the cameras, and it's like, oh, is this what you wanted to see? And then it cuts to a white woman singing. The biggest thing everyone said was like during the 13 minutes, oh, there was no English at all. You had almost two to three minutes of English in there, but it was kind of like this is what y'all wanted. You wanted a white woman being surrounded by people in their culture, but this is how you wanted it presented. That was done on purpose. Like I said, this white woman, I think her hair was blonde at the time of this. Like this is what they would have asked, and then we got it, and we got a sultan edition of it, and we went right back to the other stuff. So that was done on purpose. Okay, that's the only thing. I've seen a lot of gaga hate for that. It's like, no, no, she was brought in to to play the villain of that.

Nicki Minaj And Selling Out

SPEAKER_00 4:05

Hey man, I had to make sure. I had to make sure that's the only questions I've seen out here. I've seen some questionable shit. Speaking of questionable shit, let's get into Nicki Minaj. Listen, bro. Deporter. Hey, bro, it's hard being an FBA, dog bro, bro. I'm telling you, people like the sauce, and then you're like, fuck it. Yeah, deporter, deporter, man. Um what the fuck, man? Bro, that knocked her off the Mount Rushmore. She was on, you know what?

SPEAKER_01 4:31

She was on the female rushmore. She's the biggest female artist of our generation. She's obviously fallen off in a lot of drama recently, but her body of work stood out for her. But when it for us, we don't get right that we don't get to separate the music from the artist because of how it affects people who look like us. So no, she how you are outside is going to be a direct influence of your reputation. It's gotta go.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

Hey, I apologize to anybody. I can't believe it. I couldn't believe it at first. Like I could. I mean, all right, I could I could believe it, but I it was like, what?

SPEAKER_01 5:04

Seeing it, seeing it's crazy. You did a lot for a gold visa. Come on, Doug. You know what we're gonna have to do now? We just have to refer to him. You said there's a 45th pub, we're gonna have to refer to him by 45, you know, that present 45. Yeah, so you did all that to sell out 45 for the gold bees. I hope it was worth it. Like, I I hope it was worth it.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

Hey man, fuck all her friends, fuck every black girl that looked up to her, fuck all that shit. Like, fuck everybody who looked up to her. No, no, no, no, no. You still see her as an idea. No, no, no. Brother, brother, brother. I'm talking about she's saying that. Oh, yeah, he's saying that. I didn't get it. Right, right, right, right. Yes. I was like, well, yeah, I see what you're saying. You see what I'm saying? That's disrespectful as shit, bro. When your base look like the enemy to this operation you're supporting, when you're going up there and being the happy blackface, bro, calm the fuck on, bro. Yeah, if she, if it's that shit's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

I would be highly surprised if she still did tours.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

It would be certain people that would go. But you also, you gotta understand, right? There's a lot of outrage marketing. There's MAGA art, they had their own Super Bowl. You know what I'm saying? So, like, there's a market for this bullshit. So maybe she's gonna be. I mean, not maybe, she's in that market now.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

But it doesn't, but it doesn't even sell you right. They brought, like, speaking of, they brought Kid Rock out to do his little halftime show. Then he tried to go on tour right after the Super Bowl, sold 200 tickets, they're canceling venues. Like, this doesn't sell, and that's the other thing people understand. You are appealing to an audience that does not know what it's like to actually stand in solidarity and support. They're going to use you for the moment, and you're going to be left holding the bag at the end of the day for the repercussions. You're not going to get any furthering support, right? Any backlash she's going to receive from this. Like I don't see why people don't see that.

Fame Without Financial Literacy

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Yeah, I don't think that I mean, listen, she had to be in a position in which it was a financial decision. Maybe it's that. Yeah. Maybe this pays the bills. Maybe this keeps the lights on. We don't know what people know what people doing with their bread, bro. Floyd coming out of retirement, bro. Yeah. We don't know what people doing with their bread, bro. It's that biblical greed, man. Hey, hey, man. I'm buying it. Listen, this is what they don't do, what I will do with money. I'm buying a farm. I'm making my own shit. Yeah. I'm butchering my own animals. I want to put a package with my face on it. You know what I'm saying? Like, yo, this is eight steaks. You know what I'm saying? So, like, I'm just saying, when you get your bread, don't be a dickhead. Now, somebody who did get bread and who was a dickhead, Jim Jones, May know, this crew of grown men have been kicked out of their podcast studio. Listen, I was locked out of my podcast studio. I did kick the door in though. I did get 50 cents reposted the bullshit. And it's just embarrassing, and everyone's too old. Everyone involved.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Yes, at the level of fame and high like these are people who I see two sides, right? I see people who doing podcasting convocation, stuff like that, to weigh out. It's a way to start the growth, diversify. These people came from positions where they had money, fumbled their bag, had to move into podcasting, made some money, fumbled that bag. Like, where is the financial literacy from adults? Like, what are they what is what is what is this showing? Like, if you cannot manage to to to keep keep it up, right? Like, and as you say, we don't know how people are making their offering with their money or what they're spending it on, or they're still keeping lifestyles. A lot of these old hids that come from the environment and stuff like that, they never grew out of like buying chains and buying sections at the club.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

Yeah, that's that's that's crazy shit. That's just crazy shit, bro. They still doing pop-outs, they're still wearing chains, they're still doing all this shit. Like, if you told them certain financial shit and it was just a black person to a black person, they'll tell you they're a real nigga or something. So, like, you know what I mean? What about your kid's house?

SPEAKER_01 8:52

Like, where are we doing? Where are we doing?

