Up next in 10
Don Trip Freestyle & Talks About His 9th Project of the YEAR “1207 James St.” | SWAY'S UNIVERSE
Oct 27, 2023
Don Trip has been busy this year, releasing one project a month and “1207 James St.” is just the latest addition. During his interview with Sway, he talked about his motivation behind dropping so much music this year. According to Don Trip, he wanted to take advantage of the streaming era and make sure that people don’t forget about him. Well, with over 55 million streams this year, it’s safe to say that he’s achieved his goal.
Subscribe Here! http://bit.ly/SubscribeSU
Watch the Best of Sway In The Morning! http://bit.ly/BestOfSITM
Check out More From Sway’s Universe
http://swaysuniverse.com
http://twitter.com/swaysuniverse
http://instagram.com/swaysuniverse
http://facebook.com/swaysuniverse
#DonTrip #SwaysUniverse #SwayInTheMorning #SiriusXM #Shade45
About SWAY’s UNIVERSE
Exclusive interviews from Sway Calloway and the Sway In The Morning/ SwaysUniverse.com team with some of today's biggest celebrities, like Kevin Hart, Kanye West, Eminem, Usher, Jessica Alba, Steve Aoki, Torey Lanez, Julia Stiles and so much more.
Don Trip Talks About His 9th Project of the YEAR “1207 James St.” | SWAY'S UNIVERSE
https://youtu.be/q1EJg7gjv5U
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
[Applause]
0:00
man this man has had consistency from
0:02
day one Heather be I already know it
0:04
come on man he was somebody I I I I I
0:07
like before I met him yep um um
0:10
primarily because he made music that I
0:12
could relate to and one that that that
0:15
letter to my son to this day oh my God I
0:18
know I know he gets tired of me talking
0:20
about that song but some some people
0:22
have those songs
0:23
that become that that that um that
0:27
milestone in their career true there's
0:29
people who have had 30e careers off of
0:32
one song yeah right you know what I mean
0:34
and but there's people who've been in
0:36
the game 30 years that never made that
0:38
one song right but do you also remember
0:40
the responses that we get from our
0:42
callers our Road Warriors um every time
0:45
we play that song that they call up um
0:48
some fans some just hearing of Don for
0:51
the first time is like yo what is that
0:53
song I need that who made that song the
0:56
response has always been crazy he been
0:58
consistent don't say nothing yet man
1:00
don't say nothing man I got you walk it
1:02
up walk it up don't do that this man
1:05
been consistent since the threat before
1:07
that what I loved about him he traveled
1:10
at God's speed hea the be we watched him
1:12
work he didn't do it by himself he had
1:14
Step Brothers too that he rock with okay
1:18
he tell you about the people that's
1:20
surround you family members the man said
1:23
they said blood is thicker than water if
1:25
that's the truth then he's
1:28
anemic do sense this [ __ ] in the rhyme
1:32
but it's so real um the way he's he's
1:36
expressed himself over the years this
1:37
year long he put out nine projects give
1:39
that man a big round of applause for
1:41
that okay we started our show off today
1:44
talking about autonomy talking about
1:47
ownership talking about independence
1:48
small business owners called in all day
1:50
long this man is a big business owner
1:53
indeed he's in the business of himself
1:55
true that come on aren't we all uh I
1:58
want to salute him
2:00
memphis's finest and as much as Memphis
2:03
goes through and has gone through this
2:05
man has been a beacon of light through
2:07
it all and I appreciate him I love this
2:10
man I'm happy to see him please welcome
2:12
back to the show The One and Only Don
2:15
Trip
2:17
go come on man you trying to interrupt
2:21
your G man let me speak my peace man you
2:23
cry cry man you know this you know this
2:26
space means something to me yeah you
2:28
know when we uh we said out to do the
2:31
the you know the the promo run you know
2:33
every time I you know I gotta come see
2:35
Sway and Heather no matter what no
2:37
matter what we doing them how we
2:38
spending it I got to come see sway he so
2:41
you know it's a different um you know
2:44
you've been in this longer than me so
2:46
you know genuine love is rare it's um
2:50
you know it's it's very uncommon and
2:52
when you find it it's like mining for a
2:55
diamond when you do find it the Jeweler
2:57
is the last thing last person you go see
2:59
for it you want to hold on to that you
3:01
want to cherish that and you know I
3:03
treat the the the people that that
3:06
support me that show me love without um
3:08
without incentives just don't you don't
3:10
make nothing from from rocking with me
3:12
you know same for you and you know that
3:15
that means something to me you ain't
3:16
doing it cuz it's endgame to it you
3:18
doing it cuz it's genuinely that's just
3:20
how you feel and you know that that mean
3:22
more to me than everything like you just
3:24
said you know you know blood ain't you
3:26
know in my my world blood ain't taking
3:28
in water you know it's people I know
3:30
I've known my whole life that you know
3:33
didn't care about me until my name was D
3:35
trip you know Christopher wace existed
3:38
for that whole time and I was nobody I
3:41
was just you know a family member then I
3:43
became oh hey cousin favorite cousin you
3:45
know but either way that's that's
3:47
interesting though yeah that's uh you
3:49
talk about that in Mama's Revenge right
3:52
you you get into the family Dynamics and
3:54
and how it changes it's a it's
3:56
interesting to me um because I feel feel
3:59
like we got to figure something out with
4:01
that right yeah I I agree I agree and
4:04
you know that's one you
4:07
know certain things in in
4:10
life you really can't um you know you're
4:13
only one person there's no way you going
4:15
to rewrite the book so for me my focus
4:18
be to make sure I'm that example for my
4:22
kids like nothing's wrong with not
4:25
bonding with somebody it's just that's
4:28
life you know people here I just met I
4:31
I'm not going to pretend like we're best
4:32
friends and You Know It Go the same way
4:35
in family like you know the people that
4:37
you grew up with those people that's in
4:38
