Up next in 10
Subscribe now to Sway’s Universe for exclusive interviews and timeless conversations! De La Soul joins Sway In The Morning to discuss loss, legacy, and love while reflecting on their iconic career, the impact of hip-hop culture, and their powerful new album "Cabin in the Sky" in collaboration with Mass Appeal. Experience heartfelt stories about their journey, the healing power of music, and the influence of their late group member Dave. From their thoughts on family and the business of music to the evolution of their art, this is a must-watch for true hip-hop fans. Stay tuned for insights from legends like Q-Tip and Black Thought, and don’t miss the celebration of their contributions to the culture. Subscribe for more from Sway’s Universe and keep the positivity alive!
#musicreflection #culturalimpact #hiphoplegacy #musicandloss #delasoul
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - De La Soul Returns to Sway in the Morning
01:40 - Maseo's Relationships: Sway vs Heather B
04:00 - Dave Chappelle's Role in De La Soul's Album
10:00 - Meaning of "Cabin in the Sky" for De La Soul
17:23 - De La Soul’s Business Model Explained
20:53 - De La Soul vs Tommy Boy Records
24:14 - The Family Business in Music
26:50 - Decline of the Music Industry
29:14 - Joy of Collaborating with Tommy Boy
33:00 - Listener Calls and Fan Interaction
42:33 - Central Question of Your Art
48:28 - Backstory of "Me Myself and I"
53:40 - De La Soul's Legacy and Impact
56:01 - De La Soul ft. Black Thought - NF Collaboration
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Oh man. Give them a round of applause,
0:02
citizens.
0:05
>> Greatest group of all time.
0:07
>> No offense to any of my other friends,
0:09
but this is from my from my ventricle.
0:12
Heather be from my aorta.
0:15
>> Those are parts of the heart, Heather. I
0:17
don't know if you
0:19
>> Well, you knew what that was.
0:20
>> I did attend parochial school in New
0:22
Jersey, unlike the public education you
0:25
received in Oakland.
0:28
So I'm well aware
0:30
>> that's crazy right there
0:31
>> of the vocabulary that you're using just
0:34
a small little daring a little
0:36
>> little four shot man I'll take that I'll
0:40
take that but man hey listen I I could
0:42
celebrate these guys and I don't have to
0:45
convince you who they are walking in
0:47
greatness right now um and now they're
0:50
walking in purpose
0:52
>> you know I got a chance to listen to
0:54
that project and I totally understand
0:57
it.
0:57
>> I totally get it. It's at a perfect time
1:00
and their voices are pristine, loud, and
1:03
clear at this point. It's great to hear
1:06
from people who are complete and
1:09
understand their purpose on this planet
1:11
and then putting that into their music.
1:13
The vibration that's coming off this
1:15
album, Mass Appeals, Cabin in the Sky by
1:17
Dea Soul, it's incredible. I want you
1:20
all to listen to it. It's medicine.
1:23
Please welcome them back to the show.
1:25
Macio Pasta News. We got soul and my man
1:29
in the building.
1:32
Standut
1:34
baby.
1:36
>> Absolutely.
1:38
>> Absolutely.
1:38
>> And I think it's really important. I
1:41
think it's really important to ask the
1:44
most important questions today with
1:46
these guys. I' We've been doing this,
1:48
man. I remember having De La Soul and
1:50
the Babe performing for Sway and King
1:52
Tech in the wake up show in the '9s and
1:55
coming into the 2000s
1:57
>> and knowing them that long
1:58
>> hanging out at the upper room.
2:00
>> Up the upper room.
2:07
>> Shout out to Midnight Voices. Uh
2:09
Muhammed, you know his father, Heather.
2:12
>> Muhammad from Real World.
2:14
>> Oh, really?
2:15
>> His father used to run the Upper Room.
2:17
Yeah, he ran over.
2:18
>> I did not know that.
2:20
>> I did not know that.
2:21
>> Uh, the daughter was Aisha.
2:22
>> Aisha. Wow, that's crazy.
2:25
>> Okay, sis, you know I like linking stuff
2:26
together.
2:28
>> Aisha had a crew called Honey Presents.
2:31
>> Yes.
2:32
>> And a member of that crew was Ingred
2:34
Best.
2:36
>> And Ingred Be and they were probably
2:38
they they were ahead of their time. They
2:40
were doing marketing and promotions and
2:42
putting together these great events. So
2:44
you would see Dea Soul there, you would
2:46
see Tribe there, you would see Black
2:48
Sheep there, all these Souls of Mischief
2:51
and and um Ingred Best ended up um her
2:55
first industry job was with a a company
2:58
called Street Wives
2:59
>> that was with me and my good friend
3:01
Anthony Dory. So we were able to give
3:03
Ingred and we brought all of them um u
3:07
uh Ingred, Aisha, Crystal, Isaacs, all
3:09
of them started working with us. That
3:12
was because of the upper room. the upper
3:13
room was spot.
3:14
>> That was the spot, man.
3:16
>> So, one of the most important questions
3:18
that I think people um should really
3:21
hear an answer from is
3:24
>> Macy. Heather and I had an argument
3:26
about
3:26
>> Wow.
3:27
>> Who was closer to you AS A FRIEND?
3:30
>> WOW.
3:30
>> WHO would you consider the closest
3:32
friend
3:33
>> to you in your life?
3:36
>> Me or Heather? That's We got to get
3:38
these things out.
3:39
>> Yeah, you got to get these things out.
3:40
You know, sort of tough questions. Hey
3:42
>> yo,
3:43
>> connect to
3:45
>> I must say it.
3:48
If this show was drink champs,
3:54
I got to take the shot.
4:01
>> So if you want to do this in the spirit
4:03
of Dory right now, take the coffee.
4:05
>> Yeah.
4:07
Coffee. Okay.
4:09
>> All right. Whatever. But I love you both
4:12
very much.
4:13
>> Sway is just mad.
4:14
>> I love you both very much.
4:16
>> Okay. Sway is just mad cuz I knew you
4:19
way before. Like super way before. So he
4:22
want to tell all these stories that
4:23
happened 3,000 miles away. [ __ ] nobody
4:26
was there. BUT Y'ALL LIKE I don't want
4:29
to hear that. We hit the streets and
4:31
Tims and was out in shows together IN
4:33
BDP AND QUONDOS AND THE BUILDING AND ALL
4:36
OF THAT STUFF IN THE MEAT PACKING
4:38
DISTRICT IN Tomkins Park. [ __ ] you
4:41
ain't going to say nothing, bro. Just
4:42
take that shot, homie. I see you about
4:45
to respond. You ain't got to say
4:46
nothing, bro.
4:48
[ __ ]
4:50
>> you trying to make it seem as if our
4:52
relationship was transactional to I did
4:55
not use that word. Is this another
4:57
Oakland elementary school word? I did
4:59
not use that word. I said before you.
5:04
>> It's different. It's a different energy.
5:07
My G.
5:07
>> Oh god.
5:08
>> And I'll take it a step further since
5:10
you
5:11
>> the belt right now.
5:12
>> Super below the belt.
5:13
>> Since we're here.
5:15
>> Okay. Got no problem with this.
5:17
>> Oh god. This this group De Lasso along
5:20
with the collective of Dave Chappelle
5:22
and Tropical Quest and Spit Kicker Radio
5:25
is the reason.
5:27
>> Wow. OKAY.
5:30
>> MY Uzi weighs a ton.
5:34
>> She's killing it right now.
5:35
>> Is the reason.
5:37
>> Oh lord.
5:38
>> Okay. Leave it there. Yeah, I didn't see
5:40
Heather there when potholes in my line
5:42
was getting added to major radio
5:44
stations back in
5:45
>> because I was at the same studio they
5:47
was working at. That's why you didn't
5:48
see me there cuz you was 3,000 miles
5:51
away out the loop.
5:55
>> Okay, go with the Have the camera.
5:57
>> Tracy, HOW YOU DOING?
5:59
>> TRACY AND MIKE,
6:00
>> WHAT'S UP?
6:02
>> What's up, Mike? What up?
6:03
>> Jesus, this is crazy right here.
6:05
>> How y'all feeling on? You know what I
6:08
mean? This love, Tracy and Mike. This
6:10
love over here
6:11
>> cuz THIS EAST WEST COAST BATTLE OVER
6:13
HERE. IT'S crazy right back. It's back.