SPEAKER_00 8:54

You know what I'm saying? So, like, I I don't know what I'm supposed to do with it. I will never be in this position as an older person. So like it's gonna be in a retirement home chilling, bro. People should be life paid for chilling a little somewhere. Oh, I'll be chilling, bro. I'll be doing well. I'll be doing well with the palm with the coconut in the hand. Uh bro, if I play it the way I want to play it, I might be done with this shit like 38, like Crawford. Okay. I might be like Crawford, bro. I might get out of here at 38. R Jim Jones may know those guys are legends who are mismanaging their success and fame. And Dave East, bro, he's a young legend, and I hate he got away from music, but I understand there's so many lanes, but it's so so many things he could have done. I would have loved a Dave East Griselda tape. You know what I'm saying? Like, there's so much synergy out there in that lane, and it's money to be made. I think he needs to get back rapping. He still could have been an easy top five and see. We see Kendrick don't want to beef with MCs from New York that are black, like Joey Bettess, Dave East.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

So yeah, what happened like that all just die down after getting called out? I mean, I know they they they recruited some other people hopped in there.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

My homies dissed you, I always dish you. Then we did the y'all did that freestyle together with Big Sean. Come on, come on, can't cook the bro. Which that was my god, you just brought up that's crazy. Hey, bro, I'm here, man. Amusic admin. I just see what happens. I report what you guys did. You guys did that. You guys dissed each other that did a freestyle together, and then you're taking pictures with punch and shit. Like, bro, do you want to be a top five MC or do you want to handhold a buddy? Or do you want to, haha, Drake's let's laugh at Drake while you're still in the same position, brother?

SPEAKER_01 10:29

It is ha ha, let's laugh at Drake.

SPEAKER_00 10:31

That's what they did because like they used Joey Badass to say, oh man, you see, I didn't sue anybody. Like, it's just validity to their points, and it's this a narrative of I I would I would call that playground ignorance. Like, I remember when I went to the studio in LA, and all these dudes are older than me, right? I'm the youngest guy in the room. I go to do something in another room, I come into another room, I come back into the room I was at, the seat I was at, somebody took it. Uh, and the dude's like, I went over there, I saw in my seat, I was just, I just got my bag. And I left. I never hung out with those dudes again. Those guys are older than me playing nigga games. Basically, come get your seat back. Yeah, hang on. Yeah, I'm supposed to, me from Philly, argue with a bunch of LA dudes. They're gonna jump me for fun. Hey, look at this shit. It's probably whatnot they do. So you're done over there. You know what I was done? I'm like, oh yeah, this is what we do. Nah, bro.

SPEAKER_01 11:19

It's just like you play prison activities outside with regular people. It's weird.

J. Cole And Rap Maturity

SPEAKER_00 11:23

It's weird, bro. Go to prison. I don't know. But prison's not an enjoyable place. You're just a slave. So maybe you just act like a regular person. But like, I say that to say that's a lot of the undercurrent problem in hip-hop. And when we get to the J. Cole album, that's the big the critiques are coming from pop from people with an ignorant. How do you have an ignorant and a pompous attitude at the same time? That's crazy. But to me, this J. Cole album is what rap maturity should be. It's what J. Cole with Jim Jim Jones and Maino should aspire to do in age as a rapper with some maturity, some authenticity, some character, some lessons along the way. You know, it's a double dish that starts at 29 and the other one's 39, and J. Cole's 41. So that means he has a full POV in time to digest these records. Now, for me, I like both tracks. I like J. Cole was like what I used to listen to in Philly as I was getting fixing my mindset to go to college, right? And now I'm past that stage, and he's past that stage. Ironically, I'm gonna be 29 this year. So maybe the first disc is gonna be more relatable as time passes, too. Also, the second this. So, like for me, both discs, I give them a nine or eight. And I feel like in time, this will grow into a 10. The reason why people don't think it's a 10 or they have lower scores is either they lack maturity or they just don't like J. Cole or they don't like his execution, or they don't come to his music with receptive airs. Yeah, right. And then I also think some people like this closes the book for me on the greatest storyteller out of the three. J. Cole's there. I think Kendrick is the greatest lyricist. And that means what he's saying matters the most sometimes. You know what I'm saying? Sometimes, not all the time. Because I also believe all three of them are hybrids, right? Right. And Drake has two or three more gears than they do. Far as being able to do the electronic house and the RB, that RB album, like some sexy songs for you. He can make like five of those.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

Yeah, Drake has more lanes, 100%.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

He has way more lanes. He can do UK. And listen, that's a bad some say it's a bash against his authenticity, but it's not a bash against his creativity. So, like, but I say this to say that J. Cole is clearly, to me, the best storyteller out of those three. And I want to get back to the genesis of rap, which is telling a story. It's just like boxing. The more, the better you are at something, the the w the more people say you're bad at it. Box is like jazz, the better you are at it, the more the more people hate on it. Like that's what it is.

SPEAKER_01 13:57

It's once you reach a certain point, it makes it hard for people. Want to understand the skill too. I'm actually happy we're talking about this now instead of when it first started. We discussed it first when it came out, and I gave it uh an eight and said it would grow over time, and now we're three weeks out. I give it a nine. So I give the overall thing a nine. It is still growing. You brought up a good point. You know, you say like you're about to be 29, you're gonna relate to a lot of these things. I like I'm only 27, so Jay Cole is making music from a perspective of an age that I get to look forward to. So as I grow, I can understand more aspects of this music because it is a blueprint that's being laid out for someone else's path, even if it doesn't directly relate to mine. I can see these examples. He wrote this 29. When I'm in my 30s, I can go look at 39, right? But the music is supposed to grow and mature with you. A lot of people are listening to music that resonated with them when they were 14, and now they're in their 30s and 40s, and they still want to listen to that same kind of music that you brought up. You know, people aren't coming in with a receptive air. People, it's like going and uh you get a steak and you want it, but you want it to taste Sam, right? And it's not that the steak's that good, but like you're like, oh it's whatever, you know. I thought it was gonna be this. Like you have to be uh receptive to the kind of music as it is, the kind of stories that this is. This isn't supposed to be, and he has them, but this isn't supposed to be uh stuff that you can go and play in a club. This isn't always gonna be stuff that like you're wanted to be lit and have fun and you're with your friends that y'all about to be hyped off of every single song. That's not what it is. This is supposed to sit with you and let you resonate and listen or your song and how it makes you feel. And this is the kind of music uh that gets to be timeless. This isn't the kind of stuff that was that was good for summer 16, but like we're in 2026 and it don't really resonate with the way I'm feeling in the world right now. Like this is music uh that encompasses uh a lot of different avenues of life. And uh, for people who listen and say, like, yo oh, I got nothing from this album, at this point, it could only be a maturity. Like it could only be if you got absolutely nothing from this album, that that genuinely means that you're at a place in your life where you just cannot be receptive to growth, to change, to alternating perspectives. Yeah, like this, I give it a nine. If this is his last studio album, I think it was well done. I'm not gonna say this is my favorite J. Cole album of all time. No, but for the amount of content that we got, this is for me an evergreen album. That's something that I can play 10 years on a line, and it's still gonna have relevance.