your house the people that you love the
4:40
people that's been with you through
4:42
thick thin and and otherwise those are
4:44
people you supposed to attached to and I
4:47
teach my kids not to physically fight we
4:49
going to fight we going to argue but the
4:51
last thing you should want to do is harm
4:53
the person you actually love cuz I mean
4:55
you know in real life if you know we we
4:57
rocking so when we get that heated that
5:00
we going to get physical I'm you know
5:03
I'm trying to hurt you in the worst way
5:05
and same for you so how do we sit with
5:06
each other and you know we just gave
5:08
each other black eyes know we going to
5:10
sit and and both feel guilty for what we
5:13
just did but to keep you from that space
5:16
you know I teach my children that you
5:17
know argument is fine but you know
5:20
there's it's it's a whole world full of
5:22
people ready to kick your ass don't help
5:24
them don't help them right uh man I love
5:26
this D trip what how do you deal
5:28
recently
5:31
with success you know obviously comes a
5:33
lot of energy family members friends so
5:35
on and so forth yeah relationships seem
5:38
to be a lot closer than you thought they
5:39
were all of a sudden right and people
5:41
were having this conversation about
5:43
Jay-Z um not loaning a family member
5:46
over about close to $5,000 and I'm like
5:48
well why not and I ain't giving you [ __ ]
5:52
man listen I since I first you know
5:55
since the first check I ever received
5:56
from from you know something uh
5:58
substantial I won't won't go too far but
6:02
you know since the first time I received
6:04
a check I can help people with I learned
6:07
that so very fast what you thought was
6:11
help becomes hindrance you know you
6:14
being a bind and I come through yeah man
6:16
I got you I know you need what you
6:17
whatever and you
6:19
know I say 90% of the people you you you
6:24
know go out your way to help now they
6:26
depend on it now it's you know last
6:28
month you were shot on your rent cuz you
6:30
had to take care of things you know your
6:31
car broke down or something come this
6:34
month now it's well I you know my rent
6:37
cost $100 I got 50 I know trip can get
6:40
me 50 a how this really work yeah and
6:43
that's what happens you know before you
6:45
know it you know you helping cuz you
6:47
love this you know you love these people
6:48
or you love that person and before you
6:50
know it you know you start feeling like
6:53
you know you being taken advantage of
6:55
and in reality sometimes I don't think
6:57
they even notice that that's what they
6:59
doing they just started you know they
7:01
felt like they caught a break and you
7:04
know just like just about everything
7:06
like you know in in the life of crime
7:09
what get people caught most times is you
7:12
don't know when to stop yeah you don't
7:14
know that you being greeted now you
7:15
robbed One bank and you got away with it
7:17
now you think you're a bank robber now
7:19
you rob banks eventually you know that
7:21
[ __ ] going to catch and you know life
7:24
worked the same way you know you helped
7:25
that one person and now that person that
7:28
person starts to depend on your help now
7:30
all people don't function this way you
7:32
know you got people that you help that
7:34
person and they never forget it they you
7:36
know they they hold that [ __ ] dear like
7:38
you know no matter what whatever you
7:39
need I got you it's people that got you
7:41
for life cuz you helped them that one
7:43
time and you don't know what they were
7:45
going through mentally in that space But
7:48
you know those people appreciate it and
7:50
it's crazy because that's what make you
7:52
help people cuz it may turn out that way
7:55
yeah and then you know you going to run
7:57
at it 10 times and it happens one time
7:59
and the other nine times you got nine
8:01
people calling you you know on a regular
8:03
basis nine enablers you just enabled
8:06
them nine new dependents andly you
8:09
already got kid how many kids you got
8:11
now I got eight I got six biological and
8:14
two bonus yeah and you know again I I
8:17
got to feed eight kids man your car
8:19
broke down you better get your ass on
8:21
the bus come on call Uber car pool with
8:24
somebody that work with you I got [ __ ]
8:26
to do yeah I mean I mean in real time
8:29
this how I always look at
8:30
it if if you can't pay your rent or you
8:35
know whatever it is you can't take care
8:37
of if you respect me to to fill in for
8:40
you but where you at come Christmas in
8:43
my house mm that's eight kids I don't
8:46
see you mm if I can't do it ain't going
8:49
to be nobody going to come to my rescue
8:51
say hey man I got you when your eight
8:52
kids and your wife I got you hell yeah
8:55
what you need no person on the planet
8:57
ain't going to happen and you know you
8:59
know as far as Jay-Z I mean [ __ ] they
9:01
look at it I don't think people look at
9:03
the the the idea of it they look at he's
9:05
a billionaire what what's [ __ ] $4,000
9:08
to a billionaire well you know he had to
9:11
get to that billion and it took them
9:13
4,000 to get there and if we know if he
9:17
you can't even Oprah when Oprah gave all
9:19
them [ __ ] cars away yeah on TV it
9:22
looked like sheit gave a bunch of cars
9:24
away in real life we know people had to
9:26
pay taxes on them [ __ ] open and just say
9:28
hey man here's free $60,000 for
9:31
everybody in this [ __ ] right but you
9:33
know that's how people think people look
9:35
at it like you got it you should be able
9:38
to you know to ex expend it you know it
9:42
shouldn't be nothing to you you got it
9:43
yeah and it don't work that way I got it
9:45
cuz I work for it I'm going to keep it
9:48
cuz if I don't keep it you ain't going
9:49
to get you ain't going to get my back
9:51
right the person he loan 4500 to ain't
9:54
going to bring him 4500 if you see him
9:56
drop off the fors list he going to say
9:58
oh man I looked at the list and you like
10:00
three people down man let me I I I think
10:03
I got like 4500 to give you no a nobody
10:06
got [ __ ] for you and when that you know
10:08
if and when that happens then those same
10:11