6:19
>> This is This is just anti what this
6:21
album is all about. By the way, fellas,
6:24
>> because there's a line on the album that
6:25
says, "As we get older,
6:28
>> we talk healthier."
6:29
>> Yes.
6:30
>> Can you please pause explain what that
6:32
line means to Heather Behealthy?
6:38
So, can you
6:39
>> I can't explain it to Heather. I know
6:40
Heather knows, but I can just talk on
6:42
it. I mean, it's just as as I said, man,
6:44
you know, being blessed to still be here
6:47
and do what we do and learn what we
6:48
learn,
6:49
>> you know, hopefully you take in those
6:51
lessons, good or bad, and learn how to
6:54
just apply yourself better to a
6:55
situation. So, that's all I really
6:57
meant, man. you you get wiser with time
7:00
and and learning and refining things and
7:03
you know outside of this talking loud
7:05
about things be quiet and take it in in
7:07
your mind and you know apply yourself
7:09
better to the situation.
7:10
>> Damn man. See Heather sometimes you got
7:12
to be quiet.
7:13
>> You know what
7:15
he's just mad. He's just mad when you
7:18
lose. You just mad. Take his ball and go
7:21
home.
7:24
>> Get off the court.
7:26
He'd be mad.
7:28
>> Oh man. Okay. Hey, so fellas, is this
7:30
like this? So, we're we're at it again.
7:33
>> Yeah, man.
7:34
>> We're at it again.
7:36
>> It's so great to see you guys just doing
7:38
the circuit.
7:39
>> No, it's great to be here. Honestly,
7:41
even how you you said earlier, you know,
7:43
I know you was joking, but honestly,
7:45
man, after the pandemic, man,
7:48
>> Cats wanted to like say I love you. like
7:50
a lot of brothers who held a lot of
7:52
things in. Yo man, one of the first
7:54
things I said to my wife like, "Yo, when
7:56
I see people I love, I'm going to tell
7:58
them that." When I saw comment after
8:00
that, when we could come outside, you I
8:02
didn't let them go.
8:04
>> I ain't care if it was uncomfortable cuz
8:05
you're like,
8:06
>> "So, I love you, B." You know what I'm
8:08
saying?
8:08
>> I love you, bro. You know, for real.
8:10
Word up.
8:10
>> It's more than just like,
8:11
>> "Well, I've been saying I love you
8:13
before the pandemic."
8:14
>> Well, you know what I'm saying? It went
8:17
it went it went more than just dapping
8:19
your man up. real n real talk, you know,
8:22
and and
8:23
>> you know, behind even the loss,
8:26
>> people we have been losing,
8:28
>> not just Dave, but a lot of people we've
8:30
been losing, you know, even people
8:32
that's not even in this business, you
8:34
know what I mean?
8:35
>> Sorry for your loss. You feel me?
8:38
>> You know, so
8:38
>> yeah, man.
8:39
>> Just knowing that we got to cherish
8:41
these moments, man.
8:42
>> But I love the word that P used about
8:44
being uncomfortable. I think we need to
8:48
start being uncomfortable to some degree
8:50
because that does bring on the wisdom,
8:51
that does bring on the growth, that does
8:54
it helps you heal.
8:55
>> It does,
8:55
>> you know, it helps you heal a little bit
8:57
um to maybe get on to the next phase or
9:00
get to the next place or maybe even help
9:02
your brother or sister that's in that
9:04
spot. You know, I I can't
9:06
>> talk to anyone about bereiement unless I
9:09
experience that. I can't talk to anyone
9:11
about marriage unless I experience those
9:13
things. So, um, sometimes we are in
9:15
these uncomfortable situations, but
9:17
horse reminded me the other day, you
9:19
know, stop saying like a loss is a loss.
9:22
It's a lesson and that'll lead to the
9:23
blessing. And so, I've been carrying
9:25
that with me for the past week now.
9:28
Yeah.
9:28
>> There's no losses, it's lessons.
9:31
>> Bars right there. That is Queens Bridge.
9:33
>> Queens Bridge, pick the pen up. Horse
9:37
>> Horse, what's up, man?
9:40
>> The wow thing is he outqued me.
9:42
>> Yeah. I was about to say it. Yo, believe
9:45
me, there's be like Mesa say something.
9:47
I just put my notebook. I'll be writing
9:49
it down. Like he'll say these things and
9:51
I'll be yo, I'm I'mma steal that from
9:52
you. Don't put that in.
9:54
>> That was a bar. That was a bar horse.
9:56
Thank you for that bar.
9:57
>> Oh, you're welcome. You're welcome.
10:02
>> What was it like? You you know you know
10:04
P you say on the record that Dave is
10:06
steering the ship,
10:07
>> right? And going into this project,
10:11
h how in what ways was he there? In what
10:15
ways was he present? Did he show up?
10:18
>> I mean, I heard Dave. I mean, like those
10:20
are the
10:21
>> that's a relationship I had with
10:23
understanding that when I first even
10:25
lost my mom's and you know, you know,
10:27
they'll tell you like, you know, you
10:28
gain these angels, but I I really feel
10:30
that like that energy. I know that
10:32
energy was there for even Dave when he
10:34
lost his brother. and like anyone we
10:37
love and when you call upon them like
10:39
that energy is there and that spirit is
10:41
there to assist you.
10:42
>> So I mean and for this album it was
10:45
really the same like for me it wasn't
10:47
hard doing this album like I I would
10:50
question things and I would hear Dave
10:51
like nah you got it. I would want I
10:53
would be in the booth and my brother
10:55
Sean C would be there looking at me
10:57
like, "Yo man, that round was good." And
10:58
I could hear Dave like, "Nah, man. You
11:00
could say it better." Like
11:01
>> things like that. And I or even when we
11:04
got the title and and I I saw the title
11:07
and I was like, "Yo, I think this is a
11:08
good title, but I wasn't sure and I need
11:10
to talk to Mace." And then the the song
11:12
wouldn't load into my machine. And then
11:14
when I changed the t changed it to what
11:16
became the title, everything went in
11:18
like those little messages I felt like I
11:20
was getting from Dave. So he was here
11:22
throughout this entire project like
11:24
executing just pushing me through it you
11:27
know. Wow, man. That's, you know, cabin
11:29
in the sky and and when you really
11:33
>> interpret that, what does that actually
11:35
mean? You know, we all walk with our
11:37
ancestors. I believe, you know, energy
11:39
never
11:40
>> energy is here, never dies, right? and
11:43
Cabin in the Sky. If you could break
11:45
that down for me, was it by, you know,
11:49
while we're in the present world,
11:51
>> people in the afterlife
11:53
>> almost like a multiverse
11:55
>> are living parallel to us, right? Moving
11:58
parallel. Is that That's how I
12:00
interpret.
12:01
>> I agree with that. Okay. And helping us
12:02
navigate and steer things a certain way.
12:05
I feel
12:06
>> if you are tuned in.
12:08
>> Yeah.
12:09
>> You got to be tuned in though.
12:10
>> Uhhuh.
12:10
>> Cuz a lot of times they're there. Yeah.
12:12
>> And you're not listening and to the
12:15
signs that they're trying to tell you
12:16
like, "Yo, don't don't go that route."
12:18
Like, you know, and you're being pushed
12:20
to go another route. You got to give
12:21
yourself up to it, you know?
12:22
>> And and I think for a long time, I felt
12:27
like I've always had a relationship with
12:29
spirits.
12:31
>> I ain't never been scared. Even not even
12:33
the times I felt the negative spirits,
12:36
>> you know. I'll never forget my my son in
12:40
the middle of the night um on the
12:44
sleeping on the phone with his
12:45
girlfriend.
12:47
>> You remember them days?
12:48
>> Well, you know, I remember him telling
12:50
me that his girlfriend told him when he
12:54
was asleep that she heard me
12:58
um talking to the negative spirits like,
13:00
"Yeah, you can get me, but you can't get
13:02
my kids." And I do remember saying that,
13:04
you know. Wow. I was like, "Come rock
13:06
with me,
13:07
>> but you can't get my family."
13:09
>> And she heard me say that. Told my son.
13:11
>> I don't know. He might have told his
13:13
mother, but it got back to me. And I was
13:14
like, "Yeah, for this long time, I've
13:16
had this relationship with spirits."
13:19
>> And then when Dave passed, I felt it
13:21
even more.