Grammys Debate And What Matters

SPEAKER_00 16:21

Yeah, I mean, the album's great. If this is his last effort in a single capacity as far as his own album, I'm happy. I'm glad he put out what he did. It's incomparable what he's done in hip hop doing the type of music he has made. Out of the two, you know, of the big three, he still has the most positive messaging out of those big three. Yes. And he's made the most positive impact. I mean, can't take that away. But let's get into another one of the big three. Big Kendrick just surpassed Jay-Z, the most Grammys ever for a rapper with 27, man. Kendrick just opened his mouth. Let's go. I mean, listen, what do Grammys mean? And why do people keep telling me that they matter to me? Why are they quantified like in a fact, like I'm supposed to care? How many Grammys does Nas have? You know what I'm saying? How many Grammys does Earl Sweatshirt have? How many Grammys? I would say a jail electronica. Like, I'm just talking about technicians now. Like, I I can name a bunch of rappers that rap at the level of uh Kendrick Lamar. Just the people that were nominated, you have to give artists G and that. It is weaker than Pussy P's album. It is weaker than Jids.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

I was gonna say, so yes, album and Jids were some of the best that we got last year.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

Superior. It wasn't the best, it was superior rap. It's a higher standard, and it's respectful. Now, Jid surpasses the clips for me. One, yes, they're kidding, right? It's not a lot of work, and it's two MCs. Jid had a lot of work to do and a lot of tracks. He covered his story top to bottom. And I think like, are we gonna give Grammys to people who are actually taking the music somewhere? Because let's like let's talk about album, and I'm only talking about the GNX album winning the Grammy. I you give him the Grammy for all the other shit. I don't care. Fuck. Yeah, yeah. I'm talking about the other albums getting the tent. Come on.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

The competition. It was it's all, and this is what people don't understand. I understand that we were disenfranchised from a lot of Grammy wins before. We were pushed aside, and I understand that was something we wanted because we just wanted the recognition. We are long and far past that point. We just wanted the recognition. Now we have to actually want something substantial that is worth value, and the recognition that we get from the Grammys is not worth the value that we should actually have. What music is actually positive for our people? What music is actually pushing things for our people, what is displaying talent, what's pushing new bounds? GNX did none of that. It was a successful market advance off of really hot year, and that's what pushed it. If GNX came out and there was zero B prior to that, no pop-off, no Super Bowl thing, GNX is flopping, and you're gonna say it's Kendrick's worst album. And actually, right now, if y'all are not saying Kendrick's worst album, besides the Untitled, not that it's worse, but as far as like commercial success, I would say Untitled probably wasn't the most successful. Yeah, like GNX gotta be right there with Untitled. Uh and Untitled, technically, I'm gonna say not technically untitled has more content in it that I would rather than most of what was on GNX. Um so but you compare that to stuff like with like with clips coming back and going there, and with Jed's album, it's like it's insane. But Kendrick is marketable. Kendrick is more marketable than even clips. I mean, they just performed at the Vatican, they just performed at the Vatican. So there's obviously connect at first for others because we know that push it to is very connected. Very connected.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

We we we're connected right to that. It's very connected in connected.

SPEAKER_01 19:49

So when you see people making these moves, it is not necessarily a reflection of their skill. And I'm not saying these people aren't skilled, but when you see Kendrick winning a Grammy, right? When you see clips being put at the Vatican and you see kind of the quietness around kids out, right? You you start to see, I mean, there's always gonna be things like networking connection and stuff like that. Bro, like if we're handing out awards for certain things, Grammys ain't where we need to be placing our hope on and placing the effort. I mean, I'm like Kendrick Grant Grammys. I'm glad there's a couple other things that I think that have won over that, but we'll see. Like, we'll see if this is gonna continue to be a trend, right? Are we going to continue to pray? Not the best word just because it's coming from a more popular artist.

SPEAKER_00 20:28

Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of this shit is hypocritical. These guys are hypocritical. Grammys don't matter, numbers matter. That's why everybody's getting paid off. I I base success and rap off of your numbers. I'm sorry. And that's if we all love common, but we all look, we all look up to Kanye. Why they had the same background? I would say common's more lyrically gifted.

SPEAKER_01 20:47

Lyrically, yes, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. There's a lot of people more lyrically gifted than Kanye, but pr but then you go, you know, production-wise, yeah, production-wise. Kanye is in like if we're gonna talk all time hip-hop, all time, I'm gonna say Kanye's gonna be like even to the day we might die, Kanye might be in the top 10.

Management Power And Public Silence

SPEAKER_00 21:04

You can't he can't fuck with his production, but let's talk about make it moves. You know, Chappelle Rowan, she's a big promoted proponent of a lot of right movements, female identity, uh, autonomy.

SPEAKER_01 21:15

She's leading the queer scene.