people that was you know begging you or
10:13
or or felt entitled to your money going
10:15
to say see I knew see he a know what the
10:17
hell he was doing he [ __ ] all that
10:19
money up no he [ __ ] that money up you
10:21
helped him [ __ ] it up yeah but nobody's
10:22
going to take credit for that you know
10:24
that's that's just you know I never
10:26
heard that perspective gez oh yeah man
10:30
you you you you you lose your money and
10:32
they say oh he screwed it up but you
10:34
helped you a big reason that's funny
10:36
because that's what happened when Oprah
10:38
you bought up Oprah um she asked hammer
10:40
in the interview what was the most
10:42
expensive thing you bought h y what was
10:44
the most expensive thing you bought and
10:45
he said other people's stories exactly
10:48
he was like I I've just bought into
10:50
other they need it made enablers and
10:52
they don't they're not there I was just
10:53
telling my My Guy by the way George is
10:56
here from Connect Music come on that's
10:59
right by George what up baby come on you
11:01
got a whole music group man I need some
11:03
money from
11:06
you and you know to to that point though
11:08
you know trip one and sway one of the
11:10
things that that everybody took out of
11:12
context with Jay's comment was if I give
11:15
you $4500 you're gonna bring back 2
11:17
million it doesn't work like that I'm
11:19
here to tell you it does not work like
11:20
that we spent we spent hundreds of
11:23
thousands of dollars to get to tens of
11:26
millions of dollars you don't spend
11:28
4,000 and get it doesn't work like that
11:30
so no I'm not giving you that cuz you
11:32
what you think you can do with it that's
11:34
not how markets work right you got to
11:37
you got a a a blurred idea of how it
11:41
works and you know a lot of times you
11:43
can peep that like I was saying you know
11:44
I was talking to my guy the other day um
11:48
man maybe like two days ago and we was I
11:50
don't know what we was talking about but
11:51
it was this and I was like man I grew up
11:55
with you know I grew up with no father
11:56
so I grew up with my a my uh big cousin
11:59
and my Mama I've seen every Side Story
12:03
you can sell you can sell a person these
12:04
people know how to cry on Q on Q so you
12:08
know when that's the last thing I'm
12:10
going buy is the story but I was also
12:11
telling them about you know MC Hammer
12:13
that's why one of the record is name
12:14
Hammer yeah I'm like you know in real
12:16
life like that's a person that I admire
12:20
yeah absolutely right I mean Hammond was
12:22
selling records when you had to get up
12:24
out your bed get in the car drive and
12:27
Wai in line and and that [ __ ] was
12:29
moving He Man the Entertainer bro man St
12:33
presence I don't know how his feet was
12:35
moving that fast but you know but from
12:37
that like you can watch all all them old
12:39
concert you see he got 800 he got more
12:42
dancers up there than Beyonce got and
12:44
you know he just pulling his guys in hey
12:46
man you know I know you're hurting in
12:47
the street man come you know come hop on
12:49
the road with me you sh you do that [ __ ]
12:51
like I said you keep pouring all that
12:53
water out your cup man and you ain't
12:55
putting nothing back in it eventually
12:57
you going to have an empty cup yeah you
12:59
know Hammer's one of them people I wish
13:01
I that's interview I'm to go look up but
13:04
kind of people that that I gravitate to
13:07
that make any sense like I in some cases
13:10
I learn more from a MC Hammer than a
13:13
Jay-Z I ain't in this you know pocket
13:16
space of neither one of them you know or
13:17
Hammer when he was selling [ __ ] 80
13:20
million records or Jay with the
13:22
billionaire [ __ ] but that's you know I'm
13:24
I'm I'm in the space you know I'm in the
13:27
space relative to it and those are the
13:30
kind of things that happen in my world
13:32
like we was just saying before we
13:33
mentioned Hammer you know you got people
13:35
that pop up and
13:38
man some people are very very um skilled
13:43
at selling you a side store skilled at
13:46
selling you a Side Story for real but
13:49
you know like everybody's got a talent
13:52
and for some people that's the talent
13:54
like you know you got people you like
13:55
man you ain't been doing [ __ ] your whole
13:57
life you done nothing you ain't good at
13:59
nothing in real life he's good at
14:01
something he's good at being
14:03
manipulative he just don't know how to
14:05
how to use that to his advant well he
14:08
don't know how to use that in a
14:09
productive manner you got people that
14:12
you know we all got them you got that
14:14
family member that every time you see
14:16
him you feel sorry for him like man you
14:19
still ain't doing nothing man Jesus and
14:21
he going to hit you with the man I
14:23
promise this week come Monday I'm going
14:25
go look for me a job I'mma drive to the
14:28
T I'm sit at the bus station and wait
14:30
for the bus stop and and I'm going get
14:32
it together you going to see him two
14:33
weeks from now and we going to have the
14:35
exact same conversation and you know
14:37
some people just like you know if you
14:40
keep doing what how I don't know how
14:42
that [ __ ] really go if you do the same
14:44
thing enough times you going to perfect
14:45
it yeah exactly they perfected it they
14:48
going to run that Side Story don't work
14:49
on you he going to Pivot man I'm going
14:52
to go get my job you don't want to hear
14:53
that [ __ ] hey man I'm going go get a job
14:55
and Monday some when somebody is about
14:57
to give him $20 so he can go get
14:59
whatever the [ __ ] he really was trying
15:01
to get he going to catch it right right
15:02
somebody's going to somebody's F to buy
15:04
this story and he going to sell it and
15:06
sell it and selling to [ __ ] until
15:08
somebody get it like you see people
15:09
selling well in Memphis I don't know if
15:11
they do that [ __ ] in New York but in
15:13
Memphis you know every Sunday somebody
15:15
selling a commercial pill the newspaper
15:17
even though the whole world's you know
15:19
on their phones and [ __ ] people still
15:20