13:23
>> You know, my my grief was stronger cuz I
13:26
really missed him,
13:27
>> you know. But I was hearing them loud
13:29
and clear like, "Mace, get your ass up.
13:32
>> Don't be late." All kinds of stuff. I
13:34
was hearing, you know what I mean? You
13:36
could rock that again. You know what I
13:38
mean?
13:38
>> You know, all types of stuff I would
13:40
normally hear.
13:41
>> And I was feeling them all the time.
13:44
And, you know, even in these moments
13:46
like I just recently been getting over
13:49
crying, you know what I mean?
13:50
>> I choke up.
13:52
>> You know, I'm kind of choking up now.
13:54
You know, but recently I've been getting
13:56
over
13:57
>> grieving, crying like that. Mercy's been
13:59
making me really understand the
14:00
transitioning,
14:02
>> you know, that no one ever really dies.
14:04
They just transition. Yeah.
14:05
>> And they are guiding us through. You
14:07
know what I mean?
14:08
>> And it's my
14:09
>> I think my grieving has been slightly
14:12
selfish.
14:13
>> Okay.
14:13
>> You want You want to see
14:14
>> cuz I want them here.
14:15
>> You want them here.
14:16
>> We had plans.
14:17
>> Uhhuh.
14:18
>> Things we had intended on doing once
14:20
things got resolved with the catalog.
14:22
Everything we talked about, things we
14:23
established
14:25
>> three days before he passed, you know. 3
14:28
days before you.
14:29
>> Yeah. A lot of things we really
14:31
established,
14:32
you know, that weren't established cuz
14:35
everything had been you my brother, I
14:37
love you. And we really got things
14:38
solidified professionally as they lost
14:41
soul.
14:42
>> Three days.
14:43
>> Three days.
14:44
>> What that call that? Uh take care. Uh
14:47
you got a expression for that, but you
14:50
you guys took care of your
14:52
It's a expression. It'll come to my
14:54
mind, but y'all were able to take care
14:56
of that business. Yeah,
14:58
>> right.
14:58
>> Not even knowing.
15:00
>> Not even knowing it had nothing to do
15:01
with
15:02
>> like things I was talking that I used to
15:04
always talk about
15:06
>> your affair loose ends and time of
15:08
affairs. Things that I used to always
15:10
talk about and
15:12
>> Mercy used to hate when I talked about
15:13
that [ __ ] But it was a reality
15:15
>> and it was more of a reality that we
15:18
solidified it before he passed.
15:20
>> Yeah.
15:20
>> You know, like
15:21
>> took care of each other. We took care of
15:24
y'all. M
15:25
>> um the song a quick 16
15:28
>> quick 16 for mama
15:29
>> for mama and you said hey mommy
15:36
>> cuz yo bro my mom is still alive
15:38
>> and my mom is also going through early
15:41
stages of dementia
15:42
>> and all that stuff. So
15:44
>> the it's been rough you know but I still
15:46
got her.
15:47
>> Yeah man,
15:47
>> you know what I mean?
15:48
>> Amen.
15:49
>> And I'm just trying to cherish these
15:50
moments.
15:51
>> Yeah, man. No, I love that record, man.
15:53
Um, wow. Produced by Knots. Like Knots
15:56
can do with that one,
15:57
>> man. Give that a round of applause. One
15:59
of those one of those producers they
16:01
don't mention enough of.
16:02
>> Hey, man.
16:03
>> Come on, man.
16:04
>> Killer Mike on that one.
16:06
>> Killer Mike is on that. I mean, when I
16:07
heard it, when I heard the the the the
16:10
uh the sample of the of the woman saying
16:12
whatever about mama and you know, we got
16:14
to hustle hard.
16:16
>> I was like, okay, this we don't have a
16:19
color like this on the album. And I
16:21
immediately knew I was gonna like
16:24
obviously talk about my mother, but I
16:26
mean my my mother isn't here. So I felt
16:28
like the other person that should be on
16:30
the track with me,
16:32
>> you know, they should have that same
16:35
dynamic in their lives. And I was just
16:37
like, yo, but who would kill this? And I
16:39
was like, Mike would destroy this.
16:41
Killer Mike would really he's a killer
16:43
of mics.
16:45
So, I knew he would stand strong on like
16:48
just touching the person who's listening
16:50
to what was being said. And I just
16:52
thought it was actually kind of comedic
16:54
to call it a quick 16 for Mama because
16:57
you can write an entire double album
16:59
about your mother. How you going to do
17:00
it in in 16 minutes? But when I told
17:02
them the concept,
17:03
>> 16 bars.
17:03
>> 16 bars. I'm sorry. 16 minutes.
17:06
>> Yeah. 16 minutes. I'm I'm wild. But
17:08
yeah, I mean like I just knew Mace would
17:09
find it funny cuz it's like him telling
17:11
us like, "Nah, man. you got to you can't
17:13
do this amount of bars. You got you got
17:15
to do 16 bars.
17:17
>> And so that's what but I mean with a
17:19
great message still there to be be be
17:21
conveyed, you know. So
17:23
>> this is um this album is a great
17:26
message.
17:26
>> Wow.
17:27
>> You know, it's a it's a great sign of
17:30
your evolution and your growth and it's
17:33
great for culture. It's great for music
17:35
in general. I won't even genreize it,
17:38
you know, because to me, y'all beyond
17:40
genre, you know, you've come up through
17:42
this um through this culture we call
17:44
hiphop. Um, but you you you truly
17:47
transcended that. And it's not a lot of
17:49
we were celebrating the infamous 30-year
17:52
anniversary
17:53
only built for Cuban links 30 year
17:55
anniversary. You know, decades in the
17:58
game. And I don't know if especially
18:00
when you coming through the rap lens,
18:05
how
18:07
difficult it is, you know, to um not
18:11
become pass and always to stay forward.
18:14
You guys have always done that. There's
18:16
a line on the album where you say trends
18:18
setters know when to bail from the trend
18:21
they started.
18:22
>> You know, you guys started a movement.
18:25
>> Absolutely. You know, do you feel like
18:27
you ever bailed from it?
18:29
>> Definitely.
18:30
>> Okay. Talk about when did you know at
18:33
different stages it was time to bail?
18:35
>> I think from the beginning.
18:37
>> Mhm.
18:37
>> Um it wasn't really it was more so
18:40
bailing from the images.
18:42
>> Okay.
18:42
>> That was um conflicting with the
18:45
message.
18:46
>> Daisy didn't mean hippie.
18:48
>> It meant the inner sound.
18:50
>> Mhm.
18:51
>> You know, it was an acronym. Always
18:52
meant the inner sound. Y'all v a
18:55
represented the I is inner s is sound. Y
18:58
is y'all speaking to everyone. You know
19:00
>> the inner sound.
19:02
>> The inner sound y'all.
19:03
>> Uhhuh.
19:04
>> Yeah.
19:04
>> And the inner sound. The your inner
19:06
self. It It's truly the battery. It
19:08
lives beyond just clothing and how you
19:11
look. So, we didn't want to get caught
19:13
up in the fact that once someone got
19:15
tired of seeing the clothing, would they
19:17
now bail from what was the most
19:20
important part of it, the the message
19:22
that was coming from inner. So, like I'm
19:25
I'm talking about, yo, and tell me if
19:26
I'm wrong, like as soon as we put three
19:28
feet high and rising out, we knew we
19:29
weren't going to do that again. Like,
19:31
okay,
19:31
>> we want to make a 3 ft high like four
19:33
feet high and rising. We wasn't going to
19:34
do that. Mhm.
19:35
>> So it was just like a
19:36
>> you know at that time record companies
19:38
would love for you to replicate
19:40
something that had success
19:43
>> and there was no way we could do that.
19:45
>> They wanted to constantly repeat the
19:47
formula or what they thought the formula
19:49
was
19:50
>> because if you burnt out it didn't
19:51
matter. They had a tool shed of other
19:53
artists that they could like okay
19:55
>> over let's go to that. But nah, we we we
19:58
knew in the long term of what we we want
20:01
to be here, man.
20:02
>> We saw Rolling Stones doing it when we
20:04
was 18. Like we we knew we could be here
20:06
that long.
20:07
>> And then when you told
20:09
at that time, yo, this is a great
20:11
record, but you only we only expect you
20:13
guys to sell maybe 20 25,000 records and
20:17
it does way more than that. Mhm.