SPEAKER_00 21:17

She's leading alpha very much. So she gets win of her management being linked to the Epstein list. Um, I don't know if you know about the Wasserman group, but they've been linked to it, the presidency over there, to the Epstein list. She leaves, several other art artists leave, but we still have uh Kendrick there. We still have Tyler the creator there. We still, I think we have a lot of people that stand for a certain thing, right? Not standing for anything on this. And I tie it in because this guy's also gonna be running the Olympics in LA. I just mentioned Tyler the creator. I just mentioned Kendrick Lamar. This is all business. I want people to understand these artists are business people, and they will pretend to be something like this, and then they'll go. Being Marty Supreme. So, like, we we don't know what's gonna happen. We don't know what type of merch they'll sell when they're young and then regret it later and come back. And during that whole time, their management was white and still is white. So I you know, Clancy's not a black man. Like, I think we're gonna talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 22:20

Well, so so let me add some nuance because I already know the counter-argument. And this is valid in certain circumstances, right? So people are gonna say, well, we don't have the luxury or privilege to move the certain way other groups of people do, right? Right? Maybe we don't have the luxury or privilege in certain spaces to outward reject. I'm gonna follow that up with you're not wrong. This no matter how she's set aside, this is a young white woman, but she is queer. There is a disadvantage to that. But let's talk about she drops her label or her management group, right? A powerful management group. She's facing risk of being blackballed, right? Especially as a pop artist, right? Where you don't have to be able to do that. Yes, way easier than that. They're heavily still dependent on radio, still and the pushes from traditional corporate media. So she's risking blackball, she's risking this and this, but she's standing by what she believes in her music. You can go even look at Kendrick League or Tyler Crater. Yes, as black men, it is going to be hard to do the same things that you see young white women doing. But as people who are so far financially like stable more than her, right? Like y'all have way more money than Chal Baron does. Uh, y'all have way more connection, right? And then you look at your art. Your art is hip hop. You aren't even supposed to care about the way these people view your music and whether they're gonna push your stuff or not, or whether it's digestible. You should have been the group of people who had the least fear on speaking out because we got to our position through solidarity, not through waiting on handouts and people giving us crumbs. So I would expect them to be the first people instead of someone who is a young white woman. That's point one. Point two, Kendrick. You just went on a whole thing where you dragged a man for calling him a pedophile. You had a large majority of the black population and a lot of people in America proudly screaming that this person was a pedophile. And that was your whole strongest point of your beef. And for you to stay connected and link to a group that is connected to the largest sex trafficker and pedophile in modern day history that's public is gross. And that shows a lack of a spine for you not to even speak out and say anything. And I know some people think that oh, well, these people, these celebrities, these entertainers, it's not their roles, they're not politicians, just blah blah blah. You have influence, you use your influence to gain money, you are aware of your influence, and so for you not to speak out on your influence on things that harm people like us, these people who are in power, who have spoken about people like us a certain way, view us a certain way, have targeted our communities a certain way, for you to refuse to speak out about that. And yeah, you can say, Well, he's gonna speak out about it in his music four years, maybe five years, but he can do things right now. Maybe he doesn't speak out. You can change your management. I don't agree with that, I don't align with that, or you can stay silent. Silence is complicity.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

I remember you were conflicted, misusing your influence. As far as Tyler Grader, we we already understand. We know big Tyler, you know big Tyler. Tyler, he fit in. I don't know what it is.

SPEAKER_01 25:09

Like when we have people, not people like, okay, Cardi B is not my favorite person, but hip-hop is lit by traditionally and still is, and we're getting more of a balance, but hip-hop is still being lit by black. And so when you have women more open in speaking out than the people who technically are still leading, I think that's like you need to use your influence. It's simple like that. Like if someone like Cardi B can speak out about this and is not scared to say something about the president and not scared to say stuff like this, like you can speak out. I'm not saying you have to do it in the same way, but the silence is gross.

LaRussell’s Indie Blueprint Meets Rock Nation

SPEAKER_00 25:41

Yeah, I mean, he's silent and he's getting rewards. That's what it's that's all I see. I wanted to expose this because there's not anybody exposing these stories about this guy. There's a lot of marketing behind this, and they're hushing stories like this up. It's crazy. TD's still getting actively sued for sexual assault right now. We're not talking about these things. Let's talk about something a little bit more positive. LaRussell, one of the most independent, the blueprint of how to be a modern artist. LaRussell has signed to rock nation. Listen, at the end of the day, I had a rock a wear sweater too. So I'm gonna rock with it. I like it, man. LaRussell ain't signing that deal without getting his mill. So I know he got something out of it. And I don't think he's gonna be controlled. I do have some pushback for for LaRussell. And I and I got you on this podcast so you can defend him. You can go ahead and tell me about how you feel about LaRussell on Rock Nation first, though.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

So I have to provide context. One, no, you're right. I think it is, I'm okay with LaRussell signing with Rock Nation at this point. At this point, the context that'll be provided. Russell's been doing independent art for probably 10 years. I think if I go far enough back to when I started listening to his music, when he was doing, you know, I mean, he still does, right? He's doing pay pay what you can concerts in his backyard, having his mom and pop grilled for people, you could pay a dollar, you could pay$500. He trusted, and this is why I talk about hip hop, he trusted his community to support him because he believed if my work moves enough people, if my art isn't important enough, people will support. And I'm not here too, because a lot of black people do this, right? You get big, you move into spaces, and you start uh making money moves that that harm or aren't really friendly towards your community. Pay what you can. I want you to join my music. If you can only afford a dollar, great. If you think my music's worth 500, great. And he's been doing that, he's been doing that with albums he sells. Pay what you can. Pay a minimum of$5. Pay up to$200 if you want. You can buy my album. He's been making a brand new blueprint for what it means to be independent. I think the only time we've seen other people do as well was like Russ had a good blueprint that he was doing where he was trying to show people that you don't have to go through labels and you can financially make moves through banks. Still, you know, in the hands of an an upper power, but he had a good blueprint that a lot of indie people could have went.