buy newspapers it's not like a you know
15:23
like a commodity but that person going
15:25
to sit there until he said them
15:27
newspapers somebody is going to stop
15:29
rather they stop just cuz they you know
15:31
feel sorry for you sitting out here in
15:32
the heat selling a roll of newspaper or
15:35
they really read newspapers but I said
15:37
that to say that kind of determination
15:40
is what people have like they just don't
15:42
have it in a productive manner yeah like
15:45
you can use that same know that same
15:47
gumption and go get a job you can get a
15:50
job and you could would be the most
15:52
enthusiastic person at that job yo we
15:55
just had why we laughing we were just
15:59
talking about this this a job before we
16:02
got on quit trying to hustle you go get
16:04
a job right cuz listen that same
16:07
[ __ ] all right if if you going to
16:10
sit with me and sell Me Your Side Story
16:12
right that mean you good at at
16:15
entertaining that you know your
16:16
entertaining just happen to be trying to
16:19
make me feel sorry for you yeah but you
16:21
can use that same entertainment and make
16:25
people enthusiastic you can go work at a
16:27
[ __ ] you can at the bank you can be
16:29
just a greeter hey how's your day go be
16:31
a coach go do something clearly you
16:33
going to talk until you convince
16:34
somebody to do something [ __ ] you know
16:36
how many people going to open up
16:38
accounts cuz you convince them to open
16:39
up a bank account but you ain't doing
16:41
that instead you begging and you know if
16:44
you what they say if you can only use
16:46
your powers for good you know I love it
16:49
Don Trip is here man I'mma Play Mama's
16:52
Revenge because it says all of this in
16:55
one
16:56
song go
16:59
and I love it 888 742 3345 G
17:04
trip as always this man been dropping
17:08
gems since the first time you came up
17:11
here I remember you told told us uh
17:14
about not having the father but we we
17:16
got real close because our our stories
17:18
are um similar in many ways true that
17:21
and then years later here you are you
17:22
got your partner George here tell talk
17:24
to me about connect y you guys are
17:27
Partners in that yeah yeah indeed indeed
17:29
man um like you said I've been doing
17:31
this for a long time you know for a
17:33
short period of my career I was assed
17:36
artist uh that ain't much work out so
17:39
you know just like every man you know
17:42
just cuz plan a didn't work don't mean
17:44
you know we give it all up it's trying
17:46
to plan B plan C till you get to plan Z
17:50
so you know I I'm I'm uh accustomed to
17:53
working with Distributors and for the
17:55
most part when I work with Distributors
17:57
it's kind of um know it's kind of
17:59
simplified it's just you know I turn the
18:01
project in they distribute it to dsps
18:04
and you know that's like the the basis
18:06
of the relationship like drro kid and
18:09
that those type of companies core that
18:11
sort of thing well I I never much work
18:13
with those companies I don't like the uh
18:17
now I don't mean it's in
18:20
any not a knock at them in any shape
18:22
form or fashion but I prefer to be able
18:24
to meet with people in person mhm so I
18:28
used to uh I used to distribute through
18:31
a local uh local uh a local Distribution
18:35
Company in Memphis car selecto is know
18:38
and none of this is a strike against
18:40
them in any shape form of fashion but
18:42
they more so um old school it's it's
18:46
right right exactly exactly
18:49
and times have changed the the economy
18:52
has changed the the climate of music has
18:55
changed and you know I was in a space I
18:59
could be content and just rock with what
19:01
I was doing and you know it would work
19:03
but I didn't want to I don't know how to
19:06
do that that don't much feel comfortable
19:08
you know you sit in the same spot in the
19:10
bed you get bed SS so you know I I kind
19:13
of view it the same way in life so I'm
19:15
like you know I want to go to the next
19:17
step but I don't want to um I don't want
19:21
to fake it yeah I don't want to just
19:23
just jump out and now we you know WE
19:24
Superstars and all the extra [ __ ] you
19:26
know that it cost more money to pretend
19:28
be rich didn't do to be
19:31
rich real [ __ ] I mean you know you
19:34
feeling well you know we Sig regular
19:36
they give me all that money and all them
19:38
chains and cars and house and the
19:40
interest is hidden and then you know
19:42
later on I'm like hey man where my where
19:44
my money for hoochi coochie bang hey man
19:47
The Cadillacs don't bu themselves
19:49
so but either way you know I had got to
19:52
a space where I wanted to elevate and it
19:56
just so happened uh uh
19:59
I'm close friends with a producer and
20:00
you know he came to me he was like man
20:02
you know there people that connect they
20:03
want to sit down I'm like you know I'm
20:04
not sure what that is but I I'm a
20:07
believer that that nothing's wrong with
20:09
hearing the person out so I'm like all
20:12
right you know let's do it let's sit
20:13
down and you know they I come meet with
20:16
them I sit down at the table you know
20:18
it's they was familiar with me we just
20:21
never met so you know I sit down and
20:23
they showing me numbers and [ __ ] that I
20:25
should have known my whole career but I
20:27
ain't never have the access to this kind
20:29
of [ __ ] what kind of numbers do they
20:31
like the analytics [ __ ] like they
20:34
showing me like my whole career I always
20:37
wanted to know where the audience was
20:40
and what they like to listen to like you
20:42
know if I'm going to go and do a show
20:44
and [ __ ] Tallahasse I want to know
20:47
what they listen to in tah Hass I don't
20:48
want to be Flying Blind we get there and
20:50
we performing records and you know in my
20:53
head even if you a Die Hard Da trip fan
20:56
I don't expect you to know every song
20:58
and I don't expect you to love every
21:00
song so I want to be able to pull the
21:02
records that you love how do I know this
21:05
I can't ask you personally I can't you
21:06
know come to the show before the show so
21:09