20:20
>> Your confidence on how to make music is
20:22
through the roof
20:24
>> cuz what you told me wasn't going to be
20:26
successful end up being extremely
20:27
successful.
20:29
>> From this day forward, you can't tell me
20:31
how to make a record.
20:32
>> Not my type of record, you know,
20:35
>> because look what look what your
20:37
projection was versus what it turned out
20:38
to be.
20:39
>> Yeah.
20:40
>> 36 years later.
20:42
>> Yes, sir.
20:43
>> That's crazy.
20:44
>> You hear that, Mike Muse? 36 years
20:47
later.
20:48
>> Come on, man. and they last and and not
20:50
to be on no nonsense, but the first
20:53
group to outlast a label. When a label
20:56
folded, when a label folds, normally the
20:59
bands fall, too.
21:01
>> We didn't fold.
21:02
>> Y'all didn't fold.
21:04
>> And you guys really, and I'm proud that
21:07
a a big moment, milestone moment
21:09
happened on this show
21:11
>> um when you guys had to go fight for
21:13
your rights to your music. I want to
21:15
thank y'all for that
21:16
>> cuz all of this
21:18
>> the culture stood up for us.
21:20
>> Yeah, man.
21:20
>> So, thank y'all for real, man. Tommy was
21:24
calling me after that, by the way. I
21:25
never told y'all that.
21:26
>> I'm sure he was.
21:28
>> Serious.
21:28
>> Yeah, I know he was.
21:29
>> Yeah, he was. I was like, "Nah, dog.
21:31
It's me, bro.
21:35
>> God, God bless you." But nah, man. And
21:38
and I thought about y'all when uh Salt
21:40
and Pepper was getting inducted into the
21:41
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
21:44
>> and to celebrate their careers and their
21:46
journey, but still had to say
21:48
>> to this day, we don't own the rights to
21:50
our music. And the people who own the
21:52
rights to the music is sitting in the
21:53
audience,
21:55
>> right? Crazy.
21:56
>> And you guys really, you know, after
21:58
that moment, y'all came on the show, you
22:00
start hearing everybody
22:02
>> come out the woodworks like, I don't own
22:04
the rights of my music. I don't you know
22:06
and I hope you realize how important
22:09
that moment was even you may have been
22:11
sacrificial lambs in that regard
22:14
>> but you definitely helped the entire
22:16
culture start to really understand the
22:19
business aspect of proprietorship when
22:21
it comes to your IP
22:23
>> and it was it was amazing to see the
22:25
younger um brothers and sisters out
22:27
there who stood as May said with us cuz
22:30
they were like look the way we operate
22:31
the way we do deals we don't do that
22:33
like that like this is what happened to
22:35
the brothers who and sisters who came
22:36
before us, like they really was vocal
22:38
about that. You know what I'm saying?
22:40
Like really trying to make sure like,
22:41
yo, we got y'all back. And I was really
22:43
dope to see from the younger artists
22:45
like really like championing us as well.
22:48
>> But I mean, honestly, bro, and me and
22:50
Mes talked about this is
22:52
>> and it's not as simple, but it's almost
22:54
like when you when the two boxes in the
22:56
ring and they going up against each
22:58
other and once it was over, man, I I
23:00
ain't holding no grudge against Tom. I
23:02
told the kid and I I've never said it
23:04
>> publicly, but I saw Tom
23:06
>> and Tom didn't see me
23:08
>> and I we I'm you know finishing up the
23:11
album in New York. I'm at whatever
23:14
walking around on a day off and I saw
23:16
him. I saw him with his wife and I want
23:19
and I I had to be somewhere and I didn't
23:21
want to run up on him because the way I
23:23
would have ran up on him was out of like
23:25
you know like yo man
23:27
>> it was it was really with no malice or
23:30
anything but I didn't I didn't want to
23:31
catch him off guard like that. I would I
23:33
would love to like sit down with him at
23:35
some point, but I just I knew it would
23:37
have tal possibly turned into a longer
23:40
conversation. I had somewhere to go,
23:42
>> but I mean like man, I don't hold no no
23:45
>> I don't hold no grudge, but I'm highly
23:47
disappointed in him.
23:48
>> Yeah.
23:49
>> You know, cuz he was someone that
23:50
considered us to be friends.
23:53
>> Remember, welcome to the Tommy Boy
23:55
family, and we were a part of that
23:57
family
23:58
>> for a long time. You don't do your
24:00
friends and your family like this.
24:02
>> You know,
24:03
>> if you doing us then are we really
24:05
friends? Are we really family or or is
24:08
this just transactional?
24:09
>> Transactional like Heather tried to
24:11
implant
24:12
>> earlier in the conversation. I just
24:14
didn't want to be putting that like
24:16
>> No, but I I've been saying this for a
24:18
minute. I feel like hip-hop it's the
24:20
only industry and business where we use
24:23
that word family. Like it's the like
24:27
basketball players. Me too. Trace
24:29
football players cuz they know they
24:31
getting traded. You might not be around
24:33
for a long time. You my brother blood
24:35
whatever the team
24:36
>> but this family thing and and and it's
24:38
some kind it tricks us. It it it it
24:40
attaches to our spirit, you know, and
24:43
you just feel like
24:44
>> you don't you can let your guard down
24:46
and then that's when all this the stuff
24:47
starts happening. You know what I mean?
24:49
And that word is is is really
24:52
interesting. And I've been hearing it
24:54
>> since the '9s, you know, since the late
24:56
we family. We family and we we we click
24:59
up and we crew and we team and we we try
25:02
we all these things. And then the
25:03
business comes and you realize
25:05
>> what's what, who's who and what's what,
25:07
you know? And so I understand the
25:09
aggression. I understand the
25:10
disappointment. But you realize like the
25:13
people on other side they don't feel
25:14
that because I use the words but I never
25:17
meant it wasn't attached to my spirit
25:19
you know so it's a psychological thing I
25:22
think sometimes
25:22
>> it is it's a play of like you said it's
25:24
business and it's not even it's truly
25:27
like as cliche as it sound for them it
25:28
was not personal it was business you
25:30
know
25:31
>> you know like even once the artist got
25:33
to the point of with their aggression
25:35
flipping and coming to into like uh uh
25:39
record labels and
25:40
>> wow going wilding out and causing like
25:43
now buildings to cause mad security
25:45
because we as these young kids we did
25:48
take it seriously.
25:49
We're like, "Yo, we thought we was
25:51
family." But, you know, like like I
25:53
said, with that comes wisdom. And you
25:54
got to realize like, nah, these these
25:56
people are just doing business. And they
25:58
they'll trick you with that, you know,
26:00
like, "Here, man. Yo, let's go shopping.
26:02
You mean let me buy you some new Tims
26:04
and your budget on your budget." Yeah.
26:07
>> You don't know it. You think they being
26:09
mad.
26:11
>> Knowing you need some new Tim.
26:12
>> Let's get Yeah. Let's get in the whip.
26:14
Let's go. Let's go. And once you figured
26:16
it all out, you learned the game, and
26:19
all of a sudden, you playing the game
26:22
back the way they play it.
26:25
>> Don't get mad at me because I learned
26:27
the game now. You know what I'm saying?
26:29
And I'm winning it. I'm winning at the
26:31
way you played it. You You put the rules
26:33
out there. Hey, when the rules is out in
26:35
the open,
26:36
>> we all know how to play it, right?
26:39
>> We know how to play it. Great.
26:40
>> Yeah.
26:41
>> Okay. M
26:42
>> when the rules ain't out in the open,
26:43
that's when you question what's going
26:45
on. Like, why am I losing? Cuz I'm
26:46
playing by the rules.
26:48
>> Oh, they're not playing by the rules.
26:50
Okay.
26:51
>> Yeah.
26:51
>> Yeah. It's a song called why I kind of
26:54
brought that up cuz Nas on the song Run
26:56
It Back.
26:57
>> Yes, man. There's a song on this album
27:00
called Running It Back where Nas kind of
27:01
breaks down like the the fall of the
27:04
industry and he talks about Napster and
27:07
>> and you guys and he talks about the lack
27:09
of black executives at the top of the
27:11
totem pole and you guys said we're worth
27:14
millions but we're not millionaires.
27:17
>> Break that line down for me.