SPEAKER_00 28:09

But LaRussell's also has some connects.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

Right, right, yeah. It wasn't pure, but it was different than what was uh people were suffering through. You don't have to do that. The average model. Yes. So he he just made a little spin-off, but what LaRusso did was a completely brand new blueprint that brought it back to the beginning and was very grassroots. And he did that for years, and uh it was slow, right? And things aren't gonna be fast when you choose to go this route, but he believed in it and he went. And the biggest thing that he's able to do now, right, because it wasn't getting like outside of the bay, right? It wasn't getting pushed on large radios, it wasn't getting pushed on stuff. The deal that he did now with Rock Nation allows him to get radio play that was not accessible before, but he built his fan base himself. So that's the other difference. When your come up can be attributed to someone else, they hold power. They decide what's your work for he built his own fan base, he built his own come up. So now he can take himself to the radio and say, I have 500,000 fans that I built on my own without being pushed by any big media groups or a radio. This is what I'm gonna demand for these things. This is what I'm gonna demand for these venues. I don't have an overlord who was like, I made you, I can break you. He made it without you, and he could have continued going without. But he's like, Okay, if I want to reach a grander scale, partnership is important. The deal that he has is that these 360 slave deals that a lot of artists have to sign because you came with nothing. You wanted a faster route to success, the easier route, and the blueprint for that, we're well aware of someone else is going to make your come up and you're gonna be beholden to them for a very long time, possibly forever. But when you come with your own community, you build your own stuff brick by brick, you have leverage. Russell came to a deal with Rock Nation with leverage. Artists are not coming to deals with labels with leverage. So I'm very happy he's doing this. There are some concerns just simply for the fact that it is Rock Nation, and there's concerns because it's attached to Jay-Z. But on a business standpoint, right, which also, because not to be hypocritical, we have confirmed evidence that the group that management group Kendrick assigned to has done things. There's still alleged evidence against Jay-Z, and there are definitely things to be wary about. And if that comes out to be confirmed, then we will have a whole conversation about La Russell continuing his contract with Rock Nation unless Rock Nation decides to separate themselves from Jay-Z. But for now, we work on alleges. The deal is a good deal to get him radioed, to get him into bigger venues, to get him known outside of just the Bay Area and the West Coast. I think it'll be smart. Don't know how long the deal's for, don't know how much the deal is for. Doesn't matter. The partnership of it is important, and it's a lesson that if you come with your own leverage, you can avoid a lot of the problems the other artists have. I think that's the important NDP.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

That's exactly what I'm on. As far as like independence and what I'm doing over here with the podcast, like every year it's more gives me more leverage, gives me more episodes, gives me more time in. So when I get 10, if I get a hundred new fans, they gotta go back and listen to a hundred plus episodes. And I'm getting that back in right there. And that's all you need. But like it's a trickle-down economic of hard work and talent. I really like the consistency in LaRussell's journey. I don't know how long the deal is. Hopefully it's like a one to three year deal. Hopefully he signed on five to ten. And hopefully he understands. I I I believe he will understand, but it gets dicey. You know, Rock Nation does a lot of things, you know, they do a lot of things.

SPEAKER_01 31:31

So then I forgot to add, part like we are already saying the rewards to part of this deal. So he performed at the Telgate party for the Super Bowl. Right. So you're you're seeing the benefit. And, you know, first off, I also love that because as a local, right, someone that was local, being able to show up and form at the Super Bowl and be part of that community and have your people come support. Like that was also smart. But it's on both sides, but this, like, you're seeing the reward in what that partnership can bring.

Lil Wayne Critique And Fan Loyalty

SPEAKER_00 32:01

It's all about that, right? So I I think he's gonna get some benefits and he's gonna get some negativity. There is narratives associated with what you sign up with. Let's talk about the narrative that's being put on LaRussell. Now, I only have one big pushback for LaRussell as far as this opinion on Wayne. I do agree, but the way he went about it and the way he put it out, until he put out his last thing, was all bad. So did you see the you saw the full eight-minute? That's what I'm saying. It until until he put that out, though those initial reactions and those initial things he was saying. You're going against people who are Wayne fans, and people don't understand. I remember Lil Wayne when he was performing, I think it was like the MTV Awards and BT Awards. My uncle took his shirt off. He's like, he's a fucking rock star. So you gotta understand, like, people really love Lil Wayne, right?

SPEAKER_01 32:57

So like you gotta be able to have people critique your favorite art.

SPEAKER_00 33:00

For sure. But here's another thing for me, on top of that. I don't so here's two things. I know about LaRussell because I actively went out to get him, right? And I know you, so I it's crossing, you know, crossing pollination or whatever. And I got the sauce of that guy from that interaction and knowing you. So I wouldn't have known about LaRussell if I didn't know you. A lot of people, a lot of black people from different regions don't know LaRussell, right? And you gotta remember, black people from different regions have different rules, right? So, like, if I'm talking to a New York old head and I'm talking about an artist that he does not know, and he does tell me, does LaRussell have a classic little more mixtape? I'm talking about classic level of section 80, whatever, like I'm talking about classic mixtape or album.

SPEAKER_01 33:45

Yeah. I would say yes. LaRussell does have one. It's actually the conscious, which I mean that's a lot of his music. It's positive, but he does have a conscious one. Uh, and it's one of his first ones, and he does have, I would say the thing that propelled him, which was a very impactful radio style, you know, freestyles, quotations. Radio freestyle, they did. But yes, it's gonna be hard for people to find him. And listening to someone talk about an artist that you were in love with, even if the opinions are, even if you agree with the opinions, it's gonna be hard for people, and people are hard-headed. If you hear the clip out of context, sure. For anyone who doesn't is not aware, he's basically saying he as he said, as I met short, I stopped listening to Wayne. There was no substance to his music. And let me tell you something for the time and for the influence, Wayne was doing everything right. As you get older, and as someone who's no longer 12 and 14, right, there is nothing of I'm I'll say it, there is nothing of positive substance in Lil Wayne's music that as someone who is nearing 30, I should aspire to listen to on a day to day. There is nothing. If you want to be hyped, do you want something that you can just go to the club, dance with? Sure, but there is nothing, and also we are in a state of hip-hop where it doesn't need to be Wayne to also be hyped to dance too. And we have other artists, and I love that. Wayne influenced a whole generation of hip-hop. Yes, that can never be taken away. His legacy is never going to be tarnished. That does not take away from the fact that we are now in a stage, a state of hip, but that music should not necessarily be praised.