you know they showed me [ __ ] that I
21:10
needed so you know we sat and you know
21:13
we had a few conversations and you know
21:15
first couple conversations is just
21:17
conversations and you know I'm a
21:20
Believer and you know let's do it let's
21:22
let's [ __ ] it let's put it in motion if
21:24
it don't work it don't work if it work
21:26
then [ __ ] that's great we learned
21:27
something
21:28
and if again if it don't work we learn
21:30
something so we sat we uh you know we
21:32
worked up like a a quick deal for like
21:34
the first tape which was the January
21:37
tape and you know from that [ __ ] they
21:40
showed me [ __ ] improv they showed
21:42
improved and I you know I did the same
21:44
so we got back to the drum board and
21:46
said well you know we we got a little
21:48
more going on than we assumed so we
21:51
build it on out and man it's been a uh
21:54
it's been a great ride 55 million
21:56
streams this year alone
21:59
a little better than the great ride guys
22:01
a roller coaster
22:03
[ __ ] a little better than the
22:05
great ride right true did but you know
22:08
but that's because man connect came in
22:12
and for for the first time in a very
22:15
long time I don't have to wear all the
22:17
hats yeah and it's refreshing I get to
22:20
sit and be creative I get to you know
22:24
not in the sense of like you know the
22:26
kind of you know rappers just want to be
22:29
rappers they don't look at paperwork or
22:31
nothing they just want to be rappers I
22:32
don't mean in that sense I'm too old for
22:34
that I got too many kids to just rap and
22:36
not pay attention to what's going on but
22:39
that's what I'm saying you know but
22:41
that's why the partnership works like we
22:43
get to we we treat each other like men
22:46
we don't treat each other like
22:49
employees we don't treat each other like
22:51
the other person don't matter and that's
22:53
for every person in the connect building
22:55
you know I embrace all those people like
22:57
you know like everybody's important
22:59
because in real time everybody is yeah
23:01
no that that's right trip let me let me
23:03
just add to that you know George man
23:05
George what's your last name Monger
23:06
George Monger yes so you know start
23:09
what's your role at connect I founded
23:11
Connect Music in 2020 as a music
23:13
Distribution Company okay but we saw
23:15
this Paradigm Shift where so much more
23:18
distribution was get all the content you
23:20
can get I want to get all the content I
23:21
want to work with artists we want to
23:22
work with we want to work with people we
23:24
have a relationship which you view as a
23:26
human on the other side of the table so
23:28
the first one of those for example we
23:29
were here in June is our partner booy
23:32
badass right so boo was one of those
23:34
first folks hit me we did we took period
23:36
goal trip similar situation endless
23:39
entertainment bringing that catalog over
23:41
of partnering with Z Zebo and and Marcus
23:44
house shout out to those guys um and
23:47
continuing to to be hand selective in
23:49
what we work with and then having those
23:51
direct relationships and deals with your
23:53
streaming services and partners we're
23:55
not coming with 100,000 songs a week
23:56
we're coming with a handsome selected
23:58
group with people who have that music
24:00
and act together and then what we saw
24:02
was the opportunity with black art you
24:05
know I know we have a lot of
24:06
conversation about oh you know hip-hop
24:08
is down
24:10
40% hip-hop is 33% of 15 billion doll
24:14
industry period okay5 billion is us we
24:18
can own that and we can control it trip
24:19
owns his Masters okay trip owns his
24:22
Masters right indeed trip we we we we
24:24
wanted to put together his marketing
24:26
plan that require capital but we see
24:28
music as an asset class it's an asset
24:30
class that the artist should own right
24:32
so when they own that asset we put
24:35
Capital into the projects we licens that
24:38
work um he keeps the lon share of that
24:41
uh as we develop this Cadillacs don't
24:43
pay for themselves but at the same time
24:45
he controls that asset and that's the
24:47
relationship that we want to build you
24:49
know we looked at Trip's data early on
24:51
said we know the music is strong the
24:53
audience is there how do we help talk to
24:55
those folks how do we um set things up
24:58
and you know I think last week it was 3
25:00
3.5 3.6 million um on on on that record
25:05
on when the project came
25:06
out the whole entire project or the or
25:09
the particular song that's right that
25:10
was on that project 1207 James when it
25:13
dropped that's the first week
25:14
independent 3.5 million streams first
25:17
week and U you know he continues to
25:19
continues to grow Don Trip man come on
25:21
man I like that and and so and this is
25:24
so and
25:26
so you start you found it connect that's
25:29
right how did you get funding for it
25:32
uh started he's a crafty individual
25:34
started started with what I had in the
25:36
bank um and I started to attract capital
25:39
I have some fantastic partners that have
25:40
joined in the company uh from Memphis is
25:43
an entrepreneural City it's the home of
25:44
FedEx it's where Fred Smith started
25:46
FedEx uh we're blessed and fortunate to
25:49
have Partners like uh Richard Smith son
25:51
of Fred we've got uh unbelievable uh uh
25:56
community of investors that came in
25:58
early they understood the vision this is
25:59
a blackowned business still today uh you
26:02
know we grew the valuation of the
26:03
business uh you know to eight uh figures
26:07
quickly um in in a way that it allowed
26:10
us to continue to keep investing in in
26:13
in in content and assets and and uh you
26:16
know you'll see over the next couple
26:17
weeks more uh releases that are coming
26:19
out and and announcements and
26:20
Partnerships you know even from our
26:22
publishing division right big X the plug
26:25
we did that deal in July I believe this
26:28
is guy who's doing 20 million streams a
26:30
week and we wanted to make sure he had
26:32
access to his his uh earnings in the
26:34
publishing realm and so it's