27:18
>> I mean, you know, for me it's just kind
27:20
of like
27:22
>> it's self-explanatory, you know. It's
27:24
just like people who have this this
27:26
product which is themselves and they
27:28
have all you know it's just like a way
27:30
that's been found out to I don't want to
27:32
go into the word pimp but pimp your your
27:35
your talent
27:38
>> and you're you're bringing all this to
27:41
everyone else and it's like and I just
27:43
remember writing that because I remember
27:45
Dave one time I hate to go into this but
27:47
I one time when Tommy Boy had this new
27:50
office and it was beautiful and we
27:51
walked into the lobby and the ceiling
27:54
had speakers. This
27:56
>> leather carpet.
27:57
>> Leather carpet.
27:58
>> Leather carpet. Leather floors.
28:01
>> Leather
28:02
hyperbole. That's just it was it was
28:05
beautiful. It was just a beautiful,
28:07
beautiful office. And um I just remember
28:10
Dave kind of like stood there. I was
28:12
like, "Yo, what's wrong?" He said, "Yo,
28:13
man, we built this [ __ ]
28:16
>> We built this." And he's just like, "Yo,
28:19
we built this." and like but the pockets
28:22
like it ain't in our pockets. And I was
28:24
and that's what I really meant with that
28:26
line. It's like we're worth the millions
28:28
but we won't be millionaires, you know,
28:30
cuz music industry rules are in
28:32
disrepair. It's like it's not meant to
28:35
service us. Never has been. Still to
28:37
this day cuz DSPs, they still got to
28:40
work that [ __ ] out.
28:41
>> They got to work that out.
28:41
>> Yeah, they got to work that out.
28:43
>> You know, we're kind of forced to live
28:45
in these spaces
28:46
>> just cuz it exists. And to make a
28:50
difference, you got to kind of be there.
28:52
You know what I mean?
28:53
>> You can't make a difference not being on
28:55
the inside, you know?
28:57
>> So, it's hoping that some at some point
29:01
>> before our time is up, these things
29:03
change to be really fair. It's just been
29:06
unfair for the longest.
29:07
>> Yeah. Unfair. I I like to do this too
29:10
because listening to your album um you
29:14
know something I've been practicing and
29:16
I've been failing at it is making sure
29:19
uh being um intentional with my words to
29:23
stay in a vibration that I feel positive
29:26
no matter how a detriment may be to a
29:30
scenario somebody might have said or
29:32
done something to me I'm finding the
29:35
positive in it right and I'm putting
29:37
those words in the universe because like
29:40
you we're in a very it's a
29:42
transformative time period right now to
29:44
me and you know it's an awakening
29:46
happening and like you said if you're
29:48
tuned in you're sensing it you're
29:50
feeling it you're tuned in right you're
29:52
tuned in I hear it on this album
29:55
>> what other what can you give us that
29:57
what what was some of the joy that you
30:00
had working with Tommy
30:02
>> with Tommy
30:04
>> the freedom to make the music we've been
30:06
able to make
30:07
>> I couldn't have seen us at any other
30:09
label.
30:10
>> When I look around,
30:11
>> they were the best label to be a part of
30:14
far as what we wanted to achieve, you
30:17
know?
30:17
>> Yeah. Artistically, they they allowed us
30:19
to go no stop. Like I mean, and as May
30:22
said, we we were blessed to have a lot
30:24
of deals on the table and we, you know,
30:26
we didn't put wisdom behind that
30:28
decision. We went to Tommy Boy because
30:30
our big brother Paul was there. profile
30:32
wanted us, you know, first priority,
30:35
Warner Brothers, the actual
30:37
>> we we had a lot of deal was there at one
30:41
time,
30:42
>> Zulu Nation, we hold the mantra of
30:44
peace, unity, love, having fun,
30:47
>> you know, native tongue developing
30:49
almost off the
30:52
>> the the whole zoo nation concept, you
30:55
know, in addition to Parliament
30:57
Funkadelic, you know what I mean? So, it
30:58
was like,
30:59
>> wait, hold up, man. So native tongue was
31:02
a a a combination of Zulu Nation and
31:05
Parliament
31:05
>> and Parliament Funko.
31:07
>> Oh [ __ ] The word.
31:09
>> Yeah, man.
31:10
>> Who was the first person to say, "Let's
31:13
start this thing called Native Tong."
31:14
>> It was It was like Tip in Africa. Tip.
31:17
Tip was cutting the New Birth record. I
31:19
wasn't there when he was doing it. I was
31:20
on my way to the crib. And I guess the
31:24
the particular record by the group New
31:26
Birth, it says something about native
31:27
tongues. and he just kept cutting that
31:30
and then they start building on like yo
31:31
this could be a dope name. And so by the
31:33
time I get to Africa's house, they tell
31:35
me like, "Yo, talk about what we was
31:36
talking about." And he was like, "Yo, we
31:38
should when we do stuff fall under this
31:41
name, native tongue, you know, because
31:44
>> instead of putting like jungle, uh, de
31:47
la Soul,
31:48
>> Queen Latifah, like we can just be
31:50
listed as this." And then he brought up
31:51
like, "Yo, cuz like our parliament and
31:53
Funkadelic, like we was like, yo, that's
31:55
dope." And we went back and told our
31:57
individual crews and everyone loved it.
31:59
Loved it. We was about to make these
32:01
other groups.
32:03
>> The fabulous fleas
32:05
on Zenith.
32:08
>> Other groups. Yeah. Kids on Zenith A.
32:11
>> We recorded stuff. Well, we
32:13
>> fleas recorded stuff.
32:14
>> We recorded stuff and that Saturdays I
32:16
did for that group. I didn't do it for
32:18
day.
32:19
>> Yeah.
32:20
>> Yeah.
32:21
>> Wow. Um Tip is on the project um the
32:24
song is all day in the sun.
32:26
>> Um and salute to Q-Tip, man.
32:29
Man, I [ __ ] You know he's
32:32
>> What?
32:32
>> Yeah, man. You know,
32:33
>> I say that's our that's my big little
32:36
brother. He's younger than us, but I
32:38
look at him like
32:39
>> for Reed. Salute.
32:41
>> Yeah. Right, man. But let me got Hey, I
32:44
I let um our New York contingency jump
32:47
in, but I'm going to take a couple of
32:48
calls, too, because a lot of the
32:50
listeners really want to celebrate this.
32:52
And we got Da Soul in the building,
32:54
y'all. Cabin in the sky. All right. uh
32:56
in in collaboration with Mass Appeal.
33:00
That's the new album. It's incredible.
33:02
It's released November 21st. That's what
33:04
That's Friday.
33:05
>> Yep.
33:05
>> Yep.
33:06
>> This Friday, man.
33:07
>> Friday.
33:07
>> Okay. Shahim is in West Virginia.
33:09
>> Shaheen.
33:10
>> What up, Shaheen?
33:12
>> What up, Sean?
33:12
>> Yo, peace, peace, peace. How y'all
33:14
doing? Good.
33:15
>> Peace.
33:16
>> Peace, my brother.
33:17
>> Turn him up, Torch.
33:19
>> Go ahead, Shaheen.
33:21
>> Yeah, go for it. I want to say uh first
33:24
time caller, but a second time I I
33:26
called in, but I didn't get through.
33:30
>> Hold on. Let me give you this.
33:34
>> Welcome to Native Tongue.
33:38
>> Heather and I are honorary members, by
33:40
the way, guys. All right. Okay.
33:41
>> No, I was in it before you, though. But
33:43
go ahead.
33:46
>> See, add late ass [ __ ] over to the
33:48
party.
33:49
>> Number two.
33:49
>> I was there in spirit.
33:51
>> Number two. Yo. All right, Shah. Go
33:54
ahead. What's on your mind, Sha?
33:56
>> Yeah. Uh, I first off, I want I want to
33:59
I want to give blessings to the to the
34:01
brothers day. Um, I'm
34:04
a native Ammy villain. You know what I'm
34:06
saying? Warriors forever.
34:08
>> All right. Go.
34:10
>> All right.
34:10
>> And uh and uh first I wonder I had a
34:14
question. My question was on um the
34:17
Break It Dawn song.
34:20
Dave says Dave says something like uh
34:23
here it is right here. Dave says
34:25
sometimes I don't budge without my cous
34:28
fuzz. Now that right there is this is is
34:31
he talking about his cousin cuz down
34:33
from down where Paul used to live there
34:36
used to be a dude named Kevin Washington
34:38
and they used to he used to go around
34:39
calling himself C.
34:42
>> No doubt talking.