SPEAKER_00 35:11

That's hey, that's fine. I just know Lil Wayne has a lot more classics and he's done a lot more for the culture. So, like, in another, I don't know, right? Right? Like, I'm not a rapper, right? Right. But I am in sales. So I go into sales and I work and I just got a promotion, right? And the old head before me, who has a a name, plaques, records, this and that. I got here on a different approach, and I can see weaknesses in his approach. But I also understand that I just got here. So I will let it slide. I'll just say, hey, when's the goat, right? Because of respect.

SPEAKER_01 35:47

But that's that's that's and you know where I differ. And you know why I differ? It's because people, a lot of people, and actually people have said a bunch of different things. I mean, it's like a lot of people who talk about Jay-Z, right? Jay-Z, it's he's at a certain level in hip hop, he's at a certain level in the business. You know, you're talking about being at a certain level in the company, he's running the company in a lot of people's eyes. Right. People are still totally fine and being like, yeah, he's not a top five. He's not this, this, and that. It depends. People have to say certain things though when they're they're being strung up by certain, you know, certain strings. LaRussell came in where he's in a position where, as you said, right, if you're the new guy and this guy came before you just got promoted, you gotta watch what you say. LaRussell doesn't have to watch what he says.

SPEAKER_00 36:22

He doesn't have to watch what you're saying.

SPEAKER_01 36:23

He can be honest in his opinions because of his approach. And once again, he never said at any point in that interview that Wayne's influence or legacy was bad. He said as he got older, that music does not work.

SPEAKER_00 36:33

Well, he he also hinted at like the bad parts of Wayne's legacy, how people tried drugs because of him, how people got to gangs and shit like that.

SPEAKER_01 36:41

You know what? And I but I do that too. I mean, well, I'm not an artist, and maybe being in the artist space, some people feel like you shouldn't say whatever, but that's honestly that's a connection thing. If you're that scared of being open, it's because you're scared of how it affects your connections in your pocket. Yes, and we talk about that all the time. The the the lean, the lean zand out, right? And I I and to be honest, I think actually Wayne was one of the first artists to s influence that negative part of that generation. A lot of rappers who are rapping and hip hop people are talking about drug as providers, not users. Wayne did popularize rap as a user, and then we had the whole 2016 to 2021 theme generation of users where we're doing Molly, we're doing Zans, we're drinking Lean, we're doing he popularized being a drug abuser. Yes. So you do have to be talking about that. Personally, personally, people don't want to hear that, but I feel like if it's a cult when you can't criticize the wrongdoings of the people that you respect and look up. It's a cult. If I can only say positive things about this person because I like the things he did and he's had a positive influence and completely ignore the negatives, that's a cult.

SPEAKER_00 37:49

Hey man, you know how you know how sticky it gets. I'm just saying LaRussell is amongst these powers now. Yeah. And he's gonna get pushback. Like me and you, we we have come to a settled agreement. I uh, you know, I understand what you're saying. I was just being the devil's advocate, right? No, I like there's gonna be like true antagonism and contrarians around LaRussell now because of this.

SPEAKER_01 38:12

100%. 100% and that's fine.

Epstein List Talk And Evidence Standards

SPEAKER_00 38:14

Let's talk about it. Jay-Z and Pusha T are on the Epstein list. Now, I don't think I don't know, actually. I don't know what capacity and if they did these things. All I do know is with much less information, we qualify Drake as a pedophile. So I have to go off of our collective thinking. We're not doing much critical thinking. So Jay-Z and Pusha T got weird cases. They are on the FC's list. I don't want to hear about it until I get some concrete information. They are pedos to me. They may eat children. I don't know what they do because they're on the list.

SPEAKER_01 38:56

So so here's I'm a the devil's advocate. I was saying before. I said, and I said it about Drake's beef. I said, Kendrick, you're doing this for profit. If you have evidence that Drake is a pedophile, all right, then you should provide that to the police and Drake should go to jail. Simple as that. I don't know. We're playing this for a market escape. Yeah. So that's why I was like, you know, once again, if you have evidence, yeah, this isn't funny as like a hip-hop record, like yo, send bro to jail. To this day, no evidence came out, nothing like that. I'm not saying Drake's clean. Drake's done some definitely suspicious shit, and he does not eat Drake likes to date younger women, right? So, like, we we know what the whole group's like. I'm not clearing Jay-Z, right? Because Jay-Z, there's reports that he tried to get with Aaliyah. We do know Jay-Z was like 29 when he got with Beyonce and she was like 18, right? So Jay Z has a bad track record, right, of liking just legal women or waiting for girls to be legal. 18 at least when he dates them, right? That's not good. And we should talk about that. And we have talked about that in hip-hop and that whole situation. That is different, though, than what the allegations are for the people that are alleged to be involved in the Epstein stuff and the things we do know about the actual the people who actually we have evidence of who did things in Epstein. So I would say only thing about the Epstein list, be wary. There are a lot of people named in Epstein list that aren't named because they were doing things on the island. They were named for a lot of other reasons, but it doesn't, it's not a good look to be on the list, period.

SPEAKER_00 40:19

Well, that's what I'm saying, though. I said that to be polarizing. This is what people think when they think about the Epstein list. Like that clarification is not gonna work with the average person, bro. I I had to loop it together because that's what people think. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's the narrative going on with this, and now Pusha T and Drake, and not Drake, but Jay-Z. Especially Jay-Z. Jay-Z has had a lot of underrated shit going on with him. Yeah, no, it's not a good situation. This is not the first one. People talk about how Rihanna got signed. People talk about how Beyonce was the starting of the relationship. They talk about Aaliyah's situation. Yeah, no, it's Aaliyah. It's bad.