26:36
continuously making sure we're educating
26:38
and partnering with people who we who we
26:40
believe in who we know have an
26:41
opportunity to exceed um uh where they
26:44
are today and and make sure that they
26:46
control their their intellectual
26:48
property it's a asset class that should
26:50
be leveraged not sold there you go man
26:52
that's George from connect music group
26:54
Don Trip is here the new project is 1207
26:56
James Street that's
26:58
sit next to hea Mike news George uh
27:01
first of all D love the story love the
27:03
conversation appr such a fan of yours
27:06
indeed I appreciate that yeah um George
27:08
I have a question for you with the data
27:10
I'm always talking about Ai and
27:12
technology and I always talk about the
27:13
way that Independent Artists could be
27:15
much more successful if they really
27:16
understood their data how do you
27:18
incorporate like technology in terms of
27:21
how only do you understand the data but
27:22
in order how to move the asset around
27:24
the country around the world based upon
27:26
what the data is suggesting that's right
27:28
I I think you got it exactly right first
27:29
party data where is that person what are
27:32
they listening to what's their skip rate
27:33
is it active listening or is it is it is
27:35
it background music form right how do
27:37
you capture that um and it's then how do
27:40
you not overload the artist there's some
27:42
things that we see in the data that's
27:44
important to us not that important to
27:47
trip right so trip need what we need
27:49
trip to know is that there are five fans
27:52
in Nebraska let's not do a 10day tour in
27:54
Nebraska it's five people there right we
27:56
should we should absolutely go to South
27:58
Carolina you're doing X percentage of
28:00
your streams there so it's it's taking
28:02
you know large data sets and Distilling
28:04
them to actionable intelligence right
28:06
data is is you got to turn it into
28:09
information uh another question I have
28:10
where you're curious about a lot of
28:12
these artists now are doing like 20 Al
28:14
20 track albums right trying to trick
28:17
the algorithm of the streams like what
28:19
what is your opinion and thoughts on
28:20
that when it comes to trying to trick
28:22
the algorithm versus being more
28:24
strategic with the number of tracks that
28:25
you have with the data well I think it's
28:28
first you have to make sure you have an
28:29
audience 20 20 tracks is 20 tracks if
28:32
nobody's listening there's there's
28:34
nothing to trick right I think the most
28:36
dangerous thing that artists do is a
28:37
couple things buying followers right
28:40
buying streams we can we we see buy
28:42
streams oh yeah and and the streaming
28:44
services and us as Distributors we we
28:46
see that in the data we terminate those
28:48
deals it cost more money to pretend to
28:51
be rich then it do to be rich that's
28:54
right right so you got to grow
28:55
organically first orally and then I
28:59
think to that point I think this thing
29:00
is is game is screwed up man oh yes [ __ ]
29:05
they buying streams you won't have some
29:07
of that5 billion dollar too but you got
29:10
to get it the right way we are far too
29:12
Advanced Technologies too far ahead for
29:14
you to go $10 you get a million streams
29:16
no $10 is going to get your music taken
29:18
down $10 is going to screw up the
29:20
algorithm yeah when all the streams are
29:22
coming from India and your music is
29:24
you're you're a Memphis based artist
29:26
those streams are not I mean and look at
29:29
the the residual effect it it would have
29:32
on your career right again this why I
29:35
mean when I say it's more expensive all
29:37
right you go and you got [ __ ] 70
29:41
million streams right right and you
29:43
artist nobody's ever heard of and then
29:45
you go and do that show and nobody's
29:48
there or you go and do that show and
29:51
they all look at you like
29:53
this cuz they don't know you they don't
29:55
even know you they have no idea who you
29:57
are all right the same way Barbers
30:00
communicate with Barbers and you know
30:04
radio personalties communicate with
30:06
radio personalities and rappers with
30:09
rappers promoters do too promoters say
30:12
hey well I have book so and so and man I
30:14
[ __ ] lost $6 that [ __ ] was ridiculous
30:17
right that's right so who going to book
30:19
you next cuz you know that [ __ ] going to
30:21
spread like wildfire you know bad news
30:23
spread much faster than good news ever
30:25
can true and you know so you did all
30:28
that you spent all your money on fake
30:30
followers and you know if if you f if
30:32
you bought fake followers and fake
30:34
streams you ain't sto there your jewry
30:36
probably fake too the jewelry is fake
30:38
too you got fake friends cuz they
30:40
believe you streaming well you think
30:41
they think you're doing good and you're
30:43
the fake friend and you're the fake
30:44
friend cuz you ain't who you claim to be
30:46
oh man the game is screwed up Heather
30:49
sway I know I already knew I've been
30:51
told you all right look we got some
30:53
callers on the line Don Trip is here
30:54
this is a great conversation man I'm
30:57
Vinnie is on the line from Maryland go
30:58
ahead
30:59
V yo yo yo thank God it's a day yo how's
31:02
everybody doing blessed man couldn't
31:05
complain I'm
31:06
alive man God well thank God for that
31:09
man and I just want to put it out there
31:10
that it was on on this platform uh when
31:13
I first heard Don Trip spit man and it
31:16
was a few years ago and Don Trip I want
31:19
to say thank you man you you put I was
31:21
going through some dark times and your
31:24
music pulled me out of that and I love I
31:26
love hip hop I love music and I just
31:29
want to say thank you so much now there
31:31
is uh something going on in my household
31:33
right now and I was hoping to see if you
31:35
can answer my daughter seems to think
31:37
that you that you were talking about the
31:39
letter to your son his name is Jaden
31:42
jayen and I thought it was jayen thank
31:44
you okay so you killed that right have
31:46
best about that we arguing about in your