34:45
Nah, no. He he was talking about his
34:47
actual cousin that we call Fudge. Dedric
34:50
was his name, but we all call him Fudge.
34:52
Like, and Fudge was very close with um
34:55
with Fe. They live together. And so,
34:57
that's why even when you hear F saying
34:59
um rhymes about Fudge and Lucky, like
35:01
Lucky was my my younger brother and they
35:03
hung out. So, Fudge and Luck is always
35:06
>> talked about in in Fe's rhymes. So,
35:08
yeah, that was his cousin Fudge. Yeah.
35:10
>> Oh, word. Okay. Okay. Another thing is
35:12
uh yeah, we we we we had we just had the
35:15
Amityville uh class reunion from 80 to
35:18
89 and we of course
35:20
>> Yeah, I saw I I I caught I caught a lot
35:22
of that on Facebook. I saw it.
35:24
>> No doubt. No doubt. Yeah, of course. We
35:27
we we gave a whole session for y'all.
35:30
Period. You know, you know we got shout
35:32
out y'all for real. For real.
35:33
>> Thank you, brother.
35:34
>> You went to high school with them?
35:36
Yeah, I was I I was in the I I went to
35:38
uh I graduated in 83, so they was a
35:40
couple years behind me.
35:42
>> Yeah. No doubt. All right. That's what's
35:44
up, man.
35:45
>> Yeah, cuz I was supposed to be the class
35:48
of 88.
35:52
>> I end up being the class of 89.
35:56
>> Was a class of 92.
35:57
>> Yeah.
36:00
>> Shaheen, thanks for your call, man. Love
36:02
it, brother.
36:03
>> Yeah, I appreciate that. Thank you,
36:04
brother. I love y'all, man.
36:07
>> He was a super citizen, man.
36:08
>> In the morning,
36:09
>> he was in um he was in uh the great with
36:13
my brother Tyrone then.
36:14
>> Yeah, he was. Wow. 83. Troy, what up?
36:17
He's in San Jose. You know they love
36:19
y'all in the Bay. What up, Troy?
36:21
>> What up? What up? Good morning. What's
36:23
up, Sway?
36:24
>> What up, family? You good?
36:26
>> Yo. Yo. Hey, uh big shout out to the
36:28
group, man. Rest in peace to uh True
36:31
Boy. I've been praying for you guys,
36:33
man. It's It's weird and sway. We go
36:36
back. We uh when we talk hip-hop coming
36:38
from Oakland, we had our few artists. We
36:42
had a station called Soulbeat. That was
36:44
the first time I saw Pot Holes. I was
36:46
like, man, this group is different, but
36:49
it's funky. It's cool. It's jazzy and
36:53
it's hip-hop with the high top phase and
36:55
all that. So, uh no doubt.
36:57
>> But like I said, I feel like I'm in
36:58
church today. I'm not going to keep
36:59
y'all too long, but when I knew you guys
37:02
was coming on, I was like, man, this is
37:04
this is going to make my day. Uh,
37:08
>> Heather, you was talking about uh
37:10
passing and when people move on and
37:13
death is uncomfortable and it is part of
37:16
healing, but I think we have to look at
37:19
it as a living. Uh, I go back to when
37:21
Kobe Bryant died. I'm a Warriors fan.
37:25
>> Yeah. one of the best players. But I
37:26
think that happened to affect
37:29
>> all of us for all of us to look at and
37:32
think about that,
37:34
>> you know, really for you know, there's
37:37
there's no healing without grief.
37:39
>> You got to you got to go through the
37:40
uncomfortable part.
37:41
>> I'mma leave y'all with this.
37:43
>> Do brother.
37:43
>> I saw y'all 92. I've seen y'all a hell
37:46
of times. Mac, we we know uh we have a
37:49
mutual friend, Yachti, the barber. Uh,
37:54
>> shout out to Yachti.
37:56
>> Yeah. Yeah.
37:57
>> Where'd you see him in 92?
37:59
>> Okay. It was at the Oasis in San Jose.
38:03
>> Uh, it was the licks, Souls of Mischief,
38:06
BA, Tribe Called Quest.
38:09
>> They went on stage in that order.
38:11
>> They went on stage in that order. Feel
38:13
me?
38:14
>> Uhhuh.
38:14
>> Uh,
38:15
>> did I host that, Troy?
38:17
>> Oh, boy.
38:18
>> I know you you were you were moving and
38:20
grooving with Tech.
38:22
Yeah,
38:23
>> we trying. You fighting? I GIVE IT TO
38:26
YOU. CLARISSA SHIELDS. He over there
38:29
fighting for his life. Where that booze
38:31
at?
38:34
>> They fighting.
38:35
>> I think I might have hosted that. No,
38:38
cuz cameo with the wake up. We had to
38:40
deal with Oasis Club in the South Bay
38:42
over there on first. I want to say first
38:44
or second half. Yeah, I was there.
38:47
>> Okay, don't do that. Pause. Slow down.
38:49
>> Don't look at me like that. memory
38:50
banks.
38:51
>> Okay. All right.
38:52
>> All right, man.
38:53
>> But check this out. The funky thing
38:55
about it, I say about 20 minutes in the
38:57
Quest part,
38:59
>> cuz I'm like, man, this show is going
39:00
too fast.
39:02
Uh, Domino from Souls of Mischief walked
39:05
on stage. I'm like, there go Domino and
39:07
Macio was I mean, uh, Ali Shahid
39:10
Muhammad was still in the turntables.
39:12
Ali scratched out. Domino came back on.
39:15
Souls came back on. Then Macio came back
39:18
on. Scratch Domino.
39:20
>> Oh, that's right.
39:22
>> I remember that show.
39:23
>> That show WE PUT ALL OUR SHOW TOGETHER.
39:25
>> SHOW TOGETHER.
39:26
>> YEAH.
39:26
>> WOW.
39:26
>> YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. That was that was a
39:28
crazy night.
39:29
>> Yeah, I remember that.
39:32
And
39:33
>> no, what he's talking about is like we
39:35
we had been talking like a few days
39:37
before that show like yo why don't we
39:40
mix our shows like you know cuz Tribe
39:43
they were what they were and it was like
39:45
but as as just humans they was just
39:48
tired of going on last. It's like yo you
39:51
>> you are who you are bro you got y'all
39:53
got to just live with that eat that. So
39:56
we was like you know what let's let's
39:57
switch it up. Like we'll do like three
39:59
soul songs. Next thing you know, we'll
40:01
jump on and do two Daylight records,
40:03
then tribe jump and do four songs, and
40:05
then we just keep just doing that. And
40:07
it was a dope show. Like the first
40:09
>> That was the first vers.
40:12
>> Yeah, pretty much.
40:14
>> I'mma throw I'm leave y'all with that. I
40:15
was also at that lounge show where uh
40:18
White Cleft
40:19
>> came on stage and tried to uh bust out
40:22
Will I Am and and Will lit him up.
40:26
>> I I was at that. I think
40:28
>> Yeah. Yeah. I think that's when Eminem
40:30
had first came to the bay if I'm
40:32
correct.
40:34
>> Yep.
40:34
>> The Maritime Hall.
40:36
>> The Maritime Hall.
40:37
>> You remember that?
40:40
>> Yeah.
40:43
>> And the on the on the real too, like
40:45
from my standpoint.
40:48
>> Yeah. I say flyers. I like any any show
40:51
we do, I I I have the flyers from it,
40:53
whatever. And like So yeah,
40:55
>> I remember that too. I married time
40:57
home. He had I was there too. And so
41:00
>> you said hosting I was I would have been
41:02
cool with you just saying you was there
41:03
but the host now
41:05
>> because you would we were doing the wake
41:07
up show we were with Kmel you know was
41:09
the biggest station in the country for
41:11
breaking music
41:13
>> and we were having all these deals with
41:14
those local clubs like the Oasis the DNA
41:18
lounge you know Marime Hall you know 330
41:21
rich street all these different place
41:23
towns in club towns in and these guys
41:25
>> was those clubs reaching out to like the
41:27
station to have y'all involved or or
41:30
vice versa?
41:31
>> Vice versa. Because if you remember what
41:34
radio was like and and in and camel was
41:37
a crossover station. It was setting
41:39
trends that all other stations including
41:42
>> um Hot 97 and New York stations were
41:45
following, but people didn't know it.