SPEAKER_01 41:02

There's a lot of weird shit. It's and yeah, like I say, the thing with Jay-Z is alleged, but the thing with Dame was confirmed that he did try to. It's a weird, but he's like openly saying that shit too. But here's the thing though, people have openly talked about their their attraction to Aaliyah. Yeah, it was crazy.

SPEAKER_00 41:20

But if Dame's your van, right? Like Dame's your van, he's your right hand, and he wants her like that.

SPEAKER_01 41:26

She desisted. But you know what people gonna say, you know what people are gonna say? They're gonna be like, well, the times was different back then. No, it's actually never been acceptable. It's never been acceptable except for the middle wages. And want to say the 16-year-old that you have a power imbalance in because she she works for you. It's never been cool. But once again, that's that's a broader hip-hop thing and a broader society thing that we gotta get with. But it's definitely weird. Uh, one thing we do know, and some that's why some of this stuff doesn't necessarily align. Uh, we do know Epstein was hugely racist, and he specifically targeted billionaires, also, right? So he's targeting the large multimillion and billionaires. I will say the timelines that people are alleging that interactions were happening with Pusha T and Jay-Z with Jeffrey Epstein. Not only did Jay-Z not have money like that, he didn't have affluence like that. And I think some of the timelines where people were claiming Pusha T was involved with shit, Pusha T was like 17. And some of the timelines that they're alleging, right? So it's like their their names being listed is bad. The timelines that people are alleging, and we just need evidence, right? The Epstein files are and can be used to be weaponized against people of power in the black community because the way the government is choosing to release information, right? Like the last release of things after the 300 files, they were like, Yeah, we're not releasing any more files, we're just dropping names, and they just dropped the 300 names spreadsheet. That's dangerous, that is very dangerous. But we don't need the abstain list to say that Jay-Z should be someone to look out for based off past. But I am not a proponent of just conflating things together. That's a serious allegation to be involved in what went on on the island, and that's a different level. Yeah, so that's it. They both Jay-Z's history is highly contentious and needs to be discussed. But yeah, I'm not even if I don't agree with things, push it to you. I'm not just gonna throw them on the bust, but yeah, bro, you ate children because it's not really lining up. But if you did do these things, you need to be in prison for like that's never gonna be if please provide evidence that these people did these, so we can send them to jail for life.

SPEAKER_00 43:17

Right, please. I'm just saying what people are saying, you know, like it's not hyperbole. People really say without context. So, like, I said that to show that.

SPEAKER_01 43:27

Like, I mean, look, all Kendrick had to say was Drake was a pedo, and you had millions of people saying Drake's a pedophile.

Cardi B And Stefon Diggs Case

SPEAKER_00 43:32

And now the lists don't matter. Like, like I can't you can't tell me to not go off a list now. But fuck it, bro. We got we got Cardi B, it's Stephon Diggs. They are done, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. He's back. You're done? I think I think he's in jail. I think he got booked right after the game.

SPEAKER_01 43:47

No, so I I think he had to show up in court right after. Uh oh, so he got a ring. Yeah, I think so. There was an incident from us. His chef said that she asked him for payment because he missed the week of payment and he got violent and Choked her, but you also had Cardi saying, Oh, she never told me that after the Super Bowl, right? So I didn't know if they were broken up or she was still coming to his defense. Maybe she don't want to see her baby in jail. Don't know. Not sure. I do hope that case fully plays out. If you're taking advantage of people because of your position, uh you're not paying your workers or you're treating them a different way, you're being violent with them, go to jail.

SPEAKER_00 44:21

Yeah. It's really simple. Yeah. Go to jail. Like that shit is c that shit is lame. Hopefully, it's not true. And if it's a situation in which she's trying to get some bread, let's flip that. She should get some time.

SPEAKER_01 44:35

False accusations should do the same time that you would do if someone actually did a crime in Cardi. If you're actually not aware what went down during that time because you weren't there, your best stance is to shut your mouth.

Akademiks Versus Rappers And Outrage

SPEAKER_00 44:43

Hey, how do you feel about this? Lil Baby and academics are going back and forth. Ak is talking about trying to do a boxing match. He also is doing an AI album. Listen, man, this is what happens when media crosses over into entertainment. Because like, he's not just a hip-hop outlet. He's a multifaceted conglomerate. Like he's doing a lot of big business. And I wish he was a whole lot more mature and how he went about it.

SPEAKER_01 45:14

What about anything? I miss Act when he was on comp like like this with the stuff he does now, I think it's just a s a degrade. He's acting like a rapper. His degrade to what his and that's the thing. He was around all these people, right? For so far. He admired, he wanted to be like, he was jealous of their lifestyle, the way they live, the respect they got, which even though we know that all that respect's temporary and it's conditional, he wanted that. And he's, I think act is a visualization of you know the people who couldn't get these things, they saw what was popular in our communities, and he got into a position where he could be close to it. He's trying to portray it.

SPEAKER_00 45:53

You know what he he reminds me of? He reminds me of like a kid that's like that's very nerdy, right?

SPEAKER_01 46:00

That's where I was going. Yeah, that's where I was going.

SPEAKER_00 46:02

Very like introverted, but he lives on the block, right? And like he wants to fit in, but he's but he can't just be himself, right? Like there's an issue there when academics was coming up. He probably looked up to dudes who didn't really like him, right? And when he tried to mirror their actions, it wasn't in him. Which is they can sniff that out. Nigga sniff that out. You know, first of all, why do you want to be like something that doesn't really do much? There's so many other things in this world, right? Like there's a cool. It was cool. Yeah, that that perception of coolness is killing the black community, bro. Stop trying to be cool. It's killing the black community, bro. I don't give a fuck. Don't be cool. Read that book, learn that extra lesson, take that extra time because I know so many people who just was cool in high school, middle school, whatever, and that was it. They peaked. They peaked. And a lot of people peak in high school, then they become crash house on the block because they don't got nothing else.

SPEAKER_01 47:12

No aspiration. You got it.