31:50
house yeah man so my daughter's name is
31:53
Jaden oh okay and and I was going
31:56
through the same thing with my daughters
31:58
and and here I am I got all three of my
32:00
babies and it was a tough time man so
32:03
that music when that came out
32:06
you I'm proud of you for sticking
32:08
through it brother I'm proud of you for
32:09
sticking through it I guarantee you them
32:11
girls them girls are appreciate that
32:13
more than you know hey Vinnie thanks for
32:16
your call brother you're a super citizen
32:17
man God bless all right uh let's go to
32:20
Arizona D is in Arizona go ahead D what
32:23
up
32:23
D hey good morning everybody good
32:26
morning call ER long time listener um
32:29
just wanted to call and say what sound
32:32
like he said first time caller and long
32:33
time listener first time caller did he
32:36
say first time caller right we got a
32:38
first time caller y'all
32:44
got what the hell just happened up here
32:47
I know what this is he been on the show
32:48
plenty of time go ahead go ahead D yeah
32:51
man I just want to let Mr clip know or
32:54
Mr two clip trip know you know your
32:55
music is very motiv ational it's
32:57
inspiring I love how you talk about your
33:00
family but also you know can relate to
33:02
the streets and you know just keep doing
33:04
what you're doing man hey man I
33:06
appreciate that that mean everything to
33:07
me brother hey D you got to get the new
33:10
project cuz it's you know this they
33:12
doing it this is autonomous operation
33:14
right here this is proprietorship at is
33:15
finest we talk about General
33:17
generational wealth that seem to be a
33:19
catchphrase over the last five years
33:21
this is how it starts yeah okay D you
33:24
citizen man in the morning
33:27
yeah thank you app that was he he knew
33:30
it was time to go cut out yeah you saw
33:32
how D responded after Heather said Sway
33:34
in the Morning guys we do this scoop is
33:37
in Miami scoop what we talking scoop up
33:40
what's up what's up what's up good
33:41
morning no we love your energy what's
33:43
goody hey I first of all it's crazy Shar
33:47
Andi it's how Mr trip is on the radio
33:49
this morning me and my partner this past
33:51
weekend we was just sitting down talking
33:53
about him listening to the new album
33:55
like man the nth project this year I
33:58
hope it's this man time to just go go go
34:02
so salutes to you King hey man
34:04
appreciate that for real I've been doing
34:06
it for a long time so you know to know
34:08
people still stick with me it mean
34:10
everything for real hey man thanks for
34:12
your call scoop and thanks for
34:14
supporting did you really put nine
34:15
projects out this year yeah one every
34:17
month how is that just your rate of
34:21
creation like creative yeah I a got
34:23
nothing on the date a got nothing
34:27
we you know I go from scratch we sit in
34:29
the studio I don't record unless I'm in
34:31
the studio I don't write music unless
34:33
I'm in the studio I I've learned from I
34:36
guess from doing this for as long as
34:37
I've been doing this I learned how to
34:39
separate being a father and a husband
34:42
now from being a rapper I don't like the
34:48
like you know some I've recorded at home
34:50
before but I try not to make home my my
34:53
studio cuz this know this sh two
34:57
different worlds like you know like
34:59
that's another one of the reasons why I
35:01
rock would connect cuz because no pun
35:04
intended but because of that connection
35:07
like when when George is with his kid I
35:10
don't interfere no shape form or fashion
35:12
like you know I hit him a few days ago
35:14
and I can't remember what the [ __ ] I
35:16
what I needed but my guy Kedrick he was
35:20
like you know at some point he was like
35:22
uh George is at Disney I'm like Disney
35:24
I'm like you know George was responding
35:26
to the message
35:27
I'm like no you know what you know we
35:28
going put that on pause enjoy the time
35:31
with your kid we we we'll rap when you
35:33
come back whenever you come back we
35:34
ain't tripping on that that ain't
35:35
nothing but that kind of [ __ ] that's
35:39
what mean everything in real time he
35:40
ain't a [ __ ] volunteer worker and I
35:42
ain't either so you know we do this for
35:45
that so I kind of like I said I learned
35:47
how to to juggle the time so when I'm at
35:51
home I ain't done trip in no shape form
35:54
or fashion which is that go back to like
35:56
with the family member thing if you call
35:58
me done trip then you can't be related
36:00
to me now in my family well I won't give
36:04
that away but they don't call me done
36:06
trip and you know when I'm at home
36:09
that's the you know I'm in that space
36:11
I'm I'm dead you know and when it come
36:14
to the music like you know I like I
36:17
guess like dedicate a a certain amount
36:20
of time to that and I treated like a N9
36:22
to5 so you know every month of the every
36:26
every month throughout these N9 months
36:29
we go in the studio for like a week
36:31
maybe two weeks and you know when it
36:34
come to Distributing you know you got
36:36
you got a deadline you need to you know
36:39
and I sometimes I wait till that very
36:41
day but you know you got it's got to be
36:44
turned in by a certain point you know at
36:46
some point you can't be past that day so
36:49
you know I work and if we got eight
36:52
records by the time we get to the
36:53
deadline eight records is coming out
36:55
that's the album if we got 16 12
36:57
whatever that's what's coming out yeah I
36:59
don't believe in like doing that 20
37:01
record [ __ ] you do that
37:04
[ __ ] I'm I won't say no names so it
37:07
won't knock nobody but every record you
37:09
ever heard that was 20 records you ain't
37:11
like but like seven you know what all
37:13
that other [ __ ] that's right okay trip
37:16
all that [ __ ] was filler so you know I
37:19
ain't in it for that you know these are
37:21
you know it was a point in time for a
37:23
lot of people it still is a point in
37:24
time but you going in the studio
37:27
and you like these seven records them
37:29
seven records really came from your
37:31