41:47
And so we would want to put together
41:49
these packages and then we'll go to
41:52
certain clubs, you know. Um Oh, they go
41:54
look at the Merry Time Aller.
41:56
>> YEAH, I GOT IT.
41:56
>> WE GOT THE FLYER. I got that. I got
41:58
like, you know, and DJ Shadow was there.
42:01
Ju the Damiter, right?
42:04
>> And so the clubs just back then they was
42:06
just the bay is the bay. Everybody was
42:08
open to what was good.
42:09
>> So you could catch a lot of great shows,
42:11
man. The bay, man. The mecca.
42:14
>> Like 10 of them.
42:15
>> Hey Troy, thank you, man. You a super
42:17
citizen, brother. My man Troy man. This
42:20
is great, man. Y'all he was out. Tracy,
42:24
you want to jump in?
42:25
>> Yeah, duh. I love seeing these guys,
42:28
man.
42:31
For better a reason. I feel like I don't
42:33
know. What's up? It brings me back to a
42:36
time in my life that I think many people
42:38
would consider to be a parent's greatest
42:41
nightmare, especially a parent of a
42:43
daughter, because I was sneaking away
42:47
with my boyfriend, who was 5 years older
42:49
than me. And between our adventures at
42:51
the mall and our makeout sessions at the
42:53
lookout points, there was many a
42:56
listening and learning session about Dea
42:59
Soul. And I really learned to appreciate
43:02
you guys through that introduction and
43:05
hearing all of these stories. It reminds
43:07
me,
43:08
>> it makes me think about how
43:10
>> personally I feel like hip-hop always
43:12
has an evolving theme, like a collective
43:15
theme depending on the the era. a
43:18
question that the artists are wrestling
43:20
with, right? Even if like an artist is
43:23
is unconsciously wrestling with a
43:25
existential question like I feel like in
43:28
the 80s the central query was how do we
43:32
express ourselves authentically? I feel
43:34
like then it shifted in the 90s perhaps
43:37
the question was how do we survive and
43:40
succeed in a system that doesn't value
43:43
us and then currently I think the
43:46
question a lot of artists are pondering
43:49
is what does it mean to be an artist
43:51
when everything about you is content you
43:54
know like how do I protect my humanity
43:57
when the system is demanding this
43:59
constant engagement and so I'm just
44:01
wondering what do you both feel is the
44:04
central question of your art right now
44:07
and have you gotten the answer to it?
44:11
>> That's a great question that I don't
44:13
have the answer to. No, I mean um
44:18
we and I can only speak for M. I love
44:20
that about us, man. We We're not going
44:22
to stand here with a probably the same
44:24
uh answer. I don't think about none of
44:27
that. I I just don't I I I think about
44:30
what Kelvin Mercer needs to do for me
44:33
and what and how I want to express
44:34
myself if I know I need to um you know
44:38
and we we do our best to keep up with
44:40
technology but I just don't buy into all
44:43
that. Like if I got an issue with me so
44:46
if I had an issue with Dave we are not
44:48
going on the internet to air nothing
44:50
out. You ain't going to ever hear
44:52
nothing about a problem that I got with
44:55
my brother
44:56
>> because these are my brothers and we
44:58
talk in our house and we can be upset or
45:01
whatever, but we and even then we're
45:03
living under the umbrella of yo, we're
45:05
family and it's going to be worked out
45:06
at some point regardless.
45:08
>> So, I mean, let alone as an artist,
45:12
there's things that I want to give to
45:14
you, but then there's other things I
45:15
don't need to give. There's things that
45:16
I need to say and feel, which I do. I
45:20
have been very open. If I've messed up
45:21
in a relationship, if I feel a certain
45:24
way and vulnerable, I'll put them in
45:25
rhymes and I'll share that. And I mean,
45:28
I think that's what um the ingredients
45:30
has been for us to always just evolve,
45:32
listen to what's going on, take it all
45:34
in, and how we channel it through what
45:36
we're doing. But I don't sit too at home
45:39
too much worrying about comments, what
45:42
people feel because just like it's
45:44
blessed to have y'all having having
45:46
these positive things to say about the
45:47
album. But I know there's gonna people
45:48
who who could possibly hate it for
45:51
whatever their reason is. That's what
45:52
the world is here for. So I just think I
45:55
don't take it too serious. That's for
45:56
me.
45:57
>> Yeah. I I don't take it too serious.
45:59
>> Um
46:00
>> the love, the hate, we in the
46:02
conversation.
46:03
>> Yeah.
46:04
>> For the most part, you know,
46:05
>> all of that airing out dirty laundry
46:07
[ __ ] is corny, you know. Um, we get
46:12
caught up on this and and and it's only
46:14
in our genre. This whole keep it real
46:17
thing.
46:18
>> But keep it real what is the question.
46:22
>> Keeping it real dumb.
46:25
>> Keeping it real dope.
46:27
>> Keeping it real whack.
46:29
>> Keeping it real what is the question.
46:31
You know what I mean?
46:32
>> Yeah.
46:32
>> You know, and I think um airing out
46:35
>> your personal differences that [ __ ] is
46:38
whack,
46:39
>> you know? Um, if it's about the music
46:43
and the growth and all of that, then
46:46
maybe those things should go in the
46:48
music poetically, you know? I mean, we
46:51
got comfortable with disc records. You
46:53
know what I'm saying?
46:55
>> Make the disc record. If not, then shut
46:57
up, man. You know what I mean?
46:59
>> You know, people, and I I don't know if
47:01
this jumps away from what Tracy was
47:04
trying to ask us, but you know, people
47:06
are smart. They they know leaning into
47:09
negativity and talking negative about
47:12
others, it keeps the algorithm going and
47:14
the trolling.
47:15
>> That's corny, though. But, you know,
47:17
that's corny. It's just something has
47:19
nothing to do with the music. Got
47:21
nothing to do with the genre. It becomes
47:23
a just a sideshow almost like, you know,
47:27
we arguing before a wrestling match or
47:29
something like something like that, you
47:30
know. And it's it's not that, you know.
47:33
>> You know, keep your personal problems
47:36
personal. Yeah,
47:37
>> you know,
47:38
>> close the window.
47:39
>> I mean, this thing called the internet
47:42
and streaming is just opening a window
47:44
to your world,
47:45
>> you know, and if you open the You got
47:48
the choice what you want to show or not
47:50
show, you know?
47:52
>> I don't want to show my bedroom.
47:54
>> Yeah. You know what I'm saying?
47:55
>> Right. You know, just to give an
47:57
example, I rather show my turntables and
48:00
playing music, talking [ __ ] maybe smoke
48:02
a joint, but other than that, we're not
48:05
taking the camera in my bedroom
48:07
>> or to the boxing rink or anything where
48:09
I got to work out a problem with my
48:11
brother or something like that.
48:12
>> So, yeah.
48:13
>> Yeah, Heather,
48:17
>> your zone, bro,
48:20
>> that's his way.
48:20
>> You got to air out everything. All
48:22
right. Uh Mike, thank you mate for that
48:24
that mature response. Thank you, Pos.
48:29
Uh Mike Muse.
48:30
>> Mike,
48:31
>> what up Mike?
48:32
>> What's up everybody? Listen, I just have
48:34
a really quick question for you all.
48:35
Huge fan. If you can just give me the
48:37
backstory of that song, Me, myself, and
48:39
I. When I think about I'm a member of
48:41
Fraternity Alpha, member of Kappa Alpha
48:44
Fraternity Incorporated, and the first
48:45
time I ever saw a step show was with my
48:48
sister who's a member of Alpha Kappa
48:50
Alpha. She came home and she put in a
48:52
VHS VHS tape of her step show
48:55
>> and then the Kappas were stepping and
48:56
they were stepping to me, myself and I.
48:58
That was the first time I had heard that
49:00
song and so every time I hear that song
49:02
I associate with my fraternity and so
49:04
I'm just wondering what is the backstory
49:05
of that song.
49:06
>> First of all, you had the upgrade the
49:08
VHS.
49:16
>> No man, I mean just real quick. There
49:19
you go. Just real quick, um, we needed
49:23
Tommy Boy loved the album. They they
49:25
just thought we like, wow, they had
49:27
never heard nothing like it, but they
49:28
felt like we needed something that could
49:31
be the microphone to tell everyone,
49:32
"Hey, everyone, come check out this
49:34
album." So, we needed what they felt was
49:36
a a single that could do that,
49:38
>> a radio,
49:38
>> a radio record. And um, Mace was always
49:42
wanted to use um, Knee Deep by uh,
49:46
Funkadelic. And so, we weren't like
49:49
really Me and Dave, we weren't really up
49:51
for that. We didn't want to rhyme over
49:52
that. But we had kind of after time had
49:55
this talk with us. We went to a club. I
49:57
think band was DJing.