SPEAKER_00 47:15

You gotta stop trying to look like these dudes because like little baby even paid Ack not to say anything. I'm sure in his mind was like, uh uh, I shouldn't pay this dude nothing. But yeah, he was trying to do business. Now Ack is still moving like he's a street person and carrying it, like he wanna fight him. I mean, listen, one-on-one, maybe he feels confident, maybe you'll think he earns some stripes, but like even if you beat him, right, and you beat him publicly, I'm telling you right now, it's not gonna be going to it's it's gonna be bad. They already had somebody touch him, right? Like somebody ran up on academics, bro. That could be anything next time.

SPEAKER_01 47:56

Yeah, it's it's a dangerous game. You're playing with people who do not have a lot to lose, and this is their whole identity. Yeah, right. And I'm not saying that's necessarily a little baby, but to people around him, this is their identity. They their value to their communities and to their life is solely based off of how tough they can be perceived and what respect they can force out of other people. And they like challenges like this, right? They look for opportunities to show themselves and show their ass and be like, yeah, we won't take no disrespect. This is not who you were eight years ago. Like, I don't know why you're trying to move into this scenario.

SPEAKER_00 48:33

Academics could have had, like, we still can have he can he could have, and I wouldn't say a black TMZ, but an entity in New York.

SPEAKER_01 48:41

He could have had a large black media where he could have really built something for us, really took care of community. Yes, okay. I'd rather go watch, like, I'm not gonna lie, I would you are worse to watch me act than Vlad.

SPEAKER_00 48:55

Yeah, I mean, the shit is all the same to me. Yeah, it I I see DJ Academics the same way I see Charlemagne. Like they all talk about shit and dance around big shit. Like Joe is uh yeah, all these dudes are controlled opposition.

SPEAKER_01 49:09

But even then, that's what I mean. Like, I would say Joe at least like has some level of control when he's built something that could be a let like I guess the bag is big enough act, but like, bro, you're on kick doing BS and starting beast with rappers. Like the blueprint, you are building a blueprint, but it's not one that's worth respecting in the community. You are building a blueprint. That's what I'm saying. Like, it's not worth money.

SPEAKER_00 49:29

Can't save you when your character is this low. It just can't. Like, just off of his internet appearance and how you carry himself. I don't want to have dinner with him. I don't want to like people a real interaction or relationship with you. They'll have temporary financial ones, but that's it. Yeah, I mean, this kind of reminds me of the Nelk Boys and all these other, like, like this content space we're in where everybody's a Nimrod and fake friends.

SPEAKER_01 49:54

It's just a a degradation of culture and personality. Rage engagement is seen as more profitable. Yeah, I mean, outrage marketing is the biggest thing now. Yeah, and and psychologically it works. That doesn't mean we should like literally, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Like it's as simple as that.

Character First Then Business

SPEAKER_00 50:13

As simple as that, man. What's your last like thoughts on everything as far as everything we spoke of, as far as this episode of Life in Times Network?

SPEAKER_01 50:23

Music's looking good. Can't wait to see what comes out in 2026. You know, shit. I got tour tickets to Cole, so you know. Oh, shit, bro. Yeah, I mean, like, I've seen other people, I was like, there's no way I'm not gonna see J. Cole, especially if this is potentially his last tour for for work that's completely his. Like, he still might pop out with somebody. But yeah, nah, music's looking good. I wish, and I'll say it every time, more artists got back to the music, less to the beef, LaRussell. I it's going to be hard for people to replicate his blueprint. But I think if you are someone, if he could have he did this in the Bay and it was successful, and it's obviously a large thing there. But if you're artists who are not from big places, right? This isn't New York, it's not Atlanta, it's not California, you want to start something, he already laid the blueprint for grassroots, right? And I think proving that you can create leverage on your own is important. And there's always going to be value in artists showing how to do mature business. I said I every artist should be doing better business.

SPEAKER_00 51:17

Yeah. For me, my last thought is character proceeds, your business. So please have some character as you do business. I see a lot of people like there, there's so many sneaky routes you can go, or you can just pay what you owe, do what you say, and maintain relationships, especially if someone gave you a leg up, the back biting, the crab in the barrel, constructed ignorance that we are doing business with coming from our neighborhoods has to stop. You guys, I really hope musicians take stock. It could be so much better if you work together. Imagine the leverage a Kendrick would have if Drake restructured his deal before he got there to a billion. Hey, I just saw Drake get a billion. I got all these, I got all these accolades Drake doesn't have. I want a higher. Nah. You see, if you create opportunity from someone's misfortune, you create a legacy of degradation, right? There's nothing we don't really scale up correctly, right? Like everybody that was alongside Jay-Z as he came up fell off and never got back to that stature. The only person that was able to maintain their stature was just a genius. If Kanye wasn't a genius, he'd be like everybody else that started out with Jay-Z. Yeah. Unless you was a pure pawn to Jay-Z, then he wasn't around.

SPEAKER_01 52:35

Also, different avenues. Kanye, like, music's great and he had it back. He can make his music or he can make music for other people, but then he did his shoes, right? Like, gotta get, I like at this point, you know, like as things evolve, industries evolve, you can't just be this, right? I'm not a big sports person, but I know some about sports 80 years ago, 60 years ago, you play football a certain way. Maybe as a quarterback, you only need it to just be able to throw the ball. But today's quarterbacks need to know a little bit more. Running backs need to know, like the game advances. You can't just make music anymore. You gotta know business. You gotta know business. You gotta know relationship management. Like you can't just be an artist if you want to survive in today's industry.

Network Updates And Sign Off

SPEAKER_00 53:12

It's you're gonna be taken advantage of, and you're gonna be under it is what it is. Episode 45 of Music and Men. We'll be dropping some episodes. We're busy, busy network. The fight just dropped. We covered that. Anime's dropping. We're gonna cover that. It's music dropping. We gotta cover that. This shit has to be going on in the world. We gotta cover that. Piper Top Network of Music In episode 45.