heart whether they was fun records or
37:33
depressing records or whatever the [ __ ]
37:35
they were and then from them seven
37:37
records somebody came in and said hey
37:38
you need a single so now you in here
37:40
trying to force that [ __ ] and then he
37:42
come in back in and say that single
37:44
ain't really going to do it so I trying
37:45
to force another one for you know you
37:47
got 20 records and only seven of them
37:50
right them [ __ ] we don't even know on
37:52
your tape we that [ __ ] might blow up two
37:55
years from now we like damn I think I
37:57
heard that before where that song come
37:59
from right cuz it was the one of the 13
38:01
records nobody listened to nobody really
38:03
liked and I ain't in the bsiness of that
38:06
I ain't trying to provide you with the
38:09
music because we got to get the music
38:11
out yeah I'm providing you with the
38:13
music cuz the shit's in my head and if I
38:15
don't get it out of my head shit's going
38:17
to clog yeah so you know that's what we
38:19
in it for you on purpose I love this Don
38:21
Trip I know your real name but I'm going
38:22
to call you Don Trip all right you my
38:25
family too man hey brother I love
38:27
come on man you know man come on man
38:30
listen this is great and I and I so
38:32
appreciate this conversation indeed
38:35
George thank you for joining us in this
38:37
conversation you might want to look up
38:39
connect if you're an independent artist
38:41
and you want to rise look up connect
38:43
music.com they take care of their
38:45
artists all right I know booy you know
38:47
Don Trip um and all the other ones it's
38:50
just you're so hands on but
38:51
congratulations on your success I
38:53
appreciate you brother you guys support
38:55
this project 12 127 James Street
38:58
normally I have him spit bars but today
39:00
he spoke bars no no I got you you know
39:03
I'm I'm I'm I'm going to make it work
39:04
you know how we rocking I owe it to you
39:06
I think the last time I came I didn't
39:08
rap then either okay well let's get
39:11
let's get Devin Haney in here let's get
39:12
the champ in here cuz yeah I wanted him
39:15
to hear this you know how we rocking
39:16
though you know this [ __ ] got to be a
39:18
for okay I got you come hear me where
39:20
you get this water
39:21
from get that man the water somebody get
39:24
that man hey Devon man hold up man hey
39:27
yo The champ is here dein Haney is in
39:29
the building hold up I want to get him
39:30
to come up in here yo I want you to meet
39:33
John trip right here yeah man he about
39:36
to spit some bars I wanted you to
39:38
witness this with him you okay with that
39:41
okay man he's serious de is look at this
39:43
man Bill what up baby Bill Hanny up in
39:46
here too man come on we about to get
39:48
this yo this is Don Trip I know
39:52
Brothers you know and we about to sit
39:54
and talk with these brothers family
39:56
right here I just want to create a
39:58
village a village right now while Don
40:00
Trip about to drop some bars all
40:04
right put me on the spot man you know
40:07
that's how we got here all
40:10
right all
40:13
right I was expecting that we got a
40:15
hyena up in here I think that would be a
40:18
kyot okay
40:22
but I just watched 8 Mile for like the
40:24
hund time reminded me of why I used to
40:27
want to rhyme I used to have hip hop
40:31
underlined now all I know is pounds like
40:33
the number sign no college education is
40:36
no wonder why yeah I'm dirty but at
40:39
least I'm still an honest guy prone to
40:41
robberies and occasional homicides we
40:43
slang pies and die on the same Corner
40:46
side we eating over here nobody's on a
40:49
diet we sitting back getting fat off
40:51
Humble Pie even if I'm outnumbered never
40:54
running hide ready to the Open Fire
40:57
stand in each other's eyes the small
41:00
thing called
41:02
Pride the small thing called Pride
41:06
trying to make the dope money spread
41:08
faster than a fire the mees I go for my
41:12
child I'll go to Helen Back soaked and
41:14
gas with a
41:15
smile I'm a bit under the weather no
41:18
sinus medication I cure everything with
41:20
ch I got this [ __ ] covered mascara we
41:24
just call goons we we never call
41:27
sheriffs guns get drawn not even God can
41:30
help you better pray for the guy on the
41:32
other end of the barrel I know [ __ ]
41:34
doing time and it's Federal they got the
41:36
kind of sentences that don't come with
41:39
letters no girl no outside world just
41:43
letters home in 50 years the translation
41:46
is
41:49
never they [ __ ] with no greasy
41:51
contraceptive I'm 38 with no felonies
41:54
that's impressive I'm ready to pop it
41:56
off on who winning whever I'm shooting
41:59
like um well shooting fast enough for me
42:01
to win a gold medal turn the other
42:04
cheek whatever that wasn't such a good
42:07
idea as Cora real TS I got n tattoo you
42:12
can't wait for no check once the Rin
42:14
pass
42:16
do can't do [ __ ] but prepare for bad
42:18
news if we ain't gone in 30 days they
42:20
going to have her ass removed I got
42:22
signed and got paid yeah that's true but
42:26
that alone doesn't make the [ __ ] cool
42:28
they just want a letter to my son part
42:30
two to them it's a song to me it's a
42:34
bruise but nothing sells record like a
42:37
[ __ ] with the blues you might think you
42:40
understand but you really ain't got a
42:43
clue trip Don
42:47
Trip
42:49
[ __ ]
42:51
bro geordan give that man a hug man you
42:55
need some therapy man help that dude out
42:57
man hey I might need I might have to I
42:59
might have to name the next tape I might
43:01
need therapy therapy well
43:02
congratulations man that's always
43:04
powerful I love your acappellas he's
43:06
done acappellas for us for years always
43:09
powerful I can't wait to go back and
43:10
decipher it the new project 127 James no
43:14
no I already know I know we rock you
43:16
know what I'm doing with it all right um
43:18
man congratulations to you George
43:21
connectus group.com connectm music.com
43:23
that's right connectm music.com y'all
43:25
hit them up
43:26
uh Don Trip is a pleasure always let's
43:29
stay connected right
43:35
okay
#Arts & Entertainment