49:58
>> Ban was DJing
49:59
>> and he played, you know, the kneedeep
50:01
record. Everyone on the dance floor went
50:04
crazy. Mason was like, "I'm telling you,
50:06
we will have a hit with this record."
50:09
So, we like, "All right, let's give it a
50:11
try." Dave in his great fashion was
50:14
like, "Yo, Merc, let's just write some
50:15
trash rhymes. You know what? You know
50:16
what we should do? Uh the Jungle
50:18
Brothers song, Black is Black. Let's
50:20
just copy that rhyme style right about
50:23
just being positive and cool. We wrote
50:25
these rhymes. God is looking at us and
50:27
it's like, "All right, and now I'm going
50:28
to make this your hit record."
50:30
>> Wow.
50:31
>> That's what happened.
50:33
>> And me and Paul up in the session
50:36
>> working things out.
50:37
>> You say Paul, please. Prince, excuse me.
50:39
Prince.
50:40
>> Yes. Me and Prince. We in a session
50:43
adding all these ingredients to it and
50:45
they in the back like, "Oh [ __ ] this is
50:47
coming out.
50:47
>> This coming out actually pretty cool."
50:51
>> I mean, that's why Tip is in the video
50:53
cuz it was the blackest black rhyme
50:55
style myself. And uh great question,
50:58
Mike Muse. Um man, fellas, I just want
51:01
to say first of all too,
51:03
>> uh I don't know if we ever talked about
51:05
the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.
51:07
Congratulations,
51:09
man. For that, man. um any accolades
51:12
y'all received um I I'm just happy to
51:15
see it whether it's a Grammy or just a
51:17
nomination or whatever because it's a
51:20
blessing. You guys stay true to who you
51:21
are throughout the entire process.
51:23
You've been honest and transparent with
51:24
us through your music and that's why
51:28
>> um I knew from the beginning that I was
51:30
the extra extended version of Dea Soul.
51:34
I mean, you might have got to get in
51:36
line cuz I think Nas just on running
51:38
back said he's plugged four these days.
51:40
>> Said he plugged four.
51:41
>> You just say, bro, he's member. I'm not
51:45
going to say that [ __ ] Yo,
51:47
>> I got to talk to out a long time ago. He
51:50
insisted,
51:51
>> man. Come on, man. I got to talk to
51:53
>> Now you got to fight Quiz.
51:55
>> I CAN'T HORSE HELP ME OUT HERE.
51:57
>> AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO DO with it. Oh,
51:59
don't put a horse in that.
52:01
>> Yo, all all those
52:04
>> hear that horse.
52:05
>> Those those awards, those accolades, all
52:08
of that is really nice, you know,
52:10
>> but
52:11
>> it still matters to me
52:14
>> to know like
52:15
>> Heather B, Sway, Chuck D, Rock,
52:20
>> even Horse, right?
52:21
>> Yo,
52:22
>> yo, my favorite song is this, my
52:24
favorite song is that. that matters to
52:27
me still to this day. Like how y'all
52:29
feel about the man song. My favorite
52:32
song is this. My favorite song is that.
52:35
My favorite song is
52:36
>> All right. All right, young kids. Hit
52:37
that.
52:38
>> All right, man. Well,
52:39
>> but that really matters, man. I'm glad
52:41
y'all still love what we do, man.
52:43
>> Yeah, man. I'm glad y'all still love
52:46
what we do.
52:47
>> Yeah. No doubt, man.
52:48
>> Yeah. We got decades here, too.
52:51
Seriously. Yeah. So, you know, and um I
52:54
want to officially whether you can make
52:56
it or not, but it's a good way to give
52:57
me the plug it.
52:58
>> Let's go.
52:59
>> Nah, I think y'all can. December 14th,
53:01
we're doing our for the culture event
53:03
with me and your brother DJ King Tech
53:05
and we honoring Ken Swiftdeed
53:07
>> Ras Supernatural King Crooked and Large
53:10
Professor. And I want to personally
53:12
invite you all to come down if you're in
53:14
town.
53:15
>> I'm going to let you know today.
53:17
>> Okay. I appreciate that. And then for
53:20
the citizens who want to come, we
53:21
letting people in free. All you got to
53:23
do is go to swaysuniverse.com,
53:25
but you got to buy the for the culture
53:27
t-shirt. You wear that and we'll let you
53:29
in free. First 500 people will get in
53:31
for free. And there's special guests
53:33
that are going to be there that I'm
53:34
we're not going to announce uh um that
53:36
are iconic.
53:38
>> And so that's something I would love for
53:40
everybody to participate in. Give it up
53:41
for Dea Soul. Greatest the greatest mass
53:46
appeal cabin in the sky. Salute to Mass
53:49
Appeal for what this series of classic
53:53
iconic
53:54
>> legend
53:55
>> artists legends putting out.
53:57
>> Man, what do you think of this whole
53:58
concept?
53:59
>> It's it's beautiful, man. And it's
54:00
humbling to be a part of these people
54:02
that we study and we love. I mean, from
54:04
Slick Rick to Ghost to Ray to Big L. I
54:08
mean, Nas and P. It's something that,
54:11
>> you know, the we're humble, man. And I
54:13
know we should look at ourselves and be
54:15
understanding of what we've done, but we
54:18
love what we do and we don't love it to
54:20
be called a legend. We just love it to
54:22
do it as artists, man who make art.
54:24
There you go.
54:25
>> Cabin in the Sky, November 21st.
54:28
>> Um, the title and my interpretation when
54:31
you listen to the sequence of the
54:32
record, it's like Dave been working on a
54:35
record from the heavens.
54:37
>> That's
54:39
um
54:40
>> it's the epitome of joy and pain.
54:42
Uh-huh.
54:43
>> You know, it's something we can all
54:45
relate to, which is losing someone
54:48
>> but celebrating them
54:50
>> at the same time. You know what I mean?
54:52
>> And you know, and the record is very
54:55
therapeutic for me.
54:57
>> Yeah.
54:57
>> Yeah.
54:58
>> Yeah. Good. That's good to hear. And I'm
54:59
sure for his family.
55:00
>> Yeah, man.
55:01
>> And your family, right? Absolutely.
55:04
Thank you guys. Thank you, brother.
55:05
>> Let me know what time, what date, when
55:08
y'all go on tour.
55:09
>> Wow.
55:10
>> I'm there.
55:11
>> I quit, Heather.
55:14
I've been quit.
55:17
>> I Tracy
55:21
Tracy in the morning
55:24
to it. But no,
55:26
>> there you go.
55:27
>> But but dope.
55:27
>> But dope. All right, man. We going in
55:29
the show and play the full song for me,
55:31
Torch. Um, we got a world premiere. It's
55:34
De La Soul featuring the man, the
55:36
lyrical master,
55:39
>> the one and only BLACK THOUGHT.
55:41
>> WOO.
55:42
AND IT'S CALLED NF.
55:44
>> NF.
55:45
>> What's that stand for?
55:46
>> It was originally called [ __ ] Funny
55:47
cuz that's what Papoose is saying in the
55:49
chorus. But
55:50
>> I just want to just take the [ __ ]
55:52
funny out and make it NF.
55:54
>> You're not a a [ __ ] word user.
55:56
>> No, it's not that. I use it. I sling it.
55:58
I sling that around pretty much.
56:00
>> But it's dope. Nfreate
56:02
that.
56:02
>> That's all you know.
56:03
>> Okay, cool. De La Soul, y'all give it
56:05
up. Love y'all, man. Mac, love you.
56:09
Love you too. Love y'all to death. LOVE
56:11
YOU TRACY.
56:12
>> LOVE YOU.
56:13
>> Love you too Mike. Wherever you just
56:15
went.
56:15
>> Mike
56:17
Mike work at ABC too.
56:18
>> He headed to ABC. So and uh thank you to
56:21
the citizens. We love you as well. We'll
56:23
be back tomorrow, God willing. Stay on
56:24
the right side of positivity. And we're
56:26
going to end with this day soul
56:28
featuring black thought and it's called
56:31
NF.
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